《Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad》


 Chapter 1 : The Italian Stallion

    <h4>Chapter 1: Chapter 1 : The Italian Stallion</h4>


    Ba.


    Tally¡¯s house was a dream home¡ªliterally.


    Her father had built it from a dream he''d had, or so he¡¯d told us when we were young girls.


    Looking at it now, I believed it.


    Little did I know that, in this house, all of my dreams would start toe true....


    Five years had gone by since thest time I came to Miami. Pulling up to Tally¡¯s house felt just like it had been so many times before. I had spent so many summers in this home,ing here was like greeting an old friend.


    The mansion had tall, white, towering columns lining the porch, enting the huge archways over the doors. The architecture was unique to Tally¡¯s father¡¯s taste, which made sense since he had dreamed it up.


    The difference now was the roof had been redone in Mediterranean terracotta shingles, and thendscaping waspletely different, now with an Italian re. Mr. Valentino had even added a white marble fountain to the front yard that featured a goddess being worshiped.


    He had really outdone himself and based on the looks of the outside, I couldn¡¯t wait to see what he had changed inside. This was my home away from home.


    ¡°Oh, my god!¡± Tally screamed excitedly. ¡°Look at this ce! Dad really did a number on the renovations, didn¡¯t he, Ba?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, totally awesome,¡± I replied, ncing towards Tally, shaking my head.


    Thank god she has never been to my parents¡¯ house.


    As much as I didn¡¯t want to think Tally would judge the way I grew up¡ªshe would.


    Prim and proper was Tally¡¯s norm. These sorts of luxuries weren¡¯t possible for someone like me.


    I didn¡¯te from mansions or luxury cars or tight security. My family didn¡¯t have yachts and butlers and maids. All of which seemed to tend to any need Tally could possibly ever have.


    But it didn¡¯t matter to me in the end. I loved the life I lived, and I was grateful to have been able to take part in Tally¡¯s as well.


    How we had be friends I would never understand, but I was grateful to have her. We had been there for each other through a lot, and no matter how much we could irritate each other, we were like sisters.


    ¡°I¡¯m starving. I wonder if Dad has a small spread ready for our arrival,¡± she murmured as she grabbed her stuff and nced at me. ¡°Ready to get this party started?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Shaking my head with a smile, I watched her move with excitement towards the front door. Its mahogany finish gleamed in the Miami sun.


    Beautiful. That¡¯s what it was.


    Passing the threshold, it was as if being instantly transported to Italy. The decor embellished every inch of the Tuscan Valley, highlighting every aspect of the magical home.


    Thest time I hade here was when Tally¡¯s parents got divorced. At that point in time, the home was still wildly styled to Tally¡¯s mother¡¯s taste.


    So seeing her father¡¯s preference brought to life was a refreshing sight.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Tally screamed, dropping all of her bags to the floor haphazardly as she moved towards the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯m home!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure why Tally continued to act like she was five, but at the same time, I was too entranced with the decor to care. Carefully, I sat done my things next to Tally¡¯s while my eyes stared at the ceiling as I spun slowly in a circle, taking it all in.


    ¡°Maybe he isn¡¯t here,¡± I said as my eyes met hers once more.


    ¡°He is here. His car was in the drive, and he told me he had a long meeting. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t meet us at the airport.¡±


    Rolling my eyes, the corner of my lip lifted into a smirk as I took a seat on one of the tall vintage barstools. There was only so much Tally-drama I could deal with, and considering we hadn¡¯t even been here ten minutes, I would say this was a new record.


    Regardless, though, I didn¡¯t want to partake in the conversation she was about to have with him. I already knew where it would go.


    ¡°Well,¡± I shrugged, ¡°maybe he took another car?¡±


    It¡¯s not like he is short on the money to afford it.


    ¡°This is bullshit!¡± Tally screamed out in frustration. ¡°He was supposed to greet me as soon as I got home.¡±


    Ah. There she is! Princess Tally at her finest.


    As my eyes cast towards the window in the kitchen, I caught sight of the Adonis-like figure swimmingps in the pool. There was no doubt in my mind who it was....


    Because I already knew. James Valentino. Tally¡¯s sex god of a father.


    Since I was sixteen years old, I had fantasized about sneaking into her father¡¯s room and having him force me to submit. The way his fingers would grip my throat as he told me I was his good girl... I knew it was wrong, but at the same time, it was a childish fantasy. One I never dared to share with Tally.


    Not to mention her father would never dare take advantage of a young girl.


    Even if I had wanted to willingly give myself to him.


    ¡°Uh, it looks like he is getting out of the pool,¡± I breathed out, trying to divert my attention.


    No matter how many times I tried to take my eyes off of him, I couldn¡¯t. He was far too breathtaking, and with droplets of water dripping down across his rippled stomach, all I could do was drool.


    F*ck me. Is he getting hotter the older he gets?


    ¡°What?¡± She gasped as she nced in the direction I was looking. ¡°Swimming instead of meeting me when I walked through the door?¡±


    The disdain in her voice snapped me out of my trance and caused me to roll my eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what the big deal is, Tally. Who cares? We are here now, and we have an entire summer to enjoy.¡±


    She spun to face me; her gaze spoke volumes about her unhappiness. ¡°I know this.¡±


    ¡°Sooo?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Then what¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    Crossing her arms over her chest, she scoffed, ¡°Because Daddy always greets me at the door. You don¡¯t think he has a new woman, do you?¡±


    Laughter escapes me as I stare at her in disbelief. ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s your go-to?¡±


    ¡°Well¡ª¡± she shrugged in frustration, ¡°I read online that when men change their patterns, it¡¯s usually because of a big change... like a new woman.¡±


    Should have seen that. It¡¯s what happened with Chad, I mentally noted with a sigh.


    I couldn¡¯t understand her reasoning. ¡°Would that honestly be a bad thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± she shrieked. ¡°Oh, my god, Ba. That would be like the worst thing ever. If he wants a woman, he can get back with my mom.¡±


    Just as the words left her mouth, the sliding ss door opened, and the hottest man I had everid my eyes on stepped through the doorway, dripping wet and running a towel over his head.


    The Italian Stallion has arrived. God, I want to kiss his abs.


    The dirty remark running through my mind caused me to bite my bottom lip as my eyes scanned his body up and down. No matter how much time passed, I still had the desire to climb him like a horse and ride him into the new year.


    Maybe run my tongue across his rock hard body even... hell, I¡¯m not picky.


    ¡°Where were you?¡± Tally snapped with disapproval, pulling me from my delicious thoughts. ¡°I expected to see you, and you weren¡¯t there. I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Confusion passed through his eyes as he stared at her with shock. ¡°Sweetie, I didn¡¯t think your flight was supposed to be here for another hour.¡±


    ¡°Uh¨Cno,¡± she quipped. ¡°I sent you my flight info, and I texted you.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± he replied, picking his phone off the bar and quickly scrolling through it.


    Standing impatiently, she stared at him. ¡°Yeah, I did.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sweetie,¡± he shrugged. ¡°I guess it slipped my mind. I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡±


    Smart man. Smart man.


    When it came to Tally, we both knew how to act. Because if Tally didn¡¯t get her way, you would think World War III was breaking out due to her disregard and meltdowns.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she sighed. ¡°Ba and I are hungry and tired. Can we order food?¡±


    As his eyes slowly slid to me, he furrowed his brow in confusion, ¡°Ba?¡±


    Of course, he doesn¡¯t recognize me. ¡°Hey,¡± I smiled, trying not to look down.


    The swim shorts were doing nothing to conceal the beast between his legs, and with my current sexual situation having been nonexistent for the past few weeks, I was horny.


    Damn it, Ba. Stop thinking dirty about your friend¡¯s dad. What the f*ck!


    ¡°You have grown up a lot, Ba,¡± Mr. Valentino replied, his dark, sultry gaze scanning up and down my body.


    Shit. Was he checking me out?!


    ¡°Yeah.¡± The breathlessness of my response caused me to clear my throat as I quickly averted my gaze, trying to look anywhere but at him. I wasn¡¯t trying to be rude, but if this conversation didn¡¯t end quickly, I was going to give away my dirty thoughts by looking at his enormous cock again.


    ¡°So...¡± he muttered, looking between the two of us. ¡°What are the ns for summer?¡±


    Before I could even get a word in, Tally started rambling off about the parties and boating trips she wanted to take. Even though I was her guest, he was already ustomed to the fact we often did things apart.


    ¡°And you, Ba?¡± he asked, bringing me back to the present. ¡°Anything you would like to do?¡±


    Yeah, f*ck you into oblivion.


    ¡°Um. I¡¯m not quite sure yet. Had some rough shit happen a few weeks back, so kind of looking to rx and enjoy my summer? Then, it¡¯s back to school for myst year.¡± I smiled, nodding my head as a glint of amusement crossed his eyes.


    ¡°Oh, very nice,¡± he said, crossing his arms over his chest. ¡°What was your degree again?¡±


    ¡°Statistics and Data Science,¡± I replied as I gazed down at my fidgeting hands.


    ¡°She¡¯s a math nerd, Dad. You give her anything to do with numbers, and she is quick with a response. Bookkeeping and calctions and all that stuff. Kind of like you.¡±


    Tally¡¯s response caused me tough before I cleared my throat, realizing I was finding amusement in her calling her dad a math nerd, basically.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± his reply was followed by the upward turn of his mouth as my gaze met his once more. I didn¡¯t understand what was going through his head at that moment, but I was intrigued to find out.


    Pulling out her phone, I watched as Tally replied to whatever text she got while smacking on the bright pink bubble gum she had consumed at some point. ¡°Shit. Ba, we need to get unpacked. Jesse wants us to meet for food.¡±


    ¡°Oh¨Cokay,¡± I said, not really looking forward to it. ¡°I thought we were going to eat here.¡±


    ¡°I can order food,¡± Mr. Valentino said happily as he nced between Tally and I.


    ¡°No, no,¡± Tally scoffed. ¡°We are just going to go out.¡±


    I felt bad about the situation overall. Mr. Valentino didn¡¯t know we were going to be here so soon, and Tally was acting childish. Even if I loved her dearly, the way she was acting was uneptable.


    ¡°Okay then,¡± he smiled. ¡°It¡¯s really nice to have you home, sweetie. I hope we can spend some time together while you¡¯re here.¡±


    The notion warmed my heart and made me miss my own father. But in true Tally fashion, she didn¡¯t hold the same sweet sentiment I did.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fit something in,¡± she replied as she made her way towards the stairs. ¡°Can Rosa bring our things upstairs, please? I need to unpack and take a shower.¡±


    As Tally disappeared from sight, I shook my head, jumping off the barstool.


    ¡°Thanks for letting me stay for the summer, Mr. Valentino. I appreciate it.¡±


    His eyes drifted from where his daughter had disappeared to me, and as he looked at me, I couldn¡¯t help but feel small under his gaze. ¡°There is no need to thank me, Ba. Also, will you please call me James?¡±


    First name basis? Oh, shit... Ba, stop, you¡¯re reading too much into it.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you would like... James,¡± I replied softly, fluttering my eyshes in a flirtatious manner. ¡°I better get going. I guess I¡¯ll see you around.¡±


    Raising a brow, his smile never faltered as he nodded, ¡°Oh, you definitely will.¡±

 Chapter 2 : Late Night Conversations

    Chapter 2: Chapter 2 : Late Night Conversations


    Going out with Tally had been more of a headache than I wanted it to be. What started out with dinner turned into an all-nighter at a local club. The stench of stale cigarettes littered my clothing from earlier in the night, as well as, the few droplets of puke Tally had managed to get on me when I was holding her hair.


    It shouldn¡¯t have been much of a surprise how the evening turned out. Yet, once again, I was left to babysit her while she dabbled in the fun.


    I wasn¡¯t the party girl Tally had be, and even though she knew that, she still tried to drag me around. Sometimes I wondered if that was simply a way to make sure she had a designated driver or if she genuinely enjoyed mypany.


    By the time we had arrived back at her home, the lights were off, and it was dark. Tally¡¯s drunken form was unable to carry herself up the stairs, which meant that it had been my job to do so.


    Lucky me!


    After I had gotten Tally undressed and in bed, and a hot shower had washed away the remainder of the night from my body, Iy on my bed, trying to find the will to go to sleep. Too much had happened over the past few weeks. My mind still reeled from my breakup with Chad, but I also couldn¡¯t stop thinking about James.


    James was different. Not only was he incredibly sexy, with lips so plump I wanted to kiss him for days, but he was old school. He seemed like the kind of man who knew how to wine and dine a girl. Treat her special, and never cheat on her with some mystery girl like Chad did to me.


    I didn¡¯t know James that way, but my mind constantly wondered. I wondered how he would treat me and about all the wonderfully sinful things he could do to me.


    I didn¡¯t understand the rush of emotions he brought over me. I wasn¡¯t the bad girl type, and yet everything about him wanted to make me submit on my knees.


    I¡¯m an idiot to think a man like James Valentino would be interested in me though. Allison, Tally¡¯s mom, is beautiful and ssy. She has taste and is sophisticated¡­ I can never be her.


    Tally had plenty of male friends in this city, and even though I didn¡¯t want another rtionship, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if one of them would settle my needs.


    Picking up my phone, I scrolled through social media and took in the various photos of Chad and I that were posted on my ount. I hadn¡¯t had the courage to get rid of them yet, and looking back at it now, I felt even more pathetic.


    With a push of a few buttons and much-needed courage, I deleted the history of my rtionship with Chad. I weed the hollow feeling in my chest when I was finished, but at the same time, it hurt.


    ¡°God, why can¡¯t I sleep,¡± I groaned as I looked at the clock, realizing I had spent two hoursying awake instead of sleeping.


    Slipping from bed, I padded my way out of my room and towards the stairs. The idea of hot tea and a snack to settle my mind seemed more enjoyable with every step I took.


    Through the darkness, I made my way to the kitchen. The dim light over the stove was enough for me to see what I was doing, and yet, not disturb anyone in the home.


    Not that anyone would likely wake. It was 3:00 in the morning, and normal people slept at this hour.


    As I moved around the kitchen setting the kettle, I hummed a tune from earlier in the night that had gotten stuck in my head.


    ¡°Having fun?¡± a voice called from behind me, causing a small scream to leave my throat as I spun around,ing face to face with James himself. His dark, brooding eyes stared at me with amusement.


    As much as I wanted to form a coherent sentence at that moment, my thoughts were lost in the realization that James, my best friend¡¯s father, was standing before me in nothing but a towel.


    Oh, sweet baby Jesus. ¡°Uh-oh, hey. Sorry, just making tea.¡±


    ¡°I see that,¡± he hummed with amusement. ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep either?¡±


    Shaking my head, I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Nottely. Plus, after all the excitement tonight, I had to wind down.¡±


    There was a moment of awkward silence that fell between us as James stood by the counter, simply staring at me.


    Clearing my throat, I turned back towards the kettle that was now hissing and poured the hot water over the tea bag so it could steep. Motion out of the corner of my eye made me freeze as I realized he had taken two steps closer towards me.


    ¡°You really have changed over the years¡­ haven¡¯t you, Ba?¡± he whispered softly, causing me to turn around and notice only a few feet between us.


    My heart raced with anticipation of what the hell was happening. Was this what I hoped it was? But I couldn¡¯t do that to Tally, could I?


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied ufortably, ¡°I guess I have. I¡¯m not really the dorky girl I was thest time I was here. Then again, I could say you have changed as well.¡±


    He had changed. He had gotten older, obviously, but he didn¡¯t seem as sad as he once had. Instead, he seemed satisfied with his life. As if he finally found his calling after leaving his ex-wife, Allison.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± His eyes took me in once more as he casually leaned against the counter. ¡°So, did your boyfriend decide to join you this summer as well?¡±


    My eyes kept drifting down his ripped, toned body. Every muscle was on full disy, and only the towel kept me separated from the prize I wanted so desperately to have.


    I tried not to look, but I couldn¡¯t help it when he stood so willingly in front of me.


    ¡°Uh, no.¡± I shrugged, trying to remain calm. ¡°I don¡¯t have one. We broke up a few weeks ago.¡±


    Intrigue seemed to get to him as I responded.


    As if that had been the answer he was hoping for.


    ¡°Is that right? Was it mutual then?¡±


    ncing down, I shook my head. ¡°No, not exactly.¡±


    No matter how innocent his question had been, the wound of Chad¡¯s betrayal was still fresh. So for James to bring it up was like pouring salt on an open wound.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I upset you, Ba. That wasn¡¯t my intention.¡±


    ¡°No, no. You¡¯re fine,¡± I replied as my eyes met his again. ¡°Just, shit happened, and it wasn¡¯t the most joyous moment in my life. Nothing I won¡¯t get over with in time, though.¡±


    There was an unmistakable fire that crossed his gaze for a moment at my words. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but it was almost as if he was angry, but pleased at the same time.


    ¡°He was an idiot for letting a beautiful woman like you go.¡±


    Holy f*ck, he just called me beautiful. Thepliment caused my cheeks to redden with embarrassment as I bit my lip and quickly turned back to my tea.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why his remark surprised me like it did. Men from his generation were notorious for being this way, or at least, that was the assumption I had with most men I knew his age. My professors and even my dad''s friends were from a generation of ss. So why was it that his words caused me to react like this?


    Trying to wrap my head around what he was saying, I cleared my throat and straightened my shoulders.


    ¡°Thank you for yourpliment. But I am not as pretty as other women. Plus, I am driven when ites to my career. So I wasn¡¯t giving him the attention he wanted.¡±


    Excuses.


    They were all excuses, but at the same time, these excuses were what allowed me to get past the pain I felt over Chad¡¯s betrayal. The excuses I made were ones I gave for his actions towards me. No matter how horrible they were.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t deserve you. Traits like that I think are sexy in a woman,¡± James replied moving closer to me, causing my breath to catch in my throat.


    I was highly aware of the distance between us in the kitchen. The fact that he was in a towel sent me into hyperdrive, and I hoped he couldn¡¯t tell how much he was turning me on.


    Slowly turning around with parted lips, I faced him. In the time I hadn¡¯t been paying attention, he had taken two steps closer to me, and the distance between us closing caused my heart to race.


    I wasn¡¯t trying to be bad, but the smell of him wrapping around me made my body want to do all kinds of bad things. ¡°Perhaps, someday, someone will show me what it is I deserve.¡±


    My words came off more flirtatious than I¡¯d meant them to be, and he must have noticed, because his response was to brush against me gently as he reached over my head for a cup.


    The contact of his skin against mine caused my nipples to instantly harden and my core to clench with desire. I wanted him so f*cking bad, but at the same time, there was no way a man like James Valentino wanted me.


    Not to mention, you horny bitch, that is your best friend¡¯s dad.


    As he pulled back, setting his cup on the counter, I tried to clear my mind. There was a boundary I didn¡¯t need to cross, and with the teasing moments around us, I was dangerously close to crossing.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he whispered, causing me to slowly look up at him to see the amusement dancing within his eyes.


    ¡°Of course, why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± I shifted ufortably. ¡°Are you?¡±


    As his eyes drifted down towards my chest, I felt the stir within me once more.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m more than alright, Ba.¡± He grinned and his eyes met mine again.


    It took me a moment to process what he meant, and as I nced down, I saw the erect strain of my nipples pressing against the white tank top I was wearing.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I stammered, wrapping my arms across my chest. ¡°It¡¯s a bit cold.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡± He chuckled as he grabbed his ss and went to the fridge to pour a drink.


    He may have been right, but the arrogant response made my mouth part in surprise.


    ¡°Yes, it is. It¡¯s a bit chilly, and well, yeah¡ª¡±


    As the door to the fridge closed, he turned to face me, bringing his cup to his lips. The movement of his Adam''s apple as he drank down the liquid caught my eye. I had never seen something as simple as that look so sexy before.


    ¡°I know what you want, Ba,¡± he said, grasping my attention once more.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything,¡± I replied, trying to y the moment off.


    ¡°Enough.¡± Setting his cup down, he quickly cleared the space between us once more. His body was cornering me against the kitchen countertop, an arm on either side of me as the e f*ck me¡¯ eyes gazed into my soul.


    ¡°Mr. Valentino¡ª¡±


    ¡°I told you to call me James, Ba.¡± His firm reply flipped the switch on the situation and instantly made me want to behave. ¡°I can see that I turn you on, but I can promise you I¡¯m not what you want. The things I would do¡­ well, they would be too dark for you.¡±


    Holy shit. ¡°Y-you have no idea what I can handle. You don¡¯t know me like that.¡±


    My stuttered response showed clearly how uneasy I was with this situation, and yet I wanted it. I wanted him to show me exactly how dark he could be.


    ¡°Be a good girl, Ba. You need to go upstairs and go to bed,¡± he whispered as he inhaled deeply and pushed himself back from where we stood.


    The distance he was cing between us gave me a chance to breathe once more. Without a moment of hesitation, my feet pushed me towards the stairs, only to be stopped again with a firm grip on my arm.


    ¡°Remember what I said,¡± he all but growled in a sexy way that had me weak in the knees.


    Turning to face him, I ced my hand on his chest, trying to push him away. But the realization hit me that I was touching him, and the feeling of his body under my fingers made everything worse.


    The firm ripple of his skin under my fingers was intoxicating, and even with the slight show of chest hair present, I couldn¡¯t help but want to run my fingers through it as his plump lips devoured mine.


    Snapping out of my daydream, I quickly jerked myself from his grasp. His lips turned upwards as he stared at me, causing me to press my thighs together as I tried to control my arousal.


    ¡°Goodnight, Mr. Valentino,¡± I stuttered, forcing my gaze from his before I turned and fled from the kitchen, quickly running up the stairs.


    James Valentino was a mysterious man, and there was no telling what he truly meant by what he¡¯d said.


    Perhaps he was dangerous, but perhaps I would like it.

 Chapter 3 : Unexpected Choices

    Chapter 3: Chapter 3 : Unexpected Choices


    James.


    ¡°Daniel, as you can see, there are numerous ways we can better help you profit from your industry if you use ourpany. Our importing and exporting section far surpasses that of ourpetitors.¡±


    I watched as the CEO of Citadel Furnishing thought about my proposal. I had spent months trying to close this deal, and with weeks of back and forth, I knew without a doubt I had this in the bag.


    A smile lined the man¡¯s face as he nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± he replied, holding out his hand, which I quickly shook.


    ¡°I look forward to our future business together. If you wait just a moment, I will have Evette bring in the paperwork for you to sign, and then we will have someone take you on a tour of the docks so you can see ourpany at its finest.¡±


    Evette brought in the paperwork, Daniel signed it, and then I sent him off for the promised tour.


    Once he was gone, I reached for my phone which had gone off a few different times during my meeting.


    Tally.


    The girl was a pain in my ass, but as my only child, I loved her no matter what she did. She was the princess in my kingdom, and I was the king of my castle. For years I had tried to correct Tally¡¯s behavior, but her mother was always an obstacle.


    ¡®Having people over today for a pool party.¡¯


    Shaking my head, I sighed. There was no arguing with this girl.


    ¡®That¡¯s fine. I will be hometer this afternoon. Do you girls need anything?¡¯


    A few moments passed, and I watched the small bubbles at the bottom of our chat move.


    ¡®We¡¯re fine. See.¡¯


    A photo pushed through on my screen, and I smiled at my beautiful daughter, Tally, dressed with a straw hat and cover-up over her bathing suit. She was beautiful, just like her mother.


    ¡®You look beautiful, sweetie. Be safe, see you soon. Xx¡¯


    As soon as I sent the text, though, another photo came through, and it was one that made me internally groan. My hand was tightening on the phone as I stared down at the smiling face.


    It was of Ba. My daughter¡¯s beautiful friend who was supposed to be off limits.


    From the moment Iid eyes on Ba, I felt something towards her. A desire, a hunger that made me want to know more.


    I knew it was wrong, but god, was she the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.


    Her hair was up in a high ponytail, showing off the elegant length of her neck. A ck bathing suit tied tight to her body showing off every delicious curve of her skin.


    The sight made my mouth wet with the desire to taste her.


    Never once before did an interest of the girle across my mind until now, and yet, even though I tried my hardest not to take interest, I couldn¡¯t help it.


    The once chubby, t chested, young girl had grown into a beautiful tall brte with blue eyes and a figure most women would die for.


    Seeing her the other night in the kitchen was a surprise, but remembering her stretching up into the cab, her white tank top rising, and her pink shorts hugging her perfectly sculpted ass¡­ well, that thought alone made my cock hard.


    She was f*cking spectacr, and I wanted nothing more than to bend her over that counter and have my way with her.


    The disgusting thought turned my stomach, but as if my sexual prowess took over, it quickly dissipated. I wanted her more than I had ever wanted anyone.


    I needed to getid.


    As if on cue, my office door opened, and in walked a tall blonde with hot red lipstick. Her tight blue dress hugged her in all the right ces, but the problem was she wasn¡¯t who I wanted to see.


    ¡°Katrine. To what do I owe the pleasure?¡±


    Her lips turned up into a smile as she pushed my chair back and sat on myp.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t youe to see me?¡± Her thick Russian ent washed over me as she leaned back in myp, batting hershes. ¡°I had to wait a week ande see you here.¡±


    ¡°I told you, Katrine, I am busy right now.¡±


    Her brows furrowed as she put on a pout which may have worked on most men, but not me. Tally had perfected that look, and I had grown well ustomed to not falling for it.


    ¡°I thought you would miss me,¡± she whined as I exhaled with irritation.


    Pinching the bridge of my nose, I shook my head and helped her off myp.


    ¡°I told you that I don¡¯t do the emotions thing, Katrine.¡±


    Her lips parted, and her eyes narrowed. ¡°We have been seeing each other for months¨C¡±


    ¡°Yes, and as I told you the first night¡­ there is nothing else that will happen. It¡¯s just sex, Katrine, and you told me you understood that. I don¡¯t understand why you came to mypany.¡±


    We had one rule, and she knows what it was.


    ¡°You are mine, James.¡± Her response was firm as she crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you are acting like this. Don¡¯t I make you happy?¡±


    It was clear this conversation wasn¡¯t going anywhere, and with my next appointment arriving in less than an hour, I had things I needed to get done.


    ¡°Evette!¡± I yelled, watching as the door opened to reveal my very punctual assistant.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Valentino?¡±


    ¡°Can you please escort Katrine to her car?¡± I asked her, watching as a look of shock crossed Katrine¡¯s face.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Evette reached for Katrine¡¯s arm but was quickly pushed back by the rage that began to build beneath her once enticing eyes.


    ¡°Are you throwing me out?!¡± she shrieked. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me!¡±


    Amusement filled me as I leaned back in my chair and watched her.


    That¡¯s unattractive. Perhaps this is for the best.


    ¡°I think you will see that I can. I appreciate your services, Katrine, but they will no longer be needed. I do wish you all the best for the future.¡±


    Cold. That was how I had to be. I never meant to hurt the women I had rtions with, but I couldn¡¯t allow them to think it would be more.


    I was always cast as the bad guy. No matter how many times I told them from the start I didn¡¯t want an exclusive rtionship, and there would be nothing more than sex, they never listened to me.


    ¡°You will regret doing this to me!¡± Katrine warned, causing the corner of my lips to lift.


    ¡°Is that a threat, Miss Solkova?¡±


    Laughing, she shook her head. ¡°No, that¡¯s a promise. Karma will get you.¡±


    Turning on her heels, she stormed from my office with Evette left to stand there staring at me.


    ¡°Mr. Valentino, may I say something?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Evette. What¡¯s on your mind?¡± I replied.


    ¡°If I am going to start having to y defense for you when ites to women like that¡­ I am going to have to request a raise, bonus, or something.¡±


    Laughter left my lips at her statement. ¡°Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Call it hazard pay if you will.¡± Evette sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Would you like your afternoon coffee, sir?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. That would be wonderful. Also, I will take the hazard pay into consideration.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir. I will be back in just a moment.¡±


    As the door closed, I couldn¡¯t help butugh to myself at herment. She wanted hazard pay if she had to deal with the women in my life, and honestly, I didn¡¯t me her.


    As the afternoon carried on, I found myself caught within my work. That was, until I started scrolling through my phone looking for a document and came across Ba¡¯s photo again.


    Her beautiful body and carefree smile¡­ they captivated me.


    The thought of boys at my house partying with my daughter and Ba didn¡¯t sit well. I knew the girls were of age, but I didn¡¯t like the idea that Ba may take an interest in one of those young men.


    Especially, since the way she acted around me meant she could want me.


    F*ck! What¡¯s the matter with me? This girl has me all out of sorts.


    ¡°Sir, your four o¡¯clock appointment is calling to cancel?¡± my secretary stated from my office door, pulling me from my thoughts.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I actually have an emergency that hase up, and I need to go home. See if you can get them to reschedule for me.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir. Do you need anything else?¡±


    My eyes met hers briefly, but my lips spoke not a word. It was enough for her to understand I was being serious and close the door, giving me time to think through what I was about to do.


    ¡°Paul,¡± I said into the receiver of my phone as I called my driver, ¡°bring the car around.¡±


    It was time to head home and see how the girls were doing. After all, what kind of responsible adult would I be if I didn¡¯t?

 Chapter 4 : Poolside Altercations

    Chapter 4: Chapter 4 : Poolside Altercations


    Ba.


    The warm Miami heat toasted my skin as Iy on a white lounge chair by the pool. As much as I wished I had this kind offort back in Savannah, I didn¡¯t. It was more humid there than enjoyable, and Miami weather was much different.


    It was one thing I enjoyed about this ce.


    This was the onefort I took from years of hard work for my future. While I was here in Miami, I could be anyone and do anything my heart desired.


    Because no one knew who I was, and after a lifetime of having to be someone in particr¡ªwell, it was weing.


    Tally had insisted on having a bunch of people over for a pool party, and as they milled around in the cool waterughing and drinking, I couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed by them.


    They seemed so carefree with their upscale lifestyles, able toe and go as they wanted. Never really having to work for anything, and having their parents hand them money whenever they wanted.


    That wasn¡¯t something I was ustomed to. My parents had worked hard all their lives to give me the best they could, and even now, I worked hard too. Because I nned on taking care of my father one day. My mom had passed away a few years ago.


    Dad had given up so much for me, and unlike the rest of these people who expected to have whatever they wanted¡ªI wouldn¡¯t take my parents for granted.


    ¡°Are you just going to lie there all day ore join us?¡± Tally asked as her shadowed form peered down at me, blocking out the sunlight I had been enjoying.


    ¡°I am joining you, but just from this chair. The sun feels amazing, and I don¡¯t feel like swimming,¡± I told her with honesty as I rxed further into my seat.


    ¡°At least you¡¯re drinking,¡± she smirked.


    Holding up my margarita, I let the corner of my lips rise. ¡°That I am. Tequ and sunshine.¡±


    ¡°With hot guys?¡±


    ¡°Uh-no,¡± Iughed. ¡°I can satisfy myself. Haven¡¯t you heard it¡¯s the twenty-first century? Women don¡¯t need men. We have each other and toys for our entertainment purposes.¡±


    ¡°Well, that needs to change. I want you to meet someone,¡± she replied, rolling her eyes.


    My lips met tightly as I shook my head. ¡°No, Tally. I told you before. I¡¯m not ready.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god. It¡¯s literally been almost a month, Ba. You¡¯re wasting your time being no fun at all because Chad was f*cking someone else.¡±


    What the f*ck?


    Taken aback by her forward response, I looked at her in shock. ¡°Wow. Thanks for that.¡±


    She may be my best friend, but she was a f*cking bitch sometimes.


    Letting out an exasperated sigh, she sat down next to me, cing her chin in her hand. ¡°You know what I mean. I¡ªI just want you to be happy again.¡±


    ¡°Well, then maybe my boyfriend shouldn¡¯t have been f*cking someone behind my back. Second of all, I am happy.¡±


    Groaning with frustration, she rolled her eyes again. ¡°Let it go already. He isn¡¯t worth it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am well aware of that,¡± I scoffed. ¡°Now, leave me alone. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. I don¡¯t know why you keep lying to yourself,¡± she replied, causing me to shake my head. She had no idea what she was talking about.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop worrying about trying to y matchmaker and find yourself someone to y with?¡± I urged her with a smile as I closed my eyes behind dark sunsses and tried to get back to rxing.


    ¡°I am really happy you came, Ba,¡± Tally said after a moment of silence. ¡°There is no telling where we will be next year, and I have missed spending my summers with you over thest few years.¡±


    Peaking open one of my eyes, I watched the sincere expression cross her face. She was being honest, but there was something about the way she actedtely that told me otherwise.


    It was as if she was happy, but then also hiding something. Deciding not to press further, I let a smile crest my lips. ¡°I¡¯m d I came too. But I¡¯m still not letting you y matchmaker.¡±


    ¡°No fun.¡± Sheughed hysterically. ¡°Fine... do what you want.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I will. Now, hurry and get back to that sexy redhead. He has been watching you with f*ck-me eyes since the moment you left the pool and came over here.¡±


    Turning her head, she peered at him, pushing down her sses slightly before giving him a small wave. ¡°He is cute, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he is,¡± I replied. ¡°But he is more your type, so you have fun. I will catch another man some other time. I am content for right now.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± She smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t try.¡±


    Turning on her feet, she skipped over towards the red-haired man who pulled her into the pool. Her giggling voice echoed through the air as I settled back into theforting zone I was in before she arrived.


    However, without warning, another figure took her ce, and it was that of a godly built Hispanic man with a clear agenda on his mind.


    ¡°Well, hello gorgeous.¡±


    Raising a brow, I let my eyes rack over him before a sigh escaped me. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no,¡± I snorted. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know what Tally has told you, but I¡¯m not interested, honestly. I just want to do my own thing and lie by the pool, rxing.¡±


    ¡°She told me you yed hard to get. I like that in a woman.¡±


    Oh, for f*ck''s sake. Is he stupid?


    ¡°No, I am not the kind of woman to lead a guy on. I am genuinely not interested¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t get your name¡­¡±


    ¡°Alejandro,¡± he replied. ¡°What might your name be?¡±


    ¡°My name?¡± The question followed withughter as he nodded his head. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t trying to be a bitch, but I also wasn¡¯t going to beat around the bush. I grew up with the philosophy that it was better to be forward and to the point.


    Alejandro stared at me for a moment with disbelief as I tilted my head, curious about his response. But in shock, he simply smiled.


    ¡°I like it,¡± he imed as he tried to lean closer, my eyes widening as I quickly moved back and stood from my seat. Was he really trying to make a move on me?


    ¡°Excuse me, but I told you I wasn¡¯t interested,¡± I snapped as I grabbed my things and quickly made my way inside.


    To think Tally had actually sent that guy to meet me. Disgusting.


    ¡°Ba, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Tally called from where she was in the pool. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that.¡±


    Don¡¯t be like that. Was she f*cking serious right now?


    Without saying a word, I shut the door to the kitchen behind me. Taking off the wide brim sun hat I was wearing, andying it down on the counter, I took a deep breath.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe¨C¡±


    ¡°Where are you going, beautiful?¡± Alejandro said behind me while closing the door.


    Spinning on my feet, I watched as he stumbled his way towards me. It was clear now this guy had been drinking, and from the way he kept looking at me, he only wanted one thing.


    ¡°Look, I will say this slower for you, so you understand. I¡¯m not interested, honestly.¡±


    Laughter left his lips as he walked towards me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie.¡±


    ¡°I can assure you I am not lying,¡± I replied, backing away from him. ¡°Now, please just leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°Leave you alone?¡± Heughed again. ¡°Women wish they could be in your shoes. I am one of the most eligible men in Miami¡­.¡±


    ¡°Please, stop!¡± I yelled at him as he backed me into the fridge. My heart raced, and my palms were mmy. Thest thing I wanted was to be in this situation, but at the same time, I didn¡¯t want to attack the man.


    I just wanted him to leave me alone.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re just scared. I heard about your ex, and I promise I won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    Was this man f*cking serious?!


    ¡°How dare you?!¡± I screamed as I tried to move around him. ¡°You don¡¯t even know me, and you have no right to say such things to me.¡±


    Grabbing my arm, Alejandro pushed me against the counter, pinning me with his body. I knew exactly what was going through his mind, but there was no way I was going to let that happen.


    Thinking fast, I brought my knee up and clocked him between his legs.


    ¡°You f*cking bitch!¡± he roared as his hand came up, pping me across the face. He had hit me, and my desperation in getting away became even more real.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± I yelled, hoping anyone woulde to intervene. I didn¡¯t want to be the woman who was sexually assaulted at the party because no one noticed she was missing.


    ¡°Stop, stop.¡± Heughed as I struggled against him. ¡°Stop fighting me, mi amor. Let me show you how to love again. I will forgive you for your actions just a moment ago.¡±


    ¡°Get the f*ck off me!¡± I screamed as his hand came over my mouth.


    ¡°Oh, babye on¡ª¡± he panted. ¡°I know you want this.¡±


    ¡°What the f*ck is going on here?¡± James snapped as he walked into the kitchen.


    Alejandro turned, looking over his shoulder, and scoffed. ¡°Mind your business, old man.¡±


    It was obvious this kid didn¡¯t know who James was, but with the way James¡¯ eyes narrowed and his fists clenched, I could tell he was about to find out.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± James sneered, ¡°I think you need to leave¡­ now.¡±


    I found myself wary about the way James spoke, and I would have sworn that this guy would have as well. However, that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°You heard me¡­¡±


    Before Alejandro could finish his sentence, James grabbed him by the neck and brought him in close. ¡°I am the owner of this house, and if you don¡¯t leave right now, I will make sure your future in Miami is done. Do YOU understand ME?¡±


    Trepidation spiraled through me as I watched the scene unfold.


    Alejandro was ripped from my body, and as he was, I fell to my knees on the floor, trying to catch my breath and calm my racing heart.


    If James had not stepped in, god knows what would have happened. Alejandro was much bigger than me, and I was already having a hard time fighting him off.


    The two men struggled in the kitchen until security arrived, and James had him thrown from the house. He had been my rescuer when no one else was around.


    Tally and I were seriously going to have words about this.


    I couldn¡¯t believe she thought this guy was the right fit for me. He was everything I despised in a man, and so much more.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± James asked, pulling me from my thoughts. My eyes slowly met his as my breath caught in my throat. Through everything I had just gone through¡­


    He took my breath away and set my body on fire.

 Chapter 5 : Saved by a Sex God

    Chapter 5: Chapter 5 : Saved by a Sex God


    James.


    The moment that I walked into the house and saw the situation Ba was in, I lost it. I had heard her plea for help when I opened the front door, but it wasn¡¯t until I saw her that I realized how desperate she was for someone to step in.


    The boy had her pinned, and with every movement he was making, I saw red.


    ¡°What the f*ck is going on here?¡± I snapped, my eyes narrowing at the man before me. I wanted more than anything to rip him apart and watch him die painfully at my hands.


    Yet, I wasn¡¯t sure why I wanted that so much. Punishing him, yes, I would do that for any woman.


    But killing him¡­ it made it feel more personal.


    I watched as the kid looked over his shoulder at me and sneered, ¡°Mind your business, old man.¡±


    Old man?! He did want to die today, didn¡¯t he? Kids have no f*cking respect anymore.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I sneered, ¡°I think you need to leave¡­ now.¡±


    Heughed, and with thatugh, I decided not to wait for him toply.


    ¡°You heard me¡­¡±


    Before he was able to get another word out, I had grabbed him and dropped him to the floor. My hand on his throat as I stared daggers at him.


    ¡°I am the owner of this house, and if you don¡¯t leave right now, I will make sure your future in Miami is done. Do YOU understand ME?¡±


    Fearced the young man¡¯s eyes as I stared down at him. He realized he¡¯d f*cked up, and there was no going back from what he¡¯d done.


    Before he could say anything else, Trevor and Zane entered the kitchen and dragged the man away. They were in charge of security and already knew what to do without me saying anything.


    I wanted to know who he was, and who his family was. They would all pay for the disrespect he had shown not only to me but to Ba as well.


    Ba¡­


    Turning to face her, I found her on her knees trying to catch her breath. She was shaken up and seemed to be trying to get her bearings.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked as her eyes fluttered up to meet mine, and she shakily stood. My hand reached out to bnce her as she nodded.


    ¡°I think so,¡± she sighed. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that, Mr. Valentino¡ª¡±


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you to call me James?¡± The softugh that left my lips caused her cheeks to blush. I was making her ufortable, but god, every time she did that, all I wanted to do was kiss her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ªJames.¡± She whispered, ¡°I think I should go.¡±


    Pushing past me, she made her way down the hall, but even as I watched her go, I didn¡¯t want her to.


    My thoughts about her were wrong, yet, something about being close to her felt right.


    ********


    Ba.


    ¡°Wait.¡± His voice stopped me in my tracks, and as I turned around, I watched him close in on me. His fists were clenched, and his jaw was sitting in a tense way that made me uneasy.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you go knowing that you could be hurt. Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± His words weren¡¯t ones I was expecting, but my heart swelled knowing that he was concerned.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but thank you for making sure. You don¡¯t have to.¡±


    Furrowed brows stared back at me with confusion. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I have to?¡±


    Opening and closing my mouth, I tried to find the words that refused to escape me. I was suddenly afraid to say the wrong thing in front of him.


    ¡°I know that your concern is only because I¡¯m your daughter¡¯s friend. As I do appreciate you saving me from that guy¡­ I don¡¯t want you to feel obligated to make sure I¡¯m okay¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not an obligation.¡± His quick response caught me off guard, and as the space closed between us, I found my back against the wall. ¡°I want to make sure you are always okay.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± There wasn¡¯t much that I could say, but as I looked at him, I could tell he was sincere. ¡°I do appreciate you stepping in to stop him.¡±


    He stepped towards me, wrapping his arms around me, and pulling me to his chest in a hug. I had never been hugged by this man before, but something about the way I felt in his arms just seemed right.


    ¡°James¨C¡± I whispered softly as he continued to hold me longer than he should have. The sound of his inhaling the scent of my hair was evident as he slowly pulled away and looked at me.


    ¡°No woman deserves to be treated the way you were treated, Ba. Like I said, I will always make sure that you are okay. Because you deserve to be treated like a queen. Not like a piece of property.¡±


    His words stunned me, and before I could say anything, he turned with quick movements, clenching and unclenching his fists, and walked down the hallway towards his office.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what had just happened, but I was sure of one thing.


    James had saved my life in a way.


    My eyes stared down the hall long after his office door had closed. I wasn¡¯t sure what I was supposed to do now, but turning on my feet, I slowly moved towards the stairs just in time to see Tally flirting with some guy.


    ¡°Tally,¡± I said calmly as I tried to hold myself together, ¡°can we talk?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± she eximed as she turned to face me. ¡°I was wondering where you were. Did you two hit it off like I had hoped?¡±


    There was a smirk on her face as she winked that made me cringe with


    Hit it off? Was she f*cking serious?


    ¡°Uh, no. We most definitely didn¡¯t,¡± I scoffed.


    Stunned by my remark, she looked around before her eyes fell once again on the man at her side, ¡°Well, where is he?¡±


    Hatred.


    At that moment, there was nothing but pure hatred for her and the way she was acting. This was entirely her fault because she never lets things go or listened when people said no.


    cing my hands on my hips, I shook my head. ¡°Well, considering your father threw him out of the house I would say who knows.¡±


    Her friend seemed confused and quickly pulled his phone out, no doubt to call the piece of shit that hade on to me.


    ¡°Ba,¡± Tally quickly said, stepping closer to me. ¡°What happened? I thought you liked him.¡±


    ¡°Are you f*cking kidding me?¡± I gasped. ¡°He was a f*cking moron who didn¡¯t take no too well. I can¡¯t believe that you would tell him I wanted him after I told you no.¡±


    Without warning, the guy put his phone away and gestured for the others to go. Tally¡¯s eyes looked around, shocked at what was happening as she ran after them out the front door.


    To think that she was more worried about them leaving than what had happened to me¡­. It was beyond heartbreaking considering I was her friend.


    Storming up the stairs, I made my way towards my room, but before I could even close the door, Tally was suddenly right behind me.


    ¡°What the f*ck happened? They said you had my father throw him out of the house for no reason whatsoever!¡± she yelled looking at me as if I was the one who¡¯d lost my mind.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± I replied in disbelief. ¡°Out of all the years you have known me, what part of that makes any sense to you? He f*cking attacked me, Tally. Tried to force himself on me after I told him repeatedly I wasn¡¯t interested.¡±


    Crossing her arms over her chest, she sneered at me. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that. He is a super nice guy andes from a very wealthy family.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Iughed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ask your dad then because he heard the conversation and can tell you exactly what happened.¡±


    Without warning, Tally marched out of my room, mming my door behind her. I didn¡¯t care where she was going at that moment. She had made it clear she was going to believe those f*cks over me.


    That was a line she shouldn¡¯t have crossed, in my opinion.


    The more and more I looked at how our friendship had been going over the years, the more I realized she had changed, and not in a good way.


    She was more self-centered, more ridiculous in her entitled opinions.


    It was disgusting. But then, we both grew up with very different lifestyles. The only thing I could do was decide to cut my ties with her altogether or simply forgive her and learn to watch myself next time.


    A pit of guilt and agony built within my chest as a wave of uneasiness washed over me. I didn¡¯t want to lose her even if she had issues because I knew the kind of person she could be, and this wasn¡¯t it.


    Contemting my choices, I groaned with frustration and walked to my door to go speak to her, but as soon as I opened it, I saw her standing there with tear-filled eyes.


    ¡°Ba¡ª¡± She choked out a sob. ¡°He told me. I¡¯m so sorry for not believing you. I¡¯m so f*cking sorry that I caused that to happen.¡±


    Well, f*ck. How am I supposed to be mad at her now?


    I wanted to forgive her, but at the same time, I didn¡¯t want her to just say sorry because she was guilty. That wasn¡¯t the apology I expected to have.


    ¡°Tally, I told you no,¡± I sighed. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just listen to me? After everything that happened with Chad, you know how I feel about being with another man.¡±


    Nodding her head, she dried her tears. ¡°I know. I f*cked up, Ba. I didn¡¯t think that Alejandro was going to be such a douche. Honestly, you should have kicked his ass.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well I was going to, but of course, your dad came in and ruined my ns,¡± I teased, rolling my eyes. ¡°Next time, I will try to do it before he gets there, though.¡±


    Sheughed with me as she sat down on the edge of my bed. ¡°I just want you to be happy again, Ba. I don¡¯t want you to never try to find love again because of him.¡±


    There was a sincerity in her words that made me hesitate in my response. I had never heard her say such things to me like that before. Usually, she was quick to push away the topic of something bad and tell me to forget it.


    Yet, here she sat, drunk and crying in my room when it should have been me upset.


    Perhaps, she was still the girl I used to know.


    I wasn¡¯t ready to let my guard down just yet though.


    Something inside me told me to be careful.

 Chapter 6 : Caught by a Sex God

    Chapter 6: Chapter 6 : Caught by a Sex God


    Two days.


    For two days, I had avoided him, and I was bing more nervous every day. I didn¡¯t know how to face him after what had happened to me the other day. The altercations with Alejandro had been traumatic in a sense, yes, but I was more embarrassed James had seen it.


    The memory of how he had wrapped me into his embrace sent a warm sensation through my body. The smell of his earthy cologne stuck in my mind as he had brushed his fingers against my skin.


    Every bit I loved, and yet, I knew I couldn¡¯t have him.


    The sound of the front door opening drew me from my thoughts, and as I looked out the window, I watched James walking to his car. His dark hair was styled to perfection as the three-piece suit clung to his body, showing off the sculpted muscles he hid underneath.


    F*ck, he¡¯s gorgeous.


    As if he could hear my thoughts, his sunss-covered eyes looked towards me, and a smile crested his lip as he slowly turned and climbed into his car.


    Seeing him go was a disappointment, but a breath of relief.


    As a heavy breath escaped my lips, I closed my eyes, relishing in the fact I had escaped another morning with him.


    Another morning where awkward silence would fill the space between us, and I would reel over a thousand words I wanted to say but didn¡¯t have the courage to.


    Then again, perhaps that was what he wanted. The entire situation was more than confusing, and I had to figure a way to resolve my conflicts.


    ¡°Ba?¡± Tally¡¯s voice called from my closed door, pulling me back to the present. My eyes drifted towards the door.


    ¡°Uh¨Cyeah!¡± I called back. ¡°Come in, I¡¯m just getting motivated.¡±


    Thest thing I wanted was for her to know I had been eye f*cking her father.


    Even if that thought made me sort of excited.


    God, what the f*ck is wrong with metely?


    As the door opened, I smiled, trying to act casual. Tally¡¯s brow raised slightly as she stared at me with a hint of amusement at the corner of her lips. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, why?¡± I quickly replied, not trying to seem obvious.


    ¡°Because you look like a kid who got caught doing something she wasn¡¯t supposed to be doing. I mean, I haven¡¯t seen you look like that since summer camp.¡±


    Rolling my eyes, I groaned, knowing exactly what she was talking about, but not wanting to relive that memory. I was still pissed at her. ¡°I said nothing. What did you want?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± She sighed, shaking her head. ¡°So, I was thinking we could head down to the beach today.¡±


    Is she being serious? After the other day¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m still not happy with you about the other day.¡±


    Staring at her, I saw the guilt in her eyes. She hadn¡¯t meant for Alejandro to act like that towards me, and when she found out the truth, she couldn¡¯t stop apologizing.


    ¡°I told you I was sorry, Ba. Please don¡¯t let thise between us.¡±


    ¡°Dude, he tried to sexually assault me. Thank god your dad was there to stop him.¡± I scoffed as I moved around the room, picking up the clothing I had scattered about.


    ¡°I know, and I¡¯m sorry,¡± she pleaded. ¡°He didn¡¯t assault you though... so, that¡¯s a good thing, right?¡±


    ¡°Tally!¡± I snapped. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he did or didn¡¯t. It was the principle of the fact. You disregarded what I told you and tried to push him on me anyways. That right there was messed up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being over dramatic¡ª¡±


    Stopping in my tracks, I stared at her with shock, ¡°Are you fucking serious right now?¡±


    ¡°Ba¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I snapped again. ¡°Are you being fucking serious right now with thatment? Because the girl I used to know would never act like that. Ever since your parents divorced, you have be another person.¡±


    Mouth parted and eyes wide, she stared at me, speechless. She knew I was right. There was no arguing what I was saying, because she had changed.


    As her eyes filled with tears, I felt the guilt eat at my heart. ¡°How can you say that?¡±


    ¡°Tally, you know it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± she sobbed. ¡°I¡¯m still the same person I always have been. Why do you think I have changed?¡±


    ¡°Uh, because you have,¡± I scoffed as I crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°You literally have be another person.¡±


    Her father had tried to get her to go see a counselor for years, but pride be damned, she refused not wanting to taint her high society image.


    Shaking her head, she refused to believe me, ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. Please let me prove that to you.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I tried to get past her denial. Perhaps we were talking about it now. I would be able to help fix her.


    Perhaps Tally would wake the f*ck up for once. ¡°So, the beach?¡±


    A smile fell across her lips as she nodded. ¡°Yeah, will you forgive me ande?¡±


    Taking a moment to think about it, I sighed with a nod as I went against my better judgment. ¡°Fine. We can go.¡±


    I had a feeling I might regret itter, but then my decisions were never very smart when it came to this girl. I was seriously going to have to learn to say no to her.


    Squealing with delight over my response, she quickly threw her arms around me and smiled. ¡°Yes! Get your ass ready. We¡¯re leaving in ten.¡±


    Before I could protest on how long before we were leaving, she was out of my bedroom to get ready herself, while I was left to ponder the conversation in my mind.


    Perhapsing back to Miami for the summer wasn¡¯t the best of ideas.


    On one hand, I was dealing with Tally and herck ofmon sense, and on the other hand, I was dealing with her father James, and the sinful things I wanted him to do to me.


    If I wasn¡¯t careful, I was going to fall down the rabbit hole just like Alice.


    ********


    Four hourster, and lots of drinks on the sand, Tally and I stumbled through the front door,ughing at the things we had seen through the day. It was nice to spend time like this with Tally, considering the difference we encountered over the past few years.


    Especially after the argument she and I had earlier that morning.


    ¡°So, Catherine wants to go shopping after and get a coffee. Are you down to go?¡±


    Tally stopped at the top of the stairs and stared at me as she swung her car keys around her finger. She didn¡¯t need to be driving if she was drinking, but she would not listen to anyone but her father.


    Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t here.


    ¡°Uh¡ª¡± I hesitated, thinking about it, ¡°I think I will pass honestly. I want to call my dad and take a shower. You go, though, and have fun.¡±


    Her eyes seemed to gloss over me for a moment before she shrugged her shoulders, and pulled out her phone. ¡°Alright then.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had actually been interested in meing, but as she walked to her room and changed her clothes, I epted the fact this was just who Tally was.


    So much for trying to help her.


    My stomach rumbled with hunger as I stepped into my room. I hadn¡¯t eaten dinner, and the cook, James, was long gone.


    ¡°Take out, it is then,¡± I said to myself as I pulled my phone from my pocket and ordered delivery before making my way towards my dresser in search of morefortable clothing.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m out!¡± Tally called to me a few momentster as she walked down the stairs. ¡°Call me if you change your mind!¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡± Iughed, rolling my eyes at her behavior. There was no way I was going out anytime soon.


    The only thing I wanted to do was to let the hot water run across my skin and try to take my mind off of everything that had happened over the past few days.


    Especially James.


    Stepping into the shower, I tried to push away the thoughts he created. However, it wasn¡¯t as easy as I expected.


    The thought of his rugged, well-cut body pressing up against me sent sensations to my core that I couldn¡¯t handle. My fingers gently brushed over the sensitive nub between my legs, and with every stroke, it brought me closer to the edge.


    ¡°James¡ª¡± I moaned softly as I slowly came undone over my fingers.


    The thought of his plump lips against my own was enticing. My mind dreamed about his long thick erection pressing through my folds as he dominated me and thrust relentlessly.


    There was no stopping the images when they started, and the pleasure that grew in the pit of my stomach grew like a raging fire until I exploded in a cry of pleasure.


    The hot water washing away the traces of the deed from my skin as a smile lined my lips.


    I wanted him, and I knew it was taboo, but I didn¡¯t care.


    At least I didn¡¯t think I cared.


    By the time I was done exploring myself, the water ran cold. Grabbing the white fluffy towel from the rack, I wrapped it around my body and checked my phone for the food delivery I was expecting.


    I only had five minutes until it would arrive, and the thought had my stomach rumbling with anticipation. I was starving.


    Throwing on a ck nightie, I ran the brush through my hair just in time to hear the doorbell ring. Shutting off the bathroom light, I skipped down the stairs and froze in ce.


    A face I hadn¡¯t been expecting stood at the bottom, holding my takeout bag. James.


    Oh, shit.


    ¡°Hungry?¡± he smirked, holding up the bag.


    ¡°Um¨C¡± nodding, I took thest few steps down. ¡°Yeah¡­ a bit.¡±


    Hesitation flowed between us as he slowly held out the bag for me to take. But as my fingers reached out, his own brushed against me and a chill ran down my spine.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been avoiding me, Ba.¡±


    His words bring me back to reality. ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t.¡±


    I was trying to avoid him, but I didn¡¯t want him to think that. Our situation was already awkward, because as much as I wanted to avoid him.


    I also wanted him to bend me over these stairs and f*ck me till I couldn¡¯t stand.


    Both decisions were equally confusing, but if I wasn¡¯t careful, lust would get the upper hand.


    ¡°Yes, you were,¡± heughed. ¡°Every time I tried to catch you¡­ you were gone.¡±


    He took a step closer to me, and I couldn¡¯t help but step back. The subtle way his body moved enticed me, and it was more than evident if I didn¡¯t check myself, I would be nothing but ridiculous in his presence.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I whispered, my eyes scanning over him as I watched his white smile brighten the shadowed staircase.


    ¡°Nothing, I was just going to take care of this¡­¡± Reaching up, he pulled something from a strand of hair hanging by the side of my face before carefully tucking the strand behind my ear. ¡°There we go.¡±


    My breath caught in my throat at the simple action. It was sweet, and yet, I felt like he was holding back on something.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The whispered reply left my lips as his fingers gently lifted my chin, forcing me to look him in the eyes.


    ¡°You never have to thank me, Ba. Anytime you need something... all you have to do is ask. You know where my office is. I will help you in any way you want.¡±


    The statement felt so sinful, but I felt like I was reading too much into it. He was just being nice. He didn¡¯t actually want me¡­ did he?

 Chapter 7 : Challenge Accepted

    Chapter 7: Chapter 7 : Challenge epted


    James.


    She stood speechless in front of me, staring. The way her teeth bit at her plump bottom lip had my cock going hard in my pants. I wanted to bite her bottom lip more than anything, and have thought about it since the moment Iid my eyes on her.


    ¡°I will do let you know if I need anything,¡± she finally said as she looked down. ¡°Thank you for getting my food.¡±


    The sweet tenderness of her voice captivated me every time she spoke, but I knew well, deep down, she was more spice than sweet.


    ¡°Again, you don¡¯t have to thank me. I will be in my office if you need me.¡±


    I had to get away from her. The longer she stood there in the ck nightie she wore, the more I was likely to lose my self-control. The way her breasts pebbled under the silk tantalized me in ways I hadn¡¯t experienced in years.


    The urge to grab her by her throat and bend her over the stairs was tempting. What I wouldn¡¯t do to see her perfect, peach-shaped ass bare for me, the glistening juices of her arousal dripping past her slit as I pushed in with all my might.


    It took everything in me to turn away from her.


    Deciding not to waste another moment, I headed down towards my office, looking to escape the desire to gorge on her. The feeling became stronger and stronger every time I was alone around her.


    It was one thing to have these thoughts about her, but to act upon them?


    That was something else entirely.


    Running my fingers through my hair in frustration, I groaned before letting my hand slide down my face.


    I have got to stay away from her. She has no idea what she does to me.


    Since the moment she had gotten here, I had been toying with her. Testing her to see where her mind was. It may have been wrong, but something about her drove my internal desires crazy.


    The primal creature in my soul cried out to im the prize he sought.


    From the soft plump look of her lips down to therge dip of her breasts, I wanted to taste her. I wanted to have her thick thighs wrapped around my face as I devoured the very essence of her being.


    She was everything I desired in a woman, and I swore the gods had sent her before me to taunt me. To get me to break my oath and prove to me I am not the dominant man I so thought I could be.


    She may have not realized it, but without even touching me sexually, she was wrapping me around her slowly. A feeling I hadn¡¯t allowed to happen in so very long.


    Yet, there was no way to stop it.


    Standing in the middle of my office, I looked at my desk, taking in the amount of paperwork I needed to get done but didn¡¯t have the drive to do.


    All I could do was think about her.


    Taking a deep breath, I left my office, heading towards my bedroom.


    A cold shower and a stiff drink were what I needed to calm my racing mind. Yet, as I got to the top of the stairs, I could see her bedroom door partially cracked.


    She was lying on her bed, and damn, did she look more than appetizing?


    Taking a moment to admire her, I forced myself to continue walking until I was in the bathroom, and the sound of water running echoed around me.


    What the f*ck is wrong with me?


    ******


    Ba.


    Creaking on the stairs caught my attention just in time for me to watch James walk past my open door and down the hall towards his room. I wasn¡¯t sure if he had been watching me, but the thought made my heart race.


    Standing quickly, I made my way towards my door with every intention of closing it. However, as I looked out into the hall, I noticed his bedroom door open and the sound of running water.


    Did he intentionally leave the door open?


    I knew I should have just minded my business and closed my door, but then again, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from pushing forward towards his room.


    Be nice, close the door, and go back to your room, Ba.


    The mantra repeated in my mind, but the closer I got to his open door, the more curious I became. My racing heart all but stopped the moment I saw his naked form in the mirror''s reflection behind his bed.


    Oh sweet, Jesus.


    His perfectly sculpted body stood under the hot caress of the water, with soap running across his body. He seemed to be lost in thought about something, because before I knew it, his hand was running down to his thick erected shaft.


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was seeing, but as if he knew I was watching, his eyes went to the mirror and locked with mine.


    F*ck!


    He didn¡¯t seem to care, though. Instead, he stepped towards the ss shower door and opened it for a clearer view.


    His hands stroked over his thick erection while a taunting grin slid across his lips. Almost as if he was waiting for me to join him.


    Waiting for me to drop to my knees and take him into my mouth.


    I wanted that too. I wanted him to f*ck my mouth and use me in so many ways. Yet, that was wrong of me, I knew. Here I was, watching my friend¡¯s father stroke his cock, and I was more than turned on, but something forbidden brought me to my senses.


    I all but ran towards my room and mmed my door. My beating heart felt as if it would burst with how nervous I was over being caught.


    I was no better than a Peeping Tom, and yet, everything about what I saw I wanted.


    Never in my life had I seen anything more beautiful than the thick cock he concealed between his legs. It made sense now why they called him the Italian Stallion.


    He was hung like a horse, and I knew he knew how to use it.


    With fidgeting hands, I paced around my room, trying to calm my racing mind. James caught me watching him in the shower, and I had no idea what was going to happen next.


    Was he going to throw me out? Would he tell Tally?


    Something deep inside me told me he wouldn¡¯t, but I wasn¡¯t sure.


    Shaking my concerns from my mind, I flipped off the light and climbed into bed. Thest thing I needed to do was to keep reeling over James Valentino, my best friend¡¯s incredibly sexy father.


    *******


    As I slept, the feeling someone was watching me awakened me. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was about this house, but no matter what, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like his eyes were on me, no matter where I went.


    The red flickering light of the rm clock let me know it was somewhere close to one in the morning, and as I rolled over, I froze in my ce.


    James stood by my closed door with a ss in his hand and his eyes on me.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked as I quickly sat up in bed.


    The sensation of how I felt earlier came crashing through me ten fold, realizing that he had been watching me while I wore nothing but a thin ck nightie that left nothing to the imagination. As a sinful smirk crossed his lips, my heart skipped a beat. ¡°You were watching me earlier. I felt it was only fair.¡±


    I thanked the darkness around us for concealing my facial reactions because I knew, without a doubt, I was as red as a tomato from embarrassment.


    ¡°I¨C¡± James held his hand up quickly, cutting me off mid-sentence before he walked towards me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin yourself, Ba.¡±


    ¡°No, I do though,¡± I stammered. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to think I¡¯m some weirdo.¡±


    Laughter escaped him at myment before a twinkling glint in his eye portrayed something else. Something that made my core clench with anticipation of what he was going to do.


    ¡°I told you before, Ba, I¡¯m not like the guys you know. I¡¯m far more¡­ dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± The breathless remark escaped me almost instantly before I had even thought about what I was going to say. ¡°I mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop, I like your first response better,¡± he grinned. ¡°You express yourself better under pressure.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to say to that¨C¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Then tell me this,¡± he replied, stepping closer towards me. ¡°What is it you desire?¡±


    I didn¡¯t need to think about that question to answer it, but as much as I wanted to blurt it out, I hesitated, staring deep into his eyes. He was only within arm¡¯s reach of me, and if I went down this road with him, there was no telling what would happen.


    ¡°To feel pleasure like no one has ever made me feel before.¡±


    The corner of his lip twitched at the sound of my response, and I knew right away what I said affected him. Bringing myself to my knees, I shifted towards him.


    Even on my knees on the bed, he still towered over me. ¡°Is that something you can do?¡±


    Taunting men wasn¡¯t something I was used to doing, but there was something about him that brought out the devil in me. Something about him made me want to do terrible things.


    ¡°I could do very terrible things to you, Ba,¡± he whispered before his lips captured mine, taking my breath away.


    The kiss wasn¡¯t slow and passionate like I expected it to be. Instead, it was heated and hungry, as if kissing me was the only thing that would satisfy him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop...¡± I gasped as he pulled away, looking at me with nothing but amusement.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t how this works, sweet Ba.¡±


    His words confused me, but as quick as they came, his hand fisted my hair as he pulled me tight against him and pulled my head back so my eyes were locked with his.


    ¡°Do you want to know how this works?¡± he whispered.


    Biting my bottom lip, I gasped, feeling his fingers slide down between my thighs, into my panties, to my soaking wet core that craved his attention. Slowly but surely he ran his fingers across my slit, teasing my sensitive numb before diving deep inside me and then retreating.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer me,¡± he muttered through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I gasped in response to his tug on my hair. ¡°I want to know.¡±


    Seemingly satisfied with my response, he smiled, ¡°I won¡¯t f*ck you until you beg me too. And even then, you have to be a very very good girl, Ba. Can you be a good girl?¡±


    ¡°Yes¨C¡± I whined.


    ¡°Yes, what?¡± he asked, causing my mind to swirl with the realization of the shit he was into.


    ¡°Yes, sir. I can be a good girl.¡±


    Without warning, he released me and bent down, picking up his ss that had fallen sometime within themotion of things. ¡°Good. Get some sleep.¡±


    Shock filled me. He was ending things like this.


    I wanted more, and as I saw him turn and walk towards my door, I couldn¡¯t help but feel angry and empty. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Stopping mid-step, he turned, looking at me over his shoulder as he chuckled, ¡°For now.¡±


    My mouth hung open at his response, watching as he brought his fingers up to his mouth and licked them clean with a smile before walking out of my bedroom, closing the door behind him. He turned me on, kissed me, and left me wanting more.


    Tally¡¯s father was more than I expected him to be.


    He was a sadistic dom with a hunger for everything dark and dangerous. His desire to make me his good girl was clear tonight when he had me respond, yet he didn¡¯t realize one thing¡ªI loved a challenge.


    Game on, motherf*cker. I can be a devil too.

 Chapter 8 : Playing the Game

    Chapter 8: Chapter 8 : ying the Game


    Waking the next morning, I tried toe to terms with what had happened. James had kissed me and yed dominating daddy in my roomst night. The lingering feeling of his lips on mine had my mind reeling since the moment my eyes had opened.


    How could he do that and just walk away?


    I wasn¡¯t the kind of girl to act the way I did, and yet, he brought out a side of me that didn¡¯t want to be tamed. The situation was more than frustrating, and to top it off, Tally had messaged me to let me know she had note home.


    It seemed she had decided to go with Catherine down to the beach to stay at her condo and wouldn¡¯t be back untilter tonight.


    Rolling from the bed, I groaned in frustration and made my way from my room. My eyesnded on James¡¯ door as a sinister idea crossed my mind. He wanted me to be a good girl, but perhaps I wouldn¡¯t.


    With his bedroom door partially closed, but notpletelytched, I pushed it open. I saw his sleeping form on the bed. Naked just as the day he was born, and starfished forplete ess. If he wanted to have fun with me, then that is what would happen.


    Quietly, I moved towards him. My feet avoided causing any unnecessary noise as I approached his bed. His long thick cock was erect from morning wood and ready for my taking.


    Licking my lips, I slowly bent forward, taking his length into my mouth. His face contorted with pleasure as he slowly stirred. My pace increased as his eyes opened, taking in the sight before him.


    ¡°Ba¨C¡± he moaned as I used my mouth and hand in rhythm to create nothing but pleasure. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    There was no denying how close he was to his climax, but considering he wanted an answer, I gave him one. With a deep suctioning motion, I let the thick head of his cock pop from my mouth before wiping away the saliva that dripped from my lip.


    ¡°What does it look like?¡± I smirked, raising a brow. ¡°I thought you were experienced.¡±


    He reached out for me, but was too slow as I stepped back out of reach.


    Waving my finger in front of him, I smiled, ¡°No no no... you want me to be a good girl, remember?¡±


    His eyes narrowed at me. ¡°Are you sure you want to go down this road?¡±


    Taking a moment, I ced my finger to my jaw and acted as if I was thinking. ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°Ba¡ª¡± he said in a warning tone.


    My eyes met his with a wicked smile. ¡°I think I¡¯ll go swimming. Have a nice day, Mr. Valentino.¡±


    Score one for me and zero for him. If he wanted a game, I would give him one.


    **********


    It was as if the water was calling me, begging for me toe dive into its still body to cause chaos as I tookp afterp.


    Without hesitation, I dove into the deep end and relished in the way the water caressed my skin. The cool refreshing feeling helped to wash away my thoughts, and as I broke the surface, I closed my eyes, letting the sun beat against my skin.


    ¡°Miss Woods?¡± a voice called from the terrace, causing me to turn around.


    Peering up at the pool¡¯s edge, I watched the housekeeper striding towards me with a smile upon her face. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Miss Valentino called and told me to let you know she requests you for dinner and drinks tonight at La Fontina.¡±


    I shook my head and nodded, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I had left my phone upstairs, and for good reason. But I found it amusing Tally would call her housekeeper to tell me I had to go to dinner tonight.


    It was simply her way of asking me to go so I could be her designated driver, no doubt. Something I had no interest in doing. After everything over thest few days, she was still acting as she always did.


    ¡°Sounds like a fun night, doesn¡¯t it?¡± James called out, and I saw him standing in swim trunks with dark sunsses.


    Just the sight of him set me on fire, and I quickly realized he was going to join me.


    ¡°Uh¨Cyeah. I probably should get out and get ready.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± he quickly replied. ¡°She called me too, and I told her you weren¡¯t feeling well and to proceed without you. I will have a drivere pick her upter tonight when she is ready.¡±


    My mind fogged over with confusion at what he was saying.


    How had he so quickly done that when the housemaid literally just told me she called?


    ¡°But why?¡± I asked dumbfounded. ¡°You lied to her.¡±


    Nodding his head, a smirk crossed his lips. ¡°That I did. Do you really think I don¡¯t notice how she treats you? You don¡¯t have the rtionship you once did.¡±


    As true as that was, I didn¡¯t need him pointing it out. After all, this was between her and me, and more than likely, this would be myst trip out here.


    With frustration, I bit the inside of my cheek and scoffed as I pulled myself up to the edge of the pool, watching as he jumped in and swam towards me, wiping the water from his face as he broke the surface.


    ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t need you to lie for me,¡± I pointed out, watching as he found amusement in what I was saying.


    ¡°Perhaps not, but I did it for a reason.¡±


    ¡°Of course you did,¡± Iughed. ¡°But I told you earlier I am here to have a swim. I was hoping, in peace. Plus, this game can¡¯t continue¡­ if Tally were to find out, it wouldn¡¯t be good for either of us, and I don¡¯t want to hurt her.¡±


    His once happy expression turned into one that made my skin grow cold. He and Tally had one thing inmon, and it seemed to be they didn¡¯t like to be told no.


    ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t find out?¡± he asked as he moved closer to me.


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what he meant. He wanted me to be his dirty little secret, and I wasn¡¯t sure if that was something I was up for.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know if I believe you¡¯re skilled enough to make sure she doesn¡¯t,¡± I reply, tauntingly, trying to mimic the energy he had given me from the night before.


    ¡°Is that right?¡± He quickly grabbed my legs, pulling my ass off the edge of the pool while holding me up. ¡°Do you want to test that theory?¡±


    ¡°Wha¨Cwhat are you doing?¡± I gasped as I tried to pull myself away. ¡°Someone might see!¡±


    ¡°Giving you exactly what you want,¡± he grinned. ¡°Proof.¡±


    Before I could object, his fingers brushed against my sensitive folds as he pulled my bottoms to the side and slid his tongue against me. ¡°James¡ª¡±


    The moaned response made me ache for more, and from the mischievous glint in his eyes, I could tell I was going to get it. His eyes met mine as he continued to run his tongue along me. The swirls against my sensitive nub caused me to gasp out in pleasure.


    Chad had gone down on me before, but never had it felt like this.


    No man had ever made me feel like this.


    ¡°Oh, f*ck,¡± I gasped as he dove in deeper, his movements bing more frenzied.


    ¡°You taste amazing,¡± he mumbled against my core. I felt myselfing closer to the edge. The motions his tongue made caused a knot to form in my stomach. I knew was going to explode.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold on¨C¡± I cried out. ¡°Please¨C¡±


    Screaming out in pleasure, I fisted at the cold, hard ground as he forced me to ride out the wave of pleasure he had created within me. I wasn¡¯t sure how I hade so far when only the other day I was trying to avoid seeing him.


    Now, he had me writhing in ecstasy over and over with no warning. He just took what he wanted, and I was subjected to his pleasure. I suppose it was my fault after what I did to him this morning.


    ¡°Your body reacts to me so well.¡± He looked at me as he licked his lips.


    The arrogant tone of his voice pulled me back to reality as I quickly pulled my body from him and scrambled back on the ground, panting as I came down from the high he created.


    ¡°So confident, aren¡¯t you?¡± I replied sarcastically, causing him tough.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you didn¡¯t enjoy that, Ba.¡±


    Watching his eyes scan up and down my body, I couldn¡¯t help but feel the lust build within me. I wanted him to f*ck me till I begged him to stop, but admitting that would only add further to his ego.


    This was a game to him, and I never backed down from a challenge.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you could prove you could make me cum, but that still doesn¡¯t prove you can ensure Tally won¡¯t find out. So as much as I enjoyed that, I think it¡¯s best I go about my day and let you enjoy your swim.¡±


    ¡°Running away,¡± he says. ¡°Didn¡¯t take you as a girl who would.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I didn¡¯t take you as a man who did nothing but talk and barely show action. Yet, here we are having a conversation about what you did and didn¡¯t do.¡±


    It was a lie, I know. He had just enjoyed my pussy like a four course meal, but I couldn¡¯t let him see the true satisfaction in what it did.


    My sarcastic attitude did nothing but amuse him, and while I wasn¡¯t aiming for amusement, I found his reaction to my wordsical.


    ¡°I thought you said you were going to be a good girl, Ba,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Hmm¨C¡± I replied, thinking over his words, ¡°I guess I lied, too. That¡¯s something we have inmon now, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    My words seemed to stun him as he stared at me. Warm satisfaction rolled through my body as I watched him in the water, staring at where I was now standing next to the pool.


    James had been more than amazing getting me off, and the rush of pleasure he created in me was definitely something I would want to do again. But he had to learn this was a game of wits, and I would not bow down to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. You have no idea what you''re getting into...¡± he warned, with lust filled eyes. ¡°You will beg for me to stop.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one that said I would be begging you to f*ck me as well?¡± I smirked, crossing my arms over my chest.


    Tight-lipped, I watch the corner of his lips turn up. ¡°Yes, I did say that, and it would have been true had you decided not to y this game. However, the tables have turned, and I will take you when you least expect it.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that. Anyway, if you will excuse me. I need to go take care of a few things, and I would hate to mess up ns you had for today.¡±


    Turning on my feet, I carried myself back towards the house and quickly closed the door behind me. A sigh of relief escaped me as I felt the safety of distance put between James and I.


    Yes, I wanted him. But it was a ridiculous notion because he wasn¡¯t the kind of man to want me, and to be honest, I didn¡¯t want to be someone¡¯s toy.


    The confliction was real, and I hated that I couldn''t be decisive about what I was doing.


    At least I could say that he lived up to his legend so far.


    That tongue of his had skills that would keep me wet and excited for years toe. I just had to pray he didn¡¯t take my words too seriously. Otherwise, I would have a sadistic daddy with a twitching palming after me.


    The thought alone was exciting, but the anticipation of knowing it was killing me.

 Chapter 9 : Ignoring the Chad

    Chapter 9: Chapter 9 : Ignoring the Chad


    ¡°Tally, where the hell is your toaster?¡± I asked as I scanned the kitchen, looking for the only appliance that didn¡¯t seem to sit on the counter.


    ¡°Uh, you¡¯re really asking me?¡± Moving towards the kitchen counter, she pulled herself up on it, taking a seat as she bit into a golden red apple, watching me search through every cupboard.


    She wasn¡¯t any help, and it already irritated me. I got little sleep after what had happened between James and I the day before.


    Groaning in protest, I stood, looking at her with my hands on my hips. ¡°How do you not know where it is? This is your house.¡±


    Shrugging her shoulders, she rolled her eyes as she continued eating. It was only when James walked into the kitchen I became rigid and froze in my spot. His body brushed gently by mine as he went for the coffee pot.


    ¡°Good morning,dies,¡± he said with a smile and a chipper tone to his voice.


    ¡°Morning, Daddy,¡± Tally said as his eyes slowly scanned towards me.


    ¡°Are you having a good morning, Ba?¡±


    Of all the times he had to address me, it was right in front of Tally. I was, in a way, pleased with him speaking to me, but the thought of what had happened between us in the pool kept swirling through my mind.


    ¡°Uh-yeah.¡± My curt response went unnoticed by Tally, but turning to face James, I watched the corners of his upper lip turn up while amusementced his eyes.


    ¡°Wonderful. Well, if you¡¯re not doing anything today, I would suggest taking a swim in the pool. It¡¯s a beautiful day for a dip.¡±


    A flush of embarrassment rushed my cheeks at hisment as I quickly cleared my throat and gave up on looking for a toaster. What was the point, anyway? My appetite was long gone.


    ¡°We won¡¯t have time for swimming today, Dad. Ba and I are heading into the city to go shopping and have drinks,¡± Tally said happily as she jumped off the counter.


    James¡¯ eyes widened as he smiled. ¡°That sounds like fun. Just remember, if you girls are going to drink, let me know, and I will have a care pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know, Dad,¡± Tally groaned, causing me tough.


    It never ceased to amaze me how she could act like such a child. Most people would give anything to have their parents care like that, and she always acted like it was an issue.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± James sighed. ¡°Well, I need to get going. I will see you bothter. Try not to get into trouble.¡±


    Hisst words were said with his eyes lingering on mine. I wasn¡¯t sure what he was hinting at, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to find out.


    ¡°Have a wonderful day, Mr. Valentino.¡±


    The smile on his lips thinned with my goodbye. The teasing manner in which I called him by hisst name instead of James had surely gotten under his skin.


    Something I was sure he would point outter.


    A few hourster, I sat across from Tally with three of her friends who I hadn¡¯t met before. The beach side restaurant was amazing, and even though the past week had been nothing but chaotic, I was d for a quiet, normal lunch.


    ¡°So, what do you think of Miami so far?¡± a guy named Tony asked as he lifted his lips to a tall margarita and gulped it greedily.


    ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t my first time here. But I enjoy it.¡±


    His eyes widened in surprise as he nced towards Tally. ¡°Why are we just meeting her now if she has been here before?¡±


    Tally raised her brow as she nced from her phone towards the man and then back at me. ¡°Oh, well, she hasn¡¯t been here in five years.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, things got hectic with my parents, so I haven¡¯t been down here in a while.¡±


    He nodded without going further and proceeded to ignore me and start talking to the others about a mad partying upter in the summer.


    The fun I had once been having was slowly simmering down, and before I could think much, my phone rang with a name across it I hadn¡¯t been expecting to see.


    ¡°Um¨Cexcuse me. I need to take this call.¡±


    Tally¡¯s eyes met mine as she furrowed them in confusion as I mouthed Chad''s name to her. For a moment, I thought a bit of anger shed within their depths, but quickly disappeared.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I said into the phone as I stepped away from the table.


    In all honesty, Chad was thest person I wanted to speak to, but for some reason, I couldn¡¯t resist answering my phone.


    ¡°Hey, gorgeous. What are you doing?¡±


    His voice no longer excited me when he spoke, and even though an empty pit formed in my stomach, I tried to push the feeling away from his absence.


    ¡°Why do you care, Chad? This can¡¯t honestly be a social call.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that,¡± he sighed into the phone. ¡°I miss you, Ba. I was an idiot before, and I wanted to tell you I¡¯ming to Miami for you. I have friends down there, and I am going to see them¡­ and you, if you will let me.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± I scoffed. ¡°You cheated on me, Chad. What makes you think I want to see you?¡±


    ¡°Ba, please,¡± he sighed again. ¡°Just meet me for drinks, and let¡¯s talk when I get into town. Let me show you how sorry I am.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to fall prey to his games, but part of me needed rity. I wanted to know who it was he had been seeing. The only evidence I had at one point was a pair of custom ck panties I foundying in his room.


    A design I had never seen before withce patterns that looked handmade.


    There couldn¡¯t have honestly been too many women who would have those, and it would settle my mind more if I knew who they belonged to.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I sighed. ¡°Maybe. But I will be honest. I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. I will ept maybe,¡± he quickly replied. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t hurt you again.¡±


    Lies. They were all lies.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. I have to go.¡±


    Hanging up the phone, I shoved it into my pocket and leaned against the railing overlooking the beach. Hearing his voice had brought back many terrible memories, and through all of it, I just wanted to find peace.


    Peace away from him, and the life I had with him. A chance to have something new.


    ¡°Ba, are you okay?¡± Tally asked, causing me to turn and see her walking towards me with a confused expression on her face.


    ¡°Uh¨Cyeah. I¡¯m fine,¡± I replied, dismissing the emotions I was


    ¡°What did Chad want?¡±


    Shaking my head, I shrugged my shoulders before turning to look back out over the beach. ¡°To let me know he ising to town, and he wants to see me because he misses me.¡±


    ¡°He misses you?¡± she said in a little too much of a negative tone. As if missing me was something impossible for Chad to do.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I turned back to look at her, and she took on a defensive stance, crossing her arms over her chest and shaking her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Ba,¡± she said firmly. ¡°He hurt you before. Are you really going to let him do that to you again? I think you should stay away from him. It¡¯s obvious some other girl is iming him now.¡±


    Her words hurt me, and I didn¡¯t understand why she didn¡¯t think before she opened her mouth. ¡°Wow, thanks for that, Tally.¡±


    ¡°Look,¡± she replied, letting out a heavy breath, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just don¡¯t want to see you hurt. You¡¯re my bestie, girl. You deserve better than him.¡±


    I knew she was just looking out for me, and perhaps she was right.


    I deserved better, but even that notion made me feel sick. Especially since her dad had taken a liking to me, and I was loving every bit of the attention he gave.


    Even if I would not make it easy for him.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Why don¡¯t we go get drinks and forget about Chad?¡± Iughed, causing her to take my arm as we headed towards the table.


    I wasn¡¯t a drinker, but after that conversation, I definitely needed something.


    *****


    Hourster, we stumbled back through the door of Tally¡¯s home withughter echoing around us. I wasn¡¯t sure if her father was home, but we both had been drinking and neither one of us cared.


    ¡°Oh, my god, Ba. That was so much fun tonight!¡± she squealed as I helped her up the stairs towards her room.


    ¡°Yeah, it was. Now, let¡¯s get you to your room and to bed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my bed!¡± she squealed again as we reached the top floor and entered her room.


    After a few moments of getting her undressed and into bed, I proceeded to my room to get undressed. I desperately needed to get changed, and then perhaps get something to eat.


    The alcohol in my system wasn¡¯t as bad as Tally¡¯s, but food and hydration was definitely required if I didn¡¯t want to be hung over the next day.


    Slipping on a red night dress that stopped mid thigh, I undid my hair and let it cascade down my back as I left my room and tiptoed down the stairs towards the kitchen.


    The lights werepletely off, and the darkened rooms made it hard to navigate. But it was honestly better than waking James.


    Thest thing I wanted to deal with was James. He had been swirling through my mind since the moment I got here, and after everything he had done to me, I wanted more.


    I wanted everyst drop of him, and with the alcohol in my system, there was no way I could y this game of hard to get.


    I would more than willingly submit to him.


    Before my feet hit the tile again, I felt a rush of wind, then a hand wrapped around my waist as another came across my mouth.


    Screaming out in fear and panic, I iled against the body, trying to break free with no luck. Whoever it was had a firm hold on me, and thest thing I wanted to do was die.


    Yet, as a breath ran over my ear and neck, I couldn¡¯t help but feel turned on.


    ¡°I told you we would finish thister,¡± the voice whispered. ¡°I have been waiting for you since the moment you left, and I can¡¯t wait to make you scream again.¡±


    I knew that voice anywhere, and it was one I thought of often as well.

 Chapter 10 : Moment of Weakness

    <h4>Chapter 10: Chapter 10 : Moment of Weakness</h4>


    Most girls would have been afraid in my situation. Being grabbed in the darkness by an unknown man, ready to be used for his pleasure. I knew that voice though. I knew that deep, earthy scent that wrapped around me, constantly driving me crazy.


    It was James. A sinful daddy that made me want to do so many bad things. The only problem was, I couldn¡¯t let him know that. I couldn¡¯t allow myself to be the fish that took the bait.


    Running my tongue across my bottom lip, I bit down and smiled. I hadn¡¯t expected him to act like this, but the current situation was overly stimting.


    Melting into his body, I pressed my thighs together as he held me against him. The friction of my arousal came quickly, and I was hoping he would unleash it.


    I was hoping he would make me scream for him once more.


    ¡°What are you doing, Mr. Valentino?¡± I said breathlessly as his hand slid over the front of my chest, slowly groping at the firm mounds of my chest.


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you to not call me that?¡± he said sternly as he gripped my jaw and forced a kiss to my lips. A kiss that was nothing gentle and screamed at a more primal nature.


    His kinks were evident, and everything I was beginning to like.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question,¡± I snapped with a smirk upon my face. ¡°Cat got your tongue?¡±


    Laughter escaped him as he slid his fingers down between my thighs. ¡°Oh, the taste of that tight pussy is still on my tongue, and your words this morning have been on my mind all day long.¡±


    Gasping as his fingers brushed rough circles against my clit, I tried to hold myself together.


    ¡°What words were those?¡± I asked yfully.


    ¡°Oh, you should know,¡± he replied. ¡°You like being a bad girl, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Yes, yes, I f*cking did. God, let me be a bad girl.


    My mind reeled from his words, but no matter how much I wanted him to f*ck me like the horny woman I was, I worried about the oue.


    ¡°James,¡± I gasped as his lips brushed against my own once more. ¡°I¨C¡±


    ¡°Tell me you want me to stop,¡± he whispered. ¡°I will stop if you want me to. No matter the y we have, I will never force myself on you unless consensual non-consensual y is something you¡¯re into.¡±


    I was a prisoner to the lust he created within me. It didn¡¯t matter how much I knew the situation was wrong with James. I wanted him. ¡°F*ck me.¡±


    With those two words, his lips devoured mine as he spun mepletely around to face him. My heart raced, knowing this time we wouldn¡¯t stop. I was going to let him f*ck me whatever way he wanted, and I didn¡¯t care about the oue.


    I had never seen such hunger before, but there it was on the surface of his eyes. His fingers greedily ripped at my panties, ¡°James, what if she¨C¡±


    My mind instantly went to Tally. What if she came down and caught us? What if for some reason she heard us having sex? What would I do then?


    ¡°She won¡¯t,¡± he quickly replied, cutting me off as his fingers slipped within the folds of my core, causing a moan to escape me.


    Rocking my hips against his hand, I felt his long thick erection grow against my belly as he finger-f*cked me to the point I came undone on his hand. The rush of pleasure made me dizzy as I watched him slowly lick my arousal off his fingers.


    ¡°You taste so f*cking good,¡± he groaned as he slid one into my mouth letting me taste myself. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    I had never tasted myself, but what he was doing caused me to moan before he kissed me again. Only this time, the forey was over. My fingers pulled at his basketball shorts as I freed the beast inside.


    I wanted that long thick erection buried deep inside me, the feeling of him ripping me open as he f*cked me till I couldn¡¯t stand. I was horny as hell, and this man-made me want to do things I had never done before.


    Lifting me up, he pressed me against the wall and held my leg high as he roughly thrust himself inside me. It was a move I had been expecting but was widely unprepared for.


    A cry of pleasure escaped my lips at the size of him. He wasrger than any man I had everid with before, and after a moment of stilling for me to adjust, he groaned in pleasure and began his relentless aggression on my aching womb.


    ¡°F*ck, you¡¯re so tight,¡± he moaned as I cried out at how deep he was hitting.


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± I moaned softly as I clung to him. ¡°Do you like how tight it is?¡±


    My teasing remark caught him off guard as he hit it harder, causing me to cry out, ¡°I think I should be asking you that.¡±


    My eyes rolled back as I moaned again. ¡°Shit¡ªI have to be quiet, but its so f*cking hard.¡±


    Laughter left his lips as he slowed down to long, deep thrusts with patterned breaks of rough movements. ¡°You like this, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes¨C¡± I gasped as I clutched to him for dear life. ¡°More... please...¡±


    Footsteps above us caused my eyes to quickly dart towards the ceiling as I listened to Tally move about the second floor. My eyes met James¡¯ as he noticed it too, and gestured for me to be quiet.


    Which wasn¡¯t an easy thing to do when he wasn¡¯t stopping his actions anytime soon.


    ¡°Ba?¡± Tally¡¯s voice called from the top of the stairs, causing both James and I to freeze for a moment before he lifted me up, and took me towards the sofa.


    There was no doubt in my mind we were about to get caught, but James seemed more than confident in what he was doing, and before I knew it, he wasying me on the floor behind the sofa.


    ¡°She won¡¯t see us here,¡± he whispered as he continued to f*ck me, his hand over my mouth as I listened to Tally walking about the downstairs area.


    ¡°Ba?¡± she called out again as I felt the rush of pleasure building in my stomach. ¡°F*ck it.... Maybe she went for a run.¡±


    Her footsteps pounded on the stairs, and her bedroom door closing was a sound of relief, but it quickly diminished as I screamed against his hand as my eyes rolled back, riding him out as I came undone.


    His own orgasm came quickly as he gripped me tight and came hard inside me. Never had I felt something as exhrating as this before. Yet, it happened.


    ¡°F*ck, Ba...¡± he whispered as a smile lined his face, and he captured my lips once more for a quick kiss. ¡°I want you.¡±


    ¡°You just had me,¡± I replied asughter escaped me causing him to smile.


    ¡°No, I want you every single day that you are here. Over and over again at my disposal.¡±


    There was something about his words that turned me on, but the logical side of me always took the front of it. Ruining any chance I had at having fun.


    ¡°We will see,¡± I replied as he pulled out of me and stood to his feet straightening himself.


    Laughter escaped me as I watched him pull out of me, and stand, straightening himself before holding out his hand, pulling me up as well.


    The awkward moment between us had me unsure of what I was supposed to say. He wasn¡¯t someone I could be with, but I wanted to see him again.


    Before I could move past him, though, his hand gripped my upper arm, and he stopped me in my ce. The sensation of his skin against mine once more sent my mind racing as I slowly looked up at him.


    ¡°Tell me you¡¯re mine.¡±


    ¡°Yours?¡± I asked with confusion, trying to understand what he meant. ¡°I don¡¯t¨C¡±


    Turning me to face him, he gripped my jaw lightly and stared down at me. ¡°You¡¯re mine, Ba. Tonight will not be thest time I have you.¡±


    The cockiness in his words aroused me, but I knew I couldn¡¯t give him what he wanted. He wasn¡¯t the kind of man who would want a rtionship with me.


    ¡°What am I to you?¡± I asked after a moment of silence. ¡°Because I doubt it¡¯s more than sex.¡±


    Softughter left his lips as he looked away from me. ¡°I don¡¯t do rtionships, Ba. I¡¯m not sunshine and roses, and that isn¡¯t what you need anyways.¡±


    ¡°What do I need?¡± Shock filled me as I found myself taken aback by hisment. We¡¯d had a wonderful time, and he just had to mess it up. ¡°How do you know what I need, James?¡±


    ¡°Because I do,¡± he said, his eyes watching me intently as I pulled my arm from his grasp. ¡°Don¡¯t act like you didn¡¯t enjoy this.¡±


    The smug attitude rolling off of him was irritating, and I couldn¡¯t understand how one moment he was affectionate and amazing. Then the next, he was acting like this.


    ¡°Look,¡± I sighed with a smile. ¡°This was great, and the sex was amazing, but this won¡¯t happen again. I¡¯m not a toy you can y with, and you and I both know that all you want is a girl to f*ck. I¡¯m not that girl, but thanks for tonight.¡±


    Turning on my feet, I stormed off from the living room, leaving him there to stew in his own thoughts. I couldn¡¯t believe he had acted the way he did, and even if I wanted to f*ck him again¡ªI wouldn¡¯t.


    Not after hisment.


    My chest hurt, realizing I had allowed myself to do something like that, and with him, of all people. No matter how sexy and amazing he had been, I couldn¡¯t allow myself to fall for a guy who was unattainable.


    After a few more weeks here, I would be back at Yale getting ready to finish myst year.


    That¡¯s what I needed to focus on.

 Chapter 11 : Heated Office Moments

    <h4>Chapter 11: Chapter 11 : Heated Office Moments</h4>


    James.


    The softness of her skin beneath my fingers was a feeling I couldn¡¯t get rid of. Ba had been sopliant, and the way her body reacted to the pleasure I created in her was addicting. Everything about her was addicting.


    I knew it was wrong to think of her in this way, but I couldn¡¯t shake it.


    From her pouty lips to the heart-shaped curve of her ass... I wanted it all.


    ¡°Mr. Valentino, did you finish signing the Jay Bird reports?¡± Evette asked from my doorway, pulling me from my thoughts as I cleared my throat and nodded.


    ¡°Yes, they are around here somewhere.¡±


    Shuffling through the vast sea of work piling up on my desk, I grabbed the papers she was asking for and held them out. Evette¡¯s eyes gazed over me with confusion as she took them and exited the room.


    Could she tell I was wound up as well?


    The shing light on my phone signaled a notification, and picking it up, I saw Tally¡¯s name in bold lettering appear, bringing a smile to my face.


    ¡®Going shopping for a birthday gift for Mom. Might be homete.¡¯


    It warmed my heart to know that she still had a good rtionship with her mother, even though the woman was crazier than hell. If Tally was out shopping, it meant Ba was with her more than likely, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to see Ba alone.


    I wanted to spend more time with her. Which didn¡¯t make sense at all.


    I wasn¡¯t the type of man to get attached to a woman. It just wasn¡¯t possible, and yet, here I was slowly going mad over the prospect that I wouldn¡¯t see this girl tonight.


    Thinking it all over, I tried toe up with something that would benefit all of us. I knew Ba wasn¡¯t fond of the idea of Tally finding out about our little escapade, but I was caring less and less each day if she did.


    The thought of Ba submitting to me on her knees with my cock in her mouth made me groan with excitement, because it was just what I wanted to soothe the turmoil I was currently in.


    Picking up my phone, an idea shed into my mind. With a mischievous smile, I texted Tally an idea I knew, for a fact, she would be excited about.


    ¡®Do you and some friends want to go out on the yacht this weekend and head to the Keys? You can camp on the beach like you used to do in high school.¡¯


    After sending the message, I waited, and not even a moment went by before her reply came through.


    ¡®OMG! Seriously?¡¯


    ¡®Yes, seriously. It¡¯s tradition, isn¡¯t it?¡¯


    ¡®Yes, and it¡¯s been too long. I will message everyone now. When are we leaving?¡¯ she asked after a moment of silence. And that was something I hadn¡¯t even considered.


    When were we leaving? It was already Thursday.


    ¡®Tomorrow, around noon,¡¯ I texted after a moment¡¯s hesitation. It wouldn¡¯t give me much time to get things ready, but I was looking forward to spending more time with the girls... especially Ba.


    ¡®That doesn¡¯t give me much time to get the boat ready. I need the cabin key to stock the bar, and I¡¯m so far away from your work right now.¡¯


    I was well aware of what she was talking about, and that was exactly what I was hoping she would point out. My little vixen fromst night was avoiding my texts and even avoided me this morning, and I didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡®Why don¡¯t you have Bae get the key from me at my office? I¡¯m sure she remembers how to get here. Even if it¡¯s been a few years.¡¯


    A Cheshire smile crossed my face as I watched the three bubbles of our chat pop up as she typed away at her response.


    ¡®Daddy! You¡¯re a genius! I will tell her toe get it. Thank you!!¡¯


    She wasn¡¯t lying. I was a genius, or at least I thought I was, and with a smug smile crossing my lips, I adjusted my jacket and waited.


    Waited for the moment she would cross through my door, and once again, be within my arms. My mouth watered with the anticipation of tasting her once more.


    ***********


    Ba.


    ¡°What do you mean go to your dad¡¯s office?!¡± I gasped into the phone as Tally informed me she wanted me to go by her dad¡¯s office to pick up a key because we were taking the yacht down to the Keys this weekend.


    I was all for taking the yacht down to the Keys, but I wasn¡¯t down to go to her father¡¯s office.


    ¡°Why are you making such a big deal about this? Since when do you care about being around him?¡± Tally asked, making me realize how I was acting.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± I sighed, thinking of an excuse. ¡°We both know your dad¡¯s busy, and you know how he is about work. I don¡¯t want to go at the wrong time and upset him.¡±


    Laughter echoed through the phone as my heart clenched. ¡°Stop being ridiculous and go do it.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I will go,¡± I replied with reluctance as I hung up the phone and stood staring at my bedroom wall with disgust about having to do this.


    Last night was amazing, but I didn¡¯t know how to face him.


    I didn¡¯t know how to speak to him after what we did. He wanted something fun and sporadic, and it wasn¡¯t what I was used to.


    Grabbing my purse, I made my way downstairs, only to open the front door and see a car waiting for me to get in. It wasn¡¯t a surprise he would send a car for me instead of letting one of us just take an Uber.


    As soon as I was in the car, and it was moving down the highway, I thought over what my objective was. I only had to go into his office and have him hand over the key.


    That¡¯s it. You can do this, Ba. Go in. Get the key. Nothing more.


    That only problem was the closer James¡¯ office building came into view, the more my heart raced. A rush of emotions and sexual tension pooled in my core as I pushed my thighs together, trying to get a grip on myself.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to the driver as he opened the door for me to step out.


    The towering silver and ck building stood ten stories high and gleamed against the bright Miami sky with the smell of salt water in the air.


    It was magnificent, and the kind of ce I hoped to work in one day.


    Just not with James.


    Stepping through the double ss entryway doors, I took in the tile flooring and high vaulted ceilings with beautiful recessed lighting and elegant decor.


    Arge ck desk set against the far side with two sophisticated receptionists busily working on their daily tasks. Taking a deep breath, I let out a heavy sigh and forced myself to move forward, towards them.


    ¡°Good morning, I¡¯m here to pick something up from Mr. Valentino.¡±


    The dark brown eyes of the first receptionist nced up at me as her eyes slowly took in my entire form. Her lips formed into a frown of disapproval at how I was dressed.


    ¡°Name?¡± she sneered, raising a brow.


    ¡°Ba Woods. He is expecting me.¡±


    ¡°Of course he is...¡± she mocked as she scrolled through something on her tablet. After a moment, a smirk formed on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t see an appointment. So, unfortunately, you can¡¯t see him.¡±


    I should have known it was going to be a problem. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t have an appointment. I am picking something up, not having a meeting. Can you please call him to let him know I¡¯m here?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no,¡± she snapped. ¡°Do you know how many women we geting in here trying to get to him? You are just like the others and need to learn to leave him alone. His taste is way above what you obviously are.¡±


    Her gesture to my attire and presentation angered me. I didn¡¯t want to have to call James, but this was beyond ridiculous. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°You heard me...¡± she replied as the woman next to herughed.


    ¡°Is that so? Are you sure you want to lead with that conversation? Or would you like to reconsider and call him?¡± I replied, watching as anger coursed through the woman¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Leave now, or I will have you thrown out.¡±


    Nodding my head, I turned and stepped aside, pulling out my phone. James, of course, picked up on the first ring, and I wanted to make sure the woman heard the conversation.


    ¡°Ba... what¡¯s wrong?¡± James asked.


    ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m here. In the lobby.¡±


    My eyes nced towards the receptionists, who both looked up at me as I spoke.


    ¡°Well,e to my office, then. Why are you waiting down there?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have an appointment. I was told I can¡¯te up, and instead, I was told to leave, or I will be thrown out.¡± I said with a smirk as the women¡¯s mouths dropped open in shock.


    An unearthly growl of disapproval came through the other end of the line as the call quickly ended. I had no doubt that he was on his way.


    ¡°He is on his way,dies, to fetch me,¡± I replied with a smile.


    Momentster, the elevator doors opened, and James stepped out in his dark three-piece suit looking like the sex god he was made to be. My eyes shifted from him towards the women at the desk, watching as fear swept over them.


    ¡°Ba, are you okay?¡± he asked me first with concern as he looked over at me.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Iughed. ¡°I¡¯m fine. They just didn¡¯t know who I was.¡±


    At my words, he turned, ncing towards the women. ¡°Shall I fire them?¡±


    ¡°What? No, no.¡± I was shocked. ¡°That isn¡¯t needed.¡±


    James¡¯ hardened gaze turned to me for a moment before looking back at them with a nod. ¡°Very well. From now ondies, no questions asked. She goes straight up. Even if I¡¯m in a meeting. Do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± they both replied in unison as he grabbed my hand and pulled me behind him towards the elevator. The touch of his skin upon mine sent shocks of pleasure between my thighs, and yet as we entered the elevator, I quickly moved away.


    I couldn¡¯t allow this to happen and let myself fall prey to something I wouldn¡¯t be able to have. Yet, as I moved, his eyes followed me.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Shaking my head, I forced a smile to my lips. ¡°Nothing is wrong.¡±


    Before he could say anything else, the doors opened, and he sighed, stepping into the hallway as I followed him to his office. The door closed behind me as he walked towards his desk.


    ¡°While I have you here, I wanted to speak with you.¡±


    His words caused panic and anticipation to flow through me, my heart racing, and my hands clenching to the strap of my purse.


    ¡°About what?¡± I said, trying to seem indifferent to his presence.


    As he turned, he smiled at me. ¡°Well, for starters, your nonchnt attitude and indifference to being around me. Do I make you nervous?¡±


    His arrogance annoyed me, and with a scoff, Iughed. ¡°Nervous? No, you don¡¯t.¡±


    As much as I was trying to seem confident, he could see right through me. Picking up the key from his desk, he walked towards me with a dark glint in his eyes. His aura seeped predatorial advances, and the more he came near, the more I stepped back.


    Until my back was to the door, and I had nowhere else to go.


    ¡°I think I do.¡± He brought his hand up to gently brush against my cheek. ¡°I think I make you nervous and excited. To be honest, I wouldn¡¯t mind rekindling what we didst night, Ba.¡±


    Pressing my thighs together to control the damp desire that begged for his attention, I mustered whatever courage I had left and ced my hand against his chest, pushing him away gently. ¡°No. I told you it won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± he asked, raising a brow. ¡°Didn¡¯t you enjoy yourself?¡±


    ¡°You know I did, Mr. Valentino¡ª¡±


    Before I could say anything else, he grabbed me, crashing his lips against mine, causing me to sigh as he held me close. His fingers trailed down my side towards my thighs, teasing, before he broke away and looked down at me.


    ¡°What did I tell you about calling me that?¡±


    Pulling away from him quickly, I tried to catch my breath as I shook my head. ¡°We can¡¯t do this.¡± I sighed, watching as he took a step forward. ¡°Stop.¡±


    His brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°You¡¯re sure about this choice?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± I finally admitted. ¡°You just want me for sex, and that isn¡¯t a life I want. I¡¯m not some toy you can just f*ck when you want. I¡¯m not like those other girls. No matter how much you seem to want me to be.¡±


    Shaking his head heughed. ¡°You have no idea what I want, but I will respect your choice. No more.¡±


    I was shocked at his response. Looking at him now, going through his desk without a care in the world, I realized what I had said was true. I was nothing to him.


    He wasn¡¯t trying to make me see reason. He wasn¡¯t trying to get my attention.


    He didn¡¯t give a shit at all. ¡°Ah ha... I found it.¡± He smiled as his eyes met mine. ¡°The key Tally wanted. Here.¡±


    As he held out the key in his hand, I quickly took it. ¡°You really don¡¯t care about me do you?¡±


    His expression was hard to read, and his eyes were emotionless. ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of man to chase after a woman. You want to leave, then leave.¡±


    My eyes widened in shock as my mouth parted open. He had be cold towards me, and before opening the door, I stopped, feeling a heaviness sitting in my chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I have been a bother to you.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what was going to happen on the trip this weekend, but perhaps it would be a chance for me to get some rxation in.


    Lord knows it had been nothing but chaos since I¡¯d arrived here.

 Chapter 12 : Conflicted Desires

    <h4>Chapter 12: Chapter 12 : Conflicted Desires</h4>


    The weekend arrived faster than I had expected, and with it, the trip to the Keys loomed ahead of me. I had kept my distance from James as much as possible, and I was thankful the only thing I really ever got from him was a stray look.


    Lugging my weekend bag over my shoulder, I moved towards the ramp of the boat and boarded the white two-hundred-seventy-foot-yacht that was a mansion on the water. Its multi-tier level was equipped with a helicopter pad and a pool.


    It was a new venture for me. Never had I been on the yacht before, but ording to Tally, it was a treasure James had bought the year before and only used less than a handful of times.


    Moving across the deck, I followed the crew leader, who took us towards the room areas. My eyes scanned the elegant decor ofvish seating and ornate furniture until theynded on one figure I hadn¡¯t expected to see at all.


    Chad.


    What the f*ck!


    Stopping dead in my tracks, I took in his sandy blond hair and dark sunsses. He smiled at a few of the other people who Tally had invited and even went as far as giving Tally a hug.


    The gesture itself was one that took me by surprise, and when her eyes caught mine, she quickly pulled away from him and headed towards me. ¡°You okay?¡±


    Was she being f*cking serious?


    ¡°What is he doing here?¡± I asked her, trying to wrap my head around how he could be here, of all ces. ¡°Why did you invite him?¡±


    Looking over her shoulder, she nced at him with a smile on his face, slowly shrugging her shoulders. ¡°He is staying with Das. I can¡¯t just expect Das to leave Chad out ande without him when Chad is his guest.¡±


    ¡°Tally, are you being serious right now? I wouldn¡¯t have bothereding had I known he was going to be here. You, of all people, should know theplications of this.¡±


    Tally sighed, shaking her head as her arms crossed over her shoulders. ¡°We are all adults, Ba. Just ignore him, and don¡¯t let it ruin the weekend.¡±


    I was half tempted to take my ass back to her house and let them enjoy their weekend, but as I looked towards the docks, I realized it was toote as the crew was quickly preparing the boat for departure.


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± James¡¯ voice asked from behind me. Tally¡¯s smile fell as she raised a brow in my direction, waiting for me to address her father¡¯s question.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I sighed. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine.¡±


    Turning on my feet, I pushed back the pain in my chest and made my way through the main living area, trying to pretend Tally hadn¡¯t just stabbed me in the back once more by inviting him.


    ¡°Ba?¡±


    A younger, light brown-haired man called out, catching my attention as I walked down the hallway looking for a room. His white-cored shirt was tucked into the khaki shorts he was wearing adorned with a name tag that said Jason.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I replied with curiosity.


    A smile fell across his lips as he sped his hands together. ¡°Mr. Valentino asked me to show you to your room.¡±


    I was taken aback by his words. He took my bag from me and headed towards the front passage that led to the master bedroom and one other room. I found myself confused as to why I was staying in this area and not with the others.


    However, as my eyes set upon the room, I was impressed with its modern decor and beauty. Thevish queen size bed sat in the center of the room on the far side, and everything was silver and white decor with a sliding ss door that seemed to connect with a private deck near the master suite.


    I had a feeling why he had wanted me to stay in this room, but I couldn¡¯t think about it. It wasn¡¯t right, and I would not allow myself to sumb to what he wanted.


    ¡°Is there anything you need, Ba?¡± Jason asked with a smile as he set my bag on the bed and turned towards the door.


    ¡°Uh¨Cno,¡± I replied with hesitation. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Jason didn¡¯t bother to hang around anymore than was needed of him, and with him gone, I was once again left in my thoughts, trying toe to terms with the fact I had to share a boat with a lover and an ex.


    I couldn¡¯t allow my wonderful weekend to be destroyed because I was upset about some douchebag. I had to think positive thoughts. Chad wasn¡¯t worth my time anyway.


    ****************


    A few hours, and a few drinks,ter, I curled up on a sofa inside the main living area in a long cashmere sweater, shorts, and my favorite book. The sound of everyone else partying up stairs echoed down to where I was, and James was nowhere in sight.


    The boat was huge, and I was thankful for that.


    It meant I could hide better from everyone else, and I wouldn¡¯t have to worry so much about running into Chad.


    As luck may have it, though, I wasn¡¯t that fortunate. Because a familiar voice trickled down the hall to where I was, and I knew that voice from anywhere.


    It was Chad, and he was headed straight for me.


    Grabbing my things, I made my way towards my room, trying to escape having to see him, but as fast as I was, I heard him call my name, and his footsteps followed behind me. ¡°Ba, would you wait?¡±


    His firm grip on my arm stopped me outside my door, spinning me around to face him, and once again I was staring into the deep green eyes I used to love. My fists clenched at my side as I tried to rip myself from his grasp.


    ¡°Let me go,¡± I said through gritted teeth.


    Laughter escaped him as he smiled at me. ¡°Don¡¯t act like this. I told you I was sorry. I came here for you, Ba.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± I snapped. ¡°You came here for yourself, and I don¡¯t want anything to do with you. Now, let me go.¡±


    Finally freeing myself from him, I tried to push him out of the way and close my door, but he quickly blocked it and stopped me from doing so, pushing his way into my room.


    ¡°We need to talk, and I hate it when you act hysterical like this.¡±


    ¡°Hysterical?!¡± I yelled. ¡°Get the f*ck away from me, Chad. I don¡¯t even know why Tally let youe. I don¡¯t want anything to do with you.¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± he said firmly as his eyes stared at me with more than hatred. ¡°You are going to listen to me. What we had was a good thing, and you and I are going to be a happy couple again. I know you miss me.¡±


    Stepping towards me, he brushed his hand over my arm, and nothing but disgust filled my stomach, making me feel sick. ¡°Get the f*ck away from me.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe that, after everything, he was acting like this. There was no way he was actually this delusional to think I wanted anything to do with him.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± a voice called from the doorway, and I looked over to see James standing there, ring at Chad.


    ¡°Nothing, my girl and I are just having a chat,¡± Chad replied with augh. ¡°You know how women can be when they are upset at you.¡±


    ¡°I am not your girl!¡± I screamed at him. ¡°Leave me alone.¡±


    James¡¯ eyes met mine and softened a little before they turned cold once more andnded on Chad. ¡°You need to leave this area of the boat right now, and I better not catch you back here again.¡±


    Chad stared at James in disbelief before shaking his head with a smile. ¡°Whatever, pops. She wasn¡¯t worth it anyways.¡±


    Pushing past James, Chad headed from my room and out of sight. My body sagged in relief at his departure as tears filled my eyes. Once again, I had allowed myself to be subjected to this ridiculousness instead of putting a stop to it.


    And James... he had saved me once again.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked softly as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. His warm, inviting eyes took in every aspect of my body, making me want to be closer to him.


    Sighing, I force a smile onto my face. ¡°Yeah. Just an unwanted guest.¡±


    ¡°Unwanted? Was that your ex, Ba?¡± he asked as he followed me across my room, watching me pull out a fresh shirt to put on.


    ¡°I mean. Yeah, he is,¡± I scoffed while shaking my head, trying to understand how my life could be so cynical right now. ¡°Not that it honestly matters to anyone.¡±


    ¡°It matters to me, Ba.¡± His fingers grasped my arm and turned me to face him. ¡°Why is he here?¡±


    ¡°Because your daughter allowed him toe and gave some bullshit excuse about him having to because he was staying with someone else.¡± I snapped.


    His lips formed a tight, thin line as he let out a heavy breath. ¡°I take it she is well aware of everything that happened between you and this man?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± Iughed. ¡°So aware that after years of friendship, she doesn¡¯t care. I¡¯m honestly wondering what the point is, and also that I should probably consider leaving when we get back.¡±


    His body went rigid at myment as he seemed to think about what I was saying. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No? What do you mean, no?¡± I asked in confusion.


    ¡°I mean no, you¡¯re not leaving. You shouldn¡¯t have to, and I will sort this out.¡±


    Stepping forward, he wrapped his arms around my body and pulled me close to him. The smell of his cologne wrapped around me tightly, and I couldn¡¯t help but melt into his embrace as I nestled my head against his chest.


    ¡°Thank you, but it doesn¡¯t seem anyone honestly wants me here, James. I¡¯m just getting in the way of whatever fun they are trying to have.¡± My admission was something that brought small tears to my eyes which I quickly blinked away.


    ¡°I want you here,¡± he whispered, looking down at me, his lips slowly lowering, and captivating mine in a soft and gentle kiss before he pulled back. ¡°I will handle, Tally. Get some rest.¡±


    I was left speechless by his remark. James was out of the door and down the hall before I could say anything. My mind left, trying to understand what had just happened.


    He wanted me here... and not just that... the kiss had been softer and more gentle than any kiss he had given me before. Was this the true side of him?


    Or was it possible he cared more for me than he was willing to admit?


    My entire stay here was bingplicated.


    Perhaps it was time I cut my losses and ran.

 Chapter 13 : Seduction & Conflict in the Keys

    <h4>Chapter 13: Chapter 13 : Seduction & Conflict in the Keys</h4>


    James.


    Fury flowed through me as I left Ba¡¯s room. I couldn¡¯t believe, once again, my daughter was proving to be just like her mother. She didn¡¯t care about how Ba felt. It was all about her, and I wasn¡¯t going to have it.


    Even if Ba made it clear she didn¡¯t want to move forward with what I was offering, it wasn¡¯t right for my daughter to treat Ba the way she was.


    Storming across the deck, I headed towards the front of the ship where the pool was located. I had no doubt Tally was there with the others, and as the pool came into view, I saw the truth.


    My daughter wasn¡¯t the person I thought she was, and it broke my heart.


    They all sat around in and out of the pool,ughing and drinking while music yed. And Tally was sitting in thep of Chad... the disgust in my stomach was overbearing as I finally could see what kind of person she really was.


    She was turning into her mother more and more every day, and I hated it.


    I would end this kid, Chad, if he wasn¡¯t careful.


    ¡°Tally!¡± I yelled over the music, catching her attention.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± she called out with a smile as she climbed from Chad¡¯sp and padded her way towards me. ¡°This boat is amazing¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± I snapped, ring down at her, her brows furrowing as confusion settled in.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked with a pout. I knew better, though. She didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°What the hell is that boy doing on my ship?¡± I asked, watching as realization sank in, and she looked over her shoulder at him with a flirtatious smile before turning back to me.


    ¡°He is a friend. Please don¡¯t make a fuss out of this and embarrass me. Did Bain to you?¡± she sneered, cing her hands on her hips like a spoiled brat.


    ¡°Automatically, that¡¯s your reaction?¡± I asked her.


    Shaking her head, she scoffed, ¡°I should have known she would have.¡±


    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t, Taliana. I caught him manhandling her in her room as she screamed at him to leave her alone. He imed she was his, and they were just arguing.¡±


    Tally¡¯s face dropped as she looked back at the boy, and then at me. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. Ba is lying. Chad is too high ss to get mixed up in something like that. He broke up with her for a reason, and that¡¯s because she is a square.¡±


    Shock filled me. ¡°Are you f*cking serious right now, Tally? You have known Ba your entire life... and me, I¡¯m your father. Yet, you are going to believe some punk ass kid instead?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know him!¡± she screamed at me. ¡°Don¡¯t judge him when you have your past as well.¡±


    I didn¡¯t even recognize the girl in front of me anymore. ¡°You are turning into your mother.¡±


    Shock and anger seeped through her at the mention of her mother. I felt guilty, but it was the truth. She was acting just like her mother, and I would not tolerate it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare bring my mother into this?¡± she replied. ¡°You are the one who f*cked things up. Not her. She loved you, and you used her and left her.¡±


    It was obvious Allison had brainwashed Tally into believing the bullshit, but I wasn¡¯t about to argue with her. She could believe what she wanted.


    ¡°When we get back, we are going to discuss this further. I don¡¯t want you near him in the meantime, though. Otherwise, I will leave his ass in the Keys.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± she snapped, turning away from me and walking back to her friends. I was pissed off and fed up with it all. However, I would have to figure it out. That boy had to go, though, and I would do what I needed to make it happen.


    ***********


    Ba.


    By the time we reached the inds, it was after dark, and the location we pulled towards was secluded and perfect. The ind had small bungalows people were staying in and bonfires going in the sand.


    I had never been to something like this, and any other time, it would have thrilled me, but unfortunately, whatever happened earlier had Tally refusing to even look at me.


    Instead, she looked at me as a problem. Something that needed to be dealt with.


    ¡°Ba, are youing?¡± One of Tally¡¯s friends stopped next to me on the dock. ¡°I was hoping we could hang out on the beach.¡±


    Sure you were.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I smiled. ¡°Well, yeah, I will be out there shortly. Save me a spot?¡±


    Not going to happen.


    I had heard what he said to Chad before the boat docked. I was now a game.


    His eyes lit up at my question before he quickly nodded his head. Were these guys actually that stupid to think I wasn¡¯t aware of what they wanted from me? I wasn¡¯t a whore, but I did like to have fun every now and again.


    Just not with men who were so distasteful. I wouldn¡¯t ruin myself for them.


    They could all have each other.


    Watching the guy walk down the boardwalk, I tried to remember what his name was, but quickly gave up when I saw Chad walking off to a bungalow with a dark-haired figure I couldn¡¯t make out.


    Go figure he would find someone to end up f*cking. He was such a liar and a whore. The more I watched themugh and y around as he picked her up and carried her over his shoulder¡ªthe more pain I felt in my chest.


    That used to be me. I used to be that happy.


    ¡°Used to¡± being the key words. Memories of those moments spun through my mind and made me remember why I missed them. It was the small things. The excitement and the love.


    Everything I no longer had.


    Turning back towards the ship, I made my way on board as tears threatened to fall from my eyes. I didn¡¯t want to feel the way I did, but as I let the tears slide down, I was thankful Tally and all her friends were far away from me.


    I didn¡¯t want anyone to see me cry, but I needed it to happen.


    These were tears that had built up for so long, and now, with a bit of peace, I let them escape and be taken by the salty sea air that wrapped around me briskly as I looked over the darkened waters of the ocean.


    James slowly filtered through my mind at that moment, and I wasn¡¯t sure why, but I felt the need to go to him. When he hadforted me earlier, it made me feel safe, and in that moment, that¡¯s what I wanted. To feel safe.


    Pushing away from the railing, I quickly made my way down the deck. My feet moved fast as my walk turned into a soft jog.


    Running towards him¡ªa man I never thought I needed.


    Without even knocking, I opened his cabin door and found him. His eyes met mine from the confines of his bed, holding papers within his grasp. ¡°Ba, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Without thinking, I moved towards him, climbing on the bed and straddling hisp as my lips took his. The kiss was hungry, but needed.


    I didn¡¯t want to feel the way I was feeling anymore.


    I wanted to forget why I was sad, and I wanted him to be the one to help me forget.


    ¡°Ba¨C¡± he said breathlessly, ¡°please, tell me what¡¯s wrong¨C¡±


    ¡°Make me forget¨C¡± I whimpered as he pulled me back, staring into my eyes. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t what you said you wanted... if we do this, there is no turning back. I won¡¯t allow you to flip-flop on your choices. You will be mine....¡±


    There was no hesitation in my movements as I kissed him again. Strip by strip, we removed every piece of clothing from our bodies, and before I knew it, I was sliding down upon his thick erected shaft.


    The sensation he built within me as he filled me to the brink was a feeling I would never tire of. He was everything I wanted and so much more.


    If only I could have him the way I wanted.


    ¡°God, you¡¯re so beautiful,¡± he whispered as he lifted me up and tossed me onto my back.


    Losing his touch caused me to whine, but it was only for a moment before he was hovering over me and thrusting into me again.


    Grasping my wrists, he held me down as his mouth captured the erect bud of my chest and sent me spiraling into a climactic finish I hadn¡¯t been expecting.


    My screams of pleasure echoed throughout the cabin and likely the ship.


    ¡°Shh¨C¡± he whispered against my chest, as he forced me to ride out my orgasm. ¡°They will hear you.¡±


    ¡°Then let them hear,¡± I whispered back as I kissed him again,.¡°F*ck me like I¡¯m yours.¡±


    An hourter, Iid wrapped within his embrace twisted within the sheets of his bed, as papersid scattered across the floor. ¡°Sorry about the mess.¡±


    Laughter escaped him as he pulled me closer, brushing his fingers over the bare flesh of my chest, ¡°don¡¯t worry about it. Spending time with you was worth it, but can I ask you something?¡±


    Looking up into his eyes, I smiled. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°What happened before you came to see me? Why were you upset?¡±


    Hesitation filled me in telling him the truth. It wasn¡¯t really a topic to have after what we had done, but James wasn¡¯t like other men. ¡°Tally, Chad, the chaos. It all happened. It¡¯s overwhelming.¡±


    James didn¡¯t reprimand me for what I said, and he didn¡¯t even look upset. Instead, he listened intently and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m noticing more of how Tally has been acting, and I don¡¯t agree with it. As for the boy... he didn¡¯t deserve you then, and he doesn¡¯t now.¡±


    Slowly, his lips brushed against mine, and as they did, my heart raced as I let him take control. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I deserve anymore,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°You deserve the world, Ba. If only you would let me give it to you.¡±


    I had promised myself I wouldn¡¯t fall prey to what he was offering, but at the same time, I wanted to be dangerous for once. I wanted to make bad choices and be spontaneous.


    If Tally could do it, then why couldn¡¯t I?


    ¡°Okay,¡± I murmured against his mouth.


    Pulling back, he stared at me with confusion. ¡°Are you saying yes to me?¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I nodded. ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    I was saying yes to something I didn¡¯t understand, but I trusted him.


    Seeing a glimmer of happiness cross his features, I felt something else swell inside me.


    The realization that for once my decision made me happy.


    James made me happy.


    Even if it was a taboo situation¡ªI was finally doing something for me.

 Chapter 14 : Undercover Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 14: Chapter 14 : Undercover Secrets</h4>


    The weekend at the Keys turned out to be more enjoyable than I had expected. James was a man of his word and took my mind far from the things I had been troubled about, and as he did, I could find a blissful relief from Chad and Tally¡¯s presence.


    My mind swirled with the things he had done to me and the way he made me feel.


    The man really was a work of art, and I doubted any other could match his skill set.


    ¡°Ba... are you even listening to me?¡± Tally¡¯s voice called out, pulling me from the raunchy thoughts that gued my mind.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, yeah. Sorry, just super tired still from the trip.¡±


    Staring at me, she paused for a moment. ¡°I find that hard to believe considering you stayed holed up in your room the entire time. I¡¯m d you got over that stomach bug, though.¡±


    There it was... the lie.


    I had lied to her the next morning after sleeping with James. She hade to me, and asked me where I had been, and telling her I was seasick was the only thing I coulde up with.


    At first, she wasn¡¯t so sure I was being honest. But, thankfully, my nerves got the best of me, and I actually ended up throwing up.


    Old anxiety habit, unfortunately.


    She had let it go then, but she didn¡¯t seem to really care. She was too busy having fun with her uppity friends than spending time with me, and I really didn¡¯t understand why I had bothered toe at all.


    Then again, I was thankful because it got me into the front seat with one of the hottest men in Miami, James Valentino.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m feeling much better,¡± I smirked. ¡°This sun is doing wonders for myplexion. You can almost feel the vitamin D soaking into your skin.¡±


    Tally had decided on a pool day, as if that was the only thing she ever did. I was d this time, though, it was girls only. All of them gossiping away at thetest and greatest.


    Gossiping wasn¡¯t my thing, but I had to admit they were very informative about things. My mind was soaking in all the details, wondering if I should change my profession to journalist.


    I could make a fortune on all the juicy secrets they were so willingly spilling.


    ¡°You know, Tally...¡± Catherine spoke up, ¡°your father is hot as shit.¡±


    Laughter escaped the girls as I looked at Tally, who sneered in disgust. ¡°That¡¯s nasty.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on. I know he is your dad, so you will think it¡¯s gross, but he is smoking hot.¡± Another girl added, flipping her hair over her shoulder.


    ¡°Yeah, I wouldn¡¯t mind letting him pound into me.¡±


    Thements kept flying, and as they did, I could see that Tally was getting more irritated by the moment. She loved having people over, but one thing I knew about her was she didn¡¯t like people talking about her dad.


    He was off-limits... and everyone epted that but me.


    ¡°Regardless if you think he is hot, girls, he is out of bounds for you,¡± she sighed. ¡°He isn¡¯t dating anyone.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Catherine adds with confusion in her voice. ¡°Because Tony and I walked back to the boat the first night and got lost looking for our room, and we heard him. He was f*cking the shit out of some girl, and she was screaming his name over and over.¡±


    Shock filled me as my mouth dropped partially open. I couldn¡¯t believe what she was saying. I didn¡¯t recall being that loud, but then again, we weren¡¯t exactly being quiet.


    Everyone was supposed to be off the boat!


    Oh, f*ck... shit shit shit.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Tally said with angerced in her tone as she sat up in her seat. ¡°He didn¡¯t bring anyone with him... are you sure it was his room?¡±


    Looking at Catherine, I watched her smile nodding her head. ¡°It literally said Master Suite on the door, Tally. If he didn¡¯t bring anyone there, that means he was f*cking one of your friends.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want them to think it was me, and with quick thoughts, Imented.


    ¡°That¡¯s f*cked up.¡± Their eyes all fell on me as I shook my head. ¡°So much for them being friends.¡±


    ¡°How do we know it wasn¡¯t you?¡± the darker girl asked as she crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. ¡°You always seem to disappear.¡±


    Tallyughed hysterically as she pointed to me. ¡°You think he would f*ck her?¡±


    ¡°Ouch,¡± I muttered, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°Ba, you know what I mean,¡± she sighed. ¡°Look, girls. He has known Ba since she was sixteen. We have been friends for longer than that. He is DEFINITELY one hundred percent... not f*cking Ba.¡±


    I was surprised to hear her so convinced but relieved. She wouldn¡¯t suspect it was me, and that meant James, and I could continue without worry of her finding out.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Plus, I¡¯m a real friend... I don¡¯t talk about f*cking my best friends¡¯ father or anyone else in their family. You girls should know how taboo that is.¡±


    Myment, meant to be snarky, seemed to catch their attention quickly as they allmented that, of course, they knew that and were only messing around with their remarks.


    It was obvious they didn¡¯t want to lose Tally as a friend, and I had no doubt that was because of the small fortune she had and the evenrger one she would recieve when James died one day.


    ¡°Plus, girls,¡± Tally grinned with a mischievous smile, ¡°if my daddy is going to be with anyone, he can only be with my mother. He is the reason they separated, and they need to be together again. She deserves it, after all.¡±


    Conceited. Her entirement and mind frame were conceited and selfish.


    We all knew her mother had cheated on him. That much was made public through the news. Deep down, though, I wondered if there was more, and maybe one day I would find out. For right now, though, I would have to be careful.


    I wanted Tally to keep believing I was innocent. So that meant being on her side with everything. ¡°Ain¡¯t that the truth?¡± I replied to her as she held out her hand to me.


    ¡°See, this is why I love you, Ba. You¡¯re the sister I always wanted.¡±


    Herment caused the other girls to send me envious res. Obvious daggers waited to stab me in the back if I wasn¡¯t careful.


    ********


    Tally.


    Hearing what the girls said at the pool about my father pissed me off to no end. Who the hell did they think they were to talk about him like that? I was aware he was hot, after all, I wasn¡¯t stupid. It didn¡¯t mean they had a right to talk about him, though.


    After everyone left, I followed Ba back into the house. My mind was still going over what they had told me. My father was seeing someone. One of my friends.


    ¡°Ba, do you really think he was sleeping with someone?¡± I finally asked her, wanting her advice on the topic.


    No matter what I did, she was always a constant in my life. She always brought me back from my manic episodes. Even if I didn¡¯t want to admit I was bipr... I was.


    That was a secret even Ba didn¡¯t know.


    Stopping at the top of the stairs, she turned to look at me with hesitation. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s possible, Tally. He is a grown man and women like him. Every man has needs, and as long as he isn¡¯t being stupid, then what does it really matter? You know he won¡¯t take those girls seriously.¡±


    Logical Ba. I expected nothing less from her.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right,¡± I sighed. ¡°But I don¡¯t like that. To have one of them lying to my face. They at least could have asked me, and maybe I would have been okay with it.¡±


    Baughed, shaking her head. ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t have. You would have killed them.¡±


    True. I probably would have.


    ¡°It¡¯s the principle of the fact,¡± I groaned as I walked towards my room with her trailing behind me. ¡°Perhaps I should tell my mom.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± she asked with a raised brow. ¡°They¡¯re divorced.¡±


    ¡°I know, but she has a right to know if my dad¡¯s moving on,¡± I replied, rolling my eyes.


    She had every right to know because he was the one who left her. He gave her barely anything and left her to fend for herself.


    Thankfully, she was able to set off on her business venture and make a healthy ie. It was a far cry from the way she should be living, and I hated that for her.


    It wasn¡¯t fair. Yet, my father was always so stubborn when it came to her.


    ¡°Look, you do whatever you think you should do, Tally. They are your parents, and if you wanna stir the pot, then so be it.¡± Ba shrugged before turning from my room.


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk about stirring the pot after the shit on the boat,¡± I snapped. ¡°Don¡¯t think I forgot about how you tried to cause drama with Chad and got my dad involved.¡±


    I could feel my anger rising, and slowly she turned from her ce just outside my door and faced me with a t expression. ¡°That¡¯s what you think?¡±


    I had been trying to let it go and not bring it up. However, herment pissed me off, and I could feel my anger rising. ¡°Yes. You couldn¡¯t just ignore him?¡±


    Shaking her head, Baughed. ¡°I¡¯m not doing this with you right now. It¡¯s been a long day, and we are both exhausted from the heat and have been drinking. Let¡¯s not ruin the amazing day that we have been having.¡±


    Shock filled me as she walked away. She didn¡¯t even address what I had said, and she was leaving me! How dare she act like that?


    At the sound of her bedroom door closing, I stomped my feet and stormed from my room in search of my father. He had made it home a few hours ago, and no doubt he was in his office.


    As I approached his office door, I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself as I quickly opened it, catching him on the phone. He held up his finger to me, finishing his conversation, and then hung up with a smile.


    ¡°Tally, did you and the girls have fun today?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t control my anger. Shaking my head, I snapped, ¡°Did you f*ck someone on our trip this weekend?¡±


    His brows narrowed as he looked at me. ¡°Excuse me? Who do you think you¡¯re talking to?¡±


    I knew I shouldn¡¯t continue to argue with him, but I was furious. How could my father do this to me? How could he embarrass me by sleeping with one of my friends on our trip?


    ¡°You heard me. Did you sleep with one of my friends this weekend? People heard you.¡±


    His face remained indifferent when I asked again. It was hard to tell if he was lying and hiding something or maybe people heard incorrectly.


    ¡°First of all, if I had been, that¡¯s none of your business. Second of all, instead of listening to your friends with everything they say, perhaps you should think about what¡¯s being said.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not answering me!¡± I screamed. ¡°Yes or no?¡±


    ¡°Tally, get out of my office right now¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god! You did, didn¡¯t you?¡± I gasped in shock. ¡°How could you do that to Mom?¡±


    Anger gleamed in his eyes as he stared at me, his knuckles turning white from the grip he had on his desk as he slowly stood.


    ¡°Your mother and I are divorced. Nothing I do concerns her, and you will do your best to remember that and stay out of my affairs in the future, Taliana. Now get out.¡±


    There was no point in finishing the conversation. Instead, I would have to figure it out myself, and when I did, I would bring hell upon the individual who crossed me.

 Chapter 15 : Heated Morning Exchange

    <h4>Chapter 15: Chapter 15 : Heated Morning Exchange</h4>


    Ba.


    It was hard not to hear the conversation Tally had with James the night before. I was terrified of what had happened, but when Tally hade upstairs, all she said was her father wouldn¡¯t tell her. That... and she was going to find out who it was.


    My mind had wandered all night, and for the first time in a few days, James didn¡¯t reach out to me. I figured it was because of what had happened, but I was grateful.


    I didn¡¯t want to get in the middle of some fight between her and her father.


    Even if I was the one having sex with him.


    Rolling from bed somewhere after 5:00 in the morning, I made my way downstairs in my pajamas in search of coffee. There was no point in still trying to sleep.


    I was just going to be extra tired today.


    As soon as my feet hit the bottom of the stairs, I felt an eerie presence. The silence was almost deafening. Everyone was still asleep, and even though I enjoyed the quiet... it made me nervous. I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect for the day.


    Padding across the tile flooring, I walked past the hallway that led to James¡¯ office and saw the glimmer of light from underneath his door.


    Everything in me screamed to go to him, but¡ªshould I?


    Biting my bottom lip, I groaned internally and walked down the hallway.


    I had to know that he was okay after what I had overheard.


    ¡°James?¡± I whispered softly as I pushed on his office door and entered.


    His eyes looked up to meet mine, and a smile lined his face. Freshly clean from the shower, small beads of water dripped down over his skin, and I realized he hadn¡¯t been down here long. ¡°What are you doing awake?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± I replied. ¡°I heard how she acted yesterday, and it¡¯s been on my mind.¡±


    His smile fell a little, and slowly he nodded his head. ¡°Yeah, it seems we had an audience over the weekend.¡±


    ¡°Mhm. What are we going to do about that?¡± I asked, hoping he had an idea, but instead of answering, he gestured with two fingers toe to him.


    And I did... like the good little submissive he was making me.


    ¡°We will not do anything,¡± he smirked as he pulled me onto hisp and kissed me gently.


    Breaking the kiss, my smile widened as my fingers brushed his hairline. ¡°She isn¡¯t going to let it go.¡±


    ¡°I know she won¡¯t.¡± His hands slid up my thighs. ¡°That changes nothing though, Ba. Let her go on her hunt. Thest person she will suspect is you.¡±


    This man was making me do things I would never ordinarily do, and it scared me. I wasn¡¯t sure how to proceed, but deep down, I knew I couldn¡¯t stop seeing him.


    He set my body on fire, and the sensations he created were addicting.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I moaned softly as his fingers slid through the folds of my core, causing my back to arch in pleasure as I nipped yfully at his lips before he devoured my mouth with his own.


    The kisses were heated and frenzied, and before I knew it, his chair was being slid out and I was being spun around and bent over his desk. ¡°We have to be quick and quiet.¡±


    Nodding my head, I understood. Well, I understand the quick part.


    But as his long, thick cock slid into me from behind, I wasn¡¯t sure about the quiet part.


    As a cry went to escape me, he pulled me back slightly, covering my mouth with his hand to muffle my moans of pleasure. ¡°Oh, f*ck.¡±


    Right to his words, it was quick, and I came undone all over him when he finally gave his own release. Filling me to the brim, where his seed dripped down my thighs. ¡°Mmm. God, you¡¯re such a good girl.¡±


    His words caused me to smile before he spun me around to face him and gripped my hair, kissing me again. I wanted more, but the sound from upstairs signaled to us both that Tally was finally awake.


    ¡°Quick, go into the hall bathroom and clean up. I¡¯ll go make coffee.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a suggestion. It was an order, and one I intended to follow. Moving quickly, I adjusted myself and left his office, sneaking into the hallway bathroom to clean up.


    His footsteps passing the bathroom led down the hall towards the kitchen before I heard his deep, sultry voice talking¡ªto Tally.


    Taking a deep breath, I got a hold of myself and cleaned up before exiting the bathroom and going to meet them. Her eyes met mine, and she smiled before rolling them at her dad. ¡°Morning, Ba.¡±


    ¡°Morning,¡± I replied before turning towards James. ¡°That coffee smells amazing, Mr. Valentino.¡±


    My taunting choice of words stopped him in his tracks, and I watched as the muscles in his back flexed for a moment before he cleared his throat and poured some into a cup, and turned towards me. ¡°Here. Have some then, but be careful... it¡¯s hot.¡±


    There was a dark glint in his eye letting me know I was going to pay for my remarkter on, but that was what I was hoping for. Taking the cup from him, my fingers brushed against his before I turned, smiling, and made my way towards Tally.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the n today?¡± I asked her with a little more pep in my step than I realized.


    ¡°Uh¨Cactually, I was thinking we could go for lunch today. Nothing super out of ce. I don¡¯t really have much of a n.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like fun,¡± I smiled, liking the fact that, for once, her day didn¡¯t revolve around drinking and partying like it had been since I had walked through those front doors.


    I could tell that the argument between her and James was still bothering her. Their silent nces spoke volumes, but it wasn¡¯t my ce to pry.


    *****


    A few hourster, Tally and I were in a car headed across Miami to Il Gabbiano. It was a very upscale waterfront restaurant that catered to authentic Italian food.


    I had only been here one other time with Tally, and that was when we were eighteen and James was trying to make Tally feel more at home. It was the one time when I met her uncle, James¡¯ brother, Lucas.


    Only six monthster, Lucas died in a car ident and thinking about it now, it broke my heart. He was the sweetest man and was James¡¯ biggest supporter.


    ¡°So, why are we going here?¡± I asked as we exited the car and walked towards the front door of the building. ¡°This is very upscale, for a meager lunch with me.¡±


    Laughing, Tally shook her head with a smile. ¡°We are meeting someone here.¡±


    Of course, we are. Why would I think it would just be the two of us?


    As soon as we entered, the general manager greeted Tally like an old friend and quickly showed us to our table. My eyes widened in shock as I realized just who it was we were meeting.


    It was none other than Allison Valentino¡ªJames¡¯ ex wife.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Tally eximed with excitement as Allison stood and took her daughter into her arms.


    ¡°Oh, my goodness. I have missed you,¡± she said before her eyes set upon me. ¡°Ba? Oh, goodness sweetie, how you have grown!¡±


    Smiling, I hugged her as well as we took our seats. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. You¡¯re not that plump little girl with sses and unkempt hair anymore.¡± Her response was taunting, and irritation swelled within me.


    ¡°Yes, that would be correct,¡± I gritted out with a fake smile, ¡°and you seem to have gotten a makeover at the doctor¡¯s office. Do they have talented surgeons down here?¡±


    Her eyes nked at myment as she stared at me. Tally waspletely unphased about what we were discussing, but an unmistakable message came clear across with Allison¡¯s stare.


    ¡°Yes, they do actually,¡± she smirked. ¡°I have one I can offer for you if you would like.¡±


    Chuckling to myself, I shook my head. ¡°No, thank you. I prefer a more natural look, but I appreciate the offer.¡±


    Ufortable silence sat around the table after my words. All of our eyes were on the menu as our server brought our drinks and took our order.


    I had almost forgotten why I didn¡¯t like Tally¡¯s mother, and within fifteen minutes of being in her presence, she reminded me why I couldn¡¯t stand her.


    She was judgemental and sadistic. Apletely narcissistic bitch from hell.


    ¡°So, Mom...¡± Tally finally said, breaking the silence, ¡°I have to tell you something I found out.¡±


    Oh f*ck. She isn¡¯t...


    ¡°What¡¯s that, sweetie?¡± Allison smiled sweetly.


    ¡°Well, Daddy took us on the yacht this past weekend and some of the other girls were talking about how two of my guests overheard him f*cking someone on the boat. Someone that I¡¯m friends with.¡±


    Allison gasped at the news covering her mouth with her hand as she acted upset.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t.... Why would he do that to me?¡± She pretended to sob. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what I did to deserve to be treated like this.¡±


    It took everything in me not to snap at this woman and remind her she was the one who cheated on him, and they were also divorced. I couldn¡¯t stand women like this.


    ¡°Yeah, it was horrible. Ba and I tried to think who it could be, but we are both disgusted by it. To think one of these little bitches I invited is or was f*cking my dad.¡±


    Allison¡¯s eyes went to me and quickly scanned over my body. ¡°Did you do it?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I asked shocked. ¡°Did I do what?¡±


    ¡°Mom. No!¡± Tally quickly butted in. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Ba. He barely looks at her and sees her like another daughter. Trust me, I would know if it was Ba.¡±


    Allison continued to stare at me as if unsure of her daughter¡¯s answer. A smirk crossed my lips as I picked up my ss of water and downed my drink. My eyes never left hers as I raised my brow in question to what she was staring at.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Allison finally sighed. ¡°She¡¯s too fat anyway.¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± Tally gasped. ¡°Stop being like that towards Ba. She has been my best friend for years!¡±


    For once, Tally had my back with something, and I was grateful she was willing to stand up to her mother for me. However, spending time with this woman wasn¡¯t something I wanted to continue doing.


    ¡°Fat?¡± Iughed watching Allison and Tally look at me. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are calling fat, because if I remember correctly you were two sizes bigger than me when you divorced him. But that¡¯s just an estimation.¡±


    Allison¡¯s mouth dropped open as she looked at me with utter disbelief. Tally tried her best to call the waiter over to pour more wine, and all the while, I couldn¡¯t help but let a smug smile cross my face.


    ¡°I need thedies room.¡± Allison quickly stood up as she walked away from the table. Tally¡¯s eyes followed her until they quickly snapped back to me.


    ¡°Did you really have to say that? You know she is sensitive about her divorce.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± I cackled, shaking my head with amusement. ¡°Your mother called me fat and made snarkyments more than once. She deserved what I said.¡±


    ¡°Ba!¡± Tally gasped. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you today? Why are you acting like this?¡±


    Shrugging my shoulders in an ¡®I don¡¯t give a shit¡¯ way as I rolled my eyes, I said, ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m just tired of everyone thinking they can treat me however they want. If people don¡¯t want to give respect, then they won¡¯t get it.¡±


    Finishing up my food, I remained quiet the entire time I listened to them discuss how they could find out who it was James was sleeping with. My mind soaked in the information so I could repeat it to James.


    I had to warn him. If Tally was getting her mother involved, it wouldn¡¯t be good.


    ¡°Ba, are you paying attention?¡± Tally asked, bringing me back to the present.


    ¡°Uh¨Cyeah, sorry. I was thinking about something,¡± I admitted, watching as Allison rolled her eyes in disgust.


    ¡°I was asking if you wanted to go get drinks with Mom and I,¡± she replied.


    Yeah, definitely not. ¡°Uh, actually, I think I am going to head back. Why don¡¯t you and the dragon spend some time together? You guys don¡¯t get to do it very often.¡±


    ¡°F*cking bitch,¡± Allison sneered, causing Tally and I both to roll our eyes.


    There wasn¡¯t enough money in the world that could pay me to be around this woman anymore. She had pissed me off enough for one day, and if she wasn¡¯t careful, she would get my size eight shoe straight up her ass.


    I was serious about one thing. I wasn¡¯t taking shit from anyone anymore.


    I was going to start making a way for myself.


    First though, I had to find James.

 Chapter 16 : Edge of Reason

    <h4>Chapter 16: Chapter 16 : Edge of Reason</h4>


    Anger pulsated through me as I clutched my purse tightly and stormed across the parking lot of the restaurant towards my Uber. I couldn¡¯t believe Tally had me go to lunch with that bitch.


    When I was younger, she had always made smallments, but never did she have the balls to speak to me the way she did today. I guess she thought now she could say what she wanted since I was an adult.


    I just don¡¯t think she expected me to bite back like I did.


    ¡°To Valentino Imports?¡± the driver asked, looking at the app to verify my destination.


    ¡°Yes, please. If you get there quickly, I¡¯ll give you a fat tip.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t wait to get there and tell James what had happened. I wasn¡¯t usually one to run and tattle, but Tally was ying a dangerous game by involving her mother.


    And of course, the girl they were trying to find was me!


    Scrolling through my phone, I opened my text messages to James.


    ¡®Are you still at work?¡¯


    The message quickly turned red, and as I saw the dots pop up, I smiled.


    He was quick to reply to me, and something about that made my stomach flip.


    ¡®Yeah, but leaving shortly. What¡¯s wrong?¡¯


    As a heavy breath escaped me, I replied, ¡®I¡¯m on my way. Don¡¯t leave yet.¡¯


    What I was about to do was go against everything I said I wouldn¡¯t do. I never wanted to get involved to this extent, and perhaps I should walk in there andpletely call all of this off with him.


    Deep down inside, though, I couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to stop feeling the way I did. It had been years since I had felt this kind of release, and it was only a release he could give me.


    He clouded every thought I had and even in my dreams¡ªhe was there.


    As the Uber pulled up outside of hispany, I took a deep breath and made my way inside without hesitation. The receptionists did not even bat their eyshes at me as I passed them and entered the elevator.


    A heavy breath escaped my lips as my hands fidgeted, waiting for the numbers to reach his floor. With a chime, the doors slowly opened, and as they did, I met with the dark eyes I had grown to adore.


    Dressed in a three-piece suit with his hands in his pockets, I wanted to drop to my knees before him. His aura surrounding me makes me want to submit to his every whim.


    ¡°Ba,¡± he said in a deep, sultry tone. ¡°We meet again.¡±


    Shit.


    *****


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that Tally took you to lunch with her mother?¡±


    For thest twenty minutes, we had been going over and over everything that had happened, and I was growing rather impatient with his constant questions.


    ¡°Yeah, and let¡¯s just say she doesn¡¯t like me one bit. I had forgotten how much of a bitch she really was,¡± I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest as I reclined into his office chair.


    ¡°What did she say she was going to do?¡± he asked as he turned from the window to me with curiosity in his eyes.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t really say too much,¡± I sighed. ¡°Just that she was the only one who could have you, and she didn¡¯t like the crap Tally was telling her. She even had enough nerves to ask if it was me...¡±


    As he raised a brow, a grin spread across his face. ¡°Did you tell her it was?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± I eximed in shock. ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t want Tally to know. It¡¯s going to do nothing but causeplications, and she and I have been friends for years.¡±


    ¡°A friend who doesn¡¯t seem to give a shit about you and uses you when it¡¯s convenient.¡±


    The coldness of his words hit deep within me. I knew he was just pointing out the obvious, but the fact he said it aloud hurt.


    Tight-lipped, I sighed and stood to my feet, reconsidering the fact I had evene to him with all of this. ¡°Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have told you.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    Looking at him I shrugged, ¡°Because it¡¯s obvious you don¡¯t care and now, I feel foolish foring to you about it.¡±


    He didn¡¯t hesitate in clearing the space between us and pulling me close to him by my hips. His touch immediately made my heart race as I bit my bottom lip and looked up at him.


    ¡°Ba... if you don¡¯t stop biting your lip, I will not be able to control myself.¡±


    Oh, Jesus... get your shit together, Ba.


    ¡°I¨CI¡¯m sorry,¡± I replied, gritting my teeth as I tried my best not to do it again. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m to do.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± he asked with a questioning nce. ¡°About us... or about Tally and her mother?¡±


    ¡°Both, I guess...¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°This is bing moreplicated than I wanted.¡±


    Laughter escaped him as he pulled me closer to him,ying my head against his chest.


    ¡°Only because you¡¯re overthinking it and making itplicated. Stop thinking about it all, Ba, and let me take care of it. You have nothing to worry about, I promise.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say.¡± I closed my eyes and inhaled his earthy scent.


    ¡°It is, and you should listen to me.¡±


    Rolling my eyes, I pulled away from his grasp. ¡°I think I¡¯ll just head back to the house.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave. You can get a ride with me.¡±


    I grabbed my purse and smirked. ¡°As much as I would love that, I don¡¯t think someone seeing that happening would be a good idea, James. Thest thing we need to do is pull up together and Tally be home when she is already looking for the woman who is f*cking her father.¡±


    ¡°That may be so, but think of all the sinful things I could do on the way home.¡±


    His words stopped me dead in my tracks as I was making my way towards his office door. Unable to control myself, I turned to him, and my habit of lip biting caught his eye.


    ¡°I told you about that¨C¡± he murmured before clearing the space between us again.


    My back hit the wall before I could react, and his lips captured mine in an instant. The heat of his desire was radiating around me, and with it, a soft moan escaped my lips as he let his lips trail down over my jawline.


    ¡°Tell me you want me, Ba,¡± he whispered in my ear. ¡°Tell me you want this.¡±


    Confliction be damned. My mouth had a mind of its own and was quickly answering for me. ¡°I do.¡±


    Chuckling, he nibbled on my ear. ¡°Good girl. Do you know what I want right now?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked breathlessly.


    ¡°To bury myself deep inside you and watch youe undone.¡±


    The raw passion behind his words was hypnotizing, but I knew there wasn¡¯t time for that. Instead, my hunger gave way, and I pulled his eyes to look into mine.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± I demanded as I bit yfully on his lip and reached over to the door, locking it.


    Dark mischief glittered within his eyes as he stepped away from me and walked towards his desk to do as I told him. I had never thought of him as a man who would take direction. However, here he was, entertaining me.


    I wasn¡¯t sure about what I was going to do, but for once, him letting me be in control felt good. It was empowering, and that wasn¡¯t something I was used to.


    Walking towards him, I leaned over his chair and kissed his lips slowly as I trailed down over his jawline and onto his neck. My fingers ran the length of his chest before quickly reaching for his belt and zipper.


    The length of his hardened cock was in my hands within moments, and dropping to my knees, I took it into my mouth. Slowly, I swirled my tongue over its length. The taste of his pleasure was intoxicating, and as his fingers gripped my hair, I dove deeper.


    I had only done this to one other man, and I was nowhere near experienced, but at the moment, I felt like a porn star. The sounds escaping him let me know that what I was doing was pushing him to limits. He could only barely continue.


    With slow strokes of my hand, I let the thick head pop from my mouth before running my tongue up the full length of his shaft, only to have his girth plunged back into the depth of my throat.


    Repeatedly, the motion brought him closer. ¡°Ba, I want you.... If you keep going, I won¡¯t be able to control myself.¡±


    Exactly what I wanted, though. To have him lose control. To give him the release he had given me so many times.


    Relentless, I repeated my motions until a cry escaped his lips, and the hot pleasure of his release poured down my throat. The taste of him was tantalizing, and as I polished him off, I looked at him with a smile and used my fingers to clean up the mess of my chin.


    I let my tongue lick off what remained on my lips as I stepped back with a grin.


    ¡°I will see you back at the house.¡±


    Furrowing his brows, he adjusted himself and stood to his feet as I made my way towards the door. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have to catch my Uber,¡± I taunted with a smile.


    I wasn¡¯t sure about what I was doing with him, but no matter how many times I tried to tell myself I needed to stop, I couldn¡¯t. I was losing control of myself, and the more I fell into this hole with him, the more I liked it.


    Taking the elevator down, I straightened myself and stepped out on the main floor, heading straight for the ss doors. A striking woman with blonde hair stood at the receptionist¡¯s desk. Her eyes meeting mine with curiosity.


    I wasn¡¯t sure who she was, but paying no attention, I continued on my way.


    There was no way I was about to allow anyone I knew to see me. How would I even exin what I was doing here? I supposed that thought never initially crossed my mind.


    Instead, I was ying a dangerous game with a man who was hellbent on breaking me.


    James Valentino was addicting, and I was bing his favorite ything.


    Only time would tell if I could survive him.

 Chapter 17 : Arguments with Allison

    <h4>Chapter 17: Chapter 17 : Arguments with Allison</h4>


    James.


    The moment Ba told me Tally took her to see her mother, I knew what she was going to say. Allison had never been very kind to Ba when she used toe visit, and it often caused us to argue when she was here.


    The one thing I hated above all else was people picking on children by judging their appearance. Ba may have been bigger than Tally back then, but it wasn¡¯t Allison¡¯s ce to say something. It just showed how cruel she was.


    ¡°Your car is waiting out front, Mr. Valentino,¡± Evette said from my door, causing me to nod.


    ¡°Thank you, Evette. Please go ahead and enjoy your day.¡±


    The woman worked hard for me, and I was grateful. But even with the minor distraction, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Ba and Allison.


    The fire in Ba¡¯s eyes was clear, and I knew without a doubt she gave Allison hell.


    Making my way down towards the front of the building, my eye caught Katrine arguing with the girls at the front desk. Her voice raised and her brow narrowed before she quickly caught sight of me and smiled.


    ¡°James!¡± she purred in her thick Russian ent. ¡°I want these girls fired. They wouldn¡¯t let me see you.¡±


    Stepping from her grasp with disgust rolling through my expressions, I furrowed my brow. ¡°What are you doing here, Katrine? I told you not toe back.¡±


    Hesitating, she rolled her eyes. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t mean it, my love. I missed you, and I¡¯m tired of fighting.¡±


    ¡°There is no fighting. You need to leave and note back. I don¡¯t want you harassing my employees,¡± I replied as I brushed past her towards the front doors.


    As soon as I stepped outside, though, she had hold of my arm and was pulling me back.


    ¡°Who was that girl?¡± she snapped. ¡°Is that your new f*ck toy?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked with confusion.


    Shaking her head, she crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Don¡¯t act stupid. The girl who just came down like ten minutes ago.¡±


    I knew right away she was talking about Ba. However, I couldn¡¯t let her know I knew that. ¡°Do you know how many women work in this building, Katrine? I have no clue who you are referring to, but even if I was seeing someone, it isn¡¯t your business. So leave.¡±


    Done with her pettiness, I moved towards my car parked by the curb. My security guard stood watch with his eyes locked onto Katrine.


    He knew the process of needy women I rid myself of, and he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to take her down¡ªher father be damned.


    As the car started moving, I looked down at my phone and started flipping through photos. There was one picture, in particr, I had be fond oftely, and that was the one I snuck while Ba was sleeping in my bed on the yacht.


    Her hair haloed around her head as hershes kissed her cheeks. There was something about her in this photo that was beyond mesmerizing. Almost angelic.


    And thinking like that about her was doing things to me I didn¡¯t need.


    Maybe she was right in considering ending this. It could never be more than it was, and I was done with rtionships when it came to women.


    All they wanted, in the end, was money.


    Lost in my thoughts, I wasn¡¯t paying attention when the car pulled up to my house. That was until my eyes nced up and took in the sight of my ex-wife Allison leaning against a Mercedes in the drive with a smug smile on her face.


    ¡°F*cking great,¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Would you like me to remove her, sir?¡± my security guy asked, looking over his shoulder.


    He was all too familiar with Allison and the drunk rants the woman would have.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I will handle this, Frank.¡±


    As I grabbed my things, the driver opened the door, and I stepped out into the Miami sun. I knew right away whatever was going to happen, she was going to make it spectacr, as always.


    ¡°Allison, what are you doing here?¡± I sighed with a tight smile as I stared at her from behind dark sunsses. ¡°You know you¡¯re not wee on my property anymore.¡±


    ¡°James¨C¡± she cooed with a smile as she stepped towards me in her all white designer dress and matching Louis shoes. ¡°Don¡¯t act like that. Come on now¨C¡±


    ¡°No, Allison,¡± I sneered with disgust as I looked towards the house and then back at her. ¡°I¡¯m being serious. Why are you here?¡±


    Sighing in a huff, she fidgeted with her hand and rxed with a smirk. ¡°To get our daughter. She ising to stay with me for the week in Ondo. We are going to a fashion event there.¡±


    Taking a moment to let it sink in, irritation filled me. Tally hadn¡¯t bothered to call me and tell me what she was doing, and of course, she is an adult and didn¡¯t have to tell me, but it was amon courtesy thing.


    ¡°Okay, so Ba and Tally are getting ready then?¡± I asked with curiosity, wondering if Ba was going as well. After the conversation she had with me only a little while ago, it would surprise me she would agree.


    However, Allison scoffed beforeughter left her throat.


    ¡°Are you f*cking kidding me? That little bitch isn¡¯t going anywhere with me.¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth, Allison,¡± I snapped. ¡°She grew up with our daughter in this house and is Tally¡¯s guest. I don¡¯t understand what your issue is with her.¡±


    Crossing her arms over her chest, she smirked. ¡°She is a freeloader who doesn¡¯t deserve our daughter¡¯s attention. For once, do your daughter a kindness and get rid of the girl before Tallyes home. It would be better for everyone.¡±


    Looking at Allison right now, I had no idea how I had fallen in love with her. Once upon a time, she had been the light of my eyes and the air I breathed. Yet, with money and age, she had turned into a woman who thought she deserved everything given to her.


    Something I no longer tolerated.


    ¡°You¡¯re a real piece of work, Allison. You need to get a grip on yourself and wake up to reality. Otherwise, you will die alone one day.¡±


    ¡°F*ck you, James,¡± she sneered. ¡°Why don¡¯t you watch how you speak to me? After all, I heard about your little f*ck toy from the trip to the Keys. Perhaps it¡¯s time we go back to court. You owe me way more money than you have given me.¡±


    It was my turn tough as I shook my head, watching her. She was the same person she had always been, and it did nothing but amuse me. I was thankful that Ba was nothing like her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t owe you shit. You got everything you wanted in the divorce agreement, and it¡¯s over. You can¡¯t get anything else.¡±


    ¡°You are making way more now!¡± she screamed at me, the realization she got an awful deal finally showing its face. She had gotten way more than anyone should have, but at the end of the day, I made ten times more now than I did a few years ago.


    ¡°Tell you what,¡± I smiled, ¡°take me back to court. I would love for them to see your true colors, Allison. Cause you won¡¯t get a damn thing from me.¡±


    ¡°I am the only woman who will ever make you happy, James, and you know it,¡± she replied as a viper stalking her prey. Her body moved closer to mine as she gently ran her hand over my chest. ¡°I know you miss me.¡±


    ¡°I used to enjoy skipping school when I was sick as a kid, too, but it doesn¡¯t mean I would want to suffer through that again.¡±


    Her facial features changed as shock and disgust ran across her face. I had no doubt it was easy for me to push her buttons and piss her off, but that had be my favorite pastime over the years.


    ¡°You¡¯re an asshole, James.¡±


    Laughing, I nodded. ¡°Yeah, that may be true, but I¡¯m a rich asshole, Allison. You¡¯re just a middle-aged wrinkling has-been with a drinking problem slowing going into debt. You can thank... what was his name again? Pablo... for that.¡±


    Pablo had been the pool boy she had an affair with four months before I actually had walked in to see her f*cking him in the pool house. That day I had thought to be one of the worst days of my life, but now, looking back, it wasn¡¯t.


    The day I married Allison had been the worst.


    I should have known then she was no good. I should have known then she was only with me for the money. Yet, we had gotten pregnant with Tally young, and I wasn¡¯t going to be like my father. I wasn¡¯t going to leave them.


    I wasn¡¯t going to leave my child.


    So instead, I worked my ass off for years to make sure she had everything she ever wanted and so much more. I made sure she would never go through the things I went through, and in the end; it paid off.


    I had built an empire, and Allison... well, she had fallen into a hole she couldn¡¯t escape.


    All of which had nothing to do with me.

 Chapter 18 : Home Alone

    <h4>Chapter 18: Chapter 18 : Home Alone</h4>


    Ba.


    ¡°Ba, please just do this for me,¡± Tally said once again after asking me fifteen times to be her spy. She wanted me to spy on James and tell her who he was bringing in the house or, better yet, take a f*cking photo of the girl.


    The girl that was actually me.


    ¡°Dude, I¡¯m not going to spy on your father for you. Do you know how crazy that sounds? Like, who cares if he is sleeping with someone? He is a grown-ass man,¡± I replied, watching irritation cross her.


    She knew very well I wasn¡¯t the kind of person to get involved in drama like this.


    ¡°Please, for once, just do something for me.¡±


    The fact she yed that card pissed me off. I have done so much for her, and yet she didn¡¯t acknowledge any of it.


    ¡°Okay. Yeah, sure. Why not?¡± I sighed, knowing very well I wouldn¡¯t do it. One because well.. I wouldn¡¯t incriminate myself, and two, I was pissed at her for even asking me.


    As for her trip with her mom... well, that was one other reason for me to be upset. Then again, her being gone meant I was going to be alone with James.


    For an entire week.


    My mind was reeling with ideas, and as she grabbed thest of her stuff, she hugged me.


    ¡°Thanks, girl. I owe you big time,¡± she grinned as she pulled away and headed out of her bedroom door with me behind her.


    Standing at the top of the stairs, I watched her walk down. The front door opened and James¡¯ voice trailed up the stairs towards me.


    ¡°Tally, behave yourself, and don¡¯t let your mother talk you into something you can¡¯t afford on your allowance,¡± he said as Tally scoffed.


    The front door mmed closed and as it did, I walked towards my room and straight towards the window, watching as Tally and her mother drove away.


    I didn¡¯t see James anywhere, but when a creak on the floor behind me echoed through my room, I knew he hadn¡¯t hesitated toe for me.


    Turning slowly, I looked into his dark, steely eyes, my heart beating out of my chest at the way he was looking at me. I knew the things he was going to do to me now they were gone were outrageous but so damn exciting.


    ¡°James¨C¡± I whispered as he cleared the space between us, gripping the backs of my thighs as he hoisted me over his shoulder,ughing. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    A firm smack on my back end sent a pool of pleasure straight to my core. It didn¡¯t take an idiot to figure out what was on his mind. A week of uninterrupted pleasure with James was everything I desired and more.


    Tally had pissed me off for thest time, and perhaps it was time I stopped worrying about her feelings. After all, James had other ns for me.


    Tossing me down on the bed, I bounced across the softforter with a giggle before my eyes met his once more, a grin lining his lips as he slowly took off his tie.


    ¡°An entire week of having you to myself,¡± he said with a smirk. ¡°Oh, the adventures we can have, Ba.¡±


    I knew very well what he wanted to f*ck me until I couldn¡¯t stand. The memory of him promising to do dark and dirty things to me was tantalizing. Perhaps he could tie me up like he promised before... it was something I had seen on porn, but never something I dared try before.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will think of something.... After all, how often do you get this chance?¡±


    It was wrong. So wrong on so many levels, but screwing my best friend¡¯s dad had been one of the most erotic things I had ever done.


    James Valentino was anything but gentle, and even though there had been a few moments where he showed he could be soft....


    Well, it neversted long. Instead, he was rock hard and dangerous.


    So dangerous I came undone at the simple sound of his voice.


    *****


    James.


    After a few hours of forey and sexual torture, we broke to clean ourselves up. Yet it didn¡¯tst long before once again we were at it, and my cock was the only thing capable of pleasing her.


    Pushing her against the wall of the shower, I groaned at the feeling of her warm, wet pussy wrapping around my hardened cock. It was the most amazing feeling in the world. I ravaged her over and over again, and with every thrust deep inside her, she came undone.


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep going¡ª¡± she cried out as she clung to me for dear life, ¡°James!¡±


    A cry of pleasure escaped her lips as I erupted deep into her tight cunt, letting her walls milk everyst drop of cum from my sack.


    Her eyes were hazy with the pleasure I had created within her. The corners of her lips turned up into a smile as we bothughed before I kissed her once more.


    ¡°Looks like I couldn¡¯t keep going either,¡± I chuckled as I slowly pulled out of her and watched her turn into the water, washing the traces of our enjoyment from her body.


    ¡°You know you can¡¯t keep me locked in your room the entire time Tally is gone?¡±


    Shaking my head, I rinsed off under the water before stepping out and wrapping a towel around my body. She was right. I couldn¡¯t keep her locked in my bedroom all the time, but then again, it didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t want to.


    ¡°What do you propose doing, then?¡± I asked teasingly as I watched her step out naked with beads of water dripping from her perfect body.


    Even though I had taken her multiple times today, my cock was slowlying to life again, ready to ravage her once more.


    ¡°Like what you see?¡± she teased, running her tongue over her teeth as she smiled. The temptation this little minx was creating was agonizing, and my dick just couldn¡¯t get enough of her.


    ¡°I do, but you need to eat. So get your sexy ass dressed. I¡¯m taking you out to dinner.¡±


    Her eyes lit up at my words, but then quickly fell. ¡°What if someone Tally and Allison know sees us? I don¡¯t want to give them a reason to think we are sleeping together.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Where I¡¯m taking you, I doubt they know anyone, but even if they did... as far as they know, I¡¯m taking my daughter¡¯s friend out for dinner since my daughter is out of town.¡±


    Taking a moment to think it over, that victorious smile of hers resurfaced, and she quickly wrapped a towel around her waist, running for her room. Seeing her smile like that made my emotions take a whirlwind, and that wasn¡¯t something I was expecting.


    *****


    An hourter, I was standing with Ba outside of one of the high-end restaurants I frequently visited. Her mouth was parted as she stared up at the tall penthouse building with confusion.


    ¡°I thought we were going to a restaurant.¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± I chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s at the top.¡±


    cing my hand on the small of her back, I guided her inside and towards the elevator. The little ck dress she was wearing did nothing to contain the figure I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about. Instead, it left nothing to the imagination, and every time she swept her hair over her shoulder, I had the urge to take her.


    The woman beside me was nothing like the girl I once knew, and even though I wasn¡¯t sure what I wanted with her, I would not waste a moment of the time I had.


    As the elevator stopped, and the doors opened, I was greeted with the familiar scene of high vaulted ceilings and crystal chandeliers.


    Thest time I had brought a woman here was Allison, and even then, it wasn¡¯t because I actually wanted to. She had forced me to do so, and every time after that had been for business.


    ¡°Right this way, Mr. Valentino.¡± The hostess took us towards a more secluded table on the far side of the restaurant against therge windows that overlooked the city.


    ¡°This is breathtaking,¡± Ba whispered as we took our seats, and the hostess left us to get settled.


    ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it?¡± I smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I have been here.¡±


    Her eyes fell on the menu in front of her as the server came to bring us water. I knew she was taking in the prices on the menu, and as soon as I gave the server our wine order, I smiled at her.


    ¡°Disregard the prices, Ba.¡±


    Her beautiful eyes met mine as a blush tinged her cheeks. ¡°I have never been somewhere this fancy before.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, cocking a brow. ¡°Wasn¡¯t your ex a rather wealthy heir?¡±


    Laughter escaped her at myment. ¡°He was, but he never took me out. The few times we did where he actually paid for everything... it was like Outback or Olive Garden. Never anywhere like this.¡±


    ¡°Wait... when he paid for things?¡± I asked, stopping mid-thought to take in what she¡¯d said. ¡°You mean he would take you out and make you pay for your own food?¡±


    Slowly, she nodded her head as she took a sip of water and smiled at the server who returned. ¡°Yeah... that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Are you both ready to order?¡± the server asked, looking between the two of us.


    ¡°Um, yes. I will take whatever Chef John has for the special. Ba?¡±


    She hesitated for a moment and ced down her menu, looking at me with a grin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the same.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure why she had put up with someone like Chad. The more I heard about the kid, the more I grew to hate him. I was thankful Tally didn¡¯t like the idea of settling down, and even if she did, she knew the rules.


    I had to meet them, and he had to ask me for permission to marry her.


    Tally was to be an heiress, and there were plenty of men out there who would take her for granted just to get a piece of the money she was entitled to.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you¡¯re not with him anymore,¡± I replied after a moment of admiring her.


    Nodding her head, she sighed, ¡°Yeah me too. I feel sorry for the next girl he ropes in.¡±


    Looking at Ba now, I was beginning to see a different side to her. One that was not held back by the ideals of others and a woman far more than just sex and sugar.


    She was a woman who should be held above others. One who was made for the lifestyle I lived, and yet, she lived as someone normal.


    Someone who didn¡¯t take money for granted and lived for the little things in life.


    A woman who was captivating me every moment I spent with her, and that was terrifying.

 Chapter 19 : Dinner Problems

    <h4>Chapter 19: Chapter 19 : Dinner Problems</h4>


    Ba.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it all. Dressing up, drinks, and fine dining.


    It was a lot to take in for a girl like me. Especially considering the fact we were acting as if we were dating and if anyone saw us, it wouldn¡¯t be good.


    To say I was ufortable was an understatement.


    ¡°This is delicious,¡± I said, trying to lighten the conversation between us. ¡°Thank you again for bringing me here. I do appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re acting as if me bringing you wouldn¡¯t be something I wanted to do,¡± James replied as he caught my eye. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Shrugging my shoulders, Iugh softly to myself, ¡°I hardly know anymore.¡±


    Myment wasn¡¯t one he was expecting, and in fact, it made him furrow his brows in confusion. ¡°Is this making you ufortable being here, Ba?¡±


    Lifting my gaze to his, I stared with wide eyes and a parted mouth. ¡°Oh, no¨Cno.¡±


    It was a lie, but he had been so kind to me, I didn¡¯t want to seem ungrateful by what he was giving me or how he was acting.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong, Ba?¡± He reached out and ced his hand over mine. ¡°How am I supposed to fix it if I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t fix everything, James,¡± I replied with a smallugh.


    Moments like this with him were what made me forget about my reality. It made me forget we were from two very different worlds, and no matter the fun we had, I was never going to fit in here.


    I was never going to be what he wanted, and in the end, I would just get hurt from the union between us because I was the one who cared more.


    ¡°You do know I leave in a few weeks, right?¡± I finally said after the fourth ss of wine and dinner long done.


    James hesitated before speaking as if trying to think over everything he was going to say before saying it. ¡°I know, Ba. I was actually going to speak to you about that.¡±


    ¡°You were? What about it?¡±


    Adjusting himself, he grinned and ran his finger over the edge of his ss. ¡°Well, I was considering the idea of you transferring to a university down here. Moving down here to be closer.¡±


    Shock. That was the only emotion currently rolling through me.


    ¡°Why would you want me to do that?¡± I asked him in disbelief.


    ¡°Well, so we could continue what we have, and I can have you anytime I want you.¡±


    The remark he made wasn¡¯t the one I was hoping for. I knew what he was going to say, and through it all, I wasn¡¯t sure if I knew how to react to him.


    ¡°As ttering as that is, James... Yale is everything to me. I¡¯m in my senior year, and I n on finishing it there.¡±


    His eyes lingered on me for a moment as he picked up his wine ss, taking a sip. There was so much uncertainty in my future and so many factors that had been put on the table.


    The one thing that confused me the most, though, was James made it clear I wasn¡¯t in a rtionship with him. This thing between James and I was just sex and nothing more.


    So why was he asking me to stay? It didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°Shall we head out? We can continue this conversation back at the house. If you want.¡±


    I nodded my head slowly. We stood, but didn¡¯t get far before a voice called out to him. It was the voice of a woman, and when I turned to look at her, I noticed she was the same woman from his office the day before.


    ¡°James!¡± The woman walked over towards us and kissed James openly on the lips. Shock filled me at her actions as I forced my confusion into a smile. ¡°I missed you.¡±


    Clearing his throat, James stepped away from her politely and smiled. ¡°Katrine. It¡¯s wonderful to see you, but we are heading out.¡±


    Her eyes drifted towards me and quickly furrowed, ¡°This is her?¡±


    ¡°Who is her?¡± James replied as he took a step in front of me.


    ¡°That is the girl from your office. I thought you didn¡¯t know her,¡± she snapped.


    James¡¯ eyes met mine with hesitation before turning towards the woman. ¡°This girl?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that girl. Are you ying with me right now?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, no. This is my daughter¡¯s friend.... She and are discussing a surprise for Tally. You do remember my daughter, don¡¯t you?¡± James asked her, trying to y it off so she would let the situation go.


    With parted lips, she hesitated for a moment with her arms crossed, taking in the information. ¡°Oh, yes. I remember. Why didn¡¯t you tell me... I want to help?¡±


    There was obviously something going on between the two of them, and as much as I wanted to wait to hear what she had to say, I couldn¡¯t.


    It was clear that day I was allowing my emotions to take the forefront in whatever this was with James because seeing Katrine hanging off him right now tore at my heart.


    ¡°Sorry... I really think I should go. You two look like you have much to catch up on.¡±


    James looked at me, but I let my eyes fall towards the ground as I moved around them, not wanting to interrupt further.


    The behavior between him and the woman only confirmed my suspicions. He did only want sex with me, and his behavior with her made it that more obvious. He would never want me any other way than to pleasure him.


    My wonderful evening with James had gone from zero to a hundred really fast, and suddenly was crashing. I wasn¡¯t sure why I had thought I was special. This was somewhere he brought many girls, obviously.


    Hastening my steps, I made my way to the elevator. Stepping into the empty entry, I pressed the button for the first floor. However, before the doors closed, a hand shot out between them and opened the doors back up to reveal a very unhappy James. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Uh¨CI just thought¨C¡± I stuttered, trying to find what I was supposed to say.


    ¡°You thought what, Ba?¡±


    James¡¯ presence seemingly took up the entirety of the elevator, causing me to step back as he came closer.


    My back pressed against the elevator wall. I found myself trapped and breathless. ¡°Did you think I would have her over you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I admitted softly as his hands trailed up my thigh. ¡°You seemed to already.¡±


    A chuckle left his throat as he nodded, ¡°Very observant... that was a long time ago though.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± I said pointedly. ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like that to me.¡±


    Before James could say anything else, the elevator stopped, and he quickly backed away as I fluttered my eyshes and stepped from the elevator, and headed towards the front doors.


    If he wanted to have the situation between me and him the way it was... just sex... then so be it. I would give him exactly what he wanted and pretend that I didn¡¯t care. Even though, deep inside, I was more confused than I had ever been.


    Stepping outside, with the gentle breeze sweeping across the darkened Miami sky, I felt alive within the lights of the city, and the smell of salt in the air. All of it was a weing clearance my mind needed considering everything that had happened.


    Letting out a heavy sigh I brought my attention back to James who had the valet bring the car around. He strode towards me with a look on his face that almost read concern, but I didn¡¯t bother to ask.


    Instead, his hand found the small of my back as he looked down upon me.


    ¡°Are you ready to go home?¡± ¡°Yes, if that¡¯s alright with you.¡±


    My response made him smile, but something inside me told me to be careful. I didn¡¯t know the real James Valentino, even though I had thought I did. In fact, my only real knowledge of him was the basic facts I had learned through our shared past history and how good he was in the bedroom.


    My thoughts shot back to Katrine kissing him, and disgust swirled within my stomach. She was nothing I couldpete with and everything most women sought to be. Yet, I was well aware that women like her with money and power never spared a nce toward someone like me to consider them a threat.


    Perhaps, that would go in my favor. Perhaps, I was able to look past this transgression and y my ¡°I don¡¯t give a f*ck¡± role perfectly. After all, the sex was amazing, and I was soon going to be leaving, so why not have fun while itsted?


    The entire car ride back to the Valentino mansion, I kept quiet and lost in my own thoughts. When it came to James, I wasn¡¯t thinking properly. I was acting like a horny teenager, instead of using my brain to make the right choices.


    *****


    James.


    Everything had been going so perfectly, and of course, I hadn¡¯t expected to run into Katrine when we were at the restaurant.


    The look in Ba¡¯s eyes after Katrine had kissed me tore at my heart. I could see she was trying to y it off as if it wasn¡¯t bothering her, but it was. I had no doubt about that. Ba wasn¡¯t happy, and to be honest, neither was I.


    As we pulled into my driveway, I sighed, not able to take the silence between us anymore.


    ¡°Look, Ba, I can tell you are upset,¡± I said, watching as her eyes turned towards me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not upset. I¡¯m okay,¡± she snapped.


    Shaking my head though, I parked the car. ¡°I know you aren¡¯t happy about Katrine, but I want to assure you I have nothing going on with her.¡±


    Laughter escaped Ba¡¯s lips at myment. ¡°That¡¯s not my business, James. What you have going on with that woman is your own private business. It has nothing to do with me.¡±


    She didn¡¯t waste another beat as she exited the vehicle and made her way towards the front door. I was speechless, though. I hadn¡¯t expected her to reply with that, and quickly, my mood turned sour as I exited and followed her inside.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I said once we were behind closed doors.


    Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, she looked at me, cocking a brow, ¡°I mean exactly as I said. It isn¡¯t like we are a couple, James. Plus, I will be leaving in a few weeks to go back to school. This is simply fun while itsts.¡±


    There it was again. Her talking about leaving as if it was the easiest thing to do.


    ¡°So, you won¡¯t care if I screw someone else while you¡¯re in the next room?¡± I was trying to call her bluff, but without skipping a beat, she smiled at me.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what makes you happy.¡±


    ¡°Ba, are you seriously going to stand here and act like the things that have been going on between us aren¡¯t affecting you?¡± I replied with a stern re.


    Standing tall, she crossed her arms over her chest with a smile as she ran her tongue across her teeth, ¡°Are you going to say they have been affecting you?¡±


    Damn. There it was. The bomb dropped.


    She didn¡¯t wait for me to reply. Instead, she carried herself upstairs like the viper she was and disappeared from sight. Everything about her was addicting, and her entire attitude turned me on.


    Taking a deep breath, I sucked on my teeth for a moment as irritation swirled within me. ¡°No, they aren¡¯t,¡± I mumbled to myself taking the high road as I strode up the stairs behind her.


    If she wanted to act like this then so be it... I would remind her who she begged for.

 Chapter 20 : Words with Katrine

    <h4>Chapter 20: Chapter 20 : Words with Katrine</h4>


    James.


    Waking the next morning, I had expected to see Ba¡¯s smiling face next to me, but instead, I woke up alone. I wasn¡¯t sure what I was expecting from her, but after the conversation we had the night before, it was clear I was unsure of what I wanted.


    Sitting behind my desk at work, I tried to focus on the countless deals I hading across my desk. There were a variety of things, and among them were the issues with Katrine¡¯s father.


    He was a ruthless Russian mobster I had gotten into business with when I was younger out of need for financial support. Our contract had recently been paid up, and no longer did I need to have ties with him¨Cyet, he didn¡¯t want to let business go.


    ¡°Mr. Valentino, you have a visitor,¡± Evette said through my phone, causing me to sigh.


    I knew very well who it was and what was going to happen. There was no doubt that Sergie was here once more to force me to continue our business.


    Something I wasn¡¯t interested in doing.


    ¡°Let him in,¡± I replied with reluctance, watching as the door opened, and Evette¡¯s smiling face came into view. Followed by a tall Russian with graying hair.


    ¡°Sergie,¡± I said, standing t as I gestured for him to take a seat. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure seeing you again.¡±


    ¡°Is it? I had hoped we would be celebrating right now, but I can see that isn¡¯t going to be the case, is it?¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I shook my head and frowned. ¡°I already exined I have no interest in extending our contract. We have had a wonderful past twenty years together, but I believe it¡¯s time we go our separate ways.¡±


    Sergie¡¯s eyes stared back at me with amusement, and as he did, I couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly nervous. No one ever dared say no to this man, and here I was stirring the pot.


    ¡°Tell you what,¡± he finally said after a moment, ¡°let¡¯s talk about something else that¡¯s been on my mind.¡±


    With hesitation, I situated myself in my seat, leaning back as I watched him. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°My daughter, Katrine.¡±


    I should have known this was where the conversation was going to go. His daughter was everything to him, and I should have known he was going to want me to be with his daughter. It wasn¡¯t going to happen, though.


    I wouldn¡¯t get serious about that woman if he paid me.


    ¡°What about her?¡± I asked him.


    A smirk lined his lips as he chuckled softly to himself. ¡°We both know she can be a difficult girl. When she was younger, she lost her mother, you see, and I have raised her myself. So all these years of spoiling her have done nothing to help her mentality.¡±


    We both chuckled at hisment, but I wasn¡¯t sure what he was getting at. ¡°She is a tiger, that is for sure. She knows what she wants, and she gets it.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sergie replied, ¡°except when ites to you.¡±


    There it was. The smile he wore slowly slipped away, and instead, there was something sinister in his gaze.


    ¡°What about me? I don¡¯t understand what your daughter has to do with me.¡±


    Nodding, he took a deep breath. ¡°She wants you, and you decided after you got what you wanted from her, you would just dismiss her. My little girl is heartbroken.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I replied, sitting up straight. ¡°Well, as I told her from the beginning... I am not interested in a serious rtionship. She knew this and agreed. I told her I didn¡¯t want to see her anymore because I didn¡¯t want her to get the wrong idea, and she didn¡¯t want to ept that.¡±


    Sergie nodded again, but even though I had exined myself, he didn¡¯t seem to care.


    ¡°So you can use her and not care about her feelings?¡± he asked with a murderous gaze.


    ¡°No, that isn¡¯t what I am saying at all. We slept together on and off for a few months. It wasn¡¯t even consistent, and through that time, I have proof she had other lovers. Just none that were like me. I told her I was done, and she seemed fine when she left here.¡±


    The conversation was going round and round in circles, and through it all, I could see he wasn¡¯t going to let the issue go. It was bing clear that me not extending our business wasn¡¯t really the issue.


    It, instead, was the issue I had with his daughter. One of which wasn¡¯t his business.


    ¡°You¡¯re missing the point, James,¡± Sergie replied. ¡°She is unhappy, and that makes me unhappy.¡±


    ¡°So buy her something new.... Shopping spree, a trip overseas... She loves things like that.¡±


    My response was a little sarcastic, but I was trying to make a point to kindly show him I wasn¡¯t interested. Even if it wasn¡¯t actually working because his gaze showed he was not impressed.


    ¡°I think there is a better solution.¡±


    Pinching the bridge of my nose to hide my eye roll, I sighed. ¡°What would that be?¡±


    ¡°Take her back. You take my daughter back, marry her, and make her happy.... I will forget the contract, and we will be fine.¡±


    This man had lost his mind if he thought I was actually going to agree to something like that. I wasn¡¯t going to let anyone sit there and tell me that these were my only two options, and I had to pick which I wanted to go with. That wasn¡¯t how life worked.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I am going to have to decline that offer for two reasons.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± he snapped with irritation. ¡°What reasons would you give for being disrespectful to me?¡±


    ¡°Well, one, I¡¯m not being disrespectful. I am being honest with you because I appreciate you and everything you have done for me. Two, your daughter isn¡¯t interested in me; she wants my money. I¡¯m not stupid, and I won¡¯t fall for her shit. Also, I know as soon as I marry her, you will try to move in on mypany, and I won¡¯t allow that to happen.¡±


    ¡°You use me¡ª¡± he yelled, standing in front of me.


    However, I was quick and stood up as well. I stared at him. ¡°Sit down, Sergie.¡±


    There it was.... I ordered him to do something. and by the look on his face, no one had ever done such a thing before. I knew how to get him, though. At the end of the day, he needed mypany to ship his things overseas.


    No otherpany would do business with him, and if he wanted to keep doing what he did, he had no choice but to fall in line as otherpanies did. It was something he wasn¡¯t happy about because I essentially had him by the balls.


    ¡°You are treading a very dangerous line right now, James. It would be in your best interest to be careful with what you n to say next.¡±


    His warning didn¡¯t fall on deaf ears. I was well aware if I wasn¡¯t careful, he could have my head on a tter before I left the office. However, I had a n.


    For weeks, I had spent time researching everything about him I didn¡¯t know and all his businesses. Money wasn¡¯t bad for him, but he had people breathing down his neck, and one wrong move could cost the man his empire.


    ¡°I have another suggestion for you. I know of a few ces that would be able to help you with the financial situation you are currently in. They need help, and you need help, so it¡¯s a win-win situation.¡±


    Opening my desk drawer, I pulled out an envelope of information I had put together for him and slid it across my desk. He was hesitant at first, but rather quickly, he epted and stared at me.


    ¡°You think you can buy my peace with information?¡±


    ¡°No, I think we cane to an agreement because we both know bad blood between each other wouldn¡¯t be good for anyone. Especially for business.¡± I gave him a pointed look that made him nod.


    ¡°You are right, but I don¡¯t like my daughter being upset.¡±


    Again with the daughter. Shaking my head, I let out a sigh. ¡°I apologize, but perhaps she can be used in marriage to another man whose business can benefit you?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t unheard of for crime lords to marry off their daughters or sons to benefit the business. It was simply called a strategic movement. Something I would never consider for my own daughter.


    I actually found it barbaric.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Sergie said, standing up again.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure seeing you again, Sergie.¡± I walked around my desk to help him to the door. ¡°I do hope next time our conversation will be on much better terms.¡±


    Stopping at the now open door, he looked at me with a smile and nodded.


    ¡°Yes, I do hope so. I will say, I am d to know the young woman you went to dinner withst night isn¡¯t actually dating you. She is a prize to be won for sure.... I wonder if she is seeing someone. Perhaps she has time for an old man like me?¡±


    My blood ran cold at his words, and it must have shown on my face. Laughter escaped him as he continued walking down the hall from my office, and it took me a moment to get myself back together.


    Katrine had told her father about Ba?


    Fear wasn¡¯t something I was often ustomed to, but if Sergie had taken a liking to her, there was no telling what could happen in the future. I was going to have to learn to keep her close and pray that it was simply a joke that he had made.


    Otherwise, Ba may be in danger because of my dismissal of Katrine.

 Chapter 21 : Possessive Claims

    <h4>Chapter 21: Chapter 21 : Possessive ims</h4>


    Ba.


    From the time I woke up that morning, Tally had been blowing up my phone. I wasn¡¯t sure what she wanted, but at half-past eight, I finally rolled over to answer it.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I groaned into the phone, running my hand over my face.


    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s about time you answered your phone. What have you been doing?¡± she asked with annoyance in her tone.


    ¡°Uh¨Csleeping. Like normal people, Tally. What the hell are you even up this early for?¡±


    There wasughter on the other end of the line, and it was obvious she had been drinking. ¡°What¡¯s early? I haven¡¯t even gone to bed yet.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you haven¡¯t, Tally.¡±


    I heard her scoff on the other end of the line. ¡°Don¡¯t be such a snob,¡± she snapped.


    ¡°That¡¯s the pot calling the kettle ck. Now, what do you want?¡±


    There was silence for a moment before I heard whispering, ¡°Well¨C¡±


    ¡°Well, what? And what are you doing?¡± I was curious about her current situation.


    I didn¡¯t honestly care what she was doing, but all themotion going on in the background made me wonder what kind of shit her crappy mother had gotten her into.


    ¡°Oh, you know... just having fun with my mom and some other people. You know you should try it sometime. Fun, that is¨C¡±


    Tally carried on rambling about how great everything was with her mom. During this time, I took the opportunity to put her on speaker andy down my phone while I worked on getting ready.


    ¡°Ba? Are you even listening to me?¡± Tally asked repeatedly over the phone while I was brushing my teeth.


    ¡°Yes, Tally. I¡¯m trying to get dressed.¡±


    ¡°Why? Where are you going? Do you have a date or something?¡±


    Laughter escaped my lips at herment. It was 8:00 am! And since when did she care what I was doing, and why was it that she sounded jealous of me? ¡°I¡¯m sorry.... What?¡±


    ¡°I asked if you had a date or something,¡± she snapped again.


    ¡°Oh, no, I heard what you said. I want to know why it matters what I¡¯m doing, though. Since when did you care about who I was seeing?¡± I asked her, trying to make a point, but the groaning from the other end of the line was making it clear she wasn¡¯t impressed.


    ¡°Since always,¡± she scoffed.


    Liar. You have never cared.


    ¡°Uh-huh.... Well, I¡¯m not going on a date with anyone. I¡¯m actually going shopping today. I wanted to get my dad something while I was down here and figured I would do it while you were gone.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Tally said, seemingly surprised by my answer. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sound so disappointed. I may go get lunch, too.¡±


    It was my turn to be sarcastic, and she didn¡¯t seem to know what to do with the way I was acting. So instead of addressing it, she went back to why she had originally called.


    ¡°So about my dad¡¯s secret lover¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough, Tally. I need to get ready, so we can chat about thister. So far, I haven¡¯t seen anything, but I will let you know if I do okay...? Bye.¡± I ended the call.


    Sighing, I looked at my reflection in the mirror and shook my head. If I didn¡¯t get a hold of myself, I was going to end up screaming. Every moment spent with Tallytely was bing a pain in my ass, and I wanted nothing more than to drop her.


    After all, she hadn¡¯t given a shit when it came to me.


    *****


    A few hours and about ten shopster, I walked with my bags down the boardwalk towards a restaurant on the beach to grab something to eat.


    It was nice to get out for a bit and get away from the chaos. My mind had been so cloggedtely with thoughts of James, I hadn¡¯t really given myself time to do much of anything. Not that I wasining.


    James was absolutely sinful in bed, and I loved everything he did.


    But sometimes I needed something of my own. Something away from the issues....


    ¡°Ba!¡±


    You have got to be f*cking kidding me right now...


    Groaning, I slowly turned around,ing face to face with the one person I didn¡¯t want to see.


    Chad.


    How was it this man seemed to find me around every turn?


    ¡°Chad,¡± I said coldly as he approached, ¡°what do you want?¡±


    His eyes seemed to twinkle with interest as he stalked towards me like a predator circling his prey. As usual, there wasn¡¯t a single thing about him out of ce, and even though he was gorgeous¡ªhis personality made him ugly.


    I was d he no longer held that hypnotizing effect over me.


    ¡°I just wanted to apologize to you for how I acted on the boat,¡± he said in a very calm and almost convincing manner.... Almost.


    ¡°I see. Well, now, that you have... I need to be on my way,¡± I replied with a smile before turning. His hand reached out, grabbing my arm and stopping me in my tracks.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the fire? Can we just talk?¡±


    Jerking my arm from his grasp, I turned to him with a disgusted look on my face.


    ¡°Talk? Yeah, no, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to work for me. You see, I have this thing called standards, and if I was to lower myself to where you are right now thinking I actually believed that bullshit you spread.... Well, that would make me no better than you.¡±


    Shock was written all across his face at the way I had spoken to him. Never in my life had I had the courage to speak to him like that before. Yet, right now... he was beneath me with the way he had treated me.


    For once in my life, I was putting myself above this man, and I was going to achieve more. Because I was worth more.


    ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re talking to? I apologize to you. I¡¯m offering to let you buy me lunch to talk this out¡ª¡±


    ¡°Whoa... whoa. What did you just say?¡± I asked,ughing. ¡°Did you just say you offered to LET ¡®me¡¯ buy ¡®you¡¯ lunch?¡±


    ¡°You heard what the f*ck I said, Ba.¡± His confirmation was all I needed to burst intoughter.


    ¡°You are f*cking delusional.... Why the hell would I ever buy you a damn thing? We aren¡¯t together and never f*cking will be again. You are an asshole, Chad. You don¡¯t deserve any woman with a kind heart because you are a cheater, a maniptor, and an abuser.¡±


    As he stepped towards me with clenched fists, I raised a brow at him.


    ¡°I will sue you for nder, Ba. I have never hit a woman in my life,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re lying about that. However, abuse doesn¡¯t just mean physical, Chad... mental abuse, verbal abuse.... Those are also types of abuse you HAVE participated in. I should know... I was your victim.¡±


    There were no words between us as I stood up for myself. Internally, I was dying. My heart raced against my chest with panic that something bad was going to happen. Yet, at the same time, I felt free.


    Chad didn¡¯t bother to say anything, and rather quickly, he turned, walking off after he realized he had no control over me. Tears slowly streamed down my cheeks with pure happiness that I had stood up for myself.


    Deciding to ditch lunch, I made my way towards the taxi ramp and ordered one before heading back to the house. I no longer had an interest in being out.


    Right now, I was running on pure adrenaline, and I knew once it wore off, I was likely to break down and need a nap. Surviving trauma was never an easy thing to experience, no matter how small it may be.


    As the taxi pulled up outside of James¡¯ home, I smiled seeing his car was already here. I had picked up a couple of cute lingerie items while I was out to tease him with, even if I was conflicted about what I was doing.


    Internally, I couldn¡¯t make my mind up. Physically, he did things to me I couldn¡¯t resist.


    Stepping out of the car, I hastened my pace towards the front door. Just as it opened, it revealed a very unhappy James.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± he asked with a stern tone that confused me.


    Holding up my bags, I raised a brow, walking past him towards the stairs. ¡°Shopping?¡±


    If he wasn¡¯t in a good mood, I was going to bypass the small talk. I didn¡¯t understand why he would be upset, though, because it wasn¡¯t like we were together.


    ¡°Shopping where, Ba?¡± he asked as he followed behind me towards my room.


    ¡°In town. What¡¯s your problem? Did I do something wrong?¡± I asked with confusion as I ced my bags down on my bedroom floor.


    ¡°Yeah, I wanna know what you were doing meeting up with a certain asshole. I thought he was a problem you didn¡¯t want to be around.¡±


    Shock filled me, realizing he was talking about Chad.


    ¡°Have you been following me?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Just answer the damn question, Ba. I don¡¯t have time for girls who want to jump from man to man,¡± he snapped, and the bacsh of his words hurt.


    ¡°How did you know I ran into him?¡± I said with my hands on my hips, wanting to know how he would be aware of something like that to begin with.


    ¡°I had security follow you to make sure you¡¯re safe since you are going out alone. Now, answer my question.¡±


    Shaking my head,ughter escaped me, realizing he was being serious.


    ¡°Wow, James... First of all, I wasn¡¯t meeting him. He caught me while I was out, and I have no idea how the f*ck he found me. But I put him in his ce and told him to f*ck off. Secondly, don¡¯t you daree telling me what I can and can¡¯t do.... We aren¡¯t together, remember?¡±


    Rushing towards me, he pinned me against the wall with my hands above my head and his thigh between my legs. ¡°No... you¡¯re mine, Ba.¡±


    I was breathless from his actions but incredibly turned on. Chad had never been possessive like this. James was showing me how it felt to be desired, and I loved every moment of it.


    ¡°Prove it,¡± I whispered as I stared at him. ¡°Show me how much I am yours.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I was really asking, but before I knew it, his lips were upon mine, and our clothing was falling to the floor.


    If James wanted to own me, I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d have the ability to say no.


    At least for the next few weeks.

 Chapter 22 : Fetish Challenge

    <h4>Chapter 22: Chapter 22 : Fetish Challenge</h4>


    Heated moments.


    They never seemed to dull in the slightest, and yet with everything he did to me, I couldn¡¯t help but to let myself go and be excited.


    He was a sex god, after all. A pleasure sent up from hell to devour me with every chance he got, or at least that was what I liked to tell myself. There was no way he was able to do this kind of stuff naturally.


    It was positively sinful in every way.


    ¡°I want you toe with me to something tonight,¡± James replied as I watched him step from the shower, wrapped in a towel and dripping wet.


    ¡°Oh, yeah? Where¡¯s that?¡± I still hadn¡¯t had the chance to shower myself. I was stillid in his bed with the sheets draped over me and a satisfied haze clouding my mind.


    ¡°To a club,¡± he smirked.


    Pausing for a moment, I stared at him with curiosity. ¡°You don¡¯t seem like the type to go clubbing, James.¡±


    With a soft chuckle, he towel-dried his hair and walked closer to me. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not the kind of club you are thinking of.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t someone who enjoyed going out often, but I knew very well a club was a club, no matter what. Wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Okay...¡± I replied hesitantly. ¡°What should I wear?¡±


    Taking a moment, he walked towards his closet and pulled out a ck and silver box with a bow and smiled. Turning towards me, he held it out. I stood, naked, and slowly padded towards him, taking the box.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked with a spark of mischievousness in my smile. ¡°Is it an exotic ce?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose you can say that, and that is an outfit I picked out for you. Wear the ck heels you have with it.¡±


    I stood staring at him for a moment longer before he turned away from me and disappeared back into his bathroom. I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what he was nning, but regardless of what it was, I didn¡¯t want to say no.


    Something inside me, instead, begged to find out because for him to call it exotic... it must have been some very special ce for him to seem excited.


    After taking a shower, I walked towards the bed and opened the box. My hair and make-up were already done, I prepared to wear whatever it was James had selected for me. The problem was, when I opened the box, I didn¡¯t expect to see a sexyce and almost see-through number with a ck matchingce mask.


    ¡°James!¡± I yelled in confusion, trying to understand where the hell it was we were going.


    He quickly entered the room looking sexier than I had ever seen him in ck Armani pants and white button-up top that was rolled at the sleeves and open at the cor.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I stood staring at him hungrily.


    ¡°Uh¨Cwhat kind of club are we going to that I need to wear this?¡± I said slowly before looking back down at the garment on my bed.


    Laughter escaped him as he stepped close to me. ¡°One that is sinful and going to take you to entirely new levels you haven¡¯t experienced yet. Of course, we don¡¯t have to go if you¡¯re ufortable.¡±


    ¡°You mean a sex club?¡± I whispered as he brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied before kissing me gently. ¡°It¡¯s Club Velvet, where you can go to y or y with others. I have a group of friends who are meeting up there tonight and never have I brought someone with me. I usually watch, but tonight, I figured I could show off what¡¯s mine. If that¡¯s okay with you?¡±


    Hesitation and nervousness filled me.


    I had never done anything like that before, and the thought of exposing myself to others, and perhaps having sex with James in front of other people, wasn¡¯t something I had ever considered before.


    ¡°Okay¨C¡± I agreed, watching as his smile widened.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Ba. Finish getting ready. I¡¯ll be downstairs waiting.¡±


    I watched him turn towards the door, and as he did, I let out a heavy breath I had been holding and stared at the little number again.


    Was this really something I was going to do?


    ********


    An hourter, I was exiting James¡¯ private car adorned in the littlecey number hidden beneath the ck coat I was wearing. My mask in ce and red lipstick to ent, I walked on his arm into Miami¡¯s hottest club, Velvet.


    The sounds of peopleughing and the beats of the music pulsated through me. I was entranced by what I was seeing. There were women and men everywhere scattered in very revealing clothing or no clothing at all. Lace, leather, and silk galore lined the entryway and cascaded through the archway towards the dance floor.


    ¡°May I take your coat, ma¡¯am?¡± a valet asked at the entrance with a smile. I looked at James, and he nodded, so I took a deep breath, slid the coat off, and handed it to the valet.


    I was exposed now, but with the mask in ce, it made me feel a little morefortable about the attire I was wearing.


    My palms were sweaty and my heart was racing. I bit gently on my bottom lip as I followed James through an array of people towards a back hallway lined with red velvet seating and white beds with curtains.


    People were lingering around smiling andughing with one another as they drank. Others participated in full-on make-out sessions with breasts exposed and evident hard-ons with the men. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before, and when James walked up to a group of people, I was shocked by the women in front of them.


    I recognized two of them. One was the wife of the current mayor of Miami. I instantly knew who she was from the local news.


    The other person was a supermodel, Allegra Joel. She was one of the hottest people around right now, and her new clothing line was supposed to beunching at the end of the month.


    I wanted to act like an excited child but kept myself together as James said his hellos and then turned to me. ¡°Everyone, I¡¯d like you to meet, Scarlett.¡±


    Scarlett? Confused, he gave me a knowing look to go along with it. So, without questioning him, I smiled. ¡°Hello, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you all.¡±


    ¡°Is this your first time?¡± Allegra asked with a smile as her eyes roamed up and down my body. The look in her gaze was the same one James usually gave me, and something about her looking at me like that was a slight turn-on.


    ¡°Yes, it is. I hope that tonight will be full of excitement,¡± I replied, catching James off guard; his smile widened.


    As the drinks began to flow and the music turned up hotter, I found myself morefortable with the people I was around. Even Allegra seemed to take quite an interest in me, and I found out that she and James were close friends.


    However, they both assured me they had never done anything sexual.


    Turns out, Allegra was into women more than she had ever been into men.


    ¡°So, how long are you in town for, Scarlett?¡± she asked me with a smile while running her tongue over her perfectly white teeth.


    ¡°A few more weeks, and then I am off to take care of business back up north,¡± I replied, trying not to give off the fact I was still going to school.


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame... I was hoping we could hang out sometime,¡± she teased as she pouted.


    Jamesughed at herment, causing me to smile with confusion. ¡°I¡¯m sure you would like that, Allegra, but I don¡¯t think Scarlett is into women. She is strictly stuck with me right now.¡±


    I was shocked at what he was suggesting, but it wasn¡¯t because he pointed out she wanted a bite of me. It was because he was assuming I wouldn¡¯t have fun with her.


    Or any woman, for that matter.


    I hadn¡¯t done anything like that before and never considered it. But like my father always told me, don¡¯t ever assume to not like something unless you have at least tried it once.


    ¡°Um¨Chow do you know that?¡± I asked James with curiosity, watching as Allegra¡¯s smile widened, and a few other people startedughing.


    ¡°Oh, she is feisty, isn¡¯t she?¡± One of the menughed while his ything ground deeper into hisp as she danced.


    James stared at me with a gaze nearly unreadable. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was he was doing, but before I knew it, a smile crossed his lips. I knew I was going to regret it. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, and you¡¯re sofortable with the idea, why don¡¯t you show me how much you¡¯re enjoying yourself... Scarlett?¡±


    Oh, you sly fox. Challenging me in front of everyone, knowing I won¡¯t back down.


    Giving him one of my signature smiles, I slowly stood to my feet and leaned over kissing him yfully as I bit on his bottom lip. ¡°Challenge epted, Mr. Valentino.¡±


    His eyes lit with fire at my words, and it was evident I was going to pay for what I had said. That was what I wanted, though. I wanted him to please me in ways I hadn¡¯t experienced before.


    After all, this was the promise he had given me earlier in the night.


    To experience pleasure I never had before.


    As I pulled away from him, I walked towards the center pole of our private room. All ten sets of eyes were on me, and as they were, I felt my palms sweat again and my heart race.


    There was no turning back. To turn back would only make me look a fool in front of these people, and there was no way I was going to let that happen.


    As the music began to flow, I danced, allowing my body to move to the beat. Those stripper dance sses Tally had forced me to go tost year paid off because I saw nothing but lust and hunger in quite a few sets of eyes.


    The more I danced, the more I slowly let the tightce corset drop to the floor until the only thing I was left wearing were the garters, g-string, and heels.


    He didn¡¯t stop me, though, and with everyone watching, I felt incredibly turned on.


    I wanted them to want me, and that feeling alone was empowering.


    Slowly, James rose to his feet and stalked towards me, unbuttoning his shirt.


    ¡°How about we y in other ways?¡± he whispered, leaning against my ear as I ground against him, feeling his cock harden within his pants.


    ¡°By ourselves?¡± I asked with curiosity.


    ¡°Want to give them a show?¡± he replied, looking into my eyes. ¡°Unless you¡¯re scared.¡±


    A giggle left my lips at his statement. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m never scared.¡±


    It was a lie. I was terrified, but I was going to make a point to prove tonight James should never underestimate me.


    Instead, I would leave him begging to f*ck me.

 Chapter 23 : Fetish Playtime Fun

    <h4>Chapter 23: Chapter 23 : Fetish ytime Fun</h4>


    His eyes stared at me with intrigue over my words. I knew he was waiting for me to make a move, but as his hand cupped the small of my back and brought me closer, I found myself unable to move.


    ¡°You¡¯re teasing me, beautiful,¡± he whispered as I slowly pulled away from him.


    ¡°Tsk-tsk, James. Trying to keep me all to yourself,¡± I taunted. ¡°What do you make of his behavior, Allegra?¡±


    Turning my attention to her, her eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°Oh, well, he is one who usually just likes to watch.¡±


    Sashaying my way towards her, I walked behind the seat she was on and gently ran my fingers through her hair. The catcalls of the other men and women egged me on to tease James in ways I was sure he didn¡¯t know how to handle.


    Slowly, I made my way around to her front and ced a leg on either side of her, lowering myself slowly as my chest brushed against hers and lust-filled her eyes.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to y this game with me?¡± she whispered breathlessly as I began to move my hips dancing on herp.


    I was entranced at the moment. The alcohol I had drank through the night swam through my system. ¡°Only if you can keep up,¡± I whispered before her lips crashed upon mine, and the others began cheering as she groped my ass with her perfectly manicured nails.


    Never in my life had I kissed a woman, but it felt electrifying and dangerous¡ªa feeling I was bing addicted to when I was around James.


    I loved how she took the initiative, but with her, something in me wanted to be more dominant. Bringing my right hand up, I gripped her throat with a smile.


    Her eyes were wide with excitement as I slid my free hand down and undid the whitece corset top she was wearing. I wasn¡¯t sure what was driving me, but as her perky breasts were exposed, I lowered my head to grasp her hardened nipple in my mouth and relished in how she gasped for pleasure.


    The fact the others were watching caused heat to rise in my core that begged for its own pleasure. Yet, right now... it was about her.


    ¡°Shit...¡± she moaned as I teased her. ¡°James, where have you been hiding this one?¡±


    James was silent, though; his response never came, but as I nced up over her shoulder, I saw him standing behind her, watching.


    ¡°Are you enjoying yourself, Scarlett?¡± he finally said with a smirk as he stood with his arms crossed and amusement in his eyes.


    Slowly, I let her erect nipple pop from my mouth as I began to grind against herp again, smiling at him. ¡°Yes, are you?¡±


    There wasughter from Allegra as she nced up at James. ¡°I like her... maybe you should tell her what to do next?¡±


    James cocked a brow and nervousness filled me with what he was going to say.


    ¡°I like that idea,¡± he replied with a mischievous grin. ¡°Scarlett... will you be so kind as to tell me just how wet Allegra is for you?¡±


    Swallowing deeply, I fluttered myshes at him and let my hand slide down between her thighs, running my fingers over the fabric between her legs. The thin silk that concealed her core was tantalizing.


    ¡°Only if she is a very good girl,¡± I whispered as I leaned close to Allegra¡¯s ear, slipping my finger under the silk material and ying with the slit of her wet c*nt.


    A soft moan left her lips as her head tilted back and pleasure ran through her as my fingers slowly toyed with her cl*t.


    Everything I was doing was invigorating, and my own arousal was increasing, begging for release but knowing my time was not yeting.


    The faster my fingers worked, the more Allegra panted in pleasure. Her pleads to go faster increased before I suddenly stopped and her wide eyes met mine.


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am. I didn¡¯t say you could cum now, did I?¡± My reply shocked the woman, and as I nced at James, I could see that he, too, was impressed.


    Slowly, I stood from her, leaving her whimpering for the touch she had before. My feet moved me towards James as I slid my still moist fingers up to his lips, and ran them across, watching as he stared at me with a hunger I had never seen before.


    ¡°What now, Mr. Valentino?¡± I replied with my own amusement.


    ¡°On the bed,¡± he said firmly, and my eyes slid towards the cubicle with arge white bed and draped curtains.


    Without hesitation, I moved towards the bed and sat on it, lifting my heels to rest on the top of the mattress with my legs spread wide for everyone to have a view of my barely concealed mound.


    I had almost expected him to take charge right then and there, but instead, he turned to Allegra and used his fingers under her chin to have her stand to her feet.


    ¡°I want you to make her moan for me,¡± he replied firmly, causing my beating heart to almost drop into my stomach. I was already this far, though, and turning back wasn¡¯t an option in my mind.


    Part of me was scared, but the other part of me was overwhelmed with excitement as I watched Allegra move towards me with a grin on her face that let me know I was going to enjoy this.


    ¡°Scarlett...¡± James said with emphasis, my eyes quickly connecting with his, ¡°I don¡¯t want you watching her. I want your eyes out here on us.¡±


    Watching him take a seat in a single armchair with his eyes firmly on me, I was finally able to see the others were also watching. One of the guys had his c*ck down some blonde girl¡¯s throat and another guy was on his knees before a woman making her moan over and over again.


    Everyone was sexually involved but James.


    Instead, he was watching the show before him with much enthusiasm. His own porn shared with all of his closest friends and every part of me was excited by the notion I was pleasing him mentally, emotionally, and hopefully soon, physically.


    When her mouth finally sped hold of my bare p*ssy, a cry of pleasure left my lips. Her tongue darted in and out of my tight c*nt as she then moved to suck on my sensitive cl*t.


    ¡°How does it feel, Scarlett?¡± he asked. ¡°I wanna know how she is doing.¡±


    ¡°It feels so good¨C¡± I moaned softly as my breath came quicker. ¡°Do you like that, Allegra? Do you like the way I taste?¡±


    A moan of satisfaction mumbled across my tight c*nt causing a mass of sensations to build within my stomach. Moving my hips, I rode my wet c*nt across her face as she shoved her tongue deep inside me, and then removed it, recing it with her fingers.


    The faster I moved, the closer I came toing undone.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± I screamed as an orgasm ripped through me, and she forced me to ride it out, not stopping until James tapped her on the shoulder and she came up, lips wet, with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Mmm... she tastes divine,¡± Allegra smiled.


    ¡°She does, doesn¡¯t she? Climb up there on the bed next to her and keep her hot and bothered for me.¡±


    Allegra didn¡¯t bother to question him, and I wasn¡¯t sure what was toe next. But before I knew it, her lips were on mine, and her fingers were ying with my erect nipples while James ran his fingers over my sensitive bud.


    I moaned over and over again, tasting myself upon Allegra¡¯s lips. Until he grabbed my thighs and pulled me towards the edge of the bed. ¡°Turn around. On your knees.¡±


    I did as he said, watching Allegra stare at me with excitement until the head of his massively thick c*ck lined up with my entrance, and he shoved himself inside me.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I cried out, clutching the sheets as he relentlessly drove his thick c*ck over and over again inside my tight c*nt, the feeling of his c*ck stretching my walls as I watched one of his friends walk towards us.


    Allegra sat hungrily watching James f*ck me, and as the man stood next to the bed with his equallyrge c*ck hanging out, she didn¡¯t hesitate to take him in her mouth.


    This woman was beyond extraordinary, and even if she liked women, she had no problems with f*cking a man.


    ¡°Taste her, Scarlett,¡± James whispered to me as he leaned over me, making slow strokes with his c*ck inside me. ¡°If you can.¡±


    I had never tasted a woman like that, but at that point, I was so drunk with lust I was almost willing to try anything.


    Gripping her ankles, I pulled her towards me and quickly buried my face between her legs. A shock of pleasure escaped her through mumbled sounds as the man continued to f*ck her mouth.


    The closer I came toing, the faster I moved my tongue inside her and sucked on her cl*t until I was at the edge of my pleasure and could no longer take any more of what he was offering me.


    I came undone with a muffled cry as she, too, came to her release. The taste of her sweet c*nt was something I enjoyed, and no matter how much she whimpered at how sensitive she was, I didn¡¯t stop.


    And neither did James.


    Instead, he held back his climax and continued at a faster pace while I cried out in pleasure, forcing Allegra into another orgasm that rippled through the two of us.


    By the end of the night, I was spent in more ways than one, and standing in the shower in the building, I watched James through darkshes with a smile on his face.


    ¡°You were amazing tonight,¡± he whispered, kissing me softly.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I never thought I would do something like that, but I have to admit, I enjoyed it.¡± Letting myshes fall to my cheeks as I looked down, I watched his c*ck slowly grow again.


    As sore as I was, something inside me wanted more and dropping to my knees, I took him in, causing him to groan in satisfaction as I pleasured him.


    The only sounds within the shower room were that of the water pelting across my skin and the soft moans leaving James¡¯ lips as his engorged c*ck f*cked my pretty little mouth.

 Chapter 24 : No Drama, Let’s Bahama

    <h4>Chapter 24: Chapter 24 : No Drama, Let¡¯s Bahama</h4>


    James.


    Never in my life did I think I would find a woman who turned me on the way that Ba did. I couldn¡¯t believe how amazing she wasst night, and as I lie next to her in bed right now, I can¡¯t stop reeling over how sexy she had been.


    I would have thought she would have shied away from it all, but she didn¡¯t.


    Instead, she showed how truly powerful she was and took charge of the evening with sophistication and drive I have never seen in a woman in my life.


    Of course, I had been with many women.


    But not like Ba. Ba was a tiger in the bedroom, and behind the mask, she took charge and made everyone bend to her will.


    She was inevitably the one who got everyone going, and the night seemed to never end.


    Even Allegra said if Ba wasn¡¯t with me... she would have kept her for herself.


    Her beautiful hair was syed around her like a halo as those thick darkshesid resting upon her cheeks. I wouldn¡¯t doubt she would be out for hours yet, considering we didn¡¯t get home till the early hours of the morning.


    Slowly sliding from the bed, I grabbed my phone and made my way downstairs to get a drink. My feet hit each step, and as I nced at the time on my phone, I saw that it was close to noon.


    Time seemed to slip away when I was with her. Yet, I didn¡¯t mind.


    Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, I heard my phone begin to ring, and as it did, I frowned at who was calling.


    ¡°Yes, Allison?¡± I asked as I answered. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not at the office today?¡± she snapped with what seemed to be usations about myck of being at work.


    ¡°No, I took the day off. Now, what do you want?¡± I replied reluctantly, hoping Tally was okay and her mother hadn¡¯t gotten her into some kind of trouble.


    ¡°Of course, you did. Probably to spend time with whatever whore has been keeping our bed warm.¡±


    ¡°Our bed?¡± Iughed. ¡°That is my bed. Our bed, I had the boys burn after I found you cheating on me. God knows what was brought into it.¡±


    Myment didn¡¯t go over well as she began her ignorant words and vulgarnguage. None of which I wanted to listen to today. I wasn¡¯t going to let Allison ruin the perfect mood I was in because of Ba.


    ¡°For your information, Tally and I are out shopping, and my card isn¡¯t working. I need you to fix it,¡± she finally admitted, after five minutes of ranting about how horrible I was.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how I can fix it, Allison. We haven¡¯t been together for years, and your cards are your problem, not mine. So why are you calling me about this?¡±


    She let out a groan of frustration at my words. ¡°You f*cking asshole. Put more money in my ount now, or so help me god, I will take you back to court and take everything you have.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t contain myughter at her threats. ¡°One... acting like this isn¡¯t how you get things you want, Allison. Two, you can try, but I promise you won¡¯t win.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a f*cking asshole, James. You owe me so much more, and you are being horrible by not giving me what¡¯s rightfully mine!¡± she screamed.


    ¡°Allison, you got 1.2 million dors out of our divorce. It is not my problem you blew all your money over the years. Perhaps you should have had the ountant manage things as I had suggested years ago.¡±


    There was no talking to this woman. The only thing she cared about was money, and every moment she acted this way reminded me of why I divorced her.


    She didn¡¯t care about me, and I was beginning to wonder if she cared about Tally at all.


    ¡°Fix the card, James!¡± she hollered again before I sighed with aggravation.


    This conversation was going nowhere, and maybe what I needed was a breakaway from everyone where she wouldn¡¯t be able to get in contact with me.


    Rxing sandy beaches, palm trees... perhaps the Bahamas were calling my name.


    After all, Allegra did tell mest night a group of our friends was going to the Bahamas for an event. Maybe afterst night, Ba would be interested in going.


    Even if it was only for three days.


    *****


    Ba.


    Waking up slowly, I found myself more drained than I had expected to be. Memories of the night floated through my mind, causing a blush to crawl its way across my cheeks at the things I had done.


    I was embarrassed, but not because of what I did... but because of how much I had enjoyed it. James had taken control in an entirely different way, and I was over the moon with how the evening yed out.


    Looking around, I realized James wasn¡¯t in the room, and as I slowly slid from the bed in one of his oversized shirts, I padded my way towards the stairs, only to hear him in heated conversation with someone.


    Curiosity piqued.


    Making my way down the stairs, I followed the sound of his voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, Allison!¡± he yelled into the phone, making my heart drop. ¡°I¡¯m not giving you f*cking money, so you need to figure your shit out on your own. Do not call me for this shit again.¡±


    His eyes slowly slid up to meet mine as I turned the corner, walking into the kitchen. The frown he had been wearing a moment ago was now long gone and reced with a smile and a hungry gaze.


    Without saying a word to his ex, who had been on the line, he hung up the phone and strode towards me, crashing his lips upon mine.


    ¡°How are you feeling this morning?¡± he asked as he pulled away and stared down at me.


    Biting my bottom lip, I blushed again. ¡°Good. Like, really good.¡±


    ¡°You were quite the exhibitionistst night, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I suppose I was,¡¯¡¯ I said withughter, as he picked me up and carried me back up the stairs, yfully smacking my ass as we walked.


    ¡°So I thought we should go do something fun for the next few days,¡± he said as he walked into his room with me and dropped me down onto the bed.


    Giggling, I looked up at him. ¡°Oh, yeah? What were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Well, we can go to the Bahamas?¡± he suggested.


    I had never been to the Bahamas before, at least not properly. I had gone on a cruise once with them when I was younger but never had I actually got to enjoy it.


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, unsure if he had time in his schedule for something like that.


    ¡°Yes, really. Now, there are two options with that, though,¡± he said, causing me to raise a brow in question. What in the world could those two options be?


    Usually, when you went to the Bahamas, it was for sand and sunshine, and in our case, lots of sex without anyone we know being there.


    ¡°Okay... what are the two options?¡±


    Taking a moment, he ran his fingers through his hair and smiled at me.


    ¡°So, one is we go by ourselves to a private resort and have the most amazing time alone, or... Allegra told mest night she and a few others were going for a few days and rented arge estate there with a private beach, and we could join them... the choice ispletely yours.¡±


    Realization hit me, and for a moment, I had to really take in what he was saying. He was fine with us going on our own, but then he was also excited about the prospect of going with people fromst night.


    ¡°What happenedst night... are you wanting that to happen more often?¡±


    I was up for it, of course, every now and again, but I didn¡¯t want that to be the only thing he wanted from me.


    I didn¡¯t want him to suddenly only want those reactions, and for my own body to no longer be enough for him. Was I actually enough for him?


    ¡°Oh, baby...¡± he cooed as he came to sit next to me, taking my face in his hands. ¡°Being with just you is all I will ever need, but I know you enjoyed yourselfst night. That was why I suggested it. If you would rather it just be the two of us, then that¡¯s what we will do, but if you want to join the others, we can do that too.¡±


    My heart swelled as a feeling fluttered in my chest at how sweet and slightly romantic he was being. Hearing him say I was all he ever needed almost made me want to cry.


    Never had a man been this sweet to me before, and no matter the situation, he always put my needs and wants above his own.


    Taking a moment, I bit my bottom lip and thought it over. As much as I would love one-on-one time, there was the chance we would have a lot of fun with our friends.


    Then again, there was also the aspect that they would see me and know who I really was.


    ¡°They will know who I am...¡± I whispered.


    He nodded his head slowly and smiled. ¡°Yes, but no one there will say anything. I can promise you that. All of us want to keep our secrets and not let the rest of the world know what we do behind closed doors.¡±


    What he was saying made sense. The mayor¡¯s wife being exposed would cause so much scandal as would the others if anyone ever found out about the dark sinful lives they lived in the shadows.


    ¡°Let¡¯s join the others,¡± I smirked, leaning up to im his lips as he pulled me close. ¡°I need to pack, though.¡±


    A growl of pleasure left his lips as he ced my naked c*nt against his bare thigh and nipped at my lips. ¡°After I f*ck you one more time...Then we will shower and pack. We leave tonight.¡±


    Hearing him talk that way made me ache with anticipation. This sinful sexual deviant was a blessing in disguise, and as excited as I was for the trip...


    I wanted him to f*ck me even more.

 Chapter 25 : The Mile High Club

    <h4>Chapter 25: Chapter 25 : The Mile High Club</h4>


    By the time we made it to the ne, I was sore in many areas. James was bing quite the kink master I always had suspected he would be, and everything he did to me was intoxicating.


    ¡°So, this is your ne?¡± I asked as we pulled up on the tarmac, and I took in the site of the ck private jet that was supposed to take us to the Bahamas.


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± he replied as the car stopped, and the door opened, allowing us passage towards the ne¡¯s stairs. I was thankful we were flying at night, considering how unforgiving the Miami heat really was.


    Thest thing I wanted was to be a nasty sweaty mess before I got on the ne. I was hoping to achieve something on the flight that I had never done before. To join the mile high club.


    Yet, with much disappointment, James was answering his phone while we boarded, and I had a feeling the entire trip was going to revolve around business.


    ¡°Wee aboard, Mr. Valentino,¡± a gorgeous blonde flight attendant said through painted red lips. ¡°Let¡¯s get you situated.¡±


    With James in front of me, she quickly cut in between us, stopping me in my tracks as she followed behind him. A gasp left my lips as I found amusement in the desperation this woman had for getting James to take notice of her.


    Paying no mind to the woman, I continued down the path towards a lush area of seating and gotfortable. The ne was fancier than ones I had seen pictures of before, but with every movement the woman made, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how she hadnded this job.


    It was clear she had been working for James for a while.


    ¡°Mr. Valentino, once you finish your call, we will take off,¡± she replied as she came back from the front and stood sweetly, smiling at him. ¡°Can I get you a drink, sir?¡±


    ¡°Uh¨Cyeah, whiskey is fine,¡± he replied, paying her no mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a ss of red wine, as well,¡± I finally said, piping up only to water her gaze, turning to me with disgust and no reply.


    She turned on her heels and disappeared from sight as he finally hung up the call, and turned his smile to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, Ba. I am struggling with a deal overseas.¡±


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s not good. Is there anything I can help you with?¡±


    Jamesughed, shaking his head as he moved towards the seat next to me. ¡°Not unless you know how to strategically make international deals, and can get Spain to agree to foreign trading.¡±


    He had a point. I didn¡¯t know how to do that, even though, technically, I had no doubt I could figure it out. ¡°Well, hopefully things will work out, because I was hoping to spend time with you. I know you¡¯re a busy man, though, and businesses first.¡±


    My words were teasing, and as the woman came back, she held only his ss of whiskey and no wine. ¡°Here you are, Mr. Valentino... is there anything else I can assist you with this trip?¡±


    His gaze didn¡¯t leave mine as I raised a brow at her statement and smirked.


    ¡°Yes, actually...¡± James paused as he turned to her and took the ss of whiskey. ¡°I believe thedy asked you for a ss of wine, and you didn¡¯t get it.¡±


    Her eyes widened in shock as she looked between the two of us. ¡°I¨CI didn¡¯t hear her. I¡¯ll go get it now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do think you heard her. But please, make sure you do.¡±


    Ouch. Laughter begged for release from my lips as I watched her scramble. I wasn¡¯t the kind of woman to be cruel, but this girl had made a point of being rude to me since the moment sheid eyes on me, and that was uneptable.


    She quickly turned, disappearing from sight before returning a momentter. With a brand new bottle of wine and an empty ss. ¡°I figured I would bring the bottle so you could help yourself.¡±


    ¡°I see that,¡± I grinned, taking the ss. ¡°Care to open the bottle and pour it for me?¡±


    Opening and closing her mouth, she looked at James, who stared at her patiently, waiting for her toply. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Never had I seen someone look so ufortable pouring a ss of wine before, but it was well worth the wait because the torture crossing her face was the highlight of my day.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said sweetly when she finished and put the top back on the bottle.


    ¡°Of course. Please prepare yourself. We will be taking off in just a moment,¡± she said, then she disappeared rather quickly with a sour look on her face as if someone had physically pped her.


    It was never a dull moment anymore, and as the ne began its run down the runway, I found excitement in our uing getaway.


    ¡°Thank you for bringing me,¡± I whispered as the ne reached its cruising altitude.


    ¡°Ba, you don¡¯t have to thank me for anything. I wanted to bring you here.¡± James grinned, pulling me close to him. ¡°I wanted to show you things you haven¡¯t done yet.¡±


    The taunting nature of his words made me wet, and I was suddenly d for the dress I wore. It was easy ess, and as the wine flooded my veins, I wanted him.


    However, the ringing of his phone said something else and with reluctance, he groaned and answered the call.


    Sighing, I unbuckled, now able to move around the cabin, and made my way towards the bathroom. The flight attendant¡¯s voice was heard drifting through from the front cabin as sheughed with one of the pilots flying the ne.


    ¡°Oh, you know how these slutty women are. They find a man with money, and they will try anything to get it,¡± sheughed as the other joined in with theughter.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t assume they are all doing that, Ash,¡± the man replied. ¡°He could actually like this woman.¡±


    ¡°Like her!¡± she eximed. ¡°She doesn¡¯t deserve to breathe the same air as him. Have you seen her? She looks desperate and disgusting.¡±


    Anger coursed through me at the girl¡¯s words, and more than anything, I wanted to go and give her a piece of my mind. Even if we were on a ne thousands of miles in the air, I wasn¡¯t going to let this bitch get under my skin.


    Finishing in the bathroom, I stood before the small mirror and thought over my options. If I really wanted to get even, perhaps I could tell James and get her fired, but then what was that actually going to solve?


    A n formted in my mind, and as a grin stretched across my face.


    She thought I didn¡¯t deserve him... well, I would show her what he deserves.


    Exiting the bathroom, I made my way towards where James sat with haste. My eyes filled with a mischievous glint as I watched him look at me from where he sat with the phone in his hand.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he mouthed while listening to whoever he was speaking to.


    Nodding, I smiled as I parted his thighs and bent over, running my hands across his legs. There was no need to say anything to him at that moment because this was about pleasing him, and as I dropped to my knees, I freed the beast within, watching as he shook his head no before I plunged his thick c*ck deep into my throat.


    There was nothing he could do, really. He could move... push me away.


    However, we both knew he wouldn¡¯t. Instead, he kept going with his meeting as I was sucking on his thick, hard c*ck like it was a tootsie roll I wanted to get to the center of.


    ¡°Alright, Bill. I¡¯m going to have to let you go,¡± he quickly mumbled, hanging up his phone as a moan escaped his mouth. ¡°F*ck, babe. God, that feels f*cking amazing.¡±


    His hands gripped the back of my head as he guided me down over and over his dick while he f*cked my pretty little mouth. Tears stained my cheeks and lipstick smeared my face. But I didn¡¯t care.


    I was his dirty little girl, and I would do anything he asked me.


    ¡°Get your ass up here,¡± he all but growled as I let his c*ck pop from my mouth. Firm grips at my arms pulled me to my feet as he grabbed the bottom of my dress and hiked it up to my waist groaning in satisfaction at myck of panties.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± I said with a grin as he looked up at me, biting his bottom lips with a smile.


    ¡°Oh, f*ck you¡¯re going to be the death of me.¡± He hiked up one of my legs and buried his face in between my thighs.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I screamed out. ¡°Oh, f*ck, just like that.¡±


    My moans were loud, and I was d for that. I wanted that stupid bitch at the front of the ne to hear everything. The only problem was, as he shoved his fingers deeper inside me, I realized he would not y fair.


    ¡°She upset you again?¡± he grumbled as he grabbed my waist and pulled me over him, straddling hisp.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I replied, not wanting to ruin the moment. Yet, there was no argument because before I knew it, the head of his c*ck was burying itself deep inside me, causing my mouth to part in pleasure.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we show her how much fun we can have?¡±


    Repeatedly, I let my tight, wet c*nt slide over his thick c*ck. The faster and harder I drove against him, the closer and closer I got to my climax. ¡°You like that?¡± I moaned as I watched him groan in pleasure. Gripping his throat, heughed, pushing me harder. ¡°Answer me, James...¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he gasped. ¡°F*ck, you keep it up and I¡¯m about to cum.¡±


    ¡°Good. That¡¯s my cum,¡± I moaned, biting on his bottom lip. ¡°Tell me who owns this dick, James.... Who pleases you like no other?¡±


    ¡°F*ck, baby. God... it¡¯s yours.... Only you can,¡± he groaned loudly as we both climaxed together, our voices and pleasure mingling together as we filled a high that was like no other.


    Slowly, he kissed me asughter filled us both.


    ¡°Oh, my goodness...¡± a small gasp echoed from my left side, and with a smile, I turned to look at the flight attendant standing there.


    ¡°Did you enjoy the show?¡± I asked her, watching her face flush with embarrassment, but her eyes holding nothing but anger.


    ¡°I¨CI didn¡¯t mean to interrupt,¡± she stammered, ¡°I will go.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± James quickly snapped, as I slid off of him and watched him fix himself. ¡°I want some warm rags and more to drink. Then, I don¡¯t want to see you for the rest of the flight. Do you understand?¡±


    Her eyes cast down as she nodded without another word and turned to leave. I was surprised by how James had acted. Never had I seen him in this light before.


    I wasn¡¯t his girlfriend, and I wasn¡¯t even sure if I would consider myself his lover. But he sat here making it clear he wouldn¡¯t tolerate anyone speaking ill of me or to me.


    That feeling made my heart swell, but also made me nervous.


    ¡°We shouldnd in a few hours... should we continue to enjoy ourselves?¡± he asked as the girl brought what he asked and then disappeared again.


    My heart dropped into my stomach with excitement as I slowly nodded and watched him clear the space between us, taking my lips again.


    There was no stopping him, and I was fine with that. By the time I arrived in the Bahamas, I was going to be well satisfied and hardly able to walk.


    Both, I was eagerly waiting for.

 Chapter 26 : Romance & Curiosity

    <h4>Chapter 26: Chapter 26 : Romance & Curiosity</h4>


    A dayter, after much rest with James, Iy on the private beach of the ce we were staying, enjoying the sun soaking into my skin. We had arrived with pure enjoyment and greeted James¡¯ friends with smiles.


    Allegra, of course, remembered me very well, and even though we had fun the one time, we were slowly bing close friends. Being friends with her differedpletely from Tally, and I was d for that.


    ¡°So when do you think the guys will be back from fishing?¡± Allegra asked me as she took her ce back on one of the lounge chairs topless and with a smile upon her face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but hopefully soon. Otherwise, we will have to start margarita hour on our own,¡± I grinned, causing Allegra tough. It no longer bothered me that she was showing skin. She had an amazing body, so why not unt it?


    ¡°See, I knew why I loved you, Ba,¡± she said as my phone rang.


    More than once, Tally had tried to call me in thest twenty-four hours, and every time she did, I ignored her call, only to be blown up with tons of text messages telling me to call her back.


    ¡°Is that her again?¡± Allegra asked, lowering her sses to look at me.


    ¡°Yeah, I better take this quickly, or she will never stop.¡±


    Not long after we had gotten here, we were all properly introduced, and over a few drinks with Allegra, I told her everything about Tally and my situation. I was surprised, though, at how easily she understood.


    Because contrary to popr belief, she had issues that had been simr to mine once upon a time.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I sang sweetly as I answered the phone.


    ¡°Ba, where the f*ck have you been? I have been blowing your phone up all day, and you what... don¡¯t f*cking answer?¡± Tally snapped at me.


    ¡°Oh Tally...¡± I cooed yfully as I looked at Allegra with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I have had horrible service where I¡¯m at.¡±


    ¡°Where are you at? You¡¯re not watching my dad?!¡± she eximed with irritation.


    I wasn¡¯t watching him at the moment, but I sure have been watching him a lottely.


    Not that I would tell her, of course.


    ¡°Your dad, I think, had a business trip. So I went to visit my family. I didn¡¯t think you would mind since you¡¯re with your mom. After all, I can¡¯t exactly go with your father on his trip,¡± I said, trying not tough as I watched Allegra mock heartache at my words.


    The act was to mimic the way Tally acted, and I had to admit, Allegra acting like this made meugh more than anything.


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit, Ba. You should have found a way to go.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± I chuckled. ¡°I already told you I¡¯m not spying on your father. If you have a problem with him, you need to take it up with him, Tally. Now I have to go, so enjoy the rest of your trip!¡±


    Tally screamed my name through the phone before I hung it up and continued enjoying the sun. I wasn¡¯t sure what I was going to do about her. Never had I been in this situation, but I had to admit, it felt good to tell her no.


    Even though that¡¯s because I¡¯m the one f*cking her father.


    Letting a heavy breath escape me, I checked the time on my phone. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m wrong?¡± I asked Allegra, who looked over at me.


    ¡°Wrong about what?¡± she asked with slight confusion.


    ¡°For sleeping with James. Tally has been my best friend for years, and I¡¯m lying to her and f*cking her father like I have no respect for her.¡±


    Raising her brows, Allegra shrugged, ¡°So... who cares. From what I knew of Tally already from James, and what you have told me... she is a selfish little bitch who needs a reality check. James is a good man and has been through a lottely. You¡¯re good for him.¡±


    Hearing someone say I¡¯m good for him made me smile.


    After all, I never really considered us to be more because he made it clear before we couldn¡¯t be. Allegra¡¯s words ran through my mind, making me space out for a moment, and before I knew it, a boat was pulling up near the shoreline. James stood there with two others, his silhouette darkened by the slowly falling sun.


    ¡°What are you girls doing?¡± one of the men yelled as they hit the sand, walking towards us.


    ¡°What¡¯s it look like?¡± Allegraughed. ¡°Soaking up the vitamin D and enjoying conversation.¡±


    As James came closer, I watched the dark lust filled gaze in his eyes turn to something more. ¡°Come on... you¡¯re mine for the rest of the day.¡±


    ¡°You guys aren¡¯ting out with us tonight?¡± Allegra asked as she turned to me with a smile. ¡°I was hoping we would enjoy the bar scene together.¡±


    ¡°No, you heard me. Ba is mine for the rest of the day. You guys go have fun.¡±


    He didn¡¯t bother to wait for my reply as he pulled me to my feet, took my hand, and led me towards the house. I wasn¡¯t sure what he had nned, but the small cottage we had next to the others gave us the seclusion James wanted.


    I was his privately for the next few days, and he made a point of iming me in a way no one ever could.


    Before the back door closed, I was pressed against the wall. His mouth was upon my skin as I moaned, watching my bathing suit fall to the floor. ¡°You like teasing me with these little outfits, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What... my bathing suit?¡± Iughed, as he thrust his fingers inside of me, causing me to cry out.


    ¡°Yes, that,¡± he all but growled as he captured my lips again.


    *****


    James POV


    The sky had slowly darkened outside, and as it did, I looked down at Ba softly sleeping next to me. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever met, and everything about her was addicting.


    From the moment Iid my eyes on her, I knew I wanted her, but never did I think she would have been capable of bringing feelings out of me like this. It was as if she had captivated a part of my soul that had longid dormant.


    I wanted to spoil her and show her the world.


    Which was not part of the n. I wasn¡¯t supposed to be doing these kinds of things, but slowly and surely I was. I was treating her like we were more than we were, and if I wasn¡¯t careful, I was going to find myself too deep in the situation we created.


    It was a conversation we needed to properly have again, but for now, I would just enjoy this time with her. Enjoy the small moments, and relish them, because eventually she would be leaving. Even though my chest clenched with the idea, she would.


    ¡°Ba...¡± I whispered, watching her stretch as her eyes slowly fluttered open.


    ¡°Mmmm...¡± she moaned softly. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    The soft purr of her voice made my balls ache to take her again. Yet, I didn¡¯t want this trip to just be about sex. I wanted her to enjoy a variety of things the inds had to offer.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I take you out to get something to eat, and maybe we can look at some stores on the ind? What do you think?¡±


    Smiling up at me, she nodded before her lips softly met mine. ¡°Give me a moment to get dressed.¡±


    I watched her hop from the bed, naked, and pad her way towards the bathroom. She stopped at the door and looked over her shoulder at me, smiling before she disappeared.


    I checked myself and rolled over on to my stomach, groaning at how badly I did just want to f*ck her repeatedly until I was the only man she thought of.


    ¡°F*ck me... what am I doing?¡± I whispered to myself before sliding from the bed to get ready.


    Thirty minutester, and with much restraint, we left the cottage and headed towards the small shops of the town. Lights were strung up over the stores, and music flowed from the restaurants.


    Her eyes seemed to light up with every twist and turn we made, and seeing her like this made me realize just how carefree she was. She wasn¡¯t like Allison or Tally... or any other woman I have ever dealt with.


    Ba seemed to enjoy the small things in life and didn¡¯t care what anyone thought of her. The yellow sundress against her sun kissed skin made her stand out in the night.


    I watched the way men all seemed to notice her, but in the end, I was the only one she paid attention to. I was the only one who made her smile.


    ¡°James, look at these sandals!¡± she squealed. ¡°I¡¯m going to get them.¡±


    Before she could reach into her purse, though, I had pulled out cash and handed it to the merchant, watching her smile fall. ¡°What are you doing? I have money.¡±


    ¡°I know you do, Ba. However, I was the one who asked you toe on this trip, and I want to be the one to spoil you. If you want to tell others you paid for it, you can, but I¡¯m the only one spending money.¡±


    Rolling her eyes, she leaned forward and kissed me gently. ¡°I¡¯ll just make it up to youter,¡± she teased.


    ¡°Oh, I have no doubt that you will,¡± Iughed, watching as she made her way towards the next stall.


    My phone ringing distracted me for a moment, and as I looked down, I saw Tally¡¯s name sh across the screen. ¡°Yes, Tally?¡± I said with a sigh as Ba¡¯s eyes met mine.


    ¡°Daddy, where are you?¡± she asked gruffly. ¡°I think Ba is lying to me. Do you know where she is?¡±


    ¡°Uh¨Cwhy would you think Ba is lying to you?¡± I asked, causing Ba¡¯s eyes to widen.


    ¡°Because I called her dad to make sure she was okay, and he said she wasn¡¯t there. She said she was going to stay with family,¡± Tally whined, causing me to take a deep breath and try to sort the situation.


    ¡°Perhaps she had different family she was going to see? I don¡¯t know, Tally. I¡¯m out of town for business right now overseas, so there isn¡¯t much I can do,¡± I replied, not telling her the whole truth, but at least part of it.


    ¡°Do you think she is seeing someone? Maybe that¡¯s why she has been acting off and not wanting to tell me what she is doing. Have you seen her with anyone?¡±


    I loved my daughter with all my heart, but right in this moment, I had to draw a line with her. She was acting beyond ridiculous. ¡°Tally, you need to stop. She is a grown woman and doesn¡¯t have to tell you anything.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that?! I invited her toe spend the summer with me, and she doesn¡¯t bother to let me know what she is doing when she¡¯s not at our house!¡±


    ¡°Taliana, enough,¡± I snapped. ¡°You, youngdy, disappeared on her many times if you recall, and I will not tolerate you acting like this. Perhaps if you start being a better friend to her, she will be open with you. Honestly, I¡¯m surprised she still talks to you at all.¡±


    ¡°Daddy¨C¡± she gasped.


    ¡°No, Tally. I have to go. You need to figure your shit out. Don¡¯t call me about this again.¡±


    Hanging up the phone, I watched Ba¡¯s pale face drop even more. ¡°She knows...¡±


    ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t. She thinks you are seeing someone.¡± I pulled her close to me. ¡°She has no idea it¡¯s me. So don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Nodding her head, she leaned up, kissing me softly, and my heart melted. I didn¡¯t want to see her upset, and I didn¡¯t want her to panic.


    Perhaps Tally finding out about Ba and I would be for the best. I knew it would ruin their rtionship, but it was already ruined. At least this way, I would be able to see Ba openly and not have to hide her.


    There was still so much I wanted to show her.

 Chapter 27 : Late Night Altercation

    <h4>Chapter 27: Chapter 27 : Late Night Altercation</h4>


    After a few days spent in luxury with James in the Bahamas, I was d to be back at his home. Things had been wonderful, and yet, through it all, I had slowly let the wall I had built fall. There was something about him that gave me hope he would change his mind.


    That maybe... just maybe¨Che would want me.


    As soon as we made it back, James had to go to the office to work. The sun had set long before he left, and even though he was workingte, it didn¡¯t stop me from turning on the TV in the living room and ordering myself take out.


    My favorite TV show ying and an open box of pizza in front of me, I set out to rx. However, thest thing I expected was loud pounding upon the door as if the police were trying to break in. With caution, I stood and peered out the side window, seeing Chad standing there with a grim expression on his face.


    My heart raced, and my palms went mmy. I wasn¡¯t sure what to do.


    Thest thing I wanted was for James toe home and see him here. Especially after the conversation we had before. It wouldn¡¯t end well, and James, being the man he was, would more than likely cast me out with nowhere to go.


    Letting a heavy sigh escape me, I pushed towards the door with hesitation, looking for the courage to stand up to the one man who had been tormenting me emotionally over the past few months.


    His cold re met mine as the door opened, as did the smell of whiskey and his very obvious drunken haze. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I came to make things right with you, Ba,¡± he sighed, taking a step forward but finding himself blocked by the door. ¡°Let me in so we can talk.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied firmly, not wanting to hear anything he had to say. ¡°You need to leave right now. I have nothing to say to you, and I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°To get you back,¡± he snapped, shoving the door open, knocking me to the floor.


    ¡°Get out!¡± I screamed at him, only to be met with his firm grasp in my hair and a heartlessugh that was nothing but sadistic.


    ¡°You have no right to tell me what to do!¡± he screamed at me. ¡°Do you know who I am? Women line up to spend the night with me, and you¡¯re over here being ungrateful.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. Get the f*ck out, now.¡± I seethed with anger, watching as he stumbled to the side, too drunk to even have a rational conversation.


    I wished someone was in the house at a time like this. However, the housekeepers had already left for the day, and the one security guy who usually stayed in the house was currently with James at work.


    ¡°You will not ignore me, Ba!¡± he screamed at me as he tried to pull me towards him to kiss me. ¡°I know you want this.¡±


    With all the strength in me, I pushed him, standing to my feet, and made a break for the living room to grab my phone. It was obvious he would not get out, and I didn¡¯t want to be one of those women who fell into a stereotype because she didn¡¯t do something.


    However, rough hands gripped my waist and pulled me toward him. Kicking and screaming, I thrust my elbow back, clocking him in the side of his face, and was dropped to the floor.


    ¡°You f*cking bitch!¡± he raged at me as his hand came down, hitting me in the side of my face.


    Scrambling against the living room floor, I spotted my purse next to the sofa and scooted towards it while he took the time to address his busted lip in the mirror.


    ¡°You will love me, Ba. I suppose I will have to show you what it is you¡¯re missing.¡±


    Fear cascaded through my body as my heart beat faster. I wasn¡¯t sure what he meant, but there was no way I was going to find out.


    Scrambling faster, I reached my purse just as he grabbed my ankle and pulled me back. The only issue for him was he didn¡¯t see what I grabbed. Within my hand was the best birthday present my father had ever gotten for me, and that was my ck taser with the words ¡°Soul Sucker¡± engraved on the side.


    As soon as he flipped me over, I brought the taser up to his side and turned it on. Screaming in pain, he let go of me and fell to the floor, and I scrambled back.


    ¡°You f*cking bitch!¡±


    I stared at him wildly whileughing.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Soul Sucker 3000, you piece of shit. Get the f*ck out of this house!¡±


    He didn¡¯t waste any time as he rolled to his knees, still whining from the pain the taser created and scrambled his way towards the front door.


    ¡°You¡¯re not worth it!¡± he yelled at me. ¡°I have a piece of ass that is so much better than you. I don¡¯t know why I waste my time on you.¡±


    His words were meant to hurt, but I didn¡¯t care anymore. As soon as he crossed the threshold, I mmed the door, locked it, and sank to my knees.


    Tears that had once been non-existent cascaded down my cheeks. I couldn¡¯t believe I had just undergone what I did. Never in my life did I think Chad would get physical with me in this way, and yet, it happened.


    There was a fine line between being a dick and being physically abusive, and Chad had passed it. I was a fool to think ourst conversation would have been the end of things, because he clearly didn¡¯t take the hint.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long I sat on the floor when the headlights from an approaching car seeped through the front windows. Moving to my feet, I quickly made my way upstairs towards my room. Thest thing I wanted was for James to see me like this.


    Yet, as the sound of his voice and the security guard¡¯s echoed from the bottom of the stairs, I had no doubt he woulde seek me out.


    How was I going to exin what had happened to me?


    Looking into my bathroom mirror, I saw the extent of the damages Chad had caused. Bruises lined the side of my face and scattered across my arms.


    It looked like I had gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson and came out still standing.


    ¡°Ba?¡± James¡¯ voice called out as a silent knock on my bedroom door led to him walking in.


    ¡°I¡¯m in here, but I need some time to myself,¡± I replied, afraid to hear what he would say when he saw me.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± he chuckled. ¡°I thought you would be excited to see¡ª¡±


    His words stopped short as he pushed open the bathroom door and took sight of me. Mouth parted, and eyes wide, he stood in disbelief.


    ¡°James¨C¡± I cried out, shaking my head. ¡°Please don¡¯t hate me...¡±


    ¡°Hate you?¡± he snapped. ¡°What the f*ck happened?¡±


    I didn¡¯t even know where to begin to tell him what happened. The event with Chad waspletely foggy from the beginning, and trying to exin only caused a sob to escape from my throat.


    Shaking my head, I couldn¡¯t find the words I needed to speak clearly. Every time I opened my mouth, tears kept pouring down my face, and eventually it was the warmth of James¡¯ hug that broke me.


    His hand running through my hair as he hushed me made me feel safe, but how was he going to look at me when he found out what happened?


    ¡°Please tell me,¡± James begged, and as he pulled away, I could see the concern and worry in his face.


    He wanted to fix it, but what was done was done.


    There was no fixing what had happened to me.


    ¡°I was eating pizza and watching TV. Chad... he was at the door...¡±


    ¡°Chad, did this?!¡± James yelled in anger. ¡°That f*cking prick was at my house!¡±


    ¡°James please... I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t ask him toe here. He pushed through the door when I told him to get lost, and he attacked me. I fought him off, but I don¡¯t know what would have happened if I didn¡¯t have my taser...¡±


    James understood my hesitant admission. I didn¡¯te out directly and say he tried to sexually assault me, but the vague response were preludes to what Chad was nning to do.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to f*cking kill him,¡± James replied, storming from the bathroom.


    I didn¡¯t want James to get in trouble for what happened, and racing after him, I caught his arm at the top of the stairs.


    ¡°Please... just don¡¯t. Don¡¯t involve yourself with this. He¡¯s gone...¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to sit there and expect me to let this go?!¡± he yelled at me, jerking his arm from my grasp. ¡°He was in my f*cking home, Ba!¡±


    The more he yelled, the more I cried. After a moment of staring at me, though, a heavy sigh left him, and he moved towards me again, pulling me into his arms.


    ¡°Please, just don¡¯t leave me tonight. Please?¡± I begged, not wanting to be alone.


    The situation was more than frustrating, but through it all, having him with me was what made me feel safe. It made me realize there were people out there that cared about me. Even if I was just the girl he was f*cking.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you cleaned up and into bed,¡± he replied as he gestured for me to follow him to his room.


    Sitting on his bed, I watched him walk towards the bathroom and turn on the shower. My mind was in disarray as I tried toe to terms with what had happened to me.


    I was angry, yes, but not so much over what happened.


    Instead, I was angry I allowed the situation to happen with him at all. I should never have opened the door. I should have kept it closed or reported him thest time I saw him. Instead, I didn¡¯t.


    I tried to justify him as a pretty boy with mommy issues that needed to be put in his ce... but I was wrong.


    The bad thing was, I knew before there were stories about his father being like this. I had heard how his father had multiple usations of abuse to women in the past, and yet never once did I consider Chad would be that way.


    Until today.... Today he proved me wrong.

 Chapter 28 : Don’t Leave Me

    <h4>Chapter 28: Chapter 28 : Don¡¯t Leave Me</h4>


    Waking the next morning, I felt stiff joints in my body protesting against the altercation that happened the night before. James had been a man of his word. He stayed with me all night and held me until the rising sun shone through the curtains.


    Unsure of how to take everything in, I slid from the bed and made my way towards the bathroom, my eyes not wanting to look into the mirror to see how awful I looked, and even though James told me it wasn¡¯t bad, I knew otherwise.


    The pain radiating across my head proved just how bad it was, and as I found the courage to look in the mirror I gasped.


    My hands came to my mouth as I took in the sight before me.


    Massive bruises covered the side of my face from my cheek down to my jawline. A minor cut shed the top of my head from when I hit the wall when I fell. Even my arms had small bruises on them, and more were ck now that time had passed.


    ¡°Oh, my god...¡± I gasped again, wiping the few stray tears that escaped my eyes.


    I couldn¡¯t believe this was the gift I was left with from Chad. After all those years of being nothing but kind to him, this was how he had repaid me.


    It was disgusting, and as much as I wanted to call the cops, there was no point.


    Chad¡¯s family was wealthy, and I had seen what they had done to other women. His father would paint a picture of how I liked it rough, and that Chad was just giving me what I wanted. That I had invited him toe over.


    Something like that would make national news, and there was no way I would allow the incident to tarnish my future. Something like that would make Yale try to get rid of me.


    Being so close to graduation, I couldn¡¯t afford for my future to be destroyed.


    No matter how much I wanted him to pay.


    ¡°Ba?¡± James¡¯ voice caught me off guard, and pushing a smile on my face, I stepped from the bathroom to meet him in the middle of his room.


    His eyes seemed sad, but he held a white take-out bag and a tray with coffee and juice. The fact he had taken the effort to go get me food made my heart swell.


    ¡°You went to pick up breakfast?¡± I asked, trying to divert his attention away from the marks on my body.


    ¡°Yeah, I figured you may want to just take it easy today. So I was thinking... takeout and movies?¡± he replied, pushing a smile onto his lips.


    Stepping forth, I moved towards him, running my hands over his tight, rippling chest as I smiled and leaned in, kissing him.


    ¡°That sounds amazing. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me, Ba.¡± He set the bags and drinks on his dresser. He kissed me again, wrapping his hands around my waist, pulling me close.


    ¡°I do though,¡± I sighed, casting my eyes down, ashamed of myself. ¡°I have done nothing but caused drama for you, and I hate that this happened in your home. I shouldn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Words escaped me, but he didn¡¯t seem to pay any mind.


    Instead, he lifted my chin with one finger and forced me to look at him, teary-eyed.


    ¡°You are mine to worry about, Ba. Never think you¡¯re a burden to me.¡±


    As much as I wanted to cry again, I held myself together. Because, the more I grew upset, the more Chad was winning.


    I couldn¡¯t continue to let myself be affected. Instead, I had to be strong and show I wasn¡¯t someone who could be affected this way.


    ¡°Oh, I was going to tell you that your dad tried calling you earlier. I didn¡¯t answer your phone or anything, but it was ringing. You were just so tired, I didn¡¯t want to wake you up,¡± James said, changing the subject.


    ¡°Oh¨C¡± I said smiling. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you pick a movie, and I will go into the next room and call him quickly? It¡¯s just our regr weekly conversations.¡±


    James nodded as I picked my phone up from the nightstand and padded my way towards my room. My finger hesitated over the call button next to my father¡¯s phone. Usually, I would FaceTime him, but today I¡¯d have to y it off and just make it a normal call.


    I couldn¡¯t allow my father to see me like this. He would flip his shit.


    ¡°Ba?¡± my dad said in a curious tone. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you video chatting with me?¡±


    Of course, he would start off like that.


    ¡°Oh, because I just got out of the shower. That¡¯s why I missed your call. I¡¯m a bit sore from my run.¡± It was a lie, but he did know how I liked to run.


    ¡°I have told you about overworking yourself.¡± His concern caused me to smile. ¡°So tell me, what¡¯s new?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much. I spent some time on the beach and what not. Just a little rest and rxation,¡± I replied, not going into many details.


    My father was a stickler for the details, and if I started telling him too much, he would ask a lot of questions that would eventually cause me to spill the truth.


    ¡°Sounds like fun. With school starting in a few weeks, you need it, hunny.¡±


    ¡°I know, but... I actually wanted to speak to you about that,¡± I replied, letting out a heavy sigh as I considered what I was actually going to say.


    As much as I enjoyed my time here with James, I felt a little out of ce. There was so much going on and too manyplications. Part of me missed my father terribly, but the other part of me didn¡¯t want him to worry.


    ¡°Well, spit it out. What¡¯s happened?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing¡¯s happened. I just was thinking abouting to stay with you for a few weeks before school goes back in session. I haven¡¯t been able to spend much time with youtely, and I miss you.¡± Thinking about missing him brought forth so many emotions.


    Emotions that I had been ignoring, and trying to bury, so that I didn¡¯t face facts that my life waspletely messed up.


    ¡°Well, you know you can alwayse here, hunny. You don¡¯t have to ask me to do that. I just thought you were enjoying your summer with Tally.¡±


    Ah, Tally... that f*cking bitch was not what I called fun anymore.


    ¡°Honestly, dad... she has really shown her true colors this summer, and I¡¯m considering she and I will have to go our separate ways after this summer. Her outlook on life is not the same as mine,¡± I exined, hoping that he could understand.


    He always thought my friendship with her was wonderful. Then again, he had never seen the side of her I had.


    ¡°You do whatever you think is best, Ba,¡± he replied, catching me by surprise.


    ¡°Thanks, Dad. I¡¯m going to get off here though so I can get dressed and get some food. I¡¯ll call you this weekend?¡±


    ¡°Sounds great. Be safe. I love you.¡±


    His words forced a rush of emotions over me as I choked out an I love you, too.


    I hated that this was how things had turned out, but I always had a way out. I could leave at any moment and go home to my dad¡¯s, and he would take me with open arms.


    That was something a lot of people in the world today didn¡¯t have the chance to do.


    Collecting myself, I pushed back the building emotions and made my way back towards James¡¯ room. He sat on the edge of the bed with the remote in his hand, staring at the TV screen.


    ¡°So you¡¯re leaving?¡± he whispered before his eyes met mine.


    I hadn¡¯t known he was listening to what I was saying to my father, and guilt filled me, hearing him acknowledge what I was nning. Biting my bottom lip, I sighed and moved towards him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to, but things have be soplicated here, James. Between Tally and Chad... then this situation with you. What do you expect me to do?¡±


    My question caused him to be silent, but as he stood, he shook his head, running his hands through his hair. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Not leave, maybe?¡±


    ¡°We both knew eventually I would leave to go back to school,¡± I reminded him to show him there was no difference in leaving then or two weeks sooner.


    ¡°Yes, I know. Even though I wish you wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t want a rtionship, James,¡± I replied, watching him stare at me with confusion. As much as I wanted it to be more, it couldn¡¯t be. I would never be epted this way with him by anyone outside of the two of us.


    He was old enough to be my father, not that it mattered to me.


    Also, he was Tally¡¯s father. A girl who had been my best friend for years.


    ¡°What if we could be?¡± he finally asked, catching me off guard.


    ¡°What if we could be what? More than this?¡± I asked, with confusion.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He smiled. ¡°What if this could be more? Would you stay then?¡±


    James was actingpletely differently than he had before. I wasn¡¯t sure what to say to his offer because I wasn¡¯t going to change schools for this. He would have to ept me finishing a year there and thening here.


    Also, his daughter¡ªmy friend¡ªwouldn¡¯t ept this.


    ¡°What about Tally? She doesn¡¯t know, and we can¡¯t keep this a secret forever. She would find out eventually, and that would be bad for the both of us. This would create a scandal... and even if that wasn¡¯t an issue, I want to finish myst year at Yale. Would you be okay with long distance?¡±


    He stared at me in disbelief, as if thinking about what I was saying. In all honesty, I cared about him way more than I expected myself to care. I wanted to be with him. I wanted to have a life with him, and I was terrified to lose him.


    ¡°If we could sort Tally out, you would stay with me...¡± he said again, and with a shrug of my shoulders, I nodded.


    ¡°In a perfect world, yes, I would, but things aren¡¯t as easy as that. Things aren¡¯t perfect all the time, and right now, I don¡¯t want to think about the future. I just want to spend time with you. I want to be with you however I can until the timees for me to go back to school.¡±


    There was no telling what would end up happening over the next few weeks, but I wasn¡¯t going to allow that to affect the present. All I wanted to do was be with him.


    He made everything better, and if I could be happy like this, then so be it.


    Even if it was only short-lived.

 Chapter 29 : Settling Debts

    <h4>Chapter 29: Chapter 29 : Settling Debts</h4>


    James.


    There was no way to describe how I felt the moment I saw Ba in the state she was in. I wanted to kill Chad... but no matter how much I wanted to, I knew she needed me more than I needed vengeance.


    I didn¡¯t condone hurting women, and even when Allison used to strike me and get physical with me when she was drunk, I never hit her.


    Even though there were many times when I wanted to.


    To hit a woman was a boyish thing to do.


    Pacing around my office, I tried to collect my thoughts. I hadn¡¯t wanted toe in today to sort things out at work, but Ba made it clear she wouldn¡¯t allow me to miss work because of her.


    The damn woman was too kind for the people of this world, and I wished I could take her away from the cruelty and show her the life she deserved.


    I was conflicted, though. This was only supposed to be a casual, fun thing, and instead it was turning into something else. It was bing more, and I wasn¡¯t even trying to make it that way, but I couldn¡¯t stop being around her.


    Every moment I was away from her, she clouded my thoughts and drove me towards insanity. Like a drug that I was hooked on¡ªI needed another fix.


    Hearing her talk to her father, though, struck something deep inside me.


    She was nning to leave earlier than expected, and the moment I heard the conversation, I felt my heart clench at the idea.


    I didn¡¯t want her to go. I didn¡¯t want to know she left, and there was no telling if I would see her again. So when I asked her to stay, my mind started spinning.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± I yelled to no one as I stood staring out the window. ¡°What am I doing?¡±


    Running my hands through my hair, I let them slide down my face as I groaned in frustration. Until that prick got what he deserved, I would never be able to get anything done.


    Pulling out my phone, I called Be, the head of my security teams. My orders were explicit to him that morning. I wanted to know where Chad was, because until I sorted him out, I couldn¡¯t focus on getting Ba to stay.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Valentino?¡± Be said through the phone. He already knew what I wanted.


    ¡°Well... did you find him?¡± I snapped.


    It wasn¡¯t his fault I was angry, and I wasn¡¯t trying to take it out on him.


    But I wanted this f*cker found sooner rather thanter.


    ¡°Yes, sir. He is currently staying at The Setai. My men have eyes on him now. It seems he is drinking on the beach in a lounge chair. Shall we bring him to you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied quickly. ¡°I want you to have him go to his room. I will be there shortly, but be discreet. I don¡¯t want him to know I¡¯ming.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. I will make sure it happens,¡± Be replied, and I had no doubt that he would.


    There was a reason I hired Be. He was ex-special forces and a man that came with high regards from a few military men I knew. Back in the day, he was the one you called when things went wrong.


    He fixed things. His nickname, The Handyman.


    Shoving my phone into my pocket, I made my way towards the elevators, not bothering to tell Evette what I was doing. She had worked with me long enough to know when I was on a mission, there was no point in stopping me.


    Just move along and reschedule my appointments.


    It was the one thing I liked about her¡ªshe rarely asked questions.


    Exiting the building, I saw my driver standing with the door open, waiting for me to enter.


    ¡°Where to, sir?¡±


    ¡°The Setai,¡± I replied before he closed the door.


    I had a problem to deal with, and it was one I was looking forward to.


    *******


    Pulling up to The Setai, I clenched my hands and took a deep breath. The owner was very familiar with who I was and actually held a g here once a year to celebrate the rich and famous of Miami.


    My mind was clear about what I was about to do. I told Ba I wouldn¡¯t, but there was no way I could let this go.


    Stepping from the car, I made my way inside. Instantly, faces recognized me, and the general manager came out to greet me.


    ¡°Mr. Valentino! It¡¯s wonderful to see you again. Were you looking to stay?¡±


    ¡°No, Tom. I am taking care of something quickly. However, it may be good if you look into having one of your guests removed from this hotel,¡± I replied, walking past him and heading towards the elevator. Be already informed me of what floor the little prick was on, and I knew he would be waiting for me.


    As soon as I reached the floor, Be greeted me at the open doors. ¡°He is inside, sir.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Be handed me a key card, and I opened the door, walking inside.


    Chad¡¯s eyes met mine and widened in surprise. ¡°What the f*ck are you doing in my room?¡±


    ¡°Shut the f*ck up and sit down, boy, before you make things worse for yourself.¡±


    There was no edge of reason with me at the moment, and if Chad continued the way he was, he was going to find himself in the hospital.


    ¡°Who the f*ck do you think you are, old man? Do you know who I am?¡±


    Laughter escaped me as I watched him try to act big and bad. Chad stood, jaw clenched, with his fists balled as if he was actually going to do something to me.


    ¡°No, do you know who the f*ck I am?¡± I snapped. ¡°You have no influence down here, boy. This is Miami, not New York. If you¡¯re not careful, you will find yourself in a very bad position.¡±


    Hesitating, Chad seemed to carefully weigh my words as I watched his shoulders slightly rx. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want to talk to you abouting to my house and attacking Ba.¡±


    Laughter escaped Chad at myment. ¡°Is that what that bitch told you? She invited me there, and I didn¡¯t attack her. She asked for¡ª¡±


    Fury filled me as I cleared the spot between us and punched him in his face. My grip on his throat as I stared down at him waning as Ba¡¯s pleading voice to let it go was the only thing stopping me from beating him within an inch of his life.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare f*cking talk about her like that. I saw you on the f*cking cameras, Chad. How would your daddy and those buddies of yours in New York like to see that video?¡±


    ¡°What¨CI didn¡¯t do shit!¡± he stammered, trying to cover for himself.


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit, and you know it. I want you gone, Chad. I want you out of my f*cking city, and I want it done tonight. If you don¡¯t go, there are going to be consequences.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a threat. It was a solid promise that if he didn¡¯t leave, I had no problem making him disappear. I may have been kind and gentle to Ba. I may have been a respectable businessman to others. Deep down, though, I had a wild side to me that was uncontroble.


    I would destroy Chad and make it look like an ident if I had to.


    ¡°Why the f*ck do you care about what happens to that girl, anyway?¡±


    The question brought recognition to me. Why did I care?


    Oh, perhaps it was because I cared about her more than I was willing to admit.


    ¡°That¡¯s not your business. You need to get the f*ck out of my city.¡±


    Shoving him, I stepped back and fixed my suit as I watched Chad stumble over his own feet. He wasn¡¯t as big and bad as he thought, and the fact he was trying to y this off annoyed me.


    ¡°You know... Tally said she thought Ba was seeing someone, and she told people she thought you were f*cking one of her friends.¡± Chadughed, ¡°It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Sneering at him, I shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. However, you would be dead if she was.¡±


    The only reason he wasn¡¯t dead right now was because of Ba. She would know right away I had something to do with it, and I would lose her forever.


    ¡°Whatever... you¡¯re f*cking banging her aren¡¯t you?! Holy shit... I can¡¯t wait to tell Tally. She is going to flip hearing her supposed best friend is f*cking her father.¡±


    ncing towards Be, I raised a brow, and Be knew exactly what I wanted to happen. I tried to y it calm. I tried to do as Ba asked, but now this little shit was bringing Tally into it... it seemed he needed a lesson.


    Be¡¯s approach to Chad caused Chad to try and bolt. However, Be was skilled and within two seconds, Chad was within his hands, restrained.


    ¡°You know... I tried to give you an easy way out,¡± I said as I took my suit jacket off andid it neatly on the back of the sofa. ¡°Yet, you just don¡¯t learn, do you?¡±


    ¡°Man, let me go!¡± he yelled. ¡°I was just f*cking around. I know you wouldn¡¯t sleep with that stupid bitch. She is beneath you, and doesn¡¯t deserve anyone!¡±


    Rolling up my sleeves, I shook my head andughed. ¡°Be, he just keeps digging himself a deeper hole, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    Beughed at myment, raising his brow but remaining silent. He knew very well how dark I could be, and this was amusement for him.


    ¡°Ba deserves the world, Chad. Something you never were going to give her. I think you will find it is you who is beneath her, you spoiled f*cking prick. So you leave me no choice but to show you what happens to pricks like you when you f*ck with those who rule and control the streets of Miami.¡±


    There was no stopping me once I started. Hit after hit, I made a point to show him how much he had affected Ba when he attacked her.


    I didn¡¯t have to say anything to him after that point. The blows spoke volumes, and with every grunt, I hit him harder.


    His blood may have coated my hands, but I¡¯d leave him alive to learn his lesson.


    If he didn¡¯t... well, there was no telling if he would live through another lesson.


    I only prayed Ba wouldn¡¯t be angry with me in the end.

 Chapter 30 : Secrets Uncovered

    <h4>Chapter 30: Chapter 30 : Secrets Uncovered</h4>


    Ba.


    After the conversation with James the day before, I felt the need to escape for a few days. I wasn¡¯t sure what I was going to do or where I would go, but the confusion I felt made me unsure of everything.


    I was goingpletely against my beliefs and acting a fool.


    However, deep inside me, I felt nothing but love for him.


    Love... I couldn¡¯t believe I could still feel such a thing after Chad.


    Yet, with James, he made me feel like anything was possible.


    Sitting on my bed, I took in my open suitcase and stacks of clothing I had been folding. I had no idea what I was doing, but the thought of leaving him broke my heart.


    How had this manplicated my life as much as he had?


    Perhaps I needed to juste clean with him. Tell him how much I cared about him, and see if there was a way to make the chaos go away.


    Picking up my phone, I hesitated and then dialed James¡¯ number. I wanted to tell him the truth. Tell him I loved him, and I never wanted to part from him.


    The notion was foolish because there was no way he loved me. With a deep sigh, I waited for him to answer. The only problem was the sound of his phone ringing came from down the hall, and James was supposed to be at work.


    Frowning, I stoodt and padded my way out into the hall to see James¡¯ door partly closed. For him toe back, and not even tell me he was here, was out of character for him.


    ¡°James?¡± I whispered, pushing the door open to see his white dress shirt sttered with blood lying on the floor. My heart raced as my breath quickened.


    What the hell had happened? ¡°James?!¡± my shrieking voice called out.


    Pushing through the panic, I rushed the few steps towards his bathroom and spotted him half naked, standing in front of the sink, with blood sttered across his hands and droplets on the side of his face. ¡°Oh, my god! What happened?¡±


    His eyes met mine, and within them was so much disgust, I wasn¡¯t sure if I had done something to him, because never once had he looked at me like that before. ¡°Nothing, Ba. Just give me a moment, okay?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me... don¡¯t tell me this is nothing, James. What the hell happened?¡±


    His eyes turned cold for a moment as he let a heavy breath escape him. ¡°I got into a fight. Now go. I need to clean up.¡±


    James getting into a fight didn¡¯t make sense. He was disconnected from me in a way I have never seen him before. To make matters worse, he was pushing me away.


    ¡°With who¡ª¡± I asked, hoping it wasn¡¯t what I thought.


    There was only one person I know of that he may go toe to toe with, and that was Chad.


    Chad deserved to have his ass beat, but I didn¡¯t want James to get involved with it. I didn¡¯t want any blood on James¡¯ hands, and if James hurt Chad that bad, there would be vengeance from his family.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now. Get out, and let me clean up,¡± he snapped.


    The tone of his voice was beyond unrecognizable. He had never spoken to me like this, and if he thought I was going to take it, he had another thinging.


    ¡°No. I want f*cking answers now, James. Whose blood is this?!¡± I yelled back, watching his eyes widen in surprise.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want that answer. Now, don¡¯t make me ask you again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Chad¡¯s, isn¡¯t it. You went after him after I told you not to, didn¡¯t you?!¡± Shaking my head, I turned and walked away from him. ¡°I¡¯m done... I can¡¯t do this anymore.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?!¡± he yelled before my arm was snatched and I was pulled back to him. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving me, Ba. This was for you. To get you the retribution you deserved.¡±


    ¡°For me?¡± I gasped. ¡°This is only going to cause me problems, James. His family wille after the both of us. How could you let yourself do that?¡±


    With thin, tight lips he narrowed his gaze at me. ¡°Because no one touches what¡¯s mine.¡±


    Looking up into his eyes, I saw the desperation, the raw passion he had for me and even though I was pissed, my core clenched with anticipation. ¡°F*ck you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, f*ck me?¡± He all butughed as he pushed me against the wall, pinning my arms above my head. ¡°Is this what you want, Ba?¡± he whispered with a smile.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be saying that¡¯s what you want?¡± I snapped, before his lips captured mine with a heated passion that caused a moan to escape me as his free hand pulled my shorts off and he slipped his fingers deep inside my tight c*nt.


    ¡°You¡¯re not leaving me,¡± he growled before the head of his c*ck pressed against my folds, and he thrusted roughly inside me.


    Was this an ideal moment to have sex? No. I didn¡¯t care, though. I was addicted to him, and the sex was ten times better when he was angry.


    ¡°You want me to stay?¡± I moaned softly as he thrusted into me over and over again. My nails dug into his hand from where he had my wrists pinned.


    ¡°You are going to stay,¡± he replied, nipping at my bottom lip.


    Harder and harder, he f*cked me against the wall. As if all the built up tension he had right now was finally being released, and I was the only outlet that gave him that satisfaction.


    It wasn¡¯t until he smirked that I realized the excitement in it all. Releasing my wrists, he wrapped his arm around me and carried me towards the bed with his thick erection still buried inside me.


    My back hit the nkets of his bed as he continued to please me. His mouth upon my erect nipple, and my fingers in his hair. ¡°F*ck...¡± I moaned as I felt close toing undone.


    It was moments like this that set my soul on fire and constantly made me question whether leaving was a good choice. He was a drug I had be addicted to, and I never wanted it to stop.


    ¡°Dad?¡± A voice we were both too familiar with said just as he tipped me over the edge, and I came hard, screaming out in pleasure as the door to the bedroom opened, and in stepped Tally, wide-eyed and mouth parted in absolute shock.


    ¡°What the f*ck!¡± she screamed in anger. ¡°I f*cking knew it! I didn¡¯t want to believe that you were the one betraying me, but this?!!¡±


    ¡°Tally, wait.. It isn¡¯t what you think...¡± I said as James and I pulled apart, and I stood from the bed shaking my head and rushing to her. ¡°I wanted to tell you...¡±


    A p echoed across the room as the sting of her hit rang through my face. The bruise that was already there hurt worse from the contact, and tears quickly filled my eyes.


    I had betrayed her, which wasn¡¯t what I had nned to do, but as fate would have it, she found out anyway, and the betrayal stuck.


    ¡°Taliana!¡± James yelled as he grabbed her and pushed her back. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare f*cking strike her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a f*cking whore!¡± Tally yelled. ¡°You¡¯re no friend of mine, you f*cking bitch!¡±


    I was at a loss for words about what I was about to do. My heart was breaking knowing how much I¡¯d f*cked up by doing this. Then on top of it, I¡¯d lied and kept it a secret from her.


    Nothing would ever be the same, and the guilt weighed heavily on my heart.


    ¡°Tally, I¡¯m sorry... please listen to me,¡± I said as I pulled on my clothes. ¡°I can exin.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she yelled again. ¡°How long has this shit been going on? Are you guys serious or are you just trying to steal my dad¡¯s money? Cause he would never take you seriously!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not together,¡± James replied with a clenched jaw.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief,¡± Tally snapped, staring at me with a murderous glint in her eyes.


    My eyes cast towards James, looking for him to exin or borate. Yet, instead, he looked away from me, back at his daughter. ¡°Stop it. It¡¯s just sex, Tally. She is an adult, and we were both bored. There is nothing more to this, so stop acting like you haven¡¯t done the same before.¡±


    ¡°So she means nothing to you,¡± Tally asked, staring at her father. ¡°You don¡¯t care for her?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± James scoffed. ¡°Of course, not. She knows this is just sex.¡±


    James¡¯ words were like a knife to my heart. I knew we weren¡¯t official, but to hear him be so dismissive towards me took me by surprise. The time we had spent together had meant a great deal to me.


    Hell, I was in love with the man, and he barely stood up for me to his daughter.


    Instead, I was just some girl he had been f*cking.


    ¡°That¡¯s how you see things?¡± I asked, as he turned his gaze towards me. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Ba, you know very well what this is, and Tally is clearly not happy.¡±


    Shaking my head, I pushed past them. ¡°I¡¯m done, James. F*ck you both.¡±


    I was a fool to ever consider the idea of James and I. To think he and I could be more than we were. The past few weeks had been the best of my life, and yet it had all been fake.


    Grabbing my clothes, I shoved them into my suitcase and made my way around my room, grabbing everything else. Only when a knock came at the door did my heart all but stop, and I froze in my ce.


    ¡°Ba... open up, it¡¯s me,¡± James said from the other side. ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    Snatching the door open, I sneered at him, narrowing my eyes. ¡°What is there left to say? You made it clear what you thought about me, so I¡¯m leaving to appease you and your f*cking daughter.¡±


    James quickly shut the door behind him and gently grabbed my arm, pulling me towards him. ¡°Don¡¯t go. I didn¡¯t mean it. I was just trying to calm her down, Ba. You know I care about you.¡±


    ¡°Really?! Because to me it looked like all I was good for was for a quick f*ck. I¡¯m not wanted here, so I¡¯m leaving. I¡¯ll get a hotel or something.¡±


    Pulling away from him, I turned and continued packing my things. I was really done this time, and through all the anger, I forced myself not to cry.


    I couldn¡¯t give them the satisfaction of my tears.


    ¡°Ba, please... let me figure something out¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why is she even home today? She wasn¡¯t supposed to be back till tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Thest show was canceled or something¡ª¡± James said, quickly cutting himself off when he realized what he had just done.


    With wide-eyes I turned to him, ¡°You knew... you knew she wasing home, and you still let us get caught? How could you?¡±


    ¡°Because, Ba. I didn¡¯t want to have to keep you a secret anymore,¡± he admitted, causing shock to fill me. He did this for his own satisfaction. Never once did he talk to me about telling her.


    ¡°We could have used words, James! Not letting her walk in on us f*cking!¡±


    This showed just how much he actually cared. It wasn¡¯t about how much money he spent or the fancy ces he took me. I didn¡¯t need any of that.


    All I wanted was him, and instead, he didn¡¯t take my opinion into ount with this.


    He just did what he wanted.


    Zipping up my bag, I grabbed my things and pushed past him, making my way down the stairs. Tally¡¯s voice carried from the living room before I spotted her standing there, talking on the phone.


    No doubt she was telling her mother the truth.


    ¡°Ba, please wait... don¡¯t go.¡± James said, calling after me.


    ¡°F*ck that! She is leaving!¡± Tally screamed, storming towards us. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see this bitch again!¡±


    ¡°Go f*ck off, Tally. All you ever cared about was yourself.¡±


    Turning towards the door, I made my way out. A taxi pulled up to the front that I had ordered while I was in my room. Heartbroken, I tried to understand where I went wrong.

 Chapter 31 : Hiding Out

    <h4>Chapter 31: Chapter 31 : Hiding Out</h4>


    A few weeks ago, I came to Miami with the full intent of having the time of my life. In a matter of days after arriving, I found out how true that statement was going to be.


    James Valentino came back into my life like a hurricane and changed everything.


    The erotic way he touched me caused my body toe to life, and every moment spent with him was intoxicating¡ªhowever, it was short-lived and bittersweet.


    The taxi pulled away from the house, and as it did, I didn¡¯t bother to look back. I had no idea where I was going, but with my phone in my hand, I knew of someone who might be able to help.


    ¡°Hello?¡± the familiar sweet voice said on the other end of the line as tears finally fell down my cheeks.


    ¡°Allegra... it¡¯s Ba. Can Ie stay with you for a few days?¡±


    ¡°Of course, babe. I¡¯ll text you the address,¡± she replied while hanging up the phone.


    I barely knew the woman, and yet she had been kinder to me than most. She had told me back in the Bahamas if I ever needed anything, I could reach out to her.


    Perhaps she knew this might happen... like a seer who could tell the future.


    Allegra was far wiser than she appeared, but from what she said, she was just observant.


    ¡°Can you take me to the River Edge please?¡± I asked the driver as I wiped my tears.


    ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am.¡± The driver turned down another road and headed straight towards the ocean until arge ck building came into view. Therge bay windows of the building glistened in the Miami sun.


    This woman had more money than I¡¯d realized, and from the looks of it, she was living it up in Miami the way most people dreamed of living.


    ¡°Here we are.¡± The driver came to a stop. Pulling cash from my purse, I handed it over to him, saying thank you as he got out to help me with my things.


    Walking into the building, I followed the directions Allegra gave me, and before I knew it, I was standing at her front door, forcing back my tears as she opened it with wide arms and a shocked face.


    ¡°Oh, honey. What happened to you?¡± She ushered me in and closed the door. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but I have alcohol and food on the way. We are going to sit here and talk about this, because if you¡¯re leaving James¡¯ house, it means something bad happened.¡±


    Tears streamed down my cheeks as Iughed, nodding my head. ¡°Thank you for letting me stay here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sweetie. You don¡¯t have to thank me. Go put your stuff in the room down the hall with the blue walls. Come out when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Giving her a small smile, I turned down the hallway, feeling her eyes on me the entire time. One may think that being here with her was weird, but since the night at the club, the two of us had be close¡ªand not sexually.


    She was like a big sister to me, minus the weird idea of it, considering what we had done. She was just really close to me and helped me clear my mind with a lot of things.


    Not to mention she put me in contact with a friend of hers who could help me with my dissertation. I had never had a friend like her before, and now with Tally hating me...


    She was the only friend I had.


    Stepping into the room, I sighed, looking around at thevish beautiful set up it had. It was simplistic, but it reflected Allegra¡¯s nautical appeal. She loved the ocean and boating, and this was a highlight of her true loves in life.


    Forty-five minutester, and one amazing hot shower, I exited the room to find her standing at the bar, scrolling through her phone with an array of food in front of her and one huge pitcher of margaritas.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding about the food and drinks,¡± I chuckled as she looked up at me,ughing.


    ¡°I told you I had you. Now, let¡¯s pour you a drink, and then you tell me everything that happened.¡± Allegra didn¡¯t waste time with preparing things. She pulled a tall, clear ss from the counter and filled it to the top, popping a metal straw inside before sliding it towards me.


    Her eyebrows raised to tell me to start talking.


    ¡°James and I got into an argument earlier¡ª¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Is that what happened to your face?¡± she asked with a cautious nce.


    ¡°My face¡ªoh, no, no, no. This was someone else... my ex, Chad.¡±


    Her eyes widened, having remembered what I had told her in the Bahamas. ¡°The super dick did that to you?! Did you call the cops?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied, taking a long sip of my drink. ¡°If I had, it could have destroyed my future. His family is too powerful, and his dad is good at ruining people¡¯s lives.¡±


    Scoffing, Allegra rolled her eyes, shaking her head. ¡°I hope James taught that little f*ck a lesson, then.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure he did. He came home covered in blood.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, Ba... it doesn¡¯t surprise me. I have known James for a while, and he isn¡¯t the kind of man that takes kindly to women getting beat on. He may seem sweet, but sweetie, he has a side to him you don¡¯t know. He can be dangerous.¡±


    I knew Allegra was trying to make me feel better, but it scared me to know he could be that way. Violence doesn¡¯t solve problems, and he took it upon himself to take care of something that didn¡¯t pertain to him.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m realizing that. We argued about it and then had amazing sex...¡±


    Allegra choked on her drink after hearing myment andughed at my exaggeration of amazing sex. ¡°Oh, well, I¡¯m d to hear it was amazing, but then what the hell happened for you to leave if you guys stopped fighting?¡±


    Opening my mouth, I closed it again, trying to find the words I needed to let her know what had happened. My heart was shattered, but the argument with Tally and James kept reying over and over in my head.


    ¡°Tally walked in on us,¡± I whispered as a smallugh escaped me.


    Allegra¡¯s eyes were wide as she stared at me. Her mouth was agape, and the wheels in her mind were spinning. ¡°Oh, f*ck.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, oh f*ck is right.¡±


    ¡°What did she do? I mean, like I thought she was with her mom.¡± Allegra said in disbelief, and thatment alone made me want to cry.


    ¡°She was, but she called James and let him know she wasing home early, and he knew she could catch us. But instead of talking to me about it, and us talking to her normally, he just let her walk in and catch us having sex.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Allegra exhaled. ¡°I bet she was f*cking pissed about that. Never did care for that girl. She always acted like she was better than everyone else.¡±


    Allegra wasn¡¯t wrong with that observation. Tally thought she was better than everyone else, and that was her biggest downfall. She didn¡¯t care about anyone else¡¯s feelings, and it didn¡¯t matter how many times she hurt you... if you hurt her, you were done.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want it to happen that way.¡± I tried to hold back my tears. ¡°She flipped out, called me names, and I even think she called and told her mother.¡±


    ¡°Did James not say anything?¡± she asked as she took my now empty ss and refilled it. ¡°I mean, I can¡¯t see him just standing there doing nothing.¡±


    ¡°Actually, he told her we were nothing, and I was just someone he was f*cking. That we were consensual adults or some shit. Then, when I told him I was leaving, he tried to get me to stay, and said he only told her that to get her to stop flipping out.¡±


    The entire time I had known Allegra, I had never seen her get upset about anything. She was a carefree spirit who lived life to the fullest. Everything was spiritual to her, and the world was hers to explore.


    However, the moment I told her what James said, her happy persona disappeared.


    ¡°Are you f*cking kidding me?¡± she asked with narrowed brows. ¡°He acted that way?¡±


    ¡°Uh¨Cyeah. I mean, he stopped Tally after she hit me when she caught us, but other than that, he did nothing. He didn¡¯t evene outside with me when I walked out of the house. Instead, he stayed with Tally.¡±


    Standing from her seat, Allegra walked around to where I was sitting and wrapped her arms around me. The tears I was holding back cascaded down my face as I cried on her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m such a fool. I went in knowing it was just sex, but then when he started acting like he cared, I thought maybe it could be more.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, sweetie. Allison f*cked him up, and he obviously can¡¯t see a good thing if it pped him in the face. Sometimes I swear I don¡¯t know whether to smother that man or beat his ass.¡±


    Laughter escaped me as I pictured Allegra beating James¡¯ ass. He was a very well defined man, and Allegra was a tall, blonde, bubbly supermodel who maybe weighed one-fifteen soaking wet.


    ¡°Allegra!¡± a voice yelled from the front door, followed by pounding. I knew that voice. It was James, and after everything he had put me through today, I wasn¡¯t sure why he was here.


    ¡°I¡¯m not ready to see him. Please don¡¯t let him in,¡± I begged her with wide-eyes and tears streaming down my face.


    She was silent for a moment before she nodded. ¡°You go hide in the back room really quick. I will get rid of him, okay?¡±


    Moving towards my room, I stood behind the wall listening, and my heart dropped when I heard him. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t here, James,¡± Allegra replied.


    ¡°Yes, she is. I know she is here,¡± he snapped. ¡°I need to speak to her.¡±


    ¡°She WAS here,¡± Allegra emphasized. ¡°She left about an hour ago. She dropped some things off here, but said that was because she didn¡¯t want to have to carry a bunch of stuff around. She left after that, and I have no idea where she went.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± James swore. ¡°If shees back, will you call and let me know?¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t. Not after what happened. I¡¯m not getting involved in this, James. You are going to have to figure this out yourself. I mean, I love you to death, but you f*cked up.¡±


    Allegra¡¯s skills at lying impressed me. She would have had me believing what she was saying had I not already known the truth. With the shutting of her door and the sounds of footsteps, her head popped around my door with a smile.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± she said softly as she gestured for me toe back out.


    ¡°Thank you for that. I hate putting you in the middle.¡±


    Allegra¡¯s eyes met mine, and she shrugged with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m entertained with this all, and look forward to seeing how this ys out. Consider it my real life drama show.¡±


    ¡°It practically is with all the shit going on.¡±


    A heavy sigh escaped me as I bit my bottom lip, thinking about James and how he sounded. Had I seen him, I probably would have fallen into his arms, but after what he did, I wasn¡¯t sure what to do.


    ¡°You know¡ª¡± Allegra said with hesitation, ¡°you¡¯re going to have to see him, eventually.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Oh, god, did I know.


    If I wasn¡¯t strong enough, he would end up breaking my heartpletely.

 Chapter 32 : Family Drama

    <h4>Chapter 32: Chapter 32 : Family Drama</h4>


    James.


    I will be the first to say... I¡¯m a f*cking idiot.


    I felt horrible about how I¡¯d treated Ba. I didn¡¯t take into consideration her feelings at all, and I was so eager for us to be seen together, I ruined everything.


    There was no way Ba was going to speak to me after this. Fate had given me something perfect, and instead of cherishing it, I blew it out of the water with my own selfish desires.


    Not to mention my daughter caught us having sex. Something she had made clear she would never let go, no matter what happens. She has guilt tripped me in the past, but this time, she was taking it way too far.


    mming the front door, I stormed through the house. Allegra¡¯s had been a no go, and even though I was sure that¡¯s where she had gone¡ªshe wasn¡¯t there.


    Or at least she wasn¡¯t there anymore.


    My mind reeled with confliction on how to handle it all. I never meant to let things get soplicated. It was supposed to just be a summer fling. Something to do for fun while she was here, and then slowly, I became possessive of her.


    The thought of another man even touching her made my skin crawl.


    I was f*cking pathetic and had ruined everything.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Tally snapped with her arms crossed as I walked into the kitchen. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with her shit, and the more she kept opening her mouth, the more she was pissing me off.


    Stopping in my tracks, I turned to her with narrowed eyes. ¡°I am your father, and I do not have to exin myself to you. Do you understand me, Taliana?¡±


    She gasped, eyes widening before an angry re crossed her face again.


    ¡°You slept with my best friend!¡± She stomped her foot. ¡°How could you embarrass me like that?! I mean Ashley or Jane, I can understand, but... Ba? She is so beneath you!¡±


    Astonished by my daughter¡¯s remark, I shook my head,ughing. She wasn¡¯t upset I had slept with Ba because she was her friend. She was upset that it was Ba because she wasn¡¯t from our lifestyle.


    ¡°So, let me get this right. Had it been one of your uppity friends, you would have been fine, but because Ba doesn¡¯te from our lifestyle, you find her beneath you and it¡¯s a problem?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. Duh,¡± she scoffed, rolling her eyes giving a flick of her hair. ¡°It¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    ¡°You know what... never in my life have I ever been disappointed in you. But right now, I am literally disgusted with the way you are acting. That girl has been nothing but good to you, and you have been aplete heartless bitch to her. You are beneath her and don¡¯t deserve to be anywhere near her.¡±


    I had never spoken to my daughter this way before, but that was probably the reason she had the mentality she did. That, and because her mother yed a heavy part in it. Tally needed a reality check, and if I had to hurt her feelings to do it¡ªthen so be it.


    Tears filled her eyes at myment. ¡°How can you say that? I¡¯m your daughter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that because you are my daughter. I don¡¯t know who you have be over these past few years, but you¡¯re not the same little girl I raised. You have changed, and you¡¯re bing just like your mother.¡±


    Shaking my head, I left her standing in the kitchen to think about everything I¡¯d said. I wasn¡¯t going to tolerate her actions, and the more she kept on, the more she was going to find I wouldn¡¯t sustain her lifestyle anymore.


    No longer did it just have to deal with the way she treated Ba. It had to deal with the way she treated everyone in her life. It was a disappointment, and not something I would entertain financially.


    mming my office door, I slunk into my chair with a bottle of whiskey.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I was going to do now that everything had fallen apart. More than anything, I wanted to find Ba and apologize to her. Help her see I didn¡¯t mean the things I¡¯d said.


    Everything just came out wrong, and in the heat of the moment, I buckled and f*cked up.


    Looking down at my phone, I stared at her beautiful face. Only two days before I had made her photo from the Bahamas my background photo. I wasn¡¯t sure why I did it, and honestly, it was somethingpletely out of character for me.


    Yet, there she was. Smiling in the sunshine in that damn yellow dress.


    Allison¡¯s name popped up on my screen with a text message, and I groaned, thinking about what she was going to say. Against my better judgment, I opened the message, and my once calming anger grew again.


    ¡®You ruined that bitch¡¯s life, James. I won¡¯t let this go.¡¯


    F*ck. If things weren¡¯t bad already, now they are even worse.


    Hopefully, when I saw her, Ba would forgive me.


    If Allison didn¡¯t get to her first.


    *****


    Tally.


    Pissed didn¡¯t begin to exin how I felt. I should have known it was Ba sleeping with my dad. There were too many times the way she was acting waspletely sketchy. Not to mention, I had Life 360 on my dad¡¯s phone, so I knew for a fact he was in the Bahamas.


    I could only bet he took her there with him.


    Clenching my fists, I gripped my phone and stormed from the kitchen up to my room. If my father actually thought I was going to just let this go, he was sorely mistaken.


    As soon as my bedroom door closed, I called my mother. I had debated on doing this earlier, hoping my father would see reason behind what he had done.


    Had he, I wouldn¡¯t have mentioned it to my mother. I would have just let Ba humiliate herself with the notion she actually thought she could have him.


    Eventually, she would have disappeared, and without her having friends, her social life would have too. But now... she was going to pay for betraying me.


    If she couldn¡¯t be loyal to me, I would make sure she didn¡¯t betray anyone else.


    ¡°Tally... you made it home safe?¡± Mother said sweetly on the other end of the call.


    ¡°Yes, but oh, my god, Mom... you¡¯re never going to believe what I walked into.¡±


    ¡°What happened? Is everyone okay?¡± she asked with concern.


    ¡°No, everything¡¯s not fine. I literally came home to catch dad in bed... with f*cking Ba.¡±


    My mother was silent for a moment, listening to what I had said. I exined to her the entire argument, and even the fact my father didn¡¯t want to take responsibility for what he had done.


    ¡°I knew the little bitch was up to no good,¡± my mother snapped, seething with anger through the phone. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, Tally. We will think of something, because I will not stand for her acting the way she was. It¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I told Dad, but he seems to be, like,... hypnotized by whatever she was doing. God, what if he gets her pregnant?!¡± The thought alone almost took my breath away. If she ended up pregnant and was seized by my father, I would never see a penny of my money.


    She would convince him to disown me, and then... god knows what would happen.


    ¡°Oh, that little bitch better hope she isn¡¯t pregnant. But if she is, there are ways to handle that without us getting caught. For now, you just leave things to me. I will figure them out.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± I sighed. ¡°To top it all off, I heard Chad got into a nasty fight with someone. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Ba told someone to hurt him. He is a good guy, and he and Tony told me she called Chad over the other night or something... and he declined her.¡±


    I was still disgusted by the phone call I had gotten earlier in the day. It was something I nned to talk to Ba about because I heard how she tried to convince him toe over. She told him my dad was out of the house.


    Chad came from a respectable family, and I would never understand what the hell he saw in her.


    She was literally a no one and her time of mooching off of me and my money was done.


    ¡°Baby, I tried to tell you years ago that Ba was bad news. The only thing she wants is your dad¡¯s money. Why do you think your dad and I used to argue before she came down? I knew what that girl and her family were doing.¡± She made me think back to all those times my parents argued.


    She was right, though. I mean, my dad always paid for everything, and never once did her parents offer to pay him back. This wasn¡¯t a f*cking charity, and for them to act like that was disgusting as well.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± I sighed in frustration. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I was so blinded by her bullshit.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t let that little harlot bother you. I will handle her.¡± My mother replied, pointedly. That let me know she meant business.


    My mother wasn¡¯t someone to y around with. She had an evil side to her any woman should fear, because when it came to getting something she wanted, she was determined and unforgiving to anyone in her way.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll talk to youter,¡± I said, hanging up the phone.


    Deep down, though, I felt conflicted. I had really thought Ba and I were good friends, and perhaps, thinking back, sometimes I wasn¡¯t the kindest to her. However, I would never sleep with her dad.


    I couldn¡¯t understand what would possess Ba to do it. Was she lonely, or was she straight heartless? Either way, I was done with her.


    If Ba wanted to y these games, then I could, too.


    There is a saying my mother had been telling me since I was young. Never y games with someone who can y them better than you.


    And that was exactly what she did. She yed games with the wrong person, and now she was going to get burnt by her actions.


    Picking my phone up, I sent a text to the hottie I had been seeing.


    ¡®It¡¯s time to stop ying games in the dark. I think it¡¯s time we make ourselves public.¡¯


    The message went read, and when it did, I smiled at his response.


    ¡®Sounds perfect. I¡¯m done hiding too.¡¯

 Chapter 33 : Are We Done?

    <h4>Chapter 33: Chapter 33 : Are We Done?</h4>


    Ba.


    Waking the next morning, I had the worst hangover of my life. Allegra and I had stayed up all night talking,ughing, and more or less, me crying. I was a mess, but like Allegra told me, I needed to putl my big girl panties on and take care of my shit.


    The only problem was, I wasn¡¯t sure how.


    Slipping from bed, I made my way towards the bathroom to freshen myself up. I had toe up with a game n, because as nice as Allegra was, I couldn¡¯t stay in her apartment forever. Instead, it might be best if I bought my ticket home.


    Even though the other part of my brain protested against it, telling me to go after him.


    I couldn¡¯t go after him. I wasn¡¯t going to be seen as some pathetic bitch chasing after a man who didn¡¯t want her.


    Picking up my phone, though, my heart lurched. Three missed calls and over twenty texts from James and a few even from Tally.


    Tally made it clear she hated me, and I was no friend to her. That I had betrayed her and called me every name under the sun. As much as it sucked that I¡¯d hurt her, I honestly wasn¡¯t upset about us not being friends anymore.


    James, on the other hand, was begging for me to call him. To let him see me.


    Thest message he sent had my nerves on edge and my breath catching in my throat.


    ¡®I never meant for things to happen this way, Ba. I need you. Please don¡¯t walk away from me. Give me a chance to exin and fix this.¡¯


    My legs quickly turned to jelly as I sat on the bed with my hand over my mouth. Did I trust him enough to give him that chance? Did I let myself buckle under the pressure of my emotions for him to hear what he had to say?


    Against my better judgment, I sighed and sent him a message.


    ¡®Where do you want me to meet you?¡¯


    As if he was waiting by his phone for me to message him, a text came through immediately. ¡®I¡¯m at the office. Pleasee see me.¡¯


    Taking a deep breath, I stood and quickly got dressed.


    Allegra was waiting in the kitchen by the time I came out, and with a smoothie in her hand, she raised a brow at me with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re going to see him?¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡± I asked, with confusion. Had he been messaging her as well?


    ¡°I told you, Ba. I¡¯m very observant, and I see how James is around you. He isn¡¯t going to let you walk out of his life. The way he is with you... well, I have never seen him like that with anyone else.¡±


    Her admission made my heart swell, but no matter how much it entranced me, I couldn¡¯t just give in so easily. ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying, Allegra. But he made things clear before, and to be honest, I don¡¯t want to be mixed up in some outrageous drama...¡±


    ¡°Ba, I¡¯m gonna tell you what my mama told me,¡± she smiled, walking towards me. ¡°If you let your mind control you, you will never let your heart guide you. Sometimes in life, things are worth taking a risk on. Just don¡¯t let it destroy you.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure who her mom was, but I needed to see thatdy. The advice Allegra gave me was beyond remarkable, and it made so much more sense than what other people had told me.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I smiled, grabbing my purse. ¡°I will be backter.... I¡¯ll call you.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Make sure you take the spare key,¡± Allegra said, quickly fishing through a drawer in the kitchen. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Taking the key with hesitation, I furrowed my brows. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Never know when you may need to use it. Now, go see James, and don¡¯t be too harsh on him.¡±


    ¡°Wish me luck!¡± I called over my shoulder to which she replied, ¡°Break a hip, or don¡¯t.¡±


    ******


    Forty- minutester, and after fighting through traffic, I made it to James¡¯ building and was in the elevator heading up to his office. I wasn¡¯t sure if this was the best idea I ever had, but then again, sleeping with my best friend¡¯s father hadn¡¯t exactly been the highlight of ideas to have.


    My heels clicked against the floor as I stepped out and made my way towards his office, Evette¡¯s eyes catching mine as I watched her brows furrow. ¡°He¡¯s expecting you.¡±


    How would she know he was expecting me?


    Had he told her about us?


    Without questioning her, I nodded, giving her a small smile as I let a heavy breath escape me, and turned the knob, opening the door. James sat behind his desk in all his godly fashion. His eyes slowly raised to meet mine, and as they did, no smile followed.


    I thought he would have been happy to see me. Especially since he was the one who asked me here. ¡°Hello, Ba. Please take a seat.¡±


    Business oriented... and here I was, hoping for something else.


    ¡°Hello, to you as well,¡± I replied, taking a seat across from him.


    James¡¯ eyes never left mine as he sat quietly, as if going over what he wanted to say.


    ¡°So¨C¡± I said, breaking the silence, causing him to finally smile. ¡°What did you want to see me for?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want things to be bad between us, Ba,¡± he admitted, sping his hands together. ¡°I want us to be like we were.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, things kind of changed, James. Tally threw a fit... you allowed that to happen, and you told her we were nothing. We were just having sex, that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡± James snapped, catching me off guard.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what you said. You could have told her anything else, but that was what you went with. How do you think that makes me feel?¡± I snapped back, shaking my head.


    I honestly was hoping when I came here today things wouldn¡¯t end up heated like they are. Perhaps it was too soon, though. Not enough time away had allowed us to speak clearly.


    ¡°I know,¡± James groaned, running his hand over his face. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not going to beg you to stay because that isn¡¯t the kind of man that I am, but I will say I don¡¯t want you to go.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, why do you want me to stay?¡± I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. He kept saying he didn¡¯t want me to go, but he never was clear about why he wanted me to stay.


    ¡°Because we have fun together. Not to mention incredible sex...¡±


    Out of everything he could have said, that was what he was going to lead with?


    Wrong answer. ¡°So you want me to stay because you like the sex?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t twist my words. That¡¯s not what I meant¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you just f*cking said, James.¡± I yelled in frustration. ¡°God, I have no clue what you really want. I was allowing myself to feel something again. After everything Chad did to me, and yet... I was a fool because look at what has happened.¡±


    James paused after my rant with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°What were you feeling?¡±


    Shit. Of course, he would want me to borate on that confession.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, James. How can I feel the way I do when you can¡¯t even stand up to others about what you want?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± he replied. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say that because it¡¯s far from the truth.¡±


    ¡°Is it, though?¡± I replied, shaking my head. ¡°Because you let Tally dictate a lot.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I pushed to my feet and grabbed my purse. I was done with this conversation and done making myself look more of a fool than I already was.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± He stood as well. ¡°Ba, stop...¡±


    ¡°Why, James? All we are doing is fighting, and I¡¯m tired of it. I¡¯m tired of keeping secrets and everything else that is going on. I should never have let myself fall into a situation with you like that. Especially knowing there would be nothing from it.¡±


    Before I could reach the door, he took my arm and spun me to face him, pressing his lips to my own. The taste of him in my mouth was breathtaking.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I would ever kiss him again, but knowing I was right now was everything I needed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave,¡± he whispered against my lips as he pressed my back to the wall. ¡°Stay with me.¡±


    Every part of me wanted to cry, but trembling, I had to find the will to move on.


    ¡°I can¡¯t...¡± I replied, pushing back tears. ¡°I want a rtionship, James. I want someone who will love me, and it isn¡¯t fair to either of us to continue on when that will never happen.¡±


    ¡°It can happen,¡± he murmured, catching me off guard. ¡°I just need time.¡±


    Of course he did. ¡°Time for what?¡± I was curious to know his answer.


    ¡°Time for Tally to understand things better,¡± he replied, and with those words, my heart broke again.


    ¡°Why do you have to wait for your grown ass daughter to finally give you the go ahead before you can be with me¨Cor anyone else for that matter? She is never going to be okay with this. She is never going to ept it. Therefore, we can never be together.¡±


    The truth finally was out, and stepping back from me, he stared at me in disbelief. It was the truth, though. If he wanted to wait on Tally to be with someone, he was never going to be happy with another woman.


    She would always want her dad and mom to get back together.


    She would always expect him toe to her every beck and call.


    Tally was a selfish bitch, and everything was always about her. So what was the point in James and I ying pretend that this could be more than it was? None of it made sense, and I couldn¡¯t wait around hoping that it would.


    Leaning forward, I ran my hand down the side of his face and kissed him deeply.


    ¡°Goodbye, James,¡± I whispered as tears slid down my cheeks.

 Chapter 34 : Velvet & Leather

    <h4>Chapter 34: Chapter 34 : Velvet & Leather</h4>


    Making my way back to Allegra¡¯s, I kept thinking over the conversation with James. Thest time I cried as much as I was right now was when my mother died, and I thought that was going to be the most painful thing I would ever experience.


    Now, I wasn¡¯t sure that was the case.


    I had left James¡¯ office under the notion we couldn¡¯t ever be together. He made it clear he wanted to wait until Tally was okay with everything. However, that wasn¡¯t going to work for me.


    She would never be okay with us being together.


    Opening Allegra¡¯s door, I stepped inside and was met withughter. The sound of the man¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t one I recognized, and I suddenly felt bad about intruding and not letting her know I was on my way back.


    ¡°Ba!¡± Allegra eximed with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re back so soon?¡±


    ¡°Uh¨Cyeah,¡± I replied, giving her a half smile. ¡°Turns out things won¡¯t be worked out.¡±


    With a small sigh and a nod, she turned her attention to the man next to her. ¡°Well, Ba, I want you to meet someone. This is my brother, Neal.¡±


    Neal turned to me with a pearly white smile and crystal blue eyes, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile back. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Neal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you as well. I have heard a lot about you,¡± he replied, causing me to look at Allegra with a questioning nce, wondering what the hell she had told him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that you were going to be here. I hope I¡¯m not intruding on ns that you guys have.¡± I was wondering if it would be best if I packed my things and found somewhere else to stay, but Allegra spoke up quickly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Allegraughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know he wasing. He is in town for a few days on business and surprised his big sister.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Neal replied with a heartyugh that brought a warmth across my chest I hadn¡¯t been expecting. Sitting here with them right now was like weing old friends or evening home.


    I enjoyed it, and as much as my mind was lingering on James, I couldn¡¯t let that cloud my thoughts from enjoying the small time I had left in Miami.


    ¡°So, where are you from?¡± I asked, taking a seat on the loveseat across from them.


    ¡°I¡¯m from New York City. I heard you¡¯re attending Yale. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Uh¨Cyes I am.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive. That school is definitely difficult to get into,¡± he said, letting his eyes graze over me. ¡°So, are youing out with us tonight?¡±


    Furrowing my brows, I looked at them, confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking him to Velvet,¡± she said, giving me a knowing smirk. ¡°Do you want to go?¡±


    As much as I had fun with her and James thest time I was there, I wasn¡¯t sure if it would be appropriate for me to go again. ¡°I don¡¯t know... if James knew¡ª¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that it didn¡¯t work out?¡± Neal butt in, giving me a smirk that caused me tough as I hesitated in my response.


    ¡°Well, yes. I suppose that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°So why note out then? No point in sitting around sulking,¡± he said, as Allegra nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Neal¡¯s right. If James doesn¡¯t see what he is missing, then why should you sit here instead of enjoying yourself? No one is saying you have to go have group orgies or anything, but you can dance and have fun. Who knows, maybe you¡¯ll find someone who can take your mind off things....¡±


    Allegra was a wise person, yes, and when it came to making me feel better, she did one hell of a job. However, right now, I wasn¡¯t too sure if I wanted to do something like that. I wasn¡¯t the kind of girl to just go find someone else to have sex with.


    That was Tally¡¯s department, not mine.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not really that kind of person¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± Allegra said,ughing, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean like that. I just meant you can hang out with other people. Dance,ugh, and have fun. If you want to hook up with someone else, that¡¯s your choice, and I won¡¯t stop you. But I¡¯m not saying to do that.¡±


    Taking a moment to think it over, I nodded and shrugged my shoulders.


    ¡°Okay, let me find something to wear,¡± I replied, standing.


    ¡°Oh, tonight¡¯s themed,¡± Neal said with a smirk. ¡°Fis and leather.¡±


    Hesitating, I turned to Allegra and raised a brow. ¡°Say what?¡±


    Laughter began between the two of them, and for some reason I second guessed myself about going. I owned nothing that fit that criteria, and I was scared to see what Allegra would put me in.


    ¡°I have the perfect outfit for you,¡± she smirked.


    ¡°Allegra, you¡¯re way smaller than me. There is no way I would fit into something of yours.¡± I replied, shaking my head, ¡°I can just stay here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. I have tons of things that would fit you. You¡¯re not that much bigger than me. Now, no backing out. You already agreed.¡± Taking my hand, she dragged me from the living room as Nealughed.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what she had in mind for me to wear, but I had no doubt it was going to be something scandalous. I had seen the outfits she was in before, and they left nothing to the imagination.


    Walking into her room, she left me standing by her bed as she ventured towards her closet. Piece by piece, she brought out an array of items that were more than sinful.


    ¡°What size shoe are you?¡± she asked, halting at the open closet doorway.


    ¡°Uh¨Can eight.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Same as me then,¡± she eximed excitedly as she disappeared and came back with a pair of over the knee leather boots that tied all the way up the front. ¡°Take these.¡±


    Shoving them in my hand, she disappeared again, and came back with fis stockings, and a ck garment that almost looked like shreds of clothing.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked, with hesitation.


    ¡°It¡¯s a dress. Now go on and get ready. I will do your makeup.¡±


    ¡°Allegra, you don¡¯t have to do all of that¨C¡± I replied as she waved her hand, cutting me off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. I want to. I never had a little sister, and getting to y dress up with you is going to be fun. Now hurry, and get dressed.¡±


    With a heavy sigh, I started taking off my clothes, and when I was standing in my bra and panties, she turned to me with a smirk. ¡°You¡¯re not keeping those on, are you?¡±


    My cheeks grew red at herment, as she stood there looking at me with a smirk.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Because you won¡¯t be able to. Just trust me, and take them off.¡± Grabbing the fishs, she opened them up as I slid off my panties and unsped my bra. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, Ba. Don¡¯t be afraid of showing the world who and what you are... a goddess.¡±


    Kneeling at my feet, she helped to slide the stockings on that went up over my ass, and held arge hole down in the center of my crotch. ¡°There¡¯s a hole.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± she smirked before standing to gather the dress.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s get you finished, so that way, you can see how much you are going to stand out tonight.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m more of the angel type, Allegra,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Yeah, well, even Lucifer was an angel at one point.¡±


    *****


    James.


    I couldn¡¯t believe I blew it again. I told her toe over so we could talk, and I messed up the entire thing. The moment she walked out of my office, I regretted what I¡¯d said to her. Why would any woman be okay with what I¡¯d suggested?


    Tally is a grown woman, and even though I liked to consider her my little princess, she wasn¡¯t anymore. She was a woman who liked to do things her way, and if she wasn¡¯t going to listen to me, why would I put my life on hold to make her happy?


    Being a parent was a tough position.


    It meant constant confliction about what you should do for the benefit of them, and through it all, it seemed no matter the choice you made, it was never good enough.


    Instead of going home, I dove into my paperwork, the clock ticking on as I tried toe to terms with it all, and yet Ba never once left my mind.


    Did I care about her more than I was willing to admit?


    Was I in love with this girl?


    ¡°Mr. Valentino,¡± Be said from my office door.


    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± I asked with a sigh as I tried to decide on signing a few contracts that might bring me a lot of money.


    ¡°You asked me to let you know if anything progressed with Miss Woods. I wanted to let you know that she, Allegra, and an unknown man just left the apartment building and are closing in on Club Velvet.¡±


    My eyes shot up to meet his, and the wheels in my brain started spinning. Club Velvet was the fetish club I had taken Ba to, and to hear she was going with Allegra and some guy¡ªit struck a nerve.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the guy?¡± I asked through clenched teeth.


    Had Ba been ying with me this entire time? Was she seeing someone else, and that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t want to give us another chance earlier?


    ¡°We aren¡¯t sure, sir. We do know the man arrived at Allegra¡¯s home while Miss Woods was here with you.¡±


    Allegra wasn¡¯t the type of woman to bring men back to her ce. Her home was her sanctuary, and through all the years I had known her, I had only ever been there a few times. She was very private about her home.


    Which was what surprised me when she let Ba go there. She barely knew Ba.


    A lot of things weren¡¯t making sense, and part of me couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was more to Ba than she was letting on. I didn¡¯t want to think about her in that way, but considering everything I went through with Allison, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised.


    Pulling my phone from my pocket, I checked the calendar for Club Velvet. ¡°Fis...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that, sir?¡± Be asked, standing at attention waiting for my directive.


    ¡°I want you to get the car for me. I think I¡¯m going to pay Club Velvet a visit.¡±

 Chapter 35 : Velvet Possession

    <h4>Chapter 35: Chapter 35 : Velvet Possession</h4>


    Ba.


    The moment we arrived at Club Velvet, I knew I had made a good choice to go out. Allegra had outdone herself with getting me ready, so much so, I didn¡¯t even recognize myself when I looked in the mirror.


    Stepping over the threshold, I was met with an erotic sight I hadn¡¯t expected. Unlikest time, where it seemed more angelic and sexy, this time it was dark and sinful, and everything about it was utterly exotic.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get a drink!¡± Allegra yelled over the music as I smiled and nodded.


    Thest time I hade, James swept me away to a private room. Then, for most of the night, we stayed there while the rest of the people at the club partied out here.


    This time, she was showing me the true meaning behind the Club Velvet feel. Dancers on stages, and even women on poles and in cages, littered the area. Sex was the appeal, and the club went above and beyond to reach it.


    ¡°This is incredible,¡± I said to no one in particr, but Neal seemed to catch on andughed.


    ¡°I take it you¡¯re still fresh meat?¡± He spun around on his barstool to face the dance floor and everyone lingering around.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. I only came here once before, and I was mainly in the back. This is new to me being out here,¡± I replied, watching his brow raise in surprise.


    ¡°You were in the back, huh? Didn¡¯t take you as one of those kinds of girls.¡±


    ¡°Well, you barely know me, sir. Don¡¯t assume things so quickly.¡± Thement was meant to be yful, but the look in his eyes was lustful and teasing.


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say to him. So instead, I smiled and turned my attention back to the dance floor. Thest thing I wanted was for him to think that he could have something out of this.


    Casual, fun, and maybe dancing¨Cyes. Anything else would be a huge no.


    He was Allegra¡¯s brother, for Christ¡¯s sake. I couldn¡¯t do something like that, even if James had never been in the picture.


    ¡°Let¡¯s dance!¡± Allegra squealed when another song soared through the air with a heavier beat that made me want to move. I didn¡¯t hesitate when she pulled me with her. I was a broken mess, and with the alcohol in my system and friends around, it helped to cloud out the pain.


    I missed him, even though I had just been with him.


    Every part of me ached to be in his arms again, but there was no point in wishing for things that wouldn¡¯t happen. With a firm grip at my waist, I looked over to see Neal behind me, dancing with Allegra in front of me.


    Closing my eyes, I let the beat of the music carry me away, praying that the night would never end. Because I knew when I woke up the next morning, I would sumb to the hurt in my chest.


    The pain that would only heal with time.


    *****


    James.


    The moment I stepped into the club, people stepped out of my way. There was no point in saying anything to me, because I was on a mission and wouldn¡¯t be stopped. Casting my eyes around the open space within the club, it wasn¡¯t hard to find her.


    She danced with Allegra on the dance floor, and the sight of her was breathtaking.


    Allegra had obviously put her re on Ba, and the sinful way she moved made my c*ck strain within my pants.


    ¡°Sir... it¡¯s themed tonight,¡± an employee said to me, catching my attention. With a straight face, I red at them until the manager quickly snatched them away.


    No doubt to exin to them who I was and that the rules didn¡¯t apply to me.


    Little did people know I was a silent investor in thispany and was the one who helped to create the rules. The same rules that didn¡¯t apply to me.


    Pushing through the crowds of swaying bodies and intoxicated minds, I made my way straight towards her. Allegra¡¯s gaze caught mine quickly, and her breath caught.


    The petrified nce said a lot. She didn¡¯t know I was going to be here looking for Ba, but I had no doubt with the way she dressed Ba she was hoping I would.


    Grasping an unfamiliar man¡¯s arm, she pulled him away from Ba and whispered something in his ear. His gaze met mine with narrowed eyes.


    Ignoring the man, I moved closer to Ba. Her body moving against me to the music had my c*ckpletely hard within seconds. I¡¯d never seen this side of her.


    Even when I brought her herest time, it was different. It was more of a game between us before, and now this time, she was in an element I had never experienced with her.


    Running my hands over the side of her face, I danced with her until I lowered my lips to her ear, ¡°Are you enjoying yourself?¡±


    Quicker than lightning, her eyes shot open, and she spun around to face me.


    ¡°What the f*ck are you doing here?¡± She looked around for Allegra and the guy she had brought.


    ¡°I heard you wanted to party, so I figured I would join.¡±


    Shaking her head, she made her way towards the back bar, and without hesitation, I followed her. Seeing her like this, there was no way I was going to let her out of my sight.


    Three shots and a ss of something red, she downed the shots back to back. Thest one, though, I snatched from her hand and shot it, only to realize it was some fruity vodka I spit back into the ss.


    ¡°Hey, what the f*ck?¡± she snapped, turning towards me. ¡°That was mine.¡±


    ¡°It looks like you have had enough already, Ba,¡± I replied, giving her a look that she refused to acknowledge.


    ¡°You have no right to tell me what¡¯s enough, James.¡± She gave me a pointed look as she turned back to the bartender, asking for another. ¡°Don¡¯t you have some whore to bother?¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand why she was acting this way. Then again, the conversation earlier didn¡¯t go as I had wanted it to, leaving us both hanging with the option of how we could work.


    ¡°The only girl I¡¯m here for is you,¡± I replied, watching a flicker of something in her eyes.


    ¡°Hard to believe.¡± Turning on her heels, she stormed off and headed towards the back. I couldn¡¯t let her go there alone. There was no telling what she was going to do because anyone who went back there was looking for a good time.


    Against my better judgment, I stormed after her, only to turn the corner in the back room to find herughing with Allegra and a few others. Including the mystery guy she had been dancing with before.


    Drunk and stumbling, she fell into hisp, and Allegraughed before her eyes met mine. ¡°James, I didn¡¯t think you wereing out tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, a change in my ns brought me here,¡± I said with a forced smile.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s wonderful,¡± one of our other friends chimed in. ¡°After the show we gotst time, it was all that any of us could think of.¡±


    I knew very well what he was talking about, but that wasn¡¯t going to happen again.


    ¡°Unfortunately, there isn¡¯t going to be a show this time, I¡¯m afraid¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, because he wants to y with other women,¡± Ba quickly chimed in as the guy whosep she was on whispered something in her ear, causing her tough.


    Seeing her sitting with him was a jab to my heart and a cut to my pride. I couldn¡¯t believe after everything she and I had done she would act like this with someone else. ¡°So Allegra, who¡¯s your friend?¡±


    Her eyes met mine before slowly dropping to Ba with a smile. ¡°James, this is my brother, Neal. He¡¯s from New York.¡±


    Shit. He even lived closer to Ba. When she went back to school, there was no telling what could happen between the two of them.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Neal said with a grin as his determined gaze met my own.


    ¡°As it is you.¡±


    The conversation was short, and quickly, the others fell back into what they had been discussing. Yet, my eyes never left Neal¡¯s. He slowly slid his hand over Ba¡¯s bare thigh as if taunting me to do something.


    I wasn¡¯t sure where his mind was, but without thinking about anything, I was marching towards them and snatching Ba off hisp and over my shoulder.


    ¡°What the f*ck!¡± she screamed, beating on my back, ¡°James, put me down!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I snapped as I carried her towards the back of the building where the private and secluded rooms were. If she was looking for a good time, then I would be the only one to give it to her.


    Opening thest door, I cast her onto the bed and closed the door behind us. She quickly stood and beat against my chest with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to do this!¡± she yelled at me. ¡°I was enjoying myself!¡±


    ¡°Enjoying yourself with who? Him? You don¡¯t even f*cking know him!¡± I yelled at her, watching her stand firm in her view.


    ¡°Yeah, well, at least he is interested in me,¡± she retorted. However, there was something about the way she said it that let me know she wasn¡¯t actually interested in him.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m interested, Ba,¡± I said seductively as I stalked towards her, watching as she backed up until she was pressed against the bed.


    My fingers slid underneath her dress to brush against the bare skin of her sex.


    ¡°No panties?¡± I gasped. ¡°You really were trying to f*ck tonight, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    As I slipped my fingers inside her, she gasped, throwing her head back as my lips trailed against her neck. She was soaking wet for me, and the faster I thrust my fingers inside her, the harder her tight, wet p*ssy clenched against me.


    ¡°F*ck, don¡¯t stop,¡± she purred as my thumb rubbed circles over her clit.


    ¡°You like this, don¡¯t you?¡± I growled with excitement. ¡°Do you want me? Or should I go get him to satisfy you?¡±


    ¡°Shut the f*ck up and f*ck me.¡± she snapped as her hands worked at the top of my pants.


    As soon as I was free, she helped guide me inside her tight, wet c*nt. Groans of pleasure left both of us as I thrust hard and deep. Her hands gripped at the sheets on the bed as she hung over the edge, taking everything I was willing to give her.


    I was going to make sure she knew whose pu*sy this was.


    Fate be damned. I didn¡¯t care what anyone thought.


    Ba was mine, and I would f*ck her until she knew it.

 Chapter 36 : Stirring The Pot

    <h4>Chapter 36: Chapter 36 : Stirring The Pot</h4>


    Ba.


    Sunlight drifted through the room, and I slowly opened my eyes. I felt the dull pain that radiated through my head. How much had I drank the night before?


    ¡°Shit, it¡¯s bright,¡± I mumbled, stirring with the nkets, only to look down and realize the nkets were not the same as the ones at Allegra¡¯s.


    Looking around, I noticed I was in a different room, and slowly the memory of the night before came filtering into my mind. James hade to the club and possessed every inch of me.


    The moment was erotic, and as he imed me over and over again, I couldn¡¯t find the will to stand. My legs were like jelly, and each orgasm pushed me farther and farther.


    How had I let myself fall back into what I was trying not to do? Everything about him screamed to stay away, especially after the conversation we¡¯d had in his office. Yet, one touch from him had me melting, and there was no one else I wanted to be with.


    Rolling over, I let my gaze fall upon his naked form and realized he was still sleeping next to me. The room wasn¡¯t his own, and it wasn¡¯t a hotel.


    Stirring, he slowly opened his eyes and looked over at me with a smile.


    ¡°Good morning, beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Good morning to you as well,¡± I replied, looking around. ¡°Where are we?¡±


    A deep chuckle left his lips as he rubbed one hand over his face. ¡°My apartment.¡±


    ¡°You have an apartment?¡± I asked with confusion, not understanding why he would have one if he had a million dor mansion with plenty of room to spare.


    ¡°Yes, I figured you wouldn¡¯t want to go back to my ce considering Tally is there, and you were adamant about continuing our fun, so I brought us here.¡±


    Trying to recall that conversation, I couldn¡¯t. I remembered walking out of the pleasure room with him and saying goodbye to everyone, but after that, everything went ck.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember that,¡± I admitted, feeling slightly ufortable.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you passed out in the car on the way here.¡±


    ¡°So you had your way with me passed out?¡± I asked, slightly shocked.


    A stern re crossed his face as he shook his head and stood. ¡°No, Ba. I, too, do have standards I live by, and sleeping with an unconscious woman, even one I have been seeing, is a no go for me.¡±


    ¡°Then how did I get undressed?¡±


    Walking to the bathroom, he left the door open andughed. ¡°Because I undressed you. Those clothes were restrictive and smelt like booze. I figured you would want to sleepfortably.¡±


    No matter the sarcastic things he would say, he was still a gentleman, and for that, I was grateful. Had it been someone else, like Chad? He would have done things to me and told me I liked it.


    As James reappeared from the bathroom with his massive c*ck swinging between his legs, I felt myself pulled from my thoughts. ¡°Thank you for doing that.¡±


    ¡°See something you like?¡± he smirked as he crawled across the bed towards me and gently kissed my lips.


    ¡°Yes¨C¡± the breathless remark caused him to rip back the covers as he slid his head between my thighs. His tongue licked across my folds before pressing deep inside me.


    ¡°James¨C¡± I gasped, trying not to moan. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should talk?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he mumbled against me as he continued to please me. The sucking pressure against my cl*t caused me to groan again in satisfaction.


    ¡°F*ck... I really think we should,¡± I moaned, trying to get him to see reason in the moment. As much as I wanted him to continue, we really needed to discuss this.


    Sighing, he stopped what he was doing and nced up at me, licking his lips.


    ¡°I was trying to enjoy my breakfast.¡±


    Laughter escaped me as he sat up, wiping his mouth, and looked at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but as much as I want you to continue and trust me, I do... we need to talk.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to talk about, Ba?¡± he asked with a curious nce before sliding from the bed and pulling on a pair of low hanging basketball shorts.


    ¡°Uh, well, the fact we f*cked like animalsst night and slept together in bed again, but yet we were supposed to be done with each other.¡±


    Shaking his head, he walked from the room, and quickly I jumped up and grabbed his shirt, throwing it over me. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To get something to drink and call for food,¡± he replied,pletely ignoring what I said.


    ¡°James, this is serious,¡± I repeated with a stern gaze.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. Everything that I want to eat is still closed right now, and I forgot I didn¡¯t have food in this ce. Just bottles of water and some orange juice.¡±


    ¡°James!¡± I snapped with wide-eyes and nothing but frustration on my face. ¡°Please, we need to talk about this.¡±


    Putting his phone on the counter, he sighed and nodded his head. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Now, what are we doing?¡± I asked, hoping he would quickly pick up the topic, because the longer we spent time together, the harder it was to deny the feelings I had for him.


    ¡°I know we talked about this stuff yesterday, Ba. But I told you I don¡¯t want to let you go. Seeing youst night, how you were, it made me realize I don¡¯t care what Tally has to say or anyone else. I care about you.¡±


    It was the only admission I had been hoping for, and I couldn¡¯t believe it had taken him this long to finally say something. ¡°So what do you want with me, then?¡±


    ¡°Everything, Ba. I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡±


    Stepping closer to him, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. It was moments like this that James Valentino made my heart melt, and if he meant it, then I was down to try again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t break my heart again, James.¡± I whispered. ¡°I can¡¯t go through that heartache again.¡±


    *****


    Tally.


    When my mother called me to tell me she wanted to meet me for lunch, I wasn¡¯t expecting anything other than a casual conversation. Yet, instead, when I walked in, I found her sitting with a dark burly man at a table in the far corner, away from prying eyes.


    ¡°Mom?¡± I said with hesitation as she smiled and gestured for me to take a seat.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, hunny. This here is Thomas, and he is my private investigator. He told me he had something for me, and I figured we should get the information together.¡±


    Her smile spread from ear to ear, and I wasn¡¯t the least bot surprised to hear her say that she got someone like this.


    After all, that was my mother in a nutshell. At times, she scared even me.


    ¡°Oh, sounds great. Can we order first? I¡¯m starving.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sweetie.¡± She snapped her fingers to get a server to us right away.


    ¡°Yes, are you ready to order?¡± the girl asked, staring at us with a smile.


    ¡°Well, of course we are. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have gestured for you toe over. Now, shut up and listen to what we want.¡±


    Thomas and I looked at each other for a moment with shocked expressions while my mother¡¯s eyes gazed over the menu. ¡°I want a Caesar sd, extra dressing on the side with smoked salmon.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful choice. For you ma¡¯am?¡± She turned to me with a sheepish expression, as if she was on the verge of crying.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯ll take a burger and fries, please.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s what you¡¯re going to eat? That¡¯s so bad for you,¡± my mother scolded, but nodding my head at the girl, I rolled my eyes at my mother¡¯s words, watching as the girl took Thomas¡¯ order and then disappeared.


    ¡°So Thomas...¡± I said, trying to change the subject, ¡°my mother said you had something to tell us?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I happened to follow your father, James Valentino, to a clubst night called Club Velvet. Are you familiar with it?¡± He looked between the two of us.


    My mother furrowed her brows, shaking her head. I knew she wouldn¡¯t know what the ce was, but I did. I had gone there a few times before, but I never expected my father to go there.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a fetish club,¡± I replied with a sigh. ¡°He was therest night?¡±


    ¡°A fetish club!¡± Mother eximed with disgust. ¡°What the hell was he doing there?¡±


    ¡°Well, it seems that before he arrived, this woman showed up with the girl Ba you were telling me about.¡± Sliding a photo over, I looked at the photo of my father dressed as normal, and then the photo with Ba in it.


    My mouth dropped open, seeing her dressed the way she was. She was stunning, and that made my blood boil. No way in hell was she ever allowed to look better than me.


    ¡°Did they leave together?¡± I snapped in anger as my eyes kept ring down at her figure.


    ¡°Well, ording to my inside man, they were dancing, and he dragged her away towards one of the back rooms of the club. An hourter, they came out looking rather flustered, and then said goodnight to everyone and got in a car and left.¡±


    Looking at my mother, I could tell that she was mortified. ¡°They had sex in a disgusting club?¡±


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s a sex club. They have specific rooms for group sex and swingers.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god! Your father is a swinger? What in the hell did I get myself involved with when I married that man?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why she was acting the way she was.


    Perhaps it was because she didn¡¯t want anyone to think she was into that lifestyle, but she was just as dirty as he was. I¡¯d heard the stories she would tell when she was drunk, and she may not have remembered them, but I did.


    ¡°Do we know where they went after that?¡± my mother asked with a contorted expression on her face.


    ¡°Yes, it seems that your ex-husband owns an apartment here at River Edge. The two were seen going up the elevator, we are guessing, to this apartment,¡± Thomas replied, closing the file as the server came back with our food.


    ¡°So they aren¡¯t going to stop seeing each other?¡± I asked no one in particr.


    ¡°It seems not, miss. Now, is there anything else that you would like to know?¡±


    Before I could speak, a sinister gaze crossed my mother¡¯s face as she looked up at me raising a brow. ¡°Yes... I want everything on Ba Woods that you can find. If James won¡¯t wake up and stop seeing her, then I will make sure she gets the message.¡±

 Chapter 37 : Threats from Allison

    <h4>Chapter 37: Chapter 37 : Threats from Allison</h4>


    Ba.


    It had been a week since I gave James another chance. Through it all, everything was going great, but I still couldn¡¯t understand why he suddenly had the change of heart, considering he was so concerned about how Tally had felt before.


    It was like someone had whacked him over the head, and he was an entirely different person. As much as he was amazing in bed, part of me internally giggled, wondering if he was having a mid-life crisis or something.


    Regardless of the situation, I found myself rather content with how everything had been. Two days after we spent the night together, James told me to move into the apartment in Allegra¡¯s building. At first I was skeptical.


    However, once I got settled in, I started seeing how nice it really was.


    No longer did I have to worry about how things were going or if somebody was going to find us. Instead, I could do my thing whenever I wanted.


    Which included walking naked around the apartment. Something James really liked. Especially when I had my garters and heels on for him.


    When he wasn¡¯t around, I could watch what I wanted on TV. Come and go as I pleased, and most of all, James could be with me here as we would be if we were any other couple sharing a home.


    Another thing that was nice...


    It had been almost a week since Tally had reached out to mest. I wasn¡¯t quite sure if she was up to something, but I tried to remain positive and understand that perhaps she just needed time to get through all of this.


    At least I wishfully thought that would be the case anyway.


    After all, walking in on your father and your best friend in the middle of having sex was not something anybody would be able to get over quickly.


    The sound of the front door opening caught my attention as I stood in the kitchen making a cup of tea. I wasn¡¯t expecting James yet, and my nerves sky rocketed.


    ¡°James?¡± I called from the kitchen as I came around the corner.


    My nerves were on edge, but when my eyes met his, I smiled.


    cing down his briefcase and hanging up his jacket, his eyes met mine briefly, and a smile slowly stretched across his face. ¡°Hey, sweetie.¡±


    No matter how he tried to hide it, I could tell something was wrong. Usually, when he came in, there was another aura surrounding him that screamed intimidation and sexual desire. Yet, right now, he seemed stressed out.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked him as he came closer to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, my eyes casting up into his as a sigh left his lips.


    ¡°Nothing. It was just a long day.¡±


    I had seen James have a long day, and this was definitely more than a long day. There was a dark, hooded expression in his eyes letting me know something was deeply troubling him.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not telling the entire truth. What¡¯s wrong? Please tell me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he said as he pulled away from me and walked towards the bar, pouring himself a ss of whiskey. ¡°I just had a run in with Allison.¡±


    There it was. I knew it was something, and when he mentioned her name, my heart dropped into my stomach.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I replied, taking a moment to think about what my response was going to be. ¡°What did she want?¡±


    ¡°She came to me exining I needed to call things off with you. If I don¡¯t, there are going to be consequences. She said I was making a fool of myself, hanging out with a woman that was the same age as my daughter, and also that our friends have even started makingments, which I kind of find hard to believe considering nobody knows outside of the group from Velvet I¡¯m even seeing you.¡±


    The frustration was obvious in his eyes. James was angry, and I wasn¡¯t sure what he was going to do. ¡°I see. Did she say what she was going to do?¡±


    James met my nce andughed, shaking his head. ¡°Oh, she did, but I¡¯m not repeating that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked with confusion, watching him down what was in his ss and pour another before walking towards the sofa to take a seat.


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want you worrying about it.¡±


    Everything he said made perfect sense. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me, honestly, if Tally was the one who had been spreading these vicious rumors around. I hadn¡¯t caught wind of them until the day before, and only because Allegra came to me and told me the things she had heard.


    I was concerned. This was exactly the thing I didn¡¯t want to happen, and even though I was down in Miami, I worried it was going to get back to my school or even my father.


    ¡°Is there a way to get her to stop? You know that Allison and Tally are the ones doing this.¡±


    James nodded his head. ¡°There is a way to get her to stop. I can cut the rtionship with you and send you back to New York under the deration you were never to return and cause a fool of yourself in Miami again...¡±


    My eyes widened in shock hearing what he said, but before I could open my mouth, he held his finger up to tell me to wait.


    ¡°... or I can simply give her hush money and continue our rtionship, but then I would literally be giving her money until the day she dies.¡±


    It was absolutely atrocious she was handing him these demands. ¡°That¡¯s enough, James. There¡¯s no way you can continue to let her keep acting this way. I told you the separation would have been good for us. That you doing your thing would have prevented all these issues, and now the one thing I didn¡¯t want to happen is happening. Can you see the implications this brings?¡±


    ¡°Of course I can, but instead of sitting there thinking nothing can be done, I¡¯m over here fighting for the rtionship I want with you,¡± he snapped with irritation.


    None of it made sense to me, and as he called it a rtionship, I couldn¡¯t help but feel my heart break because this was not a rtionship to him.


    He didn¡¯t want Allison dictating to him what he could and couldn¡¯t do, and every day there were little things he did that made me see that.


    Walking towards him, I took a seat, trying to consider what I was going to do. If I continued going the route I was, things were going to escte and get worse.


    If I called it off now and packed my things, I could be on the first flight in the morning back up to Yale to get my life situated there.


    I still had three weeks before school was back in session, and even though all of this was going on, it would be the perfect time to find a new apartment because I doubted Tally was going to still want to share an apartment with me after everything.


    ¡°James, perhaps we should just call this quits. Look at how things are going. It¡¯s chaotic, and everything is a mess. Even though we¡¯re able to be ourselves here, we¡¯re still hiding in the shadows for fear of what Allison or Tally would do, and that was exactly what you said that you didn¡¯t want.¡±


    James hesitated for a moment and quickly shook his head no. ¡°I will not give in to them. In fact, I was going to let you know I have a ging up, and I would love for you to go with me.¡±


    ¡°A g?¡± I questioned, raising my brow, curious to know more. ¡°What exactly is the g for?¡±


    Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a ck card with gold foiled letters on it.


    The card read Royals G. Celebration of Miami.


    ¡°Will there be a lot of the prominent society people you work with here?¡± I asked with slight hesitation. I wasn¡¯t sure that would be the ce for me to go.


    ¡°Yes, there will be, but that¡¯s the point. I don¡¯t want to hide you. I want to share it with you.¡± The look in James¡¯s eyes was genuine. I could tell he was beingpletely honest, but it still made me worry.


    A high society g meant Allison and Tally were going to be there. Anything with the words fancy and high society screamed for Allison and Tally¡¯s attention.


    ¡°When is this g?¡± I asked him, finally caving into the idea after taking a moment to think about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s this Friday. Do you think you¡¯ll be able to find a dress by then?¡±


    Grinning, I shook my head, giving a smallugh. ¡°Are you kidding... with Allegra, she would have me ready tomorrow if I asked it of her.¡±


    James smiled, pulling me closer to him. ¡°I keep forgetting she is only down the hall from here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she is. Since I crashed at her ce, shees by and sees me often, not that I¡¯mining.¡±


    His lips brushed against mine softly as he stared down at me. I wasn¡¯t sure what this was, but a part of me liked to think we were more than we were.


    ¡°How are we going to deal with Allison?¡± I whispered, as I looked at him for answers.


    I wanted him to tell me everything was going to be okay. I wanted him to guarantee me she would not tarnish my reputation and would eventually give up on everything.


    However, something deep inside me told me she wouldn¡¯t ever let this go. This woman was ten times worse than Tally, and that meant she could probably hold a grudge like no tomorrow.


    ¡°I will handle it. Don¡¯t you worry about a thing. I won¡¯t let her hurt you.¡±


    His words wereforting, but no matter the unproimed promise, I couldn¡¯t help but feel as if my future was slipping from my hands.


    Was I being a fool to think normal was possible?

 Chapter 38 : Shopping & Chaos

    <h4>Chapter 38: Chapter 38 : Shopping & Chaos</h4>


    The next day, I shopped with Allegra. One store to another, she had me in the search of the perfect dress. The only problem was, I wanted to go back to the apartment and hide behind closed doors.


    This was the one part of town Tally frequented often.


    High-end boutiques. Gourmet coffee shops. Fancy restaurants. I was out of ce.


    ¡°Oh, my god. Stop worrying,¡± Allegra groaned for the hundredth time. ¡°If we run into them, who cares? They can¡¯t do anything to you.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. I just don¡¯t want a confrontation with them,¡± I sighed as I tried to contain my emotions. ¡°It¡¯s hard, ya know...¡±


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t,¡± she admitted with augh. ¡°I don¡¯t take shit from anyone, and I don¡¯t date. I like to f*ck around too much, and swinger parties are way more fun.¡±


    ¡°So, are you going to tell me you don¡¯t want a family or kids?¡± I asked her with a raised brow. ¡°I saw how much you fawned over your cousin¡¯s new baby the other day...¡±


    Allegra went silent for a moment and nodded her head. ¡°I wish I could, but I can¡¯t.¡±


    I was quiet for a moment as I took in what she said. ¡°Oh, Allegra...¡±


    It made sense now, to be honest. Allegra couldn¡¯t have kids.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she replied, waving it off. ¡°I came to terms with it years ago. I was in a car ident when I was a teenager, and a shard of ss ended up in my abdomen. It was so deep, it damaged my uterus, and they had to take it out to stop the bleeding.¡±


    I was shocked at the admission. I had never realized someone like her could have gone through something horrific like that. Allegra was a kind person, and to know her life changed at such an early age was horrible.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Allegra,¡± I whispered as we stopped outside another shop.


    She turned to me with a small smile and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t be. It just means that I¡¯m meant to do something else. Fate has a purpose for me, and one day I will figure it out.¡±


    With thest of her words, we entered the store and began looking around. I wasn¡¯t quite sure what I was supposed to wear to a g event, but all the dresses in this store were more than I would pay on rent up north.


    ¡°Holy shit.¡± I looked at a price tag. ¡°These are expensive.¡±


    Allegra nced over at the tag I was looking at and smiled. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s decently priced.¡±


    ¡°Five thousand is decently priced?!¡± I eximed. ¡°That¡¯s outrageous.¡±


    Laughter escaped her throat as she pulled a deep emerald green dress from a rack.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re not paying for it then. Now here, go try this on.¡±


    Sighing, I took the dress and made my way towards the changing area. A pretty blonde Allegra knew let me into a dressing room, and as I slid the dress on, I heard a voice I had hoped I wouldn¡¯t.


    It was Tally, and she wasn¡¯t alone.


    ¡°I hope this event isn¡¯t like it wasst year,¡± Tally remarked from another stall.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be better. Perhaps we can find you a nice, rich husband there, Tally,¡± her mother added on, causing Tally to scoff.


    ¡°I already have a man, Mother.¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you? Do you mean that northern boy you can¡¯t stop texting?¡± Allison snapped.


    Northern boy? Who the hell was Tally seeing from up north?


    Slipping on the dress, I admired myself in the mirror, hoping to get through this as quickly as possible without them knowing I was here. However, luck wasn¡¯t on my side as Allegra called out to me.


    ¡°Ba, will you hurry up and show me already?¡±


    Shit. Why does fate hate me so much?


    Stepping from the stall, Allegra took me in and smiled, but the sound of opening stalls made her smile fall. I knew who it was behind me without turning around, and taking a deep breath, I pushed back my nerves and stared at myself in the mirror.


    The best thing to do was to ignore them.


    At least that was what I was trying to do.


    ¡°Are you f*cking kidding me?¡± Tally said from behind me as I continued to admire the dress. It fit snug to my body, and the back dropped low with a high slit up one side.


    It was beautiful, and the way it fit me made me feel beautiful.


    ¡°Excuse you!¡± Tally shrieked, causing me to turn and nce over my shoulder at her.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked, as if her speaking to me didn¡¯t faze me at all. ¡°Did you need something?¡±


    She stood there in a ck and purple dress with her mother in a red one. Both of them were furious at the sight of me. ¡°What the f*ck are you doing in a ce like this?¡±


    ncing over at Allegra, I saw the anger in her eyes. She was not pleased with how they were speaking to me, and neither was I, but this was thest ce I was going to start something.


    Looking back at Tally and Allison, I shrugged. ¡°Shopping. Why else would I be here?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t afford this ce,¡± Tallyughed. ¡°What are you going to do? Steal it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Allegra finally said, standing. ¡°I am tired of your shit. So you can either f*ck off back to your dressing room or close your f*cking mouth.¡±


    Allison and Tally stared, shocked at Allegra, who stepped next to me. It took everything in me to stop myself fromughing, but as I looked at Allegra, I smiled.


    ¡°What do you think? Should I get this one?¡± I asked her, acting as if Tally and Allison weren¡¯t there.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s perfect for Friday night,¡± Allegra responded as I smiled and turned back towards the dressing room.


    ¡°Friday night?¡± Allison snapped. ¡°You¡¯re not going to the g.... No way...¡±


    ¡°The g?¡± I smiled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going.¡±


    ¡°There is no way that you are going... James is taking you?!¡± Allison shrieked as Iughed and entered the stall to change my clothes.


    Her fists banged upon the door as the voices of employees came in, asking them to change back into their clothes and leave the store. I had no doubt Allegra had gone and told them they were harassing the other customers.


    As I exited, I took the dress on its hanger, and made my way towards Allegra, who was now standing with a very pissed off James at the counter.


    My steps slowed for a moment as his eyes connected with mine, and I nced over to see Tally and Allison arguing with the store manager.


    James lifted his hand and gestured with two fingers for me toe to him. As I reached him, he looked over me as if making sure that I was unharmed. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Huh. Oh, yeah. I¡¯m okay. I was just trying on my dress for Friday.¡±


    His eyes looked down at the gown in my arms, and a smile crossed his lips. ¡°Green is my favorite color,¡± he admitted, and a deep blush instantly set in my cheeks.


    It was as if he was speaking to my body, because the ache between my thighs was crying out for him. Desperate to be filled once more. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Allegra called me and told me what was going on. I won¡¯t have them harassing you like this,¡± he replied as I bit my bottom lip and nodded.


    I wasn¡¯t too happy with the spectacle. Honestly, I would have rather he hadn¡¯te and let me continue to handle things my own way. All this was going to do was make the situation worse and not keep me out of the line of fire.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t belong in this store!¡± Allison screamed. ¡°She can¡¯t even afford anything in there. This should be against thew or something.¡±


    The outrageousments she was making were out of this world. I couldn¡¯t believe the hatred Allison had in her. She didn¡¯t even know me.


    James, however, ignored her. Instead, his gaze was on me, and he gently took the dress from me andid it on the counter. The young woman behind the counter looked slightly ufortable with the situation and hurried to get the item rung up.


    ¡°Your total is five thousand three hundred and twenty dors,¡± she said to which James didn¡¯t skip a beat when he pulled out his wallet and swiped his card paying for it.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that...¡± I whispered as my eyes cast towards the floor.


    His finger lifted my chin as he raised a brow. ¡°Yes, I did. You¡¯re mine, Ba.¡±


    There it was again¨Chis promation. I was his and no one else¡¯s.


    As the sales clerk slid the bag across the counter with my dress neatly packaged inside, James picked up the strap and handed it to me.


    ¡°Allegra, please make sure she gets everything else she will need for tonight. I will handle the issues.¡± Fishing through his wallet, he pulled out a ck card and handed it to Allegra with a smile.


    ¡°I will take care of her. Don¡¯t worry,¡± she replied, pushing the card into her purse and taking my hand, dragging me away.


    I was too stunned to speak at the moment. The chaos unfolding was a lot, and as much as I tried to deal with it with a logical mind, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was watching a movie as it all unfolded.


    Moving from the shop, I looked over my shoulder and watched as James approached them. Tally kicked up a fuss, and James was quick to grab her elbow, dragging her closer towards the street.


    Heated discussion seemed to unfold amongst them, but I wasn¡¯t sure what exactly was being said. It made me worry things were going to go more wrong than they already were, but before I could turn to say anything, Allegra stopped me.


    ¡°Leave it be, Ba.¡± She stared at me with a look I had never seen across her face before. It was a mixture between being serious and angry.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± she sighed, pushing a smile across her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t care for Allison, and I don¡¯t like the way she was treating you. Now, James gave me a directive, so let¡¯s go get that taken care of.¡±


    Looking back one more time, I watched his eyes lift to mine, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips before he stepped into the back of a ck sedan.


    ¡°Okay... let¡¯s go finish shopping. We have a lot to cover if you¡¯re going to make me high society ready by Friday.¡±


    Allegraughed, but it didn¡¯t ease the knot in my stomach.


    I had a bad feeling Allison and Tally would not make Friday easy for me.

 Chapter 39 : Complicated Feelings

    <h4>Chapter 39: Chapter 39 : Complicated Feelings</h4>


    James.


    When Allegra called me to tell me what Allison and Tally were doing, I couldn¡¯t believe it. I mean, I could believe it... but I couldn¡¯t believe one day couldn¡¯t go by without them causing issues.


    As soon as I got back in the car from handling the situation, I made my way to my house, but found out quickly Tally and her mother were there waiting.


    There was no escaping the drama anymore.


    The two of them were hell bent on making my life miserable, and I was done with it.


    Exiting my car, I walked into the house, and was confronted with the two of them sitting in the kitchen. The waterworks were in y with Tally as Allisonforted her. As soon as her eyes met mine, she narrowed her gaze and stormed towards me.


    ¡°Look what you¡¯ve done!¡± she screamed at me. ¡°You should be ashamed as a father to act the way you have. Choosing that little bitch over your own daughter!¡±


    Laughter escaped me. ¡°How did I choose Ba over Tally?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sleeping with her!¡± Allison continued. ¡°You¡¯re choosing Ba over Tally.¡±


    ¡°Do you hear yourself right now... I¡¯m sleeping with Ba. Tally is my daughter. So how does me f*cking Ba have anything to do with Tally? I wouldn¡¯t be f*cking my daughter. That¡¯s disgusting,¡± I remarked, watching as the realization of what I said crossed her mind.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± she gasped.


    ¡°Then please exin how my sex life has anything to do with Tally. She is a grown ass woman capable of making her own choices. She doesn¡¯t need me holding her hand anymore,¡± I replied, shrugging off Allison¡¯s emotions as I set my things on the table and took a seat.


    I was done with their games, and if they wanted to hash this out right now, then so be it.


    ¡°You¡¯re dating your daughter¡¯s best friend, and you just bought that girl a very expensive designer dress she ns to wear to the g this weekend. Can you not see the issue?¡± Allison said with a snarky tone as she ced her hands on her hips.


    ¡°Do you mean an ex-best friend? Thest time I checked, Tally was done being friends with her long before I started sleeping with Ba.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Tally eximed, the waterworks over and anger raging across her face. ¡°We were the best of friends, and you ruined that.¡±


    Shaking my head, I cleared my throat and stood. ¡°I want you both to listen to me right now because I am going to say this for thest time. Leave Ba alone and mind your own business. What I do with her is up to me.¡±


    Tally and Allison attempted to speak, but I held my hand up, silencing them. I wasn¡¯t going to keep going round and round, no matter how much they wanted me to cave.


    ¡°James... what are all of our friends going to think on Friday when they see her? Are you really going to expect them to ept this? Are you really going to make a fool of me?¡±


    Allison¡¯s words hit home. We held a specific reputation within themunity, but no matter the situation, I couldn¡¯t allow them to continue dictating what I did.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern, Allison.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother to turn around and look at her. There was no need when I knew she wasn¡¯t going to let it go. She would be angry, and I was okay with that.


    She could be angry and goin to someone else.


    As soon as my office door closed, I pulled out my phone and called Ba.


    ¡°Hello?¡± The sweet sound of her voice filled my ears, and the stress from Allison and Tally slowly dissolved.


    ¡°I was thinking, I will pack some stuff ande stay with you for a few weeks until you head back to college. Tally is being unruly, and I want nothing to mess up the time we have left together. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°James,¡± sheughed. ¡°It¡¯s your apartment. You can go there anytime you want to.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± I pinched the bridge of my nose. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to feel ufortable with everything going on.¡±


    ¡°I will admit it¡¯s been a lot. I was hoping not to run into them today, and I¡¯m sorry you had toe deal with it. The whole thing is really embarrassing.¡±


    Once again, she was as sweet as ever. No matter the situation, she always thought it was her fault things happened.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Eventually, they will see reason and let it go,¡± I replied, hoping it woulde true.


    She let out a heavy sigh on the other end of the line that gripped at my heart. ¡°As much as I want to believe that could be true, I don¡¯t think it will happen.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that...¡± I sighed. ¡°We can take it one day at a time, okay?¡±


    The silence on the phone had my heart racing. ¡°Okay... sure that¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I will see you there soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay, see you soon,¡± she said, then hung up the phone.


    Sitting there, I thought about it all. I was going through a lot for this girl, and I wasn¡¯t even sure why. Any other woman, I would have gotten rid of her just so I didn¡¯t have to deal with Allison and Tally¡¯s mouths.


    This was the reason I always kept things quiet.


    Yet, with Ba¡ªI couldn¡¯t.


    *****


    Ba.


    The conversation with James weighed heavily on my mind. I didn¡¯t want to be that person to always be negative, but the rational part of my mind was screaming at me for being absolutely ridiculous.


    ¡°Everything okay?¡± Allegra asked as she stood by the entrance to the shoe store.


    ¡°Hmm... oh yeah. I¡¯m okay.¡± I pushed my phone back into my purse.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re fine.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a lot. You know everything with James and his family.¡±


    She knew very well what I meant, but she had been rooting for James and I to work things out ever since she met me. I wasn¡¯t sure if that was because she was friends with James or simply because she really did like me.


    Regardless, even she had to know I had to have limits to the crazy.


    Any sane person would.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s rough, Ba. In the end, though, if you both care for each other, this will only bring you closer together and make you stronger.¡±


    ¡°... And if it doesn¡¯t?¡± I asked, raising a brow in question.


    Shrugging her shoulders, she took to a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes. ¡°Well then, at least you can say you tried. Now, what do you think about these? I think the gold buckle ents your dress well.¡±


    Laughter escaped me at how quickly she could change the conversation. It was one of the things I liked about Allegra so much. She was always quick to make sure she stayed in a positive attitude.


    ¡°They¡¯re cute,¡± I replied, watching her eyes widen in shock.


    ¡°Cute? Girl, they are divine,¡± Allegra said with exaggeration.


    ¡°If you say so. Let¡¯s get them and head back to your ce.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good idea. Neal is still here, and there is no telling what he is getting up to in my ce all alone,¡± sheughed. ¡°That man can make a mess sometimes.¡±


    I was surprised to hear that Neal was still in town. Thest time I saw him was the night at Velvet, and that was the same night that James made it very clear I was his.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why he was so jealous of Neal, though. The man wasn¡¯t interested in me; he was simply being friendly. Neal had rified that he liked men.


    ¡°I thought he was going home,¡± I asked as I nced at her with curiosity.


    ¡°He was supposed to, but then he changed his ns. Not sure why?¡±


    ¡°Hmm... maybe he met someone here, and that¡¯s why he is staying,¡± Imented, watching as Allegra¡¯s gaze went from concentrating on money to soaking in what I¡¯d said.


    Turning to me with wide eyes, her lips parted. ¡°Oh, my god. Maybe he did!¡±


    ¡°It would be nice to see him with someone. He is a very attractive man, and any man would be lucky to have him.¡±


    I watched her lips turn up into a grin. ¡°Oh sweetie, if you only knew the truth about him.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t too sure what she meant about that, but I decided not to pay any attention to it. We paid and quickly left the store to get a cab home.


    The entire day had been eventful, but there was nothing likeing back to the apartment and taking off my shoes and rxing. Pouring myself arge ss of wine, I turned on the music in the apartment and took my shopping bags towards the back room.


    Within the walls of the apartment, I felt safe, but it was only when James was with me that I felt I didn¡¯t have to worry about anything.


    At least most of the time.


    Lost in my thoughts, I didn¡¯t realize the music had turned off until the sound of footsteps in the hallway caught my attention. Furrowing my brow, I slowly made my way towards the door to see James standing there.


    ¡°You¡¯re back early,¡± I said with a smile.


    Yet, for some reason, there wasn¡¯t a smile on his face. Instead, he cleared the space between us and crashed his lips upon mine. Lost for words, I let him do as he pleased with me, and with as rough as he was being, I could tell that he desperately needed the release.


    cing my hands upon his chest, I gently pulled away to catch my breath. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He stared down at me for a moment in silence before shaking his head. ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just d that I¡¯m back here with you.¡±


    His answer touched my heart, and even though it was sweet, I knew it wasn¡¯t the truth. Something was really bothering him, but if he didn¡¯t want to tell me, I wasn¡¯t going to press the issue.


    Instead, I would enjoy the time I had with him, because I had no idea how long it wouldst. Pushing up on my tippy toes, I brushed my lips against his and wrapped my arms around his neck.


    The kiss was slow and gentle, but I could tell he was holding back.


    We both were. ¡°Take me how you want me, James. Don¡¯t hold back.¡±

 Chapter 40 : Gala of Diamonds

    <h4>Chapter 40: Chapter 40 : G of Diamonds</h4>


    When James said we were going to a G, I had imagined a hotel with a bunch of politicians. However, when the limo pulled up to the front of the massive white building that reminded me so much of the White House, my jaw dropped.


    ¡°Holy shit...¡± I gasped, causing James tough.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice, huh? Wait until you see the inside. For a man with that kind of money, he had big inspirations while building it.¡±


    Looking over my shoulder at him, I paused. ¡°What is this ce?¡±


    ¡°The Trump National Doral,¡± James replied as a chauffeur opened my door in tails with white gloves. I was taken aback by his words.


    This was only a glimpse of what was toe. I could only hope high society was ready for me, because tonight was surely going to be a night I would never forget.


    A red carpet and lights came down from the front doors and stretched for what seemed forever. I took James¡¯ arm as we walked up the path. My long emerald green dress flowed behind me as my gold buckled heels moved across the red carpet.


    I felt like high society, but I couldn¡¯t help but notice the looks some women gave me as I passed with James. They were shocked, but also some held disdain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pay them any mind, Ba,¡± James whispered in my ear. ¡°You¡¯re dripping with elegance, and they are jealous of you.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes andugh at hisment. ¡°I highly doubt that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± he teased. ¡°No one has seen mee with a woman in many years. I¡¯m technically an eligible bachelor and instead of them being with me...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re with a woman half your age,¡± I smirked, ncing up at him, watching his lips curl up into a smile.


    ¡°Essentially.¡±


    I had thought the outside wasvish, but as soon as I stepped through the doorway, I felt my breath leave again. Crystal chandeliers were dripping from the ceiling¡¯s ent with sheer white cloth and high vaulted ceilings.


    There had to have been a thousand people here tonight, and each one of them were dressed to impress. Diamonds, designer clothing, and so much more.


    I wanted more than anything to fit in with the people here. To blend into the mix and enjoy my evening with James, but as soon as we stepped further into the room, he was flocked by peopleing to greet him.


    I wasn¡¯t sure who half of them were, but when one man nced down at me, his eyes were swirling with lust, and the way he stared at me felt like he was undressing me slowly with his eyes.


    ¡°James, who is this lovely creature on your arm?¡±


    James went rigid for a moment before ncing down at me and smiling. ¡°This is Reba Woods. She is lovely, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    The fact that he called me by my entire first name was aplete first for me. I have never heard him call me anything but Ba. However, when he said it¡ªI felt myself clench with desire as I nced at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Reba. My name is Charles Hyatt.¡±


    When Charles said my name, it didn¡¯t make me feel the same way, but regardless of the notion, I took his hand and watched as he kissed the back of it while smiling at me.


    ¡°It¡¯s lovely to meet you, Charles. Please, call me Ba,¡± I replied with a smile.


    I didn¡¯t want him to think he could call me Reba. Not even my father called me that, and if James saying it made me feel that way, I didn¡¯t want anyone else to ever call me Reba but him.


    ¡°So how did the two of you meet?¡± Charles asked with a smirk that made me feel rather ufortable.


    ¡°Through family,¡± James replied, causing me to inwardlyugh, but keep myposure. It wasn¡¯t a lie. We had, indeed, met through family, but just not in the sense everyone else was going to take it.


    Before anything else could be said,ughter echoed from behind us, and I already knew who it was before I turned around. Tally and her mother had arrived, and even though James had told me not to worry about them tonight¡ªI was.


    ¡°Oh, look Tally. There¡¯s your father,¡± Allison said, causing James and I to turn slightly to look at them as they walked up.


    Charles seemed all too familiar with who Allison was, and he greeted her in the same way he had greeted me. Except the hello was more familiar and the smiles more rxed.


    ¡°Allison... Tally,¡± James said with a straight face. ¡°You both look lovely tonight.¡±


    I knew he was being polite, but when Allison¡¯s eyes gazed in my direction, there was no doubt in my mind there were going to be issues. She had a glint in her eye that spoke volumes to whatever she was nning.


    ¡°James, I see you brought Ba tonight,¡± she said as if she hadn¡¯t already known that was going to happen.


    ¡°Oh, you know Ba?¡± Charles grinned as his gaze turned back to me. ¡°It¡¯s refreshing to see that you both are cordial when ites to who you¡¯re seeing.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that,¡± Allison softly scoffed with a smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t he tell you how they met?¡±


    ¡°Allison,¡± James replied firmly, ncing at her which made her smile. ¡°I already exined that we met through family.¡±


    His emphasis on family made Allison smile wider. ¡°Yes, family indeed. Tally introduced them. Isn¡¯t that right, Taliana?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct,¡± Tally replied, giving me a sly nce of hatred.


    The nce didn¡¯t go unnoticed, and one of the other men with Charlesughed. ¡°It seems the two don¡¯t like each other... that is a story I would love to hear.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± James firmly said. ¡°Unfortunately, the events are about to start, and there just isn¡¯t time for that at the moment. Shall we convene in the ballroom?¡±


    I was d for James¡¯ interruption. Curious nces were being passed my way, and it did more than make me ufortable. I was slowly reconsidering my reason for being here. These weren¡¯t my people.


    Thankfully, no one continued on, and James began to slowly lead me towards the ballroom. It was beautiful, but before I could admire it, Tally grabbed my other arm.


    ¡°The least you can do is let my father walk me in there,¡± she whispered through clenched teeth.


    Furrowing my brows in confusion, I looked to James, who quickly grabbed her hand and removed it from my arm. ¡°You¡¯re grown, Taliana. Walk in by yourself and stop acting out.¡±


    She stood, mouth parted in shock, as she stammered to find words that were quickly lost to me as James continued on. Grand chandeliers hung from the ceilings with an elegance that was far superior to the entrance to this building.


    ¡°This is beautiful,¡± I said, as I took it all in.


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± he replied, pulling me to face him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened before, Ba. I won¡¯t let them bother you again, okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, James. I have realized the kind of people they are, and at the end of the day, it¡¯s only words. They aren¡¯t physically hurting me.¡± Myment made him chuckle, and as he pulled me close, he leaned down, kissing me.


    I knew there were eyes on me, and at the moment, I didn¡¯t care. It was James and I... no one else mattered.


    The evening flowed with drinks and delicious food. Throughout the night, I became acquainted with many faces, and amongst them were the faces of Velvet. I learned quickly Andrew was an architect and Marianna was the owner of four different restaurants, as well as the co-owner of a beach hotel.


    It was amazing to see these people outside of the dark and ominous vibe of Club Velvet. For a moment, it made everything seem normal, and as if my happiness was building, a cloud slowly started toe near me.


    That cloud¡¯s name was Charles, and the look in his eye made me cautious.


    ¡°James, you can¡¯t just have this gorgeous woman standing around all night. How about I take her for a spin on the dance floor while you finish your conversation?¡±


    Wide-eyed, I looked towards James, trying to remain calm. There was no way he was actually going to let this guy touch me. That would be ridiculous, right?


    ¡°If she would like to dance, I see no problem with that,¡± James replied, looking towards me. ¡°Go have some fun. I¡¯m almost done here.¡±


    I was speechless. Was he being serious right now?


    Not wanting to be rude, I reluctantly took Charles¡¯ hand and let him lead me towards the dance floor. I didn¡¯t want to be alone with this man, but there were many people out here, so I wasn¡¯t actually alone.


    ¡°You are ravishing, Ba.¡± Charles said as we danced. ¡°How is it that a man like James Valentino was able to capture such a beauty as yourself?¡±


    ¡°As he said... we met through family. Tally, to be exact,¡± I quickly exined, trying to keep the conversation away from the subject. Yet, Charles was persistent.


    ¡°Yes, so he said. However, from the look on his daughter¡¯s face, I would say it wasn¡¯t a willing invitation. So let me guess, you were friends?¡± His words made me quickly catch his gaze with a tight-lipped smile.


    ¡°It¡¯splicated.¡±


    Laughter flowed from his lips as he nodded. ¡°Oh, I bet it was. The look on her face says she saw more than she wanted.¡±


    ¡°Charles, you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± I replied, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°Oh, I think I do. You see, Allison informed me of your and James¡¯ situation. Nothing like a woman scorned... makes me wonder how long this was going on.¡±


    My heart dropped into my stomach at hisment. What in the hell was Allison telling people? That was beyond ridiculous to even consider he was that type of person.


    ¡°Allison says a lot of things that make no sense. Being apulsive liar is something she is good at, and considering the fact she is desperate and broke, well, that causes her to say what she needs to get a rich man¡¯s money.¡±


    I didn¡¯t consider what I said before I said it, and as soon as the words left my lips, I regretted it.


    ¡°I had a feeling she was trying to scheme her way into someone¡¯s pocket here,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you after James for the same thing?¡±


    Narrowing my brows, I shook my head. ¡°No, but someone like you would assume that, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Someone like me?¡± he replied with a grin. ¡°You mean someone with money?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t take anymore of what he was doing. Stopping in my tracks, I removed my hands from his and took a step back.


    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know what you think you know, but no one here knows the real me but James. I don¡¯t want anyone¡¯s money because I can get my own. If you want someone to get information from, I would suggest speaking to Allison or her daughter. They are quick to do... just about anything for a buck.¡±


    The suggestion in my words was clear, and Charles¡¯ eyes got big as heughed.


    ¡°You are a fascinating creature, Ba. I can see why James is so taken with you.¡±


    Not bothering to say another word to him, I turned, making my way back to where James was, but quickly found he was still talking, and Allison was at his sideughing at whatever he was saying.


    Perhapsing here tonight wasn¡¯t for the best.


    Turning around, I made my way towards the door only to be stopped by two smiling faces I wasn¡¯t expecting to see. Neal and Allegra.

 Chapter 41 : Raising the Stakes

    <h4>Chapter 41: Chapter 41 : Raising the Stakes</h4>


    Seeing Allegra was a breath of fresh air. The walls seemed to close in on me among the members of high society, who seemed to judge me without knowing who I was. ¡°Ba, are you okay?¡±


    Shaking my head, I blinked away tears threatening to build andughed, shaking my head. ¡°It¡¯s already a shit show. I thinking here was a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hell no,¡± she replied. ¡°You look like a goddess tonight, Ba. You¡¯re not going to let that two-faced, lying bitch make you feel out of ce. Now, where¡¯s James?¡±


    Sighing, I looked over my shoulder to where he was with Allison, ¡°With her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised.¡± Allegra smirked. ¡°Why weren¡¯t you over there?¡±


    ¡°Because some guy named Charles James knows wanted to dance with me, and James just let him, even though I am supposed to be here with him.¡±


    I was angry, yes, but more annoyed than anything.


    James was too busy talking to his friends, and it wasn¡¯t right of me to think he should spend all of his time with me. However, I thought this night was going to be special. Something he would share just with me, but I was wrong.


    ¡°Do you mean Charles, the pervy guy with brown hair who always looks like he is undressing you?¡± Allegra asked, cing her hand upon her hip.


    ¡°Yeah...¡± I said as I looked around. ¡°That guy right there.¡±


    As I pointed him out, Allegra followed my gesture andughed. ¡°Oh, hell no. You know what, if he wants to act like that, then let him? You cane spend time with us.¡±


    Us.... I looked over at Neal, and he smiled down at me with his deep blue eyes.


    He was incredibly attractive, and something about him I found rather pleasing, but he wasn¡¯t James. It didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t allow myself to have fun with them.


    After all, Neal knew, in a way, I was with James.


    ¡°That sounds great,¡± I said, letting a heavy breath escape me.


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Allegra eximed, pping her hands together. ¡°Why don¡¯t you two go dance while I sort something out with someone quickly, and I will catch up with you after.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what she had to do, but Allegra moved quickly and disappeared through the crowd before I could say anything.


    Looking back at Neal, I smiled. ¡°We don¡¯t have to dance.¡±


    ¡°On the contrary. I would love to dance with you, Reba,¡± he replied, and the way he said my name made my heart flutter, almost like it did when James said it.


    Holding out his hand, he stared at me, and with slight hesitation, I took his hand and let him lead me out to the dance floor.


    When Charles had taken me, I was incredibly ufortable. However, when Neal took me and twirled me into his arms, I couldn¡¯t help but smile andugh.


    I was grateful he was willing to take pity on someone like me. He didn¡¯t have to dance with me or entertain me at all, but instead of mingling with his kind of people, he spent his time with me on the dance floor.


    *****


    James.


    ¡°As I was saying, it¡¯s a wonderful ce to be.¡±


    Caught in conversation with a few of the Lancasters of Miami, I had lost sight of Ba and couldn¡¯t seem to ce where she was at.


    I had nned to finish a small conversation and then rescue her from Charles. Yet, Allison walked up with Tally and joined the conversation I was having. As much as I wanted to excuse myself, I couldn¡¯t exactly do that.


    It would have been considered rude, and these were not the people you wanted to be rude with. Anyone within the circle we lived in knew this.


    ¡°James!¡± Allegra called, causing me to turn with a smile on my face. Allegra stood before me in a silver sequined dress dripping with diamonds. She was always morous, but tonight, it seemed like she had gone the extra mile.


    ¡°Allegra. You are looking lovely as ever,¡± I replied as she leaned in, kissing either side of my face.


    ¡°So are you, James. It¡¯s quite the turnout tonight.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it is. Who wouldn¡¯te?¡± Allison said from over my shoulder, and without skipping a beat, Allegra smirked and looked over at her.


    ¡°Oh, my word. Allison, you came. I assume your daughter is here as well, then?¡± Allegra asked, keeping her smile as sweet as possible.


    However, I knew this side of her, and she was up to something. An uneasiness swept over me. ¡°Allegra, I think Ba is somewhere around here...¡±


    Her eyes met mine briefly, and her grin widened. ¡°I know, dear. I saw her just a moment ago, but I wanted to take the time toe and say hello to everyone here.¡±


    ¡°Wise of you,¡± Allison quickly said, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Why is that wise of me?¡± Allegra replied. ¡°Is there something wrong with Ba?¡±


    Allison scoffed beforeughter left her lips. ¡°Oh, please. A girl like that isn¡¯t from our society. However, I suppose we can allow her a little taste of what it¡¯s like to live as we do. Granted she doesn¡¯t make a fool of herself.¡±


    ¡°Enough, Allison,¡± I snapped at her. ¡°You¡¯re thest person who needs to be speaking ill of others. Not to mention, tonight is about celebrating, not belittling other individuals just because you don¡¯t like that they don¡¯t fit your agenda.¡±


    Allison stared at me with anger and shock because I had spoken to her that way. However, the others agreed with me, toasting to changing the event in the future, perhaps.


    ¡°So, this woman...¡± Mr. Lancaster said, ¡°can we meet her?¡±


    A smile lit my face as I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure she would be delighted. I just have to see where she has gone off to.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she is dancing right now,¡± Allegra spoke up with a grin.


    ¡°That¡¯s right... Charles took her to the dance floor. I probably should go rescue her.¡±


    Myment made the others chuckle, but before I could step away, Allegra grasped my arm. ¡°There is no need. She isn¡¯t with Charles.¡±


    ¡°Oh, already with someone else... isn¡¯t that something?¡± Allison replied slyly.


    Letting out a deep sigh, I red at Allison. Perhaps I was wrong for thinking I could bring Ba here. I should have known after the incident in the dress shop Allison would make tonight difficult.


    Looking at Allegra, I raised a brow in confusion. ¡°Who is she with?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my younger brother, Neal,¡± Allegra replied as she looked at the others.


    I knew very well who she was referring to. It was the same man Ba was with at Club Velvet. I had seen how he looked at her there, and I could only imagine what he was doing right now.


    ¡°Was I mistaken when you said he was heading home? I didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d stayed,¡± I replied, watching as the corner of Allegra¡¯s lips turned up into a smile.


    ¡°Oh, he decided to stay a bit longer. He closed another deal here with the Fani¡¯s. They¡¯re hoping to expand out in California, and of course, Neal has one of his offices there.¡±


    There was a gut wrenching feeling in my stomach as I listened to her that told me I would not like where this conversation was going. However, I didn¡¯t bother to interrupt her. Instead, I stood there listening to Allegra praise her younger brother.


    ¡°So his wife didn¡¯te with him?¡± Allison asked, fishing for answers.


    ¡°Oh, he isn¡¯t married,¡± Allegra grinned, ¡°but it has crossed his mind recently that he needs to settle down. I mean, as the owner of Saville Golden Real Estate, it¡¯s probably best that he settles down, eventually.¡±


    ¡°Wait... your brother is the owner of thatpany?¡± Allison said in shock. ¡°That¡¯s a multi-million dorpany.¡±


    ¡°Uh¨Cyes, that¡¯s correct.¡± Allegra preened. ¡°Established it and made his first million by the time he was twenty-three. Now that he is closing in on twenty-eight, he is ready to start having a family.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Mrs. Lancaster praised. ¡°Well, perhaps he will find some lucky woman here tonight that would make him more than happy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Mrs. Lancaster... I think he may have already found that lucky person in Miami. We will just have to wait and see how things go.¡±


    I didn¡¯t miss a beat of what Allegra was saying. Her gazended on me as she said it, and the anger slowly simmered within me. Was she really referring to Ba?


    There was no way that Ba would be with that man.


    ¡°I wonder who that woman is...¡± Allison cooed. ¡°Good thing it wouldn¡¯t dare be your Ba, James.¡±


    Clearing my throat, I straightened myself, but before I could speak, Allegra spoke for me.


    ¡°Ba and James aren¡¯t officially together, Allison. They aren¡¯t dating, so I don¡¯t see why she couldn¡¯t be a candidate for my brother. After all, she is sweet,posed, graceful, and highly intelligent. She has the ability to bring a lot to the table whether or not shees from money.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I finally said, shaking my head. ¡°Please excuse me. I¡¯m going to go see where those two got off too. The auction will start soon, and I¡¯m sure they will want to get their seats as well.¡±


    I had heard enough of their talk, and while I knew Allegra was purposely saying this kind of stuff to irritate me and get to Allison, I didn¡¯t want to hear it anymore.


    I understood clearly what she was doing. She was making a point, and I would have to talk to her about itter. There was no need for her to act the way she had.


    As I moved through the sea of people, I searched the crowds for the beautiful brte in an emerald green dress. I wouldn¡¯t be able to calm my racing mind until I did because everything in me was screaming that maybe what Allegra had said was true.


    The closer I got to the dance floor, the easier it was for me to make out her beautiful form swaying in time to the music with Neal.


    Halting in my steps, I watched as she smiled andughed with him. She seemed carefree and uninterested in anyone around her. Even though many people were watching them.


    My chest tightened knowing I wasn¡¯t the one who had put that smile on her face. Everything Allegra said caused the jealousy inside me to grow, but then I couldn¡¯t be jealous.


    She hade here with me, and I had allowed the conversation with other people to impede a night I had promised to spend with her.


    I had no one to me but myself.


    As her eyes caught mine, her smile fell slightly, but it was still there. Just not as bright as before. She turned to Neal, whispering something softly, and his eyes met mine.


    Whatever she had said I wanted to be privy to, but I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be.


    ¡°James,¡± she said cheerfully. ¡°Did your conversation go well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it did. I was trying to see where you had disappeared to, and Allegra informed me Neal took you dancing.¡± I tried to remain cool, but I could see in Neal¡¯s eyes he knew exactly how it was meant toe off.


    ¡°Yes, well, I didn¡¯t want her to feel left out, and I have no intentions of mingling with most of these people. They are too uptight for my liking,¡± he chuckled, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Hesitating for a moment, I raised a brow andughed to myself. ¡°Not at all.¡±


    There was a look in his eyes that made me wonder if I was going to have to watch him around Ba. Looking at her now, she seemed oblivious to how he saw her.


    I didn¡¯t know his intentions, but if he wasn¡¯t careful, he and I would have to discuss what he thinks he is trying to do. She belonged to me, and I had no intentions of letting her go.

 Chapter 42 : Staking Claims

    <h4>Chapter 42: Chapter 42 : Staking ims</h4>


    Ba.


    When James came to find me, I was rather pleased. I was enjoying my time with Neal, but I hade with James, and he had promised an evening with me, even though the current conversation between Neal and James seemed anything but pleasant.


    ¡°The auction is about to start, so I think we should take our seats,¡± James said, holding his arm out for me, which I slowly took.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. What¡¯s the charity this year?¡± Neal asked as he followed behind us.


    ¡°The money goes to the breast cancer society to help with treatments,¡± James said hesitantly as his eyes met mine.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if he had remembered my mother, but if he did, then he would have known my mother died from breast cancer. I hadn¡¯t realized this was what the charity g was for, but now that I knew, it brought back memories.


    Holding myself together, I let James lead me to the table where we would be sitting. I had imagined the rest of the evening would go well, but instead, I found that Allison and Tally were sitting at our table, as well as Allegra and Charles.


    ¡°Oh, wonderful. Ba, you¡¯re joining us,¡± Allison replied with a fake smile as she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Cut it out, Allison,¡± James bit out as we took our seats.


    ¡°I was being nice,¡± Allison gasped. ¡°Jesus, James. Maybe you need a drink.¡±


    Of course, this would be Allison¡¯s reaction. The way she unted herself, as if she was the poor ex-wife being thrust into the presence of her husband¡¯s new lover. It was pathetic, and I was over her and Tally¡¯s bullshit.


    Taliana, though, had her eyes set on Neal, and he didn¡¯t seem to notice her.


    ¡°So, how have you been enjoying yourself?¡± Charles asked me, breaking me from my train of thought.


    ¡°Oh¨Cit¡¯s lovely,¡± I said softly as James slid his hand under the table to rest on my thigh. Looking up at him, I could see the twinkle in his eye, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was nothing but a distraction to him this evening.


    People kept looking at us, and Allison kept making her snidements.


    It was horrendous, and as much as I was saying my evening was lovely, it only really had been when I was dancing with Neal. With James, it had been nothing but drama until this point.


    As the auctioning began, I found many people were very generous with their donation amounts. Not to mention the people sitting at my table.


    ¡°The next piece is an original painting by Lesslie Pachelli. Starting bid twenty-thousand.¡±


    The painting was beautiful, and James nudged me slowly. ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± I asked, with confusion.


    ¡°That painting,¡± he whispered with a smile.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s beautiful,¡± I replied. ¡°The painter has talent.¡±


    James nodded before holding up the white card in his hand. ¡°Twenty-thousand.¡±


    ¡°James, what are you doing?¡± I gasped, looking at the others at the table.


    ¡°You said you like it. So I¡¯m buying it for you.¡± He shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Are you serious right now?¡± Allison scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re wasting money on that?¡±


    Sighing, I shook my head as others started bidding on the painting as well. There was no way I was going to let James waste that kind of money on a painting. I didn¡¯t even have a ce to put it if I did get it.


    ¡°Fifty-thousand,¡± Neal¡¯s voice caught my attention, and looking at him, I gasped.


    A smile crossed his lips as he looked at me, and Allegra shrugged her shoulders as if him betting on the item was no big deal.


    ¡°Sixty-thousand,¡± James countered.


    ¡°Eighty-thousand,¡± Neal responded.


    It took a minute for me to realize what was going on, and before I could reply again, James responded. ¡°One hundred-thousand.¡±


    ¡°James, enough,¡± I said, looking at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting the painting for you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it,¡± I replied, shaking my head. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money. Please stop.¡±


    ¡°The money goes to charity, Ba. It¡¯s my donation.¡±


    ¡°Sold, for one-hundred and fifty thousand to Mr. Neal Saville,¡± the auctioneer said, catching both mine and James¡¯ attention.


    We had been so caught up in our argument, we hadn¡¯t noticed Neal had rebid on the painting and won it. For a moment, I thought James was going to lose it, but instead, he stared at Neal with a tight-lipped smile. ¡°Congrattions.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, James. It feels good to buy the item knowing that the money is going to a good cause. It¡¯s something close to my heart.¡±


    Looking at Neal and Allegra, I watched her take his hand in aforting notion, her eyes slowly meeting mine, giving me a small smile. ¡°Our mother passed away from breast cancer.¡±


    Nodding my head, I tried to hold back my emotions. ¡°I know how you feel. So did mine.¡±


    There was an awkward silence at the table for a moment as James took my hand and squeezed it lightly. I wasn¡¯t sure how to feel, but knowing someone else understood the pain I felt over losing my mother made me feel not so alone in the moment.


    ¡°Enough with this grimness. We need more drinks,¡± Allison interjected, breaking the silence.


    ¡°Mom, enough,¡± Tally finally said after a moment. ¡°Can you just stop talking for now? You¡¯re embarrassing me with the way you¡¯re acting. They lost their mother to this disease.¡±


    Shock filled me as my eyes widened in surprise at what she said. Even her own mother looked at her, trying to see if she had just heard her correctly.


    ¡°Excuse me¡ª¡± Allison gasped.


    ¡°You¡¯re excused,¡± Tally interrupted before her eyes turned back to Neal. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that. She forgets sometimes how reality can be. Perhaps, we can have coffee sometime. I¡¯d love to know more about your business.¡±


    Tally was something else. One moment she is eye-f*cking Neal from across the table, and the next, she is rudely shutting down her mother¡ªwhich I was proud of her for¡ªbut then she was also trying to hook up with Neal.


    She never ceases to amaze me. There is always a form of desperation in her eyes.


    She sought attention from any rich man who would give it to her.


    Neal, however, chuckled and shook his head. ¡°As lovely as I am sure that sounds, I think I will have to pass on that.¡±


    ¡°What¡ª¡± Tally said softly, looking at her mother, who narrowed her eyes at Neal.


    ¡°So, how is everyone enjoying the night?¡± I blurted, not wanting the conversation to get any more tense than it was.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been interesting,¡± Allegra replied, sipping on her wine.


    ¡°That¡¯s for sure,¡± Jamesmented, drinking his whiskey.


    Shaking my head, I ced my napkin down upon the table. I was done with the evening. I came to enjoy myself, and with the way everyone was acting, I couldn¡¯t do it.


    All I wanted to do was go back to the apartment, grab a ss of wine, and get into my pajamas. ¡°I think I should go.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± James said, looking at me confused. ¡°Ba¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s right. She should go,¡± Allison snapped. ¡°At least for once she is paying attention. She isn¡¯t where she is meant to be. Perhaps you need to go back up north.¡±


    I was done with her attitude. Anger boiled inside me at her words.


    ¡°F*ck you, Allison. You think you¡¯re hot shit, and you don¡¯t even belong here. You¡¯re broke, and trying to get your daughter to hook up with Neal for his money. Every man here should be wary of the two of you. Why can¡¯t you leave me the f*ck alone?¡±


    Standing, she seethed in anger, her fists clenched and eyes bulging.


    ¡°How dare you?¡± she screamed. ¡°You have no right to speak to me like that, you little home-wrecker. He was a married man.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± James looked at her with confusion. ¡°We aren¡¯t married and my seeing her was recent¡ª¡±


    James paused for a moment and scoffed beforeughter escaped him. ¡°Have you been telling people I was sleeping with her while we were married?¡±


    I should have known she would tell people that. There were rumors, and I had hoped they weren¡¯t true, but now that James mentioned it, I couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°You¡¯re pathetic, Allison. James hates you because you were a horrible mother and a horrible wife. You deserve the life you have created for yourself, and you will die alone one day because of it.¡±


    Turning on my heels, I stormed away from the table. Allegra¡¯s voice called to me as I passed through the ballroom again and made my way towards the front door.


    The thought of spending another moment in there with them was exhausting. To think I had actually thought this night would be memorable. The kind of memories this night would bring were not ones I wanted to remember.


    ¡°Ba¡ª¡± James¡¯ voice called as the sound of his footsteps quickly came up behind me. ¡°Reba! Would you stop?¡±


    Spinning around, I stared at him, shaking my head. ¡°Why? I¡¯m not staying here for another moment. I thought tonight was going to be amazing for us, and instead it turned into a shit show.¡±


    Running his hand over his face, he sighed at me. ¡°Can we not act like this here?¡±


    ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s yourment? I¡¯m sorry if you don¡¯t want to be embarrassed by me being upset. Perhaps you shouldn¡¯t have brought me here then.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have.¡± His words were like a p in the face, and as I stared at him, I saw the guilt quickly build. ¡°Ba, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s exactly what you meant, James,¡± I said, feeling the strain at the back of my throat. I didn¡¯t want to cry, but I had every right to.


    ¡°Ba¡ª¡± he said again, stepping closer to me. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this.¡±


    ¡°No, please. It¡¯s okay I get it.¡±


    Turning away from him, I headed down the steps and kept walking until I arrived at the valet and asked them to call a car for me.


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that my situation was anything but great, and as the car pulled away, I watched James turn around and go back into the building.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why I thought he would chase after me, but I was also d he hadn¡¯t. What I needed was a break from everything, and in reality, I just wanted time to consider what I was really doing.


    I was in too far over my head, and even though it felt great to put Allison in her ce, I had made a fool of myself in front of everyone close to her. Their lifestyle wasn¡¯t something made for me. I was nothing but an outsider, and I don¡¯t know why I thought I could fit in.


    Perhaps it was time for me to go home and stop pretending.

 Chapter 43 : Finally Snapping

    <h4>Chapter 43: Chapter 43 : Finally Snapping</h4>


    ¡°Ba!¡± The sound of banging woke me up in the middle of the night, and with much reluctance, I climbed from my bed and made my way towards the front door. At 2:00 in the morning, there had better be a good reason for someone to wake me, but when I looked through the peephole, I was shocked.


    Allison stood on the other side, beating her fist against the door as if she owned the ce and wanted in. I was done with her bullshit, and more than anything, I just wanted to be left alone.


    Yanking the door open, I stared at her with narrowed brows and clenched fists. ¡°What the f*ck do you want?¡±


    ¡°What do I want?! What the f*ck are you doing in my apartment?¡± she scoffed, trying to push past me.


    The feeling of anger boiled over in me, and I had finally had enough.


    Shoving her back, I watched her stumble. ¡°You assaulted me!¡± she shrieked. ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut the f*ck up, Allison. I want you to think about this for a moment because you¡¯re really getting on myst f*cking nerve. This isn¡¯t your apartment. It¡¯s James¡¯ apartment, and you are not married and haven¡¯t been in years... you¡¯re trespassing. Want to continue?¡±


    She stood, opening and closing her mouth before stomping her foot. ¡°You¡¯re ruining everything. I don¡¯t understand why you won¡¯t just f*cking leave. You¡¯re not wee here.¡±


    ¡°Leave?!¡± I screamed at her. ¡°I f*cking tried, and he made me stay! So if you have a f*cking problem, take it up with him, and leave me alone, damnit.¡±


    My outburst seemed to catch her off guard because there was nothing but a stunned expression on her face as she seemed to take everything I said into ount.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just stop it,¡± I said, cutting her off. ¡°How you¡¯re acting is pathetic, and honestly, you need to take shit up with him because none of this, from the beginning, was me. It was all him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you¡ª¡± sheughed. ¡°There is no way..¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to believe it, but it¡¯s still the truth. You need to leave me alone.¡±


    She stepped towards me, but I held my grip on the door, prepared for whatever she was about to do. I wasn¡¯t a fighter; I had only been in one physical fight in my entire life, but if this woman wanted to go, then we could go.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to let you in on something, Ba,¡± she spat with a smirk on her face. ¡°If you don¡¯t stay away from him, and find yourself on the next flight home, I will destroy your entire future... starting with Yale.¡±


    Fear ran through me with her words. It was the one thing I was worried about her doing from the beginning, and James had kept reassuring me that nothing like that would happen. He told me I had nothing to worry about.


    ¡°F*ck you, Allison. You can¡¯t scare me,¡± I replied through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Oh, no? The thing is, I can... especially with all the information I recently found out about you. Do you think they would want to be affiliated with a student who was caught in such a scandal if it made the news?¡± she said, crossing her arms over her chest.


    She was right, though. They wouldn¡¯t want to be part of anything like this, and if she wanted to, she could ruin my life. Just as I told James could happen.


    ¡°If that is something you want, then perhaps you should convince your ex-husband to stay away from me because he is the one who is chasing me. Not the other way around.¡±


    With my grip on the door, I mmed it in her face and locked it.


    The tears that poured down my face were uncontroble as I slid to the floor and cried. There was no way I could allow myself to lose everything I had worked so hard for because of a man. Even if I was in love with him, was all of this honestly worth it?


    ¡°Ba...¡± A soft voice said from the other side of the door. ¡°It¡¯s Allegra, sweetie. Please open up.¡±


    As much as I didn¡¯t want to, I didn¡¯t want to be left alone. Slowly moving aside, I reached up, unlocking the door so she coulde inside.


    ¡°Oh, sweetie¡ª¡± she said when she took in the sight of me.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked her. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a full night of fun?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± sheughed. ¡°No, girl. I left not long after you, and the neighbor called me to tell me about themotion. I ran into Allison on her way out, and she got a taste of what I had to say.¡±


    The look on Allegra¡¯s face made me chuckle through my tears.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing. That¡¯s so wrong. They have been divorced for years. I don¡¯t understand it,¡± I replied, wiping my face with the back of my sleeve.


    ¡°You did nothing wrong, Ba. Honestly, I was surprised by how James acted at the event. He is a strong-willed man and usually puts his foot down with things.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I guess I¡¯m not enough to stick up for,¡± I scoffed, shaking my head.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it was that. I think it was the fact there were so many eyes upon him, and he didn¡¯t want to cause a scene at the event. He is one of the top contributors every year,¡± Allegra sighed, shrugging her shoulders.


    Perhaps that was the truth, but at the end of the day, he should have said somethingst night and he didn¡¯t. Instead, he agreed he shouldn¡¯t have brought me there.


    ¡°Well, ording to James, he agreed with the notion he shouldn¡¯t have taken me therest night, and instead ofing here after the event... you can see he went home.¡±


    Standing, I made my way towards my room, with Allegra following behind me. I wasn¡¯t sure what to do, but now that Allison knew I was in this apartment, I didn¡¯t want to stay here.


    I didn¡¯t want to have her constantly harassing me and following me around. It was aplete invasion of privacy, and I knew she would keep to her word and try to ruin things with Yale for me.


    She was just that kind of person. A sadistic, twisted individual who took pleasure in tormenting others even if she won¡¯t get anything from it.


    Pulling out my suitcases, I started going around the room, collecting my things. There was no way I was staying here, and considering James hadn¡¯t arrived yet and it was almost 3:00, I doubted he would be.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Allegra asked as she watched me pack.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Allegra, I am not ying these games with him. I care about him, yes, but I don¡¯t have time for this drama. This wasn¡¯t what I signed up for when I came to Miami.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t what I signed up for. I didn¡¯t ask for him to want me.


    Even if I didn¡¯t stop it from happening.


    ¡°Ba¡ª¡± she said again as she grabbed my wrist to stop me. ¡°Don¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°Why, Allegra? Is he here right nowforting me? No, he isn¡¯t. You are, and I¡¯m grateful for it, but this is just too much for me. I should have enough money to book a ticket back home,¡± I replied, zipping up my bag, and pulling it off the bed past Allegra and towards the door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. You don¡¯t need to book a ticket,¡± she said again as I collected a few things from the living room.


    ¡°So you¡¯re expecting me to keep putting up with all of this, then?¡±


    Rolling her eyes, she smirked. ¡°No, smartass. I¡¯m suggesting that instead of letting them ruin the rest of your summer, you juste stay with me until the day you leave. You can ignore him if you want, and me, you, and Neal can have fun instead.¡±


    ¡°Thest time we tried to do that, he followed me to Velvet,¡± I sighed, remembering the night he showed up in Velvet and told me I was his.


    Just thinking about that night made me want to cry. Everything about the way he treated me and possessed me broke my heart because it was one thing about him I fell in love with.


    Who was I kidding, though? How could I honestly talk about love with him when I had only been here a few weeks?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He will know that I am there.¡± I sagged my shoulders in defeat. ¡°Why can¡¯t my life just be easy?¡±


    ¡°Life isn¡¯t meant to be easy, Ba. Nowe on. We can take your stuff up to my ce, and the good thing is... I have the room still ready for you,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Neal using it?¡± I asked, with confusion.


    ¡°No, he is in another room. I do have more than two rooms, Ba,¡± she replied teasingly, causing me to smile.


    Of course, she did. I suppose part of me just wasn¡¯t thinking straight.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go then,¡± I said, forcing a smile to my face. ¡°You¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t let this drama get to me, and I only have like two weeks left, anyway. So I should make the most of it.¡±


    With excitement, she took myrge bag and began walking down the hall. However, I found it hard to take the step I needed to pass the threshold to the apartment.


    Turning around, I let my eyes cast over the ce, and the enjoyment I had experiencerd being here with James came back to me. He had done nothing but treat me like a princess, even though I never asked him to.


    The idea of having to let go of him tore at me. The conflict weighed heavily on my mind as I tried to understand what the hell I had gotten myself into.


    Was I really going to be one of those girls that clung to a man who had more drama than a TV si, or was I going to stand up for myself and remind people I knew my worth.


    Taking a deep breath, I pushed through my feelings and closed the door behind me. When I turned, I found Allegra was waiting patiently for me at the end of the hall, and while I never would understand why she was so kind to me, I was grateful.


    Without having her around, I don¡¯t think I would have been able to handle all of this. Dealing with the drama from Tally and Allison was mentally exhausting, but every time something happened, Allegra was there to pick me up when I fell.


    She was bing the friend I had always needed, and I was grateful for that.


    Perhaps, with her by my side, I could get through everything after all.

 Chapter 44 : Accepting Fate

    <h4>Chapter 44: Chapter 44 : epting Fate</h4>


    James.


    The night was supposed to be perfect, but once again, my ignorant ex-wife ruined it. It seemed, no matter what I tried to do with Ba, Allison couldn¡¯t get it through her head that I was happy and didn¡¯t want her.


    After years of not dealing with her, the first time I take an interest in a woman like this, she acts out. Sitting in my office at my house, I chased back another ss of whiskey and looked at the clock.


    It was close to 6:00 in the morning, and I still hadn¡¯t found the courage to go see Ba. I should have followed herst night, but I couldn¡¯t.


    Ba was angry, and she had every right to be. One thing I had learned, though, is when a woman is angry, it¡¯s better to give her space to calm down instead of constantly giving her something to be pissed off about.


    So here I sat. Staring at this stupid f*cking photo on the wall in my office. I wasn¡¯t sure why I bought it. It was gloomy and depressing, or at least I thought so.


    Everything about its dark shadowed trees and lonely streets under the moon screamed exactly how I felt. Unsure and conflicted.


    Did I walk down a street like this and do so alone?


    Or did I allow myself to walk with another and brighten up the street with her smile?


    Again,plications and conflicts weighed upon my shoulders, making it impossible to think straight. How was I supposed to be of use to her when I wasn¡¯t sure about what I wanted myself?


    Letting out a heavy sigh, I stood and proceeded upstairs.


    Sleep was calling me, and it was the only ce I needed to be. However, my phone ringing had me jumping to answer it, hoping that it was the brown-haired, blue-eyed beauty who had captivated me, but to my surprise, it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Allegra,¡± I said with a sigh as I continued my venture towards my room. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    For her to be calling me, she had something on her mind, and considering how the evening had gone, I could only imagine what it was going to be about.


    ¡°Good morning to you as well. I take it you haven¡¯t gone to sleep yet?¡± Her voice was filled with amusement, as if she was going to tell me something I would not be happy about.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. Why?¡±


    ¡°Oh, just curious,¡± Allegra teased happily.


    ¡°Allegra...¡± I sighed again before running my hand over my face, trying to keep calm. ¡°You called for a reason. Can you please just tell me what it is so I can go to sleep?¡±


    There was a moment of silence on the phone before I heard her sigh. Whatever she was going to tell me, I had a feeling I wouldn¡¯t like it, but being as patient as possible, I waited.


    ¡°Well, I know a current beautiful brte who isn¡¯t sleeping where she should be sleeping,¡± she said, causing my heart to race.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Ba¡¯s not at the apartment?¡± I asked with panic setting into me. Where the hell was she, and why wasn¡¯t she in the apartment?


    ¡°Allison showed up at the apartment, James.¡±


    F*ck. Of course that bitch did. ¡°Shit. Is Ba okay?¡±


    ¡°Do you seriously have to ask that question? Allison and Ba got into it, and the neighbor told me, so I went to check on Ba. She was pretty upset.¡±


    This was the kind of news I wasn¡¯t expecting.


    Allegra¡¯s words were like a knife to my gut.


    Things had already been bad at the g so to hear this had happened as well was not good.


    I had expected Allegra would call and berate me after the way I acted tonight and perhaps tell me I was a selfish asshole for not putting Allison in her ce at the g.


    If only they knew I was in a ce where I couldn¡¯t just act out. All eyes were on me because I brought Ba, and also because Allison and Tally were there.


    They probably expected a shit show to happen, but of course, I kept myposure.


    Yet, I find out Allison had other ns and had just made things worse.


    ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± I gasped, looking around my room in disbelief. ¡°Is she¡ªyou know what? I¡¯m on my way. I will be there in a minute.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s toote,¡± she said quickly before I could hang up.


    ¡°What do you mean, it¡¯s toote? Where is Ba, Allegra?¡± Gripping my phone tightly, I waited to hear her say what I expected.


    ¡°You know what that means, James. Please don¡¯t make me exin this. Your ex has put her through shit and then shows up at that ce. She doesn¡¯t feel safe there. Not to mention the threats that were being thrown around¡ª¡±


    ¡°Threats? What f*cking threats? Where the f*ck is she, Allegra?¡± I all but shouted into the phone. My frustration was growing, and the need to seek revenge for Ba came to the front of my mind.


    How could anyone treat her like that?


    Shit... how could I allow her to be treated like that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take that tone with me, James. You have no one to me but yourself. You¡¯re lucky she stayed around this long. I have said enough.... If you want more information, you will have to talk to her. When she is ready.¡±


    Allegra didn¡¯t wait for me to say anything else before she quickly hung up the phone, leaving me with questions that needed answers.


    Allison had stooped to an all new low and confronted Ba after having already spoken down at her through the evening.


    Left in a state of disbelief, I stood there with my car keys in my hand, holding my phone.


    ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± I screamed, chucking my keys across the room screaming in rage.


    Allison was the bane of my existence, and no matter what I did to make things work with Ba, this stupid bitch wouldn¡¯t learn to stop.


    Frustration and hatred filled me knowing a woman I had grown up with and loved at one point in my life had so much selfishness and pride in her she couldn¡¯t let me be happy.


    I had given her everything, and for the first time in my life, I found someone else to make me happy, and she couldn¡¯t let me have even that.


    Instead, she wanted more. She felt entitled to everything I poured my heart, sweat, and tears into because she wanted to fill some void in her heart that grew ck because of her own greed.


    There was only so much someone could take, and if I lost Ba because of Allison, I would never forgive her.


    Allegra was right. I had no one to me but myself.


    Ba didn¡¯t want Tally or anyone to find out about our little situation, but instead of listening to what she had to say, I was greedy and allowed Tally to find out.


    I specifically went against what she had asked of me just so I could take her out and show her off as if she was something new I had bought.


    How was I honestly ever going to fix that with her?


    I was a grown man acting like a boy in high school instead of being the man she deserved to have. I could hope some other man could fill the ce I was failing to keep. Yet, even the thought of that made my stomach turn.


    I hadn¡¯t meant to care for in this way, but every moment with her was bing more and more addicting every day.


    *****


    Ba.


    Sleep overtook me not long after Iid upon the bed in Allegra¡¯s spare bedroom. I didn¡¯t realize I was tired, but in the end, I was more tired than expected.


    By the time I woke up, the sun was high in the sky, and the filtered voices of Neal and Allegra came from down the hall.


    Rolling over, I stared at the clock with a sigh.


    My phone dead, and my mind foggy, I forced myself to get up and move towards the living room. There was no reason for me to sit around and be mopey. I had to find the strength to put this all behind me.


    As I stepped into the living room, I found them both sitting on the sofa talking. However, as soon as I came into view, they became quiet and turned to me with small smiles upon their faces.


    ¡°How are you doing?¡± Neal asked.


    How was I doing? I wasn¡¯t even sure how I was doing.


    Just lie Ba. After all, they won¡¯t know the difference. Disassociation at its best.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I replied, shrugging my shoulders. ¡°It was never anything serious.¡±


    ¡°You both may not have made it official, but it sure as bloody hell looked that way.¡± Allegra added, causing me tough.


    ¡°I¡¯m done with it all, guys. It¡¯s too much to handle, and this was not what I signed up for with him. He is amazing, and god... in bed, he was incredible, but I will go back to school in a few weeks. So it¡¯s better to just end it now,¡± I finally said, getting everything off my chest.


    Every part of me wanted to cry, but I couldn¡¯t let myself do that.


    I couldn¡¯t continue to get upset over a man who was going to act the way he was. It was beyond ridiculous, and all I was doing was making a fool out of myself.


    ¡°You deserve better,¡± Neal said quietly as I met his gaze.


    ¡°Thanks, but I think it¡¯s best I stay away from men for a while. Maybe one day things will be lessplicated, but as much as I wish that was true with James, I know it won¡¯t be. Allison will never let it go.¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t that the f*cking truth.¡± Allegra mumbled, sipping her drink.


    Thement caused me tough as I poured my orange juice and made my way towards where they were sitting.


    ¡°Anyway... like I said, I¡¯m fine. Shit happens. At the end of the day, life is only ten percent what happens to us, and ny percent how we handle it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, words from the wise?¡± Neal chuckled. ¡°I like that saying.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. It¡¯s my dad¡¯s favorite saying.¡±


    Thinking about my father, I contemted going to see him. It was moments like this when I wished I was with him so he could hug me and tell me everything was going to be okay.


    Even if he would give James a piece of his mind, hearing him tell me it¡¯s going to be okay meant the world to me at the moment.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s wonderful,¡± Allegra said cheerfully. ¡°Go get your pretty ass dressed up. We are going to have lunch and do a bit of retail therapy.¡±


    Laughing softly, I shook my head. ¡°I can¡¯t... I just don¡¯t have it in me.¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± she said quickly, holding her hand up. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you sulk around down here. This is Miami, Ba, and women down here don¡¯t take shit from anyone. In a way, Allison is trying to get you to submit, and we are going to show her, and anyone else, for that matter, that you won¡¯t y their games. Now, go.¡±


    There was no arguing with this woman, and nodding my head, I rolled my eyes and headed back to my room to get ready. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what she had nned, but I had no doubt in my mind that it was going to be more than interesting.


    After all, interesting was this woman¡¯s lovenguage.

 Chapter 45 : Confronting the Problem

    <h4>Chapter 45: Chapter 45 : Confronting the Problem</h4>


    There is no time like the present to change the path of your future. For if we live in the past too long, we get caught up in what could have been instead of setting forth what can be.


    I didn¡¯t think I would be able to get past what had happened, but as always, Allegra was able to get me through it all. She distracted my mind so I wasn¡¯t sitting around, thinking about how what I desired to have with James could never happen.


    ¡°What do you think about these sandals?¡± Allegra asked as I looked through an array of sunsses in a shop near the beach. Turning to her, I tilted my head a bit as I stared down at her feet.


    ¡°Those are actually really cute.¡±


    ¡°I thought so too,¡± She muttered before pulling her wallet from her purse and handing the cashier money. ¡°I¡¯m getting them.¡±


    Looking around further, I tried to see if there was anything I could find I might enjoy. However, the more I looked, the more everything seemed to remind me of James.


    ¡°Ba, shall we all go get lunch?¡± Neal said,ing up beside me with a smile on his face. ¡°Allegra said there is a cute beach ce near here that has amazing fish tacos.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, that sounds good to me,¡± I replied as my phone rang. ¡°Let me just take this really quick.¡±


    He nodded his head, and I slowly moved past him and pulled out my phone. Once again, James was calling me, and I wasn¡¯t sure what to say to him.


    Taking a deep breath, I pushed the green button answering the call.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I whispered as my heart fluttered.


    ¡°Reba¨C¡± he replied breathlessly. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Out, why?¡±


    There was an exaggerated sigh from his end that made me roll my eyes as I stared out at the ocean in front of me. ¡°Please don¡¯t act like this...¡±


    ¡°Act like what, James? Don¡¯t call me telling me how I need to act when you are the one who caused all of this chaos.¡±


    ¡°You know what I meant¨C¡± he replied quickly, and even though part of me knew what he meant, it changed nothing. Why did I have to be the one to submit?


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t James. Please exin to me what you meant because you keep saying that I know, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t. How am I supposed to know when you don¡¯t exin?¡±


    There it was. My admission of truth to him.


    I didn¡¯t know what he wanted or what he was thinking.


    One moment, he was saying he wanted to be with me and was treating me like a queen, and then the next moment, he had me feeling like I was nothing but aplication.


    ¡°I mean, don¡¯t act like you¡¯re mad at me,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Mad? Is that what you think I am?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious you¡¯re mad, and I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re acting this way when I¡¯m trying to fix things,¡± he snapped with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m trying to make things better.¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to make things better?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do, Ba.¡± James replied with exhaustion. ¡°I want you back with me.¡±


    Turning around, I looked towards Neal and Allegra, who wereughing over something I hadn¡¯t been privy to. Allegra¡¯s eyes met mine with a smile.


    She had been right about something... I shouldn¡¯t let all the drama get to me.


    ¡°James, before you start worrying about things with me, you need to get your ex-wife under control. I won¡¯t allow her to ruin my life because she has a vendetta against you.¡±


    ¡°Ba, I can sort her out, but you don¡¯t need to worry about her.¡±


    ¡°James, she threatened to go to the f*cking media and ruin Yale for me. I won¡¯t f*ck up my future because you can¡¯t handle your ex-wife. How dare you tell me not to worry about her when she is threatening me?¡± I finally snapped.


    It was a long timeing, but what did he expect?


    I wouldn¡¯t be sucked into the drama again.


    ¡°Okay,¡± James replied. ¡°I will handle her. Will you please juste over to my ce this week so we can talk about everything in person? I don¡¯t like this phone shit.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay. I will keep you posted, but right now I have to go.¡±


    Not bothering to give him room to keep talking, I hung up the phone and walked back towards Allegra and Neal.


    ¡°Everything okay?¡± Allegra asked with a curious smile.


    ¡°Yep, more than okay.¡± My words may have convinced them, but they were far from convincing me.


    *****


    James.


    Walking into my office at work, I tried to let my conversation with Ba go. I hadn¡¯t expected her to act the way she did, but I was wrong to assume she would forgive easily.


    She had every right to be mad, but in the end, I would fix it.


    ¡°Evette, Allison ising in today. Make sure she isn¡¯t stopped.¡±


    Evette¡¯s eyes met mine with confusion and small, parted lips. ¡°Sir... are you sure?¡±


    Raising my gaze to meet her, I smiled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. It will be okay.¡±


    Nodding her head, she exited my office, and quickly, I fell into the pace of work. There was much I was behind on since I had started seeing Ba. It wasn¡¯t that big of an issue, but it wasn¡¯t good business.


    An hourter, my office door opened, and Allison walked in with her head held high. Dressed up and not a spot of makeup out of ce, she looked as if she wasing here for a reward, and not for a meeting.


    ¡°Allison, thank you foring.¡±


    ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t very well say no when you asked so nicely. I am curious what the meeting is about,¡± she replied demurely, her smile brightened by her red lipstick.


    Taking a seat across from me, I watched as she crossed her legs to purposely show off the white tops of her garters as if trying to entice me.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you know exactly what the meeting is for.¡±


    Taking a moment, she tapped her well-manicured nails on the desk and smiled. ¡°I take it that you didn¡¯t like my behavior at the g.¡±


    ¡°That would be one reason. The second would be the way you showed up at my apartment harassing my guest,¡± I countered, watching as her smile fell and was quickly reced with a sneer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean our apartment, James?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I snapped. ¡°It isn¡¯t our apartment, Allison. It¡¯s mine and had one of my business members been there that night instead of her, you could have cost me money. I want to make it very clear to you that if you show up there again, I will have you arrested.¡±


    Anger burned within the depths of her eyes as she stared at me.


    She knew I was serious because it wouldn¡¯t be the first time I had called the police on her. Allison had a tendency to be very dramatic, and it was typically because she had been drinking.


    ¡°What is it you see in that girl? She has nothing to offer you, and she isn¡¯t part of our world. I know you saw at the g how everyone looked at her. She didn¡¯t belong among us and never will,¡± Allison replied with disdain.


    I had noticed what she was talking about, but then I wasn¡¯t exactly someone who cared too much about what people said. Even if I didn¡¯t do anything about Allison that night.


    The only thing I wanted was for us to have an enjoyable evening, and instead, it had been ruined. Everything was ruined¡ªbecause of Allison.


    ¡°I want to rify¨Cthis is thest time I have to speak to you about this. If you continue to harass her, I will have her press charges against you. To hear you verbally threatened her at the apartment was disgusting and beneath you.¡±


    ¡°Disgusting?¡± she yelled, standing. ¡°What¡¯s disgusting is knowing that I was married to a man who was sleeping with a woman the same age as his daughter. That¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    This was something I was growing tired of hearing. Repeatedly, she brought this up, and so did Tally. I was a loving father to my daughter, but over the years, she was growing more and more like her mother.


    I had done everything for my family, and just because a woman I was interested in now wass the same age as my daughter, that doesn¡¯t mean I had an interest in young girls.


    ¡°That is beyond disgusting, and if you don¡¯t stop making thosements, we¡¯re going to have a problem, Allison. I may be a lot of things, but sleeping with underage girls isn¡¯t something I¡¯m about. So stop making those suggestions.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity, James,¡± she sighed as she moved from my desk. ¡°If I had known you were this possessive and aggressive back then, I would have tried harder for you.¡±


    Laughter escaped me, halting her in her steps towards me. ¡°There is no way. You have to deserve that kind of aggression, Allison. It isn¡¯t freely given when you act the way you do.¡±


    I had been a dark man for a very long time and taking women of a certain breed was something I enjoyed. I couldn¡¯t have a woman like Allison anymore.


    She didn¡¯t listen, and she was selfish.


    Ba, though, she was submissive and willing. It was a joint effort with her. She made me feel like we were a team in a way. Someone I could spend my life with if I wanted too. I wasn¡¯t going to be treated the way Allison had treated me for years.


    ¡°How dare you say something like that to me!¡± she snapped. ¡°I was the perfect wife!¡±


    ¡°Perfect? Hardly,¡± I snorted. ¡°I¡¯m done with entertaining you, Allison. What I have said is what I have said. I don¡¯t want you near my apartment, and if you don¡¯t leave Ba alone, I wille after you full force.¡±


    ¡°James, you aren¡¯t being serious.¡± She stared at me as if looking for me to give way to some amusing jester that would suggest I was kidding.


    ¡°I¡¯m very serious, Allison. Honestly, I think you need to go back to rehab and look at how to get your life back on track. You have never been this bad before, andtely, you aren¡¯t someone I even recognize. Now please... you may excuse yourself.¡±


    Tears built in her eyes at my words, but there was no way I would allow myself to give in to her emotions, no matter how long we had spent together. She may have been the mother of my child, but I wouldn¡¯t allow her to act this way.


    Even if it wasn¡¯t Ba, and it was another woman... they didn¡¯t deserve that from her.


    Hopefully, this time, she would heed my warning.


    Otherwise, god help her the next time she acted out.

 Chapter 46 : Coffee & Gossip

    <h4>Chapter 46: Chapter 46 : Coffee & Gossip</h4>


    Ba.


    Four days passed without another word from James.


    Our conversation weighed on my mind a lot, but I found myself busy doing other things to keep myself preupied, whether it was enjoying drinks and dinner with Allegra and Neal or simply even just taking time for myself.


    I had wondered if Miami was going to leave a nasty taste in my mouth, but in reality, it wasn¡¯t. I simply had been too caught up in bullshit to have fun.


    Walking down to the cafe near the apartment building, I looked forward to the breakfast teatte they offered and a blueberry muffin. I was an addict for caffeine, and considering I had been so preupiedtely, my recurring headaches ended up resulting from no caffeine.


    Something I would make up for by the cup full¨Cor twenty.


    As the door chimed, I walked in to spot the usual bright, cheerful barista. ¡°Ba... your usual sweetie?¡± she asked with a smile.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Iughed. ¡°Am I that obvious?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sweetie, you are the only person I know that orders that drink.¡±


    Raising my brows I gave a tight smile. ¡°Well, people just don¡¯t have good taste then.¡±


    ¡°Ba!¡± A familiar voice called out, and turning, I spotted Neal walking towards me.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He had left yesterday for some business, and I hadn¡¯t expected that he would be back so soon.


    I had honestly thought he was going back to New York and not sticking around Miami.


    ¡°Just got back an hour ago and needed a ¡®pick me up,¡¯¡± he chuckled. ¡°You too?¡±


    Furrowing my brow in confusion, he gestured to thette now sitting on the counter.


    ¡°Oh! Yes,¡± I giggled. ¡°Sorry, not fully with it yet.¡±


    ¡°No problem. I know how that is. I¡¯m exhausted and ready to go home soon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t think you wereing back to Miami.¡± I took my muffin andtte and watched him follow me to a small cafe table.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to, but I only had to go over to Tampa, so I drove. I will head out tomorrow night back to New York. Don¡¯t worry though, I have a flight for you if you want?¡±


    ¡°Neal...¡± Iughed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take care of me, but thank you for the offer.¡±


    Since everything with the g, Neal had been very sweet. Always paying the bill and being more than helpful in giving me information on ces to live when I got back to school.


    He was a really nice guy, and I was appreciative, but he confused me.


    There was something about him that was conflicting, but I tried to overlook it as him just simply being a very busy man with a good heart.


    ¡°I know I don¡¯t have to, Reba. I just want to make sure you¡¯re okay. What kind of man would I be if I didn¡¯t help to look out for a pretty woman?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sweet,¡± I replied, rolling my eyes.


    A sh of light out of the corner of my eye caught my attention, and looking down, I noticed a text message came through and frowned.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked as my eyes met his briefly, and I forced a smile, shaking my head.


    ¡°Nothing, just a text from someone.¡±


    ¡°Are you not going to open it?¡± he asked. ¡°I can leave if you want me to.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. It¡¯s from Tally.¡±


    His eyes widened as his lips formed an ¡®O.¡¯ ¡°The she-devil herself. I have to say... she was very persistent at the g to gain my favor.¡±


    Having taken a sip of my drink when he said that, I snorted, and caused myself to choke asughter escaped me. ¡°Oh, my god, yes. Too bad for her you bat for the other team.¡±


    ¡°Ba...¡± Neal smirked. ¡°I¡¯m not just into men.¡±


    Speechless was something I never thought I would find myself with Neal. He was a straightforward person, and to hear him say this now surprised me.


    ¡°What do you mean? Allegra said you were gay.¡±


    Laughter escaped him as he nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure she did. However, that¡¯s because I want her to think that. I like both men and women. I just don¡¯t want her trying to throw women at me so that I can settle down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I know this may be personal, but... don¡¯t you want to settle down? Have kids and a huge family?¡± I asked him out of curiosity.


    ¡°Of course I do, one day. Right now, though, it wouldn¡¯t be good because I¡¯m always traveling for work. Partners don¡¯t want someone who is always gone, and I refuse to put that burden on someone. So, if it happens one day, then it does. If not, then so be it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very considerate of you,¡± I replied after a moment of staring at him.


    I had never heard a man say something sweet like that. He was taking his future spouse into consideration without ever knowing them.


    ¡°Considerate seems to be my middle nametely,¡± he chuckled as his eyes gazed at my phone again, watching it light up.


    As much as I wanted to be drama free, I was very curious to know what Tally was saying, and rolling his eyes, he snatched my phone and opened it.


    ¡°Neal, what are you doing?¡± I said, trying to take my phone back, only to have him hold it out of reach.


    ¡°Look, you are obviously too nervous to see what she has to say, and the suspense is killing me, so I will read it for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Jesus,¡± Iughed. ¡°You¡¯re just like your sister. I hope you know that.¡±


    He was silent for a moment as he scrolled through the text, and then his eyes lifted to meet mine. I wasn¡¯t sure what the look was that he was giving me, but slowly the corner of his lips turned up into a smirk.


    ¡°Seems the she-devil wants to meet up with you to talk.¡± He held my phone out to me.


    ¡°What?¡± I said with shock. ¡°No way... what the hell would she want to talk about?¡±


    Sure enough, looking at my phone, I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes at the message.


    ¡®Ba, I know things have been bad between ustely, but I want to meet up and talk. My mom was out of line with how she acted, and I¡¯m done with her bullshit. I¡¯m sorry for flipping out, but it was a lot. I want us to be the way we were before. Will you meet me to talk?¡¯


    Reading the message a few times, I sat there hesitant to believe what she was saying was honest. Tally was not the type of person to apologize, and even though she and I had once been close, we weren¡¯t anymore.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Neal asked with a concerned look upon his face.


    ¡°Honestly, I have no idea. I¡¯m curious, but I know she tends to be full of shit, as well,¡± I replied, setting my phone down.


    How was I supposed to even consider meeting her with everything that had happened?


    ¡°You could always just go to see if she is being honest.... Either way, it can help you get closer. Of course, that ispletely up to you.¡±


    Neal had a point.


    I was curious, and if I went, that meant I could gain closure on this issue between us. Even if I wasn¡¯t entirely in the wrong. ¡°Maybe I should.¡±


    Picking up my phone, I took a deep breath and typed.


    ¡®I¡¯m surprised to hear from you. How do I know this isn¡¯t a trap?¡¯


    It was the one thing I wasn¡¯t certain of, and to be honest, I wouldn¡¯t put it past her to do something like that. After a moment, the message turned from delivered to read.


    ¡®Things changed, Ba, and I see now how f*cked up all this has been. My mom is crazy, and when she told me about threatening you, I was done with her. It¡¯s one thing to makements, but to ruin someone¡¯s life over a man who doesn¡¯t want you... it¡¯s pathetic.¡¯


    ¡°What¡¯s she saying?¡± Neal said, causing me to look up at him with a smile.


    ¡°She¡¯s trying to convince me that this isn¡¯t a trap, and she thinks her mother¡¯s messed up,¡± I replied, causing him to smirk.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t wrong about that. That woman is nuts.¡±


    ¡®Fine. Where am I meeting you? You¡¯re home?¡¯


    I was out of my mind for agreeing to this, and deep down, my stomach turned with anticipation. It was going to end badly. I just had that gut feeling, but if I was going to ept everything that had happened here this summer, I had to do this.


    I had to confront her and hash this out. At least then I wouldn¡¯t have regrets.


    ¡®No. I¡¯m staying at the beach house. Dad and I needed time apart. Will you meet me here tomorrow? We can have drinks and talk about everything.¡¯


    Drinks. When was there a time when Tally didn¡¯t drink?


    Sighing, I replied. ¡®See you then.¡¯


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s that. Guess I¡¯m walking into hell tomorrow.¡±


    I stood, and Neal joined me as we grabbed our things and made our way outside of the cafe. ¡°You¡¯re doing the right thing,¡± he said, nudging me with his shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you think so.¡± Before smiling, I chuckled, ¡°I hope I don¡¯t regret this.¡±


    ¡°At least this way you won¡¯t regret not doing it,¡± he replied with a pointed look.


    I loved the analogy he used to try and see the bright side of things. He may have had a point, but I was literally walking into what I said I wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°As much as I want to think positively about this, I can¡¯t. I have known this girl since I was eleven, and she is anything but nice. Granted, we always had an understanding, but it still isn¡¯t in her character to act like this.¡±


    Thest time I had seen her act like this was our freshman year of college, and that was when Melissa Ray had stolen Tally¡¯s favorite dress and cut it up at a sorority party. That same party, Tally screwed Melissa¡¯s long time boyfriend in the pool in front of everyone.


    Just to make a point that she can take anything from anyone.


    Tally didn¡¯t care what people thought about her, and she didn¡¯t have many true friends.


    I was the only one.... The others just wanted her for her money and connections.


    ¡°Life has a way of making things happen for a reason. Have some faith,¡± Neal said, ncing at me. ¡°If things get rough, you can leave with me tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how romantic?¡± I said, rolling my eyes, causing us both tough.


    However, I may just take him up on that offer if shit hits the fan.

 Chapter 47 : Betrayal of Friends

    <h4>Chapter 47: Chapter 47 : Betrayal of Friends</h4>


    Waking up early, I set out to take care of the only thing I had nned for the day. Tally said she wanted to talk, and I was determined to suck it up and go with the flow. Who knows, maybe it would be a positive thing?


    ¡°Alright guys, I¡¯m heading out,¡± I called out to Allegra and Neal who stood in the kitchen.


    ¡°Oh, are we going to war already?¡± Nealughed, causing Allegra to smack his shoulder, shaking her head at him.


    ¡°Sometimes I wonder what he is on. Have fun, sweetie. If you need me, just call.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I smiled and waved to them.


    It was funny how motherly she could be, and it did warm my heart to know that she cared the way she did. Even after everything we had been through.


    Heading out onto the street, I looked down the way for a passing taxi and held up my hand to g it. Its yellow color quickly pulled up in front of me, and without hesitation, I climbed in.


    I told him, ¡°Take me to 3204 Sunset Boulevard please.¡±


    The driver didn¡¯t bother to say anything as he stepped on the gas and headed down the street towards Tally¡¯s father¡¯s beach house. It was at least a good forty-five minutes away, and if I wanted to get this conversation done with, it was better to get there as soon as possible.


    In the back of my mind, I kept thinking about James and what he had said. Perhaps the way I acted waspletely out of line. James was in a bad position that night to really defend me without drawing negative attention to himself.


    When Neal and Allegra exined the lifestyle they lived in full description, a lot of things made sense. When you have more money than most, there are always eyes on you. People waiting for you to slip up, and make a mistake so they can shame you to the rest of the world.


    It honestly made sense now what he meant by ¡®don¡¯t act like that¡¯ and ¡®I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡¯ He was trying to exin things to me in a way I would understand, and I didn¡¯t really give him the chance to do so.


    As the driver came to a stop, I paid him and climbed from the car. The white and blue beach house stood out against the coast, and standing amongst the palm trees, I hesitated with what was toe.


    This was a break it or make it moment. Could things really change between us?


    Step by step, I made my way inside the house and nced around for Tally. ¡°Tally?¡± I called out as I tried to spot where she could be. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    Sounds from upstairs drew my attention, and furrowing my brow, I made my way up the stairs towards the bedrooms. ¡°Tally?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until I got to the top of the stairs that I realized what I was hearing was moaning, and to my surprise, it wasing from the room Tally was in. Spinning around, I moved to wait downstairs until I heard something I wasn¡¯t expecting.


    ¡°Yes, Chad! Please harder¨C¡±


    What the f*ck did she just say?


    Turning back, I pushed open the bedroom door hard, not even flinching as it hit the wall and the two of them jumped up in surprise.


    ¡°Why am I not surprised?¡± Iughed.


    ¡°Ba! What the f*ck?!¡± she screamed at me. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Uh¨Cyou told me toe over, remember?¡± I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.


    ¡°Yeah, I meant f*ckingter,¡± she countered. ¡°Well, at least you know now¨C¡±


    ¡°Know what? That you¡¯re f*cking my ex?¡± Iughed. ¡°You can have him. I do not care.¡±


    ¡°Of course you care. He was the love of your life, remember?¡±


    I was suddenly able to make sense of what was going on. Tally thought sleeping with my ex was going to upset me, but unfortunately for her, it wasn¡¯t going to work.


    ¡°I hate to break it to you, but I don¡¯t care if you sleep with him.¡±


    Chad quickly stood from the bed,pletely naked with his cock hard, and stared at me. ¡°You could always join us, Ba.¡±


    ¡°What? I¡¯m not f*cking sharing you,¡± Tally yelled at him. ¡°You¡¯re mine now.¡±


    ¡°Of course, babe. I was only joking,¡± he replied as he walked towards the bathroom.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what soap opera I had walked into, but from the looks of it, that¡¯s what she was hoping for. ¡°So, how long has this been going on? I mean, I¡¯m guessing that was why he came down here?¡±


    Laughter escaped her as she shook her head. ¡°Not exactly.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®Not exactly¡¯?¡± I asked her in confusion.


    The look on Tally¡¯s face spoke to the amount of evil that was actually within her. It took a moment for me to process everything, but then slowly I understood.


    ¡°I can see the wheels in your head turning, Ba,¡± Tally taunted as Chad came out of the bathroom, walking towards her.


    ¡°You were cheating on me with her?¡± I asked him in disbelief. The girl who was supposed to be my best friend was the same girl my long-time boyfriend had been sleeping with that led to our breakup.


    As much as I didn¡¯t want to believe she could do something like that, I wasn¡¯t honestly surprised. The initial shock of them sleeping together hadn¡¯t hurt me, but after finding this out, I could feel the knot in my stomach from her betrayal.


    ¡°Of course, I was,¡± Chadughed. ¡°She was the only reason I started dating you, Ba. Did you seriously think someone like me was interested in you?¡±


    Laughter escaped him, but as I looked at Tally, I was met with a sadistic and twisted amused expression that let me know she was waiting for me to break.


    ¡°So you dated me to get to her?¡± I scoffed. ¡°This honestly makes so much sense.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he did, and it should. I mean, how romantic is it to know that he would go to any length to be with me? And now, we are engaged!¡± Tally cooed as she turned her gaze to Chad.


    ¡°Romantic? Wait what? You¡¯re engaged?¡± I said, bursting intoughter.


    Chad was anything but romantic. The only thing he was partially decent at was f*cking, and even then, it was hit or miss, considering a girl never knew how long he wouldst.


    ¡°What the f*ck is so funny?¡± Tally snapped at me. ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous because we are going to be getting married.¡±


    ¡°Oh, trust me, I¡¯m not jealous. I just think it¡¯s funny that you think your dad is going to allow this to happen.¡± I smirked. ¡°He can¡¯t stand Chad.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you have brainwashed him by lying about Chad¨C¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t act like I never did anything for you,¡± Chad snapped at me. ¡°I tried to make you a part of something, and even introduced you to my friends, but you were nothing but a prude bitch.¡±


    ¡°Go f*ck yourself, Chad. You are not as great as you think you are,¡± I replied, rolling my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m actually d to know that both of you are this low. It makes things so much better for me.¡±


    ¡°What the f*ck are you talking about?¡± Tally asked as she stood and took a couple of steps toward me, a sheet wrapped around her.


    ¡°I mean, at least now, I don¡¯t feel bad about f*cking your dad, Tally. You were betraying me long before I climbed into bed with him, and he is much better in bed than Chad ever was,¡± I said with a smirk.


    There was shock in her eyes at my words, and as I stared at her, I ignored the rambleing from Chad. They were both dead to me now, and I was d that I came.


    ¡°You f*cking bitch!¡± Tally screamed as she came running at me.


    Never had I expected Tally tosh out at me, but she raised her hand to p me. Before she could, I did the one thing I never expected to do.


    Pulling back my fist, I punched her straight in her face and watched as she stumbled back, holding her nose before falling to the ground. Chad yelled,ing at me, and before he could get hold of me, I turned and ran down the stairs.


    He was relentless, thoug,h as he pursued me, and as his fingers grabbed the back of my hair, I realized he didn¡¯t learn the first time.


    Reaching into my purse, I grabbed my tazer as he pulled me back and gripped my throat. Without hesitation, I jabbed him with it and watched as he cried out in pain, letting me go.


    Falling down thest few steps of the stairs seemed to happen in slow motion, and when I hit the floor, I felt the air escape my lungs before pushing myself to get up and get out of the house.


    There was no telling what Chad would do to me, and with Tally being as twisted as she was, I was a fool foring.


    Stepping out into the warm Florida air, I gasped in relief, taking the steps two at a time before I heard the door open behind me with Tally screaming my name.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you better f*cking run, you stupid bitch!¡±


    Turning I looked at herughing, shouted, ¡°Have fun with that abusive, cheating, asshole, Tally.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, he is going to be my husband and the father to my unborn child!¡±


    Tally¡¯s words made me freeze in my spot.


    She was pregnant by Chad, and now so many things made sense. I had no doubt in my mind that it was something they had been nning. They were both trust fund babies, and neither of them had worked for anything in their lives.


    As she disappeared behind closed doors, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and scrolled to James¡¯ name. He¡¯d said that he wanted to meet me, and I wish it had been on better terms, but I had to tell him.


    If Tally was pregnant by Chad, he needed to know sooner rather thanter, and I wouldn¡¯t have him upset at me for not telling him when I found out.


    ¡®I need to see you. It¡¯s important.¡¯


    Waiting for him to reply, I ordered myself an Uber and waited. I wasn¡¯t sure where I was going, but within a matter of moments, he replied to me.


    ¡®I have a meeting, but I¡¯ll be free at the house in forty minutes.¡¯


    That was perfect considering it would take me that long to get to him. Messaging him back, I pushed my phone into my pocket and took a deep breath.


    It was so hard to breathe with everything that had been going on, and as the realization of Tally and Chad¡¯s betrayal hit me, I felt the tears welling within my eyes.


    The tears weren¡¯t there because I was sad they had hurt me. I was actually more relieved than anything. However, they were there because I finally no longer felt the guilt for having the feelings for James that I had.


    I was in love with him, no matter how much he pissed me off, and now that I knew I wasn¡¯t in the wrong for being with James, I didn¡¯t care about holding back those feelings anymore. I was going to tell him everything.


    Perhaps he and I could start over.

 Chapter 48 : Breaking Point

    <h4>Chapter 48: Chapter 48 : Breaking Point</h4>


    James.


    The moment I received the text from Ba, my chest squeezed with the idea that something was wrong. We hadn¡¯t spoken in a few days, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that I cared for her. I had been doing exactly what she asked me to do.


    I was sorting out the issues with Allison.


    Ba had been right when she told me I needed to sort my ex out. Allison had been nothing but aplication for Ba and I. I couldn¡¯t believe it took me being on the verge of losing Ba for good to realize I didn¡¯t want to.


    I couldn¡¯t lose her. The thought of it was too much to bear.


    Pulling up to the house, I made my way inside and to my office. I had a virtual meeting I was to attend, and only a few minutes to prepare for it.


    That was, until I got the text from Evette that the client was going to have to cancel.


    ¡°Shit. Of course, they are.¡±


    The client was more than annoying, and if I couldn¡¯t get them to agree to the deal I had provided, it was going toplicate things further for me. This was the only way I could get out from having to do business with the Russian.


    ¡°Mr. Valentino...¡± my housekeeper said from my open office doorway.


    Looking up at her, I thought she seemed very ufortable and fidgeted as if she had done something wrong. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Maria?¡±


    ¡°Sir, your ex-wife is at the front door,¡± she replied, biting her bottom lip,pletely unsure of what she was supposed to do.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why Allison was at my home, but thest thing I wanted to do was to entertain her. I had thought I made it clear the other day when we met I wanted her to disappear and sort her shit out.


    Yet, she was here for some ungodly reason.


    Nodding my head, I stood and made my way down the hall towards the front door. As soon as I opened it, I took in the state of her and furrowed my brow.


    ¡°Allison. What are you doing here?¡±


    Her hair was unkempt, and her mascara was running. There was a distinct smell of alcoholing off her breath, and I was waiting for her topletely lose her mind.


    ¡°Tally hates me, and I think I finally have hit bottom. Can we talk?¡± she said with tears in her eyes.


    Letting out a heavy sigh, I looked at my watch and noted the time. Ba would be here in thirty minutes, and I didn¡¯t want her to see Allison. ¡°You have fifteen minutes.¡±


    Stepping through the threshold, she made her way towards the kitchen as I followed behind her. ¡°The house looks so different since we were married.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I had it changed after you left. Now, what do you want to talk about because I doubt the decor options I chose are the reason you¡¯re here?¡±


    Her eyes fell on me for a moment before she sighed and nodded her head.


    ¡°I know that I have been horrible for a long time, and over thest few weeks, I caused a lot of issues for you, James. I¡¯m sorry for all of it,¡± she whispered.


    Allison wasn¡¯t the kind of person to apologize for anything, so since she was, this had my mindpletely blown. Yet, I was also wary because this was far from normal.


    ¡°I appreciate you apologizing, but I still don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re here,¡± I repeated, trying to make it clear apologizing wasn¡¯t a good enough reason for her to be here. There must have been something else she was up to, and I wasn¡¯t sure what it was.


    She never did anything without a specific reason.


    ¡°I need help, James. I want to go back to rehab and try to get on the path I should have been on for the past few years. Tally won¡¯t even talk to me right now, let alone look at me. She has been staying at the beach house and mes me for messing her life up.¡±


    Hearing Tally was at the beach house made no sense to me. Usually, she told me when she was going there, but considering how things had beentely, I could see why she hadn¡¯t.


    ¡°I think that you going to get help would be good for you. You¡¯re not the same woman I used to know, and perhaps Tally being angry at you is a good thing. Getting help will make your rtionship with our daughter stronger,¡± I exined to her as I grabbed her a bottle of water from the fridge.


    ¡°I know, but will it be enough to fix things with us?¡± she asked, looking at me with hopeful eyes.


    I knew she was up to something, and that question was the anchor for a lot of shit to unleash. Things that I wasn¡¯t prepared to discuss.


    ¡°No, Allison. There is no fixing us. I told you that when we got divorced.¡±


    ¡°James, please,¡± she begged. ¡°Please, just let me get help, and we can fix things.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what she didn¡¯t understand about me telling her no, but I was certain it had something to do with the fact that, before, she wasn¡¯t broke, but now, her money was almost gone.


    There was nothing this woman could say to change my mind, and now was the time to make her go. Ba was going to be here any moment, and I didn¡¯t want Allison here when she got here.


    ¡°No, Allison. I¡¯m sorry, but there is no way that I would give us a chance again. You didn¡¯t just cheat on me, Allison. Your betrayal broke me because you, at one point, were the only woman I ever could imagine loving.¡±


    She was silent for a moment as she took in what I was telling her, but just as the waterworks had been there, I saw the small spark of anger deep in her eyes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think that anymore, do you?¡± she said in a more hostile tone than she had spoken moments ago.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Now, please, I need you to leave. I have another meeting starting soon. I can¡¯t bete for it.¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to throw everything away for her?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to what she said, but it wasn¡¯t any of her concern what I was about to do with my own time and freedom. If I didn¡¯t end up with Ba, then that would be the choice Ba and I made.


    It would have nothing to do with Allison.


    As much as I had once loved this woman, I couldn¡¯t allow her to be the one who dictated the oue of my future.


    ¡°I¡¯m not throwing anything away for anyone, Allison. I n to create a fresh path and future with her, though. No matter who tries to stop it. It will happen.¡±


    Disbelief and hatred filled her as she looked at me. ¡°You can¡¯t.... James, please, I love you.¡±


    Her twisted words of love and desire meant nothing to me now. Perhaps once upon a time I would have cared, but now there was no way I could.


    The only woman who made my heart beat with a notion of love was Reba, and if I had to spend a lifetime making it up to her after everything she had been put through, then so be it. I would spend a lifetime chasing after her if that was what she expected of me.


    ¡°Allison, enough. I need you to leave.¡±


    Her eyes drifted from me to the door as soft, gentle knocking echoed down the hallway. ¡°Is that her? She¡¯s your meeting?¡±


    Clearing my throat, I narrowed my eyes at her, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you see I¡¯m trying to change, James?¡±


    ¡°Because, Allison, you have said you were changing many times, and after a while, one stops believing that shit could end up being true. I hope you do change and one day realize how much you have destroyed acting the way you do.¡±


    My eyes cast down the hallway as I watched Maria walk towards the door. The only woman I wanted to love was just beyond the door, and I couldn¡¯t wait to see her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, James.¡± Allison said, catching my attention. Turning towards her, I was caught off guard by her actions, and before I could realize what was going on, her lips were on mine and a small gasp escaped the entryway to the kitchen.


    *****


    Ba.


    When I pulled up to James¡¯ house, I wasn¡¯t sure what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn¡¯t Allison¡¯s car parked in the driveway. Was this the meeting that he said he had?


    As I knocked on the door, I hesitated, unsure of what to do. Should I leave ande backter, or maybe I should text him?


    When the door opened, I had hoped to see him, but Maria, his housekeeper, greeted me. She smiled at me, but then it quickly fell as she looked over her shoulder with hesitation.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I whispered, stepping through the doorway.


    ¡°He¡¯s in the kitchen, miss,¡± she said before quickly disappearing.


    Walking down the hall, I entered the kitchen, and the sight in front of me was one that I wasn¡¯t prepared to see. James and Allison stood in the kitchen kissing, and a gasp of shock escaped me as I stood frozen.


    James quickly pushed her away, wiping his lips. ¡°What the f*ck did you do that for?¡±


    Her eyes met mine and filled with tears and hatred. ¡°This is your fault. Why can¡¯t you just leave us alone? We were fine before you got here and ruined everything!¡±


    Looking between the two of them, I wasn¡¯t sure what to say, but when his eyes fell on me I saw the remorse. ¡°Ba, it wasn¡¯t what it looked like. She nned this¨C¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± I blurted. ¡°Was this the meeting you had?¡±


    ¡°Meeting?!¡± she shrieked beforeughing. ¡°We may not be married anymore, but I will always be his wife, you little homewrecker.¡±


    ¡°Go f*ck yourself, Allison. You¡¯re a delusional snide bitch, and you and your daughter deserve each other.¡±


    ¡°Wait¨Cwhat?¡± James said, looking at me. ¡°What happened?¡±


    I was in disbelief at his question. Did he really not know, considering he was kissing her?


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like this with me... I can¡¯t do this shit. If you want Allison, then you can have her,¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want her,¡± he said quickly before grabbing my arm. ¡°I want you.¡±


    Pulling my arm from his grasp, I looked at Allison again. ¡°Then why is she here?¡±


    ¡°She came over unannounced¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t f*cking lie to her, James. You asked me toe over so we could talk about Tally.¡± Allison mocked as she crossed her arms over her chest.


    ¡°No, the f*ck I didn¡¯t,¡± he snapped at her. ¡°Get out of my house, Allison.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she screamed. ¡°This bitch will never be able to rece me!¡±


    For the second time in the day, I watched one of the Valentino women charge at me. Only this time, I was prepared for what was toe. Before she could do anything, I swung at her and knocked her to the ground.


    There was no stopping because Allison had pissed me off enough.


    Punch after punch, I hit her in her face as she wed at me, screaming at me every name under the sun. James, though, had other ns and quickly wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me off her.


    Before she could stand, though, I kicked out and hit her chest with my foot, causing her to stumble back into the table. ¡°You¡¯re a spiteful bitch, Allison! I¡¯m f*cking done with it all!¡±


    The moment was quickly over. Allison tried to straighten herself as she wiped the blood from her nose and mouth. I never in my life had openly attacked someone before, but then again, I had never had someone push me the way she did.


    ¡°Ba, what the hell has gotten into you?!¡± James yelled as he pulled me aside. ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°Are you f*cking serious right now?!¡± I screamed at him. ¡°You know what? I¡¯m f*cking done with all of this. To think I came here tonight to tell you I loved you... what kind of fool was I?¡±


    Turning on my feet, I made my way towards the front door. I was done with the bullshit, but James wasn¡¯t ready to see that happen because I was quickly pulled back and held close to him. ¡°Don¡¯t walk away from me,¡± he said sternly.


    Jerking myself from his grasp, I shook my head. ¡°No... don¡¯t do that. You have no right to tell me not to walk away when you won¡¯t even fight to stay with me. When you won¡¯t even¡ª¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t what, Ba?¡± he yelled again, causing tears to flow down my cheeks.


    ¡°Goodbye, James.¡± I said without hesitation. ¡°Oh, and by the way, your daughter is engaged to Chad... she was the girl he was cheating on me with, and she¡¯s pregnant.¡±

 Chapter 49 : Fly Away Home

    <h4>Chapter 49: Chapter 49 : Fly Away Home</h4>


    Ba.


    Leaving James¡¯ house the way I did was harder than I had expected it to be. There was a point in my life when I would have done anything to keep the person I loved, and I realized with Chad it wasn¡¯t a healthy ce to be.


    With all the twisted games these people had me ying, I had finally reached a breaking point, and no matter what shit they tried to tell me, I would not do it anymore.


    Did I love him? I think I did, but is love a good enough reason to mentally exhaust myself to the point of seeking some falsified sense of security?


    To me it wasn¡¯t, and as I found my way back to Allegra¡¯s, I knew what I had to do.


    I had to get out of Miami and its toxic environment.


    Nothing about this ce screamed happy memories. Instead, it was nothing but utter chaos and great sex. Something I¡¯m sure I could find anywhere else.


    Opening Allegra¡¯s door, I walked in to find Neal standing in the entryway staring at me with wide eyes. I had forgotten he was leaving tonight, and honestly, it was kind of perfect.


    ¡°Holy shit, Ba!¡± Neal dropped his bag and cleared the space between us. He lifted my chin to get a better look at me. I winced when he ran his thumb gently across my cheek. ¡°What the f*ck happened to you?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s themotion?¡± Allegra stopped in her tracks, mouth wide, as she stared at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I sighed, looking at them both as I moved past Neal with a smile and headed towards the kitchen in search of something cold to put on my face.


    ¡°You¡¯re not fine,¡± she replied, cing her hands on her hips. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Taking a moment, I contemted how to exin it all. ¡°Well, do you want the long drawn out version, or do you want the short version with CliffsNotes?¡±


    She narrowed her eyes at me, raising a brow with an irritated look.


    ¡°CliffsNotes it is.... Let¡¯s see... Tally is f*cking Chad for starters, which, honestly, I had always wondered if that was the case. Um¡ªoh, she¡¯s getting married to him, and she¡¯s pregnant,¡± I said, watching as Neal¡¯s and Allegra¡¯s faces went from anger to shock.


    ¡°Holy shit. Are you serious?¡± Allegra asked.


    ¡°Yep, but I found that out after I punched her in the face, and Chad attacked me, so I had to taze him¨Cagain.¡± I went for nonchnt as I pulled the ice pack back and gently touched my face. I¡¯m not sure the line delivered the way I expected.


    ¡°Wait, was he the one who did this to you?!¡± Neal all but roared in anger. ¡°I¡¯ll f*cking kill him.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa. Calm down, killer. This isn¡¯t from him,¡± I smirked. ¡°I love the enthusiasm, though.¡±


    ¡°Well then, who the f*ck did that to you?¡± Allegra asked with sincere eyes.


    ¡°Allison did... but only because she was trying to defend herself since I was beating her ass.¡± I wore a victorious smile before the tears flowed down my face.


    With the reactions from Allegra and Neal, I couldn¡¯t help butugh. They both stood speechless in front of me, as if trying to process it all. However, then Neal did the one thing I wasn¡¯t expecting.


    He walked over to me and wrapped his arms around, me pulling me into a hug. Thefort he was providing me was unexpected, but it felt right.


    ¡°Where was this at?¡± Neal asked in confusion. ¡°I mean, was she where you went to meet Tally?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied, shaking my head, thinking of James. ¡°She was at James¡¯ house.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me? Why was she at his house?¡± Allegra asked in confusion.


    Remembering the kiss brought tears to my eyes. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. What¡¯s done is done. Neal, are you still leaving tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why have you changed your mind?¡± he asked with a concerned nce as Allegra looked between the two of us.


    ¡°Changed your mind about what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving with Neal tonight for New York. I can¡¯t stay here anymore, Allegra and I¡¯m ready to get out of here.¡± Trying to make myselfugh, I pushed through my words.


    ¡°Oh, sweetie...¡± she replied before wrapping her arms around me. ¡°You do what you think is best. I will support you no matter what. Can I please ask what happened with James, though, to make you want to leave?¡±


    Nodding my head, I took a deep breath as she pulled back, staring at me.


    ¡°I walked in on him and Allison kissing. Then all hell broke loose.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have to exin further for her to know what I meant by that. She could see the state of me, and it was obvious after everything I had been through I was done with it all.


    It was time for a change of scenery. The Valentinos could have their drama.


    I just wouldn¡¯t allow myself to be part of it.


    *****


    James.


    The moment Ba left, I was filled with rage. I stormed back into the house seeking blood, and when I found Allison, I lost it.


    ¡°Get the f*ck out of my house!¡± I screamed at her.


    Never once had she seen this side of me, and when she didn¡¯t move, I picked up the vase on the ent table and tossed it at the wall above her head. ¡°I said get the f*ck out!¡±


    She didn¡¯t wait for me to tell her again as she bolted towards the door and disappeared from my sight. Ba had been trying to tell me the entire time what Allison was doing, but like an idiot, I didn¡¯t listen to her at all.


    Instead, I allowed Allison to hurt her again, and then asked her what was wrong. How could I be such a fool?


    Grabbing my car keys, I ran out the front door and jumped into my car. I had not gone after her once, and there was no way I was going to make the same mistake twice.


    Everything had fallen apart once more, and no way she was going to stay in Miami after this.


    As I drove towards the apartment building I tried to think of what I could say or do to convince her to stay, but my mind was empty of thoughts, so I pulled into the parking lotpletely unsure of what to do.


    Moments passed, and eventually, I beat on Allegra¡¯s door.


    ¡°Ba!¡± I yelled loudly until the door opened, and Allegra stood there with narrowed eyes ring at me.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asked as I pushed past her and made my way into the living room, looking around for Ba.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± I asked, as I turned to face her. ¡°Where¡¯s Ba? I have to find her.¡±


    ¡°Why... so you can break her heart some more?¡± she snapped, mming the front door behind her.


    ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re talking about, Allegra. It isn¡¯t like that.¡±


    Laughter escaped her as she shook her head looking at me. ¡°Like what, James?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t break her heart!¡± I yelled in frustration.


    Before I knew what was happening, Allegra pped me, and I stood wide-eyed at what had just happened. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare take that tone with me, James Valentino! Do you hear me?¡±


    Nodding my head slowly, I rubbed my face and sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t lose her.¡±


    ¡°Why was Allison at your house, James?¡±


    ¡°She showed up there. I didn¡¯t ask her toe over, and then she was talking about how she was going to go back to rehab and what not. Shit, Allegra, she f*cking apologized to me. Never in my life did I think I¡¯d hear some shit like that.¡±


    Sheughed at myment and picked up her phone off the counter.


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot, James. I bet you Allison and Tally set it all up.¡±


    ¡°Tally? Why would you think that?¡± I asked, trying to understand why she would think Tally had something to do with it.


    ¡°Yesterday, Tally sent a text to Ba, asking her to talk. Said she wanted nothing to do with her mom and she wanted to fix things with them. Ba was hesitant, but in the end, she went to hear what Tally had to say. Tally lured her there so Ba would see her f*cking Chad.¡±


    Everything slowly made sense, and I was at a loss for words over it.


    My daughter and my ex-wife did the only thing they could to force Ba to leave. Their selfish desires made her jump ship and run away from me.


    ¡°That¡¯s what she meant¡ª¡± I said in realization.


    Allegra sighed at my realization with a frown on her face. ¡°Yeah, and supposedly you¡¯re going to be a grandpa. Congrattions. Not sure how Tally is going to mature enough to take care of a baby.¡±


    ¡°Enough, Allegra. I will sort that out when the timees.¡±


    ¡°I hope so, because Ba was pretty upset about everything. You need to fix things soon if there is even a chance to fix things,¡± Allegra replied, leaning against the wall. ¡°She loves you, James.¡±


    ¡°I know... please tell me you know where she is...¡± I said, hoping Allegra would break.


    There was an uneasiness in her before she shook her head and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s toote.¡±


    ¡°Nothing is ever toote. Please, I have to find her.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. I mean, it¡¯s toote because she is on her way to catch a flight right now headed to New York. There is no way you will get there in time.¡±


    ¡°With who?¡± I asked, already knowing the answer to that question.


    ¡°Neal¡ª¡±


    Before she could continue her sentence, I was out the door and running for my car. I couldn¡¯t let her leave like this, and not with him. It was nothing against him, but I didn¡¯t want another manforting the woman I cared about.


    Thirty minutester, I pulled up to the private airfield where his ne sat on the tarmac. The lights were shing, and it was preparing for takeoff as I took off running towards it. ¡°Wait! Stop the ne!¡± I yelled as it moved forward slowly, gaining speed.


    There was nothing I could do to stop the ne now, and as I stood on the tarmac, I watched the ne lift off the ground and slowly gain altitude.


    I was toote, and Ba was gone.... Sweet Reba headed to New York, and where she would go from there, I didn¡¯t know.


    The pain that filled my chest in that moment was more than I wanted to bear, and as I ran my hand through my hair, I tried to understand where I had gone wrong.


    On more than one asion, I had failed to treat her right, and protect her.


    I allowed all of this to happen, and I wasn¡¯t sure if there would ever be a way for her to forgive me.

 Chapter 50 : Up, Up, and Away

    <h4>Chapter 50: Chapter 50 : Up, Up, and Away</h4>


    Ba.


    As the ne took off from the airport, I tried toe to terms with what I had done. I was leaving Miami with Neal and headed back north to thends I knew. It was disheartening to know things had gone as bad as they did, but I epted it.


    ncing over at Neal, I saw that he was busy typing away on theptop in front of him. The man had been on one business call after another, and it reminded me that just because someone has money that doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t work for it.


    Like James, Neal was a busy, sessful proprietor.


    It now made sense why he said he didn¡¯t want to leave his partner when he had to go off to another location. He wants to be part of the rtionship and not constantly away. Which was sweet, but seemed lonely.


    ¡°Thank you for letting me catch a ride.¡±


    Looking up at me, he smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. I¡¯m more than happy to help you out.¡±


    ¡°Why though? I mean, you barely know me.¡±


    Neal looked at me for a moment, as if contemting what he was going to say next. ¡°Do I really need to know you all that well in order to help you?¡±


    ¡°I guess not...¡± I replied, feeling embarrassed I¡¯d said anything.


    What he¡¯d said was true. I supposed you didn¡¯t really have to know somebody in order to help them, but I was still confused.


    He was spending a lot of money helping me, and he barely knew me outside of knowing Allegra loved me to death. I decided not to press the issue any further. Thest thing I wanted to do was upset somebody who had been nothing but kind to me.


    ¡°Regardless of it all, I still thank you for helping me. Once I get to New York, I will have to figure things out.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got to make my way back up to Yale and find a new ce to live, as well as move my stuff out of the apartment I was in. It¡¯s going to take a bit of time.¡±


    ¡°I forgot you were living with Tally,¡± he replied with a sad smile.


    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s okay. I will figure it all out. Before she returns to school, I want to get out of there. I don¡¯t want it to be weird having to deal with her,¡± I said as I looked out the window of the ne. The pilot came over the speaker to inform us we had reached cruising altitude.


    ¡°So, how did you guys get that ce? Will there be a deposit you can get back or something?¡± Neal asked after a moment of silence between us.


    I could tell he was trying not to pry, but I couldn¡¯t help butugh at his question. To think about Tally paying rent was amusing.


    ¡°No, unfortunately not. James was the one who funded that apartment. He actually bought it and owns it outright. I stayed there with Tally, so I had a free ce to live while I was attending college.¡±


    The depth of conversations I¡¯d had with Neal in the past had never really been too much about what I was really doing up north or about my family.


    He knew my mother had died, and he knew I was going to school at Yale, but he didn¡¯t know every single detail.


    Closing hisptop, he ced it back into his bag, and unclipped his seat buckle, making his way towards me with a ss of dark amber liquid in his hand.


    Something about him made me feel some kind of way, but I wasn¡¯t sure what it was. He didn¡¯t spike my interest like James did, but there was somethingforting about being around him.


    Taking a seat next to me, he made himselffortable before setting his ss down. ¡°I guess we really never had private conversations about ourselves to a degree. At least not about you. Why don¡¯t you tell me about your family? What does your father do for a living?¡±


    Talking about my family wasn¡¯t something I typically did. I was a private person and enjoyed not having many people know about who I was. I couldn¡¯t ignore his question, though. Not after he had been so kind to me.


    ¡°Well, my father is retired from the military. He was a pilot and then taught aviation school. However, he ended up retiring again when my mom got sick.¡±


    Neal¡¯s eyes looked on in admiration at what I said.


    There were many things Neal was, but cruel was never one of them, nor did he ever judge a single person he¡¯d ever met that I knew of. Of course, the exception being Tally and Allison. But then again, everybody had a reason to judge them.


    ¡°What kind of nes does he fly?¡± Neal asked with curiosity.


    ¡°Um¨CI don¡¯t know specifically. He flew cargo nes or something in the air force, and I do know that he did get licensed at one point for helicopters. I think he just did that for fun, though. Honestly, you would have to ask him.¡± Iughed thinking about the crazy ideas my father has had over the years.


    ¡°I may have to do that if I ever manage to get to meet him.¡± Nealughed. ¡°It sounds like he is a good man. Did he ever take you up?¡±


    ¡°He is a good man. Unfortunately, he took me up in a ne one time, and it was not for me. I have a slight fear of flying if you can¡¯t tell. I popped a Xanax before we got on the ne.¡±


    Nealughed, nodding his head. ¡°I wondered what you had taken, but I didn¡¯t feel like it was my ce to ask.¡±


    The curious nces he gave me as he sipped on his drink didn¡¯t make me feel as ufortable as I thought I would feel. Instead, I felt pleasantly content with being around him.


    Neal was a good man, and even though my thoughts often drifted back to James, it didn¡¯t change the fact things were moreplicated than I wanted them to be.


    Thinking about everything that happened earlier in the day, my eyes filled with tears I refused to let fall. I quickly blinked them away, and as I did, Neal¡¯s hand rested upon my knee as he gripped it gently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let everything bother you. Youe from a family that has worked hard to get to where they are, and everything will work out in the end.¡±


    A mixture of augh and a scoff left my throat as I sighed, trying to act like I wasn¡¯t bothered by what had happened. ¡°Anyway, when I get back, I have a lot to do.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just stay at my ce? I mean, I¡¯m only gonna be there for a couple of days, and then I have to leave again to go overseas, and I¡¯ll be gone for another week. It¡¯ll give you time to figure things out,¡± he suggested, catching me off guard.


    ¡°Oh, no! I couldn¡¯t possibly do that, Neal. That would be too much of a burden on you.¡±


    As nice as it sounded to stay at Neal¡¯s ce, I didn¡¯t want to impose on him. Yet, Neal wasn¡¯t the type of person to take no for an answer.


    He leaned back in the chair and gave me an ¡®are you serious¡¯ nce while raising a brow in my direction. ¡°You¡¯re going to be staying with me, and that¡¯s final. When wend this ne, I expect you and your luggage to end up in my car and at my ce.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hold back the amusement I had over the way he was acting. I could tell he was trying to be serious, but he couldn¡¯t hide the smile crossing his lips.


    ¡°Neal¡ª¡± I said with a smirk.


    ¡°No, no. My sister would hang me if she knew that I just let you wander out there on the streets without a ce to go, and honestly, thepany would be nice if you¡¯d stay with me.¡±


    ¡°Okay, if you¡¯re sure,¡± I replied, agreeing with his demands.


    I knew how he felt about thepany situation. As much as I wanted to deal with everything that happened on my own, I also didn¡¯t want to be alone.


    Just an added addition to myplicated and conflicted feelings....


    Afortable silence filled the space between us, and as it did, I couldn¡¯t stop my mind from going back to James. The things that had happened earlier in the day were still so fresh, and I wondered if I had made a mistake with the way I¡¯d acted.


    Why was it I always ended up being attracted to men who just wanted to hurt me?


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it would be like to date a guy like Neal. Would he be sweet and romantic? Would he treat me right and give me no reason to question him?


    Could I live a life with someone who was always gone and traveling?


    It was weird that I was even wondering what it would be like, but then at the end of my thoughts, I was trying topare him and James as if there was apetition.


    James had seriously f*cked with my mind, and the realization was agonizing.


    ¡°I promise I will only be there for a week. I don¡¯t want to overstay my wee,¡± I said, breaking the ufortable silence.


    Neal wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close to him, my head resting upon his shoulder. ¡°Never feel that you are a burden to me or the fact that you would overstay your wee. You could stay with me for years if you wanted, and I would enjoy yourpany.¡±


    ¡°Years are a long time,¡± I chuckled, causing him tough as well.


    ¡°You are a very kind woman, Ba. Any man will be lucky to have a person like you in their lives, and I know that one day, you¡¯re going to make a man very happy. I¡¯m just sorry to see that James could not realize that.¡±


    It was at that moment that the dam broke, and my eyes filled with tears quickly flooding down my face. Through everything that I had gone through, I¡¯d stille out on top with my head held high.


    I didn¡¯t allow Allison and Tally to break me.


    In the end, yes, they pushed me towards the point of leaving, but I didn¡¯t leave broken. I refused to admit I was broken because even though my heart felt shattered, I knew it could be put back together again.


    It would just take time to do so, and time was something I had plenty of. All I had to do was have faith everything would work out. In the end, I was positive it would.


    Maybe one day I would run back into James, and if I did, we could rekindle what we¡¯d had. If we couldn¡¯t, though, at least I could look at him as a friend and know, at one point in time, we¡¯d shared quite a lot inmon.

 Chapter 51 : Time in New York

    <h4>Chapter 51: Chapter 51 : Time in New York</h4>


    A few dayster, I felt much better than I had when I left Miami. Neal was far wealthier than I realized, and when he brought me to his ce, it all but took my breath away.


    Tall vaulted ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, exotic nts... The list continued with no end to thevish things he had in his upscale New York penthouse apartment. It was his pride and joy though, and when he first showed it to me, his eyes lit up.


    I had forgotten how much I missed New York until I was back home.


    Now, I enjoyed the South. The only problem was you still had to drive everywhere for everything.


    Being in New York City, I didn¡¯t have to.


    I could simply walk out of the building down to the bodega to grab something if I wanted, or even grab something to eat at one of the vendors on the corner. You never really know how much you miss something until it is no longer avable to you.


    Slipping on my tennis shoes, I made my way from Neal¡¯s apartment, heading to the bodega to grab a drink and a bag of chips. The past few days, I was addicted to a specific food I had put down due to stress.


    ming Hot Cheetos and green tea.


    Thinking about those now, my mouth watered with anticipation. The delicious crunch and vor of the Cheetos caused my stomach to growl in longing.


    As soon as my feet hit the pavement outside, I was met with the loud sounds of New York. The familiar rush of gasoline and sweat would be gross to others, but to me, it felt like home weirdly.


    Before I could reach my destination, my phone rang as it had done many times over thest few days. ncing down at it, I hesitated as I saw the one name I wasn¡¯t ready to talk to.


    James had repeatedly asked me to call him over thest few days, but I couldn¡¯t.


    The pain of everything was still so fresh in my mind, and as much as I wanted to tell him I was sorry for leaving, and me everything on myself, I couldn¡¯t.


    It wasn¡¯t my fault, and in the end, I had every right to be upset. Yet, no matter how mad I was, the growing pain of missing him was very prominent.


    Letting out a sigh, I slowly hit the green button on my phone and answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Ba. You finally answered. I¡¯ve been so worried about you,¡± James said with a breathless response.


    ¡°Why are you worried about me? I thought you made it clear I was no longer your problem when I left. You seemed to want your life simpler, so why are you calling me?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t meant to snap at him, but my frustration with everything finally slipped through, and anyone who heard me could tell I was more than pissed off.


    ¡°Ba, please, just let me exin,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Yes. Please borate, because I am entirely confused about everything. I¡¯m not some girl that can just be messed around with. From the beginning, I told you I didn¡¯t want to be someone¡¯s one-night stand. I wanted a rtionship, but I wasn¡¯t ready.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t entirely true. Yes, I wasn¡¯t ready for a rtionship, but in the beginning, I didn¡¯t know what I wanted. The only thing clear to me from day one was I wanted to have him f*ck me senseless, and I didn¡¯t want Tally to find out.


    He aplished one of those aspects, but the second one he failed on purpose.


    ¡°Look, I understand how you feel. From the very beginning, I didn¡¯t think I wanted anything either, but the thought of you leaving things unsettled between us... it¡¯s killing me,¡± he sighed into the phone, causing my heart to clench at his words.


    Hearing him exin how he was the one suffering with my absence, and how everything was left off really tore at me. He sounded like he was trying to make himself the victim, when in reality, I was the victim in all of this.


    Granted, I hadn¡¯t been the easiest person to work with. I was an adult, and I was responsible for my own actions, but he knew what was going on with his ex-wife and his daughter. None of them would have ever found out had he not purposely set it up so they would find out.


    ¡°So, you only called to try to make things better between us so you could turn around and feel better about yourself and about what had happened?¡± I asked in confusion as I tried to understand what exactly it was he wanted to say.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing like that. I just don¡¯t want there to be bad blood between us. I do care for you, Ba. More than you realize.¡± The tone of his voice sounded more than exhausted.


    ¡°If you cared for me, you would never have let Tally find out the way she did. If you cared for me, you would never have let Allison treat me like scum. If you, honestly, cared for me at all, you would havee after me and told me you were sorry in person, and not just over the phone.¡±


    A groan of irritation escaped him on the other end of the line. ¡°Ba¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, James. I don¡¯t know what it is you¡¯re looking for, but unfortunately, I have ns today, so I¡¯m going to have to let you go. I hope you find the closure you¡¯re seeking. It just won¡¯t be with me,¡± I exined as I quickly hung up the phone.


    Standing on the sidewalk, I took a deep breath, closing my eyes as I let things sink in. I wanted to call him back and apologize for the outburst.


    But I couldn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t crazy, but he made me crazy.


    Never had a man, or anybody, everplicated things in my life to the point of a mental breakdown, until I met James Valentino.


    Groaning with irritation, I grabbed what I was needing at the bodega and paid for it, quickly making my way out, ready to recluse back into Neal¡¯s apartment.


    However, as soon as I returned to the apartment half an hourter, I found a suitcase sitting just inside the door.


    A smile crept upon my face as I turned the corner to find Neal standing there, staring out the window.


    ¡°Oh, my gosh!¡± I squealed with excitement. ¡°I knew you wereing home today!¡±


    Heughed as I wrapped my arms around his waist, giving him a hug. I didn¡¯t mean to seem overly excited, but Neal and I had grown close over the time we spent together since I met him in Miami.


    ¡°Yes, I was trying to surprise you, but when I got here, you weren¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said sheepishly. ¡°I ran down to the store to get a snack, I have been craving these Hot Cheetos.¡±


    ¡°Hot Cheetos?¡± he replied with a raised brow. ¡°When did they make them hot?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god. Are you being serious right now? Open your mouth,¡± I demanded, wanting him to try my favorite chips.


    ¡°No way. I will just take your word for it,¡± heughed, shaking his head.


    It was nice to be back on familiar ground with him. I had missed the banter we had the first two days we were together before he left for London, and now that he was back, I was curious to how long he would stay.


    ¡°So, how long do I have you for before they snatch you away again?¡± I tease as I move towards the kitchen to get a ss of ice.


    He was quiet for a moment, and when I turned around, I saw the way his blue eyes stared at me as if he was lost deep in his thoughts. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I was just thinking about something.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± I grinned. ¡°Who has your mind all fogged over? Are they cute?¡±


    Laughter escaped his lips as he shook his head no. ¡°I¡¯m not dating anyone right now, Ba. I already told you that before. Stop trying to y matchmaker for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, I¡¯m not.¡± I giggled. ¡°Just saying¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re merely acting like my sister, Ba,¡± he quickly added, causing me to sigh and roll my eyes dramatically with a smirk.


    He was right, though. I was trying to y matchmaker, but only because I didn¡¯t want to see him alone. He was quickly bing one of the sweetest men I knew, and I wanted him to end up with the right person.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we do something fun tonight?¡± I suggested as he dragged his suitcase towards his room with me following behind him.


    ¡°Fun? I don¡¯t know. I was kind of hoping that we can sit here and order in food or something,¡± Neal said as he pulled the items out of his suitcase, and put them where they belonged. ¡°I¡¯m here for about a week. So plenty of time to hang out.¡±


    Hearing he was here for at least a week made me smile. I had to head back to school next week and being able to spend time with someone rather than be alone sounded nice.


    ¡°Movie and a pizza it is, then,¡± I said, causing him tough. ¡°No f*cking pineapple on the damn pizza, though, Ba!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... did I hear you wanted extra pineapple? Okay... yeah, extra pineapple.¡±


    Picking up my phone, I looked over my shoulder just in time to see himing running out the door at me with a smile on his face. Screaming withughter, I moved quickly but not fast enough before he caught me wrapping his arms around my waist.


    ¡°No, damn pineapple woman,¡± Neal almost growled in my ear, and the sound itself did something else to me I wasn¡¯t expecting.


    Freezing in his arms, my heart racing, I bit my bottom lip, refusing to look at him.


    He seemed to get the gesture, and quickly he let go of me and ran his hand through his hair. ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll make the call, and you finish unpacking?¡± I asked as I peered up at him, slightly unsure.


    ¡°Sure thing.¡± He didn¡¯t waste another moment as he turned and headed back towards his room. I found myself slightly confused by the way he was acting, but overall, I shook it off as overthinking.


    Neal was a good friend to me as well as being Allegra¡¯s brother. There was no way the situation would be weird between the two of us. He knew where I stood with everything, and he saw me as nothing but a friend.

 Chapter 52 : Friends with Benefits?

    <h4>Chapter 52: Chapter 52 : Friends with Benefits?</h4>


    As night settled in the city, Neal and I found ourselves curled up on his sofaughing at a si he found on one of the movie tforms, a box of pizza in front of us. We enjoyed each other¡¯spany, and even FaceTime¡¯d Allegra to check in with her.


    Spending time like this was amazing, and I was pleased with how quickly things changed by simply removing myself from aplicated and nerve-wracking situation.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have me watching this!¡± Iughed as I nced over at Neal.


    He sat on the other side of the sofa with a slice of pizza in his hand, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°This is a ssic. I don¡¯t see what your problem is.¡±


    Rolling my eyes, I stood from the sofa and made my way towards the kitchen to make myself another drink. ¡°Do you want another whiskey?¡±


    Neal looked over his shoulder at me and nodded. ¡°Yeah, just bring the bottle with you.¡±


    ¡°The bottle?¡± I replied, raising my brow. ¡°What are we getting drunk?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± he shrugged as he continued to eat.


    It was different seeing him like this. Before, he had been so serious, back when I¡¯d first met him, but with aid back personality. Then I saw him carefree and fun loving when we went to Club Velvet. Then more serious when I was hurt.


    In the end, though, he was always worrying about me being okay.


    Walking back towards the sofa, I sat down next to him, and put the bottle of whiskey on the table with his ss, then brought my winess to my lips.


    I wasn¡¯t much of a drinker, but Neal had gotten me hooked on a brand of Zin I couldn¡¯t get enough of. It wasn¡¯t too sweet, but it was just strong enough to take the edge off.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said as he sipped on his fourth ss.


    The ckened sky outside made for a scenic background outside therge floor to ceiling windows. One movie after another, weughed amongst each other as we talked about how poor Neal¡¯s movie choices were and also what I was going to do for amodations.


    ¡°You can¡¯t live in that neighborhood, Ba. It¡¯s horrible.¡±


    Rolling my eyes for the hundredth time, I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have much of a choice. That¡¯s what I can afford.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I will find you something.¡±


    Neal¡¯sment was very nonchnt, and even though I appreciated him wanting to help, there was no way I could allow him to do something like that.


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± I said, giving him a pointed look. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you help.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice,¡± he replied, giving me a stern re as he grabbed his phone off the coffee table. ¡°Let me make a call.¡±


    Before he pushed any buttons and called anyone, I snatched his phone and jumped up from the sofa. ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°Damit, Ba!¡± he yelled,ughing. ¡°Give me back my phone.¡±


    Turning, I stood on the other side of the sofa, staring at him. ¡°No way. I¡¯m not letting you get me a ce. I will figure it out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just money. I need more investment properties, anyway. Now give me my phone.¡±


    I stood wide eyed, looking at him in shock. He wasn¡¯t talking about helping me find one. He was going to buy me a property to use because he wanted a future investment.


    ¡°I¡¯m definitely not giving you your phone back now. There is no way I¡¯m letting you buy a property just for me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just for you,¡± he said, as he took another bite of his food. ¡°It¡¯s also an investment.¡±


    ¡°Still not giving it back,¡± I replied, stuffing it in my back pocket.


    ¡°You know I can take it away from you if I want to.¡±


    I knew he could, but I wouldn¡¯t let him. There would be no way I could pay him back for taking care of me in that way. Not to mention it just seemed so much more personal between us.


    cing down his te, he chased his food with the rest of his drink and slowly stood to his feet as he wiped off his mouth. ¡°You have two seconds to hand over my phone, or I will take it from you, Ba.¡±


    The stern warning was meant to be serious, but he couldn¡¯t keep a straight face with how much he had been drinking. Taking a step back, I smiled at him.


    ¡°Careful, Neal. With the amount you have drank, I would hate for you to hurt yourself.¡±


    As soon as thest word left my lips, he bolted towards me, causing me to squeal as I took off running. Round and round the kitchen ind, he chased me. ¡°Give it back!¡±


    ¡°Never!¡± I replied withughter as I bolted for the nearest bedroom door. The only problem was that with the lights mainly on in the living room, the rest of the house was dark, and I quickly stumbled over things. ¡°Ow, shit.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Nealughed as he came charging right behind me.


    Quickly, I tried to close the bedroom door, but he was right there pushing it open, causing me to stumble backwards as he wrapped his arm around my waist. My hands instantly went to his phone as he tried to grab it from me.


    ¡°Let me go. You¡¯re not getting it back,¡± Iughed as I tried to turn around, wriggling out of his arms. My back pressed to his chest, he held me tight against him as I kept a firm grip on his phone.


    It took me a moment to realize the position we were in, and when I felt his lips against my neck, I froze. Gently, he kissed me, and as he did, the sensation sent pleasure straight to my core.


    ¡°Neal¨C¡± I whispered breathlessly as I turned to look at him, only to have his lips crash upon mine as my heart beat as if it was going to burst out of my chest.


    The wine induced fog crossing my mind had my body betraying me. I wanted this, but I didn¡¯t. My heart, still broken by James, left my mind conflicted.


    As his hands slowly trailed down between my thighs, I moaned into him, only to have him spin me around to face him again, and have his lips once more upon mine.


    The heated frenzy between us had me begging for more.


    Grasping the backs of my thighs, he lifted me up and carried me towards his bed,ying me down. ¡°Neal, we shouldn¡¯t,¡± I gasped as my eyes rolled back, loving the feeling of his mouth trailing from my lips down to my neck.


    ¡°You have no idea how much I want you, Ba.¡±


    His admission took me by surprise as I hadn¡¯t expected it, and when his fingers slid beneath my cotton shorts, slipping between my folds, I cried out in pleasure as he stimted me.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t though¡ª¡± The reasoning I was trying to find was helpless, and the more he teased my body, the more I craved him. ¡°Neal.¡±


    Stopping his movements, he looked up at me with hesitation in his eyes. ¡°If you want me to stop, I will. I would never force you to do something you don¡¯t want to, Ba.¡±


    Guilt filled me at making him stop, but it filled me more when I thought of James.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I want. Even with everything bad that happened to me, I¡¯m still in love with James. I can¡¯t just let that go, and it wouldn¡¯t be fair to you to think that I could.¡±


    It was the truth. I really liked Neal a lot, but I loved James, and even though James hurt me the way he did, I didn¡¯t want to betray what I had with him.


    Not yet, at least. It was too soon for me to move on.


    Slipping his hands from me, he rolled onto his side and reached up, brushing a strand of my hair from my face with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t want you, because trust me, I do. I just can¡¯t help what my heart wants, and maybe with time as I get over losing him, things will get lessplicated with me. If you still want me then¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ba, you don¡¯t have to exin yourself,¡± he smiled softly. ¡°You¡¯re an amazing woman, and I would love nothing more than to be your man. However, I also respect you, and I won¡¯t ever do anything to make you ufortable. I¡¯m sorry I did this.¡± I watched as his smile disappeared.


    ¡°You did nothing wrong. Trust me, I want it, but I¡¯m not thinking straight right now.¡±


    Leaning forward, I pressed my lips against his in a soft and sensual kiss. Our lips caressed each other in a slow dance of passion.


    As I pulled my lips away, he pulled me close, allowing me toy my head on his chest. His eyes staring up at the ceiling as he held me.


    ¡°I am aplicated man as well, Ba. So I know how things can be for James. If you love him, then you should follow your heart. However, if you decide you don¡¯t want him, then I am here for you.¡±


    His words brought tears to my eyes, and I wasn¡¯t sure why, considering everything. Laying with him I felt safe, and protected, but it didn¡¯t feel like it did when I was with James.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I was going to do with myself, and as I slipped from his embrace, I sat up straightening myself trying to understand what I was doing. I was blowing off the chance to be with a man like Neal because I was so wrapped up with James.


    I must have been the stupidest woman in New York City right now, passing up a man like Neal. He was one of New York¡¯s most eligible bachelors, and I was nothing but an ignorant woman still too wrapped up in her ex to see something good when it¡¯s in front of her.


    Without saying a word, I moved from his room and made my way to my own.


    How would I face what happened tonight in the morning when I refused to ept the one thing I wanted is to be out of reach?

 Chapter 53 : James Vs. Neal

    <h4>Chapter 53: Chapter 53 : James Vs. Neal</h4>


    James.


    Since Ba left, all I did was fill myself with work. Over and over again, I made sure I was busy. So busy I wasn¡¯t able to think, let alone sleep. I was tired but every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face. Her voice called to me to find her, and yet I knew it wasn¡¯t possible.


    ¡°James, what are you doing?¡± Tony, my project supervisor, asked me as I stood on the docks staring off at the shipping containers being unloaded.


    ¡°Nothing, I was just thinking about something,¡± I replied as I looked back down at the clipboard in my hand.


    Many times over, I have had moments of feelingpletely out of ce, but it wasn¡¯t something I could share with anyone else. I had to take the initiative to sort it all out myself.


    ¡°Yo, Valentino!¡± a voice yelled from behind me causing Tony and I both to turn and look at the gorgeous woman standing behind us.


    ¡°Allegra?¡± I said as I furrowed my brow in confusion watching as she walked towards me. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t seen or spoken to Allegra since the night Ba left, and seeing her now at my ce of work was more than confusing. The extent of our rtionship as friends before usually extended to meeting at Club Velvet. However, since Ba had been in my life, I had seen her more.


    ¡°You don¡¯t answer your phone?¡± She cocked a brow and ced her hands upon her hips. Nothing but irritation in her posture.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I said with confusion. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it go off. Why are you here, Allegra?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here because we need to talk. About Ba.¡±


    Hearing her say we needed to talk about Ba stuck a nerve with me. I was trying to let it all go, and here was Allegra reopening old wounds. Letting out a heavy sigh, I looked to Tony and nodded for him to go.


    Tony had been with me for years and knew me better than most when it came to business. As his eyes lingered between Allegra and I, he nodded and turned walking off.


    ¡°What is it you want? I don¡¯t have time to do this today,¡± I sighed when Tony was gone.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to talk to you about Ba, and you don¡¯t have time?¡± she scoffed with irritation. ¡°You really are moving on quickly, aren¡¯t you? Maybe I made a mistake ining.¡±


    ¡°F*ck you, Allegra,¡± I snapped with a death grip on my clipboard. ¡°Never assume anything when ites to how I feel about Ba.¡±


    Crossing her arms over her chest, she stood staring at me defensively. ¡°Then you need to shut up and listen to me.¡±


    Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sighed and gestured for her to continue. Allison was a pain in my ass, but Allegra was a whole entirely different level. She didn¡¯t annoy me, but she scared me to a degree. Something I would never tell her. ¡°Listening.¡±


    ¡°Ba is in love with you, James. Even with distance that isn¡¯t changing, and you have a chance to fix everything. Are you seriously going to let her go, or are you going to suck up your shit and go after her?¡±


    For a moment, I contemtedughing. After all, it was absurd she could love me. She had made it clear on the phone yesterday she was done, or, at least, that is how she made it seem. So why would I go after her?


    Shaking my head, I stared at Allegra for a moment. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit. Yes, she does.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t bullshit. I talked to her yesterday and she made it clear that I don¡¯t need to worry about her. She was pissed that I was even calling.¡±


    Allegra stood speechless as she stared at me. Uncrossing her arms, she pulled out her phone and sent a text message. ¡°I¡¯m texting you Neal¡¯s number. I was going to tell you what he told me, but I think it¡¯s better you hear it from him. So please call him.¡±


    My phone dinged with her message, and slowly, I pulled out my phone from my pocket, staring at the number. Neal was thest person I wanted to speak to.


    No one had to say he liked her for me to already know. The fact she was staying with him painted a variety of pictures as to how their rtionship was more or less going.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m done with this Allegra. I have work to do.¡±


    I turned to leave, but she grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks. ¡°Stop being an arrogant asshole for once, and just f*cking call him. Please, James. If you don¡¯t, you will lose her forever. Call him.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure why she was so adamant to have me call him, but it slightly intrigued me. I nodded my head, and she released me, backing up from where I was before turning and walking away. I was pleased she was gone, however, my mind kept reeling


    What was it Neal would have to tell me that would cause Allegra toe all the way down to the docks? It didn¡¯t make sense, but the way she seemed so adamant to have me call him was beyond strange.


    Groaning in irritation, I dialed the number she¡¯d sent me and listened to it ring.


    ¡°James Valentino,¡± Neal said on the other end of the phone. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to call.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, your sister made a scene at my business and told me to call you so here I am calling you.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he replied after a moment of hesitation. ¡°So, I take it she didn¡¯t tell you?¡±


    ¡°No. She didn¡¯t tell me anything,¡± I said with frustration. ¡°Perhaps you can enlighten me to what your sister needed to tell me. She said I had to call you.¡±


    ¡°Well, something happenedst night...¡±


    ¡°Did something happen to Ba? Is she okay?¡± I replied with concern.


    ¡°Yeah, she is fine. She misses you, James.¡±


    ¡°So everyone keeps telling me,¡± I sighed. ¡°Let me exin just as I told Allegra. I spoke with her yesterday morning, and she made it clear she wasn¡¯t interested in me.¡±


    Neal¡¯sughter came from the other end of the line, causing me to grit my teeth wondering what he found so f*cking amusing. ¡°Neal...¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m notughing at you. Just at the fact she tried to make you believe that. I can tell you right now, James, it was a lie. She had the chance to be with another man. She had a chance to move on and have everything she deserves, but she refused.¡±


    Hearing that another man made a move on Ba infuriated me. As much as I knew she wasn¡¯t mine, a part of me was still very possessive over her, and I knew very well the man he was referring to was himself.


    ¡°You tried to have rtions with her,¡± I stated coldly as I gripped my phone.


    ¡°James¨C¡± he said with hesitation, ¡°you turned her away.... You can¡¯t me me for wanting her. She¡¯s perfect in every way.¡±


    ¡°What did you do to her, Neal?¡± I all but yelled through the phone as I paced around the area. ¡°Did you f*ck her?¡±


    ¡°No, but honestly, that¡¯s not of your concern anyway,¡± he scoffed. ¡°Look, she wants you, okay. So what happened between her and I is irrelevant.¡±


    ¡°So, you wanted me to f*cking call you just to tell me you f*cked around with her, you piece of shit? What kind of sadistic f*ck are you?!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± he yelled at me. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare f*cking speak to me like that. I¡¯m over here trying to f*cking help you, because I¡¯m in f*cking love with her. However, she doesn¡¯t f*cking want me, and seeing her happy is all that matters to me.¡±


    Neal¡¯s admission of love shocked me. He barely knew her, and yet he was in love with her. ¡°I don¡¯t f*cking get you..¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not meant to, James. So, just shut the f*ck up and listen,¡± Neal snapped. ¡°This weekend, there is a conference going on at the Paramount building. Show up to it, and win her back. I don¡¯t think you deserve her, but she loves you, and I won¡¯t stop that.¡±


    Everything slowly made sense, and it all confused me. He wanted her and had every chance to have her and keep me away.


    Instead, he called Allegra to have her convince me to call him for the sole purpose of him convincing me toe to New York for her. All of it was a clusterf*ck of chaos and confusion, but one thing stood out to me above it all.


    Ba loved me and only wanted me.


    Even when she had the opportunity to have someone else, she didn¡¯t do it. She couldn¡¯t let go of the feelings she had for me, and that alone made my heart swell more.


    ¡°Fine. Send me the information,¡± I said before hanging up the phone.


    There was a time and a ce for conflict, but now wasn¡¯t it. The only thing that made sense was to do what Allegra and Neal were telling me to do.


    Go after her.


    Moving towards my car, I broke into a jog, quickening my steps.


    If I was going to be going to New York, I had a lot I needed to get prepared. It was already Wednesday, and if the event was this weekend, I was going to need to prepare to travel.

 Chapter 54 : Regretful Actions

    <h4>Chapter 54: Chapter 54 : Regretful Actions</h4>


    Ba.


    The next day was more awkward than I had anticipated it to be. After everything that had happened with Nealst night, I had expected there to be nothing but an awkward silence between us. However, instead, when I had awoken and made my way out to the living room, he seemed more cheerful than ever.


    Taking precautions, I kept quiet after saying good morning to him, and made my way towards the kitchen and set the kettle to make myself a cup of tea. I wasn¡¯t quite sure what I was going to do for the day, but at the top of my list, I had to find a ce to live.


    After all, school wasing rather quickly, and I couldn¡¯t stay where I was before. Everything was so f*cked up, but there was nothing I could do except take care of shit as always and move forward.


    ¡°So, I was looking over everything, and I think I found the perfect ce for you,¡± Neal said, catching my attention. Turning around, I stared at him with a nk expression and my lips slightly parted.


    ¡°I told you there was no need to worry about that. I can figure it out honestly.¡± Frowning, I hoped he would listen to me and understand I wasn¡¯t looking for free hands out from him just because he had money.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I told youst night I was going to help you. I really am looking at having rental properties up there. This is a great opportunity for me to expand. Perhaps we can work something out if you feel you¡¯re getting handouts.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, crossing my arms over my chest while biting the inside of my cheek.


    His eyes seemed to hold some sort of mystery to them as he nced at me with a smile. ¡°I mean, like maybe you can help me out with property management. Instead of me paying someone, I would just let you live in one unit for free. You take care of the others.¡±


    Nodding my head, I chose not to say anything else. After all, what was I going to say?


    It was better not to bite the hand that feeds you, and honestly, the deal he was offering was great. ¡°I think I can manage something like that.¡±


    An empty feeling in the pit of my stomach made me question everything that had happenedst night. As much as I tried not to pay any attention to it, I couldn¡¯t avoid it.


    Neal had kissed mest night, and if I hadn¡¯t stopped things, they would have gone further.


    Did this mean he actually had an interest in me?


    As I finished making my tea, I slowly made my way towards the living room. He was sitting on the sofa in a pair of gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt. His godly aroma wrapped around me in all the right ways.


    He was incredibly attractive, and any girl would be fortunate enough to have someone like him. But he wasn¡¯t James and as much as I wanted to try to get over him, I couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°I think we should talk,¡± I said, breaking the awkward silence between us.


    His eyes slowly lifted from hisptop ced in front of him to fall on me, and as they did, my breath caught in my throat.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to have a discussion about anything that happenedst night. We both had a lot to drink and, of course, we know that there is nothing that could ever happen between us.¡± Neal¡¯s admission shocked me.


    I hadn¡¯t expected him to be so nonchnt about it, but he quickly dismissed what had happened between us as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    ¡°So we¡¯re just going to pretend that it never happened?¡± I asked, furrowing my brows as I lifted my teacup to my lips.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you would like to do, then we can. I don¡¯t want to discuss it and make you feel ufortable. As I said, what happened happened. We¡¯d both been drinking and there¡¯s nothing really to discuss.¡±


    I was pleased there would not be any awkwardness, but I felt conflicted. His response wasn¡¯t what I had expected, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he regretted what happened.


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± I whispered, watching his eyes lift once again from hisptop to connect with mine.


    ¡°You don¡¯t ever have to question if you can ask me something. Of course, you can ask me anything, Ba. You can ask anything of me you want in the world, and I will grant it if it is in my power to do so.¡± The corners of his lips turned up into a smile.


    ¡°Why did you kiss mest night, Neal? I mean, I didn¡¯t think you were into me, and I know you said we¡¯d both been drinking, but the way you were seemed like there was more to it.¡±


    Instantly, his expression fell from one of happiness to one of guilt. Leaning back against the couch, he rubbed his hand over his face as he sighed.


    ¡°Well, it isplicated,¡± he replied, clearing his throat. ¡°I can¡¯t pretend I don¡¯t like you and care about you because I do, Ba. I care about you a great deal. However, I also respect and understand James is the man you love. I would never push you into doing anything you don¡¯t want.¡±


    In shock over his eptance, my heart swelled, and tears lined my eyes. Whatever person he imed would be the luckiest in the world. Never once had I met a man as kind as him, except for my own father.


    Neal thought about everyone around him before ever thinking about himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m so grateful for everything you¡¯ve done for me, Neal. I¡¯m sorry, though, for being so difficult andplicated. You deserve so much better.¡±


    Neal closed hisptop and smiled at me. ¡°You are the one that deserves the world.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± I scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m in love with a man who doesn¡¯t want me. I¡¯m f*cked up.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that, but I understand,¡± he said, nodding his head as if everything I was saying madeplete sense to him. ¡°That¡¯s why I told you not to worry about it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want things to change between us,¡± I admitted softly, grasping at any opportunity to make sure I could keep him in my life, because even if I wasn¡¯t involved with him, he was still a dear friend to me. I would hate the fact of losing him over something silly like this.


    ¡°Nothing will ever change between us. Even if you aren¡¯t with me and things never progress, having you in my life as a friend is at least better than having you not in my life at all.¡± He gestured with his hand for me toe towards him, and setting down my cup, I did.


    Pulling me into hisp, he kissed the side of my head. ¡°Actually, I have an event this weekend, and I hoped you coulde with me.¡±


    After how things went with thest event I had gone to, I wasn¡¯t quite certain if I wanted to do another. However, this was Neal... not James.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The g was a lot for me. I¡¯m just not sure if going to another event would be a good idea,¡± I replied with hesitation.


    ¡°I understand that you¡¯re concerned, but it would mean a great deal to me if you went. Just to have some fun, and if you¡¯re ufortable about going, you don¡¯t have to. I thought this would be a very good educational experience for you, considering the field that you¡¯re going into.¡±


    ¡°Educational experience?¡± I questioned with a softugh that made him smile.


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s going to be a ton of guest speakers there. There¡¯s actually going to be quite a few college students there taking notes on the presentations given. I thought you might find it very educational. I know how much your field of study means to you, and I believe there is one person who¡¯s going to be there that you will enjoy.¡±


    Hearing this could be educational and benefit me at school was something that intrigued me. I would have a paper I needed to do this year for one of my college sses, and if I could use this firsthand experience to improve my paper than I should do it.


    Chances like these often only came around once in a blue moon, and who was I to turn down something significant like this?


    Taking a moment, I rolled my eyes and nodded my head in agreement. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go, but I¡¯m not getting super dressed up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not one of those kinds of events. I mean, of course, look nice. Now, I¡¯m not saying leggings and a hoodie, but you also don¡¯t have to wear a ball gown and dazzling jewelry. Just something pretty you have on hand.¡±


    Slowly, I stood from hisp, as he continued to clutch at my hand before it gently drifted away until we were no longer touching. I felt the need to cry, but it wasn¡¯t because of sadness. It was one of happiness.


    This was the first step towards my future, being slightly different.


    And all of it was because Neal didn¡¯t just let me carry on on my own. He took me in when I needed it, gave me a ce to stay, and had been nothing but kind to me. Now, once again, he was giving me another opportunity that could benefit me in the long run.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we talk about this ce? What are you looking at?¡± I replied, changing the subject. Quickly grabbing hisptop, he started flipping through the tabs.


    There were a variety of different ces he was looking at, and one by one, he exined them to me and showed me theyouts of them. They were a lot more extravagant than I was expecting, but with the data he was providing me, I could give him some clear guidance into what would be the best choice for the prices he was going to be spending.


    It made me feel like I was actually doing something instead of just feeling like a mooch that was getting another freebie handout.


    Even though when I lived with Tally, that was what I was technically doing.


    James had paid for everything, and I lived for free.


    At least with Neal, I would be doing something to repay him by being the property manager.

 Chapter 55 : James is Back

    <h4>Chapter 55: Chapter 55 : James is Back</h4>


    The day of the event arrived quickly, and as I climbed into the back of the car with Neal, I found myself excited about the day¡¯s events. College students lined the areas waiting patiently to be let into the building, and as long as I was on Neal¡¯s arm, that wasn¡¯t me.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head in,¡± he said as I gazed at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t we have to wait?¡± I asked, looking from him towards the line of people waiting outside.


    ¡°No,¡± he chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t wait for anything.¡±


    Of course, he didn¡¯t wait for anything. Why would I think he would?


    I supposed that was just thevishness of his lifestyle.


    As we walked through the doors of the Paramount building, I found myself absolutely blown away. My mouth dropped at the beautiful sight before me as the natural light from outside bounced off the crystal chandeliers and beautiful artwork of the main floor.


    Tables were scattered everywhere, and those who had already passed through the door were standing around mingling during the conference¡¯s cocktail hour.


    ¡°This is beautiful,¡± I replied as I took in the surrounding sights. ¡°The creator of this building outdid themselves when they were designing it.¡±


    ¡°I will let him know that.¡± Nealughed as he looked around. ¡°Actually, there he is.¡±


    As my eyes followed the path of Neal¡¯s, I watched a tall, gray-haired man in a three-piece suit walk our way.


    ¡°Neal, I wasn¡¯t sure if you were going to make it,¡± the man replied, shaking Neal¡¯s hand before his eyes slowly drifted down towards mine. ¡°Who is your lovely friend?¡±


    I looked at Neal, and he smiled at me before clearing his throat. ¡°Carlos, this is my good friend, Reba Woods. She is actually attending Yale, and we both thought this event would be a great educational experience for her.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Carlos said with a twinkling smile that met his eyes. ¡°Well, I hope you find everything to your standards and also you enjoy yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s so beautiful here. You did a magnificent job with this ce.¡±


    Carlos looked at me with amusement before looking up at the building he had designed. There was silence at the moment, but as his gaze met mine again, he nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to know my work is so highly recognized by others. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Well, Carlos, I¡¯m afraid I need to get Ba to her seat before everything starts. But let¡¯s catch upter if you¡¯re free. I actually have an idea I would like to share with you.¡±


    Letting the men talk about what they needed to, I took another moment to let the area soak in. By now, there were so many people filtering through the area talking, it was almost hard to move throughout the area.


    It wasn¡¯t until I looked towards the back fountain my heart dropped for a moment; I thought I saw the back of someone familiar to me.


    James? No, it couldn¡¯t be him... could it?


    Shaking my head, I tried to clear my mind. My obsession with him was making me see things, and that wasn¡¯t good.


    There would be no reason for James toe to New York, and if he was here, he wouldn¡¯t want to see me. Especially after how our conversation went thest time I saw him.


    ¡°Shall we find our seats?¡± Neal said, catching my attention.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied gently, shaking my head to get my mind back on track. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked with concern as he looked over to where I had been looking.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just thought I saw someone I knew.¡±


    The lectures began as most would assume, with a man full of excitementing on stage to talk about the reason we were here and who the speakers of the night were going to be. One after another, different people came on board to discuss topics of all varieties.


    I was d Neal invited me toe, and all my worries over the past few weeks were slowly slipping away. Instead, I had hoped everything was turning around for the right reasons.


    That is until a familiar face walked on the stage I hadn¡¯t been expecting to see. James.


    My breath caught as I gasped slightly with widened eyes at seeing him. He spoke about hispany and how much it was changing the future of imports, and that with the growth of hispany came new opportunities.


    He was going to be opening internships within hispany for a variety of locations he held, and it really caught the attention of many people. Including the women.


    Everyone knew he was single and avable, and it was almost as if someone had rung the dinner bell on James Valentino.


    Yet, no matter the questions being asked or the flirtatiousness of the crowd, his eyes searched the room until they fell on me.


    The wide room suddenly felt so small as he stared at me, and as the temperature grew, I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. Standing to my feet, I moved through the rows of people and head towards the back of the venue.


    ¡°Ba...¡± Neal called behind me, but instead of stopping, I gestured to him with my hand. I needed a moment.


    How was James here? Why was he here? Did Neal know?


    These questions rolled through my mind, and I wasn¡¯t sure how to deal with it. I didn¡¯t want to think Neal would set this up and not tell me.


    ¡°Reba¡ª¡± the dark sultry voice stopped me in my tracks, and without turning around, I knew who it was. ¡°Can we talk?¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I slowly turned around toe face to face with James. He looked a lot different than he usually did, and instead of his neatly kept face, he had a five o¡¯clock shadow growing in thick.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked as I stared at him, trying to get a grip on my racing heart.


    ¡°I would say that I came to speak, but really, that was just something asked of me. I came here for you, Ba.¡± He stared down at me with sincerity in his eyes, and every part of me screamed to run and kiss him.


    I was frozen, though. Frozen to the spot and unable to move because the disbelief in me couldn¡¯tprehend that he was here.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t want me, James. You¡ª¡±


    ¡°I do want you,¡± he snapped softly. ¡°I want you more than I have ever wanted anyone in my life, and I am here going against everything I am to get you back.¡±


    Tears sprang to my eyes at hearing him say that, and as I tried to hold back a sob, he didn¡¯t bother to stay away a second longer. James cleared the space between us and wrapped his arms around my waist, crashing his lips against mine.


    Kissing him again was a feeling I could never get over.


    Every moment of the day, this man was on my mind, and as his lips left mine, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what was going to happen next. ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    ¡°Oh, baby. You have nothing to apologize for. I was a f*cking idiot, and I should have done something sooner, but I was so worried about everything else going on and what people would say, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    A figure behind James caught my attention, and looking past him, I spotted Neal staring at us with his hands pushed into his pockets. James gazed in the direction I was looking and straightened himself. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, causing Neal to nod his head.


    I was confused, but if I didn¡¯t know better, I would say Neal was behind James being here. After everything that had happened between him and I, he was still giving me things to make me happy.


    I didn¡¯t have the chance to say anything though, because before I could get a word out, Neal disappeared back into the crowd of people and was out of my sight.


    ¡°He cares about you more than you realize,¡± James said softly in my ear.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I replied, looking at him with confusion.


    A meek smile crossed his lips as he sighed and took my hand. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    Nodding, I let James lead me out of the building and through the masses until my face finally hit the cool air of New York City. Taking a deep breath, I exhaled and let the corners of my lips turn up into a smile.


    ¡°I missed being up here.¡±


    James stopped in his tracks and looked at me with a nk expression. ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the sunshine is nice, but there is something about New York that feels like home.¡±


    After taking a moment, I followed James to where he stood at the open car door and climbed in the back with him. I wasn¡¯t sure where he was taking me, but I didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°I figured we could go get something to eat and talk.¡±


    Eating sounded like a good idea, but there was a part of me that had something else in mind as well. Moving quickly, I straddled James¡¯p and watched as his eyes widened slightly. ¡°Ba¡ª¡± he whispered as I brushed my lips against his.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk,¡± I replied before crashing my lips upon him, relishing in the way it felt to have his hands roaming my body.


    It was as if we couldn¡¯t get enough of each other, and quickly, we fumbled with his belt until his long thick cock released, and I was letting myself sink down upon it.


    ¡°Shit¡ª¡± I gasped out as his lips trailed over my neck until he wrapped them around my exposed, erect nipple. I wasn¡¯t thinking straight at the moment, and the only thing I wanted was to feel normal.


    Even if that meant I may not see him again, I wouldn¡¯t lose the chance to have him make me feel the way he always did. Faster and faster, I rode him until his own moans echoed around me, and as quick as we started, I reached my climax, feeling his cock twitch within me as he came undone.


    ¡°God, you¡¯re beautiful,¡± he whispered as he kissed me gently again.


    ¡°What now?¡± I asked him, watching as a smile crossed his face.


    ¡°Now, we go get food and discuss everything. Maybe you¡¯ll choose to stay with me tonight, if you want to.¡± Taking a moment to think it over, I nodded my head.


    Maybe this was a positive thing. Maybe tonight things would change for the better.


    James being here was proof of that already.

 Chapter 56 : Love is a Beautiful Thing

    <h4>Chapter 56: Chapter 56 : Love is a Beautiful Thing</h4>


    Sitting down in the restaurant, I took in the general splendor for dim lighting and warm colors. The entire air of the ce was rather romantic, and the way James looked at me made me feel as if I was the only woman in the room he had eyes for, and perhaps that was true, but I had to keep my head straight.


    ¡°This ce is really nice,¡± I said as I continued to admire the room before letting my eyes fall upon him. The lust filled gaze he was giving me made my stomach knot with anticipation.


    ¡°I figured you would like it,¡± he replied, lifting his winess to his lips with a smirk upon his face.


    To think, just days ago, I was considering letting go of everything I had with James, and now I was sitting here across from him trying to decide if the situation was real or just an borate dream I hade up with.


    ¡°I suppose we should discuss some things...¡±


    Hesitation filled my words, but my thoughts kept swirling over the possibility he had been pining for me day and night since we had parted. Biting my bottom lip, I contemted the idea, but I felt more foolish than before.


    ¡°What would you like to talk about, Ba?¡± James asked, as if he didn¡¯t realize theplications of our current situation.


    ¡°Well, for starters, what made you decide toe here? I mean, you said it was for me, but I¡¯m slightly confused¡ª¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious, though?¡± James replied, as his gaze fell deeply into mine.


    ¡°Perhaps, but I want to know why you suddenly want this to work.¡±


    Taking a moment, he adjusted himself in his seat. ¡°After you left, I figured out a few things, Ba. One was that Allison and Tally had purposely set the entire thing up toplicate situations and force you to leave.¡±


    Sneering, I folded my arms across my chest. ¡°Well, that makes sense. The second thing?¡±


    ¡°I realized I didn¡¯t want another moment to go by where I didn¡¯t have you in it.¡±


    There was a genuine expression across his face as he stared at me. It was the second time he had expressed wanting me, and his view hadn¡¯t changed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going back to Miami anytime soon, James.¡± The waitress brought the food we had ordered to our table. ¡°I n on finishing school.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said with a bemused smile on his face. ¡°I have epted that.¡±


    Over the course of time I had spent with James when I was in Miami, he had continuously tried to convince me to go to school in south Florida. Not once had he expressed the idea of being okay with me finishing school up here.


    That would mean whatever we had would be long distance, and trying to imagine how that would work given the circumstances, was impossible.


    Could a man like James stay faithful to me while being so far away?


    Men had urges that sometimes needed to be filled.


    ¡°What about Allison? She threatened to ruin my education multiple times.¡±


    The thought of having myst year at school destroyed because James wanted to keep me was spine chilling. I had worked so hard to get where I was, and as much as I cared about James, I wasn¡¯t willing to let anyone destroy my future.


    ¡°I will deal with Allison. You don¡¯t need to worry about her in regards to your education, Ba.¡± His set his jaw into a firm hold as his eyes contacted mine. He was being serious, and the determination was obvious.


    Nodding, I looked down at the pasta in front of me and tried to preupy myself with eating. As happy as I was to see James, I couldn¡¯t shake the twittering feeling in my stomach of fear.


    Why couldn¡¯t things with James just be as easy as they were with Neal?


    Instead, he came with so manyplications, and thoseplications were flying red gs waving high in the sky, trying to warn me to stay away.


    ¡°This food is amazing,¡± I said, as my eyes met his again. ¡°I need to know how they make this.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s easy enough to find out,¡± James replied as a smile grew across his face.


    *****


    As dinner finished, I fell into old ways, and eventually, I was walking down the long hallway of James¡¯ apartment building in New York. We passed door after door until we finally came to one at the end of the hall that read 1972.


    Pulling the key from his pocket, he opened the door wide and stepped back for me to enter. I wasn¡¯t sure what I was expecting of the apartment, but it was definitely way morevish than the one Neal had.


    Tall vaulted ceilings, white walls, and modern decor lined the home. As beautiful as it was, it felt so impersonal and cookie cutter, in my opinion. However, stepping forth, I took in the spectacr views of the New York skyline.


    Breathtaking was the only way to describe such a view. ¡°This is beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it,¡± he chuckled behind me before arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me close. ¡°I have honestly only been here a few times, but I¡¯m d I get to be here with you now.¡±


    With a clenching heart, I turned around in his arms and looked up into his eyes. I wanted more than anything to be free in the moment, but there was still something I had to know for sure. I had to be honest with him about how I felt, and that terrified me.


    ¡°I have to tell you something.¡± As he brushed his thumb over my cheek, I whispered softly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid...¡±


    ¡°Why are you afraid, Reba?¡± he whispered as he gently pressed his lips to my forehead. Fuck, here goes nothing, I guess.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m falling in love with you, James, and I¡¯m terrified that you will hurt me.¡± Casting my eyes down, I waited in hesitation for the rejection I was so sure that he would give me, but he lifted my eyes to meet his again and crashed his lips to mine in a soft and sultry way.


    There wasn¡¯t a response to what I said in a way that I was expecting. However, there was more to this man I could ever exin. Reaching down, he picked me up bridal style and carried me towards his bedroom.


    A soft giggle escaped my lips at his action, but as heid me down on the soft sheets, I quickly realized this would not be like other times.


    Piece by piece, we stripped our clothing from our bodies, and as it was, I felt nothing but love and care seeping off his body onto mine. With the gentle caress of the sheets against my back, I felt the thick head of his massive erection press against my folds.


    Slow and tantalizing was the mood for the moment, and with every whimper leaving my lips begging him to fill me, his smile widened. ¡°I love you, Reba,¡± he whispered, making me breathless as he shoved his entire length inside me.


    I didn¡¯t miss the opportunity to capture his lips with my own as our bodies became one. As I clung to him, he thrust deep inside of me, forcing the small cries of pleasure from my lips that I was expecting.


    ¡°Oh, f*ck...¡± I moaned.


    ¡°Tell me you¡¯re mine,¡± he grunted as he bit lightly upon my neck, causing me to gasp, closing in on the intense release of pleasure that I was expecting.


    ¡°I¡¯m yours, James. Forever and Always.¡±


    The moment wasn¡¯t like the others, and with his sweet love making, I finally felt the way I always had wanted to feel. I felt desired, wanted, and loved.


    Harder and faster he drove into me, and when I didn¡¯t think I could take anymore, my walls tightened around him, and I came undone as he stilled inside of me.


    He leaned down, kissing me softly once more. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful.¡±


    The blush that crept across my cheeks was unexpected, but when he pulled out andid next to me, he pulled me close to him, letting my head rest against his chest.


    ¡°I know things are going to be hard while you finish school, Ba. I want you to know, though, that we will make it work if that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    Taking a moment to consider what he was saying, I nced up at him under darkenedshes and smiled. ¡°Yes, I want to try.¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t give in and believe in itpletely. There was still a possibility things could go wrong, and if they did, I didn¡¯t want to get my hopes up. I had to go in with this with a different outlook, so that way, if things fell apart, I would be prepared.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you do, because I was so lost without you.¡±


    He kissed the top of my head, and I smiled and ran my fingers over the front of his chest. ¡°When are you leaving to go back to Miami?¡±


    ¡°The day after tomorrow,¡± he replied, letting out a heavy breath. ¡°I wish I could stay longer, but I can¡¯t.¡±


    It was a bummer he was leaving, but I knew in the back of my mind that this was going to have to be what I expected.


    Long distance wasn¡¯t something most people could handle, and while other rtionships fell through, I was determined to see it work.


    ¡°Well, then, tomorrow you can help me check out my new apartment by the school if you want.¡±


    ¡°New apartment?¡± he said with a questioning nce.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I smirked. ¡°I can¡¯t stay in the old apartment with Tally.¡±


    Nodding his head with realization, he sighed. ¡°I wish she wasn¡¯t so difficult.¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t be Tally if she wasn¡¯t. The new apartment is amazing, though, so I¡¯m okay with it. Honestly.¡±


    ¡°Knowing you, I¡¯m sure it is. Where is this new apartment?¡± This was something I wasn¡¯t sure he was going to like, but trust was something that we were going to have to rely on being so far apart.


    Opening and closing my mouth, I smiled at him before saying, ¡°Very close to campus.¡±


    ¡°So it will be easier for you to get to ss then?¡± he asked as if he didn¡¯t realize the campus apartments were anywhere between four and seven thousand dors a month. However, Neal had bought multiple units there, and the one he got for me was free.


    ¡°Oh, very much so. Tomorrow we will swing by Neal¡¯s so I can pack my things, and then we can drive up there. It will only take a few hours, and it will be fun.¡±


    James¡¯ face fell slightly hearing that I had to go by Neal¡¯s, but he pushed the emotion back and smiled at me. ¡°Sounds like fun.¡±

 Chapter 57 : New Start

    <h4>Chapter 57: Chapter 57 : New Start</h4>


    ¡°Give me a moment, and I¡¯ll grab my things,¡± I called out to James as I made my way through the living room toward my bedroom. Neal wasn¡¯t home right now, but that was fine. He texted me to let me know he was heading up towards the university to sign off on the properties he purchased.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how he could make things happen so quickly, but I knew, in the society of the rich, there were no timelines to getting what you wanted.


    Packing my clothes into my suitcase, I moved around the room and stopped when I felt someone behind me. Turning, I spotted James leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest and an unsettling look on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Taking a moment, he shook his head and pushed a smile onto his face. ¡°Nothing. Almost done?¡±


    I knew there was more to what he wasn¡¯t saying, but I chose not to press him for the information. If he really wanted me to know, he would tell me, and right now wasn¡¯t the ce for it.


    Zipping up thest of my bags, James took therge one, and I moved with the other, heading through the living room towards the front door. ¡°Are you going to miss it?¡±


    His question caught me off guard, but as he looked at me, I tried to understand what he meant. ¡°Miss what?¡±


    ¡°Neal¡¯s ce.... It¡¯s nice here.¡±


    My eyes widened in realization. He was jealous, and now it was more than obvious.


    That car ride to Yale was more ufortable than I thought it was going to be. James was quiet, and even though we had a small, casual conversation, I wasn¡¯t sure what had changed his mood from how he was that morning.


    Ever since we went to Neal¡¯s, he had been acting incredibly weird. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s that building right there.¡± I said, pointing towards arge brick building with red and white finishes.


    He pulled the sleek, ck sedan into a parking spot, and we slowly piled out of the car. To my surprise, Neal came walking down the steps with a smile on his face. ¡°You guys made it!¡±


    ¡°Neal!¡± I replied with a smile as I hugged him. ¡°Did everything go okay with the signing?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it did,¡± he replied smugly. ¡°Come on now, it¡¯s me you¡¯re talking to.¡±


    ¡°Very true¡ª¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± James said, interrupting me. Turning to look at him, I hesitated in my words because the dark stormy look in his eyes was not one of happiness.


    ¡°I am giving Ba the keys to her apartment,¡± Neal replied with a raised brow as he held up a pair of keys and held them out to me.


    Gently taking them, I gave him a smile and mouthed the words thank you. I didn¡¯t understand what James¡¯ problem was. If he had been a woman, I would have asked if it was that time of the month for him, considering how he was acting.


    ¡°Why would you be giving her keys? Is the apartment yours?¡±


    Tilting my head to the side, I red at James while furrowing my brows. ¡°Yes, it is. I am going to manage a few properties he just bought in this building for him, and in return, I get to stay in this apartment for free for myst year.¡±


    James¡¯ gaze slid from Neal to me, and for a moment, I thought he was going to burst with anger over the situation. Yet, instead, he managed to contain his emotions.


    He unclenched his fist and forced a smile to his face. ¡°That was kind of you.¡±


    ****


    James.


    That f*cking prick. Neal really thought he was smooth by doing something like that for Ba. First, he called me and told me he loved her and he wanted her, and now this. It was crossing the line, but from the looks of it, Ba saw nothing wrong with it.


    ¡°Shall we go inside?¡± I gritted out, watching Ba¡¯s shoulders sag as she shook her head with a heavy breath and turned towards the door.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Neal said softly so she couldn¡¯t hear as I passed him.


    I didn¡¯t bother to acknowledge him, though. If I did, there was no telling what I would end up saying, and thest thing I wanted to do was to upset Ba over something like this.


    I was working towards building trust with her, and that was what I needed to do. Thest thing I needed to do was start a ¡®I¡¯m better than you¡¯ match with Neal, just to put him in his ce. At the end of the day, she was with me.


    Walking through the lobby of the building, she headed towards the elevator and waited for Neal and I to catch up with her.


    ¡°All the way up,¡± Neal said, pushing the buttons on the elevator as the doors closed.


    ¡°All the way up? But that¡¯s where¡ª¡±


    ¡°The penthouses are... I know. Exciting isn¡¯t it?¡± Neal replied, finishing her sentence with a grin. ¡°I wanted one that was really nice, and I figured you would rather stay in this one as opposed to one of the others.¡±


    ¡°Neal, you didn¡¯t have to. I would have been fine with any of them,¡± she stammered as the elevator doors opened, and we stepped out onto the wood flooring of the hallway.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Now, you¡¯re going to be number 107, and that is the one right here down at the end of the hall,¡± Neal carried on from in front of us.


    The man walked with a purpose, and being the remarkable salesman he was, he had swagger and meaning in every step he took. As if the apartment was a glorious showroom with million dor cars.


    It didn¡¯t matter. That was the demeanor and charm that flowed off him.


    Ba walked by my side, speechless, as we approached the door, and I had a feeling that whatever Neal had picked for her was going topletely blow her mind away.


    ¡°Neal, what am I going to do with you?¡± Baughed softly as he turned the key within the doorknob and gently swung the door open.


    ¡°Well, it depends. I got you beautiful hardwood flooring with acoustics to die for. So what do I get in return?¡±


    It was all yful banter, but none of it did I appreciate. The only thing that kept me from losing my mind was knowing Ba was mine, and her situation with Neal was nonexistent.


    If his idea was to piss me off, he was doing a good job of it. Problem was, I could y the game better, and I wouldn¡¯t mind putting him in his ce.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± Ba eximed as her eyes took in the sight before her. Long hardwood floors going down the hallway to a beautiful kitchen with granite countertops. The kitchen opened up into a spacious living room with tall floor-to-ceiling windows and a beautiful balcony overlooking the campus.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Neal asked with a sly grin as he moved forward and gestured to every little, small detail that the room had to provide.


    ¡°Like it? Neal, I absolutely love it. How in the world did this gem of a ce happen to be up here in this building?¡±


    The astonishment that I saw in her was something I hadn¡¯t ever witnessed before. She kept talking with Neal about the different things that she could do to this space, andter on, how he could even market it to others.


    She may have been going to school for statistics and data analysis, but there were other secret talents and passions she held close as well. That was something I would speak to her aboutter, because if she was going to be with me, I wanted her to follow her heart.


    Not worry about making a lot of money to take care of her father.


    I would take care of him for her... even if she refused to let me.


    ¡°This is going to suit you very well, Ba,¡± I finally said, speaking up, watching as both of them turned to face me. Ba blushed lightly as she made her way over and grabbed my hand. ¡°Perhaps we need to find where the bedroom is.¡±


    I knew it was nothing but banter, but Neal seemed very tightlipped over thement, and stepped forward with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ba. I can show you where your bedroom is.¡±


    I didn¡¯t miss the emphasis on the word ¡®your¡¯ from Neal. He pivoted and headed towards the stairs, gesturing for Ba to follow him.


    It was all very organized by him. He had nned all of this, including showing her off in front of me, as if I would be jealous. Well, okay, maybe I¡¯m slightly jealous. Not that I would ever tell Ba.


    Even so, this entire event was more than annoying.


    As I walked up the stairs behind the two of them, their conversation continued, and I suddenly felt like the third wheel in the room. But once we reached the top floor, it was easy to see why he picked this space.


    There was a massive space that opened up as if it was a second living room, and on the far back wall was nothing but windows that also overlooked the campus. When one looked in the opposite direction, though, two doors were visible.


    One led to a fairly decent sized spare bedroom, and the other led to a massive master bedroom that held the biggest bathroom Ba had ever seen, ording to her, of course. The bathroom had been recently renovated and was absolutely delightful.


    ¡°This bedroom is enormous. I don¡¯t even think I have furniture to fit into this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, Ba. I¡¯ll take you shopping and help you pick out some nice things.¡± Her eyes met mine, and a smile spread across her face.


    ¡°As amazing as that would sound, you have to get back in a couple of days, and I still have to go pack up my stuff from Tally¡¯s apartment. So for now, those belongings will be perfectly fine here. But if you¡¯re able toe back up in a couple of weeks, we¡¯ll have enough time for me to save up some money, and we can go then.¡±


    There was a twinkle of mischief within Neal¡¯s eyes at the words Ba had said, and it was enough to trigger me. My rigid stance and re caught his attention as he tried to focus his gaze elsewhere.


    If I had to leave a couple dayster than nned, then so be it. There was no way in hell I was going to allow Neal to be the one that helped her decorate her apartment.


    Friend, be damn.


    She was my girl, and I was there to smooth things over with her. Why else would Neal suggest for me toe here and win her over?


    ¡°Very well. We can discuss thatter.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ba said, stepping forward wrapping her arm through mine. ¡°The only other thing I have to say is, Neal... absolute perfection. Thank you so much for helping me out. I really appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please... you don¡¯t have to thank me. You¡¯re doing me a HUGE favor by helping me manage these other apartments in this building. We can go over thoseter, though, once I get them sorted,¡± Neal replied. ¡°I do have to get going, though. So I will catch up with youter?¡±


    Nodding her head, Ba grinned, stepping from me as she wrapped her arms around Neal. ¡°Yes, we can get coffeeter this week if you¡¯re up here.¡±


    Coffee... there was no way.

 Chapter 58 : Moving Day

    <h4>Chapter 58: Chapter 58 : Moving Day</h4>


    Ba.


    The tension was high when we met Neal to look at the apartment. I had suddenly regretted the idea of letting something like that happen because the entire time James looked like he was going to kill Neal. Which wasn¡¯t good.


    Every moment Neal made regarding me, I felt as if James was pulling me back. Every word Neal would say, I heard the scoff of disapproval leave James¡¯ throat.


    He wasn¡¯t pleased with Neal being there, and I wasn¡¯t quite sure why.


    Never once had I honestly seen James act truly jealous, but right now, I found it all more than amusing. ¡°Well, that was fun.¡±


    As soon as Neal left, and James and I were left alone, I tried to find a way to approach the conversation. James paced around the living room of my new apartment, ncing out therge bay windows as he watched Neal walk to his car.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I finally asked him, causing him to look over his shoulder at me.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± he replied with irritation in his tone.


    Furrowing my brows, I tried to understand what he was asking. ¡°Tell you what?¡±


    ¡°That this was Neal¡¯s apartment. You didn¡¯t have to take something from him. I could have gotten it for you.¡± James was upset, and that was clear, but he didn¡¯t have any right to be upset.


    ¡°Why are you acting like this? What does it matter if it¡¯s an apartment that he owns, or if it¡¯s an apartment that you own? I¡¯m grateful for the help that both of you have given me, and I¡¯m happy with this ce. So why can¡¯t you just be happy for me?¡±


    My bold statement seemed to catch him off guard. Calmly he stood there, staring at me with his arms crossed over his chest as he inhaled deeply through his nose and out of his mouth.


    He was trying to control his temper, and the sight was more than cute.


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to be together, we can¡¯t keep secrets from each other. That was something that you told me. So I don¡¯t understand why you didn¡¯t tell me you were doing this.¡±


    Raising my brows with an amused grin, I considered the facts of his decision. He was forgetting one important detail though, and I knew that once I told him, he would end the discussion.


    ¡°James, I spoke with Neal about this ce before you and I even decided that we would rekindle what we have. You and I weren¡¯t even talking when the prospects of this ce became an idea, so why would I suddenly tell him no? After all the work he¡¯d put in to get it for me?¡±


    Speechless, he stood there with nothing to say on the matter.


    I mean, what could he say...? He knew I was right.


    No matter what, James seemed to think Neal was interested in me in a romantic way, but Neal respected my choice of being with James. If James couldn¡¯t learn to be understanding and epting of that, then perhaps us rekindling what we had would be a little more difficult than I had expected.


    After all, if he couldn¡¯t be fine with me living in this ce, how was it going to be fine with long distance?


    There would be thousands of miles between us, and I was staying on a college campus surrounded by very hot, eligible men. Not that I was interested, but I knew those negative thoughts would cross his mind, eventually.


    Without trust, this rtionship couldn¡¯t work, and that was something that he had to learn to give me. Otherwise, what was the point?


    Walking towards him, I pushed at his arms, forcing them apart until I could slide my arms around his chest. He was really a big giant teddy bear under all these muscles and designer clothing. ¡°You have to learn to trust me.¡±


    ¡°I do trust you, Ba. It¡¯s him I don¡¯t trust,¡± he groaned as he pulled me close.


    I looked up to see he had a mischievous grin on his face. ¡°Are you really going to continue to sulk about this ce, or are you going to help me go get the things I have from Tally¡¯s apartment? We can always bless it afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Bless it, huh?¡± James finally chuckled as he rolled his eyes. ¡°That sounds fun.¡±


    ¡°It does, but we can¡¯t do that without furniture.¡±


    Reaching down, he gripped my thighs, catching me by surprise, and lifted me up to press his lips against mine. ¡°We don¡¯t need furniture to be able to do something like that.¡±


    The kiss was magical, as always, but as I giggled, I knew he was still upset. ¡°Come on... the faster we get done, the more fun we can have.¡±


    ¡°Why the rush?¡±


    Sagging my shoulders, I shrugged. ¡°Tally will be back at it soon, and I really want to get my things out before shees back. I don¡¯t want to risk her trying to keep my things or throw them out.¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t do that¡ª¡±


    ring at him, I gave him a doubtful look, and he sighed and slowly put me down. ¡°Okay, maybe she would.¡±


    As much as I would have loved to be able to spend the rest of the days James had here wrapped in bed with him, it wasn¡¯t possible. At least not until I was done getting set up in this new apartment.


    It was an apartment I knew Tally would be jealous of because this was so much better than the apartment I had shared with her.


    With the keys to my apartment in my back pocket, we walked back downstairs. Jamesced his fingers within mine as we headed out of the building towards his car.


    Had someone told me a few weeks ago I would have been in this situation, I would haveughed at them. Now, I was living it. I couldn¡¯t get enough, and the feelings I had for James grew every waking minute I was with him.


    ¡°We are going to make a few stops after we go to Tally¡¯s,¡± James said when we climbed into the sleek, ck sedan.


    ¡°Where too?¡± I asked with curiosity as James pulled out of the parking spot and made his way towards the main road.


    ¡°Well, we will go over to the apartment, and anything you want packed up to go to the new apartment, I will have you ce in your room. I texted my secretary earlier and told her to have a movingpany meet us there.¡±


    Movingpany? ¡°Why would a movingpany be meeting us there?¡±


    ¡°Well, because it will be easier for them to pack your things while I take you to go somewhere more fun,¡± he replied as if I didn¡¯t get a say in the matter.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I feel about someone else touching my private and personal things, James. It feels so invasive.¡±


    The majority of my clothing, and everything was with me in my suitcases, but I still had things at the apartment I didn¡¯t want anyone messing with. It was one more thing that was so different about our worlds.


    James didn¡¯t see any issue with it, but I... I found it weird.


    ¡°Seriously? They are just packing and moving. They aren¡¯t going to be going through every little thing that you own, Ba. Trust me, I have done this many times.¡±


    Deciding not to argue with him, I nodded my head and sat quietly. Going shopping with James did sound fun, and this was just something small I would have to learn to adjust to. Thest thing I wanted to do was waste time when he was leaving soon.


    An hourter, I was waving goodbye to a very sweet woman and her husband who owned a private movingpany. I had given her the rundown on everything that was to go, and she had assured me she would treat everything as her own.


    I didn¡¯t want to admit it to James, but I felt better about it all after I spoke to the woman. ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± James asked as I walked towards the car.


    ¡°Yeah, where are you taking me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± he replied with a grin as we climbed back into his car.


    The flow of the day had gone from zero to a hundred and back to zero in no time. James wasn¡¯t acting as he did when I was in Miami, but then again, things differed from what they were now.


    As the car pulled away, and James stepped onto the gas, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how different my future would be with James than if I hadn¡¯t ever met him. James wanted me for the indefinite future, and the love I had for him was strong.


    Yet, growing up, this wasn¡¯t the future I had imagined for myself, and I had a feeling, when I finished school, James was going to push to have me move down south.


    Not that it was a bad thing, but it was something I wasn¡¯t sure about yet.


    Something made me hesitate, because whereas James was old enough to be my dad, I was still young and had so much of the world to explore.


    ¡°Can I talk to you about something?¡± I whispered as we drove down the road headed to god knows where.


    ¡°Sure. What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was wondering what the n is after I graduate.¡± The question slipped out hesitantly, but it had been on my mind since the night I spent with him two days ago.


    How would this work, and honestly, what did he want with me in the future?


    Turning the wheel, James pulled the car into a massive furniture store parking lot and found a space. He didn¡¯t respond to the question right away, but I had a feeling whatever he was going to say was something that I may not like.


    ¡°Are you changing your mind about us?¡± he asked as he turned his gaze towards me.


    ¡°What...? No! Of course, not.¡±


    With bewilderment, I stared at him, trying to understand why he said that. Nothing about what I asked said I was changing my mind. I just simply wanted rification.


    ¡°That¡¯s good because I don¡¯t want to lose you,¡± he replied as he took my hand in his and kissed the back of it slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t know where the future will go, but I do hope that after you graduate, we can work more towards our future together.¡±


    ¡°Marriage... kids. The whole shebang?¡± Iughed, watching as his face froze for a moment, and his own chuckle came forth. I didn¡¯t miss the way he seemed to not take to the idea of marriage or kids.


    It was something I wanted with my future, and if he didn¡¯t want it, I didn¡¯t know if I could adjust to the idea to make sure I stayed with him. It would mean giving up everything I had hoped to have one day.


    ¡°We will talk about it when the timees, Ba. For now, let¡¯s go shopping.¡±

 Chapter 59 : Making the News

    <h4>Chapter 59: Chapter 59 : Making the News</h4>


    Ba.


    If I had to describe how the current set of events were going with James, I would have to describe them as odd. Two days had passed with flying colors, and James and I did the things normal couples would do. Shopping, sex, and so on.


    Yet, it was different from how it was before. It didn¡¯t feel the same, and I wasn¡¯t sure why.


    Standing in my kitchen, I looked around at my new apartment. Furniture deliveries camete yesterday, and boxes from the movers still lined the walkways. I had a lot to do to get set up, but I was missing one very important aspect.


    James Valentino.


    Twenty minutes ago, I was shedding tears because he was telling me he had to leave. Twenty minutes ago, I was going through a rush of emotions, trying to reassure myself we could make this work and that everything was going to be okay. Twenty minutes ago, everything changed.


    The moment he walked out of my front door after kissing me goodbye, I burst into tears, wanting to run after him, telling him toe back. It was in that specific moment I questioned who the hell I was.


    Never in my damn life had a man made me feel that way, and when I pped myself back into reality and had a ¡®what the f*ck¡¯ kind of moment, I realized I needed help.


    ¡°Get your shit together, Ba,¡± I murmured to myself, trying toe to terms with James being gone and me being a strong independent woman who didn¡¯t need anyone.


    At least that was what I told myself repeatedly.


    My phone ringing had me jumping at the chance to answer it. I wasn¡¯t sure if I hoped it was James saying he wasing back or perhaps just the need to talk to someone. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Ba, it¡¯s Allegra. How are you doing?¡±


    Her voice brought a smile to my face and tears to my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s going okay, I guess. James just left and is heading back south.¡±


    ¡°I bet he is after the shit this morning,¡± sheughed.


    ¡°What do you mean? Did something happen?¡± A slowly growing pit in my stomach rose at the sound of Allegra¡¯sment. Was there more going on than I knew?


    ¡°Oh, damn babe. Did he not tell you?¡± Allegra sighed. ¡°You need to check your phone. You have made national news, sweetie.¡±


    What the f*ck?! I screamed internally as my breathing came in rapidly and I fumbled with my remote to turn on the television. As soon as the screen turned on, there was a photo of James and I together inside of the covention with smiles on our faces.


    The caption read, ¡°Mystery woman snags Millionaire.¡±


    ¡°Oh, f*ck me!¡± I cried out. ¡°It even has that I go to Yale, Allegra. How the hell would they even know?¡±


    ¡°The paparazzi have been after James¡¯ love life for a while up in New York. Not long after he and Allison split, James was seeing this woman for like two months. Everyone assumed he had an affair with that woman, and that¡¯s why he and Allison got divorced. Of course, we all know the truth, but the paparazzi ate it up, and so did the media.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re f*cking telling me I¡¯m their new target?! I¡¯m not even in New York!¡± I cried out in disgust. Why the hell had he not told me that before he left this morning?


    ¡°Calm down, Ba,¡± Allegra said. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. In a few days, they will be on to something else, and you won¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡±


    As wonderful as that sounded, I doubted that being true. Taking a moment to sit upon my soft sectional, I curled up with my cashmere nket and tried to let this sink in. It would not be that bad.


    ¡°At least they don¡¯t know where I live,¡± I said with a sigh of exhaustion.


    ¡°Oh, they can find that out if they want to. Lucky for you, Neal put you in a building where your floor can only be essed with a key card.¡±


    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t,¡± I said, with confusion. ¡°I didn¡¯t use a key card for anything.¡±


    Silence filled the conversation and slowly fear filled within me. ¡°Does this mean they will try to break in or something? I mean, what do I do?¡±


    A knock on my front door froze me to my spot in the living room. I couldn¡¯t move, and could barely breathe, terrified of who was on the other side. ¡°Mrs. Wood. It¡¯s Kevin, the building manager. I¡¯m just dropping something off to you.¡±


    ¡°Ba, go answer the damn door,¡± Allegra said in my ear as I slowly slid from my ce, and made my way towards the front door. Peering out the peephole, I could see that, in fact, it was the building manager standing there, waiting for me.


    Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and stood smiling at him with my phone to my ear. ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°I was told to give this keycard to you. From now on, there are new measurements with the security of the building. Doors and elevators to this floor are only essible with a keycard.¡±


    Kevin wasn¡¯t a pleasant man. He had a disposition about him that made me question if I was in trouble by the way he stared at me. ¡°Oh... thank you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, it¡¯s clear to see who has favoritism here. Don¡¯t make this a habit,¡± he sneered as he rolled his eyes dramatically and turned and walked down the hallway.


    Standing shocked, I could hear Allegraughing on the other end of the line, but I wasn¡¯tughing because it was only my third day in the apartment and already I was being bitched at.


    Closing the door, I locked it and sighed into the receiver. ¡°I don¡¯t think that guy likes me.¡±


    ¡°It honestly doesn¡¯t sound like he does, but I see Neal got those keycards after all.¡±


    ¡°Allegra,¡± I groaned, running my hand over my face. ¡°Can we focus, please?¡±


    ¡°Alright, what has you worked up? I mean, this will all blow over soon.¡±


    I could almost picture her sitting on her sofa looking over her nails as she sipped on a Bloody Mary, preparing for another long day of running errands and sorting through job offerings. Thest thing she wanted to do was worry about this.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry. I just don¡¯t know why he didn¡¯t tell me anything about it. I mean, he must have known when he left an hour ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he definitely knew,¡± Allegraughed. ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t want you to worry.¡±


    Rolling my eyes, my lips met, forming a thin white line. I was beyond pissed off, but I had to learn to control the inner hormonal urges I had. If I wanted a solution to something or needed to speak to James about something, I had to do so like an adult.


    Not some irritated, na?ve woman who didn¡¯t know how to handle a situation like this.


    ¡°I will just wait until hends and message him then. Maybe you¡¯re right about him not wanting me to worry. For now, I will just hang out at my new ce and work on getting it sorted.¡± Pushing a smile to my face, I looked around the room and saw much to do.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see your ce,¡± Allegra said with an exaggerated sigh. ¡°I bet it looks absolutely darling. Did you call your dad yet to tell him you¡¯re back up there?¡±


    At the mention of my father, I started thinking about his reaction to the news, and for some reason, my thoughts drifted to Allison. ¡°Oh, shit...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± she asked quickly, with a sense of urgency in her tone.


    ¡°I just realized that with the news being this big, it means that Allison and Tally would have seen this by now¡ª¡±


    A loud groan came from the other side of the phone line, and I knew without a doubt that whatever Allegra was about to say, I wasn¡¯t going to like it.


    ¡°When are you going to stop worrying about that dreadful woman and her pathetic daughter? I meane on.... Who cares if she knows?¡±


    Allegra was right, but I cared if she knew because she threatened to ruin my life, and with how crazy that woman was, I didn¡¯t doubt that she would do it. She would ruin me at any given moment if it meant that she could get me away from James.


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± I moved from the sofa towards the kitchen. ¡°I get what you mean, but at the same time, you can¡¯t me me for worrying. The bitch literally threatened to get me kicked out of school.¡±


    The memory of that conversation caused me to grimace. She was a hounding bitch and got on my nerves, and I wished nothing more than for her to find something else to preupy her time with.


    At least if she had something else to do, James and I could be somewhat normal, and I wouldn¡¯t have to constantly look over my shoulder.


    ¡°Ba, it¡¯s a simple photo. It doesn¡¯t even look like you guys were doing anything.¡±


    Looking over my shoulder at the photo on TV, I sighed. She was right. It wasn¡¯t a photo of us kissing or anything like that. It was simply the two of us standing next to each other, and Neal was actually there to the side, as well as two other people.


    ¡°True, maybe she won¡¯t think anything of it then.¡±


    ¡°See. You¡¯re worrying for nothing, but I have to get going. I have a salon appointment in an hour, and I still have to get ready,¡± Allegra said, as we quickly bid each other goodbye.


    Having spoken to Allegra, I felt better about the situation, but I still questioned why James had not messaged me about it.


    Taking my phone, I texted James.


    ¡®Call me when you can. I just saw the news, and I¡¯m concerned.¡¯


    I wasn¡¯t sure when he was going to be able to reach out to me, considering he had a long flight and probably other things he had to tend to. It would go figure once I thought that things were getting better, otherplications would arise.


    My life wasn¡¯t capable of being conflict free. My life was full of twists and turns.


    All of which were pieces to arger puzzle I was trying to figure out.


    Hopefully, with school starting soon, and things getting on the right path, my life would be clearer. For now, though, I would have to settle with what I have been given.


    As my phone chimed, I was quick to pick it up. All my troubled thoughts cleared with the excitement of hearing from James. I had thought that it would take longer for him to get to Miami, but I was pleased nheless.


    That was, until I read the message and all but almost dropped my phone.


    The text was from an unknown number, and its message was clear.


    ¡®I warned you before to stay away from him. I suppose I will have to keep to my threats and show you how dangerous I can be.¡¯


    Fu*k. It was from Allison, and what I was hoping wouldn¡¯t happen was going to happen.

 Chapter 60 : Declaring War

    <h4>Chapter 60: Chapter 60 : Dering War</h4>


    James.


    The moment Inded in Miami, I was bombarded with messages from Allison, Tally, and even Ba. Even others messaged me, questioning me about a mystery woman I had been seen with.


    Of course, Alison pointed out that it was clearly Ba.


    I was confused about what they were talking about, but as soon as I opened my phone, I saw the picture of Ba and I at the Convention in New York. We weren¡¯t alone, of course, we were with Neal and two other people that were in the background.


    The photo wasn¡¯t intimate, but we were very close, and we were talking. The photo must have been taken right after I had kissed her, but it was still enough to make people question who she was and if we were more.


    That wasn¡¯t what mattered, though.


    Allison had assumed that Ba had not heeded her warning, and it didn¡¯t matter how many times that I told her to back off and leave Ba alone. She refused.


    This was thest thing I needed right now while I was trying to fix my rtionship with the girl. She was everything to me, and slowly, I realized I had fallen in love with her. But how was I supposed to be able to make this work if I couldn¡¯t control my own problems?


    Letting a sigh of irritation escape me, I quickly climbed into the back of the ck sedan and told the driver to take me home.


    I had no doubt Tally would be there, waiting to scold me over everything that was going on. However, she was going to learn tonight that her ce was not to interfere with my personal rtionships.


    I was her father, and thest thing that I was going to allow her to do was dictate to me who I could and could not see. I didn¡¯t allow my parents to do that to me when I was younger.


    So it wasn¡¯t going to happen now with my own daughter.


    As the car sped down the breezeway, I called Ba, finding her phone going straight to voicemail. It had been an hour and a half since she had tried to call me, more or less.


    I¡¯d hoped that she had preupied her time with setting up her apartment, so I quickly sent a text to her, letting her know I would call her once I got situated at home.


    I had to constantly remind myself, even though I didn¡¯t like the idea of long distance, this was going to be important because if we could survive this, it meant that we could survive anything being thrown at us.


    Even if the thought of her being alone on campus surrounded by tons of very eligible young bachelors was constantpetition. I had to know that she would do nothing to betray my trust.


    At least I hoped she wouldn¡¯t.


    When I got home, I noticed Talley¡¯s car parked in the driveway and was mentally preparing myself for the situation I was about to walk into with Tally.


    I had been gone a week, and during that week that I had been gone, I had knowledge that she had had that boy Chad in my house, a boy that I specifically told her before I left I did not want to see anywhere around the property, let alone her.


    Tally felt she was able to dictate what she wanted for her own future. She may have been an adult, but no way was she mature enough to decide what it is that she wanted. She even tried to exin to me she was going to drop out of school.


    Which was not going to happen. She had been there this long, so I wouldn¡¯t allow her to throw her future away, no matter how meaningless she found it.


    I loved her to death, and she was beautiful as hell, but when it came tomon sense, that was something that my daughtercked, a trait that she had procured from her mother.


    As I was stepping out of the car, the front door flew open, and Tally stood on the other side with an angry scowl across her face and her hands upon her hips, as if she was a housewife irritated because her husband hade homete from work.


    ¡°Where have you been, and why did it take so long? I can¡¯t believe that you were up there with that whore after I told you I didn¡¯t want you to see her because of how ufortable it made me.¡±


    Stopping in my tracks, I tried to control my anger. My fists clenched at my sides as I stared at her. ¡°Get your ass in the house, and we will talk about this in a moment.¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t allow my neighbors to hear the conversation I was about to have with Tally. She had no idea how much more she pissed me off by acting the way that she did. Confronting me while I was walking inside my home, out in the open for anybody who was going by to see... who the f*ck did she think she was?


    What pissed me off the most was that she knew that, but yet she did what she wanted. Just like her f*cking piece of shit mother.


    I was already pissed that she was with that ignorant f*ck and pregnant by him, to say the least. But to sit here and act the way she was, trying to contradict everything that I had ever taught her while raising her, after everything I¡¯d done to make sure she had a better life.... This is how she decided she was going to repay me?


    As soon as the door closed, I made my way to the kitchen, setting down my stuff on the dining table before grabbing the bottle of whiskey at my bar and pouring myself a drink. ¡°Well, are you going to say anything?¡± she snapped from behind me.


    Tight-lipped and incredibly pissed off, I turned to face her. With narrowed brows, I stared at her with absolute disgust at her behavior. ¡°We are going to have a very serious conversation, Tally, because you seem to think that you are able to dictate to me what it is that I do, and that¡¯s not going to fly.¡±


    Shock crossed her face before it quickly filled with anger. ¡°You were screwing my best friend, and then, on top of that, you¡¯ve made me look like aplete fool by your actions.¡±


    ¡°Fool?!¡± I scoffed. ¡°You made yourself look like a fool, and how dare you sit there and make such a big fuss about me being with Ba, when for over a year, you were sleeping with her boyfriend behind her back, and now you¡¯re knocked up by him.¡±


    Her mouth parted as her eyes went wide. ¡°He is going to be your future son-inw. How dare you say something like that about him? I¡¯m your daughter. Don¡¯t you care how I feel? Won¡¯t you take my own desires into consideration?¡±


    I had had enough of her shit. mming my fist upon the counter, I had to rein my anger back in. This girl had absolutely lost her mind, thinking that she could speak to me the way she was, and I would be damned if I was going to tolerate it any longer.


    ¡°You need to learn your ce, Taliana. I am sick and tired of you thinking that you can do whatever it is you want to do. You get that trait from your mother, and there is a reason why I left her. Now ,you are pregnant, and you still have to finish school. You¡¯re in yourst year. What are you going to do? How are you going to support this child? Because I will never give that boy permission to marry you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a right to dictate to me what I can do! I¡¯m an adult!¡± she screamed at me as she clenched her fist in anger, her face turning red and her brows narrowed.


    ¡°An adult? Since when the f*ck did you ever start acting like an adult? All you do is blow through money. All you do is want, want, want, and you do nothing to earn anything that you have. Everything you have is because I have sponsored your way of living.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± she snapped, rolling her eyes. ¡°I am quite capable of taking care of myself. I can work, I can take care of children, and I will make a great wife for Chad.¡±


    ¡°A great wife, Tally? You have no idea how to take care of yourself. You don¡¯t clean up after yourself; you don¡¯t cook. You don¡¯t even wash your ownundry. So how in the hell are you going to take care of yourself, let alone someone else?¡± I asked her in absolute shock that she believed she was mature enough to raise a child.


    ¡°Stop it! Just stop it!¡± she cried out.


    I could tell that the conversation was weighing on her because she knew full well that what I was saying was the truth. How was she ever going to be able to raise this child and be a housewife or whatever else she thought she was going to be if she couldn¡¯t do simple tasks by herself?


    ¡°Stop what, Tally? Exining to you the truth, a truth that you refuse to see.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± She screamed. ¡°I want you to stop thinking that you can do things so much better than everybody else. Chad is a good man, and hees from a good family. I don¡¯t understand what you think is wrong with him when you¡¯re so willing to sleep with someone like Ba.¡±


    Her reply was one that I had expected. She would defend this boy to no end, and little did she understand that he was not the kind of man looking to settle down with someone like her.


    Her being pregnant was probably more than an inconvenience and knowing the family that he hade from, I highly doubted that his parents would be epting of her.


    Regardless of the money that she came from. We were considered new money. His parents came from a long generation of old money, and people like that didn¡¯t mix with people like us.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that, Tally. You will not be able to be with him. His family will never ept you and you have school to finish. You need to set your own path and stop relying on a man,¡± I snapped at her.


    I was fed up with the bullshit, and she needed to know that.


    ¡°His family will love me just as he does. He asked me to marry him. How much more proof do you need?¡± Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head.


    I knew I shouldn¡¯t be stressing her out because she was pregnant, but this was a conversation we had to have. She had to know that this could not go on, that her behaviors could not keep going on.


    ¡°And if they don¡¯t ept you, and he does leave you, then what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t leave me, even if his parents don¡¯t ept me. He will still marry me, and we will still be together. We will figure it out,¡± she replied, as if it was the only obvious thing in the world.


    ¡°ording to his academic records, he will be lucky to graduate. The only way he will be able to move forward in life is with the money his family has set up for him in a trust.¡± A trust I had no doubt they would end if he didn¡¯t do as they said.


    Honestly, perhaps that¡¯s what Tally needed to hear as well.


    She was shaking her head, so I could tell that she was going to refuse to believe anything that I said. She was such an ignorant girl, and through all of it, I could only imagine the things that her mother had been filling her mind with.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t true. He may get money from them, but we¡¯ll make it. I still have my money.¡±


    There it was. She thought that I was going to support both of them. The trust fund that I had set up for her was money that I was giving to her while she went to school and also to help her after she got out of school while she got set up in her career.


    If she thought that I was going to support them living forever, she was sadly mistaken.


    ¡°If you marry that boy, your trust fund money is gone. I told you the day you turned eighteen, I would continue to pay you a monthly allowance while you went to school and after you graduated while you got set-up in your career until you could support yourself.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to cut me off?¡± she yelled in anger, as if taking away her money was the most horrible thing that had ever happened to her.


    ¡°Yes, Tally. If you marry that boy, you are cut off from my money. Of course, I will set something up for my grandkids, so that way they have money when they turn eighteen, but I¡¯m not giving you another penny if you marry that boy.¡±


    Stomping her foot, she snatched her purse off of the side table, and red at me.


    ¡°You are not my father. That¡¯s stupid bitch has changed you, and I will make her pay for everything bad that happens to me.¡±


    The threat was there, but before I could get another word out, she turned and stormed from the house, mming the front door behind her.


    This was not how I expected things to go, but then again, I wasn¡¯t surprised either. Running my hand through my hair, I looked back down at my phone and contemted calling Ba. I knew I had promised her I would do so. It was just that things had gotten a lot more difficult than I had expected.


    Tally and Allison were both threatening to extinguish her existence, and I was suddenly concerned the distance between us would not keep her safe.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I was going to do, but as much as I didn¡¯t want to admit it, perhaps having someone closer to her would be more beneficial.


    I should have let her go when I had the chance. I could have let Neal step in to be with her.


    Because, the way things were going, loving me was only going to do one thing to Ba.


    Destroy her.

 Chapter 61 : Old Friends

    <h4>Chapter 61: Chapter 61 : Old Friends</h4>


    Ba


    With James being gone, I had to keep myself preupied, which meant diving into my studies and pretending to be the A plus student I had always been.


    While the other seniors were enjoying spending time with their loved ones and friends, I hid away in the library when needed and then rushed through the halls to my next ss, learning as much as I could before heading home.


    There wasn¡¯t much I honestly wanted to do. The one person who I wanted to spend my time with wasn¡¯t here, and as much as I missed him, I understood the importance of making sure business was taken care of.


    Walking from one of my math sses and heading towards the library, I ended up bumping into a familiar face in the hallway I hadn¡¯t seen in almost two years.


    ¡°Ba?¡± Tyson asked as he looked down at me with arge grin across his face. His dark, shaggy hair hanging just below his eyes before he quickly whipped his head to the side, moving his hair from his eyes.


    ¡°Tyson, I didn¡¯t think that you wereing back. I thought you transferred to a different school.¡±


    Thest thing I had heard was during our sophomore year here at Yale, Tyson had gotten in trouble with one of the sororities. He got one of the sorority girls pregnant, and that sorority girl was the niece of our current dean.


    Needless to say, it wasn¡¯t a very good thing.


    However, here he stood, sober as could be and not drunk streaking through the courtyard.


    ¡°Yeah man, it turned out that Sophie didn¡¯t get pregnant by me. She got pregnant by somebody else and even exined I had passed out naked on thewn, and even though she and another girl tried to humiliate me, it was not going to happen. Never thought I would thank liquor d*ck so much in my life.¡±


    Laughter escaped me as I stared at him with wide eyes, trying toprehend what he had just said. He was not the father of the proimed baby, but on top of that, they had tried to take advantage of him, and in the end, he couldn¡¯t get it up because he was too drunk.


    It was literally the funniest thing I had ever heard in my life, but I was rooting for him. A girl doing something stupid like that could destroy a man¡¯s life.


    ¡°I hope that they punish them for everything that they have done,¡± I replied, shaking my head in disgust as I watched him shrug his shoulders, as if the situation was no big deal.


    ¡°All I know is that I got a letter stating that myst two years of school werepletely paid for and that I was free toe back and stay herepletely free of cost.¡±


    ¡°I bet they did, considering the fact that the school could have been suedl for falsifying information, and also there was a joint conflict of interest between the dean and his niece. Not to mention, I bet the usations that were being thrown around didn¡¯t even have a proper investigation.¡±


    It honestly disgusted me to think an educator would cut corners to make himself look and feel better by being able to get justice for his niece, who turned out to be a whore.


    ¡°Yeah, man, it was pretty terrible, but it is what it is. I¡¯m just d to be back here,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d to see that you¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. So are you out there staying at Tally¡¯s ce still? Because I actually went by yesterday, but nobody was there,¡± he asked me. I slowly noticed people walking by staring at me.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Why are you asking?¡±


    ¡°Well, you know, now that you¡¯re dating that millionaire and everything, I just figured that you wouldn¡¯t be living there anymore, and I was going to see what she¡¯s been up to. After all, you remember she and I had this little small fling there for a while.¡±


    ¡°Tally¡¯s pregnant with Chad¡¯s baby,¡± I said bluntly, watching his brows narrow in confusion.


    ¡°Dude, she was f*cking your man. Holy shit. That actually makes so much sense.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean that makes so much sense? Why was I the only one who never saw that they had something going on behind my back? I mean literally for years! And I never knew!¡± I eximed in frustration, still not understanding why I didn¡¯t know that they were sleeping together.


    ¡°Hey, man, don¡¯t even worry about it. Like you got the best revenge on her ever. Serves her right for, you know, stealing your man and everything. You got her dad, and her dad is supposedly loaded. So that¡¯s like a win-win situation if you think about it.¡±


    Did he just say that I had her dad? How? Oh, shit. That means he¡¯s seen the news. And that means everybody else has as well.


    Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath before opening them again, looking at Tyson. ¡°How did you know I was seeing her father?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? Like it¡¯s all over the news, not to mention social media posts. Man, it¡¯s everywhere. Everybody¡¯s sharing that information. I have to admit that I find what you¡¯re doing to be severely adventurous. Ipletely back you one hundred percent.¡±


    The way Tyson was speaking suddenly made me realize he was far too stoned to be having a conversation of this magnitude. His eyes were nted, and hisugh was a bit off, and when I really paid attention to things and inhaled deeply, I could smell the skunking off of his clothing.


    ¡°Well, I appreciate your enthusiasm, Tyson. However, I honestly have to get going. I need to go pick up my order from the library, and then I¡¯ve got to get home and study for the next two days.¡±


    ¡°All right then. If you need anything, Ba, just let me know. If you need a person to study with or somebody to smoke weed with, I¡¯ve got you. I¡¯m always here. You¡¯re a good person, and don¡¯t listen to what anybody else says. At the end of the day, you deserve to have somebody who cares about you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Tyson, but for the record... I don¡¯t do drugs,¡± I chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Offers still there.¡±


    No matter how stoned this man was, he was still a sweetheart. It was why, when he had got expelled from the school back in our sophomore year, everybody was shocked. He wasn¡¯t one of those guys who didn¡¯t give a shit about anybody¡¯s feelings.


    He would never have taken advantage of a girl, whether she be sober or drunk.


    That simply wasn¡¯t who he was.


    Waving goodbye to him, I made my way towards the library to grab my order before heading out the doors of the school walking towards my apartment. It was only a twenty-minute walk, and the fresh air was nice.


    ¡°There she is¡ª¡± whispered voices said as I passed them.


    Everyone was staring, and the fact my situation had attracted this much attention didn¡¯t make me feelfortable. I was a few weeks into school and was already causing problems for myself.


    Had I been married to James, no one would have said anything. Instead, they would have been trying to be my best friend so they could relish in thevish lifestyle too.


    Instead, though, I was just the girl that was sleeping with him, and all they can seem to talk about was how I was sleeping with my best friend¡¯s dad. Even going as far as saying ¡°poor Tally¡± as if she was the innocent person in all of this.


    If only they knew the truth. Tally was far from innocent, and if that girl had it her way, I wouldn¡¯t be breathing anymore.


    Making my way into the building, I passed random people until I could climb into the elevator and make my way up towards my private floor. There weren¡¯t many students who lived up there, and for that I was grateful.


    It meant I was left to my privacy and wouldn¡¯t be disturbed by people fishing for a story.


    As soon as I made my way into my apartment and locked the door, I dropped my thing off on the small dining table and finally allowed myself to take a deep breath I hadn¡¯t realized I had been holding. ¡°F*ck my life...¡±


    The sound of my phone ringing caused me to jump, and pulling it from my pocket, I saw James¡¯ name appear across the screen. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°He,y gorgeous. Did you just get home?¡± he asked, causing me to roll my eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, I did. About to pour myself arge ss of wine right now and then get a shower.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a rough day,¡± he muttered as the sound of shuffling papers filled the background.


    ¡°Yeah, it was. Are you still at work?¡±


    ¡°I am, but that isn¡¯t important. I wanna know what happened. Why was it a rough day?¡±


    I paused to pour that wine and then I lifted my winess to my lips and slowly made my way towards the stairs to get a long, hot shower.


    ¡°Well, where do you want me to start...? I could exin how my teachers kept giving me nasty looks. How the dean seems to always have a snarkyment... or better yet, how the entire school knows I¡¯m sleeping with you and everyone finds me horrible for stealing my best friend¡¯s dad.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡ªit was that kind of day, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was,¡± I groaned. ¡°When are youing back? I miss you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping to be there by the weekend, sweetie. I¡¯m almost done with things here, and then I should be able toe up for a few days.¡±


    Sighing, I let what he said sink in. This was the life that we chose, and I had agreed to it. Initially, I thought it would be him that would find difficulty in being able to live this way, but I was slowly considering whether it was actually me.


    ¡°That sounds perfect. I could really use some us time when you get here.¡±


    The conversation might have been short, but it was just what I needed to pick myself up a bit. Hopefully, by tomorrow things would have long died down, and I would be able to get back to being invisible.

 Chapter 62 : Sea of Problems

    <h4>Chapter 62: Chapter 62 : Sea of Problems</h4>


    James.


    The short conversation I had with Ba the night before had been ying on my mind all day. She seemed down and worn out over all the issues with the people talking about what was going on with her and me.


    It didn¡¯t matter how much my PR team tried to make things go away, Allison was very determined to make sure that Ba paid for even thinking that she could have me. Never in my life had I thought Allison was going to be like this.


    After all these years of us being divorced, she was the pettiest woman I¡¯ve ever met, and I had regretted ever spending part of my life with her.


    Trying to keep myself preupied, I made ns to take Ba to Europe during Christmas break. I wanted to show her how much she meant to me and that things were going to get better. She deserved it, after all.


    ¡°Mr. Valentino, there is a man here to see you,¡± Evette said from my office door. She seemed on edge, and her nervousness didn¡¯t sit well with me. However, I nodded and gestured with my hand for her to let them in.


    As the door closed, I let my hand slip to the gun holstered under my desk and waited to see who it was. For Evette to be nervous, it was someone she was familiar with, someone she thought might be dangerous, and that wasn¡¯t ever a good thing.


    Sure enough, as the door opened, in walked Yuri, Sergie¡¯s right-hand man and thest person who I wanted to see. ¡°Yuri... what brings you to my office?¡±


    The blond-haired, brown-eyed man looked at me with a content gaze and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know why I¡¯m here, James. Sergie wanted me to check on business and see how things were going.¡±


    ¡°My business isn¡¯t the concern of your boss anymore, Yuri,¡± I replied firmly.


    ¡°See, that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong,¡± He chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t get to decide when business is over. Sergie respects you and doesn¡¯t want to end things badly with you. So he has sent me to talk some sense into you, considering how close we used to be.¡±


    ¡°Close? I wouldn¡¯t consider what we used to do as being close.¡±


    Thement seemed to not sit well with Yuri, who stared at me with hateful intent. I didn¡¯t care what this man thought. At the end of the day, he wasn¡¯t going toe into my office acting the way he was. This was my business.


    ¡°James, I understand that you have some personal issues going on right now with your family. Your daughter is pregnant, and your ex-wife doesn¡¯t like your new side piece.¡±


    ¡°Where did you hear that from?¡± I asked through gritted teeth.


    ¡°It seems Allison and Sergie may have had lunch the other day. He felt bad for the woman who was cast aside because she was too old,¡± Yuri replied with disinterest over the situation.


    ¡°Cast aside because she was too old?¡± Iughed at hisment, shaking my head. ¡°She cheated on me, which is why I divorced her, but I find it interesting that Sergie took the time to speak with her. What did he think he would get from it?¡±


    Pausing for a moment, Yuri stared at me with a stern re before smiling. ¡°Allison seems to think she can persuade you to do business with Sergie.¡±


    ¡°Well, that was a lie. I don¡¯t know why he would waste his time believing her. I already told Sergie I¡¯m not interested, and my decision is final.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Yuri asked again, as if he was giving me a chance to reconsider. The man was far from intimidating, at least to me. I wasn¡¯t going to be bullied into doing business with someone who didn¡¯t deserve it.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m very sure. Sergie will have to do his business elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°You do realize this won¡¯t end well for you, James,¡± Yuri replied, bing frustrated. ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot. A man like Sergie isn¡¯t forgiving, and the fact he is giving you another chance to reconsider should be a highlighting factor in your eyes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, Yuri. My answer is final,¡± I replied firmly. ¡°Now, if you¡¯re done, I have other things to tend to.¡±


    There was a moment of silence that fell between us as Yuri watched me with a murderous gaze. I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it, but my hand stayed firmly on the gun beneath my desk as I watched him.


    ¡°You¡¯re a fool, Valentino. He will take everything that you love from you to get what he wants.¡±


    There it was. The threat I was waiting for.


    I was very aware of what Sergie would do in order to force me into a corner, but there was no way that I was going to give in. This business was my life, and I wanted to go straight. No more shady deals or illegal run-ins.


    ¡°He can try.¡±


    Shaking his head, Yuri turned and headed for the door. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡±


    It was thest thing he said before Yuri mmed my office door behind him. I saved face, and I refused. It was the right thing to do, though, no matter what threats he threw my way.


    I wanted a future full of life, and one with Ba.


    I wouldn¡¯t allow my dark past to catch up with me and end up destroying her. I had to change for the better, and to do that, I had to make choices that might cost me my life.


    Pissed off about Allison running her mouth, I picked up my phone and dialed her number. Every second that it rang, I became angrier until finally she answered, and her cringe worthy voice caught me off guard.


    ¡°James, I didn¡¯t think you knew yet¡ª¡±


    ¡°What, that you went behind my back and met with Sergie? Crying wolf to a man. I am trying to get my family away from all because I am sleeping with a woman that isn¡¯t you! Have you lost your f*cking mind, Allison?¡± I yelled at her.


    ¡°What¡ªJames, you have to listen to me...¡± she muttered and even though she sounded upset, I wasn¡¯t going to allow her to y games with me.


    I was done with the games and every other piece of bullshit that made its way into myp. I wanted her out of my life more than ever. She was nothing to me but a waste of space.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re going to stop f*cking with my life, or we are going to have major issues.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sit there and act like this is all on me!¡± she yelled through the phone. ¡°I had no idea your business dealings with him were over. He will f*cking kill you if you don¡¯t agree to continue. Do you want to put our daughter at risk?¡±


    ¡°She is at more risk being around you!¡± I replied slowly, losing my temper. ¡°How horrible it must be to have such a shameful mother. You are an absolute disappointment, Allison.¡±


    There was a small gasp from the other end of the line, and with a small amount of silence, I knew what was about to be said.


    ¡°F*ck you, James. I did everything right, and you were the reason things went bad. All I had ever wanted was for you to pay attention to me. To love me and make things work. Yet, business was always more important than the family you were losing,¡± she cried out with disdain.


    ¡°My fault?¡± Iughed. ¡°The only thing that was my fault was ever being with you. I should have listened to everyone back then. I should have left your ass on the front steps of that house and walked away, never looking back. You ruined everything.¡±


    Every word I said was true. I regretted everything I had with her back then. She was nothing to me, and if she died tomorrow, I wouldn¡¯t shed a tear. Never had I hated someone so much in my life as I hated her.


    ¡°Stay away from me, Ba, and Tally. You need to grow up, Allison.¡±


    ¡°Well, you will be happy to know that I don¡¯t know where Tally is, so I can¡¯t exactly be around her!¡± she snapped with soft sobs.


    ¡°What? What do you mean you don¡¯t know where she is?¡±


    ¡°While you were off f*cking your little bitch up north... Tally ran off. I have no idea where she is or who she is with. The beach house is dirty, but empty. I even asked the housekeepers at your house if she had been there, and they said no,¡± Allison replied. ¡°She¡¯s gone.¡±


    No one at my house had said anything to me about Tally or Allison. Then again, it wasn¡¯t like I really asked those questions. Allison wasn¡¯t supposed to be there, and Tally was a grown woman.


    She coulde and go as she wanted to.


    ¡°When was thest time you saw her?¡± I asked in slight panic.


    ¡°About a week ago. Not long after you two got into that argument.¡±


    Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and tried to collect myself. I hadn¡¯t meant for things to go the way they had, and knowing she was gone because of me and my situation with Ba didn¡¯t sit well as a father.


    Regardless of the things she had done in her past, she was still my daughter, and I was still her father. The man who was supposed to protect her and care for her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find her. For now... stay the f*ck away from us all!¡± I snapped. ¡°You¡¯re not wanted!¡±


    Hanging up the phone, I yelled out in frustration.


    First, Yuri, then Allison, and now this. When was it ever going to f*cking end?


    As much as I wanted to call Ba and tell her what was going on, I couldn¡¯t. She had school to worry about, and it wasn¡¯t like Tally and Ba were on the best of terms. Perhaps, though, Tally had gone back up north.


    Maybe she changed her mind about school and was going to finish herst year like she was supposed to. There were a lot of different things that ran through my mind, but the main thing was finding my daughter.


    My daughter and my unborn grandchild.

 Chapter 63 : Vengeance for Blood

    <h4>Chapter 63: Chapter 63 : Vengeance for Blood</h4>


    Allison


    Hanging up the phone with James, I couldn¡¯t stop the anger coursing through me. For him to honestly think he could just speak to me however he wanted to was beyond insane. I was, once upon a time, the only woman he loved, and since the moment that little whore Ba stepped into our lives, I hadpletely lost control of him.


    Pacing around my living room, I took in the fading decor and the unfortunate end to thevish lifestyle I had once lived. I had lost so much over the past few years and all because James didn¡¯t understand the needs I had.


    He had been gone all the time traveling overseas, and with the many photos I constantly had seen of him with other women, it was hard for me to believe he wasn¡¯t cheating on me. So, in a moment of weakness, I had slept with somebody else. It wasn¡¯t anything serious. It was a one time thing, and yet, James never forgave me for what I had done.


    Even though I had forgiven him so many times over the transgressions against me he had caused, it was as if he could do no wrong. He was so arrogant, so stuck up, and right now, we had more important things to worry about, but he still had hatred for me.


    And the only thing I was trying to do was to show him Ba wanted nothing but his money. She would take everything from him in the end, and he would be left with nothing, which meant Tally and I would be left with nothing.


    I gripped a wine ss in my hand as so much frustration ran through me, I tossed the wine ss at the wall and watched as the red liquid sprayed everywhere and the ss shattered, falling to the floor beneath it.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± I screamed out in frustration.


    There was noing back from the conversation I had with him. If this was how he was going to be, I was going to have to take drastic measures to ensure he saw how serious I was about mending things with him. I would have to get rid of theplications.


    The sameplications that walked through the door at the beginning of summer with my daughter.


    I had always told Tally that girl was no good, and even though she seemed sweet and innocent, I knew she wasn¡¯t.


    She was the devil and would have to be dealt with ordingly.


    Ba was nothing but a burden to us all, and I would have thestugh in this situation.


    Picking up my phone, I scrolled through the numbers until I found the one name that I wanted to call. Sergie, the Russian mafia leader who had once done business with my ex-husband.


    James warned me not to have contact with the man, but I wasn¡¯t going to listen. Sergie adored me in every way and had constantly told me so the entire time James and he had done business.


    Even Sergie¡¯s wife and I got along quite wonderfully.


    That was until the divorce, and she found it beneath her to talk to somebody in the same situation as I was. Self-centered bitch.


    ¡°Allison, what do I owe the pleasure of your phone call?¡± Sergie asked as he answered the phone.


    ¡°I talked to James, and I believe you had someone that went to talk to him as well. He is so stubborn that he doesn¡¯t want to change anything.¡±


    ¡°I know this is aplication, and I wish that things didn¡¯t have toe to this, but I¡¯m going to have to take action against him. I do hope that you understand.¡± Sergie wasn¡¯t a man to y around with. I knew what was going toe of this, and the fear of it happening rolled through me like a thundering wave.


    ¡°Wait. Don¡¯t take it out on James. It isn¡¯t his fault. There areplications behind his decisions that need to be taken care of. Once they are sorted, he will willingly make the right choice. I know he will,¡± I replied with desperation in my tone.


    There was silence on the other end of the line, but the small, subtle noises of his thinking came through clearly. ¡°I see, and theseplications... do they have anything to do with the pretty little girl that he was seen with in Miami?¡±


    ¡°You mean the whore he was sleeping with that happened to be my daughter¡¯s best friend? Yes, she is theplication. She has clouded his judgment. She is making it to where he doesn¡¯t think properly about anything that he does. All he¡¯s thinking about is his d*ck.¡±


    Laughter escaped Sergie from the other end of the line, and I felt myself a bit shocked he wouldugh at a matter like this. It was a very serious situation that had to be handled.


    ¡°Allison, you are definitely a woman from my own heart. Your jealousy and your vision for vengeance is quite enticing. You would have made a wonderful wife for a Russion had the situation presented itself to you.¡±


    Feeling slightly ufortable, I tried to put the happiest tone in my voice that I could. ¡°Thank you, Sergie. I do appreciate that. But how can we fix this?¡±


    ¡°So eager, little wolf,¡± he replied in an amusing voice. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about this. What you need to worry about is finding your daughter that I hear has gone missing. I¡¯m sure there are ways I could possibly help you find her. Though it would cost you, if you¡¯re interested.¡±


    ¡°Cost me. I don¡¯t understand. You know where she is?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that I can find her,¡± he replied with a chuckle in the phone that was so deep and sinister that my skin crawled. ¡°However, as I said, there is a cost.¡±


    ¡°What is it that you¡¯re wanting, Sergie?¡± I asked, already knowing what he was going to say.


    Sergie was an older man, but he was very well known for having a particr taste in things, and meing to him, asking him for a favor, was not going to be something he would do for free.


    ¡°I would like for you toe spend a weekend with me, Allison. My wife is going to be preupied, and, as a man with needs, I would love the opportunity to finally get to taste you. It has been a very long time since you were underneath my palm.¡±


    Thement he made was as if I had actually slept with him, which, in reality, I hadn¡¯t.


    What he was referring to was a convention we had years ago during a cocktail hour. He had approached me, offering me to have a fun evening, however at the time, I was absolutely in love with James and so young, so I declined.


    It didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t try to approach me more than once, though. He was persistent.


    However, he wasn¡¯t the kind of man that would willingly take something that wasn¡¯t freely given. He enjoyed being able to hold me under his thumb right now. He wanted me begging on my knees for his help and willing to submit to him in order to get it.


    I may have been a proud woman, but the situation was serious.


    I needed Ba taken care of, and this was the only way to do it.


    ¡°You want me to sleep with you in order for me to get your help? In order to handle Ba and also find my daughter?¡±


    ¡°Essentially, yes,¡± Sergie replied, causing my heart to all but stop.


    ¡°I understand my situation, but is there really no other way that we could go about this?¡±


    ¡°You have no other way to receive help from me unless I get something in return, Allison. Do not act like you¡¯re afraid of me. I have seen the venom that you have spit at people for many years, and I find you to be the viper that I need to sustain my own hunger. So the question honestly is, Allison....do you want to submit to the devil in order to earn his favor?¡±


    Did I want to submit to him?


    No, absolutely not, but I didn¡¯t really have another choice, and though some people would have looked at me as if I was the evil one in all of this, I was just a woman who did not like change.


    A woman who wanted life to be as it was without outsiders interfering in personal affairs.


    ¡°I will spend the weekend with you, Sergie. If you are able to handle the situation, I¡¯m sure there are things that we can agree further on in person.¡±


    My response was short, but it had a meaning that caused him tough like I had never heard.


    He was excited with the notion he would have me for the weekend after so many years of me declining his offers. I may have been older, but I was beautiful for my age.


    In the end, though, there would be only one way out of this, and that way would be me having to kneel before him as he wanted.


    ¡°Wonderful. Prepare yourself. I will pick you upter tonight.¡±


    ¡°Later tonight?¡± I questioned with confusion on my face as I furrowed my brows and stopped pacing my living room. ¡°I thought that you wanted me to spend a weekend with you.¡±


    ¡°Why would we wait? After all, you have a debt with me, and therefore, I will collect on it sooner rather thanter. Is there a problem with that?¡±


    Swallowing deeply, I tried to catch my breath, and as I stood there staring nkly at the wall in front of me, I knew my fate was sealed.


    ¡°There¡¯s no problem at all. Let¡¯s go ahead and schedule for around nine or so tonight. Would that be okay? That way, I have enough time to prepare myself and pack my bags. Plus, I¡¯m sure you have calls to make after our conversation...¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± he replied with light amusement. ¡°I will have someonee to collect you, then.¡±


    As soon as the phone hung up, I slumped onto my sofa, letting everything soak in.


    I had just done something I never thought I would do. I had signed my soul over to the devil to get what I wanted, and if it cost blood, then so be it.


    Ba¡¯s blood would run the streets of Miami by the time I got done with her.


    I would have my revenge.

 Chapter 64 : Broken Plans, New Arrangements

    <h4>Chapter 64: Chapter 64 : Broken ns, New Arrangements</h4>


    Ba


    A few days had passed, and the conversation between James and I hadn¡¯t been as much as I would have liked. In fact, he had been more busy than usual, and I didn¡¯t know what to do with myself.


    Every day was just like thest. I got up. I did my morning workout. I walked down to the cafe and got breakfast and coffee and then went to ss.


    I would go through the day as if nothing in the world was wrong with me, and by the time I got done with sses, I would head back to my apartment to eat dinner and do homework.


    Whoever said that life as a student in college was exciting was sadly mistaken. My life was full of nothing but getting my work done, passing my sses, and surviving to the weekend.


    Then, usually on the weekends, I was way too exhausted and tired to even want to do anything. Not to mention I was not the kind of girl that enjoyed going out partying. I was the kind of girl who would rather stay home with a good book, a movie and a friend, and some pizza.


    Perhaps that was a preference not many people my age enjoyed, but it was a preference I enjoyed.


    Walking into my apartment after a long week of going to school, I was excited, thinking about James, who was supposed toe tomorrow. The idea of spending time with him made my heart race, and honestly, I couldn¡¯t wait to throw my arms around him the moment he stepped inside my apartment.


    The idea of seeing him again was something that helped get me through the entire week, and as I pulled my phone out, I realized he had still not contacted me all day.


    It was odd, but I didn¡¯t let it bother me too much.


    Knowing him, he had been super busy all day.


    Putting my bag down and kicking off my shoes, I dialed his number and called him instead. The phone rang a few times, and when his deep, sultry voice came through the other line, I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on? I¡¯m in the middle of something,¡± he said quickly and that smile I had slowly fell.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to bother you. I was just calling to check on you. Haven¡¯t really heard from you today, and I know you¡¯re going to be here tomorrow. So I just wanted to figure out what time so I can make ns.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit, Ba, Ipletely forgot.¡± He forgot? What in the world did he mean? He forgot.


    How could he have forgotten he was supposed to being to see me?


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What do you mean you forgot? Are you noting?¡± I asked him as I fell to the sofa, sitting there in disbelief that after a week of thinking he wasing to spend time with me, in reality, he wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be able to make it tomorrow. There are a lot of things going on that are just veryplicated at the moment, and as much as I would love to be there with you, I honestly can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Ipletely understand. I guess I¡¯ll just figure something else out to do. Do you know when you might being up here?¡± I asked softly, hoping that it wasn¡¯t going to be a long time before I would get to see him again.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know when I¡¯m going to make it up there, but I do really have to go. So can we pick up this conversation tomorrow morning? I have some free time I can schedule you in.¡±


    Schedule me in.


    Hearing him say those words turned my moment from beingpletely fine topletely pissed off. ¡°Yeah, no worries. Let me know what your schedule is when you have time. Better yet, have Evette message me. She does all your scheduling.¡±


    Hanging up the phone, I tossed it onto my coffee table and crossed my arms over my chest, sitting back, pouting. Perhaps the way I was acting was childish, but I had every right to be upset.


    I wasn¡¯t some appointment he needed to schedule. I was supposed to be his girlfriend. The woman he wanted to be with, and yet ,he spoke to me as if spending time with me was a task toplete.


    Confliction filled me with how I was supposed to act towards this. I wanted tosh out and be cold to him, but something told me that there was more going on.


    Shaking away the uneasy feeling of emptiness, I preupied myself. No longer was I hungry, like I had been thirty minutes before. Instead, I mindlessly wandered towards the kitchen and pulled a bottle of wine from my fridge, not bothering with a ss.


    Had I done something wrong that made him not want to spend time with me?


    The thoughts gued me, and as my phone rang, I jumped in shock, hoping it was James.


    However, as I looked down at my phone, I realized it wasn¡¯t.


    It was Neal.


    I hadn¡¯t talked to himtely, and I felt slightly bad. I knew the apartments were almost done, and he was going to want me to show them, but I just felt so guilty about how things ended between us before that the conversations were almost awkward.


    ¡°Hey, Neal, how are things going?¡± I said as soon as I picked up the phone.


    ¡°Things are going pretty good. I was just going to let you know that the first apartment will be avable to lease probably by the end of next week. So, if you don¡¯t mind, I was going to see if I could drop the keys off to you and then possibly have you schedule with somebody who¡¯s interested in renting it out.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s no problem at all. When were you looking toe up?¡± I asked him with a smile on my face, even though he couldn¡¯t see me. Hearing his voice after everything that had been happeningtely was refreshing in a way.


    ¡°I¡¯ll actually probably be up there tomorrow to drop those keys off. I¡¯ve got to do a couple of things in town, but other than that, yeah. Why? You sound like you¡¯re a little upset. Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°That is a loaded question, as always,¡± I said as I let out a heavy breath, realizing this was my fate, and I was just another catastrophe waiting to happen.


    A heartyugh left his lips, and as it did, I felt a sense of familiarity through all the awkwardness I had once had. ¡°Well, start from the top. What seems to be the problem?¡±


    ¡°Besides the fact that the entire campus knows I am screwing James and also they think I¡¯m sleeping with you as well? Hmm... let¡¯s see. James was supposed toe and visit me this weekend, but he can¡¯t. I guess there¡¯s not much else that¡¯s actually going on. Oh, I did forget. I now have to be scheduled in order to have conversations with James because he¡¯s too busy to deal with me right now.¡±


    The exhaustion I felt after having all of that information flow from me was absolutely mentally draining. I had a sense of relief because I was able to vent to somebody about it, but actually hearing myself say it was just absolutely ridiculous.


    ¡°To me, it sounds like you definitely need a few stiff drinks and a night out. Have you not gone out with any of your friends or anything?¡±


    ¡°Friends?¡± Iughed, as if that was the most hysterical thing that I¡¯d ever heard. ¡°Neal, I don¡¯t have any real friends. I was part of Tally¡¯s group, so I always hung out with her. I never had the chance to make proper friends myself while being at school. It was always school work and hanging out with Tally.¡±


    ¡°Jesus. Well, that does exin a lot, actually,¡¯¡¯ he replied, causing a gasp to leave my lips as Iughed.


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? I¡¯m not that terrible, but I mean, I¡¯m not like other people here. I don¡¯t really care to party. I may look like a party girl, but I¡¯m actually a bookworm. That is my deep, dark secret. I am a bookworm who loves to wear fuzzy socks and curl up in bed and read a book or watch a movie and drink coffee or hot tea.¡±


    ¡°You know, bookworms are actually pretty sexy,¡± he added, causing me tough again as I shook my head, knowing full well that this was definitely the conversation that I needed.


    Neal always had a way of making meugh, making me forget I was upset, and it was the same trait that his sister Allegra had as well.


    ¡°Thanks for calling me. I really needed this conversation.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me, Ba. You need someone to talk to you. All you have to do is ask. Now, since I¡¯ming up there this weekend, why don¡¯t we hang out tomorrow night? We can go have drinks and that,¡± Neal offered, and for a moment, I really wanted to take him up on his offer. But I was hesitant because of James.


    James did not really care for me hanging around Neal, even though Neal had been nothing but kind to me, and I didn¡¯t want to do anything to further upset him because we were trying to make the long distance thing work.


    If photographs got out and circted with me hanging out with Neal without James being part of the picture, it would just cause all kinds of problems.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if going out drinking in public right now is probably the best idea. Thest thing I need is for people to get the wrong impression.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then we hang out at your ce. You pick the movies. I will grab pizza on my way there and some alcohol, and we¡¯ll just hang out like we used to do back at the apartment. I mean, we used to have a lot of fun, and I know that you¡¯re with James, and Ipletely understand. I won¡¯t get in the way of it, but you deserve to be happy.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wrong, but he wasn¡¯t right either.


    Maybe I deserved to be happy, but I felt the happiest when I was with James. Maybe my thinking was clouded because he was like the rebound guy after Chad. In the end, there was just something about James that drew me in that I fell in love with, and as much as I knew I deserved to have more than what I currently did... I didn¡¯t want to let him go.


    Never in my life had I felt so conflicted as I did in that moment.


    James Valentino was everything I ever wanted in a man. Granted, he was a few years older than any man I¡¯d ever seen myself with, but they do say with agees experience, and he had enough experience to make his own porn movies.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± I replied softly as I slowly caved in. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow night. Make sure you don¡¯t forget the pineapple on my pizza.¡±


    ¡°You do know that is absolutely disgusting? But I will do it just because it¡¯s you that¡¯s asking,¡± he said, causing me to scoff yfully.


    ¡°Until tomorrow,¡± I breathed with a smile as I hung up the phone.


    Through everything James had put me through, I was d I had an amazing friend like Neal.

 Chapter 65 : Tally is Missing

    <h4>Chapter 65: Chapter 65 : Tally is Missing</h4>


    Ba


    The next morning, I awoke with a little pep in my step. It was Saturday, and I was excited. That was because it was the one day I didn¡¯t have to worry about school or studying, even though I probably should have been. It was the beginning of a weekend I was going to absolutely adore.


    Throwing on my tennis shoes, I grabbed my purse and headed out of my apartment, ready to start the day of nothing but fun and excitement. First up was the grocery store, and then I was on to find a little bit of odds and ends to decorate up the spare room, just in case Neal wanted to stay.


    There was no way I was going to let him drive home after he had been drinking, or across town for that matter.


    Making my way towards my car, I climbed in and put it in drive, heading across town towards the local grocery store. Not even five minutes out from my destination, however, my phone lit up, and James¡¯s name crossed the screen.


    Of course, he¡¯s calling.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said with very little enthusiasm. I was still quite sore with him, and I had every right to be, considering how he had spoken to me.


    ¡°Hey, gorgeous. What are you up to?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much, heading to the grocery store to pick up some stuff. I¡¯ve got some things that I¡¯m taking care of this weekend, since you¡¯re not making it. What¡¯s going on with you?¡± I asked him, avoiding letting him know about Neal just yet. I wanted to hear what he had to say, and if he was going to apologize first.


    ¡°Some things to do?¡± he replied, and I wasn¡¯t honestly shocked he would start the conversation off that way. ¡°Do you have a lot of studying or something to do this weekend?¡±


    ¡°No, not studying. I actually have a guesting, so I¡¯m just going to hang out at the apartment and eat some pizza, watch some movies, have a few drinks, and just kind of hang out. I mean, I wanted to spend the weekend with you, but you made it very clear yesterday you didn¡¯t have time to waste on me. So I¡¯m making do with the best I can.¡±


    ¡°Coming to stay with you, Ba?¡± James snapped through the phone as I put the car in park in a parking spot and sat there staring off into the distance, trying to wrap my head around the fact he had just used that tone with me.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? It¡¯s somebody that you would be perfectly fine with me seeing. So I don¡¯t understand.


    ¡°For one, if I was okay with you being around them, then you wouldn¡¯t have a reason not to tell me who it is. Now, I want a name.¡± The stern sound of his voice made my skin slightly crawl. I wanted to obey him, submit to him in every way, and taking a deep breath, I did.


    ¡°It¡¯s just Neal. He has to drive up to drop the keys off because somebody¡¯s going to be renting the apartment that was just finished. I suggested we grab something to eat and hang out like we used to when I was staying with him.¡±


    I don¡¯t know why I thought James would be okay with it, because deep down I knew he wouldn¡¯t be. Sure enough, I heard the frustration in his tone as he took a deep breath and let out an uneasy groan.


    ¡°I¡¯m not okay with that,¡± he replied, catching me a little off guard, as if I had to ask for his permission.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you be okay with it? It¡¯s Neal. You already know that I¡¯m living in an apartment he has here, and I¡¯m going to be helping him with the others. I don¡¯t understand what the problem would be if I were to hang out with him.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me right now?¡± he scoffed, causing my frown to deepen. ¡°He wants to get into your pants, and you¡¯re actually going to let him stay with you, knowing that you¡¯re with me. I shouldn¡¯t even have toment on this.¡±


    ¡°First of all, it isn¡¯t even like that. He actually talks highly of you and respects your decision. So for you to act like this ispletely uneptable. After all, you were the one who was supposed to be here this weekend to spend an entire week with me, and instead, you¡¯re not.¡±


    ¡°Because I really don¡¯t have a choice,¡± he snapped again, raising his voice at me as if I was just some other person who he had to deal with.


    ¡°And what exactly would keep you from wanting to spend time with me? You yourself said that you were closing the deal that you had yesterday,¡± I replied, reminding him of the conversation we had had prior.


    ¡°Yeah, and then I turned around and found out I have issues with another client I have to take care of because of Allison. And on top of that, Tally has gone missing.¡±


    Shock filled me hearing that Allison was part of some issue that he had, and Tally, the girl who had once been my best friend, was also missing. She was pregnant, and to find that she was missing made me a little uneasy.


    ¡°Did you check with Chad¡¯s family? I mean, maybe they went there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I checked there,¡± he snapped at me for a third time.


    I was growing very impatient with him. If he was going to keep talking to me like this, I was done with it all. I didn¡¯t deserve this.


    ¡°Look, I understand that you have a lot going on and that you¡¯re not happy right now because of the situation with Neal, but you need to let that go and learn to trust me that nothing is going to happen. Now, as for Tally, I can give you suggestions where to look, but you need to change your tone because you will not speak to me that way.¡±


    I was very clear how I felt about the matter.


    Yes, I was worried for Tally because if James didn¡¯t know where she was, then I needed to do everything I could possibly do to help him, even though I didn¡¯t get along with her. It didn¡¯t mean that I didn¡¯t care enough to help James.


    That was his daughter, and she wasn¡¯t always the brightest crayon in the box. Therefore, making sure she didn¡¯t do anything stupid was something to be take care of.


    ¡°Look, you have other ns tonight, so why don¡¯t you just worry about that, and I will figure out the situation with my daughter on my own.¡±


    ¡°Stop being aplete asshole, right now. I don¡¯t understand this, and I¡¯m sick and tired of the fighting and arguing. Neal is a friend. You need to let that go. I am trying to help you. I know Tally better than you do.¡± He was acting in a way that I was not happy with.


    He should have told me this yesterday when I had spoken to him, and I would have been more understanding of the situation. Hell, I would have dedicated my weekend to helping him find her.


    Even if that meant going to New York and confronting Chad¡¯s family just to see if she was there.


    Instead, though, he had kept it from me. Waited an entire twenty-four hours to say anything at all, and he made me feel like I waspletely nothing to him instead of being open and honest with me about the situations that were going on.


    ¡°Why would you want to help her? You don¡¯t even like her.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me right now? Will you for once be mature and act your age? You are a grown man, and you¡¯re being a d*ck to me because I¡¯m hanging out with a friendter that you don¡¯t approve of. I don¡¯t sit there and question everybody that you hang out with.¡±


    Silence filled the phone, and for a moment, I thought he had hung up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re right. Right now, I am acting ridiculous. I just have so much on my mind, and I¡¯ll be honest, I don¡¯t entirely trust him because he has feelings for you. Whether you choose to believe it or not, he has told me that himself.¡±


    Hearing Neal had feelings for me was not what I was expecting. I knew he liked me to an extent because of prior conversations, but I thought that might have just been a simple infatuation.


    Pushing those concerns aside, I moved forward with the Tally issue.


    ¡°If she¡¯s not at his family¡¯s house, he has an apartment in New York City. I don¡¯t have the exact address, but I do know where it is. There¡¯s a possibility she could be there, and if she¡¯s not there... then there¡¯s a good possibility she could be here in town. Regardless, I¡¯ll text you the generalized directions on how to get there.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you put up with me, Ba,¡± James said after a moment as I typed in the directions.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly the best person for you, and as much as I wish I could be, I find it hard. I¡¯m a man stuck in my ways, and I¡¯m just wondering if you really understand what you¡¯re getting yourself into.¡±


    James was a man of very few words, typically. However, right now he had my mindpletely blown because the way it sounded was as if he was reconsidering our current situation and that wasn¡¯t something that I had expected.


    ¡°Are you having second thoughts about us?¡± I asked with hesitation and shock in my tone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m thinking. I just know I can¡¯t be there for you right now, the way you need me to be, and yet... I don¡¯t know. Maybe we¡¯re overthinking everything because it¡¯s hard to be with somebody when they¡¯re not next to you every day.¡±


    ¡°No. You¡¯re not doing this,¡± I replied, refusing to let him go down this road with me. We would not have this conversation over the phone.


    ¡°Ba¡ª¡± he said, trying to cut me off.


    ¡°No!¡± I eximed. ¡°You are not doing this right now. You¡¯re not thinking clearly, and I¡¯m not going down this road with you. So what I want you to do is take a deep breath and stop worrying about me. I want you to worry about finding Tally, and I want you to keep me updated on everything. If you want to call meter tonight or in the morning, that choice is yours. Regardless, you are not ending this rtionship over the phone.¡±


    Putting my foot down, I quickly hung up the phone, not giving him a chance to say anything else. That would mean that our rtionship was over.


    We had just picked back up the pieces, and I could tell he was hesitant and simply stressed. There was no way I was going to allow him to decide when he was in that kind of state.


    If James Valentino wanted to leave me, he was going to do it in person, not over the phone like some high school prick.

 Chapter 66 : Haunted Issues

    <h4>Chapter 66: Chapter 66 : Haunted Issues</h4>


    James


    As soon as Ba hung up the phone, I felt nothing but guilt and remorse over the way I had acted. This is a girl who had been nothing but good to me and time and time again, I did nothing but be aplete d*ck to her.


    She had never given me a reason to question her or doubt I could trust her. Instead, she had done everything right, and all she wanted was a chance to prove herself to me. And yet, I was the one who was constantly feeling as if I was unsure of the situation.


    Staring out the window of my office, I looked across the green grass leading to the small railing overlooking the ocean. I was aplete mess, and the fury of worry flowing through my veins had done nothing but hinder my ability to think straight.


    I was being unfair to her, but I wanted to protect her. Once upon a time, I lived a life of criminalized activity. I¡¯d messed with the wrong people; I¡¯d made shady deals, and I¡¯d cut corners. Through everything, I ended up pissing off the wrong people, leaving a wake of issues in my path.


    Even though I¡¯d tried to turn myself around for thest ten years, I was not good. I had cut ties with anybody who could have been a futureplication. I didn¡¯t want my daughter to grow up in a world surrounded by nothing but violence.


    The young man I had been before is not the same man I am now, but all of those problems wereing back at me, and now, I was going to have to reap what I sowed.


    Now, not only was my daughter in danger, but, potentially, so was a woman I cared deeply for. A woman I loved. I never wanted anything bad to happen to her, and I reminded myself because of my actions, she was in danger.


    Especially since Allison had gone to Sergie and exined to him I was not thinking straight. I knew in my mind she wouldn¡¯t have told him Ba was the reason I was not agreeing to his terms. Even though that wasn¡¯t true, she wasn¡¯t the person who was clouding my judgment, as she liked to call it.


    On the contrary, this was a decision I had made long before I had ever slept with, or even touched Ba, for that matter. I wanted freedom.


    I wanted a way out and more times than once, I had contemted selling off everything I had. Taking my money and my daughter and moving abroad somewhere else to start over. Somewhere where nobody would know who we were.


    I wasn¡¯t sure where that ce would be. But now, with Ba in my life, everything wasplicated. Even more so because there was no way I would tuck tail and run, leaving her defenseless.


    Letting out a heavy sigh, I lifted my coffee cup to my lips and continued to stare. There were many routes I could take in order to fix this, but one thing was for sure. After the conversation with Ba, there was no way she was going to allow me to escape her.


    She was right, though. I would not have this conversation with her over the phone. It was going to be a conversation I had to have in person and as much as I wanted to be entangled in her every second of the day I was with her, this had to be a serious moment.


    I had to tell her the truth.


    The truth about my past and who I was.


    I had to exin to her there were things about me I was hiding.


    People would not be safe if things went wrong, and slowly but surely, the vines I had tied securely together were loosening, and with that, my problems were showing.


    The soft echo of feet on the floor sounded in the distance, with soft murmurs of women speaking. I wasn¡¯t sure who it was, and with an angry scowl, I stood and made my way towards the door.


    I half expected to see Allison standing there, demanding to speak with me, demanding for me to fix things. But I looked into the eyes of Allegra, and her expression spoke nothing but disdain.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked her as I pressed forward.


    ¡°Came to see you. You didn¡¯t like me approaching you at work, and with everything I heard that¡¯s been going ontely, I¡¯d figured you¡¯d be here. That, and your car is parked out front rather oddly, so you must have had a rough night yesterday.¡±


    Allegra was a mysterious woman, and even though we didn¡¯t have the greatest of friendships, she had be close with Ba, so if she was here, I could only assume it was because of Ba.


    Gesturing for her to follow me, I took her outside onto the back patio terrace area. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to act like this is just a casual meeting to see how things are going. I know very well that the only reason you are here is because of Ba. We would have no other business to speak of.¡±


    A smile crossed her lips as she stared at me. ¡°That is true. However, first I want to know what is going on with you before I tell you why I¡¯m here. So why don¡¯t you exin why you¡¯re still in Miami and not up there with the woman you love?¡±


    ¡°You are seriously going to y that line with me?¡± Iughed as I watched her shrug her shoulders as if to say she would do as she wanted, as she always did. ¡°If you must know, I hade down here to take care of business, which Ba knew. We agreed on it. I was supposed to go back to visit her this weekend. I have a veryrge client that I was closing on. However, while being here,plications arose.¡±


    ¡°Complications, you say. Pray tell, what are thoseplications?¡±


    ¡°One would be Allison, of course. Another would be Tally, and then, there is my criminalized pasting back to haunt me like a distant chill on a warm, sunny day,¡± I quipped as I sipped upon my coffee, savoring the rich deep taste.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s start with the first issue you seem to have. Allison. How does she fit in all of this? I thought you got rid of the woman when you decided you loved Ba, and you were going to be with her.¡±


    ¡°That would be correct,¡± I replied, nodding my head as I cast my gaze off into the distance. ¡°However, she seems to have made friends with somebody from my past, and therefore, caused moreplications.¡±


    ¡°You keep sayingplications, but yet you don¡¯t exin what thoseplications are. I am not here for a casual visit. I¡¯m here to fix a problem, as I always do. Now, if you don¡¯t mind, what are thoseplications?¡±


    Staring at her with a fixed gaze, my brows narrowed. I wasn¡¯t sure if she was someone I could trust to tell this kind of business to. Even though we had known each other for quite some time, it wasn¡¯t like she was somebody I would confide in on certain issues.


    Regardless, I gave in. ¡°I dealt in shady dealings, and I had to pay for that. However, that may be because Allison has made friends with my enemies due to the fact that I reject her continuously for Ba. She has now, more than likely, been exining that Ba is the reason I won¡¯t sign the deals, which, of course, isn¡¯t the truth. But then again, when is Allison ever telling the truth?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? That Ba is in danger?¡± Allegra asked, her eyes wide and concernced in her tone.


    She would always care for Ba. Regardless of the one intimate moment that they had while we were at Club Velvet, Allegra and Ba had be very close friends.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but I can¡¯t be sure.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, it seems to me you have a problem there, something you need to figure out. Because if Ba is going to be in any sort of trouble, I need to be made aware, as does Neal and Ba. But that really should be something thates from you.¡±


    There was a seething warning within her tone that let me know she was serious. Shrugging it off, though, I continued the conversation I was having, seeing as Allegra was so determined to know what exactly was going on in my life.


    ¡°On top of all of this, it¡¯se to my attention Tally has gone missing. And not only has she gone missing, but she¡¯s also pregnant. Things have be a lot moreplicated than I have wanted them to.¡±


    ¡°So what is it you n to do, then? You can¡¯t simply sit here in your house in Miami and sulk. You need to be looking for your daughter, and if you can¡¯t find her, she is a grown adult and needs to take care of herself,¡± she scowled, leaning back in her chair.


    ¡°She is still my daughter,¡± I replied with warning in my tone.


    ¡°Yes, and a grown adult. While you¡¯re worried about her, you have a woman up there who loves you, who has gone through hell and back to be with you, and given you more chances than she should have. One that could be in danger.¡±


    To say Allegra was angry would be an understatement. She was holding herself together very well,posed, as she always was, but deep down, she was a pit of fire, wanting tosh out at me for how I had been acting.


    ¡°I understand the reasoning behind your statement. However, I do have to find Tally. Regardless if she¡¯s an adult, she is still my daughter. I have to make sure she¡¯s okay and that my grandchild is okay because, as we all know, Tally is not the most self-sufficient person.¡±


    The conversation with Allegra went on for an hour, and by the time we were done, I had gained a little more rity than I had initially had on the situations at hand. I needed to see Ba. Regardless of everything going on, I needed to clear the air with her and make her aware of the secrets I had been hiding.


    Thatst thing I wanted was for her to find out from someone else, or worse, get hurt by the secrets I refused to exin.

 Chapter 67 : Hostile Conversations

    <h4>Chapter 67: Chapter 67 : Hostile Conversations</h4>


    Ba


    After the conversation with James, I pushed my feelings aside and continued my tasks for the day. I ended up having to go up to the school to drop off ast-minute paper to one of my teachers before I was supposed to meet up with Neal.


    Through the week, things had been utterly strange considering everything that had happened, and thest thing I wanted to do was draw more attention to myself.


    As soon as I had finished grocery shopping, I drove straight to the school and quickly took the paper from my bag and made my way inside in order to drop it off. Usually, on days like today, my professor wasn¡¯t in the office. But considering he had a lot of grading to do, he had made an exception for me.


    Without wasting time, I scurried inside and straight to my professor¡¯s office. His smile was cheerful that I had made it on time, considering the noon deadline.


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Woods. I appreciate you being able to stick to our agreement.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem, Professor. I¡¯m so sorry about having to bete on it to begin with. Things have been chaotictely, but hopefully they will start improving. I¡¯ll see you in ss on Tuesday.¡±


    Nodding his head, his eyes stared at me with a kind smile behind the thick frames of his sses. He was a balding man in his mid-50s, but he had a joyousugh when he taught that seemed to entrance everybody. He was by far one of my favorite teachers, and I was d I had a professor this year I could actually rte to.


    Scurrying from his ss, I made my way down the hall only to bump into the one person I had hoped to avoid. The dean of students stood in the middle of the hall, tapping his foot with his arms crossed across his chest and a beady re in his eyes, as if he was waiting to say something to me.


    ¡°Miss Woods, it¡¯s quite odd to see you on campus today, considering it¡¯s the weekend.¡±


    ¡°I had to drop something off to one of my professors. Is everything okay? I¡¯m kind of in a hurry,¡± I replied to him, hoping he wasn¡¯t trying to have a full conversation considering the food I had sitting in my car I was waiting to take home.


    ¡°Actually, things aren¡¯t okay. I¡¯ve heard of some whispers going around campus, and I have to admit I¡¯m a little disappointed they bring your name up within them. I told you to not let me be disappointed this year. I do hope I find those rumors are not true.¡±


    Staring at him in disbelief, I couldn¡¯t understand where he had got the notion I was a part of some huge scandal. There wasn¡¯t actually a scandal. I had done nothing wrong.


    Unless he was referring to the James situation that went public.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I do not know what you¡¯re talking about. If you don¡¯t mind, though, I need to be excused. I have groceries waiting in the car I need to get home,¡± I said, trying to detour the conversation.


    As I made my way to pass him, he reached out, grabbing my arm, stopping me in my tracks. Never once had I had one of my teachers touch me in any way, and him gripping my arm like a vice made me feel extremely ufortable.


    This man was crossing a line he had no way ofing back from if he wasn¡¯t careful.


    ¡°I would like to remind you that to be at this school is a privilege. You got in solely for academic purposes, and though your grades may keep up, you bring no financial gain to this school, so do not feel you can¡¯t be removed.¡±


    This warning twisted my stomach into a knot. I was in myst year, and if he really thought that he could dismiss me because of some rumor, that waspletely unfair. I was tired of people treating me like shit, talking to me as if I was nothing.


    Turning my re to him, I narrowed my eyes, staring in disbelief as I yanked my arm from his grip. ¡°And you will do well to remember to keep your hands to yourself, sir. I do hope that we don¡¯t have this misunderstanding again.¡±


    He seemed shocked by my outburst. Shit, I was shocked! I couldn¡¯t believe I had just spoken to the dean of students like that, but he waspletely in the wrong for osting me in the hallway.


    Without another word, he scoffed and stalked off down the corridor, heading for God knows where, and I quickly made my departure, heading straight for my car. Thest thing I wanted to do was to be stopped by anyone, and as the tears blurred my vision, I quickly pulled out my keys, hit the button to unlock my car, and climbed into the driver¡¯s seat.


    My heart ached at times like this, where I wished James was here, because I had nobody here to talk to. I didn¡¯t have a single friend in this ce. No family. Nobody to talk to, nobody to guide me. I was alone and facing issues like this by myself.


    My heart broke, but as I pulled out my phone, I dialed James¡¯ number. His phone rang and rang and rang, but he didn¡¯t pick up.


    Instead, the call went to voicemail, and as it did, I hung up, and a heart wrenching sob left my throat. ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t answer.¡±


    Why had my life turned into something as chaotic as this?


    Why was I subjected to all of this when the only thing I wanted was to have a normal life?


    I never asked for any of it. I never asked for the issues, and yet I faced them daily. It was as if my life had be a game for some mystical entertainment.


    Putting the car into reverse, I quickly backed out of my parking spot and made my way towards my apartment. I couldn¡¯t allow this situation to ruin the rest of my day. Neal wasing into town, and I was looking forward to seeing him.


    Knowing my luck, though, I would get to the apartment, and he¡¯d already be there.


    Turn after turn, I made my way towards my apartment building. Sure enough, as I parked, I spotted Neal¡¯s car sitting outside.


    I turned off the car and checked my face in the rearview mirror. There was no hiding the fact I had been crying. If he saw me, he would know it, and I would have to make up some lie about a sad song or something.


    As soon as I stepped out, I heard his voice calling out to me. ¡°Hey, you! I was justing down to grab something from the car.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered to myself as I slowly turned around to face him.


    As soon as he caught sight of me, I saw the emotions run through his face. I was a mess, and it was clear to see. ¡°Ba, what happened? Why are you upset?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m fine. Just a little emotional today. Can you help me grab these bags?¡±


    He stared at me for a moment in disbelief. ¡°You know that I can clearly see that you are not okay. Regardless of whatever emotions have gotten you upset, I wish you would talk to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s stupid. I just ran into somebody at the school and had a conversation that didn¡¯t settle well.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, raising a brow with interest. ¡°Who was the person you ran into?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Neal. Honestly, just help me grab the bags, please. We can talk more upstairs,¡± I said, giving him a pleading nce.


    Not to continue further with the conversation outside, he nodded his head and grabbed two bags while I grabbed the other and closed my trunk. Both of us made our way silently up to my apartment, but as soon as the door closed, and we set the groceries on the counter, he gently grasped my arm and turned me around to face him, staring down at me with the kindest expression I had ever seen.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re inside... please tell me what is wrong? Who upset you at the school?¡±


    I realized he would not let this go. I didn¡¯t want Neal to get involved, but I also didn¡¯t want to lie to him.


    So instead, I sagged my shoulders in defeat, letting a heavy sigh escape my lips.


    ¡°I ran into the dean of students. He is the most unpleasant person I have ever met in my life,¡± I said, as I mentally recalled the conversation. ¡°I was dropping off a paper to one of my teachers, and on my way back to the car, he stopped me.¡±


    ¡°And what exactly did the dean of students say to you to make you so upset? Are you falling behind in one of your sses?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Iughed. ¡°But it would stand to reason you would think that would be something I would be upset about.¡±


    Rolling his eyes, he let go of me and stepped back, leaning against the counter. ¡°So then tell me what exactly is it that has you upset? What did the dean say to you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. He just made an idle conversation about rumors going around campus about me. That I am basically there for academic purposes, and I don¡¯t add any financial gain to the school, so I shouldn¡¯t think of myself as unremovable.¡±


    Neal stared at me with his mouth agape and his eyes wide in utter disbelief. ¡°He said that to you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what he said. He is aplete asshole.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re f*cking right about that. He had no right to speak to you like that. Conversations of that magnitude are supposed to be done behind closed doors with two other people present to ensure that the conversations go over smoothly. Why the hell was he even there on the weekend?¡± Neal asked, with disbelief on his face.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know, and I really don¡¯t care after he grabbed me¡ª¡±


    My conversation was cut short as I stopped talking, realizing what I had said. The once shocked expression across Neal¡¯s face turned into one of anger and fury.


    ¡°What the f*ck do you mean he grabbed you, Ba? That prick put his hands on you?!¡±


    ¡°Neal, it¡¯s nothing. Honestly. It¡¯s really nothing. It was just that he stopped me. That was it.¡±


    I was stuttering over my words. Never once had I seen Neal angry, but right now, the way he looked slightly scared me. He was pissed beyond belief the dean had put his hands on me, and I feared the repercussions that woulde because of the man¡¯s actions.


    Nodding his head, Neal pulled out his phone and quickly sent a text message.


    ¡°What are you doing? Please tell me you¡¯re not doing anything.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not doing anything right now. I don¡¯t want you worrying about that man. But what we are going to do is cook some food and enjoy ourselves. You texted me and let me know you didn¡¯t want me to pick up pizza. So what is it you fancy making tonight?¡±


    Laughter escaped me as I looked at the bags and then back at him. ¡°I told you not to pick up pizza because I thought it¡¯d be fun making it.¡±


    With a stoic gaze, Neal burst intoughter. It was moments like this that reminded me I could still feel normal, even when the weight of the world was hitting on my shoulders.

 Chapter 68 : Unrelenting Desires

    <h4>Chapter 68: Chapter 68 : Unrelenting Desires</h4>


    After a few hours of trying to make the perfect pizza, Neal and I sat upon the sofaughing over the movie we were watching. He was only about a foot away from me, and even though two different nkets separated us, I still felt closer to him than I had to James in a while.


    More than once over thest few days, I had wondered if I had decided wrong when I gave James another chance. James was the man I loved and, more than anything, he was the man I wanted to be with.


    But I questioned whether I was making the right choice because James¡¯s life wasplicated, and Neal was just so much more. He cared about me and was there for me when James wasn¡¯t.


    James¡¯s words rattled through my mind as I thought about what he had said about Neal. Neal had told him he cared about me, but he never said he loved me. Yet, no matter what I thought, I knew I was still curious.


    ¡°Neal, can I ask you something?¡±


    Without missing a beat, he looked at me with a Cheshire grin and nodded. ¡°You never have to ask me if you can ask me a question. Just ask, Ba. What¡¯s on your mind? If you¡¯re still worrying about that douchebag dean of yours, you shouldn¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Iughed. ¡°It¡¯s a little more on the personal side.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, looking at me with interest. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Hesitating, I bit my bottom lip. ¡°Earlier today I had a conversation with James, and he said something about you that has been stuck in my mind.¡±


    ¡°And what would that be, my dear?¡±


    ¡°Well... you remember back at the apartment when I was staying with you the night we got slightly carried away...¡± I said, stumbling over my words, making the conversation more than ufortable.


    ¡°Yes, what about it?¡±


    Staring at him, I found myself speechless to reply. I wanted to ask if it was true, but with the nerves rattling within me, I simply couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t open this conversation and have things go wrong. I couldn¡¯t let myself end up losing him because of stupidity.


    Shaking my head, I stood quickly and smiled. ¡°You know what... it¡¯s stupid. Forget I said anything.¡±


    ¡°Ba¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, please. It doesn¡¯t matter. Did you want something to drink?¡± I replied as I made my way towards the kitchen, trying to change the subject.


    ¡°Ba, what did he say to you?¡± Neal said again as I tried to ignore it.


    ¡°Neal, honestly, it¡¯s nothing. Just forget that I brought the entire thing up. I swear, it wasn¡¯t bad. It was just something he said. It really doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I threw my hands up and shrugged my shoulders, trying to y off the entire conversation.


    Before I could reach up for the cab, though, he spun me around and pinned me to the countertop¡¯s corner in the kitchen, only inches away from me as he looked down into my eyes.


    ¡°What did he tell you, Ba?¡±


    Swallowing deeply, I licked my lips as I stared at him. The sexual tension between our bodies was incredibly high, and with everything in me, I tried to avoid the feelings I had. It was just so hard to push the night I had with him from my mind.


    ¡°He said that you were in love with me and that was why he was ufortable with me spending time with you,¡± I whispered.


    Standing there in absolute silence, Neal stared at me as I waited for him to say something, to say anything, to tell me it wasn¡¯t true, and James had just misheard him. But from the gaze that he was giving me, I could tell that it was true.


    Neal cared about me, but until I heard him say it, I didn¡¯t want to pass it off as truth. ¡°I see.¡±


    That¡¯s it? He sees.


    Pulling away from me, he tried to step back, but my hand reached up instinctively and gripped the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer me.¡±


    Staring down at my fist clenched around his shirt, his eyes met mine once more. ¡°Ba, there are things I could not stop if they started, and this isn¡¯t a road that you want to go down. Let us just enjoy the rest of our evening, as we always do.¡±


    Nodding my head, I didn¡¯t bother to fight the situation. Instead, I slowly let him go and tried my hardest to keep my pounding heart at bay. I didn¡¯t understand why I wanted him to say it was true. Why I wanted him to kiss me and take my problems away.


    I wasn¡¯t a cheater. I wasn¡¯t the kind of girl to do things like that, but yet with Neal, I wanted to be.


    That notion scared me more than anything.


    ******


    Neal


    More than once, I had thought about taking Ba. I wasn¡¯t the type of man to be enraptured by a woman, but she was the first woman in my entire life I wanted nothing more than to simply make sweet love to.


    She was beautiful in every way, with thergest heart I had ever seen, and yet, of course, fate be damned; she was in love with another man.


    I had honestly thought when she left Miami I might have had a chance with her. The moment my eyes hadid upon hers, when she walked into my sister¡¯s apartment, I was captivated.


    Every single inch of her made me want more, and even though she didn¡¯t know she was teasing me, I felt myself slowly losing control around her.


    So the minute she¡¯d turned around and told me with sorrow in her voice James had stood her up for the weekend, I took it as an opportunity. I had to see her.


    I knew it could only be as friends, and I was perfectly fine with that. But even though I tried to keep my distance, I couldn¡¯t. I had to be around her. Be close to her.


    I had to know every moment of the day that she was safe. Even if she wasn¡¯t mine to im.


    So the moment she stopped me from walking away and grabbed my shirt, begging for an answer that I couldn¡¯t give her¡ªI had to stop myself.


    I wanted to kiss her. Pin her against the counter, and f*ck her until the only name she was saying was mine. Make her feel things no one but I could make her feel.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispered as I made my way towards the sofa. My heart gripped at the fact she thought she had done something wrong.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize, Ba. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°I did though. I made thingspletely awkward and ruined the evening,¡± she replied, standing by the bottom of the stairs in the living room. Her long hair flowed over her shoulders as her big blue eyes looked at me with nothing but regret.


    ¡°Come here,¡± I said calmly as I gestured with one of my fingers for her toe closer.


    There was hesitation in her eyes as she bit on her lip.


    A plump lip I wanted to take between my teeth as I teased her, and then kiss till I swelled them from our desire. Slowly, though, she made her way towards me until her feet stopped in between my legs, and her eyes cast down at me with nervousness.


    Leaning forward, I took her hand and pulled her close to me until her face was right in front of mine. ¡°Nothing is your fault, Ba. Do you understand me?¡±


    The soft fanning of her breath across my lips caused my c*ck to ache from the confinements of my pants. I could take her right here... right now, and I had a feeling she wouldn¡¯t stop me.


    ¡°I understand,¡± she whispered before I reached up and brushed my finger over her cheek.


    ¡°You have no idea the things I want to tell you, but I know you love James, and I won¡¯t put you into a situation that would cause you to be a bad person. No matter how much I want to.¡±


    Gasping, I watched her throat as she swallowed, staring at me in disbelief. It waste, and even though we hadn¡¯t finished the movie, I knew it was time for bed. If I didn¡¯t go to the spare room right now, and relieve myself, I was going to take her on this sofa.


    ¡°I think I should get to bed,¡± she whispered as she pulled away from me.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    Turning, she nced over her shoulder at me once more, and hesitated before nodding her head. ¡°I prepared the spare bedroom for you.¡±


    Of course, she did. She was always thinking of everyone else, no matter what she went through.


    ¡°Thank you. Why don¡¯t you head up, and I¡¯ll clean up here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can do it. You¡¯re my guest,¡± she blurted as she went to pick up the te.


    ¡°I said that I have it,¡± I replied, a little more firmly than I should have.


    Stopping in her tracks, she nodded in silence, and headed towards the stairs, disappearing from sight. It wasn¡¯t until she was gone I leaned back on the sofa and sighed, running my hand over my face. ¡°The f*ck am I doing?¡± I muttered to myself before standing and picking up the living room.


    This woman was driving me crazy, and as much as I wanted to take her, I couldn¡¯t.


    I needed to listen to what my sister said. Allegra told me to move on or move in, and as much as I tried to preupy myself with someone else, I couldn¡¯t. Hers was the only face I wanted to see.


    As soon as I picked everything up and put it away, I made my way slowly up the stairs towards the spare room. The only problem was, when I passed her door, I saw it was cracked and from where I was standing, I watched her naked body as she slipped the blush pink nightgown over her head.


    The sight of her made my c*ck stand to attention, and before she could turn, I quickly made my way into the spare room, quietly shutting the door. Reaching down, I stroked my hard c*ck through my pants and groaned softly, imagining her lips wrapped around it.


    Her beautiful face looking up at me from her knees as she stroked and sucked and teased me closer to the brink of exploding. I wanted¡ªno, needed¨Cher.


    If James wasn¡¯t careful, I would take what was his, and make her f*cking mine.

 Chapter 69 : Alone Again

    <h4>Chapter 69: Chapter 69 : Alone Again</h4>


    Ba


    Waking up the next morning, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how the tension between Neal and I was so high. Last night, he made me feel in a way I hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. I felt wanted and desired, and even though I was with James, I couldn¡¯t help but contemte what a rtionship with Neal would be like.


    It was wrong of me, and I was so terribly wrong for even considering things like that.


    The guilt weighed heavy on me, and I knew for a factst night when I dressed my door was cracked, and I heard Neal¡¯s door shut, so I knew he had seen me, yet he said nothing.


    Did that make me a whore for being in that kind of situation?


    Did that make me a worse person because I allowed something like that to happen, knowing full well I wasn¡¯t single? God, everything happening to me was turning me more and more into somebody like Tally, somebody who couldn¡¯t be trusted, and it was horrible.


    Standing in the kitchen in front of the coffee pot, I waited for the dark brew to flow into its container so I could try to find some sce in waking up.


    Lord knows I didn¡¯t get enough sleepst night.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± came a cheerful voice from behind me, causing me to startle as I slowly turned and looked over my shoulder with a smile at Neal.


    ¡°Morning, I¡¯m making some coffee if you want some,¡± I replied hesitantly as I turned my eyes back towards the coffee pot that was almost finished.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d love some. I do have to get on the road here shortly, so I won¡¯t be taking up too much of your time. I¡¯m sure you have plenty of things that you need to do today.¡±


    There was awkward tension between us, and Neal stood on the other side of the bar top instead ofing into the kitchen where I was, which made me feel even more awkward.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do with myself. I didn¡¯t want this to be a continuation where I would end up losing Neal because I made everything soplicated. But yet, deep down, even though I wanted James to be here, I wanted Neal to be here as well.


    ¡°Look,¡± I said, as I slowly turned back to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened. I was out of line yesterday, and I shouldn¡¯t have acted how I did with you. I do really appreciate you being here, but I also don¡¯t want to make thingsplicated between us. Losing you would be awful.¡±


    ¡°Lose me. Ba, why would you lose me?¡±


    Sagging my shoulders, I fiddled with the rim of my empty cup only for the ding of the coffee pot to go off, singing it was done. ¡°Um, because of how I¡¯m acting. I can tell that you like me, and trust me, I like you too. But¡ª¡±


    Letting my words slip away, I turned to him, watching as he stood there, staring at me with a shocked expression on his face. His eyes were wide, and his lips parted as he seemed to ponder over the words he was about to say.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a whore, Ba. I know you don¡¯t want me like that.¡±


    ¡°But... I know you saw¡ª¡±


    ¡°I saw nothing,¡± he chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°I went to bedst night. I¡¯m ttered that you think you¡¯re acting inappropriately and worried about my feelings, but things are fine. Don¡¯t worry about anything.¡±


    I could tell he was just saying that in an attempt to try and make me feel better. Instead, I feltpletely embarrassed and foolish about thement I had made. I had sworn he had seen me, but the way he acted suggested it was the most amusing thing he had ever heard because, in fact, he hadn¡¯t seen me.


    Of course, that would be the case, and I opened my big fat mouth when I didn¡¯t even have the facts. ¡°Oh, well, I¡¯m d we are okay.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be embarrassed,¡± he said as he slowly made his way around the counter into the kitchen towards me. ¡°Everything got a little out of handst night, but trust me, I know my ce.¡±


    He knows his ce. Hearing that broke me even more.


    He had no idea where his ce was because right now, if he knew his ce, he would know I wanted him on his knees in between my thighs making me forget about all the troubles I had.


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± I muttered as I turned my gaze from him only to have him turn me back to face him.


    ¡°Ba... ¡± he whispered as he brushed his thumb across my jawline. ¡°Don¡¯t let it bother you.¡±


    Nodding slowly, I pulled away from him and lifted the carafe of coffee, poured it into my cup, and then grabbed a travel mug for him and poured it in as well. ¡°Okay.¡±


    He said nothing as I turned back to him, handing him the cup. ¡°So, since you¡¯re leaving, did you want breakfast, or were you just going to catch something on the road? I don¡¯t mind making you something.¡±


    Awkwardness consumed us once again and as my eyes met his, I could see some unknown emotion brewing behind his eyes. ¡°I think it¡¯s best that I get something on the road, Ba.¡±


    Those soft words made my heart ache, but I knew he was probably right. It would be for the best if he left. The longer we acted like this, the harder it was going to be to make things between us normal again.


    ¡°Okay. Did you leave the keys for me so that I can show those people the apartment?¡±


    Nodding his head, he pulled the keys out and set them on the countertop. ¡°They¡¯re right here. Are you sure you¡¯re gonna be able to do this? I know you¡¯ve got so much going on, I don¡¯t want to overwhelm you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no, it¡¯s no problem,¡± I replied with a smile on my face as I shook my head and gave a softugh. ¡°It¡¯ll actually help distract me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I made the bed and everything upstairs, so don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯m going to get on the road, but I¡¯ll call you some other time.¡±


    Nodding my head, I watched him turn to make his way towards the door. This might be thest conversation we could have based on the way things were ending, and thinking about that made my heart plummet.


    I couldn¡¯t lose him.


    Running towards the door, I opened it and stepped out into the hallway just as Neal was waiting for the elevator. ¡°Wait!¡± I cried out watching him turn back towards me.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He took a few steps in my direction.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the end, is it? You¡¯reing back right?¡±


    I sounded almost desperate, and for a moment, I was.


    Hesitating, he nodded his head with a small smile and pulled me into a hug. ¡°Do you want me here with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, wrapping my arms around him tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡±


    ¡°You will never lose me,¡± he replied, pulling away as he looked down at me with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll call you as soon as I get home. We can n for another get-together maybe in two weeks. If not sooner.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I replied softly as he stared at me.


    As the elevator doors opened, I watched his eyes slide towards it and then back to me. Nodding without another word, he climbed into the elevator and disappeared from sight. I cared for him¨Csignificantly more than I should have cared for him.


    With a heavy sigh, I stepped back into my apartment and closed the door, locking it behind me. The room still smelled of Neal¡¯s cologne, and it created aforting feeling considering everything going on.


    Before I got the chance, though, to process everything, the phone rang, and I was scrambling towards it, thinking it could have been him calling me to tell me he wasing back upstairs.


    It wasn¡¯t Neal, though.


    It was James, and as much as I should have been excited, part of me was slightly disappointed, and I wasn¡¯t sure what that meant.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on?¡± I said to him, waiting for the cool, smooth, sultry voice he had to wrap around me and wash away the thoughts I was having.


    ¡°Nothing. I just wanted to let you know that I¡¯m going to being up there in a couple of days, and I wanted to see if that was okay with you, after the conversation we had.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it is. That¡¯s not a problem at all,¡± I replied with a small smile that he couldn¡¯t see. ¡°Just let me know when you want toe up. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be perfectly fine.¡±


    ¡°Ba, I know that I¡¯ve f*cked uptely, and there¡¯s a lot that I haven¡¯t exined to you, and I haven¡¯t been fair. But I want you to know that when Ie, we¡¯re gonna talk about everything.¡±


    About everything?


    ¡°Does that mean that there¡¯s a lot more going on than just Tally being missing?¡± I asked him, able to hear the tension in his voice as he let out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a lot going on, a lot more than I have told you, and I haven¡¯t beenpletely honest about who I was in my past either, so all of this is going to be stuff that we need to discuss.¡±


    Taking a moment to let what he said settle within me, I cast my eyes around the apartment and thought of the evening with Neal. His scent still lingered everywhere, wrapping around me, making me wish he hade back. ¡°Okay, that sounds good.¡±


    ¡°Did Neal end uping up to see you?¡± he asked, and it was a question I had been waiting for him to ask me.


    ¡°Yeah, he did. He left, though, for work and other stuff he had to do, so it was nice to just be able to make pizza and watch a movie. He left just a moment ago.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so you¡¯re saying that he stayed the night there?¡± James said in a rather harsh tone.


    ¡°Yeah, in the spare bedroom. It¡¯s not the first time that I¡¯ve slept in the same building as him, let alone the same apartment. We didn¡¯t share anroom or anything. He slept in his room, and I slept in mine. He went to bed long after I did, and he got up and left first thing this morning. He had to get back to New York.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure why I felt I had to exin myself to him. He wasn¡¯t my father, andtely, he hadn¡¯t exactly been acting like my boyfriend. This was my life, and if he didn¡¯t want to trust me or know I would never physically do anything to betray him, then maybe we weren¡¯t meant to be together.


    As much as I had enjoyed the small conversation James and I had had about himing up. I felt a little upset he constantly made an issue about Neal being around. I could understand why, though, considering everything that had happenedst night. It was quite obvious Neal wanted more with me than I to just be friends.


    epting Neal wanted me, and part of me wanted him, but part of me was also loyal to James and I didn¡¯t understand why was more than I could do at the moment.


    ¡°Fair enough. I¡¯ll see you in a couple of days, alright?¡± he replied.


    ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯ll see you then.¡±


    Hanging up the phone, I ran my hand over my face. Aggravationced me, but it wasn¡¯t because of Neal, and it wasn¡¯t because of James. It was because I was a mess, and I seriously had to get my shit together and figure out what I wanted.

 Chapter 70 : Shocking Greetings

    <h4>Chapter 70: Chapter 70 : Shocking Greetings</h4>


    Two dayster, I fell back into a normal routine. Thest thing I wanted was to sit around and preupy my mind with things I couldn¡¯t change. Instead, I had to focus on school and all the different examsing up soon.


    Like a paper I had to write for one of my sses that was literally almost a mile long.


    To say I had aplicated situation would be an understatement. However, the coffee was finer at the cafe down the street from my home, and what better way to study for the long exam than to surround myself with aforting atmosphere?


    I embraced the coziness with coffee, a muffin, and warm inviting aromas of the local cafe.


    For someone in my situation¡ªalone¨Cthis was the perfect ce for me to be. I was d for the atmosphere, and tapping on my keyboard, I searched for the answer I needed.


    At least that was what I was trying to tell myself.


    Part of me wished it was a ss of whiskey I was drinking right now, considering how stressed I was. While the other part of me just kept telling me to chug along like the little choo-choo train that could.


    What¡¯s that saying... buckle up, buttercup... or something like that?


    What honestly was I supposed to do with my f*cking life?


    Letting a heavy sigh escape me, I shook my head, pinching my brow as I tried to contemte what sentence I was going to write that filled the description of what I had to work with.


    Why couldn¡¯t things just be f*cking easy for once?


    As the chime and chatter of the cafe and the aroma of coffee swirled around me, I tried to find sce. Yet, when a distinctive voice cut through the glitz and mor of casual conversation and pierced my ears like a never-ending warning, I froze.


    ¡°Can you believe it, Tracy? I just can¡¯t absolutely believe that he actually got that little bitch pregnant and then brought her home to me like I was supposed to do something about it.¡±


    Holy f*cking shit.


    If my day couldn¡¯t get any worse... it was about too.


    Chad¡¯s mother and her posse had just walked into the cafe. Which only meant one thing. Chad was back in town, and if Chad was back in town, his mother was going to be here for the next week, which also brought furtherplications. Damn my life.


    She didn¡¯t notice me at first, and as I tried to bury my head behind myptop, pulling the hood of my sweatshirt over my face to make myself invisible I listened. ¡°Oh, honey, I know. I feel so bad for you having to be put through this.¡±


    Her friend¡¯sment made the woman smile a little, and as she did, I couldn¡¯t help but grimace.


    I hated that woman. She was an absolute nuisance, and the entire time I¡¯d dated Chad, she saw me as beneath her. But Chad kept me around as if I was the toy he appreciated. It was probably because I was on the Depo shot though, and she knew there would be no way I¡¯d get pregnant by him.


    Thank God I never did. I could only imagine how that conversation would have gone.


    Lost in my thoughts, I didn¡¯t realize her gaze hadnded upon me until it was toote. ¡°Look who it is,¡± she said as she grabbed her coffee and beelined straight for me with her posse right behind her. ¡°The little slut who thought she could get into my family.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I said with confusionpletely taken back by herment.


    The disgusted look that crossed her face as her eyes scanned me up and down did no justice to the anger building within me. ¡°You heard what I said.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I slid my hood down and closed myptop, cing it back in my bag as a scoff left my lips before a slow smile appeared. ¡°Barbara, it¡¯s lovely to see you again as well. Did you get Botox done recently? I have to admit your doctor is amazing.¡±


    Wide-eyed with shock, she gasped at the insult I¡¯d thrown her way. Her cheeks turned red as her posse tried to hide their amusement. She had actually thought I gave a f*ck about what she had to say, and that was more than amusing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what it is you¡¯re doing here. I could have sworn I heard through the grapevine that you weren¡¯ting back to Yale this year.¡±


    ¡°I am not sure who you heard that from, but that is definitely not right. It¡¯s myst year, so I will finish with honors as I started. Gotta make sure that I get those grades, and then I will take myself onto bigger and better things. I wish I could say the same for your son.¡±


    Another jab. Her narrowing eyes were lit with fire as she stared at me intently. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    Speaking up against her wasn¡¯t something I had ever done before, but considering everything that had happened to metely, I was tired of being nice to everybody.


    ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t you know?¡± I said, faking shock. ¡°I was the only reason your son was passing before. I truly hope he finds someone smart enough to do his work. Lord knows he can¡¯t do it on his own.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± she eximed, drawing the attention from other people around. ¡°To sit there and insult me. Who do you think you are? I came here¡ª¡±


    ¡°You came here to what?¡± I snapped giving her a pointed look. ¡°I have been here for hours, and you osted me in this cafe for your enjoyment? Everyone here, including the owner, is familiar with me. I insist you leave and go elsewhere.¡±


    A small smirk crossed her face as if she was looking at me for the very first time. ¡°Too bad that you didn¡¯t show this kind of fire in you before. Perhaps then I would have been more inclined to consider you a match for my son.¡±


    ¡°As much as I would have liked that before, Barbara,¡± I scoffed with a smile, ¡°that will never happen now. I¡¯d rather be single than with an arrogant prick who likes to beat on women... but what can I say¡ªlike father, like son.¡±


    The hushed murmurs of her posse caused her smirk to fall and anger to shoot through her gaze. ¡°I could have you expelled, you know.¡±


    It was my turn to find amusement as Iughed. ¡°You can try.¡±


    There was no point in carrying on the conversation with her, but I would not be the one that yielded in this situation. After a moment of tense silence, Barbara turned and made her way from the cafe with her friends following behind her.


    The many eyes of people in the cafe, and their whispers surrounded me.


    My eyes cut towards the manager as I mouthed the words, ¡®I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ grabbed my things and heading for the door. It wasn¡¯t every day you got to say how you really felt and put a cruel woman in her ce.


    And as the cool mid-day air hit my face outside, I took a deep breath and exhaled, closing my eyes. ¡°F*cking hell¡ª¡±


    Opening my eyes, I looked down the road, d Barbara and her posse were far down the sidewalk in the opposite direction from me. I would have to take the long way towards my house, but that was fine. It was better than having to carry on a conversation with that woman again.


    Pulling out my phone, I sent James a text message letting him know I had run into Chad¡¯s mother and that Chad was in town. Which should mean Tally was in town as well. There was finally a silver lining of hope to finding her.


    ¡®I¡¯ll be there tonight,¡¯ he replied back, causing a small smile to grace my face.


    I could finally see him, and though he would be preupied with finding Tally, I could spend some type of time with him. Making haste, I picked up my pace and headed towards my apartment building that sat gleaming against the sunlight in the distance.


    I was d I didn¡¯t live too far away from everywhere I needed to go because walking was something I actually loved to do so I always had an excuse not to drive. If I could, I would be perfectly fine with only using my car twice a month, and that was to go to the grocery store.


    Otherwise, I preferred to walk everywhere.


    The closer and closer I got to my building, the more an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach as if something was wrong. I wasn¡¯t quite sure what it was, but perhaps it was the adrenaline finally subsiding in my system after having that conversation with Barbara.


    I walked inside and waited for the elevator behind two other people who seemed to be going up as well, one of them whispering about the different things they had heard going around campus with the head of students. My ears perked to attention as I heard he had been caught doing things he shouldn¡¯t have.


    It made me wonder if the day he got caught was the day I had seen him on campus and had a run-in. After all, he seemed a little unnerved because I was on campus, even if I was just simply taking something to one of my teachers.


    The plot was quickly thickening, and like Nancy Drew, I wanted to know exactly what was behind the mystery.


    As the elevator chimed, allowing two of the people to get off on their floor, I waited patiently for the doors to close. It took me by surprise as I found myself concerned with Tally¡¯s well-being. I hadn¡¯t seen her for so long, and I did not entirely hate her; I more hated the person she had be and the things she had done to me.


    Even though she was a grown woman, she didn¡¯t understand things like everybody else, but I knew that was no excuse for the way she acted. Still, I wished more than anything that having this baby would help to change her for the better, to make her be the person she was once before.


    Lost in my thoughts as the elevator doors opened on my floor, I stepped out, fiddling down in my bag for my keys, only to be stopped in my tracks as I looked up at the battered, bruised, and bleeding woman that sat on the floor in front of my door.


    How she had gotten up there, I had no idea.


    How the state of her hade to be, I had no idea.


    But there she was, and with weeping eyes, she looked up at me, tears rolling down her cheeks and arge bump protruding beneath her shirt. ¡°Ba, please help me.¡±


    F*ck my life. ¡°Hi, Tally.¡±

 Chapter 71 : Tally’s Karma

    <h4>Chapter 71: Chapter 71 : Tally¡¯s Karma</h4>


    At a loss for words, I stared down at Tally, who sat on the floor with a ck eye, a busted lip, and a cut to her head. She literally looked like she went ten rounds with Mike Tyson and came out on the very bottom end of the pole.


    ¡°Oh, my god.¡± I ran to her, quickly unlocking my door and helping her to her feet. As soon as the door opened, I helped her inside and realized by the look of her, she was far more pregnant than she initially had thought she was.


    ¡°Tally, we have to call the hospital. You need an ambnce.¡±


    Shaking her head, though, she took a seat on the sofa. ¡°No, I can¡¯t go to the hospital. I¡¯ll be okay. This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve gone through this, and he never hurts the baby, so it¡¯s just me, my face.¡±


    Stepping back, I stared at her inplete shock, not understanding how she had found me and how she had even gotten up here, considering you needed a key card to get in. ¡°How did you find me?¡±


    Staring at me, her mouth opened and closed before a heavy sigh left her lips. ¡°It¡¯s not that hard, considering the rumors trickling around.¡±


    That didn¡¯t surprise me.


    Of course, my name still lingered on the tongues of people around me.


    ¡°You have to have a keycard to get up here.¡± I walked towards the downstairs bathroom, grabbed a wet rag, and returned to her.


    ¡°The girl down the hall from you let me up,¡± she whispered, taking the rag.


    ¡°I see,¡± I replied, raising a brow as I pulled out my phone. ¡°Do you mind exining to me who did this to you?¡±


    Her eyes darted to the phone in my hand. ¡°What are you doing¡ªwho are you calling?¡±


    She seemed panicked, and I didn¡¯t understand why as I hesitated before calling James. ¡°Your father. Why?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± she snapped, standing to her feet. ¡°Please, you can¡¯t tell him. I can¡¯t have him see me like this.¡±


    Thest thing I wanted to do was lie to James or not tell him where his daughter was, but I was worried about her freaking out and leaving before he got here. Deciding lying to her was better, I sighed and shoved my phone back into my back pocket. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t tell him?¡±


    Shaking my head, I smiled. ¡°For now.¡±


    The look she gave me was uncertain, but after a moment, she nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me. I haven¡¯t done anything yet, and this doesn¡¯t make us okay. However, I will not allow you to be out there in your condition. So consider my kindness towards the baby.... Speaking of that, how far along are you?¡±


    Biting on the inside of her lip, she ran her hand instinctively over her stomach. ¡°About six months. Turns out I was farther along than I thought. When I went to the doctor, though... they said it¡¯s a boy.¡±


    Hearing she was having a boy made me smile, and as I did, I looked down at her dirty attire and frowned again. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you some clothes and a shower. You can stay in the spare bedroom.¡±


    Taking her upstairs, I showed her to the spare bedroom and got her a change of clothes. She had nothing with her, and I wasn¡¯t sure where her things were, but I chose not to ask. When she was fresh from the shower and changed into something morefortable, she came out of the bathroom hesitantly.


    ¡°Thank you again for this. I don¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    Crossing my arms over my chest, I let out a heavy breath and rolled my eyes. As much as I wanted to be cruel to her for everything she put me through, I couldn¡¯t. I would not forgive her, but the girl looked like she had been served karma.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not think about that right now,¡± I sighed. ¡°Just get some sleep. I¡¯ll order some food and let you know when it¡¯s here.¡±


    Nodding slowly, she climbed into the bed and quickly fell asleep.


    Stepping from her room, I bit my bottom lip as I quietly descended the stairs, my hands quickly going to my phone as I turned on the living room TV to drown out any noise and walked out onto the small balcony from the living room.


    My fingers fumbled through the phone as I hit James¡¯ number and listened to the ringing, begging him to answer the call.


    ¡°Hello?¡± he answered, breathless.


    ¡°Hey... are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Uh¨Coh, yeah. Just getting on the ne now,¡± he muttered as he passed a few words to someone near him. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a few hours. I need to find Tally.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that he was ready to see me or anything of that sort. It was he needed to get here to find Tally. I felt like I was being petty, and pushing that aside I sighed. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m calling you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Have you seen her?¡± he asked me with concern etched in his voice.


    ¡°Yeah, you can say that,¡± I muttered with sarcasm.


    ¡°Ba... where is she?¡± he replied sternly as if he didn¡¯t care for his attitude.


    ¡°There is no need for the attitude, James.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t act the way you are. You said that you had seen her now. Where is she?¡±


    The subtle tone he took with me made my heart sink, and I felt tears threatening to fill my eyes. ¡°Upstairs in my spare bedroom, sleeping,¡± I snapped. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    Hanging up the phone, I pushed it back into my pocket and gripped the balcony railing, taking a deep breath of fresh air as I stared out at the slowly setting sun.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t mean to act like that,¡± I told myself as I tried to push the thoughts away.


    At least, I hoped.


    *******


    A few hourster, my front door opened, and James stepped in with a small frown on his face. Jumping from where I sat, I walked over to him, but before I could say anything or even give him a hug and a kiss, he spoke. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    Opening and closing my mouth, I lowered my eyes and stepped away from him. ¡°Upstairs, sleeping.¡±


    He didn¡¯t hesitate to move up the stairs two at a time towards her. Not a single word was directed at me, and I felt my heart absolutely breaking with the situation. He said we were going to talk. Said he was looking forward to seeing me, and now this.


    I was growing tired of it all.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± I sighed as I turned towards the kitchen, making myself a cup of tea. My fingers scrolled through my phone as I waited for the kettle. Until I saw a photo of Neal and had the urge to call him.


    Biting on the inside of my cheek, I hesitated and finished making my tea before heading towards the balcony to enjoy the cool evening air. I needed to get away. To clear my mind and figure out what I could do to fix things.


    Shouting caught my attention, and looking towards the inside of my apartment, I saw Tally chasing after James, who was headed towards the front door. Bolting from where I sat, I burst through the apartment, looking frantic.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±


    Tally¡¯s teary eyes turned towards me with desperation. ¡°You have to stop him. Don¡¯t let him leave.¡±


    James was already out the door, and thinking fast, I burst from the door, watching the elevator descend. I hated the stairs, but I wasn¡¯t sure what was happening. Busting through the stairwell, I took the stairs two at a time until I hit the bottom and pushed through the door, watching James exit the front door of the building.


    I wasn¡¯t an athletic person, and the fact this man had me running was something else.


    As I approached him, I grabbed his arm, jerking him back out of breath as his eyes met mine. He turned to me with a sharp nce, gritting his teeth. ¡°Stay out of this, Ba.¡±


    ¡°No. What the f*ck is going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?!¡± I yelled at him, stopping him in his tracks as he tried to walk away. ¡°You don¡¯t get to do this to me!¡±


    ¡°Do what? Why are you making this about you? It has nothing to do with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your girlfriend, James. We are supposed to be a team, and you involved me in this, so yes, it has to do with me. Your daughter is up there in my clothing, in my apartment, and after everything she has done to me, I gave her a safe ce to be. Yet, it doesn¡¯t concern me?¡±


    He stared down at me with coldness, clenching and unclenching his fists. ¡°Chad did that to her.¡±


    Taken aback by hisment, I nodded. ¡°So, you n to go and beat him up? Acting irrational about this, that¡¯s how you n to handle it?¡±


    ¡°What do you expect me to do? Huh? Nothing?¡±


    His aggravation showed clearly, and taking a moment, Iughed. ¡°I expect you to act like a f*cking adult. Take your ass back upstairs and do the adult thing. Call the f*cking police instead of being some type of executioner.¡±


    Laughter erupted from him. My steps quickly backed up as he pinned me against the cold brick of the building outside. ¡°I¡¯m not a good person, Ba. I¡¯m dangerous and do dangerous things. You would do well to remember this. My life isn¡¯t legal, and neither are my actions.¡±


    I was slightly frightened, never having seen him like this. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you do shit without a clear mind. Right now, your judgment is clouded.¡±


    ¡°How the f*ck would you know?¡± he grimaced.


    Speechless for the moment, I stared at him in disbelief. I didn¡¯t understand how he was speaking to me the way he was. He loved me, I thought. We were a couple and meant to be together, but right now, he was acting as if I was some random girl bothering him.


    ¡°I know a lot more than you think,¡± I said with a broken voice. ¡°How dare you speak to me like you are? How dare you act like this to me after everything¡ª¡±


    ¡°Again, this isn¡¯t about you,¡± he snapped. ¡°You always think it¡¯s about you.¡±


    For him to say that tore at me because it was the farthest from the truth. If he wanted to act like this, then I was done. I was trying to be understanding of the situation. Knowing the anger he was showing towards me was because of what had happened to Tally, and not actually me.


    So I changed my tactics.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving your daughter upstairs right now when she needs you the most. That isn¡¯t what a father does, no matter how angry he is.¡±


    This seemed to make him pause, and as he did, his eyes scanned up at my apartment balcony, where Tally stood, watching the scene below unfold. She had seen how he acted towards me and had seen the argument unfold because it was anything but quiet.


    Taking a moment, he let his shoulders sag, and I saw his age and stress weighing him down. Then he slowly made his way inside, leaving me barefoot outside in front of the building. I wanted to cry and let the sob that tore at me escape, but I couldn¡¯t.


    I wouldn¡¯t allow anyone the pleasure of seeing me break.


    Instead, I took a deep breath and turned towards the door, making my way inside. I wasn¡¯t sure what would happen, but thest thing I would do was let this go.


    The way he spoke to me was thest straw. It was obvious he didn¡¯t love me as he thought.

 Chapter 72 : One Last Time

    <h4>Chapter 72: Chapter 72 : One Last Time</h4>


    James


    Anger coursed through my veins as I stared at Tally sitting on Ba¡¯s living room sofa. I hadn¡¯t expected to see her in Ba¡¯s living room, but fate had other ns. Instead of meing here to search for her¡ªshe found her way towards me.


    ¡°Thank you for not going out there,¡± Tally whispered, staring at her feet.


    I wanted to wring her neck and tell her how stupid she was being. Before I could, the front door opened, and Ba walked into the apartment slowly, her eyes not meeting mine.


    Casting her eyes towards the floor, she passed by me, making her way towards the stairs. Guilt rolled through me at how I had spoken to her. I realized now I was wrong for speaking to her as I did. She wasn¡¯t the reason I was angry, but she was the only outlet I had when I unraveled.


    That was no excuse. I had been aplete asshole.


    ¡°Ba¡ª¡± I said, grabbing her arm gently, stopping her in her tracks. I didn¡¯t get a chance to continue as she held up her hand, stopping me from continuing, and shook her head. There was nothing she wanted to say to me, and releasing her, I watched her ascend the stairs.


    Letting out a heavy breath, I slowly turned my eyes to Tally again. The child I had helped create was causing issues between the woman I loved and me. ¡°You need to start from the beginning and tell me everything that happened.¡±


    My stern response made her gulp as she looked at me with wide eyes, nodding slowly.


    ¡°When I left Miami, I went with Chad back to his parents¡¯ house for a few weeks, but his mother didn¡¯t want us to be together. His family tried to force me to get an abortion even though I didn¡¯t want to. They realized when I went to the doctors I was further along than we thought, and that¡¯s when things got bad.¡±


    ¡°How far along are you?¡± I asked with a questioning gaze.


    ¡°Six months.¡±


    My daughter was six months pregnant. She had been doing all kinds of partying, drinking, everything else, not being careful. And this entire time she had been pregnant, my mind reeled with the possibility that the baby was actually okay. I couldn¡¯t believe how stupid she had been.


    ¡°Do you understand theplications of what you¡¯ve done with all the partying and drinking, the damage you could have done to that child? How stupid could you actually be?¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond to me right away. Instead, she looked down at her feet, her lips trembling as if tears were about to pour down her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she replied with a trembling voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re sorry?¡± I scoffed, absolutely astonished that was her go-to. ¡°Do you have any idea of the worry and panic you put me through because of what you did? Running off like that, not telling anybody where you went, throwing a f*cking tantrum because you couldn¡¯t have what you wanted?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she cried out as her eyes met mine again, tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°I know what I did was wrong. I¡¯m sorry for all the shit that I put you and Ba through. I didn¡¯t mean for any of this to happen, but I thought he loved me.¡±


    ¡°You thought he loved you?¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she snapped as she held her arms out, gesturing to her body. ¡°And this is the repercussions of what my love has done. He beat me because I wouldn¡¯t get an abortion. He told me he would have nothing to do with me, and I was nothing but a whore.¡±


    I could see the sincerity in her eyes, and it was the first time I had seen such sincerity since she was a child. Since before Allison and I had divorced, this little girl looking at me right now was the same one I remembered before she turned into the demon she acted like.


    There was no way I could easily forgive her¡ªregardless if I were her father. What she had done caused more damage than she could everprehend.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me you¡¯re sorry. You need to be saying that to her,¡± I replied, pointing upstairs. ¡°She gave you everything when you were younger, was your closest friend, was your shield when you were upset or when someone tried to hurt you. She took care of you. Ba treated you like a sister.¡±


    She stared at me with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°So you¡¯re not angry at me because I¡¯m pregnant or because I ran off with Chad? You¡¯re angry at me because of everything that I did to her?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am. I¡¯m extremely angry,¡± I snapped at her. ¡°And yes, I am angry that you ran off with Chad, a man you shouldn¡¯t have been sleeping with in the first ce because that was your best friend¡¯s f*cking boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for it to happen¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± I snapped again, giving her a stern re. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say that. You¡¯re a grown woman, Tally. Responsible for yourself. Never say you didn¡¯t mean for it to happen.¡±


    Allegra had been right. Tally was an adult, and I couldn¡¯t coddle her. Not anymore.


    She had to figure this shit out on her own. At the end of the day, though, if I was going to have a life with Ba, she would have to learn to respect our wishes.


    I didn¡¯t know what else to really say to her about what happened. She looked like she had been in a fight and lost. ¡°We need to get you to a doctor.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go to a doctor. I don¡¯t want to have him arrested,¡± she whispered as she looked away towards the window.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you want. The baby could have been hurt, and I want you checked out. You don¡¯t have to tell them who did it if you don¡¯t want to, but we¡¯re still going.¡±


    My word was final; knowing this, she didn¡¯t continue arguing with me. I told her to get her things together and that I would be back downstairs in a little while, and quietly I made my way up the stairs to talk to Ba.


    Some things needed to be discussed, and an apology needed to be given.


    As I pushed open Ba¡¯s bedroom door, I quietly stood there, watching her sitting in the chair by the window, looking out of it with a confused expression on her face.


    ¡°Ba¡ª¡± I sighed, but she didn¡¯t bother to look at me. Closing the door behind me, I took a few steps toward her. ¡°I need to apologize to you. I shouldn¡¯t have spoken to you like that downstairs. I was just so angry by everything that happened about what Chad had done to her I lost control of myself, and Ished out at the one person I shouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    She stared at me with confusion, shaking her head. As she gripped the arm of her chair, her knuckles turned white. ¡°That doesn¡¯t excuse what you did, regardless of being angry. I am not the one that you shouldsh out at.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said with a pleading nce. ¡°I hate myself for how I treated you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you expect me to say,¡± she replied. ¡°Everything has been chaotic since the moment I met you this summer, and even though we¡¯re together and have had amazing moments... it¡¯s bing nothing but toxic.¡±


    Toxic? Was she calling me toxic?


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± I asked her, unsure if she was trying to tell me she didn¡¯t want this rtionship anymore. That she didn¡¯t want me.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that I can¡¯t keep going on like this. I can¡¯t keep fighting with you and arguing. It¡¯s pointless.¡±


    Pointless. That was the word she used to describe the rtionship we had.


    And hearing her say it left a hole in my chest.


    She froze as I came closer to her. I wanted to touch her, hold her, kiss her, and tell her how sorry I was, to give me another chance. I knew she had already given me multiple chances to get this right.


    But I didn¡¯t want this to be a toxic situation. I just wanted to make her happy.


    Kneeling down to her level, I brushed my hand across her cheek, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she stared at me with those big blue eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t give up on this or give up on me. I can make you happy.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± she asked, looking at me as tears brimmed her eyes. ¡°How can you make me happy when you have so much that you¡¯re dealing with? How are you going to be there for me when we have the distance between us... and now with Tally... she needs to go home, James. She needs to return to Miami to get the care needed for the baby.¡±


    Ba wasn¡¯t wrong about that. The distance between us was an issue, and I knew she still had months left of school or at least until her internship started in the winter.


    ¡°We can make this work. We will figure it out as we have been.¡±


    She shook her head, though. Her eyes left mine as she looked down at her feet. ¡°You don¡¯t have time to make this work, especially when you have to pencil me in your schedule even to have a simple conversation.¡±


    Taken back by her response, I knew what she was saying was true.


    She was talking like she wanted to call this quits. I didn¡¯t want to let her go, though. No matter how much I knew she deserved better, I couldn¡¯t let her go. I needed her.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ept that,¡± I replied, shaking my head as I stood to my feet.


    Quickly standing, she stared at me sternly, her lips thinly met, narrowing her brows. ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice in this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what I don¡¯t have, Ba. You can¡¯t tell me after everything that you want to let this go.¡± Clearing the space between us, I pressed my lips against hers. She tried to fight it at first but then quickly melted into my touch with a soft moan leaving her lips as her hands furiously grabbed at my clothing.


    If she wanted to end this, then so be it. But I would have her onest time.


    Onest time to hold her.


    Onest time to kiss her.


    Onest time to remember everything we had and hopefully change her mind about not wanting to be with me.


    I couldn¡¯t lose her.


    Through everything negative happening in my life right now, she was the only thing good.

 Chapter 73 : Saying Goodbye

    <h4>Chapter 73: Chapter 73 : Saying Goodbye</h4>


    Ba.


    After everything that had happened with James, I let myself sumb to the lust that took over on very often asions. I loved him, but loving him wasn¡¯t good for me. At least, I wasn¡¯t sure if it was. I wanted him to stay, but I was so far past having the effort in this anymore.


    I just wanted to sleep. Curl up in my bed, and hide away from the world.


    There was no point in exhausting myself mentally, emotionally, and physically by fighting for a rtionship that just could not work. At least, not right now. Perhaps when everything was said and done with my schoolwork and Tally had the baby, and James had figured out whatever else he had going on... then he could work towards something more.


    Maybe anyway... who knew what the future would hold?


    Laying In bed naked, I stared at the ceiling, trying to move around all the vivid thoughts I had. James and I had once again done what we usually did, and with as many questions as I had, I wanted to know what the truth was. I needed answers.


    As the bathroom door opened, and he stepped out in nothing but his underwear, walking toward me with a smile, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he was going to tell me. What was so important he had to speak to me in person about it?


    ¡°You are absolutely stunning,¡± he praised as he crawled onto the bed next to me, his lips brushing against my cheek as he let his hand slide over my stomach. ¡°How is it that a woman like you has captivated a man like me?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but look at him with a questioning gaze. ¡°Was that supposed to be a negativement? That a woman like I can capture the attention of a man like you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡± heughed. As I rolled my eyes, a smirk crossed my lips. I knew he hadn¡¯t meant it like that, even though he had said it like that. I wasn¡¯t the kind of woman to take somethingpletely out of context and throw a fit about it, though.


    ¡°What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?¡± I asked as he stopped in his tracks, opening and closing his mouth. His mood changed quickly.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to do this right now.¡±


    ¡°No, I think we do.¡± Watching him closely, his expression turned to one of irritation as he looked off, sighing heavily. His chest rose and fell as he hesitated to tell me what it was he originally wanted to tell me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done a lot of bad things in my life, Ba. One of them was doing shady things to build my empire. Illegal things that caused people to get hurt.¡±


    It¡¯s no secret James was far from innocent. Hearing whispers growing up about how the family was built on things better left unspoken.


    It wasn¡¯t my business, though. Who was I to judge?


    ¡°Okay.¡± I whispered. ¡°I knew you did some things... it was obvious. Why not exin that to me though? To help me better understand.¡±


    ¡°You knew?¡±


    The sideways nce he gave me caused me to giggle. ¡°Uh, yeah. Come on now, I wasn¡¯t born yesterday.¡± Groaning, he ran his hand over his face before letting his shoulders sag in defeat.


    ¡°I made deals with a Russian leader named Sergie years and years ago when I was just a young man trying to build an empire. My business with him led me to do very shady deals, mix with the wrong people, and make a lot of enemies. Now that I¡¯m older, I tried to pull away from the business dealings I did before, but now I have created an enemy of Sergie.¡±


    My breath caught as I tried toprehend what he was saying.


    He was getting mixed up with the Russians? ¡°Do you mean like the mafia?¡±


    Slowly, he nodded his head, and my heart all but sank into the pit of my stomach. ¡°Yes, I mean the mafia. Because I¡¯m refusing to resign new deals, they are making threats that could potentially risk the safety of the people around me.¡±


    I finally understood how dire the situation really was. The Russians were well known within the country, and they¡¯re not somebody you messed with, and the fact he was refusing their leader was worse.


    ¡°Am I in danger?¡± I whispered, barely able to get the words out.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not in danger.¡±


    ncing at him quickly with wide eyes, I stared in shock. ¡°How do you know that, though? How can you know that I¡¯m not in danger?¡±


    ¡°Because I wouldn¡¯t allow them to get anywhere near you.¡±


    I sat up quickly on the bed, my naked body calling for clothing as I suddenly felt too bare. As if the entire world could see me. ¡°James, you¡¯re not making any sense. You literally just told me that the mafia is after you, and you¡¯re saying I¡¯m not in danger because you wouldn¡¯t let dangere to me. You do realize we live thousands of miles apart.¡±


    ¡°I will do what I need to protect you regardless of the distance.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, ¡®cause that¡¯s possible.¡± Jumping from the bed, I grabbed my robe and wrapped it around me. ¡°I had a feeling what you did wasn¡¯t great, but like... I didn¡¯t think this.¡±


    ¡°Ba, you¡¯re safe¡ª¡±


    Spinning around to face him, I shook my head in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m going to make a cup of tea. Would you like one?¡±


    ¡°No. Go make your tea and thene back up here. I want to spend the rest of my few hours with you before I leave in the morning.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving in the morning?¡± I asked, slightly shocked. ¡°When were you nning on telling me this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ba. I do have to leave in the morning. I need to get Tally back down there to get her to the doctor. She¡¯s refusing to go to the doctor here because she doesn¡¯t want to implicate Chad.¡±


    I could clearly see his priorities, and he was her father, so I respected that and didn¡¯t argue. Nodding my head, I gave him a small smile and continued out the door. I had little time to think of what I would do, but obviously, I had a decision to make.


    **********


    The next morning came quickly, and I prepared for what was toe as it did.


    James had tried more than once while I was helping Tally get ready to force me to take money from him, but of course, I wouldn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t want him reimbursing me for anything. I did what I did for her because I had a good heart. Nothing more, nothing less.


    Dressed in my loose sundress, I slid all my sandals and went downstairs to where James and Tally were currently talking in the kitchen. As soon as I came in, the conversations died, and both stared at me. ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Morning,¡± Tally replied with a bright and cheerful smile as James came up to me, his lips pressing against the side of my head as I stood there smiling. What was I supposed to do... respond like everything was okay?


    ¡°Are you guys ready to go?¡± I asked cheerfully as I pulled away from him.


    ¡°Yeah, the car is actually downstairs. We were just waiting for you toe down before we leave.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not keep them waiting, shall we?¡±


    One by one, we headed out the front door, into the elevator, and down toward the parking lot. It was quiet for the most part, and Tally finally had a small smile back on her face. I guess the idea of going home to your million-dor mansion was better than staying up here at school.


    From what I had gathered, Tally had decided that she would take time off school and perhaps look at online courses simply because she was going to be a mother now and needed to focus on that.


    I didn¡¯t me her one bit. Had I been in her situation, I would have done the same.


    I hoped she would take this opportunity and all the things that had happened to her and grow up a little bit, taking responsibility for how she acts and what she¡¯s doing. After all, she was about to bring another life into this world.


    It was a scary thought, but as we stepped out of the elevator, I saw how James and her smiled andughed with each other. With his help, I did not doubt she would do fine. He was her father, and no matter the wrong she did, he loved her.


    It¡¯s what made this all so hard.


    I was ending this, and he had no idea that I was.


    I never judged him for the things he had done in his past, even though there was a chance my life was in danger now because of it. The problemy with his inability to manage what he had going on and how he acted towards me.


    I had given him chance after chance, and while I loved him, I couldn¡¯t keep allowing this to bring me down. I couldn¡¯t allow myself to continue like this, knowing he wouldn¡¯t be able to give me everything he had.


    He had other priorities to worry about, and I wasn¡¯t one of them.


    No matter what he tried to say.


    As the driver opened the door, I watched Tally climb into the car¡¯s back seat while James turned back towards me. ¡°So, make time toe down during fall break.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, confused with a curious nce. ¡°Fall break?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I want you toe down. We can spend some time together, and have fun.¡±


    As enticing as that was, and normal me would jump at the opportunity, I couldn¡¯t. ¡°James, that is not a good idea.¡±


    He frowned at me while narrowing his gaze. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should continue the way we are.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not doing this. We are better. I apologized to you,¡± he replied, shaking his head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have time for me, James. Honestly, you don¡¯t. Not to mention the distance causes a lot of issues. You were right before... there is no way for this to work. As much as I want to believe otherwise, I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Ba¡ª¡± He stepped forward.


    ¡°No, James. Please... just go. Take care of yourself, and we can maybe talk in the future.¡±


    There were no other words that needed to be said. Turning around, I made my way back towards the apartment¡¯s main doorway and refused to look back at him. If I did... I wouldn¡¯t be able to say goodbye.

 Chapter 74 : Plans for Fall Break

    <h4>Chapter 74: Chapter 74 : ns for Fall Break</h4>


    Ba


    Two weeks went by before I was actually able to find myself in some kind of contentment. The moment I broke it off with James, I went upstairs and cried my eyes out, unable to focus on anything, and even when Monday came around, and my sses fell back into session, I just couldn¡¯t get myself together.


    Everything, instead, went by in a blur. I felt trapped within my mind, trying to pay attention but doing so numbly because I had ended things with the man I loved. I couldn¡¯t deal with theplications. I couldn¡¯t keep dealing with the unassured way my life was going, the chaos constantly consuming me.


    That was no way for any woman or man to live.


    And though he wanted to keep a hold of me, I couldn¡¯t do that.


    Looking at my phone, I stared at my missed calls from the day. Every day he called me, he would call twice or three times, trying to get me to pick up.


    Sending me text messages telling me not to do this, and I at first replied. But now?


    Every time my phone rang or chimed with a new notification, my heart clenched, on the verge of breaking again because I relived the pain every time he messaged me.


    I tried to move past my stage of grief and into one of anger. I had not expected my life to turn this way, and everything went to shit because I had a rtionship with him.


    The fun, exciting moments did nothing when it came to my own sanity.


    Shoving my phone back into my back pocket, I made my way across the quad, heading for my apartment. I needed to get away, and I had been looking at ne tickets all day long, thinking about going to my dad¡¯s for the fall break. But at the same time, I wasn¡¯t quite sure if I wanted to bring this chaos to his home.


    As soon as I made my way into my apartment building and up the elevator to my floor, I opened the door and closed it behind me, letting out the heaviest breaths as I tried to wrap my head around what it was I could do.


    While others were nning vacations to inds and Caribbean coasts, I was trying to survive. Even if I didn¡¯t go to my dad¡¯s, I couldn¡¯t just stay holed up here for weeks.


    In a few months, I would be done with school. I would be moving on to bigger and better things, and taking time for myself was something that needed to happen.


    After taking the two weeks to mourn a rtionship that really should never have happened to begin with, I was starting to think with a clearer mind. Life didn¡¯t feel asplicated anymore, and I didn¡¯t really have this many issues. It was honestly peaceful.


    Taking a moment to ponder over everything, I walked upstairs, picking up the basket of dirty clothes so I could take them downstairs to wash them, when something inside the basket caught my eye.


    Inside the basket was a band shirt, and not just any band shirt. It was one I had Neal wear while he was here, so he was morefortable when he had stayed the night.


    I hadn¡¯t heard from Neal in about a week and a half. He had business outside of the country and had been very busy. Not to mention, I wasn¡¯t exactly the best person to speak with after everything that happened with James. But perhaps hanging out with him would make me feel better.


    Of course, it would be just as friends. I was not nning to get into any kind of rtionship with anybody anytime soon. Lord knows that would be nothing but a disaster, and Neal was too nice of a guy. I would never allow him to put himself in the reboundne.


    Dropping the basket at my feet, I pulled my phone from my pocket, scrolling through until I found his number.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the phone to ring before his happy and bright voice came through the phone, causing an infectious smile to spread across my face.


    ¡°Well, hello, good-looking,¡± he said cheerfully, causing a smallugh to escape me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about good-looking.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please, you know, you¡¯re absolutely gorgeous. Now, what is it that I can do for you?¡± He caused me to grin as I grabbed the basket once more and headed down the stairs towards myundry room.


    ¡°I was trying to see if you were still out of the country.¡±


    ¡°Me out of the country? I wish. I¡¯m actually back in New York, sitting in my living room at the moment with a ss of whiskey, trying to debate if I want to go deal with these idiots at the main office or simply stay here and allow my assistant to rip them apart,¡± he countered with a snort.


    ¡°Oh, are they being that delightful?¡± I set the basket on my washing machine, trying to figure out exactly where I had put the brand-new box of soap I had bought.


    Opening the cabs, I looked through, listening to him tell me about how the people in his office had done nothing but cause more damage than good.


    ¡°Perhaps you just need to find somebody else to manage them. I mean, your assistant has to go with you to these meetings overseas. So it stands to reason that the office manager just isn¡¯t doing their job.¡±


    He was quiet for a moment, and I heard him hum over what I had just said. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right. Maybe I need to look at hiring somebody new.¡±


    ¡°Would stand to reason doing so,¡± I teased yfully.


    ¡°Besides that, enough with me. What¡¯s going on with you? I know that you were calling for more than just to find out if I¡¯m in town.¡±


    Neal was always vignt, and he knew me very well. ¡°Well, as you know, things haven¡¯t been that brilliant over the past two weeks, and I¡¯m trying to figure out what I¡¯m doing for fall break. I considered going down to my dad¡¯s, but I don¡¯t know if I want to bring all this mess down there to him. I was going to see if you had suggestions.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... are you feeling better after everything?¡±


    I was quiet for a moment. I wasn¡¯t really feeling better, but rolling my eyes, I let off a soft sigh. ¡°I¡¯m better than I was. I¡¯m trying to find something fun to do to preupy myself with.¡±


    ¡°I get it. I¡¯ve been there before myself, but as far as doing something fun, why don¡¯t you juste here? I mean, your fall breaks for what... like a week or two?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s two weeks, but I don¡¯t want to impose on you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got tons of work to do.¡± Neal began tough at myment, and as he did, I knew what he would say.


    ¡°I have not had any fun in two weeks, and if you think that I am going to pass up the opportunity to have your lovely ass grace my presence so that we can actually enjoy ourselves, you are sadly mistaken.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I really don¡¯t want to impose.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t get your sweet ass here so we can go enjoy ourselves, whether it be sitting in the house, eating pizza and watching movies, or actually going to have drinks, I wille up there and drag you down here myself.¡±


    It was clear he was serious. I knew Neal pretty well by now, and there was no way he would allow me to back out ofing down. My ns were set, and even though I¡¯d hoped to see my father, I could always visit him during Christmas time. After all, that was a special time I spent with my family.


    ¡°Sounds good. I will be heading down there on the weekend, then?¡±


    ¡°That sounds perfect. I¡¯ll have everything done, and we can ensure that we¡¯re brilliantly enjoying our weekend and your next two weeks here.¡± He was enthusiastic about meing, and I wasn¡¯t quite sure why, but he always made me smile, no matter the situation, so I was grateful for his eptance and for letting mee.


    ¡°Hey, maybe you can actually talk to your sister and see if she wants toe up. I haven¡¯t seen her in so long, and I miss her so much,¡± I replied, hoping that Allegraing could divert anything serious from happening between him and me.


    ¡°Allegra... sure, why not? I¡¯ll give her a call as soon as I get off the phone with you. And tell her to get her ass up here, too. I¡¯ve got two spare bedrooms, so there¡¯s plenty of room.¡±


    As soon as I hung up the phone with Neal, I felt ten times better about my situation. Yes, I was still sad about James, but at least I wouldn¡¯t be sitting in my house the entire fall break wallowing in self-misery because the man I loved was moreplicated than a horse¡¯s ass.


    Instead, I would be having fun with Neal and Allegra, enjoying New York City. There was still so much there I hadn¡¯t properly enjoyed before. Which was crazy because I had been going to school here for years and never took the opportunity to go.


    Closing the washing machine, listening to it fill, I flicked open my phone once more and nced through my photos of James and I. There weren¡¯t many pictures, but the few I had made my heart stop. I was happy with him, and even though I associated a lot of our rtionship with hurt, I couldn¡¯t forget how he made me feel.


    I did love him... more than anything. The problem was that he lived a life I couldn¡¯t.


    No matter how much I tried to find right in it all, I couldn¡¯t overlook the danger. I couldn¡¯t overlook theplications, and I couldn¡¯t overlook how he belittled me when all I did was try to help him.


    It was time to try and put this behind me and look forward to the future I had nned.


    Who knew, maybe my time with Allegra and Neal would allow me to reflect on it all and realize that there was no way I could have continued down a path with James.


    My ce was to be independent... even if it hurt.

 Chapter 75 : Back in New York

    <h4>Chapter 75: Chapter 75 : Back in New York</h4>


    Ba


    The weekend came quicker than I imagined and before I knew it, I was in my car driving to New York City. Even though Neal had absolutely refused for me to do so. He said he would have me flown down here, but I enjoyed driving.


    It gave me time to clear my mind and rx in the scenery.


    That is, of course, until I actually got into New York City and then reminded myself why I did not enjoy living in a city, nor driving in one. It was nothing but utter chaos.


    The bumper to bumper traffic was crazy, and nobody knew how to drive. Nobody used turn signals. People just walked right out in front of you in the middle of the road like they owned the damn ce.


    I don¡¯t know how many times I had to m on my brakes because I almost hit somebody.


    But as I pulled into the parking garage of Neal¡¯s building and found the lovely parking space he had reserved for me, I couldn¡¯t be happier.


    This was going to be an absolutely amazing vacation.


    Regardless of how the past few months had gone.


    Twenty minutester, I was standing in Neal¡¯s open doorway with my suitcase in tow, smiling at him before a very excited Allegra came barrelling towards the door. She wrapped her arms around me, smiling andughing with more excitement than I had expected.


    ¡°Oh, my god, it¡¯s so good to see you. It feels like it¡¯s been ages.¡±


    ¡°It has been ages.¡± Iughed as I hugged her back. ¡°I¡¯m so d that you¡¯re here, though.¡±


    ¡°I am too. I¡¯m so sorry I haven¡¯t been able toe see you sooner,¡± she replied, letting her smile fall slightly. ¡°Things have been so crazy, and I was out of the country. Speaking of which... I¡¯m sorry to hear about James.¡±


    The mention of James¡¯s name caused an ache in my chest to grow.


    My smile fell, and I nodded slowly, but only until Neal spoke up.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m endorsing a new rule in my house for the next two weeks. There is to be no mention of that man or his daughter or anything that happened before today while she is here.¡± There was a seriousness in his eyes that caught me by surprise.


    I could see he was only trying to make sure I didn¡¯t spend my vacation upset, but still I wondered, why was he so good to me?


    ¡°Seriously,¡± Allegra said, cocking an eyebrow at him with her hand upon her hip.


    ¡°Yes, seriously. These next two weeks are about having fun. Nothing depressing at all,¡± he replied, looking between the two of us with a grin on his face.


    ¡°Okay, okay. Let me take my suitcase and go get unpacked. That drive took absolutely forever.¡±


    ¡°Well, I did tell you I would fly you down here, but you were so insistent on driving,¡± Neal chimed in as I grabbed my suitcase and wheeled it towards the bedroom I had stayed in before.


    ¡°Yes, but the scenery was amazing,¡± I called out over my shoulder, listening to Neal and Allegraugh at myment.


    The moment I stepped into my room, I felt at peace. Almost like I was home, in a sense. I knew I had only stayed here for a short period before, but it felt peaceful because it was the closest thing to home with my dad that I had.


    I didn¡¯t have to worry or stress about anything.


    I didn¡¯t have anybody harassing me 24/7 about not having the right outfit to see somebody or someone was acting out of ce. I didn¡¯t even have the toxicity of wondering if I was good enough or enough for someone to love me when they said they did but then didn¡¯t show it.


    It was just... peaceful.


    As I unpacked my suitcase, I was looking forward to the things I wanted to do while I was here for the next two weeks. I heard footsteps across the wooden floors, heading directly for my open doorway. Sure enough, as I looked over my shoulder, Neal stood there, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest and a grin across his lips.


    ¡°Are you finding everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s great. Thank you so much for letting mee,¡± I replied, trying to show him I was sincere in what I was saying. ¡°I¡¯m really d to have you and Allegra here.¡±


    I appreciated him, and even though we had had our own past, I would not let that stand in the way of us having a great time while I was here on vacation.


    ¡°Tonight, I thought that we could order some food in and just kind of hang out.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great.¡± Pushing a smile on my face, I looked around the room, taking a moment to think about food. ¡°How about we order pizza? I honestly don¡¯t think I should cook it.¡±


    Nealughed at myment as I thought back to when he had visited me. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think that pizza turned out the way we were nning for it to turn out.¡±


    ¡°Definitely not. At least it was edible, though, otherwise we both would have starved.¡±


    The eruption ofughter that came from me wasn¡¯t something I had heard for quite some time. I was actually smiling, and when Neal took a step closer to me, I felt heated tension burning inside me.


    ¡°Thank you for everything,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me, Ba. I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡±


    Giving a small smile, my cheeks tinted with pink, I looked away, only to hear him clear his throat after a moment of silence.


    ¡°All right then, I¡¯ll call the pizza and have it delivered. Juste on out whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Nodding my head slowly, my eyes met his again, and without another word, I watched him turn to leave.


    *****


    Neal


    When Ba called me and asked about finding something to do during her fall break, I didn¡¯t hesitate in asking her toe to my ce. For two weeks, I had done nothing but think about her, and when she had called me a couple days after she had broken it off with James¡ªI was overwhelmed with joy.


    Even though I felt bad she was hurting.


    That piece of shit had broken her heart after she gave him another chance. The man didn¡¯t deserve chances with her. A woman like Ba was rare, and because of that, she only deserved the best.


    I knew she loved him, and I wouldn¡¯t ever be able to rece him. But part of me couldn¡¯t help but wonder if I could make her happy. That once she had time to get over him, she might be interested in me.


    Letting a heavy sigh escape me, I made my way out into the living room, only to see the scrutinizing gaze of my sister on me. ¡°So, are you finally going to tell her?¡±


    ¡°Tell her what?¡± I asked, hoping she wasn¡¯t referring to a conversation she and I had after thest time I had left Ba¡¯s apartment. Yet, as she rolled her eyes, I knew what she was talking about.


    ¡°You know exactly what I¡¯m talking about, Neal. You need to be honest with her. Now that she¡¯s not with James, she¡¯s fair game.¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t a game, Allegra,¡± I replied, trying to ignore her. My sister had a tendency to overwork a situation, and even though she and Ba were very close, it didn¡¯t change the fact Ba only wanted James right now.


    I wouldn¡¯t allow myself to be the rebound guy.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t together anymore, and you¡¯re infatuated with her. Grow a set and tell her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s irrelevant, Allegra,¡± I snapped in a whisper. ¡°She isn¡¯t ready for that, and she doesn¡¯t want me. If she did, she would have chosen me.¡±


    ¡°Things were different then. James had her so conflicted about what she wanted, she didn¡¯t understand what she was getting herself into.¡± Allegra¡¯s nonchnt attitude was irritating to no end. I wanted more than anything to tell her to leave, but she was my guest.


    A guest for Ba¡ªeven though I wanted Ba to myself.


    ¡°Look, if she wants me, she¡¯ll say it, but I don¡¯t need you interfering in it. She just got over everything with James, and she needs time to heal.¡±


    A small fit ofughter escaped her as she shook her head. ¡°No, what she needs is for someone to f*ck her until the only name she remembers is theirs. Then, she won¡¯t care about James anymore.¡±


    ¡°Allegra...¡± I said with a heavy sigh as I pinched the bridge of my nose. ¡°That may work for you, but she isn¡¯t that kind of person.¡±


    When my eyes met hers once more, she stared at me intently. I held her intimidating gaze well, and after a moment, she scoffed and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°Fine, whatever. We are going out, though, this weekend.¡±


    ¡°Going out?¡± I repeated with furrowed brows as I tried to understand why she was making ns for us when we hadn¡¯t even talked to Ba to see what she wanted to do.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re going out. I ended up getting us into that nightclub. What is it called? Levox or something? Anyway, it¡¯s usually only VIP and upscale clients, but I just called Emery and had her put us on the list.¡±


    ¡°You did what?¡± Taking a moment, I tried toprehend what she was saying while also trying to remember what club Levox was. The realization flooded through my mind like a tidal wave. ¡°Allegra, that¡¯s a f*cking sex club!¡± I whispered in shock.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. I know.¡±


    ¡°Allegra... you can¡¯t just make those kinds of ns like that.¡± My stunned response seemed to catch her attention and cocking her eyebrow, she shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°Why not? She loved Club Velvet.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, with James,¡± I replied, shaking my head. ¡°She came to rx here, not get her freak on. You can¡¯t just do this. She isn¡¯t that kind of girl.¡±


    With a smirk spreading from ear to ear, she slowly stood from where she was sitting, and took the few steps towards me with nothing but determination lingering in her eyes. ¡°Look, you know Ba in a certain way, and so do I. She may not like to go out, but I promise you she will have so much fun at this club this weekend. It¡¯s what she needs to do to loosen up.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure about this, but I couldn¡¯t argue with her. If it backfired, I would just me everything on Allegra and hope that Ba took my side. Thest thing I wanted was for her to be angry at me.


    Guess only time would tell if I made the right choice.

 Chapter 76 : Slap in the Face

    <h4>Chapter 76: Chapter 76 : p in the Face</h4>


    James


    It had been two weeks since I had spoken to Ba. I still couldn¡¯t believe the moment I was leaving, she foundfort being able to just call it off with me.


    Maybe I should have tried to force her to stay with me or something. I didn¡¯t know what the f*ck I was doing or thinking.


    At the end of the day, I¡¯d just let her go. I let her say goodbye to me. Even though it killed me, it was happening. I had done so much for her, and she didn¡¯t seem to want to make it work. She just wanted a way out, and as hurt as I was¡ªI was angry.


    No matter how many times I¡¯d called, no matter how many times I texted her¡ªnothing.


    Only twice did she respond, and those were vaguely a conversation. Her response was just like the other times we¡¯d aruged. She told me I had priorities I needed to situate, and she wasn¡¯t one of them. That perhaps in the future, things would change.


    I was angry, on edge, unable to focus on a goddamn thing because she clouded every single moment of my waking mind.


    It was as if the woman had put a spell on me, and there was no way for me to break it. I could only focus a bit when I was helping Tally with baby things. As soon as we got back, I¡¯d taken her to the doctor and got her checked out.


    Thankfully, the baby was okay, and Tally¡¯s due date was fast approaching.


    As soon as Chad found out Tally had returned to me, he called and threatened her. It was a situation I took seriously, and his threats struck me to my core. He was going to try and take the baby... told her he hoped they both died.


    The little prick didn¡¯t realize what he was saying. Nor did he understand who I was.


    Regardless of what Tally had done in the past, she was still my daughter. I would never understand what it was Ba and Tally saw in that idiot, but he would get what wasing to him one day. That was a promise.


    I had promised her I would leave it alone, and for now, I would.


    It was far from over, though. Far from ever being over.


    I had other ns and means of taking care of things, and one of them happened to be a trip I was making to New York where I would be confronting a specific somebody and making things very clear to them I wouldn¡¯t settle for the bullshit.


    Sitting behind my desk at work, I tried to busy myself with everything going on. Sergie had made a point to threaten me more than once, and while I had security teams doubled up on a Tally, I couldn¡¯t help but contemte if I should have taken things more seriously with Ba.


    I wanted to protect her, but if we weren¡¯t together, then technically, she wouldn¡¯t be in any harm. Not much I would need to worry about, and even when Allison found out we broke up because of Tally... she seemed dubious about whether to actually believe that.


    I didn¡¯t want the woman anywhere near my daughter, the house, or anything else, but she seemed to keep trying to slink her way back in.


    At least this time, Tally was handling the situation better.


    The moment Allison started her shift, Tally told her to get the f*ck out of the house. She didn¡¯t want to hear anything bad about Ba. The only thing she wanted was, I believe, a jar of pickle juice and a box of saltine crackers.


    Not that I could say that was weird. Her mother craved far worse.


    Tally had grown huge. Not fat wise, but her stomach, the baby growing, had made her farrger than I had ever seen a woman. She was showing as if carrying twins, but in reality, only one veryrge baby boy grew in there.


    I had always wanted a son, and unfortunately, I never was able to have one. At first, Allison hadn¡¯t even wanted Tally, and the thought of ruining her figure for another child was out of the question. The woman was beyond selfish in every way.


    I was excited, though. I would have a grandson I could give the family name to. A grandson who could carry on traditions. One I could teach and watch grow to take over my business one day, but at least this way, it would be in the right direction.


    It wouldn¡¯t be a business built on shady dealings and crooked people.


    It would be wholesome and legit.


    Perhaps this child would be enough to change how things were now and make the future better.


    Even the name she had picked out for him was beautiful¡ªAlessandro.


    Pulling out my phone, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about sharing these joyous moments with Ba. To see her face smiling back at me from my phone screen. My heart broke, knowing it wasn¡¯t possible. Knowing she wouldn¡¯t even speak to me after everything I had done.


    But there was somebody I could call who she did speak to. Someone who could let me know if she was okay. So instead of dialing Ba¡¯s phone number, I called Allegra and hoped she wouldn¡¯t scorn me for everything that had happened.


    ¡°This better be good for you to call me right now,¡± she answered in a sour tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to talk to you as well. I just wanted to call to see if you had heard anything about Ba.¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t your concern anymore, James. You f*cked things up not once, but twice. Why are you worrying about what or how she¡¯s doing?¡± Irritation was clear in her tone, and holding myself back, I took a deep breath, trying to remember she was simply acting like this because I had hurt her friend.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious because I care about her regardless of what you or anybody else thinks. I still love her and know I will fix things with her one day. One day, I will bring her home and marry her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I highly doubt that. But it¡¯s sweet that you still love her,¡± Allegra hummed. ¡°Piece of advice, though... she¡¯s healing for once, James. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to let her go?¡±


    Hearing Allegra say I needed to let her go just made things worse.


    How was I ever going to let her go?


    ¡°I can never let her go. You don¡¯t understand it because you¡¯re not in my position, but I love her, and all that matters to me is making sure she¡¯s safe and happy.¡±


    When I said that, I heard gigglingughter in the phone¡¯s background and knew who it was. That was Ba¡¯sughter. Ba was with Allegra?


    Was she here in Miami?! Or did Allegra go there...


    ¡°Allegra, what are you doing? Come on, we¡¯re waiting for you,¡± Ba said softly in the background. My heart lurched, wanting to speak to her, but I knew Allegra would not let that happen.


    ¡°Look, I have to go. She¡¯s waiting for me.¡±


    ¡°You went to go see her? Please, just tell me she¡¯s okay,¡± I asked quickly before she could hang up the phone.


    With a groan of protest, I could tell Allegra didn¡¯t want to tell me anything, but after a moment of reluctance, she did. ¡°I¡¯m not in Connecticut, okay. I¡¯m in New York, and I¡¯m at my brother¡¯s house. Ba¡¯s on fall break right now, and she came up here to spend two weeks with Neal and me.¡±


    Hearing his name made my jaw clench with anger, my fist turning white as I held my phone to my ear. I should have known as soon as something happened, Neal would swoop in to try and steal her from me.


    ¡°What is your brother trying to do? Get into her bed just because she¡¯s not with me?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me? Are you really seriously making those usations?¡± she snapped. ¡°First off, you don¡¯t have the right to say shit like that. At least he is trying to make her smile. All you have done for weeks is make her cry.¡±


    ¡°Why else would your brother ask her toe there? It¡¯s well known he cares for her, that he is in love with her, and wants her there for himself. Two weeks. It¡¯s been two weeks, and he¡¯s already f*cking trying to worm his way into her life.¡±


    I could hear shoes tapping on the floor before a door closed. ¡°Listen to me, you f*cking prick. She is still wrapped up in you, but she is slowly getting better every day you are away from her. She asked toe here and asked for me toe up. She wanted to spend time with us. It wasn¡¯t my brother¡¯s idea. It wasn¡¯t mine. It was hers. She isn¡¯t interested in being with anybody, including you. The only thing she wants to do is to be normal and have fun.¡±


    As if I had been pped in the face, I realized I had misjudged the entire situation. Not that I didn¡¯t have my reservations about the fact that Neal wanted to be with her.


    ¡°Allegra¡ª¡± I said before she quickly cut me off.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t get to do this. Don¡¯t you dare, Allegra me. You have be a very selfish f*cking man, James Valentino. You need to think about what you really want. Now that you don¡¯t have her there as aplication or leverage, take the advantage to fix your f*cking mistakes so you can actually be with her if that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    Allegra confused me. One moment she was looking to ring my balls and hang me by my feet from the ceiling, and the next minute she told me I needed to be the man Ba needed.


    It was like she was on my side one minute and then wasn¡¯t the next.


    ¡°I will be everything she needs.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Then do it without f*cking calling her every day. She doesn¡¯t need you to call or text her all the time. Once a week is fine if you want, but at the end of the day... she¡¯s not your girlfriend, and you need to learn to let her go.¡±


    With the click of a phone, I realized the conversation was done, but thest thing Allegra said kept ringing through my mind repeatedly.


    Ba was not my girlfriend anymore.... She wasn¡¯t my anything.


    Not only that, but Allegra said I needed to let her go.


    As if that was even possible.

 Chapter 77 : Out in New York

    <h4>Chapter 77: Chapter 77 : Out in New York</h4>


    Ba


    A few days into my visit with Neal and Allegra, I felt happier than I had in a while. We decided to meander the streets of New York, taking in the different sites and also visited a few of the museums.


    Which, by the way, were absolutely amazing!


    The entire day had been more than perfect, and though I knew it would only be short-lived, I couldn¡¯t help but relish how spending time with them felt.


    Allegra and Neal had done amazing in making me feel better.


    It was the first time I had felt some contentment in a long time, and as we rounded the corner near Times Square, I couldn¡¯t help but be astounded at the sights before me. The bright, colorful lights, therge screens, the revolving images that were there, not to mention the many people who meandered around as if they had no care in the world.


    It was mesmerizing, and even though I was not the type of person that would ever be considered a city girl, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it would be like to live here in a city that never slept. Also, having something to do... somewhere to go, and something new to see.


    ¡°That was so much fun.¡± Allegra squealed as we continued walking. ¡°I¡¯ve never really been one for going into museums, but I must admit that the museum we went to this morning was absolutely brilliant.¡±


    ¡°I told you that it would be fun,¡± I replied, giving her a side nce as the corner of my lips lifted into a smile. ¡°History doesn¡¯t have to be boring. It can be magnificently interesting.¡±


    Neal chuckled at myment as he looked toward Allegra and I. We had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to admire a beautiful dress hanging in a store window, and as I tilted my head, I couldn¡¯t help but think that the dress was a work of art.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this really counts as a history lesson. However, I do have to admit that the designer is an artist,¡± Allegra said softly before her eyes cast toward me.


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± I smiled as I turned towards Neal, who was making eye contact with Allegra as if they were having a silent conversation.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Neal nced toward me and shook his head with a grin. ¡°Nothing. I was just wondering how it would look on you.¡±


    ¡°On me?¡± I gasped before giving a smallugh. ¡°Yeah, no... it wouldn¡¯t look good ont me at all.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Allegra replied, and for a moment, I didn¡¯t realize why we were even having this conversation until it dawned on me.


    ¡°Oh, no no no.¡± Waving my finger from side to side, I shook my head and continued walking down the sidewalk. ¡°I don¡¯t need it, and you¡¯re not buying it for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on,¡± Allegra whined as I looked over my shoulder at her to see her and Neal walking quickly to keep up with me. ¡°You have to let me redo your wardrobe, woman!¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not, Allegra.¡±


    A hand reached out, stopping me in my tracks, and as I turned, I stared at them both. ¡°Why won¡¯t you let us help you?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t need help. I¡¯m perfectly fine the way I am.¡±


    The look on Allegra¡¯s face was not impressed, but Neal simply smiled down at me as he always did before nudging Allegra with his elbow. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want it, then she doesn¡¯t want it.¡±


    Allegra gasped at him in shock, causing me tough. ¡°Look, I love you both, but I am honestly happier just spending time with you. I don¡¯t need material things to make me happy.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I wonder how it is that you managed to get this far in life.¡±


    Most people would have taken offense to what Allegra said, but I had known her long enough to know that she was simply teasing me.


    ¡°Oh, quit it. You both know that you¡¯re here because you absolutely love me.¡±


    They hesitated after thement I made and looking at Allegra, I watched her eyes staring up at her brother, who, in turn, quickly smiled at me as he gestured with his head for us to continue walking.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what the nce was for, but as we made our way down, we continued the conversations about who this supposed designer was and what spring fashion show wasing up next year that Allegra was supposedly modeling in.


    I never realized she was a runway model, but it wouldn¡¯t surprise me considering how tall she was and how long her legs were. She was beautiful even at her age, and Fashion Week in Mn was going to be the biggest it had ever been.


    Or at least that was what Allegra kept saying. Lord knows she was excited.


    As we made our way down the sidewalk, my mind slowly drifted back over things I had been trying to forget. James hadn¡¯t tried to reach out to me all day, and the thought he had finally given up on me was slowly eating away at my soul.


    Why should I let it bother me? I was the one who broke up with him.


    I should be happy he wasn¡¯t contacting me... right?


    With my mind a mess and lost in my thoughts, I turned the corner of a building and ran into a solid brick wall. Looking up, I stared into dark sultry eyes that I had not expected to see.


    James stood before me and seemed just as shocked as I was.


    ¡°Ba?¡± he whispered as I stepped back, removing his hand from my skin where he had reached out to steady me from falling over.


    ¡°James, what are you doing here?¡± Allegra replied, stepping in front of me to block me from James and ncing over at Neal, whose lips were firmly met as if seeking guidance. His eyes were locked on James with tightened fists as if he was angry the man before him was even present.


    ¡°What I¡¯m doing in the city is none of your concern. This was not nned if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    Hearing James say he wasn¡¯t actually stalking me, and he was here on business, made me hesitate in my next set of words. Because I had hoped that he was here for me.


    Seeing him now. Watching him.


    It made my heart shift ufortably as I realized I was no longer an interest.


    How stupid could I honestly be, though? One minute I hated him, and the next...


    I wanted him to ravage me.


    *****


    James


    Having taken a ne to New York, I set out on a very important mission to get closure. It was to my knowledge Chad and his parents would be in New York City for some type of grand event, and with many people around, it was the perfect opportunity for me to get what I wanted.


    I had gone there to confront him and his parents, exin the situation, and then have my solicitor, who was with me, force Chad into signing papers stating he wanted no rights to the child my daughter is carrying.


    That way, I could ensure he would never be able to get his hands on anything the child would have revolving around mypany.


    It didn¡¯t take much convincing to have Chad, almost in tears, cowering at his knees as I pointed out I would see to it he wouldn¡¯t see his next birthday if he didn¡¯t sign. His father was furious about the situation, but I didn¡¯t care.


    He had spoken up and exined Chad would sign the agreement because he wanted nothing to do with the bastard child any way, nor a Valentino.


    I was perfectly fine with that. I wanted them to have nothing to do with my family, either.


    As soon as the meeting concluded, mywyer and I left with smiles on both of our faces. I had done what I hade here to do. Needing some fresh air, I walked back to the hotel where I was staying, trying to wrap my mind around everything that had happened.


    Somewhere in this city, Ba was enjoying herself and enjoying herself without me, no less.


    Perhaps that was a conceited thought, but I couldn¡¯t help but be jealous.


    I loved that f*cking woman, and every single part of me screamed to find her. Little did I know fate would have an amusing way of making that happen because as soon as I rounded the corner, I ran straight into a petite brte who caught my eye like no other.


    She seemed just as shocked to see me, and as much as I wanted to wrap her in my arms, Allegra and Neal stepped in, making sure that wouldn¡¯t happen.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time that we take our leave,¡± Neal said firmly after our small, brief interaction.


    ¡°I need to have a moment alone with her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not happening.¡± Neal quickly stepped in front of Ba and reached out to pull her further behind him. ¡°Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s been enough damage done?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what exactly was going on between the two of them, but Neal did not want to pick a fight with me at this moment because it would be a battle he would lose.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you step aside and mind your business?¡± I all but almost growled and the low, deep tone as I stepped forward. I would beat this little shit¡¯s ass if he kept it up. No one was going to stand in front of me getting to Ba.


    No one.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Ba finally said, speaking up. ¡°James, anything that you need to say, you can do so in front of them.¡±


    She was serious, but as much as I wanted to tell her I loved her, I couldn¡¯t. Not in front of them. I wanted a private conversation, and her reluctance said no. The pain inside me was real, but squaring my shoulders, I nodded.


    ¡°No,¡± I replied. ¡°Perhaps, maybe another time when you¡¯re alone.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t ever be alone,¡± Neal¡¯s voice said clearly as he crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°I will always be there for her.¡±


    Cracking my neck, a fake smile crossed my lips as I tried to reel in my anger.


    ¡°Very well. Another time then.¡±


    She didn¡¯t bother to say anything else, but I watched the expression on her face drop, and as I turned to walk away, I heard Allegra whisper to her. ¡°Don¡¯t let him get inside your head.¡±


    Get inside her head... who the f*ck did Allegra think she was?


    I was doing exactly what she wanted me to do. However, it was only because I loved her I was walking away. It was clear she wasn¡¯t ready for a conversation with me.


    Either that, or I had made a terrible mistake.

 Chapter 78 : Leaving the Past Behind

    <h4>Chapter 78: Chapter 78 : Leaving the Past Behind</h4>


    Ba


    Seeing James in New York was not something I expected, but running into him brought up so many memories I didn¡¯t know how to control. The way he had looked at me made my skin crawl with pleasure, not disgust, like I expected it would have. I wasn¡¯t quite sure why it was he was there, but ording to him, he wasn¡¯t following me.


    Deep down, though, I couldn¡¯t help but feel him running into me was a work of fate and not of coincidence. Something inside me told me I was meant to see him today.


    As soon as we returned to Neal¡¯s apartment, it was clear Neal was upset over the entire situation. The scowls on his face were absolutely dreadful, and no matter how much Allegra tried to talk to him and make him feel better, he just seemed so angry over the entire situation.


    ¡°Would you please calm down? You¡¯repletely ruining the mood. We had such a wonderful day today, and you¡¯re acting like this.¡±


    Allegra¡¯s words made him snarl, but when his eyesnded on me, he heaved and nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just don¡¯t like that we ended up running into James today after everything he¡¯s done to you, Ba. I hope you can understand.¡±


    Of course, I understood. At the end of the day, it wasn¡¯t like any of us had expected it to happen. But as I stood there looking at Neal, all I did was let a small smile grace my lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Honestly, it¡¯s not like he was expected to run into us. We had a great day. Just like Allegra said, don¡¯t let it bother you. I¡¯m not.¡±


    Moving towards the kitchen, I went to the fridge to grab something to drink. All of the walking we did today was going to make my legs hurtter, but I was grateful we had a wonderful afternoon.


    ¡°So tonight, we¡¯re going to do something special,¡± Allegra said, catching me off guard.


    Spinning around, I gave her a perplexed look as I cocked my brow, sipping on the water.


    ¡°Not sure if that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Neal crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at her. ¡°After everything that happened this afternoon, perhaps it¡¯s just best that we stay here and find something to do.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Why? Are you going to let a stupid situation with James ruin what I had already nned?¡±


    Allegra wasn¡¯t pleased with whatever she had going on possibly being canceled, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel left in the dark with her not telling me exactly what it was. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Did I miss something?¡±


    The two of them looked at each other, giving long nces before their eyes cast in my direction. Whatever it was they had nned, it was obvious they were unsure if I would agree to it. Still, Allegra let her frown disappear and became slightly excited about whatever she was going to tell me.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s this club in town that¡¯s super high-end and very exclusive, and I got passes to go, so I was hoping you¡¯d want to go.¡±


    Of course, it was no surprise Allegra would want to go out and have drinks, which I didn¡¯t mind. Though it wasn¡¯t my scene didn¡¯t mean I was going to make this entire thing just about me.


    ¡°Sure, why not? Sounds like fun,¡± I said nonchntly as I shrugged my shoulders.


    Neal, however, pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh of displeasure. ¡°Allegra has not informed you of the kind of club that we¡¯re going to.¡±


    Slightly confused about what he meant, I looked over at Allegra and waited for her to exin what he meant. In a very dramatic way, Allegra rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a sex club, like Club Velvet. I didn¡¯t see what the big issue was.¡±


    I could see where Neal would have slight issues with Allegra¡¯s idea, considering everything that had happened to me, but I didn¡¯t want them to feel they couldn¡¯t do the things they enjoyed simply because I had my drama.


    ¡°No, that sounds like fun. I mean, why not? We enjoyed ourselves at Club Velvet, so let¡¯s go to this ce.¡±


    Neal seemed very shocked I had agreed, but Allegra smiled from ear to ear as she pped her hands with excitement. ¡°See, I told you she would be okay with going. This is amazing. I will have to find us the hottest outfits to wear.¡±


    I may have been okay with going, but knowing Allegra would dress me up as she had before made me slightly nervous. Then again, this was New York, and I was on fall break, so why not enjoy myself?


    As Allegra strode to her room, I was left with Neal in silence. The awkwardness between us was there, but I tried my hardest not to let him see I was bothered by being left alone with him. ¡°So today was fun. I¡¯ve really enjoyed myself so far.¡±


    He nced at me for a moment, hesitating in what he was going to say, but then stepping forward, he ced his hands into his pockets and stared down at me with an amused grin on his face. ¡°I¡¯m d that you¡¯re enjoying yourself here. If you aren¡¯t too sure about going tonight, I can always tell her I don¡¯t want to, I can put the me on me.¡±


    Once again, he was being sweet. He was trying to look out for me, knowing full well even though I had enjoyed going to Club Velvet, going out and partying and drinking was just not my thing.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s honestly okay. I¡¯m excited to go. Allegra may dress me up in whatever crazy outfit she has, but the three of us will have a lot of fun.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure,¡± he replied, staring at me for a moment longer as I nodded my head.


    ¡°Go get ready, and we can leave here in just a bit, I guess.¡±


    He hesitated, but only for a moment, before he nodded in agreement and turned, walking towards his room. The room was on the other side of the house from where the two of us were staying.


    In a sense, it was weird to think I was going to be going to a sex club without James there again. I had done it once before with Neal and Allegra, but he had made a point of showing up uninvited to whisk me away.


    James and I were over, and that point was made very clear two weeks ago, and even after seeing him today. I knew there was no chance by the look that he had in his eyes that I would run into him again.


    There was no point in dwelling in a past that just wasn¡¯t made for me.


    Turning on my heels, I stalked towards my bedroom, only to have Allegra step out of hers with a grin on her face and lots of ck leather in her hands. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you want to wear, but get your little ass in here so we can get ready.¡±


    Laughter left her, and as it did, I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head. Trying to put a positive smile on my face. ¡°You do know that after being out in the sun all day, I do need a shower? I¡¯m hot and sweaty, and I probably stink.¡±


    ¡°Good point,¡± she replied, nodding. ¡°Go take a shower, shave your legs if you haven¡¯t already, and then meet me in my room. Don¡¯t forget granny panties and any kind of bright, colorful underwear will not be epted. I expect a ckce bra and panties.¡±


    Of course she did. She expected me to look like an absolute temptress tonight, but I wasn¡¯t sure why. Because there was no man I would be interested in hooking up with. At least none I could actually have. So, even though she wanted me to wear that, I had my own reservations.


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m nning on gettingid tonight.¡±


    ¡°Ba, you never know what can happen. It¡¯s always best to be prepared.¡± She stalked off into her room, leaving me alone once more in my thoughts.


    Perhaps she was right. No one ever knew what could happen, and it was always best to be prepared, even though I wasn¡¯t actively seeking didn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t possibly find someone who piqued my interest, someone that could end up pleasing me in ways James never could.


    It was wishful thinking, but as I headed to my room and searched through my suitcase, I found a set I had bought with the anticipation of wearing it for James but never got to. Holding thece silk material in my hands, I thought about what could happen if I wore this tonight.


    One, I would find somebody, and he would be able to tear this from my body as he ravished me. Or two. I would remain ufortable in this garment, only to find out I didn¡¯t actually have anybody to ravish my body, and then I would be left utterly sexually dissatisfied.


    Either way, though, she was expecting me, and the hot shower I was looking forward to was actually calling my name. Taking thece panties and bra set, I grabbed a towel and headed towards my ensuite bathroom to prepare myself. I wasn¡¯t sure what the evening would bring, but one could hope that it would be gratifying in one way or another.

 Chapter 79 : Night Out in NYC

    <h4>Chapter 79: Chapter 79 : Night Out in NYC</h4>


    Ba


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I expected when I allowed Allegra to help get me ready. But Lord have mercy, did this girl have ns I was unprepared for. Staring in the mirror, I had to admit, I did look absolutely gorgeous. My long hair was curled to perfection and held back with small bobby pins at the back of my head, loose strands hanging low over my shoulders, and my makeup dark and smoky, my lips bright red.


    I looked like a f*cking siren, ready to poach men and drag them to their death.


    I was wearingce, leather, and the tallest heels I had ever worn, something I wasn¡¯t too crazy about because I knew that by the end of my night, my feet would be screaming at me.


    Although the moment I stepped from her room heading out into the living room where Neal was waiting, the look on his face said it all.


    I was absolutely gorgeous, and it made me feel wanted.


    ¡°She really did a number on you, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    Neal¡¯sment made me blush as his eyes grazed over my body from head to toe with a grin. I wasn¡¯t the only one who looked good, though. Neal was absolutely sexy as hell in his own attire.


    Perfectly messy hair that made him look like he¡¯d spent all day f*cking. Dark cks, a ck button-up shirt rolled to his elbows with the top buttons undone, showing off his tight, firm ripped chest below.


    F*ck me, he looked delicious.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m not the only one looking good tonight,¡± I teased softly as Allegra came striding out of her room, digging through her clutch purse before her eyes nced up at me.


    ¡°Who are we talking about?¡±


    ¡°You and how hot you look,¡± I quickly said, trying to divert attention from what I really was talking about. A certain godly man who dripped sex and seduction standing to my right.


    Get your head out of the gutter, Ba. I internally scowled.


    ¡°Are we ready to go?¡± Neal cut in as he cast me a nce that made my cheeks flush.


    ¡°Yep,¡± I piped up as we headed towards the front door on our way to the car. I wasn¡¯t sure what was going to happen tonight, but I had a feeling it was going to be interesting.


    ***********


    As the car pulled up outside the club, I heard the music beating from within. The ce had a dark, seductive feel to it, but in the end, it seemed like any ordinary kind of club. Darkened windows andrge entrically designed double doors made up the front facade.


    Not to mention all the security and scandalously dressed women waiting to get it.


    ¡°Come on, you two,¡± Allegra called out over her shoulder as she passed a nce between Neal and me. I didn¡¯t miss the smirk that had crossed her lips, and as I looked at Neal, I caught him staring at me.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I said softly, watching him snap out of whatever daze he was in.


    ¡°No, not at all. Come on, before Allegra gets upset.¡±


    Making our way inside the club after Allegra had a long heated discussion with the security guard that she was on the list. I was ready for a drink. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what strings she had actually pulled to get us in this ce.


    Whatever it was... from the looks of the ce, it was worth it.


    It was no surprise that most people were either in masks or were meandering by themselves with a group of friends. But not just that. You could tell that every single person in this ce came from money.


    Girls in designer clothing dripping with diamonds and other jewelry.


    Men wearing three-piece suits rxed with a drink in hand.


    It was a top-shelf kind of ce, not somewhere where you would find generic alcohol. Not that I minded. But as we moved through the masses of gyrating people, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Allegra really had something else in mind.


    Periodically, she looked over at me with a sly grin and then, at one point, looked to her brother and winked! She literally f*cking winked.


    Neal seemed to ignore the gesture, though by rolling his eyes as she approached the blond linebacker-looking bartender with deep green eyes. Leaning across the bar, his eyes dropped to her cleavage as she whispered something in his ear, and then without warning, his eyes darted up, looking straight at me.


    With a smirk on his face, Allegra pulled back, and he returned his gaze to her with a nod before disappearing from sight.


    ¡°What did you just say to him?¡± I asked, yelling over the music and crowds of people.


    ¡°Nothing important,¡± sheughed as he returned, handing her a red stic key card and three mixed drinks.


    ¡°Drinks are on the house,¡± he replied directly to me with a heavy Aussie ent. ¡°Let me know if you need anything else.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel like that was a sly suggestion from him to me, but paying no attention further to it, I turned and followed Allegra and Neal through the crowds once more to a more secluded private VIP area.


    The private area reminded me so much of Club Velvet, the only difference being the way everything was decorated and the furniture; all of it wasvish; all of it screamed money, something I still wasn¡¯t used to.


    However, Neal and Allegra looked quite at home.


    ¡°This ce is amazing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Allegra¡¯s question caught me off guard, and as I drew my attention back toward her, I nodded in agreement. ¡°It really is. This ce is amazing.¡±


    ¡°I knew you were going to like it,¡± she replied confidently as she sipped on the martini in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s the kind of ce you could lose yourself in.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what she meant by losing myself, but as the music flowed through me, I enjoyed the time I spent with them. Stiff drinks, pulsating beats, and hypnotic lighting. Before I knew it, I was up dancing with Allegra while men around watched on in delight.


    She was right when she told me she wanted me to enjoy myself.


    I needed it. I needed a moment to let gopletely and just be me.


    Twisting and turning, I felt as if I was spinning, and when I stopped, my gaze fell upon one man that seemed entranced by my movements.


    Neal.


    He watched me intently with a lust-filled gaze as I stopped staring back at him with a smile. ¡°Come join us.¡±


    ¡°I prefer to sit and watch you,¡± he replied as he lifted his ss to his lips.


    ¡°Really... well, I prefer you to join me.¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± he chuckled, shaking his head before a soft whisper in my ear from Allegra caught my attention.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there... make hime to you. Make him want you.¡±


    My eyes quickly turned to meet hers for a moment, and as they did, I stared in disbelief. I may have been drunk, but I knew exactly what she was suggesting. She was suggesting that I make a move on him.


    ¡°Allegra...¡± I whispered softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you have to sleep with him. Doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t have fun.¡±


    She didn¡¯t bother to wait for me to say anything else as she sauntered towards two men who had been eye f*cking her from across the room all night, and I was left to ponder over what she said.


    Maybe she was right.


    Maybe... just maybe, I should honestly enjoy myself.


    I was single, after all, and James was too worried about his life to care about me right now. Taking a moment to think it over, my eyes locked on to his, and as the corner of his lip turned up into a small smirk.


    It was now or never, and he enjoyed teasing me, so why not have some fun back?


    Sauntering my way towards him as if no one could stop me, I watched him watching me, and the connection in our gaze was like nothing I had ever felt before. There were many ways this situation could go. But at the end of them all, I hoped it ended in nothing but pleasure because he was the only one I could trust out of all the men here.


    As I stood before him, his legs spread on either side of mine, I contemted what exactly I wanted to do. I wasn¡¯t really the kind of girl who was usually bad. But then again, I did have my moments where I loved to have fun.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re gonna do, Ba?¡± he asked me.


    Straddling hisp, I leaned my body close to his, slowly rotating my hips over his, enjoying the feeling of his firm, hard body felt beneath mine as I leaned in close and whispered, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re teasing me.¡± His voice had taken on a gravely tone, causing my heart to race. I leaned back with a smile across my face, relishing the way his eyes stayed on me like I was the only girl in the club; no, the world.


    ¡°I thought you liked to be teased. Am I now learning that you¡¯re not into that kind of fun?¡±


    Faking a pout, he set his ss down on the table and gripped my hips, pulling me firmly against him. ¡°Are you sure this is a road you think you can go down?¡±


    Did he think that I could go down this road?


    Often, I wondered the same thing, but now I had had a few drinks and I had loosened up. There was no way I was going to let my confidence slip. Neal would never take an interest in actually taking me again. He¡¯d made that clear before.


    ¡°You talk a lot of talk for someone who¡¯s not actually doing anything. I wonder if you are the one that actually has the balls to go down this road.¡±


    The response I gave was one I wasn¡¯t respecting an answer to, but to my surprise, a sadistic grin ran across his lips, and as it did, he gripped me tighter and stood with me against his body. ¡°Now you¡¯re in for it because I never back down from a challenge.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t quite sure what I had done, but my heart raced with excitement at the anticipation of whatever he meant.


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was doing. It was something I never thought I would do.


    But at the same time, I¡¯d rather lose myself with him.


    Than lose myself alone.

 Chapter 80 : Blown by Neal

    <h4>Chapter 80: Chapter 80 : Blown by Neal</h4>


    Ba


    Never once had I considered what it would be like to be with Neal, but the moment he touched me, my skin felt as if it was on fire. Perhaps it was the alcohol running through my blood talking. Who knows?


    Though, it didn¡¯t matter because I waspletely on fire around him.


    Pushing my back against the wall in the small enclosed room away from the others, his lips were on mine in an instant and as he kissed me, my heart raced with excitement. His hands wandered across my body, my skin burning from his touch.


    I wanted more.


    I wanted so much more.


    Pulling, pushing, everything camepletely off, falling to the floor like a lost memory. For a moment, I was worried about someone walking in, but even that idea turned me on.


    ¡°You have no idea how long I¡¯ve waited for this,¡± he whispered softly in my ear as his lips trailed over my jawline, slowly making their way down my neck.


    ¡°You should have taken advantage of a situation in the past,¡± I teased.


    A deep chuckle reverberated from his lips as he slid his tongue over my navel, making me gasp. He was slowly making his way south towards the region between my legs I so desperately wanted him to taste. The entire moment was f*cking erotic, leaving me breathless, wondering how this moment passed.


    ¡°The past is the past. What matters is the present.¡± His words were thest response before his tongue dived into the center of my core. cing my hands on top of his shoulders, I moaned out at the sensations he created in me.


    He had me pinned against the wall, knelt before me, devouring me internally.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± I moaned softly. ¡°Oh, my God... holy f*ck... keep going... don¡¯t stop.¡±


    I wanted it all, and the more he ran his tongue over my sensitive cl*t, the higher and closer it brought me to my climax. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as one hand went up to run through my hair.


    Grasping at my neck, my shoulders, trying anything I could to hold back the orgasm that wanted to break through me.


    A low rumble escaped him that eventually tipped me over the edge.


    I screamed out in pleasure,ing undone as hepped up the juices without hesitation, but he didn¡¯t stop. Instead, he was still relentless. Faster and faster, his tongue worked over me. Small cries of pain and pleasure as the sensitivity grew to heightened levels... levels I never knew I could go.


    He was being dominant, possessive even, and though I didn¡¯t want someone to be entirely like that, with him, it was different. F*ck, I enjoyed it.


    Knowing he had craved me this long and was set on making sure I didn¡¯t forget him was a feeling I didn¡¯t know he could give me.


    For a second time, I came, my legs trembled, my hands trying to hold myself up. ¡°Neal¡ª¡± I gasped as I pushed against him so I didn¡¯t copse onto the floor.


    He had made me breathless, and as his eyes met mine, he smiled. ¡°Giving up already?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hold back theugh that escaped me as I shook my head no. ¡°Never.¡±


    Within seconds he stood, and my eyes took in the rock hard thickness of his c*ck. It was actuallyrger than James¡¯s, and I was shocked because I never had expected Neal to be so... huge.


    ¡°See something you like,¡± he said, causing my eyes to gaze at him again.


    ¡°Jesus Christ¡ª¡±


    Spinning me around, he pushed my chest to the wall. His hand wrapped within my hair as he yanked my head back, his knee spreading my legs as I felt the head of his thick c*ck press against the center of my core teasingly.


    ¡°Jesus isn¡¯t going to help you. Are you sure that you want this?¡± he whispered in my ear, catching me off guard.


    Do I want it? Of course, I f*cking wanted it.


    I wanted it like a bitch in heat.


    I wanted him to ravage me like the animal I knew he could be.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re checking out now,¡± I said in a seductive tone, just before he thrust every inch of that long c*ck inside me. A cry of pain and pleasure escaped me as he pushed himself in until he waspletely hilted.


    ¡°You like being a bad girl, Ba? I¡¯ll show you what bad girls get with me.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t known what he had meant at first, but within a moment, his hand in my hair released and instead he gripped my neck tight. A small, suffocating feeling crept into my throat as he started relentlessly thrusting into me.


    Ravaging me harder and faster than I had ever been taken.


    Neal was a monster in the bedroom, and I f*cking loved it.


    As his grip on my throat loosened, I let out a soft cry. ¡°Holy f*cking shit.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t expected this; I hadn¡¯t expected any of it. But God, it was so f*cking worth it.


    In and out, in and out, his motions would be forever imprinted in my brain. His hands ran against my ass, before his finger slid through the crack, pressing against my puckered hole.


    That was an area I had never really entirely ventured, and there was no way I could imagine him f*cking me there with the size of his fat c*ck, but that didn¡¯t seem to be on his mind. Instead, he pulled out his thick erection slowly and used my juices to lubricate his finger.


    Losing his thick erection made me whimper, wanting it back inside me. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Shh¡ª¡± he hissed as he used his finger to spread the juices against my puckered hole, slowly pressing it inside me. I gasped at the new sensation. The stinging from the intrusion was something unexpected, but as he thrust his engorged member back inside me, I suddenly realized what he was doing, and god did it feel amazing.


    The sensation of what he was doing took me to a level of pleasure I hadn¡¯t known existed.


    ¡°Please...¡± I whimpered more as he picked up the pace of f*cking me at both of my entrances. The pleasure of his actions building a knot in my stomach I knew all too well.


    ¡°You like that, don¡¯t you?¡± He groaned softly in my ear. ¡°You like being bad for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡ª¡± I gasped as another moan escaped me. ¡°Don¡¯t stop.¡±


    He may have been my best friend¡¯s brother.


    He may have been my ex-lovers rival... but he wanted me with a passion I had never seen in a man. Neal was the thing I had only in movies... a man who couldn¡¯t be rivaled.


    Just when I thought I could go on, a bubble burst inside me, and I screamed at the top of my lungs as I camepletely undone. His own roar of approval echoed against me as he came deep inside me. The feeling of his c*ck twitching against my cervix left me gasping, but still he didn¡¯t stop.


    He thrust a few more times as if making sure every bit of his c*m was deep inside me.


    We hadn¡¯t been using protection, but I wasn¡¯t worried.


    I was the girl who got the Depo shot every three months on time with no issues. So letting him c*m inside me as much as he wanted or as much as James had wanted in the past didn¡¯t bother me. I didn¡¯t have to worry about being pregnant because it wasn¡¯t something I had set in my future, at least not anytime soon.


    Sagging against the wall, I slowly tried to catch my breath.


    His eyes looked down at me as he lifted my chin with his hand and pulled me back, gently kissing my lips. He was still buried within me, but after a moment, he slowly slid himself out and spun me around to face him properly, using his body to brace me up considering my legs felt like Jell-O.


    ¡°I never expected my first time with you to be inside one of these rooms in this club, but I don¡¯t regret it,¡± he chuckled, brushing a thumb against my cheek. ¡°Now, why don¡¯t we get you cleaned up so I can take you back to the house and continue on with what we started.¡±


    Started... f*ck, I thought we had finished.


    My cheeks flushed at his words, thinking about all the dirty, dark things he still had nned for me. Once upon a time, I would have been nervous.. perhaps even scared.


    Now, though, there was no way I would be hesitant with him.


    Perhaps a life with Neal was what fate had for me all along. Perhaps everything that had happened to metely was all part of a bigger purpose.


    As Neal set me down on the small bed in the room, he walked to the small connected bathroom and turned on the facet. I couldn¡¯t help but watch him and think about everything.


    James had been a man I was unconditionally falling in love with, but a life with him was nothing but heartache andplications. Something that wasn¡¯t healthy for anyone... and he didn¡¯t want the same future I did.


    Neal, however, was different. Closer to my age, but still older. No baggage, nothing holding him back from loving me. Not to mention zeroplications. We didn¡¯t have to hide or pretend... Neal wanted me for me, and expected nothing different.


    Stepping from the bathroom, he came towards me with a wet towel, smiling. ¡°Lay back. Let me take care of you.¡±


    I did as he asked without question, and as he slowly slid his hand up my leg before using the towel to clean up all the mess we¡¯d made, I couldn¡¯t help but think how intimate this situation was between us. The entire time, he stared at what he was doing with such tenderness.


    ¡°I never thought that being with you would be like this,¡± I whispered, my admission causing his eyes to meet mine as he set the towel down and took my hand pulling me up towards him.


    ¡°Ba, I waited for you for a long time, and I would have continued to do so. But this... this is only the beginning of what I have for you. You don¡¯t have to agree to be my woman, but I promise you... I¡¯m a possessive man, and now that I¡¯ve had you... there¡¯s no f*cking way that I¡¯m letting you go.¡±


    Just hearing him say that... hearing him proim his future agenda while pulling me tighter against him made my heart melt.


    What the hell was I doing with my life?

 Chapter 81 : Calling the Shots

    <h4>Chapter 81: Chapter 81 : Calling the Shots</h4>


    James


    Days had passed since I had been in New York, and with the contract finalized with Chad¡¯s father and himself, I had nothing else to worry about. The moment I could tell Tally she had nothing to worry about, I saw a light of happiness in her eyes I hadn¡¯t seen in quite some time.


    Things were looking up, and even Sergie¡¯s men had backed off on what they were trying to do... for the moment, anyway.


    With everything on the bright side, I contemted the idea of whether it would be safe to convince Ba toe down here. Take her internship with mypany maybe...e spend time with me. Anything to get her to forgive me, and let me show her how much I cared.


    I loved her more than anything, and it took going through all of this to realize what I was losing because of my selfishness. I did not know if I could still fix things, be able to keep her, be able to make it right, but I wanted to try.


    As long as she will give me a chance.


    Sitting in my office, I went through the rest of the paperwork I had neglected over the past few weeks. With everything going on, I seriously had to get things together. Start trying to prepare for the worst in case this temporary happiness disappears.


    ¡°Mr Valentino, there are two gentlemen here to see you,¡± Evette said from the open doorway. My eyes looked up to meet hers. I hadn¡¯t been expecting anybody and had it been Sergie, she would have called me over the phone.


    ¡°Show them in,¡± I sighed in response. There was no telling what they wanted or who they even were, but I was in a f*ck-it mood, and honestly, anything was better than paperwork.


    The moment the two men walked into the room, I knew automatically who they were. Well, maybe not who they were, but who they worked for. They were government agents, and with that being the circumstances, it meant one of two things.


    I was going to jail, or they were looking for information.


    ¡°Gentlemen, wee to Valentino Industries. How can I help you?¡±


    The older man with graying hair and sharp blue eyes with slight stubble upon his face smiled brightly at me. ¡°My name is Greg Masters. I was hoping to take a moment of your time.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± I replied with hesitation. ¡°Well, of course. Take a seat.¡±


    As the men took a seat in front of me, I cast my eyes towards the younger man with red hair and green eyes. He stared at me with curiosity, something unreadable in his gaze.


    ¡°And what is your name?¡± I asked him, considering he didn¡¯t offer it initially.


    ¡°John... John Doe.¡±


    ¡°John Doe,¡± I chuckled. ¡°Well, gentlemen, I don¡¯t understand how you expect me to have a reasonable conversation with you when one of you won¡¯t even give me your real name.¡±


    The guy simply rolled his eyes with a scoff that sounded almost like augh as the older man frowned at him. Obviously, the older man was the one in charge, but I didn¡¯t like how the younger man was here.


    ¡°His name¡¯s Jacob,¡± Greg said as he rolled his eyes at the young man next to him. ¡°We¡¯re actually here from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We have amon interest right now and with what we know, you¡¯re going to want to listen to what we have to say.¡±


    I was slightly concerned by what he said because if they were part of the FBI, then there was only one reason they were here, and that was because my past was catching up with me.


    ¡°What is it I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°What would you do if I told you even though Sergie seems to have backed off, he is actually nning to execute you?¡± Greg asked with a raised brow as he leaned back in his seat.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... who?¡± I asked, ying dumb.


    Jacob sneered at me with a clenched jaw before leaning forward. ¡°Don¡¯t y f*cking stupid with us. We know who you are and the business you guys have.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Were you given permission to speak?¡± I taunted him, watching the anger grow within his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Something about this man I didn¡¯t like. Something about him didn¡¯t sit right with me, and that he was acting the way he was, sent red gs and rms off in my head.


    ¡°Go f*ck yourself. We know all about your shady dealings,¡± Jacob snapped.


    ¡°Enough, Jacob,¡± Greg interjected, causing me tough.


    ¡°I hate to break it to you, but I run a clean business. I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    Jacobughed, shaking his head as he stared at me. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re f*cking stupid here, Valentino? We know you¡¯re still doing business with him, and if you don¡¯t wise up, he¡¯s going to kill you, your daughter, your grandchild, and anybody else that you f*cking care about.¡±


    Narrowing my brows at this young prick sitting across from me, I contemted smashing his face in with the crystal globe sitting on the corner of my desk, or simply pulling out the gun that sat beneath my legs shooting him where he sat.


    I wouldn¡¯t tolerate anyone speaking to me that way, but thinking of my family, I turned my gaze back to Greg, who seemed just as irritated as I was by what Jacob had said.


    ¡°Greg... if you want to talk about things, I have no problem with that, but I would like for you to exin to the young man next to you that if he opens his mouth like that to me again, he will regret it.¡±


    Threatening a federal investigator was not something you wanted to do.


    That right there would get you time in jail, but from the way these two men sat across from me wanting to exin things, I kind of had an idea that they could not aplish whatever they wanted if it wasn¡¯t for me.


    So I took the risk, and I made the promation, only to watch Jacob¡¯s eyes widen and his knuckles turn white as he gripped the arms of the chair he was sitting in.


    ¡°Who the f*ck do you think you¡¯re talking to¡ª¡±


    Jacob¡¯s words were quickly cut off as Greg held up his hand. ¡°Leave. Go out to the waiting room next to the secretary. I¡¯ll talk to Valentino by myself.¡±


    Checkmate. They did need me for something.


    I watched Jacob stand t with hesitation in his eyes as he nced down at Greg, who gave him a stern re, as if telling him to go now. Slowly, Jacob left the room, mming my office door behind him, and when he¡¯d left, I finally rxed and took in the sudden silence with pleasure.


    ¡°Now that he¡¯s gone, go ahead and exin to me what you need. Because you and I both know right now... you need me more than I need you.¡±


    Greg chuckled as he sped his hands in front of him, his fingers running against each other as his eyes turned towards the window.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been after Sergie for ten years, but no matter what we do, we can¡¯t seem to get close enough to him. However, he has made a point multiple times to try to get a hold of you. So we want to strike a deal with you, because currently, we could send you to jail for the next fifteen to twenty years for everything we have on you... that is unless Sergie kills you first.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t worried about going to jail, because honestly, it would almost be a vacation for me. The problem was, though, I didn¡¯t want anyone I loved to get hurt because of the shit I had done. It was my problem to bear, and the thought of Tally or anyone else suffering wasn¡¯t a thought I wanted to have.


    ¡°Why are you waiting until now to speak with me? Why didn¡¯t youe to me about this before?¡±


    ¡°As you said, we need you. We can¡¯t get Sergie without you. He has been too guarded. However,tely you, Valentino, happened to cloud his judgment. His men are slipping up, orders aren¡¯t being followed... and your ex-wife, well... she¡¯s been in Sergie¡¯s bed multiple times in the past few weeks.¡±


    Hearing that Allison was sleeping with Sergie honestly didn¡¯t surprise me.


    I had thought they had something going on years ago. However, I tried to believe Allison wouldn¡¯t do that to me. That she would be faithful, and honestly, that didn¡¯t work out well at all. Instead, she cheated on me with a younger man and left me heartbroken, trying to pick up the pieces of my life.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about my ex-wife. However, I don¡¯t want my daughter or anyone else hurt.¡± I said with a heavy sigh. ¡°I will help you, but you really need to consider who you partner with. Jacob can¡¯t be trusted, and I don¡¯t want him knowing I¡¯m doing this.¡±


    Greg furrowed his brows in confusion as he stared at me. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Exactly what I said.. Watch your back with him.¡±


    ¡°Dually noted... now, what do you want out of it?¡± Greg asked, letting out a breath as he adjusted himself in his seat. ¡°Make an offer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like not to go to jail, that¡¯s for sure,¡± I replied, watching as Gregughed, shaking his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to do some type of time in jail, I¡¯m afraid. However, I think we might get that knocked down to eighteen months. At the end of the day, that¡¯s a lot better than twenty years.


    I sat for a moment, thinking about it.


    Never in my life had I ever thought about being a snitch. Never in my life had I ever thought about having anything that had to do with any form of government. I hated the government.


    I was going against everything I was by helping them, but it wasn¡¯t about me, it was about keeping the people I loved safe.


    ¡°Okay, but under one condition... I want to make sure that my family, my daughter, all of them are protected and kept safe.¡±


    Greg stared at me for a moment before he smiled and nodded in agreement. ¡°And the pretty girl that¡¯s up in New York?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t actually surprised they knew about Ba.


    If they had been watching me as long as I think they have, then they knew everything.


    ¡°I want her protected, too.¡±

 Chapter 82 : Captivated by Neal

    <h4>Chapter 82: Chapter 82 : Captivated by Neal</h4>


    Ba


    Thest few days with Neal had been absolutely amazing. I couldn¡¯t get over everything we had been doing; from hanging out at the house like we used to or catching a movie. He had even taken me down to Broadway to see a show.


    In between all of it, we spent time wrapped in each other¡¯s arms under the sheets of his bed, his hands stroking through my hair as Iid my head upon his chest.


    It was amazing being with him. Letting him possess me... ravage me.


    I never thought this could happen with him, but yet here I was, spending time with someone who was incredible, who seemed to really care about me, and through it all, he didn¡¯t judge me for being anything other than who I was.


    ¡°Are you getting hungry?¡± His deep, sultry voice wrapped around me, tugging gently on my heart. I had always cared for him, always held a special ce for him in my heart, but after thesest few days.... I was wondering if there was a possibility my feelings could end up eventually being more.


    ¡°I¡¯m kinda hungry, but I¡¯m not really sure what I want. Would make sense for us to buy groceries, but that means leaving the bed again.¡±


    ncing up at him, I caught his gaze, and both of us broke intoughter. Neal admitted two days before he was not the kind of person who usually went out grocery shopping. Instead, he would just grab something on his way home or not eat at all.


    Such was the life of a bachelor.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t want to make homemade pizzas?¡±


    Hisment was an inside joke about our catastrophe of making horrible pizzas back when he had visited me. Shaking my head, I scrunched up my nose in disgust. ¡°Absolutely not. There is no way we are ever doing homemade pizzas again.¡±


    A smallugh escaped him as he kissed the top of my head.


    ¡°Alright then, how about I run down to the bodega, grab some food there, maybe pick up a bottle of wine...¡± He ran his fingers over the bareness of my back. Our naked bodies pressed against each other after another intimate mind blowing session. ¡°...Then, when Ie back, we can eat, and I¡¯ll just have you for dessert.¡±


    Laughing once more, I ran my hand up his chest until I gripped his jaw so I could slowly lean up and kiss his lips softly. ¡°Oh, so now I¡¯m dessert? I thought this morning you said I was breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert. Honestly, it¡¯s all the same for me. I could eat you twenty-four seven, and I would never be satisfied.¡± He flipped me over onto my back, sliding his legs between mine, pressing the thickness of him against my core.


    ¡°Neal¨C¡± I gasped softly against the pillows. ¡°Don¡¯t tease me.¡±


    ¡°I could take you right here... slide into you again and send your mind spinning,¡± he whispered against my neck. ¡°Would you like that?¡±


    A soft moan escaped me as I pushed back on his thick, hard erection. ¡°Yes¨Cbut then we would never eat.¡±


    ¡°I already told you, I can just eat you.¡±


    He was absolutely delicious and had the stamina of an ox, which meant he and I were both sore and absolutely exhausted. I would literally need the time at college to recuperate in between sessions of seeing him.


    Instead of continuing to tease me, though, he kissed over my shoulders and then pulled away. ¡°Is there anything that you want from the store in particr?¡±


    ¡°Maybe some fruit,¡± I called out as I rolled over to see him walking towards the bathroom. The sound of the faucet turning on hit my ear as he disappeared from sight. ¡°Grapes preferably.¡±


    I could almost picture a life with him. Living together, having breakfast every morning, coffee, reading the newspaper, talking about regr things. I knew it was early on, but we¡¯d been friends for so long I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what a life like that would be.


    What kind of adventure would we have?


    ¡°So you¡¯re in a healthy mood.¡± He stepped from the bathroom, having put on fresh clothes that did nothing but turn me on even more. Gray sweatpants, a tight ck shirt and disheveled hair... he was godly looking, and I wanted more of him every time I saw him.


    I wanted to pull him back into bed with me and make him take me again. Him using me for food sounded better than having to let him go, only to wait for him to return. ¡°I changed my mind. I don¡¯t think you should go out.¡±


    He turned to me, furrowing his brows with confusion as he grabbed his wallet off his dresser and stuffed it into his pocket. ¡°What do you mean? Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Yep, you¡¯re definitely too sexy to go out. I can¡¯t have all these other women trying to, like, steal you from me or anything,¡± I replied sarcastically, causing him tough. Slowly, he made his way over to my side of the bed, leaning down, kissing me with intensity in every stroke of his tongue against mine.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ba,¡± he said, pulling back. ¡°There¡¯s only one woman who can turn me on how I deserve to be turned on, and unfortunately for them, that woman is you.¡±


    Pulling away from mepletely, he smiled and headed from the bedroom towards the front door. ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± he called out as the echoed sound of the door closing behind him caused me to lie back and let out apletely satisfied sigh.


    To think, only a few weeks ago, I had been living in torment, trying to figure out exactly where my life was going, where things with James were going. Now, I was in a penthouse in the middle of New York City, sleeping with a man closer to my age, but yet, still old enough to have more experience than normal men, relishing the life I could have with him.


    All the while, I was slowly forgetting all the troubles which once filtered through my mind.


    Deciding to slide from bed and jump into the shower, I moved quickly towards the bathroom. My hands ran through my hair as I stretched my arms high over my head, trying to relieve the sore muscles that filled my body.


    Neal had made me exercise more than I ever had in my entire life. I saw no need to workout when I had Neal, who worked out every muscle in my body for more than an hour a day.


    He was a machine, and ording to him, hadn¡¯t taken a lover since the day he met me. Whether that was true or not... I didn¡¯t know. But thinking about it made my heart flutter just a bit.


    Picking up my toothbrush, I blobbed the toothpaste on top of it and stuck it in my mouth. My mind wandered over what I was going to do thest forty-eight hours I was spending with him. In two days, I had to head back to school, and even though I wasn¡¯t ready to go, I knew I would be back soon.


    Slowly, a smile spread across my face, but as it did, I noticed a weird feeling in my stomach and had to lurch for the porcin throne to empty the entire contents of my lunch like a projectile missile.


    After a few moments of heaving, the slow sensation of being sick finally fell away. Confusion filled me as I tried to think of what I had eaten that could have made me sick. As I flushed the toilet and finished brushing my teeth, I grabbed one of Neal¡¯srge shirts and pulled it over my naked body.


    I didn¡¯t have the desire to shower anymore and simply wanted to crawl back into bed to get some sleep. My chest hurt, and my stomach wasn¡¯t happy, but I wasn¡¯t sure what hade over me. I grabbed my phone and quickly sent a message to Neal to tell him to skip the wine and instead grab me something for my headache because I suddenly wasn¡¯t feeling well. He was ever so sweet in contacting me back, telling me he was just walking into the bodega and that he would pick up some things to make me feel better.


    It was a good possibility, with the time of year, I had picked up some type of bug from either being out at the club or perhaps walking around the different stores I¡¯d visited on our outings. I¡¯d always had a weaker immune system than most people, and with that weaker immune system, I got sick rather easily.


    Grabbing the remote, I turned on the TV and waited. There was no point in trying to do anything else with my stomach protesting and my head spinning.


    If it kept up for too long, I was going to have to make sure I saw a doctor.


    Forty-minutester, a sound pulled me from the light sleep I had fallen into while curling myself around Neal¡¯s pillow. ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± Neal called from the front door as it closed behind him. My eyes slowly turned toward the bedroom door, watching as he walked through it with a smile on his face but concern in his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t look too good. Are you feeling okay?


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m feeling better than I was. I¡¯m guessing maybe I just ate something at lunch that didn¡¯t agree with me. Or maybe it was the wine and then all the extracurricrs we had.¡±


    Nealughed at myment and a smile spread across my face as he quickly plopped himself down onto the bed and pulled me into his arms.


    ¡°Well, I picked you up some stuff, regardless. Just take it easy. We can hold off on any more fun tonight. Give you some time to rest. I have been working you out pretty hard thest few days,¡± he replied, causing me to snuggle into him and let out a sigh of satisfaction.


    ¡°Speaking of thest few days, have you even heard from Allegra? Where the hell did she go?¡±


    ¡°Well, from what I understand, she saw us hook up at the club, decided that she didn¡¯t want to be at the house for that, and made her way over to Jersey to spend time with a friend before heading back down south,¡± Neal said, making a guilty feeling grow inside me. She hade all the way up here to spend time with me, and instead, I hooked up with her brother.


    ¡°I should call her... I should have spent more time with her.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± Nealughed. ¡°This is exactly what she wanted. If you call her, you¡¯re more likely to have her telling you off for not spending more time with me.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but nce at him with a smug smile before giving in to what he was saying. It made sense, honestly. The moment Allegra got here, I couldn¡¯t help but notice her casually giving Neal looks and subtle gestures as if they¡¯d had some private conversation I wasn¡¯t privy to.


    ¡°Well, then I guess I shouldn¡¯t let her down then, huh?¡±


    Leaning forward, he kissed my forehead with a smile. ¡°Definitely not.¡±

 Chapter 83 : Heading Home

    <h4>Chapter 83: Chapter 83 : Heading Home</h4>


    Ba


    Two days went by quicker than I thought they ever could, and before I knew it, I was loading all of my stuff back into my car with Neal at my side as he tried to convince me to stay, or at least convince me he would fly me back instead of me driving my car.


    No matter how much he tried to persuade me, though, I couldn¡¯t let him do that. It was a sweet gesture, but I had to be independent, and even with us sleeping together or whatever else this was, I didn¡¯t want people to think I was relying on him for everything.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you won¡¯t let me help you,¡± he sighed as he ced myst bag into my trunk. ¡°I don¡¯t like the thought of you driving.¡±


    Giving a softugh, I turned to him, raising a brow, and smiled as I closed the trunk. ¡°You have said that multiple times now, but again, I will be fine. Honestly, you worry too much.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t worry enough, Ba.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure where this sentiment came from, but pulling me close to him, he kissed me gently, wrapping his arms around my waist. ¡°I wish you didn¡¯t have to go.¡±


    ¡°I know...¡± I responded with a heavy sigh. ¡°But I have school, and just think, in a month and a half I will be done with this course and onto my internship.¡±


    ¡°About that... have you thought of where you¡¯re going to do it yet?¡±


    Shaking my head no, I let a small smirk cross my lips. ¡°No, but as soon as I know, I will let you know.¡±


    Pulling away from him, I made way towards the driver¡¯s seat, feeling his eyes upon my body as I moved. There was a part of me that wanted to turn back and tell him I had changed my mind, but my sore body reminded me I needed a small break from the ravaging he gave me.


    ¡°Call me when you get there,¡± he called out, causing me to look over my shoulder at him.


    ¡°I will. Don¡¯t get into too much trouble while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    His signature smirk lit up his face as he ced his hands in his front pockets. ¡°Trouble? But I enjoy getting into trouble.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know.¡± Iughed as I climbed into my car and closed the door.


    Neal stood aside, watching me as I backed up from the parking spot and headed away from the garage. Not once did he move from his spot until Ipletely lost sight of him and pulled out onto the busy streets of New York City.


    My time with him this fall break had been amazing, but in the end, it left mepletely confused about what was going to happen with my life. What I was going to do in order to make sure I didn¡¯t f*ck this up as well?


    Since I had gotten sick the other day, it had happened three more times, and I was fairly sure I had caught the flu or something. My nose ran and my head hurt, so as soon as I got back to school, I would schedule an appointment with my doctor to get seen.


    It was on my list of shit to get done.


    Turning up my radio, I prepared for the long drive back, a smile on my face, and a warm feeling in my heart.


    *****


    Neal


    Watching Ba go almost made me snap. I didn¡¯t want her to go, and as I watched her car pull away, I contemted running after her, demanding she stay. Even if that meant I had to throw her over my shoulder and carry her all the way back up to my apartment.


    Thest few days with her had been enchanting, and feeling the way her body responded to me as I pleased her in more ways than one was something I would never get over. She was a goddess, and my d*ck hardened just thinking about how she took it into her mouth and sucked it dry.


    God, what I wouldn¡¯t give to see her on her knees before me once more.


    To hold her head as I pumped my hips into her throat, letting her take every f*cking inch of my c*ck like the pro she was.


    Pushing the thoughts aside, I pulled my phone from my pocket to call Allegra.


    ¡°Oh, looky, who is calling me?¡±


    ¡°As if you weren¡¯t expecting it. I was just calling to let you know she is on her way back to school,¡± I said as I stepped into the elevator, making my way back upstairs.


    ¡°Leaving? Why would you let her leave?¡±


    ¡°Uh, because she has school, Allegra,¡± Iughed. ¡°You know that thing you never finished?¡±


    ¡°Go f*ck yourself, pretty boy.¡±


    There was something about riling my sister up that always seemed to entertain me. She had been rooting for Ba and I to have something together for a long time, but never had I considered it would actually happen.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t get over it all. Me and her, that is,¡± I sighed into the phone as I stepped out of the elevator, heading towards my front door.


    ¡°I said you both were meant for each other. I¡¯m just d you finally took the initiative. She is a keeper and deserves to be happy as you do as well. So don¡¯t f*ck this up.¡±


    Laughter escaped me as I rolled my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t n to. I do wish she hadn¡¯t been sick thest two days, so I could have shown her a few more sites.¡±


    ¡°She was sick?¡± Allegra replied after a moment of silence.


    ¡°Yeah, about two days ago, she just started throwing up. Now it seems like maybe it¡¯s a head cold. I don¡¯t know. She said she was going to the doctor when she got back, which is why she was eager to leave. Something about not wanting to be sick during finals.¡±


    ¡°Neal... did you guys use protection?¡± Allegra asked, causing me to stop as soon as I walked into my apartment, ncing at my phone with a look as if to say... seriously?


    ¡°¡®Legra... are you seriously asking this right now?¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± she snapped. ¡°Have you or not?¡±


    ¡°No, we haven¡¯t Allegra.¡± I snapped back. ¡°But I¡¯m not worried about it. One, she is on the shot or whatever, and two, even if she wasn¡¯t, I would still not care. I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to take care of her and my child if one came about. Not that it is any of your business. Besides, we haven¡¯t even been having sex long enough for her to be pregnant.¡±


    There was silence on the other end of the line, followed by a heavy sigh. She knew I was right, and thest thing I wanted was to piss her off or upset her, but she was going to have to learn to mind her ce in my love life, sister or not.


    I wouldn¡¯t allow her to tell me or Ba what we were going to be doing.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she finally conceded. ¡°It¡¯s your life, regardless. I love her to death, and I know she isn¡¯t like other women, but you getting her pregnant wasn¡¯t what I was really worried about. You¡¯re right¨Cyou two only just slept together, so she wouldn¡¯t be showing symptoms.¡±


    It suddenly dawned on me what she was saying. If Ba was pregnant, it wouldn¡¯t be me who was the father of her child.


    It would be James.


    It would be another way for James to keep hold of her instead of her being able to have a life with me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t jinx that, Allegra. There is no way she is pregnant. She just has a bug.¡±


    ¡°Birth control isn¡¯t always effective, Neal. That¡¯s all I¡¯m saying,¡± she replied in a singsong voice that made me want to strangle her through the phone.


    ¡°Look... I need to go. I have things I need to take care of.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied softly. ¡°If you need me, call me.¡±


    Hanging up the phone, I ced it on the counter, running my hand over my face. I had never contemted the idea of her getting pregnant by James, but I also knew she was a smart girl and there was no way she would allow herself to get put into a situation like that.


    Allegra was just putting her nose in ces that it didn¡¯t belong. I trusted Ba.


    Walking towards my room, I took in the sight before me. The bed was still a mess, and the nkets were hanging halfway onto the floor. All it did was remind me of her and how much I wish she hadn¡¯t left. How much I wish I could have kept her here forever.


    I cared about her, and deep down, I wondered if I was honestly in love with her. All this time being her friend, helping her, living with her, I¡¯d wanted more with her, and when I finally got it, the idea of her leaving about tore me apart.


    I didn¡¯t want to put that pressure on her, though. I didn¡¯t want to be the one to jump the gun with the ¡°I love you¡± or anything else. However, the moment she said she loved me, I was going to marry her. There was no way I was going to let her escape me, no matter my past.


    She knew a lot about me, and honestly, growing up, I never wanted to be with a woman in the long run. I saw them as pretentious and devious. That was until I met Ba. Shepletely intrigued me and changed my view of women all together.


    Everything about her was intoxicating and addicting. She carried herself elegantly and gracefully, but she waspletely seductive behind closed doors. Many times she left mepletely speechless by her actions because I couldn¡¯t believe how I had been blessed with someone like her in my life.


    Letting out a heavy sigh, I walked towards the bed, picking up the pillow she had slept on and inhaled deeply. It still smelled of her, and the deep inhale left a longing desire in my heart. I was aplete mess, and though I would see her again, soon, I wanted her now.


    I would have to wait, though. I couldn¡¯t scare her away by being too overbearing.


    Even if it wasn¡¯t in my nature to willingly let go of what belonged to me.


    Whether or not she knew it, she was mine.

 Chapter 84 : Shocking News

    <h4>Chapter 84: Chapter 84 : Shocking News</h4>


    Ba


    A dayter and finally home, I made a point of making a doctor¡¯s appointment because no matter what I did, the nausea did not subside. I would be fine one minute, and then the next thing I knew, I was throwing up. Nothing I did made it better, and by this point, I was wondering if I was actually sick or if it could have been something else.


    ¡°No, Dad, I¡¯m going to the doctor, I promise,¡± I said through the phone, my father having called me twice to check on me already since I had been back. He worried I had picked up some unknown strain of virus in New York City.


    Not that you couldn¡¯t. Lord knows the subway system carries all kinds of germs.


    ¡°Well, I want you to let me know as soon as you get done at the doctor exactly what¡¯s going on,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I will, I promise. Just go enjoy yourself with your girlfriend. She sounds really sweet. What was her name again?¡± I asked, trying to remember the woman¡¯s name my dad was now seeing. He hadn¡¯t been with someone in so long, but for thest few months, he had been dating her; he seemed happy.


    ¡°Her name¡¯s Kathy. She¡¯s a lovely, retired nurse. She isn¡¯t your mom, of course, but she makes me happy. I just want to make sure that you¡¯re okay with it.¡±


    ¡°I am okay with it,¡± Iughed through the phone. ¡°You deserve to be happy. I¡¯m tired of seeing you so sad all the time, and Mom wouldn¡¯t have wanted you to just live in misery forever. She would have wanted you to move on. She even told you that before she passed away.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just, I don¡¯t want you to think that I¡¯m trying to rece your mother.¡±


    It was sweet how he constantly worried about this, but he didn¡¯t need to be. I wanted him to be happy, and I was an adult. He had to move on with his life, figure things out and make new memories.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a little girl anymore, okay? Don¡¯t worry about upsetting me; I¡¯m a grown woman. I¡¯m going to ept whoever you choose to be with, as long as they¡¯re treating you well.¡±


    Saying our goodbyes, I hung up the phone and prepared myself to head to the doctor¡¯s office. A lot was running through my mind and my uing finals in a few weeks were one of them. It was going to be thest series of tests I had to take before I was allowed to start my internship.


    I was definitely looking forward to my internship. I was excited about the idea of being able to leave this campus, go stay somewhere else, and work towards proving myself for cement after college.


    Grabbing my car keys and my purse, I headed from the apartment downstairs to my car. The doctor¡¯s office, unfortunately, was a good thirty-minute drive from where I lived, but they were worth it.


    I saw a woman named Dr. Carter, and she literally did everything in her office, from regr primary care all the way to gynecology.


    It was a one stop shop, and even though it took a long time to get appointments with her, she was more than eager to get me in. Which kind of surprised me, honestly, because I wasn¡¯t due for an appointment with her for a few weeks.


    This was simply an emergency walk-in visit.


    As soon as I got in my car, I felt the wave of nausea roll through me again. Taking deep breaths, I tried to push through it, but unfortunately, in the end, I had to open the car door and hurl up the contents of my breakfast all over the ground. Trying to gather a moment before I put the car in gear again, I took deep breaths.


    I may have craved apple spice oatmeal, but my stomach said no thank you.


    Forty-five minutester, and with absolutely nothing in my stomach, I made it to the doctor¡¯s office with a smile on my face, hoping she could tell me what the hell was going on with me.


    ¡°Ba, how lovely to see you! I¡¯m so d that you could make it,¡± Dr. Carter said from the receptionist desk as she picked up a few pieces of paper.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be here. I¡¯m actually kind of surprised I could get in with you so quickly. For a minute there, I thought I was going to go to a walk-in clinic.¡±


    She hushed me with her hand and a smile on her face before gesturing for me to follow her. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. I think I know what¡¯s wrong with you. But let¡¯s get you to the back and check. J, sign her in, and I¡¯ll take her with me.¡±


    J didn¡¯t bother to say anything to me. Instead, she nodded her head at Dr. Carter and typed away at herputer like a madwoman. The sound of her nails tapping the keyboard filled my ears until I disappeared behind the back doorway.


    I was confused by what the doctor meant. She said she knew what was going on with me, but I hadn¡¯t even properly exined to her what the issue was. Nevertheless, I followed her through the doors towards the back, where she had her different exam rooms.


    Before stepping into the room, though, she grabbed something off a nearby cart and turned around to face me. ¡°Urine sample, please.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked with hesitation. She¡¯d never done this before.


    ¡°Just following procedures. We¡¯ll do aplete check up on you just to make sure everything is okay.¡±


    Hesitating for a moment, I took the cup and nodded as I set my purse down inside the room and made my way to the bathroom. I didn¡¯t understand why she would need me to do a urine sample, but going ahead and doing what she asked, I finished my business and made my way back to the room with haste.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± I replied, handing her the cup, which she took with a gloved hand and sat down on a metal tray.


    ¡°So why don¡¯t you tell me what you¡¯ve been up totely and also how long you¡¯ve been feeling like this?¡±


    ¡°Well, I have been trying to make it through myst year of school, for one. Summer didn¡¯t exactly go as nned down in Miami. Lord knows, you know Tally. I know she sees you for her Depo shots, too. She¡¯s quite the character,¡± I replied, going through the series of events of a milder form, of course, exining to her the fun that we had and the ces we went.


    ¡°Oh, dear. She will grow out of it, eventually. I heard that she¡¯s expecting, though. That sounds like fun,¡± Dr. Carter replied with a hint of a grin on her lips as she turned to type something into herputer.


    ¡°Yeah, she is, and she¡¯s handling it rather well, which is unexpected, but I mean, she has to do something. She has another life she is going to have to take care of.¡±


    Dr. Carter said nothing about myment, but she nodded her head slowly before her eyes nced from theputer back towards me. ¡°So, how long have you been feeling like this?¡±


    ¡°Um, it started maybe about five days ago. It was really unexpected. Honestly, I figured maybe I¡¯d gotten food poisoning because I¡¯d been staying with a friend of mine in New York, but he had eaten the same foods that I did, so there was no way it was food poisoning.¡±


    ¡°Oh, have you been seeing him long?¡± she asked in a singsong voice as her eyes widened and her smile got brighter.


    ¡°No, we¡¯ve only been dating each other for maybe a week. We were friends before.¡±


    That didn¡¯t seem to be the answer she was looking for, and now thoughts were running through my mind about what she thought was wrong with me. There was no way in hell I was pregnant.


    If that¡¯s what she thought was going on, she was sadly mistaken.


    ¡°Was there nobody else that you¡¯ve been seeing then?¡± she hummed, pulling out a pregnancy test from a drawer, setting it next to the urine in the cup.


    ¡°Dr. Carter, I am not pregnant. I get my Depo shot on time, all the time. I¡¯m careful. I always have been... you know this.¡±


    Hesitating for a moment, her brows furrowed, and she looked off to the side, as if pondering something, flipped through my chart, checked, and then looked back at me again.


    ¡°Ba, you have indeed been very consistent with your Depo shots, however...you were supposed to have gotten your shot again two months ago.¡± Her words made it seem like time had frozen for me.


    What the f*ck did she mean two months ago?!


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible. I literally got it before I came down on vacation to Miami¡ª¡±


    Hearing myself say that, I froze.


    I literally got it before I went down to Miami.


    That was back in June.... Oh, my God... I¡¯d missed my shot when I came back!


    ¡°Ba... I hate to break it to you, but your roommate was supposed to have gotten it next month, not you,¡± Dr. Carter replied, cing a hand on my knee as she tried tofort me.


    My appointment card had gotten messed up with Tally¡¯s, and I had been so busy with everything that had happened through the summer, I didn¡¯t realize my three months had ended at the end of August.


    Even then, that meant Tally hadn¡¯t gone to herst two shots either, considering how far along she was. ¡°Tally missed as well,¡± I whispered, shaking my head.


    ¡°Tally hasn¡¯t been here in almost a year. We just kept sending reminders to her. That must¡¯ve been what you thought was yours.¡±


    My eyes shot up to hers with shock. ¡°What the hell¡ªyou know what? I don¡¯t wanna know why she stopped her birth control.¡±


    The doctorughed for a moment, shaking her head as she held up the test. ¡°Want to find out.¡±


    ¡°Just do the test,¡± I said in a ghastly voice as my eyes watched. Dr. Carter nodded slowly before taking the pregnancy test and dipping it into the urine.


    Those three minutes were the longest three minutes of my life.


    I waited t for the dye on the tests to process, only to show me the answer I already knew. There on the test were two bright pink lines, and a confirmation that shattered my heart.


    I was f*cking pregnant.


    Tears burned my eyes as I stared down at the test sitting on the tray. How in the hell did I, of all people, allow this to happen? There was no way. Absolutely no way.


    ¡°Is there a way for us to tell how far along I am?¡± I asked as I tried not to break into a sobbing mess.


    ¡°Oh, sweetie, it isn¡¯t that bad, and you¡¯re almost done with school, aren¡¯t you? So by the time the baby is due, you will have made it through graduation.¡±


    ¡°Doctor, please,¡± I sobbed as I wiped my tears from my face. ¡°Can we determine how far along I am?¡±


    ¡°Of course, we can. Follow me into this next room. I¡¯ll do an ultrasound and see if we can¡¯t see something. You might feel a bit of pressure though because we¡¯re going to have to do a vaginal ultrasound, but I think you¡¯re probably around six weeks from the sounds of it.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure at all how she would even know that, but I was eager to see what exactly was growing inside of me. Of course, one day I wanted to have children. I just never imagined it would be like this.


    I never imagined I would get pregnant while in school. I wanted to graduate, start my career, build a savings ount, and then look at getting married and having children.


    With meying upon the small silver table, she turned off the lights and turned on the ultrasound machine. After a few ufortable moments of her probing inside me, trying to find the right position, she brought up the picture of a small jelly bean on the screen.


    ¡°So I stand corrected,¡± she said in a very humorous tone. ¡°You are almost eight weeks along.¡±


    I was stunned. I should have gotten my shot back in August, but it was now almost November, and I was eight weeks pregnant.


    ¡°I thought it could take months after being on the Depo for so long for someone to conceive. How is this even possible? Was the shot defective?¡± I asked her as she removed the wand and cleaned me up.


    ¡°No, that is typically true, but every woman is different. Ba, you¡¯re about seven weeks pregnant. Just over actually, and your baby looks healthy and is growing. I will set up someb work to get everything taken care of, just to make sure.¡±


    As she went over the list of things I needed to do and what she would do for me, my mind went nk. The only thing I could think of was how Neal was going to handle this.


    The baby wasn¡¯t his, obviously....


    No, in fact the baby belonged to James.

 Chapter 85 : I’m Pregnant

    <h4>Chapter 85: Chapter 85 : I¡¯m Pregnant</h4>


    Ba


    By the time I left the doctor¡¯s office and made my way back to my apartment, I was too shocked to speak. I was too shocked to f*cking do anything. All the way home, I¡¯d cried. I¡¯d cried for thest thirty minutes I had been sitting on my sofa.


    I sat contemting how I was going to tell James I was pregnant with his child.


    I thought we were over.


    I thought I was going to move on.


    I thought about a life with Neal.


    But no... fate decided to pull out their funny f*cking card and made me get pregnant by a man who wanted nothing to do with me.


    I had literally be ironic, a si for whatever f*cking gods were up there watching me below them saying, ¡®Hey, let¡¯s pick on this girl because she hasn¡¯t already been through enough.¡¯


    With a sigh, I grabbed my phone, flipping through to James¡¯s number. I debated on whether to call him, but I called the one person who wasn¡¯t a man.


    I called Allegra.


    ¡°Hey sweet cheeks, what¡¯s going on? Heard you haven¡¯t been feeling good. Everything okay?¡±


    Before I could probably get words out, the tears magically started reappearing. ¡°No, everything is all f*cked up, and I have no idea what I¡¯m supposed to do.¡±


    ¡°What the f*ck did he do? I will kill him,¡± was the first thing that came out of her mouth, and for a moment, I hesitated. Itpletely caught me off guard, my tears turning thin as I tried to contemte which man she actually was talking about, James or Neal?


    ¡°Kill who?¡±


    ¡°My brother, Neal, he did something, didn¡¯t he? I warned him if hurt you in any way, he was done. So help me God, I will f*cking castrate him,¡± she snapped, obviously in an angry rage. ¡°What did he do? Tell me. I am getting my keys right now. I¡¯m getting on a ne, and I¡¯ming up there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god, Allegra, no!¡± I screamed at her quickly with panic. ¡°Neal did nothing. It¡¯s me. I did something and I... I can¡¯t fix it. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± I said, causing the silence in her background to quiet down.


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    How the f*ck did she know? I had only just found out myself.


    ¡°Uh... how¡ªhow did you know?¡± I stuttered over my words as I tried to figure out how to formte my thoughts properly again.


    She sighed into the phone as the sound of her fridge opening echoed in the background. ¡°The day you left, Neal called me and told me about you being sick. We talked about you being pregnant, and he said he would be happy to be a dad, but of course, the idea that you could be pregnant by James was the only thing on my mind.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do, Allegra. I don¡¯t know what to do about anything. James wants nothing to do with me, and I care so much about Neal. Things are so good between us. Uplicated... this is going to break his heart.¡± I told her, trying not to think about how Neal was going to be so disappointed in me to hear this, to realize I was damaged.


    ¡°Oh, Ba, I don¡¯t think like that. You need to tell him now. He will be a lot more understanding than you think.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how,¡± I scoffed. ¡°The girl he is with is pregnant by another man.¡±


    Allegraughed through the phone, finding amusement in what I did not. ¡°It¡¯s not like you cheated on him. You and James were together, Ba. Stop being so hard on yourself.¡±


    She was right. I was being abnormally hard on myself, but how could I not? I was pregnant, and still trying to figure out how to get my life together. Still trying to understand what I was going to do after graduation. I wasn¡¯t prepared for any of this.


    ¡°I will tell Neal, but I still have to tell James, and I don¡¯t want to tell him on the phone. It¡¯s something that I have to do in person,¡± I replied to her, thinking of how that conversation would go.


    ¡°Start by calling my brother first. Talk to him. He will be able to help,¡± she countered. And I knew she was right. I had always been able to count on Neal, but I didn¡¯t expect him to step up and y daddy. That wasn¡¯t his ce.


    I had gotten myself into this mess, and I was going to have to figure it out by myself. I couldn¡¯t rely on anyone, and even though James would more than likely want to move me down there, move me in, and so on and so forth, that was a whole chaotic catastrophe I wasn¡¯t sure I was prepared for.


    Taking a moment to breathe, I picked up the small photos of my unborn child thaty upon the table and tried to prepare myself for a conversation I was going to have, one that I knew I wouldn¡¯t be prepared for.


    The conversation that more or less could have destroyed everything I had with Neal, or by some small hope, would grow stronger if that was even possible.


    *****


    Neal


    It had been just over a day since Ba had left, and with every second she was gone, I wondered what she was doing, contemting more than once if going up to spend time with her there was a good idea. I was aware she had school, so it wasn¡¯t her fault she couldn¡¯t be here.


    But it still didn¡¯t make it any better. Perhaps I was being too much.


    Thest thing I wanted was to be overbearing.


    I wasn¡¯t even sure what to call what we had because we weren¡¯t technically in a rtionship. Even though we had slept together, we were still simply just friends.


    Through all of my worries, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what Allegra had said.


    What would I honestly do if Ba turned out to be pregnant? It would be obvious it wasn¡¯t mine. Not enough time had gone by.


    Would I tell her to figure it out herself and to contact James?


    Would I be supportive and understanding of what she was going through and still stay by her side?


    There were so many variations of things I could do, things I could say if she was, but every part of me hoped she wasn¡¯t. Hoped she just simply had the flu or had eaten something bad, and I knew that was awful to say because I would never wish ill on anyone.


    But it was just better than the alternative.


    Sitting behind my desk at work, I tried to force my mind into the paperwork; closures needed to happen, deeds needed to be drawn up. But when my phone rang, startling me from the concentration I was putting forth, I was happy to see Ba calling me.


    ¡°Hey gorgeous, what are you doing?¡±


    There was a slight hesitation on the phone before she spoke, and when she did, I knew something was wrong. ¡°Hey, are you busy?¡±


    The soft gentleness of her voice stroked at my heart, making me miss her even more than I had already. ¡°For you, I¡¯m never busy. This is just work. I don¡¯t live to work. I work to live.¡±


    She giggled softly at myment, and hearing that softugh made me melt further. ¡°I went to the doctor today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. How did that go? Did they give you some medication to help with your nausea?¡± I asked her, hoping and praying she was going to say she had the flu.


    ¡°Umm, kind of, but it¡¯s not¡ªI don¡¯t even know how to exin this.¡±


    ¡°Just take your time. What¡¯s going on? Is it something serious?¡± I asked, trying to reassure her, but in the back of my mind, I knew exactly what she was going to say.


    Please don¡¯t say you¡¯re pregnant. Please don¡¯t say you¡¯re pregnant.


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant, Neal.¡±


    F*ck. I knew it.


    Her statement made my heart drop into my stomach. This beautiful woman that deserved the world and a life of happiness was pregnant, and it wasn¡¯t so much the pregnancy that was the issue because I would love to see her pregnant.


    The problem was who she was pregnant by. He didn¡¯t deserve to breathe the same air as her in my opinion. I¡¯d sat back for too long and saw how he treated her. Saw her try to love him despite the shit going on, and in the end, he broke her heart again and again.


    I couldn¡¯t let her hear me upset, though. I cared about her, and being supportive was important.


    ¡°I had a feeling that you may be,¡± I admitted. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ba. Everything¡¯s going to be okay.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that? How can you tell me everything¡¯s going to be okay? My baby¡¯s father is James. What am I gonna do? He wants nothing to do with me, and even if he did, I would have to live in the chaos that seems to surround him.¡±


    ¡°You still love him, don¡¯t you?¡± I asked her, curious to know her answer.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I was going to do if she said yes.


    I could lose the woman I was falling in love with.


    ¡°That¡¯splicated,¡± she replied softly through the phone. ¡°Of course, a part of me still loves him. He was everything I had hoped for initially, but then the same part of me woke up and realized I was living in a fantasy.¡±


    Her answer wasn¡¯t what I was expecting, and I found myself swimming in a sea of emotions because she admitted she did, but also that she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. You either love him or you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Nothing is ever simple, Neal. A part of me may care about him, but also a part of me cares about you. Really cares about you, but I know this isn¡¯t ideal for our situation. I¡¯m not asking you to step up and be anything. I¡¯m not asking you to do anything because this is my mess to fix, but I don¡¯t want to lose you,¡± she replied, and it was obvious that she was crying.


    Hearing those soft sobse through the phone made me want to go to her even sooner, but I wasn¡¯t even sure where my ce was any more.


    ¡°You¡¯re never going to lose me, Ba. I am falling in love with you. But I don¡¯t want to end up making your situation moreplicated considering you¡¯re carrying his child.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re falling in love with me?¡± she asked in almost a whisper, as if she didn¡¯t realize it.


    ¡°I am, but that¡¯s something we can talk aboutter. When do you finish your exams?¡±


    ¡°Three weeks,¡± she replied quietly. ¡°I have to figure out my internship situation.¡±


    Taking a moment to consider what she was saying, a smile crept over my face. ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t have to start till January, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, technically, but I have to give them an answer before Christmas break.¡±


    ¡°Okay, and you will. However, once you finish yourst exam, I want you to pack up some stuff ande back here. I hate that you will want to drive, but go ahead ande back here, and we will talk about everything when you get here,¡± I told her as a n formted in my mind.


    ¡°Are you sure you want me there?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe she even had to ask me that. It should have been obvious I wanted her with me here, but instead of pointing that out, I smiled.


    ¡°Yes, more than anything.¡±

 Chapter 86 : Early Delivery

    <h4>Chapter 86: Chapter 86 : Early Delivery</h4>


    James


    Over the past few days, I have worked with Greg and a few others trying to figure out a game n in order to take down Sergie and his men. They were indeed watching me, watching my every move, and with that, I had to be very careful because if they had got wind of what I was doing, it would surely end bad for me and anybody I cared about.


    Stepping up precautions, I hired additional security guards from an outside source. Some of the extra precautions were even undercover agents Greg wanted ced around my property to ensure they had eyes there should anything happen.


    I wasn¡¯t pleased about it, but what was I going to do, tell them no?


    Leaning back in my office chair at my house, I tried to think over everything that had been going on. Since the day I met Greg, it had been nonstop work trying to figure out ways to catch Sergie.


    I wasn¡¯t quite sure why they thought Sergie woulde out of the woodworks for me, but then again, it made sense he would jump at any opportunity to get back in my good graces and on all my books.


    Even if Sergie thought he was doing me a favor by letting me work with him.


    The arrogant prick.


    Letting out a heavy sigh, I looked at my watch. I was patiently waiting for a meeting with some woman from the department who was going to inform me of our next steps in the process of all this bullshit. I didn¡¯t like all these unfamiliar faces being brought into it, but Greg assured me each of these people were important to making sure this worked.


    At the end of the day, I was going to end up going to jail. At least I wouldn¡¯t be dead, though.


    With that being said, I had a lot of other things I had to consider. Like making sure that my affairs were in order, and left to someone I could trust. Someone who would take care of shit and make sure it was done properly.


    That person wasn¡¯t Tally¡ªeven if she was my daughter.


    If I had left everything to Tally, she wouldn¡¯t know how to conserve the money or run anything. She would easily be pushed over, and eventually Allison would wiggle her way in to try to take it all. Not that Allison could do it at first. ording to Greg, she was looking at jail time, too, for conspiracy tomit murder.


    My murder. The f*cking bitch.


    At the end of the day, the only other person who I could think to do this for me was going to be Ba. We may have not been on the best of terms, but I trusted her, which was saying a lot, considering we didn¡¯t know each other very well until she came down for the summer and became my sex ve behind closed doors.


    But she was smart, had a good head on her shoulders, and knew what she was doing.


    I would simply have to put her down as the executor to my estate and all of my finances, including mypany, and hope when the time came for it, she wouldn¡¯t look the other way. Hopefully, she would put the past aside and take care of things.


    A soft knock at my door caught my attention, and as I looked over, I saw my housekeeper standing there with a concerned look on her face. ¡°Sir, I just got word Tally has been rushed to the hospital.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure why my phone hadn¡¯t rung with this information, but quickly standing, I walked towards her. ¡°What happened? She said she was going out shopping. Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gone intobor, sir. Her driver called to inform me because he couldn¡¯t get through to you on your phone.¡±


    With the phone in my hand, I looked through it. There were no received calls, and suddenly, uneasiness crashed over me as I contemted my phone had been tampered with. Either from Sergie and his men or possibly Greg¡¯s.


    Either way, I needed a new phone.


    ¡°Tell my driver to prepare my car,¡± I eximed as I quickly sent a message telling Greg I would have to reschedule our meeting. I didn¡¯t care who may have messed with my phone. This was my daughter, and I was going to be there.


    My housekeeper didn¡¯t waste a second in pressing forward to do as I asked her, and as soon as the message was sent, I closed my office door and made my way through the house towards the front door where my driver was patiently waiting.


    My mind was focused on one thing, and one thing only. Tally and her baby.


    Everything else was irrelevant at that moment.


    As the car pulled off onto the streets of Miami and headed straight for the hospital, I nced down at my phone in my hand looking at the backdrop photo of Ba I had taken months before. Her smiling face looked back at me, taunting me to kiss her.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if she would want to know about Tally, but opening my phone, I sent her a message.


    ¡®Tally went intobor early. Headed to the hospital.¡¯


    I wasn¡¯t sure why I would think Ba would care about this considering the past and everything that had happened, but my phone chimed with a notification, and looking down, I saw her reply.


    ¡®Keep me posted. Hope she is okay.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t the reply I was looking for, but it was something.


    Deciding not to press the issue with Ba, I looked up to notice my was car pulling into the hospital parking lot and stopping right in front of the door. A very frantic Allison stood, waiting for me more than likely. Taking a deep breath, I stepped out onto the entryway, closing the door behind me only for Allison toe running up with teary eyes.


    ¡°They won¡¯t tell me anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. What the f*ck are you doing here, Allison?¡± I scoffed at her. ¡°She told you to leave her alone. Did you cause her to go intobor early by stressing her out?¡±


    Her mouth parted, and her eyes went wide at myment. ¡°F*ck you, James. No, I didn¡¯t. The security guy I have following her told me what happened. I know all about your issues with Sergie, and I had to make sure she was safe.¡±


    ¡°My issues?¡± Iughed. ¡°Issues you caused primarily. Get the f*ck out of my way.¡±


    Pushing past her, I made my way into the hospital, towards the reception desk, where a woman told me to go up to the third floor. Taking the elevators to my left, I did as she said and arrived on the maternity ward rather quickly.


    The sound of Tally cursing everyone out traveled down to where I was standing.


    ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t be up here without a pass,¡± a short, plump nurse said with her hands on her hips as she stood in front of me.


    ¡°That¡¯s my f*cking daughter, and if you don¡¯t get out of my way, you and I are going to have problems,¡± I sneered as I stared down at her, waiting for her to make the right decision and move.


    ¡°Taliana Valentino, is your daughter?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she is. Now get the f*ck out of my way,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t go back there right now. She¡¯s getting ready to go to surgery. She needs to have an emergency C-section. It¡¯s for hers and the baby¡¯s safety.¡±


    Hearing this, my heart almost sank. ¡°What happened? Is she going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir, she¡¯s going to be fine. Sometimes this happens. She is close enough to her due date, though, that there should be no majorplications with the baby.¡± Her reply was somewhatforting, but I was still concerned, regardless.


    If anything happened to her or my grandchild, I didn¡¯t know what I would do.


    ¡°Well, I still need to see her. I still need to let her know that I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, you can¡¯t. Currently, she¡¯s being prepared for a sterile room, and if you go in there, you could contaminate it, which is what we don¡¯t want. If you want, there is a waiting room right around the corner. You can wait there, and as soon as she¡¯s done, I wille and let you know personally that she is okay.¡± She sure was being nice to me for the way I¡¯d spoken to her a momen ago.


    Thest thing I wanted to do was contaminate Tally or the baby and risk the chance of them getting sick or dying because I was impatient. So instead of arguing with her, I nodded and walked towards the direction she had pointed to wait for them toe tell me what was going on.


    Waiting to hear something took the longest few hours of my life. I sat there waiting regardless, scrolling through my phone, trying to reach out to anybody I could think of that I needed to inform. The only problem being, we didn¡¯t really have much family. It was just us.


    And Allison, of course, who sat on the opposite side of the room, refusing to leave.


    Why she hade, I had no idea. Tally had made it clear she did not want her mother present, that she did not want her mother involved. Yet, here her mother was, acting like the caring woman she should have been, when in reality it was all just a show.


    The moment the doctor and nurse walked into the room, I was on my feet rushing towards them, Allison, unfortunately, not far behind me.


    ¡°Is she okay?¡± I blurted. ¡°Is the baby okay?¡±


    The doctor smiled at me, nodding his head. ¡°Both mother and baby are doing well. Tally is out of recovery and being taken to her room. You will be able to see her in about thirty minutes. The baby, however, will have to stay in the NICU for a week or so to make sure that he is healthy, and will be okay on his own.¡±


    Hearing they were both okay was a weight lifted off my shoulders. Tears sprang to my eyes. I tried to wipe them away, and for a moment, I hadpletely forgotten that Allison was there. That was until she spoke like she had a ce to and ruined the moment.


    ¡°Do we know if there¡¯s going to be any majorplications with my grandson?¡±


    The doctor nced from Allison to me as I nodded, showing him he could speak to her and answer the question. ¡°As far as we know, the baby will be perfectly fine.¡±


    ¡°Do I need to take any precautions before I go in to see her?¡± I cut in, asking the doctor, not wanting Allison to speak any more on the subject.


    ¡°Yes, her nurse will help you with that. However, I do need to get going. I will check in with Tally in a few hours to see how she is doing,¡± the doctor replied, giving me a small smile, but before he could walk off, Allison grabbed him by the arm, stopping him.


    ¡°What about me? I¡¯m her mother. I need to be back there, too.¡±


    The nurse¡¯s eyes narrowed at Allison as she reached over, releasing Allison¡¯s grip on the doctor. ¡°I can handle this, doctor. We will see youter.¡±


    He didn¡¯t bother to say anything and disappeared from the room. As soon as he did, though, the nurse¡¯s narrowed gaze turned towards Allison and amusement ran through me. ¡°As I told you earlier, Allison, your daughter doesn¡¯t want you near her or the baby. So you may leave, or I will have you removed. The choice is yours.¡±


    Ouch. The blow to Allison¡¯s ego made a smirk cross my face that hadn¡¯t been there in days.


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. I¡¯m her mother. She doesn¡¯t have a say¨C¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just take a hint and get the f*ck out of here, Allison? Our daughter doesn¡¯t want you here, and you¡¯ve done enough damage tost a lifetime,¡± I said, cutting her off before she could finish her sentence.


    At the end of the day, I didn¡¯t have pity for this woman, and neither did anyone else. She would have to learn to lie in the beds she made and deal with her consequences.

 Chapter 87 : Racing for Love

    <h4>Chapter 87: Chapter 87 : Racing for Love</h4>


    Ba


    Thest thing I expected was for James to message me out of the blue while I was trying to get coffee and tell me Tally had gone intobor. I didn¡¯t think I would care as much as I did, but the moment I heard, I panicked for her.


    Tears sprang to my eyes as I thought of what could happen.


    She may not have been a good person her entire life, but from what I saw and have heard, she was trying, and everyone deserves a second chance. She had been through so much, and this baby was a way for her to start over. To make amends for her actions.


    I knew it was stupid for me to act this way, considering everything she had done to me, but I was only human, and a very caring one at that. So considering I had such arge heart, thest thing I wanted was for something to happen to her or the baby.


    Trying to preupy myself until I got the news, I meandered around my apartment trying to catch up on homework, dishes, and anything else that needed done. My hands were wrinkly and red from cleaning everything in sight and eventually, when my phone chimed, I scurried to answer it.


    It had taken hours to hear from him, but in the end, he messaged me to let me know she and the baby were doing perfectly fine. It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and as I texted him back, letting him know I was d everything was okay. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if I should have been there.


    It was stupid, I know, but would anyone honestly me me for letting that fleeting thought pass through my mind? To be conscious enough to know even though he had been aplete asshole, I still had been there for most of her life and she had nobody else?


    Perhaps I was simply too caring for my own good.


    ¡°She¡¯s not my problem anymore. She¡¯s not my problem anymore.¡± The mantra rang through my mind repeatedly as I ced down my phone and picked up the remote to my TV.


    My exams wereing up quickly, and I was not prepared in the slightest. Now, with a baby on the way, I really had to think about where my life was going to go and what I was going to do. In seven months, I would have a brand new baby here that would need every part of me, because honestly... who knew if James would be there?


    Why did my life have to be so damnplicated?


    Laying back, I tried to close my eyes, my mind racing with the possibility of what my future was going to be and even how I was going to manage. The only thing I knew for certain was I was my mother¡¯s daughter, and because I was, I knew I could be strong.


    I knew I could do this because she was with me everywhere I went.


    She wouldn¡¯t let me do this on my own.


    *****


    Neal


    Jolting up in bed, my eyes scanned the darkened room before me. Sweat poured down across my skin as I tried to catch my breath. Another nightmare I couldn¡¯t escape. My mind often went back to the darkened hallways of the boarding school I had gone to when I was younger.


    Allegra had been the bright star in our family, and with our parents caring more about themselves than us, I found myself growing up in VanDeacon¡¯s Preparatory Academy. A ce that had good memories, but also terrible ones.


    Pinching the bridge of my nose, I closed my eyes tight and tried to remind myself that that was years ago, and no one could ever hurt me again. No one would ever find out about what had happened there.


    Pushing myself from the bed, I paced my bedroom before walking towards the kitchen to get a ss of water. Everything from the day had been aplete mess, and now with Ba pregnant, our future was even more unsure.


    There was no way James was going to allow her to walk away. He was a possessive man, and god forbid she had a son. He had wanted one for years, and Allison had only blessed him with a daughter. A daughter who was sometimes out of control.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± I screamed to no one in particr.


    How did I let this girl get under my skin like she did?


    How did I allow myself to fall for her?


    I was a f*cking mess, and there was nothing I could do to fix it. Even if I went abroad, and tried to forget about ever meeting her... it wouldn¡¯t be possible. I saw her face every time I closed my eyes.


    Picking up my phone, I called the only person I could talk to about anything.


    ¡°Neal? What¡¯s wrong? Why are you calling sote?¡± Allegra said sleepily into the phone.


    Tears brimmed my eyes because of my confusion. ¡°The nightmares are back.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sweetie,¡± she hushed into the phone. ¡°When did they start?¡±


    ¡°A few days ago,¡± I sighed, running my hand through my hair before letting it slide over my face. ¡°I thought they were gone.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± she whispered. ¡°So they started after Ba left?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t actually realized what she said until she said it, and hearing it now, I paused in reflection. The nightmares had been gone for so long, and the moment I started getting close to someone again, they came back?


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s because of her I¡¯m having them?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± sheughed. ¡°Not because she is close to you, but because you¡¯re afraid of losing her.¡±


    Laughing, I shook my head as I stood and walked towards therge bay windows of my apartment, ncing down at the busy street. It was crazy how, even at this time of day; the streets were busy, and the city was alive.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid to lose her, Allegra.¡±


    She scoffed through the phone, and I could almost picture her rolling her eyes. ¡°Yes, you are. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re lying to yourself.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t like that, Allegra. This ispletely different.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± she snapped. ¡°The doctor told you years ago that this could happen when you get close to another woman. The only way you¡¯re going to fix this is to tell her the truth. Tell her you love her, and that you want her to be with you.¡±


    Reflecting on the fleeting memory, I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. ¡°She is pregnant, Allegra. I was going to tell her everything over Christmas break, but now her life is moreplicated than ever. I can¡¯t push myself on her, no matter how much I care about her.¡±


    ¡°A baby isn¡¯t aplication, Neal,¡± she said condescendingly.


    She was right. A baby wasn¡¯t aplication, but the father of that child was. ¡°He isn¡¯t going to let the two of them go.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t f*cking about him, Neal. Stop worrying about what James is going to say or do. She is going to be with you or she isn¡¯t. You¡¯re simply making excuses.¡±


    Maybe I was making excuses, but only because I was afraid of being hurt again. I was afraid once she found out who I was, she would run away from me. She would see how ugly I really was and I would lose her forever.


    Often, I wondered if keeping her at arm¡¯s length would be better.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± I replied, trying to change the subject.


    ¡°No, you need to do something about it.¡±


    That was my sister. So damn pushy, and so touchy when someone doesn¡¯t listen to her. Yet, through the years, she has been the only thing keeping me grounded. Everyone else either left, or couldn¡¯t understand who I was.


    ¡°Okay. I heard you. I¡¯m gonna go. Get some sleep.¡±


    Hanging up the phone, Iid it down on the counter, and stared off into nothing, trying to determine how I was going to make this work. How I was going to be able to get past the circumstances I was in to make a life I could be happy with?


    It didn¡¯t matter how much money I had or howvish my lifestyle was. I wasn¡¯t happy, and I finally realized the day I met Ba and saw how carefree and happy she was in Club Velvet with Allegra and I.


    That, of course, was until James came in and stole her away from me.


    ¡°F*ck it,¡± I snapped as I rushed towards my bedroom and straight towards my closet. I had a meeting the next day, but it was going to have to wait. There were things I needed to do, and priorities I couldn¡¯t put aside.


    For once in my life, I would not push aside my feelings and be afraid of everything going on around me. For once, I had to take a leap of faith and do something that was going to make me happy, and that was being with Ba.


    Ba hadn¡¯t just be a woman I had fallen in love with. She was slowly bing my best friend, and a life without her wasn¡¯t one that I wanted. I knew very well howplicated her situation was, but if she let me, I would be there for her.


    I would be the person she needed to lean on.


    As soon as my bag was packed, I rushed through the living room grabbing my phone, keys, and wallet. The front door mmed behind me as I made my way towards the elevator and down to the garage.


    I wanted to be there when she woke up.


    I wanted to be the first person she saw every morning when she opened her eyes.


    And I was going to make sure of that.


    I was going to make her happy, even if it killed me.


    Putting the car into reverse, I pulled from my space and made my way towards the main city roads of New York City. The drive would take a few hours, but that would give me enough time to think of what exactly I was going to say to her.


    I was going in without a n, which was something I had never done before, but for Ba it was f*cking worth it.


    Ba will never know what it feels like to be alone.


    Even if I had to get rid of James forever, I would do it.


    I¡¯d f*cking kill him to keep her, and that was a damn promise.

 Chapter 88 : Early Morning Visit

    <h4>Chapter 88: Chapter 88 : Early Morning Visit</h4>


    Ba


    The sound of loud knocking woke me from my sleep in the middle of the night. I wasn¡¯t exactly sure at first where the hell the noise wasing from, but as soon as my mind focused, I realized someone was pounding on my front door. ncing towards my clock, I groaned seeing it was close to 5:00 in the morning.


    ¡°What the f*ck?¡±


    Sliding from my bed, I wrapped my robe around me and made my way downstairs where the persistent knocking continued. The person on the other side was relentless in their endeavor to piss me off for waking me up at this hour.


    Looking through the peephole, my heart stopped for just a moment. There on the other side of my door was Neal. His hair was disheveled as if he hadn¡¯t been sleeping. Not to mention he was wearing sweats and a T-shirt, a duffle bag in hand. ¡°What the hell...¡± I muttered to myself as I opened the front door.


    His gorgeous eyes locked with mine, and as they did, he stepped into the apartment, pressing his lips against mine as he shut the door behind him. The movement took my breath away, but I wasn¡¯tining. Instead, I melted into him.


    ¡°God, I missed you,¡± he whispered softly, leaning his forehead against mine.


    ¡°Neal... what are you doing here?¡± Looking up into his eyes, I tried to understand why he was here. Thest thing I knew, he had a meeting this morning and was supposed to be flying out of town.


    ¡°I came to see you. Are you not happy to have me here?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Iughed. ¡°I¡¯m very happy to see you. But I thought you had a meeting this morning, and you were supposed to go out of town.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did.¡±


    ¡°... But you decided not to go?¡± I asked when he didn¡¯t borate further.


    ¡°You¡¯re more important to me, Ba.¡±


    I was confused about what was running through his mind. Neal had always been so guarded in a way, but right now, it was as if all his walls were down, and I was seeing him for the first time.


    Vulnerable. Broken.


    Running my hand across the soft touch of his skin, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure something was bothering him, but deciding not to press the issue anymore, I kissed him gently. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to bed.¡±


    Nodding his head, he picked me up into his arms, causing a sound of surprise to escape me as he carried me up the stairs towards my bedroom. ¡°Neal, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What does it look like?¡± He grinned as he continued on his parade.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to carry me. I can walk.¡± Iughed.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Raising a brow, a smirk fell over my lips. ¡°You know, but you don¡¯t care?¡±


    ¡°Essentially,¡± he replied as he pushed open my bedroom door, and carried me towards the bed,ying me down gently. ¡°I will take care of you.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what his admission was about, but before I could ask, he stripped off his shirt, causing a pink tinge to cross my cheeks before he slid off his sweatpants, standing in my room in nothing but tight boxer briefs. His sculpted legs, and well defined¡ªpackage¡ªon full disy.


    ¡°Not tonight,¡± he whispered as he climbed onto the bed and pressed his lips against mine. ¡°You need to rest. Growing a baby requires lots of rest.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what hade over him or why he had driven hours to get to my ce,pletely rejecting all the things he had to do today, but I was too tired to argue with him. Too tired to contemte what was going on.


    It was best just to wait till morning, and as I snuggled into the crook of his arm, I felt a sense of safety pass over me I hadn¡¯t had before. A sense of security that made my heart warm, and my mind clear of the fog it once held before.


    ********


    I wasn¡¯t sure what time it was when I finally woke up, but the streams of filtered sunlight streaming through my curtains let me know it was morning. Stretching in my bed, I nced around, realizing I was alone. I was almost certain Neal had been here with me.... Did I dream up the entire thing?


    Sliding from the bed, I made my way towards the bathroom to freshen up, and as I stepped inside, I saw his toiletry bag on the counter. I hadn¡¯t dreamt the entire thing. Neal had reallye to me in the middle of the night... but where was he?


    Finishing in the bathroom, I made my way downstairs, only to stop halfway gazing into the living room where Neal sat with a cup of coffee and hisptop. He was typing away intently, his eyes never looking up, and it amazed me how he could have passed for a college student himself.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said softly, causing his eyes to gaze up at me from hisptop, a smile spreading across his face before he quickly stood up and cleared the space between us.


    ¡°Good morning, beautiful,¡± he said as he pressed his lips against mine. ¡°Are you hungry? I made pancakes.¡±


    ¡°You cooked?¡± I asked with a wide grin and a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Yes, Ba. I can cook.¡±


    Rolling his eyes, he smirked at me as he made his way towards the kitchen and quickly ted me up some food. I wasn¡¯t honestly sure how to react to this because I had never seen him act like this before. ¡°Are... you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why?¡± he chuckled. ¡°Do I look like something is wrong?¡±


    Shrugging my shoulders, I smiled at him. ¡°You drove hours to get here in the middle of the night, Neal. Can you me me for thinking that something is wrong?¡±


    He hesitated his movements before slowly turning to slide the te of food towards me. There was no way he couldn¡¯t see what I was talking about, and as his eyes met mine, I knew he knew it. ¡°I just wanted to see you.¡±


    He was hiding something, but whatever it was lurked beneath his gaze. As if he wanted to tell me, but was unsure if he could. Reaching across the counter, I ced my hand upon his and smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m d that you came, because I missed you. But I can tell there is something else going on... just know that when you¡¯re ready to tell me, I¡¯m here to listen.¡±


    Neal¡¯s face went nk for a moment before clearing his throat. ¡°Do you want orange juice?¡±


    Changing the subject.


    ¡°Yeah sure. That sounds great.¡±


    Watching him walk around the kitchen, I dug into the food he¡¯d made and was surprised how great it tasted. Lately I was lucky if I could manage a few bites of food with this morning sickness, and yet I was able to clear my entire te.


    ¡°So I think we should talk about something,¡± Neal finally said, speaking up after moments of silence. ¡°We need to talk about us¨Cabout the baby¨Cthe future.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t been expecting him to walk to talk about these kinds of things. As far as I knew, we weren¡¯t together, and the baby wasn¡¯t his. It was mine. So hearing he wanted a future or wanted to talk about the future confused me.


    ¡°Okay...¡± I replied hesitantly as he walked around the bar. Slowly, I turned on the bar stool, only to find his hands resting on the sides of my thighs as he stood between my legs.


    ¡°I know James may be the father of your child, Ba. But I don¡¯t want you to feel like that means we can¡¯t be together if you want to be with me.¡±


    His admission took me aback. We had never talked about being together in full detail before, but hearing him say this touched me and brought tears to my eyes. ¡°We aren¡¯t even technically together.¡±


    Smooth, Ba. I internally groaned at myself.


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± He smiled sweetly, ¡°but I want us to be.¡±


    With parted lips, I gasped. ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± His hands slid over the side of my face gently. His body leaned into mine as he brushed his lips against me. ¡°I spent a few days away from you, and I realized I didn¡¯t like it. I want to spend everyday with you.¡±


    I had waited forever for someone to say these things to me. None of the guys I had ever been with made me feel the way Neal did, and even though a part of me wanted to jump at the opportunity, I knew I couldn¡¯t rush into things.


    It wasn¡¯t just me I had to think about now.


    ¡°I want that, too, but I don¡¯t want to rush things. We need to make sure that this is what we really want. I don¡¯t want either of us to think down the road that we should have waited.¡±


    My words sounded almost like a rejection, which wasn¡¯t what I was trying to do, but I didn¡¯t want him to think I would jump right in with two feet.


    To my surprise, though, he smiled at me as he kissed me again. ¡°I thought you might say something like that, and I agree. We can take things slow and see how it goes. But I want you close always... if you ept that.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Furrowing my brows, I tried to understand what he was saying. The statement having been able to mean a lot of things confused me.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that I want you to move to New York to live with me after you¡¯re done with exams.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± I eximed with shock. ¡°Neal, I have to do my¡ª¡± Holding his hand up, he cut me off and smiled.


    ¡°I know. You have to do your internship and you will.¡± He smirked. ¡°You will be my intern. I actually need help in that department anyway, and you will have your own office. Be close enough to me, and you can even travel with me overseas.¡±


    The offer was something I hadn¡¯t been expecting, and honestly, it was an amazing offer.


    He wasn¡¯t trying to rush things, but he was also allowing us to spend more time together while also taking my schooling into consideration. I knew very well James, at one point, had offered for me to go down there, but I also knew that he wouldn¡¯t have actually let me intern.


    At least with Neal, he would let me do my job.


    He knew how important my education and future was to me.


    ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t try to pay for everything all the time? That you will still let me be independent?¡±


    Softughter escaped him as he cupped my chin, pulling me closer. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t change who you are for the world, Reba.¡±


    ¡°Okay... let¡¯s do it.¡±

 Chapter 89 : News from Katrine

    <h4>Chapter 89: Chapter 89 : News from Katrine</h4>


    James


    Just over a weekter, Tally and the baby were finally home. The child was stronger than we could all imagine and pulled through regardless of being a few weeks early. We had been worried, though, that it would be weeks before he woulde home, but he surprised us all. The doctor said it was a miracle; however, I knew it was the Valentino genes.


    During the time Tally was in the hospital with the baby, I took the opportunity to get the nursery set up in my home. It wasn¡¯t what Tally initially wanted, but after I exined to her, this was the best way for her to get help, she agreed.


    I had even gone through a list of people to find the right nanny to help Tally with the transition to bing a mother, something she finally had admitted to me she was terrified of failing at.


    It was amon thing, though, for new mothers to worry about this, and after a lot of reassurance and finally being home, she was more confident with everything.


    Standing in the nursery¡¯s doorway, I watched Tally rock her baby back and forth. A soft tune came from her lips as she smiled down at him. It was a beautiful sight, and I still had a hard timeing to grips with my little baby having her own baby.


    Turning, her eyes met mine, and she smiled at me. ¡°How long have you been standing there?¡±


    ¡°Not long,¡± I chuckled. ¡°You look like you¡¯re doing better with everything.¡±


    ¡°I am. It¡¯s hard, but the nanny has been a lot of help.¡±


    Nodding, I let out a soft sigh as I thought over how much I wish I had someone to share this with. How I wished Ba was here right now to see how much things have changed. ¡°I¡¯m d that you¡¯re doing better.¡±


    ¡°Did you want to hold him?¡± she asked me as she adjusted him in her arms.


    ¡°Maybe in just a little bit, I have to run to the office for a meeting,¡± I replied, stepping forward to give my grandson a kiss on the head, my hand grasping at Tally¡¯s shoulder as I smiled at her. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be too long, and as soon as I get back, we¡¯ll spend some much needed time together.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything at first as I turned to leave, but then, after a moment, her voice stopped me in my tracks. ¡°You should call her.¡±


    ¡°Call who?¡± I asked as I nced back at her from over my shoulder. I knew who she was talking about without even asking that, but it wasn¡¯t a conversation I wanted to have.


    ¡°Ba... you should call her. I can see how much you miss her. You aren¡¯t happy anymore.¡±


    With a straight face, I nodded and turned, making my way down the stairs. It was easier said than done when it came to calling Ba. What was I honestly going to say to her to show her I was a fool for letting her go?


    Heading towards my car, my driver waiting for me with my door open, I contemted what she¡¯d said. Perhaps I should call her... I mean, it couldn¡¯t hurt anything.


    After twenty minutes of trying to figure out what I was going to do, I arrived at work and wasn¡¯t pleased when I saw a particr bright electric blue car parked out front of my building. ¡°You¡¯ve got to f*cking kidding me.¡±


    I had held the meeting with Greg at my office because it was less conspicuous than having it at my home, but with thisplication, that could not happen. Quickly sending him a text, I told him of the situation, and let him know I would call him when I was finished with her.


    The one woman I didn¡¯t want to see and dreaded greeting.


    Deciding not to put off the matter any longer, I exited the car and made my way towards the front door. My receptionist quickly stood as I entered, trying her hardest to get my attention, but with a wave of my hand, I gestured her away.


    I didn¡¯t have time to deal with anything she had to say. I already knew who was waiting up there for me, and knowing Evette, she was probably having a fit right now because of the intruder more than likely being in my office.


    Lucky for me, I kept nothing important in my office.


    I was too smart for that.


    As soon as the elevator doors opened to my floor, I hesitated and then stepped forward, making a move towards my open office door. My eyes gazed towards Evette, who looked at me with anger in her eyes as she red towards the open doorway.


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t listen to me as usual.¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    As soon as I stepped into the office, my eyes came face to face with none other than Sergie¡¯s daughter, Katrine.


    ¡°Katrine... what are you doing in my office?¡±


    "Oh, James. Is that really any way to greet an old lover? I know you missed me,¡± she replied with confidence as I made my way towards my desk.


    ¡°You mean miss you not being here... then yes, I do miss you not being here.¡±


    Scoffing, she forced augh as she leaned forward in the chair across from my desk. Her blue eyes stared at me with amusement as she tapped her perfectly manicured nails against her chin. ¡°Love and hate often go hand in hand.¡±


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d rified that I didn¡¯t want to see on my office again,¡± I sighed as I showed the displeasure in my tone of seeing her.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t like you really have a choice now, is it?¡± she smirked in her response. ¡°Daddy wanted toe kill you, but I persuaded him to let mee see you instead.¡±


    Staring at her for a moment, I tried to determine if she was being serious or not. Her eyes bore into mine as a sh of a smile crossed her lips. ¡°Why would your father want to kill me over not giving him a contract?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that isn¡¯t why,¡± she cackled. ¡°He thinks you¡¯re doing deals with the feds. I told him he must be mistaken, because we all know what kind of man you really are, so he sent me here to talk sense into you.¡±


    ¡°With the feds?¡± I smirked, shaking my head, trying to y it off. ¡°Why the f*ck would he think that?¡±


    "Maybe because you had two of them in your office recently.¡±


    Clearing my throat, I scoffed with a smile. I should have known Sergie was having me watched, no matter how well Greg thought he was hiding things. Even he wasn¡¯t that good. Sergie had eyes everywhere.


    ¡°Yeah, they came to ask me about an Asian import trying toe into my dock. I told them it wasn¡¯t mypany dealing with it to try the Rozzini¡¯s instead.¡±


    ¡°The Rozzini¡¯s? They are shit importers,¡± sheughed.


    Nodding, I pretended to go over the papers in front of me. ¡°Yeah, well, they must be stepping up their game, and we just weren¡¯t aware. Perhaps your father can look into it. I don¡¯t likepetition.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you can persuade me of your loyalty, and I will tell my father you are not someone he needs to worry about, James Valentino.¡±


    There it was. She didn¡¯te here for no reason. She wanted me, and backing me into a corner was how she was going to get another piece of me. It was always games with her, no matter what I did.


    ncing up at her, I gave her the best seductive smirk I had and ced down my pen. ¡°What did you have in mind?¡±


    Taking in her provocative clothing and overly done makeup and hair, I knew what she wanted. She wanted me to f*ck her like I used to, because that¡¯s who she was. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure there is something that you could do for me. Some way you can show me I¡¯m still the only woman you want.¡±


    ¡°And what makes you think you are?¡±


    I was dancing with the devil on this one, and I watched as her smile fell for a moment.


    ¡°Well, considering you¡¯re no longer with the prude bitch, I figured you would want to have fun with someone who really knows how to handle you. After all, she has moved on, so why can¡¯t you?¡± she replied, catching my attention.


    I had no clue what she was talking about, but the moment she said that, something clicked in her eyes. ¡°Oh, shit... you didn¡¯t know, did you?¡± sheughed.


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    Pulling out her phone, she walked towards me while flipping through it. It only took a moment for her toe to a set of photos marked with Ba¡¯s name. They had been watching her. I should have known I couldn¡¯t rely on the feds to keep her safe. It was obvious they only cared about one thing.


    ¡°Look... she is with that realtor guy. What is his name¡ª¡±


    ¡°His names¡¯ Neal,¡± I replied through gritted teeth. Ba was seen kissing Neal in one of the photos, and my heart broke. I should have known she didn¡¯t want to be with me.


    ¡°Makes one wonder if she wasn¡¯t cheating on you with him for a while,¡± Katrineughed. ¡°I do have to admit she has impable taste in men.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to hear anymore of what Katrine had to say. My mind fogged over with thoughts of Ba with Neal, and it took everything in me not to lose my shit over it. Not to go ballistic. The woman I loved, I cherished, was with another man.


    The feeling inside me was just like the one I had when I found out Allison was cheating on me. Hatred, hurt... a mixture of emotions making me question my sanity and, through the mix of it, Katrine¡¯s hand slid through my shirt, rubbing against my chest.


    ¡°Let me make you forget about her,¡± she whispered in my ear as she nipped at the lobe. ¡°I can make you forget.¡±


    The only thing I wanted to do was hurt someone, and with Katrine near me, she was going to have to do. She enjoyed it anyway, and right now, what I was going to do wasn¡¯t going to be gentle.


    Gripping her by the throat, I brought her face towards mine and sneered. ¡°You want loyalty?¡± I all but growled, watching as she moaned beneath my touch. ¡°I¡¯ll show you f*cking loyalty.¡±

 Chapter 90 : Campus Surprise

    <h4>Chapter 90: Chapter 90 : Campus Surprise</h4>


    Ba.


    The moment I took myst exam was the moment I felt a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders. I couldn¡¯t believe after all the hard work I had put into getting my degree, I was one step closer to finally being done with everything. A smile filled my face as I walked out of those doors for the veryst time and made my way towards my apartment.


    I would move in just two days down to Neal¡¯s apartment to live with him while I did my internship with hispany, something that, after much thought and consideration, I had epted without hesitation because I felt it was the best move for me.


    It was strange making those choices for me. For so long, I had followed in Tally¡¯s footsteps, but only because I had been so blinded by the truth of everything. For once in my life, I was doing something for me.


    Not to mention being around Neal made me smile. Made me forget about... someone else.


    ¡°Hey there, gorgeous,¡± a voice said from behind me, causing me to jump as I spun around to see Neal standing with a bouquet and a smile on his face.


    ¡°Holy crap, you scared me,¡± I said, cing my hand over my heart. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Laughing, he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him, kissing the side of my head. ¡°Did you really think I would miss out on yourst day of actually being in the school?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± As I kissed the side of his face, I smiled and took the flowers from him. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t expect you to be here. I thought we were going to see each other in two days.¡±


    Roses were my favorite, and not just any roses. White roses. To see him with them made my heart warm with the thought that he¡¯d remembered something small like that. They were beautiful, and as he took my free hand, he walked with me towards the apartment where I saw a moving truck currently set up with peopleing in and out of the building.


    ¡°Jesus, people are already moving out, and school¡¯s not even done yet.¡±


    ¡°Not people. Just you,¡± Neal replied with a chuckle, my eyes darting towards him as he stared at me with a raised brow and a mischievous grin.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Well, considering that you had already agreed to move down in two days, I figured, why not push that up? Plus, I have a surprise for you I want to share, and the only way I¡¯m going to do that is if I have you down in New York by tomorrow,¡± he replied as I stood absolutely dumbfounded by what he was saying.


    ¡°Neal, I can¡¯t go tomorrow. I still have to clear everything with admissions for the internship,¡± I said as I looked around at the things being moved in utter disbelief.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. I took care of everything. I knew you were stressing over it yesterday while trying to manage these exams, and I took it upon myself to send over all the paperwork. I told them I wanted you starting Monday.¡±


    Most women would have thought he was overstepping his bounds, and a part of me slightly did. However, I also knew he was simply trying to help, and he wanted to make sure everything was perfect for me.


    So regardless of being utterly surprised by all of this, I turned and kissed him with a smile. ¡°Thank you for helping me.¡±


    ¡°Was I doing just a little too much?¡± he muttered against my lips with a small frown.


    ¡°Maybe just a little, but I appreciate it, nheless.¡± I giggled. ¡°So I take it we¡¯re leaving tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yes, actually we leave in an hour.¡±


    Staring at his excited expression, I slowly questioned him. ¡°An hour? That doesn¡¯t even give me enough time to pack.¡±


    Yet, by the look on Neal¡¯s face, I had a feeling that he was well aware of this and also had a way to fix that problem. Before I could even ask another question, Neal turned to the ck car sitting at our right and hit the button on his key fob.


    ¡°Got that taken care of, as well,¡± he said proudly, causing my eyes to go wide with shock as I questioned whether or not he was going way overboard.


    More overboard than I initially had expected.


    ¡°How in the world did you know what to pack me?¡± Hesitation filled me with the idea he took it upon himself to go through my things and make sure everything private had been packed. I mean, I had slept with him, but even then, some things are left private.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t pack any of that stuff.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t pack it,¡± I whispered in confusion. ¡°Who packed it then?¡±


    Before he could say another word, I heard my name being yelled from the balcony upstairs and as I looked up towards the balcony of my apartment, there stood Allegra.


    ¡°What in the hell are you doing here?¡± Iughed as I looked up at her. She was gesturing for us toe inside. Of course, this girl would be here with him.


    ¡°You two have been plotting, haven¡¯t you?¡± I questioned with a raised brow as Neal closed the trunk of the car and smiled at me.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± he said, shrugging nonchntly, We walked towards the building. I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect heading up, but knowing the two of them, they had something up their sleeves.


    As soon as I stepped inside, I was wrapped in Allegra¡¯s embrace, her smiling face ncing at me as I looked around the apartment. It was quite obvious they must have gotten here this morning right after I had left to go take all of my exams. There were boxes piled everywhere, as well as wrapping paper for things that were fragile and plenty of packing tape.


    ¡°You were in on all of this?¡±


    ¡°Technically, yes. I took a red eye flight this morning, so I¡¯m extremely tired. However, I have been drinking a lot of coffee, which is something I rarely do, just to make sure that I could get everything packed for you to move down with my brother,¡± she rambled, not able to stand still for more than a minute.


    ¡°You really have had a lot of caffeine, haven¡¯t you?¡± Iughed as she nodded her head and continued packing away at a box sitting on my coffee table.


    ¡°But I¡¯mpleting a lot. I¡¯m to stay here under the strict order of my brothers to make sure that the movers have everything packed properly, and then I am to take a flight back home.¡±


    Slightly confused, I furrowed my brows, looking at Neal. ¡°He had youe up here to pack my apartment and then turn around and leave? Allegra, that¡¯s a lot.¡±


    ¡°Oh, heavens no. I have a lot of things to do, but I actually volunteered for this position, and I¡¯m d that I did, because let me tell you, you have some naughty, naughty things in your bedroom.¡±


    The statement she made caused my cheeks to flush red as Neal chuckled behind me. It was obvious the two of them were overly excited about me moving down to New York City and living with Neal.


    However, we were only going to be friends with benefits per se until we were one-hundred percent sure a rtionship between the two of us was exactly what we wanted. Honestly, I was happy he had agreed with that because after everything with James and now being pregnant with his baby, I wasn¡¯t sure if I was ready to take anything super serious.


    I only wanted to take things one day at a time, and if things did blossom between Neal and I, then I would be thrilled with the turnout.


    ¡°Alright, you two,¡± Neal said with a sigh as he interrupted our conversation. ¡°Go ahead and continue your little gossip. I¡¯m going to hurry downstairs and make sure that the guys know the agenda for everything.¡±


    Neal disappeared from sight before I could even say anything regarding hisment. Every time I saw him, he surprised me, and it made me wonder what else he had nned for me.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d that everything is working out with you two,¡± Allegra said, pulling me from my thoughts.


    Turning to her, I shook my head and took a seat on the sofa. ¡°Well, don¡¯t get overly excited. We¡¯re taking things one day at a time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know, sweetie. Don¡¯t worry. He filled me in on everything. However, I want you to know that you need to do what¡¯s best for you. Don¡¯t worry about hurting anybody¡¯s feelings. At the end of the day, it¡¯s what makes you happy that matters.¡± Her motherly tone was warming, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel if Neal and I didn¡¯t work, I would lose her, too.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to lose you if we don¡¯t work out,¡± I admitted, watching as she turned towards me with a frown.


    ¡°Oh, sweetie.¡± She hushed me as she sat next to me. ¡°You¡¯re not going to lose me.¡±


    Since she seemed sincere in herment, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was more to all of this. If the whole thing with Neal and I was... I don¡¯t know... official already?


    It can¡¯t be, though. Not with my situation with James.


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    Her eyes met mine with a smile as she nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t ever have to ask if you can ask me something, just simply ask it.¡±


    Nodding, I hesitated for a split second, wondering if I should even ask about James. My mind had been swirling back to him over thest two days, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if things were well enough that I¡¯d be able to tell him about... our baby.


    ¡°Have you heard anything about James or Tally?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a question she was expecting, and as she straightened her shoulders, staring at me for a moment, she shrugged. ¡°Yes, I have. Slightly... Tally had the baby, and she¡¯s doing really well. It¡¯s actually driving Allison insane because she refuses to see her. As for James... I¡¯m not one-hundred percent sure what¡¯s going on, but I know there¡¯s something big brewing. I¡¯ve heard whispers of issues with the Russians again, but I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the response I was actually looking for, but hearing there may have been a possibility he was still tied up in all of that mess solidified me staying away from him. I would never keep his child from him, but I didn¡¯t have to be with him for him to be part of his child¡¯s life.


    He would simply just have to understand where I wasing from.


    I didn¡¯t want to bring a baby up in that world.


    The thought broke my heart. I was living with this mess, but I was d I had Allegra and Neal here to support me. Without them, I don¡¯t know what I would do.


    .

 Chapter 91 : Dinner at Fratelli’s

    <h4>Chapter 91: Chapter 91 : Dinner at Fratelli¡¯s</h4>


    Ba


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I had expected when I took Neal up on his offer and leave that night. However, it definitely wasn¡¯t riding in his private ne all the way back to New York City, only to have a sleek ck limousine pick us up from the airport. Nor did I expect him to proceed in taking me to a fancy dining restaurant I waspletely underdressed for.


    The moment we pulled up outside of Fratelli¡¯s, Ipletely lost it.


    I had wanted to go to this ce for quite some time, and when I was back in New York visiting during fall break, we couldn¡¯t get any avability, even with Neal¡¯s social status. Yet, here we were outside of a very high-ss restaurant, and I was wearing leggings with a cute, flowy top and my hair pulled into a ponytail.


    ¡°Neal, are you serious...? We¡¯re eating here?¡± There was excitement and shock in my voice as I stared wide-eyed out the window.


    ¡°Yeah,st time we were here you were looking slightly disappointed that we didn¡¯t get to visit it, so I made reservations, had some strings pulled just for you.¡±


    It was incredibly sweet he would go through all of that trouble for me, but having a better heads up so I had time to change and actually look like I belonged in this ce would have been nice.


    ¡°I¡¯m so underdressed for this ce, though. I¡¯m wearing leggings, for heaven¡¯s sake, and my hair¡ªit¡¯s a mess and in a ponytail!¡± Frantic, I felt myself slowly hyperventting, knowing I wanted to go here, not wanting to disappoint him, but looking likeplete shit.


    Instead of getting angry at me though, for having my small mini meltdown, he slid over to the back of the limousine, pulled me close to him, grabbed my face and kissed my lips with such force it took my breath away.


    ¡°You are incredibly beautiful no matter what you wear, and as far as those rich snobs go, their opinion doesn¡¯t matter. If that is what you arefortable in, that is what you arefortable in. I don¡¯t care what you wear there. You could go naked for all I care. I would still take you in there on my arm to have dinner.¡±


    His words were romantic and sweet as usual, and of course, he melted my heart with hisment. But at the same time, it wasn¡¯t just about being seen with him like this. It was my confidence. I didn¡¯t feelfortable in what I was wearing, but perhaps he had a point.


    I shouldn¡¯t have to change who I am to blend in with society.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I replied reluctantly as Neal looked towards the driver who was watching us in his rearview mirror and nodded his head. The driver, knowing exactly what Neal meant, stepped from the car, walked around to our door and opened it for me and Neal to step out.


    The air was cool this time of year, and I wished more than anything I had brought a thicker jacket. But because there was only a few quick steps from the limousine to the front doors of the restaurant, I made the most of it. Pushing back how cold I was, I walked forward with Neal, his handcing through mine as we entered one of the most prestigious restaurants in New York.


    As soon as we entered the restaurant, I was greeted by the sound of ssical music, the clinging of crystal sses and, of course, the dim lighting of a very royal affair. The woman behind the receptionist¡¯s desk stood there in pearls and a skin tight designer ck dress I guaranteed probably cost more than I would make in a month working at a normal job.


    ¡°Wee to Fratelli¡¯s. How can I help you?¡± the woman said with a very snobby tone as her nose turned up and her eyes refused to look at me, but only at Neal.


    ¡°It¡¯s under the name Neal. I have a seven o¡¯clock reservation.¡±


    ncing down at the book in front of her, she scanned through before stopping. Her eyes, looking back up to Neal, and then finally ncing towards me. She seemed to take in my appearance with a smug smile on her lips before she turned back to Neal, who stood at my side.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that there is a dress code for our restaurant, and unfortunately, yourpanion isn¡¯t in the dress code.¡±


    The moment she spoke, my heart sank to my stomach, and I feltpletely embarrassed to have even walked in here. Of course, there was a dress code, and of course, they would refuse me service because of the way I was dressed. I didn¡¯t quite understand why I would have thought otherwise, but regardless, I turned to Neal and shook my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Can we just go? I didn¡¯t really need to eat here, anyway.¡± I said softly, trying to keep my voice low because I didn¡¯t want to draw any more attention to myself than I already had.


    Neal, however, was not pleased with the woman¡¯s remark, and in fact, I saw an angry re upon his face I had only seen once before. With a small smile he spread just towards me, he turned back to the woman. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯re going to need to go and get L.¡±


    The woman in front of me seemed a little taken aback and shocked by what he had said. I wasn¡¯t sure who L was, but It was clear that whoever L was, this woman did not want hering up here. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I suppose we can make an exception.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t think you heard me correctly. I would like you to go get L,¡± Neal said once more, with a little more enthusiasm and venom in his tone.


    Looking slightly nervous, the woman picked up the phone. She dialed a number and after a few short whispers, she hung up. ¡°L will be here momentarily. Would you like me to take you to your table?¡±


    Neal didn¡¯t respond to the woman as he turned to me. He pulled me closer. ¡°It¡¯ll only take just a second, sweetheart, and L will make sure that we are taken care of.¡±


    A few momentster, a regal woman with long blonde hair and bright pink lipstick walked up to the hostess desk wearing a two-piece cream colored suit. She looked like a Barbie that had just stepped out of a package and as soon as her blue eyesnded on Neal, she squealed with delight.


    ¡°Neal, I¡¯m so d you finally made it,¡± she said excitedly as she walked over and air kissed both sides of his cheeks before turning to me. ¡°Oh, you must be Ba. It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you.¡±


    To say I was confused would be an understatement. I had not a single f*cking clue who this woman was, but obviously, Neal had told her because she was overly excited to see me. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you as well.¡±


    ¡°What are you guys doing out here? Why haven¡¯t you been shown to your table?¡± L asked, knitting her brows together as she looked over at the receptionist, who looked a little faint.


    ¡°Well, it seems that your hostess seems to think that it¡¯s okay to turn away guests simply because of their appearance. I do understand that there is a dress code; however, she believes that within that dress code, it reserves the right for her to rudely refuse my other half who just stepped off a flight.¡±


    L¡¯s eyes widened in shock before she narrowed her gaze and turned towards the receptionist. The once happy woman who was overly excited to see me had turned into a vicious predator, ready to rip the girl¡¯s head from her shoulder.


    ¡°I am so sorry that happened, Neal. Let me take it upon myself to show you to your table and then I will deal with her appropriately afterward.¡±


    With a ghosted white face, the woman watched L take Neal and I around the corner into the restaurant, my heart absolutely frantic because I didn¡¯t think that for one minute I was going to pass through, and now that I was, the delicious aromas of every single food they offered hit me all at once.


    I felt beyond exceptional, and even though high society life wasn¡¯t something I ever cared for, it was moments like this I really was d I had friends who were part of that life. Otherwise, I would never have been able to strike off one of the things that I had on my bucket list.


    As soon as we reached our tables and took our seats, L said her apologies once more and quickly disappeared, leaving us with menus and a mealpletely on the house.


    ¡°Who is that woman?¡± I asked Neal as soon as L waspletely out of earshot.


    He nced up at me from his menu with a wide grin on his face as he chuckled. ¡°She was a yoga instructor who I helped end up getting into the restaurant business. L owns Fratelli¡¯s. She is a longtime friend, and thest time that we came by, unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? She actually owns this ce?¡± I waspletely shocked I had literally just met the most brilliant woman in the world.


    ¡°Yes, I do. And before you go thinking bad things, no, we had nothing together. L actually prefers more feminine tastes.¡±


    In not so many words, he clearly exined exactly the kind of person L was. She did not like men. She had an appetite for women, which I didn¡¯t have a problem with. But it made sense why when she looked over at me, I felt slightly overwhelmed by the gaze.


    ¡°That makes a lot of sense, honestly,¡± I muttered to myself, only loud enough for Neal to hear whoughed at myment.


    ¡°Outside of this restaurant, she¡¯s veryid back. I¡¯ll actually have to see if we can have a get together sometime. She throws the wildest of parties. Of course, with your condition, I know you can¡¯t drink, but they are social gatherings that you might be interested in.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wrong about that. I would have loved to get to know her more and also socialize with people who might be clients of mine soon.


    The more I thought about my future, the more I considered actually starting my own business. I didn¡¯t want to rely on a man for the rest of my life, no matter who it was I ended up with. I was going to be a mother, and because I was, I had to think about the long-term goals I wanted to achieve.


    Those goals included possibly opening my own business and making a name for myself.


    Not just that, but setting up a future for my child they would be proud of.

 Chapter 92 : James and Neal

    <h4>Chapter 92: Chapter 92 : James and Neal</h4>


    James


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to think about the meeting that I ended up having with Katrine. Yes, I had f*cked her senseless, made her scream for me multiple times, and every single bit of it was out of hatred. However, it had to be done. I had to make her and her father believe that I was on their side, and now with Sergie happy, he was adamant about another meeting.


    A meeting that, honestly, I didn¡¯t want to have.


    But it was exactly the response that I needed to help Greg be able to bring Sergie down. The problem was that all I could think about was that I had betrayed Ba by sleeping with Katrine, even though we weren¡¯t together.


    The photo of her with Neal in New York, happy, smiling and kissing, had just torn my heart apart. She was happier than she had been in a while, and it wasn¡¯t because of me that she was happy.


    No, all I did was upset her. I was a f*cking fool in so many ways.


    I didn¡¯t understand why it was that I felt the way that I did. But under the circumstances, I knew that I would have to end up letting her go because with everything going on, there was no way I was going to be able to mend the rtionship that she and I had had.


    ncing down at my phone, I looked at Neal¡¯s number and debated on whether or not to call him. I knew it was childish of me to act the way I was, considering I was a grown man, but at the same time, everybody had their ws.


    My biggest w was that I wanted to smash Neal¡¯s face in with the f*cking baseball bat and pray to God that he remained crippled for the rest of his life.


    Was that harsh? Of course, it was.


    Was itpletely petty and childish? Of course, it was.


    But then again, one can¡¯t help but wonder if oftentimes jealousy makes us want to do things that are typically out of character. I wanted him to feel the pain I felt, but I knew that wasn¡¯t fair because I had created this chaos. I had made things turn out this way.


    I had no one to me but myself.


    Against my better judgment, I dialed his number, held the phone to my ear, and waited. ¡°James.. I would say this call is a pleasant surprise, but it¡¯s not. What do you want?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the hello I was hoping for, and it seemed that he was rather more irritated with me than I was with him. ¡°Hello to you as well. I was wondering if I could spare a moment to speak to you about something.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why you needed to speak with me. We have nothing to discuss.¡± He replied in a snarky tone.


    ¡°Neal, if you would, please, I am not in the mood for childish attitudes. I need to speak to you about Ba. It¡¯s important.¡±


    Scoffing on the other end of the phone, I gripped the phone tighter as I listened to his response. ¡°There is nothing we need to discuss when it concerns Ba. She is no longer yours to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Actually, there is. There¡¯s a lot of things going on, and she could be implicated, and it¡¯s very important that I speak to you,¡± I replied, trying to show him how serious I was.


    Silence filled the phone, and for a moment there I thought I¡¯d lost him. But looking at my phone, I could still see that the call was connected. He simply wasn¡¯t speaking.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go ahead and talk then. What is it that you need to tell me about that has to deal with Ba?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping that we might be able to do this in person. That was why I was calling. Are you nning to be in Miami anytime soon?¡± I asked him, hoping that the answer was yes, because a part of me did want to see Ba.


    ¡°No, we weren¡¯t nning on being there,¡± he replied, making sure to emphasize the ¡°we¡± part of the equation. ¡°However,tely Ba has been asking to go down so that she can see her father and then stop down further to see Allegra. So there is a possibility that within a week or so, maybe close to Christmas, I might be able to amodate a meeting.¡±


    Hearing that Ba was taking Neal to see her father made me realize how serious the rtionship may have been.


    ¡°If you could possibly fit me into your schedule, I would greatly appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why it is that you can¡¯t just speak to me about this over the phone, James.¡± Neal sighed into the phone. ¡°You know, thest thing I honestly want to do is see you in person if I¡¯m down there on vacation visiting my family.¡±


    He had a point, and honestly, I didn¡¯t want to see him in person either. However, I just assumed that this conversation would be better done in person than over the phone.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re adamant, then I suppose I can go ahead and have this discussion with you now,¡± I said to him, choosing not to argue with him. It was probably better that I just got this taken care of now.


    Taking a moment to clear my throat, I thought through the things that I needed to say to him. There was so much on my mind, and knowing me, the conversation probably would¡¯t end up turning out as well as it would if it was done face to face.


    ¡°I know that you and Ba are together, and as much as I want to kill you for that... I want to thank you as well. It¡¯s obvious that I couldn¡¯t make her as happy as you can, and I do appreciate you being there for her when she needs somebody.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re thanking me for being a good person?¡± Neal chuckled, as if trying to make sense of what I was saying.


    ¡°In a way, I suppose. Honestly, I¡¯d rather smash your face in for even looking in her direction, however, I know that Ba would not appreciate that, as it seems from the photos that I¡¯ve seen of the two of you that she does care for you.¡±


    ¡°Photos?¡± Neal said with slight hesitation. ¡°What photos are you talking about? Do you have people spying on us now?¡±


    ¡°No, you f*cking idiot. I don¡¯t have people spying on you. Just because I¡¯m upset with you being with her, that doesn¡¯t mean that I would waste precious resources and have her followed and photographed just so that I could see what she¡¯s doing,¡± I snapped in anger and absolute disbelief that he would actually think I would pay for someone to follow the two of them.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then who took the photos, James?¡±


    ¡°That brings me to my next problem.¡± I sighed as I ran a hand over my face. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of the issues that I have with the Russian mob.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my sister filled me in on all of that. What about it?¡±


    ¡°They are backing me into a corner, and at the moment, things could potentially get dangerous, which is why I¡¯ve been considering sending my daughter away. However, that may be, I just want to say to you that if for some reason, things go sideways with me to get Ba the f*ck out of this country, get her to safety, and keep her protected.¡±


    Hearing myself tell Neal to protect B was like a knife to my heart.


    That was a job that I had taken on. I had promised her that I would never let anybody hurt her, that I would take care of her. No matter the situation, I would always be the one there for her.


    Yet, I hurt her and put her in danger without realizing it.


    I was literally going back on that promise by giving that obligation to Neil because for once I was not sure if I would be able to protect her, and the thought of something happening to her was more than I could handle.


    ¡°So she is in danger, then?¡± he asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a very good possibility,¡± I replied in frustration. ¡°No matter how small orrge the possibility that there could be, I don¡¯t want to take that risk.¡±


    ¡°So, are you saying that I need to get her out of the country now?¡± he asked me, and for the first time, the conversation was normal between the two of us. Well, as normal as it could be, considering everything.


    ¡°I would say for the next few weeks, things should be fine. The head guy is out of the country visiting family in Russia. However, I wouldn¡¯t put anything past him. So if you¡¯re going toe down to see your sister, or perhaps go see her father, I would do it sooner rather thanter,¡± I exined, hoping that he would get the hint.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you were stupid enough to let shite to this. How deep are you, James?¡±


    Neal¡¯s question was one that I had refused to answer to myself. I didn¡¯t want to admit that I was six feet under and being buried alive, but I would be lying to myself if I didn¡¯t.


    I would be lying to everyone if I didn¡¯t admit the truth.


    ¡°My grave¡¯s been dug.¡±


    ¡°F*ck,¡± Neal snapped. ¡°You have NO IDEA what you have done, you f*cking idiot!¡±


    Neal¡¯s sudden outburst caught me off guard, and having him speak to me like that sparked anger inside me that I hadn¡¯t knownid dormant. ¡°Just because I¡¯m being civil right now with you, Neal, doesn¡¯t give you the right to speak to me that way.¡±


    ¡°Shut the f*ck up, James,¡± Neal scoffed. ¡°You have no idea what¡¯s been going on thest two weeks, and honestly, you just made it a lot moreplicated.¡±


    ¡°Just do as I asked you,¡± I snapped. ¡°If shit gets bad, protect her and keep her safe.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I f*cking heard you the first time,¡± he replied as the sound of ss crashing in the background caught my attention. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask me to keep her safe, James. I f*cking love her and will do what I need to, to protect her.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t the only one who loves her, Neal.¡±


    ¡°No, but I¡¯m the only one who gave a f*ck about what she wanted,¡± he replied before the phone call disconnected and I was left in silence.


    Neal wasn¡¯t wrong about what he¡¯d said, but at the same time, he wasn¡¯t right. I did care about what she wanted and who she was. Even if I hadn¡¯t always shown it. The problem was that even if things had happened differently with us... she would have still been caught up in my issues.


    The only problem then would be that she may not have had someone like Neal to protect her.


    .

 Chapter 93 : Shopping Surprises

    <h4>Chapter 93: Chapter 93 : Shopping Surprises</h4>


    Ba.


    ¡°What are you doing today?¡± Neal asked from the bed. We had spent another glorious night wrapped in each other¡¯s arms, and as much as he wanted me to stay there... I had shit to do.


    ¡°I told you yesterday...¡± Iughed as I peeked my head around the corner of the bathroom to look at him. His cool eyes stared back at me with his arms resting behind his head. ¡°I have shopping to get done. Christmas is right around the corner, and if we¡¯re going to be leaving, I¡¯m not going to leave people empty-handed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you that you have to leave people empty-handed. All I¡¯m merely asking is, why do you have to do it today? Come back to bed.¡±


    Shaking my head, I rolled my eyes and continued finishing up the rest of my makeup. If I was going to beat the masses, which I highly doubt I was going to do, then I needed to hurry up and get my ass out there so I could get my shopping done.


    Looking down, I stared at the small bump protruding from beneath my shirt. I was closing in on four months, and while I still dreaded telling James I was pregnant¡ªI was nning on doing it soon.


    I was wrong to continuously hold off on telling him the truth. He deserved to know he was the father. The problem was, I just hadn¡¯t had time to go down to Miami and tell him. And unlike some people who thought it would be perfectly fine to pick up a phone and tell him, that wasn¡¯t me.


    Telling James he was going to be a father, again, needed to be done in person, not over the phone or FaceTime or anything like that. I found that to be so impersonal.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a meeting at eleven o¡¯clock?¡± I called from the bathroom, pointing out that he had been denying what needed to be done. All because he wanted to stay in bed with me.


    ¡°Yes, I do, but I wanted to spend the morning with you.¡±


    ¡°We live together, sweetie. You don¡¯t have to stay and miss work every single day just because you want to spend time with me,¡± I replied as I stepped from the bathroom.


    ¡°I know we do.¡± He watched me walk from the bathroom towards the closet. I had no doubt he would try and pull me back into bed if he got his way, but I couldn¡¯t let that happen. I was a woman on a mission.


    The moment I bent down to grab my boots, I felt his arms around my waist. A smile spread across my lips as I stood up and felt his lips against my cheek.


    ¡°You look absolutely stunning.¡±


    ¡°Do I?¡± I whispered as I leaned my head back to let his lips press gently against mine.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate in deepening the kiss as his hand ran over my small protruding bump. ¡°Yes, you do.¡±


    ¡°Well, be it as it may, I can¡¯t get back into bed with you. I know what you¡¯re trying to do, and it¡¯s not going to work. I¡¯m on a mission today, and I have a lot of ground to cover before the end of the day.¡±


    With a groan of protest, he let me go with much reluctance.


    ¡°I suppose I should get ready for my meeting, then?¡±


    Laughing, I stepped from the closet and smiled at him. ¡°That would be the adult thing to do if you feel like adulting today.¡±


    Understanding my sense of humor, heughed, nodding his head. ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    Thest few weeks had been hectic, but now I was settled into Neal¡¯s home and was preparing for the future, I found myself more rxed by everything. It wasn¡¯t my ideal situation, but I wouldn¡¯t change a thing.


    I was finally looking forward to having the baby. ¡°I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow, by the way.¡±


    He stopped in his tracks, naked and gorgeous as ever, and turned his attention towards me. ¡°Are you finding out the gender?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know... maybe? I thought about not finding out. Just waiting until the baby is born.¡±


    ¡°Really? No one does that anymore.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Or do you want to have a party or whatever they do with the genders?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at hisment. He was taking all of this very seriously, and even though the child wasn¡¯t his, he still wanted to be a part of every aspect. ¡°No party.¡±


    ¡°Okay. If that¡¯s what you want to do, then I¡¯ll support your choice. On that note, I got the flight booked for Saturday,¡± he replied, drawing my attention even more.


    I knew what he was talking about. We were leaving on Saturday to fly down to Miami. We would spend a couple days with Allegra, and then we would turn around and fly up to my father¡¯s for Christmas.


    I was excited to see my father. It had been so long, and with him having a new girlfriend, I couldn¡¯t to meet her. She made my father happy, and that was what was important.


    ¡°That sounds perfect, which is all the more reason why I need to leave now to go get shopping done. Not to mention, there¡¯s all the wrapping that has to be done as well, which is incredibly tedious, and I¡¯m very meticulous about it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not seriously wrapping presents.¡± He looked at me, slightly shocked. ¡°That¡¯s what those gift wrappers are for at the stores to wrap your gifts, so you don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°You have never personally wrapped a gift yourself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a busy man.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for that kind of stuff.¡±


    ¡°So you keep telling me,¡± I muttered with a smile. ¡°Regardless, one day you¡¯re going to have to wrap a gift yourself.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but that day is not yet happening, so therefore I will continue to allow those gift wrappers to wrap the gifts for me.¡± Leaning in, he pressed his lips against the corner of my mouth, kissing me before I quickly made my way to the front door.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be toote, and I¡¯ll call you as soon as I am on my way home.¡±


    ¡°You better. Otherwise, I¡¯m sending security out to find you.¡± He leaned against the kitchen counter as he watched me go.


    I knew he was giving me space to be my own person, but thest week he had been so adamant about me taking someone with me as ¡®security.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure why, and I didn¡¯t press the issue, but deep down, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if something was going on.


    Something I wasn¡¯t privy to.


    **************


    A few hours and many storester, I found myself satisfied with the gifts I had purchased.


    The snow had slowly begun to fall once more, and stepping out onto the cold streets of New York, I made my way through the crowd in search of something warm to soothe my throat. The cold air wasn¡¯t something I was used to yet, and even though I had lived in it for some time with school, I rarely ventured out into it.


    Perhaps it was my warm southern blood protesting.


    With no coffee shop insight, I decided to call the driver toe and pick me up. After hours of shopping, the bags were heavy, and, honestly, I was ready to go home. There was only one gift I still needed to get, and that was for Neal.


    I had contemted what gift I would get him for some time, and the only thing that kept going back to my mind were the stories he told me of when he visited his grandparents and how those were some of the happiest moments that he had ever had.


    It was hard to buy for a man who simply had everything. Even though he told me I didn¡¯t need to get him anything, it was Christmastime, and I wasn¡¯t going to let him wake up Christmas morning without having gifts under the tree.


    Perhaps that was just me being traditional.


    After a moment, the driver¡¯s car pulled up alongside the curb. He parked it, and stepping from the vehicle, popped the trunk and smiled at me. ¡°I take it the shopping went well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it did. Thank you,¡± I replied sweetly as I handed him over the bags and stepped towards the car, climbing in. The warmth of the vehicle enveloped me, and instantly I was hot but decided against peeling off theyers. After all, we¡¯d be at the apartment in no time, and I¡¯d be back in the cold again.


    As the car pulled out into traffic, we drove down the busy streets of New York City, block after block, closing in on where Neal lived. When we stopped at a red light, I happened to look over at a particr watch store, and an idea struck my mind.


    Neal had told me once before about a watch that his grandfather had owned. A pocket watch, to be exact, that he had loved as a boy. However, his father refused to allow him to have it when his grandfather died, and it was something that broke his heart, but he had learned to live with.


    The idea of the gift slowly developed within the base of my mind, and with a smile on my face, I turned to the driver. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Can we pull over, please? This store right here. I just want to pop into it and pick something up.¡±


    ¡°Of course, miss. I will wait right here for you to return,¡± the driver replied as he turned the corner and parked on the side of the street.


    Within a matter of moments, I was stepping inside a shop full of red, green, gold, and silvers; the Christmas decorationspletely warmed my heart as I felt at home within the walls of the building. There were so many different designs of watches, I wasn¡¯t sure exactly which I wanted.


    So as my eyes scoured the countertops and the different ss containers, I finally found what I was looking for. Remembering vaguely the photo Neal had shown me with him and his grandfather and the pocket watch he held on his waistcoat, Ipared the details to the one in front of me.


    They were very simr. So, without hesitation, I quickly asked thedy to let me purchase it.


    At first, she was reluctant, exining to me that the item was extremely expensive, but I assured her I had the money to cover it, and when I did finally check out, she was rather shocked and apologized to me.


    Typically, I would have been the girl to say something to her, to tell her that she shouldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover. But I was so happy I had found the perfect gift for Neal, I no longer cared.


    As soon as I was done making my purchase, I stepped outside onto the concrete path of New York City. My eyes were on the gift in my hand as I turned the corner and headed towards where the driver was waiting for me.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what it was about. The feeling that slowly crept over me, that I was being watched, made me stop. But as soon as I heard a particr voiceing from behind me, calling my name, my body froze.


    ¡°Well, hello there, Reba. It¡¯s funny seeing you in these parts.¡±


    I knew that voice all too well, and as I slowly turned, I came face to face with the woman who had blonde hair and blue eyes and a name that I would never forget.


    ¡°What the f*ck are you doing here, Katrine?¡±

 Chapter 94 : NYC Threats

    <h4>Chapter 94: Chapter 94 : NYC Threats</h4>


    Ba.


    I was frozen in ce, unsure what to do or think as I stood staring at Katrine. She watched me with a smirk on her face as if she had me right where she wanted me.


    Thest thing I ever expected was to run into her while I was shopping in New York. However, here she was, as if seeing me was the expected.


    Which it wasn¡¯t.


    New York was so big that you could meet someone once and never see them again. So for her to find me or run into me like this... meant she was following me. Which also didn¡¯t sit well.


    ncing around, I took in my surroundings to find she was not alone. Two other men were standing nearby, trying to remain hidden, but as their eyes connected with mine, I knew.


    Son of a bitch, I knew.


    ¡°What is it that you want, Katrine, and why are you following me?¡±


    Her eyes shot up as the smile spread even wider across her face. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised that you even remembered me. I only met you once. Maybe twice, and that was in passing.¡±


    ¡°Well, I make it my point to know exactly who the f*ck I need to stay away from. I¡¯m not interested in finding trouble.¡±


    Nodding her head, she shrugged her shoulders as she stepped closer to me, making me take a step back from where I was standing. ¡°Are you scared of me?¡±


    Her question made me scoff. I wasn¡¯t scared of her. That was wishful thinking on her part, honestly.


    Now, was I scared of the two guys that were with her? Absolutely. Because I was pregnant and no longer on my own. So thest thing I needed was for them toplicate the situation even more.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not scared of you. I would just rather be anywhere but near you. So cut the bullshit, Katrine. What is it that you want?¡±


    Staring at me for a moment before she let her eyes slide from my face down to my stomach, where my jacket was open, and my small bump was in clear view for everybody. ¡°Oh wow, pregnant, are we? You¡¯re what.. a few months along. Is it Neal¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°The father of my child is none of your business. Now,` you¡¯re wasting my time and everybody else¡¯s. What do you want?¡±


    cing her hand upon her hip in a cocky way, she let a smirk grace the corners of her lips. ¡°A little birdie told me that you were nning on going to Miami. I wanted to inform you that would not be the best of choices. And if you think that you¡¯re going to be telling James that little child you¡¯re growing is actually his and have him believe it, you¡¯re sadly mistaken. Everybody knows you¡¯ve been sleeping with Neal for quite some time now.¡±


    Laughter erupted from me like I had never heard before. For her to sit there and say something like that, let me know right off the bat what this was. This was her way of asserting dominance and ensuring I didn¡¯t go back to a ce where James could possibly want me and not her. After all, she had been after him for months before we even started dating.


    ¡°First of all, my vacation is not to see James. It¡¯s to visit family. Not that any of that is your business. Second of all, the father of my child definitely isn¡¯t your business. Your business is doing what your daddy told you to. And thest time I checked, you were supposed to be in Miami, weren¡¯t you?¡± I snapped, raising my brows to show her I would not flinch or waver in my motion to tell her to f*ck off.


    ¡°How dare you speak to me like that? Do you know who I am?¡±


    Was she being serious?


    Of course, I knew the f*ck she was.


    Was this supposed to be some kind of intimidation tactic of hers?


    ¡°Are you being serious right now? Yeah, I know who you are, Katrine. But you are not the one to be afraid of. Your father is, and you may be his little princess, but that¡¯s all you¡¯ll ever be.¡±


    ¡°You f*cking bitch. Well, you should be scared because I¡¯m just as dangerous as my dad,¡± she replied with a sinister sneer as she stepped closer, her fist clenched as if she was actually going to do something.


    ¡°Hitting a pregnant woman, Katrine, that is very low of you. The only thing that you are dangerous about is spending your credit limit.¡±


    Perhaps I was a little off the top, and running my mouth probably wasn¡¯t the greatest thing to do. The men standing nearby, at least one of them, definitely heard the conversation between her and I and was snickering to himself as he tried to remainposed, causing her to nce over her shoulder at him with an angry scowl.


    Deep down, though, I was terrified. I was terrified of what they could do to me because I was pregnant, and I didn¡¯t even have a single clue as to why they would want toe here. I was nothing to James, and I didn¡¯t understand why she didn¡¯t see that.


    ¡°You need to watch yourself. You¡¯re sadly mistaken if you think that you can get James or that he wants you. He¡¯s already been with me twice since you¡¯ve been out of the picture, and he was more than satisfied both times.¡±


    ¡°Good for him. I¡¯m d you were able to do that. Now can I go?¡± I didn¡¯t care what she had to say, though hearing that did slightly stab the open wound that was already in my heart. I had Neal, and I couldn¡¯t allow myself to be affected by things, no matter how much it hurt.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t go. I¡¯m not done with you.¡±


    Letting out a groan of protest, I ran my hand over my face, trying to calcte what I could say next to make her realize I did not care what she did. ¡°If you want him, you can have him. I don¡¯t want him. What part of that don¡¯t you understand?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to y stupid with me. You will try toy the pregnant card on him, and knowing him, he¡¯ll be too stupid to find out the truth.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god, are you serious? Me being pregnant has nothing to do with you! Why can¡¯t you just leave me the f*ck alone?¡± I replied, trying to show her how sincere I was in this manner.


    Pulling out her phone, she quickly scrolled through and then took a picture of me without my permission and sent it to who knows where. Her face lit up with joy as she turned back to look at me with an intrigued expression that spoke of nothing but ridicule and hate.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Allison will be very happy to receive the photo I just sent to her showing you pregnant," Katrina taunted as if that was going to scare me.


    "You¡¯re an idiot if you think that¡¯s going to stop me."


    "You know, I wonder... what if that baby is James¡¯s? And it¡¯s a boy? You could possibly have the heir to his fortune.¡± Katrine stepped closer and closer. Her pondering eyes scanned over me as if she had just won the winning lottery ticket.


    ¡°Again... who the father of my child is, is my concern. So if you didn¡¯t kindly take my hint before, I¡¯ll say it slower for you to understand. F*ck off and leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°You are so feisty, and I can see why James had a thing for you. Regardless, he¡¯s mine again, and I can¡¯t have you going and causing a bunch of drama,¡± she said with nothing but amusement as she proceeded to tell me I was going to have to do something for her.


    It wasn¡¯t my ce, and I was pregnant.


    ¡°You need to watch your back, Reba. Bad things happen to people who don¡¯t know how to mind their business,¡± Katrine said, looking at me with disgust as she turned, flicking her hair over her shoulder, leaving me standing on the sidewalk. I couldn¡¯t help but let out a breath of relief, though, when she disappeared.


    Thest thing I ever expected was to run into her. If she kept good on her promise, I would be dead for considering Miami.


    Katrina had basically threatened me in every possible way she could think of, and all because she thought I still wanted James, which was far from the truth.


    As Katrine and her men disappeared into the sea of bodies meandering, I quickly returned to the car where my driver waited patiently.


    "Are you okay?¡± the driver asked with concern etched in his voice. I really wasn¡¯t okay, but I didn¡¯t want to tell him that. Instead, I asked him to take me home where I could unwind. Climbing into the car, I fumbled over the present in my hand as I took in everything that had just happened.


    Katrine had basically warned me about going to Miami, and if she was able to find me easy today, that meant she knew exactly where I was staying. She knew exactly how to find me.


    As the car sped down the streets of New York, I thought of everything I would have to tell Neal. I knew he would try to stop the trip to Miami, but I couldn¡¯t let him. I couldn¡¯t let them scare me into submission.


    James deserved to know about the baby, and tying up loose ends with him was a way for me to let go of the past. It was the only way I would be able to move on in my future... with Neal, if I wanted.


    My phone ringing pulled me from my thoughts, and looking down, I smiled to see Neals¡¯s name across the screen.


    "Hey, I¡¯m headed home. What¡¯s up?"


    "Where are you exactly?" he asked with a sense of panic in his tone.


    "Uh... Maybe four blocks from the apartment. Why?"


    "I¡¯ll meet you downstairs," he replied sternly, causing me to doubt whether he was angry with me.


    "Neal, what¡¯s wrong? No secrets."


    "It¡¯s nothing..." he said, causing me to groan.


    "Nothing? Does it have something to do with Katrine and the Russians?"


    I wasn¡¯t going toe out right and say everything, but I felt he knew something about it. Otherwise, what else would make him panic?


    "What do you know about that?"


    "It is, isn¡¯t it... just tell me the truth."


    "Ba, I¡¯m asking what you know about that, " he repeated, not wanting to answer me until I answered him.


    "Well, I know she just cornered me on the street and warned me. So are you going to start exining what¡¯s going on or not?"

 Chapter 95 : Plans are Changing

    <h4>Chapter 95: Chapter 95 : ns are Changing</h4>


    Ba.


    As soon as I got back to the apartment, Neal waited. His eyes looked at me with nothing but concern, and I knew right away things were not okay. It was obvious he knew something I didn¡¯t, and because of that, I was wary of what he would say.


    ¡°Are you going to start telling me the truth about what is going on? We promised each other that we would never hide secrets.¡± I said softly, staring at him.


    Neal¡¯s eyes cast from me down to the ground as he fiddled with his hands, trying his hardest to find answers that I obviously wanted. ¡°It isn¡¯t that easy, Ba. I¡¯m not trying to hide anything from you. James came to me not long ago asking if anything should happen to him to protect you. That¡¯s what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°He told you to protect me, and you didn¡¯t think that was something I needed to know?¡±


    Guilt filled his expression as he sighed. ¡°It was a conversation between James and me. It wasn¡¯t anything that you needed to know. He asked me to take care of you, and of course, I¡¯m going to. I love you, Ba.¡±


    Hearing Neal say he loved me filled me with conflict. I already knew he did, but it wasn¡¯t an excuse not to tell me what was happening. If we were going to be together, he had to be honest with me.


    ¡°Is that why Katrine is in New York?¡±


    ¡°Katrine?¡± Neal snapped, his brows narrowing. ¡°What do you know about her being here?¡±


    ¡°Uh.. she just cornered me on the street while I was shopping and sent me a warning.¡±


    Closing the space between us, he stared down at me with anger. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you get away from her and call me? I could have been there for you.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me right now?¡± I scoffed, shaking my head. ¡°How was I supposed to just do that... or think to do that? It was a spur of the moment thing, Neal.¡±


    Neal went silent as he watched me. His body was rigid before he pulled his phone from his pocket and walked away. ¡°Neal... what are you doing?¡±


    I walked after him as he mutteredmands into his phone as if he were a military general, and when I finally grabbed his arm and spun him to face me, he frowned.


    ¡°I have things to take care of, Ba. I don¡¯t have time for this right now.¡±


    Never once had he ever told me he didn¡¯t have time to speak with me. It was clear that what happened with Katrine had gotten to him, and it didn¡¯t matter what I said, he was in go mode, looking to make someone pay.


    ¡°I understand you¡¯re upset right now, but you need to talk to me. This has to do with me; I need to know what¡¯s happening. What are you doing?¡±


    With a heavy sigh, he pulled his arm from my grasp, running his hand behind his neck as he looked anywhere but at me. ¡°I¡¯m upping security and trying to n for us to get out of town for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Out of town... we¡¯re already going out of town.¡±


    Turning to face me, it was clear he had changed his mind and our ns. The look in his eye was of a man on a mission, and he was determined not to allow Katrine and her family to do anything that would cause me harm.


    ¡°We¡¯ve had a change of ns, and we¡¯re no longer going to Miami.¡± Deep down in my stomach, I already knew he was going to say this, and shaking my head from side to side, I couldn¡¯t allow him to make that choice for me.


    ¡°No. We¡¯re going to Miami. I¡¯ve already made ns to go down there. I¡¯m not changing them just because Katrine and her father think they can push me around.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand how dangerous this is.¡± He said to me as he stepped closer. ¡°They will kill you if they get the chance.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t act like what he said didn¡¯t scare me because it did. I knew Katrina and her father were more than capable of seeing me dead, and it was pretty obvious Katrine would love to see meying beneath her feet, bloody and lifeless.


    I was pregnant¨Cby the man that she had been after for years, and even though he may be entertaining her now, it wasn¡¯t going to change the fact that I was carrying James¡¯s child. I wasn¡¯t a threat to her, though. James and I would never have a rtionship like that again because he would never change who he was.


    I just had to hope she would see that.


    ¡°I understand that, and we can be careful, but I¡¯m not going to make myself look weak and avoid going down there like some scared little puppy running back home because the big dogs are walking the street.¡±


    Neal stood staring at me, mouth parted as he tried to digest what it was that I said. ¡°Big dogs walking the street? Out of all of the analogies that you could have used, that¡¯s the one that came to mind.¡±


    Rolling my eyes, I groaned in frustration as I crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°It¡¯s beside the point, Neal. Just go with it. I¡¯m trying to say that we¡¯re going to Miami, and Katrina and her father are not going to stop me from enjoying the holidays with people I care about. Her problems with James are not my problem. Yes, I n on telling James about the baby. Yes, I n on making an appearance, to do so in person and without you holding my hand. But at the end of the day, I¡¯m leaving with you.¡±


    My statement seemed to take him back, and after a moment of falling silent, he nodded his head as he pulled me close to him. His hands on my hips as he inhaled the scent of my hair and kissed the top of my head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m being overprotective. I just don¡¯t want anything to happen to you or the baby.¡± Neal said softly. ¡°I can¡¯t lose you.¡±


    Even though Neal and I had grown so much closer and talked about so many things, I knew there was a part of his past that he never went into detail about. I didn¡¯t pry either, because if it was a dark part of his past, he would tell me when he was ready to, and it wasn¡¯t my ce to go crying.


    Even if I did want to know more than anything what it was that hurt him so much.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just step up security detail? I¡¯ll take security with me everywhere down there. I¡¯ll try not to venture out too often alone, and we¡¯ll just be safe. We¡¯ll stay with your sister. Everything will be okay.¡±


    No one could actually guarantee if everything was going to be okay, but I was trying to be optimistic when he was being pessimistic. Taking a moment to consider what I said, he nodded in agreement, which I knew he would because when it came to me, he was a slight pushover.


    ¡°Promise me that you will not give me any issues about taking your security detail.¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡± I giggled as I leaned up on my tip, toes pressing my lips against his. ¡°You know you¡¯re sexy when you¡¯re aggressive and demanding.¡±


    A deep chuckle reverberated from his throat, and as it did, he pushed his lips harder against mine. ¡°There are many things that I could do to you that would turn you on.¡±


    As tempting as it was to take Neal up on his offer, I knew that I couldn¡¯t do that. The ache between my thighs groaned in protest as I quickly let out a small breath, ready to turn him down. ¡°As amazing as that sounds, sweetie. I have presents that I need to wrap before we leave on Saturday.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± He asked,pletely stunned, as a smile grew at the corner of his lips. ¡°This is the first, I do have to admit, turning me down on my sexual advances. Well, well, well, the hormones must be kicking in.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me? I will have you know that my sex drive has been higher pregnant than before I was pregnant. I simply have things that I want to get done. Now, if you¡¯re a good boy, perhaps I¡¯ll let you have dinner.....early tonight.¡±


    His eyes gazed from mine, down my chest towards my thighs. He knew exactly what I was talking about, and as he ran his tongue across his lips, I couldn¡¯t help but smirk at how myment turned him on. ¡°Well, I do love an all you can eat buffet.¡±


    Smacking him yfully, Iughed as the smile grew wider across his face. ¡°Go make your call before you get yourself in trouble. I have things that I need to do, and the driver already has brought the bags into my room, they¡¯re not going to actually wrap themselves.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay, okay.¡± He replied, holding his hands up in defense as if trying to fight me back. ¡°I¡¯ll go make my call, then we can leave early Saturday morning, get down there, spend a couple days, then leave and go see your dad beforeing back home.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t exactly how I wanted things to go, but I wasn¡¯t going to argue with him. It was lucky that he would even allow me to fly down there to see everybody and spend time with James after what had happened with Katrine.


    I would never openly show Neal I worried about Katrine and her father. He worried so much about me on a regr basis, and thest thing I wanted him to do was worry about making sure that I was okay twenty-four hours of the day.


    Getting the extra protection would be a good thing in the end. It meant that I would be able to go ces without having to constantly look over my shoulder and honestly.... I wasn¡¯t good to anybody dead, at least not yet.


    So I didn¡¯t have to worry about someone justing across me and shooting me.


    A multitude of thoughts swirled through my mind as I walked towards my bedroom and closed the door. All of the gift bags sitting on my bed, as well as wrapping paper, tape, and anything else that I could possibly need were waiting.


    It was supposed to be a merry time of year.


    A time of year where people got excited to spend time together, but instead, I was falling into a ditch that I wasn¡¯t sure I would be able to get out of.

 Chapter 96 : Leaving for Miami

    <h4>Chapter 96: Chapter 96 : Leaving for Miami</h4>


    Time seemed to travel fast as I prepared for my journey down to Miami. When Saturday morning came, I was packed; the gifts were wrapped, and everything was ready to go. The only problem was, I wasn¡¯t sure now if I was ready to face him.


    Taking my time, I wandered around the apartment, making sure that I had everything that I needed while Neal was downstairs loading the bags into the vehicle. The driver assured him that he¡¯d be able to take care of everything without his help, but Neal knew how important it was that the gifts were ced safely in the car, considering some of them were fragile.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t think that his driver could handle it. Neal was just trying to be sweet and knew how hard I had ved away to make sure that they were wrapped perfectly.


    After onest check around the apartment, I grabbed my purse and made my way towards the door. ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± Neal said with a small smile across his lips as he appeared in the doorway.


    ¡°Yeah, I just did onest sweep around the apartment. Everything looks good, and I don¡¯t believe that I forgot anything.¡±


    With a nod of his head, he took my hand in his and locked the door behind us. Then, we made our way down to the elevator to head towards the garage. I was ready for this adventure.


    I was ready to see Allegra, and I was ready to see my father. But most of all, I was ready to get this guilt off my chest that I had by hiding the truth of my pregnancy from James.


    ¡°Are you sure about this? You can always change your mind,¡± Neal asked me as soon as we stepped into the elevator, his eyes watching every movement that I made, and with a small nod, I crossed my arms over my chest and smiled.


    I wasn¡¯t ready. However, I wasn¡¯t going to tell him that I wasn¡¯t ready, otherwise, he would make the decision for us and keep us here in New York for the rest of the Christmas holidays.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure about this. I¡¯ve been nning for thest few days and those presents look absolutely fabulous. There¡¯s no way that I¡¯m going to back out on going now.¡±


    As soon as the elevator doors opened, we stepped from within them and made our way towards the car that was patiently waiting in front of us. I was full of confliction, but pushing it aside, I slid into the back seat of the car with Neal, the driver closing the door behind us.


    As the car lurched out onto the streets of New York, I watched the buildings fly by the window, the cool snowy air falling down around the world outside. My heart ached with every moment that we closed in on the airport.


    I was really doing this, and even though Katrine¡¯s warning lingered at the back of my mind, I knew it had to be done.


    ¡°As soon as we get onto the ne, go ahead and get yourself settled. I¡¯ll make sure that everything¡¯s taken care of for takeoff, and then within a few hours, we¡¯ll bending in sunny Miami.¡±


    ¡°Sounds amazing,¡± I said as I turned my gaze from the window towards him.


    I just needed to remain positive and remember that it wasn¡¯t just me I was thinking about any more. It was the child that was inside me. James wasn¡¯t the only one who deserved the truth. Eventually, my child would as well, and I would never expect James to stay away from my child.


    The child was just as much his as it was mine.


    ***


    James.


    ¡°Dad, did you happen to get the rest of those gifts from the car?¡± Tally¡¯s voice called out as it traveled through my open office doorway. I had just walked inside to put some things down, and already she was at me, wondering if I had picked everything up out of the car.


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, though. Since the moment that Tally became a mother, she had done aplete 180 and became the person I always knew she could be.


    ¡°Of course, I did, sweetie. I put everything in the living room. I am just putting some stuff away, and I¡¯ll be out there in a minute to finish helping you unpack!¡± I called from over my shoulder as I opened the door to my desk and ced the small square box inside.


    The box itself was a gift for Ba. It wasn¡¯t a ring or anything like that. It was something simple, but at the same time, it meant a great deal to me.


    Regardless of the situation that was going on between her and I. I wanted her to know that I cared about her. That through everything we went through, I still cared.


    The time I spent with her meant everything to me, and it still did, even if she didn¡¯t see how I saw things. I knew without a doubt that her happiness needed toe first.


    I was the one who had f*cked everything up.


    I was someone who took her for granted and drove her away from me.


    I wouldn¡¯t presume to believe that I could get her back. But at the same time, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was ever going to be a future for her and I again. Neal was a good man, no matter how much I detested him for taking her away from me.


    I couldn¡¯t me him. She was wonderful, beautiful even.


    She was everything a man would desire to have a wife, apanion, a partner, and I had taken her for granted. I let her slip away from me.


    Moving from my office, I headed back out into the living room to where Tally was sitting with the baby propped up in his bouncer, unpacking the bags that she had gotten with gifts in them for her various people.


    The majority of it though, of course, being for my grandson.


    ¡°I think you managed to probably buy out the entire store this time,¡± I said teasingly, watching as her eyes lifted up to mine, before she rolled them with a smirk on her face.


    ¡°Hey, I never knew that stores like that existed. I mean,e on, it was fifty percent off everything. You can¡¯t me me for buying all of it.¡±


    One of the other things that Tally had learned since bing a mother was the importance of money. Even though she had money, she was limited to a certain amount, and no longer could she spend it frivolously upon herself.


    Instead, I told her that I was not going to give her any more every month than what she already got because it was an allowance she should have been capable of living off. So instead, she had to learn to save and invest and make a means for herself so that if anything ever did happen to me, she would be settled without having to worry about a thing.


    And surprisingly, she was keeping to it.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a wonderful Christmas. I¡¯m d that I have you and my grandson here to spend it with,¡± I said to her, clearing the air.


    She hesitated before raising her gaze to mine once more from the packages in front of her. Her smile fell into a small frown as she nodded. ¡°I wish that you would just call her. You told me how much you cared about her, and I am so sorry that I caused so many issues between the two of you, but if you love her, you can¡¯t let her go.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that easy, Tally,¡± I replied, knowing exactly where the conversation was going. She had been on me for weeks at calling Ba, at trying to make amends and fix things, and I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her that she had moved on to Neal.


    ¡°It is that easy, Dad. I¡¯ve known Ba my entire life. She isn¡¯t someone who forgets easily. She isn¡¯t someone who just lets go of love when she finds it.¡±


    Love was definitely something that I was not ustomed to talking about with her. I had loved her mother once upon a time, and even to this day, there was a part of me that would always care for her because she was the mother of my child.


    However, I didn¡¯t like the person she had be, and at one point in time, I never thought that I would ever, under any circumstances, fall in love again. But when I first kissed Ba, I felt that powerful connection with her.


    That feeling of desire and want.


    The desire to fall in love again, and I did. I fell deeply in love with Ba.


    ¡°Things happened for a reason, Tally, and she¡¯s happy she¡¯s moving on with her life. I¡¯m not going to jeopardize any happiness that she has gotten since she has left us.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯sing into town, and now you can actually talk to her,¡± she replied, giving me that knowing nce that she had done since she was little. That nce that told me she knew what I needed to do, and I was being too stubborn to do it.


    ¡°What makes you think that Reba is going to want toe and see me after everything that I had put her through, that you had put her through?¡±


    A soft chuckle left her lips before she slowly stood and walked towards me. ¡°I have my own ns to make with her, and I n to do that while she¡¯s here. I f*cked up, and I need to apologize for what I did. But if it wasn¡¯t for her, there was a good chance that I¡¯d be dead.¡±


    In some aspects, the moment that Ba had helped her outside of her apartment did save her life. Because had she not had anywhere to go and had stayed with Chad, there¡¯s no telling what that family would have done to my daughter.


    I would be forever grateful to Ba for helping Tally.


    Lord knows neither of us deserved her forgiveness after everything that happened.


    If Ba could forgive Tally, then perhaps there was some kind of hope that she could forgive me. The idea swirled like a mass of clouds in my mind, and as they slowly cleared, I had a new objective of what I could do to make things right with her.


    Maybe I wouldn¡¯t have her the way I did before, but perhaps she would let me just be her friend. Perhaps she could redeem a crooked man who simply wanted to start over.


    The only thing I could do was pray.

 Chapter 97 : Bloody Warnings

    <h4>Chapter 97: Chapter 97 : Bloody Warnings</h4>


    The flight went by quicker than I thought it was going to, and by the time the wheels of the ne touched the tarmac in Miami, I was ready to see everyone. I couldn¡¯t wait to wrap my arms around Allegra and spend much-needed time with her.


    ¡°If you wait here a moment, sweetie, I¡¯ll make sure they load everything into the car, and then I¡¯lle back for you,¡± Neal said as he stood and kissed my cheek.


    Casting my gaze up to him, I smiled with a nod. ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    Since the moment we took off from New York City, Neal had been wrapped in a fury of emotions. I wasn¡¯t quite sure what was bothering him, but I had a feeling it had to do with our trip to Miami in general. I understood he was concerned about the issues revolving around James, but he couldn¡¯t let that ruin our trip.


    These ns were made long before he had told me about the issues with the Russians, and it was my job to show him that we didn¡¯t have anything to fear.


    After all, we didn¡¯t do anything wrong.


    It was James¡¯ problem and had nothing to do with me.


    Fifteen minutester, Neal¡¯s smiling face popped through the door of the side of the ne, and he gestured for me to follow. I had already put my coat on, and even though it was December, it wasn¡¯t exactly as cold as it had been in New York, but still chilly enough to make me want to bundle up.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to see there isn¡¯t any snow here,¡± I chuckled, only to have him hold my hand as I walked down the steps of this ne.


    ¡°Yes, if I remember correctly, ice and snow don¡¯t agree with you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I can¡¯t help being slightly uncoordinated.¡± Iughed, smacking his arm yfully as my feet hit the ground.


    With a chuckle, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to him, kissing the top of my head as we walked towards the car. ¡°d that we¡¯re finally here.¡±


    I was shocked by his statement. I hadn¡¯t thought he was happy about being here, but hearing him say that warmed me. ¡°You¡¯re happy to see your sister then and everything else that she has nned for us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, God, don¡¯t remind me. I still can¡¯t believe that she¡¯s throwing that party.¡±


    When Allegra found out that we were booking our tickets toe down, she was so excited that she decided to take it upon herself to put together a little Christmas party to ensure that we were able to celebrate the holidays properly with her.


    Even though I had asked her toe up to my father¡¯s instead, she was adamant that everything had to be a party. That was simply her personality, though, and I loved her bright and bubbly side.


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to be that bad. The party is tomorrow night, everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°You say that.¡± He smirked. ¡°But I know my sister. It will be over the top.¡±


    Sliding into the back seat of the car, Neal to his ce next to me just as the driver shut the door. I was d to be here, but my mind kept reeling over what I would do while I was here. I hadn¡¯t exactly told Neal what I was nning, but to close the Chapter I had with James, I had to confront the secrets I was hiding.


    It was the only way I could move forward with my future.


    As the car sped through the streets of Miami, I admired the different Christmas ornaments, lights, and decorations that glittered the streets. They¡¯d obviously recently had their Christmas parade, and though the streets were bare as it waste in the night, I could still see the remnants of streamers on the ground, the festival signs, and the store windows.


    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful outside. I love how everybody did the lights in the city.¡±


    Lacing his fingers with mine, Neal cast his gaze out the window to see what it was that I was seeing. A smile crept across his face as he pulled me close. ¡°Did you know that Christmas was actually my favorite time of year as a child?¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± I grinned, ncing at him. ¡°Because you got tons of presents?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He chuckled to himself. ¡°It¡¯s because it was the one time of year that everybody seemed happy and seemed to be brought together. There was no fighting. No arguing. Everyone just smiled.¡±


    I was surprised by his answer. It wasn¡¯t what I was expecting.


    I knew Neal had his secrets, as did many people, and I was still waiting for the day he would tell me what he was hiding. I was a patient woman who understood that everything happens in time.


    With a small sigh, I snuggled into him and continued to look outside. We would arrive at Allegra¡¯s soon, and then the chaos would consume us. We would be pushed into the arms of happiness and whatever else Allegra had waiting.


    *****


    James


    I was notified when Ba¡¯s nended at the Miami airport. I had caught wind that they were stilling down here, and knowing that they were, I wanted to know what was going on with her every step of the way.


    It wasn¡¯t that I was stalking her.


    It was that I simply wanted to make sure that she was safe.


    That no one was going to hurt her.


    It was of no surprise to me that they would be staying at Allegra¡¯s home. Once she got there, she would be out of reach, but it didn¡¯t mean that I couldn¡¯t assure she would be safe. Thest few days had been hell, and Sergei had been more adamant than anything to get in contact with me.


    Even Greg told me that I needed to be careful, that they had found a mole within their midst and weren¡¯t entirely sure that the person was the only one. Which meant Sergei knew I was working with the government.


    Running my hand through my hair, I tried to calm down.


    Allegra didn¡¯t care for me. At least not the way she used to. I had messed up, though, and now that Ba was with her brother, she wasn¡¯t going to side with me on anything, not that she ever sided with me on anything.


    ¡°Sir, Michael just called to say that they were at the apartment.¡±


    Marie¡¯s voice took me by surprise, and looking down at my phone, I realized I had been so distracted with my thoughts I hadn¡¯t paid attention to the few text messages that hade through from my head of security, Michael.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said softly, gesturing for her to leave.


    Working from my home office had been my best bet thest few days. My heightened security made it easier for me to get what I needed to be done because Sergei wouldn¡¯t daree to my home to bother me.


    However, I wasn¡¯t sure how long that wouldst when I went into the office tomorrow.


    I had meetings that I had to take care of, and there was no way I could do them from home. Opening my text messages from Michael, I scrolled through to look at the photos he had managed to get for me of Ba.


    There were various of her exiting the ne and climbing in the car with Neal.


    One, in particr, caught my attention, and zooming in, I took a closer look. Her long hair framed her face in waves andid gently upon the cream color sweater she was wearing over ck leggings. She looked just as beautiful as I remembered, but what caught my attention in the post was how her sweater sat on her stomach.


    For a split second, my mind tried to tell me she looked pregnant, but that wasn¡¯t possible. She had only been with Neal most recently, and if she was, she would have been way farther along.


    ¡°Shit... I need more sleep,¡± I groaned, closing my phone as I rubbed my eyes.


    I was starting to hallucinate now, and with all the stress I was under, it wasn¡¯t good for me. It wasn¡¯t honestly good for anyone.


    Standing, I made my way out of my office, deciding to take myself to bed.


    ¡°James.¡± A voice caught my attention as I rounded the stairs. Looking over my shoulder, I spotted Michael walking toward me quickly and furrowed my brow in confusion.


    ¡°Michael, you got back quick.¡±


    ¡°I tried toe as quickly as I could. You need to see something,¡± he replied, slightly out of breath.


    I wasn¡¯t quite sure what was more unnerving, the fact that Michael had rushed back to show me something or the fact that he looked slightly panicking out of breath by doing so. Nodding my head. I stepped off the two steps of the stairs and followed behind him towards the front door.


    As soon as he opened the door, two other men on the security team were standing there, both looking a little distraught at a closed box at their feet.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked Michael as a confused feeling ran through me.


    ¡°Unfortunately, sir, the package was left for you at the front gate, and the contents inside are a little disturbing.¡±


    Hearing what Michael said caught my attention. Who in the hell would leave something at my front gate? Thinking back to Sergei, my heart beat faster.


    If he was sending a message, there was no way that it would be good.


    Squatting down at a level easier to open the box, I flipped the lid and was taken back by the bloody sight in front of me.


    There insidey a bloody severed finger and with the finger was a photo of a guy that worked at mypany named Derek. I wasn¡¯t sure why they would go after this guy, but it was clear in the photo that he was dead.


    This wasn¡¯t just a message... it was a warning.


    Looking at the lid, I noticed the note taped inside the top.


    ¡®Keep avoiding the inevitable, and there¡¯s going to be more bloodshed on your hands than you originally wanted. Perhaps we should start with the pretty little brte that just got off the ne in Miami.¡¯


    Shock filled me reading it. The brte they were talking about was Ba, and I had no clue how they had known that she was here.


    I needed to inform Neal soon, but I would give her tonight. She would be safe tonight with my men watching the building and Neal at her side.


    War was brewing. And I wasn¡¯t sure who was safe anymore.

 Chapter 98 : Telling James

    <h4>Chapter 98: Chapter 98 : Telling James</h4>


    Ba.


    I wasn¡¯t quite sure what to expect when I got up early the next morning, sliding from the bed with the full intention to go see James. Neal had been sleeping when I walked out of the room, but before I could make it to the door, I heard his voice behind me.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to see him, aren¡¯t you?¡± he said softly, his eyes narrowing at me. Turning slowly, I stared at his pleading eyes and sighed.


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± I replied slowly, nodding my head. ¡°He has a right to know, and the sooner I get this over with, the sooner I can be free with you.¡±


    Shaking his head from side to side he licked his top lip. His eyes cast off into the distance as if he wanted to keep me here but knew that it would only cause an argument. ¡°I don¡¯t like this, Ba. I mean, I should have known that you would do this, but still.¡±


    ¡°Neal, I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered. ¡°This is just something that I have to do.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he replied with a sigh. ¡°I just don¡¯t like you going alone, unprotected. What if something happens to you and the baby because I¡¯m not there to protect you?¡±


    Stepping towards him, I reached up,ying my hand on the side of his face as I brushed my thumb over his cheek. ¡°Stop worrying so much. Everything¡¯s going to be fine, and James won¡¯t let anything happen to me either, okay? As soon as I leave his office, I¡¯ll call you, I promise.¡±


    Taking a moment, he stared at me with a hard re, before letting it soften. Nodding his head, he pulled me close and conceded to what I was going to do. ¡°At least let me call my driver to take you. I don¡¯t want you taking any other form of transportation.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said softly against his chest as he held me. ¡°Call your driver.¡±


    A few momentster, a car pulled up out in front of the apartment building, and Neal walked me down making sure that I got in safely. ¡°I want you to let me know as soon as you get there, Ba. Then as soon as you¡¯re ready to leave.¡±


    The stern talking to that he was giving me made me smirk, but nodding my head I agreed. ¡°Understood, sir.¡±


    ¡°Mmm... don¡¯t start talking to me like that, or else you won¡¯t ever leave.¡±


    Giving him a soft kiss, I smiled, and climbed into the car. He didn¡¯t bother leaving right away. Instead, as the car pulled away, he watched me go until he was clear out of sight.


    As the car traveled the streets, I felt the fluttering of nerves fill me. My hand instinctively rested on my stomach before making slow rubbing movements. I was opening a new Chapter in things, and as scared as I was, I knew how important it was.


    Twenty minutester, the car came to a stop, and the driver opened my door, allowing me to step out into the cool morning air. James wasn¡¯t expecting me, in fact, I wasn¡¯t even sure if he knew that I was in town.


    Not that, that was an issue.


    Stepping inside Jame¡¯s building, my eyes scanned over the familiar sights of the decor and other fixtures I had taken advantage of seeing before.


    ¡°You....¡± said a soft voice pulling my attention. Turning, I saw the blonde receptionist staring at me with parted lips. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say anything,¡± I replied, walking toward her. ¡°It¡¯s a surprise. I¡¯m heading upstairs.¡±


    Nodding her head, she acted as if she hadn¡¯t seen me. Which was shocking because, months ago, I would have thought that she had hated me. With slight hesitation, I headed toward the elevator and climbed inside.


    As soon as the doors closed, I felt my anxiety grow. I wasn¡¯t sure why I was so nervous to see him, because I had seen him so many times before. However, for some reason knowing that I was going to tell him I was pregnant made everything worse.


    I hoped that I wasn¡¯t going to walk in and find Katrine there and then have to exin the entire situation to both of them. She already knew, of course, but that didn¡¯t make it better. She would just end up causing more issues now that they were together.


    Not that it was any of my business.


    I was with Neal, so James could be with whomever he chose to be with.


    As the elevator doors opened and I stepped out onto the floor where James¡¯s office was located, Evett¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing me, her face going pale as shock seemed to flood her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I came to see James, Evette. Is he in?¡±


    She took a moment as her eyes scanned my body,nding on my small bump. Her mouth quickly, forming and ¡®O¡¯ as she nodded her head and gestured for me to enter the office. I was hesitant at first as I stepped forward. My hand shook as I grasped the knob, and pushed the door open.


    ¡°Let him know that I will rebook his next two appointments,¡± she squeaked out, causing me to look over my shoulder at her with a smile.


    The moment that the door fully opened, his eyes lifted and connected with mine, and as they did, he seemed frozen in ce. ¡°Ba?¡±


    ¡°Hey. I hope I¡¯m not disturbing you.¡±


    ¡°Disturbing me?¡± he questioned softly as he ced his pen down and slowly stood to his feet. ¡°You¡¯re never disturbing me. I¡¯m just surprised to see you here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I needed to talk to you about something so figured I would check for you here before going to your house.¡±


    Taking a moment, something clicked in his mind. ¡°Wait... does Neal know you¡¯re here? I just spoke to him not long ago.¡±


    Confusion filled me as I furrowed my brows. ¡°Yeah, of course, he knows where I¡¯m at. Why did you call him?¡±


    His eyes slowly scanned over my body, and as they did, theynded on my stomach. The tight form fitting shirt that I was wearing gave way to the small bump that was growing, he stopped.


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡± he said slowly as his brows knit together in confusion. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I think you know how someone gets pregnant, James.¡±


    His cold gaze slid up to meet my own, and as it did, I watched his jaw set in tight as he straightened himself. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, Ba. It¡¯s nice to see that you and Neal moved so quickly.¡±


    ¡°What...¡± I gasped, trying to understand what he was talking about. ¡°Neal?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not much that you need to say. So don¡¯t try to pretend with me,¡± James snapped, catching me off guard. ¡°It¡¯s obvious by your size that you and Neal have been seeing each other for quite some time.¡±


    Shock filled me with his response. ¡°You think that I¡¯m pregnant by Neal?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s obvious. You¡¯re sure as hell not pregnant by me.¡±


    Laughter escaped me as I shook my head in disbelief. Of course, this would be his automatic response. ¡°I should have known better than toe here.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± he scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.


    ¡°You know, for a minute when I came here, James, I had faith that you and I could have a conversation. For weeks, I believed that telling you the truth was what was important. But perhaps I should have done exactly what Neal said and not said anything to you.¡±


    Narrowing his gaze, he gave me a look of disgust that absolutely broke my heart. ¡°What, to tell me that he got you pregnant? Was that the reason why you broke off our rtionship? Because of him?¡±


    Tears filled my eyes, emotions oveing me. I knew he was angry, but he was misjudging everything. It was so far from the truth, and he wouldn¡¯t listen.


    ¡°Coming here was a mistake.¡± I gasped out as tears fell down my cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I took so much of your time.¡±


    ¡°Ba¡ª¡± he said quickly as I turned. His hand gripped my upper arm to stop me. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with you, but I need to see you to your car. Make sure you¡¯re safe.¡±


    Snatching my arm from his grasp, I turned to look at him again. ¡°No. You don¡¯t get to do anything for me anymore, James. I came here to talk to you about something important, and you are so eager to dismiss me like I¡¯m a whore. So, no, you don¡¯t get to worry about me anymore.¡±


    ¡°Reba, you¡¯re being ridiculous. It isn¡¯t safe out there for you,¡± he said, shaking his head.


    ¡°F*ck you, James.¡± I snapped at him. ¡°Stay away from me.¡±


    There was a look of shock and heartbreak in his eyes as I yelled at him. I came here to talk to him, though, and he acted the way he did. All I wanted was to tell him the truth, and now it honestly seemed pointless.


    ¡°Ba, please.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I repeated, shaking my head. ¡°I had been looking forward to this moment for so long, and never in my life did I think that you would act the way you are right now. I¡¯m so disappointed in you.¡±


    Staring at me with disbelief on his face and his mouth hung open, he stood silent. I didn¡¯t bother to give him another chance to speak before I was out of his office with tears streaming down my face leaving the building.


    I knew that I was supposed to message Neal, but honestly, I couldn¡¯t bear doing that right now. The only thing I wanted to do was be alone because the man I had lovedpletely just shattered what was left of my heart.


    I knew he wasn¡¯t happy with what happened between Neal and me. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that he was pissed about that, but could he honestly me me?


    As soon as I stepped outside of the front of James¡¯ building, I called for an Uber. Standing on the sidewalk in the cold, I tried to fix myself. Drying my tears and pushing down all the emotions I had. There was no point in crying over it.


    Nothing was ever going to change.


    My ringing phone made me sigh, and as I looked down, I saw Tally¡¯s name on the screen.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I said, reluctantly answering my phone.


    ¡°Hey, Ba. I heard you were in town.¡±


    Sniffling, Iughed. ¡°Yeah, just for a few days.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure why she cared. I still wasn¡¯tpletely forgiving of how she acted towards me, but needing someone to talk to didn¡¯t feel horrible at the moment. ¡°Long story.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, I¡¯m at the house if you want toe over. My dad isn¡¯t here. He is workingte, and you haven¡¯t met my son yet. I¡¯d love to see you.¡±


    The offer made me hesitant but not ready to face Neal just yet, I could use some quiet time. ¡°Yeah, sure, that sounds good. I¡¯ll head there now.¡±


    ¡°Awesome. I¡¯ll make some tea. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    As I hung up the phone, the car I called for pulled up, and I quickly climbed in, telling him where to take me. There was no telling how the conversation with Tally would go, especially when she saw that I was pregnant, but at least if I could tell her, she could ry the message to James.


    Or better yet, tell me if it was even worth telling him the truth.

 Chapter 99 : Conversations & Chaos

    <h4>Chapter 99: Chapter 99 : Conversations & Chaos</h4>


    Ba.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect when I pulled up outside of the Valentino mansion. Tally was waiting for me inside, but even though I had told her I wasing it didn¡¯t stop me from second-guessing what I was doing.


    Everything that had happened with James kept rattling through my mind. He had acted like aplete asshole, and I should have seen iting. There was no way he would believe that the child was his when I¡¯d waited this long to tell him.


    Not to mention I was with Neal.


    Still, I had hoped he would at least let me speak.


    Stepping out of the car, I made my way towards the front door. Before I could knock, the door swung open, and Tally stood staring at me with a grin spread from ear to ear.


    ¡°Ba? Oh, my God! It¡¯s so good to see you.¡±


    I was shocked. The woman who stood before me did not look like the Tally I knew. Instead, she looked like a ser mom. She was no longer adorned in the designer clothing she had loved so much.


    Instead, she was in simple leggings, a cute oversized top, with socks on, her hair pulled up into a messy bun, and sses on her face.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± I eximed as augh escaped me. ¡°You definitely look like a mom.¡±


    Shrugging her shoulders, she opened the door wider. ¡°Well, I am a mom, but that¡¯s beside the point. Come inside.¡±


    Following her inside, she closed the door behind us, and I made my way down the hall toward the kitchen. The sweater I was wearing concealed my stomach for the moment, but I knew that, eventually, I would have to reveal it to her.


    ¡°Little man¡¯s upstairs sleeping right now. So, I will leave him to it, but before you leave, I¡¯ll make sure to take you up there so you can get a quick peek. Maybe we can get together tomorrow when he¡¯s awake, and you can spend some time with him.¡±


    Herment warmed my heart, knowing that she cared about her son the way she did. The Tally I knew only cared about herself, and it was clear that the few months since thest time I had seen her had changed herpletely.


    Even the entire aura of the house feltpletely different from thest time I was here. Gazing around, I saw the same decor that I had before, the only difference being that the house actually felt warm and weing instead of cold and distant.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you looking like this, Tally,¡± I said softly, causing her to turn from the counter where she was setting the kettle. ¡°You¡¯ve changed so much.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Ba,¡± she said with slight hesitation as she looked down at the porcin cups on the counter. ¡°I feel different too. Bing a mom has basically saved my life.¡±


    It was obvious that there was something on her mind that she wanted to get off her chest, but she wasn¡¯t sure what to say, and I felt the same way she did. There was so much that I wanted to tell her, but I just couldn¡¯t find the words to do it.


    ¡°So, what have you been up totely?¡± I asked her, putting off the inevitable.


    ¡°Oh, you know... taking care of my son. Finishing up my sses online,¡± she replied with a soft smile as she looked down at the baby monitor on the counter. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about actually starting my own business.¡±


    Taken back by her words, I knitted my brows together. ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Sheughed softly. ¡°I want to start an affordable clothing line for children. Something that every mom, no matter their station, can afford. It¡¯s hard to find super cute clothes on a budget for kids, and I want to change that.¡±


    I was impressed by her desire to make changes. It was an admirable thing. I couldn¡¯t believe that she had so much passion for something that didn¡¯t revolve around partying and social status.


    ¡°That sounds amazing, Tally,¡± I replied softly, feeling guilty for what I was about to do.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s going to be great. So, what¡¯s new with you?¡±


    Taking a moment, I tried to find the words to exin to her about my pregnancy. Not just that, but the fact that the child was her half-sibling. Some people would think that it would be something easy to do, but unless they were in my shoes... they wouldn¡¯t know.


    ¡°There¡¯s something that I need to tell you, and I know that you¡¯re not going to be happy about it, but there¡¯s been so much going on, and I don¡¯t want there to be any kind of secrets between us if we¡¯re going to try and start over.¡±


    She looked at me with confusion as she poured the hot water over the tea bags in the cups. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you get in trouble?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Iughed, shaking my head. ¡°Not exactly.¡±


    With a heavy breath, I slowly took off the sweater that I was wearing, revealing the tight shirt beneath that concealed and outlined my growing stomach. As I did, her eyes scanned down to my stomach, and her mouth parted in shock.


    ¡°Oh, my God! You¡¯re pregnant?¡± she gasped, her words just above a whisper.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I admitted, casting my eyes down to my stomach as my hands rested upon it, rubbing circles slowly. ¡°I never thought that I would be in this position, at least not anytime soon. I didn¡¯t just shock everybody else, I shocked myself.¡±


    She was silent for a long minute as she finished making our tea. It seemed that thoughts were running through her mind. She wasn¡¯t sure how to get them out, and I honestly didn¡¯t me her.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the father?¡± she said after a moment, and my breath hitched, wanting to tell her, but terrified to do so.


    ¡°I think you already know the answer to that question.¡±


    Tally didn¡¯tsh out like I had expected her to. She didn¡¯t get angry.


    She didn¡¯t yell. She didn¡¯t do anything.


    Instead, she nodded her head, remaining quiet, as if lost in thought, and then finished our tea, bringing the cups over to the table where I stood.


    ¡°Did you tell my dad that you¡¯re pregnant?¡± she asked me as I slowly took a seat across from her.


    ¡°I tried to just a little while ago, but he didn¡¯t want to listen to me. He automatically assumed that the baby was Neal¡¯s.¡±


    Nodding, she shrugged her shoulders, letting out a sigh. It was a very awkward moment between the two of us, and the tension was high, but that was because our friendship had been broken. Even though we were trying to make amends on things now, it didn¡¯t stop everything that had happened.


    ¡°I can see why he would think that, because you and Neal are together, but if he had seen your stomach, he should have known that you were way further along than it would have been possible for you to be pregnant by Neal.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I replied quietly. ¡°I tried to talk to him and tell him multiple times, but he just was so adamant that I had gotten pregnant by Neal and was sleeping with Neal before we broke up and all this crazy stuff.¡±


    Trailing off, I raised my hands to rub my eyes, trying to get rid of the headache that was slowly forming. I was stressed, beyond stressed, and I knew that it wasn¡¯t good for the baby or me.


    The doctors told me that I needed to make sure I got enough rest, but that was easier said than done. My life was too chaotic to rest, and I was aware that I didn¡¯t make things easier on myself, but I was trying.


    ¡°Ba, I¡¯m not angry that you¡¯re pregnant with my future brother or sister. Honestly, I think you¡¯re going to make an amazing mom. You¡¯re an amazing person in general.¡±


    Her kind words took me by surprise, and being the emotional pregnant woman that I was, tears slowly began to fill my eyes that I didn¡¯t want to be there, but of course, my body had other ns for me, as usual.


    ¡°You don¡¯t hate me?¡± I asked her, hoping she was sincere because, honestly, my emotions couldn¡¯t take anymore today.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t hate you. I hate everything that we went through to get to this point, but since I became a mother, Ba, I¡¯m not the same person that I was.¡±


    For the first time in a very long time, I could see that she really had changed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do, Tally. With everything going on with all this violence surrounding your father, I¡¯m surprised he hasn¡¯t got you out of town.¡±


    Sheughed for a moment, nodding her head as she picked the teacup up and put it to her lips, taking a long sip on the cooling, but still hot, liquid inside. ¡°Oh, he tried. That¡¯s why there¡¯s so much security in this house. Well, there usually is. Right now, it¡¯s a little bit light because it¡¯s in the middle of a shift change.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t really noticed when I pulled up the amount of security. However, I did notice that guys were walking the property, and with everything going on, it did make sense that James would have extra security at his home to protect Tally.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you leave? That¡¯s absolutely crazy. You could have gone up north to the property your dad has there. Why would you stay here knowing that all the shit going on?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s my home, Ba,¡± she replied, cing her cup on the table as she shook her head. ¡°My dad¡¯s issues are not my own, and I won¡¯t uproot my son and run away because my dad has problems. He needs to figure this shit out.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t agree more with her there. The problem was, if it got bad, and she got hurt, that would destroy him. ¡°What if something happens to you? Your son can¡¯t lose his mother.¡±


    ¡°Nothing is going to happen to me. You¡¯re just overthinking it.¡± She began tough by giving me a pointed stare, the one I usually gave her back in the day when she was doing something ridiculous.


    ¡°Tally, anything could happen. If anything, you could lose your life tonight, and your son would be left without a mother. Who would care for him?¡±


    ¡°You would,¡± she replied as if it was the most obvious answer.


    ¡°Me?¡± I eximed in shock. ¡°What do you mean me?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I made a willst week. If anything were to happen to me, you would end up gaining custody of my son. I know that if anybody could raise him, it would be you. My father will be a mess if I am not there, and my mother is absolutely out of the question. I hope that¡¯s okay.¡±


    If I hadn¡¯t been crying before, I was now.


    Tears streamed down my face upon hearing her words. She would be willing to leave her son in my care if anything had ever happened to her. After everything that she and I had been through, all the hatred, the hurt... she forgave all of it.


    The question was, was I able to forgive her?


    ¡°If anything ever happens to you, Tally, I promise I¡¯ll take care of your son,¡± I replied, reaching across the table andying my hand upon hers. ¡°Enough with the heavy, though. Tell me what else has been going on.¡±


    In the middle of our conversation, the rm of the house started ring, and looking around frantically, Tally¡¯s eyes widened as she stood to her feet and ran to the bottom of the stairs just in time to see a nanny running out onto the topnding.


    ¡°Grab him and get to the panic room now!¡± she yelled at the nanny, who didn¡¯t hesitate as she disappeared from sight. I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but when she turned to me, I saw the fear in her eyes. ¡°Run, Ba!¡±

 Chapter 100 : Heads will Roll

    <h4>Chapter 100: Chapter 100 : Heads will Roll</h4>


    Ba.


    A whirlwind of emotions ran through me as chaos consumed James¡¯s home. The wood shattering echoed around me in slow motion as ss broke and screaming consumed the home.


    Men in ck clothing came through every entryway, and it was obvious that they weren¡¯t friendly by the way they pointed their guns at us.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but as I gained focus, I realized I was in trouble.


    Tally was screaming, yelling, fighting, and doing everything that she could. However, I was tossed aside quickly. My shoulder hit the counter before I slid to the floor, wincing in pain.


    The voices that were speaking and shouting were in anothernguage and my mind just couldn¡¯t wrap around what was going on.


    I had not the slightest clue what would was happening, but as I slowly regained my focus, I watched as arge, burly man had his arms wrapped around Tally, who was fighting as she kicked off the floor, screaming and jumping up and down like a wild caged animal trying to break free.


    ¡°Tally!¡± I screamed out as my heart beat rapidly, realizing who had broken into the house. Katrine¡¯s face came into view as she stepped through the shattered ss door, an older man with graying hairing in behind her.


    This was Sergei, and he had just infiltrated James¡¯s home.


    We were so f*cked.


    ¡°Well, look what we¡¯ve got here,¡± Katrineughed as her eyesnded on me. ¡°We came for Tally and instead got a two-for-one special.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t hurt us. Let us go!¡± I begged them from where I sat on the floor. Tally took a beating before her body was finally dropped to the floor near me. This was even worse than when Chad had attacked me, and as I sat scared and shocked, I watched her crawl towards me.


    ¡°Ba, it¡¯s going to be okay. Everything¡¯s going to be okay.¡± Tally¡¯s voice sounded shaky as she tried to reassure me, but she looked like hell.


    Katrine walked around the house for a moment before sitting at the table. Her father, however, stood looking around the room before letting his eyes fall on me with intrigue that was bing unsettling.


    ¡°Enough with the dramatics from you, Taliana. I¡¯ve known you since you were in diapers. You could have gone a lot quieter and without a beating had you just simply cooperated,¡± Sergei said from where he took his seat at the dining table.


    ¡°Go f*ck yourself. You need to get out of my f*cking house!¡± she said as she spit blood onto the floor. ¡°My dad isn¡¯t even here.¡±


    ¡°I know your dad¡¯s not here. In fact, I made sure to stage this when he wasn¡¯t here because every bit of reasoning that I had given him up to this point was not working. That¡¯s where you twoe in. At first, I was worried that just Taliana wouldn¡¯t be enough, but you, Ba?¡± He grinned with a twinkle in his eyes.


    I hadn¡¯t the slightest f*cking clue what he was talking about, but one thing was for sure; I was pissed. Because of James¡¯ bullshit, we were in this situation.


    ¡°This is ridiculous!¡± I snapped. ¡°This has nothing to do with us! This is about James.¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you. But then again, it does have everything to do with you. I know it wasn¡¯t you that stopped James from doing the dealing, but it was you that clouded his judgment about me,¡± Sergei replied,ughing with disgust.


    ¡°Careful, Father. She¡¯s pregnant and hormonal. There¡¯s no telling what tears wille from her eyes,¡± Katrina replied with a sneer as she rolled her eyes from looking at me.


    It was Sergei, though, who scanned his eyes down to my stomach and then snapped them up to the man who had grabbed me before. ¡°Regardless of what we¡¯re doing, you put your hands on a pregnant woman. Could you not see that she¡¯s pregnant?¡±


    The guy shrugged his shoulders, holding his hands out as if to say he didn¡¯t know. Sergei didn¡¯t like that, and the next thing I knew, a gunshot rang throughout the house, and the man that had grabbed me dropped dead to the floor.


    A scream left my throat upon seeing what had happened. ¡°I am so sorry, my dear. I didn¡¯t realize that you were pregnant,¡± he said as he held out his hand to me. ¡°Let¡¯s get you a chair.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of psychological bullshit this was, but I wasn¡¯t about to drop dead onto the floor like the man beside me. So, of course, I gave him my hand and stood. My eyes nced down at Tally, who seemed scared of what might happen next.


    Sergei walked me over to a chair that was pulled into the center of the room and sat me down upon it. ¡°Please, I know he upset you, but I don¡¯t have anything to do with him anymore. We haven¡¯t been together for a while.¡±


    Before Sergei could say anything, a man came down the stairs, his eyes locked onto Sergei before turning to me with a re. ¡°The nanny took the baby into the panic room, and it¡¯s not going to be possible to get into.¡±


    ¡°A panic room. I don¡¯t remember that being in thetest designs that we were able to pull for this house,¡± Sergei muttered to himself as he shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Doesn¡¯t surprise me he would do something like that. It¡¯s okay. We will be fine with these two.¡±


    ¡°It was installed more recently,¡± Tally spit out, causing Sergei tough.


    ¡°I bet it was,¡± he replied, walking toward her. ¡°Too bad it won¡¯t save the both of you.¡±


    The look in Sergie¡¯s eyes as he stalked toward her made my blood run cold. I wasn¡¯t sure what would happen, or if I would die, but at that moment, I wanted nothing more than to tell Neal and James I was sorry.


    I had acted like a fool the past few months.


    It wasn¡¯t just them that was at fault; it was me too.


    There was no way that my life had been the way it was by just their hand. I had allowed certain things to happen when I could have said no, and I hadn¡¯t done anything to fix it.


    If I died today... then at least, I went out trying.


    *****


    James


    When Ba left my office, I thought over everything that had happened. She waspregnant, and she did have a mildlyrge bump, but there was no way that baby was mine. I may not have used every precaution, but she was on her birth control shot when we were together. She¡¯d told me so.


    Which meant if she had been on the shot, it obviously had happened after....


    Thinking about it all was giving me a migraine.


    No matter how I said it, it never sounded good in my mind. In fact, it made me realize more and more there was absolutely no way that Neal could have been the one to have gotten her pregnant. Not when she looked to be more than a few months along.


    Picking up my phone, I quickly dialed Neal¡¯s number. I had spoken with him previously about what was happening, but now with this... it was clear I had f*cked up.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Neal snapped as he answered the phone. Still, to this day, he didn¡¯t care to speak to me, but that feeling was very mutual.


    ¡°Did Ba make it back to you safe?¡± I asked him, just wanting the reassurance that she was okay.


    ¡°What? No, she hasn¡¯t arrived yet. She was supposed to text me when she left. How long has she been gone?¡± Neal asked quickly with a sense of worry in his tone.


    ¡°She left about forty-five minutes ago. She should have been back to you by now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, she¡¯s not here, so where the f*ck is she?¡± Neal replied, raising his tone. The irritation and anger grew in him, something that was often sparked by me. I couldn¡¯t me him, though. She came here to fix things, and I didn¡¯t listen.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We got into a small argument, and she left. I saw her call an Uber, but that was about it.¡± The guilt was eating at me, and I realized with every second that I was more of a d*ck than usual.


    ¡°You got into an argument¡ª¡± he groaned. ¡°You¡¯re a f*cking idiot.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? She came here pregnant just to let me know she¡¯s been f*cking you forever,¡± I snapped back at him. There was no way that I was going to let him speak to me like that. It was he who messed up our rtionship.


    ¡°What are you talking about? The baby isn¡¯t mine, James. That was the whole point of her f*ckinging to talk to you.¡±


    My heart dropped into my stomach upon hearing him.


    The baby wasn¡¯t his?


    Taking a moment to reflect over the entire meeting with Ba, I could suddenly see exactly what was going on. She had been trying to tell me, and like a f*cking idiot, I dismissed her as if she was nothing.


    ¡°Shit. I AM a f*cking idiot.¡±


    The moment that I said those words, notifications from my house went ring. There was forced entry, and as I turned on the cameras, I could see them infiltrating the house, and most importantly, I heard a very particr scream in the live feed that made my blood run cold.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± I screamed into the phone.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± Neal yelled back in panic. ¡°What¡¯s that noise?¡±


    ¡°There is a break in... forced entry,¡± I muttered as I stood from behind my desk.


    ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°At my house! Ba must have gone there to talk to Tally. Tally has been talking about getting together with her for a while,¡± I rambled on, trying to make sense of everything as I quickly prepared myself to go into battle.


    ¡°Then, if that¡¯s the case, why are you acting as if the world ispletely ending?¡±


    ¡°Because, Neal, I just got a notification that people broke into the house, and guess what? They weren¡¯t Christmas carolers.¡± He seemed to get my sense of urgency because I heard him scream and swear before getting back on the phone.


    ¡°I swear to God if she gets f*cking hurt because of all this. I will f*cking kill you myself!¡±


    Hanging up the phone on Neal, I made my way towards my office door, putting the clip into my gun before shoving it into its holster. I needed to reach out to Greg to let him know what was happening¡ªif he didn¡¯t already know.


    With my phone still in my hand, I dialed his number, and he picked up on the second ring.


    ¡°James, we already got the notification. Our guys and yours were all taken out. You have to stay where you are. We have peopleing for you.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said through gritted teeth. ¡°They have my daughter and Ba.¡±


    ¡°The girls will be fine, James. Don¡¯t be stupid.¡±


    ¡°Ba is carrying my child, Greg. They will all die for hurting her,¡± I replied with a snarl as I hung up the phone and stepped into the elevator.


    Blood would flow for this. I would watch Sergie¡¯s life drain from his eyes as I put a bullet in his daughter¡¯s head. No one f*cked with my family and got away with it.

 Chapter 101 : Saving a Hostage

    <h4>Chapter 101: Chapter 101 : Saving a Hostage</h4>


    Neal.


    The moment James called me, I wasn¡¯t quite sure what it was that he wanted after the conversation we had previously had about Ba. However, my heart absolutely shattered when he told me that Ba had gone to his house and people had broken.


    She was once again implicated in something because of James, and my hatred for him grew even more. I understood very well that she might have been carrying his child, but it didn¡¯t excuse the things that he had done and the shit that he had gotten himself into.


    Now, because of him, there was a chance that she could be hurt or even killed.


    Pacing around the living room, I grabbed my keys, ready to go after her to go to James¡¯s house to save her if I had to. The problem was, I didn¡¯t expect Allegra toe home like she did. As soon as she stepped through the door and saw me, she dropped her bags on the floor and stared at me with hesitation.


    ¡°Why are you crying? What happened?¡± I hadn¡¯t even realized tears had been falling down my face until I lifted my hand and wiped my cheeks to reveal the wet dampness upon my fingers.


    ¡°I just got off the phone with James. Ba went to see him earlier as you know, and she left there after they had gotten into an argument, but instead ofing back here, she went to his house to see Tally.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even formte the words properly, and as she stepped closer, taking my hand in hers, she said. ¡°Okay, so she went to see Tally. What happened from there? Where is she?¡±


    ¡°It would seem that while she was at Tally¡¯s house... James got a notification on his phone.... There was screaming, I guess, and people broke into the house... I don¡¯t know Allegra. I have no clue what is going on.¡±


    My words were panicked and my tone even more so. My anxiety skyrocketed through the roof as the thought of losing her constantly rolled through me in waves. She had been a woman that I had slowly fallen in love with over time and not just somebody who was helping to heal the wounds that I had from my past.


    Even if she wasn¡¯t aware that she was doing it.


    I hadn¡¯t beenpletely honest with her, and I knew that I was going to have to be, but it was just so hard to talk about what had happened to me when I was growing up, and now I regretted not taking the moment to do so.


    Allegra quickly pulled out her phone dialing numbers, and before she realized it, I took her hand, snatching her phone away as she stared at me in disbelief.


    ¡°What the f*ck are you doing, Neal? Give me back my phone. I need to call the police.¡±


    ¡°Do you not understand how stupid you sound right now? Do you realize that the Russians control a lot of these people? They would be tipped off, and they would kill her quicker. We can¡¯t do that.¡± Snapping at her wasn¡¯t what I meant to do, but with the anger inside me, I couldn¡¯t stop it.


    ¡°Well, what do you expect us to do? We can¡¯t just sit here and do nothing,¡± she said quickly, tears forming within her eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! Give me a moment to think,¡¯¡¯ I replied as I began to pace the floor again trying to contemte what it was that I could do.


    Allegra shook her head with a scoff and disappeared down the hall as she went towards her room. I knew that she was going to have to handle this in her own way. I just hoped that she wouldn¡¯t hate me for not taking initiative as she wanted to.


    Five minutester, she reappeared, havingpletely changed her clothing carrying tworge duffle bags in her hands. She set them on the couch. Trying to understand what it was that she was doing, I watched her unzip the bags as if this was a normal thing for her.


    No words formted from me when I saw what the bags contained.


    ¡°Allegra, why do you have so many f*cking guns.¡±


    ncing up at me, she scoffed. ¡°They¡¯re a hobby of mine, okay? I like to collect things, and this just happens to be something I collect. I know I don¡¯t seem like a woman who would have these things, but I do, so let¡¯s not make it a big deal.¡±


    One would think it was shocking for someone like Allegra to have these kinds of weapons, but I knew how we grew up firsthand. Our family wasn¡¯t one that you would call normal, and with the type of man our father was, it was expected for her to consider this a ¡®hobby.¡¯


    ¡°I can see that you have been collecting, but we can¡¯t just go in there like that.¡±


    Sneering at me in disgust, she rolled her eyes again. ¡°Don¡¯t be a p*ssy, Neal. I may be older than you, but I know damn well that you were trained just as I was. Only difference is you got it easier with a tutor where I had to have our father.¡±


    ¡°Going in like this, Allegra is going to show others who we are,¡± I told her, trying to make her see reason. We had held this secret for years, and there was a reason for it.


    Sighing, she pushed a clip into her 9mm and pushed it towards me. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that this changes things? We can¡¯t keep hiding forever.¡±


    ¡°If we do this, and the surge finds out, they wille for us. We have hid for years under the identities that we have. You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    ¡°Neal!¡± she snapped at me. ¡°It¡¯s Ba. We can¡¯t let her get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Allegra, I know this, but it doesn¡¯t make shit better. Sergei has her, and going against him is a death sentence. We have to find a safer way to get her.¡±


    ¡°Neal! Have you f*cking heard yourself?¡± She snapped at me again as she shoved arger gun into my arms. ¡°The way you¡¯re talking isn¡¯t you. I get it that you¡¯re scared, but we have to do something. James is irrational and acts on emotion. We are not like him. Now get your shit together so we can save her.¡±


    Nodding my head, I took the gun ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡± she said, cracking a grin. ¡°So you¡¯re going to get your shit together?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m present.¡±


    ¡°Neal, don¡¯t forget what you stand for. What our family stands for.¡± Her words were soft but ncing back up at her, I could see the sincerity in her eyes.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Allegra wasn¡¯t wrong. I was well aware of the people we were raised by, and the expectation that we were supposed to live up to the problem was I didn¡¯t want to be that kind of person. Even if right now, that was exactly who I needed to be.


    ¡°Come on, Neal.¡± Allegra rushed out as she lifted one of the bags and slung it onto her shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go get our girl.¡±


    Taking a moment, I turned and gazed out the window that looked over the city. This was a moment I would never be able to walk away from, but Allegra was right... wasn¡¯t she?


    ¡°Niki! Now!¡± She yelled at me from near the front door. It had been so long since I had heard anyone call me that name, and gazing into the angry and determined look in her eye, I knew she meant business.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go get our girl.¡±


    *****


    Ba.


    No matter what had happened in the past, I wasn¡¯t prepared for this. Sergei had spent thest thirty minutes trying to get information out of Tally and I, and, being unable to do so, became frustrated.


    He had struck Tally repeatedly, and seeing her bruised, bleeding, and battered body, I broke down. I had tried to help her, but my actions caused them to tie me up. I was forced to watch them hurt her, and nothing I said was going to stop it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try this again, shall we?¡± Sergei said as he took a cloth from his pocket and wiped away the blood from his hands. He stood before us now without his jacket. His white dress shirt was sttered with blood and rolled up at his sleeves.


    The man was a monster. Nothing about him waspassionate or caring, and honestly, I didn¡¯t know how we were going to survive this. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want me to tell you. I don¡¯t know anything, I swear.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s funny you say that because James recently put everything he has in your name. So how is it that you don¡¯t know anything?¡±


    Hearing this was news to me. My lips parted, and shock registered on my face as I processed what he was saying. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Laughter escaped him as Katrine scoffed. ¡°She really doesn¡¯t know,¡± he said.


    ¡°Of course she does!¡± Katrine yelled in anger. ¡°She is trying to steal what belongs to me.¡±


    ¡°Go f*ck yourself!¡± I spat at her, only to have her clear the space between us in an attempt to attack me. Thankfully though, one of her father¡¯s men wrapped her up in his arms and pulled her away.


    Her dangerous gaze was murderous, and honestly, I wouldn¡¯t put it past her to try and kill me. God knows she would see that as a way to solve all her problems.


    ¡°All you want is to take his money,¡± she snapped.


    ¡°You¡¯re f*cking ridiculous. That¡¯s all you want, you daft c*nt.¡±


    ¡°Enoughdies!¡± Sergei yelled, catching my attention. ¡°I can¡¯t stand to hear women bickering; it¡¯s irritating.¡±


    ¡°She started¡ª¡± Katrine started to say just before Sergeished out, backhanding her across her face. Her eyes widened in shock at her father¡¯s actions, but it was clear by the narrowed gaze on his face that he didn¡¯t give a shit if he had hurt her.


    ¡°Speak again in any way without my permission, and you won¡¯t like what happens next.¡±


    Shock didn¡¯t begin to exin the way I felt as I watched the scene before me unfold. I wasn¡¯t sure why Sergei would act like this to his daughter, but then again, she kind of deserved it because of how she was. Karma is a bitch and all.


    However, as his gaze turned back to me, I couldn¡¯t help but feel myself slowly shrink beneath his gaze. Every step he took toward me made my heart beat faster.


    ¡°I apologize for that inconvenience with my daughter. She tends to forget her ce, my dear,¡± Sergei said with a grin.


    ¡°What do you mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shh...¡± he hushed me as he squatted to my eye level. ¡°You are very important to me, Ba. After this is all over, I will show you how a man treats a woman he is with.¡±


    Tally began tough as she held her stomach, cringing. ¡°You¡¯re f*cking insane if you think my dad will ever let that happen.¡±


    Groaning in irritation Sergei pinched the bridge of his nose and frowned. ¡°You will make a beautiful bride, Ba.¡±


    ¡°Over my dead body.¡±


    The sound of James¡¯ voice brought tears to my eyes, and as I turned to look at him, so did everyone else. A gun pointed at Sergei was the first thing I saw, and the next was the man creeping up behind him.


    ¡°James, watch out!¡±

 Chapter 102 : Following Through

    <h4>Chapter 102: Chapter 102 : Following Through</h4>


    Ba.


    The moment I screamed out, the man who hade up behind James hit him in the back of the head with the ass end of the gun he was carrying. James copsed to his knees, his gun dropping to the floor as Sergei began tough.


    ¡°Was that honestly your poor, pathetic excuse of trying to save them?¡± Sergei asked as he stepped closer to where James was. ¡°You¡¯re f*cking pathetic.¡±


    He kicked James across the face. James¡¯ body fell to the floorpletely as I cried out again. I couldn¡¯t watch this. Tally was begging for Sergei to stop, but it was as if nobody could get through to him.


    ¡°Please, please, just leave him alone. Don¡¯t hurt him!¡± I begged Sergei, who slowly looked over his shoulder at me with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Why do you even care what this man does, considering how he treated you? You are nothing to him. A piece of ass he happened to get f*cking pregnant.¡±


    When Sergei said that, James¡¯s eyes connected with mine, and I saw the guilt lurking beneath. Just because he had been an asshole to me didn¡¯t mean he deserved this. Nobody deserved this, and yet it was happening.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Tally cried out for him. ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this. Leave him alone.¡±


    There was no telling what was going to happen, and honestly, I couldn¡¯t believe James had walked in here like this, knowing all these men were here. He came in alone as if he was on a suicide mission. Which didn¡¯t sound like him at all.


    A rush of emotion swept over me as Sergei bent down to look at James, mming his fist into his face again and again. The bloody mess scattered about the area until Sergei seemed satisfied with the state of James.


    Sergei finally had the man that he had been waiting for.


    ¡°You know, I find this all amusing. As if fate is on my side today. I hade here with the intention of luring you in, and I got both your daughter and your lover. Then when you came, it was without much resistance.¡±


    Sergei was radiating with pride over everything that was happening, and I, of all people, knew what it looked like when someone who got what they wanted thought too highly of themselves. I had spent many years with Tally before she changed.


    ¡°Go ahead and kill me,¡± James replied, his dark, husky voice was battered and broken just as his body was. ¡°It isn¡¯t going to save you, though.¡±


    ¡°James, no...¡± I whimpered, but my whimpers went ignored.


    ¡°Save me? What do you mean it isn¡¯t going to save me? Who the f*ck is going to stop me from doing what I want?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to die.¡± Tally hissed. ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this!¡±


    ¡°Shut her up!¡± Sergei yelled as another warrior kicked Tally, causing her to cry out in pain as I struggled against my restraints.


    ¡°Please stop... please.¡±


    There was nobody to save us. James was more than likely going to die at the hands of this man, and Tally and I would follow. Or at least she would... For some odd reason, this man had an interest in me I would never understand.


    I didn¡¯t want any of it. Not one single bit, but there wasn¡¯t much that I could do in a world like this, so dark and eluding, you never knew if you wereing or going.


    You never knew who or what could take you.


    ¡°I may not be able to stop you,¡± James coughed out, blood dripping onto the floor from his mouth. ¡°But you know what they say about women¨C¡± he replied, looking at me with a smile. ¡°There¡¯s nothing worse than a woman scorned.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what he meant, but at the exact moment that he spoke, the shattering of doors erupted, and the windows blew out in the house. Gunfire erupted around the house as people fought back and others took cover.


    It was chaos, and even my own cries were damped by the sounds of war.


    *****


    James.


    -Thirty minutes before-


    As soon as I arrived at the house, I was met with problems. Sergei¡¯s men were scattered upon mywn, and slowly, I tried to bring myself forward to fight through the masses of people that he had on my property to get to the girls.


    One by one, I took them down, but as a third came at me from behind, I misjudged myself and found myself in a predicament. One that took me by surprise and almost cost me my life. That is until a bullet to the head took him to his knees.


    The only problem was the shot hadn¡¯te from me.


    Spinning around, I looked to see where it hade from, only then to witness Allegra and Neal stepping from the brush. There was a look on Allegra¡¯s face that I hadn¡¯t expected to see, and honestly, between her ck skin-tight outfit and the heavy gun in her hand, I thought I was seeing things.


    She was lethal. Ready to kill anyone who got in her way.


    ¡°I should f*cking kill you right now for everything that has happened,¡± she said, seething in anger. Her knuckles turned white where she gripped the gun. ¡°When is this going to end, James?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why the f*ck you¡¯re here, Allegra. But I don¡¯t have time for this. I have to get in there and save them.¡±


    Turning away from them, I made my way closer to my house only to have a firm grasp on my arm stop me in my tracks. ¡°Don¡¯t do this.¡±


    ¡°Get your f*cking hand off me!¡± I snapped at Neal, pulling my arm from his grasp.


    Neal, a man who was the bane of my existence, had taken everything from me that I wanted. Now, he was stopping me from going in and saving the woman he supposedly loved as well. ¡°You have to think this through. You¡¯re running into that building with the chance of getting them killed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going in to save them.¡±


    Allegra scoffed at myment, rolling her eyes. ¡°Save them? You¡¯re running into that building, running on nothing but emotions, and emotions get you killed. Where the f*ck is your backup, James? Where are the people who were supposed to be watching this house, protecting them?¡±


    She had a point. Greg had said they would be protecting them, that I would have guys on the house, and yet here I was with no help. I wasn¡¯t sure what was going to happen, but I couldn¡¯t just do nothing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Allegra. I know they had men who were moles inside their ranks, people who were running back to Sergei with everything,¡± I sighed as I paced back and forth. ¡°I can¡¯t just stand here and do nothing.¡±


    ¡°No one is telling you to do nothing,¡± she sneered in disgust. ¡°I¡¯m telling you to get your shit together, or you¡¯re going to get someone killed.¡±


    She was right, and I didn¡¯t want to admit it.


    ¡°What the f*ck is all this?¡± I asked, gesturing to the gear they both had and the way they acted as if they had done this before.


    Allegra looked at Neal in silent conversation before looking back at me. ¡°It¡¯splicated.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to trust you or anything you do if you can¡¯t give me a f*cking answer?¡± I asked them just as another scream echoed from the house, causing me to turn with panic.


    ¡°Look, we don¡¯t have time for this. Just know that we are more than you think.¡±


    ¡°More than I think?¡± I gasped, ncing back at her with anger. ¡°I invited you into my home and into a bed with my woman. But you won¡¯t f*cking tell me anything?¡±


    As she took a step forward, I felt the hostility rolling off her in waves. There was a lot that must have been on her mind because usually she would have said many things right now that she hadn¡¯t. ¡°You really want to save them?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± She replied, brushing something off my shoulder. ¡°Then you¡¯re going to need to pay attention because I¡¯m only going to do this once, and I don¡¯t have time to deal with your bullshit.¡±


    Allegra had a n I wasn¡¯t sure if I could trust. The only problem was that I didn¡¯t have a choice. I needed help, and there was no way that I was going to be able to do this alone. There was no way that I could save Tally, Ba, and my grandson without their help.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± I replied softly as she took a moment to really look at me before patting my chest with a nod.


    ¡°Niki, exin.¡± Neal stepped forward, and when the realization hit me that they had both been lying and were, in fact, Russians themselves, I grew angry.


    ¡°Are you kidding me right now?¡± I asked her, watching as she shook her head with amusement in her actions.


    ¡°I never kid, James.¡± Allegra hummed as Neal pulled up something on his phone.


    ¡°There is a point of entry from the top right of the building. You will provide us a distraction, and we wille in and take them out one by one.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely insane,¡± I muttered, shaking my head. ¡°You guys can¡¯t take them on.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Allegra eximed, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at me with anger burning in her eyes. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°Because... he is a realtor for one, and you, Allegra,... you¡¯re a f*cking supermodel.¡±


    Hatred wasn¡¯t something I was expecting, but the look she was giving me let me know right away what she thought about me.


    ¡°You¡¯re a f*cking asshole, James. This isn¡¯t about you, but get with the times. We don¡¯t have time for this shit.¡±


    She was right. We didn¡¯t have time for this shit. If something was going to be done to save them, and protect them, then we were going to have to move forward. We were going to have to get with the program and get moving.


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s do things your way.¡±

 Chapter 103 : Death to Those We Love

    <h4>Chapter 103: Chapter 103 : Death to Those We Love</h4>


    Ba.


    Once upon a time, I would have considered myself to be absolutely blessed and extraordinary for the life I was fortunate to live. I didn¡¯t have to worry about the things that other people did. I grew up safe and away from the evils of the world.


    Yet, somehow that evil had managed to find me.


    Screams of terror escaped my throat as the sounds of gunfire, shattering ss, and chaos erupted around me. I wasn¡¯t sure if I wasing or going, but when I felt a tug at the confinements at my wrist I saw hope.


    Looking down, I saw Tally struggling with a knife to free me. Her panicked eyes widened as she ducked her head and flinched from the violence that consumed us.


    ¡°We have to get out of here,¡± she said to me, trying to make her voice loud enough for me to hear but quiet enough that no one else could understand. Not that it helped.


    As soon as my hands were free, I reached down, freeing my ankles, but before I could stand, a firm grip on my hair had me yanked back. A cry of pain escaped my lips as I was yanked up to my feet. The eyes of a devilish man in a ck ball cap caught my gaze with a sneer on his face.


    ¡°Let her go!¡± Tally screamed as she jumped to her feet only to be hit from the side and knocked back to the floor.


    ¡°Please stop!¡± I begged them.


    As my eyes went to James, I saw the panic in slow motion. He jumped to his feet, running straight for the man who had his hand on me, his body connecting, but only in time for gunfire to ricochet through the air, and a scream once again left my lips.


    If there was ever a time in my life to wish for a god to protect us, it was now.


    ¡°James!¡± I bellowed, tears running down my face as I looked at James lying on the ground, blood seeping from between his fingers as he held them to the wound at his stomach. He had been shot, but he wasn¡¯t giving up.


    The man who had hold of meid upon the ground. His body moved slowly as he grappled for his gun. However, before he could turn to finish off the job he¡¯d started, the loud sound of a gun firing ricocheted through the air, and he slumped to the floor.


    ¡°I heard there was a party.¡± The voice was familiar, and as I turned towards the open doorway, I saw Allegra standing there. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, and her blue eyes were fierce as she held a ratherrge gun in her hands.


    ¡°You little bitch!¡± Sergei yelled at her. ¡°He was my best man!¡±


    Jumping up, I tried to make my way towards her, but a warm arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back with a sadisticugh. I struggled hard against the body, but as soon as I felt the cold barrel of a gun pointed against my head, I knew my fight was gone.


    ¡°Let her go,¡± Allegra growled at him through gritted teeth.


    How was it that I had gotten into this situation?


    How was it that I had foolishly allowed myself to get captured?


    I should never havee here. I should never havee to see Tally, but then again, if I hadn¡¯t, there was no telling what would have happened or if they would have gotten to me in the end anyway.


    ¡°This could have been prevented had you just given me what I wanted, James.¡± Sergei red down at James, who was slowly getting to his knees, blood still soaking through his shirt as it ran down his leg.


    ¡°Let her go, Sergie. It is me that you want, not her.¡±


    He was trying to save me, and I could see it in his eyes that he was scared for me, but there was nothing that could be done right now. Nothing could save us, and I wasn¡¯t sure what had possessed Allegra toe in here, guns zing, on her own, but she was going to get herself killed if she continued.


    ¡°You¡¯re correct, it was you that I wanted, but she is just as valuable, carrying your child. I could kill you right now, and your child would be an heir, whether male or female. It would be a child that I could raise, and she¡¯s young enough to breed me more.¡±


    The sound of his proposition made bile fill my throat. The urge to release the contents of everything I had had to eat that day became strong, but instead, I pushed it down and held myself together. ¡°Let me go.¡±


    My struggle seemed to amuse him. Grasping my throat with his hand that had been on my waist, he leaned in, inhaling the scent of my hair with a groan. ¡°So much fire.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re f*cking disgusting,¡± I replied through tears trying to be strong but unable to keep myposure as I thought about the baby growing inside of me. A baby that would be the future of the Valentino family.


    ¡°Enough with your games, Sergei,¡± Allegra snapped, drawing his attention from me. I didn¡¯t understand how Allegra was here, and how she had guns, and how she knew exactly what to do. None of it made sense at all.


    ¡°Kill that stupid bitch,¡± Sergei snapped with irritation to the men still standing nearby.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt them!¡± I cried out in panic. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. Just don¡¯t hurt them.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Tally and James screamed at the same time.


    ¡°Sergei, just take me. Please let her go. I¡¯ll give you whatever you want. I¡¯ll sign thepany over if that¡¯s going to make you happy. Just please.¡± James was pleading for my safety and the safety of our child broke my heart.


    My feelings conflicted for him. I loved him, but not like I used to, and even then, I wasn¡¯t sure if what I had for him was love. We had barely known each other, and I cared for Neal.


    I was aplete f*cking mess, and through all of the mess, I had put myself in a situation that I should never have been in.


    ¡°Do you actually think that I¡¯m stupid, James? Do you think that you can offer me yourpany now? I know for a fact that you signed everything over to somebody else.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand what Sergei was talking about, but whatever it was, the shock on James¡¯s face registered quite clearly. It was obvious that there was no way that James would be able to talk him out of this situation.


    Instead, we were all standing still in a very hostile situation.


    During the chaos, I hadn¡¯t noticed how Katrine had slipped away. I was so caught up in everything going on that my attention had been on helping Tally and trying not to die. So the moment that I saw Katrine trying to sneak up behind Allegra, I lost it.


    ¡°Look out!¡± I screamed just as another shot rang out, and Katrine¡¯s body dropped to the floor. Sergei screamed next to me as he watched his daughter die. I wasn¡¯t sure how it happened, because I knew it wasn¡¯t Allegra.


    ¡°Now, you¡¯re all going to die,¡± Sergei growled as he yanked me hard, causing me to cry out just as another figure came behind Allegra.


    ¡°Neal?¡± I whimpered as his eyes met mine, and anger filled them. He was pissed, and he had every right to be mad at me. I had defied him, I had not bothered to follow the simplest of tasks he had given me.


    Yet, as I looked past his anger, I noticed the same thing about him as I had Allegra.


    ¡°Let her go now, and I will spare your life, Sergei,¡± Neal snapped as he stepped closer to us. There was something different about him that I hadn¡¯t noticed before. Something more dangerous.


    ¡°You two look very familiar,¡± Sergei muttered. ¡°Do I know you?¡±


    The moment that his guard was taken down, a blur distracted me, causing me to fall to the floor as Sergei went toppling over the gun firing and the sound of James screaming.


    It was Tally, she had saved my life, and in the process... her bodyy on the floor blood seeping from her chest as she coughed.


    Yet, she wasn¡¯t the only one dead. Sergeiid dead next to her with a bullet wound to his face and was almost unrecognizable. Neal had taken that shot, and as my eyes filled with tears, I crawled over to Tally.


    ¡°Oh, no no no... please, no.¡± I whimpered as I ced my hands on her chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding. ¡°Tally, hold on, you¡¯re going to be okay.¡±


    James screamed for someone to call help, and at the moment he did, men in uniforms came through the broken doors. Men who were there to help us.


    ¡°Ba¨C¡± Tally gasped as she raised her hand to touch the side of my face. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It will be okay.¡± I smiled at her. ¡°Help ising... you¡¯re going to be okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going¡ªto make it,¡± she gasped as she started to cough, blood seeping from her mouth.


    ¡°You are going to make it. You have a little boy upstairs who needs his mommy.¡±


    A small smile crested her lips as she shook her head slowly. ¡°No, he is going to need you. I¡¯m sorry for everything that I did, Ba. I hope¡ªI hope this makes us even.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe what she was saying. I couldn¡¯t believe that she was so easily giving up on life when she had so much life to live. ¡°Of course, I forgive you. I can¡¯t do this without you, Tally.¡±


    She smiled at me for a moment before she seemed to slip. Thest breath of her body left her as I cried out. I wasn¡¯t sure what was happening as time seemed to stand still, but arms pulled me away, and slowly I was removed from the home.


    The view of James hovering over his dead daughter would be forever imprinted into my memory.


    Ambnces and police swarmed the area. Emergency responders were shouting directions and asking Neal and Allegra what was going on. I was deaf to most of it, though. Unable to focus, unable to process what had happened.


    None of this should have happened.


    Yet, it did, and because it did, lives were lost, and families were torn apart.


    I didn¡¯t understand why it was that all this pain and sorrow came to the people I loved, but knowing that the problem was gone and that Sergei couldn¡¯t hurt anyone else made me feel slightly better.


    Even if my friend was gone... I would find a way to fulfill my promise.

 Chapter 104 : Custody and Chaos

    <h4>Chapter 104: Chapter 104 : Custody and Chaos</h4>


    James.


    Throughout my entire life, I thought I had known pain. However, when I saw my daughter die before my eyes, I realized I didn¡¯t even know what pain was. The pain of losing a child isn¡¯t something that I wish any parent to ever have to go through.


    The burning ache of losing my daughter was a feeling that would never be able to go away, a void in my chest that would forever remain empty. She was my pride and joy, my only child, my everything, and even though Ba was pregnant with my child, it was an idea that I still couldn¡¯t wrap my head around.


    How could I process anything when my sweet Taliana was gone?


    ¡°James, I¡¯m so sorry for your loss,¡± Greg, the federal agent who had been working with me, said as he stood at the back of the open ambnce doors.


    I was angry with him. He was supposed to have been here. He was supposed to have been my back up, and had he shown up, perhaps my daughter wouldn¡¯t be dead. ¡°You promised that you would protect her. Where the f8ck were you?¡±


    He was at a loss for words, lips parted, and a nk expression upon his face. ¡°We did, but there were things that had happened. I¡¯m so sorry, James. I didn¡¯t think that this would be the end result.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think that he would kill my daughter? Are you kidding me? He would have killed us all, and you were nowhere around. How would you feel if that was your child that you just lost in there?¡± I screamed in anger, furious about how he could stand there, acting as if he had no fault in any of this.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you to the hospital and get you fixed up,¡± he mumbled as the two ambnce drivers came back and finished what they were doing.


    I didn¡¯t want to go to the hospital, though. I didn¡¯t want to live.


    ¡°No, wait!¡± I cried out, trying to break free of the man who attempted to stick me with a needle. ¡°My grandson--where¡¯s my grandson?¡±


    My panicked tone caught Greg¡¯s attention, and as he nced over his shoulder, I followed his gaze to see the nanny walking towards Ba, who stood in shock with Neal¡¯s arm around her shoulders. ¡°ording to the female over there, Taliana had written a will. The woman gave her that will, which clearly states that the child must be ced in Ba¡¯s custody.¡±


    Hearing this news broke my heart. My own daughter had decided that my grandson would be in the better care of her friend Ba than with me. Not that I really could me her. I was more than likely still going to jail after everything that had happened.


    I didn¡¯t even know if I could make it to my daughter¡¯s funeral.


    As the tears poured down my face and my heart shattered into a million pieces. I watched the doors to the ambnce close, leaving me to the dim lighting of the truck and a million thoughts that swirled through my mind.


    Sergei was dead and no longer a threat to my family.


    But my life waspletely destroyed.


    ****


    Neal.


    The moment that I had walked into the house and had seen Ba in the position she was in, I didn¡¯t hesitate to fire the gun and kill the man who held her hostage. I knew who he was.


    Sergei was a very well-known criminal back in my home country, and through everything that I had been through growing up, there was no way I¡¯d let him take her from me.


    The problem was, I didn¡¯t expect for James¡¯s daughter to knock the man out of the way and in return take the first bullet I had meant for him.


    The shock of killing her haunted me. I hadn¡¯t meant for her to get caught in the crossfire, but the stupid girl thought herself heroic ,and in the end, lost her life.


    Allegra had told me to keep my mouth closed. To not say anything and leave the news for Ba to another day. She was right as usual, because seeing the pain in Ba¡¯s eyes was more than I could handle. She was broken, and she needed someone to be strong for her.


    Considering she had lost not only Tally, but James as well... I couldn¡¯t let her lose me, too. I just hoped she would forgive me one day for what I had done.


    ¡°She¡¯s gone,¡± Ba said softly, her whispered tone catching my attention as I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close to me.


    ¡°Are you Reba?¡± Both Ba and I gazed at the woman, who came walking forward with a baby in her arms and a grim expression on her face.


    ¡°Oh, my goodness, is this him?¡± Ba choked back a sob as she held her arms out to the woman, wanting to take the baby from her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the woman said softly, handing over the child. ¡°I¡¯m Sara, and this is Tally¡¯s son. She left this document for you as well. It¡¯s her will that gives you the legal rights to care for the child.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what the hell was going on or what she meant, and as Ba gazed down at the baby, I knew that whatever it was, those questions would have to wait untilter.


    ¡°Ba, I know that you¡¯re hurting right now, but we really need to move you away from the crime scene,¡± I exined to her, watching as she hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding her head.


    ncing over my shoulder at my sister standing by a ck sedan, I nodded. I slowly turned Ba towards the car as Allegra opened the door for Ba to climb in.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Ba said quickly as she turned back to the nanny. ¡°Come with us.¡±


    ¡°Come with you?¡± Sara gasped as she stared at me with aging green eyes and graying hair.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to need help because I don¡¯t know how to do any of this, and with everything going on.....¡± Ba¡¯s words died off as she took a deep breath and met the woman¡¯s eyes again. ¡°I will pay you. I don¡¯t want you to feel like you won¡¯t get paid. I know you didn¡¯t ask for any of this, but I could really use your help.¡±


    The woman seemed overjoyed by the idea of being able to stay a part of the child¡¯s life and also keep her employment. ¡°Of course, miss. If you give me just a moment, I will go upstairs and collect our things.¡±


    It was an open crime scene, and I didn¡¯t understand how that would be possible. However, the man they called Greg, who seemed to be in charge of this whole thing, walked up next to Sara, cing his hand on her shoulder. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll walk you inside so you can get what you need.¡±


    As the two of them disappeared, I again turned my attention to Ba, who took her seat in the back of the car, cradling the child in her arms.


    I had imagined seeing her like this for so long, and now that it was here, I wish it was under different circumstances. I didn¡¯t want my first image of seeing her with a child to be at a crime scene, but then fate has a funny way of making things happen.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be okay, Ba. I promise.¡±


    Gazing up at me with red-rimmed eyes, she smiled. ¡°She knew this was going to happen.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Tally, she knew this was going to happen,¡± she replied softly. ¡°Tally never nned ahead for anything in her life, but she made the will just a few days ago. It was like she knew she was going to die.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t expecting for Ba to tell me this, and honestly thinking about it had me considering if that were possible. It could have been mere coincidence that Tally had made the will just in case, but then again, if she had suspicions, maybe she did know.


    As far as I knew, she wasn¡¯t part of our world, as James had made sure to keep her from it, but she was smarter than she had let people believe, and she had kept her mother away for a reason. So there was no telling what Tally had known.


    Thinking that nothing else could get worse, I quickly found that I was wrong as I heard screaming and cryinging from the other side of the long driveway. Closing the car door so that it wouldn¡¯t distract Ba, I turned my attention towards my sister, who narrowed her brows and looked in that direction of the screaming as well.


    Then, we saw Tally¡¯s mother, Allison,e running forth, dropping to the ground, causing all kinds of hysterics over everything that had happened, over losing her daughter. A daughter who she put in this position by working with Sergie.


    ¡°No! Where is she?¡± Allison screamed over and over. ¡°My baby! My baby!¡±


    At the same time this was happening, Sara, the nanny, came outside from the house carrying tworge bags. Her eyes met Allison¡¯s and as they did, Allison got to her feet and ran towards the woman. ¡°Where is my grandchild? Where is he?¡±


    Sara looked terrified, and as Greg exited the house with tworge suitcases, he gestured to two officers to detain Allison. Sara, however, didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am, he is with Miss Ba. He is safe.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Allison screamed as she looked towards where Allegra and I were standing next to the car. ¡°Get him away from the bitch! This is all her fault!¡±


    Attempting to break free from the men, she managed for a moment to run towards the car only to be met by my angry re. ¡°If youe near Ba, you will regret ever doing so.¡±


    Greg yelled at his officers to get Allison, but as she stared at me, I saw the hatred that brewed inside her. ¡°I¡¯m his grandmother. I have my rights!¡±


    ¡°Not in the state of Florida. There is no such thing as grandparent rights, and Tally had a will that gives Ba custody of the child.¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯ll kill that bitch! She ruined everything!¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Valentino, you¡¯re under arrest for conspiracy tomit murder.¡± The officer said as he and another man arrested Allison where she stood in front of me. It was nice to see the woman getting what she deserved, but to know what it cost for it to happen wasn¡¯t something anyone wanted.


    Allison went kicking and screaming as they dragged her towards a patrol car. Her screams of profanity and pain over losing her daughter were heartbreaking. However, she had no one to me but herself.


    ¡°The bags are loaded.¡± Allegra finally said as she ced her hand on my arm. I had been so lost in thought, I hadn¡¯t noticed the car had been loaded, and Sara had climbed into the back of the car with Ba.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± I asked her softly, trying to manage my emotions as I remained neutral for everyone¡¯s sake.


    ¡°We go back to my house and try to rx after everything. It¡¯s going to take time to fix things, Neal, but in the end, everything will be okay,¡± Allegra said.


    I wanted to believe my sister, but honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure if I did.


    So much pain had been caused today, and through it all, I was the reason why.

 Chapter 105 : Federal Circumstances

    <h4>Chapter 105: Chapter 105 : Federal Circumstances</h4>


    Ba.


    My life went in slow motion as I tried to grasp a handle on everything that had happened. I had been handed a newborn child that I was expected to take care of and a nanny who I was more than grateful for.


    But through it all, I was blindsided and confused.


    My entire world had been flipped upside down, and as I walked through the front doors of Allegra¡¯s house, I tried to understand how I was going to make it through everything.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I go ahead and put the kettle on?¡± Allegra said softly as she made her way slowly towards the kitchen. ¡°It¡¯s been a very hectic day, and we all need a rest.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t wrong there, but the moment I thought about a cup of tea, it brought tears to my eyes again. That was thest thing Tally and I had done before hell broke out in her house, and I was left without my friend.


    ¡°Oh, Miss Ba, why don¡¯t I go ahead and get the baby settled in? It¡¯s been a long day, and you need rest,¡± Sarah said as she held out her arms and allowed me to hand over the child to her.


    She wasn¡¯t wrong about me needing more rest. I desperately needed it, but with my mindpletely worn, I didn¡¯t even know what I was supposed to do.


    ¡°You can take the second door on the left,¡± Allegra called from the kitchen to Sara. ¡°I don¡¯t have a crib or anything like that for the baby, but I did reach out to my neighbor who has a pack and y. She said she would deliver it soon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll work perfectly. Thank you,¡± Sara replied as she took the child towards the room with Neal carrying the bags behind her.


    Allegra walked towards me, taking my hand as she led me towards the kitchen. I simply followed in a robotic manner going through the motions without actually being present. I was safe, and so was my unborn child. The paramedics looked me over at the scene.


    I had been fortunate I wasn¡¯t severely hurt, which was the only thing that Sergei made sure of. The baby in my stomach had been valuable to him, and therefore, I was treated kindly to an extent, but that hadn¡¯t been the case for any of the others.


    ¡°I know thest thing that you want to hear is that everything is going to be okay because it¡¯s not going to be okay. At least not right now. The only thing we can do is take it one day at a time.¡±


    Allegra wasn¡¯t wrong, and as I took a seat on the bar stool, I let a heavy breath escape me. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why this happened,¡± I whispered, finally letting my eyes connect with her.


    ¡°I know, sweetie, and I¡¯m sorry that it did,¡± she replied softly. ¡°We will get through this.¡±


    ¡°I think I should goy down,¡± I replied as I stood once more. ¡°I feel like I could sleep forever.¡±


    Taking my tea, I turned away from Allegra and passed by Neal standing in his doorway before entering the bedroom I had stayed in many times before. Closing the door, I relished in the peace, and as I set my tea down, I cried again.


    I didn¡¯t even know if James was alive, which was the worst part.


    I knew that he could be dying in the hospital, but I wasn¡¯t allowed to go there.


    Moving towards the bed, Iid down upon it, wrapping myself around the cold soft pillow, my heart was broken, and my mind fractured. I closed my eyes and allowed the darkness to take me. Sleep was what I needed, and time would heal me.


    Eventually.


    *****


    Neal.


    The moment I watched Ba walk past me towards her room, with her eyes cast towards the floor and a grim expression on her face, I felt terrible. It didn¡¯t matter what I could say or what I could do for her to make anything feel better. She was going to need the time and space to be able to process everything that had happened.


    With a heavy sigh, I made my way towards the kitchen, where Allegra was currently sipping on a hot cup of tea. ¡°There has to be something that we can do for her.¡±


    ¡°Like what, Neal? She¡¯s grieving, she lost somebody close to her, and the father of her child is probably going to jail,¡± my sister said as she shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, but at the same time, I can¡¯t help but wonder if there¡¯s something we can do. Is there some kind of sedative to help her sleep? I mean, I don¡¯t know much about pregnant woman Allegra, and I would hate to have her sedated, but she¡¯spletely distraught and worn down, and that isn¡¯t healthy for her or the baby.¡±


    ¡°So you think that sedating her would be a good idea?¡± Allegra snapped quietly under her breath. ¡°Have you lost your f*cking mind? She just went through hell. Not to mention, I¡¯m surprised she hasn¡¯t even brought up the whole situation with you and I.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t even considered that she had seen a side of me and Allegra that she had never even known was there, and it was shocking to everyone because even James gave me a questioning nce as I passed by the ambnce that he was being lifted into.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that.¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t think of that or many other things.¡± She sighed, shaking her head as a soft knock came on the front door.


    Allegra and I turned our gaze towards the hallway that led to the front door, both hesitating for a moment before we looked back at each other and then promptly moved towards the doorway to see who it was that was there.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably just the neighbor she was bringing over the pack and y for the baby,¡± Allegra replied as she reached for the door and opened it.


    Indeed, the woman was there with the pack and y, and Allegra thanked her. Buting up the hallway was a face that I hoped I wouldn¡¯t see again. It was Greg, the federal agent who had been at the scene and dealt with much of what was happening.


    ¡°Greg, what can I do for you?¡± I asked him as I took in the grim expression on his face.


    ¡°Would you mind if I stepped inside and spoke with you about some things?¡±


    I nced over at Allegra. This was her home, and I wouldn¡¯t invite somebody in that she didn¡¯t want there. She hesitated for a moment, but with reluctance, her shoulders sagged, and she nodded. ¡°You can take him into my private office. I¡¯ll take the pack and y to Sara for the baby.¡±


    As Allegra disappeared, I opened the door further, allowing Greg to step inside. As soon as the door behind him, we moved down the hallway towards Allegra¡¯s private office.


    The office wasn¡¯t very big, but it wasrge enough that it had a small desk and a settee that set off in the corner, with bookshelves that lined the walls and a massive window on one wall that overlooked the city.


    ¡°Take a seat,¡± I said gruffly, watching as Greg took a seat on the settee, and I made my way over towards the chair behind Allegra¡¯s desk. ¡°What is it that I can do for you?¡±


    ¡°Today was a cluster f*ck, as you are aware,¡± Greg said, starting up a conversation in a direction that I hadn¡¯t expected. ¡°With everything that went on, we have dead bodies with bullets that don¡¯t seem to match any of the other guns on the scene. Not to mention a lot more damage that isn¡¯t exinable.¡±


    Shit. This is exactly what I was hoping wouldn¡¯t happen. I was hoping that they would overlook those details because, in fact, the guns we had fired the bullets from were currently in our position, and we weren¡¯t nning on handing them over. They were family heirlooms.


    ¡°Yes, that would be correct,¡± I replied hesitantly, watching Greg¡¯s every movement, and as his eyes cast down towards his hands, he let out another heavy breath, and I slowly found myself bing impatient.


    ¡°Look, we know who you and your sister are. I checked after the event today, and I¡¯m aware of your family history. However, I¡¯m also aware that you¡¯re both upstanding citizens and have left that life behind. I won¡¯t try to understand why it is that you interfered today, but I do want to thank you for doing so. Otherwise, we could have lost a lot more lives than just the ones that are already gone.¡±


    Knowing that Greg and the other federal agents were aware of who Allegra and I were was unsettling. ¡°What is it that you¡¯re here for then?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m here because others wish to bring you in, however, up the chain ofmand, there are people who would rather not have another scandal, especially with two people who are very well known within the country. We wouldn¡¯t want people to be rmed by your background,¡± he replied, and I knew exactly where this conversation was going.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just automatically up and leave this country. There are things here that are going to need to be taken care of, and I do have business prospects here unless you n on paying me outpletely for my entire business that is located in New York.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t like that,¡± he calmly replied.


    Rolling my eyes, I scoffed. ¡°Then please feel free to exin.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t what we¡¯re suggesting. Actually, we are going to suggest that you take up primary residence in another country, but we are going to allow you to keep the businesses that you currently have in the states. You can travel back and forth. As far as your sister, most of her business takes her overseas, so that shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡±


    I knew it. They were kicking us out of the country after everything that had just happened. That made sense; realistically, it was better to get Ba to a ce where she could be safe. A ce where there wouldn¡¯t be any other issues.


    A ce where she could start over.


    The only problem was that I wasn¡¯t sure she would see it that way.


    ¡°How much time do we have before that has to happen?¡±


    ¡°Due to the circumstances, and the fact that we know that there¡¯s a lot that¡¯s going to need to be taken care of with James¡¯s estate, considering that it was all left to Ba... whether he dies or just goes to prison, we are going to give you about three months to be able to move your permanent residence overseas,¡± he replied, having me take a moment to let the information sink in.


    ¡°Well, it is better than jail time, I suppose,¡± I said softly, causing Greg to chuckle as he nodded his head. That was one thing that we could agree on.


    ¡°May I ask what is going to happen to James if he lives, just so that I know for peace of mind?¡±


    Greg looked me square in the eyes, his jaw set tightly. ¡°James is aware that he¡¯s going to have to serve jail time. However, with the idea of jail time came other consequences, and now with Sergei dead, other people are going to step in his ce, and we¡¯re quite sure that Sergei¡¯s son is actually going to make a move for the empire.¡±


    Sergei¡¯s son was a ruthless man, a man that no one wanted to cross. Honestly, if that was the case, Ba definitely was in danger because she was the highlight of the situation, and there was no understanding of why Sergei had such interest in Ba other than the fact he would have obtained James¡¯s residence and business, considering James signed over everything to Ba.


    ¡°This is a problematic situation. If that¡¯s the case, then James¡¯s life is in danger. Not just Ba¡¯s.¡±


    Greg nodded, ¡°Yes, it is, and that is why James will not be surviving his injuries at the hospital as far as you and I both know.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about witness protection?¡± I asked him, surprised if they would relinquish him having to serve jail time in order to be put into witness protection. I know that he had gone through a great deal, but that still didn¡¯t add up in the end.


    ¡°I¡¯m not at liberty to give you a positive answer on that. However, there were people in higher positions that did feel the loss of his daughter was sufficient enough for the eighteen months he would have spent in jail,¡± Greg replied, trying to speak secretively without giving me a direct answer.


    When it came to witness protection, that was a situation that nobody was supposed to be privy to. ¡°And Reba, what do you expect me to tell her? He¡¯s the father of her child.¡±


    Greg¡¯s eyes turned sad, and as they did, he shrugged his shoulders and nodded. ¡°I understand that she has been through a lot. But for the future, you are that child¡¯s father. We need to allow her to go ahead and grieve for the loss of Tally and James and move forward so that her life is no longer in danger.¡±


    It was clear what the government had nned. Not only would we have to make our permanent residences somewhere overseas, which I didn¡¯t have the slightest clue about where that could possibly be, but on top of that, she was going to have to learn to live with the idea that both Tally and James died that day.


    If the situation wasn¡¯t already bad for her, it was definitely worse now.

 Chapter 106 : Six Feet Under

    <h4>Chapter 106: Chapter 106 : Six Feet Under</h4>


    Ba.


    A week had passed since my grieving had begun. The moment that I had lost Tally, I thought the pain couldn¡¯t get worse, butter on, when I found out that I had also lost James, Ipletely shattered.


    Everything I once imagined was slowly fading away, and even though I had Neal by my side, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how long it would be before I lost him.


    Staring at myself in the mirror, I contemted how I would get through the day. The ck dress that I wore hugged my figure, showing off my protruding bump. It reminded me of James, and with the ck veil covering my red-rimmed eyes I tried to hide my emotions.


    To think that this was my life was not what I had expected


    I still couldn¡¯t imagine the fact of James being gone. Yet, the reality didn¡¯t have to set in entirely in order for me to sumb to it. ¡°I¡¯ll be strong for you,¡± I whispered to myself as I rubbed a slow circle over my stomach. My child was my driving force to press forward.


    I was a hollow shell of my former self, but my baby gave me the will to continue.


    ¡°Ba, are you almost ready to go?¡± Allegra said softly from the open doorway.


    My eyes cast from the mirror towards her as I nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with, shall we?¡±


    Moving down the hallway, I said my goodbye to Sara who was quietly looking after the baby. He was too young to attend, and I didn¡¯t want to run the risk of someone getting him sick or better yet unwanted visitors to be there trying to take him.


    Climbing into the car with Allegra and Neal, I tried to let myself fall into a dissociated state so that I would be able to get through the day. Only two days before, I made my rounds to the doctor. They had checked everything and said the baby was perfectly fine, but the doctor was concerned about my mental state.


    They had offered to prescribe me medication to help me get through all of this, but I refused. I didn¡¯t want to be someone who had to take medication to cope. There was nothing wrong with it, but with the risks of medication, I didn¡¯t want to take them for the baby¡¯s sake.


    I would simply have to put on my big girl panties and deal with it all.


    ¡°Everything is going to be okay,¡± Neal said softly next to me in the car, his hand taking mine as heced his fingers through my own. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you.¡±


    ncing at him, I nodded. ¡°I know it will be. One day at a time, remember?¡±


    Neal seemed a little taken back, but nodding his head he smiled. ¡°Correct.¡±


    Silence consumed the car until we pulled up to the graveyard, and I saw the massive amount of people who were in attendance. I thought I could do this, but as soon as I stepped out in the humid air, I realized I couldn¡¯t.


    My feet froze to the ground where I stood, unable to move forward.


    ¡°Ba... it¡¯s okay,¡± Allegra whispered as she looped her arm through mine. ¡°One step at a time.¡±


    James was a very well-known figure within themunity of Miami, and with him being gone, more people here turned up than I could have ever imagined. The masses were not something I was ready to take on, but I hadn¡¯t been in James¡¯ life long enough to dictate that.


    I was just another figure paying my respects to the fallen.


    Some of the people said kind words to me, knowing that I had been with him. While others didn¡¯t know who I was but gave me nasty res instead because they simply thought that I was here for attention.


    I had half expected Allison to be whispering words to the people in attendance, but as I nced around, I felt the small tug at my hand and saw Neal looking down at me with a smile. ¡°She isn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°Who isn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Allison.¡± He replied, casting his gaze back towards the crowds. ¡°She¡¯s awaiting trial for conspiracy tomit murder.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I gasped in shock not having heard that bit of information. ¡°When did she get arrested?¡±


    He hesitated for a moment turning his gaze back to mind. ¡°The day of the shooting.¡±


    I vaguely remember that, but it was all a blur.


    His words hit me like a bucket of cold water, and as we took our ces at the side of James¡¯s grave, I felt more hollow than I had before. Two elegant ck caskets were lined with roses and photos. A father and his daughter beingid to rest side by side.


    The priest filled the air with his sermon as we said goodbye to Tally and James. My eyes filled with tears once more as I listened to his beautiful words. I had been able to keep myself together pretty well up until this point, but the moment they started to lower their caskets I fell apart.


    How was I supposed to get through this?


    How was Tally¡¯s child supposed to grow up without his mother and without his grandfather?


    ¡°Are you Reba?¡± a male voice said, as people started filing away. The voice caught my attention, bringing me out of my thoughts, and turning to my left, I saw the gentleman standing in his three-piece suit with dark-framed sses on his face.


    I didn¡¯t know who he was, and before I could speak, Neal stepped up to offer his hand and ask him who he was. ¡°I don¡¯t think that we¡¯ve met. I¡¯m Neal. Is there something that I can help you with?¡±


    The man took a moment, ncing at Neal before ncing back at me. ¡°I¡¯m Mr. Shavers, James Valentino¡¯s solicitor. I have business affairs to conduct with Reba in regards to Mr. Valentino¡¯s will.¡±


    ¡°Sir, we just lowered him and his daughter into the ground and Ba is grieving. Is this really the time and ce to take care of all of this?¡±


    I knew that Neal was looking out for me, and as Allegra held me tight against her, I let a heavy breath escape me and shook my head. I couldn¡¯t have him constantly running interference for me. I couldn¡¯t allow them to constantly try to coddle me like I was a child. I was an adult, and I needed to take care of business.


    No matter how f*cking hard it was.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said firmly as I nced at Neal. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked me softly, unsure that I should be doing this now.


    ¡°¡®I¡¯m sure,¡± I replied as I turned to the solicitor before me. ¡°If we could take these affairs somewhere else, I¡¯d greatly appreciate it.¡±


    Mr. Shavers nodded his head as he gestured for us to head towards the vehicles. ¡°There¡¯s a restaurant actually not too far from here, one that I visit often with clients. It has a private room, and we can enjoy something to eat while we discuss everything.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother to argue with him. Instead, I nodded in agreement and followed behind as Allegra and Neal came in at my rear. There was no point in fighting what would eventually happen anyway.


    Twenty minutester, I found myself sitting across the table from James¡¯ solicitor. I honestly didn¡¯t have it in me to eat, but I knew that I had to for the baby.


    ¡°While we¡¯re waiting on the food, why don¡¯t we go ahead and get down to business? Mr. Shavers, I am sure that you have things you need to do with your day, as I have things I need to do with mine.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Ba, I have the will right here.¡± I was slightly surprised that no one else was going to be present for this.


    ¡°Mr Shavers, is there nobody else that needs to be present? I mean, usually there are tons of people who are present for this kind of thing.¡±


    His eyes met mine as he pulled out the documents he needed, ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. You are the only one that this pertains to.¡±


    ¡°Not even his ex-wife, Allison? Won¡¯t she be able to contest this?¡±


    ¡°No, she will not. This was done so that it was uncontestable, and anybody who did contest the will would still receive nothing,¡± he exined, causing me to nce at Neal and Allegra, who both seemed just as confused as I was.


    ¡°I see,¡± I muttered. ¡°Please continue.¡±


    I watched him intently as he flipped through the papers in his hands. ¡°It says here that before his death, James did go ahead and make changes to the will that he already had in ce. When ites to the entirety of James¡¯s money, that is both in stocks and bank ounts... he has left it all to you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I gasped with an edge of confusion. ¡°What do you mean he left it to me? How much money is that?¡±


    ¡°It would seem that from those financial aspects, the total came to about eleven million.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit. That¡¯s way too much money. There has to be a mistake?¡± I whispered trying to wrap my head around what he was saying. ¡°It has to be¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it isn¡¯t. Shall I continue?¡± Mr. Shavers added, staring at me with concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay... I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I can see this is hard for you to go through,¡± he replied with a kind smile.


    ¡°It honestly is harder than one could imagine,¡± I added as his smile fell, and his eyes went back to the paper in his hands.


    ¡°When ites to the question of Mr. James Valentino¡¯s estates which total ten... those have also been left to you. Except the New York location... That you are the executor of.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I questioned not understanding why I would be the executor.


    ¡°That property has actually been left to his grandson. However, since you are the executor of those decisions, that would be left up to you.¡±


    So other people benefited from the will. I wasn¡¯t quite sure why he had left that apartment specifically to his grandson, but I would ensure that if that is what James wanted, it would happen. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Continue, please.¡±


    ¡°As far as Valentino Imports,¡± Mr. Shaver sighed, ¡°James left this business to you under one condition. He wants you to sell the industry,pletely dissolve it, and keep every penny you make off it. He has left a note here saying, Neal is to help you aplish this.¡±


    It was clear that James wanted his businesspletely gone. It had been nothing but a pain from the moment that it started, with so much blood that had been spilled over it. James didn¡¯t want it to be any more than it was, and I agreed with him.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I replied, squaring my shoulders. ¡°Thepany needs to be destroyed.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t quite sure what I would do with everything I had just inherited, but I would make sure that both James¡¯s child and Tally¡¯s son would be forever taken care of, never having to want for anything.


    ¡°Is there anything else that I need to know?¡± I asked softly, trying to keep myself from breaking into tears.


    Taking a moment, the man looked through the paperwork and nodded his head slowly. ¡°Actually yes, there is... it seems he has left three letters. One for each of you.¡±

 Chapter 107 : Taking care of Business

    <h4>Chapter 107: Chapter 107 : Taking care of Business</h4>


    James.


    What do you do when everything you have ever known has been taken from you?


    Do you shut yourself away, and pretend not to care? Is there a ce that you can go mentally to help heal the internal heartache that makes you feel like you¡¯re on the verge of death? So many times I had watched others around me suffer, but never was able to understand the suffering because I had never been part of it.


    At least until now.


    ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± Greg called out from the open hospital room. The private room in one of their facilities had given me the time to heal while the rest of the world thought I was dead.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied as I shoved thest of my things into a duffel bag.


    Two weeks ago my daughter died, and from what Greg and the rest of his department told the world... I had died too.


    I wasn¡¯t going to have to go to jail due to everything that happened, but I wasn¡¯t going to have to go into protection. The way that Greg broke it down to me was that staying part of Ba¡¯s or the children¡¯s lives would only put them in danger. That if I loved them, I would let them move on.


    There was no way that I would be able to move on.


    I loved Ba too much and the children... she was pregnant with my child and raising my grandchild. How could I honestly let her do that alone?


    Trying to shake the thoughts from my head, I moved with Greg from the room to god knows where. He hadn¡¯t told me much about what was going on, but I knew that this was the only way I could protect her... protect them.


    ¡°So, how long will I have to be in this?¡±


    Greg turned to me with confusion raising his brow. ¡°This isn¡¯t temporary, James. This is a lifetime change. If you¡¯re found, there are a numerous amount of people who would love to kill you to gain favor.¡±


    It didn¡¯t make sense... none of it made sense.


    ¡°They don¡¯t even know what happened at the house. We could n it however we want.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he sighed, shaking his head. ¡°We can¡¯t.¡±


    Stepping into an elevator, we headed towards a sub-basement, the numbers quickly fading into one another until the elevator stopped and the doors opened. It was clear that the level we had gone into looked more like something from a management department.


    The people working here didn¡¯t bother to even nce in our direction as we passed ss office after ss office until Greg finally stopped us at a corner office stepping inside. ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up Valentino¡¯s paperwork.¡±


    The older dark-haired woman nced up between her thick-framed sses in the middle of typing and sighed. ¡°Of course, you are, Mr. Valentino, from what I heard, you got yourself in some trouble,¡±


    Groaning with irritation, I let a heavy breath escape me as I nced to Greg. ¡°Is she being serious right now?¡±


    Greg did nothing but shrug his shoulders with a smile. ¡°I¡¯d answer her.¡±


    What was I fucking two? I had to answer to mommy once again.


    With irritation, I turned to the woman and pushed a fake smile upon my face. ¡°Yes, I did. Can you help with that?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I can,¡± she replied as her frown turned into a smile of pleasure. ¡°I have a packet here for you, James. It contains your new IDs, new ce of residence, car, insurance... basically everything you¡¯re ever going to need. It¡¯s there.¡±


    ¡°So basically, you¡¯re recreating the entire person of who I am?¡± I asked her with a very dumbfounded expression, tired of the bullshitting with her, wanting nothing more than to go back to the life that I had.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Valentino, your entire life is gone. James Valentino is dead, and you are a new man.¡± I was scared to look within the file to see the name that they had picked. And as I opened it, reaching inside to pull out the driver¡¯s license, I deadpanned. My eyes lifted to her¡¯s, where I watched, amusement dance within her gaze.


    Lester Johnson. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. Lester Johnson? That sounds like a freaking pedophile¡¯s name. You have to give me a different name.¡±


    Laughing, she shook her head. No. ¡°I don¡¯t have to give you anything. However, you could always go by Lenny, Lenny Johnson. I mean, it does kind of give that suburban vibe to it. Oh, well... think about it this way...who¡¯s going to look at poor Lenny Johnson for doing the things that you did?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure who this woman was or what her job title was, but it was obvious she was in charge of something important, and as I red over the paperwork I gave in. Greg, who was holding back theughter, straightened his shoulders, clearing his throat. ¡°All good?¡±


    ¡°Go f*ck yourself,¡± I snapped at him. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Now, if you will just follow me right this way, Mr.Johnson, I will get you into a car, and we will get you to the airport and on to your next destination.¡±


    Gritting my teeth, I shook my head in annoyance as Greg found my reaction amusing. I wasn¡¯t sure what was funny about this because I definitely didn¡¯t see the humor. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you think is so f*cking funny.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, James. You¡¯re right,¡± he muttered quickly.


    By the time we made it to the car outside waiting for me, our goodbyes had already been said. As far as I knew, I had a handler that would be waiting for me when I arrived in Japan. ¡°What about Ba, Greg? Is she okay?¡±


    ¡°She is,¡± he said quickly. ¡°She actually just purchased tickets to head overseas.¡±


    His news perked my ears. I turned quickly to him as the driver took my bags. ¡°Why.. where is she going?¡±


    He sighed, shrugging his shoulders while shaking his head. ¡°You know I can¡¯t tell you that. The less you know, the less it will hurt.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s everything to me, Greg,¡± I snapped. ¡°I have to know she is okay. Please... give me at least that.¡±


    There was a hesitant pause between us as his eyes searched mine. ¡°Okay. I can¡¯t make you any promises, but I will see what I can find out. Keep your phone close.¡±


    As a small smile crept over my face, I hugged Greg. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered. ¡°I know I can¡¯t have them, but knowing they are safe and seeing how they are growing will keep me sane.¡±


    By the time that I got into the car, my heart was pounding in my chest, and my mind was a tad bit clearer.


    I wouldn¡¯t be able to see her the way I wanted, but perhaps others could help me to be part of everything. Perhaps, there was a way for me to make amends and still know she¡¯s okay.


    I would do anything at this point. Anything to hold her one more time.


    *****


    Ba.


    Time seemed to be passing by fast, and everyday things did indeed get easier. I was still grieving, but at least now I was able to push through the feeling of crying. After meeting with Mr. Shavers, I took a few days to myself and stayed at the beach house I had seen Tally at once before.


    Neal hadn¡¯t been pleased with my choice to stay at the beach house, but in the end, he respected my choice. As long as I took security with me.


    ¡°Of course, Dad,¡± I muttered into the phone. My father had been trying to convince me toe home, and of course, I wasn¡¯t budging.


    ¡°Ba, you and the baby can juste here. You need time to heal.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the offer, I do,¡± I sighed. ¡°But honestly, I think I need to get out of town and go somewhere... tropical maybe.¡±


    My father¡¯s low groan was all I needed to hear to know that he wasn¡¯t pleased with my choice. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I like the idea of you going abroad alone, Ba. You¡¯re pregnant, and you shouldn¡¯t be traveling like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not even that far along. I¡¯m only in my second trimester.¡± Laughing, I shook my head as I walked around the kitchen ind to grab my wallet. I had to go meet Neal at James¡¯pany to sign the paperwork, even though that was thest thing I wanted to do.


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± he replied with a lighter sound to his voice. ¡°So, what are you doing today?¡±


    Letting a heavy breath escape me, I looked towards the security guard waiting patiently by the front door. ¡°I¡¯m about to head to James¡¯pany to sign the paperwork. Neal was able to find a buyer, and James made it clear that he wanted hispany gone.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s honestly for the best.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wrong there. Thepany had done nothing but caused issues over the years, from what I was told, and even though other people told me I was foolish to sell it because of the money I would lose¡ªI didn¡¯t care.


    I didn¡¯t care about the money, and even though I inherited a lot... I had no idea what to do with it. ¡°Hey, I have to get going. I have to let Sara know what¡¯s going on, andst I checked, she was bathing the baby.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sweetie. Call meter this week, okay?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± I smiled. ¡°I promise.¡±


    Hanging up the phone, I took a second to collect my thoughts before making my way up the stairs towards one of the rooms where Sara was currently with the baby. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Ba. I was just getting the little guy dressed. Is everything okay?¡± she replied, with a smile as she nced over her shoulder at me and then back towards the baby lying on the bed.


    ¡°I have to go to sign some paperwork.... Are you going to be okay?¡± I asked softly, feeling guilty about how she was taking care of the baby all the time, and I wasn¡¯t helping as much.


    ¡°Of course, this is what I do,¡± she smiled. ¡°I have told you before that you don¡¯t need to worry or feel bad. This is my job, and you have so much to take care of right now. So let me help you by caring for the child.¡±


    Nodding my head, I turned from the room and returned downstairs. No matter what I thought, Sara was right. I did need her right now, and as much as I didn¡¯t want to admit it to others.... I needed their help too.

 Chapter 108 : Meeting Ronaldo

    <h4>Chapter 108: Chapter 108 : Meeting Ronaldo</h4>


    Ba.


    When I arrived at James¡¯pany, I was on the verge of having an anxiety attack. Neal had been waiting for me outside the building, and as much as I wanted to find that happy moment, I didn¡¯t.


    Simply because I knew what wasing.


    ¡°So the guy is willing to buy it from you without issues. He is an investor from Italy and actually knew James personally. He has importing and exporting businesses all over the world,¡± Neal informed me as I stood in the elevator with him, watching the floors tick by.


    ¡°Okay.¡± My shallow reply seemed to cause him to stop in his words as he gently grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to look at him.


    ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re not ready for this¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I quickly said, cutting him off. ¡°It needs to be done, and I have to get through this. Afterward, I want to talk to you and Allegra about going somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± He smiled. ¡°Where might that be?¡±


    Rolling my eyes with a soft smile, I shook my head at the same moment the doors of the elevator opened. ¡°You will have to wait untilter. Right now, we need to handle business.¡±


    Taking a deep breath in, I squared my shoulders and pushed forward onto the floor, headed straight for James¡¯ office. The moment that I stepped in, I felt myself shudder. All of his things were still exactly where he had left them, and my lip trembled as I remembered the times he had taken me in here.


    Yet, when the man staring at the window turned to face me, I was taken aback. With dark hair and deep charcoal-colored eyes, I felt like I was almost looking at James but just a much older version of him. ¡°You must be Reba.¡±


    ¡°I am...¡± I said softly as he stepped forward and shook my hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you just look so much like¡ª¡±


    ¡°Like James?¡± he replied with a chuckle finishing my sentence. ¡°Yes, we are actually cousins.¡±


    Neal seemed a little taken aback by the man¡¯s admission, but paying no attention to it, I moved forward towards the desk with them both, prepared to sign whatever paperwork needed to be signed.


    ¡°You definitely do.¡± My soft reply was met with hesitation as I stared at the man in front of me. He was definitely older than James had been, but the resemnce was chilling.


    Proof that their bloodline was strong. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that we had to meet under these circumstances.¡±


    ¡°So am I, but you never know what can happen. In the end, we simply have to take things one day at a time and relish every moment of life we have. It is wonderful to finally meet somebody from James¡¯s family, though.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree with you more on that. My name¡¯s Ronaldo, by the way,¡± he replied, giving me a bright smile that almost reminded me of the same smile James used to give me.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s lovely to meet you, Ronaldo. Shall we get down to business?¡± I was simply ready to get this all done and over with. The faster that we got this thing signed and sorted, the faster I could start looking towards the future.


    I knew that it sounded a little bad, at least inside my head, it did. As if I was ungrateful and uncaring about everything. But honestly, I just wanted to be able to move on. Not so much moving on past losing James and Tally, but being able to move forward with my future.


    No matter how much I missed them, it wouldn¡¯t bring them back.


    The only thing I could do was hold onto the memories that I had with them, memories that I would be able to share with the children as they grew older, and hope and pray that one day they would understand.


    ¡°So Neal informed me of everything that is going on, and I¡¯m willing to pay you a hefty amount of money for this property,¡± Ronaldo replied as I took a seat in James¡¯ chair.


    The dark ck leather seating was cool to the touch, and as I ran my fingertips over it. I started falling back on the memories I shared with him in it, memories that I honestly just couldn¡¯t bring myself to go through right now.


    Shaking my head of the thoughts that were currently clouding my judgment, I looked up at Ronaldo and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not honestly worried about money.¡±


    ¡°Reba, that¡¯s not how this works,¡± Neal interjected as he smiled at Ronaldo and turned back to me. ¡°There has to be payment made for the business. What you choose to do with the money after that is up to you.¡±


    I knew I wasn¡¯t familiar with the business world, but I wasn¡¯t sure that was true. Ronaldo didn¡¯t say anything, though. Instead, he gave me a kind smile that made me wonder if he could see right through me, through the facade that I was putting on, trying to hold myself together.


    Taking a moment, I looked down at the papers in front of me.


    The words seemed to jumble together as I tried to concentrate.


    ¡°Neal, I trust that you looked through everything, looked through every single document, and that it was urate?¡± I asked him as my eyes nced from the paper up to him. I was hoping that with him being the man that he was, he had taken care of everything.


    Chuckling, he nodded his head. ¡°Of course, I took care of everything.¡±


    With Neal¡¯s words, I picked up the pen and quickly signed my name across the line. I hadn¡¯t bothered to see how much money they would be offering. As I finished and slid the paper back across to Ronaldo, it was clear that he was surprised by my actions.


    ¡°I know that you said that you didn¡¯t care about how much money you would be getting because money wasn¡¯t an object, but aren¡¯t you curious to know exactly how much I¡¯m buying it for?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Not really, but if you would like to tell me, then, by all means, you¡¯re more than wee to.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t trying to be rude. I simply didn¡¯t want to discuss selling James¡¯spany. I didn¡¯t want to have a conversation about any of that kind of stuff.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m going to be needing a home here in Miami. I understand that many things have happened at James¡¯s mansion, but if you¡¯re interested in selling it, I am interested in taking it.¡± Ronaldo¡¯s words shocked me.


    I hadn¡¯t even considered selling James¡¯s mansion yet, and the fact that he was asking took me by surprise. After everything that had happened at that house, I honestly couldn¡¯t imagine returning there. Even though I knew that everything had been cleaned up and the house patiently awaited for someone to arrive.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need some time to think about that,¡± I whispered, trying to keep my emotions from showing. ¡°If we¡¯re done here, I really need to be excused.¡±


    Ronaldo nodded his head in understanding as he looked over the paper. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that this happened to you. I wasn¡¯t very close with my cousin, but I knew he was a good man, and he loved his family more than anything.¡±


    The sincere words that Ronaldo spoke caused my eyes to water. Blinking back quickly, I forced the emotions back down as I slowly stood and held out my hand. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s been a pleasure.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± he replied, taking my hand. ¡°If you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡±


    As soon as my conversation with Ronaldo was done, I made my way from James¡¯s office and towards the elevator. Neal was right behind me, and before the elevator doors opened, he grabbed my shoulder and stopped me.


    ¡°Are you sure that you¡¯re okay?¡± he asked softly as he pulled me into a hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Neal. I just need to go home and rest. Do you think that you can ask him for like a week or two so that we can get James¡¯s things out of the building?¡±


    Neal chuckled as he pulled away from me and nced down. ¡°You really should have read the papers.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what he meant. ¡°What do you mean? Can I not take those things?¡±


    ¡°Thepany won¡¯t be taken over for another three months. The deal has been signed, but he won¡¯t take physical possession until that time, which gives you three months toe in here and take anything out of thepany that you want. Including files and everything else which we will need to dissolve thepany.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t even realized that any of this would have been a possibility, but perhaps if I had read the paperwork, I would have seen it. Three months did give me time to be able to move past what had happened a little bit more before being able to do the hard stuff like packing.


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± I smiled. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll leave you to finish up everything else?¡±


    ¡°Of course, sweetie. Why don¡¯t you have the driver take you back to the beach house? If you want, you can spend a few more days there while I¡¯m busy taking care of everything. Then we can sit down and talk like you wanted to,¡± Neal replied before giving a soft kiss on my cheek.


    ¡°Actually, I want you both toe over for dinner tonight. I¡¯ll order take in, and we can chat about some stuff,¡± I said. He stared at me for a moment with a concerned nce as if he was worried something was wrong.


    However, when I smiled and leaned up to gently kiss his lips, he rxed. I didn¡¯t want him to think things were changing between us because they weren¡¯t. Yes, I missed James more than I thought I was going to, but it didn¡¯t mean I cared for Neal any less.


    I simply needed time to get back to my old self.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll be over in a bit. Now please... go to the house, and get some rest.¡±


    With a soft chuckle, I nodded and stepped into the elevator, feeling slightly more positive than I had in days. Perhaps, a vacation would help fix things. I didn¡¯t know. The only thing that I could do to ensure I wasn¡¯t going crazy was to find other things to do.

 Chapter 109 : Dinner Plans & Cider

    <h4>Chapter 109: Chapter 109 : Dinner ns & Cider</h4>


    Ba.


    When I left James¡¯s office, millions of thoughts ran through my head about what was going to happen. But one thing was for sure, I needed to take my father¡¯s advice and change scenery. For too long, I had struggled and fought with everything that was going on, my emotionspletely messed up and everything else in my life going a little haywire.


    I had to get myself together. I had to put my big girl panties on and take initiative for what was going on in my life. And I had to do it soon because before I knew it, a child would be born, and I would be responsible for that child.


    The soft knock at the front door let me know that Neal and Allegra had arrived, and as the door opened, I turned, looking over my shoulder to see their smiling faces enter through the doorway. ¡°Hey, guys. I¡¯m d to see you could make it.¡±


    ¡°Well, of course, we would make it silly.¡± Allegraughed as she took off her coat and hung it on a nearby hook. Fluffing her blonde hair out, she stepped forward and made her way towards the dining room, where I was currently finishing the table.


    ¡°What¡¯s all of this?¡± I gestured to the flowers that were in Neal¡¯s hand and a bottle of sparkling cider. Nonalcoholic, of course.


    ¡°Well, I figured that we could take a toast to getting one more thing knocked off the list of things that you need done. I know it¡¯s thest thing that you want to discuss, and I¡¯m not here to discuss details, but I figured a small toast of something non-alcoholic might make you smile.¡±


    The gesture was kind enough, and I was pleased that he would go out of his way to make something so small be so sentimental. ¡°I appreciate that, Neal. You¡¯re absolutely wonderful.¡±


    Taking the bottle from him, I made my way towards the kitchen, where I searched for the opener, and as I did, I felt Neal¡¯s presence behind me as he followed.


    ¡°How are you doing? I know thest few days you¡¯ve wanted time to yourself, and I will admit that I¡¯ve been slightly worried because of your absence.¡±


    ncing at him, I could see the concern on his face as if perhaps he had maybe thought he had done something wrong for me to be as silent as I was. I¡¯d leaned on him for the past few weeks, and even the past few months, really, and through everything, I never pushed him away like I was doingtely.


    ¡°Neal...¡± I said softly as I pushed a smile across my lips to try and show him that I was okay. ¡°You have done nothing wrong whatsoever. I just needed space to be by myself to kind of get my thoughts together.¡±


    ¡°I know that¡¯s what she said. But part of me just can¡¯t help that you regret being with me and leaving James.¡± He replied as his eyes cast downward towards his hands. As if the thought had reeled over his mind a million times.


    Stepping forward, I set the bottle on the counter and stopped what I was doing. My handsy against his as I put the distance between us to a minimum.


    ¡°I don¡¯t regret anything with you, Neal. What happened between James and I was. Not meant to be, obviously, and as much as I wish she hadn¡¯t lost his life, he did. But one thing I do know for sure about James is he wouldn¡¯t want me to be unhappy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he replied softly as his hand brushed the hair from the side of my face. My cheek cupped within his palm as he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against mine. ¡°How are you so wonderful?¡±


    Theughter that escaped me was unexpected. But as he pulled away with an amused look in his eyes, I shook my head, smiling even brighter. ¡°I don¡¯t know about wonderful, but I try my best.¡±


    ¡°As touching as the moment that you two are having is....¡± Allegra called from the dining room, causing us both to turn and look at her with sheepish grins. ¡°I¡¯m very curious to know exactly why you called us here.¡±


    The excitement and the news that I nned on sharing with them were eating at me. I had never really gone overseas, except for when James had taken me out and the one time that Neal and I ventured somewhere. But to think about going somewhere exotic, somewhere that most people only dreamed of, had piqued my attention.


    ¡°As you both know, a lot of things have gone ontely that neither of us could have ever imagined happening. With all of it, I think that we all deserve a well, long happy break away from reality to where we can refresh our minds and also possibly have some fun.¡±


    ¡°Wanting to go abroad?¡± Allegra questioned as her eyes scanned down to my stomach and back to my face. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a little too far along for that?¡±


    Shaking my head, I scoffed withughter. ¡°Goodness, I¡¯m only in my second trimester. You¡¯re acting as if I¡¯m about to pop any day.¡±


    ¡°Well, I know that, but I¡¯m just saying, did you clear it with a doctor?¡±


    Their eyes were on me, and I knew that they wouldn¡¯t let this go until I gave them the assurance they needed stating that I was okay to travel, which of course, I was.


    ¡°Actually, I did speak with the doctor a couple of days ago about the possibility of me being able to fly in my current state. Simply because I might have to move, and he did say that it would be perfectly fine as long as I did it before my eighth month mark.¡±


    The words I spoke seemed to be exactly what Allegra and Neal were hoping for. And as their faces perked up a little with happiness, I continued exining exactly what it is that I wanted to do.


    ¡°I want for us to go to New Zend,¡± I said quickly, hurrying up and pushing out exactly what I wanted to do before I got cold feet and wasn¡¯t able to exin to them where I wanted to go.


    New Zend was a beautiful country with Four Seasons, Immacte in every way, and all of the people just seemed soid back and happy with their lives. It was somewhere that I wanted to go to be able to recharge myself.


    I was just hoping that Allegra and Neal would be down for that.


    ¡°New Zend?¡± Neal said hesitantly. As his cheeks puffed out while he exhaled, and his eyes grew a little wide, slowly nodding as he thought over the idea. ¡°I mean, I haven¡¯t been there in a very long time, and it was only once for a business event, but I suppose it wouldn¡¯t be a bad ce to go.


    ¡°That¡¯s a really long flight back. Are you sure that you¡¯re going to be up for the challenge? I mean, that is a lot of hours in a ne. You¡¯re looking at two days of traveling.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t wrong. It was going to be a very long flight, and as much as a private ne could take me to certain areas, I didn¡¯t have a big enough ne to be able to take me all the way there, but I did have a way to make it work.


    ¡°I understand. I actually had that all figured out. We¡¯ll take the ne to Hawaii. We¡¯re going to spend a day and a half in Hawaii resting and rxing after the first long bit of flight, and then we will get on arge passenger ne and take that ne to New Zend.¡± I replied confidently, having thought about this very long and hard.


    ¡°And you definitely seem to have everything nned out.¡± Allegra chuckled, as she picked up the ss of wine that I had given her and took a long sip. ¡°I guess we¡¯re going on vacation then.¡±


    I was excited with the notion of being able to travel, and I had Allegra¡¯s support. I had only hoped that I had Neal¡¯s as well.


    He would just have to understand that this is what I needed to do for me, and for once, doing something for me was what I needed instead of constantly doing whatever a man wanted me to do. ¡°Neal, is everything okay?¡±


    He hesitated for a moment before his beautiful eyes met mine once more, and he nodded his head with a smile. ¡°If this is what you want, then I¡¯m by all means I have your back one hundred percent.¡±


    His words wereforting, and I knew that he was being sincere with them. He would be there to support me no matter what, and part of me felt guilty because part of me believed that he had hoped for more than what he was currently getting.


    Perhaps if James hadn¡¯t passed away and everything else had happened, things would be better between Neal and I progressing further. But with both Tally and James¡¯s sudden death, and theplications of having to inherit everything that was James¡¯s, I was just too overwhelmed to consider a proper rtionship.


    Not to mention I terribly missed James, and my heart ached for him every day.


    As the night continued on andughter filled the air, Allegra excused herself from us to go and attend another friend¡¯s event, leaving Neal and I alone on the sofa in the living room before a roaring fire, watching television like we used to do.


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± he whispered softly as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close against him.


    ¡°As you once told me, you need not ask for permission to ask me a question, just simply ask it.¡± Iughed as my eyes slowly looked up to meet him.


    ¡°I know you have said that you don¡¯t regret the things that have happened. But I can¡¯t help but wonder if your love for him was far too great for you to ever be able to love me.¡±


    I was taken aback by his statement, unsure of what exactly he wanted me to say. My love for James was there. It was huge, vibrant and full of life, and no matter how much he pissed me off regrly. At times I still wanted him there with me.


    Yet there was something about Neal that was more than James could ever be. He was happiness, he was safety. I didn¡¯t have to worry about anybody hurting me because I knew that Neal would always be there, protect me. I knew that I could trust Neal, that I could talk to him about anything, and he wouldn¡¯t judge me.


    I couldn¡¯t do that with James.


    ¡°My mind isplicated right now, and I am grieving the loss of my child¡¯s father. But what do we have, Neal... it can never be broken. Even if down the road you find someone new and decide that you don¡¯t want us to be together, I will always love you, and you will always be in my heart.¡±


    He was quiet for a moment as he thought over what I said. And then, slowly, he leaned down, pressing his lips against mine in a slow, passionate kiss.


    ¡°No matter where the future takes us, Ba, my love for you can never be reced by anyone else. Even if we do go our separate ways, you will always be the woman that I wanted to be with, no matter the circumstances. I could never let you go.

 Chapter 110 : Tokyo Dreams

    <h4>Chapter 110: Chapter 110 : Tokyo Dreams</h4>


    James.


    The moment that my nended in Tokyo, Japan, I found my mind swirling with the differences of how their lives were in Japanpared to that in the states. The only way that I could actually describe them was as if they were ants meandering through a colony. Quick to know exactly where they were going and unable to be distracted.


    It was fascinating, and I found the city breathtaking.


    Moving forward from the airport, I headed towards the car pickupnes and quickly saw a driver holding a sign with my name on it. The driver was to take me to my new location, a home that had been secured for me, along with various other things, my new life for the foreseeable future.


    My new life as Lester Johnson.


    Just saying that need made me internally groan. Out of all the names that he could have picked in the world, that was the one he had settled for.


    That was the name that he thought would benefit me the most.


    Stepping towards the driver I sighed pushing a smile on my face. ¡°That¡¯s me.¡±


    The driver nodded his head at me as he opened the back door to the car allowing me to slide in. Zeromunication was exactly the way that Greg said that I needed to have. I wasn¡¯t allowed to contact anybody from my previous life, and if I did, I could be thrown out of the witness protection program.


    Not that I cared for it. The only reason why I decided to go with the protection was to keep Ba and the kids safe. As long as people thought I was dead... they wouldn¡¯te looking.


    It was a sacrifice I had to make for the ones I loved.


    As the car traveled through the streets of Tokyo, I took in the various sites before me. It didn¡¯t take long to get to where we were going, and as the car pulled up outside a small t in a vast building square, I was met by two men in casual clothing.


    ¡°Mr. Johnson,¡± one of the men said with a smile as I stepped from the car.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me,¡± I replied, taking his hand in a firm shake as I watched the other man step to the back of the car with the driver to grab my bags.


    ¡°Wee to Tokyo. I¡¯m David, and I¡¯ll be showing you around your ce.¡±


    Nodding my head I watched David gesture to the other man with his head to follow inside. ¡°Greg said to set you up with the works so that¡¯s what we have done.¡±


    As we made our way inside the tall apartment building, and towards the elevator, he looked over his shoulder at me and gave a half smile. ¡°It isn¡¯t the Hilton, but it¡¯s got its perks.¡±


    Not bothering to say anything, I simply raised my brows for a moment and followed behind him into the elevator with the other man following me inside. There was only one thing on my mind, and that was taking every bit of my environment into ount just in case something happened, and I needed to find my way around.


    As the elevator stopped on the fifth floor, and we made our way out the smell of different foods, and the crying of children in the distance invaded my senses.


    I definitely wasn¡¯t in a Hilton. I had gone from high society to managing to survive in a matter of weeks. However, I was grateful for it. These men could have left me to die, but instead, they made sure I was taken care of.


    God knows no one else would have done that for me.


    ¡°Here we are!¡± David eximed with a grin as he took out a key and opened the door to the small apartment.


    There wasn¡¯t much to it in ways of being fancy. As soon as you walked through the doorway, you were in a small entry hallway that led to a small furnished living room with a brown sofa and small brown coffee table. Then off to your right was a small kitchen, and through another doorway a bedroom with a full size bed.


    ¡°Looks good.¡± My cool reply seemed to be amusing to the men who began tough at myment.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to us. We know it¡¯s crap, but honestly, it¡¯s better than most of the other ces here.¡±


    Turning to David I shrugged my shoulders and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m alive and starting over.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± David didn¡¯t seem like the normal government guy, but regardless, he was still someone who could make my life hell. ¡°There¡¯s enough cash in the bank ount that was set up for you to get you by for six months. So you¡¯re going to want to get a job when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if I would be allowed to do something like that,¡± I muttered in response as I walked towards the window that overlooked the street below.


    ¡°Yeah, well it isn¡¯tpletely like normal protection. Everyone already thinks you¡¯re dead, so as long as you don¡¯t contact the old world you came from, you¡¯re free to start a new life within reason.¡±


    Turning to nce at him, I furrowed my brow curious to the ¡®reason¡¯ part. ¡°What are my limitations?¡±


    ¡°Well, for one, no traveling outside of the country for at least two years. That way we can make sure that you¡¯re free and clear. Another would be of course no contact with your former life... and from what Greg told me that does mean no contact with your girl.¡±


    ¡°My girl?¡± I scoffed withughter. ¡°She hasn¡¯t been my girl for a long time, so don¡¯t worry about that.¡±


    ¡°That includes the children... which we do know she has.¡±


    The statement cut me deep, and letting out a heavy sigh, I nodded. ¡°They are better off without me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that, but it¡¯s all for the best.¡±


    Turning my gaze back to the window, I noticed the shops that stood off in the distance. With the day still very new, I was curious about what lingered there and more curious about what I could find that would aid me in my future.


    ¡°Am I free to wander the shops and the rest of the city?¡± I was curious whether I was on house arrest or anything.


    ¡°Dude....¡± The man I hadn¡¯t been properly introduced toughed, causing me to turn and stare at him. ¡°We aren¡¯t holding you hostage. You can do whatever you want. We will check in on you tomorrow to make sure you¡¯re okay and then next week. After that, it will be once a month just to make sure you¡¯re alive.¡±


    David nodded in agreement with the man as he crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°Unless you need us, of course. I left a paper on the counter with our numbers on it in case you need to get in touch with us.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Silence filled the space between us, and as it did, they turned towards the doorway. ¡°Well, we will leave you to it.¡±


    As soon as they were gone, I nced around the small apartment, and let a heavy breath escape me. This was going to be my life for the future, and I wasn¡¯t pleased with it, but I didn¡¯t really have a choice.


    Pulling my suitcase and duffle bag up, I walked towards the bedroom and sat them down upon the bed. My fingers fiddled over the zipper of my suitcase as I pushed myself forward and opened it to reveal the contents.


    Some of the items included small things from my past life.


    Family heirlooms... my ring.


    My casket had been closed, of course, so people didn¡¯t know I wasn¡¯t inside it, and because they didn¡¯t... I was able to get some of my things from the house.


    It was one thing Greg did for me that I was grateful for. I had been allowed onest trip to my house where I took a few photos, some things from my office, and a few personal possessions.


    Within those possessions was a photo of Ba and I that we took in the Bahamas. My fingers brushed over the photo, and as they did, I felt something new within me. A drive that pushed me to wanting to get back to her.


    Even though I knew that I couldn¡¯t... I had to know she was okay.


    Laying the photo back down I turned towards the backpack I had carried on the ne with me and pulled out the brown envelope full of money and other documents. I couldn¡¯t be in this apartment right now, so taking some of the money, I shoved it into my wallet then stashed the envelope into a hiding ce within the room for safe keeping.


    I didn¡¯t know these parts, and I didn¡¯t know these people.


    Thest thing I needed was to get robbed by someone desperate for a quick buck.


    Fifteen minutester, I found myself wandering the shopping center near the apartment. Everyone around these parts was foreign to me, and if I thought about it long enough, I remembered that I was actually foreign to them.


    ¡°Excuse me, do you speak english?¡± I asked one woman who smiled at me and nodded.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Can you tell me where I can find an electronics store?¡± I asked, watching her brows furrow.


    ¡°You go up the street and take a left. Do you want some food? You are very skinny.¡±


    The womans¡¯ment made me smirk, and not wanting to offend her, I nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±


    She didn¡¯t hesitate to grab a container with noodles in it, and a pair of chopsticks, to which I quickly paid her, watching as she bowed her head.


    I turned and walked off. The food was surprisingly delicious, and as I made my way up the street like she told me, I smiled.


    No matter how much I had been dreading the way I was going to have to be living, this ce wasn¡¯t actually that bad. At least, from what I could see. For the time being, it was possible to make this ce somewhat of a home, at least until I figured out what I was going to do.


    As the store I was searching for came into sight, I discarded my food container and stepped inside. The dim yellow lighting of the store flickered, and behind the towering boxes of random electronics, I found an older graying man wearing ck sses.


    His eyes raised slowly to meet mine, and as they did, he frowned. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I have a list of things,¡± I replied pulling the handwritten list I¡¯d made from my pocket sliding it across the counter. I couldn¡¯t be sure if someone was listening to me, and because of this, I didn¡¯t want anyone to know what I was doing.


    ¡°Thisst one is expensive.¡±


    ¡°I figured it would be,¡± I replied, pulling out some cash and handing it to the man. ¡°I can pay you, though.¡±


    With slight hesitation, the man flipped through the money and looked up at me nodding. ¡°Okay, give me a moment, and I will get it for you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t care if the man took a year to get me the things as long as I got them. They were going to be crucial for what I was looking to do, and if I wasn¡¯t careful, it could ruin everything for me here.


    However, that was a risk I was willing to take.


    .

 Chapter 111 : Preparing for New Zealand

    <h4>Chapter 111: Chapter 111 : Preparing for New Zend</h4>


    Ba.


    After tons of nning and purchasing tickets, I found myself standing in the bedroom packing my suitcases, going through everything that I was going to need while we were away in New Zend.


    Initially, when I told Neal and Allegra about what I wanted to do, I was almost certain that they would disagree. Yet again, they surprised me, as they always did, and agreed that the trip would be a wonderful idea.


    Of course, considering the fact that the doctor had cleared me for travel, that is.


    Slowly going through all the clothing I had ced on top of the bed, I packed it into the suitcase with careful precision and then proceeded to grab all of my toiletries that were in their individual bags and ce them in as well.


    It wasn¡¯t until I had ced some documents that I needed just in case something were to happen over there that the small letter that Mr. Shavers had given me that had been left by James fell out onto the floor.


    With how hectic everything had been over the past weeks, I hadpletely forgotten about the letter, having shoved it away after meeting Mr. Shavers because reading something from him then had been too painful. I had forced myself to put it out of my mind.


    Slowly bending down, I picked up the white envelope that had my name perfectly written on the front of it. My fingers brushed over the smooth curves of the letters that James had written. There was an ache in my chest that grew. As it did, I took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to push myself through it.


    Every part of me wanted to open the letter and read it right then and there, but I couldn¡¯t. Not yet. If I were to do that, then I would never finish aplishing anything that I had to do today before the ne was to leave.


    Not to mention it still hurt too much, and I was afraid of what the letter said. I was afraid that what was entailed in it wouldpletely rip me open again, and I would never be able to make it through.


    I turned back to my suitcase, cing the letter inside, and as I did, a soft knock at my open bedroom door sounded, causing me to look over my shoulder to spot Allegra, with her hands sped in front of her, smiling at me.


    ¡°Have you still not opened that letter?¡± she asked with a curious nce as her eyes darted to the envelope and then back to mine.


    ¡°Uh, no. I just don¡¯t have it in me to read it right now. Did you read yours?¡±


    She nodded her head slowly as she stepped forward, picking up the blouse that I had carefullyid over the edge of the bed and folding it to help me put it in the suitcase.


    ¡°I actually read it the same day we received it, and I believe Neal has read his. It was sweet and touching, what he wrote, but I think that you should read yours.¡± Her soft words wereforting, and knowing that what he wrote to her was sweet, and yet, of course, also personally made me curious to know what he had said.


    It was no secret that Allegra and James had a strained rtionship, even though they were friends and had participated in many things together. She was very quick to put him in his ce when he had messed up, which she had done on multiple asions on my ount.


    ¡°Do you mind me asking what it said?¡± I hesitated, watching a smirk cross her lips as she shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°Sentimental, you know, just the same old James kind of stuff. He told me not to mess up anything, to find someone that made me happy, to cherish every moment I spent with you, and to look out for you for eternity. Or he woulde back to haunt me.¡±


    My mouth dropped open as my lips parted. My eyes went wide. ¡°He did not say that...¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She shrugged withughter. ¡°Perhaps he didn¡¯t say thatst bit, bute on, you and I both know James, and that would definitely be something that he would say had he been present.¡±


    Perhaps there was a part of me that could believe that James would say something along those lines to Allegra, especially after she had spent so much time scolding him. If she were not to listen to his words of warning, I could see a small threat with a grin across his face as heughed, causing the two of us tough at the same time.


    That was simply James, though he had a wicked sense of humor when he wanted to, and thinking about the moments that he had made meugh and feel warmth andfort made my emotions start spinning out of control.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done packing, and then we can go ahead and leave.¡±


    My quick response seemed to take Allegra by surprise as she furrowed her brows at me and then gave me a small hug before departing from the room. I wasn¡¯t trying to be rude or anything, and I appreciated her help, but had she not left, and we continued talking, I would have been an incoherent, hysterical mess with snot dripping down my face.


    ncing around the room, I made sure that I had everything that I needed, and as I calcted all of the items that I needed to take with me, I flipped over the suitcase and quickly zipped it, just in time to see Neal walking through my bedroom door.


    ¡°I was justing to check and see if you were ready for me to take your suitcases down.¡± His soft statement was also warming, but it wasn¡¯t quite exactly as I had once remembered it. Instead, he seemed so bothered, so distant.


    I hated it, honestly, because we had once been so very close and on the verge of being so very much in love. However, it just wasn¡¯t the same as it used to be, and I know that with all of the trial and errors that we had currently going on, we would eventually get through it.


    At least, I had hoped that we would get through it.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked as he pulled the suitcase onto the floor and lifted the handle to wheel it out.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m okay. Are you okay?¡± He chuckled, watching me.


    ¡°I suppose so. I¡¯m looking forward to the vacation. I¡¯m hoping that maybe getting out of here and doing some little adventuring through New Zend will help to take our minds off other stuff and get us back to the way we used to be.¡±


    Something about what I said seemed to perk up his spirits just a little bit. And stepping forward, he wrapped his arms around my shoulders, pulling me close to nt a kiss on the top of my forehead. ¡°I would really like that.¡±


    ¡°Me too. But if you don¡¯t hurry up and get my suitcases, as well as the other things down to the car, we¡¯re never going to make the ne in time.¡±


    My sarcasticment was exactly what he needed to make him find joy andughter as the banter between us flowed smoothly. Holding his hands up, he shrugged his shoulders, nodded his head, and turned, pulling my suitcase out the door and down the hallway.


    There was no going back as soon as we left, and it wasn¡¯t like I wanted to anyways. I thought about James and all the things that he had told me before, and one thing that I knew for sure was that he wouldn¡¯t want me to stop living my life just because he was gone.


    Rubbing my hand over my stomach, I smiled and thought about the moment that we spent in the Bahamas. If James wanted me to live my life, then so be it. I would. I would live my life and celebrate him as I raised our child and his grandson.


    I would show them the things that they need to see in life and teach them everything that I believed James would have wanted them to learn.


    Making my way from the bedroom, I headed down the hallway to where Neal and Allegra stood at the front door,ughing and talking.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t actually bring those shirts, did you?¡± Allegra¡¯s shocked face and parted lips made me wonder what it was that she was talking about.


    ¡°Of course, I did,¡± Neal replied as he struggled with my suitcases and Allegra¡¯s, sending them to the security guard at the door who was helping to take them downstairs. ¡°Stop acting like they¡¯re that bad. They¡¯re just beach shirts.¡±


    ¡°What shirts are you talking about?¡±


    I was curious, and as Allegra turned to me, her shocked expression became more dramatic as she threw her hands up in the air and shook her head. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re gonna love this one. Neal went out and bought a bunch of those touristy beach shirts, the ones with the different print patterns on them, and he says he¡¯s going to wear them when we go on our trip.¡±


    I was stunned at what she was saying. Neal did not seem like the type of person that would do that, but as his kind, sexy nce looked my way, I couldn¡¯t help but burst out intoughter. ¡°Well, I guess I better get my camera ready then because those are definitely photos that I am not going to miss out on.¡±


    Allegra did not seem pleased with thement that I made. Instead, she gave a dramatic eye roll and grabbed her purse, pushing past the security guard out the front door.


    Neal, of course, had a smug expression across his face as he stepped out the door with the security guard making way for me to pass through. ¡°I knew that she would be on my side.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I think those shirts are absolutely atrocious. However, I love the fun, inventive side of them, and I cannot wait to see you in something that doesn¡¯t make you look serious.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve seen me in many things that haven¡¯t made me look serious.¡± His sly, seductive remark made my cheeks flush pink as I nced at him from the corner of my eye with a small smirk across my lips before I continued walking.


    He wasn¡¯t wrong there. I had seen him in many things, including nothing at all, all of which did make him look not so serious but in a very much more pleasurable way.


    This trip was beginning to look better and better by the minute, and the more I pressed forward, making my way towards the vacation that I had always wanted to go on, I couldn¡¯t help but feel the positive aspect of it.


    Perhaps everything would get better in the end.

 Chapter 112 : Words of Confidence

    <h4>Chapter 112: Chapter 112 : Words of Confidence</h4>


    Neal.


    The moment that the ne finallynded in New Zend, I couldn¡¯t help but give a veryrge sigh of relief. Never in my life had it felt like I was on a n for so long, and I had been to Australia before. Even though those flights were just as long, there was something about this flight that was just exhausting.


    Perhaps it was the fact that sweet Ba decided that we would ride first ss like regr people all the way to New Zend.


    I could have gotten us on a better ne¡ªa more private ne even. But no, she wanted to have an adventure. Not that I wasining, but my sister sure as hell was, and herining made Baugh.


    ¡°Did you see the way that guy looked at me? It was as if I was at a buffet, and he wanted something all you can eat.¡± Allegra¡¯s disgusted tone caused both Ba and I to snort withughter.


    ¡°Oh my God. It wasn¡¯t even like that, and you know it.¡±


    Allegra turned to Ba with a re on her face as she used the fan in her hand to blow cool air upon her skin. She was sweating, her hair was frizzy, and her makeup was a mess, and if Allegra looked at herself in the mirror right now, she¡¯d probably have a meltdown. But I wasn¡¯t going to be the one to cause that.


    ¡°Come on, you two, our driver¡¯s waiting out front. I just got a text message.¡±


    My words seemed to beforting because quickly, the two women followed behind me to the conveyor belt, where we collected our bags and made our way out to the drivers that were waiting on the curb.


    I hadn¡¯t expected to see two men in one car, but yet there they were, and I didn¡¯t question it either. Instead, I let them take the bags and load them into the vehicle while Allegra, Ba, and I climbed into the back seat of the limo. Sara buckled the baby into a carseat already provided, and we all prepared ourselves for a grand journey toward the cabana that Ba had rented.


    Driving down the narrow roads and through the beautiful countryside, the ocean in the distance, the wind blowing against the trees, I couldn¡¯t help but think how beautiful the ind was. It was big for sure but small enough to be remote.


    The sun shining brightly in the sky warmed the world around it, and as we continued down the road, the white cabana which Ba had fallen in love with through the photos slowly came into view on its own private beach.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what it was about this ce that she¡¯d loved so much, but after hours and hours of scrolling through photos and looking at different price ranges and venues, this was the one that she kepting back to.


    It was a five-bedroom, three bath cabana with a private beach, a pool, and other luxuries.


    One would have thought that she fell in love with the amodations, but actually, it wasn¡¯t that. It was the beach that she fell in love with. The beach overlooked the wide, vast ocean. Something in that picture of the ocean seemed to captivate her and mesmerize her in ways I didn¡¯t understand.


    It was as if she saw something within those photos of the ocean that helped her to make that final decision. ¡°Oh, my goodness,.We¡¯re here.¡±


    The soft gasps that left her lips as the car finally pulled into the driveway,ing to a stop, were enchanting. As soon as the door was open, she was out of it, her eyes wide. Her lips parted as she deeply inhaled the fresh air that surrounded us.


    ¡°This is better than I could have imagined it being,¡± she whispered softly as her eyes turned to face me. ¡°Look how beautiful everything is.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t wrong about things being beautiful, but the only thing that I thought was beautiful was her. From the small, protruding bump that she carried to the highlighted smile upon her face... she was beautiful.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go inside and check out everything? I¡¯ll help bring the bags in.¡±


    She didn¡¯t need to be told twice, and she turned on her heel, making her way inside as quickly as she could. The door opened just before she reached it, as the owner of the cabana greeted her with a warm hug.


    I couldn¡¯t hear the exchange of words that they were having, but from the smile on both of their faces, I knew whatever it was had to have been pleasing. But who couldn¡¯t smile while looking at Ba and the state that she was in?


    It was the first time I¡¯d seen her properly smile in weeks.


    ¡°You know, if you keep gawking like that, it¡¯s gonna make you look a little creepy.¡±


    Allegra¡¯s words rang through my ears, and as I turned to face her, I couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed. She would have to be the person to ruin the moment I was enjoying. ¡°You¡¯re still here. That means you obviously want to help bring everything in, considering the numerous bags that are yours.¡±


    The small hint of threat that I had given her over having to carry her own bags was enough for her to quickly dismiss her presence before me, making her way inside behind Ba. I knew that she wouldn¡¯t want to do something like that, and even though she could be a badass when she wanted to, she was still, first and foremost, a prima ballerina.


    As the driver and I collected all of the bags out of the vehicle, and the other driver that was with the first one I had been speaking with took them inside. I took in the surroundings once more, just as my phone began to ring.


    Confusion filled me, wondering who it was that could have been calling me because everybody knew that I was on vacation, something that I didn¡¯t take very often, and I was only to be disturbed in an emergency. And considering I hadn¡¯t been gone that long, there was no way there could have been an emergency.


    Pulling my phone from my pocket, I nced down, not recognizing the phone number that was calling me. I hesitated for a moment, considering that I could just hang up on it, thinking that it was a spam caller, but something inside of me told me to answer the phone.


    And so I did.


    ¡°Neil?¡± The voice on the other end of the line was one that I would never forget. A voice that was long gone and supposed to be kept in the past, away from me and away from those I cared about.


    ¡°How the f*ck are you calling me, James?¡±


    I quickly made my way from the vehicle and the cabana, walking up the driveway to get some distance. Thest thing I wanted was Reba to overhear the conversation. As far as everyone was concerned, he was dead.


    ¡°Look, please don¡¯t act like this. I know I¡¯m not supposed to contact you, and I know that I am ruining everything by doing so, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I have to know if she¡¯s okay,¡± he replied, causing the anger to boil through me.


    I wasn¡¯t angry because he was calling and possibly interfering in the life that I was trying to create with Ba, I was angry because his calling could put her in danger.


    ¡°Do you understand what could happen if anybody found out that you were still alive, that you were contacting her? They could kill her and the children.¡±


    Just as I said those words, I watched Sara and the baby walking around the front garden as she obviously was trying to hush him. His soft cries echoed through the wind as the older woman stared down at him with such kind eyes as she had done many times before.


    I had been slightly against the idea of bringing the baby on the trip. But Ba made it clear that she wasn¡¯t going to allow the child out of her sight for too long, and if she wasing to enjoy this trip, then so were the baby and Sara.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m aware of theplications, and the longer that this conversation continues, the more it¡¯s putting her in jeopardy. So can you please just answer my questions and stop f*cking arguing with me for once?¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t get that right.¡± I snapped at him through the phone. ¡°Do you have any idea what this woman has been through? I get that you lost your daughter, but she lost you and Tally, and now she¡¯s raising your grandson as her own child while trying to piece together her life and settling all of your f*cking shit.¡±


    A heavy sigh escaped him through the phone at myment. He knew that I wasn¡¯t wrong, and if he denied it¡ª it would only prove how much of an asshole he was.


    ¡°I know, and I¡¯m sorry. Just please... is she safe?¡±


    Pinching the bridge of my nose, I nced back at the house to see her standing on the porch once more, talking to the owner. Her eyes nced at me with a smile as the woman beside her said something else that caught her attention.


    ¡°She¡¯s doing as well as can be expected,¡± I replied to James wanting to keep the conversation short. ¡°The baby is okay.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t live with losing her, Neal,¡± he whispered. ¡°I just can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Well, you should have thought about that before you did what you did. She doesn¡¯t deserve that kind of life, James. You even said that in the letter you left for me.¡±


    ¡°What if I can fix things, though?¡± Hisment made my brows furrow in confusion.


    How the hell could he fix this?


    ¡°Even if you could fix this, what do you expect to gain, James?¡±


    Part of me already knew what he was going to say, and that angered me even more.


    ¡°I want to win her back,¡± he replied very confidently. ¡°I want to be a part of my child¡¯s life and start over fresh. Doing the things I should have done years ago.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± My reply was firm. ¡°I will stop you right there and be selfish for once. The child may be yours, but Ba is mine. I have been there for her through everything, and you trying this bullshit will only make things worse. So for once, do her a favor and stop.¡±


    Perhaps I was wrong, and perhaps I was being selfish. The idea of losing Ba wasn¡¯t something that I was willing to consider, and if he thought that I was going to allow that to happen, he was sadly mistaken.


    ¡°You can¡¯t stop me,¡± he replied confidently. ¡°One way or another, I will get her back.¡±

 Chapter 113 : Silent Conversations

    <h4>Chapter 113: Chapter 113 : Silent Conversations</h4>


    Ba.


    As soon as I stepped outside with the lovely Miss Rogers, thedy who owned the cabana that I had rented, I noticed how Neal seemed very frustrated with whatever kind of conversation that he was having. I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on. Perhaps it was work, perhaps it was something else.


    As soon as his eyesnded on me, he quickly finished his conversation.


    I found it curious how he was acting, but as he slowly made his way towards me, this frown that was upon his face once before disappeared and was reced with a smile.


    ¡°So, how do you like everything?¡± he asked me as he approached.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. Miss Rogers has been absolutely wonderful. She showed me everything that the house has to offer, and she¡¯s hoping that we have a wonderful two weeks¡¯ vacation,¡± I replied as my eyes drifted from Neal to the woman again.


    Her soft, pale blue eyes crinkled at the corners as she turned her small smile into one that wasrger, her hands sped in front of her as she rocked on her heels, watching the interaction between Neal and I. ¡°This ce is an absolute dream, and I am so happy that you¡¯re spending your vacation here. I hope that you enjoy it as much as my husband and I have.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s lovely. Thank you so much for taking the time to show us around. I don¡¯t want to hold up any more of your time,¡± Neal replied quite quickly. The woman nodded, understanding what he meant, and made her way to the small car that sat off in the driveway.


    I wasn¡¯t quite sure why he was being so dismissive, but deciding not to say anything, I turned and made my way through the doors and to the lush area of the main living room of the cabana. The decor was spectacr. Everything had a bohemian feel to it, with various colors of blues, purples, reds, and yellows.


    I couldn¡¯t get over how luxurious, yet warm and inviting, the home was. The best part of it all was therge floor-to-ceiling bay windows and doors that lined the back of the house overlooking the water in the distance.


    I could eat up this view every single day of my life and never get tired of it. Honestly, if this ce ever came up for sale, I¡¯d buy it just for the sake of buying it. Even though the thought of spending any of the money that James willed to me left me empty at the bottom of my stomach.


    ¡°Did you want to rest and take it easy after a long journey?¡± Neal¡¯s question caused me to look over my shoulder at him and slowly shake my head no.


    ¡°I have plenty of time to rest while I¡¯m here. Right now, I¡¯m going to go get changed, and I¡¯m going to go lounge on the back deck and enjoy the fresh sea air.¡±


    He didn¡¯t bother arguing with me. Instead, he simply nodded his head and grabbed the bag that was sitting on the hallway floor before turning down the hallway and disappearing from my sight.


    Something was obviously bothering him, but I wasn¡¯t exactly sure what it was. Whoever had been on that phone call had obviously left a mark that he wasn¡¯t prepared for, a conversation that he hadn¡¯t wanted to have.


    Letting out a heavy sigh, I shrugged my shoulders and grabbed my belongings that were left and not already taken to my room and quickly followed Neal¡¯s lead down the hallway to where my room was going to be.


    It was time to change and let the worries that had been filling my mind for the past few weeks disappear. For the sake of the baby that I was carrying and my own personal health, I needed to recuperate so that I could be the person that both of these children needed.


    *****


    Neal.


    I hadn¡¯t meant to be cold or uncooperative when Ba had asked me the question she did, but I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around the conversation I had with James. He was so adamant that he was going to get back, and that wasn¡¯t a part of the agreement.


    The agreement that he made with the government was that he would go into witness protection and stay far away from Ba and the children to ensure their safety. Ba had alreadye to terms with the fact that he was dead. Hising back would be bad and only further ruin her emotional state.


    As soon as the bedroom door had closed and I had set my bag on the bed and started going through everything, un packing my suitcase so that I would be prepared for the vacation that I was having while with Ba and Allegra, the door swung open, and my sister, unfortunately, stood there with her hands upon her hips, and her eyes narrowed in my direction.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, and why are you acting the way you are?¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand how she had seen any of that, considering I hadn¡¯t noticed her outside, and I didn¡¯t even see her anywhere in themon area when Beck and I were having our conversation.


    ying stupid, I gave her a confused nce, furrowing my brows, and shrugged my shoulders. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me, I know something is bothering you,¡± she snapped, her reply catching me off guard and causing me to roll my eyes.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong, Allegra. And I would appreciate it if you¡¯d stop trying to find something where there is nothing.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Closing the door behind her, she stepped forward and came toe to toe with me, as she had done many times in the past when she was scolding me. She was a foot shorter, but she had more balls than any man that I had ever met.


    ¡°Of course. Everything¡¯s fine now. Will you stop?¡±


    ¡°Who was on the phone, Neal?¡± she asked me, and with a deer in the headlights kind of look, I realized I had been caught.


    ¡°It was just work, that¡¯s all,¡± I replied, trying to divert the conversation and lying about who I was talking to. Thest thing I needed for her to know was that James had reached out to me because, if she did know, she would more than likely lose her shit.


    ¡°Neal, you are the worst liar I¡¯ve ever met in my entire life. You were when you were a child, and you still are now, so I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re trying to hide who you were talking to. So I¡¯m going to ask you one more time. Who was on the phone?¡±


    Staring at her, I took a minute to collect my thoughts. This conversation could continue to go one of two ways. One, I continued to lie, and eventually, she would find out and be more pissed that I was trying to hide it from her. Or two, I could be honest and tell her, let her go ahead and get over her initial phase of shock and get her help on figuring out how to handle this situation.


    Groaning with displeasure, I decided to go with option two, but before I did, I walked towards the bedroom door and opened it, peering out into the hallway to make sure that no one was standing around listening.


    As soon as I was satisfied with the fact that nobody was around, I closed the door again and walked toward her. ¡°If I tell you, you have to swear to keep this to yourself. The conversation has to stay between us and cannot leave this room.¡±


    Crossing her arms over her chest, she rolled her eyes and nodded. ¡°Is it that serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Allegra, it is that serious.¡±


    With a small sigh, she nodded again. ¡°Fine, I swear the conversation will stay between us, and it won¡¯t leave this room.¡±


    Taking a moment to process her telling me that she wasn¡¯t going to say anything, I tried to debate whether or not I could actually trust my sister with my life. But she had always been very strict in keeping secrets.


    ¡°The person on the phone was James,¡± I whispered, her eyes going wide as her mouth parted. This was exactly the reaction I expected from her.


    ¡°What?¡± she gasped, shaking her head in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s not possible, Neal. He isn¡¯t supposed to be contacting us.¡±


    Her whispered tone was stern and angry, just as mine had been when James had called. I knew exactly how she felt because I felt the same way. He wasn¡¯t supposed to be contacting us because, as far as everyone who¡¯d ever met him was concerned, he was supposed to be dead.


    ¡°I know this, and I told him that, but he¡¯s telling me that he can¡¯t deal with being away from her, that he wants her back, and he¡¯s going to find a way to make that happen.¡±


    ¡°This will destroy her if she finds out. She can¡¯t find out.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that I know this, Allegra? I know the situation at hand, but unfortunately, he doesn¡¯t want to listen,¡± I replied as I ran my hand through my hair and then down my face. I was frustrated and at a loss for what to do.


    ¡°There¡¯s something else. Maybe call somebody. Tell them¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t do that, Allegra.¡± I quickly snapped, cutting her off mid-sentence. Thest thing that I needed was for the government to find out. He needed to be where he was, and I had to make him see that privately without them knowing.


    ¡°If he loses witness protection, he might just disappear,¡± she replied, trying to plead with me to do something to protect Ba.


    I¡¯d contemted many variations of things that I could do as soon as I got off the phone with him. But all of them led back to Ba getting hurt. There was no right or wrong way in this situation, and deep down, part of me did want to tell her because I didn¡¯t like the fact of hiding this from her.


    But what I was doing was for her own safety.


    ¡°For now, the best thing that we can do is focus on enjoying this vacation. I will try to think of something that we can do, but I¡¯m hoping I can make James see that him doing this isn¡¯t in her best interest.¡±


    Allegra nodded her head in understanding. ¡°Okay. I just hope you know what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    As I watched Allegra leave, that same thought ran through my mind. Did I know what I was doing? Was I making the right choice by keeping this from her?


    Part of me could see the reasoning behind why this would be a good idea. She was pregnant and didn¡¯t need to stress more than she already had. Not to mention, I knew if she knew he was alive, she would do everything in her power to go and see him, which could jeopardize her safety and that of her unborn child.


    I was being the man in the situation and deciding for her.


    Which I didn¡¯t like because I had always included her in everything.

 Chapter 114 : Adjusting to Reality

    <h4>Chapter 114: Chapter 114 : Adjusting to Reality</h4>


    James.


    The moment that I got off the phone with Neal, I knew he was going to be aplication. He didn¡¯t seem eager to help me, and I didn¡¯t me him. After everything that I had put her through, why would he?


    What annoyed me the most, though, was he thought that he could actually dictate to me what I was going and not going to do. If I wanted to get to Ba, I could. I knew it was best for me to keep away, to be able to watch from a distance, and hope that she was okay, but the other part of me longed to be next to her again.


    I wanted to hold her in my arms, I wanted to get on my knees and beg her forgiveness, and I wanted to be part of my child¡¯s life. I had already lost one child because of my selfishness, and thest thing I needed to do was allow myself to lose another.


    Even my grandson wasn¡¯t going to be able to have me as part of his life because of the shit that I pulled. Perhaps it had happened back in the day, back when I was younger, when I made these terrible mistakes of aligning myself with dangerous people.


    But I even knew back then that one day this woulde back to bite me in the ass, and as I sat in my apartment looking at the various bags of electronics that I had purchased to try and make myselffortable, I couldn¡¯t help but hold the satellite phone in my hand and wonder if I had made the right choice by contacting Neal.


    There was a chance that he could reach out to Greg and tell Greg what I had done and ruin everything, even though I had only just gotten here. There was also a chance that he could turn around and hide Ba from the world. Maybe even marry her, making her his forever to ensure that I would never be able to get her back.


    Ultimately, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it.


    A sharp knock at the door caught my attention, and quickly standing to my feet, I took the phone and hid it. Thest thing I needed was for one of those guys that had been here earlier to see me with the phone that I wasn¡¯t supposed to have.


    It would onlyplicate my situation even further.


    As I made my way across the room, opening the door, I spotted a shorter, dark-haired young woman with kind charcoal eyes smiling up at me, holding a tter of food. ¡°Wee to our apartment building. These are for you.¡±


    Her thick Asian ent twerked the corner of my lips as I stared down at her with hesitation and amusement. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what I was to say, but as I took the tter leaving, the door open, she stepped inside for a moment, and I gazed over my shoulder, watching how she took in the apartment with very little interest. ¡°Is this something that you usually do? Bring your new guests food?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my mother believes in keepingmon decency among the neighbors. It is a tradition that you bring your neighbors a gift.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, interesting,¡± I muttered to myself as I took in the delicacies upon the te. A lot of it was stuff that I had never tried before, but I wouldn¡¯t be rude and pass it up just because I was unsure.


    As I turned back to herpletely, she stood with her hands sped in front of her, as if waiting for something. I was slightly confused about what that could have been. ¡°Thank you again for all of this. I do appreciate it. It¡¯s nice to feel wee somewhere.¡±


    ¡°You are very wee. My mother will be pleased to know that you enjoyed her gift.¡±


    Again, she waited, and I became slightly unsure if she was ever going to leave by the way that she seemed so hesitant. ¡°Was there something else that you needed?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she replied quickly as a soft tinge of pink filled her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m just not used to having men from America here in the building. It¡¯s very unusual to meet foreigners that want to stay with normal society, especially someone like you. You don¡¯te across as somebody who would live in these kinds of amodations.¡±


    ¡°What kind of person do I look like then?¡± I chuckled with amusement, trying to determine exactly where her mind was going.


    Taking a moment, she shrugged her shoulders as the small smile lit up her face once again. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I suppose eventually we will all find out.¡±


    ¡°You know, your English is very good for somebody that lives with these kinds of people,¡± I replied, putting emphasis on the same frame of words that she had used only moments ago.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I am a teaching assistant at the university. I took many years of English, and even though my ent is still there, I read, write, and speak English as if it was a firstnguage.¡±


    She had confidence in her abilities when she spoke about her aplishments. I wasn¡¯t quite sure what it was about her that intrigued me. It wasn¡¯t anything of a sexual nature. It was more so something of a fatherly nature. She reminded me of Tally in some ways, but she was definitely more reserved than my daughter had been.


    ¡°It¡¯s remarkable that you were able to aplish all of that,¡± I replied, showing my genuine interest in what she had been able to do. ¡°So you live here with your mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. I will live here with her until I get married.¡±


    ¡°Is that part of your culture, too, to live with your parents until you get married?¡± I questioned wanting to know a little bit more about my neighbors who are so kind as to bring me food.


    ¡°No,¡± sheughed. ¡°However, I chose to because my father died over two years ago, and my mother can¡¯t do everything on her own.¡±


    The pit of guilt at the bottom of my stomach slowly grew, the longing for the child I had lost blossoming. I was sad hearing what she had to say, and it made me wonder if my unborn child would feel the same. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it was his time to go, and the ancestors weed him back with open arms. Do you have any family, children or a wife?¡±


    Taking a moment, I exhaled slowly, trying to calm myself, my nerves on edge as I thought about what she had asked me. ¡°I¡¯m divorced, and my daughter passed away recently, so it¡¯s just me here.¡±


    She seemed a little taken aback by what I¡¯d said, and most people were when they heard about it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your daughter. She was taken too young.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. As you said, the ancestors have received her, or at least that¡¯s how it¡¯s seen in your culture, correct?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. She will look upon you and protect you and anyone else in your family that needs protecting. She will help to guide you all. Her spirit will always be with you.¡± She didn¡¯t bother to stay around any longer as she slowly made her way towards the door.


    I appreciated everything she¡¯d said and the food her mother had made for me that she¡¯d brought over. But I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was something else that she was hoping to find.


    Deciding not to press her for any issues, I allowed her to walk through the door and leave my sight. Thest thing that I wanted was for her to get the wrong idea, and to top it off, I hadn¡¯t even gotten her name.


    As my mind reeled from the conversation I¡¯d had with the mystery woman who had suddenly brought me food, I slowly turned back and took notice of the electronics once more in the living room. Everything that the woman had said yed over and over in my mind.


    There was something in what she did say that made sense.


    Perhaps what I would have to do is slowly get over things. Or not really get over them, but ept that what happened happened, and I¡¯d have to try and look for the bright side. That Tally was in a ce now where she could watch over us all.


    Still, contemting even that didn¡¯t make me happy. It made me angry, knowing that she died because of me, because of this stupid feud. And now, to top it off, Sergie¡¯s son was out there trying to take over the enterprise that his father had built.


    I worried every day that he might find something out or even go after Ba with me being dead just to settle scores and make sure that my lineage didn¡¯t continue. It was now widely known that Ba was carrying my child, and oftentimes, in situations like that, they liked to try and kill off at a line entirely.


    Striding towards the sofa, I picked up the satellite phone that I had stashed behind the cushions and stared at it. Should I try to reach out to Neal again and make him see the reason behind what I wanted to do? Or, instead of simply trying to work my way back into her life, I could help her in other ways without her knowing that I was still alive.


    The only thing that I wanted was confirmation that she was okay.


    Which Neal did give me. Even if the conversation was less than pleasing.


    I needed something to do. I had only been here a few hours, and already, I was going stir crazy trying to imagine how I was going to live a life like this, how I was going to possibly make living here work.


    I had spent almost my entire life working as hard as I could. Blood, sweat, and tears went into everything that I made, but my decision to have Bapletely get rid of my business was my own. It had nothing to do with her or to benefit her in the future.


    I wanted thepany gone because, even though I¡¯d worked hard to create it, it had done nothing but bring destruction.


    Perhaps I could create a business here, or at least apany that might be beneficial, under the name Lester Johnson. I still couldn¡¯t get over the fact that he had f*cking picked that name for me. It had to be something humorous in his mind that decided that one.


    Thinking about it, I tried to decide what it was that I could do that would keep me out of the major eye of the public or anything international but that would still be beneficial to themunity.


    Perhaps in order to find out what was good for themunity, I needed to get out into it, to participate in it. It would help me to heal and possibly help others around me.


    Not to mention, it might be something that Ba could be proud of me for.

 Chapter 115 : Cold Blooded Truth

    <h4>Chapter 115: Chapter 115 : Cold Blooded Truth</h4>


    Ba.


    I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what was going on. Or better yet, what Neal and Allegra were up to. Their whispered conversations behind closed doors over the past few days while we were on vacation were confusing. It wasn¡¯t like them to hide things from me.


    It wasn¡¯t like them to act this way in general.


    ¡°Sorry about that. I had to take a phone call.¡± Allegraughed as she walked over with her very alcoholic mixed drink and a strawberry virgin daiquiri for me.


    ¡°No problem, you and Neal seem to have a lot going on thest few days.¡±


    She gave me a quizzical look with a small confused smile as she took her seat on the lounge chair next to me on the back deck. ¡°What are you talking about? I haven¡¯t been any different than I always am.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then what¡¯s up with all the secretive conversations with your brother behind closed doors?¡± As if she had been found out. Her lips parted, and she looked around, slightly worried.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°For someone who is rather good at lying, you were doing a very horrible job right now, just so that you know,¡± I replied with a scoff asughter left my lips.


    Allegra, however, didn¡¯t seem to find myment very funny. Instead, she sat back in the chair, slowly sipping on her drink as she used her finger to fiddle with the straw, making it go round and round in circles as she looked off into the distance.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if we¡¯ve seemed a little off. It has nothing to do with you. There¡¯s just some stuff back home that¡¯s kind of blowing our mind right now.¡±


    If it didn¡¯t have anything to do with me, and things were going on back home, part of me wondered if it had something to do with how she and he had busted into the Valentino mansion trying to save me when Sergei held me captive.


    ¡°There has been something on my mind that I wouldn¡¯t mind asking you.¡±


    Turning her head, her gaze fell upon me. ¡°Oh yeah, what would that be?¡±


    ¡°Well, you and Neal never exined to me what it was that you were doing there that day. You rescued me. I saw a side of you, Allegra, that I have never seen before. You werepletely different, and with everything that happened, I didn¡¯t bother asking you then, but I¡¯m asking you now.¡±


    With her mouth wide open, she seemed deep in thought. ¡°It isn¡¯t that easy to exin.¡±


    ¡°What isn¡¯t easy to exin?¡± Neal said cheerfully as he walked over,pletely shirtless, his rippled abs on disy for anybody in the house to see in nothing but his swimsuit, with a beer in hand.


    He was definitely a depiction of being on vacation, and with thoserge yboy sunsses on his face, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, admiring the view I had.


    ¡°She was just about to go into detail about why it is that you two busted into the Valentino mansion as you did. I mean, I¡¯ve never seen two people use skills and precision the way that you did, and I was half in and out of it.¡±


    It was obvious that the conversation I was attempting to have with them was not exactly the conversation that they were hoping for today. However, I was never one to actually do things as they should.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to tell her?¡± he replied in disbelief as he turned his gaze toward Allegra.


    ¡°I actually hadn¡¯t said that I was going to, but now that you¡¯ve made thatment, I guess we better exin everything to her,¡± Allegra snapped, hermentced with venom over the fact that Neal had basically given it away, that there was something up.


    ¡°Yeah, you both might as well go ahead and exin to me. I mean, we¡¯re on vacation, and if we¡¯re going to all get to know each other just a little bit better, now would be the time to do so.¡± Parts of what I¡¯d said seemed to have some type of effect on Allegra, and with a heavy sigh, she pointed to the chair next to her and forced Neal to sit down.


    ¡°Our lives weren¡¯t always as easy as people seem to think they are now. We weren¡¯t raised in the states, Ba. We were raised overseas. Our father was a very important man, once upon a time, and while everybody thought him to be a wonderful father and a wonderful leader, he wasn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°He was aplete prick,¡± Neal muttered, cutting off Allegra mid-sentence as he turned and sipped on his beer, acting as if he hadn¡¯t said anything at all.


    ¡°As I was saying, he wasn¡¯t a good man, and growing up, he had certain expectations from both Neal and me, even though our lifestyles were much different. Hand-to-handbat training was a must, and learning how to use weapons was another must. While I was forced to stay home with tutors to prepare myself for the future, Neal was sent off to boarding school.¡±


    As soon as Allegra had mentioned the words boarding school, I watched as Neal tensed up. It was clear that what had ever happened there had been a very traumatic experience for Neal. Realization of the nightmares that I had witnessed him have made me wonder if perhaps these were the reason for those nightmares.


    ¡°I think you didn¡¯t like the boarding school, Neal?¡± I asked softly, not wanting to pry too hard but wanting to know the truth.


    He hesitated to reply to me as he took another long sip of his drink. I couldn¡¯t see his eyes behind the dark sses that he wore, but I could feel the tension radiating off of him. ¡°It was impossible to like considering the situations that urred.¡±


    Part of me screamed not to ask what had happened, but the curious part of me wanted to know. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Ba, right now, this isn¡¯t actually the kind of conversation that we need to be having¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut the f*ck up for once, Allegra,¡± Neal snapped at her, his personalitypletely changing as she turned her head with parted lips, seemingly taken back by his response.


    ¡°Neal, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡± I muttered softly, not wanting to upset him. But I quickly stopped mid-sentence when he turned his stare to me.


    ¡°Leave it alone,¡± he replied as he stood, walking off in the distance.


    I had never really seen this part of him, and now that I had, I was slightly concerned that there was a lot more about Neal that I didn¡¯t know and probably should. Not that it would really change my view on him entirely. But it was things like that that made me wonder if he was hiding much more than I could cope with.


    *****************


    As the sun set, I gradually found myself making my way back into the house, eager to take a long hot shower and rx in bed with a cup of tea. It had been absolutely amazing, and spending time with Allegra poolside, and then walking down the beach, had been more enjoyable than I originally thought it would be?


    Expected, though, is that when I passed Neal¡¯s room, making my way towards my own, I would hear him on the phone inside, arguing under his breath to whoever he was talking to. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Just make sure that it¡¯s done.¡±


    These words sent cold shivers to my heart. I wasn¡¯t sure what he was talking about, or possibly even what he was nning to do, but the problem was, there were more secrets that he was hiding and unwilling to share than I wasfortable with.


    Pushing open the cracked door to his bedroom, I watched as he quickly turned to face me, narrowing his gaze before hanging up the phone. ¡°How much of that conversation did you hear?¡±


    ¡°What is with the attitude, Neal? I¡¯ve never seen this side of you. Why are you acting like this towards me?¡± I asked him,pletely ignoring his question because it wasn¡¯t about what he wanted to know. It was about why he was acting the way he was towards me. I had done nothing to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t avoid my question. I want to know exactly what you heard.¡±


    With a scoff, I shook my head, crossing my arms over my chest. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything other than you wanting something done. I literally was walking to my room when I heard you, and everything about the way you¡¯re acting right now ispletely off.¡±


    A long, heavy sigh escaped him as he ran his hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose as his eyes closed, taking in the situation. ¡°Look, I just have a lot going on right now, and I don¡¯t have time to answer all these questions.¡±


    ¡°Well, you need to f*cking make time, Neal, because I¡¯m sick and tired of you acting the way you are, hot and cold, emotional. It¡¯s almost like you¡¯re the one that¡¯s pregnant and going through the hormone changes than I am.¡±


    Taking two steps toward me, he stopped and stared down at me with a narrowed gaze. ¡°I think it¡¯s time that you retreat to your room and go take a shower and get into bed. It¡¯s been a long day.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I gasped in disbelief. ¡°Are you seriously going to treat me like I¡¯m f*cking twelve? You¡¯re not gonna tell me what I am and am not going to do! I¡¯m a grown-ass adult.¡±


    Seemingly taken aback by my outburst, he began tough. ¡°Then maybe you should start acting like one. The world isn¡¯t all pretty like you seem to want to believe that it is. Things aren¡¯t going to just get better, Ba. Things will take a lot of work, and if anything¡¯s ever going to be aplished, you need to start listening to what I tell you to do.¡±


    It was my turn tough as I stared, wide-eyed, lips parted in shock. ¡°Are you being serious right now?¡±


    ¡°Why would I joke?¡± he eximed, shrugging his shoulders. As if my question was idiotic, and I wasn¡¯t listening to anything that he said.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to chalk this up to you being a little over-emotional about the conversation that we had earlier, and when you decide that you want to start being honest and tell me what the f*ck is wrong with you, or better yet, what happened to you in your past thatpletely has turned you into a f*cking prick, thene find me because the Neal that I¡¯m looking at right now is not the same man that I was slowly falling in love with.¡±


    As if I had dumped a bucket of cold water upon him, he turned pale, staring at me in silence. What I had said had obviously jolted him. I had admitted that I was falling in love with him, something that I hadn¡¯t actually really talked about before, and then on top of that, I pointed out how he was acting was uneptable in my eyes.


    I didn¡¯t care, though. It was obvious that with his current attitude, he needed a quick dose of reality because if he thought that he was going to act that way to me, and I was going to ept it, he was sadly f*cking mistaken.


    ¡°You want to know what happened?¡± he said softly, the tone of his voice dark and sinister. Clearing the space between us, he backed me against the wall, his hands mming against the wall next to my head.


    ¡°Neal, what are you doing¡ª¡± I said, hesitantly, as my nerves slowly set on edge. I was uneasy about the current situation I had put myself in, considering that Neal had never acted like this before, and it was obvious that something in him had quickly snapped.


    ¡°No. You wanna know so bad, you can shut the f*ck up and listen,¡± he snapped with a cold gaze. ¡°I¡¯m a killer, Ba. We grew up in a Russian family who did nothing but took care of the problems that nobody else f*cking wanted to. I was raised to be a f*cking cold-blooded killer, and when they sent me away to boarding school, things got worse. A cocky ass prick thought he could take advantage of my name, and so I f*cking ughtered him in front of a group of boys without hesitation.¡±


    Shock and fear flowed through my body like a raging river at Neal¡¯s words. Not only had he killed people, but he was also Russian, just like Sergei, and to top it off, an assassin.


    One that was bred to do the kind of work most people only talked about.


    One that was bred to kill for fun.

 Chapter 116 : Truth about Neal

    <h4>Chapter 116: Chapter 116 : Truth about Neal</h4>


    Ba.


    As I stood before Neal, staring at him, trying to process the words that he had said, I felt my heart slowly beat faster. A man that I had shared a bed with many times and grown to care about was a cold-blooded killer.


    How was it that this kind, gentle person who had done everything in his power to take care of me could kill people without hesitation?


    I didn¡¯t know if I could believe that any of it could be true. I couldn¡¯t see Neal being that kind of person. Yet, as he spoke, I knew the words were truer than I wanted to admit. It was the first time in a long time that someone had been genuinely truthful with me, and that raw information gutted me to the core.


    ¡°Please tell me that you¡¯re lying, that all of that is just something you said to upset me. Tell me that¡¯s not true.¡± As tears filled my eyes, I waited for him to say anything that would suggest the fact that he was simply making it up. But as I stared at him, I could tell he wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Out of everything I just told you, you want me to admit that I was lying, as if what I¡¯m telling you couldn¡¯t possibly be urate.¡±


    The sinister, snide remark that he gave me, with a look of disgust across his lips, made me flinch. He had never looked at me this way. And yet, as he stepped back away from me, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that I hadpletely ruined any kind of rtionship that we could have had between us.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you were lying.... I¡¯m just¡ªI don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t want to believe that what you¡¯re saying is true. That a man I had grown to care so much about could have that kind of past.¡±


    Neal scoffed at myment, rolling his eyes as he shook his head. ¡°So you don¡¯t want to believe that I could have that kind of past, but you are sure find it eptable that James had one. Come on now, Ba. That¡¯s a bunch of bullshit, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Perhaps it was. Perhaps me judging Neal for his background was wrong of me because I had sort of epted the way that James¡¯s life was and the issues that came with him and had still loved him regardless of it.


    But yet, hearing everything that Neal said to me scared me. It terrified me knowing that I had been sleeping with a man who had killed people for a living, or at least that his family had, and that he had even killed people just because he wanted to prove a point.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m finding it hard to process all of this!¡± I yelled at him, throwing my hands in the air as I quickly turned towards the door. ¡°It¡¯s hard to process everything going on when you¡¯re acting the way that you are. You can¡¯t even have a normal conversation about this. Instead, you¡¯reshing out at me when all I did was care about how you were feeling.¡±


    Before I could even reach the doorknob, Neal grabbed my arm and turned me to face him. The look on his face was unrecognizable. He wasn¡¯t angry, at least he didn¡¯t look angry. But what was there was remorse and guilt as well as a little sadness?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ba,¡± he said softly as his eyes cast to the floor. ¡°You¡¯re right, I shouldn¡¯t have acted that way. I just don¡¯t want to relive my past constantly, and I don¡¯t want people to think that my past defines who I am now.¡±


    ¡°Neal, you, of all people, should know that. I wouldn¡¯t judge you like that.¡±


    My quick response caused him to nce at me again as another scoff left his lips that I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°You didn¡¯t see the way that you looked at me when I told you that. You looked at me as if I was some foreign stranger trying to kill you.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe that that was what he thought. It wasn¡¯t that I thought he was going to kill me. What I thought was that he had kept these secrets from me and hid them. Lying to me about who he was as if I couldn¡¯t handle the truth.


    ¡°That is so far from the truth, you have no idea,¡± I replied, trying to make him see reason as I slowly took his hand in mine. ¡°All I want for you to do is be honest and not feel that you have to hide shit from me. We all have parts of ourselves that we¡¯re not proud of, and yes, I am shocked that you are the kind of person that could have done something like that, but it doesn¡¯t make me think any less of you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to try and make the situation any better. There were no words to really help the matter, but from the look of things, one thing Neal did need was time to process that he had told me what he did, and honestly, I needed the time to process exactly what he had said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± It was the only response that he could give me as he turned away from me, pulled his hand from mine, and made his way across the bedroom.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let this pull us apart,¡± I whispered, watching him refuse to face me. ¡°I¡¯m going to go get in the shower, and I think you should do the same. Then if you want, you cane join me in my room and watch a movie with me.¡±


    He didn¡¯t bother to acknowledge what I had said or even look at me. But I knew very well that he had heard what I had offered, and without saying another word, I turned from the room and closed the door behind me as I stepped into the hallway.


    To no surprise, Allegra stood there waiting with her hands at her side and a defeated look on her face. ¡°He told you?¡±


    Nodding my head, I turned from her and went further down the hall towards where I was sleeping. I didn¡¯t really want to have a conversation with her, but from the sound of her footsteps behind me, I felt she wouldn¡¯t let me go until I did.


    Not bothering to close the door behind me as I made my way into my room, I heard the door shut softly, and as I turned, Allegra stood there with tears in her eyes as if pleading with me not to change my mind about her brother. ¡°Ba, I can exin.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to exin anything, Allegra,¡± I replied, holding my hand up to stop her from talking. ¡°We all have pasts that we¡¯re not proud of. What hurts me the most is that the two of you thought you couldn¡¯t tell me the truth. After everything that happened with James, you should have told me.¡±


    ¡°I know, and I wanted to so many times, Ba, but Neal¡¯s story wasn¡¯t mine to tell, and had I done that, it would have just caused more issues. Not to mention there were so many things going on at that point in time¡ª¡±


    Allegra rambled on, trying to exin why she did what she did and that she hadn¡¯t meant to deceive me. However, the thing was, she didn¡¯t realize I wasn¡¯t angry at her. I wasn¡¯t even angry at Neal.


    I was more upset that they felt they couldn¡¯t talk to me about something like this.


    There was no doubt that I had my own reservations about everything. Especially knowing that Allegra and Neal were actually Russian, knowing that they came from a long line of assassins and that they had killed more people than I wanted to even know about.


    At the end of the day, though, they both were people who had been there for me more times than I could count, who had had my back through everything, and had even risked their own lives toe into James¡¯s home to rescue me.


    The two of them hade in to try and save me. To save my unborn child.


    I would be forever grateful for what they had done, and because of that, I could overlook the past issues that they had tried to hide away. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Allegra, honestly.¡±


    She paused for a moment, her lips quivering as she nodded her head. ¡°You don¡¯t hate me?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t hate you.¡± I chuckled, pushing a smile onto my lips that surprisingly wasn¡¯t forced. ¡°Am I a little shocked to know that the Duchess of Fashion was actually a trained assassin? Yes, but you surprise me quite often.¡±


    Myment made herugh. And with it, the tension in the room quickly died down, and smiling faces appeared before the chaos. ¡°I¡¯m d that you¡¯re not angry at me. I don¡¯t think that I could honestly take you being angry at me.¡±


    ¡°Stop worrying, Allegra. Now I¡¯m going to climb in the shower, and I¡¯m getting in bed to watch a movie. I told your brother that he could join me if he wanted to, but honestly, I don¡¯t think that he will. Not sure if you wanna go check on him and make sure that he¡¯s okay.¡±


    Nodding her head, she turned and quickly exited the room, and once again, I was left with my own thoughts. The hot shower that I had wanted to take before sounded better and better, and as I moved towards the bathroom, turning on the shower head, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was more that Neal hadn¡¯t told me.


    Not in a bad way, but I felt bad for him that he¡¯d had to keep all of this to himself.


    Nobody deserved to go through all that without anybody to lean on, and even though it seemed like he and Allegra were very close, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if I needed to be the rock that he could turn to in his time of need.


    Also, I wondered if all of the nightmares that he had been having were simply because he was a young boy who hadn¡¯t asked for that life but had been thrown into it without a choice.


    Something that I would have to find out in time.

 Chapter 117 : Accepting the Future

    <h4>Chapter 117: Chapter 117 : epting the Future</h4>


    Neal.


    When Ba left, my emotions rolled through me like a thunderstorm over a grassy field. I couldn¡¯t believe that I had acted the way that I did. She hadn¡¯t deserved it, and honestly, I felt nothing but remorse swelling through my body like an angry viper looking for a way out.


    After everything that she had been throughtely, and all the countless times I had stood by her side, I had never given her a reason to doubt me, to doubt my allegiance to her, to doubt the safety that she felt with me, until she found out the truth.


    Even though she said she was okay, I saw it in her eyes, the resentment, the anger... and all of it because I couldn¡¯t be f*cking honest with her about who I was.


    Sitting on the edge of my bed, I held my head in my hands. I had been foolish to think that I was someone that could be desired. Never had I been a man to care what other people thought. But when it came to Ba, I cared deeply. And that was because I was in love with her.


    Without warning, my bedroom door flew open, and Allegra stood there with an angry scowl upon her face that quickly turned into a gentle, soft expression as she closed the door behind her. ¡°Oh, Neal.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want pity from her, but it was obviously what she was going to give me whether I wanted it or not. ¡°Llook, don¡¯t interfere. What¡¯s been done is done¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nothing is done, you idiot,¡± she snapped at me, cutting me off mid-sentence before I could say anything else. ¡°She asked, and that alone should speak volumes for how much she cares about you.¡±


    Coughing, I rolled my eyes and looked towards the window. The sea outside was slowly growing darker and darker as the sun set behind it. ¡°How could she ever honestly care for someone like me, let alone trust me after the past, I exined to her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But she does, and that¡¯s all that matters,¡± she replied, trying to make me see reason. ¡°Now, put this pity party behind you, and go get showered. She is waiting for you in her room. The invitation she gave you wasn¡¯t for no reason.¡±


    Quickly shooting daggers in Allegra¡¯s direction, I narrowed my gaze. There was no way in hell that Ba wanted to see me after everything I had just told her. ¡°That invitation wasn¡¯t an honest one. She was only saying that because she felt guilty.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re aplete f*cking idiot. You do realize that?¡± she snapped as she rolled her eyes, cing her hands on her hips. ¡° I swear, sometimes I don¡¯t even know how you¡¯re rted to me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have time for Allegra¡¯s games, and as I stood, I stormed across the room, into the bathroom, and mmed the door. Hopefully, that was enough of a hint for her to take her leave. Thest thing I wanted to do was have another argument. My emotional state couldn¡¯t handle it.


    I was typically a strong-willed person, a man who never let his emotions take charge. But for some reason, Ba bringing up my pastpletely made all of that void, and I found myself unable to focus on anything other than how I had upset and disappointed her.


    ¡°Neal, I wish you would realize that she loves you in her own way. She loves you, and nothing you will ever do will ever stop her from loving you. Right now, she needs you. She can¡¯t have you fall apart when she¡¯s already lost so much.¡±


    I knew what Allegra was saying was true, but it didn¡¯t mean I agreed with her.


    There was no way that I could get past the fact that Ba knew the side of me that I had kept hidden for so long. Letting a sigh escape me, I walked towards the shower and turned the water on, hoping that Allegra would get the hint to f*cking leave.


    No matter how much she tried to be theforting older sister, right now wasn¡¯t the time or ce for it. Right now, I just wanted to be alone.


    *****


    James


    A week passed since I had called Neal, and every moment that I sat trying to make my life normal in some essence in my apartment in Tokyo, I found myself losing control. Trying to pass the time, I spent a lot of it outdoors, wandering the city streets and even venturing deeper into the heart of Japanese culture.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel that I had walked into apletely different world here, a world where I was the alien that everyone stared at. It wasn¡¯t a bad thing, honestly. Most of the people were far kinder than those in the states.


    Everyone seemed to smile, and those who didn¡¯t seem to typically keep to themselves.


    Which again... I was okay with it.


    ¡°America!¡± A soft voice called from across the street. Turning, I locked eyes with the mysterious woman from before and watched as her smile lit up her face while she made her way toward me.


    ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± I muttered, raising a brow.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. How did you like the food my mom made?¡±


    The girl was very straight to the point with things, and I didn¡¯t want to be rude to her. ¡°It was great. Thanks again for that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. She will be happy to know that you liked it.¡±


    She was dressed in leggings and a white sweater with tennis shoes, so I couldn¡¯t help but notice how young she really was. For a girl that was in college, she barely looked older than fifteen. Yet, most of the women here looked like that. ¡°I didn¡¯t get your name the other day. I¡¯m Les.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Sue.¡± Sheughed, ¡°If I gave you my full name, you would never be able to pronounce it. Sue is what all my friends call me.¡±


    ¡°Sue... I like it. Well, it¡¯s a pleasure to see you again, Sue. I¡¯m just headed up to the market,¡± I replied, watching as her eyes lit up.


    ¡°Oh! Me too! We can go together. Come on before they sell out of all the good stuff.¡±


    The girl was far more energetic than I would have cared for this early in the day, but I followed behind her, and she continued rambling on about different things that were going on in her life and what her mother needed to do that she couldn¡¯t find help with.


    ¡°So your mother needs stuff fixed in her home?¡± I questioned what she was telling me.


    ¡°Yes, but there is no one to do it.¡±


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she have the maintenance guye do it? The one that looks after the apartments?¡± My question made her sad for a moment as her smile fell and her shoulders slowly sagged. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t mean to upset you.¡±


    As her eyes met mine, she gave a smallugh and shook her head. ¡°You didn¡¯t... the maintenance guy was my father. They haven¡¯t had luck finding anyone else to do it.¡±


    Guilt hit me as soon as she exined, and I felt like aplete asshole for even asking such a thing. ¡°Oh, Sue... shit. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t realize¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. How could you? You only just moved in.¡± Sheughed again with a small smile. ¡°I will find someone eventually. Nowe on, we need to get proper food in your house.¡±


    After thirty minutes of taking me from stall to stall, she was able to help me collect various amounts of vegetables and other items to stock my kitchen with. I couldn¡¯t help but admire her willingness to help those in need.


    She had a drive that most young women her own age didn¡¯t have, and it was refreshing to see that there were still people her age who wanted to do good in this world.


    ¡°Okay, I think the only thing left is fish,¡± she stated cheerfully as she gestured for me to follow her.


    ¡°Fish? What kind of fish?¡±


    Laughter escaped her again as she looked over her shoulder at me. ¡°It¡¯s best you don¡¯t ask and just do. There are things we enjoy here to eat that you may not, and it¡¯s good, but if you know what it is, you won¡¯t want to try it.¡±


    It made sense what she was saying, and as we approached the booth, my eyes set upon a mother carrying her newborn baby, and my heart all but shattered. That would be Ba in a few months, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to see it.


    Sue must have noticed my quick change in mood because her hand gently touched my arm, pulling me from my thoughts, and when I looked at her, she nced between the woman and me and frowned. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Uh.. yeah. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look fine. Does that remind you of your daughter?¡± she whispered, trying not to make the conversation more awkward but failing miserably at it.


    ¡°It does, but it also reminds me of someone else. Someone close to me who will be giving birth in a few months, and unfortunately, I can¡¯t be there with her.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure why I had told her that, but there was a moment of hesitation before shock filled her face. ¡°Is it your new girl?¡±


    What was I honestly supposed to say?


    I wasn¡¯t supposed to have mentioned anything of my previous life, but I guess, in a way, I didn¡¯t. ¡°Yeah... she was.¡±


    Deciding not to press further, she quickly turned back to the task at hand and ordered food she thought I might like as well as doing her own shopping. Before I knew it, we were both headed back to the apartment, and as we were, something inside me perked up¡ªa sense of belonging that I needed to fill.


    ¡°Sue, if your mother needs help, tell her I would be more than happy to help her. It¡¯s the least I can do for both of you being so kind to me.¡±


    Sue¡¯s eyes widened in surprise before softening, and as they did, she nodded her head.


    ¡°I will let her know, and I will also write some recipes down in English for you so that you know how to cook your food. If you¡¯re going to make it here, you¡¯re going to have to learn.¡±


    The offer sounded good to me. It was an equal exchange of services, and I was grateful to have made a friend in this ce. God knows I desperately needed it.

 Chapter 118 : Questionable Breakfast

    <h4>Chapter 118: Chapter 118 : Questionable Breakfast</h4>


    Ba.


    I hadn¡¯t remembered falling asleep, but the light filtered through my open window, and as it did, my eyes fluttered open, giving way to another beautiful day. Stretching my arms over my head, my hand touched a warm body, and quickly looking to my left, I spotted Neals¡¯ sleeping form resting beside me.


    I hadn¡¯t even realized that he hade into my bedst night, but looking at him now, I saw him in a different light. He wasn¡¯t the man I once knew, but instead, he was much stronger than I realized.


    To be holding all of these secrets all these years and never having been able to talk to someone was something I would never be able to grasp.


    How lonely that must have been for him.


    Rolling to my side, I minded my baby bump and rested my head upon my hand as I reached over with my free hand brushing a strand of hair from his eyes. As quick as my touch had been, he grasped my wrist and slowly opened his eyes.


    ¡°Good morning, beautiful,¡± he whispered in a rough voice as he brought my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles gently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if me being here startled you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡± I chuckled, leaning over to kiss his lips gently. ¡°You¡¯re always wee.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± His eyes cast down at my hand within his, and the worry I had seen the night before was more present than ever.


    ¡°Neal¨C¡± I whispered, raising my eyes to meet his, ¡°I¡¯m sure. No matter what happened, that doesn¡¯t define who you are now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Furrowing my brows, I gazed at him with confusion. ¡°Why are you thanking me?¡±


    ¡°Because you are forgiving me for something that I shouldn¡¯t be.¡± Neal¡¯s reasoning wasn¡¯t what I expected, and I didn¡¯t understand why he thought that what he did in his past should reflect on who he was now.


    Neal was a good man who had simply made the wrong choices because of the circumstances he was born into and raised in..


    ¡°You¡¯re worrying too much about things that aren¡¯t important. What you did when you were younger, and the person you used to be, does not define who you are, and I wish you would stop thinking that you can¡¯t be forgiven for something that happened way before you even met me.¡±


    Slowly sitting up upon the bed, I turned to him again with a soft sigh escaping me. Sometimes I wished that he could see himself the way that I saw him.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I shouldn¡¯t let it affect me,¡± he calmly replied as he, too, sat up and then slid from the bed, making his way towards my bathroom. ¡°Let¡¯s put all this behind us. What do you want to do today?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t quite sure what I wanted to do. There was so much exploring and even shops to venture through, but most of all, I just wanted to spend the day with him to let him know that I did care, that I was there for him, and even though our situation wasplicated, it didn¡¯t have to change anything between us.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we venture into town? After we have breakfast, of course,¡± I replied as I finally got out of bed, taking the silk robe that wasid across the chair and wrapping it around my body. First, I wanted to check on the baby and make sure that Sara was good for the day.


    I was hoping that she would get out of the house for once. Thest two times we had ventured out, she had decided to stay behind with the child, but the fresh air would do her good as well as the baby.


    There was no telling exactly what she was up to this morning, but when I heard soft singinging from the kitchen, I knew she was busy making breakfast. Shown off as I turned the corner from the hallway, her smiling face looked up at me.


    There were pancakes stacked on the counter, bacon, and fresh fruit. She was in a good mood this morning, from the looks of it. ¡°This looks delicious. What made you decide to cook breakfast this morning?¡±


    ¡°Well, I know that yesterday was a little bit of a harder day, or at least I heard bits and pieces, so I figured cooking breakfast would help to soothe everybody this morning.¡±


    Guilt instantly flooded me as I remembered the argument that Neal and I¡¯d had, as well as the other conversations. I wasn¡¯t exactly sure how much she had heard, but she didn¡¯t seem to want to pry into personal information.


    ¡°I really do appreciate it,¡± I muttered softly as I passed by her and sat at therge table where the food was spread upon it.


    Lifting a filled coffee cup to my lips, I watched as Sara brought over the rest of the food that had been on the counter to the table. ¡°A little bit of everything here this morning, and I did wonder if you guys nned on going out today.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.¡± I chuckled, setting my cup back down as I watched from the corner of my eye. Neal came down the hallway and beelined straight for me. ¡°I was actually hoping, Sara, that you and the baby would join us out today. You¡¯ve been inside since we got here, and I want you to enjoy this trip as well. You¡¯re not just working. You¡¯re helping out with the child, and you need to enjoy the vacation.¡±


    Sara¡¯s eyes widened slightly as her lips parted, and she seemed a bit hesitant to reply as if me asking her to enjoy herself was something she hadn¡¯t been expecting. I, of course, wasn¡¯t used to how things were supposed to have been done with situations like this that involved nannies, but when it came to me, I was not like the others.


    ¡°You really want me to go with you? I can keep the child here. It¡¯s perfectly fine.¡±


    Laughter escaped me as I shook my head, watching as Neal took his ce beside me. ¡°No, honestly, Neal and I would love for you and the baby toe out with us. Allegra ising too. It¡¯s going to be a wonderful outing. We¡¯re going to go into town, to the market, have a look around, maybe do a little shopping.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sara, you muste with us,¡± Neal added in. He, too, was eagerly eyeing up the food that was in front of us as I reached forward, grabbing a piece of bacon and popping it into my mouth.


    The delicious taste of the freshly cooked meat was the most amazing thing that I could have ever bared witness to this morning. It had been so long since I had had bacon that I, for a moment, had almost thought I had forgotten what it tasted like. And for some reason, the foods in this country just tasted so much different than back home.


    Sara was quiet for the rest of breakfast. She didn¡¯t seem to know what to say, and as she sat across from us eating, and of course, watching the baby sleep in its swing, she tried to keep to herself.


    Even when Allegra hade in, her hair aplete mess and her makeup pushed across her skin, having obviously fallen asleep before she could take it off, Sara still said nothing.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why it was that she seemed to be taken aback by the way I was offering her to have fun, but something about her just seemed off. As soon as the baby woke and started crying, Sara quickly got up and ced her dishes into the sink.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t clean anything. I will do it before we leave,¡± she stated as she grabbed the child from the swing gently in her arms, and a smile on her face, and disappeared with him back down the hallway towards the room that they were staying in.


    My brows furrowed as I watched her, an uneasy feeling settling over me as I tried to understand why it was that she was acting the way she was. Neal must have understood that there was an issue because the moment that she was gone, he gently touched my arm, catching my attention.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked me. His brows narrowed as he nced over at the hallway where Sara had disappeared and then turned back to me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, just something seems off. She¡¯s only wanting to stay inside with the baby, and I offered her to go into town to have fun with us. I thought she would be excited, but instead, she just seemed so troubled by it.¡±


    He was quiet for a moment as he pondered what I¡¯d said, bringing his coffee cup back to his lips one more time as he nced towards the hallway again. ¡°You know, I never did a background check on her, and James had always taken care of that stuff before, and he hired her. So I didn¡¯t think I needed to. But if you¡¯d like, I can look into her to see if there¡¯s something we should be worried about.¡±


    Softughter escaped me, and even Allegra, too, scoffed at the idea. ¡°Neal, as much as I love your enthusiasm and protecting this family, I don¡¯t need you to do that. James wouldn¡¯t have hired anybody he thought would have been a danger to his grandson.¡±


    Nodding his head, he didn¡¯t bother to argue with me. He knew I was right in the end, or at least I had assumed he knew I was right. James was a lot of things, but one thing he wouldn¡¯t ever do is put anybody in the path of endangering his family if it could be avoided.


    ¡°If that is what you wish for, princess, then so be it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Jesus. At least you guys are back on better terms,¡± Allegra groaned as she rolled her eyes and stood from the table. ¡°Let me go get ready if we¡¯re going into town. God knows I need to do some shopping.¡±


    The moment that Allegra walked away, Neal and I burst intoughter. Standing from the table myself, I smiled at Neal. ¡°Let me go get ready, and then we can leave here within an hour.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯ll finish up here, and then I¡¯ll go get ready myself.¡±


    I was pleased that everything was kind of back to normal, and even though the ache inside me never dimmed from the loss of Tally and James, I was trying my best to put a normal smile on my face and do things that would make me happy.


    I couldn¡¯t live my life in misery, mourning someone that was nevering back.


    The only thing I could do was live my life and remember them, knowing that this is what they would want from me¡ªknowing that no matter how hard the loss was. I would forever remember the good times I¡¯d had with them.

 Chapter 119 : Fate of the Curious

    <h4>Chapter 119: Chapter 119 : Fate of the Curious</h4>


    Ba.


    Venturing into town was just as happy as I could have expected it. The sights were beyond amazing, and even the stores were beautiful. Everywhere you turned, extremely happy people greeted us. They were weing. They didn¡¯t judge us in any kind of manner, and honestly, that was nice to have for once.


    I had been doing a lot of thinking since the moment that wended in New Zend. I loved it here. I loved the condo that we were staying in. I loved thend, and evente at night, when I wouldy in bed, I would look at the properties that were nearby for sale.


    An idea had popped into my mind the moment that I had decided when I got off the ne in New Zend that I was going to do everything in my power to have an amazing trip.


    The idea was... what if there was a possibility of moving here? I wasn¡¯t quite sure what it would take to get a visa and permission to leave the country and everything else, but if it was something that could be a possibility, maybe getting out of the States and away from the life that I once had, and the memories that hurt me, would help me be able to move on.


    The more and more time that I spent here, the more and more I considered it. This would definitely be a ce where I wouldn¡¯t mind raising a family, and the crime rate was so extremely low in this country.


    New Zend was like its own world. They were selective about who they let live here. They were selective about what animals, fruits, anything like that, people tried to bring in. They wouldn¡¯t allow people to do anything that would tamper with the environment they currently had.


    This meant that even though, yes, there were bad people here because there were bad people everywhere, the people that I feared the most, the ones that took, the two people I cared about the most away from me, wouldn¡¯t be wee here.


    Maybe that idea was just simply me wanting to run away from the past and everything that it reminded me of, but on the other hand, I always wanted to start something new.


    To start a life that I would be able to make my own.


    So the moment that we sat down at the table at the small little cabana restaurant on the seaside, I struck up the courage to be able to speak to Neal and Allegra about my idea. I wasn¡¯t expecting them to move with me, even though I had a feeling that Neal wouldn¡¯t let me out of his sight.


    However, part of me was hoping that I would have their blessing.


    ¡°Guys, I have something that I want to talk to you about.¡±


    Both Neal and Allegra looked up at me from their menus and patiently waited for me to continue. Taking a deep breath. I collected my thoughts and carefully spoke about what was on my mind. ¡°Would you ever consider living in New Zend to be beneficial?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Allegraughed, looking around the area before staring at my drink. ¡°Did they put something special in that drink for you?¡±


    ¡°No, I was simply considering the fact of what life would be like to actually live here permanently,¡± I replied as I rolled my eyes at herment. Of course, she would be the one to be overdramatic about the idea of moving to New Zend.


    ¡°You really like it here, don¡¯t you?¡± Neal whispered, catching both Allegra and my attention from the conversation we had been having.


    ¡°Honestly, I really do. It¡¯s beautiful here. It¡¯s peaceful.... and I feel safe.¡±


    Licking his bottom lip, Neal took a moment and sat quietly, his eyes casting back towards his menu as he nodded his head repeatedly. There wasn¡¯t much to really say on the matter other than that they agreed, or they didn¡¯t agree, and so, the longer that Neal sat in silence, the more nervous I became.


    Which honestly didn¡¯t make sense because I was a grown adult.


    I could do whatever I wanted.


    ¡°Reba, you¡¯re a grown woman, and you have a child on the way. If you love New Zend, and you want to live here, then I will support whatever decision you make.¡±


    Neal¡¯s approval meant the world to me. I knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to move, but I was pleased to know that he had my back. ¡°I really want this.¡±


    ¡°I know you do. I can see in your eyes that you love it here. I noticed it the moment that you stepped foot off that ne. To be honest, I need to tell you and Allegra something that I know for sure. Allegra is not going to be happy about it.¡±


    Hearing that there was another secret that Neal was keeping from me, I felt a little down because I had thought we¡¯d made an understanding earlier that he wasn¡¯t going to do that. Deciding not to make a fuss anymore because I didn¡¯t want to argue with them, I put that matter aside.


    Allegra, though, narrowed her gaze at him with a frown upon her face as sheid her menu on the table. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You and I going in and acting as we did to save Ba has put us on the radar of the American government. Theyare now aware of who we really are. Who our family is and the ties that our family had, and because of that, they will allow us to continue traveling in and out of the States and keep businesses there, of course, for the money. But as far as a primary residence, they would prefer that most of our stay be outside of the country.¡±


    The other two women¡¯s shock mirrored mine. Allegra¡¯s and Sarah¡¯s faces paled as the three of us looked to Neal inplete confusion. ¡°What the f*ck are you talking about?¡± Allegra snapped.


    ¡°Yeah, Neal, what are you talking about? How in the world did they find any of that out?¡± I asked.


    Our questions seemed to make him hesitant to reply. But as he picked up a ss of water, taking a sip, he nodded silently and proceeded to exin himself. ¡°I meant exactly what I said. It looks like we have to move anyway.¡±


    ¡°Neal, that can¡¯t be possible. My entire professional life has been in Miami. Yeah, I travel out of the country for shows and stuff like that, but everything I have is in Miami. How can they expect someone like me just to pick up and move?¡± Allegra was furious, and I could understand her reasoning. She had built herself up very well in Miami, and now her life there was over.


    ¡°This is all my fault. I should have never allowed you guys to get involved,¡± I whispered, feeling extremely guilty that them saving me had caused them to lose their ce within a country they had made a new life in.


    ¡°Ba. No, that¡¯s not what I meant. Please.¡± Allegra quickly backtracked, not wanting me to feel guilty about this current situation we were in.


    ¡°No, you guys, you saved me. You saved my baby¨C¡± Looking down at my stomach, I rubbed circles over it in mid-conversation, thinking about everything that they had done for me. ¡°You would never have had to give up anything or hade out of the closet about who you were if it wasn¡¯t for me.¡±


    Taking my hand quickly, he ced his lips against my fingers as he shook his head no. ¡°I would do it all over again in a heartbeat, Ba. I wouldn¡¯t change a thing.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I believed him, but now, hearing that he would have had to leave anyway, I realized my idea of moving to New Zend was for the best. Even if Allegra didn¡¯te with us, at least moving to a country like this would keep us safe.


    Or that was the hope anyway.


    ¡°It¡¯s done then. We are moving here.¡± I sighed with a small twitch of a smile before turning my gaze to Allegra. ¡°You don¡¯t have toe here if you don¡¯t want, and I¡¯m sorry about... everything.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe that the idea had been finalized. To think that I merely came here on vacation, and within a week, I had decided that I was going to move to this ce and raise my family here.


    Allegra sighed heavily as sheid her menu on the table. ¡°Fine, but we¡¯d better get somece with a lot of privacy.¡±


    pping my hands together with excitement, I smiled excitedly. ¡°I actually found a ce that I¡¯m in love with.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± Neal asked, turning his gaze towards me. ¡°When?¡±


    Shrugging my shoulders, I smirked at Neal, refusing to give him the information he was seeking. ¡°You will see... eventually.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt..¡± Sara said with a meek smile. ¡°Does this mean we will be packing everything else from the mansion to move here then?¡±


    Silence filled the table, and as Allegra and Neal looked to me for an answer, I knew I had to say something. I had to address the giant elephant in the room, and Sara¡¯s question was honestly valid.


    I couldn¡¯t put off the inevitable, and I knew that.


    ¡°As soon as we return, we will work on packing the house. Some things we will be taking with us, but other things we will leave.¡± Looking at Neal, I sighed. ¡°Contact Ronaldo and see if he would still like to purchase the home.¡±


    Nodding his head, Neal pulled out his phone and sent a text. ¡°I will let him know, Ba.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, miss. I didn¡¯t mean to upset you,¡± Sara whispered, casting her eyes towards her hands that rested upon the table. She was definitely odd, and I had never met a woman who acted the way she did.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Sara. This is something that must be done.¡±


    As soon as the words left my lips, the waiter approached the table, and the tension quickly dissipated. I was left wondering, though, as I gazed at Sara¡¯s quick change in demeanor, if there was something more about her that I was missing.


    Perhaps Neal wasn¡¯t wrong in wanting to check on her background.


    For all I knew, she was good at putting on a show and maybe had been able to have one passed over James¡¯ eyes without him even knowing.


    If that was the case, I wanted to know so that I could handle it quickly. I couldn¡¯t allow myself to be blindsided by something that could be potentially dangerous to my family.

 Chapter 120 : Birth of a New Valentino

    <h4>Chapter 120: Chapter 120 : Birth of a New Valentino</h4>


    ~Four monthster~


    Ba.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this,¡± I panted as the pain of contractions ran through me. ¡°Goddamn it, Neal! Drive faster!¡±


    There was nothing like being woken up at three in the morning by a soaked bed only to realize that your water had broken. At first, the pain was nothing more than slightly ufortable and feeling extra heavy below, but as time gradually went on, the pain began to spread.


    ¡°I¡¯m going as fast as I can, Ba.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s f*cking not fast enough!¡± I screamed out as a cry of pain radiated through me.


    ¡°Ba, in and out. In and out,¡± Allegra said, soothingly, as she ced a cold cloth against my head.


    I did as she said and continued the breathing exercises that the native ind woman had told me to do in my sses, but it didn¡¯t matter how much breathing I did, the pain was horrible.


    F*ck having a natural birth... all I wanted was the damn pain medication the doctors had promised me. One prick of a needle, and all my pain would be over. The problem was that the ce where I got the needle of happiness happened to be forty-five minutes away.


    My fault honestly. I had picked the most secluded of homes in New Zend as our forever home, and it wasn¡¯t anywhere near a hospital... unless I drove forty-five minutes away. ¡°Women who do this naturally are f*cking insane!¡± I cried with tears rolling down my face.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Allegraughed. ¡°I can see the hospital in the distance. We¡¯re almost there.¡±


    Nodding my head, I held on. I held on for the life that was about to be brought into this world, and also for the love I had to give. So much had changed in four months, and to think I was about to bring the final step of my life into the world was incredible.


    I was scared, and more than anything, I wished that James was here to see this, but I had hope he was here in spirit. That he was looking down upon us with open arms and loving eyes watching as I brought his child into the world.


    As soon as Neal pulled the car into the emergency driveway, he put it in park, and jumped out, running inside as Allegra tried to help me out of the car. I could hear Neal yelling for someone to help which both Allegra and I found amusing.


    ¡°Bless him for acting the way he is.¡± Allegra chuckled as two nurses came running out to us with a wheelchair in tow.


    ¡°I know you would think that he hadn¡¯t been prepared for any of this. He read enough books for the entire household,¡± I replied as one of the nurses gestured for me to take a seat in the wheelchair.


    ¡°How far apart are your contractions, dear?¡±


    Allegra stepped forth with a notebook and shoved it into the woman¡¯s hands. ¡°Two minutes apart, and growing closer. She has been in activebor for an hour now.¡±


    ¡°An hour?¡± the woman said with wide eyes as if shocked by what Allegra was saying.


    ¡°Yes, an hour. I know how to keep track. I went to all the sses with her.¡± Shrugging her shoulders Allegra rolled her eyes as if irritated the woman would even question her.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why the woman found that weird, but when she looked at the other nurse she turned her gaze back to me. ¡°Is this your first child?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what does that have to do with anything?¡± I pushed out as my panting started again going through another contraction. ¡°Can we get the medicine now?!¡±


    They didn¡¯t bother to keep talking as they quickly rushed me into the hospital and up to the maternity ward. My panicked state was made widely known. Especially when I got into thebor room, and they informed me I was almost ready to push... and not allowed an epidural.


    ¡°What?!¡± I screamed as I felt the need to push. ¡°No, no no.¡± I shook my head back and forth as I cried out in pain, my back arching as I felt the need to push.


    ¡°Come on now dear. Let¡¯s take a look and see how it¡¯s going down there.¡±


    With my legs propped open, and the nket pulled back, I heard a small fit ofughter escape her. ¡°What is it? Why are youughing?¡±


    ¡°Because I can see the jet ck hair of a baby¡¯s head.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± I cried out. ¡°You can?¡±


    ¡°Yes, dear. On your next contraction, I want you to tuck your chin to your chest and give me a big push. The biggest you can give me.¡±


    My eyes gaze towards Neal who stood off to the side for moral support. He hadn¡¯t thought that I would want him in here, but he had been wrong. ¡°I need you.¡±


    It was the only thing I had to say for him to be at my side without hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve got this, sweetie.¡±


    As the contraction came, I did as the woman said and pushed. I had expected more pain like I had been having, but what I didn¡¯t expect was the pain that this brought forth.


    Screaming louder than I ever had, I pushed as thedy said until, finally, the pain disappeared and the sound of a baby crying echoed through the air. I gasped for breath copsing upon the delivery bed with my only desire being that I wanted to sleep.


    However, as I looked at Neal, I watched the tears that filled his eyes slowly slide down his face. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked him, watching as he quickly wiped them away.


    ¡°Yeah, I just never saw something like that before.¡±


    The women in the roomughed at the same time I did. My hand reached up to brush against his cheek as the head nurse wrapped the babyin a towel, bringing the baby towards me.


    ¡°Congrattions sweetie. You have a beautiful baby girl.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. The moment that sheid my daughter within my arms, I cried. She was the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen, with little puffy cheeks and rosy pink skin. ¡°She is so beautiful,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°She looks just like her mother, so of course she is,¡± Neal replied as he gently touched her head. ¡°She also looks like her father though. Look at all that jet ck hair.¡±


    This was a joyous moment between us, and as the nurses finished cleaning me up, I couldn¡¯t help but feel the void inside me slowly filling. The void that had been created the day that James had died.


    *****


    Neal.


    I had contemted the day that Ba would have the child for quite some time, and through every single step that she needed me, I was there. Through every ss, shopping trip, through every bit of decorating and moving from the States to New Zend, I was there.


    There had been so much stuff that had happened in thest four months when it came to moving over. One of the major things being that we indeed had found out that Sara, the nanny, had other motivations behind her when it came to actually taking care of Taliana¡¯s child.


    The woman in question was actually known for trying to take babies from wealthy families. Kidnap them after forming a bond and then raising them for a bit to turn around and sell on the ck market or even hold for ransom.


    She was a criminal mastermind, and after all the digging I had done, I had found out she had many aliases and looks. It was no wonder James had missed it.


    She was dealt with though... having met a very untimely death.


    It wasn¡¯t me that hadnded that blow to the woman, but in fact, another woman irate with how evil someone could be to a child.


    Someone who had failed to protect me once upon a time and refused to fail again.


    After that moment, Ba clung to Tally¡¯s child, feeling nothing but guilt or remorsefort the fact that she hadn¡¯t been there any sooner to protect the babe from the woman who was trying to prey upon him.


    After three months of dealing with that situation, Ba was finally open to the idea of hiring a new nanny for the child, one that was very well vetted by Allegra and I.


    Thest thing we expected, though, was for Ba to end up going intobor early.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you finish getting cleaned up, sweetie, and I¡¯ll go tell Allegra the good news?¡±


    Ba nodded her head at me with a smile on her face as I turned quickly making my way out of the room and out into the lobby where Allegra was waiting. Unfortunately for her, only one person had been allowed toe into the back room with Ba as she gave birth, and Allegra had been adamant that that was me.


    ¡°Oh my God, is she okay? Is the baby okay?¡± Allegra quickly stammered out as she stood to her feet, running over towards me.


    ¡°They¡¯re both doing perfectly. She had a little girl who looks just like her father.¡±


    Tears flowed down Allegra¡¯s face. She hadn¡¯t ever really considered having children, but over the past two months, she had been hinting more and more to the fact that she wouldn¡¯t have minded actually having a child of her own.


    It might have had something to do with all the time she spent with Tally¡¯s baby and also the time she spent with Ba getting prepared for her childing into this world.


    At the end of the day, I was happy to know my sister was willing to move forward with her life. She deserved it after years of putting her life on hold for me.


    ¡°Can I go back and see her?¡± Allegra asked me, and slowly, I nodded my head. If anybody should be in there right now, it would be Allegra. She had given up so much to be able to stand by mine and Ba¡¯s side.


    ¡°Yeah go on. I¡¯m going to go make a quick call. They are in the process of getting her cleaned up, and then thedy said something about moving her to a more private room.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have to tell Allegra twice for her to quickly disappear through the double doors, down tobor and delivery. When she did disappear, though, I stood silently to myself as I pulled my phone from my pocket, hesitating on the call that I was about to make.


    It was something that Ba didn¡¯t know, and neither did Allegra, but James and I had been inmunication over the past three months, and as promised, I had been filling him in on every little detail that was going on.


    I loved Ba, but it didn¡¯t take a genius to realize that no matter how much she cared about me, I would never be able to rece James.


    Not that I was trying.


    So instead of fighting it, I would let her love me as she chose to. But I would also remind myself on a continual basis that, at the end of the day, the child wasn¡¯t actually biologically mine, and any father, no matter the situation, should not be revoked of his rights, if he chooses to try and be a father.


    At least, unless there was a good reason for him not to see the child.


    Even if James being a father was moreplicated than we would have hoped for, part of me wanted to help him. Even if it was impossible for him to be present.


    Dialing his number, I waited as the phone rang twice and a gruff voice answered.


    ¡°Hello? Neal, what are you calling me for? Did something happen?¡±


    Letting a heavy breath escape me, I pushed aside my personal feelings. ¡°Yeah, it sure did. Congrattions, Daddy, you just had a little girl.¡±

 Chapter 121 : Sweet Sweet Dahlia

    <h4>Chapter 121: Chapter 121 : Sweet Sweet Dahlia</h4>


    James.


    Four months of being in Japan had taught me many things, and one of those things was that even the smallest of jobs can make you important to the people around you. I had taken on the maintenance job that Sue¡¯s father once had with ease, and because I had, the tenants in the building were forever grateful.


    Which meant they were constantly trying to feed me, and with my understanding of thenguage being minimal, I epted so that I wasn¡¯t rude.


    Thest thing I expected after a long day of work, though, was to have my phone ring in the wee hours of the morning with Neal¡¯s voice on the other end.


    ¡°A daughter?¡± I whispered softly as the news slowly woke me up.


    ¡°Yeah, she just had her. We didn¡¯t think she would have the baby till next week, but her water broke a few hours ago, and then it was a mad rush to the hospital.¡±


    I was overjoyed to hear the news, but still hesitant on the situation between Neal and I. We weren¡¯t exactly on good terms. Neal still didn¡¯t like me, and honestly, I didn¡¯t care for him either. The only reason why we spoke was because of Ba.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to say.¡±


    Neal scoffed withughter, and I could almost picture him rolling his eyes at myment. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t mean to wake you, but I figured you should know you¡¯re a father again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not though.¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not the one that¡¯s there.¡±


    ¡°Stop the bullshit, James. We already talked about this, and I¡¯m not going to keep up this shit with you if you¡¯re not going to put forth the effort to appreciate me keeping this secret. I already don¡¯t like lying to her.¡±


    Annoyance filled me with his shittyment, but in the end, he was right again. I needed to appreciate what he was doing, and more than anything, I wished I could trade ces with him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Thank you for calling me.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit, this is a good day. Not only did the babye, and everyone¡¯s safe, but you¡¯re apologizing too. Perhaps I should try my luck at the lottery.¡±


    ¡°No need to be a smartass,¡± I snapped at him as I slowly slid from the bed. ¡°What does the baby look like?¡±


    He was quiet for a moment, and with the silence, I pulled the phone from my ear to make sure we hadn¡¯t got disconnected. Yet, he was there just obviously trying to think of what to say.


    ¡°She looks like you. Jet ck hair, cute chubby cheeks. She honestly looks like the baby photos of Tally. Ba found them the other day in the boxes from your house.¡±


    The boxes from my house? Neal had told me they had sold it to someone, but wouldn¡¯t say who. In the end, I hadn¡¯t thought they would have taken any of that stuff with them. I had expected Ba to walk away from it all.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that she took stuff from the house.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Heughed. ¡°She took quite a bit, honestly. The furniture and that she left for the buyer at their request.¡±


    ¡°The buyer wanted my stuff?¡± Iughed in reply, finding the notion to be amusing. ¡°That¡¯s a first, I guess. For someone to have that kind of money to buy the ce I hadn¡¯t expected for them to want my shit.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not actually your shit anymore. You¡¯re dead, remember?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wrong, and throwing that in my face was like being dosed with cold water. I was always reminded that I was dead, and nothing I did could or would ever change that. I would forever have to live with the fact that I couldn¡¯t be with the others again.


    I can¡¯t ever exist in the world as James Valentino, but I could exist in the world as Les.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, Neal. You don¡¯t need to remind me.¡± I sighed running my hand through my hair. ¡°I¡¯d like to give my child something. Can you do that for me?¡±


    ¡°How the hell do you think that can be managed?¡±


    Rolling my eyes, I set the small coffee pot in my kitchen and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but let me think about it. I will contact you in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Look, I know you want to do things for them, but you can¡¯t, James. How would any of that be exined?¡± Neal asked with the sound of irritation and disbelief in his tone.


    ¡°Like I said... I¡¯ll contact you in a few days.¡±


    My reply sent him scoffing, and after a moment, a heavy breath escaped him. ¡°Fine.¡±


    He didn¡¯t wait to end the call, and with our conversation over, I was left with more questions than answers. I wanted to send something to my daughter. Something for her to always have to remember me by.


    Even if the thought was hard to aplish.


    Ba.


    The moment Allegra set her eyes on the baby, she cried, and I couldn¡¯t help butugh because the state of her was something that I had never seen before.


    ¡°You can stop crying,¡± Iughed. ¡°This is supposed to be a happy moment.¡±


    ¡°I am happy,¡± sheughed as she wiped the tears from her eyes. ¡°Can I hold her?¡±


    Nodding my head, I let her take the baby from my arms. The nurse came in at the exact same moment to help me get into the shower. ¡°Oh, wonderful is this your sister?¡± the nurse asked Allegra.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± she muttered as she gushed over my daughter in her arms.


    I slid from the bed to my feet, and with the nurses help, made my way towards the shower to get cleaned up. The cool water was refreshing against my skin, and enjoying the moment to myself let me reflect on what I had just done.


    No longer was the babe I had grown within me just a waiting game that I had been ying. She was here, and from the first moment I held her in my arms, I knew without a doubt that my life had changed.


    As soon as I was clean and dressed once more, Allegra, the baby, and I were ushered towards a more private room they had prepared for me. It looked almost like amon bedroom, and as I made my way inside and was quickly tucked into bed, my sweet daughter was once again ced within my arms.


    ¡°I will need the child¡¯s name to ce on the birth certificate, my dear.¡±


    I had thought for a long time about what I wanted to name my child, and everytime I tried to pick a name, I couldn¡¯t. Nothing ever seemed as if it would fit her, and so I waited. I waited until my eyes set upon her to pick a name that would best suit her.


    ¡°Dahlia Taliana Valentino,¡± I whispered softly as I stared down at my daughter¡¯s face.


    ¡°Taliana?¡± Allegra echoed as she sat on the edge of the bed. ¡°I think that¡¯s a beautiful idea.¡±


    d that Allegra liked the idea as well, I continued gushing over my child until the door opened, and Neal walked in. He hadn¡¯t been able to spend much time with her, but as soon as he made his way into my room, he didn¡¯t waste a moment.


    ¡°How is our girl doing?¡± he whispered as he came to my side, squeezing into the bed next to me.


    ¡°She¡¯s strong¨Cand sleepy,¡± I giggled as I turned my nce up at him from my daughter. His lips didn¡¯t waste a moment of gently iming mine, and as they did, I relished in his touch.


    Our rtionship had been strained during the moving process, but I was d that I had him with me. Everyday spent with him made things easier, and even though Dahlia wasn¡¯t biologically his, I knew for fact that he saw her as his own.


    ¡°How is my girl doing?¡± he whispered against my lips as his thumb brushed against my cheek.


    ¡°Sore, but overall great. I chose her name.¡±


    ¡°Oh, did you?¡± he replied, perking a brow. ¡°May I know her name?¡±


    Chuckling, I rolled my eyes leaning into him. ¡°Dahlia.¡±


    ncing down at Dahlia he smiled. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful... just like her.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to finally be able to go home, but unfortunately, I have to stay here for forty-eight hours. Why don¡¯t you both head home and get some rest? You have been here so long already and you both need your sleep.¡±


    My words seemed to make both Allegra and Neal hesitate before Allegra let out a yawn that quickly caused both Neal and me to yawn as well. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave you.¡±


    ¡°Technically, you¡¯re not leaving me. You¡¯re going home to get rest, and thening back here once you¡¯re well rested,¡± I teased as he nodded and then slowly stood.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯d know that well pointed look anywhere. I will force Allegra to follow me to the car so I can take her home to rest,¡± heughed as Allegra crossed her arms over her chest shaking her head.


    ¡°I have no problem sleeping here¡ª¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± I chuckled, pointing towards Neal. ¡°He is taking you home. I know what you¡¯re like when you have not had enough sleep.¡±


    Myment caused both Neal and I to break into a fit ofughter that caused Allegra to re at us disapprovingly. I knew she didn¡¯t like being made fun of, and giving her my best frown, she finally caved in with a smile and rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I will go, but I will be back first thing after I wake up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, but go now. Get some rest, and I will see you then.¡± I smiled watching as she made her way towards the door with Neal.


    It was sweet to see them so concerned about how I was doing, and how the baby was. They had taken Dahlia and I in as their own blood and never turned their back on me even when they could have.


    As soon as they were gone, and Dahlia was fed, I settled her in the cot and snuggled down into the bed. My eyes couldn¡¯t leave her tiny figure, and when my lids were finally too heavy to hold open any longer, I let them close and dreamed of the future.


    A future that would be full of nothing but love and life.

 Chapter 122 : Welcome Home

    <h4>Chapter 122: Chapter 122 : Wee Home</h4>


    Ba.


    Forty-eight hours after having Dahlia, I was finally able to make my way back home. I had never been so happy to walk through therge ss front double doors into the rxedfort of my New Zend home.


    Boxes still lined the areas in some ces where I hadn¡¯t had the time to unpack, but it didn¡¯t matter to me. At the end of the day, it was still my home, and with every moment I spent here, I knew things would get better.


    ¡°Wee home, my sweet, Dahlia,¡± I whispered to the tiny sleeping baby in my arms.


    ¡°Everything is set up for her,¡± Neal said softly from behind me as he brought in my bags from the car. ¡°I also managed to hang the thing you wanted on her bedroom wall.¡±


    A spark of joy ran through me as I turned down the hallway towards the nursery. It was joined with my bedroom, and as soon as I slid back the bar-style door, my breath was taken away.


    The soft cream walls were ented with tons of leaves and flowers, and even Dahlia¡¯s name, engraved within wood and painted, hung upon the wall. It was remarkable and beautiful at the same time. My breath was taken away by everything that was done.


    I hadn¡¯t had a chance to properly finish putting her room together when I went intobor, but I had nned to take the next two days to be able to finish everything now that she was here.


    So seeing that Neal had taken it upon himself made my heart swell.


    ¡°You did all this yourself,¡± I asked, watching the smile on his face grow even wider as he nodded his head.


    ¡°I did. I wanted to make sure that you didn¡¯t have to stress yourself with getting the room done. You should be able to take this time to spend with Dahlia.¡±


    Not wasting a moment, I leaned up and pressed my lips against his in a gentle kiss. ¡°How did I get so lucky to have you in my life?¡±


    There was a twinkle in his eye at my words, but it quickly disappeared when Dahlia grunted with a small cry. ¡°Let¡¯s get you both settled back in.¡±


    Neal turned, making his way from the nursery, and my brows furrowed in confusion. It didn¡¯t take a genius to know that something was wrong with him and that, thest few days he had seemed far off more than anything.


    Stepping from the nursery, I spotted Laing down the hallways with Tally¡¯s son in her arms. ¡°I thought I heard you.¡± She said cheerfully, and seeing the little boy smiling in her arms made me smile more.


    ¡°Oh, La. How have you been?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been fantastic. I managed to help get some things done around the house for you while the little man here took his nap. We even went grocery shopping with Allegra,¡± she replied cheerfully. ¡°And the package that arrived is on your bed.¡±


    ¡°Package?¡± I wasn¡¯t expecting a package. In fact, not many people knew that I was living here besides my father, but he and his soon-to-be wife weren¡¯t supposed to be arriving until the end of the week.


    ¡°Yeah, the mail courier delivered it this morning after Neal left to fetch you.¡±


    ¡°Huh... I wonder what it is,¡± I muttered under my breath as I shook the thought away from my mind. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show me what else you have been up to, and then we can put on the kettle.¡±


    She nodded her head in agreement, and her smile brightened. She was so much different than Sara, and even though I knew that I was still slightly terrified of her taking charge of the children.


    Was there honestly anyone that I could trust?


    ******


    After two hours of rxing with everyone, and spending time with the children, I slowly made my way with Dahlia towards my bedroom toy her down. She was still much too young for the nursery, and honestly, having her close helped my anxiety.


    Humming softly, I rocked Dahlia in my arms as I made my way toward my room. The moment that I pushed the door open, though, I froze in my ce as I stared at the package on my bed.


    I wasn¡¯t sure who exactly it was from. I made my way towards her small bass that sat waiting thenid her sleeping body down, making sure she wasfortable.


    ¡°Sleep, my beautiful.¡±


    I had always heard that the best time to rest is when your newborn rests, and honestly, I was exhausted. However, the box on my bed drew more curiosity to me than my tiredness, and as I turned from where Dahlia slept, I examined it.


    ¡°No return address?¡± I muttered to myself as I slowly opened it to reveal the contents inside. I was taken aback by the small trinkets that were ced inside: a child¡¯s small hairbrush, silver and gleaming within the light of the room, not to mention a beautifully quilted nket with Asian designs.


    I didn¡¯t know anybody in Asia, at least not that I could recall, and having this gift here with no return address and nothing but a piece of paper sitting on top that said ¡®until we meet again¡¯ left me wondering who exactly had sent it, and was this a warning, or was it simply just a nice gesture?


    Grabbing the nket, I admired the designs upon it. My hands ran over each stitch, and a smile crossed my lips as I realized that whoever had made this had done so by hand. It wasn¡¯t store bought; it was handmade and crafted especially for Dahlia.


    I took the nket andid it upon her sleeping body. She was still too tiny to have anything heavy around her, but seeing it just at the end of her feet made me smile because whoever had done this obviously cared a great deal about her.


    In a few months, she would be old enough to share a room with her nephew, and even though they would grow up like brother and sister, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what the rtionship would be.


    Now that I was better, I could form my rtionship with Tally¡¯s son slowly. Of course, it had been strained initially, but with everything going on, I couldn¡¯t focus on myself, let alone somebody else. Not to mention, for somebody who¡¯d never taken care of a child, it was not an easy feat to quickly learn.


    Thank goodness for the people that I surrounded myself with, and with my father and his new wifeing to live here in New Zend with us, we were going to be one big happy family, and even with the losses Taliana¡¯s son had to ovee, we would still be stronger together.


    Even with parts of us no longer around.


    ¡°Where did thate from? That¡¯s pretty.¡± Neal¡¯s voice caught my attention, and looking over my shoulder towards the door, I smiled at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. La said that it arrived here not long after you left toe pick me up. It was addressed to me, and inside were baby items, so I just figured that someone must have sent ate baby shower gift.¡±


    Furrowing his brows, Neal seemed very confused at what I was saying. He strode across the room, looked at the lid of the box, looked at the items that were now by Dahlia and frowned. I didn¡¯t understand what the sudden change in Neal¡¯s mood was for, but whatever it was, he wasn¡¯t pleased.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking like that?¡±


    ¡°Looking like what? I¡¯m not looking like anything,¡± he muttered in a rather grumpy tone. Something was definitely up, and whatever it was had really pissed Neal off that someone had sent these gifts.


    Which made me question who had sent them....


    ¡°Neal, you already know that you are a terrible liar. Something is obviously wrong, and you¡¯re not happy about whoever sent these gifts, so that means that you must know who sent these gifts. So why don¡¯t you go ahead and exin that to me?¡±


    Rolling his eyes, he shrugged his shoulders and shook his head as if that was the answer that I was seeking. ¡°I don¡¯t know who sent them, I just find it kind of odd, considering not many people know where we live.¡±


    He did have a point. Only a select few people knew where we lived, and if someone had sent this gift, it must have been one of them. But the problem was that even though there was no return address, there were Asian stamps all across the box, words that said fragile, and other symbols that I had no clue as to the meaning of.


    It was quite obvious that whoever had sent this, it hade from Japan, and I knew for a fact that I did not know anybody that was in Japan, unless somebody that I did know happened to be on vacation there recently, which itself seemed very odd.


    ¡°Who knows? Crazier things happen every day.¡± I forced a smile at him.


    Shrugging off the entire situation, I made my way over towards the dresser to put away the things that I had taken with me to the hospital. Neil¡¯s reaction to the entire situation still yed over in my mind, and knowing very well that he was still in the room, I tried to pretend that I wasn¡¯t bothered, even though I was.


    It had been so long since I had to have worried about everything that had happened months ago, and finally, when I was getting used to the idea of living the life that I currently live, something like this happens, and I¡¯m left without answers.


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure out who did it for you, don¡¯t worry,¡± Neil replied in a very gruff tone that caused me to look over at him from where I was standing.


    ¡°You seem very bothered by this, and I wouldn¡¯t be. There¡¯s nobody that we know of that could be in Japan. For all I know, perhaps it¡¯s one of my father¡¯s friends. I will ask him about it when he flies in.¡±


    My response seemed not to be enough for him and nodding his head, Neal said not another word as he exited the room. It was weird how the entire way back, he had been this loving and caring man, so proud and so affectionate for a child that, of course, wasn¡¯t biologically his, and within a matter of moments of receiving a gift, his whole entire persona had changed.


    Part of me had wondered for the past few weeks if he had been hiding things.


    Yet, I never questioned him because he was a man of integrity, and I knew he would never do anything to upset me. At least not intentionally.

 Chapter 123 : Words of Warning

    <h4>Chapter 123: Chapter 123 : Words of Warning</h4>


    Neal.


    The moment that I had picked Ba up from the hospital and seen Dalia in her arms, my heart swelled with pride and excitement at being able to bring the both of them home.


    However, thest thing that I expected was the moment that we got home for Ba to be swooped away by La, who was exining everything that she had done while Ba had been gone.


    And to top everything off, somebody had decided to send her a package, and I knew very well who that somebody was, and seeing how excited she got over what they sent reminded me of what my ce actually was.


    ording to Allegra, I was jealous, and for the most part, I damn sure was. I was the one putting all the time and effort in, and even though she was nothing but grateful and showed me nothing butpassion, I couldn¡¯t get over the fact that I wasn¡¯t him.


    Dalia should have been my daughter. She should have been all mine. And Lord knows that every time Ba and I did sleep together back then, part of me prayed that she would get pregnant with my child, not so much as to trap her, but just because the idea of her carrying my child was something that I relished in.


    The only problem was she got pregnant by James and gave birth to a little girl who was absolutely wonderful in every way. And I was so grateful that I had been able to be there for her birth and that I will also get to continue to be part of her life as she grew.


    James wasn¡¯t supposed to be sending gifts to Ba, nor was he supposed to be sending gifts to his daughter. It would create too many questions and too much confusion. And he was supposed to be under house arrest, witness protection, or whatever else he wanted to call it in Japan, minding his own business, trying to start a new life.


    Whether he wanted to or not.


    What he wasn¡¯t supposed to be doing was causing mass confusion. Confusion that I was not going to allow to progress any further than it currently was. I could make up a story about where it came from, perhaps one of those many mommy and me groups that she was a part of since she had moved to New Zend. Whatever needed to happen in order to divert her attention from the possibility of James still being alive.


    I wasn¡¯t being selfish, per se. I was thinking of her safety. Bringing that man back into everything was only going toplicate the situation even more.


    Making my way outside through the back doors, I headed towards the water with the n in mind, a phone call that I needed to make so that I could get my point across and hopefully the person on the other end of the phone wouldn¡¯t question exactly what it is I was trying to do.


    I gazed around my surrounding area, and I made sure that nobody was present before I pulled out my phone. Quickly scrolling through it, I found his number that I hadbeled under Lester, and I dialed it with the full expectation of him answering. Which of course, on the second ring, he did.


    ¡°Did she make it home okay with the baby?¡± he asked, causing me to clench my jaw. I gritted my teeth with irritation.


    ¡°Hello to you as well, James. I did make it home with her and the baby perfectly fine. However, I was not pleased to see that you had sent mail to the house. How did you even figure out where we lived?¡±


    Amusement rolled through the phone line as Jamesughed at my question. ¡°It isn¡¯t like you guys were exactly hard to find. If you know the right information, it¡¯s quite easy to find anything on the Inte nowadays.¡±


    Right. With technology being as it was, it was no longer difficult to find people if you really wanted to. The problem was, it didn¡¯t mean that he had to reach out. ¡°Be it as it may, that does not exin why you took it upon yourself to send something here to this house.¡±


    ¡°Neil, is there going to be a problem? That is my daughter, and she is my girl. Of course, I¡¯m going to send them something even though I can¡¯t tell them that it¡¯s me that sent it.¡±


    Pinching the bridge of my nose, I tried to calm myself so that I wouldn¡¯t start an argument with him again. The man could be infuriating, and even though I told him that I would keep him informed on how Ba and the baby were doing, I did not agree for him to turn around and send gifts.


    ¡°James, may I remind you that she is not your girl anymore? You are quite aware of this, and she hasn¡¯t been your girl for quite some time, even before this happened. So therefore, yes, that is your child. However, that is not your child. You are Lester Johnson. That child is the child of James Valentino, who is dead.¡±


    My words were a jab to him in general, and I didn¡¯t care how he took that. He would not be the father he thought he could be. His situation made everything moreplicated. Not to mention, it put her in danger, and I was trying my best to protect her, to give her and the child the life they deserved. And I could not do that if James nned on interfering at every turn.


    ¡°Neil, what is the problem? I thought we had an agreement?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re correct, we do have an agreement. However, the agreement was that I would give you the information you sought. It was not for you to take it upon yourself to dive deeper into the matter of things and cause further problems,¡± I replied, making it very clear that I was not going to tolerate what it was he was doing.


    I wasn¡¯t trying to be cruel, and most people might see it like that, but they also had to understand that there was a certain line I had to draw to ensure that Ba and the child would remain safe.


    I couldn¡¯t do that if he didn¡¯t learn to stay on his side of the tracks, for the good of everybody.


    ¡°You¡¯re aplete asshole, you know that, right?¡± James grunted out. ¡°All I wanted to do was to send a gift for my daughter so that she would have something from me, considering that I can¡¯t be there, and you¡¯re acting like this?¡±


    He was trying to be a good dad and I knew that, but someone was going to have to put their foot down with him to exin to him that he could not do the things that he wanted, because if he did, it was only going to cause heartache.


    ¡°Stop trying to make me out to be a bad person, James. I¡¯m trying to f*cking help you. I don¡¯t have to call you and fill you in on information. I don¡¯t have to sit there and send you text messages with photos of them like I have been doing for the past few weeks. Do you think that I enjoy any of this? I¡¯m only doing that to help you. So that you weren¡¯t cutpletely from their lives, but that is a one-sided road that will not be traveled down the other way.¡±


    On the verge of calling it all off, I sat there hoping and praying that James would get it together and understand what I was trying to exin to him. Instead, though, I heard the smashing of ss and knew that the conversation was about to escte.


    James didn¡¯t like being told no, and that was always a characteristic that he held, one that was very unlikable. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you think you are, but you are not going to tell me what I can and can¡¯t do.¡±


    Strike one. James thought that he could sit here and dictate how this rtionship would work, which was not the case. ¡°I think you¡¯ll find that I can, considering that you are supposed to be a dead man in witness protection.¡±


    ¡°Really. You¡¯re going to throw that card? Is that a threat, Neil? Are you going to go to Greg or any of the others and tell them what I¡¯m doing? I¡¯d like to see you try. It¡¯d be thest thing you ever did,¡± he snapped at me, and I couldn¡¯t help butugh at what he was saying.


    Strike two. Threatening me when all I was doing was trying to help him and make him understand that there¡¯s a certain degree of respect he had to give.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have to go to them in order to make sure you¡¯re doing what you need to do, you need to do that regardless. Be the man that you¡¯re supposed to be and not fall back on the ways that you used to operate.¡±


    Laughter echoed through the phone at myment, and I knew that James was not going to have a proper conversation with me. In fact, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if currently he was absolutely drunk out of his mind because thest few times that I had spoken to him, he had been.


    Supposedly, he had been doing well for himself there, creating a new life, making friends, helping people, or whatever else that he said he was doing. But he was always drunk, as if there was a part of his life that he couldn¡¯t let go, and I could understand that.


    If I was in his ce, I would be the same.


    ¡°You know, all I was trying to do was something nice for my daughter. I didn¡¯t even put a return address there. I could have turned around and told her who it was that was sending that, but I didn¡¯t. You are too insecure about yourself actually to let me do something like this, and that¡¯s not my problem.¡±


    And for the finale, strike three.


    Of course, this was ament that James had thrown out. Talking about how insecure I wasn¡¯t even the situation. It had nothing to do with insecurity. Was I jealous? Of course, I was.


    It was natural to be jealous in this kind of situation. However, I definitely was not insecure because I knew at the end of the day she either was with me, or she wasn¡¯t. James, though, did not seem to understand that.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re not going to listen are you?¡±


    He scoffed before a chuckle came through the foam. ¡°Go f*ck yourself, Neal.¡±


    His answer was the only one I needed as a smirk crossed my face once more. Looking out over the ocean in front of me, I shook my head and sighed. ¡°Have it your way, James. Ourmunication is over for good.¡±

 Chapter 124 : Betraying Thoughts

    <h4>Chapter 124: Chapter 124 : Betraying Thoughts</h4>


    Neal.


    The moment I had hung up with James, I gripped my phone tightly in my hand and stared out at the ocean, trying to calm my nerves. Rage attempted to fill the voids of my heart as I thought about how James intruded upon my rtionship with Ba.


    I knew for a fact that even though James was supposed to technically be dead, if he really wanted toe back into Ba and the child¡¯s life, he would do so.


    And I was going to have to step up my game to protect her.


    Pinching the bridge of my nose, I closed my eyes, inhaling the sweet smell of the salty air just in time for Allegra¡¯s voice toe from the distance behind me, causing me to turn and look over my shoulder.


    ¡°Neal, what are you doing out here?¡± Her question was not misced. It was quite odd for me to be out here, considering Ba had only just gotten back with the baby, and I had been talking nonstop about spending time with them.


    ¡°I just needed a moment to make a long-distance phone call.¡±


    Cocking her left eyebrow, she ced her hand on her hip and frowned ¡°Long distance, that¡¯s interesting. You make a lot of long-distance phone calls over to Japan. Is there a reason behind that, Neal?¡±


    Allegra wasn¡¯t stupid. She already had the answer to the question she asked me. This was simply a way of her trying to determine whether or not I was going to be honest. ¡°You know who I was speaking to. I take it that you¡¯ve been looking through my phone records?¡±


    Shrugging her shoulders, she made her way towards the small little white bench that sat just near the edge of the backyard that dropped down towards the beach. It had be her favorite ce since we moved here. She would sit there often, watching the sunset with Taliana¡¯s son in her arms.


    The bond she had been forming with that child was sweet, but I only hoped she knew that he wasn¡¯t hers. I didn¡¯t want her to form an attachment in case something happened one day, and Ba no longer wanted us around.


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be speaking with him, but I assume that you informed him that the child was home.¡± She asked as she rested her arms along the back of the bench, staring off into the distance.


    ¡°Allegra, I don¡¯t like this any more than you do, but I promised him that I¡¯d at least keep him informed. He¡¯s the child¡¯s father, for f*ck¡¯s sake. I¡¯m trying to be a good man, and I¡¯m finding it harder and harder every day.¡±


    ¡°I know you are,¡± she replied as she looked over her shoulder at me before gesturing for me to take a seat next to her. ¡°What did he say this time?¡±


    Hesitating with my answer, I took a moment to ponder over the situation. I didn¡¯t want her to worry, but then again, if I was going to handle this properly, I would have to learn to trust my instincts and tell my sister like I knew I needed to.


    ¡°The gift that Ba received while I was gone... he was the one that sent it. He¡¯s getting too brave, which wasn¡¯t part of the agreement. He wasn¡¯t supposed to be sending gifts, Allegra. Honestly, I¡¯m concerned. It hasn¡¯t been long enough for his enemies topletely disappear.¡±


    Frustration filled me as I tried to contemte the different angles of how I could approach the situation, but the problem was that with Ba and the baby home, I couldn¡¯t just up and leave at the drop of a dime to take care of James.


    Not that I would want to. I left that part of my life behind, and thest time that I had to take any initiative to be that kind of person was when I¡¯d dealt with Sara.


    ¡°It¡¯s days like today that I¡¯m d that we made the move. It¡¯s absolutely beautiful,¡± she whispered,pletely off-topic from what we originally were talking about.


    ¡°It is, and I am d that Ba ended up choosing this ce for us to make our home. However, I really am worried about what James is going to do. I can¡¯t have her finding out. It wouldpletely destroy her.¡±


    The situation was moreplicated than I wanted it to be, and honestly, I wished that things were easier, but there was no way to make the situation easier. At least not without somebody getting hurt. And thest person that I wanted to get hurt was Ba, especially after everything that she had recently gone through.


    ¡°Only one way that the situation is going to work out, Neal,¡± Allegro said before turning to mepletely. ¡°You¡¯ll have to have somebody else speak to him about this. And perhaps it¡¯s time that you call his cousin.¡±


    ¡°Ronaldo? Have you lost your mind? He doesn¡¯t even know that James is alive, and doing that will severelyplicate things.¡±


    Laughter left her throat as she shook her head and gave me a perplexed look. ¡°Do you honestly think Ronaldo doesn¡¯t know he¡¯s alive?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    There was no way that Ronaldo knew James was alive. It waspletely top secret undercover. There was witness protection, for heaven¡¯s sake. For Ronaldo to know that James was alive meant that others could possibly know that he was too, which meant that Ba wasn¡¯t safe at all.


    ¡°You know, you are my brother, and I love you dearly, but sometimes I contemte what goes through your mind regrly. How can you be so naive to think that someone like Ronaldo doesn¡¯t know his own family member is alive?¡±


    Taking a moment, I thought back to every conversation I¡¯d had with a man. He was older than James and came from a much more established branch of the family overseas. Himing out of the blue, though, to buy James¡¯spany had been slightly odd because it hadn¡¯t been advertised that James was going to sell and get rid of thepany.


    Which meant that if Ronaldo had been aware and knew, he had literally been informed ahead of time. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I have been left in the dark this whole time?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily left in the dark, Neal, I simply thought that you already knew. I¡¯m familiar with the family that Ronaldoes from. I ran across them many times in Paris and even over in Italy when we were dealing with Fashion Week. I honestly thought you knew.¡±


    As much as I had been trying to remain calm and this entire situation, I couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly angry over the fact that I had been left so easily in the dark. Clenching my fists together, I turned and headed back towards the house.


    Allegra, however, quickly followed behind me, and a firm grip on my arm spun me around to face her as she stared at me with a confused expression. ¡°Why are you acting like this? What is the problem now?¡±


    ¡°The problem, Allegra, is that if he knows, other people know, which means she¡¯s not safe. I have to keep her safe and protected. I made that promise to her and James. I don¡¯t know why James is acting the way he is or what other shit his cousin has up his sleeve, but I¡¯m not going to tolerate her and the baby getting hurt.¡±


    ¡°Neal, who do you think has been protecting her beside you? You weren¡¯t the only person that he asked to look out for her,¡± she replied, and as if I had been physically pped in the face, I stood there with my lips parted.


    Finally, I realized what she was saying.


    James had gone to his cousin to buy thepany because he had already nned on selling it before he left Ba. James selling thepany to Ronaldo ensured Ba was left with arge bit of inheritance of money. He had nned to do this before finding out she was pregnant.


    He had nned to go out, however, was needed, and without being part of her life. However, her getting pregnant and having the baby was aplication he didn¡¯t foresee.


    It was aplication that none of us foresaw.


    ¡°So all of this was nned, and you never once thought to go over it with me? To make sure that I knew. This entire time I talked to James, you never once thought to tell me what it was that was going on?!¡±


    Raising my voice at her caused her to step back, shaking her head slightly before turning and storming off back towards the house. I didn¡¯t usually take a tone like that with her, and guilt instantly filled me with how I acted.


    ¡°Shit...¡± I muttered, running my hand over the back of my neck in frustration.


    Now I was going to have to fix things with my sister as well as figure this shit out with James. Even if I had a right to be angry.


    I was over here trying to do my best to protect Ba, thinking that I was doing everything I could to give her and this child a better life, and people were once again hiding information behind my back.


    Everything I did was for nothing because he had already nned for her to be protected. Whether he had my help or not.


    The situation made me feel useless as I stared at the beautiful home before me I attempted to figure out what I could do.


    Part of me wanted to call Greg and tell him what was happening. That his witness vited everything, we had done to help keep him off-grid. Another part of me wanted to reach out to Sergie¡¯s crew and inform them of where they could find James, but that would make me no better than the others.


    I didn¡¯t want to be the man my jealous soul craved for me to be. I just wasn¡¯t sure what to do. Telling Ba would break her apart, and giving James up would make me an aplice to murder if the crew found him.


    There was a heavy decision that weighed on my mind, and every option seemed to lead to a dead end of heartache and misery that I didn¡¯t want to cross.


    ¡°Neal,e inside and watch a movie with me.¡±


    Ba¡¯s voice, drifting against the soft, gentle breezes that caressed our home pulled me from my conflicted thoughts. Turning my eyes towards therge french doors on the back of the house, I admired her standing there in leggings and an oversized T-shirt and couldn¡¯t help but think how beautiful she was in something so simple.


    ¡°I¡¯ming. I was just getting some fresh air.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a lie per se, but as I walked toward her, I thought maybe I should just be honest. Maybe I could still have the life I wanted with her, and this heavyweight would be lifted off my shoulders in the process.


    Only time would tell if what I was doing was right or wrong.

 Chapter 125 : Leaving Japan

    <h4>Chapter 125: Chapter 125 : Leaving Japan</h4>


    James.


    To think, a year ago, I was nning my retirement and looking for things to do with my future outside of my business¡ªnow I was a father again. The argument with Neal wasn¡¯t one that I had wanted any time of day, and the way he tried to dismiss my intentions irritated me.


    I was the child¡¯s father. Dahlia... my sweet baby girl was without her father.


    I didn¡¯t like it. Not one f*cking bit.


    ¡°Les, my mother wanted to know if you wanted toe to dinner tonight.¡± Sue¡¯s voice pulled me from my irritation, and taking a deep breath, I turned to face her. I had been trying to work on the list of shit to do in this building when I spoke to Neal, and now the list seemed to fade away.


    ¡°Thank you for the offer Sue, but I have a lot I need to take care of today. Perhaps over the weekend.¡±


    I hated turning down the old woman. She had been nothing but kind to me since I had been here, and by the look on Sue¡¯s face, I could see that she was disappointed. Part of me wondered if she had hoped for something more with me, considering the way she always was around, and that was just something that would never happen.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Mother will understand,¡± she replied softly. ¡°I will tell her this weekend, then.¡±


    Sue turned and quickly disappeared from sight, and as she did, I dropped the wrench in my hand into my tool bag and sighed. I had to figure my shit out, and I needed to do it quickly. I couldn¡¯t continue to be here like I was.


    Grabbing my tools, I made my way back to my small apartment with the intention of a hot shower, and something to eat. Every day was the same, and as they blended into each other I found the repetition to be a daunting task I didn¡¯t want to fulfill.


    That was until I approached my apartment and noticed the door partially open.


    ¡°What the f*ck...¡± I know damn well I hadn¡¯t left the door as it was, and slowly I approached it with caution.


    There weren¡¯t any people around that knew where I lived, and I didn¡¯t have any friends. So for someone to be in my apartment... it wasn¡¯t good.


    Setting down the tool bag, I grabbed my hammer and slowly pushed open my apartment door. A tall figure dressed in a ck suit stood in the center of my living room looking around, and with the small squeak of the door, the man quickly turned to face me.


    ¡°Ronaldo?¡± I muttered under my breath with confusion. ¡°What the f*ck are you doing here?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t expected to see my cousin before me, and as his smile grew, I felt slightly relieved by his visit. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you as well, cousin.¡±


    Having grabbed my tool bag, I made my way into the apartment and closed the door behind me. I didn¡¯t know what the hell he was doing here since he wasn¡¯t supposed to know where I was, but honestly, I wasn¡¯t surprised that he was here.


    ¡°How did you find me?¡±


    Laughter escaped him at my question, and shrugging his shoulders, he took a seat on my small sofa. ¡°It wasn¡¯t honestly that hard to do. You know how our family is.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do, and if you could find me, that means that anyone can find me.¡±


    Nodding, he gave me a pointed look that made my blood run cold. ¡°Word has it, Sergie¡¯s son already knows where you are. Which is why I came to get you.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? I¡¯m in witness protection¡ª¡±


    ¡°James,e on... the system is wed, and everyone is always in someone¡¯s pocket. Did you really think that they would keep you safe? I mean, have they even been by to check on youtely?¡± His words did make me stop in my tracks because if I thought about it they hadn¡¯t.


    The men had told me when I got here that they would check in, and after that day they hadn¡¯t. Initially, I was happy about it because I didn¡¯t want them anywhere around me after everything that had happened, but now... it felt off.


    ¡°By the look on your face, you know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± Ronaldo¡¯s words made me frown, and as I straightened my shoulders, I tried not to let it show that it bothered me.


    ¡°So what am I supposed to do? If I¡¯m on my own, and James Valentino is dead, what is my next step?¡± I asked, trying to understand what it was he wanted me to do.


    ¡°You tell me... there are two different ways this could go for you. One, you do nothing and stay here. Eventually, they wille to kill you, and in the end, you won¡¯t have to live with how your life turned out....¡±


    ¡°...And the second thing?¡± I scoffed, irritated by his first suggestion when he knew full well that I wouldn¡¯t be able to do that. Especially now that I had another child in this world. One that needed her father.


    ¡°You take back your life, James. Come back to Italy with me, and move towards having the future you want. I have some work that I need done, and all of it you can help me with behind closed doors. It would also allow you to try and get your family back.¡±


    My family.... The thought of being back with Ba, my grandson, and my daughter was an enticing idea. However, there was no telling whether she would allow that to happen or not. Finding out that I have been alive all this time would be a challenging idea to ovee.


    With a heavy sigh, I thought of my life in Japan and even Sue and her mother. They had been good to me when no one else was, and leaving them would put them back into the situation they had been in before.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, but I need to take care of something first.¡±


    A smile grew on Ronaldo¡¯s face as he nodded his head. ¡°The girl and her mother?¡±


    Raising a brow, I stared at him, curious to know how he was aware of them, but quickly i shoved away the confusion, knowing that my cousin had his ways of getting information just like other people.


    He had more than likely been watching me for days or even weeks before he showed his face today, and doing so, learned everything I had done. ¡°Yes, them.¡±


    ¡°You are fond of the girl and her mother... is she a new toy of yours? The girl is very beautiful.¡±


    Rolling my eyes, I sneered at hisment. ¡°No, she isn¡¯t. I see her more like a daughter than anything.¡±


    ¡°I see, well, I am sure that we can make sure the two women are taken care of.¡±


    Standing, he pulled out his phone and quickly put it to his ear. ¡°Bring up the bag, please.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what he was doing or what bag was being brought up, but fifteen minutester, one of Ronaldo¡¯s men appeared at my door with arge duffle bag and a t expression on his face. ¡°Sir, the bag.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Juan. We will be done in just a moment. Please make sure that they have the ne prepared for an early departure.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± he nodded before turning and quickly leaving the open front door. The entire situation was perplexing, and as Ronaldo picked up the bag and set it on the counter, I stepped closer to get a look at what was inside.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    He unzipped the bag, and I stared openly at the amount of money that was stored inside. ¡°It¡¯s Sue and her mother¡¯s future. This will be enough money for the girl to go to school as she wants and for them to be set for a few years until Sue finishes school. A parting gift, if you will, considering you¡¯re leaving them.¡±


    Sue¡¯s mother was a proud woman, and I wasn¡¯t sure how she would handle being given such a gift, but hopefully, she would take it and see it as my way of taking care of them.


    ¡°You really want my help back home, don¡¯t you?¡± I asked, ncing up at Ronaldo from the bag.


    He shrugged his shoulders with a smirk. ¡°Yeah, you can say that. Not to mention, my father is eager to see you after all the years you have been away. His younger brother, your father, left the family young. He likes to keep the family close.¡±


    With a heavy sigh, I knew my options had been weighed, and not wasting any time, I packed all of my belongings into the bags I had brought with me and stood, taking in thest glimpse of the apartment I was leaving.


    I still had to stop by Sue¡¯s ce to give her the money, but overall, I was prepared to go.


    Neal thought he could keep my family for himself, and by me giving my life another chance, I was going to be able to fix that. No matter how powerful Sergie¡¯s family was, they were nothingpared to my true family, and there Ba and the children would be safe.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Ronaldo asked me as I stepped out of the front door.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s drop the bag off, and we can be on our way.¡±


    Step by step, we made our way down to Sue¡¯s apartment that she shared with her mother. As soon as I approached the dark wooden door, I set the bag down and knocked. The sound of her mother calling to Sue to get the door while the aroma of her cooking wafted down the hallway was something I was going to miss.


    As soon as the door opened, I was met by Sue¡¯s dark eyes and bright smile. ¡°Les, you changed your mind?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, Sue. I actually came to tell you that I was leaving. Something has called me away, and I¡¯m not sure when I will be back.¡±


    She frowned at my promation, and as her eyes gazed toward Ronaldo I noticed her change in behavior. She wasn¡¯t sure what to make of my cousin, and it was good that she was leery. The world wasn¡¯t a safe ce to live in, no matter where you were.


    ¡°You¡¯re noting back at all, are you?¡± she breathed as her eyes turned back to mine.


    Shaking my head, I held out the ck duffle bag Ronaldo had gotten together for her. ¡°A parting gift for you and your mother. You have both been kind to me, and I hope this can help you start a new life.¡±


    As soon as she took the bag, I turned with Ronaldo and headed for the elevator. I didn¡¯t do well with goodbyes, and while I hadn¡¯t been super close to Sue and her mother, it was still hard.


    I only hoped the money would be enough for them to get by.


    Enough for Sue to have the life she deserved.

 Chapter 126 : Back to the Old Country

    <h4>Chapter 126: Chapter 126 : Back to the Old Country</h4>


    James.


    The moment that my feet touched down in Italy, I couldn¡¯t understand why it was that I hadn¡¯te back sooner. The Italian countryside was absolutely beautiful, and I fell in love with it many years ago, but never returned because of how busy my life was.


    Now that I was here, though, I was looking forward to trying to get my life back on track. Ronaldo said that he needed me to help him with his business, and I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what that entailed since he had been so vague, but I had a feeling that it had something to do with the former business that I owned, as well as other stuff.


    As soon as we stepped out of the ne, a car was waiting for us on the tarmac. Following Ronaldo, I made our way to the vehicle, and as soon as we were in, it was off out of the airport, headed straight for our family home.


    ¡°I will go ahead and let you know that there will be a small family gathering this evening. You know how the family is. Everybody will want to see you since it¡¯s been so long.¡± I know exactly what he meant. It had been quite some time since I had been here, and now that my father was dead, and everything else had happened with my situation, it was only custom that the family got together.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect any less from the family,¡± I muttered, trying to keep to myself as much as possible, considering everything that was going on. All I wanted to do was head straight to New Zend to be with Ba and my child, but of course, that wasn¡¯t going to be able to happen anytime soon.


    As the car drove on, making its way through the rolling hills of the countryside, and headed straight for the vast vi and property that our family-owned. I contemted what exactly I was going to be met with.


    However, I didn¡¯t have to think about it long because as soon as the car turned down a private drive an hour after we hadnded, I saw the vast amount of vehicles that were parked up near the massive mansion lying high up on the hills in the distance.


    ¡°Well, it seems that everybody was able to make it,¡± Ronaldoughed, casting a nce towards me as I furrowed my brows and then pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll deal with the family gathering first, and then if you can show me to my room, that would be great.¡±


    ¡°Of course, James.¡± Ronaldo chuckled. ¡°My father does want to have a meeting with you first, though.¡±


    It was hard to believe that his father, who had to have been close to 90 years old by now, was still running things for the family. Italians were bred differently, though. They were able to withstand doing much more at even an older age and often lived well to meet one hundred.


    Nona, Ronaldo¡¯s mother, unfortunately, was not a woman who was blessed enough to reach that age. Thest I heard, she had died about 15 years ago from cancer, and ever since, his father had never been the same.


    She was a wise woman and the woman who ran more of this family than her own husband had. She was the matriarch, a proud queen bee, and no one had ever been able to rece her. ¡°I take it I¡¯ll be able to meet your wife finally?¡±


    When I spoke about Ronaldo¡¯s wife, his attitudepletely changed. I hadn¡¯t meant for it to be any kind of jab. I was actually intrigued by meeting the woman after so long of him protesting ever getting married.


    ¡°Unfortunately, no. I¡¯ve actually provided her a ce to stay in Venice, and she¡¯s choosing to stay there,¡± he replied, giving me a very vague answer as if he didn¡¯t want to tell me the truth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Ronaldo. Why you didn¡¯t just tell your father the truth?¡± It was quite obvious at a young age that Ronaldo preferred his own gender to women, and it was more the reason why he had been single for so long.


    However, with the family, he was obligated to produce offspring, and his father wouldn¡¯t ept that his only son preferred living that lifestyle.


    It was nothing against living that lifestyle, it was simply how things were done in the olden days. Those kinds of rtionships were had behind closed doors, and you didn¡¯t publicize it, and when you were given an order from the higher-up, you were expected to follow that order.


    ¡°You know how things are, James. And even though he made me marry that woman, I will not have children with her. She doesn¡¯t even want anything to do with me. The only good thing about her was that we agreed. I would give her an allowance, and she would put on a fake smile when doing as I needed her to, and otherwise, she could live her own life.¡±


    ¡°I understand. As long as you¡¯re happy, Ronaldo, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± The moment between the two of us was one of understanding. Since my father had moved to America at a very young age, I didn¡¯t have to live by the same standards that my cousin did.


    Instead, I was free to be whoever I wanted to be.


    The conversation quickly died down as the car pulled closer to the house and finally stopped. There was nobody waiting outside, but I knew that as soon as I crossed the threshold, I would be greeted with warm, smiling faces and the smells of various foods.


    It wasforting being here, but at one point in time, I had actually looked forward to bringing Ba with me to introduce her to my family in this home, something that I never wanted to do with Allison.


    Stepping out of the car, I followed Ronaldo into the house, and as soon as I did, the meandering voices of many family members came to greet me. Hugging and smiling,ughing and shaking hands were all part of the ritual.


    Once that was done, I was taken to meet my cousin¡¯s father, my uncle, whom they called Bishop or the Bishop. It wasn¡¯t his real name, but God forbid anybody actually used his real name. ¡°Father wants to meet you.¡±


    Ronaldo didn¡¯t hesitate in turning to walk off as they quickly left the crowds of people headed through the hallways of the massive Mediterranean-style home straight for a study at the back of the house.


    As soon as I passed through the sliding brown doors of the study, I was met with floor-to-ceiling, built-in bookshelves, ornate furniture,vish golds, creams, reds, and yellows. One could definitely tell that Nona had decorated this office for her husband, and he had not changed a single thing about it.


    The old man sat behind his desk, not looking a day over seventy. Light blue eyes, surrounded with wrinkles, met me as I took in the figure of my uncle dressed in a three-piece suit, ready to impress anyone who came to visit.


    He didn¡¯t bother to stand from his seat as I entered and standing before him, I watched my cousin slowly walk over to the small Seti Leathered lounge, cing himself upon it as he pulled a cigar from his jacket.


    There was no need for him to speak whatsoever. Instead, he was to remain quiet while my uncle conversed with me. ¡°James, it¡¯s so good to see you after all these years¨Cfinally.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you as well, Uncle. Thank you for allowing me toe and stay here.¡±


    ¡°We need to thank you, boy.¡± He chuckled, waving his hand in the air as if my being here was absolutely no problem at all. ¡°I¡¯m d that you¡¯re finally home. This is where you¡¯re meant to be. Helping your cousin to take care of family business.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t bothered to let my uncle know, or even really Ronaldo for that matter, that I was not interested in living the lifestyle that I once had. I wanted to go clean, I didn¡¯t want to deal with shady business, and that was the reason why my daughter was no longer living because I had done things that I was not proud of.


    However, I would respect my uncle and listen to what he had to say before simply jumping to conclusions. ¡°I¡¯d be more than happy to help in any way possible.¡±


    Taking a moment, he stared at me before sping his hands in front of him, rocking back and forth in the leather chair he sat in. ¡°Good, because I think what I have to offer you could be mutually beneficial.¡±


    ¡°What would that be?¡±


    He hesitated for a moment before ncing toward Ronaldo. ¡°There are some aspects of business that have been... not performing as well as I would have liked. I would like for you to assist my son in correcting this. As his personal advisor.¡±


    Personal advisor? I didn¡¯t understand why they would want me for something like that, but if advising was all I had to do, then I suppose it wouldn¡¯t be too bad. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s simple enough.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and in return, I will see to it that this issue with the Russians is cleared up, and for the most part, your life will be yours once more.¡±


    I knew my uncle was a powerful man, but I didn¡¯t think that he had the power to fix that. To know that, once again, I would have my life back was like a weight being lifted off my shoulders. It had been months since I had been a free man of my own will.


    ¡°Thank you, uncle. There is much in my life I need to fix.¡±


    Nodding his head, he frowned. ¡°Yes... I heard about your daughter Tally. I¡¯m sorry for your loss. Losing a child is... one of the hardest things a parent will ever have to do.¡±


    ¡°All I can do now is try to do right by her,¡± I whispered, casting my eyes toward the floor. ¡°By my grandson and my new daughter.¡±


    ¡°Yes... I heard that your lover had a child with you, and she has your grandson. We will work to get them here with you as well,¡± he muttered, causing me to nce at him again. As much as I wanted Ba here with me, I couldn¡¯t have her forced.


    ¡°In time, I will work towards having her here. For now, I don¡¯t want to overdo it and run the risk of her refusing me.¡±


    Laughter escaped my uncle¡¯s throat as a glimpse of amusementy in his eyes. ¡°No woman refuses a Valentino, James. She wille here, willing or not. For now, we deal with business... we will give her a few months. But with no heirs from my son... I expect yours to be present. They are the future.¡±


    His words were like a bucket of cold water dumped on me, forcing me to realize what his ns and Ronaldo¡¯s were for meing here the entire time. It wasn¡¯t just because he wanted me here as a part of the family and to help with the business.


    Ronaldo refused to have children to keep our bloodline going, and I had another child and a grandson. A male heir to our family¡¯s fortune.

 Chapter 127 : Becca’s Confession

    <h4>Chapter 127: Chapter 127 : Ba¡¯s Confession</h4>


    Ba.


    For days, I lived in a house with hushed whispers and stolen conversations. Neal had been acting beyond oddtely, and even Allegra, who tried to smile and y off Neal¡¯s behavior, was being odd. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was about the situation that set me off entirely, but I knew for sure it had something to do with the phone calls Neal kept getting.


    ¡°Hey, so I was thinking that maybe we could take the kids down to the beach today,¡± echoed into my ear, and as I turned my gaze from where I had been watching Neal, I smiled at her.


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds great. Why don¡¯t you go ahead and get little man situated, and then I will find out from Allegra and Neal if they want to join us?¡±


    Nodding her head, the nanny quickly disappeared from sight, and as I sat there, turning my gaze back to where Neal was standing, I continued to contemte what it was that was bothering him so much.


    This had been a big move for all of us, and with my father going to be here in just a few days, I had hoped that things would be better before he arrived.


    Standing, I let a heavy breath escape me, the sigh causing Allegra to look at me with concern on her face. ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    Taking a moment, I considered not saying anything. However, I was sick and tired of not saying anything at all to anybody. I was tired of having to bite my tongue, which was something that I didn¡¯t enjoy. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You tell me.¡±


    She seemed a little taken aback by my response, and furrowing her brows, she stood and walked over to where I was standing. ¡°Ba, is there something wrong? Did I do something?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± I sighed as I turned my gaze back once more to where Neal was. ¡°I know something is going on, and I know you and Neal are not telling me what it is. I don¡¯t appreciate the secrets. I thought we were past all of this.¡±


    Again, taken aback by my response, she hesitated, her eyes gazing over to where her brother was standing. His messy hair and paleplexion revealed an angry scowl on his face with his lips thinly met. The disheveled look upon him seemed as if he hadn¡¯t been sleeping, which wasn¡¯t like Neal, who seemed to usually take pride in his appearance.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s just work, Ba. You really shouldn¡¯t bother yourself worrying about it. If he wanted to tell you something, he would.¡±


    I half expected the response that she gave me, and as I gazed at her once more, I gave a look that let her know I wasn¡¯t buying the bullshit. ¡°You do know that I know you and your brother pretty well by now, and I can tell when something is business rted and when it¡¯s personal, right?¡±


    Ever since we had moved to New Zend, I had figured that everything would get better. Of course, I had been pregnant at one point in time, but even then, the emotional rtionship between Neal and me had slowly begun to fizzle out. I wasn¡¯t sure why one day we had been so romantically involved with each other, and then next it just seemed to be turned off like a light switch, but it had happened.


    ¡°Ba, I swear it¡¯s nothing to worry about. I told Neal, if I were him, I would tell you he¡¯s just stressed out about some stuff, and he said something about possibly going back to the states, but then he feels guilty about leaving you here....¡±


    At her words, I shook my head. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. If he has to go back to the States and deal with work, he must go. He doesn¡¯t have to stay here on my ount.¡±


    This did make sense. I could see where he would not want to leave me, especially after I just had the baby. But Dahlia and I were fine, and I was spending time with the children, so there was no reason for him to think that he couldn¡¯t leave for business.


    ¡°Perhaps you should have that conversation with him then,¡± she said softly with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure he would feel much better about the situation if you gave him permission.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I just wish he didn¡¯t think that he needed my approval. Business is important to him, and you guys having to start over your lives here with me is because of all the shit that happened, and that¡¯s not your fault. I should never have gotten you involved the way I did.¡±


    I felt slightly guilty that he was feeling this way, and Allegra and he had to start their new lives over here in New Zend with me. I know they could have gone anywhere, but they didn¡¯t want to leave my side, and part of me wondered if that was because they were concerned that something would happen to me if they did.


    I was a grown adult, capable of taking care of myself. I didn¡¯t need someone to hold my hand, and now with the money that James had left me and the kids, I could support us without anybody being here.


    Biting my bottom lip, I looked back at Neal once more and then slowly walked over to him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Is it work?¡±


    His eyes slowly met mine, and with a sad look upon them, he shrugged his shoulders. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things going on right now, and I¡¯m just stressed out about it. I don¡¯t mean to take it out on you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand what he was talking about. He wasn¡¯t taking anything out on me unless he meant his current depressed, moody state that he had been in for thest few days. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. You¡¯re perfectly fine. If you need to go back and take care of business, you can go.¡±


    A soft chuckle escaped him, and as it did, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close into his embrace. Being in his arms wasforting. It was something that I enjoyed, and I hadn¡¯t had it very often because he¡¯d been so distant.


    ¡°I might just have to take you up on that offer. I just hate leaving you here.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand why he thought leaving me would be an issue. Technically, we weren¡¯t actually together as in boyfriend or girlfriend or any kind of thing like that. We were simply friends who had had a romantic rtionship.


    Perhaps he just felt that with everything that happened with James, he needed to be here for me, both as a friend and a romantic partner, and that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°Neal, it¡¯s quite obvious that for some time now, our rtionship hasn¡¯t been what it was. I don¡¯t want you to feel like you¡¯re obligated to me because of everything that happened. I can take care of myself, and I want you to be happy even if it¡¯s not with me. If that¡¯s what would make you happy, then do that.¡±


    Seemingly taken back by my response, he pulled away from me, narrowing his gaze in confusion as his hands fell at his side. ¡°What would make you think that I wasn¡¯t happy with you? I care about you, Ba.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why I was having to have this conversation with him. I was supposed to be getting ready to go down to the beach with La and the children. However, this conversation was indeed important.


    ¡°Neal, I know you care about me, but it¡¯s quite obvious that over the past few weeks, the romantic rtionship that we once had is gone, and there¡¯s no saying that it won¡¯te back... but I also know that with things asplicated as they are, I would not be ready to have that kind of rtionship after everything that had happened to me.... I¡¯m not ready for more right now...¡±


    For some reason, part of me felt like I was breaking up with him, even though we were never really officially dating. I didn¡¯t understand it, but as much as I loved and cared about him, it was more like loving and caring for my best friend than it was a man that I was actually in love with.


    Even though he had treated me like nothing but a queen.


    With wide eyes and parted lips, he looked at me, absolutely stunned. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I understand that things have been hard, and I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯ve been acting the way I have, but I don¡¯t want you to say that. I¡¯m in love with you, Ba, and nothing is going to change that, and nobody is going to take you from me.¡±


    He didn¡¯t bother to stay around to let me finish the conversation. Instead, he turned away from me and walked off, leaving me dumbfounded by why he would think somebody was trying to take me from him. There was nobody to take me from him.


    After a moment, I turned my attention to Allegra, who had been standing nearby listening to the entire conversation. A sad look crossed her face before her shoulders sagged, and she turned, walking away from me.


    Perhaps I had messed up in my judgment in thinking that he simply did not want to leave because he felt guilty. I knew he cared about me, or at least I knew he did at one point, but thest few months, everything had changed.


    From how he acted, I epted that his feelings had also changed.


    I guess I thought wrong, and looking at it now, I felt horrible for thinking he didn¡¯t care.


    At the end of the day, I just didn¡¯t know if I was ready to continue anything like that on. Not after everything that had happened. James and Tally dying were a huge factor, but then I had to move my entire life as well.


    All I wanted more than anything was to be able to get my life together. To be able to move forward and make something of myself instead of having to feel like I was relying on a man to make me happy.


    It¡¯s hard to be happy with someone else when you don¡¯t even know how to be happy with yourself, but I didn¡¯t know how to exin that to Neal. The soft footsteps of Laing down the hallway got my attention, and pushing back the emotions that I felt, I rushed down the hallway to meet her.


    ¡°I was justing to find you. I have the bags packed, and Dahlia is awake, so I went ahead and changed her. Did you want to get going?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds great,¡± I replied smiling as I turned toward the nursery. ¡°Just give me a moment.¡±


    As much as I would rather have curled up into bed and cried my eyes out for the confusion and hurt I felt, I couldn¡¯t. Dwelling on all of this was just going to make me crazy, and even though he said it was just work bothering him...


    I didn¡¯t know if I believed it.

 Chapter 128 : Undercover Realizations

    <h4>Chapter 128: Chapter 128 : Undercover Realizations</h4>


    Neal.


    I wasn¡¯t what Ba was looking for, but I should have expected her to no longer feel the way she had. For months, I¡¯d put her ahead of everything in my life, and when I finally thought things were going well, it was ripped away from me. There was no end to the pain I felt in my life, and I thought it may have been a punishment from fate I was willing to ept.


    Stepping out the front door, I made my way towards my two seater sports car and climbed in. The moment that the door closed, I mmed my hands against the steering wheel repeatedly out of anger. ¡°F*ck!¡±


    All I wanted to do was to allow James to know his kid, and in the process of all this bullshit, I had lost her. Lost her in more ways than one, and even though every part of me wanted to storm in there and remind her who she belonged to, I couldn¡¯t.


    She didn¡¯t want me.


    Realizing that I had forgotten my keys, I groaned in frustration and climbed back out of the car to fetch them. Thank god that my head was attached to my shoulders otherwise I would have lost that as well with the way things had been goingtely.


    The moment I opened the door, I came face to face with La, who yelped in shock as we collided. ¡°Oh, my god. I¡¯m so sorry!¡± she eximed with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡±


    Her dark eyes looked up at me with curiosity as she furrowed her brow slightly, and then nodded. There wasn¡¯t much to say to her, and honestly I hadn¡¯t spoken much to her since Ba hired her months ago. Something about the girl was sweet, but at the same time, familiar.


    ¡°Are you okay, Neal? You seem a little flushed.¡± Her slow hesitant response as I stepped aside to let her pass made me stop in my tracks. She was genuinely asking about me when she had never taken an interest before.


    ¡°Yeah, I just forgot my keys.¡± I replied in a very nonchnt way.


    Her eyes darted out the front door towards my car before gazing back at me. ¡°You¡¯re not going toe with us then?¡±


    ¡°Come where?¡± I had no idea what she was talking about, and as her mouth formed an ¡°O¡± shape before biting her bottom lip I had a feeling it had something to do with Ba. ¡°Where are you both going with the kids?¡±


    ¡°How did you¡ª¡±


    Holding my hand up, I stopped her in her tracks. ¡°La... where are you guys going?¡±


    With a sigh and her hands on her hips she shrugged. ¡°Down to the beach. Ba is already waiting out in the garden for me. I was justing out here to grab something from her car.¡±


    Staring at her for a moment, I finally nodded my head and watched her go. She didn¡¯t miss a beat to escape out the front door towards the car, and as she did, I thought of the argument I had earlier with Ba. She was checking on me, and in the process, I¡¯d acted like an asshole again.


    Running my hand through my hair, I sighed before moving down the hallway towards the living room. There, through the window, I watched Ba swaying the baby in her arms while standing in the middle of the garden.


    She may have been rocking Dahlia, but she was talking to Tally¡¯s son with a smile on her face. There was something about that smile that I would never get tired of seeing, but she made it clear that there was no way she wanted a rtionship right now.


    That was just something I was going to have to respect.


    James.


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that you have messed up thest three shipments? How the f*ck did you even manage that?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe that my uncle had Ronaldo running the importpany. I knew that when he came to purchase it, it was because of his father¡¯s wishes, but looking at everything Ronaldo had done since getting it... I was shocked.


    Ronaldo leaned back in therge leather recliner and smiled. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m good at a lot of things, but I know nothing about this kind of business. My father just expects me to know everything. Why do you think I asked you to move here a year ago?¡±


    A groan of frustration left my throat as I pinched the bridge of my nose. The conversation I¡¯d had with him over a year ago yed in my mind, and that was before everything with Ba had happened. ¡°Look, we have to sort this.¡±


    ¡°Ya think?¡± He scoffed withughter causing me to send a re his way. ¡°So how long till it¡¯s sorted?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t something that just happens over night, Ron. It¡¯s going to take weeks to sort out this mess, and you have only had it a few months.¡±


    Ron expected me toplete a miracle, and that wasn¡¯t something I had expected to do. While I should have been looking at a way to get to Ba and my daughter, I was sitting here staring at shipment papers trying to figure out what Ron had been thinking.


    My uncle had made it clear that if I helped him he would ensure that I was able to get Ba and my daughter back. The problem was, I wasn¡¯t sure if my uncle was going to be the man he came across as. Shaking my head, I leaned back in my chair and turned my gaze out the window. ¡°Have you heard anything else in thest two days?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± he replied as he pulled a silver case from his ck jacket pocket.


    About what.... Was he being serious right now?


    ¡°Sergie¡¯s son, Ron. Your dad said he is going to take care of him.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡ª¡± Laughter escaped as he nodded, lighting the end of the cigar. ¡°Yeah, he will take care of it. Don¡¯t worry, just do as he asked, and there won¡¯t be an issue.¡±


    The more and more I stayed here, the more I contemted if this was a good fit for me. Yes, I hade here because Ron offered me the chance to have my life fixed. He offered me a way back into Ba¡¯s arms, but I should have known that it was going toe at a cost.


    A cost I didn¡¯t know if I wanted to make.


    ¡°Your father offered a lot of things, Ron. However, I want you to be honest with me. What is going on, and what is he nning to do?¡±


    My question seemed to throw him off for a moment, and with a sigh, he set his cigar down in the ashtray next to him and leaned forward.


    ¡°That¡¯s a loaded question, James.¡±


    Lost in confusion by his response, a sudden drop in my stomach made me realize how uneasy the situation really was. ¡°Just answer it.¡±


    ¡°My father isn¡¯t the patient man you think he may be, James. He has waited for far to long to be able to take over your type of industry, and being able to do so has allowed his business to flourish... except for this set back.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t hard to realize that my uncle was a man who loved money. He had worked very hard to get the family to be as it was now, and now that he had it this way, he wouldn¡¯t miss out on a way to improve it and make it even better.


    I didn¡¯t me him honestly. I¡¯d do the same damn thing.


    ¡°What¡¯s he going to do about the Russian?¡±


    Shrugging his shoulders, he paused. ¡°The Russian¡¯s have always been a problem. You know as well as anyone that they like to take over areas of business they aren¡¯t wee too. Over thest few years, they have been a problem to our family trade. Therefore, solving that issue solves your issue... understand?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... but it concerns me the repercussions of some of this¡ª¡±


    Laughter escaped him that cut me off mid-sentence. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was that he found funny, but as theughter died down, he sighed. ¡°You¡¯re worried about that now? After all of the shit you pulled, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bitte to worry about that?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Narrowing my gaze, Iid the paper down I had been holding and stared at him. ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s a bitte?¡±


    ¡°James, seriously? You got mixed up with them, and they went after you. I already told you that if I knew where you were they did too, and that goes for the girl. We have been watching them, and for right now, she¡¯s safe.¡±


    For right now.... Everything was always for right now.


    ¡°Neal will protect her,¡± I muttered to myself, snatching the paper from the desk again as I rolled my eyes. As much as I didn¡¯t want him with her, even though I wanted her happy, I was d that he was the one to take care of her.


    ¡°You¡¯re not serious, are you James?¡± I hadn¡¯t realized I had muttered as loud as I did until he spoke.


    ncing up from behind the paper, I stared at him with confusion. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You think that Neal, the former Russian assassin, is going to protect her? How the hell do you know he and his sister haven¡¯t been ying you from the beginning?¡± Ronaldo stunned me, and it wasn¡¯t easy to stun a man like me.


    God knows that I hadn¡¯t had that happen in a long time.


    ¡°No, that isn¡¯t possible.¡± With a firm tone, I refused to believe that something like that was possible. I had willingly allowed Neal to take charge of my family, and if he was working with the Russians, why would he have killed Sergie?


    None of it made sense, and even though Ronaldo had his reservations, it didn¡¯t mean that I had to believe him. All of these years that I had known Allegra, she had never given me a reason to believe something like that, and I doubted she was some kind of sleeper agent undercover.


    All of this shit that happened with Sergie was just a coincidence.


    It didn¡¯t mean anything, and even though a little voice in my head said he may have had a point, I had to stay focused. Losing focus was how Tally had gotten killed.


    I couldn¡¯t let that happen to Ba. I¡¯d rather die myself....


    And this time for real.

 Chapter 129 : The Nanny’s Interest

    <h4>Chapter 129: Chapter 129 : The Nanny¡¯s Interest</h4>


    Ba.


    One could say you could expect a lot of things when you¡¯re dealing with a man who has mixed emotions and also a traumatic past that seemed to haunt you at every corner. However, thest thing that I expected was to see Neal strolling out the back door into the garden as if everything was fine, and we hadn¡¯t spent thest fifteen minutes arguing over the same damn bullshit.


    Here he was, though, in all his glory, and as my eyes caught the smile that crossed his lips, I held Dahlia closer to me. ¡°Did you forget something?¡±


    My words were soft and gentle, but there was no mistaking the hint of irritation within them. He quickly cleared his throat, shaking his head as he stood before me, his hands instinctively going into his front pockets before he rocked back and forth on his heels like a boy who had been in trouble and was trying not to get scolded by his mother again.


    ¡°I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I didn¡¯t mean toe off as being an asshole or anything like that. I just have a lot of things on my mind. But I promise it has nothing to do with you. It¡¯s just work, and of course, trying to take care of everything now that so much has changed¡ª¡±


    He was lying. I knew he was lying. It wasn¡¯t just work. Even Allegra said that he was concerned about me. So for him to stand there and lie and say that it had nothing to do with me, well, that just made me even more suspicious.


    However, if he wanted to y games, I was down for that. I had nothing but time, and at the end of the day, this was my home, and he could either be honest and live here, or he could f*ck off and find somewhere else to go.


    I didn¡¯t want to be that kind of person because I did care about Neal, and I was very fond of him. A part of him would always reside in my heart. I just didn¡¯t have time for the bullshit anymore.


    ¡°I see.¡± My reply was short and sweet and to the point, and he seemed to notice that. Yet even though he did, he didn¡¯t speak on it, which irritated me even further. ¡°So what are you doing out here? I thought you had somewhere that you needed to be.¡±


    ¡°What gave you that impression? I never said that I had to go anywhere,¡± he replied, furrowing his brows in confusion as if my words were the most ridiculous thing that he had ever heard.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to say anything by the way you acted, storming out of the house like a f*cking three-year-old, having a temper tantrum because you didn¡¯t get what you wanted.¡±


    That was it. My exnationpletely shocked him, and as he stared at me with parted lips and wide eyes, I knew that I had struck something deep inside him that didn¡¯t believe I had it in me.


    Was I being a sadistic bitch? No, but I was going to make it clear that if he was going to continue acting like this, I wasn¡¯t going to tolerate it.


    ¡°Ba, I said. I was sorry. What¡¯s gotten into you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s gotten into me. I¡¯m just sick and tired of people trying to hide shit. Like, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. You¡¯re hiding something from me. It¡¯s f*cking obvious, Neal. And Allegra covering for you....¡± I scoffed, shaking my head as I turned my eyes out toward the water.


    There was no reason to exin myself. What was it honestly going to do?


    It wasn¡¯t going to solve anything. They were either going to continue to do what they were doing, or they were going to f*cking figure something else out and end up telling me the truth. Either way, I was more likely to be upset because if they had to hide it from me, it wasn¡¯t good.


    Neal stepped closer to me as heid his hand gently on my arm, turning me to face him once more. ¡°Sinceing here and being with you, I¡¯ve been nothing but happy. But I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m not worried about you because I am. I¡¯m worried every single day that they¡¯re going toe here and try to take you from me.¡±


    ¡°Who, Sergie¡¯s son?¡± Iughed, shaking my head. ¡°Come on now, Neal. If he was honestly going toe, don¡¯t you think you would have f*cking done it by now?¡±


    His hand fell to his side as he stood there thinking over what I had said. I wasn¡¯t wrong, and he knew it, but before he could say anything, La quickly strolled out back, stopping in her tracks as she nced at him and then turned her eyes toward me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, do I need toe back?¡± she said softly as she waited for a reply. Yet, Neal shook his head and turned without saying another word and made his way inside.


    I hated how he walked away every time we were in a discussion or having an argument. He always walked away as if that was the best answer because leaving things unsaid just made everything a hell of a lot better.


    ¡°Sorry about that, La. Everything¡¯s fine. He¡¯s just being Neal.¡±


    I didn¡¯t miss the way that she watched him walk back into the house. It was obvious from the day that she had stepped foot into my home that she had a thing for Neal, and where one girl may have been jealous at one point over this whole situation, I honestly wasn¡¯t.


    I had wondered what it would be like to see Neal with somebody else and not me. At one point in time, I couldn¡¯t have imagined that. But so much had changed between then and now, and even though Neal had been there for me, and we had been intimate... we weren¡¯t there now.


    I wanted to see him happy¡ªand ,apparently, I didn¡¯t know how to make him happy myself.


    It was just that there had been so much stuff that had happened, and even if James was still alive, I probably would have still called it off. Being with James and then Neal had beenplicated. Everything was alwaysplicated, and though Neal had treated me like a queen since the day he took me under his wing, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he had his ws too.


    Hell, we all had our ws. But the feelings that I felt for him once upon a time were slowly fading, and nothing that I could do would fix that. At least not anytime soon. ¡°See something you like?¡±


    La quickly shook her head, turning back to me as a shade of pink tinged her cheeks from embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I wasn¡¯t meaning to stare at him like that¡ª¡±


    Holding my hand up, I¡¯d cut her off mid-sentence with a smile on my face as Iughed. ¡°La, Neal and I are not together like that anymore. If you like him, tell him you like him. I would be happy as long as I saw him happy. Even though we¡¯ve been through so much together, I cannot give him the happiness he¡¯s looking for right now when I myself am trying to heal and live a life as a new mother.¡±


    She was taken aback by my forwardness in telling her to dive into Neal if she felt like it. As much as I wanted to be the one that was able to kiss and hold him, to have him hold me, to be wrapped and entangled within his arms, it just wasn¡¯t there anymore for me.


    Perhaps the only reason why I had such an infatuation with him before was because I so desperately wanted to feel loved when James had made me feel like I was nothing.


    Whatever the situation was, James was long gone dead at the hand of an evil man who I wished more than anything I could kill myself. I¡¯d give anything to have James back, but not in the way you would think.


    I just wanted him to be able to see his daughter, to see what we¡¯d created.


    I wasn¡¯t the kind of woman who believed in church and all of the other stuff that people believed in. I was the kind of woman who did believe in fate, though... I believed that every action had a positive or negative reaction.


    ¡°Shall we get going?¡± She was quickly changing the subject as she grabbed the handle of the stroller pushing the nkets back inside. I knew she was changing the subject because she no longer wanted to speak about Neal.


    I just didn¡¯t know how to let it go. I¡¯d have to find a new tactic to get her to spill the tea without her actually spilling the tea. It was something I had be fond of doing.


    ¡°La, can I ask you something?¡±


    ncing over at me from the corner of her eye, she nodded. ¡°Of course, you can.¡±


    ¡°Why is it that such a young girl like you decided to be a nanny? You just finished school not long ago and are already entering your adult life. Yet you want a job as a nanny. Why?


    ¡°Honestly?¡± she squeaked in shock as she continued walking down the path toward the beach. ¡°Are you sure that you want that answer?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure. Why wouldn¡¯t I be? Tell me what made you decide to do this.¡±


    Biting her bottom lip, she stopped in her tracks and turned to face mepletely. ¡°I want to make a difference, and working with children, I can. Not to mention working with you, I automatically get to travel to other countries.... I have never seen anything outside New Zend.¡±


    Laughter escaped me like a wild river as I took in exactly what she said.


    I hadn¡¯t meant to offend her or be rude in any way. I just couldn¡¯t contain theughter that I felt over this entire situation. She had literally done it because she wanted to travel, which I don¡¯t me her. Honestly, had I been in her shoes, I probably would have done the same thing.


    ¡°Fair enough. I admire your honesty, and I want you to always be honest with me, which is why I will go ahead and let you know again that if you want Neal, you need to take the leap and go get him. A man like him is not going to be around forever, and I¡¯m giving you my full blessing if that is what will make you both happy.¡±


    Even though I spoke the words, there was a tinge of pain in my heart.


    A pain that may not ever go away but with time hopefully would fade.

 Chapter 130 : Whose Lester?

    <h4>Chapter 130: Chapter 130 : Whose Lester?</h4>


    Ba.


    Two days had passed since my argument with Neal, and he had be more scarce than I would have liked. He kept himself busy in the office that he had opened in the city, and oftentimes, he would say that he was stayingte. Said that he didn¡¯t want to drive back in the dark, especially with the wild animals that seemed to roam the areas, even though they technically shouldn¡¯t have been.


    I hadn¡¯t seen any wild animals. It wasn¡¯t like we were in Australia; we were in New Zend, and a very nice part of New Zend, to be more precise.


    Perhaps it was me. Perhaps the reason why he was staying away was because he didn¡¯t want to face me and have another argument. Regardless, it made me feel guilty, and even Allegra seemed a little taken aback by the fact that we weren¡¯t on the best of speaking terms.


    ncing at the clock, the 11:00 o¡¯clock hour shone in bright red letters. With a groan of frustration, I rolled my eyes, throwing my arm over the front of my head as I took a deep breath and tried to calm my racing mind.


    I was never going to sleep until I figured out what it was that they were hiding from me. For the past two days, I had swirled and stewed in a roller coaster of emotions trying to clear my mind of the possibility of them lying to me even though I knew they were.


    I tried to remain on the bright side of things and thought that perhaps I was overthinking things. Yet, my gut told me I wasn¡¯t, and the more, I thought about it, the worse it became.


    With a moment of contemtion, I slowly rolled from the bed, standing to my feet as I patted my way across my room towards the nursery that was connected. Both children were fast asleep, settled within their beds after having a long day spent out in the garden.


    Letting out a heavy breath, I moved from the nursery out into the hallway, quietly shutting the door behind me. Perhaps a hot cup of tea would calm my mind and ease my nerves about everything that had been going on. Yet, as I passed Neal¡¯s room with the lights dark, letting me know that he was nowhere to be seen, an idea crossed my mind.


    If Neal refused to tell me what it was that he had going on, perhaps there was something in his room that would let me know exactly what he and Allegra were up to. I hesitated outside his door, feeling slightly ufortable that I would actually consider going, snooping through his stuff.


    It was an invasion of privacy, something that I had never done, at least not to anybody important to me. As my thumb came up to my lip, I stood there, biting on my nail for a moment before my eyes nced down the hallway, checking to see if La or Allegra mighte out.


    I knew they weren¡¯t going to deep down. I knew for a fact that La had gone to bed, absolutely worn out, and Allegra had a major headache and had not been feeling well for thest few days, so she had been spending most of her time in bed trying to rid her of the illness that was trying to take over.


    Mustering up courage, I gripped the handle of his bedroom door and slowly pushed it open. The moment that I stepped inside, my heart began to race, and quickly I closed the door behind me, my eyes searching for anything that might possibly point me in the direction of what he was doing.


    Arge king-size bed set on the far right wall, blue bedding, ck pillowcases, all of it elegantly decorated in a very modern tone that suited Neal. I wasn¡¯t crazy about his color scheme, but he called it new age and said that it was absolutely wonderful.


    Remembering the conversation of when we went to pick out paint for this house, the chuckle escaped me before I shook my head, pushing the thought away and continuing on my search for anything within his room that I could use.


    Neal was a neat and tidy man, and what caught me by surprise the most in his room was that the small desk that sat near the bed was the only thing that sat in an absolute mess. It had looked like he had been working vigorously to sort something out and then left in a hurry, and as I walked closer to it, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he had been up to.


    Reaching down, I picked up a handful of papers and began to look through them. The name Lester Johnson was scribbled through them as well as photos of a building in Japan, and a photo of a man walking but taken from behind him so you couldn¡¯t see his face. ¡°What the hell¨C¡± I muttered softly to myself in confusion.


    From the looks of it, Neal was obsessed with whoever this was, and when I got deeper into looking at this, I also noticed a familiar name I hadn¡¯t seen or heard in months.


    Ronaldo.


    Whoever this Lester Johnson was, Ronaldo knew him, because there were photos of the two men talking, but of course I couldn¡¯t see Lester¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ba?¡± A voice called from behind me, causing me to drop the papers in front of me, and nce over my shoulder towards Allegra, who stood in the doorway wrapped in her robe with a look of confusion in her eyes. ¡°What are you doing in here?¡±


    Her eyes quickly darted toward the papers and the photos I had been looking at, and with the look, she quickly became uneasy. ¡°Who is this, Allegra?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she breathed out as she shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know what my brother does in his spare time.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that bullshit, Allegra. I know that you know.¡±


    Crossing her arms over her chest, she sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything, but we need to get out of here. This is his private room, and to find you snooping around his stuff is wrong.¡±


    ¡°Wrong?¡± I scoffed withughter. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, right now. I have literally been watching you both sneak around in hushed conversation hiding shit from me for weeks now. I¡¯m tired of it, Allegra. This is MY house, and I don¡¯t appreciate being lied to.¡±


    This was the first time that I had ever really spoken to her like this before, but she couldn¡¯t me me for being upset. I was tired of the crap and wanted to know what secrets were being kept from me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you feel that way,¡± she whispered before turning for the door.


    Grabbing the photos, I stormed out of her following her down the hallway as she moved quickly towards the kitchen. The conversation was far from over, and with my father arriving tomorrow, I wanted this sorted tonight.


    ¡°Allegra!¡± I shouted in a soft voice, trying not to wake La or the children. ¡°Don¡¯t walk away from me. We need to sort this out now.¡±


    Spinning around at the counter, she narrowed her gaze at me, shaking her head. ¡°There is nothing for me to tell you, Ba. I don¡¯t have the answers.¡±


    Just when I thought things couldn¡¯t get more interesting, the front door opened, and we both turned to see Neal, rather disheveled, waking into the foyer. As soon as the door closed, he stopped staring at both Allegra and me with wide eyes as if he had just walked into battle.


    ¡°What did I miss?¡± he asked, causing Allegra tough.


    ¡°Ba was snooping through your room Neal. She found stuff on Lester. Care to tell her who that is?¡± The sarcasm in Allegra¡¯s voice gave way to the significance of whoever this person was. She knew and wasn¡¯t going to tell me but instead looked to Neal to do so.


    Neal¡¯s eyes darted toward me with an angry scowl. ¡°You went through my f*cking room?¡±


    I was hesitant about my actions at that moment. My heart was racing as I stared him down, trying to formte words. ¡°Yes, because you never tell me shit.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. You have NO right to go through my f*cking room, Ba. That is my personal space, and I have a right to my privacy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I was supposed to be a woman you loved, and yet you constantly hide shit from me and lie to me about everything, telling me it¡¯s your way of being able to protect me. You can¡¯t me me for wanting answers,¡± I snapped at him with anger.


    Was I in the wrong for invading his privacy? Perhaps, but he was wrong too.


    Shaking his head, he clenched his jaw in anger. ¡°You have no idea what I have done for you. To keep you safe and to protect you.¡±


    ¡°I do, and I appreciate everything you have done, Neal but I¡¯m not a child¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sometimes you act like it!¡± he snapped, cutting me off mid-sentence, causing me to flinch at his tone. He was pissed, and stepping toward me, he caused me to step back.


    ¡°Go f*ck yourself, Neal. I don¡¯t have to take this shit from you.¡±


    Pushing past him, I shoved the photos into his chest, listening to them fall to the floor from behind me. I was done with the conversation, and it hurt to know that he was going to act like that and treat me as a child when all I wanted was answers.


    Walking down the hallway, his footsteps echoed behind me, and ncing over my shoulder I could see himing after me. Moving quicker, I darted for my room but was quickly snatched by the arm and dragged into his room with the door mming closed behind us.


    Wide eyes and worry across my face, I stumbled towards the bed, and turned to face him. Neal was blocking my way of leaving his room, and as he stepped closer to me, I felt both turned on, and slightly afraid. ¡°You¡¯re not going to walk away from me.¡±


    ¡°Really, because you walk away from me all the time.¡±


    My quick response angered him, and as he came closer, I tried to move around him to leave the room but instead found myself pressed against the bedroom door with my arms above my head and my heart racing.


    I was turned on, but I was always pissed off. Thebination was something I hadn¡¯t ever expected to feel with Neal. Thest person who had made me feel that way was James.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to listen to me,¡± he said, leaning closer to me. ¡°I¡¯m tired of us fighting like this all the time. It¡¯s f*cking pointless.¡±


    ¡°Then stop lying, and *ucking tell me what¡¯s really going on,¡± I sneered, struggling against him. ¡°If you can¡¯t, then f*cking leave.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you really want?¡± he smirked. ¡°You want me to leave, Ba? Because right now, I don¡¯t think you do.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wrong there. Right now, my core ached with the desire to have him take me. God knows it had been so long since I had been f*cked right, but I didn¡¯t want to give into desire when there was shit going on that I was clueless about.


    ¡°You have no idea what I want,¡± I whispered softly as I stared into his eyes. ¡°Honestly, I doubt you even remember what I like considering you always to busy to pay attention¡ª¡±


    My words were cut off as his lips crashed against mine. Lost in the taste of him, our movements became frenzied. I moaned when his fingers slid down to brush over the slit of my aching c*nt. I wanted him. Yes, I was pissed, but I also wanted him to take me simply because I was horny as hell.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been a bad girl, Ba. And bad girls deserve to be punished.¡±


    The whispered sound of his voice against my ear as he kissed my jaw caused a rush of emotions to swirl through me. He had never been like this with me before, and god, I f*cking loved it.

 Chapter 131 : Putting my Foot Down

    <h4>Chapter 131: Chapter 131 : Putting my Foot Down</h4>


    Ba.


    The moment that Neal attempted to possess my body, it took everything in me not to give in to that desire. I had to be strong, and I had to say no. Not only had I just had a baby not too long ago, and was I still healing, but I also wasn¡¯t interested in being sated with sex so that he didn¡¯t have to exin what was going on.


    I wanted answers, and Neal was going to have to learn boundaries.


    cing my hands on his chest, I pushed him away from me, his lips popping as they left mine, a look of confusion on his face as he stared down into my eyes.


    Yes, I felt absolutely ridiculous doing this, because God knows how much I would have loved to have him cherish my body right now, but it just wasn¡¯t possible.


    I had to be the logical thinker and not let him side-track me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t have you doing this just because you know that I want to be taken by you. It does not give you the right to use sex as a method to make me forget about what I wanted to know.¡± I quickly eximed, trying to make him understand that he couldn¡¯t just do whatever he wanted to do.


    However, a scoff left his lips as he began tough, shaking his head as he ran his hand through his hair and stared at me with disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re being serious right now? You really are going to stop this between us because you want to get rity on something that¡¯s none of your business?¡±


    When he said it like that, he made it seem absolutely ridiculous for me to be asking questions about Lester Johnson. No matter the situation, though, I couldn¡¯t divert this attention back to me. What he was doing right now was a little narcissistic, as he gaslighted me into feeling guilty about asking something that he was hiding from me on purpose.


    I wasn¡¯t quite sure why he was acting like this.


    When I met him months ago, and we spent time together, and then I moved in with him in New York, he was never like this. He was normal; he was nice. He¡¯d wanted to do things for me. He¡¯d wanted to do things with me, and I really had seen a future with us.


    But now, the way he was acting made me wonder if it was all a lie to begin with.


    Nothing I knew about him was true.


    ¡°You know what? I think I should just go to bed. This right here between us... this can¡¯t happen again.¡± I was done being yed with. I was done being toyed over everything that was going on; whether it was James or Neal, it was all bullshit.


    At the end of the day, couldn¡¯t I be with a man who actually f*cking wanted to be with me because of me? Was it seriously so hard to ask for one of these f*cking idiots to have been able to get their shit together and be a normal person?


    The thought broke my heart as I quickly remembered that James was now dead and, therefore, would never be able to redeem himself for what he had done. I was left with Neal, and though I had fallen for Neal at one point in time, the tides had turned, and those feelings no longer lingered within the depths of my heart.


    He was a good man, and I believed that wholeheartedly, but he¡¯d made bad decisions, and currently, the way he was acting was pushing me further and further away.


    Walking down the hallway towards my room, I quickly opened the door and entered, shutting it behind me and turning the lock.


    Thest thing I wanted was for Neal toe in here, and as I made my way across the room, picking up my phone, I looked down to see a text message from my father that they had boarded their final flight and would be here in the morning.


    I couldn¡¯t wait to see him, honestly, to be able to have him tell me everything was gonna be okay. That he was here and that everything was going to be wonderful.


    I suppose part of me felt like a little girl on Christmas morning, believing in Santa still. Wishing that I could make time move quickly so that I could see what he left me. That was how I felt anticipating the arrival of my dad. I was a daddy¡¯s girl at heart and always would be.


    With the arrival of my father and all of his stuff currently being shipped over to New Zend by boat, I had taken it upon myself to go and purchase them a small house that located literally right next door to my property.


    I wanted them to be able to have their own private home to enjoy themselves, but at the same time, I wanted to do something nice for my father.


    Not only had I forcibly paid for their tickets and their entire move over to New Zend, to which they said they would simply stay with me and then purchase their own home, but I had gone against my father¡¯s wishes and actually purchased them a home.


    Whether they wanted to have it or not, it would still be there waiting for them.


    It wasn¡¯t like I was short on cash anymore, and though I had invested quite a bit of it in various differentpanies, and also into the stock market, I was still left with arge amount.


    It was my way of building my children¡¯s future. Both of the children would be taken care of for the rest of their lives, never wanting for anything, never falling into bad times.


    Everything that I was doing was what James should have done for Tally, building a positive future, building a harmonious home, one that was full of safety and love and one that they would be protected in.


    ¡°Ba?¡± Allegra¡¯s voice called out softly from the other side of my bedroom door. If she was here to try and convince me to forgive all, she was really going to be in for a rude awakening.


    Hesitating for a moment, I finally stood from where I¡¯d been sitting on the bed and made my way toward the bedroom door. Thest thing I wanted to do was have a conversation with her right now, but I wasn¡¯t known for being a typically rude person.


    Opening the bedroom door, I stared at her with apletely asinine gaze, my arms crossed over my chest, irritation in my eyes. If she didn¡¯t get my current mood by looking at me, she was surely going to get it within myments.


    ¡°What?¡± I said tly, watching as she cocked a brow with a small grin on the corner of her lips as if she thought my attitude was funny.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like this. It is not bing of you, and you are not the kind of girl that usually has this kind of attitude and persona.¡±


    Scoffing at herment about the kind of person I was, Iughed. She had no f*cking clue who I was. Even though she knew me really well, she didn¡¯t honestly actually know me. ¡°That¡¯s what you think, and obviously, you don¡¯t know me very well.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯ve been friends forever. Of course, I do.¡±


    ¡°We have been friends for a year. I highly doubt that kind of justifies forever,¡± I snapped back, watching as she flinched under myment.


    Was I being a bitch? Yes, but look at the way her and Neal were acting. They were in my house under my roof. And yes, they had been there for me since day one. But what was with all of the f*cking secrets and lies?


    They could have just told me the truth...


    Instead, though, it was all secrets and lies and hushed whispers, and why are you going in my room? And why are you looking through my stuff and then trying to change my view on the situation by coaxing me to have sex?


    Was her brother absolutely f*cking insane to think that any part of that was actually going to work? That I was going to cave in and let him have what he wanted?


    ¡°Ba, look Neal¡ª¡±


    Holding my hand up, I stopped her real quickly, her words dying before she could continue that sentence. ¡°If you tell me right now that Neal didn¡¯t mean to do it, I¡¯m going to hit you. Because yes, your brother did. He was aplete f*cking asshole, and instead of talking to me, he tried to use sex to change my mind on about asking the question. That¡¯s f*cking bullshit, and I¡¯m not down for that.¡±


    Wide-eyed, a look of surprise filled her fase as she crossed her arms over her chest and nodded her head. ¡°You¡¯re right. It was an asshole move, and I didn¡¯t realize that he had tried to change the subject by having sex. I apologize for that.¡±


    ¡°Allegra, you shouldn¡¯t be apologizing. I¡¯m not pissed at you, per se. I mean, yeah, I¡¯m annoyed that you wouldn¡¯t tell me what the f*ck is going on, but you¡¯re not the one acting like a dick. Your brother is, so stop apologizing for him. It¡¯s his f*cking problem.¡±


    There was no argument to be had. She knew that I was right.


    ¡°I know, but at times I feel like my brother¡¯s keeper, and I hate to see that you are fighting. You guys used to be so good together, and nowtely, all you do is argue.¡± Her soft whispered words calmed me down a little bit.


    She wasn¡¯t wrong, though. All Neal and I did dotely was argue.


    And I was sick of it.


    It wasn¡¯t my fault, though.... I mean, it was, but it wasn¡¯t. I had no idea what was going on with him, why his mood shifted the moment that I had the baby. I thought he had been excited to be part of that.


    But instead, he just became angry, and it was like he became a new person.


    ¡°Allegra. I don¡¯t like it either. Neal and I were good together, and it seems like ever since I had the baby, or better yet, ever since we moved to New Zend... all he wants to do is hide shit and act weird and sneaky as if hiding shit is the best thing to do. I don¡¯t understand it, and honestly, I want to try to fix it, but at the same time, it¡¯s not my problem because we¡¯re not together, and we never were.¡±


    With a heavy sigh, she nodded her head once more. ¡°I know.... If he tries to talk to you, at least give him a chance to exin.¡±


    With a heavy sigh of disapproval, I nodded in agreement. It wasn¡¯t like I had a choice. Well, I did. But at the same time, if I wanted an answer, I really didn¡¯t have a choice. So I was going to have to make him believe I forgave him in order to get the answer I wanted.


    As Allegraughed, saying her goodbyes, I closed the door once more and climbed back into bed. There were a million and one things on my mind, but only one thing stood out.


    The name Lester Johnson and why he was important to Neal.

 Chapter 132 : Unanticipated Troubles

    <h4>Chapter 132: Chapter 132 : Unanticipated Troubles</h4>


    James.


    A week had passed since I had first started looking over all of the paperwork that Ronaldo and his father had in regard to the import business. I wasn¡¯t exactly sure what they were expecting, but after doing much research and digging into everything, I was able toe up with a n of action to make sure that they were profiting like they wanted to be.


    Every day, though, my brain constantly wandered back to Ba and my daughter wondering if now was the opportunity to let her know that I was still alive. I wanted to get back to her, I wanted to talk to her, and no matter how many times I tried to reach out to Neil, he was unavable or unwilling to take my call.


    I had thought about reaching out to Allegra, but that was asking for problems if I wasn¡¯t careful. She already didn¡¯t like me or the things that I had done, and even though I didn¡¯t want to think that she would stop me from knowing about my daughter and knowing how things were going, I couldn¡¯t cross the idea for my mind that she would limit the information.


    Something about Neal and Allegra just didn¡¯t sit right with me, and even though I had figured some of this stuff out when everything had gone down, there was just something else about the way they acted that didn¡¯t seem right.


    Off and on, I had tried to dig into their information, not wanting anybody to know what I was doing, and yet every time I thought I was getting close, I came up empty-handed.


    The only thing that I could possibly do was go to my uncle, and if I did, I could see him wondering why I wanted to know more about those people, regardless if they were the ones Ba was residing with.


    My uncle didn¡¯t like the Russians. Hell, none of my family did, but at the end of the day, I was going to have to go to them as myst resort effort in order to make sure that I was able to get my family back.


    Walking down the hallways of my uncle¡¯s home, I scanned the various decor and photos that littered the area. There was a hint of rosemary and jasmine in the air, most likely from the women who were currently in the kitchen cooking. They had been more than amodating since I had been here, and in fact, my uncle had taken me in like another son, one that he seemed to prefer over his own.


    Lifting my hand, I knocked twice on his office door and waited for his booming voice toe from the other side. ¡°Come in, James.¡±


    The moment that I opened the door, I was met with a cloud of cigar smoke and my uncle¡¯s eyes staring back at me from behind his brown, dark oak desk.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you, uncle, but I wanted to see if I could speak with you about something,¡± I said quite professionally, not wanting him to think that I wasing here just for personal reasons.


    I did need to speak to him about business-rted information and hopefully would be able to get the information I sought out of it as well. ¡°Of course, of course. Come on in and take a seat. close the door behind you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t hesitate at his offer, and quickly closing the door, I made my way across the room and took a seat in the chair across from his desk. The brown leather seating rested and brushed against my skin as I gotfortable.


    ¡°Looking over the paperwork, I honestly think that there are some moves that we could make in order to make more money with the imports we haveing in if we simply charge the ports for the services that we are bringing into their business.¡±


    My uncle¡¯sughter caught me by surprise, and with a hint of amusement lingering in his eyes as he stared at me, I wondered if I¡¯d said the wrong thing.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t typically how it works, from my understanding. The ports charge us, we don¡¯t charge the ports.¡± He replied, causing a grin to spread across my face from ear to ear.


    Under normal circumstances, that was correct.


    However, I actually had a solution to that.


    ¡°I actually have something that would make that make more sense. See, a couple of the ports we¡¯re going into are actually looking to work with these otherpanies that are along the Mediterranean. They want their imports brought into their particr port. However, thosepanies don¡¯t currently have ships to carry it. Now, if we were to, say, charge thosepanies to carry that cargo, and therefore, they were also paying those import fees, we could technically turn around and work out a deal with those ports to directly bring those goods in solely to their ports for thosepanies and in turn, not have to pay the port fees on our items.¡±


    My solution was a win-win deal, honestly.


    My uncle took a moment, pondering what I had exined. He had a thinly met smile, and with it, he nodded his head, slowly taking everything into consideration.


    ¡°You know, I think that might actually work.¡±


    Nodding my head, I already knew that it would, but I decided to y along with my uncle¡¯sment. ¡°I think you¡¯re right. It would work, and in fact, it would end up bringing money into your pocket. And you know these businesses up and down the Mediterranean better than anybody. There¡¯s no way that they¡¯re going to tell you no.¡±


    The smug expression that my uncle wore was the only answer I needed to know that I had won him over on the idea. He was a businessman through and through, and if he found a way that he could make money and do so using our family name to get these people into agreeing along the Mediterranean, then it was all we needed in order to get what we wanted.


    ¡°For some reason, I don¡¯t think that this was the only information you brought to me today. Is it James?¡± I froze at hisment, taking a moment to think about what I would say before speaking.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. But why do you say that?¡± I asked hesitantly, curious to know why he had asked. He was an observant man, but I hadn¡¯t given anything away.


    ¡°James, I know everything that you do, every move that you make. I do with every person in this house. You¡¯ve been looking into those people again, the ones that your woman and child are with,¡± re replied with a smug grin.


    ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m not going to lie to you. I¡¯m looking into them because there¡¯s something about them that I don¡¯t quite trust. The little information that I do know makes me wonder if they¡¯re hiding something more and not just hiding something, but hiding from someone and using my woman and my child to cover their tracks.¡±


    Hearing this, my uncle put down his cigar, leaning forward on his chair as he sped his hands in front of him. He never made any decisions without first consulting others, but for some reason, he seemed pretty adamant about whatever he was going to say.


    ¡°Do this for me. Give me their names, first andst, and anything that you know about them. Get it to me by the end of the day. I¡¯ll look and see what I can find, and if there¡¯s something there, perhaps we can find a way to fix your situation before something happens.¡± My uncle¡¯s offer was generous, more generous than I could have expected.


    ¡°I appreciate you helping me, Uncle,¡± I replied, eager to ept his help. ¡°I think things will be a lot better when we¡¯re able to get Ba and my daughter here. However, I do have a feeling that she is going to resist. She¡¯s made a home for herself in New Zend, and as far as the people that I work with know, she¡¯s also invited her father to live there, so moving to Italy may not be something she¡¯s exactly willing to do.


    I didn¡¯t want to force Ba into doing anything, but if my thoughts were correct in regards to Neil and Allegra, it might have be a route that I was going to have to take.


    As the meeting between my uncle and I concluded. I quickly left his presence, closed the door behind me, and made my way down the hallway. It was at that time that I turned the corner towards my room, and I saw Ronaldo walking towards me.


    ¡°I was just looking for you. You¡¯ve been with my father.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just left his office,¡± I replied quickly with a nod of my head. ¡°I found a solution to the important situation. Your father likes it, and I think he¡¯s going to proceed in that direction.¡±


    Ronaldo very quietly stood staring at me until his brows furrowed, and he narrowed his gaze. ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe to me with the idea first before you went to see my dad? You know that I like to be in those meetings.¡±


    I was a little taken aback by the tone of his voice and the anger that seemed to be there. I wasn¡¯t sure why it mattered that I had spoken to his father; it wasn¡¯t like he was helping to sort all of this shit.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that I needed to talk to you about everything when you and your father gave me this job. Your dad asked me to do something, and I did it. What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    Ronaldo chuckled, finding amusement in my question. ¡°The problem is, thispany will one day be mine, and I want to make sure that all the decisions being made are going to benefit me when I take over.¡±


    It was clear that his only concern was money and how much money he was going to make once his father died. At the moment, he had money, but not as much as he would have liked, and seeing that, his hostility wasing from the fact that he thought he could be losing money or perhaps being swindled out of money that was rightfully his.


    With past experience, men in this kind of predicament weren¡¯t easy to rationalize with.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, it was nothing new,¡± I lied, trying to make it seem like it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°It was about those businesses we talked aboutst time.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t entirely true, but Ronaldo didn¡¯t need to know that.


    ¡°Oh, okay, well, that¡¯s fine then. Just in the future, run things by me first, if you will, please. My father is not always there, per se.¡±


    He was implying that his father was not in the right mind to run a business, but he and I both knew that it wasn¡¯t true. Instead of saying anything, though, I nodded my head with a smile. ¡°No problem, man, but I¡¯m going to get back to it. I¡¯ve got a few more things that I need to do, and I¡¯m going to try and see if I can¡¯t get a hold of Ba.¡±


    Ronaldo quickly departed, leaving me alone in the hallway, and as I nced over my shoulder in the direction to which he had gone, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there were going to be more issues that would arise than I had initially anticipated.


    Ronaldo was showing more colors than I was happy with.

 Chapter 133 : Day Out

    <h4>Chapter 133: Chapter 133 : Day Out</h4>


    Ba.


    After a week of silence, Neal had decided that apologizing profusely was the best way to get me in a better mood. Not that I was paying attention to his efforts. I had chosen to pretend that things were okay, but secretly, I was keeping an eye out. There was no way that I was letting the situation go. If something was up, I was bound to find out.


    "Ba, look at these nes," Dad said. My dad¡¯s new wife was currently receiving pampered treatment on the other side of town while I helped him find a gift for her.


    Looking at the multicolored beads with silver trim, I smiled at his choice. "It¡¯s beautiful, Dad. She will love it."


    He seemed to ponder for a moment before pulling out his wallet and handing cash over to the plump brte storekeeper. She was more than helpful as she threw in a pair of matching earrings on his purchase in a small pink box, wrapping it with a bow.


    I loved how everyone here was so happy and helpful when you spoke to them. It was a nice contrast to how things were in the States. Most of the people I had met there were less than friendly with their judgmental looks and vague answers.


    Knowing that my children would be growing up in a ce like this wasforting. They would be taught the hygge way of life, and it was honestly how I wanted to live.


    Walking further down to the next stall, pushing the two seat stroller with both Dahlia and Alessandro tucked safely inside, we looked at all of the offerings.


    There were a variety of different things at the market, from fresh produce to handcrafted furniture, even clothing and other handcrafted jewels. The list was endless, and as I meandered around, I found that I lost track of my father who had been looking around himself.


    Turning around, I nced over my shoulders to look for him when I noticed a blond-haired man with a ck zippered sweat shirt and dark sunsses staring at me. He stood out from the crowd as he leaned against a dark brick building with his hands in his pockets as people passed him by. There was no one around him, and the outfit he wore made him look dark and mysterious.


    My heart raced with uneasiness over the man. I tried to tell myself I was overthinking it. That he wasn¡¯t watching me, maybe he was watching his kids or something.


    "I¡¯m just being paranoid..." I muttered to myself as I turned back around and let a heavy sigh escape me.


    "Ba, there you are." My father¡¯s voice wasforting, and as I watched his smiling face, gray hair and silver ssese into focus. I felt safe once more.


    "Hey, Dad. I was wondering where you went. Did you find everything you were looking for?" I noticed a variety of colorful bags in his hand, and with them, a small bouquet of local flowers ranging in shades of pinks and yellows. My dad was such a romantic, and seeing them, I raised a brow and smiled.


    "Do you think it¡¯s too much?"


    Shaking my head, I grinned. "No, it¡¯s perfect. She¡¯s going to love it. Plus, she needs things to fill in your new house."


    Giving me a sideways stare and a pointed expression to say he wasn¡¯t done with that topic, Iughed and kept walking with him through the stalls until the parking lot came into view.


    The day had been wonderful. I enjoyed spending time with my father, something I hadn¡¯t been able to do in so long. With everything that had happened over the past year, all I wanted to do was enjoy moments like this, because if I¡¯d learned one thing by losing Tally and James, it was that life was too short, and you never know when it will end.


    Loading the children into the car, I thanked my father for helping, and then directed him to get in the car while I loaded the stroller. The moment that I copsed it down, I went to lift it and the strange man I had seen earlier came frm out of nowhere.


    "Oh gosh that looks heavy. Let me help you with that."


    Shocked by his offer I stepped back, watching him load the stroller before closing the back of my hatch. I was speechless at him being present, and as he turned to me, I took notice of any features he had that could be useful in case something happened. "Thanks... for that."


    "No problem. I hate to see a single mom struggling." Single? What the hell about me said I was single? Was it literally that obvious?


    "It¡¯s appreciated." Trying not to make the situation any more awkward than it already was, I shifted my weight and quickly moved around him to make my way towards the drivers door. As much as I trusted my father driving, there was no way he was driving my car and in a country he wasn¡¯t yet familiar with.


    As soon as I opened my car door, I nced over my shoulder once more, and the man was gone. Quickly ncing around, I looked for where he had gone, but I couldn¡¯t spot him anywhere. The whole entire situation waspletely odd, and what caught me the most, initially, was his ent.


    ¡°Is everything okay, Ba?¡± my father called out from inside the car.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry, I thought I saw someone I knew.¡±


    Climbing into the car, I closed the door and gave my dad a reassuring nce as he proceeded to look outside the car where I had once been looking. It wasn¡¯t easy to keep stuff from my father. He had known me my entire life, so lying wasn¡¯t easily aplished.


    However, my father didn¡¯t bother to pry anymore into the situation, and before I knew it, I was leaving the parking lot headed for our home.


    Allegra.


    I hated lying to Ba, and the more I had to, the more it made me sick. Neal was getting too carried away with his bullshit, and after the argument they had between them, I was growing more wary of my brother¡¯s rash decisions. It was like he waspletely bing a man I didn¡¯t recognize, and there was no point in talking to him about it.


    He refused to see that he was the one with an issue.


    Laughter and small talking from the front door perked my attention, and walking from the kitchen to the hallway, I met Ba and her father, who were carrying fussy children and shopping bags. ¡°Hey, do you need any help?¡±


    Ba nced at me nkly before La came running down the hallway with a smile on her face. ¡°Nope, they are mine.¡± Sheughed as she scooped up Alessandro and took Dahlia¡¯s car seat in one arm before turning down the hallway.


    La¡¯s happy voice as she spoke to the children trailed behind her. Ba and her father bothughed at how excited La was with the children. ¡°She really is good with them, isn¡¯t she?¡± Ba¡¯s father said with pride.


    ¡°Yeah, she is. She has been a huge support, and I¡¯m grateful to have her. It¡¯s almost like having a younger sister,¡± Ba replied as her dad wrapped an arm around her shoulder giving her a small hug.


    ¡°Well, sweetheart, I¡¯m going to head back to the house.¡±


    Ba turned to her father, hugging him back as she sighed. ¡°Okay, Dad. I will see you guys in the morning for breakfast, though, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t miss it,¡± he replied before turning, heading out of the house without another word.


    The feeling of being out of ce, and unwanted, never felt so strong as it did in that moment. It was as if Ba and I were strangers living together, and I hated it. I hated how when she looked at me it was as if she couldn¡¯t stand to be around me.


    ¡°Ba, can we talk?¡± I breathed out softly, watching as she nced up at me from the mound of bags in front of her. She didn¡¯t seem to like the idea, but with a sigh, she stood up and nodded.


    ¡°Sure, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    I was hesitant to say anything simply because I didn¡¯t want an argument, but crossing my arms over my chest, I decided to suck it up and get it over with. ¡°I hate how things are between ustely. I miss spending time with you like we used to.¡±


    She was staring nkly at me, and I could almost see the clock¡¯s ticking in her head from the look in her eyes she was giving me. It was as if she wanted the same thing, but at the same time refused to back down from everything that was going.


    ¡°I know, but I already told you I don¡¯t like being lied to or shit hidden from me. I¡¯m not the same girl I used to be, and having a child forced me to grow up from the childish shit I was doing before.¡±


    Her reply wasn¡¯t what I expected, but then again, I wasn¡¯t sure what exactly I did expect. ¡°So is this your way of saying we can¡¯t go back to that?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she quickly spat out as a smirk crossed her face. ¡°I¡¯m saying that we can try, but I¡¯m not going to put up with the crap, Allegra. I want to know what the hell is up, and it would be in everybody¡¯s best interest if you got that into Neal¡¯s head.¡±


    A sigh of relief escaped me as I walked over to Ba and wrapped my arms around her, giving her a hug. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll try and sort him out.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± she replied as we pulled apart. ¡°Help me put this stuff in the kitchen. We can unpack it together.¡±


    I didn¡¯t hesitate to help her as we lugged all of the bags into the kitchen and slowly began to unpack everything she had purchased. I hadn¡¯t realized that Ba was going to purchase the entire produce stand there, but she had countless amounts of vegetables and fruit to choose from.


    More than likely part of her recent health phase she was going through.


    ¡°So, did you guys have fun?¡± I asked, watching as she scoffed withughter nodding her head.


    ¡°Yeah, it was nice, but there are some weird people at that ce.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t ustomed to Ba calling someone weird like that, and definitely not describing anyone as weird since we came to this ind. She always said how nice everyone was and how happy she was that she¡¯d moved here.


    ¡°What do you mean, weird?¡± I looked for answers to herment, hoping to gain rity on what had actually happened.


    Something must have happened, but I wasn¡¯t sure what it could have been for her to be calm. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing serious. Just my mind being overly paranoid.¡±


    ¡°Paranoid?¡± I gasped, a little taken aback. ¡°Ba, what are you talking about?¡±


    She nced up at me, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. There was just this guy there... super cute, from what I could tell. I thought he was watching me at one point, and then when I was putting the stroller in the car, he appeared from nowhere and helped me.¡±


    Stopping in my tracks, my eyes went wide, and my mouth parted.


    There was no way that was a random act of kindness. ¡°What did he look like?¡±


    Someone was watching her, and if that was the case, shit just got moreplicated.

 Chapter 134 : Getting Down to Business

    <h4>Chapter 134: Chapter 134 : Getting Down to Business</h4>


    Ba.


    I stared at Allegra, slightly confused as to why she wanted to know what the man looked like. Her entire demeanor changed the moment that I told her what had happened, and as it did, I felt slightly uneasy about the entire situation.


    ¡°Why do you want to know what he looked like?¡± I asked her, waiting for her to give me an answer. She kept a stoic gaze as she turned and looked over her shoulder to see if anybody else wasing.


    ¡°Ba, just tell me. What did this man look like?¡±


    Again, with all the secrecy, she wasn¡¯t giving me a direct answer. But then again, I hadn¡¯t actually answered her question either. Letting out a sigh, I rolled my eyes and turned back to the unpacking. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He was tall, blond hair. He wore sunsses. There was nothing really different from him than anybody else, other than he looked very suspicious.¡±


    My reply didn¡¯t seem to impress her, and in fact, it seemed to annoy her more than anything. Not wanting to cause any moreplications, I decided that I would try to let the situation go by changing the subject.


    ¡°So I was thinking, tomorrow morning, we¡¯re going to do a Big Breakfast here, cook a bunch of food, fruit, maybe sit out on the patio. My dad and his wife are going to being to join us¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ba, this isn¡¯t the time to talk about tomorrow¡¯s breakfast. This is serious,¡± Allegra replied, cutting me off mid-sentence. I wasn¡¯t sure what had gotten into her, but the fact that she was acting the way she was became more than annoying with every passing moment.


    Turning back to face her, I raised a brow and gave her a look of uncertainty. ¡°Allegra, he was just some guy being nice, helping me load the stroller. I was being paranoid. You¡¯re overthinking things, and everything is fine now. Come on, we need to talk about tomorrow.¡±


    Trying to push off the subject, not wanting to discuss it anymore about my weird interactions with strangers in the market, I attempted to continue what I was doing, but her hand quickly reached out, gripping my arm as she turned me to face her. For some reason, I had a feeling that perhaps I wasn¡¯t just being paranoid, that maybe this person was in fact, someone I needed to be careful of.


    ¡°Never think that you¡¯re safe just because you don¡¯t want to believe that you¡¯re being paranoid.¡± Her cryptic message caught me off guard, and I didn¡¯t understand why she would say something like that. Moving to New Zend was a safe ce to be. It kept us out of the eye of everybody else.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re getting at. Moving here was meant to keep us safe. Nobody knows where we are.¡±


    Laughter escaped her as she scoffed and then shook her head. ¡°Ba, anybody can find where we are. Nowhere is exactly safe, unless you were to have changed your name and yourplete identity. Even then, who knows? Anybody can find you, especially since you bought this house. Everything that you purchased with your cards or with any form of money is going to leave a paper trail, and just because we haven¡¯t heard anything in such a long time doesn¡¯t mean there aren¡¯t people out there looking for you.¡±


    Left with the possibility that somebody James had been in with back then could still be looking for me, perhaps Sergei¡¯s son, or anybody else that were from his n, made my stomach turn. Neal and Allegra had told me that I would be safe here.


    They had assured me that nobody wasing to look for me. That I wouldn¡¯t have any issues with being able to raise the children here perfectly safe and sound. And now, Allegra was telling me there was a possibility that they could have found me, that they could being after me.


    My mind swirled with the thoughts of something happening to my children because of this shit. ¡°Oh, my God! Are you f*cking kidding me right now?¡±


    Panic set in, and as my heart raced, my breathing became shallow, a panic attack settling over me as I ced my hand against my chest, trying to calm my breathing. Thest thing I wanted was to have to relive this crap once more. And yet, here again, I was caught in the middle of something that had nothing to do with me.


    How was I supposed to live a normal life with my children if I couldn¡¯t get away from the past that seemed to want to catch up to me? A past that I had nothing to do with.


    ¡°Ba, calm down. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll tell Neal what¡¯s going on. Tell me exactly where you saw him¨C¡± I knew she was trying to reassure me, but the moment I snapped, my look at her cut her off mid-sentence.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare tell me that everything is gonna be okay! As if Neal can fix everything. He can¡¯t even get a hold of himself, Allegra. How am I supposed to trust him, or even you, for that matter, to take care of things, to sort out all of this bullshit if every time I turn around, ites back to haunt me?¡± I didn¡¯t mean to speak to her the way I was, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I was angry. I was frustrated. Most of all, I was scared.


    There was no telling if this man was actually part of some criminal organization, and there was no telling if my life was ever going to get back to the way I wanted it to be. But one thing was for sure, I would never allow anyone to get near my children that could possibly harm them, and if that meant that I had to cut ties with both Allegra and Neal, then so be it.


    Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and counted backward from twenty. I had to calm myself because I was never going to think rationally in the state that I was in. If this guy was here to try and spy on me or potentially bring harm to me or the children, I had to be prepared to defend myself.


    Firearms weren¡¯t something that were typically found quite easily in this country, and though I knew what I needed to do, there was a part of me that was scared to even do so.


    ¡°Ba, please don¡¯t be angry with me. I¡¯m not saying that this is for sure that kind of situation, but I just want to make you aware so you don¡¯t put the possibility out of your mind.¡±


    Her soft-spoken words took me by surprise again. Was she seriously going to sit here and tell me not to be worried about something like this when she clearly stated that it could be somebody dangerous?


    ¡°Allegra, I think you have a phone call to make to your brother. And in the meantime, I¡¯m going to put the rest of this away, and then I¡¯m going to go spend time with my children because I can¡¯t deal with this right now. I can¡¯t deal with the fact that this shit keeps following me. I don¡¯t want any part of it.¡±


    She didn¡¯t bother waiting for me to say anything else after I spoke, nor did she bother to respond. All she did was nod her head and quickly disappear. I wasn¡¯t sure where she was going or what she was going to do, but at that moment, I didn¡¯t care.


    I didn¡¯t even want to see her or her brother. Because even though they had done so much to help protect me and create a new life for me, they were also continuously reminding me of what had happened.


    I wasn¡¯t their ything that they could dress up and use whenever they wanted to. I wasn¡¯t somebody who could continuously be brought into the bullshit that had nothing to do with me. If they wanted to live that kind of life, then that was on them. But with the way Neal had been actingtely, I highly doubted that he actually gave a f*ck anymore.


    *****


    Allegra.


    Ba freaked out on me over the entire situation; I should have almost expected it. However, I was taken back by her outburst, not realizing how angry she would be over the potential of having somebody follow her.


    I knew for a fact that it had nothing to do with Neal or me. But at the same time, it concerned me because, had somebody that was dangerous potentially found us, it could end up being problematic.


    The moment that I walked down the hallway, I quickly burst into Neal¡¯s room. He was there, sitting on hisputer, tapping away with the phone to his ear. I had no idea who he was talking to, and frankly, I didn¡¯t care at that moment. But as soon as I walked in, and his eyes met mine, he quickly told the person he had to go.


    Hanging up his phone, his brows furrowed, and a concerned re was on his face. ¡°This better be good. I was in the middle of a business meeting.¡±


    He knew very well that I would never just burst into his room for any reason, so with a deep breath, I decided to ask some questions of my own. ¡°Do you have Ba being followed?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he replied as his eyes widened slightly before shaking his head no. ¡°Why would I need to have her followed if I¡¯m already here? That makes no sense.¡±


    ¡°Well, Ba had an incident at the market today. She said that she saw somebody watching her, but then she just yed it down as beingpletely paranoid. But then it just so happened that when she and her father were loading the children in the car, that same person stopped and helped her load the strollers in the back of the vehicle. She said she found it very mysterious, but then just yed it off as her overthinking things.¡±


    Neal stood there, staring at me,pletely in shock. I didn¡¯t me him. Honestly. The entire situation waspletely bbergasting. All of these months, we¡¯ve had no issues from anybody. Other than James, of course, doing what he was doing. And then an idea popped into my mind.


    ¡°Neal, you don¡¯t think that it¡¯s ¡®you know who,¡¯ do you?¡± I replied, just in case. Ba was looming outside the door, trying to take a sneak peek into the conversation I was having with my brother.


    At my words, his brows rose quite quickly and then narrowed in anger as he clenched his fist at his sides. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wouldn¡¯t he?¡± Iughed, shaking my head. ¡°I suppose you better call him and figure this out.¡±


    If it was James, then Ba wasn¡¯t in any immediate danger. However, it would be problematic, and that was exactly the reason why I told Neal not to cut James off to begin with.


    Now, Neal had a problem, and he had it fixed.


    And he¡¯d better do it soon¨Cbefore things escte.

 Chapter 135 : Admission of Help

    <h4>Chapter 135: Chapter 135 : Admission of Help</h4>


    James.


    After the incident that I had with Ronaldo in regard to the meeting I had with his father, I had made sure to keep him informed every single step of the way because thest thing that I wanted were issues with my cousin that could easily be avoided. Deciding to take the day off from actually working, I made my way down toward the lounge area that my uncle had at the back of hisrge estate.


    It reminded me quite a bit of the veranda that I had back at the mansion in Miami, a home that was now lost to me permanently. I was quite aware that Ba sold the home to my cousin, and even though he would use it here and there, for the most part, it stood vacant.


    I wasn¡¯t pleased with the idea of having my cousinpletely go in and renovate a home that I had spent many years perfecting, but it was my fault that I lost it, and I was going to have to live with that.


    Not to mention that home without my daughter Tally, where she had lost her life, was not a home that I wanted to be in.


    The moment that I entered the lounge, peace fell over me, and I was pleased to find that nobody else was upying it. Honestly, I wanted some peace and quiet for myself without having to worry about somebody else wanting me to entertain them for the day.


    It seemed to be the gist of what I had been doingtely. Every time I wanted peace and quiet, somebody else wanted me to inform them of stories of things that had happened to me since I had gone from being the top man in Miami to being in witness protection and thennding in the protection of my uncle.


    It was as if they had found amusement in the struggles that I was currently going through. I didn¡¯t ask to be in this situation, nor did I ask for my uncle¡¯s help. I probably could have sorted it myself. The problem was, you didn¡¯t say no to a person like my uncle. If he offered help, you took it whether you wanted it or not, and therefore, I had gradually be theughing stock around his home, just behind closed doors.


    If the people here didn¡¯t think I knew, they would be wrong. Just like my uncle knew everything that was going on, I did too.


    Except for theplete details of what Ronaldo was up to. Those details escaped me, and everything I thought I was getting closer to the answers, I hit a dead end. Part of me wondered if my cousin knew I was checking into him and purposely was throwing up distractions to divert my attention.


    Walking towards a small bar area in the lounge, I quickly picked up a crystallized bottle with a brown amber liquid and poured myself a ss. My uncle only drank the best of the best, and as soon as I brought the cool, refreshing liquid to my lips, I sighed with satisfaction at how well it tasted. The whiskey was a good year, and knowing my uncle, he had spent a lot of money on it.


    Making my way towards the white sofa that sat off in the far right corner of the room, surrounded by tropical nts that I had no idea even were able to thrive in this kind of climate, I attempted to bury myself in meditation and reflection, as my therapist now called it.


    Therapy was a whole new thing. I didn¡¯t want to go to it, however, my uncle said there was nothing wrong with the man who needed to seek help. After I met with him the other day and he saw how stressed I was over the situation with Ba, my grandchild, and my daughter, not to mention the Neal and Allegra situation, he had taken it upon himself to insist that I seek therapy. And once again, you don¡¯t tell somebody like my uncle no.


    I had beenpletely against it, but after two sessions, I realized that perhaps my uncle had a point. Perhaps therapy actually wasn¡¯t that bad of an idea. Everything was protected, of course, patient-doctor confidentiality and whatnot, but also, this particr therapist only worked for my uncle, and therefore I knew that if she opened her mouth, my uncle would have her killed without a second thought.


    Halfway through my meditation that I had been rmended to do, my phone began to ring, and a groan escaped my throatced with irritation. I didn¡¯t want to have to deal with anybody¡¯s bullshit today.


    Yet, when I looked down at that caller ID, I saw that it was Neal that was calling me, and instantly, I sat upright, setting the crystal ss down on the table and hitting the button to answer.


    I hadn¡¯t spoken to him in some time, and as soon as his voice came through the other end of the phone, my heart almost stopped. ¡°James, we need to talk.¡±


    ¡°What happened? Did something happen to Ba and the kids? Is she okay?¡± I asked him quickly, stumbling over my words out of fear that something had happened to them, and I hadn¡¯t been there to protect them.


    ¡°What?¡± Neal muttered in what sounded like disbelief. ¡°They¡¯re fine. However, I need to know, do you have someone here watching us? Watching her in particr. Don¡¯t f*cking y with me, either. I need to know.¡±


    I did, and the somebody I had there, a woman, was looking in on them every now and again and also checking out properties for me in case I decided that I wanted to jump this sinking ship that my uncle called his home and move to New Zend to try to reunite with Ba in some odd way without her beenpletely freaked out that I wasn¡¯t actually dead.


    Sighing once more, I pinched the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes as I took a deep breath. ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you then. Yes, I do have someone that is there, but not just looking at Ba and definitely not to watch you. They are there to scope out the area just so that I have peace of mind and know that everything is okay.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s f*cked up, James. You know damn well that I¡¯m quite capable of taking care of her,¡± Neal snapped through the phone, obviously boiling with rage because I had someone there watching them.


    ¡°Well, how am I supposed to know that, Neal? With the way that you just cut me off as if she¡¯s your property to do with as you please, that is not how this works. She needs to know that I¡¯m alive, whether you want to tell her or not.¡±


    I knew that he wouldn¡¯t tell her, which was the reason why I wasn¡¯t worried about why he was acting the way he wastely. My spy told me of Neal¡¯s paranoid state. How he was making rash business choices and even takingte-night trips to meet men in town who were of a shady sort. All of which I didn¡¯t like.


    If Ba knew that I was alive, she would choose me over him. I was almost certain of that, even though in the beginning, they had such a very close rtionship. It was obvious from what I had been told he had be a loose cannon, and she was growing tired of him.


    All of which was spection, of course, but a man could hope that it was true.


    "She doesn¡¯t need to know shit, James. The less she knows, the safer she is, and if you care about her at all you will agree with me instead of putting her in danger like you are."


    "Danger? She isn¡¯t in danger. Unless there is something you aren¡¯t telling me." My words came out a little more aggressive than usual, and as I sat up a little straighter, gripping my phone, I waited for his reply.


    "She will always be in danger until every one of the f*cks is dead, James. Now call off your man and tell him to stay away from Ba."


    My man? I didn¡¯t have a man watching her. "What are you talking about? I don¡¯t have a man watching her. It¡¯s a woman..."


    A million and one thoughts ran through my mind, and the top one was who this man was that Neal was referring to. Who was it that was watching my family, and how did they manage to even get a thousand feet within her? "Damnit, Neal! Answer me!"


    "I don¡¯t know. Allegra told me that when Ba and her father went to the market today, she saw a tall, blond-haired man who was watching her. That she thought she was being paranoid and yed it off but that he appeared at her car and suddenly offered to help put the stroller in the car¡ª"


    "Did you check the car for a tracker? I asked, quickly cutting him off. If he helped her near the car, he may have nted something on her. Something that could be used to trace her every movement and allow them to snag her and the kids alone.


    "No, I haven¡¯t. I only just found out. That is my next task..." Neal growled out with aggravation.


    "You should have already done that!" I yelled in response.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what I should have already done. Thest time I checked, you weren¡¯t f*cking here, and you were the reason why she was in this mess to begin with. I¡¯m sick and tired of you thinking you own her or are the only one who knows what¡¯s best for her.¡±


    His words struck me hard. I was the reason why her once nned out and happy life waspletely turned upside down. I destroyed her life, her happiness, her future. I made it almost impossible for her to be safe because I had too many loose ends to still wrap up, and because of that, Neal was partially right.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not trying to argue with you. Just tell me what you know so I can help. I can¡¯t let anything happen to her, Neal, I love her and always will.¡±


    Neal was silent for a moment after hearing what I said. The only sound that came through, letting me know that he was still there, was the heavy sigh that escaped his lips and the sound of ice in a ss.


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know what to tell you, but I do know I don¡¯t like you at all. In fact, I f*cking hate you, James. You ruined everything that I wanted, but I think I may need your help on this. Just don¡¯t let Ba know anything. If she knew you were alive right now, it would be bad.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± My response was tight-lipped, and notpletely happy, but if it was what had to happen in order for me to be able to help him then so be it. Someone was there in New Zend, and I was halfway around the world unable to do anything but make calls.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll call you soon. We have work to do,¡± Neal replied, hanging up the phone.

 Chapter 136 : Conversations & Deals

    <h4>Chapter 136: Chapter 136 : Conversations & Deals</h4>


    Neal.


    The moment that I hung up with James, I wasn¡¯t quite sure what I was going to do. One thing was for sure though, I needed to speak with Beck and find out exactly who this person was and what they looked like. The only problem was that Ba had no interest in really speaking to me about anything unless I came forward and told her what I had been up to.


    Taking a deep breath, I mustered up the courage to get up from where I had currently been sitting and make my way out into the main part of the living room. The moment that I walked down the hallway, I felt my pulse racing, my heart beating rapidly out of my chest as I turned the corner and saw Ba in the kitchen, currently unpacking whatever it was that she had purchased during the day.


    There was a determination and frustration in the way that she moved as she mmed things down onto the counter and let out a heavy sigh. I instantly regretted my decision to try toe and speak to her, but before I could turn and go back to my room, she looked over her shoulder and stared at me.


    She was just as beautiful as she was the first day I met her, and even with the thin lipped smile and a raised brow, I knew without a doubt that there was no way I could ever be mad at this woman, nor would there ever be any way that I would ever be able to stop caring about her.


    Even if she did currently despise me for the shit that I had done.


    ¡°Was there something that you needed?¡± she asked in a very short, clipped tone that made me realize thest thing she wanted to do was speak to me.


    ¡°Actually, Allegra came and spoke to me, and I think you and I need to have a discussion.¡± I wasn¡¯t going to tell her anything about James, but what I could do is let her in on a little bit of information, and hopefully she would see that that was the reason why I was upset, even though it wasn¡¯t entirely the truth and would forgive me in some kind of way.


    cing down the vegetable that she currently had in her hand, she turned to me full body and waited for me to continue speaking. When I was hesitant for far too long, she sighed. ¡°Are you gonna talk or not?¡±


    I was quite taken aback by her brash response in the way that she was acting, but at the same time, I could see why she would have a hostile tone towards me, considering everything that had transpired over thest few weeks.


    ¡°So I want to exin why I have been acting the way I have beentely.¡± I started to say as she crossed her arms over her chest and stood leaning against the kitchen ind, waiting for me to continue talking. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking into some people who have been looking into you, and I didn¡¯t want to tell you anything yet because I wanted to wait until I had all of the information.¡±


    ¡°There are people looking into me, and you thought it would be best waiting to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Well, when you say it like that, you make it sound even worse,¡± I muttered, running my hand through my hair before letting it slide over my face, pinching the bridge of my nose. ¡°Look, when you came home from the hospital, you were so happy with Dahlia. Thest thing that I wanted to do was burden you with all of this stuff and take away that time that you were supposed to be spending with her.¡±


    Part of that was true. I did not want to bother her with any of this stuff because she was spending time with Dalia, but at the same time, it also wasn¡¯t true because it had nothing to do with people following her and had everything to do with James.


    ¡°As sweet as that is, you chose wrong. I would have rather had you told me the truth. So who is this guy that was following me today? The one that helped me put the stroller in the car? Is this somebody that I need to be worried about? Somebody that is going to be a danger to my children?¡±


    Taking a moment to ponder over exactly what she was asking me, I shrugged my shoulders and tilted my head back and forth. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s hard to say. It could have been someone who was genuinely just trying to be nice, but it also could have been someone that was dangerous, and James had a long list of people who didn¡¯t like him. I highly doubt that it was Sergie¡¯s son, but I mean, that can¡¯t be ruled out.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said that moving here, we would be fine.¡± Because she was using her hands to talk, I could tell that she was getting angry. The only time that she used her hands when she spoke was when she was frustrated or exining something with it was super exciting.


    ¡°No, I said that moving here would be a fresh start and harder for anybody else to find us, which it has been. We¡¯ve been here for months with no issues, and then this guy just happens to appear today. I mean, I need to know exactly what he looked like, anything that could help me figure out who he was.¡±


    As her hand rested upon her chin, she stood there, staring at me as if she was lost in thought and thought I was trying to deceive her. She was trying to discern whether or not I was being honest, or perhaps that was just me being paranoid. Regardless, though, the look that she was giving me waspletely unsettling.


    ¡°He was tall, about your height, and he had blond hair. He did have an ent, but I didn¡¯t recognize it. No, it wasn¡¯t Russian. It was something else. He had sunsses on, so I have no clue what his eye color was, and he wore a hoodie and a pair of jeans. He literally looked like anybody else out there. He had no identifying marks. I didn¡¯t see any tattoos that I could remember, and his behavior when I met him up close waspletely normal.¡±


    She rambled off a list of things that she could remember from her interaction with this person, and every single one of them left mepletely empty handed and without a clue as to who this person could have been.


    I was frustrated, beyond frustrated, and more so annoyed because once again, I was going to have to be on high alert. Which also meant micromanaging her. ¡°Until we know who this person was, and we know that the area is safe, I hate to say this, but I really don¡¯t think that you should go out.¡±


    ¡°Hide?¡± She stared at me before giving a maniacalugh that was absolutely sinister. ¡°My father and his new wife are here. They just got here a couple of days ago, and they¡¯reing over for breakfast tomorrow. And then we were supposed to be going out, and now you¡¯re telling me that you want me to not go into town until you mysteriously figure out what the issues are?¡±


    That was precisely what I was telling her. But when she said it the way she said it, of course, it sounded even worse than when I had actually said it. How was I supposed to tell her that she had to do this for her own safety, and that it was probably best her father and his new wife didn¡¯t go out either? I mean, they could end up being used to get to her, which wouldn¡¯t be a good thing because Ba would be the type of person who would go straight into battle rather than to give them what they wanted.


    ¡°Look, can I at least make a deal with you?¡± I asked her as my my shoulders sagged. I did not want to continue arguing with her because, honestly, it was absolutely draining having these conversations with her.


    She had be a firm believer in getting what she wanted, and she did not take no well at all, which was good. But at the same time, her extreme, heightened new sense of independence was absolutely irritating. Admirable, but still irritating.


    ¡°What kind of deal are you looking to make?¡± she asked after a moment of pondering the question, her body turning back towards the ind as she continued grabbing thest few things out of the cloth bags that she had carried, cing them in the fridge.


    ¡°Just give me forty-eight hours to try and figure out who¡¯s behind this. Make something up. Have your dad and his new wife stay here. Do stuff around the house, whatever it is that you need to do. Until I can find this person, and if in forty-eight hours I haven¡¯t found anything, you are free to continue doing as you please.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t asking much. I was literally asking for two days. And even Ba knew that that was a reasonable request under the specific circumstances. There were plenty of things that she could do with the kids and her parents. Thest thing I wanted was for anybody to get hurt, and I hoped more than anything that she could see that.


    ¡°Okay, fine. You have forty-eight hours. Don¡¯t make me regret this. And I better not find out that you¡¯re hiding anything else. So help me God, Neal. Things will not end well for you if you continue acting the way you have.¡± Her threat did not go unnoticed, and as I nodded my head, she gestured with her hand for me to basically get lost, or disappear out of her hair, whatever it was that she wanted to call it.


    I wasn¡¯t going to have her tell me twice, so turning quite quickly, I made my way towards the front door, prepared to go search her car for anything that this person could have left. Maybe I should call a detective friend or somebody with the expertise at dusting for fingerprints. He had obviously touched the stroller, and it made me wonder if there was anything else he had touched that I could use to figure out who he was.


    I was no detective myself. I was a real estate agent with a very bad past, and my investigating skills were limited. This kind of stuff, it was James¡¯s forte, and as soon as I stepped out the front door, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called him.


    He needed to be updated.


    ¡°Hello?¡± James said quite quickly. ¡°What did you find?¡±


    ¡°I found us forty-eight hours because that¡¯s all that Ba is going to give us, so I hope your skills are as good as you im them to be.¡±


    If I was going to be warned, so was he. He had to get his shit together, because if we didn¡¯t get this crap done in time, there was no telling what would end up happening to her.

 Chapter 137 : Movie Night

    <h4>Chapter 137: Chapter 137 : Movie Night</h4>


    Ba.


    With Neal finally telling me what exactly was wrong with him, I found myself at a loss for words when I realized that the danger I had once been in was no longer over. In fact, it had only died down for a short time. And now, with the rising slowlying, I knew that the inevitable would eventually happen.


    Standing in the kitchen, staring out the window over the lush blue ocean with white capping waves that came upon the shore as soon as it had hit the sandbar, I tried to let my mind work over everything that he had told me. How was it that after so much hard work and trying to start over, my life once again was slowly starting to spin out of control?


    Was it so hard for a girl like me to simply ask for peace? To be able to raise her children as she saw fit, without having people constantly trying to interfere? Not to mention, I had just gotten my father here and his wife, and with theming here, it was supposed to be an amazing time, not full of chaotic hell that seemed to want to run rampant through my life.


    ¡°He finally spoke to you,¡± Allegra said softly from behind me, causing me to nce over my right shoulder, taking in the image of her hair pulled up into a messy bun, bags underneath her eyes, sweatpants, and a T-shirt. She didn¡¯t even look like the same Allegra.


    ¡°Yeah, he told me that he had been looking into some people who are from James¡¯s past, still trying to wreak havoc in my life.¡± She nodded her head slowly, seeming almost hesitant, but then moved forward and turned on the electric kettle that sat on the counter near the microwave.


    ¡°Neal knows what he¡¯s doing. I know hees off as being an asshole, but it¡¯s only because he¡¯s stressed out worrying about your safety.¡±


    The thought of him worrying about my safety made me cringe. ¡°Yeah, well, if he wants to stay in my good graces, it¡¯s best that he turns around and tells me the truth about stuff. Because I already warned him that if I find out he¡¯s hiding anything else, he and I are going to have serious problems.¡±


    That was now empty. I ced them back into their spot, passing by Allegra as I did. She remained quiet, unwanting to say anything, and just before I turned to say something to her, La came into the kitchen with Alessandro, who was crying over a bumped knee.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt your guys¡¯ conversation, but he just really won¡¯t stop crying.¡± His little arms reached out to me, and as I took him, cradling him against my chest, I kissed the top of his head. I thought about everything and how moments like this were important. The children needed me just as much as I needed them.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s get you an ice pack on that knee and a popsicle, and then you can go back to ying with La, okay?¡± I whispered to him, watching as his big brown eyes looked up at me with a slow nod and a quivering lip.


    I had a feeling that Alessandro was going to grow up to be a little bit softer than one would initially think for a boy, but that was because I had a soft hand with him, as did La. We showed him all the love and affection that he could get because I knew that would be what his mother would have wanted.


    He had changed her, and she loved him more than anything, and I hated that. I was not able to share these moments with her. But I was raising him the best that I could to ensure that her son had a life he deserved, a life that she wanted for him.


    As soon as he was done crying and feltpletely better with his popsicle in hand, I handed him off to La, who took his hand and took him down the hallway to go watch whatever Disney movie it was that had been entertaining them previously.


    ¡°You¡¯re good with him, and you¡¯re good with Dahlia.¡±


    I had almost forgotten that Allegra was standing there now with herpletely made cup of tea in hand as she sipped upon the hot beverage as if it was warm andforting to her. ¡°Thanks. I try my best to do what his mother would have wanted.¡±


    ¡°Then you know how important it is that you listen to what Neal says. You are needed for those children, and if you don¡¯t listen, and get yourself caught up in all this shit, God, what would happen then?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I know this?¡± I snapped with irritation. ¡°Alessandra already lost one of his mothers. I¡¯m not about to let him lose another, but I¡¯m also not naive and as stupid as I once was.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not,¡± she said softly as her eyes cast towards the ground, refusing to look at me once more. ¡°I just want to make sure that you¡¯re doing what¡¯s best for you and the kids. I don¡¯t mean to pry or try to tell you what you need to do. Just trying to advise you.¡±


    As much as part of me wanted to correct her when she tried to advise me on things, considering everything that had happenedtely, I didn¡¯t wanna seem like more of a bitch than I really had been. She was genuinely trying to be nice, and I could see from the look on her face she wasn¡¯t trying to overstep any boundaries.


    ¡°Look, I gave your brother forty-eight hours. He said he would figure out something, then see what was up, and if he hadn¡¯t found anything out in forty-eight hours, I would be free to be able to continue doing as I was. I¡¯m not trying to live forever in hiding Allegra. I want to be able to enjoy my life with my family. Can you understand that?¡±


    Slowly, she nodded her head. She did understand what I was talking about, and I was grateful that she did because it would make things a lot lessplicated. When the time came, that shit was going to have to change.


    Which included Allegra and Neal moving on from my life.


    Of course, I cared about them both dearly, and we¡¯ve been friends for quite some time, and they had done so much for me. But I couldn¡¯t keep living like this as a constant reminder of everything that happened. And then having Neal treat me like I¡¯m his woman when I¡¯m not telling me what I need to do for my protection.


    He wasn¡¯t my keeper, and neither was Allegra.


    ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s your ns for today? Are you nning to take the kids out, or what were you going to do?¡± Allegra replied, changing the subject quite quickly. It was getting pretty tense and awkward between us, and the fidgeting that she kept doing with her coffee cup in her hands was bing increasingly annoying.


    So I was pleased, nheless, when she quickly changed the subject, and I let out a heavy sigh, sagging my shoulders as I looked around the kitchen. ¡°Well, Alessandro¡¯s first birthday ising up, so I thought that this weekend we could throw a small little party for him, and I wanted to start out the weekend by doing different things every day. So tonight, I was thinking about a Disney movie marathon.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that sounds like fun. His favorite shows? The one with the orange and blue fish, right?¡±


    Orange and blue fish? I could not understand for the life of me how this woman who had been living with me and these kids for God knows how long now didn¡¯t know what the name of that damn movie was. It¡¯s one of the best movies ever.


    ¡°Yes, the orange and blue fish,¡± I replied, nodding my head. ¡°I picked up goldfish and blue jello and a couple of other things that he really likes to eat, and I figured we can set up a few cute things on the coffee table in the living room, put the movie on, and we can watch the movie while we eat before he goes to bed.¡±


    Allegra seemed down to be able to help prepare everything that needed to be prepared before we had our big movie night. Of course, La was in charge of wrangling the children, my sweet baby girl, who was closing in on a month old, and of course Alessandro, who would soon be one and a handful. I could only wait until they hit their toddler phase, and I was able to treat both of them to so many different things.


    After 30 minutes of preparing different foods, ting them up, and getting them ready on the coffee table, I called down the hallway to La to go ahead and bring the children out. Of course, my sweet little girl was way too little for any kind of stuff like this, but my sweet Alessandro was at the perfect age where he didn¡¯t quite understand everything, but he definitely knew who his favorite Disney characters were.


    The moment that he came into the room in La¡¯s arms, he squealed with delight, pping his hands together as she sat him down on the sofa, and he quickly moved down to his feet, which were still unbnced with him trying to learn how to walk properly.


    Dalia was handed over to me without question. I hadn¡¯t had proper snuggles in about an hour, and I was eager to have them. Snuggling into her, I took in her fresh baby scent and sighed with a smile on my face before walking over to the sofa and taking a seat next to La, who was preupying Alessandro with the snacks.


    ¡°Are we watching that one movie again?¡± she asked me with a raised brow and appointed stare. ¡°You do realize I can literally recite every line of that movie now?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± I grinned from ear to ear, knowing how much she detested having to watch this movie but did so anyway because it made Alessandro smile. ¡°Plus, tomorrow morning, you get to take the morning off to go do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Off? Are you sure?¡± she asked me, furrowing her brows with slight confusion.


    ¡°My parents are going toe over, so we¡¯re gonna have a big family breakfast. I know you said that she needed to go to the doctor and run a few errands, so if you want to do that tomorrow morning, you¡¯re more than wee to. I can manage the kids. It¡¯s no problem.¡±


    As her grin widened, and she nodded her head, realizing what I was talking about, we all settled down into the couch, ready to watch the movie that Alessandro was thrilled about seeing once more, and even Allegra took her spot over on therge recliner chair, curled up with a throw nket, settling down to watch as well.


    It was moments like this that I enjoyed, but it was also moments like this when I realized what I needed to do in order to make sure that moments like thissted forever.

 Chapter 138 : Ronaldo’s Choices

    <h4>Chapter 138: Chapter 138 : Ronaldo¡¯s Choices</h4>


    James.


    By the time Neal got back to me on what needed to be done, it was already 24 hourster. I had been nothing, but a panicked mess through all of it, and when he informed me that he didn¡¯t find anything on the car, but they had had a conversation with Ba about some of the stuff that was going on, I knew without a doubt that she was more than likely losing her mind.


    Or at least that was what I was assuming.


    She wasn¡¯t built for the life that we lived. She wasn¡¯t built to go through this chaos, and time and time again, she was brought into it because of me, because of the choices that I made when I was younger.


    Neal had gone into town and looked around at different shops to pull footage, and while he was able to see the man, neither he nor I recognized him. He looked like a local, but yet, some of the local people who had been there for years had never seen the man before.


    I was worried. Worried this could potentially be someone that could cause damage to her to me and my family. A family that I had had to give up when everything happened. A family that thought that I was long dead.


    I was no longer supposed to be James Valentino. I was Lester Johnson, a man without a family, without a cause, without any purpose in the world other than to simply exist.


    Scrolling through the multitude of photos that had been taken and including the CCTV video, I tried to piece together who it could have been that had taken part in finding Ba. However, no matter how hard I tried to find the information I sought, I was unable to do so and therefore came up empty-handed at every corner.


    The deal was to go to my uncle. He specifically said that he was going to have people look into it, and the thought at one point did cross my mind that he was the one who had sent that man, but as far as I was aware, that wasn¡¯t the case.


    My uncle told me that he would have kept me informed. He would have made sure I was aware of every move he made in regard to my family, and as far as I knew, he hadn¡¯t been able to get around to doing anything.


    In fact, the thing that he was preupied with the most right now were the issues he had with the Russians trying to move on his businesses that were near the Russian borders. He wasn¡¯t pleased with how things had been handled, and while he had businesses everywhere, so did they.


    It was a long, drawn-out turf war that had been going on for years.


    I could only hope that, eventually, they woulde to a resolution because nobody liked war, especially me. And though I had been shady, once upon a time, I wasn¡¯t that man anymore. I had grown out of those habits, and I wanted to be able to live the rest of my life peacefully, not having to look over my shoulder.


    A knock at my office door drew my attention, and as the door opened, I looked at my uncle¡¯s secretary, her eyes narrowing at me with her blonde hair pulled tight into a bun at the back of her head. She was an older woman and very unpleasant at that, but she kept my uncle¡¯s schedule very tight, so her being here only led me to one conclusion.


    He had a meeting that he needed handled right away.


    ¡°Your uncle would like to see you immediately,¡± she said, and a very librarian-styled voice. It was soft yet demanding, and if I had spoken up any louder, I was quite sure she would have yelled at me.


    Nodding my head, I stood and quickly made my way behind her out of my office and towards my uncle¡¯s office. I had told my cousin Ronaldo that I wouldn¡¯t go to visit my uncle privately unless I first informed him, but this wasn¡¯t a business meeting. Obviously, it was something else, so in a way, I didn¡¯t quite break mymitment to him as far as keeping him involved.


    When we appeared at my uncle¡¯s office, she quickly opened the door and stepped aside so that I could pass through. He was sitting in front of me behind his wooden desk, not in the usual three-piece suit that he was ustomed to wearing, but instead a polo short-sleeve shirt and cks, the cks rising up on his ankles as he had leaned back in his chair with his legs crossed over one another.


    ¡°James, I¡¯m d that you were able toe. I have something very important that I need to discuss with you.¡± The tone that he was taking was very unpleasant. In fact, he seemed almost angry that I was before him. But then again, I couldn¡¯t be so certain that it was me and not something else.


    Stepping forward, I listened to the door close behind me as I made my way to the leather seat that sat across from his desk once again. ¡°Of course, Uncle. What is it that I can do for you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve discovered that my own son has been doing things behind my back, and I¡¯m not very pleased with it, and I¡¯m curious as to why you¡¯re encouraging the behavior.¡±


    Completely lost as to what he could be possibly talking about, I furrowed my brow in confusion and shook my head. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re referring to.¡±


    After myment, he further narrowed his gaze at me before picking up his cigar from the ashtray where it had sat unlit, putting it to his lips, and lighting it. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know that you¡¯ve been informing him of everything that we discuss? That he then has been taking that information and using it for his own personal gains.¡±


    Shock ran through me. That wasn¡¯t at all what I was doing. I was keeping him informed because he was secondary to thispany, and he wanted to be informed and had been since the beginning. I was shocked to also find out that he had been using this for his own gains and in what way he had been doing so.


    ¡°Uncle, that is not at all what I¡¯ve been doing. Yes, I did keep him informed. He was rather upset thest time that I met with you. And because he had been involved with our meetings from the beginning, I didn¡¯t see that there was an issue. You hadn¡¯t informed me that I should not tell Ronaldo what was going on.¡±


    My uncle stared at me for a moment, nodding his head as he smoked upon his cigar, his narrowed gaze slowly lightening little by little. ¡°You really didn¡¯t know what he was doing with that information you were giving him, did you?¡±


    ¡°No, I have no clue what you¡¯re talking about, what he¡¯s been doing,¡± I replied honestly because I really didn¡¯t know. There was nothing about the conversations he and I had that would make me assume he was going to use that information for himself.


    ¡°Ronaldo has been going behind my back talking with clients that I currently work with. He is promising them deals once he takes over thepany and the family from me, and honestly, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he doesn¡¯t try to have me killed in order to do so sooner.¡± What my uncle had to say actually didn¡¯t surprise me.


    I wasn¡¯t very close with my cousin, but since he hade back into my life, I could tell that he would be the kind of person to do something like that. ¡°How do you n to correct this action?¡±


    A sigh left my uncle¡¯s mouth as he stared at me with a smile that slowly started to grow just a little bit wider. ¡°Well, actually, I n to make a public announcement soon about the air of our family¡¯s fortune, and I have a feeling that it¡¯s going to change his tune.¡±


    The way that my uncle spoke did not sit well with me. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it was that he had nned. Knowing my uncle, it was going to be something that was going to cause mass chaos in the family, and if that was the case, thest thing I wanted was to be part of it.


    ¡°May I ask what that is going to be?¡± My question seemed to perk his attention even more, and shaking his head. No, he refused to tell me.


    ¡°In time, things will be clear, but for now, I want you to tell me what it is that¡¯s going on with you. You¡¯ve been rather preupied thest two days.¡±


    With a heavy sigh, I nodded my head. ¡°The contact that I have over in New Zend informed me that people are lurking around Ba and the children. It¡¯s got me rather preupied because I still have many enemies out there. You wouldn¡¯t happen to have somebody over there, would you?¡±


    The smile that once had been on my uncle¡¯s face quickly turned into a frown once more as he shook his head no. ¡°I had actuallye up with a n with that, and I was going to speak to you today about it to ensure that you were on board with everything I wanted to do. But now, hearing this, it seems like there may be bigger issues at hand.¡±


    ¡°What do you expect me to do? Part of me wants to go and be there to help protect her, with the other part of me knowing that I can¡¯t.¡± I was asking for his help because I honestly didn¡¯t know how to proceed with all of this when she was possibly in danger, and Neal was absolutely f*cking useless, no matter how much he thought he was trying to help.


    Tapping his fingers on the desk, my uncle sat and thought for a moment. ¡°You can¡¯t use the resources that I want to use just yet. I need to adjust a few things. However, we¡¯re going to have a massive family gathering tomorrow around 3:00 PM. Dress nice and make sure you¡¯re there. I have a feeling that there will be some people there who can help us.¡±


    It was clear that my uncle was done with the conversation because the moment I nodded my head in agreement, he gestured with his fingers for me to leave, and I was quickly on my feet and out the door without wasting another moment.


    This time, I was lucky not to have run into Ronaldo, and it made me wonder if Ronaldo had eyes lurking everywhere as well, which is why he knew that I had been at a meeting with his father beforehand.


    With multiple things running through my mind, from who was looking for Ba and also what my uncle was nning for the takeover of his family, I just couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Italy was the wrong move, if perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have just gotten on a ne and went and saw Ba when I had the chance before.

 Chapter 139 : The named Heir

    <h4>Chapter 139: Chapter 139 : The named Heir</h4>


    James.


    I wasn¡¯t really sure what to expect when my uncle told me that he wanted me toe to this family gathering where they were going to have food and drinks and reminisce on certain things before he made his big announcement. But I can tell you right now, thest thing I expected was for there to be a turnout the size that there was.


    At least 100 people were present. Even several people my uncle did business with were here.


    This wasn¡¯t something that typically happened in our world, and in fact, I had never been or heard of an attendance like this. Perhaps it was only a few people that he did business with, yet, my uncle meandered around the room in his designer three-piece suit, looking absolutely spiffy as hell. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he was up to.


    The man was a mystery I was still trying to figure out.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a grand announcement. Are you ready, cousin?¡± Ronaldo said as he stepped up next to me. I wasn¡¯t quite sure what he was referring to, but ncing over my right shoulder at him, there was a bright smile across his face as if he had just won the lottery.


    ¡°What are you talking about? What grand announcement and ready for what? I have no clue what¡¯s going on.¡± Of course, I knew about the event, but I yed stupid about an announcement. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but I couldn¡¯t give way that I had seen my uncle behind Ronaldo¡¯s back.


    At least not right now, not until I knew what he was up to.


    Ronaldo gave me a quizzical look beforeughing in my face. ¡°To say that he¡¯s stepping down and putting me in charge, that he can live out hisst days doing whatever the fu*k it is that he wants to do, that¡¯s why we¡¯re here.¡±


    Ronaldo actually thought that the reason why we were here was because his father was stepping down. It was a naive thought to have, considering everything he had supposedly been doing behind his father¡¯s back. Which led me to realize how idiotic my cousin really was.


    Did he honestly not think his father knew what he was up to?


    I only hoped whatever it was that my uncle was doing was not going to end up being problematic because, honestly, I didn¡¯t want to deal with Ronaldo if he ended up having a meltdown. I saw what happened when he got upset that I was speaking to his father without him being present.


    I didn¡¯t have the time, nor the energy to deal with it. And honestly, I didn¡¯t have the time actually to be here watching this grand announcement happen. I needed to find out who it was that was going after Ba, and I needed to do it quickly.


    The only reason why I agreed to it was that my uncle informed me that there would be people here today who would in turn, help me solve the problems that I had.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize that he was doing that so soon. Congrattions, cousin.¡±


    I kept a positive look on my face as my cousin pped my back repeatedly with a smile on his. Thest thing that I wanted to do was give away the fact that I knew the truth. However, for some reason, I felt like today wasn¡¯t going to be about naming the new leader for the family. I had a feeling it was going to be something very different.


    When the time finally came, and I watched my uncle walk up on the small balcony with a microphone in his hand, looking down upon everybody who hade in attendance, I hesitated, holding my breath¡ªwaiting to hear what he was going to say.


    ¡°Thank you, everyone, for joining me today. I¡¯m so pleased that we were all able toe together for this special asion,¡± he said quite loudly, everybody pping and smiling as they admired the man who had been their boss for as long as they could remember.


    ¡°As you all know, I¡¯m getting up in age, and eventually, it¡¯s going to be time for a takeover. One very particr man has shown me that he is beyond measure when ites to handling business. That even though we all have a small part of our past, that is a little bit shadowed by the evil of this world, we still find a way to ovee it, and we stand strong¡ª¡±


    As my uncle continued to speak, apparently praising my cousin, who was going to take over the business, part of me wondered what it would have been like if my father had had a family business like this, with a father who actually cared about me.


    I would have done things differently back then. Would I¡¯ve had people turn to? Hell, I didn¡¯t even know that my uncle existed until after my father died. And by then, I was a man.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize my father had such sentimental words to say toward me,¡± Ronaldo said, chuckling in my ear. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to ensure that he¡¯s put into a great facility to be able to live out thest of his days once he turns thepany over to me tonight.¡±


    My cousin continued with his remarks casually throughout the entire conversation. But the moment that he got ready to talk about the important stuff, he looked directly at me and Ronaldo.


    ¡°Now, to get down to the business of things. For years, I have kept a solid foundation, and for years, with that solid foundation, I have created a world that we thrive in. I know everything that happens within this country, with every business, every negotiation. Anybody. Every member of my family knows that. I know every single move they make before they do it.¡±


    Upon my uncle¡¯s words, I looked at my cousin once more. His face seemed a little more pale than usual, and as he swallowed, taking a sip of his drink, his eyes never left his father. It was my uncle¡¯s way of letting my cousin know, very subtly, that he knew exactly what he had been up to.


    ¡°That is why I¡¯m pleased to announce that the heir to mypany is actually going to be my nephew, James Valentino.¡±


    Collective gasps filled the room, and with wide eyes, everyone turned to stare at me. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what was going on, and I could have sworn that I had misheard what he¡¯d said, but by the way, everyone was looking at me, I knew what I¡¯d heard was urate.


    He had just left me everything, and I would be the one to take over for him.


    Was this what he was talking about by being able to get help with my entire situation? Whatever it was that he was nning, I felt the pit of guilt in my stomach as I turned to my cousin, who didn¡¯t dare turn to look at me. Instead, his shoulders heaved up and down as he took in deep breaths before finally turning his gaze toward me.


    ¡°You nned all of this, didn¡¯t you?¡± he gritted out, his brows narrowing and angry. ¡°I actually thought for once that you would do right by me.¡±


    ¡°Do right by you? What are you talking about? Do you actually think that I wanted this? I had no idea what your father was doing,¡± I stammered, not wanting him to think that I had any part in trying to take over the position he¡¯d always assumed would be his. That wasn¡¯t what I was trying to do at all. All I was trying to do was get by so that, one day, I could get back to Ba. Thest thing I wanted was to take over the family business.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare lie to me. After everything I did trying to help you and help your woman and your children, this is how you¡¯re going to act? It¡¯s disgusting behavior, and you should be ashamed of yourself. My father is a fool to think that you are the future.¡±


    His words cut me deep, but I didn¡¯t allow him to see that he did. Instead, I stared back at him, my hand gripping the ss from which I had been drinking. How was it that my uncle thought this was a good idea? I knew that me being the heir would give me more resources from people around us to be able to help me with what I wanted. But I didn¡¯t want to steal anything from my cousin. That was never my intention.


    Before I could say anything else, my cousin turned and stormed off, disappearing through the crowds of people who were quicklying together around me, including my uncle, who had a smile on his face as he sped his hand across my back.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if this was the right thing, but what was I to do? I couldn¡¯t turn around and tell my uncle no. He had just publicly announced that I would be the one to take over his business, everything that he owned, once he stepped down or passed away.


    I wasn¡¯t the legitimate heir, but I was his chosen one. The people around us seemed to be happy with the notion, considering quite a few had met me recently. I could be an unpleasant man when I wanted to be, but the most important thing was that my business ethics were impable.


    Or so my uncle had told me quite a few times, which is why I honestly believed that he did not pick my cousin. I had no doubt in my mind that my cousin was going to go to war with me over this, but I just needed to make sure he understood that there was a reason why we were doing this and that he didn¡¯t have anything to worry about because I didn¡¯t want it.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to do great things for this family in the future, James. And even though you¡¯re technically supposed to be dead, we can change that future for you, including bringing your woman and the kids over here.¡±


    My uncle¡¯s words struck me deep, and as I nced at him, I saw the twinkling amusement and understanding in his eyes. ¡°How are they going to be able to help me figure things out with the woman that I love when she is currently being hunted?¡±


    ¡°Oh well, that¡¯s easy, son. There are many people in this room right now who have ways of getting things done. If someone¡¯s following her, we¡¯ll quickly find out.¡±


    All I could do was hope that he was right because thest thing that I wanted to do was sit here and shake hands with people when her life was in danger, when my child¡¯s life was in danger, and my grandson¡¯s life too.


    They needed protection more than I needed it at this position. They needed to have a life more than I needed to have my own. Yet, I would do what needed to be done to ensure they could have that. Even if that meant being the heir apparent.

 Chapter 140 : Grocery Store Confrontation

    <h4>Chapter 140: Chapter 140 : Grocery Store Confrontation</h4>


    Ba.


    Two days. Neal had had two days to figure out exactly what was going on, and now that it had been two days, I was sick and tired of being cooped up in the house. I wanted to be able to go out and take care of a few things that were absolutely necessary, like going to a cafe, going to the store, silly things like that. But even though two days had passed, Neal was still persistent that I stay at the property and not leave unless absolutely necessary.


    And by absolutely necessary, he meant with him, with me.


    I was tired of living like this, and honestly, all I wanted to do was to be able to have the freedom that I had when I first moved to New Zend. As more and more time went by, I became pretty adamant that I was overthinking things, and Neal was being too overly cautious about something that wasn¡¯t even anything to begin with.


    He always thought that someone was following me, that something was going on. He had no single clue what was going on. The guy that had met me at the market that day was probably just a nice guy, and even though I had told him that, he didn¡¯t want to listen to it.


    ¡°So we do need a few things. I mean, I can go to town if you want. I know he doesn¡¯t want you to go¡ª¡± La said as she tried for a millionth time to let me know she could take care of the shopping that I needed done.


    She was a sweet girl, and I knew she was just trying to help, but at the same time, it wasn¡¯t her job to do this. I was a grown-ass woman, and the fact that I was being told that I couldn¡¯t go anywhere was beyond irritating.


    ¡°Thank you, La, but I will go,¡± I replied, watching as her eyes widened, and she shook her head.


    ¡°But Neal said¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know what Neal said, La, but I¡¯m an adult. I do not need his permission to be able to leave this house. He and I are not together. He doesn¡¯t control me, and the fact that he seems to forget that is a problem that he needs to address himself,¡± I replied, cutting her off mid-sentence.


    I know she was just trying to be helpful. She was trying to make sure that I was following orders because she didn¡¯t want Neal and me to fight. But there was no way in hell I was going to follow his orders. I gave him the two days that I promised, and now that that had passed, I wasn¡¯t going to keep sitting around twiddling my thumbs, waiting for him to give me an answer.


    Kissing my daughter and my godson on the head, I turned to La, squeezing her shoulder gently before giving her a small smile. ¡°Stop worrying. Everything will be okay. I won¡¯t be long.¡±


    She sagged her shoulders as she let out a heavy sigh and nodded her head, casting her eyes from me back down to the children. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and get dinner started while you¡¯re out.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great. Like I said, I won¡¯t be long. I¡¯m only popping into the store. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± Turning on my heel, I headed from the bedroom out towards the front door with my keys in my hand.


    Neal had been in town all day working and said that he had some major lead that he had to follow, which I honestly highly doubted because that seemed to be his go to response over thest two days.


    The idea that there could be somebody looking for me or trying to hurt me or my children, of course, was always lingering in the back of my mind. But honestly, how long is a girl supposed to wait? I couldn¡¯t live in fear over something that is a big what if?


    The moment that I put my car in drive and headed down the driveway, I could see Allegra quicklying to the front door in my rearview mirror. I couldn¡¯t make out her facial expressions, but as she quickly dialed something on her phone, my car connected, and I answered.


    ¡°Yes, Allegra, how can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Where are you going? You¡¯re not supposed to be leaving,¡± she stammered quickly as if me leaving the house was the biggest issue we currently had.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the store. The kids need a few things, and I need to pick up some groceries. I will literally be back in an hour,¡± I replied, not that I had to tell her where I was going, but it was better to give her some type of answer instead of nothing at all.


    ¡°That¡¯s beside the point. You should have said something, and I would have gone with you. Look, I¡¯ll go ahead and throw my shoes on real quick. Just turn around ande back and get me. I need to pick up some things as well.¡±


    I knew that she was literally just saying that because of the fact that she wanted to go with me, but what was it with them thinking that I needed a babysitter as if I was just a teenager?


    ¡°No, Allegra, I¡¯m not turning around. I¡¯m able to go to the store by myself. I¡¯m a grown adult. I don¡¯t understand what you and your brother¡¯s problem is. I said two days. It¡¯s been two days. I¡¯m going to the f*cking store, whether you guys like it or not.¡±


    She was quiet for a moment. I knew she was still there because I could hear her breathing through the phone. But with her quietness, she finally sighed, giving me my answer that she was no longer going to push forward with this.


    Which was nice because, honestly, I didn¡¯t have it in me to argue with anybody today. I was sick and tired of always arguing with people. It was absolutely f*cking pointless.


    ¡°Look, just please be careful. I put an extra can of pepper spray in your car. You never know if it¡¯s going to be safe out there. Just promise you¡¯ll take it with you into the store. Put it in your pocket or in your purse. I don¡¯t care. Just take it with you.¡± Allegra seemed very panicked by the way she was speaking.


    I knew that she was just trying to be careful and make sure that nothing happened to me, but it was bing increasingly annoying. Even if, for some reason, this guy did approach me, I was able to take care of myself.


    Or at least I was pretty positive that I could take care of myself.


    I ended the conversation with Allegra as I quickly approached the store, the parking lot insight. As I pulled in, the parking lot was filled as it usually was, but I still sat there hesitating for a moment, thinking of everything that Allegra had said.


    Doubting myself was something that I did often, and I was starting to wonder if I was foolish in my venture to go get groceries and a few other things from the store. Perhaps I should turn around and go back and just wait, or have somebody else go with me, but then if I did that, it would just prove the point¨Cthat I couldn¡¯t do anything without them.


    I groaned and opened the door, climbing out of the car. I was just being ridiculous, and my overthinking brain was one of my worst enemies. However, I did make sure to grab the pepper spray that Allegra was talking about, throwing it in my purse, just in case.


    She was right. A person could never be too careful. And as I walked through the double doors of the grocery store, a smile on my face reminded me that I was a normal person and that I could live a normal life.


    Up and down the aisles I went, collecting everything that I needed, including diapers, more bottles, and a few other things for the kids. The store had just about everything from home furnishings to groceries to clothing. It was a massive supermarket, and I was pleased to have it so close to the house.


    Withall the groceries I needed, I made my way towards the clothing aisle. It seemed that my godson was growing by leaps and bounds, and with his growing body, he needed new clothing. So as I started sorting through it, I got an eerie feeling on the back of my neck as if I was being watched.


    My heart began to race, and as I looked around, I didn¡¯t see anybody. But it didn¡¯t stop the feeling that formed in the pit of my stomach.


    ¡°Get your shit together. Jesus. Ba, what are you doing?¡± I muttered to myself.


    With thest of my things quickly collected into the cart, I made my way towards the checkout, and as I approached the cash register, cing my stuff on the conveyor belt, I saw a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye.


    Looking up, I could have sworn that I had seen the man I had seen the other day. The only difference was his appearance had changed slightly, and as I stared longer, the person walked out of my sight, and I was leftpletely puzzled.


    I couldn¡¯t let myself get worked up over this. The guy looked different even though he was very simr, and perhaps it was just my mind ying tricks on me. It seemed to me that Neal and Allegra had gotten my mind so wrapped up in the idea that this guy was bad that now anywhere I looked or saw someone that looked simr to him, I automatically assumed it was him.


    I was practically losing my mind over everything, and as I quickly finished checking out all of my groceries and other belongings that I had purchased, I took the shopping bags in my cart and headed out through the double doors again towards my vehicle.


    I just needed to get everything loaded up into the vehicle and then go home, unload it, and sit down with a hot cup of tea.


    Taking the keys from my pocket, I clicked the button and watched as the back hatch of my vehicle opened. I ced the bags into the back of the hatch, and as I did, the eerie feeling once again came over me.


    Reaching up, I quickly lowered the hatch and spun around just in time toe face to face with the same man that I had seen only a few days before. Deep blue eyes stared back at me with a smile on his face as he held a brown paper bag with obvious groceries in it in his right arm.


    ¡°Hey there, you¡¯re the girl I helped out the other day. How are the kids doing? Did you guys end up making it home, okay?¡± The man seemed nice enough, and I was a little hesitant to reply to him, but mustering all the courage I had, I nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks for that. Umm, I don¡¯t think I caught your name.¡±


    A chuckle escaped him as he nodded his head. ¡°Yeah, sorry, I was in a rush. I had to hurry up and get home. My name¡¯s Seth.¡±


    Seth? It sounded like a pretty normal name for a guy that lived here. The only problem was he didn¡¯t have an ent like the locals did. ¡°So, are you from around here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure I am. Grew up here my entire life.¡± Red g number one. Had he grown up here his entire life, his ent would have been much thicker. I knew the locals. He definitely wasn¡¯t a local.


    ¡°Oh, nice. So you probably know Mr. Thomas that owns the hardware store up the road. He¡¯s been here for like twenty years. Super nice guy.¡±


    Nodding his head at me once more, he let out anotherugh and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Yeah, Mr. Thomas is a good man. He and my dad were friends.¡±


    Red g number two, and time to get the f*ck out of here. The old man who owned the hardware store died a few years ago, and his name definitely was not Mr. Thomas. And if this guy¡¯s father had been friends with him, he would have f*cking known who he was.


    Reaching into my purse, pretending to look for my phone, I kept distracted, content with him not wanting to make it obvious that I knew he was lying. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m d that you guys knew each other. I actually have to get going, though. I¡¯ve got cold groceries in the trunk and kids waiting for me back home. It was nice catching up with you again.¡±


    The moment that my eyes finally met his once more, I saw that the bag that he had was obviously a prop. He dropped the bag to the ground, and I saw that he was holding a gun at mid-waist level on him, pointing it directly at me.


    Shit... what the f*ck have I done...


    ¡°You knew I was lying, didn¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 141 : Escaping Death

    <h4>Chapter 141: Chapter 141 : Escaping Death</h4>


    Ba.


    In absolute disbelief, my reaction time slowed considerably. The moment that I saw the gun. I froze in fear, and as he moved towards me, I panicked. I should have listened to Allegra and Neal. I should never have gone out on my own, but part of me didn¡¯t want to believe that there was actually somebody out there trying toe after me.


    ¡°What are you doing? Why are you doing this?¡± I breathed out as my back came in contact with the side of my car.


    ¡°Look, you seem like a nicedy, but I need something, and you¡¯re the coteral that¡¯s going to get it for me.¡±


    Coteral. How was I supposed to be coteral?


    ¡°I can¡¯t help you. I¡¯m nobody. Please just let me go.¡±


    My begging was useless. Staring at the sinister grin upon his face, I knew there was no way in hell he was going to allow me to go. Whatever he needed me for, he was willing to have somebody else in this parking lot see him point a gun at me just to ensure that he could get it.


    This situation between us, even though it seemed private, drew the attention of unwanted eyes. I heard the quiet speaking of a couple who were passing by, and they nced at us, and they must have seen that something was going on even though the guy was concealing the gun because the next thing I knew, the gentleman came back and spoke up. ¡°Hey, is everything okay here?¡±


    The moment was just what I needed to distract the man in front of me so I could pull the mace from my purse that Allegra had given me.


    Without a second thought, I held it up and quickly sprayed the man in the face. He screamed in agony, dropping the gun to the ground as he grabbed for his eyes. Not wasting a second. I opened the car door, quickly jumped inside, mming and locking it just as he tried to pull on the handle to stop me from leaving.


    His muffled yells of anger as he beat on my window brought me to tears.


    Quickly putting the key into the ignition, I shifted gears and peeled out of the parking lot, barely missing the gentleman who had basically saved my life.


    Tears streamed down my eyes at the realization that this situation could have gotten a lot worse than it did. Panicked, my breath came in rapid pants as my heart beat out of my chest. How could I have been so stupid?


    How could I have allowed myself to be the victim of some asshole¡¯s sick f*cking game?


    I could have died, and then the children would have been left without a mother. Beating myself up over the entire situation, I made my way in the direction of the house, praying that the man wasn¡¯t following me.


    My eyes darted to the rearview mirrors every few seconds to make sure that I was safe.


    Eventually, my driveway came into view, and as I turned down it I stopped the car needing a moment to get myself together. Thest thing that I wanted was for Allegra or Neal to see me in the state that I was in.


    Of course, I was going to have to tell them, but at the same time, I wanted to be able to tell them with a straight face and not while I was an emotional mess.


    Taking deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart, I shifted the car into drive and continued down the driveway. The moment that the front door of the house came into view, it opened, and Neal stepped through. His eyes narrowed at me; his fists clenched at his sides. He was pissed, that was very obvious, and in a way, he had a right to be.


    I had literally done what he told me not to do, and because of that, I put myself at risk. I ended up getting attacked, assaulted outside my vehicle by the man who I had thought just was a regr local, and the only reason why I managed to get away was because Allegra had stashed pepper spray in my car that I ended up taking with me.


    That, and the nice gentleman who came back to make sure everything was okay.


    The moment that I stepped out of the car, his eyes met mine and instantly narrowed eyebrows were rxed. ¡°What happened? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He cleared the space between us and wrapped me in his arms, looking me over as if looking for the damage. I had managed to stop myself from crying before I pulled up, but the moment that he wrapped his arms around me, I broke down into tears.


    ¡°I was stupid, and I should have listened to you,¡± I sobbed as I wiped the tears from my face, pulling away from him so that I could try to get a grip on myself.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± he said very hastily as he stared at me. ¡°Did something happen? Did he find you?¡±


    Nodding my head ever so slowly, I held back the sob that tried to escape my throat. ¡°I went to the grocery store to go grab these things that I needed, and everything was fine, and before I left, I thought I saw him, but then I just thought my mind was ying tricks on me because there was no telling if he was bad or he was just a local. I mean, he could have been anybody....¡±


    I started to exin what had happened when I went to the store. The fact that I hadn¡¯t seen anybody initially, that my shopping trip went fine, that I checked out perfectly fine and even was able to load all the groceries in the car. But it was after I closed the hatch to the car that the man approached me.


    ¡°It was so weird. He seemed so nice at first. He even had a bag of what looked like groceries in his arm. We stood there and talked for a minute, and then I reached to get my keys, and he... well... the next thing I know, I turned around, and he had a gun.¡±


    Neal¡¯s face went from one of understanding topletely livid with what happened. However, when I exined to him that the man, who ended up passing by with his wife, came back to make sure everything was okay and that gave me the opportunity to mace the guy who would have attacked me, he slightly chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have it in you to mace somebody, but that doesn¡¯t excuse the fact that you put yourself at risk after I explicitly told you not to leave the house.¡±


    He was turning this on me, and that pissed me off more than anything. ¡°What do you expect me to do? Stay locked up in this house forever? I can¡¯t just stay here forever, not able to go out for the fear of somebody attacking me. This shit needs to end. I¡¯m sick and tired of it.¡±


    Pushing past him, I made my way to the house. There were still groceries in the trunk, but thest thing I wanted to do right now was unload them. So as soon as I made my way inside, I looked at La and asked her to grab them, which she was more than happy to do, considering both children were down for a nap.


    The moment that she left the area, I let my breathinge in slow and steady, my shoulders moving up and down as I tried to calm my racing mind. All of this was too much. I was so tired of living this continuous circle of bullshit. It was like my life had be my very own soap opera, and it was a soap opera that desperately needed to be canceled.


    Taking a moment to collect my thoughts, I turned to the fridge and grabbed the brand new, unopened bottle of wine that I had had sitting in there for the past week. I had been previously waiting to save it for a special asion, but after the day I had, I definitely needed it now.


    Closing the fridge, I reached for the bottle opener and quickly popped the top. Not even bothering with a ss, I put the bottle to my lips and downed it. After a few big gulps, I held the bottle out in front of me and turned to look at Neal, who walked into the kitchen. ¡°If you¡¯reing here to continue lecturing me, please find something else to do.¡±


    My remark was firm and steady. Thest thing I wanted to do was to continue having this discussion with him. All he was going to do was sit there and tell me how I f*cked up, and I didn¡¯t need to hear him sound like a broken record.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not sitting here trying to tell you what you need to do. All I¡¯m trying to do is protect you, Ba. I don¡¯t understand why you can¡¯t see that. I felt, when I came home only thirty minutes after you left, to tell you that we figured out who it was only to find that you had disobeyed me and left regardless of what I had told you.¡±


    I suddenly felt foolish. Had I waited another 30 minutes, Neal would havee in and told me exactly what was going on. But instead, I was impatient, not wanting to wait for him toe back, and took it upon myself to venture out into town only to end up getting caught by the man who was out to get me.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t go back in time and change what happened, but I can promise you I don¡¯t n on going out anytime soon until you get this figured out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so now you want me to figure things out?¡± He scoffed, shaking his head. ¡°All I have been doing is trying to figure things out and protect you, but that never seems to be good enough. You still continue to want to do whatever it is you want when you want it, without consideration of anybody else.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wrong. I was being a spoiled brat right now, and I was being unreasonable when all he was trying to do was help me, but can he honestly me me for being frustrated with everything?


    In the moment, we found ourselves at a bit of a standstill. He was staring at me while I was staring at him, the bottle sitting on the counter before me as I rested my arm against it, trying to alleviate the pain in my back. Ever since I had Dahlia, I¡¯d had nothing but lower back pains, and it was something I was working on. But right now, with all the pent-up energy that I had from the situation that had happened, it radiated through my body more than usual.


    Which in turn made me a little more bitchy than usual.


    ¡°Look, let¡¯s just put this behind us. Tell me who he is. What do they want?¡±


    He sighed for a moment, shaking his head before meeting my gaze once more, with more of a sad expression than anything. ¡°You have to promise not to freak out.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure why he would think that I would freak out, but the fact that he had to lead the conversation with thatment really did freak me out. ¡°Just tell me.¡±


    Nodding his head, he licked his bottom lip as he ran his hand through his hair before rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°They¡¯re Russians, but it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with what happened with James. This has to do with what¡¯s happened with me.¡±


    Disbelief radiated through me as I tried to understand what he meant.


    They were Russians, but it didn¡¯t have anything to do with James.


    It had to deal with Neal?


    ¡°F*ck my life...¡± I muttered, rolling my eyes.


    If it wasn¡¯t one thing, it was another.

 Chapter 142 : Coming to Terms with Reality

    <h4>Chapter 142: Chapter 142 : Coming to Terms with Reality</h4>


    Neal.


    The moment that I came home and saw that Ba wasn¡¯t there, I freaked out. A million and one things ran through my mind, and the one thing that stuck out the most was the fact that she was out there having left the house, even though Allegra and I both told her not to, and now she was in danger.


    I should have known that she wouldn¡¯t have sat home willingly. Two days was all that she allowed, and I had stupidly agreed to it as if that was going to be enough time to do what needed to be done.


    Looking at her right now in front of me alive was a relief I hadn¡¯t expected to feel. However, knowing that she came close to death because of people I had pissed off killed me. I had never thought my past woulde back to find me, but I should have. The moment that my sister, and I came out of hiding and killed Sergei I should have known.


    Yet, I was foolish.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯splicated....¡± Myment wasn¡¯t one that she wanted, and as I tried to find the words to exin to her the situation I came up empty-handed.


    Shaking her head, she crossed her arms over her chest and stared at me. ¡°You need to figure out how to uplicate your exnation.¡±


    That was easier said than done. ¡°Ba, telling you everything implicates you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Implicates me?!¡± she yelled in frustration, throwing her hands in the air. ¡°I¡¯m already f*cking implicated, Neal. They just tried to kidnap me by using an extremely attractive single dad vibe guy.¡±


    Single dad vibe¡ªdid she just say attractive? ¡°A what?¡±


    Rolling her eyes, she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. ¡°Just f*cking answer me.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Since you really want to know..¡±


    Walking towards the barstool, I took my ce on it and looked everywhere around the room but at her. It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t tell her. I honestly just didn¡¯t want to. I didn¡¯t want her to have more information about my past than I had already told her before.


    ¡°Do you remember when I told you who my family was?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± she nodded, shrugging her shoulders. ¡°They were assassins or something.¡±


    ¡°Essentially, yes,¡± I replied softly as my gaze fell on my hands that rested upon the countertop. Never in my life had I found it so hard to exin something as I did at that moment. ¡°There was a group of people that my family had issues with. My father had actually killed the head of the family years ago, and his sons never forgave my family.¡±


    I could see the confused look on her face as I exined to her what my father had done. Her brows knitted together, and her face scrunched up as if she was trying to understand what I was exining to her.


    ¡°Why would they take out on you and your sister for what your father did?¡±


    Shrugging my shoulders, I sighed. ¡°That¡¯s just the way that our family is. That¡¯s how our lifestyle was.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s ridiculous. I can¡¯t believe that they would do something like that.¡±


    Ba was still naive to the way that the world really worked when it came to being part of an underground crime family. You didn¡¯t have a choice in what was done. You didn¡¯t have a choice in what was said. You simply just did it because that was what you were told to do.


    The family that I had been part of was now just down to my sister and I, but at the same time, we still had to bear the burdens of our father. The burdens of things that he had done were unbelievable.


    ¡°At the end of the day, in our world, we are responsible for our fathers and mistakes. The sin of the father is the son of the child. They had long thought that both my sister and I were both gone, and when we did what we did, saving you and trying to save Tally from Sergie, of course, word got back that we were not as gone as they had thought.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then what do they want with me?¡± she asked as if them wanting her was an unreasonable thing to want. They knew very well that if they had gotten back that they would have gotten both me and my sister, and that wasn¡¯t something that I was able to give up. Not Ba, not Allegra. Neither of them were receable in my life, and I couldn¡¯t imagine if anything had happened to either of them.


    ¡°Unfortunately, they would have used you as bait. If they had taken you, I would havee straight to them, offered myself up, and ensured your safety. To ensure the children¡¯s safety. Hell, I would do it if it was Allegra as well. Both of you mean the world to me. Even if you don¡¯t see that.¡±


    She was quiet for a moment, her eyes staring at me with such intent before softening. What I had said seemed to get to her, and I didn¡¯t mean to upset her by it, but I did want her to stop with all of the bullshit between us and realize that I cared about her more than she wanted to admit to herself.


    I had done a lot of things that were unforgivable over time. I acted selfishly and immature. I didn¡¯t listen. I took things for granted, and all of it led to me realizing that the one thing I wanted most was for her to love me, and no matter what I did, the love that I would receive from her would never be the same love she had for James.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this on your own, Neal,¡± she said softly as she stared at me, shaking her head slowly in disbelief. ¡°If we need to be prepared, then we all need to be prepared. You have to stop thinking that you can just take care of everything on your own. You have to let Allegra and I help you.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡±


    Smallughter escaped her before she sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been hurt enough over the past year to know that if there¡¯s something worth fighting for, you fight for it, you protect it, and you cherish it at all costs.¡±


    Her words were wise, and they were correct. You did those things and so much more. However, she wasn¡¯t fighting for Allegra¡¯s ride. She was fighting to protect her children, and I knew that more than anybody.


    The day she became a mother, she changed into a more mature and better person than I could have ever imagined her being. The way that she was with Dahlia and Alessandro was remarkable, and I knew without a doubt that both James and Tally would be proud of the person Ba had be, even though she had never expected it for herself.


    I just didn¡¯t want her to have to go through the things that were going to being. I wasn¡¯t sure what these men¡¯s next move would be, but I did know one thing.. Or give up until they got what they wanted.


    ¡°Ba, this isn¡¯t some normal thing that you can just handle. This is a battle that you don¡¯t want to get yourself into.¡±


    Just when I thought things were getting good between us, she narrowed her gaze at me once more, clenching her fist upon the counter. ¡°I¡¯m aware of this, but I¡¯m already in it because of you and your sister, even though you guys only did what you did to protect me. There are consequences for the actions you took to ensure my safety, and therefore, I can¡¯t stand aside and let you handle this on your own.¡±


    Herment, though wise and correct, was a jab to my heart. Yes, I had protected her, and I knew that she was grateful for it. However, she was right when she said that there were consequences to our actions. There were things that we were going to have to take care of, whether I wanted her part of it or not.


    ¡°I suppose at least having you prepared for whatever is toe is better than not having you prepared.¡± Sagging my shoulders, I slowly gave in to what she was saying. There was no point in arguing with her. She was very adamant that she was going to be a part of this, so I would have to allow her to be a part of it without knowing that James was alive.


    Eventually, though, I wasing to terms with the fact that I was going to have to tell her. She had a right to know, but the problem was I didn¡¯t know how she was going to handle that information.


    ¡°What do we need to do first? What information do you already know that you haven¡¯t told me?¡± she asked as she picked the bottle up on the counter once more, taking a swig before turning to the fridge and grabbing a beer from it, cracking the top and sliding it across to me.


    It seemed like our sentimental moment of conversation was over, and she was ready to get down to the nitty-gritty of the details I was withholding from her.


    ¡°The man in question who tried to take you. His name is Xavier. He is, actually. The youngest son to the family to which my father had betrayed. Xavier spent most of his life in America, even though he was Russian, working for the family business there. Though their father had been killed by a mine and their family dismembered, they seemed to have joined forces underneath Sergei with onemon goal.¡±


    ¡°What was thatmon goal?¡± she asked me with slight confusion.


    Telling her. But of course, I couldn¡¯t withhold anything. I was past that point, and it was absolutely ridiculous that I kept thinking that I could. I needed to just be honest with her and get to the bottom of things and stop procrastinating it because, honestly, it was more than annoying.


    With a heavy sigh, I lifted my beer to my lips and downed half of the container in one go.


    ¡°They were trying to rebuild their father¡¯s legacy to a certain extent, helping Sergei with business aspects while, of course, searching for whatever they could find to get revenge for their father. They stopped looking from what I can see a couple of years back, until of course, most recently.¡±


    ¡°So Xavier and his brother, they¡¯re looking to get revenge for what your father did, even though you had nothing to do with it.¡± I was impressed by the way she took interest in this whole situation, and even though I knew it was business rted I was slightly turned on by how she wanted to know.


    I would have thought Ba would have run for the hills, gone to her daddy, and tried to move somewhere else with the children, but instead, she was standing her ground. She was showing a fierceness to her that I had never thought I would have seen.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct,¡± I said, taking a moment to ponder over the next part of my statement once I exined this to her, I wasn¡¯t sure she was going to be fully on board with helping.


    Nor did I wonder if she would actually look at me the same way again.


    ¡°I take it that they¡¯re out for blood for what your father did,¡± she said quite calmly as she stared at me.


    ¡°Yes, but not just for what my father did. But also for what I did to their middle brother.¡±


    Well, myment seemed to sink in, and her eyes slowly grew wider.


    ¡°Oh, my God! The boy you killed when you were younger! That was their brother.¡±

 Chapter 143 : Uncle’s Choice

    <h4>Chapter 143: Chapter 143 : Uncle¡¯s Choice</h4>


    James.


    The moment that Neal called me and informed me of what happened to Ba, I had about lost my mind. While I was sitting there shaking hands with people trying to get them to help me figure out who was after Ba, she had been attacked by people that Neal and Allegra had issues with.


    I knew who they were.


    Xavier was the youngest of three brothers, a pain in the ass that I had run across more than once in the business world. He was ruthless when he wanted something and a bit of a yboy who loved to show off his money.


    Patrick, the middle child, died when he was younger, and I didn¡¯t know back then that Neil was the one who had killed him. But after he exined it to me that situation kind of made sense, why they¡¯d also be pisssed off at not only what he did, but what his father did too.


    The oldest brother, though, he was the one you had to worry about.


    Andre was a man who didn¡¯t find remorse in anything that he did. He didn¡¯t care if he hurt you, he didn¡¯t care who he killed, and as long as he came out on top, he was perfectly happy. Andrea as far as I knew, I¡¯d been in and out of prison more times than I could count.


    He was a dangerous man and even though he had been wanted by the US for numerous amounts of things, with the help of friends in high ces he was able to escape back to Russia where he was known to wander around Europe partaking in shady dealings.


    Knowing that those two brothers were the ones who were after Ba in order to get to Neil made my blood run cold. She was in more danger than she had ever been. And if they got a hold of her?


    Even if Neal came forward, they¡¯d kill her. They wouldn¡¯t think twice about it. Unless, by some miracle, Xavier seemed to take a liking to her, which wouldn¡¯t surprise me, honestly, with his yboy nature.


    Sitting at my desk, I held my head in my hands, trying to figure out what I was going to do. I needed to make my way there, and even with my uncle, having given me the resources I needed to make it happen, I wasn¡¯t sure where exactly to start first.


    I couldn¡¯t just leave. Ronaldo was causing more issues than needed to be, and even though my uncle was keeping him at bay and away from me, it didn¡¯t stop him from causing a rift with the people that were here.


    Those who are loyal to my uncle were torn between choosing Ronaldo and myself. They had dealt with Ronaldo for a long time, and he was directly blood rted to my uncle. He was his son. So for my uncle to disregard his own son for the actions he had taken over the past few years and especiallytely, and give it to his nephew instead, was very unheard of.


    It wasn¡¯t like I had asked for this. I just wanted to be able to live a normal life with Ba and the children and be able to start over. I didn¡¯t want to be brought into all of this yet. My uncle and a lot of my family were looking up to me to ensure that the future of this family continues on.


    Majority of people weren¡¯t stupid. If my cousin took over, he would run this family and the businesses into the ground. He was too greedy, too ambitious. He didn¡¯t look at the bigger picture of things and whereas my uncle was an ambitious man, he was smart about the moves that he made, something that his son very muchcked.


    With a knock at my office door, I drew my attention away from my inner thoughts, and looking up, I saw my uncle step foot into the office with a smile upon his face.


    ¡°Uncle, I wasn¡¯t expecting you. Is everything okay?¡±


    Giving a small chuckle, he nodded his head. ¡°Everything will be fine eventually. I just wanted to see if you were okay. I heard about the incident that happened over there, and with the resources, we can go ahead and have them moved here.¡±


    ¡°I know uncle, and I appreciate your help in this. I¡¯m still trying to get used to everything. Of course, people are looking to me more now. I am grateful that you have named me your heir, and I won¡¯t let you down. I just think that once I get her and the children here, things should get better.¡±


    He slid his hands into his front pockets and nodded his head. He was a man who knew what he wanted, and he was a man of little words. But right now, I was seeing a softer side of him that I hadn¡¯t expected to see.


    ¡°Family is everything, James, and that is something that your father never taught you. My younger brother was not the brightest. He wanted his freedom away from the family, and some of the things he did when he was younger were the reasons why he was shunned. I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t get to you soon enough so you could live the life you were meant to have.¡±


    This was the first time my uncle had ever truly said that he was sorry, at least to me. And the way that he was looking at me right now, I could see the sincerity in his gaze. I hadn¡¯t been expecting it, but I was appreciating it because, for the first time in a long time, someone apologized for the way that I had grown up.


    It wasn¡¯t my fault I didn¡¯t have the guidance that I needed back then. I had to learn how to be a man on my own. I had to learn how to take care of myself, my wife and my child because, at the end of the day, nobody was going to do it for us.


    ¡°I appreciate that, Uncle, but I don¡¯t regret what happened to me. It made me who I am today,¡± I exined, giving him a small smile.


    He didn¡¯t seem surprised that was what my answer was going to be, and in fact, he smiled nodding his head in agreement. ¡°That is why I chose you, James. It wasn¡¯t just to throw stones at my son. It was because you have proven in the short time you were here that you are the right man to take on what I started.¡±


    I didn¡¯t think that I had done much to prove myself. However, my uncle was so adamant that I had, which surprised me. ¡°All I did was what you asked me to do. I did my job to be part of the family.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and that is exactly what I want,¡± he chuckled. ¡°A man who will do what needs to be done to protect and support his family. Enough with that though I want you to tell me what you know about what¡¯s going on with your woman.¡±


    Taking a moment to try and figure out where I was to start, I sighed and held my hands up in an unsure gesture as I looked down at the photos thaty scattered on my desk.


    ¡°From what I know, the Michaelson brothers are the ones that are after her.¡±


    ¡°Xavier and Andre?¡± he gasped in an almost shocked sort of way. ¡°Why would they want her?¡±


    Letting out a sarcastic sort ofugh, I shook my head, letting my eyes meet his again. ¡°Because of Neal and Allegra. Turns out their father was ¡®The Hammer,¡¯ and Neal killed Patrick, the middle brother, when he was younger. They want revenge, and they think using Ba is the way to get what they want.¡±


    My uncle seemed to let all the information soak in as he slowly paced around the room, lost deep in thought. ¡°We have to get her and the children out of there then. They won¡¯t stop until they get what they want, and if they are out for blood, your family isn¡¯t safe.¡±


    It was odd hearing someone else call Ba and the children my family. Yes, the children were, but Ba was her own woman, and there was no telling what she would do when she found out I was still alive and had been vacant in her life.


    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s making it happen that I¡¯m finding the issue.¡±


    Turning to face me, he narrowed his gaze, shaking his head. ¡°There isn¡¯t an issue, James. Charter a flight and go there to get them. You can deal with her issues once they get here.¡±


    ¡°What about Ronaldo? I can¡¯t exactly leave right now with him acting the way he is.¡±


    Reminding him of the issues his son was creating made him halt in his steps. He knew I had a point, whether he wanted to believe it or not. Ronaldo was a loose cannon, and if I left, there was no telling what he would try to pull.


    ¡°Very well. Call this Neal person,and figure out if there is a way he can get her here. I don¡¯t care what you have to do, but those children are the future of this family. So if she doesn¡¯t want toe, then they at least need to.¡±


    I was shocked at what he was suggesting. ¡°Ba would never allow that.¡±


    The look he gave me made my heart race and my blood run cold. ¡°Then don¡¯t give her a choice, James. You know how important this is, and with how high the stakes are around here right now. You having your family here is going to strengthen your im on all of this. So, make it happen.¡±


    There was no room for discussion, and as I watched my uncle leave the room, closing the door behind him, I evaluated my situation. There was no changing the choice that had to be made, and as I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed Neal¡¯s number, I could only imagine what his reaction would be.


    There was going to be one hell of a showdown once this all kicked off.


    I could only hope that they would be moved to safety before it went down.

 Chapter 144 : Moving for Safety

    <h4>Chapter 144: Chapter 144 : Moving for Safety</h4>


    Ba.


    Ever since the conversation I had with Neal two days ago, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about everything that could possibly go wrong with staying here in New Zend. This ce was supposed to be my happy home, my forever home with my children, my father, and my stepmother.


    I was an idiot to think my life would be normal. Even now, while I stood here listening to Neal and Allegra bicker over what the best move was even after added security was ced on the house, I couldn¡¯t help but feel more aggravated.


    My dad had still not noticed. The day everything kicked off, I had surprised them that night with round-trip tickets to Australia. Thest-minute trip threw up red gs, but I told them it was only for a few days because when they got back, I was going to need their help with some things around my house.


    It wasn¡¯t the truth, but it seemed to hold them over.


    At least for now.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t see what the problem is, Neal,¡± Allegra snapped with her hands on her hips. This was the hundredth time she had made that statement today, and if Neal wasn¡¯t getting annoyed with it, I sure as hell was.


    ¡°I told you to stop trying to control things and let me deal with it,¡± he replied with just as much irritation as she had given him. They had been arguing thest twenty minutes on the best course of action, and yet, we hadn¡¯te up with anything.


    La had heard the issue the other day when Neal and I were talking in the kitchen. I hadn¡¯t realized she was present, but when we noticed her, she said nothing and went back to the children. I understood if she didn¡¯t want to stay around and be part of this, but losing her would be hard.


    It wasn¡¯t that I needed her to take care of the children, but she had be like family to me, and seeing her go would be difficult.


    ¡°Look, as much as I want to know what¡¯s going on, I don¡¯t have time to keep listening to your bitching. This is beyond ridiculous.¡±


    Standing from where I was sitting, I sighed and made my way toward the kitchen to put my ss in the sink. Neal was on his feet the moment I had moved, and with soft shuffling feet, I heard him behind me. ¡°Ba¨C¡±


    ¡°Neal, don¡¯t. There is much to be done, and we need to figure that out instead of arguing amongst each other,¡± I replied quietly before turning my attention and gaze back to him. ¡°Have you been able to locate them?¡±


    Taking a moment, he shook his head. ¡°No, I have no idea where Xavier went.¡±


    A feeling of nausea and emptiness filled my stomach at his words. I had hoped they had found him or something. Then we could have told the police to go in and arrest him. Yet, I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t realize that would only be wishful thinking.


    ¡°Then the children and I need to get somewhere safe until you do.¡±


    As much as I didn¡¯t want to leave, I knew how important it was that I did. It wasn¡¯t just my safety anymore I had to worry about. It was the children¡¯s as well, and to think something bad could happen to them all because I didn¡¯t want to leave was unimaginable.


    ¡°You want to leave?¡± Neal questioned my statement as if he was surprised I came to that conclusion. ¡°I will support you if you do.¡±


    ¡°Neal, it isn¡¯t like I have a choice.¡± The scoffed remark made him and Allegra both sigh. Turning his gaze towards his sister, he watched as she threw up her hands and shrugged her shoulders¡ªsome untold conversation going on between them like there always was.


    ¡°I have a ce you can go to. A ce on the ind where you will be safe from prying eyes. At least until we figure this all out,¡± Neal said.


    An ind home with two small children, and chaos brewing... why not? Not like anything else could go f*cking wrong.


    ******


    Neal.


    I had purchased the small home on the seaside after we first moved here as a possible getaway vacation spot for Ba and me. However, when things went sideways for us, I took it as a ce I may have to move to in order to have a ce to live.


    Considering it was very clear Ba didn¡¯t want to be with me. Not that I med her, honestly. After everything that had happenedtely, all I did wasplicate things that shouldn¡¯t have beenplicated.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± she muttered, cing her hands on her hips. ¡°Another secret?¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m trying to help. The ce was supposed to be a vacation getaway for you and me after you had the baby. I bought it for you, Ba... however, when things fell out, I realized it wasn¡¯t going to be used for that, and I¡¯d figure something else out.¡±


    Taken aback by my admission, she stood stunned with her mouth partly open. There were no words for her, and I didn¡¯t expect there to be. I had told her something I never intended to tell her. Something I had kept private, even from my sister.


    Taking a risk, I moved towards her and let my handsy upon her upper arms as I stared down into those beautiful eyes I had been captivated by from the moment Iid eyes on her. ¡°I am sorry I have disappointed you over the past few months, but know I do care, and this ce is safe and registered under a name no one will look for.¡±


    With my words, I felt like the tension quickly eased between us. No longer was there hatred and anger. Instead, there was immense sadness as tears slowly welled in her eyes but refused to fall.


    ¡°Don¡¯t end up doing something stupid that results in getting you killed. You may be a pain in the ass, but you¡¯re my pain in the ass, and I don¡¯t want to see harme to you, Neal.¡±


    Chuckling, I nodded my head. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Now, why don¡¯t we get things packed, and tomorrow we can head there? They won¡¯t be stupid enough toe close to the property here with how highly guarded its be. At least not right now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, make the arrangements, and we can go. How far of a drive is it in case I need to get things we forget?¡±


    Her question was naive, but smiling at her, I shook my head. ¡°Take everything, Ba. There are no roads where we are going.¡±


    ¡°No roads? What the hell do you mean there are no roads?¡± Theughter that escaped her as she began pulling a piece of paper and a pen out to jot down everything that needed to be taken made a smirk cross my lips.


    ¡°I mean, the only way there is by boat or seane. Which is good because, like I said, thest thing they will suspect is I would take you somewhere like that.¡±


    Her eyes nced at Allegra before turning back to me. A moment of processing ran through her facial features before she sighed. ¡°Okay then... by sea we go.¡±


    ¡°I will admit you¡¯re taking this a lot better than I thought you were going to.¡±


    Allegra had a point; Ba was taking this really well.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t like I have a choice. I have a lot to do before we can leave and not exactly enough time to do it.¡± Just like any other woman that I knew, Ba had things she needed to get done before she could leave. It wasn¡¯t like I could say no to her, so nodding my head, she quickly finished writing down what she needed to and then disappeared.


    I was left with the urge to follow her and try to make sure that she was okay, but Allegra grabbed my arm, and as I turned to face her, she gave me a small smile. ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be okay.¡±


    Her reassuring statement didn¡¯t make me feel any better. I was stuck in a ce where I didn¡¯t know if I wasing or going, and I felt like a failure. I had been the bad guy for a while now, and while I didn¡¯t believe I was doing anything to harm anybody in the long run, I was.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to call him and tell him toe get her.¡± I didn¡¯t have to say the name of the person I was referring to because my sister knew exactly who I was talking about.


    James needed to be the one to keep her safe because, honestly, I couldn¡¯t. Not with all the people after me. If Ba stayed with me, things were going to be even moreplicated, and she would get hurt because these guys were not like the others. These guys were much more ruthless and out for blood.


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s going to be the best thing?¡± she whispered, her eyes darting towards the hallway as if she was expecting Ba to pop around the corner, having listened to our conversation.


    I knew Ba wasn¡¯t standing there, though. She had gone down the hallway and was busy preparing to move to this safe ce I had for her. A ce I would venture to her with but wouldn¡¯t end up staying there.


    At least for not long.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. He was never meant to be away from her for long, and she was never meant to live this life without him. I¡¯vee to realize that and understand it and respect it, and you need to do the same. In the end, they can fix whatever it is they need to between them. But for now, she needs to get to safety, and I need to make a phone call.¡±


    ¡°Okay, If you think this is the right choice, then, of course, I will stand behind whatever decision you make. I am curious, though. Her dad and stepmom will be back in a few days. What are they going to do?¡± She made a valid point I hadn¡¯t considered before.


    Taking a moment to think about that situation, only one usible answer came to me. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to have them go out to the ind as well. Why don¡¯t you go ahead and talk to Ba? Let her know so that way she can let them know.¡±


    Allegra didn¡¯t bother to argue with me any further. She let her grip on my arm go and nodded her head before turning and heading down the hallway in the same direction Ba had gone.


    As much as my pride had gotten the best of metely, I had to give up on it and know this was for the best. Her being with James was for the best.


    She wasn¡¯t going to be entirely happy about the situation.

 Chapter 145 : Taking Charge

    <h4>Chapter 145: Chapter 145 : Taking Charge</h4>


    Ba.


    The next morning when I woke up, I was in a mad rush to try and get everything done that needed to be done. I wasn¡¯t sure how long the kids, me, and La were going to be staying over at the surprise house Neal had on the ind, but I had a feeling it was going to take a while for us to get back to normal civilization.


    Not that I was enthusiastic about that part.


    Then there was the other issue at hand¡ªmy parents.


    After the talk I had with Allegra in private about my father, I figured it was best I went ahead and filled them in on our surprise ind but left out the main reasoning behind it until they arrived. My father would kill me if I tried to tell him over the phone about everything going on.


    So I simply left it as we had a surprise home on an ind when he got back in town, and I wanted him and his wife toe and spend some time with me and the kids without Allegra and Neal being present.


    It was pretty straightforward. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?


    The sarcastess of my thoughts were clearly evident, however not spoken out loud. Thest thing I wanted to do was continue to show my displeasure in all of this. Dahlia and Alessandro were happy as could be, doing their usual thing. I continued packing their bags, exining to the children, though they didn¡¯t understand we were going on a fun family vacation.


    Why did I actually keep telling them about this family vacation like they understood me? Well, that was simply because I needed to improve my own sanity.


    ¡°Ba, I managed to get the rest of the kid¡¯s stuff together in the bags you told me to put them in.¡± Turning to look at La over my shoulder, I saw her meek smile and her uneasiness. I had tried to talk to her multiple times and convince her it wasn¡¯t safe for her to be present, but she refused to leave and said her ce was with me.


    ¡°Thank you, La. I really appreciate it. You¡¯re a tremendous help.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem,¡± she replied softly as she made her way over towards where Dahlia wasying in her crib. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and give Dahlia a bath now, and then I¡¯lle back for Alessandro. That way, they¡¯re freshly clean before we leave.¡±


    With a heavy sigh, I spun around to face her. ¡°La, I don¡¯t know how many times I told you that you don¡¯t have to go. This isn¡¯t really safe for you.¡±


    She hesitated for a moment, as if contemting what I was telling her. The smart thing for La would have been to run for the hills, but for some reason, she was so adamant in staying with me. She was loyal. I would give it to her, but it wasn¡¯t really the smart thing for her to do.


    ¡°I know,¡± she breathed out. ¡°I want to go, though. You need my help with the kids, and even though I can¡¯t battle an army or anything like that, I can at least be there for you for moral support.¡±


    ¡°Okay, as long as you¡¯re sure.¡±


    La didn¡¯t wait a minute longer before she picked up Dahlia and quickly left the room with her. I was seriously going to have to pay this girl a heavy bonus for everything she was going through for me.


    If it wasn¡¯t for her, none of this would have been possible. I would have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get everything done. She had been a trooper. She stepped up to the te. She took care of things. She did anything I asked. She did it all without question.


    Most people would have thought she had a hidden agenda. However, honestly, I think she was just lonely. From what I understood, she didn¡¯t really have much family, and the family she did have treated her like shit. So the moment she¡¯d begun to work for me, she¡¯d found a home.


    I finished packing the bags, quickly zipping them, and took them out into the main living room. There were numerous people wandering around. All of whom worked for Neal, getting everything prepared we would need in order to go.


    ¡°Hey, are those bags ready to go?¡± ncing up, I came face to face with Neal, who was staring down at me with so much concern in his gaze it made me uneasy.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied hesitantly. ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    Letting out a heavy breath he tilted his head from side to side and then shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Yeah, everything is fine. Just a lot to do to get us over there.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I chose not to pry further into what he had going on. I was over trying to figure things out, and from what La had told me, Allegra said he was focused more than usual. Which I could understand, considering the situation.


    Pausing for a moment, he let the corner of his lips turn up slightly and then bent down, picking up the bags before walking out with them. I wasn¡¯t sure why he didn¡¯t let one of his men do it, but I let it roll off my shoulders as I moved to finish the rest of what I had to do.


    Something deep down inside me felt off about all of this.


    A metaphorical storm was brewing, and I just hoped we would make it out unscathed.


    ******


    James.


    The moment Neal called me and let me know what exactly he was nning to do, I forbade him from doing it. I was already nning to proceed to New Zend to get Ba and the kids before he called me, and hearing what he had to say was enough to make my blood boil.


    I didn¡¯t need him taking them to an ind. I needed him to keep them safe until I got there. But Neal, per usual, thought he was doing what was best, and that irritated me more than anything.


    Ba and the children needed to be here in Italy with me where they would be safe. Where high security and constant protection was avable. Danger wouldn¡¯t daree to my uncle¡¯s property¡ªeven my cousin wasn¡¯t stupid enough to start shit here.


    The one thing about my uncle I actually respected more than anything was he had taken the initiative to highly protect his home. Before anyone could get anywhere near the actual house, barbed wire fences surrounded the property which connected to guard towers that were manned at all times.


    All of which connected to therge iron gate at the front of his very long driveway nearly half a mile long. Normal people may not have taken note of everything, but considering my cousin had disappeared and befriended people he shouldn¡¯t, my uncle increased security on this property even more. He even hired the local police force toe in and help protect what he owned.


    Part of it reminded me of what it was like when I went down to Mexico. The cartels did very simr things. They would use the local military and the local police officers to help with patrolling things.


    But here in Italy, things were run a little differently. Thankfully, my uncle¡¯s connections ran deep, and those were connections he was passing to me.


    I had been nothing but kind since I got here. I had been respectful, which was unusual considering I was not known to be a man who did things like that, but I was trying to give respect where it belonged. My uncle had helped me through a tough time when I¡¯d hit rock bottom and became somebody that I didn¡¯t even recognize any more.


    I hated that it had taken me losing everything to realize I¡¯d let my pride be the reason why my life had beenpletely turned upside down. But now, I had found my bnce again, and my uncle had put me into a position worth having, I wasn¡¯t going to let him down, or anybody else.


    Sitting in his meeting room with six other men that he did business with¡ªall of various sizes, ages, and descriptions¡ªI contemted what it would be like when I was the one who took over. When they¡¯re cowering, eyes looking at me with the same fear they showed my uncle.


    ¡°As I told you, James will be taking over everything from here. Do you understand?¡±


    They all nodded their heads in agreement before their eyes cast to me. I wasn¡¯t exactly taking over everything for right now, but when it came to running the operation from New Zend, my uncle did themon sense thing.


    Had me lead it since it was my business.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle,¡± I replied as I let my eyes cast around the table, taking in every single man. ¡°As my Uncle said, we have a problem in New Zend that needs taking care of. It seems the Michelson brothers have decided they¡¯re going to move in on shit that belongs to me, and I need men who can go with me to retrieve what is mine.¡±


    ¡°Can we ask what it is that we¡¯re retrieving?¡± a short, fat, plump man with graying hair my uncle called Dotson asked, as if he had higher seniority than anyone else. I didn¡¯t appreciate his smug look and the way he sped his hands over his rolling fat belly, but keeping my calm, I raised a questioning brow.


    Men like him did nothing but make me sick. Theyid on the backs of others, and when it came down to getting their hands dirty, they didn¡¯t f*cking know how to.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what the f*ck we¡¯re going to get. I need your men to do it, and you¡¯re going to f*cking help me.¡±


    Dotson chuckled at myment as if it was the most amusing thing he had heard all day. It was a sign of disrespect I wasn¡¯t going to tolerate. ¡°Look, James. I respect your uncle, but I won¡¯t tolerate you speaking to me like that.¡±


    Before my uncle could say anything, I leaned forward on the table, my eyes narrowed as I stared at him with a wicked grin upon my face. ¡°You¡¯ll do what the f*ck I want you to do, or I¡¯ll serve you up to the f*cking pigs out back. They¡¯re always looking for their next meal, and we starve them on a regr basis.¡±


    Myment was unexpected, and even my uncle turned his gaze to me, a little wide-eyed. As a grin grew across his face, I couldn¡¯t help but smirk.


    I could be ruthless when I wanted to be, but I was trying to turn over a new leaf.


    A new leaf that obviously wasn¡¯t working. If these men didn¡¯t want to respect the nice side of me, then I had no problem with showing them what kind of man I could be. A man who would destroy everything until I had my daughter, grandson, and future wife safe behind guarded walls.


    Guarded walls mine to control.

 Chapter 146 : Unexpected Romances

    <h4>Chapter 146: Chapter 146 : Unexpected Romances</h4>


    Ba.


    I don¡¯t know what it was I was expecting when Neal said he had an ind home, but it definitely wasn¡¯t a small remote ind just off the coast of New Zend, cut offpletely from the outside world.


    Though that would have been themon sense thing.


    The moment we¡¯d arrived here, I found myself a little taken aback by exactly how remote this ce was. Crystal-clear blue water surrounded the ind, and with all the lush greenery around, it added a calming atmosphere.


    ¡°This is beautiful,¡± I muttered softly before turning my gaze to Neal, who stood behind me. ¡°How the hell did you find this ce?¡±


    Shrugging his shoulders, he nced around at the small wooden home withrge windows overlooking the ocean only a hundred feet away. It wasn¡¯t the biggest of homes, and in fact, it reminded me of the small apartment I shared with Tally once upon a time.


    ¡°It was for sale, and I bought it,¡± he muttered before turning and walking back outside.


    His behavior was weirder than usual, and before I could say anything, La came prancing around the corner with a smile on her face. ¡°Hey, I managed to get the kids¡¯ rooms set up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great. Thanks.¡± The girl had been overly excited abouting here, and honestly, I found it quite odd considering normal people would be freaking out right now. Yet, here she was, just as happy as could be about being in this house on this damn ind.


    Overwhelmed and unsure of what to do, I made my way out the front door where Neal and Allegra stood talking to the multiple guards on the ind with us.


    Allegra¡¯s soft blue eyes were the first to meet mine, and as they did, I could tell she was upset. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a bun on her head, and with a chunky sweater wrapped around her to take the cool breeze chill off her skin, she sighed before walking over to me.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I know that look, and I don¡¯t like it.¡± I groaned not wanting to hear any more bad news from her.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just some things that were left at the house that I needed. Neal doesn¡¯t want to let me go back, but Sam, the head of security, said he had no problem taking me.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what she forgot, but I didn¡¯t really like the idea of her going back either.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound safe. I mean, wasn¡¯t the whole idea ofing here toy low? If people are seen constantly going back and forth, isn¡¯t that going to draw a lot of attention?¡±


    The men all turned to look at me after myment as if what I said surprised them. I was only pointing out the obvious, and as Neal looked to Allegra, the nce he gave was almost to say I had a point.


    ¡°Look, I won¡¯t take long, and I¡¯ll just stay overnight there ande back in the morning. It¡¯s important that I get this.¡± Allegra was adamant, and I could see whatever it was she wanted to get was extremely important to her.


    Deciding not to pry, I gave Neal a motherly look to say let her go. He must have realized what I was doing, and with a heavy sigh, he nodded. ¡°Fine. You leave in twenty minutes, Allegra.¡±


    I was pleased he was willing to allow her to go, and the joy in her eyes made me smile more. Brushing past me, she quickly made her way into the house, and as she did, I was left alone with Neal while the other men went back to what they had been doing.


    ¡°That was kind of you to let her go,¡± I breathed out as he stared at me.


    ¡°Well, it seemed like it was important to her. So, who was I to honestly tell her no?¡±


    I knew damn well the only reason why he agreed was because I had basically told him to do it. He had been trying so hard to stay on my good side thest two days, I could have told him to buy me another ind, and he probably would have.


    ¡°It was kind of you. I¡¯m sure everything will be fine, and honestly, she can grab something for me while she is there as well. I left my knitting kit there, and I figured since I¡¯m going to be here for a while, I could finish the nket I started knitting for Dahlia I never finished.¡±


    Laughter escaped us both, thinking back to when I had started the damn thing. I had been so adamant I was going to knit all her nkets and make all of her clothes, but the dream quickly died when I realized it was a lot harder than I¡¯d expected.


    In fact, it was so hard, after watching multiple online videos and tutorials, I ended up in tears in a pile of yarn on my bedroom floor no closer topleting it than when I had started it.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s not have another meltdown over it.¡±


    Neal¡¯s muttered response made me smack his arm as he turned to walk down the steps. ¡°How dare you! I¡¯ll have you know I have gotten a hold of it rather well the past few months.¡±


    ¡°Uh, huh,¡± he smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll believe it when I see it.¡±


    The moment he was gone, I turned to make my way back into the house. I half expected to see Allegra with an overnight bag waiting to leave the house the moment I came in the door, but instead, I found the space empty and confusion filled me.


    I had no clue where she was, and as I looked into the kitchen, I heard voicesing from down the hall.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this, Ali... you can¡¯t leave.¡± The voice belonged to La, but I was confused as to who the hell Ali was. Did she have someone else in my home?


    Stopping just outside the door, I went to open it when I heard Allegra speak. ¡°La, sweetie... I promise I¡¯ll be okay. It¡¯s just overnight, and then I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    ¡°Ali, it¡¯s not important enough. The ne will be fine there... I¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    So the item Allegra was going to get was La¡¯s ne?


    Why in the hell was she going to get it instead of La?


    ¡°La, your mother left that ne to you, and I know how much it means to you. Thest thing I want is for you to be ufortable because you don¡¯t have it.... Plus, I love how it looks against your skin.¡±


    ¡°The hell?¡± I whispered to myself as I continued to listen to their conversation. I was so f*cking confused, but more than anything, I wanted answers.


    ¡°Ali, you¡¯re so good to me,¡± La breathed out before I heard kissing. ¡°God, I love you.¡±


    ¡°Holy f*cking shit,¡± I gasped as I pushed the door open and watched as Allegra and La turned to me with shock and confusion.


    ¡°Ba¡ª¡± Allegra¡¯s words were breathless as she ran her hand through her hair. ¡°How long have you been standing there...?¡±


    Coughing, I cleared my throat and started tough. ¡°Oh, long enough, I can promise you that.¡±


    The air in the room became extremely quiet as the tension grew. I didn¡¯t mean to put them on the spot, and honestly, as long as they were happy, then I was happy for them.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay.¡± The smile on my face seemed to ease them a bit as Allegra pulled La closer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want there to be problems¡ª¡± La admitted quickly. ¡°Please, it won¡¯t affect my job¨C¡±


    ¡°La, it¡¯s okay. I swear.¡± I smirked. I couldn¡¯t believe after all this time, they had been seeing each other, and I had never even noticed the attraction that they had for each other. ¡°I will admit I figured you with the wrong sibling.¡±


    Allegra and La looked confused for a moment before La¡¯s lips formed an ¡®O¡¯ shape as she began tough. ¡°You mean because I asked about Neal?¡±


    Shrugging my shoulders, I crossed my arms over my chest and smiled. ¡°Yeah, I mean we had that whole conversation before, but I didn¡¯t realize you didn¡¯t like him like that.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that I don¡¯t. He is good-looking, yes, but he isn¡¯t exactly my cup of tea.¡±


    The smile forming on Allegra¡¯s face at La¡¯s words was priceless. I could tell whatever emotions were held between them were genuine.


    ¡°Like I said, as long as you¡¯re both happy, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Ba.¡± Allegra let go of La for a moment before she came to me, wrapping her arms around me. She was older than me, and even though she was much older than La, I found the rtionship between them to be enchanting.


    To find love like that in the midst of all the chaos was sweet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll be out in the kitchen if you need me.¡±


    Turning from the room, I headed into the kitchen to try and find something to do. With so much packing, there were a multitude of things. Yet, as I opened the first box, I looked up to find Allegra standing there. ¡°I need you to do something for me.¡±


    ¡°Sure, what is it?¡±


    She sighed before holding back her emotions as if she struggled to keep them in check. ¡°If for some reason something happens to me... promise me you will take her with you.¡±


    Narrowing my gaze, I tried to understand where she wasing from to make a request like that. I wouldn¡¯t have left her anyways, but herment made it sound like she was trying to say goodbye.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll take her with me. I love her to death, Allegra. But why are you acting like this?¡±


    Allegra shook her head from side to side while giving me a small frown. ¡°With times like these, you never know what could happen, and I don¡¯t want to go knowing she may be waiting for me here if something happens. I don¡¯t want her alone.¡±


    The tenderness in those few words touched me, and nodding my head, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her once more.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep her safe, but promise you will keep yourself safe. Don¡¯t be stupid.¡±


    As much as I knew she was only going for a night, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was saying goodbye to her permanently. As if this would be thest time I¡¯d wrap my arms around her, and I¡¯d never see her smiling face again.


    The idea caused small trails of tears to fall down my face as she gave me a small nod.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon, Ba, don¡¯t wait up.¡±

 Chapter 147 : Hell’s Captive

    <h4>Chapter 147: Chapter 147 : Hell¡¯s Captive</h4>


    Allegra.


    I hated how Ba had to find out about La and me, but there was no way to really have prevented that. I should have known, eventually, she would have found out, but I wish it would have been me telling her instead of her walking in on me kissing the girl.


    Things with La happened unexpectedly. Gradually over time, we grew feelings for each other, and I had never been opposed to having a rtionship with the same sex. In fact, I had sexual rtions with Ba on one asion, with James watching and participating as well.


    The whole thing with La, though, was unexpected. Late one night, we sat outside, upset about how our lives had taken a turn. She was there for me, and in casual conversation, we kissed, which ended up leading to a whole lot more.


    Next thing I knew, we were stealing every second we could get alone to share those private moments, and no matter how much I tried to convince her to leave so she would be safe, she refused.


    She didn¡¯t want to leave me because she was in love with me as I was in love with her.


    The ride back to the maind was unpleasant. The graying skies had given way to unforgiving sea travel, and though the bumps of the waves on the sea had my stomach turning, we made it back to drynd without any issues.


    ¡°Let me help you...¡± the soft-spoken voice of the man Neal had sent with Sam and I said as he held out his hand for me to take.


    We had made dock at the nearest area to the house, and as I took his offered hand and climbed out of the boat, I tried to calm the rolling uneasiness in my stomach. The coffee I had finished right before I climbed on board was the wrong choice, but there was no changing that now.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Sam approached me, walking down the dock from where the car was waiting in the parking lot. He had been working with Neal on and off for years, and when things took a turn for the worse a few months back, his position had be more permanent.


    ¡°Allegra, everything¡¯s ready to go. However, the dock master did say a nasty storm wasing in tonight, so it¡¯s best we stay the night at the house. Then in the morning, we can head back out.¡± Hisment made me sigh because on the boat, I tried to convince him our trip would be quick enough to make it back tonight.


    The weather had other ns for me, and even though I wanted to get back to La and Ba, it was obvious it wouldn¡¯t be possible.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. I understand.¡±


    With a small smile, I passed him and made my way toward the car without another word. It sucked I would basically have to spend the night alone in that house even though the two men were with me, but I would just have to make do with what I had.


    Perhaps there were other things I could look through I may have needed.


    If it was able to keep my mind busy, then so be it.


    ****


    A few hourster, the storm approaching blew heavily through the night. The wind outside howled as the branches of nearby trees scratched against the roof, causing an eerie feeling to rest within the bones of the house I once loved to go home to.


    It sucked being here when it felt so empty, and with Sam sleeping and the other guy standing watch, I couldn¡¯t help but feel vulnerable. It was as if no matter how many people my brother could have sent with me... I was still open to the elements.


    Searching through the cascade of paperwork I had in my room, I searched for the photos La, and I had taken only two months after she had been with us.


    I wanted something to take back with me to put in a frame, considering Ba knew about our rtionship, and Neal wouldn¡¯t object as long as I made sure to be careful about what I was doing.


    He may have been my younger brother, but I sometimes felt like he was the older sibling.


    A soft knock on the bedroom door caught my attention, and looking up, I spotted Sam standing there with a smile on his face. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m letting Zack go rest and run patrol quickly on the house.¡±


    He didn¡¯t have to tell me what he was doing, but with a smile, I nodded. ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯m going to head to bed here in a minute. I was just looking for some photos.¡±


    ¡°Okay, just remember we leave at first light.¡±


    It was strange how fatherly the older man was, considering he didn¡¯t have to tell me anything, and yet he still chose to. As he closed the door, I felt guilty he was going out into the weather because it was his job to protect me. Had I just made sure to grab things this morning like a normal person, we wouldn¡¯t have been here.


    The chain had broken a week ago, and I had sent it out to have it fixed for her. Then stupidly allowed myself to forget to grab it. I¡¯d picked it up the other day but hadn¡¯t put it back in her jewelry box, and I¡¯d forgotten about it in all of the rush. Thankfully, now it was already safe inside my sweater pocket. Onest thing I had to worry about finding.


    Shaking my head, I sighed as I shuffled through a few more pieces of paper until I finally found the photos I was looking for. A small smile yed on my face as I recalled the day we took the photos and how happy I had been to take them with her.


    As I reminisced over the moment the photo was taken, a small noise from the living room caught my attention and drove me into go mode. It sounded like a thud but confused me at the same time. The only people in the house were me, Zack, and Sam, or so I thought.


    Narrowing my gaze, I stood and shoved one of the photos into my pocket as I made my way toward the bedroom door. I wasn¡¯t one to run away scared, and the moment I stepped out into the hallway, I wished I was one of those people. But no, I was pressing forward down the hallway to see where everyone was.


    Like amon idiot I would have yelled at in movies for doing so.


    The eerie sound of silence consumed me, and as I pulled my sweater tighter around me, my heart raced as the adrenaline coursed through my body. Zack was supposed to be sleeping in the spare room with Sam doing rounds outside.


    Yet, the moment I stepped into the living room, I froze.


    Blood coated the floor, and as I let my eyes scan over the hardwood floor towards the source of where the blood wasing from, a sh of lightning from the angry sky outside lit up the living room in white, and a glimpse of Zack¡¯s dead body came into view.


    My breath caught in my throat as I stared at him. The realization we weren¡¯t alone in this house clicked, but just in time for two strong arms to wrap around me from behind. Screaming, I thrashed and swung my arms back, catching whoever it was in the stomach as I bolted towards the other side of the home.


    The panic room was in the study, and if I could make it there, I would be safe.


    Unfortunately, I only got a few steps before a powerful grip on my hair had me screaming out in pain. I turned and tried using a few defensive moves to get out of the grip. It worked momentarily, but when the second figure grabbed me as well, the thrashing around became more useful than anything.


    Gripped by the throat, the thundering storm raging behind these four walls, I stared up into the dark eyes of my attacker, who dly removed his mask to smile back at me. I should have known something like this was going to happen. That they would n this, and with the ce deserted in the move, it was the perfect opportunity for them toe in.


    They had been watching us, and now... I was their target.


    ¡°Hello, Allegra,¡± the cold, sinister voice of Xavier said with a snarling smile on his lips. He wasn¡¯t as bad as his older brother, who obviously wasn¡¯t here right now, but he was just as wicked when he wanted to be.


    ¡°Get the f*ck off me,¡± I spat at him, struggling within his grasp.


    Laughter echoed within the room as another sh of lightning echoed outside. There was no way I would be able to get away from him. I may have been skilled, but I knew I was no match for the Michaelson brothers. I would be a fool if I thought I was.


    ¡°She¡¯s feisty, isn¡¯t she, boys?¡± Xavierughed as the other two men with him chuckled in response to hisment. ¡°I like them when they¡¯re feisty, and I know my brother does too.¡±


    Panic flooded me. Even though my life had prepared me for what coulde, I was so out of touch with that side of me. I was unsure of what to do. It was like the moment he got his hands on me, everything I once knew went out the window.


    ¡°Let me go now, and my brother and I may let you live.¡±


    Again with theughter. I found myself growing more and more aggravated. Taking advantage of his brief distraction, I kicked out, catching him between the legs, which in turn caused him to let go of me.


    The other two men with him were surprised as I pushed through them and rushed down the hallway. Yet, not fast enough to get away as I was tackled to the ground. A scream rushed from my throat as I hit the floor. My fingers wed at the carpet as I tried to get away.


    I had no doubt I would end up dying, and when a blow to the back of my head made spots dance before my eyes, I was sure this was it. Yet, as I was flipped over onto my back and staring up into Xavier¡¯s eyes, who now straddled my waist, I knew he wasn¡¯t going to make this quick.


    ¡°Oh, naughty girl.¡± Heughed, shaking his head. ¡°Here, I thought you were going to listen. Guess we are going to have to do this the hard way.¡±

 Chapter 148 : Spilled Blood & Unexpected Visitors

    <h4>Chapter 148: Chapter 148 : Spilled Blood & Unexpected Visitors</h4>


    Ba.


    The storms that hade in the night before were rougher than I had expected. However, through the whistling wind and cracks of lightning, I found sce in being wrapped up in bed with both children in my arms. The future was changing, and for the first time in months, I let my mind wander to James.


    To the deep darkness of his eyes and the warm touch of his body against mine. I wished more than anything he was here with me to relish in moments like this with the children and to see them both growing. I had to admit I was lonely, and even though I could admit it to myself, I couldn¡¯t admit it to anyone else.


    Thest thing I wanted was for the others to be worried about me.


    Especially when I had taken so much for granted over the past year. In the morning light, I crept out of bed and went to the kitchen to fix a warm drink. Then, standing at the window in the living room, I looked out upon the water and sipped upon the hot cup of coffee in my hand.


    From what I knew, my father and stepmother were to be arriving today with the others, and I wasn¡¯t honestly sure what was taking too long.


    Allegra, Sam, and Zack were supposed to have left at first light this morning, and when they didn¡¯t arrive by 10:00, I found myself growing increasingly ufortable.


    ¡°Are they still not here?¡± La¡¯s soft voice caused me to turn and nce at her from over my shoulder as I sighed and shook my head no. I knew she was worried about Allegra. She had voiced that concern this morning, and with the only phone in our possession currently being a satellite phone, I was worried too.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure with the rough weather we hadst night they simply just got tied up at the docks. Not to mention they had to wait for my parents.¡±


    Giving her a reassuring smile, La turned from me and disappeared into the kitchen. As much as I wanted to believe the words I told her, I didn¡¯t. Something was definitely wrong, but I didn¡¯t know what it was.


    As if Neal could have sensed what was going through my mind, he walked through the front door and caught me off guard. ¡°Hey, we still haven¡¯t heard from Sam, so I¡¯m going to head into town with one of the other guys to see what¡¯s taking them so long.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t say it,¡± he murmured as he shook his head. ¡°I refuse to believe something happened to them. My sister is a strong woman, and Sam is the best security detail I¡¯ve ever had. Nothing has happened.¡±


    Opening and closing my mouth, I sighed with a nod. ¡°Okay. Just call me and let me know as soon as you can.¡±


    He didn¡¯t waste a single second before disappearing back out the front door. The sound of the door closing and the small conversation caught La¡¯s attention once more. I turned to see her standing there with a broken expression as her chest moved in and out rapidly.


    I hated to see her as broken as she was, but I couldn¡¯t allow myself to think so negatively. I had to have faith everything was going to be okay.


    ****


    Neal.


    The fact I hadn¡¯t heard from Sam, my sister, or even Zack at all this morning bothered me. I had tried using the phone multiple times to get hold of them, but it was useless. The lines were never answered, and it wasn¡¯t like Sam to run his unit that way. He had my sister, and he knew how important it was to be back here this morning.


    We had a n for a reason, and we weren¡¯t to change it.


    As the brewing uneasiness in my stomach rolled repeatedly, I made my way with my men toward the maind. The clear coast came into view with rolling green hills and mountains in the distance. Ba choosing this ce was a blessing because it was a remarkable ce to live.


    The only problem was it was so far from everything I had known.


    ¡°Sir, the car is waiting at the port. ording to the dock master, your sister and the others never showed up this morning.¡± Frank was next inmand next to Sam and hearing him say this didn¡¯t make me feel any better about the situation.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s dock and go to the house.¡±


    Twenty minutester, and breaking most of the speeding limits for this part of the ind, we arrived at the house, and my heart broke. It was clear there had been a home invasion before I had even gotten out of the car, and when I did start making my way up the path toward the front door, the blood trails gave way to a brutal struggle.


    ¡°Boss... you should stay here and let us clear the ce first.¡± Frank¡¯s words fell on deaf ears as my heart sank into my stomach as I pushed the already open front door open a little wider.


    I didn¡¯t want anyone looking at anything until I did.


    The moment I made my way into the house, I could see there were trails of blood smeared all over the wood flooring¡ªstreaks of the struggle smeared across the walls leading towards the living room. I knew damn well they were dead, and as I stepped into the living room, I spotted the dead bodies of Zack and Sam.


    Zack had been just a boy basically when he started working for Sam, no older than neen, and seeing both these men I had grown to respect werepletely ripped apart, in a way, broke me. They had lost their lives because of my family.


    Simple casualties of a dispute that had nothing to do with them.


    The men who hade with me scoured the rest of the house as I stood staring at the dead bodies of my friends, my blood boiling with anger at the situation.


    ¡°Any sign of my sister?¡± I asked Frank as he made his way back down to the hall towards me. ¡°Is she here, or did they take her?¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t here.¡± The firm reply worried me more. It meant they had taken her and had decided using her to get to me was better than Ba.


    Taking a deep breath, I turned in a circle looking around the room. It was clear Allegra had put up one hell of a fight. ¡°It looks like they caught her by surprise.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Frank replied. ¡°It looks like they caught her just inside the kitchen from a couple of drops of blood on the floor out of ce. Perhaps she had made a point in showing them she wasn¡¯t to be messed with.¡±


    Walking around the room, trying not to disrupt the evidence, I took in the traces of the scene in front of me. My eyes scanned over everything that had transpired.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t any sign of a note?¡± I asked without looking at them. ¡°They had to have left something.¡±


    As if right on cue, a phone somewhere began to ring, and scanning around the room, my eyes searched for where it was. ¡°Find it, quickly! Before it stops ringing!¡±


    Then men and I moved around until I realized the ringing wasing from Sam¡¯s dead body upon the floor. Moving swiftly to where hey, I searched his pockets and found the phone in question. It did not belong to us, and as I answered the call, I knew who was on the other line.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± I said firmly as I gripped the phone.


    ¡°Ah, Neal. How good of you to answer. Did you like the gift I left you?¡±


    Xaviers¡¯ voice was like nails on a chalkboard to me at that moment. He was thest person I wanted to hear, but it was better him than his brother.


    ¡°As I said, where is my sister, Xavier? I won¡¯t ask again.¡±


    Laughter echoed through the phone at myment, and the more he found amusement in this, the more I wanted to kill him. ¡°She¡¯s fine, for now. Pretty little thing, your sister. She put up one hell of a fight.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare f*cking hurt her!¡± The snarling tone that left me was nothing but pure anger and warning. I would destroy them all if she ended up hurt from this.


    ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t. If you give me what I want.¡±


    Bargaining wasn¡¯t usually something the Michaelson brothers were known for. They were known for taking everything they wanted and never asking for permission. To hear he wanted something was surprising and a little suspicious.


    With a sigh, I shook my head and let my eyes fall to the ocean outside of the house. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want to talk to you, Neal. That¡¯s all I have wanted. To talk to you face to face about everything that happened, and when I found out that you were alive... well, I couldn¡¯t pass up the opportunity to finally have that happen.¡±


    Was this guy f*cking serious?


    ¡°All of this shit was just to talk to me?¡± The scoffed response was the only thing I could give as I looked back down to the dead figures of my men at my feet. ¡°I find that hard to believe.¡±


    A chuckle resonated through the phone from Xavier. ¡°Oh, that... yeah, that was just to get your attention. I¡¯m d that it did.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you go after Ba if that¡¯s all you wanted?¡±


    It was the million-dor question I wanted answers to. Why? If he had only wanted to speak to me, he could have done that without going through all this shit, but instead, he yed games.


    ¡°Oh, that pretty one I want for myself, Neal. However, when you took her, it made that impossible, but not to worry, someone else is nning something special for her. In time, things will work out, but for now... let¡¯s focus on us. It¡¯s time for you to return to the house that brought you so many wonderful memories.¡±


    The phone went dead, and as it did, my breath left my body. I knew exactly where he was taking Allegra, and if he was taking her there, that meant I didn¡¯t have much time before his patience wore thin, and he killed her.


    Yet, with Ba... I couldn¡¯t leave her unprotected.


    ¡°Well, damn... I leave you to take care of things, and I find out blood has been shed, and your sister has been taken. Thought you were supposed to be skilled.¡±


    The voiceing from the front hall behind me made my eyes widen, and turning, I looked into the familiar face of one man I hadn¡¯t expected to see anytime soon. One man who I hated with a passion, and yet, the only man who could possibly be the saving grace to a currently forming n.


    ¡°You have a habit of showing up at just the right time, don¡¯t you, James?¡±

 Chapter 149 : Right Hooks & Foreseeable Futures

    <h4>Chapter 149: Chapter 149 : Right Hooks & Foreseeable Futures</h4>


    James.


    As soon as I managed to get things situated with my uncle, I took the next private flight out headed for New Zend. I was tired of counting on someone else to keep what belonged to me safe. I had shit to correct and things to make right, and now was the time to do it.


    With everything going on and too many whispers circting around the Michaelson brothers moving in on Neal, I couldn¡¯t hold off in the hope he would be able to handle his shit.


    From the sounds of it, he had not a single f*cking clue what he was doing.


    The moment the ne finallynded in New Zend, I took in the same beauty that must have captivated Ba to begin with. Everything was so green, and the atmosphere of the ce when you stepped off the ne was just¡ªbreathtaking.


    ¡°Damn, this ce is nice,¡± Tony, my right hand said as he stepped off the ne behind me. ¡°Sucks, we have to go back to Italy.¡±


    ncing at him from the corner of my eye, I shook my head with a smallugh. ¡°Well, maybe when all this shit is finally over we cane back here. Vacation homes are all the rage,¡± I said mimicking the annoying energetic girl who wouldn¡¯t stop talking to us at the airport.


    Thinking briefly about the girl, we bothughed as we made our way towards the ck sedan waiting for us. ¡°Yeah, she was something else.¡±


    ¡°Yep, but time to get our game faces on. This isn¡¯t a trip for pleasure. We will be collecting Ba and the kids and leaving today. I don¡¯t want to be here any longer than we need to with everything that¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± he replied as he slid into the back seat of the car.


    As soon as we arrived, we made our way along the narrow roads of the ind, heading straight for the location of Ba¡¯s home. I had seen photos of it for months now, and the idea of finally being able to see her blew my mind.


    Was she going to be excited? Or was she going to hate me?


    Lost in my thoughts, Tony cleared his throat and caught my attention. ¡°We¡¯reing upon the house now, sir.¡±


    My eyes looked up towards the road ahead, and sure enough, as soon as we turned off the main road onto another, we came to the long spiraling driveway that led up to a massive home sitting on the coast overlooking the ocean.


    It was beautiful, and the fact she had bought it for herself and the kids created a sensation of pride within me. That was until we came to a stop and I realized with all the cars here and the mass amount of men swarming the area, something was off.


    I didn¡¯t bother to exin who I was as I quickly climbed out of the car and made my way towards the house. ¡°Sir, stop now or I will shoot you.¡±


    My gaze narrowed as I turned to the young man, who obviously had no f*cking clue who I was. ¡°You have two seconds to drop that gun or I¡¯ll f*cking kill you myself.¡±


    The young man looked hesitant, and as another older man approached, he gestured for the man to lower his weapon. ¡°Sorry about that, Mr. Valentino. He is new and doesn¡¯t know who you are.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d that you actually do. So start exining what the f*ck is going on.¡±


    With a heavy sigh, the man gestured for me to step aside with him before he began to speak. ¡°There was an invasionst night. Two men were killed, and the woman was taken.¡±


    My heart sank as panic slowly set in. ¡°Which woman?¡±


    ¡°Allegra, Neal¡¯s sister. She and the two men came here to collect a few things, and were abused. Neal¡¯s inside at the moment.¡±


    It was hard to hear Allegra, a woman I had known for many years, had been taken, but she wasn¡¯t my main concern. Ba was, and if she wasn¡¯t here, that meant Neal must have gotten her to the safe house like he said before the attack happened.


    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll go find Neal.¡±


    Not wasting another moment, I moved forward to the house. The murmured voices of Neal and a few others piqued my ears as soon as I crossed the threshold. The ce was a mess, and the smell of the dead filtered in through my nose the closer I got to the living room.


    I could almost imagine what the house looked like before it was destroyed, and as soon as my eyes fell on Neal¡¯s back, I couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly bad for him. He clutched a phone in his hand as he ran his hand through his hair.


    ¡°Well, damn... I leave you to take care of things, and I find out blood has been shed and your sister has been taken. Thought you were supposed to be skilled.¡±


    He spun around quickly with widened eyes as if seeing me was thest thing he had expected. I had told him I wasing, but it was clear he didn¡¯t believe me.


    ¡°You have a habit of showing up at just the right time, don¡¯t you, James?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what he meant by that, but shrugging my shoulders, I nced around at the dead bodies and mess scattered everywhere. ¡°Where¡¯s Ba?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s safe.¡± His in response wasn¡¯t the one I wasn¡¯t looking for, and trying to keep my cool about it I cleared my throat and red at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again. Where¡¯s Ba, Neal.¡±


    Neal stood for a moment clenching his jaw as he thought over his next words very carefully. I wasn¡¯t about to let him keep her from me, and regardless if she knew I was alive or not, I would cross that bridge when it came to it.


    ¡°She¡¯s at my safe house. I can have one of my men show you.¡±


    Pressing a finger to his lips, he gestured for me not to ask any further questions before pointing to his ears. I quickly got the hint he was giving. He wasn¡¯t sure if the house was bugged and if anyone was listening.


    Neal had his men, but I came with a small f*cking army and if the Michaelson brother¡¯s thought they could go toe to toe with me they were f*cking wrong.


    ¡°Which one did this?¡± I asked Neal as I nced around.


    ¡°The only one who coulde into New Zend without raising red gs.¡±


    Xavier. Of course that little prick has something to do with it. Nodding my head, I turned to Tony at my side. ¡°Ensure Xavier Michaelson is aware I will rip him and his brother apart if theye anywhere near my family.¡±


    Tony didn¡¯t hesitate as he nodded and quickly left the house. He had his ways of getting messages across to people, and I had learned a few days ago to trust in his instincts because he was good at his job.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Neal¡¯s voice drew my attention once more, and as I ced my hands into my pockets, I shook my head.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking Ba and the kids back home where they belong. I¡¯ll have a cleaning crewe in here and take care of this, but honestly... it looks like you have shit to take care of.¡±


    There was no denying what Neal was going to do next. Xavier had taken his sister, and knowing Neal, he was going to do everything in his power to get her back. ¡°I could use your help, James.¡±


    Staring at him, I contemted the idea. But getting involved in Neal¡¯s shit wasn¡¯t a wise business move. I had my own issues to deal with, and even though they had helped me in taking care of Ba and the kids while I was away, I couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Neal¨C¡± I sighed, ¡°you know that I can¡¯t.¡±


    Anger red through his eyes as he fisted his hands at his sides. ¡°I f*cking kept her safe for you. Kept your daughter and your grandson f*cking safe, and you¡¯re telling me you won¡¯t help me get Allegra back?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a wise move for me to make,¡± I replied in an indifferent tone. ¡°If I get involved, it¡¯s causing more problems than I need.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re aplete f*cking prick, James.¡± The scoff that left him was mixed withughter as Neal shook his head in disbelief. ¡°Here I thought all that time away had changed you, but you¡¯re still the same man you always were.¡±


    ¡°There is more at y here Neal than you f*cking realize,¡± I snapped at him, watching his mouth close quickly. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time in this ce, and I have to be on my way back to Italy. Now, I can point you to someone who can help you. A man named Vince from Sicily. He takes no sides and is attracted by money.¡±


    Pulling out my phone, I pulled up the guys number and wrote it down on a piece of paper I had in my jacket pocket. The moment I held the number out to Neal, he didn¡¯t hesitate to take it.


    Neal may have had his connections, but I also had mine and with my new position I had more than I ever had.


    ¡°Go see my man Greg outside. He will take you to Ba,¡± Neal muttered as he stared at the number. ¡°Keep her safe... and give her time. She will need plenty of it when she finds out you¡¯re alive. She isn¡¯t the same woman you left.¡±


    Turning, I stopped in my tracks as I looked over my shoulder at Neal. I wasn¡¯t sure what he meant by that, but the moment his eyes met mine once more, I had a feeling I wasn¡¯t going to like what I was walking into.


    Of course there had been a lot of time since I hadst seen Ba, and with the way we left things, I wouldn¡¯t me her for initially hating me. But I would do everything in my power to earn back her forgiveness and her trust.


    I stepped out of the house and an older man and woman jumped out of the blue SUV and came running towards the house. ¡°Where is she?! Where¡¯s my daughter!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jacob Woods, I presume?¡± His eyes met mine, and for a moment, he seemed to look through me but the longer time passed, it was as if things clicked together and his eyes went wide as his mouth parted.


    ¡°You¡¯re dead...¡±


    Nodding my head, I gave him a small smile as I held out my hand. ¡°James Valentino, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    Thest thing I expected was for Ba¡¯s father tosh out the way he did, but without warning, hended one hell of a right hook to my jaw that caused my men to grab at him holding him back. ¡°You f*cking ruined her life!¡±


    Rubbing my jaw, I let out a smallugh as I nodded my head. ¡°Let him go...¡± I said as my men looked at me like I was crazy. ¡°I deserved that... you have a mean right hook, Mr. Woods.¡±


    ¡°I should f*cking kill you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, but then my men would kill you, Jacob, and then Ba wouldn¡¯t be any safer. So, let us hold off this conversation and go get your daughter.¡± As I nced at him, he puffed out his cheeks, his ears red showing just how angry he was.


    Ba had told me once upon a time her dad was a docile man who would never hurt a fly. It was obvious she didn¡¯t know her father as well as she thought she did.


    As much as I wanted to eventually have this man know I was sorry for what I had done, now wasn¡¯t the time for it. But there was no telling what the future would hold.

 Chapter 150 : Reuniting with James

    <h4>Chapter 150: Chapter 150 : Reuniting with James</h4>


    Ba.


    Too much time had passed since Neal had been gone, and as the sun slowly crossed over in the sky, I became more and more worried about what was going on. I tried a few times on the satellite phone to get hold of him, and yet, there was nothing. Nothing, but ringing and my constant aggravation over the entire situation.


    ¡°Nothing yet?¡± La had asked me this at least a dozen times, and as I turned to her shaking my head with a sigh, I saw the disappointment in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure everything is fine,¡± I muttered quickly, pushing a smile on my face. ¡°They just got wrapped up in things. Had there been an issue, the men outside would havee to say something.¡±


    No matter how often I tried to reassure her, I could tell she didn¡¯t believe me. She had already cried more than once today, and I felt terrible for it, but at the same time, there was nothing I could do.


    I was just as much in the dark as she was.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to find something to make for dinner. The kids will be up from their naps shortly.¡±


    That seemed to be her go-to when she was upset¨Ccooking. It was better than me, though. I couldn¡¯t cook to save my life, and where there were a few things I could do¡ªlike boil water and make spaghetti¡ªthere wasn¡¯t much else I was capable of.


    Neal had found that out when we had our pizza fiasco.


    As soon as La left, the phone in my hand began to ring, and my eyes widened with panic as my heart raced. Quickly I answered it, and as I did, La came flying back around the corner from the kitchen with her eyes wide as if she was just as hopeful as I was for some kind of news.


    ¡°Neal? Is that you?¡± I quickly stammered out not waiting for a hello.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said softly with a sigh. ¡°We need to talk about something.¡±


    The sound of his tone wasn¡¯t reassuring, and the instant nausea I had been hoping wouldn¡¯t appear swirled around me as I moved toward the sofa and sat down. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Sam and Zack are dead. They were ambushed at the housest night, and it was trashed¡ª¡± Tears filled my eyes as I choked back a sob before ncing at La, who instantly began crying.


    ¡°Ba, where¡¯s Allegra? Where is she?!¡±


    Holding up my hand, I told her to wait. ¡°Neal, where¡¯s your sister? Is she okay? Did she make it to the panic room?¡±


    Another sigh filled my ear before he responded. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± I cracked out. ¡°Is she¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Ba. She isn¡¯t dead.¡±


    A sigh of relief filled me as I nced back at La. ¡°She isn¡¯t dead.¡±


    La broke down in tears as she sat down on the sofa next to me, holding her hand against her chest. It was clear she cared about Allegra more than I realized and knowing that I broke a little for her. ¡°La, it¡¯s going to be okay. She¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say she was okay,¡± Neal replied, cutting into my conversation. For a moment, I had forgotten I still had him on the phone, and as he spoke, I realized something else must have happened.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean exactly what I said. She isn¡¯t fine. They took her, Ba. They took Allegra.¡±


    There were no words to form to exin how I felt at that moment. Hearing that my friend, a woman who had be like a sister to me, even if we did have our differences, was gone. ¡°What¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know where she is, and I¡¯m going to get her back.¡±


    ¡°I want toe with you,¡± I stated, standing to my feet as I wiped the tears from my eyes. ¡°I can have my parents and La watch the kids... take them somewhere safe.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not doing anything but what I am about to tell you.¡±


    The way Neal spoke at that moment caught me a little off guard. There was a darkness to his words and a sense of warning in his tone. I wasn¡¯t sure what he was nning, but Allegra was everything to him, and if someone took her, he would destroy everything to get her back.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m listening.¡± The soft words of my reply seemed to cause him to sigh as his tone slightly changed.


    ¡°Do you remember Lester Johnson?¡± he asked as if I would ever be able to forget a name like that. It was the entire reason he and I had our major falling out. He was hiding shit from me and wouldn¡¯t give me the answer I wanted.


    ¡°What about him?¡± I replied sternly. ¡°Did he have something to do with this?¡±


    A chuckle escaped Neal as he replied, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what¡¯s amusing. What does this have to do with Lester Johnson?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯sing to get you, Ba.¡± Thement took me back for a moment as I tried to understand his meaning.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what? I thought this guy was bad?¡± There was no way I was going with some man I didn¡¯t know. I had learned my lesson in trusting people I didn¡¯t know, and I wouldn¡¯t be doing it any time soon.


    ¡°Ba, Lester Johnson is no one you will fear, I can promise you that. Your father is with him, and they are on their way right now to collect you and the kids. I need you and La to pack everything and get ready because when he gets there... well, there will be a lot of confusion and a lot of questions, and it¡¯s just best if you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Standing in the living room by the window, I watched off in the distance, where a boat was cruising towards the ind. It was still too far away to see who was on it, but with a sigh, I turned to La, who waited with hope in her eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving. Get everything packed and get the kids ready. Hurry.¡±


    She hesitated for a moment, and what I told her was clearly not what she wanted to hear, but I would have to exin everything in detail to herter. Right now, I could tell Neal was being dead serious about what was about to happen, and if that was the case, I didn¡¯t need to waste time.


    ¡°How long are we going to be gone, and where are we going?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to Italy, but I don¡¯t know how long you will be gone.¡± The soft reply spoke volumes to his uncertainty about the situation. I wasn¡¯t sure what exactly in full detail was going on, but I appreciated that he let me know this much.


    Thest thing I wanted to do was be left in the dark and not know where my next move would be. ¡°Neal, you know I don¡¯t like this. How can I trust someone that I don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°You do know him, Ba.¡±


    Taking a moment, I knitted my brows together andughed. ¡°Neal, I know for a fact if I knew someone named Lester Johnson, I would remember. That name isn¡¯t one that¡¯s easily forgotten.¡±


    A small chuckle from him echoed my own amusement as I pulled the sweater I was wearing closer around my chest and moved towards the front door taking the conversation out to the front porch. ¡°Tell me... do you think she will be okay?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, Ba... I don¡¯t know. But I¡¯m going to do everything in my power to get her back, and when I do, I will send her to where La is. My sister may not have thought I knew about her rtionship with the girl, but I did... and she deserves to be happy.¡±


    It was the first time in a long time I had heard him speak of his sister the way he did, and as the boat got closer and disappeared from my view towards the docks, I knew my time was up here on the ind. Perhaps one day we coulde back, but I knew that wouldn¡¯t be for a very long time.


    ¡°It looks like my ride is here,¡± I whispered into the phone with a sigh.


    ¡°Good, stay with him and keep yourself safe.¡±


    ¡°I will, and thank you for everything that you have done for me. You have no idea how much it means to me. Even if it seemed like I hated you.¡± The admission was one that had been weighing on my chest a lottely, and clearing the air right now was important. Thest thing I wanted was for him to go into battle with me never being able to say that.


    ¡°I¡¯d do it all over again, Ba. I wouldn¡¯t change a thing, but I will say that it¡¯s me who should be apologizing. Please don¡¯t hate me for the secret I kept. Just know I did it to keep you safe, and I hope one day you can forgive me for the pain the secret caused you.¡±


    Confused and speechless, I didn¡¯t know what to say to him. ¡°What secret?¡±


    As if he knew I was going to ask, the phone went dead, and I was left without an answer. He had hung up on me just when we were in the middle of having an important conversation, and as I looked up I spotted my father rushing toward me.


    ¡°Ba, oh my god, you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Laughter escaped me as I let him wrap me in his arms. ¡°Of course I am. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you sooner what was going on. I didn¡¯t want you to get hurt¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, stop. We can talk about that in a minute. Where are the kids? I want to see them.¡±


    Rolling my eyes with a smile, I turned and opened the front door gesturing inside. ¡°They¡¯re in the back room with La. But Dad... be careful. She and Allegra were together, and she is a mess right now, so please¡ª¡±


    Nodding his head, he held up his hand with a smile. ¡°I got it, sweetie. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go give her a fatherly hug and make sure she is okay. For now... I think you should stay right here and wait.¡±


    My father¡¯s eyes nced toward the walkway behind me, and as they did, I furrowed my brows and turned around. My heart dropped into my stomach as my eyes widened in shock. Tears quickly filled my eyes, but I couldn¡¯t tell if it was from joy or pure anger.


    So many times I dreamed of moments like this where the man who I had shared so much with was able to walk back into my life. Able to share in the memories I made with our daughter and his grandson but also knew that was impossible because he was dead.


    Or at least supposed to be f*cking dead.


    ¡°James¨C¡± I gasped out, unable to believe what I was seeing.


    ¡°Hey, beautiful... did you miss me?¡±


    ¡°Beautiful?¡± I scoffed in shock. I was happy to see him and part of me wanted to kiss him, but the other part of me was so angry he was showing up like this as if him being gone for this long was no big deal. ¡°Are you kidding me right now, James? You¡¯re f*cking Lester Johnson! You¡¯re a f*cking asshole!¡±


    Perhaps it wasn¡¯t the reunion he was expecting or the one anyone else was from their severely shocked expressions, but turning on my heels, I marched right back into the house and mmed the door, but what did they expect.. For me to jump into his arms?


    All the hell I had been through and he couldn¡¯t pick up the damn phone to call me.


    He is lucky a part of me still loved him because I was so mad I could kill him myself.


    James Valentino was a f*cking asshole, sexy as hell and a walking sex machine but still a pain in my damn ass. Now I knew why Neal was apologizing. He knew I was going to be mad... happy, but still pissed off they hid this from me.

 Chapter 151 : Boat Chase

    <h4>Chapter 151: Chapter 151 : Boat Chase</h4>


    Ba.


    I stormed past La and the kids, going to my room. Neal was right, I was lucky we had packed everything. I might have thrown things, otherwise.


    The door to the bedroom opened, however, before I could lock it.


    ¡°Ba,¡± James said in a warning tone, ¡°we really don¡¯t have time for this.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to make time,¡± I replied, folding my arms over my chest. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d just show up here, thinking I¡¯d f*cking prance away with you like some mindless bimbo.¡±


    James took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a mindless bimbo. But I do think you¡¯re rather stupidly fighting with me right now when you should be getting yourself and the children out of danger. You want to scream at me? Hit me? use me of God knows what? F*cking fine, Ba, but do it on the jet.¡±


    I bit back a why-would-I-go-anywhere-with-you retort. James was right. We needed to leave before Neal¡¯s past came to our doorstep. I¡¯d learned that the hard way with Xavier Michaelson in the grocery store parking lot. I was going with James before something dastardly happened to the children. Or my parents. Or La. Or me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think there¡¯s not a stiff right hook waiting for you on the ne,¡± I muttered, gathering two suitcases and pushing past him to get to the door.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect anything less,¡± James replied. But I could hear the smirk in his tone.


    I grumbled under my breath, tugging the suitcases away when James tried to take them from me. He was hot, and I missed him, and I was d he was alive. And a big part of me wanted him to kiss me, or perhaps drill me against a wall for old time¡¯s sake. But he was also a snake who¡¯d let me grieve him, missing moments of our child¡¯s life. Of Alessandro¡¯s life. He didn¡¯t get to be chivalrous today.


    One of his men held out his arms for the suitcases, and I passed them over with a pointed look at James.


    He shrugged, trying not to smirk at me as he got exactly what he wanted. But the corners of his lips kept twitching upwards.


    ¡°Oh, sit on it and spin, James Valentino,¡± I muttered, following James¡¯s men out. I recognized Neal¡¯s men and waved as I passed them. They were helping load the boat.


    La had Dahlia in her arms and Alessandro in a stroller in front of her.


    James looked longingly at the children, but, as he said, we didn¡¯t have time for that, either.


    ¡°Mr. Woods, if you would kindly board the boat,¡± James said to my father.


    My father¡¯s scowl was the darkest I¡¯d ever seen on any man. I took a step back, shocked. ¡°Why would we go anywhere with you?¡± my father voiced my earlier objection.


    ¡°You¡¯re not safe here,¡± James exined tiredly. ¡°There¡¯s been an incident¡ª¡±


    ¡°Screw you and the horse you rode in on! I want more than that. I deserve that. My daughter especially deserves that,¡± my father yelled, his fists balled at his sides.


    I sighed. ¡°Dad, please just get on the boat. James will exin on the ne.¡±


    ¡°ne?¡± my father repeated.


    ¡°Yes. ne.¡± James turned to a man who¡¯d begun hovering next to him as soon as he left the house. ¡°Tony, if Mr. Woods is unwilling to board the boat of his own free will, please make sure he makes it aboard.¡±


    Tony nodded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    My father¡¯s face turned plum purple, but James was already turning to another member of his guard. ¡°Yes, Alfonso?¡±


    ¡°Sir, we found this in the baby stroller. You said to do a thorough sweep...¡± Alfonso said, handing over some sort of small electronic device.


    James took it, and his features hardened. ¡°Everyone on the boat, NOW!¡±


    ¡°But our things¡ª¡± I began.


    James grabbed my arm and dragged me towards the boat. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you something new. Anything you want. But there¡¯s no time!¡± He tossed the device back at Tony.


    Tony dropped it on the ground and crushed it under his heel.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked a random suit when James went to corral La and the kids.


    ¡°Tracking device,¡± the man grunted. ¡°Take a seat, miss. It¡¯s a long ride to the airstrip.¡±


    ¡°Airstrip?¡± I asked as La sat down beside me on one side, my father and stepmother on the other.


    ¡°Yes, miss. Can¡¯t go to an airport. Too easy to infiltrate,¡± the man said.


    ¡°Cristofori, get everybody secure. We¡¯re going, and it¡¯s going to be rough,¡± James ordered, taking a seat across from me next to Tony.


    The man I¡¯d been talking to, Cristofori, made sure we were all ounted for and given life jackets. He¡¯d barely made it to a seat himself next to Tony when the boat took off.


    In the distance, I could see another boating towards the ind.


    ¡°Could that be Neal?¡± I asked James.


    ¡°No,¡± James said through gritted teeth. ¡°That¡¯s not Neal.¡±


    I swallowed hard and took Alessandro from the stroller, holding him in my arms as La held Dahlia.


    James¡¯s look of longing returned but was then reced by a hard, ruthless demeanor. ¡°If they approach, shoot to kill.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Tony agreed, taking a gun from under his jacket.


    Cristofori and the other men James had brought with him did the same.


    ¡°I¡¯d really feel morefortable if you didn¡¯t draw weapons around the children,¡± my father said, frowning at the bristling of guns around us.


    ¡°I¡¯d really prefer we all make it to Italy alive. Guess whose preference is going to win out?¡± James replied harshly to him.


    My father seemed about to argue further, but I put a hand on his arm. ¡°We¡¯ll work it all out on the ne,¡± I promised.


    The other boat swerved away from its path towards the ind when they spotted us. My heart pounded double-time in my chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± James said, touching my knee. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone harm you or the children.¡±


    I bit my lip, wondering if this was a promise like the ones Neal had made¡ªsincere, but ultimately breakable. Then again, this was James, and by the determined set of his tan jaw, I knew he believed in what he said. I had no choice but to believe it, too.


    Just as the boat pursuing us got close enough that we could see the number of its upants, it veered away sharply. I thought I saw guns on that boat, but their numbers were far inferior to the number of men James had brought. They probably decided discretion was the better part of valor.


    James made a motion, and all the guns disappeared into various hidden holsters.


    Choppy waves bounced the boat around, but once the other boat disappeared from sight, our speed decreased, and we coasted at an easier pace to a small harbor on a side of New Zend I¡¯d never seen before.


    We came to a stop next to an old, yet well-maintained, dock. More of James¡¯s men met us there.


    The men in the boat disembarked, with Tony snapping orders at them, informing them of the situation. Some took the bags we¡¯d managed to get on the boat before we left.


    My father helped my stepmother off the boat, and Cristofori helped La, who was still holding Dahlia.


    James held out his hand to me.


    I considered rejecting it. He really didn¡¯t deserve to be the chivalrous knight in shining armor at this point in our tale. But I was holding Alessandro, and I didn¡¯t want to drop the one-year-old in the water just because I¡¯d been too stubborn to take James¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m still mad at you,¡± I grumbled, allowing James to get me from the boat to the dock. The touch of his hand was enough to send fire through my blood.


    It really had been a long time.


    We were all packed into SUVs, James and Tony with La, the children, and I. My father and my stepmother went in an SUV with Alfonso and Cristofori.


    James took shotgun while Tony drove. La and I sat in the back with the children.


    ¡°Hang on,¡± James warned as we started going over rugged terrain. His hand was wrapped firmly around the ¡°oh shit¡± bar.


    ¡°Just where is this airstrip?¡± I asked, bumping shoulders with La.


    Alessandro giggled as the SUV pitched to and fro, thinking it was the best ride ever.


    Miraculously, Dahlia slept through it all.


    I decided they must have James¡¯s strong, unppable genes.


    ¡°It¡¯s out of the way,¡± James replied cryptically.


    ¡°Right,¡± I muttered. Even more secrets. For all I knew, it was anding strip for a drug cartel.


    When I saw the asphalt strip in the middle of the woods, with barely enough room around it for the nes to take off andnd, I blinked. I decided my guess probably wasn¡¯t too far off. It was definitely ¡°out of the way.¡±


    The SUVs all stopped in a long line as though it was a presidential motorcade. James got out, as did Tony and the others.


    I started to open my door, but James leaned his hip against it. ¡°We need to secure the area first.¡±


    Seething, I waited for the men to fan out and check around the jet. Once an ¡°all clear¡± call went up from all sides, James finally opened my door.


    I stomped out, pushing past him to carry Alessandro to the ne, L, my father, and my stepmother in my wake.


    James seemed perfectly happy with this turn of events as some of his men hopped ahead of us and a circle of defenders closed around us. Cristofori stood at the top of the stairs to the jet and waved us aboard. The jet wasrge enough to amodate neen passengers, and James made sure every seat was taken.


    ¡°What about the rest of your men?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to the airport,¡± James replied.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I looked around at the men who had joined us on the ne. I imagined they were James¡¯s best. ¡°So, we¡¯re flying straight to...?¡±


    ¡°Italy. And no, we¡¯ll have to stop to refuel in Indonesia,¡± James said. His eyes speared mine. ¡°We will not be disembarking the ne.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± I was secretly fine with it, but I didn¡¯t like James making these decisions for me. ¡°Where in Italy are we going?¡±


    ¡°My uncle¡¯spound in Sicily. Buckle up, we¡¯re taking off,¡± James replied.


    I buckled myself up and held Alessandro in myp. La did the same, only holding Dahlia in her arms.


    As we lifted off, I looked down at New Zend with a sense of sadness. I had made my home here, and that home was being taken from me.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as though we can nevere back,¡± James said slowly. ¡°I just need to get some things in order first.¡±


    I wiped a tear from my eye and shook my head. ¡°Don¡¯t make promises you can¡¯t keep, James.¡±


    ¡°Who says I can¡¯t keep it?¡± James responded, his eyes narrowing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been around the block too many times now to believe in any bullshit you alpha men keep trying to feed me,¡± I murmured. ¡°All you do is break my heart.¡±


    James¡¯s nostrils red, and he reached across the aisle to take my hand. ¡°Ba, I swear on my life, I will find a way to make you happy.¡±


    I tugged my hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± James asked, looking at his hand in confusion.


    ¡°I¡¯m in charge of my own happiness, and the happiness of these children. That¡¯s my purpose now¡ªto make sure these children have a good life. I thought I could make one for them in New Zend. But associating with criminals has destroyed everything good I¡¯ve ever tried to build.¡±


    I looked James dead in the eye. ¡°When this is all over, I want out. For me and the children.¡±

 Chapter 152 : Off to Italy

    <h4>Chapter 152: Chapter 152 : Off to Italy</h4>


    James.


    My stomach dropped to my toes. ¡°You want to leave and take the kids with you?¡± I inferred.


    ¡°Yes. They deserve a better life, a happier one, and not to mention, a safer life than you can ever give them. So whether it¡¯s New Zend or somewhere else, I intend to make something pure and wholesome for them. Far away from you, from Neal, from Allegra, and your problems,¡± Ba confirmed.


    I scowled. ¡°Those are my child and my grandchild. You can¡¯t just take them away from me.¡±


    Ba shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re dead, and Tally gave custody of Alessandro to me, so, it would seem I can take them away from you. And I will.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to stay dead. Everyone who wasn¡¯t supposed to know I was alive knows I¡¯m alive. There¡¯s no point in hiding it anymore. Besides, I left witness protection the moment I left Japan,¡± I said.


    ¡°Japan...¡± Ba¡¯s eyebrows drew together. Then her eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re the one who sent the box!¡±


    I inclined my head. ¡°Guilty as charged. I wanted Dahlia to have something... of me. Even if I could never see her.¡±


    Ba went silent. When we were hardly in the air, she handed Alessandro to her father, undid her seatbelt, and walked briskly to the back of the jet.


    I quickly unhooked my seatbelt and went after her, following her. She went all the way back into the jet¡¯s small bedroom and was just closing the door behind her when I stopped it with my hand.


    ¡°Ba?¡± I asked as she turned her back to me. I stepped into the bedroom and closed the door behind us. ¡°Ba...?¡±


    She turned to face me, tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°Damn it, James, why do you make it so impossible to hate you!¡±


    My breath caught, and I pulled her to me, wrapping her in my arms.


    Ba choked on a sob and beat her fists against my chest. ¡°Damn you... DAMN you, James...¡±


    I threaded my fingers in Ba¡¯s hair, cupping the back of her head, pulling her face to my chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ba. I wanted to do the right thing.¡±


    ¡°The right thing would have been to tell me you¡¯re alive,¡± Ba sniffled. ¡°I mean, you told NEAL, and you don¡¯t even like him! I thought you loved me.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I said fiercely. I tugged her head back so she was looking up at me. ¡°I do love you. More than anything. I love you, and Dahlia, and Alessandro. You are my life.¡±


    Ba frowned at me. ¡°Did you think I couldn¡¯t keep your secret? Why? Why Neal and not me?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s Neal. Because he hates me. Witness protection wouldn¡¯t have suspected me contacting him. But they sure as hell would suspect me contacting you, as would my enemies. I didn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to you. I didn¡¯t want you hurt any more than you already have been,¡± I exined.


    Ba thumped her fist against my chest again. ¡°You did hurt me. More than you could possibly imagine.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said. ¡°I know, and I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    We looked at each other for a long moment. Then I couldn¡¯t resist. I dipped my head down for a kiss.


    Ba shoved me away. ¡°Sorry doesn¡¯t cut it. You¡¯ve just shown me what a faithless asshole you really are. Don¡¯t you DARE try to kiss me!¡±


    She might as well have stabbed me in the heart. I took a deep breath and leaned back against the door so I wouldn¡¯t pursue her across the room. ¡°Ba, things were good between us. They can be again. Please give me another chance. A chance to make it up to you.¡±


    ¡°Words. Those are all just words. You. Neal. Chad¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you DAREpare me to that asshole!¡± I growled, stalking across the room to grip Ba by the upper arms.


    Ba met my eyes, her own shing with anger. ¡°Why must every man lie and make promises they can¡¯t keep?¡±


    My nostrils red. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what¡¯s happened up to this point, Ba. I¡¯m sorry my life and Neal¡¯s life have caused so much pain to you. But I¡¯m not evenfortable with you lumping Chad in with Neal. We¡¯ve tried, Ba. We¡¯ve actually put in the effort and tried. Don¡¯t you understand? Some things are simply beyond our control. Beyond my control. But, I¡¯ve got a safe ce for us now. You won¡¯t have to worry about anything or ever want for anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a person, not a poodle, James. You can¡¯t keep me cooped up in a ce with a fenced-in yard and throw some treats my way and expect me to be happy. All I ever wanted was my independence. A chance to prove myself. Now? I¡¯m supposed to sit around like a housent. That¡¯s not what I want, James,¡± Ba argued.


    ¡°How about, for five minutes, you stop thinking about what you want and think about what those children need!¡± I yelled, exasperated. ¡°They need safety and a mother and father who love them. I can¡¯t help the danger you¡¯re in, I really can¡¯t. I can only tell you that you are in danger, and you need to reevaluate your life based on that, not trot out shopping just because you¡¯re feeling a little cooped up. My GOD Ba, what if you¡¯d been kidnapped? Killed? What would have happened to the kids then?¡±


    ¡°I see you and Neal have been talking behind my back,¡± Ba seethed. ¡°But then, Lester, I guess I always knew you had been. I just didn¡¯t know who you were. I made a mistake. I can admit that. But at least I didn¡¯t get in bed with criminals.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°Sweetheart, I hate to break it to you, but you¡¯ve been in my bed, and Neal¡¯s, and we¡¯re both criminals.¡±


    Ba¡¯s hand flew up, and she pped me.


    I¡¯d expected it and merely grunted. ¡°Truth hurts.¡±


    Ba just stood there, shaking, her palm red from pping me.


    I took her palm and put it to my lips, kissing it. ¡°Feel better now?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said and kneed me in the groin.


    ****


    Ba.


    As James doubled over, I stormed towards the door.


    James caught me around the waist, and I squealed as he threw me down on the bed, pinning me under his body.


    ¡°I think that was uncalled for,¡± James rumbled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± I shot back, struggling.


    James¡¯s hands pinned my wrists, his hips against my hips, keeping me anchored to the bed.


    After a while, I noted something hard poking me in the stomach.


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, though my cheeks flushed with desire.


    James shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t get a hard-on for the woman I love?¡±


    ¡°Not when she¡¯s this pissed off at you,¡± I grumbled, though need began to pool between my legs.


    ¡°Must be some new rules, then, because I think you¡¯re sexy even when you¡¯re angry,¡± James said. He rubbed the faint stubble of his cheek against mine. ¡°Didn¡¯t you miss me at all, Ba?¡±


    I swallowed a wave of confusing emotions. ¡°Of course, I missed you. I mourned you,¡± I replied, looking away from him.


    James nuzzled my neck, cing featherlight kisses along my skin, causing goosebumps to rise from my head to my toes.


    ¡°James,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°What do you want, Ba?¡± James asked in my ear. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    My body was on fire. I couldn¡¯t concentrate. All I knew right now was that James was here, he was alive... and I loved and hated him in equal measure.


    ¡°F*ck me,¡± I demanded, turning my face to his, smashing our mouths together.


    The kiss was punishing. James¡¯s tongue did not ask to enter my mouth¡ªit demanded. As our tongues battled for dominance, James undid his belt.


    When we broke for air, James tied my wrists with his belt over my head. I leaned up and bit his lower lip, almost drawing blood.


    James growled and shoved my shirt and bra up, his teeth descending to my nipples.


    I cried out as he worried about the sensitive buds between his teeth.


    Milk beaded on one of my nipples, and Jamespped it up with the t of his tongue. ¡°You taste good,¡± he murmured with a wicked smile. ¡°Everywhere.¡±


    I shivered at the predatory look in his eyes. I relished it. ¡°Do what you want, but don¡¯t rip my clothes. We have to go back out there and face the others.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Clothes rippingter,¡± James teased. Then all teasing faded from his expression, and he took my pants and panties off with one firm yank.


    ¡°Who says there¡¯s going to be ater?¡± I countered, spreading my legs wide as he undid his pants. Hisrge c*ck sprang free, making my mouth water.


    James slid two fingers into me, pumping them roughly before he added a third.


    I cried out, lifting my hips to meet his hand. I needed this. I needed HIM so badly. ¡°James, F*CK, James, F*CK ME!¡±


    James withdrew his fingers and ced the head of his hard c*ck at my entrance. ¡°Tell me you want me.¡±


    ¡°I want you,¡± I said, almost desperately.


    James leaned down so he was nose-to-nose with me. ¡°Tell me you love me.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t fair. I huped a sob. He didn¡¯t deserve to hear the words, and he knew it.


    But then, this was the father of my child, my James who hade back from the dead.


    ¡°I-I love you,¡± I whispered.


    James groaned and fused his lips to mine, thrusting his c*ck in to the hilt with one sure motion.


    His thrusts were strong, possessive. I lowered my bound arms over the back of his neck, hanging on for dear life as James f*cked me hard and fast. I was going to be sore when this was over, and it was going to be so delicious.


    I wrapped my legs around Jame¡¯s waist, but even that wasn¡¯t enough for him. He gripped my hips and forced himself deeper, deeper, and deeper still with every downstroke.


    ¡°James,¡± I whimpered as he moved his thumb in to massage my cl*t. I arched my back, my breasts rubbing against his shirt, leaving wet marks of milk that mixed with his sweat.


    Then I broke apart, an explosive orgasm rolling over me. I bit down on James¡¯s shoulder so I wouldn¡¯t scream and possibly rouse the troops outside.


    James groaned again, spilling his hot seed inside me. The way it went on and on indicated to me that he¡¯d also been going without sex for some time.


    It was, of course, at this moment that I realized I wasn¡¯t on depo and James hadn¡¯t worn a condom. ¡°Oh, f*ck.¡±


    As he was undoing my wrists, James looked down at me, hearing my concern. ¡°What is it, beautiful?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t use protection!¡± I hissed, staring down at the c*ck that was still embedded in me as James sat up.


    ¡°Oh.¡± James looked down at our connected bodies. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll just have to remember next time.¡±


    I scowled. ¡°What makes you think there¡¯s going to be a next time?¡±


    James grinned and rolled his hips, making me go almost cross-eyed with lust. ¡°Just a feeling,¡± he said innocently.


    I sighed and put my hands over my face. James was right. After having him, I was going to want him again, and again. Like chocte.


    I was well and truly f*cked.

 Chapter 153 : The Compound

    <h4>Chapter 153: Chapter 153 : The Compound</h4>


    Ba.


    Italy was beautiful. There was no other way to describe it. History radiated off of every building, the Roman statuary and architecture were exquisite, and the weather was beautiful. From the moment we touched down at the Aeroporto di Firenze-Peret, when I hadn¡¯t been helping La mind the children, I¡¯d been glued to my window, staring out at the Tuscan city of Florence.


    We took several dark sedans. I was again sitting next to La in the back seat of one, a child each in our arms. James was the front passenger, and Tony drove again.


    My father and stepmother were in another car.


    The windows on all the sedans were heavily tinted, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t appreciate the view from my side of the ss.


    ¡°Having fun?¡± James asked from the front seat.


    I realized then he¡¯d been ncing back from time to time, always seeing me pressing my face to the window like a kid outside a candy shop. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said indifferently.


    James chuckled at my answer. Both of us knew I waspletely engrossed.


    Next to me, La was also taking in the sights. However, an air of sadness and worry had settled around her like a shroud of fog.


    We¡¯d heard nothing from Neal since that fateful call in New Zend where he¡¯d confirmed Allegra was in trouble, and he was going after her.


    It felt almost... wrong... to be this enthralled by a new ce while my friends were in the middle of a catastrophe.


    As though reading my mind, James said, ¡°I will let you know if and when I hear from Neal.¡±


    I nodded, and La choked back a sob.


    I put my hand over La¡¯s. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If anyone can get her back, it¡¯s Neal.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± La sniffled. ¡°It¡¯s just so stupid. If it hadn¡¯t been for that ne...¡±


    ¡°They would have found another way,¡± James interrupted. ¡°They might have evene close enough to threaten the children. If she was going to be taken, trust me, it was best the way it happened.¡±


    My eyes flew to the back of James¡¯s headrest, scowling. ¡°People are dead, James!¡±


    ¡°Yes. But you¡¯re alive,¡± James pointed out.


    I sighed. It was true. I was alive, and so were La, the children, my father, and my stepmother. All things considered, that was a pretty good headcount.


    We headed out of Florence proper and a little into the countryside, passing several widespread mega vis. The cars then turned down a drive and made their way through the gates of a tall, thick, whitish wall.


    I didn¡¯t need to look to know the guards at the top of the wall and just inside the gate were armed.


    ¡°Wee home, Ba,¡± James said as the cars stopped in a circr drive with arge fountain in the middle. A long flight of stone stairs led up into a vast mansion, the same color as the walls surrounding it.


    ¡°Funny, it doesn¡¯t look like New Zend,¡± I replied waspishly.


    James looked hurt, and I finally gave in.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, James,¡± I amended.


    James smiled at me. His smile faded when he turned to Tony, all business, and said something in Italian.


    Tony nodded and began barking orders, still in Italian, into his cell phone.


    Well-dressed people I assumed were servants came hurrying down the stairs. My door was opened, as well as La¡¯s and James¡¯s, and I delicately ced my hand in a valet¡¯s? Butler¡¯s? In any case, he wore pristine white gloves and helped me out of the car with Dahlia.


    When ady in a smart white apron came over, holding out her hands for my baby, however, I pulled Dahlia tighter into my chest and shook my head. ¡°No. I¡¯ll be taking her with me.¡±


    The woman bowed slightly. ¡°As you wish, madam.¡±


    Madam? Good Lord. I thought I¡¯d been living the life of luxury before, and, traveling in James and Neal¡¯s circles, I knew a great deal about it. But now I saw I was looking at a whole different level of wealth.


    James appeared at my elbow, putting a hand on my lower back to carefully usher me up into the mansion.


    La, who also had not let go of Alessandro, my father, and my stepmother came up after us.


    The inside of the mansion was just as impressive as the outside, if not more so. It was understated, but still very Italian with arched doorways and pieces of art scattered here and there. The curtains were flowy, white, diaphanous material that danced subtly in the breeze, as most of the windows and outer doors were thrown open to the beautiful day.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot more¡ªum¡ªmodern than I expected,¡± I said.


    James smirked at me. ¡°Were you expecting red silk wallpaper and Roman statues?¡±


    I blushed. ¡°Something like that.¡±


    Jamesughed. ¡°Well, d we can impress.¡±


    My father came forward then, that same dangerous expression on his face. I was impressed he was willing to go toe-to-toe with the heir apparent to a high-ranking mafia family for me, but I really wished he wouldn¡¯t. ¡°Dad...¡±


    ¡°Look, James. I think I¡¯ve been very patient. I don¡¯t know where you disappeared to on the jet, but I think I¡¯m owed an exnation as to what the HELL is going on here and what your intentions are towards my daughter!¡± my father said.


    I winced, but James simply nodded solemnly. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my office,¡± he replied. ¡°Ba, I¡¯m sure the staff will be more than happy to show you all to your rooms. I shouldn¡¯t be long. I... I¡¯d like to spend some time with the children if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    My heart squeezed at his soft request. ¡°Of course,¡± I reassured him. ¡°I... I don¡¯t want to keep them from you or anything like that. I¡¯m not a monster, James.¡±


    James gave me a sad half-smile. ¡°I know. You are the furthest thing from a monster there ever was.¡±


    My father tapped his foot impatiently, and James gestured for him to follow. James and my father disappeared down a long hall.


    I kissed Dahlia¡¯s hair. ¡°That¡¯s your daddy,¡± I said softly. ¡°Your daddy¡¯s here.¡±


    ****


    James.


    ¡°Mr. Woods, do have a seat,¡± I said, sitting behind my desk. The office was a lot more modern than my uncle¡¯s, but then, my aunt hadn¡¯t decorated it before she died.


    Jacob Woods sat down, glowering at me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much my men have told you or how much you¡¯ve gathered on your own, but Neal¡¯s past reared up and came back to bite him, so it became necessary for me toe and get you and your daughter and my children and bring you to safety,¡± I began.


    ¡°You¡¯re a mobster. How much safer is this? As I recall, YOUR past came to bite you and took your daughter¡¯s life. I won¡¯t have my daughter going the same way,¡± Jacob seethed.


    The mention of Tally caused a sharp pain in my chest, but I tamped down on it and did not lose my serious demeanor. ¡°I am not a mobster. I am in the mafia. There¡¯s a difference.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, not that you mention it, that is so much better,¡± Jacob replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.


    ¡°Jacob, I¡¯d really like it if we could be respectful of each other,¡± I said, spearing him with a look that made mafia enforcers quake in their Ferragamos.


    Jacob, however, was a father and a grandfather, and perhaps the most formidable person I¡¯d ever had to negotiate with. He waspletely unaffected by my bravado.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where you people get off smacking my daughter around like some ping-pong ball while it¡¯s YOUR lives and YOUR decisions that are causing problems. My daughter was happy in New Zend. She was building a life there...¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I am very sorry about that, but it just wasn¡¯t safe there anymore,¡± I interrupted him, trying to get him to stop beating the same drum Ba had been the whole trip here.


    It was a mistake. Jacob¡¯s features darkened. ¡°I¡¯m going to politely pretend you didn¡¯t just try to fob off my concerns because I¡¯m a guest in your home. But do it again, and you¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    I recalled when I had a gun under my desk back in Miami. I¡¯d gripped it for a sense of security during dangerous dealings many a time. I almost wished I had one here. Not that I had any intention of shooting Jacob Woods. On the contrary. More than any man I¡¯d ever met, he scared the shit out of me. He had more power to destroy my life than anyone in the universe.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jacob. I realize¡ª¡±


    ¡°If you realized sooner, we wouldn¡¯t be in this situation,¡± Jacob growled. ¡°Now, I am very concerned about my daughter¡¯s happiness. Very concerned. And it keeps getting ripped apart by you.¡±


    I sighed and steepled my fingers on the desktop. In some ways, it was a fair assessment. ¡°Jacob, I¡¯m trying very hard to do the right thing.¡±


    ¡°You mean by dying, leaving my little girl alone to raise two kids, letting her mourn you, leaving her a bunch of money from businesses you liquidated so you could turn over a new leaf, and digging yourself deeper into the criminal world anyway? Any of that sound like the right thing to you?¡± Jacob gritted out.


    Jacob Woods was surprisingly well-informed. ¡°None of that was what I intended. Well, except liquidating the businesses and leaving the money to Ba...¡±


    ¡°How about using my daughter of lying to you when she told you she was pregnant with your child? That ring a bell?¡± Jacob continued, spearing me with an ugly look of hatred.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, that was not one of my finest moments...¡± I said.


    He cut me off. ¡°I¡¯m waiting to see some of your finest moments. Because you¡¯ve treated my daughter like crap, but made it impossible to escape you by baby-trapping her. My Ba¡¯s going to want you involved in the kids¡¯ lives. And you, you snake, are going to try to use that to slither your way back into my Ba¡¯s heart.¡±


    My jaw worked. ¡°Jacob, I thought we were going to agree to be civil.¡±


    ¡°Civil? CIVIL?! You treat my daughter like a toy you can pick up and y with whenever you want and ruin her life over and over again, only toe crawling back into it, and you want me to be CIVIL?!¡± Jacob bellowed.


    ¡°Jacob, I have every intention of spending the rest of my life making that up to Ba. I won¡¯t be leaving her ever again,¡± I said.


    Jacob snorted. ¡°Yeah? How do you intend to do that?¡±


    ¡°I intend to marry her,¡± I replied.


    Jacob¡¯s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. ¡°MARRY her?!¡±


    I nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes. With or without your blessing. Though I was hoping for ¡®with.¡¯¡±


    Shooting to his feet, Jacob gave me the most dangerous look I¡¯d ever seen on a man. ¡°Over my dead body,¡± he hissed.


    Before I could say anything, Jacob stormed out of my office. Perhaps to tell Ba my intentions. Perhaps to forbid her from epting any overtures from me.


    It didn¡¯t matter.


    Ba Woods was mine, and I was going to put a ring on her finger with a diamond that could be seen from space to make sure the whole world knew it.


    I didn¡¯t care how long it took, or how many people I had to piss off.


    I was going to marry Ba Woods.

 Chapter 154 : Getting Settled

    <h4>Chapter 154: Chapter 154 : Getting Settled</h4>


    Ba.


    La and I were dictating to the housekeeper what we needed bought and brought in for the children when James arrived at the door to my suite. He leaned on the doorframe, just watching. Alessandro was on a nket on the floor, blowing bubbles and kicking his little legs in the air.


    Dahlia was under a different, lighter nket as I breastfed her.


    ¡°... Lightweight pacifiers, if you can find them,¡± La was saying. ¡°Alessandro won¡¯t take the heavier ones yet.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Miss Garcia,¡± the housekeeper, Giana, confirmed. ¡°We can get anything you need.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about things you need for yourselves,¡± James called, and Giana turned around and gave a slight bow.


    ¡°Yes, I was just getting to that, signore. But they have been terribly concerned about the children,¡± Giana exined to him.


    I liked Giana. I¡¯d never actually met a housekeeper who was in charge of a whole fleet of maids, but she was a no-nonsense woman in her sixties with gunmetal gray hair and a sharp intellect. I was pretty sure if Patton weren¡¯t avable, she could havemanded his armies.


    ¡°Ba, would you mind if I yed with Alessandro for a bit while you¡¯re making your lists?¡± James asked with a hopeful smile.


    Giana and La kept going back and forth over needed items while I nodded, and James came in. Even in what must be a tailored suit, he sat down on the floor next to Alessandro.


    Alessandro waved a chubby hand, then gripped one of James¡¯s fingers and brought it to his mouth, gumming it.


    I thought my heart might burst.


    ¡°Madam?¡± Giana repeated, bringing my attention back to her.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. What was the question?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I would like a list of items you need for yourself, madam,¡± Giana said.


    ¡°Right. Yes.¡± I forced myself to keep my eyes away from James and the cooing and giggling baby on the floor, and gave Giana¡¯s question some thought. Giana had already established a strict hierarchy. La was ¡°Miss Garcia,¡± as she was a member of staff. I was ¡°madam¡± because I was... well... madam, I guess.


    I began rattling off things like clothes and toiletries. I was rather sure they wouldn¡¯t be able to get my favorite New Zend skincare regimen here, but Giana wrote it down with just a sage nod of her head.


    La¡¯s list wasn¡¯t extravagant at all, and Giana seemed to approve of that. She smiled at both of us and then left my suite just as I was switching Dahlia to my other breast.


    ¡°Powerful little eater, huh?¡± James asked, grinning up at me.


    ¡°They both are,¡± La confirmed.


    ¡°We started Alessandro on form, though, since... well... before I had Dahlia.¡± I paused. I didn¡¯t want to bring up Tally. ¡°Anyway, he¡¯s still on a very high-quality form.¡±


    James nodded in understanding but didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°I barely produce enough milk for just Dahlia,¡± I said apologetically.


    James shrugged. ¡°Not to worry. We just double-confirm that Alessandro is on the highest-quality form there is, and I¡¯ve no doubt he¡¯ll grow up big and strong.¡±


    ¡°Like his grandpa,¡± I added without thinking.


    James smiled softly. ¡°Like his grandpa.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just go see about the nursery,¡± La said, looking from me to James and back again. She rose quickly and exited the suite.


    Then it was James and me and the air crackling between us.


    ¡°Take the nket off?¡± It was almost an order.


    ¡°Why? I¡¯m not done breastfeeding,¡± I replied, though a shiver went down my spine at his demand.


    ¡°I want to see Dahlia,¡± James said, giving me big, puppy eyes.


    Sometimes, James could be so sweet. But I also knew the side of him that was stone cold.


    I decided to give his sweet side a reward. I pulled the nket off and revealed Dahlia, who was making little coos and grunts while her cheeks puffed in and out, very determined to get her lunch.


    James scooped Alessandro off the floor and held him in the crook of his arm, then sat down next to me. He smiled at Dahlia and stroked her dark hair.


    Dahlia was too busy eating to notice or care.


    But I noticed. I didn¡¯t know if it was post-pregnancy hormones or what, but my eyes welled up with tears.


    James put an arm around me and kissed my tears, then bent down to kiss Dahlia¡¯s little head. She stopped nursing, gumming at my nipple a bit now and then, but mostly falling asleep.


    ¡°May I?¡± James asked, taking the arm that wasn¡¯t holding Alessandro and holding it out to me.


    I carefully ced Dahlia in the cradle of Jame¡¯s other arm, and watched, choking back tears, while James held them both. The expression on his face was pure bliss as Dahlia slept and Alessandro tugged on one of his jacket buttons.


    ¡°I wish I¡¯d been there,¡± James whispered, stroking each baby with his thumb. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ba. I really thought I was doing the right thing, staying away. I wanted to keep you and the little ones as far away from the dangers of my life as possible. But all I did was miss out while my enemies and Neal¡¯s came after you.¡±


    ¡°What enemies do we have now?¡± I asked, tucking my breasts away and pulling down my shirt.


    James looked pained. ¡°More than I¡¯d like. But we also have powerful allies.¡±


    ¡°Like me,¡± came an older voice from the doorway of the suite.


    James and I both jumped. I looked at the older man who was impably dressed and looked a bit like James.


    ¡°Oh, Ba, this is my uncle...¡± James began.


    ¡°Just call me Zio, dear,¡± James¡¯s uncle said, striding into the room.


    It was impossible to tell his age, as he was proud and strapping like most Italians. However, I could tell he was older than James, at least.


    ¡°It¡¯s... nice to meet you, Zio,¡± I greeted him, feeling a bit like my private suite had be Grand Central Station.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to intrude. I just couldn¡¯t wait a second longer to see our little new additions,¡± James¡¯s uncle said excitedly.


    James¡¯s smile was slightly annoyed, but he stood to hold out the babies for his uncle to see just the same.


    James¡¯s uncle sped his hands under his chin, looking from one to the other. ¡°They¡¯re absolutely perfect. So perfect. Well done, James.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle,¡± James replied.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to hold Alessandro, if I may,¡± James¡¯s uncle said, settling himself in a chair. It wasn¡¯t really a request.


    James eased Alessandro into his uncle¡¯s waiting arms.


    The corners of the older man¡¯s eyes crinkled as he looked down at Alessandro. ¡°I have such high hopes for you.¡±


    High hopes? I frowned at James.


    James was trying to give his uncle a significant look, ncing from him to me.


    Don Valentino was absolutely unfazed.


    ¡°What hopes?¡± I asked James.


    ¡°He¡¯ll inherit everything, of course,¡± James¡¯s uncle said before James could answer.


    James squeezed his eyes shut and pulled his hand over his face. Obviously, this wasn¡¯t something he wanted me to know, or at least not know right now.


    ¡°So... let me get this straight. You¡¯re expecting Alessandro to be a... Don?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°One day, yes,¡± James¡¯s uncle responded, booping Alessandro¡¯s nose.


    My eye ticked. ¡°James?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about itter,¡± James murmured, trying to shush me.


    I didn¡¯t like being shushed. Especially when it came to the future of one of my children. ¡°Alessandro is going to find a nice, safe ce to grow up. He¡¯ll go to a good university, then maybe travel the world or find a job he loves to do. But I don¡¯t want him mixed up in all this.¡±


    James sighed and folded himself into another chair in the room. He didn¡¯t want to have this conversation. Probably especially in front of the current Don Valentino.


    Tough titties.


    Jame¡¯s uncle seemed to really notice me for the first time. ¡°Ba,¡± he said with infinite patience, as though I were a spaniel that had just peed on the carpet, ¡°Alessandro is in this. He always will be. So will you. There¡¯s nothing to be done about it. Our enemies know about you, Neal¡¯s enemies know about you. They know about the children. This is not a temporary move.¡±


    My stomach plummeted into my feet. ¡°E-Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been brought here to live safely. Permanently,¡± James¡¯s uncle restated.


    I snapped my head in James¡¯s direction. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the agreement.¡±


    James rubbed his forehead as though he had the mother of all headaches. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to have to throw you over my shoulder and drag you here, Ba. I figured we¡¯d talk about itter, after you¡¯d had some time to adjust.¡±


    ¡°Time to adjust?! I won¡¯t have Alessandro living a life of crime!¡± I yelled.


    James¡¯s uncle chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s adorable that you think you have a choice in the matter.¡± He said something in Italian to James.


    Groaning, James responded in kind, then got to his feet and pressed the house inte. ¡°Giana? Would you mind getting La back from the nursery? Ba and I have some things we need to discuss.¡±


    ¡°At once, signore,¡± Giana replied.


    Then James crossed to his uncle and took Alessandro back in his free arm.


    If I weren¡¯t afraid he¡¯d identally drop them, I would have rushed over and snatched them both away right then and there.


    When La appeared, looking a bit bewildered, I stabbed a finger in James¡¯s direction. ¡°Take the children to the nursery, please, La. I¡¯m about to strangle their father/grandfather.¡±


    La quickly gathered up the babies and trotted out of my suite.


    James¡¯s uncle rose, smoothing out his suit so that it was once again pristine. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two to it. It seems you have much to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you have no idea,¡± I seethed.


    James¡¯s uncle chuckled and let himself out.


    I faced down James then, my hands on my hips. ¡°I had every intention of returning to New Zend one day.¡±


    ¡°You can. For vacation,¡± James murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°But I¡¯d rather we bought a different vacation home there. Not that there¡¯s anything wrong with the one you chose, it¡¯s just that the Michaelson Brothers left it a bit of a mess, and I¡¯m not sure you want to go back to it after what happened there.¡±


    ¡°Vacation?!¡± I shouted. ¡°Vacation?! THIS is a vacation, James. Once you have things sorted with the Michaelson Brothers...¡±


    ¡°Once Neal has things sorted with the Michaelson brothers,¡± James corrected me.


    ¡°Fine. Whichever. When this all dies down, the children and I are going to live elsewhere. You can leave this life ande with us, or stay here and visit asionally, but I won¡¯t have Alessandro mixed up with the mafia!¡± I started to pace, fuming.


    ¡°And the rival families? And Sergei¡¯s son? And our other enemies?¡± James asked, arching an eyebrow. ¡°How many dragons do you think I can y, Ba?¡±


    ¡°As many as it takes!¡± I stormed up to him, poking him in the chest. ¡°This is YOUR fault and YOUR mess and YOU have to clean it up!¡±


    James sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, Ba.¡±


    ¡°MAKE it that simple!¡± I argued.


    James gripped my upper arms. ¡°Do you even hear yourself right now? Ba, when I disappeared to Japan, that was exactly what I was trying to do. Keep all the dragons off your back. But it didn¡¯t work. Now, that ship has sailed. This is it, Ba. This is reality. There is nothing else I can do.¡±


    I was so angry that I couldn¡¯t stop myself from letting out a frustrated sob. ¡°This is not how it¡¯s supposed to be, James.¡±


    James wrapped his arms around me and held me to his chest. ¡°I know. But it¡¯s the way things are.¡± He kissed the top of my head. ¡°Why don¡¯t youy down and get some rest? We¡¯ve had a long couple of days of travel and quite a bit of excitement before that. Then, let me at least show you around this ce and let you see what life is like here. It¡¯s not so terrible, Ba. You might find this is just the right ce to be.¡±


    I pushed away from him, shaking my head.


    ¡°This will never be the right ce to be.¡±

 Chapter 155 : Dark Deeds

    <h4>Chapter 155: Chapter 155 : Dark Deeds</h4>


    Chad.


    Paul¡¯s dad¡¯s yacht was the best ce we¡¯d ever partied. Partly because it wasrge and luxurious with all the amenities we could think of. But mostly because Paul¡¯s dad kept it stocked with high-end liquor, and Paul kept it stocked with babes and roofies. And cocaine.


    I did a snort off some blonde who was nearly bouncing out of her bikini bra. That and the Macan scotch had me high and happy.


    When Paul¡¯s brother, Ted, came up from the lower decks with a revolver, most of us were too drunk to even register there was a gun on deck.


    The blonde I was snorting coke off of just giggled and pointed. ¡°He¡¯s got a big gun.¡±


    ¡°Not as big as mine, babe,¡± I snickered, pulling her into myp.


    ¡°Let¡¯s y Russian roulette,¡± Ted slurred, setting the revolver down on a table.


    ¡°F*ck, I¡¯m in,¡± Paul said, shoving a redhead off hisp and taking a seat at the table. ¡°What about you, Chad?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Sounds like fun.¡± I smacked the blonde¡¯s ass to get her moving, then sat down at the table as well.


    Ted dumped all but one bullet out of the gun, then spun the cylinder. ¡°One wink for bullet in the chamber. Two winks for empty. Only pull the trigger if the chamber¡¯s empty.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a n,¡± Paul said. He looked at the cylinder as Ted pointed the revolver at him and winked twice.


    Ted grinned and pulled the trigger. There was an empty ¡°click.¡±


    Paul spun the gun then, and the barrel pointed at Ted. He picked it up and pointed it at his brother.


    Ted gave two winks, and Paul pulled the trigger.


    ¡°Click¡± came the sound again.


    The gun was spun again, and this time the barrelnded on me. I grinned as Ted picked up the gun and pointed it at me.


    ¡°Come on, wink, motherf*cker,¡± Ted prompted.


    Iughed and looked down the barrel of the gun, then gave two winks.


    The ¡°click¡± made me jump. I liked the thrill of this game. It was making my d*ck hard. ¡°Hey, babe, get over here and suck me.¡±


    Bouncy blonde boobs eagerly came over and got under the table. I was rock hard in her mouth as the gun spun again.


    A brte came over, and I did a tequ shot out of her cleavage.


    ¡°Dude, it¡¯s your turn to shoot,¡± Ted said exasperatedly.


    The gun was pointing at Ted. I waved the brte away and picked up the gun, pointing it at Ted.


    Ted gave one wink, and I put the gun down without pulling the trigger.


    ¡°Whew! Almost got shot!¡± Tedughed, motioning for a redhead toe suck his d*ck.


    Paul picked up the revolver and spun the cylinder again. ¡°Now that we found it, we gotta spin it around again,¡± he exined.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ted agreed. He downed a tumbler of scotch.


    I was grunting and groaning as the blonde blew me better than I¡¯d ever been blown in my life. I held out my own tumbler for a refill of the Macan scotch, and the brte from before filled it up.


    Paul tapped a line of coke onto the table and took a long sniff. ¡°D*mn, Rat always gets us the best stuff,¡± he said, wiping his nose clean and wiping any coke particles off to rub on his gums.


    ¡°Oh yeah.¡± Ted shoved the redhead¡¯s face down onto his c*ck so he was choking her, all the way down her throat.


    I didn¡¯t have to take such extreme measures with my blonde. She was a certified S-L-U-T, and could have gobbled a cucumber if the need arose.


    The gun was spun again, and this timended on Paul. I picked it up and aimed it at him.


    Paul winked twice, and I pulled the trigger with another ¡°click.¡±


    We allughed, enjoying the f*ck out of this game. Paul spun the gun. Itnded on himself.


    ¡°So, what, he picks?¡± I asked Ted.


    ¡°Nah, he puts it to his head and pulls the trigger. After looking inside, of course,¡± Ted replied.


    Paul blinked a few times, examining the gun. He closed one eye, then the other, trying to dispel the fog that wasing over him from the drugs and the booze.


    Finally, he just shrugged and put the gun to his temple, pulling the trigger.


    ¡°Click.¡±


    Weughed again as Paul put the gun back down. ¡°Couldn¡¯t even tell if it was in there or not, could you?¡± Ted crowed, sloshing his drink as he gestured at the revolver.


    ¡°Eh, I had a five in six chance,¡± Paul said. He spun the gun.


    Itnded on me. I downed the rest of my scotch and prepared myself, groaning as I came down the blonde¡¯s throat.


    Paul aimed the gun at me and waited for my winks.


    The world was a bit tippy around me, and I honestly couldn¡¯t tell if there was a bullet in the chamber or not. But hey, five out of six odds, right?


    I winked twice, grinning at Paul.


    Paul pulled the trigger.


    ¡°BANG!!!¡±


    My chair pitched backwards as the bullet ripped through my neck. The blonde screamed.


    Thest thing I remembered was that I couldn¡¯t feel my d*ck.


    ***


    Neal.


    The house was half rubble, a testament to the Michaelsons¡¯ long-standing rage at our family for what we¡¯d done to Patrick and their father. It was our house, the hellhole where we¡¯d grown up, and I for one would not have been disappointed if the Michaelson brothers had razed it to the ground.


    Unfortunately, there was still enough of it left for Allegra to be kept prisoner in it. I stared down the scope of my sniper rifle, taking in how many guards there were. I¡¯d spotted Xavier bumming a smoke off of one of the guards and considered shooting the little b*stard in the head, but I was afraid they¡¯d retaliate in kind before I even knew where they were keeping Allegra.


    ¡°That¡¯s Xavier Michaelson,¡± I said to one of Greg¡¯s men who was lying beside me in the dirt. ¡°But I still haven¡¯t seen Andre.¡±


    ¡°Our men are in position,¡± Greg¡¯s man, Mattia, said to me. ¡°Even if there is trouble, we outnumber them two to one.¡±


    ¡°We think,¡± I sighed. I kept my scope set on the house.


    ¡°We have used thermal imaging,¡± Mattia added. ¡°We know we outnumber them.¡±


    ¡°Has your thermal imaging indicated where my sister might be?¡± I asked.


    Mattia shook his head. ¡°Only heat signatures. There are many people in the house, from top to basement. It would be difficult to say where they are holding Allegra.¡±


    I swore under my breath. ¡°We storm the ce, and she¡¯s going to be the first victim.¡±


    ¡°Then might I make a suggestion?¡± Mattia inquired.


    I turned to look at him. ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    ¡°If you were to go down and turn yourself in, we would be able to track your heat signature with our equipment. I¡¯m sure they will take you where they are holding Allegra,¡± Mattia said.


    That was the riskiest, worst possible idea I ever heard of. And it was the best we had. ¡°Alright,¡± I replied, setting my rifle down next to me. ¡°But just remember, Greg doesn¡¯t get the other half unless Allegra and Ie out alive.¡±


    Mattia nodded. ¡°So Greg has impressed upon us many times.¡±


    I stood slowly and picked my way through the woods, getting close to the Michaelson brothers¡¯ perimeter. The crunch of snow behind me stopped me, and I held up my hands.


    ¡°Niki,¡± a man with a heavy Russian ent said.


    I turned very carefully and came face to barrel with a veryrge automatic weapon. ¡°That¡¯s me. I¡¯m here for my sister.¡±


    ¡°You are not very smart,¡± the Russian chuckled. ¡°But you havee. This is something.¡± The Russian got on his walkie-talkie and exined, in Russian, that he had found me.


    Andre, for it could only be Andre, responded in the samenguage, telling the Russian to bring me in.


    The Russian whistled, and three of hispanions jogged over. They patted me down, confiscating a knife, a phone, and my backup revolver at my ankle. Then they marched me ahead of them towards the ruins of my former home.


    Xavier met us not far from the front door, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°This is great,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you were so stupid as toe here alone, ¡®Neal.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, you said you¡¯d kill my sister if I didn¡¯t, so I figured I¡¯d better not bring anyone with me,¡± I grumbled back.


    Xavier chuckled. ¡°Well, if Andre¡¯s in a good mood, maybe we¡¯ll let your sister go. Or maybe we¡¯ll kill you both. We¡¯ll see. I heard your friend James Valentino wouldn¡¯t send you any support. That¡¯s gotta sting.¡±


    ¡°Not as much as this.¡± I headbutted Xavier in the face and broke his nose.


    That earned me the butt of a rifle to the back of the head.


    Xavier held his nose, blood dripping between his fingers. ¡°You¡¯re going to regret that,¡± he coughed.


    ¡°Bring it on,¡± I responded.


    ***


    Chad.


    ¡°... What do you mean, impotent?¡± I could hear my father saying in between the beeps of machines around me.


    There was something down my throat, and I began choking.


    Suddenly, there was a fleet of medical staff around me, pulling the tube out of my throat, checking my vitals.


    I tried shoving them away, but for some reason, my arms wouldn¡¯t move. H*ll, I couldn¡¯t even feel them.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, son. Try to rx,¡± a doctor said, leaning over me as he shone a light in my eyes.


    ¡°I can¡¯t feel my arms,¡± I told him, panic settling into my chest even though the doctor had told me to rx.


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m sure you can¡¯t,¡± the doctor replied sadly. ¡°We¡¯ll just... have a talk about that, okay?¡±


    I turned my head. ¡°Mom? Dad?¡±


    My dad just shook his head and stormed out of the room. My mom was holding acy handkerchief to her lips, tears streaming out of her eyes.


    ¡°Chad... may I call you Chad?¡± the doctor asked, drawing my attention back to him. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you were shot. The bullet damaged your spinal cord.¡±


    ¡°Damaged my... no.¡± I began to panic again. ¡°No. NO!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid so,¡± the doctor said. ¡°For now, you¡¯re a quadriplegic. However, there are many therapies and treatments that will allow you to...¡±


    ¡°Sh*t. F*ck. GODD*MN!!!¡± I howled, shaking my head vigorously.


    ¡°Why were you ying that game, Chad?¡± my mother whispered,ing beside me. I saw her put a hand on my wrist, but I couldn¡¯t feel it. ¡°What were you thinking?¡±


    Tears streamed down my cheeks. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. I...¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯s a stupid f*cker,¡± my father said,ing back into the room. ¡°And now, we have a problem. We don¡¯t have an heir. And we won¡¯t have an heir.¡±


    ¡°Why...?¡± I felt the blood drain from my face. ¡°I can¡¯t¡ª?¡±


    The doctor winced. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, Chad.¡±


    I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the pillows. It was a lot to take in, and I just couldn¡¯t process it. One minute I¡¯d been snorting coke out of a big-boobed blonde¡¯s belly button, the next...


    ¡°There... is an option,¡± my mother said softly, trying to mollify my father.


    ¡°What option?¡± my father grunted.


    My mother took a deep, steadying breath.


    ¡°Alessandro.¡±

 Chapter 156 : Not Home

    <h4>Chapter 156: Chapter 156 : Not Home</h4>


    Ba.


    Thepound should have felt stifling, but that wasn¡¯t the case. It wasrge, and airy, with beautiful gardens and many walking paths. Men with guns nodded to me politely as they did their perimeter patrols while I explored my gilded cage.


    La was taking the children down other paths on the other side of thepound. I¡¯d offered to go with her, but she¡¯d insisted I get some alone time. Between James and the kids, I hadn¡¯t gotten a lot of that since I¡¯d been at the mansion.


    Over the past week, James had been trying to reason with me every day. Every day. I saw his point, of course, but I was over men lying to me ¡°for my own good.¡± OVER it.


    Surely there must be some solution he wasn¡¯t thinking of, something that could be done where Alessandro, Dahlia, La, and I could live somewhere quietly. Just a normal life. A life where Alessandro would go to school and make friends and perhaps y American football or international football and lead his team to victory. Join a debate team. Squish pizza in his friends¡¯ faces.


    None of this Don nonsense.


    I turned a corner and saw a beautiful rose garden. Deep crimson, vibrant pink, glowing white, they were gorgeous and smelled divine. I found a patch of grass between the bushes andid down with a sigh, staring at the sky.


    What was I going to do?


    I wracked my brain, but couldn¡¯t find an answer. I sighed and closed my eyes, tears of frustration leaking out the sides.


    D*mn James Valentino anyway!


    After a while, I must have fallen asleep, because the sun¡¯s position in the sky had changed. A shadow fell over me, and I tilted my head to see James.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Just taking in the air,¡± James said, but I knew that was a lie. He was looking for me.


    ¡°You want to lie to me again? Really?¡± I asked archly.


    James sighed and sank onto the grass, tailored suit and all. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to lie to you.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯d start with ¡®I came to find you¡¯ not ¡®I¡¯m just taking in the air,¡¯¡± I said.


    ¡°I came to find you,¡± James amended, stroking my cheek.


    I pped his hand away. ¡°I¡¯m still pissed off at you.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°You tricked me intoing here!¡± I continued.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    I thumped him in the chest. ¡°You can¡¯t do things like that, James!¡±


    James shrugged. ¡°I can.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± I screeched.


    ¡°You told me not to lie to you,¡± James smirked.


    I took a deep breath, tamping down on my temper. ¡°Just because you can do something, James, doesn¡¯t mean you should.¡±


    ¡°I should protect my family. That includes you, Ba,¡± James said.


    ¡°How so?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting married,¡± James stated.


    I blinked at him. ¡°Have you... lost... your... f*cking... mind?!¡±


    ¡°Your dad wille around eventually,¡± James said, ying his fingertips up and down my arm. ¡°So will you. I know you love me. I love you. We can make a real life together, Ba.¡±


    I didn¡¯t even know where to begin with him. I rubbed my temples. ¡°James. I¡¯m so mad at you I could scream for days. DAYS. Plus that wasn¡¯t exactly the most romantic marriage proposal...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to give you a real one when we agree you won¡¯t turn me down,¡± James replied, his lips quirking at the corners. ¡°I just thought I¡¯d get the idea marinating in your head.¡±


    ¡°THAT¡¯S why you¡¯vee to find me? So I can marinate on marrying you?¡± I asked, incredulous.


    ¡°That and my uncle wants to bring Alessandro to his favorite restaurant. I said we should really check with you first,¡± James said.


    I just stared. ¡°We¡¯re allowed to go outside this ce?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. With the proper escort,¡± James responded.


    I gripped James by his tie and scowled at him. ¡°I¡¯ve been here a week, and this is the first time you¡¯re telling me I can leave?¡±


    ¡°¡®Leave¡¯ would be a strong word,¡± James choked out as his tie tightened around his throat.


    ¡°Go out with babysitters. Whatever. You told me Giana would be shopping for the items we needed. I assumed that meant we weren¡¯t supposed to go outside thepound,¡± I said.


    ¡°I was still getting the men back from New Zend and making sure thepound was still well-fortified. You couldn¡¯t have gone then,¡± James replied, tugging his tie out of my grip and running his finger around his cor to loosen it.


    ¡°But I can go now,¡± I inferred.


    ¡°Yes, Ba. I¡¯d love to show you Florence,¡± James offered.


    It was a tempting offer. ¡°Alessandro is not going to that restaurant without either me or La,¡± I warned James.


    James held up his hands. ¡°I will make sure my uncle understands that.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I chewed my lip, then gave in with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯d like to see Florence. With you.¡±


    James¡¯s expression brightened, his eyes crinkling at the corners. ¡°I¡¯m d. You won¡¯t regret it, Ba. There are so many ces to see.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there are,¡± I replied, unable to help getting caught up in James¡¯s enthusiasm.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your brand of fun? Gardens? Vistas? Museums? Shopping?¡± James asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to go somewhere with a nice view of the city, first,¡± I said. ¡°Then you can point out what all we should see.¡±


    James snapped his fingers. ¡°The Piazzale Michngiolo. You can see all the city from there. I mean, you also can from Brunelleschi¡¯s Dome in the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, but the Piazzale Michngiolo has lovely gardens and the San Miniato al Monte church...¡±


    He was so excited, like a kid who was going to get to show off his favorite toy. I smiled at him as he stood and offered me his hand.


    I took it and let James pull me to my feet. ¡°I¡¯ll let Tony know we¡¯re going out. Oh, and Giana. She¡¯ll make sure La knows. We¡¯ll have to go with a few of the boys, but they¡¯re pretty good at being discreet,¡± he exined.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I tried to keep up my excitement after his statement about ¡°the boys.¡± I was going to have to go out under guard now. All the time. I would be under guard now. All the time. It was an unwee change.


    James kissed my forehead. ¡°You¡¯ll love it. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    I nodded and let him go off to make his arrangements.


    Within the hour, James and I were sitting in the back of a ck sedan with two hulking bodyguards in the front. There was another sedan ahead of us with another four men inside it.


    We drove up to the Piazzale Michngiolo behind Bus 12, the car ahead of us angrily honking at the bus¡¯s insufficient speed.


    ¡°I think they might be a little too uptight,¡± I said to James.


    James chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s an Italian thing. You¡¯ll get used to it.¡±


    Once we got up to the Piazzale Michngiolo, I found that I was indeed in a breathtaking location. Not only were the flowers in the gardens beautiful, but it was possible to see everything for miles.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral, of course,¡± James said, beginning to point outndmarks. ¡°And the Ponte Vhio. There are a lot of jewelry shops there. Traditionally, goldsmiths have sold their creations in shops on the Ponte Vhio.¡±


    I looked at the bridge that seemed to bepletely lined on both sides by buildings, except for three arches in the middle.


    ¡°The Medici family had it built so they could cross the Arno River easily from home to work and back again,¡± James exined.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I observed. ¡°And so is the cathedral.¡±


    ¡°Everything about Florence is beautiful,¡± James said. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not Miami....¡± He gave me a long look. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who is giving up a life they loved in order to keep their family safe.¡±


    I looked up at James. I had to agree he had a point.


    But I was still bitter over the lies and losing New Zend, so I looked away and pointed in another direction instead. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Santa Croce church,¡± James replied, going along with my change of subject. ¡°It¡¯s filled with Renaissance art, like many ces in Florence. Michngelo, Rossini, Galileo, and Machiavelli are entombed there. Among others.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. ¡°Nice. We¡¯ll have to go take a look at that.¡±


    ¡°Do you like art, Ba?¡± James asked me. Strange we¡¯d never discussed it before.


    I had to give that some thought. ¡°Well, I like culture. And it seems like Florence¡¯s culture is built on art, so I¡¯d like to see what all the fuss is about.¡± I gave James a grin.


    James pointed to the far side of the Ponte Vhio. ¡°That is the Uffizi Pce and Gallery. Botticelli¡¯s ¡®The Birth of Venus¡¯ is there.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s a bronze statue of David up here, I saw. Are you going to tell me now that the original is somewhere in Florence, too?¡±


    ¡°I am, actually.¡± James pointed. ¡°It¡¯s in the Galleria dell¡¯ademia. It was outside, actually, for four hundred years before it was moved inside to protect it from damage. It used to be in the Piazza de Signoria. There¡¯s a replica there now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed.¡± I took in the general splendor of arches, towers, and terracotta roofs. ¡°It is very beautiful here, James. I¡¯m not going to lie.¡±


    James smiled softly and gave me his arm. I ced my hand in the crook of his arm and let him escort me away from the viewpoint.


    He had apletely opposite look for the men who had discreetly spread out around us. His sharp look would have put me on my toes, too, if I didn¡¯t know the side of James he showed to me.


    ¡°Where to now?¡± I asked, walking beside him.


    ¡°Dinner,¡± James grinned. ¡°We¡¯re going to watch the sunset from La Loggia.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s that?¡± I kept walking along the stone path with him.


    ¡°Right here in the Piazzale Michngiolo,¡± James said. ¡°The food is great, the views are spectacr, and it¡¯s a nice, historic ce with some pretty features of its own.¡±


    ¡°Is this going to be one of those ces where the food is too pretty to touch?¡± I asked.


    James arched an eyebrow at me. ¡°Is that going to be a problem?¡±


    My jaw went ck. ¡°Oh, my God, it is!¡±


    James patted my hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s delicious food that¡¯s too pretty to touch.¡±


    ¡°You really are spoiling me today,¡± I said.


    ¡°I like spoiling you. I¡¯d like to spoil you every day if you¡¯ll let me,¡± James replied, looking at me with his soft brown eyes.


    I bit my lip. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± I decided.

 Chapter 157 : La Loggia

    <h4>Chapter 157: Chapter 157 : La Loggia</h4>


    Ba.


    We sat on the terrace of La Loggia under a white umbre, a light breeze tickling at the tablecloth and the fabric of the umbre.


    ¡°The boys¡± stood close by, but I was starting to get used to their presence and allowed them to fade into the background.


    ¡°How is the fruit?¡± James asked me, pointing a fork at the item I¡¯d ordered.


    It was some kind of tart, if I had to hazard a guess, but without the crust. ¡°It¡¯s exquisite,¡± I said. ¡°And your... meat tower?¡±


    James burst outughing. ¡°My ¡®meat tower¡¯ is delectable, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I blushed, but I didn¡¯t know Italian, and James had ordered for us, so even if there had been English subtitles, I wouldn¡¯t have seen them.


    We shared what I thought was n for dessert, which was decoratively covered in sauce. It was almost too beautiful to eat, but James dug in with a fork and held a small bite to my lips before I could protest.


    It was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± I murmured, closing my eyes.


    When I opened them, James was smiling at me. ¡°d you¡¯re enjoying it.¡±


    ¡°Still mad at you,¡± I said, but with a small, teasing grin.


    ¡°I know.¡± James held up another bite for me.


    I closed my lips over the dessert and, ncing around at the empty tables nearby, made a low, somewhat indecent sound.


    James¡¯s eyebrows arched up, intrigued. ¡°Well, well, Signorina Woods, were you hoping for a different kind of dessert?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Signore Valentino,¡± I teased back. ¡°Were YOU hoping for a different kind of dessert?¡±


    ¡°Always,¡± James rumbled. ¡°With you? Always.¡±


    That made me wonder about something else. ¡°I... know it¡¯s not any of my business...¡± I began awkwardly.


    ¡°When has that ever stopped you before?¡± James chuckled.


    ¡°Ha. Ha. No, I mean... I know you know about Neal. I was just wondering if you had... you know... met anyone in Japan or Italy or wherever you¡¯ve been...¡± I fidgeted with the tablecloth.


    James held out his hand to me, and I stopped fidgeting, slowlyying my hand in his. ¡°Ba,¡± he said softly. ¡°There hasn¡¯t been anyone else. And that¡¯s the truth.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I could feel my cheeks heating up with another blush.


    ¡°I missed you. I didn¡¯t want anyone but you,¡± James continued. ¡°I don¡¯t say that because I think you¡¯re supposed to feel guilty about Neal¡ªI¡¯m never going to like the guy, and I¡¯ll always be jealous of the time and experiences he got to share with you¡ªbut I don¡¯t begrudge you that rtionship. I¡¯m telling you this because, even though I can be an absolute b*stard sometimes, I want you to know I¡¯m devoted to you. Committed. I want us to be a family, Ba.¡±


    I looked down at our joined hands. ¡°I¡¯d consider it, if I didn¡¯t know it was going to lead Alessandro into a life I don¡¯t think is good for him.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got at least eighteen years between now and then. Things can change, Ba, in just an instant,¡± James said, rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb in slow circles.


    ¡°True.¡± My life had changed exponentially in less than two years, from one extreme, to another, to another.


    ¡°Can we give it a try, Ba?¡± James pleaded with me. ¡°Just a try. I¡¯m just asking for a chance.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Scuzzi, signore,¡± a well-dressed waiter came over with the restaurant phone and handed it to James with some exnation in Italian.


    James frowned and held the phone up to his ear. His expression grew more and more thunderous as whoever was on the other side of the line kept talking.


    ¡°The boys¡± contracted in on us, slowly getting closer and closer until there was a not-so-subtle ring of protection around us.


    ¡°Is... something wrong?¡± I mouthed to James.


    He held up a hand to me, then turned away slightly and began talking into the phone, this time in English. ¡°Well, I¡¯m very sorry to hear that, Mikhail, but as you know, your father was threatening my family. There wasn¡¯t anything else I could do.¡±


    Mikhail? A Russian name. And, unless I missed my guess, Sergei¡¯s son.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what Ronaldo promised you. He¡¯s not head of the family. He¡¯s never going to be head of the family,¡± James seethed.


    Ronaldo... James¡¯s cousin? Confusion washed over me that I was going to have James straighten out the moment he was off the phone.


    ¡°Oh, and he promised that to the Volkov¡¯s did he? I¡¯d like to see him make good on that without the backing of the family,¡± James snorted. ¡°Well, Mikhail Zaytsev, I¡¯d like to see you try. I don¡¯t care who you¡¯ve got behind you. You¡¯re only shooting yourself in the foot by going against the Valentinos.¡±


    James hung up then with a jab of his finger. He looked over at me.


    I was sitting with my arms folded and an inquiring eyebrow arched. ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re having some problems. Nothing my uncle and I can¡¯t handle,¡± James said.


    ¡°Right. So Mikhail Zaytsev, who I am assuming is Sergei¡¯s son, knew we were here by consulting a psychic?¡± I snapped.


    James sighed. ¡°I track his movements. He tracks mine. We¡¯re enemies. It¡¯s to be expected.¡±


    ¡°Ahuh. So, things are all safe and sound inside thepound, huh?¡± I scoffed.


    James reached for my hand, but I snatched it back. ¡°Don¡¯t you try buttering me up, James. I know something¡¯s wrong. And now we¡¯re in danger inside thepound, too?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not in danger inside thepound,¡± James assured me. ¡°If anything, Ronaldo¡¯s the one in danger. Uncle will not take kindly to Ronaldo still making shady backdoor deals and turning the Russians against us.¡±


    ¡°Ronaldo¡¯s been making shady backdoor deals?¡± I echoed.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I¡¯m the heir apparent and he¡¯s not. Uncle announced it not long ago. Ronaldo is angry as f*ck, but there¡¯s nothing he can do about it,¡± James said.


    ¡°Except maybe stage a little coup with some Russians right under your nose?¡± I suggested.


    James shrugged. ¡°The thought had urred to me. I have men loyal to me in thepound, though, and making a move on my family inside thepound is not going to win Ronaldo any supporters. It¡¯s going to be alright.¡±


    ¡°Every time you say that it isn¡¯t alright.¡± I stood, dusting off my sundress. ¡°Take me back to thepound. I want to check on the children.¡±


    ¡°Ba.¡± James gestured for me to sit again. ¡°Let¡¯s just finish watching the sunset. Then we¡¯ll head home. You¡¯ve said more than once that we can¡¯t just stop living.¡±


    He had a point. ¡°You¡¯re sure, you are ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN the children are okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m absolutely certain,¡± James replied. ¡°If I weren¡¯t, I would never have brought you to Italy.¡±


    I slowly sat back down. ¡°I¡¯m taking you at your word, James. I¡¯m tired of you saying things are okay and then they turn out not to be.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that. And I¡¯m sorry,¡± James said. He reached out his hand once more, and I reluctantlyid mine on top of his.


    James smiled and inteced our fingers. ¡°Now, just watch. The sunset here is spectacr.¡±


    I looked out at the setting sun, watching the terracotta roofs glow orange as the sun descended below the horizon. It was absolutely breathtaking.


    When it was nearly full dark, James stood. I only realized then that I was still holding his hand. ¡°Back to the cars.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I went with James, our hands joined easily between us as we walked.


    ¡°The boys¡± fanned out around us and escorted us back to the cars. James opened the back door of one ck sedan for me, while two of ¡°the boys¡± got in the front seat and the other four got in the other car.


    I slid across the seat, letting Jamese in after me.


    ¡°Please close the partition, Rardo,¡± James said once we were settled.


    Rardo closed the partition.


    It was just James and me, then, in the too-close quarters of the back of the car. Did he know what he did to me? What he STILL did to me?


    ¡°Today was a nice day...¡± I swallowed before continuing. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I want us to have many nice days in the future, Ba,¡± James responded. ¡°Next time, we¡¯ll tour the city itself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± I said.


    James dropped his chin on my shoulder. ¡°You missed me. And I missed you.¡± He put a hand on my bare knee and rubbed little circles with his thumb. ¡°What do you think we should do about that?¡±


    I gasped. ¡°James, in the car?!¡±


    ¡°Why not? Partition¡¯s closed. We¡¯ve got a while before we¡¯re back at thepound.¡± James nuzzled my neck, nipping at my earlobe. ¡°I¡¯d like to continue where we left off on the jet.¡±


    ¡°Left off? I think we both walked away from that more than satisfied,¡± I said. My breath was starting toe in little pants.


    James¡¯s hand traveled deliberately higher on my thigh. ¡°We were both angry then. I was thinking maybe we could get back to something... sweeter.¡±


    ¡°¡®Sweeter¡¯? James, I¡¯m not sure ¡®sweet¡¯ is one of your favorite positions,¡± I giggled.


    ¡°It is today.¡± James unbuckled his seatbelt, then mine, and pushed me down on the bench seat, slinging my legs over his hips. ¡°Admit it. This is what you wanted to happen the moment you put on that sundress.¡±


    I bit my lip. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Mhm. You just keep trying to convince yourself you didn¡¯t wear that sundress for me,¡± James said. He massaged his hands, both of them, up my thighs now, until he reached the waistband of myce panties. ¡°Tell me you want it, Ba.¡±


    I did want it, God help me. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Use your words. Tell me,¡± James grinned wickedly.


    ¡°Yes, I want it,¡± I moaned as James thumbed my cl*t through my panties.


    James peeled down my underwear, all the way down over my slingback sandals, and then shoved them in his pocket. ¡°What do you want, Ba?¡± James teased.


    Of course, he was going to make me spell it out for him. Well, then, wasn¡¯t he in for it. ¡°I want your big, thick d*ck ramming into me until I scream for mercy,¡± I said, holding his gaze.


    James raised his eyebrows. ¡°Mmm, impressive, my little minx.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I, though? Now, impress me, Mr. Valentino,¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± James chuckled, undoing his belt. He opened his pants and his c*ck sprang free. I was about to be thoroughly f*cked by the Italian Stallion and my mouth and other parts watered at the very thought.


    As he lined up with my p*ssy, however, another thought urred to me. ¡°James, do you have a condom?¡±


    James blew out a frustrated breath, pulling back a little, his c*ck already leaking prec*m. ¡°Not with me, no.¡± He raked a hand through his hair, then looked down at me with intense eyes. ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    Did it matter?


    I opened my mouth to respond that of course, it mattered. But then I stopped. I thought of our beautiful little Dahlia and felt my cheeks go pink.


    Then I circled my hand around the base of James¡¯s c*ck and gently pulled him towards my slit.


    ¡°No,¡± I whispered, widening my legs and epting him, bare, inside me. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

 Chapter 158 : Dinner and a Show

    <h4>Chapter 158: Chapter 158 : Dinner and a Show</h4>


    James.


    I almost came right then. Ba didn¡¯t mind if I got her pregnant again.


    Hell, now I was going to make it my mission.


    I pushed into her with a groan, relishing the sublime feeling of being inside her again. The time we¡¯d spent having angry sex on the jet hadn¡¯t been nearly enough.


    ¡°Ohhh... yeah. F*ck me,¡± Ba said, digging her fingernails into my shirt.


    Apparently being a frequent flier in the mile-high club wasn¡¯t enough for her, either.


    I gripped Ba¡¯s hips and started drilling her hard. She yowled and begged and came quickly.


    Feeling her squeeze around my c*ck made me c*m inside her. I pushed into her as deep as I could, making her body take every drop.


    I stayed that way a long time so none of my seed escaped while Ba and I panted.


    ¡°Are you going to pull out?¡± Ba finally asked after several minutes.


    ¡°Only if you¡¯re going to suck me hard and we go again,¡± I growled.


    Ba shivered.


    I sat us up with her in myp and pulled her dress up off over her head. Her breasts were encased in acy bra that matched her panties. I reached one hand behind her to unsnap it.


    ¡°Hope you don¡¯t mind losing the set,¡± I said, pulling her bra down her arms and sticking it in my jacket pocket.


    Baughed. ¡°Starting yourself a little collection?¡±


    ¡°Hell yes.¡± Ba was now naked except for her strappy sandals, which was one of the sexiest sights I¡¯d ever seen if I were honest with myself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to get more if you keep stealing them,¡± Ba sighed theatrically as she eased herself off my d*ck.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a nk check for anything you want in that department,¡± I grinned at her.


    ¡°Only in that department?¡± Ba mused, tapping her chin. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to work harder, then.¡±


    With an impish wink, Ba prowled down onto her knees and took me in her mouth without warning. I groaned and fisted my hand in her hair.


    Ba gobbled my d*ck like a real champ, and it momentarily irked me that she might have practiced some of these skills on Neal. But, she was in this car with me, sucking MY d*ck, and he was off in Siberia. Seemed I won.


    After a few minutes of Ba¡¯s expert ministrations, I was hard again. I tugged Ba¡¯s hair to get her to stop. If I was c*mming, it wasn¡¯t going to be down her throat. I was a man on a mission.


    ¡°Get on all fours,¡± I ordered her, moving all the way to the side of the sedan to give her more room.


    Ba shivered again and got up on the seat. She couldn¡¯t keep her bnce because of the motion of the car, so she had to drop to her elbows, but that was fine. It still put her p*ssy right where I wanted it.


    ****


    Ba.


    I was letting him order me around again, just like the good old days. There was something thrilling about it that I¡¯d missed. I could have told him to f*ck off, of course. I still could. But James Valentino ordering me around during sex was a delicious dessert I intended to savor.


    Fully expecting him to pound right into me, as we were both desperate for each other, I was surprised when I felt James¡¯s lips and tongue at my entrance. I moaned as he sucked my cl*t and teased it with his teeth. When his tongue entered me, I started to beg.


    James held me firmly in ce while he feasted on me. He took me right over the edge, and I came against his lips.


    ¡°J-James...¡± I whispered, my teeth chattering.


    I felt the head of James¡¯s big, thick d*ck. He plunged into me without warning, and I gasped, my fingernails digging into the leather seats.


    His b*lls pped against me as he drilled me hard and fast, grunting every time he thrust home. I made little yipping noises at the same time, shivering as he gripped my hips and pushed me closer and closer to another orgasm.


    When James pinched my cl*t suddenly, I came with a muffled scream, biting my arm so I didn¡¯t alert ¡°the boys¡± in the front.


    James mmed twice more, then came deep inside me, filling me up again with his c*m.


    ¡°God, I¡¯ve missed this,¡± I moaned while James sat us both up so I was syed across hisp, my back to his front.


    ¡°F*ck yes,¡± James agreed. He massaged my breasts slowly, not demanding anything. I think it was just for the sheer pleasure of touching me.


    I liked it. I smoothed my hands over his pants-covered thighs, wishing we were back at thepound and free to explore each other thoroughly in his bedroom. Or mine.


    There was a knock on the partition. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re almost there.¡±


    I blushed, realizing the vehicle wasn¡¯t exactly soundproofed.


    ¡°Thank you, Tommasso,¡± James responded with a smirk. ¡°Guess we¡¯d better get you dressed.¡±


    ¡°Do I get my underwear back?¡± I asked as James handed me my sundress.


    James thought it over a moment. ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Pervert,¡± I grumbled, but with a smile so he knew I didn¡¯t mean it. I pulled my sundress over my bare body as James did up his pants and made sure my bra and panties were subtly tucked away on his person.


    Before the car stopped, James took out a handkerchief and swiped it gently between my legs.


    ¡°You know, if you gave me my underwear...¡± I said.


    ¡°Nope,¡± James replied.


    I snorted and waited for James to get out of the sedan first. He held out his hand to help me out, smirking the whole time.


    The way my body felt deliciously satisfied, he had every reason to be smug.


    James slid an arm around my waist as we walked, and I sighed. It was getting harder and harder to be angry with him.


    ¡°Sleep with me tonight,¡± he said enticingly in my ear as we approached the main house. ¡°We can let La know where you are.¡±


    It was an offer I couldn¡¯t refuse. ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± I replied.


    Then the woman in question came running out of the house. ¡°Giana wouldn¡¯t let me call you!¡± La cried, clutching Dahlia.


    James frowned. ¡°What do you mean, Giana wouldn¡¯t let you call us? What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s happened?¡±


    ¡°Don Valentino took Alessandro out to his restaurant, even though I know you told him he couldn¡¯t without you,¡± La said tearfully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t stop him...¡±


    I looked up usingly at James, but he was just as surprised as I was. He swore, then pulled out his phone. He swore more when whomever he was calling didn¡¯t pick up.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have words with him,¡± James growled, punching another number.


    ¡°Words? I¡¯m going to strangle him!¡± I said, putting an arm around La while the poor girl cried.


    ¡°I¡¯d really rather you didn¡¯t try that,¡± James responded. ¡°Here we go. Enzo. No, don¡¯t start making excuses. Put him on.¡±


    When James began speaking angry Italian, I made a grab for his phone so I could give the old Don a piece of my mind. But James kept his phone out of my reach.


    He put a finger over his lips, and I was forced to seethe in silence, hugging La.


    ¡°It really wasn¡¯t your fault. What were you going to do? Face down an army?¡± I said, patting her on the back.


    La looked miserable. ¡°I still should have been able to do something. I couldn¡¯t believe it when Giana took my phone. I was just... the Don came in with a couple of guys. I asked what they wanted. The Don said he was taking Alessandro to dinner. I... I just... I said what you said, that you didn¡¯t want him going without you, but he didn¡¯t listen. He just swept up Alessandro and left with his goons.¡±


    ¡°That must have been very upsetting,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Then, just when I was starting to dial James, Giana came in and took my phone.¡± La¡¯s eyes welled with tears, and I vowed to knee Don Valentino in the balls on her behalf.


    James¡¯s angry Italian escted, bing more hurried and clipped.


    ¡°Tell him he¡¯s an a**hole,¡± I told James. ¡°And that I¡¯m never letting him be around the kids again.¡±


    James gave me a look that spoke volumes. My heart clenched. He was right. How were we going to stop Don Valentino from doing whatever he wanted?


    I could just barely hear the old Don on the other end of the line, giving his unperturbed responses to James.


    Whatever James was saying, it was bing more heated, but there really was nothing to do at this point but wait for the Don to bring Alessandro home.


    ¡°I¡¯m still going to kick him in the family jewels,¡± I informed James.


    There was snickering on the other end of the line. He must have heard me.


    I held out my hand for James¡¯s phone, determined to make my feelings known. If he was going to snicker at me, I was going to give him a telling off that would make his berries shrivel up and fall off.


    James was just shaking his head, when there was a strange popping noise on the other end of the phone.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked as James went pale.


    ¡°Zio?¡± James said. ¡°Uncle?¡±


    There were more pops and some kind ofmotion.


    ¡°Sh*t,¡± James said. ¡°Tommasso, I need you to get Tony and a whole army of the boys together, something¡¯s happening at the restau¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± came a clear voice on the line.


    With the phone pulled away from James¡¯s ear, I could hear clearly. It was Ronaldo.


    ¡°Ronaldo,¡± James barked into the phone. ¡°What have you done?¡±


    ¡°What needed doing. Too bad you¡¯re home now. I was going to send some guys to La Loggia, but I didn¡¯t want to split my resources. I¡¯ll get to you soon enough,¡± Ronaldo said.


    ¡°Ronaldo, what did you DO?!¡± James demanded again.


    Ronaldo snorted. ¡°The old king is dead. Long live the new king.¡±


    I snatched the phone from James¡¯s unresisting fingers. ¡°Where is Alessandro?!¡± I cried.


    ¡°Safe. I don¡¯t need the brat right now. You might as well send somebody toe get him. He¡¯s getting cranky in his car seat, and I think he might have made some stinkies in his diaper. Yes, you did, didn¡¯t you. Coochie coochie coo,¡± Ronaldo said.


    ¡°You get away from him!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine for the few minutes it takes for you all toe retrieve him. Gotta go, Ba. ces to go, people to see, empires to overthrow when I get there,¡± Ronaldo chuckled.


    Then the line went dead.

 Chapter 159 : Bait

    <h4>Chapter 159: Chapter 159 : Bait</h4>


    Neal.


    Andre punched me in the face again. I spat blood and a tooth onto the floor.


    Allegra was sitting behind me, duct taped to a metal chair. Much as I was hoping she¡¯d go all ck Widow on their asses, real life didn¡¯t work that way.


    ¡°I want to hear you beg,¡± Andre said, grabbing me by my hair while Xavier chuckled in the background.


    ¡°Like your brother or your daddy?¡± I coughed back, spitting another tooth. ¡°I heard your daddy screamed like a little girl¡ª¡±


    That got me another punch in the face.


    ¡°Neal, could you TRY not to antagonize him?¡± Allegra hissed. She herself was beat to f*ck, but I was the one they really wanted. For now.


    And I wanted to keep it that way.


    ¡°I could try.¡± Iughed maniacally.


    ¡°You¡¯re not too bright,¡± Andre grunted, hitting me again, splitting open my cheek.


    I was pretty sure, if I got out of this alive, that eye socket was going to need work. ¡°Your brother pissed himself.¡±


    Xavier stopped chuckling. ¡°Andre, why don¡¯t you just kill the motherf*cker?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Andre wiped the sweat off his brow. ¡°First, I¡¯m going to make him suffer.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t always need to y with your food,¡± Xavier sighed, exasperated.


    ¡°Not always. But this time I intend to savor¡ª¡± Andre frowned and touched his ear.


    I imagined there was a Bluetooth device in there he was using tomunicate with his men.


    ¡°Alpha Team, report!¡± Andre ordered.


    By the look on his face, I assumed Alpha Team didn¡¯t report.


    ¡°Problems?¡± I asked innocently, blood and drool slipping out the side of my mouth.


    Andre looked up at Xavier. ¡°Go see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°No thanks,¡± Xavier said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning on being cannon fodder today.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?!¡± Andre bellowed.


    ¡°You know those movies where the dumb blonde chick with the big boobs goes down to the basement because she hears a noise? This is kind of like that,¡± Xavier responded.


    Andre scowled at Xavier. ¡°Listen here, you jumped up little sh*t...¡±


    The door splintered off its hinges, and I went to knock Allegra to the floor, covering her with my own body, as gas canisters rolled in.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Andre shouted, grabbing Xavier by the arm and pulling him out an already shattered window.


    ¡°Nice seeing you. Hope we can meet again for tea!¡± I called after them. Then Allegra and I both dissolved into a coughing fit.


    Greg¡¯s men poured into the room, checking every nook and cranny.


    Still coughing, I pointed to the window.


    Mattia walked to it, looked outside, and shrugged. ¡°Mission is to rescue Allegra. Killing the Michaelson Brothers is not on the agenda.¡±


    I groaned. ¡°Pay... extra...¡± I wheezed.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to discuss that with Greg, but I¡¯ll bet it¡¯ll cost more than you¡¯ve got for him to risk making those kinds of enemies,¡± Mattia said.


    ¡°F*ck,¡± I coughed.


    One of Mattia¡¯s men brought over some oxygen for Allegra and me. I took deep gulps of air, silently kicking myself for not having worked out the death details earlier.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to disappear,¡± Allegra told me, her voice muffled by the oxygen mask.


    I sighed and hung my head. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to forget her,¡± Allegra continued.


    My head came up. ¡°Like you¡¯re going to forget La?¡±


    Allegra looked sad, and I regretted my words. ¡°For now. We need to keep them safe.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± I reached out and took Allegra¡¯s hand as soon as they¡¯d finished cutting her free of the chair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t change the past,¡± Allegra said. ¡°Right now, we¡¯ve got toy low so we can all have a future. Especially those we love.¡±


    I nodded, already beginning to make arrangements in my head. I¡¯d liquidated most of my assets and put the money in an offshore ount in the Cayman Inds. A good chunk of that money was going to Greg, but there was still plenty to disappear on, for both of us.


    Mattia got us both on our feet, then he and his men began escorting us out. We crossed through several dead bodies, and there were members of Mattia¡¯s crew who were simply policing all their brass.


    ¡°The weapons will, of course, find their way into the Volga, but it never hurts to be tidy,¡± Mattia exined of the scroungers.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, still holding Allegra¡¯s hand. I wasn¡¯t going to let go until we were well away from this mess.


    We walked back through the woods, past the perimeter Greg¡¯s men had set, and got into a ck SUV.


    Mattia sat down in the front seat and opened his glovepartment, holding up a man envelope. ¡°The other things have been arranged. You just have to make the second deposit.¡±


    ¡°Hand me a phone,¡± I replied.


    Mattia handed over his own personal phone, and Ipleted the transfer of the rest of the funds to Greg¡¯s ount.


    I gave the phone back to Mattia, who took a call, I assumed from Greg, nodded his head a few times, and handed me the envelope.


    ¡°Congrattions on your new lives, Nate and Ariana Samuelson,¡± Mattia said. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get you to the airport. The jet is fueled and ready to go to Hong Kong. From there, well, we really don¡¯t want to know where you go.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I responded. ¡°I¡¯ll drop your boss a line sometime if we have any more trouble.¡±


    Mattia grinned. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯d appreciate that.¡±


    ****


    James.


    I stood in my uncle¡¯s favorite restaurant, looking at my dead uncle, surrounded by his dead men. Alessandro was fussing in his car seat, and I snatched him up the moment I saw him. He stank of dirty diaper, but I didn¡¯t care.


    Tony was currently paying the owners of the restaurant, as well as their frightened staff, piles and piles of money to keep this quiet. My men cleaned up, discreetly taking the bodies out the back and piling them into ck SUVs with highly-tinted windows. My uncle was carried outst, still dignified in his three-piece suit.


    I held Alessandro all the way back to thepound, where arrangements were quickly made with a few funeral homes and churches. My uncle, of course, would have his service at the Cathedral, but the others had families that frequented local churches of all shapes and sizes, so we left it to them to decide.


    Tony made all the calls. I was too busy holding Alessandro and thanking God he was okay.


    Ba ran out of the mansion, practically tripping down the stairs as she raced to get to Alessandro. I put out a hand to steady her, then handed him over. ¡°I¡¯ll change his diaper, I just didn¡¯t want to waste any time at the restaurant¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Ba covered Alessandro with kisses. ¡°I¡¯m just d he¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back inside,¡± I said, cognizant of the activity happening in the courtyard. Bodies were being carried out andid side-by-side in a cool outbuilding.


    Ba looked directly at what I didn¡¯t want her to see and didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your uncle.¡±


    ¡°He was a good man,¡± I replied. I felt cold hatred for Ronaldo, both for taking my uncle from me too soon, and for doing all of this in front of Alessandro. He was only a little over a year old, so of course, he was too young to remember, but on the off chance he ever did, I wanted Ronaldo¡¯s head for it.


    I put an arm around Ba and escorted this small part of my little family back into the mansion.


    We went into her suite, and sheid Alessandro down on a Pack ¡¯n y that had been set up to one side. The thing had everything¡ªchanging table that could be taken out to make a deep crib, even a ce where a car seat could fit. I nudged Ba out of the way to change Alessandro¡¯s diaper myself.


    When I lifted his shirt, however, I saw blood.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± I tried to shield the sight from Ba, but she shrieked in rm.


    La and Tony both came pelting into the room. Tony leaned over the Pack ¡¯n y while La¡¯s hands flew over her mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Tony said, lifting the shirt more. ¡°It¡¯s not his. Kid¡¯s fine. Looks like they wanted to send a message.¡±


    It was just blood stained a stained napkin tucked beneath his shirt. The message itself was smudged, but I could still make out the text written in bold ck letters.


    ¡°¡®Enjoy it while itsts,¡¯¡± Ba and I read at the same time. ¡°¡®R.¡¯¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll clean him up a bit, then we need to give him a bath,¡± I stated calmly to Ba and La, throwing away the napkin. ¡°Tony, you keep doing what you were doing. Thank you for the quick response time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve set up a team to track Ronaldo¡¯s whereabouts,¡± Tony said. ¡°He¡¯s sure as hell not wee here.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡± I cleaned up Alessandro with some wet wipes then handed him to Ba. La didn¡¯t seem to be in any condition to be carrying the poor, bloody child around.


    Ba, La, and I went to the nursery, where Ba put Alessandro in a little basin of warm water and began washing him.


    La got more control of herself and went to check on a sleeping Dahlia before getting a onesie out for Alessandro. She arranged it carefully on the bed, then brought a small towel with a teddy bear hood on one corner over to Ba so she could swaddle him up while she dried him off.


    I disposed of the pinkish water myself, then scrubbed the basin clean. I just wasn¡¯t sure La was up to it.


    By the time I got back to the two women, Alessandro was jabbering and kicking his feet on Ba¡¯s bed, happy as a m.


    La had gotten out a small board book, ¡°Pat the Bunny,¡± and was reading it to Alessandro and he kept bringing his little hands up to touch the different sensory elements inside the book.


    ¡°I... didn¡¯t know they still made that book,¡± I said aloud.


    Ba rounded on me. ¡°Really? REALLY?! That¡¯s all you have to say?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ba. Alessandro never should have been there¡ª¡± I began.


    ¡°No shit.¡± Ba paced and raked a hand through her hair. ¡°God, what if he¡¯d been older and witnessed that, James?¡±


    It was the same thought that had urred to me. It made my stomach turn. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want me to say. I¡¯m... angry. Hell, I¡¯m about to tear someone¡¯s head off...¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Ba said, stopping in front of me and grabbing thepels of my jacket. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re about to rip someone¡¯s head off, because I have a request.¡±


    A request? ¡°What request?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Kill Ronaldo,¡± she said.

 Chapter 160 : New Alliances

    <h4>Chapter 160: Chapter 160 : New Alliances</h4>


    Allison.


    I was in the exercise yard when a guard I¡¯d f*cked approached me. Maybe he¡¯de with more cigarettes for me to trade. I sat on a bench with my new little posse around me. I¡¯d managed to be something of prison royalty while I¡¯d been here. It was a hard-won climb up thedder, but it was worth it. Prison could be fairlyfortable for those who knew how to work the system.


    ¡°Valentino,¡± the guard, Max, said. ¡°You have a visitor.¡±


    ¡°Must be mywyer,¡± I sighed to my girls. ¡°Fat lot of good he¡¯s doing me. I¡¯ll see youter.¡±


    I got up and walked with Max, whose name was really false advertising for his asset. He was the most ¡°minimum¡± man I¡¯d ever had the misfortune to sleep with.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got more cigs for you. Think you can skip out on your work detail today? I¡¯ll make you some excuse,¡± Max whispered, licking his lips.


    I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. ¡°Yeah, sure. That sounds great.¡±


    Max made a lewd gesture, grabbing his crotch.


    I gave him my prettiest smile, though my stomach turned in disgust.


    The first thing that surprised me was that I was taken to a small interview room, not the line of plexiss cubicles where I would be nearly shoulder-to-shoulder with other inmates. The second thing that surprised me was that, aside from my tatty public defender, there was anotherwyer in the room.


    The secondwyer was wearing a suit that was worth more than any car I¡¯d ever owned, and since I had been with James during his early sess, that was saying something.


    ¡°Allison!¡± Terry, my public defender said, rushing over and escorting me to a metal chair. ¡°We¡¯ve had a lucky break!¡±


    ¡°A lucky break?¡± I echoed, looking at the other attorney.


    The otherwyer turned to face me and held out one well-manicured hand. ¡°Good afternoon, Ms. Valentino. My name is Bruce Kensington III. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    I shook his soft hand, knowing from just that small handshake that he¡¯d never done a day of manualbor in his life. This was a man of means¡ªold money.


    ¡°I am representing Carter and Cecelia Cartwright in the matter of a custody dispute involving your grandson, Alessandro Valentino,¡± Kensington went on. ¡°We would like to remove him from a Ms. Ba Woods¡¯s custody and ce him with his father¡¯s family.¡±


    Ba. Woods. That b*tch who had taken everything from me. ¡°I¡¯m in.¡±


    Terry tapped his finger on the table. ¡°Allison, you haven¡¯t even heard the terms¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t want that slut raising my grandchild,¡± I sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t give a good goddamn about terms. Sign me up.¡±


    ¡°It would involve you relinquishing any custodial rights...¡± Kensington exined.


    I shrugged. ¡°How would I raise Alessandro in prison, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Kensington, Kensington, and Pierce have criminal attorneys as well,¡± Terry said excitedly. ¡°They¡¯ve offered to review and take over your appeal in exchange for your testimony against Ba Woods and James Valentino.¡±


    ¡°James?¡± I frowned slightly. ¡°James is dead.¡±


    Terry shook his head vigorously. ¡°Not dead. Witness Protection. Of course, he¡¯s gone and broken that agreement now.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s with that slut again, isn¡¯t he?¡± I hissed.


    ¡°Ms. Woods? Yes. By all ounts, he is harboring Ms. Woods and the rest of her family at hispound outside Florence, Italy,¡± Kensington said.


    I mmed my fist on the table. ¡°Of course he is.¡±


    ¡°Down the line, of course, we may be able to remove Dahlia Valentino to a better situation as well. My paralegals and investigators are currently assembling all kinds of dirt on James Valentino. It won¡¯t be difficult to dere him an unfit custodian. However, we will need help with Ms. Woods,¡± Kensington went on.


    ¡°Miss Goody-Two-Shoes giving you a run for your money?¡± I asked. ¡°She was always a grasping little upstart, clinging to my Tally even though she didn¡¯t belong in our world. Now she¡¯s charmed James¡¯s money out of him AND my grandbaby out of Tally. She¡¯s a conniving little bitch, and I would pay money, if I had any, to see her taken down.¡±


    Kensington nodded. ¡°There will, of course, bepensation for your time and efforts, and, should we be able to get your sentence reduced, vacated, ormuted, the Cartwrights have no intention of stopping you from seeing the child.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a good family. Old money,¡± Terry added.


    Old money? I wondered how much they would pay for my cooperation. Still, no matter how much or little it was, the satisfaction of squashing Ba like a bug was more than enoughpensation for any time and effort. ¡°How much, may I ask, am I to bepensated?¡±


    Kensington named an eight-figure sum, which made my mouth water. ¡°This is, of course, all unofficial. The funds will be wired to a Cayman Ind ount of your choosing, once all is said and done.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. As I said, I¡¯m all in. Alessandro deserves the kind of life the Cartwrights can afford him, and if I can help get him that life, then I am more than happy to add my testimony against James and that little whore.¡± I felt my un-lipsticked lip curl as my un-manicured fingernails tapped on the table. ¡°I¡¯m in prison as an essory to a murder of a man who doesn¡¯t even have the decency to be dead.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that will be a strong part of your appeal. But first, we must win the battle for Alessandro,¡± Kensington said.


    An idea came to me, and I smirked. ¡°Well, Mr. Kensington, I have a proposition for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Kensington asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Tally¡¯s ¡®friends¡¯ don¡¯t like Ba much. I think they might have not-so-nice things to say about her. For a price,¡± I drawled.


    Kensington¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Oh, I like you. I could never, of course, bribe a witness. That would be hical. But I could encourage them to tell the truth.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a pen and paper? I know they don¡¯t let you bring your phone in, but I can make you a list of Tally¡¯s friends who might be willing to help,¡± I said.


    Terry immediately snapped open his briefcase and produced a pad of paper and pen.


    I took the pen and began scribbling down names. It took most of a sheet of legal paper. I also added what cities they lived in for the ones that I remembered and little notes about weaknesses.


    Kensington watched me write from across the table, reading the information upside down. His smile only grew wider and wider.


    ¡°I must say, Ms. Valentino, it has been most delightful meeting you,¡± Kensington said, taking the entire legal pad before Terry could and putting it in his own designer briefcase.


    ¡°Likewise,¡± I replied with a coy smile. It never hurt to build a little currency here and there. Besides, he might be single. I didn¡¯t see a ring.


    Not that it would have been anything but a minor challenge to me.


    ¡°I will be seeing you again soon to go over your testimony,¡± Kensington assured me, a flicker of interest in his eyes. ¡°We won¡¯t be needing Terry here for that. Or anymore, actually, once you sign this retainer.¡±


    Kensington slid a form across to me.


    Terry didn¡¯t look at all surprised. ¡°I¡¯m just so happy for you, Allison.¡±


    ¡°Me, too,¡± I said, waving at Terry dismissively. ¡°You can go now. Chase an ambnce. The big boys are talking.¡±


    Terry¡¯s brow furrowed. He picked up his beaten-up briefcase and made a hasty exit.


    ¡°Cold,¡± Kensington grinned as I signed my name and initials to the retainer documents with a flourish.


    ¡°He was basically useless,¡± I said. ¡°Not nearly as worthwhile as you.¡± I fluttered my eyshes at Kensington.


    ¡°I¡¯d agree.¡± Kensington took the retainer and put it in his briefcase. ¡°I¡¯d also like to take you to dinner when you¡¯re a free woman.¡±


    My smile was slow and seductive. ¡°I¡¯d like that very much.¡±


    ¡°Now, since you won¡¯t be spending too much longer in here, you have to be on your best behavior. No more banging a guard for cigarettes to trade,¡± Kensington admonished me.


    I waved a hand. ¡°That was more of a long-term arrangement. Since, as you say, I won¡¯t be spending much longer in here...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d we understand each other. Also, keep yourself out of any prison disputes or other shenanigans. We want you to look like a model citizen,¡± Kensington said. ¡°A grieving mother.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± My heart panged, and I looked away from him. ¡°I am a grieving mother.¡±


    Kensington paused. ¡°Oh, yes, of course. I am sorry for your loss.¡±


    I wiped my eyes. ¡°Thank you very much, but it¡¯s not you who needs to be sorry. I am going to make that bastard and that bitch sorry they were ever born!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Kensington replied. ¡°Nothing like the smell of vengeance in the morning. Better than coffee, I say.¡±


    ¡°It keeps you going longer,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Kensington gripped the handle of his briefcase and headed for the door. ¡°Now, remember, be a good girl.¡±


    I winked at him. ¡°You have no idea how good I can be.¡±


    Kensington chuckled and let himself out.


    Max came back then, whistling a happy tune, ready to take me away from my work detail and pork me with his unimpressive p*nis. Luckily, I had no need for all that anymore.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll go on work detail today, Max,¡± I said to him, much to his shock.


    ¡°But... I¡¯ve got cigs...¡± Max spluttered.


    Iid my hand on his arm. ¡°Fun as it¡¯s been, I¡¯m afraid our arrangement is over. You need to find someone else to trade cigs to for sex. I need to be a good girl.¡±


    Max lookedpletely crestfallen, but we both knew he¡¯d have a new hookup by dinnertime.


    I circled up my girls during our work detail and told them the new n. ¡°We¡¯re not getting involved in any of the crap going on in here. That way, they won¡¯t have any reason to deny us early release.¡±


    ¡°And your fancywyer is going to work on our cases?¡± one of my girls asked eagerly.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I lied. ¡°We just have to stay above the muck, and we¡¯re all home free.¡±


    That would be enough of a carrot to entice them. In the real world, these women would be too low to lick my boots, anyway.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to see my kids again,¡± another one said wistfully.


    I stopped myself from rolling my eyes. ¡°Yes, well, wouldn¡¯t we all,¡± I said waspishly.


    The girls all looked at me in shock, and I realized I¡¯d let my mask slip.


    ¡°Sorry, Carol, I was just thinking of Tally,¡± I covered for myself.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, sorry, Allison,¡± Carol replied.


    ¡°How about we all go to dinner? My treat,¡± I joked.


    The othersughed, and we made our way to the cafeteria.


    I smirked silently to myself.


    Ba Woods and James Valentino were about to be shattered.

 Chapter 161 : Another Woman

    <h4>Chapter 161: Chapter 161 : Another Woman</h4>


    Ba.


    We dressed in funereal ck, standing at the head of a receiving line while family came to pay their respects at a wake at thepound. There would be another wake at the Cathedral, a full Catholic Mass, and then a procession to the mausoleum where thete Don Valentino would be buried.


    People had been bringing food for days. People of all walks of life who knew or felt indebted to or were associates with Don Valentino. I¡¯d heard the kitchen staff say we had more food than we knew what to do with. James had told them if we had too much, to arrange with a local parish to distribute it to the poor.


    I stood at James¡¯s side. I wasn¡¯t his wife, but I was the mother of his child, and he¡¯d decided my ce at the funeral was right beside him. I did get a few curious looks, but I was holding Dahlia and James was holding Alessandro, and we looked every bit the family we were. So what if it wasn¡¯t conventional?


    La was standing quietly off to one side, also wearing ck. She was there just in case we needed her. Giana had her lined up respectfully where a servant ought to be. I decided I needed to have words with Giana at some point. Especially considering the older housekeeper had not allowed La to call me when Don Valentino took Alessandro out.


    Alessandro could have been killed. The very thought had woken me up at night for two days. James had stayed with me in my room with both the babies settled in the Pack ¡¯n y next to the bed. There was no way I was letting them out of my sight until the whole Ronaldo situation was resolved.


    James spoke mostly Italian to the people offering their condolences. Some gave him a kiss on either cheek. A few even did the same to me. But most seemed to have spread the news that I was an American and just gave my hands a squeeze or a press.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe your uncle was so beloved,¡± I whispered to James, staring at the long line that led to us. It didn¡¯t seem to be getting any shorter.


    ¡°Expecting something out of ¡®The Godfather¡¯?¡± James teased. ¡°People areing to pay their respects. Being a Don in the mafia isn¡¯t just about shady, backdoor deals. You¡¯re responsible for yourmunity. My uncle did a lot of good things.¡±


    I blushed, embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being so judgmental before.¡±


    James shrugged. ¡°If you only know what you see in the movies...¡±


    ¡°So...¡± I nced around, and James signaled Tony, who came over and made excuses so James and I could take a break and talk alone for a moment. ¡°So... when I asked you to kill Ronaldo,¡± I said, lowering my voice, ¡°was that... disrespectful?¡±


    James¡¯s jaw worked, and his eyes shed with anger. ¡°No, that was exactly what I¡¯d expect a good mother to ask when her child was put in that kind of danger. And I fully intend to follow through on that request.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Okay, good.¡± I felt relieved I hadn¡¯t put my foot in it. If I¡¯d known where he was, I might have gone to take care of Ronaldo myself. Rip out his throat with my teeth. But I didn¡¯t know where he was, and the babies needed me alive.


    New Zend had taught me about independence but also caution. I was still navigating this new world, not to mention this rtionship, with James. I needed to take things slow and think things through.


    James tilted my chin up and gave me a kiss. ¡°Never be afraid of telling me or asking me for anything, Ba. The worst I can say is ¡®no.¡¯ I prefer honestmunication between us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that, too,¡± I said warily. ¡°But... there¡¯s still a lot we need to work through, James. And a lot you did keep from me. I don¡¯t want to be that broken up again.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re never going to be broken up again,¡± James replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to earn your trust back, Ba, I am. And I¡¯m sorry I ever lost it.¡±


    I nodded and squeezed his hand. I wanted more than anything to be able to trust him. But not all of my concerns even had anything to do with James. Well, not directly, anyway. James was definitely neck deep in the mafia now, andmunity leaders or not, I still didn¡¯t want Alessandro involved.


    Dahlia and Alessandro deserved normal lives. Or at least as normal as I could make them. I had no idea how I was going to navigate us out of this mafia world¡ªand with any luck, take James with us.


    All of that swirled in my brain, even while we were mourning the passing of James¡¯s uncle.


    ¡°You¡¯re stuck in one of your thought spirals again,¡± James murmured.


    I blinked, and realized he¡¯d been holding out a sandwich for me to eat. ¡°Oh... God... you¡¯re right. Yes. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°You need to eat something, love,¡± James said with a kind smile. ¡°And have a little faith that the rest will take care of itself.¡±


    I frowned slightly but took the sandwich and began munching. I certainly didn¡¯t want to be ¡°handled.¡± Sometimes when James spoke, I thought he was doing just that.


    But this was not the time or the ce for that conversation.


    Once I¡¯d finished my sandwich and had a ss of wine, James took my hand, and we went back to the receiving line, which had multiplied to twice its size since we¡¯d been gone.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be here all day!¡± I gasped.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we stopped to eat,¡± James responded, patting my arm.


    I fixed a serene smile on my face and kept epting condolences. Many in the line tried out a little of their English on me, I¡¯m sure out of deference to the fact I didn¡¯t understand Italian. But most just gave me the Italian version of what they intended to tell me. I asked James a few times what was said, but as the sentiments were always the same, I¡¯d just started smiling and nodding.


    La took the children for a nap as morning waned into afternoon. James called Giana over to have a chair brought for me so I wasn¡¯t standing endlessly in my heels.


    As I sat down, I watched the Italian procession move past us and to the casket. I was surprised that almost every single one of the wake goers kissed Don Valentino¡¯s face on both cheeks, even though he was dead.


    ¡°It¡¯s an Italian tradition,¡± James provided softly. ¡°We¡¯ll probably do the same more than once. I didn¡¯t want you to think it was weird, though, so I thought I¡¯d let you see how it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not weird. It¡¯s actually kind of... nice,¡± I said. ¡°I think it¡¯s nice to show the children that death isn¡¯t scary and all the love Italians give.... American funerals can be pretty cold byparison.¡±


    James looked stricken for a moment. ¡°How was Tally¡¯s funeral?¡±


    ¡°It was your funeral, too,¡± I reminded him, trying not to sound testy over the fact he¡¯d let me think he was dead for so long. I looked up at him and relented. ¡°It was beautiful. Really and truly beautiful. I think you would have been pleased.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± James whispered. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    By sunset, the line finally started to trickle down to something more manageable. La had returned with the children during the day but was now settling them down back in the nursery.


    I could tell James was dead on his feet, but that didn¡¯t stop him from greeting everyone who was stilling in. Then, suddenly, his face changed and melted from serious Don apparent into a real, genuine smile.


    ¡°Sofia!¡± he said, grasping the hands of one of thest people in line.


    ¡°Sofia¡± was actually a pretty apt name. She looked very much like a certain famous Italian actress¡ªbuxom, beautiful, with cat eyes and tempting lips. She captured the attention of every man in the room including, it seemed, James.


    ¡°Ciao, James,e stai?¡± Sofia said, kissing James on both cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m well, except for this dark business,¡± James replied, beaming at her.


    ¡°Ah. Yes, this is a terrible, terrible tragedy,¡± Sofia agreed, switching to English.


    ¡°It is. But how have you been? I haven¡¯t seen you in forever,¡± James went on.


    Sofia was more James¡¯s age and made him smile in a way I didn¡¯t think I ever had. Though I tried to tamp down on it, the little green monster in me started rattling his cage.


    ¡°Oh, I have been very well,¡± Sofia said, herugh like a trill of birdsong. ¡°I know the old man did not like me much, but I thought I woulde pay my respects just the same. And pay my respects to the new Don Valentino.¡±


    James winced. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear you say that, Sofia. I would have thought, with all the bad blood between you and my uncle, you would have written me off entirely.¡±


    Sofia shook her head. ¡°Never. We became such good friends when I went to the States after what Eugenio did. I was afraid you would not want to see me because you have renewed your family ties.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d always want to see you, Sofia. And what Eugenio did had nothing to do with you,¡± James reassured her.


    There were about ten people left in line, and some had begun tapping their feet. I was about to start tapping along with them, though not because I was worried about the line backing up. I was worried about this new woman that had suddenly popped up¡ªor popped back¡ªinto James¡¯s life.


    I tugged on James¡¯s sleeve. ¡°James, I think there are others waiting in line to give their condolences.¡±


    James blinked and looked past Sofia, as though seeing a world outside her for the first time. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to catch upter, Sofia. Where are you staying in town?¡±


    ¡°I actually don¡¯t have a room reserved yet. I booked the first flight I could get here when I heard about your uncle,¡± Sofia said.


    I knew what wasing next, but it still felt like a stab in the back.


    ¡°You must stay here, then. Giana! Please find Mrs. Esposito a room in the mansion. We¡¯ll talkter, Sofia. It¡¯s just so good to see you,¡± James gushed.


    Or at least I interpreted it as gushing. I tried not to feel sour and forced a smile on my face. ¡°It will be so nice talking to you, yes.¡±


    Sofia looked at me, then at James, and burst outughing. ¡°James, idiota! You never introduced me to your lovelypanion!¡±


    ¡®Yeah, James, you never introduced me,¡¯ my mind echoed, my lips pursing in displeasure a moment before I regained myposure. ¡°I¡¯m Ba. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have plenty of time to get acquaintedter,¡± I said sweetly.


    James cleared his throat self-consciously and used the distraction of the next person in line to escape my wrath and Sofia¡¯s teasing.


    As Giana escorted Sofia away, barking orders in Italian to nearby servants, I wondered about her. I wondered about her and James.


    Who was this woman who could so enthrall him that he didn¡¯t even remember I existed?

 Chapter 162 : Invidia

    <h4>Chapter 162: Chapter 162 : Invidia</h4>


    Ba.


    When the wake was finished for the day, I sat in James¡¯s office for a good ten minutes, less interesting to James than a potted nt, as he caught up with Sofia in Italian. With every passing minute, I could feel the little green monster bing more and more powerful.


    Finally, Sofia gave that birdsongugh of hers again and turned to me. ¡°So, Ba, I hear you graduated from a top-tier university recently. Something to do with statistics or economics, right? And you were working on your masters degree?¡±


    I thought of expanding on that a bit, but I simply shrugged. ¡°Yes, something like that.¡±


    Sofia¡¯s smile slipped a little. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been so busy with the children, I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t had a chance to do any internships.¡±


    I remembered New York, then, and the internship I¡¯d had at Neal¡¯s office for a little while before everything went south. It all seemed like a foreign memory now. My stomach twisted. ¡°Not aplete one.¡±


    ¡°Too bad. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be brilliant when the opportunity to finish presents itself. James says you¡¯re very smart,¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied politely.


    James started talking in Italian again, and Sofiaughed. I wondered if it was an inside joke, and if it was aimed at me.


    Sofia brought the conversation back to English. I felt grateful to her for trying to include me in the conversation, even if James wasn¡¯t. I¡¯d have to have a stern talk with himter about that.


    ¡°We were just talking about old times. James helped me get settled in the United States and helped fund my first fashion boutique. Then, of course, he fronted a good deal of capital when we franchised. I am forever grateful to him.¡±


    James smiled at her, that same easy smile I couldn¡¯t remember being aimed at me anytime recently. ¡°I knew a good investment when I saw it.¡±


    ¡°Please. James, I know you know NOTHING about handbags,¡± Sofia giggled.


    ¡°No, but I know about you. I knew you¡¯d rise to the top, no matter what. And it did turn out to be an excellent investment,¡± James said.


    Sofia pouted. ¡°I was most disappointed to see you sold your shares. Was that so you could be dead?¡±


    James nodded. ¡°Yes. I liquidated everything and willed it to Ba. She¡¯s taking care of the children, after all. I wanted a bright future for all of them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so thoughtful, James,¡± Sofia replied. ¡°It¡¯s good you were thinking ahead about the children¡¯s future.¡±


    ¡°If not their future, then there was really no point in earning that kind of money in the first ce,¡± James said.


    Again, I sat like decor, watching the two of them talk back and forth.


    ¡°How long do you n to stay in Florence?¡± James asked.


    Please be a short time. Please be a short time...


    ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet. I will certainly be around for the funeral. I wanted to check on a few of my boutiques around the country,¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°Oh, yes, you had three locations, didn¡¯t you?¡± James mused aloud.


    Sofia giggled again. ¡°I have seven now. Aren¡¯t you interested in knowing how thepany you helped get off its feet is doing?¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re doing well, being the up-anding sessful businesswoman you always were. That¡¯s all I need to know,¡± James grinned.


    A lightbulb suddenly went off in my head. ¡°You own Esposito,¡± I gaped. The bags cost more than a kidney, but they were gorgeous.


    ¡°I do,¡± Sofia said proudly. ¡°I stitched the first styles myself by hand. Then I was the designer. Now, I have designers and only sketch every once in a while when I¡¯m feeling inspired.¡±


    ¡°Your purses are so lovely,¡± Iplimented her. Credit where credit was due, after all.


    Sofia smiled serenely at me. ¡°Why thank you. I will send you whichever one you please. Just let me know.¡±


    My jaw dropped. She was just going to GIVE me an Esposito? ¡°Wow... thank you.¡±


    ¡°Anytime. Now, James, to business,¡± Sofia began.


    James looked at me suddenly. ¡°Ba, would you mind giving us a while? This is nothing you need to be involved in.¡±


    ¡°What don¡¯t I need to be involved in?¡± I pushed back, not feelingfortable leaving James alone with this sessful goddess.


    ¡°Please.¡± It wasn¡¯t a request. James¡¯s tone suggested he might lift me up and toss me out the door if I didn¡¯tply.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I grumbled, standing and taking my potted nt self out the door.


    Oh, James and I were having wordster.


    ****


    James.


    ¡°She¡¯s jealous, you know,¡± Sofia said once the door closed behind Ba.


    I walked behind my desk, my hand freezing as I was about to pick up some papers. ¡°Who, Ba?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ba. I also noticed you weren¡¯t paying that much attention to her. She noticed, too,¡± Sofia continued.


    ¡°I was just catching up with you.¡± I frowned, remembering Ba¡¯s cool demeanor. I¡¯d thought she was recovering from the wake, but perhaps I was wrong.


    ¡°In Italian,¡± Sofia pointed out, ¡°which Ba does not speak. You were excluding her, James.¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have been interested in our history anyway,¡± I scoffed, picking up the papers atst.


    Sofiaughed. ¡°She would have been interested to know it wasn¡¯t a history she needed to worry about.¡±


    I set the papers back down, not seeing the words. ¡°You really think she was jealous?¡±


    ¡°I think she¡¯s ready to put your balls in a vice,¡± Sofia said.


    I gave that some thought, then grinned. ¡°Well now, my Ba, jealous. That is something.¡±


    Sofia waggled a finger at me. ¡°I would not toy with her emotions if I were you, James.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not toying. I¡¯m just feeling...¡±


    ¡°Like the cat who got the cream,¡± Sofia finished for me. ¡°You were worried she might not have feelings for you anymore, and now you have confirmation, is that it?¡±


    I sighed and shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m worried her feelings for me aren¡¯t as strong as her feeling that she needs to escape me, this world, and everything in it. And take the children with her.¡±


    Sofia¡¯s perfect eyebrow arched up. ¡°Has she threatened to do so?¡±


    ¡°In the beginning, when I first came to get her from New Zend. She hasn¡¯t said anything about it recently, though,¡± I said.


    ¡°Perhaps she is changing her mind. I would not give her reason to go back to hating you, James,¡± Sofia warned me.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± I felt a small smile y at my lips. ¡°She¡¯s precious to me. But I want her to realize I¡¯m precious to her.¡±


    Sofia groaned. ¡°I will not participate in any little game you are ying.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to participate. You showing up seems to be enough,¡± I chuckled. ¡°Come to dinner tonight. You can meet the family, then.¡±


    ¡°And needle a certain blue-eyed brte?¡± Sofia added.


    ¡°Maybe. We¡¯ll see. Anyway, I wanted to talk about Ronaldo. I don¡¯t suppose you have any idea where he¡¯s been lurking?¡± I asked Sofia.


    Sofia shook her head. ¡°If I did, I would tell you so you could exterminate that vermin. I mean, I know your uncle killed my Eugenio, but Eugenio was stealing from him. From the family. It wasn¡¯t as though he didn¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    ¡°I still feel bad about that,¡± I said, reaching across the desk and patting Sofia¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I know. I do, too. If I¡¯d known what Eugenio was doing, I would have told him to stop.¡± Sofia sat down in the chair opposite mine, shaking out her hair. ¡°But then, there was no telling that man anything. I think when he realized, no matter how hard he tried, he wasn¡¯t going to climb any higher, he decided he might as well get a taste. Idiota.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I should speak with Ronaldo¡¯s wife,¡± I murmured.


    ¡°His beard? What is she going to know? I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve even spoken in five years,¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°It¡¯s worth a try, at least. I need to find the bastard, and soon. I won¡¯t have my family in danger. Besides, I promised Ba I would kill him, and I fully intend to follow through on that promise,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Did you say he¡¯s gotten into bed with the Russians?¡± Sofia asked.


    I nodded. ¡°Ronaldo has made alliances with Mikhail Zaytsev and his allies, including the Michaelson Brothers.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re stacking up some powerful enemies, James,¡± Sofia observed.


    ¡°Yes, well, what concerns me the most is the schism in the family. Most are behind me, as the official heir to the throne, so to speak. But there are those who support Ronaldo¡¯s im as my uncle¡¯s son. I¡¯m just the nephew, after all,¡± I said.


    ¡°They should back you,¡± Sofia replied. ¡°Your uncle chose you for a reason.¡±


    I rubbed the back of my neck. ¡°Honestly, when I first got here, I would have happily handed all this over to Ronaldo and said, you know, go with God. But he¡¯s a very bad businessman, and he¡¯s already making unfavorable deals for the family. Deals I don¡¯t intend to honor. Hell, he ran MY business into the ground right after taking it over, and it was thriving when I left it.¡±


    ¡°When you died,¡± Sofia inferred.


    ¡°Yes, when I ¡®died,¡¯¡± I responded.


    ¡°Then your uncle chose wisely. I can see where Ronaldo would be hurt over the decision, but making shady deals behind his uncle¡¯s back, assuming the Don didn¡¯t know about them... well... that was stupid on a whole new level. The Don knew everything. Eugenio made that same mistake,¡± Sofia said.


    I massaged my temples, thinking of the war ahead. ¡°I suppose I can say you¡¯ll back me if and when the timees?¡±


    ¡°Always, mio amico. I will put a few bricks in one of my biggest handbags and swing it at anyone who dares to rise up against you,¡± Sofia smiled.


    ¡°I know, I know, it¡¯s not as though there¡¯s a whole lot you can do for me, but I¡¯m still d to have you in my corner,¡± I said.


    ¡°I swear on my honor as an Esposito. You will always have me in your corner,¡± Sofia responded.


    I settled back in my chair and took up the papers on my desk. ¡°All that said, since we¡¯re having trouble with the Russians, I¡¯ve had toe up with new shipping solutions for you. I¡¯ve made a copy here. It¡¯s more expensive, but the Family will pick up the difference.¡±


    Sofia took the papers and looked them over, nodding to herself. ¡°Don¡¯t trouble yourself, James. I will bear the cost. You¡¯ve been cutting me a break all these years. It seems only fair. When things have settled down again, it will be good for everyone involved.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a saint, Sofia,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°You remember that when your... fiancee? Girlfriend? Comes after me, ready to tear my hair out,¡± Sofia teased.


    I chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re right. I really should define that.¡±


    ¡°A woman likes to know where she stands, James,¡± Sofia said. ¡°Don¡¯t leave her waiting too long.¡±

 Chapter 163 : Unaccomplished

    <h4>Chapter 163: Chapter 163 : Unaplished</h4>


    Ba.


    ¡°Sofia¡¯s having dinner with us?¡± I repeated, watching as James tied a very smart tie around his neck.


    ¡°Yes. She¡¯s a guest. I thought it would be a good opportunity for her to meet and spend time with the family,¡± James replied, flipping his cor back down and pulling on a jacket.


    I¡¯de into James¡¯s room, all ready to tell him off, only to see him putting on one of his sexiest suits. My little green monster began causing me to panic. Was he dressing up for her?


    ¡°So, is this some kind of formal dinner?¡± I asked.


    James nced over at me. ¡°No. You can wear what you like.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you all dressed up?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°We remain in ck for a mourning period of one year here, Ba. The funeral hasn¡¯t even happened yet. I¡¯m just showing my respect,¡± James said.


    Yeah, right. I stiffened my back and then started for the door. ¡°I¡¯ll go change, then. And I¡¯ll have Giana add more ck to my wardrobe. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t realize sooner.¡±


    Actually, I was more incensed that James hadn¡¯t told me sooner.


    ¡°No harm done. I should have exined the traditions to you,¡± James replied.


    ¡°Yes, you should have,¡± I said waspishly and stomped out the door, mming it behind me. The nerve of that man! Dressing in his most body-hugging, sexy suit because it was ck. He was dressing for Sofia. I just knew it.


    La was ying with the kids on a nket in my suite. She saw me enter like an oing storm and quickly sat up. ¡°Ba?¡±


    ¡°Men suck,¡± I grunted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always thought so,¡± La replied with a littleugh. She sobered when she realized I wasn¡¯t joking, and wasn¡¯t in the mood to, either. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you and James have a fight?¡±


    I mmed open the door to my walk-in closet. ¡°Not yet, but we¡¯re going to.¡±


    ¡°What about?¡± La asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see. She¡¯sing to dinner,¡± I seethed.


    La blinked. ¡°Who¡¯sing to dinner?¡±


    ¡°Miss Tits-and-Ass.¡± I reamed through the clothes, looking for something sexy, yet ck, yet not quite slutty. James¡¯s uncle was dead, after all. I had to show SOME respect.


    ¡°He¡¯s seeing someone else on the side?¡± La gasped.


    I tossed a pair of shoes, a dress, and some hose onto the bed. I doubted he¡¯d get to see them, given how angry I was, but I also chose my most scandalous ck-and-redcy panties and bra.


    ¡°You¡¯re going in ready for battle,¡± La observed, watching as I started pulling it all on.


    ¡°Damn straight.¡± I let La do up the back of my dress, then sat and watched the kids while she also prepared for dinner.


    Once it was time to go down to dinner, I carried Dahlia, and La carried Alessandro. We fixed Alessandro in a Bumbo seat, and I passed Dahlia to La. She¡¯d just eaten, so I was rather certain we¡¯d get through dinner without me having to excuse myself to feed her.


    When I turned back to the table, I heard La let out a squeak.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked as my father and stepmother came in, followed by James, who was escorting Sofia.


    ¡°Your-your dress!¡± La moaned.


    I turned my head, looking my dress over. ¡°What about my dress?¡±


    ¡°Uh-oh!¡± Sofia said, sliding into a seat next to James. ¡°Looks like someone got urpy on mama.¡±


    Urpy? Oh shit, no...


    ¡°Did Dahlia throw up on me?¡± I asked La softly.


    La just nodded her head, horrified.


    I closed my eyes and had to count backwards from fifty. Not only had my impressive entrance been ruined, but I was now covered in baby spit-up, and Sofia had seen it¡ªand drawn everyone¡¯s attention to it. I wondered if she¡¯d done it on purpose.


    ¡°Here, love,¡± James said softly, going around Sofia and dabbing at the back of my dress with his cloth napkin.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied, red-faced and mortified.


    ¡°Children can be so precocious, even when they don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing yet,¡± Sofia trilled, and my father and stepmotherughed.


    ¡°Reminds me of the time Ba threw up on the priest who was baptizing her. Here¡¯s a could-have-been-worse situation if I¡¯ve ever seen one,¡± my father chuckled.


    I was trying to think of how it could be worse, but it wasn¡¯ting to me.


    ¡°Here, why don¡¯t you sit here,¡± James said, escorting me to the chair on the other side of him. My father sat to my left.


    La sat on the other side of Sofia. She not-so-subtly looked Sofia up and down.


    I was quiet as they started serving dinner. James started speaking to Sofia in Italian again, but she quickly corrected him to English. My father and stepmother paid rapt attention to her hard-won rise through the ranks of fashion and her many travels.


    Sofiaughed often and was a perfect guest. She was also effortlessly beautiful in her ck, curve-hugging yet tasteful dress. I wanted to stab her with my fork.


    ¡°So, what about you, Ba? James told me you went to Yale.¡± Sofia turned the conversation my way. ¡°I also heard you lived in New Zend? You must have had such adventures.¡±


    And here I¡¯d thought the night couldn¡¯t get any more embarrassing. ¡°I¡¯ve been... well, yes, I¡¯ve been to New Zend. And New York. And Yale, of course. I was just starting an internship when that little peanut came along.¡± I gestured to Dahlia. ¡°Then Alessandro came into my life at about the same time.¡±


    ¡°Oh. So you¡¯ve been doing the mama thing,¡± Sofia said with a nod. ¡°Very important work.¡±


    James leaned over and kissed my temple. ¡°Ba is a wonderful mother.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m sure your nanny here is a great help,¡± Sofia continued, turning to La. ¡°La, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± La replied. ¡°But Ba would do a great job even without me.¡±


    I appreciated the loyalty, but I wasn¡¯t going to let La fall on the grenade just to make me feel better. ¡°No, La, I honestly don¡¯t know how I¡¯d do it all without you.¡±


    La blushed. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how anyone raises children without help,¡± Sofia said. ¡°I... was never so fortunate as to have any. Eugenio passed before we could start a family, and I¡¯ve never really been interested in anyone else. Then there was my career and all the travel¡ªI just never got around to it, and now it¡¯s toote.¡±


    ¡°You could always adopt,¡± my father suggested, sounding sad for her.


    Sofia smiled sadly at my father. ¡°Oh, I could, I know. But my lifestyle doesn¡¯t really leave room for children. Run, run, run, go, go, go! James, you are SO fortunate to have someone who¡¯s willing to slow down for a while and raise children with you.¡±


    My eye ticked. I wasn¡¯t sure if she wasplimenting me or insulting me.


    ¡°I feel very lucky,¡± James said, cing his hand over mine on the table.


    My father looked sour. I remembered that he didn¡¯t like James very much. That sentiment didn¡¯t seem to have changed over the weeks we¡¯d been in Italy.


    ¡°And you both seem very happy together,¡± Sofia sighed at my father and my stepmother.


    ¡°We are,¡± my father said, perking up and taking his scowl off of James. ¡°I never thought I could be this happy again after we lost Ba¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but fate smiled on you,¡± Sofia mused. ¡°How wonderful to see. You¡¯re all very lucky people to have each other.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± my father responded, though he did throw another dark look at James.


    James ignored him and kept hold of my hand. ¡°I¡¯m trying to convince this one to spend the rest of her life with me. Negotiations are still pending.¡±


    I blushed, and Sofia giggled.


    ¡°You must have lost some of your negotiation skills if it is taking you this long, James Valentino!¡± Sofia said.


    ¡°Yes, well, maybe my charm is wearing off in my old age,¡± James chuckled.


    My father actually growled.


    ¡°Dad,¡± I said in a low tone. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t get wound up.¡±


    It was so strange. My easygoing father had be a huge grouch in James¡¯s presence many, many times since we¡¯d been in Italy.


    In this instance, he stood back from the table and mmed his silverware down. ¡°I think we¡¯ll skip dessert. Darling, I don¡¯t think I can spend another minute in his presence.¡±


    My stepmother nodded and stood as well, though she looked embarrassed.


    ¡°Dad...¡± I tried again.


    Jacob Woods just shook his head and walked out with my stepmother.


    Now it was my turn to be embarrassed. ¡°Sorry about that. James and my dad...¡±


    ¡°Well, darling, James is nearly twice your age and a mafioso, so, I¡¯m not sure if I were your father, I¡¯d be particrly thrilled, either,¡± Sofia said kindly. ¡°James, you haven¡¯t even won over the parents? Shame on you.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a tough nut to crack,¡± James grunted.


    ¡°That¡¯s no excuse. I¡¯m very disappointed in you, James. I thought you had more savvy. Or were at least more suave,¡± Sofia teased.


    James grumbled under his breath, and for the first time, I found myself smiling at Sofia.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying I¡¯m not getting his A game?¡± I feigned being insulted.


    ¡°Not if he hasn¡¯t won you over by now,¡± Sofia sniffed. ¡°Baby trapping. James, so low.¡±


    Baby tra-oh. ¡°That was actually my fault.¡± I winced. ¡°You see, Tally and I¡ª¡± I remembered Tally and stopped talking, not wanting to upset James.


    James squeezed my hand reassuringly. ¡°No, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Tally and I,¡± I began again, ¡°went to the same clinic and had the same doctor for our depo shots. I got my messages mixed up with Tally¡¯s and, well...¡±


    ¡°Oh dear.¡± Sofia patted my other hand. ¡°Well, you and Tally did make some beautiful babies.¡± Her eyes sought James¡¯s, and hers were a little wet with tears. ¡°I am so sorry for your loss, James.¡±


    James cleared his throat self-consciously. ¡°Yes, well...¡±


    ¡°Dessert?¡± a servant holding a tray asked hesitantly as he entered the room.


    ¡°Yes, dessert,¡± James said quickly, changing the subject. ¡°I think today is gto.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Don Valentino. The best,¡± the servant confirmed.


    Little crystal sorbet dishes were ced in front of James, Sofia, La, and me. The servant frowned at my father¡¯s and my stepmother¡¯s empty seats.


    ¡°Stomach issues. Nothing you need to be worried about,¡± I gave as ame excuse.


    ¡°Of course. I will let Giana know she might need to check on themter to see if they need anything for their stomachs,¡± the servant replied with a nod.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.


    Sofia picked up her spoon and daintily scooped up a small sliver of gto, bringing it gracefully to her mouth. ¡°Mmm, this is good gto.¡±


    I took a somewhatrger spoonful, but James had already dug out a bit of his and held it to my lips.


    Closing my mouth around the confection, I let it melt on my tongue and moaned loudly. ¡°This is incredible.¡±


    James smiled. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it. And I promise to work harder with your father. And with you.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°James, I was only teasing. I think you¡¯re doing just fine with me.¡±


    ¡°Tell me that again when we¡¯re shopping for wedding sets,¡± James said with a lopsided grin.


    Wedding sets? I looked down at my bare finger. What would it be like to be married to James?


    Sofia and James smiled at one another.


    ¡°I think this is a good start,¡± Sofia beamed.

 Chapter 164 : Drinks and Advice

    <h4>Chapter 164: Chapter 164 : Drinks and Advice</h4>


    Ba.


    After gto, James escorted us to a nice study lined with books and scattered withfortable furniture. James poured us some after-dinner drinks¡ªgrappa¡ªand we sat on two sofas, James next to me, Sofia across on another loveseat.


    ¡°Are you ready to get up and do all of this again tomorrow?¡± Sofia asked, winking at us. ¡°There¡¯s a wake at the Cathedral before mass, is there not?¡±


    I groaned and leaned my head against James¡¯s shoulder. ¡°My feet are never going to survive.¡±


    ¡°Might I suggest ts?¡± James said.


    Sofia and I both looked at him in horror.


    ¡°Bite your tongue, sir! ts. At an Italian funeral. My dear mama is probably rolling in her grave,¡± Sofia responded, crossing herself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to shame your uncle at his own funeral by failing to dress appropriately,¡± I added.


    James held up his hands. ¡°I give in. Forget I said anything.¡± He leaned in and kissed my temple. ¡°We¡¯ll find you a nice chair.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied with a smile.


    Sofia let out a soft sigh. ¡°You two are so adorable together. I hope your fatheres around.¡±


    ¡°I hope so, too. I wish he could see your better qualities, James,¡± I murmured.


    James shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll wiggle my way into his good graces one way or another.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea how you n to do that, but I hope it works,¡± I said.


    ¡°It will. He¡¯ll have to forgive me eventually. And then I¡¯ll grow on him. Like moss,¡± James grinned.


    Sofia and I bothughed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Ba. Will you wait until he gets formal permission from your father?¡± Sofia asked, arching an eyebrow.


    ¡°Well, I suppose James would have to ask me first,¡± I said with wide-eyed innocence. ¡°Who knows what I¡¯LL say.¡±


    Sofia looked sharply at James and spoke in rapid Italian.


    James spoke back, sounding defensive.


    ¡°Ack, men.¡± Sofia shook her head. ¡°Always waiting too long.¡±


    ¡°Well, in James¡¯s defense, I honestly don¡¯t know what I¡¯d say if he asked me now,¡± I defended him. ¡°It¡¯s all veryplicated.¡±


    James nodded and seemed about to say something when his phone rang. ¡°Excuse me,dies. I need to take this,¡± he said, frowning at the screen.


    Without saying another word, James rose and stalked out of the study, speaking in rapid Italian over the phone.


    ¡°I do not envy the person he is talking to,¡± Sofia mumbled, her eyes wide.


    ****


    James.


    ¡°Greg? How did you get this number?¡± I asked after the Italian switchboard person connected me to him.


    ¡°Good evening to you, too,¡± Greg said, sounding displeased.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I grunted.


    ¡°Well, what I wanted was for you to stay in Japan under the name Lester Johnson, but since that doesn¡¯t appear to be happening, I am calling to officially tell you that you¡¯ve been discharged from WitSec.¡± Greg¡¯s tone was sour.


    I sighed. ¡°Greg, I had my family to think of...¡±


    ¡°You had your family to think of. Yes, I understand they¡¯ve been in a great deal of trouble recently,¡± Greg replied. ¡°And I suppose if I were in your shoes, I couldn¡¯t fault you, but your ¡®returning from the dead¡¯ is going to have consequences, James.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to try to extradite me and send me to prison?¡± I scoffed.


    Greg growled. ¡°Don¡¯t think I couldn¡¯t. Italy has an extradition treaty with the United States, after all. But no, that¡¯s not why I¡¯m calling. Your ¡®death¡¯ has been ¡®overturned,¡¯ officially, you might say. So now your enemies will know you¡¯re alive.¡±


    ¡°They already figured out I was alive,¡± I grumbled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about that. I can take care of myself and my family, thank you very much. So, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll thank you for trying and¡ª¡±


    ¡°There is something else,¡± Greg said.


    I paused. ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I said there is something else. Alessandro, Ba, and you have been summoned in a custody case. It seems Carter and Cecelia Cartwright are suing for custody of Alessandro,¡± Greg went on. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to return to New York with Ms. Woods.¡±


    ¡°Says who? Chad signed away his parental rights...¡± I protested.


    ¡°They¡¯re saying he did it under duress, and they have witnesses,¡± Greg said. ¡°That¡¯s about all I know, though. I¡¯d suggest you contact an attorney.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t take Ba and Alessandro away from here! It¡¯s not safe!¡± I gaped at the phone in my hand.


    Greg sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly a custody battle expert, but I do know if you fail to appear, it doesn¡¯t look good for the home team, you know what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    I banged my forehead against a stone wall and counted to ten. ¡°There isn¡¯t anything you can do to stop this?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, James, you screwed yourself out of WitSec. But don¡¯t feel too bad. Even if you¡¯d stayed in, this isn¡¯t our wheelhouse. So... I just wanted to warn you to get yourself here and get a damn good attorney before you lose another member of your family,¡± Greg said.


    My blood ran cold. ¡°Thank you for putting it so bluntly.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t a lot of time for me to hold your hand and sing kumbaya. Now get on a ne and get your shit in order.¡±


    ¡°Gee, thanks,¡± I replied. ¡°I feel all warm and fuz¡ª¡±


    Greg hung up on me.


    ****


    Ba.


    Sofia talked about anything and everything under the sun, especially about the children. By the time we¡¯d been talking for half an hour, I no longer felt threatened by her. I felt silly for even thinking this woman wanted something else with James, and I could see why he liked her so much. She was very fun and easy to talk to.


    When we hit the one-hour point, I realized she really did regret not having children.


    At two hours, however, I began to get worried. ¡°James has been gone a long time.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Sofia agreed, also looking concerned. ¡°Maybe we should go find him. I imagine he is in his office. It sounded like a work call to me.¡±


    I rose from the sofa, and so did Sofia. We made our way quickly towards James¡¯s office.


    Tony was standing in the office, shaking his head at James and speaking in quick, clipped Italian.


    ¡°He¡¯s telling James he cannot go somewhere,¡± Sofia whispered to me as we stood away from the open door. ¡°That the climate of the family is bad, and he cannot be gone while there is war brewing.¡±


    ¡°Gone? Where¡¯s he going?¡± I whispered back.


    Sofia listened a while longer, frowned, then paled. ¡°Oh dear. Ba, you must speak to James right away.¡±


    ¡°What? Why? He¡¯s talking to Tony. He won¡¯t want me interrupting their business¡ª¡±


    Sofia interrupted me. ¡°This is much more important than business.¡± She took my hands and gave me a long look. ¡°Ba, James is a good man. A good man. You must trust him. And ept him. He will make a good husband.¡±


    ¡°What...?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°I must go make some phone calls.¡± Sofia propelled me towards James¡¯s door. ¡°You go in and speak with James.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and walked into James¡¯s office, startling both him and Tony. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I demanded. ¡°Sofia said you¡¯re going somewhere, James?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± James said.


    ¡°No,¡± Tony replied at the same time. ¡°No. He cannot leave. We will triple the guard outside. Let¡¯s see them try to extradite you.¡±


    ¡°Extrad¡ªJames, are you in some sort of trouble for leaving Witness Protection?¡± I gasped.


    James shook his head. ¡°No. That¡¯s not the problem. It¡¯s a different problem. I¡¯ll be talking to you about it shortly. I just need to impress upon Tony that I¡¯m NOT TAKING ANY CHANCES with regard to my family...¡±


    ¡°You should be worried about the greater family. Ronaldo is still out there, gathering followers. If you leave now, it will weaken your position,¡± Tony argued.


    ¡°Why do you need to leave?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°WE need to leave,¡± James said. ¡°With Alessandro. The Cartwrights havee up with some bogus custody hearing scheme, and now we¡¯ve either got to produce Alessandro and go to the hearing, or he¡¯s going to be taken from us.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± I shrieked.


    Tony winced, and I realized I was standing so close to him that I may have sted out his eardrum. ¡°They won¡¯t be able toe in here and take him. I¡¯m telling you, James, this is the worst possible move you could make right now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the only possible move,¡± James replied. ¡°I won¡¯t have Alessandro given over to those abusive bastards, even on paper. No. I¡¯m going, and that¡¯s final.¡±


    ¡°Go back to the part where the Cartwrights¡ªwhere Chad¡ªis suing for custody of Tally¡¯s child? OUR child?¡± I wheezed.


    James grunted. ¡°I made some calls. Apparently, the dipshit managed to make himself into a quadriplegic by ying Russian roulette on some rich kid¡¯s yacht. The Cartwrights are now concerned they don¡¯t have an heir and have decided, even though Chad signed his rights away as a father, they¡¯re going to sue for custody of Alessandro now.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t do that, can they?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Apparently, they can.¡± James pounded a fist on the desktop. ¡°Goddamn those bastards!¡±


    ¡°Don Valentino...¡± Tony tried again.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving right after the funeral with Ba and Alessandro. I am going to trust you, Tony, to handle things here to the best of your ability. Can you do that for me?¡± James barked.


    Tony must have seen it was a losing battle, because he sighed and nodded his head. ¡°I will do what I can, Don Valentino.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± James raked a hand over his hair. ¡°Shit. F*ck. Goddamn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell La to get Alessandro packed.¡± I swallowed, then asked, ¡°Should La and Dahliae with us?¡±


    James thought for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°Much as I hate for us to be separated from our baby girl, I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe to bring her to the States right now. I have an awful feeling about this custody thing.¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡± I kept myposure, however. Nothing was going to be solved by me falling apart. A deep, dark part of me wondered if I should have asked James to kill Chad instead of Ronaldo. But then, I¡¯d never imagined that asshole would evere back into the picture.


    ¡°Go make sure you and Alessandro are packed. And... I¡¯d make sure to pack for a few weeks, at least. I think this might be a tough battle,¡± James muttered.


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Because they¡¯re alleging we¡¯re both unfit parents and that I coerced Chad into signing away his parental rights,¡± James said.


    I looked at James for a long moment, and my stomach twisted. ¡°Oh God, James, DID you?¡±


    ¡°Did I what?¡± James responded.


    I put my hands on my hips. ¡°Did you coerce Chad into signing away his parental rights?¡±


    ¡°He was more than happy to do so,¡± James said defensively. ¡°I may have given him a little added incentive...¡±


    I groaned and dropped my face into my hands.


    ¡°James,¡± I mumbled, ¡°just how f*cked are we?¡±

 Chapter 165 : Role Reversal

    <h4>Chapter 165: Chapter 165 : Role Reversal</h4>


    Ba.


    I stood over the Pack ¡¯n y for what seemed like hours, watching Alessandro and Dahlia sleep. La had Alessandro packed. James and I were packed. Aside from the funeral tomorrow, we were ready to take the jet and go.


    I couldn¡¯t believe Chad was trying to get custody of our sweet Alessandro. I couldn¡¯t believe he had the gall. No, the BALLS. That lying, cheating, abusive PRICK. Even if he had been smacked around a little by James, it wasn¡¯t as though he wanted Alessandro.


    Now, his family was worried about their legacy. Now, Alessandro was suddenly good enough.


    I wanted to strangle the lot of them.


    The door to my suite opened, and I looked over to see James looking haggard.


    ¡°Did yourwyer rmend a familyw attorney?¡± I asked, going over to him.


    ¡°He did. Turns out the Cartwrights are using the same firm,¡± James sighed. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close. ¡°Sofia actually got in touch with someone. Apparently, a friend of hers was in a knock down, drag out custody battle with an ex-husband, and this is the attorney she used to beat him.¡±


    ¡°So the Cartwrights already have the betterwyers?¡± I whispered.


    James was quiet just a beat too long. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying.¡±


    ¡°It is what you¡¯re saying. I¡¯m sure this attorney Sofia rmended is a real pitbull, but the Cartwrights have already bought the best.¡± I felt sick to my stomach.


    ¡°We have Tally¡¯s wishes in writing; we have Chad¡¯s relinquishing his parental rights in writing. We¡¯re the ones in the right, here,¡± James said.


    I leaned my forehead into James¡¯s chest. ¡°What if...?¡±


    ¡°No. We¡¯re not talking about ¡®what ifs.¡¯ We¡¯re not borrowing that kind of trouble,¡± James cut me off.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose him, James. I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself, knowing he was with those... PEOPLE,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe Tony¡¯s right? Maybe we should stay here and let them TRY to take us by force?¡±


    ¡°Do you want Alessandro trapped inside thispound for the rest of his life?¡± James asked.


    I hung my head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ve got to go and fight this.¡± James tilted my chin up and kissed me. ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll stay here?¡± I resented the neediness in my tone a little, but just a little. I did need him. And he needed me. Was it so bad to admit it?


    ¡°When we get back, I¡¯m moving in,¡± James smiled. But I didn¡¯t think he was joking.


    I swallowed. ¡°Okay.¡±


    James¡¯s smile widened, and his fingers found the zipper at the back of my dress. ¡°I¡¯ll have Giana dry clean this.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Dahlia¡¯s barf seems pretty small in the grand scheme of things right now,¡± I admitted.


    My dress fell to the floor, and James kissed my shoulder. ¡°Still, it¡¯s a beautiful dress. It¡¯d be a shame to see it ruined.¡±


    I blushed. ¡°I have a confession.¡±


    James had started a slow exploration of my corbone. ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were interested in Sofia,¡± I said. ¡°I was actually going to give you hell for it. But that seems... small now, too.¡±


    James held me close and rubbed the nape of my neck. ¡°Then I have a confession. I was... happy... you were jealous.¡±


    ¡°Happy?!¡± I protested.


    With a small smile, James kissed the tip of my nose. ¡°Let me finish.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be very lucky if you get to do that tonight,¡± I groused.


    That got a short, stressed-outugh from him. ¡°I know it¡¯s not exactly a good look on me, but I¡¯ve been... anxious about our rtionship. I thought if you were at least jealous, well, that was something.¡±


    ¡°Buttering me up when you knew full well I was silently suffering is not going to get you anywhere, mister,¡± I admonished him.


    James pouted. ¡°I can¡¯t even order you?¡±


    ¡°Ha! Order me? Not likely.¡± I pushed off his chest and did a sexy sashay over to the bed, dropping my bra and hose as I did so. I sat down and slipped off my shoes and panties.


    James frowned slightly. ¡°Getting mixed signals here...¡±


    ¡°Good. Now you know how it feels,¡± I said.


    ¡°What if I say ¡®please¡¯?¡± James asked, walking over between my legs. He tangled his fingers in my hair.


    I pretended to give it some thought. ¡°Hmm. Maybe.¡±


    James groaned as I cupped him through his pants. ¡°F*ck, tell me this is more than a ¡®maybe.¡¯ I¡¯m going to lose it, Ba.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s wearing too many clothes,¡± I replied, my voice like a whip crack.


    James¡¯s eyebrows shot up, and a slow smile spread across his face. ¡°Well, so the student bes the master.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still wearing too many clothes,¡± I replied archly.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± James toed off his shoes, then shrugged out of his shirt and trousers.


    When he reached for the waistband of his silk boxers, I grabbed his wrist and shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve been a good enough boy for that.¡±


    James gave me his best, most contrite puppy-dog look. ¡°Please? I promise I¡¯m a good boy.¡±


    I pretended to think about it for a second. I was already high on my little power trip. Was this how James felt when he ordered me around? If so, we had to do this role reversal thing more often.


    Grinning, I leaned in and gripped the waistband of his boxers with my teeth.


    ¡°Holy merciful f*ck,¡± James groaned as I peeled his boxers down with my teeth, just enough for his massive erection to spring free and p me in the face.


    I released his boxers and curled my hand around his base, giving his shaft a good, strong stroke. ¡°Somebody¡¯s excited,¡± I smiled as I watched him leak prec*m.


    ¡°It would be impossible not to be,¡± James panted as I gently squeezed and yed with his balls. ¡°F*ck me, Ba, if you don¡¯t suck me right now...¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to give me orders now?¡± I barked, frowning up at him.


    James¡¯s jaw clenched a moment. He was trying to hold himself back, I could tell. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡±


    ¡°Good. Because I thought I heard an order in there,¡± I said, returning to my ministrations.


    I popped one of his balls in my mouth, then the other.


    James¡¯s fingers tangled in my hair. ¡°F*ck...¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re a very good boy, we just might,¡± I teased him, prying my lips away for a second.


    ¡°F*ck...¡± James said again in frustration.


    I giggled and stood up, letting my breasts trail up his body and his c*ck trail down mine.


    ¡°Minx.¡± James¡¯s voice was strangled.


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± I replied. I turned James around and pushed him back on the bed. Then I knelt between his legs and began sucking his c*ck.


    James panted, his hand fisting in my hair once more. I assumed he was trying very hard to be a ¡°good boy,¡± however, because he did not force himself down my throat.


    His reward was for me to bring him right to the edge, then stop, then do it again. I brought him to just before orgasm four times before James broke down and finally started to beg.


    ¡°Ba, have mercy...¡±


    I let go of his d*ck with a little pop, grinning wickedly at him. ¡°What do good boys say?¡±


    ¡°Please...¡± James groaned.


    ¡°Please what?¡± I grinned.


    ¡°Please f*ck me, Ba.¡±


    High on power and lust, I straddled James and lowered myself down onto his c*ck.


    James moaned and reached out to grip my hips.


    I gave his hand a little smack. ¡°I¡¯m deciding the pace today.¡±


    Trembling with need, James could only nod. He began to y with my breasts instead.


    I ced my hands on James¡¯s chest and began to ride him slowly, so slowly.


    James mmed his head back against the mattress, fighting for control of his body.


    ¡°Is there something you need, James?¡± I asked, batting my eyshes at him.


    ¡°F*ck...¡± James groaned. ¡°You know what I need.¡±


    ¡°More of this?¡± I asked, moving up and down on him a little faster.


    James almost whimpered, and I felt so triumphant I could have crowed.


    ¡°Ba, baby, please,¡± James gasped.


    I decided I¡¯d teased him enough. I began riding him hard and fast, bouncing up and down on his c*ck, squeezing him with my inner muscles.


    James was trying not to lose control, trying to make sure I came first. Well, I was having none of that. I was in control, and the Italian Stallion was going to c*m first for once.


    ¡°Come on, James. Give it to me,¡± I ordered, rubbing my palms over his nipples.


    ¡°Y-You h-haven¡¯t...¡± James protested.


    ¡°Are you arguing with me? Good boys don¡¯t argue,¡± I said, stopping altogether.


    James did whimper this time. ¡°F*ck me. I¡¯m sorry. Jesus, don¡¯t stop!¡±


    I smiled and started up again. ¡°Now,¡± I said when James was nearly a panting mess. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m going to c*m,¡± James groaned.


    ¡°And when are you going to do that?¡± I pressed.


    James bit down on his lip. ¡°Whenever you goddamn tell me to.¡±


    ¡°Good boy. Now, give me what I want, James.¡± I stared him right in the eyes, demanding.


    James spurted up into me, shouting my name.


    I grinned and softly pressed my lips to his. ¡°Good b¡ª¡°


    James flipped our positions so I was under him. ¡°I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did, but now I¡¯m going to f*ck you silly.¡±


    I shivered. I¡¯d unleashed the beast in him. ¡°I thought I was in charge today.¡±


    ¡°Not anymore.¡± James¡¯s lips crashed down on mine and he plundered my mouth with his tongue, his c*ck swelling inside me once more.


    I gave as good as I got, but ultimately, James wrested control of our lovemaking session from me and began ramming me hard with his d*ck.


    ¡°James... oh God... oh Jesus... oh F*CK!¡± I screamed as I came.


    James grunted and came as well, then copsed on top of me. ¡°Oh... f*ck...¡±


    I wrapped my arms and legs around him, keeping him where he was.


    ¡°I love you,¡± James murmured into my hair, caressing my sides with his strong hands.


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± I said softly.


    James kissed me and nuzzled my ear. ¡°So...¡± he whispered. ¡°What¡¯s in the way of us getting married?¡±


    I bit my lip. It wasn¡¯t quite fair when he asked me when I was all aroused and satisfied and he was c*ck deep in me. ¡°Well, Tony and about a hundred other mafiosos?¡±


    James sucked my lip, drawing it out from between my teeth. ¡°It¡¯s adorable that you think there are only about a hundred.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m serious, James. This is not the life I want for Alessandro or Dahlia.¡±


    ¡°But if it was just you?¡± James prodded.


    If it were just me? I looked deep into James¡¯s dark eyes.


    ¡°If it were just me, we¡¯d have been to a courthouse by now,¡± I admitted.


    James nodded. ¡°Well, that¡¯s something. A start.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s too much going on right now, James. Too many moving parts. I can¡¯t, in good conscience, promise you anything,¡± I said.


    ¡°Except that you love me,¡± James responded.


    Ibed my fingers through his hair. ¡°Except that I love you. God help me.¡±


    James smiled. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s a start.¡±

 Chapter 166 : Funerals and Frequent Flyers

    <h4>Chapter 166: Chapter 166 : Funerals and Frequent Flyers</h4>


    Ba.


    If anything, the receiving line at the Cathedral was even longer than the first one. People paid their respects, kissing thete Don Valentino on both cheeks before taking their seats. It was a full house.


    James and I sat at the front along with some cousins and other rtives once mass was about to start. It was a full Catholic Mass, with the blessing of the bread and everything.


    As a Protestant, I did not go up to receivemunion, something James¡¯s family, and those in the rows behind, noted and began to gossip about. Apparently, James was supposed to be with a good Catholic girl.


    The bishop¡ªfor the bishop himself hade to perform the mass¡ªgave mass in Italian. I didn¡¯t understand a word, but James leaned over and at least quietly tranted the homily for me. James then stood to say a few words, also in Italian, but he¡¯d rehearsed with me beforehand so I knew what he was saying.


    We then processed to the family¡¯s mausoleum and people threw flowers on top of the casket before it was moved into the vault.


    ¡°He is with his wife now,¡± Sofia said,ing to greet us after all was said and done. ¡°His spirit is happy, I¡¯m sure. Now, I think you two need to catch a ne.¡±


    It was true. Tony himself was waiting with the ck sedan that would take us to the airport. ¡°Thank you, Sofia,¡± James responded. ¡°You¡¯re a good friend.¡±


    ¡°I will expect you to invest in my next venture,¡± Sofia teased. Then she waved her hands at us. ¡°Go, go.¡±


    James and I hurried to the car and slid into the back.


    ¡°I still think this is a bad idea,¡± Tony muttered from the front seat, but directed the driver to take us to the airport just the same.


    ¡°I know you have things well in hand, Tony,¡± James said. ¡°You¡¯ll take good care of whateveres up while I¡¯m gone. Just remind people I¡¯m fighting for the family heir, as a good Don should.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Tony replied, but whatever else he was thinking, he kept to himself.


    James and I practically ran to the jet, our bags having been sent ahead of us. I felt bad for leaving before the funeral reception, but Sofia had assured us she and the family would take care of it.


    La stood on the tarmac, holding Alessandro, looking bereft. ¡°I want to keep him inside thepound and not let him out. I am so afraid he won¡¯t being back.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re noting back until hees back with us,¡± James vowed. He gently took Alessandro from La¡¯s arms. ¡°Take care of Dahlia. Tell her Mommy and Daddy love her very much.¡±


    La sniffled and nodded. ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll still do video calls,¡± I said. I felt my heart breaking, being away from my little girl for this travesty, but it was safer for her if we left her here. I kept reminding myself of that.


    I hugged La, then James and I walked up the stairs into the jet.


    As the door closed, my heart sank.


    James bounced a clueless Alessandro in hisp and took my hand. ¡°We¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes, of course,¡± I replied. I wondered if Chad, even as a quadriplegic, would still feel it if I kicked him in the nuts.


    During the flight, James and I encouraged Alessandro as he crawled around the floor and pulled himself up to a standing position on all the different chairs. He would be walking soon, I knew, and my heart broke because I wondered what milestones I might miss with Dahlia.


    ¡°Mmma.¡± Alessandro crawled over and raised his arms to me. ¡°Mmma.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, he said Ma!¡± I said on a sob, scooping Alessandro up in my arms.


    He flexed his chubby fists at James. ¡°Da.¡±


    James smiled and got Alessandro a fruit-and-vegetable pouch for him to suck on.


    Alessandro settled happily in myp and sucked on the pouch.


    ¡°Well, now that he¡¯s decided we¡¯re his ma and da, there¡¯s no way they could possibly take him away,¡± I sniffled, rocking Alessandro gently.


    ¡°They have no case,¡± James assured me. ¡°No case at all.¡±


    ****


    James.


    ¡°They have a case,¡± J Loveless, Attorney at Law said as we sat in her office.


    Ba was holding Alessandro, and her grip suddenly tightened on him. I rubbed her knee, trying to rx her.


    But I could hardly me her. I¡¯d tensed up myself the moment the sentence hade out of Ms. Loveless¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°They¡¯ve also hired Kensington, Kensington, and Pierce,¡± Ms. Loveless continued. ¡°They are most well-known for corporatew, but their criminal and familyw teams are nothing to be sneezed at. Aside from them, I can tell you without being prideful that I am the best. We¡¯ve got a good defense. Tally¡¯s final wishes were known, set down, witnessed, and notarized. Chad Cartwright signing away his parental rights is, however, a bit of a sticky situation.¡±


    ¡°He was going to sign them away anyway,¡± I grunted, knowing where this was going.


    Ms. Loveless steepled her fingers under her chin. ¡°Then you should have let him sign them away. There are a few witnesses suggesting you may have ¡®roughed him up.¡¯ This does not help our case.¡±


    I raked my hand over my hair. ¡°Okay, so that was a bad move. But he¡¯s a real jackass. He beat up my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Who, as you say, refused to go to the hospital just in case it might have gotten Chad in trouble,¡± Ms. Loveless pointed out. ¡°That leaves just the two of you as witnesses. We can bring it up in court¡ªand likely I will¡ªbut it¡¯s not a strong point we can make.¡±


    ¡°Are there any other girlfriends who can attest to his being violent?¡± Ba asked, and I nodded at her question.


    ¡°Besides you?¡± Ms. Loveless said. ¡°My team hasn¡¯t had any luck. Chad¡¯s friends have circled the wagons. It¡¯s been impossible to find anyone among his peers who will testify against his character.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered. ¡°Shit, shit.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Alessandro echoed.


    I looked down at him, shocked. Then I dropped my face into my hands and groaned. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s just great.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t teach him any more cuss words,¡± Ms. Loveless sighed. ¡°We don¡¯t want him bursting out with something like that in court. They¡¯ll poke holes in your fitness to be parents.¡±


    ¡°Just because he learned one bad word?¡± Ba asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re out for blood,¡± Ms. Loveless said. ¡°We have to be the same. Trust me, my team is beating the bushes for people who will take our side¡ªreputable people. But it¡¯s been a slog. They sprang this on you when they already had all their ducks in a row. Our side hasn¡¯t had that kind of time to prepare.¡±


    Alessandro grumped and slid out of Ba¡¯sp, going to crawl around on the floor.


    ¡°We can point that out to the judge, right? I mean, I¡¯d like to get this over with as quickly as possible, but if we need more time, and the judge will grant it...¡± I suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try to get an extension, but there are no guarantees. We¡¯re going to have to be as prepared as we can be,¡± Ms. Loveless said. She looked over her desk and smiled softly. ¡°He¡¯s a beautiful child. And clearly, he loves you both. I don¡¯t want to see you separated.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I held out my arms to Alessandro when he pulled himself up on my chair. He gripped my finger and tugged, clearly wanting me to walk him around the room. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, buddy. Daddy¡¯s in a meeting.¡±


    Alessandro¡¯s face screwed up as though he was going to cry.


    ¡°Another problem,¡± Ms. Loveless said as I sighed and got up, walking Alessandro around the room. ¡°Is your affiliation with the mafia. Your KNOWN affiliation with the mafia.¡±


    I winced. ¡°There¡¯s not a lot I can do about that.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m just telling you it will be a problem,¡± Ms. Loveless responded.


    ¡°How bad is it?¡± Ba finally asked the same question that was percting in the back of my mind.


    Ms. Loveless pursed her lips. ¡°Bad.¡±


    Ba¡¯s breath came out in a sharp hiss.


    I scooped Alessandro up in my arms, even though he squirmed in protest. ¡°I... don¡¯t suppose you can rmend we go back to Italy and forget this whole thing...¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t even if you wanted to,¡± Ms. Loveless said. ¡°The judge has ordered that you surrender your passports. He¡¯ll collect them at the hearing, but if you tried to use them now, you¡¯d not only be in contempt of court, but also be facing serious jail time for trying to flee the country.¡±


    ¡°I should have listened to Tony,¡± I muttered while Alessandro let out an unholy shriek.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re here now, and we¡¯re going to fight. You still have Tally¡¯s will. If she wanted Ba to have Alessandro, that¡¯s going to carry a lot of weight,¡± Ms. Loveless assured us.


    I did not feel reassured. ¡°I won¡¯t let them take my grandson. These people... they¡¯re terrible people. It¡¯s not what my Tally wanted.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, we¡¯re going to fight,¡± Ms. Loveless repeated firmly. ¡°Now, I suggest you go home and rest. It¡¯s been a very long two days for you, what with the funeral anding here right off the ne.¡±


    Ba looked at me. ¡°Are we going back to the hotel we stayed inst night?¡± she asked, sounding a bit defeated.


    I decided I needed to be strong for the both of us, at least until Ba got her confidence back. ¡°No, love. We¡¯re going to a home in Scarsdale. It will be well-fortified.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ba rose slowly to her feet, clutching her purse like it was a shield. She didn¡¯t even question my choice in homes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get disheartened. We¡¯re working on this around the clock, and we¡¯re going to put up a strong fight,¡± Ms. Loveless said.


    I rocked the screaming Alessandro in my arms. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Loveless. We¡¯ll keep our spirits up.¡±


    ¡°Court is a week from today at 9:00 AM sharp,¡± Ms. Loveless informed us. ¡°We¡¯ll be meeting before then, of course, but I wanted to give you our timeframe.¡±


    ¡°Not a lot of time,¡± I murmured.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to feel like forever,¡± Ms. Loveless warned. ¡°Call me anytime with questions or concerns.¡±


    ¡°What happens if we lose him?¡± Ba asked, her voice barely a whisper.


    Ms. Loveless steepled her fingers again, clearly trying to figure out how to phrase bad news. ¡°If we lose, there are many options. Even if you lose some custody, there¡¯s always partial custody, half-custody...¡±


    ¡°I mean what happens if we lose him altogether?¡± Ba choked.


    ¡°Then we appeal. And we appeal. And we appeal,¡± Ms. Loveless said firmly. ¡°It¡¯s never over.¡±


    ¡°And they can do the same if they lose,¡± Ba inferred.


    I looked at Ms. Loveless.


    ¡°... Yes,¡± Ms. Loveless replied. ¡°And they probably will.¡±


    Ba closed her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s never over.¡±

 Chapter 167 : The Waiting Game

    <h4>Chapter 167: Chapter 167 : The Waiting Game</h4>


    Ba.


    I walked out of thewyer¡¯s office feeling as though I were floating somewhere outside myself. Everything just seemed so... surreal.


    James was carrying Alessandro. But then I had a sudden need to hold the child, as though physically having him in my arms could protect us all from having him taken away.


    Woodenly, I held out my arms for Alessandro.


    ¡°Ba... are you sure?¡± James asked.


    I nodded, and James carefully passed the one-year-old over. Alessandro blinked dark eyes up at me,pletely unaware of the dangerous game that was going on around him. Unaware of the dangerous games that had been going on around him.


    ¡°James, I can¡¯t lose him,¡± I whispered. ¡°If the judge says I can keep him, but I have to go away from you... I will.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± James said without judgment. He put a hand at my back, but I pulled away.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s gone wrong, and every time it does, there you are right in the middle of it,¡± I spoke sternly. ¡°Why is it that you keep f*cking up my life? Our lives?!¡±


    James frowned. ¡°Ba, that¡¯s not entirely fair.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? What¡¯s ¡®fair,¡¯ then? Grooming Alessandro to be a mafia don or maybe having Russians descend on my home in New Zend¡ª¡±


    ¡°That was Neal¡¯s fault, not mine,¡± James said angrily.


    ¡°And Tally? What about Tally?¡± I replied in a harsh tone.


    James scowled. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare bring my daughter into this. Of course, I feel guilty over what happened to Tally. Do you think I don¡¯t? Do you think I don¡¯t beat myself up every day over it?¡±


    ¡°You should!¡± I shouted.


    People on the sidewalk began giving us a wider berth, staring at us incredulously.


    James shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re not in any fit state of mind to have this conversation. I¡¯ll see you at the car.¡± He strode away from me, knowing full well that ¡°the boys¡± were surrounding us at a discreet distance.


    I¡¯d upset him so much, however, that he began to cross against the light, and a taxi came zooming towards him.


    ¡°JAMES!¡± I shouted, running towards him.


    With the bumper merely inches from James¡¯s legs, one of ¡°the boys¡± appeared and hauled him back.


    Alessandro began fussing, not understanding what was going on but able to sense that something was wrong.


    I went to James, who still looked bewildered, and pressed into his side. ¡°James, what the hell were you thinking?!¡±


    James looked down at me and Alessandro and shrugged, regaining hisposure. ¡°I suppose I wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± I began.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go home, Ba,¡± James said.


    ¡°Home? Italy?¡± I asked. ¡°But they¡¯re taking our passports¡ª¡±


    ¡°Scarsdale. Let¡¯s go.¡± James almost roughly directed me across the crosswalk once the light turned and escorted me into the ck sedan that was waiting for us on the other side.


    My heartbeat was still erratic, but Alessandro had calmed down with a little bouncing. ¡°James¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Not now, Ba,¡± James snapped. He rubbed a hand over his face. ¡°I just... can¡¯t... right now.¡±


    I swallowed. ¡°Okay.¡±


    It took about an hour to get to the beautiful,rge, colonial mansion in Scarsdale that James had either bought or rented. I didn¡¯t know which, and I couldn¡¯t ask him, given the mood I¡¯d put him in.


    When the car stopped, James hopped right out and stalked away from Alessandro and I, two of ¡°the boys¡± trailing behind him.


    I blinked tears from my eyes and got out of the sedan with a little help from ¡°the boys¡± to get Alessandro and I out upright.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be in his study, ma¡¯am,¡± one of ¡°the boys¡± said, trying to be helpful.


    I nodded, but I was fairly certain he didn¡¯t want to see me. Not right now.


    Inside the house was just as gorgeous and tasteful as the outside. I took a long staircase upstairs to get to my room, which had a connecting door to the nursery. Both were already set up.


    I noticed that James had not put his things in my room. I wondered if that was a recent decision, or if he¡¯d done that in deference to my lingering misgivings.


    There was an alphabet mat on the floor in Alessandro¡¯s nursery, so I set him down on it and then sat down myself, finally removing my heels. Alessandro squealed in delight when he found there were also Duplos to y with, and he began puzzling himself some strange zig-zag creation.


    James did not make an appearance the rest of the day. I spent the entirety of the day with Alessandro, ying with him, making sure he ate, singing him to sleep. After I put him down for the night, the guilt had eaten a hole in me big enough to drive a truck through. I went to find James.


    ¡°Nolo?¡± I asked one of ¡°the boys.¡± ¡°Do you know where James is?¡±


    ¡°Don Valentino is still in his office, Ms. Woods,¡± Nolo said.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I started one direction down the hall, but Nolo cleared his throat delicately and pointed the other way.


    I went to the door that was open just a crack with light shining out of it. Through the crack, I could see James sitting in a chair, tumbler in hand, with some amber liquid in it.


    ¡°James?¡± I said, pushing open the door. ¡°I... I wanted...¡±


    ¡°What DO you want, Ba?¡± James asked, his eyes red-rimmed. I didn¡¯t know if it was the alcohol or if he¡¯d actually been crying.


    ¡°I... wanted to say I¡¯m sorry...¡± I wrung my hands. ¡°I said terrible things...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about, Ba,¡± James sighed, leaning his head back on the chair.


    I lowered my eyes. ¡°I know.¡±


    James gestured for me to sit in the chair across his desk.


    I perched awkwardly on the edge of it, staring down at my hands.


    ¡°Are you ready to talk?¡± James asked.


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know...¡± I admitted.


    James rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°You need to get there soon, Ba. I know you¡¯re tired of being yo-yoed around, but so am I. I¡¯m very tired of fighting with you, Ba, and being the root of all your problems. You can¡¯t me me for everything all the time.¡±


    ¡°Well, you did cause a lot of...¡± I trailed off, hearing myself for the first time. I sounded like aplete b*tch, and worse, a child.


    ¡°I know I caused a lot of trouble. I know Tally¡¯s death is my fault. But I¡¯m trying, Ba. I really am trying,¡± James said.


    ¡°It....¡± I licked my lips. ¡°It wasn¡¯t fair of me to say Tally¡¯s death was your fault. It¡¯s nobody¡¯s fault but the man who pulled the trigger. You didn¡¯t know that was going to happen.¡±


    James looked at me over the rim of his tumbler, shocked at my words. ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°And Italy...¡± I fidgeted my hands in myp. ¡°You saved us by taking us to Italy. Neal even said so.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that prick has been in contact again,¡± James growled.


    I shook my head. ¡°No. What he said right before you showed up. That I should and would trust you... that was right.¡±


    ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡± James asked after I was silent for a while.


    ¡°No.¡± I took a deep breath, my eyes stinging with tears. ¡°You could have died today, for real, this time, and I remembered what my life was like without you in it.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± James prompted.


    ¡°I...¡± I looked up at him. ¡°I don¡¯t ever want that to happen again.¡±


    James rocked in his office chair, staring at the wall. ¡°So, how do you n to aplish that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I said, frowning.


    James looked back at me. ¡°How do you n to not lose me?¡±


    Oh F*CK. ¡°D-Did I lose you?¡± I wheezed.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± James sighed and closed his eyes. ¡°But sometimes, Ba, you make it very f*cking hard to stay in love with you. And I know you could say the same about me.¡±


    Hurt stabbed me through the heart. ¡°Couples are all like that. They fight, and they get over things. And then they find new things to argue about. But they stay a team. And they love each other. And the good times outweigh the bad.¡±


    ¡°Do they?¡± James asked.


    ¡°Do they what?¡± I responded, trying to follow the track of his thoughts. It urred to me he might be a little drunk. Not so drunk that he didn¡¯t know or mean what he was saying, but drunk enough to be this honest with me.


    ¡°Do the good times outweigh the bad? With us?¡± James replied.


    I tried to swallow past a lump in my throat. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said honestly, ¡°but I¡¯d like them to. I¡¯d like for us to have that chance.¡±


    James nodded and stared at the wall again. ¡°Me, too.¡±


    I was so relieved I could have melted into a puddle right there on the chair. ¡°Okay, so, we work on it. We... we give it a real shot. I stop ming you for everything. You keep honest and openmunication with me. We... we just see where this goes. I love you, James.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± James said. He set his tumbler down and turned to face me. ¡°I¡¯m in¨Cone hundred percent, Ba. One hundred percent. There is nothing in this world more important to me than you and the kids. But I can¡¯t be in it by myself. You understand?¡±


    With a small sob, I reached across the desk and took his hand. ¡°I¡¯m in. One hundred percent.¡±


    James searched my eyes. I hoped mine were filled with the same determination I felt.


    ¡°Good,¡± James responded. He tugged on my hand, and I went around the desk to sit in hisp, curling up and snuggling my head up under his chin.


    James swiveled the chair slowly back and forth slightly, and dropped a kiss on my hair. ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone if you decide you need to cry.¡±


    The need to cry had be a ball of sickness in my stomach. When was thest time I¡¯d cried? Had I ever fully mourned the loss of my new life in New Zend? Or this situation with Alessandro? Or any number of little things that had just kept piling up since James had ¡°died¡±?


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t stop?¡± I asked James softly.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be here through it with you,¡± James replied.


    My throat swelled closed. I wasn¡¯t sure I could speak past the strangled feeling of impending tears.


    Finally, I buried my face in James¡¯s neck and started to sob.


    James kept rocking us gently, back and forth, while I soaked one of his nice silk shirts with my tears.


    I didn¡¯t remember falling asleep. I only knew I had when Jamesid me down on cool sheets. Blinking, I realized I was in my room, and that Alessandro was in the next room over, sleeping soundly.


    James toed off his shoes and got into bed as well, spooning me from behind. I put my arms over his around me and closed my eyes again.


    Somehow, just in this small moment, everything felt as though it was going to be okay.

 Chapter 168 : Interruptions

    <h4>Chapter 168: Chapter 168 : Interruptions</h4>


    Ba.


    A few dayster, we were back in the car again. James said he had another surprise for us.


    I couldn¡¯t stop smiling while we drove through town. While it wasn¡¯t Italy with its countryside charm, Scarsdale didn¡¯t disappoint. The streets were lined with Tudor-style buildings, and every home looked like it had sprouted around lush, green forests and seas of perfectly mowedwns.


    James eyed me as he held Alessandro, who giggled from being bounced up and down.


    ¡°If you¡¯re smiling now, I can¡¯t wait to see what you¡¯ll think of this new house,¡± James said, more to Alessandro than to me.


    I¡¯d learned the house we¡¯d been staying in was just temporary, and that the real one was the surprise. That was why James hadn¡¯t even left his things in the bedroom the night we got there.


    ¡°Where ARE we staying, James?¡± I eyed him suspiciously¨Cwith everything going on, I hadn¡¯t even asked. ¡°Are we renting this ce? Is it with friends or contacts of yours?¡±


    ¡°Not quite...¡± He shrugged and kissed Alessandro on the forehead. ¡°It¡¯s just us. Trust me, you¡¯ll like it.¡±


    My heart warmed at the sight of him being so sweet and tender with Alessandro, so I made an effort to control my tone of voice. After the talk we¡¯d had, I didn¡¯t want him to think that I was questioning his ¡°methods¡± of doing things, or worried about the decisions he made.


    Though, I totally was.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your taste in homes that I¡¯m wondering about...¡±


    ¡°I know. I have excellent taste,¡± James said, giving me a hungry look and sending a pang of desire for him through my body.


    The driver suddenly swerved into a ce I could have only described as ptial. Trees lined the entrance to a long driveway that led to a garage for at least five cars. The brick house next to it, or rather, mansion, was three stories tall in a few sections, two in others.


    ¡°Wee home,¡± James said as he handed Alessandro to La, who had gotten out of the other car and opened the door while I stared at the ce in awe.


    ¡°I told you you¡¯d like it.¡± He pulled me by my hands toward the entrance and opened the front door, revealing an enormous foyer with a curved wooden staircase that led to the second floor. ¡°Come here.¡±


    He swooped me off my feet and held me in his arms.


    ¡°James! What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t want to wait until we got married to carry you into our new home. So it¡¯s happening now.¡±


    I wrapped my arms around him, grinning from ear to ear. How could I have possibly been so mad at him foring back to me when he did things like this?


    He carried me upstairs and set me down in what I assumed would be our bedroom. It was enormous like everything else in the house, and delicately furnished in shades of beige and white.


    ¡°And here is where other things will be happening,¡± he whispered into my ear, closing the door behind us.


    ¡°Hmm, like what?¡± I turned to face him, relishing in the warmth of his body so close to mine.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to like that, too.¡±


    James knelt and began to caress my thigh, lifting my dress and reaching my underwear. Just as his hand began to pull down, I stepped away from him.


    ¡°Wait! The tradition is supposed to be over the threshold of the house, not all the way to the bedroom. At least let me take a look around.¡±


    The look of disappointment on his face was endearing.


    Without hesitation, he picked me up again, rushing through the hallway.


    ¡°There¡¯s the nursery.¡± He gently kicked a door open, revealing a beautifully decorated and fully equipped nursery. ¡°Three more bedrooms. Look at the backyard.¡±


    I clung to his neck as he approached a window. La had Alessandro on a swing set that looked like a space capsule¨C he¡¯d be perfectly safe there. The yard was gorgeous, withrge trees with bright green leaves. It looked warm and inviting, maybe even a bit magical.


    ¡°We can look at the downstairster,¡± James said, carrying me back to the bedroom. ¡°Now, where were we?¡±


    ¡°You said I would like what you nned to do, but I think it¡¯s my turn to do something YOU will like.¡±


    I tugged at his arm, and as he stood, this time it was I who knelt down in front of him and began to unbuckle his belt.


    ¡°I do think I¡¯m liking this power-hungry Ba,¡± he said, pulling at my hair as I lowered his pants.


    His hard c*ck sprung free, and I wrapped my lips around the tip, gently kissing him. I could feel his hands pulling harder at my hair, as if he was holding back from pushing my head forward.


    James moaned, and I nced up to see his head thrown back in ecstasy. Swirling my tongue around his hard shaft, I began to devour him, his hardness filling my mouth.


    ¡°Ba...¡± he moaned, unable to resist the temptation of pushing my head down. In an instant, he began to f*ck my mouth harder, and while I still wanted to tease him, his pleasure was also mine.


    ¡°Shit,¡± he said, and abruptly stopped.


    His phone was vibrating inside the pocket of his pants.


    I pulled my mouth away from him and grabbed his phone. The call was from ¡°Monalisa PI.¡±


    ¡°James...¡± I began. I really didn¡¯t want to stop what we were doing, but I couldn¡¯t help being curious as to why he was getting a call from a private investigationpany.


    ¡°I hired someone to look into Chad. Nothing more. I can call them backter.¡±


    ¡°No. Take it.¡± I handed him the phone. ¡°As long as you promise it¡¯s nothing... dubious.¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± he winked at me. ¡°But it can wait.¡±


    ¡°No. Take it. I don¡¯t want to dy anything that will help us make sure Alessandro stays with us.¡±


    James sighed and slid his thumb across the screen.


    ¡°I told you I¡¯d contact YOU,¡± he said.


    Just as he was about to grab his pants from the floor, I pushed him back toward the wall and ced my mouth on his still-erect c*ck.


    He wasn¡¯t going to get away from me so easily.


    James.


    ¡°Mr. Valentino, I hope I¡¯m not disturbing you,¡± Mona, the PI, said.


    Disturbing me was a f*cking understatement. If it hadn¡¯t been so hard to get her to work on the case, I would have hung up right then and there.


    Ba¡¯s mouth tightened on my c*ck, and I almost let out a moan.


    ¡°But I have some news. There¡¯s something suspicious in the ident that rendered Chad... infertile. I don¡¯t have any leads into his past yet, but I thought I¡¯d let you know that I will be pursuing this angle until I find something.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± I said, just as Ba ced her hands on my b*lls, gently pressing on them. It took all my self-restraint not to howl out from pleasure.


    ¡°So... that¡¯s all right with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    I c*mmed into Ba¡¯s mouth just as I finished the call, dropping my phone on the floor with a thud. I couldn¡¯t hold myself while trying to maintain a conversation.


    Her lips pressed onto my shaft, sucking me dry as if relishing and savoring me.


    When she finally pulled away, she licked her lips and wiped some c*m off the corner of her mouth.


    ¡°Is that the bathroom?¡± she gestured toward the door in the far end of the room.


    I managed to nod as I separated my back from the wall. I would let her clean up and then f*ck her like she deserved, and just the thought of it was threatening to make me hard again.


    I would never get enough of this woman. Thankfully, after our talk yesterday, everything felt lighter. Like for the first time in a long time, there was hope for us returning to what we once were.


    There still were so many things we¡¯d have to work on, especially on my end, but there was light at the end of the road.


    A knock behind me startled me.


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    I opened the door slightly. It was one of the servants hired by my security team.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s someone at the door asking for you.¡±


    ¡°Who is it? Were they cleared by security?¡±


    ¡°Um, it¡¯s a neighbor.¡± The woman seemed to notice she had interrupted something, looking a little surprised at the sight of me. ¡°Mrs. Davenport is her name, I believe.¡±


    ¡°Tell her I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go meet the neighbors,¡± Ba interjected, stepping out of the bathroom. She gently nudged me aside and left the bedroom, almost shing the servant with my nakedness on her way out.


    I didn¡¯t know who Mrs. Davenport was, but I already disliked her.


    When I made it downstairs after quickly putting my pants back on, Ba was howling withughter at the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I really didn¡¯t mean any disrespect.¡± The woman was pink in the face, looking embarrassed as Ba struggled to breathe.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s all right, really!¡± she managed to say between bursts ofughter.


    When Mrs. Davenport caught sight of meing down the stairs, she turned red. I didn¡¯t even know it was possible for human skin to reach that shade.


    ¡°This is James.¡± Ba giggled. ¡°James, this is Farrah. She lives right across the street.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± I asked as I joined them. ¡°Hello, Farrah. Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Farrah thought you were my father.¡± Ba slid an arm around my waist. ¡°And she invited us to a barbecue she¡¯s having tomorrow. Her husband just became president of hispany and they¡¯re having a small gathering to celebrate.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, I¡¯m sorry, but we have... the...¡± I tried toe up with something to excuse us from attending, but my mind was still on Ba and her mouth.


    ¡°And I told her we¡¯d love to attend.¡±


    ¡°I should get going!¡± Farrah¡¯s color was slowly returning to normal. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow! It was lovely meeting you, Ba. And James.¡±


    With a grin, she turned and headed down the driveway.


    ¡°Why are we going to this thing?¡± I asked once Ba had closed the door. I thought she wanted us to spend more time together. Alone, that is.


    ¡°Why not? I¡¯m assuming you bought this ce, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    And there it was. What she had wanted to know all along.


    ¡°Yes...¡± I said. ¡°I wanted us to stay in a ce where we¡¯d befortable, and not be bothered. And I also had to set up a whole security system, which would have been hard to do if we rented a ce.¡±


    ¡°Well, what if we came back here someday?¡± Ba slid her arm away from me and headed to the next room. It was one of the multiple living rooms on the ground floor.


    ¡°To live?¡± Was she serious?


    ¡°Yes. Why not?¡± She dropped herself on the sofa and stared out toward the backyard. ¡°I can see myself raising Alessandro and Dahlia here. There¡¯s more than enough room for more kids...¡±


    I liked the sound of that, despite the implications of her words. Especially the part where we got to make those future kids happen.


    I couldn¡¯t help but stare at her, my heart swelling with love. Despite everything happening around us, she was still looking forward to the future. Thankfully, one that involved me in the long term.


    The problem was the fact that she still had toe to terms with the life I had brought her into.


    ¡°The security team will have to clear them first. Farrah Davenport is her name?¡± I asked with my eyebrows arched.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I could tell by her tone that she thought this was all too much for a neighbordy, but I wasn¡¯t going topromise our safety.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have them look into her,¡± I said, quickly texting the name to the team for them to look her up. ¡°About those future kids...¡±


    ¡°Hmm. What about them?¡± Ba pried her eyes away from the window.


    ¡°How about we go back to what we were doing?¡± I gave her my best smoldering smile.


    Before she got a chance to reply, I picked her up again and rushed upstairs.


    We were in the middle of a storm, fighting for the right to be a part of Alessandro¡¯s future. A fight for our future as well. But for now, I made it a point to enjoy what we had.


    And I was going to make damn sure she enjoyed it as well.

 Chapter 169 : The Italian Stallion’s Strength

    <h4>Chapter 169: Chapter 169 : The Italian Stallion¡¯s Strength</h4>


    Ba.


    I spent the next morning with Alessandro, taking him around the house and discovering all its nooks and crannies. It was an old house, but the renovations made it feel very modern. Most of the lights and appliances even worked with voicemands.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to the neighbors¡¯ for lunch?¡± La¡¯s head popped into the nursery just as I was getting ready to change Alessandro.


    ¡°I forgot!¡± I cried out, startling Alessandro. I smiled at him, and he smiled back, thankfully. ¡°Can you get him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, go ahead.¡± La stepped inside and took over while I rushed to the bedroom.


    James was there looking at himself in the mirror, turning from side to side while observing his clothes. He did this several times while I searched through my suitcase¨C-I hadn¡¯t even properly unpacked yet.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you so worried about your appearance,¡± I said, startling him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the dress code is for these events.¡±


    From what I surmised yesterday, Farrah seemed like aid-back person. I doubted anyone would be wearing pants and a formal shirt like what James had on, but I didn¡¯t say anything. It looked good on him. Besides, I couldn¡¯t imagine him beingfortable in shorts and flip flops even if it was a really warm day.


    I was ready in a second while James continued to fidget. Were Farrah¡¯s words from yesterday getting to him? He had never seemed to doubt himself because of our age difference.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± I hugged him from behind, resting my cheek against his hard back.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, sounding dejected. I started to worry that he REALLY didn¡¯t want to go, but I had already confirmed we were attending, and besides, I thought it would do us good to try to bring some normalcy into our lives.


    I wasn¡¯t going to give in on this one.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then,¡± I smiled at him and we headed downstairs.


    James.


    I hadn¡¯t seen Ba act like such a social butterfly before. Not like this.


    Within five minutes of our arrival at the packed backyard porch, she was already surrounded by a group of chirpy women, a few close to her age and others that were closer to mine. I just wanted to go back home and think.


    Alison was out of prison. I conveniently withheld this information from Ba so she wouldn¡¯t be upset, but the downside to this was that it was weighing on me, and I couldn¡¯t share it with her now.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the new neighbor!¡± A balding man that was at least twenty years younger approached me and extended his hand. ¡°Dave Davenport.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the man of the hour. Congrattions,¡± I said. ¡°James Valentino.¡±


    He gave me a firm shake.


    ¡°You know, you got that property for a steal. I have contacts with the realtors, and it was meant to be a bidding war. But then you swooped in and grabbed it. Share your secrets with me, James,¡± he said, handing me a beer.


    ¡°I have so many of them that you¡¯ll retire by the time we¡¯re done.¡±


    He let out a heartyugh, and then his face soured up a little when he saw I meant it.


    I really wasn¡¯t in the mood for this.


    Ba.


    I couldn¡¯t believe I was enjoying this so much.


    Yes, there were a lot of pleasantries and small talk back and forth, but the simplicity of it¨C talking about nannies, daycares, and where to get the truly organic fruit and not the one disguised as homegrown was a refreshing change of air.


    ¡°I took mine to Happnd. I wanted him to be around other kids,¡± one of the women was saying.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m taking a leave for two years so I can spend time with Aisha, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to part with her until she¡¯s ready for preschool!¡±


    ¡°What about you, Ba?¡± Farrah interjected, setting all the women¡¯s eyes on me. ¡°I thought I saw a stroller being unloaded from one of your many cars yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have two kids. Alessandro and Dahlia.¡± I didn¡¯t like her tone when she said ¡°many cars,¡± implying that I had to give a reason for that.


    And now I had toe up with an excuse for Dahlia not to be with us. Shit.


    I started to doubt whether it would have been better to just say it was Alessandro. But then, if we did stay here longer, how would I excuse the fact that Dahlia would suddenly appear?


    ¡°Oh, you should have brought them over! There¡¯s an area for the kids.¡± She gestured toward the side of the house. I craned my neck to see and caught a glimpse of a y area with nannies and babies, all under the shade of a gargantuan sycamore.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know. They¡¯re still settling in and getting used to the time difference with Italy, so I¡¯m giving them a few days to adjust before they leave the house,¡± I quickly said, feeling miserable for having to lie yet again.


    ¡°Oooh Italy! Does James have business there?¡±


    Her question elicited an involuntaryugh from me. Business. Yeah, he had business there. A lot of BUSINESS.


    ¡°The steak is ready!¡± Dave, Farrah¡¯s husband, mercifully interrupted me with his announcement. tes were being distributed with chopped meat and an assortment of vegetables.


    I politely excused myself and headed toward James, who was quietly eating by himself in a corner.


    ¡°Is everything all right?¡± I said, just as a neighbor handed me a te and cutlery. I thanked her and turned back to James.


    ¡°Yes, everything¡¯s fine,¡± he said, taking a sip of the beer he had left on the railing.


    Maybe it wasn¡¯t the best of ideas to drag him over when it was clear he had no interest in being here.


    ¡°James.¡± I prodded him with my finger. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    He sighed and held my gaze for a moment. ¡°We can¡¯t talk about it here.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like the sound of that. If he didn¡¯t tell me what was wrong, I wouldn¡¯t be able to eat.


    ¡°Dahlia?¡± I hoped the urgency in my voice got through to him. I¡¯d go crazy if he didn¡¯t tell me.


    ¡°She¡¯s all right.¡±


    ¡°The trial?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Ba, not now. It¡¯s nothing we can solve straight away. Let¡¯s just enjoy this.¡± He brought a slice of meat up to my lips and pretty much forced me to eat it. ¡°It tastes great.¡±


    His mirthless smile wasn¡¯tforting at all.


    ***


    After an hour or so of not enjoying myself anymore, and when everyone seemed to be done eating, I thought it was an appropriate time to excuse ourselves.


    ¡°We should get going. Thank you so much. You¡¯ve been so weing,¡± I said to Farrah, who was collecting the stic tes from everyone.


    ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t leave yet! It¡¯s tradition in the Davenport home to y a round of games,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°Games?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Hopscotch, tug of war, arm wrestling. We vary, depending on the weather and the mood. It¡¯s just for fun, so we adults feel like we¡¯re young again. Or younger, at least.¡±


    I was about to say we really needed to leave when someone called out behind us.


    ¡°A hundred bucks on Dave!¡±


    ¡°The women are sitting this one out, it seems.¡± Farrah left me, taking her bag with her.


    The men set up a table for arm-wrestling, and a whiteboard which had been propped up next to it with a fixture of sorts. I noticed James¡¯ name wasn¡¯t on there.


    Just when I thought we were off the hook, he walked out from inside the house with a beer in hand, quickly taking in the new developments. He seemed to immediately catch on to what was happening when Dave and another guy sat down facing each other.


    ¡°Why am I not on the list?¡± He grabbed another beer from the cooler and approached the table. It was the first time he had spoken out loud all afternoon.


    ¡°Oh. We thought you wouldn¡¯t be interested,¡± Dave said. ¡°And we didn¡¯t want you to get hurt. No offense!¡±


    Everyone howled withughter and James¡¯ expression darkened.


    ¡°Write me down.¡±


    ¡°Oooh we have a challenger!¡± someone cried out, and James¡¯ name was written on the board. They added him against a man named Gary for thest match.


    I didn¡¯t like the looks of this. James had chugged one beer after the other, and while he usually kept his temper around other people, I knew what those men were implying.


    That he was perhaps too old to be interested¨Cor capable¨Cofpeting against them. His age had never really been an issue for anything, though these people were making it A THING.


    I sat down on a stool and watched Dave beat his friend. Then there were two more matches¨C one thatsted a full five minutes of arms going back and forth, and then it was James¡¯ turn against Gary.


    Gary was around my age and looked like he worked out. James set down his beer and stretched his arms and fingers. Before taking the seat in front of Gary, he scanned the porch until his eyes met mine.


    ¡°Per mi amore! Ti amo!¡± he cried out, taking a bow.


    This public deration of love caught me off guard, and I almost choked on my drink, but I quickly recovered and blew a kiss at him. Cheers surrounded us.


    They sat down and ced their elbows on the table. For a second, I feared James would lose. He was muscr, but not bulky, and Gary¡¯s arm swelled when they began to push.


    But it was for naught. James growled, and with a quick swing, he mmed Gary¡¯s knuckles onto the table.


    ¡°HA!¡± he cried out, raising his arms in victory.


    I sighed with relief. Not that all of this really mattered in the grand scheme of things, but I knew it would be a blow to his ego if he lost.


    And a part of me was actually enjoying this again, despite my urgency to know what was troubling James. It was just so... normal. Adults ying games after a good lunch and some drinks. Sharing with neighbors as if there weren¡¯t people after us, threatening to break up our family...


    When I was about to go over to James so we could finally leave, they wrote his name down again. Crap. This was going tost longer.


    It wasn¡¯t over after just one match. There would be semi-finals and finals.


    James made eye contact with me again and winked. I could see his eyes were a little watery¨C possibly from all the beer he¡¯d had, or the exertion from the match.


    After beating another guy, James kept chugging beers and cheering more loudly everytime a match ended. While I was happy he was finally enjoying himself, my apprehension mounted.


    Any time now, someone could say something that would make him mad. And I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him from causing a scene or sending someone to hell.


    ¡°And the final match is.... our gracious host and the new dark horse! Dave and James!¡± announced a man who had suddenly be the games¡¯ narrator.


    Dave got into one seat, and James sat on the opposite one. They faced each other for a few seconds before joining hands.


    The match began as both men¡¯s arms tensed up. Dave¡¯s face instantly grew red, while James looked concentrated, his brows furrowed. Thin veins popped out from his forehead.


    Dave¡¯s hand pushed back on James¡¯, but he held strong.


    ¡°Go James!¡± I cried out, in spite of myself. I didn¡¯t want him to lose his concentration.


    My words seemed to invigorate him. In an instant, James began to push back, and slowly, Dave¡¯s hand began to go down.


    In a split second, his hand touched the table.


    Cheers erupted from everyone except Dave, who sat on the chair massaging his wrist.


    James took everyone¡¯s congrattions and then made his way to me, while everyone watched.


    ¡°Like I said. Per mi amore. Everything is for you,¡± he said, gantly bowing to me and kissing my hand.


    If only this bliss couldst forever.

 Chapter 170 : Open Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 170: Chapter 170 : Open Secrets</h4>


    Ba.


    After the barbecue, James told me what had been on his mind.


    Alison was out of prison.


    Like he had said, there wasn¡¯t much we could do about it right now, so I took in the news and tried to think of something else.


    At night, we both copsed into bed. It had been a long day.


    I woke up happy the next day, despite the news James had given me, and made a point to spend the day with Alessandro again.


    We were ying on the floor nket, and he grinning as he shook a toy box that made a jingle sound. He squealed as though this were the best thing ever, when James came over to me.


    ¡°James?¡± I asked at his mysterious smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out,¡± James said. He leaned down and kissed my forehead, then the top of Alessandro¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± I called at his back.


    James just waved a hand, and I frowned as the bedroom door closed.


    ¡°Well,¡± I mumbled to Alessandro. ¡°Grandpa is being a bit of a poop.¡±


    ¡°Da.¡± Alessandro pointed one graham cracker crusted hand at the door. ¡°Da.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. You¡¯re right.¡± I was still a bit peeved that James was keeping secrets from me again, no matter how big or small.


    I decided to take my mind off of it by bringing Alessandro to the park. I hadn¡¯t wanted to take him out in case people started asking questions about him or Dahlia, but we needed a change of scenery.


    I put him in a very expensive stroller that I¡¯d assured James we didn¡¯t need, but he hadn¡¯t listened to a word. It was rather nice and smooth-rolling, though.


    Alessandro blew bubbles with his lips all the way there, making little buzzing sounds and looking around him. When he saw the park equipment and other children ying, he screeched so loud with excitement that every mother¡¯s and nanny¡¯s head turned to look at me.


    I recognized many of the women from the barbecue. ¡°Hello,¡± I said, somewhat embarrassed by my child¡¯s disruption, ¡°I¡¯m Ba.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I saw you at the barbecue,¡± a red-headed woman whose name escaped me replied, scooting over on a bench to make room for me.


    I gave her a grateful smile and sat down.


    ¡°Antote,¡± the woman provided with a small smile.


    ¡°Thank you. I am so bad with names,¡± I apologized.


    ¡°I am, too. So, this is your little one?¡± Antote asked. ¡°I seem to remember you mentioning him at the barbecue as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s...¡± How could I possibly exin what Alessandro was to me? What had happened? What my life... was? ¡°Um... yes, he is my little one.¡±


    Antote raised one perfectly-plucked eyebrow at me, then shrugged. ¡°My Dora is over there on the swings. She¡¯s six. Hello, darling!¡± Antote waved. ¡°I remember when she was this age. So precious.¡±


    I smiled softly. ¡°He is, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°I was so impressed with your husband at the barbecue,¡± Antote went on. ¡°You seem like such a happy family. Most husbands around here show up at Christmas and maybe Thanksgiving, and that¡¯s it. James seems so supportive of you. And romantic!¡±


    I blinked at her words. Come to think of it, James was very supportive. And attentive. ¡°Thanks. But he¡¯s not... we¡¯re not... you know what? Just thanks.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly tell me you¡¯re not married!¡± Antote gasped.


    I blushed. ¡°Well... it¡¯splicated. We¡¯re working on it. That¡¯s the way it¡¯s going, anyway.¡±


    ¡°With this little man over a year old now?¡± Antote said. ¡°What could there possibly be to work out?¡±


    Oh... so many things, Antote. And none of which I could say aloud.


    ¡°I... um... we... um...¡± I fought for some reason to tell her. Why couldn¡¯t I have just told her we were married? ¡°We...e from different economic backgrounds.¡±


    ¡°And I suppose your father doesn¡¯t approve,¡± Antote added with a sage nod.


    I stared at her. ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°My dear, he¡¯s old enough to be your father. Though it certainly isn¡¯t noticeable. He absolutely pummled Dave!¡± sheughed. ¡°But no father is particrly happy in a situation like that. So, where do youe from?¡±


    ¡°I... well... quite a few ces, actually. Right now we¡¯re based out of Italy,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Yes, I remember he spoke in Italian. You hang on to that man. Get a ring on it as soon as possible,¡± Antote advised.


    My thoughts began to swirl. Would it hurt or help our case with Alessandro if James and I got married? Was James ready to get married? He¡¯d indicated so on several asions, but then I¡¯d been so resistant to the idea that maybe he was counting on that?


    I looked at my left hand ring finger, thinking how nice it would feel to have a ring there, knowing I formally belonged to somebody.


    ¡°Where do you live in Italy?¡± Antote asked.


    ¡°Florence,¡± I responded.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a lovely city. We went there for our third honeymoon. Which was five years ago. Which, I think, is thest time I actually saw my husband face-to-face,¡± Antote sniffed. ¡°You¡¯re a very lucky girl.¡±


    ¡°I am lucky,¡± I admitted, especially to myself. ¡°I have a man I love very much, and two children I also love very much...¡±


    ¡°Two? I¡¯ve only ever seen this little guy,¡± Antote said, reaching in the stroller to tickle Alessandro under his chin.


    ¡°Oh. My daughter, Dahlia, is back in Italy. She¡¯s not yet one,¡± I exined. To hell with secrecy. I had outright lied about it at the barbecue, but Antote didn¡¯t seem to recall what I said, or she hadn¡¯t been around.


    Antote gave me a confused look. ¡°Why would you have kept her in Italy?¡±


    More of my life I couldn¡¯t talk about. If I stayed with James, if I married him, my life would always be like this¡ªsecrets and lies. Then again, did I really even have a choice about staying with James? Thanks to the dangers Neil AND James had brought to my life, it seemed less and less possible for me to forge out on my own with the kids.


    It would destroy James if I left with the kids, I knew that. But it would probably also be a death sentence for the kids and me.


    What kind of a basis for a rtionship was that? ¡®Yes, I have to stay with you, but not because I love you. Because I¡¯ll get killed if I don¡¯t.¡¯ How was it possible to even know if I was really in love with James or starting to suffer some kind of Stockholm Syndrome?


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking really hard, Ba,¡± Antote observed, pulling me from my thoughts.


    ¡°Well... what if you¡¯re with a person because they make you feel safe...¡± I asked cautiously. ¡°Is that any real basis for a rtionship?¡±


    Antote threw back her head andughed. ¡°Darling, that is a WONDERFUL basis for a rtionship. Look around you. Most of us here married for money¡ªconvenience. You won¡¯t find one among us that didn¡¯t have money as some kind of concern. But you... you and James are different. I suppose you COME from different backgrounds, but you¡¯re on rather equal footing when ites to money, right? You don¡¯t need his money?¡±


    I rubbed the back of my neck. Technically... I had his money. Well, his old money. But it was true what she said¡ªmoney wasn¡¯t a cornerstone of our rtionship. ¡°I wish I could be sure. No, we have no concerns about money, should one or both of us walk away. But there are other concerns...¡±


    ¡°I suppose his connection to the Mafia has something to do with your reservations?¡± Antote asked delicately.


    I nearly fell off the bench. ¡°P-Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Darling, everyone in thismunity does background checks on everyone else in themunity. James probably knows what size swim trunks my husband wears,¡± Antote chuckled. ¡°I must say, it¡¯s rather exciting to have another one. The Mancinis haven¡¯t visited their mansion in such a long time.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s... more than one Family in thismunity?¡± I gaped.


    ¡°But of course. It¡¯s a safemunity. We don¡¯t put our nose into criminal enterprises, and you all don¡¯t stick your nose into corporate theft and embezzlement. Everybody wins,¡± Antote assured me.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I had to take some time to take it all in. ¡°I can¡¯t even... wow. I mean, I really should have assumed...¡±


    Antote patted my knee. ¡°You really are so preciously naive. Of course, a lot of men like to keep their younger girlfriends in the dark. Like that bubble-headed bimbo over there.¡±


    A girl in her twenties was giggling in a tight halter top and painted-on shorts as she hung on the arm of an elderly, well-dressed man with wispy hair.


    ¡°She won¡¯t know anything about anything,¡± Antote said with a shrug. ¡°But you and James are different. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d tell you anything you wanted to hear.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± I agreed. ¡°You... do know why we¡¯re here, then? Um... did everyone already know at the barbecue?¡±


    Antote nodded and let Alessandro grip her finger and wave it around in the air.


    ¡°Farrah probably didn¡¯t. She¡¯s newer and sort of the outlier here, so she¡¯s a little in the dark. No offense, but it¡¯s better that way. She can be a little... chatty.¡±


    I let out an honestugh.


    ¡°And yes, I¡¯ve heard about your case. This precious child belongs with you. I¡¯m sure thewyers will work it out. In the end, it alles down to money.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The father¡¯s family needs an heir, and they¡¯re pretty determined that Alessandro be that heir,¡± I replied.


    ¡°With modern technology, I¡¯m sure they could get whatever heir they want,¡± Antote said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry yourself too much about it. I¡¯m sure James is handling everything.¡±


    ¡°He usually does,¡± I murmured.


    ¡°Good. Now, I am throwing a garden party next week, and I INSIST that youe. You will get a formal invitation in the post, of course, but I just wanted to make sure you left the date open...¡± Antote changed the subject.


    I smiled at her, thankful to know I did have a few people I could share my life story with. It was a big surprise to know that everyone had their own stories here, just like we did.


    Imitted to the garden party, just as long as it didn¡¯t conflict with any of the legal things we had going on with Alessandro, then waved goodbye as Antote went to collect her little girl and walked back in the direction of her mansion.


    As the sun began to set a little, I decided applesauce and graham crackers just weren¡¯t going to cut it anymore, so I wheeled Alessandro back to our own mansion, nodding to the guards at the gate. For some reason, their smiles were extra bright. They knew something I didn¡¯t.


    I got Alessandro some food and milk, and yed with him a little more and read him a book before it was time to set him down to sleep. Luckily, he fell asleep in my arms and did not wake when I transferred him to his crib.


    In the nursery, I curled up on the spare bed and tried to sleep myself. It got harder and harder to do so without James.


    I must have fallen asleep, however, because I woke to a soft kiss on my temple.


    ¡°James?¡± I asked muzzily.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, darling,¡± James said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. ¡°I thought I¡¯d go out and get you a present. That¡¯s why I was gone all day. I was making arrangements.¡±


    ¡°What present? Arrangements for what?¡± I replied, the sleep slowly wing away from me.


    James smiled at me and showed me what he had in hisp.


    I looked down and burst into tears. ¡°Dahlia!¡±


    Dahlia was a bit grumpy, probably because of the time shift, but epted me scooping her up in my arms just the same.


    James stroked a hand over my hair while I peppered kisses all over Dahlia¡¯s squirming body. I got some diaper fuzz in my mouth, but I didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°I thought it would be nice to be together as a family,¡± James exined.


    With a sob, I leaned up to James and kissed him.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I whispered, tucking my head under his chin. ¡°Okay, I think that¡¯s the best idea I¡¯ve ever heard.¡±

 Chapter 171 : Dark Forces Assembling

    <h4>Chapter 171: Chapter 171 : Dark Forces Assembling</h4>


    Allison.


    ¡°So, as I was saying, Jessica, don¡¯t you think Ba is apletely unfit mother?¡± I asked again, staring at my daughter¡¯s friend with purpose.


    The girl was not the sharpest knife in the drawer. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen her as a mother.¡±


    ¡°But Ba is promiscuous and violent and not a good friend to Tally, right?¡± I tried again.


    Jessica rubbed her chin. ¡°Tally¡¯s dead, though. How can she be any kind of friend to her?¡±


    I sighed and opened my purse, taking out a small stack of the financial reserves the Cartwrights had given me for... well... bribe money, to be blunt. ¡°Think, Jessica. Think back. Didn¡¯t Ba attack men, including Chad, at Tally¡¯s parties?¡±


    Realization finally dawned in the idiot¡¯s eyes, and she quickly pocketed the money I slid across the table. ¡°You know what, you¡¯re right. She did. And she tried to get back at Chad. And Tally said Ba sent her dad to beat up Chad.¡±


    Bingo. ¡°Yes, that is true, isn¡¯t it?¡± I simpered. ¡°It would be a shame for Tally¡¯s baby, little Alessandro, to stay in her custody while there is a loving family like the Cartwrights willing to open their home to him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s absolutely right,¡± Jessica replied with a vigorous nod.


    ¡°Good. Good. I¡¯m d we understand each other. You just make sure you tell all this to thewyer and the judge when the timees,¡± I said.


    ¡°Sure will.¡± Jessica gave me a greedy, eager grin. ¡°Should I be expecting anything else for my trouble?¡±


    F*ck no. ¡°Of course,¡± I smiled, patting her hand.


    ¡°Great. Guess I¡¯ll see you in court, then,¡± Jessica said, getting up from the table and walking out, leaving me with the bill.


    Rude.


    I was having trouble believing my daughter had collected such a string of idiots as friends.


    But, as I continued vetting them, coaching them, and bribing them, each girl who came was stupider than thest, and each boy was a huge egotistical asshole.


    Not that that stopped me from asking both boys and girls if their fathers were single. I wasing up with quite a few prospects for myself. I knew after they had Alessandro, I wouldn¡¯t be able to count on the Cartwrights for anything.


    Luckily, my next meeting was with Carter Cartwright himself. He could pick up the tab for all these vacuous people.


    Carter strode across the cafe as though my thinking his name had conjured the man himself. ¡°So?¡± he asked, sitting down across from me.


    ¡°Please hand the tab to this gentleman,¡± I said to a passing waiter. Then I smiled at Carter. ¡°Easy peasy. There will be twelve witnesses there to poke holes in Ba¡¯s character. And I haven¡¯t even gottenpletely through the list yet.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Carter responded, tossing a ck AmEx at the waiter when he came back with the tab.


    If James hadn¡¯t divorced me, I would have one of those. I¡¯d also still have my Tally. This was all his fault. Him and that bitch Ba.


    ¡°Is there anything else I can do for you, Carter?¡± I simpered, leaning over the table to expose my cleavage as I put a hand on his. I could do worse than kicking out the current Mrs. Cartwright and raising my grandchild myself.


    ¡°Allison, we¡¯ve talked about this,¡± Carter said stiffly, snatching his hand from under mine. ¡°I have no intention of ever leaving Cecelia. You¡¯re a beautiful woman, but go fishing elsewhere.¡±


    I shrugged and sat back in my chair. ¡°Can¡¯t me a girl for trying.¡±


    ¡°I will also require that you sign over any rights or im you might have to Alessandro now or in the future,¡± Carter intoned. ¡°Frankly, I can¡¯t have trash like you around the heir to the Cartwright fortune.¡±


    ¡°Trash?!¡± I screeched.


    ¡°Lower your voice,¡± Cartermanded. ¡°I won¡¯t have you making a scene.¡±


    ¡°How dare you call me trash?!¡± I hissed, lowering my tone.


    ¡°You and your daughter are both trash. And we¡¯re going to have to change Alessandro¡¯s name when we have custody of him. Alessandro is too... ethnic. Maybe Alexander,¡± Carter mused to himself.


    I stood, incensed. ¡°You¡¯re insulting the memory of my daughter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. Ugh, new money,¡± Carter grimaced as though he¡¯d stepped in something foul.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know...¡± I began.


    ¡°Know what? That your father had his own fishing boat? Good for him,¡± Carter said. ¡°Alexander¡ªyes, I like the sound of that¡ªwill have a multi-million-dor corporation to oversee. A lot more than a boat.¡±


    ¡°My father, at least, was never stupid enough to y Russian roulette on his boat,¡± I sniffed.


    Carter scowled. ¡°Fair point, well done.¡± Carter reached into his jacket and pulled out a packet of papers. ¡°Everything is filled out. All you need to do is sign them.¡±


    I took the packet and looked inside. It was full of the necessary paperwork to remove any ims I might have on Alessandro and to bar me from seeing him until he was eighteen.


    ¡°Is this really necessary?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s necessary,¡± Carter said. ¡°You grasping, money-grubbing whore. I won¡¯t have you influencing MY grandson.¡±


    I shook my head and stalked away, tossing a middle-finger gesture behind me as I did so. ¡°I¡¯ll have to think about it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take too long,¡± Carter called back. ¡°This arrangement only works if you keep up your end!¡±


    I marched out to the valet and got in my new BMW. Someday, soon, I¡¯d trade up for more luxurious, more expensive vehicles, but this would do for now.


    A loft apartment in Greenwich Vige greeted me, and I promised myself a penthouse in Manhattan as soon as all this was said and done.


    I pulled a bottle of Merlot out of the fridge once I was inside my little safe haven, and tossed the man envelope down on the kitchen table.


    I got arge wine ss and poured myself a generous amount, not bothering to put the bottle back in the fridge. I would be drinking more soon enough.


    For the longest time, I stared at the envelope. Inside were papers, much like those Tally had drawn up, that would keep me away from my grandson. My only family.


    If I signed them, I would be totally and utterly alone.


    If I didn¡¯t sign them, I was going back to prison.


    I sat down at the table and set my wine ss aside, pulling the papers out and reading them thoroughly. The Cartwrights hadn¡¯t left anything to chance. I could have consulted my own attorney, but I, for one, couldn¡¯t see any loopholes.


    ¡°This is not the way it was supposed to be,¡± Imented, wiping a tear from my eye. I was supposed to be with James. We were supposed to live a fabulous life.


    Tally was supposed to have married well and brought my grandchildren home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and we would summer together on Long Ind. We would have been a family.


    Then there was Ba. God, how I wanted to strangle that interloper. She¡¯d destroyed everything. Everything, including my Tally.


    ¡°I am going to kill you, Ba,¡± I whispered, mming my fist down on the table and causing some of my wine to spill, making it look as though I were signing the documents in blood. ¡°I don¡¯t care how long it takes, how much it costs. You are going to DIE.¡±


    I thought back to all the luncheons, events, and shopping I¡¯d done with my Tally. How we¡¯d been two peas in a pod. James had been stingy with me, and Tally understood that, graciously using her own allowance to keep me afloat.


    Then Ba turned her against me. I wasn¡¯t allowed to see my grandson. I was cut out of any ability to raise him. I was left penniless without even James¡¯s shoulder to cry on.


    Yes, that bitch had to go.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tally,¡± I slurred after the sun got lower in the sky and I¡¯d nearly finished the whole bottle of Merlot. ¡°I¡¯m sorry they destroyed us. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t save you from that. Couldn¡¯t save us from that. I tried so hard.¡±


    I looked at the wine-stained documents again, then stood and walked around the apartment. It was impossible to see the stars from where I was, but I still looked out at the dark horizon and imagined maybe my Tally was looking down at me right now.


    ¡°You really wanted me to raise him, didn¡¯t you?¡± I said to the windows. ¡°You wanted me to raise him, but your father said he¡¯d cut you off if you put me as a guardian. I understand, baby. I see it now. I see how they destroyed us.¡±


    A tear rolled down my cheek.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I get to raise him, Tally,¡± I whispered. ¡°We would have made such a great team, raising him together. And seeing how great we were as a family would have brought your father back to me, and everything would have been alright. If it weren¡¯t for that harlot!¡±


    I threw my ss against the brick wall, and it shattered. ¡°Tally, I¡¯m going to end her. For you. For me. For Alessandro. I¡¯m going to make it so she can¡¯t hurt anyone else. And then I¡¯ll get your father back. I won¡¯t be destitute, honey. I know you worried about that, but I still have my looks. I¡¯ll get by.¡±


    How long I would need to get by and with whom, I had no idea. But what I did know was that I had time. Plenty of time to n my revenge.


    ¡°You¡¯d be so proud, Tally. So proud of me. I¡¯ve got all our best interests at heart, you know that, right? Your father needs ME, not HER. Alessandro needs ME, not HER. And if ites down to it, I will even raise that little bastard of theirs. I have a generous spirit,¡± I rattled on.


    I looked down at my chipped nails and sighed, deciding I was going to need another manicure. The botox in my face was wearing off as well. I could do with another breast lift, and my lips had lost their youthful plumpness. All of this, I would remedy with the Cartwrights¡¯ money. Then, I would find a man who would keep me in the style I deserved while I plotted Ba¡¯s death.


    It was that thought, and that thought alone that got me through sitting down at the table, taking up a pen, and signing away my rights as Alessandro¡¯s family to see, speak to, or hold until he was eighteen.


    But when he was eighteen, he would be mine. And he would take care of his grandmother with the Cartwrights¡¯ money.


    And Ba would be dead.

 Chapter 172 : Our Little Bubble

    <h4>Chapter 172: Chapter 172 : Our Little Bubble</h4>


    Ba.


    I set Dahlia next to Alessandro in the crib after she stopped fussing, then looked at James. ¡°This is truly the most incredible surprise. I can¡¯t believe you did this for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d do anything for you, Ba,¡± James said fiercely, wrapping me in his arms.


    ¡°Alright.¡± I licked my lips and stared at his. ¡°Make love to me?¡±


    James chuckled. ¡°As if you¡¯d ever need to ask.¡±


    He was about to scoop me up in his arms, when his phone rang. Groaning, James motioned for me to follow him out of the room so the ringing didn¡¯t wake the babies.


    ¡°Yes?¡± James asked in a clipped tone once the nursery door was closed.


    Frantic Italian was spoken on the other end. Even if I understood Italian, it would have been indecipherable to me.


    ¡°He what?¡± James growled, which caused me to take a step back. ¡°Of course, he would, that a**hole.¡±


    ¡®What?¡¯ I mouthed, but James just held up a finger.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to have a hell of a time proving that,¡± James snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tony. You¡¯ve still got this.¡±


    With a long sigh, James ended the call and pinched the bridge of his nose.


    ¡°James?¡± I asked, touching his arm. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing too terrible. Nothing unexpected, anyway. Ronaldo is trying to pin my uncle¡¯s murder on me,¡± James said.


    ¡°What?¡± I gaped. ¡°How would that... even be possible? The witnesses...¡±


    ¡°The witnesses can be bought or threatened. And Ronaldo and I do look an awful lot alike,¡± James pointed out.


    I scowled. ¡°It¡¯s not bad enough he killed your uncle, now he¡¯s trying to frame you?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a real peach.¡± James shook his head and took my hand. ¡°I think we were talking about making love?¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡± I started.


    ¡°Everything is going to be okay, Ba. Tony has it handled,¡± James cooed, mollifying me somewhat.


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    James silenced me with a kiss and pulled me against his firm, ready body. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to bed.¡±


    I ced my hand on the front of his pants and gave a little stroke. ¡°I suppose we cou-ould...¡±


    James groaned. ¡°Don¡¯t tease me.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked boldly.


    James picked me up and threw me over his shoulder while I shrieked in surprise and delight. He gave my backside a smack as he carried me off caveman style.


    I bounced down the hall on his shoulder to the next room over¡ªwhich had an adjoining door to the nursery¡ªand James all but kicked the door open.


    ¡°Now, now, be nice to the d-OOR!¡± I gasped as he tossed me down on the bed.


    James started unbuttoning his shirt, then got frustrated and just ripped it open, buttons pinging off every surface.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s in a hurry,¡± I chuckled, then groaned as James tore my shirt over my head andtched onto one of my nipples through the fabric of my bra. I spiked my fingers through his hair as he tugged and teased first one nipple, then the other.


    He growled, and the bra came offpletely. I was fairly certain a hook or two had been torn right off, but I couldn¡¯t examine it, of course, as it was now somewhere on the other side of the room. James licked and sucked at my nipples without a barrier now, and I moaned as need pooled between my legs.


    James undid the front of my pants and slipped his hand inside my panties, letting me ride his fingers while he feasted on me. The friction of his fingers inside me was delicious, but it wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°James!¡± I begged, rubbing desperately against his hand. ¡°Please!¡±


    ¡°Please what?¡± James asked, breathing hard against my skin.


    ¡°Please f*ck me!¡± I said.


    Those were the magic words. James opened his pants and pushed his silk boxers down just enough for his magnificent c*ck to spring free. Then he peeled me out of my pants and panties while I continued to beg.


    His head was at my wet entrance. I moved my hips, trying to take him in myself, but James wouldn¡¯t be rushed. Now that he had me where he wanted me, he was maddeningly unhurried.


    James pushed in slightly, then pulled back out, and I whimpered. I didn¡¯t like this game. I wanted ALL of him. NOW.


    ¡°James, more...¡± I demanded.


    James grinned and shook his head, doing another shallow thrust, going only a little deeper.


    I thought I might die of sexual frustration before he was finished. I made impatient sounds while he pushed in a little, then a little more, then a little more, each time pulling back out.


    ¡°James, I swear to GOD¡ª!¡± My threat ended in a groan as James suddenly sheathed himself inside mepletely.


    My Italian Stallion then began to ride me hard and fast, panting, ying with my nipples and caressing my body. His hands were everywhere, his c*ck an unrelenting piston between my legs.


    I wrapped my legs around his waist and fisted my hands in the sheets. It was the only way to keep myself somewhat anchored so my head didn¡¯t hit the headboard with his powerful thrusting.


    An orgasm began to build in me, and I arched into James as my world exploded, pleasure suffusing every molecule of my body. My muscles tightened around James¡¯s c*ck, and I felt his hot c*m fill me even as he groaned.


    James copsed on top of me, shivering with the aftershocks of our intense sex. I wrapped my arms around him and sighed heavily,pletely content.


    However, not half an hourter, I felt his d*ck twitch inside me.


    ¡°Oh God, James...¡± I said in surprise.


    James gave a self-satisfied smirk. ¡°He likes you, what can I say?¡±


    ¡°Well, I like him, too...¡± I began.


    To myplete and utter shock, James pulled out of me. His intentions became clear, however, when he crawled up my body and gripped my hair, kneeling over me with his c*ck right in my face.


    ¡°Suck,¡± he ordered me.


    I knew I didn¡¯t have to. James would never actually force me. But the thrill of it had me closing my mouth around the thick head of his c*ck, licking off the drops of prec*m that were leaking from him.


    James groaned and thrust into my mouth. I considered it my Everest to get him all the way down my throat, and I did a few times. Otherwise I sucked and licked him and got him fully hard.


    Then James pulled out of my mouth. ¡°Get on all fours,¡± he panted.


    I shivered with anticipation as I did as he said, bracing myself for whatever was toe next.


    I didn¡¯t have long to wait. James grabbed my hips and thrust all the way in.


    ¡°Oh f*ck, it¡¯s so deep,¡± I moaned, feeling as though my Italian Stallion was thrusting right into my stomach.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± James agreed. ¡°But you can take it, baby.¡±


    I could take it, and I did take it, letting out little cries of ecstasy as James rode me hard and fast. He reached between my legs and rolled my cl*t between his fingers, and I thought I might die of the pleasure of it.


    ¡°I¡¯m close,¡± James groaned, ramming into me like a real stallion. ¡°Let¡¯s c*m together.¡±


    I nodded because I was past speech. James thumbed my cl*t hard, and I couldn¡¯t hold back. I cried out as my body shuddered with another orgasm.


    It was okay, though, because even as my body was shaking with pleasure, James was shouting and spilling his seed inside me.


    When James slipped his softening c*ck out of me, it was my turn to copse, my arms no longer capable of holding me.


    James kissed the back of my neck gently, then all the way down my spine. He massaged my ass, one leg, then the other.


    When he got to my feet, I moaned in satisfaction.


    ¡°That was so good,¡± James murmured. ¡°F*ck me.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Iughed tiredly. ¡°Twice. And half a blow job.¡±


    James chuckled and moved back up my body,ying beside me and gathering me to him so he was spooning me. ¡°Well, next time maybe I¡¯ll get a whole blow job.¡±


    ¡°Maybe next time, you will,¡± I agreed.


    James smoothed a hand around me to cup my breast. I put a hand over his. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want more.¡±


    A loudugh escaped him. ¡°Ba, with you, I always want more.¡±


    I groaned and forcibly removed his hand from my breast. ¡°You beast! I need sleep. Food. Something to drink!¡±


    James chuckled and simply moved his hand between my legs. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    What he did to my cl*t made me nearly cross-eyed.


    ¡°Uh...¡± I stuttered.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think so.¡± James worked me with his fingers, and my body woke again under his touch.


    ¡°You don¡¯t y fair,¡± I whimpered with need.


    James kissed the back of my neck. ¡°Who says I¡¯m ying?¡±


    ¡°I d¡ª¡± My words ended in another orgasm, James having expertly drawn it from my body.


    ¡°I like the way you sound when youe,¡± James whispered hotly in my ear.


    ¡°Ngh,¡± I replied, unable to answer him.


    James brought his fingers to his lips and licked them before putting his hand back on my breast. ¡°Maybe I should let you rest now.¡±


    ¡°Ngh,¡± I agreed with a nod.


    James slipped a leg between mine and stroked me.


    This time, however, I was too tired to respond.


    ¡°You know we¡¯re going to be okay, right?¡± James said after a while, still stroking me. ¡°We¡¯re going to resolve this Alessandro situation, go home, have lots of babies, and live happily together for the rest of our lives.¡±


    Iughed tiredly. ¡°You¡¯ve... got it all... figured out.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± James said. ¡°I¡¯m going to take care of you, and any children you bless me with. We¡¯re going to be a happy family.¡±


    ¡°Sounds... nice...¡± I replied wistfully.


    ¡°It will be. It will be perfect. This right now, this is just a small hup,¡± James reassured me.


    ¡°A small... hup,¡± I repeated with a yawn.


    James chuckled and kissed the back of my neck again. ¡°You go ahead and sleep. I¡¯ll wake you up when I need to.¡±


    ¡°When... you need to... what?¡± I asked drowsily, looking back at him.


    James wiggled his eyebrows at me.


    I groaned. ¡°You are...pletely merciless... James Valentino.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± James said. ¡°And you love that about me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer because sleep came and dragged me under before I could.


    Later, I didn¡¯t know how muchter, James woke me to kisses along my neck, his hand massaging my breast. He was already in me, pumping slowly in and out.


    ¡°Italian Stallion,¡± I mumbled aloud, still barely awake.

 Chapter 173 : A Way Out

    <h4>Chapter 173: Chapter 173 : A Way Out</h4>


    Mona, Private Investigator.


    James Valentino was one of those clients you just couldn¡¯t say no to.


    I¡¯ve had a few high-profile cases before, and even those guys didn¡¯t pay as well as Mr. Valentino. Sure, it was sometimes hard to get in touch with him, but oh boy, he paid on time and more than what was asked.


    So, naturally, I wasn¡¯t going toin when his investigation led me to the Sirens dance club at 3;00 AM.


    The bouncer at the entrance eyed me suspiciously as I approached the door. They probably didn¡¯t get a lot of women, and from what I read on its website, it was supposed to be a slow day.


    ¡°Identification.¡± He extended his hand toward me.


    As if I could pass for someone under 21.


    ¡°Here you go, sir,¡± I said, slipping a $100 bill under it. He nced at my ID for a split second and returned it, sans the bill.


    There really was no reason for him to turn me down, but the little extra was just to ensure I got what I wanted. Surely enough, he opened the door and let me through.


    Everything about the ¡°ident¡± Chad was involved in was shrouded in mystery. The police reports were conveniently lost in paperwork at the station, and the officer who had arrived at the scene was on paid leave for the foreseeable future. No way to contact him, of course.


    When I had tried to talk to the doctors who assisted Chad, one paramedic panicked and literally ran away from me, and the ER doctor threatened to have me tossed out the door like a sack of potatoes.


    But here, among the multi-colored lights of the smoke-filled strip club, I had found gold.


    Sasha Lace, stripper and escort, who happened to be on the boat that night.


    Finding her had been a stroke of luck, if I was to be honest. My tech guy provided me with footage of the security cameras in the marina, and he recognized her from this ce. Said she was his favorite dancer.


    Thank the stars for lonely nerds, I guess.


    I had taken a ce near the back where I could watch without being seen, and soon enough, thest act of the night came onstage.


    Sasha wore a pink wig and a tiny, silver and golden bikini and impossibly high heels. She swayed her hips to the rhythm of the music and wrapped her leg around the pole, swinging her body around it as the few guys up front tossed her some bills.


    On the night of the incident, the cameras caught her running from the boat the second it hit the pier, while the other girls stayed behind to get paid or talk to the other guys who had witnessed the whole thing.


    Why had she fled like that? And what had she seen?


    Before her act was over, I headed to the bar and requested a private dance.


    ¡°She¡¯s expensive, that one,¡± the woman said, gesturing toward Sasha, who had now lost her top and was on the floor with her legs sprawled.


    ¡°Tell her I¡¯ll pay triple her fee,¡± I said, handing the woman a folded $100 bill. ¡°This is so you¡¯ll get the message to her. I¡¯ll be at the back.¡±


    With a wink, I returned to my spot and waited for Sasha¡¯s dance to be over. Some guys picked up the tips from the floor, and she scurried backstage, sending kisses flying to her patrons.


    The woman at the bar promptly headed backstage as well, hopefully to convey my message. If she took too long, I¡¯d have to go try to catch Sasha outside, and that wasn¡¯t going to be the best ce to have a chat with her.


    Soon enough, Sasha exited the door behind the bar with the woman, who then pointed at me. In a split second, Sasha resumed her character¨Cshe stood up straighter and her mouth took on that seductive shape she had used while onstage¨Cand she sauntered toward me.


    ¡°Hi, baby,¡± she said with a high-pitched tone that I was sure wasn¡¯t her regr voice. ¡°Do you want to go somewhere more private?¡±


    I nodded and she took my hand, escorting me even further back, to a room hidden by dark red curtains. Behind, there was a circr area with a small table and pole, and a cklight casting the entire ce in a shadowy haze.


    She sat me down on the soft seat and climbed on top of me, her breasts practically in my face.


    ¡°I love when I get an unusual client,¡± she whispered into my ear and began to rock her body back and forth.


    She started to do her dance, which involved a lot of rubbing against my pants and chest, as well some caresses that were threatening getting in the way of what I came here to do. I had to get her to trust me before I made my move or else she would run out.


    The questions couldeter.


    ¡°We can go somewhere even more private...¡± She smiled seductively at me.


    ¡°Actually, I want to ask you something first,¡± I said, reaching out to my back pocket. I pulled out more $100 bills. ¡°Then, maybe, we could go somewhere else.¡±


    I showed her the folded bills and ced them between her thong and her skin as she eyed me suspiciously.


    ¡°You were on a boat on the night of-¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she interrupted. Her back straightened and her eyes widened with panic. ¡°I already told you guys. I want nothing to do with this.¡± Her voice immediately changed, reverting to what I assumed was her normal tone. Gone was the sweet, sultry Sasha.


    Sasha backed away from me and took the bills I had ced on her, throwing them at me.


    ¡°Wait.¡± I grabbed her by the wrist just as she was about to stand. ¡°You never spoke to ME. I¡¯m not with them...¡±


    ¡°Then why do you want to know about that night, huh? The police has been all over me, those thugs they sent to my house... I don¡¯t want your money. I just want to forget that night ever happened and go on with my life.¡±


    ¡°I came looking for you because the man who injured himself wants to hurt good people,¡± I began, realizing that the angle I had been pursuing with Sasha had been wrong from the start.


    If she had been interested in money, Chad¡¯s people would have already bought her. And if they hadn¡¯t, they would have terrorized her into silence so she couldn¡¯t be bought by the other side as well.


    My only option was to appeal to her sense of justice, if she had any.


    She scoffed at my words and rolled her eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s all people like him do, anyway. What¡¯s the story? I didn¡¯t even know he survived that. I thought he blew his brains off.¡±


    Without realizing it, she already told me part of what I wanted to know. The thing was getting her to testify and spill the details to a whole room of people.


    ¡°Do you have kids, Sasha? Look, I do,¡± I said, pulling out my wallet. I took out a picture I got from a frame Lisa had gotten me a while back, showing a beautiful little girl that could perfectly pass as my daughter. ¡°This is my daughter. I¡¯m telling you because I don¡¯t want to hurt you. And that man... he wants to take someone¡¯s kid away. I would die if she got taken away from me.¡±


    Sasha let out a sigh and finally got out of myp, sitting next to me.


    ¡°They tried to pin it on one of my friends. She worked here, too. I haven¡¯t heard from her since. I really can¡¯t have this going on in my life...¡±


    More useful information. I wondered what had happened to her friend. Maybe, if I found her... or her body, I could use that, too.


    ¡°Do you think that man is fit to be a parent? To a little boy?¡± I pleaded. ¡°If the good people I¡¯m working for can¡¯t prove that he¡¯s the one who caused this to himself, he¡¯ll get that kid, and the boy will grow up to be just like him.¡±


    ¡°And how¡¯s that my problem? Even if I tell you what happened, there¡¯s nothing I can do to help whoever is losing their kid.¡± Sasha shrugged. ¡°I never even wanted to go there that night. I¡¯ve worked for those guys before. It¡¯s always terrible, and the pay doesn¡¯t justify... what we¡¯ve had to do for them. To them.¡±


    The look on her face was a mix of shame and fear, and I really pitied what she had to endure at the hands of Chad and his rich friends.


    ¡°My client needs someone who¡¯s willing to testify about what happened. Unless he can prove that what happened was the man¡¯s own fault, he takes his kid away.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe the kid deserves to go with that idiot. Only someone who¡¯s already unfit to be a parent would lose to such a... monster.¡±


    Hmm. There was more here than she was saying.


    ¡°Did you know him? Before that night?¡±


    ¡°I know all those guys. My friends... worked for them, from time to time.¡±


    ¡°What would it take for you to tell a judge and jury what happened?¡± I said, going for the blunt approach.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? Why would a judge care about the testimony of someone like me? They¡¯re rich, upstanding businessmen,¡± she said with a mocking tone. ¡°I¡¯m just a sleazy whore who happened to be at the wrong time and ce.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not--¡±


    ¡°And then... what? I get back to dancing and fear that someone wille in and shoot MY brains out? Or wait for my daughter to get out of school and make her disappear as well?¡±


    Sasha stood, ready to finish our conversation.


    ¡°My client has money, too. If what you want is a way out... of this life, a better future for your daughter... he can give you that. Start anew, somewhere else. He can get you a better-paying job.¡±


    For a split second, Sasha seemed to think it over. Then she shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m too old to believe in fairy tales. Who would hire me for anything but this?¡±


    ¡°Tell me you¡¯ll think it over, at least.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯te back here,¡± she said. ¡°Give me your phone.¡±


    I unlocked it and handed it to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s under S. Call me, and I¡¯ll call you back.¡±


    Without even ncing back in my direction, she left the room.


    When I was about to exit, she returned and picked up the bills she had thrown at me as I watched her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got bills to pay,¡± she said, and this time, she left for good.

 Chapter 174 : New Hope?

    <h4>Chapter 174: Chapter 174 : New Hope?</h4>


    James.


    I woke to my phone ringing urgently. Only Tony and the PI could break through the silent mode on my phone, so I knew, either way, it was urgent.


    It turned out, I¡¯d fallen asleep INSIDE Ba, so I had to delicately extricate myself from her. I tried not to wake her as I pulled out and rolled to get my phone. It was the PI.


    ¡°Just a second,¡± I whispered into the phone as I stood and grabbed a robe.


    My attempts to let Ba sleep were in vain, however, because she rolled on her back and looked up at me. ¡°James?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back, luscious,¡± I assured her. ¡°I just have to take this call.¡±


    Ba frowned a little, but nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    I smiled at the love of my life, then stepped out onto the balcony and closed the door behind me. ¡°Yes?¡± I said.


    ¡°Sir, I think I may have a witness,¡± the PI replied quickly in a no-nonsense tone on the other end. ¡°It¡¯s touch and go¡ªI don¡¯t know if I can get her to testify¡ªbut I¡¯m working on her.¡±


    ¡°Witness? Witness to what?¡± I asked eagerly.


    But the PI became tightlipped on me. ¡°No details yet. I don¡¯t want you scaring her off.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t scare her off,¡± I scoffed.


    The PI snorted. ¡°You surely would. Bye for now.¡±


    After the line went dead, I sighed in frustration. What I really wanted to do was throw the phone at something, but it just wasn¡¯t feasible. I needed it for Tony¡¯s and the PI¡¯s calls.


    The door opened behind me. Ba, in another robe, came padding out onto the balcony. ¡°James?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sort of good news,¡± I smiled, and pulled her into a hug. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything is going to be fine.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t give me any more details than that?¡± Ba asked.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t have any more details than that to give,¡± I confessed. ¡°I got a kind of maybe on help with the case. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Ba sounded a bit dejected.


    I tilted her face up and kissed her thoroughly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back to bed? There¡¯s still another hour or so before the little ones start thinking about waking up.¡±


    Ba bit her lip, but then took my hand and led me back to the bed. She took off her robe, then spread her legs and opened her arms to me.


    It was all I needed for my d*ck to be rock hard. I slid into her ready body and it felt likeing home.


    ¡°Mm, yeah, baby,¡± I groaned as I started thrusting into her tight, wet warmth. I yed with her breasts, then her cl*t. Then I felt her tighten around me as an orgasm rocked through her, and I shot my c*m into her with a shout.


    I rolled to the side and gathered her to me, her breasts rubbing against my chest, my d*ck still buried deep inside her body.


    Ba stroked my hair, and I felt so content I could have purred. ¡°I love you,¡± she whispered.


    I kissed her soundly on the lips. ¡°I love you, too.¡±


    ***


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good,¡± thewyer said as we sat in her office.


    Ba gripped my hand as I frowned. ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    J Loveless sighed. ¡°They have at least twelve character witnesses who are going to be speaking against Ba¡¯s fitness to be a mother.¡±


    ¡°Speaking against¡ªBa is a wonderful mother!¡± I protested.


    ¡°I know that. You know that. But the judge doesn¡¯t know that, and as things stand, we¡¯re going to be absolutely ughtered,¡± Ms. Loveless said, steepling her fingers on her desk.


    ¡°ughtered? How so?¡± I asked, my stomach tight.


    Ba looked positively green and was close to breaking bones in my hand.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s the witnesses who will testify to the fact that you threatened and coerced Chad into giving up his fatherly rights. Then there¡¯s the character witnesses... and your connection to the Mafia, Mr. Valentino. I¡¯m just saying we¡¯ve got it all falling around us like a house of cards. Every defense we had, they have something better.¡±


    ¡°Speaking hypothetically, since you would never involve yourself in anything so illegal,¡± I responded slowly. ¡°Would it be a good idea to take Alessandro back to Italy now and let them TRY to take him?¡±


    ¡°Speaking hypothetically,¡± Ms. Loveless intoned, ¡°Italy has an extradition treaty with the United States, meaning they can kick down your door and take the boy for not showing up in court.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see them try,¡± I grunted, scowling at the very idea of my fortress being prated.


    ¡°Also, speaking hypothetically, they have your passport, Miss Woods¡¯s, and Alessandro¡¯s. You wouldn¡¯t be able to get back into Italy,¡± Ms. Loveless pointed out.


    ¡°So... speaking hypothetically... even if I could somehow... get ahold of some passports, hypothetically getting back to Italy would not be the best of ideas anyway,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Not so hypothetically, if you don¡¯t show up in court, the judge will make a ruling in favor of the Cartwrights and send out a bench warrant for your arrest. Kidnapping,¡± Ms. Loveless said.


    ¡°For which we could be extradited from Italy as well,¡± Ba added softly.


    ¡°Most assuredly,¡± Ms. Loveless replied.


    ¡°And they could take Dahlia?¡± Ba asked.


    I hadn¡¯t even thought of them taking Dahlia. I felt the color draining from my cheeks. Maybe bringing her here hadn¡¯t been such a good idea after all.


    ¡°If you are dered unfit parents, it wouldn¡¯t be a stretch for them to remove Dahlia to Social Services,¡± Ms. Loveless said, trying to soften the blow with a kind tone.


    I wanted to throw up. ¡°We must have something in our favor. I could call any number of witnesses from Italy...¡±


    ¡°All connected to the mob,¡± Ms. Loveless reminded us. ¡°Not so great.¡±


    ¡°Neal and Allegra?¡± Ba asked in a small voice.


    ¡°Assassin and assassin?¡± I said bitterly.


    ¡°What do you mean, assassin and assassin?¡± Ms. Loveless inquired.


    I rubbed the bridge of my nose. ¡°We have some friends who lived with Ba who turned out to be Russian assassins...¡±


    ¡°You thought you¡¯d bring them on as character witnesses?¡± Ms. Loveless said, incredulous.


    ¡°No. I mean, except for the assassin part, they¡¯d be excellent character witnesses...¡± I exined.


    Ms. Loveless shook her head vigorously. ¡°No, no, and no.¡±


    ¡°My father?¡± Ba suggested.


    ¡°He¡¯d be used of being biased,¡± Ms. Loveless said.


    ¡°He is biased. He¡¯s my father,¡± Ba groaned. ¡°How about La?¡±


    Ms. Loveless looked down at the paperwork in front of her. ¡°The nanny?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Her testimony would also be riddled with holes for being biased,¡± Ms. Loveless said sadly.


    ¡°What about school friends?¡± I asked, looking at Ba. ¡°And I could call on some business associates...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have school friends. All my friends were Tally¡¯s friends, and it seems they¡¯re the ones bearing witness against me,¡± Ba said softly.


    ¡°And your business associates would be a terrible idea. First, they don¡¯t know anything about you as a parent, just as a businessman. Second, you¡¯ve been tied to several unsavory types in your business dealings and that would taint anything they have to say...¡± Ms. Loveless argued.


    I scrubbed my hand over my face. ¡°There must be something in our favor.¡±


    ¡°Well, we have the legal documents. Tally making it her wish, legally, for Ba to take custody of Alessandro should anything happen to her. And Chad did give up his rights. It¡¯s on paper.¡±


    ¡°But now they¡¯re saying I coerced his signature out of him,¡± I grumbled.


    Ms. Loveless raised an eyebrow. ¡°Didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t want him! They wanted Tally to abort him! They thought Alessandro was trash!¡± I shouted. ¡°Chad WANTED to sign that document. I may have tuned him up a bit for what he did to my daughter, but it was his true wish to sign away any parental rights.¡±


    ¡°Yeah... that¡¯s not going to fly in court, unless we had a witness to that fact,¡± Ms. Loveless said. ¡°And your friend Tony doesn¡¯t count.¡±


    Frustration bubbled up in me. I wanted to hit something. Throw something.


    Ms. Loveless handed me a squeeze ball. ¡°Calm down. If you can¡¯t stand to hear the hard truths in this office, you¡¯re going to be terrible on the stand.¡±


    ¡°Ba is an excellent mother. And the Cartwrights are old-money assholes,¡± I seethed, squeezing the stress ball so hard I could touch my palm with my fingers through thetex.


    ¡°Be that as it may, we are in a very bad spot here,¡± Ms. Loveless said. ¡°We need a miracle right now, and that¡¯s the truth.¡±


    ¡°Would it hurt for my father and La to testify on my behalf? Maybe even my stepmother?¡± Ba asked. ¡°I mean, could we at least try?¡±


    Ms. Loveless shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not a terrible idea, but I doubt it will help. Send for them anyway, if they¡¯re not already here. Also... I would consider making out a will right now.¡±


    ¡°A will?¡± I echoed.


    ¡°Yes. Ba will need to state who she wants Dahlia to go with if you two are dered unfit parents. Your wishes will still be honored if you hand her over to good people,¡± Ms. Loveless said.


    Ba looked up at me. I looked down at her.


    ¡°How about... jointly... your father and La?¡± I asked.


    Ba¡¯s eyes filled with tears that began rolling down her cheeks. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m having to do something like this...¡±


    ¡°You, too, Mr. Valentino. You will need to say who you want to take Dahlia in the event that you are dered an unfit parent,¡± Ms. Loveless exined.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t happening,¡± Ba said, covering her face and beginning to hyperventte. ¡°This isn¡¯t happening...¡±


    I rubbed Ba¡¯s back. ¡°Shh. Shh. It¡¯s just a worst case scenario situation. We should haveid our wishes down before anyway. This is as good a time as any.¡±


    Ba began to sob. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re in this situation. I can¡¯t believe there is so much stacked against us. We¡¯re good parents, James. We¡¯re good people...¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± My heart hurt for her, for Alessandro, and for Dahlia. I looked at Ms. Loveless. ¡°I suppose you have the necessary papers drawn up and we just need to fill in the nks?¡±


    Ms. Loveless nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to just spring it on you, but...¡±


    ¡°There wouldn¡¯t have been any good time or way to say it, Ms. Loveless,¡± I said. ¡°Like you said, we need to face reality.¡±


    Ms. Loveless slid the necessary paperwork across the desk to us, and I read it aloud, slowly, to Ba while she wept.


    In our own separate documents, we put down who we wanted Dahlia, and Alessandro for that matter, to be given to in the event we were no longer able to take care of them.


    Ba¡¯s hand shook the whole time.


    I got her to lean her head on my shoulder. ¡°There may be a witness,¡± I said cautiously.


    Both women perked up. ¡°A witness?¡± Ms. Loveless asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s touch and go at the moment, but my PI found someone who might testify on our behalf,¡± I responded.


    Questions were fired at me rapidly, but I held up my hands. ¡°I don¡¯t know any more than that.¡±


    ¡°So, you mean to tell me, some nebulous witness who may or may not help us...¡± Ms. Loveless sighed in consternation. ¡°Never mind. Get the witness to talk. Then we¡¯ll see.¡±


    I swallowed. Getting the witness to talk was, apparently, the problem.

 Chapter 175 : My Sweet Assassin

    <h4>Chapter 175: Chapter 175 : My Sweet Assassin</h4>


    Ba.


    Life at home was strangely, and blessedly, normal. While James took frustrating call after frustrating call, Alessandro and Dahlia werepletely oblivious to the danger around them. They yed with La, James, and me, ate, slept, and had not a care in the world.


    Antote even came over from time to time for coffee, and we¡¯d talk openly about what was going on in our lives. It was refreshing to have someone ¡°normal¡± to talk to about such things.


    Two days from the trial, James was looking increasingly harried, but the kids were still happy as could be. Alessandro was sucking down an applesauce pouch and Dahlia was making a mess of some pur¨¦ed peaches.


    When the doorbell rang, I assumed it was Antote. I put Alessandro on my hip and went to the door.


    I stumbled back when I saw who it was. ¡°Allegra!¡±


    Allegra looked worn down. She had a pack over one shoulder and a sad loneliness in her eyes. ¡°Is she here?¡± Allegra asked.


    I blinked several times, then called back into the house loudly. ¡°La! Allegra¡¯s here!¡±


    There was a pause, then La came scurrying to the foyer with Dahlia in her arms.


    They weren¡¯t the only ones, however. James marched down the grand staircase like an oing storm.


    ¡°What the F*CK are you doing here?!¡± James bellowed.


    ¡°James!¡± I hissed. ¡°Language!¡±


    ¡°F*ck,¡± Alessandro said proudly.


    His firstplete words continued to be swear words..


    I groaned. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s going to be great at the trial.¡±


    James looked a bit flustered, but recovered quickly. ¡°So is an assassin showing up on our doorstep. You¡¯re not staying here, Allegra. How could you endanger our family this way? Don¡¯t you know what¡¯s been going on?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting a hotel. I just got off my flight. I couldn¡¯t wait any longer to see my baby,¡± Allegra said. She stepped into the house and, mindful of Dahlia, gave La a hug and a kiss.


    ¡°That¡¯s truly romantic and touching, but what if the Cartwrights are having this ce watched? How exactly are we going to exin you showing up to the judge?¡± James snapped.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care what you say to the judge,¡± Allegra sniffled. ¡°I had to see La.¡±


    ¡°NOW?! You had to see her NOW, of all times?! You couldn¡¯t have waited another week?¡± James snarled.


    I watched them argue back and forth like some dark tennis match, neither giving any ground. In truth, this was a disastrous time for Allegra to show up, and I was mostly on James¡¯s side. But I also remembered all the times I just couldn¡¯t wait one more minute to be with him.


    ¡°Maybe it would be best if we closed the door and argued inside,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Maybe it would be best if Allegra got the HELL out of here,¡± James retorted.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± Allegra said.


    I sighed. ¡°Allegra, that is incredibly selfish of you, but be that as it may, we shouldn¡¯t be putting on a show for the neighbors. Come on, let¡¯s all go to the living room.¡±


    James finished descending the stairs, a look of pure murder on his face.


    Allegra put an arm around La¡¯s shoulders as La led her to the living room.


    I carried Alessandro.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± he said again, even more proud of himself.


    I shot James a dirty look, but he was too busy scowling at Allegra to catch it.


    ¡°So, you came here to steal La away, is that it?¡± James demanded once we were all seated.


    I quietly asked the butler to get us some coffee and snacks. I figured we¡¯d be at this for a while.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Allegra said, a stubborn tilt to her chin. ¡°If she¡¯lle with me.¡±


    ¡°Perfect timing, Allegra. Just perfect. Are you TRYING to yank our case? What the F*CK are you thinking?!¡± James shouted.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Alessandro repeated with great enthusiasm.


    I groaned.


    ¡°I am thinking that I can¡¯t live another minute without her, that¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking. I¡¯m sorry the timing is bad, but,e on, James. With us, when is the timing ever good?¡± Allegra pointed out.


    ¡°You could havee to Italy. Any time,¡± James growled. ¡°But no. You pull shit like this.¡±


    ¡°I love her!¡± Allegra argued. ¡°I¡¯m not waiting another second for her!¡±


    La looked over at me during the verbal sparring match. ¡°Ba? I don¡¯t... I don¡¯t know what to do. She is the love of my life, but I also love you and the kids.¡±


    I reached over and patted her hand. ¡°La, we love you, too. You have to make the best decision for you, though. I won¡¯t stand in your way if you decide to go with Allegra.¡±


    ¡°What about the children?¡± La asked.


    ¡°La, you are irreceable, but we can get another nanny, even though they will never be as good as you,¡± I assured her.


    La looked conflicted, and rightfully so. ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t even think of leaving until after the trial.¡±


    I smiled at her. ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you, La.¡±


    ¡°F*ck,¡± Alessandro grinned.


    ¡°We¡¯re doomed,¡± I sighed, bouncing Alessandro on my knee. He was quite pleased with himself.


    ¡°Well, as long as we don¡¯t make a big deal of it either way, he¡¯ll move on to another word,¡± La said.


    ¡°F*ck! F*ck, f*ck, f*ck!¡± Alessandro chirped.


    ¡°And that¡¯s your fault, too!¡± James bellowed, stabbing a finger in Alessandro¡¯s direction.


    ¡°I seem to remember you being the one who said ¡®f*ck,¡¯¡± Allegra said.


    ¡°F*CK!¡± Alessandro parrotted.


    ¡°Christ JESUS, motherF*CKER¡ª¡± James yelled.


    ¡°Jesbuss! Jesbus m-F*CK!¡± Alessandro grinned.


    ¡°James, please. PLEASE stop teaching Alessandro new words,¡± I hissed.


    James raked his hands over his hair. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°On the plus side, he definitely loves you,¡± Allegra said. ¡°He¡¯s interested in what you have to say.¡±


    ¡°I wish he were a little less interested in what I have to say,¡± James grunted.


    ¡°M-f*ck!¡± Alessandro sing-songed. ¡°M-f*ck, m-f*ck, m-f*ck.¡±


    James took several deep breaths. ¡°God grant me the serenity, to ept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom...¡±


    ¡°... to hide the bodies,¡± Allegra said.


    I stared at Allegra. So did La.


    James was silent for a beat, then burst outughing. ¡°I think I like your version better.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more apropos to our line of work,¡± Allegra exined.


    James sobered. ¡°You have a point there.¡±


    ¡°Another point in our favor at the trial. Honestly, James, I don¡¯t see how Allegra¡¯s presence can make anything any worse,¡± I whispered.


    Alessandro, oblivious to the fact that his life hung in the bnce, kept bouncing on my knee, happily reciting his new favorite word. ¡°F*ck. F*ck, f*ck, f*ck. F*ck.¡±


    I hugged him close and kissed the top of his head. ¡°Oh, what are we going to do, little guy?¡±


    ¡°I could smuggle him out of the country,¡± Allegra suggested. ¡°Keep him with me, or get him to Neal. I mean, you two wouldn¡¯t be able to be seen with him until the statute of limitations ran out, but...¡±


    ¡°So, like, seven years or so?¡± I wheezed.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Allegra agreed. ¡°But, you know, he wouldn¡¯t be with the Cartwrights.¡±


    James let out a long breath. ¡°Because growing up on the run with two assassins is so much better.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just talking about options here, James,¡± Allegra said.


    James leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°This is a disaster. An absolute cluster¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you DARE finish that sentence,¡± I jumped in.


    ¡°F*ck,¡± Alessandro provided anyway.


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll have given that up in two days?¡± James asked.


    I scowled at him. ¡°Do you think you could not say it for two days?¡±


    ¡°I can try.¡± James looked off into the distance. ¡°I really hope this witness thinges through.¡±


    ¡°Do we have any details about him or her yet?¡± I replied.


    ¡°Witness? What witness?¡± Allegra asked.


    James waved a hand. ¡°My PI keeps saying she has a witness she¡¯s trying to convince toe forward. I¡¯m not sure who this witness is or what they¡¯d have to say, just that it will be in our favor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Allegra shook her head. ¡°Give me the name of your PI.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you trying to throttle the name of the witness out of my PI,¡± James said sardonically.


    ¡°I think she¡¯ll give it freely. Your witness probably just needs some... extra convincing,¡± Allegra responded.


    James tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. ¡°What the h*ll? Why not.¡± He rattled off the PI¡¯s information.


    Allegra didn¡¯t even have to write it down. ¡°Well, it¡¯s been nice visiting. I¡¯ll be back in a bit, La. I¡¯ve missed you, and I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too, Allegra,¡± La said.


    With a wave, Allegra showed herself out.


    The butler showed up then with coffee and snacks. ¡°Sorry, Ms. Woods, the espresso machine broke, and I needed to¡ªoh dear, our guest has gone?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But thank you for going to all the trouble. You can set that down here and we¡¯ll eat it,¡± I said kindly to the butler.


    He bowed slightly and set the tray down between all of us, then took his leave.


    ¡°Are you sure it was such a good idea to send Allegra after the witness?¡± I asked James.


    James shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time and options. I¡¯ll do anything to keep this little one. Anything.¡±


    This was true. James had demonstrated over and over again that he would go to any lengths to protect the kids and me. I reached over and took his hand. ¡°I just don¡¯t know... if we get caught in coercing...¡±


    James snorted. ¡°How do you think the other side has so many witnesses? Money talks. A lot of money sings and dances.¡±


    ¡°F*ck,¡± Alessandro said sagely.


    We all tried not tough at his well-timed outburst.


    God, I would miss him if he were taken away. I hugged Alessandro tighter, so he started to squirm.


    La noticed and waved her hand at me. ¡°Why don¡¯t I take the kids up for their nap?¡±


    I nodded, tears filling my eyes.


    La scooped Alessandro up with one arm, holding Dahlia with the other, and left me there with James.


    ¡°I hope she doesn¡¯t leave us,¡± James muttered as I crawled into hisp.


    ¡°I just want her to be happy,¡± I replied.


    James kissed the top of my head. ¡°We¡¯re going to get through this, you know.¡±


    ¡°Are we?¡± I whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do if they¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll appeal. Or... I will arrange some other solution. The thing about being a criminal is that you can operate outside thew,¡± James murmured.


    It was all so much. I closed my eyes and let the tears fall while James rocked me.


    Lose Alessandro? Have Dahlia taken by Social Services?


    Lose La?


    Everything was just slipping away, no matter how tightly we hung on.

 Chapter 176 : Cohesion

    <h4>Chapter 176: Chapter 176 : Cohesion</h4>


    Ba.


    ¡°F*ck,¡± Alessandro said over breakfast while munching apple slices in his highchair.


    I kept bottle-feeding Dahlia, mentally counting backwards from twenty and trying not to panic over Alessandro¡¯s new obsession. I wished my father was there to help. He¡¯d know how to take care of the swearing.


    James came into the nursery, then. Alessandro¡¯s face lit up and he held out chubby little arms. ¡°F*ck!¡± he insisted.


    ¡°I think he wants you to pick him up,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Of course that¡¯s what it means,¡± James sighed. He lifted the sticky little boy into his arms and looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s La?¡±


    ¡°Allegra invited her to stay at a hotelst night. I know she said she won¡¯t leave us until after the trial, but if Allegra has to leave, and La wants to go with her...¡± I said.


    James groaned and went to the Pack ¡¯n y to get wet wipes. He started cleaning Alessandro off.


    ¡°F*ck,¡± Alessandro grumped with a pout when James went to clean his face.


    ¡°I think he doesn¡¯t want you wiping his face,¡± I tranted.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s too bad,¡± James said and gently patted Alessandro¡¯s mouth and cheeks. ¡°As for La... f-God, I don¡¯t even know where we¡¯d start trying to rece her.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to think about that,¡± La said softly, entering the room.


    James and I both jumped. ¡°La!¡±


    La went over and plucked Alessandro from James, stripping off the toddler¡¯s food-slopped clothing and plugging him into another set. ¡°I¡¯m staying,¡± La exined. ¡°Even after the trial.¡±


    ¡°Are you... are you sure?¡± I asked her, surprised.


    ¡°Yes,¡± La said. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°And... where... what about... Allegra?¡± I almost forgot I was feeding Dahlia until she gave a displeased grunt. I got the nipple of the bottle back into her mouth.


    ¡°Allegra¡¯s gone,¡± La whispered. A tear rolled down her cheek, but she wiped it away.


    ¡°Gone?¡± James echoed. ¡°Gone where?¡±


    La shook her head and kept caring for Alessandro, getting him down on the floor nket so he could y with some of his toys.


    James opened his mouth to say something else, but I shook my head.


    ¡°You two should probably go talk about the trial,¡± La said,ing over to me and taking Dahlia.


    I realized she just needed some time alone with the kids. ¡°We¡¯ll go do that.¡± I patted her back in what I hoped she would see as a gesture of support.


    La¡¯s shoulders drooped, but she nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I walked over and took James¡¯s hand, leading him from the nursery.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s going on?¡± James asked.


    ¡°La is heartbroken. We need to give her some time,¡± I said, tugging James down the hall and into the bedroom we¡¯d been sharing.


    ¡°You don¡¯t suppose they broke up?¡± James gaped.


    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure. I just know La is hurting, and will need our support, when she¡¯s ready.¡±


    James rubbed the back of his neck and sat down on the bed. ¡°This, too?¡±


    ¡°Life doesn¡¯t stop just because we want it to, James,¡± I informed him.


    ¡°I know. I know.¡± Jamesid back on the bed, his jeans-d legs hanging over the side.


    Iid down next to him, staring up at the ceiling.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of making promises to you I can¡¯t deliver on,¡± James said softly, taking my hand.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t,¡± I whispered, thinking exactly the same thing he was. How on earth were we going to keep Alessandro?


    ¡°The witness...¡± James began, then stopped with a swallow.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked.


    James sighed. ¡°The witness is in the wind. The PI can¡¯t find her. She thinks someone scared her off.¡±


    ¡°Allegra,¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Actually, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it was someone from the other side of the table,¡± James muttered. ¡°Allegra would have scared her INTO testifying.¡±


    ¡°Who could be scarier than Allegra that this witness would just disappear?¡± I asked.


    James shook his head. ¡°Money talks.¡±


    ¡°And lots of money sings and dances. Yes, I know.¡± I mmed my fist down on the mattress in frustration.


    James took the hand he was holding and brought it to his lips. ¡°Baby, we can¡¯t lose hope. We have to be together on this, to the end.¡±


    I nodded, but tears were leaking out of my eyes. ¡°I just can¡¯t... I can¡¯t... I can¡¯t anymore. I can¡¯t deal with all that keeps getting thrown my way¡ªour way.¡±


    James swallowed. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can tell you right now to make this better that wouldn¡¯t be a lie.¡±


    ¡°I know. I just... I want things to get better, James. I want things to BE better,¡± I said.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to make it better. You, and me,¡± James reassured me.


    Or tried to, at least. I wasn¡¯t so convinced. With all the outside forces working against us, it all just seemed so impossible.


    James sat up and tugged me into hisp. ¡°I love you, Ba, that¡¯s the truth.¡± He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me until I could almost forget all my worries. Almost.


    ¡°Ba...¡± James put a hand over my breast. ¡°Let¡¯s get in a little stress relief. We can discuss thister. But I think right now, we need to take a little timeout.¡±


    Desire curled in my belly. ¡°Well...¡±


    James thumbed my nipple through my shirt. ¡°Pretty please?¡±


    I groaned and gave in. ¡°Fine, fine, Mr. Eager Pants...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean ¡®Italian Stallion¡¯?¡± James smirked.


    I was never going to live that down. ¡°Yes, that, too.¡±


    James chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s still the hottest thing that¡¯s evere out of your mouth. And you say everyone calls me that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. All those bitches who will be testifying against us at the trial,¡± I muttered bitterly.


    James kissed me and caressed my cheek. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re not thinking about that right now. It¡¯s just you and me.¡±


    I ground my hips against his. I could feel his thick, hard length through his jeans.


    James groaned. ¡°I think it¡¯s you who don¡¯t y fair.¡±


    ¡°But this is the best kind of game. Even when you lose, you win,¡± I purred, pushing all thoughts of the trial out of my head.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± James said. He pushed his hands underneath the back of my shirt and undid my bra.


    I whipped both shirt and bra over my head, letting James feast on my breasts to his heart¡¯s content.


    I opened his button-down shirt and slid it down his arms, kissing along his corbone as I did so. I didn¡¯t let up, rolling my hips against his.


    ¡°F*ck, Ba, I¡¯m not a young man. You trying to kill me?¡± James teased, panting.


    I grinned and undid his pants, sticking my hand inside and stroking his big, thick c*ck. Not that he needed any help. He was already leaking prec*m.


    James rolled so I was underneath him, but that didn¡¯t stop me from stroking his d*ck. I had on yoga pants andce panties.


    Had.


    James ripped them off me and tossed them to the other end of the bed.


    ¡°Mmm... baby, I want you so bad,¡± James murmured against my lips. He reached down and began fingering me hard, thumbing my cl*t.


    ¡°Have me,¡± I moaned, gripping his shoulders. ¡°God, James, take me now!¡±


    James didn¡¯t have to be told twice. With one sure thrust, my Italian Stallion sheathed himself in my body.


    I arched my back, my fingernails digging into his shoulders. ¡°F*ck yes. God, f*ck me, James, f*ck me hard!¡±


    James growled and rammed his c*ck into me, thumbing my cl*t as he did so.


    It hurt, but it was a good hurt, and I yowled with pleasure as James kept mming into me, his balls pping against my skin.


    ¡°F*ck, Ba, how are you always so F*CKING tight!¡± James groaned.


    My nails dug deeper into his back, piercing the skin. ¡°I¡¯m not tight. You¡¯re HUGE!¡±


    James chuckled. ¡°Italian Stallion, huh?¡±


    I swatted him. ¡°You¡¯re never going to forget that, are you.¡±


    ¡°Hard thing... to forget,¡± James grunted, ramming impossibly harder and faster.


    I raked my nails down his upper arms as my orgasm overtook me. ¡°God... f*ck... JAMES!¡±


    James shouted my name back to me, then came inside me, his whole body shuddering.


    When he slopped out of me, there was a little bit of pink that came out with other fluids.


    ¡°A, my poor baby...¡± James crooned, rubbing the edge of the top sheet between my legs.


    ¡°Your fault,¡± I teased tiredly.


    ¡°Not sorry,¡± James winked.


    ¡°I¡¯d be disappointed if you were,¡± Iughed.


    James snuggled into me, pulling me into his arms. ¡°I suppose we should have a bath.¡±


    ¡°Is that code for ¡®I¡¯d like to have bath sex¡¯?¡± I asked with a smile.


    ¡°You know me so well,¡± James said.


    ¡°I do,¡± I responded, nuzzling the lightly-bleeding marks I¡¯d made on his arm.


    James looked up at the ceiling with me in post-coital bliss.


    ¡°I love you, James,¡± I said softly. ¡°No matter what happens.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too. It¡¯s going to be okay. I¡¯m going to make it okay,¡± James whispered.


    ¡°Remember about promises you can¡¯t keep?¡± I admonished him.


    James sighed. ¡°I want it to be a promise I CAN keep.¡±


    I ced a kiss on his chest. ¡°I know.¡±


    James stroked my back, then ran his fingers through my hair. ¡°Legally or illegally, I will get him back.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t live life on the run. You¡¯re the head of a Mafia Family,¡± I said, shaking my head.


    James frowned. ¡°I¡¯d really rather not be.¡±


    ¡°Toote. Your uncle made you the head.¡± I poked him in the chest. ¡°You said Ronaldo was going to run the whole operation into the ground. I guess... there are people who depend on you besides us. I think of Tony and The Boys... I mean... they have families, too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of sacrificing my family for theirs,¡± James grunted.


    ¡°It¡¯s the right thing to do,¡± I sighed. ¡°If... if it¡¯s always going to be like this¡ªif I have to be some kind of ¡®moll¡¯¡ª¡±


    James chuckled. ¡°¡®Moll¡¯ is mob speak, baby. You¡¯re not going to be a ¡®moll.¡¯¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean. If I¡¯m always going to be with you and you¡¯re always going to be a Mafia Don, then... well...promises will have to be made,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°Compromises, sure. Sacrifices? Like Alessandro? Never,¡± James said tly.


    I shook my head. ¡°I would never even think of sacrificing the kids. But promise me you¡¯re not going to make Alessandro into the next Don? I want him to have a normal life.¡±


    James was quiet for a long time. ¡°I... don¡¯t want to make promises I don¡¯t know if I can keep.¡±


    ¡°James!¡± I protested, shocked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what life has in store for any of us, Ba. That¡¯s too far down the line for me to promise or not,¡± James exined.


    I pulled the nket off him and got off the bed in a huff, stomping towards the bathroom.


    ¡°No sex in the bath, I¡¯m assuming?¡± James called after me.


    I gave him a look over my shoulder that spoke murder. ¡°Not if you value your favorite parts.¡±

 Chapter 177 : Preliminary Hearing

    <h4>Chapter 177: Chapter 177 : Preliminary Hearing</h4>


    Ba.


    I wore a gray pencil skirt and a ck blouse, sitting next to James and Ms. Loveless while the judge took the bench. The Cartwright side of the courtroom was made up of a troop ofwyers. I wondered why Ms. Loveless hadn¡¯t brought every employee in her office as well. It certainly was intimidating¡ªlooking at the other side.


    ¡°All rise for Judge Hopper,¡± the bailiff intoned.


    Everyone rose, including La, who was sitting behind us with the two kids.


    ¡°Please be seated,¡± Judge Hopper said, taking his seat. He wore the ck judge¡¯s robes, of course, which made me think of depictions of Death.


    I swallowed, feeling the blood drain from my face. James took my hand.


    ¡°Now, I understand this is a custody hearing,¡± Judge Hopper mumbled. He was a bit elderly, and if not hard of hearing, at least hard to hear.


    ¡°Yes, your honor,¡± Chad¡¯swyer said, rising in his chair. ¡°We would like to remove Alessandro Valentino from Reba Woods¡¯s custody and ce him with his father and paternal grandparents. We have several witnesses who will attest to Miss Woods¡¯s unfitness as a mother and... well... I don¡¯t even know where to begin with Mr. Valentino.¡±


    ¡°The grandfather?¡± Judge Hopper mumbled again.


    Chad¡¯s attorney nodded. ¡°The grandfather who just happens to be Don of the Valentino Family, a Mafia element based out of Italy.¡±


    Judge Hopper blinked. ¡°You have proof of this?¡±


    ¡°We do, your honor,¡± Chad¡¯s attorney continued.


    Ms. Loveless stood. ¡°I just want to make it known, your honor, that my client, James Valetino, will be pleading the Fifth on any and all insinuations that he might be part of the Mafia.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± Judge Hopper said. ¡°And you also have several witnesses, I can see on this list here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your honor,¡± Chad¡¯swyer replied. ¡°All ready and willing to testify to the appalling nature of Ms. Woods¡¯s character.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Loveless, I notice you did not submit a witness list.¡± Judge Hopper gave a rattling cough.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any to call at this time, your honor,¡± Ms. Loveless responded.


    Judge Hopper narrowed his eyes at our table. ¡°Well, this could be very short.¡±


    I felt sick to my stomach. James squeezed my hand hard.


    ¡°Your honor, I would ask that you not hold any prejudice...¡± Ms. Loveless began.


    Judge Hopper scowled at her. ¡°You are using me of harboring prejudice already, Ms. Loveless?¡±


    Ms. Loveless swallowed, but I could see her fingers digging into the wood of the table. She was pissed. ¡°Of course not, your honor.¡±


    ¡°Good. I will hear preliminary arguments from the intiff,¡± Judge Hopper said.


    Chad¡¯s attorney smiled smugly at Ms. Loveless, and her nails just dug deeper. ¡°Thank you, your honor. Now, as we all know, Taliana Valentino made it clear in her final wishes that she wanted Reba Woods to raise Alessandro Valentino. That fact is not in question. What is in question is whether or not she made the correct, informed choice.¡±


    A ck of papers being hit on the tabletop interrupted Chad¡¯s attorney¡¯s speech, but I saw soon it was deliberate. The attorney took the papers from his second and held them out for all to see. ¡°We have no less than thirteen affidavits here attesting to Reba Woods¡¯s mercurial and violent nature.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve read them,¡± Judge Hopper said. ¡°I must say they are rather... damning.¡±


    ¡°Your honor,¡± Ms. Loveless protested again.


    Judge Hopper frowned at her. ¡°Would you like me to hold you in contempt?¡±


    ¡°I would like you to recuse yourself. You are obviously already prejudiced against my clients,¡± Ms. Loveless sniffed.


    ¡°Your objection is noted, but I will not be recusing myself,¡± Judge Hopper said.


    ¡°I want that objection noted on the record,¡± Ms. Loveless seethed.


    Judge Hopper raised an eyebrow. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Ms. Loveless sat down again.


    ¡°You can continue, Bruce.¡± Judge Hopper smiled kindly at Chad¡¯s attorney.


    ¡°Thank you, your honor.¡± Bruce oozed charm. ¡°As you can see from these affidavits, Reba Woods is hardly a fit person to raise Alessandro Valentino. All of these people are prepared toe and testify in open court if you would like to hear from them yourself.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, Bruce,¡± Judge Hopper said, waving a hand. ¡°We don¡¯t need to waste the court¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Your honor! I would like the opportunity to cross-examine these witnesses!¡± Ms. Loveless gaped.


    ¡°Noted. I¡¯ll take your request under advisement.¡± Judge Hopper yawned. ¡°I am interested in this witness, however. The child¡¯s maternal grandmother?¡±


    ¡°Allison Valentino hase forward of her own free will, your honor, in order to act in the best interests of her innocent little grandchild,¡± Bruce simpered.


    Ms. Loveless looked as though she wanted to kill Bruce. As did James. Apparently, if I wanted to strangle him, there was already a line.


    ¡°Is there a particr reason Judge Hopper is being such a d*ck?¡± James asked Ms. Loveless in a low tone.


    ¡°Judge Hopper and Bruce Kensington II are old golf buddies. You¡¯re looking at Bruce Kensington III,¡± Ms. Loveless grumbled.


    ¡°And there¡¯s nothing we can do about this,¡± James responded.


    Ms. Loveless shook her head. ¡°Not really. The Kensingtons y golf with every member of the legal profession I know.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± James sighed.


    I wanted to throw up.


    ¡°... Call Allison Valentino to the stand,¡± the bailiff said, making me realize I¡¯d missed a whole paragraph of Bruce Kensington III¡¯s posturing.


    Allison came in wearing a Versace dress and Christian Louboutin heels. Her somewhat subtle ruby jewelry appeared to be authentic.


    ¡°My, my, look who¡¯se up in the world,¡± James snorted.


    Allison screwed up her face in something resembling fear and pointed at James. ¡°This man is harassing me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡ª!¡± James argued.


    ¡°Mr. Valentino. This is a court ofw. Please try not to be disruptive,¡± Judge Hopper ordered.


    James seemed ready to reel back and defend himself some more, but both Ms. Loveless and I put a hand on his arms.


    Grinding his teeth, James sat back down.


    Judge Hopper¡¯s eyes twinkled with interest as Miss Sex-On-Heels got herself into the witness stand.


    ¡°Thank you for joining us today, Ms. Valentino, despite your obvious difort with your ex-husband.¡± Kensington really turned on the sympathy.


    James¡¯s eye ticked.


    ¡°We had a very tumultuous marriage. I mean, I¡¯m sure you can just imagine, given the types he fraternized with. He¡¯s a very violent man,¡± Allison replied, her voice trembling.


    ¡°Oh,e on,¡± James yelled.


    Ms. Loveless squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°James, I¡¯m going to have to ask you to calm down.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Valentino, one more outburst like that from you, and I will hold you in contempt!¡± Judge Hopper said.


    ¡°Your honor, it¡¯s nder, and what¡¯s more, it¡¯s not true,¡± James argued, even while Ms. Loveless and I were hanging onto his wrists.


    Judge Hopper went almost purple. ¡°Mr. Valentino, your attorney will have an opportunity to cross-examine the witness. For now, please, SHUT UP.¡±


    James looked about ready to leap over the table and throttle Judge Hopper, but Ms. Loveless and I finally managed to get him back into his seat.


    ¡°Good. Now, before this interruption, Bruce, you were going to question the witness?¡± Judge Hopper said.


    ¡°Yes, your honor.¡± Kensington turned to Allison. ¡°You have already said, before this court, that your exhusband is a violent man who fraternizes with unsavory types. Can you expand on that?¡±


    ¡°He was involved with the mafia, and the mob, and God only knows who else,¡± Allison sniffled. ¡°He kept a gun under his desk. I was always afraid to visit him at the office.¡±


    ¡°Has he ever threatened you personally?¡± Kensington asked.


    ¡°All the time,¡± Allison huped. ¡°He threatened me all the time. If I hadn¡¯t been in prison, thanks to him, all this time, I¡¯d probably be dead by now.¡±


    James growled deep in his throat, but I dug my nails into the back of his hand to remind him to stay silent.


    ¡°And you are sure your exhusband was or is involved in the mafia?¡± Kensington went on.


    Allison nodded vigorously. ¡°He was definitely in the mafia while we were married. I mean, how could he not be? He might not have been active, but his whole family was mafia. I knew that even before I married him. I¡¯ve even heard he¡¯s Don of the Valentino Family now.¡±


    ¡°Objection. Spection,¡± Ms. Loveless barked.


    ¡°Sustained. Ms. Valentino, just stick to the facts you¡¯re sure of,¡± Judge Hopper coached.


    Allison batted her eyshes at him. ¡°Of course, your honor. I apologize.¡±


    Judge Hopper blushed a little.


    ¡°Ms. Valentino, getting off the subject of your exhusband for a moment, what are your impressions of Ms. Woods?¡± Kensington asked.


    Allison scowled at me. That, at least, was sincere. ¡°She was a terrible friend to my daughter. She was always criticizing the way Tally lived her life, and when Tally tried to set her up with a nice boy, she beat him up! That¡¯s a fact, your honor. I heard it from Tally herself.¡± She dabbed her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just so awful Tally isn¡¯t here to tell it herself.¡±


    ¡°Your honor...¡± Ms. Loveless said.


    Judge Hopper held up a hand. ¡°I¡¯ll allow it.¡±


    ¡°Tally tried to include her in activities with her friends, but Ba was always so antisocial. It boggles my mind that she chose Ba to adopt Alessandro. I can only guess my husband put her up to it. You see, I was unable to support her when she got pregnant, and I¡¯m sure James instilled some very unreasonable rules if he was going to take care of her...¡± Allison rattled on.


    ¡°Your honor, more spection,¡± Ms. Loveless objected.


    Allison choked on a sob. ¡°Well, who¡¯s going to say it if my baby¡¯s not here to tell it? Maybe it¡¯s not a fact I know, but I do know we were so close, and then suddenly we weren¡¯t. I don¡¯t have any other exnation than that James forbade her to see me.¡±


    ¡°Spection¡ª¡± Ms. Loveless said again.


    ¡°Sustained,¡± Judge Hopper responded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Valentino. I know it must be heartrending to speak about your daughter, but you must stick to the facts.¡±


    ¡°Well, here are the facts. My daughter moved in with her father, and then wouldn¡¯t see me anymore,¡± Allison sobbed, covering her face with her hands. ¡°We were two peas in a pod, and then she wouldn¡¯t even take my calls...¡±


    Kensington made a big show of handing Allison a handkerchief from his inner suit pocket.


    Allison dabbed her eyes with it. ¡°Nothing prepares you for losing a child. Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Bruce, do you have any further questions?¡± Judge Hopper asked.


    ¡°No, not of this witness, and not at this time, your honor,¡± Kensington said, a sad lilt in his tone.


    Judge Hopper nodded. ¡°Well then, it¡¯s gettingte. We will adjourn for the weekend.¡±


    We all stood for Judge Hopper¡¯s exit. I looked at Ms. Loveless, who had the edge of the table in a death grip.


    ¡°We¡¯re in trouble, aren¡¯t we?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ms. Loveless replied. ¡°We¡¯re in a lot of trouble.¡±

 Chapter 178 : Square Peg

    <h4>Chapter 178: Chapter 178 : Square Peg</h4>


    Ba.


    James had to take a call as soon as we got back to the house. He said he would be a while, so I decided to take the kids to the park.


    La came with me, pushing the double-stroller with Dahlia in it while I carried Alessandro. I was honestly afraid to put him down, afraid he might be snatched away.


    I saw Antote sitting on the bench again, watching her little girl. I walked over, La and the stroller in my wake.


    Antote stood suddenly and looked around. She put her hands on my shoulders. ¡°Ba, you can¡¯t be here. They¡¯ve gone all Stepford Wives¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well, well, well. If it isn¡¯t Reba Woods,¡± a new voice sneered.


    I turned around, noting that La had been pushed aside with the stroller and that I was now staring at five blonde, perfectly manicured women who looked as though they had juste from a tennis club.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I said, while Antote fell silent.


    ¡°I hear they¡¯re nning to take that little one away from you,¡± the ringleader at the front said, opening her perfectly pink botoxed lips again. ¡°That you¡¯re an unfit mother.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you took little Alexander from the Cartwrights in the first ce. Especially after what happened to their poor son,¡± another sniffed.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Alexander?¡± I asked.


    Five fingers pointed at Alessandro, who was blinking his dark, uprehending eyes at all of them.


    ¡°His name,¡± I said testily, ¡°is Alessandro.¡±


    ¡°Ew, that is SO ethnic,¡± a third woman grimaced, holding her nose.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want people thinking he¡¯s some....¡± The ringleader used a racial slur.


    I covered Alessandro¡¯s ears. ¡°How DARE you use that kind ofnguage in front of a child!¡±


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Alessandro protested.


    The women¡¯s eyes all got huge. ¡°Oh, my God, what HAVE you been saying around that poor little darling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m texting Cecilia,¡± the second woman said, whipping out her phone. ¡°I have to let her know the filthy things you¡¯ve been teaching her grandchild.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± I gaped at them.


    Five piercing sets of blue eyes scowled at me. ¡°Of course we¡¯re serious.¡±


    ¡°Marilyn, I seem to remember your child¡¯s first words being ¡®get off me, Stan,¡¯¡± Antote said, inserting herself into the conversation.


    The one called Marilyn, who I recognized as the second of my attackers, turned beat red.


    Obviously not afraid of eating their own, the other four women tittered at Marilyn¡¯s expense.


    ¡°No offense, Marilyn, but if I were married to that pig, I¡¯d be saying that all the time, too,¡± the ringleader chuckled.


    ¡°Terese, has the paternity teste back on little Keh yet?¡± Antote asked the ringleader sweetly. ¡°He does look an awful lot like the gardener.¡±


    Terese turned beet red. ¡°You watch your mouth, Antote Simmons. I seem to remember your house being raided by the FCC three times now. Or is it four?¡±


    ¡°And yet they still haven¡¯t found anything,¡± Antote smirked. ¡°It is a bit of a pain getting things back in order, but that three-million-dor harassment suit we won against them does keep us warm at night.¡±


    Terese pursed her lips so tightly I thought botox might suddenly pop out. ¡°So, you¡¯re siding with some moll over us, Antote? I thought you had more taste.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a moll. Molls are for mobsters,¡± I cut in.


    ¡°What do they call it in the mafia then, ¡®prostituta¡¯?¡± Marilyn asked.


    The five women all snickered.


    ¡°I am not a prostitute,¡± I ground out.


    ¡°You¡¯re not married to him. Are you sure you¡¯re not his side piece?¡± Terese jeered.


    I knew I should just walk away. Stop answering them. But the anger building in me over the past weeks over the trial and Alessandro and everything was about to boil over, and these women seemed like perfect targets. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯m not his side piece. I do remember you trying to be at the barbecue. Too bad he doesn¡¯t like t*ts that can double as floatation devices.¡±


    Terese huffed, her fake boobs barely jiggling. ¡°Watch out, girly. It happens to all of us one day.¡±


    ¡°What, stic surgery or being a pain in the ass?¡± I asked sweetly.


    Antote burst outughing.


    The four women around Terese tittered a little, but one look from their leader shut them up fast.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re taking notes,¡± Terese sneered. ¡°We don¡¯t want you here. You or your bastard children¡ª¡±


    My hand flew out of its own ord. I pped the foul-mouthed, stic Barbie across the face.


    ¡°Ba!¡± La gasped.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Antote said.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Alessandro proudly showed off a new word. ¡°Shit!¡±


    Terese gave me a look of triumphant contempt. ¡°I knew you were trash. And that was assault.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell your husband about the gardener if you do anything stupid, Terese,¡± Antote warned her.


    Terese snorted. ¡°As if I would need to report her. There¡¯s a mountain of evidence about what a violent bitch she is.¡±


    ¡°Bitch!¡± Alessandro echoed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, sweetie. Your mummy is a bitch,¡± Terese cooed at Alessandro.


    ¡°F*ck off, Terese. Then when you get there, f*ck off some more,¡± Antote fumed.


    Terese smiled and looked at her cronies. ¡°Ladies, our work here is done. I¡¯m sure Ba knows she¡¯s unwee. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Swaying their hips and fake asses, the quintuplets went to collect their nannies, who collected their children, and left the park.


    I stood, breathing hard, so angry I could hardly see straight. ¡°Th-thank you, Antote,¡± I finally said, once I could force any words out of my mouth.


    ¡°Those women are a blemish on the neighborhood. Don¡¯t listen to them,¡± Antote assured me.


    I raked a hand over my face. ¡°I think... I think La and I should go home now.¡±


    Antote gave me a sympathetic look and nodded. ¡°I understand. But hey, see you for coffee tomorrow morning?¡±


    ¡°Maybe another time,¡± I replied woodenly.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Antote patted my shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t be a stranger.¡±


    I nodded at La, and we quickly took the kids back home. La took Alessandro from me and brought the kids back to the nursery.


    I went to the bedroom I now shared with James. He¡¯d moved his stuff in. We weren¡¯t pretending anymore.


    Choking back a sob, Iid down on the bed and curled around a pillow.


    I didn¡¯t know I wasn¡¯t alone.


    ¡°Baby?¡± James asked, poking his head out of the closet. ¡°Ba, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I wiped my eyes and sat up. ¡°I thought you were on a call.¡±


    ¡°I got off early. I was going to go meet you guys down at the park¡ªBa, did something happen?¡± James came and sat down on the edge of the bed.


    ¡°We happened,¡± I responded softly, swiping more at the tears that escaped my eyes.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± James scooted back so he was sitting right next to me and took my hand, threading his fingers through mine.


    I shook my head. ¡°I honestly thought, you know, we could live something of a normal life... somewhere. New Zend. Scarsdale. Wherever. Even if it was just temporary, we could just be a normal family.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± James demanded rather than asked this time.


    I sighed. ¡°The neighborhood Stepford Wives confronted me at the park. They made it clear they thought we didn¡¯t belong, and that we were horrible people they didn¡¯t want to associate with.¡±


    James¡¯s lips thinned. ¡°Did they now?¡±


    ¡°They did. I don¡¯t suppose anything came back on their background checks that puts us on equal footing?¡± I looked up at James.


    ¡°Which families?¡± James asked.


    I rattled off the names.


    James shook his head. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about a criminal element, then no, there is nothing that puts us on an equal footing. On paper, they are all squeaky clean.¡±


    ¡°On paper,¡± I repeated bitterly. ¡°I¡¯ll bet every one of their husbands is embezzling or running Ponzi schemes to defraud poor people.¡±


    ¡°Or their wives are just massive c*nts,¡± James suggested.


    ¡°Well, that goes without saying.¡± I winced. ¡°Also, Alessandro now has two new favorite words.¡±


    James looked hesitant. ¡°Do I want to know what they are?¡±


    ¡°Bitch and shit,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve GOT to be kidding me,¡± James groaned.


    ¡°Afraid not. He learned bitch from Terese, and heard shit from Antote,¡± I said. ¡°If the judge asks Alessandro to get up and try to speak on his own behalf, we¡¯re going to be so screwed.¡±


    ¡°The judge isn¡¯t going to ask that. He¡¯s not even two yet,¡± James scoffed.


    I stared up at the ceiling, feeling my eyes still stinging with tears. ¡°I pped Terese.¡±


    ¡°Not... good... though, I¡¯m sure she deserved it...¡± James said tightly.


    ¡°She called our children bastards.¡± I bit my lip, trying not to cry. ¡°I think Antote defused the situation. She said she¡¯d tell Terese¡¯s husband about her affair with the gardener if Terese reported me for hitting her. Terese didn¡¯t seem all that concerned, though.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she be concerned?¡± James asked.


    ¡°Oh, because she knows there¡¯s a mountain of evidence against us. And, as it turns out, the Cartwrights are nning to change Alessandro¡¯s name to Alexander. Apparently, Alessandro is too ¡®ethnic.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Ethnic, hmm?¡± James said, and I could hear his teeth grinding.


    ¡°Something has to happen, James. There needs to be some miracle,¡± I whispered. ¡°I can¡¯t lose him. Especially not to those people.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± James replied. ¡°I know, baby.¡± He moved to curl around me, spooning me from behind, taking both my hands and wrapping our joined hands over my stomach. ¡°I¡¯m going to do everything. Everything I can. I will rain fire down on these people, Ba.¡±


    My heart felt broken, and my spirit defeated. ¡°How? How can you rain fire on them? They¡¯ll be expecting it. They¡¯ll only take Dahlia as well.¡±


    ¡°They might try to take Dahlia anyway,¡± James said softly. ¡°If we¡¯re dered unfit parents...¡±


    I curled tighter still, shuddering with fear. ¡°Please don¡¯t say that out loud.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lie to you,¡± James responded, kissing the back of my neck. He leaned his forehead against me and sighed. ¡°I want us to be prepared. If Alessandro gets... gets taken, we need to get back to Italy as soon as possible. The very next second. We can¡¯t let any time pass between Alessandro being taken and something official about us being unfit parents altogethering down the pipe. I will work endlessly to get him back, I promise.¡±


    ¡°We really are going to lose, aren¡¯t we?¡± I managed to form the words after several attempts.


    James held me tighter. ¡°We probably are,¡± he admitted. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re not going to fight until the very end.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Okay, then I want you to do it.¡±


    ¡°Do...?¡± James asked.


    ¡°You rain fire down on those bastards. Forever, and ever, and ever,¡± I said.

 Chapter 179 : One Battle At A Time

    <h4>Chapter 179: Chapter 179 : One Battle At A Time</h4>


    James.


    I slept nestled into my favorite ces¡ªmy face nestled in Ba¡¯s neck, my hand nestled around one of her breasts, my c*ck nestled between her legs. It was bliss, and it was a necessary reprieve from the Alessandro debacle. I couldn¡¯t imagine losing that little boy any more than Ba could.


    If it came down to it, and it looked as though it would, I was going to talk with Tony about kidnapping. It was an insane move, but this was an insane situation.


    Speaking of Tony, my cell phone rang on the bedside table. It was Tony¡¯s ring, and one of the very few that could bypass the silent mode.


    Ba stirred, but I kissed the back of her neck as I gently pulled out of her and smoothed the hair away from her cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, baby,¡± I murmured, then went to grab my phone while covering Ba with the nkets.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked in a clipped tone, walking out onto the balcony stark naked and closing the door behind me.


    ¡°We have a problem,¡± Tony said without preamble.


    ¡°I trust it¡¯s a bigger problem than a custody battle over Alessandro?¡± I leaned on the balcony railing, staring out at the first fingers of the dawn.


    ¡°Well... yes,¡± Tony sighed. ¡°Ronaldo has gained momentum in his n to frame you. He¡¯s manufactured a lot of evidence against you and those loyal to you, making it look like you did the Don and not him. I¡¯m pretty sure if and when youe back here, they¡¯re going to arrest you.¡±


    ¡°What evidence?¡± I grunted. I wasn¡¯t surprised. Annoyed, but not surprised.


    ¡°Footprints, fingerprints, ballistics to our guns, hair samples, you name it. He must have a lot of pull with the police to get that much evidence cooked up,¡± Tony said miserably.


    I rubbed the bridge of my nose. ¡°What about the witnesses at the restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Scared sh*tless. I don¡¯t know if they can tell the difference between you and Ronaldo, anyway,¡± Tony replied. ¡°If they can, they¡¯re either being paid or threatened because they¡¯re insisting they saw you.¡±


    I groaned. ¡°What about the cameras? I figure THAT will be proof enough that it was Ronaldo and not me.¡±


    ¡°The restaurant doesn¡¯t have cameras,¡± Tony said.


    I blinked. ¡°Come again?¡±


    ¡°There are no cameras in the restaurant,¡± Tony repeated. ¡°Might be one of the reasons the Don liked it so much.¡±


    I mmed my fist on the railing. ¡°Oh, this is just fantastic.¡±


    ¡°We arebing for footage from neighboring businesses and residences,¡± Tony responded hurriedly.


    My breathing evened out. ¡°Alright. Let me know what the results of that are.¡±


    ¡°Don Valentino,¡± Tony said before I could hang up. ¡°I called to warn you.¡±


    ¡°Consider me warned,¡± I replied.


    ¡°No! I mean to warn you not toe back to Italy until we have this straightened out,¡± Tony cut in.


    I sighed. There didn¡¯t seem to be a safe harbor anywhere these days. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll stay right here until the business in Italy is sorted.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± Tony responded. ¡°I will keep you posted.¡±


    ¡°I know you will.¡± I hung up.


    I was never one to delve into the past or think that karma existed. Right then, I felt like I was paying for all my sins.


    I quickly checked to see if Ba was still asleep, and then headed back out. It waste in the morning in Italy, though I had no idea where she was...


    The only other person I trusted to help me sort this out was someone I never wanted to involve. But desperate times call for desperate measures.


    Again, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking that there was a reason she hade back into my life, so I decided to go with my gut.


    Sophia picked up after the first ringtone.


    ¡°James!¡± Music was ring in the background. ¡°Un minuto!¡±


    I heard a few bangs and then the music died down.


    ¡°I was in the middle of my morning exercise. How is everything?¡±


    ¡°Like shit,¡± I said, leaning against the balcony. The cool air made my skin tingle.


    ¡°Ba?¡±


    ¡°The only thing good in my life right now.¡±


    ¡°Make sure to never lose her,¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°Is this because of Ronaldo¡¯stest stunt?¡±


    ¡°I would say I¡¯m surprised, but then again, it is you...¡± I said.


    ¡°I heard they were looking for you. He¡¯s digging his own grave. Everyone knows he did it. Even if he fabricated evidence, once you¡¯re back, the whole town will attest you had nothing to do with it.¡±


    She made it sound so simple.


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m not going back anytime soon. And thest thing I want is for the wrong people to get ahold of the news and f*ck things up for the trial.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I understand what you mean,¡± she said.


    ¡°And how are you doing, Sophia?¡± How¡¯s business?¡±


    ¡°James, James. We¡¯ve been friends for so long, and you think I don¡¯t know why you called? As if you care about my business.¡±


    I let out an involuntaryugh and smothered it with my free arm, afraid to wake Ba.


    ¡°That¡¯s cruel, Sophia. Of course, I care about your business.¡±


    ¡°I think I can get close to Ronaldo,¡± she said without hesitating. ¡°But I have to work a few things out, first.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare go near him,¡± I said in a low, threatening voice. Thest thing I needed was to involve Sophia so directly. ¡°I just need information. Some leverage. A way for these charges to get dropped.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± she said. ¡°Now, I have to go and look after my business, which is doing well! Thank you for asking. Goodbye James. Take care.¡±


    She hung up on me and I slowly went back inside, only to find that Ba was already up and gazing at me longingly from bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t want to wake you,¡± I said, caressing her hair and taking a seat next to her.


    ¡°I felt you the first time,¡± she said, snuggling her head beneath my chin. Her skin felt so warm against mine that I wanted to wrap myself around her. ¡°I¡¯m almost afraid of asking. Is everything all right?¡±


    ¡°No, Ba. Nothing is all right. Except that I¡¯m here with you, and you¡¯re the only thing keeping me going right now.¡±


    I didn¡¯t realize how much I needed to say that. So many things had changed in my life ever since I met Ba.


    I had changed.


    Being vulnerable was never an option growing up, especially with the kind of business my family was in. But with Ba, I had willingly opened up everything. My heart, body, mind...


    And I knew she could take it.


    That was the difference between her and all the other women who had been in my life. Yes, she could be sensitive, like anyone. But underneath that soft skin and delicate body, she was diamond-hard.


    ¡°I wish things were different,¡± she said in a muffled voice. Her breath on my neck sent a shiver down my spine. My c*ck was getting hard again.


    I felt her hand slide down and wrap around my erection. She scooted over and sat on top of me, her back against my chest.


    My hands immediately gravitated to her breasts, cupping them. I bit her earlobe, and she moaned out my name, threatening to kill the tender moment we were having.


    Her cry of pleasure made me want to toss her onto the bed and f*ck her senseless.


    Ba.


    James¡¯ chest heaved against my back, and I wiggled my ass so I would properly sit on his hard on.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I whispered, lifting myself a bit and amodating my ass so the tip of his c*ck brushed my wetness. ¡°I want you slowly this time.¡±


    ¡°Ba...¡± he almost growled.


    I slowly sat on him again as his c*ck entered me, filling me and making me cry out in pleasure. He started to f*ck me hard, but I wasn¡¯t going to let him ruin this moment.


    With my arms, I grabbed his head and leaned even further back.


    ¡°Slow...¡± I said, pushing down on him and beginning to rock my body back and forth.


    He let go of my breasts and slid a hand down my stomach to my cl*t, caressing it and sending a wave of pleasure all through my body.


    I came a few secondster, which prompted him to lift me up and ce me on the bed, spreading my legs apart.


    He immediately went down and began to kiss my wetness, cing a finger inside me.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said between kisses. ¡°Thank you for staying with me through everything.¡±


    ¡°James, let me¨C¡±


    ¡°No. This is me thanking you,¡± he said and resumed kissing me. His tongue circled my cl*t, and I arched my back.


    I just couldn¡¯t argue with him. I wanted him to finish as well, but I couldn¡¯t fight this pleasure.


    ¡°You are the most delicious, amazing person that I¡¯ve ever had the honor of f*cking,¡± he said, sliding a third finger inside of me. ¡°And the only one I¡¯ll ever f*ck again.¡±


    I was lost in ecstasy, and I almost yelled with his other hand grabbing my ass, squeezing it hard.


    I came a second time while James devoured me. He wasn¡¯t going to stop unless I told him to, so I gently pushed his face away.


    ¡°I want your d*ck in my mouth, James. Now.¡±


    ¡°I said I wanted¨C¡±


    Crying came from the baby monitor ced on the nightstand. My head immediately turned to it, and I saw La picking up Dahlia.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s time for us to get up,¡± James said, giving me a peck on the lips and heading to the bathroom.


    I sighed and sat up, unable to shake the weight of all our burdens. I¡¯d heard most of the conversations. The first one had to be Tony, and from the way he spoke during the second one, I surmised it had to be Sophia.


    There wasn¡¯t much I could do to help him on that front, but the important thing was that we would see it through together. We just had to take each battle at a time.


    At that moment, we were going to have breakfast as a family, watching the sun rise into the sky. And we would y with our kids and see that they ate and felt loved.


    Then we¡¯d get back in the ring.


    Because I was NEVER going to lose James, Alessandro, or Dahlia, even if keeping us together was thest thing I did.

 Chapter 180 : Downhill

    <h4>Chapter 180: Chapter 180 : Downhill</h4>


    Ba.


    The trial resumed too soon.


    It was all I could do not to reach behind me and pluck Alessandro from La so I could hold him in myp. I was terrified this was one of the few opportunities I¡¯d ever have to hold him again.


    ¡°Bruce, good to see you today,¡± Judge Hopper said to Chad¡¯swyer as soon as he took the bench.


    Kensington¡¯s smile was oily. ¡°Judge, has it really been a whole weekend?¡±


    ¡°It has! Though do tell your mother her roast is delicious,¡± Judge Hopper grinned.


    ¡°Of course I will, your honor,¡± Kensington smiled back.


    Ms. Loveless looked about ready to spit tacks.


    ¡°Anyway, getting back to the matter at hand,¡± Judge Hopper said, clearing his throat, ¡°I hear Mr. Chad Cartwright wanted to testify on his own behalf?¡±


    ¡°He does, your honor,¡± Kensington replied.


    Judge Hopper made a summoning motion. ¡°Well, bring him in, then.¡±


    I turned my head as the courtroom doors opened, and for the first time in over a year, I saw Chad Cartwright¡ªthe cowardly, abusive asshat himself.


    He was in a motorized wheelchair which he manipted by blowing into a tube. He seemed to have wasted away some, and while others in the courtroom may have been moved by his pathetic appearance, I only thought to myself, ¡®Karma.¡¯


    ¡°Mr. Cartwright, I understand you will be unable to take the stand, but do please situate yourself wherever you¡¯refortable and can still see myself and the attorneys,¡± Judge Hopper said kindly.


    Chad nodded and maneuvered himself in front of the witness stand. He looked around with big, sad, blue, puppy-dog eyes that used to move me as well. Now all I could see was a masterful performance.


    ¡°Mr. Cartwright,¡± Kensington began after all the courtroom pomp and circumstance of swearing him in was over, ¡°thank you for joining us today. I know it¡¯s difficult for you to get around, after the incident.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Chad said. ¡°It is difficult for me to get around. But I wouldn¡¯t be anywhere else. I need to save my son.¡±


    ¡°Objection,¡± Ms. Loveless interrupted, standing. ¡°Mr. Cartwright signed away his rights as a father. Alessandro Valentino is no longer his son.¡±


    Judge Hopper narrowed his eyes on Ms. Loveless. ¡°Really? Really? You¡¯re going to be THAT petty to a paraplegic?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t care if he were physically missing everything below his neck. Language matters,¡± Ms. Loveless insisted.


    Judge Hopper rolled his eyes. ¡°Sustained.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, your honor,¡± Ms. Loveless responded before sitting back down.


    Kensington was looking at Ms. Loveless with a withering expression. Ms. Loveless simply gave him a tight smile back.


    ¡°Fine. Mr. Cartwright, your biological offspring is in the court here today, is he not?¡± Kensington asked Chad.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Chad replied.


    ¡°Could you point him out to us?¡± Kensington continued.


    Chad pointed in Alessandro¡¯s direction with his head. ¡°That¡¯s Alessandro Valentino, the child I was coerced to sign away my parental rights to.¡±


    ¡°Coerced?¡± Kensington said, raising an eyebrow in surprise as though this whole testimony wasn¡¯t rehearsed.


    A fat, crocodile tear rolled down Chad¡¯s cheek. A nurse quickly bustled out of the gallery and dabbed his face with a handkerchief. ¡°Mr. James Valentino beat the hell out of me. Twice. I was afraid if I didn¡¯t sign over my rights, he¡¯d kill me.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re telling the court, under oath, that Mr. James Valentino beat you up, not once, but twice?¡± Kensington replied with mock horror.


    Chad heaved a sob. ¡°That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t want to. I didn¡¯t want to give up my little boy. But I didn¡¯t want to die, either.¡±


    I looked to my left and saw James was nearly purple with rage. I put a hand on his thigh, reminding him not to have any outbursts and not to leap over the table and strangle what little life Chad might have left in his body out of him.


    ¡°Did Mr. Valentino assault you before you signed your paternal rights away?¡± Kensington asked.


    Chad nodded. ¡°Immediately before. He demanded I sign the paperwork.¡±


    ¡°And you say there was an incident before that asion that gave you reason to believe Mr. Valentino might, indeed, kill you?¡± Kensington prodded.


    ¡°Yes, sir. Mr. Valentino... Tally, his daughter, and I had a fight. He went protective dad all over me. Followed me to where I was staying, dragged me in, and beat the ever-loving-sh*t out of me.¡± Chad let another tear fall, which the nurse also wiped away. ¡°I was so scared.¡±


    ¡°Of course you were,¡± Kensington crooned,ying a sympathetic hand over Chad¡¯s and squeezing it, even though it was pretty clear Chad would be unable to feel it.


    ¡°I just want my son back. I¡¯m sorry, your honor, I still think of him as my son. Tally and I were fighting when I signed my rights away. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s why she decided Ba was the better alternative than my family,¡± Chad huped, looking up at Judge Hopper.


    Judge Hopper gave Chad a sad look, then speared James with a look of disgust.


    ¡°Your honor...¡± Ms. Loveless began.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I know. Objection something something parental rights something something prejudice against my client...¡± Judge Hopper grunted.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re taking my side so seriously, Judge,¡± Ms. Loveless replied sarcastically. ¡°It¡¯ll make things even easier on the appeal.¡±


    Judge Hopper¡¯s head reeled back as though Ms. Loveless had pped him. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s clear to me that my client is not going to get a fair judgment in these proceedings, so I¡¯m just waiting for you to find in favor of the intiff so I can draft one hell of an appeal, and maybe with a call for your removal from the bench just as a little cherry on top,¡± Ms. Loveless spat.


    ¡°Counselors! Approach the bench,¡± Judge Hopper seethed.


    Ms. Loveless and Kensington walked up to the judge¡¯s pulpit, and there was a heated conversation that only they could hear.


    Well, them and Chad. The longer they spoke, the wider Chad¡¯s insidious smile got as he looked at James and me.


    Ms. Loveless eventually returned to our table in a huff. ¡°I¡¯m appealing this bullsh*t. And if we win, I¡¯m still going to impeach his ass.¡±


    ¡°Is it really a good idea to antagonize him?¡± James asked in a low tone.


    Ms. Loveless smiled slightly. ¡°At this point, as many grounds for appeal as we can get is what we¡¯re looking for. If I can provoke the judge into making more mistakes...¡±


    James nodded. ¡°I see.¡±


    Kensington smoothed his hands over his suit and then turned to Chad once more. ¡°Are you still afraid of Mr. Valentino, Mr. Cartwright?¡±


    Chad¡¯s lower lip quivered. I wanted to punch him in the face. ¡°I am, sir. But I love my son more than I¡¯m afraid of him.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Cartwright,¡± Kensington said. He turned to Judge Hopper. ¡°I have no more questions for this witness, your honor.¡±


    Turning to Ms. Loveless, Judge Hopper barked, ¡°Your witness, counsellor.¡±


    ¡°I have no questions for Mr. Cartwright at this time, your honor,¡± Ms. Loveless said, standing.


    Judge Hopper, who didn¡¯t seem surprised, waved a hand. ¡°Thank you for joining us, Mr. Cartwright. You may return to the hospital, if you need to.¡±


    ¡°Your honor, if it¡¯s all the same to you, I¡¯d like to stay. I¡¯ve been wanting to see the proceedings since the beginning... but... well... you see the state I¡¯m in,¡± Chad mumbled.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Judge Hopper said. ¡°You find yourself afortable spot, son.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, your honor,¡± Chad replied.


    Chad made a big show of trying to navigate his wheelchair around various obstacles to park himself in an aisle next to his parents, who fawned over him.


    I couldn¡¯t imagine Alessandro growing up with them.


    ¡°Now, is there anyone else you would like to call, Bruce? Or should we leave it with the defendant?¡± Judge Hopper asked.


    A phone rang, ying Katy Perry¡¯s ¡°Roar.¡±


    ¡°What the bright blue zes¡ª?!¡± Judge Hopper eximed.


    Ms. Loveless dug around in her briefcase in an unhurried way, making the judge look as though steam might start shooting out his ears at any moment.


    ¡°Ms. Loveless, I¡¯m sure it was made clear at the beginning of this trial that all cell phones were to be silenced during the proceedings,¡± Judge Hopper puffed.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Ms. Loveless said absently. I could see from my side that her briefcase was meticulously organized, so she was making a show of looking for her phone just to piss him off.


    I had to bite my lip to keep fromughing.


    ¡°MS. LOVELESS!¡± Judge Hopper roared himself.


    ¡°Ah. Found it!¡± Ms. Loveless pulled her cell phone from a pocket within the briefcase and then, much to everyone¡¯s shock, took the call. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Ms... Ms. Loveless...?¡± Judge Hopper said, stupefied.


    Ms. Loveless actually held up a finger to silence him. ¡°Ahuh. Yes. Mhm. Yes. Yes. Yes, that would be great. And you say she¡¯s ready now? Excellent.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Loveless!¡± Juge Hopper gaped, nearly purple with rage.


    Even Kensington was looking at Ms. Loveless incredulously.


    After a few minutes of ¡°yes,¡± ¡°no,¡± ¡°mhm,¡± and ¡°okay,¡± Ms. Loveless finally ended the call. She looked around the courtroom as though she hadn¡¯t beenpletely aware of her disruption. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, were you waiting for me?¡±


    ¡°MS. LOVELESS, I am HOLDING YOU IN CONTEMPT OF COURT!¡± Judge Hopper shouted at the top of his lungs.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ms. Loveless said, unperturbed. ¡°That¡¯s most unfortunate. For how long?¡±


    ¡°As long as it takes for you to apologize for your unprofessional behavior!¡± Judge Hopper fumed. ¡°At least a day. Maybe two. I haven¡¯t decided yet. Bailiff¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Two days. I think that sounds about right,¡± Ms. Loveless replied with a nod.


    Judge Hopper gawped like a fish out of water. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Well, I have disrupted the court proceedings, I should be duly punished,¡± Ms. Loveless said. ¡°And the punishment should fit the crime.¡±


    ¡°It should indeed! And I¡¯m fining you three thousand dors!¡± Judge Hopper added.


    Ms. Loveless nodded. ¡°Of course. Should I cut a check now or when I get to jail?¡±


    Kensington was staring at Ms. Loveless with a calcting look on his face. ¡°Your honor, I think she might actually be enjoying this. I think it might be part of some scheme.¡±


    ¡°Scheme? I would never!¡± Ms. Loveless gasped theatrically.


    Judge Hopper¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Are you wasting the court¡¯s time on purpose, Ms. Loveless?¡±


    ¡°Your honor, I am sorry about the phone call, but it was an emergency,¡± Ms. Loveless said.


    ¡°Did one of your twenty cats die?¡± Kensington scoffed.


    ¡°Twenty-three, and no, that wasn¡¯t it,¡± Ms. Loveless grinned.


    ¡°What was the emergency?¡± Judge Hopper demanded.


    ¡°Hmm. Maybe I¡¯ll tell you in two days,¡± Ms. Loveless said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll tell us right now, Ms. Loveless, or I¡¯ll make it three days!¡± Judge Hopper snapped.


    Ms. Loveless shrugged. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    I looked at James. He looked at me. We had no idea what was going on, nor why Ms. Loveless looked so happy about being thrown in jail for contempt of court.


    Ms. Loveless wiggled her phone at Kensington.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a witness,¡± she said.

 Chapter 181 : Can I Get a Witness?

    <h4>Chapter 181: Chapter 181 : Can I Get a Witness?</h4>


    Ba.


    I couldn¡¯t believe we had a witness. Someone who also knew and was willing to talk about the REAL Chad, the one that had to be exposed if we wanted to win this.


    I just prayed James hadn¡¯t gone too far in procuring her. This process was battering me mentally, but I had to keep my head clear.


    Alessandro¡¯s life as a happy child and sessful person was on the line, after all. I kept telling myself as I stood there, the stress weighing me down.


    Chad kept giving us incredibly dirty looks, something likely meant to be offputting but came across more as aggressive and childish. I kept my expression neutral, my eyes narrowed slightly as I fixed my gaze forward.


    The proceedings carried on as usual, with the typical back-and-forth. Then, a woman was called on to testify. Chad¡¯s eyes shed with recognition, and a scowl crossed his face. I saw his jaw clench as he looked upon the woman.


    She was practically shaking, her eyes darting around the room. I watched as she inhaled slowly, then swallowed. She wrung her hands, her eyes narrowed as I could tell she was concentrating her thoughts on a particrly stressful matter.


    Judge Hopper gave her a nod of approval when she swore to tell the truth. Then, the woman looked toward Ms. Loveless, who cleared her throat to get her attention. ¡°One Sasha Lace... stage name. True name, Sarah Lawrence, correct?¡± the attorney asked.


    Sasha nodded in confirmation, focusing hard on the attorney. I could tell she was doing her best to avoid looking at Chad, who looked almost as though he was going to explode.


    He held his tongue, for now, though I secretly wondered if he was going to lose it. That would help our case if he did, at least, though it may give this poor woman a heart attack.


    The other Cartwrights in attendance wore tight-lipped scowls, as if they smelled something foul. Kennsington furrowed his brow, deep in thought. The tension in the air could practically be cut with a knife as the woman waited for J¡¯s next question.


    ¡°You worked for Chad Cartwright, correct?¡± Ms. Loveless asked, prompting another nod. Sasha bit her lip, wringing her hands a bit harder before she could find the words to actually respond. When she did, it was short.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Can you please describe what you witnessed him doing at the parties you were employed for?¡± Ms. Loveless asked.


    ¡°I can,¡± Sasha said. She took in a deep breath, still avoiding Chad¡¯s gaze, but steeling her resolve to actually describe a few things. ¡°Chad is a horrible client. He will regrly abuse those who work for him, either physically, mentally, or by simply not paying. He threatened us when we would speak up. Some of us work for pennies, you see, just trying to get by.¡±


    The courtroom remained silent, a few nces exchanged between the jury. By their deep frowns, they were currently not impressed by this information about Chad.


    A few were studying his reactions closely. With how red he was in the face, it was obvious he wasn¡¯t taking too kindly to this woman¡¯s honesty about working conditions.


    Sasha continued. ¡°He regrly used drugs. I¡¯m not talking once or twice. It was a pattern, as was the abuse. He and his crew were notorious in the industry.¡±


    Ms. Loveless nodded, scowling deeply at this. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Kennsington, who waved his hand dismissively. He was none too pleased with this situation either.


    By his tone when he spoke next, I got the impression he didn¡¯t believe a thing Sasha was saying.


    ¡°Your honor, this is preposterous! Why would she continue working for him if he is as horrible as she ims?¡± Bruce asked, causing Sasha to wince. I hoped the judge told him he couldn¡¯t interrupt.


    ¡°I¡¯ll allow it,¡± Judge Hopper said, much to my surprise.


    Ms. Loveless nodded a thanks and returned to Sasha, who was trembling as she answered Kennsington¡¯s question, though she didn¡¯t have to. Maniption could be poison, and I suspected that was the case here.


    ¡°When he did remember to pay, it was hefty,¡± Sasha said softly. ¡°I relied on him for ie. I was someone he did return to regrly. I was afraid.¡± She shuddered, clenching her jaw for a moment before getting ahold of herself. ¡°He threatened me, you see. I was one of his favorites. That meant I was in a lot of danger if I ever decided to leave the situation.¡±


    Ms. Loveless wore a smug grin, narrowing her gaze. She said with sympathy, ¡°That sounds rather stressful, Sarah. Thank you for giving an honest testimony despite your fear. Can you describe any specific incidents regarding Chad Cartwright¡¯s habits?¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± Sasha confirmed, causing Chad to tense up even further. I was surprised such a thing was even possible, given he already had been as tense as a viper about ready to strike. Thankfully, he had no venom. At least, not right now.


    Sasha risked casting a nce over to the angry man before snapping her gaze back to Ms. Loveless. ¡°The night on the ship. I was assigned to pleasure him. I was there to do my job and carry arge paycheck home to hopefully support my family. His ¡®way of life¡¯ showed through that night even more than normal.¡±


    Tears began to flow down her cheeks as she recalled the memory, shuddering a bit. Ms. Loveless waited patiently for her to continue after she wiped her eyes of tears. A bit of eyeliner smeared on her cheeks before she continued.


    ¡°He had been high on coke, practically the entire night. He yelled at me and other women he hired to take care of him and his friends on the boat, at times striking us with high aggression. Then, his stupid ¡®game¡¯ came into y. He was ying Russian roulette and disabled himself. There was no tragic ident that caused this.¡±


    Ms. Loveless nodded, then looked at the jury, lowering her head. ¡°Chad Cartwright brought his disability onto himself. Rather than being a responsible gentleman with his time, he participated in bad behavior as described by Miss Sasha, here. He is incredibly unfit to be a father, and Alessandro will be in danger should he be exposed to such activities.¡±


    Kennsington growled, ¡°Objection. Some people enjoy their one-off fun. His mistake on the ship does not make him unfit to be a father, and quite frankly, it is unprofessional to suggest such a thing. Judge?¡±


    Judge Hopper stared at Kennsington for a moment, waving Ms. Loveless off. That wasn¡¯t good.


    ¡°Unprofessional indeed,¡± the judge said, his gaze sliding back toward Ms. Loveless. He wasn¡¯t amused. ¡°Your conduct is not appreciated, Ms. Loveless.


    Ms. Loveless winced, but continued, headstrong as ever. She shook her head, then said, ¡°Your honor, this is about the safety of a child. Given Chad Cartwright brought this upon himself due to his irresponsibility, the child will not lead a fulfilling life or be safe. It is an unfortunate reality we must ept for the sake of the child.¡±


    The judge simply said, ¡°Procede with your line of questioning, Counsellor.¡±


    Ms. Loveless focused on Sasha again, giving a kind, reassuring smile. ¡°You implied this was a pattern. The ¡®way of life¡¯. Can you borate further? I think it would be fruitful to describe more events where this has urred.¡±


    Sasha swallowed, but kept her head and nodded. ¡°I can. I would say Chad behaved like this nearly every day, if not every day. As far as I¡¯ve seen, he¡¯s never held a productive career, andpses into drugs and women every night.¡± She wrinkled her nose. ¡°Not even in a fun way.¡±


    For some reason, this offended Chad even more than the rest of things he said, and he sputtered opening his mouth to snarl out, ¡°Oh, it was ¡®in a fun way¡¯, you wh*re.¡± Judge Hopper looked over at him with scrutiny, and Kennsington tensed.


    ¡°Forgive my client, Judge Hopper,¡± Kennsington said quickly. ¡°He is under quite a bit of stress due to these usations, you see. They are heavy and causing him tosh out. I believe any reasonable person would find themselves rather aggressive in the same situation.¡±


    The Cartwrights¡¯ attorney then focused on Sasha, and his scowl deepened. ¡°These stories she is spin: how can we be certain these details are not greatly exaggerated? The cocaine could have been alcohol, and the abuse of women could have been much enjoyed. Most women like that sort of thing, after all.¡±


    A few members of the jury exchanged very annoyed nces, most of which were women. I narrowed my own eyes, realizing how much of a scumbag this attorney was. No surprise, given who he worked for.


    Noting this reaction, Kennsington worded what he said next carefully. ¡°In her ¡®profession,¡¯ rather. Ites with the upation, does it not? Something she should expect. Her lot would obtain a real career if it was bothersome enough to pose as a validint.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Kensington, please wait for cross-examination,¡± Judge Hopper finally said, starting to sound slightly fair.


    Sasha¡¯s eyes narrowed at Kennsington¡¯s statements, and I watched the novelty of seeing the woman¡¯s face redden in anger. She didn¡¯t lose herposure aside from that, though, and rather, shifted her gaze to Chad, fixing him in a very cold stare, one of hatred. Kennsington was, no doubt, echoing that asshole¡¯s sentiments.


    ¡°You can, indeed, test my honesty by simply studying Chad Cartwright a little closer. Cocaine use over time will cause a chronically inmed, runny nose. He¡¯s injected it, too, for more of a high. Look for track marks on his arm. He¡¯s pale, malnourished, and very skinny. As for my profession,¡± Sasha said, her voice somewhat of a growl.


    She held her head high, a spark of intelligence in her gaze that I was positive most here didn¡¯t expect. I hadn¡¯t noticed through the nervousness, but had a newfound respect for the woman¡¯s bravery here and now. I widened my eyes as she spoke through a clenched jaw.


    ¡°The attorney speaking for the Cartwrights reflects their attitudes on women, especially Chad¡¯s. My profession is my choice, and I should be treated with the same amount of respect as any other woman in a different career. I choose what I want to do with my body. Society¡¯s disdain of me does not make me any less valid as a human being than anyone else. Evidently, that isn¡¯t the mindset of Chad, because he saw me as lesser, and treated me in kind.¡±


    Whispers erupted between the jury members, causing Judge Hopper to m his gavel. He was expressionless, without any indication of what was going through his mind right now. He nced toward Sasha and nodded, then let out a sigh.


    Chad took this opportunity to snap at Sasha. ¡°Sold out by some wh*re. My free time is my own time. Won¡¯t impact my care for the damn kid.¡±


    Ms. Loveless jumped in right there, talking to the judge and jury. ¡°Drug use has a high corrtion to an abusive household, and Chad Cartwright exhibits both examples of dangerous behavior. Your honor, was Mr. Cartwright drug tested before this trial? Perhaps he should be, given these heavy ims. A cocaine addict does not create a healthy environment for a child.¡±


    Kennsington interjected with, ¡°That would be a vition of his privacy.¡± The jury didn¡¯t seem impressed by this response and whispered amongst themselves once again. Judge Hopper wasn¡¯t epting the interruption anymore and called order once again.


    The session proceeded, and Kennsington interrupted less, waiting for the cross-examination finally. My gaze slid over to the jury, who continued to disy dissatisfied looks with Chad¡¯s responses. Ms. Loveless radiated confidence at this point, like a cat who¡¯d cornered a mouse.


    Would they truly believe Sasha¡¯s story, though? Kennsington kept trying his best to poke holes in it. Even if they did believe it, would it be enough for me to keep Alessandro?

 Chapter 182 : When This is All Over

    <h4>Chapter 182: Chapter 182 : When This is All Over</h4>


    Ba.


    Following the very stressful session in court, I found myself on my back porch, wine in hand, thoughts whirling a mile a minute. My eyes were partially narrowed as I went through everything Sasha had said at court. The jury had expressed a lot of disgust, learning about how Chad really was.


    Kennsington, a sexist attorney who no doubt represented the general views of the Cartwrights in seeing women as lesser, especially those with her career path, had shown his true colors as well.


    Not that he hadn¡¯t before. Problem was, Judge Hopper paid him favoritism.


    This entire system was corrupt and disgusting, but I was going to fight it for the sake of Alessandro. I couldn¡¯t get it out of my head that the child was going to be doomed to a horrible life if he fell into the hands of Chad.


    I believed Sasha wholeheartedly. Chad was an evil person, as was the rest of his family. Hopefully, the jury would actually see the obvious as well. At times, they seemed certain, but that wasn¡¯t consistent. My heart hadn¡¯t slowed since the questioning.


    It was maddening.


    Speaking of which, my eyes caught sight of a figure approaching me from the shadows. I tensed, then realized it was just Antoteing up the driveway. After a pause, I walked through the house and answered the door right as she softly knocked.


    I opened it, giving her a tired smile. ¡°Hello,¡± I said cordially. ¡°How are you, Antite?¡±


    Some of her blonde hair was being blown into her face, which she quickly reached over and brushed behind her ear. She gave me a delighted smile and said, ¡°I am doing wonderfully, Ba! Dora¡¯s been doing so well in school, I could brag about my lovely daughter for days. But, right now, I¡¯m here to talk about something else.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked, realizing I should probably invite her in. ¡°Would you like some wine?¡± Naturally, the only Stepford wife I could call my friend gave a nod, a wine mom to the end. I smiled at that, needing some positivity following that stressful case.


    ¡°Of course, dear, that would be wonderful!¡± she said, following me inside. I entered the kitchen, grabbing some snacks as well. She followed me briefly before I led her to the back porch, where we settled in some cushy chairs and ced the food and wine on the table.


    I poured her a ss, then leaned back, letting out a soft sigh. Antote asked, ¡°Enough about me, though. Before I dive into what I¡¯d like to talk about, I must know, how are you holding up? These court sessions must be taking a toll on you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck and letting out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve lost quite a bit of sleep over this. I¡¯m worried about Alessandro. I just want to give him the best life I can, and I¡¯m certain the Cartwrights will not be the ones he needs.¡±


    ¡°Such a sweet mother!¡± Antote eximed, beaming at me. She reached over and ced a gentle hand on my arm, causing me to raise my eyebrows. The smile she wore reached her eyes, something I could see in the bright porch light.


    She continued. ¡°With how you speak about the boy, I think he should stay with you. I hope the jury sees what I do.¡± Her gaze turned a bit dark, and she mutters, ¡°Though, James may bring you down in that.¡±


    I tensed, hesitating for a moment before asking, ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know,¡± she said casually. ¡°His mafia connections. I don¡¯t doubt that wille up. The Cartwrights are very in-the-know about these matters, after all. Much like the wives of the neighborhood, as a matter of fact.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, intrigued by her implication.


    She smiled at me sweetly, though there was a hint of sympathy to her tone when she responded next. There was intelligence, cunning, even, behind those blue eyes that told me she was always watching and listening.


    My instincts told me that she was someone I could trust, though I didn¡¯t quite know why. Maybe it was because she defended me from the verbal abuse of the others so much? Could it be a ploy? I didn¡¯t think so.


    ¡°Well, dear, they just have a lot of connections, is all. They pay very close attention to everything, like I do! Information is power, after all. They, however, are darling people, but don¡¯t generally use this information for good,¡± she exined. ¡°Me? I like a good happy ending for those involved that need it. Them? Well, they are a bit more selfish.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± I asked, but Antote shook her head, giving me a sad smile.


    ¡°That is all I can say on that one. Just be careful regarding what you say around them. Or, what little Alessandro says. A fly on the wall cares for its next meal, after all, not whoever is providing it. Buzz buzz buzz,¡± she said, making a flying motion with her hand.


    I thought she was trying to lighten the mood, but that definitely wasn¡¯t helping. I winced, wanting more information on what she could mean by that, but just let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this is the ce for me,¡± I finally said.


    My experiences here came flooding to me, bombarding me with unsavory memories. My statement was more true than I even realized, given my stomach was twisting into knots thinking about how miserable it would be for me to stay here any longer. I¡¯d thought we¡¯d like it here so much at first, but I was dead wrong.


    The knots in my stomach could be stress oveing my mind, but I had a feeling that definitely wasn¡¯t the case. After a deep breath, I looked toward Antote, who was deep in thought. I liked her quite a bit, but that didn¡¯t lessen just how much my realization meant to me.


    Antote thought for a moment before responding, ¡°Well, I do charity work in other parts of the world, myself. Especially in Africa.¡± I nodded, paying attention to what she was saying, but wondering where she was going with this.


    She went on to exin, ¡°There are a lot of people in need there, after all. I figure if I have so much wealth, I should use it for good. It also allows me to travel. What I find most important, though, is seeing my impact over time.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Any examples, or feel-good stories? I could use one of those right now,¡± I admitted, somewhat sheepish on that one. Antote chuckled, though not at me, just in merriment. She nodded, beaming.


    ¡°Of course, dear. One charity I worked for was sewing little plush dolls and clothes for children in Nigeria. You should see the look on their faces when I give those gifts to them! More than that, though, they keep it for years, eventually either keeping the cloth and repurposing it, or giving them to other children,¡± Antote exined, her eyes glimmering with happiness as she told her story.


    She grew more excited, however, and reached forward, taking my hands. It was as though she was describing a happy ending to a storybook, the way she spoke.


    Her enthusiasm radiated off of her in waves, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bit better sitting here listening to her.


    That knife of anxiety still twisted in my gut, of course, but the pain was reduced just a little. She reached up and moved a few strands of her hair away from her face before continuing, her eyes ncing up toward the clear, starry sky in thought.


    ¡°One of my other favorites was the books for people in Chad. Ironic, isn¡¯t it?¡± she winked toward me, trying to leak a bit of humor into the situation. I let myself chuckle, both finding it amusing and not wanting to be a spoilsport.


    She said, ¡°Unlike the man currently causing you problems, the country of Chad has such a bright future, and people with money like me can help it move forward one step at a time. Anyway, my charity works to purchase and distribute important textbooks to their schools. I encouraged the children, when visiting, to pay attention and work hard.¡±


    I nodded, smiling at her. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful,¡± I said, sharing her enthusiasm. The issue with ¡®my¡¯ Chad was in the back of my mind right now as I focused on ¡®her¡¯ Chad. Antote continued to gush, letting out a soft giggle at the work she put into all of this.


    ¡°It is. And you know what? We get reports that children who benefit from our program are epted at a higher rate into good colleges than those who unfortunately cannot yet be included in our work at this time.¡± Her eyes glimmered sadly, and she hung her head.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I asked, now concerned. Now, it was my turn to reach out and take her hand, though mine was aforting gesture as opposed to one out of excitement. My new friend was focused on me and let out a sigh.


    ¡°Oh, dear. Forgive me. I just really wish I could do everything for everyone, is all. Even missing one child tears a hole into my heart, you know? Anyway, it is just something to live with. I want to help as many people as I can. Anyway, the people we do help definitely benefit from the programs,¡± she exined.


    ¡°Sounds like it,¡± Imented, giving her a smile. ¡°You¡¯re wonderful for what you do, Antote. Thank you for bringing a little bit of cheer during this stressful time. I¡¯m hoping I can do the same for Alessandro. Give him a good life he deserves, I mean. Like you did for those children.¡±


    ¡°I know you will if you win this case, dear,¡± Antote said. ¡°As for not fitting here, however, it¡®s why I brought up the charities. You have been traveling so much anyway. After the trial, you could look into a cause you¡¯re passionate about. Right?¡±


    I furrowed my brow. My focus was so honed in on the trial that I never thought about leaving. A cause I was passionate about? Well...


    ¡°I had considered starting a charity in Guatem at one point. There isn¡¯t a reasonable way to do it, though. I don¡¯t think James will agree,¡± I said, my voice dripping with sadness at that. James was a bit stubborn. Would he be willing to settle down with me if I wanted to make a difference like that?


    ¡°A charity in Central America? I think that¡¯s a lovely idea. What a beautiful ce to go! But yes, there are a lot of children in need in that area, and I think you could make a real difference,¡± she said. She smiled at me. ¡°You have so much passion, Ba. Share it with the world.¡±


    I rubbed the back of my neck, closing my eyes and thinking this through. After a long pause, then a sigh, I shrugged. Truth be told, I was just too unsure and immersed in the trial right now to consider my future.


    ¡°Maybe...¡±

 Chapter 183 : Once in the Mafia, Always in the Mafia

    <h4>Chapter 183: Chapter 183 : Once in the Mafia, Always in the Mafia</h4>


    James.


    I¡¯d gotten homete after Sasha¡¯s testimony, and I had to admit, that woman had a bite to her bark.


    She¡¯d faced off against a really dangerous family, one who threw money around to get what they wanted on the regr. Everything was against her, and yet she took the risk.


    Not only would this put a stain on Chad Cartwright, but perhaps their whole twisted family. More importantly, Alessandro would now have more of a chance to live a good life with Ba and me.


    Ba was a wonderful mother. She put her all into caring for both Alessandro and Dahlia. Two beautiful children that deserved her love and care.


    I wanted to be there for them too, but so many problems kept on dragging me down, and consequently, her as well.


    She was growing wary, no doubt. I could tell by the way she looked at me sometimes that she questioned the validity of our rtionship.


    I did my best to show her I was worthy of her time, of the kids, as well. I had my ws, I messed up. I hoped I could atone by doing well on the stand.


    Ba knew the obvious, that Chad was a twisted scumbag who would not do right for the child. What I knew about him, and the Cartwrights in general, was far worse. Tally had told me much about her ex, and none of it had been any good.


    At the moment, I was loading groceries into the kitchen from the trunk of my car. Ba had stated she needed time alone, so I gave that to her, opting to runte-night errands for the family instead.


    She would appreciate that. During this alone time of my own, however, I felt a tear trickle down my cheek.


    Tally had been taken from me too young when the mafia connections I¡¯d had in the past had caught up with me. The thought of Tally caused my heart to lurch, and I felt grief pool in my soul. Licking my lips and taking a deep breath, Iposed myself and finished my work.


    Eventually, I headed to the bedroom, wanting to lie down with Ba for a peaceful sleep. The children were already asleep, though I entered the nursery and nted a gentle kiss on the forehead of both Dahlia and Alessandro.


    Dahlia gurgled a bit in her sleep, opening her eyes briefly to stare at me drowsily. My breath caught in my throat. Did I wake the baby? Evidently, not enough for her to fullye to. She smiled at me before closing her eyes again, causing my heart to flutter.


    Finally arriving at my destination, I climbed into bed with Ba and pulled her close to my chest. She snuggled into me, rxed at least. She¡¯d been kept uptely due to the stress of the trial, so I hoped she would get a more restful sleep with me tonight.


    Sleepily, she said, ¡°James, wee home. Thank you for taking care of the groceries.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very wee, Ba,¡± I replied, leaving a soft kiss on her lips when she turned toward me. She smiled, warm andfortable, as I pulled the nkets up over us. We would have another rollercoaster tomorrow, but tonight, we could try to at least get a little bit of sleep.


    *****


    The next day, I contacted J, making sure everything was squared away. As Ba made breakfast, I spoke with the attorney on the phone. I asked, ¡°Any idea what the jury thought ofst night¡¯s session?¡±


    J Loveless, always headstrong, professional, and blunt, said, ¡°	Unclear. They weren¡¯t happy. Whether they believed Sasha or not we will have to see. You¡¯ll be testifying today. Can you handle it? I have a feeling the Cartwrights and their hound Kennsington are going to pull something nasty.¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± I said, hopefully not a lie. Even I was prone to being nervous. There was a lot on the line here. Ba served some eggs and bacon on a te in front of me. I smiled and nodded in thanks, starting my meal and eating quickly so we could proceed to the courtroom.


    The call ended quickly, and the ride to the court was swift. We both needed quiet, so neither Ba nor I opted to y music on the road. The sun was out, and the atmosphere was cheerful. It didn¡¯t reflect my mood, that sinking feeling in my gut that something was about to go very wrong.


    Reality was going to hit me like a truck in a little while, I felt, causing me to clench my jaw and remain incredibly tense. I sat there in the driver¡¯s seat after we parked, my hands white with how strong my grip was. Ba broke the silence with, ¡°It¡¯s time, James.¡±


    We returned to our regr seats in the courtroom, only this time, I was called to the stand. In a dream-like state, I held up my hand and agreed to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. Bruce¡¯s scrutinizing gaze was on me, like a hawk regarding a rabbit.


    That couldn¡¯t be good.


    My testimony would work out just fine, it had to.


    When Judge Hopper indicated to proceed, I fastened my eyes upon J, who cleared her throat and started things off. J said, ¡°James Valentino, partner of Reba Woods and grandfather to Alessandro. Please tell me what Alessandro means to you. We are aware rights have been given to Ba, but you will be in the child¡¯s life as well.¡±


    ¡°He means the world to me,¡± I said honestly, my voice firm. ¡°With Ba, I want to lead him toward a prosperous life, one with many smiles. I want to be there when he cries, and lift him up through life¡¯s hardships. I have been through quite a bit myself. No support is a terrible thing, and Alessandro deserves all the love he can get.¡±


    Kennsington frowned deeply at my response, shaking his head. ¡°Objection,¡± he muttered, a twisted grin spreading across his face.


    I felt myself scowling at his nonsense already starting up. The entire courtroom seemed to tense, just waiting for Bruce to exin why he objected to what I said.


    ¡°Your honor, this man is a known member of hte mafia!¡± Bruce stated in a bored tone, as if everyone should know that. My lip twitched in annoyance as eyes fell upon me.


    ¡°Mr. Kensington, please try to wait until cross-examination,¡± the judge said, only slightly more fair than he had been in the past.


    J looked me in the eyes. ¡°Would you like to respond to that allegation, Mr. Valentino?¡±


    I cleared my throat, focusing on the Cartwrights¡¯ attorney, trying not to scowl too much. ¡°I plead the Fifth on anything that has to do with my past or personal life,¡± I said. ¡°That is neither here nor there. The children will not be in danger under my care given that statement is wholly false.¡± This was, no doubt, going to be a challenge.


    Now, I knew why I felt off before. Bruce was going for the throat, so to speak.


    J continued with her line of questioning, taking great care to ask questions that presented me in a good light to the jury. A proud father, a doting grandfather, a good partner to Ba, a sessful businessman. When she was finished with her questions, I felt like we had a chance to win them over.


    Then, it was time for cross-examination from Kennsington.


    ¡°Mr. Valentino, earlier you said it was irrelevant whether or not you were involved with the mafia, did you not?¡± Kensington asked, squinting at me.


    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± I reminded him.


    ¡°Oh? How could that be? Isn¡¯t it true your oldest daughter was shot and killed because you are involved in the mafia? The same woman who is the mother of Alessandro? The boy no longer has his biological mother because of you. It would be a shame if Ba was also in in the same way.¡±


    I felt my face grow hot and needed to take a few deep breaths to calm down. Resisting the urge to rub at my temples, I gave him a steady stare. ¡°Tally did not die because of me,¡± I said, my tone soft and controlled.


    At this point, Ba was giving me a nervous side-eye. She knew the signs of my growing agitation.


    Perhaps she assumed I was going to snap at Bruce. I had far too much control for that, but this was a very sore spot. I just needed to keep concentrating.


    J cut in quickly. ¡°Your honor, I don¡¯t believe this is relevant. He is trying to spark an emotional reaction from the witness, something that may manipte the oue of proceedings.¡±


    Judge Hopper shook his head, ncing toward J. ¡°The living situation and connections Mr. Valentino would have, either in the past or present, are very relevant with regard to whether or not the child would be in danger, Ms. Loveless. I will allow it.¡±


    J scowled, opening her mouth to say something, but the judge wasn¡¯t having it. Hopper said, ¡°Mr. Kensington. Proceed.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, your honor,¡± Bruce said in a voice dripping with a bit too much delight. Bastard. I narrowed my eyes as I stared at the attorney. I probably looked as though I was challenging him to say more. Perhaps I was. There was a fire in my entire being brewing, waiting to erupt the more he spoke.


    Things were no longer going well.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it true you had no intention of leaving the mafia, either? Past associations are one thing. Daming, even. But, presently? You caused the death of your own dear daughter, and now, your connections will cost the life of your grandson. How many lives will be lost because of your selfishness, Mr. Valentino?¡±


    My face was most definitely red now, and I clenched my fists. I spoke through my teeth now, my voice dripping with malice. ¡°I have no intention of upholding any connections in my past. My daughter is not dead because of my decision, and you would do well to remember that.¡±


    Bruce gasped, feigning fear. ¡°Your honor, I do think that was a threat. His tone is rather edged, and his bodynguage indicates aggression. Thatpletely confirms this topic is a sensitive one for him, given it resulted in the loss of his daughter. As I said, Alessandro being killed due to his foolishness would be tragic.¡±


    The jury whispered amongst themselves, but I tried to keep it together. I took in a deep breath, my eyes sliding toward J as she scowled. My attorney spoke up now, saying, ¡°Objection! Your honor, Mr. Kensington is clearly trying to provoke a reaction from Mr. Valentino.¡±


    Bruce cut in right there, shaking his head. ¡°He would not have such a strong reaction if it were not true. I encourage the jury to think deeply about this, and how the child¡¯s life is on the line. Chad Cartwright may have some hobbies he needs to work on changing, but Mr. Valentino¡¯s activities resulted in the death of his own daughter.¡±


    My voice caught in my throat as I simply couldn¡¯t find the words to interject. My emotions wouldn¡¯t calm from this fiery storm rushing through my veins. My fists clenched harder as I stared Bruce down with more contempt than I had for a person in a while.


    Which was saying something.


    A wicked smile was stered on Bruce¡¯s face as he knew he was pushing all the right buttons. Here I was, not losing it entirely, but definitely on edge. The judge could see it, and so could the jury.


    I felt Ba¡¯s stare boring into me, likely filled with rage.


    Not as much anger as I felt here and now, though. The guilt that swelled in my chest was unmatched. How dare these goons use my own daughter¡¯s death against me? I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised, and in fact, I should have expected it.


    By how the jury was whispering and frowning deeply, I knew I¡¯d f*cked up.

 Chapter 184 : Making Up

    <h4>Chapter 184: Chapter 184 : Making Up</h4>


    Ba.


    James could tell me everything would work out all he wanted, but that wouldn¡¯t be the case if we had more days like today. I paced in the living room of our home, clenching my fists. Anger billowed from my gut as the scene from the courtroom yed in my head over and over.


    Of course, he had to lose it. He couldn¡¯t stay calm under pressure for us, and that meant we were probably going to lose Alessandro. Why couldn¡¯t he keep his mind straight under pressure?


    Once again, his past wasing up, something that followed us like a starving dog scrounging through the garbage behind a busy restaurant. I wrinkled my nose as if I smelled something disgusting.


    The Cartwrights weren¡¯t right for Alessandro. They only wanted him because Chad was stupid enough to shoot himself on that ship through a dangerous game. Alessandro deserved a family that would love him, and I intended on us being just that. Tally had given him to me for a reason.


    When we got back to our residence, James had dismissed himself to the bathroom, likely to calm down. We needed to talk this out, and he wasn¡¯t going to hide in there forever. I was getting impatient and eventually found myself outside the bathroom door.


    ¡°James,¡± I said, my voiceced with a mixture of aggravation and exhaustion. ¡°We need to talk. Please.¡±


    Eventually, he slinked out of the bathroom and followed me into the living room, copsing onto the couch and avoiding my gaze. When I took my own seat across from him, I leaned forward, a scowl on my face. ¡°What was that?¡± I finally asked.


    ¡°A mistake,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Look, Ba. I should have kept my head back there. I didn¡¯tpletely lose my mind, but I was close. I know, I know.¡±


    ¡°You know. Well, if you knew, we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation to begin with. James, you know the Cartwrights are going to pull every card they have to take Alessandro away from us.¡± I looked over my shoulder toward the nursery, wincing.


    I reached up and rubbed my temples, then added to my thoughts. ¡°Alessandro deserves a family who will love him. We can give that to him, but only if you stop making mistakes like that. You knew they¡¯d bring up your past, yet you still provided an obvious reaction. They¡¯re ruthless and are now going to use that. You should¡¯ve just pleaded the Fifth and said nothing else.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I know that, Ba?¡± James asked without raising his voice. He stared at me with that dark gaze of his, his lip twitching up into a snarl. I wasn¡¯t intimidated.


    ¡°I want you to understand, deeply, how badly things went today because of your agitation. The gravity of the situation is clear. Were you thinking about that, or were you all wrapped up in your past enough to forget about the present?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Bruce is a bastard,¡± James finally grumbled, putting his head into his hands. In somewhat of a muffled voice, he added, ¡°I knew they would bring it up, and I thought I was ready, Ba, but evidently I was wrong. Things will still work out.¡±


    ¡°Will they?¡± I asked, my voice cracking a little bit. The torrent of dread bombarded me, and I let out a heaving sigh. Clenching my jaw, I narrowed my eyes and tried to calm down. I was being hard on James for the love of Alessandro and needed to be assured James took this seriously.


    ¡°Yes,¡± James said, exasperated. ¡°You¡¯ll be given a chance to testify tomorrow, and the love you have for Alessandro is obvious. I see it, Ba, it drips from every pour, every word you say to the child. You¡¯ve gone through so much and love him as your own now.¡±


    ¡°How will that help?¡± I asked, furrowing my brow.


    ¡°The judge can¡¯t bepletely heartless. Money buys a lot, but the difference between objectives is clear. You want to be Alessandro¡¯s actual mother. You¡¯re not in this for rapport or to carry on some family line. I¡¯m with you in this. You¡¯ll show that the only ones in this situation who are right for him are us.¡±


    ¡°Money buys more than emotion,¡± I replied, a tear trickling down my cheek as the hopelessness continued to mp its jaws on me. ¡°You, more than anyone, know that. Especially since you¡¯re still so absorbed into your past to react that way in court.¡±


    ¡°Ba,¡± James said softly. He hesitated, but then got up from the couch. He leaned down and caressed my cheek with the back of his hand, causing me to wince but not flinch away. I wasn¡¯t in the mood for this.


    He continued. ¡°You make a beautiful mother in both mind and emotion. Not only do you pay close attention to what Alessandro needs physically, but you¡¯re there emotionally for him, too. You¡¯ll get them to see it. I know you will.¡±


    I bit my lip, bowing my head as I felt his hand slip into my shirt. James no doubt intended on exploring now. This may let off steam for him, but my mind was still stuck on the issue. Everything around us was crumbling. Did he understand just how much was on the line?


    ¡°James,¡± I whispered. I felt his other hand reach under my chin and pull my head up. He got me to stare deep into his eyes, my own probably shimmering with tears still. In fact, I felt a few of them crawl down my cheeks, leaving a hot trail behind them.


    ¡°Ba,¡± he said in a tone just as soft. ¡°What did I say? It will all work out. We¡¯ll make sure of it. We¡¯ve gotten this far. I¡¯m not dead, much to the dismay of certain parties in the courtroom. By all logic, I should be. Yet, here I am. I¡¯m a stubborn asshole, and you¡¯re stubborn, too. We won¡¯t let them get Alessandro. Alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied hesitantly. His fingers began to massage my nipple, sending shivers down my spine. I took a deep breath, trying to concentrate. ¡°I need to know that you¡¯re as invested as I am in this.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± James confirmed. ¡°Today, I made a mistake. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be more conscious of it in the future. The case isn¡¯t closed yet, and now we have to rely on your emotional intelligence to get through this. Something tells me I don¡¯t have to worry much.¡±


    He leaned down, pressing his lips against mine for a moment. I closed my eyes, losing myself in him for a while before he pulled away to take a breath. My lust intensified, wanting ever-increasing between my thighs. He was distracting me, for sure.


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, swallowing. ¡°You really see me that way?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± he said. His honeyed words were genuine, and I felt my entire body rx.


    The sensation of light pinching and teasing had me on the edge. I wanted to give myself to him right now, but my mind was a whirl of emotions, most of them conflicting.


    He couldn¡¯t be sure everything would work out. Everything would be on my shoulders tomorrow after what happened today, and that was a huge responsibility.


    Alessandro relied on me to lead a loving, happy life. If I failed him, he¡¯d be with people who just wanted to use him.


    When I looked back into James¡¯s eyes again, I saw love and concern swirling in his gaze. I was affirmed, right then, that he was telling the truth. After running my tongue slowly over my lips, I slowly nodded. ¡°Fine,¡± I muttered. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°I will be,¡± James said, then winked. ¡°Let me make it up to you. You¡¯re obviously stressed, and the Stallion is a bit hard to control.¡±


    I chuckled, muttering with a groan as he continued on my nipple, ¡°Ngh. Italian Stallion. Probably the distraction I need right now.¡± That¡¯s all he needed to hear. Suddenly, I was flung over his shoulder, letting out a squeal of surprise.


    Thank goodness I¡¯d put the children to sleep earlier, though I made sure my audible gasps and cries weren¡¯t too loud as James carried me to the bed. I was tossed onto it unceremoniously because James clearly wanted action. Judging by the need practically pouring from between my legs, I did as well.


    I waspletely bare before the Italian Stallion in a matter of moments, his c*ck dripping with prec*m already.


    Licking my lips, I moaned already, though I knew I was in for a bit of teasing for the hard time I¡¯d given him before.


    This was confirmed as James pounced on me, rubbing at the sensitive flesh between my legs and causing me to groan. ¡°That¡¯s it, baby. I¡¯ll be in you soon enough, but I love the way you say ¡®please.¡¯ I may need to hear that again.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on, James,¡± I gasped, feeling his tip tease my entrance. Frustratingly, he pushed in just a little, but not enough to even remotely get things started. I let out a moan, wanting him to go further, rougher, the frustration from the previous argument emanating from me.


    ¡°Cum I will, Ba, but this is all about give and take.¡± He leaned down and encircled my nipple with his mouth, swirling it with his tongue as I once again let out a cry.


    Sparks of pleasure rushed through me as he teased the tip of it, while also rubbing between my legs with his throbbing c*ck.


    The Italian Stallion was clearly wanting to f*ck me roughly, but was holding himself back. Problem was, I needed this, and squeals of protest spilled from my lips. Matters only grew worse as he shifted his weight, reaching down to vigorously rub at my cl*t.


    He knew just the right way to do it, because soon, I was writhing beneath him. Mercilessly, he began to push himself into me, dragging along my sensitive inner walls and causing a cry of want to spill from my lips. I didn¡¯t want to y games, so he wouldn¡¯t get a please from me.


    At least, that¡¯s what I told myself.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, so strong, Ba. Take all of me. Good girl. You¡¯re still quite giving me exactly what I want, though. I need a ¡®please¡¯ from those sexy lips, baby,¡± he said, his sultry voice edged with the hint of a growl.


    He proceeded to pull out, then slowly sink in again, causing me to once more groan in utter exasperation. I needed him faster, harder, and now! At this point, I didn¡¯t want to wait. I broke rather quickly, the hurricane of emotions swirling in the pit of my stomach demanding release.


    ¡°Please. Harder, now, please!¡± I begged, which is exactly what he wanted to hear.


    I was rewarded with dazzling strokes that were abination of incredibly rough and dizzyingly fast. James was merciless, the Italian Stallion on the ride until he passed over that hill. Something that happened fairly quickly.


    As my breasts bounced in front of him, he leaned down and took my nipple in his mouth again. His movements grew rougher as pleasure rushed through me, and an orgasm exploded from between my legs. James c*mmed at the same time, his warm seed filling me.


    ¡°Mmm... thank you,¡± I whispered, satisfied with his gift. Sure, I¡¯d been angry before, but steamy sex was a good way to make up.


    James grunted and leaned down, pressing his lips against mine. ¡°No need for a thank you, Ba. You were wonderful.¡±


    Thebination of strong emotions and sex had me out like a light just momentster.

 Chapter 185 : For the Love of a Boy

    <h4>Chapter 185: Chapter 185 : For the Love of a Boy</h4>


    Ba.


    The next day, I was well rested. My mind was clear from the argument I had with James followed by the intense sex we¡¯d had to make up.


    I had a few hours to kill before we¡¯d head back to court, and in that time, I wanted to give Alessandro some attention.


    I entered the nursery, walking up to the crib and smiling down at him. At the moment, he was asleep, peaceful, and with the hint of a smile.


    Some of his toys were snuggled in there next to him, and I found my heart fluttering at the sight of a happy baby.


    Only a minuteter, however, his eyes opened and fixed on me. When he smiled, my world lit up.


    The small child giggled and reached toward me, making grabby hands. ¡°F*ck! F*ck!¡± he said, causing me to furrow my brow, smirk, and shake my head.


    I leaned down and took the baby into my arms, pressing my index finger gently against the tip of his nose. He only giggled harder, in quite the cheerful mood. My smile widened. I changed his diaper and clothes then I took him into the kitchen and set him up in his baby chair. Dahlia was still fast asleep in her own crib.


    I turned to the cupboard and brought out some breakfast for him, hoping he wouldn¡¯t make a mess. Then, I took a seat nearby, grabbing some cereal for my own breakfast. It wouldn¡¯t do to go into a stressful situation while hungry.


    As I ate, I watched Alessandro y with his food and giggle every so often. Given the recent events, I couldn¡¯t help it when my mind began topse into darker scenarios. Chad was a cruel man,pletely unfit for a child.


    The whole twisted family of Cartwrights only saw him as a tool, after all, and I was standing between this child and a miserable life. My stomach clenched with anxiety at that thought, and I told myself I needed to keep a calm mind.


    James lost hisposure, and even if he didn¡¯tpletely go off, that didn¡¯t mean things looked great for our case. This child¡¯s world hung on my shoulders, and I needed to keep my grip on the reality of things. Otherwise, Alessandro¡¯s life would be hell.


    I couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    After making sure La was settled with the children, James and I were off to the courtroom once more. Despite my self-assurances, dread weighed heavily on me. I took a few deep breaths topose myself. No doubt, James took notice.


    ¡°Ba. Are you doing alright? Remember what I saidst night. You are a very intelligent woman. It will work out,¡± he said. He cast me a side-eye, to which I shrugged. I wanted to believe him. I did believe him. Right?


    ¡°You say that for everything,¡± I used.


    ¡°Have I been wrong yet?¡± James asked, raising a brow. Now, I looked at him in full, scowling somewhat.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re in this situation, and it has yet to work out,¡± I began. ¡°But, you¡¯re right. Drowning myself in negative emotions won¡¯t get us anywhere. I really do love him, James. He needs a good life, and you know those awful people aren¡¯t right for him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the understatement,¡± James said, shaking his head. He wore a smile, though, when he added to his words. ¡°But you¡¯re right. That¡¯s why I¡¯m so confident, Ba. The way you said that, right there. You know what you¡¯re talking about, and your voice drips with emotion. If you can¡¯t sway that entire courtroom, then hell has frozen over.¡±


    ¡°Well, then, I hope it hasn¡¯t,¡± I replied. ¡°Alessandro is relying on me.¡±


    Soon, we arrived at the courtroom, and my confidence was igniting a little bit more strongly than before. I kept Alessandro in mind, how happy he was, and how he was going to lose that all if I wavered for even a second. The pressure was intense, but I couldn¡¯t cave to it.


    The walk up to actually testify felt as though it took several years. Faces swirled around me, staring, judging, expressions none too kind. I swallowed, running my tongue over my lips as I stood there, facing the judge.


    Judge Hopper stared at me with a bored, almost annoyed gaze. Yesterday¡¯s testimony from James was probably fresh on his mind, which would make things much harder to crack. J stared me down, knowing I was probably thinking the same thing.


    Mutterings began to intensify in volume until the judge finally mmed his gavel. ¡°Order. Order!¡±


    J began with an easy question. ¡°Ba Woods, can you please tell us why you should be Alessandro¡¯s guardian over Chad Cartwright?¡±


    All was silent as eyes fell upon me. I cleared my throat and dipped my head in respect. ¡°I care deeply for Alessandro,¡± I started. ¡°He¡¯s a wonderful, brilliant child that deserves a wonderful life, something I intend on giving him.¡±


    ¡°Objection,¡± Kennsington interjected, his toneced with annoyance. I nced over to him, then toward the judge, making a mental note of how I was being interrupted right away. Still, I steeled my resolve and waited to see what would happen here.


    ¡°You may speak,¡± the judge said to Bruce. My heart dropped as I noticed somewhat of an evil grin stretch across Bruce¡¯s face. Definitely not a sign of anything good, which was confirmed by what came out of his lips next.


    ¡°If this woman intended on giving him a loving home and loving live, the child wouldn¡¯t have the word f*ck in his vocabry,¡± Bruce said, causing a resounding gasp to rush through the courtroom. I widened my eyes, no longerughing inwardly at the explicative known by the child.


    How had the Cartwrights found out about that?! The only way they could know any of this was through Teres and her cronies.


    The Stepford wives were ruthless and clearly had it out for me. They were now showing they had a bite to their bark, that was for damn sure.


    Judge Hopper¡¯s eyes fell upon me as he raised a brow, slowly shaking his head. ¡°As I asked you yesterday, Mr. Kensington, please hold those sorts of questions for cross-examination.¡± It seemed to be killing the judge not to let him ask me questions in the middle of my testimony.


    J seemed to want to address it now, get it over with. ¡°Ms. Woods, do you care to respond to these usations?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t get anywhere if I was cracking under pressure already. I refused to look at James right now. This was all me. After closing my eyes, then opening them again, I was ready to speak. I inhaled slowly and presented my defense to that question.


    ¡°We all make mistakes,¡± I began. ¡°Alessandro picked up the word, yes, and does say it sometimes. He should have been kept safe from suchnguage, but there¡¯s more to caring for a child than protecting them from adult words.¡±


    No one seemed impressed yet, but I wasn¡¯t done. A burst of confidence ripped through me as I stared Judge Hopper down, clenching my jaw just a moment before speaking once more.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sat there with him for long nights while he¡¯s cried from tossing and turning, humming songs to calm him down. I want to be there for him when he gets sick, for when he grows a little and has nightmares he needs cuddles to heal from. I want to see that smile of his every day. Hisugh lights up my world, and he¡¯s such a wonderful child.¡±


    I took a brief pause and continued.


    ¡°He has so much joy to offer everyone, so much joy he¡¯s offered me, and deserves to have that brought to the surface every time I can help him offer it. He¡¯s eventually going to run into things that make him cry, be it friendships ending, school stress, or much heavier things. I want to be that shoulder for him to cry on, to be the voice encouraging him to be the best he can be.¡±


    Maybe I was supposed to wait for a question, but when I looked at J, she was nodding encouragingly, so I continued.


    ¡°I want to continue to be Alessandro¡¯s mom, the one he brags to when he feels like he did something great, the one he can tell secrets to, and the one who he can trust to understand if he¡¯s made mistakes.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re right¨Ca mistake was made, and now a child knows a cuss word. He¡¯ll make mistakes too, and I want to be the ear to listen rather than the voice to yell that brings him down. I love him with all of my heart and soul. Alessandro will have his ups and downs in life, and I want to be there every step of the way for him, because he has my heart in his growing hands.¡±


    At this point, hot tears were streaming down my cheeks. My heart was being ripped to pieces at the thought of losing him. The love I had for Alessandro was on full disy here and now, and it poured out of me with that speech.


    I, however, wasn¡¯t done yet. Not even close. ¡°I promised Alessandro¡¯s mother that he would have a happy life. I promised her that he¡¯d be safe with me, that I would protect him as much as I could. More than that, though. I promised her that I would love him with my everything, and that is damn well what I intend on continuing to do. That child needs a mother who will care for him. I¡¯m that mother.¡±


    The court was dead silent, and soft whispers began to bounce around as people discussed my words. I couldn¡¯t catch anything right now, because all of my focus was on Judge Hopper. Then, my eyes slid over to the jury. Their expressions were unreadable.


    ¡°Thank you for that heartfelt testimony, Ba,¡± J finally said, giving a nod. I dipped my head respectfully, feeling somewhat numb after all of that. If I lost Alessandro, he wouldn¡¯t get any of what I promised. Tally would be rolling in her grave, and the child would have no chance of a sessful life.


    I was sure of it.


    After I was dismissed, the session carried onward, but I didn¡¯t pay much attention to what was said. My focus was on Bruce, who kept a deep scowl stered on his face as he frequently side-eyed me. My way of undermining that ¡®cuss¡¯ card he tried to y was clever, but also dripped with meaning.


    I thanked myself inwardly that I didn¡¯t be tongue-tied regarding one of Alessandro¡¯s words. What was somewhat of a joke nearly became a nightmare. I hoped I presented my case well enough to counter that, because Alessandro¡¯s life being ruined over an adult cussing around him would be horrible.


    It would be partially my fault for encouraging him, too. Some people took that sort of thing far more seriously, and if anyone on the jury took great offense, this case was even further in a bad spot. Especially after James¡¯s blunder yesterday.


    I needed to have faith.


    It was very hard holding onto hope right now, but after pouring my heart out and getting all of that off of my chest, I had to keep confident that not only did I do a good job, but James would be right about everything working out.


    It should help us that there was an actual jury, which was unusual for a custody hearing, but the Cartwrights must¡¯ve pulled some strings. Now, I hoped it blew up in their faces.


    It had to work out. If Alessandro went with the Cartwrights, he would get no love, never mind the life he deserved.


    With that in mind, I refocused on what was being said in court and told myself to calm down.


    We would get through this. We had to.

 Chapter 186 : A Waiting Game

    <h4>Chapter 186: Chapter 186 : A Waiting Game</h4>


    J.


    Sitting at a restaurant near the courtroom, I went over all that had happened over the past few days through my head. James had a terrible testimony, and I knew it sank the case farther from victory at the end of that day.


    Things really hadn¡¯t been looking good.


    After all, him reacting to his past being brought up showed the child was in a very dangerous situation. Or, at least, had the potential to be in one. I knew that the past was in the past and could be left behind under the right conditions.


    That wouldn¡¯t be the case for either the judge or jury. So much was on the line here, and no matter how headstrong I tried to be, I couldn¡¯t bully my way into the hearts of people through a situation like this. Not easily.


    Those weasels were scheming, I knew it. I thought we were done for when the cuss word was brought up, but somehow, Ba pulled through. Smart woman. My hand encircled a ss of red wine, and I took a sip. A te of steaming steak was ced in front of me, something that I eagerly dug into.


    This was one of the most difficult cases I¡¯d faced yet, and a child¡¯s life was on the line. Death would be more merciful than being brought up in the condition I assumed he would be should the Cartwrights win. I¡¯d seen so many kids failing horribly in life due to bad upbringing.


    They were all rotten, but Chad was especially egregious. The thought of him twisted my stomach and caused a fire to billow in my soul. I couldn¡¯t even believe it was a dispute that an idiot like him, who yed Russian roulette and paralyzed himself, had a chance to get the child.


    Yet, here we were.


    I let out a sigh and cut into my steak, telling myself to rx. There wasn¡¯t much I could do other than immerse myself in the case. I ate dinner quickly, only opting for one ss of wine to grace my system.


    I had alcohol at home, so I¡¯d let myself rx more there. Besides, it was unwise to drive after more than one ss, and I couldn¡¯t save lives while also putting so many at risk.


    My mind was going several miles a minute as I arrived at my car, getting inside and clutching the steering wheel. I told myself not to get too cross about cases like this. You won some, you lost some. Lives were ruined on the regr, though my purpose in this profession was to avoid that as much as possible.


    Damn old money, causing situations like this. Thew was a whore and could be bought so easily. That wasn¡¯t why I got into this, and yet, here I was, still working as an attorney. This recent situation just made me sick to my stomach.


    On the road, I put on some ring music. Rock was a great way to drown everything out sometimes. It distracted me from the reality that we were all just puppets to a corruptedw system that may be dooming an innocent child soon enough.


    Could Ba¡¯s performance tonight hope to cut those stringers? I hoped so.


    After pulling into the driveway in front of my house, I let out a grumble and got out of my car, mming the door. I didn¡¯t know what to expect, and that frightened me. It was cut and dry. The Cartwrights were undoubtedly going to win after James¡¯s poor performance.


    Then, Ba, spoke, and for the life of me, I actually had hope. That woman had gumption, something I could appreciate. That speech clearly moved the jury. Hell, it moved me, and I wasn¡¯t even a mother. Couldn¡¯t be. Sterile, no lover, no interest.


    As I entered the house, my mood brightened just a little. I felt something bump my leg, and I smiled, looking down to see a small ck cat purring as loudly as awnmower. Chuckling, I picked the cat up, holding him close to my chest.


    ¡°Hi there Panther. How are you doing, little guy?¡± I asked, getting a happy ¡®meow¡¯ in response. The kind feline always helped my nerves settle down. After giving him much-needed cuddles for a while, I ced him on the ground and went to grab him some wet food.


    I was supposed to rx after sessions like that. My mind was strained, and I stressed too much otherwise. Unfortunately, I kept going over the details over and over again. Tonight, I should be resting, but that wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    After feeding Panther and my other cats some dinner and ensuring they were settled, I sat myself at theputer and began typing away, organizing my thoughts, making ns on what to say tomorrow through a bunch of different scenarios. I would need to tell Ba and James how things went.


    Did they go well? I wasn¡¯t sure. I bit my lip and kept typing, organizing, staring, obsessing. Then, I remembered I could pour myself wine to calm my nerves. Just a few more sentences and I¡¯d do just that. I longed for the red liquid, but I needed a few more sentences. That was it.


    My eyes grew heavy as I kept on typing. I felt something thump on myp and subconsciously reached down, running my fingers through Panther¡¯s fur. He was so soft, and I was sofy. After giving him the pettings he demanded, it was back to work.


    Was I going to get some wine? Right, yes. After a few more sentences, of course. I had thoughts I needed to organize, ways to fix this puzzle, aid I could give Ba and James if the ship sunk. It very well might, and I needed to put my best foot forward.


    It was morning when I realized I¡¯d fallen asleep at my desk. I gasped, the first rays of sunshine hitting my face from the window peeking out from the curtains.


    I rubbed my eyes, staring at the now nk screen before me. Theputer had put itself to sleep. How much work had I gotten done?


    I clicked, scrolling through the document before letting out a sigh. Well, I¡¯d gotten down nearly all I¡¯d wanted to, at least. A few more paragraphster, and my papers were ready. The information was all in one ce, organized, clean. I got my printer going, then nced over at my phone.


    It was blinking, and I realized I had an email from the courtroom. We were to meet at the judge¡¯s chambers around 3:00 PM. Right now, it was 10:00 AM. I¡¯d have ample time to meet with Ba and James so we could discuss the happenings.


    A few phone callster, and we had organized a ce to meet. Somewhere quiet, where we could get lunch, but also discuss how the case went. I pped my papers on the table so they could all be organized, put a paperclip on them, and went into the kitchen.


    The cats were treated to their usual high-quality breakfast, meowing happily toward me at the typical delivery. I was almostte feeding them today, given I¡¯d fallen asleep at my desk. Hell hath no fury like a cat unfed. Thankfully, I¡¯d gotten plenty of sleep.


    A short shower and drying off my hairter, and I was in my suit, tailored and professional. I stared at myself in the mirror for a moment, noting the circles under my eyes. The Cartwrights could seek revenge on me for my work here, if Ba and James won.


    Old money could be as sharp as a knife, after all.


    I could vanish at any time, really, without a trace. I smiled at myself in the mirror. I¡¯d go down kicking. I wasn¡¯t called as stubborn as a mule for nothing. What would I do? My job. Regardless of the risk. upational hazards didn¡¯t deter me. That child would go to a loving family.


    Even if I had to pay for it with my blood.


    A couple of hourster, I arrived at the restaurant, cordial with the two of them. I probably came off as colder than intended, but that didn¡¯t matter. Dipping my head to James, then nodding at Ba, I kept silent as we were led to our table.


    Then, in a low voice, I said, ¡°Look. I think the proceedings have all right so far. From my perspective, and given my notes, Ba¡¯s speech may have swayed the jury. However, I¡¯m notpletely sure. James¡¯s performance was not satisfactory, which will be a hindrance. Of course, Sasha¡¯s testimony was also helpful.¡±


    James winced at Ba¡¯s sideways nce. He knew he¡¯d f*cked up. I sighed, then ran my fingers through my hair. ¡°All is not lost. Ba, keep doing what you¡¯re doing. James... don¡¯t do what you pulled a couple days ago again. This should being to a conclusion, so there¡¯s little chance to mess up like that, at least.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ba said, letting out a sigh. I could tell the poor woman wasn¡¯t getting much sleep from her end, either. She paused, her worried stare fixing on me again. ¡°How did they find out about Alessandro¡¯s cussing?¡±


    As if I knew. I shrugged, keeping my expression neutral. ¡°Could be any number of ways. If you have the child around people you do not trust, well, it was probably spilled. I assume you aren¡¯t surrounded by incredibly friendly people.¡±


    ¡°Supposedly, no, not really,¡± Ba sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much they are aware of the Cartwrights and how toxic they are, though. They are ¡®in the know,¡¯ though, so I don¡¯t think they want what¡¯s best for the child like I do.¡±


    ¡°Could be a bribe, then,¡± I mused, taking a bite of my lunch. This was an incredibly tangled mess, and I wondered just how much trouble followed both James and Bately. So many enemies. Thankfully, I was on their side, not actively trying to sabotage them.


    Noting her worried expression, I softened my gaze for just a moment. ¡°You touched the heart of someone without children. Me. Like I said, I¡¯m not sure. Some cases have oues that arepletely obvious even before we hear the verdict. That¡¯s not the situation here. There¡¯s your bright side.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t the best atforting people, but she needed to face reality. That said, things could be way worse, especially after her speech, so she had that going for her. The kid had hope yet.


    Several short, to-the-point conversationster, and we were sitting in our ces again. Puppets on strings.


    Hopper cleared his throat and said, ¡°The jury is still out. We will reconvene in two days. The child, Alessandro, cannot be seen by James during this waiting period. Ba, you will continue to care for the child during this waiting period.¡±


    Ba¡¯s eyes widened in fear, but she nodded. James hung his head, no doubt predicting the worst.


    From my perspective, Ba was fine. But James? This could be a very bad sign, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit hung up on it. Good thing I didn¡¯t drink all the winest night.

 Chapter 187 : To Love a Woman

    <h4>Chapter 187: Chapter 187 : To Love a Woman</h4>


    Allegra.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± my agent, Kimberly, said to me as we sat in a little cafe in Rome overlooking the Colosseum. She sipped a cappino and stared over the top of the tiny little cup at me with wide, incredulous eyes.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think I¡¯d stay out of work forever,¡± I scoffed, sipping my own cappino. ¡°I¡¯m a model. I model. That¡¯s what I do. That¡¯s how I make money.¡±


    ¡°I thought assassins made pretty good money?¡± Kimberly snarled. It was one of the many reasons I disliked her.


    But, she was the best agent in the business, and she¡¯d actually agreed to take the meeting, so I couldn¡¯t reallyin. ¡°I¡¯m not an assassin.¡±


    ¡°The U.S. Government begs to differ,¡± Kimberly said.


    ¡°The U.S. Government can sit on it and spin,¡± I grumbled. ¡°I was trained as an assassin, yes, but I don¡¯t WORK as one. I WORK as a model.¡±


    ¡°Not in the United States, you don¡¯t,¡± Kimberly replied. ¡°You¡¯ve been barred from using that as your home base, and word of mouth is the government is sniffing around anyone and everyone who ever had anything to do with you. You¡¯re practically ckballed in the industry.¡±


    I pinched the bridge of my nose. Shit. ¡°Okay, I wasn¡¯t really nning to do a lot of work in the United States anyway.¡±


    ¡°Where were you nning on working?¡± Kimberly asked.


    I gestured around us. ¡°Here. Rome. Europe. But based here in Rome.¡±


    Kimberly nodded slowly. ¡°Money won¡¯t be quite as good, but I can make it happen. I also want another five percent for hazard pay.¡±


    ¡°Hazard pay?!¡± I cried. ¡°What do you mean hazard pay? I¡¯m not taking you into the Congo to hunt militants, I just need you to make some phone calls to associates you already work with!¡±


    ¡°They all know, Allegra. I¡¯m going to get so much k and have to wade through so much bullshit for you just to get you working again,¡± Kimberly sniffed. ¡°I deserve a raise in pay.¡±


    I thought it over, my teeth grinding in frustration. ¡°Two percent.¡±


    ¡°Three,¡± Kimberly said.


    ¡°Done.¡± I was hardly surprised when Kimberly opened her briefcase and took out a new agent¡¯s agreement for me to look over and sign.


    After I did so, she took the papers and snapped her briefcase shut. ¡°It¡¯s been lovely doing business with you again, Allegra. Expect a call from me soon.¡±


    Kimberly downed the rest of her cappino in one gulp and walked away.


    I shook my head. God, but I hated that money-grubbing bitch. But if there was anyone who could restore a small sliver of my career, it would be her. I didn¡¯t have much of a choice.


    I held my cappino under my nose without drinking any of it. The scent was lovely and brought me back to a date I¡¯d taken La on back in New Zend.


    She¡¯d been so nervous and beautiful in an understated blue dress. I¡¯d wanted to skip dinner altogether and take her to a hotel, but that just wasn¡¯t the way one courted La.


    She deserved flowers and violins and a hundred doves released at the very moment of ¡°I do.¡± That was the kind of girl La was.


    I had no idea what I¡¯d done in this life or a previous one to deserve someone as sweet and gentle¡ªnot to mention smoking hot¡ªas La.


    Finally, I sipped my cooling cappino and stared at the sunset. I¡¯d been a little perturbed when she¡¯d chosen to stay with Ba rather than get whisked away by me, but I understood she had a connection to those kids.


    I did, too, but I no longer had any right to go beating down James¡¯s and Ba¡¯s door, bringing trouble.


    Something I¡¯d brought a lot of upon myself, clearly. Shoving aside my thoughts of Kimberly and her ridiculous notion of ¡®hazard pay¡¯, I took another sip of my cappino. All was going to be well now. I could be with La.


    I¡¯d emphasized Rome, for the most part, even if I wouldn¡¯t get as much money. That wasn¡¯t everything when love was involved, after all. Look at La and her nannying. She had so much passion in that job, which was why she was not with me.


    Yet.


    But that was all about to change. We would live in a little cottage with some woods behind us. I would build a few bird boxes so she could have the wildlife she loved so much up close and personal.


    We¡¯d exchange so many kisses of passion, and I would give her all the pleasure, and more, that she deserved. I licked my lips, imagining my tongue exploring her mouth for a moment. Warmth flowed through me as I sighed, slowly closing my eyes.


    I needed to make this work so we could have that wonderful life. So La couldy next to me on cold nights, with a cup of hot chocte or a ss of wine, wrapped in a nket and resting in my arms.


    So I could see her in hundreds more sexy dresses, witness her cheeks flush as I whispered sweet nothings in her ear. I imagined pinning her down, wanting to cause so many delicious whimpers to spill from her lips.


    Romantic, sexy, all of that and more, she was going to be with me, and I couldn¡¯t wait. I took another sip, the annoyance over Kimberly and her money-grubbing bullshit dissipating into the night as the sun vanished under the horizon.


    My hopes and dreams were hanging on this. If I had a proper ie, even if less than I was used to, I could make this work. Sometimes circus handlers needed to rely on their tigers, after all.


    Eventually, I finished my drink and tossed it into the garbage, standing quickly and approaching my car. There was something weighing on my mind. I really wanted to give her that ne I got for her.


    It was the same ne I¡¯d gone back to get in New Zend when I¡¯d been kidnapped. I¡¯d kept it hidden from the kidnappers the entire time. In Scarsdale, I hadn¡¯t had a chance to return it to her, but I was determined to do so soon. La would eventually end up back in Rome, so I¡¯d be able to present it to her then, preferably after a long, tender kiss.


    That kidnapping business had been horrible, with several heaps of unpleasantness I didn¡¯t want to focus on too much. Still, I¡¯d gotten that ne right before it all went down, and I intended on getting it to its rightful owner.


    Anyway, I ran over my ns in my head. We would get a nice cottage here in Rome, something that would definitely work out regardless of what James and Ba did. Yes, La had an attachment to the kids, but they weren¡¯t hers.


    She eventually would need to move on. Bonus points for when James inevitably moved back to Italy with Ba anyway. La wouldn¡¯t have to be torn between me and them. Hopefully, they would move close to Rome. I didn¡¯t see why that wouldn¡¯t be the case. Florence was close enough.


    La had expressed to me her desire to live in Italy anyway. She wasn¡¯t the biggest fan of the United States, which was great, given that I wasn¡¯t allowed to work as a model here anyway. The more she was stuck here, the more my heart clenched.


    No, she woulde back here and live out her dreams with me. I told myself this over and over as I approached my car, leaving the establishment and heading to my apartment.


    The night life was bustling, with pedestrians wandering down the streets illuminated by soft light. I smiled to myself, imagining my arm linked with La as we wandered to the Teatro dell¡¯Opera di Roma.


    We¡¯d watch some heart-wrenching shows and have deep discussions about the meaning of them. I¡¯d lean in and steal a kiss from her during only the most romantic of moments, possibly teasing under her shirt at the same time.


    We¡¯d get dirty looks, but we¡¯d ignore them. The world would be ours. I would bring in plenty of money for us. It didn¡¯t matter that it¡¯d be less than before. None of it did. I¡¯d be with La.


    I pulled into the apartment garage, letting out a sigh. After parking my car, I walked along the concrete to the elevator system. Then, I entered it, pressing on a button and waiting to be taken to my floor.


    Thisplex has good people, like the one I had at one point in Miami. Though I ended up resenting that country, I had to admit being near the beach was lovely. Not all of my memories there were rotten.


    I entered the apartment, cing the keys on the counter and striding in with confidence. Things wereplicated right now, but they would work out. Love woulde through. I knew La reciprocated my feelings, she expressed her deep love whenever we were able to speak.


    Swallowing, I entered my bathroom, little sandy-colored rugs in a beach-like set up, much like the rest of the apartment. Shell and other oceanic decorations were my preference in thisrge apartment, it providedfort. Would La like this ce like I did?


    She¡¯d have plenty of input as to what else to add, I decided. A pit of anxiety had started to brew in my stomach, and I wasn¡¯t sure why. It was perfectly fine that she¡¯d decided to stay with Ba and James over me for now. That wasn¡¯t going to be the case permanently.


    Right?


    No, I needed to be confident in our rtionship. She loved me. Every word dripped with emotion when we spoke, so eventually, we¡¯d be together. I promised her everything. I woulde through with that promise.


    My lip quivered as I realized my money may be running out soon. That bitch Kimberly had bettere through soon.


    I could still sustain myself and more, livefortably with several luxuries, even with that percentage she demanded and also being paid less. At this point, I just wanted a normal life with my partner, who surely would be La.


    Who had chosen Ba and the kids over me.


    It just meant she was a very caring person, really. That was all. I couldn¡¯t fault her for that. I was sure many with tender hearts like hers would do the same thing. After sshing myself with some water from the sink, I told myself to calm down and have faith.


    Eventually, Iy on the couch, a delicate hand on my forehead. My phone, which I had ced on a side table next to me, began to vibrate. I brought it up to my ear, furrowing my brow.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I asked.


    There was a pause on the other end, then a familiar voice. Neal. ¡°Hey, Allegra. How are you?¡± His tone wasn¡¯t pleasant, but rather, quite guarded. I ran my tongue over my lips, wondering what this could be about.


    ¡°I¡¯m alive. Best I can say. Convenient that you¡¯re calling now, actually. Have you finished the job?¡±

 Chapter 188 : Alone Again, Naturally

    <h4>Chapter 188: Chapter 188 : Alone Again, Naturally</h4>


    James.


    All alone and with a cavern in my heart, I sat there with my head against the wall. This house wasn¡¯t the most luxurious, mostly because it was rather barren, but that¡¯s because it wasn¡¯t meant to be.


    I¡¯d rented it when I first came into town. We¡¯d brought most of our things to the other house, and I¡¯d kept this one just in case something like this came up. I was hoping that would not be the case, but despite that, here I was.


    I let out a disparaged sigh, putting my face in my hands and letting out a groan. Ba¡¯s speech had taken my breath away, and I was starting to have some real hope I¡¯d be able to stay with Alessandro.


    After the discussion with J, and the decision of the court to keep me away from the kids for now, I felt the dagger of anxiety twist in my stomach.


    Over and over, I ran through the mistakes I made in my head. There were far too many to count. Not to mention, my mood was brought down further at the thought of Tally.


    She was killed, that was the end of it, and the guilt from it being because of me hung like a shadow of depression at all times. I could barely handle it, so the fact that I nearly lost it in court dragged me down.


    I considered drowning myself in wine but decided doing so would be unwise, especially with Tally now on my mind. She had been ever since Bruce emphasized I was the reason for her death.


    Now, I could lose Alessandro, too. He may as well be killed, given what Chad and that rotten family would do to him. Maltreatment and brainwashing. Sasha¡¯s testimony had painted a perfectly horrifying picture of his destiny in the hands of the Cartwrights.


    I swallowed, walked into the kitchen and started up a meal for myself. Something simple, notplex, even if tackling something more in-depth would upy my mind.


    Or, rather, I wanted to start up something, but the longer I stood there with the fridge open, realizing I¡¯d need to actually order ingredients, the more I told myself I should just order out.


    I did so, going with a simple chicken fettine alfredo from a ce I knew had good reviews. Following that, Iid back down on the couch, staring at my phone screen.


    Pestering Ba during this stressful time wouldn¡¯t do, but I couldn¡¯t wait. I maye across as pushy, but what else was new. Making a decision, I dialed her number, putting the phone up against my ear and taking a breath.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Ba muttered softly on the other line, her voice dripping with exhaustion.


    ¡°Ba,¡± I breathed. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m... not well,¡± she said after a long pause. I heard her sniffle on the other line, a wave of concern and mncholy washing over me as she spoke.


    ¡°I am so sorry, Ba. I know, this is difficult. How are the kids?¡± I asked, trying to keep her mind off of things for a moment.


    ¡°They¡¯re okay,¡± Ba replied. Shetched onto this distraction, her voice gaining a spec ofughter at what she described next. ¡°Alessandro is a troublemaker, as usual.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He stole Dahlia¡¯s rattle and ran all around the house with it. Dahlia was pretty angry, but I rescued it and gave it back. Still, she cried for about a half hour or so following it. I tried not tough. But her expressions reminded me of you when you get angry.¡±


    ¡°Ah, all scrunched up and red in the face?¡± I asked, giving a chuckle.


    ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± she said. ¡°She has your eyes. I think she misses you, though. I can see her looking for you sometimes.¡±


    Ba¡¯s voice morphed back into one of sadness, her words edged and frightened. ¡°James...¡± she said, ¡°what if it has to be this way forever? What if they say you can¡¯t ever see Alessandro, but I can?¡±


    I opened, then closed my mouth. What indeed. I would have to leave Ba and the kids forever. My hands were too red from my past, and they were in danger enough given the past mafia activity.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find a way,¡± I said firmly, trying to reassure myself right along with Ba. That initial, horrifying thought that I could never run from my past dissolved a bit. I was tying up loose ends, starting my life anew.


    This would not follow me. We just had to get through this trial. I was ready to return to Italy ASAP, but still needed to hear about those damn tapes. Why was it taking what felt like eons for anyone to get back to me with any information I needed?


    I clenched my jaw. Running back to Italy is what I wanted to do, with Ba and the kids, more than anything. The courts here could fall for the bullshit Bruce pulled in that session to make me angry, but that wouldn¡¯t follow us to Italy.


    Ba and I could be together, a family, with the kids. Honestly, regardless of the oue, even if it worked out in the end, we¡¯d need to go back. It was where I belonged, after all, and the mafia issues were being put to rest.


    Just like Tally had been. I reached up and rubbed my temple with my free hand. That seemed to be on my mind just as much as the kidstely. Ba¡¯s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°James?¡± she asked, causing me to blink.


    ¡°Yes. Sorry, my love. What were you saying?¡±


    ¡°How will we find a way this time? You say it¡¯s all going to work out, but I¡¯m just not sure. Alessandro can¡¯t go to the Cartwrights. We know, and all of that dirtyundry was hung up for the jury to see on Chad. What if they throw their money around and win, regardless?¡±


    ¡°That could happen,¡± I agreed, listening to her intake her sharp breath. Quickly, I added, ¡°But it is unlikely. You¡¯re able to see the kids right now. The most likely scenario is you keeping the kids, while I stay away. At least while we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°While we¡¯re here. Right,¡± Ba said. There was a hint of hesitation in her voice, as if she had something to tell me. I raised a brow, wondering what it could be.


    ¡°Yes. Something on your mind?¡± I asked. ¡°¡®Our time in New York is temporary, love, regardless. We may need to deal with this for a few weeks, or months, but eventually, we¡¯ll be back in Italy, and we can be together.¡±


    ¡°We can,¡± she agreed, her voice strained. Should I press right now? No, both of us were far too stressed for a heavy topic. I red at the other wall for a moment, clenching my jaw before letting out a sigh.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said finally. ¡°I love you. Can I say hello to Alessandro?¡± I asked, exhausted, sad, but still wanting to speak with my grandson. Someday, I hoped I could adopt him as my son. With any luck, thew would be on my side right along with Ba¡¯s.


    Living like this was a mixture of grating and depressing.


    ¡°He¡¯s asleep right now,¡± Ba replied, causing me to shake my head sadly. Of course, he was. I should have called earlier. As I nced toward the clock, I realized it was 11:00 PM. How foolish of me to make such a request.


    Ba added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, James. I probably should have called you, but stress has been eating at me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I said, keeping my tone tender. ¡°As I said. Things will work out. I¡¯ll talk to the kids tomorrow. I¡¯m happy to hear your voice now, though, even if you¡¯re sad. Try not to stress too much, alright? The speech you gave made my heart sing. I could see it on the jury¡¯s faces, too.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± Ba asked, that bit of happiness and hope dripping into her tone. I meant what I said to her, too, and was beyond happy that my reassurance could be genuine.


    ¡°No, Ba, I know so. Get some sleep,¡± I said. ¡°Love you.¡±


    ¡°Love you too.¡±


    I bid her farewell and put the phone down. A few minutester, there was a knock at the door, prompting me to answer it and get my food. After thanking and paying the delivery person, I found myself at the couch again.


    All alone, with the television now glowing in front of me, I ate my food, trying to escape my drowning thoughts with distractions. The bags under my eyes were probably permanent from all this.


    A thought seeped into my mind as I ate. Why had Ba been so hesitant to talk about Italy? I¡¯d been under the impression that she had epted that New York was just going to be temporary. This had better note up as a problem in the future.


    Surely, after all the Cartwrights put us through, Ba wouldn¡¯t want to continue staring into the maw of the beast. I was confident she, at least, would get to keep Alessandro. Myself, not so much.


    Plus, what if things didn¡¯t work out? What if I wasn¡¯t able to see the kid anymore because of the mafia business that wastched onto my back like a tick that wouldn¡¯t drop off of a dog? Surely she¡¯d agree we needed to get away from this ce then.


    I didn¡¯t know. So much back and forth with Ba. I loved her deeply and assumed she felt the same. I tried to dismiss that haunting feeling that she may have a choice to make in the future despite that. Why did she need to make things so difficult?


    I had plenty of money, and we would have a lovely life in Italy. There I was, jumping to conclusions, however. Ba was probably just tired from this whole trial business and all worried about whether the courts would favor me.


    With J being unsure, I was too. I couldn¡¯t add this new concern over whether Ba would return to Italy onto my te right now. That, and I was still waiting on those damn tapes. The sooner I could get information, the sooner I could put yet another problem to rest.


    I put the rest of my food into the fridge and stood up, cracking my neck. Tomorrow, I would be able to talk to the kids, which would lift my spirits. Then, the next day, we¡¯d know our fate. For now, I¡¯d have to deal with being away from Ba.


    She could handle the kids, along with La, until I was finally able to be in the picture for good this time.

 Chapter 189 : Called back to the Catwalk

    <h4>Chapter 189: Chapter 189 : Called back to the Catwalk</h4>


    Allegra.


    ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± I asked, my voice dripping with excitement. My phone was pressed up against my ear as I lounged on the couch, a genuine smile ying on my lips.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kimberly said, giving a sigh. ¡°They¡¯re interested. Do you know how many hoops I had to jump through? I should have asked for more than three percent.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, thank you, your highness,¡± I muttered sarcastically. Maybe Kimberly had some use after all. I couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved. After our conversationst time, I¡¯d been worried she wouldn¡¯t be able to pull strings properly.


    Now, I had my chance despite having that rtively inconvenient past. Kimberly replied, ¡°You¡¯re wee. I¡¯ve got things to do. A little less whining on your end, going forward, would be appreciated.¡± Then, she hung up.


    Nope, still an annoying bitch. But one who would get me what I wanted, so I allowed myself to feel a little bit grateful.


    I wandered through my living room, reaching up to rub my eyes. I hadn¡¯t been getting the best sleeptely, as I¡¯d been worried about the results from Kimberly. Now, I¡¯d keep a roof over me and food in my belly.


    A veryfortable one, might I say. My stomach growled, causing me to let out a sigh. Switching course from my bedroom to my kitchen, I decided to make myself breakfast.


    Nap or call La first? I had to admit, the butterflies in my stomach had me very hesitant. Surely the bad feeling I had about what La could be thinking was wrong. Surely she still intended on going to Italy with Ba andpany.


    James and Ba did intend oning back here, right? I frowned, cracking an egg and putting it on the pan. I salted my meal, focusing on it and trying to drown out that growing pit. The smell of food had my mouth watering, a wee distraction, at least.


    After a sigh, my mind drifted to other things. More daydreams of what La and I could be. I hoped she enjoyed walks under the moonlight where we could tell stories or chat about how we were feeling because I would treat her to many of those.


    If this modeling worked out, and I returned to my former glory, I could even get her an entire library. She was so intelligent, she¡¯d love that. She could nanny for kids here, too.


    My thoughts then, inevitably, turned to kids of our own. We could adopt one, two, maybe even three. We¡¯d need a grand wedding, first, indeed with those thousands of doves flying through the air and rose petals raining down upon us.


    I smiled as I thought about all this. Eventually, my breakfast was done, and I let the egg slide onto a te. It was sunny-side up, done to perfection. Hopefully, I could cook La something this good in the future, too. My sess with things like this could vary.


    Sitting down at my table, I began to eat, my thoughts shifting to the inevitable modeling business I would be partaking in. Runways, outfits, the whole nine yards. This would certainly be less dangerous than spying.


    That life was behind me, though. While it had been adventurous, and I¡¯d been able to help my country, back when I was dedicated to it, my life had been impacted so heavily because of it.


    I was no longer allowed in the United States, hopefully something that would be amodated for when I worked in Rome on the runways. They wouldn¡¯t send me to such a ce if I refused, right? I shuddered, not wanting to know the impact of that right now.


    Rather, I painted the fairy tale in my mind that now, because of my connections, everything would work out. I would glide along the runway like the superstar I was, catching eyes and cheers. A trendsetter, in this area. That¡¯s what I¡¯d be!


    La would be there right alongside me in her own way, surely. I saw that twinkle in her eye, the way she looked at me. She adored seeing me in a variety of outfits, and I recalled lovingly how I joked I¡¯d wear one home someday.


    One with very little coverage, of course. Something to feed her gorgeous mind. I licked my lips at the thought of pleasing her enough with a style that I could drag her to bed and take her in all the ways she¡¯d beg me to.


    I finished off breakfast, giving a sideways nce at my phone before deciding to call Later. She hadn¡¯t texted me back, and I didn¡¯t want toe across as desperate. I may also have been avoiding a sinking feeling, but I sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to admit that.


    Striding through my living room and toward my bedroom, I ced a hand on my forehead, giving augh of relief at the situation. Life could go back to normal. Well, except for that one teeny tiny issue.


    Neal still hadn¡¯t killed the remaining Michaelson brothers.


    They were ruthless, an ongoing problem, and needed to be stopped. I wished my brother would get on with it. We needed this done to properly move on, and it was a shadow over my head every time I tried to think of a future for myself.


    Iy down, staring at the ceiling while mulling this over. No amount of lecturing toward him would make things faster, much as I wish my very sharp words could turn the gears of fate and speed this up for both of us.


    With a sigh, I shook my head, closed my eyes, and tried to sleep. It was a little early, 9:00 PM, but theck of sleep should have made it easy to slip into dreand. The anxiety, however, was proving to be difficult.


    I needed to call La. I was incredibly excited about this opportunity. Sure, the Michaelson brothers weren¡¯t put down yet. But that didn¡¯t matter, that whole issue would be closed soon. Neal needed more time. Fine. Life could go on.


    My heart pounded as I reached for my cell phone, and slowly began to dial a number. Wait. I shook my head, going toward our texts back and forth first. I opened messages, noting how myst one, a simple: ¡®Thinking of you!¡¯ had been read, but not responded to.


    La must be super busy with the kids, and the trial, and that¡¯s why she hadn¡¯t said anything. I licked my lips, telling myself not to let anxiety stop me now. I had always been incredibly confident in most things I did, so there really was no need to stop now.


    After narrowing my eyes, I finally decided to dial the number. It rang for a few times until I heard her wonderful voice. Part of me wished it¡¯d gone to voicemail so I could get restful sleep in case this conversation turned into what I dreaded. No such luck.


    ¡°Hello?¡± La asked her tone far away.


    ¡°Hello, La,¡± I said, my voice careful. ¡°How are you? Well, I hope? I hope I¡¯m not interrupting anything, you must be busy.¡± That may have been a poke to see if she got my former message. I tried to avoid doing that with her, but couldn¡¯t help my anxiety right now.


    ¡°Well enough,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re not interrupting anything, though it has been busy, and stressful. Ba is here; James isn¡¯t. We¡¯re going to get the oue of the trial tomorrow. Things are looking interesting. I guess. The kids are here. How are you?¡±


    ¡°Interesting how?¡± I asked, avoiding her question about how I was doing for now. I wanted to find out about how her day went before gushing. Maybe that would put me at ease about why she felt so distant.


    ¡°Well, James didn¡¯t do great in his testimony. His past was brought up, along with Tally¡¯s death. He didn¡¯t take it well. Ba followed with an amazing speech on how much Alessandro meant to her. James currently can¡¯t see the kids. That¡¯s what they ruled for now.¡±


    ¡°Oh. A temporary order, I hope?¡±


    ¡°Hopefully,¡± La said, her tone dripping with concern. ¡°We¡¯ll see. The kids deserve their father. I¡¯m a bit more confident in Ba, but I hope for her sake that it doesn¡¯t be a permanent thing.¡±


    I swallowed, then asked, ¡°Does Ba still want to move back to Italy? And, more importantly, do you?¡±


    There was a pause, and she said, ¡°I think so.¡± I didn¡¯t know if she meant herself or Ba. Maybe I could sway her.


    ¡°Well,¡± I offered. ¡°I got the modeling job.¡± I couldn¡¯t help it. I began to gush. ¡°Now, I can dominate the runway and make plenty of money for us to befortable. The apartment I have is big, in a great area, and more than perfect for us. You¡¯ll love it here. The theater is close by, we can watch a y after you¡¯ve settled in.¡±


    ¡°That sounds wonderful,¡± she said, though there wasn¡¯t much feeling to her words. In fact, she was being very different, which caused the anxiety to swell even more within my gut. Was it wonderful, or was she just saying that?


    ¡°Once the business with Ba and James is situated, you¡¯ll be treated like the queen you deserve to be, La. I promise. I can¡¯t wait for you to see some of the trends I¡¯m going to set here,¡± I said, really hoping she¡¯d be a bit more excited about this.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be lovely,¡± La said, far less emotional than I expected. My heart sank. She then added, ¡°I have the kids to upy right now, though, Allegra. It was nice talking to you; I¡¯m really happy to hear things worked out.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll talk to you soon, then.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t put at ease at all. In fact, I was feeling far worse than when she didn¡¯t respond to my message for a day. I wasn¡¯t obsessive, but I knew she used to reply much faster, with lots more love and enthusiasm, too.


    I brushed it off as her being busy, but now? She was so distant. What if she didn¡¯t want toe to Italy at all? What if Ba didn¡¯t? Would she stay there to continue being a nanny for Alessandro and Dahlia? Her connection to those kids, at this point, was stronger than I thought.


    A tear crawled down my cheek as I tried telling myself not to worry about this too much. It was just my worries and fears, nothing more. She was probably so busy that she didn¡¯t have time to think through what I told her.


    Excuses, excuses. No matter what I told myself, I couldn¡¯t escape the obvious. What if La just didn¡¯t want me anymore? So many mistakes in my past, and without a stable job, at this point, too. Sure, Kimberly hooked me up. But that wasn¡¯t the end all be all.


    La should have been far more excited if she really did want me. I let out a breath, shaking my head and covering my face with my hands. I told myself not to cry dramatically at theck of feeling in her voice, but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    I loved her so much. If she fell out of love with me, for whatever reason, I would have to let her go. My heart was utterly shattered at that notion. Would it be wrong for me to beg her?


    For my sake, yes. It would be futile, stress her out, and stress me out, too. The only option I had was to wait and see. I would either have La¡¯s heart or have to move on for good. Either way?


    I needed to focus on the new modeling opportunity Kimberly found. Maybe I was looking into things too much because of the stress, I didn¡¯t know.


    Either way, for myself, too, I needed to knock this out of the park.

 Chapter 190 : The Court’s Decision

    <h4>Chapter 190: Chapter 190 : The Court¡¯s Decision</h4>


    Ba.


    I paced back and forth, my eyes narrowed in thought, and adrenaline rushing through my veins. I ran my fingers through my hair and took several deep breaths, trying topose myself so that I could focus and not let stress take over everything.


    Today was the day.


    We were heading to court in an hour, and I was trying to gather my bearings. I hoped this would work out in favor of Alessandro. There was no way the court would allow Chad to gain rights over that child. Right? Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be with me right now.


    However, James wasn¡¯t here either.


    Though he assured me this wouldn¡¯t be forever, I still felt my heart clench upon thinking about all of this. These kids needed a family, I wanted to give that to them. Not only that, but I loved James, I was sure, even through this mess.


    Putting a hand on my forehead, I moved into the kids¡¯ room, poking my head through the door and fixing my eyes on Alessandro. Currently, he was awake and ying around with his toys. At the moment, he had a little stuffed wolf in his hand.


    He waved it at me and said, ¡°Mama!¡± I smiled and walked over, sitting there and taking him into my arms. I held him close, and he cuddled into me, giving several soft giggles. When he pulled away, he showed me the toy.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± he said, giggling. ¡°Fuck!¡± I winced, but kept a grin on my face. That piece was used against me by the court, brought on by the Stepford wives. I was reminded of how much I really didn¡¯t belong here. But where would we go?


    Back to Italy?


    The whole issue surrounding the mafia was more and more prevalent in my mind given what was brought up in court. James was still torn to pieces over the death of Tally. We¡¯d be looking into the maw of the beast, practically, going to their territory.


    My thoughts were disrupted by Alessandro running into my arms again for more hugs and cuddles. I chuckled, dismissing those worried thoughts for now, and bounced the toddler around some more.


    Dahlia, who formerly had been asleep in her crib, began to stir. She woke up and sat up, fixing her dark eyes on me and giving an open and closed hand wave. I did the same wave back, proud of my daughter. She was growing up so fast.


    Her father, hopefully, would be right, that everything would work out. James was no doubt livid that he had to stay away from the kids for now. Alessandro would need to be with Dahlia. After all, I intended on having both of my children with me.


    A knock on the door caused me to lean over, kiss Alessandro on the cheek, and leave the room. I set up the gate, and reminded myself that the nursery was baby-and-toddler-proofed. La had spent the night somewhere else the night before, so she wasn¡¯t here to watch them at the moment. She was a live in nanny, but we did encourage her to have her own life.


    Then, I went to the front door.


    Answering it, I gave a smile. ¡°Hello, La,¡± I said. She returned the smile, one that didn¡¯t meet her eyes. I wondered what was going on.


    ¡°Hey, Ba,¡± she said. ¡°How are the kids? Sorry¨CI forgot my key.¡±


    ¡°They are in good spirits. Haven¡¯t eaten breakfast yet. I think they miss their daddy, though,¡± I said, my voice dripping with sadness. La gave me a sympathetic look, nodding and cing a hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°They do. I hope it goes well for you today,¡± she said, her voice soft but edged with something I couldn¡¯t quite identify. I looked into her eyes, trying to figure it out but not being able to ce it. Finally, I broke my silence after a pause.


    ¡°Are you doing alright?¡± I asked in a hushed tone, furrowing my brow.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve just got a lot on my mind,¡± she said. I didn¡¯t want to pry, and needed to get ready to go, anyway. She hadn¡¯t told me where she¡¯d been the night before, and I hadn¡¯t asked. I knew she¡¯d made some friends among the other nannies. Maybe she¡¯d been with one of them? I nodded, leaving her to care for the children at this point while I got ready to head to court.


    I didn¡¯t need to do anythingplex to get ready but still gave myself plenty of time despite that. The stress was starting to give me a headache, but I told myself to take a few deep breaths and keep focused. Over and over, I told myself that everything would work out.


    Alessandro and Dahlia were happy children, and would be cared for by La. They would have a wonderful day, and that would be what counted. It was true, if the court had doubts about me, Alessandro wouldn¡¯t be here right now. He¡¯d be with Chad.


    The thought of that made my stomach twist but was a pointless one to dwell on. Logic said that I was right. They would deem Chad a horrible danger and unfit to raise Alessandro. As for James, though, that was where things got very shaky.


    I may need to say goodbye to him for good. I couldn¡¯t bear to think about that. Or we could move elsewhere, like Italy, like he probably thought we were going to. I couldn¡¯t stay here, that I knew. Not with the Stepford wives making it clear that I didn¡¯t belong, anyway.


    Well, except for Antote. At least I had her on my side. But one wolf among a whole pack, that wouldn¡¯t be enough. The situation with the swear words being brought up in court told me that much. There was a very real possibility that such a detail would make me lose Alessandro.


    Thankfully, he was here and safe. That¡¯s something I needed to just keep telling myself as I got into proper clothing and ran a brush through my hair. When I stared at myself in the mirror, I definitely noticed dark circles under my eyes.


    How much sleep did I getst night? Five hours? Four? None? It had been so spotty, I didn¡¯t know. Either way, regardless of how tired I was, I needed to keep my chin up and get going. I walked through the house, bid La goodbye, gave the kids their kisses, and headed out.


    On the drive to court, I put on some music, wanting to distract myself from worrying too much. Letting out a soft sigh, I watched people going about their day as I was stopped at a light, hoping my life could return to normal soon.


    That would be preferred. Could we aplish that either here or in Italy? I shook my head. The conversation Antote and I¡¯d had yed in my head. We had talked about running a charity, and I began to brainstorm ces that would be viable to go.


    I could make a difference in the world and raise my kids where they would be safe. We had plenty of money, and while Italy was an option, it wasn¡¯t the best one. I reached up and rubbed the side of my head while keeping one hand on the wheel.


    Refocusing, I pulled into a spot in the courthouse parking lot. I slowly joined everyone else inside. When we got into positions, I looked over at James. He looked just about as tired as I felt.


    His dark hair was sticking up in ces, as though he had just woken up and haphazardly ran ab through it. There were dark circles under his eyes, just like mine, but he held his head high with authority and confidence.


    When our eyes met, he gave me a reassuring smile, one that I returned. I didn¡¯t know what to expect. I did know that he was a wonderful father and damn it, the court hopefully would see that too.


    The judge stood at the podium, looking through some paperwork and taking his sweet time. The Cartwrights were in positions with their typical uptight expressions, as if every single one of them had swallowed a bug and made it everyone else¡¯s problem.


    Chad, in particr, had murder in his eyes. He kept stealing nces at me as the judge went through his papers and typical spiel. I didn¡¯t give Chad the benefit of reacting at all, even if he frightened me somewhat.


    There was murmuring in the court as, finally, the judge raised his hand for order. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife. A very tangible, visceral feeling settled on me as I was made aware of every nerve in my body.


    This was it.


    My family¡¯s fate hung in the decision of the jury, and we were about to find out exactly what the future would hold for us.


    ¡°The jury hase to its decision. Reba Woods and James Valentino are the best parents for Alessandro. Reba Woods has been granted full custody. Should she and James ever cease to see each other, as the grandfather, James will have visitation rights to be determined by the court at ater date.¡±


    The court erupted in chatter.


    I felt my heart sing, glow with fire and gold, as tears began to spill from my face. I was shuddering, sobbing with job, overwhelmed with sheer relief. When I lifted my face from my hands, my eyes locked with James.


    He had a huge grin stered on his face and was shedding several tears as well. His eyes were filled with love, and his posture had gone from tense topletely rxed. He had been right. It would all work out, he¡¯d said, and here we were.


    Alessandro would get the wonderful life he deserved.


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Chad¡¯s voice yelled out, dripping with frustration and hatred. ¡°The kid should be MINE! MINE! He is MY kid by blood!¡±


    Technically speaking, he was James¡¯s as well, given Tally was Alessandro¡¯ste mother. That didn¡¯t matter to Chad, though, as he added while pointing to me, ¡°That WHORE has no right by DNA to MY kid!¡±


    ¡°SILENCE!¡± Judge Hopper shouted, irritation spilling from that word like a raging river. ¡°You will keep your temper, or be escorted out by security. Do I make myself clear, Chad Cartwright?¡± This silenced the raging man, for now.


    He could whine and scream all he wanted. At this point, we had won. Justice had won, rather, and Alessandro would not suffer whatever fate the Cartwrights had nned for him.


    The judge continued, saying, ¡°Chad Cartwright has waived all of his rights. Period. There is no further debate.¡±


    Carter and Cecelia Cartwright were absolutely livid. No doubt, Carter was so used to getting what he wanted, whenever he wanted it. Now, the loss was ring him in the face. He wanted Alessandro, for what reason? I had no idea. I was just d my son wasn¡¯t falling into his hands.


    Cecelia began barking out a series of angry cuss words, clenching her fist and looking as though she wanted to punch Chad. She refrained from doing so, at least, though I wouldn¡¯t have been opposed if she decided to do so.


    Dismissing this, for now, I looked back over to James with a huge grin. We would leap over that hurdle of what to do next when we got there. For now, we could be happy.


    At least, that was my thought until I felt a very cold stare directed at me. I turned my head to stare Carter Cartwright down. He wore a tight-lipped scowl as he regarded me. Narrowing his eyes, he spoke through a clenched jaw.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t over.¡±

 Chapter 191 : Celebration with the Stallion

    <h4>Chapter 191: Chapter 191 : Celebration with the Stallion</h4>


    Ba.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. James was right. Things were finally working out for us, and we would keep Alessandro. The child could grow up with a real life. J had emphasized just how valuable my speech had been, which made me feel ted.


    It had been from the bottom of my heart, and my feelings were paying off. When we arrived home, I copsed onto the couch, letting out a soft sigh and rxing all of my muscles. The kids were asleep, La was in her room, and silence settled in the house.


    James was here with me and told me I could have some time to myself. He hinted at interest in a little bit... well, more than a little bit... of pleasurable fun soon.


    I had time to freshen up and make us dinner. I wanted to make James his favorite dish, something special. The asion had to be celebrated properly, after all.


    I entered the bathroom, gazing into the mirror and noting the dark shadows under my eyes. This case had been damaging my sleep, no doubt, and I was paying the consequence for it. I let out a yawn, reaching up to rub at my eyes. Though I was exhausted, I wanted to continue enjoying myself.


    I hoped the Italian Stallion was ready to be ridden. This wouldn¡¯t be a celebration without some sex. It couldn¡¯t just be a gourmet dinner, after all.


    The thought caused a smile to stretch across my lips. Eventually, I was done gazing at myself in the mirror and turned to start the shower.


    Steam filled the bathroom as I walked onto the mat, stretching and letting out a sigh. I entered the shower, feeling the hot droplets against my skin, which further rxed me. Things were finally looking up, something I desperately neededtely.


    As Ithered my hair with strong-scented shampoo, I closed my eyes and thought through the entire case. It¡¯d been intense, and I let my anger get the better of me with James¡¯s mistake. Though, there was irony in that, given I was angry because he had been.


    I had a feeling it almost cost us the entire case, and Alessandro would be sent to live with the Cartwrights if that had been the case. Despite the hot water, a shiver ran down my spine at that thought, and I licked my lips anxiously.


    Yet, in the end, we had won. Even if they threatened this wasn¡¯t over. Those words yed over and over in my mind. I wondered how much trouble we were in. Would Chad¡¯s family give this up, finally, and let everyone involved live their lives? I doubted it, given just how stubborn he was.


    Soon, my hair was soaped up perfectly, and I rinsed it off under the warm water. Now, I was just giving myself anxiety, something not needed since we¡¯d won the case.


    Alessandro wouldn¡¯t understand what had happened until he was older, but it would be quite the story to tell.


    I finished up, blow-drying my hair and taking my sweet time. Perhaps James was waiting with impatience and excitement, but I didn¡¯t care. So much stress had left me just now, and for his behavior in the court, well, he deserved to wait a little.


    Finally, I put on a fancy silk nightgown that entuated my curves. My body was different after Dahlia, but I still looked good. My brown hair flowed down one side of my neck, over my left shoulder, very soft from the high-quality products in the bathroom.


    Satisfied with how I looked, I hung the towel back on the rack and walked over to the door. I made my way into the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge before finding my target.


    A b of veal, perfect for the asion. That, along with some mashed potatoes and green beans, would make for a delicious dinner. It was one of James¡¯s favorite dishes.


    I hummed as I cooked, my focus unbreakable. I wanted to make sure it came out just right. Unfortunately, my focus was broken by a certain man encircling my torso with his arms. Matters were made even worse as he cupped my breasts.


    He whispered into my ear, ¡°How was your shower?¡±


    ¡°Pleasant,¡± I replied. My voice shifted to a whine as I added, ¡°James, I¡¯m trying to focus on dinner. You¡¯re making this difficult!¡±


    He, naturally, didn¡¯t listen, and continued to y around as I cooked. I could feel wanting build up between my legs and often shivered, licking my lips with anticipation for what was toe. Damn him.


    ¡°Let me at least finish this up. We can eat, then we can have fun,¡± I tried convincing him. He sighed sadly into my ear, but then nibbled on it a little, causing me to let out a squeal. This only prompted a chuckle from him.


    ¡°I¡¯m having fun now,¡± he said mockingly. Eventually, his hands slipped away, and he stepped back to give me breathing room. I turned to give him a look, but he only winked at me. A smirk was nted on his face. He knew what he was doing.


    ¡°You¡¯re something else,¡± I said, my voice somewhat edged with a growl. I refused to let him know how much I enjoyed that, though, because I did. That said, dinner wasn¡¯t going to cook itself!


    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± James said, winking at me. He looked toward what was cooking and raised a brow. ¡°Though, perhaps I should leave you to it. That¡¯s starting to smell delicious, and I¡¯m fairly hungry.¡± With that, he went into the dining room.


    I breathed out a sigh of relief, d I could finish this without that caveman dragging me off and making love to me while dinner burned. He could be that distracting, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he pulled it.


    Either way, I was able to finish up my work and enter the dining room, cing the tes down and giving James a smile. He was on his phone, an unreadable expression on his face. That made my smile morph into a frown.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked carefully, seeing if I could get any answers. James blinked, looking up at me, probably realizing he¡¯d been deeply frowning just now.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± James said dismissively, putting his phone away. He looked toward the food and refocused on that, drawing his tongue over his lips. ¡°That looks delicious, Ba. Thank you for cooking.¡±


    I nodded, still suspicious, but letting it drop for now. We were meant to celebrate and have a good time tonight. Whatever it was, I was confident we could get through it.


    The food was rich, vorful, and seasoned to perfection. Each bite sent my tastebuds craving more until I was full. My te was cleared faster than I intended, and evidently, James found himself in a simr situation!


    We chatted briefly about the case, but didn¡¯t dwell too hard on it. I stared at James and asked, ¡°Dessert?¡± but he shook his head, a devious grin crossing his features. The Italian Stallion let out a low ¡®hm¡¯ and studied my figure, no doubt imagining me beneath him.


    My face flushed as I realized that would be our exact situation soon enough. Wanting to get to that point more quickly, I picked up my te, then wandered over to get his, winking. ¡°I think we¡¯re both ready for a different kind of dessert.¡±


    In no time, James had me in his arms, carrying me to the bedroom. My heart began to race as he threw me onto the bed aggressively, and I moaned with excitement. Want poured from between my legs. Dessert indeed.


    Speaking of which, James went for my panties first this time, causing me to raise my eyebrows, intrigued. I got my answer as to what he was doing momentster when his tongue met my folds.


    I gasped out as his tongue began to caress the most sensitive of ces between my legs, diving into me and causing shudders to cascade through my body.


    Sensations of pleasure rushed through me as I let out an edged squeal.


    James continued his feast, working his tongue in an expert manner and driving me nuts. Soon, I couldn¡¯t help it. My eyes rolled back as a climax poured from me, bliss lighting up every nerve, and my muscles responding in kind.


    Several more whines slipped from my lips as he carried on with eating me out. When he began to rub my cl*t, more pleasure bombarded me. By the time he was finished, I was putty in his hands. He disrobed, doing the same for my top and paying ample attention to my breasts.


    ¡°You make such beautiful squeals, Ba,¡± James praised, looming over me and winking. I blushed heavily as he massaged my left breast, pinching and squeezing my nipple gently. Then, he climbed on top of me, straddling me as his erection came into full view.


    He dragged it along between my legs, causing me to gasp out with wanting. ¡°No games tonight? Just take me, James. I need it,¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°Begging already? Good girl,¡± heughed. Tonight, he obliged my wishes. I cried out as he prated me, starting off slow. Was he going to be a tease, or would he continue this trend of giving me what I wanted?


    As his thrusting grew faster and rougher, I got my answer. While he pummeled into me, he continued his attention to my breasts, taking my right nipple into his mouth and swirling it with his tongue. He exponentially went harder and faster, which had tears rushing down my cheeks.


    Soon, I gave in, and so did he, filling me with his warm c*m. I copsed under him, but I sensed he wanted more, and soon. When Iy there looking into his eyes, his were still hungry. ¡°You¡¯re going to make love to me again as soon as you can. Aren¡¯t you?¡± I muttered.


    My face was still hot as he grinned and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re quite attentive, aren¡¯t you, Ba?¡± he purred. His c*ck twitched, causing me to shudder and lick my lips. As promised, about ten minutester, he had me draped over the bed, his hands clutching my hips.


    This time, he took me from behind, driving deeply and causing more moans to spill from my lips. I gasped out, ¡°Harder, James. Harder, please.¡±


    ¡°Such a good girl tonight,¡± James said, giving a fewughs as he intensified his movements. Tears poured from my eyes from the pleasure as he took me roughly, going extremely hard and fast. Wave after wave of pleasure washed over me, and soon, I gave in again.


    ¡°Mmh!¡± I gasped out, shuddering as he joined me in his orgasm. This satisfied the man, and soon, I was there in his arms, basking in the afterglow. He ran his fingers through my hair, which rxed me entirely.


    Then, we fell asleep together, the celebration rich and hopefully longsting.

 Chapter 192 : Ronaldon’t

    <h4>Chapter 192: Chapter 192 : Ronaldon¡¯t</h4>


    James.


    As ecstatic as I was regarding the court¡¯s decision, I knew the many problems I dealt with on the regr wouldn¡¯t be silenced. My focus shifted from the Cartwright situation, even if they threatened to the end, to the one with my uncle and damned cousin.


    Ronaldo was a snake.


    I really wanted to leave this mafia business behind, especially after it took my daughter from me. My heart once again clenched as I thought about that, my eyes closed as I let out a soft sigh. She hadn¡¯t deserved that, and the world had lost a wonderful person during that shootout.


    The grief would never leave, and things like what happened in court would constantly remind me of it. Though, actual activity within the damn situations like Ronaldo and the former Don would be somewhat more of a pressing matter.


    Why had he made me the Don?


    I didn¡¯t want it. I just wanted to live a normal life, at this point. Yet here I was, dealing with Ronaldo¡¯s tantrum. His attempt to pin his father¡¯s murder on me wouldn¡¯t work. I had to make sure of that.


    The next morning, following my celebration with Ba, I found myself pacing in the bathroom. I¡¯d taken a shower already, so I couldn¡¯t use that to distract myself right now. Rather, I let out a sigh and clenched my fist, hoping there¡¯d be viable updates.


    Before I called, however, I wanted to visit the kids again. I could hear movement in the nursery. The children were waking up, and my heart fluttered at the idea that I could see them again. I entered the room, fixing my eyes on Alessandro. He made little grabby motions toward me, causing me to smile.


    ¡°Hello, son,¡± I said softly, loving how easily that word flowed off of my tongue. The child giggled as I swept him into my arms, poking his nose gently and leaning down to kiss him on the forehead.


    He squealed and squirmed in my arms, saying, ¡°Dada! Dada!¡± I nodded, encouraging him and giving him a huge smile. A chuckle emitted from my lips as I sighed. After changing his diaper, I sat on the ground, grabbing a small toy car and rolling it around in front of him.


    Alessandro continuously tried to snatch it up, but I was too quick. Iughed right along with the boy¡¯s giggles, then proceeded to tickle him. Alessandro howled withughter then, trying to squirm away from me and screech.


    This, naturally, woke up Dahlia, who let out a squeak and stared me down through the bars of her crib. She gave a wave at me, and I waved back while ying with Alessandro. Soon, the boy was upied with his own toys, allowing me to spend time with my daughter.


    I walked over, gently removing her from her crib and holding her up into the air, wearing a widening smile. She let out keeling giggles, just like her now-brother. This family was growing rich with emotion and happiness, and we¡¯d all grown together.


    After her diaper was changed, I yed with Dhalia, which meant cing her onto an interactive nket as I watched her and moved some toys every so often. My thoughts shifted to other things, inevitably. I wanted this to distract me entirely, but that was made very difficult.


    My thoughts kept turning to the situation with Ronaldo, and I scowled. This mafia business was horribly impacting my life, at this point, and I suspected it woulde up with me being pushed to move to Italy again. It was where I wanted to be, though, not here. Nowhere else.


    Why?


    It was my home, and it felt right. Besides, the threat from the Cartwrights wasn¡¯t lost on me. Where else would we go? It was best to get as far away from here as possible. They were unhinged, they were rich, and I knew more than most what that could lead to.


    I sighed, refocusing on my daughter and pinching her cheek lightly. She let out several keeling giggles as I yed with her, grabbing my finger every so often and shaking it. Alessandro eventually wandered over and joined in on the fun.


    The three of us together, ying, as a family, was amazing. I smiled, closing my eyes for a moment and letting everything rx. All of this, just for a moment in time. Eventually, I opened my eyes as the smell of something cooking in the oven hit my nose.


    Bacon. Ba was cooking breakfast. I gave my daughter a kiss on the forehead and returned her to the crib, nning to let La know she shoulde in. Then, I let Alessandro y around some more, leaving him alone as the nursery was childproofed. I was sure La would be in there to y with them soon.


    After stopping by La¡¯s room, I entered the kitchen, giving Ba a bright smile, who returned my expression. This was surreal. We were going to go back to the flow of things, without the stress of the damn trail, as we had won.


    We could be a family again, finally. ¡°That smells delicious, Ba,¡± I said, licking my lips. She chuckled, also setting some pans on the stovetop for omelets and tossing in some eggs, chopped tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, and spices. That would be a wonderful addition to the bacon.


    ¡°Thank you, James,¡± she said, her voice rxed. She must have been even more relieved than I was. I knew she¡¯d end up with Alessandro in the end, as the court was very clearly leaning that way. That much was obvious, given them letting her keep the boy while they made their decision.


    As I ate dinner, the situation with those tapes gued my mind. I winced, and eventually, Ba took notice of my attitude. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked softly, turning to sit down and eat her own te. She¡¯d take a few bites and talk with me before seeing the kids.


    ¡°Everything that¡¯s happened is just weighing on me, love,¡± I replied. Not really a lie, but not the whole truth, either. Ba may have taken notice of the hesitant tone I had, because she narrowed her eyes. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t press.


    ¡°You know you can talk to me, right? As you said. We¡¯ll get through it, and things will work out. If there¡¯s something on your mind still up in the air, anyway. What was said at the trial is still probably bothering you, isn¡¯t it,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said honestly. The loss of Tally still shredded at my heart, and now, my thoughts were turning to her. I closed my eyes. ¡°She should be here for her son. Instead, she was used as leverage to almost give the boy a terrible life.¡±


    ¡°That didn¡¯t happen,¡± Ba said quickly. She reached over, putting her hand on mine, which helped me rx somewhat. ¡°Alessandro is safe, you¡¯re here, and it¡¯s not something to worry about. She¡¯s probably smiling, wherever she is, knowing her son is safe as she had wished.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± I muttered, scolding myself and trying not to dwell too much on my grief. We needed to move forward, after all, and Ba was right. Our children were safe. I took a bite of my food, the warm juices wonderfully savoring against my tongue.


    Ba and I continued chatting for a few minutes more before she left to go get the kids. A family meal that was well-earned, and a delicious one, too, was what graced our table. I felt my heart sing at this situation. All of us here, together, a family.


    I couldn¡¯t help that smile on my lips, which quickly faded as I came upon my decision. Later, I would call for updates on those tapes. I could purge that anxiety from my mind once and for all, and could focus on our family.


    When breakfast was over, I dismissed myself to my office, taking a seat in the chair, and letting out a sigh. I removed my phone from my pocket and stared at it for a while. All of my problems could be solved with one call, or an explosion of new ones coulde up.


    I unlocked my phone and began dialing, unable to dy any longer. The phone rang for a good ten seconds before someone answered. ¡°Hello?¡± Tony asked on the other line. I steeled my resolve, hoping that dilemma would be behind me soon.


    ¡°It¡¯s James. Are there any updates on the tapes, and what could be going on with Ronaldo?¡± I muttered, running my fingers through my hair. There was silence on the other end, along with the shuffling of papers. ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s been an update. Something finally in your favor,¡± Tony said, which caused me to let out a sigh of relief. I waited for him to continue, leaning back in my chair and partially closing my eyes. Could I finally be free of this?


    ¡°Finally indeed,¡± I said after a pause. If my family could move on and livefortably in Italy, I would be grateful. I knew Tony¡¯de through, eventually. All good things came to those who waited.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the situation. It took a lot of figuring out, but the tape showed Ronaldo going into the restaurant. Nothing out of the ordinary, right? ¡®Cept when he came out of said restaurant, he left with a gun in his hand,¡± Tony said, the tone of his voice dripping with excitement.


    ¡°This is wonderful news,¡± I said, realizing Ronaldo was caught red-handed. There was no way he could run from evidence like that. The case was far from clean-cut, but I finally had a major leg up. I sighed in relief, letting some of the tension in my shoulders rx.


    ¡°Yep. Don¡¯t you worry, yourwyers are hard at work getting the suspicions and charges dropped against you. This crime ain¡¯t yours, and now it¡¯s obvious. Ronaldo is toast,¡± Tony said, causing me to chuckle.


    ¡°Thank you. As usual, I owe you, Tony.¡±


    ¡°You do. For now, don¡¯t worry about it. You have enough on your te. See you soon, then, James? You areing back to Italy, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the n,¡± I said, really hoping it indeed was the n. I told myself, over and over, Ba would be on board with this. New York was temporary. We¡¯d be able to prosper in Italy now that the Ronaldo situation was resolved.


    I bid Tony farewell and entered the living room, where B was watching a True Crime show. She lowered the volume and smiled at me, raising a brow. ¡°How did your phone call go?¡± she asked, not knowing the nature of it quite yet.


    ¡°It went very well,¡± I said, giving a bright smile. ¡°The Ronaldo issue is situated. He will be behind bars for killing his father even though he tried to pin the me on me. Finally, we have a chance for a much brighter life there, love.¡±


    Ba frowned somewhat, giving a slow nod. My smile melted into a frown of my own as I tried to figure out what was wrong. What she said next painted that picture perfectly.


    ¡°Situated or not, I don¡¯t want to go back to Italy, James,¡± she said in a low, careful tone.

 Chapter 193 : Avoiding Italy

    <h4>Chapter 193: Chapter 193 : Avoiding Italy</h4>


    Ba.


    I was d Ronaldo would no longer be an issue, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that I didn¡¯t want to go to Italy. I didn¡¯t want to stay here, either; the Cartwrights and Stepford wives were massive issues.


    Leaving those issues behind and jumping into a whole set of different ones, though, was not something I wanted either. There was just too much at stake now, and things were finally looking up for us.


    I swallowed as James¡¯s expression shifted from that content smile to a deep frown. This wasn¡¯t going to be a fun conversation, that much I knew. However, I needed to stand my ground. Thankfully, the kids were asleep in the nursery, La had their monitor, and we could address this like civil adults in here.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You heard me,¡± I said, my lip quivering. ¡°We¡¯ve been through so muchtely, and you remember how much the mafia card almost made us lose our son, James. Things alwayse up; thest thing I want to do is go back into the maw of the beast.¡±


    ¡°But Ba,¡± James tried. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here. As much money and influence as I¡¯ve got, the Cartwrights pose too much of a threat. We nearly lost Alessandro; it¡¯s far more dangerous here. Italy is my turf now. We can handle it. All of our issues have been put to rest.¡±


    ¡°Issues that wille up again, no doubt, James,¡± I argued, now standing up from the couch. I grabbed the remote and put it forcefully onto the table. The thud that followed wasn¡¯t too loud; I made sure of that, as I didn¡¯t want to wake the children.


    James didn¡¯t flinch. His mouth was drawn into a tight line as he stared me down, clearly displeased. Anger and annoyance radiated from him in waves, but I wasn¡¯t going to let that intimidate me.


    James was supposed to be my safety, someone that represented protection. That wouldn¡¯t be the case in Italy. Our entire family would be in danger there, and I wasn¡¯t going to have it. Tally was killed because of this mafia business.


    What if Alessandro lost James or me? This woulde up again, and the Cartwrights coulde along and snatch him up exactly in the way they wanted to. Not to mention, our daughter would be without one or both parents.


    Then, the worst-case scenario shed through my head, causing my resolve to steel entirely. The mafia business could get one of our precious children killed, and that wasn¡¯t something I was going to bear. Not only would we suffer the grief, but so would their ¡®sibling.¡¯


    James, naturally, wasn¡¯t going to get the picture. The man clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and rxed it. He slowly began to shake his head, clearly not listening to a thing I had to say. Oh, here we go.


    ¡°Ba,¡± he began, much to my dismay. A long-winded retort, no doubt. ¡°Thest issue has been buried. The tapes have been solved, Tony squared it away, and thewyers are putting the final nail into the coffin. It¡¯s done. We¡¯re safe in Italy.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not, James,¡± I said, exasperated. ¡°You¡¯ve been named as the new mafia Don. That¡¯s dangerous for our children. I know how sad you are about Tally. It wasn¡¯t your fault, but¨C¡±


    ¡°But what? Be very careful what you say next, Ba,¡± James said, clenching his jaw. He wasn¡¯t threatening violence by any means, but his tone was edged. I doubted he would raise his voice. This was more about him. He knew he¡¯d get stabbed in the heart emotionally if I kept going.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t deny the mafia poses a simr threat to our family right now. Don¡¯t you get it, James? Do you want either Alessandro or Dahlia to end up with the Cartwrights because one of us is offed too?¡±


    James scowled and shook his head, growling, ¡°That won¡¯t happen, Ba. Like I said, it¡¯s all taken care of. Italy is my family home, and it¡¯s yours, too, now. It¡¯s where our family is meant to be. The mafia won¡¯t be an issue.¡±


    ¡°It will,¡± I denied, letting out an exasperated sigh. ¡°You¡¯re not listening to me. It will, James. It¡¯s the most obvious thing in the world. You can¡¯t just ignore the mafia. It doesn¡¯t magically vanish the moment you want it to. It¡¯s the mafia!¡±


    ¡°Something I understand far more than you do,¡± he replied, causing a surge of anger to rush through me.


    ¡°Irrelevant. The point is, they pose a threat to our family, and we will be directly involved with them if we go back to Italy. We can¡¯t go back to Florence, and we can¡¯t stay here, so we need to find somece else,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Like where? Do you have some magical solution, Ba? I¡¯m only hearing we can¡¯t go to Italy for some ridiculous fantasy you have built in your head that the mafia is going to destroy our family. Let me make this clear. If someone against me because of my mafia connections wanted us dead, it wouldn¡¯t matter where we were,¡± James said.


    ¡°That¡¯s so reassuring,¡± I snapped at him. I stomped my foot on the ground, crossing my arms tightly across my chest as I took a deep breath. Tears began to stream down my cheeks as I realized he wasn¡¯t budging on this. ¡°We can¡¯t go back to Italy.¡±


    ¡°We can, and we will,¡± James replied firmly. ¡°You need to get over this fear. It¡¯s taken care of, I got off the phone with Tony just now. Our enemies will leave us alone. You have to understand, they¡¯ll leave us alone.¡±


    James wasn¡¯t listening, and I was done. I whirled and stormed out of the room, heading to the guest room and shutting the door. I put effort into not mming it, wanting the kids to continue getting the sleep they needed.


    Walking through the room, I made my way to themp, my jaw clenching like James¡¯s had. This was all so wrong. We finally had a breakthrough and should be happy, we didn¡¯t need to fight like this at all.


    I paced around the room for a decent amount of time, trying to calm myself down. Nothing was working, though. I ced a hand on my forehead, tears still streaming down my cheeks as I sniffled and felt my stomach clench.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t he listening to me?¡± I whispered to myself wishing I could figure out what his obsession with Italy was. Sure, I had no answer to where we¡¯d go otherwise. Maybe to start a charity in a less fortunate country, like I¡¯d discussed with Antote.


    That would make a positive difference in the world, much more positive than the mafia nonsense James was connected to, which I knew for a fact woulde up if we went to Italy. The memories were too haunting, and I was too afraid someone in our family would end up like Tally.


    I bit my lip, looking toward the bed. Maybe sleeping on it would be the best idea. It would help calm my nerves a bit, something I needed. A different idea struck me, though, and I made my way to the bathroom connected to the guest room.


    A shower would do wonders to rx my muscles first, then I could try to sleep. There was a pang of worry in the back of my mind, however, that I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep after that fight. The anxiety was intense, and my stomach twisted with it.


    I couldn¡¯t let that stop me from trying, though. I started up the shower, ensuring it was at the hottest setting I could handle. Then, I walked up to the mirror, staring at myself. The bags under my eyes had only gotten darker.


    That had to be because of the trial. Now, they wouldn¡¯t go away anytime soon, either. James tended to get his way, and he was as stubborn as, well, a stallion. I had it stuck in my head that Italy would be a horrible idea.


    It was only logical to be so afraid, though. After all that happened, James of all people should understand. One phone call that ended the Ronaldo situation wasn¡¯t going to change everything. I wished he could understand that.


    I walked into the shower, letting the hot water patter against my skin and hanging my head. As Ithered my hair with strong, floral-scented shampoo, I cried even harder, in hysterics. All the stress of everything that¡¯d happenedtely was hitting me hard.


    Holding myposure right now was so difficult. I wasn¡¯t sure if things would work out with James, at this rate. He held it together well during that fight, kept hisposure, but I knew he was torn apart and angry inside.


    I could budge and give him some leeway, but that just wasn¡¯t apromise I found reasonable. Over and over in my head, I could only keep telling myself that we¡¯d be in so much danger if we went back to Italy. It just wasn¡¯t possible.


    Eventually, I made my way out of the shower, toweling myself off and drying my hair, as well. I had on a simple silk nightgown that served its purpose infort. By the time I got into bed, I didn¡¯t feel much better at all.


    I¡¯d stopped crying about halfway through the shower, but that wing anxiety that nothing was going to work out kept my heart clenched. I wanted to stay strong and hold it together for the children. I owed them that. My heart bled for them, and I only wanted what was best.


    It couldn¡¯t be Italy. James was wrong, I was sure of it. A massive headache began to brew, causing me to reach up and rub my temples. By the time I got back to bed, tears began to flow again. Sleep took forever to ovee me, and when it did, I was restless.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long I tossed and turned in my bed, the fight between myself and James ying over and over in my head. There were a few whimpers that escaped my lips that night, as well. At the same time, I knew James was probably hurting too.


    Damn it, why couldn¡¯t everything work out now that we had the kids, and yet another issue that had followed James was taken care of?!


    I stirred, groggily, as a familiar chime hit my ear. I forgot to turn my phone on silent for the night, so it was ringing. Either that or an important person was calling. I reached up to rub my eyes, letting out a sigh.


    When I picked up my phone, my lip was quivering. It was midnight, and I was too tired to read who in the world could be calling now. A familiar voice hit my ear, causing me to tense. It was Neal.


    ¡°Hey, Ba,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I replied cautiously, my voice edged from just how upset I¡¯d been all night.


    ¡°I wanted to call because... well. I miss you.¡±

 Chapter 194 : Do You Miss Me?

    <h4>Chapter 194: Chapter 194 : Do You Miss Me?</h4>


    Neal.


    I could already tell Ba¡¯s tone was off. Maybe this was a bad time to call, but I couldn¡¯t get her out of my head. Currently, I was sitting on my couch, staring at the wall and biting my lip.


    It was toote to go back now. I had to go all in on this. Maybe she did miss me.


    I knew I should have been working on that job so Allegra would finally be able to stop worrying about it, but I couldn¡¯t help these emotions tearing me apart. I needed to know if she missed me too. There would be some sce in that, right?


    ¡°I see,¡± Ba said, causing my heart to clench. God, I wish I could focus, right now, on that job rather than this wave of emotion that drove me to call her. The stress was overwhelming, and I couldn¡¯t get the thought of Tally¡¯s death out of my head.


    That, and the fact that Ba had chosen James over me.


    Why she would do such a thing, I would never know. James was standoffish and cold, dangerous, too, given those mafia connections. I shook my head, trying not to dwell on that and wanting to focus on the conversation.


    We¡¯d get back to whether she missed me or notter. Maybe there was a chance we could be together again, should she leave James. I had no doubt James would mess up horribly and cause some rift. He was that type of guy.


    ¡°How did everything go?¡± I asked warily, wanting to hear a different tone in her voice. Hopefully, rather. I wasn¡¯t sure how the trial went with how busy I¡¯d been with my own issues. Maybe things would be looking up for Ba.


    I hoped so. She deserved it.


    ¡°We got Alessandro,¡± Ba said, causing my heart to leap. When she said that, her tone was much more positive, dripping with relief. Good. The Cartwrights were devils, that much I knew. Lots of money, little morals, the whole deal.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. Not as smooth as you wished, though?¡± I asked, detecting that hint of hesitation again, and wanting the conversation to carry on. Just hearing her voice was helpful for me right now.


    ¡°No,¡± Ba sighed. ¡°When the court was making its decision, they said James needed to be away from Alessandro. James¡¯s history was brought up, and he lost his temper somewhat at the mention of Tally¡¯s death.¡±


    Truly, her words hit me like a bullet there. I reached up and ran my fingers through my hair, closing my eyes, needing topose myself.


    That night was forever imnted in my mind. Tally was dead because of me.


    I¡¯d been the one to fire that bullet.


    A tear trickled down my cheek as the sharp stab of guilt hit me hard. Alessandro was without his mother because of me. Ba now filled that role and would do a beautiful job of it.


    She was such a kind, strong, caring soul. God, I missed her with all of my heart.


    I replied, ¡°Oh? How did he lose his temper? Is he safe around the children, then?¡± Maybe I could whittle away at that and get her back. Would it be right? If she was better with me, then of course it was.


    ¡°Not in a yelling way,¡± Ba replied. ¡°But he was visibly upset and had noeback for much of what was said. He floundered. I would say we almost lost Alessandro because of that, but really, we almost lost James.¡±


    ¡°Really? What makes you say that?¡± I asked. Suddenly, I wished the court had ruled in favor of Ba, but not James. She would be better with me, after all. James was the cause of a lot of strife, this case included, clearly.


    ¡°Well, the court was moved by my speech. I expressed how deeply I loved Alessandro, and how much he deserves a good life. Which is true. My heart bleeds for him, and I¡¯m so happy I can give him a good life now. If he went with the Cartwrights, he would have a horrible life,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I said. ¡°How did you convince the courts as much? Money sings, after all, and the Cartwrights have a lot of that.¡±


    ¡°Well, Sasha, someone who worked for Chad, put into perspective just how horrible Chad is. She called him out for that game of Russian roulette. She was very brave, but I hope she¡¯ll be alright. She was clearly nervous,¡± Ba exined, concern in her tone.


    ¡°Very brave indeed,¡± I mused. ¡°d she was able to muster up the courage and give you a leg up. Alessandro in that situation would be horrible. Some people aren¡¯t meant for kids. He would be present on the top of that list.¡±


    ¡°He would,¡± Ba agreed, letting out a sigh. ¡°In the end, we were reunited. James wants to go to Italy,¡± she said, her voice now clipped. I raised a brow, detecting the distaste she had for the idea. Was it because of James¡¯s mafia connections? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± I said slowly. ¡°Given his dangerous background. Won¡¯t the kids be in danger?¡± I asked. I may have been watering a seed that had already been nted, but that conclusion is wholly logical. She was already upset with the idea, anyway.


    I didn¡¯t really lean into the idea that she would leave James anytime soon, as he was probably the best for her right now. Still, it was good to tell the truth, after what happened with Tally. I winced, once again reminding myself of that horrible shooting.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I tried telling him. He didn¡¯t listen, though. He held his ground, stubborn as a bull. I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s so hooked on going to Italy, but I don¡¯t want to go anymore. I also don¡¯t want to stay here,¡± she said.


    ¡°Why? New York not all it¡¯s cracked up to be?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t fit in here,¡± Ba said, the edge of sadness to her tone. She let out a sigh, and I could hear shifting. Her voice was a mixture of depressed and exhausted.


    I felt a pang of guilt, realizing I probably woke her up. Oh well, toote now.


    ¡°You, and your beautiful mind and body, would fit in anywhere, I¡¯m sure, Ba,¡± I replied smoothly. ¡°But if you don¡¯t feel New York is right for you, it¡¯s best to move on to where you do fit in. And, of course, keeping your foot put down on the Italy situation.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ba said. ¡°James is wonderful for the children, and me, but I¡¯m really worried where this is going to go. That court battle was fought with so much difficulty. He loves the children, though. That¡¯s what counts.¡±


    I frowned, affirming in my mind that her being with James was probably for the best right now. Given her tone of voice, and what the kids needed, it made sense.


    Still, there was a chance for the future. She opposed Italy, James wanted to go back to Italy. The kids were keeping them together.


    Those kids deserved a bright future and stability. I wasn¡¯t sure if James could really give that, but Ba seemed to think that was the case, at least right this moment. Despite the obvious¨Cthe uncertainty surrounding where they would go.


    All of that said, I finally decided to express what was on my mind, and what I couldn¡¯t shake one bit. After clearing my throat, I said, ¡°I know you¡¯re with James. I¡¯m d he¡¯s there for you and the children. But, like I said, I miss you. Do you miss me?¡±


    The long pause had me swallowing somewhat, droplets of sweat forming on my forehead. I focused on the clock across from me, going back and forth as I waited for her response. The silence on the other linested thirty seconds, perhaps, but felt like hours.


    ¡°Neal,¡± she said, hesitating. ¡°It¡¯s all too much. You know we just got Alessandro, for sure. The thought of James needing to remain away, even despite this Italy thing, it¡¯s terrible. The kids can¡¯t handle changes right now.¡±


    ¡°Ba, I¨C¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even think about that, right now, Neal. I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t even know where we¡¯re going to live, this trial took so much out of us. This is just something I can¡¯t handle right now, I need to go. Don¡¯t call me again,¡± Ba said.


    Silence on the other line; she hung up. I felt my heart clench and exhaled sharply, tears now pouring down my cheeks. I knew she¡¯d choose James again, I shouldn¡¯t have called at all. I told myself over and over he was probably better for her right now, but that didn¡¯t make it hurt less.


    Was he better for her, though? Did I believe my own thoughts that I kept trying to drill into myself over and over? The waves of depression on this subject said otherwise. I bit my lip, cing my phone on the table and burying my face into my hands.


    Between Ba¡¯s decision just now, and my focus on those damn Russians that captured Allegra, I had my emotions shot. I could call Ba again, but she told me not to, and I needed to ept it was as good as done.


    Why? I had nothing left to lose.


    That meant I could continue going after the people who brought my sister so much harm. Should I focus on Ba, or Allegra? Family meant everything, and though I was very depressed that Ba ended up with James, I needed to maintain my focus. After all, I had a long history with this particr Russian family. It needed to end.


    But Ba¡¯s words kept ying over and over in my head. ¡®Don¡¯t call me again¡¯. She didn¡¯t say whether she missed me or not, but did it matter? I wished she did, so I could put this madness away for good.


    Letting out a groan, I stood up and walked through my residence, entering the office and taking a seat. I could work out more regarding the situation with Allegra right now, it would be a wee distraction. I was so close to finding the rat¡¯s nest, so to speak, anyway.


    Turning on theputer, my eyes swept over the many notes and details regarding the connections those people had. I was getting so close to offing them for good, and that would be one more problem checked off of my list.


    Then, I could focus on other things. Like Ba, right? I let out a soft sigh, so many emotions swirling within me. As much as I tried drowning myself in my work, and this situation in general, I couldn¡¯t get her off my mind.


    ¡®Don¡¯t call me again.¡¯


    Over and over. Clenching my jaw, I stood up, finished typing a few more pieces of information, and turned off theputer. Then, I headed to my room to lie down. Maybe I could clear my head properly now.


    Doubtful. But it was worth a shot.

 Chapter 195 : A Charitable Idea

    <h4>Chapter 195: Chapter 195 : A Charitable Idea</h4>


    Ba.


    A knock came at my door in the morning, causing me to let out a light groan. I turned in the bed, considering pretending that I was still asleep. Maybe I¡¯d be left alone in my thoughts then.


    I didn¡¯t want to face this gigantic issue right now.


    After that talk with Neal at midnight, my stomach had twisted into several knots. My feelings on the matter were tooplicated to focus on right now, not when I didn¡¯t know where we were going to end up.


    James insisted on Italy, but I was firm in my disagreement.


    Neal had sounded so dejected and depressed. I felt a pang of sadness but chose James for a reason.


    So I thought. Right now, after all of this, and his insistence on going back to Italy, I wasn¡¯t sure. That said, he loved the kids dearly.


    He had been so happy upon the finality of that trial. We could be a family now, but his past would follow him like a baby duck to its mother. Italy was too dangerous, and I really didn¡¯t know why he kept insisting so hard.


    ¡°Ba?¡± James asked, causing me to groan. ¡°Can Ie in?¡± I was still contemting just telling him no, to go away and leave me alone.


    I didn¡¯t get much sleepst night at all, and my mood just kept slipping. I couldn¡¯t hide from this forever, though.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, finally sitting up in bed and crossing my arms. I propped my back up against a pillow, leaning back and watching the door. ¡°Turn on the light when youe in, James.¡± Curtains were covering my window, so it was rather dark. I couldn¡¯t see well.


    The door opened, revealing James, who was standing there looking disheveled. Clearly, our fight had affected him just as badly. By the tired glint in his eyes, I knew he also was low on sleep.


    I felt a little bad, but at the same time, really didn¡¯t want to waver.


    ¡°Ba,¡± he muttered, doing as I asked and flicking on the light. I narrowed my eyes at the brightness, taking a moment to adjust and confirming what I saw about James. He blinked slowly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.


    ¡°We should talk more about going back to Italy,¡± James started, causing me to clench my jaw and stare at him with defiance. He saw this expression and returned it, narrowing his eyes.


    Here we were again, having yet another fight about this subject.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t changed my mind,¡± I said firmly, keeping a hard stare on him. ¡°I don¡¯t want our kids in danger, and that¡¯s what will happen if we go back to Italy. There has to be somewhere else we can go.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± James asked, his tone very frustrated. He quickly removed his hand from the back of his neck and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked as though he were about to stomp his foot, being standoffish in situations like this, as usual.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but not here, and not Italy. I agree, this ce is very temporary, but I¡¯ve thought so much about it, James, and going back to Italy is a bad idea,¡± I said. ¡°Why can¡¯t you see that? You of all people should know.¡±


    ¡°Of all people?¡± James asked tly, exhaling sharply. His eyes turned cold for a moment as he stared me down, shaking his head. ¡°Look, Ba, I can handle it. You have to trust me. You¡¯ve trusted me this long, why not now? We won the case.¡±


    ¡°We won the case because Chad is very clearly an ipetent asshole, and I made a moving speech for Alessandro,¡± I said, annoyed. ¡°You showed how frustrated you get over the mafia issues, which still would be a problem in Italy.


    James opened his mouth to interject, but I kept on talking. ¡°That¡¯s why I said ¡®of all people.¡¯ After what happened in the trial, bringing everything to the surface again, why would you want to seriously go to Italy? I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s my REAL home, Ba,¡± James replied in an irritated tone. ¡°I can¡¯t keep running away from everything, and besides, it¡¯s done. We finished it. Like I said yesterday, if the enemies of my family wanted to get us, they would have by now, regardless of where we are.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe we weren¡¯t a focus, but would be when we get back to Italy,¡± I replied, narrowing my own eyes and shaking my head. ¡°We can¡¯t. We have a new life to start, and all of those problems need to be left behind.¡±


    ¡°They will be, in Italy included,¡± James said. ¡°It would be for a while. Maybe not permanently. You should at least be open to trying, it¡¯s a ce we can settle together and be happy.¡± His tone was now pleading, but I wasn¡¯t buying it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said finally, probably better than the resistance I was giving himtely. This probably gave him some hope, as hetched onto the fact that I was unsure as opposed topletely against the idea. I wanted to end this argument and think about it more.


    ¡°Okay, so that means you could be willing to give it a try,¡± James said. ¡°At the first sign of mafia activity affecting our lives, we¡¯ll move on. But I want to go back to my home there and raise our family. I can¡¯t emphasize enough how our lives will be wonderful there, Ba.¡±


    I shook my head, cing a hand on my forehead. This was all too much. James added, We¡¯ve both handled a lot, and can handle this. It¡¯s not even an issue to handle, nothing regarding the mafia wille up. How many times do I have to say that for you to understand?¡±


    ¡°A thousand times more,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Like I said. I don¡¯t know. Let me think about it. Okay? That should be better than just a t out no that has you hung up. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± James said, letting out a sigh of relief. The man dipped his head, his eyes twinkling. ¡°There were wonderful times in Italy too, Ba. We can have those again, without any of the bad. Think about that when considering your decision, alright?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said, waving my hand dismissively. Iid back down, no longer looking at him. ¡°I need to get some sleep. I¡¯ve been losing a lot of ittely.¡± With that, I heard the door close. I felt a pang of guilt and worried if I was being too hard on James.


    Maybe I was. I promised myself I would think about everything, and try to propose a n as opposed to just being t-out difficult. I couldn¡¯t present my case properly without a backup n, after all.


    After a few hours of sleep, this time where I was able to get more than just a few winks in, I got up again. I rolled out of bed, flicking on the light and stretching. Then, I got dressed, my mind set on doing a bit of research today.


    In the other room, I heard childishughter and giggling. This was intermingled with the chuckles of James, which caused me to smile a little. He was upying the children, ying with them, and had probably given them a good breakfast.


    In fact, the smell of eggs and bacon hit my nose, causing me to enter the kitchen. In my usual spot, there was a te with the food on it. Well, he certainly knew how to bribe my stomach. I begrudgingly sat down and began to eat.


    My conversation with Antote ran through my head, causing me to contemte other options. What if starting a charity in another ce, somewhere less fortunate, was what I was meant to do? We would be away from this ce, away from Italy, away from the mafia.


    I took a bite of the egg, the yolk seeping over my tongue for some savory goodness. Then, I munched on some bacon while my mind whirled about a mile an hour. By the time I took a sip of my orange juice, I made my decision to factor that in during my research.


    When I finished breakfast, I took the te to the sink and rinsed it off. Humming to myself, I decided I would dedicate a few hours of my day to this purpose, then bring it up to James. We had plenty of money and could handle relocating. At least we had that going for us.


    After putting the te into the dishwasher, I ran through today¡¯s chores in my mind, getting to work on them so I could get some out of the way before I researched. There weren¡¯t many, as La often helped with those, too. Still, it kept my hands busy.


    When I finished what I needed to do, I entered the guest room again, sitting down at the desk and flexing my fingers. Soon, I was typing away, going through web pages, and trying to find reasonable areas where we could start a charity.


    I wanted to be on-site and see where the money went. I could even do some of the work, be it delivering books, building houses, helping on farms, or something else. I was an urban woman, not a farm woman, but old dogs could learn new tricks.


    Antote did some charity work in Africa, for example. I began typing, looking up the status of various countries within that continent, and trying to figure out both what sounded the best for my family and where I could give the most help.


    Most of what I saw just wasn¡¯t satisfying for one reason or another. Either they had plenty of help already, the charity work wasn¡¯t something I wanted to do, or I didn¡¯t think it was a fit for my family.


    Alright, time to move on. I clicked through a few more articles and came across one on Guatem, specifically children in need. There were plenty there who lost their families or were growing up in horrible circumstances.


    My heart sank at that thought, especially regarding violent situations. In a way, that had almost been Alessandro¡¯s fate. Though the situations would be very different. I could start a charity there and put in a lot of work to help them.


    Plus, the environment sounded like a wonderful ce for us to be. The cities and nature surrounding the area was beautiful. We¡¯d be away from New York, Italy, and hopefully left alone by the mafia and Cartwrights.


    I smiled to myself, satisfied with my decision.


    However, I ran my tongue over my lips nervously. Would James feel the same? Would he take my wishes in this seriously? The more I thought about it, the more I realized how much a cause like this meant to me.


    Hopefully, he would feel the same and hear me out.

 Chapter 196 : The Interview

    <h4>Chapter 196: Chapter 196 : The Interview</h4>


    Allegra.


    Today was the day.


    Kimberly may haveted me the opportunity with the modelingpany, but I needed to put on my best face and ace this interview. I stood in the mirror looking at myself, a spark of determination in my blue eyes.


    My hair was somewhat disheveled, but I would tame it. Everything needed to be perfect for today, because I wouldn¡¯t get many chances like this. In fact, it was doubtful Kimberly could find another ce at all, given my situation with the US.


    La had been on my mindtely, right along with all of my worries that she wasn¡¯t interested anymore. I frowned at myself, wishing I could stop obsessing over all of the worries swirling in my mind.


    Grabbing a brush, I ran it through my hair for a while, then grabbed some of my make-up and started to apply it. My stomach was twisted into several knots over the La situation, but I needed to focus on this interview. Maybe once I actually got the job, she would be more excited.


    After letting out a sigh, I began to pace back and forth, trying to upy my mind before the interview. Eventually, I sat in front of my couch, turning on the television, and gazing at the screen. Nothing interesting caught my attention yet.


    I flipped through the channels untiling upon some dark fantasy show I could immerse myself in. As crazy as my life was, I still sometimes wished things like that could be reality. Some twists to make things interesting. If I was a vampire, would La want to be with me?


    I snickered to myself, shaking my head. May as well be. I had the beauty for it. Amused cheer aside, I watched for about a half hour before turning it off. I wanted to go to the interview with a full stomach, though butterflies filled it rather well right now.


    Therefore, I started breakfast, which consisted of a scone and eggs on a cut of bread. Something simple and delicious. I ate quickly, then put my dish into the sink. Now, it was time to start on the path toward the rest of my life.


    I got into my car, starting it up and focusing on the hum of the engine for a bit before reaching over to turn the radio on. ssical music flowed from it, calming enough, and soon, I was off. I drove down the street, telling myself to focus on the interview only.


    As for clothing, I¡¯d picked out something generally trendy. Nothing too extravagant; that would be reserved for when I hit the runway. IF I hit the runway, rather. I was pretty confident I could impress them, given my experience.


    Eventually, I pulled up to a white-brick building that read: ¡®Extravagance Modeling Firm¡¯. This was it, and I took a deep breath, parking my car in the lot, and getting out. I slung my purse over my shoulder, steeling my resolve and telling myself I would nail this.


    When I entered, I walked up to a woman at the front desk, who perked up and stared me down. She had tan skin and a wide smile, with sses resting at the end of her nose. Her name tag read, ¡®Keleigh.¡¯ The suit she wore was very expensive.


    ¡°Hello, Allegra¡± she said. ¡°It is an honor to meet you.¡± Her tone was cheerful, and I found myself smiling. The atmosphere, which consisted of white walls and crimson cushy chairs, was both incredibly professional, but also inviting.


    I let myself rx a little at the cheerful attitude of the woman and nodded. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, standing up a little straighter. It was great that she recognized me.


    ¡°Of course! Frederick will be seeing you soon. Just take a seat over there,¡± she said. She eyed me up and down, then smiled even wider. ¡°You¡¯re even more beautiful in person! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be perfect for this, especially given you have prior experience.¡±


    I blushed slightly at that, nodding in agreement. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t have to wait long, as a man I recognized as Frederick Scarlotti walked out of a nearby door. His dark skin and locks that fell over his shoulders looked even more debonair in a sophisticated suit. His smile was warm, just like Keleigh¡¯s.


    ¡°Hello, Allegra. It¡¯s nice to finally meet you in person. Come, let¡¯s talk,¡± he said. I nodded, standing up and following him into a room. This was, no doubt, his office. There were pictures of a chocteb standing on a frame in his desk, next to an orange tabby.


    Along with the pictures were various figurines of fantasy creatures, like dragons or faeries. Finally, there was a picture of Frederick himself with his family, all smiles as brilliant as his. I was secretly relieved Kimberly found a ce that emanated such a warm aura.


    I¡¯d worked ces before that were miserable but paid well enough that I had to grit my teeth and bear it. I didn¡¯t get the impression that such a thing would happen here. I took a seat where directed, on a cushioned loveseat facing his desk.


    Frederick sat in a swivel chair, facing me and letting out a sigh. ¡°Now, I already know you cannot work in the United States, which will not be a problem. It is admittedly a little inconvenient, but agencies who want strong candidates need to adapt.¡±


    He looked me over, then nodded,psing into thought. ¡°With your history on the runway, I¡¯m confident this will go well. In preparation for this interview, I refreshed my knowledge of your past shows, and I must say, girl, you¡¯ve got swagger.¡±


    I chuckled, nodding with enthusiasm. My eyes twinkled as I replied, ¡°I do. Modeling is a passion of mine. There¡¯s just a beautiful feeling that hits me when I¡¯m walking down that runway. Something I can¡¯t exin other than saying that I adore it.¡±


    ¡°I can tell! Your words drip with enthusiasm as you describe it. Now, then, what are your career goals for the next five years? Do you intend on staying with us long term, if you are hired?¡± he asked.


    Nodding, I said, ¡°My goals are to continue modeling, as it will always be a passion of mine. I do intend on staying with your agency long term. I¡¯d like to settle in and start a family and am in a spot that I enjoy right now.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful. What brands have you worked for in the past? I have a listing here of a few, but I wanted to hear it from you, in case I am missing any,¡± he said. I listed off a few of the well-known brands I¡¯d worked for, which caused him to nod in understanding.


    Clearly, this gentleman knew my history. I was nailing this interview already, and my spirits continued to climb higher. Despite that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that something was wrong with La, I could do this.


    ¡°Well, I know what brands you¡¯ve worked with, but what brands would you prefer to work with?¡± he asked.


    Knowing how this industry worked from my research, I was grateful that it was in-like with my beliefs. I said, ¡°I prefer sustainable fashion, as the world is changing for the positive in that regard. I noticed your agency also puts high value on that notion.¡±


    Frederick nodded, giving a brighter smile. ¡°Right. You hit the nail on the head. Yes, we¡¯re trying to encourage sustainability as much as possible. Beyond it being a wise business decision, it¡¯s important for our.¡±


    The interview carried on very well, until, at the end, I had my answer. Frederickmented, ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t feel the need to wait. With your history in the industry, confidence, and positive energy, I think you¡¯d be a fit for this agency.¡±


    I gasped, my heart pounding as I nearly leaped out of my seat at the news. I kept myposure, however, and dipped my head. Thank goodness, I had a solid n and could make a name for myself again.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, my voice edged with relief. I¡¯d been so nervous that my issues with the US government would prevent me from getting this job, but that was finally put to rest. We got a bit of paperwork situated, which took a good half hour.


    I¡¯d have a few days to prepare before I started practice shows until eventually modeling brands and styles again. On the way home, I was on top of the world, grinning from ear to ear. Tonight, I decided I would treat myself. First, I had to call La.


    I set myself up on my couch and leaned back, the wonderful feelings starting to bubble away to anxiety. Thest conversation with La hadn¡¯t gone well, and I¡¯d been left feeling horrible and worried. Maybe I had overreacted. I hoped so.


    Regardless, she needed to know. Maybe she¡¯d be excited this time. I picked up my phone and listened to the tone as it rang, biting my lip. Was it going to go to voicemail? Should I leave a message or wait to hear her reaction on the other end?


    ¡°Hello?¡± La asked, killing any notion of just leaving a message and talking to herter.


    ¡°Hey, La,¡± I said softly. ¡°I have some great news,¡± I said, my confidence wavering somewhat. Her greeting sounded tired, hopefully not with me. I cursed myself inwardly, telling myself to get over all of these worries.


    ¡°Oh?¡± she asked, her tone edged with what I figured was worry. Why? It was good news, after all, not something she needed to worry about.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, hesitating. Then, I finally said, ¡°I got the job. I¡¯ll be on the runway again soon, La. We¡¯re all set here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, I¡¯m happy for you, Allegra!¡± La said though I got the impression some of that enthusiasm was fake.


    ¡°When are youing back?¡± I asked after a pause, my voice breaking a bit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, causing my heart to clench. Her tone waspsing into mncholy, and I had no idea why. Was she going to say she wanted to stop seeing me? That she didn¡¯t intend oning to Rome at all?


    I bit my lip, feeling tears well up and crawl down my cheeks. I wanted to ask if she still loved me and intended on living the rest of her life with me, but the words caught in my throat. Silence stretched, and I mustered up the courage to say something.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I asked, the whish of going from incredibly excited to horribly anxious causing my stomach to hurt terribly.


    ¡°Not really,¡± La said after yet another long pause. ¡°I have something to tell you. It¡¯s been driving me crazy, Allegra...¡±

 Chapter 197 : Unexpected Betrayal

    <h4>Chapter 197: Chapter 197 : Unexpected Betrayal</h4>


    Allegra.


    Was this it? Was La going to confess that she didn¡¯t love me anymore? I felt tears well up and begin pouring down my cheeks. My formerly joyous mood evaporated in an instant, fading into nothing.


    My heart clenched, and I sniffled, though I tried to sound all choked up in what I said next. ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± I whispered. A few strands of hair fell into my face that I didn¡¯t bother to move away. I clenched my fist, waiting for her to say something. Anything.


    The pause she gave felt like hours. Finally, she broke the silence and said, ¡°Allegra... I... I¡¯ve been lying.¡± There it was. She was going to say she didn¡¯t actually love me. I gave a choked sob, something she probably heard.


    At this point, I didn¡¯t care. My life would carry on, but my heart would be gray. This was terrible. La said, ¡°No, no, Allegra, I... I still love you. Deeply. But I gave them information, okay. I misunderstood. They lied to me.¡±


    Now, I was confused. I furrowed my brow, reaching up to move those strands out of my face and tilting my head. She still loved me. That was all that mattered, right? But what was she talking about? Them? Who? Who did she mean?


    ¡°borate, La. Please? I¡¯m lost. I thought you were breaking up with me just now, but now there is something else? Juste out with it, okay?¡± I said. My voice was edged with a mixture of frustration and fear. Surely she wasn¡¯t talking about anyone connected to me. Right?


    La said in a strained tone on the other end, ¡°The people who kidnapped you. I misunderstood, they paid me, a-and, I thought¨C¡±


    ¡°Wait. You were working for the people, who... w-who...¡± I widened my eyes, my world crashing down in far worse of a way than if La was just breaking up with me. Sure, my heart would be torn to pieces then, but this was t out betrayal.


    ¡°Yes, but listen, hear me out! Like I said, th-they lied, okay? They told me it was because Ba stole from them. I misunderstood. Do you understand? I-I just thought, and, and... I should have known better. I¡¯m sorry, okay? Really! I¡¯m sorry. Please understand Allegra, I¨C¡±


    She was stammering, tripping over every word, and I couldn¡¯t handle it any longer. I hung up on her, my jaw clenched. Then, I threw the phone aside and buried my face into my hands, shaking with sobs.


    Memories of what happened to me when I was captured shed through my mind. I¡¯d not been sure what they were going to do to me. Even if no physical harm came my way, I heard what they wanted to do to my brother.


    I didn¡¯t want to lose him, and yet I was bait for them to get to him. Being away from family and friends had been nerve-wracking. At any point in time, they could do something horrible, if they got tired of waiting. They came across as very impatient, after all.


    Thank goodness I came out of that alive and unharmed, but other things could have happened if they were far more malicious with regard to me and getting what they wanted. I swallowed, chasing those thoughts away. Nothing like that happened, I was safe now.


    I needed topose myself. After pacing in my living room for what was probably a half hour,pletely drowning in my thoughts, memories, and miseries, I reached over to grab my phone. There were no cracks on it, at least, so what I did hadn¡¯t caused damage.


    Sitting there, I stared at my phone, noting several missed texts and calls from La. I didn¡¯t read a single one of them, and I damn well wasn¡¯t about to call back. I felt numb, surely having cried out every single drop that I could.


    My mind was in a fierce debate with itself. Should I call Ba and inform her about this? She was going through a lot, what with recovering from the trial, no doubt. I closed my eyes and rubbed at my temples, trying to keep it together to think clearly.


    Ba had the right to know, she was probably in danger from those goons now. I dialed her number and put my phone to my ear, only to be answered by the very stressed woman, who had a strain to her voice.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Ba asked, the sound of shuffling on the other end apanying her voice as if she was busy. I couldn¡¯t hide the pain dripping from my tone when I replied.


    ¡°Ba? I need to tell you something important, I¨C¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk right now, Allegra,¡± Ba said, sounding exasperated. ¡°To either you or Neal. This is too much, I told him that, and I didn¡¯t want him calling me. Now, here you are, I don¡¯t want to talk.¡±


    ¡°What? This isn¡¯t about Neal, it¡¯s¨C¡± I started, but she hung up on me. I wrinkled my nose, shaking my head. Whatever went down between her and Neal had nothing to do with me, and I hadn¡¯t heard from my brother about it.


    At this point, I was at a loss for what to do. I began to pace again, spending about a minute or so on that before letting out a sigh. Maybe I could just send a long text to Ba, but I had a feeling, based on her tone, she would just delete it.


    I decided to think about it for a few hours so that I could calm down after realizing the love of my life was not who I thought she was. All of this, I was hoping to give to her. We were meant to have a life together, yet here I was, with a theoretical knife sticking out of my back.


    Drowning myself in ice cream sounded like a great n right now, but I¡¯d need to work out even harderter to burn off those extra calories since I¡¯d be on the runway soon. Oh, right. The runway.


    That was one good thing that happened today. I needed to think of the bright side before I fell into the abyss of sadness after this news. But, honestly, how could she? No, no, I needed to refocus before I went back on what I just said I wanted to do.


    I took in a deep breath, making my way to the kitchen and cing a pot on the stove. My stomach clenched, the pain from the stress of it all rather intense. I found myself looking for any distraction, such as what Ba could have meant about Neal.


    I had too much on my own te to deal with the issue Neal was facing, aside from whether or not he¡¯d done the job. Had he gone after Ba again? Maybe that was why she was so upset. I didn¡¯t want to press, at this point, either.


    He needed to leave Ba alone because he really hadn¡¯t been treating her well either. Was he hounding her? That was probably it. I groaned softly, shaking my head at how much of an imbecile he could be sometimes. I loved him dearly, but he had problems.


    This instance of said problems made things very inconvenient because the kids could be in a lot of danger right now. La had sounded regretful, but who knew if that was genuine? Maybe she only spilled because she was guilty, but it didn¡¯t lessen the danger.


    My mind switched back to the modeling job I now had, something that thankfully was going to start right away and be good in my life. Even if it was the only thing, well, it was something. Tears continued to crawl down my cheeks as I grabbed some chicken stock.


    The runway would take me away, be a home for my mind, something positive. The interview had been wonderful, and the people I was working with were turning out toe across as genuine and kind, a rare thing in this industry.


    Granted, I just met them, and my impression of La had been that she deserved to be treated like a princess, was wonderful, gorgeous, and lovely in every way. Clearly, I¡¯d beenpletely wrong, given this horrible betrayal.


    I began to make myself some homemade chicken soup, something not tooplicated and that wouldn¡¯t be too hard on my stomach. This all was too much. The same words Ba had said, really, after she mentioned my brother.


    Maybe I should call Neal and ask him what happened so I could get some rification. Or maybe not. Did Ba deserve to be kept in the dark?


    I didn¡¯t think so, even if she hung up on me like that and didn¡¯t want to talk.


    There was one way I could get the news to her, but I didn¡¯t like it one bit. Narrowing my eyes, I thought of James, someone who I definitely didn¡¯t get along with. I¡¯d been avoiding the possibility that I may need to speak with him for a while now.


    His treatment of Ba wasn¡¯t tolerable, but of course, he continued that cold, standoffish behavior. Stubborn in the worst of ways, which was damaging. I wasn¡¯t sure how happy I was that he got to see the kids, but it was what it was.


    I sighed, pouring myself a bowl of soup and going to sit down at the table. After a few bites, I stared at my cell phone, not wanting to make that call and deal with that asshole right now. With what La said to me, though, it would be wrong to keep my silence.


    Several bitester, I was still at a loss for what to do, and just shook my head. My depression washed over me in waves. I couldn¡¯t believe I had to deal with this, here and now, right after I finally made some progress in my life.


    The illusion that La was perfect, that we could have a life together, that things would work out, waspletely shattered, and I was devastated. I shook with more sobs into my soup, sniffling and trying to get it together. Why did heartbreak have to be so painful?


    Finally, I put my spoon down and reached over, dialing James¡¯s number. It¡¯d be a miracle if he even picked up, but who knew, maybe I could make progress with him over Ba. I ced my phone against my ear, listening to it ring.


    Eventually, James picked up with an irritated, ¡°What do you want, Allegra?¡±

 Chapter 198 : Backlash

    <h4>Chapter 198: Chapter 198 : Bacsh</h4>


    James.


    Dealing with Allegra getting into my business right now wasn¡¯t ideal, and I almost didn¡¯t bother to answer the phone. However, with Ba up in arms about going back to Italy, I assumed this would be something I needed to handle, whatever it was.


    Allegra said, ¡°Look. Ba wouldn¡¯t listen to me, but you should know. La isn¡¯t who she says she is. She worked with the people who captured me and thought Ba owed them money. She said she was lied to, but either way, she may be a danger to your kids.¡±


    I snorted, wondering if they got into some sort of argument, and now she was trying to drag it to me. ¡°You really expect me to believe that?¡± I snapped, then let out an annoyed sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll look into it,¡± I said finally, wanting to get her off of my back.


    ¡°Good,¡± she said. With that, she bid me a short farewell, her tone none too kind, and mine hadn¡¯t been either. She wasn¡¯t exactly the person I was ecstatic to talk to by any means. I reached up and ced a hand on my forehead, frustrated that yet another thing came up.


    Allegra couldn¡¯t be serious, could she?


    It was too absurd to be reality. Why she came up with something like that, I didn¡¯t know.


    Though, after a while, I sent out a few texts to those in my circle, wanting to find out more.


    The situation with Ba hadn¡¯t returned to being pleasant. I was sure she just said she¡¯d think about it to get me off of her back about going to Italy.


    We¡¯d be safe there, and I was sick of running around. I didn¡¯t want to run to somece else that was likely temporary.


    After all, before I ¡®died,¡¯ I¡¯d had a sessful business, and the opportunity there was immense. I wanted the power I had before back, and I couldn¡¯t do that with any sort of ¡®fresh start.¡¯ I wanted this family to be sessful, with as many opportunities as I¡¯d had before.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why Ba didn¡¯t understand that. She kept saying it wouldn¡¯t be safe, with the mafia issue, but I would make sure it was. I had so many strings I could pull and intended on expressing that in Italy.


    While I waited for people to get back to me on the La issue, I got on theputer myself to do some research and check in. Tony said things were fine back in Italy so far, without much issue to report. At least there was that.


    It was drilled into my head, over and over, that my past would follow me, something bothersome. The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized even if it were true, I could handle it, and Ba needed to understand that.


    Things wouldn¡¯t end up like they had in Miami. I winced, thinking of Tally but reminding myself that no matter what happened, we wouldn¡¯t end up in a situation like that again. My daughter would be remembered, and we would y things as safe as we could.


    It didn¡¯t mean we should keep running and hiding, though. I shook my head, typing things out and setting up meetings that would get things going. I intended on returning to Italy, and Ba would eventually just have to get over her problems ande along.


    To get my mind off of things, I went into the other room to make dinner. I set up the oven so that I could bake some chicken spaghetti for the whole family.


    I heard the door open nearby and turned to see Ba walking into the living room, heading over to the fridge to get something to drink. I studied her as she came closer, noting the focused gleam to her eye. What was she thinking about?


    When her eyes met mine, she scowled a bit, turning up her nose. Oh, she was having an attitude again. Wonderful. I returned that expression, asking in a cold tone, ¡°I assume you¡¯ve thought more about going to Italy?¡±


    ¡°A bit,¡± Ba said, opening the fridge and getting herself a bottle of water. ¡°We can talk about itter. I¡¯m still doing some research.¡±


    ¡°Research?¡± I muttered. ¡°Ba,¡± I said tly. ¡°I¡¯m tired of moving around. For the good of the family, we should settle in. Moving all of the time is stressful for the kids. We have so many opportunities in Italy we can take. The mafia won¡¯t be an issue.¡±


    ¡°I said I don¡¯t want that for our family, James,¡± she snapped. Her grip tightened on the bottle of water, but she wasn¡¯t going to hear anything more about this now. She stomped back off into a separate room, ending the argument early for now.


    Feeling my face redden in anger, I cursed under my breath and wondered how I was going to get through to her that Italy would be the best ce to settle down not only to avoid moving around as much but because of the opportunities there.


    Sighing, I finished cooking and grabbed myself a te, sitting down and eating slowly. I could hear La ying with the kids in the nursery, and my lips twitched a bit. Allegra¡¯s words came to my mind, causing a pang in my stomach.


    Could there be some merit to what Allegra was saying, or was she trying to cause issues because of some conflict she had with La? I was sick of her getting into my business, but I wasn¡¯t sure if she would go that far.


    I ran my fingers through my hair and entered my room again, noting several messages from people I had set on doing more research. First, I looked through my phone, which had a number of rather damning texts from La. My jaw dropped.


    Plus, there was more?! I looked through my emails, noting how they confirmed what Allegra had said about how La was lied to. Something about Ba having stolen money, or something. That didn¡¯t matter, at the moment, we had a snake in our nest.


    I mmed my fist down onto my desk, letting out a low growl. This wasn¡¯t good. What Allegra said was starting to make sense, and I didn¡¯t want to believe her, but here we were. The connections I had wouldn¡¯t send false information.


    Resisting the urge to throw my phone across the room, I stood up, myputer chair rolling toward my bed from the force of me doing so. Clenching my fist, I stomped toward the door and headed toward the nursery.


    When I got there, I threw the door open, my eyes locking on a startled La. She¡¯d been walking away from Alessandro, who she¡¯d put to bed for a nap. Her jaw dropped as she no doubt saw my lips drawn into a tight line.


    ¡°What the F*CK, La!¡± I shouted, startling both kids awake. At the moment, I didn¡¯t care. I was ovee with rage. How could she do this? This entire time, she was here getting information on us for some outside party, using this nanny work as a guise?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± she squeaked immediately, running over to the other side of the room and pressing her back against the wall. Her eyes were wide with fear, though I wasn¡¯t going to raise a hand against her. Yelling though? Yes. I was pissed.


    ¡°You worked for those assholes, and for what? Was this all a lie, then, huh?!¡± I approached her, my eyes narrowed as I went to continue my ranting. I was beyond angry now, because such a betrayal had me very worried about the kids.


    Suddenly, however, a voice came from behind me. ¡°James! What the hell is going on?!¡± Ba¡¯s voice, caused me to inwardly groan. Allegra had said that Ba didn¡¯t listen to her, so of course she wasn¡¯t enlightened to the situation.


    In the meantime, La had a burst of courage and pushed off of the wall, shoving past me. Tears were streaming down her face, cries of fear and sadness erupting from her. She hit her shoulder on the doorframe after pushing past Ba, letting out a gasp of pain.


    With that, she was gone, and Ba was standing there as red in the face as I was. I turned to face her, feeling a jolt of embarrassment at my loss of temper. Both children were sitting up and staring at me in confusion. Alessandro said, ¡°Dada?¡±


    I groaned, then let out a sigh. ¡°Ba,¡± I began. ¡°Look. Allegra called me, and¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh, she called you too?! If this is her being angry over my response to Neal, I¡¯m going to lose my mind. Now she¡¯s saying things about La?!¡± Ba snapped, causing me to reach up and rub my temples. She didn¡¯t listen with Italy, now she wasn¡¯t listening with La.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about Neal in this situation. She called, talking about how La was working with the people who captured her because she thought you stole money,¡± I replied, keeping a steady re on the angry woman.


    She kept her eyes locked with me and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re something else, James,¡± she said, storming past me tofort Alessandro. To the child, she cooed, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Alessandro. Mommy¡¯s here. Sleep time, okay?¡±


    I let her take care of the kids, knowing my presence would only cause even more stress. Numbly, I sat on the couch, burying my face into my hands. Maybe running in there and yelling wasn¡¯t wise, but I couldn¡¯t control my temper in cases like this.


    La, given who she was working for, posed a real threat to our children. Especially if she was lied to regarding Ba. I let out a soft groan while I waited for the angry woman toe storming out again. She probably wouldn¡¯t listen this time either.


    After several minutes, Ba emerged from the room and approached me on the couch. I looked up, my cold stare fastening on her. At the moment, she was still fired up, with a clenched jaw matching her clenched fists. It was hard to tell which of us was angrier at the other.


    ¡°My people checked into this, Ba. They confirmed it,¡± I said. ¡°They are trustworthy. It¡¯s why I went in shouting at La.¡±


    ¡°You woke up the kids by losing your temper. They were terrified! La, too. I don¡¯t know what this is about, and frankly, I don¡¯t believe you. I¡¯m going to go see what¡¯s going on myself and ask her,¡± she said.


    ¡°She may lie to you,¡± I snapped, reaching up to pinch the bridge of my nose. My words fell on deaf ears, however, as she whirled and stormed toward the front door, phone in hand. She was likely calling La.


    Right before she was out the door, she said, ¡°Stay here with the kids, I¡¯ll handle this since you¡¯re not capable of doing so.¡± SLAM! With that, she was gone. So much for letting the kids nap. I shook my head and entered the nursery, not bothering to try and call to convince her otherwise.


    Ba was letting her temper get the better of her, just like how I had. She didn¡¯t believe me, but hopefully, La would tell her the truth, or we¡¯d have yet another problem spiraling out of control.

 Chapter 199 : The Truth Hurts

    <h4>Chapter 199: Chapter 199 : The Truth Hurts</h4>


    La.


    My stomach was in tatters, and my heart was ripped to shreds. I didn¡¯t know how to handle any of this. My world was crashing down, but I deserved it. I should have known I was being lied to, but I had been too gullible.


    They¡¯d said Ba was a terrible person, someone who would end up extorting the children just like Chad Cartwright. A thief, a liar, they needed information so they could get the money back and suggested I look over the kids to make sure they would be safe.


    Everything they said had been lies.


    My instincts told me as much, but they were super convincing, so I had ignored my gut feeling. Right now, I ran down the sidewalk, the oranges, and reds of sunset doing little tofort me, as beautiful as they were.


    Tears streamed down my face as I ran, ignoring some odd looks I got from passersby. I needed to find afortable ce to sit and think.


    How could I convince Ba I was sorry?


    The sounds of my whimpering and footstepsnding on the sidewalk were the only thing I could hear right then. That is until I heard the soft chiming of my phone and felt the vibration in my pocket.


    Someone was calling me.


    It was probably Ba. I reached into my pocket and held the screen up to my face. My hand was shaky, but I was able to focus on it well enough. The person I saw calling me made my heart clench. At this point, I knew talking to either Allegra or Ba would be terrible.


    I needed to answer Ba¡¯s call, though, so I did. ¡°H-hello?¡± I asked, now panting as I ran. I turned the corner, nearly mming into a woman walking her dog. Mouthing ¡®sorry,¡¯ I moved on, heading down the road toward a coffee shop.


    ¡°La. Are you okay? James went off on you, I apologize for his behavior. I want toe check on you. He said some ridiculous things. I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re fighting with Allegra or something?¡± she asked me. I swallowed, hearing that name.


    ¡°I am,¡± I confirmed. Then, after a pause, I added, ¡°The fight with Allegra, I mean. I¡¯m not okay. Can you meet me at Essentials Cafe? I can exin everything there.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if my voice would be steady enough, but she had to know.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you there,¡± Ba said before hanging up. I shuddered, knowing this wouldn¡¯t end well. What turned into me just trying to get information ended up being a job I was passionate about. I really cared about those kids and was happy to see the oue of the trial.


    The more and more I worked with the family, the more I realized they were trying to be just that. A family. To raise their children in peace, the best they could. Or at least, in an environment that was healthy for the kids. It¡¯s what made me realize how much of a lie I had been caught in.


    My running shifted to a walk as I carried on down the street, hanging my head. Allegra¡¯s voice had been so broken by the end of our call. I reached up to quickly wipe away some tears, but they kept spilling down my cheeks.


    All I wanted to do was tell Allegra I was happy for her, but I knew I couldn¡¯t keep living a lie. I wanted to spend my life with her, but if I were to do that, she¡¯d needed to know the truth. That I helped the very people who hurt her.


    While she didn¡¯t go through anything permanently damaging either mentally or physically in their hands, she could have. I knew that, and I worked with them anyway, because they had me with their smooth words and silver tongues.


    Allegra deserved better, as did Ba. In the end, though, I wanted to keep my job, because my heart was now very much in it. That, and I wanted to be with La. I assumed James would eventually convince Ba to go to Italy and I could see La in Rome.


    I¡¯d still be able to visit the kids then, even if I ended up living with La and no longer was a stay-at-home nanny. At this point, I was a disgrace, but maybe Ba would be understanding. Maybe we could still be friends after this.


    At least, that¡¯s what I kept telling myself. I shook my head, walking past some buildings as the lights went on and shadows lengthened. The sun was now dipping under the horizon, but I wasn¡¯t worried. This part of town was lively at night.


    At the same time, I wished the street was quieter. My sorrow radiated off of me in waves, and everything was crashing down. I had money to move on from here. I could livefortably for a while during the search for a new job.


    I didn¡¯t want that, though. I wanted to remain friends with Ba and eventually be with Allegra. My heart clenched, and a sob emitted from the pit of my chest as I thought of her. She gushed so much about me, had so much love for me, and what had I done?


    Her voice dripped with sadness over the phely, but I hadn¡¯t been able to tell her earlier. I was too nervous that I¡¯d lose her, and everything else, too. That was happening right now. I was facing the consequences of my actions.


    Not only had I led her to believe, falsely, that I was no longer interested, but in the end, I lost her anyway. She was in so much pain while I kept my silence, too afraid to speak up. In reality, my heart dripped with love for her and the life she had nned.


    Why hadn¡¯t I sounded as excited for her to get that modeling job? She was looking forward to hearing my thoughts, I could tell by how the calls started off when she was telling me. There had been a chance she couldn¡¯t find work anywhere, yet there she was.


    Allegra was such a powerful, beautiful woman, and what was I? A liar and traitor, too easy to manipte, the consequence of which was showing now. More tears spilled down my cheeks as I rounded another corner, arriving at the coffee shop.


    I took a seat, burying my face in my hands and waiting for this inevitable talk with Ba. She was going to be so angry with me, justifiably. She and James had been fighting about going to Italy, so I doubted she believed him when he told her.


    She would believe me, though, because this time, I¡¯d be telling the truth. I let out a low cry from the bottom of my throat, just trying topose myself here and failing. All of these concerned stares were making me beyond nervous.


    So much so that I jumped when the server came around. She was a young waitress with a sympathetic gleam in her eyes. ¡°You okay, honey?¡± she asked, her voice dripping with concern. I didn¡¯t tell her the truth, rather, I just nodded.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said in a shaky tone. ¡°Justposing myself from some sad news. I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, causing her to furrow her brow and shake her head.


    ¡°No need to apologize, just making sure, dear. Is there anything you¡¯d like, or do you want peace for now?¡± she asked. I contemted matters and then gave a nod, staring at my hands and avoiding eye contact following that.


    ¡°A cup of hot tea, please,¡± I requested softly. With that, the waitress went off to fulfill my order, leaving me alone in my thoughts. As much as I tried to stop them, the tears kept on flowing. People I cared about were going to leave me soon.


    Allegra probably had already. She had every right to never want to see me again. Despite that, I couldn¡¯t shake the feelings I had for her. Maybe there was a way she could forgive me. As much as I doubted it, I needed to try.


    My eyes kept falling on the entrance of the coffee shop as I tried, and kept failing, topose myself. A cup of tea was ced in front of me, causing me to jump. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said to the waitress, who nodded.


    ¡°Just let me know if you need anything else,¡± she said, once more leaving me alone. I blew on the tea, hoping it would help me rx even if only somewhat. By the nausea in my stomach, I doubted that would be the case.


    Eventually, the bell chimed, indicating someone had entered the cafe. I swallowed, locking eyes with the woman who entered. Her brown hair was frazzled, her blue eyes glinted with concern and outrage, and her posture was tense.


    Ba.


    I considered, for a moment, ducking my head and pretending I wasn¡¯t here. I couldn¡¯t hide from this, though. I got the courage to tell Allegra and lost her. She hung up on me. Knowing I¡¯d probably lose Ba, too, I still motioned her over with a shaky sigh.


    She took a seat before me, giving a light smile and nodding. ¡°Hey, La. Sorry about how James behaved there. He lost his mind. You didn¡¯t deserve that. I think he¡¯s on edge because I don¡¯t want to go to Italy,¡± she exined.


    I gave a half-shrug, knowing the real reason. Softly, I said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. His anger was justified. Would you like anything? I can cover the bill today. I don¡¯t mind.¡± I watched Ba narrow her eyes at the ¡®justified¡¯ment and winced.


    ¡°What do you mean, La? Justified? He was shouting at you and woke the kids. I think it¡¯s far from justified. What he said was ridiculous. You aren¡¯t saying he was right, are you?¡± she asked. This was it. The moment of reckoning.


    I gave a long pause, drowning in my misery for a moment. I opened, then closed my mouth, trying to find the words to properly tell her how sorry I was. How much this was a mistake, how misled I was, how I really did care about her and the kids.


    All I could say was, ¡°Ba, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°La, no,¡± Ba muttered, her jaw dropping. ¡°He can¡¯t be right. Please. Tell me he¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s... h-he¡¯s... he¡¯s not wrong, Ba. I¡¯m so s-sorry, th-they lied to me, I th-thought you did something you didn¡¯t, I was just t-trying to do the right thing! Really, I, I mean, really, I¡¯m sorry, and, a-and....¡± Just like with my admission to Allegra, I was tripping over my words.


    Ba locked eyes with me, shock crossing her features. Her mouth was stuck open as she tried to process what I was saying. She probably spent the entire time getting here convincing herself that was James told her wasn¡¯t true.


    ¡°La,¡± she whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. ¡°You¡¯re fired.¡±

 Chapter 200 : The World Caving In

    <h4>Chapter 200: Chapter 200 : The World Caving In</h4>


    Ba.


    Everything was spiraling out of control. I thought the trial would be the end of many worries, but I was wrong. Apparently, it just signified the beginning. Tears began streaming down my face as I stared La down.


    She had buried her face into her hands and was sobbing, but I couldn¡¯t look at her anymore. I couldn¡¯t deal with being here at the cafe at all. I stood up from my chair and whirled, shoving it into the table and storming out of the ce.


    La had been someone I could rely on.


    She listened to me when Iined about how stubborn James was being, or my woes during the trial regarding the Cartwrights. I thought she cared dearly about the children, but clearly, I¡¯d thought wrong.


    Tears poured down my cheeks as I hurried down the street, now shifting to a run. Dusk was causing the sky to darken, and I foolishly didn¡¯t take a car here. The streets were lit up, so I wasn¡¯t too concerned about getting jumped, but still, I walked briskly.


    By the time I took a few turns and rounded the corner to get home, I was full-on sobbing. I wanted to throw myself onto my bed and cry for the rest of the night. At the moment, I felt like I had no one. Not James, not La.


    I thought of how I saw La constantly ying with Alessandro and Dahlia. She had a beautiful, brilliant smile that always lit up the room. She knew just what to do when either child started crying. She knew their favorite toys and favorite activities.


    She had always been there encouraging their growth, speaking and giggling with them when they did, too. When James and I were in need or in a tough spot, she was there. When we needed to leave at thest minute, she usually could cover, no problems.


    I wouldn¡¯t find another nanny like La, but it was something we¡¯d have to do. She wasn¡¯t to be trusted after that. Working with the people who¡¯d done terrible things like that, all because she thought I stole money? Why didn¡¯t she talk to me? After Sarah, I thought my trouble with nannies was over, but apparently, I had been wrong. Maybe I should let someone else pick the next nanny.


    James had lost his mind on La, and now I understood why. I was still so mad at him for not budging on the Italy thing. I should have brought up my idea about Guatem when moving was mentioned again, but I still wanted to do some more research before presenting the idea.


    Eventually, I arrived at the end of our street and got closer to the house. However, I began to notice something off right away. There was a gathering of people at my doorstep, something that caused my heart to pound. This was just what I needed.


    The first person that became clear to me as I drew closer was a woman with blonde hair tied up in a bun with blue eyes that gleamed like a hawk looking at a rabbit. Terese fastened her stare on me, a scowl stered across her face.


    Other people there included Marilyn, who may as well have been a carbon copy of Terese even if they weren¡¯t rted. There was no variety in their stance, what they wore, the style of their hair. They were carbon copies, inhuman, like cardboard, and had no love for me.


    Stepford wives. Vultures who fed on the misery of others, no doubt, but what were they doing at my home? I recalled what was said during the trial, feeling my fists clench at the thought of them trying to get my son taken away from me.


    They knew Alessandro had been repeating the word ¡®fuck¡¯ and tried having it used against me. My child¡¯s life could have been doomed forever because of them, and they knew it, too. I was seeing red by the time I got close enough to say something.


    ¡°I see the farmer let the pigs out of their pen. Why did they alle running here?¡± I asked softly, staring Terese down.


    She flipped her hair and scoffed, eyeing me up and down. Her fake breasts jiggled as she did so, which was about as unappealing as her stic face.


    No doubt, my makeup had run a little, which was evident on my face. One thing after another today. I didn¡¯t need this.


    ¡°Ah, Ba, just the b*tch we were looking for,¡± Terese said. ¡°The trash has yet to be taken out. You¡¯re still here. So are your bastard son and daughter.¡±


    Marilyn nodded, her expression just about as ugly as Terese¡¯s. My interaction with these harpies came flooding back, and I let out an annoyed sigh.


    My lip twitched in irritation, and I snapped, ¡°Get off of mywn and away from my house. I don¡¯t care what a bunch of bitch ass Barbies have to say about my children, or whether I¡¯m wee here.¡±


    ¡°Tch, ¡®prostituta,¡¯ we¡¯re overjoyed you got your kid back. Ecstatic, so happy for you,¡± Terese said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. ¡°But there¡¯s no ce for a dirty whore like you here. Get the f*ck out.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell me what to do,¡± I snarled, mming my foot onto the ground. I considered pping her again but wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d get away with it. Her disgusting friends may help her inshing back out. I could get the police called on me, which was thest thing I needed right now.


    ¡°Oh, but we can,¡± Terese said through her teeth, giving a fake, disgusting smile. ¡°Our little tip to Cecelia didn¡¯t help chase you off. You won your bastard godson anyway, but we¡¯ll continue to make your life a living hell until you¡¯re out of here.¡±


    More tears began streaming down my face as I found it hard to speak through my anger. My throat closed somewhat, but I needed to hold it together. After taking several deep breaths, I muttered, ¡°You bimbo bitches almost cost me my son.¡±


    Marilyn snapped, ¡°Oh, if only that were the case, you¡¯d be gone faster. Trash like you shouldn¡¯t dirty up our neighborhood.¡± A choir of Karens sounded off right then in agreement with the Stepford wife, causing me to consider t-out uppercutting their ringleader.


    Maybe that would show them.


    I resisted the urge to do so, ncing around to meet eyes with Antote. She was standing there with the rest of them, her eyes glimmering with guilt. Unlikest time, she wasn¡¯t speaking up to help.


    Rather, she said, ¡°Ba, it may be better to do what they say. There is more to this than you know. They have a bit more influence than you assumed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Antote is ours, you bitch,¡± Terese snapped, giving a wide grin. ¡°She knows her ce in this pecking order. Otherwise, things could happen with her raids. Maybe they¡¯ll find something this time. Who knows?¡±


    Antote winced at that, shaking her head. That sly, confident smile had been wiped from her face. I¡¯d lost my one friend in this area. La was gone, James was being a stubborn prick, and now, Antote needed to join the side of these terrible people or risk something.


    I had no idea what was going on, or why Antote needed to side with them. I just knew that one thing after another kept on being added, and I couldn¡¯t take this anymore. Still, I took a deep breath andposed myself, trying so hard to maintain focus.


    For a moment, I tried distracting myself with just how stic Terese looked.


    I considered bringing that up. Her lips were pursed as she waited for me to say something. Once again, I was struck with the curiosity of whether or not her Botox would just fall out from how her lips were right now.


    ¡°Aw,¡± Marilyn said in a taunting manner. ¡°Gonna cry harder, whore? Terese is right, you¡¯re not wanted here. Go the f*ck away while you still have a chance, or your life will be even more miserable. Understand?¡±


    Terese grinned, walking up and leaning into my face. ¡°Hit me like you didst time. I dare you.¡± I saw one of her stic-clone goons whip out a phone to start recording. As much as I wanted to give in right now, I couldn¡¯t.


    Rather, I shoved past her to my front door, took out my keys, and opened it. Without turning, I said, ¡°Get away from my house.¡± Then, I turned and mmed my door so hard that it shook. Finally, I turned and leaned against it, my back dragging against it as I sat there.


    I buried my face in my hands and just began to sob, my entire body shaking. The entire world was against me. I waspletely alone right now. With James wanting to return to work at the businesses he¡¯d been managing in Florence, and me wanting to explore new options about what to do with my professional life, I¡¯d need help with the kids.


    I¡¯d have no help now. La was gone, I wasn¡¯t wee in this neighborhood, and I¡¯d lost yet another friend. I didn¡¯t know what they did to threaten Antote, but I needed her right now, and she couldn¡¯t speak up without risking herself.


    This ce was hell.


    As I continued to curl up and sob, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I tried shrugging it off, but it was held there firmly. ¡°What do you want, James?¡± I said, my voice muffled a bit. I heard him sigh in my ear and finally peeked at him.


    ¡°Ba,¡± he whispered. ¡°Baby, I¡¯m here. I know you¡¯re mad at me, but if you need someone right now, I¡¯m here. Let mefort you?¡±


    I managed to nod in eptance as James swept me into his arms and brought me to the couch. The nursery was quiet, so the kids were getting some restful sleep, at least. Following James¡¯s yelling, of course. I still wasn¡¯t sure that¡¯d been warranted.


    That said, at this moment, I wanted to throw back my head and scream. I held off from doing so, and rather, buried my head in James¡¯s chest and started to sob. His hand ran down my back in aforting manner, trying to calm me down.


    Five minutester, I made a decision that I didn¡¯t want to, but knew I had to. We just couldn¡¯t stay here anymore. The Cartwrights would jump down our throats soon, and those evil Stepford wives no doubt had tons of connections I didn¡¯t know about.


    That, and based on tonight, they would use those connections they had to hurt my entire family, including my kids. That much was proven at the trial. They didn¡¯t care about Alessandro having a good life. They only wanted to make us suffer for ¡®not belonging here.¡¯


    ¡°James,¡± I whispered, catching his attention. I looked into his eyes and said, ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll go back to Italy. My father is still there. I have him. I have you.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± James said, giving me a careful smile. ¡°We will leave tomorrow, then. I¡¯ll have Tony send over a jet. It will be so much better there, Ba.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know for how long, James. I don¡¯t want that life for my son,¡± I said to him, the thought of the mafia and James inevitably gaining the Don positioning to mind.


    What else could we do? We had nowhere to go right now and needed to leave.


    For now, I had to ept that we were bound for Italy in the morning.

 Chapter 201 : Back in Italy

    <h4>Chapter 201: Chapter 201 : Back in Italy</h4>


    James.


    ¡°Please make sure it¡¯s taken care of,¡± I muttered, my eyes narrowed as I stared at the wall. We¡¯d arrived in Italy a few days ago, and problems were already springing up. I was the Don, no surprise, a fate that would befall Alessandro eventually as well, unless something changed.


    Here, we¡¯d have more opportunities. That tiny detail was stuck in Ba¡¯s mind, but I could tell she wanted out as soon as possible. Hopefully, she would adapt because I didn¡¯t intend on moving.


    The incident with La was stuck in her mind, too, which meant she was upied with that thought quite a bit. She was currently interviewing nannies. She was very picky and cycling through many. Given what we¡¯d gone through, I couldn¡¯t me her.


    Giana, the former housekeeper, was on leave for an indefinite time. Something was going on with her family, and of course, given that Ba hadn¡¯t really liked her in the first ce, I told her to take all the time she needed.


    Secretly, I wished I could be of more help around the ce, but I had many issues of my own to take care of and couldn¡¯t dedicate the time. Plus, she was still rather annoyed with the entire situation, so my hovering would only make it worse.


    On the other end of the line, Tony replied, ¡°We traced his goons to Vicollo Del Malpasso 129. We¡¯ll be moving in soon to catch and be rid of the vermin.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I replied, letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯ll ry instructions to the other men. Keep me updated, and we can finally put this to rest.¡± I hung up, d Ba wasn¡¯t around to overhear any of that. Her anxiety would make her more ornery, no doubt.


    I leaned back in my soft, leather chair, d to be back to the luxury I was used to. Really, I didn¡¯t want this life for Alessandro either. He shouldn¡¯t be tied down with all of this like I was. I hoped to eventually move on from it as well, but responsibilities were responsibilities.


    There was a knock at the door, and I approached it, peering through the peephole to discover a woman standing there and giving a wave. I smiled, realizing this must be someone visiting Ba for an interview.


    After opening the door to let her in, I said, ¡°Hello there. Here for the nanny interview?¡± She nodded enthusiastically. Brte curls fell down her shoulders, and she had bright green eyes that indicated eagerness to help out.


    ¡°I am,¡± she said, her smile widening. I stepped aside, leading her through the house and hearing her gasp. She said, ¡°This ce is gorgeous! You¡¯ve done well with it.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her observation because she was very right.


    Ba was in the nursery with the kids at the moment, and so, I led the woman there. Ba came to the door and smiled kindly at the interviewee. I noted the bags under her eyes and the glint of exhaustion in her gaze.


    ¡°Hi, there!¡± Ba said, trying toe across as cheerful as opposed topletely out of it. ¡°Wee. You must be Este. I can¡¯t wait to introduce you to the kids!¡± Then, she looked at me and nodded in thanks, an indication that she¡¯d handle this. Perfect.


    For the next few hours, I began to reconvene, setting up various spreadsheets on myputer and making several phone calls. Despite this Don business, I could continue to work on the business I had been handling before to increase the family¡¯s wealth and power.


    There was never any shortage of money, or need to worry about such things. Ba still had far more than me, given when I ¡®died,¡¯ she was left all of it. The Family money was under my control as Don, but it didn¡¯t all belong to me. Therefore, it was my turn to rise again.


    I wanted to establish myself and make damn sure there wouldn¡¯t ever be a reason to be worried. I was typing a mile a minute, setting up connections, and settling in here.


    Hopefully, Ba wouldn¡¯t beg to leave. That thought made me scowl, and I shook my head. The snap decision was stressful for her, but in the end, better for me. Something better for me would be better for both of us. She would learn to love it here.


    Though, I did want to do all I could to reduce the stress on her. She didn¡¯t want the Don life bestowed on Alessandro, and I didn¡¯t either. Could there be someone to pass the title off to, perhaps? I furrowed my brow in thought.


    Perhaps. I would be paying close attention to others in the family to figure out who I could approach and pass the Don title to instead of sealing Alessandro¡¯s fate. Truth be told, being a Don of the family wasn¡¯t a death sentence, but it was a huge responsibility.


    I didn¡¯t want Alessandro to lose more people close to him like he had his mother. He was too young to understand but would grow older, and then it would click. I didn¡¯t wish the death of a child upon anyone, especially not my own grandson.


    Which would be a real possibility in the far future if he got caught up in the many nefarious things connected to being Don of the family. As disruptive as it was, I could handle it, even if deep down, my heart still bled for Tally.


    Despite what was said in court, and how upset I was, I knew Tally couldn¡¯t be dead because of me. Right? It was an inward battle I fought constantly. If our family didn¡¯t have these connections, she could still be alive.


    That didn¡¯t mean it was all on me, though.


    I ran my fingers through my hair as these thoughts went a mile a minute. Shaking my head, I made a list of people I wanted to speak with regarding this matter, added their phone numbers and email details, then just closed down that document.


    I¡¯d prefer to focus on building the influence and power my business had here right now. After another half hour of working, I went into the kitchen and made myself some lunch. My first thought upon entering therge kitchen was that I wanted to hire more maids. Since Gia had left, things were starting to fall apart.


    Though, with what happened regarding La, Ba would probably be hesitant. Would she even be right in the mind enough to select a nanny? I bit my lip, doubting it. Either way, I started the pot of boiling water on the stove and began to prepare other things. Sometimes, I liked to cook for myself.


    I¡¯d have a secondo consisting of fresh fish, something the staff picked up from the market for us yesterday. It was nice to have people working for us right now, especially with just how much stress the family had been throughtely.


    Finally, I prepared the vegetables, local, and delicious. The kitchen was soon filled with the scent of a hearty lunch cooking, and I licked my lips. Ba would hopefully take a break ande get something as well.


    Taking a seat at the dining table once everything was ready, I sent Ba a text to let her know I¡¯d made some food and then read through the news on my phone while I waited for things to cool. Eventually, I looked up and I saw someone entering the room. Ba looked even more tired, and as she took a seat, she sighed.


    ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± I asked softly, giving her a smile. ¡°You look exhausted, baby. This situation has been sucking the life out of you.¡±


    Bained, ¡°Like a vampire? Dealing with the undead would be easier than this. Oh, James. I just don¡¯t know what to do. I have La stuck in my mind. She was a perfect nanny for the kids, got along with them so well, but turned out to be horrible.¡±


    Tears began to drip from her eyes. I reached over with a napkin and gently dabbed at her cheeks, frowning deeply. I muttered, ¡°We were definitely both surprised by her admission. I still feel bad about rming the kids.¡±


    ¡°You were out of control,¡± Ba agreed, sniffling. Then, she smiled somewhat. ¡°Though, I get it now. I almost wish you had gone out of control on those damn Stepford wives, too.¡± Her smile dissolved into a disgusted scowl.


    ¡°After what you told me they said to you, I wish I did,¡± I replied. Ba had described them as harpy-ass bitches, a very colorful insult I just had to agree with. I took a bite of my meal, motioning to the kitchen for Ba.


    She nodded, leaving the room for a moment to fix a te. Her general demeanor was still very much not changed from a very negative one, what with her slightly messy hair as though she¡¯d been constantly running her fingers through it.


    When she returned, she let out a sigh. I asked, ¡°No luck with the people you interviewed?¡± I asked, and she shrugged. Then, she bit her lip and shook her head. She took a few bites of food, giving an ¡®mmm¡¯ of appreciation. At least I could help her day a little with lunch.


    ¡°No. There just hasn¡¯t been a feeling that any of them fit. Maybe I¡¯m biased; maybe I¡¯m being unfair. I can¡¯t help it, though. I want the kids to have someone perfect, and I can¡¯t see myself making a decision anytime soon,¡± she said.


    I nodded, frowning somewhat. I was about to respond when she held up a hand to wait and answered the phone. ¡°Hello,¡± Ba said. I waited patiently as she spoke to her stepmother, her tone changing about halfway through the conversation. Her father and stepmother had gone out of town about the same time we wereing back, so they weren¡¯t there at the moment.


    Ba had been exining the situation with the nanny, and then said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a burden, though. I know you can handle it, but...¡±


    Now, my phone vibrated. I looked down to see a text from Sophia, and replied to confirm I was back in Florence. Sweet woman, a good friend of mine. Ba¡¯s conversation continued with her mother, and she continued to sound unsure.


    Eventually, she ended her call, and I was still texting Sophia. I exined the situation with La, and how we were looking for a new nanny. Her next text made me raise a brow. ¡®Oh! I love kids, I can help out while you find a new nanny. That would be no problem to me.¡¯


    My eyes fell upon Ba, who was staring into her food and taking a few bites. ¡°What did your stepmother say?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She offered to cut their trip to Spain short toe back to help, but as I said, I don¡¯t want to be a burden. They have always wanted to travel, and I don¡¯t want to cut into that,¡± she said.


    ¡°Sophia offered to help until we find a new nanny,¡± Imented, causing her to look up and stare at me with surprise. I gave her a smile. ¡°She¡¯s right in time, isn¡¯t she? That way, you won¡¯t need to impose upon your parents, and we have someone we can trust while we settle.¡±


    ¡°Oh James,¡± Ba said, her tone shifting from one of mncholy to delight. ¡°That would be wonderful! I¡¯d love to have her here.¡± Relief dripped from her tone, since now, she could be very thorough with finding a nanny.


    Life would be able to continue as usual, without the worry of the kids not being watched in case we ever needed to do something away from thepound. And I was happy to have Sophia here, now that it was clear to Ba and everyone that she was the best of friends and nothing more.


    I beamed at her smile, happy to see that she was lightening up a little. Hopefully, we could find a nanny so that we could have our fun and carry on with our lives properly. I¡¯d propose the new maid idea to Ba at some other time.


    Soon enough, we¡¯d be back to a full staff and could live the life of luxury we both deserved.

 Chapter 202 : Assembling a Team

    <h4>Chapter 202: Chapter 202 : Assembling a Team</h4>


    Neal.


    The situation with Ba was heartbreaking, and I was stuck. I really did love her and had been hoping she¡¯d been missing me.


    I would be better for her than James, right? Well, maybe not.


    I wasn¡¯t sure. I stared at my hands, sitting there on my couch and reaching up to rub my temples.


    So manyplex feelings. Here I was, unable to move on though I really needed to. For now, I basked in the silence, the distraction of the television no help.


    My mind kept bouncing between wishing I could end up with Ba and telling myself I should let things lie.


    They had just gotten through the situation with the kids, and from what I¡¯d heard, the Cartwrights were terrible people. I got word from Allegra that they managed to move back to Italy.


    I was here as well, near Allegra, still on the hunt for those damn Russians who captured her.


    It was all connected. I wasn¡¯t sure how much information La gave to them regarding Allegra, but I knew Ba had been in a lot of danger given the snake in the nest. Allegra had called me crying regarding La.


    My heart clenched at the memory of my sister¡¯s voice. I didn¡¯t always get along with her, but we were very close, and we¡¯d only grown closertely. She was at my throat, constantly, about the Russians, but I couldn¡¯t me her.


    She was starting a new life, one she had wanted to begin with La. Allegra took every chance she had to gush about someone she loved, only for that same person to stab her in the back. We both had love problems, though I had a feeling I was bringing myself down.


    Being so stuck on Ba was toxic. I told myself that over and over as I stared at the wall, trying to w myself out of this hole. I missed her so much, loved her, even, but James may be better for her. Or maybe not. He was cold, aloof, abrasive, and downright mean sometimes.


    When he¡¯d called back to genuinely thank Allegra about this news, and apologize for not believing her, he told her that he¡¯d gone off on La in the nursery, which rmed both Ba and the kids.


    Him losing his temper like that was very bad news.


    I clenched my fist, reaching over to the ss table in the living room and grabbing my coffee, downing it in a few sips. Well, now he was closer. All of us ended up in the same country, and I¡¯d probably be seeing Ba more too.


    Would I be able to handle it? I pondered this. Given how she spoke with me on the phone, I highly doubted she would take well to seeing me around in general. Meanwhile, I would be reminded, constantly, of her choice, and how she didn¡¯t miss me.


    Maybe she did, but it was unwise to press. There was never any clear answer during our phone call, after all. I scolded myself fortching onto that. It was over; I needed to ept it. Though it was monumentally difficult.


    I stood up, making my way to the bathroom to take a shower. My mind would clear up then, and I could focus on more important things. I needed to take down my enemies because my sister continued to be in danger while they were active.


    That was more important than swooning over a woman who was probably not interested in the slightest. I started up the hot water and waited, inspecting myself in the mirror. I had a five o¡¯clock shadow I considered ridding myself of, but then decided to keep it. Why not?


    As steam built up in the bathroom, I stepped into the shower and began to clean myself with musky, woodsy scents, my mind drifting away from the Russians as I washed and to romance in the future.


    If I could get Ba out of my mind and move on, I could find someone who did care about me. As unhappy as I was with how James treated her, I knew it was her decision, and something she would need to live with.


    Their rtionship wasn¡¯t abusive, and she loved him, but it still didn¡¯t change how toxic he could be, and how dangerous his connections were for Ba. Though, the more I thought about it, the more the thought was riching from me.


    Hopefully, this Russian ordeal would end once and for all. I would have a target on my back, no doubt, after this hunt carried on. That is, if we didn¡¯t manage to hit our target. The more we closed in, the more confident I got.


    When I got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around myself, I made my way to my bedroom and got dressed. Today would be about nning. I needed to shift my focus from Ba and our failed romance to the Russians.


    I sat in front of myputer and began typing, going through my protected emails and scanning what was said. Much to my delight, another ally joined the team, assembling a force to be reckoned with even further.


    We could now move on to the next phase. I told them we needed to set up an ambush and conveniently get them bagged by undercover Americans out for blood. They would take care of that business.


    Sure, they hated me. I wasn¡¯t allowed in the United States. However, they hated these pieces of shit even more, and that¡¯s all we needed to get them on our side. Along with a huge bribe, of course, and a promise that no more trouble would bring them harm.


    A few key ssified bits of information may have spoken my case well to convince them, too. Once we lured those bastards out of the shadows and threw them into the beak of an eagle, so to speak, we would have them off our back.


    I sent out this information to my team, exining that at this point, we needed to begin setting these traps and contingency ns. My smile widened in delight as I got confirmation we¡¯d have all the materials and buildings we¡¯d need to aplish this.


    It was going to be tight, and thew here would need to be evaded. Needless to say, I was confident we could make this happen. Eventually, I picked up the phone and dialed Allegra, wanting to tell her the good news myself.


    It rang a few times before she answered, her voice tinged with sadness yet still. The La situation still hit her so hard. I really hoped I could pull this off so she would have one less thing to worry about. She was starting her career on the runaway again and didn¡¯t need this.


    ¡°Neal?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes. The team has been assembled, and ns are being made as we speak to trap them and hand them over to some very interested parties,¡± I exined, diving into detail regarding the n with her. She remained silent the entire time.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said softly. ¡°I hope this works. My mind has been fixed on both that and La. What if I ended up in their clutches again? What would happen this time? They weren¡¯t able to get youst time, but they could take more extreme measures.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen,¡± I assured my sister, a fire brimming in my chest. The thought of something traumatic happening to my sister in the clutches of those bastards had me riled up, and I took a deep breath to calm myself down.


    ¡°It already could have, though. I can¡¯t believe La would do that. To get to Ba, too, of all people? Why were they even interested in her? Did you ever find out through your sleuthing?¡± Allegra asked.


    ¡°The Michaelson brothers are working with Sergei¡¯s son,¡± I replied. ¡°He is still very much after James. Seems the two factions have put aside their differences and banded together against the four of us. It¡¯s all entwined now.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Allegra said with a sigh. ¡°La was working with the brothers, then, on behalf of Sergei. Er, his son, I mean. Will your ns take out all of them, or will we always need to be looking behind us?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said honestly. ¡°Right now, I¡¯m keen on getting at the Michaelson brothers first. Their allied faction will turn their gazes on us when we take them out. But I¡¯ve exined that to my team, who express they can handle both.¡±


    ¡°Both? They¡¯re going to manage to trap both?¡± Allegra said with surprise. ¡°I hope it all goes ording to n, or contingency n. Stay safe, Neal.¡±


    ¡°I will. We¡¯ll get through this. It¡¯s going to end once and for all, and we¡¯re going toe out alive and flourishing. You should focus on carrying on with your life. I think the opportunity you have right now is wonderful,¡± I told her genuinely.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°Do you think La has any regrets?¡± Allegra asked after a pause. Her voice implied she was looking totch onto onest piece of hope that La could turn around and be hers. It was futile, though. We both knew it.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if she does,¡± I said firmly. ¡°As you said, this could have happened a second time, and the oue? Far worse. Especially since those two factions have intertwined. I have no doubts they would have figured out a way to use Ba against you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Allegra said, her voice breaking a bit. I heard her sniffle and let out a soft sigh. Empathy dripped in my tone as I tried to reassure my sister.


    ¡°We both lost someone and have to move on, I think, Allegra. It¡¯s tough, but we¡¯ll be all right,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°You¡¯re still hooked on Ba?¡± Allegra said. ¡°Well, given she¡¯s now here and with James even after everything, I think you should move on. Just like I need to with La.¡± I noted that she still sounded unsure as if she didn¡¯t believe her own words. For thatst sentence, anyway.


    ¡°Exactly. There are honest mistakes, and then there¡¯s that. She knew she was working with the Michaelson brothers, the very people who captured you. You told me she said as much. I don¡¯t know how they convinced her, but in my eyes, there is no excuse. Remember that.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Allegra said. We bid each other farewell, but as I hung up the phone, I wondered how confident she was in her words. Surely, she wouldn¡¯t take La back even if the other woman went crying to her?


    Allegra could be somewhat of a sap. This situation was too far. She really needed to hold her ground on this, like I needed to with my own mind. I returned to myputer and squared away a few more details on theputer before blinking slowly.


    Eventually, I switched to looking for both dating websites and bars. I¡¯d told Allegra it was time to move on. Well, I needed to do what was best for me, as well.

 Chapter 203 : Hot Argument

    <h4>Chapter 203: Chapter 203 : Hot Argument</h4>


    Ba.


    Now that we were settled in, and Sophia wasing to visit and help while we could look for a new nanny, I allowed myself to rx a little. I sat on the couch, in front of the television, going over everything I knew and thinking about the future.


    James was, no surprise, the Don now that we were here.


    Which would be passed onto Alessandro, a fate that would bring him so many problemster in life. I winced at that idea, then let out a sigh.


    Would our family ever escape from this?


    My thoughts turned to where we could go. James was very frustrated with all the moving around we were doing on the regr, but I couldn¡¯t help it. New York, obviously, was no ce for me. I shuddered remembering that confrontation with the Stepford wives.


    They had been way out of line¨Cdisgusting, vile. Something had to be done about them! But what could be done? I shook my head, deciding it wasn¡¯t my problem anymore. They were going to dig themselves into their own graves.


    Including Antite. I winced, remembering how she sided with them despite having falsely been my friend.


    Had she ever been a real friend? I honestly wasn¡¯t sure. I looked over to my phone. I still had her number.


    There was an unread message there from her that had been stuck there for a few days. This had all been too much. I didn¡¯t want to make myself even more upset by reading it. The more I sat there, though, the more I realized I should probably take a look.


    Finally, I reached over to the remote and turned the TV off, putting a hand on my forehead and picking up my phone. My stomach twisted at the thought of reading, then answering, this message.


    Taking a deep breath, I opened it and read the message Antote had sent me the morning after the Stepford wives chased us away. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Ba. It was a point of weakness I¡¯ll always regret. I would like to remain in contact. Maybe your friend, someday, again.¡¯


    I felt a little numb while reading the apology and just shook my head with a sad sigh. She shouldn¡¯t have done that, to begin with, but at least she knew it was wrong. Maybe I¡¯d reply eventually.


    I wasn¡¯t sure.


    With that in mind, I turned the television on again and slumped against the couch, reaching up to rub at my temples. We couldn¡¯t stay here in Italy forever given the Don situation; we just couldn¡¯t. It was too dangerous.


    Eventually, James entered the room and noticed my expression. He sat beside me, causing me to turn the television off and turn to look at him. ¡°James,¡± I muttered. ¡°I got a text from Antote. She¡¯s sorry for what happened, but I just can¡¯t forgive her yet.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t me you,¡± James replied, leaning over to give me a kiss. I hesitantly returned it, so much on my mind right now. James noticed this and tilted his head. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind other than that?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± I said softly. ¡°I was thinking about the future and where we may end up.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± James said, a hint of irritation in his tone. I felt annoyance spark within me, as well. This would be another case of him not listening to me, wouldn¡¯t it? I narrowed my eyes and gave a nod.


    ¡°Yes. We should be thinking about our future, after all. We have plenty of money, and I know you want to settle. We need to find a good ce for that,¡± I said, my tone rather harsh. No doubt, he got the implication that I didn¡¯t think we should stay here.


    His expression melted into a frown, and he let out a soft groan, running his fingers through his hair and furrowing his brow. ¡°Ba, I was hoping that where we settle could be here. I¡¯m paying attention and looking for a way to solve the issue stuck on your mind.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always looking for solutions to new problems that are alwaysing up. How can you not be tired of this?¡± I asked him, agitated. ¡°We need to go somece where there won¡¯t be new problems to begin with.¡±


    ¡°There will always be trouble wherever we go. That¡¯s a fact of life, something you¡¯ll need to ept, Ba. I¡¯m tired of moving around. We can get situated just fine here. You¡¯re right, I am always looking for solutions, and I always find them,¡± he told me.


    I crossed my arms tightly over my chest and kept a steady, cold stare on him. He wasn¡¯t getting it. The number of problems here versus elsewhere, aside from New York, was staggering. There was nuance to the situation he just wasn¡¯t getting.


    ¡°Right, and the number of problems here is far bigger than elsewhere we may decide to go. Listen, I was thinking. We can go somece to start a charity. I did some research and found that Guatem could be reasonable,¡± I said.


    James looked at me with a raised brow, clearly trying to study my face and figure out whether I was being serious or not. He put a hand on his face and let out yet another groan, causing my eye to twitch in annoyance. Oh, great. He wasn¡¯t taking my idea seriously.


    ¡°Guatem? Why there? That decision would be stupid, I will admit. All the way there? When we have a perfectly fine ce here and are settled? Really?¡± he asked in disbelief, the frustration in his tone evident.


    I clenched my jaw and nodded, feeling anger wash over me at the fact that he wasn¡¯t taking this idea seriously. How could he be so rude? I snapped, ¡°Yes, really. All the way there. I can make a difference. I want to make a difference. It¡¯s a nice ce for us and our kids to settle.¡±


    ¡°We will have to adapt to an entirely new culture and climate,¡± James said, shaking his head. ¡°It won¡¯t be good for the children. There are many dangerous ces there, too. You say you don¡¯t like it here because of the danger, and yet you want to go there?¡±


    ¡°You downy the danger here and emphasize it everywhere else because you¡¯re stuck on staying here in Italy!¡± I snapped back, not flinching as he got into my face. James¡¯s eyes narrowed as he clenched his fist.


    ¡°Ba, we can¡¯t just get up and decide a random country we¡¯ve never been to before is a reasonable ce to live. I want to stay here and settle. You keep wanting to drag this family every which way. What do you have against stability?!¡± James asked, raising his voice.


    ¡°Stability is what I want!¡± I shouted. ¡°We can¡¯t have that here. We can find it there and make a difference at the same time. It¡¯s perfectly reasonable. You¡¯re just being an asshole who refuses to listen to a word I say!¡±


    Suddenly, his lips were captured in mine as he pinned me down to the couch. His tongue parted my lips, aggressively exploring as I shook in his arms. It felt good. Too good. I let out a moan in his mouth and squirmed but didn¡¯t fight other than that.


    When he pulled away, I breathed, ¡°F*ck you.¡±


    ¡°Obliged,¡± he whispered into my ear, sending shivers down my spine. He practically ripped my shirt off, snapping off my bra and capturing my nipple in his mouth. He swirled it with his tongue, causing me to let out a loud groan.


    Sophia was with the kids, who were asleep. We very much could indulge, here and now, though I wanted to make him pay for this.


    When he took off his shirt and returned to fondling me while making out, I sank my nails into his back and dragged down.


    He grunted angrily, causing me to grin and chuckle into the kiss. He broke it once more to whisper into my ear, ¡°You¡¯re being a naughty girl, Ba. You don¡¯t listen to a damn word I say. Now this.¡± I gave a moan as he raised his hand and pped me on the ass cheek.


    James began grinding against me, causing squeals, whimpers and moans to cascade from me. At the moment, he was wearing a musky, woodsy cologne that washed over my senses and made me dizzy the more he pinned me to the couch.


    I could feel his erection through his pants as he ground against me, once more pping me on the bottom and causing me to yelp. Still, his pants were on, as were mine, though I knew that c*ck would be inside of me soon enough.


    He began tracing his lips down my body, tantalizing every sensitive area on my skin with his tongue. While he did this, he reached over and squeezed my breast, proceeding to pinch my n*pple and cause me to shriek.


    ¡°F*ck you for this, James,¡± I whimpered, causing him tough.


    ¡°That¡¯ll happen very soon, baby,¡± he said, anger in his tone still evident. He practically ripped our pants off then. I was very wet between my thighs already, and he didn¡¯t take any time to tease me further. Rather, he impaled me on his c*ck with no hesitation.


    My back arched, and I let out a low groan, tears springing from my eyes as I gasped. He began mming his hips into me, mercilessly, dragging out all the pleasure and pain at once. As he moved in and out, he snapped, ¡°So f*cking unreasonable. Take me. Take all of me. Brat.¡±


    ¡°Easy for you to say,¡± I managed to pant between whimpers. I threw back my head and let out a strained yell, conscious of others in the house, as my first orgasm crashed over me, fluid spilling out. Then, I added, ¡°So many problems wherever you go; asshole won¡¯t even LISTEN to me!¡±


    ¡°I listen just fine,¡± he said, thrusting hard and causing me to groan. He pped me on the ass again, the couch thumping and moving as he f*cked me without remorse, his teeth bared as he red down at me. ¡°You just don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± I snapped, then added, ¡°f*ck, James, harder. Take me harder, you bastard. HARDER!¡± It was a demand I needed to make. He was driving into me with no hesitation, no mercy, and I loved every second of it.


    He gave me that, too. His thrusts intensified. He was mming into me as if nothing in the world could control me, and I was on the edge of a very rich climax. Secondster, I gave in, a wave of pleasurepletely washing me away as I cried out in bliss.


    James came, filling me with his seed momentster, the rich sensation of it causing me to whimper again. Iy there, shuddering with aftershock, as he leaned down and kissed me harshly on the lips.


    I had a feeling neither of us won that argument. Or, maybe, both of us did. Who knew, aside from the fact that it wasn¡¯t over yet?

 Chapter 204 : Speaking with Sophia

    <h4>Chapter 204: Chapter 204 : Speaking with Sophia</h4>


    Ba.


    The day following some angry, but hot sex with James, he was out trying to establish some connections again while I was at home sipping wine, contemting going out to the bar or something myself.


    There was nothing interesting on television and no new news regarding the myriad of situations we always seemed to find ourselves in. I wasn¡¯t happy about the oue of the fight I¡¯d had with James, but the sex had been nice.


    I took a sip of my wine, going over everything else. The kids, at least, seemed to be happy. Alessandro was talking more and didn¡¯t seem afraid of the neighbors like he had been with the Stepford wives.


    I¡¯d noticed he very much flinched away from them and wasn¡¯t happy from the first time we¡¯d interacted. No surprise, as they saw him, and me, as lesser. I clenched my fist at that thought.


    As upset as I was to be here in Italy, at least we weren¡¯t there anymore.


    My thoughts turned to Antite again and how she had been the one to suggest looking for a charity in the first ce. I recalled how she sometimes traveled to work for ces in Africa. She really couldn¡¯t be that bad.


    Maybe it was a moment of weakness? She¡¯d been trying to protect her family, I supposed.


    I frowned to myself, letting out a sigh. It was too early to forgive her, or even reach out, yet. My heart was tender and kind, but I couldn¡¯t let people keep walking all over me. James included. I really hoped he would see what I was seeing.


    Contemting how to aplish that, I snapped my fingers and stood up. No use wasting away in front of the television when I could be making use of my time. I entered my office, sitting down in the chair, and turning on theputer.


    I opened up several tabs, closing down my notes and shutting off my thoughts on how to make things viable. I needed to appeal to emotion in this case. I scrolled through several photos, my eyes widening in realization.


    I really needed to make a difference here. I observed several before pictures of children with little to no weight on their bones, and sad eyes that were lost and afraid. I felt a pang of sadness, wanting to help but also wanting to be conscious of their own culture and needs as well.


    I needed to avoid the saviorplex and make sure I was doing this for them, not me. I saved a few pictures, wanting to sway James, but also reminding myself to be conscious of whether or not I would want that to be my own children¡¯s fate.


    Would I feel it right for people to take pictures of my children, if they were in a terrible situation, even if it was meant to help them? I wasn¡¯t sure. Either way, it would hopefully help us get there. I bit my lip, having a dilemma on this for a moment.


    The article I researched did mention that could be a problem. Really, I wasn¡¯t perfect. But, I knew that my research would be fruitful, and when I got there, I needed to be unobtrusive. I had all of this money and needed to do it their way, not mine.


    Now, I sort of wished I¡¯d asked Antite about her thoughts on this matter. How she aplished it without trying to focus on herself and putting the kids first, along with their cultures. I needed to make sure I wasn¡¯t in the mindset that my way was better than theirs.


    First, though, I needed to make sure it could be a possibility in the first ce. After saving a few pictures and stories, I felt satisfied enough. James would be seeing it, but no one else, after all. Hopefully, I would be doing some good. Hopefully, I could convince him to do the same.


    After looking into all of that, my resolve was strengthened even further than before. I printed out a few sheets of paper with the pictures and descriptions saved. ¡°I¡¯ll show Jamester,¡± I told myself, then exited the office and entered the living room.


    I sat down on the couch again, flicking through the channels on the television and trying to focus. From the nursery emerged Sophia. She had a brilliant smile that lit up the room, and all was quiet in there.


    I raised a brow, giving her a nod of greeting.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said. After a pause, I said, ¡°Thank you so much foring to visit, by the way. How have they been?¡± I¡¯d been so preupied with not wanting to be here that I¡¯d forgotten about the main purpose¨Ckeeping my childrenfortable and okay.


    Sophia brightened at my question, her entire demeanor simply radiant. She said, ¡°Oh! They¡¯ve been little angels. Alessandro¡¯s vocabry is so funny!¡± She winked at me, causing my face to flush in embarrassment.


    ¡°Oh, right, yeah. I¡¯ve gotten in trouble for that,¡± I admitted, giving a nervousugh.


    Rather than obtain a judgmental glint in her eye, Sophia justughed, no doubt in good spirits. ¡°Hah! Oh, are you kidding? It¡¯s hrious! Alessandro is simply wonderful, and Daliah is too. So well behaved! I know you folks have been through a lot, but these kids have taken it in stride!¡±


    I widened my eyes, surprised at how well Sophia was doing with the kids. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m so happy to hear that,¡± I said, gushing a bit. Shame she had a multi-million dorpany to run when she wasn¡¯t taking ¡°time off.¡± She would be a natural nanny, for sure.


    Sophia giggled and nodded, her eyes just glittering with joy. ¡°I¡¯m d you are! You look like you could use some time to yourself after everything, Ba.¡± Her eyes shed with sympathy, and she shook her head with a sigh. ¡°I mean that with concern, by the way.¡±


    ¡°I figured,¡± I said, smiling softly myself. ¡°Yeah, I could. I¡¯m so d the kids are doing so well. I have a lot on my mind. The people there in New York weren¡¯t weing at all.¡± I winced, thinking of the Stepford wives. ¡°Except one of them. Sort of.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what happened?¡± She took a seat on the couch. I sent a maid for some wine and wine sses. The kids must be asleep right now. I couldn¡¯t find myself denying some good wine. The whistling on the stove indicated tea was on the way too. Good options.


    When the maid returned, I took a ss and thought about how to respond. ¡°Well,¡± I said slowly. ¡°They were the ones who chased me out. With James, of course. They said I didn¡¯t belong. It was a horrible experience.¡± I shuddered, wondering what could have happened if I dared to stay.


    We didn¡¯t need more enemies right now, that was for sure. Sophia tilted her head curiously, then asked, ¡°You said all but one, right? Howe one of them wasn¡¯t so bad?¡±


    ¡°She brought up a charity idea. I want to start a charity to make a difference, for once. Children who never have a chance at a good life could be helped by my money¨Cand me. I know there¡¯s a lot of research to be done on it, but it¡¯s what I want to do.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± she said, taking a sip of her wine and thinking about it. ¡°That¡¯s nice of her to bring that up. Did she behave badly like the rest? You seem a bit hesitant.¡± Oh, was I being obvious? Maybe I was. I unclenched my jaw and tried to massage the side of my cheeks.


    After a long pause, I gave a nod. ¡°She sided with them in the end. I think it was because her reputation and way of life would bepletely destroyed otherwise. I have mixed feelings. She texted me saying sorry, though. I wish I knew how to feel in this situation.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like something to sit on,¡± Sophia observed softly. Wise words. She was right. With all that was going on, I couldn¡¯t dwell on it now. Rather, I blinked and nodded, happy for her smile, and someone to talk to who would listen in general.


    ¡°I think I will, yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°Besides. I have so many other things on my mind. Like... James. That charity idea, I already know where I¡¯d want to go. I need to do more research on the culture, and how to help without being obtrusive, but I don¡¯t think James is with me on this.¡±


    ¡°Where do you want to go? Why don¡¯t you think James is into it?¡± She took a sip of her wine, shaking her head and letting out a sigh. ¡°Granted, he¡¯s always been phenomenally stubborn! He must be giving you headaches regrly.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I chuckled, though then my grin faded to a frown. I sighed, then said, ¡°My idea is to start a charity in Guatem. I found many children in need there, from my research, and while there¡¯s more to be done, I think I¡¯m set on it.¡±


    ¡°Have you thought of adapting to a new way of life there?¡± she asked. Then, she turned to look at the nursery door. ¡°And how the kids may adapt? It¡¯s quite different from here, naturally, though I don¡¯t know the specifics.¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± I said confidently. ¡°I think this family could achieve the dream while also stabilizing there. We can do so much good, and in fact, I think it¡¯s our obligation to. After all, that¡¯s happened, I¡¯m confident.¡±


    ¡°You sound it,¡± Sophia said. She appeared unsure, then added, ¡°James has incredibly strong family ties, though, Ba.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I groaned, shaking my head and cing my hand on my forehead. That was a frustration I had been dealing with regrly. It was why we were here. Granted, convenient, since we were safe for now. ¡°It¡¯s one of the things holding him back.¡±


    ¡°One of the things?¡±


    ¡°Well, he finds the idea dumb. That¡¯s the other thing. I think if I show him pictures of the children in need, though, it may sway him,¡± I exined. Sophia nodded thoughtfully, tapping a manicured nail on her chin in thought.


    ¡°Well. If James is willing to leave the family and go do that, then he really loves you. Whether he does so or not...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing,¡± I said. I shook my head, fire burning in my eyes for just a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t think he will. He¡¯s too stuck on Italy being a ce to settle. I¡¯m ready to move on and make a difference. I wish he had his eyes open and would do the same.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the pictures you show him will sway him?¡± Sophia asked with a raised brow. I shrugged, still not entirely sure. It was certainly better than nothing, though. I rubbed the back of my neck and took a sip of my wine, turning my attention to the whistling teapot in the kitchen.


    ¡°Maybe they will,¡± I whispered softly. ¡°I certainly hope so.¡±

 Chapter 205 : Noticing Giovani

    <h4>Chapter 205: Chapter 205 : Noticing Giovani</h4>


    James.


    I didn¡¯t know what was on Ba¡¯s mind, but I knew it would be of no help to the family. We needed stability right now. She could argue all she wanted about how me being the Don didn¡¯t offer that, but what was I to do?


    It was my responsibility, and here I was. It wasn¡¯t like I was trying to seal Alessandro¡¯s fate where he would end up in my shoes. I was actively looking for solutions, which were more viable than her idea.


    A charity in Guatem. What had gotten into her? I wasn¡¯t sure, to be honest, but it made little to no sense.


    We¡¯d need to adapt to an entirely new ce. I hadn¡¯t been in Italy my entire life, granted, but it wasn¡¯tpletely different from the United States.


    Guatem? It would definitely be culture shock and inconvenient to adapt to. Plus, how was I going to rise to power again with a new business? Would anyone even hear of me in that area? Ba did mention a charityponent, which was interesting.


    But how much of a difference did she expect to make with said charity? I sat at my desk in my office, shaking my head, baffled by everything that had gone on. That hot, angry sex had been tantalizing and fun, but it didn¡¯t clear my head for what our future would be if we went through with moving there.


    My focus needed to continue to be on my duties here, helping Alessandro avoid my fate, and of course, getting to Ronaldo. Those tapes were not aplete solution. He needed to be hunted down and brought to justice.


    I wanted to put a gun to his head myself, but that would get me in trouble with thew because they were watching us all carefully now. No, I needed to leave him there like a steak ced on a te in front of a wolf. Law enforcement could do my job for me if I set up things right.


    If they didn¡¯t f*ck up. I reached up and rubbed my temples, scrolling through messages and other information on how the n would be proceeding. It wasn¡¯t the best solution, but it was one. A lure tactic, of sorts, with a trap at the end.


    An email notification caught my eye, one that I clicked on. My younger cousin, Giovani, was on this case like a bloodhound to a scent. I had to hand it to him; he helped me out immensely on this hunt, and didn¡¯t seem to be hitting his limit anytime soon either.


    I read what he said: ¡®Hey, James. Ronaldo visits the office 204 in the location circled on this map almost daily at this time. We think he¡¯s visiting someone specific. We¡¯re going to be diving into who, ensure this pattern is efficient, then decide how to tip off the police.¡¯


    I sighed in relief, once again realizing that he was an expert on getting information that I didn¡¯t seem to get my hands on. Always eager, too, a good quality to have in this business. I typed out a reply, a confirmation, and thank you, before leaning back in my chair again.


    I was starting to notice Giovani taking initiative. He was excited to please me, often being the first to suggest he should do something. He could be a contender for taking over the family business rather than Alessandro.


    My attention would be on him, for sure, as time passed. I typed out more ideas and tasks for him and my other people in regard to Ronaldo. That bastard wouldn¡¯t be able to run forever. I¡¯d make damn sure of that.


    When I finished up, I swapped tabs to my business, focusing on that. I had many connections and was eager to rise to power. Ba had more money in this rtionship at the moment because she¡¯s sold my business, which was just fine. However, I intended on getting some more of my own, as well.


    I didn¡¯t think there was a rift with Ba big enough that I would need to worry. She was set on this charity n, for whatever reason, while I just wanted to settle in a ce I knew we could befortable.


    Plus, my ties to family may have been a bit strong. I knew that, in the end, we would be safe here even if the mafia was involved. I¡¯d argued profusely that I wasn¡¯t tied down by my past.


    Yet here I was, the Don, as it was my responsibility. After what happened in New York with the Cartwrights and Stepford wives, it was necessary to be here. I had the support system we so desperately needed with everythinging up, and could find stability. Somehow.


    I gritted my teeth, hoping Ba would eventuallye to understand that and drop this ridiculous notion of going off to somece in the world where we would need to deal with a host of new problems we didn¡¯t know how to handle.


    At least, in this situation, we were used to it.


    I continued to type out some ns on theputer, switching back and forth between a conversation with Giovani and setting up ns for my business. I had to seed, somehow, and these setbacks were just that¨Csetbacks.


    These kinds of problems didn¡¯tst forever, and unlike what Ba had stuck in her head, we were not staring into the maw of the beast. I couldn¡¯t get her to understand that now, but I knew I could maybe make cracks in her stubbornness in the future.


    After a sigh, I settled on typing up more ns for intercepting Ronaldo, getting his location in several areas that would ur consistently. I sent messages to my people, wanting them to investigate the situation more before moving out.


    Once we handled Ronaldo, that would be one less problem, and maybe Ba could rx a little. Though, I had a feeling that wasn¡¯t what was hanging her up. Me being the Don, and Alessandro¡¯s fate if I didn¡¯t find a recement? That was definitely it.


    More connections were made, more ns, and finally, I felt my stomach rumble. I exited my office and entered the kitchen to get myself some tea. Ba was sitting on the couch and watching something. She turned her head to look at me.


    Her expression wasn¡¯t something I could easily read, though I figured she wanted to say something. ¡°Hello,¡± I said, cautiously. ¡°Want me to make you something?¡± She shook her head, and I nodded, leaving her be.


    After a few minutes, she did speak up, asking, ¡°How is the Don situation and hunting down Ronaldo? Or your business?¡± She didn¡¯t sound too invested in either topic, so was probably trying to just strike up conversation.


    ¡°I am making ns for both,¡± I said slowly. ¡°I¡¯m focusing on many connections which will be helpful in a rise of power in these parts. As for Ronaldo, Giovani is helping out quite a bit. I¡¯m leaning on him often, I¡¯m finding. There is a chance I could consider him to take over for me.¡±


    At that, Ba brightened. She made her way to the kitchen, putting a pot of hot water on the stove to get herself some tea. I noticed some hesitance still, but her mood was brightening, so there was that. I chanced leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek, something she epted.


    She said, ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news. I really don¡¯t want that life for Alessandro. He should be able to choose his own path. And... I want us to be a family without worrying about it. Nothing bad has happened over the past few days. In fact, it¡¯s been a relief, wonderful, even.¡±


    I noticed her words were a bit half-hearted, so I pressed. ¡°You don¡¯t sound so sure,¡± I observed, continuing my work on the stove. I was making myself a simple breakfast that wouldn¡¯t require a huge amount of effort since I wanted to get back to work for a few hours after this. I didn¡¯t want to bother any of the chefs at the moment.


    ¡°Nothing bad yet,¡± Ba muttered, shaking her head. ¡°But something could alwayse up. There¡¯s no equivalent of the Stepford wives here, which is nice. You and all of your connections may bring more problems here, though.¡±


    I sighed, realizing we were on this again. So many problems that I¡¯d found solutions for. I wished she could understand we were getting a handle on things as opposed to going backward. Rather than scrutinize this, I just nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to avoid that.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Ba muttered. She began setting up a cup for herself so she could pour tea. She was definitely frosty toward me given our fight and how I hadn¡¯t listened regarding her silly charity ns. Something which still made little sense to me.


    I asked, ¡°How has Sophia been doing with the kids?¡± wanting to change the subject, but also legitimately curious on the matter. When I visited Daliah and Alessandro between working and building things up, I noticed they were very happy and healthy. It made my heart sing.


    Ba confirmed my impression by saying, ¡°Oh, Sophia¡¯s been wonderful.¡± Her tone was gushing in a good way, at least. ¡°She¡¯s been having a wonderful time with the kids. We spoke a few hours ago. She¡¯s in there ying with them right now.¡±


    ¡°d to hear it. Sophia has always been a very kind, gentle person. I was surprised when she suggested she could temporarily help us with this, but then again, maybe I shouldn¡¯t have been,¡± I said, giving a smile.


    Ba nodded, going over to get some of her tea and pour herself a ss. She seemed deep in thought and mncholy as we spoke, causing me to let out a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re still upset that I called your idea stupid, aren¡¯t you, Ba?¡± I asked.


    She nodded, saying, ¡°I am. The idea isn¡¯t stupid, James.¡±


    ¡°It is idealist,¡± I said, then added, ¡°Which tends to be rather illogical. We would have to adapt to something entirely new. The kids may grow up in an area not as safe. After all of our moving about, I think we should settle down.¡±


    ¡°I want to settle down,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°And start on that dream. We can settle down there. I am capable of doing research. We are capable of adapting. Italy and its way of life are different from where we came from as well. You haven¡¯t been here your entire life and are new to it, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of moving and guessing to see where we may belong. We finally have the kids, and now we should be a family,¡± I said, though I kept my voice steady rather than raising it. I reached up and pinched the bridge of my nose, wishing she would just try to understand where I wasing from.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m tired of being constantly worried for my children¡¯s futures,¡± Ba said with a sigh.


    ¡°Thankfully, I am looking into that. Like I said, there may be someone perfect to take over for me and ensure Alessandro will not be stuck in this like I was,¡± I said.


    Hopefully, my assumptions about Giovani would prove correct.

 Chapter 206 : Take Me Back

    <h4>Chapter 206: Chapter 206 : Take Me Back</h4>


    Allegra.


    Mentally recovering from what happened with that heartbreak had been a lot, but I was coping well enough. At the moment, I wasying down on the couch, trying not to burst into tears again. ¡®Well enough¡¯ being rtive, of course.


    On the bright side, I had a runway show soon. I was adapting very well to the new ce, and the people here were very kind. I thought about the boss and how he was very amodating to people in general.


    Now that I was settling down and had hopes for the future, maybe I could look into therapy. With my new position, my health costs would be covered by insurance, and it may be healthy for me. I needed to let La go, but it was so difficult.


    That question hung in my mind like a tick to a dog. ¡®Do you think La has any regrets?¡¯ I had asked Neal that, and he had denied that it mattered. Really, he was right. It shouldn¡¯t. Things had gone horribly with the Michaelsons, but they could have gone much worse.


    La surely knew that. Maybe she didn¡¯t know until after they started working with Sergei¡¯s son. His first name slipped my mind and honestly wasn¡¯t important enough to remember if Neal was taking care of him.


    My brother had a lot on his te, enemies-wise. Hopefully his ns, and his connections, wouldn¡¯t run into any trouble. Did La understand the gravity of the situation? Sweet, innocent La?


    Wait, no. She wasn¡¯t sweet; she wasn¡¯t innocent. I cursed myself inwardly for still being stuck on this, unable to crawl out of my hole of despair. She was gone, and I needed to ept that and move on.


    I stood up from the couch, heading to the shower and approaching the mirror. Those bags under my eyes would be erased with make-up. If only it could do the same thing for my emotions, too. A shower would help, though.


    I started up the water, letting the steam fill the area and stepping into it. Lathering my hair, I forced myself to focus on the uing, huge show. I had so many mixed emotions; I was both confident and nervous about it. It¡¯d been a while since I was on the runway.


    The hot water dripped down my skin in a rxing manner, causing me to sigh and hang my head. Here I was, with a job, Neal was ensuring my safety for the future, and everything would be okay. Tears didn¡¯t pour down my face this time. Slowly, I was getting better.


    I got out of the shower and stepped onto the mat, stretching and giving a yawn. That show would be in just a few days. I could get in somest minute exercise, something I would work onter today.


    Wrapping myself in a towel, I went into my bedroom, arriving at my well-organized walk-in closet and stepping inside. What should I wear today? I was taking the time to get myself situated for the show, a few errands here and there, but didn¡¯t need anythingplicated.


    Eventually, I settled on an ocean-blue blouse with frills lining the bottom and simple ck pants. I entered the bathroom again to apply my makeup. Crisp, perfect lines. I couldn¡¯t cry now; that¡¯d mess everything up. Some motivation not to cry.


    I shook my head, smiling at myself before returning to the living room. Copsing on the couch, I debated whether to read a book or watch television, then settled on a book. Something fantasy-rted would get my mind off of everything.


    Fantasy romance was even better. I began to get lost in fictional characters¡¯ struggles again when I heard a knock at my door and frowned. I grabbed my phone, checking the time and realized it was about 10:00 PM. It would be bed time soon. Not many people bothered me thiste.


    An icy cold feeling shot through me as I wondered if the Michaelson brothers had gotten away from Neal and were back. That paranoia had me stunned there for a moment, but another knock snapped me out of it. I could just look through the peephole, right?


    Swallowing, I put my book down and shakily got up from the couch, my stomach twisting. If there was any danger, they wouldn¡¯t waste the time and knock on my door, they¡¯d break in or something. Surely,mon sense would mean I¡¯d simple been paranoid.


    Which meant answering the door at this time was safe. Or, at least, approaching the peephole to see who it could be. It wasn¡¯t like my door woulde swinging open, and I¡¯d be grabbed and thrown into a van. I always made sure to lock it.


    Eventually, I slowly walked over to the door, intentionally taking my time. The fact that this wasn¡¯t a normal visitor at a reasonable time, and that I had no missed calls or indication as to who this could be really put me off.


    When I looked into the peephole to see who was there, my world was flipped upside down. I almost wished it was the Michaelson brothers because that would have been easier to handle emotionally than who I saw standing there, wide-eyed and shaking.


    La.


    What was she doing here?! I gasped, cing a hand over my heart and needing topose myself for a moment. She reached over to knock again, tears streaming down her beautiful face.


    I opened the door before she could do so, causing her to jump a bit. My eyes fixed on her, I asked softly, ¡°What are you doing here, La?¡± I wanted to say more. I wanted to scream at her.


    She had caused me so much pain, so much suffering.


    I could only manage that question in a choked tone, though. My heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears, and tears began to pour down my face. La locked eyes with me, and I detected a sense of longing there.


    Did she still have feelings for me?!


    La gasped, ¡°Take me back, Allegra. I am so sorry, I-I didn¡¯t know it would turn out this way. I had no idea until it was toote, a-and then, by the time I found out, I had already messed up. I was too afraid to say anything. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    My lip quivered as I stared her down, and I reached up and wiped away some tears. Here she was again. I needed to look out for my future and not be hung up on the past. I wanted to tell her to go away forever.


    It would be better for me if I did.


    I muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t forgive you, La.¡± I shook my head. ¡°But we can talk about thister. As you¡¯re well aware, I got the job and need to focus on that. You being here is going to distract me because I¡¯m having a hard time letting go.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you still care about me? Allegra, I-I¡¯ll do anything to make it up to you, I promise. Please, take me back. I really do love you, with all of my heart. I need you,¡± La gasped, more tears pouring down her cheeks.


    I swallowed, torn between wanting to invite her inside for a hug and screaming at her to go away. My emotions were incredibly mixed. I reached up and ced a hand on my forehead, more tears pouring from my face.


    Finally, I said, ¡°La, go. We¡¯ll talk about thister. I should tell you to leave me alone forever after what happened. But yes, I still care about you. You showing up here, now, is cruel. Let me sit on things and focus on my future. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be in it.¡±


    With that, I shut the door. I didn¡¯t say a word further and just stood there for a moment with my head against it. I bit my lip, emotional pain washing over me like a tsunamiing toward the shore. Tears began to trickle down my cheeks as I let out a choked sob.


    La had begged me to take her back. I wanted to, so badly, but I knew it wouldn¡¯t work. I needed to get my thoughts straight. Why did she show up now, right before a big show? One that could make or break whether I could make it in the industry from here on?


    I dragged myself to my bed and copsed onto it, burying my face into my pillow. For the rest of the night, I cried, until I managed to get myself to fall asleep. I wanted to move on with my life and find someone who actually cared, yet La was back.


    After all she¡¯d done, I needed to say no. I wasn¡¯t sure if I could.


    *****


    On the day of the show, I felt very numb. It should have been an exciting asion. Part of me felt the little dash of positive emotion, but another part of me was entirely stuck on La.


    I couldn¡¯t get my mind off of her anymore.


    She had the decency not to spam calls or texts. She just sent one simple one. ¡®I will be here when you¡¯re ready. Please, I meant it Allegra. I still love you.¡¯ I closed my eyes, hanging my head from behind the curtains.


    My boss walked up from behind me, cing a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Allegra,¡± he asked in a soft tone, ¡°is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied simply. ¡°But that won¡¯t stop me from blowing everyone away.¡± When I opened my eyes again, I felt a new kind of determination. Whatever happened with La shouldn¡¯t impact me here. This was my future.


    La could be there, or she couldn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t know.


    Either way, I walked down the catwalk with my head held high. I was on top of the world as the shes of the cameras met me. The crowd¡¯s chattering was encouraging, flowing in a positive manner as I disyed thetest fashion trends on the runway.


    There was a kick to my stride, a certain sway of my hips that emphasized just the right parts of the outfits. The ¡®ooo¡¯s and ¡®aaa¡¯s encouraged me further, and before long, my dilemmas faded into nothing for just a moment.


    I met the excited, encouraging gazes of the people watching the show. Their keeling cheers and apuse for my performance lifted my spirits. When I smiled, it was a radiant one that met my eyes.


    When all was said and done, I met with my boss at the end, who wore a very excited, wide grin. He said, his voice dripping with enthusiasm, ¡°Allegra. You killed it out there. KILLED IT! I expected a lot, but that? You were positively radiant!¡±


    I smiled at him and nodded. In a determined tone, I said, ¡°Looks like I¡¯m back on top, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

 Chapter 207 : Revisiting a Charitable Idea

    <h4>Chapter 207: Chapter 207 : Revisiting a Charitable Idea</h4>


    Ba.


    I wished James¡¯s words on finding someone else to be the Don were more reassuring. Giovani, based on how he spoke, sounded promising, sure. But I still wanted to get out of here.


    The more I thought about the charity idea, the more I knew we should do it.


    Staring at the kettle of tea on the stove, I let out a soft sigh and reached up to rub at my temples. I really hoped James would listen to me. Hopefully, my research and gathering of pictures would actually help my case so he¡¯d begin to see my point.


    He was being so stubborn and just didn¡¯t understand. No doubt, even if he did find Giovanni as a good sessor, the problems would continue while we stayed here.


    That wasn¡¯t the only reason why I wanted to go to Guatem anymore, though.


    When the kettle began to whistle, I took it off of the stove and poured myself a cup of tea. Then, I began walking toward the nursery, wanting to visit the kids. I entered the room, smiling at the squeals of joy that met me.


    Currently, Sophia was ying with Daliah, bouncing her around on the floor before shaking some tantalizing toys in front of her face. The toddler made grabbing motions for the toys and was eventually given them.


    Alessandro, meanwhile, hobbled over to me, getting steadier on his feet each day. He waved both of his hands and said, ¡°Mama! Mama! Mama!¡± Then, after a pause, he giggled and said, ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Sophia looked up, having augh at that word. Her eyes twinkled as she looked up to me and gave a wave. ¡°Ba!¡± she said, giving a smile.


    ¡°Hey, Sophia!¡± I said with as much enthusiasm, overjoyed that the atmosphere in the room, with the kids, was so bright. I was relieved by how well she was doing with the kids. She just continued to blow me away with how in tune she was with them.


    She really would have been a great mother. It was still strange to see her this way considering she was a businesswoman who managed a multi-million dorpany, though it was also a pleasure to see her enjoy herself so much around the kids.


    ¡°You look well rested today! The kids have been a joy. No major problems. They do have an appointment with the doctor in a couple of days, but that¡¯s just a checkup,¡± Sophia said, causing my smile to widen.


    ¡°Wonderful! Thank you so much for this, Sophia, really. I haven¡¯t made any headway with a nanny yet, but now I can take my time and make sure I find the right person,¡± I said. Sophia nodded, chattering about how the kids were doing for a bit before moving on to another subject.


    She ced Dahlia into her ypen with a few of her favorite toys, then eyed my tea. I asked, ¡°Want me to bring you a cup?¡± She nodded, and I left to go get her some tea from the kitchen. We¡¯d have a chance to chat a bit while ying with the kids.


    After I brought in some tea for her, we sat down at a small table. Alessandro bounded over to me and made grabby hands, indicating he wanted to sit with me. I chuckled and swooped my son into my arms, leaving a very gentle kiss on his forehead.


    ¡°Hi sweetheart,¡± I said to him. He gave me a kiss on the cheek back, giggling and pointing to Sophia. No doubt, he was excited to y with her too, but also wanted to spend some time with me. Something I was definitely going to do!


    Sophia asked, ¡°Have you tried chipping away at James again regarding your charity idea?¡± I winced and nodded, avoiding her gaze. She furrowed her brow, her smile turning sad. ¡°Still not taking to it, huh?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°But I did some research and printed out some pictures. I¡¯m hoping James will have a heart and crack that way. We fought so hard for Alessandro, who otherwise would have a horrible life. Surely he¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Sophia said. ¡°I¡¯ll be sad to see you both go so soon, especially since these kids are a ball, but that¡¯s an important decision that will help so many people, Ba. You have such a warm heart.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, beaming at her. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing all the proper research for it, too. It¡¯s... a lot. I need to make sure I don¡¯t center it all around me and keep my goal of helping those kids, above all, in mind, while also caring for my family. I¡¯ve read a lot of horror stories.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Of what sort? Trying to adapt there, or something else?¡± Sophia asked.


    I shook my head, staring off into the distance in thought for a moment. ¡°No, people going to start charities there and centering themselves, making it seem like our culture is better than theirs, and being very obtrusive. I need to work with locals for what¡¯s best. I¡¯m a bit embarrassed about the pictures, and how I¡¯ll be using them, but, well,¡± I said with a sigh.


    ¡°Embarrassed? Why?¡± Sophia asked.


    ¡°Well, if I were a parent in that situation, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want people to use pictures of my son like that,¡± I said. I looked into Alessandro¡¯s eyes. His smile was radiant, and he reached up to poke my nose at my look. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at that.


    ¡°I see,¡± Sophia said, then let out a low chuckle. ¡°Oh, Ba. Look at you! So much research and care. You really do want to see thise through. I hope James sees how important this is to you. You¡¯re researching this thoroughly, and that¡¯s so important.¡±


    I nodded, encouraged by her words. Hopefully, indeed, James would see it. I yed with the kids for a few hours more and chatted with Sophia before leaving her with them so I could return to research again.


    However, I ran into James on my way back to my room. He wore a focused expression, no doubt still fixated on the Ronaldo situation. He gave me a cautious smile, knowing my fuse was a bit shortertely, no doubt.


    ¡°Hi James,¡± I said, trying to keep my tone from sounding too short. He walked up to me and left a soft kiss on my lips, which admittedly felt wonderful. Those sparks that rushed through me at each kiss never went away.


    He leaned away and said, ¡°Hello, Ba. How has your day been?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been wonderful. Sophia and I were with the kids, and she¡¯s been such a joy. I wanted to show you something, though. I¡¯m assuming you haven¡¯t thought much more about Guatem?¡± I asked, now frowning at his exasperated sigh.


    ¡°Not really. I really don¡¯t understand your draw to it. Again, we¡¯ll need to adapt to something entirely new,¡± he said, motioning around the house. ¡°We¡¯re settling in here quite well, I thought, and like I keep emphasizing, I¡¯m taking care of the Don and Ronaldo issue.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll understand my draw when I show you what I¡¯m talking about. Just sit here on the couch and wait for me, okay?¡± I asked hopefully. He resigned with a nod, probably figuring he could argue a bit better after I had my say in this. I¡¯d show him.


    I entered my room, snatching up several papers from my desk and organizing them. I put the more mild ones first, wanting to build up to the most destitute children rather than feed everything to him at once. Then, I entered the living room again and sat on the couch.


    ¡°James,¡± I began, ¡°these children are in desperate need, and I¡¯ve been doing a lot of research on this subject. I really want to help them and make a difference. I have all this money now, and we¡¯ll live veryfortably. You can still run a business there, and all.¡±


    ¡°Not easily,¡± he replied, finally epting some of the papers and looking through them. He studied the one on top, moving it to the back, his eyes narrowing the further he got. I noticed a sad frown settle on his face and grow as he got to the worst of them.


    ¡°Those are the kids we¡¯d be helping,¡± I said firmly. ¡°We¡¯ve been so busy and wrapped up in everything that we don¡¯t realize we can use our wealth to help people like this in need. Children the same ages as Alessandro and Dahlia.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± James said with a sigh. He went through the papers again, then a third time, in silence. I could tell he was softening to the idea, even if just a little. After a while, he shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s such a big change, Ba. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll think about it more, though. Right?¡± I asked, staring him down with a determined look. I really wasn¡¯t going to budge on this, and I wanted him to know it. Now, hopefully, he¡¯d start to slowly inch toward my side on this.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, and I could tell he meant it. At that answer, I smiled and snatched the papers out of his grasp, leaning forward and giving him a kiss. The kisssted for a while and deepened, especially as I began to explore his mouth with my tongue.


    After I broke the kiss to breathe, James dove in for more, locking his lips with mine and doing some exploring of his own. I moaned into his mouth and felt his cock twitch in his pants. I was definitely starting to realize I needed the Italian Stallion within me.


    His hands began to slip into my shirt, unsping my bra. With that loosened, he began to fondle my breasts, massaging them gently at first before growing a bit rougher. Now, my moaning against the kiss grew even more hungry.


    James began grinding against me, pressing me onto the couch and feeling me up with even more intensity. I broke the kiss and let out a whimper, saying, ¡°James, make love to me. Please. I need you.¡± This caused him to let out a low, lustful grunt.


    The only time he let up was to lean over and remove my shirt and my bra. He did the same with his shirt, then moved on to our pants. After just a minute, we were entangled with one another on the couch in our private part of the house once again.


    James leaned down and began to kiss my neck, causing me to whimper with want. Eventually, he began to nibble and suck on it, giving me a tantalizing hickey that felt wonderful. During this, his hand dragged down my body and began to y with my p*ssy.


    His thumb rubbed at my cl*t, causing me to let out a cry, wanting more. He gave me just that, entering with one finger, then two, then three. Soon, he was moving his hand in and out vigorously. I was growing wetter and wetter the rougher he grew.


    ¡°James,¡± I gasped. ¡°Let me ride you. Now. Please.¡±


    He obliged, and soon I was on top of him, lowering myself on his ready c*ck. As I was impaled, I let out a loud moan, wiggling my hips to get the full feel of his sizepletely filling me up. I continued to ride the Stallion, my fevered movements sending ripples of pleasure through my body.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, baby, ride me. Ride me. Take all of me,¡± he encouraged, a few moans escaping his lips.


    Then, he let out a few grunts and groans as I rode him, biting his lip and clearly resisting the urge to release early. My ass bounced right along with my breasts as I took him, riding him harder and harder. I loved it rough, and so did he.


    The build-up was exquisite. My body shook as I let out a cry, and waves of bliss crashed into me as I climaxed. James released at the same time, filling me with his seed in the most delicious of ways.


    F*ck, it felt good to ride the Stallion once again. Eventually, I removed myself from him and copsed beside him, reaching up to grab a nket and cover us both. ¡°Mmm... that was wonderful, James,¡± I whispered into his ear.


    We fell asleep together, entwined and drunk with pleasure.

 Chapter 208 : Giovani’s Moment

    <h4>Chapter 208: Chapter 208 : Giovani¡¯s Moment</h4>


    James.


    Today was the day. All of our ns were going toe down to right here, right now, and Ronaldo would pay for stabbing me in the back once and for all. I was hoping we could send the authorities to arrest him, but I knew he had a mixture of money for bribes.


    The heat was off me, given the tapes, but he was still atrge and thirsty for blood. My blood, something he wouldn¡¯t get. I stood in the bathroom, spraying myself with cologne and getting into my suit for the asion.


    I looked as though I was attending a funeral. Hopefully, that would be the case, if it came down to it. I had no qualms about killing that bastard, given what he¡¯d been putting us through. I could be a bit cold-hearted, which would pay off for my family now.


    Exiting the bathroom, I ran into Ba on the way out. We¡¯d had sex the night before, several times over, after I caved into her idea just a little bit. Perhaps my heart wasn¡¯tpletely cold on the idea, but I still didn¡¯t think the logistics made sense.


    ¡°Hello, Ba. How are you feeling today?¡± I asked, satisfied at the blush that sprang onto her cheeks. Her hair was a bit messy, and she was taking a day to herself, clearly. A smile settled on her face as she looked at me.


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± she breathed, then eyed me up and down. She raised a brow, then asked, ¡°Business?¡± to which I nodded. She said, ¡°Be safe, James.¡± She leaned in to give me a deep kiss, something I returned happily.


    ¡°I will,¡± I said to her, my tone soft.


    Still, I didn¡¯t dismiss her idea as either stupid or impossible anymore. She noticed that change and gave me a happy smile, leaning over to give me a kiss. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure what I was doing but probably had a good idea.


    After a hug, she went back into her office, likely to research more on the Guatem thing. We¡¯d discuss that moreter, I was sure. Secretly, I was hoping getting rid of Ronaldo may ease her mind to the idea of staying here permanently.


    The way Ba spoke, though, I had a feeling she was going to be very stubborn about this issue. Helping out kids in need did sound like a very altruistic, wonderful thing to do. Being able to use my talents to do so was tantalizing.


    Alessandro was now granted a good life, especially if I could hand the responsibility of being the Don off to Giovani. Tonight would determine if he was fit for such a thing. I certainly hoped so and held a deep sense of confidence in him.


    I exited the front door, walking up to a car with tinted windows. The cops sometimesined about them, but we paid them off. Blood money made good bribe money, and while I tried more and moretely to separate myself from this mafia business, sometimes connections paid off.


    I opened the door and entered, turning my head to look at Giovani. He was a man with a medium tan skin and slicked-back ck hair and a handsome goatee. Around his neck hung a silver chain ne, contrasting with his deep green eyes.


    I noticed he had some dark makeup around his eyes, likely toe across as more intimidating. Or, maybe he was part of a band outside of this whole business. Either way, he looked formidable.


    He spoke with a deep, soft tone that promised he would get what he wanted. When he looked at me, he gave a smile that reached his eyes. ¡°James, the Don himself. Must be a relief this n ising to fruition, eh?¡±


    Snapping my seatbelt into ce and refocusing on Giovani, I returned his smile as the car hummed to life. We began to drive off down the street as the moon hung full above, stars painting the sky and giving a beautiful atmosphere this night didn¡¯t deserve.


    ¡°A relief indeed,¡± I said, leaning back into the warm leather chair and reaching up to rub my temples. This was going to be intense, and I was ready to take down an enemy that had been bringing me so much stress for a while. I nced over at my younger cousin curiously.


    The smile stered across his face reminded me of a cat being called to dinner. He said, ¡°Thank you for hearing my n. I¡¯m a results kind of guy. After tonight, you¡¯ll see that. I¡¯m sure you remember that trait from when we were kids?¡±


    I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck. Even though he was much younger than me, I remembered ying with him some when I¡¯d visit Italy. He had been the cause of a few embarrassing moments, that was for sure. At times, he¡¯d wanted my toys and would take any means necessary to get them. ¡°I do. I¡¯m d you calmed down and aren¡¯t jealous, like Ronaldo.¡±


    Giovani shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m happy with my ce here. Do I wish I was higher? Of course. Would I challenge you for it? No. Family is family,¡± the man said firmly, locking his eyes with me. ¡°Something our ¡®dear¡¯ cousin seems to have forgotten.¡±


    I nodded, thinking about Ronaldo and his thirst for power. Of course, Ronaldo had been the previous Don¡¯s son and assumed he¡¯d get the position whereas Giovani was a distant cousin and never had any reason to think he¡¯d be in line for the Don position. My jaw clenched. The former mafia Don wasn¡¯t a good person by default, given the innocents he sacrificed for the family business. However, he was never cruel to his family. Not even with Ronaldo, who deserved it.


    He was murdered in cold blood. His murderer, his own son, had not acted in self-defense, and my uncle had died in an innocent act, not trying to put down someone who abused their power but over the family itself, just t-out desire to be the Don. Something he didn¡¯t get anyway. Fate was cruel, and dealing with it had been left on my shoulders.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said, my voice cold and contemtive. ¡°That means you¡¯re ready to pull the trigger if ites down to it, right? Family is family, but as you said, Ronaldo has forgotten.¡± At that, Giovani gave a low chuckle.


    When I met his eyes, I saw the gleam of a merciless killer within them. He gave me a very sweet smile and slowly nodded. ¡°He forfeited his right to life when he pulled the trigger on our uncle. I look forward to pulling the trigger, James.¡±


    A smile yed on my lips as we pulled up to an alleyway. Ronaldo had been baited by a phone call to be here. It had been easy. What was the thing a rat like that wanted the most, aside from power? Well, money.


    He had been tipped off that arge-scale drug deal was happening in this alleyway, easy pickings. He¡¯d been told it was between people new to the gig that didn¡¯t prepare for trouble as well but handled valuable merchandise.


    Things like that happened from time to time, and they nearly always ended with a body needing to be disposed of and wiped clean of any ability to be traced. Those dealing with heists like these had easy ess to corpse disposal methods.


    Ronaldo did, too. He thought one of his own men had been tipping him off, but in reality, said person caused his interest to pique just a bit too much. He didn¡¯t question things and expected to get both a huge payout and a dead body tonight.


    That dead body would, hopefully, be him. Slipping into the shadows, I patted the gun on my hip and smiled. My eyes focused on Giovani, who was practically radiating excitement at this task. He was dead serious about taking out Ronaldo.


    Part two of the n couldmence. We entered the alleyway, staying out of the light as several dark figures swarmed in from the other side. Familiar voices hit my ears, causing me to tense. Ronaldo and his men were here. It was time.


    Giovani entered the pool of light given off by a shlight, raising his hands. His posture was at ease, and the gun on his person was concealed. ¡°Looking for something?¡± Giovani called out.


    My cousin had a rxed smile as Ronaldo shouted out, ¡°Giovani? What the hell are you doing here?! This is my money, my job, you shoulda called me if you were interested. Cash¡¯s mine. Hope you don¡¯t think I¡¯m too afraid to pull this trigger.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to be,¡± Giovani said. He pointed directly at me, and I felt the muzzle of a gun press against the back of my head.


    Giovani continued, ¡°However, I have a person of interest for you. I always felt you would be the better Don. The rest of the family, including my own father, would not respect that without proper documentation. Would be a shame if James signed everything over right now, then met an untimely demise.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± I shouted, led out into full view of Ronaldo now. ¡°We were supposed to ambush him, Giovani! What the f*ck?!¡±


    Ronaldo¡¯s jaw dropped. He looked from Giovani to me as shlights shined on us, until finally, that greedy gleam in his eyes shimmered. He was like a shark circling a struggling diver as he got closer and grabbed me by the chin. ¡°What a pleasant surprise.¡±


    Giovani said, ¡°I get a higher position in the family when youe into power, capiche?¡± He was acting as if this wasn¡¯t any big deal at all. Then, his cold stare fixed on me.


    He said, ¡°I would sign the papers, James. Your death pending or not, it would be a shame if something happened to Ba and the kids,¡± he purred, tilting his head. I threw back my head and let out a scream of rage, unable to help myself.


    Ronaldoughed as Giovani held the papers out to me, forcing me to ept them. I clenched my jaw, watching my younger cousin from the corner of my eye. Giovani¡¯s men surrounded me, weapons ready to shoot at any second if I resisted.


    I began to sign the position of the Don over to Ronaldo.


    Meanwhile, Giovani moved closer to our older cousin, wearing a smug grin. He held out his hand, and Ronaldo, drunk on the thought of his soon-to-be position of power in the family, epted it. Ronaldo said, ¡°How do I know you won¡¯t betray me? That was brilliant, it¨C¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± Giovani said simply. I lifted my head with a smile as suddenly, Giovani tightened his grasp and pulled Ronaldo forward, forcing the other man to collide with him. Giovani, however, held his ground, at the same time using his other hand to draw his hidden gun.


    BANG!


    One shot, to the temple, and Ronaldo was down.


    The men working for Ronaldo drew their guns, and an all-out shoot-out broke out right then. I managed to duck down, watching as Giovani maneuvered Ronaldo¡¯s body to utilize as a shield. He allowed the dead weight to copse onto him as the chaos broke out.


    The papers I¡¯d been writing nonsense on were, in reality, printed out from the Inte and discussed how to properly dispose of a dead body. I let them drop as I ducked out of the way, drawing my own gun and sending several bullets in the direction of Ronaldo¡¯s men. One after another, they fell.


    A few of our allies were on their knees, shot in the legs, but no one on our side was fatally wounded. We had all been prepared. Ronaldo¡¯s goons? Not at all.


    And now, he was dead.


    Not only did I have one less problem to deal with, but I was incredibly impressed with Giovani. He had the makings of someone worthy of bing the next Don and seemed perfect for the life I was trying to leave behind.

 Chapter 209 : Double Cross

    <h4>Chapter 209: Chapter 209 : Double Cross</h4>


    Neal.


    My targets would clear things up for myself, Ba, James, and Allegra. Despite what happened between myself and Ba, I never would think she deserved to be the target of Sergei¡¯s son, Mikhail. The Russian mob would be rendered useless. I¡¯d make sure of it.


    That, on top of the Michaelson brothers, the bastards who were after me. I stared at my phone, reading the messagesing in at rapid fire from the people on my side for this case. It was alling down to this.


    My spy work would be of great help here. With my help, my allies infiltrated them properly, and it was all about pulling the trigger. I had backup ns for when things inevitably went wrong. At the moment, I was on the phone with Allegra.


    Incidentally, they were in Italy right now, just like I was. The whole infestation was here, ripe for the taking. It was convenient Ba and James were here right along with Allegra because that made all of the roaches gather in one area, hoping for food.


    Admittedly, that made my job a lot easier. I ran my hand through my hair, feeling a depressed feeling wash over me for just a second regarding Ba. I told myself she probably wasn¡¯t as miserable as she thought I was.


    Sometimes, the people you loved the most, you needed to let go. I was having trouble epting that, but nevertheless, doing so slowly. I had been so hung up on whether she missed me or not but was telling myself over and over that it didn¡¯t matter.


    At least, I didn¡¯t feel a heavy heartbreak like Allegra did.


    Recalling my sister¡¯s troubles, I winced. I really hoped she didn¡¯t take La back. My men told me they caught sight of her, supposedly, but had lost her in the crowd before they could confirm. The rming thing was, it¡¯d been rather close to Allegra¡¯s house.


    I contemted calling Allegra and warning her about that or asking if she received word of La at all. That may rub salt in the wound, but my sister had a habit of making bad decisions when overemotional. La was likely incredibly maniptive.


    She would, at least, no longer have connections to the Russian mob once I was done with the cronies who had roped her into working against Ba. Either she was incredibly gullible or a cold-hearted bitch who wanted everyone around her to be puppets on strings.


    I wasn¡¯t about to leave my sister to take that risk. As I left my house, my gun hidden and in its holster, I gave a light smile. If I saw her trying to hurt either Ba or Allegra again, I¡¯d shoot her myself. I almost wondered if I¡¯d see her tonight.


    ¡®Should I make a bet with myself?¡¯ I wondered, then shook my head. Dwelling on such a cruel notion would be pointless. Part of me also hoped the girl was an idiotic, gullible person. Sure, that would mean she needed to be coddled. But at least she wouldn¡¯t be evil.


    I walked up to a car but didn¡¯t get in. No, this would be happening at my home. As Mikhail emerged from the car, wearing a light smirk, I held out a hand for him to shake. I said, ¡°Wee. So d you could join me for dinner.¡±


    Here he was, wee in my house, fully aware of my address. At the moment, he was staring at someone thirsty for revenge, just like him, but against Ba. She should have been mine. If I couldn¡¯t have her, no one could.


    I missed her so much.


    That was what Mikhail was led to believe, anyway. My phone calls to Ba, followed by whining to several close friends, calls that were tracked and listened to, made that very clear. My voice had grown more and more bitter until finally, I snapped.


    Reality could be a bitch. So could jealousy. I had every reason to want James dead. I could swoop in and save the day for Ba. We all would get what we wanted in the end, right? That was the reality painted for Mikhail.


    ¡°So d you coulde around and finally ept my proposition,¡± Mikhail said, smirking. ¡°Your information is far more helpful than any such alliance with the Michaelson brothers,¡± he said. I smiled knowingly.


    At the moment, James was out for the kill. He would be vulnerable while carrying out a n against Ronaldo, which would be the perfect time for the Michaelson brothers to strike. As we entered my house, I asked, ¡°The brothers think you¡¯re going to kill me here, correct?¡±


    ¡°They do,¡± Mikhail said. Several of his men walked into my house. I entered my kitchen, serving up some appetizers to munch on while we talked about future ns. Lots of money was trading hands, and this alliance could very well be permanent.


    At least, it could be in Mikhail¡¯s eyes. I said, ¡°Good. James will be in in the crossfire. Little do they know, your men¡¯s guns will be turned on them shortly after. Freeing myself and Allegra. If they don¡¯t, I may forget to tell you the coordinates to that vault.¡±


    Mikhail nodded, his eyes shing with the challenge. ¡°You don¡¯t trust me to uphold my end of the bargain? After such a valuable tidbit of information?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said simply. This caused him to smile. We made more small talk, waiting for news from our connections that the jobs had been done. Both the Michaelson brothers and James would need to be taken out for this rtionship to work out.


    Except, that¡¯s not what was really going to happen.


    Giovani had be a valuable ally. After I spoke with James about La, we spoke more and more about ourmon enemies. Clearly, those two factions had been working together against us, and with a mutual enemy, we had to drop our minor piss matches for the moment.


    James pointed me to Giovani, who, with his multitude of connections and plotting, could amodate for the Michaelson brothers¡¯ death. A phone rang. That was confirmed, for Mikhail. Except, not by one of his men. That¡¯s why, supposedly... James was dead too.


    Giovani had a very convincing vocal artist on his side, and the man before me fell for it, as expected. ¡°Finally. That f*ck is given what he deserves,¡± I said, souping it up a little. I made sure there was the appropriate amount of fire in my eyes as I pulled out a map.


    ¡°Your payment. We both got what we wanted tonight, it¡¯s only reasonable to be fair,¡± I told Mikhail. ¡°From one Russian to another. Eh?¡± I felt something press against my head and froze. The muzzle of a gun.


    Of course.


    Mikhail gave me an apologetic grin. ¡°I do not n on splitting the money,rade,¡± he said softly. ¡°You were useful for what we needed. Can¡¯t have you getting in the way in the future, though. Less risk in case you decide to change your mind.¡±


    There was a click. Then another. A look of horror crossed Mikhail¡¯s face as I gave a smile. ¡°I¡¯m an assassin, Mikhail,¡± I said simply. ¡°Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t know to infiltrate your base and remove the bullets from your guns? Forgot to have your men triple-check that, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    BANG! BANG BANG BANG!


    The man who¡¯d been holding an empty gun to my head fell. Blood sttered on the table as Mikhail screamed out a curse in Russian. He didn¡¯tst long. His face fell into a bowl of spaghetti unceremoniously as blood began to pool around him.


    Casually, I drank my wine. I hadn¡¯t lifted a finger. Then, I raised my ss, giving augh. ¡°A toast. To a massive sess tonight.¡± From the shadows emerged both my connections and those who Giovani had sent over. Right on time.


    To them, I slid the map and coordinates, giving a smile. ¡°You can have all of the loot if you clean up the body here, fes,¡± I said. That was a good enough deal, as no doubt, they had ways of disposing of corpses. ¡°I look forward to working with you in the future.¡±


    Wearing a Cheshire-cat-like grin, I stood up from the table and sauntered to the living room. The various groups gathered in my dining room could work things out civilly. They may be seen as greedy bastards, but they had standards and knew good allies when they saw them.


    Unlike Ronaldo or the Russian mobsters that had previously been after us, they had a sense of loyalty. I copsed on my couch, the deed done, and my sister safe. The Michaelson brothers had fallen right into that trap, as I expected.


    It was as simple as Mikhail telling them that Ronaldo had been in on the murder of Sergei. Ronaldo, even if he was after James, was still part of the mafia family. It hadn¡¯t been a stretch, at all, that he contributed to that entire fiasco.


    Not to mention, Mikhail wasn¡¯t the brightest bulb. That, perhaps, made things easier for me as well. Regardless, the deed was done. I whipped out my phone and dialed my sister, hoping she was doing well.


    ¡°Hello?¡± she asked, her voice somewhat strained. I detected a mixture of happiness and sadness in her tone, which was odd. I decided not to press, for now, and rather gave a chuckle into the phone.


    ¡°Allegra. I have news for you,¡± I said, not saying right away just to annoy her for one moment. There was a long pause, and she sighed, realizing I wasn¡¯t going to continue until she prompted.


    ¡°Are you going to tell me, or are you going to keep silent?¡± she asked, sass dripping from her tone.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said, not specifying in what context. After a final chuckle, I said, ¡°The Michaelson brothers have been taken out right along with Mikhail. That¡¯s no longer something you need to worry about.¡±


    My sister gasped on the other line, and then, went silent. Finally, her voice dripping with relief, she said, ¡°It¡¯s done?¡±


    ¡°You bet.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Neal,¡± she said, her voice breaking. I could hear she was starting to cry. Thankfully, this time, those would be happy tears. A smile spread across my face as I closed my eyes for a moment, basking in victory.


    ¡°You¡¯re very wee. Now, you can focus on your shows. How did yourst one go, by the way? I heard good things, but wanted to hear it from you,¡± I said.


    ¡°It went really well. I¡¯m destined to be on top again, Neal. Now, I can rx a little bit and not have to worry about being captured again,¡± she said, but then she hesitated. I knew what her mind was stuck on.


    After sighing, I asked, ¡°You¡¯re not still hoping La wille crawling back, right? She was working for the mob, La. I know you¡¯re happy they¡¯re gone. That doesn¡¯t mean La is free to do as she pleases and will suddenly be good for you.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Allegra said defensively. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve got it handled. We can get together and talk about matters soon, alright? How are you doing with getting over Ba?¡±


    Touche.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I grumbled, not wanting to dwell on it. ¡°I get it. Anyway, we should celebrate soon now that we¡¯re free. I won¡¯t press anymore. Pour yourself a ss of wine.¡±


    ¡°I will... and I¡¯ll toast to your sess and our freedom.¡±

 Chapter 210 : Allison’s Return

    <h4>Chapter 210: Chapter 210 : Allison¡¯s Return</h4>


    Ba.


    ¡°Oh James, I¡¯m so d it all worked out,¡± I said after hearing about the encounter with Ronaldo and the Russian mob. Neal hade through for us in the end, as well, since Mikhail was now taken out. I think we all had some breathing room now.


    James gave me a smile, swooping me into his arms and giving me a gentle kiss on the lips. I let myself get lost in it for a moment as I sat there in his arms. We were on the couch right now after having discussed the entire situation.


    ¡°Took a lot of nning and resources, but yes, all of our ns came through seamlessly. The greed and oversight of our enemies certainly helped in this case, though,¡± James replied. He let out a sigh of relief, his bodynguage rxed and his general demeanor became a happy one.


    ¡°You said you had ns for us tonight?¡± I asked, not bothering to hide my excitement. Sophia was in the other room, ying with the kids. I¡¯d spent many hours with them today and was happy to have a break!


    James nodded, saying, ¡°Yes. How does Ora d¡¯Aria sound? I booked us a table on the ground floor in advance. That ce will be bustling this time of night.¡±


    I let out a squeal of approval at his suggestion. ¡°You did? That sounds wonderful!¡± I said. I¡¯d heard so many great things about the restaurant, and having some time with James after all of this stress sounded wonderful. The tension between us was rapidly fading.


    I wasn¡¯t, by any means, close to dropping my charity ns, but I could now get a little morefortable in Italy since Ronaldo and that mob was gone. James hade through just like he said he would, and I couldn¡¯t be happier.


    For once in a very long time, I was on top of the world. I said, ¡°I¡¯m going to go get ready, then. How much time do I have?¡±


    ¡°About an hour, excluding the drive there. Think you¡¯ll have enough time?¡± James asked. I smiled at him and nodded, leaning over to give him a big hug. After exchanging another kiss, I got up from the couch and made my way to the bathroom.


    I didn¡¯t take long to shower and get myself ready for a fun night. I dressed in a beautiful red evening gown James had gotten me a few weeks ago. The slit in the leg was high but not obscenely so. With my makeup done to perfection, I was now ready.


    When I emerged from the bathroom, I smiled at James, doing a little twirl. ¡°How do I look?¡±


    James said, ¡°You look amazing, Ba.¡± He walked over and ced a gentle kiss on my lips, which caused my face to flush.


    ¡°Thank you, James. You look very handsome yourself,¡± I said, eyeing him up and down. He had on a fancy suit, perfect for an outing at a restaurant. Soon, we exited the house, bidding Sophia farewell and thanking her for staying with the children..


    Security measures, as usual, were set up so that we¡¯d be perfectly safe during our outing. Nothing disruptive, thankfully.


    James was in the driver seat, and I rode shotgun, gazing out of the window at all of the beautiful nightlife that passed us by. Shuddered windows decorated white buildings that stretched down pearly brick streets. I was able to see more soon as we parked the car and got out.


    Now, we could stroll down the streets to our destination. The crowd was bustling, going this way and that, cheerful chattering and pleasant music humming in my ears. The smell of intricate cheeses and meats cooked to perfection hit my nose, making my stomach rumble.


    Streetlights connected to the buildings on stands with wispy, circr designs lit up the area wonderfully, brightening the verdant vines with little white flowers growing from them. My heart sung with just how beautiful everything was.


    At every step, I realized I should give this ce a chance, especially since we finally had a few more things off of our shoulders. ¡°This ce is beautiful, James,¡± I breathed, loud enough for him to hear over the music and crowd.


    ¡°It is,¡± James said, squeezing my hand as we walked. Soon, we arrived at the restaurant and entered, greeted by thedy at the front podium who gave us a brilliant smile.


    ¡°Wee! To whom do I have the pleasure?¡± she asked.


    James gave his name, and soon, we were led to our table. I sat down, gazing around the atmosphere in awe. It¡¯d been a while since I¡¯d been at a fancy restaurant, I just hadn¡¯t had the time with everything going on with the children and relocating. Here and now, it was amazing.


    The walls were a smooth white and the ceilings a beautiful wooden brown. Archways led into different sections of the restaurant where staff wearing tailored uniforms moved in and out with tes of gourmet dishes.


    Square and circr tables were covered with white tablecloths, and thefortable grey chairs had a bit of light cushioning. White lights that reminded me of what someone may see at a coral reef hungzily above the fancy tables. The hard floor had pleasing angr designs.


    We sat down and were handed menus. There was an array of pasta dishes that made me sweep my tongue over my red-painted lips. Tonight was going to be delicious, and I couldn¡¯t wait to dig in.


    When the waiter approached our table, introduced himself, and asked what we would like, I said, ¡°May I please have this dish?¡± I pointed to one of the tantalizing pasta dishes that sounded delicious.


    While we waited for our food, I smiled at James. ¡°Thank you for taking me here. It¡¯s beautiful. I will admit, I¡¯m feeling less stressed heretely, especially since many of our issues were just worked out. Think we¡¯ll get a moment of peace now?¡±


    James chuckled and nodded, taking a sip of his wine. ¡°With any luck, we will.¡±


    It was around that point I started feeling off, as though a withering stare was burning into the back of my head. My heart began to pound, and I swallowed, nearly jumping out of my skin when food was ced in front of us.


    The scent of savory cheeses and rich sauces hit my nose, momentarily distracting me. I stabbed a bit of pasta with my fork, bringing it to my mouth and savoring it for a bit. My eyes met James¡¯s, and I noticed his expression fade from a content smile to a frown of horror.


    Swallowing my food, I asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    That¡¯s when her voice hit my ears, causing a frigid chill to ripple down my spine. ¡°JAMES!¡± came the voice of none other than Allison, like nails ripping down a chalkboard. This couldn¡¯t be real. What was she doing here?!


    James¡¯s eyes shed with anger as he snarled, ¡°Allison. You¡¯re not wee here. Get out. Leave.¡± Restaurant staff was starting to gather and stare at the ordeal, whispering back and forth, likely on how to break this up.


    I turned my chair to fix my gaze on her. She was in a fancy, glimmering silver dress that brought out her hourss figure well. Her blonde hair was frazzled, and her blue eyes may as well have been lit on fire as she met my stare.


    ¡°You,¡± she said, in a dangerous tone, ¡°don¡¯t deserve him. You don¡¯t deserve Alessandro, you f*cking bitch, you deserve nothing. The Cartwrights should have won that case. They DID win that case. CORRUPTION WON¡¯T F*CKING SAVE YOU.¡±


    James raised his voice as security began toe closer, both those working for James and the restaurant itself. He stood up from the table and fixed his stare on Allison, a scowl of hatred spreading on his face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t ever want you to show your face here again. Get the f*ck out of here, Allison. It¡¯s over,¡± he snapped.


    ¡°I want you BACK, James. I¡¯ll do WHATEVER it takes to get you¨CHEY! LET ME THE F*CK go!¡± her voice was rising in volume, causing me to flinch. My stare hardened as I, too, got up from my chair and stood my ground.


    ¡°Alessandro has a family now. You need to stay out of our business. You¡¯re a piece of shit that needs to move on from James. He¡¯s mine. Listen to what he said. Get away from us or we¡¯re going to have even more problems,¡± I said in a tone just as aggressive as James¡¯s.


    Allison¡¯s eyes fastened on me, and without warning, she grabbed a knife from a nearby table. That¡¯s when she was tackled down, screaming, obscenities about just how much she deserved James and how much hurt I¡¯d be put through soon.


    I winced and clenched my jaw, my head swimming with stress. We had just gotten through so much trouble with Ronaldo and Ronaldo¡¯s cronies. We finally put that to rest. Now this?! It was one thing after another. Aplete nightmare.


    Tears began to stream down my face as I watched her get dragged off. I felt something billow in my gut right then. A sort of fire, something zing out without mercy as I clenched my fist. We were finally going to get peace here, and now, this.


    Florence was James¡¯s turf now. How dare she step here, back into our lives, after everything that happened, and demand James back? She was out of it¨Cderanged¨Cand she was going to bring even more hell that I honestly did not feel like handling right now.


    ¡°Ba?¡± James asked, causing me to turn my head as she was hauled off. I wasn¡¯t paying attention, in the slightest, to the people around me asking if I was okay. My focus was on James as I began to shake, a small sob emitting from my lips.


    I just wanted one night to rx with James, one thing to go right! ¡°Yes?¡± I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Hopefully, he could hear it, otherwise, he¡¯d need to read my lips. Concern shed across James¡¯s face as he walked over and took me into his arms.


    I buried my face in his chest and began to cry harder. Everyone was moving around us as if in slow motion, trying to calm down the onlookers, who were frightened by that woman¡¯s erratic, insane behavior.


    ¡°How did she get here?¡± I whimpered into his chest, wrapping my arms around him and holding him close. He bent down to try and reassure me of the situation, speaking softly into my ear.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. She won¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯ll make sure of it,¡± he said. I wasn¡¯t so sure. This bitch had been after him, working with Sergei to try to kill him when I thought he¡¯d died, and now she said she wanted him back. If she was still a problem, I doubted he could take care of it.


    Those damn Cartwrights had used their money to get her out of prison¨Cand now, she was here? She needed to be back in jail¨Cor dead.

 Chapter 211 : Calming the Nerves

    <h4>Chapter 211: Chapter 211 : Calming the Nerves</h4>


    Beca.


    Trembling, I sat on the couch with a ss of water in my hand, staring into it. James¡¯s hand was on my shoulder in a reassuring manner, but I didn¡¯t find myself calming down at all. A choked sob emitted from the pit of my chest, and I took several deep breaths.


    ¡°Ba,¡± James said softly. ¡°We can get through this, too. She is unhinged and out of it. There¡¯s no way she can aplish much like that. I doubt she will listen to me regarding leaving me alone, but this isn¡¯t anything we can¡¯t handle.¡±


    ¡°We just got through several other problems, James!¡± I said, reaching up and wiping away my tears. They streamed down my cheeks, not stopping, as my chest clenched and my stomach began to hurt horribly.


    ¡°We did,¡± James said calmly, pulling me into hisp and holding me there. I turned and began to cry into his chest, shaking. After everything that had been happeningtely, we¡¯de closer than ever, but he still couldn¡¯t solve everything magically.


    ¡°And now that bitch is back. It¡¯s the same nightmare all over again! When will it end? When will we be able to actually live a little?¡± I asked, my voiceing out in a squeak.


    ¡°I can¡¯t answer that,¡± James said softly. ¡°But what I can say is that it will be taken care of. I have my people looking into it already. I will keep you updated. Security is on high alert. We¡¯ll get her. We just got through the Ronaldo and the Russian mob. This will be a cake walk.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re underestimating her, James,¡± I whispered, leaning back and looking into his eyes. Now, he smiled, a devious grin that sent shivers down my spine. I knew that assured look. He¡¯d get what he wanted out of this.


    ¡°I am not,¡± James said. ¡°But I¡¯m also not going to overestimate her. It was clear at the restaurant she was out of her league and desperate. Desperate people do stupid things. We can get through this. I promise.¡±


    ¡°You say that every time,¡± I muttered. He raised his brow, and I sighed, swallowing. ¡°And you¡¯re right. Obviously. But then another problem pops up, and the cycle continues.¡±


    ¡°Life is hard,¡± James said, his tone just a tiny bit cold there. At my frown, he gave a sheepish grin. ¡°What? You and I both know more than most that it is. The important thing is that our family is safe here in thepound. The kids are happy and will have great lives. We¡¯ll protect them.¡±


    On that thought, I smiled a bit, rxing in James¡¯s arms just a touch. I closed my eyes, thinking things through and letting James calm me down. At this point, listening to him may have been best for my sanity. I took several deep breaths, feeling some of the tension leave my body.


    Then, I said, ¡°How did she get to Italy? And how did she know we were at the restaurant?¡±


    ¡°I suspect the Cartwrights for that first question,¡± James said, shaking his head. ¡°They seem to know everything about us. The moment we left, the Stepford wives probably let them know. They have it out for us. As for the second question, could be any number of people that want our heads on a silver tter.¡±


    I nodded, giving a sour look to the idea of the Cartwrights. Those evil bastards would be behind something like this, yeah. They were, no doubt, still a problem. I remembered the ¡®This isn¡¯t over¡¯ from them as we were leaving court. They were all the way in New York, now, though.


    After a pause, James said into my ear, ¡°How about I treat you a bit. A bath. Hmm? Then we can have some fun in the bedroom. That¡¯ll take your mind off of things. I checked with Sophia. She put the kids to bed. They¡¯re all fed and happy.¡±


    That warmed my heart, of course, and James¡¯s words caused my stomach to twist in excitement. His suggestion was a tantalizing one that, at this point, I needed to take. I nodded, causing him to put me aside and squeeze my shoulder. He went off to start the bath.


    I reached up and rubbed my temples, telling myself that, in the end, things would work out. They had to work out. James was right; we got through two far bigger problems that were after us, Allison shouldn¡¯t be so hard.


    When James called me into the bathroom, I got up and stretched. Then, I strolled in, struck by the scent of strong floral soaps that were incredibly pleasant. Both my muscles and nerves rxed, especially as my eyes fell on James.


    He was in the bath already. The familypound had a jacuzzi bath, so there would be plenty of room for both of us. This was exactly what the doctor ordered. I smiled at him, my face flushing as I got closer. He was covered in bubbles, but I could make out his form a little.


    ¡°Water¡¯s fine,¡± James said, holding up a loofa and waving it a bit. I nodded, removing my clothes and tossing them into the hamper. Making sure I had a towel set up, I began to lower myself into the bath on top of him. My body shuddered at the feeling of hot water.


    It felt wonderful, exactly what I needed, to be honest.


    I let out a sigh as I lowered myselfpletely on top of James, closing my eyes and leaning my head back onto his shoulder. His fingers ran over my body, sending shivers through me as they brushed over sensitive areas.


    I was still adjusting to the water, and he was hitting me with these powerful sensations! Damn him. I blushed harder, wiggling on him a bit. My ass brushed his c*ck, something I discovered was as hard as a rock. I was definitely riding the Stallion tonight.


    James said into my ear, ¡°Let¡¯s wash you up. Wouldn¡¯t want you to be dirty, would we?¡±


    ¡°Not entirely true,¡± I breathed in response. ¡°I think you want me very dirty, James.¡±


    ¡°Threatening me with a good time, baby?¡± the man replied, giving a low chuckle. He applied some soap to the loofa and began to run it over my body, scrubbing me up slowly. When he got to the sensitive flesh between my thighs, I let out a groan.


    Especially as his thumb began to y with my cl*t, forcing my arousal to skyrocket. As he washed me, and Iid there against his chest, the warm waterpping over me, I squirmed a bit and let out a low whimper.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± James asked innocently. ¡°So excited over something as simple as being washed. One may say something¡¯s on your mind.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said innocently, closing my eyes and letting out a gasp as he used his other hand to circle around my chest and squeeze my breast. He proceeded to massage my nipple, causing me to let out a moan.


    Feelings of bliss surged through me as he continued to feel me up, forcing me to arch my back and angle over his hard c*ck. James, the devil, moved away before I could impale myself, tsking into my ear.


    ¡°I want to y a bit before you get satisfaction,¡± the man said, causing me to moan in frustration. He leaned down to my neck and began kissing it. I closed my eyes, squirming again and just wanting him inside of me.


    Then, he took a bit of my skin with his teeth and began to suck at a patch of it on my neck. I let out a whimper as he gave me a hickey. More pleasure shot through me as my arousal increased even more. I needed him in me now.


    While he distracted himself by giving me the hickey, I moved my body again to angle properly, reached down, grabbed his c*ck, and directed it to fill me up entirely. My body jolted, and James let out a soft groan into my neck.


    He let go of his hickey, panting, ¡°That¡¯s it, baby. Ride me.¡±


    I obliged, moving my hips so that I could continue to direct him to impale me over and over. He hit all the sensitive spots within me. My inner muscles massaged his c*ck, squeezing it lovingly. For his part, he was holding out on his pleasure just for me.


    I could tell he was having a hard time, no pun intended. Moaning and groaning were all I could hear from the man as he moved on to kissing up and down my neck and shoulder, sending dazzling shocks through me as I was f*cked in the bath.


    James reached down and squeezed my ass, testing things out and digging his nails into it. The sensation of pain had me reeling with even more pleasure, and I breathed out, ¡°More.¡± He dug his nails in even harder, causing me to gasp and moan.


    That did it. My first release caused my body to explode into ecstasy, my world rocked entirely, filled uppletely by James. I rode him harder, and soon he let go of my ass just to dig his nails into my hips. This worked for him twofold.


    Not only did it give me more delicious pain to work with, but James was able to get me to ride him even harder. Tears sprung into my eyes at the continued pleasure, my moans and cries growing sharper and sharper as pleasure washed over me again and again.


    He filled and stretched me with no remorse, ravaging me in all the ways I wanted. James kept going deeper and deeper, faster and faster, and eventually, a particrly violent orgasm ripped through me. The searing pleasure that clenched all of my muscles was unbearably wonderful.


    At that moment, I felt him throb within me and knew he was giving in to his own pleasure. James let out a snarling noise into my ear as he climaxed, his warm seed filling me just as his c*ck had. I loved that feeling and licked my lips, rxing as he remained in me for a touch.


    Eventually, he withdrew, repositioning so that I was still sitting on top of him, but also leaning forward. From there, his hands rested on my shoulders and began to massage. The afterglow emanated from me, a powerful, rxing feeling that I adored.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± James whispered into my ear. I closed my eyes, a very happy grin spreading across my face. After basking in the feeling for a few seconds more, I responded.


    ¡°Wonderful. Thank you, James. Let¡¯s carry on in the bedroom now. I think you¡¯ll need to distract me from this new problem for the rest of the night,¡± I said.


    ¡°dly,¡± James promised, leaning down to give me a kiss on the cheek and wrapping his arms around me.


    Allison may be back, but James did a great job of assuring me we¡¯d be able to handle her. That¡¯s all I could lean on for now.

 Chapter 212 : Possible New Nanny?

    <h4>Chapter 212: Chapter 212 : Possible New Nanny?</h4>


    Ba.


    ¡°Oh, Ba, trust me, she¡¯s a doll, she¡¯s wonderful,¡± Sophia said to me, giving me a bright smile. At the moment, we were sitting at a diner, sipping coffee and discussing things. There was dim lighting above us, not that they needed to be any brighter given the sun was out.


    James was taking a day to spend with the kids while Sophia and I went out shopping and discussing her new find. Last night had been a wonderful distraction from Allison, but she was admittedly on the back of my mind at all times now.


    I refocused, looking at Sophia with a careful smile. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I said, thinking things through. She was telling me about ady she¡¯d met at the market months ago and became friends with. Unfortunately, Sophia¡¯s break had to end soon, and she¡¯d need to go back to running her business.


    I¡¯d need to make a decision, but after thest two problems, particrly La, I was having a hard time caving to the idea of a new nanny. I said, ¡°You have a good sense of character, so I believe you, but I don¡¯t know yet.¡±


    ¡°When you do meet her, you¡¯ll know!¡± Sophia said, smiling brightly. ¡°She is wonderful with kids. She¡¯s a middle-aged woman with only adult children now. We talk over tea a lot, and I mentioned knowing someone looking for a stay-at-home nanny. She seemed very excited.¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± I said, reaching up to rub the back of my neck. Soon, a sandwich was ced in front of me, something I grabbed for eagerly and began to munch at. Now, my stomach wouldn¡¯t be as relentless with annoying wing hunger, and I could focus.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re hesitant, dear, but you deserve YOU time, as does James. You two are very busy people! Will you have the time to watch the kids at every waking moment?¡± she asked, causing me to slowly shake my head.


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I confessed, thinking through my many ns for the future. I needed elbow room, and a nanny had always given me that. The best n was to hear her out. Certainly, I was starting to cave, and I let out a sigh.


    ¡°Alright. When would I be able to meet her? Can shee talk with us now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d suggest that!¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°I had her keep her schedule clear for today in case you¡¯d be open to it. I can have her be here in ten minutes. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a n,¡± I said, finishing up my sandwich in several bites andpsing into chatter with Sophia in the meantime. I had a few things on my mind, one of them being charity. ¡°You work with charity groups through your own business, right? Don¡¯t you have several projects?¡±


    She nodded, raising a brow curiously. ¡°I do!¡± she said, her voice dripping with happiness. ¡°Beyond that, I make sure what I sell is sustainable and ethical. They¡¯re expensive, but for a good reason.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± I muttered. Then, I exined my concerns about the ¡®saviorplex,¡¯ and what she thought about that. As she listened, she nodded, a smile widening on her face. She took a sip of her tea, contemting a response before speaking.


    ¡°What a dilemma! The fact that you¡¯re thinking about these things is very important, Ba. Actually, the leather I use for my handbags is from families who work with the leather directly in various countries with many less fortunate people.¡±


    I leaned forward, listening to what she had to say. That was intriguing. ¡°That way,¡± Sophia continued, ¡°they get the money for their work, and the money from thepany goes into their economy. Not only do I get a high-quality product, but they get paid for their work.¡±


    Her expression twisted into one of disgust. ¡°Otherpanies look for cheapbor, but I pay my sources the price the high-quality leather is worth. Some of the money goes to a reputable charity, as well. I¡¯m not really looking to get richer. Why? No point in having so much excess money.¡±


    That was true. I had so much of it now that I could livefortably and still contribute to helping people in need. This charity research was very important to me for that reason. ¡°That makes sense,¡± I said softly. ¡°How can you tell you¡¯re working with reliable sources?¡±


    ¡°I do a lot of research, just like you, but also phone the locals and discuss things. I¡¯ll visit where I get my leather too, the families who make it, and make sure they are being treated fairly. My money goes to charities that are local and not disruptive to cultures.¡±


    ¡°That all makes sense,¡± I said. I let out a sigh, then ran a hand through my hair. ¡°Maybe going to Guatem directly and settling there would be counterproductive? Perhaps I should start a charity that would work with the locals. Do you think me being there would be disruptive?¡±


    ¡°That would be up to you!¡± Sophia said with a gentle smile. ¡°I would take a visit there first, get a feel, and talk to people. You have a good heart, Ba.¡±


    Touched, I smiled at Sophia with gratitude. I still didn¡¯t know the path I wanted to take, but things were looking up for me on that end. Plus, James may being around. Granted, this Allison issue could throw yet another wrench in all of our ns.


    A few minutester, the woman Sophia suggested arrived. Her hair was tied up in a bun, and she had a warm look to her. There was a softness to her that emanated off of her in waves, causing me to be intrigued. My first instinct was to give her a smile.


    The one she gave back was incredibly friendly. ¡°Sophia!¡± she said as she got to our table. Sophia stood up and gave her a hug in greeting before sitting down.


    ¡°Madeline! Sit, sit! I¡¯m so d you¡¯re able to meet Ba now,¡± Sophia said, her tone a gushing one. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at this exchange. Madeline had long red hair that looked long enough to fall down her back if it weren¡¯t in a bun. She had some decent toning, indicating she worked out when she had time to herself.


    Her eyes were a light green, and her bright smile never faded as she spoke. Her eyes fell upon me, and she dipped her head with respect. ¡°Hello there! You must be Ba!¡± she said cheerfully. I nodded, holding out a hand, which she shook with a firm grip.


    ¡°I am,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°You were interested in being a nanny?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course, darling!¡± Madeline said with a lot of excitement in her tone. Sophia¡¯s smile widened, and I couldn¡¯t help but notice how positive she sounded about this. She came across as a wonderful woman already!


    ¡°That¡¯s excellent. Now, Sophia said you were wonderful with kids, and yours have grown up. Alessandro can pull hair sometimes and needs some patience. He¡¯s sweet, though, and enjoys poking noses. Dahlia loves it when people y with her toy cars so she can join in,¡± I said.


    There was so much more to both children, but I¡¯d wait to inform her of everything. She¡¯d need to meet them first, after all. After I talked about the specifics of what the job would entail, as far as the schedule and pay range, I went into exining their eating habits, when they went to sleep, and other little intricacies she¡¯d need to know.


    The entire time, she leaned forward, listening intently and nodding. If she had a notebook, she¡¯d probably be taking notes! I was impressed. She asked a lot of important questions, as well, such as allergies, appointments, and the like.


    ¡°I could take them to the park at some point if you wanted,¡± Madeline suggested, giving a smile. ¡°Kids y so many imaginative games on the yscapes, after all! And they make for good exercise.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great,¡± I said, giving a soft smile. ¡°We¡¯d need you to inform security and have theme along if you were to do that. High money family means high risk,¡± I said. She didn¡¯t seem deterred by that and just nodded.


    ¡°I bet. Money doesn¡¯t solve all problems!¡± Madeline said. ¡°That won¡¯t bother me, though. I will only do it when we all arefortable, anyway.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to run a background check on you. Is that alright? If so, can I have your information?¡± I asked. She nodded and provided all the details, which I forwarded to James. This was around the time the kids would be given a nap, so he¡¯d have ample time to run checks.


    The conversation continued for a half hour before James got back to me. I read his text, then said, ¡°Your background is very clean. I think, after talking to you today, I feel good. I need to think it over some more, though.¡± I smiled at Madeline, who returned mine with a bright one.


    ¡°Great! Thank you Ba for considering me, and thank you Sophia for rmending me,¡± she said politely, leaning back in her chair and seeming satisfied. With that, I was homeward bound, my heart actually warm.


    I had just met Madeline, so I¡¯d need to talk to her a few times and watch her interact with the kids before making my decision. However, my instincts told me she was a very good fit. Her general demeanor was incredibly positive.


    Not only that, but James knew how to find hidden information that regr people would otherwise miss. Given she had none of that in her track record, I felt very confident.


    The drive home was quiet and pleasant, but that energy changed when I got inside, with security by my side. Sophia arrived shortly after me, returning to go upy the kids so I could talk things over with James. There was tension in the air, and I had no idea why.


    I swallowed, entering another room to see James at the table, typing away at hisptop and frowning considerably. Three members of the security team were there with him, muttering back and forth.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked nervously, taking a seat across from James. He met my gaze and let out a sigh, shaking his head. Running his fingers through his hair, he paused, probably trying to think of how to exin to me just that.


    ¡°The security cameras showed someone trying to get over the gatest night.¡±


    My heart began to pound, and I widened my eyes. His expression turned grim, and he added, ¡°It¡¯s hard to see who it was. The footage is unclear.¡±


    My breath caught, and I hugged myself, closing my eyes. There could be any number of things going on now. Could it be Allison or a new problem? I didn¡¯t know.


    James said softly, ¡°We¡¯re beefing up security. I have several people on call now. We¡¯ll be safe, Ba. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    With everything that happened on a regr basis, I wasn¡¯t so sure.

 Chapter 213 : Sealed with a Kiss

    <h4>Chapter 213: Chapter 213 : Sealed with a Kiss</h4>


    Allegra.


    Downing one shot of vodka, then another, I decided to drink my way through this damn phone call. Apparently, I had decided to discuss things with La. When had I decided that? I wasn¡¯t sure, I was about four shots deep right now.


    Spinning the phone in my hand, I let out a sigh, grumbling in annoyance. Music pounded in my ears, which I bobbed my head to. I twirled my hands, rotating my wrists as I leaned back on my couch and let out augh. F*ck.


    What situation was I in right now? Love-struck and making bad decisions? That was right. I had the damn mob off me now, so that was a relief. Neal came through, just as I thought he would. Now he couldn¡¯t know about what I was contemting.


    If anyone huffed and puffed at me for thinking of calling La back, I¡¯d lose my mind. Though, most phone calls that came through right now were from my boss or coworkers, congratting me once again on my stunning performance.


    Whatever. I grabbed my phone and dialed La, throwing caution to the wind. Ring.... Ring... ¡°Hello?¡± La said on the other end of the line, her breath catching. God, the sound of her voice sent shivers down my spine. I ran my tongue over my lips.


    I was about to make a bad decision now wasn¡¯t I?


    ¡°Hey. You wanted to talk?¡± I said, my voice slurring a bit. There was a pause on the other line, then a gasp.


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re calling me back, Allegra? I really am sorry. I meant it when I said ¡®take me back.¡¯ I really need you,¡± La whined a bit pathetically. Problem was, I believed her. I let out a sigh and took another shot before mming the ss onto my table.


    ¡°I get it,¡± I said, my voice a bit warmer than I probably wanted it to be. ¡°Let¡¯s meet and discuss the situation. Alright? Mob¡¯s taken care of. Your friends are all dead. Hope that¡¯s not going to be a problem, La.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± she squeaked, sounding terrified for a second before taking a deep breath. ¡°It was meant to happen, after their lies and what they did to you. I didn¡¯t know¨CI just¨C... no. Not a problem,¡± she repeated.


    ¡°Good,¡± I said, my tone a bit husky. ¡°Tomorrow, then. Come back to my house. We¡¯ll see if we can work things back. No guarantees, La. Understand? I said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re going to end up in my arms.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for hearing me out, Allegra,¡± La said, probably close to tears. ¡°I saw your show on TV. You were beautiful and took my breath away. Everything about you was goddess-like,¡± she said, adoration dripping in her words.


    My heart may have fluttered just a little at her words, and I narrowed my eyes. Licking my lips again, I said, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± Another shot. Then another. I lost count, and everything was swirling around me. I was on top of the world.


    Eventually, I needed to pour myself several sses of water and head to bed so that I wouldn¡¯t be hung over tomorrow. Rather, just tired. I didn¡¯t want to make a bad decision and text La how much I wanted her right now.


    We¡¯d work that out tomorrow. IF, in fact, I deemed it was worth taking her back. My stomach clenched as I realized I was already making my decision. Nope, needed to wait until I was sober again.


    I slept well that night. I definitely wasn¡¯t hugging the pillow and imagining that it was La; that would be silly. If I was, no one would ever know. Eventually, sunlight broke through my curtains, causing me to groan softly.


    This was it. I rolled out of bed, mercifully spared a hangover despite the shots I had takenst night. That meant I could take more shots tonight if everything went wrong. Or, if everything went right. Either way was tantalizing.


    I went to the shower and quickly got myself prettied up. I texted La a good time frame toe meet me here. Lunchtime. I may as well prepare something. After a few hours of mucking about, I did just that.


    A simple meal of fettine Alfredo with chicken and broli would be fitting. Comfort food, really, which I imagined was what both of us needed. At the knock on my door, I sighed and hung my head a moment.


    I¡¯d need to face this head-on and not run from it. I really wanted La back, but I couldn¡¯t cave so easily. Not after she worked with those bastards. Still, she was here for a chance, and I needed to also consider that my feelings may be valid, too.


    That was, that taking her back was a good decision, of course. I walked over to the front door and opened it, my eyes fixing upon La. She had flowers in her grasp, and she met my eyes with a tearful stare of her own.


    At the moment, she was in a dress that hugged her figure, her makeup touched up to perfection. Her hair flowed down her back in a beautiful manner, causing me to subconsciously lick my lips and imagine them against hers.


    ¡®Don¡¯t flirt, don¡¯t flirt,¡¯ I told myself.


    ¡°You look gorgeous, La,¡± I purred. Sh*t. It was too early to cave. Matters were made harder when the lovely woman started to blush. This was going to be rough. Tension crackled in the air as I invited her inside and told her to sit down.


    I set her up a te, cing it in front of her and sitting across from her. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me,¡± I said, ¡°that I¡¯m inviting a vampire into my household that will take advantage of the situation, La. As sexy as that would be, granted, I just went through hell, as you very well know.¡±


    La was staring at her hands and nodded, gulping. She drank several sips of the water I¡¯d provided her before finally inhaling and meeting my gaze again. This time, she didn¡¯t break her stare, causing me to raise a brow.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like me to be?¡± La said, cracking a smile that met her eyes. She was breaking through her nervous demeanor. She grew serious and swallowed. ¡°They lied to me. They took advantage of how docile I can be, Allegra. I was so gullible. I should have seen the signs.¡±


    ¡°You should have,¡± I said, my tone somewhat bitter. My lip twitched a bit in disapproval at her words. She always had been so innocent, but it¡¯d been for a good cause. Looking into her eyes, right now, I began to understand this whole misunderstanding was the end result of that.


    La nodded, nervous again, but holding her ground. ¡°I f*cked up badly. I don¡¯t deserve forgiveness, but here I am begging for it. Allegra, I¡¯ll do anything.¡±


    ¡°Anything?¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± she said, studying my expression. I cracked a devilish smile for just one moment before letting out a sigh, reaching up to rub at my forehead in thought. What else could I get her to say? She clearly regretted what she¡¯d done.


    ¡°If you thought Ba was so bad, why didn¡¯t you warn me?¡± I asked in exasperation, wanting to know that much, at least.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d believe me,¡± she muttered, rubbing her arm. ¡°I should have just trusted you,¡± La added, causing me to nod.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I growled. ¡°You should have.¡± Then, I sighed, my shoulders slumping. ¡°We both know I¡¯m going to cave, but La, you need to know how much you hurt me. I am keeping in mind you were honest with me in the end, at least, which was brave. You knew you¡¯d likely lose me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I had to tell you at the exact moment I realized I f*cked up,¡± La replied in a low tone, tears streaming down her cheeks again. ¡°I knew I didn¡¯t deserve you, and I didn¡¯t want to lose you, but it was the right thing to do. I couldn¡¯t live on a lie.¡±


    ¡°d to hear that, at least,¡± I snorted. My gaze softened, and I closed my eyes for a moment before refocusing. ¡°Anyway, like I said, we both knew I would give in. I hope you¡¯re not taking advantage of my love right now, La.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± La said firmly. She got up from the table and circled around to stare me down, resting her hand on the table. ¡°You¡¯re the most beautiful person I¡¯ve ever seen, but more than that, you¡¯re intelligent, strong¨C¡± she began.


    I didn¡¯t give her a chance to finish. I stood up, grabbing the cor of her shirt. I tilted my head and nted my lips against hers, giving her a very deep kiss. My eyes were shut as I drank in all of her. The chemistry crackled between us, and my heart pounded.


    Her lips were so soft, so delicious. The smell of her perfume, floral, delicate, told me she deserved to be a princess. To have doves released on her wedding day, to be carried bridal style by me, the whole nine yards.


    I still loved her, and she very much loved me. La deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around me and parting mine with her tongue. Our bodies fit together perfectly as if fate itself decided we were meant to be together.


    Sadly, the kiss had to end. Unfortunately, both of us needed to breathe. La gasped out, her cheeks a deep red. She stared into my eyes, licking her lips and giving a smile of sheer adoration that made me feel like she worshipped the very ground I walked on.


    Funny, that was the case from me to her. I smiled at her, then reached up to cup her cheek. ¡°I think you have my answer. There¡¯s vodka in the fridge. Let¡¯s spend the night together. Let me treat you. You must be stressed¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± La said softly, causing me to raise a brow. ¡°Let me treat you, Allegra. You deserve it. And not just because I put you through hell emotionally. You deserve it because you¡¯re you.¡±


    My smile widened, and I nodded, letting out a sigh of contentment. I hoped this wasn¡¯t some dream. I hoped I wouldn¡¯t regret thister. But right here, right now? La was mine again. My modeling career was on track, and I was going to be top in the industry again in no time.


    Tonight, and my fate, was sealed with a kiss; a very intense one, at that.

 Chapter 214 : Mama

    <h4>Chapter 214: Chapter 214 : Mama</h4>


    Ba.


    ¡°Oh, they are just darlings!¡± Madeline said, causing me to smile brightly. It¡¯d been a couple of weeks since I¡¯d been inviting her over to interact with the kids. So far, everything was going very well.


    I had been on edge ever since the camera picked up someone unknown. I told myself to focus on thatter, though. Madeline was, surprisingly, doing a lot to relieve my stress. A bright smile was stered on my face as I talked with her. ¡°They are,¡± I agreed, feeling tears form. A few dripped down my cheeks as I stared at Daliah.


    At the moment, the toddler was in Madeline¡¯s arms, being bounced around. She was shrieking withughter, which faded into joyous gurgles as she took a few breaths. I couldn¡¯t help butugh along with her. A few strands of her hair fell messily into her face, making her look goofy.


    I refocused on Madeline, who emanated a very positive aura. Her grin was brilliant, and her bodynguage was rxed as she regarded the kids with pure joy. That¡¯s when I focused on Dahlia, who was pointing at me andughing. Almost as if she wanted to say something!


    She¡¯d be starting to say her first words soon, I realized. She was about eight months now, and the way she yed with her toys made it clear she was very intelligent. Madeline said to the toddler, ¡°That¡¯s right! Mama¡¯s looking at you, say hi to Mama!¡±


    Dahlia raised her hand and did a little hand-bend wave, which caused me to beam and wave back in the same way. I watched Madeline, realizing she really had such a strong connection with the kids. I¡¯d paid her for her time even though I¡¯d monitored every time she was here.


    The few times I left the room for an hour, I watched the camera feed, and it was always the same. She yed with the kids,ughing with them, entertaining them when she could. The kids settled down with her to watch various age-appropriate shows that she engaged with, too.


    She had so much patience, and I was very impressed. After a long pause and more baby chatter, I felt it was time. ¡°I think I¡¯mfortable with you being our new nanny, Madeleine,¡± I said. She blinked several times, then gasped, a joyous noise.


    ¡°Oh, Ba, darling! I¡¯d be honored, really. I¡¯m so happy you picked me. Your children are little angels, and I couldn¡¯t be happier. They say get a job you¡¯d love with all of your heart. I think I¡¯ve found just that,¡± she said, causing me to smile and nod.


    ¡°Sorry I took so long,¡± I said, reaching up to rub the back of my neck. ¡°Ever since the camera caught someone outside near the house, I¡¯ve been on edge. Especially since my time with James had been ruined by his ex,¡± I exined. I¡¯d told her the story in short terms so that she knew how unhinged Allison was.


    Madeline¡¯s eyes shed in sympathy, and she nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, dear. I understand entirely. How have things been since security¡¯s been beefed up?¡± she asked, tilting her head.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been weird,¡± I muttered. I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them again, giving a soft smile.


    ¡°But we¡¯ve been safe. I trust the people we hired. Still... there¡¯s been an off feeling. A few more instances of things like the trash being knocked over. Lawn ornaments going missing. Someone messed with the postbox, but it had been empty,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s concerning,¡± Madeline said. She added, ¡°But the people watching the ce seem very sweet, yes. They take their jobs seriously. When I first starteding to help you with the children, they asked me tons of questions! For several days. Repeated ones, too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± I said, feeling a slight bit of embarrassment. Madeline just shook her head andughed, that smile of hers meeting her eyes.


    ¡°No, darling, do not apologize! I understand entirely. You have a family to look after. Me being connected to Sophia doesn¡¯t mean enough, it wouldn¡¯t for me, either, if I was in your situation. Better safe than sorry. I think my answers satisfied them. I don¡¯t get asked much anymore!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I said, recalling how security had discussed matters with James. They felt Madeline wasn¡¯t a threat, at all, and cited she was a joy to speak with. Given her clean background, adoration for the children, and approval from security, I knew I was making the right decision.


    ¡°When would you like me to start?¡± she asked, causing me to tilt my head in thought. Madeline then said, ¡°I can make ns as soon as possible. I had an interview for another job on Friday, but that¡¯ll be canceled, of course. A long-termmitment is exactly what I¡¯m looking for.¡±


    That sounded wonderful to me, and I grinned. ¡°d I made that decision before you got that interview! Sorry for the back and forth and how unsure I was.¡± My face flushed in embarrassment a bit, and I rubbed the back of my neck.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s just fine, darling, you really don¡¯t need to worry about a thing. Between what you saw on security, and what you said you experienced with other nannies, I get it entirely. It wouldn¡¯t have been any frustration. Besides, you paid me for my time here, which was generous,¡± she said.


    I nodded, though I began to frown. My hand flew to my stomach as I felt it lurch. What was going on? The feeling of nausea was so sudden, and I ran my tongue over my lips, wondering if I was dealing with a case of food poisoning. The feeling was gone shortly following that.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Madeline said, her eyes widening with concern. I gave a light shrug, taking a deep breath and telling myself to calm down. Probably just some minor stomach bug, or something. I sincerely hoped it wasn¡¯t actually food poisoning.


    Giving a weak smile, I said, ¡°I¡¯ll be okay. It¡¯s probably nothing.¡± I blinked as Dahlia began to wiggle and whine, trying to break free from Madeline for now. The woman smiled and gently put her on the ground. She began to crawl toward me, then sat back, reaching up for me.


    When she made grabby hands, I knew she wanted me to pick her up. I brought her toward my face and bumped noses with her, feeling a soft, blissful feeling at the cooing noises she made. Her beautiful eyes shined as she gave me a big, happy grin.


    That¡¯s when the extraordinary happened.


    After a happy little squeak from the child, she said, ¡°Mama! Mama, Mama!¡±


    It was the first time I¡¯d heard her say that, and my jaw dropped. Tears welled up and began to pour from my eyes as I gasped, ¡°That¡¯s right. Mama. That¡¯s right, Dahlia. Mama¡¯s here.¡± I took her into my arms for a huge hug, rocking back and forth with her.


    For a moment in time, everything froze, and it was just me and my baby. Herughter filled my ears, my entire soul, and her words touched my heart. The feeling of happiness made my heart explode, and I just let out a soft cry of sheer bliss.


    I let go of the hug and brought her face to mine, leaving a soft kiss on her forehead. Then, Dahlia grew impatient, having made her point and wanting to go crawl around. She began to squeak and whine, indicating I¡¯d better let her down now, or face the consequence.


    Setting her down on the floor, I smiled and refocused on Madeline, who wore a smile that was beyond delighted. She was positively radiant that she was able to share that moment with me. ¡°That was beautiful,¡± she said, a tear crawling down her face.


    ¡°I love them so much,¡± I whispered, loud enough for her to hear.


    Alessandro looked up from the toys he was ying with and said, ¡°Love! Love Mama, love!¡± This only made me cry even harder, I was too touched!


    My stomach lurched again, this time the feeling of nausea was far more powerful. My hands flew to my stomach, and I made eye contact with Madeline, who widened her eyes with concern. ¡°Ba,¡± she said, ¡°are you sure you¡¯re alright? You¡¯ve gone pale.¡±


    At that point, I shook my head. Bile began to rise in my throat as I realized I needed to go. A woozy feeling overcame me, and I coughed, the twisting and turning of my stomach growing more and more unbearable.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the kids here, Ba, go take care of whatever is going on. Please, darling, take care of yourself,¡± Madeline said quickly. This time, I obliged, standing up and whirling to rush toward the door. I hurried into the bathroom, quickly making my way to the toilet.


    The disgusting, acidic taste of vomit rose up into my throat as I opened the toilet right in time. Retching, I dispelled the contents of my stomach into it, almost getting some out of the toilet itself, but having the control to avoid that.


    I held my head, dizzy, before letting everything loose again and again. Eventually, I was hunched over, clutching my stomach and sniffling. I¡¯d gone from a feeling ofplete happiness to one ofplete misery in the fraction of a second.


    This feeling was familiar, but why? What could it mean? I tried to determine if it was stress or anxiety, but that didn¡¯t feel right. Sure, this whole fiasco with the cameras and unidentified person was really bothering me, but it would have led to this far earlier if it was too much.


    Plus, as horrible as those feelings were, they didn¡¯t typically lead to me throwing up like that. I stood up, my legs shaky, and flushed the toilet several times. I needed to clean myself up, because that was disgusting. Quickly, I rinsed my mouth with cold water from the sink.


    Running the hot water of the shower, I felt tears pour down my cheeks as I let out a sob of confusion. That didn¡¯t feel like food poisoning either, though I supposed such a feeling could vary, and I hadn¡¯t dealt with it enough to know for sure.


    Still, that wasn¡¯t the answer. Why was I feeling like this? Did I get so excited over Dahlia¡¯s words that I couldn¡¯t handle it? This hadn¡¯t happened so dramatically before, and I really didn¡¯t believe such intense feelings of happiness would lead to this.


    The steam began to thicken in the bathroom, and eventually, I got myself together and stepped into the shower. For some reason, I was now feeling exhausted. Throwing up like that could be the culprit, but now I was stressed on top of that.


    What could any of this mean? I knew it was more significant than just amon bug. But why? And how did I know?

 Chapter 215 : Home Invasion

    <h4>Chapter 215: Chapter 215 : Home Invasion</h4>


    Ba.


    ¡°I wish I knew what was wrong,¡± I muttered, staring Madeline down, who was still a bit concerned. She¡¯d just put the kids to bed and was heading that way herself. She¡¯de to check on me after I¡¯d gotten sick.


    ¡°I do too, darling,¡± Madeline said softly. ¡°Best to get some sleep, alright? James got in a few minutes ago. I told him you went to the bathroom because you weren¡¯t feeling well. Get one of the cooks to make you some soup if you think that will help.¡±


    I smiled at her, wishing soup would fix whatever was going on. ¡°Thanks, Madeline,¡± I said softly. She went off to her room. We would get paperwork situated tomorrow, and all, but for now, I needed to take her advice.


    I wandered off into my bedroom, where James was getting ready for bed. He looked up from his book and gave a concerned smile. ¡°Ba? Are you doing alright, baby?¡± He hesitantly approached me, and I nodded, opening my arms for a hug.


    Said hug was light and cautious, which was understandable, but something that still made my heart lurch a bit. I hated how whatever was going on may keep us apart a bit. I said, ¡°Hopefully just a stomach bug. I threw up, but I feel okay now.¡±


    My stomach twisted and turned, but not as bad as before. I just couldn¡¯t pinpoint what it could be. James said, ¡°Hopefully not food poisoning. Go ahead andy down, I can take care of you tomorrow if you need me to.¡± I smiled at his offer, then nodded.


    Climbing into bed, I let out a mncholic sigh. James went to the bathroom for a shower before bed, then joined me. I said to him, ¡°Dahlia said ¡®mama¡¯ today. Made my heart sing. I got sick shortly after that, but still.¡±


    James beamed at me, reaching over to rub my shoulder. My body rxed, and he said, ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, Ba. She¡¯s growing up fast, isn¡¯t she?¡± I nodded, and after a pause, James asked, ¡°Would you like a massage? A gentle one, before bed.¡±


    ¡°Yes please, as long as there isn¡¯t any pressure on my stomach,¡± I replied in a whisper. James obliged, cing his hands on my shoulders and working downward. That felt so wonderful, and soon enough, my eyelids began to droop.


    I sat there for a few minutes more, but then shifted to a lying position. Bidding James a big thank you, and goodnight, I let myself drift off to sleep. I could ignore my stomach pains for a while, thankfully, but that didn¡¯tst long.


    My eyes opened, woken up by just how queasy I was. After a groan, my hands encircled my stomach, and those horrible feelings were back all over again. I rolled out of bed and made my way to the bathroom, just in time once again to throw up.


    Holding my forehead, I let out a sigh, cleaning up and returning to bed. This was so frustrating, I had no idea why I was dealing with this nonsense. I was shaking a bit as Iy there, as getting sick was never pleasant.


    BANG!


    I jumped, putting my hands over my mouth as I realized a noise came from downstairs. James jolted awake, sitting up, rubbing his eyes, and looking with rm toward the door. ¡°What the hell was that?!¡± he growled, getting to his feet and stumbling a bit.


    He¡¯d been woken up from deep sleep, no doubt, and was confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied, my tone dripping with confusion and fear. I swallowed, staring toward the door and wondering if we should go down and check or lock it.


    James grabbed his phone, contacting security and trying to figure out what was going on. A minuteter, he said, ¡°They¡¯re checking out something in the backyard, but I want to check for myself.¡±


    He walked over to his gun vault and entered the code, opening it to grab his handgun. Then, he said, ¡°Stay here, I¡¯m going to go check for myself what¡¯s going on.¡± I nodded, swallowing and staring at the wall in concern as James left for downstairs.


    I should stay put, but I wanted to know what was going on. The anticipation was killing me, and I sincerely didn¡¯t want to just sit here and wait. Maybe I should close the bedroom door and lock it, or go check on the kid, but my morbid curiosity got the better of me.


    Walking out of the bedroom and through the rest of the familypound, I kept my eyes peeled. Something was happening in the kitchen downstairs, I realized. There was a lot of banging and mming, for what reason, I had no idea.


    At the moment, I felt as though I was in a horror movie. I reached the parlor and looked around for something I may be able to use to help. The kids could be in danger, especially if whatever happened got past security.


    By the sound of James on the phone, they had no idea what was going on. Their focus was on the backyard, yet there was amotion in the kitchen. If there were multiple people currently trying to hurt us, I needed to make sure the children were okay.


    I heard shouting from the kitchen. James¡¯s voice. ¡°F*CK OFF! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! I¡¯M NOT AFRAID TO SHOOT!¡± BANG! The scream of a male from the other room nearly had me jumping out of my skin. Thankfully, I could tell it wasn¡¯t James.


    Tears of anxiety began to streak down my cheeks, but I stayed focused. I¡¯d need a weapon too, to defend the kids in case there was something going on. At this point, I was running on adrenaline. There was a poker by the firece, something that would be good enough.


    That in hand, I made my way toward the kids¡¯ bedroom, nearly mming into someone on my way there. Instinctively, I made to stab forward with the poker but stopped at thest second as the tipnded on Madeline¡¯s chest. She had yelped midway through my attack.


    ¡°Madeline!¡± I breathed, my heart pounding in my ears. I¡¯d forgotten she¡¯d agreed to spend the night. I was expecting her to startter in the week, but then I¡¯d gotten sick. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wanted toe check on the kids, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but it¡¯s big. Someone or many people got past security, James is in the kitchen looking into it, there¡¯smotion in the backyard, too...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, darling,¡± Madeline said, her voice dripping with fear. She spoke in a whisper, her eyes wide. That was all I could tell about her right now, it was so dark. I should have turned the light on, but in my panic, I forgot. Thankfully, I recognized her voice.


    ¡°Go back to your bedroom, I don¡¯t want you in danger. I¡¯ll make sure the kids are safe,¡± I said, also not wanting her to get in the way in case I needed to take drastic measures. I¡¯d feel terrible if she were hurt, too.


    She obliged my request, scurrying off to go hide in her room. From there, I reached the kids¡¯ bedroom, flicking the light on and peering inside. All was well. Dahlia was sitting up and looking around in confusion. When Alessandro saw me, he waved. ¡°Mama!¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said to them, giving them a smile. ¡°Mommy¡¯s here, it¡¯s okay.¡± Hearing another bang, I jumped, and Dahlia began to cry a bit. I put the poker to the side for a moment, rushing over to my daughter and picking her up out of her crib.


    I began to rock her in my arms, cooing softly and wiggling my finger in front of her face. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright,¡± I whispered, leaning down to nt a soft kiss on her forehead. She sniffled and began to calm down, though I could tell she was freaked out.


    After a few minutes of silence, I put her back into her crib and went to check on Alessandro. The little boy was frightened, too, and was clutching his nket as though it was his lifeline. He calmed down after a hug and some soft words from me.


    When the children were situated, I locked and closed the nursery door and began patrolling down the hallway, poker in hand. There was stillmotion in the kitchen, of what, I didn¡¯t know. A feeling of dread overcame me as I swallowed, feeling my stomach lurch yet again.


    This was no time for my mysterious sickness to act up. I kept telling myself the kids were safe and that James would take care of whatever was going on in the kitchen. That said, the hairs on the back of my neck began to stand up.


    Someone was watching me.


    I was certain of it. I refused to stray far from the kids¡¯ room. They were vulnerable, and I would rather die than have them hurt or in danger. I narrowed my eyes, feeling along the wall for the light switch. I flicked it on, but nothing happened.


    Part of thepound¡¯s power had been messed with. Either that or the lights in this area had been put out. I bit my lip, unhappy with either possibility. This was really starting to feel like a horror movie.


    ¡°OUCH!¡± I screamed suddenly, looking down at the ground. I¡¯d stepped on ss. The sharp bite of pain in my foot told me as much, and I stumbled back, my chest heaving. There was my answer. I looked up, noting the shattered lightbulb as my eyes focused in the dark.


    Someone was in this area right now.


    My heart pounded harder as adrenaline rushed through me. I shook my head, taking a deep breath and telling myself to calm down. The mming and banging noises continued in the kitchen, along with James shouting at the perpetrator.


    I couldn¡¯t call for his help despite my revtion. He and security were likely all tied up. Security itself was preupied with the issue in the backyard, otherwise, they¡¯d be rushing in to help us with whatever was going on.


    The pain from the cut on my foot caused me to limp, but I needed to make my way back to the nursery. Something was very wrong, and I needed to be with them. I didn¡¯t realize someone would be deeper in thepound, and nor did James.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± I whispered to myself, hot tears streaming down my cheeks as my stomach once again lurched. This time it was anxiety, and I wasn¡¯t about to start rushing toward the bathroom.


    I was slower, but effective, and eventually made it to the door of the nursery. Breathing a sigh of relief, I found the hidden key, unlocked the door, and wrapped my hand around the handle, ready to reassure the kids once again. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to.


    Right at that moment, arms wrapped around me from behind.

 Chapter 216 : Kill Her

    <h4>Chapter 216: Chapter 216 : Kill Her</h4>


    Ba.


    ¡°BITCH! I¡¯M GOING TO BLEED YOU DRY, BITCH!¡± screamed a familiar voice in my ear. My eyes widened as I realized Allison was here with her arms wrapped around me, pulling me away from the nursery and mming me to the ground.


    I still had the poker in my hand and quickly raised my arm and jerked it to the right, causing her to miss a strike with something. I couldn¡¯t tell what she had, exactly, but assumed it was a knife of some sort.


    At this point, my eyes had adjusted to the dark enough to see the whites of her eyes. They were wide, eerie, as though she was possessed. I knew the truth. She waspletely unhinged and was actively trying to kill me.


    My mind clicked to self-defense mode as I managed to knock away some of her blows. I took a deep breath, my entire world ruled by adrenaline. Not only did I not want to be killed, but I needed to protect my kids.


    Narrowing my eyes, I snarled, ¡°F*ck off, Allison. You need help.¡± I rolled away from her attempt to m her foot on my skull. She was off bnce and unfocused, clearly, like some rabid animal trying to rip my throat out.


    I continued to roll until I hit the wall, then used it to press against and stand up. Allison turned toward me and lunged with the knife again, this time sinking it into my shoulder. The bite of sharp, searing pain caused me to throw back my head and scream.


    Warm blood gushed from my shoulder, spilling onto the floor and wall as I panted and shook my head. With one hand free, I uppercutted her in the jaw, my legs bent and my body shaking. She fell backward, shrieking and spitting out some blood. She must have bitten her tongue.


    Served her right. I tried to reason with her. ¡°Allison, you need to stop this. Please. It¡¯s over. James chose me, we have a family to take care of. You need to return to your life without him. It doesn¡¯t have to end here. If you kill me, or James, you will never have a chance to move on.¡±


    ¡°I DON¡¯T GIVE A F*CK!¡± she screamed, rushing at me again and stabbing forward. This time, she missed, as I dodged to the side. Problem was, I was now literally walking on broken ss.


    Letting out a cry of agony because of that, I quickly moved away from the mess and back toward the nursery door. I could feel warm blooding out from the cuts in my feet and was pretty sure a shard had lodged into my left heel.


    I kept Allison in my sight. She stumbled, falling onto her knees on the ss and letting out a howl of agony. I needed to keep her away from the kids and upied until James or security came and took her away. She wasn¡¯t thinking reasonably. She waspletely out of it, driven by hatred. Pulling herself to her feet, she got ready toe at me once more.


    ¡°Allison,¡± I tried again. ¡°James is his own man. You are your own woman. You need to move on. Stop this. We can figure something out, okay? Enough. You have your life ahead of you still,¡± I said, my voice desperate. I clutched the poker in my hand, hoping she¡¯d snap out of this.


    Far from it. She screamed, ¡°BITCH! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TALK TO ME ABOUT MY LIFE! I AM FIGURING THINGS OUT! ONCE YOU¡¯RE GONE, JAMES WILL BE WITH ME! ALESSANDRO WILL BE OURS! YOU¡¯RE F*CKED! YOU¡¯RE DEAD!¡±


    I shook my head, yelping as I dodged another stab attempt by the woman. She continued lunging for me, jerking her hand toward me again and again as she tried to make purchase.


    When she was close enough, I backhanded her into the wall.


    ¡°He won¡¯t be,¡± I said, strangely calm. eptance was setting in the more I fought. She simply wasn¡¯t going to back down from this. The hand I had around the poker tightened, and my lip quivered. As I expected, after she hit the wall, she got up again.


    ¡°HE WILL! BITCH, HE WILL!¡± she screamed, the shrill shriek of a harpy. I chuckled to myself. That¡¯s the term, in my mind, I used for the Stepford wives. Right now wasn¡¯t the time forughter, though. This experience was surreal, and I wasn¡¯t all there either.


    ¡°WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING! YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY?!¡± Allison screamed, and once again, she lunged for me. I tried dodging out of the way, but was slowed by the shard of ss in my foot, which sent a jolt of pain that had me gasping.


    The knife sunk into my side, this time, hopefully not puncturing any organs. The pain caused even more tears to stream down my face. I was being backed into a corner, I realized, as she stabbed toward me more and more.


    The knife sank into my shoulder, again, deeper than the first cut. Then, it hit my other shoulder. I kept punching toward her, sending her back with uppercuts and blows to the stomach, but she just kept getting up anding toward me.


    The poker.


    She wasn¡¯t going to stop. I needed to do something drastic. My eyes narrowed, but that¡¯s not what caused something to snap in me. It was when Allison turned toward the door of the nursery and stared at it.


    ¡°I¡¯LL BUTCHER YOUR DISGUSTING DAUGHTER, THEN FINISH YOU OFF, BITCH!¡± she said, entirely out of it. I widened my eyes, letting out a gasp. Everything froze right then. I could only see red. She was threatening my daughter.


    No.


    ¡°No. NO... NO!¡± I screamed, raising the poker and rushing forward. Allison gasped, dodging my first sh at her. Then my second. Inded my third. Blood sprayed out from her arm as I stabbed into it.


    My chest heaved as I bared my teeth, clenching my free hand, which was now sticky with my own blood. I was feeling lightheaded, even more sick, but needed to stop her before she got to the kids. Allison cried out in agony, but she wasn¡¯t done.


    She rushed toward me with the knife, again, but I dodged to the side. I took this opportunity to reach out and grab her hair, threading my fingers into it and jolting her head back. Then, I brought the poker up behind her back, pulling her body downward.


    Gravity helped me. When I ripped her hair downward, she practically fell onto the poker. A choked scream emitted from her as she thrashed around, but judging by where the poker was sticking out... the upper part of her left breast... I knew she wouldn¡¯t be moving for long.


    I fell to my knees as Allison¡¯s bodynded with a THUD before me. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of the poker, which was there sticking out of her chest. Time seemed to stop. I could hear the kids crying in the other room, thankfully the door was still closed.


    Commotion in the kitchen continued, the banging and shrieking, the terrible shouting bing muffled as I took several deep breaths, trying topose myself. Shock began to settle in, and the sound of my heart pounding hypnotized me.


    Warm blood pooled around me, dripping down my arms and legs from where Allison had stabbed me. I shuddered, reaching up with a hand covered in crimson to hold my forehead. The bottom part of my hair was starting to be matted with blood as well.


    The sound from the kitchen stopped. I slowly blinked, realizing a few secondster that a shlight was shining in my face. Expressionless, numb, I stared at the light, though then refocused as the beam fell on my assant.


    I could see as clear as day what happened. Allison¡¯s arm was shed open, and she had the poker sticking out from her chest. She¡¯d stopped moving. Her words were ying through my head over and over. How she wanted to kill Dahlia.


    I licked my lips, the coppery taste of my own blood unsavory. Things weren¡¯t supposed to happen this way. My chest clenched as I covered my face and began to shake with sobs, the weight of what I¡¯d done hitting me like a truck.


    I¡¯d had to do it. She was going to kill me, then she was going to kill Dahlia. If I hadn¡¯t defended myself, if I fell right there, my innocent child would be in. I knew she¡¯d meant it, too. Every fiber of her being dripped with hatred, and that reflected in her words.


    ¡°Ba?¡± came James¡¯s voice in my ear. I shuddered, still crying, still bleeding, not wanting to be bothered right now. I couldn¡¯te to terms with what just happened. My body screamed with pain from when Allison stabbed me, but that was all in the back of my mind.


    I managed to squeak, ¡°Ch-check on the kids... they¡¯re crying... check on the kids, I can hear them... make sure they¡¯re okay...¡±


    I just killed a woman.


    But she would have killed me, then my daughter, if I hadn¡¯t. Was I a monster? I wasn¡¯t sure. Everything had happened so fast. I couldn¡¯t see as well, I kept getting stabbed, she waspletely relentless.


    James¡¯s voice became muffled. I think he was trying to tell me the kids were just fine, and they¡¯d be taken care of, but I didn¡¯t seem to hear them. I was in a state of shock, adrenaline still rushing through my veins as I whispered, ¡°Please check on the kids, James.¡±


    There was loud wailing in the distance. Sirens. The police were here, possibly the ambnce too. I didn¡¯t fight anyone as I was lifted up and taken some ce else. My mind was stuck in the hallway, where I¡¯d killed Allison.


    Maybe I didn¡¯t kill her. Maybe the poker went through part of her chest that didn¡¯t hold her heart. I knew basic anatomy, though, and there was so much blood. It was always a shock to realize how much blood a person had, I thought. She¡¯d bled much of it out because of me.


    Because of me.


    Once again, her words, her promise to kill my child and me, ran through my head. There was no way to win that. I couldn¡¯t hold back, one wrong move would cause my little girl to be ughtered. Restraint wouldn¡¯t have worked, I wasn¡¯t strong enough.


    I continued to try and reflect on what had happened, what I could have done differently, whether Allison was really dead. I knew the truth.


    I had killed her, and there was no going back from that. It was kill or be killed in that situation, and I was the killer.


    I¡¯d just killed a woman. I didn¡¯t know if I regretted it yet. But my kids were safe, and I was alive. As I bled out on the way to the hospital, I smiled, my mindpletely in shambles.

 Chapter 217 : The Aftermath

    <h4>Chapter 217: Chapter 217 : The Aftermath</h4>


    Ba.


    Everything was a blur, and I really couldn¡¯t focus well at all. The sirens red in my ears, but everything was just not clicking for me. I let out a soft groan, trying to focus, only to draw aplete nk.


    After a while, I reached up to rub my temples, only to find my arms were tied down. I couldn¡¯t move. I groaned and thrashed in my bed, snarling, ¡°No, Allison, leave my daughter the f*ck alone.¡± That¡¯s when the memory came rushing back, and my eyes flew open.


    Everything came into focus. White everywhere. White tile. I was a zombie for a while, I didn¡¯t know how. I just kept saying, ¡°I want to go home.¡± Repeating it over and over. I think I was there for three days. James kept trying to assure me that I needed to rest. It was hard to get through it, being away from the family and our home, but eventually, I was home and able to see my children.


    At the moment, I was in the living room, staring at my hands and trying to grasp the situation. An officer stood before me with a clipboard in hand, wanting to round out a fewst things before leaving. I had a headache, and was done, but would cooperate.


    ¡°Miss Woods, can you confirm what Allison Valentino said before her death? We are rounding out the situation, and the details have been taken care of, but I just need another check,¡± he said. I nodded, having been told it was a solid case of self-defense.


    ¡°She threatened my daughter. She was going to murder her when she killed me. Or before she killed me,¡± I said. I paused. ¡°I am not sure. She was going to kill Dahlia. I couldn¡¯t let that happen. My little girl is innocent.¡± Tears began to fall from my eyes rapidly.


    Eventually, I sat there with my head in my hands, shaking with sobs. This was all too much to handle. What I¡¯d done kept reying in my head. There was so much blood. Allison had been there, motionless, bleeding out because of what I¡¯d done.


    ¡°I see,¡± said the officer, trying to keep his tone much more tender now, though that didn¡¯t help. He said, ¡°Rest assured, it¡¯s a clear case of self-defense, and your confirmation will help us so that we do not need to press further.¡±


    Lifting my head, I gave a nod, trying to keep my eyes on him and my focus strong. I was having a hard time, though. This all was just too much. I had killed someone, and it was weighing heavily on my brain. James had regretted the fact that the cops had even gotten involved since his Family usually took care of bodies themselves, but an ambnce had to be called, and that necessitated cops as well. Thankfully, Giovani knew some people at the station and had assured James it would be nothing to worry about.


    The police left after that, assuring me the case was very cut and dry. I¡¯d been told Allison had hired some goons to break in, professionals who could properly distract security. Her n nearly worked. She was unhinged, and wanted to sneak in and kill me while everyone was distracted.


    She nearly seeded. Why did I feel so terrible, then? She was going to kill Dahlia. Still, I didn¡¯t want to kill her. I didn¡¯t want any of that to happen. Now, I had to have that weighing on me for the rest of my life.


    I clutched my stomach, feeling it lurch again. The mysterious sickness hadn¡¯t gone away, and it¡¯d only gotten worse. The hospital staff hadn¡¯t said anything at all about it. They¡¯d given me so many medications while I was there for the pain, I hadn¡¯t felt like myself anyway, let alone notice the nausea.


    I didn¡¯t emphasize the sickness because I just wanted to be home. I hadn¡¯t even looked at the any of the paperwork they¡¯d given me showing the tests they¡¯d run. Maybe something would show up on there, but it didn¡¯t matter to me. I just needed to be with my children.


    Eventually, James entered the room. He looked exhausted and emotional, tear streaks settled on his cheeks and his hair was incredibly disheveled.


    He gave me a weak smile that I didn¡¯t return. James said, ¡°I¡¯m sad that Allison died, Ba, but she was mentally gone. It was a situation of self-defense. Either she was going toe out of that with you and Dahlia dead, or she was going to go down.¡±


    I winced, feeling a pang of guilt and fear. The memory of her threats toward my daughter bombarded me, and I knew he was right. However, that didn¡¯t change things. I had killed her, and it was something I could never take back.


    James walked toward me, reaching out to put a hand on my shoulder. When he rested it there, I shrugged it off, shooting him a re and saying, ¡°Leave me alone. Just...go into the other room, James. I need to be alone right now.¡±


    Madeline was thankfully taking care of the children. James had made sure she was avable to help the entire time that I was in the hospital. Truth be told, she was wonderful with the kids, and I really needed her to help me with them right now.


    The weight of what had transpired was unbearable. I relocated into the guest room, not wanting to be disturbed. I needed a distraction of some sort from all of this. Therefore, I began researching Guatem again, trying to remind myself of my goals, my hopes, and my dreams.


    Was there hope for someone who killed a person out there? I felt a deep sense of remorse, and though I kept telling myself over and over that she deserved to die for how she threatened Dahlia and how she¡¯d treated me, I couldn¡¯t get it out of my head.


    James had killed plenty of people, and ordered the death of many, too. Intentionally. This didn¡¯t seem to affect him one bit. Maybe he was made of different stuff than me. I didn¡¯t know. I began typing away on theputer, trying to chase away those thoughts.


    Pictures of needy children caused my heart to clench. I really needed to get this situated and convince James to help me. That had been on the back of my mindtely, and I¡¯d made no progress with my research. I couldn¡¯t really me myself; it was all a blur.


    Then, I thought about Antote. It was inevitable that she¡¯de up in my mind again when it came to charity, as she¡¯d given me the idea in the first ce. I hadn¡¯t texted her since I read what she¡¯d said.


    ¡°Maybe I should text her now,¡± I said, finally, giving a sigh and closing my eyes. I wasn¡¯t sure if that was the most healthy of distractions, but it was all I could think about right this moment. Therefore, I reached for my phone and texted her.


    ¡®Hi, Antote. It¡¯s been a while. I still feel betrayed by all that happened. But I¡¯m settling in here. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard about Allison by now. I don¡¯t know how she got here. I killed her in self-defense. I feel horrible,¡¯ I sent to her.


    I didn¡¯t expect a reply right away, so I stared at myputer screen for a few minutes before my phone chimed. Then, I read her reply. ¡®Hi, Ba. Again, I am so, so sorry. They made me do it. Allison? I heard she was getting money from the Cartwrights and they paid for her flight to Italy.¡¯


    Gasping, I felt a shiver go down my spine at that name. I should have known they woulde up again. They promised they would, after all. I texted back, ¡®Yes. She broke into our house and set up a distraction. It was either me or her. I feel so evil.¡¯


    Antote texted back, ¡®If it was in self-defense, she deserved it, Ba. Though I understand. It can be hard living with something like that. It¡¯s always very hard dealing with your first time.¡¯


    I furrowed my brow. What did she mean by that? Running my tongue over my lips in confusion, I reached up and rubbed my temples. First time killing? Did that mean she knew the feeling and had done it before, multiple times? ¡®What do you mean by that?¡¯ I sent.


    ¡®Nevermind that,¡¯ she sent back. Another text came in shortly after. ¡®The Cartwrights are not doing so well right now. Gossip mill says the family is in shambles through argument after argument, bleeding money like a pig with its throat slit.¡¯


    I shuddered at that description, but felt a sense of relief. Even though they bailed out Allison and sent her here, it was nice to know they were not doing so well themselves. My stomach twisted, again, however, causing me to clutch it and groan.


    ¡®That¡¯s good,¡¯ I sent. Then, I added, ¡®What about the other Stepford wives? The ones who chased me out. Are they still as rabid as always?¡¯


    ¡®They are. I cut ties with most of them. I¡¯m so tired of their toxicity. Thankfully, the quick falling of the Cartwrights means that they¡¯re losing a lot of interest in the situation now,¡¯ she sent to me, causing me to smile faintly.


    At least there was that. I closed my eyes, rubbing my abdomen a bit and feeling bile rise into my throat. I really didn¡¯t want to throw up right now. I didn¡¯t want to throw up at any point, really, but right now I needed my head clear, and I wasn¡¯t doing well mentally.


    I sent, ¡®That¡¯s good. I¡¯m happy for you. I¡¯m looking into a charity for Guatem. I¡¯ve been doing a lot of research. Trying to avoid being disruptive. I figured if we texted, you could give me some advice.¡¯ I left out the part that it would be the least she could do after everything.


    She agreed, and I sent her my email. She¡¯d send me some materials, she said, on how to go through with this idea properly. It was nice getting more information from a source who worked with things like that.


    The distraction worked for long enough, but now that I was done speaking with Antite, I found myself staring at theputer screen again, the memory of what I¡¯d done just bombarding me over and over.


    There had been so much blood, and the thought of that poker sticking out from Allison¡¯s chest caused whatever sickness was going on in my belly to worsen. Tears streaked down my cheeks as I began to cry, shuddering intensely at the emotions that I couldn¡¯t handle right now.


    Nothing would distract me enough from this. I could research how to cope with killing someone in self defense, but I wasn¡¯t sure if that would help. I could try to sleep, but I felt too sick, and would probably wake up so many times like I had beentely.


    I felt a pang of guilt at James, hoping he didn¡¯t think I was mad at him for anything, either. I¡¯d been short with telling him to go away, but I really needed to be alone right now.


    The bile in my throat grew worse, and my stomach lurched again. I couldn¡¯t dy going to the bathroom any longer, either. All of this misery was pouring over me, and I still couldn¡¯t stop feeling so sick.


    Rushing to the bathroom, I cried harder, my negative feelings intensifying as I tried to grasp in my mind what could be going on.

 Chapter 218 : Neal’s Next Call

    <h4>Chapter 218: Chapter 218 : Neal¡¯s Next Call</h4>


    Ba.


    Rushing to the bathroom, I threw up the contents of my stomach, which was just bile. Given all that had happened, I¡¯d not been eating much. I felt weak, my entire body shaking from the expulsion. Once again, I found myself in the shower, cleaning up.


    This was thest thing I needed right now. Why didn¡¯t this sickness just go away? I was starting to regret not bringing it up in the hospital. Tears streamed down my face still as I huped, trying to get a grasp on everything.


    Eventually, I dragged myself out of the bathroom and back to my desk. The light of theputer shined on my face, and I reached up and rubbed my temples, trying to get a handle on the situation and failing. Mentally, and physically, everything was a wreck.


    Maybe I should go to James right now. He could be a wonderful source offort. I would tell him I was sorry for worrying him, and we could cuddle together. Maybe he would have answers for this illness. I doubted it; he wasn¡¯t a doctor, but I wasn¡¯t thinking rationally right now.


    Though, all of that said, I really hoped I didn¡¯t make James feel too bad. That worry kept hitting me over and over again. I ran over what I¡¯d said to him a few times in my mind, knowing he was probably taking it the wrong way. Right now, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to fix it.


    More tears poured out of me as I sobbed, trying to get ahold of the tidal wave of emotions bombarding me over and over. Nothing was okay. Nothing would ever be okay again. Sure, the Allison situation came up and was solved quickly, but at what cost?


    I searched for something to grab ahold of, a thought that would bring me back to reality. My kids were safe. That mattered dearly to me, and it was reality. Because of what I did, my kids were safe, and they would continue to be safe here.


    Though the Cartwrights were behind all of this mess, and they were still around, their resolve was shattering. James and I didn¡¯t even have to do anything. They were, supposedly, tearing themselves apart. I secretly hoped that continued to happen.


    Was I wrong for thinking that way, though?


    I shoved those thoughts aside, reasoning with myself that I needed to stop thinking through this stuff too much. I nearly jumped out of my skin as my phone rang. I looked toward it, realizing yet another problem wasing up here and now. Neal was calling.


    Dealing with him and his ¡®do you miss me¡¯ issues right now would do the opposite of helping me. I bit my lip, sincerely not wanting to take this call. After ourst conversation, I¡¯d only felt worse, and I¡¯d be content if he never spoke with me again.


    Still, there may be a good reason he was calling. He was a big part of why Ronaldo and the mob in general had been wiped out. He¡¯d worked with Giovani and his people for that, which had helped us out a lot.


    There was a battleground in my head as the phone continued to ring. I kept reading his name over and over again, wanting to dy the inevitable. Eventually, I exhaled sharply and pressed the green button, knowing I couldn¡¯t avoid this forever.


    I intentionally took my time to bring my phone to my ear. The silence would stretch a bit before I answered, and my stomach just continued to twist. Not only was it that mysterious illness, but anxiety was now causing this to worsen.


    A few momentster, I said, ¡°Hello?¡± My voice wasn¡¯t the most kind, either. It was hesitant, dripping with a mixture of worry, anger, and sadness. I really wasn¡¯t sure why he was calling me right now, but he had to know things were difficult.


    ¡°Ba,¡± Neal said on the other end. There was an awkward pause, and he said, ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry about thest call. I promise that¡¯s not why I decided to talk with you. I could have texted to say that, but I wanted you to actually hear it from me.¡±


    ¡°You put me on the spot,¡± I said tly. ¡°Neal, I¡¯m going through a lot right now. I can¡¯t really handle anything at the moment. There¡¯s so much that¡¯s been happening. I just can¡¯t.¡± I shook my head, tears starting up again as everything hit me.


    ¡°I understand, Ba,¡± Neal said, trying to console me. His voice, and his words, weren¡¯t all that reassuring, but I didn¡¯t hang up on him this time. Rather, I let out a sigh and kept my eyes shut for a moment before replying again.


    ¡°I hope you do. There is so much on my shoulders. I killed someone, Neal. Allison. I didn¡¯t mean to kill her, but she¡¯s dead. It was self-defense. Everyone knows it. I still don¡¯t feel right about it,¡± I said, shuddering with another cry.


    ¡°I heard,¡± Neal replied. ¡°I am so sorry to hear that, Ba. It¡¯s really hard. I understand that, too. Taking a life is no small thing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve killed before, plenty of times, I¡¯m sure. Sometimes with no remorse. Are you sure you understand? Given your family history,, it should juste naturally,¡± I replied. ¡°I haven¡¯t killed anyone before. I didn¡¯t ever want to. Allison was going to hurt my daughter, though, if I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve killed a few people before and regretted it,¡± Neal replied, his voice breaking a bit. I could tell there was guilt dripping from every word he spoke now. I blinked in surprise, not having figured Neal would feel remorse for what he¡¯d done.


    ¡°Really? Did that.. Feeling ever go away?¡± I asked, choking a bit. My stomach twisted, and I said, ¡°Hang on. I need to put you down. I¡¯m not feeling well. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± I quickly put the phone aside and rushed to the bathroom.


    After vomiting yet again, my body feeling very weak from the experience, I let out a heaving sob. This was all so terrible. I just wanted to feel better for one moment. To bnce either my physical issues or my mental ones, but not both at the same time.


    When I looked into the mirror, I noted the faraway look in my own eyes. A frown settled on my face as I sniffled and shuddered. The bags under my eyes were much deeper now. I was struck with how exhausted I both looked, and was.


    After cleaning myself up once again, I returned to the room and picked up the phone to continue my conversation with Neal. ¡°Sorry,¡± I muttered. ¡°On top of everything, I¡¯m feeling sick. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s the flu. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s food poisoning.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you at the hospital? Did they give any advice or spection as to what could be wrong? Could it be the guilt eating at you, or something else?¡± Neal asked. I shook my head, then realized he couldn¡¯t see me doing that.


    ¡°This started before the Allison thing,¡± I said. ¡°I wanted to leave the hospital so I didn¡¯t make a big deal about how I¡¯m feeling right now. I needed peace, and to be at home. I think I should have said something, though. This is only getting worse.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re able to figure it out, Ba,¡± Neal said softly. ¡°Where were we? I know you probably don¡¯t want to talk to me much, but I wanted to reassure you.¡±


    ¡°I asked if that feeling ever went away. The guilt after killing someone you didn¡¯t mean to,¡± I said, doubting his answer would be anything I wanted to hear. Wanted and needed were two different things, though. I definitely needed to hear his answer.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t,¡± Neal said, confirming my fears. I felt my stomach twist, this time not from that sickness, though I wasn¡¯t sure which was worse. The emotional, mental drainage, or whatever was happening with me physically.


    ¡°I see,¡± I whispered, every word dripping with despair. I may not have been able to see well in that hallway, but my eyes had adjusted enough that I saw the expression of surprise settle on Allison¡¯s face as the light faded from her eyes.


    The fact that her expression would haunt me forever caused me to let out a light sob. Though, her words also bombarded me. What would happen to Dahlia if she did what she did. I wasn¡¯t sure if I should feel guilty about feeling so, well... guilty.


    I had saved my child and myself. If I hadn¡¯t acted in self-defense, we both would be dead. I wanted to live, certainly, but the fact that she threatened my child should reassure me that what I did was not bad. Yet, it didn¡¯t.


    ¡°You will be okay, Ba,¡± Neal said softly. He sounded as though he wanted to say more, but didn¡¯t for a long pause. I leaned back in my chair, wondering if I should keep quiet, or pry. I decided to stay quiet for now until he spoke again.


    ¡°I am so sorry. The guilt may stay with you forever, but it may fade eventually, especially since you had a just cause. Unfortunately, one of the times I regret most happened recently. My ident killed someone innocent.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, someone innocent?¡± I asked. There was a sigh on the other end, and I could tell the man was fighting with himself inwardly to see if he should tell me something that disturbed him deeply.


    How many innocent people did he kill, I wondered? Was this particr situation something special, something different? I didn¡¯t feel like he killed without cause, usually, so I doubted the number was high, or even greater than one.


    That said, I was patient, and waited once more until he spoke again. ¡°The life I took that I didn¡¯t mean to was Tally¡¯s, Ba. I¡¯ve been holding this with me for so long. I shot the bullet that killed Tally, and I¡¯ve regretted it ever since.¡±


    A wave of confusion crashed over me, and eventually, I blinked several times. What was he talking about? I tried to think about that entire situation and was drawing a nk. Did no one tell him what actually happened?


    I think he assumed there was shocked silence on the other end because I heard him swallow nervously. In a frightened tone, Neal asked, ¡°Hello? Ba, are you still there? I¡¯m sorry. Really. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I whispered. This entire thing was surreal. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t kill Tally, I mean. Neal, you shouldn¡¯t be living with this guilt because it wasn¡¯t you.¡±

 Chapter 219 : Fixed Reality

    <h4>Chapter 219: Chapter 219 : Fixed Reality</h4>


    Ba.


    After a pause, I said, ¡°Neal, you didn¡¯t kill Tally.¡±


    There was silence on the other line for quite some time. I leaned back in my chair, wondering what could be going through his mind right now. I¡¯d be able to exin what was going on soon for him, at least.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I saw the forensic report,¡± I said softly, d at the momentary distraction from my own thoughts to reassure him. ¡°The bullet that killed Tally wasn¡¯t fired by your gun type. One of the Russians must have fired at the same time.¡±


    Had he been living with this the entire time? I felt my heart clench. Clearly, he¡¯d regretted it, and it was a source of so much pain. In fact, I heard a choked sobe from the other line. I smiled to myself at the fact that now he could have peace. I wish he would¡¯ve said something to me when we lived together for all of those months.


    ¡°I... I thought that I¡¯d been the one to do it,¡± Neal said, letting out a slight sigh. Relief spilled into his tone, and he said, ¡°Thank you, Ba. For freeing me from that. I¡¯m a good example of this being hard to live with. But... I will say yours is a different case.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± I muttered, reminded once again of what I¡¯d done and shuddering. No matter how much I told myself that I needed to do what I did, and nothing had been intentional, here I was, self-hatred seething and ripping through me at killing someone.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re guilty and didn¡¯t mean to, but yours was a clear case of self-defense. Just keep remembering that. Keep remembering that if you hadn¡¯t done what you did, you and your daughter would be dead,¡± he said.


    Hearing it from others was definitely helping. I nodded, then remembered he couldn¡¯t see me. I said, ¡°Thank you, Neal.¡± I gave a long pause, then let out a sigh. ¡°I appreciate that. I¡¯ll try to remember.¡± This conversation was helping me feel a little better, at least.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. I can move on with my life because of you, Ba. I really do appreciate that,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you for answering the phone.¡±


    ¡°I almost didn¡¯t,¡± I said, my tone shifting to a very serious one. ¡°Because of how you¡¯d been acting, what with the ¡®missing you¡¯ thing and such. You can move on with your life, but not with me. I love James. Do you understand that?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Neal said. I could hear the honesty in his tone and let myself rx a little. Neal added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for putting you through so much stress. I was lost in my head, I should have known to leave you alone and not ask questions that would burden you.¡±


    ¡°Especially after I tried getting settled with the kids,¡± I muttered, recalling that his question hade shortly after the court date. Speaking of which, I said, ¡°Allison was sent here by the Cartwrights. They¡¯re still at it. They lost one of their cards now, but...¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let it worry you too much, Ba,¡± Neal said. ¡°Aside from sending Allison, what can they do? They probably paid for her ticket and everything, along with whatever convoluted n she¡¯d tried to pull on you.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean there may be an obvious link there?¡± I asked. Then, I bit my lip. ¡°An international crime. I hope the news stations leave us alone.¡± I shuddered, not wanting cameras in my face or all of that mess.


    ¡°I hope so too,¡± Neal said. ¡°Were you bombarded by people asking for interviews while trying to recover from what Allison did physically?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said honestly. ¡°It¡¯s all pretty much a blur, the hospital visit.¡±


    ¡°As for the obvious link,¡± Neal said, jumping back to the other thing I said. ¡°If so, that will be yet another red mark on their record. They can¡¯t keep running from their dirty dealings forever. I should know.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°Truth is, Neal, I miss you, but as a friend. Just a friend. I need friends in times like this, not someone looking to take me to bed or go anywhere romantically. I don¡¯t want you to misinterpret what I¡¯m saying.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Neal said. ¡°I know it¡¯s time for me to move on from you, Ba. That¡¯s something I will do. If you miss me as a friend, then I want to be a friend. Just a friend. You have James, and your family. It would be wrong of me to try and get in the way of that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, my voice dripping with genuine happiness at that. ¡°Get some rest. I can hear the sadness and relief in your tone. I think you¡¯re out of it like I am right now. Aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Neal said, sniffling. As I suspected, he¡¯d been crying this entire time, which was good. Doing that helped relieve emotional tension that built up from times like this. Neal and I bid each other farewell, and I felt much warmer than when I answered the phone.


    After a moment, I put my phone down and told myself that I could finally rest my mind. I didn¡¯t need to worry about Neal begging me to take him back or anything like that, because he sounded honest. I hoped he found someone else who would make him happy.


    Speaking of the kids, I snapped out of my mncholy and ran my fingers through my hair. I hadn¡¯t had a chance to see them much since I¡¯d had my several-day meltdown. They were the reason I worked so hard and held my ground there.


    I exited my room, heading to the nursery in thepound and knocking on the door. Madeline was in there ying with Dahlia and Alessandro. In a kind voice, she said, ¡°Come in.¡± I obliged, entering the room, my eyes falling upon the middle-aged nanny.


    Madeline had a few toys in her hand and was moving them in front of a very happy Dahlia while Alessandro looked on, intrigued. The little boy, for his part, was walking around, waving his arms when he saw me enter.


    ¡°Mama, mama!¡± he said, then added, ¡°Hi!¡± This caused a very warm, fuzzy feeling to rush through my body. I walked up to him and swept him into my arms, grinning widely as he giggled. I sniffled, letting him bury his face into my chest, then looked at Madeline.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± the nanny asked, her voice full of hope. She gave me a wide smile as I yed with Alessandro and bounced him around. I considered her question, then gave a soft shrug, my eyes distant and my lips pulled into a slight frown.


    ¡°Better than before, but still not great,¡± I confessed, letting out a sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I did what I did, Madeline. Seeing Dahlia here, just fine and ying around with you, does help. How have you been? Sorry this all hase up and caused so much stress.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Ba, darling!¡± Madeline said with a gasp, shaking her head and giving a reassuring smile. ¡°Please, do not apologize. None of this is your fault. You have gone through so much, and what you did to save the kids was so brave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m honored you think so,¡± I replied, hugging Alessandro close for a few moments longer before letting him down on the ground. The little boy bounded over to Dahlia and grabbed a toy car, moving it in front of her and initiating y.


    Madelineughed and let go of Dahlia so she could crawl around and y with Alessandro. The nursery was filled with the sounds of the children giggling and squealing from ying around. It warmed my heart further.


    I took a seat as Madeline spoke again. She said, ¡°As for how I¡¯m feeling, I¡¯ve just been worried about you and James. James seemed distant and a touch cold, darling, I don¡¯t know what it was. He visited the kids often, though. These past few days, as a matter of fact.¡±


    I swallowed, knowing it was because of me. ¡°I may have been snappy with him,¡± I said softly. ¡°I needed to be alone and told him to go away when I was in the other room. He may think I¡¯m mad at him, but I¡¯ve just been so lost because of what happened.¡±


    ¡°Well, you went through a very traumatic experience, darling,¡± Madeline said, her tone very soft. ¡°I think it¡¯s understandable, and he will get it, too, when you speak with him. The kids help him to feel better, though. He¡¯s spend hours ying with them.¡±


    ¡°He has?¡± I asked, reminded of how dedicated a father James was. I let myself smile widely at this. Hearing her words improved my mood even further, because despite our hardships, we were turning out to be such a wonderful family.


    The kids were safe now, and so were we. Madeline nodded, beaming at me. ¡°Of course. Heughs with them and lets them tumble around. He talks about how he looks forward to keeping this up as they grow, gives them warm hugs and nice kisses on the forehead.¡±


    The fuzzy, happy feeling intensified, and I felt my hand fly to my heart. Right then, my stomach lurched, and I let out a groan. Madeline stared at me in confusion until I shot her an apologetic look. ¡°I¡¯m still not feeling well,¡± I confessed.


    Madeline said, ¡°I wish you checked at the hospital for that, darling!¡± She gasped, then shook her head, tutting. ¡°That could be something very bad. You¡¯ll go to the doctor now, at least, that you have some time to settle your mind?¡±


    ¡°I should have brought it up, yeah,¡± I sighed. ¡°I just wanted to get home, though. I was so worried about the kids, my mind waspletely in the gutter, and all I could think about was leaving. I¡¯ll go to the doctor, though. I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s nothing.¡± Maybe I should read over the reports they gave me to see if there was anything in there. I wasn¡¯t sure where I¡¯d even put them.


    ¡°They¡¯ll take care of you, I¡¯m sure,¡± Madeline said reassuringly. We carried on our conversation for a couple of hours as I yed with the kids. Then, I bid her a nice rest of the day, wanting to visit againter to spend time with the kids.


    For now, I needed to approach James and let him know everything was okay. He was right to be worried, after all that happened, and after I¡¯d treated him. I felt a pang of guilt, but knew I couldn¡¯t help it at the time.


    Not to mention, this virus or whatever it was was just getting worse. That was another factor. I hadn¡¯t been doing well mentally or physically, but all of this support was helping me through the former. I knew James would understand.


    I entered the kitchen and put the tea kettle on the stove, looking forward to talking things out with James and letting him know he was very loved.

 Chapter 220 : Sweet Love

    <h4>Chapter 220: Chapter 220 : Sweet Love</h4>


    James.


    I tried to grasp what I had done this time to make Ba angry, and all of my instincts told me it was because she had a hard time handling death. However, I still irrationally thought she waspletely mad at me for some reason.


    Thinking over Allison and all that had happened, I winced, putting my head into my hands. At the moment, I was leaving a meeting with family members regarding Don matters, Giovani on my mind still for a potential recement.


    All of that had to be shoved to the side, of course, when the incident with Allison came up. One thing I did get from Ba was her exnation of how it happened, most likely. The Cartwrights had let Allison out of prison and sent her over here. Money could make the streets run red, and this was an example.


    I scowled, thinking through how far Allison would have gone to off Ba and our daughter. She was unhinged and delusional, and while I felt sad a woman I formerly loved was dead, I was also very relieved she was gone.


    Climbing into my car, I drove along the road, heading back to thepound and reaching up to pinch the bridge of my nose as I went. I was d the police were on our side in this, because it really had been a case of self-defense. I hadn¡¯t even needed to consider bribing.


    The night was peaceful as I drove along, skies clear, with no rain. The roads were quiet as well, which gave me a bit more peace to think about the uing conversation I was to have with Ba. If she was well enough for said conversation, of course.


    She had drifted along like a ghost during her time in the hospital, not herself. She needed to heal and let herself be taken care of, but just kept insisting on going home. Thankfully, other than verbalints, she cooperated.


    I pulled into the familypound and entered, the sound of whistling from the kettle on the stove causing me to raise a brow as I entered the kitchen. There Ba was, preparing herself some tea. I swallowed, feeling bitter feelings rise given she may still be mad at me.


    ¡°James,¡± Ba said, turning her head and noticing my entry. Her expression wasn¡¯t aggressive or angry, but rather, concerned. She wore a smile that met her eyes, causing me to raise a brow in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around me. I returned the hug, resting my chin on her shoulder and letting out a soft sigh. ¡°I was trying to figure out what I did to make you so upset with me,¡± I told her. ¡°I still, for the life of me, don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she said. ¡°I was sick mentally and physically. It¡¯s hard to grasp killing someone like I did. I didn¡¯t mean to. I spoke with a few friends, though, and they helped me calm down. Thank you for trying tofort me. I was a real jerk to you when you tried.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said genuinely, giving her one more squeeze before letting go so she could fix herself some tea. Then, I added, ¡°It is toughing to terms with it, especially if you¡¯re not used to killing. But you saved the kids and are a hero, love.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Ba said, causing me to sigh with relief. This ordeal with Allison would weigh on her for a little while, I was sure, but at least it wouldn¡¯t continue to rule her thoughts. I furrowed my brow, however, thinking about the other thing she said.


    ¡°Physically? Are the knife wounds infected? Do we need to take you to the hospital again straight away?¡± I asked, my voice bleeding into a nervous tone. Now that she was okay again, and could focus on things, maybe she noticed missed treatment on her wounds.


    Ba poured herself a cup of tea and shook her head, biting her lip. ¡°No,¡± she replied softly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital again unless I really need to. I¡¯ve been having some stomach pain and nausea. I figured it was a bug, but it¡¯s been here more than a few days now.¡±


    ¡°Have you scheduled an appointment with the doctor?¡± I asked, not liking the sound of this. She had gone through so muchtely and didn¡¯t need something like this on top of it, some mysterious illness we had no idea about.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ba said. ¡°I¡¯m going in a couple days. I¡¯m taking care of it, don¡¯t worry, James.¡± She gave me a smile, then said, ¡°I¡¯m doing fine right now. I had a bit of pain earlier while talking to Madeline, but that¡¯s gone away for the most part.¡±


    I nodded, sighing in relief. She sat down at the table and began drinking her tea, gazing at me expectantly and giving a light smile. I sat next to her, leaning on her shoulder, happy to feel her against me.


    Then, Ba leaned into my ear, She said, ¡°I¡¯m also well enough to make love, James.¡± This caused my pants to tighten, and I licked my lips, turning to focus on Ba with a light grin. However, my smile faded into a frown for a moment.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re well enough, Ba? I want to make love to you, baby, but I don¡¯t want to push yourself if you¡¯re not feeling well,¡± I said, tilting my head.


    ¡°I will be alright. Just go a little less rough than usual,¡± Ba told me. I couldn¡¯t resist, at this point, and would give her exactly what she wanted. After a happy sigh, I nodded, letting her finish her tea before sweeping her up into my arms and heading to the bedroom.


    Ba groaned with excitement as I ced her on the bed and slowly began to undress her. I remained very gentle with her, knowing she wasn¡¯t feeling well but still wanted me in her. I began feeling along her body, the most sensitive areas that made her quiver.


    As I did so, I left soft kisses, which sent shudders through her and caused my erection to throb. I exhaled sharply, resisting the urge to pin her down and f*ck her until she begged me for more. Rather, I kept moving up until I captured her lips with mine.


    Ba explored my mouth, tasting all of me, causing me to let out a groan into the kiss. I did the same, slipping my tongue into her mouth and reaching up to run my fingers through her hair. She shuddered beneath me, the delicious sting of her nails sinking into my back already.


    I broke the kiss andmented, ¡°I haven¡¯t even started f*cking you yet, baby, and you¡¯re being aggressive. That¡¯s sexy.¡± I let out a chuckle, especially as the blush darkened on her cheeks. She met my eyes, running her tongue over her lips and gulping.


    ¡°I may be a bit excited, James. You can go a bit faster, I will be okay. Actually, beyond okay. I want you to roughen me up just a little,¡± she said. Inwardly, I hoped she would be okay given how she described she was sick, but I knew she¡¯d let me know if something was wrong.


    Smirking and leaning down to steal one more kiss, I moved down to capture one of her nipples with my lips and tongue, a soft groan pouring from me as Ba gasped and squirmed beneath me. She moved her hips to match mine, wanting more.


    ¡°Mmm, keep going, James,¡± she gasped, her grinding only intensifying. I pressed her down onto the bed with my body, reaching up to grab her wrists when she let go of my back. I held them down above her head as I continued giving attention to her hardened nipples.


    The other needed attention as well, of course, so I soon enough drew my nose across her chest and captured the other. The scent of her lust rose into the air, causing my erection to throb once more. She¡¯d need me in her soon enough. The feeling was mutual.


    I angled myself and teased at her entrance, causing a pained groan to spill from her lips. ¡°James, I need you,¡± she whined, causing me to smile. I tilted my head to look up at her, shaking my head. She¡¯d need to do more to get me in her. I was in the mood for begging.


    ¡°How badly do you need me, baby? I need to know,¡± I replied in a sultry tone, lust shooting through me at the thought of f*cking her soon enough. Ba groaned and squirmed, her hips moving to meet mine, trying to get me in her.


    ¡°I need you filling and stretching me, love, I need you right this damn second. I need you so, so, badly, James, please. Take me. Come on,¡± she gasped, her tone edged and pleading. I ran my tongue over my lips and finally reared back before prating her.


    Ba arched her back and let out a cry of ecstasy, squirming and moving her hips to meet mine. I returned to sucking hard on her nipple, sending jolts of bliss through her and myself. I began taking her gently, not wanting to go too hard right now.


    Her inner walls massaged my c*ck, causing a prolonged groan to slip from my lips. I resisted the urge to cum early, though the smell and sounds of Ba were overwhelming. Eventually, I let go of her wrists, moving my hands downward.


    I used one to rub at her cl*t, which caused keeling squeals to spill from her. The other hand I used to hold her hips as her sounds grew more and more edged. ¡°More, James. Harder, I need you harder!¡± she said, a demand that I was happy to meet.


    I began intensifying my motions, fevered gasps and moans of my own escaping my lips as a wave of pleasure overtook me. Ba was reaching her limit, I could tell by how her body tensed up. Her cries had a certain edge to them.


    ¡°Cum for me, baby,¡± I said, a soft, sultry tone. After just a pause, I snarled, ¡°Now. I demand it. Give me all of you.¡±


    Fluid spilled from her thighs as she squeezed my c*ck, her entire body giving into her release. Right at the same time, I allowed pleasure to overwhelm me, my eyes rolling back as I let out a loud moan. I filled Ba with my warm seed, the sensation visceral and amazing.


    After a pause, I withdrew from her, leaning over and leaving a soft kiss on her cheek. Afterglow was taking hold of the woman, and she opened one eye to peer at me. A happy smile settled on her face, one that was gentle. ¡°Thank you, James,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯d go again, but... hmm.¡±


    I frowned, asking, ¡°Are you alright?¡± At her nod, she yawned, reaching up to rub her eyes.


    ¡°I am,¡± she confirmed. ¡°Just tired. Thank you, love. That was amazing.¡± Her smile widened. ¡°I love it when you release at the same time as me. It makes everything even more wonderful.¡± She reached down and pulled the nkets over herself.


    I nodded, climbing up next to her and taking her into my arms. I whispered into her ear, ¡°I love that too. Rest, baby. I¡¯ll be here for you.¡± We¡¯d cuddle for the rest of the night, my nerves no longer shot from worrying about whether she was mad at me. Eventually, we fell asleep together, all well in the world once again, and hopefully for longer this time.

 Chapter 221 : A Positive Test

    <h4>Chapter 221: Chapter 221 : A Positive Test</h4>


    Ba.


    I woke up to the smell of cooking sausage and eggs. No one was beside me in bed, I realized, which didn¡¯t rm me in the slightest. In fact, I smiled. James was making me breakfast. I sat up, rubbing my eyes and yawning.


    My stomach rumbled, meaning this boon from James wasing right on time. Smiling, I reached over to check my phone, noting a text from Sophia. It read: ¡®I¡¯m stopping in to visit today with something important! Are you avable?¡¯


    I texted back, ¡®Yes, I am. Come for lunch?¡¯ Then, I raised a brow, wondering what the important thing could be. Perhaps some new toys for the children? She wasn¡¯t standing in as nanny anymore, but alwaysmented how she wanted to give gifts every now and then.


    While James finished up breakfast, I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. My stomach didn¡¯t lurch again this time, thankfully, so I¡¯d be able to eat breakfast with no problems. With any luck, this weird stomach issue was clearing up.


    What a relief that would be. Last night had been fun with James, and I was thankful that hadn¡¯t been interrupted either. I liked sex rougher than gentle, and while he did intensify thingsst night toward the end, he was definitely being more careful.


    He was a wonderful person, and I was thankful for that. Still, I wished it wasn¡¯t necessary, because I really enjoyed our fun. I liked exploring and was eager to do so more once we settled down a bit.


    The haunting feeling of having killed someone settled in again, and I frowned, staring at myself in the mirror. I was looking into the eyes of a killer. My own. Though all of the support I¡¯d been giventely told me one thing. I did it to protect my children and would have done it again.


    Letting out a sigh, I ran a brush through my hair, washed up, and returned to bed, letting myself rx. Soon, James entered with a te full of food, causing my stomach to rumble again and my face to flush somewhat. James chuckled at me.


    ¡°Hungry?¡± he asked, knowing the answer already. Iughed back at him and nodded, epting a te and digging into my food, realizing I was far hungrier than I thought. James asked, ¡°How are you feeling today, Ba?¡± He sounded concerned.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing alright. No weird stomach lurches. In fact, I¡¯m super hungry. Thank you for making me this, it¡¯s really good,¡± I said, the savory vor of the eggs and sausage settling on my tongue and causing my mood to improve even further. We had cooks, but James just loved to cook, especially forth is family.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful to hear,¡± James said, letting out a sigh of relief. He climbed into bed next to me with his own breakfast, allowing me to lean on my shoulder. Something I did very happily, of course, just basking in the warm feeling and spending time with him.


    ¡°Sophia is going to stop byter today with something important,¡± I said, still not entirely sure what it could be. ¡°Did she give you any hint as to what that would be?¡± I wondered why she was being so vague, it was driving me nuts!


    ¡°Oh, she is? I haven¡¯t heard,¡± James said, leaning over to kiss me gently on the forehead. ¡°Tell her I said hi. I may be in my office working on business matters.¡± I nodded, knowing he was dedicated to such a thing and not wanting to interrupt him.


    ¡°I will,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re going to have lunch.¡± I finished up breakfast and carried on talking with him about his ns for the day until he got up and brought our dishes to the sink. Those would be taken care ofter.


    Today, I would pass the time with more research into Guatem, still uncertain as to whether or not we¡¯d actually make it there, but leaning more into the idea that I could work on something from afar with regard to the charity.


    I wasn¡¯t sure about Italy still, but we seemed to be settling in fine. The Allison incident had been ongoing, after all, and not something new. I winced, thinking of that, but felt d that was all over. Hopefully, the Cartwrights would finally back down.


    Eventually, I made my way back into the living room, going to answer the door as security verified who it was. ¡°It¡¯s Sophia,¡± they confirmed, causing me to nod and inwardly sigh with relief. Lately, I¡¯d been on edge even if I knew someone wasing to visit.


    After the terrifying incident with Allison, I had a feeling I¡¯d be that way for a while. Still, right now was time for positive interaction with friends, so I let myself smile and met Sophia at the door. I said, ¡°Hi Sophia, how are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well, but you¡¯re about to be better,¡± Sophia said, beaming at me. I furrowed my brow, wondering what she could mean. Lunch was on the stove, and I tended to it, the scent of tomato sauce rising through the air as the pasta boiled in a pot. I was going with something simple today.


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯m curious to see what you mean by that,¡± I said, cing the kettle onto the stove and ensuring it was started for tea during lunch. Eventually, that was situated, and I found myself sitting in front of Sophia, sipping some tea and wearing a smile.


    She brought out her bag and withdrew something from it. It was a small rectangr box, which I took and examined. A pregnancy test? I eyed it curiously, thinking about how weird I¡¯d been feelingtely and furrowing my brow.


    My eyes fell on Sophia, and I asked, ¡°What is that?¡± I hadn¡¯t taken it yet, but a seed of excitement settled in my gut which began to grow. There had to be a reason she brought this. Could I really be pregnant again?


    ¡°I just thought, because you haven¡¯t been feeling well, Ba. Go on, take it. I want to see if my feeling is right,¡± Sophia said, giving me an encouraging smile. I nodded, standing up and making my way to the bathroom with the test in hand. My heart pounded as I approached the toilet.


    A little whileter, I examined the positive pregnancy test with tears brewing in my eyes. An ted feeling washed over me as I let out a small cheer. This was something I had been wanting, and I was over the moon about it. It hadn¡¯t even crossed my mind, I¡¯d been so stressed out over everything. How had this snuck up on me twice?


    It didn¡¯t matter now. ¡°Dahlia and Alessandro are going to get a little sibling,¡± I whispered to myself, tears pouring from my eyes in excitement. I exhaled and exited the bathroom, putting the test into a little baggie and hiding it for now. I wanted to confirm with a doctor before anything else.


    James deserved a big reveal if this was true. I did a little dance and exited the bathroom, wearing a huge smile for Sophia. The other woman met my grin with one of her own, letting out a joyous chuckle.


    ¡°So, what did you find out?¡± she asked, her voice dripping with excitement.


    ¡°It¡¯s positive,¡± I breathed, practically glowing. She let out a squeal and stood up, rushing over to give me a huge hug. I still had no idea how she knew, but some people just did. She must be someone who could feel that sort of thing. ¡°Thanks so much, Sophia,¡± I said.


    ¡°You are very wee! When are you going to tell James? He¡¯ll be as excited as you are right now, I hope!¡± she said, practically bouncing. I narrowed my eyes in thought, not losing my smile for a second. Then, I nodded.


    ¡°He will,¡± I said. ¡°I want to confirm with the doctor first, so I hid the test, but I want to n a big reveal.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s entirely fair,¡± Sophia said, reaching over to pat me on the back. We chatted for a little while longer, indulging in lunch and nning a future shower. My voice dripped with sheer happiness the entire time, and eventually, I bid her goodbye for the day.


    Then, I grabbed my phone, changing my appointment with the doctor. I would be able to stop in tomorrow, thankfully, and exined that I suspected I was pregnant. I was relieved I hadn¡¯t been drinking at alltely.


    That also exined the mysterious sickness, of course. I felt both hungry and nauseous more and moretely, and while I was d to get relief from the stomach pains, I knew the probable cause. That made them far less frightening.


    I walked into my own office, a skip to my step. Starting up theputer, I noted all of my research and let out a sigh. So much for Guatem, for now. At this point, I would definitely lean more into staying here and working on something like that from afar.


    James and I had a growing family, and after everything, I was very happy. I swallowed, however, recalling that incident with Allison. What if she had stabbed a bit lower and killed the baby? I would have never known. A tear trickled down my face at that realization.


    Shaking my head, I told myself to focus on the positives and how we¡¯d gotten through it. The going had been tough, but now I could move on to another Chapter in my life. I sat, typing on theputer and looking up ways to remotely help out this charity idea.


    I didn¡¯t want to give up one of my dreams, and wouldn¡¯t. The stopping point on this Guatem charity would be a ¡®for now¡¯ more than anything. After typing away for a bit, I sent out a text to Antite, telling her about the news.


    She¡¯d been supportivetely, and I was happy to have a friend in her now. She was going through rough times given the Stepford wives wereplete harpies, but she was slowly getting through it, so she said.


    Now, she would know why I needed toy off charity ns, most likely. I finally felt very hopeful toward the future, beyond settling on the charity idea. More tears crawled down my cheek, and I leaned back in my chair, just basking in the happiness.


    Everything happening had been bringing me down horribly, but I was now on a very positive path and couldn¡¯t be more relieved. So much peril, fear, and darkness had shut my mind away for a while, but this new baby, if the doctor confirmed I was pregnant, would bring more light into my life.


    I couldn¡¯t wait for Dahlia and Alessandro to have a new baby sibling.

 Chapter 222 : It’s True

    <h4>Chapter 222: Chapter 222 : It¡¯s True</h4>


    Ba.


    My heart was pounding as I got into the car with security in tow. I needed to confirm this with the hospital clinic, and luckily they could see me right away. A bright, happy smile was stered on my face as we drove through the city to where I¡¯d hopefully be told the test was right.


    We pulled into the garage and parked. I got out, trailed by security, which helped me feel extra safe. James had offhandedly mentioned moving from therge familypound we were in to a smaller one, so I hoped we¡¯d start that process soon. I¡¯d be less stressed for sure.


    We entered the hospital, my hand over my heart as I worked to calm myself down. Nothing was set in stone yet, and being disappointed right now would be horrible. The worst news, rather. I needed to keep my expectations realistic, after all. The test could have shown a false positive.


    Still, I just couldn¡¯t help but have a bounce to my step. As we walked through the hospital toward my room, I looked around, noting people acting very differently from what I was used to, but not in a bad way at all.


    The rooms I passed had at least a dozen rtives outside of their door. I heard conversations that included family business or drama, being spoken loudly. Their voices carried down the halls, causing me to furrow my brow.


    I didn¡¯t understand what was happening, and not all the voices were happy. There was a mix of enthusiasm, anger, and sadness, depending on who I passed. One family was openly and loudly weeping, causing me to wince and wonder what could have happened.


    I couldn¡¯t slow down to see what was going on, but I did pause and watch as I went by. Sympathy crossed my face as words of a terminal illness passed between the family. I was d, at least, that the person with the illness had so much support from family.


    Another group of people I passed by was openly celebrating, their cheers echoing down the halls and shing with the people who were sobbing. ¡°He survived. We made it, he survived!¡± one of the women eximed, letting out a cheer that caused me to nearly jump as I went by.


    Eventually, I got to the waiting room, though I could hear the sounds of people talking loudly still when the door was closed. The nurse didn¡¯t seem to be phased by any of this at all, as if it were an everyday urrence. Perhaps it actually was.


    I tried to wrack my brain for why things were so different. To be honest, I didn¡¯t mind it one bit. I knew hospitals in the States wouldn¡¯t have a situation like that. Nurses and doctors working in a hospital wouldn¡¯t tolerate families being so loud.


    I chuckled to myself and shook my head. Why, though? Family was so important, and expressing it in that way was wonderful. The more I thought about it, the more I absolutely felt thrilled to have seen this here.


    Thest time I went to the hospital, I was too out of it to notice things like this. I had norge family to wait for me, just James.


    James.


    I teared up a little, feeling so happy to have him now. We¡¯d gone through so much, and it took a lot for me toe around, but now I was so happy that I did. This would be thest time I¡¯d go to the doctor alone for this baby. I just wanted to confirm it before a big reveal.


    James would be with me every step of the way. He loved his children, and he loved me. I was starting to realize he did his best in every way that he could. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t be here together. I wished I was a bit nicer to him in the past, but we got through it.


    Now, we were a family, and soon to be a growing one, if the test was positive. Once again, I had to tell myself to calm down and keep my expectations realistic. I was jumping to conclusions and nning things out in my head already.


    After showing me where to leave a urine sample, the nurse guided me to a smaller room with a bed, giving me a smile and saying, ¡°Oh my, expecting some exciting news? I hope I¡¯m the one to give it!¡± I smiled back, nodding with excitement. She took my vitals and then said,, ¡°Let me run a quick test for you, then we will know for sure. Sit tight, dear.¡±


    She left the room as I sat there eagerly waiting. I¡¯d need to set up a bedroom for the new baby, and I thought Sophia would want to host a shower, too. Who woulde? I felt a pang of sadness as I thought of La, who was now gone.


    Madeline was nice, and she would likely be willing to help Sophia set things up. I didn¡¯t consider her a friend quite yet, but maybe we would get there someday. I had a small fear in the back of my mind things might turn out like La, but we had no major people after us right now.


    Well... aside from the Cartwrights. I bit my lip, none too pleased that my thoughts were going into darker territory as I waited for news as to whether or not I was pregnant. I needed to keep my children safe, though, and the Allison incident told me we weren¡¯t.


    I wasn¡¯t angry at James at all. he¡¯d helped me through this and had been here for me. I just hoped he did go through with that idea to move to a smaller familypound. That would put me at ease, and I didn¡¯t mind a smaller spot, anyhow.


    We didn¡¯t need something huge for our family. Sure, I had a lot of money, but once we settled in and took care of the new baby for a while, I could return my focus, somewhat, to the charity I was looking to set up right along with my family. It would be the right thing to do.


    Without considering actually moving to Guatem now, of course. Especially if the doctor confirmed I was pregnant. I was already treating it like sure news, but Sophia seemed so certain. She had that glint in her eye even before the test came back as positive.


    A knock on my door caused me to tense up and widen my eyes. This was it. The moment of truth. I hoped all of my nning and excitement was urate. A new light in my life would be wonderful not only for me, but for James, Alessandro, and Dahlia.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I said, trying not to bounce in my seat.


    The gynecologist entered with a huge smile, the nurse in tow, probably eager to see my reaction. I already knew the news in that very brief second of time, but the doctor¡¯s words confirming it set my world on fire in the best of ways.


    ¡°Congrattions, Ms. Woods. You have a baby on the way,¡± the doctor said in an overjoyed voice. My eyes lit up, and I quickly stood from my chair and ran over to give her a hug. She chuckled, epting the hug and saying, ¡°We will set things up to monitor your progress.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± I gasped, letting a few happy cheers spill from my lips. A sense of warmth and happiness rushed through me. I felt myself tear up, and when I pulled away from the doctor, I sat down and began to cry tears of joy.


    The gynecologist waited patiently for me to do so, that smile of hers never leaving. Eventually, I calmed down, taking several deep breaths. She asked, ¡°Are you married to the baby¡¯s father?¡± She began to take some notes on her clipboard as I found the words to answer.


    Technically, I didn¡¯t, so I said, ¡°No, we¡¯re not married.¡±


    ¡°We have some government aid then, dear, that I can set you up with¨Cif you need it. Let me find you a pamphlet, it¡¯s over here¨C¡± she began, but I cut her off by raising a hand and shaking my head. I should have specified from the beginning, but here we were.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not alone or single. I have someone, we¡¯re just not married yet,¡± I exined, and the doctor furrowed her brow. She studied me for a moment with a strange look that made me feel as though I was being scrutinized. I didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°I see. You have two children already, ma¡¯am?¡± she asked, tilting her head. I nodded, running my tongue over my lips nervously. Was she judging me? She gave a nod and wrote something down on her clipboard. At least her smile never faded.


    ¡°Noted. If you do take that step, good luck with the wedding. I am sure your partner will be thrilled to hear the news of the child in that case. If things change, I can still set you up with aid, just let me know,¡± she said. I most definitely wouldn¡¯t need it, but I nodded anyway.


    As I gave her more details on our situation in general and set up some visits, my thoughts turned to marriage. James and I should be married for our children, that was true. We¡¯d been going through so muchtely it was probably at the back of our minds.


    Would James want to be married? I knew in my heart that was a huge yes. Did I want him as a husband? Also yes. I realized how much I loved him over the past few months together, and how my doubts had been disproven about him countless times.


    We got into a lot of trouble together, but we always got through it. He was my Stallion, someone I could rely on. My doubts about Italy were slowly starting to fade too, despite the incident with Allison. To be honest, that situation had been brought over from the States anyway.


    I had a feeling it wasn¡¯t over, either, but couldn¡¯t focus on that. I really wanted a wedding, and for the kids to be there, too. I smiled, thinking about walking down the aisle with James, my heart singing for the idea.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± the doctor asked, snapping me back to the present. ¡°I just need you to fill out a couple more forms for me.¡± I nodded, my face flushing in embarrassment, as I epted the paperwork and started to work on it.


    I needed to focus on the present. James would need a reveal for this new baby. It would be hard not to just burst into tears, cheers, and tell him right away, but I wanted this to be special.


    As I finished up with the appointment, I had an epiphany. I knew exactly how I wanted to tell James that a new baby was on the way.

 Chapter 223 : Boat Ride and Baby

    <h4>Chapter 223: Chapter 223 : Boat Ride and Baby</h4>


    James.


    In the car with my security and sitting next to Ba, I leaned on her, wondering what was on her mind. She seemed excited about something. Perhaps it was just this outing, but I couldn¡¯t help feeling it may be something more.


    ¡°Oh James,¡± she gushed, staring out the window as we passed by some beautiful buildings with people walking by on the sidewalk as though they had not a worry in the world. ¡°Today is going to be so wonderful. I¡¯m so d you had free time to do this.¡±


    I turned my head to look at her, giving her a huge smile and leaning over to take her into a huge hug. Then, I moved to press my lips against hers for a long, passionate kiss. She very much obliged, moaning into my mouth a little before pulling away.


    My c*ck twitched at that. Needless to say, I was a little riled up. Seeing her so thrilled did wonders for me. I calmed myself down, though, and reached up to cup her cheek, saying, ¡°Of course. I¡¯m looking forward to a romantic boat ride with you, beautiful.¡±


    Eventually, the car was parked, and we soon arrived at our destination. The dock, where we¡¯d be taking our wonderful trip on the river. I smiled happily, sweeping Ba into my arms as she squealed with joyousughter.


    The sun shined brightly above, filling me with warmth and positivity. I made sure to put on sunscreen before getting into the car. It wouldn¡¯t do to get burns, after all. The smell of it on Ba, too, was rxing and reminded me ofzy summer days.


    Quite like today would be, speaking of which. There wasn¡¯t a cloud in the sky, which made the perfect atmosphere for something wonderful. The grass was a brilliant verdant under the sun, and butterflies fluttered around a patch of flowers we passed by.


    I smiled as Ba bent down to look at the flowers and the butterflies, leaning against the car to give her a chance to do so. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I loved the idea of spending my life with her. Which was decided already, yes.


    I needed to seal the deal, though. A wedding, something wonderful. Would she want to marry me after everything? I frowned, hoping the answer would be yes. She wanted to be here for the children, but I hoped that also meant with me.


    My worries were a bit silly. Here we were, spending a wonderful day together. Lately, she hadn¡¯t been argumentative or cold. She hadn¡¯t been bemoaning the idea of remaining in Italy, either, and had dropped talking about physically moving to Guatem.


    We felt like a real family. She did seem to love the idea of moving from thergepound to a smaller one, something I agreed with. Speaking of which, I looked over my shoulder to security, who would be waiting in the car.


    That¡¯s when I frowned, letting out a sigh. Ba finished her attention to the flowers, shifting her focus to me and raising a curious brow. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, James? You look a little nervous,¡± she said, tilting her head just slightly.


    ¡°I am just used to security following us everywhere, but they obviously can¡¯te with us on the boat,¡± I replied. Baughed at me and walked over, wrapping her arms around me and burying her face into my chest. I returned the hug with augh of my own.


    ¡°James,¡± Ba said, her tone light-hearted and still very much happy. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be the one freaking out aboutck of security? You¡¯ll have your phone, so if the Cartwrights make like a shark ande charging at us from underwater, you can have them do the same.¡±


    That image was ridiculous in my mind, and I had tough. I joked, ¡°Well, with how riled up we got them, I wouldn¡¯t be so sure that¡¯s off the table. You¡¯re right, though. It would do me well to rx. Especially if you can find yourself able to do so.¡±


    Ba smirked and rolled her eyes, gently shoving my shoulder before grabbing my arm and practically dragging me to the river. The water was a clear blue right now, just like the sky. There were some parts of the river that were a murky emerald, but not something off-putting.


    We approached a nearby dock where a small boat was tied to a pole. It was painted red and white, justrge enough to hold three people. Speaking of which, there was a gentleman there that dipped his head in greeting.


    He said, ¡°Hello there! I will be providing your ride today, an extra long one. In no part due to the very generous tip left by the lovelydy.¡± He winked at Ba, causing her to look toward me with a sheepish grin. Her cheeks flushed, and I knew she¡¯d put a lot into this.


    I returned her smile, reaching down to grab her hand and leaving a gentle kiss on the back of it. She squeezed her hand as she held mine, then pulled me toward the boat. Ba said, ¡°Hello there, sir! Thank you so much for amodating us on such short notice.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure for someone as sweet as you!¡± he said, then looked at me with an equally enthusiastic smile. ¡°You must be the lucky sir! I have sandwiches packed here so you can share lunch on the river. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°Delightful. Thank you so much,¡± I said, boarding the small boat and taking a seat next to Ba. With that, we were off, gliding peacefully down the river and leaning against one another as we chatted happily under the sun.


    ¡°This is so thoughtful, Ba,¡± I whispered to her, stealing a kiss on her cheek. She gazed down the river, a soft smile on her face as she let out a sigh. Her blush deepened with my kiss, of course, and she gave a little shudder of bliss next to me.


    This only riled me up further. Hopefully, she would be in the mood to f*ckter. I definitely wanted her. Though, a warning at the back of my mind reminded me that may not be possible, what with this mysterious sickness she was dealing with. Hopefully, her visit to the doctor cleared things up.


    I considered asking her but put the thought aside for now. She replied, ¡°I¡¯m so d you like it, James. Out here, on the river, floating along. This is just so romantic.¡± She closed her eyes, basking in the feeling for a moment.


    Some ducks, quacking up a storm, flew above us about ten minutester. Ba pointed up at them and chuckled, saying, ¡°We need to bring Alessandro and Dahlia to the park so they can feed ducks! Not bread, though. Seed. Bread could make them sick.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you for always keeping aware and doing research,¡± I told her, my voice dripping with adoration for the woman. She turned and beamed at me, stealing her own kiss, this one on my lips. I, of course, went to deepen it, slipping my tongue into her mouth.


    Exploring as much as I can, taking in her taste and the smell of her floral perfume, I let myself rx entirely. I wrapped my arms around her as I basked in her very essence for a moment, ted beyond words.


    Eventually, I had to let go, much to the dismay of Ba, as well. I gave onest short kiss, a promise forter when we got off of the boat. The slight sway to her body, which jiggled her breasts a bit, told me she was in the mood for fun as well.


    First, however, we dug into the sandwiches and eventuallynded by a church. Ba said, ¡°I wanted to show you this spot. When I was on an outing, with security of course, looking for the perfect ce to spend a romantic day with you, I spotted it.¡±


    I nodded, looking toward the stained ss windows. The sun was shining through it at just the right angle to disy a menagerie of colors. The magic of the moment was daunting. I put my arm over Ba¡¯s shoulder and just had to pause and look at the art of it for a moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I breathed, then turned my head to smile at her. ¡°Just like you, my love,¡± I said, causing her to giggle and squirm. My eyes fell upon a choir made of children, which caused me to raise my brow. They gave a few kind grins in our direction.


    ¡°Children typically sing here around this time. I asked the priest since I heard about it from the grapevine,¡± Ba exined. I nodded, closing my eyes for a moment to just dedicate most of my senses to listening to the notes pour like honey from the choir.


    ¡°They are incredibly skilled,¡± I said, turning my head and opening my eyes to focus on Ba again. ¡°I wonder if Alessandro or Dahlia will ever want to sing like that. Dahlia already has such a love of music. I hear her vocalizing when she¡¯s listening to anything with a catchy tune.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that too!¡± Ba said, clearly overjoyed that I picked up on that. ¡°I think she has natural talent, but will still have to work hard like anything else. I can get her singing lessons in the future if her heart is in it.¡±


    ¡°That sounds wonderful, Ba. Me, you, and Alessandro will attend all of her concerts,¡± I said. Ba nodded, now focusing on the children and wearing a sly smirk. What was on her mind, all of a sudden? Something funny?


    ¡°You¡¯re forgetting someone, James,¡± she said casually.


    ¡°I am?¡±


    ¡°You, me, Alessandro, and the new baby, when he or she is older, of course,¡± she said. I blinked, reality taking a moment to settle in. My eyes began to widen, and I gasped, excitement building up to a crescendo as my eyes welled up with tears.


    ¡°A new baby?¡± I whispered, but my voice didn¡¯t stay low for long. ¡°A NEW BABY!¡± I screamed, turning and whisking Ba into my arms, hugging her tightly to my chest and letting out a cry of pure joy.


    So many emotions were flowing through me at once, all of them incredibly positive. The priest didn¡¯t appreciate that and responded to my reaction with a harsh re. I didn¡¯t care, I was basking in the moment. The choir children, of course, were giggling at the interruption.


    ¡°Ba,¡± I gasped, giving her one kiss after another before finding my voice again. ¡°I¡¯m always going to be here for you. I¡¯m so...so happy for us. Damn, if I could, I¡¯d f*ck you right here and then in the confessionary. F*ck...¡±


    Ba leaned into my ear and whispered in a very sultry tone, ¡°So f*ck me then, James.¡±

 Chapter 224 : Sex in the Park

    <h4>Chapter 224: Chapter 224 : Sex in the Park</h4>


    Ba.


    James called for the car and began reaching to undress me right there. Iughed and darted away from him. Though I wanted him to f*ck me as soon as possible, I wasn¡¯t done with the evening. ¡°Actually, wait, just a moment, I have a spot,¡± I said.


    He was incredibly excited, and though the priest and kids had left a few minutes ago, this was still not a spot I was entirelyfortable with. I didn¡¯t want to be interrupted! The car arrived secondster, security and all. We were well on our way.


    ¡°Take us to the park,¡± I said, my voice dripping with want. In the meantime, James began kissing me all over my face and neck as we drove there. His hands slipped under my shirt, feeling me up in the most sensitive of ces.


    I let out a soft groan as he did so, lost in the feeling, especially as his fingers brushed over my nipples. ¡°Mmm... James,¡± I whispered, wanting him to go further, even in here. We were both high on our bliss, my body shuddering with anticipation.


    He grunted, slipping his fingers lower and ying with my panty line. I closed my eyes, feeling him brush his fingers along my hips and wiggling them in encouragement. He didn¡¯t need much of that, because he soon slipped a finger into me, moving it in and out slowly.


    A low moan cascaded from my lips as I buried my face into his shoulder. Before I did so, I saw the bulge in his pants. He waspletely aroused, and I knew I would be getting all of him soon. The thought of that made me even wetter.


    Soon, James added a second, then a third finger to the activity. I was squirming and letting out soft cries, wanting him to go faster, deeper. ¡°James,¡± I breathed, ¡°f*ck me with your fingers harder. Rougher. Please.¡±


    ¡°Mmm,¡± James whispered into my ear after turning his head. ¡°I love it when you beg me to do things like that, Ba.¡± He chuckled, his sultry voice dripping with need. He did as I asked, moving his fingers in and out of me even faster now.


    My muscles tensed, and I let out a cry as my first release washed over me. I was lost in James¡¯s voice and scent, his musky cologne overwhelming my senses just as much as the motion of his fingers.


    He kept going, too, soon enough pushing me down onto the backseat of the car and taking me with his lips. The kiss was rough, and he explored every nook and cranny of my mouth, his tongue expert in tasting me. This went on while he continued finger f*cking me.


    The intensity of the fluid between my legs only increased, and I squirmed even more beneath him. More whimpers, cries, and moans spilled from my lips, greeted and encouraged by his own grunts and groans.


    Eventually, the car stopped, and James had to get off of me. I didn¡¯t want to f*ck in the car. Tempting as it was, there was another spot I had nned. Security opened the door for us. Lo and behold, we¡¯d arrived at a gorgeous spot, perfect for a romantic night.


    We were in a private nook close to ourpound, a park of our own, not to be interrupted by anyone else while we spent time together. At the moment, we were surrounded by juniper and olive trees, a wonderful, rxing atmosphere to behold.


    James wanted to be in me right here, right now, but I still wasn¡¯t done. The stars made a nket of magic above us,plementing the full moon, as I walked toward our destination. Hanging lights from the trees were dimly lit over a wooden table with chairs set up on a nket.


    A candle was set up in a ss holding container in the center of the table, to be lit when we were ready for dinner. Standing there at the table was a waiter I¡¯d hired for us tonight. He bowed when he saw us, giving us a big smile.


    There was a grill nearby that he would be able to cook on for us. We had an entire menu to select from, but that would be after James and I had our fun. James locked eyes with the waiter and gave a kind grin.


    The waiter said, ¡°Hello there. What a lovely couple! I will be serving you tonight.¡±


    James said, ¡°Thank you, sir. Could you please give us some time? About ten minutes. We need to discuss things here, family matters that are best kept between us.¡± Clever man. The waiter nodded and wandered off, for now, leaving the two of us alone.


    James swept me up into his arms, causing me tough joyously. Soon, he ced me on the chair and removed my panties with a bit of force, causing me to feel relieved he didn¡¯t tear through the clothing. That would have been embarrassing!


    I shared his enthusiasm, though, and kept my eyes locked on him. ¡°F*ck me, James. I need you in me right now,¡± I said, my tone as sultry and dripping with lust as he was. He let out a groan, removing his own pants as his hard c*ck sprang out.


    From there, he maneuvered between my legs, prating me with no pause, sliding in lubricated from how wet I was. I let out a cry of ecstasy right then, moving my hips and encouraging him to go deeper. While he increased the intensity of his hips, he once again captured my lips.


    Our kisssted for quite a while. He continued to intensify his thrusts, mming into me with so much speed, it was dizzying. The pleasure and pain shot through me, causing me to continuously moan and cry into the kiss.


    Eventually, James let go of my mouth. He reached up and entwined his fingers into my hair, pulling my head back so that my neck was exposed. He then began to leave gentle kisses on my neck, gasping and causing pleasure to shoot through me even more.


    ¡°More... James, MORE!¡± I practically screamed, needing him to go harder and faster. James listened to me, panting, moving his c*ck in and out of me with so much intensity that tears began to spring to my eyes.


    ¡°You like that, baby? Good girl, taking all of me. F*ck, you¡¯re squeezing me so beautifully, Ba. F*ck, yes,¡± James shouted, letting out another groan and resisting his own release, no doubt. More lust shot through me at his responses.


    I let out yet another moan, then a loud cry, the build-up cascading out of control. I was going to give into my lust soon; that much was clear. ¡°Yes, keep going. YES! F*CK, YES!¡± I shouted, my voice edged and dripping with need. .


    James was hitting all the right spots as I massaged his c*ck, my hips moving in time to his thrusts. Soon, I reached my end, letting what was close to a screame pouring out of me. More tears poured down my cheeks as I orgasmed, my body shuddering.


    James gave into the lust at the same time as me, filling me with his warm seed in the most wonderful of ways. His body shuddered with his own crescendo, and he let out a few gasps to try and calm himself down. Then, he locked his lips with me, holding the kiss for a fairly long time.


    Eventually, James got off of me, pulling up his pants and redoing his buckles. I got dressed as well, the afterglow radiating off of me as I rxed in my chair and gave a yawn. What a day! I wore a warm smile as I winked at James. ¡°Thank you, love.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, thank you too,¡± James replied, sending me a kiss from across the table. A few minutester, the waiter arrived, lighting the candles. He gave us both a knowing look, a small smirk on his face as he asked us what we wanted to eat.


    I blushed a bit, pointing to one of the tantalizing items on the menu. He nodded, then got James¡¯s order. Then, he was off again, but not before pouring James a ss of wine and leaving a cheese spread there for us to munch on. I got some water; no alcohol for me!


    ¡°That was amazing,¡± I breathed, closing my eyes for a moment. I couldn¡¯t help but give a lightugh then, though, as my blush deepened even further. ¡°I think our waiter knows what happened, though. We were pretty loud, weren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°We were,¡± James said,ughing right along with me. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it. You were too good, Ba. I am so excited for this new baby. I get to be a father again to another beautiful child, with you,¡± he said, reaching over and taking a sip of his wine.


    I beamed at him, basking in the feeling of his reaction and the sex that followed. I loved him with all of my heart, and he was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. ¡°We¡¯ve had our ups and downs,¡± I said. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry for how I¡¯d been before, over thest¨C¡±


    ¡°No need to apologize, Ba,¡± James said softly, his eyes twinkling. ¡°I understand. You were concerned about your safety, the safety of the kids, and kept being overwhelmed with the chaos. Any reasonable person would be.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, James,¡± I said, relieved. ¡°But that¡¯s all over. You said you could take care of things, and you do, when theye up. Life isn¡¯t simple or easy. Ours is no exception, even with the money we have. I¡¯m d to be here with you.¡±


    James smiled at me, taking a bite of some cheese and rxing back into his chair. ¡°That is very right. I will continue to make sure our family is safe. My focus is on our family. I am so happy we can be together, like this, Ba.¡±


    Our food was soon brought to us, the smell of it making my mouth water. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to the waiter. I was relieved he refrained from ament of, ¡®not going for seconds?¡¯ after hearing James and I f*ck each other the first time.


    ¡°You¡¯re very wee, miss,¡± he said. Perhaps he was too polite. Either way, the evening was pleasant. I told James I had arrangements for regr checkups for the baby, which he should attend with me. He agreed right away, causing my smile to widen. He mentioned possibly finding a better doctor than the one at the clinic, too.


    The rest of the night was celebrating each other, our growing family, and the realization that we were beyond happy with one another. I couldn¡¯t be more content.

 Chapter 225 : Proposal Plans

    <h4>Chapter 225: Chapter 225 : Proposal ns</h4>


    James.


    ¡°I am beyond thrilled at this news, Giovani,¡± I said softly, giving him a happy smile. At the moment, we were meeting at a private bar, exchanging words while dining on some American-style food like burgers and fries.


    ¡°This baby should be born to married parents, though,¡± I muttered in thought. I furrowed my brow, picking up a fry and putting it into my mouth, savoring the salty goodness. Ba was growing exponentially more happy and loving. I hoped I was turning less cold, as well.


    Giovani took a bite of his burger, dabbing his lips with his napkin and giving me a soft smile. ¡°You are quite the family man, James,¡± he said in that soft voice he always used. To his enemies, there would be a hint of danger there. To me, there was just adoration.


    My cousin continued with, ¡°There is only one thing to do. n that proposal. Something special for the woman your heart drips for. Something romantic. I could help you with that. I have a few suggestions myself.¡±


    I stared at Giovani in surprise. This soft-spoken, cold-blooded killer had a warm side to him? After blinking and taking another bite of my food, I asked, ¡°Really? I will dly ept the help, but I will admit I had no idea you could be soft. In a good way, of course.¡±


    Giovani chuckled, his cheeks flushing just slightly. A faraway look twinkled in his eye, and he said, ¡°Mhm. Soft in a good way. You are correct. Perhaps I have ady I fancy and think about it from time to time. Helps to research, as well.¡± He winked at me.


    Iughed, and asked, ¡°You read romance books?¡± He nodded, causing my smile to widen. ¡°Well, you probably have many ideas for what I could do in this ¡®special proposal.¡¯ What¡¯s your best one?¡±


    ¡°Best one?¡± Giovani said, raising a brow and shaking his head at me. ¡°We don¡¯t start with the best, we start with the most practical but boring ideas, then move onto the best ones so that you will be starstruck by just how wonderful an idea it ispared to the others.¡±


    I snorted, smirking even more now. I ced a hand on my forehead, amused by this whole ordeal. After everything that happened, and all the stress, it was good to smile again and be with family. Giovani was constantly surprising me in great ways.


    ¡°Well, you just revealed your n. I thought you were supposed to be someone who tried not to do that sort of thing?¡± I joked with him, causing him to stick out his tongue lightly and just narrow his eyes in humor as well.


    ¡°I think in this case, James, I can make an exception for the sake ofughs.¡± He winked. ¡°My first suggestion in the realm of practical would be picking a favorite restaurant of hers and having them bring out a dessert on fire. Pizazz. It¡¯s practical and safe. A bit dry, though.¡±


    ¡°A bit dry is an understatement,¡± I replied, mocking a yawn. ¡°Sounds boring. Next?¡±


    ¡°I did say I would start off with the boring stuff, James,¡± Giovani said, his tone even more amused now. He tapped a finger on his chin in thought, taking another bite of his burger before saying, ¡°Let me think of a different location. Yourpound, that could work.¡±


    ¡°An at-home proposal? That could be interesting. Though I¡¯m not sure it¡¯d have enough pizazz,¡± I said, raising a brow. What did he have in mind this time? Had to be better than going to one¡¯s favorite restaurant. A ssic, sure. The idea was sweet, but not enough in my eyes.


    ¡°You could fill yourpound, or an area within thepound, with candles, or other lights if you¡¯re worried about the fire hazard. Then, you could propose there. Some women find that fairly magical,¡± Giovani said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the greatest designer or artist,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°The idea is sweet, but I couldn¡¯t pull it off. Maybe if I could have your help, but is decorating with lights in your wheelhouse, Mr. Romantic?¡± Giovaniughed and shook his head.


    ¡°Cross that one out,¡± Giovani said, taking a bite of his burger and furrowing his brow. ¡°Hmm... Well, you don¡¯t technically have to know design to do this next very simr idea. Fill a room with candles and her favorite flowers, have an indoor pic, propose. How is that?¡±


    I hummed in thought, feeling as though we were getting a bit closer to what I had in mind. ¡°That sounds reasonable, but still not enough. I do like the idea of this being done at thepound, because the kids can be involved. Has to be safe, though.¡±


    ¡°Candles would therefore be out of the equation, unless you bring them inter when the kids are being watched by your nanny,¡± Giovani said with a nod. ¡°Or out of reach of the kids. Which is doable, I¡¯m sure.¡± He took a sip of his coffee, thinking things through. ¡°At home, hmm...¡±


    We were definitely getting somewhere and narrowing things down, which warmed my heart. At home would not only include our children, but be less stressful for Ba. I wanted her to befortable, and extravagance in public may lead her to think we¡¯re drawing attention.


    Not that we were hiding out, by any means. Though a proposal that would m headlines may cause her to be a bit uneasy. We didn¡¯t need to go gigantic to still be special. We were to be a family, and something like this as a family would be very special.


    ¡°How about,¡± Giovani said, giving a smile. ¡°You do it in the nursery. You could spell it out with toys. Have Alessandro and Dahlia there, but try to make it so they don¡¯t y with the toys until she sees what they spelled out.¡±


    I nodded and smiled. That sounded very unique and special. It rted to how we were going to be a family, and I simply loved the idea. We had a new baby on the way, which made my heart sing once again as I thought about that.


    ¡°Madeline could help me with that. She can help upy both of them so they won¡¯t change the way the toys areid out. I¡¯d set up everything beforehand. Maybe lights out of reach of the kids for decoration purpose,¡± I said, nodding. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea, Giovani. I love it.¡±


    ¡°If you have toys specific to Ba¡¯s favorite color, flower, or animal, you could use those,¡± Giovani said. He peered at me curiously. ¡°Do you think you will? She has quite a bit of money given everything that happened, so surely there¡¯s a huge selection of toys for the little ones.¡±


    I nodded, smiling at him. ¡°We have plush animals of all sorts. Her favorite animal is a horse. Dahlia has plenty of regr horses and unicorns. Many of them are pink, something Ba enjoys as well. A subtle pink, granted, but there¡¯s toys with that.¡±


    ¡°Lovely. Any floral toys? I suppose you could include real flowers. Maybe on the shelves where the kids can¡¯t reach?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Well, she loves roses, but those have thorns. I suppose I can look for thornless ones, but they won¡¯t have a scent,¡± I said. I snapped my fingers. ¡°I like the idea of putting them where the kids can¡¯t reach, though. Maybe just a few vases so they can be moved out of the room quickly.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a n,¡± Giovani said, giving a smile. He took another bite of his burger and winked at me. ¡°d to be of service, James. Do you need help setting any of this up? I don¡¯t minding over and doing so. Particrly with the lights.¡±


    ¡°Madeline can help the kids y outside while it¡¯s set up. Ba would need to be distracted, but I can figure something out for that. Sure, your help with the lights would be very appreciated. Something not tooplicated, so we can take them down afterward.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make the mostplex light disy of my life,¡± Giovani said sarcastically, giving a chuckle. I rolled my eyes at him, and he smirked. ¡°Worry not. I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s reasonable. This will be perfectly romantic for your sweetheart. Maybe fill your bedroom with rose petals too.¡±


    ¡°For after the proposal?¡± I asked, and he nodded. ¡°I can also get her favorite food for that night. Though she is more than capable of ordering that every day, it still would be a surprise. I could home-cook it, anyway. Which is always better.¡± I knew of an Italian dish that would do just the trick.


    Giovani beamed at me and finished thest bite of his meal. He gged down the waitress and said softly, ¡°Thank you, the food was phenomenal.¡± I nodded in agreement, then reached out to pay the bill.


    Giovani stared me down and shook his head, snatching up the bill and slipping his card in. His smirk widened, and he said, ¡°I got it.¡± I shook my head at him. He was this way even before I was the Don. I could tell he wasn¡¯t being nice just because I was one, either.


    He genuinely cared, and I could see in his eyes that he was beyond excited for me and Ba. Maybe he could help with the wedding nning, too. I was not the best at nning such a thing, but he seemed a bit more in the know. I hoped he got with a sweetheart he loved someday too.


    Giovani stood up, walking over to ce a hand on my shoulder. I stood up and embraced him, patting him on the back, then stepped back. He asked, ¡°When were you nning on doing this proposal?¡±


    ¡°Within the next few days,¡± I replied, giving a soft smile. ¡°I want to hint to Ba that it¡¯sing so she¡¯ll be prepared. Without quite telling her, of course. I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s better for people to know. I doubt she will say no, but courtesy, you know?¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t say ¡®no,¡¯¡± Giovaniughed, giving me a bright smile. ¡°She loves you, James. By how you talk about her, and all the things you do together, that much is abundantly clear. You have had some rocky roadstely and for a while, but those always straighten out.¡±


    ¡°Somehow, we always find the solution,¡± I agreed with a smile. We bid one another farewell, and I told him we¡¯d keep in touch. My job, right now, was to let Madeline know my n and get some of the objects I¡¯d need to spell things out for Ba.


    My heart pounded with excitement. This was going to be lovely.

 Chapter 226 : Will You Marry Me?

    <h4>Chapter 226: Chapter 226 : Will You Marry Me?</h4>


    James.


    A few dayster, I was ready to drop the question. The hints I¡¯d been giving to Ba didn¡¯t confirm anything, but she seemed very positive. I¡¯d been getting extra smiles, which was saying something, astely she was warm and down to earth more than before.


    I knew the incident with Allison was still on her mind. Security and their slip up nearly cost her not only her own life but Dahlia¡¯s. A shiver went down my spine at the idea of finding them lying bleeding on the floor, dead because of Allison.


    I was very grateful Ba did what she did.


    Still, it took its toll on her. She sometimes cried to herself in the bathroom, and I was happy tofort her. Thankfully, most of the time, her mind was on the new baby on the way. The doctor kept reporting the developing baby was healthy, which was a relief for both of us.


    Security let me know that Giovani was waiting to be let in, and I told them to do so. Today was the day, after all, and he would be of great help. He met me in the living room, wearing a soft, overjoyed smile. ¡°Thank you for involving me, by the way,¡± he said.


    I nodded, beaming at him. ¡°You¡¯ve been of so much helptely in other things. I didn¡¯t think you would be with me for this, but people have many sides to them,¡± I said, causing him to chuckle and nod.


    ¡°You got the stuff?¡± he asked, a bit dramatically at that. I rolled my eyes, my smile widening, as I walked over to the nursery room¡¯s door and pointed to a bag. Inside were a bunch of pink horses and fake roses. The toy flowers were child friendly.


    Giovani nodded, saying, ¡°I have the real flowers and the lights in the car. You¡¯ll distract Ba while I prepare with Madeline, then? Under no circumstance should you let here to the nursery. I will send you a message when we are set. We can switch ces so you can set it up.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a n,¡± I said. Madeline had jumped at the idea of being involved in this, calling the whole ordeal so romantic and cute. The warm, fuzzy feelings settled in my chest as we broke off to set everything up.


    I met Ba in the kitchen preparing tea. She would have no way to easily get to the nursery from here, so if I could manage to keep her in this spot, it would work out. Upon my entry into the kitchen, she gave me a wide smile.


    ¡°Hello, James,¡± she said. ¡°How are you doing today?¡± She walked over and gave me a hug, something I returned, resting my chin on her shoulder. She added, ¡°Thest checkup went very well. The baby is still very healthy, no issues.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I breathed, then realized I wasn¡¯t answering either question clearly. Well, my answer was meant to be for both. ¡°I¡¯m so happy to hear all is well, Ba. Myself, I¡¯m well. I had been working on some Don-rted items, but am happy to be home for the night.¡±


    ¡°How has that been going?¡± she asked curiously. She was still a bit on edge at the thought, but I assured her I nned on transitioning away from this line of the family ¡®business¡¯ and that Alessandro wouldn¡¯t suffer this fate. I¡¯d reaffirm that now.


    ¡°It¡¯s been going. Giovani is a huge help. I have my eyes on him for being deemed the Don. I think he is the best candidate, and the rest of the family wouldn¡¯t protest much,¡± I said. Hopefully, that would help out. ¡°Otherwise, business is business. Nothing violent.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked, a little bit ofughter in her tone. ¡°Nothing violent in the mob? That¡¯s definitely something new.¡± She reached up and cupped my cheek, leaning forward for a kiss. I chuckled and returned her kiss, deepening it.


    Her sweet perfume washed over me, and I found myself rxing. I wrapped my arms around her as we exchanged a long, passionate kiss. She explored my mouth with her tongue a little, something I very much encouraged.


    I felt arousal set in but knew that now was definitely not the time. Perhaps after the proposal. She¡¯d be excited enough, I had no doubt there. Eventually, I broke the kiss so that I could take a few breaths. I said, ¡°Yes, really. How have things been on your end?¡±


    Ba reached up and rubbed the back of her arm, letting out a sigh. ¡°Dealing with what I did to Allison has been tough,¡± she confessed. ¡°But I remind myself of what she¡¯d do to Dahlia, and I convince myself that I did the right thing.¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± I said, cing my hands on her shoulders and leaning my forehead against hers. ¡°I can¡¯t emphasize enough how unhinged she was. It¡¯s a shame things went as they did, but you were brave. Thank you for saving our daughter.¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me,¡± Ba said with a sad smile. She brightened, however, as the sound of the kettle whistling caught our attention. She pulled away and began to fix herself some tea, though looked over her shoulder at me. ¡°Want some?¡±


    ¡°Yes please,¡± I said, realizing some tea time would be the perfect distraction for her. ¡°Oh, Giovani is visiting right now,¡± I said casually. ¡°He is helping me out with some items in thepound.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice of him,¡± Ba said. ¡°You were looking to remodel your office a bit, right? How is your business aside from the Don thing going?¡± she asked. She poured me some hot water and grabbed a tea bag, setting it up just the way I liked it.


    ¡°It has been going well enough,¡± I said. ¡°I have investors interested in moving forward with the various ns I structured. They were impressed with the meetings, and we are nning on moving to the next step within the next few days.¡±


    She nodded, and I kept her busy with discussing the pieces of business with her. She was interested enough, though some things went over her head. I couldn¡¯t me her. A different subject would be more tantalizing, one that would benefit me as well.


    Would she ept my proposal? I hoped she would... I saw no reason why she wouldn¡¯t. I got the doubt out of my mind and asked Ba, ¡°If we were to travel for fun, a vacation, where would you want to go? No hassle, no focus on work, just rxation.¡±


    Ba considered this for a moment, furrowing her brow and letting out a hum. Before she opened her mouth to say something, I interjected with, ¡°Please don¡¯t say Guatem, by the way. Again, it would be for a vacation, not a prospective charity.¡±


    She grinned at me sheepishly, then shook her head. ¡°No need to worry, James,¡± she said softly. ¡°Vacation, rxation. I understand.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Well. I think visiting France would be fun, and very romantic. Don¡¯t you? I know it¡¯s a bit cliche, but it¡¯s something that sounds lovely.¡±


    I nodded, giving her a smile. ¡°Sometimes cliche is a good thing,¡± I said. ¡°Especially if it¡¯d make you happy. We would not want to do anything too strenuous, anyway, given you¡¯re carrying our child.¡± She nodded in agreement.


    At that moment, I got a message on my phone and went to check it, reading it over for a moment as a smile began to cross my face. Right then, Madeline walked into the room, smiling at Ba and greeting her.


    ¡°Oh, hi, Ba! I have a moment away from the kids and just wanted to chit-chat about a potential baby shower,¡± she said. Ba¡¯s attention turned to Madeline, and I took this opportunity to dismiss myself to the bathroom. My real destination was the nursery.


    I entered the room to find a variety of lights hanging out of reach of the kids. Alessandro and Dahlia were ying together in a ypen at the moment, though Madeline would let them out while I proposed to Ba so they could wander up next to me.


    Speaking of which, they looked up as I entered the nursery, giving cute little waves. ¡°Dada!¡± Dahlia said, and Alessandro giggled, shaking a toy car in my direction. I promised him I¡¯d y with him soon and gave a tiny, happy wave of my own.


    Along with the lights, there were three vases of roses out of reach of the kids, and up on the shelves. The room was a mixture of cute and romantic, quite contrasting, but very appropriate. My heart pounded with anticipation as I spotted a bag in the corner of the room.


    The kids¡¯ toys were in that bag, selected specifically based on what Ba loved. With that, I began to spell out ¡®Will You Marry Me¡¯ with the toys, which consisted of little pink horses and toy roses. This nursery was huge, so I had plenty of room to work with.


    Giovani stepped into the nursery to help me with the final touches. He said, ¡°Well done, James. This looks perfect. Want me to hold Alessandro? Madeline said she¡¯d hold Dahlia when she came in with Ba so you could kneel. We¡¯ll let the little tykes loose when she reads it.¡±


    We both knew that the kids would make a beeline for the toys. I nodded, knowing that a member of the security team had agreed to record the moment, as well, with a top-quality camera. Perks of having money and equipment. It went beyond safety, at times.


    Speaking of which, they, too, walked into the room, giving me a nod and a smile, preparing the camera. It was alling down to this. I took a deep breath,bing my fingers through my hair as butterflies settled in my stomach.


    I shouldn¡¯t be this nervous. Ba indicated she wanted to spend her life with me, but still, all of what happened recently may be hanging on her mind. I hoped not. I bit my lip and shook my head, telling myself to rx. This was going to go wonderfully. I could feel it.


    Finally mustering up the courage, I got out my phone and sent a text to Madeline, telling her we were ready. She would bring Ba to the nursery to show her something cute the kids had been doingtely.


    I stood there as Ba entered the nursery, trying not to look too nervous. A grin stretched across my face as I took to my knee, and Ba¡¯s eyes widened. During this, Madeline scurried toward the back of the nursery, picking up Dahlia.


    ¡°Ba,¡± I said softly. ¡°Will you marry me?¡±


    There was a pause as Alessandro and Dahlia were put on the floor of the nursery. As expected, both headed over to me. Alessandro wrapped his arms around me in a hug, and Dahlia crawled over to the toys, starting to y with them right away.


    Tears poured down Ba¡¯s cheeks as she uttered the word, ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 227 : Maid of Honor

    <h4>Chapter 227: Chapter 227 : Maid of Honor</h4>


    Ba.


    ¡°James¡¯s proposal was amazing,¡± I gushed to Madeline, my heart still warm from what James had done. Including the family really touched my soul. Seeing Dahlia and Alessandro there made me break down crying in the best of ways even more so than if James had been alone.


    The nanny smiled at me brightly, currently sharing tea with me in the living room. She nodded, a glimmer in her eyes as she heard me speak. She¡¯d been involved too, I knew, and had done a great job of distracting me. Her conversation about a baby shower was legit, though.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you, Ba,¡± she said, leaning over to pat me on the shoulder and shaking me a bit. ¡°The kids were thrilled to be involved, too. Did you see their little faces light up? They may not have known what was going on, but they definitely felt the happy energy.


    My smile widened, and I nodded. She was right, that was for sure. James had made me a home-cooked meal, one of my all-time favorites, following the proposal. I¡¯d yed with the kids, talking to them about how we were going to be a happy family.


    They didn¡¯t understand what I was saying then, but they wouldter in life! I chuckled and reached up to wipe away a tear, feeling very warm. ¡°I¡¯m d I came around,¡± I confessed, letting out a sigh. ¡°I think I lost myself for a while there, with everything going on.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes it takes a reminder, or anchor, to stay on earth. We can be swept away by many things, but that¡¯s just human nature,¡± Madeline said, taking a sip of her tea and leaning forward. She was rxed and happy to keep mepany while I took a break out here.


    I still wanted to look into Guatem, but not go there physically. That required a lot of research, but I could hopefully handle it remotely. I needed to find other people to help me, though, like locals and others very experienced in this sort of thing.


    With that thought in mind, I decided Italy wasn¡¯t so bad. There hadn¡¯t been anything terrible that happened aside from the Allison incident, and that wasn¡¯t due to James¡¯s mafia times. Allison was an unhinged ex set loose by the Cartwrights, simply put.


    I refocused and said, ¡°Sometimes it does, you¡¯re right. I was a bit snappy and cold to James for a while there, but he was the same to me. Still, it was a cycle where we were both pretty tense for a while. I was very worried about his family business, but things really are quiet now.¡±


    Madeline nodded, saying, ¡°Some issues are hard to avoid, but love and family tend to prevail. At least, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve seen.¡± She smiled. ¡°Now you can focus on a wonderful, beautiful wedding. Do you have any ideas?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± I said, blushing a bit, ¡°as you know from James¡¯s proposal, my favorite color is pink. I think I will get a very detailed, beautiful pink dress with rose designs on it, if I can find one. I¡¯m sure I can get one custom-made, and I have the money.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see it! You¡¯ll share pictures, right?¡± Madeline asked, causing me to nod. I nned on hiring a professional photographer for the ordeal. The night was going to be a magical one, with me, James, Dahlia, and Alessandro. I couldn¡¯t wait.


    ¡°I will,¡± I said. ¡°But you¡¯re invited too, Madeline, if you would like toe! You¡¯ve done so much for me and are wonderful with the kids. It would be silly not to invite you if you wanted toe to the wedding, of course.¡±


    ¡°To nanny the children, right?¡± sheughed, her tone a teasing one. She winked at me, then grew serious. ¡°I¡¯m honored Ba, really. These kids are little angels, even if a bit rowdy sometimes. They must take after their rambunctious, but thoughtful, parents.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but return a wide smile, chuckling at her teasing. ¡°You¡¯ll be just the right person to watch the kids at the wedding,¡± I said, kidding, of course. ¡°In all seriousness, though, you¡¯ll be able to rx. I¡¯ll hire someone to be at their beck and call so you can have plenty of wine.¡±


    ¡°I like the sound of that!¡± Madeline said, reaching over to pat me on the shoulder. She finished up herst few sips of tea before standing up and turning to the kitchen so that she could put it into the sink. ¡°I¡¯m going to head back to the nursery. Make sure to get plenty of rest!¡±


    She reminded me of that much on the regr, but I appreciated it. ¡°I will!¡± I said. Soon, I finished up my tea and stood up, heading to the other room and sitting down at theputer. Two thoughts were on my mind. Firstly, should I invite Antote, or count her out?


    There was also the matter of the maid of honor. I frowned deeply, my heart clenching as I realized I didn¡¯t know who to even have as a maid of honor. I¡¯d lost so many people in my life either through true death or going separate ways in an unsavory fashion.


    Tally was the former, which to this day still caused me to tear up a little as I thought of that. She could have been my maid of honor, and Alessandro would be well-supported and loved by her. She was one of the many I¡¯d lost. We hadn¡¯t always gotten along, but we¡¯d been good friends for so long.


    La and Allegra were gone. I swallowed, the thought of what La had done still causing me to tear up from time to time. She and I had been so close. She loved the kids and had been a wonderful nanny. But, like many others in the past, she was gone in a different way than Tally.


    My thoughts fell upon Madeline. She was adapting to the house well, and a wonderful nanny. We hadn¡¯t known each other for long enough, though. I didn¡¯t consider her a friend yet. We were often too busy to cross paths, anyway, and she went to do her own thing when I spent time with the kids. She was also a lot older than me.


    Biting my lip, I felt a sense of sorrow at all of this. I was finally going to get a huge celebration of James and my rtionship, only to be scrambled at the most basic of things. Letting out a sigh, I walked into my bedroom and sat down.


    Who would be up for the task? I wracked my brain, deciding to tackle the other issue on my mind first. I grabbed my phone and stared at it. Antote had been conversing with me through texttely, and it¡¯d gone pleasant.


    She really did value our friendship during my time in New York. I could tell by how she worded things that she still really regretted not doing more when faced with the other wives. Peer pressure could be a bitch.


    I told myself over and over that I understood, but did I, really? I didn¡¯t recall ever being in a simr situation before. Everyone worked differently, and she had apologized so many times. I could just stop talking to her if this all bothered me too much.


    Finally, I made my decision on that end. I grabbed my phone and texted: ¡°Hello, Antote. James and I are getting married soon. I would like to send you an invitation if you think you¡¯d be able toe all of this way to attend.¡±


    That out of the way, I still had the maid of honor issue. I reached up and scratched my head, trying to think of the perfect person for the task. Then, it clicked.


    Sophia.


    She was a true friend, and she had predicted my pregnancy. Not that such a thing was a huge deal, but I just felt a weird, positive connection to her. We were in tune, as some people said. She would be the perfect maid of honor.


    I began to dial her number, then ced the phone against my ear. It rang once, twice, three times, before she answered. ¡°Hello?¡± asked Sophia, sounding happy to be speaking with me.


    ¡°Hey, Sophia,¡± I said. ¡°James proposed, and I wanted to know if you could be my maid of honor. No pressure, but I would love it if you would.¡± There was silence at the other end after I said that, causing me to swallow. Would she decline?


    ¡°Ba,¡± Sophia said, her tone hinting at excitement. ¡°I would be honored. You really are a wonderful person, you know that? It means a lot to me for you to ask me that,¡± she said. ¡°He proposed? You¡¯ll have to tell me all about it.¡¯


    She probably knew¨Cjust like she¡¯d known I was pregnant, but I let her bask in her victory with a small smile. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the entire story the next time we see each other again,¡± I said. I heard her squeal happily on the other line, and chuckled.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait. I will keep in close touch with you, Ba. I¡¯m looking forward to being your maid of honor. If there is any other way I can help, please let me know. Oh, this is going to be so wonderful!¡± Sophia said, her voice warm.


    We chatted for a little while longer until I bid her goodbye. She had work to do, and told me that once I decided on a date, I should let her know so that she could prepare to take work off. I confirmed I would for her, then hung up the phone.


    Feeling all warm and fuzzy, I made my way to the bathroom, catching my reflection in the mirror. Those deep circles under my eyes I saw so much were starting to fade, causing my smile to widen. Carrying a baby would take its toll on me, that I knew, but at least I was getting sleep.


    Nights when I was tossing and turning were stressful, and I never got as much as I wanted to get done the next day. My family was safe, and while that incident with Allison haunted me, I could move on with my life as a big happy family.


    A text came in from Antite, one I picked up and read. She said, ¡°I would love toe to your wedding, Ba! Stay on your toes, though. The Wives and Cartwrights are scheming something. Your name hase up a few times.¡±


    I swallowed hard then told myself the Cartwrights were out of people to send after me unless they hired someone. Which was entirely possible. I texted back confirming that I would be careful. Having her as an acquaintance again was helpful for things like this.


    Maybe our friendship could even be mended in the future. I hoped she would pay close attention and let me know what she meant by scheming something. Whatever it was, it couldn¡¯t be good. But they also had to be running out of resources fast, too.


    One could only hope.

 Chapter 228 : Moving Day

    <h4>Chapter 228: Chapter 228 : Moving Day</h4>


    James.


    The joy of marriage and taking care of the kids in general made my heart lighter, but I also needed to focus on the darker things. At the moment, I was looking over a report for the family business and frowning very deeply.


    ¡°I know you have been taking care of most things, Giovani, while I¡¯ve taken on the family man role. But we¡¯re still in danger,¡± I said, letting out a sigh. At the moment, we were meeting not at a casual restaurant, but in a private room in mypound.


    Two cups of coffee sat on the mahogany table in front of us, along with scones on small tes we nibbled on as we spoke. There were organized papers next to both of us, as well, though most of what we spoke of, we typed on aptop.


    My cousin gave me a nod, letting out a soft sigh and reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He said, ¡°Times have been rather tough, James. With a lot of pressure from the fuzz, the value of bribes has only gone up. A pain in the rear, really.¡±


    I nodded, then asked, ¡°Have we sessfully made back our losses from thest interception?¡± I was referring to one of our shipments being crossed by another family who was far less than friendly. Ours had the power in these parts, but we still didn¡¯t avoid every single headache.


    ¡°We have,¡± Giovani said, now smiling somewhat. ¡°I have made that happen. I am rather sure the people who gave us trouble learned a harsh lesson that day. Trust me, James. I enjoy reminding people of their ce in this world if I have to.¡±


    Giovani had many sides to him, and this one could be downright frightening to most people. To me, it was a boon. Reminded me of myself, really, which was good. My thoughts once again touched on whether he would ept being a Don.


    He reveled in this business, after all, and could get the job done properly. I took a sip of my coffee in contemtion, eventually nodding. ¡°As fascinating as forensic technology is,¡± I said, ¡°it makes keeping bodies hidden an inconvenience.¡±


    ¡°True. At least we are no longer dealing with a civilian death toll. Keeping this stuff within the families has always been safer. Investigations and headlines would only get eyes on the family with the missing person in general,¡± Giovani said, taking another sip of his coffee.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got that right,¡± I said, my thoughts turning to Tally, and my heart clenching. I didn¡¯t want that to be the fate of Ba, or any of my other children. Giovani must have noticed that sh of sadness in my gaze because his smile turned sympathetic.


    ¡°Your family is safe, James. I will make sure of it. I promise. I admire you, you know,¡± my cousin said, dipping his head. ¡°You¡¯re made of tough stuff and have gone through a lot. You know how to solve issues when theye up. Far morepetent than others in the family.¡±


    ¡°Like Ronaldo?¡± I said with a smirk, prompting him to chuckle and nod.


    ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± Giovani said. He thought for a moment, then asked, ¡°Do you still n on transitioning to a smallerpound and reducing your workload? As a reminder, I don¡¯t mind picking it up.¡± A sinister smile crossed his face. ¡°I enjoy this line of work, after all.¡±


    I nodded in confirmation. While we¡¯d gotten used to thisrgerpound, that incident with Allison taught me we were out in the open a bit too much. My security team was excellent, but even they couldn¡¯t avoid what happened there.


    ¡°It would be safer for our growing family,¡± I said. ¡°I spoke with Ba and she agreed. She was over the moon at the suggestion, as a matter of fact. Our nanny, Madeline, doesn¡¯t mind the idea of moving either.¡±


    ¡°Good. Well, I have just the spot. It¡¯s still in Florence, but ways away from your currentpound. You won¡¯t be wanting for space, either, though it will be smaller,¡± he said, making a few clicks on hisptop before sending me a few details.


    I read them over and said absentmindedly, ¡°Space has never been an issue for us. We¡¯ve always had plenty of it and don¡¯t need a mansion. As long as we have the important rooms settled, I am happy, and so is Ba.¡±


    ¡°A mansion does seem excessive,¡± Giovani agreed, waiting for me to look over the details and give my go-ahead. This ce looked great, and it was near a small park Ba and I could take the kids to. Perfect, really. I smiled, then tilted my head.


    ¡°It looks excellent. We can start the transition process as soon as possible. Thankfully, it won¡¯t take us long, probably a day,¡± I said, then snickered. ¡°While there is a little yground nearby, a yscape for the kids would be nice for the days we don¡¯t want to take them to it.¡±


    ¡°One yscape to be built or carted over ASAP for our family man. Got it,¡± Giovani said with a wink. ¡°You sure it¡¯s not for you? Swinging around can be a massive stress relief.¡± His tone was humorous of course, as he poked fun at me.


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and shook my head. ¡°No time for hanging around, sadly,¡± I replied, causing him to chuckle as well. He typed up a few things to finalize the details, then gave me a nod.


    ¡°We are situated. Smallerpound for your growing family¨Csoon¨Cit is. Now you¡¯ll be less involved, just as you wanted,¡± Giovani said. ¡°As I said, I got most of this covered. You focus on your kids and your wedding.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said genuinely. Curiously, I asked, ¡°You seem pretty lenient on me being a Don and asking this much of you. Ax in my responsibilities, when ites down to it. Why is that?¡± I took a sip of my coffee, leaning forward to see what he had to say.


    Giovani nced up toward the ceiling thoughtfully, a small smile on his face. He said, ¡°Hm. Well, I don¡¯t mind helping out like this, James. But I also understand family. Family is very, very important to me, and I know it is for you, too. You¡¯re doing what¡¯s best for yours.¡±


    ¡°And you, for yours,¡± I said, realizing something. He was going above and beyond because he cared about me as well. Granted, that should have been obvious, but it was still something that struck me in a good way from time to time.


    The difference in our ages had prevented us from being too close before, especially when I lived in the United States and he was here. We¡¯d had some connection in the past, but not much. Now that we were living in the same city, he was eager to do more than just impress me because I was Don. Not that I worried otherwise. To members of the family with honor, Giovani had a good heart.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re getting it, James,¡± he chuckled. ¡°I hope you never doubted me. I¡¯d have to prove you wrong, say, a hundred times, or so. That, and give you the receipts. I think my little dance with Ronaldo and the mob you had on your back was good for my reputation, though.¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± I replied, thinking back to that report. That had gone incredibly smoothly, masterminded by Giovani working with Neal. Thank goodness for his efforts there, it was one less thing to worry about on my end.


    ¡°Well, the paperwork is finished, and I have informed the rest of the family of these ns. There was some grumbling, but they¡¯ll deal with it,¡± Giovani said with a wink. He downed thest bit of his coffee and stood up, giving me a nod. ¡°Ready to get situated?¡±


    I nodded, closing myptop and getting up myself. Moving day, though thankfully all of our things would be squared away by our hired men. Giovani took care of that aspect as well, though I could have. I was busy with my own business, separate from the family.


    Either that or spending time with Ba and the kids, something I enjoyed having time to do more and moretely. Ba kept gushing about the wedding, which warmed my heart. I found myself excited for it too, even if it was going to be a lot of work out of my wheelhouse.


    Exiting the room, I wandered down the hall and to the nursery to inform Madeline we were ready and get the kids set up. As I entered the room, Alessandro looked up and made grabby hands toward me. ¡°Dada! Dada!¡± he said, causing me to smile. ¡°F*ck!¡± he added.


    I just had tough, putting a hand on my forehead. While that word had been used against us in court, or, well¨Cthey tried to nail us with it¨CI still found myself amused. I walked over and swept the child up into my arms, giving him a big hug.


    ¡°Hello Alessandro,¡± I said softly, leaving a kiss on his forehead. He giggled, reaching up to poke at my nose.


    ¡°Hi!¡± he said, learning more and more wordstely. I felt a fuzzy, happy feeling flow through me at the joy in my son¡¯s voice. Then, I looked up to give a nod to Madeline, who wore a very warm smile, watching this interaction.


    I put Alessandro down for a moment, as Dahlia had taken notice and was crawling over, wanting attention as well. She, too, I swept up into my arms, hugging her close and giving her a kiss on the forehead.


    Then, I said to Madeline, ¡°We¡¯re ready to go. Rest assured, it will be a very low hassle.¡± Usually, moving was a pain, but we¡¯d have it taken care of for us. There would be a jumble for a day as we moved to the smallerpound, but that was it.


    ¡°Oh! Do not worry, do what you have to do. I will help upy the kids while things are situated,¡± she said. ¡°Moving day! So exciting.¡±


    I smiled, gave Dahlia onest hug, and exited the room. I sent a text to Ba, letting her know all was well, and that everyone was ready to start the transition to the smallerpound, which would be over in a sh.


    As I walked toward the front door, I passed by Giovani. I opened my mouth to greet him again, but stopped upon seeing him on the phone. His brows were knit, and he sounded somewhat agitated.


    Something was causing him distress, I knew, but he could handle it. I didn¡¯t want to intervene and make him think I was hovering. Therefore, I carried on and began directing security for moving protocol.


    Whatever it was, I knew he would take care of it. Even if, when he spoke, he had that cold, shark-like tone that meant he was very, very annoyed.

 Chapter 229 : Dress Shopping

    <h4>Chapter 229: Chapter 229 : Dress Shopping</h4>


    Ba.


    Thepound was abuzz with the uing wedding. I was d the move from therger to the smallerpound went so smoothly. The kids didn¡¯t even notice the change; Alessandro and Dahlia were as happy as ever.


    The only one who wasn¡¯t too delighted for us was my father, but there wasn¡¯t much I could do about it. James said he¡¯d talk to him again, though I doubted it would make a big difference. Thankfully, my stepmother seemed to be fully on my side.


    At that moment, I was sitting on our couch and trying to stop myself from the overwhelming excitement that overcame me. Today, I¡¯d be bridal gown shopping with my stepmother and Sophia. Sophia was going to make an amazing maid of honor. She was so good when it came to fashion and decor.


    Soon, security sent me a message saying the two women had arrived. When I went to the front lobby area, I was swept into the arms of my stepmother, who held me there tightly. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you!¡± she eximed, her voice keeling with excitement.


    ¡°Thank you, Tara,¡± I said, using the nickname my dad had started calling her recently. Turns out, my stepmom really loves tiramisu and couldn¡¯t get enough of it now that she lived in Italy. We called her Tara so much now, sometimes I couldn¡¯t even remember her real name! I chuckled, blushing a bit and returning the hug. I closed my eyes, overwhelmed with so much happiness. Things were just right, and this wedding was going to be amazing. I knew it. Dress shopping today was going to be dazzling.


    ¡°Hey, Ba,¡± Sophia said, giving a wink. ¡°How¡¯s the baby?¡± she asked, causing me to chuckle. I still couldn¡¯t believe she somehow knew to bring the pregnancy test that prompted me to go to the doctor and confirm the sickness was actually a new baby on the way.


    ¡°The doctor says the baby is doing wonderfully,¡± I said, causing her smile to widen. I pped my hands in excitement, saying, ¡°Let me go say goodbye to the children and check on Madeline. Then, we¡¯re well on our way!¡±


    The two women nodded, following me to no doubt say hello to the children and Madeline as well. I made my way to the new nursery that was set up. Plenty of room, still, for the kids and their mountains of toys! At the moment, Madeline was there taking care of them.


    Speaking of which, she looked up and dipped her head in greeting when we three arrived. ¡°Hey there, Ba!¡± she said. ¡°The kids were just talking about you. Sort of. Lots of ¡®mama¡¯ involved in their babbling,¡± she chuckled. I beamed at her, then looked over to the children.


    Dahlia was ying with a little pink horse, one of the ones James used to propose to me. I put a hand over my heart, still feeling so happy about that day, and how he did it. She looked up and gave me a wave, saying joyously, ¡°Mama!¡± I walked over to her and took her into my arms.


    Leaving a soft kiss on her forehead and grinning at her enthusiasm, I said, ¡°Hi, there, baby girl, look at how much you¡¯re growing! Mama can¡¯t wait to y with you when she gets hometer.¡± I poked her on the nose, causing her to giggle.


    Soon, though, she squirmed, impatient to get back to ying. I chuckled and put her on the ground, turning to approach Alessandro. The little boy was ying with one of the other pink horses, but also making them fight a little car.


    He kept bumping the toys into one another, his eyes gleaming with fascination. I wrapped my arms around him, causing him to squeal with annoyance. ¡°F*ck!¡± he said, thenughed. I couldn¡¯t help but start giggling at his reaction as well.


    ¡°Alessandro! Shh... not in front of everyone!¡± I gave Sophia and my stepmother a sheepish grin. They were trying to hide amused smiles, too. Eventually, Alessandro gave in, turning to give me a huge hug. I squeezed him a bit, then let him get back to ying.


    Lucky for them, I would only be an annoyance for so long! But I¡¯d be backter to y with them, that was for sure. After saying my goodbyes to the kids and bidding Madeline farewell for now, I was off to go shopping with the girls.


    The ride was pleasant, with the sun shining brightly overhead. We were headed to a gown shop that wasn¡¯t private, but was still rather expensive, something I could cover with my funds with ease. I wasn¡¯t afraid to spend a lot on this wedding. It was to be a special day.


    During the drive there, I chatted with Sophia and my stepmother. I exined, first, the big reveal I nned for James. ¡°I think the waiter knew that we had a little fun before dinner,¡± I said, blushing a bit and rubbing the back of my neck.


    ¡°Ba!¡± my stepmother said with augh, shaking her head. ¡°Though that entire day, and dinner following, sounds very romantic. James is such a wonderful father. I¡¯m honored to be his stepmother-inw,¡± she said. I nodded to her, beyond happy she approved.


    Sophia said, ¡°Tell us about the proposal! I heard it was something both very cute, and very special.¡± My stepmother nodded, causing me to close my eyes and grin widely at the memory of how wonderful my soon-to-be-husband¡¯s proposal had been.


    I went into detail as to what James did, then said, ¡°Involving the family made itpletely magical. He didn¡¯t have to do that, but he did. He¡¯s so happy about this baby, just like I am,¡± I said. ¡°Things are really working out for our family.¡±


    The other women gushed over this, asking plenty of questions as the car pulled into the lot. We parked and were helped out by security, who nked us as we approached the shop. The building was exquisite, withrge ss windows showing intricate dresses on disy.


    My heart began to pound with even more excitement. I entered the shop with the other two women in tow, greeted by a very kind associate. ¡°Ciao! Benvenuto!!¡± thedy working for the shop said with a huge smile. ¡°I can help you find the perfect dress today!¡±


    ¡°Hi, grazie¡± I said cheerfully, letting her lead us to the back and listening to the various questions she gave regarding the style of dress I wanted. ¡°I was thinking of something not too poofy, but also not something that will hug my figure too much. I¡¯m pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how wonderful!¡± the woman eximed, pping her hands. Sophia and my stepmother exchanged a nce in agreement, chatting away with one another and me as she went to the back to find a few perfect selections.


    I sat there practically glowing as I waited for a few dresses to be brought out. The first one arrived, looking gorgeous. This one had bits of flowing cloth falling down to the floor, blush-pink in color. There were white flowers patterned on it, though not necessarily roses. Hmm...


    ¡°I¡¯d love to try it on,¡± I said, knowing the first one would likely not be my choice, but wanting to try it on anyway. I slipped into the dressing room, taking some time to get into the dress so as to not risk ripping it, despite how excited I was, of course.


    When I was finished, I did a little twirl in the mirror, then emerged to where Sophia and Tara were waiting. Immediately, their eyes widened, and they let out soft squeals of approval. Sophia pped her hands, and Tara put a hand over her heart.


    ¡°Ba,¡± Tara said, ¡°that¡¯s beautiful. It fits you so well! Your favorite color, too, without being overwhelming.¡± Sophia nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I think it looks gorgeous, Ba. Is that one you like too?¡± she asked. I thought for a moment and gave a slow nod, wearing a soft smile.


    ¡°Sort of,¡± I replied. ¡°I want to try on more of them, but this one may be an option. I was thinking more of a rose theme, though, and these flowers aren¡¯t quite there yet,¡± I said. The two women nodded in agreement to what I said, murmuring that roses would indeed be a better fit.


    The next few dresses were also beautiful, but not quite right. One was a bit too poofy, even if not overly so. One hugged my figure just a bit too much but had a rose design that I fell in love with. Sadly, it just wasn¡¯tfortable enough to give the green light.


    Eventually, I came out of the dressing room in a gown that had my eyes widened and my heart pounding. The dress was absolutely perfect. As I did a twirl in front of the others, feeling the movement of the dress along with my body, I knew it was the one.


    The dress had flowing fabric on the lower half, a slightly brighter pink than the first dress, but not overly so. Rose designs seemed to drip down the bottom of the dress, which was a beautiful choice of design.


    The upper half was also made of flowers as if I¡¯d be lying in a field of them while walking around. They were small, though, so they didn¡¯t immediately catch the eye as a bunch of flowers until someone got closer. It would be perfect for pictures.


    Sophia and my stepmother¡¯s jaws dropped. They exchanged a nce and gasped, eyeing me up and down. My stepmother spoke first. ¡°Ba,¡± she breathed. ¡°That one looks magical on you. Just the right fit and style. It feels so... you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I agree,¡± Sophia said, giving a nod. ¡°Not that the other dresses didn¡¯t also make you look like the princess you are. But this one? It¡¯s too perfect. Are you going with it?¡± she asked, tilting her head curiously. I smiled and gave a nod.


    Breathlessly, I said, ¡°I think this is the one. It feels so right. James is going to love it. Oh, it¡¯s so beautiful!¡± I added. That¡¯s when the tears began to flow down my face, and I covered it, my emotions overwhelming me suddenly.


    The two women got up and held me there in a warm hug. I was so happy, this dress was so beautiful, our family was safe, and this wedding would be wonderful. It had taken some hurdles to get through, but here we were.


    With that, I got out of the dress and made the purchase. It¡¯d be hidden from James until the big day, of course. Sophia gave me a huge hug, and I told her to go with a light-hearted, bright theme for her dress. I didn¡¯t have anything specific in mind.


    ¡°Let me take you both out to lunch,¡± my stepmother said on the way out of the shop. I beamed at her, loving that idea and the chance to spend more time with them. Both Sophia and I agreed, and soon, we were off to eat at a restaurant of her choosing.


    The wedding preparation was going so smoothly, and now, I had a beautiful dress that James would undoubtedly adore as I did. My heart sang with happiness. This was going to be magical.

 Chapter 230 : Spending Time Together

    <h4>Chapter 230: Chapter 230 : Spending Time Together</h4>


    Ba.


    ¡°I think this hall would be wonderful,¡± I said to James, giving a happy smile. At the moment, we were going over wedding ns. We were rounding even more things out, which was beyond exciting. Everyone was adjusting to the move well, too.


    I¡¯d jumped at the suggestion of a smallerpound. I didn¡¯t mind the downgrade in size. What was more important was that fewer eyes would be on us. We¡¯d have another baby soon, and less stress would be wonderful. I could settle down as a mother.


    Still, James was acting a tad distant, causing me to tilt my head. ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked, causing him to snap his attention to me. He furrowed his brow, no doubt embarrassed, and gave a sheepish grin. He scanned the page on my screen.


    I turned to study him for a moment, asking softly, ¡°Is everything okay?¡± As stressed as I was about him being the Don, I learned to work with him as opposed to getting so angry. That never helped the situation, after all. Took a while, but betterte than never.


    ¡°Yes,¡± James said, letting out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m just tired. Work things, and all. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± he said. I nodded, wondering if he could use some seducing. Was he too tired for fun? I didn¡¯t want to pester him if he was. When we finished going over these ns, I would give him a hint.


    James refocused and looked at the hall, giving it his full attention and smiling broadly. ¡°This looks perfect, yes. You wanted a fairy tale theme?¡± he asked, causing me to chuckle and give a shrug.


    ¡°Well, the kids will be there, but also, it fits with the pink horses and unicorns thing.¡± I blushed a bit, thinking back to how he proposed to me. It was cute and kiddish, but it worked for me, and made me happy. That was what mattered. ¡°I wanted things to be lighthearted.¡±


    He nodded, giving a wink. ¡°We¡¯ll get some pink and white balloons, then. My suit won¡¯t need to be pink, right?¡± he asked, crinkling his nose. Iughed at him, turning my head to give him a kiss on the cheek and shaking my head.


    ¡°No. Unless you get me angry enough. There won¡¯t be shouting, just the demand of a pink suit. Try not to step on my toes while going to the kitchen, in that case,¡± I said, my tone a light-hearted and joking one. James chuckled along with me.


    ¡°As you wish, your majesty,¡± he said. He turned to give me a full, deep kiss on the lips, something I dly epted. A feeling of bliss washed over me at how tender he was. Things really had been changing for the better, and I couldn¡¯t be happier.


    We went over a few other ns, such as the guests we would invite. James¡¯s family would be there, including Giovani, who he said helped him with many things. Including nning out that proposal! How clever.


    I was happy for James and trusted him with all my heart now. Problems had kepting up for us, but as he promised, they were always taken care of. That lingering incident with Allison hung on my mind a bit, but I thought about it less now that we¡¯d moved to this smallerpound.


    Security seemed to rx a bit more too. Not in terms of attentiveness, but just general demeanor. I thought we all felt that this ce was safer. No more Cartwrights sending people and trying to hurt my family. At least, I hoped so.


    Anyway, when we finished going over a few more important items, I turned my head to study James. I asked, ¡°Are you feeling well enough to take me to bed? You look like you need it with how stressed you are.¡± My tone was sultry.


    James blinked, a hungry grin spreading across his face. In no time, I was swept up into his arms, though more gently than usual since I was carrying a child. I let out a joyousugh as he ced me on the bed, giving me a wink.


    ¡°I do need it, thank you, Ba. I want to hear you moaning for me,¡± he said, his voice dripping with wanting. He took no time to remove my clothing, but slowed then, wanting to give a proper buildup first. I shuddered as he began nting kisses on my belly and torso.


    His fingers began to brush against the most sensitive areas on my skin. I closed my eyes, getting lost in the sensation as he traced along my body. Eventually, he made his way to the sensitive flesh between my thighs. I let out a gasp as he slipped a finger in.


    He inserted another, then a third, causing me to arch my back and let out a moan. I wanted more. The rich feeling of pleasure rushed through my body, and intensified, as James began to rub at my cl*t. Fluid began to spill from me, encouraging James further.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, baby,¡± he said softly, climbing on top of me while he continued those actions. He leaned down and gave me a deep kiss, intensifying the movements of his hand and causing me to moan into the kiss. He gave a low grunt, and I could tell he was aroused now too.


    He removed his fingers and ground against me, taking a nipple into his mouth and sucking hard. I let out a gasp, squirming beneath him, wanting him to take me as soon as possible.


    James was focused on keeping the buildup going so that I would have a sweeter release, though. Much to my dismay. I wanted him now!


    He let go of my nipple, only to give attention to the other. The way he swirled it with his tongue had more groans and moans spilling from me. Finally, I had to say, ¡°James, f*ck me. I need it. Please.¡± He enjoyed it when I begged him, that much I could tell.


    He began to grind even harder, reaching down to undo his pants. His c*ck sprang out, throbbing and ready to fill mepletely. I bit my lip, wanting him to do so now, and wiggled my hips for emphasis. Finally, he gave me what I wanted.


    James	impaled me with his c*ck, causing me to cry out with wanting. I encouraged him to go harder, wrapping my arms around his torso and moving my hips with his thrusts. Pleasure coursed through me as the buildup to my release intensified.


    He leaned to whisper into my ear, ¡°Like that, baby? You¡¯re doing so good, taking me like this. I¡¯ll go harder if you want. Do you want me to go harder?¡± His voice was sultry and deep, causing me to let out a moan and squirm.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I whispered. ¡°Harder, James. Please, harder.¡± He gave me exactly what I wanted, going rougher as he mmed into me. My breasts jiggled as he took me with more intensity. The grunts and groans pouring from his lips caused me to gasp out with delight.


    The feeling of his body pressing me down was addictive, and I was caught in the bliss of everything. I closed my eyes as James reached down and rubbed my cl*t while he pounded into me, forcing even more fluid to spill from me, and my moans to grow louder and more desperate


    Momentster, my muscles clenched, and I let out a loud cry. I exploded around James, giving into my pleasure and letting a release wash over me. I felt him orgasm at the same time. A loud grunt spilled from his lips, one that sent shivers through me.


    The Italian Stallionid on top of me for a moment before moving his face to mine, locking me into a deep, tender kiss. I wrapped my arms around him, too tired for another round. The baby took a lot out of me, after all!


    I could tell exhaustion radiated from him as well. ¡°Thank you, Ba,¡± he whispered into my ear after breaking the kiss. I let out a happy hum as he rolled off and pulled the nkets up to cover me. He went to the bathroom to take care of things before returning to take me into his arms.


    My eyes closed as afterglow cocooned me. For a few hours, I fell asleep with James, able to take a long nap following sex. I felt sofortable and warm, so happy in his arms. Eventually, I woke up before him, confirming his ¡®I¡¯m tired¡¯ response. At least somewhat.


    I knew there was something more, but I didn¡¯t n on pressuring him to tell me. Rather, I got up to go visit the kids and see how they were. I entered the nursery, which was now set up properly, thankfully not something that had taken too long.


    ¡°Hi, Ba,¡± Madeline said warmly. ¡°How did the wedding nning go?¡± I blushed at that question and cleared my throat, taking a seat and watching the kids y. We at least got something done before sex!


    ¡°It went well,¡± I said. ¡°James was tired after we spoke for a bit, so we took a nap. I got up before him, wanted to visit the kids.¡± I smiled as Dahlia crawled over to me, making grabby hands and showing she wanted to be picked up.


    I swept her into my arms and snuggled her close, cing a raspberry on her cheek and causing her to giggle like mad. Her happiness made my heart sing, and I found myself beyond thrilled at how much she was growing.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been wonderful!¡± Madeline said, looking toward my tummy curiously. ¡°How have you been feelingtely? All is well per the doctor¡¯s observation, I hope?¡± she asked, ever thoughtful and concerned about my well-being and the developing baby¡¯s.


    I smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, everything¡¯s wonderful. Noplications, which is such a relief. Don¡¯t need the added stress. Sophia is nning a baby shower, and we need to set up a new room for the baby. We have a few free ones in thispound, after all. One next to the nursery.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know the room you¡¯re talking about. It¡¯d be perfect!¡± Madeline eximed. Her smile widened, and she said, ¡°If you need me to help you set it up, I definitely can. In fact, I would be honored.¡±


    Dahlia giggled and squirmed in my arms, indicating she wanted to be let down. I smiled and put her on the ground, watching as she crawled off to go y with some toys. Then, I refocused on Madeline and nodded.


    ¡°That would be lovely. Thanks so much, Madeline. I really appreciate all you do for us,¡± I said, trying not to tear up or be overemotional. Lately, I¡¯d been so happy, and despite the lingering sadness from the incident, my joy took center stage.


    After chatting with Madeline about the baby shower for a while, I started ying with the kids for a few hours while she went out for errands. Things were finally looking up.

 Chapter 231 : Phone Call with Neal

    <h4>Chapter 231: Chapter 231 : Phone Call with Neal</h4>


    Allegra.


    Spinning to show off mytest outfit on the catwalk, I felt so alive. My hair flowed down my back, and I felt like I was on top of the world. My heart pounded, and my smile was simply radiant. Cheers rang out from either end of the catwalk as I set yet another trend.


    When the show was over, I met with my boss, who couldn¡¯t stop showering me with praise. ¡°You¡¯re KILLING it, Allegra,¡± he said, his voice dripping with awe. I nodded in agreement, beaming at him.


    ¡°Thank you for giving me this chance. I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t end up regretting it given some of the restrictions thate with me,¡± I said, still cursing the fact that I was banned from the United States. It made many things inconvenient, but here I was, happy anyway.


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± he said with augh. ¡°No regrets, none whatsoever! You¡¯re a star, Allegra, I can¡¯t emphasize that enough. Top of the line, of a perfect stock, you have so much enthusiasm you bring to the catwalk that it radiates from you.¡±


    We exchanged a hug, and I prepared to leave for the day. I had to refrain from skipping, because I was in such a good mood. At home, I would see La, a princess who was more than perfect. Speaking of no regrets, that applied to me being with her again.


    There had always been a worry in the back of my mind that, once again, something would go wrong. She was constantly apologetic, though, and soon, my worries evaporated. Now I had to lecture her that it had happened and was done. We could move on.


    On the way home, I put on some rock music, bobbing my head to it and wearing a huge smile. Everything was wonderful. This time, I had a feeling deep down I wouldn¡¯t be knocked off my pedestal, at least when it came to La.


    I pulled into the garage and found my designated parking spot. Then, I made my way to the front door, looking through my keys and opening it. When I entered, I was greeted with a happy ¡®meow¡¯ and couldn¡¯t help but widen my grin.


    We had rescued a cat from a local organization. His fur was pitch ck, and his eyes were amber. I named him Onyx, because the shine of his fur reminded me of such gemstones. I bent down and pet him, saying softly, ¡°Hey there, kitty kitty. Hungry?¡±


    The cat meowed at me as if understanding my question, causing me to chuckle. I made my way to the kitchen and began pouring him some food. From the other room, I heard the television going. As I began to make some noise, however, it got turned off.


    Bounding into the room was the gorgeous La, who wrapped her arms around me. ¡°Allegra!¡± she said, her voice dripping with adoration. ¡°How was work?¡± She stared at me expectantly, and I knew what she wanted.


    I smiled at her, bending my head down to ce my lips against hers. She melted in my arms, her entire body rxing and a grunt of joy emitting from her as we exchanged a deep kiss. Sparks of ecstasy rushed through my body at the tender moment we had.


    Breaking the kiss to take a breath and reply, I said, ¡°It went wonderfully. I bedazzled the audience, as usual. Got several gorgeous pictures taken. They¡¯re getting better at those. I¡¯m on the top of my game and couldn¡¯t be happier, La.¡±


    She smiled at me, cupping my cheek and whispering, ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯te this time.¡± La usually tried toe to all of my runway shows, but she¡¯d had an appointment this time and couldn¡¯t make it. She gave me another hug before bending down to pet Onyx and give him some attention, too. The cat had been brushing against our legs, demanding it, after all!


    I let La y with Onyx for a moment before sweeping her into my arms and carrying her into the living room. She chuckled during this, rxing in my arms and enjoying the fact that I was carrying her like a princess, no doubt.


    We got there, and I asked, ¡°How¡¯s the job search been?¡± Thankfully, she¡¯d dropped the live-in nanny career. I wanted to spend time with her and see her more, so I was d we saw eye-to-eye on that.


    ¡°It¡¯s been going. I may take care of some kids a few houses over. It wouldn¡¯t be overnight or anything, don¡¯t worry, and just five days after school, from about 3:30 PM to 9:30 PM. I¡¯d have weekends off, all of which I could spend with you.¡±


    I smiled at her, giving her a nod. ¡°That sounds perfect. Besides, I think we know the breadwinner of this household,¡± Iughed, giving her a wink. She blushed, but we both knew I was now making it big with my modeling career again. We didn¡¯t need a bigger space, admittedly.


    La and I had discussed whether we should put our focus on moving anywhere more extravagant, and both came to the conclusion that we were happy in this fairlyrge apartment. We didn¡¯t need a house, and the neighbors were very nice.


    I was content with settling here, as was she. We settled in to watch a movie together, this one a family one. Something she enjoyed immensely, and I found a lot of fun in as well. I had a soft spot for fantasy, after all, and many elements of that were in these movies.


    Eventually, I got up from the couch and asked, ¡°What do you want for lunch? I can make something delicious for us.¡± La beamed at me and went silent in thought for a moment, her eyes gleaming.


    ¡°Your spinach tarts with a side of sd sounds nice,¡± she said. I saluted her, stealing onest tender kiss before making my way to the kitchen and setting up the ingredients. I put a kettle on the stove for us to share some tea, as well.


    Humming as I prepared the ingredients, I set up things perfectly for lunch. Soon, the smell of food in the oven filled the area, causing my stomach to rumble and my mouth to water. La¡¯s suggestion was, as expected, simply perfect.


    While I waited for the food to cook, I looked over to see my phone lighting up. I was getting a call, something I missed initially. I walked over to the counter and grabbed it, tapping through it to see who it could be.


    It was Neal.


    I swallowed hard, recalling I had yet to tell him anything about La and I making up. At this point, La and I had been together for a few weeks, and all was well. He would definitely not take well to this news. He would find out soon, too, given he lived in the area.


    Mustering up the courage, I finally dialed his number, cing the phone against my ear and waiting for him to answer. I would hold my ground when faced with him on the subject of La. For now, I didn¡¯t want to bring that up and stress over it.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Neal said. The tone of his voice was off, as though he was deep in some mncholy thought. My stomach twisted at that tone. I knew when heavy things were on my brother¡¯s mind, he wasn¡¯t the best at hiding as much from me.


    ¡°Hey. You called? Is everything alright?¡± I asked, hoping something else didn¡¯te up simr to the mob situation.


    ¡°Yes, everything¡¯s fine. Just called to check in, but also to mention I heard about Ba¡¯s wedding. I wanted to visit her onest time,¡± he said, causing me to furrow my brow and let out a sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised at you, Neal. I thought you were over her. She¡¯s settling in now. Has a new kid on the way. Word from the grapevine is I may get a wedding invite myself. I¡¯m still in contact with Ba and would need to send her my address, though,¡± I said.


    We¡¯d made amends, for the most part, and there were no hard feelings between us. Neutral, really, with the potential to rekindle a true friendship. Of course, that may change when she learned about me being with La, but I didn¡¯t want to think about that right now.


    ¡°I am over her,¡± my brother said, causing me to raise a skeptical brow on my end. I clutched the phone more tightly, trying to detect a lie in his tone. He and I didn¡¯t always see eye-to-eye, and I could tell this situation might blossom into exactly that.


    ¡°Right,¡± I muttered, letting out another sigh. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not pulling my leg on this, Neal. You know she¡¯s done ying your games,¡± I scolded. I was too. Sure, I¡¯d not gotten over La myself, but my situation was a bit different.


    La wasn¡¯t taken. She made a mistake, which we¡¯ve since worked through. We can be happy together and see to all of our dreams. My brother had a tendency totch on and not let go when he should let things lie.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Neal said. ¡°I want to visit as a friend. As I said, I heard about the wedding. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯d be invited, but I wanted to wish her well,¡± he added. This didn¡¯t abolish my skepticism by any means, and rather, caused me to grumble a bit.


    ¡°Then why would it be onest time if you¡¯d visit as a friend?¡± I asked, my tone shifting to an annoyed one. ¡°You don¡¯t have to stop seeing her if you¡¯re truly visiting as a friend. Otherwise, ¡®for onest time¡¯ would mean you¡¯re seeing her while wanting her. For onest time.¡±


    I could see through the fog sometimes, especially if it was his fog. The hesitance on the other end of the line caused me to give a low groan. He couldn¡¯t be serious. This was unhealthy for him, and I really hoped his spiel about moving on had been true.


    ¡°Just trust me,¡± Neal muttered. ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything ridiculous or think we¡¯d actually get together, especially at a wedding. I said ¡®onest time¡¯ because I doubt she will want to keep in contact with me after I pestered her.¡±


    ¡°I thought your phone call with her went well. The one where she told you to no longer fret about Tally, because you weren¡¯t the one who killed her,¡± I said, recalling his description of the call. It¡¯d been after Ba had offed Allison. Good riddance to that b*tch if you asked me.


    Ba was made of more fragile stuff than I was, however, so I wasn¡¯t surprised it had impacted her more deeply. What I was surprised to hear was Neal consoling her and admitting he thought he¡¯d killed Tally. I was d he gave that call and that she¡¯d answered.


    He could be at peace, supposedly. But here he was, calling to tell me this. I was none too thrilled. ¡°It did,¡± he said, hesitating. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t change things. Just because the phone call went well doesn¡¯t mean she won¡¯t be wary of me. Onest visit as a friend, then.¡±


    ¡°Not a fan of how weird you sound,¡± I snapped at him, but then sighed. ¡°Fine, though. Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± I hung up, agitated at this behavior and unable to help myself.


    I meant it. He better not do anything stupid.

 Chapter 232 : Something is Off

    <h4>Chapter 232: Chapter 232 : Something is Off</h4>


    James.


    ¡°All is well, James,¡± Giovani said, looking over the list he made on his phone. He nced up to give me a reassuring smile, but I wasn¡¯t buying it.


    Something was wrong. I reached up and ran my fingers through my hair, letting out a sigh.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure? I have noticed a lot of odd going-onstely,¡± I said. Giovani tilted his head as if confused by this. At the moment, we were sitting at our kitchen table in thepound. Giovani took a long sip from his coffee and nodded.


    ¡°I am,¡± he said, giving me a smile. ¡°I have yet to let you down, James, and I don¡¯t intend on starting anytime soon,¡± he said. He leaned back in his chair and then asked, ¡°What odd going-ons, then?¡±


    ¡°The feeling of being watched, which I suppose I should get used to. I caught people in dark clothing staring from the distance, however, before scurrying off like rats,¡± I said, a frown stered on my face at the memory of that.


    Ba had been around when that happened, and I¡¯d apparently had a very concerned expression on my face. She was chatting away about the wedding and baby shower, so excited and wonderful. I wished I could pay more attention there.


    Instead, I was worrying about these things. ¡°Not to mention, random intervals of my security reporting suspicious people near the premises, never close enough to confront,¡± I said, taking a sip of my coffee and sighing.


    ¡°Paranoia, perhaps?¡± Giovani said, shrugging. ¡°But, I am always one to say trust your instincts. However, if your family has merit, you trust that, too. I believe I have a lot of merit now. Like I said, whatever it is concerning you, let me take care of it.¡±


    I shot him a skeptical stare and finally nodded, trying to at least take his word for it. I had a feeling he was hiding something, withholding information, but why? ¡°You would tell me if there was a problem, right Giovani?¡± I asked slowly.


    ¡°Would I?¡± Giovani said, giving me a soft smile. I really hoped he wasn¡¯t ying around. This was serious, and after all the shit I went through, I needed to know there wasn¡¯t something else going on that would be a rug pull like Allison.


    Then, he continued. ¡°Why overstress, James? You have this ordeal to worry about. A new child on the way. You may be worried about your children and soon-to-be-wife, but rest assured, I have many bullets I would feed to people who cross you wrong.¡±


    Well, that was true. Giovani took our rtionship very seriously. We were very close as cousins, even if we hadn¡¯t spoken too much over these past few years. He took family that he deemed worthy seriously, and well, he deemed me worthy. Still.


    I sighed and eventually nodded. ¡°Rx, right. Well, I will try to do so. But Giovani, please. If you discover something, tell me right away. I need to help take care of this and protect my family. You know how important that is more than anyone.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Giovani said. ¡°Which is why I would be the one to take care of it, if there was a problem. Though, since you¡¯re very concerned right now, I¡¯ll have some of my associates look into it. I will give your security a list of my people so they know what to look for.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said sincerely, and Giovani smiled in response as if he knew something I didn¡¯t. I opened my mouth to say something more, but he downed the rest of his coffee in a few gulps, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and stood.


    ¡°I should be going, though, James. Much to do. Have a business ¡®transaction¡¯ to settle that may need to be settled less than peacefully. Focus on Ba and the kids, alright? Again, I have it taken care of,¡± he said. I watched him leave and grumbled.


    Eventually, I returned to my office, working on Don business briefly, but then discovering a lot of what I had to get done had been covered by Giovani. He left a few notes on the shared documents we were in regarding how he had most pieces covered.


    I took care of a few stray items and then focused on the other part of my business. Investments were going well, at least, and I would have even more sustainable ie here soon. Not as streamlined as in the United States, but more pleasant.


    A knock came on my door, causing me to look up. ¡°Come in,¡± I said. Ba entered, giving me a big smile and rushing over to wrap her arms around me. I chuckled and returned her hug, beyond thrilled that she was so excited.


    ¡°James!¡± she said, letting out a soft sigh. ¡°I need help deciding between two invitations. Can you join me outside for some lunch? I¡¯d love your opinion.¡± She was dripping with enthusiasm, which warmed my heart.


    ¡°Of course, love,¡± I said, then leaned down and gave her a kiss on the lips. I put aside my work and worries, for now, standing up to go join Ba outside. The sun was shining above with not a cloud in the sky, allowing the atmosphere to be very warm.


    The yard was clear and beautiful, something that would be great for the kids when they coulde out here more. I considered suggesting a yscape for them at some point. I could have some of the people working for me build it.


    Sitting down at the table, I gave a nod to security, who were on guard as usual. Hopefully, they wouldn¡¯t see any suspicious behavior. I was tired of it and wanted to leave that behind to focus on my family¡¯s future.


    Ba brought out some sandwiches for us, a lighter lunch than usual that I was perfectly content with. I took a few bites, smiling at her. ¡°Thank you, Ba,¡± I said, telling myself to rx and enjoy my time here with her.


    ¡°You¡¯re very wee, James,¡± she replied, bringing out a folder and putting aside her lunch for a moment to look at the invitations. They had a readable but wispy font, characteristic of something Ba would enjoy.


    One was decorated with pink roses, while the other one had abination of roses and silhouettes of horses. Both were very well formatted and pleasing to the eye, with a light, whimsical color scheme. I studied both, then pointed to the one with less going on.


    ¡°The one with just the flowers looks a bit calmer, though the one with extras is rather eye-catching. I prefer the more simplistic approach myself. You can say a lot with slightly less,¡± I said. Ba beamed at me and nodded, slipping the examples back into their folder.


    ¡°Thank you, James. I really appreciate your help with that. It was taking me far too long to decide. I will get more made and then send them out. Oh, this wedding is going to be wonderful!¡± she said, letting out a soft sigh.


    She reached out over the table and grabbed my hand, squeezing it. My smile widened back at her, and I returned her enthusiasm with a kind, affectionate tone. ¡°More than happy to help, my love.¡±


    As we chatted more about the wedding, I got that odd feeling of being watched again. My eyes slid over to the woods behind thepound, but I couldn¡¯t spot anything. Then, I looked over to security, but there was no change in them either.


    A trick of the light, perhaps? I frowned, wondering if this all was just paranoia from never catching a break given mafia business. Giving a shrug, I returned to eating my sandwich and spending time with Ba, loving her enthusiasm.


    ¡°My father is visiting, by the way,¡± she said carefully, causing me to wince and raise a brow. I finished my sandwich in the next two bites, then let out a sigh. He did not like me one bit. This wasn¡¯t going to be fun.


    ¡°Oh?¡± I said, then nodded. ¡°Maybe we can talk things out. I assume he still doesn¡¯t approve of this, or me, in general.¡± Ba gave a sad nod, probably having not spoken to him as well extensively about it. She invited him to the wedding, though, that much I knew. They were very closer.


    A few hourster, that talk was to be had, and I sat in front of him at the table. He stared at me coldly, confirming my worries and causing me to inwardly feel rather frustrated. I wished he would be more mature about matters and actually be happy for Ba and me.


    Too much to ask, however. I opened my mouth to say something, but he cut me off. ¡°Look. I still do not approve of this, at all,¡± he said, his voice dripping with venom, practically. He shook his head, clenching his jaw and letting out an annoyed sigh.


    Then, he continued. ¡°I just want you out of my life.¡± That didn¡¯t make much logical sense, at all, if they still intended to see their daughter. I doubted they did, given how he was speaking. But, here they were, so they had some kernel of care.


    ¡°I am d you can be happy for Ba,¡± I said very sarcastically, my stare equally as cold when regarding him. Honestly, I was growing tired of these games with him. Ba had made her decision, and his own inability to ept it blocked him from seeing what was best for her.


    His lip twitched, and he looked as though he was going to snap something back. I, however, raised my hand to shut him up and shook my head. ¡°You are here to support her. Not ept me. I get it. You can disapprove all you would like. Ba is happy now, which is what matters.¡±


    ¡°That is all that matters. And that hopefully, we won¡¯t have to run into each other a lot in the future,¡± he said through his teeth. ¡°I still don¡¯t approve of your past.¡±


    If he were any other person, I¡¯d take that part about my future as a potential death threat.


    ¡°Trust me, with how you continue to act, and what you continue to say, the feeling is mutual,¡± I replied. ¡°I believe this conversation is over.¡± I did not feel like tolerating this close-minded, overly-protective father any longer, someone who couldn¡¯t ept his own daughter¡¯s happiness.


    I told myself that with my children, I would be far more open-minded and there for them. I may not approve of their decisions, but I would be willing to change, unlike their grandfather, who had no more valid reasons to be this way. Everything he was worried about was over.


    Ba¡¯s father slinked off after this conversation, possibly to speak with her, but I didn¡¯t care. I sat there, staring at a wall in annoyance for a minute before standing and returning to my office for more work.

 Chapter 233 : Rude Butler

    <h4>Chapter 233: Chapter 233 : Rude Butler</h4>


    James.


    ¡®There he is, being an asshole again,¡¯ I thought to myself, my jaw clenched as I watched the new butler, Sylvio, scurry about and set things up. Ba and I were currently at the hall where the wedding would be taking ce. She¡¯d hired a butler who was no less than a pain in my side.


    He favored little underhanded insults he thought would go over my head. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the groom. Beg my pardon, sir. I just assumed you were the father of the bride,¡± he¡¯d said. Comments like that drove me nuts.


    At the moment, he was setting up some tablecloths and carrying some chairs over while I oversaw that everything would be going well. I leaned against the wall, my eyes narrowed as I observed, annoyed that he did his job well.


    Giovani was also here, always one to help out during times like this. ¡°Friend of yours, then?¡± I asked, my tone a bit tired. Giovani chuckled in response, though it wasn¡¯t a kind one as he looked at the butler through narrowed eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, I know the guy. He¡¯s done a lot of work for families in the area. He is obnoxious but good at his job,¡± Giovani replied. ¡°I think ¡®friend¡¯ is a stretch. More like a convenient person to know, who is expensive but worth it.¡± He gave Ba a wave as the woman entered the hall to help out where she could.


    Though we had hired quite a bit of outside help to set things up and make it perfect, Ba wanted some part in helping out here as well. I couldn¡¯t me her; this was going to be a big day for the both of us.


    Madeline was here with the kids, making sure to watch over them and discourage them from getting underfoot. Alessandro and Dahlia yed around with toys they brought, behaving very well. I smiled, looking forward to having them at the wedding with us.


    Some people opted for childless weddings, but Ba and I wanted the opposite. There would be plenty of hired help to watch over the kids of parents who wanted to bring them but also get some time to themselves that night. In our case, we had Madeline, but she had be such a close friend to us that we wanted her to have a break and be able to enjoy the wedding, too, so there would be other nannies avable for our own children as well. All of them vetted, of course.


    Sylvio approached Ba. They were standing close enough to me that I could hear their conversation. They weren¡¯t being all that quiet, either. The butler said, ¡°Oh, Ba, you look beautiful today! Your children are adorable. You have such a sense of style, dear.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± Ba said cheerfully, smiling at the man and giggling with joy. She did a little twirl, then regarded the children who were having the time of their life, ying around and exploring while trailed by our nanny. ¡°You are doing a wonderful job with setting up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Sylvio replied. ¡°Don¡¯t worry or strain yourself here. That¡¯s my job! We will make this a perfect night for you. I would ask your fiance to help out a bit, but he might get winded¨Ca man of his age,¡± he chortled, motioning over to where Giovani and I were sitting. ¡°We won¡¯t disturb those two.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, having been more than willing to help, but my offers had been refused. Ba chuckled at hisment and looked up to beam at me, her eyes twinkling. I couldn¡¯t resist that look and smiled back, blowing her a kiss. ¡°Oh, stop, Sylvio,¡± she said, at least defending me. ¡°I¡¯ve told them not to help. I want James to enjoy this day.¡±


    At least Ba was happy, here and now. That made my heart warm. Imented to Giovani, ¡°Obnoxious is correct. He seems to have a bounty of nice things to say to Ba but has been making underhanded insults toward me this entire time.¡± Sylvio wasn¡¯t exactly Ba¡¯s age either, though he was younger than me. He was one of those guys who always thought he could charm everyone in a skirt.


    ¡°Hm, well, I hope you¡¯re not letting it get to you,¡± Giovani said, wearing a knowing smile. ¡°Problems like him usually tend to work themselves out. One way or another.¡± What in the world did he mean by that? I gave him a sideways nce in confusion.


    ¡°Are you nning something? Care to enlighten me?¡± I asked, wondering why he was being so cryptictely. Giovani shook his head, giving a chuckle and turning to ce a hand on my shoulder, shaking it somewhat.


    ¡°No, no of course not. I¡¯m just speaking metaphorically. I mean, I am always nning something, James, but I¡¯m not nning to take out the butler. My concern is you. You have been very uptight and worriedtely despite this being the time of your life. Ba doesn¡¯t notice it. You melt like butter on a stove for hertely. In the best of ways. It is cute. I do have an eye on things, though.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, tilting my head. I asked him a bit about those off-feelings, and if there was something going on, but he never stopped reassuring me that all was well. Even if I had a feeling it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°We both know you have some things left untied, but it really isn¡¯t something you yourself should be worried about. Family is important to us. If there were malicious entities dancing around in the shadows, that would be my business, even if they were after you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Are there?¡± I asked, my voice a bit edged. Giovani chuckled and gave me a look. He let go of my shoulder and stretched, then cracked his neck. He turned to observe the hall being set up with tables and decorations again.


    ¡°What did I just say?¡± he said cheerfully. He then said, ¡°This is a wonderful choice of decorations, by the way. Did you and Ba pick them out together?¡± He was genuine even if clearly changing the subject. I sighed, then nodded. ¡°Good taste,¡± he finished.


    With that, Giovani dismissed himself for a bit, getting a call regarding matters he needed to take care of. I was left here, for now, watching the butler and Ba interact. That guy was incredibly annoying, a feeling I really couldn¡¯t shake.


    I couldn¡¯t wait until my interaction with him was said and done because he really ground my gears. He definitely wouldn¡¯t be offered a long-term position after the wedding was over.


    Ba went off to check on the children when he approached me, a snide look on his face. He said, ¡°Your soon-to-be wife is wonderful. The two of you are so very different, sir. It leaves one to wonder how she ended up with someone like you.¡±


    I remained polite, though I spoke through a clenched jaw. ¡°We have had our ups and downs, but are very happy together. Our family is growing, and in a very good spot.¡± It took me everything not to respond with my own snarkiness. Who did he think he was, speaking to me like that?


    ¡°Oh, married because of the kids, huh? Always a shame to see that happen,¡± hemented, once again tossing in that underhanded insult that was driving me up the wall. I twitched an eye, then shook my head.


    ¡°Not at all. The kids deserve married parents, yes, but we genuinely love each other. Again, we had many ups and downs, but matters worked out in the end for both of us, and we are very happy together,¡± I said, wondering why I had to defend myself to this guy.


    ¡°How sweet,¡± he said, though I doubted he meant it. He looked me up and down, and said again, ¡°I¡¯m just so surprised, given you are so much older than her. I wonder if she will ever regret not marrying someone younger... someone in his prime.¡±


    Annoyed now, I motioned toward the room. ¡°Pardon me, but don¡¯t you have a job to do? I know you came to us highly rmended, but if you can¡¯t get back to work and stop analyzing everything, I might have to find someone who talks less and works more.¡±


    He twitched his lip in annoyance but dipped his head. ¡°Yes, sir, that is very true. It would be a shame, since I gave up several other opportunities to work on this one on short notice. My servies are always highly sought-after. That said, back to work indeed.¡± Mercifully, he returned to his work and left me alone.


    Some timeter, Ba bounced over and embraced me, saying, ¡°The kids have been having a st here, James. Everything is set up for them to be happy too. They have arge y area with tons of toys, some reallyrge ones. We should get some like them at home. The kids really seem to love them.¡±


    I chuckled, returning her embrace and holding her close. She smelled wonderful, of her typical floral perfume. I ran my fingers through her hair, causing her to rx in my other arm before pulling away and giving me a huge smile.


    I said, ¡°I would say they have plenty of toys, but you can never have enough of them, right?¡± I winked at her, causing her to chuckle. I then said, ¡°Things in here are going well, the adult room, rather. The butler may be an ass, but he does get the job done.¡±


    Ba blinked in confusion. ¡°Oh? An ass? Sylvio? What makes you say that?¡± she asked, and I just let out a sigh. I didn¡¯t want to worry her with this, or think I was being uptight for no reason. Therefore, I just shook my head, grumbling a bit but not borating.


    ¡°Nevermind that. It¡¯s not something you should worry about. I will talk to Giovani about itter. The important thing is that the setup is going well,¡± I said to Ba. Hopefully, she wouldn¡¯t burden herself with too much worry about things like this.


    Thankfully, she dropped it quickly, doing a twirl in front of me and beaming. ¡°Alright. I trust you, James. Giovani has been super helpful every step of the way in this, hasn¡¯t he?¡± she asked, prompting me to nod.


    I leaned forward and gave her a deep kiss, which she returned. She even deepened it, exploring my mouth with her tongue for a while and prompting me to groan with satisfaction. Eventually, and unfortunately, the kiss had to end.


    We stared at each other lovingly for a while before I finally answered her question. ¡°Yes, Giovani¡¯s helped us out quite a bit. I¡¯m proud to have him as my best man.¡± My cousin had been very honored to earn that title at my wedding.


    With that, Ba went to go check on the kids, likely ying with them as well. I kept overseeing the wedding preparation, jumping in to help when I could. Or rather, when this butler wasn¡¯t jumping down my throat for me not to do so.


    He kept the annoying spree of underhanded insults up, tanking my mood as time went on. Giovani eventually returned and asked me what was wrong. I said, ¡°The butler and his tendency to be an asshole. It¡¯s getting on my nerves, but I¡¯m tolerating it.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, obnoxious, but good at his job. Trust me, I¡¯m not a huge fan of him either. He dide highly rmended, though. I¡¯m sure it will all work out in the end,¡± Giovani said, with a hint of amusement in his tone.


    I wanted to ask him what he meant by that but looked up to see Ba waving me over, wanting my opinion on something. After shooting Giovani a curious nce, I pushed off the wall and walked over to help Ba.


    Did Giovani know something I didn¡¯t know? Probably. Anymore, it seemed like that was always the case.

 Chapter 234 : Mafia Monkey Business

    <h4>Chapter 234: Chapter 234 : Mafia Monkey Business</h4>


    James.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see someone so young and vibrant with someone so set in his ways,¡± Sylvio, the butler was saying to Ba around the corner. I listened to the conversation while gritting my teeth. Wedding prep had been going phenomenally aside from this bastard and his piss-poor attitude toward me.


    Now, he was clearlying on to Ba. At the moment, I was setting up some art pieces I wanted to be disyed in the halls when I overheard this entire conversation. I wondered if I should butt in, but I told myself that Ba could handle it.


    This was very true; I heard herugh as if the man was joking. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s not like that at all!¡± Ba said cheerfully. ¡°James is a family man. Sure, we had our conflicts in the past. I went back and forth for a bit. But we are very much in love and happy.¡±


    I smiled to myself, feeling my heart warm at her words. Not that I had any worries otherwise, of course. This butler, however, seemed to think she needed to be with someone else. Namely him. Who would leave someone like me for a butler? Sure, I¡¯d made mistakes in the past, but I had changed for the better now. I was ten times the man this ridiculous Sylvio was.


    The butler was persistent, apparently, causing me to clench my jaw even tighter and shake my head. Perhaps I should just go ahead and fire him, even if he was good at his job and was getting things done quickly. I would have sent him packing a long time ago. But I promised myself I wouldn¡¯t interfere with Giovani¡¯s choices.


    And well, the wedding was tomorrow, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to pester either me or Ba after that.


    I couldn¡¯t shake the dread that I would still have to deal with him during that time. He got along with Ba well, though I had a feeling he was making extra effort to do so. Oh, well. I trusted Giovani, and this was his call.


    My gut instinct told him that my cousin kept this douche around for a reason. I tolerated him because of that, and because, well, he really was good at his job. Everything was being handled very efficiently, something that did relieve a bit of stress from Ba.


    Today¡¯s preparations for the wedding wereplete, and I walked over to check on the kids. They were in the designated y area, squealing and fumbling around with so much excitement. They really did like getting out to see ces, I could tell.


    I resolved to bring them to a restaurant sometime soon and maybe the movies. Alessandro¡¯sst restaurant experience hadn¡¯t gone well, what with the death of my uncle, the Don. But Alessandro would have to go back to a restaurant again someday. They would need to learn how to behave well in public. I was hoping they would be naturals at it, but even if not, I would remove them from the premises if they were throwing tantrums and wait until they calmed. That had always worked well for Tally.


    I was often reminded of how much of a monster I was as a child, so I hoped they took after Ba as opposed to me. If Ba was an angel as a child,e to think of it. I would ask her father that, but he was still close-minded to the idea of me being a good person.


    I felt my heart clench at that but shook my head. Best not to dwell on things. Some people never actually came around, and that was alright.


    There wasn nothing I could do about it now, anyway. I couldn¡¯t change the past.


    After giving both Alessandro and Dahlia a hug, I bid Madeline farewell. I would see her in the nurseryter and hang out with the kids again. For now, I eyed my phone. The inner-family newswork had been going off like crazytely. What was it this time? I had handed off most of my Don work to Giovani, who epted the burden happily.


    That didn¡¯t mean all of it. I was stuck practically herding cats still with the position I had in the family. When I got home and parked the car in the garage, I greeted security quickly and let myself inside. Ba would still be at the hall for another half hour, approving some final touches.


    Sitting in my office, I got set up in front of myputer, gazing at the various articles essible to the public and growing. One of the headlines read ¡®Organized Crime Violence on the Rise in Florence¡¯ and ¡®Heist Breaks Bank of Over a Million.¡¯ The mafia was being med for that, no doubt.


    My family, rather. Even though I knew we hadn¡¯t nned a heist for ages, and never under my order. We dealt in a lot of shady businesses, but bank robbing wasn¡¯t one of them. That, or moneyundering. I¡¯d already spoken to Giovani about the possibility of cleaning our hands, slowly.


    We could be plenty rich with proper investments, especially given the old money we had flowing in the family. My attempt to convince people was going well, but the general public perception would never fade away. Sure, the mafia didn¡¯t have the power it once did.


    General fear and conspiracy, along with past crimes, didn¡¯t help the perception at all, and made it easy for copycats trying to rise up toy the me on us. Which consequently led to violence from us. The Valentinos didn¡¯t sit there and take it.


    Giovani covered most of that aspect, but I had to approve of his ns. I went through some of them, sighing at the violence on disy. I was perfectly capable of handling it but getting frustrated with having to constantly do so.


    The feeling of ¡®being watched¡¯ applied here too, though in a different sort of manner than what I¡¯d told Giovani about. This dread of constantly having it all hang over me because I was now Don took its toll.


    My thoughts went to Tally for a moment, which caused a tear to trickle down my cheek. I shook my head, wiping that away quickly and telling myself to focus on the positive future we had ahead. Ba and I were going to be married tomorrow, and it was going to be wonderful.


    A notification came up on my screen, causing me to furrow my brow. Someone had attempted to ess one of my many bank ounts but failed. I began looking into it, sending the situation to security and furrowing my brow.


    How could I be happy with all of these odd going-ons? I swallowed, satisfied that everything was being handled, but still feeling my emotions start to billow into negativity once more. Little things like this, though I knew no one had the power to get away with it, poked at my subconscious.


    A few minutester, security got back to me that all was well. My funds were in no danger. I let out a sigh of relief even though I knew this would be the oue. Shaking my head, I sent Giovani a text exining what just happened.


    ¡®Not good, but not a problem,¡¯ Giovani sent back. That text was followed by another. ¡®Don¡¯t stress about it, James. I have it covered. Is your tux squared away? I know there were dys on that end, and I tried to get it situated.¡¯


    ¡®Yes, it was taken care of. Thank you, as usual, Giovani,¡¯ I sent. That had been a headache once again avoided by my cousin. The tuxedo in question was of unique design, with ck roses that would shine into view when the light hit it just right.


    The tux was very pristine and made of incredibly expensive material. Everything had been squared away until some dys came up, which no one could exin to mepletely. I wanted that tuxedo to surprise Ba because I knew she¡¯d love it.


    Dys like that were a constant. First the tux, then the cake. The bakery had been having some sort of issue I hadn¡¯t heard the details about. Some decorations that had been there before were no longer in ce. Some chairs went missing; some people didn¡¯t get their invites. It was all very suspicious, but so far, everything had been corrected as it came up.


    I sighed, stress weighing me down. Ba, at least, was happy. Speaking of which, I heard her enter thepound and got up from my chair to leave my office and greet her. Unlike me, she was a ray of sunshine, a huge smile stered across her face.


    ¡°James!¡± she said, rushing over to give me a huge hug. I swept her into my arms and left a soft kiss on her lips, holding it for a moment before pulling away and smiling at her. ¡°Everything is going so well. All of the details are finally falling into ce.¡±


    She began to tear up, and I reached up to wipe away one of them, giving a wide smile. ¡°That is wonderful to hear, love,¡± I said, giving her a squeeze before putting her down. ¡°Want to get some lunch? We can talk about the final touches for tomorrow over some food.¡±


    ¡°That would be lovely!¡± Ba said, causing my smile to widen. She studied me for a moment, however, and tilted her head. ¡°Have you been alright? Giovani mentioned you were a little bit stressed, so I got worried. You¡¯re doing a wonderful job, James.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know how it goes,¡± I said softly. ¡°Weddings can be both wonderful and stressful. I want our day to be perfect.¡± Granted, most weddings didn¡¯t include having to worry about the family as the Don and their mafia dealings, but Ba didn¡¯t need to worry about that.


    ¡°You definitely should rx too, though,¡± Ba said, giving me another kiss before going to sit at the table. I wished I could take her advice seriously, that was for sure. Rxing at a time like this, with all of the odd going-ons piling up, was difficult.


    Still, I nodded and went to the kitchen to ask the chefs to prepare some lunch for us. The smell of tomato-based sauces filled the air, making my mouth water and distracting me from the many woes weighing me down.


    Eventually, one of the maids delivered a couple of tes to the table. We sat side by side, enjoying our pasta, and chatting about the wedding. Ba dived into the hallyout and what we¡¯d gotten done today, which was quite a bit. I nodded along, letting her excitement take me away from my worries.


    ¡°Tomorrow is going to be so perfect,¡± Ba gushed. ¡°We have an open bar during reception, too. The kids have their own little y area. Can you believe we even got a mini roller coaster for the older ones? Alessandro and Dahlia are too young, though.¡±


    She went down her list, then said, ¡°We also have a photo booth!¡± Looking up at me and grinning, she said, ¡°I know we have a wedding photographer and everything, but booth pictures are fun for memories too. Less pristine, perfect, professional photos, too, you know?¡±


    I nodded in agreement, saying, ¡°Maybe you can start a scrapbook and put some of those in there.¡± Then, I said, ¡°We can bring the kids in and take some really silly shots. Wonder if we can get Dahlia to stick her tongue out with us.¡±


    ¡°Maybe if we take away her pacifier, just for a moment, she will make a funny face,¡± Ba said, causing me to chuckle. She could be a bit dramatic when that was taken away, so there would be a lot of squawking from the booth.


    As Ba went over more ns and activities for the reception following the wedding, I smiled at her, letting myself rx, just as she said to. Letting stress rule me right now would just make me miserable, and this was supposed to be a happy time.


    I pushed my worries to the back of my mind, telling myself Giovani would indeed take care of everything. For now, my focus was the wedding and family. Everything would go perfectly, I was sure of it.

 Chapter 235 : The Stepford Wives are Excited

    <h4>Chapter 235: Chapter 235 : The Stepford Wives are Excited</h4>


    Ba.


    ¡°Mama! Mama! Mama!¡± Dahlia said, crawling over to me and sitting on her bum. She had a little dog plush in her hand and was waving it at me. I smiled at her and took the plush, hugging it close. Then, I leaned down and left a soft kiss on her forehead.


    At the moment, I was visiting the kids. The night before the wedding had been pretty exciting. I wasn¡¯t sure what was up with James, though, and felt a little bit worried. He was so stressed; I wished I could ease some of that from him.


    Weddings could be a lot, though. I made the plush dance in front of my daughter, smiling at her and giggling right along with her keelingughter. She tumbled about and kept ying, eventually joined by Alessandro. My family was so beautiful, I felt tears in my eyes.


    Tears that slowly crawled down my cheeks from sheer happiness. James and I were going to be married tomorrow, I realized for the fifth time in thest few minutes. My heart was bursting with hope for the future, something I hadn¡¯t felt for a long while when we were in the deep end of issues.


    Madeline looked on, chatting away about the wedding. ¡°Oh, it will be so beautiful, Ba! It¡¯s wonderful how you¡¯re including the kids. I don¡¯t mind watching them one bit. They are little angels,¡± she said, causing my smile to widen.


    ¡°I am so happy about that,¡± I said, snatching Dahlia up and hugging her close. She let out several more giggles, causing me to chuckle. Alessandro made his way over to us and joined in on the hug, alsoughing up a storm.


    I added, ¡°They really do adore you. I am so happy to have found a nanny who they can get along with so well.¡± After a final squeeze to Dahlia, I let go, standing up and stretching. After talking to James, I hade to y with the kids for a few hours.


    Madeline said, ¡°Oh, it really is an honor, darling. You look tired, though. Going to go get some sleep so you¡¯re wide awake during your big day?¡± I nodded in response to her question, giving a soft smile.


    Before leaving the nursery, I leaned down and gave the kids kisses on the forehead. Then, I made my way to James¡¯ and my room in thepound. I entered the bathroom and took a look at myself, smiling at the rxed expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s so wonderful to be myself and just rx again,¡± I muttered aloud, grabbing a brush and running it through my hair. Then, I started up the shower, nning on taking a nice long one before turning it in early.


    As Madeline said, I needed to be well-rested for the big day! Ithered the shampoo through my hair, the floral scent of it rxing me further. I looked forward to snuggling up with James tonight. My stomach lurched somewhat, though, reminding me of the new baby on the way.


    Now that I knew the reason for the sickness, I wasn¡¯t worried. My hand flew toward my tummy and rubbed it. Slowly, it was starting to grow. Our family was growing, and I felt more tears flow down my face in happiness at that fact.


    Eventually, I got out of the shower and dried my hair, putting on my night clothes and making my way into my room. James wasn¡¯t in yet. He was probably taking care ofst-minute preparation stuff. Hopefully not stressing too much!


    When I looked over at my desk, I saw my phone light up. I blinked, walking over to check the texts I could have gotten. Curious. It was from Antite. I frowned somewhat, knowing we were in good standings, but still feeling a sh of nervousness.


    ¡®Hey Ba,¡¯ I read. ¡®Congrattions on the wedding. I hope it goes well for you. You deserve to be very happy,¡¯ she said. I furrowed my brow, assuming this meant she wasn¡¯t going to be able toe. I¡¯d never heard back from her after I¡¯d invited her.


    ¡®Hello,¡¯ I texted back. ¡®Thank you. Wedding prep has gone very well. We¡¯re a little stressed, but that¡¯s to be expected. More happy than anything. How are you?¡¯ I took a seat at my desk, intending on carrying on this conversation before bed.


    ¡®I¡¯m alright. The wives are a bit brutal, but I am holding up against them well. However, there¡¯s some very weird gossip around the neighborhood pertaining to them. They seem very excited about your wedding, ording to my sources.¡¯


    I frowned deeply at this news, feeling my stomach clench. That didn¡¯t make any sense. The Stepford wives hated me deeply. They were the ones who chased me out of New York. Any chance of me staying there was crushed when they ambushed me.


    Shuddering as I remembered that night, I clenched my jaw and put a hand on my forehead, feeling a bit dizzy. The rush of happiness I was havingtely slowly began to fade away as those memories bombarded me. What could they possibly want?


    ¡®They¡¯re excited? That¡¯s really unusual, yeah, given they really hate me. Do you have any idea why?¡¯ I sent, biting my lip. I stood up and began to pace, hoping Antite would be able to keep on texting me some answers before I went to bed tonight.


    Leaving me hanging on this subject would be emotional torture, after all. Not that I imagined it would be intentional on her part. My wedding was tomorrow, for god¡¯s sake, and this had toe up now? I took several deep breaths, telling myself to calm down.


    ¡®I don¡¯t, I¡¯m sorry. I would be careful though, if you can. Let your security know to be extra vignt, and all. I wish I didn¡¯t think they would pull anything malicious from all the way over here, but they are of an evil stock. I¡¯m sorry I won¡¯t be able toe, but something hase up,¡¯ Antite texted me.


    I sent back, ¡®I understand. I got out of their lives, I wish they would leave me alone.¡¯ I shook my head, narrowing my eyes. It felt like nothing satisfied those harpies. I did everything they wanted, got away from New York, and they were in full bully mode. It was too bad she couldn¡¯te, but it was a long way to travel for a wedding for someone she didn¡¯t know all that well.


    ¡®If it helps, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s them causing anything. They may have heard something was up and are trying to sniff out some dramatic story. Maybe someone started a rumor about you and James not getting along,¡¯ she sent.


    ¡®Well, we are getting along beautifully,¡¯ I sent back, just having to let out a chuckle there. Perhaps shortly after we left New York, that rumor would have some merit. Now, though? Definitely not. We were in love and very happy, with another child on the way.


    I ended the conversation with, ¡®We¡¯ll be careful, though. I¡¯ll let James, and our security, know. Thank you for talking to me about this, Antite.¡¯


    Maybe, someday, we could be better friends and even visit each other again. For now, it would take me a little while to have the time. I trusted she¡¯d changed, though. She no longer came across as siding with them at all. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t bring it up.


    Rather, she texted, ¡®You are very wee, Ba. Have a nice wedding. Say hi to Alessandro for me. Let me know if he learns any more cuss words.¡¯ At that, I had to chuckle, rxing just a little bit. I told her I would, then put my phone aside.


    Running my hand through my hair, I shook my head, trying not to let tears start to flow. Nothing crazy would happen at the wedding, right? I let out a long sigh and entered my bed, pulling the nkets up and staring at the ceiling.


    Eventually, I heard the door open and smiled. James would hopefully know what was going on. I sat up and beamed at him. After we¡¯d situated the final reception ns, he¡¯d gone off to work on business matters while I yed with the kids.


    ¡°How did everything go?¡± I asked him, hoping for the best for his sess. He was really wanting to get somewhere with his business here, and while I had a fortune, he liked stability just in case something were to happen.


    ¡°It went well,¡± he said cheerfully, removing his clothing and grabbing some night clothes. ¡°I got plenty done, though my thoughts were more on the wedding. It is going to be wonderful tomorrow, Ba,¡± he said, his voice dripping with happiness.


    I grinned, beyond happy at his enthusiasm. Though the stress from my conversation with Antite still lingered, and I let out a worried sigh as James excused himself to the bathroom. He took a shower before bed while I was left in my thoughts.


    The Stepford wives being excited about something I was going through that was positive really put a sharp bite of worry in my mood. They fed on misery, at this point, so I couldn¡¯t help wondering what they knew about my wedding, or if something might happen.


    When James finished up his shower and returned toy in the bed with me, he leaned down and gave me a deep kiss. I closed my eyes, enjoying how he deepened it, and reached up to wrap my arms around him in a tight hug.


    Eventually, the kiss had to end, and I was once more left with my thoughts. Iy there facing James, gently running my thumb over his cheek as he smiled at me. He caught onto something, though, and slowly began to frown.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, love?¡± James asked, causing me to bite my lip and let out a sigh. Was I worrying over nothing? Would mentioning this stress him out more, too? I decided to not hide what I discovered from him.


    ¡°I was texting Antite,¡± I said, which caused him to raise a brow. ¡°Well, she texted me first, rather. She¡¯s not going to be able toe to the wedding, but she did tell me something particrly worrisome.¡±


    He nodded, the frown forming on his lips deepening as he thought over my words. ¡°What was it?¡± he asked in a whisper. He kept his tone neutral, probably not to cause me any more distress since I was probably being obvious.


    ¡°The Stepford wives are excited about our wedding for some reason. For the life of me, I can¡¯t figure out why. They hate us, so it can¡¯t be a good reason,¡± I said, closing my eyes. I felt James run his hand through my hair and smiled a bit.


    He said, ¡°Well, whatever it is, I¡¯ll make sure nothing goes wrong. I promise, Ba. I love you so much. This will be a perfect day for us. For our family.¡± I opened my eyes again and noticed the spark of determination in his gaze.


    Then, I smiled, leaning over to give him a deep kiss. ¡°Thank you. I love you too, James.¡± I trusted him with everything; whatever hurdle we dealt with, he seemed to have the answer. I could rely on him, and I believed him right then.


    I let myself fade into a peaceful sleep, my worries evaporating at James¡¯s reassurance.

 Chapter 236 : Taking the Cake

    <h4>Chapter 236: Chapter 236 : Taking the Cake</h4>


    Giovani.


    Everything was going ording to n, and I was beyond happy. There I stood, as James¡¯s best man, wearing a soft smile and my best tuxedo. So many happeningstelynded on my te, but like I promised James, I took care of them all.


    As I looked at my cousin, I felt a warmth in my chest. I genuinely wanted him to be happy. The responsibility of the Don couldn¡¯t be easy to bnce with a growing family. I wasn¡¯t greedy or power-hungry. In fact, the prospect of the Don was daunting.


    However, I had a feeling James may ask me to take over at some point. I would be there for him if he ever made that decision. For now, I needed to make sure this wedding went as smoothly as possible.


    Some of James¡¯s old ¡®friends¡¯ wanted to ensure this wedding was less than savory for him. I couldn¡¯t let that happen. I smiled kindly at the butler, my ¡®friend,¡¯ as he passed by and turned to acknowledge me. ¡°Sir,¡± he grumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t know why Ba would choose James.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, me neither,¡± I said, shaking my head. A lie that so easily slipped from my lips. James had been a prick to Ba for a while, so I¡¯d heard, but they¡¯d worked out their issues and were very happy. He¡¯d learned from his mistakes. I was proud of him.


    This butler, who I didn¡¯t even bother remembering the name of... Sylvio, maybe?? I was not so proud of him. He¡¯de highly rmended, but he was awfully haughty for a butler. Perhaps he would finally serve a purpose and shut the hell up. For good. If I needed someone to take a fall, he¡¯d be sleeping with the fishes soon enough.


    He continued to whine for a while until I spotted the cake being put onto the table as everything was being set up. James and Ba would go through the ceremony soon, then it would be on to pictures. The cake would follow soon after.


    The wedding cake was tall, with delicate pink frosting that would taste utterly delicious if it wasn¡¯t what I suspected. That¡¯s where my ¡®friend¡¯ came in. I interrupted his ranting and rambling by motioning toward the cake. ¡°What about you get your revenge now?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± the butler asked. I put up the facade that I really didn¡¯t like James, something he easily fell for. So when I wore a sinister grin toward him, he fell for it. The man looked over to where I had pointed, then slowly grinned.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the groom be pissed if he came out to cut the cake and saw a slice was already missing? He¡¯d probably get so angry, he¡¯d show Ba his true colors, and then she¡¯d leave him. Why don¡¯t you go ahead and try the cake, see if it¡¯s as good as it looks?¡± I nudged him in the arm with my elbow.


    With an enthusiastic grin on his face, the butler went over. This would help me kill two birds with one stone¨Cmake sure the cake was safe to eat and either get rid of him or give James a reason to fire him. Ba couldn¡¯t argue with this, even though she seemed to like the guy.


    I watched him meander over to the cake and dip a finger in, licking the frosting, before he proceeded to cut himself a slice. No one was looking; I had my own men dissuade anyone froming over, at the moment, because of a little test I was running. The butler proceeded to pop a bite into his mouth, then another and another.


    Then, I waited.


    And waited.


    Suddenly, the butler gasped, his hands flying up toward his neck, grasping at it as if there was a noose closing on his windpipe. Theoretically, that was exactly what was happening. I shook my head, letting out a sigh. Yep, that confirmed my suspicion.


    He fell to the ground, convulsing, some drool falling out from the side of his lips. I walked over, looming there and tilting my head. ¡°You know,¡± I said, ¡°tasting the cake before the couple is said to be bad luck. Looks like that caught up to you.¡±


    I then stepped back as his eyes widened, letting my men take care of the soon-to-be corpse. Sure, I could have taken some chemical tests to confirm the cake was poisoned, but this was so much more fun. I wore a light smile as the butler was taken away, giving him a tiny wave.


    I texted James, ¡®The butler you fancied so much seems to have fallen ill, James. Do not worry, I have a backup that¡¯s far better at the job and much nicer. I would have hired them initially, but he didn¡¯t have any openings until today.¡¯


    Then, I waited for my associates to get back to me. They would have a clean cake on the table in no less than five minutes. Perfect. I did know the supply chain for that cake, something Ba picked out from her favorite nearby bakery, waspromised.


    I¡¯d have some of my men look into that. Thankfully, we replicated the recipe yesterday, and recreated the cake to be almost identical. That part of the wedding would not be interrupted, and only one very obnoxious man would suffer eternal sleep for all their effort.


    Why these people were so hooked on James, I had no idea. He was out of their lives, now, but some people couldn¡¯t get revenge out of their heads. Oh well. If I had to send men to the United States to silence them for good, I would. I was getting annoyed enough already.


    Especially with this attempt at the wedding disruption. Either way, things would work out. I¡¯d make sure of it. James didn¡¯t have to worry about some pesky enemies that kept trying to take his life on his big day. He had enough to stress over with a kid on the way.


    ¡®We have the cover set up for the butler¡¯s very unfortunate death, right?¡¯ I texted one of my men who I had on the task of getting rid of the body. After confirmation on that end, I nodded, letting myself rx a little. Now, I could enjoy the wedding until phase two.


    I took my ce where I was supposed to be, letting others direct me. I wasn¡¯t used to weddings, at all, so just went with the flow as I should. James stood at the altar, messing with his cor nervously, his eyes alight with excitement.


    He nced over at me, and I gave him a reassuring smile. This was going to be beautiful.


    I felt somewhat bad about hiding this from James on his biggest day, but it wouldn¡¯t be healthy to obsess over it. He already had enough on his te shielding Ba from the ¡®family business¡¯tely, after all. I would forgo my wine in order to ensure his day went perfectly.


    The cake was resolved, and none of the people I cared about would die this day. No one had to know I took out two birds with one stone, either.


    I looked down at my phone again, reading, ¡®They may be moving out soon. Our intel says there¡¯s going to be a lot of bullets. We can keep them all from hitting the guests.¡¯


    I smiled back, then texted, ¡®Perfect. No one here will have to worry about a thing.¡¯


    All ording to n.


    James POV.


    Standing at the altar next to Giovani, I held my breath¨Cwaiting. This had been a day I¡¯d been anticipating for my entire life, and now it was finally here. The music started, a beautiful, ethereal sound as Ba emerged from the end of the hall, walking down the aisle, looking stunning. Her gown was gorgeous, but it was her face I couldn¡¯t pull my eyes away from.


    I caught my breath as I looked at her beauty. Her eyes were bright, her hair like satin glistening in the twinkling lights, and I couldn¡¯t ever remember seeing her so happy. The cloth that flowed at every step she took was a subtle pink. When her dress hit the light, roses glimmered as if she was alight with crystals and gems. Her smile was radiant, something that lit up the room as her hair flowed down her back, slightly wavy and feathered perfectly.


    When her eyes met mine, she bit her lip with excitement. Sheer happiness radiated off of her, and soon, she was standing right next to me, holding my hands, while Sophia held her bouquet.


    The priest began to speak, but I didn¡¯t hear much of what he was saying. When he got to the part about the vows, I heard Ba repeat after him. He asked her if she took me to be her husband, and she answered.


    ¡°I do,¡± Ba said, her voice dripping with certainty and love.


    Then, it was my turn. I repeated everything he asked me to say, but my mind was only thinking of Ba. Eventually, the priest asked me if I took her as my wife Choking up a little, I said, ¡°I do.¡±


    More of the ceremony flew by, but I missed all of it. All I could think about was Ba.


    ¡°You may kiss the bride,¡± the priest finally said. Sweeping her into my arms, I locked lips with Ba, holding the kiss for a while as the guests cheered. Releasing her, I reached up and wiped away a tear that had been crawling down my cheek. This was the happiest day of my life by far.


    I was clearly head over heels in love with her. We¡¯d started a family together, and now, she was my wife. Forever.


    We went off for pictures but not before I checked with Giovani. He gave me a reassuring nod and then slipped off to the side to check with his men. I sighed, hoping this would all go smoothly. Giovani was trustworthy, though. It would all work out.


    Ba and I went outside where the sun was shining beautifully overhead. Not a cloud in the sky, thankfully, which made today even more perfect. I had a few moments alone with my bride before the others came out.


    Pulling her close, I kissed her again. ¡°You look so gorgeous,¡± I whispered to her.


    ¡°You look amazing, too, my Italian Stallion.¡± She leaned in and kissed me again before the doors behind us opened, and the rest of the bridal party came out for pictures, including the kids. Alessandro and Dahlia looked precious in their wedding attire. Just seeing them made my smile widen.


    We took many pictures together, and the wedding photographers took plenty of the guests, too. They even got some great pictures of Giovani in his with Alessandro and Dahlia. They were sweet pictures.


    I was d the wedding had gone well without many issues so far. I longed to take Ba back to our room and have my way with her, but for now, we needed to spend time with our guests.


    About halfway through the reception, I noticed Giovani standing alone, looking at his phone. Worried, I headed over. ¡°Everything okay, cousin?¡±


    ¡°Just not used to weddings,¡± he said, smoothly.


    He eyed me suspiciously but was pulled away before I could ask for more information. Well, I would make sure he told me everythingter. If he told me now, I¡¯d focus too much on that, when I should be focusing on Ba.


    The kids were safe, and so was my wife. My men wouldn¡¯t let any of these assholes near the innocent people attending the wedding, many of who were civilians who had nothing to do with this ridiculous feud brought in from another country.

 Chapter 237 : Wonderful Wedding

    <h4>Chapter 237: Chapter 237 : Wonderful Wedding</h4>


    Ba.


    It had happened. I¡¯d done it. I was Mrs. James Valentino! My heart pounded so hard in my chest, I could hardly believe it.


    Everything had happened in a blur. One minute, I¡¯d been getting ready, along with the help of my stepmom and Sophia, as well as the stylists I¡¯d hired. The next minute, I¡¯d been standing next to James at the altar. I¡¯d been so focused on him, I¡¯d hardly heard a word of the ceremony, which was short and to the point.


    He looked so handsome in his tuxedo, I couldn¡¯t pull my eyes away from him. James was such an amazing man in every way. We¡¯d had our problems in the past, but I loved him with all of my heart. We were starting a new Chapter of our lives together, and I was looking forward to spending every moment with him.


    After the pictures, we went into the reception hall and greeted all of our guests. My father, who hadn¡¯t said much earlier, kissed my cheek. I was hoping he was startinge around. ¡°Dance with meter?¡± I asked him.


    With tears in his eyes, he nodded. ¡°Of course, baby girl. I¡¯ll always be here for you.¡±


    I smiled at him and then headed over to have my first dance with James. We¡¯d picked out one of my favorite songs to share our first dance together. As the romantic music began to y, James took me in his arms, both of us swaying in time to the music.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re my wife,¡± he murmured in my ear. ¡°I want to carry you right out of here and back to the nearest bedroom.¡±


    Giggling, I said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it either. But we can¡¯t leave just yet. We need to celebrate with all of our guests first.¡±


    He sighed as the song ended. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. Okay. Let¡¯s have some fun then.¡± Sweeping me into the air, he twirled me around before kissing me deeply again. One thing was for certain; now that I was James¡¯ wife, life would never be boring.


    James POV.


    With a twirl, I took Ba across the dance floor as she let out a joyous giggle. She radiated happiness as we danced in time to the music, which consisted of mostly ssical songs. The guests surrounded us, dancing as we danced.


    I leaned forward and pressed my lips against Ba¡¯s. We shared a very long kiss, and Ba wrapped her arms around me to bring me closer as we continued to dance. My heart sang right along with the music. This was wonderful.


    Eventually, the dancing had to end, and we went off to the side to take a break. We¡¯d been at it for a half hour, after all! Ba said, ¡°This has already been so wonderful, James, and we¡¯re just getting started.¡±


    I reached over and grabbed her under her chin, just having to steal another kiss before replying. I said, ¡°I agree with all of my heart, Ba. Tonight has been one of the best nights of my life, and I mean that. Now, we get to spend the rest of our lives together.¡±


    Ba nodded, her eyes sparkling as a tear glided down her cheek. ¡°Oh James. The kids will have a big happy family and a wonderful life with us. I am so happy we finally get to be a family, with another one on the way.¡±


    I nodded, looking up as Giovani approached. He had a bright smile on his face, no doubt touched by how much Ba and I showed love for each other. He said, ¡°It¡¯s cake time, and it looks delicious. Are you two ready to cut it?¡±


    Ba bounced in her chair a little before standing, squealing with excitement. ¡°Yes!¡± she said. ¡°Oh, the strawberry frosting looks so yummy, I can¡¯t wait to have some! I bet the kids are going to have a ball with it too! They¡¯re going to be off the wall.¡±


    ¡°Like yourself, cousin-inw,¡± Giovani mused, just having to get a good-spirited jab in at Ba. My wife couldn¡¯t help butugh and take him into a big hug, something which he returned. I smiled at this exchange, a warm feeling cascading through me.


    We arrived at the towering cake, and I couldn¡¯t help but lick my lips. The frosting looked fluffy, and on top of the cake was a bride and groom figurine. Giovani handed me the knife, and I moved forward, going to cut the cake while onlookers cheered on in excitement.


    First, I cut a piece for Ba and myself. We stood in front of the crowd and fed each other the first bites. I¡¯d promised Ba I wouldn¡¯t smash it in her face, so I didn¡¯t, but I wasn¡¯t shocked at all when she did it to me. Everyoneughed, and we kissed with frosting all over our lips.


    A new butler came up and took the knife from me, giving me a smile. ¡°I got it from here, sir. Go sit down and enjoy your cake!¡± I blinked. This guy was different. Not that I was going toin much.


    I went to oblige, but suddenly, Ba moved closer to me with an evil grin. I widened my eyes, unable to dodge what came next. Suddenly, a second piece of cake was shoved into my face, followed by the cheers of Ba and theughter of guests.


    I burst intoughter myself, cursing myself inwardly for not paying attention. I grabbed a piece of cake and returned the favor, causing Ba to shriek andugh even harder. This was war now. The kids hobbled over, led by Madeline, and theyughed too.


    Alessandro said, ¡°Cake! Me want cake!¡± He was talking more and moretely, which was wonderful to see. He and Dahlia were growing up so fast! Ba leaned down and smooshed his face with cake too, causing him to keel over withughter.


    Giovani shook his head, cackling like mad at this disy as well. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t evolve into a food fight. The cake was good and needed to be eaten, after all! We made our way to the table, cleaning our faces off and stillughing.


    Ba said, ¡°That was so much fun! I got you first, James.¡± Sheughed, causing me to beam at her and take a bite of my cake. As I suspected, it was delicious, with a creamy strawberry frosting that lit up my tastebuds with just the right amount of sweetness.


    ¡°You did. You also caused everyone to keel over withughter. I¡¯m so d we can have fun like that, Ba. We¡¯vee a long way, and this wedding is beautiful. Thank you for trusting me, my love,¡± I said, causing Ba to wave her hand and blush.


    ¡°Oh, stop it, James,¡± she said softly, reaching over to cup my cheek and trying not to giggle as some crumbs fell onto my te from this action. ¡°We were always in this together. It took me a while to see it. I was lost for a bit, in my own misery. I¡¯m so d I woke up.¡±


    The smile I gave her lit up my eyes as I continued to eat the cake. Dinner would be following soon. Giovani thought it would be a good idea to have the cake first, as he said it was very delicious. He wasn¡¯t wrong.


    I reached over and grabbed my cocktail, taking a sip and just rxing. The guests were sitting around, chatting and eating, generally enjoying the wedding and all it had to offer. The kids were at our table, digging into their food as well.


    We were served some ssic Italian dishes and could pick from a variety. The kids, naturally, went with pizza made from scratch that had fresh ingredients. At least it was as healthy as it could be.


    I helped myself to some fresh spinach and radhio sd, savoring the mix of vors while chatting with Ba. I said, ¡°I was thinking of building a yscape for the kids in the yard of thepound. They may have a ball with it when we¡¯re not able to make it to the park.¡±


    Ba nodded, taking a bite of her own sd and considering my words. ¡°Good call, James.¡± She looked over toward the kids and smiled, giving a little wave. Both Alessandro and Dahlia waved back, letting out happy giggles. They were behaving very well tonight.


    Then, Ba said, ¡°Youe up with wonderful ideas. It will be nice if they want some ¡®quiet¡¯ together, but also to have fun. Or, if the adults want quiet. That¡¯s also apletely valid situation,¡± she said, winking at me.


    I chuckled and nodded in agreement. We finished up our sd, then were served four cheesesagna. The savory scent of melting cheese caused me to lick my lips. The chef we hired was one of the top chefs in the area. I knew this was going to be good.


    Cutting into my food, I took a deep breath as the cheese oozed onto the te, mixed with the juicy meat and well-added spices. On the first bite, I knew I was right to be excited. I hummed with satisfaction as the rich taste practically sang with my tongue.


    The festivities continued after dinner on the dance floor. I took Ba into the center, engaging in a slow dance with her once again. We turned in time to the music, the momentpletely magical. She pressed against me, resting her head against my chest as we danced.


    I was filled with a sense of pure happiness as we danced together. Here I was, finally wed to a woman I loved with all my heart. The kids were dancing as well, not very coordinated, but watched over by Madeline. This caused my smile to widen.


    ¡°Now for some more light-hearted, fun songs!¡± the DJ said into the microphone, causing me to chuckle. The music now belted out with a bit more energy, riling up the guests. Ba and I did some high-energy dancing for a while before having to go sit off to the side.


    We¡¯d been lost in the moment so much, I almost had to wipe some sweat away from my forehead. Ba beamed at me, pointing to the photo booth. ¡°We should have Madeline bring the kids over there so we can take some silly pictures!¡±


    I nodded, waving Madeline over. She brought the kids, and off we went to the booth, entering it for some fun. Sure, we had the wedding photographer, but these pictures would be priceless as well. Not everything had to be perfect.


    Dahlia was squealing and squirming about, just happy to be here. She was grinning from ear to ear, keeling withughter especially as I began to tickle her. That made for a very adorable picture, one that made my grin widen even further.


    Alessandro often took pictures with his tongue hanging out, mimicking Ba¡¯s silly looks. I couldn¡¯t help butugh at that, shaking my head. I just had to take a picture where I was trying to pull off the most serious expression possible while everyone else looked goofy.


    Ba tried to do the same as me, for a picture, but kept cracking, giving way to a smile. We were probably in that booth for a good fifteen minutes and had so many pictures for our memories. ¡°You¡¯ll have to get a scrapbook,¡± I said.


    ¡°And decorate it with pink horses and roses!¡± Ba agreed, giving a chuckle. Soon, we left the booth, letting the kids go have their fun without us distracting them. Ba watched them go off to y with a huge smile before turning to hug me.


    I returned the hug, holding her close and resting my chin on the top of her head. ¡°Tonight has been so perfect,¡± Ba said, causing me to give a wide smile. I closed my eyes, letting a tear trickle down my face and just remaining silent in response for a moment.


    Then, I said, ¡°It is.¡± My voice dripped with adoration for her. When the hug ended, I gave her a deep kiss, one she squealed happily over. We returned to the dance floor for a while until I went to sit off at the side, leaning back in the chair.


    Something caught my eye as I looked at the window. Was that someone peering into the hall? I furrowed my brow, not liking the spike of anxiety that suddenly rushed through me. There was something going on outside.


    I stood up from my chair and stretched, starting to make my way toward the back door of the hall. However, Giovani intercepted me, putting a hand on my shoulder. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not worrying too much, James,¡± he said, tilting his head.


    ¡°I think something¡¯s going on outside,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°I saw someone looking in, and am concerned. I don¡¯t want this wedding, our perfect night, to be interrupted.¡± Giovani gave me a serious nod, narrowing his eyes.


    ¡°Oh, it won¡¯t be,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, James. I¡¯ve gotten it taken care of.¡±

 Chapter 238 : Neal Meets Someone Special

    <h4>Chapter 238: Chapter 238 : Neal Meets Someone Special</h4>


    Neal.


    I knew I was going to miss the wedding, but I didn¡¯t want to intrude on Ba during that time, even if James was a prick. I just needed to see her happy. One more time. Before I could move on with my life.


    The conversation on the phone yed out in my head again and again. I needed to move on, but I couldn¡¯t stop hearing her voice in my mind. I wished things had worked out between us, but that sadly wasn¡¯t meant to be.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I stop thinking about you, Ba?¡± I asked aloud, my knuckles white on the steering wheel as I parked my car at a bar. The wedding would be going on right now, but I wasn¡¯t close enough to make it, anyway.


    What would I do? Say that they shouldn¡¯t be married, or it should be called off? No. I just wanted to see her happy. Allegra sounded none too pleased on the phone, and I couldn¡¯t me her. This wasn¡¯t healthy.


    Yet, here I was.


    Well, drinks at the bar would drown away some of that. The moon shone clear overhead as I got out of my car, letting out a sigh. There was loud discussion andughter pouring from the bar, as expected. I didn¡¯t feel like conversing all that much but would have to deal with it.


    Some areas were lit up more brightly than others, and admittedly, the interior was simply sublime. The walls were decorated with vines and leaves that went over the arched doors. The floors were of pristine carved wood, and the walls were made of rough stone.


    There were small carved statues on disy of badgers, bears, and wolves, but also of famous people throughout history. This entire ce was a work of art, and the well-dressed people here were clearly having the time of their lives.


    Wide smiles stretched across their faces asughter rippled from their lips, exaggerated movements of the inebriated in full disy. There was no aggressive taunting or rowdiness here. Just a bunch of people enjoying themselves in a positive environment.


    I walked up to the attendant standing at the door. He appeared to be a bouncer of sorts, though it didn¡¯t seem like an establishment like this would need one. He eyed me with a smile. I was dressed formally enough, though as I studied the people here, realized not every single person was fixed up in a fancy suit. It probably wouldn¡¯t matter if I wasn¡¯tpletely dressed up.


    ¡°Hello there, sir,¡± said the man, giving me a kind smile. ¡°Wee to Florintine¡¯s,¡± he said with a smile. His voice was loud, likely topete with the patrons at the bar who were chattering up a storm. ¡°There are plenty of tables and spots at the bar.¡±


    ¡°A spot at the bar would be lovely,¡± I replied, trying to keep the bitterness out of my voice for myself. I really shouldn¡¯t be hellbent on visiting Ba onest time, but here I was. At least being off track would distract me for a while.


    He nodded and gestured for me to go ahead. I took a ce on a stool, giving a nod to the bartender, who took my order. As I waited for my drink, I sighed and ced my elbows on the table, staring off at the other wall and cursing myself for this decision.


    This was a bad idea. I really needed to just get over it. I didn¡¯t see the point of visiting Ba again, yet here I was, unable to get her out of my head. Again, and again, our conversations yed out through my mind.


    She didn¡¯t miss me, and shouldn¡¯t have to, that was clear. I reached up and ran my fingers through my hair, clenching my other fist and shaking my head. When my drink arrived, I immediately took several gulps, hoping I wouldn¡¯t end up texting her.


    ¡°You look a bit cross,¡± came a soft voice off to my side in Italian. Not feeling particrly social, I let out a sigh, my shoulders slumping. Well, I¡¯d be hooked into a conversation now. I turned my head to fix my eyes on someone that looked positively gorgeous.


    He had a chiseled jawline with slightly tan skin, disying a very soft, kind smile as he looked at me. His teeth were perfect, and he wore a well-tailored suit. There was the shadow of a goatee on him as well. Very tantalizing.


    His hair was slicked back a bit, and he had deep, brown eyes. I bit my lip, feeling my voice catch at his observation. ¡°Sorry for bringing the ce down,¡± I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck, hoping he understood English. I wasn¡¯t about to fumble my way through a conversation in anguage I was still trying to learn.


    He shook his head, furrowing his brow but not losing his smile. ¡°What? No, you aren¡¯t bringing us down. You look like you could use someone to talk to, though,¡± he said. He took a sip of his mixed drink and kept that soft smile of his. ¡°I¡¯m all ears, if you¡¯d like. Sometimes, ranting helps a lot.¡±


    I was skeptical but put an order in for another drink. At first, I decided I wasn¡¯t going to spill everything to this guy. Far from it. I started off with, ¡°I¡¯m Neal. Thank you for not being annoyed by my trouble. Someone to talk to would be nice.¡± I gave a sip of my drink and contemted things.


    ¡°That is of no worry,¡± he said, his ent heavy. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t seem to mind me speaking English instead of Italian. This guy was clearly bilingual, which I was thankful for. I could do English and Russian fluently, but I hadn¡¯t lived in Italy long enough to master thenguage.


    Where to begin? I sighed, staring at my ss for a moment while contemting my life. How did I get here? Would he care? I stole a nce up at him to realize he was waiting patiently. Still gorgeous, with that wonderful sparkle in his eye.


    Eventually, I broke my silence. ¡°I just can¡¯t seem to get over a woman, that¡¯s all,¡± I said finally. ¡°I wanted to visit her onest time. Just one more time. She is with someone who hasn¡¯t been there for her in the past.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± the guy said. ¡°I¡¯m Mariano. Pleasure to meet you, Neal. Just one more time, hm?¡± He took a sip of his drink and studied me closely. His gaze caused my stomach to clench. Were those butterflies darting around in there? I licked my lips nervously.


    He said, ¡°Is that entirely healthy, though? You seem a bit hung up on it, after all. Especially if this is a woman you ¡®cannot get over.¡¯ Will seeing her again make you happy?¡± He tilted his head, a few strands of his dark hair falling into his face.


    I provided him a half-hearted shrug, genuinely unsure. Would visiting Ba one more time help me? What about when I was still unable to break away from her? This guy, Mariano, was certainly interrupting my thoughts. I was distracted, to be honest.


    ¡°No,¡± I sighed, admitting it to him and myself. ¡°It probably wouldn¡¯t. Maybe as a friend. But that¡¯s not my intent right now. I just feel so lonesome. I thought she would fill that hole in my heart. I should ept that it¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°You should,¡± Mariano agreed, taking a sip of his drink and giving a soft smile. ¡°It¡¯s hard to give up a lover. I¡¯ve had many men in the past who have turned out not quite right for me. It¡¯s a shame, really.¡±


    Many men in the past. I found myself blushing, unable to help it. This guy had the potential of being interested in me. I licked my lips, trying to dismiss any thoughts of me getting together with him. We just met, after all. This was as silly as first love in a fairy tale.


    ¡°You¡¯re very wise, Mariano. It is hard. I told her I was through with her, but I don¡¯t think I meant it. A moment of weakness from a weak man,¡± I said, burying my face in my hands for a moment before letting out a soft groan. So vulnerable in front of this stranger.


    Rather than poking fun, Mariano said in a serious tone, ¡°Listen. Emotions are real, and they areplicated. You may not have meant it then, but maybe it would be healthy to mean it now. This is tearing you apart, clearly. I may be just a stranger, but I can see it.¡±


    I chuckled, removing my face from my hands to beam at him. He gave me a radiant smile that met his eyes, reaching out toward my shoulder but hesitating. ¡°May I?¡± he asked, to which I nodded. Then, he ced a gentle hand on my shoulder, returning my smile.


    ¡°Neal, you look like a strong man. I think you can get through your troubles. Can I buy you a drink, or two? So long as you promise me you won¡¯t do anything silly like text her, of course,¡± he said, unable to help but give a few chuckles.


    His hand on my shoulder sent sparks through my veins, making it all the harder to concentrate. I considered matters for a moment before slowly nodding. ¡°I think I can ept that. Thank you, Mariano. A fun night of talking to take my mind off of things may be just what I need.¡±


    Mariano chuckled and kept his word. A few more drinks, on him, were brought out to me. We chatted while we drank, and I learned a bit more about him. He was a professor at a prominent university in Florence. He taught advanced mathematics.


    ¡°People have far more use for math than calctors on the Inte can provide,¡± he informed me with a wide smile. ¡°Much as my students would like to argue otherwise,¡± heughed. That prompted me tough as well. His bright personality was contagious.


    ¡°If you could travel anywhere,¡± I asked, very curious to know his answer. ¡°Where would you go? If money wasn¡¯t a factor. Due to a few reasons in my past,¡± I said, a bit inebriated from a few drinks at this point, ¡°there¡¯s some areas I should avoid. What about you?¡±


    Mariano thankfully didn¡¯t question my statement and rather beamed at me. ¡°I would love to visit Australia. So many fascinating animals there, but also structures. I would love to learn more about it,¡± he said, letting out a soft sigh.


    After a few more sips of my drink, I grew bolder. ¡°If you¡¯ve ever made out with someone before, how did they describe your tongue work?¡± I hupped, out of it and not realizing how embarrassing a question I¡¯d asked.


    He took it in stride. Eagerly, as a matter of fact, and while staring at my lips. ¡°Oh, they described it as expert level, Neal,¡± he said. ¡°Both men and women. I¡¯ve tasted, and adored, both. Still have yet to settle with a special sweetheart.¡± He smirked at me, making a kissing motion.


    I licked my lips, then finally asked, ¡°I would like a demonstration if you are willing.¡±


    Suffice to say, he was very willing.

 Chapter 239 : Guns and Weddings

    <h4>Chapter 239: Chapter 239 : Guns and Weddings</h4>


    Giovani.


    The wedding was wonderful, but I knew our troubles were not over. As much as I adored the happiness of James, I couldn¡¯t let my guard down. These people were relentless, as had been made pretty clear by the poisoned cake.


    ording to my men, there was a gathering outside of the wedding hall. I couldn¡¯t have this interrupt James on his special night. Not to mention, kids were involved. I would sooner die by a bullet to my chest than have any of them get hurt.


    This was my job, mine and my men¡¯s. James being the Don of our family was irrelevant. My heart pounded in excitement as I stared toward the woods that surrounded the wedding venue. My intelligence told me that they were going to try and end James once and for all.


    Yeah. That was not happening.


    I chuckled at the thought that they thought they could win this. They were sloppy, leaking information left and right. Negligence? Rage? Didn¡¯t matter. They had a vendetta against James and Ba, and that wouldn¡¯t do, especially on their special night.


    The movement in the shadows caused my heart to pound with excitement. My hand flew to my holster, where my gun was sitting in its holster. I couldn¡¯t wait to use this bad boy on the people that wanted to harm my cousin. It was going to be brilliant.


    I tuned into my Bluetooth connection, adjusting it with my finger and raising a brow. ¡°Any word?¡± I asked my first-inmand. Her answer was not clear, leading me to let out a sigh. Why did they have to always make these things difficult? These bastards were going to die in the end, anyway.


    No excuses. I pulled the trigger even when they begged and said they were set up, especially if family was involved. I was going to have a st putting several bullets in these idiots for trying to disrupt my cousin¡¯s wedding, that was for sure.


    The cricket song raised to a crescendo with nothing else happening. Fireflies darted along, leaving a magical disy of lights and colors. The symphony of the forest, and its sights, would normally capture mepletely.


    This situation was far from normal. I stroked my gun in anticipation, nothing happening in the woods that my men indicated would be a problem. Not yet, anyway. The music of the wedding yed in the background. I felt beyond ted that my family could be happy tonight.


    Even if people who wanted them dead were active, of course. I twitched an eye, letting out a sigh and wanting something, anything, to happen. While I loved the gushy nature of the wedding, things like this were what I lived for too.


    I wanted to make these people bleed, and I would, very soon. Speaking of which, I got a message from one of my men that caused my heart rate to go up significantly. ¡®They¡¯re moving in,¡¯ he said, causing my grin to widen.


    This was it. I was going to bring peace just like I had with that poisoned cake. Sylvio¨Cthat¡¯s right, that¡¯s what that damn butler¡¯s name was¨Chad been disposed of. My men would be made busy with several more bodies, but I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d mind.


    I walked deeper into the shadows of the woods, my heart pounding with anticipation. Though this was disruptive, I couldn¡¯t wait to deal justice. The people at the wedding would be worried. I¡¯d me it all on fireworks. Wouldn¡¯t be wrong.


    In fact, as soon as the banging went off, the night lit up with an array of colors. A rainbow of lights shed across the sky as the sounds of gunshots were melded with explosions. I was ted, aiming my gun at the light shing of lights off between a few trees.


    I definitely hit a few targets, judging by the screams of agony that rang through the night. The art of my violence was pristine, just as beautiful as James dancing with Ba. This was made ever the sweeter with the knowledge that I was protecting my family.


    The people inside, enjoying the wedding, wouldn¡¯t learn a thing. No doubt, at this point, there would be a small crowd gathered toward the back of the hall. The only thing they¡¯d be met with would be fireworks. A wless n, and a pretty disy for the guests.


    Ba wouldn¡¯t worry, and neither would James. Sure, my cousin would learn the truth in a matter of a few hours. But that would only happen after I took care of this ¡®little¡¯ problem, and the bodies were dragged off to be disposed of somece.


    I walked through the woods with a shlight upon the conclusion of the shootout. I hadn¡¯t taken any losses. I hadn¡¯t at all,tely, really. My men were bing more and more skilled. Deadly. urate. These bastards had no chance.


    Money could buy a lot, butpetence got experts in this field much further. I bent down by a body I shined a light on, smiling at the hole in his chest. He wasn¡¯t even wearing body armor. How ipetent were these goons these idiots hired?


    The Cartwrights really knew how to go cheap rather than going home. These assassins were meant to actually kill several people, including my cousin, at his own wedding. Instead, they were downgraded to corpse status in a matter of a few bullets.


    Rich pricks failed to learn the best way to handle these matters, which made things easy for me. I was almost disappointed. I reached over and dipped my index finger into a fatal wound, then brought it to my nose. The metallic smell of blood was ting, and I chuckled.


    ¡°Very dead,¡± I praised to no one in particr, my bloodlust making itself obvious. More bangs went out, something I could identify as gunshots as opposed to fireworks. Letting out a sigh, I had to abandon the corpse I was inspecting to draw my gun.


    Bang! Bang, bang! Several more of the Cartwrights¡¯ hired goons fell by my bullets. I moved deeper into the forest,ing upon one of them still alive. I shined a shlight in his face, causing him to cringe and gasp.


    ¡°Please! Spare me, I have a family, children! They can¡¯t survive without me!¡± he pleaded, all things I¡¯d heard before and didn¡¯t care about. I nted a fancy shoe on his chest, tilting my head as I leaned down and grinned. My face would be thest thing he¡¯d ever see.


    I pointed the gun at his head, then said simply, ¡°You knew the job risks. Did you really think disrupting another family woulde without consequence? James and Ba also have a family and children. In the end, you were the one silenced by a bullet.¡±


    I pulled the trigger without any remorse, my grin widening further at the man¡¯s scream right before I ended him. I knew what they nned on doing with this wedding, my cousin, his family, and the guests. They were going to bleed the ce dry.


    That wouldn¡¯t do. Thanks to my men and me, their attempt to either poison the cake or massacre people here wasn¡¯t going to work. They were throwing themselves at me like mind-controlled sheep. If only I had some semnce of mercy.


    Though, if I did, my cousin would be in a bit more danger. I didn¡¯t n on his big night being ruined, and I wouldn¡¯t slip up on that. I put my gun away, letting out a happy sigh. By the time we finished up, about a dozen corpses littered the forest floor.


    All the goons hired by the Cartwrights were butchered, as they should be. I called my men over to drag the bodies off and dispose of them properly. At this point, they were used to it. Delighted, even, to be given this task.


    These pieces of shit didn¡¯t deserve the courtesy of pause, after all. They really did expect to barge in and shoot up an entire wedding with kids involved. Hired or not, they were evil. Maybe I wasn¡¯t much better for killing them, but here¡¯s the thing...


    I didn¡¯t care.


    Returning to the back porch of the hall and leaning on the railing, I gazed up at the fireworks still going off. A soft smile rested on my face as I realized the most difficult part was over. Ba and James were safe. There would be no problems following this.


    The Cartwrights were so sloppy, I could have aughing fit right here and now. Any number of things could have gone wrong on my end, yet they hired the most ipetent goons for the task. They were slipping, that was for sure.


    Their allies, no doubt, were getting impatient. I would make sure my connections took care of them, or made sure they took care of themselves. No doubt, after this massive failure on their part, the tensions would be much higher.


    Closing my eyes, I smiled, allowing myself to be taken by the music. Perhaps I should dance with someone tonight, now that the major reported conflict was over. The firework show had ended, as well, so the atmosphere out here was inplete, happy silence.


    A few minutester, I felt my phone vibrate with a text. Good, I didn¡¯t want to take a call right now. I took it out of my pocket and brought it up to my face, reading the messages carefully. ¡®Bodies have started the process, boss. No one suspects a thing.¡¯


    ¡®Good,¡¯ I texted back, my smile somehow widening. I may as well be the Cheshire cat at this point. I couldn¡¯t help but feel ted at how everything fell into ce. I had half-expected something to go wrong, like them getting closer to the hall than I would have wanted.


    Thankfully, there was no serving of tragedy. Just victory and cake. Oh, that was right. I pivoted and entered the hall, giving a cheerful nod and wave to some folks I passed by as if I didn¡¯t just order the death of a dozen men, having pulled the trigger at several points myself.


    I approached the table where the cake was, helping myself to another slice. There was plenty there, after all, and shootouts could sometimes make me hungry. I grabbed a fork and returned to lounging about outside, humming in time to the music.


    The groom himself soon emerged from the hall, however, and began to approach me. If anyone could distinguish gunshots from fireworks, or at least that something was amiss, it was him. I didn¡¯t feel worried at all. In fact, my general mood was quite cheerful.


    ¡°James!¡± I eximed, my smile turning soft. My cousin looked abination of stressed and rxed, but I couldn¡¯t me him. ¡°How are you enjoying the festivities?¡±


    ¡°They are going well,¡± my cousin said. ¡°Something is going on out here, though. Care to exin, Giovani?¡±

 Chapter 240 : Talking to Neal

    <h4>Chapter 240: Chapter 240 : Talking to Neal</h4>


    Allegra.


    Apparently, Neal had been on his way to visit Ba. I had warned him that he shouldn¡¯t do that, though he never listened to me. I had been worried for a while that he would pester Ba beyond just making sure she was happy. That n had been shattered by a new guy he¡¯d met. I wondered what changed but figured he would tell me about it. Now, he was on his way over to tell me all about it.


    My stomach lurched at the fact that he would see La here, however. She wasn¡¯t too bothered, or at least, didn¡¯t show it. I could tell there was a little bit of nervousness there, given all that had happened.


    A few weeks had passed since I¡¯d gotten with La, and we were beyond happy together still. She sat at the table as I approached, giving her a smile and setting up some tea. I¡¯d serve lunch for my brother when he got here, too. Before all of this had happened, I¡¯d had a staff to take care of that sort of thing, but now, I was kind of liking taking care of myself.


    ¡°How¡¯s your day going?¡± I asked La. The job she currently held was low stress, and she often described the kids as well-behaved. I was very happy for her, even if she technically didn¡¯t need to hold a job. I could cover everything with my modeling work.


    ¡°It¡¯s going very well!¡± she said. It was a weekend, with nothing else to do, and so were lounging around. Onyx bounded over to La and meowed loudly, wanting attention. This caused both of us to chuckle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll set up some food and treats,¡± I said. La nodded, though I did notice a slight frown on her face and furrowed my brow. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Nervous about my brother visiting? If he gives you a hard time, my sharp tongue will sting him.¡±


    ¡°I am a little bit nervous, yes,¡± La said. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to get between you and your brother, Allegra. After all that¡¯s happened, though, it would be understandable if he didn¡¯t approve of me being here.¡± Her lip quivered as guilt dripped from every word.


    I walked over to my lover and leaned over, nting a deep kiss on her lips as she turned her head. Her body rxed somewhat, especially as I wrapped my arms around her in a hug. We sat there kissing one another for a while before I pulled away for some air, and to speak.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be,¡± I said firmly. ¡°Mistakes were made and apologized for. You can apologize to him, too, for everything, as you did for me. He will approve eventually. He has to,¡± I finished. I gave her onest squeeze before going to the stove and starting lunch.


    La gave me a loving smile, leaning back in her chair and clearly trying to think of the bright side of things. She closed her eyes, muttering something to herself, probably reassurances that this would go just fine. It would, I¡¯d make sure of it.


    Eventually, the moment of reckoning came, and a knock on the door told me that my brother was here. I gave La a light smile, then turned to go answer the door. I hadn¡¯t told Neal about La yet. I wanted to do so in person.


    I opened the door, staring at my brother with a raised brow. ¡°Neal. So d you didn¡¯t end up going with the ¡®harass Ba¡¯ n,¡± I said, not inviting him in just yet. He chuckled, giving a sheepish grin and rubbing the back of his neck.


    ¡°In hindsight, that wasn¡¯t the best of ns. I met someone amazing at the bar, though,¡± he said, exhaling slowly. His eyes grew distant as he breathed the word, ¡°Mariano.¡± He smiled brightly, but then refocused on me, furrowing his brow. ¡°Going to invite me in?¡±


    ¡°In a moment,¡± I said slowly, trying to work out how to approach this. It wasn¡¯t going to be the most fun of reveals, and I wasn¡¯t looking forward to his reaction. I let out a sigh, then narrowed my eyes. ¡°There is something I have to tell you.¡±


    Neal frowned deeply, and I could tell he was wondering what I was on about. My brother raised a brow and said, ¡°Go on.¡± He crossed his arms, anticipating some news that he wasn¡¯t going to like, probably. Well, he was in for a doozy.


    ¡°La and I not only got back together, but she¡¯s living here now,¡± I said tly. He widened his eyes and opened his mouth to say something, but I held up my hand. ¡°Also, my rtionship with her isn¡¯t up for debate. We talked it out, and I expect that to happen with you today if youe in.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Neal said finally, shaking his head. ¡°She worked with the people who brought you so much stress. She betrayed you. You let her back in, just like that? What, did she do? Bat her eyshes and say ¡®pretty please¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Neal,¡± I said, my tone agitated. ¡°Like I said, we talked it out. You¡¯re going to have to ept that. Yes, she did. She was tricked and deeply regrets being led on like that. I trust my judgment here, I¡¯m not lovestruck and lost.¡±


    My brother looked skeptical, but at my very strong stare at him, he sighed and shook his head. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not going to get yourself hurt again,¡± he grumbled. Finally, he nodded. ¡°I will behave,¡± he said. ¡°And be willing to hear her out.¡±


    With that, we entered the house. I led him to the table where La was. My girlfriend was leaning back in her chair, rather tense, with her arms crossed. She nodded toward Neal and tried giving him a kind smile.


    Neal, for his part, was polite and dipped his head. He said, ¡°Hello there, La. Allegra told me you two were back together again.¡± He took a seat. I went over to the stove and stirred the food currently cooking, looking over my shoulder to make sure they were not doing anything funny.


    La said, ¡°We did. I apologized profusely. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt her, or you, or anyone else.¡± Her voice dripped with anxiety and guilt. I felt confident enough to leave the food there for now and return to the table.


    A tear crawled down La¡¯s cheek as she likely thought of what she¡¯d done. I frowned, reaching over and wiping it away from her face. She didn¡¯t flinch away and merely leaned into my touch. I nced over at Neal, hoping he wouldn¡¯t challenge this.


    My brother sighed and eventually said, ¡°I just hope you won¡¯t hurt Allegra again. I trust my sister¡¯s judgment, but she has gotten overly excited in the past. Don¡¯t take advantage of her. There will be no third chance.¡± I rolled my eyes, but La nodded firmly.


    ¡°I understand. If I hurt her again, I deserve no sympathy or forgiveness,¡± she said. She reached over and grabbed my hand, leaving a kiss on it and causing me to blush. Neal couldn¡¯t help but smile at this interaction.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Neal said, then looked over to me. ¡°Well, like I said in the text, I didn¡¯t end up visiting Ba, though I heard the wedding went well,¡± he said. I nodded, d for the subject change so that La could rx a little. She went silent for now, letting Neal and I discuss things.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I said. ¡°You were an idiot for even considering it and not listening to me over the phone, but at least it worked out in the end. What happened with this guy you met, then? If he distracted you from doing something stupid, that¡¯s a great thing.¡±


    Neal chuckled and nodded, running his hand through his hair. His cheeks darkened as he spoke next. ¡°Like I said, his name is Mariano. We¡¯ve seen each other a few times following the meeting at the bar. We just...clicked. Like love at first sight. Silly, I know. But¨C¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± I said, then turned around to get the food and set it up for us. We were having a simple pasta dish with fresh alfredo sauce, something warm and homey. We¡¯d be settled in andfortable with this dish.


    My mouth watered as the savory smell of alfredo settled in the air. I grabbed a bowl for myself, Neal, and La, along with some silverware in napkins. Then, I sat down, continuing the conversation when we were all set up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope this one is permanent and doesn¡¯t lead to another back and forth, or sob story, or you trying to get at Ba yet again,¡± I said, shooting Neal a narrowed gaze. My brother shifted ufortably in his chair, biting his lip in embarrassment.


    ¡°It won¡¯t,¡± he said confidently. ¡°I know I just met the guy, and we have a long way to go. But we have several more dates nned, and we just continue to impress one another. He is more soft-spoken than me, more gentle. Not something I mind at all, really.¡±


    ¡°Reminds me of a certain someone,¡± I said, winking toward La, who couldn¡¯t help but give a little giggle. I smiled, taking a bite of my food and savoring the rich vor a moment before returning to the topic.


    Neal chuckled as well, saying, ¡°As wary as I am about what could happen in the future with you two, I also wish you the best, and that things will work out in the end. I really do want to check in on Ba, as a friend, though.¡±


    I raised a brow, took another bite of my food, and let out a sigh. I eyed Neal warily before asking, ¡°As a friend? And not some deranged lovestruck fool now going after a married woman?¡± Neal nodded in response to what I said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°As a friend. She helped me break free of the thought that I killed Tally, after all. We¡¯ve had our ups and downs, but it seems like she is settling in and making something of her life. I would enjoy being in it as a friend. With Mariano too.¡±


    ¡°When are we going to meet this guy?¡± I asked curiously. La continued to eat her food quietly, not wanting to interrupt us. I was confident the awkwardness between her and Neal would eventually fade, though likely not today.


    ¡°Soon,¡± Neal said, beaming at me. ¡°I want to go on a few more dates with him. I am confident, as you can already tell, but I just want to make sure everything is sound. We can meet at the park, or I can invite you to my ce when you¡¯re not working.¡±


    That sounded like a n to me. Neal and I discussed his lover, how work was going for both of us, and possible future ns as things finally started to settle down. No more drama or people after us, hopefully, for the years toe.


    Eventually, La joined in the conversation as well. I smiled. We really were going to be a happy family, I realized, which made my heart sing.

 Chapter 241 : Honeymoon Plans

    <h4>Chapter 241: Chapter 241 : Honeymoon ns</h4>


    Ba.


    The wedding had gone so well, and I was beyond thrilled. It was the day after, and at the moment, I was eating a hearty breakfast and thinking about the wonderful time I had. We had to n for a honeymoon! I couldn¡¯t wait to talk to James about that.


    Madeline entered the room, humming a tune and giving me a huge smile. ¡°Ba!¡± she eximed. ¡°You were so beautiful at your wedding. I am so happy to have been there, thanks for having me. The kids had a ball, too!¡±


    ¡°I noticed!¡± I said, beaming right back at her. ¡°Thank you so much for helping to watch them during the wedding. I¡¯m really d they weren¡¯t too much trouble. I was so happy to have our family there.¡±


    ¡°They were angels!¡± Madeline eximed, taking a seat in front of me and helping herself to a te of eggs as well. There was whistling from the kitchen, which prompted me to get up and set ourselves up with some tea. I brought in a cup for Madeline as well.


    I sat down, taking a sip of tea, and thinking about what happened. ¡°They were very well behaved, I am so happy about that. James and I want to take them to the park sometime, and get them meeting people in public more.¡± I frowned, still worried about the mafia issue, though.


    Madeline said, ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! You could go to a restaurant too, or watch a show at the theater. Think they could sit still for that?¡± She then added, ¡°Thank you for the tea. I adore how you always set it up, darling.¡±


    I nodded, thinking things over. ¡°That sounds like a good idea. They could enjoy a movie! I don¡¯t know if Dahlia would be willing to sit still that long, but I don¡¯t mind missing part of a movie to give it a try a few times. Won¡¯t ever develop that if they don¡¯t learn!¡±


    ¡°This is true!¡± Madeline said. ¡°Granted, I like the park idea. It gives you more freedom to leave the area and go somece quiet with far less angry looks,¡± she said with confidence, clearly having experience in the matter!


    ¡°Oh, that is very nice, you make a good point. We could practice by building a yscape in the back of thepound,e to think of it. The yard is big enough!¡± I said, smiling. James had mentioned such an idea recently, and I loved it.


    ¡°Wonderful idea, darling!¡± Madeline said. After another few bites of her breakfast, she asked, ¡°What are you going to do for your honeymoon? Have any idea where you want to go?¡± I smiled, furrowing my brow in thought.


    ¡°I have to talk to James more about it. We¡¯ll probably start nning for a week from now, if that is all right with you, since you will be watching the kids. Security will be increased here, so that won¡¯t be a concern,¡± I said. Madeline gave a chuckle at that.


    ¡°Oh, darling! I have never felt unsafe here, not since the incident, so don¡¯t you worry. I am just fine with watching the kids still while you go on your honeymoon. You deserve to enjoy yourself, after all!¡± she said with an even bigger smile now.


    I felt warm and fuzzy, beyond happy to have such a supportive person here. She was turning into a good friend, and I was grateful after the incident that had really made me wary of nannies in general. It felt as though the past was finally staying where it belonged. In the past.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy about that,¡± I said, letting out a sigh. I took a sip of my tea, trying to think of a good ce to go on a honeymoon. Somewhere tropical, I decided. I would love to lie by the beach, maybe snorkel a bit.


    We couldn¡¯t go anywhere or do anything too exciting since I had the baby on the way and was frequently tired. Laying by the beach under the sun and listening to the waves, maybe reading a nice book or five, would be wonderful.


    ¡°I want to go somewhere where there¡¯s a beautiful beach and have a chance to rx a bit. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been able to rx enough even if things have calmed downtely!¡± I said, thinking of all the issues that were finally fading away.


    ¡°Yes, you deserve to get some rest, Ba darling! I think that¡¯s a wonderful idea. I know the Seychelles are a spot I hear mentioned a lot in my friend group. There may be turtles hatching at this time of year, which is amazing to see!¡± she said.


    I grinned, thinking about that. I could get pictures and dazzle the kids when I returned, maybe get a few souvenirs as well. I loved her train of thought, and said, ¡°That¡¯s lovely! I¡¯m going to look that up today. Thank you so much, Madeline.¡±


    With that, we finished breakfast and tea, chatting about ns for the honeymoon and ideas for what Madeline will do to entertain the children. A few new family movies came out this year, and she was going to show them to the kids. Something I very much approved of!


    The idea of a tropical honeymoon had me buzzing with excitement. I couldn¡¯t wait to rx on a beautiful beach, so romantic, with James. We could kiss at sunset, and maybe even have a bit of sex on the beach. Hopefully, it wouldn¡¯t get too sandy.


    I got up from the dining room table and entered the office, making a few notes to look up some good honeymoon spots when I got back. Right now, I had a doctor¡¯s appointment to check on the baby! I was a bit nervous, but so far everything had been going well.


    James met me at the front of thepound, leaning forward and giving me a tender kiss. He wrapped his arms around me in a hug, and asked in my ear, ¡°How has your day been, love? Ready for your appointment?¡± He was joining me for every one now.


    ¡°It¡¯s been wonderful! Madeline and I talked about a good ce to go for a honeymoon. Oh James, I¡¯m so excited. I was thinking a beach would be nice. Somewhere rxing, what do you think?¡± I asked him, leaning back and giving him a huge smile.


    James thought about this for a moment, then nodded. ¡°That sounds perfect, just the right fit for us. Do you have an idea where you¡¯d like this tropical spot to be?¡± he asked. He reached up and moved a strand of my hair from my face, causing me to close my eyes and lean into his touch.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I breathed. ¡°She suggested Seychelles. We can see some turtles there and take some pictures for the kids. I¡¯d love to watch a sunset with you,¡± I added, thinking about that and nearly bouncing with excitement.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait, Ba,¡± he said, leaning down to steal another kiss and causing me to blush deeply. We went outside and got into our car, with security at the wheel while we rode in the back. I leaned against James, my heart pounding.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked, nudging me and giving me a frown of concern. ¡°Nervous, as usual? I think the baby will be just fine. You always get so worried regardless, though, huh?¡± he asked, reading my mind.


    I nodded, grinning sheepishly and rubbing the back of my neck. ¡°Any number of things could go wrong, so I always think about the worst-case scenario. Especially after all that we¡¯ve been through. But things are looking up, and I¡¯m so happy, James.¡±


    James nodded, ncing away from me for a moment in an odd way. I opened my mouth to question what was wrong, but he just nudged me again and leaned over, giving me a kiss on my cheek. ¡°We¡¯ll be living in peace and happiness now, Ba. Don¡¯t you worry.¡±


    That eased me a little bit, though, of course, I still worried a bit about the baby, and hoped they would be alright. Not that there had been any signs otherwise, of course. We got out of the car and walked into the hospital.


    Once more, I passed by several families being loud, either cheering or weeping. At times, there were more than a dozen people waiting outside rooms, chatting loudly in the hospital. I was grinning from ear to ear at this, once again reminded about how wonderful it was.


    Family being here for each other, so loudly supportive, may annoy some people not from around here, but it didn¡¯t bother me. James remained neutral on the matter, while I was touched. I wished my parents were as supportive.


    My father, unfortunately, still had a stick up his ass about James. Talks with him didn¡¯t go well, though I tried my best. I shook that thought out of my head as we were directed into one of the rooms. The gynecologist entered, giving us a huge smile.


    ¡°Hello again, Ba! James! Or should I say, Mr. and Mrs. Valentino? Congrattions on the marriage,¡± she said. Though she hade across as judgemental at first, she seemed very supportive at this point. I was at ease with her.


    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± I said, sitting down on a chair and preparing for some tests. James took his usual spot in the corner, looking rxed and happy. The gel was spread on my belly so that the doctor could use an ultrasound and check on the baby.


    I watched the ck and white image on the screen, a bit scratchy and hard to see, like every ultrasound image before it. To me, anyway. The doctor knew what she was seeing! As she identified the baby¡¯s head and body, I gave a little, happy squeal.


    ¡°They¡¯re developing well!¡± she said, giving a huge smile. ¡°Do you want to do some tests to see the sex, or were you nning on it being a surprise?¡± she asked. I didn¡¯t have any expectations or specific wants. My smile widened.


    ¡°A surprise,¡± I said. ¡°We will pick out a few names for both genders, then decide when the timees.¡± The doctor nodded in agreement, and from James¡¯s light smile, he liked that idea as well. We got the typical health talk, and a few of my questions were answered.


    The baby was healthy, with no issues, which caused my heart to sing. I felt very warm and happy. Everything was looking up! On our way home, I gave James a huge kiss, wrapping my arms around him with glee.


    ¡°A healthy baby is a happy one!¡± I said, my voice dripping with enthusiasm. We had nothing to worry about, and for that, I was overjoyed.

 Chapter 242 : Giovani’s Rise

    <h4>Chapter 242: Chapter 242 : Giovani¡¯s Rise</h4>


    James.


    Still feeling beyond happy about the news of the baby still being healthy, I walked over to the fridge to get myself a quick snack before meeting with Giovani. Ba was dripping with joy, which made me relieved, to say the least.


    She had no idea what was going on in the background, and I didn¡¯t want her to, either. She shouldn¡¯t suffer the stress of anything anymore. My wife was looking forward to a wonderful life with our expanding family, and I wouldn¡¯t let worry settle in her mind.


    At least, despite the stress on my end, we were going to have our honeymoon soon. The kids were happy, and that¡¯s all I could ask for. Speaking of which, I stopped into the nursery for a visit before heading off to discuss things with my cousin.


    Alessandro was ying around with a few cars and stuffed animals. Dahlia sat in front of him, doing the same, making happy cooing noises threaded in with a few words. When they saw me, they let out squeals of happiness and hobbled over.


    I took a seat on the ground and spread my arms, taking them into a huge hug and giving a few chuckles. ¡°Hello, loves,¡± I said to both, holding them close and grinning widely. Madeline looked on, no doubt touched by this interaction.


    Eventually I stood up and picked Alessandro up, holding him toward the ceiling in a swift motion that had him squealing withughter and shouting for more. I tossed him up into the air a few times before putting him on the ground. Dahlia protested with a few whines.


    I gave her attention too, tossing her a bit before leaving a huge kiss on the cheek. Giving my daughter a big squeeze, I finally put her on the ground and patted both. ¡°I love you!¡± I said to the kids, who responded back in kind.


    Madeline pped her hands, saying, ¡°Oh darling, you are so great with the kids! They are always so happy to see you. It warms my heart. They¡¯ve been doing wonderful and having a ball in here,¡± she said. I nodded, smiling at her.


    ¡°I am very happy to hear that,¡± I said, giving her a huge smile. After a final hug for each of the little ones, I turned to leave. ¡°Thank you for all the hard work you do, and for agreeing to watch over them when Ba and I go on our honeymoon.¡±


    ¡°I hope you have the time of your life, darling!¡± Madeline said, giving a little wave. ¡°It is no problem, I am always delighted to be here with these little angels.¡± I could tell by how her tone gushed that she meant that with all her heart.


    With a positive mood, I exited the nursery and headed out to my car. Security would be driving me to anotherpound where Giovani was ready to meet and speak. He was very vague after the wedding, and I wanted to know more about what was going on.


    The drive was quick. Cloud cover hid the stars, prompting me to randomly hope that Ba and I got a few days under the stars without such clouds on the beach during our honeymoon. It would be good to rx a little then.


    Eventually, we came upon thepound, and I entered the building, getting a nce from a few of Giovani¡¯s men on his security team, but nothing more than that. I nodded with respect for them as I made my way through the halls.


    Arriving at his office, I knocked on the door. I let him know ahead of time via text that I was on my way, so he was well aware of this meeting. His soft voice rang out on the other side. ¡°Come in,¡± he said. I entered the room and sat down in front of his desk.


    At the moment, Giovani was typing up something on hisptop. He nced up and gave me a kind grin before pushing it aside and threading his fingers together, resting his elbows on his desk. He looked rather authoritative and had a sly glint in his eye.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I liked that, but technically, the wedding had gone well despite the suspicious things that kept happening. Ba didn¡¯t notice, at least, and the kids were safe. In that case, I couldn¡¯t be too annoyed with the secrecy.


    ¡°James!¡± Giovani said, giving a nod. ¡°Wee. I¡¯m so d you wanted to meet with me here, there are a lot of things I wanted to go over,¡± he said, causing me to raise a brow. I was still Don, so it likely pertained to that. Still...


    ¡°We¡¯re going to talk about what happened at the wedding, right Giovani?¡± I asked, crossing my arms and leaning back in the cushioned chair I was sitting in. He chuckled and nodded, his smile only widening.


    ¡°But of course. In fact, that¡¯s the primary thing I wanted to talk about. That entire situation happened because of the Cartwrights. Oh, what¡¯s his name... Right, Sylvio. A very nice friend of yours, no doubt,¡± he said, his tone now very sarcastic.


    I rolled my eyes, but then furrowed my brow. ¡°Wait. He was connected to the Cartwrights?¡± I asked, causing Giovani to chuckle and shake his head. I sighed, wishing he could be more forting as opposed to ying around, at times.


    ¡°Not at all. He was just an annoying bastard I wanted to get rid of and did so in a creative way,¡± Giovani said. ¡°Good at his job. But an asshole. Now, very good at his job. He¡¯s six feet under because of a poisoned wedding cake. The one none of you ate.¡±


    I widened my eyes, fascinated by this. My heart began to pound. What?! We had almost been poisoned? I licked my lips nervously, wishing I had been paying more attention. Seeing this reaction, Giovani¡¯s demeanor softened.


    ¡°Rx. Like I said, I took care of it. I suspected the cake was poisoned and could have just got rid of it just in case. I killed two birds with one stone, though, and had him try it. It was a fast-acting poison. We got rid of the cake and reced it,¡± he exined.


    I nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°How did you get him to try it?¡±


    ¡°Told him to taste a bit of the frosting,¡± Giovani said with a wink. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle despite how morbid that was. My cousin continued. ¡°So, the Cartwrights are still active, as you know, and tried sabotaging your wedding.¡±


    ¡°The loud banging was therefore more than fireworks, as I suspected?¡± I asked, causing him to nod. The man ran his fingers through his slicked-back hair, wearing a reassuring but somewhat sinister smile.


    ¡°Yes. That was a shootout that myself and my men took care of. What a time to feel alive, during a gunfight at a wedding. Your guests and your wife were none the wiser, and the kids were perfectly safe. They tried to make it otherwise, but I shot those fish in a barrel, so to speak.¡±


    ¡°It was that easy?¡± I asked, blinking in surprise. Not even a whiff of this activity was picked up by Ba, thank goodness, given she would be tossed into stress all over again. Giovani just smirked, now, giving me a thumbs up.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it waspletely easy. A lot of nning was involved, a lot of research, a lot of money trading hands. You¡¯re family and deserve some peace, though. I was willing to pull strings to make sure it happened,¡± my cousin said.


    Surprisingly, I felt a tear trickle down my cheek as I realized just how often Giovani went above and beyond for me and my family. My cousin was a dangerous person, but someone with a heart of gold. I very much appreciated that.


    I bit my lip, considering things. He was exceptional at getting things done, and making sure the word didn¡¯t get out. No doubt, he bribed enforcement to keep their mouths shut for times like this. Cartwrights or not, this would continue to follow me.


    ¡°There was another thing I wanted to ask about,¡± I said slowly, letting out a sigh. What I had was a huge responsibility, and cursing Giovani with it wasn¡¯t ideal. I had a feeling he wasn¡¯t going to be opposed to what I¡¯d be asking him, though.


    ¡°Go on,¡± Giovani drawled, reaching over to take a sip of his wine. ¡°Oh. Would you like a ss?¡± he raised his, and I thought for a moment before nodding. He gestured to one of his own security men, who poured me a ss. I thanked the man before refocusing on my cousin.


    ¡°I am very exhausted being the Don. The Cartwrights being atrge are just a drop in the ocean, to be frank,¡± I began. ¡°My family will have this heavy burden on us as long as I am our family¡¯s Don. I¡¯ve been able to efficiently take care of business, but it¡¯s not meant for me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been doing a great job, James,¡± Giovani offered with an encouraging smile. ¡°The family is thrilled to have you at its head. Still, I can tell it¡¯s stressing you out, yeah. Not to mention you have a kid on the way.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said. ¡°Meanwhile, you are as efficient, if not more so, than I am. I think you would be a great person for the position I find myself in. I just don¡¯t want to dump all of these problems on you, it¡¯s a huge responsibility andes with a lot of stress.¡±


    ¡°Which I deal with on the regr already, James,¡± Giovani chuckled, giving me a wink. He studied me for a second before saying, ¡°You know, I don¡¯t mind the added stress or responsibility. It would be an honor to be the Don.¡±


    ¡°You and I have a very different way of looking at it,¡± I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck and grinning sheepishly. I felt hope rush through me, though, at his willingness to hear me out and possibly take the Don position.


    I said, ¡°In that case. You wouldn¡¯t be opposed to me giving you that title, then? I know it is a heavy decision, and you may need to think about it for a while. But I¡¯m confident you would be the best fit for this, Giovani. You would bring it justice and make our family prosper.¡±


    ¡°Such sugary words from the Don, I feel like royalty,¡± Giovani joked, giving me a wider smirk. I rolled my eyes and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He then grew serious, however, taking a sip of his wine and giving a nod.


    ¡°Look, James. I genuinely admire you and want to help you. The Don position is something I would be more than willing to take. This whole ordeal means a lot to me, and I think you are doing amazing work. It is taking its toll, though, on you. Can I handle it? Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well then,¡± I said, straightening up. ¡°Let¡¯s get things squared away so that you will be the family¡¯s Don.¡±

 Chapter 243 : Neal Sees Becca Again

    <h4>Chapter 243: Chapter 243 : Neal Sees Ba Again</h4>


    Neal.


    A few weeks had passed since I met Mariano, and the strong sense of attraction I had to both his looks and personality had not faded. In fact, we were hitting it off even harder now, and I couldn¡¯t be happier.


    Thankfully, I was brave enough to call Ba and say I wanted to visit as a friend. I meant it this time. There was no ulterior motive, not that there had been one, to begin with. She may have been stuck in my head a little, but that wasn¡¯t an issue anymore.


    After some hesitation, she agreed to see me. Likely because I wanted to introduce her to Mariano, which put her at ease for me not actually being after her anymore. I epted that she was with James.


    Mariano and I were sharing lunch before heading out. I gazed into his eyes, my own full of adoration for the man. ¡°We¡¯re really hitting it off, aren¡¯t we?¡± I chuckled, breaking the silence that had formed between us as we ate sandwiches.


    Mariano winked, saying, ¡°I think we are, yes. I am thrilled to be favored by such a sexy guy as yourself, Neal.¡± I blushed deeply, ncing away and taking a bite of my sandwich. He had the most wonderful way with words while I could be a little awkward.


    ¡°The feeling is mutual,¡± I finally said, coughing. Mariano smirked at me, then winked, running his tongue over his lips in a very tempting manner. I stared at him for a moment, enjoying the idea of those lips against mine.


    ¡°I would describe myself as a cat, given how often I have your tongue. In more ways than one,¡± Mariano said, causing me to chuckle and rub the back of my neck. I finished my sandwich in a few more bites, standing up and stretching.


    ¡°I can be a bit tongue tied around you. You¡¯re just so wonderful, Mariano. I¡¯ve been through a lot in my life, and to finally find someone who returns my very strong feelings is among the best feelings in the world.¡±


    Mariano finished up his lunch as well, reaching over to pick up my te and put it on his. He then carried the dishes to the sink, no doubt to be der. Currently, we were at my apartment, ready to head out to check on Ba soon.


    After everything, I wanted to remain friends with her, and possibly make amends with James. Many of our past enemies had intercepted, anyway, and we connected through actually getting through what that hell was.


    Mariano walked over to me after getting the dishes situated, catching me under the chin and staring into my eyes. I felt my heart pound as he leaned in and ced his lips against mine, causing my entire body to rx.


    He explored my mouth for a little while as I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close. He had strong arms, which matched his tongue. I loved how he dived in with no hesitation, confident in everything he did. I waspletely love-struck.


    Eventually, the kiss had to end. He pulled away, taking a breath and smiling brightly at me. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to meeting your friend today,¡± he said softly. ¡°I am very d to hear their wedding went well. You said past things could havee up and interrupted it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I sighed, shaking my head. ¡°You know by now that my past is rocky, but that¡¯s the case with friends associated with me as well. Too many twisted people out there trying to destroy lives, essentially,¡± I exined, causing him to nod.


    He ran his fingers through my hair, causing me to swallow and go for yet another kiss. This tender onested for a few seconds, though not as long as when we made out. I licked my lips when it ended, letting out a sigh.


    He said, ¡°Rocky pasts are just that. In the past. I¡¯m d you and your friends have found some peace. I know we¡¯re going rather fast, but I enjoy being part of your life and am happy to meet these friends of yours.¡± I smiled at him, knowing he meant every word.


    After one more hug, we headed to the car, chatting about another date idea. ¡°I would love to go to the aquarium,¡± he exined. ¡°Having lunch at the wildlife sanctuary was amazing, I¡¯m so happy to see your passion for such a thing match mine.¡±


    I nodded. I hadn¡¯t ever been able to explore likes such as that, but my sister loved the beach and the animals associated with it. Wildlife in general, really, which caught my interest as well. With all the guns, revenge, and violence I couldn¡¯t live and be myself.


    Now, with Mariano, I could. We were discovering every day that we had simr interests. I said, ¡°It was,¡± with a smile. The memory of us sharing drinks and treating ourselves to a savory meal in the aviary of that sanctuary was a treat.


    We were able to watch the birds nearby, listening to their calls and talking about the status of their preservation, which wasid out on the cards and information given by the sanctuary itself. We had a hard time tearing our eyes away from each other, though.


    ¡°They say owls are the wisest birds,¡± Mariano muttered, interrupting my train of thought. He opened the door for me, and I got into the car. He was driving today, something I didn¡¯t mind. We had navigation set up, anyway. The handsome man then continued his train of thought.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve always found corvids to be much more intelligent. Corvids and parrots. Isn¡¯t it fascinating? A creature with beautiful ck feathers, and a creature with a menagerie of colors, both so different in look and alike in mind,¡± he said. I beamed at him, giving a nod.


    The intellectual always had something wonderful to say and sometimes found mathematical connections to it too. I joked, ¡°Are you going to find some connection to geometry or numbers with what you just said?¡±


    Mariano gave a soft, chimingugh, one that always warmed my heart. ¡°Give me a moment. I¡¯ll think about it.¡± I smiled at him, and we were off, chatting like a storm on the way to Ba and James¡¯s house.


    It had been a few days since the wedding, and I was d to catch them before their honeymoon. They were apparently leaving in about a week, having squared away those ns quickly. Given how much money Ba had, I wasn¡¯t surprised. I wasn¡¯t sure why they didn¡¯t go on their honeymoon right after the wedding, which was usually the tradition, but it wasn¡¯t my business.


    We eventually pulled into the driveway of their familypound, and I got out of the car. Security approached, needing to verify who we were before we could approach the front door and greet Ba.


    Mariano didn¡¯t seem nervous about this at all and didn¡¯t skip a beat. ¡°Gentlemen,¡± he said kindly, giving them a nod. His smile was contagious, and Ba¡¯s security returned it with as much warmth.


    I knocked on the door, waiting a beat before Ba answered. She gave me a careful smile, no doubt hoping I wasn¡¯t going to try and beg to get her back or anything. My face flushed with embarrassment at that thought.


    I really had been unreasonable, hadn¡¯t I? Rather, I said, ¡°Hello, Ba. I am really d to hear your wedding went well. Thank you for agreeing to see me to check up and possibly make amends. This is Mariano, someone I¡¯ve been dating for a bit,¡± I said, not giving her a chance to speak before I finished.


    Ba peered at Mariano and gave a dip of her head, holding out her hand for a shake. They shook hands, and Mariano said kindly, ¡°Hello there. I¡¯ve heard many good things about you. I¡¯m honored to be meeting a friend of a wonderful guy like Neal.¡±


    We were let inside and led to the coffee table, where Ba said, ¡°I¡¯m d you two found one another.¡± There was a hint of relief in her tone, which caused that coil of guilt in my gut to intensify. Things would be cleared up today, though, I was sure.


    Ba went into the other room to get some tea while I leaned back into the couch, locking eyes with Mariano. The man winked at me, making a kissy face and trying to get me to chuckle. We weren¡¯t going to start making out in here! Not that he wanted to, but he could be a tease.


    Soon, Ba returned, cing the teacups on little tes in front of us and giving us a big smile. ¡°So!¡± she said. ¡°Please, tell me how you met. I want to know all the details.¡± She looked toward me, raising a brow. A happy grin crossed my face.


    I went into detail about how I was feeling down and went to the bar but didn¡¯t tell her the exact reason. That would make this very ufortable, very fast. ¡°It was a beautiful ce, really,¡± I sighed, my face flushing. ¡°Quite like a fairy tale, really, where I met him.¡±


    Mariano beamed, then continued. ¡°A beautiful gentleman entered the bar, and when I set my eyes on him, I knew we had to at least talk. I couldn¡¯t help but be very flirtatious. He was too much to resist.¡± He winked at me, causing my blush to deepen.


    Ba giggled. I could tell by how rxed she was, and her general demeanor, that she waspletely thrilled with the situation and happy for me. The tone of her voice was joyous and amazed. ¡°That does sound like a fairy tale! Reminds me of how James proposed to me.¡±


    At that, she shot me a wary nce, as if I would start acting sad. I did the opposite, and asked, ¡°Oh? Can you tell us the story? Mariano adores love stories,¡± I said. ¡°That, math, and animals, of course,¡± I chuckled. Now, it was Mariano¡¯s turn to blush!


    In an excited tone, Ba recounted the tale of how James proposed, and I was amazed at how family-oriented it was. My heart sang for her. I could tell she was genuinely happy now and settling in with her family. We had gotten through a lot.


    I was d the awkwardnesspletely evaporated from there. I really did want to be a friend to Ba, with no strings attached or expectations of romance. We had also dealt with so many ups and downs, with plenty of danger. It was time to put the past behind us.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ba said as one of our conversations ended. ¡°We should have a double date at some point, Neal! You and Mariano, me and James. Maybe after our honeymoon. How does that sound?¡± She widened her eyes with excitement.


    Mariano pped his hands, beyond delighted at this idea. ¡°I would love that!¡± he eximed. ¡°How about at a park? The nights have been beautifultely. Hopefully, the clouds will clear up, though.¡±


    ¡°I love that idea,¡± I said with a huge smile, adding to Ba¡¯s delight.


    From the other room, James poked his head in. He fixed his eyes on me, studying me for a moment before giving me a smile. Sure, our past was rocky too. I could tell he was okay with making amends as well, though, because he gave me a thumbs up.


    ¡°I agree with this n. A double date sounds fantastic. Let¡¯s make ns for it after the honeymoon,¡± he said, eyeing Mariano. He was reassured enough that I came here as a friend, and I intended to stay that way.


    I let out a sigh of relief. All was well and getting even better. I couldn¡¯t be happier.

 Chapter 244 : Bliss

    <h4>Chapter 244: Chapter 244 : Bliss</h4>


    James.


    ¡°This is going to be such a wonderful trip, James!¡± Ba eximed, wrapping her arms around me. I smiled, returning the hug and holding her close. When she pulled away, I gave her a tender kiss.


    At the moment, we were sitting in the living room of thepound with aptop open on the table showing all the activities we could do in Seychelles. The pictures of beautiful, pristine beaches with shining sand and deep blue water got me excited, too.


    ¡°I think we should see the tortoises and dolphins,¡± Ba said, giving a smile. ¡°The kids are going to love those pictures. Someday, we need to take them with us, to a kid-friendly area.¡± No doubt she would be paying attention to that during our honeymoon.


    ¡°That is an excellent idea, my love,¡± I said to her, giving her another squeeze. We exchanged another kiss as she continued to scroll through the pictures and destinations. Thankfully, the trip was taken care of flight-wise and hotel-wise.


    Having money was useful, and Ba wasn¡¯t afraid to spoil us for this. The wedding had been quite expensive, especially since I wanted topensate Giovani for how he helped us. Not that he wanted to be, of course, but I insisted.


    We were in no danger of running low on money, though, and business was going very well on my end. Speaking of which, I said to Ba, ¡°All is well with the firm. Investments are up again, and we are in a good spot. Thank you for hearing me out about Italy, baby.¡±


    Ba chuckled, reaching up to run her fingers through my hair. My heart sang for her. She said, ¡°It all worked out in the end. I may have had a stick up my ass at first, but I¡¯m really happy here now. So are the kids. I feel safe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d,¡± I said, relieved. I was also relieved that she had no idea what was going on behind the scenes. I hated hiding it from her, but it would all be over soon. Thank goodness Giovani was going to take over as Don.


    Once more, I felt a pang of relief at the thought of Giovani and how he took care of things. I never quite figured he was being malicious but often found myself wondering why he was so secretive. Now, it all made sense; he didn¡¯t want me to be stressed out.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for our honeymoon, love. I have the security all set up for us, as well, so there won¡¯t be any need to stress or worry,¡± I said, leaning forward to give her a kiss. I wanted her to be reassured on that part as well.


    She chuckled and said, ¡°Oh! They get a vacation too. I like that,¡± she said. ¡°After all the work they do, they deserve it. Sure, they¡¯ll be watching us closely, but I have a feeling they¡¯ll still get to rx, for the most part.¡±


    Her soul was so pure, it made me feel even happier. Though, she wasn¡¯t wrong. Giovani, I felt, would ensure we had apletely problem-free honeymoon, something I was very much looking forward to and grateful to my cousin for.


    Speaking of which, I wanted to give him a callter to ensure everything was situated when Ba and I were done talking about our ns. I continued our conversation, saying, ¡°They will. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll run into trouble when we¡¯re trying to rx.¡±


    Ba chuckled, agreeing with me and taking a sip of her tea. She continued to chat about ns, but added, ¡°As fun as all this nning is, I don¡¯t want topletely fill up our time now. Oh, James, it¡¯s a time to rx, after all! We can¡¯t do something every day.¡±


    I nodded in agreement,pletely understanding where she wasing from. After all, if we did too much, we would need a vacation from a vacation. Ba continued, saying, ¡°I want a few days of just rxing on the beaches without a worry in the world.¡±


    ¡°Ipletely agree, love,¡± I said, burying my face in her neck and giving her a kiss there. This sent shivers down her spine and caused me to feel rather turned on. I licked my lips, wondering to myself if she would be in the mood for fun after my discussion with my cousin.


    A bitter, after Ba gushed a bit about the honeymoon ns, I said, ¡°Let me go get everything squared away with Giovani again. Then, would you like to ride the Italian Stallion?¡± I asked, bold and confident. I watched Ba¡¯s expression, delighted at her blush.


    Her voice was sultry and dripping with lust as she said, ¡°That sounds like a n, James. I will be waiting in the bedroom, ready for you to take me somece else and make me scream.¡± I felt a raging erection start up and decided the talk with Giovani needed to be fast.


    Ba was true to her word, vanishing without a trace into the bedroom. I licked my lips, anticipating all the things I wanted to do to her as I dialed Giovani. When my cousin picked up, and we exchanged greetings, I asked, ¡°Is everything settled on your end?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Giovani said, his voice confident. ¡°Your honeymoon will bepletely uninterrupted and happy. The Cartwrights have no idea about it. Slowly, surely, they are being whittled away. I can promise you, they will no longer be a problem soon enough.¡±


    I let out a sigh of relief, happy about that. Grinning from ear to ear, I said, ¡°Thank you, Giovani. I knew you would be the perfect Don. Beyond my own selfish reasons, of course. I really want Ba and I to have the time of our lives.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and you will. These reasons aren¡¯t selfish, James. You¡¯ve gone through a lot,¡± Giovani assured me. I thanked him and bid him farewell, Ba stuck in my mind. When I hung up the phone. I hurried to the bedroom, ready for a treat.


    Ba was lying there, her legs spread and the most sensitive areas she wanted me to explore exposed. She grinned at me, wanting me to indulge as much as I could. ¡°F*ck,¡± I breathed, taking her form in. She had a growing baby bump, but that made her all the sexier.


    My erection strengthened, and soon, I removed my pants to free it. In no time, my face was between her legs. My tongue dived into her, exploring every part I could, causing her to whimper and cry out the deeper I delved.


    At one point, I withdrew, unable to help but praise her. ¡°That¡¯s it, baby. Give me those cries, those screams. I want to hear them.¡± Then, I dove in again, the taste of her intensifying my lust. My tongue explored the inner reaches of my wife, causing fluid to gush from her.


    The pleasure had her squirming and arching her back, whimpers and whines pouring from her like a professional music number. At least, that¡¯s what it sounded like to my ears. I let out a moan into her p*ssy, wanting to climb on top of her and ravage her here and now.


    Not the time yet, though. I continued to eat her out, paying close attention to those tantalizing shudders she gave intertwined with those high-pitched squeals. I could tell my tongue touched every sensitive area within her, given the intense physical reactions from my wife.


    After a while, I groaned, saying, ¡°Baby, I need to f*ck you now.¡± I¡¯d been eating her out for quite a while, something she was very satisfied with, judging by that edged whimper that spilled from her lips. I lifted my head and locked eyes with her.


    ¡°Take me, James,¡± she breathed. ¡°I want you in me, right this f*cking instant.¡± Ba¡¯s demands would be met. I stopped diving into her immediately and crawled up on top of her, pinning her down. Without any dy, I impaled her with my c*ck, which caused her to cry out loudly.


    Ba gasped with pain and pleasure as I relentlessly took her, moving in and out without any pause. She wanted this, I knew, because she kept begging for more. ¡°James, please!¡± she shrieked. ¡°Harder. I need you harder!¡±


    I obliged, grunting and diving in with far more intensity than before. My wife squirmed beneath me, gasping and whimpering, words of wanting spilling from her lips on a constant basis. I groaned loudly, resisting my own release as pleasure crashed over me in waves.


    We were one. We were perfect, and eventually, we released together in harmony. Ba gave me all of her, and I realized more than ever that we were meant for each other, a perfect, happy bnce.


    My emotions spilled over at the same time as my orgasm, making it all the more intense. Iid there on top of her for a long while, locking my lips with hers and holding the kiss. Ba wrapped her arms around me as I remained inside of her.


    Eventually, I withdrew, breaking the kiss as well. Letting out an overjoyed sigh, I said, ¡°Let¡¯s get you cleaned up, and then rx. Alright?¡± My wife agreed, and I swept her into my arms, walking toward the bathroom. ¡°How does a massage sound, baby?¡± I asked Ba.


    ¡°Mmm...wonderful,¡± she said, giving into the pleasure of the situation and letting me carry her to the bathroom. I may have been in my resting period, but that didn¡¯t stop me from trying to give Ba as much pleasure as possible.


    The water ran a very pleasant warm temperature, something I checked before directing Ba into the bath. She said, ¡°Thank you for helping me with this, James. I love how you spoil me. I know I should be able to handle it, but I¡¯m tired.¡±


    ¡°Shh, baby,¡± I said, my voice gentle and reassuring. ¡°You are carrying a baby. A whole new person. Our child. It¡¯spletely understandable,¡± I added, wanting her to feel good about herself more than anything.


    I ced her into the bathtub, treating her to a massage. A loud, blissful groan rang into the air as I got into the bath behind her, sitting so that I could ce my hands on her shoulder and begin massaging her.


    Sure, she didn¡¯tst as long in bed this time, but I didn¡¯t mind. Her body was very tired, and I cared deeply about her pleasure. She said, after a pause, ¡°Thanks, James. You¡¯re right. I am. I think I should stop worrying so much. I always do that, huh?¡±


    ¡°A little,¡± I chuckled, giving her a little squeeze. ¡°But it¡¯s okay to be careful. Especially now. Listen to your body. I¡¯m just d I could make you moan with ecstasy before you got too tired,¡± I said in a sultry tone.


    Ba shuddered in the best of ways, causing my grin to widen. She whispered, ¡°Oh James, you always know what to do and say. I love you so much.¡± My heart sang at her words, and I leaned forward to give her a kiss on the back of the neck.


    ¡°I love you too, Ba. With all my heart.¡±

 Chapter 245 : Sex on the Beach

    <h4>Chapter 245: Chapter 245 : Sex on the Beach</h4>


    Ba.


    This was it. The perfect honeymoon, the one where James and I would have the time of our lives. I was thrilled, my heart singing even as I looked out the window of the airne we were taking. With the money I had, we were able to charter a private jet. Even after all these months, I¡¯d neverpletely gotten used to always being able to afford the best of everything.


    The staff was very kind, including the flight attendants who catered to our every need. Our money came with a lot of advantages. I tried not to think about that too much, though. It made me feel guilty.


    Rather, when my worries became too heavy, I reminded myself of the charity that I was starting off. I realized I couldn¡¯t physically go to Guatem, but with my wealth, I reached out to locals for the best ways to run a charity for kids there.


    The representative I spoke with had been wonderfully helpful, and it made me beyond happy that I could still help while not being there. I had decided Italy was a ce to settle even after everything we¡¯d gone through.


    James was wonderful, and I could rely on him through thick and thin. The honeymoon we were looking forward to was going to be so much fun, and my heart pounded with anticipation. I put the Guatem charity in the back of my mind, resolving that it was okay to have some fun.


    Not to mention, I was relying on my money and connections for this. Antite was a lifesaver and could identify suspicious parties. Thankfully, she found no such thing when I sent her details to research on the charity I started.


    Given all of that was situated, I could focus on James and all the fun times ahead. I meant it when I said I really wanted some time to rx on the beach. We went through so much stress and worry for our lives that we needed it.


    Soon, the nended, leaving a sight to behold. My jaw dropped as I took everything in. We were on one of the inds we were going to be spending time in, and it was better than I ever could have imagined.


    Bright green palm trees swayed in the breeze as seabirds flewzily about, no doubt looking for their next meal. I couldn¡¯t see the beaches, yet, as the ne didn¡¯tnd near the water. Rightfully so!


    Rather, James and I were the first to get off. Security helped carry our luggage, having been treated to first ss as well. I could tell by their little grins that they were happy for a little vacation of their own as well.


    I resisted the urge to giggle while seeing that, of course. Rather, I followed them, hand-in-hand with James, out of the ne and into the airport. The ce itself was full of trinkets and souvenirs in general that would hook the average tourist.


    Though I had plenty of money, I wanted to buy things from the locals and help out that way while still preserving the memory of this wonderful ce. I could tell this honeymoon was going to be simply amazing. So much so that I began to tear up.


    ¡°Everything alright?¡± James asked, causing me to turn and look up at him. I chuckled, beaming at my husband, rushing toward him and wrapping my arms around him. Thank goodness he wasn¡¯t carrying luggage!


    ¡°Everything is more than alright, James. I am so excited!¡± I eximed, my voice dripping with enthusiasm.


    ¡°I am so d to hear that, baby. I am too. This is going to be wonderful, the time of our lives,¡± he said. He wasn¡¯t wrong, either!


    Later that day, I was bedazzled by the beautiful beach we found ourselves on after we checked into our hotel. The sun hung overhead, nice and warm.


    James walked over and massaged my shoulders while helping me put on sunscreen, which caused me to blush. He left a soft kiss on my neck, causing me to let out a giggle and turn to give him a very tender one. The kisssted for quite a while until we settled in.


    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful out here, James,¡± I said, listening to the sound of the waves. I looked out across the water, smiling at the sight and sound of seabirdszily flying around. We would have to be careful of our food, there were a lot of them!


    ¡°It is. I couldn¡¯t be happier spending this time with you,¡± James said, taking me into a long hug before sitting next to me in the spot we set up. I got out a nket and a basket next to us of food we¡¯d ordered from a nearby restaurant.


    Gourmet, and something yummy to dive intoter. I ordered a virgin pina cda, mindful to have no alcohol so as to not hurt the growing baby. Still, alcohol-free, I could enjoy this delicious tropical drink next to James.


    He ordered his with alcohol, which was just fine, as I was happy to see him rx. He¡¯d been so invested in his worktely. I could tell the stress was getting to him. This vacation would be perfect for helping him.


    I rxed on my towel and sunbathed for a while before breaking out a book and diving into it, getting lost in the adventures of the protagonists. James and I chatted during this time, as well, about various family things and excitement about things we would be doing soon.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see the tortoises tomorrow,¡± I said, letting out a happy sigh. ¡°I¡¯m d we invested in a powerful camera. These pictures are going to be something to cherish for a lifetime. I can¡¯t wait to show the kids when they are old enough to understand.¡±


    James chuckled. ¡°They¡¯ll be wanting toe to see the giant tortoises themselves one day, no doubt. I am looking forward to including them in these vacations. Madeline said they are so well behaved already.¡±


    I beamed at James, recalling her observation on that as well. Eventually, the sun was starting to set, and I gasped, pointing to the horizon as a variety of golds and oranges painted the sky. ¡°Oh, James,¡± I gasped. ¡°Look at how beautiful this is.¡±


    He watched the sunset with me, a huge smile on his face. ¡°It is wonderful,¡± he said, then turned his head to look at me with a smile. ¡°Just like you, my love.¡± He moved closer, leaning over to catch me under the chin and give me a soft kiss on the list.


    I lost myself in the kiss for a moment, closing my eyes and feeling my heart pound with happiness at this romantic gesture during sunset. Sadly, the kiss had to end, but I hoped we¡¯d be able to go further.


    At the moment, we were alone. We¡¯d opted for a private spot to spend some time alone together, and one of my wishes wasing to fruition now. James pulled me into hisp, causing me to straddle him, locking his lips with mine again, and causing my heart to sing.


    I moaned into his mouth, wrapping my arms around him as he pressed me against him. He was careful not to move too much and get sand everywhere, but thankfully the nket wasrge enough to avoid a lot of the typical issues with sand that came with sex on the beach.


    Given I was just in my bathing suit, it didn¡¯t take long for my husband to remove both the top and bottom of my bikini. He did this when he broke his kiss, but didn¡¯t keep his mouth idle for long. Rather, he traced his nose down from my lips to my chest.


    He encircled my nipple with his mouth, causing me to let out a groan. When he ground against me, I knew I was ready for him to take me here and now on the beach. In the rays of sunset, no less, something that made me even more excited.


    He continued to suck on my nipple, then moved on to the other one as his hands explored the most sensitive areas of my body. When he let go of my breast, he began to trail soft kisses all over my body, causing me to squirm and whimper with wanting.


    ¡°Need me in you now, baby?¡± he asked, drawing his nose up my body to whisper in my ear. His voice was husky and wanting, which sent shivers down my spine. During this, he brushed his fingers over my nipples, starting to y with them.


    The fluid between my thighs intensified, especially as he began to kiss along my jaw and move toward my lips. Before he took my mouth again, I breathed, ¡°Yes. F*ck me, James. Hard, please. I need you in me right now.¡±


    The Italian Stallion obliged, pressing his lips against mine again and impaling me on his c*ck, slowly. I gasped into the kiss at the sharp bite of pain and pleasure from his entry, immediately squirming and encouraging him to go deeper.


    My husband did so, thrusting into me with vigor and exploring all the most sensitive areas within me. He let out a groan into the kiss as my body massaged his c*ck, which caused him to increase in speed and intensity.


    As James went harder and harder, I let out a cry as waves of pleasure washed over me, letting go of the kiss. The scent of the ocean and James overwhelmed me in the most wonderful of ways. My body vibrated with ecstasy as he pounded into me without pause.


    I felt blisspletely overtake me as I gave into my orgasm, beyond delighted to hear James cry out and give into his as well. Hey there on top of me for a moment, his chest heaving until leaning down to give me a deep kiss again.


    Sex at sunset on the beach was amazing, and I wrapped my arms around him, holding him there for a while as the sound of waves and our breathing melded together, rxing me. I felt my body rx entirely and closed my eyes, wearing a happy smile.


    ¡°That was amazing, James. I love you so much,¡± I whispered into his ear. My husband gave me a gentle squeeze, letting out a soft sigh. He rolled off of me so that I could sit up and catch my breath a little, something I was thankful for.


    ¡°I love you too, Ba,¡± he said, looking at me with passion and adoration. Our honeymoon was already off to a wonderful start, and I couldn¡¯t be more excited and happy.


    Not just for this moment, but for all the years ahead of us. For all of us. A family, together.

 Chapter 246 : Done with the Cartwrights

    <h4>Chapter 246: Chapter 246 : Done with the Cartwrights</h4>


    James.


    ¡°Look at how wonderful and huge they are, James!¡± Ba eximed, causing me to smile. It was the day after our first engagement on the beach, and I was happy to rx. At the moment, we were looking at some giant tortoises with a deep sense of awe.


    She was right; they were the size of side tables. A guide handed Ba some lettuce, which she held out to the tortoise. She squealed with delight as the animal took a leaf from her and began munching, causing my smile to widen even further.


    I was so happy to be able to rx. Security had reported nothing odd happening, and they seemed to be having a ball as well. I was relieved, though I shouldn¡¯t have expected anything bad to happen. Not like the Cartwrights tracked our every move.


    At least, I hoped not. I shook that thought out of my mind as Ba continued to give a ton of attention to the tortoises. One of the security men walked over with a camera in his hand, beaming at us. ¡°Let¡¯s get some pictures of you two,¡± he said.


    I chuckled and obliged, kneeling by one side of the tortoise while Ba took the other side. We gave gigantic grins as our pictures were taken, tossing in a goofy pose and expression for good measure as well.


    When we finished, we visited the gift shop, where Ba examined hand-woven tortoise toys and let out a gasp of delight. ¡°We should get a few of these for Alessandro and Dahlia! The new baby too, for when they are old enough! They¡¯ll love it!¡±


    I agreed, looking toward a turtle-shapedmp and saying, ¡°We can use this in the yroom or the baby¡¯s room.¡± Ba nodded in agreement, and soon we grabbed plenty of souvenirs. There had been an aviary at this spot as well, so we got plenty of bird-based souvenirs too.


    I thought of the double date we¡¯d be having with Neal and his lover, Mariano. Ba mentioned they had lunch by an aviary, something that was very sweet. I hoped that would go well, and was d things between us were starting to mend.


    We returned to our little hotel, which was small but extremely luxurious. We were the only ones there since it was just a one-room spot by the beach. The room had an area that could open an entire wall facing the beach, which was intriguing.


    I was d we could close it for the night, though, so we¡¯d not deal with any pesky bugs. After a day of rxing on the beach, touching tortoises, and watching birds, we turned in for the night at the hotel, ordering gourmet food that warmed our bellies.


    Ba yawned as she took a bite of some fresh grilled fish, letting out a hum of satisfaction. ¡°Oh, this is so good,¡± she sighed, prompting me to try my dinner as well. The savory vor filled my mouth, tropical spices and juices adding to the experience wonderfully.


    I nodded, saying, ¡°Everything here has been great, but it¡¯s been made perfect since I get to spend it with you, love.¡± Ba blushed, letting out a happy sigh. Soon, we went to the bathroom so that we could shower together.


    I massaged her as the warm water poured over us, rxing right along with her as she let out a soft sigh. ¡°That feels so good, thank you, James.¡± She turned around and kissed me as warm water caressed us. I wrapped my arms around her, enjoying everything about her.


    When we finished, we made our way to the bed, turning it in for the night and falling asleep in one another¡¯s arms. For the rest of the month, we spent time together, the locals treating us kindly and with plenty to do.


    *****


    All was well when we returned home. Dahlia and Alessandro were beyond delighted to see us. Dahlia was using more words, and squealed, ¡°Mama! Dada! Mama!¡± Thankfully, she didn¡¯t say ¡®f*ck,, though I had a feeling that would be a matter of time.


    ¡°I am so d you had a ball, darlings!¡± Madeline gushed. Currently, we were sitting in the nursery and describing our experience, which waspletely positive. I held Alessandro in my arms, blowing a raspberry on his belly and causing him to giggle.


    Ba said, ¡°The only issue we ran into was a storm for three days, but during that time, I caught up on some reading and had a lot of fun with James.¡± She winked, blushing a bit. Madeline chuckled and nodded.


    ¡°d that¡¯s the only problem you ran into! It sounds like a true tropical paradise. I¡¯m so d you got plenty of pictures! The kids will love this when they get older,¡± she said. I smiled at Madeline and Ba¡¯s enthusiasm, sharing it myself.


    Ba said, ¡°The honeymoon destination was so perfect. I missed the kids, though, and am d to be back to see them.¡± Her belly would soon start to show. There was a tiny, almost imperceptible bump where it had been t before. She rubbed it, letting out a breath. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to set up the kids¡¯ room.¡±


    I said, ¡°I missed them deeply too. Thank you for watching them. They seem happy as ever, and I¡¯m also very happy they enjoy the little toys we got.¡± I beamed, watching Alessandro wave one of the little turtle toys we brought back.


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re perfect, darlings! You know just the thing to get for these perfect angels. Oh, Ba! The shower ns with Sophia are going wonderfully! Are you still all right with the date we set?¡± she asked. Ba nodded, pping her hands.


    ¡°Yes! What we discussed sounds perfect!¡± she said. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and took it out, ncing down to see a text from my cousin. Madeline and Ba could chat about that for a bit, so I dismissed myself to the other room.


    I¡¯d spend a few hours with the kidster, and in fact, was looking forward to it. After texting Giovani to ask if he was alright with a call, I moved into my office and took a seat in my chair, leaning back.


    The phone rang a few times until he picked up. ¡°Hello?¡± Giovani asked.


    ¡°Hey, Gio. How are you? The honeymoon was perfect, we didn¡¯t run into any problems. Thank you for taking care of things for me. The process of the Don is all situated. Congrattions,¡± I said. I was bothpletely relieved and happy for him. Much less to worry about now.


    Giovani said enthusiastically, ¡°Perfect. Thank you very much, James. I am honored. I will wear the title with pride, and I won¡¯t let our family down. I am so happy to hear about the honeymoon, you deserve peace.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± I chuckled, letting out a soft sigh. ¡°How have things been since we¡¯ve been gone? Any more news on the Cartwrights? I know you have been looking into them since the incident with the wedding.¡±


    My cousin chuckled, causing me to raise a brow. What was he up to? I didn¡¯t think he was going against me in any way, but I knew he had creative ways of getting things done. The death of that asshole butler came to mind. Not that such a thing had been much of a loss.


    ¡°Check your email, James. I sent a very interesting article from the United States to your inbox just now. I had a feeling you were going to ask me about it. Let me know when you do,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll wait.¡±


    He was never straightforward with this sort of thing. It should drive me nuts, but honestly, it was endearing. That mysterious side to him was a big hit with many people, I was sure. After a chuckle, I obliged his request.


    It took a few minutes for myputer to start up, as I called Giovani shortly after settling back in with Ba, and we¡¯d not returned to working on things involving theputer since we got back. When everything was updated, I navigated to my email.


    Just as Giovani had said, there was an email there from him that I opened up. I widened my eyes, feeling my heart pound when I read the article¡¯s headline. ¡®Murder-Suicide: Quadriplegic Man Kills Several in Family.¡¯


    What?!


    My breath hitched, and I heard Giovani chuckle. ¡°Yes, by the way, the Cartwrights have been taken care of. Not something you ever have to worry about again. What a very tragic tale that is, huh?¡± he asked, sarcastically, of course.


    ¡°How?¡± I finally asked, feeling even more relief wash over me. I wasn¡¯t rmed, at all, about the death. Giovani encouraged me to read more into the article, which I did. Apparently, Chad had poisoned his entire family, leading to their deaths.


    Ironic, given the cake incident, and how they tried to off us in the same way. I couldn¡¯t help but grin at this. Especially when I read it had been poisoned frosting from a birthday cake at a party they¡¯d been trying to celebrate as a family.


    Thankfully, no kids had been present; it was an adults-only party. Giovani wasn¡¯t that cold-blooded, which was good. He needed to have morals as a Don, ironic as that statement was. I licked my lips in satisfaction at this development.


    ¡°This ¡®celebration¡¯ was your doing, I assume?¡± I asked. Once again, my cousin chuckled. I could tell he was enthusiastic about my reaction.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± he mused. ¡°All you need to worry about is that they are gone, swimming with the fishes and rotting as they should be. You have even less from your past that you now have to worry about.¡±


    ¡°You make a merciless Don,¡± I said. ¡°But that¡¯s a good thing. Sometimes you can¡¯t hold back. Good riddance to them. I hope they felt it on the way out, after what they were trying to do to us.¡± Our kids would have died as well, in a horrible way.


    ¡°I made sure to use the good stuff,¡± Giovani said. ¡°Otherwise, there haven¡¯t been many mind-blowing developments on my end. Just taking care of business for you so you don¡¯t have to worry about this sh*t and can spend time with your family.¡±


    ¡°With all of my heart, thank you, Giovani. I sincerely owe you so much, cousin. You have made my life so much better and taken a huge burden off of me. Ba doesn¡¯t suspect anything and can continue to rest easy.¡±


    ¡°You owe me nothing, James,¡± Giovani said firmly. ¡°You are a good family man, and you deserve happiness. I¡¯m proud to call you my cousin. Go spend some time with your kids for me, how¡¯s that? They¡¯re wonderful.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I said with a chuckle. The call ended, and I felt even lighter than I did before. Everything was going to be just fine.

 Chapter 247 : Double Date

    <h4>Chapter 247: Chapter 247 : Double Date</h4>


    Ba.


    ¡°This ce is beautiful,¡± I said, looking around the fancy restaurant in Florence and letting out a happy sigh. Vines practically dripped from the ceiling, making it feel as though we were in a romantic movie. My life was simr enough to one, at this point!


    Mariano and Neal sat together across the table from James and I, all smiles and warm energy as well. They sipped wine and nodded, agreeing with my observation about the atmosphere. I took a sip of water myself, always mindful of the baby.


    ¡°This is the ce where we met!¡± Mariano eximed with excitement. ¡°When I firstid my eyes on Neal, I knew a prince had entered the establishment. A handsome one that made me swoon in my seat,¡± he said. He winked at Neal, and the other man blushed.


    I giggled, gushing, ¡°You two are so cute! I¡¯m so happy for you. It really does look like you connected, which is wonderful. Just like a storybook!¡± Mariano nodded, his grin only widening at the idea. This ce had a restaurant attached to its bar, so that made perfect sense to me.


    The waiters brought over some menus, which we looked through and discussed the food. I said, ¡°Oh, the ravioli in a light cream sauce looks delightful.¡± My stomach rumbled at the thought. It was full of spinach and ricotta, something I was in the mood for right now.¡±


    Mariano said, ¡°They have very high-quality pasta here, so I rmend that one. Though I will always rmend their specials, too. They do such a good job with them.¡± I nodded, thinking deeply about what I could get.


    James was rxed as he looked over the menu, observing, ¡°This is a very beautiful spot. A lovely ce to meet. I am also d the music isn¡¯t too loud so that we can properly chat.¡± That was true; the ssical music was at the perfect volume for discussion.


    Neal said, ¡°One of the many things I enjoy about ces like this. Social gatherings are meant for chatter. No way to do that if the music is too loud!¡± Mariano nodded in agreement, reaching over to take a sip of his wine and look around the ce with a content sigh.


    The waiter approached our table, giving a dip of his head and a smile. Most of the people we ran into spoke Italian along with English, but I decided I wanted to learn the localnguage soon and get the kids started very early.


    That would be a journey but make our lives easier here. At this point, I decided Italy was the ce to stay. There had been no more odd incidents, and James told me Giovani had epted the position of the Don.


    That meant Alessandro was safe here, as was James. We would slowly be able to start putting that mafia business behind us forever. Sure, it would always be something in the past, but no longer directly relevant to our lives.


    ¡°The ravioli please,¡± I said, pointing to the menu item I was interested in. James ordered somesagna, something that sounded scrumptious; I would need to ¡®steal¡¯ a bite or two from his te! I licked my lips, the scent of all the spices and cheeses in the area making me hungry.


    The waiter took our order and left, leaving us to continue the conversation. As the topics shifted, James and I talked fondly about our honeymoon. I said, ¡°We went snorkeling at one point. It was amazing! I saw so many sea animals.¡±


    Mariano beamed at me. ¡°Oh? That¡¯s amazing. I love marine wildlife. Wildlife in general, really. Reminds me of the sanctuary Neal and I visited for a date. He was fascinated by the tigers. Weren¡¯t you?¡± he said, looking over to his crush.


    Neal nodded, giving a light chuckle. ¡°Such powerful animals, yes. But also beautiful. I was d to see they were given a second chance after humanity did them horribly. Shame they can¡¯t be released into the wild,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thankfully sanctuaries like that work very hard to keep the animalsfortable,¡± Mariano said. Our food was brought soon after, and he spoke between bites. ¡°I find myself donating to the one we visit a lot.¡±


    That reminded me of Guatem, and after we discussed that sanctuary for a bit, I said, ¡°Speaking of charities, I¡¯m going to start one from afar for children in Guatem. Originally, I suggested we move there, but that¡¯s no longer the n.¡±


    ¡°Much to my relief,¡± James muttered, causing me to jokingly elbow him. He chuckled, then exined, ¡°I did not want to up and move to an entirely new country after what happened in the States. Settling in here has been a good decision.¡±


    ¡°I was skeptical at first,¡± I said, taking another bite of my food and savoring the vor. ¡°But it worked out at the end here, just as James promised it would. For the charity, I still n on doing a lot with it. I¡¯ve done the research and am looking into how to help the locals out.¡±


    Mariano said, ¡°That is very admirable that you did your research.¡± He let out a sigh, shaking his head. ¡°Some people don¡¯t and end up disrupting things for people there more than helping. Speaking with the locals is a wonderful idea to avoid that.¡±


    I beamed at him, giving a nod. ¡°Right. It will be a lot of work, but I have quite a bit of money that I feel will help improve their lives.¡± I scrunched up my nose. ¡°The thought of children like Alessandro or Dahlia suffering so much makes my heart break.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve always had a golden heart, Ba,¡± Neal said. ¡°Even during difficult times in your life.¡± He said that with confidence, causing me to blush. I, however, shook my head, looking down at my food in embarrassment.


    ¡°Maybe not during the most difficult times,¡± I admitted, sighing. ¡°I was a real bitch a lot, but that¡¯s all over now. I¡¯m happy to be settling in with my family and am so much less stressedtely. People no longer wanting to kill my family sure helps a lot!¡±


    ¡°That would help, yes,¡± Neal chuckled. He said, ¡°I¡¯m d all of that was squared away, and we can move on with our lives. I¡¯m not finding myself in trouble at alltely either. Mariano and I want to settle in after a few more months of dating.¡±


    ¡°That would be a wonderful idea,¡± I said, and James nodded in agreement. The date carried on, with talk of various wonderful ns for the future and good spots to visit together next time. ¡°How is your sister?¡± I asked.


    Neal hesitated for just a moment before saying, ¡°Allegra is doing well. She is with someone right now and very happy.¡± I had a feeling he wanted to say more, but stopped himself. I didn¡¯t pry, and just nodded, hoping he was right.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear she¡¯s doing alright,¡± I said genuinely. I knew the La incident hurt her deeply. Some part of me hoped that La would someday apologize for what she did. I had a feeling she really was misled but didn¡¯t know for sure.


    Neal asked, ¡°How are the kids? I think it¡¯s wonderful that you had them at your wedding.¡± I smiled brightly, thinking about how happy Alessandro and Dahlia had been when I saw themst night ying around.


    ¡°They are wonderful. So happy. I think they¡¯re excited for another sibling, another child in the family. Sophia and Madeline were nning a baby shower. James and I have been setting up a room for the new member of the family,¡± I exined.


    James said, ¡°We have a turtle souvenir from the inds we visited for when the baby is old enough.¡± He chuckled. ¡°And pictures to show them all, too. Someday, we want to bring them on vacation with us. They are very well-behaved!¡±


    ¡°That is adorable!¡± Mariano said, prompting me to look toward him and realize I should show him pictures of our trip! I got out my phone and voiced that, which caught his attention. Then, I handed him my phone, which had pictures of the giant tortoises on it.


    The excited man said, ¡°Oh, these are wonderful pictures! Look at howrge those tortoises are! You two look like you had a ball. That is so exciting. I think bringing the kids to a simr ce someday is a great idea.¡± Neal leaned over to catch a glimpse as well.


    ¡°What he said,¡± Neal chuckled. ¡°That looks like quite the experience.¡± He leaned over to steal a kiss from Mariano, which had the man blushing. After letting out a happy sigh, Neal added, ¡°We have to get ourselves to somece simr someday.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we must!¡± Marianoughed. ¡°I would adore seeing those tortoises in person after reading all about them.¡± He handed my phone back to me and took a bite of his meal, humming out in satisfaction.


    The four of us cheerfully chatted, leading me to realize things between Neal and me were slowly starting to mend. It felt very nice not having him think we were going to end up together. That had been a roller coaster I really wanted to avoid.


    My husband and I were very happy, and that was not going to change. Neal hade to ept that, and was even being genuinely friendly with James. Granted, James had changed too, for the better.


    We all had. We¡¯d dealt with so many trials and tribtions, be it from the mafia business or the Russian mobs. We came out on the other side, together, alive, and very happy, too. Though we lost people along the way, like Tally, they would live on in our memories.


    I took a sip of my water, basking in the good vibes and happy voices of the people surrounding me. I widened my eyes, feeling a little kick in my belly. My heart pounded with excitement. Soon, we would have another member of the family.


    The fact that our family was growing happy and healthy brought me over the moon. Raising another baby would be a lot of hard work, but I was more than ready for the task. James was, too, I could tell by the love that dripped from his words when he talked about it.


    Everything was wonderful, and I couldn¡¯t be happier. The double date carried on in a very pleasant way, with stories exchanged and tons of smiles andughs to be had. The food was gourmet, and it melted in my mouth.


    All in all, I was so pleased to experience such an exceptional night with people I cared about.

 Chapter 248 : Happily Ever After

    <h4>Chapter 248: Chapter 248 : Happily Ever After</h4>


    Allegra.


    ¡°I have made a list of reputable centers that we can look into,¡± I said to La, leaning on her as we stared at aptop on the table. At the moment, we were looking into adopting, though not right this instant. We wanted to do a lot of research first.


    Not to mention, La wanted to get another cat so Onyx had a ymate, and they¡¯d need to adapt to our apartment first. The idea of adoption was a prospect both of us adored. Giving a child a loving home would be a wonderful thing.


    La pointed to the screen, saying softly, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about that one. Good things, thankfully. I think we should be open-minded about teens.¡± She frowned sadly, closing her eyes. ¡°They are often overlooked.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± I said. ¡°They may be arge responsibility, as teenagers can be rowdy, but I¡¯m confident we can handle it. Can¡¯t be worse than being captured by the Russian mob,¡± I said with a chuckle. La winced but gave a half-smile.


    ¡°You still think about that, huh? Oh, love, I am so sorry. Really, I just¨C¡± La began, but I was having none of that.


    I took her into my arms and squeezed hard, interrupting whatever she was trying to say with a deep kiss. I could feel her heart pound as she rxed against me, humming into the kiss and reaching up to run fingers through my hair.


    When I pulled away, I said, ¡°No more sorries. Me joking about it means I am okay with what happened. I am not mad at you any longer. I promise.¡± It had been a few months since we made up, after all, and were as happy as ever.


    At first, I worried there would be more devastating secrets that may split us apart again. The first time, La had been very distant due to that guilt. Her little heart had been broken because she had thought she¡¯d been doing the right thing.


    Thankfully, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about that ever again. I contemted discussing what happened with Ba and seeing if all would be well with La. I decided in a few more months, probably after she had her new baby, I would find a way to tell her.


    Or maybe a few years. Who could know? She went on a double date with Neal and Mariano a month or so ago, and that had gone very well, ording to my brother. We would inevitably cross paths again, and I wanted to make sure that didn¡¯t go badly because of our past.


    Pushing that thought aside, I looked down at La, who was staring up at me with a relieved smile. I leaned down and gave her one more kiss before delicately cing her on the couch next to me again so that we could continue our research.


    Soon, I caught a little ck blur in the corner of my eye. I let out a chuckle, turning my head to address the cat. ¡°Psspssspss!¡± I said, holding out my hand to Onyx. The feline eventually approached, bumping my hand and purring loudly.


    La chuckled with delight and began petting the cat as well. She said, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to find a ymate for him. Not that I think he¡¯s lonesome. But, well, getting another member of the family is exciting!¡± I reached up to ruffle her hair, beaming.


    ¡°It is,¡± I confirmed. I felt a vibration in my pocket, realizing I should probably check notifications. A few shows wereing up, and I needed to be prepared for the runway. It was up to me to get things situated, at times. ¡°Be right back, love.¡±


    I got up from the couch, but before I left, leaned down and gave La one more tender kiss. She didn¡¯t seem concerned, and just said, ¡°Good luck!¡± She knew that my job could pull me away sometimes and never minded.


    I went into the other room and dialed my boss, listening to the call sound for a bit before he picked up. ¡°Allegra!¡± he said. ¡°Just the person I wanted to speak with.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh at him.


    ¡°What? I could have never guessed by the series of rapid texts,¡± I joked, prompting him tough. We had a good friendship going at this point and mutually benefited each other deeply. I brought in a ton of money for the association.


    ¡°Yes, yes, well, I have a few more shows that areing up that I wanted to inquire about. You have yet to decline anything I¡¯ve brought up, granted, but you know how I like courtesy,¡± he said. I chuckled, again, and let out a hum.


    ¡°You do have wonderful manners. Alright, please tell me the details, and I suppose I will think about it,¡± I said, joking about thinking about it, of course. He knew I was most likely going to ept whatever it was he had in mind.


    After getting a few details on the borate show he wanted me to grace the catwalk with, I confirmed interest and set up times and dates for rehearsal. We would have a few more practices this time around due to the length of the shows.


    Then, I hung up the phone, feeling satisfied. My work on the runway as a model was going exceptionally well, and things couldn¡¯t be more perfect. La was so proud of me, alwaysmenting on how much I looked like a princess.


    That was ironic, of course, because I saw her as one. I wanted to consider marriage again, but it was too early for my taste. Primarily because of what happened. I didn¡¯t suspect she was up to anything more, but still, better safe than sorry.


    However, we were a beautiful match, and my burning passion for her certainly had not faded in the slightest. I did mean it when I said she should stop apologizing, which is why I was confident that in a few months, I would propose to her.


    Should nothing go wrong. I doubted it would! Especially with all the ns we were making together. The idea of a house hade up more than once, but we found ourselves very happy just where we were and decided it was the best spot for us.


    I put my phone away and returned to the living room, sitting next to La and peering at theptop. She had a few more tabs open. I nudged her with my shoulder and asked, ¡°What are you up to now? Oh, rescue sites? You¡¯re very keen on getting a cat soon, huh?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± La admitted, patting herp for Onyx to leap onto. When the cat settled in, she began petting him and let out a sigh. ¡°I love cats and can¡¯t wait to find another that will fit in with us here. I hope Onyx will get along with them.¡±


    ¡°We will introduce the cats to each other slowly,¡± I reasoned, leaning over to give La a gentle kiss on the cheek. Once again, she blushed, which caused my heart to flutter happily. I loved everything about my beautiful partner.


    ¡°That¡¯s the best way to do things,¡± La agreed. ¡°I remember when my parents tried introducing two cats to each other when I was a child, once. It didn¡¯t work out, because they didn¡¯t go slow enough.¡± She shook her head, her smile morphing into a frown.


    ¡°Well!¡± I said. ¡°We won¡¯t need to worry about that happening here. We¡¯ll do itpletely right, the best way. How does that sound? What about we visit the rescue center tomorrow, and you can see if there¡¯s a good match for us!¡±


    ¡°That would be amazing!¡± La squealed, turning to wrap her arms around me and give me a warm hug. I was grinning from ear to ear at this gesture and returned it with a very strong one of my own. La asked, ¡°That won¡¯t interfere with your work?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any ns for tomorrow,¡± I assured her. ¡°The boss gave me a call and set up a few things for next week. This week, my schedule is clear. No major shows worth going to. I declined a smaller show since I wanted to spend time with you.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that!¡± gasped La, leaning away and staring at me with wide eyes. I smiled at her and gave a shrug, leaning forward to give her yet another kiss. Then, I ran my fingers through her hair, which helped her rx.


    I said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind doing that, but also, I¡¯d worked my ass offst week, so the boss decided it was just fine to take a breather this week. While I had the option, I was good to get some rest, especially since it meant spending time with you.¡±


    La beamed at me, closing her eyes and just basking in my touch. We were not in desperate need of money right now, not by any means. We were beyondfortable, which was why we at times talked about a house in passing.


    Since I was in good standing with my job, and my boss, I didn¡¯t need to worry about anything, either. When we finished our research, which went on for another half hour, we turned our attention to the television.


    ¡°Let¡¯s watch a movie tonight! There¡¯s a new paranormal thriller out that I really think you¡¯ll love, based on the trailers,¡± La said, and I nodded in agreement. Giving her a smile, I stood up and stretched a bit.


    ¡°I can make us some dinner,¡± I said. ¡°Afterward, we can have some popcorn while we watch the movie.¡± Satisfied with this idea, La nodded and leaned back, settling herself on the couch while I did just that.


    I went over all that happened in my head while I set up the pots and pans for a pasta-based meal. I never thought I¡¯d end up with La or have a proper job again after all that happened. Especially the United States ban.


    My agent was pleasant, too. At first, I was worried that her demands were too high and would sap me of too much money. The rtionship worked out well, though, and we were both very satisfied. I would go as far as to say we were friends, somewhat, now.


    I was also very happy for my brother and that he had settled in with Mariano. The two were still dating, still in love, and beyond happy. I smiled, d that he¡¯d gotten over Ba and epted James. I was also d James had improved his attitude as well.


    Ba and James seemed very happy with one another, and after everything, they deserved peace too. They helped me find mine, after all. Not alone¨Cas Neal had helped out big time¨Cbut my brother could not have done it without James¡¯s help.


    I hoped that in the future, Ba and La could make amends. That was a bridge to cross at ater time, however. For now, La and I were content with our happily ever after as we nned for the future together.

 Chapter 249 : Why is the Floor Wet?

    <h4>Chapter 249: Chapter 249 : Why is the Floor Wet?</h4>


    Ba.


    Several months had passed since our honeymoon, and things had been going wonderfully. The baby was developing very healthily, and they were going to be on the way soon. I was tired as I sat on the couch, reading up on some news.


    The progress with Guatem went very well. I had made contact with locals who were going to make sure everything ran smoothly and children would be getting what they needed. The thought made me smile. Children deserved wonderful lives.


    The kids were just put to bed about an hour ago. 8:00 PM was too early for me to go to bed quite yet, but I was feeling tired. Still, I needed a snack, as my cravings were intensifyingtely by quite a bit.


    I walked up to the fridge and rummaged through it, pulling out a jar of pickles and giving a satisfied sigh. I grabbed a te, taking out several to munch on while I watched television. Maybe this would help me wake up a little bit. I wanted to wait until James got home.


    He was busy working with Giovani right now, family business of sorts. Though his cousin was the Don, he still had a few responsibilities he needed to take care of from time to time. He assured me he was just helping Giovani out; James was finally free.


    That was a relief because I knew what ¡®family business¡¯ meant. He was gone for less and less on that issuetely, which was nice. I stretched and yawned, looking down to see a text from Sophia asking if she could stop by to pick up a purse she¡¯d leftst time.


    I confirmed that she could, offering for her to stay a little bit for ate-night dinner. I had eaten already, but there was still some food left over that she could enjoy. A second helping wouldn¡¯t kill me, either!


    Soon, security let me know Sophia was here, and I went to greet her. She gave me a big smile and said, ¡°Hello there, Ba. You look tired! I hope this isn¡¯t a bad time.¡± She smoothed out her hair and tilted her head, no doubt concerned.


    ¡°No, not at all, Sophia! Let me set you up with something yummy. I made it a bit earlier,¡± I said, yawning again. I began walking toward the fridge, intent on setting something up for her, when suddenly I felt a ¡®pop¡¯ between my legs.


    I widened my eyes as a gushing sensation began, a familiar feeling since I¡¯d felt it once already with Dahlia. ¡°My water is breaking,¡± I gasped, panic twisting in my stomach. ¡°It¡¯s too early!¡± I shrieked, my heart pounding.


    The baby would be a few weeks premature! This was all wrong! My child wouldn¡¯t be big enough. There was a chance I could lose the baby, and James wasn¡¯t here, either. I held the side of the counter, shuddering.


    ¡°Hey, hey! Ba, it¡¯s okay, just take a few deep breaths. I¡¯ll drive you to the hospital with your security, don¡¯t worry. It will be just fine, things happen like this all the time and work out,¡± she said. She didn¡¯t have children herself but clearly interacted with many mothers who did.


    I thought about how she¡¯d been there for me so many timestely, between when she first suggested I take the test, the baby shower, and now. She was right. Tears began to crawl down my cheeks as I nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you to the car,¡± I said hurriedly. Madeline was there with the kids. One of the security guards grabbed my already packed suitcase. Once everyone was situated, we were off, with Sophia at the wheel. I felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness and shakily sent James a voice message, exining the situation.


    He didn¡¯t answer. Would he make it in time?


    We arrived at the hospital, and I was brought into a Labor and Delivery Room. I settled in on the bed and looked toward Sophia with wide eyes. ¡°James isn¡¯t here,¡± I said in a broken voice, wincing and letting out a moan of pain as the contractions began.


    The nurses swarmed into the room, getting me into a gown, and setting up IV catheters for me to drip medication and fluid so that I wouldn¡¯t dehydrate. The pain-relieving drugs would also help me during this process, thank goodness.


    Still, the pain was intense. I hadn¡¯t gotten there in time for an epidural. One contraction after another, tears pouring down my cheeks as I whimpered and worried James wouldn¡¯t be here to see his child born. Sophia held my hand, squeezing it and whispering, ¡°He¡¯ll be here. I know it. Try to rx.¡±


    My head was swimming with worry, and I let out another gasp as another contraction followed the first. This was going to be a long process, though possibly quicker than when Dahlia was born since I would be a second-time mother.


    Several minutes of pushingter, James still wasn¡¯t here, and my heart was breaking. Thebor process was going very quickly, more so than I expected. I was starting to think he wouldn¡¯t make it. What was he doing right now to not be here?!


    I whimpered, suffering another bout of contractions while trying to hang onto Sophia¡¯s reassuring words that my husband would be here. Not to mention, my head was swimming with all the worst-case scenarios.


    This was happening so early and so fast. What if there was something wrong with the baby? The hospital staff tried to tell me that everything was okay. The baby would be a little small, but that was all. My mind still wouldn¡¯t stop bombarding me with worry.


    Suddenly, a nurse rushed in and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, your husband is here.¡± I widened my eyes, relief washing over my features. Sophia grinned, clearly relieved as well. I looked at her and nodded, so happy she was right.


    ¡°Please have hime in here as soon as possible,¡± I said, my voice barely above a whimper. The pain was nearly unbearable, and I clenched my jaw from it. The contractions were intensifying significantly.


    James was let into the room and rushed over to me, grabbing my hand and squeezing. ¡°Ba,¡± he gasped, tears pouring down his face. Guilt dripped in his tone as he spoke. I fixed my eyes on him, my own tears spilling out of my eyes. ¡°I am so sorry.¡±


    ¡°James,¡± I whispered. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re here,¡± I said sincerely. My world was bing better now that he was here with me. I had been so worried he would miss one of the most important things in our life because of whatever he was doing.


    He opened his mouth to say something more, but Sophia shook her head, pointing at one of my legs as I let out another whimper. He repositioned to hold one leg while Sophia held the other. The nurses looked on, permitting this, as I visibly rxed.


    I grunted, feeling another contraction and swallowing. James said, ¡°Push, love. Push. We are here for you.¡± They began to start counting to ten between pushes, which was helping me keep a good rhythm.


    I focused on their counting, each contraction and subsequent burst of pain varying in intensity. I was d to have relief between contractions because this was no easy process, and while I couldn¡¯t wait to see my baby, the journey there was a tough one.


    ¡°Ba, love,¡± James said, taking a break from counting and fixing his eyes on me. ¡°I am so, so sorry.¡± I shut my eyes tightly as another contraction happened, this one quite a bit more painful than thest. The baby was on their way for sure.


    James then continued between contractions, tears still falling down his face. ¡°I am so sorry I almost missed this. I will never let family business get in the way again. I had no idea things would go the way they did, but we took care of things. I am so d I got here.¡±


    After handling another contraction, I let out a gasp, pushing as hard as I could. I had a feeling we would see the new member of our family very soon. I thought about what James had said, trying to focus on his words and reassure myself.


    I wasn¡¯t angry, and in fact, understood. No one could have predicted the babying this soon. I had no idea what he had been so tied up in to be absent for so long after I said my water broke, but he was here now.


    I kept pushing, trying to find the words to reply to him. My breath came out in short gasps as I tried to clear my head, but it was difficult. Eventually, I managed to say, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re here now. I am so happy you¡¯re here now.¡±


    ¡°I am, baby, I am,¡± James said, causing me to smile. I couldn¡¯t see his expression, as my eyes were shut very tightly as I pushed now. The bursts of pain were just spiraling into being more and more painful, making it much harder to think.


    James rubbed my leg reassuringly, reminding me that he was there. However, there was one question that hung on my mind. ¡°The kids,¡± I gasped. ¡°Are they okay? Will they be able toe and meet the baby soon?¡±


    ¡°They are,¡± James said, causing me to let out a sigh of relief, which melded with another whimper as I pushed again. I really wanted Alessandro and Dahlia to see the new baby. That was very important.


    I wanted the entire family together during this very important time, and thank goodness we were. James thought ahead, making sure they would be able to be here as soon as the baby was born, and that made me even happier. I wasn¡¯t mad at all and would tell James thatter.


    For now, I needed to keep pushing. I took deep breaths between contractions and pushed, listening to the reassurances of both James and Sophia, people I cared deeply about here for me as they counted with each contraction. The nurses kept close watch, making sure I was safe, and that nothing was wrong, and the doctor was encouraging and calming.


    Soon, Sophia said, ¡°Keep pushing, Ba, the baby is almost here!¡± I gasped, feeling a particrly violent contraction and clenching my hands. My nails dug into the palm of my hands as I pushed, the pain ripping through me.


    The baby was on the way, and nothing was stopping us now. Very soon, I would see the face of my new child, and James would be here to see them too. So would Sophia. That thought made even more tears fall.


    I was ready.

 Chapter 250 : The Baby is Born

    <h4>Chapter 250: Chapter 250 : The Baby is Born</h4>


    Ba.


    I didn¡¯t need to push much longer until the baby was born. I let out a sigh of relief as a lot of pressure was released as the doctor announced the head was out. I was almost done pushing. Out came the shoulders, and then the doctor was able to pull the baby out. She lifted the baby up and smiled, studying the baby for a moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s a boy!¡± she said, causing the room to erupt into cheers. I gave a very quiet cheer of my own, my bodypletely exhausted. I closed my eyes, tears still spilling down my cheeks. I was still worried about how healthy he was, though, since he hade so early.


    ¡°The baby is healthy, even if a bit underweight. He¡¯ll get meat on his bones in no time,¡± the doctor assured me, reaching over to hand the baby to me. Putting a few clips into ce, the doctor handed James a pair of scissors, and he cut the umbilical cord.


    Then, she began the process of helping me pass the afterbirth while the nurses prepared to clean our son up while Iy there with my new son in my arms. A huge smile was stered on my face as I leaned over and left a kiss on the baby¡¯s cheek. The baby had screamed at first, but now he was just whimpering softly.


    My new son¡¯s cries brought tears to my eyes. His lungs were healthy, and he was safe in my arms. I lifted my head, fixing my stare on James. My husband had tears running down his face, too, a touched expression on his face.


    He walked over and reached out with his hand toward the baby, caressing him with the back of his hand on the cheek. ¡°He¡¯s so small, James,¡± I whispered, but kept my smile. ¡°Thank goodness he is healthy. I was worried.¡±


    ¡°He is very small, isn¡¯t he?¡± James muttered. I began to stroke the baby¡¯s dark hair, unable to help but give another kiss to the screaming newborn. The baby wiggled and squirmed, causing me to hold him close. ¡°We should name him Tallon.¡±


    I thought for a moment, trying to figure out where that came from. I was tired afterbor, and couldn¡¯t thinkpletely straight. I wasn¡¯t going to get some well-deserved rest, though, until I spent some time with the new baby and my family.


    Before I could ask, Sophia said softly, ¡°I am going to step out so the family can spend time together. Thank you so much for having me, Ba.¡± I craned my neck to look at her, giving her a huge smile.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Sophia. You have been so helpful and wonderful. It means so much to me, and I am so honored to have you here to see this.¡± I gave her a huge smile, which she returned. Thankfully, she was able to hear me over the baby¡¯s whimpers.


    I looked back down at my new son and sniffled, once again giving a few cries of pure joy. Here he was, beautiful, perfect, a new part of the family that my heart was already bursting with love for. I looked back over to James curiously.


    ¡°Tallon?¡± I asked in a low voice, not opposed to the name at all, but trying to think about the significance. Slowly, however, it clicked, and I blinked. ¡°Oh, after Tally?¡± I asked quietly, feeling my heart lurch with sadness for a second.


    James dipped his head, his eyes sparkling sadly for a moment as well. ¡°Yes,¡± he said breathlessly. ¡°She isn¡¯t here with us tonight in person, but she is in spirit. She would be very happy for us now.¡±


    ¡°I think that is a wonderful gesture,¡± I said, beaming at James. I was so happy he loved his family so deeply. ¡°It will be good for Alessandro, too. You are a wonderful person, James. Let¡¯s do it. Baby Tallon.¡±


    I looked down at the baby, who was no longer crying. The nurses took him away to clean him up. They promised they¡¯d bring him back soon, but my arms felt empty without him.


    Once I was cleaned up myself, they wheeled me into another room. Soon enough, Tallon was back, all clean and dressed in a little onesie with a hat. He looked so cute. I couldn¡¯t wait to take him into my arms.


    He looked into my eyes, wiggling his arms, and began to whimper again. Though he probably wasn¡¯t hungry yet, and my milk wouldn¡¯te in for a while, I thought nursing might soothe him. I put my thumb on the top of my breast, and my other two fingers below. Then, I directed his head to my breast.


    Baby Tallontched on right away and began nursing on colostrum, causing a sensation of relief to wash over me. I felt a warm, tingling sensation in my breast as he fed, rxing even more at the tugging feeling caused by Tallon¡¯s suckling.


    James looked on, a warm smile on his face. He leaned over and gave me a gentle hug. Then, he turned his head, pressing his lips against mine for a tender kiss. A burst of warmth rushed through me as I reflected upon everything.


    We had gone through so much since I¡¯d met him. I¡¯d been just a young woman when we¡¯d met, and he¡¯d started flirting with me that summer in Florida. I had no idea the roller coaster that would lead to, but here we were, a growing happy family.


    I thought throughout our time together we wouldn¡¯t end up like this at all. I doubted him so many times during our interactions, the mafia business turning me colder and meaner. I didn¡¯t like how I¡¯d changed but was happy things turned around when we could finally be a family.


    Even when I knew it was wrong, back in those first days at his house where I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him, I also knew he was the one. The only one who couldplete me, my person in this world.


    We had suffered horrible losses along the way, like with what happened to Tally. Tally, who had suffered so much as well. She was the reason James and I had met, and despite the initial awkwardness of our rtionship, I would eternally be grateful to her for that. That, and for giving us Alessandro.


    I wished she was here tonight, but naming the baby Tallon was a perfect way to honor her memory. I ran my fingers through the baby¡¯s hair as James and I kissed.


    I had lost him as well. And the heartbreak had been bearable thanks to other people along the way, but I would have neverpletely recovered from his loss. Thankfully, he came back to me. To us. We got a second chance, and even through the ups and downs, that was more than enough to be thankful for an entire lifetime.


    Eventually, he pulled away and cupped my cheek. ¡°I love you, Ba,¡± he said, then smiled down at the baby. He left a kiss on top of Tallon¡¯s head, causing me to let out a happy sigh. I snuggled back into the pillows, giving another yawn.


    ¡°I love you too, James. I am so d I took a chance with you. I love you so, so much. Our family is beautiful and growing. Thank you for sticking with me too,¡± I said to my husband. James beamed at me, leaning over to steal another kiss before giving me some breathing room.


    He took a seat next to my bed as I breastfed Tallon. I looked toward the door curiously, wearing a huge grin. ¡°Are the kids here yet?¡± I said, and he nodded to confirm that.


    ¡°I just got a text from Madeline a little while ago,¡± he said.


    ¡°I want them to meet their new baby brother.¡±


    Alessandro was now in his ¡®terrible twos¡¯, walking and talking up a storm, but hopefully, he would behave well here. James said, ¡°Madeline is here with them and watching them in the other room. I can have theme in now, love.¡±


    I nodded, deciding this was the perfect time. Soon, Madeline brought the kids in, who squealed with delight. Alessandro eximed, ¡°Hello! Hello, Mama! Hello, Dada!¡± Dahlia gave a wave, walking into the room as well with Madeline trailing behind.


    ¡°Mama! Dada!¡± Dahlia said, looking around the room with wide eyes. Her hair was messy, and she had a little horse toy in her hand that she waved. She looked toward the baby with curiosity like her brother Alessandro.


    Alessandro rushed over, looking over the side of the bed and saying, ¡°Hello,¡± to the new baby. He gasped, ¡°Wow!¡± as if noticing something amazing. He wasn¡¯t wrong; his little brother was amazing. I chuckled and held out my hand, patting him on the head.


    ¡°Hi baby,¡± I said to Alessandro, beaming at him. ¡°Meet your new baby brother, Tallon. Can you say Tallon?¡± Alessandro giggled, not seeming interested in repeating the word right now. Tallon stopped nursing for a moment to stare at Alessandro and Dahlia.


    Dahlia hobbled over. The toddler examined the baby for a moment before cing a little horse toy on my belly, giving me a smile. I wondered if she was trying to give the baby a toy to y with. How sweet, if so! I smiled at her and said, ¡°See your baby brother, Dahlia?¡±


    James looked on with a huge smile as the kids met their new baby brother. They were too young to really understand the significance of what was happening here, but I didn¡¯t mind one bit. I bet they would be thrilled to have a new ymate soon enough.


    I beamed at the sight of them eyeing their new sibling, curiosity and confusion in their eyes. They were probably wondering why he was so tiny. Alessandro nced at him and then at me, a smile forming on his face.


    They would be all right. All of us would. I would make sure these kids grew up in a home filled with love and safety, with everything they could ever want. Never would they have to fear for their lives or under threat of being removed from everything they knew.


    Madeline had brought over one of the nkets, a gift from the shower, along with a little outfit that was grey in color. We didn¡¯t do any sort of gender reveal, so all the things given were neutral colors.


    I found specific colors for gender silly, anyway. What if his favorite color was pink or red? He didn¡¯t have to be a little girl to enjoy that. He would decide on his ownter. I held Tallon close, feeling a tear trickle down my face again and letting out a happy sigh.


    James swept Alessandro up into his arms, causing the child to let out a series of giggles, especially as his father gave him a raspberry on the belly. I smiled, watching this exchange and letting out a yawn.


    Dahlia crawled into bed with me next to the baby, still fascinated by her brother and trying to give him the toy horse. I took it from her and said softly, ¡°Not quite yet, Dahlia. He will love to y with that in a little while when he is older.¡±


    Dahlia looked up at me, no doubt not understanding entirely. She made grabby hands for the horse again, and I chuckled, giving it to her, but not letting her poke the baby with it. I wanted him to be able to get some rest soon.


    James held Alessandro on hisp as he sat next to me. He asked the child, ¡°What do you think about your new baby brother, Alessandro?¡±


    All Alessandro could say to that was, ¡°F*ck!¡±

 Chapter 251 : A New Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 251: Chapter 251 : A New Beginning</h4>


    Sixteen yearster....


    *Olivia*


    My shoes squeaked against the vinyl floors of the airport as my heart hammered in my chest. It finally urred to me that Dahlia and I were really doing this. We were in fucking Italy, nning to start school in just a few short weeks.


    We¡¯d been talking about it for years. Dahlia and I grew up as best friends, mostly due to proximity. My mom cleaned for her parents, and we were always at her family¡¯s mansion. It also helped that Dahlia and I were the same age, so we went through everything together¨Clearning to ride a bike, puberty, prom, everything.


    Now, we were embarking on our dream of starting school in Italy, but taking the summer to enjoy it first. After all, what fun would it be living in Italy if we had to be in school all the time? Thankfully, Dahlia¡¯s father spoke fluent Italian, and she had taken the time to start teaching me in elementary school. We¡¯d basically been preparing for this our whole lives.


    ¡°Can you believe that ne ride?¡± she asked excitedly as she straightened her shirt.


    We were both a little rumpled from the ride.


    ¡°I know!¡± I sighed happily. ¡°I¡¯ll never be able to thank your parents enough for upgrading us to first ss. My mom could never have been able to afford it in a million years.¡±


    She waved me off. ¡°You know they love you like you¡¯re their own daughter. It¡¯s not like they would stick you in coach for twelve hours.¡±


    She grabbed my arm, pulling me close to her body as we approached an esctor going down toward customs. In a few short minutes, we¡¯d be stamping our passports and officially walking out of the airport and onto Italian soil.


    It was crazy how everything had worked out so well. Dahlia and I didn¡¯t really know what her dad did for work, but he was rich as hell and clearly powerful. Not only did he set us both up in first ss, but he¡¯d arranged for us to stay on apound owned by his family.


    I¡¯d known James since I was a little girl, but he was always a bit of an enigma to me, and I preferred to keep it that way. He was a nice enough man, and more of a dad to me than my own deadbeat dad, but there was something about him that always intimidated me.


    I wondered briefly as we moved easily through customs if I¡¯d learn more about Dahlia¡¯s enigmatic family while we were here. Even more, though, I wondered if I wanted to know more. There were some secrets that should just stay buried.


    Dahlia and I squealed over our matching passport stamps. It was official¨Cwe were Italian students now. While she had several stamps in her own passport, this was the first for me. I ran my finger over the fresh ink, awed that we¡¯d actually done it.


    ¡°Can you believe we¡¯re actually here?¡± I asked her out loud. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is really happening.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she sighed. ¡°You dream about something for so long, thinking it¡¯ll never get here, but now it is here! So we have to live it up, girl. This is where our life starts!¡±


    We both giggled at her dramatic deration as we walked into the arrivals section to find a man in all ck waiting for us. He held a sign with our names and looked very serious.


    ¡°That must be our driver,¡± she chirped happily. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe we actually had our own driver. Dahlia was probably used to such a luxury, but I¡¯d never been driven around without having to pay for it. I knew immediately that I was living in a different world, and it was about time.


    The man helped us grab our bags and walked us out to a shiny, ck car that was waiting outside the airport. He opened the door for us, and we slid in while he put our suitcases in the back. We easily slid across the slick leather into the cold air conditioning. It was going to be a hot summer, but at least, for now, we were cool.


    The man walked back over to the driver¡¯s side and slid in, not saying a word to either of us, just swiftly pulling out into traffic and navigating us out of the airport. As we pulled away, the scenery began to change. While the airport was modern and indistinguishable from one back home, the scenery just a mile down the road was breathtaking.


    There were rows and rows of vineyards, with stone farmhouses set far back off the road. It was like looking at a painting or watching a movie. The sun shone down brightly on the countryside as we quickly navigated the winding roads.


    I could see the city of Florence as we approached it, rising up over a hillside, and my stomach clenched in excitement. I couldn¡¯t wait to get there and start exploring.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Dahlia whispered, grabbing my hand and squeezing tight.


    We took pictures of ourselves and of the scenery as we drew ever closer, and nned what we would do during the summer. My first order of business was to find the most authentic pasta in Italy. Sheughed at me, telling me I was silly.


    ¡°All pasta in Italy is superior,¡± she told me dramatically. ¡°We¡¯re so deprived in the states.¡±


    We giggled as we both looked out the window, taking in the sights of the city. I couldn¡¯t wait to go outter and walk the streets. This city had so many secrets to be explored, and I wanted to uncover all of them.


    I saw street vendors selling food and gto, tourists crowding them for a taste of the real Italy. The excitement pulsed through my veins to the point that I could almost hear it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not be like the turistas,¡± Dahlia told me seriously. ¡°They stick out like a sore thumb. We¡¯vee to Italy to be part of the culture. Don¡¯t ever let me see you wearing white shoes!¡±


    Iughed and looked down at my sandal-d feet. They were a little paler than usual, but a few days under the Italian sun would get them back to their usual summer tan. At the very least, we wouldn¡¯t stick out like the rest of the turistas.


    We weren¡¯t here for that. When university began in a few weeks, we¡¯d be like proper Italians, ex-patriots. We¡¯d be those fabulous girls who went to the University of Florence and began incredible lives in Italy.


    ¡°What¡¯s your family¡¯spound like?¡± I asked her excitedly as we drove through busy streets. I was so anxious to finally arrive and unwind.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she shrugged. ¡°Nothing too exciting.¡±


    Of course, this was Dahlia. She downyed everything in her life, which was so annoying for me since I came from much less opulent circumstances. When we pulled up to a closed gate, and the driver honked, my jaw dropped. As I suspected, Dahlia and I had very different ideas of what was exciting.


    Behind the tall, chrome gate was arge set of houses. That was an understatement¨Cthey were legitimate mansions. There were at least three distinct structures surrounded by stunning green gardens and fountains. I¡¯d grown up around Dahlia¡¯s wealth, but this was an even higher level of money.


    The homes were clearly old, but in a way that showed they were meant to look like that. They¡¯d been perfectly preserved to maintain their charm while still having modern amenities. The car pulled around the driveway and stopped. The driver opened the door for us, and we stepped out into the warm sun.


    A staff member came down to greet us, and Dahlia greeted her with a double kiss on each cheek. She introduced me to the woman, who told us in Italian that our rooms were set up, and we could go grab a snack in the kitchen while the staff unloaded our bags.


    I smiled shyly, still not used to this kind of treatment. I whispered to Dahlia, asking if we should tip these people, but she waved me off, telling me they were wellpensated for their service. She pulled me into the dark entryway, lit only by the sunlight streaming through the huge windows.


    The house was warm, but there wererge fans spinning against the ceiling to keep the ce cooled down. There was greenery everywhere and tasteful furniture with minimal decoration. There was fancy art on the wall that was clearly meant to show wealth rather than any artistic value. I felt like I was in a castle.


    We walked through a series of long hallways until we entered into arge, open room with several couches and a huge TV with a ser game on. Dahlia called out, ¡°Buongiorno,¡± to the figure on the couch, who stood up and turned to us.


    My heart stopped when he looked at us. The man was sex on a stick. His dark curly hair sat untamed on his head, with a few curls spilling over his face. He hadrge hands and big strong arms that I could immediately picture wrapped around me. A brilliant smile broke over his face, and I could swear the room got brighter.


    Despite the warmth of the house, a cold chill went through me. I didn¡¯t just find him attractive, I wanted to be possessed by him. I wanted to feel his smooth, thick lips running down every inch of my body and see his dark olive skin pressed against my paler skin.


    ¡°Giovani,¡± Dahlia said casually, as if the world hadn¡¯t just tilted on its axis. ¡°Questa ¨¨ mia amica, Olivia.¡±


    ¡°Any friend of yours is a friend of mine, Dahlia,¡± he answered in a smooth, heavy ent.


    I imagined hearing his low, deep voice whispering in my ear as he came undone in my hands.


    Another shiver went through me.


    Giovani walked across the living room in quick, smooth strides and pulled Dahlia into a familiar embrace. She hugged him back as he told us how excited he was to have her there. It was clear that he loved his younger cousin.


    When they pulled away, he looked at me with a tentative smile. Rather than pulling me into an embrace, he held out hisrge hand. It enveloped my smaller one perfectly, and I got lost in the warmth of it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re a hugger,¡± he said sheepishly.


    I felt my whole body blushing and knew that if I touched him any more than this, I would probablybust. Up close, I could see the lines around his eyes and mouth and a small smattering of grey peppered through his thick curls.


    I knew he was older than us, more than twice our age, but I couldn¡¯t care less in that moment. If Dahlia weren¡¯t standing two feet away, I¡¯d have torn off his clothes and pushed him back against the couch. Thank god she was there, then.


    I absolutely could not fall for my best friend¡¯s much older cousin.

 Chapter 252 : Summer In the City

    <h4>Chapter 252: Chapter 252 : Summer In the City</h4>


    *Olivia*


    For the entire, miserable night, I stewed in my attraction to Giovani. I imagined running into him in the kitchen or by the swimming pool. I¡¯d be all cute in my skimpy bikini, and he¡¯d secretly check me out behind his sunsses. I¡¯d entice him into the pool, and he¡¯d press himself against me to show that he was just as attracted to me as I was to him.


    That didn¡¯t happen, though. In fact, I didn¡¯t see him at all after we¡¯d met in the living room. It was like he was a ghost. I was sure he¡¯d held my hand in his, that his eyes were a rich chocte brown with flecks of gold and green, but my memory couldn¡¯t preserve his image enough to convince me he was real.


    If Dahlia hadn¡¯t mentioned him, I would have been sure he was a figment of my imagination.


    ¡°Giovani gave us the best rooms in the house!¡± she said excitedly when we¡¯d finally left his presence and went to our rooms to unpack.


    I couldn¡¯t disagree with her assessment. Our rooms were next to each other, both looking out over therge pool and beautiful backyard. We each had a small balcony and billowing curtains that blew in the gentle breeze. We also each hadrge, California king beds covered in thin linens.


    To my American chagrin, there was no air conditioning in the vi, as Dahlia called it. Sheughed at my difort and told me I¡¯d get used to it.


    ¡°We¡¯re not American turistas,¡± she reminded me. ¡°We don¡¯t mind the summer heat!¡±


    Iughed at her theatrics, but gratefully changed into my bikini the second she suggested it. That first day, we lounged by the pool and ate delicious food brought to us by waiters. A house with waiters! What a life we were living.


    The next morning, though, Dahlia was chomping at the bit to get out of the house. She burst into my room not muchter than sunrise, pulling my sheets down and screaming at me to get out of bed. We weren¡¯t wasting our first full day in Florence catching up on our sleep.


    ¡°But I¡¯m tired,¡± Iined. ¡°Jetg is a real thing, Dahlia!¡±


    She rolled her eyes as she walked over to my recently unpacked closet and pulled out a sundress. She threw it at me and barked at me to get up.


    ¡°The only way to beat jetg is to stay awake through the tiredness,¡± she said matter-of-factly. ¡°If you stay in bed, your body will never adjust!¡±


    I knew on some level she was right, and I hoped we¡¯d run into Giovani on our way out, but we had no such luck. We were driven into the heart of the city and dropped off at a small caf¨¦ where we ordered cappinos and warm croissants.


    We sat at a table outside overlooking the cobbled roads. Florence was an old, beautiful city. Hundreds of thousands of people flocked here every single year to take in the ancient architecture and history. And here we were, enjoying it at our leisure, on no one¡¯s schedule but our own.


    Dahlia sighed contentedly.


    ¡°This is what life is supposed to be, Olive,¡± she told me.


    I couldn¡¯t agree more. A girl could really get used to these easy, unhurried mornings. If we were still in high school, we¡¯d already be three sses into the school day, not taking into consideration the time zone change, of course.


    Here, though, we got to sitzily in the sun, soaking in the rays. We had no agenda today except to explore. She told me, in no uncertain terms, that we weren¡¯t allowed to go anywhere remotely touristy. I reminded her that, unlike her, this was my first time in Florence, but she waved at me in a bored gesture.


    ¡°Trust me, Olive, there will be time to take in the sights. Especially during the off-season,¡± she exined. I couldn¡¯t imagine this ce ever had an off-season. ¡°Today¡¯s goal,¡± she exined, ¡°is to be real Italian citizens. Live as the Romans do, so to speak.¡±


    ¡°Except that we¡¯re in Florence,¡± I pointed out.


    We giggled, feeling silly from the rush of the cappinos. They were at least ten times stronger than anything I¡¯d had at an American chain. From my understanding, Italians drank coffee from sunup to sundown. Based on the way my heart was already hammering in my chest, I knew I¡¯d need to learn to pace myself.


    ¡°What should we do then, Dolly?¡± I asked, drawing her attention away from an attractive cyclist.


    She looked at me, her eyes wide.


    ¡°I honestly have no idea,¡± she giggled. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead. I just knew if we stayed in the house, we¡¯d never leave!¡±


    We walked the streetszily, flittering in and out of shops. Eventually, our aimlessness brought us to our future university. Dahlia looped her arm through mine.


    ¡°Should we go in?¡± she asked seriously. ¡°Pretend like we already own the ce?¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°Knowing you, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised to learn your family does own the ce,¡± Iughed.


    She huffed and pulled me with her as we walked onto the campus. It was unlike any of the campuses we¡¯d toured back in the States. The students here didn¡¯t look like they were here just to get drunk and hit on each other. They dressed more professionally and kept their heads down.


    We were walking toward one of the vast, historic looking buildings when a man almost hit Dahlia with his scooter. She cursed at him in Italian, but she stopped short when he took off his helmet and she saw his face.


    I understood the reactionpletely. I¡¯d had the exact same one when I met Giovani. I just hoped I hadn¡¯t been this obvious, or Dahlia would definitely want to sit me down and have ¡°the talk¡± with me. No, it wasn¡¯t the ¡°sex¡± talk, it was the ¡°don¡¯t have sex with my cousin¡± talk. And I didn¡¯t want to have it, because until she specifically forbade me from seeing him, I could at least fantasize about it.


    The man introduced himself to her as Lorenzo, barely sparing me a nce. This was how it usually was in Dahlia¡¯s presence. It wasn¡¯t that I wasn¡¯t beautiful, but she was such a stunning girl it was hard topete in her presence. Her long, honey-colored hair fell delicately over her shoulders and her own sundress hugged her curves perfectly.


    Neither of us missed the way Lorenzo¡¯s eyes raked down her body. She smiled at him flirtatiously and held out her hand. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. Of course, she met someone within twenty-four hours of usnding here. That was Dahlia in a nutshell.


    ¡°Do you attend?¡± she asked him in Italian. ¡°My friend and I start in August.¡±


    He smiled brightly and nodded,menting on how good her Italian was.


    ¡°You¡¯re a natural,¡± he told her, moving closer to her and touching her arm.


    I wondered if he¡¯d be as impressed if she were actually Italian. After all, this guy probably met Italian girls all the time. Dahlia was only exotic to him because she was so clearly American, despite how much she tried to fit in.


    ¡°We both speak Italian fluently,¡± I interjected.


    He looked to me slowly, as if just noticing I was there. Yep, that was the Dahlia effect.


    ¡°Pardon me,¡± he answered in Italian. ¡°But we must go out to lunch! My treat. I almost hit you with my moped. The least I can do is take you two lovely women to lunch!¡±


    Dahlia blushed and nodded, and I just sighed heavily. I knew that I was just the tagalong friend in this scenario, but there was no way I was going to let my best friend go out to eat with some random guy.


    He parked his scooter, and we walked a few blocks down to a small, hole-in-the-wall eatery that sold pizza. I wanted to resent the food, but it was delicious, and he wasn¡¯t bad after the whole almost killing my friend incident.


    He offered to show us around the city and be our personal tour guide. He told us if there was anything we needed at all, he was our guy. I expected Dahlia to jump in that she was already familiar with the city and wouldn¡¯t need anything from him, but of course, she didn¡¯t. She smiled and gave him her number so they could stay in contact.


    We walked back to the campus together, and he bowed deeply, grabbing her hand and kissing it. She blushed and giggled like a schoolgirl. And he was so close to winning me over. What a cheese ball.


    As we left, she texted our driver where to meet us so we could head back to thepound. She gushed over Lorenzo the whole ride home, and I humored her because I wanted to be a good friend.


    ¡°He was so handsome, right?¡± she said excitedly. Her face was still flushed from their interactions.


    ¡°I guess,¡± I shrugged. ¡°He wasn¡¯t really my type.¡±


    She looked at me skeptically.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± she started. She only used my full name when she wanted me to pay special attention. ¡°A man who looks like that is everyone¡¯s type.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said. ¡°But he clearly only had eyes for you. I make it a habit not to find guys attractive when I know they¡¯re interested in you¨Cfor the sake of our friendship,¡± I said,ying it on thick. I even ced my hand over my heart for effect.


    It was no surprise that she rolled her eyes and gave me the finger.


    ¡°Do you really think he liked me?¡± she asked after a few minutes of silence.


    It was my turn to roll my eyes. I turned to her and squeezed her knee in reassurance.


    ¡°Of course! That was the best pizza I¡¯ve ever had in my life,¡± I told her. ¡°And he didn¡¯t eat a single bite of it because he was too busy looking at you.¡±


    She leaned against the back of the seat and squealed.


    ¡°This is just the beginning, Olive,¡± she sighed happily. ¡°It¡¯s all really happening for us!¡±


    It was all happening for her, but I didn¡¯t want to correct her or bring down her happy mood. I wasn¡¯t even offended that Lorenzo was more attracted to her than me. I had much bigger problems, like the fact that I hadn¡¯t stopped thinking about her cousin since I¡¯d met him.


    When we got back to thepound, he was nowhere to be found. We were served a delicious stew for dinner and all the wine we could possibly drink. We stumbled up to our bedrooms, exhausted from our day and giddy from the wine.


    But sleep didn¡¯te to me easily. Instead, I tossed and turned in bed for what felt like hours, unable to quiet my mind. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was the excitement of the day or knowing that Giovani had to be somewhere in this house. Curiosity finally got the best of me, and I got up.


    We¡¯d been given free roam of the house but hadn¡¯t had the time or energy to explore it all. Besides, Dahlia had been here before. Exploring wasn¡¯t as exciting to her as it was to me. I wandered aimlessly down the hallways, sticking my head into any room with a door open.


    There were several guest rooms besides ours, all equally beautiful, though they didn¡¯t have the same views. There was a stunning library that had to be full of thousands of books. I would definitely being back there during our stay. I found a game room with a pool table and a video console.


    But every room was devoid of the one thing I was looking for.


    And then, as if an answer to prayer, Giovani came walking down a hallway. He stopped short when he saw me, and I instantly felt myself growing wet. I didn¡¯t know what this interaction might hold, but at least I knew, without a doubt, that I hadn¡¯t made him up.

 Chapter 253 : Late Night Talking

    <h4>Chapter 253: Chapter 253 : Late Night Talking</h4>


    *Giovani*


    Fanculo a mia vita! Fuck my life.


    The beautiful girl I¡¯d tried to avoid all day was wandering aimlessly through the house in the middle of the night in just a pair of silk shorts and a tank top. Was she trying to kill me?


    Tentatrice. Temptress. Seeing her walking so aimlessly and innocently, my dick was already growing in my pants. But there was no chance for me to do anything about it. She¡¯d spotted me.


    ¡°Buonasera, beautiful Olivia,¡± I called to her and she smiled brightly at me.


    Fuck if her smile wasn¡¯t brighter than La Festa Italiana. She was a radiant specimen, sent to punish me with her unreachable beauty. What was I supposed to do with this beautiful creature?


    ¡°Is there something you need?¡± I asked, causing her to blush. I wondered briefly if she was thinking the same thing I was. What we both needed was a good, hot fuck.


    But she barely knew me, and she was Dahlia¡¯s best friend. I wouldn¡¯t disrespect my cousin orh er friend that way.


    ¡°I just couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± she answered sweetly, looking down at her bare feet.


    ¡°What a coincidence,¡± I told her. ¡°Neither could I.¡±


    How could I, knowing this creature was in my home? I¡¯d tossed and turned all night, trying to vanquish the thoughts of her writhing underneath me.


    ¡°Can I get you coffee? Tea? Water? Whiskey?¡± I asked, wanting to make herugh. If her smile could illuminate the house, I was dying to hear what magic herughter could unleash. Unfortunately, it had the side effect of making my pants much tighter.


    ¡°Tea would be great,¡± she told me, and I held out my hand, directing her down the hallway and through the house. She followed behind me quietly, but I was aware of her presence every step of the way. It was like she was charged and there was electricity flowing from her and through me.


    Ridicolo, I chastised myself. She was just a young girl. She had no power over me. This was my house, my city. My brain was just muddled by lust. Tea would help clear it up.


    When we got to the kitchen, she immediately took a seat on one of the counter stools, and I could feel her watching me. Did she like what she saw, or was I just some old man to her¨Cher best friend¡¯s older cousin living in the vi, her guardian while she was here?


    I looked through our pantry until I found the loose tea leaves and packed the strainer. I grabbed a tea kettle and filled it from the tap, then turned on the gas stove and set the kettle over the me. I added the tea and let ite to a boil. When I looked behind me, I could see Olivia staring at me in wide-eyed amazement.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± I asked her.


    She shook her head and quickly shut her mouth. ¡°Everything here is just a little different than I¡¯m used to.¡±


    ¡°Bad different?¡± I wondered aloud, causing her to shake her head and a look of horror to mar her beautiful face.


    ¡°Not at all!¡± she amended. ¡°Tea is just a little moreplicated than how I do it at home. But it¡¯s not bad at all. Just...¡±


    ¡°Different,¡± I finished for her, chuckling.


    I considered her words, and wondered what else was different here than at her home. Were the men different too?


    ¡°Tell me about home,¡± I said. ¡°Why did you want to leave?¡±


    She shrugged and looked down at her hands. ¡°Dahlia and I have been talking about this since we were kids. The first time she came here and could actually remember it, she told me what a magical ce it was, and we¡¯d pretend we were princesses and this was a castle. I couldn¡¯t wait to see it for myself.¡±


    I smiled, thinking of her dreaming about this ce as if it were from a fairytale. The city had a certain magic, but it was hard to be enchanted by it when it was all I knew. I loved getting a glimpse of it through her eyes.


    The tea kettle whistled, and I turned back to the stove, busying myself with getting us each a mug and pouring the hot liquid inside. I asked her how she took her tea and was surprised to learn she liked honey and milk. From what I knew of American girls, they usually took it ck with sugar. Dahlia didn¡¯t even like tea, unlike her mother. Ba had always been a tea drinker.


    I handed her the mug, and our fingers brushed, just briefly. I could feel the air in the room being vacuumed out, my head growing fuzzy. I had to suck in a breath and ask her if she missed her home just to get my mind off the sudden shift in atmosphere.


    ¡°I guess when you grow up believing in a fairytale, you can¡¯t stop yourself from chasing after it. There¡¯s nothing wrong with my home, but I grew up wanting more, and I finally have a chance to go after it.¡±


    She was brave and wise, I realized. She saw what she wanted and went after it, even though it was probably way out of herfort zone. Not many people would pack up their lives and move to a different country at her age. I didn¡¯t know if I ever would have done it.


    ¡°So if you¡¯re a princess, what are you looking for in a prince?¡± I didn¡¯t know why I was asking her such a silly question, but I waspelled to know what she wanted. Perhaps if she said she wanted someone her age, I¡¯d know for sure that I needed to readjust my thoughts.


    On the other hand....


    She blushed and took a long sip of her tea, trying to hide that it was too hot. But she couldn¡¯t hide the smallest change in expression in her face. I was mesmerized by it, unable to focus on anything else. The world wouldn¡¯t be able to spin again until she told me what she was looking for.


    ¡°I guess I want someone who has their shit together,¡± she finally managed. ¡°Someone who has a clear picture of his future and is willing to work hard for it.¡±


    ¡°And college boys will do that for you, eh?¡± I felt like a stupido for asking, but I couldn¡¯t help myself. The air hummed around me, it¡¯s particles pushing me closer to her.


    She looked up at me with big, open eyes, meeting my challenge.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± she answered. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to wait and see.¡±


    She took another sip of her tea, her lips curving around the rim of the mug, and my dick twitched again. Though there was a counter between us. We were both leaning toward each other, the air between us palpable. It would take nothing at all for me to walk around the counter and pull her against me.


    I shook my head, unwilling to give in to those thoughts. I needed to change gears fast or I would be taking the young girl on top of the counter.


    ¡°How did you and Dahlia meet?¡± I asked, bringing us into safer waters.


    She nodded and smiled, clearly recalling how their friendship began.


    ¡°My mom cleans for your cousin, James,¡± she told me honestly. ¡°She couldn¡¯t afford childcare, so he told her to bring me along. Dahlia and I have basically known each other since we were in diapers.¡±


    That helped calm my thoughts. If I could remember how young she was and how close to my cousins she was, it would feel like a cold shower. I swallowed deeply, letting the information wash over me.


    ¡°And she¡¯s your best friend?¡± I rified. ¡°I suppose you wouldn¡¯t travel to a different country unless you were very close.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve always been a two-for-one deal,¡± she confirmed. ¡°In school, everyone knew that if you invited one of us, we¡¯d bothe.¡±


    ¡°Did you two ever fight?¡± I wondered aloud, knowing how fiery Dahlia could be.


    She threw her head back tough, and the sound overtook my senses. All that existed was herughter. ¡°We fight all the time,¡± she finally breathed out. ¡°You may know that Dahlia likes to get her way. Well, so do I,¡± she smiled slyly.


    Again, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was deeper meaning behind her words. Was I something she wanted to get? Christ, devi rimetteri in sesto. I needed to get my shit together.


    I realized she was done with her tea and asked her if she wanted to go to sleep. She smiled shyly and asked if she could have another mug. I happily obliged, pouring more into my mug as well. She wanted to be in my presence, that much was clear. I could work with that.


    Eventually, we moved into the smaller living room next to the kitchen, sitting in two overstuffed armchairs and talking until the early morning hours. My voice grew hoarse from talking andughing with her so much, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to bring the evening to a close. When weak light started trickling through the window, I knew I should probably insist we go to bed¨Cseparately, unfortunately.


    ¡°Merda,¡± I cursed. ¡°It¡¯s five in the morning, I should try to at least get a little sleep.¡±


    She looked at the window in surprise, clearly as perplexed as I was at how fast our time together had gone by. We could¡¯ve talked for hours more. She let out a long yawn, though, and I knew she needed rest as badly as I did.


    I collected our mugs and deposited them in the sink. One of the maids could wash themter. I led her back to her room, not because she needed the help, but because I would physically have to drag myself away from her when the time came. I wanted to prolong the experience.


    When we reached her room, she looked up at me, smiling brightly.


    ¡°It was nice speaking with you,¡± she said sweetly.


    ¡°The pleasure was all mine,¡± I responded in a low, silky voice. ¡°If you ever have trouble finding sleep again, I¡¯ll be happy to assist you.¡±


    I¡¯d let her work out the double meaning of those words alone.

 Chapter 254 : Once Upon a Sex Dream

    <h4>Chapter 254: Chapter 254 : Once Upon a Sex Dream</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Holy shit! I thought, leaning against my bedroom door when I was safely inside. If I thought Giovani was hot when we first met, it didn¡¯tpare to the way I viewed him now. He wasn¡¯t just incredibly bangable. He was smart and kind, and his deep, richugh left me breathless.


    The entire time we were talking, all I could think of was climbing into hisp and pulling other sounds out of him. Maybe I¡¯d misread the signs, but I couldn¡¯t imagine he would mind much. Maybe it was just his Italian nature, but it really seemed like he¡¯d been flirting with me.


    I dragged myself to therge bed, copsing on top of it in a heap. As tired as I felt physically, my brain was lit up anew with thoughts of the sexy man on the other side of the vi. Actually, I realized I had no idea where he slept. I couldn¡¯t help but hope that I¡¯d find out very, very soon.


    I couldn¡¯t wait to tell Dahlia about our night!


    The thought jolted me to reality, and I sat up with a start. I absolutely couldn¡¯t tell my best friend that I spent the entire night talking to her cousin. She would hate me. My heart pounded in my chest, and I had to take deep breaths to calm myself. This trip had always been about the two of us. She¡¯d never forgive me if she thought I was banging her cousin.


    Her much older, sexy, worldly cousin.


    I wasn¡¯t even sure how old he was, but he had to be at least twice our age. She talked about him years ago, and even then I was aware that he was already an adult. He had to be in histe thirties or even forties by now. I never imagined myself with someone that much older than me, but I couldn¡¯t deny that the idea excited me.


    He probably had so much experience. He¡¯d know what to do about these feelings building up inside of me. I fell asleep imagining having hisrge hands all over my body.


    I was back in the living room, the light streaming through the window in a bright, warm glow. Giovani was sitting in the same chair he¡¯d been in all night, and he stared at me wickedly. His gaze sent a shiver through me, and I could feel wetness dripping down my leg.


    He beckoned me to him with the crook of his finger, and I felt breathless, my chest heaving. I looked down to realize I was standing in front of him in nothing but my underwear. He¡¯d see the wetness between my legs. I felt so embarrassed, I tried to cover myself, but he stood up and walked to me, grabbing my hands and pinning them behind my back with one hand.


    With the other, he lifted my chin, his index finger stroking the sensitive skin there. It tickled a little, but I also felt a hot trail where his finger had been. His head dipped low,ing to my neck, and he started kissing and sucking the tender flesh there, his tongue causing my skin to spark like a live wire.


    I moaned against him, and his free hand drew a soft, torturous line down my nearly naked body until he ghosted over the fabric of my panties. I was so embarrassed for him to feel the wetness there, but he growled in my ear.


    ¡°You¡¯re so fucking wet for me,¡± he said lowly, his warm breath tickling my ear and neck. I craved his touch so much I could have wept. ¡°Do you want me to touch you?¡±


    I had no words left in my throat, only the ability to nod and whimper. He slowly began rubbing me over the fabric, causing my knees to go weak. Slowly, he pushed the fabric away and slid a finger inside of me. I cried out his name, feeling like I might shatter in an instant.


    ¡°Do you like that, Olivia?¡± he groaned, moving his finger deeper and faster until I could do nothing but scream in pleasure.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I whispered. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Fuck. More.¡±


    I didn¡¯t even have the ability to put together a coherent sentence. Words didn¡¯t matter in this moment, only actions. My hands were still pinned behind my back, and I squeezed his hand tightly, needing to grasp at something.


    He chuckled deeply and released my hands. I missed the pressure, but now I had my hands free to roam over his body. It was entirely unfair that he was still clothed. I wanted to see him too. My hands toyed with the hem of his shirt, sliding it up slowly, my hands grazing over his warm flesh.


    His abs were rock hard, but somehow still soft under my touch, like a firm pillow. As much as I wanted to pull his shirt off him, though, I knew he¡¯d have to stop touching me, and I absolutely didn¡¯t want that. Instead, my hand moved down lower, fiddling with the waistband of his pants.


    ¡°Take them off,¡± he instructed me, so I did, slowly dragging the fabric down his hips until he was exposed to me.


    His cock was hard already, standing at attention for me. As much as I liked the way his fingers were writing a symphony inside of me, I knew this was the real show. I reluctantly pushed his hand back, wanting to scream at the loss. But my reward woulde.


    I quickly discarded my bra and panties andy down on the soft carpet, running my hands over my body to entice him. He eagerly removed his clothes, throwing them in all directions in his haste. He slowly crouched down and started crawling toward me like a lion stalking its prey.


    I may have found this funny if I wasn¡¯t so damned turned on by it. He climbed over me slowly, torturously, careful not to touch me. It was maddening, but he got his intended effect. I was writhing and screaming, desperate for him to enter me.


    He bnced his weight on one arm, using his right hand to cup my face and pull it up to his own. He kissed me for the first time, his lips soft and tasting of honey. My tongue darted out, wanting to taste his sweetness. He moaned into my mouth, kissing me with fervor as he positioned himself at my entrance.


    The moment I felt his tip against me, my back arched, wanting to bury him inside of myself like hidden treasure. He pulled back from our kiss, chuckling at me.


    ¡°Patience, amore,¡± he purred, his heavy ent washing over me. Hearing him speak was almost as sexy as feeling his touch.


    Scratch that. As he entered me slowly, I realized nothing in the world ever was, or ever would be, sexier. I ached for him in every fiber of my being, hissing out every profanity I knew as he entered me as far as he could go.


    He was bigger than I¡¯d imagined, and I wanted to feel every inch of him. My hips swiveled, trying to cause friction. He chuckled again, pulling out slowly, then mming back into me so fast and hard it took my breath away. This was better.


    ¡°Fuck me like a whore,¡± I screamed out, surprised by my ownmand. I¡¯d always imagined my first time would be soft and gentle, but I didn¡¯t want that. I wanted to be fully consumed, ravaged by him.


    He pounded in and out of me, causing me to moan and pant until I was sure we¡¯d use up all the air in the room. Fuck, it felt so good. My hand moved down my body, touching myself in the ces he couldn¡¯t reach. I rubbed myself as he pounded, climbing higher and higher.


    A knock at the door pulled our focus, and I wanted to cry.


    ¡°Tell them to go away,¡± I groaned. ¡°I won¡¯t survive it if you stop.¡±


    He told the person to fuck off, but they must not have heard him because they kept knocking. He groaned, pulling out of me with godlike willpower. Tears sprang to my eyes, my chest feeling empty from the loss of him. I watched him go, not bothering to cover up. Whoever was interrupting deserved the embarrassment.


    But when he opened the door, no one was there. He turned to me with a curious look on his face, and started walking back toward me, when the person knocked again. But he hadn¡¯t closed the door. I looked behind him, and no one was there. What the fuck was happening?


    ¡°Olive, open this door right now or I¡¯m going to bust it down!¡± Dahlia screamed, using her angry voice.


    Shit, she could not see us like this. I looked at Giovani in panic, but he was nowhere to be found. I sat up confused, when she knocked again.


    My eyes sprang open, and I realized I was staring at the ceiling of my bedroom, not the living room. And I wasn¡¯t lying on the floor naked. I was tangled in my sheets and they were soaked. I wasn¡¯t surprised; I was sure I¡¯d worked up quite a sweat.


    ¡°Coming,¡± I told her, trying topose myself.


    Sadly, though, I wasn¡¯ting. Not in the way I wanted to be.

 Chapter 255 : A Little Self Care

    <h4>Chapter 255: Chapter 255 : A Little Self Care</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°What are you still doing in bed?¡± Dahlia asked me, looking surprised to find me still so disheveled.


    I sighed heavily, knowing there was no way I could exin to her that I¡¯d slept in because I was upte¨Cbecause then she¡¯d ask me why I was up sote. And then I¡¯d have to lie to her face.


    Instead, I shrugged and moved aside as she came into the room, throwing herself onto the bed I¡¯d just vacated. I hoped she wouldn¡¯t notice how rumpled the sheets were.


    ¡°It¡¯s one in the afternoon, Olive. We¡¯re in Florence! We can¡¯t just sleep the whole day away like we would back home.¡±


    I sighed heavily because I knew that, on the one hand, she was right. On the other, I was still horribly jegged, and besides that, I was apparently cursed to have sex dreams about her cousin. I walked over to the bed and sat down next to her, lying back against the mattress and pretending to fall asleep. I fake snored, and she elbowed me.


    ¡°Come on,¡± I groaned. ¡°Just let me sleep!¡±


    ¡°I know what will get you out of bed,¡± she sang-song happily. ¡°I have boy news.¡±


    I sat up and stared at her, my heart pounding. Then I realized that it was probably news about a boy she liked. There was no possible way she could know about myte night with Giovani already.


    ¡°Lorenzo texted me,¡± she said flirtatiously, dangling her phone in front of me.


    ¡°Lorenzo?¡± I asked, my tired brain still not fully catching up.


    She rolled her eyes and smacked me on the arm, looking annoyed.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she emphasized. ¡°The guy we met at the university yesterday! Tall, dark, and totally hot as shit?¡±


    Right. Him.


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± I told her, trying to stifle a yawn. ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± she drew out, looking at me with a guilty expression. ¡°He wanted to know if I¡¯d have lunch with him.¡±


    My eyebrows rose in apprehension, mostly because I¡¯d seen too many movies where American girls get kidnapped in foreign countries.


    ¡°You just met him,¡± I pointed out. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯refortable going out with him alone?¡±


    She waved me off, an annoyed look crossing her face, but it was quickly reced with a smile.


    ¡°Oh, Olive, you worry too much!¡± she teased. ¡°He¡¯s a perfectly charming guy who¡¯s perfectly trustworthy. Besides, someone from my family¡¯s security team is always following me. Everywhere I go, there are eyes on me.¡±


    That felt very ominous, and I wondered if her family always had eyes on me as well. Did anyone else know about my night in the living room with Giovani? Not that there was anything really to know. All we¡¯d done was stay upte and talk. It was perfectly innocent, unfortunately.


    ¡°But,¡± she started slowly, standing up and inching toward the door, ¡°if you¡¯re really worried about it, you¡¯re more than wee toe.¡±


    I knew Dahlia well enough by now to realize that this wasn¡¯t a genuine offer. She was asking to be nice, but no part of her wanted me to ept it. I could tell by the sparkle in her eye that she liked this guy, even if he was basically a stranger.


    How could I me her? If I knew I¡¯d have the opportunity to spend time alone with Giovani, I¡¯d want her to show me the same courtesy.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I hedged, picking at a thread on myforter. ¡°That¡¯s perfectly alright. I¡¯m probably just going to stay in and read. I found a huge libraryst night and¨C¡±


    She held up a hand to stop me, giving me a chastising look. As long as we¡¯d been friends, she had always been the adventurous party girl, and I¡¯d always preferred quiet solitude. She¡¯d dragged me out in high school, iming she didn¡¯t want me to be a recluse. I expected college to be no different, but she was going to ditch me either way.


    ¡°Or,¡± I said slowly, and her face broke into a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll have a self-care day. Take a bubble bath, do a face mask, maybe have a mini yoga session in the courtyard.¡±


    She pped her hands, much more on board with this n. If there was one thing Dahlia loved more than hot guys, it was self-care days.


    ¡°If you look in my bathroom, you¡¯ll find everything you need!¡± she smiled, before turning and walking out the door.


    That was that. Dahlia was off on her Italian romance, and I was home, wishing to find my own romance. Of course, the only person I wanted to have a steamy affair with also lived in this house, so staying home did better my chances.


    First, though, I needed sustenance to wake up. Dahlia didn¡¯t approve of coffee on self-care days, but Dahlia was already gone. What she didn¡¯t know wouldn¡¯t kill her, at least in this instance. I padded down to the kitchen, looking for a pot of coffee somewhere, but found nothing.


    I felt bad looking through cabs, even if this was my temporary home. I felt out of ce in therge house, like I was an intruder. I knew the feeling would ease in time. After all, it was only my third day there, but I was overwhelmed and honestly a little homesick.


    A self-care day truly was what I needed to recalibrate and start to feel like I belonged here, not just in this house, but in this country. As much as I¡¯d always fantasized about living here, the reality was different. I was still happy, but it was a lot to take in all at once. Coffee would help, if only I could find it.


    ¡°Posso aiuta?¡± a woman asked from behind me, making me jump. I hadn¡¯t heard here in.


    I assessed her outfit, smart khaki pants and an embroidered polo, and realized she must be one of the staff members.


    She¡¯d asked if she could help me. Right.


    ¡°Caffe?¡± I asked hesitantly, not wanting her to dislike me for needing help.


    She smiled brightly and nodded.


    ¡°Ah, the American,¡± she said in a thick ent. ¡°The friend, not the cousin. Signor Giovani told me to get you anything you wanted.¡±


    Something about the way she looked at me made me think that he¡¯d said more than that, but I didn¡¯t want to read anything into it. I was probably just imagining things.


    ¡°If you could just show me where the coffee pot is, I¡¯ll be alright,¡± I told her shyly.


    She smiled again but began waving her arms, shooing me out of the kitchen.


    ¡°No, no, no, no, no,¡± she said authoritatively. ¡°You are a guest in the house. You no make coffee. I bring it up to you in your room, okay?¡±


    I tried to protest, but she kept pushing me out of the kitchen until I was standing in the hallway with nowhere to go but back to my room. This lifestyle would definitely take some getting used to.


    Sure, my mom was technically the maid for Dahlia¡¯s parents, but all she did was clean the house. As long as I¡¯d known them, I¡¯d never seen anyone wait on them hand and foot like this. It certainly wasn¡¯t my experience. It almost made me feel icky, like I should offer to do more. But, obviously, the woman would hear none of that.


    Off I went, back to my room to wait for the coffee. I had no idea how long I would have to wait, especially if she was nning to make it the fancy, Italian way. Now that I thought about it, they probably didn¡¯t have a standard coffee maker. I probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to figure it out anyway.


    I figured that if I was going to wait anyway, I might as well get a jump on my self-care day. I padded into Dahlia¡¯s bathroom, raiding her counters until I found a few different kinds of face masks, bubble bath, bath bombs, and fancy salts.


    As a girl of means, all her products were much more luxurious than what I normally used at home. My bath salts usually came out of a bag I bought from the pharmacy, but hers were in a ss jar with a fancy gold scoop. With my arms full, I went back into my bathroom and carefully set everything out.


    When I was satisfied with the setup, I turned the knob on the faucet until I figured out how the hot water ran. This was the bathtub of my dreams, a true soaking tub with enough room for me to sink down into it and bepletely covered by the water. Maybe it was silly, but I¡¯d always dreamed of using a tub like this. It was exactly the kind of thing a princess would use.


    As the water ran, I added my ingredients, feeling like I was concocting a witch¡¯s brew. I felt silly and giddy and knew that Dahlia would one hundred percent make fun of me if she were here. I didn¡¯t care, though. I was literally living my dream.


    When the bath was ready, and steam was rising from the surface, I stripped out of my clothes and tentatively slipped my foot in. The water was perfect, warm and soapy, and I carefully climbed in, luxuriating in every step. I tied my hair up with the hair tie I always kept around my wrist and sunk down until the only thing sticking out was my head. It was perfect.


    The heat from the water invaded my senses and my entire body rxed. I felt like Jell-O, all squishy and boneless. My heavy eyelids closed, and I could feel myself sinking deeper into the rxation. I¡¯d long forgotten about my coffee when I heard the door open.


    ¡°You can just leave the tray in my bedroom,¡± I called out to the maid, but I didn¡¯t hear her leave.


    When I opened my eyes, Giovani was standing in the doorway, eyeing me curiously.

 Chapter 256 : A Different Form of Self Care

    <h4>Chapter 256: Chapter 256 : A Different Form of Self Care</h4>


    *Olivia*


    My heart pounded in my chest wildly, and my throat went dry. He was standing there in front of me, jaw ck, and I was in the bathtub,pletely naked, covered only by a few bubbles. He said nothing, and I said nothing, unable to form a coherent sentence.


    His eyes raked over my body, and I felt a heat that had nothing to do with the water. His lips turned into a small smile before he quickly turned away, apologizing profusely.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Olivia,¡± he said to the wall. ¡°I wasing to check on you when I ran into Sarafina and saw she¡¯d brought you food. I tried to knock, but you didn¡¯t answer. I thought something had happened.¡±


    I sprang into action, grabbing the towel I¡¯d hung up by the tub and standing up, trying for a little decency at least. I was dripping wet, water droplets falling on the floor as I quickly wrapped the towel around myself, but I didn¡¯t miss the sideways nce Giovani shot me before I could fully cover myself.


    He turned around, tray in hand, and I watched as he carefully ced the tray on a small table set up for toiletries. I carefully stepped out of the tub, but not carefully enough apparently because my foot slipped, and I dropped my towel in an effort to catch my bnce.


    Before I realized what was happening, Giovani hade to me, grabbing me by the bare waist. His eyes were wide, like he was worried I¡¯d break. Under his touch, I probably would. I was so conscious of his hands on my hips and the fact that I was standing mere inches from him,pletely nude.


    The ce where his skin met mine felt like electricity shooting through my whole body. It reminded me of my dream, and my breath became shallow, remembering the way he¡¯d touched me in my dreams. The reality was better, but this waspletely innocent. He¡¯d just been trying to keep me from falling.


    ¡°Uhm,¡± I stuttered out. ¡°Thank you for helping me. I¡¯m okay, really.¡±


    He stared down at me, not letting go of my waist. I looked into his eyes and realized it wasn¡¯t just concern for my safety. There was a fire in his eyes that told me he wanted to do much more than keep me upright.


    I licked my lips slowly, and watched his eyes dart down to watch. He swallowed hard before leaning down and covering my lips with his own. His hands let go of my waist, only so they could wrap around it and pull me closer to him.


    Was this really happening? I wanted to pinch myself to make sure it wasn¡¯t another really good dream, but the heat of his body and the hardness I felt against me was enough to convince me. As real as my dream had felt, it didn¡¯tpare to the way his skin felt against mine, his arms cradled around my waist.


    And I couldn¡¯t have imagined the pressure I felt as our bodies intertwined. My hands reached around his neck, my hands traveling into his hair. It was soft to the touch, like silk. His curls gave me something to hold onto, and I grabbed tightly, eliciting a groan from him.


    His tongue slid along my bottom lip, expertly tracing its curve. My mouth opened for him in a sigh, ready to know his exquisite taste. He didn¡¯t taste like honey like he had in my dream. His mouth was smokey, like he¡¯s just finished an expensive cigar. I wanted to inhale him, for our breath to intertwine and be one.


    We stood there for a long time, exploring one another, testing each other. It was like a game of cat and mouse, where his tongue was the cat, and mine was the mouse, chasing, teasing, twisting up in all sorts of trouble. I wanted all his trouble. I wanted him to show me everything, to corrupt me thoroughly.


    Like my dream, I could feel wetness growing between my legs, and I needed the friction of him. As much as I pressed my hips against his, it wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy the craving that had been building inside of me since the moment he¡¯d touched me. A strange thought urred, and I carefully maneuvered one of my legs to wrap around his waist, the other straining on the ground on tiptoes.


    The position was better, the friction where I needed it, but it was not enough. I gasped against him, and felt his hands move down my ass and cup the other leg, pulling it up against him so that I was fully wrapped around him, and he was supporting all my weight.


    Underneath me, I could feel his hardness rubbing up against my bare flesh through his pants, and I ground into him, the feeling magical, releasing some primal need in me. He moaned into my mouth, holding me tightly as he began moving, carrying me into the bedroom. With my entire front pressed against him, I felt alive, set on fire by his touch in the best possible way.


    I could feel him against every inch of me, and I could feel every inch of his manhood, and I wanted him more than I could ever possibly imagine. I wanted him to strip down to nothing and enter me.


    But as good as my dream had been, reality came crashing down on me, reminding me I had no fucking clue what I was doing. All I knew was that it would hurt my first time, and I would feel vulnerable and emotional afterward.


    I wasn¡¯t sure that was something I wanted to experience with him right this moment. I¡¯d known him for the entirety of seventy-two hours, and I couldn¡¯t say for sure that I was ready to give myself away so easily. It killed me to think that, but as much as I wanted this, I had to press pause before it went too far.


    And it was going too far at breakneck speed. We were in the bedroom, just inches from the bed, and then he was setting me down, hovering over me. He pulled away briefly, perhaps to get a condom from his wallet, or maybe just to readjust himself, but it was the moment I needed to get my head on straight and remember where I was.


    Dahlia¡¯s room was just a few feet away. This was her family¡¯s home. Besides my fears about sex, this could potentially ruin our friendship forever. She meant too much to me for that to happen, especially if this was just a lust-filled fling, a one-night stand.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do this,¡± I breathed out quickly, letting the words fall off my tongue before I could second-guess myself.


    His guard went up immediately, the lust in his eyes reced by a dead, cold look. He wasn¡¯t angry, exactly. He looked more cautious than anything. He took a step back from me, and I quickly pulled the sheets around me, covering myself against his scrutiny. How ironic that just an hour ago I¡¯d been tangled up in these sheets, imagining a simr moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, beautiful Olivia,¡± he said sadly. ¡°I forget myself around you. I shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡±


    He took all the me for this as if I hadn¡¯t been a willing participant. I shouldn¡¯t have done it either, as much as I desperately had wanted to. But this was much worse. He looked at me as if he were sorry he¡¯d ever touched me, which hadn¡¯t been my intention at all. I didn¡¯t want him to regret it.


    ¡°Please let me know if there¡¯s anything I can get for you,¡± he told me, making for the door. When he reached the frame, he turned back to look over your shoulder. ¡°This is your home now. I want you to feelfortable.¡±


    His voice was sweet and sorrowful, and I understood what he meant. He thought he¡¯d made me ufortable, which was so not the case. Well, I was a little ufortable, but that had more to do with my unquenched need for him. Why couldn¡¯t I have said something wiser or more mature, to make him see that I wasn¡¯t ready?


    Part of me knew it was because I was afraid he wouldn¡¯t want me if he knew how inexperienced I was. Another part of me felt guilty for betraying my best friend. She would be so mad if she knew what had taken ce. After everything we¡¯d been through together, I wasn¡¯t willing to give her up for some guy, some man¨Ca very attractive man who kissed like a professional.


    I shook my head and pulled my knees to my chest. I dropped my head and groaned in frustration. Now that Giovani was gone, I felt the loss of him. If I hadn¡¯t made him stop, he¡¯d probably be inside of me, possessing me physically and mentally. Afterward, I¡¯d eat the food he brought me, and we would talk more about our lives.


    I felt like a fucking idiot. Everything was ruined.

 Chapter 257 : Porca Puttana

    <h4>Chapter 257: Chapter 257 : Porca Puttana</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I practically ran across the vi to my private offices, mming the door behind me. The strength it had taken to pull myself away from Olivia was more than I ever would have imagined I possessed. She was naked, pressed against me, moaning as I touched her.


    The memory of her skin burned in my brain, her young flesh eager against mine. I could still hear the way her breath caught and the sound of her pleasure.


    And then she¡¯d frozen on me.


    I looked down at the tent I was still pitching and groaned in frustration. It had been a long time since I¡¯d been with anyone, and maybe it was foolish to go after a woman so much younger. It would make more sense to go to a club and bring someone home to release my frustration.


    Yet, I was bound to this girl, unable to think of anyone else but her. How had my life changed so drastically in just a matter of a few days? I craved her flesh, ached for it, even though she was too young and immature for me.


    But she hadn¡¯t seemed young or immature when we spokest night. She was insightful and bright, funny and charming. She answered every question with grace and didn¡¯t mind me prying into her past. She wanted to know everything about life here, to get a crash course on Italian living. And she clearly wanted me as much as I wanted her.


    Until she didn¡¯t.


    Porca puttana, damnit all. I could still smell her skin, the taste of her tongue still swirling around my mouth. Who was this girl to take such a hold of me and make me lose my mind in my own goddamn house? The only thing to do was put as much distance between us as I possibly could. Even if it killed me to do it.


    I walked over to my mini bar, pulling out a fine bottle of whiskey. It was aged well, made at a famous distillery in Irnd. I usually saved it for special asions, but fottimi if I didn¡¯t need the smooth liquor to dull my brain at that moment. Fuck me hard.


    I sat down in my chair and leaned back slightly, letting the warm liquid make its way into my system. My body rxed, and I closed my eyes, trying to picture anything but the image of Olivia naked and under me.


    As much as I¡¯d been fantasizing that moment since I¡¯did eyes on her, I still couldn¡¯t believe it had actually happened. It couldn¡¯t be thest time. It couldn¡¯t end that way. One way or another, I was determined to make her mine, even if it took time. Screw space. I would invade her senses the way she¡¯d invaded mine until she was begging me to take her to bed.


    With that settled, I finished my drink and turned on myputer, needing to catch up on some work so today didn¡¯t be a total fucking waste. Three sharp raps at the door alerted me of the presence of my right-hand man, Gabriele. It was his signature knock; I knew it by heart. I called for him to enter.


    Gabriele was a few years younger than me, a formerly scrappy thief from the streets of Paris. He was skilled, able to talk a fish into buying waterfront property, and once I met him and helped hone his gifts, he became my most trusted colleague.


    As he entered my office, I saw his face was grim. Whatever he¡¯de to tell me, it wasn¡¯t good news, and he didn¡¯t want to deliver it.


    ¡°Gabriele, you look like your younger sister has stolen your spaghetti.¡±


    ¡°I do not enjoy spaghetti, and you know this,¡± he answered with a smirk. He crossed the room in his easy lope and slumped down in one of the armchairs. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry to say that my sister is long dead. You¡¯re a very inconsiderate man.¡±


    ¡°Inconsiderate, but generous,¡± I smirked back.


    This was our rtionship, a constant back and forth of friendly insults and threats. None of them were real, of course, but it helped us blow off steam between the moments of real insults and threats toward others.


    ¡°But, when you¡¯re right, you¡¯re right,¡± he finally conceded. ¡°It¡¯s not good news at all. There are rumblings in the neighborhood that the Zaytsevs have moved in.¡±


    I spat at the ground and cursed, disgusted at the mere mention of their name. They were a dangerous Russian mafia that had slowly been making its way across Europe. I¡¯d never liked the Russians; they were too brutal. What Italians could finesse; they stole by force. They always had to be the most intimidating bullies in the schoolyard.


    Not in my town. I¡¯d worked too hard to build our organization into what it was and was willing to crush my enemies when necessary. Other families knew we had the force and manpower, so they knew not to encroach on our territory.


    These men, though... they did not care about territory. They saw only money and power, not caring about the rules we¡¯d carefully put into ce over thest few decades.


    ¡°Can you confirm this information is true, for certain?¡± I asked, shifting ufortably in my chair. This day just kept getting better and better. I could already feel the beginning of a migraine. I¡¯d have to ask Sofia to bring me an espresso.


    Gabriele shook his head.


    ¡°I have not seen them with my own eyes,¡± he said. ¡°I would like to believe that means it isn¡¯t true, but either way you need to be aware. If they aren¡¯t here yet, it¡¯s clear they¡¯re feeling out the area to spread roots.¡±


    ¡°Then we must poison the soil,¡± I tell him seriously. ¡°Do what it takes to show our Russian friends that they are not wee in Florence. You must keep your ear to the ground, Gabriele.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a Parisian street rat. I live with my ear to the ground,¡± he joked, but I didn¡¯t find his attitude amusing. He¡¯d brought me this news at the worst possible time, and without any real confirmation of its validity, I didn¡¯t know how much mental energy I should grant it.


    ¡°Seriously,¡± I said, my face set in a hard line. ¡°You need to find out all you can. I need locations, times, descriptions of their movement.¡±


    ¡°From what I understand now, it¡¯s just one man who¡¯s made the trek. He¡¯s a scout, a pilot fish.¡±


    ¡°And where the pilot fish travel, a shark soon appears,¡± I said darkly. ¡°You know my family¡¯s history with the Zaytsev family. I will not allow any more bloodshed to take ce here. So, as I said, send a clear message to our Russian friend, so he can go back and tell his shark boss to back off.¡±


    Gabriele nodded and stood, ever the obedient soldier. I trusted him to take care of this swiftly. Still, the thought of the Zaytsevs in town caused me more anxiety than I¡¯d ever admit to my friend. It had been years since the nastiness had urred, but I wouldn¡¯t forget what they had put my family through. And I would not forgive.


    Gabriele left, promising to update me as soon as he could, and I was alone again with nothing but bitter thoughts and a pile of work I didn¡¯t even want to look at now. Everything was tainted by the thought of those men.


    And then there was Dahlia and Olivia to consider. They were my wards for the summer, and probably into their first semester at uni. Dahlia had no idea about the nasty associations her father once held, and he would kill me if any of this blew back on her, as if I had asked for this to happen.


    And as much as I worried about her, my thoughts drifted back to beautiful Olivia, who was even more ignorant of who I was. Would she run from me if she knew the things I¡¯d done in the past to protect my assets? She¡¯d already pushed me away once, but there was every possibility she¡¯d push me away forever.


    If she knew the truth, she¡¯d probably catch the first ne to the states, change her name, and go into hiding. And that still wouldn¡¯t be enough distance to make me forget the creamy smoothness of her skin underneath my hands. She was so soft and delicate beneath my touch, like a rose petal just in bloom.


    And her breasts... fuck me. I would die with the memory of her perky tits engraved on my mind. I¡¯d barely had time to enjoy the look of them before they were pressed against me, but I felt the way her nipples tightened under my touch. I¡¯d wound her up, set her aze with my presence.


    My pants tightened against my hardening cock, and I unbuttoned them, setting myself free of the prison they were in. Perhaps I wouldn¡¯t know her touch on my cock, but I would live off the memory of our interaction and use it to fuel my lustful fantasies. I slid my hand up and down, imagining it was her perfect, plump lips.


    In my mind, I saw her eyes, full of lust and wanting. I didn¡¯t even have to imagine what that would look like, because I¡¯d seen it so clearly in front of me. I had burned the picture into my memory, making sure I would never forget her lust for me. My lust for her was certainly going nowhere useful.


    I pumped into my hand again, remembering the way my name fell from her lips. It had never sounded so sweet, never made my entire body lose control. She¡¯d been so sweet, so new to everything. I wanted to explore every inch of her and find the secret spots that made here undone.


    My hand moved more quickly, bringing me closer and closer to the needed edge. In my mind, her legs were wrapped around me as they had been, but I was naked too, and I was inside of her. The wicked things this girl could do to me in my imagination... I wondered if I¡¯d ever have the chance to experience her again. I had to find a way.


    There was too much going wrong. She had to be the one thing to go right. The summer was long, stretching out before us like a treasure map. We could explore together, the world and each other, if only she would let me in.


    She retained her youthful innocence, untouched by the ugliness of the world, and I would hold it back from her forever if I had to. It was my new mission to show her only beauty and pleasure, so much that it would overwhelm her senses and make her knees weak.

 Chapter 258 : I Like Him

    <h4>Chapter 258: Chapter 258 : I Like Him</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Olive!¡± Dahlia burst into the guest room I¡¯d taken over with a massive grin on her face.


    I looked up just in time for her to jump onto the bed. Theforter bounced as Dahlianded next to me, giggling like a schoolgirl.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming it went well?¡± I smiled, looking up from the book I¡¯d been reading to pass the time. I shut it with a snap, turning my attention to my giddy best friend.


    ¡°Oh, it was perfect!¡± Dahlia gushed, leaning on my back as Iy sprawled out on my stomach. ¡°He was so charming and such a gentleman! He picked me up on his moped and took me to see the Piazza! And it was so dreamy when he kissed me in front of the fountain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you had fun,¡± Iughed as I turned in bed to see her face.


    Dahlia was gazing up at the ceiling with a lovestruck face as she sighed. I¡¯d been with her through every crush she¡¯d ever had, but I¡¯d never seen her this happy over one guy. I grinned, happy for her. Even if I didn¡¯t like him in the beginning, he was good to her, and even I could admit that he was charming.


    Not nearly as much as Giovani, though.


    I shook my head, clearing those thoughts away. Now wasn¡¯t the time.


    ¡°Are you going to see him again then?¡± I asked teasingly, knowing she had already nned their wedding and future three kids in her head. She¡¯d always been like that, three steps ahead in her imagination.


    ¡°Of course!¡± She smiled. ¡°We¡¯ve been texting nonstop. I really really like him, Olive.¡±


    I knew that look on her face¨Cthe blush on her cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes as she spoke about him. I was sure I had the same look on my face when I¡¯d met Giovani, though hopefully not as obvious as her. Well, I¡¯d always been better at hiding my feelings than Dahlia, though.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, Dolly,¡± I smiled, grabbing her hand and squeezing it lightly. ¡°You deserve a great guy who can sweep you off your feet.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Olive,¡± Dahlia giggled. ¡°So do you.¡±


    I smiled, just a bit guilty. I wished I could tell her what had happened with Giovani.


    I wished I could tell her about our midnight conversation, how much I¡¯d learned about him, and how he listened to me so intently, like everything I had said was important.


    And I wished I could tell her what happened in the bathroom when I first felt his arms around me and his kiss set my skin ame, how much of an idiot I was for letting him walk away just because I was afraid. I wished I could just tell her how much I longed to have his arms around me, to kiss his gorgeous lips, and have his hands on every inch of my body until I couldn¡¯t think about anything but him.


    I wished I could tell her about everything.


    But I couldn¡¯t.


    Not only was he so much older than us, but he was also her cousin. If she knew I was even thinking these things, I was terrified that she wouldn¡¯t even talk to me again.


    Truth be told, I didn¡¯t even know what she thought of dating older guys. I did know her parents had a considerable age gap, so maybe it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal. Maybe I was just worrying for nothing.


    I set the book in my hands down as I grabbed my phone tightly in one hand. I could test it, maybe?


    I nced at Dahlia, trying to be casual despite the uneasiness I felt. She was still busy in her fantasy world, probably imagining Lorenzo as a prince on a white horseing to sweep her away, just like we used to y when we were little. I had always been the prince, but I was happy to give that position to Lorenzo now.


    ¡°Hey, Dolly,¡± I started, trying to be casual. ¡°What do you think about dating an older man?¡±


    Dahlia nced at me, blinking rapidly in surprise. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I saw it in this article online,¡± I lied, smoothly. ¡°I was just wondering what you thought about it.¡±


    Dahlia rolled her eyes, ¡°You¡¯re an addict, Olive. I told you to stop reading those kinds of female help magazines. They¡¯re no good for you. That¡¯s what Mom says anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± I sighed. ¡°Just tell me what you think, though.¡±


    ¡°Honestly?¡± Dahlia crossed her arms, getting to her feet as she headed straight for my closet. ¡°Absolutely not.¡±


    I flinched, grabbing my phone tightly as I eyed her cautiously. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t date an older man? Not even if you really liked him?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Dahliaughed, pulling one of my hung-up dresses from the closet. ¡°What would we even talk about? Plus, I doubt any older man could keep up with me.¡±


    She winked at me and Iughed.


    ¡°But then again, it did work for my parents, so who knows?¡± Dahlia shrugged. ¡°Hey, can I borrow this?¡±


    She pulled a dress out, one I had forgotten I even had before I¡¯d thrown it in my suitcase, just in case. Dahlia had convinced me to buy it, but I never ended up wearing it. Truth be told, dresses like that were more of Dahlia¡¯s style than mine.


    She held it over her clothes, looking in the mirror with a grin. She raised an eyebrow toward me, and I smiled, shaking my head fondly.


    ¡°I just hung that up, Dolly,¡± I smiled, getting to my feet. ¡°Besides, don¡¯t you have enough clothes?¡±


    ¡°I wanted something new for my next date with Lorenzo and look, isn¡¯t it cute on me?¡± Dahlia said with a pleased look. ¡°I was just going to go shopping, but this is so much easier.¡±


    ¡°Of course, ¡®cause my closet is a mall now,¡± I said with a grin.


    ¡°Please?¡± she pouted, giving me those big puppy dog eyes she knew I couldn¡¯t resist. ¡°I¡¯ll let you borrow anything you want from mine¨Cpinky promise.¡±


    ¡°All right, all right,¡± Iughed, covering her eyes yfully. ¡°Let me borrow your cardigan then.¡±


    ¡°The red one?¡± she asked, pursing her lips in thought. ¡°Why that one?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s super soft. You did say anything, Dolly,¡± I crossed my arms, smirking as she pondered my offer.


    ¡°You drive a hard bargain, but deal.¡± She grinned, throwing the dress onto the bed as she flopped down next to it. She stretched out as if she owned it, grabbing one of my pillows and cing it under her chin as her legs swung back and forth in the air.


    ¡°So Lorenzo loves the arts! He was telling me all about Michangelo and the David statue. And get this, he¡¯s even an artist himself! We just have so much inmon,¡± Dahlia rambled on as I took a seat next to her.


    ¡°You¡¯re not an artist, Dolly,¡± Iughed, ¡°You hate paint ¡¯cause it¡¯s too dirty.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more to art than paint, Olive,¡± she struck back immediately. ¡°Besides, don¡¯t you remember that art ss I took?¡±


    ¡°The required one in high school?¡± I smirked, crossing my arms. ¡°That you almost failed because you thought it was too boring?¡±


    Dahlia paused, ring at me as she grabbed my pillow and swung it at my head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ruin my fantasies, Olive!¡± Dahlia huffed as I burst into giggles.


    ¡°You like him that much?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Dahlia blushed, hugging the pillow to her chest. ¡°We just clicked. I felt like I could talk to him about anything. He was so sweet and understanding, nothing like the American boys back home. I mean, I felt like he really cared about what I was saying, and it helps that he¡¯s absolutely gorgeous. I mean, did you see those abs? It took so much effort not to let my hands start to wander on the moped. If there hadn¡¯t a shirt between us, I¡¯d¨C¡±


    ¡°Dolly!¡± I grabbed my pillow, smacking her in the side of the head with it.


    ¡°What?¡± Dahlia grinned, innocently. ¡°You¡¯d do the exact same thing, Olive. I swear he was carved by Michangelo himself. I can¡¯t wait for the heat wave¨Csweat pouring down his muscles, his shirt clinging tightly¨C¡±


    ¡°Dolly,¡± I smirked, shaking my head yfully. ¡°Leave the man some dignity, why don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Dahlia waved her hand. ¡°You¡¯d do well getting yourself your own romance, you know. You¡¯ve been single for too long.¡±


    I smiled as Giovani shed through my head, my hands buried in his dark curls as his arms wrapped around my waist.... The taste of him still lingered in my mouth, the desire in his eyes burning as he devoured every inch of me.


    I regretted telling him no, but I knew it was the right thing to do.


    That particr romance wasn¡¯t going anywhere.


    ¡°That reminds me!¡± Dahlia pped her hands, turning to me with a huge grin. ¡°Lorenzo said he had a few friends who were single. I bet you¡¯d click with one of them.¡±


    Oh no.


    ¡°Nope,¡± I immediately shut that down before her fantasies started up. I crossed my arms disapprovingly. ¡°You know how I feel about you setting me up with guys. Rememberst time?¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on,¡± Dahlia protested, ¡°That was so not my fault. How was I supposed to know he had a girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°He had two! And he was a total creep.¡± I shuddered. Just the thought of that guy was enough to make my skin crawl. It had been a few years ago but I still wouldn¡¯t forget the way he looked at me.


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Dahlia pouted. ¡°Be a party pooper. I¡¯ll still love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too, Dolly,¡± Iughed, throwing myself back onto the bed. I stared up at the ceiling, my mind heading to where it always did these days¨CGiovani.


    Even just talking with him all night had been amazing. I¡¯d never felt a connection like that before, where I felt his dark eyes on me the entire time. He wasn¡¯t like the guys who were only after sex. He actually wanted to know what I had to say.


    Everything had just poured out of me, things I wouldn¡¯t normally say to anybody. But he didn¡¯t judge me for anything. He was intelligent, handsome, sexy, and everything I had ever wanted in a man.


    But he was also forbidden.


    I stared at the ceiling as Dahlia fell onto her back beside me, her sighing as well.


    ¡°I have a feeling we¡¯ll never forget our time here,¡± Dahlia said quietly.


    I hummed in agreement, realizing now there was only one word to call what I had been feeling toward Giovani. I had to admit it, even if I could only admit it to myself.


    I liked him.


    Well, there was no going back now.

 Chapter 259 : Date Night

    <h4>Chapter 259: Chapter 259 : Date Night</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°How do I look?¡± Dahlia twirled in ce wearing the dress she had borrowed from me. It was shorter and simpler than her usual style but as always, it fit her like a glove. From her waist to her bust, every asset was perfectly showcased just enough to be enticing but still ssy.


    I whistled appreciatively.


    ¡°Another date with Lorenzo?¡± I asked with a grin.


    ¡°He¡¯s taking me out to dinner.¡± She blushed, gazing into the mirror as she checked every inch of her reflection for blemishes. Dahlia had always been kind of a perfectionist when it came to her image.


    I watched her in the mirror for a minute. Something was missing. Even with the beautiful earrings she had chosen, I still felt like there was something more she needed toplete the look.


    ¡°It needs something,¡± I got to my feet, searching through the contents of the suitcase I hadn¡¯t bothered to put away yet. ¡°Aha!¡±


    I pulled out a ne I had bought a while ago but hadn¡¯t yet worn. It was a simple teardrop of aquamarine, just big enough to be noticeable but not clunky enough to get in the way.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± I said, stepping up behind her.


    She pulled her hair to the side as I put the ne around her and sped it. It settled just above her vicle, a perfect teardrop of shiny blue, the perfect color to make her eyes pop.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Dahlia grinned. ¡°When did you get this?¡±


    ¡°A while ago. It¡¯s not really my style. It¡¯s too dainty, so I always feel like I¡¯m going to break it.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why I packed it, but I¡¯m d I did now. You can have it.¡±


    ¡°Aw, Olive,¡± Dahlia smiled, her eyes misty as she grabbed me in a hug.


    Iughed, squeezing her back. She looked beautiful tonight, and she was going to knock Lorenzo off his feet.


    ¡°Come on, you¡¯ll ruin your hair,¡± I flipped one of her perfectly curled rings with a smile, and Dahlia gasped.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right.¡± She let go immediately, turning to the mirror as she checked her hair for any messed-up ringlets.


    ¡°So where do you think he¡¯s taking you?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Dahlia shrugged. ¡°He said it was a surprise, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s going to be nice. He told me to dress up.¡±


    ¡°And after dinner? Is he taking you back here or to his ce?¡± I sent her a knowing look. ¡°Should I be expecting you home tonight, Miss Dolly?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m not counting that out.¡± Dahlia winked at me through the mirror, and Iughed. ¡°Okay, what do you think?¡±


    She turned around to face me, beaming like a bride on her wedding day.


    ¡°Magnifica,¡± I said brightly. ¡°You¡¯re sure to knock him off his feet.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± she said, with a hint of nervousness I didn¡¯t usually see in her.


    Before she had time to check herself over for the millionth time, though, we both heard the knocking on the door from downstairs.


    ¡°He¡¯s here!¡± Dahlia said excitedly. ¡°Where are my shoes?¡±


    ¡°Here and here,¡± I set them on the floor. I was already on my feet and ready as she snapped them on.


    Dahlia took a deep breath and I smiled, linking my arm with hers.


    I could hear low voicesing from downstairs, one that I recognized easily.


    Giovani.


    The other was probably Lorenzo. For a moment, I wondered what they were talking about. My heart raced as Dahlia and I headed down the stairs together.


    Lorenzo and Giovani were waiting at the bottom of the stairs, but they both turned to stare at us as we came down. I could feel Giovani¡¯s eyes on me, and I blushed despite myself. I wasn¡¯t even dressed up, but I still felt like I was beautiful under his stare.


    When we got to the bottom, I nced at Lorenzo¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Dahlia. I was invisible once again as he stepped forward to gently grab her hand andy a kiss upon it.


    ¡°You look beautiful, Carina,¡± Lorenzo smiled, smoothly.


    Dahlia blushed, giggling as she looked over Lorenzo¡¯s suit. ¡°You don¡¯t look so bad yourself.¡±


    I dropped my arm, allowing her to take Lorenzo¡¯s offered one. She linked her arm around his and turned to leave.


    There was one problem. Giovani was in their way.


    He smiled politely, but there was an intimidating look in his eye as he stared down at Lorenzo.


    ¡°I trust you¡¯ll take care of my baby cousin, Lorenzo,¡± Giovani said firmly, a weird glint in his eyes, ¡°or I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have me to deal with.¡±


    Lorenzoughed, clearly not intimidated as Dahlia rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Lay off, Gio,¡± she huffed, one hand on her hip. ¡°I can take care of myself without you making weird threats.¡±


    ¡°Just making sure he knows what he¡¯s in for.¡± Giovani crossed his arms. ¡°We protect family around here.¡±


    ¡°Gio!¡± Dahlia said, pouting. ¡°Don¡¯t scare him away.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the warning, sir,¡± Lorenzo said, yfully. ¡°I¡¯ll be the perfect gentleman, I swear.¡±


    It was clear that neither of them had taken him seriously. Something prevented me fromughing with them, however.


    The calcting, almost intimidating look in Giovani¡¯s eyes made me think that he wasn¡¯t joking in the slightest. There was something dangerous about the way he looked right now.


    Luckily, he didn¡¯t hold them up anymore. Lorenzo and Dahlia left with bright smiles on their faces, leaving only me and Giovani standing in the foyer.


    I shuffled on my feet awkwardly, ncing over at Giovani, only to see his eyes were already on me. His heated gaze sent a shiver down my spine, reminding me of our previous encounter.


    I bit my bottom lip, remembering the feeling of his lips on mine. I watched as his eyes trailed directly to my lips, staring at where my teeth had made an imprint.


    I swirled my tongue over the mark, enjoying the way his eyes darkened as he continued to stare at me silently.


    ¡°Do you have any ns for the night, Olivia?¡± Giovani took a step forward, a smile on his lips as he tilted his head.


    ¡°Nothing much,¡± I said honestly. ¡°I was just going to read and rx, maybe take a bath.¡±


    I saw the way his eyes locked on mine, the reminder of what had happened between usst time I had taken a bath lingering in the air.


    ¡°And you?¡± I asked. ¡°Any ns?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Giovani said softly.


    Silence fell between us, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.


    I took a step back, still a bit awkward and unsure.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just¨C¡± I gestured upstairs, turning to leave, but Giovani was faster.


    He took a step in front of the stairs, preventing my getaway.


    ¡°Would you mind talking to me in my office for a bit?¡± Giovani asked in that low, sultry voice that sent a pang straight to my core.


    ¡°Uh, no, I don¡¯t mind,¡± I breathed, my eyes locked onto his form as he gestured for me to follow him. I would¡¯ve followed him anywhere if he kept using that voice on me.


    I ignored the feeling of anticipation building in my stomach as I followed him through the mansion. What did he have in store for me?


    Talk? Or maybe more?


    I suppressed the grin on my face as I trailed after him. He opened his office door and gestured for me to enter before him. That smile on his face gave nothing away, not a single hint of what he wanted with me.


    I stepped inside anyway, feeling like I had entered the lion¡¯s den. The office was just as expensive-looking as the rest of the house, but in a different way.


    It was just as I expected¨Csimple but packed with so much detail. Books and chairs and papers piled up on his desk. The leather loveseat caught my eye. The office smelled of smoke, like somebody had been smoking a cigar.


    ¡°It¡¯s warm here. Did you¨C¡± I said as I turned around.


    The words caught in my throat as I noticed how close Giovani was to me. A mere breath away, he was so close I could feel his body heat. There was no denying the lust in his eyes as he stared at me. Entranced by his gaze, I took a step forward.


    ¡°Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?¡± I asked, breathily.


    He licked his lips, and I followed his tongue, feeling hotter by the second. Then, without another word, he grabbed my waist and pulled me so I crashed into him. My hands fell on his chest as our lips met in a frenzied hunger.


    He wasn¡¯t patient, or soft. He bit hard on my bottom lip, kissing the breath right out of me. His arms tightened around my waist, so tight that I couldn¡¯t move away even if I wanted to.


    But I didn¡¯t want to.


    My hands dug into his curly locks, tugging hard, and his tongue met mine in a dance. Desire pooled in every inch of me as I pushed myself harder against his body, needing the heat and friction in a way I couldn¡¯t express.


    I kissed him back just as fervently as he grabbed my thigh, pulling my leg around his body, and I jumped onto his waist, clinging to him. His arms supported my butt as we moved backward until my back hit the wall.


    We broke apart as I gasped. Trapped between him and the wall, I could feel him breathing just as hard as I was as he gazed at me hungrily.


    ¡°I... I¡¯ve been thinking about that,¡± I confessed, ¡°ever since you saved me from falling in the bathroom.¡±


    He chuckled, leaning closer until our lips were just close enough to touch. His breath on my mouth was teasing, and I wanted so badly to have his lips on mine again.


    ¡°So have I, Amore.¡±


    His hand slid up my shirt, trailing along my spine, and I shivered, leaning into his touch. The calluses on his hands felt rough but so good on my heated skin. I bit my bottom lip, a low moan escaping my throat as he unhooked my bra with the skill only an experienced man like himmanded.


    For a moment, a shot of fear went through me. Was I really ready for this? Did I really want to take thisst step?


    But the regret of watching him walk awayst time was more powerful than any fear I was feeling. I clenched my hands around his back, pressing myself closer as I relinquished myself to his exploring hands.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is happening,¡± I whispered, looking at him in awe. This wasn¡¯t just a dream like before.


    This was real.


    And he proved it to me by kissing me again.

 Chapter 260 : Office Sex

    <h4>Chapter 260: Chapter 260 : Office Sex</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Giovani...¡± I breathed out, my eyes fluttering as he tugged my shirt over my head, exposing my chest to the sultry air.


    He nipped my lower lip, pulling it with his teeth as his hands wandered my heated skin.


    Giovani¡¯s kisses trailed down my neck. I clenched my arms around his neck as his tongue swirled around my breasts. His long, hot tongue licked across my hardened nipples, and I inhaled sharply before his mouth closed around the soft flesh.


    He smelled good¨Ctoo good. From his hands to his hard body rubbing against mine, I wanted more. His thumb circled one nipple while his tongue worshipped the other, and I gasped at the sinful feeling.


    God, I liked him.


    Everything about him.


    Fear of my first time be damned. I wanted this. I wanted all of him.


    His mouth made a popping sound as he released my breast, and I wasted no time pulling his head up to my mouth. Giovani pulled me from the wall, quickly maneuvering us to the floor as heid me down gently, cradling my head on the plush carpet.


    His body covered mine, his hardened bulge meeting just where I wanted it to, despite the clothes. I moved instinctively, the friction causing us both to groan.


    ¡°Eager, aren¡¯t we, carina?¡± he asked with a mischievous chuckle. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to run away again, are you?¡±


    ¡°Just fuck me,¡± I demanded, breathily.


    He obliged with a grin, as I dug my fingers into his shirt, the buttons popping with the force I used. I pushed it down his shoulders, revealing his muscled figure to my eyes. His skin was tanned like it had been kissed by the sun, and I wasted no time running my hands down every inch of it I could feel.


    We explored one another, his hands running down my waist and then hitching in my shorts as he pulled them down and out of the way.


    I was soaking wet. I could feel it dripping as I rubbed against the fabric of his jeans, needing any kind of friction or I¡¯d go insane.


    He firmly gripped my thighs, parting them as he left my mouth to lick a long strip down my stomach. He dropped a nip to my inner thigh and I let out a soft squeak. I could feel him chuckling as he made his way to my sex.


    My heart pounded in my ears, eager but also scared. I had never done this before, and I was clearly more inexperienced.


    But still, I had never felt this good before.


    While I was debating in my head, Giovani had no such concerns as he plunged his tongue into my cunt, and I cried out.


    ¡°You taste so good,¡± Giovani moaned lowly, ¡°A perfect little tentatrice.¡±


    But that was just a taste, and with a dark look in his eyes, he went in for seconds. I gasped at the feel of him devouring me, his fingers quickly following as he traced them up and down my wet slit, and I rocked my hips in time with his tongue, needing more.


    I clenched my hands in his curls, holding on for dear life as he plunged his digits into my cunt, his tongue sucking on my clit in return.


    I could feel his eyes on me, taking in every second of the pleasure he gave me as he masterfully pulled me toward a climax. I whimpered, pressure building in my stomach in a way I had never felt before.


    But then he pulled back, a teasing smile on his face, and his fingers pulled out of me with a wet pop.


    My eyes went wide, staring at him in disappointment as he lifted his soaked fingers to his face, his eyes locked on mine as he licked his fingers clean.


    ¡°Deliziosa,¡± he murmured, licking everyst drop up like I was a sweet candy he couldn¡¯t get enough of.


    I pouted, that peak drifting away as he chuckled.


    ¡°Good girlse when they¡¯re told, Olivia,¡± he smirked.


    But I could y this game, too. I smirked back, sitting up as I grabbed his jeans, quickly unbuttoning them.


    ¡°And I told you,¡± I purred, as I hung around his neck, pressing my body over his, ¡°that I like to get what I want.¡±


    Giovani grinned wickedly as I reached between us to unbutton his jeans, cupping the front of him. He smirked even wider as my eyes went huge at the feel of him.


    He was massive, just like I suspected, and I licked my lower lip, wondering how he¡¯d feel inside of me, how he¡¯d taste.


    I slid on top of him, the contact causing me to gasp as he tightened his grip on me. I breathed out, sliding back and forth on his cock. He watched me with lidded eyes, letting me do as I wanted as that feeling built again.


    ¡°Touch me,¡± I demanded, wanting his hands on me.


    He obliged happily as he swirled his tongue around my hardened nipple, and I gasped as he drove me to the edge again.


    He hummed, grazing his teeth across my breast, and I sloppily hurried my pace, chasing after that high I was looking for.


    He bit down, tugging at my nipple just as I tumbled over the edge, gasping from the force of my orgasm.


    But I needed more.


    ¡°Naughty girl. You came all on your own,¡± Giovani smirked, teasingly.


    The moment I tried to move my hips, his hands tightened around them, preventing any sort of movement.


    ¡°Giovani,¡± I nced up at him, pleadingly, a whine I couldn¡¯t stop in the back of my throating out. ¡°Please fuck me.¡±


    Something in his gaze snapped and before I knew it, his hand snuck around my head, grasping my hair in his hands as he kissed me.


    The taste of myself lingered on his tongue. It was odd and salty but not bad.


    Giovani shed his pants with skill,ying me back down gently as he took himself in his hand, pumping a few times before he slipped on a condom I hadn¡¯t seen him grab. I watched with wide eyes, wondering how on earth a monster of that size could fit inside of me.


    His fingers dove back into me, and I cried out as he stretched them out inside of me, opening me up for him. Once he seemed satisfied, he aligned himself against my cunt, and I breathed heavily, both in fear and excitement.


    I kept my eyes locked on his.


    Do it. Take me, I wanted to say.


    He listened.


    The head of his cock pushed through my opening and I winced, not quite hurting but feeling the stretch. I hung onto the back of his neck, breathing through my nose. It stung, but not quite as much as I thought it would.


    I gasped as he fully pressed into me, filling every inch of me perfectly until I was so full, I felt I could burst. I clenched down on him, testingly, and he groaned.


    ¡°Easy, carina,¡± he said softly, letting me adjust for a moment.


    I clenched his arms as he leaned over me, my legs wrapping around his waist as we breathed together. At this moment, we were one.


    ¡°Merde,¡± Giovani cursed and then he began to move.


    I gasped aloud as he plunged inside of me, the pleasure filling me. I writhed underneath him, but I was pinned between him and the floor.


    His lips imed mine as his pace increased. I tried my best to meet him, sloppily moving my hips to his, but I couldn¡¯t focus on anything but his cock as he pounded into me.


    He was so deep, fucking me harder and harder as he swallowed every inch of my gasps and moans.


    That pleasure built in my stomach, sending shockwaves through my skin every time he mmed into me. It was building and building like a balloon. His lips moved to my neck, his teeth lightly biting at the skin and his breath burning as our sweat-soaked skin mingled together.


    I couldn¡¯t tell what was him or me any longer.


    ¡°Giovani,¡± I cried out and he cursed once more, his teeth digging into my skin roughly as he pushed into me one more time, and we were bothing undone.


    There was silence, only the sound of us panting, and then Giovani was rolling off of me,ying on my side as his cock pulled out of me with a squish. I could feel something pouring out of my cunt, dripping onto the floor, but I didn¡¯t care.


    I turned on my side, my eyes meeting his as what we had just done washed over us.


    I didn¡¯t regret it, but there was a sense of shame.


    Dahlia. What would she say if she knew what we had just done? This could ruin our friendship.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, carina?¡± Giovani asked, propping himself up on his elbow to watch me, ¡°You¡¯re distracted.¡±


    He brushed my hair away from my face, cupping my cheek so gently, like I was ss that he could break.


    ¡°Dahlia,¡± I answered, worriedly. ¡°I¡¯m worried she¡¯ll hate me.¡±


    He frowned, pulling his hand back from me, ¡°Do you regret it?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I cried, grabbing onto his hand as I dove into his arms. They wrapped around me so naturally, as if this was where I belonged. ¡°I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t like you and I definitely don¡¯t regret it, but I¡¯m worried about how she¡¯ll react. She¡¯s my best friend. I can¡¯t lose her.¡±


    ¡°I like you, too,¡± Giovani chuckled, pressing a kiss to my forehead. ¡°So, we¡¯ll just have to keep it quiet until we know if we can work or not.¡±


    I was smiling before I realized it, my heart bursting with joy to know he liked me too. Wey there on the floor, a mess together, but there was nowhere I would rather be as I soaked in his presence.


    But eventually, I became ufortable with the stickiness.


    The two of us got up in silence, gathering our clothes and pulling them back on. I watched Giovani button up his shirt, missing the sight of his bare skin but knowing this wasn¡¯t the time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want Dahlia to see me leaving here like this,¡± I gestured to the mess that was my hair and clothes. ¡°So I better be gone before they get back.¡±


    Giovani nodded, a smile on his lips as he walked me to the office door. Right before I grabbed the doorknob, he pulled me in for onest kiss.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, carina,¡± he smirked, tracing the mark he had left on my neck.


    I blushed, rushing out of the office as I heard hisughter echoing behind me.


    Well, Damn.


    I was so fucked¨Cin more ways than one.

 Chapter 261 : Patience

    <h4>Chapter 261: Chapter 261 : Patience</h4>


    *Giovani*


    Cigar smoke swirled around in the air as I breathed in the Cuban tobo. Irish whiskey and a cigar was a perfect pairing, a swirling harmony of vor, or at least to me it was. The study was quiet after Olivia left, but my thoughts were still racing in time with the clock.


    The scent of sex still lingered underneath the smoke as I leaned back in my leather chair. The study was empty now, but I could still taste her on my lips.


    My eyes kept lingering on the spot on the carpet where I¡¯d fucked her. She was clearly inexperienced, more so than I thought she would be, but it was amazing.


    The way she had moaned so deliciously underneath me, her little body clinging to mine as the pleasure tore through her... she was so sweet and so tight around my cock. Even just the taste of her was incredible, her fingers curled in my hair as she called my name with every breath.


    She was gorgeous. She had me wrapped around her finger, and she didn¡¯t even know. I licked my lips, remembering the feel of her.


    Even just hourster, my cock was already hard and ready to take her again. I wanted more. I wanted her on my bed, against the walls, the desk, and the floors¨Ceverywhere I could get her, until our bodies had touched every inch of this study.


    I¡¯d never had a woman in here before. My study was personal, even more so than my bedroom, but it felt right to have her here. I sighed, watching the smoke pour out of my lungs and curl around my fingers.


    The burning wood smell from the cigar was nice but not nearly as sweet as her body. I wanted to breathe in her scent until she reced all the oxygen in my lungs, until I was suffocating on her breath.


    And then I wanted to do the very same to her.


    I had never been a possessive man, especially when it came to women, but there was something about Olivia that changed everything. Ever since I¡¯d first set my eyes on her, I wanted her to be mine and mine alone.


    With every touch, every word, that feeling only grew stronger. Just the thought of some other guy¡¯s hands on her made me see red. I clenched my fists, snuffing my cigar. The embers died as I twirled the cigar in the tray.


    It was a dangerous slope, our rtionship, one that could fall and topple us both over if it went too far. Like the snow that nketed the top of the mountain, one wrong move and it would cover everything in sight, an avnche that could not be undone.


    Especially considering the family business¨CI didn¡¯t want her wrapped up in this, not like James had done to his wife. They worked it out in the end, but everyone in the family knew how much Ba had to go through, how much she had suffered before James had gotten his shit together. Being a Valentino came with perks but also a lot of thorns. They were poisonous, and it would only take one prick to lose yourself.


    Still, so long as I wanted Olivia and she wanted me, there was no way I was giving up. It didn¡¯t matter what anyone else thought¨Cnot Dahlia or Gabriele or the family or even the fucking Zaytsevs.


    I would have her right by my side if that¡¯s what she wanted, but I respected her choices. Dahlia would be pissed if she knew I had touched her best friend, but she wouldn¡¯t dare get angry at Olivia.


    I could understand her fear though.


    It was best for now that we kept this quiet until both of us were ready.


    Still, that didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t want her again.


    I sighed, downing another ss of whiskey as I tried to control myself. Some restraint was necessary or else we would get caught real quick.


    I smirked, not minding that thought at all of others witnessing us as I took Olivia over the edge, having hering for me over and over again until her body was filled with my marks, to let everyone know that she was mine.


    My thoughts kept trailing back to how fucking good she lookedid out on my floor, gazing up at me like I was the only thing keeping her bound to the earth, like she might just float away if I weren¡¯t the rock keeping her grounded.


    Sometimes, I felt like she had to be an angel, put on this earth just to drive me insane. Everything she did or said was seducing me, like a vixen trying to attract her mate. It was maddening having to wait, to hide and sneak around.


    I felt like a teenager again, unable to control myself. Even when she wasn¡¯t fucking here, my thoughts kept trailing back to her.


    Just as I decided to pour myself another drink, my phone began to ring, vibrating on the desk. I snatched it up quickly, not even looking at the caller ID before I snapped, ¡°Yes?¡± into the phone.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got eyes on Dahlia,¡± Gabriele¡¯s voice rang through the phone.


    I sobered quickly, narrowing my eyes on the desk as I asked, ¡°Where is she?¡± My fingers tapped along the wood, impatient as I waited for Gabriele¡¯s report.


    Dahlia would be pissed if she knew I was keeping tabs on her, but there wasn¡¯t any other option. She knew how dangerous the family business could be. James would kill me if anything happened to her under my watch.


    Even if he was getting older, that man could still kick my ass if he wanted to, not that I would let him.


    ¡°Dahlia and the boy arrived at his apartment at 7:34 P.M. They went inside and have yet toe back out. I don¡¯t expect her to head home tonight.¡±


    Of course. I rolled my eyes. Dahlia did what Dahlia wanted.


    ¡°Any movement from the Zaytsevs?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Gabriele replied, ¡°But the background check on the residents didn¡¯te up empty-handed. One of the residents, in apartment 404, works for them¨Clow ranking but potentially dangerous.¡±


    Damn it. Just what I needed.


    I sighed, rubbing my forehead. ¡°Keep an eye on it. Do you think he suspects anything?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. He¡¯s careful. But if he knew anything, the Zaytsevs wouldn¡¯t be staying still,¡± Gabriele replied, unconcerned. ¡°We found a few suspicious movements from the man, but nothing rming.¡±


    ¡°Is there any connection to the boy?¡± I asked, annoyed, ¡°This Lorenzo? Is he safe?¡±


    ¡°As far as we know, there is no connection,¡± Gabriele replied. ¡°He¡¯s just as clueless as his neighbors. He has a trust fund he¡¯s living off. We found a few suspicious points in his identity but nothing pertaining to the Zaytsevs at all.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said.


    ¡°Should I assign some people to watch the apartment, or do you wish for me to stay?¡± Gabriele said, impatiently. ¡°I do kinda want to get home sometime.¡±


    ¡°Do your fucking job, and make sure Dahlia stays safe,¡± I snapped. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything unless you have to. We don¡¯t want to tip off Dahlia or the Russians.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Gabriele said, quickly. ¡°Do you also want me to pick you up a forty from the¨C¡±


    I hung up, throwing my phone onto the desk as I groaned. A headache was building in my temples, one I was familiar with. Headaches weremon when it came to this job. Sometimes I almost regreted even taking over from James.


    He got a free ride out, but all the responsibility fell onto me now.


    I ran a hand through my hair as I nced at the clock. It was almost 10:00 already.


    Gabriele had practically confirmed that Dahlia wouldn¡¯t being home tonight. My thoughts trailed back to Olivia, as they always did these days.


    Maybe another round wouldn¡¯t be out of the question. My dick pulsed at the thought as I smirked wickedly.


    I could keep her til morning, thrusting into her again and again until I had my fill. And she would enjoy every second of it. I wasn¡¯t oblivious to the looks she sent me. She wanted me just as much as I wanted her.


    But I couldn¡¯t. Not yet.


    Neither patience nor self-control were one of my virtues; even I had my limits.


    I sighed, leaning on the desk as I twirled my phone in one hand, thinking back to what Gabriele had said.


    The Russians were surrounding us, popping up everywhere. The sudden surge was worrying, but it wasn¡¯t like this hadn¡¯t happened before. The Zaytsevs held a pretty harsh grudge against us, partly due to what James had done to them, or so I had heard.


    Figures I was stuck cleaning up another one of his messes. But then, that¡¯s what I¡¯d signed on for when I took this job. It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t know what I was getting into.


    It was worrying that there were so many of them in our area. They hadn¡¯t done anything, but it was only a matter of time. Just their presence was enough to have us all on guard.


    If they decided to go on the offensive, it wouldn¡¯t be pretty. The odds of Dahlia and Olivia getting caught up in it were too high as well.


    Dahlia was a given, considering who her parents were, but Olivia... she had nothing to do with this. She was innocent in all of this.


    But even I had to admit that to the Zaytsevs, there was no bigger target than Dahlia. And because of her rtionship with my cousin and now with me, Olivia was also in danger.


    I could only keep watch and hope nothing happened.


    But if something did....


    I clenched my phone in my fist, gazing at the wall where I knew Olivia was just a few doors down from me. She was probably taking a shower, maybe humming some pop song on the radio,pletely clueless to who I really was or what I did.


    Clueless of the danger she was in.


    If Olivia got hurt because of us, or worse, if they decided she wasn¡¯t worth enough and killed her....


    If I had to watch as she grew cold and empty, just a corpse like I had seen so many times before, I would never forgive myself.


    I would never forgive them.


    I would finish that fucking family for good, hunt down each and every one of those motherfuckers and put a bullet in their brains until my rage had quelled, until the Zaytsevs weren¡¯t in the census any longer.


    That¡¯s when I realized that despite everything I had told myself, I was already getting attached, falling into her perfectly crafted trap, unable to stop myself as I was bound tighter and tighter. But the worst part?


    Even though I saw it, and knew what was happening, I didn¡¯t even want to attempt to stop it. I only wanted her, and I would tear apart anything in my way.

 Chapter 262 : Run in the City

    <h4>Chapter 262: Chapter 262 : Run in the City</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I groaned as I blinked into consciousness. The white ceiling above me was the same as yesterday, but something was off. Something wasn¡¯t like it usually was.


    It was still dark, barely any light streaming through the window, but I knew it had to be morning by the chirping birds outside, ready for the day.


    I reached for my phone on the nightstand, unplugging it from the charger. The phone lit up, and I blinked a few times, readjusting to the sudden bright light.


    The time, 5:37, screamed out at me next to the one-hundred percent battery sign. I groaned, throwing my hand onto the bed.


    It was early. Very early.


    I could go back to sleep, but I knew that was a pointless venture. My brain had already started ring thoughts at super-sonic speed. I was up for the day whether I liked it or not.


    I moved to sit up and winced at the sudden ache in my lower body. My lower back burned with the movement and I gasped in pain.


    What the fuck?


    Memories ofst night poured over me and I flushed, remembering how Giovani had fucked me on the floor of his study. I thought I was finest night, but I guess there were more consequences than I thought.


    I groaned as I lifted myself out of bed, the ache of my screaming muscles protesting my every movement.


    Damn it.


    I sighed as I got to my feet. Luckily, the ache was fading the more I moved. I nced at the dark window outside, the sun just barely peeking over the city. It was still dark, but I knew what I needed to do.


    I grabbed my clothes, quickly changing into a sports bra, tank top, and shorts. It was time for a run.


    I slipped out of my room, my tennis shoes in my hand as I didn¡¯t want to wake Giovani. Luckily, his door was shut. The wooden floors were easy to navigate, even in the dark house.


    I passed by Dahlia¡¯s room, the door wide open. She hadn¡¯te homest night.


    I smiled, happy she was able to meet a guy she liked so much. I was certain she would tell me all the details once she got home.


    I slipped down the stairs and opened the front door. The crisp cool air kissing my skin was refreshing. I shut the door behind me and breathed in the fresh air.


    As soon as my shoes were tied on my feet, I didn¡¯t wait any longer. I burst into a run down the street. I had missed running¨Cthe fresh air in my lungs, the pounding of my heart in my ears, and the sights and sounds of the world around me.


    I always used to run whenever I needed to clear my mind, and there was no better time than now.


    The city was startlingly quiet. Normally, it was full of life¨Ccars passing by on their way to work and people strolling down the streets, tourists galore, and vendors offering their wares.


    I admired the beautiful ancient city as I ran past the historical buildings and noticed the intricate details on every pir, every rock. It was fun to imagine just how many people had followed these same paths.


    As I passed by the Baptistery, I made the round way to head back home. The sun was already shining, illuminating the streets I ran down as the city began to wake. The buses were already active, and vendors were setting up their shops.


    My skin glistened with sweat, the sticky feeling wee as the temperature heated up. It was going to be a hot day today again.


    I stopped at the fountain to catch my breath, the square already beginning to fill with tourists taking photos. I copsed onto the fountain edge, breathing heavily from the run.


    I took a moment to gaze up at the fountain. There were statues on every corner, but the main attraction was the one of Neptune. The sunlight barely grazed him, illuminating every detail on his body.


    It reminded me of Giovani, the way his strong arms had held himself above me, that teasing grin on his face as he let me take what I wanted... the way his eyes had held mine as I kissed me. His body had spoken to me more than his mouth did.


    I felt like I was wanted, like he really truly wanted me. It was a good feeling, an addicting one, but I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how long it wouldst.


    I liked him a lot more than I¡¯d first thought. Last night was certainly more than sex for me, and I was sure he felt the same, but doubts weren¡¯t easy to escape.


    I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop myself from chasing after him. I didn¡¯t even want to. He was everything I envisioned in a partner, a sex god in human skin.


    But how long could we keep this quiet?


    Dahlia was many things, but she wasn¡¯t stupid. She was bound to figure it out sooner orter, and when she did....


    I sighed, leaning my palms back onto the hard stone. I wished everything could be easier, like it was when it was just us together.


    It was easy to talk to Giovani, easy to pour my heart out without even realizing it. It was easy to fall into his arms, into the pleasure he gave me with every kiss. It had even been easy to give myself to him, to let go of my fears and just be there with him.


    At that moment, I hadn¡¯t been thinking of Dahlia or his age or what other people would think. I had just been thinking of his eyes and his body and how much I wanted this.


    I smiled softly to myself. I had already known what I was going to do before I even came out here to think.


    I wasn¡¯t going to stop whatever we had. I was going to see it through to the end, wherever it took me.


    But I did hope I could keep this quiet a little longer.


    Dahlia would understand eventually, I hoped, if it was a real connection like I thought it was. I would just have to trust that Dahlia would put my happiness over theplications, like she always said she wanted for me.


    For now, though, it was still too early to tell. I liked him, and I was sure it was more than just sex, but a real rtionship seemed farther away than I liked.


    It was time to go home, though. I nced up at the statue of Neptune onest time, taking the time to appreciate every carved muscle of stone. He really did remind me of Giovani.


    I nced at the lower man part with a smirk. Giovani was certainly more well-endowed, though.


    With augh, I took off running back to the house, feeling lighter than when I had started. Luckily, my muscles weren¡¯t as stiff as when I had first woken up this morning. I would probably ache for a few days but was nothing I couldn¡¯t handle.


    It was so worth it.


    Thepound came into sight, just as the sunlight passed over the house. I came to a halt in front of the door, unlocking it and stepping inside. I took a minute to peel my shoes off, leaving me in my socks.


    My heart raced, and I could feel it thumping out of my chest from the run. I grinned, releasing my hair from the ponytail I¡¯d pulled it into as I headed straight for the kitchen. I ced my shoes on one of the stools and grabbed a water from the fridge.


    The cool liquid poured down my throat in a much needed relief. I sighed, leaning against the counter as I took out my phone.


    I scrolled through thetest social media, sipping my water as I waited for my heart to calm down.


    That is, until I heard the door opening quietly. I looked up just in time to see a shadow slinking towards the stairs.


    ¡°Dolly?¡± I called out, recognizing the red pumps in her hands.


    Dahlia jumped a foot in the air, turning to face me with wide eyes.


    ¡°You scared me to death, Olive!¡± Dahliaid a hand over her chest, breathing in deeply. ¡°I almost shit my pants.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Iughed as Dahlia joined me in the kitchen. Her hair was a mess, and her dress was halfway to being indecent. There were all kinds of red marks blossoming along her neck and chest, and Iughed openly at her.


    ¡°Did you at least leave him a note?¡± I giggled, imagining the face of Lorenzo when he woke up and was left all alone.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Dahlia paused for a second and then shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ll send him a text. I had to get back before Giovani wakes up. Imagine I walked in, and he was here instead of you.¡±


    She shuddered as she headed straight for the fridge. She grabbed a water as well, opening the cap skillfully with one hand before she downed it like a woman who hadn¡¯t seen water in a week.


    ¡°I imagine he¡¯d lecture you pretty good,¡± I said, the thought bringing a smile to my face. I wasn¡¯t willing to test it, though. ¡°Did you walk all the way back home?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Dahlia looked at me like I was crazy. ¡°Hell no. Gabriele was passing by and picked me up. I made him promise not to tell Giovani though.¡±


    ¡°Really? Gabriele just happened to be passing by?¡± I smirked, not believing it at all. ¡°Seems pretty convenient.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please. He was checking out somebody nearby. I¡¯d know if Gio had him following me. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time,¡± Dahlia rolled her eyes, finishing off her water in record time.


    ¡°Whatever you say,¡± I grinned.


    The more I learned of Giovani, the more mysterious he became. He seemed to be very protective of those around him, but I never really understood why. It was like there was danger around every corner, and he was the only one who could stop it.


    I wondered, not the first time, what it was Giovani did for a living... what any of Dahlia¡¯s family did for a living.


    But like always, the thought was passing.


    Dahlia yawned into her hand, and I knew I had a short window before she crashed. There was something about the look in her eye that made me pause, however. She seemed almost content in a way, like she was finally satisfied.


    For as long as I had known Dahlia, she had always been a little greedy, always wanting more and more. That¡¯s just the way she grew up, getting everything her heart desired. But now, it seemed like the opposite.


    She was content.


    ¡°Alright, time to spill,¡± I said, loudly. ¡°Tell me everyvacious detail. What happened on this date?¡±


    Dahlia grinned at me.

 Chapter 263 : Every Lavacious Detail

    <h4>Chapter 263: Chapter 263 : Every Lavacious Detail</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°So then he brought out this wine he¡¯d bought just for us, and it was pretty good, but y¡¯know that wasn¡¯t what I came for, so then he¡¯s like you know what would make it even more delicious? And I was like ¡®what?¡¯ even though I knew where this was going, and he kissed me and it was so sweet¨C¡±


    I grinned, listening to her ramble on. I was strongly reminded of when we were in middle school, and we¡¯d snuck out to our first party. Dahlia had spent seven minutes in heaven with Trey, the cutest boy in our school, and afterward, she¡¯d been just like this, rambling on and on about the kiss like it was some glorious scene in a romance movie¨Cat least, until her dad overheard us. That was a pretty messy night. We¡¯d both gotten in deep trouble.


    Hearing how his precious little girl had not only snuck out at a party but lost her first kiss to some punk kid did not make for a happy father.


    Now, though, we were adults, and if Dahlia¡¯s nightst night was a romance movie, it would not be rated PG.


    Laying on my stomach with my pillow tucked under my head, I watched her as she rambled on, standing in front of the mirror, washing her face ofst night¡¯s makeup.


    ¡°Things went from there, and when he took his shirt off¨Cmy god! He was built like an Adonis, Olive. An Adonis! I¡¯d seen some hot guys, but damn, he was fine,¡± Dahlia grinned, sending me a look. ¡°But that¡¯s nothingpared to when he took off his pants. Let me tell you¨C¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, I get it,¡± Iughed into my pillow, not sure I wanted to hear any more of how hung Lorenzo was. ¡°Tell me any more about his dick, and I won¡¯t be able to look him in the eye anymore.¡±


    ¡°That better be the only ce you¡¯re looking,¡± Dahlia said yfully. ¡°Don¡¯t be making eyes at my man.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s yours now?¡± I smirked. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t do rtionships?¡±


    ¡°Ha, ha.¡± Dahlia got up from the vanity, taking a seat right next to me. She pulled her feet into a criss-cross, biting her bottom lip as she practically glowed. ¡°This guy is different. I can just feel it. It¡¯s more than just sex, it¡¯s... I don¡¯t know. Maybe it¡¯s crazy, but I feel like I could fall for him.¡±


    I smiled, softly, reaching out to grasp her hand. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, Dolly. Really.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Olive,¡± Dahlia smiled brightly.


    I smirked, faking a sigh as I said, ¡°Well, you¡¯re certainly going to be breaking so many hearts back home. I heard Brendon was still hung up on you.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Dahlia rolled her eyes. ¡°It was one time, and I was drunk. He needs to let it go. Besides,¡± she grinned wickedly, ¡°I swear Italian men are just better than American men. Lorenzo actually made mee.¡±


    ¡°Dolly!¡± I squealed,ughing as I pushed her.


    She fell back onto the bed,ughing with a huge grin. ¡°You¡¯ll find out once you have your sexual awakening, Olive,¡± Dahlia hummed to herself.


    My smile faded as I felt a pang of guilt in my heart.


    I couldn¡¯t tell her I already knew what she was talking about, though. I ran back to the limited experience I had with the American boys in high school¨Ca few makeout sessions was all.


    It was nothingpared to what Giovani had made me feel, how amazing it had felt to be with him. Anticipation bubbled up in my stomach, excitement about the next time I could have him fuck my brains out.


    I nced at Dahlia as she hummed one of the pop songs that had been ying endlessly on the radiotely. I felt guilty keeping it a secret, but I would tell her one day.


    She had always been honest with me, and it would hurt her that I couldn¡¯t do the same.


    I sighed. I felt like I was trapped between a rock and a hard ce. No matter which road I took, somebody was going to get hurt.


    My thoughts were interrupted, however, as somebody knocked three times on the door in session.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Dahlia looked down at her dress still on the floor and quickly kicked it underneath the bed before she called out ¡°Come in!¡±


    An innocent smile was back on her face, like she had done nothing. But even I knew there was no getting out of this. Even if he had been a bit distractedst night, he knew Dahlia hadn¡¯te home.


    Giovani stepped inside, wide awake and handsome as ever. His eyesnded on Dahlia but then swirled to me. Surprise colored his face at my presence, and I gave him a sheepish wave.


    His eyes trailed down my body sprawled out on the bed. I was still in the tank top and shorts I had gone running in, and they were not loose at all. A pang shot to my stomach. No matter how sore I was, I was ready to go for round two.


    ¡°Olivia. I thought you were still running,¡± he said, his voice rolling over me like soft velvet.


    I smiled, pretending like my panties weren¡¯t already wet. ¡°No, I finished about thirty minutes ago. Why?¡±


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect you to be in here,¡± he said calmly. The way he appeared unaffected was frustrating, but I could see how his eyes still lingered on my bare legs.


    ¡°Is there something unusual about me being in Dolly¡¯s room?¡± I asked innocently as I stretched my legs out into the air, waving them teasingly.


    Dahlia sent me a strange look, and I knew I was ying a dangerous game, but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± He coughed, looking away from me entirely as he turned to Dahlia.


    ¡°Do you need something, Gio?¡± Dahlia asked, looking between me and him oddly.


    My blood froze as I hoped she didn¡¯t pick up on anything. She could be strangely observant at times. It would be just my luck if this was how she found out. She¡¯d kill me, bring me back to life, and then kill me again.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Giovani didn¡¯t seem worried in the slightest as he narrowed his eyes at Dahlia. ¡°I don¡¯t want you going back to that boy¡¯s apartmentplex. There¡¯s been mob activity in the area.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Dahlia gasped and then her cheeks flushed pink. ¡°You did have me followedst night!¡±


    Whoops. I grimaced at the furious look on her face as she stepped up to Giovani. I was never one for confrontation, which was why Dahlia and I got along so well. I never pressed her like other girls might.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to spend the night at random guys¡¯ houses,¡± Giovani said, rather bluntly with a hint of coldness in his eyes, ¡°especially when you don¡¯t even know them.¡±


    ¡°I know Lorenzo!¡± Dahlia protested, crossing her arms stubbornly. ¡°And you have no right to be butting into my personal life. You don¡¯t know him or me!¡±


    ¡°I know you had sex with himst night.¡±


    Dahlia was speechless, her face turning bright red in embarrassment. She sent me a look, a cry for help, but I only grimaced at the humiliation she was going through.


    What was I supposed to do?


    ¡°You know what?¡± Dahlia balled her fists up, looking very much like her mother as she snapped, ¡°I can take care of myself. Now, leave me alone!¡±


    ¡°Your father¨C¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Dahlia refused to listen, turning her back on her cousin. ¡°Leave!¡±


    Giovani sighed, rubbing his forehead. It was a habit I had noticed a few times before. Did he get headaches often?


    He nced at me with a helpless look then gestured to Dahlia like he wanted me to talk to her.


    ¡®Are you crazy?¡¯ I mouthed to him.


    Did he think she would listen to me? Besides, I didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with her meeting Lorenzo. He seemed like a good guy. Also, she was an adult. She could make her own decisions, at least in my opinion.


    Giovani rolled his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t act like a child, Dahlia. Don¡¯t forget, we¡¯re just doing this because we want to keep you safe.¡±


    Dahlia huffed, not saying another word. I¡¯d often been around for one of her tantrums, but she had never been like this before.


    Giovani breathed a sigh and then turned on his heel and left, shutting the door behind him. There was silence before Dahlia turned around and screamed in frustration.


    She threw herself onto the bed, theforter rocking with the force of her weight, and I grimaced at the bad mood I could feeling off her.


    ¡°Can you believe him?¡± she growled. ¡°Trying to control me just like my dad! Well, he¡¯s not my father! And he has no right to tell me what to do.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just worried about you, Dolly,¡± I said quietly. ¡°If something happened to you¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you start too!¡± she snapped, crossing her arms. ¡°Lorenzo¡¯s a good guy! I like him. You¡¯re supposed to be on my side, not his!¡±


    ¡°I am!¡± I reached out a hand, trying to soothe her anger. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t bear it if anything happened to you. I¡¯m always on your side, Dolly. I just also want you to be careful. It couldn¡¯t help to be a little more alert. Didn¡¯t he say there was gang activity or something?¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Dahlia sighed, finally rxing into the bed. ¡°He didn¡¯t actually say anything against Lorenzo, did he?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°Just keep watch on your surroundings, that¡¯s all. You can do that, right? For me?¡±


    Dahlia sent me a smile. ¡°Smooth, Olive. Fine, fine. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I breathed in relief.


    It was true. Dahlia could be rather impulsive and reckless at times. I wanted her to be safe just as much as Giovani did, but he had gone about it in the wrong way.


    I knew from how many times Dahlia¡¯s dad had scolded us after doing something stupid that it never worked with her. Telling her not to do something just made her want to do it more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s weird, though?¡± Dahlia piped up with a confused look.


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°That Gio¡¯s keeping tabs on you too.¡±


    I froze, trying not to let the fear show on my face as I smiled innocently. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean he knew you went out for a run,¡± Dahlia pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s like he knows your daily schedule or something. I get me, ¡®cause my Dad probably threatened him to or something, but what about you? What reason could he possibly have?¡±


    I shrugged, my heart beating furiously in my ears. I hoped to God it didn¡¯t show on my face.


    ¡°Who knows?¡± I said, hoping she¡¯d drop the subject.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Gio¡¯s always been weird,¡± Dahlia sighed, but then she nced at me with a determined look. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to give up.¡±


    A bad feeling appeared in the pit of my stomach as I asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to see Lorenzo again tonight,¡± Dahlia said firmly, ¡°no matter what Giovani wants.¡±


    And there it was.


    She was lucky I loved her or else I¡¯d never put up with Dahlia¡¯s stubbornness.

 Chapter 264 : Double Date

    <h4>Chapter 264: Chapter 264 : Double Date</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Sipping my fresh iced tea, basking in the sun as I flipped the page of my book, I sighed contently, the condensation running down the edges of my ss as I set it back down. My eyes traced the words in front of me as the clouds passedzily above.


    It was a beautiful day, just perfect forying out on the sunbeds by the pool with a good book and a nice, cold drink.


    Dahlia had left early in the morning for a shopping spree with a few friends she had met. Apparently, there was a summer blowout at one of her favorite stores.


    She¡¯d always been a social butterfly, attracting everyone to her. I swear she could make friends with anyone, even if she didn¡¯t speak theirnguage.


    I loved her, but sometimes, she was a bit much, which is why I elected to stay behind.


    I had hoped to spend some time with Giovani, but he disappeared as soon as he woke up. He didn¡¯t even tell me where he was going, just rushed off in his suit, sounding like he was trying to set a record on saying words per minute in Italian.


    The only word I caught was idiota.


    Luckily, though, I wasn¡¯t averse to keeping my ownpany.


    That is, until I heard the m of the front door. I heard the cking of Dahlia¡¯s heels on the floor as she practically ran up the stairs and I lifted my sunsses, perturbed by her unusual behavior.


    There were a few ms of the doors upstairs and then she was running back downstairs yelling out, ¡°Olive!¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± I called out, curiously after the third time she bypassed me.


    She halted in her tracks, turning to me with a wide, frantic look.


    ¡°There you are!¡± she breathed out in relief, taking the pool chair beside me. ¡°I almost thought you had been kidnapped or something.¡±


    ¡°Why would I be kidnapped?¡± I asked, shaking my head at the notion, ¡°All the treasures in this house and they take me? Not likely.¡±


    But Dahlia didn¡¯tugh like I thought she would.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short,¡± Dahlia said, warningly. ¡°You¡¯re my best friend. They could kidnap you to get to me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Dahlia. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a crime boss or an assassin,¡± I scoffed, ¡°Your biggest enemy is Stacey from high school, and she¡¯s more likely to dump pig¡¯s blood on your head.¡±


    ¡°Very funny,¡± Dahlia rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Now, why were you in such a hurry, Dolly? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Dahlia sucked in a breath, looking at me guiltily.


    Immediately my sixth sense went off. I knew that look on her face. She¡¯d done something she knew I wouldn¡¯t like.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± I asked, trying to stay calm despite my heart upping to six beats per second. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal!¡± Dahlia said with a huff.


    ¡°But?¡± I prompted.


    ¡°But,¡± Dahlia drew it out, with a sheepish smile, ¡°I may have kinda identally set you up for a blind date.¡±


    ¡°You did what?¡±


    I mmed my book closed on the table, turning to her fully as I hitched my sunsses on top of my head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Dahlia sped her hands together, giving me those wide puppy dog eyes but not this time.


    ¡°How do you identally set someone up for a blind date?¡± I demanded, crossing my arms. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like something you can do by ident!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Dahlia relented, biting her bottom lip as she exined. ¡°It goes like this. See, Lorenzo was telling his buddy about me and he mentioned you, and his buddy was interested in you, so he asked me if I could ask you for a double date, but you know how I am. I heard the word date and immediately said yes.¡±


    ¡°So why didn¡¯t you just tell him to call it off?¡± I said, annoyed.


    ¡°Because he was so excited, and he said his buddy was a really good guy, and I didn¡¯t want to go back on my word!¡± Dahlia pouted, giving me those huge puppy dog eyes. ¡°So just this once, please? For me?¡±


    ¡°Dolly,¡± I groaned, smacking my hand across my forehead. She could be so clueless sometimes.


    I couldn¡¯t believe she¡¯d dragged me into this. ¡°You know I hate blind dates,¡± I tried to say, but Dahlia had her defense on lock and key.


    ¡°It¡¯s just this once, I swear. And I¡¯ll be there the whole time. If he¡¯s a creep, I¡¯ll bail you out,¡± Dahlia said firmly.


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± Dahlia begged me. ¡°I promise I will owe you any favor you want. Don¡¯t make me a liar, Olive.¡±


    I hesitated. I really didn¡¯t want to do this, especially because of Giovani. Even if Dahlia didn¡¯t know, I felt like I was cheating on him by seeing another guy.


    But it wasn¡¯t exactly like we were officially dating.


    Plus, Dahlia was my friend. I couldn¡¯t turn my back on a lifetime of friendship. Maybe Giovani would understand. To be honest, I didn¡¯t have any other excuses left that wouldn¡¯t sound suspicious. I couldn¡¯t give away myself and Giovani yet.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I sighed, relenting.


    ¡°YES!¡± Dahlia grinned, knowing she won as she always did. Then she gazed at my shorts and T-shirt with an eagle-eyed expression. ¡°Hmm, that won¡¯t do.¡±


    I nced at my attire, looking at Dahlia¡¯s nice dress and curled hair and feeling a bit shabby inparison.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my outfit?¡± I said, defensively. ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going out right now.¡±


    Dahlia smiled wickedly. ¡°Did I forget to mention the date was tonight? Whoops.¡±


    ¡°Dolly!¡± I gasped, betrayed. She¡¯d conned me.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for my favorite past-time,¡± Dahlia practically sang, ¡°Olive Dress-Up!¡±


    I groaned, throwing my head onto the back of the chair.


    I already regretted this.


    I begrudgingly let Dahlia drag me away from my iced tea and book and up the stairs to my room. She thrust a towel at me and practically shoved me into the bathroom as she went to ransack my closet again.


    I knew the routine by heart. This wasn¡¯t the first time Dahlia had yed Barbie with me, and I doubt it would be thest.


    Dahlia had an outfit waiting for me on the bed when I came out, a low-cut ck dress and stockings. I grinned though as I spotted the red cardigan of hers I wanted. I ran my fingers across the soft fabric.


    ¡°See? I can be nice,¡± Dahlia said once I got changed, approval gleaming in her eyes. She sat me down in the mirror, beginning the most torturous part.


    Make-up tools always looked like torture devices to me¨Cthe eysh curler in particr. I had seen so many women rip their eyshes off by ident with it, but Dahlia was a master at it.


    ¡°Be gentle,¡± I warned her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± She smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t need a lot of makeup, just some highlights in the right ces.¡±


    She was true to her word. It felt like only a minute or two before she twirled me around to face the mirror, a bright grin on her face.


    ¡°See? You¡¯re so pretty,¡± Dahlia gushed, squeezing me from behind.


    A smoky eyeshadow, simple pink gloss, some blush, and mascara were all she had done, but it was more than enough. I looked hot.


    Dahlia did my hair, and then it was Dahlia¡¯s turn. She was quick as a sh as she showered, dressed, and did her own makeup.


    By the time she was ready, it was time to go. I sighed as I followed Dahlia down the stairs. I passed by the mirror in the hallway and halted in my tracks.


    I looked amazing.


    But I didn¡¯t want to look amazing for some random guy. I wanted it to be Giovani I was going on a date with.


    But that was impossible right now. I couldn¡¯t help feeling that this date was going to be a disaster.


    I sighed heavily, looking away from my reflection as I headed down the stairs.


    ¡°And where are you going?¡±


    I froze in my tracks, my foot mid-air to the next step as I nced up with wide eyes.


    Giovani stood at the bottom of the stairs, right in front of the door. His sleeves were rolled up as he crossed his arms, staring at both me and Dahlia with a hardened look.


    ¡°Cugino!¡± Dahlia smiled brightly, holding her hands behind her back as she used her charm to deflect. ¡°Did you just get home? Long day, huh?¡±


    Giovani¡¯s eyes flickered from Dahlia to me. There was a look in his eyes that clearly meant he was unhappy.


    I bit my bottom lip, joining Dahlia on the bottom step as I tried my best not to look guilty. I gazed at him but he firmly stared at Dahlia, giving me not a single second nce.


    ¡°Where. Are. You. Going?¡± He firmly emphasized every word, a warning growl in his throat. I shivered, the tone sending a pool of heat straight to my cunt.


    Now wasn¡¯t the time, Olivia.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to see a movie.¡± Dahlia lied as easily as she breathed air. Her innocent smile and slight tilt of her head were enough that even the most decorated detective wouldn¡¯t blink an eye.


    I wondered which parent she got that from.


    Giovani stared at Dahlia for a long, hard minute, but Dahlia wasn¡¯t one to back down. She continued to smile, as sweet and innocent as possible.


    Finally, he looked over at me, meeting my eyes.


    I nced at Dahlia and then Giovani with a guilty look. I wanted to tell him I was just trying to be a good friend, I was only doing this for Dahlia, and I didn¡¯t want to lie to him, but there was only so much you could say in a single nce.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, cousin, We¡¯d like to head to the club now.¡± Dahlia purposefully emphasized the word club, staring him in the eye unblinkingly even as she lied to his face. ¡°Do you have a problem with that?¡±


    Giovani could have been made of stone at this exact moment, and I wouldn¡¯t question it one bit, from the look in his eyes to the way he refused to move with even a breath. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would have thought he wasn¡¯t even breathing, just a statue in our path.


    But then, with onest look at me, one as cold as marble, he stepped to the side.


    ¡°Thank you, Gio,¡± Dahlia giggled, grabbing my arm before I could say another word.


    ¡°Dolly¨C¡± I tried to speak up, not willing to leave Giovani when he looked like this, but there was no arguing with Dahlia.


    She dragged me out the door. I looked behind me right before the door shut and Giovani¡¯s eyes met mine.


    For a moment, I thought I saw a hint of emotion flickering in his eyes. The words I wanted him to say reflected in his gorgeous irises before the door cut us off.


    Don¡¯t go, they said.

 Chapter 265 : The Worst Date

    <h4>Chapter 265: Chapter 265 : The Worst Date</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I was right. This date was a disaster.


    I thought it would be but not like this. Lorenzo and his friend, Adrian, took us to Regina Bista, a very popr restaurant that was packed to the brim on this particr Saturday night. Luckily, Lorenzo only had to drop his name before we were seated.


    Adrian sat next to me while Dahlia and Lorenzo took the other side of the table. The two hadn¡¯t stopped giggling or making goo-goo eyes at each other since the night started. I already knew this was going to be a long night.


    Adrian leaned back in his chair, throwing an arm around the back of mine like we were already close.


    ¡°It¡¯s so nice to meet you, Olivia,¡± Adrian breathed into my ear. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful tonight. Thanks for dressing up for me.¡±


    My eye twitched. Though Adrian was certainly attractive, with a strong jawline and muscles in the right ces, he was definitely not my type.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Barbieri,¡± I said with a strained smile, trying to draw a line. I shifted further away from him, trying not to be noticeable.


    ¡°Call me Adrian, Olivia.¡± He grinned at me. ¡°I¡¯d love to hear my nameing from your lips.¡±


    I tried not to cringe as the waitress passed by with a water pitcher, pouring all of us a ss. I took a sip of the water, hoping to cool down my temper, which was rising by the second.


    I nced at Dahlia, who giggled quietly, absolutely beaming as Lorenzo kept whispering in her ear. I saw his thumb rubbing her hand back and forth, so intimately like it was natural.


    I sighed. I wouldn¡¯t ruin this for Dahlia.


    ¡°Any drinks I can get you tonight?¡± the waitress asked in a heavy ent, her name tag dering herself as Rina.


    Just as I opened my mouth, however, I was cut off by Adrian¡¯s loud voice.


    ¡°She¡¯ll have the Dolcetto d¡¯Ovada,¡± Adrian said proudly, ¡°and I¡¯ll have the same.¡±


    My eye twitched again as I turned to Adrian with a bbergasted look. Did he just order for me?


    ¡°Sure,¡± Rina sent me an unsure nce.


    I grabbed my water, sipping it down to calm my anger. Lorenzo ordered another fancy wine for him, but he at least had the manners to ask Dahlia what she wanted before he ordered.


    As Rina turned around to leave, I caught sight of Adrian leaning over to watch her¨Chis eyes clearly not on her shoes.


    Not even ten minutes in and three strikes already.


    Oh, this was not going well.


    As the meal went on, it was clear that Adrian wasn¡¯t just oblivious; he was also not too bright.


    It started when they brought out a charcuterie board full of meats and cheeses. Adrian, unaffected by my horrified stare, started to cut the small pieces of cheese with his knife and then put them on my te.


    ¡°You have to cut the cheese before you eat it,¡± Adrian said, very seriously, ¡°to air out the vor.¡±


    It only got worse from there.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe smi is so good,¡± Adrian said after eating the entire section of smi. ¡°I always thought it would taste fishy.¡±


    ¡°Fishy?¡± I asked, unable to help myself. ¡°Why on earth would it taste fishy?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know?¡± He sent me a surprised look, ¡°Smies from smanders.¡±


    You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, I thought. I sent Dahlia an incredulous look and she only winced, a slightly guilty look on her face. Lorenzo seemed to have no problem as heughed with his buddy, clearly knowing how dumb his friend was but not seeming to care.


    ¡°You both go to the university, right?¡± Dahlia tried to change the subject. ¡°What major are you in?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not in the army,¡± Adrian replied, quite seriously. ¡°I got a schrship to y football.¡±


    Lorenzo smiled brightly. ¡°I¡¯m in the art program, but Adrian¡¯s the captain of our football team. He¡¯s quite good.¡±


    ¡°You shoulde to see me y sometime, Olivia.¡± Adrian grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll let you be my cheerleader.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of football,¡± I huffed, twirling the straw in my drink. I hadn¡¯t touched the wine, but I was on my fourth ss of water. Maybe if I drank enough, I could use the bathroom as an excuse to get away from this.


    Meanwhile, Lorenzo kissed Dahlia on the nose, the two of them holding hands under the table as he fed her bites of fruit.


    ¡°My professor wanted me to pay her five hundred bucks to study abroad in Egypt, but I saw through that. I¡¯m not stupid enough to believe she has a time machine,¡± Adrian scoffed as if it was ridiculous.


    ¡°You do know Egypt is still a country, right?¡± I said sharply. ¡°People of Egyptian descent still live there.¡±


    ¡°Good one!¡± Adrianughed. ¡°Just like the pyramids still exist.¡±


    I groaned, ring at Dahlia, who didn¡¯t even see me any longer. She and Lorenzo could¡¯ve morphed into one person at this point and I wouldn¡¯t blink an eye.


    By the time dinner finally came, I was both exhausted and starving. I practically inhaled my pasta just so I could get out sooner. I wanted to be home in bed and sleeping off this nightmare of a date.


    Adrian, of course, ordered a massive steak, still dripping with blood.


    ¡°You have to order rare,¡± he said between bloody bites, ¡°so you can make sure the cow¡¯s still fresh.¡±


    I felt like I was losing brain cells the longer I sat next to him, and despite my honest attempts to correct his horrendous brain, Adrian proved to be incredibly stubborn.


    The checks were paid, and I led the way out of there. The food was good, but thepany was not. I was just ufortable at this point as Lorenzo opened up his ride.


    ¡°Did you guys want toe to my ce?¡± Lorenzo asked with a smile, looking at me and Adrian. ¡°Or do you have something else nned?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired, actually,¡± I said, hurriedly. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna head home.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I can drive you,¡± Adrian grinned.


    Dahlia stiffened, turning to me with a desperate, pleading look. Her big puppy dog eyes were hard to ignore, and I stifled a groan at the thought of being trapped in a car with Adrian.


    Be a good friend, Olivia.


    ¡°Okay, thank you, Adrian,¡± I said,pletely deadpan.


    Dahlia squealed, grabbing me into a hug. She brushed against my ear, whispering, ¡°Thanks so much. I owe you.¡±


    Her eyes were shiny as she pulled away, and I sighed, unable to stay mad at her. I was happy she was happy.


    And if this was what she needed, I had to help her.


    ¡°See you,¡± I watched as Lorenzo and Dahlia got in his car, both of them grinning ear to ear.


    ¡°My car¡¯s this way,¡± Adrian said, pointing to his big red sports car. He clicked the button, and his car door slid upward instead of out. Before I could put my foot inside, however, his hand stopped me.


    ¡°So, I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± Adrian said, sheepishly, ¡°but I just got her detailed.¡±


    ¡°Her?¡± I asked, incredulously.


    ¡°My principessa.¡± He gestured to the car, a loving look on his face as he stroked the hood of it.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± I sighed, unstrapping my heels and holding them as I stepped into the passenger side.


    Adrian shut the door behind me, and I buckled up, leaning my head against the cold window.


    My reflection stared back at me, an unhappy girl sulking.


    The car burst to life as Adrian shut his door, buckling up as well. We pulled out of the parking lot in silence, with nothing to say between us.


    Right as we got onto the road, a warm hand on my thigh interrupted my thoughts. I nced at Adrian, who winked at me, and I sighed, gazing out of the window. I didn¡¯t have the energy to fight with him about this.


    Just let it go, Olivia.


    The night sky was beautiful tonight, not a cloud, and despite Adrian being in the seat beside me, close enough I could feel his body heat, all my mind could think of was Giovani.


    His beautiful eyes as they begged me not to go. If he had actually said that to me, I never would¡¯ve left.


    But maybe that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t.


    I hated this¨Cthe sneaking around, pretending I didn¡¯t have feelings for Giovani. I had to tell Dahlia, and I had to tell her soon. Nobody else could make me feel what I felt with him, regardless of the age gap, regardless of his family status with Dahlia.


    My mind was made up, and I felt a huge burden fall off my shoulders. Dahlia loved me, and I loved her. We were best friends. She would never hate me if this is what I wanted, what made me happy.


    And Giovani did make me happy.


    I wanted to be with him, out in the open. That much I was sure of.


    We pulled into thepound, and I jolted out of my thoughts as the car went dead, the keys jingling in Adrian¡¯s hand as his other left my leg. He got out of the car by the time I had unbuckled my seatbelt. Before I could reach for the handle, the door was opening, and Adrian stood there with a grin, holding out his hand to help me out.


    With my shoes in one hand, I decided it was better to take his hand than fall t on my face. The pavement was smooth on my feet, and the slight chill of the outdoors was wee.


    ¡°Let me walk you to your door,¡± Adrian offered, but I shook my head. It was only a few feet, not a mile away.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. Thanks for the ride,¡± I said, as politely as I could.


    Adrian wasn¡¯t listening though. I heard him following me as I stepped up to the door.


    ¡°Olivia, wait,¡± Adrian grabbed my arm, pulling me to face him.


    ¡°What?¡± I snapped, a little out of patience.


    Adrian only smiled, as he stepped closer. He was much taller than me, and it was a bit intimidating to have him stand over me like this. I stood firm, a frown on my lips.


    ¡°I had so much fun tonight,¡± he said gently, leaning forward to brush my hair behind my ear. He smiled, leaning closer to me, and I knew what he was going to do.


    Just as my hand snapped up to cover his lips, preventing him from kissing me, the door opened harshly, hitting the house with a bang.


    Giovani stood there, a dark look on his face as he glowered at me and Adrian. I shivered at the look, knowing how pissed off he was.


    ¡°Where is Dahlia?¡± Giovani demanded, his re fixed firmly on me.

 Chapter 266 : Too Deep

    <h4>Chapter 266: Chapter 266 : Too Deep</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I swirled the amber-gold liquid in my ss, staring down at the sight. Spread out on the couch, I felt like a dad waiting for his daughters to get back home.


    I didn¡¯t even bother turning on any of the lights, just sat in the dark, waiting in the emptiness as the clock passed fromte to midnight.


    I could only sit there, reying the scene in my head.


    It had been a long day at work, and all I wanted was a drink and maybe my little temptress in my bed. But the moment I saw Dahlia dressed up, about to leave, all my thoughts flew out the window.


    Dahlia was one thing, but trailing just behind her was Olivia.


    In tight little dresses and sweaters, I knew immediately there was no way they were actually going to see a movie. Olivia was gorgeous enough on her own, but she was a goddess dressed like this.


    As soon as I saw her dressed up in that tiny little dress, her legs covered in the simple stockings, I wanted to grab her and fuck her right then and there. I¡¯d rip those stockings and eat her out until she screamed, her red lips swallowing my cock, and her pretty eyes staring up at me as I fucked her mouth like nobody else could, until I was the only one on her mind.


    Until she was choking on my name.


    I swallowed thest gulp of alcohol, already pouring myself a new ss as I continued to wait. I wasn¡¯t drunk, not nearly yet, but my mouth was a little looser. My thoughts were a little broader and untainted by shame.


    I couldn¡¯t believe I was still sitting there waiting for Olivia and Dahlia instead of just heading to bed. It was pathetic, a man of my age pining after a girl barely of age.


    I knew it, but I couldn¡¯t care less at the moment.


    All I wanted was her tucked into myp, her lips on mine as I swallowed everything she had to offer.


    But here I was... alone, drinking my ass off.


    I sighed, taking a swig of the alcohol. No matter how much I told myself it was just sex between us, I knew that wasn¡¯t the truth. I was too attached, and I knew it.


    A movie¨Cthat¡¯s where Dahlia said they were, but I knew better. Dahlia was a masterful liar and I knew well she wasn¡¯t heading to a damn movie. She was out seeing that boy of hers, and just the fact that she had dragged Olivia along had me wanting to punch the goddamn wall.


    Some other guy looking at her when she looked like that?


    Oh fuck no.


    But there was nothing I could do. I had good enough control of my temper not to throw a scene in front of Dahlia, but damn was I so close to breaking.


    Olivia was mine, damn it. Beautiful and sexy and alluring... she was just perfect.


    If I could, I wouldn¡¯t give a shit about Dahlia or the family business or the age gap. She¡¯d be mine, and that would be it.


    But unfortunately for me, life wasplicated.


    I downed the rest of my drink, mming the ss on the table right as I heard the loud rumbling of a car pulling into the driveway. Headlights shone through the window behind me, and I scowled, getting to my feet.


    Looks like they were home.


    I headed for the door, not even bothering to pay attention anymore as my brain swam in alcohol. I bumped into one of the tables and I gave off a low ¡°shit¡± before I reached the door.


    Just as I threw open the door, however, my mood plummeted.


    There was Olivia, standing there with a guy I hadn¡¯t seen before. He was leaning over her, his hands on her arms, looking like he was about to kiss her, if it wasn¡¯t for her hand over his mouth.


    I scowled, crossing my arms as I spat out, ¡°Where is Dahlia?¡±


    Olivia jumped, breaking away from the boy like he was on fire as she turned to me, her pretty eyes shining with guilt.


    Anger twisted in my stomach, as I looked away from her and to the boy standing on my damn doorstep. He looked baffled, a little dumb honestly, as he stepped away from her.


    ¡°Hello, sir.¡± The boy grinned. ¡°Are you her father?¡±


    I stiffened, my temper raging.


    ¡°No!¡± Olivia stepped between us, her back to me like she was trying to protect me. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for you to go home, Adrian,¡± she said through gritted teeth. ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    ¡°Uh, wait¨C¡±


    Adrian couldn¡¯t take a hint. He reached out for Olivia, but she was faster. She ducked underneath his hand, turning to me as she firmly pressed on my shoulders, a pleading look to me as she pushed me back inside.


    For a moment, I refused to move, my eyes connecting with Adrian¡¯s. Just the thought of this kid with his lips on my girl was enough for me to see red.


    I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her to my side as she squeaked, dropping her heels on the ground. She gazed up at me, a bit annoyed, but I only smirked, my eyes never leaving the boy¡¯s.


    Adrian looked at my arm around her waist and I could see the thought dawning on him, his mouth opening in a small ¡®O¡¯ just before Olivia grabbed the door.


    ¡°Goodnight,¡± she snapped, and then she mmed the door closed. She locked it easily and then squeezed out of my grasp, picking up her shoes from the floor.


    And then it was just me and her in the middle of the foyer.


    I stayed silent, watching as she sighed, running a hand through her hair. She dropped her shoes and kicked them to the side as she turned to me, clutching her sweater tightly around her body.


    The sight of his arms around her still hung in my vision, and I scowled, my anger rising.


    ¡°A movie, huh?¡± I pinned her with a stare, wanting her to spit out an exnation for why she had nearly been sucking another guy¡¯s face off on my fucking doorstep.


    My temper raged inside of me, anger bursting in a very uncharacteristic way. Was it just the alcohol or was I... jealous?


    I shifted ufortably as I realized that I was. I was jealous of some punk with Olivia?


    ¡°Dahlia wanted to go out with Lorenzo, and he brought his friend, Adrian, so Dahlia brought me,¡± Olivia said, her eyes shining in the darkness. ¡°I only went as a favor to her.¡±


    She gazed at me like I was the moon, a beacon beaming in the darkness only for her, and if she asked me for the world, I would¡¯ve given it to her in that moment¡ªif it weren¡¯t for the sight of that stupid boy nearly kissing her that shed through my mind.


    ¡°I told her not to go back to that apartment. I told you, but neither of you listened to me, did you? Do you think it¡¯s just a joke, that you and her are invincible?¡± I snapped, my anger getting the better of me.


    I wasn¡¯t sure whether I was angry they didn¡¯t listen to me or that some other guy had had his paws all over her.


    ¡°No, I understand that,¡± Olivia sighed. ¡°But she deserves to have some fun. You know how she hates being cooped up.¡±


    Fun? She would risk her life for fun?


    I sighed, rubbing my forehead of the headache I could feel forming. ¡°Fun can sometimes lead to danger, and that apartmentplex is full of it.¡±


    ¡°It was just a date,¡± Olivia said, rolling her eyes as she headed straight for the stairs. ¡°Don¡¯t be dramatic.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? Did you have fun then?¡± I said sarcastically, turning back to the living room.


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Olivia gasped from behind me. I could hear her bare feet on the floor walking after me, but my eyesnded on the case of bourbon.


    It was empty. Damn it.


    ¡°I asked,¡± I said, whirling around to face her. I mmed my hand on the wall next to her head, cornering her against the wall. Her eyes widened, a dumbfounded look on her face as she hit the wall.


    She licked her lips, and I couldn¡¯t stop my eyes from following her tongue. I smirked as I leaned in closer, basically trapping her between the wall and myself.


    Her chest swelled with every heavy breath she took, and I could feel the electricity between us as I just barely grazed the tip of her ear. ¡°Did you have fun with him?¡±


    ¡°With him?¡± she snorted, shaking her head. ¡°No way. He was dull and couldn¡¯t take a hint. I hated every minute of it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± I pressed closer to her, looking deep into her eyes for any hint of her lying. But all I could see was her honesty shining back at me.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She smiled as she gently stepped forward until I could feel every inch of her pressed against my body. Her arms snaked around my neck, and I let her pull me down until our lips were just barely touching.


    There was a wicked gleam in her eyes.


    ¡°I could have sworn I was interrupting something. Was I wrong?¡± I breathed out, willing to see where she took this.


    ¡°Honestly, you saved me from having to tell him no,¡± she smirked.


    As if they were never there, all the diforting feelings vanished. My body rxed, and I smiled, cing a soft kiss on her forehead.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± I murmured, pleased.


    Then I stepped back, a smirk on my lips.


    I crossed my arms as I waited for her brain to reboot. I loved how affected she was just by something simply like this. Her eyes were glossed over with lust as she looked at me, probably not even registering my words.


    Her eyes flickered from my body to my face, and I could see as she finally remembered where we were. She coughed, her cheeks turning bright red and I suppressed a chuckle.


    Damn, she was just too cute.


    I sighed, realizing now that there wasn¡¯t any denying it any longer. I had feelings for her. What those feelings were, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure. I liked her, maybe more, and I wasn¡¯t willing to let her be with anyone else.


    And I knew I had fallen too deep in this hole. Olivia was mine, and I was never going to let her go, not to that Adrian asshole or anyone.


    ¡°Have a drink with me in my office?¡± I asked with a challenging smirk.

 Chapter 267 : Popping Champagne

    <h4>Chapter 267: Chapter 267 : Popping Champagne</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Have a drink with me in my office?¡±


    I nced at Giovani with a smile. By the look of lust burning in his eyes, he had a little more than alcohol on his mind.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know,¡± I grinned teasingly. ¡°I¡¯ve already had a little wine, and I¡¯m a little tipsy. I might not be able to control myself. Do you really think that¡¯s such a good idea?¡±


    Giovani smirked, stepping closer to me until we were barely inches apart. He leaned down, his eyes smoldering me as he said softly, ¡°I really do.¡±


    I suppressed the massive smile growing on the edges of my lips and instead, took thest step forward until my body was fully pressed against his.


    ¡°Then I¡¯d like that drink,¡± I whispered, my lips brushing against his, ¡°caro mio.¡±


    The surprise that lit up in his eyes was reward enough, but he had opened up a pit of greed in my stomach, and I wanted more. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss.


    Unlike before, I took control this time as I bit his bottom lip, pulling it with my teeth, and I felt the rumble of his growl more than I heard it as his arms snaked around my waist and pulled me into his hard body.


    I smirked into the kiss, and just as he leaned forward to deepen it further, I pulled back.


    ¡°You said something about a drink, Gio?¡± I said, pretending to be innocent as I fluttered my eyshes.


    Giovani gave me a dark look, one full of lust but also frustration and annoyance. I didn¡¯t me him as he smirked at me, wickedly.


    ¡°So I did,¡± he said, stepping back from me and offering me his hand. ¡°Then let me keep my promise, mydy.¡±


    ¡°Why thank you, good sir.¡± I took his hand with a flirtatious smile, and he chuckled as he led me up the stairs to his office.


    The floorboards creaked as we headed to the office, and as he pushed open the door, it was exactly the same as when Ist saw it.


    My eyes traveled to the spot where we¡¯dst been entwined. I curled my arms around my middle as Giovani moved around his desk.


    I still remembered how it felt that night. I didn¡¯t think I would ever forget it. I licked my lips, staring at Giovani. He opened up his cab, his back to me, and I could see the outline of muscles through his thin shirt.


    I remembered how I had dragged my nails down his back, and the look in his eyes as he gave in to the pleasure of us both.


    He turned around, carrying a bottle of champagne in one hand and two champagne flutes in the other. He set them down on his desk and turned to me with a grin.


    ¡°Well? Would you like a ss?¡± he offered, still smiling.


    I snorted, moving around to sit on the leather couch. I crossed my legs one over the other, leaning back as I watched him like one would their favorite pastime.


    ¡°Oh? And how are you going to open it? I don¡¯t see a corkscrew.¡± I said, teasingly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need one,¡± Giovani said confidently, taking the bottle in one hand. ¡°I can open it with my bare hands.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? I highly doubt that,¡± I challenged him, my eyes twinkling back and forth.


    Giovani didn¡¯t take his eyes off of me for a single second as he held the champagne bottle in one hand and kept the other on the tightly bound cork holding it closed.


    With a single action, he dug his nails into the cork, and my eyes widened as it let out a huge pop. The champagne came open and Giovani gave me a smirk as the cork ttered to the ground.


    ¡°I stand corrected,¡± Iughed.


    The fizz of the champagne bubbled up from the bottle, overflowing down his hand and dripping onto the floor. Giovani didn¡¯t seem to particrly care, though, as he tipped the bottle into one of the sses, filling it to the brim.


    He did the same to the next and finally set the bottle down.


    I lifted myself from the loveseat and swayed over to the desk, grinning as I plucked the ss from the table. His eyes followed my every movement, and I gave him a sultry smirk.


    ¡°And what are we celebrating?¡± I asked, softly, running my fingertip around the tip of the ss.


    He shrugged with a smile, taking his seat at the desk as he said, ¡°Life?¡±


    ¡°Life?¡± I asked, disbelievingly.


    ¡°Liberty or the pursuit of happiness then? Isn¡¯t that what you Americans preach?¡± he suggested instead, with a little grin.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Iughed, taking a sip of my champagne, ¡°but we don¡¯t actually. It¡¯s all a lie. Happiness is for the rich mainly.¡±


    He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, a charming smile on his face as he leaned over the desk.


    ¡°And I just so happen to be rich.¡±


    ¡°Lucky you,¡± I said, slowly moving around the desk. ¡°But that still doesn¡¯t call for a celebration, you know.¡±


    ¡°Alright, fine.¡± He shrugged. ¡°How about you¡¯re in Italy, and it¡¯s a beautiful night? It¡¯s a Tuesday or just because? Who cares what the reason is?¡±


    Iughed as he took my hand in his and pulled me down. The champagne in my ss spilled over the edge slightly, coating my fingers as I fell into hisp. My assnded on something thick and hard, and I grinned, knowing what it was immediately.


    ¡°Champagne is perfect for any day,¡± he murmured to me, brushing my hair over my shoulder.


    I giggled, setting my ss down as I looked at my now champagne-soaked fingers. I made eye contact with him, and slowly and deliberately ran my tongue over my finger.


    It tasted like salt and champagne¨Cnot bad, but what I loved the most was the way his eyes darkened, following me as I licked my fingers clean like they were a lollipop.


    ¡°You¡¯re right about that,¡± I grinned. ¡°Champagne is perfect for any day.¡±


    Giovani shut his eyes as he breathed hard through his nose, and Iughed, wrapping one arm around his neck and cing the other on his chest.


    ¡°Merde. You¡¯re driving me insane,¡± Giovani shook his head like that was a bad thing, but I could see the fond and teasing look in his eyes.


    ¡°Me?¡± I snorted, ¡°I¡¯m not the one who flipped out as soon as I walked through the door. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d think you were jealous of Adrian earlier.¡±


    Giovani fell quiet, and I nced at him questioningly. His deep brown eyes were quiet, serious, like a tranquil pool with no ripples in it.


    He grasped my chin gently, pulling my face closer to his as he asked softly, ¡°Would that be a bad thing?¡±


    The yfulness fell away, leaving my heart bare, honest and raw. The defenses I¡¯d built up melted away like snow on a spring day. I couldn¡¯t answer for a minute as I gazed deeply into his eyes.


    I knew what he was asking, but I couldn¡¯t believe it was real. The fear still lingered in a small corner of my heart, leaving me trembling with insecurity at the thought of being so honest.


    But it was he who had taken that step, he who had never lied to me or given me any reason to suspect he was anything but what he was.


    I knew who he was, just as I knew my own heartbeat out of a thousand others. But did I have the courage to take thatst step and plunge over the edge?


    I sighed,ying my head on his shoulders so I wouldn¡¯t have to see his eyes overflowing with emotion. He cared about me, perhaps more than I¡¯d first thought.


    Now, it was my turn.


    ¡°Is it more than sex for you, too?¡± I asked, as quiet as a mouse.


    For a moment, I thought he hadn¡¯t heard me, that my question would be lost in the silence of the study, but Giovani breathed in raggedly, his chest shuddering in response.


    ¡°Olivia.¡±


    My name on his tongue sent shivers down my spine, and anticipation built in my stomach. This was make it or break it, and I wasn¡¯t sure what road we would be heading down.


    ¡°Look at me, Olivia,¡± he said, gently but firmly.


    I gathered all my courage, taking a deep breath as I nced up at him, feeling like I was smaller than I was, curled up in hisp and waiting for an answer.


    He smiled at me, so soft and so gentle as he brushed his hand over my cheek. I leaned into his warm palm, my eyes shaking with anxiety. He could break my heart and snap it in two right now. It would be so easy for him.


    But I desperately hoped I had ced my trust in the right man, that he was kind enough not to destroy my fragile hope.


    ¡°Yes, Olivia,¡± Giovani said, softly, almost too quiet to hear, but it felt like thunder booming in my ears to me. ¡°It¡¯s more than sex to me.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop the small smile from creeping up my face as my heart burst with joy. He felt the same way. It wasn¡¯t just me having delusions of grandeur or seeing something that wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you felt the same way,¡± Giovani continued, a gentle look to him as he pressed a kiss to my forehead.


    I smiled, brightly feeling like a firework on the Fourth of July. I was ready to explode and bloom across the sky in a burst of color. He was everything I¡¯d ever wanted.


    I couldn¡¯t imagine a better man, and the fact that he wanted me, despite how young and immature I could be, was sweeter than any candy.


    ¡°Dahlia has no ns toe home tonight,¡± I said, softly, with a meaningful look.


    I hoped he would take the bait, and sure enough, a smirk crossed his handsome features as he wrapped his other hand behind my hair, pulling me close.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± he said, pretending to be uncaring. ¡°Does that mean you want to follow me to my bedroom, carino?¡±


    ¡°Hell yes.¡±


    The answer came blurting out of my mouth before I could even think it. I blushed as he growled, taking my lips for his own. He was more demanding and ferocious as his tongue brushed against my bottom lip, asking for permission he knew I would grant him.


    I gasped, allowing his ess as he explored every crevice, entwining our tongues together in a dance he would always win. When we broke apart, Giovani grinned at me and got to his feet, holding me in his arms like a blushing bride.


    I yelped, grabbing onto his arms to hold myself but before he could move any further, I cried out, ¡°Wait, wait!¡±


    He paused, and I grinned, leaning over his arms to snatch up the bottle of champagne still on the desk.


    ¡°I¡¯m bringing this with us,¡± I said cheekily.

 Chapter 268 : Hot Night

    <h4>Chapter 268: Chapter 268 : Hot Night</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I giggled as Giovani kicked open the door to his room. The door swung open with a creak, and he carried me inside.


    I hadn¡¯t ever seen his room before, and I was curious how it differed from mine and Dahlia¡¯s. While mine was as generic and nd as possible¨Cperfect for a guest room¨CDahlia¡¯s was loaded to the brim with designer brands.


    Her closet was bigger than my entire room back home, and each bedroom came with its own private bathroom, I¡¯d learned.


    It only made sense that her room was so personal, since she used toe here when she was little with her parents and brothers. I, on the other hand, had never stepped foot in Italy before.


    I clutched the champagne bottle tightly in my hands as I leaned over in his arms to get a good look of his room.


    Like most of the rest of the house, Giovani¡¯s room was simple. It was more bare-bones than I¡¯d expected, with wooden floors.


    The only furniture was the huge master bed, which I was pretty sure was a California king by the size of it, lined with grey and ck sheets and aforter. There was a dresser in the corner and a nightstand, but that was about it.


    His closet door was wide open, letting me see into the rows of white shirts and ck suits, perfect and neat like they had just been hung up.


    The other door, I assumed, led to the bathroom.


    I grinned at the simplicity of the room¨Cit fit him in a way I couldn¡¯t exin.


    Giovani stepped inside, taking me along with him as he walked briskly toward the bed and suddenly dropped me.


    I yelped, holding the champagne upright as I bounced on top of theforter. Luckily, not a drop spilled from the bottle, and I grinned, impressed with my skills.


    ¡°That could¡¯ve ended badly, you know,¡± I told Giovani.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Giovani smirked at me as he unhooked his cufflinks and set them down on his nightstand. He took his sweet time as I watched him. The champagne and wine were hitting me now, and I giggled, taking a swig from the whole bottle.


    ¡°I thought your room would have more in it. It¡¯s so orderly and put together, just like you,¡± I giggled, my head feeling fuzzy from all the alcohol. I felt giddy inside¨Cwarm and bubbly like the champagne bubbling over when he popped it.


    ¡°What else would I have in my room?¡± Giovani asked, amused as I took anotherrge swig of the champagne.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said with a massive grin. I was swimming on cloud nine now. ¡°Like a collection or something, dolls or action figures. What about stamps? You seem like you¡¯d collect stamps.¡±


    He chuckled, taking off his shirt and leaving it on the floor. He brushed his hair back with his hand, looking like a majestic god.


    ¡°God, you¡¯re so hot,¡± I said miserably.


    ¡°And I didn¡¯t know you were such a lightweight,¡± Giovani grinned as he walked around the bed and to where I was sitting. ¡°I think you¡¯ve had enough.¡±


    I clung to the bottle of champagne as he ced his knee between my legs, scooting them apart so he could step in between them. My head barely reached his stomach as I gazed up at him in a champagne-filled haze.


    ¡°Here, you drink then,¡± I said, pouting as I offered him the champagne.


    He chuckled, grabbing it from me and drinking a massive gulp from the bottle. I licked my lips, watching as his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he swallowed. A bead of the champagne poured from his mouth and down his throat.


    In my drunken haze, I wanted to lick it up for him, tasting his skin as my tongue ran up his throat.


    He finished the rest of the bottle, chuckling at my sad look when he dropped the bottle onto the floor.


    I nced up at him, all shame in my body having vanished under the influence of the alcohol and I grinned, running my hands up his legs and over his stomach. The way his muscles moved under my fingertips was fascinating to me, and I giggled as he stared down at me with dark, lidded eyes.


    ¡°What are you doing, carino?¡± he asked, the pet name falling naturally from his lips.


    I didn¡¯t answer, simply smiling innocently as my hands searched over his hot skin, finallynding over the button to his pants.


    Gently, with barely a whisper, I unbuttoned them. His hands caught mine in his actions, his breath heavy as he stared down at me in warning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do something you can¡¯t finish,¡± he warned me, a dangerous look in his eyes.


    But it only turned me on more as the excitement sent a pang straight to my lower half.


    I licked my lips as I gently slid his pants down and then his boxers as well. His cock, hard and ready, burst out, and I grinned, taking him with one hand.


    His breath hitched, and I found I loved the sound as I gently pumped my hand. He cursed as I set a rhythm with my hand, sending him a sultry look before I leaned forward and licked a strip all the way from his base to the tip.


    ¡°Olivia.¡± He cursed, his eyes dark as he clenched his hands firmly by his side. Despite the longing in his eyes, he let me do whatever I wanted.


    I smirked, licking the tip before gently taking him in my mouth. I sucked just the tiniest bit, rolling my tongue over it as I pumped him with my other hand.


    I shut my eyes as I pulled back and then pulled him back in, each time taking in a little more of his length. His hands trembled with the effort it took not to touch me, and I tasted the saltiness of him as he hit the back of my throat.


    I hummed, remembering to breathe through my nose as he took up my entire mouth. It was enough to choke on, but I didn¡¯t care. I pushed him in farther until I hit his base.


    It felt ufortable, but good in a way, as I swished my tongue around him.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Giovani red down at me, his patience hanging on by a thread as I gazed up at him with his cock fully engulfed in my mouth.


    I giggled as his nostrils red with the effort and the noise was suppressed, rumbling against his dick.


    His patience snapped. I watched it happen as his hands wrapped behind my head, and he gripped my hair in one hand before pulling out.


    ¡°Keep your mouth open,¡± he warned me, a dark look on his face, and I did as he asked before he crammed his dick back down my throat. It was different now as I shut my eyes tightly.


    He thrust back and forth, fucking my mouth harshly as I inhaled only through my nose, choking every time he hit the back of my tight throat. My spit spilled out of my mouth, allowing him easier ess as he groaned in pleasure.


    I shifted my hips, clenching my thighs together as I could feel the wetness building and slipping out of me. The ce I needed him the most was begging for it, but he was focused entirely on my mouth.


    Until finally, he pulled away from me, his hand pumping his cock as he came. It spurted all over the ce, and I flinched. I didn¡¯t have time to do anything as he slid onto the bed next to me.


    ¡°Thank you, carino,¡± he purred into my ear, as he caressed my back gently. He pulled on my dress, sliding me onto hisp and I heard a loud rip.


    Both of us jumped, and I nced down at my dress with wide eyes. My pretty dress was ripped, the side of it having split open.


    ¡°Oops,¡± he said with a sheepish grin. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you a new one.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s already ripped. Just rip it all off.¡±


    He grinned, leaning forward to kiss me. He only paused to whisper, ¡°You¡¯re perfect,¡± before he mmed our lips together.


    I felt his hands tear at the dress and it slipped off easily as he pulled it off of me and threw it to the floor. I giggled into the kiss as he pressed me back onto the bed with a smirk. He leaned over me, supporting himself with his hands on either side of my head.


    He shed the rest of our clothes quickly, all of themnding on the floor next to the empty champagne bottle.


    Hisrge hands ran up and down my sides, and I gasped a breath as he pulled away from my lips and smirked. I sent him a confused look as he rolled me over onto my stomach, and I couldn¡¯t see what he was doing anymore.


    I felt him kissing down my spine, and I sighed as he drifted further and further down. He reached my ass and pulled my hips up until I had to prop myself up on my knees.


    I gasped as his tongue hit my cunt. His fingers dug into my slit, his tongue brushing against my clit as I pushed back as far as I could.


    He was way too good at this. I shut my eyes, mming my head into the bed as he fucked me with his tongue.


    I came easily; the explosion was like a thousand fireworks. The electricity shot through my body, and I barely had the strength to keep myself upright as my toes curled upward.


    ¡°Giovani,¡± I whined once I caught my breath, and he only hushed me in return.


    I heard him ripping something, and I saw the condom package falling to the floor through the corner of my eye.


    I was quickly distracted as somethingrge and hard rubbed against my opening and my eyes went wide as he pushed inside, slow and steadily.


    Having already taken him once, it was easier this time for him to slide right in until he was hilt deep. Somehow, it felt so much deeper than before, and I felt so full of him.


    I breathed out deeply, groaning as I squeezed down on him, testing this out.


    ¡°Shit,¡± he breathed and then his hands were in my hair, pulling me up. From the side, I caught sight of his eyes, and he smirked.


    ¡°Naughty girl,¡± he said, with a wicked look. ¡°Good girls beg for what they want.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I begged immediately, hating the waiting as his hot cock shifted inside of me. ¡°Please, fuck me.¡±


    He leaned forward to press a kiss near my spine. ¡°Good girl,¡± he murmured, and then he began to fuck me.


    I screamed as he hit my deep with every thrust, pushing hard and fast. There was no mercy as he kept his grip in my hair, forcing me in ce as he took control.


    ¡°Such a good, tight pussy,¡± he moaned, his body folded over mine as he pumped in and out like a mad man. ¡°God, you¡¯re so perfect, Olivia.¡±


    ¡°Giovani.¡±


    All I could do was breathe his name as he rammed me over and over. I loved every minute of it, and my second orgasm came just as quick. I screamed, my voice muffled by the bed as he paused only briefly.


    I was still shaking with the aftereffects when he let go of my hair and gently pulled me around, his dick still inside of me. I moaned as he crawled onto the bed, flipping me onto my back. He barely took a breath before he continued his brutal pace.


    Face to face, I captured his lips at once, swallowing both of our groans. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pushing him in deeper until he hit the spot I needed the most.


    I screamed loudly, feeling like a battering ram was hitting my womb and my third orgasm hit me like a ton of bricks. This time, he came with me, groaning deeply as he bit down on my neck, just enough to sting.


    White light burst from behind my eyes, and I quickly lost all conscious thought as I breathed out.


    It took another two orgasms before Giovani copsed next to me, holding me in his arms. Both of us were exhausted, breathing heavily. By this time, I could barely move as Giovani cleaned us up.


    We settled under theforter, my head pressed against his chest. I listened to his heartbeat,forting me as I dozed off.


    Until something loud broke through.


    Giovani frowned, rolling over to grab his phone as it rang and answered with an annoyed, ¡°What now?¡±


    I sat up in bed, holding theforter close to my chest as his face paled. I could barely make out the words on the other line, but it caught my attention.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Dahlia.¡±

 Chapter 269 : Missing Cousin

    <h4>Chapter 269: Chapter 269 : Missing Cousin</h4>


    *Giovani*


    The sex was amazing, but Olivia was even better. I could still taste the champagne on her lips as I dove in again and again. She was so addicting, like a sweet candy or a drug I couldn¡¯t get enough of.


    She was exhausted, that much was clear as I cuddled her in my arms. The nket kept us warm, even as we were naked. I brushed her hair over and over, the motion soothing us both as her eyes fell closed.


    She was so goddamn beautiful. Right above her right ear was a little mole that I was sure she didn¡¯t know anything about, and I traced it as I brushed my fingers through her hair.


    I sighed, content as I watched her chest fall up and down with each breath. It was so peaceful just to be here with her, and I couldn¡¯t help the greed that was building in my heart.


    I wanted her all the time now. My thoughts kept going back to her over and over. I wanted her in my bed every night, to hold her like this until she grew sick of me.


    I knew she was still insecure, still full of anxiety over our rtionship, but neither of us knew what to call it. The fear that I might grow tired of her was reflected every time she clung to me, her little movements to keep me close like I would walk away.


    I wondered if somebody had hurt her like that once, if she¡¯d had to face someone walking out on her. Perhaps that was why she was so anxious about it.


    She didn¡¯t have to worry, though. She would grow tired of me long before I grew tired of her. I would have her by my side every second of every day if I could. She was beautiful, funny, and so kind and sweet¨Cthe opposite of everything I was, like an innocent bud yet to bloom.


    She was still young now, but she would grow into a gorgeous woman, a confident, sexy, beautiful woman who knew she had me tied around her little finger.


    Once she realized that, it would all be over for me.


    I sighed again, listening to her breathing as it lulled me into a soft doze, not quite sleep but not quite awake either. I was never a deep sleeper, but after taking over this position from James, it had only gotten worse over time, especially around others. You never knew who was out to kill you.


    But Olivia... it was toofortable to be around her. Her soul was innocent and kind¨Cnot anything like the messy world I came from.


    Right as I drifted off, my phone began to ring. I recognized the tone as Gabriele¡¯s and I frowned. Annoyance shot through me at him ruining my time with Olivia.


    She stirred, blinking awake in confusion, and I sent her a smile, trying to apologize without words. She was so sleepy and cute as she rubbed the corner of her eyes, and I had to peel myself away from her as I rolled over.


    I sat up on my elbow as I grabbed my phone and answered with a rough, ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about Dahlia,¡± Gabriele said over the phone.


    My eyes narrowed as I sat up in bed. I nced at Olivia. She held theforter over her naked body, a confused and worried look on her face.


    I got to my feet, putting distance between us as I demanded, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°After dinner, Dahlia left with that boy she¡¯s been seeing while the other boy took her friend home,¡± Gabriele said, passively as if he was reciting a report. ¡°I followed Dahlia and the boy took her back to his apartment, as you thought he would.¡±


    ¡°I know. Olivia came back when that Adrian boy dropped her off,¡± I said, thinking about that stupid boy, and the way he had put his hands on my woman.


    I growled, clenching my fists. ¡°What does that have to do with Dahlia? Did you keep an eye on her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. But this Adrian boy came back to the apartment and went inside. I was alone, so I couldn¡¯t engage any further than that, so I wasn¡¯t sure what was happening inside.¡±


    The fuck? I¡¯d ced three men on Dahlia¡¯s surveince for a reason.


    ¡°Where were Enzo and Marco?¡± I demanded. ¡°I don¡¯t pay them to hang around and paint each other¡¯s nails.¡±


    ¡°There were suspicious movements in the Piazza from the Russians. I sent Enzo and Marco to investigate as they said the neighbor we¡¯d pegged as one of them was over there. I stayed to watch over Dahlia until I lost contact with them three hours ago,¡± Gabriele said grimly. ¡°I have to assume the worst.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡± I breathed out through my nose, trying to keep calm. Enzo and Marco were two of our best. There was no way they¡¯d get taken down easily.


    ¡°What happened to Dahlia then?¡± I snapped. ¡°You were still watching, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Ten and a half minutes ago I saw three figures exit the building,¡± Gabriele said in a low voice, ¡°They were wearing uniforms, so I paid them no mind. But, they were carrying a suspiciouslyrge bag between them.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think it was...¡± I trailed off, clenching my hand over the phone.


    Dammit.


    There was no way. I had promised James I¡¯d keep Dahlia safe, that I¡¯d keep her away from harm. If she had been taken by those damn bastards, he would have my head for it.


    ¡°As soon as the three men left, I went to investigate. The apartment waspletely empty. The two boys never left through the front entrance, so I am unsure of their whereabouts, but the door was not forced open,¡± Gabriele replied.


    I heard the sound of beeping in the background. He was most likely near a road.


    ¡°Which means they were either involved or knew someone who was,¡± I finished angrily.


    The thought of those two idiots being involved was slim, but never zero. I¡¯d seen good people betray others for less than what the Russians could offer.


    But now wasn¡¯t the time to wonder if they were involved. Either they were or weren¡¯t and either way, they were going to die when I got my hands on them.


    Now, I needed to find Dahlia quickly.


    ¡°Any sign of Dahlia?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I did find a ne hidden under one of the bookcases. The chain was broken, but the pendant was identical to the one she was wearing to dinner.¡±


    Shit.


    I clenched my teeth, my anger rising like a heat wave. There was no doubt in my mind. Dahlia had been kidnapped, and right under my fucking nose at that.


    I¡¯d told her those apartments were bad news. I had told her not to go, but she never listened. She was just like her parents could be sometimes¨Cthinking they knew better than the people around them.


    Well, this time she¡¯d gotten into massive trouble.


    ¡°I talked to the desk jockey, and he said the three men said they were a cleaning service, but he assured me that the building had not hired anyone to clean,¡± Gabriele said coldly,.


    ¡°Did you follow them?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°No, but I thought their movements were suspicious, so I asked someone in the area to. Luckily, Santino was close by. He followed them out to an abandoned building on the outskirts of downtown. It¡¯s secluded enough that nobody goes there any more.¡±


    A perfect hideout.


    ¡°Wake up everybody and get them out there. Send a team to that building and another to the apartment. Find anything you can, and report it to me. Find Dahlia, and find the bastards who took her,¡± I snapped into the phone.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Gabriele said firmly, and the call went dead in my hands.


    I stood there for a moment, just breathing as my heart raced in panic. Dahlia was missing, possibly kidnapped, and we had no clue where she was.


    ¡°Giovani?¡±


    I nced over at Olivia, who kneeled on the bed. She reached a hand out to grab mine, but I pulled back, ncing at the door.


    ¡°Giovani, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Her sweet voice was deafening in the silent house. She had no clue what was happening, no clue what her best friend was missing, and that was my fault.


    ¡°Please?¡±


    It was her soft little plea that finally got me to move. I breathed a sigh, moving closer as I pressed my lips onto hers. She was sweet and soft and so innocent.


    She didn¡¯t belong in the life I lived, and I knew that. I couldn¡¯t tell her the truth, and I couldn¡¯t let her go. There was no time to exin, no time to listen to her tears as I told her what had happened.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I murmured as I pulled away, leaning my forehead on hers as I shut my eyes tightly. ¡°I have to go.¡±


    Her eyes widened as she looked at me like I was crazy, and maybe I was.


    ¡°Wait a minute¨C¡±


    I swallowed her protests with a kiss, taking myst fill as I dove into her mouth until she was panting for me. When we broke apart, we were both breathing hard, and her eyes were staring up at me, begging for more.


    I ducked my gaze, hardening my heart as I pulled away from her.


    I pretended like I didn¡¯t see the hurt look in her eyes as I reached for my clothes on the ground.


    Now wasn¡¯t the time tofort Olivia, no matter how much I wanted to.


    Now, I had to find Dahlia.


    Just as I reached for my shirt, my phone buzzed again, ringing the same tone. I sighed, groaning as I answered it.


    ¡°They moved,¡± Gabriele said, a hint of irritation in his voice.


    ¡°What do you mean they moved?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°I mean, the building we followed them back to was empty. They moved ces and switched cars as well. Santino lost track of them near the river. If they manage to cross the river in time¨C¡±


    ¡°Dammit. Get everyone on that search now! Comb the whole area if you have to,¡± I snapped, ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Sorry, sir,¡± Gabriele replied.


    I hung up the phone and nearly threw it at the wall. More bad news kept piling in, and I was ready to snap.


    I took a deep breath to calm my anger, shutting my eyes. I had been too lenienttely, too soft. It was too easy to slip into normality with Olivia¨Cto pretend I was just as soft and sweet as she was.


    But I wasn¡¯t.


    I was the Don of the Valentino Mafia.


    It was time to show them that.

 Chapter 270 : Guilty Conscience

    <h4>Chapter 270: Chapter 270 : Guilty Conscience</h4>


    *Olivia*


    A sense of dread built in my stomach as I watched Giovani¡¯s face turn cold. Anger burned in his eyes as he scrambled for the clothes he¡¯d discarded on the floor.


    ¡°Giovani?¡± I asked, hesitantly as he pulled on his pants and buckled them in a hurry¨Clike someone was chasing him in a horror movie. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer me. In fact, I wasn¡¯t sure he even heard me as he pulled on his shirt, not even bothering to button it up as he headed for the door, throwing it open and storming down the hall.


    ¡°Hey! Wait!¡±


    I hurried to my feet, nearly slipping on my own dress as ity on the floor. It was ripped, but it still covered most of my body if I paused to put it on. I grasped my dress as I steadied my feet and ran after Giovani.


    ¡°Giovani!¡± I cried as I hurried through the door. He was nearly at the end of the hallway, his back to me as he walked away, and anger built in my chest as I yelled out, ¡°Don¡¯t walk away!¡±


    As I moved forward to chase him, I didn¡¯t realize how unstable my legs were from what we had just done.


    I stumbled, but my bare feet were slippery on the wooden floor, and I lost my bnce, slipping. I gasped, dropping the dress I¡¯d been grasping as I reached out to catch myself on the hallway wall, but I didn¡¯t need to.


    Strong arms wrapped around my waist and I fell straight into a hard chest. I was stillpletely nude, and I shivered from the draft in therge house.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I curled into the warmth of Giovani¡¯s body, his shirt still hanging open and leaving his chest on full view for me. I breathed out shakily, catching my breath from the near miss of mming my head into the wall, and gazed up at him, both grateful and a little annoyed.


    His eyebrows were furrowed, creating a crease of worry on his forehead. He looked downright rmed as he looked me over for injuries.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Giovani stared down at me, his eyes burning with concern.


    I could see he was still panicked, still not in a mood to speak, but he had helped me anyway. He hade back to catch me.


    I anchored myself, grasping onto his open shirt as I red up at him. I was not going to just let him walk away from me without an exnation.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just shut me out and walk away like that,¡± I said, firmly. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on. Now.¡±


    Giovani sighed, turning away from me as he gazed down the hallway. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this, Olivia. I need to leave now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go until you tell me what is happening. I will cling onto your leg, and you¡¯ll be forced to take me with you, so just get it over with now,¡± I told him, hoping he could see the truth behind my threat. I would have actually done it, too.


    Something was wrong; that much I could see. Whatever the other person on that phone had told him, it was not good news, and I needed to know.


    The threat seemed to lodge some sense back into him as he nced at me in a bewildered appreciation.


    ¡°Nobody else would say something like that to me.¡± He shook his head, a subtle grin forming on the corner of his lips, but as soon as it appeared, it was gone. He frowned at me, and I could read the hesitation in his eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I demanded.


    I could see the moment he finally gave in, breathing a heavy sigh as he brushed his hand over my cheek. He was warm, and it brushed away the worry I could feel building.


    ¡°It¡¯s Dahlia,¡± he murmured, unsurely, ¡°I think she may have been kidnapped.¡±


    My first instinct was tough because surely this was a joke¨Ca horrible, cruel joke, but one nheless. Because there was no way that Dahlia, my best friend since we were little girls, had been kidnapped.


    But the serious, worried look in his eyes was too persistent.


    This was no joke.


    Any warmth left in my body evaporated as my vision faded in the corners. My breath hitched in my throat, and I felt like I couldn¡¯t breathe any longer.


    Dahlia... was kidnapped?


    It was impossible. I felt like I had been dropped into a frozenke, and it was slowly climbing through my blood, freezing every inch of me until I thought this was my new normal¨Cjust cold.


    But warm lipsnded on my own, breaking me from the sudden sheer cold I felt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Giovani growled, his hot breath knocking me from my terrified thoughts. ¡°Don¡¯t fall apart on me, Olivia.¡±


    He was right, I thought as I gasped out a breath, trying to calm myself from the sudden panic that had strangled me.


    Now wasn¡¯t the time for me to fall apart. This was the time to find Dahlia. I knew from the TV shows that the first forty-eight hours were crucial in a disappearance.


    ¡°Where did she disappear from?¡± I asked, my bones turning into steel. I would not let myself hinder getting Dahlia back.


    ¡°That stupid boy¡¯s apartment,¡± Giovani scowled, running a hand through his hair. ¡°How could she be so reckless? I warned her not to go, but she did it anyway.¡±


    I flinched, remembering what Dahlia had said now.


    She wasn¡¯t going to let Giovani stop her from being with Lorenzo. And I¡¯d helped her.


    ¡°She and Lorenzo headed back to the apartment after dinner, and Adrian dropped me off here,¡± I told him, hurriedly. ¡°Did they have something to do with this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet,¡± Giovani said, then peeled my hands off of his clothes. ¡°That¡¯s why I have to leave. I have to go find her.¡±


    I nodded solemnly, feeling foolish and childish now. I had stopped him when he was only trying to help my best friend.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get dressed,¡± I said, firmly, ncing up at him.


    ¡°No,¡± Giovani spat out, a fire in his eyes as he crossed his arms. ¡°I need you to stay here and be safe. I can¡¯t be worrying about both of you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair,¡± I argued back, ready to do anything for him to bring me along. ¡°I have to go! Dahlia¡¯s my best friend. This never would¡¯ve happened if I hadn¡¯t left her¨C¡±


    I choked on my own words, my eyes filling up with tears that I refused to shed.


    ¡°I have to bring her back,¡± I whispered, struggling to rein in my emotions.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± Giovani sighed, pulling me into his embrace.


    My tears spilled over my cheeks, but I only bit down on my bottom lip, hard enough that no sobs could escape my throat. I wanted to scream and cry, but that wasn¡¯t going to help Dahlia.


    ¡°If you had stayed with her, you¡¯d both be prisoners now. Dahlia would never want that,¡± Giovani told me as kindly as he could. ¡°This is not your fault.¡±


    But despite his reassurances, I knew it was a lie.


    I should¡¯ve been there with her. I should¡¯ve never left her. While she was getting kidnapped, I had been drinking with Giovani. While she had been screaming for help, terrified and not knowing if she was going toe home, I had been fucking her cousin.


    Nothing could make this better.


    ¡°I need you to stay here, okay?¡± Giovani said, softly, brushing my hair from my face. I only felt numb and lost as he gazed deeply into my eyes. ¡°I will call you as soon as I know something, alright?¡±


    I could see it in his eyes. He wasn¡¯t going to take me along with him. He¡¯d rather lock me up here. I sucked in a deep breath, holding in my emotions as I nodded softly in response.


    ¡°Bring her home,¡± I said, lowly. I couldn¡¯t meet his eyes. I only stared at the pattern on the floorboards.


    He moved away, his footsteps fading away, and for a moment, I thought I was alone as I stood there in silence, thoughts flying too fast for me to handle.


    Something smooth and silky was draped over my shoulders, and I blinked in surprise at the robe covering my naked body.


    His hot lips pressed a delicate kiss to my forehead. ¡°Go to your room and take a bath or something. Keep your mind off this, and leave it to me, alright? I just need you to stay safe.¡±


    I nodded, numbly, sping the robe against my nude body.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he murmured, wrapping an arm over my shoulder as he walked me over to my room. He opened the door, softly nudging my lower back to go in.


    I nced at him once more, fat tears running down my face in silence.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay.¡± He tried to reassure me with a strained smile.


    I watched him emptily as he shut the door. I listened to his heavy footsteps as he hurried down the hallway.


    A few secondster, the front door mmed shut, and I flinched.


    I swallowed, my throat feeling heavy and swollen as I dropped the robe onto the floor, uncaring as I headed for the bathroom.


    Take a bath, he said.


    Okay.


    Maybe it was the shock or maybe it was the pressure from keeping my emotions under wraps but at the moment, all I could feel was nothing¨Cjust arge gaping hole where my heart should be.


    I made my way to the bathroom, the motions feeling mechanical as I plugged the tub and ran the hot water.


    I watched as the water filled up the porcin tub, inch by inch. Finally, once it was filled, I walked over to the basket and plucked one of the bath bombs it held.


    I dumped it into the water and watched it fizz, spreading throughout the bath until it wasvender colored.


    I slipped into the hot bath, soaking my cold skin in the burning water. I ignored the way it stung slightly, even as my skin turned red from the heat. The steam and fizziness of the bath bomb soon rxed me as Iid my hand back on the edge of the tub and stared at the ceiling.


    It smelled ofvender and champagne. I remembered getting it as a present from Dahlia.


    My best friend.


    Who was now missing.


    I curled my legs to my chest and finally let my emotions go. Tears fell down my cheeks as a sob escaped my throat, and suddenly, I was crying.


    I broke down, not knowing where my best friend was or if I would ever see her again.


    And it was all my fault.

 Chapter 271 : Getting Answers

    <h4>Chapter 271: Chapter 271 : Getting Answers</h4>


    *Giovani*


    As soon as I had coaxed Olivia back to her room and shut the door behind her, my face darkened. I stormed down the hallway, my phone in my hand as I was already speed-dialing Gabriele back.


    I hated to be dyed, but I could see the terrible expression Olivia had. She was shocked and riddled with guilt and fear for Dahlia, that was clear to anyone.


    I didn¡¯t even want to tell her at first, but I was shocked by the way she had threatened me. Hanging onto my legs and refusing to let go?


    It was childish, but sweet.


    But taking her with me was a whole different matter. There was no way I could find Dahlia when I was constantly worrying about Olivia as well.


    I stormed out of the house, mming the door behind me, and I turned to one of the guards I had set up. He stared at me, awaiting orders.


    ¡°Watch her. Make sure no one gets in or out,¡± I said, darkly.


    He nodded, taking his ce at the front door as I stormed to the garage where my car was waiting. I¡¯d already wasted too much time here.


    Dahlia could be anywhere. I ced my phone to my ear as I unlocked the car, hearing it ring.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Gabriele said calmly.


    ¡°How did you let this happen?¡± I demanded furiously. ¡°You were supposed to be watching Dahlia, keeping her safe. If something happens to her, it¡¯s all on you. Do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir, but as I said, I was alone, and I could not engage three men single-handedly,¡± Gabriele said back, a little roughly.


    Even though I could hear the defiance in his voice, I ignored it. Gabriele was one of my oldest friends, my right-hand man.


    I couldn¡¯t me him for this. I cursed, sticking my keys into the ignition and turning. The car rumbled to life, and I spared no time as I backed out of the garage.


    I clenched the steering wheel so tightly that my fingers turned white.


    ¡°Luckily, we have the building surrounded now. The team is ready to move in and get her back. We just need your orders, sir,¡± Gabriele said.


    ¡°Send me the address,¡± I snapped and then hung up. I was d to hear they¡¯d located her again after they¡¯d lost her the first time. My guys were good¨Cmost of the time.


    I crossed into the road and gunned it, not caring about the speed limit. My phone dinged with the address, and I remembered the ce.


    It was an abandoned warehouse, small enough to be off the radar. It was owned by apany that went bankrupt years ago and now just sat rotting. It was the perfect criminal hideout.


    I took a hard right, the tires screeching against the busy streets as I attempted to bypass the slow-moving cars in front of me.


    I clenched my teeth, hating myself for letting this happen. I knew Dahlia would never listen to me, and I knew the apartment she was spending the night in wasn¡¯t safe. But I had let her go anyway.


    I thought putting Gabriele as a tail would be enough, but that was my mistake. God, James was going to kill me... if Dahlia¡¯s brothers didn¡¯t get to me first.


    The section of abandoned warehouses bordered the river, so I took the back street, hoping to arrive just in time. I counted down the warehouses, gazing outside my window for any sign of Gabriele or the kidnappers.


    I spotted Gabriele¡¯s truck and several of my men standing outside of the open bay doors of one of the smallest warehouses, tucked between the wall and river. I pulled in, shutting off my headlights as I cut off the engine.


    I got out of the car, my eyes on the building in front of me.


    Gabriele came to meet me just as I opened up my trunk. I was already loading my handgun by the time he made it to me with a dark look on his face.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Gabriele started with a hesitant look.


    ¡°Did you breach yet?¡± I asked, coldly. I was all business at this point.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Gabriele nodded.


    I threw on one of my bulletproof vests just in case this could be a trap and ignored him as I flicked off the safety of my gun.


    ¡°Did you search the other warehouses?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. There was nothing. We believe they¡¯ve been using this ce as a hideout for several weeks.¡±


    ¡°Weeks?¡± I scoffed, ¡°They¡¯ve been nning this for weeks? And you¡¯re positive that Lorenzo boy wasn¡¯t in on this, that he didn¡¯t set her up just for this?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡± Gabriele shook his head in frustration. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how they would¡¯ve gotten past our inte,l but it¡¯s likely they had¨C¡±


    ¡°A mole.¡± I grit my teeth. ¡°Fucking hell.¡±


    This has gone so much deeper than I thought. I mmed my car door shut, holstering my gun as I stormed my way to the open bay doors.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have more bad news, sir,¡± Gabriele said as he trailed behind me.


    ¡°What could possibly be worse?¡± I spat out, not knowing I would soon regret my own words.


    Three of my men were lingering outside, but as I approached, I spotted two Russians sitting on the floor.


    They were tied up in rope and clearly unconscious, though it seemed they had taken quite a beating already. One of the men had a ck eye and what looked like a dislocated shoulder given how it stuck out at an odd angle.


    The other had deep bruises along his neck and had dried blood all down his face. His nose was broken, by the looks of it, and probably more.


    I gazed into the warehouse, searching for any sign of my baby cousin, but there was nothing. Where was Dahlia?


    ¡°Where¡¯s my cousin?¡± I turned to Gabriele with a furious look. I stormed over to him, grabbing his cor in one hand as I practically lifted him off his feet.


    Gabriele, for his part, was unfazed, but I could see a small sliver of guilt in his eyes. ¡°She was gone by the time I got here. I apprehended these two, but they knew I was alone. Once I pulled in, they already had her in a boat and were halfway to the other side of the river.¡±


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?¡± I threw Gabriele away from me, clenching my fists as I held my gun.


    Gabriele adjusted his shirt, taking a few steps away from me.


    It wasn¡¯t often I lost my temper. There was really only one thing that could do it.


    My family.


    And these bastards knew it.


    In my fury, I wasn¡¯t willing to go back empty-handed, to see the disappointed look on Olivia¡¯s face as she realized I¡¯d failed to get her best friend back, failed my baby cousin, and failed to keep my family safe.


    My cold eyesnded on the two Russian bastards still unconscious and tied up.


    ¡°Did you get any information from them?¡± I asked, getting straight to the point.


    ¡°As much as we could, sir. They were following orders of someone higher up,¡± Gabriele said, passively, ¡°They don¡¯t have much in their brains. Dahlia was unconscious the entire time, even after transferring to the boat. Theirrades were supposed to meet somewhere over the river, but they wouldn¡¯t tell us where.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I cocked my gun and squatted next to the man with the broken nose. ¡°Get me some water.¡±


    I held out my hand and it took only a minute for a bottle of water to be pushed into it. I unscrewed it and dumped the contents on top of the man.


    His eyes shed open as he sat up with a gasp, shivering. It was quite cold tonight, so I hoped he was suffering. His eyesnded on me and they filled with panic.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to give you two chances, amico,¡± I said cooly and calmly as I held up my gun. ¡°Tell me where yourrades took my cousin or I¡¯ll blow your fucking brains out right here.¡±


    ¡°Otpravlyaysya vie ad,¡± the man spat out in fast Russian, his voice nasally from his broken nose.


    I looked at Gabriele, who smirked.


    ¡°He said go to hell,¡± Gabriele responded easily. ¡°Not very nice to say to your amico, is it?¡±


    I shrugged, turning to the Russian man with a dangerous look.


    ¡°One chance left, stronzo,¡± I ced the muzzle straight between his eyes.


    He attempted to follow it, eyes wide with fear even as he struggled to stop from going cross-eyed.


    ¡°Milost,¡± the man pleaded.


    ¡°That¡¯s up to you, amico.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Tell me where my cousin is, and we can both walk away. Or I¡¯ll pull the fucking trigger.¡±


    The man stared at me for a long time, his eyes flickering everywhere, from behind me to Gabriele to his partner still unconscious beside him.


    Finally, the man¡¯s eyes hardened, and he met mine with a firm look of loyalty.


    ¡°Da zdravstvuyut Zaytsev,¡± the man responded with the calm indifference of a person who was willing to die for his cause.


    ¡°A loyal man.¡± My eyes narrowed upon him and I nodded, removing the gun as I sighed.


    The man¡¯s eyes actually filled with relief as he shrank against the door, but then I smirked.


    ¡°So be it.¡±


    I pulled the trigger.


    The shot rang out in the empty air of the abandoned street, the sound of it piercing the metal door even more haunting.


    Red sttered across my cheek, but I didn¡¯t care in the slightest as I got to my feet, still holding the gun in my hand.


    Gabriele passed me a handkerchief, and I grabbed it, wiping the blood off my gun coldly.


    ¡°Burn it, get rid of the body, and take the other one. I don¡¯t care what you have to do. Make sure he gives us that location. Do you understand me?¡± I red at Gabriele. ¡°Do not fail me again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Gabriele bowed his head, and I passed by him, wiping my cheek.


    I knew it would only smear it, but I couldn¡¯t care less. I mmed my trunk down, throwing the bulletproof vest into my backseat as I climbed into the car.


    I sat there for a full minute, my gun in my hand as I gritted my teeth so hard I felt they would crack. Finally, I threw my head back, putting on the safety of my gun as I dropped it into the passenger seat.


    I watched for a minute as my men worked and the warehouse burst into mes, along with the man I had just killed. The fire danced in my eyes as it quickly consumed the entire building.


    Leave no trail behind; that¡¯s what James had taught me.


    But now, I didn¡¯t have a choice.


    I¡¯d fucking failed.


    It was time to call James.

 Chapter 272 : Everything is not fine

    <h4>Chapter 272: Chapter 272 : Everything is not fine</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I sat in my car, smoke filling it up as I tapped my cigar on the built-in ashtray. The car wasn¡¯t moving, and the engine wasn¡¯t even on as it sat silently in the garage.


    I hadn¡¯t bothered to go inside even after an hour of sitting in the same spot. I kept hoping for a call from Gabriele that would leave me rejoicing as he¡¯d say that he¡¯d found my cousin and gotten her back, that she was safe and would soon be home with that big smile of hers like nothing had ever happened.


    But I knew that was stupid.


    She was probably waking up surrounded by masked men she couldn¡¯t understand, bound and delirious from the drugs they had given her.


    Maybe at this very moment, she¡¯d be begging me toe to save her.


    But all I could do was sit in my fucking car and smoke.


    I was pathetic.


    I snuffed out the rest of my cigar, which was only ashes at this point, and coughed as I briefly rolled down the window. The fresh air was wee after an hour of breathing nothing but smoke.


    Just as I reached for the door handle to drag my ass back inside and face the music and tears of Olivia, my phone rang.


    I sighed, too exhausted for this as I answered.


    "He cracked."


    Gabriele¡¯s voice on the other side of the phone sounded pleased, but I could still hear another voice in the background, sobbing and muttering¨Cprobably the poor son of bitch we¡¯d taken in. I knew how cruel Gabriele could be at times, but this time, I had no sympathy for the Russian bastard.


    "What¡¯d he say?"


    "Dahlia¡¯s alive. They sedated her, but they have no ns to kill her yet," Gabriele said calmly.


    I breathed a sigh of relief, not sure if I was allowed to be happy with this. Alive wasn¡¯t much.


    She could still be tortured or countless other things they could do to her while she was in their custody. There was no limit to what the Russian bastards would do.


    "Anything else?" I demanded.


    "It was Zaytsev, as we thought. This guy didn¡¯t know the details. All he said was that their boss had a message for you."


    ¡°A message for me?¡± I clenched my fists. So this was rted to the family business. This was my fault, just as I¡¯d suspected.


    She¡¯d been kidnapped just to send me a message.


    ¡°What?¡± I bit out, angrily.


    ¡°This revenge is a long timeing. That¡¯s what he said.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I breathed, running a hand through my hair. Revenge? This had to be rted to Mikhail and James. We all thought that mob had been destroyed years ago, but suddenly, they were everywhere.


    I knew those bastards wouldn¡¯t give up so easily. But they were doing this now, after all this time?


    ¡°Should I clean up here?¡± Gabriele asked, as easily as if he was asking about the weather.


    "We don¡¯t need him anymore," I said coldly, not an ounce of empathy in my mind.


    "Yes, sir," Gabriele said, and I heard the gunshot immediately through the call.


    The muttering in the background fell dead silent, and I felt only an ounce of vengeance. There was still so much rage left in me after this mess.


    "We¡¯re searching the area to find the remaining men, and I have a few investigators trying to determine who was running the mob now,¡± Gabriele told me.


    We had been positive they had been wiped out, but recently, somebody had been trying to revive it. But who? Who would still hold a grudge after this many years? And who had the authority to do something like this?


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the mole on my end,¡± I said firmly. ¡°You just focus on finding Dahlia and the bastards who took her.¡±


    "Yes, sir," Gabriele said, and the call went dead as he hung up.


    I sighed, ncing into the rearview mirror. I hated how I could see the gray in my hair and the way the stress had formed wrinkles around my eyes.


    I knew I was still handsome, but there was no denying that I was getting older.


    I shut my eyes tightly, rubbing my temples as I forced back a headache. It felt like my head was between two steel drums, but even in the pain of the headache and stress, all I could think about was Olivia¨Cher sweet smile and her gorgeous body as she clung to me. I wanted nothing more than to see her.


    But how could I tell her that I didn¡¯t know where her best friend was... that I had let both of them down?


    There was no other choice, though. Hopefully, she would be asleep by now, and I could get away with it.


    I climbed out of the car, my phone in my hand as I readied myself to call the second group I needed to get things started.


    Just as I unlocked the door and stepped inside, I was met with a figure sitting on the stairs.


    Olivia stared at me, her eyes wide and red. There were clear streaks of tears still on her face, dried but prominent enough to be noticed.


    She got to her feet, dressed only in arge hoodie that fell past her thighs. She looked like a mess, a beautiful one, but still a mess.


    But it was the hope that shone in her eyes that made my heart fall to my feet. I wanted to pretend, as she turned to me with that unwavering faith in her eyes, like I was better a man than I actually was.


    But then I saw the realization as I stepped in, alone. Her face fell apart, her eyes watering as she gazed over my shoulder for someone who wouldn¡¯t being.


    And for a moment, I wished she could scream and hit me, to bang her fists on my chest until she felt better or throw me out of the house until I brought back Dahlia, to punish me for the sin of not protecting my baby cousin.


    But I was just kidding myself.


    Olivia was too kind. And I was too much of a bastard to let that happen.


    But that didn¡¯t mean the disappointment on her face didn¡¯t hurt more than a punch to the face ever would.


    ***


    *Olivia*


    I ended up not being able to sleep that night. Exhausted as I was, I only continued to think about Dahlia and Giovani and what was happening out there while I was stuck inside. Eventually, I slipped on my warmest hoodie and sat myself on the front stairs.


    This way I could wait until Giovani came home, until he came in with that smile I loved and right by his side would be my best friend. I¡¯d imagined it all already. I¡¯d hug the life out of her, crying, and she¡¯d tell me not to be a crybaby. I¡¯d tell her everything I had been hiding from her, beg for her forgiveness, and hope to God I was lucky enough that she would forgive me.


    We¡¯d be okay, and she¡¯d be safe and happy and everything would be perfect. This could all be some bad dream that we could leave in the past, a joke maybe in ten years or so, but nothing more than a memory.


    Everything would be fine.


    But when the door opened and Giovani stepped inside, he was alone.


    His eyebrows were furrowed again like he had a headache, and there were red spots on his white shirt that had me getting right to my feet.


    ¡°Are you¨C¡± I paled, my eyes stuck at the spots of red.


    He blinked at me as if confused before following my gaze to the blood. Realization dawned in his eyes, and he gave me a guilty look. ¡°It¡¯s not mine,¡± he said firmly. ¡°I¡¯m not hurt.¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief, not even bothering to question whose blood it was then. I assumed that if it was Dahlia¡¯s, he¡¯d tell me. Eagerly, I took a step forward, and my eyes trailed behind him, hoping that Dahlia would pop out with that sheepish grin of hers.


    But she didn¡¯t.


    Giovani was alone.


    I met his eyes, questioning my best friend¡¯s missing presence, and a sh of guilt ran through his. He turned his head away, gazing at the floor in shame, and my breath caught in my throat.


    No.


    There was no way.


    I nced at the spots of blood on his shirt, and I lost all the strength in my legs. My knees cked together, and I grasped the banister to keep from copsing to the floor. I stared at the red spots, unable to believe my eyes.


    Could it be Dahlia¡¯s blood after all?


    No. He would have told me. But the images of her body, broken, bruised, and lifeless, was more than I could bear. My legs shook, and I nearly went to the floor at the thought¨CDahlia, my best friend, dead and bleeding out while I was here safe and warm.


    There was no way. She couldn¡¯t be.


    ¡°Is...¡± I swallowed, ufortably, gazing up at him with wide and shocked eyes. ¡°Is she dead?¡±


    His face fell in surprise, and I feared the worst for a whole second.


    It felt like the floor had fallen out beneath me, opening up a ck hole to swallow me.


    I was just falling and falling endlessly, and I didn¡¯t know where I¡¯dnd.


    My vision dimmed as I swore the spots of red on his shirt were growing and spreading. Her blood was pooling all over the floor, threatening to drown me, and I swayed to the side before his voice cut through the fear, shame, guilt, and despair.


    "No." The simple word was enough to ground me and bring me back to life.


    "No," he repeated, shaking his head furiously. He wasted no time in stepping forward. He swept me into his arms, and I clung to him like a child.


    My hands were shaking as I sped them around his shirt, and he easily stopped me from falling over. ¡°No. She¡¯s alive.¡±


    ¡°She is?¡± I asked, my voice trembling and muffled from where I had buried my face in his shirt.


    ¡°Yes, carino, yes,¡± Giovani breathed against my hair, his fingers burying themselves into my locks as he gripped me just as hard as I was holding onto him. ¡°She¡¯s alive. I promise you that, but¨C¡±


    I let out a shaky breath I didn¡¯t know I had been holding. I should have been relieved, but I knew that when somebody had attached a ¡®but¡¯ onto a sentence, nothing he said after would be good. I stiffened in his embrace before I finally got the courage to ask. ¡°But?¡± I prompted, hoping he didn¡¯t say what I thought he would say.


    ¡°But she¡¯s missing,¡± Giovani sighed.


    A sob escaped my throat, whether of relief that she was still alive or the despair of having her missing, I didn¡¯t know. I buried my head into his chest and I cried.


    He ran his fingers gently through my hair, not questioning me in the slightest as I cried for my best friend once more.

 Chapter 273 : Nightmares

    <h4>Chapter 273: Chapter 273 : Nightmares</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I didn¡¯t know how long we stood there in the quiet foyer. The only sound was my muffled sobs into the fabric of his shirt. Giovani held me close, letting me lean on him as I cried.


    I could feel his fingers trailing through my half-dried hair. I hadn¡¯t bothered to use a hair dryer because I had been too worried for Dahlia and him. I shivered, driving myself closer into his arms as the temperature continued to drop through the night.


    Only in a hoodie, I stepped between Giovani¡¯s legs, shielding my bare skin from the sudden chill.


    It could have been minutes or hours, but eventually, I pulled out of his grasp. His gentle fingersnded under my chin, tilting my head up to meet his.


    His brown eyes were filled with sorrow and guilt, but the same kindness andpassion I always saw.


    ¡°You okay?¡± he murmured.


    I reached up to wipe my tears away with the sleeves of my hoodie, sniffling. I probably looked terrible, and my face would be swollen from how much I had been crying.


    ¡°I know this is a lot to take in,¡± Giovani sighed. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said anything¨C¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, I¡¯m d you told me. Not knowing would be so much worse. I¡¯m just emotional right now.¡±


    I stepped back from him, my socked feet slipping a bit on the wooden floors. I grasped his arm, stabilizing myself to keep from falling.


    ¡°Are you okay to stand now?¡± Giovani asked, sending me a concerned look as I pulled away.


    I gave him a strained smile, grasping my hands back under the long sleeves of my hoodie as I pulled them behind my back.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± I assured him. ¡°I¡¯m just tired.¡±


    Giovani gave me an unconvinced look but didn¡¯t question me anymore. I was thankful for that tiny mercy as I didn¡¯t think I could put my feelings into words at the moment.


    It was like every emotion I had ever experienced had been thrown into a blender, and I couldn¡¯t tell which was which anymore. I just had this blob mess of emotion in my chest, bleeding out through my eyes.


    I rubbed the corners of my eyes as Giovani wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me to his side.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you to bed,¡± he said quietly.


    I let him lead me up the stairs, and I clung to the ends of his shirt, feeling foolish like a child, but thefort was something I needed right now.


    He felt like a furnace as he walked beside me, close enough that I could lean on him if I needed to. I felt like I was developing into a popsicle, and his heat was just what I needed to keep me from freezing.


    For a moment, I wished this was all a horrible nightmare. Maybe I had just fallen asleep in his bed, and we were still cuddling close together under his covers.


    Wishful thinking wouldn¡¯t help Dahlia, though. Reality was a hard pill to swallow, and I felt like it was choking me.


    We stopped in front of my door, and I nced up at Giovani as he let go of me and stepped back. He ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair, pulling it back away from his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, but I have to make some phone calls to handle some things. Will you be alright on your own?¡± he asked, a gentle and worried look in his eyes.


    From the way he was treating me, I felt like I was ss, one movement away from cracking and shattering on the floor.


    I swallowed ufortably and nodded to him. ¡°I¡¯m alright, but do I have to answer any questions?¡±


    He turned to look at me with a weird expression. ¡°Questions?¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t the police want to ask me anything? I saw herst, besides Lorenzo and Adrian.¡±


    Even their names left a bad taste in my mouth. What if they had been involved? It was hard to imagine, but not any more difficult than Dahlia getting kidnapped.


    I didn¡¯t know what anyone would want with her. Money? Her parents were pretty rich, but I hadn¡¯t heard anything about a ransom. The only thing I could imagine was that Lorenzo or Adrian had to be involved.


    Or they were dead.


    I shivered, crossing my arms over my middle as I stared up at Giovani determinedly.


    ¡°I can give them good descriptions of the two or something. I could be of some use¨C¡±


    Giovani shook his head, firmly, grasping my arms. ¡°No, It¡¯s okay. We have everything we need. Just focus on getting some sleep, okay?¡±


    I frowned. They got what they needed?


    ¡°But I can¨C¡± I protested.


    But Giovani only stepped back, a weird look in his eye as he cut me off. ¡°I¡¯ll check on you as soon as I finish. Get some sleep, Olivia. Leave this to me. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find her,¡± he said very firmly. There was almost a warning look in his eyes, screaming for me to go to bed and not get involved.


    Was he worried about me?


    Or was something else going on?


    Still, I swallowed and gently nodded. I was too tired to do anything. Besides, I would probably just get in the way anyway.


    I could trust Giovani. Right?


    He smiled softly and kissed me on the forehead lightly before he turned and walked down the hallway. I saw him put his phone to his ear as he entered his study.


    The door shut behind him just as I heard him say, ¡°What¡¯s happening¨C¡±


    I sighed, brushing a few strands of loose hair from my face before I turned to head into my room. My shoulders slumped as soon as I shut the door behind me, any attempt at being strong fading like it had never existed.


    All the energy I had drained away like a plug being pulled in a bathtub.


    I didn¡¯t bother doing anything else as I slipped into bed, wrapping myself in the nket andforter. I pulled my pillow under my head and held the other one to my chest as I settled into bed.


    But my eyes refused to close.


    The only thought in my mind was Dahlia. While I wasying there in bed, she was... God knew where. I groaned, sping my hands over my face. There was no telling what was happening to her, and while I knew there was nothing I could do, my thoughts continued to race.


    I had to be the worst best friend in the world. Where was she right now? Was she tied up on a cold floor of some abandoned room? Was she being watched by whoever took her?


    Was she starving and cold and terrified? What if they had done worse things to her? Were they really kidnappers or had they sold her to some human trafficker? Were they hurting her?


    Torturing her? Just the thought of her going through the kinds of torture I¡¯d seen in movies was horrifying enough, but what if she had been raped as well?


    I shut my eyes tightly, burying my head into the mattress as I tried to forget for a moment, to do what Giovani had told me and fall asleep.


    He¡¯d find her. Won¡¯t he?


    ¡°Olive!¡±


    I jumped up in bed, my eyes widening as I looked around for the sudden voice that called my name. I whirled around to face the doorway, and there she was¨CDahlia, wearing the dress I¡¯dst seen her in, covered in mud and dirt but smiling brightly. Right behind her was Giovani with a grin on his face.


    ¡°Dolly,¡± I whimpered, my eyes flooding with tears.


    I jumped to my feet, racing over to her and sping her into a massive hug. ¡°I thought you were¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Olive,¡± Dahliaughed. ¡°You really think I let those bastards take me?¡±


    ¡°How are you here?¡± I asked, in wonder, gazing up at her. I nced at Giovani with a bewildered but overjoyed expression.


    ¡°She managed to crawl her way back all on her own,¡± Giovani smirked. ¡°That¡¯s Dahlia for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank goodness!¡± I cried tearfully as I buried my face into her shoulder. She was cold to the touch, but I was so happy to see her I didn¡¯t care one bit. ¡°I was so worried for you. I thought something terrible was happening to you, and I tried to go out to search for you, but I didn¡¯t want to get in the way!¡±


    Dahliaughed, wrapping arms around me. It felt like I was being embraced by ice. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Olive. I made you worry, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Never leave me again!¡± I sniffed, clinging to her. ¡°Swear to me, okay?¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t leave you,¡± she said warmly, and a puff of cold air brushed against my shoulder from her breath. ¡°You left me.¡±


    I flinched, guilt shootiing through my stomach as I stepped back.


    ¡°I am so, so¨C¡±


    My apologies fell silent, however, as I nced up at the smile on her face.


    She looked like Dahlia. But she wasn¡¯t. There was something very, very wrong. She grabbed my wrists, her grip tightening and I flinched in pain.


    ¡°That hurts, Dolly,¡± I protested, ncing up at her eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°You left me there, Olive,¡± she said usingly, that same empty smile on her lips. ¡°You left me there, and I had to suffer for it. We promised to stay together, Olive. So why did you leave me?¡±


    ¡°I...¡± I stumbled over my words, my whole body trembling as I gazed over her shoulder to look at Giovani.


    He was smiling like nothing was wrong, his handsome, kind eyes on Dahlia and not me.


    ¡°Did you have fun?¡± she asked, tilting her head innocently. ¡°With him?¡±


    I stepped back, trying to rip my arm from her grip, but she was too strong, and she stepped forward, her smile fading away as her skin began to darken to a deep purple.


    ¡°Did you have fun fucking my cousin while I was out there dying?¡±


    Bruises developed along her face, her eyes folding back into ck holes as she began to decay in front of my very eyes.


    ¡°They killed me, Olive. They killed me because you weren¡¯t there... because you left me.¡±


    ¡°No. Please, no. I didn¡¯t...¡± I sobbed, even as her skin began to peel away, dropping onto the floor with a slimy flop.


    Blood poured down her face like tears as she murmured, ¡°This is all your fault, Olive.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    I screamed, ripping my arms from her grip.


    I sat up, my eyes opening wide.


    I was staring at the bathroom light I had left on. My hand shook as theforter surrounded me tightly, wrapped around me suffocatingly.


    I pulled my arms from the nket, shaking with a cold sweat as I realized it was all a dream. I had fallen asleep and dreamed about Dahlia¨Cof hering back and being dead, of her ming me.


    I suppressed another scream in my throat, the image of Dahlia¡¯s ck holes of eyes seared into my eyelids.


    I scrambled to my feet, still trembling as I made my way out of the door and into the silent hallway. The light under Giovani¡¯s study door was no longer on.


    I sniffled, heading straight for his door and knocking firmly. I didn¡¯t care if he was asleep or on the phone. I couldn¡¯t be alone.


    Not with my nightmares still haunting me.

 Chapter 274 : Warmth

    <h4>Chapter 274: Chapter 274 : Warmth</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I waited, trembling in the cold hallway, for Giovani toe to the door. I could still feel the after effects of the nightmare as my whole body shivered.


    Sweat still clung to my body, freezing against my skin, and I felt like I could copse at any moment. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold myself together as the silence grew longer and longer.


    If I still had the ability, I would¡¯ve been crying, but it seemed my eyes were all dried up at this point.


    I took a shaky breath when there wasn¡¯t an answer for what seemed like forever. I raised my hand to knock harder against the wood, the sound echoing down the empty hallway.


    Just as I was considering saying fuck it and forcing the door open on my own, I finally heard someone shuffling behind the door.


    For a moment, a horrible, irrational sheer terror gripped me.


    The memory of my nightmare shed across my mind¨Cthe me that horrific version of Dahlia hadid on me as she melted away, a corpse, just like I feared.


    What if I was still dreaming, and it would only be that horrible version of Dahlia who answered? What if it was she who was waiting on the other side of the door, those soulless eyes staring into me as she shoved me down my throat?


    What if that was reality and everything before this was a dream? Was I even still awake?


    I swayed on my feet, sping a hand around my head just as the door opened. I flinched, spotting a pair of long legs and whirled my eyes to the figure.


    Relief filled me instantly as I caught sight of deep brown eyes and a handsome face I knew well.


    Giovani stood there, covered in his silky robe. He looked surprised to see me, and I didn¡¯t me him.


    ¡°Olivia?¡± he asked and I nearly copsed into his arms right then and there.


    ¡°Can I please sleep with you?¡± I begged, my voice hoarse and barely above a whisper.


    I saw his eyes flicker up and down my form, a look of concern crossing his features before he nodded, opening the door as he stepped aside.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said softly.


    I breathed a shaky sigh of relief, stepping into his room. My knees were still trembling, but I refused to copse. I heard the door close behind me, and I almost wanted to tell him to lock it to keep the nightmares at bay.


    But you couldn¡¯t escape nightmares with a lock.


    There was a light touch on my back, and I jumped, whirling onto Giovani with wide, frightened eyes.


    ¡°Whoa.¡± He held his hands above him in defense, his eyes turning from concern to downright worry. ¡°What happened?¡±


    I nced at my feet, one of my socks missing and the other barely hanging on. The image of my nightmare shed, the blood and rot of Dahlia pressing down on me, and I winced.


    But how would I describe that? How would I get my feelings out of my throat without sounding like a petnt child?


    ¡°I had a nightmare,¡± I said simply.


    Giovani sighed, moving around me as I shuffled on my one bare foot and one socked one.


    ¡°Here, take a seat,¡± Giovani pulled out one of the two chairsying around the room.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I mumbled, following him and taking the seat he¡¯d offered.


    I stared down at my hands as I heard him moving around, the sound of sses clinking together. Finally, he handed me a ss with a warm amber liquid inside of it.


    I didn¡¯t even try to guess what he offered, I just took the drink. It was cold around my already freezing fingers, but I didn¡¯t care.


    Giovani sighed as he took his seat across from me, the same kind of ss in his hand. I lifted the ss to my lips, taking a sip. It was very smooth but had a very unpleasant aftertaste.


    It was alcohol though, so I poured the rest of the drink right down my throat. It burned as it went down and I coughed deeply.


    ¡°Careful,¡± Giovani said cautiously, and he pried the empty ss from my hand.


    There was silence between us, both of us having nothing to say as I watched him head to the cab full of alcohol to refill my ss.


    He handed it to me cautiously, and I grabbed it, though I didn¡¯t want to drink another drop at the moment.


    I nced down at my hands, my fingernails digging into the skin and picking at it. A bigger hand grabbed my own, surrounding my fingers in warmth as he entwined his own with mine.


    I nced up at Giovani, and he stared down at our hands very seriously.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, you know,¡± he said quietly.


    I swallowed ufortably, not believing a single word of it.


    ¡°Does her family know?¡± I asked quietly. ¡°Her parents and brothers?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Giovani sighed heavily. ¡°Her brothers are on their way already.¡±


    I nodded solemnly and then poured the second drink down my throat. It hurt less than the first time, but I still burst into a coughing fit.


    I heard him sigh, but when I nced back down at my hands, my eyes widened in horror. Red... they were covered in dripping red blood.


    A scream tore out of my throat as I scrambled to my feet. The ss dropped to the floor and shattered into pieces.


    ¡°Olivia!¡± He got to his feet, and I paled, ncing at the ss around my feet and then my hands. They were back to normal¨Cthere was no sign of red anywhere.


    Was I imagining things now? Was I even awake now?


    ¡°Here,¡± Giovani took one step and swept my legs out from under me, pulling me into his arms.


    I hung onto his body, breathing heavily as he moved away from the broken ss.


    He set me gently on the bed, brushing my hair from my face. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± He nced down at me, checking over my body, but I only shook my head.


    ¡°Stay there. I¡¯ll clean it up,¡± he said firmly.


    I watched as he left and headed down the hall to get a broom. I stared at where he¡¯d disappeared, dazed and feeling like I was going out of my mind.


    He came back, broom and dustpan in hand, and I watched as he methodically cleaned up the ss. Once he was satisfied, he headed back to me with expressionless eyes.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± he asked, and I flinched despite myself. ¡°What just happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I muttered quietly, ¡°I had a¨C¡±


    ¡°Nightmare?¡± Giovani finished my words, a frown on his lips. ¡°You need to get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I said, hoarsely. ¡°Not while she¡¯s missing.¡±


    ¡°Olivia,¡± he said, grasping both of my hands as he nced at me pleadingly. ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. If I hadn¡¯t left her¨C¡± I protested, choking on my words.


    ¡°No,¡± He shook his head firmly, squeezing my hand. ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have left her,¡± I hung my head, folding over as I curled into a ball. ¡°I could¡¯ve done something¨C¡±


    ¡°You would¡¯ve been kidnapped right along with her,¡± Giovani growled. ¡°How would that help anybody?¡±


    ¡°At least I¡¯d be with her!¡± I cried, snatching my hand away as I got to my feet. ¡°At least I wouldn¡¯t be here just waiting to see if shees home alive or in a fucking body bag!¡±


    ¡°Olivia!¡± Giovani snapped, grabbing my arms.


    But all the thoughts I¡¯d been holding back poured out of me like a broken dam. I sobbed, pushing against his firm chest even though I knew I wasn¡¯t strong enough to move him.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault! It should¡¯ve been me!¡± I screamed, clenching my fists and pounding them on his chest, ¡°I should¡¯ve¨C¡±


    ¡°Olivia!¡±


    Giovanni wrapped his arms around me tightly, and I fell limp, feeling horrible and empty inside. But truthfully, I knew there was nothing I could¡¯ve done. There was no way I could¡¯ve fought off kidnappers, and I knew Dahlia would¡¯ve hated me being there with her.


    I was so selfish, a horrible best friend who couldn¡¯t control her own emotions. But Dahlia... she was always so much stronger than me. I¡¯d been following her around since we were kids, and I felt so lost without her.


    ¡°I miss her,¡± I confessed, honestly. ¡°I¡¯m so scared she¡¯s hurt and dying, and there¡¯s nothing I can fucking do but cry like a baby. I miss her so damn much.¡±


    Giovani sighed, holding me close. Iid my head on his shoulder, shuddering as I let him do whatever he wanted with me. I felt like a pumpkin on Halloween, like someone had scooped away everything inside of me and reced it with a tiny, flickering me that was slowly fading away... so incredibly fragile.


    And that was how Giovani treated me.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to find her and bring her home, I promise you that,¡± he swore to me, a dark lit to his voice. ¡°Are you ready to sleep now?¡±


    I nodded solemnly, everything evaporating into his warmth as he cradled me.


    Giovani held me for a few minutes but eventually, he swept me off my feet and gentlyid me down into the bed. He pulled theforter over me, and I watched silently as he headed for the light.


    The world fell into darkness, but I wasn¡¯t worried anymore. I saw him moving, just a shadow, but I trusted that it was him, that he would be here for me no matter what.


    Giovani slipped under the covers, and my eyes adjusted to the darkness as he shifted into afortable position.


    He pulled theforter over us and wrapped an arm around me, pulling me across the bed until I was flush against him. I could feel every inch of his skin pressed against mine.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I murmured softly to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± he muttered quietly. We were so close I felt his hot breath brush against my skin. ¡°I should¡¯ve known you wouldn¡¯t have been okay. I¡¯m sorry I left you alone.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head pitifully. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be having a breakdown like a child. I have to be strong¨C¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The firm reply halted any more of my thoughts, and I nced up at him, confused.


    My breath hitched as I saw the deep emotions in his eyes. There was no doubt he cared about me, no doubt that I was special to him... and maybe more.


    Moonlight passed through the window, illuminating the side of his face.


    ¡°Never apologize for your feelings, Olivia,¡± he said so strongly that I could only nod in response.


    He smiled, just a tiny lift to the corner of his lips, but it was enough. His eyes slid closed, and I listened to his breathing, his heartbeat under my fingertips.


    And finally, I felt warm.

 Chapter 275 : Shower Time

    <h4>Chapter 275: Chapter 275 : Shower Time</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I stirred into consciousness as a bright light passed over my closed eyelids. I groaned at the sudden intrusion, turning on my side and away from the offending light.


    I was dazed for a minute as my brain powered up and memories came flooding back¨CDahlia going missing, Giovani leaving and thening back... the terrible nightmare that had awoken me, and how I¡¯d gone to Giovani, the way I¡¯d broken down on him, and he had held me all night until my eyes had closed, and I¡¯d drifted off to sleep.


    I sat up in bed in a hurry, my legs twisted up in the nket as I blinked away the sleep around my eyes. The sun was shining brightly through the window, the curtains pulled away to let it in.


    The room was the same asst night, except for the missing owner of the room.


    My eyes trailed to the right of me, and I reached out for where I thought Giovani had been. It was still slightly warm, indicating he hadn¡¯t been gone for long.


    Where had he gone, though?


    I frowned, my eyes gazing around the room. Theynded on the digital clock on the nightstand, and my eyes widened in surprise.


    It was already past noon. I must¡¯ve slept for a while. It shouldn¡¯t have been much of a surprise considering everything that had happenedst night.


    I brushed my hand down my face, feeling crusty from the dried tear marks I hadn¡¯t cleaned up. Shame rushed through me as I realized how stupid I had been acting.


    My tears were never going to bring Dahlia back, and I¡¯d only inconvenienced Giovani further when he was doing everything in his power to find her. I¡¯d acted like a child.


    I grimaced at the thought.


    But even despite how I acted, he had been so kind and loving toward me. He never raised his voice at me or left me alone.


    He was too kind to me, sometimes more than I could bear. I sighed, pondering if I was ready to get up yet, when I heard the faint sound of water, like rain but deeply muffled.


    My eyes traveled to the bathroom door, and I grinned as I realized where Giovani was. I peeled away the nkets from around me and shivered as I stepped onto the cold hardwood floors.


    I headed straight for the bathroom, tip-toeing across the floor as I gently opened the door. I was d it was unlocked.


    I blushed as soon as I entered. There was a walk-in shower with a simple blurred screen. It did nothing to hide Giovani¡¯s massive, muscr figure behind it as he moved under the water.


    The screen barely hid anything, and my eyes traveled automatically to his lower regions, but to my dismay, the steam was filling the room quickly. With the ss fogged up, it was impossible for me to sneak a nce like I wanted to.


    I stepped into the bathroom, shutting the door quietly behind me. His back was turned to me, and I took the chance to shed my hoodie and underwear, throwing them onto the floor.


    Once I was naked, I headed straight for the shower. I slid the screen open, smooth as butter with no noise to give me away. The heat of the shower hit my body, and goosebumps erupted along my skin.


    It felt good as I stepped inside and shut the door behind me. Giovani had grabbed the soap, and was rubbing it along his chest, facing toward the shower and away from me.


    I smiled as I stepped up to him and ran my fingers along his back.


    Putting the soap down, he turned around in a hurry, surprise in his eyes as theynded on me.


    ¡°Decided to join me, did you?¡±


    He chuckled, amused as I stepped into his space and under the fall of water. The hot water felt good, almost too hot, which was just the way I liked it.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± I asked innocently, tilting my head.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he purred, a grin curling around his lips. ¡°I¡¯d never say no.¡±


    ¡°Can you hand me the soap?¡± I asked.


    Giovani didn¡¯t even look away from me as he reached back and grabbed the bar of soap in one hand. He held it out, and I plucked it from him gently.


    I rubbed it through my palms a few times, letting the water drip over it. The bubbles of the soap foamed up, and I gently set my palms on his chest.


    He watched me with lidded, patient eyes as I rubbed the soap along his chest. The water fell softly around us like rain as the soap was washed away with my every stroke. I didn¡¯t leave a single part of his body untouched as I thoroughly washed him.


    His skin was smooth under my fingers, and I glided down to his abs, feeling every muscle twitch as I moved in round circles.


    It was calming in a way, therapeutic, as I continued the motions around his sides and waist, and then back up to his arms. He held his arm out for me, letting me do whatever I wanted as he watched.


    When I finally felt content, I sent him an expectant look, and he chuckled, turning his back to me. I continued my washing, feeling every inch of him rx from my touch.


    I breathed out. Even after all the things we had done together, this felt more intimate than any of that¨Cjust breathing in the smell of soap, the gentle water raining down on us.


    This was a little world for only the two of us, just me and him, and all of our worries poured off it and went down the drain with the dirt and grime.


    When I finally finished, I hummed in contentment, and he spun around, his eyes soft when he looked at me.


    ¡°Did you have fun?¡± he asked with a lift to his lips.


    I nodded, feeling dazed at how content I felt right now, like I was sleepy, but not in a tired way.


    ¡°Me too?¡± My words slightly slurred as I felt almost drunk, and I held out the soap to him.


    ¡°Of course, carino,¡± He chuckled, ¡°It would be my pleasure.¡±


    I hummed as hisrge hands wrapped around my waist, slowly and methodically rubbing circles into my skin just as I had done to him. He brushed under my breasts and then over them, giving each one proper attention.


    I shut my eyes, leaning my head sleepily against his chest as his hands traveled down the back of my spine. He rubbed all along my body, and I blinked blearily as he stepped back and kneeled onto the floor of the shower.


    There was a very methodical look on his face, determined, as he ran down my legs and then my inner thighs. He gently tapped my legs, and I got the hint immediately as I moved them apart.


    He gazed up at me as he ran his soaped-up hands along my privates, and I shuddered at his touch. He moved past my pulsing pussy, though, even cleaning the bottoms of my feet.


    Once he was absolutely satisfied, he got to his feet and gently flipped the water off.


    Going from the hot water to the abrupt halt was startingly, and I shivered from the sudden change in temperature.


    ¡°Come on, sleepy kitty,¡± he chuckled, holding my cheeks in his hands as he pulled my gaze up to meet him.


    I blinked slowly, still a bit dazed.


    He kissed my lips, quick and innocent. We were still dripping with water, soaked in the hot water, and even after he pulled away from me, intent on heading out, my body only wanted more.


    I grabbed his arm and stood on the very tip of my toes to press my mouth against his. I licked his lips, begging for him to return my kiss, and he did so, happily.


    What was at first innocent soon developed into a burning heat. I breathed out, the steam wrapping around us as I dove into his mouth hungrily.


    For just this moment, I wanted to forget everything else. It was just me and him.


    Giovani walked me backward into the wall and lifted my leg over his waist as he kissed me slowly, taking his sweet time even as I tried to entice him in my hunger.


    I growled, frustrated at his slow pace.


    He chuckled as he asked, ¡°Impatient?¡± between kisses.


    ¡°I want you,¡± I said hurriedly, ¡°so hurry up.¡±


    Giovani grinned, pulling back from our kiss, and I felt his enormous cock as he lined himself up at my entrance, just barely brushing against my sweet spot.


    ¡°As my principessamands,¡± he purred against my ear and then thrust up against me.


    I gasped loudly, my nails digging into the skin of his shoulders as I hung on desperately for my life.


    He didn¡¯t prate me, but my cunt continued to rub against his length as he gripped my ass in his hands forcefully. I threw my head back against the wall, my body aching for him to be inside of me.


    But the orgasm built quickly, and I came just like that, breathing heavily.


    Giovaniughed as I fell bonelessly into his arms, and he fully lifted me, letting me cling to his front. I could still feel his cock pressing against me with every movement, and I groaned.


    We were moving quickly, and Giovani grabbed a condom from his nightstand before settling into bed. He sat me on top of him, and I watched as he reached between our naked bodies to grasp his dick.


    He pulled the condom on and then smirked at me. I reached for his arm, but he only brushed me away, shaking his head.


    I frowned at him, desperate at this point, but he grinned.


    ¡°If you want it, take it,¡± he said, gesturing between us.


    Challenged, I firmly red at him and then stradled him. I lowered myself onto his shaft, gasping out as he finally prated me. Giovani only threw his arms behind his head, watching me as I fully swallowed his cock.


    I breathed out, the position unfamiliar to me. He was deep like always, and I shifted my hips a few times, squeezing down on him.


    He groaned, shutting his eyes, and Iughed before lifting my hips and thrusting back down. We both gasped at the feeling, the tightness, as I did it again.


    My thrusts were sloppy and uneven, but Giovani only watched me, the heat growing as I took him for myself.


    I whined, not feeling enough contact to truly get off, and I sent him a helpless look. That was thest straw, and his eyes darkened.


    His arms snapped around my waist, pulling me down harshly, and I screamed as he hit my deep. He thrust in time with me, punishing and harsh.


    Giovani had no mercy as he fucked me like a monster. I threw my head back as he hit every spot I needed him to.


    Soon, I was panting and writhing on him, gasping as he pounded upward into me. But soon I wasing, and Giovani groaned, following soon behind me.


    I breathed heavily, and Giovani rolled me onto the side, his dick sliding out of me with a pop. Our eyes connected, and the rush of endorphins surged through my brain.


    But as happy as I was, the guilt still lingered.


    ¡°Olivia?¡± Giovani brushed a tear away from my cheek with a look of concern. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± I sniffled, moving closer to him. ¡°I just feel bad that I¡¯m free to do this with you while Dahlia is still being held captive.¡±


    Giovani sighed and nodded. ¡°I understand, but Dahlia wouldn¡¯t want you to be ha¨C¡±


    He didn¡¯t get to finish as there was a loud knock on the door.

 Chapter 276 : Morning Routine

    <h4>Chapter 276: Chapter 276 : Morning Routine</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I was enjoying my morning despite my concerns about Dahlia. My men were on it, and I needed to trust them. Olivia joining me in the shower was a surprise, but one I wasn¡¯t at all adverse to. I wasn¡¯t used to having someone sneak up on me, but then, I was preupied and knew an intruder would never make it into thepound alive. It was a relief to see her in brighter spirits thanst night.


    I was d she was actually smiling. I¡¯d already made ns in my head for us this morning. I would spoil her until she was feeling better while the search for Dahlia continued.


    But all those ns went out the window the moment I heard a hard knock on the door. Only one person was authorized to disturb me, and it wouldn¡¯t be good news.


    My eyes swerved to the door where the knock hade from. I sighed, realizing my time with Olivia was cut short.


    I wanted to spend more time with her, to make sure she was really okay. The look in her eyes, haunted by a nightmare I couldn¡¯t see or hear, was the worst thing in the world. I felt useless and hopeless.


    The brave look in her eye didn¡¯t stop her from crying, from sobbing and spilling her fears. She and Dahlia had always been close; she¡¯d told me so.


    This wasn¡¯t just Olivia losing her best friend. They were more like sisters. I¡¯d never had a bond as close as theirs was, so I could only imagine the pain and fear she was going through.


    She was torn up about Dahlia, and I knew I needed to be there for her, but I knew just as well that finding my cousin was the priority right now.


    I pulled away from Olivia, trying to ignore the sh of insecurity in her eyes before it was hidden deeply behind a false sense of calm. I could see right through her attempts to be brave, but there was nothing I could reassure her with.


    I moved the nket out of the way as I got to my feet, ignoring my nudity. Olivia pulled the nket over her body, hiding it from prying eyes as I rounded the bed.


    There was a second knock on the door, a deeper one, but I ignored it as I entered the bathroom and grabbed a towel from the cab. I wrapped it around my waist and tucked in the ends tightly.


    Once I secured it, I nced at Olivia and made sure she waspletely covered before I opened the door just a crack. I leaned on the doorway, making sure there was no sign of Olivia being in my room.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I demanded, firmly.


    Standing in front of the door was Gabriele, in a suit and looking as stoic as ever. He sent me an urgent nce, and his eyes flickered behind him.


    I spotted Elior and Marco, two of our best. It looked like Gabriele hade through for me. I nodded at them and they nodded back before I turned back to Gabriele.


    ¡°We need to talk, sir,¡± he said respectfully, not even ncing away from my face. He always knew how to be discreet when it called for it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in my office in five minutes,¡± I said, nodding to him as I shut the door. I turned to Olivia, a wary look on her face as I spun on my heel and headed straight for my closet.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Olivia called from the bed. ¡°Was it about Dahlia? Did they find her?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± I called back, as I shed the towel onto the floor and quickly began to dress. I discarded the condom, pulled on my underwear and then pants, buttoning them up. ¡°It¡¯s just Gabriele. He needs to talk with me.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Olivia said, softly.


    I pulled on my shirt, buttoning it up one by one before throwing on my suit jacket over it. I rolled up my sleeves and grabbed a pair of cufflinks. I clicked them into ce and smoothed over my clothes.


    I turned my attention to my hair, staring at myself in the floor mirror hiding in the closet. I ran a hand through my dark hair, smoothing it down.


    It still wasn¡¯tpletely dry, but it was good enough not to be noticed. I stepped out of the closet,pletely dressed and ready.


    I nced over at Olivia, enjoying the way her eyes raked over me. She clutched the nket to her chest, covering her body, but I could see the dip of her lower back, even the way her hair fell over her shoulder in waves.


    She was fucking beautiful. Every time I looked at her, I wanted her even more.


    I headed to the mini-fridge I had tucked into the lower part of the nightstand, opening it up and snatching up a bottle of water.


    Olivia¡¯s eyes followed me, her cheeks slightly red even as she was nude under the nket. I sat on the edge of the bed, handing her the bottle of water.


    ¡°Here, keep hydrated,¡± I told her, watching her take the stic bottle with one hand.


    She let go of the nket, letting it fall around her and exposing her breasts into the air as she took off the cap.


    I couldn¡¯t help my wandering eyes as she took a long drink, some of the water spilling out of her lips and down her chin. Her nipples were hard and fully erect, and I wanted to spend some more time showering how much I appreciated her body, but I was already runningte.


    I smirked at her as she finished off the water in record time. I nted my hand on the bed as I leaned down to kiss her, short and quick before I pulled back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. Wait here until he¡¯s gone, and then head back to your room as discreetly as you can. I¡¯lle check on you soon,¡± I told her.


    She nodded softly, and I got to my feet.


    ¡°I want you to be aware, too,¡± I continued, ¡°that you¡¯ll have two bodyguards at all times now. I don¡¯t want anything happening to you, too.¡±


    A look of protest crossed her face, and she opened her mouth to argue, but I sent her a hard look. She tensed, and her mouth fell closed. Finally, she nodded, even though she was clearly unhappy about it.


    She took it much better than I thought. I was expecting a bit of a fight, but I was d she was able to understand. That didn¡¯t mean I liked the put-out look on her face. If I could, I¡¯d make sure she was always happy, always safe and cared for.


    But reality was a bitch, especially in the world I lived in.


    ¡°It¡¯s only because I care about you,¡± I said, softly. ¡°Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t invade your privacy like this. They won¡¯t enter your space, and if they do anything you don¡¯t like, tell me right away. I¡¯ll switch them out.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± She sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but I get it.¡±


    I smiled at her, pausing to give her onest kiss. She was the one who deepened it, entwining her fingers into my hair. I pulled away reluctantly, wishing I could stay in bed with her.


    But I knew better.


    I opened the door and walked out. Two of my men were standing outside of the door, and I nodded to them.


    Elio was one of the newer recruits. We¡¯d plucked him off the streets, an orphan with nobody left and nowhere to go. I was worried he wouldn¡¯t be experienced enough to guard Olivia at first, but he¡¯de a long way since he¡¯d been picked up as a punk teen.


    Marco, on the other hand, was more experienced and one of our best. He was the silent type and had been with us since James had been the Don. He was well into his sixties, but that didn¡¯t stop him from being a powerhouse.


    Between the two of them, there wouldn¡¯t be a single problem keeping her safe.


    Some might call it overkill, but I wasn¡¯t taking any chances. Thest time I did, Dahlia got snatched up, and I wasn¡¯t going to let that happen a second time.


    ¡°Follow Olivia if she tries to go anywhere, but otherwise, don¡¯t show yourselves. Understand?¡± Imanded them fiercely.


    They had no option but to agree, sending one another a meaningful look. They nced at me, determined and willing to perform their mission, just like I expected of them.


    ¡°Yes, Don,¡± the two replied in unison.


    ¡°If you see or hear anything, call me right away,¡± I told them, turning my back on them as I headed to my office.


    ¡°Don?¡± Elio spoke up, an impatient look in his eyes.


    I nced at him, gesturing with my head to continue.


    ¡°If we do encounter a threat,¡± Elio started, and then he hesitated. He swallowed and plowed on anyway, his chin raised proudly. ¡°Are we allowed to use lethal methods or do we capture them alive?¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at Elio, crossing my arms as I faced him in the middle of the hallway.


    ¡°Do whatever you have to,¡± I said, darkly. ¡°Just keep her safe.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Don,¡± Elio bowed his head.


    ¡°Good,¡± I nodded at them and finally entered the office. I shut the door behind me as Gabriele turned to me with a nk look.


    ¡°I see Marco returned safe and sound,¡± I started with a passive look as I rounded my desk and settled into the chair. ¡°What about Enzo?¡±


    ¡°He took a bullet to the chest. He¡¯s in surgery now,¡± Gabriele reported, casually. ¡°Both were ambushed in the Piazzast night. Seems like the Russians knew just what to do to lure us out.¡±


    ¡°So all of it was nned,¡± I said as I gritted my teeth, ¡°from luring her guards away and striking at the apartment. Still no sign of those stupid boys?¡±


    ¡°Yes, actually,¡± Gabriele replied. ¡°One was found floating in the river. He¡¯d drowned, apparently.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°The Adrian boy. Seems he truly was in the wrong ce at the wrong time. No sign of Dahlia¡¯s date, so we can only assume he knew something or was disposed of elsewhere.¡±


    I crossed my arms, feeling only the tiniest bit of regret for the boys¡¯ death. After catching him with his hands all over Olivia, my sympathy for him was zero.


    Still, though... his death had been sloppy. Either he had just gotten in the way, or he¡¯d been involved.


    ¡°We¡¯d been meant to find him. A warning?¡± I asked, cautiously.


    ¡°I thought the same, but I doubt it.¡± Gabriele shook his head. ¡°Not after this morning.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes upon my old friend, folding my hands in front of me as I digested his words. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Gabriele gave me a dark look, one that did not promise any good news.


    ¡°The Russians finally reached out.¡±

 Chapter 277 : New Visitor

    <h4>Chapter 277: Chapter 277 : New Visitor</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I kept my eyes on the clock as I waited in Giovani¡¯s bed. When ten minutes passed by, I finally stepped out, dropping the nket. I rushed into the bathroom to grab my clothes, pulling on my hoodie, and stuffing my underwear into the oversized pockets.


    I pulled the ends of the hoodie down, hoping it hid enough and nobody saw me. I cracked open the door, my eyes trailing down the hallway before I opened it softly.


    It waspletely empty, with not a sound of anyone there.


    I breathed out, relieved, as I crept into the hallway with light steps, and gently shut Giovani¡¯s door behind me. I checked both sides of the hallway again, paranoid that somebody would walk around the corner and see me at any minute.


    I grabbed the ends of my hoodie and rushed to my own room, throwing open the door and shutting it behind me.


    My back to the door, I sighed, rxing now that I was in my own space. I threw off the hoodie, letting it fall to the floor as I headed for the dresser. I pulled out a simple T-shirt and some shorts, which werefortable and not nearly as revealing as the hoodie with no pants.


    I slipped into my underwear first and then pulled on my clothes. I flipped my hair out of the way and headed for my bathroom.


    Due to having sleptst night without brushing it and then not having dried it after the shower this morning, my hair was a tangled mess. I stared into the bathroom mirror as I ran my brush through it, detangling it to the best of my ability.


    Once I was done, I sat at the vanity in the corner of my room and did my makeup. I never used much makeup, and I only owned a few items including asimple eyeshadow palette, but I wanted to look a little special.


    I pulled out the eyeliner and brushed it across my top lids, but my hands weren¡¯t as steady as they usually were, so I slipped.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I cursed, dropping the eyeliner.


    A ck line was smudged across my face, horrible and ugly. I sighed. Dahlia was so much better at this. She was a genius with makeup, and I couldn¡¯t help but miss her now. She¡¯d be able to do this with her eyes closed.


    No matter how much I tried, I just didn¡¯t have the talent for free-handing eyeliner.


    I cleaned it up, forgoing it today as I did the minimum, and then I considered myself done. As I gazed into the mirror, however, I couldn¡¯t help hating what I saw.


    The area under my eyes was slightly red still, swollen from how much I¡¯d been cryingst night. In addition, I was a shade or two paler than normal; my skin looked like a ghost who hadn¡¯t seen sunlight.


    Even with makeup and brushed hair, I was far from the beauty I wanted to see. I sighed, turning away from the mirror in disgust.


    I grabbed my phone from where I had left it chargingst night. I frowned as I spotted eleven missed calls on the front screen.


    I winced as I saw that ten of them were from my mother and one was from my mother¡¯s new husband. Thest call had been fifteen minutes ago. I knew my mother, and she was not a patient person.


    I hoped she hadn¡¯t called the police by now as I hit her ID and ced the phone to my ear.


    I sat on the edge of the bed as the phone rang once, twice, thrice. I heard a click as it went straight to voice messaging.


    So much for that. She¡¯d call me back when she got the time.


    I sighed, unplugging my phone from the charger and getting to my feet. My stomach rumbled as I realized how little I had eatenst night.


    I¡¯d been more concerned with getting away from Adrian than I was with eating, especially since he¡¯d ordered me a ravioli mushroom te. I hated mushrooms with a burning passion.


    Still, though, even if I didn¡¯t like Adrian, I hoped he was okay too. I didn¡¯t know if he was missing like Dahlia was, but I hoped not.


    My rumbling stomach led me to head down to the kitchen. But as I descended the stairs, I heard the clinking of dishes and someone moving around in the kitchen.


    I entered, wary of any intruders, only to spot one of the maids preparing to cook. She moved around the kitchen with familiarity, and I frowned as I spotted her taking a steaming dish out of the oven.


    All kinds of dishes lined the table, and the scents brushed over me...salty meats and sweets. It was dizzying at how much food had been piled up.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked curiously.


    The maid jumped, turning to me with wide eyes.


    ¡°Oh, signorina,¡± the tall Italian woman said, grasping a hand over her heart like I had startled her.


    I felt a little bad for scaring her.


    ¡°I am preparing for lunch. We have guestsing today.¡±


    ¡°Guests?¡± I frowned, ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The young master,¡± she said happily, like I would know who that was.


    I had always found it a little weird how the maids in this ce referred to Giovani as the ¡°master.¡± We weren¡¯t living in the Victorian era, but I guessed they did things differently here. Rich people sure were different.


    As I nced at the spread on the table, I felt a little nauseous at the thought of eating any of the heavier foods. Sausages and sandwiches were nice, but I wasn¡¯t a hundred percent today. I needed something lighter.


    ¡°If you¡¯re done, do you mind if I make myself some food? Just something a little more simple,¡± I asked her with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling too great today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course, signorina. Preparations are done anyway. Please.¡±


    She stepped to the side, and I smiled kindly at her as I headed straight for the pantry.


    I debated only for a tiny bit before grabbing a loaf of bread. I cut two slices of bread and stuck them into the toaster. Bread was different in Italy than it was in th US. This was fresh.


    A little toast sounded wonderful right now.


    I headed for the fancy coffee machine Giovani had bought. He preferred making his own from actual beans, but Dahlia and I were American. We had simpler tastes.


    As the coffee brewed, my toast dinged, and I wiped some butter on it, grabbed my coffee and sat down at the ind.


    I only made it through one piece of bread and a bite of the other before I was full. I¡¯d never been a big eater to begin with, but today I was even less so. I sipped on my coffee instead, breathing a sigh of relief as the caffeine went straight to my brain.


    I was already feeling more awake by the time my phone began to ring.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I answered, not even ncing at the caller.


    ¡°Olivia!¡± My mother¡¯s worried voice poured out from the phone. ¡°Where have you been? Are you okay? I¡¯ve called you so many times, and you didn¡¯t answer! I was worried sick about you!¡±


    I smiled, relieved to hear her. I missed her and my stepdad a lot, especially right now.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom,¡± I apologized. ¡°I left my phone in the other room, and I didn¡¯t see your calls until I woke up. I kinda slept inte.¡±


    ¡°You need to be more responsible, youngdy! I about panicked when I couldn¡¯t get in contact with you. Your father had to stop me from calling the police!¡±


    I chuckled, the image of my stepdad probably hiding her phone from her to stop her a little funny. She¡¯d always been overly worried about me, probably because I was her only child. She could be a bit overprotective sometimes.


    ¡°Sorry, Mom. I just....¡±


    I trailed off, not sure how to tell her about everything that happened.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t feeling well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, baby.¡± She sighed, and I felt the heat of tears welling up in my eyes.


    God, I missed her so much. I wished she was here so she could wrap me up in her arms like when I was a child.


    But this wasn¡¯t a case of skinning my knee or getting lost in the department store. This was much worse than that.


    ¡°Dahlia... she....¡± I choked on my own voice, the words noting out like I wanted them to. Saying it would make it feel too real.


    ¡°I know,¡± my mom said sadly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me as soon as you heard? I¡¯ve been losing my mind worried about you girls. I wish you had told me. Are you okay at least?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve just been in shock. I feel lost without her, Mom. I¡¯m so worried all the time about what¡¯s happening to her and if she¡¯lle back¨C¡±


    ¡°Hush now, none of that,¡± my mom cut through, that no-nonsense tone in her voice. ¡°Now listen to me, Olivia. I may not have given birth to her, but I helped raise that girl. Dahlia¡¯s a fighter, always has been. You got to believe in her, baby.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I chuckled, remembering how many times Dahlia had proven how strong she was. When I¡¯d gotten bullied in elementary school, she¡¯d chased the boys around by threatening to give them cooties.


    When a kid pushed me in the mud, she¡¯d jumped right in after me and called it a ¡°spa day.¡± Dahlia had always been there for me, strong and proud. It was time for me to return that strength.


    ¡°I talked to that man, Giovani, was it?¡± my mom continued, a bit of a stern tone to her voice. ¡°He told me what happened, but he hasn¡¯t been as forting as I¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been very kind to me, Mom.¡± The defense shot out before I had time to stop it, and I grimaced at how I sounded. ¡°He¡¯s just a bit stressed. He¡¯s doing everything he can to find Dahlia and keep me safe.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± my mom sighed. ¡°But I¡¯m still worried about you. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you, too, Olivia. That¡¯s why I think you shoulde home.¡±


    ¡°Mom,¡± I gasped. ¡°I¡¯m not going to just up and leave, not while Dahlia¡¯s still missing.¡±


    ¡°Olivia, there is nothing you can do for Dahlia right now. It¡¯s best to leave this to the professionals. Dahlia would never want you to stay there if it meant you were in danger, and neither do I. That¡¯s why you need toe home.¡±


    I swallowed ufortably, my gaze trailing upstairs to where Giovani was in his study.


    I didn¡¯t want to leave Dahlia, that was true, but I also didn¡¯t want to leave Giovani. I wanted to see this through to the end, no matter how much danger it might put me in.


    ¡°Sorry, Mom, but I¡¯m not leaving, not until Dahlia¡¯s with me,¡± I said, determinedly.


    She sighed heavily, and I knew that for the moment I had won. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about thister, Olivia,¡± she said. ¡®I love you. Be safe.¡±


    ¡°Love you, too,¡± I said, ending the phone call.


    Just as I set my phone on the counter, I heard the sound of the door opening, and I stiffened, whirling my gaze to the kitchen entrance.


    ¡°Anybody home?¡± a familiar voice called out.


    It couldn¡¯t be.


    A tall figure appeared with sunsses on his aristocratic face. His Italian descent was obvious even from far away as he stepped into the kitchen. His lips curled into a bright grin as he threw open his arms in greeting.


    ¡°Hey, Livi!¡± he grinned. ¡°Did you miss me?¡±


    ¡°Tallon?¡± I asked, dumbfounded.


    It was Dahlia¡¯s younger brother.

 Chapter 278 : Dmitri

    <h4>Chapter 278: Chapter 278 : Dmitri</h4>


    *Giovani*


    ¡°The Russians finally reached out.¡±


    Gabriele¡¯s words were not reassuring. I knew from experience that the Zaytsevs were not forgiving people, nor were they patient. Nothing those bastards said was going to be good.


    ¡°What did they say?¡± I ground my teeth together, ring at Gabriele.


    If they reached out, it was only out of arrogance. They thought they had won already, and now they were taunting us.


    He sighed, crossing his arms. ¡°They said there¡¯s no getting Dahlia back alive, but they¡¯re willing to allow us to pay for the return of her body.¡±


    I was fucking right.


    Pay for her body?


    What kind of arrogant bullshit was this?


    Dahlia wasn¡¯t a bargaining piece. She was family. I wasn¡¯t supposed to allow anything to happen to her, and now I couldn¡¯t even confirm if she was alive.


    I could only imagine what Dahlia was going through right now. She was strong. James and Ba had raised her that way, but being kidnapped for nearly two days now was bound to take its toll.


    I had no idea what they were saying to her or threatening her with, but I had no doubt it was going to haunt her for a long while. I should¡¯ve protected her better, should¡¯ve kept her locked in thepound, even if it made her hate me.


    At least then she would be safe.


    Silence settled between us like an unwanted stare. It was both ufortable and necessary. My thoughts whirled at a hundred per second, ns both forming and falling apart at record speed.


    I could only stare nkly at my desk, wondering what I should do. If we got close, I had no doubt they would kill Dahlia just to spite us.


    We had to make sure this was foolproof before we did anything, or else, Dahlia would be paying for our mistakes.


    This was proving to be more of a headache than I¡¯d first thought.


    ¡°Who is bold enough to act like this?¡± I asked coldly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had people looking into it. There¡¯s no concrete evidence, but we do have one lead.¡± Gabriele said, leaning against the wall as he stared at me. ¡°A man by the name of Dmitri Zyatsev.¡±


    I paused at the name, ncing up at Gabriele as my anger grew. Just the name Zyatsev was enough to have my blood run cold. Mikhail had been a bad enough son of a bitch, but I thought we had killed him years ago.


    Now, there was another one?


    ¡°Any rtion to Mikhail?¡±


    ¡°His cousin. Much younger, but it seems he¡¯s taken control over the family business,¡± Gabriele told me, a dangerous look in his eye. ¡°He¡¯s inexperienced, but he has a lot of connections. So far, we¡¯ve tracked him to three different aliases. He¡¯s not going to go down easily.¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect anything less. Anyone rted to Mikhail was a headache. That¡¯s why we made sure to wipe out all of the Russians years ago. James knew they would never stop until they got their revenge.


    Looks like he was right. Old haunts weren¡¯t just rising from the dead; they had only pretended to be defeated.


    I growled, mming my hand on the table. ¡°I knew this was rted to that bastard. They just couldn¡¯t stay dead, could they? Is this revenge for what James and I did? But why wait all this time?¡±


    ¡°So far, we¡¯ve got nothing on him,¡± Gabriele sighed. ¡°He¡¯s more slippery than a snake, and he has connections in high ces. Somebody¡¯s protecting him, somebody with a lot of power. Considering the message he left, though, I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s got a grudge against us. Maybe it was what you and James did Mikhail and the other brothers. Who knows? But he¡¯s not willing to let this go.¡±


    This was more troubling than I had first thought. Who the fuck could be backing him? There were countless names who wanted to destroy our family, but none of them had the resources to keep Dmitri hidden.


    It¡¯d have to be someone at the very top, with money, power, and connections all within their hands, someone we wouldn¡¯t be able to touch. Honestly, I could go through a list and still never find the right name.


    It didn¡¯t even matter now anyway. Fixing this mess was going to take more than digging old grudges to the surface.


    I got to my feet, ignoring Gabriele as I headed straight for the liquor cab. I grabbed my heaviest scotch and two sses, pouring out the scotch, ignoring the slight ssh of the expensive alcohol, and handing the full ss to Gabriele.


    He took it gratefully and watched me silently as I poured myself a ss, taking the bottle with me as I sat back down at my desk.


    I downed the ss of scotch, the smooth liquid falling down my throat in a burn I was used to. Maybe it was too early to be drinking, but I was pissed.


    It was much easier to handle this conversation with alcohol.


    Once the ss was empty, I spared no time in refilling it. Gabriele had only taken a sip of his own, and I sighed, mming the bottle of scotch onto the desk.


    ¡°Do we know what he wants?¡± I nced at him expectantly.


    Gabriele hesitated and then sighed. ¡°It seems from his actions that he isn¡¯t just trying to get revenge. He¡¯s been nning this for a long time. He¡¯s been recklessly using everything he has near him to get to us, but we aren¡¯t the only ones he¡¯s caught the attention of.¡±


    Shit.


    ¡°The police or bigger?¡± I questioned angrily.


    ¡°Bigger,¡± Gabriele scoffed. ¡°He¡¯s taking this all the way to the top.¡±


    A show like this needed an audience, and he was practically begging for one. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me one bit if he had ulterior motives for taking Dahlia. If it wasn¡¯t for us, the disappearance of Dahlia would be in the headlines.


    We¡¯d already had to stop several publications from snooping around where they didn¡¯t belong. I guessed Dimitri had underestimated us. We controlled the press in Italy, and if we didn¡¯t want something on the front page, we had the money to keep it silent.


    But it wouldn¡¯t work forever. The longer this dragged out, the harder it was to keep it under wraps. James and Ba knew the protocol, and I knew they could keep this secret, but I¡¯d even had to talk to Olivia¡¯s mother.


    Neither of them had been happy with the secrecy, but after working with James for so long, I was sure she knew more than she wewasre letting on. She demanded I send Olivia back to the States.


    I told her it was up to Olivia, despite every atom in my body screaming not to let her out of my sight.


    ¡°Is he trying to take us all down?¡± I sighed, rubbing my forehead of the building headache.


    ¡°It seems like it.¡± Gabriele nodded. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more dangerous than a man with nothing to lose. He might be trying to destroy all of us in ast attempt to destroy the family.¡±


    This Dmitri was ying with fire, but he wasn¡¯t just ying to burn us. He was going to set himself ame and take us down with him. I always knew the Zaytsevs were ticking time bombs but this was insane, even for the Russians.


    I felt like I was walking on a tightrope. Any single movement could set him off. Then, he¡¯d kill Dahlia and the entire family I¡¯d worked so hard for. Everything could go up in mes, and there would be nothing I could do.


    But first things first. We had to get Dahlia back, not as a body, but alive.


    ¡°Do we have any idea where she is?¡± I nced at him expectantly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gabriele nodded.


    ¡°Where?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°An empty two-story house near Signoria square,¡± Gabriele responded, taking a drink of the scotch.


    ¡°So why haven¡¯t you gotten her back yet?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°I have a team working on it. They¡¯ve surrounded the house. They¡¯re preparing for extraction as we speak,¡± Gabriele sent me a nce. ¡°But it¡¯s moreplicated than we thought. Not only do we have no eyes into the building, but we have no clue how many are inside. It doesn¡¯t help that they chose such a popted area.¡±


    ¡°Merde,¡± I cursed, shutting my eyes tightly. ¡°It¡¯ll be impossible to get in and out without getting noticed.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Gabriele nodded.


    I grabbed my drink and downed my second ss, mming it back down on the desk. They¡¯d really driven us into a corner this time.


    ¡°Keep pressure on them for now. If we cut off their resources, they¡¯ll have more difficulty listening to orders from above,¡± I told him angrily. ¡°I don¡¯t care what it takes, Gabriele. Bring Dahlia back unharmed.¡±


    ¡°Easier said than done, boss,¡± Gabriele scoffed. ¡°Why do you always give me the hard missions?¡±


    I snorted, ncing at him with a stern look. ¡°Would you prefer to be in charge?¡±


    ¡°Cavolo, no,¡± he shuddered, as he finished off his drink and ced the cup upside down on my desk. ¡°I much prefer getting my hands dirty. It¡¯s no fun being the boss.¡±


    I smirked, shaking my head at his predictable answer. There was a reason Gabriele had be my second inmand. Not only was he capable, but I trusted him with my life.


    He had never wanted to be in charge of anything and was more easy-going than I was. I didn¡¯t like being told what to do, but Gabriele... he¡¯d follow orders any day if it meant he wouldn¡¯t have to make the hard decisions.


    It was his best and worst trait.


    Any humor in me faded away as I realized there was onest loose string to take care of.


    ¡°What about the body of the boy?¡± I asked, pouring myself a third drink of scotch. I didn¡¯t drink this one, just swirled the liquid around as I thought of the corpse.


    ¡°idental drowning while inebriated, apparently,¡± Gabriele answered coldly. ¡°Parents suspected nothing else. I kept a tab on them just in case, but they¡¯re oblivious. Didn¡¯t even have contact with him in the past two years.¡±


    I sighed.


    ¡°Make sure Olivia doesn¡¯t find out. Keep it out of the press,¡± I growled.


    The minute she found out her date was dead, I feared the repercussions. She was already struggling with Dahlia missing, but putting more stress on top of her... forget it.


    There was no reason for her to grieve for someone so unimportant, no matter how callous it sounded.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Gabriele rolled his eyes.


    The two of us were interrupted, however, by a sharp knock on the door.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I snapped.


    The door cracked open, and one of the maids stepped inside, a nervous look on her face.


    ¡°Master Tallon is here, sir,¡± she said, quietly. ¡°He¡¯s eating with Signorina Olivia.¡±

 Chapter 279 : Humor Me

    <h4>Chapter 279: Chapter 279 : Humor Me</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Tallon?¡±


    The name fell from my lips as I stared at the teenager in bewilderment and surprise.


    Tallon was the youngest of Dahlia¡¯s brothers, but since the three were so close in age, it never felt like it. He was only a year younger than Dahlia and me, so we¡¯d always gotten along.


    It helped that Tallon had a very easy going personality. Alessandro, Dahlia¡¯s eldest brother, on the other hand, was a bit more high-strung. Tallon was a perfect mix of his parents¡¯ descent, though his looks leaned a bit more on his father¡¯s side with the Italian heritage.


    With golden tan skin and dark curly, brown hair, Tallon had always been leaner than his brother and father, who were more muscr, and that made him look more approachable and boyish, like a pretty boy who was fit to be on the cover of a popstar magazine.


    Dahlia used to joke that he could join a boy band and fit right in.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I got to my feet, rushing over to him with a huge smile.


    I threw my arms around his neck, and heughed, bright and boisterous as he picked me up in his arms and swung me around. Iughed as he set me gently on my feet. He lifted the sunsses from his eyes and onto the top of his head, revealing the baby blue he¡¯d inherited from his mother.


    ¡°Am I not allowed to drop in for a visit, Livi?¡± Tallon grinned, throwing his arm around my shoulders as he walked me back to the kitchen ind.


    I took my seat, and he grabbed the one across from me, crossing his legs and leaning back like he was a model in a photo shoot.


    I rolled my eyes at his dramaticism, grabbing my coffee. ¡°I¡¯m just surprised to see you. I thought you said you were on vacation with your friends. Bahamas, right?¡±


    ¡°Eh, it got a little boring. Once you¡¯ve seen one beach, you¡¯ve seen them all,¡± Tallon shrugged, sending me a wink.


    I shook my head fondly, a smile pulling at the corner of my lips. By just having him here, I felt a thousand times lighter already. By his disposition, I thought he must not know about his sister yet, and I didn¡¯t want to tell him.


    He¡¯d always been good at cheering others up. It was like he was just a ball of sunshine, and every time he stepped into a room, he infected everyone else with his light.


    ¡°What about James and Ba?¡± I asked. ¡°Do they know you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Of course they do. You think I¡¯d fly to Italy without telling my parents?¡± Tallon scoffed, crossing his arms like he was offended at the very thought.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I grinned. ¡°You¡¯ve done it before.¡±


    Tallon opened his mouth to respond but then shut it in defeat. ¡°Okay, for the record, I did tell Dad, but he was the one who threw me under the bus for not telling Mom.¡±


    ¡°She can be scary when she wants to be,¡± I smirked. ¡°Didn¡¯t she ground you for an entire summer and take away your allowance?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s in the past,¡± Tallon waved his hand dismissively at me then folded his hands together, leaning his head in the middle of them as he grinned at me. ¡°Mom and Dad both know I¡¯m here, and they supported it actually. They wanted toe too, considering the circumstances.¡±


    So he did know. My smile fell at the reminder, and I nced down at my coffee. It was mostly lukewarm by now. I clenched my hands around it, grasping what little heat I could.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I mumbled. ¡°I should¡¯ve stopped her¨C¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Tallon nced at the wall, a distant and fond look in his eyes. ¡°Do you remember that one time Dahlia tried to bring a roon inside as a pet? She thought it would be like a puppy and dragged me and you along with her.¡±


    I did.


    The memory was a fond one, though it hadn¡¯t been at the time. Dahlia had wanted a puppy more than anything, but after the disaster that happened when James had given her a rabbit, Ba had forbidden him from getting her one.


    Dahlia found the roon in the forest by the school. It was trapped in a cage. In all honesty, it had probably been caught by animal control or something, but Dahlia thought it was just like an extra fluffy puppy.


    She¡¯d demanded we take him in to be his new pet, and we¡¯d dragged the cage over a mile back to her house. We¡¯d only been in elementary school, so we didn¡¯t really know any better.


    ¡°She tried to give it a bath,¡± Iughed. ¡°We all ended up getting bit and had to get rabies shots. Ba had been furious.¡±


    Tallon chuckled, ncing at me with a soft look. ¡°You tried to stop her.¡±


    ¡°I did?¡± I looked up in surprise.


    Tallon nodded, seriously. ¡°You told her it was a bad idea, but Dahlia is Dahlia. She doesn¡¯t listen to anybody. You couldn¡¯t stop her back then, and you couldn¡¯t stop her this time either. It¡¯s not your fault. That¡¯s just Dahlia.¡±


    I smiled, my eyes watering up as the hole in my chest began to fill up with softness. He was right. I still felt guilty about leaving her behind, but Dahlia did what she wanted.


    Tallon reached to grab my hand, a rare serious look on his face. ¡°You didn¡¯t kidnap Dahlia, nor did you pay the people who did. You are not responsible for this, Livi.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    I nearly jumped out of my skin, spinning on the ind stool as I pulled away from Tallon. Giovani was leaning against the kitchen entrance, and right behind him was Gabriele.


    For a moment, I thought he might be angry and might misunderstand the closeness between me and Tallon, but there was a calm look in his eyes, sure and confident.


    ¡°Gio!¡± Tallon grinned widely as he got to his feet. ¡°How¡¯s it hanging, cuz?¡± His emotions were hard to read¨Cit was like it hadn¡¯t sunk in thath is sister was missing.


    ¡°Tallon,¡± Giovani nodded at him, a slight curve to his lips as Tallon walked right up to him and hugged him tightly. They did that guy thing where Giovani patted him on the back before breaking apart.


    Gabriele, behind them, looked as cold as the first time I¡¯d seen him, just bored andpletely impassive.


    I nced at Giovani with a frown. ¡°Have there been any updates from the police yet? Did they find Dahlia or Lorenzo and Adrian?¡±


    Giovani stiffened in ce, his dark eyes meeting mine for a moment. I could see him wavering over something, pondering, though I didn¡¯t know what.


    Gabriele just gave me a look like I was stupid. I would be offended if I hadn¡¯t seen him give the exact same look to Dahlia when she didn¡¯t know how to work the ice maker in the fridge, only to realize it wasn¡¯t an ice maker but a water dispenser.


    The three men looked at one another with varying looks, like they knew something I didn¡¯t, and I frowned. Had I said something weird?


    ¡°Police?¡± Gabriele repeated like I¡¯d just offended his ancestors. ¡°What the fuck is she talking about?¡±


    He red at Giovani, demanding an exnation, but Giovani only sighed. Tallon, on the other hand, shook his head like he was disappointed, an amused glint in his eyes as he leaned against the wall.


    ¡°Wow, so you still haven¡¯t figured it out, have you?¡± Tallon crossed his arms, but I could see the amused twinkle in his eyes. ¡°You can be so oblivious sometimes, Livi.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I narrowed my eyes at Tallon, who onlyughed in response.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± Giovani finally stepped forward, ncing hesitantly at me as he asked very slowly and deliberately, ¡°Do you know what James used to do for a living?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with anything?¡± I snapped, in a bad mood from how odd they were acting. I was stupid or oblivious, but they were clearly holding some vital information back from me.


    ¡°Humor me,¡± Giovani tilted his head, shing me that charming smile of his.


    My mouth dried up as I sped my jaw shut tightly.


    ¡°Please?¡±


    Shit. He looked so goddamn handsome as he stared at me like I was the only thing that mattered in the world.


    I clenched my legs together, ncing away first, and I saw his smile turn into a smirk. That bastard knew what he was doing to me, and he did it anyway.


    ¡°He helps Ba run a charity in Guatem,¡± I sighed, finally relenting.


    Giovani breathed in and slowly nodded, like he was talking to a child who wasn¡¯t getting a simple math problem. My temper was ring up at this point, and I wanted to scream at them to get it over with.


    ¡°Well, yes, that¡¯s true. And I guess you could consider what James used to do before that a charity of sorts,¡± Giovani said amused.


    Tallon burst intoughter behind him, and I red at him. He pped a hand over his mouth, muffling the giggles, but I could still hear them.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± Giovani said, gaining my attention back to him. ¡°Before any of that, do you know where James¡¯ money came from?¡±


    Of course I did.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it family money?¡± I asked, tilting my head confused. ¡°I thought the Valentinos were just rich.¡±


    Giovani sighed. ¡°Not quite. James made a lot of his money himself, though ther Italian side of the money also made a lot of money, but that¡¯s not where it came from.¡±


    Tallon was still chuckling in the background, enjoying every moment of this.


    I frowned, thinking back for a moment. I felt stupid at this point, all the hints they¡¯d been dropping not making a lick of sense. I still didn¡¯t even understand why this mattered in the first ce.


    ¡°So he has a business?¡± I asked, tilting my head in confusion.


    Tallon burst into howls ofughter, almost crying at this point as he leaned his hands on his knees.


    I flushed, still not understanding, until Gabriele muttered, ¡°Oh, for the love of God.¡±


    Gabriele stepped forward, pushing Giovani out of the way as he red down at me.


    ¡°The police don¡¯t know anything about Dahlia or who took her. They don¡¯t even know she¡¯s missing. We didn¡¯t tell the police, and in fact, we actively hid that information to keep everyone in this room safe. We won¡¯t be letting them know anything, and neither will you, unless you want everyone in this room to end up in a body bag or behind bars."


    My mouth fell open as I stared at the raving-mad man who¡¯d just spouted out a speech I could barely follow.


    "Enough, Gabriele!" Giovani snapped, pushing him away from me.


    "The police don¡¯t know? Why not?" I whirled onto Giovani with a shocked and irritated look.


    Giovani sighed, grasping my shoulders as he very seriously looked me in the eyes.


    "Gabriele¡¯s right, Olivia. The police can¡¯t know."


    They can¡¯t?


    Maybe I really was stupid because I felt like the kitchen had been turned upside down.


    Dahlia was missing. If someone¡¯s missing, you go to the police and start a search. What on earth were they talking about?


    But thinking back, something had always been odd about Dahlia¡¯s family¨Cthe fact that they had maids and servants who called them "sir" or "master¡± and ¡°madam."


    Also, there was the neverending pool of money that ended up in Dahlia¡¯s credit card, and the weird evasive answers to anything I asked about the family business.


    Something had always been fishy but since I¡¯d grown up with these people, I never thought to question it before.


    What did James do for a living? What did Giovani do? Why did this have anything to do with Dahlia being missing?


    I opened my mouth, bewildered and annoyed and frustrated as I finally asked the burning question inside of me.


    ¡°Why?¡±

 Chapter 280 : Truth Revealed

    <h4>Chapter 280: Chapter 280 : Truth Revealed</h4>


    *Giovani*


    There was awkwardness in the air as Olivia stared up at me with those wide, innocent eyes. It was clear to me that she had no clue what I was talking about.


    I could feel Tallon and Gabriele¡¯s eyes on me, wondering what I was going to say, but no matter how much I tried, the words wouldn¡¯t fall from my lips.


    It was like there was a hard ball of lead stuck in my throat, cutting off my airway, and all I could do was try to swallow it down pathetically.


    I had a choice to make right here.


    I could keep silent and not tell her that everything she had thought was true was actually not¨Cthat her mother had been hired by the former head of an Italian mafia family, and she had grown up with their kids like siblings.


    I could tell her she was living inside of the mafia¡¯spound and that everyone around her had known before she did that Dahlia had been kidnapped because of a grudge from long before she was born, and that Olivia was now in that same danger without her ever knowing it.


    I could tell her and risk the chance that she might ept it, risk that she would still gaze at me with those sweet and caring eyes, that she would still want to be with me in whatever kind of rtionship we were in.


    Either way, I had no idea how she was going to react, but I had to do something right now. I had to make a choice. I just didn¡¯t know what the right one was.


    I sat down in the seat next to her, grasping her hands in mine as I very seriously gazed at her, hoping no one else in the room could read my emotion as anything other than concern for my missing cousin¡¯s best friend. She frowned, clearly uneasy, and I wanted to wipe away what was making her so anxious because she should always be happy and safe and loved.


    ¡°Giovani?¡± she questioned, her pouty lips drawn into a deep frown.


    It was incredible to me that she hadn¡¯t figured it out yet, that she had gone her entire life without knowing even a hint of James¡¯s former lifestyle that he¡¯d brought Ba into. She had been here for weeks and still hadn¡¯t caught on to the fact that I ran an Italian mafia family.


    But her mother had to have known. At the very least, she had to have signed a non-disclosure agreement the minute she signed a working contract. But her mother had gone this long without saying anything for a reason.


    Who was I to break the bubble, to thrust her into a world she wasn¡¯t prepared for?


    Still, though, a piece of me wanted her to know, wanted to blurt out the secret right here and now. Under her honest eyes, it was impossible for me to lie right now.


    She trusted me and for some reason I couldn¡¯t exin, I felt like she was trustworthy as well, that she would keep this secret.


    So I nced up at her determinedly and made up my mind. I was standing on the edge of a cliff and I took a leap of faith.


    ¡°This ce is guarded twenty-four-seven. There are hundreds of people living here; servants are just a small fraction. Surely, you¡¯ve noticed the insane security, the way all of the guards carry guns on them? This isn¡¯t just a mansion. It¡¯s apound,¡± I started out slowly.


    She frowned, her eyes flickering to the right as she thought about it.


    ¡°I mean, yeah,¡± she said, a bit confused, ¡°but James and Ba¡¯s house is like that too¨Cthe security I mean. It¡¯s always really thorough.¡±


    No wonder she wasn¡¯t getting any of this. She probably thought all rich people had James and Ba¡¯s standards.


    Tallon shook his head, ¡°Just spell it out man, or she¡¯ll never get it.¡±


    I shot him a re, and he only smirked back. Cheeky teenager.


    ¡°Ourpound is so heavily secured because we are always concerned about kidnapping and assassinations. That¡¯s why I tried to put guards on Dahlia, but she kept refusing them and trying to lose them,¡± I exined softly.


    ¡°I get that you guys are rich and all, but the people who took Dahlia didn¡¯t do it for money, did they?¡± she asked, and I could see as some of the pieces began to click in ce for her. ¡°If they had, they would¡¯ve sent a ransom or something.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I nodded. ¡°Dahlia wasn¡¯t taken for money. She was kidnapped due to another family wanting revenge against us. It was something that started long ago, before she was born, but due to her being rted to us, she was involved.¡±


    She crossed her arms, shaking her head firmly. ¡°Like a former business partner of her dad or something? But how could any respectable man hire men to kidnap an eighteen-year-old girl?¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t,¡± I said, a helpless smile on my lips.


    She nodded as if agreeing with me, and I decided to take a more direct approach.


    ¡°Who, besides the military, has apound where they keep guards and soldiers, Olivia?¡± I asked, firmly. ¡°Who has the power to keep a kidnapping out of the press without the government?¡±


    She pondered, a thoughtful and distant look to her as she stared at her hands like she was remembering and thinking at the same time. Finally, a small smile burst onto her lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, the mafia or something?¡± Sheughed, like the very thought was ridiculous.


    I squeezed her hand tightly. Just the word out of her lips sounded wrong, like something dirty and horrible, not something someone like her should be talking about.


    When she realized that nobody else wasughing, all three of us just staring firmly at her, Olivia¡¯sugh died away. She looked over my shoulder at Tallon and then Gabriele.


    Finally, she looked at me with wide eyes, the realization dawning on her. There was a question on her face, a silent request to tell the truth and that what she was thinking was correct.


    Silently, I nodded in confirmation.


    Her mouth fell open in shock, eyes widening into saucers as she gazed at me nkly. I just held her hand worriedly and silently, wondering how she would take this.


    What if I¡¯d made the wrong decision? What if she wanted nothing to do with me now?


    Her mother was already asking her to head back to the states. What if she decided this was too much and took the first ne home? Could I let her go?


    The thought of her leaving had the possessive part of me screaming in defiance, demanding that I keep her close and by my side. I¡¯d never felt anything like this with any other woman, only her.


    She was everything I wanted, but if she decided to leave me right now, could I recover from that? Could I just smile and let her get on that fucking ne, never to see her again?


    I swallowed ufortably, realizing a part of me had been putting this off, scared she might run, terrified she might never want to see me again after this. But ultimately, it¡¯d had to be done.


    This was my life.


    I was the Don of the Valentino family, the mafia in Italy. I had epted that position from James and all the responsibility it came with.


    I nced behind me at Tallon and then Gabriele, both of whom looked just as tense as me. I could see the calcting look in Gabriele¡¯s eyes, already crunching the numbers to see if she¡¯d run or call the police.


    Tallon, on the other hand, was just waiting, a nervous look under that casual bravado of his. He was only seventeen, after all. He was still just a kid, and Olivia was like a sister to him.


    If she refused to ept this, she wouldn¡¯t just be rejecting me, but also Tallon and Dahlia and everyone she hade to love as well.


    It was a lot of burden to put on her shoulders.


    But that didn¡¯t matter right now.


    If she couldn¡¯t ept our way of life, what we did and why, then it was better for her to leave now, before she fell any deeper into this pit... before she got any more involved, and before I fell for her any more than I already had.


    Baffled, Olivia finally squeezed my hand back, and I looked up at her as her shock faded away. A calmness fell over her as she nodded to herself multiple times before opening her mouth.


    I prepared myself for what mighte out of it, but neither of us were expecting the tiny wheeze of a gasp that fell out.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, so soft and casual like this was the natural response to being told she was living inside of a mafiapound.


    But then her eyes met mine, and there was no sign of disgust or fear like I had thought. Instead, they were kind and bright, like she always was.


    ¡°That actually exins a lot,¡± she told me, lowly.


    ¡°Livi?¡± Tallon stepped forward hesitantly. ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded and then smiled. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s a lot to take in at once, but somehow it makes sense. I mean, I always knew things were a bit off... but the mafia... I never guessed, not even once.¡±


    ¡°To be fair,¡± Gabriele said with a shrug, ¡°not many normal people would. Fictional stories of the mafia have gotten people desensitized to it all. Just because someone wears ck and hates sunlight, you wouldn¡¯t expect them to be Drac, would you?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Olivia nodded, her whole body rxed and open as she faced Gabriele with a smile. ¡°I mean, loads of people in the States have guns. I just assumed you guys liked them or were just real big on security.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well....¡± Tallon rubbed the back of his head. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s partly my dad¡¯s fault. There was a huge break-in at his house before we were born, so he¡¯s a real stickler for the tight security nowadays.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Olivia said. ¡°So does James run the American mafia or does he run the one here and one over there?¡±


    I smirked. ¡°James is retired, Olivia.¡±


    She nced at me with wide eyes. ¡°You can do that?¡±


    Iughed, my whole body rxing as I realized she was truly okay with this.


    ¡°The head is called the Don, and James isn¡¯t the Don of the Valentinos anymore,¡± Gabriele exined. ¡°We¡¯re just the head of our own sect and have nothing to do with the Americans. James just likes the States. Her grew up there, only visiting Italy a bit when he was younger and then moving here around the time that Dahlia was born.¡±


    ¡°Plus, Mom¡¯s from the States, so she prefers it there,¡± Tallon added in with a cheeky grin. ¡°Dahlia thinks she likes it better here, but she just likes to be different.¡±


    ¡°Dahlia,¡± Olivia murmured. She suddenly stiffened and her eyes flickered to me with a slight panic. ¡°You said they kidnapped Dahlia for revenge, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then are they nning to kill her?¡± Olivia asked, terrified.

 Chapter 281 : Honesty

    <h4>Chapter 281: Chapter 281 : Honesty</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I immediately knew I had fucked up big time. I gasped, mming my hand over my mouth hard enough that I winced. There was sure to be a mark leftter, but I didn¡¯t care at the moment.


    With how much my head had been spinning with the realization that Giovani was the leader of the Italian mob, like James had been before him and that my mother probably knew this when she went to work with them, my filter wasn¡¯t working at full capacity.


    Tallon had mentioned Dahlia, and my brain had just jumped to her and connected the dots. Giovani had said she was kidnapped for revenge, and Dahlia was the daughter of the former leader.


    If they didn¡¯t need her alive, they would just kill her, right?


    My conclusion wasn¡¯t wrong, but even I was horrified at the way it had sputtered from my lips.


    There was a moment of tense silence, Giovani sitting in the seat next to me. He paled slightly, rearing his hand back from mine like he had been shocked with a jolt of electricity.


    Tallon sat on the barstool on the other side of the ind, his eyes wide as he stared at me in horror.


    Gabriele was the only one unaffected by what I¡¯d had said about them killing Dahlia. He stood by the doorway, his eyes narrowed on me and still just as cold as they always were.


    I watched as Tallon¡¯s face morphed into anger¨Csomething I had only seen very rarely growing up with him. He got to his feet in a hurry, kicking the barstool out from under him.


    It fell to the ground with a ng, but Tallon didn¡¯t take his eyes off of Giovani, ones full of fury and malice.


    ¡°You said she was alive,¡± Tallon said quietly, barely above a whisper, but the venom it contained said more than enough. I flinched at the wild look in his eyes, but Giovani only met him evenly.... He was calm, patient, and in control.


    ¡°Is she alive or not, Giovani?¡± Tallon glowered at him, stepping forward. Giovani only got to his feet, brushing invisible dust off his suit as he turned to face Tallon fully.


    Giovani nced at him like a parent whose child was throwing a tantrum in the middle of dinner.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he finally answered. ¡°Dahlia is alive.¡±


    A sigh of relief fell out of me, my shoulders rxing as he confirmed that the worst had not happened. For a moment, there was a brief pir of hope, a belief that Dahlia was really safe anding home.


    ¡°But we aren¡¯t sure for how long.¡±


    Giovani¡¯s next words toppled that hope over like a tsunami crashing into a forgotten kingdom. It sank into the waves and crashed to the bottom, only to be buried in the sand and left there.


    Tallon growled, stepping forward with a dangerous look. He was staring at Giovani like he was an enemy when just a moment ago they were greeting one another like brothers.


    ¡°The onlymunication they¡¯ve sent said that we will only get her back if we pay for her body.¡± Giovani sent the finishing blow.


    Her body? Dahlia....


    My emotions welled up despite my best efforts. Silent tears poured down my cheeks, dripping slowly at first and then increasing as I lost control over the floodgates. I only felt numb with shock, unable toprehend what he was saying.


    Dahlia was going to die? They were going to kill her and have us pay for her body? Whoever they were, it was clear they were not messing around, and from the serious look on Giovani¡¯s face, they had the means to follow through with their threat.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± Tallon raged forward, grabbing Giovani¡¯s shirt and mming him against the steel fridge door.


    It rattled in response to the blow, and a scream tore through my throat.


    I got to my feet, watching in horror as Tallon pinned Giovani, practically seeping his fury into the air around us. Giovani wasn¡¯t even trying to fight back.


    ¡°You promised! You swore that she would be safe... that nothing would happen!¡± Tallon screamed.


    Giovani remained calm, his head raised high as he let Tallon rage.


    ¡°I thought she was,¡± Giovani said quietly in response. ¡°We had no way to predict that the Zay-¡±


    ¡°You should¡¯ve done better!¡± Tallon raised his fist, and I screamed, shutting my eyes as he threw it at Giovani¡¯s face.


    There was a sound of hitting and then nothing.


    Slowly, afraid of what I might see, I peeked through my eyes. Tallon¡¯s head was bowed, his fist nted straight into the fridge where a sizable dent had been made from the punch.


    Giovani was unharmed, only looking at Tallon patiently.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time, Tallon,¡± Giovani said softly. ¡°Taking your anger out on me is only going to frighten Olivia and waste the valuable time we need to get Dahlia back. Control yourself.¡±


    It took a few moments of silence, only the sound of Tallon¡¯s ragged breathing before he finally gained control over himself and stepped back. He pulled his fist away, letting it hang at his side, and I noticed the startling specks of red.


    He¡¯d split his knuckles open.


    ¡°I¡¯ll....¡± My voice trembled as I spoke, my whole body shaking. ¡°I¡¯ll get the first aid kit.¡±


    I avoided the gazes of everyone as I brushed away my tears and raced past Gabriele and out of the kitchen. I moved fast as I headed for my bathroom.


    I¡¯d brought my own first aid kit, thanks to my mom, who was sure we would need it. ¡°Just in case,¡± she¡¯d said.


    She was right, just not in the way any of us expected.


    I pulled it out of the bathroom cab, taking a moment to get my emotions under control. I nced into the mirror, wincing at the sight.


    My eyes had already been swollen from how much crying I¡¯d donest night. This was just going to make it worse.


    I sshed cold water on my face a few times, making sure the tears were gone before I grabbed the kit and headed back downstairs.


    I heard Giovani¡¯s low voice as I snuck back into the kitchen, bypassing Gabriele, who hadn¡¯t moved an inch from his spot.


    Luckily, Tallon and Giovani were sitting on the barstools, talking and not fighting as Giovani told him what was going on.


    ¡°We are working on retrieving her. We have her location, and our men have surrounded the building, but there are someplications we must take care of first,¡± Giovani exined further, impassively like this wasn¡¯t his cousin¡¯s life on the line.


    ¡°Here,¡± I said, putting the first-aid kit on the counter and quickly opening it. ¡°Let me help you with that.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Livi,¡± Tallon said quietly, sparing me a soft nce. ¡°Sorry for all this.¡±


    I shook my head, but no words woulde out. I grabbed his left hand, wincing at the blood on his knuckles.


    It was the first time I¡¯d seen Tallon lose control. Alessandro had gotten angry more times than I could count, and he¡¯d thrown temper tantrums when we were children. When he reached his teen years, he had gotten into so many fights I¡¯d lost count.


    I was the only one who was willing to patch him up after a nasty fight. My mom had shown me how, and somehow I became the group medic. When Dahlia scratched her arm with her nails or Tallon had scraped his knee, I had always been the one to put them back together.


    As I worked on disinfecting Tallon¡¯s injuries, I could feel Giovani¡¯s eyes on me, watching my every move. I tried not to be nervous, but it was hard considering the situation.


    ¡°What¡¯s soplicated about it?¡± Tallon asked roughly. ¡°Get in, kill those fuckers, and get out. Simple enough.¡±


    Giovani sighed. ¡°This is why James made me the next head of the family, Tallon. I know how to handle these situations. You and your brother have always been so reckless.¡±


    ¡°I resent that,¡± Tallon scoffed.


    ¡°Resent away,¡± Giovani rolled his eyes. ¡°This new guy, he¡¯s got some backers behind him. Until we know who, the amount of resources he has ess to is unknown. He¡¯s trying to draw attention to this, and we can only do so much to keep it quiet without alerting the police or the press. They set up shop in the biggest tourist district in the city. If we go in guns azing, there¡¯d be no keeping this quiet. That would only put Dahlia and us in danger even more.¡±


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Tallon growled, clenching the counter with his free hand. He red at the counter like he wanted to tear it apart right here and now. Marble or not, I had a feeling he could do some damage to it.


    I wiped Tallon¡¯s hand, moving to the bandages as I gently wrapped them in gauze and taped it down. I patted his hand, the usual signal I was done, and he flexed his fingers a bit.


    ¡°No more punching fridges,¡± I told him fiercely, ¡°or anything else for that matter. You¡¯ll lose every time, Tallon.¡±


    ¡°Love you too, Livi,¡± Tallon smirked yfully at me and reached out to ruffle my hair.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I threw his arm away from me, moving to the opposite end of the counter and taking the stool next to Giovani.


    He sent me a nce, looking like a stone statue. It was impossible for me to tell what he was thinking or feeling at the moment. We fell into silence, and when Tallon turned to look out the window, Giovani snuck his hand below the counter and gently grasped mine.


    Our fingers intertwined perfectly like we had been doing it all of our lives, and I felt the gentle reassurance he was giving me as he rubbed his thumb across my knuckle.


    I suppressed a smile, trying to focus on Tallon as he huffed, crossing his arms.


    Tallon seriously looked at Giovani. ¡°If we can¡¯t go in, then how will we get Dahlia back alive and unharmed? Alive and unharmed being the key words here.¡±


    ¡°We have a n in ce already,¡± Giovani answered seriously. ¡°We just need a little more time to make sure there aren¡¯t any more surprises. We¡¯ve cut off their supply line andmunications, so they¡¯re bound to be ready any minute now. We just have to be patient.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly a virtue of mine,¡± Tallon sighed.


    ¡°I know, but this is what¡¯s best to do for Dahlia right now,¡± Giovani smirked at him.


    Tallon grinned back and I breathed a sigh of relief.


    They were okay.


    Gabriele stiffened, all of our eyes turning to him as his phone began to re a tune I hadn¡¯t heard before. He answered with a rough, ¡°Hello?¡± He nodded a few times and then said, ¡°Okay,¡± before hanging up.


    He nced at Giovani with a stern look. ¡°They¡¯re ready. We need to go now.¡±

 Chapter 282 : Alone Again

    <h4>Chapter 282: Chapter 282 : Alone Again</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°They¡¯re ready. We need to go now.¡±


    Giovani¡¯s hand fell out of mine as soon as Gabriele said those words. A dark look crossed his face as he got to his feet.


    ¡°Ready for what?¡± Tallon demanded, ncing between Gabriele and Giovani.


    ¡°Nothing that concerns you,¡± Gabriele said coldy, not even sparing a nce toward Tallon. It was the first time I¡¯d seen anyone be so dismissive of Tallon, and clearly, Tallon wasn¡¯t handling it well.


    ¡°If it has something to do with my sister,¡± Tallon stood with an angry re, ¡°then it is very much my business and does concern me. What is ready, and why do you need to go?¡±


    Giovani sighed as he stood up, folding up his white sleeves as he pinned Tallon with a hard stare. ¡°We¡¯re ready to invade the building Dahlia¡¯s being held in. What excuse did you use?¡±


    He directed thest question to Gabriele, who only shrugged. ¡°Simple ckout and construction work. It took a bit of manpower, but it¡¯s only going tost a few hours. We need to hurry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ming with you!¡± Tallon said fiercely, rounding the counter to stand next to Gabriele.


    ¡°You sure you can handle it, kid? I don¡¯t want you messing things up,¡± Gabriele sneered, his clear dislike of Tallon on full disy.


    ¡°Whose son do you think I am?¡± Tallon smirked back, crossing his arms. ¡°I know how to wield a gun, and I¡¯m not letting you leave unless you take me with you. Try anything fishy, and I¡¯ll call my dad immediately.¡±


    ¡°Get the kid a vest and a gun,¡± Giovani sighed, rubbing his temples. ¡°And stop picking fights, both of you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Gabriele said without hesitation, turning on his heel.


    ¡°He started it!¡± Tallon pointed to Gabriele, childishly.


    ¡°Enough. Go out with the guys who are getting the car ready,¡± Giovani crossed his arms, gesturing his head to the door.


    Tallon pouted, rolling his eyes, but did as asked. He followed Gabriele only a step behind and I heard the door open and close.


    Once they were gone, Giovani turned to me with a stoic look as he said, ¡°We¡¯ve got to go.¡±


    I nodded, getting to my feet. ¡°I just need to go grab my shoes,¡± I said, shooting him a grin as I wiggled my toes inside of the slippers I had on. ¡°Can¡¯t go wearing slippers, can I?¡±


    I turned to head upstairs, but strong arms caught me around the waist, preventing me from heading any further. Giovani spun me around until I was facing him, a serious look in his eyes.


    I knew immediately what he was nning to say.


    My lips thinned as my temper rose. He wouldn¡¯t do this to me again. He just wouldn¡¯t.


    But he would.


    ¡°You have to stay behind,¡± he said calmly.


    ¡°No!¡± I broke from his grasp, clenching my fist near my heart as I red at him with all the strength I could muster. ¡°Absolutely not! You are not doing this to me again. Tallon¡¯s younger than me, and you¡¯re taking him, so you have to take me too!¡±


    ¡°Tallon is apletely different matter,¡± Giovani told me, carefully, reaching out for me. ¡°He is¨C¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± I dodged his hands, facing him firmly with my head held high. ¡°I¡¯m going!¡±


    ¡°Olivia¨C¡± he started.


    ¡°I will not let you leave me behind again!¡± I screamed, my eyes watering as I red at him in defiance and sorrow.


    I could still remember the feeling of waiting, unable to sleep or even blink as I sat on the staircase, wondering what was happening to my best friend, whether they¡¯d found her or if she was out dying in a ditch somewhere... whether Giovani had been jumped by the kidnappers, taken too, and both of them were ughtered.


    The feeling that I would never see them again or even know what happened to them was excruciating.


    I couldn¡¯t go through that again, my own safety be damned. Even if I was useless or it meant I couldn¡¯t be of any help, I had to go this time. I had to be there with him just in case.


    Even if I could do nothing in the end, it was more than worth chancing the danger for even a small percentage I could help.


    I wasn¡¯t going to be left here alone again.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand it, sitting here and waiting and never knowing what¡¯s happening. I won¡¯t stay here and let you keep me locked up just because it¡¯s safer. Dahlia is my best friend¨C¡± My voice broke as I clenched my fists tightly at my sides.


    ¡°Olivia!¡± Giovanni snapped, loudly.


    I fell silent at his loud tone, facing him with wide eyes. He¡¯d never shouted at me like that before... never.


    He took two steps closer to grab me by the arms and re down at me.


    ¡°Do you know how to shoot a gun?¡± he demanded from me.


    ¡°What?¡± I gasped, snapping out of the stranglehold my emotions had on me.


    ¡°Answer me,¡± Giovani said, rather brutally.


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°Were you trained in how to deal with a hostage situation? Can you break locks or doors even at the risk of your own life?¡± He snapped one question right after the other.


    I deted, sinking under the power of his re as I shook my head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say you cornered the kidnapper, and he grabbed Dahlia in his arms as a defense with a gun to her head. Do you think you can pull the trigger before he does? Could you even fire it without hitting Dahlia and killing her instead?¡±


    ¡°I... I....¡± I stumbled over my words, no defenseing to me against his onught.


    Giovani reached onto his side, and my breath hitched as he pulled out a real genuine gun. A ck handgun in one hand, he smoothly flipped it so the barrel was pointed at himself, offering the gun to me.


    My wide eyes slid up to his, but I couldn¡¯t see any kind of emotion. All of it was firmly hidden behind the mask he wore.


    Was this what the leader of the mafia actually looked like?


    ¡°Take it,¡± Giovani ordered, leaving no room for discussion.


    ¡°What?¡± I gasped, ¡°But¨C¡±


    He didn¡¯t give me any time to argue as he lifted my hands and shoved the gun into them. I grabbed the unfamiliar handle, my hands trembling as I held it in ce.


    ¡°Now, shoot,¡± Giovani said casually, leaning back in full confidence like I didn¡¯t have a fucking gun pointed at his chest.


    ¡°No!¡± I screamed, stepping away. My back hit the fridge behind me, cold against the sweat running down my skin.


    ¡°Do it,¡± Giovani said. ¡°Prove to me you can shoot that gun, and I¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    ¡°Giovani....¡± My lip trembled on his name, my hands shaking wildly as I held the gun. My mind was nk with disbelief. He was asking me to shoot him?


    ¡°Do it, Olivia,¡± he said impatiently. He gestured to his shoulder. ¡°Right here.¡±


    But I couldn¡¯t.


    But Dahlia....


    I clenched my teeth together, gathering every bit of courage I had as I aimed the gun toward his shoulder, all of my limbs feeling numb as he stared me down like this was an everyday thing, like I was handing him an umbre on a rainy day or a pen for a paperwork he needed to sign. But this was a gun.


    I slid my finger over the trigger and my vision blurred as tears poured out of my eyes and down my cheeks.


    ¡°I... I....¡±


    I cracked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± I hung my head, dropping the gun as I grabbed my head in my hands and copsed onto my knees. I sobbed loudly as I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold the pieces of me together. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to shoot it at anyone, or even at the ceiling, for that matter. I didn¡¯t know how, and I wasn¡¯t strong enough to kill.


    I heard him sigh and pluck the gun off the floor. He crouched down to my level and pried my fingers away from my face.


    There was a gentleness in his face, a sorrow reflected in his eyes.


    ¡°Olivia.¡± He said my name, rolling it with affection that I didn¡¯t deserve. He held the gun up, pointed at the floor, as he showed me the side of it. ¡°The safety was on. It wasn¡¯t going to shoot.¡±


    Realization dawned on me.


    He knew the whole time, knew that even if I had pulled the trigger, it wasn¡¯t going to hurt him. There was no danger at all.


    ¡°But... why?¡± I sobbed out, gazing up at him.


    ¡°Because I care about you,¡± Giovani said, ¡°and I don¡¯t want you getting hurt. This is the only way you¡¯ll give up on going with us. Tallon¡¯s been raised in this life. He¡¯s seen what it requires, but you only just learned about this. If you go, you¡¯ll get hurt or get in the way of us saving Dahlia, and I can¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    He met my eyes, unwavering as he sternly said, ¡°So, no. You can¡¯t go.¡±


    I sunk inplete defeat, swallowing ufortably as I realized there was no argument to be had, not anymore.


    ¡°So I¡¯m just supposed to sit around and wait?¡± I asked, numbly.


    ¡°Yes, unfortunately.¡± He sighed then reached his hand out for me.


    I took it gratefully as he lifted me off the floor.


    My legs were still shaking, and I sat back on the kitchen stool, barely ncing away from the floor. His finger curled around my chin and pulled it up to meet his soft eyes.


    ¡°I promise you I will call you the second we have her out,¡± he said solemnly.


    I nodded, unable to care as I wept openly though I was still silent as a mouse. He smiled softly, guilt reflecting in his eyes as he holstered his gun back at his side.


    He leaned forward to kiss my forehead, a favorite of his, and my eyes slid shut as his warm lips brushed over my skin.


    ¡°Wait for my call,¡± he murmured and then stepped back. There was reluctance in his steps but a determination to do what must be done.


    Just as he turned to leave, I called out, ¡°Giovani.¡±


    He paused but didn¡¯t look back at me, only a hand on the doorframe as he tilted his head. I knew he was listening to my every word though.


    ¡°Be safe,¡± I told him, my voice stronger than it had been. This was one thing I didn¡¯t hesitate about. ¡°Please.¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer me, but I knew he heard me before he opened the door, and I heard the door m behind him.


    As soon as he was gone, I couldn¡¯t help myself. I raced to the window. I spotted their ck car driving out of thepound and away from my sight.


    I was alone again.

 Chapter 283 : Everything Goes Wrong

    <h4>Chapter 283: Chapter 283 : Everything Goes Wrong</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I shut the front door behind me, pausing for a moment with my hand on the doorknob. I clenched it tightly, unwilling to let go.


    But I spotted Gabriele¡¯s car sitting in the driveway, rumbling with life as Gabriele and Tallon waited for me. With onest sigh, I let go of the door, locking it firmly behind me.


    ¡°Keep her safe.¡± I nced at Elio and Marco, who stood by the door patiently. They both nodded to me as I passed by, making my way to the car.


    I couldn¡¯t get the image of her trembling before me out of my mind, the way she had looked so horrified as she held the gun to my chest.


    It was a bluff, to be honest, ast resort when I¡¯d handed Olivia my gun and told her to shoot me. Not for a single second did I think she had it in her to actually shoot. Even if she did, I doubted she knew how to handle a gun.


    If there was one thing I had learned from my call to her parents, it was that Olivia had been kept unaware of everything. She was sheltered from the dark parts of this life, kept clueless to the dangers of James and his family.


    It was one of the hardest things I had to do, to walk away from her when she was so distraught, staring up at me with her kind and bright eyes wavering.


    I feared for a moment she might hate me for the stunt I¡¯d pulled, but I really thought I didn¡¯t have another choice. There was no other way to make her back down, and to make her realize that she couldn¡¯te with us, that it was no ce for her. She¡¯d be putting everyone in danger, most importantly, herself. Even if she had pulled the trigger, I wouldn¡¯t have brought her along.


    I wasn¡¯t going to taint her innocent smile with the daily horrors I had seen. If I had a choice, I¡¯d never choose to get her involved in this.


    But perhaps it was already toote for that.


    I climbed into the back seat of the car, ncing at Gabriele through the front mirror. He was behind the wheel, as stoic as usual.


    ¡°She okay?¡± Tallon asked me from the passenger seat, swerving to look at me. His eyes swam with worry for her.


    I knew the two had grown up like siblings or childhood friends. There was probably nothing romantic between the two, but the fact that they had a special connection I could never share with Olivia made me irrationally angry.


    But he was seventeen, and I had to be the adult, so I sucked up the jealousy, cramming it into my chest and hoping he didn¡¯t catch on.


    ¡°Buckle up,¡± I said coldly to the teen as I buckled my own seat.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Tallon gave me an incredulous look, like I was losing my mind.


    ¡°Of course, I am. I don¡¯t joke about vehicle safety,¡± I crossed my arms, pinning him with a harsh stare. ¡°Now, buckle up.¡±


    Tallon turned to Gabriele with wide, confused eyes, but he only said, ¡°Do as the Don says,¡± in a low tone.


    Tallon shook his head in disbelief, but reluctantly I heard the straps of the seatbelt being pulled and clicked in ce.


    ¡°Buckle up, they say, like we don¡¯t break plenty of rules. It¡¯s the actual goddamn mafia and they¡¯re worried about a seatbelt,¡± I heard him muttering under his breath.


    ¡°I heard that,¡± I said, ring at Tallon¡¯s petrified look in the mirror.


    Gabriele chuckled under his breath, and the car began to move. We pulled out of the driveway and into the city.


    ¡°Did they move in yet?¡± I asked Gabriele, leaning my arm against the cupholders.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gabriele confirmed, ¡°They¡¯re making their way up the floors under the evacuation order. We told them there was a gas leak in the building.¡±


    ¡°Apartmentplex?¡± I asked with a frown.


    ¡°You got it,¡± Gabriele nodded. ¡°And get this. It¡¯s owned by the samepany as the one she was taken from.¡±


    ¡°Merde,¡± I muttered, ¡°They fucking yed us.¡±


    ¡°What does it matter who it was owned by?¡± Tallon huffed, ncing at Gabriele and then me. ¡°Couldn¡¯t it be just a coincidence?¡±


    ¡°There are no coincidences, not in this line of work,¡± Gabriele said roughly.


    ¡°The two buildings being owned by the samepany means that most likely they were working with the perpetrators. It means they nned this far better than we thought they had. This goes deep, Tallon.¡± I exined with a grimace. ¡°Who owns it?¡±


    ¡°Russo,¡± Gabriele replied, sending a meaningful nce through the rearview mirror.


    ¡°Wait, Russo? That Russo?¡± Tallon emphasized, ncing at me with wide eyes.


    ¡°Yes. One of thergestpanies in Europe,¡± Gabriele breathed through his nose, a dark look on his face.


    I knew why.


    ¡°One of our former business partners,¡± I ground my teeth.


    They¡¯d suddenly pulled out of a deal years back, and we¡¯d never heard from them again. I thought they had gone underground, but it turns out they¡¯d found some new friends.


    If they were supplying Dimitri and the Zaytsevs, it made sense how they¡¯d stayed hidden all this time, until they had the right moment to strike and make aeback.


    The Russos working with the Zaytsevs was a lose-lose for us, and they both knew it.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Tallon growled. ¡°Are you saying they have Dahlia?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get her back, Tallon. I promise,¡± I told him, assuredly. There was no way I would allow for anything else.


    Tallon fell quiet, meeting my eyes in the mirror for a moment. I felt like I could read what he was saying even without any words.


    ¡®You¡¯d better.¡¯


    I nodded and we were all silent for thest few blocks until Gabriele pulled onto an empty street. The Piazza was normally filled with people, with tourists on every corner and locals dining and shopping, but today, it was empty thanks to the alleged gas leak.


    We pulled up the police tape and a man in a police officer uniform came up to our car as we stopped. Gabriele rolled down the window, and the two spoke in low voices for a moment before the cop stepped back.


    I noticed the face beneath the uniform¨Cone of our own men¨Cas he waved for us to pass through. Everyone seemed to be doing their jobs with peak performance.


    We pulled up to an apartment building, and there were two swarms of crowds on either side of our car as we entered the parking lot.


    ¡°What are all these people doing here?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Residents... we couldn¡¯t get them to leave, and of course, they had to call the police and the press, so we¡¯re being extra careful,¡± Gabriele sighed, sending a distasteful nce at the people on either side of us.


    We pulled right up the steps, away from where the crowds were, and got out of the car with purpose.


    Our men had a few trucks set up already, and the three of us headed straight for them.


    One of our men, Angelo, met us at the entrance with guns and bulletproof vests. We threw them on carefully, and I unholstered my gun, switching the safety off.


    It was like holding an old friend in my hand, and I switched into the mode of the leader I was.


    ¡°How many?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Four left. Three fled, and they¡¯re in custody,¡± Angelo informed me quickly, as usual. ¡°They¡¯re barricaded in the fourth floor right now. I guess they thought it was the perfect spot to hide, but they didn¡¯t realize they were trapped.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I nodded then nced at the men waiting for mymand. ¡°I want this done swift and easy. Noplications, do you hear me? No harm is toe to Dahlia, so only use force when absolutely necessary.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the men all shouted in unison.


    We stepped into the lobby quietly, and I gazed around, taking everything in.


    The ugly carpet under our feet was painted in bizzare geometric patterns of all colors¨Csome attempt at being artsy probably. It was eerily silent, with personal belongings left abandoned on the tables and counters.


    ¡°This way to the stairwell.¡± One of my men pointed down a hallway.


    I nodded in confirmation, turning to the men behind me as I yelled out, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Right as the words flew out of my mouth, however, a loud bang came from above us¨Ca noise I knew well, and one that never meant anything good.


    A gunshot.


    ¡°Dahlia.¡± Tallon paled, and I cursed to myself as he took off down the hallway, straight into the stairwell. The heavy metal door mmed behind him, and I regretted bringing him for a moment.


    There was no time to waste, though, as I held my gun up, moving quickly toward where Tallon had run.


    With the elevator out of order due to the chaos, we took the stairs, moving quickly step by step. I breathed out heavily, begging that the shot hadn¡¯t been for Dahlia.


    Step by step, flight by flight we went. It took several minutes to reach the fourth floor, and we headed straight down the hallway.


    Angelo directed us to the apartment they¡¯d been stashed in, and my heart fell to my feet as I heard Tallon scream, followed by the sound of another gunshot.


    The door to the apartment had been busted down, and I spotted several of my men lingering outside the door. Three of the kidnappers had been apprehended, guns pointed at their heads as theyy t on the ground with their hands over their heads.


    I stepped over them, swerving into the apartment, and my heart crumpled in my chest.


    Tallon kneeled on the floor, and there were two bodies beside him. The one on the right was quickly pooling with blood, a bullet hole through the skull as theyy dead and motionless.


    I stepped forward, dazed for a second, until I stepped on something that crunched under my boot¨CTallon¡¯s gun he¡¯d discarded.


    ¡°Giovani!¡±


    Tallon¡¯s cry broke me from my daze as I nced at the second body. This one was not like the other. The long brown hair soaked in blood was the first clue. The second was how Tallon was clinging to the girl in desperation.


    ¡°Help!¡± Tallon screamed, looking up at me with wild eyes. His hands were covered in red as he held the girl¡¯s head onto hisp.


    ¡°Dahlia,¡± I breathed in disbelief.


    Shey there, incredibly pale as her shirt was soaked with blood. It pooled out of the wound on her stomach and onto the floor. With her eyes shut and her hair spilled around her, she didn¡¯t look anything like the girl I knew so well.


    Tallon wailed into the abyss, screaming his sister¡¯s name.

 Chapter 284 : Bleeding Out

    <h4>Chapter 284: Chapter 284 : Bleeding Out</h4>


    *Giovani*


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I cursed, throwing my gun to the ground as I rushed over to Tallon and Dahlia¡¯s side. She was pale, much too pale. She looked like a corpse.


    I shook the thought from my mind as I touched her neck, searching for a pulse. She had to be alive. She just had to be.


    Softly, I felt it¨Ca small little pulse of a heartbeat just beneath my fingertips.


    She was alive.


    But she wouldn¡¯t be for long.


    ¡°Put pressure on her wound, now!¡± I snapped at Tallon, grabbing the ends of her blood-soaked shirt and pulling it up until I spotted the entry wound.


    ¡°Pressure, Tallon!¡± I screamed at the teen, who snapped out of the trance he was in, ncing at me with wild trembling eyes before nodding shakily.


    He pressed both of his hands onto the wound, holding it, and I sighed as I checked her for any other injuries.


    We¡¯d only heard two gunshots, but we had no clue what she had been through while captive. I saw bruises near her wrists, but nothing life-threatening except for the bullet hole.


    It should be safe to move her, I determined.


    ¡°Gabriele!¡± I screamed behind me. ¡°Get men in here now! And get the hospital on the line!¡±


    Angelo and Gabriele rushed in, both palling as they spotted Tallon and me covered in blood and Dahlia¡¯s lifeless form between the two of us.


    ¡°Gabriele, grab her legs, Angelo grab her head, and I¡¯ll lift the middle. Don¡¯t move her too much, keep her as still as possible,¡± Imanded each of them.


    They took their ces around Dahlia, kneeling by their respective spots.


    ¡°Keep pressure on that, Tallon,¡± I told him firmly.


    He nodded.


    I gently rolled my fingers under Dahlia¡¯s stomach, keeping an eye on the wound as we slowly and gently lifted her up.


    Once I had a firm grip on her and there were no furtherplications, I motioned for Angelo and Gabriele to move away. I took her weight in my arms, keeping a hard grip on her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Angelo, clean up here and Gabriele, get to the car,¡± Imanded forcefully.¡°She doesn¡¯t have much time left. Call St. Elizabeth and have them ready for her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Tallon moved with me, keeping his hands on her wound as we rushed down the hallway and down the staircases. I heard the cursing of the Russian bastards behind me, but I didn¡¯t stop to listen to what was happening.


    I trusted Angelo to give them a hell of a beating for doing this to her.


    My heart pounded in my ears despite my outward calm. I felt like I was in crisis, only able to see my next move in front of me. Step by step, I panted heavily as we ran down the staircase and into the lobby.


    I didn¡¯t pause for anyone who called out to me.


    ¡°Tallon, get the door!¡± I shouted.


    He jumped and nodded, rushing to open the lobby exit and then the car door.


    I very gentlyid Dahlia in the car, careful of her wound as she took up the back seat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sit with her,¡± Tallon said, almost as pale as Dahlia was as he climbed into the seat and gently held Dahlia¡¯s head in hisp.


    I wiped the sweat from my forehead, most likely smearing blood all over me, but I didn¡¯t care as Gabriele got into the driver¡¯s seat and I took the passenger side.


    The car startled to life as Gabriele said, ¡°The hospital is ready to receive her. We can go right in once we¡¯re there.¡±


    ¡°If she makes it,¡± I grit my teeth. We normally had our own doctors take care of things like this, but in this case, I wasn¡¯t taking any chances.


    Tallon made a small nose from the back of his throat, and I sent him a guilty look. He knew the risks of this job just as I did.


    Hope was wasted on people like us. He was still young and believed in a world far kinder than it actually was.


    ¡°Dahlia,¡± Tallon whispered, brushing her soaked hair from her face. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. I promise.¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond, fully limp and unconscious, but I knew it helped calm Tallon in this moment to talk to her. And we all needed our heads calm at a time like this.


    We rushed out of the parking lot and down the streets, not caring about traffic or safety at this point.


    Gabriele drove like a maniac, cutting corners until we pulled to a stop next to the shing red lights that screamed ¡°Emergency Room!¡±


    St. Elizabeth Hospital was one of the best, and waiting outside was a team of first responders with a stretcher.


    As soon as we pulled in, the nearest nurse was pulling open the door and shouting out orders.


    ¡°Help me unload the patient!¡± shemanded with the force of a military leader.


    They carefully grabbed Dahlia, letting Tallon help as they transferred her to the stretcher.


    ¡°GSW to the abdomen, left side,¡± the nurse called out, checking on the wound, all in Italian. ¡°Get her into surgery now!¡±


    Tallon and I rushed to Dahlia¡¯s side as they hurriedly rushed the stretcher to surgery. As soon as we stepped inside, the smell of antiseptic hit me like a truck. I clenched my jaw, gripping the edges of Dahlia¡¯s stretcher as I kept pace beside them.


    The nurse whirled on me, demanding answers as we raced beside the stretcher and through the halls. ¡°Any other injuries to look out for?¡±


    ¡°Bruises, from what I saw,¡± I told her instantly.


    ¡°Any known allergies? Blood type? Is she on any medicine?¡±


    ¡°None, AB negative, and none.¡± It was a habit of mine to be familiar with everyone¡¯s blood type. In this kind of work, one could never be too prepared.


    ¡°Okay.¡± The nurse nodded just as we arrived at the surgery room. They pushed the stretcher through the doors, but the nurses stopped both me and Tallon with a hand on our chests.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go in. You¡¯ll contaminate the space,¡± the nurse, who I was quickly presuming was the head nurse, said firmly. There was no time for argument, and I took in a deep breath before nodding.


    Tallon wasn¡¯t as understanding.


    ¡°That¡¯s my sister!¡± Tallon struggled against the nurses, his eyes on Dahlia as she disappeared into the surgery room.


    ¡°I understand that, but if you go in there, you willpromise the entire room and put your sister in danger. Now please calm yourself,¡± the nurse said firmly, crossing her arms.


    I grabbed Tallon¡¯s shoulder, giving him a stern nce as I pulled him back. He deted, clenching his fists by his side.


    Once they saw Tallon was in control, the nurses dispersed.


    ¡°The waiting room is over here,¡± the head nurse told me, gesturing down the hallway. ¡°I¡¯ll inform you as soon as she¡¯s out of surgery, and I¡¯ll get someone to deliver the paperwork for you to fill out. I understand her name is Dahlia Valentino?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said quietly, the adrenaline fading and leaving me exhausted. ¡°Take care of her.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The head nurse smiled amicably.


    I sighed, leading Tallon over to the waiting room. Both of us were covered in blood. I nced at the white shirt I had been wearing underneath the vest. The shirt was most likely ruined now, but the vest was salvageable.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯de out of a situation like this covered in blood.


    We were lucky we had used this hospital a few times in the past. They knew what to expect of us, and they especially knew not to ask questions. They¡¯d most likely pull up Dahlia¡¯s file in a few moments.


    I was lucky Ba had the sense to transfer it to the system when Dahlia and Olivia decided toe to Italy. It made this process a whole lot smoother.


    The waiting room was nearly empty, with only a few sniveling kids and an older man snoring away in one of the chairs upying the space. One mother was syed out in her chair, looking like she hadn¡¯t slept in a week as her three kids ran around the room covered in marker ink and colorful paints.


    I led Tallon to one of the empty seats, far away from the chaos of the regr patients, and gently pushed him into the chair. He copsed, looking lost as he stared at the floor.


    I knew he was in shock right now and in no mood to talk about what had happened.


    But I also had to speak to him about what he did when he entered the room. I had a hunch about what had happened, but I needed to know the full details from him before I told James.


    Tallon had never straight-up killed someone before, and this was going to take a toll on him once he realized what he¡¯d done. Right now, though, I had to let him grieve.


    I was confident Dahlia was going to be okay. These were the best doctors working on her, after all, and we¡¯d gotten her here in record time.


    But there were a few loose ends to tie up.


    Gabriele stepped into the waiting room, gazing around for us before our eyes met. He headed straight toward us, and I nodded at him in thanks as I spotted the ss of water he was carrying.


    ¡°Here.¡± He offered the water to Tallon, who took it numbly, offering no words.


    Gabriele didn¡¯t mind in the slightest, though.


    ¡°I need you to wait here with him,¡± I said as I nced at Gabriele with a grim look. ¡°I have to make a trip home.¡±


    Gabriele frowned, tilting his head in question and I nodded in response.


    I had to tell Olivia what had happened.


    I¡¯d promised to call her, but this wasn¡¯t something to do over the phone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few hours. I¡¯ll bring a change of clothes for Talon and Dahlia, once she¡¯s out of surgery, and anything else they might need. Call me if you hear anything,¡± I told him.


    Gabriele nodded, leaning up against the wall. ¡°I¡¯d like a Pop-Tart,¡± he said,pletely serious.


    I chuckled, shaking my head at his obvious attempt at a joke.


    ¡°Blueberry?¡± I offered with a small grin.


    ¡°Eh, cherry.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°Fine, then.¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone bring you back your car.¡±


    ¡°No hurry,¡± Gabriele said,pletely deadpan as I walked away. I spared onest nce at the catatonic Tallon before leaving.


    I felt bad for the kid, but he just needed some time.


    I didn¡¯t realize until I got to the car just how exhausted I was as I peeled off the bloody vest and threw my gun onto the passenger seat. I grabbed the steering wheel, breathing out.


    I was still tense with stress, even when there wasn¡¯t any danger remaining. I knew it wouldn¡¯t go away for a few hours since the aftereffects of the adrenaline were pumping through my veins. As I started the car, and it rumbled under my hands, I realized what it would look like the moment I stepped through the door and greeted Olivia covered in blood.


    There was no way she wasn¡¯t going to panic.


    Damn it all.

 Chapter 285 : Panic Attack

    <h4>Chapter 285: Chapter 285 : Panic Attack</h4>


    *Olivia*


    It was fucking cold.


    That was all I could think about as I wrapped my jacket firmer around me. Two empty cans of vodka soda satt on the coffee table as I curled into the living room couch.


    I hadn¡¯t bothered turning any lights on, not since Giovani had left. I took a swig of my third can of vodka soda as I continued to stare nkly at my phone.


    It just sat there on the coffee table. There was no sign of life¨Cno text message, no calls. It was just as empty as the cans of alcohol I had drowned as I waited for anything.


    It was just me in this empty house, drinking any rational brain cells out of my body so I didn¡¯t think anymore.


    I emptied myst can of vodka soda and groaned, throwing my head back onto the couch as I threw the can somewhere on the floor. I¡¯d pick it upter when I wasn¡¯t in such a bad mood.


    The drinks were only just starting to affect my brain, fuzzying up the logical voices in my mind. I already had half a mind to just run to where they were keeping Dahlia.


    But I didn¡¯t have the address.


    I pouted, throwing my arms over my knees as I tucked them into my chest. Maybe I could bribe one of the guards outside.


    I¡¯d spotted them moving past the windows¨Ckeeping a close watch so I couldn¡¯t leave without them.


    Dahlia used to say you could get anything you wanted for a little peek, but I wasn¡¯t the kind of girl who could sh her boobs at anyone. Though the longer I sat here, the less the idea seemed crazy.


    Maybe just a little sh?


    I groaned, shaking my head at the thought. No matter how tipsy I was, there was no way in hell I was going to resort to one of Dahlia¡¯s brilliant ideas.


    A pang shot through my chest as a sad smile crept up on my lips. I missed Dahlia. As crazy as she was, she was my best friend¨Cthe closest thing I had to a sister.


    I loved her so goddamn much.


    I suppressed a sob, hiding my face into my knees before I heard a rumbling sound¨Ca car pulling into the driveway.


    I jolted up from my position so fast, I lost my bnce and copsed right back onto the couch. I groaned, getting up easier this time as I raced to the door to meet whoever it was.


    It could¡¯ve been Gabriele for all I cared, and I would¡¯ve kissed him in sheer joy... though, maybe not literally.


    The door swung open, and there stood a handsome face I knew well.


    Giovani.


    My face split into a relieved smile before It fell in a single second. My blood ran cold, my hands falling to my sides limply as I tried to process what I was seeing.


    It was Giovani, but his white shirt was absolutely soaked in blood. There were specks of blood in his hair and across his face. He looked like he¡¯d just stepped out of a horror movie.


    He nced at me with a wary look, the same kind of look my mother had when she told me my pet had died.


    ¡°Blood,¡± I stated, wide-eyed in shock.


    ¡°It¡¯s not mine,¡± Giovani replied in a hurry, then a look of regret crossed his face as I was hit with a feral kind of fear I¡¯d never felt before.


    My breath hitched, everything hitting me all at once and my visions blurred as tears poured down my face. All I could do was stand there inplete silence, staring intently at the vision of red.


    It was just like my nightmare hade back to haunt me, but this time, it was real.


    ¡°D-Dahlia,¡± I stuttered, not even able to utter anything after that as my breath halted in my chest. I couldn¡¯t fucking breathe.


    ¡°She¡¯s alive,¡± Giovani said firmly, taking a tense step closer to me. His hands stayed red through my tears and I choked on a sob, my heart beating rapidly.


    ¡°Blood¨C¡± I managed to choke out, grasping onto his hands as he reached out for me.


    He brushed his fingers under my eyes, wiping away my tears, but it was useless. They just kept falling more and more as I lost control.


    ¡°She got shot. She¡¯s in the hospital, and they¡¯re doing the very best they can,¡± Giovani told me softly, but I had trouble hearing anything.


    A loud ringing burst through my ears¨Cdrowning out his voice as I fully trembled, feeling sick to my stomach as I kept gasping out for air that wasn¡¯t there.


    There was no oxygening into my lungs. I kept sucking down a breath, but I shook with sobs, my whole chest constricting painfully.


    I could hear my own gasping as I tried to get a breath but couldn¡¯t grasp it¨Cdancing just on the ends of my fingertips. Giovani¡¯s mouth was moving, but I could only hear the loud ringing, with everything else fading away.


    I copsed to my knees, holding a hand to my chest as I begged my body to breathe, to stop doing what it was doing.


    Was I dying?


    For one absurd moment, I thought I was. But Giovani was there, holding me in my arms, rocking softly back and forth. He pressed my hand to his chest, and I felt the thump of his heartbeat under my fingers.


    I didn¡¯t know how long we sat there, just trying to breathe and regain some semnce of normalcy, but eventually, it was over.


    I calmed down as my breath returned to me, and I swore I would never take air for granted again as my heartbeat slowed to match his own.


    Giovani didn¡¯t say anything. He just kept humming softly as he held me close, soothing me as only he could. Iid my head tiredly on his shoulder, feeling like I had everything taken out of me.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, quietly once we were both calm.


    Giovani sighed. ¡°She got shot before we breached the building, most likely a panic move. We got her out of there and to a hospital. She was in surgery when I left. Tallon and Gabriele are there waiting for her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all we can do?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He tightened his hold on me. ¡°That¡¯s all we can do.¡±


    ¡°Did anyone else get hurt?¡± I asked softly, looking up into his eyes worriedly.


    ¡°Just the kidnappers,¡± he assured me, brushing my hair away from my face. The minute he did so, however, he stiffened in ce.


    ¡°Shit. I¡¯m sorry,¡± He gazed down at me pleadingly, looking like he¡¯dmitted a great sin. ¡°I got blood on you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I murmured tiredly, leaning my head on his chest. ¡°We can just take a shower.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Giovani agreed, good-naturedly.


    Giovani swept me up into his arms, carrying me like a princess as he ascended the staircase. I held onto him, my eyes fluttering open and then closed. I felt exhausted and still a bit drunk from my stint with the vodka soda.


    But mostly, I felt safe, so warm and safe that I never wanted to leave his arms. I could spend the rest of my life just happily snuggling away into him and never leaving again.


    Perhaps, if I wasn¡¯t so drugged up with alcohol and the panic attack I¡¯d just had, I might have realized there were warning bells going off in my head. I might have realized that I was falling deeper and deeper, and there were no walls to grab onto, nothing to stop the descent from happening.


    But I was already too far gone.


    I blinked blearily as Giovani set me on the bathroom counter, stepping away for only a moment to start the shower. I watched him, a warm feeling fluttering in my chest as he stripped out of his bloody clothes.


    Once he was nude in front of me, he turned to me and I sent him a silly grin as I raised my arms. He chuckled, first pulling off my hoodie and then my shirt. He unsped my bra masterfully, and I hopped down from the counter to step out of my shorts and panties.


    Giovani kept a hand on my waist as he led me to the shower. The moment I stepped under the hot water, I was in heaven.


    I sighed in relief, the tension falling from my body as I leaned backward right into Giovani¡¯s chest. I clung to him contently, both of us taking turns as we washed one another.


    I made sure to pay extra attention to his face, scrubbing away the red from his hair and cheeks so I would never have to see it again.


    He¡¯d looked best in blue or gray or white, not red.


    ¡°I like your face,¡± I blurted out as I rubbed my fingers over his cheeks a third time.


    ¡°Do you?¡± He grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll have to remember that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± I nodded with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s so handsome.¡±


    He chuckled, prying my hands away from his face so he could grab the shampoo. He rubbed his hands together a few times before gentlycing his fingers through my hair.


    I sighed, leaning on him as he washed my hair under the hot water. This was true bliss.


    Once we were both squeaky clean, Giovani turned off the water, and I whined a bit childishly as I wrapped my arms around his waist.


    Heughed, grabbing my ass as he lifted me up. I clung to him like a ko to a tree, burying my face into his neck.


    He smelled like soap, but underneath that was something I distinctly recalled as Giovani. It was just his scent¨Cearthy and woodsy. A scent that made my heart both flutter and feel at peace at the same time.


    Giovani dumped me onto his bed, and I realized for the first time we were in his room. I looked around wide-eyed, the slight jolt of being dropped waking me from the sleepy haze that had taken over my mind.


    He ced his hands firmly on the bed next to me, leaning down until our foreheads were just about to touch.


    ¡°Now,¡± he said with a serious look, ¡°do you want to sleep or go to the hospital?¡±


    ¡°Hospital!¡±


    Even with no filter, the answer was obvious as it shot out of my mouth.


    He smiled, a look of adoration in his eyes as he gazed at me. I blushed as he leaned forward thest few centimeters to kiss me.


    It was soft and slow and sweet, the kind of kiss where I knew he was thinking entirely of me.


    When he pulled away, he grinned.


    ¡°Then we¡¯d better get dressed.¡± He nced down at my bare breasts between us, and Iughed in response, feeling hopeful for the first time in a long time.


    Dahlia was alive. That was enough for now.


    It took no time at all to get dressed. Giovani drove us to the hospital, and the minute we entered the waiting room, I spotted Tallon and Gabriele standing against one of the pirs.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± Tallon¡¯s eyes flooded with relief as he spotted, rushing to our side.


    ¡°How is she?¡± I asked worriedly.


    He looked awful. He¡¯d obviously borrowed some clothes from the hospital¨Ca pair of scrubs¨Cbut I could still see specks of red on his arms and hair.


    Gabriele stepped forward behind him. ¡°There¡¯s been some news.¡±

 Chapter 286 : Hospital

    <h4>Chapter 286: Chapter 286 : Hospital</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I¡¯d always hated hospitals. Bleach had to be my least favorite smell in the world, and the hospital always stunk of it. It didn¡¯t matter where you went either; they were always the same¨Cwhite walls and white halls, white floors and white doors. It was like stepping into an endless void of nothingness, where everything was spotless and had to be clean and shiny.


    Ever since I was a girl, I¡¯d hated hospitals, and this one was no different.


    The waiting room was wide open, and multiple families were inside, with everyone lounging in the chairs and kids ying with the toys in their little corner. The colorful little chairs with thick legs made just for kids were thrown carelessly around the room¨Cmost likely by the gaggle of children who were running amok.


    I scrunched up my nose as the scent of antiseptic and medicine hit me. It was unpleasant as always.


    Despite my difort, however, I was thankful to the hospital this time.


    ¡°Dahlia¡¯s out of surgery,¡± Gabriele said passively. ¡°She¡¯s out of danger.¡±


    The sheer relief that went through me was enough that I stumbled, nearly falling to one knee if Giovani hadn¡¯t caught me in time.


    His hands on my waist lingered for a bit as he nced at me with worried eyes. I nodded at him, smiling to let him know I was okay.


    As I did, however, I noticed Tallon¡¯s eyes fall to where Giovani was still holding me. A curious look crossed his face, one I had seen before.


    It was the look he got whenever he got hooked on an intriguing mystery.


    I coughed, stepping away from Giovani as I tried to y off the situation. I ignored the sweat trickling down my back as Tallon¡¯s eyes analyzed me and Giovani¨Clittle sparks and connections forming in his mind.


    He¡¯d always been too observant for his own good. We¡¯d have to be much more careful with him around.


    ¡°She was lucky, they said,¡± Gabriele said, crossing his arms. ¡°They stopped the bleeding quickly, and there was no major damage. She was in rougher shape than they first thought, however.¡±


    ¡°Besides getting shot?¡± I asked, my mind going to the worst possible alternatives. What if they¡¯d done more than just kidnapped her?


    Just the thought of Dahlia going through something like that made me sick to my stomach. There was no way. They couldn¡¯t be that cruel, could they?


    Something must¡¯ve shown on my face because Tallon stepped forward, shaking his head. ¡°No, she didn¡¯t... there wasn¡¯t....¡± He trailed off awkwardly, unsure of how to word it.


    ¡°There was no sign of sexual assault.¡± Gabriele said it as bluntly as possible.


    I breathed a sigh of relief, happy to hear that at least that wasn¡¯t a concern. But then what had they done to her?


    ¡°But she¡¯s been beaten quite a bit.¡± Tallon stepped forward, his hands clenched firmly by his side. His mouth was twisted up in anger, and I knew why. ¡°Those bastards fractured her ribs and broke her wrist¨Cdefensive wounds, they said.¡±


    ¡°She put up a hell of a fight,¡± Gabriele nodded, a hint of approval shining in his eyes.


    I huffed. I would¡¯ve preferred that she¡¯d been obedient if it meant she came out of this unharmed. But for Dahlia, that was next to impossible.


    I smiled sadly, shaking my head at what kind of horrible prisoner she must¡¯ve been, probably demanding lemonades or cussing them out any chance she got. The thought was one that actually managed to bring a smile to my face.


    ¡°She probably drove them crazy,¡± I said fondly.


    Tallon cracked a smile before it faded away. ¡°But she still got hurt. If we had gotten there sooner¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Giovani pinned him with a stare. ¡°There is no point in thinking of ifs, ands, or buts. We got her back, she¡¯s safe, and she can recover now. Those bastards we caught will lead us right to Dmitri, and we can all move on. We each did the best we could.¡±


    Tallon swallowed and then sighed, his shoulders slumping as he nodded in response.


    ¡°The doctor said she¡¯s going to take a lot of time to recover, and there will be a lot of pain,¡± Tallon said softly. ¡°But she¡¯s going to be okay.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± I sighed with relief. ¡°Did they say when we can see her?¡±


    Tallon shook his head, the frustration clear on his face as he said, ¡°She still hasn¡¯t woken up.¡±


    ¡°But they said they¡¯d tell us when she does,¡± Gabriele added.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded, taking the nearest seat. This wasn¡¯t the best possible oue, but she was safe. She was going to be okay.


    I was going to get my best friend back.


    ¡°So,¡± Gabriele started, turning his deadpan eyes onto Giovani, ¡°where is my Pop-Tart?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Giovani nodded and grabbed the duffle bag he had taken inside with him. He¡¯d filled it while I was getting dressed, though he wouldn¡¯t tell me what was in it.


    He reached in and plucked a small silver packaging from the bag and threw it over to Gabriele.


    Gabriele nodded, opening the wrapping and the smell of frosted pastry wafted through the air. A few kids in the waiting room halted their activities, turning to us with hungry looks. They looked like bloodhounds who had caught onto the scent.


    ¡°Here, get changed.¡± Giovani threw the rest of the bag at Tallon, who caught it in mid-air with a frown.


    ¡°Clothes?¡± Tallon questioned, pulling a T-shirt from the bag. ¡°These aren¡¯t mine.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t have time to find your luggage.¡± Giovani shrugged. ¡°Take what you can get, unless you want to go back to thepound to take a shower.¡±


    ¡°No, this is fine,¡± Tallon sighed, then he excused himself to head to the nearest restroom.


    Gabriele took a bite of his Pop-Tart and froze. His eyes narrowed as he chewed and swallowed and then nced down at the sugary sweet pastry in his hand.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t cherry. It¡¯s strawberry,¡± Gabriele said before ring up at Giovani. ¡°I specifically said cherry.¡±


    ¡°It was red and fruity,¡± Giovani shrugged. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    Gabriele¡¯s eyes darkened dramatically, and warning bells shot off in my mind.


    ¡°Maybe they have cherry ones in the cafeteria. You could ask,¡± I suggested with a polite smile. I had no idea Italians even ate boxed pastries. But I did have lots of practice with diffusing arguments before. Dahlia and Alessandro were both loud and opinionated, and Tallon knew just how to rile them up.


    Gabriele red at Giovani for only a minute more before sighing in defeat. ¡°I need a coffee, anyway,¡± Gabriele muttered under his breath.


    ¡°Get me one too while you¡¯re at it,¡± Giovani said smoothly as he took the seat beside me. He was utterly shameless as he ignored Gabriele¡¯s re.


    ¡°This is why they call you a demon to work for.¡± Gabriele crossed his arms unhappily. ¡°You¡¯re a menace to society.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re still getting paid.¡± Giovani shot him a cheeky grin. ¡°So hop to it, Mr. Underling. You want anything, Olivia?¡±


    My mouth dropped as Giovani nced at me, a smirk on his lips.


    ¡°Uh,¡± I nced at Gabriele, not wanting to trouble him, but I did want some coffee to stay awake. ¡°Frappino with two shots of caramel? Please?¡±


    Gabriele just sighed, taking another bite of his disappointment of a Pop-Tart before he turned on his feet. Before he made it any further, however, Tallon came rushing back in fresh new clothes.


    He looked better and must¡¯ve done a quick rinse of his hair since it was still wet. He didn¡¯t seem to mind as he took the seat on my left.


    ¡°Where you going, Gabe?¡± Tallon frowned, catching sight of the annoyed look on Gabriele¡¯s face.


    ¡°Coffee run. Want anything?¡± Giovani asked, not even looking up from his phone.


    ¡°Of course! Peppermint mocha if they have it,¡± Tallon started, but then frowned. ¡°But then again, it¡¯s not in season right now, just a caffe mocha then.¡±


    As Gabriele slunk away, biting into his strawberry-not-cherry Pop-Tart, I felt bad for him. Maybe he was right. Maybe he really was working for a demon, even though said demon was sitting to my right, and I had been sleeping with said demon for a while now.


    Whoops.


    I settled back into the hard stic chairs of the waiting room and shut my eyes. There was a TV ying in the background¨Csome news broadcast about a charity set up by middle-schoolers.


    It was entirely in Italian, so I could only understand bits and pieces of it. Tallon shifted to my left, sighing to himself as I heard him start up a game on his phone.


    I was overly aware of Giovani¡¯s presence to my right, trying not to give away any kind of details with Tallon here and watching us. I couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen if Tallon found out.


    I still hadn¡¯t told Dahlia.


    But all of that had to wait now. The first priority was taking care of Dahlia. No doubt she¡¯d be traumatized from this incident¨CI knew I would be.


    Even as strong as she was, being kidnapped for over forty-eight hours, held at gun-point and beaten, and getting shot on top of it all was bound to have hurt her greatly.


    It was my job to be there for her, to help her out of this mess.


    We still didn¡¯t know what had happened to Lorenzo or Adrian, and from what it sounded like, the people who did this weren¡¯t done yet. They could try something again.


    I still felt guilty for leaving her by herself, even if it was what she had wanted. I should¡¯ve stayed. Well, I¡¯d never leave her side from now on.


    She¡¯d always been there for me. Now, it was my turn to do the same.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I heard Tallon mutter on my left.


    I jolted out of the trance I¡¯d been in, snapping to attention. Tallon was staring in the distance with wide eyes. He looked ready to bolt out of his seat.


    ¡°Tallon?¡± I asked, quietly.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good.¡± Giovani sighed to my right, and I whirled to turn on him.


    The two of them looked like they had seen something troubling¨Csomething that they¡¯d rather not deal with at the moment.


    Giovani grimaced as he got to his feet, and that was when the loud booming voice rang across the lobby.


    ¡°Where the fuck is my sister?¡±


    I paled in my seat, my eyes slowly turning toward the entrance to the waiting room. Standing there like a bull ready to charge was a very tall, very angry Italian man.


    With curly brown hair and a temper that could burst into mes at any moment, I knew exactly what Tallon and Giovani were worried about now. A major problem had arrived.


    And said major problem was heading straight for us, glowering like he had spotted the enemy on the other side of the trenches of war.


    Alessandro had arrived.

 Chapter 287 : Alessandro

    <h4>Chapter 287: Chapter 287 : Alessandro</h4>


    *Giovani*


    The very second I saw Alessandro storming through the waiting room, I knew there was no chance he wasn¡¯t going to cause a scene. I¡¯d have better chances of selling Hell itself as a water park resort than getting him to calm down now.


    I got to my feet with a heavy sigh, ncing at the various people who had now taken to staring at us like we were animals in a zoo.


    Whoever the fuck allowed Alessandro in here was going to get their pay docked for the next five years.


    Tallon jumped to his feet, jogging over to his brother as he met him halfway. He raised his hands in defense, a shaky smile on his face as he tried to diffuse the situation.


    ¡°Come on, Alex, don¡¯t¨C¡±


    Tallon winced as Alessandro¡¯s fury-filled eyesnded on him for only half a second before he was pushing past him and standing right before me.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Tallon sighed in defeat, following the path straight back to me and Olivia.


    He red at me with resentment, enraged beyond reason as he crossed his arms.


    ¡°Where the fuck is my sister, Giovani?¡± he snapped.


    ¡°This is a hospital, Alessandro,¡± I said, annoyed. ¡°You¡¯re causing a scene.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn!¡± he shouted, clenching his fists tightly by his side. He looked about ready to start a fight right now, and I wouldn¡¯t put it past him.


    If he threw the first punch, it¡¯d be self-defense, wouldn¡¯t it?


    I really didn¡¯t get along with Alessandro well.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Olivia stepped up beside me, her eyes switching between me and Alessandro with concern. She looked so cute, standing a foot below us as she bit her bottom lip nervously.


    Alessandro swerved onto her and on instinct, I took a step in front of her. Going off on me was one thing, but the sweet girl next to me?


    Hell no.


    But I hadn¡¯t needed to. His eyes softened when he looked at Olivia, and he frowned as he asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Olivia blinked in surprise, as taken back as I was by his sudden change in demeanor.


    ¡°Um, yeah, I¡¯m¨CI¡¯m okay,¡± she stammered out. ¡°I wasn¡¯t with her. She, uh, slept over at Lorenzo¡¯s¨C¡±


    That was the wrong thing to say.


    ¡°Who the fuck is Lorenzo?¡± Alessandro whirled on me, the intensity of his anger tripling.


    I sighed. This was the same damn brat who used to follow me around and beg me to teach him to y guitar. Now, this was what he had be.


    ¡°A guy she met,¡± I said, frustratedly. ¡°I told her not to spend the night at the apartment, but she did anyway, and they got to her. We tracked them down, but the moment they realized they were trapped, they shot her. She just got out of surgery, but she¡¯s not awake yet.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Alessandro red at me, a snarl on his lips as he stepped forward until we were chest to chest. ¡°How could you let this happen? She was under your protection, you bastard!¡±


    ¡°Is this a bad time?¡± a serious voice asked from behind us.


    I was relieved as Alessandro turned around. Gabriele stood there carrying a tray of coffee.


    ¡°Gabriele!¡± Alessandro grit his teeth. ¡°Where were you during this whole mess? You¡¯re second inmand, aren¡¯t you? How ipetent are you and your boss if this happened right under your noses?¡±


    Gabriele¡¯s expression morphed only slightly, but I could see how angry he was under the surface.


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair¨C¡± Tallon started, but Gabriele only grabbed his coffee order with one hand and shoved it into Tallon¡¯s chest.


    He stepped forward, cool as a cucumber as he handed Olivia her very sweet-looking coffee and then handed me mine.


    I grabbed the cup with a relieved sigh. I didn¡¯t know how much longer I could¡¯vested without some kind of caffeine, especially now that this troublemaker was here.


    ¡°Ipetent? If anything, he¡¯s a bit toopetent,¡± Gabriele said calmly in response. ¡°Considering all the facts of this case, which at this moment you know nothing about, we got out of this rtively unscathed.¡±


    ¡°Unscathed?¡± Alessandro snarled. ¡°Then why is my sister in the fucking hospital?¡±


    ¡°There are children present, Alessandro,¡± Olivia scolded him with a frown. ¡°Can¡¯t you be a little more understanding?¡±


    He nced at Olivia, softening for a moment before his anger returned in full force. ¡°You and Giovani failed my parents and my sister. I will make sure you are both reced!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even pretend like you can do that, Alessandro.¡± Gabriele, annoyed now, simply crossed his arms as he spat out, ¡°Besides, who could do better than our current Don? You?¡±


    Gabriele scoffed, smirking as if he¡¯d made a joke.


    I shut my eyes tightly, exhaling through my nose at the clear taunt.


    ¡°You mother-fu¨C¡± Alessandro paused as he swallowed his words, ncing at Olivia and then finishing, ¡°jerkwad.¡±


    Gabriele opened his mouth to retort, but I¡¯d had enough of this. I held up my hand to stop him, and he fell silent.


    ¡°If you have something to say, then say it to me,¡± I said firmly, taking a sip of my coffee. Alessandro rounded back on me, his attention directed at me now and no one else.


    ¡°This is your fucking fault¨C¡± Alessandra growled, beginning to rant like I knew he would.


    I stood there patiently as Alessandro called me every name in the book, throwing usations and threats straight to my face for a good five minutes.


    The longer he went on, the more Olivia¡¯s face fell. Tallon and Gabriele took their seats, both of them waiting out the storm. It wasn¡¯t the first time any of us had been around Alessandro¡¯s temper, but this one was quite impressive.


    Once he fell silent, panting from his rant, I raised my eyebrow impassively.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± I asked. It was like talking to a child because that¡¯s what he was fucking acting like.


    A spark ignited in Alessandro¡¯s eyes, and before he could open his mouth and call me a bastard for the tenth time, I cut him off quickly.


    ¡°I understand you are upset and worried for Dahlia. We all are, but this is a wildly inappropriate and unhealthy way to get your frustration out. Dahlia will make a full recovery, and I take full responsibility for not having protected her properly,¡± I told him, straight-forward and to the point.


    His jaw clenched at my every word, stubborn right to the end.


    ¡°That said,¡± I began, my face darkening as I remembered Dahlia¡¯s cold body bleeding out on the floor. They¡¯d left her there like she was garbage. I will never be able to forget that. ¡°I have no intention of letting this go. I have ns to take full revenge.¡± I kept my voice down since there were other people in the waiting room, though they seemed to be ignoring us. Maybe they didn¡¯t speak English.


    A dark grin slipped across Alessandro¡¯s face, and his shoulders rxed as he finally let go of his anger. ¡°Now that¡¯s a n I can get behind.¡±


    And just like that, the crisis was over¨Cfor now.


    Someone cleared their throat, catching my attention. Behind Alessandro and Gabriele was a doctor in a white coat.


    ¡°Are you the family of Dahlia Valentino?¡± she asked with a polite smile.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tallon shot forward. ¡°Is she okay?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± the doctor said kindly. She smiled encouragingly at us. ¡°And she just woke up. We¡¯re allowing visitors, but only two at a time. Who would like to visit her first?¡±


    ¡°I will!¡± Alessandro and Tallon both shouted out before anyone else could get their voice out.


    I saw Olivia slightly slump in the corner of my eye. I grabbed her hand, squeezing softly.


    She sent me a grateful look and pulled her hand away in a hurry as Alessandro turned to us with a frown.


    ¡°Unless you¨C¡± Alessandro started, but Olivia shook her head.


    ¡°No, you guys should go first. You¡¯re family, and I need to get my head together before I see her,¡± Olivia smiled softly.


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure,¡± Tallon hesitated, sending her an unsure nce.


    ¡°I am,¡± she nodded.


    ¡°Okay then.¡± Alessandro smiled, then turned to the doctor. ¡°My brother and I will go first.¡±


    ¡°Alright, follow me then.¡± The doctor turned on her heel, waving for them to follow.


    The two brothers walked away, and I sighed as they disappeared through the doors.


    Finally, some peace and quiet.


    I slumped into the chair, leaning back as I rxed. Now that Dahlia was awake, and Alessandro was taken care of, things would go much smoother, hopefully.


    Olivia gently sat next to me, biting her bottom lip as she nced at me.


    ¡°Um, about Alessandro...¡± she started, sping her hands tightly in herp.


    I smiled at her. She really was too kind for her own good.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him.¡± I reached out to tuck her stray hair behind her ear, lingering at the touch of her skin on my fingers. ¡°He always had a bad temper.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Olivia sighed. ¡°But I¡¯ve never seen him so angry before. He used to get in fights all the time when we were in school, but that was normally over petty things. But you¡¯re family. He shouldn¡¯t have treated you like that.¡±


    I pulled back at Gabriele¡¯s warning nce and sighed as I nced at the doorway they had disappeared through.


    ¡°Honestly, I was expecting much worse,¡± I admitted with a frown. ¡°He¡¯s a good kid, but he had a really hard time when ites to his family being protected, especially his little sister. Control issues, I suspect. He probably got it from James.¡± Or maybe from his biological parents.


    She giggled, and my heart soared in delight at the first smile I¡¯d seen since we stepped into the hospital.


    ¡°That might be true,¡± she said, looking much brighter. ¡°I can understand him wanting Dahlia to be protected, but going off on you like that was uncalled for. You did everything you could.¡±


    She grasped my hand tightly in hers. The sheer honesty in her eyes as she gazed at me and the faith she showed me in those simple little words were enough to leave me speechless.


    I swallowed heavily, ncing away before I¡¯d end up kissing her right here in front of everyone. I clenched my fists against the chair, trying to keep my cool.


    I hadn¡¯t realized how much me I had ced on my shoulders until this moment, until she had released me of it and assured me that she didn¡¯t me me one bit. She had the right to me me.


    I certainly did.


    But Olivia was something else. Even after everything she had seen and heard, she still trusted me much more than I deserved.


    I yearned to be worthy of it.


    Before I could say something I couldn¡¯t take back, Alessandro walked through the doors and headed straight for us.


    His eyesnded on our connected hands, and I saw his eyes darken¨Ca familiar emotion in his eyes that had me clenching my jaw in response.


    ¡°You can go see her now, Livi,¡± Alessandro said coolly. ¡°She¡¯s asking for you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Olivia perked up, eyes shining with hope as she got to her feet. ¡°What about you, though?¡±


    The absence of her hand was jaring, and I nearly grabbed it back on impulse before I caught Alessandro¡¯s eyes staring intently on me.


    ¡°I need to talk to Giovani,¡± he said in a low voice.


    I¡¯d spoken too soon.


    Alessandro wasn¡¯t taken care of yet.

 Chapter 288 : She’s Okay

    <h4>Chapter 288: Chapter 288 : She¡¯s Okay</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I nced unsurely at Alessandro. There was something in his expression that I didn¡¯t like, something that told me I shouldn¡¯t leave him alone with Giovani right now.


    His behavior earlier had shocked me. I¡¯d never heard him yell at someone with so much malice before. It sounded like he really hated Giovani for some reason, which didn¡¯t make much sense to me.


    Giovani caught my eye and nodded at me with a small smile. ¡°Tell her I¡¯m d she¡¯s okay,¡± he said softly. I heard the unspoken words underneath it¨Cit¡¯s okay, you can go, his eyes shouted at me.


    I bit my bottom lip before nodding.


    Gabriele was still here. He would stop anything bad from happening between the two. Alessandro wasn¡¯t stupid enough to start a fight here, was he?


    Gabriele nodded to me as I passed, and I pushed past the doors before realizing I hadn¡¯t gotten her room number.


    I didn¡¯t have to walk too far before I caught the familiar face of the doctor we¡¯d spoken to earlier. She smiled at me as I approached.


    ¡°Hello. You¡¯re here to see Miss Valentino?¡± she asked in a friendly tone.


    I rxed at how weing she seemed, and I nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Room 106, not too far.¡± She pointed down the hall.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told her as she left, probably to check on some other patient. I nced at the room numbers as I passed by until I found 106.


    I took a deep breath as I stood outside of the room and then gently pushed on the handle to open it. The room was just like any other hospital room¨Cwhite everything. A curtain was pulled around the bed, but I could hear low voices speaking as I took a step inside.


    A TV mounted to the wall yed some random Italian cartoon. I smiled at the thought. Most likely they wouldn¡¯t have any of the dramas she liked.


    I stepped past the curtain hesitantly, and I caught my first nce of Dahlia.


    The bed was pulled up so it looked like she was nearly sitting up despite actuallyying down. There were tubes hooked up to her, a bag of some clear fluid and other beeping monitors.


    I nced at the heart monitor, one that kept its steady beeping. Where she wasn¡¯t covered by the hospital gown, I spotted bruises along the side of her face and the cast on her arm. Tears shot to my eyes as I realized how fragile she really looked.


    Tallon grinned, sitting in the chair beside her bed holding her hand, and the two of them turned to me as I entered.


    ¡°Olive.¡± Dahlia beamed with a huge smile.


    And that simple word was like TNT hitting the dam, an explosion that broke open the waterworks. I sobbed, tears pouring out of my eyes.


    ¡°D-Dol-Dolly,¡± I wailed through my sobs, my vision going blurry as I broke down standing in the middle of her hospital room.


    ¡°Come on, now.¡± I heard Dahlia¡¯s voice through my tears. ¡°If you start crying, then you know I¡¯m going to start crying, and then it¡¯ll just be a whole mess.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I whispered, swallowing my emotions as I wiped the tears from my face. I gently hugged her and then found my way to the chair next to her bed and sat down heavily, still sniffling as I tried to calm down.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Dahlia smiled, her eyes a bit wet as she reached her casted arm out for me. I grabbed onto the bright pink cast, her fingers closing around mine as much as they could.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I sobbed, my eyes on the cast and bruises around her other wrist. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t left you there¨Cif I had just¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare, Olivia,¡± Dahlia said sharply. Her voice was so harsh that a hup fell out of my mouth. I nced at her, stunned.


    ¡°You listen to me,¡± Dahlia said angrily, pulling my hand into herp so I was forced to move closer. ¡°I don¡¯t care what anyone says, including you. This is not your fault. I¡¯m d you weren¡¯t there. I¡¯m d you went home when you did, because the only thing worse than getting kidnapped would be if you had been kidnapped with me.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡± I started.


    ¡°No buts!¡± she scolded me, firmly. ¡°If you had been there, and we¡¯d both gotten taken, then your skinny ass would have started crying, and they¡¯d have hit you to shut you up, and I¡¯d have to try to kill them for hurting you, and we¡¯d both ended up shot and dead before they coulde rescue us. A few bruises and some broken ribs are nothingpared to you getting hurt. The gunshot wound isn¡¯t that bad.¡±


    ¡°Dolly.¡± My lower lip wobbled as I tried with all my might not to cry.


    She grinned. ¡°Besides, I wasn¡¯t going to let you pay for my family¡¯s alleged crimes,¡± Dahlia said firmly. ¡°So no more apologizing, okay? You do it again and I¡¯ll call your mom and my mom to talk some sense into you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Iughed wetly, brushing the tears from my eyes.


    She¡¯d follow through with it, too. She didn¡¯t me me, and deep down, I¡¯d known she wouldn¡¯t.


    All I wanted was to pull her into a tight hug, but I nced at the wires and injuries she carried hesitantly. Dahlia nced at me and then huffed.


    ¡°I know this is impossible for you, but the doctor said no real hugs until the stitches are out.¡± Dahlia sent me a grin.


    Damn. I pouted, itching to throw my arms around her again, but if I ended up hurting her, I¡¯d never forgive myself. I settled with squeezing her hand, sending her a teary smile.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve gotten that reunion taken care of,¡± Tallon grinned mischievously, ¡°where¡¯s Alessandro gone now?¡±


    ¡°He said he wanted to talk to Giovani,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised he went back so easily considering the scene he threw in the waiting room,¡± Tallonughed.


    Dahlia groaned, throwing her head back. ¡°That bad?¡±


    ¡°He cussed Giovani out in front of a bunch of kids.¡± I frowned unhappily. ¡°He was really upset.¡±


    ¡°Upset? Try furious.¡± Tallon rolled his eyes. ¡°He needs to get a handle on his temper, cause damn.¡±


    ¡°Try telling him that,¡± Dahlia huffed, ¡°I¡¯d pay to see it.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t try to start a fight with Giovani, will he?¡± I looked at Tallon worriedly.


    ¡°No way,¡± Dahlia snorted. ¡°Gabriele would have his ass on the floor if he tried. I bet they¡¯re just trying to figure out what to do now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Tallon nodded in agreement. ¡°They¡¯re talking about who to kill and how to bring the Russians down, normal mafia stuff... oh, and what to do with you now, Livi.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± I gasped.


    ¡°Yeah. You know the family secret now. Can¡¯t have that getting out,¡± Tallon smirked. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. We like you, so we won¡¯t kill you for it.¡±


    Dahlia burst intoughter and then winced,ying a hand on her side. She grinned at me with sparkling eyes, her amusement clear as day. ¡°You figured it out?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Tallon snorted. ¡°We had to freaking spell it out for her.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡± I blushed deeply.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s hrious,¡± Dahliaughed. ¡°I¡¯m honestly surprised it took you this long to catch on.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Tallon smirked, ¡°You¡¯re always been a little dense, Livi.¡±


    ¡°Have not!¡± I gasped.


    ¡°Have too,¡± Dahlia and Tallon responded in perfect unison, sending me matching grins.


    It was times like these that I was reminded that they really were siblings.


    ¡°Alright, alright, sorry for teasing you, Livi,¡± Tallon said in a baby voice, then he nced at Dahlia with a small smile. ¡°Mom and Dad are on their way.¡±


    ¡°I was kinda expecting them to be here first,¡± Dahlia said. ¡°What took them so long?¡±


    ¡°Well, Dad kinda had to stop Mom from taking the first flight.¡± Tallon rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. ¡°He didn¡¯t want her to do something rash and cause you to get hurt. Plus, they were still on that cruise thing, remember? It was for the charity. Took them a whole day just to get back to shore.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Dahlia nodded in understanding.


    ¡°But once they get here, I doubt they¡¯ll leave you alone for a single second, so good luck with that,¡± Tallon smirked.


    ¡°You¡¯re just jealous I get Mom¡¯s specialty care and you don¡¯t,¡± Dahlia said proudly as she stuck out her tongue at him.


    He rolled his eyes. ¡°You do realize that they¡¯re never going to let you go abroad ever again, right? You¡¯ll be living with them until you¡¯re thirty.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Dahlia froze in ce, all the humor falling off of her face as she suddenly paled. ¡°Oh shit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit¡¯s right,¡± Tallon grinned. ¡°Sorry, but you¡¯re officially grounded, sis.¡±


    Dahlia sighed, ¡°It could be worse, I guess. I kinda learned my lesson on hooking up with random guys anyway. It might be good to be celibate for a while, even if he was like an Adonis in human skin. God, I¡¯m gonna miss his¨C¡±


    ¡°Dahlia!¡± Tallon red at her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear about anything having to do with your sex life. In fact, I don¡¯t want to hear about you even having a sex life.¡±


    ¡°Prude,¡± Dahlia huffed.


    ¡°Nympho,¡± Tallon stuck his tongue out at her.


    ¡°Virgin,¡± Dahlia shot back.


    ¡°You so know I¡¯m not¨C¡± Tallon snapped, but then he paused as he noticed Dahlia yawning into her hand.


    ¡°You okay, Dolly?¡± I asked worriedly as I noticed her eyes fluttering closed and then back open.


    ¡°They gave her some drugs. They said it might make her pass out,¡± Tallon exined quietly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d take effect this soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Dahlia waved her hand. ¡°Just a bit sleepy. Getting shot takes a lot of out of you, y¡¯know?¡±


    ¡°Not funny,¡± I red at her.


    ¡°Too soon?¡± She smiled, then yawned again.


    ¡°Alright, you better get some sleep,¡± I told her firmly. I grasped the remote for the TV, turning it off, and then grabbed the remote for her bed.


    ¡°Nah, I wanna party still,¡± Dahlia slurred, her eyes falling shut.


    I lowered her bed, leaving it a bit high like she liked before turning to Tallon.


    ¡°Get her another pillow will you?¡± I asked him, and he nodded, heading straight for the closet. We were lucky she had been ced in one of the high-end, private rooms they had, probably due to Giovani pulling some strings, I supposed.


    Tallon handed me the pillow, and I fluffed it out before sticking it under her head. She sighed in relief, her eyes barely opening as she nced at me softly.


    ¡°You¡¯ll leave me?¡± she asked, gently squeezing my hand.


    ¡°We¡¯lle back to check on you soon, I promise,¡± I told her. ¡°So just¨C¡±


    Her head fell to the side before I finished. She waspletely out. Iughed quietly, ncing at Tallon, who smirked.


    I held her hand a little longer, brushing my hands down her cast.


    She was okay. We got her back.

 Chapter 289 : I Want In

    <h4>Chapter 289: Chapter 289 : I Want In</h4>


    *Giovani*


    It was cute the way Olivia appeared reluctant to leave us alone. She kept sending me nces, the worry in her eyes sweet but unnecessary. I could tell what she was thinking.


    But there was no need for it. Alessandro wouldn¡¯t do anything if he knew what was good for him. And if he was stupid enough to try, there was no way he could evennd a punch on me.


    I wasn¡¯t the Don for nothing.


    Gabriele nodded at her to leave, and she sent me onest nce before she exited through the doors. As soon as Olivia disappeared from sight, Alessandro whirled on me with a dark re.


    ¡°What did you need, Alessandro?¡± I asked distantly as he once again directed his misced anger at me. He really needed to get a handle on his temper.


    I med his birth father.


    ¡°What the fuck happened here? Tell me everything and leave nothing out,¡± he demanded with all the tact of a bull in a red textile shop.


    I nced at Gabriele, and we shared the same look. This was a conversation that was best had in private.


    Gabriele motioned to one of our men who stood by, and he nodded in response. They would keep the civilians away from us and the conversation quiet.


    This was going to be messy after all.


    ¡°Fine, what do you want to know?¡± I sighed, taking a seat.


    ¡°Start from the beginning,¡± he demanded.


    ¡°Okay, God created man¨C¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean, asshole,¡± Alessandro scowled in reponse, sending me a dirty look.


    It was funny to me.


    I shrugged and thought back. ¡°There¡¯s been some unusual activity around the city¨CRussians. We didn¡¯t expect them to be back, but they were giving us all kinds of hell. I¡¯d had no intell to signal they¡¯d arrived until about the same time that Olivia and Dahlia moved to Florence.¡±


    ¡°Should¡¯ve known they were targeting her the entire time,¡± Gabriele scoffed.


    ¡°We only knew Dahlia became involved once she started seeing someone, a boy named Lorenzo,¡± I told him, leaning back in my seat casually. ¡°So I investigated him like any good cousin would. There was some activity near the boy¡¯s apartment, so I warned her to be careful and not see him anymore. But she didn¡¯t listen.¡±


    ¡°Where were her guards?¡± Alessandro growled. ¡°Are you so ipetent that you just let her sneak out of thepound unattended?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I had three men on her at all times. The night she was taken, Gabriele and two other men were watching her, but there was a problem over in the Piazza.¡±


    ¡°We got a tip from one of our men that they¡¯d spotted the Russians,¡± Gabriele exined. ¡°We now believe it was an insider trying to lure our men away. Two of them went to investigate, and only one came back alive.¡±


    ¡°So you just left her there? With only one guard?¡± Alessandro crossed his arms over his chest, looking highly like he wanted to punch both of us out. Too bad for him that he needed a lot more training to be able to take either of us.


    ¡°Gabriele was left alone to protect Dahlia due to the distress signal. Any active threat is to be dealt with immediately. Surely you remember that?¡± I raised my eyebrow at him.


    He fell quiet, but I could see the steaming out of his ears. He had no leg to stand on here, and he knew it. We did exactly what we could. That didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t feel bad about it, but I¡¯d handle the situation by following protocol, and the Russians had taken us by surprise.


    ¡°Once the two left, Three men came in and took her,¡± Gabriele said slowly. ¡°I notified anyone in the vicinity to follow them and confirmed her absence in the hotel room. The boy she had been seeing and his friend were both missing. Lorenzo is still missing, but his friend was found.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± Alessandro scoffed. ¡°He was dead?¡±


    ¡°Floating in the river¨Cidental drowning, they said,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°So why did it take two days before you finally found her?¡± Alessandro snapped. ¡°With how many resources you have, it should have been easy to track her down.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t take two days. We were led to a dead end and then found her location the next day. They chose a very risky spot. If we had made any kind of move sooner, we would¡¯ve been putting all of us in danger. These weren¡¯t novices, Alessandro,¡± I said, still a bit annoyed at how much they made us run around.


    The feeling of helplessness as we found the warehouse empty was something I wouldn¡¯t be forgetting. And when I caught these bastards, they would pay for it dearly.


    ¡°You still should¡¯ve¨C¡± Alessandro raised his voice as he rounded on me angrily, but I raised my hand, stopping him in his tracks.


    I pinned him with a re. ¡°Stop. Passing around me isn¡¯t going to do anything. We got her back. She¡¯s okay, and she¡¯s getting the best treatment possible. There¡¯s no point in thinking of what you would¡¯ve done instead or what you think I should¡¯ve done. Focus your anger on where it belongs¨Cthe Zaytsevs.¡±


    ¡°Zaytsevs?¡± Alessandro frowned, confused as he took a step forward. ¡°I thought they were all dead.¡±


    ¡°Not quite,¡± I said, ¡°The family was huge back in the day. While the original head of the family is dead, and he had no children who survived, there are still a lot of people running around with the name. We believe a man named Dimitri Zaytsev is involved and possibly pulling the strings, but it¡¯s impossible to know who the mastermind behind it all is now.¡±


    ¡°We also know they¡¯ve got connections, a lot of them. This wasn¡¯t a rush job or just an opportunity for them. This was nned,¡± Gabriele said slowly. ¡°They will attack again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on it,¡± I said calmly.


    We knew their game now, and we would be ready for it. I was never letting this happen to anyone else again. Those bastards had breathed theirst breath.


    Alessandro sighedt, leaning against the wall as he took all of it in. There was more, but he would have to deal with the Cliffs Notes version.


    Silence fell upon us, and my eyes naturally traveled to the families going in and out of the waiting room. We¡¯d been here for hours now. Some families had left while different families had entered. It was like a revolving door.


    A group of kids were ying with the wooden blocks building a tower, and a smile crept up my face. I missed the days when the three kids were younger like that, when they¡¯d y like there was nothing bad in the world.


    I nced at the curly-haired brat in front of me, lost in his thoughts. Even Alessandro had been innocent once upon a time, if a bit spoiled. But this life corrupted everybody.


    Except Olivia, it seemed. But she¡¯d never really been part of it like the Valentino kids.


    Alessandro let out a sigh as he pulled away from the wall, a determined look as he faced me. ¡°Well, looks like I¡¯ll be sticking around for a while then.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I frowned, ncing at him with a questioning look.


    ¡°I already informed my parents, but I¡¯m not going home until the bastards who did this to Dahlia are dead. And since this is a bigger problem than I first thought, I just have to stick around until we kill them all,¡± Alessandro said arrogantly. He crossed his arms stubbornly, and I knew he wasn¡¯t going to let this go.


    I groaned, feeling a headacheing on as I rubbed my temples.


    ¡°Alessandro¨C¡± I started, but he was quick to cut me off.


    ¡°I want in,¡± he said seriously. ¡°And you should know by now that I¡¯m not going to take no for an answer. Dahlia has to recover, but my family is still in danger. As long as those bastards are out there, I¡¯m not leaving.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been over this,¡± Gabriele snapped. ¡°You have no right toe in here and demand to be¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying to make me the Don,¡± Alessandro growled back at him, then he turned to me forcefully. ¡°Even just letting me help is enough for now, until the threat is gone at least.¡±


    I locked eyes with him, hoping he would back down under my re, but he didn¡¯t. He stood strong¨Ctall and proud just like James. They could be twins if there wasn¡¯t a forty-year difference in age. James was actually his biological grandfather, after all.


    ¡°You owe me that much,¡± Alessandro hit the finishing blow.


    I swallowed ufortably and then nodded in consent. Gabriele groaned in dismay, but Alessandro only smirked triumphantly.


    The kid always got what he wanted, but this time, I could use his help to track down Dimitri Zaytsev.


    Alessandro wasn¡¯t just a rich kid; he had connections that we might need and a will to kill without hesitation. He was more like James in that way.


    He¡¯d kill anyone who touched his family.


    Just like James was going to kill me the second he saw me. Or Ba¨Cmy charm never worked on her, unfortunately.


    Before the three of us could talk any longer, the doors to the hospital opened up and out stepped Tallon. He had his arm around Olivia¡¯s shoulders, and I was relieved to see the two looked much lighter in spirit.


    But then I remembered something else Alessandro needed to know.


    ¡°Alessandro,¡± I started, giving him a meaningful nce.


    He turned to me with a frown, raising an eyebrow in question.


    ¡°Keep an eye on Tallon,¡± I told him seriously.


    Alessandro nced at his brother warily and then back at me. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°When we went in to get Dahlia, only three of the four kidnappers were taken alive,¡± I told him, hoping he¡¯d pick up my meaning.


    Alessandro frowned in confusion, and I saw the cogs churning in his brain before his eyes lit up with realization. He swerved to watch Tallon with wide eyes.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way,¡± he breathed, guilt creeping up his face as he understood now. He turned to me with a burst of anger I was used to by now. ¡°Why did you let him go in by himself?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± I told him in defense. ¡°We heard the gunshot from outside theplex, and he rushed in on his own. By the time I got to the apartment, he¡¯d already taken the shot.¡±


    ¡°Messy?¡± Alessandro asked, quietly.


    I shook my head. ¡°Clean shot to the skull, instant. It hasn¡¯t hit him yet, but it will. Make sure he isn¡¯t left alone.¡±


    Alessandro sighed as he nced worriedly at his younger brother. Tallon wasughing at something Olivia said as they headed straight for us.


    ¡°What have you gotten yourself into, little brother?¡± Alessandro whispered from beside me.


    I couldn¡¯t help but agree.


    The first kill was always the hardest.

 Chapter 290 : Going Home

    <h4>Chapter 290: Chapter 290 : Going Home</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Tallon swung his arm around me as we headed back to the waiting room. Dahlia was sleeping peacefully, and my own exhaustion was beginning to catch up with me... or maybe it was the alcohol I had drank earlier.


    Either way, I was about ready to crash. I leaned against Tallon as he maneuvered his way through the halls, practically dragging me along.


    The moment we entered the waiting room, I felt Giovani¡¯s gaze on me. As we made our way across the room, I felt the unusual mood of the group.


    Gabriele wascent as usual, but Giovani was more serious than normal. I noticed his eyes flickering to Tallon and frowned to myself. I couldn¡¯t make out much from his face, his emotions cleverly hidden like they always were.


    He was a wall of stone and cool as ice, even though I could clearly see the dark bags under his eyes and how tired he looked.


    Alessandro, on the other hand, was full of emotions. There was anger, which was expected, but something weird too. He nced between me and Tallon with distaste. Maybe it was jealousy?


    But why would he be jealous of his own brother? Or maybe he was jealous of me?


    I nced at Tallon¡¯s arm around my neck and then Alessandro¡¯s unhappy look. Did he want a hug or something from Tallon?


    ¡°Hey,¡± Tallon said, removing his arm from around me.


    I was too tired to speak, so I just let him talk.


    ¡°How¡¯s Dahlia?¡± Giovani asked first.


    ¡°She¡¯s on some pretty strong painkillers, so she isn¡¯t feeling much pain for now,¡± Tallon told him, softly. ¡°She¡¯s asleep.¡±


    ¡°Is she doing any better?¡± Alessandro stepped forward, a frown on his lips.


    ¡°She seemed okay. Mom and Dad said they¡¯ll be arriving in the morning to help take care of her. Are we okay with security?¡± Tallon asked Giovani.


    Giovani nodded. ¡°I have my best guards on watch, especially around her room. Nobody will try anything.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t somebody stay with her?¡± Alessandro frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave her alone.¡±


    ¡°The doctor said she¡¯ll be asleep for a while, like all of us should be. We¡¯ll only hinder her healing if we stay with her any longer. Let the doctors do their job, Alex,¡± Tallon retorted firmly. ¡°We should all think about going back to thepound. I still need a shower.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to get some sleep,¡± I tuned in as I suppressed a yawn behind my hand.


    ¡°Home it is then,¡± Giovani nodded as he got to his feet. He sent a firm nce to Alessandro as he finished. ¡°Will you take Tallon back with you? We¡¯ll take Olivia.¡±


    The two of them stared at one another, a silent conversation being exchanged. I looked between them, confused and a little startled at how their attitudes had shifted. They clearly knew something I didn¡¯t.


    Alessandro sighed and nodded. He turned to Tallon with a no-nonsense look in his eyes.


    ¡°Tallon, ride back with me, will you?¡± Alessandro asked, sticking his hands into his pants pockets. ¡°I need to talk to you.¡±


    The two brothers looked at one another, and I saw Tallon seemed just as confused as I was. But then it dawned on him¨Cthough I still had no clue what about.


    His face fell, a slightly sick and pale look to him, before he gave just the bare minuscule of a nod.


    ¡°Yeah, alright,¡± he sighed, then he lowered his voice to a whisper so I was the only one who heard. ¡°This is gonna be ufortable.¡±


    Alessandro wrapped an arm around Tallon¡¯s shoulder, gazing down at him with a strained smile, ¡°Then we¡¯d better get going, little brother.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I say goodbye to Gio and Livi?¡± Tallon gave a sheepish smile, swirling out of Alessandro¡¯s arms to head toward me, but a hand gripped onto his shirt, keeping him in ce. He reached his hands out to me with his wide puppy dog eyes.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I murmured for him to hear, a little guilty, though I wasn¡¯t sure what he was trying to get out of. Clearly, there was something nobody was telling me.


    That wasn¡¯t anything new, though. I¡¯d spent my whole life without knowing my mother¡¯s employers used to be part of the mafia. Clearly, they were experts at hiding things from me.


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandro said firmly before dragging Tallon along by his shirt.


    ¡°Come on, Alex! This is humiliating!¡± Tallon protested.


    As they passed by me, Alessandro smiled softly at me, but Tallon quickly mouthed something that I thought was supposed to be, ¡®Help me.¡¯


    Unfortunately for him, he was the weaker and younger of the brothers, and he couldn¡¯t fight back.


    Once they were gone, Giovani turned to me with a small smile.


    ¡°Coming with us then?¡± he asked, that small tilt of his lips sending a warm fluttering feeling to the pit of my stomach.


    But Gabriele¡¯s eyes were still on us, so I just nodded, letting him grab my hand. I nced at Gabriele a bit warily, but he didn¡¯t even seem focused on us as he led the way out of the hospital.


    I was a bit out of it by now as Giovani led me to the car. He opened the door to the ck sedan for me, and I got in as he went around. Gabriele got in the front seat, our designated driver, as I yawned.


    The car rumbled to a start, and Giovani got in beside me. Once everyone was buckled, we pulled out of the parking lot and headed home.


    When I yawned again, Giovani chuckled and grasped my hand. The moonlight and streetlights faded through the windows, zipping by as the car moved down the roads.


    Now that I wasn¡¯t so stressed about Dahlia, I realized there was something nagging in the back of my head.


    ¡°I have a question,¡± I muttered sleepily, turning to Giovani. ¡°Why was Alessandro acting so weird?¡±


    ¡°Depends on what you mean by weird,¡± he replied casually. ¡°He¡¯s usually like that around me.¡±


    ¡°But why? I don¡¯t get it,¡± I frowned. ¡°Why did it seem like he was taking this so personally with you?¡±


    Giovani sighed, brushing his thumb against my hand as he gazed down at our intertwined hands. ¡°Alessandro feels... robbed.¡±


    ¡°Robbed?¡± I asked, bewildered. ¡°Did you steal something from him?¡±


    ¡°In his eyes,¡± he said with a chuckle, ¡°he feels like I took something from him, and because Dahlia got hurt under my protection, he feels more vindicated now than ever. He¡¯s a real brat but he¡¯s still family.¡±


    I frowned. There was something fishy about the way he said that. I wanted to ask more, to press him for answers on what was between the two of them, but now didn¡¯t seem like the time.


    I was exhausted, and I was betting he was too. Answers could wait until tomorrow.


    ¡°Should I be worried about you two?¡± I asked. ¡°Is he going to start a fight or something?¡±


    Giovaniughed and leaned over to grasp my chin. He pulled my gaze up to meet his, the humor in his eyes reflecting in mine.


    ¡°Of course not, carino.¡± He purred the pet name, and I shivered at the look in his eyes. ¡°He can try, but he¡¯s still too young to take me down. He¡¯s not dangerous to anyone but himself. I¡¯ll take care of it, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°But how do you know?¡± I was breathless under his eyes, my whole body warming up as he kept me under a trance.


    ¡°It¡¯ll all be fine, I promise, carino,¡± he said softly, a smile on his lips, before he leaned in. I was so entranced that our lips almost touched before I remembered there was another person in the car.


    I darted my eyes to Gabriele, who was staring at the road, not even paying attention. But I knew he had most likely heard everything.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Giovani chuckled. ¡°Gabriele is loyal, and he knows when to keep information to himself. Right, Gabe?¡±


    Gabriele snorted but didn¡¯t say anything as he shifted in his seat. All of a sudden, a privacy screen began to roll up between the front and back seat, separating us.


    ¡°See? It¡¯s soundproof, too,¡± he grinned. ¡°So no excuses.¡±


    Iughed and met him halfway as I pressed my lips to his. I felt like it had been so long since I¡¯d been with him, even though it had not even been a day. I rxed into him, opening my mouth as he dove in like he was starving.


    One kiss turned into two and then three as we refused to break apart. My lungs screamed for air, and we finally broke apart, allowing me to take a huge gulp of oxygen.


    With his hand on my waist, I wanted more. I nced out the window as Gabriele stopped, I assumed at a red light.


    I quickly unbuckled my seatbelt, and Giovani¡¯s eyes snapped to my waist as I pulled the restraint off.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he growled unhappily as I slid across the leather seats.


    I felt his burning eyes on me, watching my every move as I lifted myself up and sat myself down in hisp.


    I wiggled a bit, and I heard him growl as his hands went around my waist, holding me in ce. His rock hard length was pressed against my ass.I leaned back against his muscled body as the car started moving again.


    He held me in ce, even without a seatbelt, and I was more than content to let him press me against him. With my legs spread wide and his in between them, we took up more than half the backseat.


    ¡°You should be buckled up,¡± Giovani whispered in my ear, sending a delightful shiver down my spine.


    I loved the feeling of his heated breath against my skin.


    I giggled, leaning against his shoulder. ¡°You can be my seatbelt then,¡± I told him,ughing a bit from the absurd expression on his face.


    He looked at me like I was a naughty kitten who¡¯d escaped for the tenth time, but I could see the fondness buried in his eyes. He loved this just as much as I did.


    He rolled his eyes, but I felt his hands clench even tighter around my waist. I settled into his arms happily. At the next stoplight, I felt him brush my hair over my shoulder, exposing my neck to him.


    Heid soft kisses down my neck, and I shut my eyes, enjoying the feeling. I let the sensation of him all around me warm me up to the tips of my fingers, not caring about anything else for the moment.


    This is where I wanted to be. The exhaustion of everything else faded away around me until it was just me and him.


    Only us.

 Chapter 291 : Spilled Tea

    <h4>Chapter 291: Chapter 291 : Spilled Tea</h4>


    *Olivia*


    The minute we pulled into the driveway, I reluctantly slid back into my own seat. My face was burning bright red, no doubt, as I knew I¡¯d have hickeys all along my neck in the morning. Giovani sent me a rather smug smile at that as I tried my best to pull my shirt up over the marks.


    Giovani walked me to my room and I reluctantly parted with him.


    ¡°Goodnight, Olivia,¡± he said softly to me.


    ¡°Night,¡± I whispered as he shut the door. I wished for a moment that I could¡¯ve invited him inside or followed him to his bedroom. He was warm andforting and for some reason, I felt safer around him than alone.


    But that was just a wishful thought.


    I yawned as I shed my clothes, getting into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt I¡¯d had for years as I climbed into bed. I made sure to plug in my phone and copsed into the warm fluffiness of my pillows.


    I sighed, rxing as my exhaustion took over me. It took no time at all for my eyes to close and drift off to sleep.


    I don¡¯t know how long it was, but by the time I woke up, it was still dark out, and I rolled over, trying to catch a few more hours of sleep.


    But there was something wrong.


    Just as I finally gotfy, I felt the edge of my bed lowering, like someone had sat on it. I frowned, wondering, before something strong and hard wrapped around my mouth.


    I screamed, but it was no use as the noise was stifled underneath therge hand pressing my jaw together. A dark figure slid on top of me, a man with dark eyes who red down at me.


    He pinned me to the bed, and I struggled underneath him, trying to scream or do anything to get away. I threw my legs up, hoping to throw him off, but it was no use. He was too strong. He gripped my wrists in one hand and pinned them to the headboard.


    A nasty grin slid across his face as he stared down at me. He was saying something I couldn¡¯t hear, like I was underwater and straining to hear on the surface.


    There was a sh of silver in his other hand, and I quickly paled as I realized what it was¨Ca knife, and a veryrge one.


    The moonlight through the window flickered across the man¡¯s shadowy face, illuminating the sharp weapon in his hand.


    I screamed, tears flooding my eyes even as I knew nobody could hear it. I was trapped, pinned to the bed as this madman hovered over me.


    I sobbed as he brushed the edge of his knife along my cheek, slow and purposeful. He said something in that weird mufflednguage again, and I only shook my head, not understanding.


    He gripped my chin so hard I felt like it could snap in two as he forced me to gaze up at him. He snarled something in hisnguage and pressed the knife against my throat.


    I swallowed, the tiniest nick of the knife cutting into my skin. It stung, and I flinched away, pressing myself against the bed as far as I could go.


    He demanded something again, and I only sobbed, shaking my head once more.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± I tried to yell, but only muffled shrieks came from my lips.


    The man¡¯s face split into arge grin, and I watched in silent terror as his eyes slit into snake-like pupils, and he hissed. His forked tongue spat out from his mouth like a reptile, too long.


    ¡°Goodbye,¡± the man hissed in that snake-like voice before he pulled his hand across my throat- the knife piercing into my flesh.


    A scream bubbled up in my throat as my eyes shed open. The gray ceiling greeted me, empty and in, and there was no sign of any lizard person.


    I tested my fingers, moving them as I found I was unrestrained. Slowly, I reached up to grasp my throat, still feeling the haunting weight of the knife pressed against it.


    It was just a nightmare.


    I grasped my nket, choking on my silent tears as I tossed in bed, curling into a ball.


    I was getting really tired of these nightmares. I stayed there, curled into a ball as my eyes kept flickering to the rm clock.


    An hour passed, then another.


    And soon, my body ached from how long I¡¯d been pressed into the same position. My eyes refused to close any longer. I sighed deeply.


    I threw the covers away from me as I impatiently got out of bed and put on my slippers. I tossed on my hoodie for extra warmth and made my way to the door.


    I was extra stealthy as I gently pulled open my door as quietly as possible. The hallway was empty. As usual, there was nobody awake but me, though there might be guards outside for all I knew.


    I brushed my hair away from my face, clutching the hoodie closer to my body as I crept down the stairs. I took the right into the kitchen and halted in my tracks.


    Despite the darkness, I knew I wasn¡¯t alone after all. A shadowy figure sat at the ind, hunched over.


    My blood pumped as adrenaline filled my body, and for a moment, I thought of the figure in my dream with his forked tongue and slitted eyeballs.


    I took a step back, intending to head back to my room, but I bumped into something cold and hard, something that made a loud thump as I hit it.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± The figure¡¯s head whirled up, and I flinched in surprise. It sounded familiar to me¨Cnot anything like the nightmare-ish figures I had dreamt.


    No longer afraid, I stepped into the kitchen and flipped on the light.


    Alessandro sat at the ind, an rmed look on his face when he saw me.


    ¡°Olivia?¡± he questioned, confused. There was a steaming mug in his hands, and I quickly realized he¡¯de here for the same reason I had.


    I nced at the teapot on the stove. It was still steaming. He hadn¡¯t been here for that long.


    ¡°Uh, sorry,¡± I said, a bit sheepish now as I bit my bottom lip. ¡°I just wanted some tea.¡±


    He smiled, a bit crooked but with the same boyish charm I always associated with him.


    ¡°Great minds think alike,¡± he chuckled, waving to the teapot. ¡°Help yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I rxed at the softer and more friendly attitude he gave off. I supposed he really only had a problem with Giovani.


    I still didn¡¯t know what that was, but I was sure it wasn¡¯t anything serious. The kitchen was quiet as I grabbed a mug from the cab and poured the hot water into it. I raided the stash of tea bags and picked out my favorite from the group.


    It settled into the water, and already I could smell the vor of the tea seeping out. I turned back to Alessandro, awkwardly.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to be alone or if I even wanted to take the chair at the ind. Luckily, he made the decision for me.


    ¡°Take a seat,¡± he offered with a quirk of his lips. ¡°I won¡¯t bite.¡±


    Iughed, nodding as the tension in my shoulders drained away. I took the seat beside him dly, setting my mug gently on the ind.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other in forever,¡± Alessandro started with a soft nce. ¡°How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± I hummed as I took a sip of my tea. ¡°You mean, besides this trip?¡±


    I grinned as he chuckled. ¡°Yeah, besides this trip. I know it¡¯s been a tough couple of days.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± I sighed. ¡°Things are moreplicated than I thought they would be. Things were so much easier when we were kids.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t deny that,¡± Alessandro agreed. ¡°I¡¯d take treehouses over taxes any day.¡±


    I smiled at the thought. Alessandro and Tallon¡¯s treehouse in the backyard had been a big point of contention between them and Dahlia. I remembered when they put up a ¡°No Girls Allowed¡± sign, and Dahlia had thrown a fit until their mom made them take it down.


    ¡°Hey, um,¡± Alessandro said awkwardly, and my attention snapped to him. ¡°Sorry about how I acted earlier. I probably scared you, but I didn¡¯t mean to. I was just worried about Dahlia, and I... I just wanted to apologize.¡±


    He gazed at me, and I frowned at the guilty look in his eyes. I¡¯d seen it many times when we were kids. When he said something mean to me or Dahlia, he¡¯de back and say he was sorry.


    He¡¯d always had a temper, and when he got going, I knew how sharp his tongue could be. I had been scared earlier in the hospital. His anger was explosive, and I feared he¡¯d take it out on all of us.


    But Giovani had been there to calm him down and help him to keep a level head.


    Though I didn¡¯t approve of his behavior, I hated the sad look in Alessandro¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say it¡¯s okay,¡± I started softly.


    He flinched, his shoulders slumping in defeat, but I only smiled softly and grabbed his hand. He gazed up at me hopefully.


    ¡°But I understand why you were angry. I wasn¡¯t exactly myself either. It was for Dahlia¡¯s sake, so it¡¯s not that big of a deal. You don¡¯t need to apologize to me.¡±


    ¡®But you do to Giovani,¡¯ I wanted to say.


    It rubbed me the wrong way that the two were at odds with one another, specifically the way that Alessandro had treated him like an enemy. It wasn¡¯t fair.


    Alessandro squeezed my hand back with a grin on his face as he nodded. ¡°Thanks, Livi.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± I beamed, happy to help as I retracted my hand. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never messed up either.¡±


    I went to take a sip of my tea, but I paused as I caught the mischievous look in his eyes.


    ¡°Oh, you mean like the time you tried to bake a cake for Dahlia¡¯s birthday?¡± he asked innocently.


    I choked on my spit, setting my coffee down as my face heated up. I couldn¡¯t believe he still remembered that or that he would bring it up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember that.¡± I yed dumb, avoiding his gaze as he onlyughed.


    ¡°Oh, but I do,¡± he grinned. ¡°You tried to make a four-tier cake for her birthday and dragged me along to help, remember? I told you to wait for your mom¡¯s help, but you wouldn¡¯t listen, and you climbed to the top shelf of the pantry cab to get the flour, and whoosh!¡±


    He threw his arms down in dramatic effect, fixing me with a smirk as I sunk lower in my seat. I was blushing incredibly hard at this point.


    ¡°The kitchen and the both of us ended up covered in flour. Your mom med me for the whole thing.¡± He sent me a smug look. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember that, Livi?¡±


    ¡°Fine, yes I do,¡± Iughed, covering my face in embarrassment. ¡°But I swear I didn¡¯t mean to get you in trouble for it. Why did you take the me back then anyway? You could¡¯ve told them it was me.¡±


    ¡°Eh.¡± He shrugged, sending me a flirtatious wink. ¡°I was just being a gentleman. I had to save the beautiful damsel, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Iughed. ¡°Beautiful damsel? Me?¡±


    ¡°But you are.¡±


    I paused at the low and serious voice that came out of his mouth, and I met his eyes. Alessandro gazed at me deeply, not one sign of him joking on his face.


    I was stunned to silence, unable to answer as the mood flipped in that single instant. Alessandro¡¯s hand headed straight for me, and I flinched as his hand cupped my cheek.


    He leaned forward, and I knew what he was trying to do.


    Alessandro was trying to kiss me.

 Chapter 292 : Complicated

    <h4>Chapter 292: Chapter 292 : Complicated</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Oh.


    That was the only thought that passed through my head in the few seconds I had. There was nothing else in my mind but TV static. The shock and dizziness overwhelmed me as I tried to figure out what the hell was going on.


    I was confused, utterly andpletely bewildered, as Alessandro¡¯s lips pressed closer to me, his dark eyes firmly locked on mine.


    I was frozen in ce, my heart beating rapidly in my ears as he grew closer and closer by the millisecond. It was like I was stuck in slow motion, unable to move.


    But right before our lips touched, I came to my senses.


    I reared back, my eyes wide, and he paused, swallowing before he pulled back. There was an awkward silence between us for a moment as we stared at one another.


    I sucked in a breath before words I couldn¡¯t stop fell out of my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I¡¯m ttered, really, I am. But I¡¯m really confused too. My head¡¯s just really not in the right space right now for something like that.¡±


    Guilt shot through my heart, and I sped my hands together, pulling back entirely as I gazed at the emotionless look in his eyes. I couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking, but my heart was racing.


    It wasn¡¯t like when I felt excited like when Giovani kissed me. It felt warm and fluttered like butterflies dancing in my chest. It wasn¡¯t like when Giovani had me in his bed either. That was like electricity crackling along every inch of my skin.


    This kind of heart-racing, chest-pounding anxiety was something entirely different, the kind you felt when you walked into a room and found a kangaroo in your kitchen, or when you had to deliver a big speech and found you could only speak backward.


    Everything was upside down now. Grass was blue, and the sky was green¨Cand Alessandro had just tried to kiss me.


    What the fuck was happening?


    I¡¯d always seen Alessandro as an older brother cause that¡¯s what he was to Dahlia. Since we were kids, he¡¯d always had the protective big bro shtick down to a science. I never thought he saw me as something... more.


    Sure, Alessandro was handsome. I¡¯d always known that, but I never thought about dating him or kissing him or anything like that. I thought he¡¯d felt the same about me.


    I was his sister¡¯s best friend, a second kid sister. Since when had he been thinking like this?


    I wanted to deny it, to think that this wasn¡¯t actually happening, but that would be lying. An absurd kind ofughter almost burst from my lips, like when you see a bear juggling at a circus.


    But I could never do that to him. I owed him better than that.


    I bit my bottom lip, not sure what to do now.


    Just as I was prepared for Alessandro to never speak to me again, he smiled softly and with understanding. There was no trace of hurt or anger on his face, but I was still worried.


    He nodded, kindly. ¡°You¡¯re totally right, Livi. Sorry for rushing you. I didn¡¯t mean to surprise you like that.¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief at the total nonchnce with which he shrugged it off. He grinned yfully, leaning his head on his hand as I shot him an apologetic look.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Livi,¡± heughed. ¡°That was my bad. I got a bit too impatient, I think.¡±


    ¡°You mean, you¨C¡± I frowned, trying to think of the right words to say before I decided to just blurt it out. ¡°You mean you like me?¡±


    Surprise colored his face as he gave me an incredulous look.


    ¡°Livi,¡± he chuckled, shaking his head. He leaned forward, and I flinched on instinct, but he only raised his hand to pat me on the head like when we were kids.


    ¡°Of course, I like you,¡± he smiled, happily. ¡°You¡¯re funny, amazing, pretty, and the kindest person I know. How could I not like you?¡±


    I was stunned.


    He really liked me¨Clike as a woman and not as a friend? The thought of it was mind-blowing to me. I just couldn¡¯tprehend it.


    Why? The tension was like nothing else I felt, unsure of what to say or do. I felt like an awkward tween again receiving my first confession. Did I turn him down? Did I agree? What should I do?


    But I wasn¡¯t a kid anymore.


    I was an adult. I thought I had be better at this, but it was different when it was your childhood friend. This was Dahlia¡¯s brother, for god¡¯s sake!


    ¡°You really don¡¯t hide anything, Livi,¡± Alessandro chuckled. He pinched my cheek, pulling my lips up into a forced smile. ¡°Stop worrying so much.¡±


    I wondered what kind of look I had on my face. But perhaps he was right. Maybe I was just blowing this out of proportion.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said after he let go of my cheeks. I rubbed them; they were a little sore and probably red. ¡°I¡¯m just a bit shocked. It¡¯s been a lot.¡±


    He nodded understandingly, sobering as he nced at his tea with a self-deprecating smile.


    ¡°I do admit I should¡¯ve waited until a better time to tell you,¡± he admitted sheepishly. ¡°Things have been a bit tensetely. You don¡¯t need more things piled up on your shoulders, so don¡¯t worry too much about it, okay?¡±


    My heart ached at how lonely he looked. Even though he said he was okay, my pulling away had to have hurt him a bit.


    I nced down at my tea, a thoughting to me, and I smiled hesitantly at him.


    ¡°Besides, you don¡¯t likevender tea anyway,¡± I joked, lifting my mug.


    It was bad, but Alessandro nced at me with a huge grin, and the awkwardness faded away as we both burst intoughter.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a dork, Livi.¡± He grinned as he flicked my forehead. It didn¡¯t hurt, but it reminded me strongly of when we were kids.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I pouted yfully. ¡°Like you¡¯re one to talk.¡±


    ¡°Touche.¡± He shrugged and then suppressed a yawn with the back of his hand. ¡°I should probably go back to bed.¡±


    ¡°I should probably do the same,¡± I nodded. I drank down thest of my tea and got up to rinse out my empty mug in the sink. I heard Alessandro¡¯s steps behind me, and I stiffened as I felt his heat against my back.


    I spun around, an awkward smile on my face as I sped the now-clean mug tightly in my hands. He was close¨Ctoo close¨Cand he nodded as he snaked his arm around me to reach the water.


    I stepped to the side, away from him, as I settled my cup into the drying rack. Alessandro was right behind me before I could take a single step away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you to your room. I¡¯m just a few doors down,¡± he told me softly.


    I nodded, pretending I wasn¡¯t ufortable as I thought of what this would look like if someone walked in on us. He kept close to me, enough that our arms brushed together as we walked upstairs.


    I counted each step, trying to keep my mind off of Alessandro and the way I felt his eyes continue to flicker to me, watching me. I was overly attentive of it now that I was aware, and not in a good way.


    Knowing that he liked me, I wasn¡¯t sure how to react to him anymore, especially considering my rtionship with Giovani.


    Giovani and I... were something. We definitely weren¡¯t nothing, and we definitely weren¡¯t just sex. We felt something for each other, but I didn¡¯t really have a name for it. It was a secret, but that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t there.


    I felt guilty now. I¡¯d almost let Alessandro kiss me. What if Giovani found out that Alessandro had feelings for me... or about what had almost happened in the kitchen?


    I didn¡¯t want to hide it, but I didn¡¯t want to reveal Alessandro¡¯s feelings without his consent. I couldn¡¯t do that to him.


    Besides, Giovanni and I hadn¡¯t even figured out our own rtionship.


    I sighed heavily as we turned the corner, and then I froze in my tracks.


    A familiar figure stood right outside my bedroom door, and his eyes drifted to mine as soon as we stepped around the corner.


    Giovani stood there, his arms crossed over his chest as he waited patiently.


    ¡°What are you doing in front of her room, Giovani?¡± Alessandro asked defensively, a suspicious look on his face.


    Giovani nced at me and then Alessandro, his emotions hidden deeply behind his mask. I bit my lip, guilt brushing in me even though nothing had happened.


    What if he got the wrong idea?


    Giovani only smiled, rxed, as he answered casually, ¡°I was justing to make sure she was getting some sleep. But I guess you went for somete night tea.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± I shifted from foot to foot, unsure of where to look.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the first time you¡¯ve snuck off the kitchen at night.¡± He smiled amicably, and I stiffened, trying not to give myself away. ¡°Did you get enough sleep?¡±


    The first time we¡¯d really spent time together¨CI had almost forgotten.


    Iughed, stiffly, hoping it sounded at least a bit more real than it did to me.


    ¡°Not much, actually,¡± I told him, avoiding his burning eyes. ¡°But I¡¯m going to try for some more now.¡±


    I saw Giovani nod from the corner of his eye, and Alessandro nced between us with a weird look before he stepped forward.


    He turned to me with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± I nodded, hurriedly.


    I stared at the floor, avoiding eye contact with both men as I rushed to my room.


    ¡°Goodnight,¡± I called out as I shut the door in a hurry. I mmed my back against the door, breathing out in relief.


    I groaned silently. I had totally messed that up. There was no way Alessandro hadn¡¯t figured out there was something between us, or that Giovani had figured out something happened in the kitchen.


    What was I going to do now? How was I going to exin this to either one of them?


    An idea popped into my head like a lightbulb going off, and I realized that I didn¡¯t have to say anything to them. Like how I¡¯d dodged Alessandro¡¯s kiss, I could use the stress of the past few days as an excuse, not that it wasn¡¯t true either.


    The nightmare still burned in my mind and seared into every inch, and I was sure it wasn¡¯t going to be myst. Problems just seemed to keep lining up for me.


    I sighed, feeling exhausted once more.


    I was right, after all.


    Things had been so much easier when we were kids.

 Chapter 293 : Possessive

    <h4>Chapter 293: Chapter 293 : Possessive</h4>


    *Giovani*


    ¡°Goodnight,¡± Olivia called out to us, gazing down at the floor as she shut her dorm firmly.


    Alessandro and I stared down at one another, neither of us moving for a second as we fell into silence. There was a nk look on his face, and I couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking at the moment.


    Normally, he was an open book, but I guess he really did learn how to mask his emotions.


    ¡°Well, goodnight then,¡± I nodded to him, turning on my heel to head back to my room, but it was Alessandro¡¯s sharp voice that stopped me.


    ¡°You know,¡± he called out, half-jokingly, ¡°if I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d think you have a thing for Olivia.¡±


    I paused in my steps, clenching my jaw. This damn brat. He really had picked up on something. I cursed myself silently. I shouldn¡¯t havee to check on Olivia. I knew better, especially with Tallon and Alessandro in the house, but I couldn¡¯t help myself.


    I just had to know how she was. Did she have another nightmare? Was she scared and crying all alone? But now, I¡¯d gotten both of us in trouble.


    I turned back to Alessandro with a casual smirk.


    He stared down at me, a deep look of suspicion and jealousy in his eyes.


    ¡°Olivia?¡± I feigned surprise, then chuckled like it was a ridiculous idea. ¡°She¡¯s attractive, I admit. But she¡¯s way too young for me.¡±


    In truth, I¡¯d be willing to dere she was mine to everyone in this building, even to Alessandro, no matter what feeble feelings he had for her. He thought he was sly in hiding it, but he wasn¡¯t.


    Despite the age difference, Olivia was all I wanted, and if he thought he could swoop in and take her from me, he had another thinging.


    But I had to respect Olivia¡¯s decision to keep it quiet, especially with the Zaytsevs running around. Making her mine would only put her in more danger at the moment.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s too young for you,¡± Alessandro smirked in agreement, crossing his arms as he rxed. ¡°But she¡¯s not for me.¡±


    It took a Herculean effort not to smash my fist into his face. The possessiveness was rearing its head in my chest, screaming to protect my woman until everyone knew she was mine. A few hickies were nothing. I needed her to be covered in my marks until I was satisfied.


    This fucking bastard.


    I hid the possessive feeling under my skin, smiling amicably as I shrugged as if I didn¡¯t care. But I did. I cared so damn much.


    I couldn¡¯t stop the annoyance from realizing that he was right. He and Olivia were only a year or two apart. It was a far cry from the difference between me and her.


    ¡°Maybe so,¡± Iughed off hisment, trying to keep any emotion from crossing my face. I eyed him, and he stood there like the cocky bastard he was.


    ¡°You¡¯d better go get some sleep,¡± I told him quietly, a soft warning in my voice.


    He stiffened, his eyes narrowing on me, but I was confident he couldn¡¯t find anything he could use against me or Olivia.


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Alessandro nodded. He headed straight toward me with a cocky swagger, his confidence irritating as he passed by me. ¡°Goodnight, cousin,¡± He smirked at me and then he was gone.


    I waited until I heard his door close before I moved.


    I clenched my fists tightly, turning on my heel as I made my way back to my room. I stepped inside, shutting the door harder than I meant to. The loud bang was startling, enough that I thought for a moment I would wake up everyone.


    I sighed, rubbing my temples as I headed straight for the hidden liquor cabinent. Having a hidden cab for the alcohol in my room came in handy in times like this.


    I poured myself a ss of the nearest alcohol, swallowing down a sip before I even checked thebel. I winced at the hard whiskey scorching down my throat.


    I knew I wasn¡¯t going to get any sleep, not when my eyes were wide open, and my body was rushing with unused energy.


    I took a seat on one of the chairs, sighing as I rxed into the leather fabric. Despite how angry his words had made me, Alessandro was right on one thing.


    Olivia was much younger than I was.


    She was only neen, just starting out her life. Perhaps it was unfair to her that I was even allowing a rtionship between us. She couldn¡¯t have had many in the past but me....


    I fingered the ends of my hair, grasping onto one of the many gray hairs peppering through it. As much as I denied it, I was getting older.


    I was in my early forties, old enough that I could be her father. Hell, I was probably only a few years younger than her actual father. It was a stepfather I¡¯d talked to earlier, I believed. She¡¯d never talked about him, but I was sure he was a man just as kind as her.


    I leaned back in the chair, taking another sip of the alcohol.


    What if he was right? What if I really was too old for her? I didn¡¯t want to limit her or seem like I was taking advantage of her youth.


    Maybe Alessandro really was better suited to her. They were childhood friends; they¡¯d known each other since they were young children. They had much more inmon, which was a stronger foundation for a rtionship.


    And no one would judge her if she ended up with someone like him¨Cexcept me. I was the Don of the mafia. I was in constant danger and living a kind of life that just didn¡¯t suit someone as innocent as her.


    Could I really be so selfish as to trap her with me? She could grow to resent me in the future, and we¡¯d both end up miserable.


    Maybe it was better that I let her go now before we went any deeper. If she told me she wanted someone else, I would let her go.


    Wouldn¡¯t I?


    I groaned, throwing my arm over my head. Who was I trying to kid?


    I liked everything about her, from the way her cute nose scrunched up when sheughed to the way she bit her bottom lip whenever she was nervous. The smattering of freckles on the small of her back was even beautiful to me.


    Even her sweet face full of tears was precious. It moved me that she trusted me enough to see her so vulnerable.


    I liked her strength.


    Despite how young she was, she was still holding strong. The stress of her best friend being kidnapped and possibly killed, of finding out Dahlia¡¯s family was involved with the mafia¨Call that would¡¯ve made it so easy for her to crumble under the pressure. She could have taken the first flight back to the States, or even just locked herself in her room and refused toe out. Either choice would have seemed normal to me.


    There were so many times when she¡¯d had the option to run and leave everything behind to save her own skin, but she hadn¡¯t. I was so impressed by her¨Cher determination to go with me to save her best friend, even though it would put her in danger, her kindness when she told me it wasn¡¯t my fault, and herpassion to everyone around her.


    She could¡¯ve med all of us for her misery, but she held strong and reached out to us with a soft smile. I couldn¡¯t help but admire her for that.


    I leaned my head against the soft chair, my mind drifting off the longer I thought of Olivia.


    I wished she was here right now. I wished I could run my hands through her long hair, that I could feel her sweet eyes on me, so full of trust.


    I loved the little dimple on the side of her cheek when she smiled at me. I could almost imagine her hot skin under my fingertips as I trailed them up and down her smooth, bare waist. She was a vixen, tempting me with every movement she made.


    I wanted her despite the age difference, despite the danger, and despite what anyone else said. From the taste of her sweet lips on mine, to the feeling of them when they wrapped around my cock, to the feel of her arms as she tangled them around my neck, even just the feeling of her soft, warm body in my arms before I slept¨Call of it was too amazing to give up.


    I wanted to feel her weight on me, her little ass pressed up against my cock as Iid kisses on her fragile neck. Her warmth was like a drug to me, one I was slowly losing my mind over.


    I sighed deeply, letting my eyes close as I set my empty ss onto the nightstand. I began to drift off, my mind consumed by thoughts of Olivia.


    ¡°Giovani.¡±


    I opened my eyes, surprised, as I spotted Olivia standing there in my room. She waspletely bare, with not a sign of clothing to be seen. Her little red nipples were hard, and there was liquid dripping from her cunt as she gazed at me.


    There was a needy look on her face, the same kind she got when she wanted me to ravage her. My cock hardened as she breathed out heavily.


    ¡°Giovani.¡±


    She whispered my name like a prayer and a curse as she climbed on top of myp. My hand automatically went around her waist, and I groaned as she ground down on my swollen dick.


    ¡°Please,¡± she begged, wrapping her arms around me, sliding back and forth teasingly as she mouthed at my neck. It was almost too much, and I cursed as I gripped her hips.


    ¡°Merde, carino,¡± I groaned, pulling her down onto me as I thrust up. I could feel how wet she was, practically dripping all over me.


    ¡°Giovani,¡± she gasped, her eyes lidded with lust as she pulled me into a rough kiss.


    Our tongues intertwined, and I used one hand to pull myself up, aligning my dick with her entrance in a hurry.


    We both wanted it, needed it. But just as I was about to thrust into her, I was startled awake by a soft knocking.


    I whirled up in the chair, blinking my eyes as I realized it was just a dream. I yawned into my hand, determined to settle back into sleep and hope I continued the dream I just had.


    It had just gotten to the good part.


    There was a soft knock at the door again, and I frowned as I lifted myself to my feet. I trudged over the carpet and toward the door. I opened it up and was surprised by who I saw in front of me.

 Chapter 294 : Jealousy

    <h4>Chapter 294: Chapter 294 : Jealousy</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I couldn¡¯t help myself. I couldn¡¯t stop even if I had wanted to. It took an hour of staring up at the ceiling and trying to will myself to sleep before I finally realized I wasn¡¯t going to.


    I was scared the nightmare woulde back and that the sight I didn¡¯t want to see would be right behind my eyelids, chasing after me. Would I die this time? Would I be tortured gruesomely before they killed me?


    I didn¡¯t know, and it terrified me.


    Maybe that was why I found myself standing outside Giovani¡¯s door. Or maybe that was just the excuse I had used.


    But when the door opened, and I saw Giovani standing there, as calm and patient as ever, my heart tugged hard enough that I stumbled right into his arms.


    I feared for a moment that he might pull away, that the scene earlier truly had pissed him off, but I had nothing to worry about. He wrapped an arm around my waist, and I squeaked before I pped my hand over my mouth as he lifted me off my feet with one arm.


    He pulled me inside, gently setting me on the floor as he shut the door behind me. I heard him breathe a sigh of relief and then turn to me with a nk look on his face.


    The anxiety was suffocating me, waiting for him to make a move. I didn¡¯t know if he was angry or not, but I was frayed at the ends, quicklying undone, and he was the only thing that could keep me together.


    I fell into his arms, grasping him as tight as I could just in case he wanted to step back and send me back to my cold room where the nightmares lived. I desperately held back the tears, even though I wanted to let them fall.


    Slowly, his arms wrapped around me, pulling me close, and all the anxiety and fear vanished like a puff of air in the winter cold. He didn¡¯t say a word, just held me, but that was enough.


    We stood there for a while, enough that my bare toes began to grow cold, and I shivered in his arms. I was in too much of a hurry to grab my slippers or hoodie, so now I was just standing in his room in a pair of shorts and a very old T-shirt.


    Some part of me would¡¯ve been embarrassed, but I was past that. He¡¯d seen me at my worst, so an old T-shirt from a band I¡¯d never even listened to was nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered eventually. ¡°I keep having nightmares, and I don¡¯t want to sleep alone.¡±


    I felt more than heard him sigh, his chest moving up and down with his release of breath, and I savored the moment, his heartbeat thumping loudly in my ears. It felt like a luby just for me.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he muttered softly, pressing a kiss to the top of my hair. ¡°You can stay with me, but we have to make sure you¡¯re back in your room before anyone sees you.¡±


    I nodded softly, and Giovani lifted me up in one smooth motion. I curled my legs as he moved me to the bed,ying me down softly as he pulled back. His eyes were soft as they looked at me, and he brushed my hair away from my face, caressing my cold cheek with his warm hand.


    ¡°Come on.¡± I tugged at his hand pleadingly, and he chuckled. I scooted further inward as he got into the bed, throwing the covers over both of us. Once he was settled on his back, I curled around his body.


    Our legs became entangled, and Iid my head on his chest, resting both my hands on his body. It was surprisinglyfortable, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I settled in.


    He lifted his right arm around me, curling it along my back as he gently yed with the strands of my hair. It was soothing to us both.


    Silence fell upon us like stars, and my eyes slowly closed as I rxed fully into his embrace. I felt like I could finally breathe again, like nothing and no one could touch me when I was here with him.


    But as always, peace neversts.


    ¡°Do you ever worry about our age difference?¡± Giovani asked out of the blue.


    My eyes snapped open, and I frowned as I processed what he¡¯d said.


    Our age difference?


    A lightbulb went off in my head, and a sense of dread filled the pit of my stomach. Was this about earlier?


    I jerked up into a sitting position as I nced down at him worriedly. ¡°Is this about Alessandro? Nothing happened, I swear.¡±


    I winced at how that sounded. For trying to make myself seem less guilty, it sure made it seem like I was a wife covering up an affair.


    ¡°I just meant that I don¡¯t know why else you would be worrying about that now,¡± I finishedmely, trying to calm the anxiety bursting in my heart.


    What if Alessandro had said something to him, and now he didn¡¯t want to be with me? What if¨C


    Before I could think of anything else, Giovani raised an eyebrow at me, an expectant look on his face, and I sighed.


    He was right. There was no use in hiding this.


    ¡°He tried to kiss me,¡± I admitted, quietly.


    That was the wrong to say. I should¡¯ve hidden it.


    Giovani¡¯s face turned to stoneplete and utter marble. I wasn¡¯t even sure if he was still breathing with how still and firm he was.


    I backtracked, panicking a bit now as I threw out, ¡°But I told him no, I promise. I just didn¡¯t want you to think I had done something with him, so I didn¡¯t say anything. But I should¡¯ve told you right away. I¡¯m sorry. He didn¡¯t say anything, did he?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± He shook his head,pletely emotionless.


    I bit my bottom lip, wondering whether he was mad or not. I was beginning to figure out that though he was an expert at hiding his emotions, Giovani wasn¡¯t inhuman. He had tells just like anyone else. From the way he clenched his jaw, still and motionless, this was anger¨CI was pretty sure.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked uncertainly.


    ¡°I just wanted to know if the age difference bothered you or not, nothing else,¡± he said impassively.


    I frowned, gazing at him for a minute before I shook my head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said simply.


    Iid back down into his arms. He was still tense, and it was a bit ufortable, but eventually, I found a spot I liked. I rxed, my eyes drifting off, when I heard yet another out-of-the-blue questione out of his mouth.


    ¡°So, are you interested in Alessandro now?¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡± I red at him, cranky now as I sat up in bed and crossed my arms. ¡°You are upset!¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± Giovani said insistently, sitting up as well. He stared me down like I was being a petnt child, and I threw my hands in the air, ready to scream.


    I just wanted to sleep, to get a good night¡¯s rest for once, and now he was acting like... like¨C


    I paused, swerving my gaze back to him as I pondered the thought.


    He was acting like a jealous boyfriend.


    ¡°Are you jealous?¡± I frowned. ¡°Is that what this is about?¡±


    His nostrils red as his icy stare turned to a re, and he snapped, ¡°Of course not! Jealous? Of him? Why would I ever be jealous of him?¡±


    I flinched back, a little hurt at how adamantly he denied it. I saw his face soften, and he reached out to me, but I was angry.


    I hated this. I never should¡¯vee here.


    ¡°Olivia¨C¡±


    He called me back, grasping my wrist, but I pulled away from him, crossing my arms angrily as I stood my ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m not bothered by the age difference, even if you obviously are. I¡¯m not interested in Alessandro, so I turned him down. And I¡¯m not okay with being treated like this for something I didn¡¯t even do!¡± I threw my hands up, ready to storm back to my room.


    Nightmares be damned, I wasn¡¯t going to deal with a man-child who couldn¡¯t admit his own feelings all night. Be jealous, fine... but don¡¯t take out your frustration on me.


    I deserved better than that.


    ¡°Wait, Olivia¨C¡±


    I heard him mmering after me, and I had just reached the doorknob when his arms wrapped around me. I stubbornly tried to throw him off, but there was no way I was strong enough.


    He firmly pulled me into his chest as I huffed, bristling unhappily.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Olivia. You¡¯re right.¡± He sighed, burying his head into my shoulder.


    I refused to touch him back, just kept limp in his arms as I stared out the window.


    The moonlight was particrly nice tonight.


    ¡°Please, I didn¡¯t mean to snap at you,¡± he said softly, holding me like I was everything.


    I shut my eyes tightly, trying not to give in, but I was always soft. When Tallon broke my favorite doll or when Dahlia spilled water right over my finished school project, I had never been able to stay angry. It passed just as quickly as it hade. My mom said I inherited it from my dad, but I had no way of knowing that for sure.


    I sighed, already feeling the backbone I had developed soften into a pile of marshmallows. I wanted to be angry, but I just couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Olivia? Carino, say something,¡± he pleaded, desperation evident in his voice as he held me like I was going to vanish before his eyes.


    Slowly, I lifted my hands and wrapped them around my back. ¡°That wasn¡¯t cool,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Giovani chuckled into my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be the older one here, but I was acting like a child. You were right, I was jealous. Alessandro, he... he said something, and I got upset. But I didn¡¯t have any right to interrogate you like that.¡±


    I gently pulled back, just enough that he wouldn¡¯t have to let me go, and I grasped both of his cheeks, pouting as our eyes connected intimately.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have hidden Alessandro almost kissing me either. I was confused, and I was thinking about protecting his feelings, but I didn¡¯t take into ount how it would make you feel. I¡¯m sorry, too,¡± I frowned.


    He smiled, relieved, and leaned in. His lips were right there for the taking, but I gently held my palm to his lips, preventing the kiss.


    I felt his lips tip downward, confusion in his eyes as I smiled sadly at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad, but I think I should go back to my room now,¡± I told him softly.


    His eyes widened and then I felt him slump, his disappointment obvious even to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow,¡± I giggled and removed my hand so I could press a quick kiss to his lips. This time, when I pulled away from his arms, he let me go.


    I sent him onest smile before I shut the door. The sight of his sad eyes was thest thing I saw.

 Chapter 295 : Late Night Phone Call

    <h4>Chapter 295: Chapter 295 : Late Night Phone Call</h4>


    *Olivia*


    The chill of the night swept across me as soon as I slipped out of Giovani¡¯s room. The cold was permeating, but it didn¡¯t bother me as much as it had before.


    I felt bad leaving Giovani, especially with those sad eyes he¡¯d given me, but I knew I did the right thing. We both needed time to clear our heads and figure out what we wanted.


    If our rtionship was going to work, we needed to be on the same page, and at the moment, we just weren¡¯t.


    I tip-toed across the bare floorboards, wishing I had brought my slippers. Just when I made it to my room, I heard the creaking of someone else¡¯s footsteps from down the hall, where Alessandro¡¯s and Tallon¡¯s rooms were.


    My mind went nk with panic as I opened my door and slipped in, shutting it quietly. I heard a door opening down the hall just as my door closed.


    Inside my room, I breathed a sigh of relief. I hoped nobody saw me because I didn¡¯t have a valid excuse for being out of bed.


    Again.


    I crept into bed, sliding under the covers as I grabbed my pillow and held it tightly in myp. I was still awake for the moment, despite the growingfort of being in bed.


    I nced at the clock on my bedside table, which had 2:43 shing at me in red lights, highlighting just howte it was... or early, depending on how you looked at it.


    I did some quick calctions in my head about what time it would be in the States. I nodded to myself and grabbed my phone, unplugging it. The battery was fully charged already, so I opened the lock screen and dived into my contacts.


    I hesitated, my thumb hovering over ¡®Mom¡¯ before I shook my doubts away and pressed call. The phone rang once and then twice before I finally heard a soft ¡°Hello?¡± from the other side.


    ¡°Mom.¡± I smiled in relief, already feeling better. Just hearing her voice was enough to lighten my spirits.


    ¡°Olivia? Isn¡¯t itte over there?¡± my mom asked.


    I could imagine the way she would be frowning at me, with disapproval forming on the edges of her lips. Even thinking of the way wrinkles would form on her forehead as she stared me down was nostalgic.


    I¡¯d missed home a bit more than I¡¯d thought.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry, I just couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± I said quietly. ¡°I was hoping you could help me clear my thoughts about something.¡±


    ¡°Is there something wrong, honey? I heard that Dahlia was safe,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°She is,¡± I told her. ¡°She¡¯s in the hospital, but they said she¡¯s doing well. There¡¯s a long way to a full recovery, but she¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good.¡± Mom breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°So what¡¯s troubling you, baby?¡±


    I smiled at the endearment. No matter how many times I had told her not to call me that when I was younger, she had always insisted that I was still her baby and always would be. Dahlia used to tease me about it until I found out she still called her dad ¡®Daddy.¡¯


    She¡¯d always been a daddy¡¯s girl.


    I¡¯d always been closer to my mom, to be honest. My biological father had taken off when I was young, and I didn¡¯t remember anything about him. She always seemed like it never affected her, telling me stories about him and how simr we were.


    But I had caught her crying a few times when I was little. I always wondered why he left us behind, even thinking it was my fault when I was little. But eventually, I grew up and realized it had nothing to do with me or Mom.


    He left because he didn¡¯t want us, simple as that.


    I was happy when Mom married my stepfather. She seemed much happier with him, and he was good for her. Kept her control issues down and mellowed her out, despite how much younger he was.


    ¡°Hey, Mom,¡± I asked hesitantly. ¡°Are you happy with Steven?¡±


    There was silence on the other end of the phone, and I waited anxiously for her answer.


    ¡°What is this about, Olivia?¡± she asked, concerned. ¡°Is there something you¡¯re not telling me? I thought you and Steven got along great¨C¡±


    ¡°No, Mom. It¡¯s not that. Steven¡¯s great,¡± I assured her. ¡°I just... does it ever bother you that you and Steven have such a big age gap? It¡¯s almost twenty years, right? Does that ever cause problems between you two?¡±


    ¡°Olivia,¡± she said softly, ¡°age gaps don¡¯t matter with adults. So long as they both consent to the rtionship and are of legal age, there isn¡¯t any problem with it. I love Steven, and he loves me. Do we have differences in opinions and like different things? Of course, we do. There are a lot of things I can¡¯t rte to him about because he¡¯s younger, but that doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t get along or we fight about it.¡±


    ¡°But... doesn¡¯t it bother you that there are some things you can¡¯t agree on? He¡¯s less mature than you, so doesn¡¯t that get on your nerves?¡± The words went flying out of my mouth, my own anxieties portrayed on them, and I regretted it as soon as I said it.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± Mom said sternly. ¡°What on earth is this about? Steven and I are great. Why are you¨C¡± She paused, the phone going dead silent, and I was so startled, I pulled the phone away from my ear to check if we were still connected.


    We were, of course.


    ¡°Mom?¡± I asked worriedly.


    I flinched when she suddenly squealed right into my ears like a schoolgirl talking about a crush.


    ¡°Oh my gosh, you met someone didn¡¯t you?¡± she babbled out, clearly excited. ¡°Is he older than you? Is that why you¡¯re worrying about all this? Oh my gosh, my baby is in love!¡±


    ¡°No, Mom,¡± Iughed, only feeling a tiny bit guilty lying to her. ¡°I was just wondering.¡±


    I had never been in love before. I wasn¡¯t even sure what it was or if it even existed like others said it did. I saw the way James and Ba were and my mom and Steven, but sometimes, it felt more like a y to me than actual real life.


    I wasn¡¯t in love with Giovani, and even if I was, I had no clue how to tell that. I liked him, and I was attracted to him, but love? It was way too early for that.


    ¡°Aw.¡± Mom sounded disappointed through the phone but quickly regained her pep. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering about, I¡¯ll tell you. Do you think James and Ba are happy together?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered right away.


    There was no doubt in my mind they were happy. The number of times Dahlia and I had walked in on them publicly smooching was enough to scar me for life, and Dahlia, too. Luckily, Tallon found it sweet, if a little bit gross.


    ¡°Do you think me and Steven are happy?¡± she prompted.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded.


    The huge smile on her face when they got married was one of the best things I¡¯d ever seen. She¡¯d never smiled like that before. The age around her face just seemed to melt away when she was with him.


    It helped that Steven was a very affectionate person, I¡¯d learned. They gravitated toward each other when they were in the same room without even realizing it.


    ¡°Good.¡± My mother sounded bright and happy over the phone, and I could imagine her big smile now. ¡°So if Steven and I are happy and James and Ba are happy, doesn¡¯t that answer your question?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± I frowned.


    ¡°I forgot how dense you can be, Olivia,¡± my mom said, a bit of sarcasming through the phone.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said defensively, but I knew she was right. I was only beginning to realize after this trip how truly oblivious I could be.


    ¡°Age doesn¡¯t matter when the rtionship is strong. As long as the two people are happy, then there is nothing else that matters, Olivia,¡± my mom said quite passionately, but then her voice lowered, a sly tone to it. ¡°And if you are happy to find yourself in love with someone older than you, you shouldn¡¯t let anyone stop you, okay?¡±


    The effect of her words were instantaneous. I gripped my pillow, a smile curling up my face as a warm, fluttery feeling burst in my stomach.


    I always thought I never needed permission, that I made my own decisions regardless of what anyone else thought, but I was more anxious about this than I first realized.


    I was worried about Dahlia finding out then Tallon and Alessandro. I was worried about what everyone else thought except for me and Giovani.


    Mom was right. The only people who could stop me from being with Giovani was me or Giovani. If we were happy, then nothing else should matter.


    ¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± I said, my voice wavering with emotion.


    ¡°Of course, baby.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Now, how are you doing with all this craziness?¡±


    ¡°Well¨C¡± I hesitated, then I decided it was better to juste out with it rather than get arrested for assault against shrubbery.


    Like a Band-Aid, Mom always used to say, I¡¯d just rip it off.


    ¡°I finally found out what James and Ba used to do for a living,¡± I told her with a soft smile, ¡°Kinda crazy stuff.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I heard!¡± Momughed. ¡°James was discussing it on the phone with the nice man over there, Giovani was it? Apparently, they had to spell it out for you. I told him that was my girl for you, dense as a ck hole.¡±


    ¡°Mom,¡± I whined, my face flushing at the thought. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ever tell me?¡±


    ¡°Honey, I signed an NDA as soon as I started working with them. I legally could not tell you anything. I can¡¯t tell you how many times I had to clean up after James before you kids saw something you weren¡¯t supposed to. It honestly shocks me you didn¡¯t catch on quicker.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, sorry for being a ck hole,¡± I grumpily replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m just teasing, dear,¡± Mom chuckled. ¡°But it is gettingte, and you need to get some sleep. I can tell time just as well as you, and it¡¯s way past your bedtime.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mom,¡± Iughed. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°No, try¨Cyou will,¡± she said sternly, a strong sense of nostalgia filling me at the order.


    ¡°Yes, Mom.¡± I nodded obediently, even if she couldn¡¯t see me. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°Love you, too, baby. Goodnight.¡±


    ¡°Night,¡± I said.


    I waited until I heard the phone call end. I sighed, cing my phone on the nightstand as I copsed into bed.


    I felt free in a way, like the pressure I¡¯d been carrying had been lifted off me. I wondered if this was how As would feel if he had someone help him hold up the world.


    With a smile on my face, I curled up into my bed and quickly drifted off.


    I finally slept¨Cwithout any nightmares this time.

 Chapter 296 : Family Breakfast

    <h4>Chapter 296: Chapter 296 : Family Breakfast</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Morning came as it always does. The light of the sun filtered through the open curtains and onto my sleeping face disturbing my slumber. I scrunched up my face from the sudden brightness and yawned as I rolled over onto my side.


    I was so close to falling asleep again, until I heard a soft rumbling. My eyes snapped open, and I stared nkly at the wall, unable to recognize the sound I¡¯d just heard.


    But it happened again and this time, I felt a rumble in my stomach.


    I blushed as I sat up in bed, barely ncing around the room. I made my way to the closet and pulled out the nearest clothes I could find. Since I took a showerst night, I decided to forgo one this morning, and I pulled on a top and some leggings.


    I wiggled my feet once I pulled my slippers on, watching the furriness bounce under the fabric. As soon as I opened my door, I was hit with a delicious mouth-watering scent¨Cbreakfast.


    My stomach growled, and I patted it softly, a bit embarrassed at how loud it was. I didn¡¯t really eat much yesterday, so that exined its sudden rebellion.


    I stretched out my arms, feeling relief as my bones cracked with stiffness. I took the steps two at a time, following the smell of food before I entered the kitchen.


    Everyone was there. Tallon noticed me standing there first and grinned at me.


    ¡°Hey, sleepy-head! Gio made breakfast!¡± he cheered, lifting up his te of food to show me.


    My mouth watered as I spotted the fluffy, jiggly pancakes, muffins, and links of sausage.


    It looked just as delicious as it smelled.


    ¡°Here.¡± Alessandro smiled at me as he patted the seat next to him, wide open for the taking, and I smiled gratefully at him as I grabbed the seat.


    As I settled in, a te full of food was ced in front of me. The scent of freshly ground coffee beans topped off the delicious atmosphere as the whole spread of food wasid out before me.


    Jams and butter for the toast and muffins, syrup in three different types for the pancakes, and even a steaming cup of hot coffee were ced in front of me. The kitchen ind was full of food and drinks for everybody.


    I nced up at the hand of the man who¡¯d set it all down with a huge smile on my face.


    Giovani winked at me before he took his seat next to Tallon with a hot mug of coffee in front of him. He¡¯d liked it ck, I noticed.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± He nodded to me, then poured a little cream into his coffee.


    ¡°Morning.¡± I smiled back, turning to the food.


    I saw Alessandro ncing between us with a suspicious look in his eyes, but I was focused on getting this delicious food in my stomach.


    ¡°How¡¯d you sleep, Olivia?¡± Alessandro asked innocently. ¡°After our talkst night, I mean.¡±


    I grabbed the bottle of syrup, a hint of annoyance going through me. I didn¡¯t know what he was trying to do, but I could sense his question wasn¡¯t as innocent as it appeared to be.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said curtly as I doused my pancakes in syrup until they were practically drowning. I happily cut into them before taking a bite, and I melted at the taste. Sweet and warm and fluffy, it was everything a pancake should be. I even detected hints of cinnamon in them.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious,¡± I told Giovani after I¡¯d swallowed. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No problem. We¡¯ve all had a stressful week, so I figured, why not splurge a bit?¡± He shrugged casually, even with Alessandro staring him down.


    ¡°Splurge, you say?¡± Tallon grinned, leaning his head on his hand. ¡°If so, how about treating us to that one gto spot you used to take us to? What was it again?¡±


    ¡°Gteria La Carraia?¡± Giovani asked in surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you guys still remembered it.¡±


    ¡°Of course we do! That stuff is to die for,¡± Tallon told him energetically. ¡°Plus, Olivia¡¯s never had it, so it¡¯s the perfect time to eat it!¡±


    I swallowed my bite of pancake, then frowned.


    ¡°Gto? But I thought we were going to visit Dahlia today?¡± I swerved my gaze from Tallon to Giovani.


    ¡°We are,¡± Giovani responded immediately.


    ¡°I want to go too,¡± I told him firmly.


    After so many nights of being left alone and having to wait with no answer, I could finally chase after my best friend. I was not going to leave her alone again. Not even Giovani could stop me this time.


    ¡°Fine.¡± He nodded, not even putting up a fight.


    I frowned at him, a bit wary that he didn¡¯t try to stop me, but I guess this was different. It was a hospital, and Dahlia was safe now. Most importantly, there wouldn¡¯t be any guns.


    Well, I hoped not¨CI didn¡¯t know if I would ever have the courage to hold a gun again, and I wasn¡¯t in a hurry to.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t do both. I¡¯m sure Dahlia would appreciate some, too,¡± Tallon insisted.


    ¡°Dahlia isn¡¯t allowed outside food or beverages yet,¡± Alessandro said, ring at him. ¡°Besides, the gto isn¡¯t that good anyway.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Tallon¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°It¡¯s amazing! What was the kind you used to get? The one with pastry pieces in it?¡±


    ¡°Tiramisu,¡± Giovani answered with a smirk. ¡°It¡¯s made with an actual tiramisu cake.¡±


    ¡°That one!¡± Tallon grinned, then turned to me excitedly. ¡°You¡¯ve got to try it. It¡¯s awesome.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°I¡¯m more concerned with eating these pancakes right now, Tallon. They¡¯re also awesome.¡±


    Tallon pouted, and I spotted Giovani¡¯s grin from the corner of my eye.


    ¡°We¡¯ll seeter, Tallon,¡± Giovani chuckled, sipping his coffee. ¡°But we need to eat before we go. You all are still growing, after all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I snorted, biting into my strawberry marmde-covered muffin. ¡°I stopped growing when I was sixteen. I¡¯m just always going to be short.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re our shortie,¡± Tallon batted his eyshes at me, teasingly.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, mister almost six feet tall,¡± I snapped, pathetically.


    In truth, I didn¡¯t care about my height. It made things inconvenient to reach stuff on high shelves, but what did that matter? I had the three of them to grab things off the shelves for me.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s cute,¡± Giovani smiled, sending a flutter of butterflies straight to my heart.


    If I didn¡¯t have feelings for him, I¡¯d assume I was having heart palpitations with the way my heart raced.


    I blushed, not saying anything to that. I heard him chuckle as I took a silent bite of my muffin. Alessandro sent me a suspicious nce, still watching the two of us intently.


    It was ufortable to feel like I was being watched all the time, and I shifted in my seat as the four of us finished breakfast in silence.


    Tallon was the first to break it as he rattled on and on about the local sports teams. I remembered he was into sports when he was young¨Calways too active to stay still.


    Giovani kept up with him, surprisingly, a smile on his lips as he finished off his coffee. It took Alessandro¡¯s attention off me too as they discussed a local football team. I¡¯d never been into sports, so most of what they said flew right over my head.


    At least it gave me a chance to devour the rest of my breakfast in peace.


    I drank my coffee, rxed with a full belly by the time they were finished discussing the sports teams.


    ¡°We should probably get going soon,¡± Giovani said as he stood up from the table. ¡°Tallon, Alessandro, get dressed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Tallon mock-saluted him as he got to his feet, but Alessandro was less than pleased. He crossed his arms, unhappily, ring at his older cousin.


    ¡°We¡¯re not children,¡± Alessandro snapped. ¡°And we don¡¯t take orders from you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we do!¡± Tallon called out as he headed out of the kitchen and Giovani smirked, triumphantly.


    Iughed into my drink at Tallon¡¯s antics. Nothing had changed since we were kids. Alessandro was still prickly, and Tallon was still a jokester.


    Alessandro stubbornly stayed in his seat, ring at Giovani as if daring him to move first. I was lucky Giovani didn¡¯t y these kinds of games. He simply raised an eyebrow questioningly and then shook his head as he followed Tallon out.


    Alessandro stood up in a hurry, his chair squeaking across the floor as he watched intently as Giovani walked away without a single care.


    He ground his teeth together and I sighed, disappointed with his actions.


    ¡°You know, you could be a little nicer to him.¡± I frowned. ¡°He is letting you stay here rent-free, you know. Plus, you¡¯re cousins. Can¡¯t you get along?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t meddle, Olivia,¡± Alessandro snapped. ¡°You don¡¯t know him. He¡¯s different than you think he is.¡±


    I flinched as he stormed out so fast his bar stool hit the kitchen floor with a tter. He just ignored it as he went after Giovani.


    I sighed, putting my te in the sink and picking up the bar stool after him. I wasn¡¯t his mother or nanny, but I still felt like I had to pick up after him.


    Maybe Dahlia was right, and I could be a push-over sometimes. I climbed the stairs to head back to my room, and when I turned the hallway, I spotted Alessandro at the end of it, stepping into a room that very much wasn¡¯t his own. The door shut behind him, leaving me alone. I blinked, confused and unsure of what I had just seen.


    Did Alessandro just enter Giovani¡¯s room?


    What was he getting at here? Was he trying to bother Giovani? And what did he mean that he was different than I thought?


    I was torn between thinking Alessandro was being dramatic and wondering whether there were still family secrets I had yet to discover. It wouldn¡¯t have surprised me in the least.


    As much as I liked him, Giovani was still very much a mystery to me. It felt like with every step I took to know him, there were two more questions it brought up.


    Alessandro could be on to something. Maybe I didn¡¯t know Giovani as well as I thought I did. But that didn¡¯t mean I was going to stop trying.


    Whatever their problem was, it had nothing to do with me, and I was tired of trying to get in between them. If Alessandro wanted to act like a jerk, I wasn¡¯t going to stop him.


    I huffed as I headed back to my room, shutting the door loudly behind me.


    They were both big boys. They could handle themselves.

 Chapter 297 : Introspection

    <h4>Chapter 297: Chapter 297 : Introspection</h4>


    *Giovani*


    The minute I left, I heard the ttering of one of the stools hitting the floor. If I had three guesses as to who it was, all of them would¡¯ve been the same name.


    I heard his footsteps following me, and he didn¡¯t even bother to hide it with how loud his stomps wereing up the stairs. I entered my room and nced down the hallway.


    Alessandro was following me, just as I suspected. I didn¡¯t even bother closing my door, letting it swing open as I entered.


    ¡°Close the door behind you,¡± I called out to him as I dropped into one of the chairs by my bed. No doubt this was going to take a while.


    Alessandro did as I asked, and I heard the door shut much quieter than I thought he would. It was expensive wood, so I would¡¯ve beaten his ass if he¡¯d scratched it up.


    ¡°What do you need?¡± I cut straight to the point, not in the mood for any of his nonsense.


    Alessandro didn¡¯t look at me. He slowly moved across the floor, the boards creaking underneath his shoes as he paced around. There was a nk look on his face like he hadn¡¯t been the one to follow me into my own room.


    I sighed, waiting patiently as I tapped my fingers along the armrests in the chair. Alessandro took his sweet time as he looked around my room like it was more interesting than it was.


    Olivia had called it orderly and put together, but in my eyes, it was just basic¨Cwhat I needed and nothing more.


    It felt empty in a way.


    Before Olivia, every time I¡¯de home, my room was just a ce to sleep. Having been spoiled with her in my bed, it felt wide and lonely without her.


    Alessandro turned to me finally, a firm look in his eyes as he finally got to what he wanted to say.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to stay a while,¡± he said casually. ¡°I want to be a part of this life, so I want to ask for a position in the organization here.¡±


    I clenched my jaw, having already expected this. It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t want him around, but he had a real attitudetely and it was getting on my nerves.


    So long as he could follow orders, I had no problem with it, but I couldn¡¯t imagine him backing down and respecting me as the authority in the organization.


    I narrowed my eyes at him, feeling like there was something else he wasn¡¯t saying, but he only stood strong,pletely open, and honest.


    This felt too much like a show, but there was nothing else I could do.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I smiled politely. ¡°We¡¯d love to have you. Let me just reach out to James to confirm that he thinks it¡¯s okay.¡±


    His mask broke and he red at me, revealing the resentment in his eyes. I smirked to myself as he stepped forward, trying to be intimidating.


    It felt more like a puppy trying to snap its jaws at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m an adult,¡± Alessandro snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t need his permission. I can make decisions for myself.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at the demand. There was something fishy going on here. I pondered for a moment about what I should do.


    If I epted Alessandro without contacting James, I had no doubt James would not be happy with me or him. This was the boy he had raised as his own son, after all... Taliana¡¯s son. Ba had fought tooth and nail to make sure they got out of this life, but now Alessandro was begging to get back in.


    But Alessandro was also right. He was an adult and he could make his own decisions without talking to Mommy and Daddy about it. Plus, I didn¡¯t need him to distrust me any more than he already did.


    If he was really going to stay, I had to trust him to do his job. Could I really do that?


    Eventually, I tilted my head, finally nodding as I backed off of the open wound he was trying so hard to protect. It was better not to push him now.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I told him, calmly. ¡°We¡¯ll talk once we¡¯re back from the hospital. I¡¯ll have you set up with Gabriele.¡±


    Alessandro straightened, a victorious smile on his face as he nodded in agreement. I could see his smugness from miles away. He could be on a billboard sign and they¡¯d see it from the moon.


    He turned to leave, thinking he had won without a fight, but I wasn¡¯t about to let this go so easily.


    ¡°Alessandro,¡± I called out.


    He paused in his steps, turning slightly to face me.


    ¡°If you stay here and work with us,¡± I warned him, darkly, ¡°you need to cut out this attitude. I don¡¯t need you to be a liability.¡±


    He clenched his jaw, the anger burning in his eyes from my threat, but he swallowed it down and only nodded, bowing his head respectfully. I watched his back as he left, his musclespletely tense before the door shut behind him.


    I breathed a sigh of relief once he was gone.


    When I was first named the Don, Alessandro was still young, so he didn¡¯t really know what it meant. But as he kept getting older, he started asking questions about his birth parents, the family business, and the Russians and what had happened when he was still only a baby and toddler.


    James and Ba preferred honesty with him. And once he heard that he had been next in line to be the Don before me, there was a bit of him that began to resent me for it. It was clear then and even now still that he believed he had deserved the spot as the Don, not me.


    But the way heshed out like a child who wasn¡¯t getting their way just proved that he didn¡¯t deserve the title. It was more than just power and control. Being the Don meant having the power of life and death in your hands. A single decision made by me could kill a dozen of my men in an instant, but there was also no room for indecision. You had to be quick, efficient, and ruthless.


    Even if it meant washing your hands with blood.


    I did what I had to, even if it didn¡¯t seem like the moral high ground. Sitting on a throne meant you had the best view, but there was no room for anyone to sit beside you. It was the loneliest achievement of them all.


    James never wanted that life for Alessandro, but that stupid brat couldn¡¯t appreciate everything his parents had done for him or the lengths they had taken to keep him away from this pressure.


    I got to my feet, shedding my clothes and letting them drop to the floor as I headed straight for my bathroom. I worked through the motions, my mind nk as I turned on the heated shower. The steam was quick to fill up the room, fogging up the mirror as I stood in front of it.


    I¡¯d never wanted to be the Don. It wasn¡¯t something I had sought to achieve. The stupid kid I was never would¡¯ve imagined the life I was living now. But even I had to admit I was the perfect choice for a recement.


    I wasn¡¯t like James, I didn¡¯t have any attachments¨Cno woman on my arm who worried when I woulde home, no children to tuck into bed or read stories to. I had no family to fear for their safety. Even my parents were as distant to me as strangers.


    I stared deeply at my reflection, even as it disappeared behind the fog. I reached my hand forward, wiping away the fog on the mirror until my eyes stared back at me.


    Sometimes, I hated it... the way I could be so cold to everyone around me, to always keep them at a distance.


    But Olivia hadn¡¯t been like that.


    From the first moment I saw her, I felt something different. She came crashing through the walls I had built around me, and she didn¡¯t even notice. It wasn¡¯t just attraction or simple infatuation. She treated me like I was human too, not as an authority, but as a man with his own insecurities and problems. I wasn¡¯t standing on a pedestal with her, She reached out her hand and pulled me to the ground.


    Her sweet smile echoed in my mind, a sanctuary among the harsh, cruel realities of the world. She was kind and beautiful, a Garden of Eden untouched by war or greed.


    I wanted to stay there with her, in the ce of rest and safety she gave to me. I bowed my head, clenching my fists against the counter.


    Even though I knew I shouldn¡¯t, I wanted to keep her.


    I pulled away from the mirror, stepping into the shower. The water fell like rain upon my skin, washing away the grime and dirt that had umted. I shut my eyes, lifting my head to the showerhead as I let the water fall over me.


    Alessandro was going to be a problem. I was sure of it.


    I didn¡¯t want to have any issues with Alessandro, but it didn¡¯t seem like he was giving me a choice. His anger was infectious like a parasite worming its way into his heart. The more he let it fester, the more his fury would grow... until one day, he wouldn¡¯t be able to contain it.


    He was a ticking time bomb, and I feared the day he exploded. With the Zaytsevs still poking around, I didn¡¯t need another problem added to my list.


    But there was an old saying that did me well in the years I¡¯d been the Don: Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.


    There was no other choice. It was better to keep Alessandro by my side where I could watch him than let him run wild out there. Who knows what kind of trouble he¡¯d get into... or what he¡¯d try to do to me and the organization?


    I¡¯d make a call to James and tell him what was going on. Alessandro didn¡¯t need to know the details, and James could help keep an eye on him once they arrived to care for Dahlia. In the meantime, there was plenty of lightweight work to handle.


    I was sure the others would be more than happy to lend him their small-time duties for the time being. I figured it would keep him busy for now and out of my hair.


    I sighed deeply, wondering just how much trouble this was actually going to cause me in the end.


    I suppose only God knew at this point.

 Chapter 298 : Sides

    <h4>Chapter 298: Chapter 298 : Sides</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I hummed one of the songs I had heard on the radio, the catchy tune ying in repeat in my head as I gently stared into the vanity. The mascara brush swept across my eyshes in one smooth move and I smiled happily.


    I was more than content with my makeup this morning. I knew Dahlia would buy me a whole new set of products if I didn¡¯t show up at least attempting to be presentable. I wasn¡¯t in for another five-hour lecture on why best practices in popr beauty techniques were important for everyone to follow.


    I swear that girl should¡¯ve been a beautician or something.


    I nodded at myplete outfit in the mirror and grabbed my phone, shoving it into the hidden pocket in my skirt. The best kind of skirt was one that had pockets, and I was very thankful for owning a few. Really, it was so much easier to carry around things when you didn¡¯t have to lug around a clunky purse with it.


    I continued to hum as I headed for the door and thrust it open. I wasn¡¯t looking at where I was going and I barely caught the glimpse of a figure in front of me before I halted in my tracks.


    He did too, clearly startled as he raised his hands to steady me but just hover over my skin as I wobbled slightly.


    I looked up at the person I¡¯d nearly run into, not surprised in the slightest to see Alessandro. He had probably been waiting at my door, though I wasn¡¯t sure why.


    An awkward giggle escaped me, and I wrapped my arms behind my back, attempting to y casual as I said, ¡°Hey.¡±


    Alessandro nced down at me, his dark eyes clearly expecting something, but I had no clue what.


    ¡°I was justing to see if you were ready,¡± he said calmly.


    ¡°I am,¡± I answered with a bubbly, not at all strained smile.


    ¡°Come on, then.¡± He nodded toward the stairs at the end of the hall, already headed in that direction.


    I nced at Giovani¡¯s room. The door was still closed and there was no sign of his presence at all. Where was he? Had something happened to him?


    I walked down the hallway, side by side with Alessandro, barely paying attention as my mind whirled with possibilities.


    ¡°You look beautiful today.¡± Alessandro smiled at me.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    ¡°You smell good. Did you use perfume?¡± He leaned closer to me, sniffing around my hair. ¡°It smells like strawberries.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s soap,¡± I said nkly, leaning away from him as we turned to head down the staircase.


    Just as I took my first step down, I tripped in mid-air like the clutz I was. Before I could fall, a hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me back into a hard figure. I breathed out, wide-eyed as I realized I had almost toppled over down the stairs. I would¡¯ve broken something, no doubt.


    ¡°You should be more careful, Livi,¡± Alessandro breathed softly in my ear.


    I shivered, and not for a good reason.


    There was an ufortable feeling in my chest as I pulled away from Alessandro, pretending to fix my hair as I refused to look at him. Goosebumps had erupted all along my arms and shoulders, and I could still feel his touch lingering despite breaking away.


    Unlike when Giovani touched me, I didn¡¯t like this one bit.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I muttered, wrapping my arms around my middle.


    Alessandro sent me a massive grin, a flirtatious look in his eye as he stepped closer and leaned down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he whispered to me. ¡°I¡¯ll always be there to catch you.¡±


    My lips thinned as I prevented any words from flowing out of my throat. I couldn¡¯t be rude when Alessandro had just saved me from a rough tumble down the stairs, but there was something about the way he looked at me¨Clike I was a piece of meat in the eyes of a dog¨Cthat I just didn¡¯t like.


    His attempts at flirting were obvious and also incredibly ufortable. I could only nod, a strained smile on my face as I wished I was anywhere else but here.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    A new voice broke through my thoughts, and I whirled to face the new person. A smile burst across my lips as I spotted Giovani standing there, an impassive look on his face.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said hurriedly just as Alessandro opened his mouth.


    ¡°Livi almost fell down the stairs, so I caught her.¡± He smirked, proudly, looking like a peacock preening in front of a potential mate. ¡°Nothing to see here.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Giovani said patiently. ¡°It¡¯s almost time to go, so we¡¯d better get down there. Gabriele has the cars waiting.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Alessandro smiled, trying to be charming as he turned to me. ¡°I¡¯ll hold your hand when we go down so you won¡¯t be scared.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s okay,¡± I shook my head, but he wasn¡¯t paying any attention.


    Before I could protest anymore, he grabbed my hand in his tightly, preventing me from pulling away as he tugged me down the stairs with him.


    I nced behind me at Giovani, trying to send him a ¡°help me¡± look, but he only stared at us nkly as Alessandro forced me down the stairs.


    Irritation crawled under my skin. It was clear he was going to be of no help.


    Once my feetnded on thest step, I tugged my hand away from Alessandro, stepping away as I firmly held my stance.


    ¡°Finally, you guys took forever,¡± Tallon called out as he entered the foyer from the kitchen. He was holding a popsicle in his hand¨Csome sort of lime and white vor. The madman bit into it without even a flinch, staring at us expectantly.


    I sent him a horrified nce.


    ¡°How can you stand to bite into it? It¡¯s freezing!¡± I scolded him, half in wonder and half in horror.


    ¡°Eh.¡± He just shrugged.


    ¡°Car¡¯s here,¡± Giovani said as he stepped down. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He wasted no time as he swerved past the three of us and opened the door before shifting his eyes toward us expectantly.


    Tallon stuck the popsicle in his mouth, humming what sounded an awfully lot like, ¡°Aye-aye, sir!¡± before he stepped outside.


    ¡°You¡¯ll ride with me.¡± Alessandro turned to me with a huge smile.


    My eyes went wide, and I opened my mouth to tell him that I was absolutely not going to ride with him, but there was no time to speak.


    He grabbed me by the wrist and tugged me out the door with him before I could say a single word of protest. I nced at Giovani as we passed, wondering if he was even going to stop this madness.


    He just nodded in response, locking up the door behind us like he wasn¡¯t bothered in the slightest.


    I steamed in my annoyance, ring at Alessandro¡¯s back as he pulled me along. I felt more like a piece of luggage than an actual human being¨Clike I was a dog, and Alessandro held the leash. The only thing I could do is go to the end of my leash and bark.


    My choices had been taken from me, and I was getting angry about it.


    I was relieved when he let my wrist go so he could pull open the door to the ck sedan for me. I stubbornly got inside, rubbing my wrist from the tight grip he¡¯d had on it.


    I knew he didn¡¯t mean to be so rough with me, but Alessandro had always been like this, doing what he wanted without considering anyone else¡¯s feelings. When we were kids, I¡¯d just let it happen because he was Dahlia¡¯s older brother, and I felt like he was mine too.


    But after learning of his feelings for me, every action he took had a different meaning to it now. And I wasn¡¯t liking it one bit.


    Alessandro got in on the other side, leaving Giovani and Tallon to take the other car. I sulked as I buckled, and then looked at the driver in surprise.


    It was Gabriele. Shouldn¡¯t he be driving Giovani?


    ¡°You know I¡¯m going to be staying here for a while,¡± Alessandro said, hinting at something as he buckled. He smirked at me like there was some hidden meaning in his words, but I only frowned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go back to the States?¡± I asked, confused. ¡°I thought you had a job over there.¡±


    Alessandro shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not as important as catching Dahlia¡¯s kidnappers. The people who did this to her are going to pay big time once we catch them.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± I asked, downright bewildered now. ¡°Isn¡¯t that up to Giovani? He¡¯s the leader, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    Alessandro¡¯s eyes darkened, and he nced at me, the resentment in his eyes on full disy. It wasn¡¯t directed at me, but at Giovani.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be more involved here now,¡± he said firmly, ¡°like I always should have been.¡±


    What?


    Alessandro wanted to work here... in the mafia?


    There were warning bells going off; something didn¡¯t feel right about the deration. I nced at Gabriele for a moment. Our eyes met in the rearview mirror before he shrugged and looked away, shifting the car into drive and pulling us out of the driveway.


    I bit my bottom lip, searching my brain for any other possibilities or meanings to what he¡¯d said, but there were none. It was clear-cut and dry.


    He was going to be involved. Fine. It was his life, and he was a grown adult. He could make his own decisions, but something kept bugging me about the way he¡¯d said thest part.


    ¡°What do you mean that you always should have been?¡± I asked, sending him a wary nce.


    He paused, his anger sliding away like melting snow in spring as he chuckled, embarrassedly.


    ¡°Never mind any of that,¡± he said quickly. ¡°Anyway, what are your ns? You¡¯re going to school here, aren¡¯t you? Any idea what major you¡¯re taking?¡±


    I frowned. His clear slip-up hadn¡¯t been nned, but my thoughts wandered back to what Giovani had said¨Cthat Alessandro felt cheated.


    Neither of them was willing to tell me what that was, but I was beginning to piece things together.


    But it wasn¡¯t like Alessandro to let details slip to me. If he did it on purpose, it was almost like he was trying to turn me against Giovani and get me onto his side.


    But why? Why did I have to take anyone¡¯s side?


    They were family, but they felt less like cousins and more like enemies trying to one-up one another, at least on Alessandro¡¯s part. For Giovani, it was less so, but I hadn¡¯t forgotten the way he had been with mest night.


    Jealousy could be cute, but not when it was so restricting as he had been.


    I sighed, leaning my head against the window as I duly answered his questions.


    Why are there even sides in this situation?


    If they were going to catch whoever did this to Dahlia, they needed to work together and not be taking sides.


    That wasn¡¯t how family worked.

 Chapter 299 : Long Story Short

    <h4>Chapter 299: Chapter 299 : Long Story Short</h4>


    *Olivia*


    The hospital was especially quiet today, and we were the only ones in the waiting room. Thedy at the desk was reading a magazine, flipping through itzily like she had no care in the world.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Giovani cleared his throat once we had approached.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± the woman asked in Italian without looking up. It seemed I was beginning to understand a phrase or two.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to see Dahlia Valentino,¡± Giovani said a little rudely in English so I would understand. There was annoyance in his eyes as he looked at the woman, but I felt it was justified.


    She finally set the magazine down, popping her bubblegum as she typed something up and then said, ¡°Limited visitors¨Ctwo only. Oh?¡±


    The woman looked surprised as she stared at the screen.


    ¡°What?¡± Alessandro demanded anxiously.


    ¡°Looks like she¡¯s getting discharged tomorrow. Her doctor requested a meeting with her parents or guardians to go over aftercare.¡± The receptionist smiled to herself. ¡°Thank God. I heard she stole all the pudding cups.¡±


    ¡°Tell me when her doctor is free to talk,¡± he said roughly then turned away from her. He rolled his eyes, not even bothering to talk with her any longer as he turned to Alessandro and Tallon.


    ¡°You two can go see her first,¡± he offered ndly. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her doctors once they¡¯re free.¡±


    ¡°Olivia?¡± Alessandro turned to me with a soft smile. ¡°I can stay behind, and you can go first if you want.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head immediately. ¡°You go. I¡¯ll see her right after.¡±


    Alessandro opened his mouth, probably to argue about this some more, but Giovani was quick as he said, ¡°Go on,¡± tilting his head toward the doors that led to the rooms.


    Alessandro huffed but turned to go with Tallon quick on his heels. Tallon turned around to send me a grin before he followed Alessandro.


    It was just me and Giovani now.


    We both took a seat, and I nced around the empty room, feeling a bit awkward that we had all this space to ourselves except for the receptionist, who had gone back to her magazine.


    I turned in my seat to see Giovani. He leaned back in the stic chairs, his head leaning on his fist and his leg crossed on top of the other. He was gorgeous, his eyes shut as he peacefully rxed next to me.


    I didn¡¯t want to disturb him, but there were questions bubbling up in my chest that I needed answered.


    ¡°Giovani,¡± I called out to him.


    His eyes opened and turned to me with no effort, as handsome as always.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with Alessandro?¡± I asked directly. There was no other option now. I had to be blunt and ask him outright if I was going to get any answers. ¡°He said something odd to me, and I need to know what¡¯s going on between you.¡±


    Giovani frowned. ¡°Odd? Like how?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± I hesitated, then I decided to just throw it out there like a bowling ball racing to the pins. ¡°He said he was going to be more involved with the organization, ¡®like he always should have been.¡¯¡±


    Giovani groaned, straightening in his seat as he brushed a hand over his face. ¡°That idiot,¡± I heard him mutter, almost too low to hear.


    ¡°Please,¡± I grabbed his other hand in mind, staring at him pleadingly. ¡°Just tell me what happened between you two.¡±


    He gazed at me, silent for a moment, and then sighed, squeezing my hand back.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± he said tiredly. ¡°But basically Alessandro had been next in line to be the Don, before me. James and Ba didn¡¯t want to be involved anymore, and Alessandro was still a baby, so I was given the position instead. If I had to guess, he probably feels like I stole his job.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t much of a shock. I knew that James had been the previous Don before Giovani. If that was so, it made sense that Alessandro would be first in line after him... except things didn¡¯t happen that way.


    I frowned more the longer I thought about it. The decision had been made when Alessandro was still just a baby, so why did he feel so cheated about it?


    Why would Alessandro even want to be the Don in the first ce?


    I nced at the dark circles under Giovani¡¯s eyes, the exhausted lines on his forehead. I¡¯d seen multiple scars on his body from who knows what kind of things he¡¯d been through.


    Being the Don was dangerous. With the kind of temper Alessandro had, I couldn¡¯t imagine him doing well in the position.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been the Don for years, right?¡± I asked gently. ¡°So why is he so angry now?¡±


    ¡°I thought he¡¯d gotten over it,¡± Giovani replied. ¡°But apparently not if he¡¯s telling you.¡±


    I nodded my head. The pieces wereing together now.


    ¡°No wonder he¡¯s been so flirty with metely,¡± I said without thinking.


    Giovani¡¯s eyes darkened, and I saw a sh of jealousy cross his face as he stiffened next to me. His grip on my hand tightened, but not painfully. He always held me gently, treating me like I was something precious.


    It was the difference between them, I guess.


    Giovani held the things he thought were precious close to him, being patient and gentle, whereas Alessandro bulldozed his way through life, reckless and blunt.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said sweetly, brushing my hand across his face as I turned his eyes to meet mine. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I don¡¯t like him like that anyway.¡±


    But Giovani¡¯s face remained set in stone. He wasn¡¯t happy about this, and I wasn¡¯t sure how to reassure him that I liked him and not Alessandro.


    Giovani let go of my hand quickly, cing it back into myp as he pulled away from me. My heart dropped for a moment until I saw Tallon and Alessandro walking toward us.


    They hadn¡¯t noticed us yet, so I turned in my seat, acting as if nothing had happened.


    As they approached, Giovani said, ¡°You can head back now.¡±


    ¡°By myself?¡± I asked in wonder.


    ¡°Sure. I have to talk to them about something,¡± he said dismissively.


    I felt a little hurt by the way he was acting¨Clike he was saying I could go now, and I wasn¡¯t needed anymore.


    I knew he didn¡¯t mean it like that, so I sighed as I got to my feet. Just as Tallon and Alessandro arrived, I brushed past them, a little annoyed.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Alessandro reached out to grab my wrist, but I was quicker this time.


    I pulled away from him, only pausing for a second as I said, ¡°Going to see Dahlia.¡±


    I jogged the rest of the way, too far away for them to catch me now as I pushed through the doors and into the hallways. I remembered the way from yesterday, keeping an eye on the room numbers as I passed through.


    The halls were suspiciously quiet and were a bit creepy, if I was being honest. I quickly found her room and entered, a little giddy at the thought of seeing her again.


    ¡°Dolly,¡± I called out as I stepped inside. The minute I did, I paused in my tracks. I was downright shocked and confused as I saw the scene before me.


    ¡°Mmhmm,¡± Dahlia hummed in delight as she scooped a spoonful of a pudding-like substance into her mouth. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was exactly, but there was a tower of empty pudding cups on her bedside table.


    I was pretty sure this wasn¡¯t her first of the day.


    ¡°You¡¯re having fun.¡± Iughed at the lovestruck look on her face.


    ¡°Olive!¡± She peeked up at me, having just noticed as I stood there.


    I grabbed the seat next to her bed.


    She beamed, setting down the empty pudding cup, but she kept the spoon in her mouth as she licked it clean.


    ¡°What are you eating?¡± I asked, happy to see her so up and active. I couldn¡¯t guess what had been in the empty cups from just the leftovers. She¡¯d pretty much scraped them clean.


    She popped the spoon out of her mouth, setting it on the table in front of her as she grinned.


    ¡°Tiramisu pudding,¡± she said, delighted. ¡°They¡¯re to die for. I¡¯ve had, like, twenty since I¡¯ve been here.¡±


    ¡°And that would be why the receptionist wasining,¡± Iughed.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Dahlia crossed her arms yfully. ¡°If they didn¡¯t want me to eat them all, they shouldn¡¯t have made them so goddamn delicious.¡±


    Weughed and my heart felt so much lighter. It was like nothing had happened at all, and we were just two girls just getting off the ne to have the adventure of a lifetime.


    ¡°When youe home tomorrow, we¡¯re going toy around and do whatever you want¨Cwithin reason.¡± I hurriedly added thest bit as I saw her face light up.


    She grinned, shrugging even as I kept the restriction. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to it, Olive,¡± she beamed. ¡°I¡¯ve got so much nned for us. We can¡¯t go out clubbing, but I do have a movie marathon nned.¡±


    ¡°Sounds awesome,¡± I smiled.


    There was no doubt she was going to stick to it. Thest time we¡¯d had a movie marathon had been years ago. We used to have them every Saturday night, tucked up in a pillow fort with bucket loads of snacks and soda we¡¯d bought.


    The memories still brought a smile to my face as I thought back to everything we had been through together. Dahlia was like a sister to me, and I¡¯d almost lost her.


    I grabbed her hand, smiling tearfully at her as I gazed at all the injuries she had sustained.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re alive. If you had let me-¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Dahlia sped my hand, shaking her head fervently. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d let you take all the cute guys by yourself.¡±


    Iughed through the tears I felt developing, brushing them away as I tried to get myself together. Thest thing she needed was a weepy best friend on her case.


    Dahlia was suddenly serious as she stared at herp like it was the most interesting thing in the world.


    ¡°Have they been caught yet?¡± Dahlia asked testingly, looking like she didn¡¯t care... but I could sense the stress in her eyes as she talked about it.


    They told us that Dahlia didn¡¯t remember much of the incident. It was probably due to trauma, they¡¯d said, but I knew there was more that she wasn¡¯t saying.


    I shook my head, ¡°Giovani is working on it. Alessandro said he¡¯s staying to help investigate, too.¡±


    Dahlia nodded, a somber look in her eyes as she brushed her fingers over her casted wrist. ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired, Olive. Mom and Dad just left to get a hotel, so they¡¯ll be back soon. I think they need to talk to the doctor or something. They missed him.¡±


    I nodded, sad to leave her, but I understood she needed some time to rest right now. Despite her bravado, Dahlia had just been through something horrific.


    There was going to be a long recovery.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to sleep.¡±


    I got to my feet, and Dahlia waved to me before she turned over in her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. Wrapped up like that, she looked even more vulnerable than before.


    I sighed as I left her room and traced my steps back to the waiting room. I wished I could do something to help her but once again, I was useless.


    The minute I stepped into the waiting room, my senses went on high alert, and I immediately knew why.


    Giovani and Alessandro were standing opposite of one another, both staring the other down as they leaned into each other¡¯s faces.


    They looked like they were going to kill each other.

 Chapter 300 : Seed of Hope

    <h4>Chapter 300: Chapter 300 : Seed of Hope</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I stopped in my tracks and stared at the chaos unfolding around me.


    Giovani and Alessandro were both on their feet, only an inch or two away from one another. It looked like they were confronting each other, like everything hade to a head. Both of them were angry, and though I wasn¡¯t exactly sure, I had a good idea why.


    Alessandro looked ready to kill as he red at Giovani like one would their mortal enemy. His hands were clenched by his side, and I could see the slight tremble. I had no doubt he would have been ready to throw his fists into Giovani¡¯s face if it weren¡¯t for the murderous look Giovani red back at him.


    A shiver ran down my spine as the two of them looked like wild animals waiting for the other to flinch first. Whoever did would get nothing but teeth in their throat.


    Tallon looked just as worried as I was, and he tried to put a hand on both of their chests, preventing them from rushing forward into a fight.


    None of them even spared a single nce at me. They didn¡¯t even notice I hade out. They were both in their own little worlds of rage, a silent war, and the rest of us would have to deal with the aftermath.


    Even the receptionist had forgotten her magazine to look at them. Her normal bored look was reced with a look of interest as she stared at them the way people went to the zoo to stare at the lions behind safety ss.


    I started for them, hurrying against the slick floors. I wasn¡¯t sure what I was going to do, but hopefully, I could get them to stop this before it turned into an ugly mess.


    Before I could reach them, I came to a screeching halt as Alessandro threw the first verbal blow.


    ¡°I knew you didn¡¯t deserve the position!¡± Alessandro snarled into his cousin¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t care what James says. I deserved to be the rightful Don!¡±


    My eyes widened, as did Tallons.


    James? When did he start referring to his father by his first name? I knew that Alessandro had been adopted and was actually the son of James¡¯te daughter, but James and Ba had raised him since he was a baby.


    He¡¯d always referred to them as Mom and Dad¨Calways.


    What had changed in the time we¡¯d been separated?


    Giovani didn¡¯t say a word, just red at him deeply, but his whole body was tense like a jaguar ready to pounce. If a lion roared, a Jaguar just went for the kill, and that was exactly what we were seeing.


    Giovani didn¡¯t need to scream or yell; he was intimidating enough on his own. He¡¯d been the Don for over a long time now, and Alessandro was clearly picking the wrong fight.


    Tallon¡¯s eyes swerved between them unsurely as he tried to keep them away from one another. His eyes fell on me, and they widened in surprise. He cleared his throat, removing his hands from their chests as he quickly and efficiently elbowed Giovani in the ribs.


    Giovani turned his re on him, but Tallon nodded in my direction, and the two of them nced at me.


    Immediately, the moment our eyes met, Giovani¡¯s softened. He disregarded Alessandro¡¯s posturing and threats as he gently straightened his suit and took a step back.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t done, you raging a¨C¡± Alessandro shouted.


    ¡°Alessandro!¡±


    He stiffened, and all three men¡¯s eyes turned to me. It took me a moment to realize that the sharp yell hade from my own throat.


    I had never yelled like that in my life. Had never treated anyone like that.


    But I had to admit, as Alessandro turned to me with wide, shocked eyes, it felt good.


    I clenched my fists, gathering up any bit of strength I had as I took thest few steps toward them, cautiously. Courage was fleeting, and I had to take advantage of whatever hade over me.


    ¡°This is not the ce to be making a scene,¡± I said sharply as I arrived, ¡°again.¡±


    Giovani¡¯s lips lifted into a tiny smirk, and Tallon gave me an impressed look. Alessandro¡¯s eyes only darkened.


    ¡°Stay out of it, Olivia,¡± he snapped back. ¡°This has nothing to do with you.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t make it my business,¡± I said coldly. ¡°This is a hospital. People are sick and resting, like your sister, if you remember.¡±


    Alessandro swallowed, and I imagine most of it was his pride as he nced around the room and then finally took a step away from Giovani.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he told me quietly and started for the door. It took him several paces to realize that no one was following him, and he turned around with a confused and annoyed look.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± he said firmly, probing me to go with him... but I wouldn¡¯t, not this time.


    I kept both my feet on the ground, not moving an inch as I told him, rather bluntly, ¡°I¡¯d rather ride in a car with someone who¡¯s calmer than you are right now.¡±


    He jerked back, his mouth falling open, and I felt a little victory at standing up for myself. There was no way I was getting into a closed space with him as angry he was right now.


    His jaw clenched, his eyes burning with fury, before he rolled his eyes and turned around.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± he scoffed, storming out of the building.


    Tallon sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll go with him. I don¡¯t want him to kill the driver.¡±


    He sent Giovani and me an apologetic look and then raced after his older brother. Once they were gone, all of the courage I had dissipated like a balloon running out of air.


    I deted, and I felt Giovani¡¯s arm around my back, just hard enough to keep me from copsing but light enough that I could push him away at any moment. I smiled to myself.


    He was always so considerate of me and what I needed.


    ¡°You can ride back with me,¡± Giovani said softly, and I nodded in response, leaning into his touch.


    I felt a little tired all of a sudden, and he walked me to his car, matching my slow pace automatically. He opened the door for me out of habit, and I got inside happily.


    Gabriele was in the front seat, and he sent us a nce as I buckled up. Giovani rounded the other side and got in. Once we were both buckled, Gabriele immediately slid the divider up.


    Iughed, happy to see that Gabriele was giving us our privacy. I remembered I used to think he didn¡¯t like me, but now, I realized he was just a peculiar man. He showed his affection in unusual ways.


    I sighed as I leaned into Giovani¡¯s side, d the buckles weren¡¯t too restrictive. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close and I grabbed his other hand, ying with the ends of his fingers.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay,¡± Giovani muttered then pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.


    ¡°Alessandro¡¯s going to watch us like a hawk,¡± I told him, a bit irritated. ¡°I wish he would leave us alone.¡±


    I felt him shrug behind me as I wrapped two of my fingers around his one. His hand was so muchrger and rougher than mine, full of calluses and hard work, whereas mine were still soft.


    ¡°We can handle him,¡± Giovani replied confidently.


    I kept my eyes on his hands, smiling to myself as I enjoyed this moment together. As annoyed as I had been earlier, this was enough topletely rx me. He let me do what I wanted with his hand, rubbing his other thumb along the skin of my shoulder in a soothing circle.


    It was moments like these when everything else became worth it.


    We pulled into the driveway, and I was a bit sad to let go of him as we climbed out. I noticed the other car was suspiciously absent, and I frowned.


    ¡°Where did they go?¡± I asked cautiously.


    Giovani nced at me and then the empty lot before he shrugged. ¡°Maybe for that gto he wanted.¡±


    I giggled as he opened the front door, and we stepped inside. I pulled off my shoes, heading straight for the staircase after Giovani.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some calls to make, but I cane to get you once I¡¯m done,¡± Giovani offered with a smile.


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯d actually like some time alone right now if that¡¯s okay.¡±


    He paused in his steps, and I nearly bumped into him before I stopped just in time. I nced up at him, confused, as hisrge hand brushed against my cheek.


    There was a frown on his lips, worry in his eyes as he asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    I smiled brightly at him, d for the concern as Iid my own hand on his.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± I reassured him. ¡°Just feeling a little out of it today.¡±


    He gazed into my eyes for a few minutes like he was searching for something. I guess he found what he was looking for because he nodded and smiled as he stepped away. I intertwined our fingers, and he gently led me to my room.


    Once we were outside my door, I let go of him and stepped inside, holding the door open. He stood there, rxed and calm.


    ¡°Things will get better once Dahliaes home tomorrow,¡± he reassured me kindly. ¡°I promise.¡±


    I nodded, believing in him wholeheartedly. There was no doubt in my mind that he would make things okay. Alessandro and the people who kidnapped Dahlia¨Cboth problems would be fixed eventually.


    Then one day, maybe we could be together out in the open and not hidden behind closed doors like this.


    I stood up on my toes as he leaned into my doorway, our lips meeting halfway. I savored the taste of him, wanting to pull him into my room and steal him away from his duties, but I knew that we needed some time to ourselves for now.


    Once we parted, there was a gentleness in his eyes that I was realizing was reserved for me and me alone.


    ¡°Get some rest,¡± he murmured to me, and then he was gone, trailing down the hallway.


    I waited until I heard his door shut before I quietly shut mine.


    I leaned against the closed door, almost in a daze as I thought back to how safe and content I felt now. A few days ago, I had been lost in despair. But even when I was losing it, Giovani had been there to hold me.


    There was a certain way he was able to make me feel better, even in the worst of times. No one else had ever been able to do that.


    I touched my lips, missing him already.


    But Giovani had nted a seed of hope inside of my chest, and it was up to me to continue to water it. It was going to bloom one day, I was sure.


    And when it did, that was the day I would tell him everything I was feeling.

 Chapter 301 : Excitement

    <h4>Chapter 301: Chapter 301 : Excitement</h4>


    *Olivia*


    The second the rm red through my room, my eyes snapped open, and I mmed my hand against the screen.


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    I watched my phone fall between the bed and nightstand and smack right onto the floor. Maybe I had been a bit overzealous.


    I groaned, turning on my stomach to fish for my phone between the crack, the rm still ring in my ears. I wish I had chosen a tune much easier on the ears.


    But no, I had to choose the loudest one avable.


    I gripped my phone and pulled it back on top of the bed with a triumphant grin. The score was me¨Cone, phone¨Czero.


    Nothing was going to ruin this day, and I was going to make sure of it.


    After shutting off my rm, I rushed to the shower, quickly falling into my morning routine, even if it was a bit sloppy due to my excitement. I jumped into the shower before the water had warmed up and had to muffle my scream.


    I identally spilled the toothpaste onto the sink and I used hand soap to wash my face instead of face wash. I stabbed myself in the eye with the mascara brush.


    But despite all the misfortunate idents, none of it mattered to me.


    What would normally make for a bad start to the day couldn¡¯t stop me. I pulled on my clothes and grabbed my shoes and purse in my hands before leaving.


    I practically skipped down the empty hallway and took the steps two at a time as I headed down then swung myself around the corner and into the kitchen.


    ¡°Morning!¡± I cried in a chipper voice.


    Tallon sat at the ind, a weird look on his face as he held his spoon mid-air, a bunch of cereal spilling into his bowl. His eyes followed me as I hummed one of my favorite songs, and headed straight for the coffee machine.


    ¡°Um, Livi,¡± Tallon called out to me.


    ¡°Hm?¡± I asked as I started the machine, watching the beauty as it made my beans into a perfect roast.


    ¡°It¡¯s five in the morning,¡± Tallon said, awkwardly.


    I paused mid-hum and nced at the kitchen windows. Even hidden behind the blinds, I could see the nighttime that still lingered.


    The sun hadn¡¯t risen yet.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, deting like a balloon. But I perked up anyway as my coffee dinged to show it was ready.


    ¡°No matter,¡± I shrugged, grabbing the mug and taking a seat on the ind. ¡°I can wait until it¡¯s time to leave.¡±


    ¡°That excited?¡± Tallon asked with a teasing grin.


    ¡°Of course!¡± I beamed. ¡°Dahlia¡¯sing home!¡±


    And that was it¨Cthe source of my good mood, the beginning of everything. All the sorrow and guilt and fear that I¡¯d dealt with over the past two weeks faded away due to the simple fact that my best friend wasing home.


    After being kidnapped, beaten, and shot, Dahlia made it through. She was alive and kicking and finally, as her best friend, this was the moment when I could really help her through it.


    Just having her home was a relief, but being able to be by her side to help her recover was more than enough to make me thankful for just being alive.


    The nightmares of her death still haunted me, and I knew without a doubt that she was still carrying the trauma of what happened to her.


    I clutched my mug tightly, the warmth grounding me before I faded back into the fear. So much had happened over so little time, and there was so much I wanted to talk to her about and to say to her.


    But first, we needed to bring her home.


    ¡°Well, I remember when she got her tonsils out,¡± Tallon huffed, crossing his arms. ¡°She made me be her servant for a week, even after she got better!¡±


    Iughed, remembering the time. All of us had been bossed around by Dahia during that time. She could be quite needy when she was sick, but I was actually looking forward to it. I was just grateful she was alive, and that I could hear her voice again.


    ¡°I miss her,¡± I smiled to myself, sadly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯ll be home and bossing us around in a few hours,¡± Tallon reassured me before slurping the rest of his cereal up without a spoon.


    ¡°You¡¯re a savage.¡± I shook my head at the disy. No one else I knew ate cereal by slurping it like soup.


    ¡°Haters gonna hate,¡± Tallon shrugged, wiping his mouth of the milk on his sleeve.


    I rolled my eyes, used to his antics by now.


    ¡°Breakfast is ready!¡±


    A maid I¡¯d seen a few times came in with a huge smile, carrying tes of food. The few that followed her quickly set up the dining table and the smells of breakfast hit my nose all at once.


    I was so distracted watching the food that I didn¡¯t see the figure approaching me from behind.


    ¡°I apologize for beingte,¡± a low voice said and I jumped in ce, spilling my coffee on my hand as I faced the intruder.


    Giovani stood there and he nced at my hand worriedly but luckily, the coffee had cooled enough. I wiped it away with a sheepish grin as Giovani fully stepped into the kitchen.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Cuz? You¡¯re neverte,¡± Tallon said with a grin. ¡°Have a little too much funst night?¡±


    Giovani rolled my eyes, and I stiffened, taking a sip of my coffee to distract myself.


    ¡°No. Now,e on. Breakfast is ready,¡± Giovani nodded toward the table, taking his seat stiffly.


    Tallon and I exchanged a nce before sliding off the barstools and taking our own seats. Despite having just devoured a bowl of cereal, Tallon was quick to dig in, while Giovani took his time selecting dishes.


    Silence fell between us¨Cnot awkward, just ufortable like something that needed to be said wasn¡¯t being said. It felt like what I would imagine having dinner with your divorced parents would feel like.


    ¡°So,¡± Tallon said between bites of bacon, ¡°is Alessandroing down?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Giovani said, coldly, not even ncing at Tallon.


    I kept my eyes firmly on the basket of muffins in front of me, sneakily grabbing one and slowly peeling the outeryer like it was the most interesting thing in the world.


    I wasn¡¯t going to get involved in this, not again.


    Giovani ate in silence while I took small bites of my muffin. Tallon looked at each of us with a weird nce before leaning back in his chair. Time passed slowly, like when you were in math ss and all you could do to pass the time was to doodle.


    If I listened hard enough, I was sure to hear the ticking clock above the doorway.


    Once my muffin was gone, I decided I was done with breakfast. I was already excited and now with the awkward mood, I wasn¡¯t feeling very hungry at the moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go see what¡¯s up with him.¡± Tallon¡¯s chair scraped on the floor as he got out of his seat. He took off upstairs, his feet pounding on each step like he was running for his life.


    I didn¡¯t me him.


    I nced at Giovani with a frown, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Gioani sighed. ¡°Just didn¡¯t get a lot of sleep.¡±


    Looking closer, I noticed the light shadows under his eyes, barely noticeable, but they were there.


    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked.


    We had stayed up a littlete, but not nearly to the point of being this exhausted.


    ¡°I was making ns for Dahlia¡¯s return all night,¡± he said, rxing into his seat. ¡°She won¡¯t be able to walk upstairs unless she wants to tear her stitches, so I asked the maids to move her stuff to a room on the bottom floor. But I know how Dahlia likes things, so there was quite a bit of moving needed.¡±


    I sucked in my breath. It had only just hit me once he said it, but he was right. Dahlia had stitches in her stomach. She couldn¡¯t be walking up and down the stairs. It just hadn¡¯t urred to me. Our rooms had always been close together.


    I was anxious at the thought of Dahlia not being down the hall from me, not being close enough that I could rush to her side in an instant if I needed to. When we were kids, whenever one of us had a nightmare, we¡¯d sneak into the others¡¯ rooms to sleep.


    It was dizzying not having her there anymore.


    I nodded, trying not to let the disappointment show on my face.


    Luckily before Giovani even noticed, Tallon appeared in the doorway, breathing heavily with a terrified look on his face.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t in his room. Alessandro¡¯s gone!¡±


    My heart dropped to my feet.


    Not again... please, not again, I begged.


    ¡°Did you try calling him?¡± Giovani asked, rmed.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Tallon nodded. ¡°But he didn¡¯t¨C¡±


    He fell silent as his phone began to ring, and he frowned at the screen, hitting ept before cing the phone near his ear.


    I couldn¡¯t hear what he was saying, but he nodded a few times, saying, ¡°Hmmm, okay, got it.¡± And then he hung up.


    Silence fell between us before Tallon looked up at Giovani sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.


    ¡°Yeah, that was him. He¡¯s already at the hospital,¡± Tallonughed awkwardly as Giovani red at him like he was an idiot.


    ¡°Don¡¯t scare me like that.¡± I breathed a sigh of relief, falling back into my chair. My heart was racing from the near-scare, thinking that yet another of my precious friends had been kidnapped.


    My heart just wouldn¡¯t be able to take it.


    ¡°My bad,¡± Tallon shrugged.


    Giovani rolled his eyes as he pointed toward the front door. ¡°Just get in the car. Now.¡±


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Tallon called out before ducking behind the wall. The door mmed shut not a few secondster and both Giovani and I sighed.


    Startled, we both nced at one another and thenughed.


    ¡°He can be a bit scatterbrained,¡± I told him with a grin as I pulled on my sandals and buckled them up. ¡°But he means well.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, he needs to think before he speaks,¡± Giovani smirked, crossing his arms as he waited patiently for me.


    He held out a hand to me, and I grinned, reaching for him before I paused. I looked back at the table, still full of food, and quickly plucked one of the muffins from the bowl and then grabbed his hand.


    Giovaniughed as I bit into the muffin happily, letting him lead me to the door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let Gabriele see. He¡¯s a stickler for the no food in the car rule.¡± He grinned.


    ¡°But that rule doesn¡¯t apply if he doesn¡¯t know, right?¡± I asked, innocently.


    ¡°Only for you,¡± Giovani leaned over to kiss my forehead, and I felt the smile on his lips when he kissed me. ¡°Only you.¡±

 Chapter 302 : Homecoming

    <h4>Chapter 302: Chapter 302 : Homing</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Tallon was in the front seat of the ck SUV when we came out. The window was down, and his arm hung out the door as he waved to us casually.


    ¡°Hey.¡± He grinned. ¡°Care to take a ride?¡±


    I chuckled, rolling my eyes as Giovanipletely ignored him and opened the backseat door. I stepped inside, buckling up. Once everyone was inside, buckled, and ready to go, Gabriele started the car.


    The bubbling excitement in the pit of my stomach nearly tripled in size as I grinned widely.


    ¡°Excited?¡± Giovani chuckled.


    ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t wait to see her and finally have her home,¡± I told him happily. There was nothing else I wanted more in the world than my best friend back.


    Having been through this several times now, the ride went by fairly quickly as each of us got lost in our own heads.


    Once we arrived, Gabriele pulled up to the patient center, deciding to wait in the car for us as he parked. There were quite a lot of people here already, and the sun was burning overhead. The summer heat in Italy was brutal.


    It was going to be a very hot day. I bounced in ce as I waited for Tallon and Giovani, though they both looked amused by my excitement.


    ¡°Calm down. She¡¯s still gonna be there in a few minutes,¡± Giovani reminded me with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s no rush, Livi.¡± Tallon grinned as he leaned his arm on top of my head like I was an armrest.


    I rolled my eyes, pushing him off. ¡°So? We have a whole day nned,¡± I said, proudly. I was keeping my promise to her. It was a Dahlia spa day, and nothing was going to get in our way.


    We headed inside, Tallon and Giovani following me as I practically speed-walked into the building. The same receptionist from yesterday was at the desk, reading her magazine and ignoring all the waiting room guests.


    I jumped as I heard a scream from one of the children, their siblings chasing them across the slick floors. I smiled at the sight as Giovani stepped up to the receptionist.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to see-¡±


    Before he could even finish, the receptionist just waved her hand toward the doors.


    ¡°Go on,¡± she said, flipping a page as she didn¡¯t even look up.


    Giovani red at her irritatedly but turned away without starting a fight. If it had been Alessandro, I had no doubt he would¡¯ve taken it as an insult.


    While Tallon and Giovani just turned away, I smiled at the receptionist.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, politely as I passed by.


    She paused her finger on the next page and looked up in surprise.


    ¡°Uh, you¡¯re wee?¡± I heard her reply in confusion as we passed by. No doubt she didn¡¯t hear a lot of gratitude, though she could really learn how to be more attentive and do her job better.


    Still, she remembered who we were and who we were here to see. I doubted after witnessing the almost-fightst night that she would ever forget us, but I appreciated it nheless.


    The halls were busy with passing nurses and doctors, and I heard quite a few loud mechanical ringing sounds as we passed through to Dahlia¡¯s room. Giovani led us straight into her room, not even bothering to knock on the door as he opened it.


    Dahlia would tear him a new one if he tried to do that at home, no doubt.


    We piled in, and I spotted my best friend finally in her regr clothes. She sat on the edge of the hospital bed, her legs swinging back and forth as she held her casted arm in herp.


    She wasn¡¯t alone because we had finally found the missing Alessandro.


    He looked incredibly serious as he spoke with a doctor in ab coat¨CDahlia¡¯s doctor, I remembered from when west met her.


    ¡°Make sure she doesn¡¯t bump or hit the suture area especially, or she could re-open the wound. The cement of the stitches also means she needs to keep it dry for at least twenty-four hours, but preferably forty-eight,¡± the doctor said, quite firmly. ¡°And if you have stairs in your house, make sure she doesn¡¯t go up or down them for at least a week.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be an issue,¡± Giovani said, confidently.


    Alessandro and the doctor both turned to us, only one of them smiling.


    ¡°You must be her cousin, Giovani?¡± the doctor asked, raising her hand.


    Giovani took it gratefully before stepping away.


    ¡°We moved her room to the first floor, so she won¡¯t have to use the stairs at all,¡± Giovani told her.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Dahlia turned to look at Giovani, her mouth agape. ¡°You moved my stuff? What the hell?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only temporary, Sis.¡± Tallon grinned. ¡°Besides, we didn¡¯t go through your panty collection; the maids did.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Tallon!¡± Dahlia growled, her cheeks growing red in embarrassment. ¡°I do not have a panty collection!¡±


    Yes, she did.


    I thinned my lips to keep fromughing as I nced to the side, not making eye contact with her at all. It was more urate to say she had a panty and bra collection since she had matching sets. It was quite extensive and impressive.


    ¡°I can see how loved you are, Dahlia.¡± The doctorughed, winking at Dahlia, who only blushed further. She looked like a red fire hydrant at this point as she sulked.


    I giggled, taking pity on her as I took a seat next to her on the bed. I wrapped one of my arms around her shoulder, giving her a side hug.


    ¡°We all love her very much,¡± I beamed happily.


    ¡°Sap,¡± Dahlia scoffed, but I could see the smile on her lips as she leaned into me.


    ¡°Alright, that should be thest of the instructions. Here are the discharge papers. They outline everything you need to know about her stitches and wounds.¡± The doctor held out a thick pile of printed papers, and both Alessandro and Giovani grabbed it at the same time.


    The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife as the two stared at one another, neither backing down.


    The doctor nced between them, a wary look on her face before Giovani finally sighed and let go, allowing Alessandro to take the papers.


    I frowned at the tense atmosphere between them.


    ¡°Alright,¡± the doctor said hesitantly, and then she turned to Dahlia with a smile. ¡°Keep checking on those stitches. If you see any red streaksing from the wound, the stitchese apart, or you have any sudden numbness,e see us immediately. Otherwise, we¡¯ll see you back in four weeks to get that cast off and the stitches out.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Dahlia nodded.


    ¡°That should do it then.¡± The doctor nodded then nced around at everyone with a smile, ¡°Have a nice day then.¡±


    Tallon moved out of the way so she could leave, and once she was gone, the room fell into silence once more.


    ¡°Are we going or not?¡± Dahlia rolled her eyes, leaning her head on my shoulder. ¡°Cause I¡¯d really like the gto Tallon promised.¡±


    Giovani and Alessandro both red at said teen, who only whistled innocently, avoiding eye contact.


    I giggled, a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart like being wrapped up in a warm nket by the campfire on Christmas Day.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take Dahlia back,¡± Alessandro said firmly, staring at Giovani challengingly.


    Giovani nodded slowly then crossed his arms as he said, ¡°Take Tallon too, and I¡¯ll bring back Olivia. Some sibling bonding time over gto will do you three some good.¡±


    Alessandro clenched his jaw, looking very much like he didn¡¯t want to do that, but Dahlia only grinned in response.


    ¡°Sounds good. We can get some gto on the way,¡± she said happily. Then turned to me, ¡°Don¡¯t you want some too?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m okay. You should spend some time with your brothers. They were incredibly worried about you. They need you right now.¡±


    ¡°Do not,¡± Tallon protested immediately, crossing his arms.


    Alessandro just grunted, facing the wall in defiance, but Iughed to myself. I knew they loved her more than they said.


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± Dahlia shrugged then hugged me tightly with her casted arm. ¡°I¡¯ll see you back at home.¡±


    ¡°Be safe,¡± I warned her, then I turned to Alessandro and Tallon with a stern look. ¡°If anything happens to her, I¡¯m holding you two personally responsible.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Tallon gasped. ¡°The only thing that¡¯s going to happen is she¡¯ll get a stomach ache from too much gto. And I can¡¯t be held responsible for that.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Dahlia reached behind her to grab the hospital pillow and throw it at him.


    He dodged it, letting it hit the wall behind his head, and stuck out his tongue. But he didn¡¯t expect the second pillow to hit him straight in the head.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Dahlia grinned.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve got to get going.¡± Giovani stepped in, waving toward me with his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I smiled, wrapping Dahlia in onest hug before I followed him out of the room. We walked side by side back to the car, and honestly, I was secretly happy to spend a few more stolen minutes with him.


    With all three siblings in the house watching us, there was no chance we¡¯d be able to do anything without getting caught.


    I restrained myself, though, until we settled ourselves into the SUV. Gabriele nced at us as we buckled, and he rolled his eyes, the screen between the seats already going up.


    I giggled at how he hade to know us so well already. I sighed as I leaned my head on Giovanni¡¯s shoulder, happy to have this small moment with him.


    ¡°Missing me already?¡± He chuckled, entwining our fingers like puzzle pieces.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I nodded. ¡°It¡¯ll be harder to sneak around with Dahlia, Tallon, and Alessandro.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Giovani said softly. ¡°But you¡¯re worth it.¡±


    I smiled into his shoulder, unable to help myself as I giggled, ¡°That was corny.¡±


    ¡°But it worked.¡± He grinned, pressing a kiss to my forehead.


    I looked up, and our eyes locked. I felt like he was pouring his emotions into me, like we were slowly aligning, and there was no way to stop it. Not that I wanted to.


    He leaned down to press his lips against mine, sweet and slow, and I sighed into his mouth, letting our tongues yfully intertwine. He was always the dominant one, and I didn¡¯t mind one bit as he coaxed me to match him.


    For a moment, I wondered if this was what love felt like, but like everything else, I let the thought fade away. I didn¡¯t care what it was called. I just wanted to be with him.


    That was all that mattered.


    We arrived home all too soon, and I was reluctant to get out, but we did. Luckily, the siblings weren¡¯t here yet, and as Gabriele parked the car and did whatever he did during the day, I pulled Giovani onto the couch so I could steal a few more moments with him.


    He let me sit on hisp. It was nothing sexual, I just relished in his warmth as he held me. It was enough for me as we exchanged light kisses, savoring our time together.


    But all good things muste to an end, and soon, we heard the car pull up into the driveway. We both got up, heading to the door to greet the three as they entered carrying cups full of gto.


    The moment Dahlia stepped through, carrying a paper cup full of chocte creamy goodness, I knew I was all hers for the rest of the night.


    Dahlia was clearly high on sugar, and I suspected it wasn¡¯t her first gto as she finished it off and grabbed my hand.


    Alessandro and Tallon both shook their heads, giving me a pitying look as she dragged me toward the staircase.


    ¡°Come on, movie night!¡± she dered before I dug my heels in and forcefully stopped her.


    ¡°No,¡± I said firmly. ¡°You can¡¯t use the stairs.¡±


    There was a trace of chocte on the edge of her lips as she gaped at me widely. ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right, Dahlia.¡± Giovani backed me up immediately, and I sent him a grateful smile as he pointed to the hallway on the first floor. ¡°Your room¡¯s down there now. Everything¡¯s set up, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± Dahliained, but then I let her drag me off to her new room. I giggled happily, sending Giovani onest look before I became Dahlia¡¯s once more.


    ¡°Time for some girl time!¡± Dahlia cried happily.


    I was all too happy to oblige.

 Chapter 303 : Try Not to Scream

    <h4>Chapter 303: Chapter 303 : Try Not to Scream</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    The character on the screen spoke, the ssic line echoing through Dahlia¡¯s dark room. I munched on a piece of caramel popcorn. The crunchy texture and sweet and salty taste was just the thing to delight my taste buds as one of my favorite movies yed.


    The light from the screen was the only thing illuminating the room. With the curtains closed and no moonlight, I could only see the movie ying as wey on our stomachs in the pillow fort we had built.


    I cuddled the pillow up to my chest, repeating the next line with the actor: ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    The dramatic music of the scene swelled straight to my heart as I sighed at the dreamy movie. It had always been one of my favorites.


    A pile of smooth, silky hair brushed against my arm and I smiled, looking over at the warm figure by my side. Dahlia was fast asleep, her mouth open as she snored on my arm.


    She looked peaceful as she slept. The movie faded away to the credits, and I gently set her head onto the pillow and not my arm. I pulled away from her as carefully as I could. She stirred for a moment, took a deep breath, and then quickly fell back asleep.


    ¡°Night, Dolly,¡± I whispered to her as I maneuvered my way out of the fort we had built.


    I crept across the floor as silently as I could, stepping over empty cans and wrappers we had carelessly thrown around. On my way, I turned off the TV, and the room fell intoplete darkness.


    I quietly opened the door, the hallway light spilling in and falling upon the sleeping face of my best friend. She frowned in her sleep, and I spared onest nce at her before I shut the door behind me.


    I sighed, rolling my shoulders to rx my stiff muscles as I headed for the stairs. I was a bit absentminded as I climbed the stairs to head back to my room.


    Opening my door, I stepped inside. flicking the light on and almost jumped out of my skin. I mmed my hands against my mouth to prevent the scream from waking everyone in the damn house.


    Laying casually on my bed was Giovani. His boots hung off the edge of the bed as heid back like he owned the thing, which of course he did, but still. He nced up at me with an amused smirk as I quickly shut the door behind me in case anyone woke up.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± I asked, the shock of finding him here not having worn off quite yet.


    ¡°Waiting for you.¡± He chuckled, sitting up. ¡°Why else would I be in your bed at one o¡¯clock in the morning?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Shouldn¡¯t you be sleeping like a normal person?¡± Despite how harsh my words sounded to my own ears, I gravitated to him like he was the sun. With the shock wearing off and my heartbeat calming to normal levels, I realized how happy I was to see him.


    ¡°How long have you been here?¡± Iughed as I put my hands on my hips.


    He crossed his arms behind his head,pletely rxed as he grinned at me. It felt ridiculous seeing him in my bed like he was meant to be there.


    ¡°Dunno. Few hours?¡± He shrugged then gave me a flirtatious smile as he patted his legs. ¡°Care to have a seat?¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Iughed but I kicked off my slippers and wasted no time as I straddled his waist, my legs on either side of him. ¡°You¡¯re crazy.¡±


    ¡°Crazy for you.¡± He winked at me.


    I grinned, leaning down to kiss him. He snuck a loose hand around my upper thigh as his lips pressed against mine. I opened my mouth, allowing him in as he deepened the kiss. Any innocent intent was lost quickly as we both became impatient and hurried.


    I snuck my hands under his untucked shirt, pulling it up so I could run my hands along his body. His muscles stiffened under my cold hands, but he leaned into the touch, gripping my waist with his other hand as he met every twist of my tongue with his own.


    There was a battle of dominance here, and he yfully let me take control. I sucked on his bottom lip, parting just enough to take a deep breath, and he groaned, tightening his hands around my skin.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you learn to do that?¡± he whispered between kisses, a pleased look in his eyes.


    ¡°From you,¡± I told him honestly as I used my hands to pull his shirt open.


    The buttons popped one by one, revealing his whole chest. I got to my knees, looking down at him happily. I felt good this way, though it felt so new. The control was making my head feel fuzzy, more confident than I usually would be, and there was no way in hell I was going to stop.


    Giovani breathed deeply, his chest falling and rising heavily as we both recovered our breath. He gazed up at me, an amused look on his face. I knew he was waiting for me to make the move this time, and I dly took him up on that offer.


    I grabbed the ends of my shirt, pulling it off and then unstrapping my bra. I threw them somewhere over my shoulder, not even caring at this point as I leaned over him.


    He leaned up to kiss me, but I had other ideas as I pressed my lips to the corner of his mouth, slowly taking my time as I trailed kisses down his pronounced jawline and then to his neck.


    I kissed his skin, teasing it with my teeth as I sucked until a deep red mark began to bloom. His breath hitched as I took my sweet time tasting every inch of his skin I could reach. I let my hands wander across his chest, just barely scratching my nails along his skin as I explored him.


    ¡°You little tease.¡± He moaned as I bit another mark onto his corbone.


    ¡°So?¡± I licked a long strip along his neck, smirking to myself as he devoured me with his eyes.


    His hands were clenched tightly around my thighs, pushing me down onto the bulge in his pants that continued to growrger and harder.


    I licked my lips at the thought of his cock inside of me, giving me the pleasure I so desperately needed.


    But Giovani was so very patient, and I trailed kisses down his body, going lower and lower before I reached the button of his pants. I teasingly trailed the outline of his dick with my finger as I gripped the button in my teeth.


    It came undone so easily, and Giovani kept his hands firmly on his sides, breathing deeply as I grasped his zipper and slowly pulled it down. I tucked my hands around his loose pants and boxers and tugged them down his legs.


    He lifted his waist, letting me do what I wanted as his cock sprung free of the restriction. It was just asrge as I remembered, and I licked my lips, remembering the feel of him in my mouth. I reached forward, no more ying gently as I gripped the base of his cock lightly.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± he groaned, throwing one of his arms over his face.


    I smirked, kissing the tip as I gently ran my hand up his girth and then back down. I slowly gained a rhythm I liked and his breath came faster as he stared down at me. His eyes were lit up with passion, watching my every move like a predator.


    Temptingly, I kissed his tip, focusing my attention now as I opened my mouth and swallowed him. His precum was salty on my tongue, and I ttened my tongue against his length as I took a little more of him in.


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± I heard him curse, still not touching me with his hands as his dick throbbed in my mouth.


    I opened as wide as I could go, forcing him down my throat until I choked. He groaned, little noisesing from his throat as I swallowed every inch of him.


    I shut my eyes tightly, tasting him on my tongue, overwhelmed by his scent as I plunged my head up and down slowly. My hand followed my movements, pumping him for everything he was worth.


    I was soaking wet already. I could feel my panties dripping as I squeezed my legs shut.


    ¡°Olivia... I¨C¡± he gasped, jerking upward, and I prepared myself.


    His hands threaded through my hair, trying to pull me off of him, but I was stubborn this time as I forced my head as low as It could go, thrusting him to the back of my throat.


    I moaned his name, muffled by his cock,and that was it.


    He came, and I barely tasted anything as his sperm squirted down my throat. I swallowed instinctively, but it was too much. I coughed, allowing him to pull back as his cum overflowed down my lips.


    Not even my hands could catch it all as it spilled over onto the bed.


    I breathed heavily, the taste of him on my tongue as I swallowed the sticky, viscous liquid. My hands and mouth were covered and I nced up at Giovani.


    There was a dark look in his eyes, and I realized with both a thrill and slight fear that I had broken through his endless patience.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn, carino.¡± He licked his lips, slowly sitting up.


    Fast as a viper, he grabbed my ankle, pulling me toward him.


    I squealed as I fell onto my back.


    ¡°Careful, carino. You don¡¯t want to wake everybody and have them see you like this, do you?¡± he purred, running his finger along my lips and smearing his cum like lipstick. ¡°I find I don¡¯t mind one bit. Try not to scream.¡±


    He gripped my shorts and panties and pulled them off in one smooth move. Before I could even respond to his threat, his mouth was already on my cunt.


    I mmed my fist into my mouth to keep from screaming, and he pinned my legs down as I writhed from the sudden pleasure. His tongue dove across my clit, teasing it before sucking it into his mouth in slow bursts.


    It kept all my strength to keep quiet as he ate me out like it was his purpose in life.


    ¡°Gio....¡± My whisper slipped out of my lips, past my fists as he slid his fingers into my center, pumping in and out masterfully, ¡°...vanni.¡±


    ¡°Quieter, carino.¡± I felt him grin, nibbling on my clit. I suppressed the scream building in my throat, shutting my eyes tightly as he practically ravaged me.


    His thick fingers pumped into me, and I flushed with shame as I heard my own wetness loudly sloshing.


    I didn¡¯tst much longer as the pressure built, and Giovani mmed his lips against mine just as I came. I tasted both of us as he thrust his tongue down my throat, preventing any sound from escaping as I stiffened against him.


    The highsted longer than any other time as I lurched up into his body, electricity pouring out through every inch of me.


    But then it was over. I fell limply underneath his body, letting him pin me as we broke apart. I shivered from the aftershocks, and I was sure that even if I tried, I couldn¡¯t stand.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I panted hard, but he wasn¡¯t done with me yet.


    I heard him opening the condom, and before I had even recovered, I felt him slip into me with no issue. He wasted no time as he mmed into me with everything he had.


    ¡°You¡¯re fucking perfect,¡± Giovani breathed as he pumped his cock inside of me, ¡°so sweet and tight, baby.¡±


    I panted, half out of it as I gazed up at him blurrily. I couldn¡¯t catch my breath, not with the way he was pounding into me, squeezing so tightly and just the way I needed.


    I moaned quietly, my vision blurry from sweat as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. He paused in his motions, gripping my ass, and he supported me in his arms. I breathed into his neck, letting him take control as he fucked me.


    The night was long, and at some point, I stopped counting how many times we came. But I was thoroughly exhausted by the time he slipped out of me for thest time.


    ¡°Get some rest, carino.¡± He brushed my hair away from my face, and I murmured something even I didn¡¯t know back to him, copsing into my pillows and nkets.


    He chuckled, kissing my forehead. I heard my door opening as he flicked off the lights, and I was half-asleep, but I swore I heard someone calling his name right before the door shut.

 Chapter 304 : The Hand You’re Dealt

    <h4>Chapter 304: Chapter 304 : The Hand You¡¯re Dealt</h4>


    *Giovani*


    ¡°Giovani.¡±


    The minute I stepped out into the hallway, I knew I was fucked. There was Alessandro at the end of the hallway with a dark look on his face. Abination of fury and hatred glimmered in his eyes, a nasty look that was disconcerting to see, even for me.


    I stiffened as I shut her door behind me firmly, hoping she didn¡¯t hear him. I kept a nk look on my face, trying to y it cool even as a cold sweat developed down my back.


    Of all the people who could¡¯ve caught me sneaking out of her room, it had to be Alessandro.


    Fucking hell.


    ¡°Alessandro,¡± I called out, low and quiet, but I knew he heard me. I kept a casual stance, trying to force it despite how stiff I felt. I didn¡¯t need this right now, and if he found out what Olivia and I had been doing, I doubted she would forgive me.


    There was only one option¨Clie my ass off and hope he was stupid enough to believe me.


    I stuck my hands in my pants pockets, heading for my room when Alessandro cut in front of me, blocking my doorway.


    There was a snarl on his lips as he glowered at me.


    ¡°You¡¯re a fucking liar,¡± he snapped, the resentment in his voice having reached a new boiling point.


    I straightened to my full height, ring at my younger cousin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about, Alessandro.¡± I crossed my arms as I lied through my teeth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t y with me!¡± He mmed his fist against my door, the bang echoing down the hallway.


    I took a step forward, intimidatingly. ¡°In case you forgot, it¡¯s four o¡¯clock in the morning. Don¡¯t go making a scene and waking everyone else up with your temper tantrums,¡± I scolded him, grabbing his fist and throwing it to his side.


    He took a step back from the force I used, and I took the opportunity to grab my door handle.


    I didn¡¯t make it far before he grabbed the back of my shirt and mmed me against the wall. From the way he looked at me, his teeth bared in a snarl, I would have been six feet under already if he¡¯d had a say in the matter.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re fucking Olivia,¡± heshed out angrily. ¡°And you¡¯re letting her whore herself out to you, you fucking bastard.¡±


    My patience snapped. Insulting me to my face was one thing, but targeting Olivia was going way too far. I¡¯d had enough of his attitude. I brushed his hand off my shirt, stepping into his face as I red down at him furiously.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know shit,¡± I spat, not letting him speak about Olivia that way for even a single second. ¡°And you will speak to and about Olivia with respect, or I will send you on the first ne back to the States and let your father deal with this bullshit.¡±


    Alessandroughed, cold and high without an ounce of warmth in his eyes. I was the enemy to him, and he was done pretending to be civil.


    ¡°Why?¡± he mocked tauntingly. ¡°Afraid your little girl is gonna get hurt? She¡¯s young enough to be your daughter anyway. That¡¯s how you getid, isn¡¯t it¨Ctarget the ones with daddy issues. Does she call you daddy, too?¡±


    I saw red.


    A crack formed along the wall, the wood splintering as my fistnded inches from his head, embedding my fist into the surface. Alessandro red at me unflinchingly, even as I leaned forward, cold and precise.


    ¡°I suggest,¡± I muttered to him with barely constrained rage, ¡°that you stop talking right now.¡±


    His mouth snapped shut, his jaw clenching as I shut my eyes tightly and tried to regain my cool. He had touched a nerve, and he knew it, too, by the smug look in his eyes. I had practically confirmed how much I cared about Olivia already, and we both knew it.


    I didn¡¯t have many cards left in my hand, and I was running out of options. My heart thundered in my ears as I broke out of my anger and regained my senses.


    I removed my stinging knuckles from the wall, cursing myck of restraint by the hole I¡¯d left. Shit like that happened around here all the time with so many deadly men, but I didn¡¯t lie losing my cool.


    I took a deep breath through my nose, ring at Alessandro darkly. ¡°Now, you can either tell me what this is about like the adult that you are, or I can throw you out of thepound and you can find a hotel to stay at.¡±


    ¡°Now you want to take me seriously?¡± Alessandro snorted, leaning back. ¡°How about you stop pretending like you¡¯re better than me and admit you¡¯re fucking Olivia?¡±


    I stiffened, crossing my arms so I wouldn¡¯t be tempted to punch him in his stupid face. I leaned against the opposite wall, wanting nothing more than to go to bed at this moment and be done with this painfully repetitive conversation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you think we would be together, but we¡¯re not,¡± I lied coolly. ¡°I would never¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! I just saw you leaving her fucking room,¡± Alessandro argued back. ¡°Or is there any other reason you would be sneaking out of her room at four in the fucking morning?¡±


    I didn¡¯t miss a single beat as I replied easily, ¡°She was having an issue with her bathroom sink. I went in to fix it. That¡¯s all.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes at me, a skeptical look on his face as he nced at my free hands.


    ¡°If you were just fixing her bathroom sink, then where are your tools?¡±


    Luckily, I already had excuses prepared.


    ¡°I keep a toolset in every bathroom cab,¡± I told him. ¡°Check your own bathroom and verify if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    A shadow of doubt crossed his face, and I knew I had won this round. Victory sang in my blood, tasting especially good with how he had insulted Olivia and me tonight. I kept my eyes firmly on him, not looking away for even a second as he stared back at me.


    I could see him wavering, rethinking things, but there was still skepticism in his eyes. He didn¡¯t totally believe me, but I didn¡¯t expect him to. I just had to put that seed of doubt there and luckily, I¡¯d seeded.


    He clenched his jaw, finally stepping back. We stood on opposite ends of the hall, both of our backs to the walls as we silently challenged one another to back down.


    This time, it was he who let it go.


    ¡°I apologize for jumping to conclusions,¡± Alessandro said through his clenched teeth, looking like it hurt to apologize. To him, it probably did.


    I had no doubt his pride was full of thorns as they slid down his throat. Swallowing it was the best I was going to get tonight. I nodded, not even pretending to forgive him.


    Not after what he had called Olivia.


    I turned to head back to my room, but Alessandro wasn¡¯t quite done with me yet. I stiffened and nced back at him, grumbling to myself. I was too exhausted for this bullshit.


    ¡°But,¡± he said, a calcting look in his eyes, ¡°you should know better than to enter a young girl¡¯s room thiste at night. If she needs help with her sink next time, you should wait until morning. Or tell her to call me.¡±


    That old friend named Jealousy reared its head, and I clenched my hands tightly, only giving him a cool nce as I told him firmly, ¡°You¡¯re right. Men shouldn¡¯t be entering her room sote at night. I¡¯ll keep that in mind, but so should you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine for old friends like us,¡± he said, tilting his head. The scheming in his face was making me nervous. He had the upper hand now. ¡°But then again, I might not be able to if I have more responsibility in the family.¡±


    And there it was.


    The greed in his eyes was prominent, and no matter how much he liked Olivia, he was willing to set it aside for the chance to take any bit of control he could.


    I set my jaw, fury in my chest as I realized what kind of person Alessandro was bing. I wanted to beat the shit out of him and teach him not to y with others like they were pawns on a chessboard, but I had no right to talk.


    I had done far worse things.


    But Olivia¨Cthere was no reason for him to involve her in all of this. She was caught in a war that she didn¡¯t even know was happening. It wasn¡¯t fair, but for now, there was nothing else I could do.


    ¡°Of course.¡± I gave in despite my better judgment. I couldn¡¯t let him spill what he had seen. I could try to fool him with flimsy excuses, but Tallon... or worse, if this got back to James, there was no way I could keep our rtionship quiet then.


    Goddammit.


    All I could do was cate the boy in front of me.


    He smirked in victory, raising his head as I turned my back on him and entered my room. The moment my door shut behind me, I began to tremble with sheer fury.


    He was ckmailing me. The little shit was actually trying to ckmail me, and the worst part was, it was going to work.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I cursed, brushing my hair from my face as I headed straight for the liquor cab. I was going to drink myself to an early grave at this point, but I didn¡¯t care at the moment. I needed something in my system to numb me so that I wouldn¡¯t turn around and send Alessandro to the hospital Dahlia had just been released from. Olivia wouldn¡¯t be happy with me, but maybe if she didn¡¯t find out....


    I shook my head of the thoughts, gritting my teeth as I swung back a ss of whiskey. The burn was refreshing andforting, like returning to the embrace of an old friend. I poured myself a second ss, downing it one go before I made my way to the bed.


    I was exhausted, and the stress built up. Every time one problem was solved, two more popped out. Crises were everywhere, and I was getting too old for this. I mmed head-first onto the bed, not even bothering to remove my shoes as I just stuffed my face into a pillow.


    Not for the first time, I deeply regretted bing Don. I regretted not having a normal life, one where Olivia and I could get married and live together without any of this secrecy, and where no shitty cousins were ckmailing me or Russians trying to ruin our lives.


    But this was the hand that I was dealt.


    And all I could do was y it.

 Chapter 305 : Smile for Breakfast

    <h4>Chapter 305: Chapter 305 : Smile for Breakfast</h4>


    *Olivia*


    When morning came, and the sun rose to greet the new day, I was not willing to get out of bed. I stared anxiously at my phone, still nude under my covers as I tried my best not to freak out.


    At first, I thought the voice I had heardst night when Giovani left was just a trick of my mind, but the moment I woke up with a text message on my phone, I knew it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡®Alessandro caught me leavingst night. I told him I was fixing the sink, but Hhe suspects the truth.¡¯ That was all Giovani wrote to me, but it was more than enough to send panic bells ringing in my head.


    He knew.


    Fuck.


    I groaned, throwing my hands over my face as I buried myself into the nkets. I didn¡¯t want to get up today. I didn¡¯t want to have to face Alessandro and try to pretend he didn¡¯t know I was fucking his cousin.


    If I could be anyone but me just for today, that would be great.


    ¡°Livi!¡± I heard the loud voice of Tallon from somewhere downstairs. ¡°Breakfast is ready!¡±


    I groaned but slipped out of my covers. I got dressed, not bothering to do much else as I pulled on my slippers and gathered the clothes I¡¯d thrown on the floorst night, and put them into theundry basket by the door.


    I sighed to myself, not ready for this, but I stered a smile on my face and left my room. I walked down to the kitchen like a man heading for the guillotine¨Cas slowly as I could get away with it.


    ¡°Livi!¡± Dahlia screamed my name, and I winced at the sudden loudness. ¡°Don¡¯t make mee up there!¡±


    Dammit. I knew she¡¯d do it, too.


    I hurried around the corner, appearing at the top of the stairs. Right at the foot was Dahlia, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor as she waited for me.


    ¡°Finally,¡± she scoffed. ¡°It took you forever!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Dolly,¡± I said quietly, heading down the stairs one at a time. I clearly wasn¡¯t fast enough for Dahlia because, on thest few steps, she reached forward to grab my arm and practically pulled me down the stairs.


    ¡°Come on,¡± she whined as I tripped on my own feet.


    I braced myself for the impact with the floor, but strong arms wrapped around my waist, and I only fell into a familiar embrace instead.


    I rubbed my nose that collided with his pectoral muscle and I nced up to see just who I¡¯d expected. Giovani red at Dahlia, who looked a bit ashamed as she stood to the side.


    ¡°Do you know how dangerous that could¡¯ve been?¡± Giovani scolded her, releasing me from his arms.


    ¡°I know, that was dumb,¡± Dalia sighed. ¡°Must be those drugs I¡¯m on. I was just excited for her to see the breakfast I made for her.¡±


    ¡°You made me breakfast?¡±


    The words popped out of my mouth at the same time that Giovani said, ¡°You should be more careful.¡±


    We both looked at one another, suppressing a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s your concern, really?¡± Giovani said, shaking his head fondly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a perfectly healthy concern considering Dahlia¡¯s cooking skill, orck thereof,¡± I shrugged in defense, grinning as Dahlia gasped.


    ¡°How dare you?¡± She narrowed her eyes at me, but then nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s true, though.¡±


    Iughed, my bad mood wiped away in an instant before I caught the eye of Alessandro. His gaze was narrowed on me and Giovani... and the hand he had on my waist that he hadn¡¯t let go of yet.


    My smile dropped and guiltily, I coughed as I stepped away from Giovani. He frowned, ncing at me and then at Alessandro with an annoyed look.


    ¡°I promise I didn¡¯t make the actual food, I just rearranged it,¡± Dahlia promised, seeing none of this as she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the kitchen.


    I stiffened as we bypassed Alessandro, and I could feel his gaze on me like a warm hand on the back of my neck.


    Tallon was sitting at the table, munching on what looked like pieces of bacon.


    ¡°Morning.¡± He nodded his head at me, and I giggled at the grease smeared all over his face.


    He really needed better table manners. If my mom was here to see this, she¡¯d have his head.


    Dahlia pulled me in front of her and grabbed my shoulders as she plopped me into one of the chairs.


    ¡°Here we go!¡± She gestured to the table in front of me.


    On my te were two sunny-side-up eggs with two sausage links over them like eyebrows, a huge bacon smile, and an orange slice for a nose.


    My breakfast smiled back at me, a happy little face, and I grinned, struggling not to burst intoughter. Giovani and Alessandro both took their own seats, leaving only one to my right for Dahlia.


    There was an identical te of breakfast smile on her spot.


    ¡°Thanks for having a movie night for mest night,¡± Dahlia said, her voice choked up as she gripped my shoulders, ¡°and for being my best friend for all these years. I know how troublesome I can be at times, and I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate you being there for me.¡±


    I bit my bottom lip as my eyes began to well up with tears.


    ¡°Dolly,¡± I murmured, turning around in my seat to face her, ¡°you¡¯re not troublesome. Who said something like that?¡±


    ¡°Debatable,¡± Tallon shrugged.


    Dahlia took the seat next to me, a smile on her face as she shrugged. ¡°Nobody, Olive. I guess after the whole kidnapping thing, I¡¯m just rethinking a lot of things.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± I asked worriedly.


    She opened her mouth, ncing at me like she was going to say something, but she hesitated and shook her head, a soft smile on her lips. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Dolly¨C¡±


    Before I could get to the bottom of her unusual behavior, Dahlia turned to Giovani with a firm look. ¡°What happened to my kidnappers? Are they dead?¡± she asked seriously. ¡°And did they ever find either one of the boys?¡± I figured she was worried about the man she¡¯d been dating.


    The question would usually put a damper on a breakfast morning,pletely ruining the mood... but this family was different, I was learning.


    ¡°No news on the guys, but one of your kidnappers is dead,¡± Tallon said with a dark grin, ¡°and he deserved it.¡±


    I was a bit taken aback by the malice in his gaze, theplete assurance, when we were talking about a human losing their life.


    ¡°Three actually,¡± Giovani answered instead. ¡°They were just low grunts.¡±


    ¡°There was a man¨CIvan,¡± Dahlia told him, her lips thinned with anger. I grabbed her hand in support, but she only bullied forward without hesitating, ¡°Is he dead?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandro said before Giovani could reply. He raised his head confidently, taking the lead out from under his cousin. ¡°Of the five men we know about, only one escaped¨Cprobably the man you¡¯re talking about. But you don¡¯t need to worry about him. I worked out a nst night with Giovanni¡¯s help. Nobody¡¯s going to touch you again.¡±


    Dahlia sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about myself,¡± she admitted. ¡°But that man, Ivan... he knew more than the others. He said I was just a pawn, and that our family would pay the price they should have. He mentioned Mom and Dad like he actually knew them.¡±


    ¡°That would exin some things,¡± a new voice said over my shoulder.


    I whirled around. Standing at the entrance casually was Gabriele.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Alessandro crossed his arms, getting up from the table.


    ¡°I got some information from our prisoner. He was a tough nut, but I broke him in the end. Everybody loses it over the fingernails,¡± Gabriele said casually like he wasn¡¯t talking about an imprisoned man being tortured by his own hand.


    I gaped at him, horrified at the thought of what they had done.


    ¡°Gabriele,¡± Giovani said, sharply. ¡°Breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± Gabriele raised his hands in defense. ¡°But I did get some good news. The one we captured was actually the son of one of the higher-ranked members during Mikhail¡¯s reign. Looks like they¡¯re recruiting from families with a grudge.¡±


    ¡°We can track that,¡± Giovani said, firmly, ¡°Have a team¨C¡±


    Alessandro red at him before stepping forward,pletely cutting off the line of sight between Giovani and Gabriele.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head one team to track down the few we know about, and you can lead the other to investigate, Gabriele,¡± Alessandromanded as if he had the authority to.


    I exchanged a bewildered nce with Tallon and Dahlia, who looked just as out of touch as I was. I turned to Giovani, wondering why he was just sitting there, his jaw clenched as he let Alessandro take control.


    But a pang of guilt hit me as I soon realized Alessandro¡¯s feud with Giovani. If he took advantage of what he sawst night and was ckmailing Giovani into getting more power in the organization, that would exin everything.


    Fuck.


    I clenched my fists under the table, unable to even look at Giovani as I realized how badly I¡¯d screwed up. If it hadn¡¯t been for me, none of this would be happening.


    I bit my bottom lip, one ear open as I listened to the conversations.


    ¡°The Russians have gone underground again,¡± Gabriele said, dispassionately. ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult to get another lead on them seeing as they still have resources to hide.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a problem,¡± Alessandro said confidently. ¡°We¡¯ll just flush them out again. Once we do, we¡¯ll destroy them once and for all.¡±


    Gabriele stiffened and then nced around him to see Giovani. He nodded in agreement and Gabriele sighed before relenting, ¡°Fine then.¡±


    He turned on his heel to walk out, and Alessandro looked victorious, smug even, as he nced at Giovani.


    I hated this. I hated that Alessandro knew something, even if he wasn¡¯t a hundred percent sure, and that Giovani was yielding anything to him, especially in the organization he was so proud of.


    For the first time, I felt a little resentful toward Alessandro, even as he kept casting me weird nces. We were under surveince, and I wasn¡¯t happy about it one bit.


    I swallowed ufortably. Giovani avoided looking at me as he silently ate the rest of his breakfast. I had no choice but to do the same for now.


    I wasn¡¯t hungry anymore, but I stered a smile on my face as Dahlia turned to me to chat about movies. I forced coffee down into my stomach where the guilt had settled and made its home. The small bites of food I took off my meal unintentionally turned the smile on my te upside down.


    My smiling breakfast wasn¡¯t so happy anymore as he frowned up at me, looking exactly the way I felt right now.

 Chapter 306 : Ruthless

    <h4>Chapter 306: Chapter 306 : Ruthless</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I was going to kill him. Figurately or literally, I was still deciding, but either way, I was going to fucking kill him.


    I stared at my desk, seething in aplete rage. The absolute disrespect Alessandro had shown at the breakfast table had set off my temper. I could only stew in my anger, not able to do a damn thing about that brat.


    If I had it my way, he¡¯d be doing manualbor for the next year and a half for the way he was treating not only me but Olivia. I tried my best not to look at her all breakfast, but she was so damn beautiful, and I¡¯d slipped a couple of times.


    The guilty looks she kept sneaking at me were far from discreet, and I hated every bit of it. She wasn¡¯t stupid. She¡¯d probably figured out why I had let Alessandro go so far.


    I sighed, rubbing my temples from the growing headache I was developing. Even in the darkness of my study, it still wasn¡¯t enough to settle my growing need for murder.


    The door opened without warning, a burst of light from the hallway hitting my eyes, and I groaned, mming my head on the desk. The pain was only a slight distraction from the death metal screaming in my head.


    The light disappeared as the door closed, and I heard the familiar footsteps of Gabriele as he stopped in front of the desk.


    ¡°So,¡± Gabriele started, ¡°do I even want to know what¡¯s going on with you and Alessandro now? ¡®Cause what the fuck was that?¡±


    I red up at him before sighing. There was no point in keeping it hidden. Gabriele already knew, and now he had to work with both of us.


    ¡°He caught me sneaking out of Olivia¡¯s roomst night,¡± I muttered, kicking myself for being so clumsy. I should¡¯ve installed locks on everyone¡¯s doors and made up some excuse why they needed to be locked every night.


    As if crazy Russiansing to kill us wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°Oh, and what could you possibly be doing in her roomte at night?¡± Gabriele said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. ¡°How¡¯d you exin that one?¡±


    ¡°Broken sink,¡± I grumbled in response.


    Gabriele shook his head in disappointment, but luckily, he knew to keep his mouth shut. He was shooting me a look that told me he thought I was an idiot, but at the moment, I couldn¡¯t argue with that.


    He was right. I was an idiot.


    I seemed to lose all my brain cells whenever it came to Olivia. I¡¯d probably jump off a cliff if she told me so. I groaned, throwing my arm over my face.


    Dammit. I¡¯d fallen hard for her. It was more than falling, my feelings for her were already deep. I had to get myself together before I ruined both of our lives.


    The easiest way was to break off this thing we had going, but there was no way in hell I was going to let that happen, not with Alessandro still sneaking around, just waiting to jump in.


    That bastard had already taken a bit of my pride. He wasn¡¯t going to get Olivia too. At this point, he was more of a problem than the actual fucking Russians.


    So much for family bonds.


    ¡°So what do we do about Alessandro?¡± Gabriele asked casually. ¡°Should I just keep following his orders?¡±


    ¡°For the time being,¡± I growled, ¡°until I can beat his fucking greed out of his head. I already spoke to James about Alessandro¡¯s involvement, and he doesn¡¯t want him in too deep. There¡¯s only so much I¡¯ll let him push me around before I snap. He¡¯d better learn not to cross that line.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Gabriele sighed. ¡°But just so you know, I hate taking orders from Alessandro.¡±


    Unfortunately for the two of us, Alessandro was a devil, and we¡¯d spoken his name three times. The door burst open, hitting the wall as he strolled through arrogantly, a thick man folder in one of his hands.


    Fucking hell.


    Gabriele rolled his eyes and shut the door behind him, keeping prying ears from hearing whatever he had to say.


    ¡°I told you to knock before entering,¡± I snapped at him.


    ¡°So?¡± Alessandro just shrugged, uncaring as he stopped right in front of my desk and mmed the man folder onto the desk. ¡°Somebody gave this to me. Scar on his cheek?¡±


    ¡°Gennaro?¡± I looked up with interest then grabbed the folder, opening it up. Inside was a thick packet of papers, but my eyesnded on the first one.


    ¡°Dmitri Zaytsev,¡± I read the name and then stiffened as I nced at the photo next to the information. It was a young man, probably only a teenager at the time, as he red murderously at the camera.


    The most damning evidence, however, was the background¨Cit was a mugshot. There were even records of his fingerprints.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a fucking kid,¡± Gabriele scoffed. ¡°How could he do so much damage?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head. ¡°This is old. He¡¯s in his thirties now, but this was all Gennaro could find, apparently. This sheet is long¨Cmisdemeanors, vandalism, inciting riots, arson... it goes on and on.¡±


    I spread out the papers, allowing Gabriele and Alessandro to take from it and read on their own as I kept searching through the new information we¡¯d found.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t charged?¡± Alessandro said incredulously. ¡°How could they not charge him for setting a fucking apartment building on fire?¡±


    ¡°Mikhail,¡± I said, stiffly. ¡°Looks like every instance of arrest was wiped away by his cousin. But after Mikhail wasn¡¯t there to wipe away his sheet anymore, he got arrested and was in prison for over ten years.¡±


    My jaw clenched as I saw a few familiar faces on the sheet.


    ¡°Looks like his father was killed by our syndicate, too, and his mother died from illness while he was incarcerated,¡± Alessandro dropped the sheet in front of me. ¡°Could that be a reason for all this?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± I said, rubbing my forehead as I dropped all the information. ¡°He was released six years ago and dropped off the face of the earth since then. That¡¯s probably when he took up his cousin¡¯s old position.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s after revenge,¡± Gabriele said coldly. ¡°Probably mes us for being sent to prison and his family¡¯s deaths.¡±


    ¡°He would be right,¡± I sighed, leaning back in the chair. I had no qualms about what had happened to the previous head of the family.


    Neither the Valentinos nor the Zaytsevs were good,w-abiding citizens. Our family werewless people who did terrible things, but we never did anything without a reason. Mikhail dug his own hole, and he lost his life because of it.


    But it was also true that Dmitri lost both of his parents at a young age and was deeply affected by our actions.


    I could sympathize with him. I had never been close to my parents, but it seemed he had been different. Losing both of them had taken a toll.


    But that didn¡¯t mean I would ept what he had done. He had kidnapped Dahlia, injured her and tried to kill her... and he¡¯d threatened my family and the organization I was in charge of.


    Sympathy wouldn¡¯t stop me from putting a bullet in his head once I found him.


    I had never imed to be a good person, and I never would.


    ¡°There¡¯s no up-to-date information,¡± Gabriele remarked. ¡°He¡¯s hidden himself very well.¡±


    ¡°Or the Russos have done it for him,¡± I scoffed. I was still pissed about that tidbit of information. We couldn¡¯t touch the Russos, and the fact that they were working with the Zaytsevs on this was bullshit.


    ¡°One thing is clear,¡± Alessandro stated firmly, ¡°He¡¯s ruthless. He¡¯s been nning this for a long time, and he¡¯s not going to stop until he¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°Then we just need to find him and kill him,¡± Gabriele said simply. ¡°Simple problems require simple solutions.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Alessandro nodded.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± I red at the both of them. ¡°We don¡¯t have any leads right now. Having a motive for why he wants to kill us isn¡¯t good enough to go off. He and his people could be everywhere, and we know he¡¯s smart. With the Russos behind him, we¡¯re stuck.¡±


    ¡°So we do nothing?¡± Alessandro snapped, crossing his arms. ¡°I should¡¯ve known you wouldn¡¯t have the balls to¨C¡±


    ¡°Alessandro!¡± I yelled as I got to my feet, mming my hands onto the desk. I red at him, my temper fraying at the edges.


    His mouth closed with a snap as I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. Now wasn¡¯t the time. He was still suspicious of me and Olivia, and I couldn¡¯t blow it.


    ¡°I never said we do nothing,¡± I started, as calmly as I could. ¡°Gabriele and you will divide forces. Alessandro, you head out into Florence proper to do some recon. Take maybe five to eight men with you, and visit any ces we know they¡¯ve been before. There might still be some clues hiding there.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Alessandro agreed easily. ¡°But I¡¯m in charge of this team. Make sure those men know that.¡±


    I rolled my eyes but nodded. Alessandro turned on his heel and mmed the door behind him. It was hard enough to rattle the few pictures I had on the wall, and I sighed, copsing into my chair.


    I was exhausted from dealing with him. I turned to Gabriele, who only raised an eyebrow in response.


    ¡°Take your own force and investigate the Russos. See if there¡¯s anywhere they could be hiding Dmitri or his organization,¡± I ordered.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± He waved his hand, absentmindedly as he too, turned to leave.


    Right before he grabbed the door handle, I called out to him, ¡°Gabriele.¡±


    He nced at me over his shoulder, a neutral look on his face.


    ¡°Remind me to give you a raise,¡± I smirked.


    ¡°You can count on it.¡± He grinned back before gently shutting the door behind him.


    I gathered up the papersid out on my desk and ced them back into the man folder I had been given.


    I grabbed one of the pens I had in a holder on the desk. It was just amon pen, most would assume, until I unscrewed the top. Inside the pen was a smooth, small key that I pulled out and used to unlock the desk drawer.


    I stuffed the man folder inside with all the other confidential information I had stored before locking it and resetting the key inside the pen.


    Once the pen was in the holder, it looked just like any other and no one could tell the difference, except for me and Gabriele.


    Now with everything else settled for the time being, I had time to myself. I smiled, my mind going back to a pair of bright eyes.


    It was time I took her out on a proper date.

 Chapter 307 : First Date

    <h4>Chapter 307: Chapter 307 : First Date</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Even inside thepound of the Italian mafia, the garden was overflowing with summer activity.


    The smell of chlorine wasforting to me, having always been around the pool at Dahlia¡¯s house. Summers were always my favorite time, and this year was no different.


    Since Dahlia couldn¡¯t swim with her injury, I had elected to join her just sitting by the pool and the garden. It was beautiful this time of year, and we weren¡¯t missing anything.


    It felt like forever since thest time we had just hung out and enjoyed the sun on our skin. So many things had happened toplicate our trip here, and I was d to have a moment to just breathe and rx.


    ¡°Do you really think we¡¯re ready?¡± Dahlia asked quietly out of nowhere.


    ¡°For what?¡± I asked, turning to look at her.


    ¡°University,¡± she answered, ncing at me with wide eyes. ¡°I mean, sses start in a few weeks, and we don¡¯t have everything ready yet. What if I suck at finance? What if I totally fail my first sses?¡±


    ¡°Dolly, we¡¯re doing Gen Ed sses first.¡± I frowned, sitting up. ¡°We¡¯ve been nning this our whole lives. Why are you so worried? We¡¯ve always known that you¡¯ll study finance, and I¡¯ll study art, together at the same university.¡±


    ¡°But what if it isn¡¯t enough?¡± Dahlia said, her breath hitching as she turned to me with worried eyes, ¡°We were going to stay on campus, but what if they find me again? Giovani can¡¯t keep his men with me all the time. I¡¯m so nervous that things are just going to fall apart on us, and I can¡¯t do anything to stop it.¡±


    ¡°Dolly¨C¡± I reached out to her to give her some kind of reassurance, but she pulled away, wrapping her arm around her waist.


    ¡°No, Olive.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Things aren¡¯t as simple as when we were kids. We thought we had it all figured out... but what if we were just kidding ourselves? What if¨C¡±


    She hesitated and then met my eyes, her eyes filled with fear.


    ¡°What if I¡¯m too scared to go?¡± she murmured, half to herself.


    ¡°Dolly, no.¡± I rushed to her side, grabbing her hand as I shook my head furiously. ¡°You are the bravest girl I¡¯ve ever met, and it¡¯s okay to be scared. We can figure all of this out. But don¡¯t give up on your dream so easily. That isn¡¯t like you at all.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what is ¡®like me¡¯ anymore,¡± Dahlia muttered softly.


    I could see the cracks she had been hiding, the wounds in her heart that hadn¡¯t healed. But I didn¡¯t know how to help the emotional scars she was dealing with.


    I didn¡¯t know how to reassure her this time.


    Dahlia sighed, gripping her phone in her hand as she got to her feet. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Olive. I¡¯m just tired and spouting nonsense. These meds are something else.¡±


    She attempted tough, but it didn¡¯t sound the least bit real. What could I say to help her?


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go to bed early,¡± Dahlia told me. ¡°Night, Olive.¡±


    And then she was gone.


    ¡°Night,¡± I called out quietly as I watched her walk away.


    I frowned, worried about Dahlia as I headed inside. I¡¯d never seen her look so unsure and scared. She¡¯d always been a headfirst kind of girl, but I guessed the kidnapping had scared her more than she wanted to admit.


    I didn¡¯t want her to put her dreams on hold because of the bastards that did this, but I also wanted her to be safe. She was right. If we lived on campus, there¡¯d be a greater risk of something like this happening.


    I sighed as I headed straight for my room, a little put out. The afternoon had started so well, and now I was feeling bad again. I doubted the reminder of Dahlia¡¯s kidnapping would ever go away. It would always be looming over our heads.


    I entered my room and shut the door behind me. I stood in the middle of the room, simply gazing around as I wondered what on earth I was going to do now.


    I heaved a sigh as I sat down on the edge of my bed, boredom already settling into ce. Normally, it was Dahlia who came up with ideas to keep us entertained. But with her asleep, I didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Right when I was feeling lost and a bit empty inside, there was a knock on my door. I nced up, a bit surprised but hopeful as I opened the door in a hurry.


    My eyes met with the beautiful brown of Giovani¡¯s. He smirked, leaning against the doorway, looking like an Italian god. I swore, I could¡¯ve drooled from the casual clothes he wore.


    His shirt was open slightly, showing the top of his chest, and my eyes locked onto it immediately. He chuckled and I blushed, gazing away as I asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    I hated how high-pitched my voice got and he grinned, the bastard knowing how he¡¯d affected me.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Dahlia?¡± he asked, looking behind me as if to see if she was in there. It was a ridiculous thought since we¡¯d banned her from the staircase.


    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping. I guess she¡¯s feeling a little tired from the pain meds they¡¯ve got her on,¡± I told him, then tilted my head curiously. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Am I not wanted?¡± he asked, a smirk on his lips, but there was a bit of insecurity hidden behind it.


    ¡°Of course you are,¡± I smiled, grabbing his hand. ¡°You just normally have work this time of day.¡±


    ¡°Well, one good thing about Alessandro taking more of an interest,¡± he said as he shrugged, ¡°is that I get to stay behind while they do all the work. So, I was wondering if you¡¯d like to head out to town.¡±


    My heart lurched in my chest, and I swore it was about to jump out andnd in hisp. I swallowed, trying to control the rapid beating and calm myself down. He probably didn¡¯t mean what I thought he meant.


    ¡°Like¨C¡± I gazed at him, not able to stop the hope blossoming in my heart. ¡°Like a date?¡±


    ¡°If you want,¡± he said, smiling.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I flinched at how loud my own voice was, and heughed as I blushed deeply. I couldn¡¯t stop the grin on my face. I was practically floating in happiness at the thought of us going on a proper date.


    But my thoughts then fell upon my attire. I nced down at my T-shirt and shorts, which were much too casual for something like a date. ¡°Let me just change!¡± I shouted as I mmed the door shut on him.


    I dove for my closet, grabbing the nearest sundress as I changed in record time. I nced at my face in the mirror, deciding to forgo the makeup with no time left. There were only so many moments I got to steal with Giovani, and I was not going to waste any.


    I opened the door, beaming at Giovani, who hadn¡¯t moved an inch since I¡¯d shut the door. He looked amused as his gaze raked me up and down. A heat pooled in his eyes, one that was familiar to me, and I bit my bottom lip, a bit nervously.


    For some reason, I felt more exposed than when I was actually naked with him.


    ¡°You look beautiful, carino.¡± He stepped forward and then bowed as he offered his hand to me. ¡°Would you mind apanying me, mydy?¡±


    ¡°I would,¡± I gave him my hand immediately, a matching smile on my face. I blushed as he kissed the tip of my fingers, giving me a sultry look.


    Giovani wrapped my hand around his arm, escorting me like a properdy. I had no idea where we were going, but I didn¡¯t care. Anywhere with him was where I wanted to be.


    His car was waiting outside, and I had an idea he¡¯d ordered some kind of surprise. He opened the door for me, letting me slip into the front seat this time since he would be driving.


    It was afternoon by now, and the streets of Florence were filled with people. Tourists snapped photos at every corner, and locals walked down the streets without a care in the world.


    We pulled up to a beautiful pair of open gates with arge stone pir and a fountain in front of it. I nced at the sign that read ¡®Giardino Delle Rose.¡¯


    ¡°The Rose Garden?¡± I said in surprise, turning to him with wide eyes.


    He nodded, parking the car. I got out, seeing the massive hills before us, healing upward. There were so many hedges and trees in the middle of the green fields. The path wound all the way to the top, and there were already dozens of people following it.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I said, smiling.


    Giovani moved to my side, wrapping an arm around my waist as he winked at me. ¡°Just wait til we get to the top.¡±


    He was carrying something in his left hand, but I was too distracted to investigate as I took out my phone and quickly snapped a photo.


    I turned the camera and leaned my head on his shoulder. Before Giovani realized what was happening, I snapped the photo and checked it out. I beamed with happiness, blushing as I realized Giovani¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t on the scene before us, but on me.


    The look of affection as he stared at me was clear to anyone who saw the photo, and the little curl on his lips was just perfect.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I grinned, grabbing his hand as I pulled him into the gardens.


    Just as the name said, the path was filled on both sides of the roses. Pink, white, and red, almost every color was represented in the beautiful blooms.


    Petals scattered with the wind, brushing against our cheeks as we made our way through. Iughed when a few pink petals got stuck in his hair, and I paused, letting go of his hand as I took the time to pluck them out.


    His eyes were soft as he watched me, and I couldn¡¯t help myself as I ced my hands around his jaw and kissed him deeply.


    With rose petals falling around us, my heart beating only for him, it was like we were the only two people in the world. We parted, and I giggled as he grasped my hand first. I was drunk on the romance, bing bolder by the second as he pulled me through the gardens.


    Once we reached the very top, He pulled me onto the grass and revealed what he had been holding the entire time¨Ca pic basket.


    He pulled a red and white checkered nket from the basket and unfolded it, letting it settle on the grass before holding out his hand for me. I took it, settling myself on the nket as he pulled out a feast from the basket.


    Sandwiches and cheeses, grapes, and strawberries covered in chocte¨Cthere was everything I loved. I thought there was nothing in the world that could make this day better, until the sun began to set over the horizon.


    He was right. The view from the top was gorgeous, and I breathed out happily, leaning my head on his shoulder as we watched the sun set over the city.


    Giovani was a perfect gentleman as we headed back down under the purple sky. Lanterns lit up and just as we reached the bottom, Giovani pulled me into a hidden crevice and kissed me deeply.


    Our tongues entwined as he pressed me against the wall. I wrapped both my arms around his waist and kissed him just as hard as he did. We were both hungry, and we panted as we broke apart.


    Looking into one another¡¯s eyes, we bothughed and I pressed my forehead against his, swimming in happiness. Right now, he was mine... and mine only. There was nothing but me reflected in his eyes, and a deep possessive part of me I didn¡¯t know existed purred happily at the thought.


    I didn¡¯t realize how much I had been craving his attention until now.


    By the time we arrived home, I was too happy to let the day end, even if it was already night. I outright skipped my bedroom and pulled him into his own, pushing him down onto his bed.


    I wasn¡¯t going to let him go until we were both satisfied. The night blurred as he took me again and again, and to my surprise, Giovani fell asleep first.


    I breathed deeply as he held me, both of us nude. He breathed out softly, his chest rising and falling and I smiled at him softly.


    I reached out to brush his hair away from his face, absolutely sure now.


    I loved him.

 Chapter 308 : Stay or Go

    <h4>Chapter 308: Chapter 308 : Stay or Go</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Olivia...¡±


    Giovani called out my name, panting as he thrust into me over and over again. His dick swelled, filling me up, and I felt every movement, gasping out as he pounded into me.


    My vision was blurry, but his eyes were glowing under the moonlight, so dark and beautiful like onyxesbined with starlight.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± he called out again.


    I moaned in response, grasping my arms around his shoulders. ¡°Fuck me,¡± I breathed in his ear.


    He smirked down at me, a deep hunger in his eyes as he took me again and again, hitting the spot he knew made me scream. I clenched tightly to him, moaning loudly and not even caring if anyone could hear us, or if someone walked in and saw us. I just needed him.


    ¡°Olivia...¡± he whispered, tickling my ear with his warm breath.


    I frowned in confusion, staring up at him. He wasn¡¯t anywhere near my ears.


    ¡°It¡¯s morning. Wake up.¡±


    The reminder was so startling that my eyes popped open. Deep brown eyes stared at me, amusement dancing in his irises as Giovani slowly came into vision.


    I blinked a few times, confused at what was happening and where I was. His chest was on full disy, but his lower half was hidden underneath the nkets. I was warm and cozy, snuggled into his chest with our legs intertwined together.


    ¡°Have a nice dream?¡± He smirked knowingly.


    I blushed deeply, realizing now what had just happened. What had I said to him?


    ¡°Fuck me,¡± I cursed in Italian, covering my burning face with my hands. I didn¡¯t even realize I had directly paralleled myself.


    ¡°Maybeter.¡±


    He chuckled, and I groaned at the bad joke.


    I blinked in surprise, and then realization hit me all at once¨Cthe memories of him taking me on a date and kissing in the gardens before I had practically forced him into bed with me.


    He¡¯d tried to be a gentleman, but I had been the one totch onto him. I blushed even deeper, the memories of my forcefulnessing back to me. What had I even donest night?


    I didn¡¯t even drink a bit of alcohol, so I couldn¡¯t me it on that. It was all me. I nced around the room, and I paled at the sight of his white shirt practically shredded on the ground. There was no fucking way he could wear that again without people thinking he¡¯d been through awn mower.


    What did I do?


    Giovani didn¡¯t seem to mind one bit as hey next to me, perfectly content. From how entangled we were, his morning wood was pressed directly against my thigh, perfectly proud and not an ounce of shyness to him.


    We didn¡¯t just sleep togetherst night, we slept together.


    ¡°As much as I¡¯m enjoying this,¡± Giovani grinned, happily, ¡°we really do need to go soon, unless you want to tell everyone we were together¨Cor worse, have them see it.¡±


    Panic shot through me, and I nced at the window behind me, paling at the bright sunshineing through the curtains. I leaned up on my hands to see over his head and at the clock.


    ¡°It¡¯s nine in the morning?¡± I gasped. How had it gotten sote already?


    Giovani sat up, grinning like azy cat sunbathing. He was entirely unconcerned even though anyone could¡¯ve walked in and found us like this.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up sooner?¡± I turned to him usingly. I held the nket over my chest, ring at him.


    ¡°Hey, I tried.¡± He shrugged. ¡°You just wouldn¡¯t let me go. You kept clinging to me every time I tried to get up. I¡¯ve been calling for you for like an hour, but you were quite persistent.¡±


    I opened my mouth to respond, but he gave me a hard look and gestured to his back. Around his shoulders were clear indents from nail marks¨Cfresh, by the looks of it. They were very red but not nearly as deep as the ones that had faded fromst night.


    God. I was going to die of shame.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, carino.¡± Giovani gently pulled my face to his, kissing me deeply. It was so much sweeter than normal, and he caressed the side of my cheek with his thumb, humming happily as we pulled away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I liked how feisty you werest night.¡± He smirked, ¡°Remind me to take you on dates more often.¡±


    Iughed, the embarrassment fading away. ¡°Okay, but I really got to go now before anyone sees.¡±


    There was a hint of disappointment in his eyes, but the affection was bigger as he smiled and pecked me on the lips before rolling out of bed. As soon as he turned his back to me, I saw what a number I¡¯d really done on him.


    There were scratches all down his back, indents on his shoulders, and even around his waist. He didn¡¯t seem hurt in the slightest as he pulled on new clothes from his closet, but I nced at my nails, making a note to trim them.


    I got out of bed in a hurry, following him as I picked up my clothing and slipped on my dress. I held my underwear in my palms, not wanting to chance even a momentter that either Tallon or worse, Alessandro, would see me sneaking out of his room.


    That would be a disaster.


    ¡°See youter,¡± I stood on my toes to kiss him, a simple, hurried peck, but the warm feeling it gave me was enough to make it through the day.


    He smiled back, so soft and sweet as I turned away.


    I cracked open the door, checking both sides of the hallway for anyone before I stepped out. I leaned on my toes and quietly hurried down the hallway back to my room.


    Just when I reached the doorknob to my room, I heard a creaking sound and jumped, ncing down the hall.


    There was no one. All the doors were shut still, but I swore I had heard one of the doors open or close. Maybe I was just paranoid, though.


    I shrugged, hurrying into my room and shutting the door behind me before I breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, nobody saw.


    I was getting better at this sneaking around thing, though I wasn¡¯t sure that was something to be proud of.


    I sighed as I sat on the edge of my bed and plugged in my phone. The battery was dead since I forgot to charge itst night. I was a bit busy....


    I coughed, my cheeks hot as I tried to shoo the memories ofst night away. I really had been too much.


    I headed for the bathroom, stripping myself and throwing my clothes into the hamper as I stepped into the shower.


    Without warming the water up, I was shot with freezing cold, and I yelped, standing further back from the water until it slowly warmed. I washed thoroughly while still being as fast as I could. I quickly dressed, brushed my teeth, dried my hair, and did my makeup all before the clock turned 10:00.


    I nced at my phone once I was done, but it had only charged up to thirty percent. However, I did notice I had three missed calls and several text messages unread.


    The texts were from Mom.


    ¡®Call Me.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯ste there, but call me when you can.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m worried, Olivia. Call me.¡¯


    Then it was just a line of random angry faces and steam emojis. There was one text from her husband, my stepfather.


    ¡®Call your mother,¡¯ was all it said.


    I sighed, doing some quick calctions. It was about 1:00 AM where she was, so I didn¡¯t have high hopes that she would answer. But I tried anyway.


    It didn¡¯t even ring before I heard a loud gasp of air on the other line. I winced in preparation as my mother¡¯s voice came in loud and clear. ¡°Where on earth have you been?¡± she shouted in the same tone she used when I had gotten in trouble due to one of Dahlia¡¯s schemes.


    ¡°Sorry, Mom,¡± I started, but she quickly cut me off as she delved into one of her rants.


    ¡°I have been worried sick, and you¡¯re off doing who knows what? I¡¯d expect you to answer a call once in a while from the woman who gave birth to you. Is that too much to ask? I didn¡¯t raise you to be like this, Olivia¨C¡±


    ¡°Mom¨C¡±


    ¡°Especially with what happened to Dahlia. I can¡¯t watch you every second of the day. I fully supported you when you said you wanted to attend a university in Italy. That had been your dream, and who was I to discourage that... but ignoring me for an entire night? That ispletely uneptable¨C¡±


    ¡°Mom¨C¡±


    ¡°What do you have to say for yourself, youngdy? No, I don¡¯t even care what excuses you give me. You have to be responsible for yourself, and that includes answering calls and texts from your poor mother! You¨C¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± I shouted in exasperation.


    She finally fell quiet, only the sound of breath on the other end as I sighed and answered, ¡°My phone died. I was out most of the night and didn¡¯t get back untilte, so I forgot to charge it. I¡¯ll be better at keeping it charged in the future, okay?¡±


    There was silence on the other end so quiet I almost thought she had hung up on me, but I knew my mom better than that.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she finally said, calm again.


    ¡°Now, what did you need?¡± I asked, leaning back on my bed. ¡°Is there an emergency or something?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± she said. ¡°But I wanted to check on how you and Dahlia were doing. She got released from the hospital, right?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± I said. ¡°She seems to be healing up well, but the pain meds they¡¯ve got her on make her tired a lot. Giovani set her up in a room downstairs so she won¡¯t have to climb the stairs and risk opening her stitches.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± Mom sighed. ¡°That Giovani seems like a nice man. I¡¯m d he¡¯s taking such good care of you girls.¡±


    In more ways than one.


    I thinned my lips so I didn¡¯t say anything I would regret. I had to change the subject, fast.


    ¡°Dahlia is scared about attending the university in a few weeks, though,¡± I said, disappointed at the reminder¨Cnot for her, but for myself, mostly.


    I had been so useless at helping her conquer her fear. She¡¯d always been the fearless one between us, and I had been the worrier, but with the roles changed, I didn¡¯t know what to do. I was a failure of a best friend for not even noticing how much this was affecting her.


    I just assumed she¡¯d be okay like she always was.


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Mom said softly. ¡°It¡¯ll take time to recover from what she¡¯s been through. Trauma isn¡¯t easy, but just give her the love and support she¡¯ll need. If you guys want to take a year off school and start next year, that would be okay too. It¡¯ll be difficult to start school when all this is still so fresh in her mind.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I admitted softly. ¡°But this is our dream. I don¡¯t want to just give up on it, and I don¡¯t want Dahlia to give up either. She¡¯s been so excited about this for years, and we¡¯re finally here.¡±


    ¡°Well¨C¡± Mom hesitated.


    I immediately knew what she was going to say.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯d be better if you girls did start next year,¡± she said, not subtle at all in her hints.


    ¡°Mom,¡± I groaned.


    ¡°I want you two toe home. It¡¯s still dangerous over there with those maniacs running around, and you can always go back and start next semester. I don¡¯t want you to rush this and put yourselves in more danger.¡±


    I knew she was right. She was only thinking about us, but I just couldn¡¯t agree.


    ¡°Mom,¡± I told her determinedly, ¡°I know you¡¯re worried, but I¡¯m not leaving. Despite everything that¡¯s happened, I feel like I should stay and see this through.¡±


    My mind was made up.


    Just the thought of leaving Italy made my heart ache... especially the sad brown eyes that woulde with it.


    No, I was going to see this through. No matter what.

 Chapter 309 : Two Can Keep a Secret

    <h4>Chapter 309: Chapter 309 : Two Can Keep a Secret</h4>


    *Giovani*


    After sending Olivia back to her room, I decided to get a head start on my day. I pulled on a pair of dark jeans and a ck shirt, clothes that would keep me from standing out, yet, ones that still made me look good.


    I wasn¡¯t much of a fashion snob, but I had learned over the years that the best way to go unnoticed was to look just clean-cut enough that people thought I was trustworthy, but not so dressed up that they would remember me.


    I looked into the mirror tob my hair. All my life I hadn¡¯t really given a shit about my looks. I had always thought of myself as a tool to be used, first as a body when I was young and needed to fight, then as a brain as I got older and was given more responsibilities.


    But now that I had a beautiful girl like Olivia sneaking into my bed at night, I suddenly found myself taking note of a couple of lines around my eyes and the small gray patches that had worked their way into my stubble before shaving. I knew that what we had transcended looks, but I also knew that she was young and had a lot of life ahead of her.


    I worked hard to maintain my body and stay as physically fit as possible, but what would happen when the gray fully took over my hair, or worse, those lines turned into wrinkles that made their way to ces she¡¯d only see in the bedroom? Would she regret choosing someone so much older?


    A knock on my door broke me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I yelled out, hoping that maybe Olivia hade back by before starting her day.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, I¡¯ve got some news,¡± Alessandro¡¯s smooth voice answered. I was disappointed but not surprised. I knew Olivia was determined to keep everyone from finding out about us. She wouldn¡¯t risk being seening to my room when everyone else was up.


    I pulled open the door to find Alessandro looking exhausted but proud. I hoped that meant he¡¯d have good news for me.


    ¡°Come in, then.¡±


    I shut the door behind him. Although we had carefully vetted every servant who worked in the house, I knew we could never trust thempletely. We paid them well enough that I doubted money would get them to talk, but I had heard enough about Dmitri Zaytsev to know that he didn¡¯t use money to get what he wanted. I made a mental note to ask every parent who worked on thepound where their children went to school. It couldn¡¯t hurt to send a few guards to keep watch over them every so often.


    ¡°Alright, what have you got?¡± I asked Alessandro.


    ¡°We still don¡¯t know exactly where Dmitri stays permanently, but we managed to locate a Russian safe house. It looks like they have about six guys living there now. My team and I have kept eyes on it sincest night. There hasn¡¯t been much movement yet, but I can work it out so that we have someone there around the clock.¡± He was his usual cocky self, but he seemed to be focused on something other than his own gain for once.


    ¡°That¡¯s excellent. Does your team know what Dmitri looks like? If he ever shows up there, I want that bastard dead by any means necessary.¡±


    If Alessandro could y nice, so could I. Maybe it would be possible for us to put everything that had happened between us into the past. I was still pissed that the only reason he had even been looking into any of this was because of a shitty ckmail attempt, but if he could actually be good at the job, maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad.


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. This ce is right downtown. If we go in there, and shots are fired, the police will be called like that,¡± he snapped his fingers to emphasize what he meant. ¡°The only way we could ever infiltrate would be to do it at night when they¡¯re all asleep. It looked like the idiots only had one guard. We could easily take him out quietly and then get in. By the time they knew we were there, they¡¯d all have bullets in their brains.¡±


    His inexperience made him unnecessarily cocky. I knew he hadn¡¯t even considered the fact that they could have guards in hidden locations, but I decided not to call him out right then. This was the most civil conversation we¡¯d manage to have in days. I was determined to keep it that way.


    ¡°If their security is thatx, I doubt Dmitri would ever sleep there. But maybe he¡¯lle by and we could put a trail on him.¡±


    I was frustrated. It felt like every time we made any progress toward getting payback for Dahlia, something held us up. And I had been so distracted by Alessandro¡¯s fucking antics that I hadn¡¯t been able to focus on what really mattered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure my men know what Dmitri looks like,¡± Alessandro said through gritted teeth. ¡°But I already came up with a n. As much as I¡¯d love to kill them all, dead Russians can¡¯t talk. I know you don¡¯t believe me, but I know what I¡¯m doing, and I want to get those bastards as much as you do. Fuck them for ever trying to hurt one of our own. Nobody does that and gets away with it.¡±


    I nodded in response. I may have done a lot of illegal shit in my life, but I would never hurt an innocent person. The Russians had crossed a line the second they chose to get Dahlia involved, and I would personally make sure that everyst one of them regretted it.


    It made me sick to think of what could have happened if we hadn¡¯t managed to get her back. Even worse, they now knew exactly how far we were willing to go to rescue those we loved. What if they found out about me and Olivia? Bile rose in my throat as I imagined the horror of my sweet Olivia being dragged around with a gun pointed at her back. I promised myself that I would never let that happen. Olivia was right; nobody could know about us. If we managed to keep it a secret even from our own people, there was no way the Russians would ever be able to find out.


    ¡°Okay, what¡¯s your n?¡± I asked, refusing to let this devolve into an altercation, even though I could tell that was what he wanted.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep watching them until we know their pattern of life¨Cwhen they leave, when theye back, whoes and goes. You know the drill. Then when the timees, we¡¯ll storm the building at night like I said. We won¡¯t kill them. We¡¯ll just incapacitate them and drag them all to our warehouse where we can interrogate them.¡±


    The bloodlust in his eyes was concerning, but I understood how he felt. I just hoped he wouldn¡¯t allow his need for revenge to make him sloppy. A good interrogation required more than just anger. He would also need to keep his wits about him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll oversee the interrogation,¡± I said, knowing it wasn¡¯t what he wanted to hear.


    ¡°Fuck that! I¡¯m the one doing all the work. You don¡¯t get toe in at the end and take over.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you do the interrogating then, but I will be there,¡± I said in a dangerous tone of voice.


    He shut his mouth, his eyes swimming with fury.


    I had been tolerant of his disrespect because I wanted to cate him and get him to think that I really did trust him, but enough was enough. It was one thing for him to get in my way inside thepound, it was another thing entirely for him to fuck up outside business. He was going to have to learn topartmentalize if he was going to force his way in.


    ¡°Thank you for everything, Alessandro,¡± I said sincerely, trying to smooth things over.


    He was still an annoying prick, but this morning he had proven that he was more than just a guy who liked to run his mouth. I started to wonder if maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to let him be the next in line. At least then I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about any future kids that Olivia and I might have getting caught up in the business.


    I felt my heart pound a little faster at the idea of Olivia carrying my babies. As beautiful as she was now, I couldn¡¯t imagine how much more beautiful she might be as her belly rounded with my child. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Thest thing I wanted was for Alessandro to see me getting googly eyed over the idea of hypothetical children with a woman I had just started seeing.


    I cleared my throat, then continued, ¡°Seriously, I¡¯m impressed with everything you¡¯ve done. I really appreciate that even with all our differences, you¡¯ve been able to put that shit aside and get some real work done. This is what it means to be a part of this. We might not get along or even like each other, but at the end of the day, we have to have each other¡¯s backs. That¡¯s the only way we¡¯ll ever manage to be sessful.¡±


    He nodded, a strange look in his eyes. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t as willing to forgive and forget as I was, which was bullshit considering I had been on the receiving end of his little ckmail attempts. I had to remind myself that he was still young. I had been a hothead at that age too. Of course, I had never been stupid enough to try to ckmail my own goddamn cousin, but I also hadn¡¯t been the son of the Don like he had. Maybe knowing that his dad had once been in charge had given him an idiotic sense of bravery. It definitely had given him a sense of entitlement.


    He was just lucky that my temper was nothing like it used to be. I had been pretty liberal with my pocket knife in the old days, and I suspected that he enjoyed having all ten fingers. Now I was mostly unbothered by his blustering as long as he kept Olivia out of it. I knew that a lot of his greed and shitty behavior came from a sense of insecurity. He wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d be able to live up to James¡¯s legacy, and to be frank, neither was I. But I was willing to give him a chance, especially now that he had proven that he did have at least half a brain in his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re free to go. Your n is fine, but make sure you scope out not just the house but the entire neighborhood. Just because you saw only one guard doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t have snipers posted up on some of the neighboring rooftops. As much as you annoy me, I¡¯d hate to send you and your men out just for you all to get killed.¡±


    He started to turn, then his shoulders tensed up. I wondered if I had gone too far. We seemed to have reached some kind of truce, but maybe I had fucked it up by joking about his death. Sometimes I forgot that he hadn¡¯t grown up in this world the way I had. Joking about death was just a way to cope with the fact that a lot of us did die prematurely. In this line of work, we couldn¡¯t afford to be scared of ourselves or our buddies dying, because letting that fear creep in would cause mistakes to be made.


    Although as I fell more and more in love with Olivia, I had noticed that fear creeping its way into my heart.


    I leaned over and opened the door for Alessandro, but Instead of leaving like I had expected, he turned back to me and squared his shoulders. I rolled my eyes and prepared for another fight about how he should be in charge, but what he said next, I never would have expected.


    ¡°So... about you and Olivia.¡±

 Chapter 310 : Blackmail

    <h4>Chapter 310: Chapter 310 : ckmail</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I kept my face as nk as possible as Alessandro stared me down.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I thought we were past this bullshit.¡±


    ¡°You know exactly what I¡¯m talking about. You think of me like I¡¯m just some stupid kid, but I¡¯m not. I¡¯m going to prove to you just how dangerous I am.¡±


    I felt my jaw clench as anger coursed through me at his disrespect. This was it. I was finally going to beat the shit out of this idiot. I expected to see fear on his face as I stepped toward him, but all he did was look at me with his stupid cocky-ass grin and pull his phone out of his pocket. I was two seconds from grabbing him by the cor when he shoved his phone in my face, and then I knew exactly why he was so sure this time.


    There on the screen was a picture of me with one hand on Olivia¡¯s ass and the other tangled in her hair. It was slightly blurry, but it was obvious that we were locked in the type of kiss that promised a lot more would happen when we got home.


    Shit.


    He had finally managed to get real proof. I felt my face go pale, but I refused to let the little shit win. Instead of immediately bowing to his wants, I turned away from him and took a deep breath while walking toward my mini-bar.


    I could practically feel the fury rolling off him as I kept my back turned. He hadn¡¯t expected it to go down like this. I wondered what he had expected. Surely he hadn¡¯t thought I would just cower and give him whatever he wanted? I was the fucking Don of a ¡°family business¡± so feared that even the Russians didn¡¯t dare confront us in broad daylight. They had resorted to kidnapping an innocent college girl rather than deal with us head-on.


    No, Alessandro was sorely mistaken if he thought he could control me, especially now that it was obvious that some way or another, Olivia and I were going to have to tell people about us. I continued to make Alessandro wait by slowly pouring myself a ss of American whiskey, then carefully cing two ice cubes inside.


    ¡°You know, they say the best way to drink whiskey is straight, but I think adding two cubes makes it go down so much smoother.¡±


    I was just taunting him at this point; refusing to turn around and acknowledge his proof. I took a long sip of my drink, grimacing slightly at the taste. No matter how much ice I put in, American whiskey never went down quite as smooth as I expected. Finally, I turned back to Alessandro.


    ¡°So what exactly do you want? You realize the only reason I¡¯ve even given you the position you have now was because I wanted you to leave me and Olivia alone.¡±


    Looking at his smug grin, I wanted nothing more than to reach out and grab him by the throat. But I knew this was a delicate situation. If I could cate him just enough to convince him to keep his mouth shut, maybe I could get Olivia to be morefortable with the idea of people knowing about us before it became necessary to tell everyone else in thepound.


    ¡°You know exactly what the fuck I want,¡± he said, his muscles bulging with his pent-up anger. ¡°I want more power. Make me your second inmand. And then when the timees, move the fuck over so I can be Don. And since I¡¯ve got a lot of reasons to show this picture to Dahlia and hardly any reason not to, I want some money too. You know how hard it is for me to lie to family,¡± he said thest bit with a sarcastic sneer.


    ¡°Alessandro,¡± I tried to say calmly, even though my body was screaming for a fight, ¡°surely you realize that I¡¯ve given you as much power as I can without putting us at risk. You¡¯re inexperienced as hell.¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± His face was red with rage. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about me or my experience. Just shut the fuck up and give me something permanent, or else I leave this room and immediately go find Dahlia. I know Olivia would never forgive you for destroying her rtionship with her best friend.¡±


    He was more unhinged than I had initially realized. Anyone this willing to tantly ckmail me had lost their sense of self-preservation. The second I had a chance, I would get my revenge on this whiny little punk. But now was not the time. For now, I needed to y it cool. I just needed to be able to talk to Olivia before he left this room and started running his mouth.


    ¡°Alright, fine. I¡¯ll do some thinking, and I¡¯ll find a permanent position for you, something that people will respect.¡±


    ¡°And the money?¡±


    I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. He sounded like a spoiled, whiny child. I knew that James would be ashamed of him for acting like this. He was out of control.


    ¡°Are you that strapped for cash? Fine. I¡¯ll make sure an extra few thousand a month finds its way into your ount. Happy?¡±


    He looked slightly deted, like he wasn¡¯t sure exactly what to do with himself now that his demands had been mostly met. This was the exact type of inexperience that I meant, but he wasn¡¯t self-aware enough to realize that. He really thought that he could handle interrogating the Russians on his own? He couldn¡¯t even sessfully ckmail his own cousin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m just going to walk away and forget about this,¡± he managed to choke out.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± I said ndly and opened the door for him.


    I knew the calmer I behaved, the more furious he would be. He expected me to fly off the handle, and although I wanted to for sure, I wouldn¡¯t give him the satisfaction. At the end of the day, he did have something he could hold over my head. Now I realized that it was all this was ever about. Ever since he had confronted me about his ¡°right¡± to be the Don, I should have known that he would stop at nothing to try to force his way in, even if that meant using his own cousin and the woman he supposedly cared about as cannon fodder.


    He stormed out of my room, and I shut the door quietly behind him. As much as I wanted to continue to y it cool, I was five seconds away from totally losing my shit. I turned back to the drink in my hand and downed the rest of it in one gulp. How the fuck was I going to break this news to Olivia? The one thing she had asked from me was to keep our rtionship a secret, and now I was going to have to tell her that I had failed her. And the worst part was I had a full day of work ahead of me, so there was no chance I could talk with her untilte that night. I didn¡¯t know how I would possibly be able to focus knowing that at any moment, Alessandro might decide to loop her in on his little ckmail plot.


    I checked my watch and noted I needed to be in the meeting room in fifteen minutes. It only took five minutes to walk over there. I decided to pour just one more drink. That would help keep me from strangling the first person who looked at me wrong.


    ***


    *Olivia*


    It had been a long day of spending time with Dahlia, and as much as I was so d to have her back, I was looking forward to having a little alone time before bed. I had never kept something from Dahlia before, but now that I had such a big secret, every time we were together it was exhausting. I always had to be thinking on my toes to make sure I didn¡¯t let something slip.


    Sometimes I almost wanted to just tell her about Giovani, but then I remembered that she didn¡¯t see him the way I did. To her, he was an older man who could never be anything more than a great protector. She would never understand how I could even want to be with someone his age, and I was sure she would hate me for it. At first I had been terrified that what I had with Giovani would affect my mom¡¯s job, but now I realized that my fear extended to myself as well. What if Dahlia insisted that I go back to the States? My heart broke at the thought of never seeing Gio again. What we had was so much more than just some Italian fling.


    I shed my clothes and rummaged through my drawer for some pajamas. At first I pulled out some old sweatpants that I¡¯d had since high school, but then I thought about the fact that Gio mighte visit me tonight. He was so much more experienced than I was. Thest thing I wanted was for him to see me in a pair of sweats that said ¡®senior¡¯ across the butt.


    I shoved the sweatpants to the back of my drawer and instead pulled out a littlecy nightie that I had found while shopping with Dahlia not long beforeing here. Initially, I hadn¡¯t nned on buying it, but it had been Dahlia who encouraged me, saying, ¡°When else are you going to have the chance to sleep with so many Italian men?¡± I chuckled to myself at the memory. If only she had known which Italian man I would be sleeping with, she probably wouldn¡¯t have pushed me so hard.


    I pulled the nightie on and stared at myself in the mirror. It framed my breasts in ckce and my nipples clearly peaked through the sheer fabric. It fell just below my hips, just barely covering me up. When I turned around, I could see that my ass was basically fully out.


    The thought of Gio seeing me in this was enough to make butterflies flutter in my stomach and elsewhere. I wondered if he would rip it off of me, or if he would rather I leave it on while he fucked me. I felt my face flush as I heard a quiet knock at my door. I felt like I had summoned Giovani with my dirty thoughts.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I called, just loudly enough that he could hear me.


    He was looking away from me as he came in, then shut the door quietly behind him. When he turned around, I expected to see his eyes immediately ze over with lust. I was fully prepared for him to damn near attack me.


    I wasn¡¯t at all prepared to see his face looking pale and serious. Suddenly, I felt ashamed for assuming that he would want to just have sex with me. I crossed my arms in a pathetic attempt to cover myself.


    At my movement, he seemed to register that I was damn near naked. He swallowed loudly and looked me up and down. His eyes lingered on my chest, hungrily taking in what I had on disy. He seemed to shake his head slightly, as if to clear it.


    ¡°Um, wow, you look... amazing,¡± he mumbled, seemingly at a loss for words.


    ¡°Thanks, is¨Cis something wrong? Did I do something wrong?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but feel like he hade here to scold me or something. I hated how meek I sounded, but the thought of him being angry with me made me want to curl up and cry.


    ¡°What? No, baby, you could never do anything wrong.¡± He rushed over to me and gathered me in his arms. My nearly naked breasts were pressed against him, but he ignored them so that he couldfort me.


    I immediately felt better.


    ¡®This is why I love this man,¡¯ I thought to myself. ¡®He knows exactly what I need.¡¯


    I let myself fall limp against him, just taking in his scent and warmth. I knew he was strong, but I still marveled at his biceps and forearms as they pressed against me. This wasn¡¯t a man who just cared about looking strong. He had the type of strength that came from a lifetime of hard work.


    Finally, I dared to look up into his eyes. He stared down at me, seemingly waiting for me to let him know that I was okay. Although I could still see concern in his eyes, the tight lines around his mouth had rxed a bit. I knew that this embrace was helping him as much as it was helping me.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, my voice stronger now that I knew it wasn¡¯t because of me that he hade in so upset.


    He took a deep breath, and I felt truly scared. This must be bad if he was so reluctant to tell me.


    ¡°Alessandro has a picture of us together. It... doesn¡¯t make us look like we¡¯re just friends.¡±


    I wanted to throw up. We had worked so hard to keep this a secret. How was it possible that Alessandro had found out? My fear turned to rage. How dare Alessandro do this! How dare he mess with us like this!


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this!¡± I shouted, realizing I had been too loud when Giovani leaned away from me slightly. ¡°I hate him.¡±


    ¡°I know. I do too.¡± He rubbed small circles on my back while I processed what this meant for us.


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll really make this a problem?¡± I asked, hoping that maybe Alessandro was just bluffing.


    Giovani looked away for a moment, seeming to think through what he wanted to say. He looked back to me, then leaned down to kiss me gently on the cheek.


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± he said sadly. ¡°Maybe not right now, but sooner orter, Alessandro is going to use this to get what he wants. And what he wants is nothing less than total control.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think of what else to say, I simply nodded and then copsed back into his arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, my sweet Olivia,¡± he murmured into my ear while his hands rubbed up and down my back. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t want this.¡±


    After a while, he pulled away. As much as I wanted to cry, I knew I needed to hold it in until he left. I could tell he already felt horrible about this, and watching me devolve into tears would only make him feel worse. I was determined not to let that happen. I had to be strong for him.


    ¡°We will figure this out together, baby. Don¡¯t let it worry you too much,¡± he said.


    He gave me onest kiss and then left as quietly as he hade in. I turned to look at myself in the mirror. So much for wearing sexy pajamas. I ripped the nightie off and threw it across the room. Fuck Alessandro and his selfish behavior. I was so frustrated I just wanted to scream.


    I yanked my sweatpants back out of the drawer, grabbing a T-shirt, and pulled them on before flinging myself across the bed. I didn¡¯t know how I would possibly manage to sleep, but I had to at least try. I wished now more than ever that I could ask Dahlia for advice. She had always been the one that I turned to when I didn¡¯t know what to do, but in this issue, I was totally alone.


    And with that thought, the tears that I had been hiding from Gio finally began to fall.

 Chapter 311 : Friend or Foe?

    <h4>Chapter 311: Chapter 311 : Friend or Foe?</h4>


    *Olivia*


    The tears just kepting as I thought about everything that was going to be taken away from me. Dahlia, Giovani, going to the university in Italy¨CI was going to lose all of it, and it was all my fault. I had told Gio that we needed to be a secret, but I hadn¡¯t worked nearly hard enough to hide what we were.


    Why the fuck had we thought going on a date would be okay? I felt like such an idiot. My mom was going to be so disappointed in me. And worst of all, I was realizing that Gio was so much more than just a fun fling. I was in love with him. I wanted a future with him. This would all be so much easier if I could just end it, but I couldn¡¯t.


    Finally, the sobs that had been shaking my entire body began to subside. I took a deep breath and wiped my face. I could feel that my eyes were swollen from the crying, but at least the tears weren¡¯t actively falling anymore. I decided that maybe a cup of tea would help calm me enough to fall asleep.


    As I made my way toward the kitchen, I saw that the light was already on. I weighed my options, thinking maybe I should just go back to my room. It was most likely one of the housekeepers just tidying up for the night, and I decided that the warm cup of tea would be worth having to make small talk. I started to look forward to getting the chance to practice my Italian, when I turned the corner and realized that I had been very, very wrong.


    Instead of one of the sweet house staff, I was met with the sight of a somewhat disheveled Alessandro sitting at the kitchen ind. A half-drank cup of amber liquor was in his hand; it was obvious that this hadn¡¯t been his first ss as he went to set the ss down just a little too hard and a harsh clinking noise resounded through the room.


    He was the absolutest person I wanted to see right now, not only because of what he had done, but also because I knew I still had red rings around my eyes from crying. He would clock them from a mile away and know that I knew what he had done.


    I realized that I had paused in the doorway for just a moment too long when he raised an eyebrow at me. I decided to y it cool and hope that he was too drunk to notice that I had been crying. Maybe if I was quick enough, I could just get my tea and get back to my room before he even really registered that I was here.


    ¡°I¡¯m d she¡¯s back,¡± he slurred.


    Internally I sighed. It looked like I wasn¡¯t going to be able to make the quick getaway that I had been hoping for, and it sounded like he was the type of drunk where all he wanted to do was drag up bad memories.


    ¡°Me too,¡± I responded quietly and walked over to the kettle, cursing under my breath to find that it hadn¡¯t been filled with water. This little tea excursion was proving to be my worst decision of the entire evening.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to fuck those Russians up. They¡¯ll know you don¡¯t ever touch MY family,¡± he thumped his chest proudly, then stood up. ¡°I protect my family!¡±


    I backed away slightly, just enough to put some space between us but not enough that he would notice. I tried to discern exactly how drunk he was. If he was just past buzzed, I would need to stay and chat with him, but if he was damn near ckout drunk, I could slip away once my tea was done, and he wouldn¡¯t even remember that I had been here.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m angry too,¡± I said catingly.


    It was obvious he just wanted to talk about Dahlia right now, and I could do that. I was just as upset and shocked as he was when she had been taken. When she was gone, it had been impossible to think about anything more than how to get her back safely.


    Now that she was back, I knew exactly how he felt. It was a strangebination of relief and fury¨Crelief that she was safe, but fury that they had hurt her. I knew everyone in the wholepound was thirsty for some kind of revenge. Dahlia was well-loved.


    ¡°She could have died, Olivia.¡± His voice cracked on my name as the emotion overtook him.


    He sat back down and took a long drink from his ss. I turned away from him to fill the kettle and plug it in, then waited for it to heat the water. I wasn¡¯t going to wait for it to get as hot as it should. I could deal with lukewarm tea if it meant I could get back to my room faster.


    Still avoiding Alessandro¡¯s gaze, I wandered over to get my favorite tea cup from the shelf. I could feel him staring at me, but I did my best to ignore him. The less chance I gave him to get a good look at my face, the better.


    ¡°The important thing is that she¡¯s back now, Alessandro,¡± I told him in asforting a voice as I could muster. ¡°She¡¯s back, and she won¡¯t ever be in danger again.¡±


    ¡°You got that right,¡± he said darkly.


    I didn¡¯t think I wanted to know exactly what he meant. It hadn¡¯t been that long ago that I had no idea how Dahlia¡¯s family had made their money, and although I wasfortable with what Giovani did, I preferred to be left out of the more gruesome details.


    Finally, the water was warmed past the point of room temperature. I poured it into my cup, then added one of my favorite teas to it. The aroma was calming, even with Alessandro¡¯s unsettling presence.


    Although I wanted to just take my tea and run, I decided that I wouldn¡¯t give him that satisfaction. He was obviously pretending like he hadn¡¯t just threatened Giovani, so I would act like Giovani hadn¡¯t told me everything. It was an ufortable chess game that I felt like I was finally learning how to y. Holding my cup between my hands, I settled into the seat next to Alessandro. If he noticed the puffiness around my eyes, he didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re doing a lot of work to get revenge,¡± I said. ¡°But let¡¯s just focus on the here and now. Dahlia¡¯s safe. She¡¯s back with us. And I¡¯m doing my damndest to make sure that what those monsters did to her doesn¡¯t leave any permanent damage.¡±


    ¡°I know, Olivia. I¡¯m d she has you here,¡± he responded, finally sounding a bit more normal. ¡°I know you being here is what¡¯s helped her the most.¡±


    It warmed my heart to hear him say that. We had our differences, but at least we could both agree that we loved Dahlia. At that moment, I almost thought about bringing up the ckmail to see if I could convince him to just delete the picture, but something inside me told me it wasn¡¯t the right time, not while he was drunk and still slightly vtile.


    Instead, we continued to talk about Dahlia and how we were going to help ensure she had a great time over these next several months. Before I knew it, my tea was gone, and I could finally head back to my room. I found that our discussion had helped ease my heart more than the tea had.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve got to get to bed,¡± I told him and got up to put my tea cup away. ¡°It¡¯s been nice talking to you.¡±


    As I walked past, he grabbed my arm... not ungently, but still with some urgency. I froze, my heart speeding up. It suddenly urred to me that it was veryte at night, and everyone else was probably asleep.


    ¡°Olivia, have you ever thought of me as more than just Dahlia¡¯s brother?¡± he asked quietly. There was something like hope shining in his drunken eyes.


    ¡°You know I haven¡¯t, Alessandro,¡± I responded firmly, yanking my arm from his grasp. We¡¯d been over this. Had he forgotten in his drunken stupor? I was relieved when he let me go and took a step backward to keep him from grabbing me again.


    He grinned, but it wasn¡¯t a sweet grin. There was a mean glint to his smile that made my already thudding heart go even faster. He stood up, and I continued to back away. I desperately wished that Giovani would somehow appear around the corner.


    ¡°Aw,e on, baby. You aren¡¯t even a little bit curious about what I¡¯ve got going on under here?¡± He tugged at the waistband of his pants, and my throat went dry.


    I backed up further and felt the counter behind me digging into my back. What could he possibly want from me? Surely he wasn¡¯t going to force himself on me. That would be suicide. He had to know that if he ever did something like that, Giovani would hunt him down and kill him.


    The thought of Gio caused something inside me to snap. The fear that had been gathering in my chest suddenly switched to anger. How fucking dare he try toe onto me after trying to destroy me and Giovani?!


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been less curious about anything in my entire life,¡± I told him, the rage in my chest making my voice cold and heartless.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t get why you¡¯d want to be with a washed-up old man when you could get with me. He¡¯s a fucking skeleton, a pile of dust. And I¡¯m gonna be the one that pushes his old ass out the door and takes over. Why wouldn¡¯t you want to be at my side when that happens?¡±


    His ridiculous statements hit me exactly as hard as he meant them to, and I saw red. My fists involuntarily clenched at my sides as a burning fury ripped its way through my body. I wanted to pummel him, but I knew that wouldn¡¯t get me anywhere. Before I could think too much, I pushed past him and rushed back to my room, shoulder-checking him on the way.


    When I was finally safe in my warm bed, I could think of nothing other than what I was going to do. Alessandro had created a disaster, and now I was going to have to figure out a way to mitigate the damage.


    One thing I knew for sure. I would never be stupid enough to trust him again.

 Chapter 312 : Irreplacable Memories

    <h4>Chapter 312: Chapter 312 : Irrecable Memories</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I didn¡¯t sleep well at all. I kept tossing and turning, weird dreams waking me in the oddest of moments as my heavy thoughts gued me like a bad aftertaste. I woke upte for the second morning in a row, and I was not happy about it.


    Really, I just wanted to go back to bed and bury my face in my pillow for a good few hours, but I didn¡¯t have the heart. Despite all the drama with Alessandro and Giovani, Dahlia was still my best friend, and she still needed me.


    Plus, Tallon was there too.


    I suppressed a yawn with the back of my hand as I climbed down the stairs and headed straight for the kitchen. I could hear shuffling across the floors, and I rubbed the sleep from my eyes.


    I halted in my tracks right in the middle of the entrance, blinking in surprise a few times before my eyes connected back to my brain. The foggy signals cleared up, and I realized there were only two people in the kitchen.


    Dahlia sat at the ind, drinking a ss of what looked like orange juice through a swirly straw. She grinned as she spotted me, waving me over, and I nced at the maid who had taken over cooking duty.


    It was an older woman, one I hadn¡¯t seen before, and she hummed in a very thick ent as she fluttered around the kitchen. She was multi-tasking like she had been on one of those master cooking shows we used to watch.


    I was in sheer awe of her ability to flip a pancake and scramble some eggs at the same time.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I whispered to Dahlia, a bit dazed.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Dahlia nced at the unknown woman and then smiled. ¡°That¡¯s Maria. Mom and Dad sent her to take care of me since I am now apparently a crippled woman.¡±


    She rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her orange juice.


    ¡°Does she need any help?¡± I asked with a frown.


    She looked awfully busy as she went back and forth between the hot sizzling pans, cooking up varying dishes in a sh.


    ¡°I doubt it.¡± Dahlia shrugged. ¡°I tried to touch a pan, and she acted as if I had sworn at a nun. Plus, I don¡¯t think she speaks English... or Italian.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? Then what does she speak?¡± I asked just as Maria turned to the two of us with a huge smile and carried a te packed to the brim with food¨Cpancakes and scrambled eggs and bacon and sausage and every piece of breakfast food you could ever want.


    My eyes widened as I spotted the homemade donuts she¡¯d stuck on the side.


    ¡°Ah, Olivia, si?¡± Maria grinned, but that was the only thing I understood as she began to ramble on in Spanish. She grabbed my face, turning it this way and that as she scoffed, then grabbed one of the donuts and stuck it into my mouth.


    I could only bite down on it, stunned as she turned around, still firing off rapid Spanish. Dahlia sent me an amused grin as I chewed silently on the donut.


    It was really fucking delicious.


    A tended in front of me, and Maria winked at me as she put a silver fork in my hand and patted my head with a ¡°Vamanos.¡±


    And then she was gone, humming as she walked straight out of the door. The kitchen fell into silence, and I stared at Dahlia, who only stared back. Her eyes were dancing with mirth as she waited for my brain to catch up.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± I asked, bewildered.


    ¡°I believe,¡± Dahlia chuckled, ¡°that she told you to eat because you¡¯re too skinny, but my Spanish is a bit rusty, so I could be wrong.¡±


    I nced down at my stomach, a bit worried now. Was I really that skinny? I poked at my arms, finding not even a hint of muscle there.


    Well, damn. She was right.


    ¡°Where is everybody else?¡± I asked as I dug into the pile of scrambled eggs on my te. They looked cheesy and so delicious as I stuck them in my mouth. I moaned in happiness at the taste, shutting my eyes in sheer bliss at the taste.


    I¡¯d had some good food... but Jesus, this was some really good food.


    ¡°Is she a goddess?¡± I asked, only half-joking as I shoveled another bite of the cheesy, scrambled goodness into my mouth.


    ¡°No clue,¡± Dahlia said as she took a bite of the pancakes, which I noticed with delight were buttermilk blueberry. She smiled, looking just as pleased as I was.


    ¡°Hey, Maria!¡± Dahlia called out.


    It had to only be a few seconds, before Maria stuck her head back in, beaming as she held a basket ofundry in her hands. I noticed with a growing smirk that they were varying colors of panties and bras¨Cmatching sets to be precise.


    Dahlia said something in Spanish, and I was beginning to regret taking French over Spanish when Maria happily answered.


    ¡°Apparently they all left this morning¨Csome kind of business to take care of,¡± Dahlia tranted for me.


    Maria pointed to the food, speaking rapidly again, and Dahlia grinned, nodding her head. Mariaughed happily, turning on her heel to walk away.


    ¡°Did you tell her the food was delicious?¡± I smiled.


    ¡°I told her it tasted like crack cocaine,¡± Dahlia winked at me.


    ¡°No lie, though,¡± I nodded as I stuffed another forkful into my face.


    After breakfast, in which we both cleaned our tes, Dahlia invited me to go sit out in the garden with some cocktails. Hours ofying in the hot summer sun were just what we needed.


    Maria was quick to provide, and her cocktails were just as amazing as her food.


    ¡°I could get used to this,¡± I sighed, lounging in one of the beach chairs as I sipped on the frozen daiquiri Maria had made. There was nothing like the refreshing feeling of the ice in your mouth, the alcohol buzz in your brain, and the sun on your skin. I didn¡¯t care if it was still morning. It was five o¡¯clock somewhere.


    I hadn¡¯t realized how used to luxury I had be, but I was slowly getting ustomed to it, though I would never take any of it for granted. I knew how to appreciate it without bing greedy for more.


    ¡°Hey, Olive,¡± Dahlia called out quietly. She twirled her straw in the fruity sangria, a pondering look on her face as she stared up at the sky. I couldn¡¯t see her eyes behind the dark shades she wore, so I could only guess her feelings.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What did you think this summer was going to be like? I mean before we got here,¡± Dahlia said softly. ¡°I mean, nothing¡¯s really gone how I imagined it. Because of me, you¡¯re stuck in the house and not out making memories in Florence. It just sucks, you know?¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Olive.¡±


    I frowned. I set down my drink, staring up at the beautiful clear blue sky above us. I shut my eyes, relishing in the warmth of the hot sun and the coolness of the summer breeze.


    Sorry, she said.


    ¡°When we first arrived....¡± I started, thinking back to the moment we¡¯dnded on Italian soil, so excited and ready for adventure. We¡¯d wanted to fit in so badly and have the time of our lives.


    ¡°I thought we¡¯d get a summer tan,¡± I told her, smiling as I nced at my toes. They finally didn¡¯t have any tan lines, and the pasty pale I used to have had vanished.


    ¡°Check,¡± Dahliaughed.


    ¡°I figured you¡¯d hook up with some guy,¡± I smirked, remembering how Lorenzo had run her down with a moped. I still wondered what happened to him and to Adrian as well.


    ¡°Double check,¡± Dahlia wiggled her eyebrows, and Iughed, thinking back.


    ¡°I thought we¡¯d go see the Piazza and try the pasta, and especially the pizza,¡± I told her, smiling. ¡°I wanted to see the statue of David and hit a few museums too.¡±


    ¡°Check, check, check and not-check cause museums? Really, Olive?¡± She rolled her eyes, sipping on her drink.


    Iughed, my chest swollen with the happiness I was experiencing now. I would cherish every single memory I had made on this trip for years. Even when I was old and gray, I would still tell everyone who would listen about the trip to Florence that my best friend, Dahlia, and I had made... down to the pizza and tans, the drinks and the flirty boys, even the kidnapping and the worst twenty-four hours of my life as I wondered if my best friend was dead or not, and of course, meeting Giovani and all the moments I¡¯d spent with him.


    They were all irreceable to me.


    And all of it was only made possible because of Dahlia.


    ¡°Dolly.¡± I smiled assuredly at my best friend, wanting her to know how much I loved her. ¡°All I wanted was to spend this summer with you. I¡¯d rather be here with you than anywhere else in the world.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see her eyes behind her sses, but I saw the wobble of her bottom lip and the way she clenched her drink tightly in her hands.


    ¡°Sap,¡± she called out, her voice wavering the tiniest bit.


    ¡°That I am,¡± I said cheekily, leaning back in my chair. Giovani had to be rubbing off on me.


    Speaking of Giovani...


    ¡°What do you think Giovani and Alessandro are doing?¡± I asked her. ¡°Do you think it has to do with the Russian guys who kidnapped you?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Dahlia said, unconcerned andpletely confident. ¡°They can¡¯t be naive. They¡¯ve lost people before, and with Gio and Alex getting closer, they¡¯re probably sweating bullets by now. I hope they make them suffer before killing them, personally.¡±


    I grimaced, sending her a worried look at the morbid thought. She was more ruthless than I realized, though it shouldn¡¯t have surprised me, considering who she was rted to.


    She was more like Alessandro, and her dad than she would have wanted to admit.


    Dahlia finished off her cocktail and raised her arms above her head to stretch them. I heard a pop, and she sighed.


    ¡°Can we go in and get some lunch? I¡¯m fucking starving,¡± Dahlia grinned.


    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Iughed, getting to my feet. ¡°I¡¯d like a sandwich.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Quesadi, please,¡± Dahlia grinned.


    ¡°For thest time, Dolly,¡± I huffed as we entered the kitchen, ¡°a quesadi is not a type of sandwich.¡±


    ¡°Says you.¡±


    ¡°Saysmon sense!¡± I threw my hands in the air.


    But just as the two of us sat down at the ind, a loud m came from the front door, and noisy boots on the floor came thundering into the room.


    Giovani stormed in, a dark look on his face. Right on his heels was Gabriele, who looked just as angry. It was like they brought in a dark cloud with them that covered the entire room.


    Both of them looked ready tomit murder.

 Chapter 313 : Daiquiris in the Bath

    <h4>Chapter 313: Chapter 313 : Daiquiris in the Bath</h4>


    *Olivia*


    My mom used to tell me that silence spoke louder than words. With how quiet I was as a child, I¡¯m sure she meant it to cheer me up, but as I grew up, I knew she meant something else entirely.


    It was moments like these, when Giovani stood in the middle of the kitchen, looking like he¡¯d take off a few heads if anyone said a single word, that I understood what she meant.


    Dahlia and I stared at them in silence, while Giovani failed to even notice I was there as he stormed straight for the fridge. He pulled out a beer and an ice pack, turning on his heel without a single word.


    Gabriele stared at him, impassively, not even bothering to stop him as the two turned to leave.


    But of course, I could never leave it like that. I should¡¯ve taken my mother¡¯s advice¨Cread the room¨Cand let Giovani cool down before trying to speak to him.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    I always was one to meddle.


    ¡°Giovani,¡± I got to my feet, reaching my hand out.


    He paused in his steps, not even looking back at me as he breathed in and out rather heavily like he was suppressing something he couldn¡¯t talk about.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    He whirled on his feet, his poisonous re leveled at me, and I flinched, stepping back at the anger I found there. I¡¯d never seen him so furious, and certainly never before directed at me.


    He¡¯d always been calm and patient, but now he was like a tiger who¡¯d been released from his cage, and I was only in the middle of his warpath.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fucking not, Olivia,¡± he snapped, mming the beer on the ind with enough force to shatter it.


    I winced as the bottle cracked, the fizz of the drink spilling over his hand, but he didn¡¯t even seem to notice or care.


    ¡°I was just¨C¡± I frowned, concerned and a bit taken aback by his attitude. No matter how angry he was, it wasn¡¯t fair to take it out on me just because I was here. But I still hadn¡¯t learned to keep my mouth shut.


    ¡°Everything is not okay because we got attacked, and five of my men are fucking dead, and the bastards who did it got away,¡± Giovani growled, abandoning the broken bottle of beer as he gripped the ice pack in his hands. He stepped closer to me, our eyes meeting in a whirlwind of confusion and fury.


    ¡°But that¡¯s none of your fucking concern,¡± he spat out.


    My heart dropped to my feet, and I stepped back as I retreated into the little shell I had only just broken myself from. All emotions tucked tightly away in a box, I hid everything that made my chest ache and showed nothing.


    All the bitingments were buried, and I solemnly nodded, stepping away from Giovani. I saw the anger in his eyes waver, something else trying to break through, but I was too wounded to care.


    Soon, it was gone, reced by the heat of his anger, and he turned on his heel and stormed out of the kitchen. Gabriele nced at us before following soon after.


    I slid back into my seat, a little numb as I stared at my fingers on the table. Dahlia got to her feet, an outraged expression on her face.


    ¡°Hey! I get you¡¯re angry, but that was incredibly rude to someone who was just worried about you! Go cool down, you asshole,¡± Dahlia screamed after him.


    We both heard the m of the door upstairs, and I knew he had heard her.


    Dahlia sighed before sliding into the seat next to me. ¡°Hey.¡± She bumped my shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart. He was being an idiot, and that was totally uncalled for.¡±


    I nodded obediently, sending her a small smile as I pretended like everything was fine. Denial was a strong drug, and I had been addicted for a long, long time.


    Maria made us lunch, a sandwich for me and a quesadi for Dahlia. We argued about the ssification of a sandwich and whether a quesadi was one before moving on to hot dogs and even whether buttered toast could be a form of an open-faced sandwich.


    It helped to distract me from the hurt that still lingered under my skin, a way to keep my mind off of the ringing words he¡¯d spat at me and more on things that in the end, didn¡¯t really matter.


    But after lunch, Dahlia¡¯s energy began to run out, and the pain medication she was on began to kick in.


    ¡°I feel like I ran a marathon,¡± Dahlia sighed, holding her head up in her hand. ¡°I hate how tired I get now. These pills are awesome at dulling the pain but awful at keeping me awake.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not supposed to keep you awake,¡± I told her, smiling. ¡°You¡¯ll heal better the longer you rest.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯ll be so much better once I get this off,¡± she said as she raised the cast on her wrist with a huff and then gestured to her stomach, ¡°and these stitches out.¡±


    ¡°In the meantime, I think you need a nap,¡± I grinned.


    ¡°Fine,ying down does sound good right now,¡± Dahlia pouted then opened up both her arms like she wanted a hug. ¡°Carry me?¡±


    I put my hands on my hips, staring at her incredulously.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± She nodded. ¡°Your skinny ass couldn¡¯t lift a dust bunny.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Iughed, not the least bit offended.


    She was right, even if she did exaggerate a bit. But I wrapped her arm around my shoulder anyway, helping her stumble her way down the hallway and back to her room.


    The minute I opened her door, I thought I had walked into the wrong room. Maria had done a fantastic job cleaning Dahlia¡¯s mess. Everything was organized and sparkling clean.


    Even the makeup on the vanity was sorted by color and product.


    ¡°Could I get a Maria?¡± I asked in wonder.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s mine,¡± Dahlia joked.


    I helped her settle into her bed. It reminded me of the times when she¡¯d gotten too drunk, and I had to pull her wasted ass into bed.


    Iid the covers over her, and she snuggled into her newly made bed, sighing contently. Seeing that she was happy and ready to fall asleep for a long nap, I made my escape.


    I flicked off her light, plunging the room into darkness, and shut the door behind me. She¡¯d be out in a few minutes, no doubt. Those meds worked fast.


    But once I stepped into the hallway, I waspletely alone. The emptiness around me stretched into forever like an endless void. I took a deep breath, clinging to the numbness for a little longer as I made my way to my room.


    When I bypassed the kitchen, I paused as I heard movement from inside. Peeking around the corner, I saw it was a maid who was cleaning up from lunch. She grabbed a huge pitcher filled with a familiar-colored liquid.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I called out to her.


    She jumped, ncing at me with wide eyes as she held the pitcher above the sink about to pour the rest out.


    ¡°Could I have the rest of that brought to my room, please?¡±


    ¡°Si, signorina,¡± the maid easily agreed.


    I smiled at her gratefully and then made my way upstairs, one step at a time, one foot in front of the other. My movements felt almost mechanical as everything I had been suppressing started to flood back into my system.


    There was a bad taste in my mouth¨Cthe after-effects of poisonous words shoved down my throat, and the wound in my chest stung.


    ¡°None of your fucking concern,¡± I mumbled, the words going round and round in my head. I stopped at my door and nced down at the hall at Giovani¡¯s study.


    The light was on under the crack of the door, but there was no noise, no sign anyone was even still in there.


    But I knew he was. Giovani was probably at his desk, drinking a ss of some fancy whiskey as he focused intently on nning. I didn¡¯t know what kind of attack had happened or why five men were dead, but there was no doubt that it had to do with the Russians.


    I understood his anger. I felt his frustration. But that wasn¡¯t an excuse.


    I entered my room, and the hurt faded away into a darker emotion. Anger and embarrassment partnered up to dance on my open wounds, pushing away any hint of hurt I felt.


    None of my business?


    I snorted, clenching my fists as I stormed into the bathroom. Instead of starting the shower, I turned on the bathtub, running the water as I plugged it into a bath.


    I grabbed the nearest bath bomb from the cab over the sink, not even caring about the scent or color as I threw it inside.


    I was more than just upset now¨CI was fucking angry. He¡¯d snapped at me. Fine, that was one thing. But he did it in front of Dahlia and Gabriele. He¡¯d acted like I was just an annoyance.


    He embarrassed me, hurt me, and then ran off to his study like I didn¡¯t matter. I was only worth caring about when he could fuck me, I guess.


    ¡°Miss!¡± I heard a firm knock before my door opened, and I rounded into my room. The maid from the kitchen was there with a bright smile as she set down the full pitcher of daiquiri on the stand. Ice cubes danced in the mix, fully chilled once more.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    I smiled and she nodded before leaving, shutting the door behind her. Once I was alone, I grabbed the entire pitcher of daiquri, ignoring the ss she¡¯d put next to it and instead just plucked the swirly straw from it and stuck it into the pitcher.


    I sipped the cocktail, the massive pitcher awkward to hold, but I didn¡¯t care in the least. I headed back to the bath, catching it just in time to stop the bubbling pink water from overflowing. For good measure, I threw in another bath bomb, a blue one, and watched it fizzle.


    I was going to take Giovani¡¯s wonderful advice. If he thought this whole thing was none of my concern, then fine. I was going to make it none of my concern.


    I stripped out of my clothes, kicking them away as I stepped into the bath. It was overly hot, and my skin turned a bit red from the heat, but I didn¡¯t care.


    Fully submerged, I grabbed the pitcher of daiquiri andid my head back, sighing in full rxation.


    Giovani and this whole situation could suck a dick. Right now, the only thing I needed was a nice long soak and to drink this entire pitcher of my cocktail.


    Everything else be damned.

 Chapter 314 : Surveillance Footage

    <h4>Chapter 314: Chapter 314 : Surveince Footage</h4>


    *Giovani*


    ¡°Again,¡± I demanded.


    I sat at my desk, my hand around an empty ss as I stared intently at the screen of theptop in front of me. The surveince video was taken straight off the camera of one of our best shipping containers.


    Gabriele sighed from the other side of my desk. ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen it enough? You¡¯ve probably memorized the whole thing by now.¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t,¡± I snapped.


    The rage that was boiling under my skin only increased with every viewing of the surveince video, but I couldn¡¯t stop until I found every detail that would help me to catch these bastards.


    ¡°You saw the facility yourself,¡± Gabriele protested. ¡°And you¡¯ve seen the video enough times that there¡¯s nothing else to see. Stop torturing yourself."


    I knew he was right. This morning had been a whirlwind of chaos as I had been informed of the attack on one of our warehouses¨Cour most profitable one, too.


    But at this point, I didn¡¯t give a damn.


    I pinned him with a stern re. ¡°Again,¡± I said slowly.


    He sighed, shaking his head in disappointment, but reluctantly, he pressed the spacebar on theptop, ying the video once more.


    I watched intently, even though I had seen it nearly a dozen times before.


    Unknowing workers carried boxes and luggage into the warehouse, just going about their job. Just as thest truck of the morning rolled in, and half a dozen men opened it up to transport the goods, a ck SUV rolled into the frame.


    It was going beyond the speed limit, especially for an unloading area, and four more SUVs came in after it. They surrounded the truck and the building. It was easy to tell they meant no good.


    No license tes, headlights off¨Cthis was a surprise attack.


    The vehicles opened up, and men in ck tactical gear poured out from the SUVs, their automatic weapons pointed at the workers.


    One of our men drew his handgun in defense, but it was toote. The shots were quick, and our man fell to the ground easily.


    The other five were shot as well. Even though the video was silent, it was like I could hear the echo of the shots, the bang, bang, bang of their AK-47s driving into our men.


    Half of the unknown men stormed into the facility, and smoke filled every crevice of the warehouse. I was sure there had been screaming that wasn¡¯t picked up by the camera.


    The other half grabbed whatever they could from the truck, piling it into the SUV with extreme precision. They weren¡¯t just mafia; they were trained professionals, and they knew exactly what they were doing¨Cruthless and efficient like soldiers.


    Our men put up a fight though, and I watched as several of the men in tactical gear went down. Others were wounded, but it wasn¡¯t enough.


    I watched angrily as our men evacuated as quickly as possible, as they had beenmanded to do. Those who were injured or dead were left behind in the chaos.


    The Russian bastards had won. They stepped over theirrades¡¯ dead bodies carelessly, not giving a shit for even one of their own.


    Once the smoke cleared, at least ten men were dead, four of our own and five on their side. But I knew the video had one more detail to give us... onest clue to share.


    The door of the first SUV opened, and a man in a sleek ck suit stepped out. Unlike all the others, his face wasn¡¯t covered, like he wanted to be seen.


    He stood in the aftermath of the gunfight, looking very much like he didn¡¯t belong there. I stiffened when he kicked the limp body of one of our workers. They moved slightly, still alive, and I clenched my jaw.


    The man in the video nced up directly at the camera before pulling out a handgun from his side. Without breaking eye contact with the camera, he smirked and shot the injured man at his feet.


    I paused the feed there, staring at the man¡¯s face. He stared back at me, taunting me, challenging me. Come find me and kill me, he seemed to say with how tant his actions were.


    Even just standing there, he was open and rxed, like he didn¡¯t care in the slightest what happened to himself or anyone around him.


    The fucking bastards killed five of my men and stole hundreds of thousands of dors in goods. And they got away with it like it was easy.


    Seeing it through the screen made it surreal, like I was watching a movie or a documentary where you knew they were real people, but couldn¡¯t emte the empathy.


    The bullet casings on the ground, the blood-soaked floors, and stters around the walls... the unseeing eyes of the dead you couldn¡¯t save¨Cit was a horrific scene to witness in person, and it never got any easier, especially when you knew the faces of the in.


    ¡°Do you recognize him?¡± I asked for the tenth time.


    ¡°For thest time, no, Gio.¡± Gabriele sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him before, and neither has anyone I¡¯ve shown it to.¡±


    ¡°We should¡¯ve seen iting,¡± I growled, mming my fist onto the desk.


    ¡°How could we?¡± Gabriele scoffed. ¡°They¡¯ve been quiet ever since we got Dahlia back. They didn¡¯t even reim the bodies of their members that we set out to lure them. How could we know they were going to attack?¡±


    ¡°Six hundred thousand in goods stolen,¡± I said quietly. ¡°Five good men killed, just like that. It was our responsibility to keep them safe and we fucking failed, Gabriele. We failed!¡±


    ¡°I get it!¡± Gabriele got to his feet, ring at me. ¡°But beating ourselves up about it isn¡¯t going to do anything but make you and me miserable. We have to figure out what we¡¯re going to do from here.¡±


    Gabriele shut theptop in front of me, a rare stern look in his eyes as he red at me. There were very few things Gabriele was willing to argue with me about, but this was one of them.


    Grinding my teeth together, I released my breath. I tried my best to rx my body, allowing the anger to seep out. He was right. We needed a rational head right now, not one full of vengeance.


    ¡°Make sure the families of those men are well taken care of,¡± I told him. ¡°And pay for their funerals. Anything their family wants, get it done.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Gabriele nodded as he straightened, crossing his arms. ¡°But what about Lain?¡±


    I stiffened at the reminder. I knew what he was inferring. Lain had only been eighteen, just a fucking kid when we¡¯d recruited him from the streets. He was high-strung and energetic, and he practically worshipped at my feet whenever I went to visit the warehouse.


    He was the kind of kid who would fight any battle with his bare hands if we asked him to.


    And he got a bullet in the head for it.


    ¡°No family? Even distant?¡± I asked, solemnly.


    ¡°None,¡± Gabriele sighed. ¡°We were his famiglia, Gio. You know that better than anyone.¡±


    I shut my eyes tightly, sighing as I held my head in my hands. Every moment felt heavy as the guilt and grief over losing such a young, bright man hit me hard¨Cthe image of his eyes beaming at me whenever we met, begging to be acknowledged. He had smiled when I remembered his name, and now he was fucking dead.


    ¡°He¡¯s famiglia,¡± I decided finally, my eyes red as I struggled not to cry at the loss. ¡°Have him buried in Eterna, the best of the best.¡±


    Eterna, our private cemetery, was dedicated to the family. It was sparsely used, but anyone who died in the line of duty could request to be buried there. It was rare to have it done as usually the family of the deceased would take the body, but it happened asionally.


    Lain would have his spot there. I would make sure of it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Manuel send up some options so we can n for the lot to bury him in. We¡¯ll make sure he¡¯s taken care of,¡± Gabriele said, reaching over to grab my shoulder.


    He squeezed it, knowing how much Lain¡¯s loss had hurt, not just for me but for the entire organization.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I nodded and opened theptop back up. It lit up, showcasing the face of the intruder we had yet to identify, ¡°Otherwise, focus our search on finding this man. He is probably important, at least a higher-up, if not one of the leaders. If we find him, we¡¯ll find them all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do some research into that bastard,¡± Gabriele said seriously. ¡°I¡¯ll pass around the photo we have; it¡¯s a bit grainy but it should do. Maybe we¡¯ll get lucky and get some hits.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I nodded. ¡°In the meantime, have someone track the goods. They¡¯ll probably try to sell them on the ck market, so we might not get a lead there, but it¡¯s possible somebody will slip.¡±


    ¡°Which markets?¡± Gabriele frowned.


    ¡°Italy, Russia, all of Europe if we have to... anywhere they could reasonably try to ship it within a few days. We had trackers on those goods. See if you can get a location before they disable them, if they haven¡¯t been already.¡±


    Gabriele smirked. ¡°Consider it done.¡±


    I stared at my desk in thought. I couldn¡¯t turn back time. I couldn¡¯t stop my men from dying or the goods from being stolen. We¡¯d taken a huge hit on this attack, but we¡¯d dealt with worse before.


    This was not the time to ce me or point fingers; it was the time to fix this mess.


    With a calmer head, I realized what a jackass I¡¯d been, not only to Gabriele but to Olivia. I didn¡¯t even remember what I¡¯d said I was so lost in my anger, but I knew it had hurt her.


    The way she had looked at me after I¡¯d snapped at her, I wanted to apologize right then and there, but my torn pride had seemed more important at the time. Who knows if she¡¯d forgive me for what I said, for how I treated her? I was not looking forward to that apology.


    Before we could make any more decisions, the door mmed into the wall hard enough to scratch the wood finishings. Thest person I wanted to see walked through the door.


    Alessandro stood there, fuming. If this was a cartoon, there¡¯s be steam pouring out of his ears, but luckily for me, this was real life. He stormed in and Gabriele rolled his eyes, already backing away to shut the door behind him.


    Alessandro mmed his palm onto theptop. It shut harshly and I stared at the raging teenager before me.


    ¡°What the fuck is this?¡± he growled.

 Chapter 315 : Confrontation

    <h4>Chapter 315: Chapter 315 : Confrontation</h4>


    *Giovani*


    ¡°What the fuck is this?¡±


    There was a stalemate as I stared at Alessandro, and he red back. Neither of us was willing to give an inch, and the study fell into a thick silence. After a few seconds, Alessandro shifted on his feet, his anger melting into impatience and anxiety as I just stared at him.


    Some might say using intimidating tactics on your much-younger cousin was going overboard, but I disagreed.


    They didn¡¯t know how pissed off I could get just seeing his face.


    ¡°Well?¡± Alessandro snapped.


    I could tell my silence was getting to him.


    Gabriele shook his head behind Alessandro, and I calmly grabbed my cousin¡¯s wrist and removed his hand from myptop. He flinched, the frown on his lips growing by the minute, and I could tell he didn¡¯t know where to go from here.


    Good. Better to keep him confused than keep letting him rampage all over my organization.


    ¡°That,¡± I finally said, ¡°is aptop, the cherry red addition, and very delicate¨C¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap!¡± Alessandro growled. ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°How on earth am I supposed to know what you mean? If I could read minds, my life would be a lot easier,¡± I snarked back at him.


    I wasn¡¯t willing to y these games today. I wasn¡¯t going to treat him as an adult until he started acting like one.


    ¡°Why the fuck was I left out of this important intel?¡± Alessandro finally said, looking aggrieved. Good, I was too.


    ¡°And what intel would you happen to be referring to?¡± I danced around the question, perfectly content to keep him out of things as long as possible, especially the angrier it made him. He deserved it for ckmailing me and just being a jerk in general.


    ¡°The attack!¡± Alessandro finally snapped, gripping the edges of my desk. ¡°I had to find out from the guard outside that we got attacked by the fucking Russians. Why didn¡¯t you tell me directly?¡±


    I didn¡¯t move or even tense up. I simply stared back at him, perfectly calm.


    ¡°I tried to call,¡± I said. ¡°But you did not pick up your phone. I left a voice message.¡±


    Alessandro paused, then fished into his pocket for his phone. He nced at it, and I knew the moment he realized I was right. His jaw clenched, his face heating up, and I smirked in victory.


    ¡°So what?¡± he scoffed, stuffing his phone back into his pocket. ¡°You should¡¯vee to get me in person before doing anything.¡±


    ¡°We had bigger problems on our hands. Or do you not want us to catch the Russians who tried to kill your sister?¡± I said, getting annoyed now. I didn¡¯t have to report anything to him. I was the Don and not him.


    ¡°Of course I do! And that¡¯s why you should¡¯ve got me! I could¡¯ve seen something that you didn¡¯t!¡± Alessandro argued.


    ¡°So I should¡¯ve held up the investigation so we could wait for you?¡± I snapped back. ¡°This organization doesn¡¯t revolve around you, Alessandro.¡±


    A dark look crossed his face, and he straightened to his full height, intending to look threatening. I stood my ground, my calmness quickly fading away under his insubordination.


    I¡¯d had just about enough of him challenging my every move.


    ¡°You promised me a say in this organization, in this investigation,¡± Alessandro growled. ¡°I expect to be informed about anything that happens before we make any moves.¡±


    ¡°Expect away,¡± I said firmly. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I am obligated to follow your every whim. I am still the Don, Alessandro, and I will not let you hinder our investigations because of your grudge against me. Remember your ce.¡±


    The calmness I had practiced was fading away now, and the thin string that was patience was about to snap.


    He clenched his jaw, and Gabriele looked between us warily, unsure of whether to step in or not. I shook my head at him, telling him to stand back, and he sighed but listened.


    ¡°I informed you of the incident, just like you asked,¡± I started, clenching my fists on the desk. ¡°When you failed to answer, I determined you were unnecessary to the mission. We had the situation handled without you. It is your responsibility to answer your goddamn phone. And if you can¡¯t even do that, how can I trust you to help lead this family?¡±


    He sucked in a breath, the fire in his eyes tripling as he red at me like I was the enemy. The malice in his eyes was rming, considering our positions, but I refused to back down.


    I had an entire organization to protect, and I didn¡¯t have time to y these stupid little games with him. ckmail or not, he needed to learn he couldn¡¯t push me around.


    Alessandro stepped forward, a harsh and threatening look on his face. ¡°You swore I had more say in this organization. If you go back on your deal, I¡¯ll spill to everyone what you and Olivia¨C¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    I finally stood up, leaning over the desk to glower at the younger man. Alessandro shut his mouth, but he did not step back at all. He kept his hostile stance, defiant to the very end, and I did not have enough patience left in me to deal with him along with everyone else.


    But I also wasn¡¯t willing to continue arguing until the end of our days. I had actual shit to do.


    ¡°Gabriele, show him the video, and you, sit here,¡± I demanded firmly, rounding the desk and heading straight for the door. ¡°I have a call to make anyway.¡±


    I didn¡¯t stay to find out if they followed my instructions. I just stormed off into my room. The further I was away from Alessandro, the easier it was to cool off.


    I headed straight for the liquor cab in my room, pouring myself a drink as I copsed into my leather chair.


    I threw my arm over my eyes, blocking out the light as I tried my best to get my thoughts into order. My temper had been getting worse over the weeks. I knew it, but I couldn¡¯t do anything to stop it.


    Dahlia getting kidnapped and then shot, the Russians trying to destroy everything I¡¯d helped build, and the stress of Alessandro ckmailing me¨Call of it was building up and causing my normally mellow temper to explode at uncertain times.


    The truth was, I felt helpless in the middle of all of this. And that terrified me more than anything else¨Cthat the people around me would continue to get hurt or be killed, and I couldn¡¯t do a damn thing about it.


    It was my worst nightmareing to life before my very eyes.


    Names floated around my head, faces I couldn¡¯t pinpoint. I felt like I was chasing a ghost with Dmitri Zaytsev, and especially with the man on the security tape. We only had the image of Dmitri when he was a young man, barely out of school.


    I had no clue whether they could be the same person or not. We were searching blindly here, getting fucked around shadows.


    That man in the video, the cold smirk he¡¯d given the camera like he knew exactly where it was beforehand¨Che could be anyone.


    Or no one at all.


    It took a few minutes, but I heard the boots heading to my room and the three knocks on the door that I recognized as Gabriele.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I called out.


    I sat up in the chair as Gabriele stepped inside, a very tense look on his face.


    ¡°Alessandro left,¡± he told me.


    I breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t know the man in the video either, but I wasn¡¯t expecting him to,¡± Gabriele remarked, shrugging. ¡°I¡¯m going to head to the city and poke around a bit. I¡¯ll see if any of my old contacts know anything. I¡¯ll call you if I find anything.¡±


    I nodded. That seemed like a good idea.


    ¡°See if you can show the picture around, but take someone with you before you do anything,¡± I warned him seriously. ¡°Nobody does anything alone¨Cpairs or groups from now on, at least until we get this mess settled.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll spread the message.¡± Gabriele nodded. He turned on his heel and then paused, ncing over his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t sit in here and drink yourself to death, Gio. Do something to take your mind off all this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± I waved my hand dismissively.


    ¡°Maybe spend some time with that girl of yours. You¡¯ve got a huge apology to make,¡± Gabriele smirked.


    I grimaced at the thought, and Gabriele chuckled under his breath, shutting the door behind him.


    I was left alone with my thoughts.


    Now that I had time to properly focus on my rtionship with her, I realized just how fucked I was.


    Anything short of falling on my knees and begging Olivia to forgive me would just get me pped. She was kind, sometimes too kind for her own good, but she also had a spine to her.


    I¡¯d crossed a line earlier; even I could see that. She wasn¡¯t going to just forgive me, especially since I¡¯d done it in front of her best friend. Dahlia was right¨CI was an asshole.


    I downed the rest of my drink, the liquid courage burning as it slid down my throat, but it was just what I needed.


    I got to my feet, satisfied now that the crisis was over. I could talk to Olivia without any more disruptions now.


    The guilt and regret pulled my feet forward and leaving my room, all the confidence I had went out the window. What was I even going to say to her?


    The look of hurt on her face was painful enough, but the fact that it was caused by me, by my own wordsshing out at her, was excruciating. I dragged my feet down the hallway, trying to think of anything I could say to make this better... that I was stressed and took it out on her because she was the closest target... that I felt like a failure for letting Alessandro and the Russians get to me?


    Or maybe I would tell her how I was so used to people being against me, questioning me, and doubting me, that I automaticallyshed out in defense? Even though that wasn¡¯t true.


    I might tell her that I was just an asshole who couldn¡¯t manage his anger properly.


    I sighed as I stood in front of her door, hesitating now. Everything I thought of sounded like an excuse.


    She had every right to be angry after the way I¡¯d treated her. She¡¯d been hurt, and I had to take responsibility for that. It was my own words and my own actions that had driven a wedge between us, and all I could do was hope she wasn¡¯t too angry with me.


    I hoped she would forgive me.

 Chapter 316 : Bruised Hearts

    <h4>Chapter 316: Chapter 316 : Bruised Hearts</h4>


    *Olivia*


    My head was swimming unpleasantly as I slurped down thest of the daiquiri mixture inside the pitcher. I thought I was being efficient by foregoing the ss, but now I saw the error of my ways¨CI had no idea how many I had actually drank.


    And instead of the daiquiris washing away my anger, I found that they had sharpened it. I had nned on sitting in the bath until I rxed, but not much rxing was going on. I just kept reying what had happened between me and Giovani over and over again, and every time I reyed the scene in my head, I got angrier about how it had all gone down.


    I was angry with myself for not just keeping quiet in the first ce. Then I was angry with myself for thinking I shouldn¡¯t be allowed to just ask Giovani if everything was okay. Then I was angry with Giovani for being a massive prick. And finally, I was angry with myself all over again for not speaking up for myself in the moment, and instead, cowering like a scared little girl. I had thought myself in angry circles until the daiquiri was gone.


    ¡°None of my concern, my ass,¡± I muttered to myself angrily as I finally hauled myself out of the tub.


    The water had started to turn cold, and I shivered as I stood up. I felt a twinge of regret as I stood there alone and shivering, my lips and tongue no doubt stained a gruesome red.


    A part of me felt pathetic. Instead of confronting Giovani, I had swallowed my pride and hidden how I really felt. Then, instead of confronting my feelings about that, I had chosen to try to numb them with alcohol. Now, I was just wet, cold, alone, and pretty wasted.


    I delicately got out of the bathtub, terrified that I would trip and crack my head in my drunken state. The dark thought crossed my mind that Giovani would really regret yelling at me if I died in this stupid bathroom. An insecure part of me whispered that he might not regret it that much, but I shook that away.


    No matter how angry I was, I could acknowledge that he did really care about me.


    I reached over for one of the fluffy white towels that had been hung by the sink and wrapped it around myself, happy that it stopped my shivering. I was in the middle of checking just how red my mouth was when I heard a knock at the door. I had a bad feeling that I knew exactly who it was.


    I wrapped my towel tightly around myself and answered the door. As I had expected, it was Giovani. He at least had the good sense to look ashamed. I rolled my eyes at the puppy dog look he was giving me, then stood back to let him in.


    I wasn¡¯t anywhere close to being ready to forgive him. If he thought he could juste in here and charm me into forgetting his harsh words, then he had another thinging.


    He closed the door quietly behind himself as I plopped down on the bed. I tugged at the top and bottom of my towel, unwilling to give him even the smallest peek at my body. He didn¡¯t deserve it.


    When he turned back toward me, I realized I was too angry to stay seated and stood back up, swaying just slightly on my feet. I decided to let the alcohol do the talking for me. I wasn¡¯t going to cower and hide like I had in the kitchen.


    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± I asked angrily.


    I had intended to say something a little more eloquent, but I found that I was too drunk and too irritated to think of anything.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± he said simply.


    His short response only fueled my anger. If he thought I would ept such a weak-ass apology, he could walk right back out that door.


    ¡°Why the fuck did you think it was okay to treat me like that?¡± I practically shouted in his face. ¡°I was worried about you! I care about you! But instead ofmunicating like a fucking adult, you decided to treat me like dog shit in front of my friend. Do you know how fucking embarrassing that is? Here I¡¯ve been sneaking around with you, risking my reputation for you, and you don¡¯t give a fuck. You have no idea how much I¡¯ve put on the line for you!¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯ve put a lot on the line too, Olivia. I know the sacrifices you¡¯re making,¡± he murmured in a soothing voice.


    I wasn¡¯t ready to be soothed.


    ¡°No! You don¡¯t know, actually! Because you¡¯re not from my world, Gio. You don¡¯t get what it¡¯s like to grow up like I did! I had to watch every step. I had to learn to hold my tongue, something you obviously never figured out.¡±


    At this point, I knew I was mostly just rambling, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself. The daiquiris had taken control.


    ¡°I will never allow myself to be treated like that again,¡± I spat, pointing my finger into the middle of his chest for emphasis.


    And I realized that I was telling the truth. I wasn¡¯t some girl hiding inside her shell. I was a grown woman, and I was going to stand up for myself.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, because I don¡¯t want you to,¡± he said softly. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed of myself for ever speaking to you in such a dismissive way. I never thought that I would be capable of being so disrespectful to a woman that I respect greatly. I¡¯ve been so stressedtely with work and Alessandro... I just forget what¡¯s really important sometimes. But I always want you to call me on my bullshit. I don¡¯t trust anyone else to keep me in line the way I trust you.¡±


    I felt my anger start to dissipate at the genuine emotion in his voice. I could see on his face that he really meant what he was saying. He wasn¡¯t just bullshitting me to try to get me to forgive him. He truly regretted what he had done. But I wasn¡¯t quite ready to give it up just yet.


    ¡°Well... good, because I¡¯m always going to call you out. You know how I feel about you. You know I¡¯m on your side. I don¡¯t ever want you to talk to me like we¡¯re enemies. I will always be on your side.¡±


    And with that, my fire went out and left me with nothing but a growing pool of warmth in my heart. I wasn¡¯t sure if I had ever had an argument like this with someone before. It felt amazing to know that we could forgive each other and that even when we were angry, we had each other¡¯s backs.


    As I gazed at Gio¡¯s face, I noticed that his eyes had lowered, and I became aware of how much my towel had slipped since I had loosened my grip on it. My breasts were damn near all the way exposed, the only thing keeping the towel up was the tightness of my nipples. Gio nced at the two little nubs hungrily, as if he¡¯d love to rip the towel off of me and see just how hard they were.


    Instead of pulling the towel off, he leaned down and kissed me chastely on the lips, not even going so far as to press his tongue into my mouth. He cupped my face in his hands and caressed my cheeks tenderly with his thumbs.


    His kiss felt like a question, like he was asking me if we really were okay, if I really meant it when I said all was forgiven. If his kiss was a question, mine was the answer. I kissed him back greedily, sucking his lower lip into my mouth and biting it gently. He sucked in a loud breath, then finally gave me the kiss that I really wanted, the one that made me feel like nothing existed except for us.


    He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed me in a tight hug as we continued to kiss like our lives depended on it. When he pulled away from the hug, my towel went with him. Itnded on the floor between us with a damp thud.


    He leaned back just long enough to look me up and down with appreciation, then leaned back into the kiss, one hand cupping my breast and ying with my nipple, the other wrapped around my lower back, gently caressing me before pushing lower. He squeezed my ass at the same time as his other hand tweaked my nipple, and a small moan escaped my lips. He really knew exactly what I liked. He slowly moved his hand from my ass to my thigh, his thumb rubbing small circles as he went.


    But just as he began to slip his hand in between my legs and move his mouth down to my aching nipple, I realized that I wasn¡¯t ready for us to fully be together again. Although I had forgiven him in my mind, my heart still felt bruised. My body pleaded with my heart to just let him continue to pleasure me, but I knew that if I went ahead now, I would regret itter. Pressing both hands against his chest, I gently pushed him away.


    ¡°What is it? What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, his eyes zed over with lust.


    ¡°I really want you,¡± I said. ¡°But I think I need to spend the night alone. I just need a little more time to think.¡±


    He looked a little disappointed, but he didn¡¯t pressure me to change my mind. Instead, he leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. I turned into the kiss so that our lips met once more. He brushed his gently against mine before pulling away.


    ¡°I understand, baby,¡± he said. ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to get you into that bed right now, I wasn¡¯t nning oning here to get you to sleep with me. I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to go to bed until I had apologized and made sure that we were okay.¡± He leaned over to grab my towel off the floor, wrapped it tightly around my shoulders, and kissed me again, softly. ¡°Sleep well. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    He left, and I was alone with my thoughts once more. My head was still spinning, but now I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of the alcohol, the anger, the making out, or all of the above.


    I decided to stop dwelling on it and instead try to get some sleep. I reced my towel with my favorite pair of pajamas and curled into bed. My head had already started throbbing, and I wasn¡¯t looking forward to the hangover I would have tomorrow, but at least my heart was on its way to being healed.

 Chapter 317 : An Afternoon in Italy

    <h4>Chapter 317: Chapter 317 : An Afternoon in Italy</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I woke up with less of a hangover than I had thought I would have, a small blessing. I was d not to have a pounding headache, but I was starving. Instead of taking the time to get properly dressed, I pulled on some sweats that I had left lying on the floor beside my bed and wandered downstairs. I was too hungry to care who saw me looking like shit.


    When I got to the kitchen, I found Dahlia and Tallon already awake and in the middle of breakfast. Had I really slept thatte? I guessed that exined why I wasn¡¯t feeling too hungover; I must have slept right through it.


    ¡°Would you like some, signora?¡± Maria asked me.


    ¡°Yes, please, thank you,¡± I said while selfconsciously brushing my hair behind my ears. Something about being served while looking like I had just rolled out of bed made me feel like I didn¡¯t belong. I regretted letting my stomach do the thinking instead of just taking the time to get dressed.


    As if to further mock the fact that I looked like I had recently been hit by a Mack truck, Tallon and Dahlia were both looking polished and put together. Even in spite of her cast, Dahlia had managed to put on full makeup with a cute sundress that made her look effortlessly beautiful. I sat next to her, trying to force theparisons I was making between the two of us out of my head. It was never a good idea to startparing looks with a best friend.


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± I asked, wanting to know if I had a chance of seeing Giovani this morning. Our little make-up and make-out sessionst night had left me wanting more. I was d I had chosen not to sleep with him, but today I realized that I was hungry for more than just breakfast.


    ¡°Alessandro and Giovani left some time before dawn this morning,¡± Tallon said, not offering any more information.


    I tried not to look too disappointed.


    Maria set a te with a freshly baked chocte pastry in front of me then turned around to begin cleaning up the kitchen. I nodded gratefully and began to shovel it in as fast as I could. Manners be damned... hangover hunger had turned me into a monster, and the only way to get rid of it was to eat. I practically moaned as the chocte melted on my tongue.


    Ignoring me, my best friend sighed loudly. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to die of boredom,¡± Dahlia sighed dramatically before flopping her head forward onto the counter.


    I ignored her, too, and focused on my te.


    ¡°Be careful with the dramatics; you¡¯re going to reopen your wound,¡± Tallon said dryly.


    I chuckled at the two of them. There really was nobody else who made me feel so much at home as they did. My pastry mostly gone, I was finally returning to normal.


    ¡°No, I think she¡¯s right, Tallon,¡± I said. ¡°Dahlia might be bulletproof, but she¡¯s not boredom-proof.¡±


    Tallon rolled his eyes, refusing to justify my ridiculous statement with an answer.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Dahlia took what I had said and ran with it. ¡°I¡¯m NOT boredom-proof, and I¡¯m going to die. Oh, Tallon, won¡¯t you take us out for an adventure? Please? If it will keep your darling sister alive?¡± She proceeded to whine in an annoying wordless way that she had perfected as a child.


    I looked on in amusement, wondering if it would work as well now as it did when we were kids. Sure enough, after just a few seconds of her irritating whimpers, Tallon held up his hands in defeat.


    ¡°Fine! Fine, just stop that! We can go for a drive. But if anything happens, I¡¯m telling Gio it was your idea.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± Dahlia jumped up and pped her hands before wincing when she hurt herself. She must¡¯ve momentarily forgotten her sitches.


    Tallon nced at me and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Were you nning on wearing that? I mean, no judgment or anything, but we are in Italy.¡±


    ¡°Tallon! That¡¯s rude!¡± Dahlia eximed, shoving him in the shoulder before turning to me and actually noticing what I was wearing for the first time. ¡°Okay, actually, Olive, he¡¯s not wrong. You¡¯ve got to change.¡±


    I threw my head back andughed. It was so nice to forget about my issues with Gio and Alessandro and just enjoy my friends.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± I said as if they had worn me down. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go change so I can be presentable. I¡¯d hate to embarrass you.¡±


    Without missing a beat, Tallon responded, ¡°You think the clothes matter?¡± I turned and looked at him and he grinned at me, obviously teasing. ¡°Okay, we leave in fifteen.¡±


    I shook my head. Someday I would have to remind him that other girls might not understand his sense of humor. He was going to get himself into real trouble with a woman who wasn¡¯t as understanding as me.


    Fifteen minutester, we were driving through the gates of thepound in Tallon¡¯s car. The windows were tinted so nobody could see in, but Dahlia begged Tallon to roll them down so we could feel the breeze.


    He obliged for a few minutes, then rolled them back up, citing safety concerns. Although he kept his tone of voice light, I could tell that he was genuinely worried. I wondered how much of it was due to actual threats and how much of it was just paranoia after Dahlia¡¯s kidnapping.


    We drove for about twenty minutes, just reminiscing andughing about our favorite childhood memories. I was settled in the backseat, taking in the gorgeous view of the city. I didn¡¯t think I would ever be able to fully understand just how I had managed to get lucky enough to live here.


    ¡°I know what we need. Let me take you to my favorite gto shop. It¡¯s just one street over,¡± Tallon said.


    Dahlia and I both cheered. We would never get tired of authentic gto.


    At the gto shop, I was overwhelmed with the vor options. Since I had already had chocte for breakfast, I decided on a scoop of lemon. The sweet woman who ran the shop said that I had made a great choice, and I felt pleased, as if I had passed some sort of test. I knew it was silly, but I loved receiving praise of any kind, even over something as small as choosing the right ice cream vor.


    Once we all had our gto, we walked down the sidewalk to do some window shopping. The weather couldn¡¯t have been more perfect. There was the slightest breeze that tugged at the bottom of my dress and made the ends of my hair flutter around me, but the sun was shining warmly on my face.


    It was the type of weather that made anything feel possible, and paired with the fact that I was literally walking around Italy with two of my best friends, I didn¡¯t think the day could get any better.


    We wandered in and out of a few of the shops. Every so often, something would catch our eye, and we¡¯d drag the other two over to it. Dahlia was particrly enchanted by a disy of dainty jewelry, each of the gems so tiny they just looked like small pinpricks of light as the bracelets and nes were moved around.


    With a smile, Tallon bought us matching bracelets from the disy. They were made of dainty yellow gold chains with rainbow gems spotting them. I absolutely loved it. As soon as he paid, we put them on each other and admired them in the sunlight.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Tallon. You didn¡¯t have to do that,¡± I gushed.


    ¡°I wanted to. You both have been through a lot since you¡¯ve been here, but I want you to remember the beautiful days too. Now, you¡¯ll never forget this day,¡± he said simply. His cheeks turned slightly pink as we both squeezed him into a bear hug.


    ¡°Oh, Tallon, you are such a softy,¡± Dahliaughed.


    After a few hours of wandering, we decided to have a pic in the park. We went to the local alimentari and picked out cheese, homemade bread, and a bundle of grapes. The park had a hill overlooking a small pond, so we decided to set up there. Tallon said it was a good ce to sit because he could keep an eye out all around us. He happened to have arge nket in his trunk that we could sit on. I raised my eyebrows at him when he pulled it out.


    ¡°What exactly do you use that for, mister?¡± I asked jokingly, definitely NOT wanting to know the answer.


    ¡°For stargazing of course,¡± he answered.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if it was one of his jokes or if he was being serious.


    We settled onto the nket and Dahlia began doling out chunks of cheese. We had forgotten to get a knife or even napkins, so we were stuck tearing it off in chunks and popping it into our mouths. I was certain there was no way we would be able to eat all the cheese we had bought, but Dahlia kept insisting on grabbing more and more, and neither Tallon nor I could seem to tell her ¡°no¡± right now, not when we were still so happy just to have her back. She could eat what she wanted to, but we were both afraid she¡¯d get a stomach ache if she overdid it on the rich cheese.


    It reminded me of when we were kids and used to sneak snacks out of the kitchen when it was too close to dinnertime. We would raid the pantry and then run out to the garden to hide behind the rose bushes and enjoy our miniature feast. Of course, our mothers always knew exactly what we had done when just an hourter we refused to eat dinner, but they never seemed to care too much.


    ¡°Remember that time we were sliding down the bannister at the house, and when Dad caught us, we thought he was going to yell at us but instead he slid down the bannister too?¡± Dahlia said.


    Iughed. It was one of my favorite memories of James from our childhood. I had been a little bit scared of him growing up, but when he did that, I realized that the serious way he carried himself was just a facade.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he didn¡¯t break his neck,¡± Tallon said around a mouthful of cheese.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we didn¡¯t break our necks!¡± I responded.


    ¡°A little danger makes life more fun,¡± Dahlia said.


    Tallon and I both shuddered.


    ¡°I¡¯m just d we¡¯ve all made it in one piece,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m so happy that we¡¯ve stayed close all these years.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Dahlia sighed. ¡°I love you both.¡±


    ¡°I love you both too,¡± I responded.


    We both turned to Tallon, waiting for him to say it back to us, but he was staring off into the distance, a concerned look on his face.


    ¡°Earth to Tallon.¡± Dahlia poked him in the shoulder and he turned to her.


    ¡°Um... what?¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, we were just professing our love for each other and for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± he smiled. ¡°I love you both too, even if you can be pains in my ass.¡±


    ¡°We are not pains!¡± Dahlia said indignantly before shoving him.


    Iughed at them both. It was just like old times.


    Finally, we were so stuffed with cheese we weren¡¯t sure if we¡¯d be able to walk back to the car. Dahlia kept begging Tallon to carry her, but he refused. At first she insisted that her bullet wound was acting up, but when she realized we were going to leave her behind, she made a ¡°miraculous¡± recovery and somehow beat us back to the car.


    We had been driving for about five minutes in amicable silence when Tallon said, ¡°Did either of you see that guy who was watching us?¡±


    My blood felt like ice in my veins. I hadn¡¯t noticed anything like that. I cursed myself for being so unaware of my surroundings. How was I going to keep myself safe if I didn¡¯t notice these things?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± I admitted. ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡±


    ¡°Me neither,¡± said Dahlia


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, I was watching out for you both. But when we get back, I¡¯m going to have to give Gabriele a call.¡±


    We rode the rest of the way in silence, a feeling of dread stifling all conversation. When we got back to thepound, Tallon left to call Gabriele. Dahlia and I stood there looking at each other ufortably.


    ¡°Olive,¡± she murmured, as if worried that whoever was watching us this afternoon could somehow hear us now. ¡°I feel really scared.¡±


    I reached for her and pulled her into a gentle hug. I kicked myself for being so selfish and only thinking of my feelings. I could only imagine what would happen if someone took me, but Dahlia had actually lived it.


    ¡°Should we leave Italy?¡± I asked her, desperately hoping she would say no, but preparing myself for her to say yes.


    I didn¡¯t want to leave Gio, but I needed to keep my friend safe.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to let them have power over me. But at the same time, I don¡¯t ever want to go through something like that again.¡±


    I nodded and started to lead her to her room. We both needed some rest, but just before we got to her room, we heard yelling.


    My heart sped up as I recognized Giovani¡¯s voice and then heard a loud thump.

 Chapter 318 : Winding the Jack in a Box

    <h4>Chapter 318: Chapter 318 : Winding the Jack in a Box</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I pulled my ck car into my usual parking spot and turned to look at Alessandro. He was staring straight ahead, his back stiff with some sort of emotion that I hadn¡¯t yet identified. We had spent the day checking out the shipping yard and looking for intel in the city, but we hadn¡¯t found much.


    I would have preferred to make the trip alone, but I had hoped that bringing along Alessandro would help smooth things over between us and show him that I was willing to give him a little more trust if he was willing to act like a man instead of a little boy.


    But instead of ying along and making nice, he had been as cold as a block of ice the entire day. It was starting to piss me off, and I had decided that I was going to do something about his shitty-ass attitude.


    ¡°So what do you think?¡± I asked, starting out calm in spite of my rising irritation.


    ¡°About what?¡± he responded, still avoiding looking at me.


    I rolled my eyes. This felt like some fucking middle school shit. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if the next thing he did was disinvite me from his birthday party.


    ¡°About what we saw today¨CI¡¯m asking for your opinion.¡±


    In spite of my best efforts to remain calm, a note of anger found its way into my voice. It was so goddamn easy for him to set me off, and knowing that only made me angrier. He had sessfully wound me up like a jack in the box, and just the slightest turn of the crank was enough to make me explode.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It looks like the Russians areying low for now. There¡¯s not as much movement as there was when my team first found their safe house,¡± he muttered, somehow sounding as if he was ming me for theck of intel we had managed to gather.


    I decided I had had enough of this conversation and got out of the car, not mming the door nearly as hard as I would have liked behind me. I was starting to get a headache right in the center of my forehead, and I wanted nothing more than to finish up the day¡¯s work and have a stiff drink.


    I also needed to check in with Olivia. I still hadn¡¯t seen her sincest night, and although it seemed like she was going to forgive me, I was nervous about the whole thing. She had been really pissed at me, and that kind of anger didn¡¯t just blow over. I hoped that she had at least had a nice day while I was gone.


    I got to my office and thought through everything I needed to aplish before I could see Olivia. I hadn¡¯t noticed that Alessandro had been following me. My annoyance with him increased; he really didn¡¯t know when to leave me the fuck alone. He walked into my office and gestured to me to close the door. I took a deep breath to calm my temper.


    ¡®James loves this kid,¡¯ I thought to myself in an effort to keep from just killing him then and there.


    Instead of pummeling him until his face caved in, I politely said, ¡°I have a lot of work to get done, and I don¡¯t want to be upte. What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sick and tired of being treated like a child. Are you kidding me with the fucking babysitting you were doing today? You know I could have done that on my own.¡±


    I rubbed my hand down my face as my headache got worse. This is what I fucking got for trying to make peace with this asshole. I should have remembered that he acted more like an angsty teenager than a grown man. Instead of interpreting today as the peace offering that it was, he took it as a punishment. Fuck, I was so tired of him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I just don¡¯t have time to deal with you right now,¡± I told him.


    ckmail be damned, I had to have time to focus on our organization or shit would start slipping. Alessandro didn¡¯t understand that our entire focus wasn¡¯t just on getting retribution from the Russians. We still had to keep our other operations running. Most importantly, we had to keep making money.


    ¡°You better fucking make time. You think you don¡¯t have time for me? Do you think Olivia will have time for you after I tell Dahlia all about how her much older cousin doesn¡¯t have time for me but has plenty of time to fuck her best friend? You know, it¡¯s pretty fucking funny to hear such an old man talk about time. Maybe that¡¯s why you¡¯re so desperate to get in Olivia¡¯s pants. You know you¡¯re running out of time, but she has plenty of it. I wonder what you¡¯ll do when she¨C¡±


    I didn¡¯t wait to hear what other vile shit was going toe out of his mouth. Without really thinking, I kicked out my right leg and swept his feet out from under him. Before he even knew what had happened, I was on top of him with my knee digging into his chest. His face turned tomato red. I didn¡¯t know if it was because of anger or pain, but I hoped it was thetter.


    I leaned close to him and looked at him with the same fierce re that I had used to stare down far badder assholes than him.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of being threatened,¡± I said quietly.


    I knew from experience that it was far more terrifying to speak quietly than it was to scream and yell. Showing your opponent that you still had full control over yourself while they were pinned to the ground was a power move that I had learned from one of the higher-ups when I was just a young guy. It was a move that I had pulled on countless people, and one that I knew would work now. For all his blustering, Alessandro had no real idea what it was like to be in hand-to-handbat with someone. His face paled slightly, and this time I knew exactly what emotion he was feeling.


    ¡®Good, let him be scared,¡¯ I thought to myself.


    In my line of work, I had been around a lot of scared people. I had noticed that there were two ways that people typically dealt with fear: either they mmed up and turned inward, or they started yelling and screaming in an effort to appear less afraid. Alessandro appeared to be the second kind.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± he screamed, spit flying.


    I leaned back, putting more pressure on the knee that I held in the middle of his chest.


    This time, I chose to yell. If he was going to get loud, then I could sure as fuck get louder.


    ¡°Fuck you, Alessandro! I will NOT ept this fucking little boy behavior any longer. You think I was babysitting you today? I wasn¡¯t! I would have preferred to go alone, but I brought you along because I thought it would fucking show you that I was willing to work with you. Instead, this is the thanks I get. Once again, you¡¯re acting like a goddamn child who thinks he should always get his way.¡±


    He tried to lift his body, but I shoved him back down hard. His head hit the floor with a loud thud. I hoped he would have a goose egg in the morning. I hoped it gave him a headache as bad as the one I had right now. Hell, I hoped it gave him a concussion and kept him in his fucking room and away from me for a few days. It would be nice to get a few days of peace.


    ¡°Ow, fuck, man,¡± he moaned.


    The fight had started to go out of him when he realized how easily I could keep his ass on the floor. He could tell himself I was a feeble old man all he wanted, but the truth was I had years of experience on him and would win in a fight every single fucking time.


    He might be able to sneak around and do his little ckmail scheming in the shadows, but at the end of the day, he could nevere close to beating me face to face. At this point, the only thing that even kept me from just kicking his ass out on the street was knowing that it would upset Dahlia.


    After hitting his head, Alessandro had stopped struggling. I decided to let him up. It seemed like he was done fighting for the night. I stood up then reached down and lifted him up by his armpits. It gave me pleasure to show him how easy it was for me to throw his weight around. Once he was up, I condescendingly brushed his shoulders off as if he was a child who had fallen in the dirt.


    ¡°So we¡¯re on the same page. You want more shit to do. I fucking get it. I¡¯ll call you if anythinges up,¡± I told him.


    Without answering, he stormed out of the office, mming the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, my satisfaction at having shown him who was the boss of this organization disappeared, and I started to worry about Olivia again.


    It felt like all I did these days was worry about Olivia. I hoped I hadn¡¯t pushed Alessandro so far that he would just say fuck it and go straight to Dahlia. Olivia would never forgive me if she knew that I had blown everything just because I had lost control of my stupid temper.


    I rubbed my head as my headache spread from the center of my forehead to my temples. I wasn¡¯t the old man that Alessandro loved to call me, but dealing with all this shit was definitely starting to make me feel my age. All I wanted to do was curl up in bed with Olivia.


    Who was I kidding¨Cthat was all I ever wanted to do these days. She had already changed me. Instead of my days being filled with getting shit done and focusing on being the Don, I spent my days wondering about what she was up to and thinking about how I could make her happy.


    I sighed and poured myself a drink before settling behind my desk to bnce a few ounts. Just a little bit more work, and then I could finally go see my sweet Olivia. I would endure all the headaches in the world if it meant I could spend the night with her.

 Chapter 319 : Breaking Point

    <h4>Chapter 319: Chapter 319 : Breaking Point</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Dahlia and I had paused at the foot of the stairs, my hand on the banister, when we heard the loud m of a door from upstairs. The shouting had been rming enough, but the stomping of boots on the wooden floors was not helping.


    Alessandro appeared at the top of the stairs, pure fury in his eyes as he nced at us. He came barrelling down the stairs, and I barely had time to pull Dahlia against the wall before he pushed past us quite harshly.


    His shoulder nced off mine as he stormed past, and I winced, my back hitting the wall.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Dahlia protested at the rough treatment, ring at her older brother. ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Alessandro snapped, not even bothering to look at us. He stormed to the front door, probably intending to leave. A smart decision, I thought, considering his foul mood.


    But the front door opened in a hurry and mmed straight into Alessandro¡¯s face. He let out a string of curses that his mother would beat him for saying as he backed away, clutching at his nose.


    ¡°Okay, Who¡¯s ready for a¨C¡± Tallon paused in his tracks, clearly surprised as he saw Alessandro hunched over and grunting in pain. He blinked in surprise before asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Alessandro growled, his voice awfully nasally as he pinched it closed. It looked awfully red and slightly crooked as he red daggers at his brother. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I was just calling Gabriele¨C¡± Tallon pointed his thumb over his shoulder. ¡°And I came in and you were like this¨C¡±


    ¡°Cause you hit me with a fucking door!¡±


    Tallon¡¯s mouth opened, realization dawning on him, and he gave his elder brother a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his hair.


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Heughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you were there. You should probably wear a bell. We can get you one, like that roon we thought was a cat and gave it a cor with the little bell, remember that? Good¨C¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Alessandro snapped, then he hissed in pain as he testingly poked the middle of his nose.


    ¡°What is going on with you?¡± Dahlia asked, crossing her arms as she stared at him down, ¡°You¡¯re acting like aplete jerk to everyone! And don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t seen your stupid pissing contest with Gio. You need to get your¨C¡±


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± Alessandro roared, turning on her with a deep fury.


    I flinched away from him, ttening myself against the wall, but Dahlia didn¡¯t move an inch. She stared him down like she was looking at a child throwing a temper tantrum.


    ¡°Alex,¡± Tallon called as he shut the front door and ced his hand on Alessandro¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Not cool.¡±


    Alessandro heaved out a few breaths, shutting his eyes tightly as he reigned in his temper.


    ¡°I¡¯m fucking tired of being treated like a child,¡± he said lowly. ¡°I¡¯m every bit as capable as Giovani at running things. I deserve to be given a chance, don¡¯t I? I¡¯m not any less than him.¡±


    His eyes flickered to me, a knowing look on his face, and I bit my lip, ncing at my feet. The guilt was overwhelming. Looking at it from his shoes, it seemed a bit unfair that Giovani had gotten what he had wanted.


    The position as Don.


    And me.


    But I couldn¡¯t stand by his side on this issue, not when he acted like a raging bull with no impulse control. It scared me to see him like this, honestly.


    I wrapped my arms around my middle, keeping silent on this matter. It wasn¡¯t my responsibility to y mediator.


    ¡°Hold on a minute, Alex.¡± Tallon stepped forward, attempting to cate him. ¡°Nobody isparing you to Giovani. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re so fixated on this. Do you really want to head the mafia? Mom and Dad got out for a reason¨C¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about Mom and Dad, or should I say, James and Ba,¡± Alessandro snapped. ¡°The position of Don was rightfully mine, and they threw it away, not me. I at least deserve the chance to prove I¡¯m a better leader than he is!¡±


    Tallon deted, disappointment in his eyes as he stared up at the big brother he had admired for so long.


    ¡°Alex,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°Too far,¡± Dahlia snapped, stepping forward defensively. ¡°If Mom or Dad heard you¨C¡± They had only been around a bit to check on Dahlia since she¡¯d been injured. I¡¯d hardly seen them at all. They preferred to stay at the hotel, away from thepound.


    ¡°What¡¯s it matter?¡± Alessandro threw his arms wide open like he was asking for lightning to strike him from above. ¡°They¡¯re not my real parents anyway! We all know it.¡±


    The reminder was a stark one, the kind that morphed into a sword and hung over the throne of the next leader. Damocles would be proud of Alessandro¡¯s words, of the biting cold he¡¯dshed out with the two siblings he¡¯d grown up with for his entire life.


    On any other day, Dahlia and Tallon would reassure him, would hug him, and tell him that he was their brother and nothing could change that.


    But he had crossed over one too many lines, and he¡¯d bulldozed over the clearly defined borders of both Tallon and Dahlia. He¡¯d hurt them both.


    ¡°They raised you,¡± Dahlia said, her fists clenched at her side. She red at him, her eyes shining under the lights, and my heart ached at the pure hurt on her face. ¡°They did everything they could to protect you and make sure you had a good life, just like me and Tallon! And Dadis your grandfather. Do you really think this is how a leader acts, Alessandro? Look around you!¡±


    He flinched, a hint of shame crossing his face as he nced from Dahlia and me to Tallon. All of us had stepped away from him like he was andmine about to explode.


    ¡°You are incredibly smart and talented,¡± Dahlia bit out, stepping right into her brother¡¯s face. Despite her shorter height, she was every bit as intimidating as he was. ¡°But your temper ispletely out of control.¡±


    I found myself nodding without thinking about it, but no words woulde out of my throat. I reached forward to grasp Dahlia¡¯s hand, giving her silent support though I knew it wasn¡¯t my ce to step in right now.


    This was a family issue, and no matter how close we were, I simply wasn¡¯t part of this.


    Alessandro did not like that.


    He rounded on me with a deep re on his face, and I flinched despite myself.


    ¡°Why the fuck are you taking that old man¡¯s side?¡± Alessandro retorted irritatedly. ¡°You¡¯ve known me since we were kids, and you¡¯re just going to stand by him and not me? Just because you¡¯ve got his co¨C¡±


    I paled, already knowing how that sentence was going to end. My heart pounded in my ears as I stared at him in shock.


    Luckily for me, Dahlia had had enough.


    ¡°Fuck off, Alessandro!¡± Dahlia pushed him away from me.


    Alessandro stepped back clumsily, barely catching himself before he sprawled out on the floor. I swallowed heavily, ncing at the man like I didn¡¯t know him.


    And maybe I didn¡¯t.


    He wasn¡¯t the older brother who¡¯d always been there for us, who¡¯d made sure to include me and Dahlia in the other boy¡¯s games despite their protests... the one who cried at the petmercials and thought cartoons were based on real life.


    This angry, bristling, resentful man in front of me was a stranger, one who only cared about himself, about what he could have, instead of appreciating what he already had.


    I gazed at the floor, incredibly disappointed with him. I couldn¡¯t even look him in the eye right now.


    ¡°Shut up, Dahlia! You don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re talking about. She¡¯s¨C¡± Alessandro pointed his finger in my face, and to my surprise, Tallon was the one who snapped.


    ¡°Quit it!¡± Tallon shouted, his normal easy-going demeanor nowhere to be found. He breathed out heavily as silence reigned over us.


    I had never heard Tallon scream like that before... never, especially toward his family.


    ¡°Just stop.¡± Tallon red at his brother. ¡°Go outside and calm down before you say something else you¡¯ll regret.¡±


    It was good advice, a nice warning, but Alessandro was too far deep in his anger to listen to it.


    ¡°Regret?¡± He scoffed. ¡°Why the fuck would I regret not being a coward like you¨C¡±


    And the line was crossed.


    I gasped as Tallonshed out immediately. His fistnded straight in his older brother¡¯s face, and Alessandro grunted as he fell backward from the force. He reached out to grab the banister to regain his footing but just barely missed it.


    He fell on his ass, cursing to himself as he covered his jaw with his hand.


    I winced, clutching Dahlia¡¯s hand tightly. That had to hurt.


    Tallon and Dahlia both stared icily down at him, not an inch of sympathy on their faces. But I was different. Despite all he had done and said, I still felt bad he¡¯d gotten punched in the face, even if he had deserved it.


    ¡°You need to back off and check your attitude, brother,¡± Dahlia sneered, cold as ice. ¡°Just because you don¡¯t get what you want doesn¡¯t mean you take it out on us! Destroy every rtionship in your fucking life for all I care, but don¡¯t bring us into this!¡±


    Dahlia squeezed my hand tightly, and I could feel her trembling in anger, the fury and disappointment in her eyes saying more than enough. She looked like her mother now, more than I ever thought was possible.


    ¡°Come on, Olive,¡± Dahlia muttered, shooting Alessandro a mean nce as she tugged me down the hall to her room.


    I nced at Alessandro over my shoulder. He was still sprawled out on the floor, his head hung down as he cupped his jaw. I didn¡¯t see the expression on his face, but after what had just happened, I was sure he wasn¡¯t going to take it lying down.


    I hoped maybe he would wake up from this and realize what was truly important in his life, but I doubted it.


    He had be obsessed with the position of Don, obsessed with ruining Giovani. The only person who could stop him was himself.


    I doubted that would happen anytime soon.


    Dahlia pulled me into her room, mming the door behind us. She sighed before throwing herself onto the bed sideways.


    ¡°That fucking idiot,¡± she murmured.


    I nodded to myself.


    She nced at me as I took a seat on the edge of her bed, still guilty for what had happened.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him, Olive,¡± Dahlia said softly. ¡°He¡¯ll get it through his head eventually. He¡¯s more hard-headed than Dad, but once he realizes how bad he fucked up, he¡¯ll wake up.¡±


    I nodded in response, but I knew deep down, she was wrong.


    I did have something to worry about with him.


    He was never going to stop.

 Chapter 320 : Can’t Stop

    <h4>Chapter 320: Chapter 320 : Can¡¯t Stop</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Just as I was getting ready for bed, I heard a light knock on my door.


    I frowned. Dahlia was already asleep, Tallon had gone out for some errand of his, and Alessandro... he hadn¡¯t spoken to any of us since the confrontation this morning.


    A huge bruise had developed along his jaw, matching the one on the bridge of his nose. He hadn¡¯t even shown up for breakfast this morning. He¡¯d just stormed out without a word.


    Hesitantly, I climbed to my feet and made sure the T-shirt was firmly below my thighs before I answered.


    I smiled brightly as Giovani turned around to see me.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said casually, his lips tilted in a smile. He was in his usual suit, a vest underneath it with a tie wrapped around his neck. He looked more dashing than normal with his hair brushed back away from his face.


    I stepped to the side, grinning with anticipation as he entered. I quickly closed the door just in case someone else came by to see him entering my room. We didn¡¯t need any more ckmailers on our tails.


    I walked back to my bed, feeling a little exposed in only the big T-shirt I normally only wore as pajamas. It waste so I had been nning on going to bed.


    I took a seat on my bed, curling my legs into a criss-cross pattern as I smiled at Giovani. His gaze was hot as he stared at me deeply, a hunger in his eyes.


    He looked like he was ready to eat me alive and savor every bit. I pinched my legs together at the heat rising in the pit of my stomach. I could feel myself growing wet already.


    ¡°So what¡¯s up,¡± I asked, turning my head away so I wouldn¡¯t jump his bones.


    Giovani chuckled as he took a seat beside me. I was very aware of his body heat and the scent of his cologne in the air. He smelled so damn good, and I wanted to bury my face in his shoulder for the rest of my days, until every inch of me smelled like him.


    He reached over to steal my hand from myp, running his fingers along the underside gently.


    ¡°I heard about Alessandro,¡± he said softly.


    I stiffened, tugging at my palm to pull it away but he only firmly held on, leaving me with no choice but to stay where I was. I sighed, ncing at the ceiling as my eyes began to water.


    Saying I wasn¡¯t affected would be a massive lie, but I had never thought Giovani would hear about it. I knew nothing Alessandro had said was about me. It was about him. He felt inferior and he¡¯dshed out.


    Even though I knew that, it didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t hurt.


    ¡°Who told you?¡± I asked, though I already knew the answer.


    ¡°Tallon,¡± Giovani said calmly. ¡°He confessed after I saw Alessandro looking like someone finger-painted with his face. He sure did a number on him.¡±


    ¡°The first time was an ident,¡± I said weakly. ¡°He hit him with a door.¡±


    The corner of Giovani¡¯s lips tugged upward, and I suppressed a smile, shaking my head at his obvious delight at Alessandro¡¯s misery.


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny. He¡¯s really hurt,¡± I scolded him half-heartedly.


    ¡°Please.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°The only thing hurt is his ego. He¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what made him so angry in the first ce?¡± I asked, cautiously. ¡°He was already upset by the time we arrived, and it seemed like that set him off.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Giovani nodded, then he hesitated. ¡°He came to my office after we got back and started demanding that I not treat him like a child and give him more responsibility. He threatened me with you, and I just snapped.¡±


    ¡°Snapped?¡± I asked, frowning as I brushed my hand across his face.


    He gave me a slightly guilty look. ¡°I may have mmed him to the ground and pinned him with my knee. It was one thing to go after me, but I couldn¡¯t take him threatening you as well, not anymore.¡±


    He ground his teeth together, just at the memory of what Alessandro had said to him. Honestly, I was a bit turned on by the protective re in his eyes.


    I smiled shyly. It always blew me away to see how much this powerful man cared about me. It didn¡¯t matter if nobody else knew this side of him, of how doting and protective he was to me.


    This part of him was mine.


    ¡°Thank you for protecting me,¡± I whispered.


    His eyes were lidded like he was drunk and only half there and I giggled, brushing both my hands across his face. The stubble on his cheeks was just barely noticeable, but it pricked my soft fingertips as I kept him close.


    I could see my own reflection in his eyes, invading him, and he dove in for another kiss.


    But right before his lips met mine, I pulled away. My guilty conscience had found me once more, and I hesitated as I thought about everything.


    Ever since we¡¯d started this, it had been one thing after another keeping up apart. It was exhausting to keep this silent, but I didn¡¯t have the resolve to tell Dahlia, not while she was still injured.


    What could I say... that while she was being kidnapped, I was hooking up with her cousin, and Alessandro knows and is pissed about it, so that¡¯s why he¡¯s being an asshole?


    This couldn¡¯t go on forever.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± I admitted, ncing into his eyes.


    He softened, the desire reced by concern as he automatically grabbed my hand in his, giving me support.


    ¡°Scared? About Alessandro? He won¡¯t say anything¨C¡±


    ¡°But he almost did!¡± I said, biting my bottom lip in worry. ¡°He almost told Dahlia and Tallon this morning, and I couldn¡¯t stop him. If it weren¡¯t for Dahlia interrupting him, they all would¡¯ve found out.¡±


    Giovani hardened, his gaze like stone as he gently pulled me into his arms, wrapping me in a hug. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him again. I¡¯ll tell him¨C¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯ll just make him angry again, and then you¡¯ll fight. Maybe... maybe we should just stop now.¡±


    He stiffened like I was hugging a tree, and I pulled back, hating myself for what had slipped out.


    His face was imprable, not a hint of emotion peeking through, and it made me nervous to think he could hide what he was really feeling so easily. I clenched my hand in his, afraid he might walk away right now.


    It was hypocritical of me, considering I had been the one to bring it up in the first ce.


    ¡°Is that what you want?¡± he asked, too calmly.


    ¡°No,¡± I said hurriedly, gripping his shirt and trembling. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to lose my best friend. I... I don¡¯t¨C¡±


    All at once, his body rxed like butter melting. He smoothly and carefully gripped my jaw, pulling my eyes to meet his, and my breath caught in my throat as I saw the intense look he gave me.


    The desire in his eyes was burning as if all the walls he usually had around him had been knocked down. This was the deep part of him that I knew no one ever saw. The affection that bordered on devotion waspletely overwhelming.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop,¡± he whispered, his eyes reflecting the emotions we both longed to say. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    I melted against him like fresh snow in the middle of spring. His hands grounded me, and I swear I became a pile of puddy under those eyes. He could mold me and shape me any way he wanted, and I wouldn¡¯t have given a damn.


    But he wanted me, the way I was right now. Like a balloon filled with every unsaid word between us, I was nearly bursting at the seams.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to either,¡± I whispered, barely audible between us, but I knew he had heard me.


    Lost to our passion, Giovani kissed me hard and rough, shoving his tongue into my mouth, and I met him every step of the way. He gripped my hair, and I fell back onto my bed as he pushed me down.


    Trapped between his rock-hard body and the soft cushioning of the bed, I wrapped my legs around his waist, not once disconnecting from our kiss.


    ¡°You wore this just to tease me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Giovani growled before he went in for another kiss, scraping his teeth over my bottom lip.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I responded breathily before he swallowed me up again.


    He was just as starving as I was as he pulled my T-shirt over my head, baring my upper body to him. He squeezed my breasts and I gasped into his mouth.


    Heid me back on the bed so I could catch my breath and while his mouth became busy sucking on my nipples, his fingers invaded past my panties and straight to my core.


    I moaned as he touched me, driving me nuts already as he plunged a finger straight into my cunt, already dripping wet for him.


    I called his name like a prayer as he switched to my other breast, driving his finger in and out of my quivering pussy.


    I lost myself to the pleasure, moaning loudly without a care as he finger-fucked me. One turned to two and then three, and he grunted, swallowing up my moans to keep me quiet.


    He pulled out just as I was about toe and I whined unhappily, but he only kissed me on the lips with a smirk before lowering himself down. I trembled in anticipation, biting my lip as he shed my panties and gripped my thighs to spread them apart.


    I gripped the curls in his hair as he licked a long strip up my cunt, and I cried his name as he swallowed all my liquid like I was a banquet just for him.


    I held my grip as I came heavily, my toes curling from the sheer force and I gasped, shutting my eyes tightly as I hung onto the feeling for as long as I could.


    But even after it faded away, he didn¡¯t leave me lonely for long.


    ¡°You¡¯re fucking delicious,¡± Giovani uttered as he held himself above me, kissing me deeply.


    I tasted myself on my tongue, letting him invade every corner of my mouth as if he owned it.


    He stood on his knees, pumping his cock in one hand as he stared down at me. I brushed my hair from my neck as he demanded, ¡°Flip.¡±


    One part of me wanted to argue with him, wanted to tease him a little longer, but it was swallowed by the part that kept staring at his massive cock, watching his hands keep it warm until it plunged into me.


    I whimpered needily as I flipped onto my stomach, pressing my ass into the air and waving it teasingly.


    His breath hitched in his throat and he pressed my legs together firmly, running his fingers up and down my slit.


    ¡°I need it,¡± I whined, my face pressed against the bed as he yed with my cunt.


    I heard him rustling through stic, putting on a condom, and I hummed in approval.


    I felt myself dripping down my legs as he lined up against me and then pushed in. I moaned as loud as I could, only blindly epting every inch of him slowly and steadily.


    I kept still, just like I knew he wanted, until I waspletely filled with him, but once he was situated, the monster came out to y.


    He pulled out, leaving only the tip in, and then mmed into me, setting a harsh rhythm that had me moaning breathlessly with every thrust.


    He leaned over my back, pulling my hair together and gripping it tightly. My eyes rolled back into my head,pletely lost to his animalistic movements.


    I muffled my scream in the sheets as the two of us came, and I heard him swearing over my shoulder, gripping my ass tight enough to leave marks.


    His breath was ragged as he leaned over my body like a warm cocoon, protecting me as we came down from the high. I felt boneless, still seeing stars behind my eyelids as he cleaned up.


    I moved onto my side, wrapping my arms tightly around my pillow as heid gentle kisses down my back. He wrapped me into his arms, pulling me against him, and I shut my eyes, just breathing.


    The smell of sex still lingered in the air, and my eyes naturally closed as he spooned me from behind.


    ¡°I should go, Carino,¡± he said after a few minutes of this soft peace.


    I hid my disappointment, yawning as I nodded. I clenched my hands into the bed sheets to prevent myself from reaching out to him and begging him not to go.


    He gathered up his clothes and paused at the doorway. I felt his eyes on me, waiting for me to say something, but I wasn¡¯t going to.


    The door shut behind him, and I buried my face into my bedding, curling up. My bed felt too big, too wide, and too empty now.


    Was this how it would always be for us?


    I wasn¡¯t sure how much longer I could go on like this.

 Chapter 321 : Strawberry or Vanilla

    <h4>Chapter 321: Chapter 321 : Strawberry or Vani</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I woke up alone.


    I shivered as soon as I opened my eyes, the cold on my skin biting down to the bone. I had goosebumps all along my arms and legs like I had been left out in a snowstorm for too long.


    I waspletely naked, and I wrapped my arms around my upper body as I sat up, holding close for any little bit of warmth I could gather.


    Feeling like a detective, I tried to figure out what had happenedst night. Giovani hade, had sex with me, and then left. I tried to sleep but I kept tossing and turning. I just couldn¡¯t getfortablest night.


    I sighed, realizing now why I was so cold. My bed was in disarray, a product of my moving again and against night.


    Theforter was in a pile on the floor and the sheets were halfway off the bed, tangled up in a line. Even a few pillows had been a casualty of my ufortable slumber.


    I grumbled to myself as I grabbed myforter and pulled it around me. If I had woken up next to Giovani, this wouldn¡¯t have been a problem.


    With him beside me, I would¡¯ve been warm all night long. The longing for that dream was stronger than anything I had ever known. All I wanted was to wake up to his gorgeous face and beautiful eyes and have him call me that pet name as he kissed me awake.


    I was falling in love with him, hard and fast, and there was no way I could keep going the way we were.


    I sighed, the mncholy hitting me especially hard today. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and quickly sent a text to Dahlia to let her know I was going to skip breakfast with everyone this morning.


    ¡®You sure?¡¯ she replied back, fast as lightning.


    ¡®Yeah,¡¯ I texted and then headed straight for my dresser to get some clothes on. I dressed with whatever I foundying around, so long as it covered my ass and chest. She was going to visit her parents at the hotel that day anyway, so she would be fine without me for a while.


    I should¡¯ve known Dahlia wouldn¡¯t leave it like that.


    Just a few momentster, I heard a knock at my door. A maid stood on the other side with a coffee made just the way I liked it and a small blueberry muffin.


    ¡°From Signorina Dahlia.¡± The maid smiled at me before leaving.


    I shut the door behind her, the delicious smell of the freshly baked muffin in my hand causing my mouth to water. I happily sipped my coffee, heading straight back to bed.


    The muffin was delicious, and I rxed on my bed as I had breakfast in my self-imposed istion. It was just what I needed to get my head back on straight.


    After finishing off my coffee, I headed to my bathroom where I filled the bathtub for a long, rxing bath. I used thevender bath bomb Dahlia had got me, hoping it would keep me calm and rxed.


    I took my time getting dressed and doing my makeup, making sure I was happy with how I looked before I decided to go downstairs. I pocketed my phone, humming to a song I didn¡¯t know the words of as I climbed down the stairs with a new burst of energy.


    ¡°Please?¡± The whining sound of my best friend reached my ears as soon as I stepped onto the lower floor and Iughed, following the voice until I reached the living room. She must be back from her visit already.


    Tallon was sprawled out on the couch with his arm over his face as he groaned in pain.


    ¡°It¡¯s not up to me,¡± he said, looking like he was in quite a bit of pain.


    ¡°What isn¡¯t?¡± I asked as I entered the room.


    Dahlia spun to face me, her pout morphing into a massive smile as she tackled me into a hug.


    ¡°Whoa, calm down,¡± I said, barely keeping us both standing after her added weight.


    ¡°Ow,¡± Dahlia winced,ying her hand across her stomach.


    ¡°I told you to take it easy!¡± Tallon scoffed, throwing his hands in the air. ¡°Put some sense into her, will you, Livi?¡±


    ¡°What sense?¡± I asked, then frowned as I spotted the guilty look in Dahlia¡¯s eyes. ¡°Dolly, what did you do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± she imed defensively. ¡°I just wanted to go for some gto, that¡¯s all! Ever since he introduced me to that shop, I¡¯ve wanted to go back.¡±


    ¡°You still have stitches, Dolly,¡± I said with a frown. ¡°You have to take it easy until you get them out. Stop murdering your brother.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± she huffed. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t go out for ice cream every once in a while. I¡¯m dying here, Olive! We can get a driver and just go out for fifteen minutes tops. Plus, you still haven¡¯t tried their best gto. They have mint chocte chip.¡±


    ¡°Mint chocte chip?¡± My eyes went wide at the thought¨Creal Italian gto in my favorite icy vor. The temptation was strong. I¡¯d had the lemon kindst time.


    I shook my head at my traitorous thoughts. There was no way I was going to sell out my best friend for gto. Right? Though, she had been out earlier today and several other times to see her parents and for the pic since she¡¯d been released from the hospital


    ¡°But the doctor said you need to rest¨C¡± I protested, trying to remain firm.


    ¡°That I just need to take it easy. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m a cripple, though,¡± Dahlia jumped in right away, giving me an appeasing smile as she grabbed my hands. ¡°It¡¯ll be real quick. We¡¯ll be there and back in no time, and if you go with me, you can stop me from doing anything too dangerous. Besides, they¡¯re only selling the mint chocte chip vor today.¡±


    ¡°Today only?¡± I whimpered, my dream of the minty choctey goodness floating away.


    ¡°That was low, Dahlia!¡± Tallon shouted with irritation in his voice.


    ¡°So?¡± She stuck out her tongue at him and then smiled at me. ¡°The ce is really close, too, and it¡¯s in broad daylight and so many people go there, so there¡¯s no chance of something happening. So please? We were fine the other day.¡± Tallon had seen someone following us, though. Hadn¡¯t he?


    She gave me her biggest, widest puppy-dog eyes and I flinched, forgetting the potential danger, my mouth opening and closing for any excuse I had, but my brain was filled with chocte chips and mints and the dreamy smooth goodness of the icy treat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fall for it, Livi!¡± Tallon encouraged me from his spot on the couch, still nursing his head.


    I shut my mouth, hoping no drool had escaped the corner of my lips before I finally nced at my feet, a bit ashamedly as I said, ¡°Maybe just a quick trip....¡±


    ¡°And she fell for it,¡± Tallon sighed. ¡°Remember that creepy guy I saw the other day?¡±


    My best friend ignored him. ¡°Yay!¡± Dahlia rocked on her feet, bubbling with excitement. ¡°I knew you¡¯d say yes! The driver¡¯s already waiting for us outside.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± I red at her, realizing now what had happened. ¡°You set me up!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just too easy, Olive.¡± She grinned, grabbing my hand to pull me out the door even as I huffed at the unfairness of it all. ¡°I told him to stay in the car when I got back from visiting Mon and Dad.¡±


    She was sneaky, but at least I¡¯d get my mint chocte chip.


    Just like Dahlia said, there was a driver waiting out front as soon as she dragged me out there. She pulled me into the car, and I smiled politely at the driver. I didn¡¯t recognize him, but he had on a huge pair of sunsses and was abnormallyrge.


    He dwarfed the seats, and I wondered how he had even fit himself into the sedan at all. Even his massive hands made the steering wheel look like it had been made for kids.


    ¡°Gto, please,¡± Dahlia said brightly as she buckled up.


    The man nodded once, not saying another word. Honestly, I was a bit freaked out by him, but I stayed quiet as he pulled out of the driveway.


    The man knew exactly which shop to go to.


    Dahlia told him, ¡°You can stay here. We¡¯ll just be a minute.¡±


    Despite her words, he got out of the car and followed us. A bell jingled as soon as Dahlia opened the door, and I grinned, the scent of frozen dessert wafting over my face. All the varying scents of choctes and strawberries and peanuts morphed together and hit me all at once. It smelled so good, just like the other day, though I noticed the nicedy who hadplimented my vor choice the other day wasn¡¯t working.


    After waiting in a horrendously long line, it was finally our turn, and despite all my hopes and dreams, the moment I tried to order the delicious mint chocte chip gto I had been promised, I was left disappointed.


    I stared nkly at the cashier behind the counter as she gave me an apologetic smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what was that again?¡± I asked in disbelief.


    ¡°We¡¯re all out of the mint chocte, I¡¯m afraid,¡± she said, looking like she actually felt bad. ¡°We¡¯ve got some strawberry and vani left, if you wanna try those, though?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Olive,¡± Dahlia sent me a sheepish look as she scooped up her strawberry and cream into her mouth. She didn¡¯t look the least bit sorry.


    Even the lemon was gone. ¡°The vani, then, please,¡± I said, sucking up the fact that my dreams had been dashed once more. It may have been a bit dramatic, but I really had been looking forward to the mint chocte chip gto.


    I sulked as she handed me the cup of vani, and Dahlia paid with a smile.


    ¡°Aw, cheer up, baby Olive,¡± Dahlia cooed in a baby voice as she wrapped her arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to her. ¡°I¡¯ll let you have some of mine.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same,¡± I sighed, ncing at my cup of vani gto.


    Sheughed before turning to the behemoth of a man who drove us and said, ¡°Would you mind taking us to a park? There¡¯s one right across the street. I¡¯d say walk, but my side¡¯s already driving me crazy.¡±


    He nodded, and I was beginning to figure out that this was amon urrence for him. I smiled at the stern-looking man. He reminded me of one of those giant gori statues I¡¯d seen, always frowning and staring forward at something no one else could see.


    They were about the same height anyway.


    It didn¡¯t take long before he drove us to the park we had visited the other day, and Dahia picked out a rather close bench, sighing as she sat down.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait until I get these stitches out,¡± Dahlia said, annoyed as she shoveled gto into her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s driving me nuts.¡±


    The park was beautiful. The sun was shining brightly on us, and I breathed in the fresh air as I spotted a few butterflies in the flowers.


    ¡°Just be patient,¡± I told her, finally taking a bite of my gto. It wasn¡¯t mint chocte chip, but it was damn good... smooth and creamy and everything I wanted out of a fluffy, airy gto.


    I hummed, enjoying the nice day. Not even two minutes after we¡¯d sat down, I spotted a man in a dark blue parka walking around. I frowned as I bit down on my spoon. He kept sending us quick nces, and I was a little unsure about him. Was he the guy Tallon had seen? We should probably go.


    I nced at our driver, who sat a few benches away at Dahlia¡¯s insistence. I kept my cool until I spotted the man in the parka walking toward us from the corner of my eye. I grabbed Dahlia¡¯s hand, my blood running as cold as the gto in my hands.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Olive?¡± Dahlia asked, then she followed my gaze to the man. A hint of wariness crossed her features.


    Nothing was going to happen, I tried to reassure myself. The guard was watching, and the man could just be wondering where we got this delicious gto and wanting directions.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the man in the parka said, his voice sounding rather odd. He spoke Italian, but it was clear it was not his firstnguage.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Dahlia started, gripping my hand tightly as she watched the man warily. ¡°Do you need something from us?¡± She sounded as scared as I felt.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the manughed.


    I wasn¡¯t sure about his ent. He didn¡¯t sound like he was a part of the Russian mafia, but at this point, I didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Would you happen to be Dahlia Valentino?¡±


    I stiffened, as did Dahlia. Every inch of me went cold and I was frozen in ce, only able to watch as the next few moments happened very quickly.


    ¡°Get away¨C¡± Dahlia got to her feet, dropping her gto cup onto the ground. It sttered onto the man¡¯s shoes and Dahlia¡¯s sandals.


    Meanwhile, a nasty smile spread across the man¡¯s face, and he pulled arge, thick knife out of his parka and lunged straight at Dahlia. A scream tore out of my mouth and out of instinct, I pulled Dahlia back, and she fell into the bench, her eyes wide with panic as the gleaming silver knife came closer.


    But as soon as it all happened, there was a small bang, and everything fell silent.


    There was red everywhere... it burst forth from the assassin¡¯s head like a dam breaking open. Red sshed across us both, sticky and slimy and smelling like rust.


    The man crumpled forward, the knife hitting the ground with a clink, and I couldn¡¯t hear anything. I was in utter shock as our driver, the gori man, rushed toward us, a gun with a silencer clutched tightly in his hand.


    I knew instinctively that he had made the shot.


    It was the right call. Dahlia was crying silently, her mouth moving, but there weren¡¯t any wordsing out. I kept staring at the dead man, my entire body frozen as if I were standing in a snowstorm.


    I knew I should be moving, that I should have moved and made sure Dahlia was okay, but my mind was only nk. I couldn¡¯t move even if I wanted to.


    My eyes flickered to the cup of gto I was still holding. It was dyed red now, and I could only think that I didn¡¯t remember getting the strawberry vor.

 Chapter 322 : You’re Safe

    <h4>Chapter 322: Chapter 322 : You¡¯re Safe</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I stared out the window of the car, not taking in the scenery, not taking in anything. I kept reliving that moment, the moment I had seen a person die right in front of me... his eyes going lifeless, his blood sttering across my face and into my gto.


    One second he had been a living person, just like me, just like Dahlia. The next... he had be a dead body, just something to be disposed of. I couldn¡¯t make sense of it. Who was he? Why had he wanted to hurt us? Did he have a family that was expecting him toe home tonight? He might have tried to do something bad, but that didn¡¯t mean I wanted him dead.


    On the other hand, I was so grateful that someone had been there to protect us. If our giant bodyguard hadn¡¯t been there... it could be me and Dahlia being disposed of instead of the stranger. I didn¡¯t even want to think about that possibility, but it kept running through my mind regardless. First I saw what had actually happened, then I imagined what could have happened.


    Both scenes were horrific.


    My mind was a tangled mess, and I could feel myself barely hanging on by a thread. I turned to Dahlia, wondering how she managed to look so normal. I felt like I was breaking apart at the seams. I kept my arms tightly wrapped around my body, just in case I really did start to break. I kept gasping for breath, my mouth opening and shutting involuntarily, like a fish that had been flung onto the shore.


    In many ways, I felt like that was exactly what had happened. I had been swimming along happily, knowing vaguely that there was danger out there but not really epting that anything bad could happen to me. Now I had been brutally brought back to reality. This was a very dangerous game, and I was caught right in the middle of it all.


    Dahlia turned to me, and I realized I had been staring at her, or rather, staring right through her. It was strange not to care. I wondered if I would ever care about anything again. She looked me in the eyes, and I thought I saw something like pity on her face.


    I realized that this wasn¡¯t a new experience for her. This was nothingpared to what she had gone through when the Russians had taken her. Sure, we might be covered in blood, but at least it wasn¡¯t our own blood. I felt guilty for being so shaken up when we hadn¡¯t even been hurt, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I had seen a man die today. My life would never go back to a time before I had seen someone lose their life, and I had never thought that would be something I would have to deal with.


    I looked down at my hands, which were still streaked with dark red stains. The copper-like scent of it filled the car, and I started to hyperventte. My gasps for breath became morebored and frequent as I looked at Dahlia with panic filling my eyes. How the fuck had she managed to survive being kidnapped? I could barely survive witnessing a man being killed to defend me.


    ¡°Shhh, it¡¯s okay, Olivia, it¡¯s okay. Deep breaths. In, and out. In, and out,¡± she said as I stared into her eyes.


    I couldn¡¯t talk, I couldn¡¯t think, I couldn¡¯t do anything other than breathe... in, and out. My breathing became more even, but I could still feel myself teetering on the edge of the abyss. If I wasn¡¯t careful, I would fall in and nobody would be able to get me back out.


    When we arrived at thepound, there were staff waiting for us. One of the women wrapped a nket around my shoulders as I got out of the car. Before I could resist, she began to hustle me to the house.


    ¡°Wait... where¡¯s¨CI want Dahlia...¡± I mumbled weakly, staggering and looking around, suddenly feeling terrified without Dahlia by my side. She was the only normal thing about this day. I needed her with me so that I could remind myself that I was still a regr person.


    ¡°It is okay, signora. We must get you inside quickly. The fewer eyes, the better,¡± the woman said in soothing tones.


    She was strong enough to keep me moving even as my feet felt like they were going to give out right under me. She walked me straight to my room, keeping her arms wrapped around me the entire way. Being back in familiar surroundings helped slightly. I could feel myself regaining just a tiny bit of control, but I still couldn¡¯t stop seeing that knife glinting in the sunlight, followed by the blood... so much blood.


    It wasn¡¯t as red as it looked in the movies. It was darker. It wasn¡¯t as runny either. The blood that was on me had already started to coagte on my skin. I looked down and flexed my fingers, watching little cracks form in the stains.


    The woman took me directly to the bathroom. Without a word, she helped me remove my bloodstained clothes. I doubted they would be able to get the stains out. Even if they did, I had a hard time believing I would ever wear that outfit again.


    Once she had stripped me down to my underwear, she started the shower for me and left with my clothes and the nket. I stood alone, shivering and waiting for the water to heat up. Suddenly, I gagged and had to run to the toilet to vomit up what little gto I had managed to consume.


    I shuddered as my stomach convulsed, trying to fully empty itself. I wished my mom was here to hold my hair back. Hell, I wished my mom was here just to give me a hug. Finally, I was done retching. I wiped my mouth and stepped into the warm steam of the shower.


    The water needed to be hotter. I turned it so hot that it was painful to stand under. The pain forced tears from my eyes. I was grateful for them. I needed the release.


    I still needed to scrub the blood off of my hands and face. The hot water had gotten most of it, but I needed to use soap to ever feel clean. I scrubbed and scrubbed until my skin was pink and felt raw. The metallic smell still lingered. I shoved my face directly under the water, enjoying the burning feeling. I had to be clean. I couldn¡¯t stand one more second of being covered in a stranger¡¯s blood.


    I stood under the hot water until I couldn¡¯t take it any longer, then finally turned the shower off. The smell of blood still lingered, but at least I was clean. I went to grab one of the fluffy white towels hanging on the wall, but when I looked at it, it was covered in blood. I screamed, wondering where all that blood hade from, then realized I had been mistaken¨Cit just had a pattern made of red thread sewn into the edges. I took a deep breath.


    ¡®Get it together. You cannot be acting like a basket case right now,¡¯ I scolded myself.


    If I was going to have a future with Gio, this was going to be my life. People died in this business. I couldn¡¯t fly off the handle every time it happened.


    I looked in the mirror and started working to detangle my hair. The repetitive motion of myb going through my hair helped to calm me.


    ¡®You¡¯re safe. You¡¯re safe. You¡¯re safe.¡¯ I repeated the mantra inside my head with every movement. I would keep repeating it until I believed it.


    I wandered into my bedroom and sat on the bed, unable to force myself to get dressed.


    ¡®You¡¯re safe. You¡¯re safe. You¡¯re safe.¡¯ The words were on repeat in my head. I was staring into space, thinking about nothing other than how I could make myself believe that I was safe when Gio opened my door and rushed in. He didn¡¯t even bother to close it quietly behind him, just mmed it shut. Even though I saw the door m, the noise still made me jump. What disturbed me most was that it was so much louder than that gun had been. Someone coulde in here and kill me in my sleep and nobody would ever know. I hadn¡¯t known that guns could be so quiet.


    I didn¡¯t move to get up, so Gio came to me. I could see the worry written all over his face. I wasn¡¯t sure if I had ever seen him look this concerned.


    ¡°Thank God you¡¯re safe,¡± he managed to choke out, his throat sounding swollen with emotion.


    ¡®You¡¯re safe. You¡¯re safe. You¡¯re safe,¡¯ I repeated in my head after him.


    He stood in front of me, and I looked up at him helplessly. I couldn¡¯t speak. I couldn¡¯t move. I couldn¡¯t do anything other than stare and remind myself that I was safe. He seemed to understand as he knelt in front of me. He gently took my face in both of his hands and caressed my cheeks with his thumbs. His hands were warm, and I tried to focus on that to bring myself back to reality, but I couldn¡¯t stop reliving what I had seen.


    His eyes bore into mine as if he was trying to read my thoughts. ¡°Olivia, I will never forgive myself for not being there for you. I am so fucking sorry.¡±


    He leaned forward and kissed my forehead, then pulled back to look into my eyes again. I wondered if he could tell how broken I felt. I didn¡¯t want him to feel guilty for what had happened.


    ¡®You¡¯re safe. You¡¯re safe. You¡¯re safe,¡¯ I thought to myself.


    ¡°And I¡¯m horrified that you had to see that. I never wanted you to see that side of my life. I thought I could protect you from it forever.¡± His face blurred as tears filled my eyes once again.


    He took one look at the tears in my eyes and pulled me off of the bed so that he could wrap his arms around me. In one fluid movement, he went from kneeling to sitting on the floor with me between his legs, my head resting on his shoulder. He had one arm wrapped around my back and the other pulling my head closer to him, his hand caressing my hair. His entire body covered mine, and I wanted to feel safe. I wanted to convince myself so badly that he could keep me safe. But I felt nothing other than terror. I was so incredibly afraid.


    He held me as I sobbed, my entire body trembling in fear.


    ¡°Shhhh,¡± he murmured in my ear. ¡°You¡¯re safe. You¡¯re safe. You¡¯re safe.¡±

 Chapter 323 : Real Love

    <h4>Chapter 323: Chapter 323 : Real Love</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I held Olivia as she fell apart. We were sitting on the floor of her bedroom, but I didn¡¯t want to move. I didn¡¯t want to do anything but hold her tightly. I couldn¡¯t believe I had almost lost her. She was so precious to me, I didn¡¯t know what I would do if something happened to her. Hell, I wanted to cry about the whole ordeal myself, but I couldn¡¯t let her see how shaken up I was. I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d feelforted at all if she knew that I was as terrified as she was.


    ¡°Shhh,¡± I murmured and ran my hand through her hair.


    She was trembling like a leaf in my arms. For years, I had been forced to confront death as a part of my career choice, and I wasfortable with the idea of dying, but I had never had to consider the death of the person I loved. That was something I would never befortable with. It was sickening to even imagine a world without Olivia in it. And when I thought about how close I hade to that world today... well, I couldn¡¯t let myself think about it.


    Olivia still had her head pressed tightly against my shoulder, but I could hear her sobs quieting down. She was still shaking slightly, but she seemed to being out of the shocked state that I had found her in. I pulled back so I could look at her face. The expression she wore made me want to punch a wall.


    She looked at me with huge, pitifully sad eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her bottom lip quivered as onest sob overtook her, and she closed her eyes again. I brushed her hair behind her ears and tried to wipe away her tears, but they just kept falling.


    ¡°I¡¯m s¨Csorry,¡± she said shakily, hardly able to catch her breath. ¡°I can¡¯t get it together.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sweetheart, you don¡¯t have to get it together. This was a horrible day for you. I get that. Just try to breathe through it, okay? That¡¯s all I need you to do for me, is keep breathing.¡± I pulled her back against my chest and rubbed my hands up and down her back.


    Her tears subsided, and her breathing started to even out. I kept rubbing my hands up and down, up and down. I knew the repetitive movement would help keep her calm. I forced myself to take deep breaths so she could match her breathing to mine.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, baby, just breathe. You¡¯re safe now,¡± I leaned down and whispered into the shell of her ear, then kissed her temple.


    She leaned into my kiss.


    Finally, she was calm, or at least, as calm as she could be considering what she had gone through. I stood up, pulling her up with me, then sat on the bed, pulling her onto myp. I wanted her as close as possible. I needed to feel her, to remind myself that she was okay.


    ¡°Gio, I¨CI think I want to go home.¡±


    Her words crushed me. Of all the things I had expected her to say, that hadn¡¯t even crossed my mind. I supposed some part of me had been aware that she might consider that option, but I was so certain that she would want to stay here with me that I hadn¡¯t been worried about it.


    But I knew that stopping her would be purely selfish. As much as I hated to admit it, the further she got away from here, the safer she would be. And I did want her to be safe. I brushed a hand down her arm and tangled her fingers in mine, encouraging her to go on.


    ¡°I¡¯m just so scared. I want to be a badass who isn¡¯t fazed by seeing men killed right in front of me, but I¡¯m just not that person. I¡¯m scared of the Russians. I¡¯m scared of what could have happened today, and I¡¯m scared of what could happen in the future. I can¡¯t live always looking over my shoulder, too scared to trust anyone.¡±


    ¡°I can protect you,¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from saying, even though I had promised myself that I would just let her speak. I hated that she felt so scared. I wished that bastard today had survived so I could kill him myself.


    ¡°I¡¯m not just scared of that,¡± she continued. ¡°I¡¯m also terrified of what happens if Alessandro tells Dahlia about us. If Dahlia finds out... I just don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be good. I just want things to be calm. I want to live a normal life. I want to be with the man I love without being fucking ckmailed.¡±


    I perked up a bit. She had just said the man she loved. Was she talking about me? This wasn¡¯t just some hypothetical man, right?


    ¡°The man you love?¡± I asked gently, not wanting to freak her out in case she had just been talking about something else.


    Her cheeks flushed an adorable shade of pink, and I wanted toy her down and make love to her until she screamed right then and there, but I sensed that this was an important conversation for us to have. I couldn¡¯t let my dick do the thinking.


    ¡°I¨CI meant... the man I like, or, or am with or, well¡ª¡±


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± I interrupted her babbling to put her out of her misery.


    I was so enchanted by her that sometimes I forgot that she could be shy around me. I didn¡¯t want her to feel too shy to admit her love. With everything that had happened, it was important that we be honest with our feelings about each other. What if I had never told her I loved her, and today had been toote? The thought alone made me want to punch something.


    ¡°You do?¡± she asked, her face filled with wonder.


    I felt guilty when I realized how unsure she had been. How did she not realize how much I cared for her? I knew I needed to reassure her.


    ¡°Oh, Olivia, of course I love you,¡± I said and squeezed her into a tight hug. ¡°I was so scared today thinking I could have lost you. I can¡¯t even imagine living in this world if it doesn¡¯t have you in it. I love you so goddamn much, I don¡¯t even know what to do with myself. I spend all my time thinking about you. When I¡¯m not with you, I count down the seconds until I get to be with you again. When I am with you, I just want time to stand still. There¡¯s nobody that I want to be with more than I want to be with you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too,¡± she said, her voice choking up with emotion.


    Tears shone in her eyes, and I was worried that she was going to start sobbing again, but she smiled at me, and I was reassured. She leaned up and kissed me on the cheek.


    This was one of those moments where I wanted time to stop. I felt so at peace, so happy here with the woman I loved wrapped safely in my arms. But I knew I needed to let her finish what she had started to say. As much as I would love to pretend that she hadn¡¯t made ament about leaving, I couldn¡¯t just ignore it. If she would feel safer in the States, then that¡¯s where I would send her. Hell, I¡¯d take her there myself if that¡¯s what she wanted. But then I would have toe back here and leave her....


    I stopped my train of thought before I could lose the nerve to ask her if she had really meant it when she said she wanted to leave. I rubbed her back, then set her gently on the bed. I couldn¡¯t say this with her snuggled in my arms; her presence was too intoxicating. I stood up and took a deep breath, determined to do the right thing by Olivia, no matter what it cost me.


    ¡°If you want to leave, I understand,¡± I said, unable to look her in the eye. ¡°I know this is a lot more than you bargained for when you came to Italy for university. You probably thought the biggest danger you¡¯d face would be getting too hungover. And I need you to know that I support you if going back to America is the choice you want to make. You don¡¯t have to be scared that I¡¯ll be mad at you, because I won¡¯t.¡± I forced myself to stay standing, still avoiding looking at her.


    ¡°Gio,¡± she said softly.


    I still didn¡¯t look. I couldn¡¯t handle this conversation if I had to look into those beautiful eyes, especially after she had just professed her love for me.


    ¡°Gio, look at me,¡± she murmured.


    It was like she could read my mind. I didn¡¯t want to obey her, but I knew I couldn¡¯t avoid it any longer. I turned around and looked down at her, staring into her eyes as she looked up at me. This was my favorite angle to see her. She looked so sweet when she gazed up at me.


    Her teeth scraped against her bottom lip as she bit it slightly. I swallowed hard and willed my body to stop responding as I felt myself starting to grow hard. There was no way I¡¯d be able to have this conversation if lust took over. I nced down and realized that she was still in nothing but a towel. Somehow I had forgotten that when I had been so focused onforting her, but now as she stared up at me through hershes, her bottom lip swollen and her cheeks slightly pink, I found myself unable to focus on anything other than the fact that she was one small movement away from beingpletely naked. I wanted her so badly. The need was coursing through my body. I clenched my fists and forced my feet to stay nted.


    ¡°Gio, I don¡¯t want to go home. I just want you,¡± she said, her voice husky with desire.


    Her words were like fire in my veins, and I wanted nothing more than to sink myself deep into her, but as I gazed down at her sweet face and beautiful body and thought about how earnestly she had told me she loved me, I knew that I didn¡¯t want to just fuck her. I wanted to make love to her. And it was going to be sweet and slow.


    ¡°You just want me?¡± I asked as I reached down to trail my finger down the side of her jaw.


    She moaned at my touch, and I knew she was already wet. I smiled, thinking of everything I was about to do to her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she gasped and started to pull her towel off.


    I grabbed her hands before she could even get the chance to move.


    ¡°Not so fast, baby,¡± I leaned over and whispered in her ear before nipping her earlobe. ¡°This is going to be nice and slow.¡±

 Chapter 324 : Nice and Slow

    <h4>Chapter 324: Chapter 324 : Nice and Slow</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°This is going to be nice and slow,¡± Gio murmured in my ear just before tugging at my earlobe with his teeth. His mouth sent lightning bolts from my earlobe straight down to my core, and I squirmed as desire filled me.


    As much as I wanted to just strip my towel off and let him fuck me hard, he wouldn¡¯t let me. The towel was securely tucked under my armpits, but I was hoping it woulde loose. I wriggled slightly, trying to help it along.


    ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡± I asked breathlessly. My entire body was tightened, just waiting for release. But I knew the longer he made me wait for it, the more satisfying it would be. A tear that I had somehow missed ran down my cheek, and I swiped at it quickly, feeling embarrassed and realizing that I probably looked terrible.


    ¡°Ugh, I look like a mess right now,¡± I mumbled. Somehow despite my best efforts, it seemed like he never got to see me in lingerie.


    ¡°You look absolutely beautiful,¡± he said before kissing me full force.


    All my feelings of embarrassment evaporated as his kiss sent shockwaves through my body. The little earlobe nibble was nothingpared to what his kiss did to me.


    He was leaning over me, both hands on either side of my head as he kissed me greedily. He took my lower lip in between his teeth and bit down gently, not enough to hurt, just enough to electrify me. My hips jolted toward him involuntarily, and my towel got pushed up enough to reveal the tops of my thighs.


    I cheered internally at the towel movement. I knew if I could manage to get that damn towel off, he wouldn¡¯t be able to resist giving me the release I needed. While he was upied with kissing me, I reached my hands up to his waistband, hoping that if I could get his pants off him, then he¡¯d give me what I wanted.


    Before I could even undo his button, he pulled away and took my hands in his. He shook his head at me, a lustful gleam in his eyes.


    ¡°Not so fast,¡± heughed. ¡°You don¡¯t even get to see me until after you¡¯vee at least once.¡±


    I pouted at him. He wasn¡¯t being fair! It helped me orgasm faster when I could feel his cock moving inside me.


    ¡°Then let mee!¡± I whined, and pulled my hands away from his so that I could try to pull my towel off.


    ¡°I want to hear you beg,¡± he murmured as he grabbed my hands again. ¡°And I¡¯m going to be the one in charge of this towel.¡±


    I sighed and flopped myself back onto the bed, feeling my breasts bounce against the towel. He looked down at them appreciatively but refused to set them free. Iid still, staring up at him with anticipation. I had no idea what he was going to do next, and even though I was desperate for release, I found that him taking control like this was getting me even more worked up.


    He leaned over me, and I felt his belt buckle press against my thigh. The cold metal made me shiver. I wondered what it would feel like to shift slightly so I could grind myself against it, but before I could move in that direction, he hitched his knee up in between my legs. The fabric of his pants made an interesting sensation as it pressed against my folds. I bucked my hips to increase the friction and moaned as my clit was stimted.


    I expected him to take his knee away when he realized what I was doing, but instead he pressed it harder against me, giving me better leverage to pleasure myself. I was so wet I was sure he could feel it on his thigh. He smiled down at me and leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kiss you from your head to your feet.¡± He paused and kissed me on the temple. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you just how much I treasure you.¡± His kisses moved lower, to my corbone. ¡°And you¡¯re going to show me what that means to you.¡±


    With that, he pulled the towel down just enough to let the tops of my breasts show, letting the fabric rub against my erect nipples. He kept his knee pressed against my core, giving me just enough to keep me grinding against him but not enough to find any real release.


    I began to pant with how worked up he was getting me. I arched my back, trying to free my nipples and hoping he would put his mouth on them if I did, but somehow that damn towel stayed where I¡¯d put it. Of course this had to be the one time in my life that I managed to tie a towel around myself so tightly it would never fuckinge off.


    He kissed the hollow of my neck then lowered himself and kissed the center of my chest, just where my cleavage began. I moaned and involuntarily bucked against him. The towel finally moved! My breasts were still secure inside it, but my ass and pussy were set free.


    I was sure that seeing me almostpletely naked would force Gio to give up the whole slow and steady thing, but he ignored the towel¡¯s movement and continued his maddeningly slow kisses.


    ¡®At least he¡¯s almost to my nipples,¡¯ I thought to myself. I was starting to feel like if he so much as breathed on me I would have a screaming orgasm. I had no idea I could be wound this tight.


    But instead of leaning down to take my nipples into his mouth, he knelt between my legs at the bottom of the bed. I wanted to scream in frustration as he pulled his knee away from my soaking wet core, but I was too interested in what he was going to do down there. I forced myself toy still, anticipation making my entire body quiver.


    He took my right foot in his hand, then slowly brought it to his mouth and kissed my toes. I giggled involuntarily as his breath tickled me. He took my left foot and did the same thing, then turned and kissed the inside of my right ankle. He worked his way slowly up my legs, first kissing one, then the other.


    Finally, he was kissing the top of my inner right thigh. He was so close I could feel his breath against my pussy as he turned from my right thigh to my left. I moaned in anticipation of what was toe. His mouth was so close.


    But instead of leaning into my soaking folds, he stood up again. This time I did let out a little scream of frustration. Heughed, then with one swift movement he pulled the towel off of me, baring me to him and the rest of the world.


    The sudden hit of cool air had my nipples prickling tighter than they ever had been before, and he looked at them hungrily. He leaned over, taking one into his mouth and rolling his tongue over it. I ran my fingers through his hair and held on for dear life as the amazing sensation burned through me.


    Without stopping the expert things his tongue was doing, he reached his hand down and pressed one finger into me while rubbing my clit with his thumb. Stars danced in front of my eyes as I was ovee with pleasure.


    He stopped sucking my nipple just long enough to lean up and kiss me, then said, ¡°Come for me, baby,¡± before leaning down to suck my other nipple into his mouth.


    I felt my pussy clenching hard around his fingers as he moved rhythmically in and out, and his thumb kept rubbing circles around and around. The pleasure I was feeling kept building and building further than I thought possible, and then he leaned up and kissed me hard. His kiss was what finally gave me my release.


    ¡°Oh, Gio, yes!¡± I moaned loudly before he slipped his tongue into my mouth, and my entire body tightened in pleasure.


    He kept his hand where it was, his finger and thumb riding out my orgasm with me, pumping just enough to keep me going but not enough to overwhelm me. When he could tell that I was spent, he slowly pulled his hand out from between my legs.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I murmured, feeling shy as I realized that he was still fully clothed while I was lying there naked and flushed with pleasure.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he said hungrily, then he grabbed me by the hips and flipped me over so that I was leaning on the bed while my feet were on the ground.


    He gently pushed his foot against mine to encourage me to open myself to him. I heard the clink of his belt buckle being undone, then the zipper of his pants. Finally, I felt his cock pressing against me. He put himself between my legs and let the head of his cock tease my clit. I moaned and arched my back again, wanting nothing more than to feel him inside me. He chuckled at how eager I was, then mmed into me so hard I gasped. I never even heard him put on the condom. His hands gripped my hips so hard I couldn¡¯t move as he pushed further and further into me.


    ¡°Finally,¡± I moaned as he filled me.


    As soon as he was as deep as he could get, he pulled back, still keeping his hands firmly on my hips. He mmed into me again, my breasts jiggling on impact and my entire body beginning to ache for another release. He knew exactly what I needed, and he reached around to rub his finger against my clit. His touch felt so good I was gasping for air as he roughly pressed into me again and again, all while teasing my clit.


    ¡°Please, Gio,¡± I breathed, desperate for another orgasm.


    ¡°I want to hear you beg,¡± he murmured against my ear, then he kissed it before standing up and mming into me again.


    ¡°Please let mee again,¡± I moaned.


    He chuckled. ¡°Of course, baby.¡±


    He began pumping into me faster and faster, moving his finger in circr motions on my clit as he did. The pleasure built again; this time the sensation was so intense that I screamed his name as I came. My pussy clenched against his cock, and I felt hime at the same time, rocking into me in time with the aftershocks of my own orgasm.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he panted.


    Now that we had both admitted our love for each other, I got the feeling that we would never get tired of saying it.


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± I responded.


    He helped me roll over and then began tucking me into my bed.


    ¡°No, wait, don¡¯t leave. I¡¯m so tired of you leaving afterward,¡± I said.


    ¡°Sure, baby, whatever you want. I¡¯ll set an rm.¡±


    He picked up his phone and tapped a few buttons before turning out the lights and settling into bed with me. He pressed his naked body against mine and wrapped his arm around me, spooning me.


    I felt so safe and protected wrapped in his arms. I could almost forget what had happened earlier that day, but just before I drifted off to sleep, I remembered how sure I had been that I was going to leave.


    Was Giovani enough to keep me in Italy?

 Chapter 325 : Decisions Before Coffee

    <h4>Chapter 325: Chapter 325 : Decisions Before Coffee</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°I love you,¡± I murmured, cuddling into the chest of my lover. His sturdy arms wrapped around me as I sat on his thighs. I sighed in contentment, enjoying beingpletely encased in him and him only.


    The smell of sandalwood and cigar smoke tickled my nose¨Ca scent I associated with Giovani. It was one that made me feel safe and protected, where no one else could interfere.


    His fingers entangled in my hair, gently scraping against my scalp as he brushed through the locks. If I was a cat, I¡¯d be purring in hisp by now, utterly content and happy.


    Until we were rudely interrupted by a door mming open.... It echoed throughout the room, and I jolted from Giovani¡¯sp, a sense of dread overtaking me as I spotted Alessandro standing there.


    His face was covered in shadows, his mouth set in a grim line as he stood there menacingly.


    ¡°Get out,¡± I snapped, grabbing Giovani¡¯s arms to prevent him from pulling away from me. Not this time. I wasn¡¯t going to let this asshole stop us from being together.


    Alessandro¡¯s lip pulled up into a smirk, his eyes hidden from view as he stepped out of the shadows and toward us.


    ¡°Leave us alone!¡± I shouted, angrily.


    But Alessandro wasn¡¯t listening. He opened his mouth and¨C


    ¡°BEEP!¡±


    I jolted from my slumber, waking from the odd dream I¡¯d just had as a loud beeping continued to ring, growing louder and louder by the second but then fell dead silent as I managed to press the right buttons to make it stop.


    I was still waking up from my dream as I blearily tried to regain consciousness. I blinked my eyes at the crust that had developed, taking note of my surroundings as I nced around. Giovani¡¯s face was the first thing I saw.


    His eyes closed, his breathing out slow and steady, there was no sign of any of the stress or frowning I¡¯d seen him doing recently. He was peaceful¨Calmost younger somehow.


    I smiled softly, melting as I brushed my hand across his cheek, the slight stubble against my skin an odd feeling.


    ¡°Gio,¡± I called him softly and immediately, I saw the slight curl to his lip.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, his eyes still closed. ¡°I was going to wake you up, but you were too cute.¡±


    I giggled, my heart fluttering like a butterflying out of its cocoon, and I buried my head into his chest, savoring this moment that we both knew had to end soon.


    He heaved a sigh, leaning forward to kiss my forehead before he rolled over and out of bed. His nude form in the morning light was a sight to behold, and I took my sweet time watching as he stretched his muscles, his back rippling with every movement.


    I smirked as I caught sight of the few scratches down his back and a few red marks lingering around his neck. It looked like I needed to trim my nails again, though I was growing fond of the marks I was leaving on him.


    He left plenty on me, so it was only right I returned the favor.


    Maybe I was more possessive than I thought. I hummed, watching as Giovani dressed and turned back to me, his phone in his hand as he smiled gently at me.


    He was rxed and content, his whole bodycking the stiffness he had the past few days, and I was proud to note that I had just as much of an effect on him as he did on me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at breakfast,¡± he said softly, leaning down to kiss me on the lips.


    I smiled, biting his bottom lip mischievously in return, and he pulled away with a smirk.


    ¡°Naughty girl.¡±


    He booped my nose yfully, and I giggled, feeling like I was floating on air before he turned away and slipped out into the hall without another sound.


    Left alone in my thoughts, I thought about our conversation from the night before.


    He loved me.


    Those simple three words were enough to make me burst into tion, exploding when I least expected it and coating everyone around me with the joy I held in my soul, while the rest of me melted into a goo puddle of euphoria.


    I loved him.


    The bliss of knowing my feelings were returned made me want to climb to the highest rooftop and scream his name until the heavens themselves knew just how much I adored him, until even cloud nine grew jealous of my lovesickness.


    Giovani was like a dreame true to me, a man tailored just for me. He wasn¡¯t a perfect man; I wasn¡¯t perfect either, but he was perfect for mepassionate and strong, great in bed, and always willing to lend me his support when I needed it.


    He was everything I could ever want, and he was all mine.


    But inevitably, my thoughts trailed to the ces I didn¡¯t want them to go, of wide eyes and sttered red, of a man¡¯s nasty grin, and the glint of silver charging to my best friend.


    The way he had copsed, spraying us with red, red, red, red¨C


    I shivered, grasping my head in my hands as I tried to will those thoughts away, but I should¡¯ve known better. The smell of blood¨Ccopper and rust¨Cfilled my nose. Even though I knew I was just imagining it, my whole body froze up.


    The terror I had felt that day returned, hitting me like a bag of bricks. I coughed, choking on my own spit as the image of the man dying shed in front of me. I dug my nails into my arms, feeling like I had to scrub away the blood that painted me, but it wasn¡¯t there.


    My mind was ying tricks on me, and all I could do was roll over to face the sun glinting through the window and hope the light was enough to wash away the bad memories.


    I had never been exposed to death before this, had never seen anyone die before, not even an animal. I didn¡¯t realize before now how much it lingered¨Chow easy it was totch onto you and never let you go.


    I would never be able to unsee what had happened to us, never be able to forget that man¡¯sst moments. Even if he was a criminal who wanted to hurt my best friend, I didn¡¯t want him to die.


    But he did.


    It was hard to admit, but I was scared.


    No, I was terrified. And it never went away.


    I shut my eyes, counting backward from a hundred to calm down. I knew from experience that one couldn¡¯t force oneself to stop thinking of something. It would just keeping back like a boomerang.


    No matter how hard you threw it, it would just return, hitting you in the head.


    By the time I reached the fifties, I was calmer, but I felt the fear in the back of my mind. Like how you could tell someone was watching you, the fear was waiting for another moment to creep back in and remind me once again of why I needed to be afraid.


    Before it did, however, I needed a clear mind for what I had to do next. I had a decision to make¨Cwhether I stayed or not.


    With everything that had happened, it was the smarter decision to leave, to pack up and never step foot in Italy again, to try to convince my mom to break off ties with the Valentinos entirely or just go to a far-off school in Romania or some distant country instead.


    I could run away from it all.


    That¡¯s what any rational human being would do, after all.


    But humans aren¡¯t rational beings. I loved Dahlia and Tallon and even to some extent Alessandro, no matter how crazy he made me right now. They were like the siblings I never had, and we had grown up together.


    No matter how much mischief or trouble we¡¯d gotten into, they always stood by my side, always protected me, and never let me down.


    I wouldn¡¯t feel right running away, leaving them to fend for themselves, even if they were better equipped to handle this, even if there wasn¡¯t much I could do.


    They were more than just childhood friends; they were family. How could I just abandon them to save my own skin?


    I knew the answer. I couldn¡¯t.


    But I also knew none of them would hold it against me if I returned home, either. They¡¯d probably feel better, if I was being honest, to get me away from all this chaos.


    But Giovani....


    I loved him. Just as much as I did the siblings, though in a different way. I wanted a life with him, more than just a fling that we could say goodbye to. I wanted to be with him by his side, to share his burdens and his joys.


    But was he worth staying for?


    Was it worth risking my life for?


    I didn¡¯t know. And it left a bad taste to say I loved him when I couldn¡¯t even answer that question myself. How could I im to love him if I wasn¡¯t willing to stay with him?


    The mafia was his life, whether I liked it or not, and staying with him meant I would always be in danger.


    This wouldn¡¯t be the first time I would witness death or grief, or worry about my friends or family being kidnapped and tortured. Giovani led a dangerous life, and that was part of him that I had to ept if I wanted our rtionship to move further.


    But could I just ignore the fear?


    I sighed, ncing at my phone on the nightstand as I pondered whether to call my mom or not. She would know the answer. She always did.


    But I didn¡¯t want to worry her, not any more than I already had. Besides, I knew what she would say.


    She¡¯d tell me toe home. She¡¯d always put my safety above everything else.


    But this wasn¡¯t what my mom wanted or even what Giovani or Dahlia wanted. This is what I wanted.


    I got to my feet, pulling on whatever clothes I could find as I kicked the dirty ones into the corner so I could pick them upter. Before I made any decision, I needed some coffee to wake me up.


    Just as I opened up my door, I spotted a figure in the hallway, and my eyes widened as I caught someone leaving the room at the end of the hall.


    I shut the door in a hurry, my blood running cold as I realized the figure looked very familiar. It had only been a nce, but I was ny-nine percent sure that was Tallon.


    And he was leaving Giovani¡¯s room.


    Fuck. Did Tallon know too?

 Chapter 326 : Caught Again

    <h4>Chapter 326: Chapter 326 : Caught Again</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I left Olivia¡¯s room wearing only my pants as I carried my shirt and jacket in one hand. You¡¯d think I¡¯d have learned by now to dress fully before leaving Olivia¡¯s room, but I didn¡¯t.


    I was fucked the moment I walked out into the hallway. I stiffened as I caught a familiar figure standing at the end of the hallway, near the stairs.


    Tallon.


    He was holding a mug of something¨Ctea or coffee. He¡¯d probably beening back from the kitchen, and I cursed myself for getting caught once again.


    I sighed, throwing my shirt over my shoulders for some bit of coverage before I gestured to Tallon to follow me and walked away to my room.


    The metal knob was a cool relief against the heat of my palm as I twisted it, pushing the door open. As I entered, I left it wide open for him to follow, not even looking to see if he was behind me.


    By the sound of his footsteps, hesitant and quiet on the floor, he was.


    I tossed my jacket onto my bed, sighing as I copsed into one of my leather chairs. Tallon stood in the doorway, arms crossed with a surveying look as he watched me closely and carefully.


    I motioned to the other chair, and he took the invitation as he sat there, crossing one leg over the other like he didn¡¯t have a care in the world.


    I wanted to grab myself a drink, but I just sighed, slumping in my chair.


    ¡°So you and Olivia?¡± Tallon broke the silence. If it was meant to be a question, it didn¡¯t sound that way. There was a hint of usation in his voice, and I dreaded what came next.


    I didn¡¯t need another ckmail on my tab. I didn¡¯t need Tallon watching me like his brother.


    I just nodded, silently, not giving any other information away.


    ¡°Well,¡± Tallon said, not shocked about it in the slightest. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised.¡±


    ¡°That obvious?¡± I remarked, hesitant now. I was usually good at masking my emotions, but did we really give it away that easily? If so, there was no telling who else knew.


    ¡°Not really, no.¡± Tallon shrugged. ¡°But you two were paying very close attention to each other. Plus, you seemed very concerned about her safety. I guessed something was going on... but that you two were sleeping together? Not in my wildest dreams. I mean you¡¯re old, and she¡¯s almost young enough to be your daughter¨C¡±


    ¡°Shut up before I shoot you.¡± I red at him darkly, tightening my hands around the armrests.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Tallon nodded. ¡°But still, I figured if anyone would¡¯ve gotten a sugar daddy, it would be Dahlia or me, to be honest, but I guess Olivia takes after our mom in that case¨C¡±


    ¡°Tallon!¡± I snapped, sharply.


    ¡°Again, sorry,¡± Tallon said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°I¡¯m just kinda in shock, you know? I mean Olivia¡¯s like a sister to me, and to hear she¡¯s fucking my cousin who¡¯s like forty-something¨CI mean why couldn¡¯t she be like her mom? I mean, if she was into younger guys, I¡¯m not saying I wouldn¡¯t be interested but¨C¡±


    My patience snapped. I got to my feet, one second away from punching him in his face, and his mouth snapped shut as he sent me an apologetic look.


    I sighed, sitting back down. I might as well let it go. There was no point in arguing with Tallon about whatever bullshit fell out of his mouth. It was his specialty.


    That and pissing people off.


    ¡°Well,¡± Tallon said with a small grin, ¡°this certainly exins what¡¯s wrong with Alessandro.¡±


    I frowned, rubbing my temples from the growing headache. Alessandro? Did he mean his feelings for Olivia? I still wasn¡¯t happy about it, but was there something more about it that I didn¡¯t know about?


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯d want me telling you this,¡± Tallon sighed, looking a little unsure. ¡°But Alessandro¡¯s had a crush on Olivia for years. I mean, he already didn¡¯t like you because of the whole, you know, Dad choosing you as Don over him.¡±


    I nodded. I¡¯d gotten that much at least.


    ¡°But if he found out you imed Olivia before he did,¡± Tallon inhaled sharply, wincing, ¡°that would exin why he looks so damn pissed all the time and why he¡¯s practically wanting to fight everyone hees into contact with.¡±


    And ckmailing me.


    I leaned back in my chair, gritting my teeth at the reminder. I thought he had been acting childish before, but he med me for taking Olivia from him as if she were a toy he owned....


    Fuck that.


    She was a person, and she made her own damn decisions. If she chose me over him, that was something he was going to have to get over, and it was certainly no reason to ruin both of our lives just because he didn¡¯t get what he wanted.


    He may be older than her, but he acted more like a child than Olivia ever did.


    ¡°So, Alessandro knows. I get that. But, I have to ask,¡± Talllon hesitated, ncing at me then his hands tucked into hisp. ¡°Does Dahlia know?¡±


    I sighed¨Cthe million-dor question, the main cause of keeping our rtionship a secret.


    ¡°No,¡± I told him, sending him a warning nce. ¡°And we¡¯d like to keep it that way if you wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    Tallon nodded, raising his hands in defense as he shot me a grin. ¡°She won¡¯t hear anything from me. I can keep a secret, plus I don¡¯t want Livi to use her death stare on me. She can be really scary when she snaps.¡±


    He shivered like he was remembering something bad.


    I smirked. I¡¯d seen a hint of her fierceness already, both in and out of the bedroom, but I was eager to see what could make both Alessandro and Tallon listen to her without fear... as long as it wasn¡¯t used on me, that is.


    ¡°But if it helps, I don¡¯t think Dahlia would be mad.¡± Tallon frowned, thinking deeply about it. He chuckled, humor twinkling in his eyes as he finished, ¡°In fact, I think she¡¯d find it all kind of funny.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I snorted in disbelief. I couldn¡¯t help but think he was wrong and that Dahlia would roast me alive if she found out about us. She could be protective over her best friend, and for good reason.


    Olivia¡¯s kind nature meant others could take advantage of her, could trick her, and manipte her¨Cpeople like me.


    ¡°But Alessandro seems to think differently,¡± I sighed. ¡°He¡¯s been ckmailing me about it ever since he found out.¡±


    Tallonughed, shaking his head, and I was d he could find some kind of humor in it. I was on the edge of a line between throwing Alessandro out of the organization for good or using him as bait to catch those damn Russians.


    Either way would get him out of my hair and especially, away from Olivia.


    ¡°That sounds like him,¡± Tallon smirked, leaning back in his seat. ¡°He¡¯s egocentric, bossy, and selfish, but he¡¯s my brother, even if he keeps denying it.¡±


    ¡°Denying it?¡± I asked, my attention caught at the word. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Tallon sighed, ¡°remember when I punched him?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I smirked. I enjoyed the bruise on his jaw a little more than I should¡¯ve.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯d started talking about how he was adopted, and we weren¡¯t real siblings and all this shit.¡± Tallon shook his head, a true angry look crossing his features. ¡°As if any of that mattered at all. Mom and Dad raised him, that should be enough to prove he¡¯s their son and our brother. I guess technically he¡¯s my nephew? He¡¯s my half-sister¡¯s kid, so... yeah.¡±


    Ah. Alessandro was going through more than I realized.


    To Tallon it was simple, but to me, who knew the whole story, and to Alessandro, who had toe to terms with these facts, it was anything but.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s moreplicated than that,¡± I said, sympathizing with Alessandro now. Having toe to terms with being adopted is one thing, but learning who his birth parents were, and how badly that sperm donor who masqueraded as a father had fucked up, was quite another.


    It must¡¯ve taken a toll. Even I didn¡¯t have all the details about Tally and the Cartwrights, considering the things I¡¯d heard, I didn¡¯t me him for being confused and angry.


    I tended to forget it, but Alessandro was only neen. He was still just a kid. I certainly didn¡¯t make all the right moves when I was his age.


    ¡°Still.¡± Tallon huffed, crossing his arms. From the irritated look on his face, I knew he didn¡¯t want to listen to Alessandro¡¯s side of things, not right now. I understood that too.


    Family wasplicated, but we were still family.


    ¡°He¡¯lle around, Tallon,¡± I told him with an encouraging smile. ¡°Hopefully before he decides to form a coup and take over the organization.¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t be so understanding then.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Tallon rolled his eyes, getting to his feet as he turned his back on me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me, by the way. I won¡¯t tell anyone, even if I think you should at least tell Dahlia.¡±


    I sent him a warning look and he just scoffed.


    ¡°But I won¡¯t!¡± he called back before he stopped dead in his tracks in front of the door. ¡°Oh, and....¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, frowning as he turned around with a serious look.


    ¡°Are you and Livi happy? I mean, being together and all? This isn¡¯t just a fling, right?¡± His eyes darkened as he stepped forward, trying to be intimidating. ¡°Because I swear if I find out you were taking advantage of her, I will¨C¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡± I smirked, casuallyying my hand on my cheek. ¡°Kill me?¡±


    ¡°Well....¡± He thought for a moment but then nodded, crossing his arms determinedly. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I smiled, happy to see the protective look in his eyes. Olivia had good friends looking after her, and it reassured me that they would protect her, even from me.


    ¡°Yes, Tallon.¡± I nodded. ¡°We¡¯re happy. I gave her many opportunities to stop or walk away, even to go back to the States, but she insisted on being with me.¡±


    He pursed his lips, not entirely content as he asked, ¡°And you like her?¡±


    ¡°I love her,¡± I said, honestly.


    He narrowed his eyes, surveying me for any chance of a lie, but I knew he wouldn¡¯t find one. It was the truth. I loved her, and nothing would change that.


    Finally, he rxed, smiling back as he nodded. ¡°Good. See you tomorrow then.¡±


    As he turned around and left, I smiled to myself. I was d I didn¡¯t have to deal with ckmail from both brothers.


    But mostly, I was happy we¡¯d received Tallon¡¯s blessing.

 Chapter 327 : Blackmail Over Breakfast

    <h4>Chapter 327: Chapter 327 : ckmail Over Breakfast</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡®Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit,¡¯ was all I could think as I stood leaning against my closed door and trying to listen for any talking in the hallway.


    Tallon must have seen Gio leave my room. Oh fuck... there was no way we could possibly exin that away. There was no reasonable exnation for why Giovani had been in here with me. Now Tallon AND Alessandro were going to know about us.


    I suspected Tallon wouldn¡¯t stoop so low as to try to pull the ckmail bullshit that Alessandro had been doing, but at the same time, I had never expected Alessandro to do something like that either. People could be surprising, no matter how many years you had known them.


    I had a knot in my throat and butterflies in my stomach. That was why I fucking hated this sneaking around shit. Instead of being able to just rx and enjoy the fact that my incredibly sexy boyfriend had told me that he was in love with me the night before, I now had to stress out about whether or not the whole house was about to find out about our rtionship.


    As usual, I wished that I could just turn to Dahlia and ask for her advice about all of this. It was starting to feel inevitable that she would find out, but I still wanted it to be on my terms, not just because someone else decided to b to her.


    Fuck, I just wanted to go back to sleep and pretend this wasn¡¯t happening. But I knew that would only make things look even weirder. Maybe Tallon wouldn¡¯t know why Gio had been leaving my room early in the morning. Maybe Gio hade up with a good excuse... oh, who was I kidding? There was only one possible reason why Giovani would be leaving my room half naked, and Tallon wasn¡¯t an idiot.


    I took a deep breath and forced myself to get dressed for breakfast. I looked through my closet, wondering which outfit gave off ¡°I didn¡¯t just fuck Giovanist night¡± vibes. I settled on a in T-shirt dress, which was boring, just like I wished my life was right about now. Lately, I had been having way too much excitement.


    ¡®It could be worse,¡¯ I thought to myself. ¡®It could have been ME that he saw leaving Gio¡¯s room half naked... now that would have been embarrassing.¡¯


    But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t find a way to make myself feel better about the situation. All I could really do was go to breakfast and face the music. I hoped that at least Alessandro might be elsewhere.


    I had no such luck. When I got to the kitchen, it seemed like the whole damn house was there, and for some reason, the only empty seat left was between Tallon and Alessandro. It took everything in me to not just make an excuse and go back to my room, but I knew if I did that then Dahlia would probablye after me and ask why I was acting so goddamn weird.


    Resigned to my fate, I sat between the two men who knew my secret and hoped that neither of them would bring it up. Not wanting to look at them or at Giovani, I took a huge swig of coffee and hoped the conversation would continue without me.


    As if he knew exactly what I was thinking, Gio turned to Tallon and asked if he had seen the ser game yesterday. Without missing a beat, Tallon went into a long diatribe about how the game had clearly been rigged and how the referees were damn near ying for the other team. As he ranted, I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, trying to gauge if he felt weird toward me. It felt like nothing had changed between us. Maybe I had been wrong to assume he would make a big deal about me and Gio being together. I started to feel a little bit better. Maybe everything would be okay after all.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s bullshit!¡± Gio mmed the table with an open palm, and I jumped at the unexpected noise.


    He nced toward me apologetically when he saw that he had frightened me, but continued to argue with Tallon.


    ¡°You know just as well as I do that their center back sucks ass. You can¡¯t sit there and me everything on the refs, and you know that.¡±


    ¡°See, I knew you were going to say that,¡± Tallon responded, irritation tightening his voice. ¡°You always hate it when I point out the obvious, but you can¡¯t ignore the truth: those refs threw three red cards. When¡¯s thest time you saw something like that? That¡¯s fucking nuts!¡±


    ¡°Boys, boys,¡± Dahlia said in an amazing imitation of her mother. ¡°No arguing about anything involving balls at the table.¡±


    Gio chuckled at her ridiculous statement, but Tallon looked like he wanted to keep arguing. He was very passionate about his ser team. I didn¡¯t really understand ser, but I knew that Tallon had been a fan of the sport since he was tiny, so I was sure he took it pretty seriously.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re right, Tallon,¡± Gio conceded, although I suspected it was just to cate Tallon. ¡°Three red gs is pretty terrible.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying!¡± Tallon responded before taking a massive bite of his croissant. Little croissant kes tumbled onto his chin.


    My heart stirred as the image made me think of when he was a boy. He had been such a cute kid, and such a messy eater. It was hard to believe how fast the time had flown by. We never would have imagined the things that we would be doing as adults.


    When I turned back to my te, I could feel Alessandro looking at me. I nced in his direction, but he looked back down at his te before we made eye contact. I wanted to roll my eyes. His antics had been so childishtely, and I was sick of it.


    I turned to Giovani, not wanting to bring it up but needing to know if they had found out anything more about the guy who had attacked Dahlia and me.


    ¡°Did you hear anything more about yesterday?¡± I asked him, not sure what I wanted to hear. On the one hand, if they found out more about the guy, then maybe they could figure out who had been targeting us and make sure it didn¡¯t happen again. On the other hand, the less I knew about him, the easier it was to pretend none of it had even happened.


    Instead of answering me, Gio turned to Alessandro and looked at him expectantly. I followed his lead and turned to Alessandro as well. Alessandro looked surprised and pleased that Giovani was deferring to him. He cleared his throat and took a drink of water before speaking.


    ¡°The guy didn¡¯t have any kind of identification on him, but we did manage to get a couple of fingerprints off of his body and took a picture of his face. My team¡¯s been asking around, making use of their connections, but we haven¡¯t found anything. It¡¯s like the guy¡¯s a damn ghost.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Dahlia said. I could tell she was just as freaked out as I was.


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely difficult, but not impossible,¡± Giovani responded.


    ¡°Not impossible at all, unfortunately,¡± Alessandro continued. ¡°But I don¡¯t want you girls to worry about this. Someone, somewhere knows who this guy was and where he came from, and my team will figure it out. No matter what, we¡¯ll get to the bottom of these repeated attacks. You will be safe.¡±


    He patted my arm, but I didn¡¯t feel particrly reassured. Alessandro might care about Dahlia and want to keep her safe, but he seemed to have it out for me at the moment, what with the ckmail and all. As long as it was the both of us being targeted, I was sure that he would try his best to stop it, but if it was ever just me in the line of fire... well, I wasn¡¯t so sure if he would be as gung ho about saving me. I looked at Giovani and could tell that he had clocked Alessandro¡¯s touch. He clearly didn¡¯t like it any more than I did. I smiled slightly to myself. It was cute to see Gio getting a little bit jealous.


    ¡°Your safety is our top priority,¡± Giovani said, and I felt better. Alessandro might not care what happened to me, but Gio did.


    ¡°We appreciate it,¡± Dahlia said. ¡°I know you¡¯re both trying your best.¡±


    We all finished our breakfast in silence, nobody seeming to know exactly what to say. As I began to stand up from the table, Gabrielle wandered in.


    ¡°Giovani, I need to speak with you. Alessandro, you might as welle too,¡± Gabrielle said.


    The three of them wandered off to Giovani¡¯s office. I felt nervous about Gio and Alessandro being together without me there , but there was nothing I could do about it. Either Alessandro would behave himself or he wouldn¡¯t. I had to remind myself that Giovani could handle Alessandro¡¯s bullshit.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± Dahlia announced. ¡°I¡¯m going to goy down for a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± I asked, I was worried about her. She couldn¡¯t have been awake for more than an hour or so. How was she tired enough for a nap already?


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. The doctor told me it¡¯s normal to be extra sleepy while I recover. And although I normally just ignore it so I can spend more time doing fun things with you all, today seems like a good day to just sleep.¡±


    ¡°Okay, just let me know if you need anything.¡± She was such a ball of energy, it was easy to forget how recently she had been seriously wounded.


    ¡°I will, I promise,¡± she smiled before hobbling off to her room.


    When I realized that only Tallon and I were left at the table, all of the awkwardness I had felt when breakfast began came crashing back. I avoided looking at him and began to gather up everyone¡¯s dishes, even though I knew the house staff would do that. The table waspletely cleared, but he still hadn¡¯t left, so I decided to just start washing dishes.


    One of the maids came in and looked horrified when she saw what I was up to. Without uttering a single word, she shooed me away from the sink. I took a deep breath. I had no choice but to turn toward Tallon and face whatever it was that he wanted to say to me.


    Our eyes met, and he smiled. Was he going to ckmail me the way Alessandro was ckmailing Giovani?

 Chapter 328 : Hot Tub Truths

    <h4>Chapter 328: Chapter 328 : Hot Tub Truths</h4>


    *Olivia*


    It was the moment of truth. Was Tallon going to turn out to be as sleazy as Alessandro, or was he the nice guy that I truly believed him to be? My heart was pounding as I waited to find out.


    ¡°Hey, just so you know, I know about you and Giovani,¡± Tallon said.


    Where was he going with this? I was so terrified, I could feel my mouth going dry and my palms getting damp with sweat.


    ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± I asked, wanting him to reveal what he was thinking before I said anything more.


    ¡°And I wanted to tell you that your secret is safe with me. I know it¡¯s a delicate situation, and I¡¯ll give you as much time as you need to tell everyone, especially Dahlia. I know you¡¯re worried about what she might think, even though I don¡¯t think you really need to be. You know she cares about your happiness just as much as I do.¡±


    I sighed and felt like I was about to fall over with how relieved I was.


    ¡°Oh thank God,¡± I said. ¡°I was so scared you would be mad at me. I didn¡¯t know what I would do if both you AND Alessandro were pissed.¡±


    ¡°Olivia, you¡¯re like a sister to me. I just want to see you happy. Does he make you happy?¡±


    I nodded and grinned before rushing over to give him a huge hug. I couldn¡¯t believe I had ever doubted that he would be anything but kind about me and Gio being together. I should have known that I could trust that he really was a sweet guy. The bracelet he had bought me was glittering on my wrist; reminding me just how much he cared about my happiness.


    He pulled back from the hug, the smile on his face mirroring my own. It felt so good to have someone who knew my secret but was on my side about it. I hadn¡¯t realized just how much Alessandro¡¯s actions had been stressing me out until this moment.


    ¡°You know, you make him happy too,¡± Tallon said.


    My heart leaped for joy. I didn¡¯t know how it was possible that a man so much more experienced in life would be happy with someone young and inexperienced like me, but hearing Tallon say I made Gio happy made me feel so much more secure in our rtionship.


    ¡°You really think so?¡± I asked, realizing that for the first time, I could actually talk to a friend about my rtionship and get good advice.


    ¡°Yeah, I can tell. He wouldn¡¯t put up with this shit from Alessandro for just anyone. And he¡¯s been in a really good mood these past few weeks. I was wondering why, and now that I know about you two, that exins it.¡±


    At a loss for words, I just reached out and hugged Tallon again.


    ¡°Thank you, Tallon. This means more than I could ever exin.¡±


    He patted my back and let me squeeze him for as long as I wanted. I had a feeling he could sense just how much I had needed a friend¡¯s approval over my rtionship. I realized that a part of me had been feeling dirty about being with Gio because I had been so focused on hiding it. Now that Tallon knew about us and approved, I felt like we were one step closer to being a regr couple, and that¡¯s all I wanted.


    I pulled away from Tallon as I heard Dahlia calling for me from her room. Tallonughed. We had both noticed that she really enjoyed being able to sit in her room and yell for help. And because we were just happy she was safe and healthy, everyone had been amodating her.


    ¡°You better go see what the principessa wants,¡± he said, then patted me on the shoulder before going on his way.


    I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders as I walked toward Dahlia¡¯s room. Tallon¡¯s eptance of me and Gio made me wonder if I should just tell Dahlia about us. At this point, she was really the only one left who didn¡¯t know, and it sure would make Alessandro less annoying if he couldn¡¯t pull his ckmail shit anymore.


    When I walked into Dahlia¡¯s room, she was sitting on her butt on the floor with a pile of colorful bikinis thrown all around her. She had obviously been in the middle of undressing when she started to look for the bikini she wanted, because her shirt was pulled up over one shoulder as if she had started to take it off and then got distracted. It was a hrious sight to see.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked.


    She turned toward me, looking frustrated. ¡°I want to go out to the hot tub, but I can¡¯t find my swimsuit.¡±


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve found dozens of swimsuits,¡± Iughed.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m looking for my strapless top. I don¡¯t want tan lines. And then I have a certain pair of bottoms that tie so they¡¯re easy to get on.¡±


    I just smiled and kneeled down beside her to help her search. It was no use arguing with her when she got like this; it was easier to just go along. After a few minutes of digging, I found the top she was looking for.


    ¡°Yay!¡± she pped her hands together. ¡°Well, at least I won¡¯t have tan lines. I guess I can just wear these bottoms. I have no idea what happened to the other ones. Do you want toe out with me?¡±


    ¡°Definitely, I could use a bit of rxation. Let me go get my swimsuit,¡± I told her. A morning in the hot tub sounded heavenly after the stressful past few days we¡¯d been having.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t be silly, just grab one of these. We¡¯re the same size anyway.¡±


    I looked around at the skimpy bikinis scattered across the floor and raised my eyebrows. Dahlia and I might have simr fashion sense, but she was far more daring when it came to revealing skin than I was. At first, I thought about insisting on running to get my own suit, but then I thought, ¡®Fuck it. Who¡¯s going to see anyway?¡¯ I supposed that was the beauty of living in thepound. We had a lot more privacy than most people were used to having. Without worrying about it too much, I grabbed the top and bottoms nearest me and went to Dahlia¡¯s bathroom to put them on.


    The top was definitely showing WAY more cleavage than I normally would, and the bottoms were nearly nonexistent, but I had to be honest, I looked pretty hot. The Italian sunshine had been doing wonders for myplexion, and all the croissants and gto had given my ass a little more shape than it usually had. A little thrill went through me as I wondered if we would run into Gio on the way to the hot tub. If he saw me in this, he would definitely be thinking about me for the rest of the day. I made a mental note to buy a skimpy swimsuit like this for myself. Maybe one day Gio and I would be able to take a trip to the beach, just the two of us.


    I left the bathroom to find Dahlia in a suit just as revealing as the one she had given me, and we made our way to the hot tub. She hissed as she lowered herself into the water, and I worried that it was hurting her. It was a much cooler day than usual for it being summer, but I didn¡¯t want her to overheat.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked, ready to help her back out if needed.


    ¡°Yeah, this feels amazing actually. My ribs have been acting up all day, but this helps a lot.¡±


    She sank further into the water andid her head back on the side. I got in carefully so I wouldn¡¯t ssh her. The water really wasn¡¯t that warm at all. But she was right; the movement of the water did feel amazing. I followed her lead andid my head back too, closing my eyes and just taking in the calming warmth of the water.


    I started to daydream about going to the beach with Giovani and lying next to him on the sand. His olive-toned skin would look amazing with the sun shining down on him. I imagined how it would feel to have him rub sunscreen all over me and thought about how much I would enjoy rubbing sunscreen onto his muscled back, feeling it flex beneath my hands.


    ¡°Hey, Olive,¡± Dahlia said, pulling me out of my meditative state.


    I blinked and forced myself back to reality, looking at her. She had a strange expression on her face and my stomach sank, worried about what she was going to say. Had Tallon told her before I got the chance to? I didn¡¯t think he would lie to me like that.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Do you have a thing for Alessandro?¡±


    I was so surprised by what she was asking that I just sat there staring at her. Why in the world would she think I had a thing for Alessandro? Of all the people in the house, he was the one I was most annoyed withtely and had been trying to actively avoid.


    ¡°Alessandro?¡± Iughed, the thought so absurd that I couldn¡¯t take it seriously. ¡°No, not at all. Not in a million years. Why are you asking?¡±


    ¡°I just... I¡¯ve noticed the way he looks at you. And you¡¯ve been acting kind of weird around himtely.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes at me as if she was trying to read my mind. I held her eye contact so she would know I wasn¡¯t lying to her.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing between me and Alessandro. Honestly, I kind of just think of him as family,¡± I told her, and it was the truth. Family that was currently annoying the absolute shit out of me¨Cbut she didn¡¯t need to hear that.


    ¡°Well, I wanted to let you know that it wouldn¡¯t bother me, if, you know, if you two wanted to get together. I know some people think that¡¯s weird, their friend dating their brother. But I don¡¯t. If you liked him, I wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    Her words resonated with me more than she realized. It wasn¡¯t a rtionship with Alessandro that I was afraid she¡¯d be angry about, but maybe what she was saying indicated that she would be okay with me and Giovanni too. I wondered if now was the time toe clean about us. She was rxed, she was thinking about me dating her family members... maybe this was the perfect time.


    ¡°Dahlia, I¡¯m not into Alessandro at all, but...¡± I trailed off, losing my courage.


    ¡°But what?¡± she asked, clearly curious about what I had been nning to say next.


    ¡°But I do really appreciate you being okay with it, if that was a thing. It means a lot to me that you¡¯d understand.¡±


    I had chickened out. I didn¡¯t want to ruin our perfect morning by bringing up my rtionship with Gio. But I had the feeling that the time to tell Dahlia the truth wasing soon.

 Chapter 329 : This Is War

    <h4>Chapter 329: Chapter 329 : This Is War</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I led Gabriele and Alessandro into my studio, shutting the door quietly behind them. I ignored both of their presences as I calmly headed for the liquor cab. To get through this conversation without exploding, I definitely needed a drink.


    I grabbed my strongest bottle of brandy since the whiskey was missing. I poured three sses of amber liquid and turned to Alessandro and Gabriele, offering the sses.


    Gabriele took his but Alessandro only stared at me judgmentally. I shrugged and downed the ss meant for him before grabbing my own. I rounded my desk and settled into my chair, finally ready for this.


    ¡°What did you find?¡± I asked, as calm as I could be.


    ¡°There was a small cat tattoo on his hand,¡± Gabriele started, ¡°identical to the one we found on the others.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s one of Dmitri¡¯s men?¡± I asked, gripping my ss tightly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gabriele responded easily. ¡°We did manage to find out that Dmitri is, in fact, the new head of the family. We got news from one of our men in Russia who managed to slip into their ranks. Apparently, Dmitri and the majority of his men are already in Italy.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I sighed. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Gabriele nced at me, a bit hesitant like I was a bomb that might explode. But sighed as he said, ¡°We¡¯ve also been monitoring the Russo branch here in Italy. We thought they might make contact and fortunately, we were in luck.¡±


    Gabriele nodded to the folder already sitting on my desk, and I wondered briefly when he had gotten it to me before opening it up.


    There was a photo¨Cprobably taken from security footage¨Cof a man I would recognize anywhere, the man who had stared right into the camera, who had taunted us as he killed our men at the shipping yard attack. His smirk as he put a bullet through Lain¡¯s head was still fresh in my mind. I would never forget this bastard.


    Any attempts to remain calm flew out of the window. My blood pumped as my fury rose, and I clenched my teeth together, the photo crumbling around the edges as I gripped it too tightly.


    ¡°Who is he?¡± I growled, staring at Gabriele demandingly.


    ¡°You are looking at Dmitri Zaytsev,¡± Gabriele replied calmly.


    Alessandro jolted, wide-eyed and I dropped the photo, swallowing down my anger. My suspicions were correct after all. Dmitri had led the attack.


    He wasn¡¯t just ordering his men around. He was participating. This was personal to him.


    Alessandro snatched the photo, ring darkly at the photo as he memorized the face of the man who had tried to kill his sister twice.


    ¡°He¡¯s not hiding anymore,¡± Gabriele said, sharply. ¡°He¡¯s been causing all sorts of chaos besides us. He¡¯s already attacked Econova and Noquent. Econova¡¯s withdrawing from the contract we¡¯ve been trying to build with them because of it. Noquent¡¯s lost ten months of supplies in the past month already.¡±


    ¡°Dammit,¡± I mmed my fist onto the desk.


    Econova secured funding for us, and without it we¡¯d take a considerable toll. And Noquent... if they decided to pull out of our contract with them, we¡¯d lose shipping rights to almost seventeen countries.


    ¡°He¡¯s making himself quite a name in only the month he¡¯s been active, ¡° Gabriele said darkly, ¡°He¡¯s vicious and has no mercy. From what our mole said, he even took over the Zaytsevs by ughtering every other one of his cousins who had a im. He¡¯s not ying around anymore.¡±


    ¡°Now he¡¯sing after us because of our syndicate killing his cousin all those years ago,¡± I said. I glowered at the face of the man who had caused so much trouble, my anger rising as I thought of everything he had hurt.


    Dahlia, pale and bleeding out on the cold floor¨CI would never forget how terrified I felt that we would lose her, or the lost look in Tallon¡¯s eyes as he waited in the hospital for the news that his sister might be dead... the employees who had lost their lives on the attack¨Cincluding Lain, who was so young as a bullet got put through his fucking head... and that bastard smiling like he thought it was funny.


    I remembered the image of Olivia¨Cthe haunted look in her eyes as she stared at me helpless and aimless, one second from falling into the abyss where I¡¯d never get her back.


    I shook my head as I hardened like a stone, my anger building to the one thing I wanted more than anything else.


    Revenge.


    I downed the rest of my drink and mmed the ss over the picture of Dmitri.


    ¡°If he wants a war, he can have one,¡± I said, darkly.


    Just as I turned to Gabriele to discuss our next movements, I heard a low chuckle from over the window. Alessandro was looking through the curtains, grinning widely as he stared at something outside.


    ¡°Alessandro,¡± I called him sharply.


    He nced at me boredly and then turned back to stare at the window.


    ¡°Why the fuck are you smiling? You obviously haven¡¯t been listening to the conversation you so desperately wanted to be a part of, so what¡¯s more important than this?¡± I snapped.


    Alessandro chuckled, then nced at me with a sly grin. ¡°I was just looking at Olivia in her bathing suit. She¡¯s so gorgeous.¡±


    I hardened, but my curiosity was piqued as was my possessiveness. I walked around my desk and over to the window while Gabriele just sighed behind us, shaking his head.


    I nced through the window, peeking just a bit, and sure enough, there was Olivia. Dressed in a tight little bikini, she was absolutely gorgeous under the hot sun, a big smile on her face as she rxed in the hot tub with Dahlia.


    My jealousy reared its head as I realized Alessandro had been spying on them this whole time, gazing at all the skin Olivia had been showing.


    I grit my teeth and shoved the curtains closed, purposefully cing my body between Alessandro and the window. I red at him, telling him to move silently and he shrugged, walking away like he didn¡¯t give a shit.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had my fill anyway,¡± he said casually, his hands shoved into his pockets and I wanted to punch him in his stupid smug face.


    I clenched my fists, breathing out to regain my calm so I didn¡¯t actually give him a new shiner. He¡¯d only just gotten rid of the one Tallon gave him.


    ¡°Now were you actually paying attention, or did you need me to run over everything again?¡± I said, irritatedly.


    ¡°I heard the conversation,¡± Alessandro said, crossing his arms as he watched me head back to my desk. ¡°We should hit back just as mercilessly as he does.¡±


    ¡°No, we take this slow, give him no chances to escape and then we destroy that fucking family for good this time,¡± I said. ¡°Understood?¡±


    ¡°I disagree,¡± Alessandro argued, his temper showing up as he stepped forward. ¡°We need to be ruthless and quick, or they¡¯ll do more damage than we can fix!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± I said angrily. ¡°If we make any reckless moves, they could gain the upper hand and he could vanish again. We have to be patient to catch this asshole, no sudden moves for the time being.¡±


    ¡°More waiting?¡± Alessandro red at me, stepping forward. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a fucking coward, but I¡¯m not waiting just so he can go after my little sister again!¡±


    ¡°Alessandro!¡± I snapped, getting to my feet. ¡°Acting recklessly will only put Dahlia and our organization in more danger. If we try to make a move before we¡¯re ready, we¡¯ll lose him. We need to act logically, not emotionally. If you can¡¯t do that, I will put you on the sidelines. Do you understand me?¡±


    Alessandro¡¯s mouth twisted unhappily, looking very much like he wanted to protest, but I was not willing to entertain his childish behavior today, not this time.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Alessandro said, finally. ¡°But we need to dismantle that organization piece by piece.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± I nodded. That was the one thing we could both agree on. It needed to be destroyed inside and out so there could never be a chance for them to rise again.


    If I could have, I would have rushed in and killed the bastard right then, but I wasn¡¯t going to let Dahlia or Olivia be put in any more danger.


    ¡°Gabriele, focus your team on Russo. We can use the contract with Vexion to start cutting off their assets. Iste them slowly so they¡¯ll be forced to show their hand,¡± I said firmly. ¡°In the meantime, Alessandro, take a team and track the whereabouts of Dmitri¡¯s men. He¡¯s got his footprints in my city, and I want to fucking know where.¡±


    The two of them nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll focus on protecting our assets, including thepound. Double security for the time being and I¡¯ll contact Haletone to provide more weapons. Do not go anywhere without bulletproof vests or firearms, got it?¡± I warned them, firmly.


    This was something I was not willing to negotiate on.


    ¡°I get it,¡± Alessandro scoffed, ¡°but if that bastard shows up in front of me, I¡¯ll put a bullet in his skull. I don¡¯t care what or where I am.¡±


    ¡°I would expect nothing else,¡± I smirked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get Manon on fixing the contracts with Econova and Noquent, we should at least be able to salvage what we can from this mess,¡± Gabriele nodded.


    ¡°Do it then.¡± I nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you allter tonight to go over things some more.¡±


    Gabriele pulled out his phone, already speed-dialing someone as he opened the door and walked out but Alessandro lingered for a moment.


    He stared at me, with an odd look to him.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I said, impatiently, hating the way he was just staring at me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow you on this,¡± Alessandro said calmly.


    I blinked in surprise, mostly at how respectful he was actually being right now. After weeks of disrespect and tant hatred thrown in my face, especially the ckmail, it was a nice pace of change.


    For once, I saw the boy who he used to be, the one who used to follow me around every summer, begging to y chess even if he lost every time. He wanted to win just once, to prove that he could beat me at something.


    At the time, it had seemed so important that I not give a false victory, that I didn¡¯t realize how discouraged I must¡¯ve made him. Maybe that was the start of this envy and rivalry he thrived on.


    ¡°You will?¡± I asked, cautiously, not entirely believing him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alessandro nodded but then hardened, giving me a stern look. ¡°But if your way of doing things messes this up or puts my family in any more danger, I won¡¯t hesitate to do things my way.¡±


    With that, he turned his back on me and walked right out the door.


    Well, so much for being respectful.


    I sighed, sliding into my office chair as I nced at the photo of Dmitri Zaytsev that lingered on my desk.


    Well, you bastard, I thought, you¡¯ve fucked with the wrong person.


    This is war, Dmitri. I hope you¡¯re ready for it.

 Chapter 330 : Untie Me

    <h4>Chapter 330: Chapter 330 : Untie Me</h4>


    *Olivia*


    By the time the two of us got out of the hot tub, our fingers and toes were shriveled up like raisins, but we were bothpletely rxed. The warm water dripped from the ends of our hair and across our skin onto the hot concrete below.


    I regretted not bringing any sandals with us as I quickly fled into the shade. It was colder, but at least my skin wasn¡¯t burning off my feet.


    Dahlia grabbed her purple towel, patting herself down quickly as she stretched in the sun like azy cat.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna jump into the shower,¡± Dahlia said, wrapping her wet hair in a towel. ¡°My hair feels gross.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what chlorine does to you,¡± I grinned as I grabbed the towel I¡¯d left on thewn chair, wrapping it around myself. Bikinis were never my thing, and I felt better with anotheryer wrapped around me.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I smiled at her as we headed inside. I nced at the stitches on her bare stomach, hating how grizzly they looked. Even as well-healed as they seemed, it would take a while longer before they were ready toe out.


    Dahlia caught my nce and wrapped her towel around her waist, hiding the injury from my sight.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go in.¡± She smiled knowingly, gesturing to go inside.


    I nodded as we separated at the stairs. Dahlia headed for her room on the first floor, and I headed up the stairs to my own.


    Even if Dahlia was capable of climbing the stairs now, it wasn¡¯t good for her to do so every day, so Giovani decided to keep her room where it was.


    As I was climbing the stairs, I heard footsteps heading my way. Alessandro appeared around the corner, and our eyes met as he stepped into my path.


    ¡°Nice look there,¡± Alessandro smirked, winking at me as he descended the stairs until he was right in front of me. ¡°But I prefer you without the towel.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, stepping around him and hurrying away from the lustful gazes he kept sending me, even as he tried to be discreet about it. He was anything but.


    Once I turned the corner, I couldn¡¯t feel his eyes on my skin anymore, and I breathed a sigh of relief. The floorboards were cold on my bare feet, and I brushed my wet hair around my shoulder as I headed straight for my room.


    Just as I opened my door, another clicked open, and Giovani stepped out of his office. Our gazes met across the hallway, and I saw his eyes drift downward across my chest and then to my exposed legs.


    I was extremely happy with the tan I had gotten this summer, and my legs showed it.


    I smirked at him, one hand on my hip as I sent him a sultry gaze and then turned away. I entered my room, leaving my door open for him to follow me in.


    He did, not saying a single word as I heard him quietly following me. The door clicked shut behind us, but I didn¡¯t look at him at all.


    I paid him no mind as I dropped the towel onto the floor, stretching my arms up above me purposefully.


    I was teasing him, and we both knew it.


    I reached behind me to untie my bikini straps, ncing over my shoulder as I did. His eyes were focused on my hands, watching as I pulled on the string, allowing the knot toe undone.


    I felt his stare on me, like the sun kissing my skin.


    ¡°Could you help with the top knot?¡± I asked in a low tone, pretending like it was a simple, innocent request, even if I was about as innocent as a child caught with their hand in a cookie jar before dinner.


    I grinned as I heard him suck in a low breath like he was restraining himself for my sake. He stepped forward, his shoes squeaking on the floor as he came close enough that I could feel his body heat radiating along my spine.


    If I leaned back just a fraction of an inch, I would be in his arms.


    I pulled my hair over my shoulder, exposing my neck as my bikini top hung loosely across my chest. It didn¡¯t cover anything anymore, and that was precisely the point.


    His rough hands brushed across my shoulders, and I waited patiently as he trailed his calloused fingers across my skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps wherever he touched.


    Even after having been together for months, he still affected me like it was the first day I was with him.


    I hummed, taking my mind away from his slow and steady pace as he gently trailed along my neck, and finally, the top knot of my bikini.


    He was as gentle as ever, treating me like I was something precious, like a ss rose he could hold in his palms. I was something to be kept safe and to be treasured, and that was part of why my feelings for him had grown so strong.


    I let out a shaky breath as he finally untied the knot, and I didn¡¯t even try to catch my top as it fell to the floor.


    My whole body was electrified, the tension between us more than my patience could bear as I turned around in only my bottoms, my exposed breasts just barely touching his suit.


    I smirked at the hunger in his eyes. He devoured me in his mind with a look that any respectable woman would go running at.


    I yed my fingers up the soft fabric of his suit, gently grasping the tie around his throat and pulling him down a few centimeters to meet me. He went willingly, with no resistance at all, but I loved the way he kept his eyes on me at all times, not even blinking.


    It was like he was trying to sear my image into his mind.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I purred, leaning in close to whisper in his ear, ¡°carino.¡±


    The word was unfamiliar on my tongue but it was a taste I liked. The pet name he always called me was reversed.


    A low growl came from his throat, and I could sense he was about one word from grabbing me and fucking me on this very floor.


    I grew wet at the thought, but I wasn¡¯t nning on being that easy.


    I dropped his tie, turning my back on him as I swayed into the bathroom. I opened the door to turn on the water, putting my hand under to check the temperature.


    Behind me, I heard Giovani following me inside, lingering by the door as he didn¡¯t even hide how he checked me out.


    ¡°You know,¡± I said, turning around to face him, ¡°Tallon told me he knows about us.¡±


    ¡°I figured.¡± He chuckled, his eyes attached respectfully to my face and not my chest. ¡°He saw me walking out of your room.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I nodded, realizing now what had tipped him off. ¡°He told me he wasn¡¯t bothered about us so I¡¯m not too worried. He did say something else interesting.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± He tilted his head, curiously, ¡°And what was that?¡±


    ¡°That if Dahlia found out about us¨C¡± I started, coyly ncing at him to check his reaction.


    He simply raised his eyebrow in question, not getting where I was going.


    ¡°He said he doubted that she would even be mad.¡± I smiled, holding my hands behind my back as I swayed over to him. The sound of the running shower made it hard to hear, but I was near positive that I heard him gulp.


    ¡°So I was thinking,¡± I said, smiling at the floor and then gazing into his eyes. There was no fear or doubt left inside of me. Just assurance.


    Giovani was the man I loved, the one I wanted to spend my life with. It was time to let everyone know that.


    ¡°What do you think about just telling everyone about us, Gio?¡± I asked, brightly,ying my hand on his suit as I stepped closer. I could feel his erection pushing against my stomach and I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck.


    Giovani stiffened, an odd look crossing his face beneath the desire.


    ¡°Gio?¡± I asked, frowning as Iid a hand on his cheek. Our eyes met, and I saw a hesitancy I hadn¡¯t before.


    He sighed, deep and heavy, and I felt his shoulders slump as he avoided my eyes. Pangs of insecurity shot through my heart. Wounded, I stepped away from him, removing my hand from his face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± I asked timidly, my eyes wide at the uncertain look he gave me.


    ¡°No, I want to.¡± He grabbed my hand, pulling it back onto his cheek as he stepped closer, boxing me in. I couldn¡¯t decipher the emotions he was radiating, aplicated whirlwind of doubt.


    ¡°I¡¯m just unsure,¡± he finishedmely, his emotions finally settling on guilt. ¡°Things are justplicated right now.¡±


    ¡°Complicated?¡± I repeated, a fire lighting up in my heart as I realized what he was trying to say. ¡°It¡¯s beenplicated since the day we met, but I love you, and you said you loved me. So what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°Look, can we talk about thister?¡± He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he backed away from me.


    I grit my teeth together, incredibly unhappy now. I had finally figured it out... and now he was the one backing away?


    I was tired of keeping secrets, of hiding and being ckmailed. I just wanted this to be a normal rtionship, or as normal as I could get.


    ¡°It¡¯s either we tell people or we stop, Giovani,¡± I crossed my arms over my chest, annoyed now at hisck of confidence. I thought we¡¯d finally got past this hurdle.


    But I was wrong.


    Giovani stared at me, a lost look in his eyes as if he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    I sighed, irritated as I brushed my hair over my shoulder, tapping my fingers on my arm unhappily. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll talk about thister. I¡¯m getting in the shower. You should go before someone else catches you.¡±


    It was a low blow, I knew it, but he only sighed, ncing at me onest time before he turned away without another word.


    I waited until I heard the sound of my door shut before I slumped in defeat. It felt like there was always one problem after another. When were we ever going to be together for real?


    I stepped into the shower, pushing the heat to the highest setting. My skin turned an angry shade of red underneath the hot water, but I didn¡¯t care.


    It matched my mood perfectly.

 Chapter 331 : Courage

    <h4>Chapter 331: Chapter 331 : Courage</h4>


    *Olivia*


    The hot shower rxed me more than I thought it would. I stepped out of the steam feeling more refreshed than I had in days. I grabbed a fresh towel and wrapped it around me.


    With my thoughts centered, I pulled out thefiest clothes I had, and I got dressed. I sat down at the vanity to blow dry my hair, staring at myself in the mirror as I did so. The sound of the dryer was deafening and perfect for me to get lost in my thoughts.


    I thought deeply about my rtionship with Giovanni. It had surprised me that he wasn¡¯t willing to go public with us, after all that bravado he¡¯d shown. It made me think for a moment that he really was ashamed of me... of us.


    But I knew better. He wasn¡¯t that kind of man.


    I regretted acting so aggressively with him. Ultimately, we both needed to befortable and happy in this rtionship before we did anything. And if Giovani wasn¡¯t willing to, I couldn¡¯t force him, no matter how frustrating it was.


    Giovani had waited all this time for me. The least I could do was do the same.


    I sighed, dropping my hairdryer onto the table as I moved on to my makeup. I decided to go rather simple for today, not in the mood to doll up at all. I wasn¡¯t going anywhere.


    When I was done, I smiled at myself in the mirror, satisfied with my look. As I was deciding just how to confront Giovani about this when we inevitably talkedter, my door burst open with a bang.


    ¡°Look who can make it up the stairs now!¡± Dahlia said in a sing-song voice as she burst through the door with a huge grin.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you,¡± Iughed, turning my seat to face her.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Sheughed as she took a running start andunched herself onto my bed. The whole thing shifted with her body weight, a loud screech from the wood on the floor. She bounced on theforter, sending a few pillows flying to the floor but I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°You still have to be careful,¡± I warned her. ¡°You could still pull your stitches.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± she huffed. ¡°Don¡¯t be a worrywart. I¡¯ve got two brothers and a cousin to do that for you. Could you at least sound like a young woman who just became an adult? I swear, people would think you¡¯re, like, fifty.¡±


    ¡°Rude,¡± I stuck out my tongue, but I had no defense.


    ¡°But true,¡± she shot back, crossing her arms.


    She was right. Even when we were kids, I¡¯d always been the most mature and sensible one, probably due to my mother¡¯s influence, if I was being honest.


    ¡°I¡¯m the only thing that kept you guys alive,¡± I told her, grinning as we reminisced about our childhood. ¡°You three are the most reckless group of siblings I¡¯ve ever met. You¡¯re lucky none of you died.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a talent.¡± She shrugged, leaning back on her hands. Then she shot me a sly look, ¡°And speaking of reckless ideas....¡±


    I frowned, wondering what she meant until it dawned on me. The look of excitement in her eyes and the way she bounced her leg quickly. I knew her like the back of my hand and I quickly caught on the bad idea in her head.


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± I immediately shook my head, putting my foot down. ¡°Absolutely not!¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on,¡± Dahlia whined, stomping her foot childishly. ¡°We¡¯ve been stuck in this house for ages! I wanna do something!¡±


    ¡°Last time I let you talk me into going somewhere, you almost got stabbed, and I had gto ruined for me for the rest of my life!¡± I scowled, pinning her with a re. ¡°The answer is a hard no.¡±


    ¡°Olive,¡± she pouted.


    ¡°Nope.¡± I turned my head away, not letting her convince me. Not this time.


    ¡°Olive,¡± she whined, pulling at my arm, but I shut my eyes tightly, not giving in.


    ¡°Olive....¡± Her voice softened, and my eyes snapped open without thinking as I nced at her worriedly. She was holding my hand in hers, just resting it on her palm. There was a sad look in her eyes, and it took a minute to realize why.


    I thought maybe I was hallucinating, or just seeing things, but no, I wasn¡¯t. My hand was shaking in her palms, just the slightest bit, enough to be noticeable, and I frowned in confusion... until I realized the heavy pit of anxiety sitting in my stomach wasn¡¯t normal.


    I grabbed my hand back, swallowing ufortably as I realized just how afraid I was. The terror and fear had be so normal to me since the incident, since Dahlia had gotten kidnapped, that I hadn¡¯t even noticed it was off.


    Something was wrong with me.


    ¡°Are you that scared of leaving?¡± Dahlia asked, quietly, a somber look on her face. I hated the way she looked at me, sympathy mixed with understanding. I didn¡¯t want it.


    I wanted her tough, to tuck thatughter into my pocket and bring it with me on rainy days. Dahlia should always be smiling, pulling me along onto whatever scheme she happened to think of next, and no matter what happened, I would be her rock.


    I was the normal one, the sensible one, the one who always knew the right thing to do, who was always calm and able to help everyone else.


    I couldn¡¯t fall apart.


    The denial faded away like waves on a shoreline, and for a brief moment of rity, I realized that this is what that was.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared, Dolly,¡± I admitted to her, and to myself, ¡°of the men who are after you, of losing you or anybody else, of just walking out the front door. I can¡¯t fight them off. I don¡¯t know how to keep you safe or even myself.¡±


    She nodded slowly like she had been waiting for this¨Cfor me to fall apart in her hands.


    ¡°Olive.¡± She kneeled down in front of me, grasping my hands in hers. She looked up to me with so much care and understanding, the free-spirited best friend who loved me to pieces gazing at me like she was ready to catch me if I fell apart in front of her.


    ¡°I understand, Olive.¡± She squeezed my hand. ¡°I feel the same way. Some days, I¡¯m so terrified I can¡¯t even get out of bed. Sometimes, I¡¯m so scared to be alone¨Ceven if it¡¯s just my room¨Cthat I feel like I¡¯m choking. I have nightmares of theming to get me, grabbing me, or worse, Tallon or you, and torturing you in front of me.¡±


    There was a raw honesty in her eyes, a hoarse truth in her voice. She was letting me see behind the fearless bravado she always put up and into the real trauma that she¡¯d been dealing with.


    I was both honored and sad.


    Her lips folded into a determined line, gazing up at me fiercely. ¡°But I won¡¯t let them win. They don¡¯t have me locked up anymore, and I¡¯m not going to let them have any control over my life. I¡¯m scared, Olive, but I won¡¯t let that stop me. We¡¯re young, free adults in Italy, and we should live like it.¡±


    I felt odd as I watched the bravery shining in her eyes, like how a mother might feel as she watched her daughter stride across the graduation stage.


    The courage she possessed seemed like a fire that would never go out. Even after so many people had tried to snuff it out, it only burned brighter.


    That was the thing I loved the most about Dahlia.


    ¡°So I¡¯m going out tonight,¡± Dahlia dered stubbornly. ¡°You can stay home if you want, or you cane with us, but I¡¯m not going to let the fear of what might happen stop me from having a good night out.¡±


    She gave my hand onest squeeze and got to her feet, intending to leave.


    I sighed, shaking my head fondly as I realized there was no winning against her. After so many years, you¡¯d think I¡¯d have learned, but she was always surprising me.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I called out just as she reached the door.


    She paused, looking over her shoulder with a hopeful look.


    I smiled, giving uppletely, ¡°So what should I wear?¡±


    She squealed, turning around to grab me into a tight embrace and Iughed as she attempted to smother me with a hug.


    ¡°I was thinking we¡¯d just go out to a simple dinner, no fancy stuff. I already picked the ce and I have your dress picked out already,¡± she rambled on, excitedly. ¡°Plus, I know you¡¯re concerned about safety so I already invited Tallon and Alessandro. They said they¡¯d go if you go, so now everything¡¯s all set.¡±


    ¡°You set me up,¡± I sighed, as I realized I was once again yed by my best friend.


    ¡°Maybe just a bit.¡± She grinned sheepishly. ¡°Plus, I got us both new dresses for tonight. Oh, let me go tell Tallon to set up the reservation! I¡¯ve got to show you the dresses!¡±


    She jumped to her feet, already flipping her phone out and dialing who I suspected was Tallon.


    ¡°She agreed! I was thinking six, six thirty?¡± Dahlia said to the phone, then held her hand over the speaker as she nced at me. ¡°What are you waiting for? Do your hair and makeup, and I¡¯ll bring the dresses over! No dilly-dallying.¡±


    Honestly, who said dilly-dallying in this day and age?


    But I couldn¡¯t tell her myints because she was already racing out of my room and down the hall. I nced at the vanity mirror, sulking as I realized I would have to redo my hair and makeup all over again.


    So much forfortable clothing, I thought as I tugged at my soft, old T-shirt. I wasn¡¯t worried about the dress she had picked up, Dahlia had a good fashion sense, so I was sure it was going to be stunning.


    But I hesitated in spending any time with Alessandro. He was already on my nerves with how he had been actingtely, ckmailing us, taking control of the organization away from Giovani, and arguing with everyone about everything.


    Even hisme attempts at wooing me were shameful at best and nearing sexual harassment at this point. I wished he would just go back home or at the very least leave me alone.


    We had enough problems with Alessandro digging up drama whenever he could.


    I sighed, reaching for my mascara when the door burst open once more, and I dropped the tube as it ttered under the vanity.


    I huffed, turning to stare at whoever had intruded but my eyes widened in surprise instead. Dahlia had returned, and she was holding a dress out for me to take.


    ¡°Like it?¡± she said coyly.


    It was gorgeous, one of the fanciest dresses I¡¯d ever seen. ¡°Is that really mine?¡± I asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re gonna look stunning in this baby.¡± She giggled, pushing her way through and shutting the door behind her.


    Gazing at the dress she¡¯d chosen for me, I couldn¡¯t help but agree.

 Chapter 332 : An Almost Perfect Evening

    <h4>Chapter 332: Chapter 332 : An Almost Perfect Evening</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Dahlia left me to get dressed, practically bouncing with excitement on her way out. I wondered how she had known that she¡¯d be able to convince me to go out. It seemed like she could damn near convince me to do anything.


    But if I was being honest with myself, I kind of loved it. Her carefree attitude and determination to keep living her life no matter what happened was a good reminder that I couldn¡¯t spend the rest of my life being so scared, especially if I hoped to have any kind of future with Giovani. Danger was just going to be a part of my life. I hoped it would be a small part, but I had already learned that there were no guarantees.


    I pulled on the little ck dress that Dahlia had picked for me and looked at myself in amazement. Somehow she had managed to find a dress that hugged my body so well it looked like it had been tailored to my exact measurements. It had a structured bodice that pushed my boobs up just enough to make them look phenomenal, and it came down to the middle of my thighs, just short enough to be sexy but not so short as to look inappropriate. I had no idea how a simple ck dress could make me look so good, but Dahlia had always had a shopping superpower. She was amazing at spotting gorgeous clothes that she knew I¡¯d love, and this dress was no exception. The fabric was clearly extremely expensive with ace ovey that looked to be handmade.


    I did a slow spin in front of the mirror to admire myself and make sure that I looked how I wanted. I had decided to pull my hair up into a simple twist with just a few strands framing my face. My makeup was a ssic smokey eye thatplimented the dress perfectly. I wasn¡¯t usually one to get caught up in my looks, but I really did feel exceptionally beautiful.


    I just wished that I was going to dinner with Gio instead of Alessandro.


    Ipleted my look with a simple chain ne that matched the bracelet Tallon had given me, then headed downstairs to find Dahlia. I realized that she might need help getting her hair done. I wasn¡¯t sure how well she could raise her arms with her injury.


    On my way to Dahlia¡¯s room, I nced into the kitchen and realized Giovani was standing right there, just staring at me. I desperately wanted to know what he thought about my outfit, but I walked past as if I hadn¡¯t even noticed him there. If he wanted us to be a secret, then we¡¯d be a secret.


    I wasn¡¯t truly angry with him anymore, but I wasn¡¯t happy either. If he had agreed that we could just out our rtionship, he could being to dinner with us right now.


    I peeked into Dahlia¡¯s room and saw that I had been right; she was struggling to get her hair done. I could tell she was frustrated as she kept having to take breaks to give her ribs a rest from stretching.


    ¡°You need some help in here?¡± I asked.


    She turned back toward me, an expression of relief on her face.


    ¡°Ugh, yes,¡± she said. ¡°My stupid ribs are almost healed, but it just hurts to hold my hands up for too long.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what friends are for,¡± I said, brushing my hand through her silky hair. Then I added, ¡°Maybe if you¡¯d stop jumping on beds.¡± She narrowed her gaze at me, and we bothughed.


    She had almost finished putting her hair into a half-up, half-down style, so I was able toplete what she had started in only a few minutes. As I worked, she finished putting on her makeup. She had gone with a bright pink lipstick that matched the sequins on her dress.


    When I was finished with her hair, she stood up so I could get the full effect of her outfit. As always, she was stunning. She wore a multi-colored sequined dress that would have looked gaudy on someone else, but on her itplimented her sun-kissed skin beautifully. Shepleted the outfit with a pair of shoes in the same pink as her lipstick. I loved that our outfits perfectly matched our personalities¨Chers bold and outgoing, and mine simple but lovely.


    ¡°Alright, you ready?¡± she asked, once again filled with excitement now that we had managed to get her hair under control.


    ¡°Definitely!¡± We linked arms and wandered out to the kitchen, looking for Tallon and Alessandro.


    Alessandro was in the middle of talking to Giovani when we walked out. I wondered if I would ever feelfortable to see the two of them interacting. There was just so much bad history between the two of them at this point. It was hard to imagine we could ever go back to all being friends.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll keep them safe,¡± Alessandro had been saying when we walked up.


    ¡°Oh, I know you will,¡± Gio responded, sounding a little irritated. ¡°There¡¯s no other option.¡±


    ¡°My team¡¯s going to shadow us all night, and you know they¡¯re the best.¡± Alessandro seemed to be ignoring Giovani¡¯s irritable attitude. I hoped that was a good sign for how the evening was going to go.


    ¡°They better be. We certainly pay them enough.¡± Gio turned toward me and Dahlia. His eyes lingered on me, but only for a moment. He was keeping up the facade even though Dahlia was the only one in the room who didn¡¯t know about us. I didn¡¯t understand why he was so determined to keep us a secret, but I supposed I had to respect his wishes. After all, he had put up with a lot of shit from Alessandro just because I had wanted to keep things quiet about us.


    ¡°You girls look beautiful,¡± Gio said, then looked at me meaningfully.


    I smiled back at him, hoping he¡¯de visit meter.


    ¡°You really do,¡± Alessandro added.


    I wanted to roll my eyes, but I forced myself not to. It wouldn¡¯t be a fun night if Alessandro and I were at each other¡¯s throats the whole time. For Dahlia¡¯s sake, I could y nice.


    Alessandro walked toward me and held out the crook of his arm, encouraging me to unlink myself from Dahlia and grab his arm instead. Now the asshole was pushing it. I clenched my jaw, then forced a smile back onto my face and took his arm. ¡®This is for Dahlia,¡¯ I reminded myself.


    We said our goodbyes to Giovani, then Tallon and Alessandro escorted Dahlia and me to the ck SUV that was waiting for us in the driveway. Alessandro drove and his team of men followed behind us in another SUV. I knew that the protection detail should have made me feel safer, but instead, it just reminded me that it really was dangerous for us to be going out.


    We arrived at a small restaurant with lights strung up around a courtyard. There was a small fountain in the middle of the tables and a string quartet yed in the corner. I was enchanted by the whole scene. This was exactly the kind of ce I had envisioned having dinners with Dahlia when we had been nning our big move to Italy.


    The owner of the restaurant had been expecting us and came out to greet us and lead us to our table. I felt like royalty as he helped us to our seats then asked Alessandro what wine we¡¯d like to start with. Alessandro looked around the table expectantly, but we were all content to drink whatever the owner thought would taste the best. He ended up bringing out a bottle of cabe that I was sure had a shocking price tag. After giving Alessandro a taste, he poured a ss for all of us.


    ¡°Remember that time we broke into Mom¡¯s wine cer and drank like two thousand dors worth of wine?¡± Alessandro said before taking a small sip.


    Dahlia chuckled at the memory. ¡°The worst part was we didn¡¯t even like how it tasted,¡± sheughed. ¡°What teenagers want to drink red wine?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you two,¡± Tallon chastised them mockingly.


    ¡°Yeah right. You just can¡¯t believe they didn¡¯t invite you along,¡± I said.


    Tallon grinned. ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but I remember when they got in trouble for that, and I can say that I¡¯m very d I didn¡¯t get involved.¡±


    ¡°What did she do?¡± I asked. I was surprised I didn¡¯t know this story. I had been around for so much of their childhood, it often felt like I had been a part of their household.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say, that wine cer had never been so clean,¡± Dahlia said.


    ¡°She made us clean the dust off of every single bottle with nothing more than a couple of toothbrushes!¡± Alessandro said, ¡°It took us hours!¡±


    ¡°Hm, that sounds like a small price to pay,¡± Iughed. I knew how wild they had been as teenagers.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how bad that wine tasted! It got us drunk, but it was NOT worth hours of manualbor, let me tell you that!¡± Dahlia eximed.


    We all cracked up at that. I¡¯d had a few sips of wine and could feel my entire body rxing into the evening. We ordered, and then I nced over at Dahlia seeing that her cheeks were turning pink, and I realized that she had already downed her entire ss of wine. Our waiter materialized and poured her a fresh ss as if he had just been standing in the shadows waiting. I supposed that probably was exactly what he had been doing. One thing I had learned from my mom was that when wealthy people pay you to do something, you do that thing exceptionally well.


    Before we could get too hungry, our food arrived. It smelled heavenly and looked even better. I dug in as soon as everyone had been served, not caring whether or not I lookeddylike as I shoveled pasta into my mouth. Everyone else seemed to feel the same way as the table fell into silence, and only the sound of scraping silverware filled the air.


    ¡°I think this is the best pasta I¡¯ve ever had in my life,¡± Tallon interrupted the silence.


    He slurred the ¡®S¡¯ in pasta, and I giggled when I realized he was drunk. His cheeks were pink, and his eyes were slightly zed over. I turned to Dahlia tough about how drunk Tallon already was, then realized that she looked just as trashed.


    ¡°It really is,¡± she responded to Tallon enthusiastically, nodding her head so wildly that one of her bobby pins fell out, and a few strands of hair shook loose.


    I turned to Alessandro and realized that he was just as amused as I was over their drunken states. We shared knowing grins, and I half expected him to say something snarky, but he didn¡¯t. He just smiled and looked back down at his food.


    It was such a relief to see this side of Alessandro again, the side of him that I had known growing up. I wondered if maybe he would get back to his old self now that he realized that I was totally off the market. I looked up and smiled at him again.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a nice night,¡± he said, and I could tell he was being genuine.


    ¡°Yeah, it really has,¡± I responded. Happiness warmed me from the inside out.


    ¡°Oh, just kiss already,¡± Dahlia slurred.


    I saw Alessandro¡¯s shoulders stiffen at her words, but Tallon just pped a hand over his mouth and beganughing so hard he nearly fell out of his chair. Hisughter kept me from taking what Dahlia had said too seriously, and before long, I found myselfughing too. Alessandro rxed a bit, and I could see he wanted to just ignore what Dahlia had said, but he managed to let out a chuckle.


    It was almost a perfect night. The only thing that would have made it better would be to have Gio at my side. I wondered if we would ever be able to openly go on dates.


    I really hoped so.

 Chapter 333 : Not A Trophy

    <h4>Chapter 333: Chapter 333 : Not A Trophy</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I kept subconsciously flexing my hands into fists and then forcing myself to rx them. My jaw was sore from how much I had been clenching it. I was pretty sure that on the nights when I didn¡¯t sleep with Olivia, I was grinding my teeth from all the stress I had been undertely. Gabriele stared at me; he knew me well enough to know that I would talk when I was ready.


    ¡°He¡¯s killing me,¡± I said in a low voice. ¡°I know I need to let it go and focus on the organization, but it¡¯s fucking killing me to deal with him.¡±


    Gabriele nodded, sensing that I needed to talk this out more than I needed to hear his advice.


    I kept talking. ¡°I just don¡¯t know what to do with him. He¡¯s too inexperienced for me to give him the responsibilities that he wants. And he¡¯s willing to rip our organization apart if it means he gets some kind of glory. I don¡¯t think he has any idea just how serious all of this is. It¡¯s like some kind of sick fucking game to him. And to make it all worse, the way he talks about Olivia... it¡¯s disgusting, Gabriele, truly disgusting. He acts like she¡¯s not even a person. He treats her like a pawn on a chess board, just a piece for him to move around so he can get what he wants.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not like us, Gio,¡± Gabriele finally decided to say. ¡°You¡¯ve got to remember that. He was raised differently. He¡¯s not going to think about things the same way we do. We¡¯d sacrifice everything for the family business because we¡¯ve been trained to feel that way.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I sighed. ¡°But does he have to be so goddamn selfish? I¡¯m not asking anyone to get themselves killed for me, I just don¡¯t want him to get ME killed.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to figure out how to rein him in. This is part of being a good Don. There¡¯s a reason why you were chosen for this job. You¡¯ll figure it out. But you¡¯ve got to keep a level head. Don¡¯t let him get you so worked up, especially over Olivia. You know a big part of that is just an act. They¡¯ve known each other for years. He doesn¡¯t really think she¡¯s just a pawn in his game.¡±


    Gabriele was right, but it was easier to say I wouldn¡¯t let Alessandro bother me than it was to actually do it once the little shit was in my face. Right now was a great example. In theory, I wanted to let Alessandro take Olivia out to dinner and pretend like that didn¡¯t bother me at all, but in reality it was killing me to know that she was out having an amazing time with anyone other than me. The fact that she had looked fucking gorgeous and had been angry with me before leaving just made it worse.


    As if our conversation had summoned him, Alessandro came sauntering into the warehouse looking like he owned the world. A huge grin was stered on his face, and as he got closer, I could faintly smell Olivia¡¯s perfume clinging to him. I ground my teeth together, determined not to let him set me off.


    ¡°What are you so happy about?¡± I asked him, hating that I already knew his answer.


    ¡°I had a good night. Taking a beautiful woman to dinner can have that effect on a man,¡± he said suggestively.


    My entire body flexed instinctively. I wanted to grab him by the throat. I wanted to pummel his face. I wanted to hurt him so fucking badly he would never dare talk to me like that again. Gabriele looked at me sharply. He knew exactly what I was thinking. He shook his head slightly, and I swallowed my rage back down. I forced myself topartmentalize and focus.


    ¡®This is about business. Just focus on business,¡¯ I thought to myself as I breathed in through my nostrils and out through my mouth.


    When I was sure I could speak calmly, I said, ¡°Gabriele tells me your teams found something. Tell me what you know.¡±


    Alessandro smirked. He loved that I didn¡¯t have the time to respond to his dig about taking Olivia to dinner. It was just one more small way in which he could hurt me, one more way that he could throw me off bnce, and I yed into it every fucking time. I couldn¡¯t help myself. When it came to Olivia, I didn¡¯t know how topartmentalize. She had be everything to me.


    Gabriele looked between the two of us, then said, ¡°We¡¯re almost certain we¡¯ve found Dmitri¡¯s right hand man. Some guy named Enzo. He¡¯s a real piece of work, but Alessandro has been working on a n to bring him in.¡±


    To his credit, Alessandro seemed willing to focus on the conversation at hand. Just as I had been thinking that it was a mistake to invite him and that I should have just received the intel from Gabriele, he nodded and a serious expression overtook the shitty smile he¡¯d been wearing since he walked in.


    ¡°He¡¯s overly confident in his location, and my team has located a few separate weak points. Along with Gabriele¡¯s men, I think we can capture him and take him in alive. Once we get our hands on him, we¡¯ll interrogate,¡± Alessandro said.


    He wasn¡¯t as smug about sess as he had been when giving intel in the past. I could tell that Gabriele had been working to teach him that just because he made an assumption, didn¡¯t mean it was correct. Intel was based in fact-finding. He couldn¡¯t tell me anything unless he had one hundred percent verified it to be true, and we couldn¡¯t just assume that our missions would be sessful. We had to be realistic about what we could and could not do.


    ¡°Alright, I support this. I want to stay in the loop on all of it. As soon as your teams converge on the house, let me know.¡±


    If we managed to capture Dmitri¡¯s second alive, it could change everything for us. The amount of knowledge that he would have about Dmitri¡¯s entire operation would be enough for us to take it all apart. I just hoped that he wasn¡¯t skilled in dealing with interrogation. Most men buckled under the pressure of a few broken bones, but there were some who stubbornly kept their mouths shut. Those were the ones I hated dealing with the most. I had to get creative when it came to getting them to talk. It was an aspect of my job that I preferred to never think about.


    ¡°Thanks, boss,¡± Gabriele said and turned to depart.


    I started to follow him, but I could feel Alessandro invading my space. I turned toward him, wondering what he wanted now. I was really starting to hate being alone with him. I hated how violent he made me feel. Every time Ished out at him, I felt like I was betraying James. But every time I let him walk all over me, I felt like I was betraying Olivia. There was no winning when it came to Alessandro. He was a huge fucking thorn in my side.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked him bluntly. I had been so tense for so long that the fight had started to go out of me. I just wanted him to leave me alone.


    ¡°I want you to start thinking with your head instead of with your dick,¡± he said.


    My heart started pounding and I felt blood rushing to my head. I had thought the fight had gone out of me, but I had been wrong. My hands clenched into fists, and I knew the pulse point on my temple was probably visibly throbbing. I was so fucking angry I was worried I might actually ck out from rage.


    ¡°I¡¯d advise you to remember what happened thest time you spoke to me so crassly,¡± I said in as calm of a voice as I could muster, my muscles twitching.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m telling the truth, Gio,¡± he said, a serious expression on his face, ¡°You need to leave Olivia. She¡¯ll never have a normal life with you, and it¡¯s not just because you¡¯re a Don.¡±


    My face twisted into a sneer. ¡°And who do you suggest would give her a normal life? You?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah.¡±


    I scoffed at the way he acted like he was doing something heroic. There was nothing fucking heroic about treating a woman like a prize to be won. She was a human being, not a trophy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let Olivia decide what¡¯s best for her. She¡¯s a grown woman. Or have you gotten so desperate to acquire her that you¡¯ve forgotten that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, just think about it. What do you think her life will really be like with a guy so much older? You think she wants to spend her forties changing your fucking diapers? What if she decides she wants kids? Do you really think it would make sense for you to have kids when you¡¯ll just die before they even hit their twenties? Leave her so she can be with someone her own age. She¡¯ll thank you for itter.¡±


    His words hit me like a knife to the chest. It was everything I had been forcing myself not to think about when it came to my rtionship with Olivia, and he was throwing it in my face. Of course, I had considered that being with an older man would change how her life would go, but I hadn¡¯t let myself think too hard about it. I had been so focused on just ensuring that we had any type of future at all, I hadn¡¯t allowed myself to picture what that future would actually look like.


    ¡°Just think about it,¡± Alessandro repeated before letting himself out of the warehouse.


    I walked to my car and started to head back to thepound. I had never been an insecure person, but Alessandro¡¯s words had me doubting everything. What if Olivia stayed with me and regretted it when I started getting truly old while she was only just hitting middle age? Would her life be better if she was with someone her own age? I reyed the beginning of our rtionship over and over in my mind, wondering if there was a point where I had fucked up by letting us get so close. Being with Olivia was the best thing that had ever happened to me, but the idea that our rtionship could be the worst thing that had ever happened to her was terrifying.


    One thing I knew for sure, I had to see Olivia. She was probably still pissed at me, and I was certain the conversation that I wanted to have with her would only make it worse, but we needed to talk this through. And at the end of the day, if I decided that what was best for her was for me to let her go, I was determined to do that, no matter how much it would break my heart.

 Chapter 334 : Stay with Me

    <h4>Chapter 334: Chapter 334 : Stay with Me</h4>


    *Olivia*


    In the stillness of the night, I groaned as I briefly awoke from the arms of sleep. I shifted onto my side, yawning into my palm as I blinked my eyes. It was dark, and the red lights of my rm clock shone back at me¨C2:33 AM.


    I shut my eyes again, hoping to drift off for some more sleep before I had to wake up, but I heard a soft creak. It was so quiet, I almost missed it.


    It was easy to pass it off as me just hearing things, but the second creak was not. I nced at the shut door, and that¡¯s when I noticed a dark shadow creeping by the crack underneath it.


    Was the hallway light on? And who was standing in front of my door?


    My heart raced, and I shut my eyes, pretending to be asleep as the door handle turned slowly and softly. The door opened, casting a light across my face, and I tried not to stiffen up as I heard someone slipping inside, the door shutting soon after.


    I heard them moving, shuffling across the floor toward my bed, and I was pretty sure I knew who it was by their footsteps.


    They stood in front of my bed for a few moments of silence, just watching me, and it would be creepy if I hadn¡¯t known who it was. I heard the clinking of shoes, a belt, and fabric rustling like they were pulling clothes off.


    I felt the pull of theforter as he sighed and gently, without much movement,id down beside me. He grabbed one of the pillows I had left on that side of the bed,pletely obscuring the hallway light from under the door.


    He gotfortable, shifting only the slightest bit before warm, calloused hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me into the burning radiator of a strong body. It was familiar, so familiar that a sigh burst out of my lips as I snuggled into his chest on instinct.


    He tucked his cold feet against mine, and I smiled, keeping my eyes shut even as I felt the broad chest shift with their chuckle.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Giovani asked softly.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I nodded, knowing the jig was up. I sighed, regretfully, knowing that Giovani didn¡¯te here just for cuddles. This was about what had happened between us earlier.


    I reluctantly pulled away from his embrace, ignoring the questioning look in his eyes as I sat up. The old T-shirt I had thrown on for pajamas had bundled up around my stomach, and I pulled it down to cover my bare thighs. I shifted the nket onto myp and finally looked at him.


    Giovani gazed at me with sad eyes, like a puppy begging for forgiveness for something it didn¡¯t know it did wrong but just knew you were mad, knew you were disappointed¨Cexcept this ¡®puppy¡¯ most certainly knew why I was upset.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Giovani said quietly, ¡°for earlier.¡±


    I clenched my fists together, my nails biting into the skin as I swallowed down my anger. It felt like a pipe bomb had slid down my throat¨Cdangerous and one minute from exploding outward.


    Giovani sat up, the phone in his hand lighting up and casting a peculiar glow on his face. I hated it.


    The look in his eyes was familiar. I had seen it, experienced it many times before, and I was sure I wouldter. I¡¯d seen it whenever I looked in the mirror, too.


    Doubt.


    I knew how well it could invade your mind like a parasite worming its way under your skin, invading the way you think, you act. It was impossible to get rid of, notpletely, and it would always linger in the back of your mind.


    ¡°Gio¨C¡± I started, not even knowing what I was going to say but that I had to say something, anything to get that look out of his eyes.


    But it was toote. The seed had nestled deep within his heart, and I couldn¡¯t stop it anymore. There was a sad but determined look to him like a soldier heading off to war and knowing they might note back.


    Like he was saying goodbye.


    He sat up against the headboard, curling his knee up and leaning his arm on it as he stared at the nkets.


    ¡°Maybe it would be best if we just forgot about everything,¡± he said slowly.


    I stiffened, feeling my emotions climbing back up my throat, and this time, they had ws. ¡°Forget about... everything?¡±


    He nodded, not even looking at me. ¡°Our rtionship, I mean¨CI don¡¯t to waste your time, Olivia. You¡¯re so much younger than me and I¡¯m... not exactly a spring chicken. You should be with someone of your own age. Maybe....¡±


    He heaved a sigh, wincing like his next words hurt to say.


    ¡°Maybe even Alessandro. He would be a good choice for you. He cares about you, and he¡¯s around your age, too.¡± He brushed a hand through his hair, looking incredibly tired and stressed. ¡°He¡¯s a better match for you¨C¡±


    ¡°Are you done?¡±


    My voice was cold, practically liquid nitrogen, as it hit him, and his eyes widened as he finally looked at me, flinching back from whatever he saw in my eyes.


    While my voice was cold, my body was not. Every word out of his mouth had only served to feed the anger that had only started budding. Now it was in full bloom.


    And if he thought my anger was as pretty as a rose, he was mistaken. This was a corpse flower, a disgusting, ugly thing that only wanted to devour all of him in its blind rage.


    I slipped off the other end of the bed, getting to my feet before I faced Giovani, crossing my arms over my chest. In a T-shirt used as a nightgown, I knew I didn¡¯t look the most intimidating, but by the wary look on Giovani¡¯s face, I was getting through his thick skull.


    ¡°Are you done deciding my life for me?¡± I snapped, keeping my re on him as he flinched back. ¡°You and Alessandro both think that you know what¡¯s best for me, but you don¡¯t! This is my life!¡±


    Shame crossed his features before he started with that bullshit again.


    ¡°I just think¨C¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think!¡± I retorted. ¡°I am not going to let you decide what¡¯s best for me because only I can do that!¡±


    I clenched my fists by my side, my lip trembling as emotions rippled through me. Anger, sadness, doubt, frustration, fear¨CI felt all of it at once, and it was overwhelming.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just want you to be safe, to be happy,¡± Giovani tried with a helpless expression.


    ¡°And I can decide that for myself!¡± My hands shook at my side, my whole body screaming with frustration. ¡°Not you! Not Alessandro! Me!¡±


    ¡°I know, but you don¡¯t understand¨C¡±


    ¡°You think I haven¡¯t thought about all the potential downfalls?¡± I cut him off, not listening to any of it. ¡°You think I haven¡¯t thought over and over how it could ruin my friendship with Dahlia or that I might get hurt, or worse, die?¡±


    He flinched, getting to his feet.


    ¡°I would never let that happen,¡± he growled, reaching for me.


    I brushed his hands away, stepping back. ¡°But you have!¡± I told him fiercely. ¡°I am already caught up in all this. It¡¯s my decision to stay, my decision to be with you, not anyone else¡¯s. I don¡¯t care about the danger, or age difference, or anything else! I want to be with you!¡±


    I breathed out heavily, my anger fading like a dying me. I wrapped my arms around my middle, trembling as I nced at Giovani. Tears began to run down my face as the fear returned to devour me from the inside out.


    Without him... what was I even staying for? Why would I put myself through this mental torture over and over again if he didn¡¯t even want to fight for me?


    He¡¯d said he loved me.


    But doubt was a stubborn and hungry creature.


    ¡°I love you.¡± My voice broke as I nced at him helplessly. ¡°That¡¯s all that matters to me.¡±


    ¡°Olivia.¡±


    He reached out for me, but I shook my head, stepping back one final time as I held myself together as best as I could. I brushed the tears from my face, hardening like a stone as I red at him.


    ¡°But that¡¯s clearly not enough for you,¡± I bit out, harshly.


    He stepped back, a wounded look on his face, but I wasn¡¯t the one going to give in now. I was tired of hiding, of lying to my friends, of being afraid.


    I clenched my fists, my anger returning as I closed the distance between us, standing face-to-face with him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going home,¡± I dered. ¡°I¡¯m tired of being scared. I was only staying for you, for our rtionship, but clearly, I don¡¯t matter more than everyone else¡¯s opinions.¡±


    I stared into his eyes, searching for something, anything, but all I saw was darkness. I shook my head disappointedly, turning away from him.


    Right as I did, however, a strong griptched onto my arm.


    ¡°Giovani, let go¨C¡± I snapped, turning around, but I didn¡¯t get to finish as I was pulled into a hard body, his lips meeting mine in a kiss.


    He grabbed my jaw with his other hand, holding me still as he dove into my mouth, taking control in a flurry of passion and, despite how angry I was, I melted into him.


    Our tongues battled for dominance, and I wrapped my fingers into his hair, gripping it tightly as he held my waist with the other.


    I was so stunned, I forgot exactly what we were talking about as I could only focus entirely on his lips on mine.


    I was swept away by the passion as he tasted me over and over again, only breaking for breath when I couldn¡¯t breathe anymore. But with the fresh air in my lungs, my eyes flew open as I remembered what was happening.


    ¡°No!¡± I pushed him in the chest as hard as I could, my meager strength not even able to move him, but he backed away anyway.


    I tried to catch my breath, my mind whirling to understand what had happened.


    ¡°Olivia¨C¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I shook my head, standing firm as I red at him. ¡°I¡¯m tired of the secrets and sneaking around. If you just want somete-night sex, you can go find someone else! I¡¯m not doing this anymore!¡±


    It hurt to say those words aloud, sounding too final to my ears. I shuddered, my heart breaking in two as I stood there on the other side of a line that I myself had drawn between us.


    But it was a necessary one.


    ¡°Olivia...¡± he said softly, reaching for me.


    I was too exhausted now to fight him off as he brushed my cheek and raised my head to meet his gaze.


    ¡°I love you.¡± He ran his thumb along my bottom lip, a tender and sweet look on his face. ¡°I want you, not just for sex.¡±


    As much as I wanted to trust him, to ce my faith in him, I knew I couldn¡¯t for one simple reason.


    ¡°You¡¯ve said that before,¡± I said sadly. ¡°How can I believe you now?¡±


    Giovani flinched, casting his eyes downward like he was searching for an answer. I shook my head sadly, pulling out of his grip.


    His face shed with an expression I couldn¡¯t quite name. Sadness? Desperation?


    ¡°Fine, Olivia. It¡¯s your decision to make,¡± he said, a tone of nonchnce taking over his voice as he stared at me. ¡°But you have to know this is more than just sex to me. I want you to stay. I want to be with you. But I can¡¯t force you to do anything against your will, and I won¡¯t beg for you. If you go, I¡¯ll never be the same. But it¡¯s your choice. Stay or go. Either way, I love you.¡±

 Chapter 335 : If You Love Someone

    <h4>Chapter 335: Chapter 335 : If You Love Someone</h4>


    *Olivia*


    If you love something, let them go.


    That¡¯s what my mom always said. I always thought it was just a funny saying with not any real meaning to it, until this very moment.


    Giovani¡¯s eyes bore through me, as he tried to convince me to stay with him, that he really did love me. I had just told him I was leaving, and he wasn¡¯t going to beg to keep me, but it was clear from his expression he wanted to do just that.


    I stood limply in the middle of my bedroom, the moonlight ncing upon us between the curtains of my window and the red numbers of the clock ring at me. It waste. I was tired. We had fought, and my mind was a ball of yarn of emotions that I couldn¡¯t even begin to untangle.


    But there was one clear defining thought in my mind.


    My mom was horribly wrong. If you love someone, never let them go.


    So I didn¡¯t.


    Iunched myself full-bodied into Giovani¡¯s arms. He stumbled, grunting with effort as he caught me, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, holding on just as tightly as he had held me before.


    He caught himself, standing strong even with ourbined body weight. One arm wrapped around my waist, the other holding up my ass as I clung to him like a ko to a tree.


    ¡°Olivia, wha¨C¡±


    Before he could say anything else, I sealed his lips with mine, shutting my eyes as I kissed him with everything I had.


    He wasted no time in returning the favor, passionately, like I had lit a match, and he was dynamite ready to explode.


    I was lost in his heat.


    He growled as I bit his bottom lip, not being gentle in the slightest as I feverishly took all my crazy, stupid emotions out through the kiss. Maybe I was crazy, or maybe I was just a fool letting myself be tricked once more.


    But dammit, I wasn¡¯t giving this up without a fight.


    The details could be decidedter, but for now, I loved him, and I wanted him, so I was going to have him.


    ¡°Olivia.¡±


    He moaned my name as I ground against the bulge in his boxers, the delicious friction causing a groan to leave my throat. In only my panties, I could feel myself getting wet already as I separated for a breath.


    I wasted no time diving for his neck, biting down, and making my mark.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± he snapped, grasping my ass as he pushed us forward, and I only moaned as I crashed onto the edge of the bed, him falling on top of me and pushing his cock against that sweet spot. Giovani grabbed my panties and pulled them off, thrusting inside of me with a finger.


    ¡°More,¡± I demanded, gripping his hair tightly as I dove back in for a kiss.


    This was not like the other times. This was rough and heated, almost painful as our clothes came off quickly. Once my T-shirt wasying on the floor and my chest was heaving with ragged breaths, Giovani dovea another finger into my pussy.


    My hole stretched as he pushed in two fingers, almost ufortable in how tight it was, and he plunged them in and out as I stifled a scream behind my hand. He took my hardened red nipple into his mouth, biting down like he was suckling it.


    I screamed as he thumbed at my clit, his other hand around my throat as he pushed me down into the bed. It was tight but it didn¡¯t hurt.


    I didn¡¯t mind one bit as I moaned delightfully from the pleasure he was giving me.


    He growled, the rumble vibrating against my nipple, and I heard the pop as he removed his mouth from it, switching to the other side.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you why you¡¯ll never want to be without me,¡± he said darkly, his eyes wide. He stared at me with a possessive glint as he pressed down hard on my clit.


    I muffled a scream by biting down on my hand.


    I went toppling over the edge of euphoria,ing from just his hand, and he smirked like a panther who had found its prey and was just toying with it now, ready to devour it bite by bite every tasty little morsel.


    And soon, he found the taste he was craving.


    His mouthtched onto my pussy, still tender aftering, and I mmed both hands over my mouth, writhing as he masterfully pushed his tongue into me, stroking in and out. Hepped up my slick mound like it was honey, and with his hand keeping my thighs still, all I could do was writhe under him.


    I came once more, then twice. After the third time, I was exhausted, breathed raggedly, and was unable to catch my breath from his onught.


    I had brought it on myself.


    Giovani was usually patient and gentle with me. I had forgotten that hiding behind those caring eyes was a predator, one who would not leave until he was satisfied. He ripped open the condom with his teeth, lurking over me as I watched him stretch it over his member, rubbing it all the way down.


    Then he licked his lips, his eyes gleaming in the darkness as he stared down at me, just waiting. He leaned over me, the moonlight lighting up his features as I felt the pressure of his cock lining up against my sensitive cunt.


    But I didn¡¯t have any time to prepare.


    He locked his eyes on me, a smirk ying on his lips before he thrust into me harshly, all the way to his hilt. I screamed, unable to stop it this time as the shock and pleasure mixed together into a brand new feeling I didn¡¯t know what to call.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Giovani swore under his breath. ¡°You¡¯re still so tight.¡±


    But I was lost. All I could focus on was the massive cock inside of me, throbbing. Just before I got adjusted, Giovani pulled out of me all the way, my juices soaked the bed below me.


    I moaned, my lower body clenching down on the emptiness I felt, but I didn¡¯t feel it for long.


    He pushed in again, all the way once more, hitting the spot that ached, and he ced his hand over my mouth as I screamed again. I couldn¡¯t help it as he set a brutal pace, thrusting in and out of me faster than I could keep track of.


    He flipped me onto my stomach, only stopping long enough to get me into a new position, as he just continued fucking me like an animal that¡¯d been released from his cage. On my side, on my back, sitting and standing, he fucked me on every inch of the room from every angle I could think of until every inch of me had been covered with his hands.


    And each time he came, it only gave me a brief moment where he reced the condom, discarding the other before he was on me again. It was harsh and brutal, nothing like the sweet moments I¡¯d tasted before.


    But I liked it. I realized as Giovani went for a fourth round, staring down at me like I was the most delectable thing he¡¯d ever seen, I¡¯d say I quite enjoyed the roughness.


    Maybe, I really was crazy.


    But when it was all over, and the morning rays of light were beginning to shine through the window. I was so exhausted I couldn¡¯t even open my eyelids anymore. I felt his touch, the pads of his fingertips as he lifted me into his arms and lowered us both into the warm bubble bath he had going.


    From the smell ofvender, I realized he had used my favorite bath bomb, even though I didn¡¯t remember telling him it was my favorite. It could¡¯ve been sheer luck, but I doubted it.


    My exhausted muscles screamed in relief in the rxing water and his touch was kind and gentle as he washed me off. Giovani wrapped me in a towel when we got out and set me on the bed¨Cit had been changed with fresh new sheets, but I was too tired to wonder how.


    I sat up, blinking blearily as I watched him dry my hair with a towel. The motion was soothing, back and forth, as he made sure to dry every lock.


    ¡°I was serious,¡± I mumbled, unsure if he could hear me underneath the towel.


    He must have because he stiffened, pausing in his motions.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said simply.


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep sneaking around, I just can¡¯t¨C¡± I choked on my words, my exhaustion affecting me more than I thought.


    He hushed me, kneeling down in front of me as he took the towel away from my hair. My damp locks fell around my face, keeping me awake for the conversation I knew we had to have.


    ¡°I was serious, too.¡± Giovani grabbed my hand, pressing my palm against his cheek as he leaned into it, gazing up at me with so much love and passion that it made a lump appear in my throat.


    ¡°No more sneaking around, no more looking over our shoulders¨Cwe¡¯re going to tell everyone.¡± He smiled, pressing a kiss to my palm. ¡°I promise.¡±


    Happiness burst around me like confetti falling from the sky. This is what I wanted, who I wanted to be with. To be able to go out there, to hold his hand and call him mine in front of everyone, that was what I wanted.


    But I couldn¡¯t deny the apprehension, either. What would Dahlia think? What would my mom think?


    But as I gazed into the warm eyes of the man I loved, I realized none of that mattered. If they couldn¡¯t understand how I felt, how happy he made me, then that was on them. It would hurt to lose their respect, love, and care after so many years of being together, but if I knew them as well as I thought I did, my happiness would matter more to them than any age difference or being the leader of the Italian mafia.


    Though, I certainly could see their worries.


    But my mom, Dahlia, Tallon, and even Alessandro¨Cthey were my family. I loved them just as much as I loved Giovani. Didn¡¯t I?


    He was my family too now. He held my fragile heart in hisrge hands, and he treated it like a precious treasure to be worshipped. I loved him more than I could ever put into words, more than I love you could ever mean.


    Even if it was selfish, I didn¡¯t want to let any of them go. I wanted to hold my loved ones close until my dying breath, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop me.


    Or so I thought.


    But said reason came knocking upon my door at five o¡¯clock in the morning.


    I paled as I heard the frantic knocking.


    ¡°Giovani.¡± It was Gabriele who called through the door, sounding more irritated than I¡¯d ever heard him.


    Giovani got to his feet, slid his pants on, and leaned down to throw me my T-shirt. I slipped it on and headed for the door as Giovani found his shirt and threw it on. It didn¡¯t hide much without being buttoned, but it was good enough.


    I opened the door just a crack, hiding most of my body behind the door. Gabriele stood there, breathing hard, as if he had just run a marathon.


    ¡°I need to see Giovani,¡± he said urgently. ¡°It¡¯s about Alessandro.¡±

 Chapter 336 : Liability

    <h4>Chapter 336: Chapter 336 : Liability</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Giovani¡¯s hand grabbed the door, blocking me from seeing Gabriele as he gently bumped me away from the entryway. He took over so easily that I didn¡¯t even realize I had let go of the door and left it to him until I had backed away.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk outside,¡± Giovani said firmly, but I grasped his arm, shaking my head at the very idea.


    ¡°No, I need to hear this too,¡± I set my jaw, staring at him determinedly. I was not going to let him keep anything from me anymore. ¡°No more secrets.¡±


    He frowned, his eyes flickering to my bare legs and just the T-shirt I was wearing¨Cno bra, no underwear. I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cover up under the nkets,¡± I scoffed, heading for the bed.


    Giovani watched as I crawled under the covers and pulled them up to my chest so I waspletely safe from anything Gabriele might see.


    ¡°There,¡± I said, smugly. ¡°Now, you can let him in.¡±


    He sighed, opening the door and stepping to the side as he said, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Gabriele stepped inside, a stressed look about him with how his hair was tousled and clothes were ruffled. It looked like he had been grabbed and shaken by someone, but I had no clue who would even do that to him.


    ¡°Now, what¡¯s so important that you had to burst into our room at five in the morning?¡± Giovani started, his arms crossed as he stared at Gabriele demandingly.


    My heart fluttered as he called it ¡®our room.¡¯ I smiled to myself at the thought. Maybe one day, we could have our own room to ourselves.


    But all those thoughts faded as Gabriele nced at me with an apologetic look like he didn¡¯t want me to hear the next part of what he had to say, and my heart dropped to my feet.


    ¡°Alessandro was taken,¡± Gabriele said bluntly.


    Oh. I stared nkly at Gabriele, my whole body frozen as I tried toprehend what he was telling me. Alessandro was taken?


    It didn¡¯t make any sense to me.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Giovani demanded, buttoning up his shirt in a hurry. He grabbed his jacket, getting dressed quicker than I had ever seen before.


    I could only stare at the two of them, unable to say or do anything. It was like I had been frozen in time as the world around me kept turning, only I was left behind.


    Gabriele ran a hand through his hair, sighing as he replied, ¡°After we all left the meeting, Alessandro went to the bar downtown. He had a bodyguard with him, so I thought he¡¯d be fine. He thought he¡¯d be fine.¡±


    ¡°Dammit,¡± Giovani cursed, his hands gripped together. ¡°How¡¯d you find out he was taken?¡±


    ¡°I got a call from the phone of the guy he took with him,¡± Gabriele sighed. ¡°I thought it was the bodyguard, but it was actually a man called Enzo, Russian ent. He works for Dmitri and was quite proud of sharing that fact.¡±


    ¡°Of course he was,¡± Giovani spat. ¡°No doubt he had some kind of message for me?¡±


    Gabriele nodded. ¡°He said to tell you that he had Alessandro in his custody but that he¡¯d give him back if....¡± Gabriele hesitated, ncing at me with uncertainity and then at Giovani like he didn¡¯t want to say thest part.


    ¡°Just say it, Gabe,¡± Giovani demanded.


    He sighed, clearly reluctant to share this part. But he¡¯d always been loyal to Giovani. Even I knew that.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a huge mistake, and you¡¯d be an idiot to listen to it,¡± Gabriele warned him firmly, then said, ¡°But he said he¡¯d release Alessandro if you gave yourself up as a recement.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    A scream tore from out of my throat before I could stop it, and the fear grew to a full-blown terror, infecting me until there wasn¡¯t a part of me that wasn¡¯t shaking, not from the cold but from the sheer thought of losing more of my loved ones.


    Tears rushed down my cheeks like a never-ending river, and all my words bubbled up in my throat, choking me until I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    ¡°Not again,¡± I whimpered, my voice hoarse and wet with tears as I gripped theforter tightly in my hands.


    First Dahlia and now Alessandro?


    Were we going to have to keep going through this, with someone new taken each time until they killed all my friends? Would they take my entire family?


    Last time, Dahlia hade back with a bullet in her stomach and years of trauma to ovee, but now with Alessandro, what if it was worse? What if they learned from Dahlia and just killed him now to be done with him?


    Silence reigned around me, and though my vision was blurry through the tears, I could tell by his clenched fists that Giovani was one second from burying me in his arms.


    A sudden terrible fear struck me. What if next time it wasn¡¯t Alessandro, but Giovani, who was taken? Or what if he went through with this trade?


    I buried my face in my palms, sobbing relentlessly, and it was Gabriele who cut through the chaos that was my mind.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t handle it, cry somewhere else.¡±


    His cold voice was hard and unrelenting, with not an ounce of pity or sympathy. I could feel his eyes on me, his annoyance.


    ¡°Gabriele!¡± Giovani barked angrily.


    ¡°She asked to hear this,¡± Gabriele said sharply. ¡°She asked to be here and listen to what had happened, to be a part of this life. If she can¡¯t even handle hearing about a kidnapping, what do you think will happen when it¡¯s worse news? She¡¯s frozen up once already. She¡¯s a liability waiting to happen.¡±


    I raised my head, ncing at Gabriele with wide eyes.


    ¡°Shut your fucking mouth right now, Gabriele!¡± Giovani demanded, storming forward to grab the front of Gabriele¡¯s already messy jacket and m him against the wall.


    I flinched at the loud noise, but Gabriele only stared into Giovani¡¯s eyes impassively, not an ounce of emotion visible.


    ¡°You can¡¯t let your rtionship with a little girl affect business,¡± Gabriele said coldly.


    ¡°Gabriel¨C¡± Giovani snarled, but a new voice cut him off.


    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡±


    Gabriele and Giovani both blinked in surprise, turning to look at me with bewilderment. I sniffed, wiping the rolling tears away from my face, and I turned to face both of them with my head held high.


    I was always the emotional one, the one most likely to burst into tears at any little thing. Dahlia had been kidnapped, shot, and been on bed rest for weeks, and I had been the most inconsble one.


    I wasn¡¯t made of stone. I had emotions I couldn¡¯t suppress, but I couldn¡¯t let those control me. Every time something bad happened, I burst into tears. Now, I was dragging them down.


    Gabriele was right. I had asked to be here, to listen to what had happened even if I knew it wasn¡¯t good. I wanted to be with Giovani, and that meant epting that this was part of this life. Every moment I spent here crying was a moment that Alessandro spent tied up who knew where and under the control of those bastard Russians.


    I couldn¡¯t be a hindrance. I wouldn¡¯t be a liability.


    I took a deep breath, stuffing my emotions down deep where they couldn¡¯t affect me right now. I could deal with it allter. Right now, I needed to be clear headed and listen to what was going to happen now.


    ¡°Let him go,¡± I said to Giovani, trying to remain calm despite the tremble in my hands. That part of me wasn¡¯t so easily deceived, but it was good enough for now.


    Giovani turned to look at me, wide eyed, but I sent him a confident look, and he relented, releasing Gabriele.


    Gabriele stared at me for a moment and then nodded like I had passed some sort of test.


    ¡°What do we do about Alessandro?¡± I asked, determined to remain focused.


    Giovani fell silent, staring at me for a moment. But then he sighed, turning to Gabriele with a resolute look.


    ¡°Where are we to do the exchange?¡± he asked determinedly.


    I knew from the look in his eyes that he¡¯d made a decision and he wasn¡¯t going to change his mind.


    ¡°The shipping yard where the attack happened,¡± Gabriele replied easily. ¡°Tomorrow night at ten o¡¯clock PM. He said toe alone.¡±


    ¡°Good. Prepare the team. I¡¯ll be doing the exchange tomorrow night.¡± Giovani nodded to his right-hand man.


    I clenched my teeth together to prevent any words from spilling out. I couldn¡¯t make another scene, even if I felt like I was going to implode from keeping it inside.


    Gabriele nced at me then Giovani before nodding and heading for the door. The two of us stayed in silence until the door shut behind him, leaving us alone.


    ¡°No,¡± I said, my voice disturbing the uneasy atmosphere around us. ¡°You¡¯re not really going to exchange yourself, are you?¡±


    Giovani clenched his jaw and didn¡¯t answer. But that was enough for me.


    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± I yelled, getting to my feet. I wobbled after everything that had happened, and grasped onto the nightstand to keep my bnce. ¡°There has to be another way!¡±


    A sob escaped my throat, and I struggled to hold my emotions in check.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± Giovani said gently,ing to my side immediately as heid his hand on my cheek. ¡°I have a n.¡±


    ¡°A n that doesn¡¯t involve you handing yourself over to Russians who want to kill you?¡± I snapped.


    The guilt in his eyes made thest straw of my self-control snap. I sobbed fully, burying my head in his chest.


    He lifted me into his arms, taking me back to bed as heid me down and then got in next to me. He guided me to his chest where I clutched onto his shirt, letting his scent calm me down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, carino,¡± he hushed me, softly brushing his hands through my hair. ¡°I will be okay, I swear to you. You just have to trust me, okay? Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°I¨C¡± I stammered as I ran out of any more tears to cry. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to get Alessandro back, and I¡¯m going to make sure no one else gets kidnapped or tortured or hurt. But to do that, I need to be taken first. I¡¯ll have everyone watching my back, Olivia, so just wait for me toe home to you.¡± Giovani attempted to persuade me, his voice gentle and sweet as he talked to me.


    I sniffled for several moments. As time passed, my tears dried up, and I finally calmed down. But I still wasn¡¯t convinced, and I doubted anything he said would make me think this was a good idea. The fear was visceral.


    It was a ck hole, and it kept dragging me back into its gravity with no escape, nothing to do but wait until it devoured me.


    I could only hold him close for this moment and pray to the universe that his promises were true.


    Just as my eyes began to close and I snuggled into him, exhausted after everything that had happened, I heard something pounding down the hallway.


    Shoes... no, they were too sharp.


    Heels.


    My eyes snapped wide open in panic as I realized exactly who was heading straight for us, and I didn¡¯t have any time to hide before the door swung open.


    ¡°Alessandro was kidnapped!¡±


    Dahlia stopped in the middle of the doorway, her eyes wider than dinner tes as she stared at me and Giovani tucked in an embrace, both of us wearing fewer clothes than we should have on if this was just my friend¡¯s cousinforting me.


    Her mouth dropped open as she eximed one final thing.


    ¡°Oh.¡±

 Chapter 337 : The Damage Is Done

    <h4>Chapter 337: Chapter 337 : The Damage Is Done</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Oh fuck.


    Oh fucking fuck fuck.


    ¡°Wait, it¡¯s not what it looks like, I swear¨C¡±


    I sat up so fast that my head began to spin, the whish causing pain in my neck as the top of my head collided with Giovani¡¯s chin. He grunted in pain, but my eyes were only on Dahlia, who stood watching us in stunned silence.


    The cogs in my brain whirled around for an excuse, my eyes searching every inch of the room for anything I could use, but there was nothing. There was no way to hide it or to keep this secret anymore.


    The damage was done, and all three of us knew it.


    And wasn¡¯t that what we had just agreed on?


    But this was too fast, too quick. I didn¡¯t have any time to prepare myself. The panic settled in as I scrambled to my feet before realizing that was a very bad idea. The T-shirt had ridden up, revealing my bare bottom, and I blushed deeply as I pulled it down.


    Well, if there was any doubt as to what had happened between us, there wasn¡¯t now.


    I heard Giovani snort, still rubbing his chin from where I¡¯d hit it with my head. The top of my head still ached, but I was more worried about Dahlia standing there with her mouth wide open, her eyes flickering from me to him.


    ¡°I.. I¨C¡± I stammered, looking at Giovani for help, but he just shrugged,pletely casual even after being caught with our literal pants on the floor.


    I took a deep breath as Giovani climbed out of bed to stand by my side. He grabbed my hand in his, giving me a reassuring smile.


    It was time to tell the truth, no matter the consequences.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Dolly,¡± I pleaded with her, squeezing Giovani¡¯s hand tight. ¡°I swear I was going to tell you but I just... didn¡¯t know how. I didn¡¯t want you to find out like this, but it just... happened and¨C¡±


    Dahlia held up a finger, blinking rapidly. I fell silent, guilt overtaking me as I watched her try toprehend everything. Finally, the corner of her lips twitched upward and then grew into a smirk.


    Finally, she took a deep breath, and as I prepared myself for whatever judgment she was going to throw on me, instead what came out was a full-blownugh.


    Dahlia burst intoughter, and Giovani and I stood there in surprise as she cracked up, holding the side of her ribs as she cackled like a mad woman.


    ¡°Uh... you doing okay, Dolly?¡± I asked, bewildered by the sudden change in attitude.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Dahliaughed, wiping a tear from the corner of her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just¨CI should¡¯ve known! I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t figure it out earlier! This is why you didn¡¯t want to go out with me, why you weren¡¯t interested in anyone. You had your own entertainment here!¡±


    I flushed at the insinuation, shifting ufortably, but there was no suspicion or anger in her eyes, nothing I had expected at all.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking this...¡± I hesitated, figuring out what words to use as I eyed her suspiciously, ¡°rather well.¡±


    She shrugged, putting a hand on her hip. ¡°Eh, I guessed something was going on with you long ago. I just didn¡¯t know what. Plus, all those weird questions with age differences you asked a while ago suddenly make sense. He is old.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Giovani protested as he pinned her with a re.


    ¡°But you¡¯re still hot,¡± Dahlia grinned, crossing her arms over her chest.


    ¡°Hey.¡± A low tone of warning came from my throat as I stepped in front of him protectively. Jealousy raged in my chest, the kind I didn¡¯t even know I was able to possess but apparently, I did.


    ¡°Rx, Olive,¡± Dahlia snorted. ¡°First of all, cousins, remember? That¡¯s just gross. Secondly, he¡¯s not my type.¡±


    I blushed,ing back to my senses as I realized how ridiculous I looked.


    ¡°No, no, please continue,¡± Giovani grinned widely, his arm snaking around my waist. ¡°It¡¯s adorable to see you jealous.¡±


    ¡°Asshat,¡± I grumbled, my face bright red now as I stared pointedly at the painting of the flowers on the wall and not the amused grins of the two cousins.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, she is,¡± Dahliaughed, and I sent her a re before she turned to Giovani fully. ¡°But as her best friend, I¡¯m required byw to give you this warning.¡±


    She red at Giovani behind my shoulders, narrowing her eyes on him angrily as she threatened him. ¡°You¡¯re a fucking lucky man to have her, and you¡¯d better not forget it, asshole, or you¡¯ll be the one in stitches, you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Giovani smirked, looking not the least bit threatened.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re not mad?¡± I asked, a bit weirded out by how this had gone. I wasn¡¯t used to things going this smoothly. Had I really kicked up a fuss all this time for nothing?


    ¡°Of course not, silly.¡± Dahlia rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re both adults. So long as you¡¯re happy and it¡¯s consensual, I couldn¡¯t give a damn who you fuck.¡±


    I giggled out of the absurdity, my whole body rxing as I was flooded with sheer relief. Now, if only my conversation with my mom would go this well.


    ¡°Though, this does exin Alessandro¡¯s behavior,¡± Dahlia nodded to herself. ¡°He¡¯s been pining after you since he entered puberty, so if he knew about this, it¡¯s no wonder he¡¯s pissed.¡±


    ¡°Okay, did everybody know about Alessandro¡¯s crush on me except for me?¡± I demanded, crossing my arms. ¡°Tallon knew! Gio knew! Mom apparently knew! Even you knew? Why didn¡¯t I know this? It seems like something I should¡¯ve known.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cause you¡¯re blind, Olive,¡± Dahlia stated bluntly. ¡°But speaking of Alessandro, we really do need to go find him, so could the two of you get dressed? This is a bit weird.¡±


    Giovani chuckled as I blushed a bright red.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Giovani said calmly. ¡°I have a n. I¡¯ll exin more once we¡¯re dressed, so meet me downstairs in twenty minutes.¡±


    He leaned over to me to kiss me on the cheek before he bypassed Dahlia, who smirked at him as he walked around her. He shut the door behind him, leaving us together.


    We fell into an awkward pause where I stared at her and she stared at me, both waiting for the other to speak. Finally, my anxiety caused me to start.


    ¡°I really am sorry for hiding this,¡± I told her worriedly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to lie to you.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Dahliaughed as she moved from the doorway to sit at my vanity. ¡°You¡¯ve always been a terrible liar, Olive. I know you. You¡¯ve probably been worrying about it since it first happened. By the way, how long has this been going on exactly?¡±


    ¡°The rtionship or the sex?¡± I asked, sheepishly, ncing at her.


    ¡°You naughty bitch,¡± she gasped. ¡°How long? A week? Two weeks?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± I said as I scratched my head, a bit guilty now as I mumbled, ¡°since the first week we arrived.¡±


    ¡°Olive!¡± Her jaw dropped. ¡°That long and you kept it a secret? What happened to my innocent little Olive? She¡¯s been corrupted!¡±


    She threw herself back on the chair dramatically, holding the back of her hand to her forehead like some bad actress in the 1950s. I could almost hear her going ¡°Woe is me!¡± and clutching her pearls.


    I rolled my eyes as I headed straight for my closet to pick out some clean clothes.


    ¡°Please. I¡¯ve been your best friend for years. My innocence was lost long ago,¡± I shook my head fondly as I searched for some suitable clothing in the closet.


    I grabbed a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and I ignored Dahlia as I threw off my sleeping T-shirt and changed right in the closet.


    ¡°I really do wish you had told me earlier, though. Here I was trying to set you up with some hot Italian guy, and you already had one! Boy, Adrian must¡¯ve been such a downgrade considering who you were hooking up with.¡±


    I didn¡¯t deny that. Adrian had been nice enough, if a bit dimwitted, but I wasn¡¯t interested in him in the slightest. Once I was dressed in a simple floral shirt and jeans, I walked out of the closet to face my best friend.


    She was still lounging on my vanity chair like a queen on a throne, with a smirk on her face as she fiddled with my makeup, organizing it into boxes, a pet peeve of hers that she always fixed whenever she stopped by my room.


    Despite how okay she seemed, I still felt bad like I owed her an apology for breaking her trust. She¡¯d always told me everything about her life and here I was, keeping massive secrets from her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Dahlia asked, noticing my forlorn expression. She looked at me worriedly, and the guilt was too heavy to bear. She¡¯d always been the better friend. I didn¡¯t deserve her.


    ¡°I really am sorry for keeping it secret. It¡¯s been really hard, and I felt so awful for keeping it from you, but I was so worried¨C¡± I burst into rambles.


    Dahlia just lifted her hand and said, ¡°Stop.¡±


    She looked almost amused as she leaned back in the chair again, giving me a knowing smile, the kind she always wore whenever she knew something that I didn¡¯t.


    ¡°You were overthinking, as you tend to do,¡± Dahlia said without hesitation, ¡°just like you are now. I understand why you hid it, Olive. I don¡¯t me you. I would¡¯ve done the same in your situation.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t though!¡± I cried, sitting down on my bed. ¡°We tell each other everything.¡±


    ¡°Listen to me, Olivia,¡± Dahlia scowled, crossing her arms.


    I flinched at the use of my full name, not the nickname she¡¯d always called me.


    ¡°Stop fussing over things that don¡¯t matter! As long as you¡¯re happy, I¡¯m happy.¡± Dahlia nodded, smiling proudly. ¡°It¡¯s as simple as that. And I don¡¯t want to hear another apology out of your mouth, understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± I smiled, relieved and overjoyed to have such a good friend as Dahlia by my side. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°I warn you, though,¡± Dahlia huffed. ¡°If Giovani gets out of line, say the word and I¡¯ll beat his ass to the curb. He does anything you don¡¯t like, youe straight to me, alright?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I chuckled, getting out of my seat to pull her into a tight hug. My little tiny best friend was going to beat up a mob boss. Okay.... ¡°How did I ever get such a wonderful best friend?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m amazing, I know.¡± Sheughed, squeezing me just as tightly. ¡°But I have been wondering about something if you wouldn¡¯t mind answering a personal question for me.¡±


    ¡°Sure, anything,¡± I smiled, sitting on my bed across from her.


    Dahlia nodded, a serious look on her face as she leaned forward like she was going to tell me something confidential. I leaned forward as well, so close I could feel her breath across my face.


    ¡°Is Gio as well-endowed as most Italian men? ¡®Cause I¡¯ve always wondered,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Dolly!¡± Iined, reeling back from her, scandalized by the very thought.


    ¡°You said anything!¡± she pointed out, crossing her arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to betray his trust like that,¡± I said firmly and she pouted, huffing unhappily. The edges of my lips curled up as I nced at the floor before saying, ¡°But yes.¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡± She burst into cackles.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get to breakfast,¡± I rolled my eyes, smiling as I headed for the door. ¡°How do you even know about Italian¡¯s being well endowed anyway?¡± To my knowledge, she¡¯d only been out with one.


    ¡°I have an Iin family,¡± she said with a shrug.


    I was confused. Did I even want to ask anything else? I ddin¡¯t have to.


    Dahlia stretched, grinning at me as she followed me downstairs, ¡°Do you know how many times I¡¯ve walked in on my brothers flexing naked in the mirror? Discreet is somthing my brothers are not.¡±


    ¡°Gross,¡± I wrinkled my nose in disgust.


    ¡°They are boys,¡± Dahlia agreed. ¡°But they¡¯re also my brothers. Alessandro may be a pain, but I want him home, unharmed, so let¡¯s get to it.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said determinedly.


    The two of us headed downstairs together, ready to hear the rescue n for Alessandro.

 Chapter 338 : Be Safe

    <h4>Chapter 338: Chapter 338 : Be Safe</h4>


    *Olivia*


    My head was swirling with emotions. I felt like too much was happening all at once, and I couldn¡¯t process any of it. Alessandro was missing. Dahlia knew about Gio and me and didn¡¯t even care at all. Gio was about to sacrifice himself to try and save Alessandro¨Cthat was the part that hurt the most to think about.


    I forced myself to stop thinking about it and instead focus on Dahlia knowing. I couldn¡¯t believe I had spent so much time stressing myself out over trying to keep everything a secret. I felt like an idiot for letting Alessandro get away with ckmailing Gio.


    Thinking about Alessandro made my stomach hurt. I was scared of what might be happening to him. Last night had been nice. It was the first time in a long time that I had been able to have a good time with him, and it reminded me who he really was underneath the person he had be in the past few weeks. He wasn¡¯t just a smarmy asshole; he was the same funny guy I had known since I was a kid. And now he was possibly being hurt for information. I balled up my fist and pressed it against my chest, trying to force my heart to stop racing.


    I wandered downstairs for breakfast and was shocked to see Gio, Gabriele, Dahlia, and Tallon all sitting around the table talking and eating as if nothing was wrong. How could they eat at a time like this? Just the thought of even taking a sip of coffee was enough to make my stomach flip over on itself. I didn¡¯t think my anxiety would allow me to eat until both Alessandro and Giovani were back home safe.


    I slipped into the chair in between Giovani and Tallon and tried to takefort in Gio¡¯s closeness. He turned and gave me a small smile. I forced myself to smile back, even though looking at his face and thinking about what might happen to him just made me want to cry. I loved him. How could I sit back and let him walk directly into danger?


    Dahlia seemed to sense how I was feeling. She set a mug of steaming coffee in front of me andid a gentle hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°Drink this. You need to get something in your stomach, even if it¡¯s just coffee,¡± she said.


    I nodded, not wanting to interrupt the conversation flowing around me. I could tell that Gabriele and Giovani were deep in their strategy discussion. I didn¡¯t want to take even the smallest chance of distracting them.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a foolproof n,¡± Gio said, turning to Tallon. ¡°Gabriele will take me to the meeting location, and I¡¯ll let them take me. We¡¯ll act like we¡¯ve been defeated, like we¡¯re just a bunch of clueless idiots who never even thought of lying to them.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to do much acting to convince them of that,¡± Tallon joked, nudging me with his elbow.


    My mouth quirked up into a smile, but that was the best I could do. I appreciated the effort on Tallon¡¯s part, but I just couldn¡¯t do this like they could. I couldn¡¯t sit here and pretend like this was a totally normal conversation to be having over the breakfast table.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Gio said. ¡°Anyways, there¡¯s no way they¡¯d want to kill me right away. They¡¯ll be trying to get any bit of information out of me that they can. I¡¯m way too valuable to just kill outright, and they know that. That¡¯s why they asked for me specifically. They¡¯re not looking for someone to just murder. They¡¯re looking for a way to permanently destabilize our organization. They know that if they just killed me, we¡¯d have my recement ready to go within a few days.¡±


    My breath caught in my throat. His recement? How could he talk about this as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal? It was a huge deal!


    ¡°Gabriele came up with the idea to put a tracking device in my shoe. That way, wherever they take me, you all will know. Then Gabriele¡¯s and Alessandro¡¯s teams wille in and rescue me, with the added bonus of destroying one of their safehouses. We¡¯re going to make them wish they¡¯d never set foot in Italy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all well and good,¡± Dahlia said, her eyes on me even though she was speaking to Gio, ¡°But what happens if they panic when our mene crashing in and just decide to kill you right then and there? If they kill you, they could run, and nobody would even be able to identify them.¡±


    I gasped, then covered my mouth with my hand in embarrassment. I hated that I couldn¡¯t be as calm and collected as the rest of them were. But I also hated that it had to be Gio who was being put in the most danger.


    Gio nced toward me, then shrugged. ¡°Our men will just have to work fast. Infiltrate, grab me, get the fuck out. It¡¯s simple, really.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not simple at all, actually,¡± I said, my voice shaking in terror. ¡°One wrong move and you¡¯re dead. What exactly is simple about that? That¡¯s a huge amount of risk.¡±


    Giovani took one look at me and abruptly stood up out of his chair and whipped my chair around so that my back was to the table. He fell to his knees dramatically and knelt in between my legs before taking my hands in his.


    ¡°Olivia, carino, my love, I swear to you on everything that is good to me that I wille back. I wille back safely and I wille back for you. I won¡¯t put myself in any unnecessary danger. I¡¯m only going to do what it takes to save Alessandro, and then I¡¯m going toe back to you.¡±


    My breath hitched as I stared deeply into his eyes, seeing how sincere he was. I knew he meant what he was saying, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that he couldn¡¯t control everything. There were so many unknown variables that would go into this rescue mission. The one guarantee was that Gio would be put in grave danger.


    ¡°Now wait just a minute, when the fuck did Dahlia find out about you two?¡± Tallon¡¯s shocked voice interrupted my racing thoughts.


    ¡°What the fuck, Olivia, you told TALLON before telling me?!¡± Dahlia asked incredulously.


    I knew I was in trouble with her since she had broken out my full name instead of calling me Olive. I turned my chair back around so I could face her.


    The rest of the table burst intoughter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, Dahlia,¡± Gabriele said in between fits ofughter, ¡°you¡¯re literally thest person in thepound to know.¡±


    Dahlia looked outraged, but I could tell she was just trying to get my mind off of everything that had been bothering me. She stood up and stamped her foot.


    ¡°Olivia! You have some serious exining to do! I didn¡¯t care about you keeping the secret from everyone, but now I find out you were only keeping it from ME?! What in the world? What happened to being best friends? What happened to giving me whatever I want because I almost died at the hands of the evil Russians and you¡¯re just d that I¡¯m back?¡±


    ¡°Oh, now she admits it,¡± Tallon chuckled. ¡°We all suspected that you had been using your kidnapping to guilt us into doing what you wanted, and now we know for certain.¡±


    Dahlia stamped her foot again and crossed her arms over her chest. Her mouth was turned down, but she was clearly trying to hold backughter. Her face was turning red with the effort. Thebination of her ridiculous toddler-like stance and her face twisting in an unnatural frown was what finally forced away my anxious thoughts and allowed me to let out a fewughs of my own.


    Gioid his hand absentmindedly on my head and stroked my hair. I leaned into his touch, relishing the novelty of being able to casually touch each other in front of our friends. I hadn¡¯t realized how much we were missing out on by hiding our rtionship from them.


    Public disys of affection had never really been my thing before, but with Gio, it was different. The way he touched me didn¡¯t feel possessive or like he was trying to stake his im. It felt like he just wanted to beforted by my presence. And I supposed that¡¯s what we had be to each other over the past few weeksfort.


    Although I tried to force the thoughts away, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what would happen to me if my source offort was stolen away. I didn¡¯t care what everyone else said. The chances of them pulling this off without anything going wrong were slim to none. It was a real possibility that I would never see Gio again. These could be ourst few moments together.


    I reached up and sped his hand in both of mine, then pulled it to my lips and brushed them against his knuckles. I tried to breathe in his scent. I appreciated my friends¡¯pany, but I suddenly found myself wishing that Gio and I could just be alone. If these were myst few minutes with him, I wanted to be able to do more than just subtly y with his hands.


    But I forced that thought away. These weren¡¯t ourst few moments. We had plenty of time left. I didn¡¯t want to jinx it by acting like this was thest time I would ever see him. I forced myself to take a deep breath and stered a smile on my face. If everyone else could joke andugh, then I could at least sit there quietly and smile.


    It wasn¡¯t ourst few moments. It couldn¡¯t be. We still had so much left to do together. We had just barelye clean to Dahlia.


    But the Russians didn¡¯t care about that. They would hurt him. And if his men couldn¡¯t rescue him fast enough, they would kill him. A single tear escaped down my cheek in spite of my best efforts to keep it from falling. I felt Gio¡¯s fingers stiffen against me as he felt the tear run against them.


    He didn¡¯t say anything. He just swiped it away and then ced both hands protectively on my shoulders. My stomach was in knots.


    ¡®Please don¡¯t let anything happen to him. Please, please, please,¡¯ I thought to myself. I wasn¡¯t sure who I was praying to, but I hoped if I left it vague enough, then maybe the universe would let ite true.

 Chapter 339 : Fish in a Barrel

    <h4>Chapter 339: Chapter 339 : Fish in a Barrel</h4>


    *Giovani*


    After a long day of strategizing with Gabriele and going over every possible oue of what could happen, it was finally time for us to head out and make the exchange. Although I was too experienced to feel truly nervous, I had to admit it never got any easier to purposefully put myself in danger. But it was the right call. No matter which way I looked at the situation, the right thing to do was to exchange myself for Alessandro. This was part of my duty as the Don. I would always protect my men and my family, even if it meant putting myself in danger.


    Everyone was standing in the kitchen to say our goodbyes and silence had fallen on us. The joking andughter from breakfast were gone; the seriousness of what we were about to do had taken it away. Olivia¡¯s eyes were red and puffy and I could tell she had been crying all day. I felt horrible that she was so anguished over me, and I felt even worse that I had been forced to spend the day strategizing instead offorting her. I wished that I could somehow take her pain away, but I didn¡¯t want to lie to her anymore. As much as I hated to admit it and would never outright tell her, she was right to be worried. There were a lot of variables going into what I was about to do, and Gabriele and I had discussed several different ways in which this whole operation could end up with me dead.


    I grabbed Olivia¡¯s hand and pulled her a little ways away from the group so that I could properly say goodbye to her. I wished we had more privacy, but I was d that at least we didn¡¯t have to hide how hard this was from everyone else. I desperately hoped that these weren¡¯t ourst moments together, but in case they were, I wanted toy everything out there. She needed to know exactly how I felt about her.


    ¡°Carino,¡± I murmured.


    She kept looking at the ground, her sweet face screwed up as if she was trying not to cry. I held her face gently between my hands and tilted her chin slightly so that she would look into my eyes.


    ¡°I love you. It¡¯s going to be okay.¡±


    She took a deep, shaky breath and wrapped her arms around my waist. Finally, she was making eye contact, but she was blinking hard and fast, as if she was trying to force her tears not toe. I was touched by how brave she was trying to be. I knew she didn¡¯t want to add any further stress to the situation by making me worry about her.


    ¡°I love you too, Gio,¡± she said in a small voice. ¡°Pleasee back to me. Promise me you¡¯lle back.¡±


    If everything did go wrong, I didn¡¯t want myst words to her to be a lie. Instead of promising toe back, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers. I let my kiss say everything for me. She leaned into me, parting her lips so that I could deepen the kiss. I tangled my fingers into her hair and tilted her head toward me to gain even more ess. Her kiss was everything. The world fell away as her kiss lit a fire of determination inside of me. This would not be thest time I held my sweet Olivia. I would not let the Russians take me from her.


    I knew we needed to get going, so I forced myself to pull away from our kiss and pressed my lips to her forehead onest time before gazing into her eyes. I wanted to memorize those eyes so that every time I closed my own, I could see her. She forced herself to smile at me, but it didn¡¯t reach her eyes. Even in sadness, they were beautiful.


    She was holding a brave face, but I could see that she was about to crumble. As we walked away, she turned to Dahlia and let out a loud sob onto her shoulder. I itched to run over and pull her to my chest so that I could stop her tears, but I knew there wasn¡¯t any time for that. Instead, Dahlia patted Olivia¡¯s back and made soothing sounds. I was so d they at least had each other.


    With onest nce behind us, Tallon, Gabriele, and I made our way to the cars. I took a deep breath and forced myself to focus. I couldn¡¯t let myself be distracted by Olivia anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that your secret¡¯s out,¡± Tallon interrupted my thoughts.


    ¡°Me too,¡± I told him earnestly. I couldn¡¯t imagine how difficult that goodbye would have been if Olivia and I had been pretending we were just friends.


    When we got into the car, Gabriele turned to Tallon to go over the strategy we had worked on onest time.


    ¡°We¡¯re taking you to our men at the warehouse,¡± Gabrielle exined to Tallon. ¡°You¡¯re going to be in charge of them so that I can focus fully on Giovani and Alessandro. I¡¯ll be covering both of them during the exchange. I know you know how important it is to keep everyone focused on our primary mission first¨Cget Alessandro out. Once Alessandro is safe, we can then discuss tracking Gio and infiltrating their safe house. It¡¯s important that nobody gets wrapped up in emotion and tries to save Gio too soon. If anybody fucks that up, we could end up getting Gio killed.¡±


    Tallon nodded seriously. I trusted him to be able to lead our men well. He was incredibly mature for his age and had already proven himself to be a strong asset to our organization. I was d he was one of the people who had my back.


    Before long, we had arrived at the warehouse where our crews were already waiting. Everyone was dressed in ckbat gear and looked ready to go to war. I supposed in a lot of ways, this was a war.


    I handed over the tracking device that Tallon would need to locate me. It was a simplistic geo tracker that would go unnoticed if the Russians thought to do any scans of me, but it had military-grade uracy. Tallon would know where I was within less than an inch.


    ¡°Alright, this is where we leave you,¡± I told Tallon, shaking his hand and patting him on the back.


    Tallon nodded and gave a small salute as I walked away with Gabriele.


    On our way to the shipping yard, Gabriele and I were mostly silent. We had done countless dangerous operations, but this was one of the only times that I was going to purposefully put myself in danger without anyone there with me. It required total trust in Gabriele¡¯spetence.


    ¡°Look, if anything goes wrong¨C¡± I started to say before Gabriele cut me off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that, Gio. Not right before. We¡¯ve nned it all out. It¡¯s going to be fine.¡±


    ¡°No, let me say this. If anything goes wrong, you need to at least make sure the Russians don¡¯t make it out alive.¡±


    ¡°You know they won¡¯t,¡± he said, a hard glint in his eyes. ¡°If anything goes wrong, those bastards will pay with their lives.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I nodded. ¡°And promise that you¡¯ll take care of Olivia.¡±


    ¡°Of course. She¡¯ll always be safe under my watch,¡± he promised.


    I sighed, hoping it would be me taking care of her but relieved to know that Gabriele wouldn¡¯t let anything bad happen to her if I wasn¡¯t around. We continued the rest of the drive in silence, too tense for conversation. It was foggy as we got closer to the docks. I didn¡¯t like how low the visibility was, but Gabriele and I had prepared for this. We had prepared for everything. It was time to put our ns into motion.


    At first, we didn¡¯t see any other cars in the shipping yard. Theck of vehicles only made me more tense. I didn¡¯t like that the Russians could be anywhere. There was a lot of open space interspersed with shipping containers and small buildings that were perfect for people to hide behind. Gabriele and I were like fish in a barrel at this point. Knowing that I was about to willingly hand myself over to the Russians was starting to make me feel like an animal on the verge of being caged.


    ¡®You¡¯re not going to be caged forever,¡¯ I reminded myself. ¡®Tallon wille for you.¡¯


    Gabriele slowly made his way around the car until he was standing behind me, looking all around and ready to cover me if needed. I walked toward the docks. There was a shipping container that could easily be hiding a few dozen men only fifty feet away from us, but I ignored it. I doubted that the Russians would ambush us. Something about Enzo made me think that he wanted the satisfaction of seeing me hand myself over by choice.


    Finally, we crept past the shipping container and could see that there wasn¡¯t anybody on the other side. We looked around, still waiting and wondering where the fuck Enzo was.


    Just as I was about to circle back toward the car, Enzo came walking around a small building by the docks, dragging Alessandro with him. Alessandro¡¯s eyes were wide, and Enzo had a gun shoved roughly against the back of his head. I wished I had some way tomunicate to Alessandro that it was all going to be okay; I could tell that he was confused and concerned about the fact that I was here.


    When he was roughly twenty feet in front of us, Enzo swiftly kicked the back of Alessandro¡¯s knee, forcing him to kneel on the ground. Gabriele let out a small gasp behind me. It was extremely unsettling to see Alessandro kneeling with Enzo pressing a gun executioner-style to the back of his head, but I forced my face to remain emotionless.


    ¡®This is all a big show,¡¯ I thought. ¡®He¡¯s just trying to see how far he can push you before you snap.¡¯


    I knew that Enzo was hoping Gabriele and I would lose our minds and try to pull off some sort of rescue mission right here and now. He probably had several of his guys hidden around the area, just waiting to start shooting. Unfortunately for him, he miscalcted how well we had nned this out. We had been prepared for the fact that he might try to rough up Alessandro right in front of us. It didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered was getting Alessandro out and getting me in.


    I made eye contact with Alessandro and tried tomunicate to him that he needed to remain calm. His face was twisted in fury, and I could tell that he was on the verge of losing it, but in order for our n to work, he just needed to do what he was told.


    Once Enzo seemed satisfied with his shitty treatment of Alessandro, he looked up at Gabriele and me.


    ¡°Well, well, well,¡± he said slowly, as though he had practiced this moment. ¡°Hello, Giovani, so nice of you to join us.¡±

 Chapter 340 : The Trade

    <h4>Chapter 340: Chapter 340 : The Trade</h4>


    *Giovani*


    In spite of my meaningful looks at Alessandro to try tomunicate to him to keep quiet, he couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut. Not that I wished they had gagged him, but damn he would¡¯ve been easier to handle if he couldn¡¯t talk.


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot,¡± he snarled at me, still on his knees. ¡°Why the fuck are you trading yourself for me?¡±


    Enzo smirked behind him, still pressing his gun into the back of Alessandro¡¯s head. I forced a nk expression on my face, but I wanted more than anything to get Alessandro away from that gun. It was horrifying to know that with one tiny pull of the trigger, Enzo could take Alessandro¡¯s life.


    ¡°You¡¯re family. I¡¯d do anything for my family,¡± I told Alessandro honestly. He had been an absolute pain in my ass for the past few weeks, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that I would willingly die for him. Family was everything to me. If I couldn¡¯t protect my family, I was worthless as a Don.


    Alessandro paled slightly, and I wondered if he was regretting treating me like shit. It seemed that somewhere along the way, he had forgotten that we were supposed to be loyal to each other above all else, but I hoped that tonight he was learning an important lesson.


    ¡°Let him up, Enzo,¡± I said gruffly. ¡°We both know he¡¯s not the one you want to be holding a gun on right now.¡±


    Enzo smirked at me. I couldn¡¯t wait to see my team wipe that smug expression off his faceter, but for now, I had to act downcast. He had to think he¡¯d gotten the best of me.


    Enzo roughly shoved Alessandro forward, forcing him to get on his hands and knees. Alessandro¡¯s muscles bulged in anger, but he had the good sense not to fight it. He didn¡¯t have any weapons on him. Trying to fight Enzo would just result in a bullet to his brain.


    Just as I was walking toward Alessandro to help him to his feet, someone came from behind me and shoved a ck bag over my head. My first instinct was to try to reach up and yank it off, but before I could, I felt two mene from behind me and cuff my hands tightly behind my back.


    Of course, the fuckers had no regard for myfort and cuffed my wrists so tightly I could feel the cold metal digging into my bone. I wanted to panic at the sudden loss of control, but I had to remain calm. I breathed slowly in through my nose and looked down, trying to see out the bottom of the bag.


    I could hear Alessandro stand up somewhere near me. I kept silent, hoping Gabriele would take it from here. I knew that if I started barking out orders to Alessandro and Gabriele, it would alert Enzo that I had orchestrated this whole interaction more than he realized.


    ¡°Come on, Alessandro, get in the car,¡± I heard Gabriele say from somewhere behind me.


    ¡°No! What the fuck! I¡¯m not letting him do this!¡±


    ¡°Just let it go and it can all be over, Alessandro,¡± Enzo said. ¡°Surely your family is tired of being kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± Alessandro yelled.


    I knew that if I could see his face, it would be turning red right about now.


    I sighed internally at his theatrics. In all the scenarios that Gabriele and I had prepared for, Alessandro being reluctant to leave wasn¡¯t something that we had considered might happen.


    ¡°Do not disobey your Don,¡± Gabriele growled. ¡°Get in the fucking car.¡±


    At that, Alessandro stopped arguing, and it sounded like the two of them walked away.


    I felt a gun press into the small of my back, and tried not to stumble as I started being led. I assumed we were walking toward the docks since we hadn¡¯t seen any other cars when we had parked. I heard Gabriele¡¯s car start and drive off and knew that I was officially alone. I had to trust that Gabriele and Tallon could pull this off. I was sure that they could do it. I just had to survive long enough for them to be able to find me.


    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re awfully quiet now,¡± Enzo said in a mocking voice somewhere to the right of me.


    I made sure to keep note of who was where, just in case things went wrong, and I would need to try to fight them off. So far, there was one goon pushing his gun into my back, one standing on my back left, and it sounded like Enzo standing directly to my right.


    We walked in a formation, and I imagined that they were all watching me closely, trying to figure out what my next move was going to be. I did my best to look like I didn¡¯t have a n. I kept my head hanging down and walked slowly in the direction they wanted me to go.


    After a few feet, I could tell that we were walking out onto one of the docks. Walking on the wooden nks while water moved them from side to side proved difficult with no way to see in front of me or put my arms out for bnce. I thought, if I fell, they would probably just leave me there to drown, but I couldn¡¯t think about that.


    Instead, I thought about Olivia. I pictured her beautiful face and thought about just how many times I would kiss her when I got back.


    Without warning, one of Enzo¡¯s men pushed me from the side, and I toppled into a boat. Inded roughly on my shoulder and grunted in pain before scrambling to get to a seated position. They allughed cruelly¨Cfucking bastards. I would remember this once I got my hands on Enzo....


    With a loud roar of the engine, we took off on the water. I hoped that my men would be able to easily ess wherever it was that we were going. If we were going to be on some boat or something somewhere, it would be nearly impossible for them to get to me without alerting Dmitri¡¯s men.


    The waves bounced the boat around a bit, and I had to focus to stay seated. I was d I had never struggled with seasickness. I hoped that Enzo and his men did.


    After we had ridden in silence for a while, Enzo yelled to me over the sound of the engine, ¡°You know, I¡¯ll give you this. You¡¯re a good leader to sacrifice yourself for your guy. We¡¯ve been doing a lot of intel on your organization, and I know that Alessandro isn¡¯t worth half of you. Of course, that also means that you¡¯re a stupid leader since you¡¯re destabilizing your entire organization to sacrifice yourself for someone who¡¯s basically worthless, but I gotta give it to you, you obviously want to be a hero.¡±


    I ignored him, refusing to let him bait me. Thinking that any man was worthless just because he didn¡¯t hold a leadership role was exactly why I couldn¡¯t fucking stand the way the Russians ran themselves. It was also that line of thinking that gave me an edge on them.


    ¡°Not in a talking mood, eh?¡± Enzo asked, obviously annoyed that he couldn¡¯t get me riled up. ¡°Oh well, you¡¯ll be singing like a bird soon enough. I¡¯ve got a guy who really loves interrogating. He¡¯s got a pretty unique talent for keeping his subjects conscious even while inflicting horrible pain. So far, he¡¯s gotten everyone to talk.¡±


    I continued to ignore him. Pain was pain. He could pretend all he wanted that they hade up with some new uniquely horrible way to torture me for information, but it wouldn¡¯t be anything I couldn¡¯t handle. And most likely, my men would show up before they even got the chance toy a finger on me.


    After what felt like a half hour, the boat slowed to a stop, and I heard the sounds of them tying it up. Their purpose in putting a bag over my head had definitely seeded; I had no clue where we were. They could have taken us out, driven in a circle, ande right back to the same docks for all I knew.


    One of Enzo¡¯s men wrenched my arm up, causing my injured shoulder to tweak. I had been expecting it, so I was able to suppress any sounds of pain. I didn¡¯t want them to know that my fall into the boat had left anysting injuries. Otherwise, they would continue to exploit them.


    I stepped awkwardly up out of the boat onto another dock and sure enough, I felt a gun get shoved into my back again. It felt like these assholes were damn near getting off on the fact that they could push their gun at me whenever they wanted.


    We walked down the dock in silence before they pulled me to a sudden stop. I heard a car door open in front of me right before being pushed into the waiting car. I wanted tough to myself at the overkill of them taking me to yet another location. I knew they must be pretty damn intimidated by me if they thought they had to go to all this trouble. Little did they know, it didn¡¯t matter how many different ces they took me. As long as I had my shoes, my men would find me.


    The car ride was shorter than the boat trip, and nobody tried to talk to me this time. I heard them speaking quietly in Russian to each other, but I couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying. My Russian was so rusty, I doubted I would¡¯ve understood them even if I could hear it anyway.


    When the car came to a stop, the guy sitting next to me in the back seat prodded me with his gun, indicating that I should get out.


    ¡°I can¡¯t open the fucking door,¡± I reminded him.


    I was so sick of not being able to see or move my arms. A dull ache had settled into my shoulder, and not being able to move it around was making it worse.


    Someone came around the other side and opened the door for me before grabbing my arm and yanking me out of the car. I stumbled but instead of falling, I shoulder-checked him hard enough that I heard him grunt.


    ¡®Take that, fucker,¡¯ I thought.


    ¡°This way,¡± I heard Enzo say.


    It sounded like he was a few feet ahead of the rest of us.


    I started walking in his direction, ready to get this shit over with. I heard what sounded like a metal warehouse door open and felt them lead me to what was most likely the center of the room before they pushed me down onto a chair. Someone from behind ripped the bag off my head, and I blinked hard, trying to quickly adjust my eyes to the bright light that was shining in them.


    After a few seconds, my eyes adjusted enough that I could make out Dmitri standing in front of me, holding a shlight directly toward my face. My blood went cold at the sadistic fucking grin he had stered on his face. I hoped my men would arrive soon, knowing that otherwise, I just might find out what kind of torture Enzo had been talking about.

 Chapter 341 : Double Screwed

    <h4>Chapter 341: Chapter 341 : Double Screwed</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    I bit at my bottom lip nervously as I paced around the living room. Dahlia watched me from the couch, looking just as anxious as I felt. It had been hours since the group had left, and we still hadn¡¯t received any news.


    The anxiety was killing me. My whole body was tense, and I was unable to sit down. Dahlia had tried putting on a movie, but it only stirred me up even more.


    What was happening right now? Did they trade Giovani? Did they get Alessandro back? Maybe they killed him outright, and his body was lying dead¨CTallon and Gabriele too, and that¡¯s why they didn¡¯t call. I brushed my hand through my hair, forcing it away from my face.


    The stress was going to kill me.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong,¡± Dahlia tried to soothe me. ¡°Tallon or Gabriele would call if something had happened. Just try to be patient.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± I snapped at her. ¡°The man I love is trading himself to the Russian mafia who wants to kill him, and I¡¯m just sitting here waiting again!¡±


    I copsed into the leather chair, folding my knees to my chest as I struggled not to cry. I wanted to scream, but I knew that wouldn¡¯t do anybody any good.


    ¡°Okay, I can¡¯t take it anymore,¡± Dahlia growled, getting to her feet before screaming, ¡°Maria!¡±


    I heard the sound of footsteps rushing from upstairs, quicker than I thought an older Spanish woman could ever move, before she rounded the corner with a worried look.


    ¡°Si, senorita?¡± she asked, looking prepared to do anything for us as long as we said the word.


    ¡°Could you make us a pitcher of the strongest drink you know?¡± Dahlia asked, irritatedly. ¡°Raid Giovani¡¯s liquor cab if you have to. Just make it enough to calm us down.¡±


    ¡°Si,¡± Maria nodded determinedly, turning on her heel as she rushed away.


    ¡°Seriously, that woman is a godsend,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± Dahlia smirked, before sitting back down on the couch. She grabbed the TV remote and the television shed with a blue light. We hadn¡¯t bothered turning on the lights since it had gotten darker out so there was only the bright screen of the TV to illuminate us.


    Dahlia flipped through the channels, passing cooking shows, news channels, cartoons, and telenovs, until finally, shended on one of my favorite movies. It was a romance that I had seen thousands of times, and though it was already halfway through the movie, I knew exactly what words were about to be spoken.


    I mouthed the quote along with the character, my eyes glued to the screen as she spoke of destiny being idental.


    It felt reassuring in a weird way, like she was speaking to me as she said these words even though I knew she wasn¡¯t.


    By the time Maria came back, the movie was nearing its end, but I was still wound up like a spring toy, my thoughts traveling back to Giovani and Alessandro and the trade and everything that could go wrong.


    Maria was carrying thergest pitcher I¡¯ve ever seen. It was like a punch bowl made into a pitcher, and she held both of her hands around it while still managing to carry two sses. She set it down on the coffee table, the ssware clinking together as the sses hit the pitcher.


    ¡°Aqui estamos!¡± Maria grinned triumphantly.


    ¡°Thank God.¡± Dahlia scooched to the edge of the couch, grabbing one of the cups and allowing Maria to pour the deep amber-colored liquid into her cup. It looked almost like an iced tea, and I realized exactly what it was as soon as Dahlia took a swig.


    Her eyes went wide, and her lips pursed as she swallowed it.


    ¡°Woo!¡± She grinned, energized. ¡°That is the strongest bitch I¡¯ve ever had to swallow.¡±


    Maria handed me my own ss, and I nced at Dahlia¡¯s expecting eyes and then shrugged. If It helped take my mind off of things, why not?


    I took a huge gulp, the liquid rushing down my throat and the sour, acrid taste hit my tongue. I coughed, struggling to keep it down as the amount of alcohol that hit me in that single gulp was staggering.


    Dahlia was right. That was the strongest drink I¡¯d ever had the displeasure of tasting. We were so screwed; we were going to be stered in no time.


    I took another swig, and after tasting it once, I was more prepared, and the alcohol slipped down easier. I shivered, a little cold as the alcoholic drink slid down my throat and into the empty cavern that was my stomach.


    That¡¯s when I remembered that the two of us had barely eaten all day. Breakfast had been a tense affair, and neither of us was willing to have lunch or dinner.


    We were double screwed.


    Oh well.


    After the credits of the movie started rolling, the alcohol hit me pretty hard. I felt a little loopy but more rxed¨Ca little too rxed.


    ¡°Gio¡¯s an idiot,¡± I slurred as I took arge gulp of the alcoholic drink.


    ¡°Drink to that,¡± Dahlia raised her ss, downing the rest of it.


    Commercials were beginning to y on the TV, and all I could focus on was how happy the couple looked as they bought a car together. Would I ever get to experience that¨Csharing my life with someone? Giovani had already had all those precious moments, though. He¡¯d bought his first car, his first house, and all the shit I had yet to do. His age didn¡¯t matter to me, but I realized just how finite life could be.


    Dahlia had almost been murdered, Alessandro had been kidnaped, and now Giovani was offering himself up on a tter. Was this truly my life now? Was this what I had to look forward to for the rest of my days?


    If I was Giovani¡¯s wife, would I even be able to handle this day in and day out?


    ¡°Be honest.¡± I looked at Dahlia with sad eyes. ¡°Are Gio and I really too different to get along?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Dahlia responded, slurring her words as she tilted into me with a goofy grin, ¡°You two are perfect for each other! You two crazy kids found each other in this world! Don¡¯t let anybody take that away from you!¡±


    She hupped, leaning her head on my shoulder as she poured another drink.


    ¡°How¡¯d that happen anyway?¡± she mumbled curiously. ¡°How¡¯d you two get together if you¡¯re both such sticklers for social conventions anyway?¡±


    I blinked blearily, my vision a bit hazy as I saw through my drunken goggles. A new movie was beginning to y, a ssic western, and I giggled at the bad guy with a long, fancy mustache and a cowboy hat.


    ¡°He¡¯s funny,¡± I remarked, pointing at the screen.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Dahlia pushed my shoulder. ¡°Answer me.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± I rolled my eyes, leaning back into the couch as I tried to recall how this had all begun. Then I spat out, ¡°Tea.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She frowned, confused.


    ¡°Tea,¡± I repeated. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep, so we met in the kitchen and had some tea. We started talking all night. From the moment we met, I had been attracted to him, but that was when I started liking him. He poured me tea, and he smelled soo good.¡±


    ¡°You fucking nerd.¡± Dahlia burst into giggles and I soon followed after her, the two of us cracking up as we leaned on one another for support.


    Dahlia went to pour herself her third ss, but frowned as she noticed the pitcher was gone. ¡°Did you drink all that?¡± she asked, confused.


    ¡°Nooo,¡± I shook my head, elongating my words for some reason. I thought it was funny so I giggled, burying my head into her shoulder. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Maria!¡± Dahlia called out, her loud voice ringing through the hallways.


    I winced as she shrieked into my ear, and I spaced out as I watched the TV, waiting for more of the Long Ind iced tea.


    ¡°Who kissed who?¡± Dahlia whispered in my ear.


    ¡°Gio walked in on me naked,¡± I said as I giggled, ¡°and he kissed me. Mwah!¡± I pretended to kiss the air, grinning like a mad fool as Maria walked in with a new pitcher of alcohol.


    She looked worried as she stared at us, both of us giggling for no reason. Dahlia hupped as Maria poured her a new ss, only filling it half-full.


    Or half-empty.


    I burst intoughter, which then morphed into a sad sob as tears filled my eyes. I buried my head in her shoulder suddenly, causing her to spill the drink, and the cold liquid sshed onto my shirt, but I didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± I wailed, my emotions flooding now as I hugged her as tightly as I could.


    ¡°For what?¡± Dahlia asked, confused, then offered me the ss. ¡°There¡¯s more cup of drink.¡±


    She giggled and then snorted. ¡°Cup of drink.¡± She repeated like it was the funniest thing in the world.


    ¡°I kept fucking Gio when you were kidnapped,¡± I sobbed. ¡°I¡¯m such a bad friend! I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Dahlia blinked but then nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fair.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I gaped at her, bewildered by her nonchnt response. It could¡¯ve been the alcohol, but I swore I thought she was glowing a blue-ish color, though it could¡¯ve been the light from the TV screen.


    ¡°I¡¯d do the same,¡± Dahlia admitted with a silly grin, ¡°so it¡¯s okay. I know how much you worried about me. If he took your mind off of me, then good for you. You needed a good fuck, so I¡¯m happy for you!¡±


    ¡°Dolly,¡± I whimpered, my eyes flooding with tears once more. ¡°You¡¯re the bestest friend ever.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re the bestest bestest friend ever,¡± Dahlia refused, shaking her head adamantly as she booped my nose.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re the bestest bestest bestest friend ever!¡± I refuted as the two of us held onto one another, absolutely drunk out of our minds as we cried and giggled at the same time.


    ¡°You know what?¡± Dahlia suddenly gasped. ¡°Since I¡¯m the bestest and you¡¯re the bestest, we should get married! Fuck boys. We¡¯d be great together!¡±


    I blinked rapidly, thinking it over for a solid minute but then I beamed. That would solve all my problems! ¡°You¡¯re right! We¡¯d be the best! Do they have an Elvis here?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Elvis?¡± Dahlia burst intoughter.


    ¡°Mierda,¡± Maria sighed, shaking her head as she looked at the two of our drunken asses, practically making ns to get married


    Before we could do anything we¡¯d regret, however, a familiar jingle rang out through the living room, and Dolly jumped two feet in the air. She fished her phone from her pocket, staring nkly at the screen.


    I leaned over her shoulder to see who it was and the heated fuzzy buzz in my head ran cold.


    It was Tallon.


    I¡¯d never gotten sober more quickly than I did right then.

 Chapter 342 : Madness

    <h4>Chapter 342: Chapter 342 : Madness</h4>


    *Giovani*


    ¡°It¡¯s such a pleasure to meet the Don of the Valentinos.¡± Dmitri smiled as he watched me carefully. There was a coldness to his eyes, the ck irises almost dead-looking as he stared at me, not even blinking.


    Fucking bastard.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we couldn¡¯t have met under better circumstances,¡± Dmitri nced around at the empty warehouse around us, a dozen men with their eyes and guns on me. ¡°But you¡¯re quite a hard man to find these days, Giovani.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off,¡± I spat, in no mood for these games.


    Dmitriughed, a high cold sound that was more like a ghost than an actual human being. There was a dark glint in his eyes as he stepped forward into my space, only two steps away from me.


    He didn¡¯t look angry or upset. He didn¡¯t even look happy or pleased to finally have me in his clutches. He just looked empty¨Clike a hollow shell without any substance inside.


    Dmitri nced down at his hands, the ck leather gloves he wore making an unpleasant squeaking sound as he testingly squeezed them together. Finally, he smirked, looking at me dead in the eye.


    Then, faster than I could blink, his hand was around my throat, squeezing tightly as he grabbed me roughly and pulled me forward by the neck. I gasped at the suddenck of oxygen, choking on my own tongue from how fast it had all happened.


    Dmitri smiled pleasantly, like we were having a respectful conversation and he didn¡¯t have his hands around my throat and one of his men pointing a gun at the back of my head.


    ¡°Soon,¡± Dmitri warned softly, ¡°you¡¯ll be speaking with a different tone. You¡¯ll need to start talking... more respectfully.¡±


    Even with how tight his grip around my throat was, I red furiously at the man who¡¯d fucked with my family, my organization. The image of Dahlia¡¯s blood on my hands as we rushed her to the hospital shed in my mind, and the way he smirked at the camera as he mercilessly killed a teenager.


    Respectfully, my ass.


    I spit in his face, smirking strainedly as the lob of spit hit him directly under the eye, and he looked at the ground, finally letting go of my neck.


    I gasped for air, breathing in deeply and quickly. I hadn¡¯t realized how dizzy I had been from theck of oxygen until it all came rushing back in.


    Dmitri wiped my spit off his face, staring passively at me like I had done just what he had expected me to do, but there was a deeper emotion hidden just under the surface¨Cthe first time I noticed any kind of emotion from him.


    Disappointment.


    The realization hit me like a brick, and for a moment, we stared at one another, enemies on either side of a crumbling foundation.


    Dmitri smiled¨Ca horrible, twisted kind of smile like a man who had seen nightmares andvished in them. His eyes glinted with a dark kind of excitement, and I wasn¡¯t prepared in the slightest.


    The first crack had been made and Dmitrished out, his fist colliding with my face. The strength was enough to push me back, but the chair I was wrapped in prevented me from moving.


    Without my arms to defend myself, I was a sitting duck. I could only sit there and take it as his fist beat into my face repeatedly, each time getting stronger, more aggressive, and wilder as he cared less about technique and more about just hurting me as much as he possibly could.


    I grunted from the attack, keeping my teeth clenched so I didn¡¯t bite my tongue before it was finally over. With the final punch, I heard a crunch, and I sucked in a breath from my mouth as my nose copsed against my face, cutting off any air supply through it.


    My whole face was burning in pain, and my right eye was swollen, half closed as I felt a bruise blooming around it. My nose was in an awkward shape, and it hurt to breathe through it. I tasted the blood pouring from my nose as I sucked in a breath through my mouth.


    My nose was definitely broken, and I was nursing a ck eye. I ran my tongue across my lip, feeling the split. Of course, he had gone for the face.


    Imented briefly for him ruining my face for Olivia. I knew how handsome she thought I was. Still, at least once I saw her again, I couldn¡¯t wait for her to nurse me back to health. Really, I should thank him.


    Olivia caring for me day and night until I was better was a good enough exchange for the destruction of my face.


    Amusement burst to life in my chest. Despite the pain in my eye and nose and lip, I began tough. This was nothing to me. I¡¯d been through hell and back to make it where I was and this... this was child¡¯s y.


    ¡°Is that all you have?¡± I smirked up at him, even as I tasted blood in my mouth.


    Dmitri narrowed his eyes at me, and finally, a hint of annoyance flickered across his face, and victory sang in my blood¨Ca second crack in that emotionless demeanor.


    Dmitri smiled, cold and unforgiving, as he reached for my face and wiped the blood from my cheeks.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t even the beginning,¡± he said casually.


    He could¡¯ve been discussing the weather with how bored he looked. I was disgusted to have his hands anywhere near my face, but then Dmitri smirked, and I stiffened as his mask dropped just the slightest bit.


    If eyes were windows to the soul, then I had seen exactly what was contained within Dmitri.


    Madness.


    And he proved it as he pressed two fingers against my broken nose and pushed as hard as he could in the opposite direction it was facing. The pain was excruciating, and I heard a pop as I clenched my teeth to prevent a scream from falling out.


    ¡°There,¡± Dmitri grinned like a maniac, finally letting go of my injury. ¡°Now it¡¯s facing the right way.¡±


    My eyes watered despite my best intentions¨Can instinctive response¨Cbut I refused to let any hint of tears fall. I wasn¡¯t going to give him the satisfaction. He had only done it to cause me pain, not to help me out.


    I settled my tongue onto the roof of my mouth, shutting my mouth and remaining silent. It had to have been at least thirty minutes since I¡¯d gotten there.


    My team should be there soon, I thought. Any minute now, and they¡¯d burst through those doors and all of this would be over.


    I could go home to Olivia, just like I¡¯d promised.


    And this bastard would be dead.


    I just had tost long enough for them to show up.


    ¡°I wonder,¡± Dmitri hummed as he circled around my chair. ¡°How is that little cousin of yours? Dahlia, was it? I saw her personally. Quite a fiery one, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    My good eye twitched at the sound of Dahlia¡¯s name. I couldn¡¯t stand having her namee out of his filthy mouth. But I kept my face impassive, emotionless, like a piece of stone.


    I felt nothing right now as I counted down the minutes in my head, hoping my team would show up soon so I could mess his face up just as much as he¡¯d messed up mine.


    ¡°She made quite a fuss with my men,¡± Dmitri smirked. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind how they had to rough her up a bit. Otherwise, how could you learn who you were dealing with?¡±


    I clenched my fists, showcasing nothing on my face as I stared intently at the door across the way. I counted wooden nks, the men surrounding me, and anything I could do to keep from giving him the reaction he craved.


    ¡°You did leave quite a bloody mess behind. Not all hers.¡± He continued on like he was having the time of his life. ¡°I was very sad I couldn¡¯t kill another rtive of James¡¯ to return the favor. His daughter would¡¯ve been a perfect revenge considering what your family did to Mikhail.¡±


    ¡°Mikhail got what he deserved,¡± I said, calmly. ¡°He was a lunatic.¡±


    Dmitriughed, full-bodied and bright like he was reminiscing. ¡°Oh, yes he was aplete lunatic. I¡¯ll agree with you there. Yet....¡±


    His boots stopped in front of me, his lips curling into a snarl as he red at me, revealing the deep loathing just under the surface. It was impressive how he¡¯d kept it hidden for so long considering it was deeper than the pits of hell.


    ¡°He was family,¡± Dmitri said darkly, but then he returned to a smile, his emotions going back and forth quicker than a swing blowing in a heavy wind. ¡°So I will do what I must to get justice for my family.¡±


    I red at him through my half-closed eye, saying nothing as one of the many guards around us wheeled a steel tray around us. On it were a dozen sharp instruments and tools. Dmitri rounded the tray, picking up a sharped rusty screwdriver and twirling it in his hand.


    A wide grin spread across his face as he stared at it under the shitty fluorescent lights that kept flickering. Finally, he turned to me, the madness almost gleaming as the sadistic bastard approached, step by step.


    ¡°I am going to enjoy every second of this, Giovani,¡± Dmitri said happily as he ran the tip across my cheek, slicing into it slowly. ¡°I will destroy you inch by inch until you are begging for the sweet release of death, and then, I will grant it to you, but not before I ughter every member of your organization, of your family, so you know exactly how I felt all those years ago.¡±


    The psychopath in front of me was not delivering a threat; his matter-of-fact tone was too nonchnt. This was a promise.


    He was never going to stop until one of us was dead.


    ¡°How long will it take for you to break, I wonder?¡± Dmitri grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡±


    Unfortunately for him, I wasn¡¯t the one going down.


    An explosion burst from behind him, the force flipping the chair I was tied to onto its side, and I grunted from the pain as my hearing vanished, leaving only a ringing in my ears.


    I caught sight of Dmitri screaming out orders and pointing at the door, something I couldn¡¯t make out before I watched as the Russian bastards lit up alcohol filled bottles and threw them at the surrounding areas.


    The fire was quick to catch on, spreading fast as it overtook the old warehouse, and the heat was unbearable.


    My eyes caught Dmitri¡¯s form.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ve won yet!¡± Dmitri screamed through the mes as it cut off him and a few of his men from mine charging inward. ¡°I will destroy everything you love, Giovani! I will never stop!¡±


    And then he grinned before he backed away into the growing smoke, and I lost sight of him.


    A few of the men on his side were continuing to throw Molotov cocktails, burning the ce to the ground in order to make a getaway.


    All I could do wasy there and wait to see which would catch me first¨Cmy men, or the mes.

 Chapter 343 : Let’s Go Home

    <h4>Chapter 343: Chapter 343 : Let¡¯s Go Home</h4>


    *Giovani*


    Smoke was quickly swallowing up the oxygen within the warehouse, all air being sucked into a vacuum that only helped to spread the mes faster. I could barely see through all ck, and my breath wasing in shallower as every inhale filled my lungs with ash.


    My chest burned from how much I had already swallowed, and I could taste the cinders on my tongue as it burned dangerously close to me.


    Chaos only continued to spread around me with shes of guns firing and bodies dropping to the floor. I couldn¡¯t tell who was an enemy or ally at this point. I shut my eyes as they burned and watered from the smoke.


    I had to rely on my sense of touch as I struggled to pull my hands from the ropes binding them. As I reached out as much as I could, I felt something cold and metal on the tip of my fingers. I pulled it into my hands, wincing as a sudden sharpness sliced into my palm.


    I maneuvered the de into the rope, slicing through them with ease. The ropes loosened, and I felt around for the rope at my legs, cutting through them just as easily.


    I coughed into my jacket, removing it from my body to tie it around my head as I searched for a way out.


    I forced my eyes open, despite how much they burned, as I moved away from the mes and toward what I thought was the doorway.


    But the fire was spreading too quickly, and I¡¯d inhaled too much smoke. I burst into coughs, trying to gain a breath as I fell to one knee, my strength leaving me. My vision blurred around me, and for one horrible second, I thought I was going to die.


    Olivia¡¯s pretty smile shed across my mind, and I struggled to my feet, pushing my body past all the abuse it had taken in thest hour and forcing myself to continue.


    I wouldn¡¯t leave her behind... not with our future so close.


    ¡°Giovani!¡± I heard a voice call.


    Relief poured over me as I moved the jacket to scream out, ¡°Here!¡±


    I coughed, grabbing onto the nearest wall as I tried to remain upright. The smoke parted as a figure pushed through and something hard was shoved onto my face. I breathed in deeply at the sudden rush of air while the person beside me shoved something cold and metal into my hands.


    I knew instinctively it was a handgun, one of my own. I wrapped my hands around itfortably. With the mask on, I could breathe much better, but I was still feeling the effects of the smoke.


    With one hand on my shoulder, I allowed myself to be led out of the burning warehouse. Once we were out, I tore the mask off my face, breathing in the fresh air before coughing once more.


    ¡°Here.¡± Gabriele in fullbat gear red at me as he forced the mask back on my face and led me further away to where our staff doctor was set up just off to the side. I heard the sirens of the firefighters already, heading straight this way.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I shoved the mask away from me, turning around to stare at the warehouse, ignoring our doctor. My men were working overtime to put out the fire, hoses of water being poured straight into the mes to extinguish them.


    Luckily, the building wasn¡¯tpletely destroyed, but I knew instinctively that Dmitri had gotten away. I clenched my jaw, furious that he¡¯d slipped out of our fingers once more.


    ¡°Search for survivors!¡± I demanded once the fire had died down to cinders. ¡°Anyone who is alive, bring them here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± A few of my men nodded, charging guns up into the warehouse.


    ¡°You should rest,¡± Gabriele warned me, crossing his arms unhappily.


    There was a look of concern on his face that I didn¡¯t want to see. I knew how I looked. Bloody and dirtied, my whole face was a mess and not to mention, now I had to exin to the police and fire department what had gone on and send them on their way.


    What a fucking day.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just finish this,¡± I said determinedly, heading straight back into the warehouse.


    The fire was still smoldering, but it wasn¡¯t likely to spread again. I checked the pulse of every man I came across, but none were breathing. Blood and ash had spread over the floor, coating it in puddles.


    Our footsteps tracked prints the further in we got, and I stepped over so many bodies, I wasn¡¯t even sure if there was a survivor.


    There were more casualties on their side than ours, which was a relief. We only lost two men, though several more were injured. Of the men Dmitri had left behind, three were still alive and each had been dragged out with various life-threatening injuries.


    It was questionable whether they would survive much less talk about what they knew.


    Those who hadn¡¯t been killed or severey injured had already fled by the looks of it. My annoyance grew as my men came out of other areas of the warehouse one by one, each returning empty-handed.


    All we had captured were lowly grunts who knew nothing but orders. We¡¯d dealt them a blow, but this was far from over. Our n hadn¡¯t worked.


    Like a snake, he¡¯d slipped away, and now we were back to square one. Everything we¡¯d gone through was for nothing.


    Or so I thought, until I heard the shout of ¡°Over here!¡± and the bang of a gunshot from deeper in the warehouse. I rushed in, jumping over the deceased bodies lying everywhere before I spotted Alessandro standing over a lump of ck.


    I heard groaning from the figure as Alessandro had his foot on the person¡¯s leg, which was quickly turning red, his gun trained right between the person¡¯s eyes. With how focused he was, I was impressed.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I asked as I joined his side.


    ¡°See for yourself,¡± Alessandro nodded, not moving his eyes away from the man for a second. I kneeled next to the man and grabbed him by the hair as I raised his head to meet mine.


    I stiffened in surprise before a smirk slowly spread across my face.


    ¡°Well, well,¡± I taunted the bastard. ¡°Looks like you weren¡¯t quick enough to escape, were you, Enzo?¡±


    Enzo red deeply at me, his mouth sealed shut. I smirked at how helpless he was in front of me now. All that big talk when we¡¯d made the exchange and now, look where he was.


    This wasn¡¯t a waste after all.


    There was a bullet wound in his leg, leaving him crippled. If he tried to run on that, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten far, which must have been why he was left behind.


    ¡°Your boss really doesn¡¯t care about you, does he?¡± I wondered, tilting my head. Then I caught sight of the handgun lying on the floor just out of his reach, a bullet hole in the middle of the floor between him and the gun.


    ¡°He was reaching for the gun when I found him,¡± Alessandro said coldly, ¡°but I didn¡¯t shoot him.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I smirked. ¡°I bet your boss told you to do something stupid like kill yourself before you were taken. Unfortunately for you, you were a little slow, Enzo.¡±


    His face twisted in anger, and I saw his eyes flicker to the gun in my hand. I knew the stupid idea in his head before he even moved.


    ¡°Da zdravstvuyut Zaytsevy!¡± Enzo shouted as ast hurrah before he grabbed the barrel of my gun, intending to pull it away from my hand.


    But I was smarter and faster than that. I spun the gun, forcing the barrel away from Enzo as I raised it and smacked the blunt end across his face.


    He grunted, falling onto his back from the blow, and I got to my feet, ring down at him.


    ¡°Cheap trick,¡± I said, crossing my arms. ¡°But it won¡¯t work on me. You aren¡¯t going to die yet, Enzo. There are a lot of things you have to tell us about your boss.¡±


    Enzo spat out a glob of blood, ring at me menacingly as he said, ¡°You might as well shoot me, I won¡¯t talk. I am a loyal soldier, not like you dagos!¡±


    ¡°You bastard!¡± Gabriele snapped, stepping forward as he mmed his boot into the Russian¡¯s middle, hard enough that I heard a snap of the man¡¯s ribs.


    But Enzo onlyughed, blood pouring from his lips as he rolled into a ball from the blow.


    ¡°Gabriele, stop,¡± I said firmly, raising my hand to calm him. He red at me, his calm broken by the offense Enzo had thrown at us.


    Dago¨Cit was a slur, a nasty one at that¨Cand one that Gabriele in particr was sensitive to.


    ¡°He wants us to kill him so we can¡¯t get him to talk,¡± I crossed my arms, ¡°Don¡¯t fall for it. The best revenge is getting him to spill his guts and bring down his whole organization. Then you can kill him.¡±


    Gabriele gritted his teeth, clearly unhappy, but I saw him take a deep breath and back away from the Russian, regaining control of himself.


    ¡°I won¡¯t talk!¡± Enzo shouted again, swearing at us in Russian.


    I didn¡¯t speak Russian, but I knew just by the way he was saying things, he was insulting us. He just kept repeating, ¡°I won¡¯t talk,¡± in between swears and finally, Alessandro had had enough.


    He bent down, grabbing Enzo by his hair as he raised his face to his own. Mere inches from each other, the dark look on Alessandro¡¯s face would be enough to make a grown man run screaming, but Enzo only red back.


    ¡°You will talk,¡± Alessandro said determinedly. ¡°I can promise you that.¡±


    Enzo finally fell silent as Alessandro dropped him, wiping his hands like he¡¯d touched something disgusting. He sneered down at the injured man, not a single hint of pity in his expression.


    Good. Sympathy was only a weakness in this line of work. It¡¯d only get you killed.


    ¡°Take Enzo to thepound. I¡¯ll be having a conversation with him personally,¡± I told the nearest man. He nodded, grabbing both of his arms and hauling him over his shoulder.


    ¡°No need to be gentle, either,¡± Gabriele said fiercely. ¡°Treat his wounds only as much as you have to, just so he won¡¯t die.¡±


    I nodded in agreement, knowing this would make Gabriele feel a tiny bit better. We all needed our little concessions.


    Alessandro flicked the safety on his gun as I watched Enzo get pulled away, his feet dragging on the ground behind him.


    I sighed, the exhaustion and pain hitting me all at once.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± I said, feeling like I needed a long hot bath and Olivia¡¯s sweet touch as she patched me up.


    And a lot of painkillers.

 Chapter 344 : Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 344: Chapter 344 : Reunion</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Dahlia answered her phone, her face white as a sheet. I absently chewed on my bottom lip, anxiety threatening to overwhelm me. I forced myself to take a deep breath and let it out. It wouldn¡¯t help anybody for me to have a panic attack right now.


    ¡°Hold on, Tallon. Let me put you on speaker,¡± Dahlia said, looking at me.


    Her face was a mirror of my emotions. We both stared into each other¡¯s eyes, terrified that Tallon was going to give us horrible news. I sent out a prayer to the universe that everyone was safe. I didn¡¯t know if the universe was listening or not, but it felt like the right thing to do.


    ¡®Hold it together, hold it together,¡¯ I repeated to myself. No matter what Tallon said, I had to keep my wits about me. Dahlia had already been through so much, and I didn¡¯t want to fall apart on her like I had after we¡¯d been attacked. I needed to be a stronger friend.


    ¡°Hey, yeah, Dahlia? Olivia? Can you both hear me?¡± Tallon¡¯s voice crackled out from her phone. He sounded calm, which seemed like a good sign, but that might have been because he was about to deliver devastating news.


    ¡°Yes, please just tell us what happened!¡± I nearly screamed into the phone. I couldn¡¯t take this waiting game any longer.


    ¡°We were sessful. We¡¯re on our way home now.¡±


    I could practically hear him grinning through the phone.


    I stared at the phone in disbelief, too afraid to ept what Tallon had said. Dahlia patted my shoulder and gave me an encouraging smile when I looked toward her. I tried to ground myself by repeating what Tallon had said in my head. They were sessful; they were on their way home. Could it really be that simple?


    ¡°How far out are you? I need to call Mom and Dad. They¡¯re going to want to meet you guys here,¡± Dahlia said.


    ¡°About an hour. We¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    Tallon hung up without saying goodbye. Finally, I allowed myself to believe that it had really worked¨CAlessandro and Giovani were safe. Somehow their dangerous n had worked! I let out a small sob, and Dahlia grabbed me into a massive hug. We both cried against each other, finally allowing ourselves to feel all of the emotions that we had been trying so hard to avoid. Just one more hour and Giovani would be here; even better, he¡¯d be safe.


    After a few minutes, Dahlia pulled away from our embrace and wiped her eyes.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve got to get my parents here,¡± she said shakily.


    I turned away to give her some privacy, still feeling the tears streaming down my face and regretting all the drinks I¡¯d had. I didn¡¯t feel drunk anymore, but I was finding it hard to get my emotions back in check now that I had loosened my hold on them.


    ¡°Okay, bye. I love you,¡± Dahlia ended her phone call, then patted my back. She seemed to sense that I was a mess.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be home in just a few more minutes, Olive. Don¡¯t cry,¡± she murmured soothingly.


    I forced myself to smile at her and wiped away thest of my tears. I was starting to regain control now that I knew I¡¯d have Gio in my arms again so soon. I nced at the clock on the wall. It had been a little over ten minutes since Tallon¡¯s phone call. Dahlia reached out and tried to wipe off my runny eye makeup.


    ¡°Here, let me get you cleaned up. I know you want to look good for Gio,¡± sheughed.


    We both knew Giovani wouldn¡¯t care what I looked like when he got back, but it gave us something to focus on other than how badly we wanted the next forty-five minutes to fly by. Itforted me to think that by the time she finished, he would hopefully be walking in the door.


    Dahlia tugged me into her room and used a makeup wipe to clean off thest of my tears and mascara before guiding me to sit down in her vanity chair and turning it to face her. I didn¡¯t know why I had even bothered with mascara today of all days. I should have known I¡¯d end up crying it all off at some point. Once she managed to get my face back to being a nk canvas, she went to work with her makeup. She worked quickly; she had applied makeup on me thousands of times. She knew my face as well as she knew her own.


    ¡°Et voil¨¤!¡± she eximed before turning me to face the mirror.


    I stared at myself in wonder. It was some of her best work; I looked like she had put an Instagram filter on me. She had masterfully applied just the right amount of eyeshadow to make it look like I naturally had bedroom eyes. She¡¯d even managed to cover up the red splotches that always surrounded my eyes after a good cry without making it obvious that I had makeup on. The lip gloss she¡¯d used made my lips look just slightly pouty without leaving a sticky residue, which was good, because I nned on kissing the hell out of Gio the second I saw him.


    ¡°Damn, Dahlia, why haven¡¯t you done my makeup like this before?¡± I asked.


    She justughed and ran her fingers through my hair to tame it a bit. Just as she was pulling away, the door mmed open, making us both jump. We looked at each other for a second, then both made a mad dash for the kitchen. Even with Dahlia¡¯s injuries, we made it there in record time.


    We arrived just in time to see Alessandro and Giovani walking through the door. Both of us broke into a dead sprint and nearly tackled them to the ground.


    ¡°Careful, carino!¡± Gio eximed. ¡°You¡¯ll get me bleeding all over you.¡±


    I wanted to start crying all over again as I saw his bruised and bloodied face, but I knew that wasn¡¯t what he needed right now, and I didn¡¯t want to mess up all of Dahlia¡¯s work. I studied the injuries on his face and cringed internally as I realized that someone must have beaten the hell out of him. This was what had happened to him because he had been brave enough to put himself in Alessandro¡¯s ce. I hated that he was hurt, but I was so proud to love a man as courageous as Giovani.


    I gave him a brave smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d too,¡± he responded in a quiet voice before pulling me into a kiss.


    I pulled back just a little, terrified that he would hurt himself, but he tugged at my waist to bring me back to him. Too afraid to touch his face, I wrapped my arms around his waist and let him take the lead as he deepened the kiss. I trusted that he wouldn¡¯t do anything that hurt.


    Spending the day terrified that I was going to lose him had only deepened our connection. Everywhere he touched me left my body buzzing with an electrifying need for him. My world shrank down until it was just him, me, and our roaming hands. I forgot to even breathe as his mouth moved against mine. His tongue just slightly brushed against my bottom lip, sending a jolt of lust straight through me, when I remembered that we had an audience.


    I pulled away from his kiss and felt a blush creeping up my face. I shifted ufortably, trying to stifle the need that had been growing in my lower abdomen.


    ¡°Well... I guess I¡¯m out of a job now that I can¡¯t hold that over your head,¡± Alessandro said awkwardly.


    Dahlia looked at him reproachfully.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re safe, or otherwise I¡¯d kick your ass!¡± she said while smacking him on the arm. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you, ckmailing our cousin and my best friend?!¡±


    ¡°Giovani, Olivia, I truly am sorry,¡± Alessandro said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was thinking. I am so embarrassed over my behavior. I hope you can both eventually forgive me and learn to trust me again.¡±


    He looked so forlorn, I reached for his hand before saying, ¡°I forgive you.¡±


    ¡°I do too, ya little shit,¡± Gio chuckled. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, you still have a job here. You¡¯ve actually managed to convince me that you can be pretty useful when you want to be.¡±


    ¡°Of course he¡¯s useful, I raised him after all!¡± I heard Ba¡¯s voicee from behind me and turned to see her and James walking into the kitchen from the other side.


    ¡°Wee back, son,¡± James said before pulling Alessandro into a tight hug.


    Ba tried her best to wrap her arms around both of them, then finally gave up and just waited for James to pull back.


    James pped Giovani on the shoulder. ¡°Thank you, Gio, for everything. I would never forgive myself if you hadn¡¯t seeded in getting him back. I can¡¯t believe I now owe you for the lives of two of my children.¡±


    Ba turned toward Gio with tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll never be able to tell you just how much this means to us.¡±


    Gio cleared his throat awkwardly, ufortable with the sudden attention. I became very aware of the fact that he still had his arms wrapped tightly around me and wondered what the two of them would think about this.


    Ba seemed to notice that Gio was holding me much more tightly than any friend would right at the time, that I wondered if I should step away. She looked at his arms around me and made eye contact with me, her eyebrows raised.


    ¡°It seems history repeats itself,¡± she said teasingly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± James asked.


    Ba looked at him, then looked meaningfully at us.


    Dahlia broke outughing. ¡°Ha! I wasn¡¯t thest to know!¡± she crowed triumphantly.


    I rolled my eyes at her but was secretly d that she had managed to break up the awkward moment. Having Ba and James know about me and Gio felt a lot like bringing a boyfriend home to meet my parents, and I wasn¡¯t exactly sure that I was ready for that yet. It also meant that I would need to call my mom and tell her as soon as possible, because I knew that if I didn¡¯t, Ba definitely would.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re not too busy snuggling up to Olivia,¡± James said with a grin, ¡°I¡¯d like to hear about exactly what happened. I know this isn¡¯t my operation anymore, but knowing the details will help me feel a lot morefortable with us heading home.¡±


    Ba ushered us all over to the dining table and brewed some coffee. I gratefully took a steaming mug; I knew it was going to be a long night, but I hoped that soon Gio and I would be able to sneak off from the rest of the group.

 Chapter 345 : Sweet Dreams

    <h4>Chapter 345: Chapter 345 : Sweet Dreams</h4>


    *Olivia*


    By the time Giovani was done talking, my coffee was gone, but I was exhausted. Just hearing everything he had gone through made me feel as if I had been there. I got up from my seat at the table and walked over to him, cing my hand on his cheek gently so I wouldn¡¯t hurt him.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d you made it,¡± I told him softly.


    Everyone else around the table murmured noises indicating they agreed with me. Alessandro stood up and stretched, leading everyone else to get up as well. I had no idea how long we had been listening to Gio, but I could tell everyone was beat.


    ¡°Alright, I need to take a shower,¡± Alessandro announced.


    Ba pulled him into a tight hug before he could get away.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to head back in the morning,¡± James let everyone know. ¡°But don¡¯t forget we¡¯re just a phone call away.¡±


    He turned to Dahlia and kissed the top of her head, then moved on to Tallon and Alessandro to say his goodbyes to them. I felt myself starting to tear up as I watched them say goodbye. I realized that having Ba and James here had been like having a piece of home with us. I was going to miss them a lot more than I had realized.


    After she said her goodbye to Dahlia, Ba turned to me. I quickly swiped at my eyes, embarrassed for her to see me crying.


    ¡°I am so d that Dahlia has you here, Olive,¡± Ba told me before wrapping her arms tightly around me. ¡°You have always been such a wonderful friend to her.¡±


    I let myself rx into her embrace and closed my eyes. It had been so long since I had been wrapped in a motherly hug. She pulled away and patted my cheek, then said, ¡°You know you can always call me if you ever need advice. I have a little experience with dating cranky old Italian men.¡±


    I giggled at the same time that James said, ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ba,¡± I said sincerely. I had a feeling that I just might take her up on that offer.


    With just a few more tears shed between me and Dahlia, Ba and James were off, and we were back to living our independent college girl lives in Italy. I hoped that now that Giovani and his men had been able to stop the Russians, we actually would get to live the life we had envisioned for ourselves before moving here.


    Giovani stood up and took my hand in his. A little thrill went up my spine as I was once again reminded that we could be publicly affectionate with each other now. I smiled at Dahlia and she gave me a little wave before hobbling off to her room. I hoped that all the running around she had done tonight wouldn¡¯t set back her healing.


    ¡°Alright, good night, guys. Let¡¯s all try to stay out of trouble tonight, okay?¡± Giovani said before pulling me away.


    I heard Tallon and Alessandrough behind us. It was nice to hear Alessandro¡¯s realugh again. I had almost gotten used to the cruel facade that he had been keeping up when he was trying to ckmail Giovani.


    Without a word, Gio pulled me into his room and shut the door behind us, pressing me against it. He leaned over me, a smile ying on his lips. All of the fear and anxiety I¡¯d been having for the past day was pushed from my mind, and suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to be with Gio in every way possible.


    He bent down and gently pressed his lips against mine; one hand cupped my cheek while the other gripped my waist. Our kiss was slow and deep. I let all the emotions I had been feeling pour out into my kiss¨Call the fear, the anger, the passion, and especially the love I felt. All of it drove the way my lips were moving against his.


    And he seemed to do the same to me. He tugged at my bottom lip with his teeth and I let out a low moan, opening my mouth just enough that he let go of my lip and slipped his tongue inside me. I pressed my pelvis against him and moaned again, suddenly desperate for more. I tugged at the bottom of his shirt, wanting to see him, but as he pulled it off in one swift move, I realized that he was covered in dirt and what looked like motor oil. I looked at his face and saw that he was still caked in blood. He tugged at the bottom of my shirt, but I stilled his hands with mine.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you cleaned up,¡± I told him suggestively, then slipped around him and walked toward his bathroom.


    As I walked, I slowly pulled my clothes off, letting him enjoy the small striptease. When we got to his bathroom, I turned around to face him. I was down to just my bra and panties.


    ¡°You¡¯re so fucking beautiful,¡± he growled, his desire making him damn near animalistic.


    I smiled at him, then reached behind me to unsp my bra. I felt my breasts jiggle enticingly as the bra was loosened, and I pressed one arm against my chest to keep them from being revealed too quickly. I wanted to enjoy the look in his eyes when he finally got to see them.


    I slowly pulled one arm out of my strap, then the other arm, still keeping the bra pressed against my chest. Once I was sure he was damn near salivating, I let the bra fall to the floor and stood in front of him in nothing but my little ck thong. My nipples were hard against the cool air, and my breasts felt almost heavy with desire.


    His eyes were zed over with lust as he stared directly at my chest. I smirked; it was an amazing feeling to see such a powerful man ovee with desire for me. It was even more amazing knowing that he loved me.


    ¡°Now this isn¡¯t fair. Howe you¡¯re still wearing so much?¡± I asked him in a sultry voice.


    He looked down as if he hadpletely forgotten that he was still wearing pants, then immediately started scrambling to yank them off. I giggled at the way he was rushing, but as soon as his cock was set free, I wasn¡¯t giggling anymore. I licked my lips in anticipation.


    ¡°You like what you see, baby? You want to give it a little taste?¡± he asked, and I smiled as I realized I had lost what little power the striptease had given me. He was just too fucking hot for me to resist, and I was putty in his hands every time.


    Without a word, I kneeled in front of him and immediately took his length into my mouth. I sighed as the familiar taste of him coated my tongue. He groaned and fisted his hand in my hair, encouraging me to take him even deeper.


    I could feel myself soaking my panties and I squirmed a bit, trying to rub myself against the fabric. Gio slowly pumped himself in and out of my mouth. I submitted myself to him totally and let him use my mouth to pleasure himself. I trusted that he would be gentle with me.


    I wrapped my hands around the backs of his thighs so that I could gain better leverage as he fucked my mouth. His hand in my hair loosened a bit, and he started running his fingers through it. I moaned against his length and felt him start moving just slightly faster, elerating slowly so that I would know it was happening. Just as I thought he was nearing climax, he pulled away from me with a deep groan.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, my hands still wrapped around him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want our first time back together to finish like this,¡± he said, leaning over to help me stand up and then pulling me into his arms, ¡°I want to take you into that shower, and I want you to get me all nice and clean before I do absolutely filthy things to you.¡±


    I blushed at his dirty talk, but I could feel myself growing wetter with every word. As if he knew just how badly I needed him, he put his hand between my legs and pressed against me over the top of my thong. I moaned and leaned my head back, my breasts pressing against his bare chest. He chuckled as he felt just how wet I was, even through the fabric of my panties.


    ¡°I love making you feel like this,¡± he breathed against my ear.


    I shivered, the tingles from his breath doing interesting things to the way my nipples pressed against him.


    ¡°I love it too,¡± I sighed.


    He slipped my panties to one side so that he could dip his finger into my pussy, and I damn near screamed at how good it felt. The moan I let out was shockingly loud, but I didn¡¯t care who heard. This was my man, and I wanted the whole world to know that he imed me and I imed him.


    Finally, he was done teasing me. He yanked my thong down and helped me step out of it before he turned his shower on. He got into the shower and pulled me with him, turning me so that my back was pressed against his front and his arms were wrapped around me.


    His dick was pressed against me, but the warm water had helped us both to settle down just slightly. We were both content to snuggle against each other, just happy that we were together. He nuzzled into my neck, and I leaned my head against him.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I love you too, so much,¡± he murmured into my neck.


    I reached out to grab a washcloth and turned to face him so that I could help him get his face cleaned up. I dabbed gently at the wounds, hoping it wasn¡¯t hurting him too much. When I got to the area around his nose, he flinched slightly and I pulled away.


    ¡°How¡¯s the nose look?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Somehow, you look even more handsome,¡± I told him honestly. The way it was now slightly crooked gave his face a sense of violence and emphasized his masculine features.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, carino,¡± he said with a chuckle, then leaned over to kiss me.


    The kiss reignited the fire that we had started, and before long, I was moaning and grinding my hips against him. He ran his hands over my breasts, the soap and warm water making them slippery. He reached a hand down between my legs and hitched one leg up to rest it against his hip, then used that leverage to press his cock inside me.


    I gasped at the sudden sensation of being filled by him. He held me close to his body with one hand behind my back and the other resting against my thigh. As he rocked into me, he leaned his head down and took my nipple into his mouth.


    ¡°Oh, Gio,¡± I moaned, the pleasure growing inside me.


    He didn¡¯t respond, instead moving his mouth to my other breast to give it the attention it deserved. All the while, he kept pumping his hard cock in and out. I felt the tension growing inside me, desperate for release. Just when I was certain the pleasure couldn¡¯t grow anymore without meing, he moved his hand from my thigh and started rubbing circles around and around my clit.


    This time I did scream. My release was so powerful I could feel my entire body shaking with it.


    Gio moved up from my nipples and pressed his mouth against mine as he came. I felt him moan against my lips, and it brought a whole new wave of pleasure as the aftershocks of my orgasm grew into another one. Finally, he stopped moving inside me, and I went limp in his arms, totally exhausted.


    He grabbed a clean washcloth and started scrubbing me gently, working his way from my feet up to the top of my body, giving extra care to my breasts. Once he was satisfied that I was clean, he turned the water off and picked me up, carrying me over to his bed before going back to get a towel.


    I sat on the edge of his bed and let him gently towel me dry. I felt guilty; he was the one who was injured, I should be babying him. But I knew that he secretly loved treating me like this, like I was his princess, and he had to take care of me.


    Once we were both dry, Gio helped me get snuggled into his bed, and he wrapped himself around me, spooning me just the way he knew I liked. I sighed happily, knowing that in the morning, neither of us was going to have to do any sneaking out. I was going to wake up next to the man I loved.


    ¡°Sweet dreams, carino,¡± Gio whispered in the darkness.


    ¡°Sweet dreams, Gio,¡± I whispered back.


    I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

 Chapter 346 : Belonging

    <h4>Chapter 346: Chapter 346 : Belonging</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I woke up with the sun shining through the curtains onto my face and smiled in contentment. I felt like a spoiled house cat as I stretched my arms and enjoyed the sun on my face. Before I could roll over, I felt theforting weight of Gio¡¯s arm wrap around my waist and pull me back toward him. He kissed and nipped my neck until I had shivers going down my spine.


    ¡°Good morning, gorgeous,¡± he murmured against my ear. His breath against the sensitive skin spread goosebumps along my arms.


    I wiggled happily against him, pressing my bare ass against his morning wood until I heard his breathing get ragged and felt him push against me suggestively. I was so d we hadn¡¯t bothered to put on pajamas after our shower the night before.


    This was exactly what we had been missing out on by being forced to keep our rtionship a secret, and I was so happy that we weren¡¯t going to have to skip any more moments of connection together. I had been so afraid that people finding out about us would ruin my life, but it turned out that everyone knowing about us was the best thing that had happened to our rtionship.


    ¡°Damn, you¡¯ve got a lot of energy,¡± he chuckled as I continued my movements against him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡±


    I realized that I was and rolled over to face him. ¡°I¡¯m starving. Maybe because of the workout I got in your showerst night. It was tough to get you cleaned up.¡±


    He smiled and pulled me closer so that the entire length of my naked body was touching his. Then, he gently pulled my chin up toward him so he could kiss me. I wrapped one leg around him so that I could gain better leverage, and I was just leaning into the warmth pooling in my core when my stomach rumbled so loudly it made us both break out of the kiss and startughing.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, regretfully pushing him away.¡°You need to feed me before we can do any more ¡®working out.¡¯¡±


    Before I could get out of the bed, he grabbed at my wrist and tugged me back toward him. My hunger was forgotten as I let him overpower me. I loved it when he took charge.


    ¡°Not so fast, carino,¡± he said, his voice still gravelly with sleep.


    Before I could pull away, he was on top of me, his arms caging me in on either side. My breath caught as he leaned forward slowly, so slowly, and pressed a soft kiss against the side of my throat. He kept my wrists pinned down as he moved his kisses lower and lower, finally taking my nipple in his mouth and forcing a soft moan out of me as he used his tongue to send shockwaves through my body.


    ¡°Tell me you want to go to breakfast now,¡± he murmured against my breast.


    I was too turned on to speak, but my stomach spoke for me by loudly rumbling again. Gio burst outughing and let go of my wrists so he could press his ear against my bare stomach. His hair tickled me as he listened intently.


    ¡°Okay, I dere that you do, in fact, need to eat right this second,¡± he said yfully, finally getting up off me and reaching out a hand to help me get off the bed. When I stood up, he gently smacked my ass. ¡°But just know that the second we get a free minute, your ass is mine.¡±


    His deration sent a thrill through me. All our hiding had kept him from being able to be openly possessive with me, but I was quickly realizing that I loved the idea of ¡°belonging¡± to him, and I wanted other people to know it.


    Not worrying what everyone else would think, I threw on the same clothes I¡¯d been wearing the day before. They all knew I¡¯d spent the night in Gio¡¯s bed, so why bother hiding it? Giovani put on his usual well-fitting suit. It was such a relief to see him back in clean clothes, with his face looking markedly better than it had the night before. The swelling had gone down a bit so that the only noticeable injury now was his broken nose.


    ¡°What are you staring at, sweetheart?¡± he asked.


    I realized I had been studying his face. ¡°Just the face of the man I love,¡± I said, punctuating it with a kiss.


    He grinned at me, looking almost p-happy. Without saying a word, I took his hand in mine, and we walked together to the breakfast table.


    Surprisingly, we were the first ones to arrive for breakfast. The chef was cooking something extravagant-looking, so Gio poured us both some coffee to sip while we waited. He started to pull a chair out for me, then thought better of it and sat down, gesturing for me to sit on hisp. I rolled my eyes at him but happily obliged.


    ¡°Now that everyone is allowed to know about us, I find myself particrly eager to im you,¡± he whispered softly in my ear so that the kitchen staff couldn¡¯t hear him. He chuckled when he noticed the deep blush spreading up my face.


    ¡°Why is Olive so red?¡± Dahlia asked loudly as she entered the kitchen, and I felt myself turn even redder.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Giovani is saying lecherous old man things to her,¡± Tallon responded.


    Dahlia punched him in the shoulder, but he justughed. I pressed the back of my hand to my face, trying to cool it enough to stop the blush. It felt like everyone was in a ¡°who can embarrass Olivia the most¡± contest. When Alessandro walked in, I instinctively slipped out of Gio¡¯sp and into the chair next to him. Gio looked at me with confusion, but he patted my knee to let me know it was okay. I didn¡¯t mind Olivia and Tallon seeing us all cuddled up, but I found that I was still ufortable with being too physical in front of Alessandro. It would take some time for me to feel normal around him again.


    Once everyone was seated, the kitchen staff served our tes. I was delighted to see that it was a huge American-style breakfast with pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs. My mouth watered just looking down at my te, and I dug in without even waiting for everyone else to get their food.


    Everyone else must have been as hungry as I was, because we all sat in silence for a while, nothing but the sound of our clinking forks filling the air. After I had finished two pancakes, half of my eggs, and a strip of bacon, I slowed down enough to speak.


    ¡°So, Alessandro and Tallon, are you guys going to be heading home soon?¡±


    Tallon was the first to look up. He had a conflicted expression on his face. I couldn¡¯t me him; I had been conflicted about whether or not I wanted to stay in Italy countless times.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be heading home for a bit, but I really have my eye on moving to Florence,¡± Tallon said.


    I was d to hear that the goodbye wouldn¡¯t be too permanent. I had started to really enjoy the little family we had made in thepound.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not leaving,¡± Alessandro said. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve finally convinced Giovani not to get rid of me, I¡¯ll stick around for as long as he¡¯ll have me.¡±


    Gio smiled at him. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear, man. I¡¯ve gotten used to having you around.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯ll still be here, Alessandro,¡± Dahlia said. ¡°I¡¯m excited for sses to start, but I¡¯m a little nervous. Having you here will make everything feel a little more like home.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯re going to love it!¡± I eximed. ¡°It¡¯ll be amazing to get back to normal life!¡±


    Dahlia nodded, a distant look in her eyes. I could tell that she was thinking about the danger that she had been put in and the trauma that she had endured, and I knew that we would never really be able to go back to normal.


    We had both been through too much to ever be the people we were before we came to Italy. But I was determined for us to start moving forward with our lives. We deserved it after all we had been through.


    Dahlia loked at me, forcing a smile onto her face. ¡°Yes, it will be really fun. I just hope I can meet some cute guys.¡±


    Iughed, d to hear her joking around. No matter what it took, I was determined to help her have the best time at our university, even if it meant I had to personally go around and find men for her to date. Although, with how beautiful Dahlia was, I had a feeling it wouldn¡¯te to that.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m more worried about passing all my sses,¡± I said with a pointed look at Gio. ¡°But I think it¡¯ll be great.¡±


    ¡°Yes it will,¡± Giovani said, putting his hand back on my knee.


    Gabriele came walking in, and I wondered if he was going to join us for breakfast, but the serious look on his face told me he was probably about to take Gio away for the day. I was disappointed. I really had wanted to go back to bed with Gio after we were finished eating. Now that we didn¡¯t have to sneak around, all I wanted to do was spend time with him.


    ¡°Hey, boss,¡± Gabriele said. ¡°Are you about finished? We need to talk.¡±


    Gio nodded and stood up to follow Gabriele out, stopping to kiss the top of my head as he went. I smiled as butterflies filled my stomach. I would never get tired of him being able to kiss me whenever he wanted.


    ¡°Remember who you belong to, carino,¡± he whispered in my ear.


    I had to cover my mouth to stifle the gasp that his deration forced out of me.


    Dahlia wolf-whistled, making Alessandro and Tallon both burst outughing. They were stillughing when Giovani and Gabriele left. I rolled my eyes at all of them and stood up to head back to my room and change into some clean clothes. When I got to the hallway I realized that Gabriele and Alessandro were standing there talking just out of earshot of everyone else. I paused, not wanting to interrupt them.


    ¡°I mean, how hard can it be?¡± Gio was saying in a frustrated tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot harder than you realize, boss. These guys are fucking dedicated.¡±


    They walked off before I could hear the rest of their conversation. I didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, but it made me anxious to hear.


    I hoped everything would be okay.

 Chapter 347 : Compromised

    <h4>Chapter 347: Chapter 347 : Compromised</h4>


    *Giovani*


    In a darkened room, a man sat strapped to a metal chair. His arms and legs were tied to the metal contraption and a cloth blindfold over his eyes. Despite the grainy visual, it was easy to see the bruises and blood dripping down the man¡¯s ripped clothing.


    There was nothing in the room but the man and the chair,pletely void of anything that might give himfort or peace of mind. It was what he deserved.


    I stared at the camera feed on the monitor, watching Enzo as hisbored breathing was heard through the screen.


    I leaned back in my chair, sighing deeply as Gabriele watched me from the other side of therge mahogany desk. I crossed my arms over my chest, unhappy with the new developments¨Cor should I say, no new developments.


    ¡°He still isn¡¯t talking?¡± I asked, already knowing the answer. But I needed confirmation that only Gabriele could give me.


    ¡°No,¡± Gabriele sighed. ¡°He¡¯s proving to be more difficult to crack than expected. But he¡¯ll talk. I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡±


    Seeing how broken and rundown the man in the video looked, it was impressive he hadn¡¯t opened his mouth and started singing for us yet. He was more loyal than I¡¯d thought. But then again, it could be the sheer stubbornness after what he¡¯d said in the warehouse.


    Alessandro¡¯s taunts might¡¯ve just given him more incentive to keep quiet than make him speak.


    ¡°Who¡¯s on duty?¡± I demanded as I rounded the desk and headed straight for the liquor cab. I grabbed one of the open bottles of whiskey, pouring myself a drink.


    ¡°Right now it¡¯s Bosco,¡± Gabriele answered. ¡°He¡¯s been putting him through hell. I had to warn him not to kill him a few times already. The bastard certainly knows how to piss everybody off.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough,¡± I said, frustratedly, ¡°We have to make sure we found out everything about the organization.¡±


    I rounded my desk, two sses in my hand. I put one in front of Gabriele and sipped my own as I settled back into my desk chair.


    ¡°We will,¡± Gabriele said. ¡°It¡¯ll just take time¨C¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time!¡± I snapped, getting to my feet as I mmed my hands on the mahogany desk. The silence rang awkwardly in the air, and I regretted my outburst as soon as it came out of my mouth.


    I sighed, pushing my hair from my face with my hand as I settled back into my chair.


    ¡°Dmitri is still loose, and as long as he is, he won¡¯t quit. He¡¯s bent on destroying us, and the longer he¡¯s out there, the more of a threat he is. We have to find out where he is and what he¡¯s doing.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Gabriele said, crossing his arms unhappily. ¡°Would you like to do it yourself? We¡¯re working as fast as we can. If you think you can make him talk any faster then by all means, have at it.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, shutting theptop with Enzo¡¯s face on it.


    ¡°I get it, alright?¡± I said. ¡°I know everybody¡¯s doing their best, but we can¡¯t let that psychopath run free. Do whatever you have to to make him talk.¡±


    Even if it meant bringing him to the edge of death.


    ¡°I doubt he¡¯ll give up the location of his boss that easily,¡± Gabriele said doubtfully. ¡°That might take too long for the results you want. It would be easier if he had any family to threaten or take hostage, but as far as we know, there¡¯s no one. He only cares about Dmitri and destroying us.¡±


    ¡°Keep on trying with him, but send a team out to find out everything about the organization we can. Track the men we know who are working with him and every resource they have. Find out where they like to stay, how they make their money, and who they like to sleep with. No detail is too small.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Gabriele sighed. ¡°but you know this is going to be a lot of work for me, right?¡±


    ¡°James left behind a few of his investigators to help with the case,¡± I told him. ¡°Give them the case and give them whatever they need.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but we have another problem,¡± Gabriele grimaced, ¡°Apparently, one of our safehouses has beenpromised.¡±


    I stiffened, whirling my re on the only target in the room with me, and Gabriele sighed from the look of anger on my face.


    ¡°Compromised how?¡± I demanded slowly.


    ¡°We found a bug in one of the safehouses, A-4. That¡¯s probably where they¡¯ve been getting their information from. We removed it and searched the rest of the buildings, but that was the only one,¡± Gabriele said dismally.


    Dammit. A-4 was on the other side of town, one of our most frequent spots. It was a simple apartment building. If it waspromised, that would exin everything.


    That was how they¡¯d managed to time their attack on the warehouse so perfectly. They¡¯d bugged us. And the responsibility for that fell upon my head.


    All of those we had lost during the attack, during the raid to rescue Alessandro and Dahlia¨Cit was my fault. But then, the buck always stopped with me.


    I clenched my fists together, somewhere between rage and exhaustion.


    ¡°Search the rest of the safehouses again. Tear them apart to the studs if you have to. Make sure no information is being shared between the men until they are searched,¡± I demanded. ¡°And find out how the hell they got into the safehouse.¡±


    ¡°Already looked into that,¡± Gabriele frowned. ¡°Apparently, a few months ago, the cameras went dead. We thought it was due to a storm, but apparently, they used that as an excuse to get a man in. As for the rest of them, there wasn¡¯t anything suspicious. But if they made it into one, it¡¯s possible theypromised all of them.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I cursed, slumping into my chair.


    Just when things were finally looking up, finally settling down, this happened.


    ¡°Search all of them again,¡± I groaned, knowing how much work this was going to be.


    Gabriele shrugged. ¡°More work for me, lovely. Would this be a good time to remind you that you owe me a raise?¡±


    I sent him a nasty re, and he nodded.


    ¡°Not the time then,¡± he said, turning on his heel to walk away. Before he did, though, he stiffened and turned back to me with a cold look.


    ¡°I forgot to mention one thing,¡± he said carefully.


    ¡°What now?¡± I snapped, rubbing my forehead from the headache I could feel growing. My migraines were getting more frequent with all the stress that had been happeningtely.


    ¡°We managed to get one thing out of that bastard,¡± Gabriele said casually. ¡°Alessandro didn¡¯t shoot him at the warehouse; he confirmed that. But we know who did now.¡±


    I frowned, looking up at Gabriele¡¯s impassive expression. I couldn¡¯t tell where this was going by the look on his face. I had assumed he got caught in the crossfire or had been shot by one of our men before they died.


    Otherwise, why would Dmitri leave his own right-hand man behind?


    ¡°Who?¡± I asked, quietly, my thoughts running wild with guesses.


    ¡°Guess,¡± Gabriele snorted, crossing his arms with a resentful look in his eyes.


    I knew immediately.


    ¡°Dmitri,¡± I growled. ¡°He shot his own man?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, his leg got stuck,¡± Gabriele shrugged. ¡°Dmitri realized he couldn¡¯t save him, so he intended to kill him before he could be caught. Luckily, one of our men intervened, so the shot only hit his leg. But Enzo had been ready to die that night. ¡°


    ¡°That bastard,¡± I snarled, disgusted with the psychopath¡¯s attitude. Killing his own man? Who the fuck did that?


    I did whatever I could to save my men, no matter how low or high of a position in mypany they were. That dedication meant that my men were ready toy down their lives for me. It was only natural that I did the same.


    ¡°And he¡¯s still protecting that asshole?¡± I asked in sheer disbelief. ¡°After his own boss tried to kill him?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the fucked up part,¡± Gabriele smirked, darkly. ¡°Enzo told us this with great pride. He wanted to die by Dmitri¡¯s hand like it was some honor.¡±


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± I shook my head.


    There was nothing more terrifying than a man with nothing to lose, and Dmitri had gathered a whole organization of them¨Cbrainwashed to die for him by the sound of it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it speaks to their dedication to their mission or how little they value their own lives.¡± Gabriele sighed. ¡°Either way, we know there¡¯s no limit to what they¡¯re willing to do to destroy us.¡±


    ¡°Change of ns,¡± I said, thinking deeply about this more. ¡°Leave Enzo to Alessandro and James¡¯ team, at least for however long they are here. Put the rest of our resources on the safehouses and locating Dmitri.¡±


    Gabriele raised an eyebrow, skeptically, ¡°Are you sure? That would leave our defenses vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s even more important that we find him now,¡± I said determinedly. ¡°Not just him, but every member loyal to him. Dead or alive, we need them to be found and captured as soon as we can.¡±


    ¡°We know their endgame,¡± Gabriele argued, ¡°If we just let theme to us first¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head firmly, staring down my oldest friend as I tried to get him to realize the same conclusion I hade to. ¡°With that kind of suicidal mentality, none of them can survive, or this will never end, Gabriele. If we cut off one head, it will only grow three more, just like a Hydra. We have to destroy them all.¡±


    ¡°And how exactly do you suppose we do that?¡± Gabriele scoffed. ¡°We can¡¯t exactly put up missing posters or billboards with their faces on them.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, a smirk growing on my lips. ¡°But we know at least onepany where they¡¯re getting their resources from.¡±


    ¡°Russo,¡± Gabriele¡¯s eyes brightened, smirking now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle Russo from the business end. I will make them regret choosing to support Dmitri with every asset I have. Once they realize they¡¯re going to be ruined because of that asshole, they¡¯ll give him up.¡±


    ¡°Bold n,¡± Gabriele remarked casually.


    ¡°Let everyone know our new targets,¡± I told him. ¡°I¡¯ll start setting up for Russo¡¯s fall.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Gabriele said,zily turning on his heel to head out for real this time.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll get on that pay raise in a week or two,¡± I called after him, smirking as he raised a middle finger behind him. Once the door shut after him, any humor fell away, and I slid into my chair silently.


    Dmitri was walking a thin line. If he was Damocles, there would be a sword hanging above his head. And no matter how much he tried to get it to fall upon my own, it was his burden to bear.


    The sword wouldn¡¯t dangle there forever, waiting for the loose ends to be tied with a pretty bow. No¨Cone day, it would fall.


    I just had to make sure it was Dmitri who was under it when it did.

 Chapter 348 : What Family Means

    <h4>Chapter 348: Chapter 348 : What Family Means</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I yawned as I lounged across the long leather couch in the living room. Some random cartoon was ying entirely in Italian, and I was only catching a few words here and there as I stared nkly at the screen.


    I didn¡¯t really get the cartoon about the human-like chickens. In fact, it was pretty creepy to watch, but it was mindless entertainment, and that was enough for now.


    ¡°Why does he still have the eggshell on his head?¡± Dahlia questioned, baffled, as she nced up from her phone to see what we were watching.


    My heady on herp like a pillow, my gaze focused on the TV as the baby chicken began to wash itself with soap, revealing it was a white chicken and not ck.


    ¡°I dunno,¡± I shrugged, suppressing a yawn. It was azy afternoon, and I felt like I finally understood cats whozed about while sunbathing. Something about the light peering through the window, warming you up, just made you sleepy.


    ¡°Where are Tallon and Alessandro?¡± I asked, attempting for some conversation so I wouldn¡¯t pass out right there.


    ¡°Dunno.¡± She shrugged. ¡°They went out and wouldn¡¯t tell me what for. Said they¡¯d be back with a present.¡±


    ¡°Better be good,¡± I remarked.


    We didn¡¯t have to wait long because as the next episode of the same cartoon began, the front door opened and a loud sing-song voice called out, ¡°Look what we got!¡±


    ¡°In the living room!¡± Dahlia shouted back, drowning the little chicken noises out with her loud mouth.


    I tilted my head to see an upside-down Tallon enter, a huge grin on his face, though it looked more like a frown from where I was seeing it.


    ¡°Why¡¯s that chick got an eggshell on its head?¡± he asked, confused, as soon as he stepped in.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Dahlia threw her arms up.


    ¡°Just go with it.¡± I rolled my eyes, heaving with effort as I pulled myself into a sitting position. I stretched my back, moving back and forth until I heard my bones cracking with satisfaction.


    ¡°What¡¯s the surprise?¡± I asked, sliding on the couch until I was facing them. My eyes went to Tallon¡¯s hands, but they were empty.


    ¡°Alessandro¡¯s got it,¡± Tallon grinned. ¡°He wanted to make amends, so he got a present for you.¡±


    ¡°Permission to enter?¡± Alessandro called out from the hallway, and I rolled my eyes at the hesitance in his voice. After figuring out he had been a major asshole to everybody for weeks, Alessandro had thankfullye to his senses after his kidnapping.


    Not only had he apologized, but he had done it nearly a dozen times despite everybody having forgiven him.


    Well, Dahlia was still keeping him on the hook. But I suspected that was more of her getting to use him as a ve than actually being mad still.


    ¡°I told you we already forgave you,¡± I reminded him firmly. ¡°There¡¯s no need to keep apologizing.¡±


    His head poked into the room, a grin on his face as he looked at me and then Dahlia, ¡°Onest time, I swear.¡±


    ¡°Olive said no,¡± Dahlia said firmly. ¡°So get out!¡±


    Alessandro pouted, stepping fully on the edge of the room and revealing a tray full of cups of goodness in his hands. I saw the logo on the pink and white cups and I froze in disbelief.


    Was that....


    ¡°I bought gto,¡¯¡¯ he said, sadly like a kicked puppy.


    ¡°Apology epted!¡± Dahlia grinned. ¡°Now, gimme!¡±


    I hesitated as Alessandro stepped inside, unsure of how to feel. Thest time I¡¯d had gto, it hadn¡¯t gone well. I wasn¡¯t sure if I had the stomach for it anymore.


    I could still smell the blood sometimes, lingering in my nightmares.


    Alessandro handed over a cup full of a red and white swirled gto to Dahlia, nearly losing a finger in the process as she snatched it with a hungry look.


    She would have been drooling right then if she didn¡¯t have some ss left in her. She took a huge spoonful, shoveled it into her mouth, and moaned in delight.


    ¡°God¡¯s gift to humankind,¡± Dahlia said, wiping away a pretend tear from the corner of her eye.


    ¡°Livi.¡± Alessandro gave me a smile that was a bit strained as he handed me a different cup.


    I flinched, avoiding looking directly at it for fear that I¡¯d see just red, but I knew how utterly ridiculous that sounded.


    I was not going to let those fucking Russians ruin this for me.


    I took a deep breath, finally taking the cup, and I blinked in surprise as I stared down at the gto. It wasn¡¯t red.


    It was green, with little ck dots sprinkled in.


    My eyes lit up as I realized exactly what holy grail I was holding.


    ¡°Mint chocte chip, your favorite,¡± Alessandro grinned.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled up at him sincerely, my whole body bubbling with excitement as I scooped up a huge bite of the gto.


    The vor burst onto my tongue, the minty choctey goodness exploding into my every taste bud. It was so good, I felt my eyes watering from the sheer happiness I felt tasting the real Italian gto in my favorite vor.


    My life was nowplete.


    Alessandro and Tallon took seats on the floor next to the coffee table, both grabbing their own cups of gto. The TV show of the weird chicken was soon forgotten as Alessandro said, ¡°I wanted to apologize for how I treated you and Giovani, Olivia, especially you. I probably made you ufortable, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Well, that was one way to put it.


    ¡°You were kind of an asshole,¡± I said bluntly, but I smiled at him. ¡°But you came around in the end, so it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Heughed, shuffling his spoon around in his cup. There was a mncholy look in his eyes, a regret that no assurances seemed to be able to heal.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe Giovani sacrificed himself the way he did, even after everything I put him through,¡± Alessandro sighed regretfully. ¡°He should¡¯ve just let the Russians have me.¡±


    I frowned, not liking that thought one bit. I wished he could forgive himself as easily as we had, but I knew it would take time. He may have made a mistake, one that jeopardized his rtionships with his friends and family, but he was still young, just like the rest of us.


    I couldn¡¯t fault him for doing something stupid because we¡¯d all done dumb shit. He just had to ept what he did and learn from it. I was already seeing some progress in how he was making amends, but he still had a long way to go.


    This wasn¡¯t thest time one of us would do something we would regret, I figured, but just like Alessandro, we had to have each other¡¯s backs when one of us fucked up.


    That was what being family meant.


    ¡°Giovani would¡¯ve done the same for any one of us,¡± I said softly, smiling at him to break the self-deprecating cloud over his head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to beat yourself up about it, so long as you know what kind of man he is now.¡±


    ¡°I tried to tell you Gio wasn¡¯t what you thought, but does anybody listen to Tallon?¡± Tallon remarked, rolling his eyes. ¡°Nooo.¡±


    ¡°I know. I see that now.¡± Alessandro slumped, twirling his spoon in his slowly melting gto. ¡°I wish I hadn¡¯t been such an ass. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s letting me stay and work for him after everything I¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Of course he is,¡± I beamed. ¡°He¡¯s d to have you on board. Besides, you still need to catch that bastard who kidnapped both you and Dolly. I don¡¯t want anyone else getting kidnapped or hurt.¡±


    Alessandro smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll make him pay for it. Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy you¡¯re staying.¡± Dahlia grinned, her spoon hanging out of her mouth. ¡°I like being able to annoy you.¡±


    ¡°And keep him as a ve,¡± Tallon coughed into his hand.


    ¡°That too,¡± Dahlia smirked.


    Alessandro rolled his eyes, finally taking a bite of his melted gto. Iughed at the warm atmosphere around us. I was d all the tension was gone, that the awkwardness between us had dissipated, and it felt like we were back to like we were when we were kids again, when all of us were on the same page.


    The bond between us was something I never wanted to lose.


    ¡°Knock, knock.¡± A deep voice called out, and I nced up from my gto to see Giovani standing there, his arms crossed as he leaned on the doorway. He was smiling softly at the four of us, a soft content in his eyes.


    ¡°Olivia, I need to borrow you for a moment,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oooh, kissy time.¡± Dahlia wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.


    ¡°Please keep it PG in shared living spaces,¡± Tallon said. ¡°Otherwise, I might puke.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you two, stop that,¡± I said with augh. I could feel my face starting to turn red, but I looked up at Giovani anyway. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I have something to show you.¡± He smiled, holding out his arm like a proper gentleman.


    I took it dly, finishing thest bite of my gto and throwing the cup into the trash can as we passed by the kitchen.


    He took us down the hall of the ground floor, past where Dahlia¡¯s room was, and we came to a pair of gorgeous red double doors. He opened the door, and my jaw dropped.


    Inside was a beautiful ensuite bedroom with multiple rooms connected. The section we had entered was a sitting ce with a massive firece made of marble stone andrge windows overlooking a garden of roses.


    There were doors leading to other rooms, but just this one alone was the entire size of my bedroom upstairs.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I gushed, but then I turned to him with a frown. ¡°But why are you showing this to me?¡±


    He smirked, gently caressing my cheek before he turned me around, hugging me from behind. The warmth of his body bled into mine, and I leaned into him happily as I took in the room with awe.


    ¡°Well,¡± Giovani whispered into my ear, ¡°I was hoping it could be for us.¡±


    I stiffened, the shock hitting me as I turned in his arms to face him. He was smiling brightly at me, with such love in his eyes.


    I realized exactly what he meant. ¡°What?¡± I choked out, unable to believe my ears.


    ¡°I woke up with you today, Olivia, and I realized that I want to do that every day.¡± He brushed my hair behind my ear, gentle as always. ¡°I figured since you¡¯re staying, we could move into this room together, but only if you want to. The decision is yours.¡±


    In my absolutely bbergasted shock, I forgot how to actually breathe. Giovani had promised things would be different, and he had delivered on that in a big way.


    There was only one answer I could give him.


    ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 349 : Home

    <h4>Chapter 349: Chapter 349 : Home</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Of course I will.¡± I beamed with joy,tching my arms around his neck as I jumped into his arms. The sunshine was bursting inside of my chest, almost like I could implode from it, but I didn¡¯t care.


    There was no hesitation in his movements as Giovani swept me into his arms, and I shrieked in surprise as he lifted me off my feet and spun me around in circles.


    I burst into giggles, pushing my face into his shoulder as the world blurred around me. I wasn¡¯t scared, not in the slightest. He was my anchor, and I knew no matter what happened, he would be there for me.


    Ourughter rang loud and clear, and even though the room had turned into a dizzying blur, I saw him clearly. His beautiful shining eyes and loving expression were everything I could see as we slowed to a stop, but he didn¡¯t let me down.


    His hand wrapped around the back of my head, and then his lips were on mine. Though by now I¡¯d kissed him what must¡¯ve been a hundred times, I could still feel the little flutter in my stomach.


    I loved him more and more each day, more than I thought possible. And the thought of waking up next to him, saying good morning to the person I loved every single day, was enough to send me into a giddy whirl.


    We broke apart, breathing hard, and I beamed brilliantly at him, happier than I ever thought possible. Living together in one room¨CI never imagined we¡¯d take this step today, but here we were.


    ¡°Let me show you around.¡± Heughed, setting me back onto my feet. He grasped my hand in his, intertwining our fingers like puzzle pieces fitting perfectly together.


    The sitting room was the first entryway. The firece was the first thing I noticed, a marble stone surrounding the fire. Above it was a little cove with a window overlooking the rose garden.


    There was a white L-shaped couch, simple but efficient, and a wooden coffee table with a vase of red flowers on it, two chairs perfect for lounging, and a bookcase. There was a simple ss door heading into the garden, and the light that it let in was enough to illuminate the whole room.


    On the ceiling were simple, circr lights, but with the amount of sunlight that naturally poured in, they wouldn¡¯t be necessary except at night.


    There was hardly any decoration. The walls were nk, and all the furniture was left in simple neutral colors. Even the walls were a washed-out beige, nothing spectacr. Most would see the room as in or too simple, but I saw it as it was.


    I didn¡¯t just see a sitting room. I saw potential on the empty mantle above the firece¨Csomewhere to put up photos. I saw a nt in the empty space in the corner¨Cgrown together from a little seeding.


    I saw paintings on the walls, colorful pillows on the couch, and a reading corner with a light stand and books piled up upon the shelves.


    The door on the right led to the bedroom, and if I thought the sitting room was massive, it had nothing on the bed.


    A giant, over-sized king bed sat in the middle of the room, the headboard pushed against one of the walls, leaving massive amounts of space on either side. I swore we could fit four of me on that bed and still have room.


    Like the rest of the house, it was done in simple, neutral colors, modern and chic with a white frame and grey bedding. It came all the way to the floor with what looked like drawers built inside of it.


    On both sides of the bed were matching white nightstands with amp on each one. There was another bookshelf, two dressers, and a vanity with a chair.


    On the stone tile floors was a ck and white rug, matching the gray walls. I noticed the unusual texture of the walls and turned to Giovani with a questioning look.


    He smirked, looking quite devious as he leaned into my ear and whispered, ¡°That¡¯s soundproofing.¡±


    I turned a bright red.


    I was secretly d for the change, however. I didn¡¯t have to worry about being quiet ever again, that was for sure.


    On one side of the room was an open doorway, and I checked inside to find a massive walk-in closet. It was divided into two parts, probably for his and hers. The back wall was lined with cupboards for shoes and other trinkets.


    There was a table in the middle of the closet with a sswork finish and even more drawers all around the space, which I had a sneaking suspicion were supposed to be for jewelry.


    I had seen Dahlia¡¯s closet, after all.


    As amazing as the rest of the suite was, I was not prepared for the bathroom, not at all. For as decadent as the rest of the house was, the bathroom didn¡¯t just take the cake, it ate the whole thing or sold it for twice the price.


    There was a beautiful chandelier from the ceiling with jewels dangling from each of its eight spokes, and the light hit it just right to make it look like the room was sparkling. The floor was a dark marble, so shiny I could see every inch of my reflection in it.


    The counter was made of dark wood with granite tops, and there were even gold holders for the towels embedded into the wall. A full-length mirror hung on each side of the two sinks. There was a huge window overlooking a grove of trees. But what blew me away the most was the absolutely massive bathtub.


    It was less like a tub and more like a mini swimming pool. It would fit six of me, and I was sure I could actually swim in it if I wanted. I certainly could submerge myself without getting water all over the floor, and that was a big win in my book.


    On the other side of the room was a huge walk-in shower with full ss windows all around it. There was no leaving anything up to the imagination, and by the smirk on Giovani¡¯s face when I gestured to it, I knew full well that was what he had intended.


    Even with all the luxury, the suite still managed to capture what I had loved so much about Giovani¨Cthe simplicity in things.


    Besides the chandelier and gold towel handles, there was barely any unting of wealth. Everything was functional and served a purpose, with no golden statues on the firece or dead stuffed deer heads mounted to the walls.


    Giovani held me in his arms, stuck to me like glue as I gazed wondrously at the things around me. I was privileged to have this life, to have so much good¨CGiovani, my friends, my mom, James, and Ba, and to be able to go to school here in Florence.


    I couldn¡¯t imagine anything better than this.


    ¡°So,¡± Giovani asked teasingly, ¡°do you like it?¡±


    We both knew I hadn¡¯t stopped grinning since I had walked in. Iughed, a bit emotional as I turned in his arms to gaze into his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m over the moon,¡± I told him softly but honestly.


    A relieved smile crossed his lips, and his shoulders rxed as he exhaled. Despite all his bravado, he still cared about what I thought... as if this room wasn¡¯t enough, as if everything he gave me wasn¡¯t enough... as if he wasn¡¯t enough.


    But he was, and so much more.


    I nced at the massive bed, and a devilish smirk curled up my lips as an idea began to form in my head, one that we were both sure to enjoy.


    And maybe it would prove to him once and for all how much I appreciated him.


    ¡°Well,¡± I started, coyly, tucking myself closer to him until our entire bodies were pressed together. ¡°This room is beautiful, but you know, I think the bed may be too stiff. We should probably break it in, you know, officially.¡±


    He smirked, amusement flickering in his eyes as his hand snuck up my shirt, his bare palm pressed against my spine as he traveled upward ever so slowly.


    He didn¡¯t say anything in response, but we both knew where this was going. I giggled as he immediately picked me up, his arm supporting my ass as I clung to him like we had done a dozen times before.


    I squealed when he dropped me on the bed, letting me freefall a few feet from his arms. I was right; the bed was quite firm, I thought, as I ced my palms on it and pushed down.


    Giovani leaned over me, holding himself above me as he stared down at me with a wicked look in his eyes.


    ¡°Is that a yes?¡± I asked, mischievously, not really expecting an answer.


    He chuckled, a low dark sound from deep in his chest, and it sent a pang straight to my lower half. He leaned down, his hot breath brushing against my skin and sending shivers straight down my spine.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he whispered.


    Then he kissed me. Slowly, he was tracing every curve of my lips, embedding the taste of me into his memory. I moaned at the slide of his tongue over mine, and he groaned as I rolled my hips into his.


    He threaded his fingers through my hair, pulling just enough to tilt my neck back, letting him get a deeper taste of me.


    His hands peeled away my shirt, pulling it over my head and throwing it somewhere on the ground as he roamed up and down my sides. The heat of his hands set my skin ame everywhere he touched.


    I moaned his name.


    He pressed his lips at the hollow of my throat, whispering sweet nothings as his fingers dove into the waistband of my shorts. They slid off my legs easily, and I kicked them off the bed as he distracted me once more with his lips.


    At the same time, his fingers traced my slit, and he groaned as he felt how wet I was already. My heart pumped erratically, my blood heating up to a dangerous degree as he opened me up and slid two fingers inside.


    My head was buzzing as he drove me over the edge, the wet sounds of him pumping inside of me ringing out. I screamed as I came, letting him hold me.


    Thank god the room was soundproofed.


    I took control this time, pushing him onto his back. He tried to coax me into another round of forey, but I refused to let him, grasping his cock in my hands and giving it a good pump.


    He smirked, leaning over to one of the nightstands to grab a condom to keep from messing up the clean bed. I was clumsy and inexperienced, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind as I gently slid the rubber over his cock.


    My head buzzed with the sound of his curses, and I positioned myself over him, slowly lowering myself. I moaned as his head bullied its way into my entrance, my body opening up for him so slowly and sweetly.


    I stayed there for a moment, eager for more but desperate to savor this feeling.


    But Giovani wasn¡¯t nearly as content to wait. He thrust upward, and I screamed at the sudden harsh pace he set. I soon matched him, holding onto his thighs as I bounced on his cock.


    His hands moved to my breasts, and his lips soon found my rosy tips, taking them into his mouth and swirling his tongue over the swollen nipple.


    I cried out at the pleasure, calling his name like a prayer as we fell into one another. Soon, I felt him growing even more rigid, his body calling out for that sweet release, and I was the same.


    I tugged Gio¡¯s lips away from my breasts and kissed him deeply. I was filled to the brim, and I whispered, ¡°I love you,¡± between kisses, and that was enough.


    The two of us went tumbling over the cliff,ing together, and I fell limply on top of him, his member still pulsing inside of me.


    He pressed a kiss to the top of my hair, chuckling contently as he whispered, ¡°I love you,¡± back to me.

 Chapter 350 : Happily Ever After?

    <h4>Chapter 350: Chapter 350 : Happily Ever After?</h4>


    *Olivia*


    The past few days had gone by in a daze of decorating my new space with Gio and spending time by the pool with Dahlia. Every so often I had the distinct urge to pinch myself because it just didn¡¯t seem possible that this was my real life.


    Gio seemed too good to be true in every way. Not only was our physical rtionship as spicy as ever, but our emotional connection had grown so much as well. Knowing that I could have lost him so early on in our rtionship had given me an amazing sense of perspective.


    I didn¡¯t have any doubts at all that he was the one I was meant to be with. He was perfect for me in every way... well, other than the fact that he seemed to think I was as breakable as a porcin doll.


    ¡°Are you sure this is necessary?¡± I asked him for the thousandth time as weid in bed together and I rubbed his back. He was insisting that Dahlia and I needed bodyguards to attend the university safely. ¡°I really just want to be a normal student, Gio. What if this puts a bigger target on us?¡±


    ¡°Trust me, my guys are subtle. The other students won¡¯t even notice them. Unless you want me to insist that you both do online sses, I need you to ept this.¡± He rolled toward me so that we were facing each other.


    I rolled my eyes and smacked him on the arm. He knew he couldn¡¯t ¡°insist¡± that Dahlia or I do anything, but I didn¡¯t want him to spend his days worried that I was about to be murdered or kidnapped. I knew his concern came from a ce of deep love, and I didn¡¯t want this to be a sore spot for us.


    ¡°Okay, fine, we can have bodyguards,¡± I conceded. ¡°But you have to promise they¡¯re going to be inconspicuous. They should seem like other students.¡±


    ¡°I promise, carino,¡± he said softly, then pulled me in close so he could kiss me.


    I could see the relief written all over his face, and I felt bad for being so stubborn about the bodyguard situation. I hadn¡¯t realized how much it was stressing him out. The end of the summer had been so much more rxing than the beginning that it was easy for me to forget that he had very real concerns. There were some horrible people out there who had Gio at the top of their list of people they¡¯d love to hurt, and they wouldn¡¯t hesitate on using me to do it.


    I returned his kiss with enthusiasm, trying to make up for the stress I had put him under. He was so good at keeping me from having to bear the burden of the worst parts of his job, but I wanted him to know that he could talk to me.


    ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to hide your worries from me, right?¡± I asked him in between kisses.


    He rubbed his hand absently up and down my arm, looking thoughtful.


    ¡°I know, but I want you to have a carefree life. You didn¡¯t choose this business. I did. You should be able to live as normally as possible.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Gio, I love you,¡± I told him. He was so sweet to be so worried about me.


    ¡°Do you want to show me just how much you love me?¡± he asked softly, rubbing his hand against my breast suggestively.


    I giggled and writhed against him. ¡°Hm, I think I would like that very much.¡±


    As we did most mornings and evenings, we devoured each other. I craved Gio¡¯s touch like I craved a good cup of coffee. It just didn¡¯t feel right to start my day without it. In no time, he had me gasping and moaning against him.


    ¡°I love you, Gio,¡± I managed to say as I climaxed.


    ¡°I love you too, carino,¡± he grunted as he met my climax with his own. Afterward, he said, ¡°I am so lucky you decided to move here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m lucky too.¡±


    He wrapped his arms around me, and we stayed like that for a few moments before finally forcing ourselves to get out of bed.


    ¡°Someday, I promise, I will take you away on a trip, and we will spend the whole time in bed,¡± he said as he pulled his clothes on.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to it,¡± I giggled and stretched, enjoying the way his eyes roamed over my naked body.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I have a busy schedule today, baby, or I¡¯d show you just what you get for tempting me with your body like that,¡± he growled.


    I blushed but stretched the other way. I wanted him to spend his whole day thinking about how much he wished he could get me back in bed. He leaned over and lightly smacked my ass.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing, and it¡¯s working,¡± he chuckled.


    I gazed up at him, making my eyes wide and innocent. ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± he said, straightening his tie. ¡°Either way, I¡¯ll have time to deal with you tonight. Let¡¯s go out to dinner, just the two of us.¡±


    I grinned and hopped out of bed; his promise of dinner giving me the energy to start my day. It was rare that he had time to take me out¨Cnormally we ate at thepound with everyone else¨Cbut when he did have time, he always took me to extravagant restaurants and made me feel like a princess. I really was the luckiest girl in the world.


    Before I knew it, a few more weeks had passed, and Dahlia and I had finally started college. Just like Gio had said, our bodyguards weren¡¯t noticeable at all. I actually did find it veryforting to know they were watching over me.


    After being in thepound for so long and only asionally leaving, I had forgotten what it felt like to be in a crowd of people. The first few days had been overwhelming as I struggled to find my sses as masses of students streamed past me. Thankfully, once I figured out my schedule and where I needed to be, I was able to settle into aforting routine. Most days, Dahlia and I met up for lunch. I was so lucky to have my best friend to lean on.


    ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ve got to meet him, Olive. He¡¯s so cute.¡± She was talking about hertest boy toy. Since we¡¯d started school, she¡¯d had a string of romantic flings, but this guy had actually managed to hold her interest for more than a week.


    ¡°If you like him, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll like him. Well... as long as he¡¯s not Russian. I think we need a break from Russian men,¡± I teased.


    Sheughed. ¡°Oh, no, he¡¯s all Italian! And it really shows in the bedroom, if you know what I mean. Well, of course, you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Dahlia!¡± I pretended to be scandalized by her bedroom talk, but if I was being honest, I knew exactly what she meant. Gio was amazing in the bedroom. Not that I had anything topare him to.


    She justughed before looking at her phone to check the time.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got to go. I¡¯ll see youter!¡± She got up and walked off to ss. It made my heart happy to see how easily she moved now that her injuries had finally healed.


    I gathered up my trash and started on my way to my next ss. The gorgeous weather had put me in a contemtive mood, and I started reflecting on all the amazing changes in my lifetely. My mother had always told me that the hardest part of a rtionship was moving in together, but that hadn¡¯t been my experience with Giovani at all. Living with him felt so natural, especially after spending so much time being forced to sneak around. Falling asleep in his arms every night and waking up to his kisses every morning was giving me the best sleep of my life.


    I had expected starting sses to add some new stress to my life, but I had been happily surprised to discover that I loved going to this university. My sses challenged me in ways that I hadn¡¯t expected, and I was already starting to consider changing my major to environmental science thanks to my biology professor, Professor Mancini. He was a sweet older man who made even the most boring of topics interesting. I always looked forward to his lectures and found myself bursting to tell Gio everything that I had learned.


    I arrived at Biology 101 with a few minutes to spare. I loved the time right before ss started when everyone was bustling in and getting settled. I especially loved how Dr. Mancini always yed Italian rock music before ss started. I pulled out my notebook and favorite pen and settled in.


    It was an amazing ss as usual. We had learned about the evolution of arthropods, something that I had never before thought I would care about, but Dr. Mancini had managed to make it one of the most intriguing topics we had learned about yet. During ss, Dr. Mancini mentioned that his research team had made several important discoveries about arthropod evolution. I decided that I wanted to do whatever it took to get on that research team.


    After ss, I approached Dr. Mancini. ¡°Professor, do you ever ept freshmen on your research team?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, signorina,¡± he said. ¡°You need at least thirty credit hours before you can be epted.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but dete a bit to find out that I would have to wait at least another year before I could be on his team.


    He must have noticed how sad I looked, because he went on to say, ¡°But don¡¯t worry. If you keep doing as well as you¡¯re doing in this ss, I am certain that you¡¯ll be epted easily. We will be lucky to have you.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Thank you, Professor. I¡¯ll be sure to apply next year.¡±


    He patted me on the shoulder and turned to gather up his briefcase. I went back to my desk and wrote a reminder in my nner to pursue the research team next year, then started to gather up my things. As I closed my notebook, a little folded-up paper fell out and fluttered to the ground. I reached down to grab it, wondering what it could be. Sometimes Gio left love notes for me to find in my backpack.


    I picked up the piece of paper and was confused to see that it wasn¡¯t handwritten but had something typed on it. When I unfolded it and saw what it said, I wished that I could go back to the moments before when I had been so happy and content. I immediately looked around for my bodyguard and found him at the back of the lecture hall. He seemed to note my panic and made his way toward me. I felt like I was going to faint.


    ¡°What is it, Olivia? What¡¯s wrong?¡± my bodyguard asked urgently.


    I wordlessly handed him the note, unable to find the ability to speak. He unfolded the paper and raised his eyebrows at what it said.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to call the boss right away.¡±


    He turned away from me so he could make his phone call, still holding the note up. I could just barely make out the words over his shoulder, but I didn¡¯t need to reread it to know what it said. The words had been bouncing wildly around my head from the second I had read them.


    ¡°TELL GIOVANI: WE¡¯RE WATCHING YOU.¡±

 Chapter 351 : The Note

    <h4>Chapter 351: Chapter 351 : The Note</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I quickly gathered up my things and started walking out of the lecture hall, my eyes roaming the room wildly as I tried to figure out who could have left the note. There were only a few students still lingering in the ssroom, but none of them looked suspicious. They didn¡¯t so much as nce my way as I rushed to get out into the open air.


    My bodyguard followed behind me, still on the phone. He hung up and quickly dialed another number, speaking quietly about needing backup.


    Finally, we burst out of the double doors and into the open air. I felt myself starting to hyperventte, but I couldn¡¯t think straight enough to force myself to get a deep breath. I shakily walked over to a tree and leaned against it, trying to keep myself from copsing. Thankfully, biology had been myst ss of the day. I just needed to find Dahlia and get home to Gio.


    My bodyguard finished his call and came over to me. I forced myself to look at his face to try to figure out if this was as bad as I thought it was. The lines of concern surrounding his mouth told me that it was.


    ¡°You need to breathe,¡± he said quietly, trying not to draw any attention to us as students flowed past to their sses. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to get a hold of Giovani, but we¡¯re going to head home now. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to find him and tell him yourself once we get there.¡±


    I tried to take a deep breath in but found myself coughing and gasping. I sank to my knees next to the tree, losing all ability to appear normal. I desperately wished that Gio was here now. I didn¡¯t want to go through this without him by my side. Dahlia appeared out of nowhere and fell to the ground next to me, her face full of concern.


    ¡°Olive! What¡¯s wrong? Talk to me!¡± She put her hands on my shoulders and shook me gently as if trying to shake me back to reality.


    Without a word, the bodyguard handed her the note that he still held in his hand. I couldn¡¯t tell what she was feeling based on the look on her face. I wondered if she could sense just how close I was to losing it entirely and knew that she needed to stay calm to help keep me calm. I felt guilty about the fact that she always seemed to be forced to be the calm one in every situation.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get moving,¡± my bodyguard said before reaching down to help both of us up. ¡°I¡¯ve got some mening to pick you both up. We¡¯re going to get to the bottom of this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay,¡± Dahlia saidfortingly as we walked to the car. ¡°Gio will keep you safe.¡±


    Dahlia¡¯s bodyguard had maintained a small distance from us while we were under the tree, but now he and my guard nked us closely. As we walked, two more men filled in the formation so that we had coverage on all sides of us.


    I could see other students¡¯ heads turning as they looked in our direction, no doubt wondering why we looked like we had the secret service walking us to our car, even though the bodyguards were dressed like students so as to try to avoid this type of attention. I hoped that this would show whomever had left the note just how protected I was. Maybe they would give up if they realized that Gio wasmitted to keeping me and Dahlia safe.


    I felt myself rx slightly as we walked. Surely, there was no way anyone could get through four of Gio¡¯s men to get to me. Even if there was someone on campus right now who wanted to kidnap me, they had no way of reaching me. By the time we got to the parking lot, I had managed to convince myself that there was no need to overreact and that Gio and his guys would get this all sorted out.


    A ck SUV pulled up to pick us up. All four of the men walking with us piled into the vehicle with Dahlia and me between them. Safely enveloped in the armored car, I turned to Dahlia. She was staring off into space as she chewed on her thumbnail.


    I recognized that expression; it was her, ¡°I¡¯m terrified but I don¡¯t want to think too hard about it,¡± look. I had seen it many times over the years. Itforted me slightly to know that I wasn¡¯t the only one who was freaked out, but it also reinforced what I had been thinking since the moment I saw the note¨CI was in serious danger.


    ¡°Who do you think wrote the note?¡± I asked Dahlia, partially to force her out of the trance she was in. It freaked me out to see her dissociate from fear.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe one of Dmitri¡¯s guys?¡± She looked my way but continued to chew on her nail.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they aren¡¯t happy that Gio slipped through their fingers over the summer. Maybe this is their way of retaliating.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe....¡± She trailed off, turning away from me to stare out the window again.


    Another thought urred to me, sending a fresh wave of fear through my body. ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s someone else, do you?¡±


    If the note hadn¡¯t been written by one of Dmitri¡¯s men, that meant that we had even more enemies than we had thought. How in the world would Gio keep us safe from multiple crime families? What if my being here was putting him at greater risk?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.... I don¡¯t think so, but I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s just focus on telling Gio what we know. He¡¯ll know what to do from there,¡± she said. Finally, she stopped chewing on her nail long enough to pat my arm. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. This isn¡¯t the first time something like this has happened.¡±


    I was scared that it also wouldn¡¯t be thest time something like this happened. I had to ept that a life with Giovani meant a life of danger. Would I be strong enough to handle it, or would I crumble under the pressure? I wasn¡¯t sure, but I was determined to find out. I couldn¡¯t give up on Gio, not when we had found such happiness together.


    ¡°Tell me about the date you went onst night again,¡± I said to Dahlia.


    We both needed something to distract us. She grinned, knowing exactly why I was asking.


    ¡°Well, let me just tell you, Italian men know exactly how to treat a woman,¡± she said with a wicked smile.


    The bodyguard next to her coughed and turned slightly pink. I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle a giggle. I knew it was irrational to beughing at a time like this, but I found that it was exactly what I needed. Just a few minutes of normalcy, of Dahlia being her silly self, was enough to help me finally pull enough oxygen into my body and stop my racing thoughts.


    Dahlia elbowed the embarrassed bodyguard as she said, ¡°Marco here knows exactly what I¡¯m talking about. Don¡¯t you, Marco?¡±


    He turned from pink to red, and the other guards burst intoughter.


    ¡°Leave him alone, Dahlia!¡± I eximed, which only caused the guards to fall into another fit ofughter.


    Poor Marco just shook his head at all of us. I made a mental note to tell Gio the man deserved a bonus just for putting up with Dahlia on this ride.


    Before I knew it, we were pulling up to thepound. Seeing the ce I hade to think of as home helped me to feel braver, but I still didn¡¯t want to have the conversation that needed to happen with Gio. I wondered why he hadn¡¯t answered his phone when my guard called him. It seemed unlike him to ignore phone calls from the person charged with keeping me safe. I hoped it didn¡¯t mean that he was busy with something else.


    I didn¡¯t think of myself as a needy person, but if I was being totally honest, I really wanted his full attention on me right now. I thought back to all of the traumatic events that I had dealt with since moving to Italy. Gio was my one constant through it all. He was the only one I could count on to help me feel safe again, no matter what happened.


    We got out of the car, the guards staying close to us as we walked inside. I appreciated that they always went the extra mile to ensure our safety. It would be easy to becent and stop taking it seriously, but they never did. I knew a big part of that was because of how well Gio trained his men. Nobody working for Gio half-assed anything.


    Once we were safely inside, I got the sense that we all weren¡¯t sure what to do next. Without Gio¡¯s guidance, our guards and the two who had joined them looked at me and Dahlia. Luckily, Dahlia was a bit more used to taking charge in these kinds of situations than I was. She turned to all of us and took a deep breath, steadying herself so that she could be the leader we needed.


    ¡°Alright, Olivia and I will go find Gio. You all go to the kitchen and discuss your take on things, and we¡¯ll meet back once we get him. He¡¯ll tell us what to do next.¡±


    The four men nodded at her and headed off to the kitchen. I waited for her to tell me what she wanted me to do.


    ¡°You look down here. I¡¯ll go upstairs. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find him fast; he¡¯s probably in his office,¡± she told me, still using the no-nonsense tone of voice that she had used on the bodyguards.


    I nodded and headed off to find him, hoping that he was in the house somewhere. I hadn¡¯t considered the fact that he could be out doing something else. It wasn¡¯t unusual for him to spend the whole day checking the warehouses and looking into various problems that hade up. He hadn¡¯t responded to the text I sent him in the car.


    My need to find Gio grew as I checked room after room and couldn¡¯t find him. I started to be more frantic, desperate to see him and feel hisforting touch. The longer I couldn¡¯t find him, the more my mind raced with fear as I began to worry that something had happened to him.


    What if the note had just been a ploy to throw us all off? What if Gio was in danger right now, and we were wasting time worrying about telling him about the stupid note? I ran from room to room, faster and faster. Before I could stop myself I was screaming his name as I ran through the house.


    ¡°Gio! Please be here! Gio!¡±

 Chapter 352 : A Balancing Act

    <h4>Chapter 352: Chapter 352 : A Bncing Act</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I stared down at the paper on my desk until the numbers started to swim on the page. I was working on bncing our books for the past few months, and it was giving me a headache. I fucking hated paperwork. I loved being the Don, but I missed the days when all I had to do was grunt work. Transporting shit and keeping people safe was a lot easier than spending my time doingplex ounting and working on making sure all our businesses were running smoothly.


    All I really wanted to do was pour myself a stiff drink and wait until Olivia got home from the university, listen to her tell me all about her day, and then make love to her until she fell asleep in my arms. If I was being honest with myself, I hadn¡¯t gotten nearly as much work done since Olivia and I had moved in together. It was just impossible to pull myself out of bed in the morning when I was tangled up with her. And I never wanted to workte when I knew she would be waiting for me.


    I had never had someone that I enjoyed spending time with so much. I found myself keeping track throughout my day of every little thing that happened that I thought she would enjoy hearing about.


    I knew that having her around was making me soft, but I didn¡¯t care. I just couldn¡¯t force myself to want to sit and do mundane work when I knew how much more fun it would be to hear her screaming my name while I pleasured her.


    I would never get tired of finding new ways to get her going. I had even started a little game with myself to try a new position every night until I found one that we couldn¡¯t do. She was so flexible that I had yet to find a position that I couldn¡¯t get her into, and she was always willing to try out new ideas. I loved how much her shyness had faded away as we spent more and more time together.


    A knock at the door interrupted my filthy thoughts, but I was grateful for the distraction. I hoped it was Oliviaing to get me for what had be our little afternoon tradition of chatting about our days over a cup of coffee.


    ¡°Come in!¡± I yelled, shoving my papers back into their file folders and vowing to get back to them tomorrow. I absently wondered if I could somehow convince Gabriel to do some of it for me.


    I was surprised when Dahlia peaked her head around my door. I normally only saw her at dinner and breakfast, where she was happy to entertain all of us with her stories of the university. Her time with the Russians had only made her more of a character than she had been before, and her big personality served her well at college.


    ¡°We need you downstairs right now,¡± she said before turning on her heel and walking away without a single nce back at me.


    I got up, not needing to be told twice to follow her. I knew she wouldn¡¯t interrupt my work if it wasn¡¯t serious, and her tone said that this was very serious. I hoped Olivia was okay. Come to think of it, why hadn¡¯t Olivia been the one toe and get me? As we were walking down the stairs, I heard the unmistakable sound of Olivia screaming.


    ¡°Gio!¡± She screamed as if her heart was being wrenched from her chest.


    Ice-cold fear stopped me dead in my tracks. Something was horribly wrong, and I needed to be with Olivia right fucking now. I ran past Dahlia, not even bothering to make sure she was okay. All that mattered was Olivia. She was still screaming my name in a horrible, blood-curdling shriek when I got to the bottom of the stairs.


    I followed Olivia¡¯s screams and sprinted to our room, where I found her in a mess on the floor. I ran to her, scooping her up in my arms.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you hurt?¡± I panicked, studying her body for any injuries.


    ¡°No¨CI¨CGio¨Cthank god you¡¯re okay,¡± she panted, clearly on the verge of a panic attack. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my text.¡±


    ¡°Shhh, it¡¯s okay. Just breathe with me, okay?¡± I murmured, rubbing my hands up and down her back. Where was my phone, anyway?


    She nodded and stared into my eyes, trying to breathe with me.


    ¡°In, out, in, out. Good, good girl. My precious carino, I¡¯m so d you¡¯re okay.¡± I pulled her closer to me, feeling her breathing continue to even out. Her body rxed against mine, and I allowed myself to enjoy her closeness. I loved her so much.


    ¡°Now, can you tell me what has you so worked up?¡± I asked her gently, not wanting to send her spiraling into another panic attack.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find you, and you didn¡¯t answer your phone,¡± she said in an usatory tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know you were looking for me. I must have left my phone on silent by ident. I¡¯m so sorry, sweetheart.¡± I felt terrible that I had put her through so much anguish, no matter how brief.


    I had to be better about making sure that she could always reach me. Of course, she would have trauma over not being able to get a hold of me. Thest time I had been unreachable had been when I was in the hands of the Russians. I internally berated myself for being so stupid. Why in the world didn¡¯t I check my phone? I pulled it out of my pocket and raised my eyebrows when I saw that it hadn¡¯t been Olivia who had tried to call me, but instead, her bodyguard. I did have a text from her. Just my name.


    ¡°Why was your guard calling me?¡± I asked, concern flooding my heart. Had my sweet Olivia been in danger when I was unreachable? This was even worse than I thought. I silently vowed to always have my phone on the loudest possible setting.


    ¡°We need to go to the kitchen. Everyone¡¯s waiting for us there.¡±


    I forced myself to stifle my questions, although I had many. I was sure that Olivia would exin everything once we got to the kitchen. She led me down the hall, holding my hand tight in hers. I squeezed her hand reassuringly, reminding her that I was okay. I was so lucky to have someone who cared so deeply about my well-being.


    I was surprised to find both Olivia and Dahlia¡¯s regr bodyguards as well as the two extra guards that they didn¡¯t know about all in the kitchen waiting for us. Dahlia was there as well. I deduced that something must have happened at the university, but I had no idea what it could be.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± I asked my men.


    They all turned to Dahlia, who simply grabbed a piece of paper off of the counter and handed it to Olivia, who handed it wordlessly to me. I could feel everyone staring at me expectantly. It weighed on me sometimes, the need that everyone around me had for me to always take charge of every situation. I could tell that all six of the people in this room firmly believed that I would be able to solve whatever problem had arisen for them.


    I looked down at the paper and read the words written.


    TELL GIOVANI: WE¡¯RE WATCHING YOU.


    They sent a shiver down my spine. The implied threat to Olivia made me want to ball my hands into fists and rage against everyone who would dare hurt her, but I knew that was thest thing she needed. She needed calm Giovani, the side of me who could talk her down from a panic attack. Later, when we found who had left her this note, that was when I would let out vengeful Giovani, and I would make them regret every choice they had made.


    ¡°Where did you find this?¡± I asked, forcing my rage to retreat so that I could think clearly.


    ¡°In my biology notebook. Someone must¡¯ve put it there while I had it open in ss when I wasn¡¯t looking.¡±


    She got the notebook out of her backpack and handed it to me. I flipped through it, not finding anything else unusual. I looked back at the note, regretting how many people had handled it. I wasn¡¯t sure it would be possible to lift prints from the paper, but I was definitely going to find out. If there were any clues on this paper, my guy would find them. I pulled a baggie from one of the drawers in the kitchen and dropped the piece of paper into it.


    ¡°Do you think we could take this notebook for analysis?¡± I asked Olivia.


    She nodded, her eyes huge with fear. ¡°I can just ask my friend for the notes.¡±


    I found arge baggie to put the notebook in, feeling better now that we had concrete next steps to take. I turned back to Olivia and saw she had silent tears running down her cheeks.


    Fuck, I was failing her left and right. First, I hadn¡¯t made sure she could reach me, then I¡¯d focused too much on gathering clues and not enough on the fact that this had been a terrifying afternoon for her.


    I waved my guards away and took two quick steps to pull Olivia into my arms. She needed myfort a hell of a lot more than she needed me clinically gathering information as if this wasn¡¯t personal. I was finding it hard to bnce my role of being a good Don with my role of loving and protecting her, but I was determined to get it right.


    Dahlia patted Olivia on the shoulder and then left to give us some more privacy. She looked me meaningfully in the eye on her way out, as if trying to convey that I needed to do better with Olivia, I nodded to let her know I knew that she was right.


    Olivia cried quietly as I held her. I knew she was embarrassed by her screaming earlier and now didn¡¯t want to make a scene, but I wanted her to feelfortable expressing her emotions with me.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay to be scared,¡± I said, rubbing her back.


    ¡°I hate that I fall apart so easily,¡± she whispered. ¡°I want to be stronger.¡±


    Her words broke my heart, but I pulled away from her so I could look her in the eyes.


    ¡°Carino, you never have to force yourself to be strong with me.¡±


    She nodded and tried to smile, but fresh tears fell from her eyes and down her cheeks. I tried to wipe them away with my thumbs, but they fell too fast for me to sweep them all away. Instead, I settled for simply holding her cheeks in my hands and pressing my lips to her forehead.


    She was scared, but she was safe, and I had to be okay with that for now.

 Chapter 353 : Wildfire

    <h4>Chapter 353: Chapter 353 : Wildfire</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Giovani held me as I fell apart in the kitchen. I had tried so hard to keep my emotions from taking control, but I couldn¡¯t do it any longer. All of the fear of finding the note and then of not being able to find Gio had concentrated into one giant mass of terror, and I had beenpletely unable to control it.


    I was grateful when everyone else left. I didn¡¯t want them to see me like this. Hell, I didn¡¯t even want Gio to see me like this, but I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of being alone right now.


    ¡°Shhh, it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay,¡± he murmuredforting words as he pressed his lips to my forehead and tried to wipe the tears from my cheeks.


    When a fresh wave of sobs tore through me, he leaned down and picked me up into his arms, supporting my weight easily. Iid my head on his shoulder as my body shook with emotion. Without another word, he carried me to our room. He kicked the door shut behind him, and I was relieved to finally have some real privacy.


    Gently, as if he was afraid he might break me, he set me down on our bed and sat down so that he could pull me into hisp. Surrounded by thefort of our room and held tight in Gio¡¯s arms, I finally rxed enough for the tears to stop flowing.


    I roughly wiped at my eyes, irritated by my emotional outburst. Gio yed with my hair, still silent. I turned to him, looking into his eyes. I was scared of what his silence indicated. Was he upset with me? What if my inability to conquer my emotions had made him question whether or not I could handle this life?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered, looking away from him.


    He put his hand on my chin and gently turned my face so that I was looking back at him.


    ¡°What in the world are you sorry for, carino?¡±


    He looked even more shocked than he had when he found me screaming in the hallway. I wondered if I was just making assumptions about how he was feeling, but I couldn¡¯t shake the embarrassment over my fear. He had been through far more terrifying ordeals than I had, but he was able to stoically handle it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try harder to be strong. I¡¯m just so scared.¡± My eyes darted away, even as his thumb held my chin. I didn¡¯t want to see the disappointment on his face.


    ¡°Oh, Olivia, I know you¡¯re scared. I¡¯m scared too. Did you think you weren¡¯t allowed to be afraid? If that were the case, none of us would still be here. Being afraid is good. It means you¡¯ve correctly assessed the threat. I would be worried if you weren¡¯t feeling afraid right now. Please, baby, look at me. I¡¯m not mad at you.¡±


    Finally, I was able to look into his eyes. I saw nothing but sincerity in them as he gazed back at me. Not for the first time, I was struck by how lucky I was to be loved by him. Still holding my chin, he lifted my face so he could kiss me.


    Relief flooded my body as I epted that he really wasn¡¯t angry with me at all. I deepened the kiss and turned so that I could straddle him and wrap my arms around his neck. His kiss was more than reassuring; it was life-giving. It was the reminder that I needed that this was the man I loved, and he would do anything to keep me safe. I didn¡¯t have to be scared as long as he was there to protect me.


    ¡°We do have a serious conversation to have, though,¡± Gio pulled away from our kiss, leaving me gasping and desperate for more. ¡°We have to increase your security detail. I know you don¡¯t like the bodyguards, but please don¡¯t fight me on this.¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t have dreamed of it. Hell, I would¡¯ve taken a whole team of guards at this point, anything to make me feel safe again.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m okay with it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to put two more guys on both you and Dahlia. And no more of this acting like they¡¯re just other students shit. They¡¯re going to be shadowing you both. If your guard would¡¯ve been close enough, he would have seen who left the note and been able to grab them right then and there. We won¡¯t make that mistake again.¡±


    I nodded solemnly, silently mourning the loss of normalcy but understanding that this was necessary if I wanted to keep attending my sses, and I found that, in spite of everything, I very much wanted to keep going to ss. School was the one thing in my life that was mine and mine alone. Going to ss gave me a sense of aplishment that I wasn¡¯t sure I could find elsewhere. As much as I loved being with Gio, it was important to me to have my own life as well.


    Assuming that he was finished speaking, I pulled him toward me to continue our kiss, but he resisted. I stopped and looked at him, wondering what more he could have to say.


    ¡°There¡¯s another thing....¡± He hesitated.


    I went still, determined not to make assumptions but feeling worried nheless.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral.


    ¡°I have to say this, while I have the guts to do it, but I don¡¯t want you to take it the wrong way or to lie to me about how you really feel, okay?¡±


    I nodded, waiting impatiently for what he had to say.


    ¡°Things have been more dangerous than usual since you got here, but I need you to know that I lead a very dangerous life. I can¡¯t lie to you and tell you that this is totally unexpected because it¡¯s not. And I want you to know that if this is too much, it¡¯s okay if you need to get out. I won¡¯t ever hold it against you.¡±


    He looked like he was about to be sick as he waited for my response. I wrapped my arms around his neck andid my head on his shoulder, trying to provide him with the samefort he gave me. I breathed in his musky cologne as I thought about what he had said.


    Was this all too much for me? My immediate instinct was to think no, that it wasn¡¯t that bad. Was I really going to leave Italy over a stupid note? Surely Gio could keep me safe.


    But the more I thought, the harder it was to ignore the fact that if I moved back to the US, I could go to school without bodyguards. I¡¯d never have to look over my shoulder, terrified of who might be following me. I could be a regr person again. I couldn¡¯t lie to myself; the thought was enticing.


    But then I thought of leaving the wonderful man who had taught me so much about love and what it means to be cherished, and I realized that it was crazy to even consider getting out now. No, I wasn¡¯t leaving Italy. Gio and I deserved a happily ever after, and my leaving Italy wouldn¡¯t give us that. What was the point of going to the US to be safe but then spending all my time pining over Gio?


    I leaned away from his shoulder so that I could look him in the eyes and tell him my decision with confidence. He looked at me, braced for the worst. I could see his jaw tense and felt his strong arms subconsciously tighten around my waist as if his body was unwilling to ever let me go.


    ¡°I love you. Being with you is worth any amount of danger that could possiblye my way. And besides, I trust you. I know you¡¯ll keep me safe.¡±


    His entire body softened as he let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I will, carino. I promise I will always keep you safe.¡±


    He sealed his promise with a kiss. It was sweet and scorching, filled with the fear of losing each other and the promise that we¡¯d be there to protect one another. I didn¡¯t know what our future held, but I knew we would face it together.


    The heat of our kiss was like a wildfire, quickly exploding past the point of our control. His hands went from sweetly holding me to grasping at my curves, moving from my waist to my ass and working me into a frenzy.


    I pressed against his chest until he fell backward onto the bed, bringing me with him. My hair framed his face as I leaned over him and deepened the kiss. He kept one hand firmly on my ass but moved the other to caress my breasts through my shirt.


    I moaned my pleasure, and he responded by rolling us both over so that I was on my back while he caged me in. I ground my hips against him, wanting more than this fiery kiss. He stood up, and I thought that he was going to pull my shorts off, but instead, he straightened his clothes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We have to finish this tonight,¡± he said. His voice was regretful, but he had a wicked grin on his face. He knew that getting me worked up like this without giving me any release was a surefire way to keep him on my mind for the rest of the evening. And the anticipation would make my eventual release that much sweeter.


    ¡°What in the world could be more important than you fucking me right now?¡± I demanded with a smile.


    He chuckled at my irritation. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re feeling better. But I have to go see about that notebook. If there are any fingerprints or trace evidence, I need to know.¡± He leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss before standing back up. ¡°I promise, tonight I¡¯ll give you everything you¡¯re wanting. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you,¡± I responded, watching him leave before standing up and straightening my own clothes.


    He had done an excellent job at distracting me from my fear, but his mention of the notebook just before he left had put me on edge again.


    I pulled out my phone, thinking maybe a call to my mom would help settle my racing thoughts, but I knew I couldn¡¯t tell her everything. It would only scare her to death and have her insisting that I shoulde home.


    I put my phone back in my pocket, looking around the room for a distraction but finding nothing. I decided what I really needed was to be with someone, and I knew just the person who would know how to make me feel better.


    I set off to find Dahlia.

 Chapter 354 : Enough

    <h4>Chapter 354: Chapter 354 : Enough</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Autumn had crept upon us without warning. The temperature had dropped by a good ten degrees in thest week, a chill permeating the air that hadn¡¯t been there before.


    The green of the leaves began to fade away to dull yellows and oranges, the seasons changing the city as much as the trees. The people of Florence had begun setting up the beginnings of a festival in the town square, much of it closed off as they built stalls and decorated everything from the monuments to the street lights.


    Through it all, the sun continued to shine and the sky was as blue as ever.


    The garden in thepound was no different. Many of the flowers that had bloomed over the summer had begun to wilt, their petalsying upon the paths as I made my way through the area.


    I tightened my hold on my sweater as I kept it wrapped firmly around me, holding off the sudden burst of wind that carried the chill with it. There was a gazebo in the middle of the garden, and with the pool closed at the end of summer, I finally had a reason to visit it.


    Rose bushes lined the gazebo¨Cit was the heart of the garden, paths extending in every direction from it. Vines crept along its wooden pirs, and under the canopy was a rustic handmade swing.


    Sitting upon it, cozied up among the cushions and nket, was just who I had been looking for.


    Dahlia had her nose in a book, a rare sight these days, but she had be a lot more studious since school had started. Despite her party-girl mentality, she had always been a great student. Her mom had raised both of us that way.


    It was a bitter cold under the shade of the canopy, and I much preferred the sun on my skin, warming me up, but I sat down on the swing right next to Dahlia¡¯s feet. It shifted back and forth under my added weight, but I kept control of it with my foot nted on the ground.


    I sighed, d to have a littlepany when I felt so confused right now.


    I heard the snap of Dahlia¡¯s book, her eyes immediatelynding on me as she set it aside and reached for my hand. She dove under my sweater and grabbed my hand, pulling it out into the open as she squeezed it gently, giving me the support I needed.


    ¡°You okay?¡± she asked softly, despite already knowing the answer.


    Iughed a little bitterly at the thought as I shook my head at the very idea. Was I okay?


    No, I wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said anyway. I slumped as I bit my bottom lip, unable to tell her the truth. My sweater fell down my shoulders, exposing them to the autumn chill.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pretend like you didn¡¯t just lie to me.¡± Dahlia raised an eyebrow, but she let go of my head, pulling back to cross her arms as she stared at me. She just waited, knowing I would eventually crack and spill everything to her.


    I smiled softly at how well she knew me, because she was right. It took a few moments, and Dahlia waited patiently as I got my thoughts together before I looked at her with sad eyes, my brave face slipping away like the mask it was.


    ¡°How do you do this, Dolly?¡± I asked. ¡°How do you live like this your entire life?¡±


    Dahlia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Like what? You mean being rich?¡±


    I rolled my eyes, scoffing at herme attempt to bring some levity to the situation. I knew she was trying, but it wasn¡¯t helping, not now.


    ¡°Look, Olive,¡± Dahlia sighed. ¡°I know things are pretty crazy right now, and we¡¯ve both been through some shit since we got here, but it¡¯s not usually this insane. Growing up, I learned to deal with this as just a part of life. I always thought it was normal.¡±


    ¡°Normal?¡± I stared at her incredulously. ¡°None of this is normal¨Ckidnapping, death threats, bodyguards in case someone decides to kill you?¡±


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± Dahlia frowned, grabbing my hand to settle me down. ¡°I know now this isn¡¯t how most, well, almost every other family in the world works. Alessandro, Tallon, and I, we grew up in this, Olive. None of us knew this wasn¡¯t normal until we started going to school and learning what other families were like outside of all this. It wasn¡¯t odd to us because we had no other reference.¡±


    I could understand that to some extent. I didn¡¯t have any memories of my father, and for the longest time, I had never questioned why my mom was raising me alone, or why Dahlia had a dad and I didn¡¯t.


    It wasn¡¯t until kids at school started making fun of me for it that I realized it wasn¡¯t normal.


    But still, not having a dad and dealing with kidnapping and hostage threats your entire life were two very different things.


    ¡°How can you just ept all of this? Like it means nothing?¡± I asked, a little bitter as I nced at the spot where she had just gotten her stitches out. Even hidden under clothes, she would always have that scar.


    She was marked now by an event that had been traumatizing. A lesser soul would¡¯ve been terrified to even speak to another person for fear of another kidnapping. I was still terrified.


    I wasn¡¯t brave like Dahlia. I wasn¡¯t collected like Alessandro. If I was ced under that pressure, my life threatened by murderous Russian assholes with no idea I would ever see my loved ones again, I was sure to break.


    I never would be whole again.


    ¡°Ah-ah,¡± Dahlia said firmly, snapping her fingers in front of my face to bring me back to reality.


    I snapped to attention, the fear in my stomach retreating to hide once more.


    Dahlia frowned at whatever look must¡¯ve been on my face before she sighed and faced me in that bullheaded way she did.


    ¡°How do I deal with all of this?¡± Dahlia repeated, a bluntly honest look in her eyes. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t.¡±


    I blinked in surprise.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, dumbfounded.


    ¡°I learned to ignore all of this, Olive,¡± Dahlia said straightforwardly. ¡°I pushed it away and kept it in the back of my mind until I was forced to face it. Situations like this weren¡¯tmon, and for the most part, we all lived a pretty easy life.¡±


    ¡°Easy?¡± I stared at her in disbelief.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Dahlia said while nodding, ¡°easy. We dealt with asional death threats, we had to have bodyguards, and asional friends or family would just go missing, and we¡¯d never heard from them again. But overall, we never had to worry about food or shelter. We got everything we needed or wanted, and we had two parents who loved us. It may seem weird to you, Olive, but I wouldn¡¯t change my family for the world.¡±


    There was a hard look to her, a determined one that screamed that she would fight anyone who said the opposite.


    ¡°There were more than just a few people we met that had to struggle in life for even the most basic of things,¡± Dahlia said softly. ¡°A lot of my dad¡¯s or Gio¡¯s men were kids taken off the streets, people with nowhere else to go. You can ask any of them. Even Gio didn¡¯t have it nearly as well as we did. As much as the bullshit we had to put up with, all of it was worth it. We were privileged, Olive. And I remind myself of that every time something like this happens.¡±


    I was left speechless once more as I realized just how strong andpassionate my best friend was. She could be spoiled or demanding at times, even a bit selfish, but Dahlia was strength incarnate.


    She loved fiercely, and nothing in this world could stop her.


    ¡°That said,¡± Dahlia started again, a hesitant looking across her face, ¡°I have to admit that being rted to them is a lot different than dating the head of the family. There¡¯s a lot more danger involved in that.¡±


    Danger.


    The note was just the beginning of the danger I was in. I couldn¡¯t even remember the face of the man who had tried to kill me and Dahlia. He was nothing but a blur in my memory but what had stuck was the fear.


    Doubts had grown with every incident, the fear spreading like an infection inside of me. The note had only dug out the fears I thought I had put to rest. But they crawled themselves up from where I had tried to bury them and they came back with friends.


    ¡°Are you sure you canmit to this, Olive?¡± Dahlia asked.


    It felt like a blow to my heart. My breath shook at the thought, and heat welled up in my eyes as I shook my head.


    I was falling apart at the seams, and every time I was reminded how strong the people around me were, I had to face my own cowardice.


    I felt like a turtle hiding in its shell anytime the lightning crackled above. Despite knowing that I had lived a different life than Dahlia or Giovani, I couldn¡¯t help butpare myself to them. They didn¡¯t flinch away or dissolve into tears with every single problem that popped up.


    They weren¡¯t strangled by the panic until the oxygen itself turned toxic. I admired Dahlia. I loved Giovani.


    I strived to be just as brave as they were. But a square couldn¡¯t fit in a hole made for a triangle. All I could be was me.


    And maybe he... just wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, my voice watery as I struggled to hold back my tears. ¡°I love him. I want to be here with him. I want to go to school with you and have a life here, but I¡¯m terrified, Dolly, all the time. I don¡¯t know how to get past this.¡±


    ¡°Olive....¡± Dahlia said sadly.


    I stared at my palms, open to the sky, and I was startled with droplets of water began to fall upon them. My whole body was shaking with suppressed sobs as I saw Dahlia nodding out of the corner of her eye.


    ¡°Come here,¡± she whispered, shifting over in the swing to wrap her arms around me and pull me close. Sheid her chin on top of my head as I sobbed into her hug, feeling like a little girl again.


    But once my tears had dried and my sobs had fallen silent, Dahlia murmured over my head something that only she could say.


    ¡°Wanna get drunk?¡±


    Iughed despite myself, and I heard her giggling as she pulled back. She used the end of her sleeve to wipe the tears off my face, smiling at me in a way only she did.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed easily, my heart feeling full and ten pounds lighter than it had when I¡¯d walked in.


    There was a reason Dahlia was my best friend.


    I didn¡¯t know what was going to happen in the future, or if I might have another breakdown, but as long as Dahlia was there for me.


    For now, that was enough.

 Chapter 355 : Waiting Game

    <h4>Chapter 355: Chapter 355 : Waiting Game</h4>


    *Giovani*


    As soon as Olivia was out of sight, the soft and kind man in me disappeared. I gripped her notebook in one hand and the baggie with the damn note in the other, trying not to touch the notebook too much as I headed straight down the hall for my office.


    My boots pounded on the floorboards with unnecessary force. My whole body was tensed for a fight as blood pumped in my ears. I could feel my heart thumping loudly in my chest, fast and wild.


    I slipped into my office, knocking my shoulder against the wood as I stepped inside. The door shut behind me, and I rounded my desk, my whole body trembling as I dropped the notebook onto my desk.


    Her name was written across the front in Sharpie, with little doodles of hearts and swirls apanying it. It was innocent and sweet, and I inhaled through my nose, shutting my eyes to calm the emotions burning wildly inside of me.


    Finally, I nced down at the offending piece of paper in the stic bag in my right hand, opening up my palm as I stared at the bold, dark words ring up at me. It was an offense to my very eyes¨Cloud and obnoxious in a way to draw attention.


    My hands trembled as I fought not to rip the thing to pieces right then and there. Instead, I mmed my palm onto the desk, the note with it. The wood rattled and the cup of pens I kept on the side tipped over and ttered upon the ground.


    I couldn¡¯t give a damn.


    Olivia¡¯s tears burned like molten silver upon my skin, and the wet spot on my shirt from where she¡¯d sobbed in fear was like a trophy¨Cthe number one failure carved in gold.


    They had been mere feet from her. It hadn¡¯t been an ident or a rush job that they used her own supplies to write this damn note.


    They¡¯d done it on purpose, to let me know that they were close enough to her. They had been in the same building with her¨Cthe same room. Mere inches from her, so close that they could use her own damn supplies, viting her space like that and getting away with it.


    Message damn well received.


    The fury at myself for allowing this to happen and the terror for her safety mixed together in a horrifyingbination. I felt like I was losing my mind the longer I stared at the note.


    I knew that was exactly what they wanted, too.


    I snatched up my cell phone, already speed-dialing the person I wanted as I tried to remain calm and not burn everything within my sight.


    ¡°Yes, boss?¡± Gabriele answered punctually, as always. ¡°I¡¯m kinda busy¨C¡±


    ¡°They were at the school,¡± I interrupted.


    Gabriele fell silent on the other end, so quiet I almost thought he had hung up. But I heard the slight shift of his breath.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s hurt, but they left a fucking note in Olivia¡¯s notebook. I need you toe get it and take it to our guys for fingerprints or linguistics, anything we can use to catch the bastard who did this,¡± I said cold and straight to the point.


    The odds of finding prints were very low at this point, even with my attempt to save it in the stic bag. With how many times it had changed hands, the original prints had to be all covered by now. But that didn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t try everything I could think of.


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way,¡± Gabriele said shortly, then he hung up.


    The call went silent and I dropped my phone onto the desk, not caring how rough I was being with it. I had to get a new one every couple of months anyway.


    I rounded the desk, opening up the liquor cab as I grabbed one of the familiar sses. It was cold against my palm, and I held it steady as I grabbed the nearest alcohol and poured it. I dropped two ice cubes into the ss, the sound of them hitting the ss louder than I expected.


    I sighed, pushing my hair away from my face as I took my seat behind the desk. The bourbon was a wee taste on my tongue, and I felt the cold liquid slide down my throat and hit the empty well that was my stomach.


    Drinking on an empty stomach was never a good idea, but at the moment, I couldn¡¯t care less.


    I nced at the notebook, using a tissue to flip through it, just in case it had a usable prints.


    I found the page that had been ripped out. Thinking about it a little more, I realized that maybe they hadn¡¯t been as close as I¡¯d thought.


    The campus had security, and if they had noticed anything suspicious; they surely would¡¯ve reported it. The guards I had tailing Dahlia and Olivia were both clueless as well, they didn¡¯t notice anyone slipping in or out of the ssrooms, certainly not long enough to write the note and leave it for her to see.


    I had made sure the men knew Dmitri¡¯s face in case they saw him, and it wouldn¡¯t make sense for him to do this himself. It would make him too exposed, too easy to track. After losing so many men during the warehouse fire weeks ago, it was unlikely one of his higher-ups snuck in either.


    The only reasonable exnation was that they¡¯d paid some random college student to do it. But if that was true, why didn¡¯t anybody see it?


    I doubted Olivia would leave her belongings unattended for long, and she and Dahlia were stuck to the hip these days, not that they had all the same sses.


    But if it was true that some random student had been pulled into this, then it was possible to track whoever paid him. The money had toe from somewhere, and even if it was paid in cash, there was always a trail.


    We could always subpoena the surveince cameras, but that would take too long. I made a mental note to get one of our best tech guys on it. I figured it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to snag the video from the campus security office.


    I smirked to myself as I finished off my drink, setting it on a coaster as I got to my feet and walked over to the window. I moved the blinds open to see out. The pool and garden were easy to see from here.


    The pool was still, the water unwavering even in the autumn weather. It looked odd without any of the fountains on, but the garden was still full of life. The shades of leaves varied from browns to ambers and bright reds.


    They weren¡¯t quite falling yet, but it was clear that it wouldn¡¯t be long until the branches would be empty. Despite that, it was still a beautiful sight to see, a reminder that things never stayed the same. Time continued to give its blessing upon everything around us, and we had to follow it as well. Just a few months ago, I was standing here watching the new life grow in with the spring.


    And I had to do everything I could to protect the life that was my beauty Olivia.


    Speaking of, I could hear faintughter underneath the window, and through the trees and garden beds, I spotted a familiar head of brown hair and tan legs on the swinging garden bench.


    Olivia and Dahlia¨Ctheirughter was bright, and I was d to hear it after all the tears she had shed earlier.


    I smiled to myself, leaning on the windowsill as I watched them. They were yfully chatting, and I chuckled at the endless youth they disyed. I was envious, a bit, of how carefree they seemed now.


    But I was always grateful.


    When I had held Olivia in her arms, I had seen her fear, the doubt, and the wavering look in her eyes. There was an urge to run that she tried to hide from me, but I had made a career of seeing through people and her emotions were clear as day.


    The thought that I would wake up one day and she would be gone, off on another continent where I couldn¡¯t see her bright smile or hear herugh, where I couldn¡¯t trace her fingers that fit perfectly with mine.


    If she vanished one day, running to a ce where I couldn¡¯t reach her anymore....


    It scared me more than anything Dmitri might do to me.


    I knew how to rebuild the family, how to lead and swallow the losses that were toomon for my liking. I was strong enough to keep the family afloat no matter what Dmitri threw at us.


    But if I lost Olivia, I didn¡¯t know if that was something I could recover from.


    I loved her, sometimes so deeply that it ached in my chest. Even just standing apart from her felt like it was too far. I wanted to keep her safe, but I also wanted to keep her by my side.


    I knew she would be safer in the States, where James and Ba could keep her safe and away from all this madness. But I also knew I couldn¡¯t breathe without her with me.


    I couldn¡¯t let her go, no matter how selfish it might be.


    The conflict was enough to drive me mad one day, and it scared me more than anything that I might lose her due to my selfishness.


    I leaned my forehead against the cool ss as my thoughts waged back and forth. I had been down this road a dozen times before and had debated with myself on a hundred sleepless nights.


    But the answer would always remain the same.


    The door opened in a hurry, and I sighed heavily, watching the ss fog up with the heat of my breath. I tore my eyes from Olivia with difficulty, turning around to face Gabriele.


    There was a grim look on his face, anger tucked deep within his eyes. He would never admit it but he had grown fond of Olivia over these past few months. Despite how harsh he had been on her, he cared for her.


    I rounded my desk, grabbed the note, and stuffed it on top of the notebook. Silently, I handed him the evidence, and he nodded, grabbing it with ck gloves. He opened arger stic bag with red tape on it, stuffing the notebook and note inside before he sealed it.


    ¡°I doubt we¡¯ll get any fingerprints from it, but we can check if the handwriting matches any of the students or teachers on campus,¡± Gabriele said determinedly. ¡°They fucked up this time, Gio. They¡¯ll lead us right to them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the n,¡± I said, crossing my arms.


    Gabriele wasted no more time, rushing out of the room with the evidence in hand. I knew he¡¯d find something, anything to lead us back to Dmitri.


    The bastard¡¯s downfall wasing soon. For now, it was just a waiting game.


    I left the office, shutting the door firmly behind me as I let my feet take me to the gardens where I knew Olivia was.


    I needed to see her, to reassure myself that she was safe and here with me.

 Chapter 356 : Butterflies

    <h4>Chapter 356: Chapter 356 : Butterflies</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Whoo!¡± Dahlia yelled out as she mmed her cup down onto the wooden pic table between us. The ss pitcher rattled with the force, the maroon syrup inside sshing over the edge.


    ¡°Are you sure Maria isn¡¯t actually a bartender in disguise?¡± I asked, both curious and suspicious. I was on my third drink already and though there wasn¡¯t much alcohol in it, I couldn¡¯t stop drinking it.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Dahlia rolled her eyes, pouring another ss of the ambrosia liquid. But then she paused, looking rather pensive. ¡°Or at least, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    The orange slices and cubed fruits in the drink plopped into the cup as she poured, and I chewed on what I suspected was a sangria-soaked strawberry from my ss.


    ¡°Either way, she makes the best drinks,¡± I shrugged, fully rxed as I sent her a silly smile.


    The high from the alcohol had hit us, but not nearly enough to make us tipsy or drunk¨Cjust enough that we were both feeling fucking fantastic. I felt like I could do anything right now, even march into Gio¡¯s room and fuck him until tomorrow, and there¡¯d be nothing he could fucking do about it.


    I grinned into my drink, my cheeks red as I down the rest of my ss.


    Maybe that¡¯s all I really needed¨CGiovani¡¯s cock was a good enough reason to keep me tied here. Anybody would do the same in my position.


    As my thoughts turned into a hard right, Dahlia leaned back on her palms, shutting her eyes as she basked in the sunlight.


    ¡°God, I need a tan,¡± she remarked, and I silently agreed with her.


    Her skin had turned two shades whiter since we¡¯d spent so much time indoorstely. I was used to seeing Dahlia in some kind of sun-kissed form, so it was a bit weird seeing how pale she actually was¨Cher mom¡¯s genes, no doubt.


    Tallon had a much darker skin tone, closer to their dad, and Alessandro had been so burned from the sun as kids that there was no telling what skin tone he originally had.


    I sighed in relief, all of my doubts and worries from earlier having faded away. They were still there, they could always be there, but no longer could I hear them screaming at me from the back of my mind.


    It was quiet.


    Peace had returned to my stupid brain.


    With my eyes shut, I felt a slightly ticklish sensation on my nose, the tiniest of breezes across my face, like a leaf was falling.


    ¡°Oh. My. God,¡± Dahlia gasped. ¡°Olive, don¡¯t move.¡±


    I stiffened at how awed and shocked she sounded and on instinct, my eyes fluttered open.


    I was met with dark beige striped lines, and my whole body tensed as I recognized exactly what was happening.


    A pair of wings fluttered, spreading out as a fuzzy little body kept perfectly still and bnced on the tip of my nose. Contrary to the dull underside of its wings, the top side was a gorgeous iridescent shade of purple and blue.


    My mouth dropped open and inside, I was screaming.


    There was a butterfly on my nose.


    ¡°Holy fucking shit,¡± Dahlia cursed, then she raised her phone.


    I heard the clicks of her taking photos, moving around the bench to get the best one. One of them must have been too much since the little butterfly started to fly off, a tiny gust of air being pushed into my eyes.


    I blinked rapidly, my hand immediately going to scratch my nose as the butterfly took off, gently flying away in that graceful way they did.


    Dahlia and I turned to one another with wide-eyed looks.


    Then we both cracked up.


    Laughter bubbled out of my throat, and I was unable to stop it as ourbinedughs filled the air. It was funny, funnier than it would¡¯ve been had we not both drunk almost an entire pitcher of sangria, but my heart was full.


    I felt lighter than I had in weeks as Iughed with my best friend.


    ¡°Care to share what¡¯s so funny?¡±


    Someone interrupted the moment, and instead of tensing at the deep, male voice, my whole stomach jumped in excitement.


    Giovani stood at the beginning of the path, having juste out by the looks of it and damn, did he look good. He was dressed in a grey suit vest with a ck button-down underneath. The top buttons were undone, leaving a view of his chest as his clothes were tight enough to highlight every single muscle. I wasn¡¯t sure why he changed, but he looked fine.


    His hair wasbed back in a way that perfectly framed his gorgeous face. His eyes hadtched onto me with no hint that he would ever look away again.


    Even the way he was just standing there oozed sex appeal as he smirked, crossing his arms as I devoured him with my eyes.


    God, he was so hot, it drove me crazy sometimes.


    My whole stomach was doing flips now, and for a moment, I wondered if I hadn¡¯t swallowed that butterfly. If I had, it was making a whole racket inside of me right now.


    A solid kick to my shin knocked me out of the stupor I had fallen in, and I cursed, clenching my fists as Dahlia sent me a serious look.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± I snapped at her, feeling like my bone was aching somehow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even pretend you didn¡¯t just do that,¡± Dahlia huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t need to see you two undressing each other with your eyes. No thanks.¡±


    I pouted, my cheeks turning a bit red as the tiniest hint of shame washed over me. She was right. If she hadn¡¯t done that, I was two seconds from grabbing his tie and fucking him right here and now.


    Giovani chuckled. ¡°Hello to you two beautifuldies.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Dahlia asked, suspiciously.


    He raised his hands in defense, a smirk on his plump kissable lips as he asked, ¡°I just wanted to ask if you would both care to join me for dinner.¡±


    Dahlia straightened in her seat, her eyes shed excitedly at the thought of food. ¡°Yes!¡± she agreed eagerly.


    I wasn¡¯t too far behind. I was starving, and since I couldn¡¯t have Giovani right now, dinner was a good second best.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to, dear sir.¡± I smiled yfully, and both of us stepped around the table to follow him. Giovani offered me his arm automatically as I approached, and my heart did that weird thumping thing it did whenever he was being a gentleman.


    I took his arm gratefully, beaming as we followed Dahlia inside. Though she practically beelined for the kitchen, Giovani and I took our sweet time, enjoying one another¡¯spany.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I heard Dahlia shout from the kitchen and as soon as we stepped inside, I found out why. The dinner table waspletely empty, with not even a sign of food being cooked at all.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the food?¡± Dahlia demanded, very annoyed.


    Giovani smirked like he had been waiting for that reaction. Knowing him, he probably was. ¡°We¡¯re going out, actually,¡± he dered.


    At thatment, both Dahlia and I looked at each other and then at our own attire. Both of us were dressed much too casually for any kind of restaurant he might drag us to. We¡¯d get thrown out of a five-star restaurant with the way we looked.


    I pulled my hair from the messy bun I had set it in, hoping that would help, but nope, that did nothing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t we need to get changed then?¡± I asked, a bit panicked at the thought of being seen with him like this. I didn¡¯t look terrible but not nearly good enough for one of the fancy restaurants he would take us to.


    ¡°Nope.¡± Giovani shook his head, smiling down at me as he pressed a kiss to my forehead. ¡°You look gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°Uh... thanks, but there¡¯s probably a dress code,¡± I frowned, determinedly.


    ¡°No time¨Cthe car¡¯s already waiting. I promise, you both look fine,¡± Giovani didn¡¯t give me another second to protest as he pulled me out of the kitchen and toward the front door at a bewildering pace.


    I nced at Dahlia as she followed behind us, looking just as baffled as I was. Finally, she shrugged, deciding to own her sweater dress and leggings.


    I was a little bitter considering I was in my favorite hoodie and jeans. The thought of showing up to fine dining in this was like something from my nightmares, but I only sighed and shrugged back.


    Oh, well¨CGiovani always had a n, and I was sure this time was no different.


    True to his word, the ck sedan I was growing to associate him with was rumbling away in the front drive, and someone who wasn¡¯t Gabriele was in the front seat.


    ¡°Alright, food!¡± Dahlia cheered, slipping into the car.


    As I made my way to climb in beside her, Giovani held me back with a hand on my wrist and pulled me toward him. His hand was on my cheek and his lips on mine before I even knew what was happening.


    I shut my eyes on instinct, kissing him back as he deepened it, and I could taste unfamiliar alcohol on his tongue, stronger than the sangria that Dahlia and I¡¯d had. Finally, he pulled back, brushing the tips of his fingers down my cheek as he stared at me deep and heatedly.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered to me.


    ¡°I love you too.¡± The words came out as easily as breathing did, and I was a bit shocked with myself at how instinctually it had been to respond.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s get some food.¡± He chuckled, kissing the tip of my nose. Before I could tell him he¡¯d just indirectly kissed a butterfly, he whispered lowly into my ear, ¡°I need you sober for what I want to do to youter.¡±


    My breath hitched in my throat, my libido hitting me like a truck as he let go and didn¡¯t spare another look at me as he rounded to the other side of the car.


    My mouth flopped open and closed like a fish for a few seconds, wanting more of what I couldn¡¯t have right now, but eventually, I bit my lip and slid into the car.


    I nced at Dahlia sitting in the middle between us, her doing a little wiggling dance as she chanted food under her breath. No doubt he¡¯d separated us on purpose.


    Patience had never been my strong suit. But it had been a long and stressful day, and I couldn¡¯t wait to let that stress out in a healthy way¨Chopefully, one that resulted in me screaming his name all night long.


    For now, though, I was going to enjoy my time with my best friend and my man.

 Chapter 357 : Gelato Kisses

    <h4>Chapter 357: Chapter 357 : Gto Kisses</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I stared silently out the window, daydreaming about what exactly Gio had nned for uster. Dahlia was apparently in a sugar rush from the sangria as she continued to bounce in her seat and mumble about food. When she identally elbowed me in the side, I decided I needed to distract her enough to get her to be still.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked Gio.


    My n worked. Dahlia stopped bouncing and turned to him, waiting to hear his response.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll see,¡± he smiled and leaned back, closing his eyes.


    I couldn¡¯t help it; worry flooded me as I saw just how tired he really was. He was amazing at putting up a front, but I could see now, in the way his face didn¡¯t fully rx even with his head back and his eyes closed, that he was exhausted. I chewed on my lip and studied him for a moment longer before Dahlia dug her fingers into my side, causing me to yelp and jump away.


    ¡°No sad faces!¡± she dered.


    ¡°You are quite the dictator tonight,¡± I told her, but she was right. There was no point in dwelling on my worries right now; there was nothing I could do to change anything. Giovani wanted me here in Italy, and part of me being here with him meant that he was going to have to spend extra time thinking about my safety on top of all the other duties he had as the Don.


    Finally, the car rolled to a stop in front of a little sandwich shop with small tables on the sidewalk out front. It was adorable, and I couldn¡¯t wait to go inside. When I had imagined myself being a university student in Italy, this was the exact kind of spot where I had pictured eating lunch or grabbing a coffee while I studied. It was remarkable that in spite of everything, Gio somehow managed to give me exactly what I needed, when I needed it.


    We had to wait in the car while the guards in the car behind us piled out. There were at least ten of them just following us, and I had no idea how many were staying in the shadows, keeping us safe from a distance. It felt absurd to walk around with more armed guards than the president of the United States, but Giovani had to constantly watch his back.


    Once the guards had our car surrounded, we were able to hop out and walk into the shop. They followed us in a loose formation, staying far enough back to give us a semnce of privacy, but they never more than a few steps away.


    The sandwich shop was just as I had hoped it would be. The smell of fresh bread wafted through the air, and an older couple manned the counter. They spoke in quick Italian to each other, gesticting wildly in a way that made it clear they had been together for a long time and hardly needed words to know what they meant.


    Giovani stepped forward, and they both eximed over him, saying he looked too thin and hadn¡¯t beening by nearly often enough. I smiled as I realized that they must have known him since he was much younger.


    It was rare for me to meet people who knew what he was like as a young man. He turned to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, encouraging me to step forward so they could get a good look at me.


    ¡°This is my love, Olivia,¡± he told them in Italian. His words sent a shiver of pleasure down my spine.


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± I said shyly.


    ¡°Olivia, this is Bianca and Francesco. They make the best paninis in the whole town. I¡¯ve beening here for years.¡±


    ¡°Not often enough these past few months, although I see what has distracted you!¡± Francesco said with a grin. I felt myself blush.


    Dahlia stepped forward and introduced herself as Giovani¡¯s cousin. I was surprised that she hadn¡¯t been here before, but I wondered if Gio had kept this spot to himself on purpose. It was probably nice to be able to get away from it all sometimes. Even I could feel my stress melting away in the peaceful shop.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make you your usual, Giovani,¡± Bianca said. ¡°And it¡¯s on the house. Do not even try to leave money!¡±


    Gioughed and said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡±


    ¡°And for you beautifuldies, what would you like?¡±


    Dahlia stepped forward and ordered with confidence. I had no idea how she could be sofortable in every situation, but I hoped I could get to that point someday.


    When it was my turn to order, I simply asked if I could have the same thing that Gio normally got.


    ¡°Great choice,¡± Francesco said, winking at me.


    We sat at a small table in the corner, and Gio quietly informed Dahlia and me of how he had met Bianca and Francisco years ago when he was helping gain control of this block for his organization. The pair had been forced into paying astronomical ¡°protection fees¡± to the old group who¡¯d had control, which really just meant that they paid to keep the old group froming in and destroying their shop. It had been Giovani himself who had put an end to it and ensured that nobody would daree threaten Bianca and Francisco ever again. Ever since, he would drop by at least once a month to eat and check in on them, and they had quickly grown fond of him.


    When our sandwiches arrived, I could tell why Gio had brought us here. He was right; it was by far the best panini I¡¯d had in my life. Dahlia moaned loudly as she took her first bite, sending me into a fit of giggles. Gio smiled at me, amused by the fact that I was definitely still a little buzzed from the sangria. He¡¯d been right to get some food in us. We weren¡¯t drunk yet, but another hour under the sun sipping on the delicious drink, and we would¡¯ve been delirious.


    We finished our food quickly, Bianca hovering and ensuring that we wanted for nothing. When we stood to leave, she enveloped Gio in a tight hug.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go so long in between your visits,¡± she scolded him.


    ¡°It was lovely to meet youdies! Pleasee again!¡± Francisco called as we walked out the door.


    Before we could start walking to the car, Dahlia spotted a gto shop next door. Her eyes lit up, and she grabbed me and pulled me toward it. I could never say no to gto, and Gio could never say no to me, so all three of us walked over, the bodyguards following closely behind.


    Once we had our gto in hand, I was ready to start heading home. Gio¡¯s promise of what was going to happen this evening made me eager to get back. We rode in silence, my anticipation growing with every passing mile. I caught Giovani looking at me and licked my gto seductively, a grin ying at the corner of my mouth.


    Before long, we were back. Dahlia excused herself to go study, and I was grateful that I didn¡¯t need toe up with an excuse to get her to leave us alone. My gto was half gone, so I brought it to the bedroom with me, thinking it could provide an interesting element to whatever Gio had nned. Giovani followed close behind without a word. I could practically feel the sparks flying between us. The air crackled with electric need.


    As soon as we were inside, Gio shut the door behind him. His eyes were dark with desire, and I stared up at him, just waiting to see what he nned to do to me.


    ¡°Clothes off,¡± he said gruffly.


    I shivered and handed him my gto then immediately tore off my sweatshirt and stepped out of my jeans. It had to be some kind of record for stripping down. His eyes roved my body, his desire written all over his face as I stood in front of him in nothing but my bra and panties.


    ¡°All the way off, carino,¡± he said, a dangerous edge to his voice that only emphasized his sexiness.


    I reached behind me to unsp my bra and let it fall slowly forward to release my breasts. I watched his face as they came free. I would never get tired of the way his eyes slightly unfocused whenever he saw me naked. He was normally so controlled, so calcting in his every move as a Don. It drove me wild to see the way his desire for me made him reckless.


    I let my bra drop to the floor, then hooked my thumbs on the sides of my underwear and slowly pulled them down my thighs. Once I had stepped out of them, I stood back up, gazing at Gio as he stood before me fully dressed. The vulnerability of being naked in front of him while he wore severalyers of clothing only sharpened my need.


    Without warning, he scooped up my remaining gto with his thumb and wiped it over my breasts. The sudden cold had my nipples peaking so hard I gasped. He dropped the gto bowl into the trash can and licked his thumb to get it clean.


    ¡°Mmm, chocte¡¯s my favorite,¡± he said, his voice rough with pleasure.


    The gto on my breasts began to melt, I could feel little drips running down my torso. Gio stared at them for a moment, taking in the mess he had made before diving down to lick me clean. He held my hips firmly to keep me in ce. The heat of his mouth was searing next to the cold of the gto. I moaned, unable to hold in my pleasure any longer. He licked and sucked his way from my stomach up to my breasts, giving special attention to my nipples. Within seconds, I was gasping and moaning, unable to hold myself up. Gio¡¯s grasp on my hips was the only thing keeping me from copsing into a puddle of need.


    Just when I thought I couldn¡¯t take any more, he finished licking the gto and picked me up, walking toward the bed. Heid me on the edge with my legs dangling over the side and kneeled between my thighs, putting my knees over his shoulders. I waited in anticipation, knowing my release wasing soon. I could feel his hot breath as he came closer and closer to my pussy. He was moving slowly, too slowly, but I knew better than to try to rush him.


    Suddenly, his mouth was on me and he was sucking hard on my clit. The sudden sensation had me whimpering with pleasure. He didn¡¯t let up, just adjusted so that he could press a finger inside of me. Thebination of sensations had me on the brink of orgasm within seconds. It never failed to amaze me how easily he could get me toe.


    ¡°Gio, I¡¯m¨CI¡¯m going to¨C¡± I gasped, unable to even get the words out.


    He didn¡¯t stop, just nodded to let me know it was okay. His nod was all I needed. My orgasm was hard and fast. Giovani kept his mouth on me but slowed his movements, helping me enjoy the aftershocks. When I was spent, he kissed my right thigh, then stood up and undressed himself. I stared at him, enjoying the way his muscles rippled with every movement.


    Once he was undressed, he climbed on top of me and helped me scoot back so that I was fully on the bed. I felt him pressed against every inch of me and relished in the skin-to-skin contact. I would never get tired of the way he felt pressed against me.


    I opened my legs for him, and he slowly pressed the length of his cock into me. He punctuated his movement with soft kisses to my neck. I tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer and closer.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered in my ear.


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± I responded, holding back tears as I was overwhelmed with emotion.


    Thebination of his slow, gentle thrusts and his heartfelt deration made me feel incredibly cherished. I knew he really meant it when he said he loved me.


    He started moving faster as he got closer to his own orgasm, and I ground my hips against him to help him along. His entire body shuddered against me as he came, and he grunted a deep moan. After a few seconds, he rolled off of me and pulled me close to him.


    I snuggled against his chest, feeling more rxed than I had since I had found the note in my backpack. Yet, in spite of the safety that being wrapped in Gio¡¯s arms made me feel, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of fear that seemed to have permanently settled deep into my mind.

 Chapter 358 : Help Me

    <h4>Chapter 358: Chapter 358 : Help Me</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I woke up and immediately panicked. I couldn¡¯t see anything, and I wasn¡¯t in my soft bed snuggled up next to Gio. Where the fuck was I? I blinked hard, trying to see in the darkness, but realized there was something over my head, covering up my vision.


    I turned my head from side to side, trying to get any sense of what was going on, and realized it was a ck bag over my head. I tried to pull my hands up to my eyes, but my wrists were being held together tightly behind my back; it felt like it was zip ties based on how they were digging into my skin. My feet were tied to the legs of the chair that I was sitting on, and the hard metal dug into my ankles.


    Even though I knew it was pointless, I kept trying to pull my wrists free. My hands were going numb from my efforts, but everything in me fought against being tied down like this. I didn¡¯t know what was going on, but I knew enough to know that I was in terrible danger. People don¡¯t tie you up unless they n on doing horrible things to you.


    A man¡¯s deepugh burst into the quiet from my right, and I immediately went still. It hadn¡¯t urred to me that someone might be watching my struggle. How had he managed to get me here? Where the fuck was Gio? My blood went cold when I realized that if I was here, it must mean that they had Giovani. There was no way he would have let them take me from our bed without a fight.


    Oh god... what if he was horribly injured, and they had him tied up just like me? He could be right next to me in this very room for all I knew. I wanted to scream out his name, but I stayed silent. I couldn¡¯t let my captors know what I was thinking. I didn¡¯t know what they wanted, but it would be dangerous to give them even the tiniest bit of information.


    ¡°Good morning, printsessa,¡± a man with a thick Russian ent said.


    The words sent a shiver down my spine, but I forced myself not visibly to react to his voice. He didn¡¯t need to know that I was scared out of my mind. I sat up as straight as my bindings would allow, determined to look confident, even if I felt anything but. I tried to channel Dahlia. She knew how to be a badass in any situation.


    ¡°How did you sleep?¡± he murmured somewhere by my ear.


    He knew I had no way of knowing exactly where he was in the room, and he intended his sudden closeness to be disarming, to put me on edge. It did, but he didn¡¯t need to know that. The benefit of the bag over my head was that he couldn¡¯t see my facial expressions and know exactly how terrified I was.


    I stayed silent. I wouldn¡¯t let him goad me into a reaction, no matter what. I was strong. I couldn¡¯t see him, but I could hear his soft footsteps as he slowly circled me. The hair on the back of my neck prickled as I got the distinct feeling that I was being stalked by a predator. If he was a spider, I was the innocent fly caught in his web.


    But if there was one thing I knew about spider webs, it was that the more the fly struggled, the less likely they were to ever escape. Struggle is what drew the spider¡¯s immediate attention, and I got the distinct feeling that this particr spider was highly trained to note even the most minute of struggles. My reactions would determine the type of questioning that he threw at me. If I could just manage to sit here, emotionless and unreactive, I might be able to waste his time long enough that Giovani would somehow get us free.


    I felt a surprisingly soft handy gently over the back of my neck. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from jumping and trying to pull away. I was revolted by his touch. His fingers tightened just enough to keep me from being able to move, but not enough to hurt. The message was clear¨Che wasn¡¯t going to hurt me... yet.


    I forced myself to rx. I just had to remain calm no matter what happened. I could do this.


    His hand slid from my neck to my left shoulder and he ced his other hand on my right shoulder. I could feel him leaning down so that he loomed over me. I forced myself not to shrink away. He pressed his face close to my left side and said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s make this easy on both of us. You¡¯re going to tell me everything you know about Giovani, and we won¡¯t even need to think about what happens if you don¡¯t.¡±


    He squeezed my shoulders slightly, not enough to hurt, just enough to show how easy it would be for him to hurt me. I wondered why he wanted to hear about Gio. Surely, they had gotten Gio as well? Or maybe they hadn¡¯t. Maybe they had somehow managed to sneak in and only take me. His words filled me with hope. If they only had me, that meant Giovani knew I was missing and was doing everything he could to get me back. He would never let me be in danger for long.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good girl, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ve heard so many things about what a good, smart girl you are. Aspiring scientist, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    I shuddered at the implications of what he said. Someone had been watching me closely and reporting back to him if he knew about how much I liked biology. It was probably the same person who had left that horrible note in my notebook. What if it was someone in the ss with me?


    In spite of my determination to be brave, tears began to leak from my eyes. For the first time, it urred to me that I could die here, tied to this fucking chair. And there was nothing that Gio or anybody could do about it. It didn¡¯t matter how badly he wanted to keep me safe or how hard he worked to get me back. Somehow I had been taken, and now Giovani was nowhere to be found. And if he didn¡¯t get to me soon, it would be toote.


    ¡°So, tell me, are you going to be a good girl for me?¡±


    His voice sickened me with how patronizing and damn nearscivious he sounded. I wanted his fucking hands off of my shoulders, but I didn¡¯t dare try to move away. Somehow, I managed to find enough bravery to respond.


    ¡°No,¡± I choked out, hoping he couldn¡¯t hear the fact that I was crying in my voice.


    He dug his fingernails into my shoulders, and I whimpered involuntarily.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to rip that bag off your head so I can look you in the eyes while I smack some answers out of you,¡± he said in a voice that was shaky with rage.


    I gave up on my brave act, tears fully streaming down my face as I clenched my entire body so tightly I was afraid I would pass out. I¡¯d never been hit by a man before, and I really didn¡¯t want to start now. I felt him stalk around my side and roughly grab the sides of the ck bag by my neck. He yanked it over my head and I screamed.


    ***


    I woke up, a scream dying in my throat as I realized I was in bed, and Gio was sleeping safely beside me. Holy shit, that had been the most realistic dream I¡¯d ever had. I reached up and touched my shoulder with one hand, feeling where I had thought fingernails were being dug in. There were little half-crescents of pain there, and I realized I must have done it to myself. I touched my face and realized I was actually crying. Feeling my tears and recalling my fear sent a fresh wave of raw emotion through me, and I broke down all over again, trying to suck in air as my body was wracked with deep, heaving sobs.


    My cries woke Gio. He immediately sat up and gathered me to his chest.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked quietly, stroking my back and hair inforting circles.


    ¡°I¨C¡± I stopped, the dream on the tip of my tongue. As badly as I wanted to tell him what my psyche had managed to terrify me with, I also didn¡¯t want to give him yet another reminder that being with him was actively putting me in danger.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I lied. ¡°I just woke up for some reason.¡±


    He leaned over to kiss my forehead. I could see in his eyes that he didn¡¯t believe me, but he didn¡¯t push me for more information. After a few moments, heid back down, bringing me with him. Hisforting touch helped to soothe my racing heart, but I was terrified to fall back asleep.


    I knew he must be exhausted¨CI could see it in the circles under his eyes¨Cbut he stayed awake and continued rubbing my back and hair until finally my breathing was fully back to normal, and the tears had stopped trailing from my eyes.


    ¡°Are you okay, baby?¡± he murmured.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m about to fall back to sleep,¡± I lied to him again. I had no interest in going back to sleep yet.


    ¡°Alright. Just know that I¡¯m here, okay? I¡¯ll always be here.¡± He dropped a kiss on the top of my head.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I whispered into the darkness.


    ¡°I love you so much,¡± he whispered back, his arms tightening around me in a gentle squeeze.


    Before long, he had fallen back to sleep, and the room was filled with the sounds of his even breathing. Iy on Gio¡¯s chest, just listening to his soft snores and appreciating the strong beat of his heart.


    I stared into the darkness for at least an hour, not wanting to wake Gio again but not wanting to fall back asleep myself. I knew that he would tell me to just wake him up, but I had seen how tired he was. If only one of us was going to be able to get any sleep tonight, I wanted it to be him.


    I turned my nightmare over and over in my mind. It had felt so real, even down to the Russian voice. No matter how much I reminded myself that it had just been a dream, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I had really been there in that chair, alone and in genuine danger.


    Finally, I was able to fall back into a restless sleep. After what felt like only a few minutes, our rm red and pulled us both awake. I groaned.


    I had a feeling that it was going to be a terrible day.

 Chapter 359 : Nothing But Comfort

    <h4>Chapter 359: Chapter 359 : Nothing But Comfort</h4>


    *Giovani*


    Our rm went off, and Olivia moaned next to me. I rolled to face her and could immediately see that she needed about five more hours of sleep, even though she had to get up for her sses.


    I wished it was summertime again, and I could just give her a kiss and tuck her back into sleep for a few more hours before I left for work, but I knew these days she was almost as busy as me. The poor thing had dark bags under her eyes and a slightly haunted look that made me nervous. She dropped a quick kiss on my cheek and got out of bed before I even had the chance to tell her good morning.


    I pulled my phone out to check if I had any messages and heard the shower start running. I was surprised; normally she liked to try to pull me in there with her. Whatever she¡¯d dreamt aboutst night, it must have been horrible to have her acting so strange. I hurried through the few updates that I¡¯d received while I was sleeping. I wanted to try to get into the shower with her before she finished up.


    I shot off a quick text to Gabriele to let him know the ns for the day then rolled out of bed myself. I groaned as I stood up. Olivia wasn¡¯t the only one who hadn¡¯t gotten enough sleepst night. I just hoped that we could both get our asses back in bed early tonight. Cuddling up under the covers with her was the best reward after a long day of work.


    I walked into the bathroom to discover that it was already steamy from Olivia¡¯s shower. I pulled my underwear off and stepped in with her. The shower was plenty big enough for the two of us, and we often took advantage of it. It was our usual morning routine to get in a good fuck before starting the day, but I could tell she was too preupied for anything like that.


    My cock throbbed a bit when I stepped into the hot shower and I got to see her naked and slippery body, but I forced myself to get it under control. Thest thing she needed when she was scared and exhausted was for me to be shoving my erection in her face.


    She had been facing the water instead of me, but when I stepped in, she turned back around. That horrible look of fear was still there in her eyes, and I was determined to get rid of it. She was far too precious to be living her life in constant fear. If I was being honest with myself, I was ashamed at how often she looked scared these dayspared to when I¡¯d first met her.


    She had been a shy but confident girl in her first days here in Italy, excited to take on a new country with her friend by her side. I had fallen in love with her innocent optimism, and now I was terrified that I was ripping that happy view of the world away from her.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she said softly.


    Her face was slightly flushed from the heat of the shower, and it melted my heart to see how vulnerable she looked with her hair slicked against her head and water dripping down her body. That I got to see her like this was a gift more precious than gold.


    ¡°Hey, baby.¡± I pulled her in close and nuzzled my face in her neck, kissing her gently just above her shoulder and taking in her delicious scent. I loved how she smelled when she had just woken up.


    I was rewarded with her body rxing slightly into my touch. It never failed to amaze me that I could get her to feel better just by being present with her. I took pride in knowing exactly what she needed and how to give it to her, and right now I knew she neededfort from me.


    ¡°Let me help you out in here,¡± I said while reaching around her for her favorite body wash. It was some kind of fancy perfumey stuff that sudsed up into a light purplether.


    She and Dahlia had spent a small fortune at a local soap and fragrance shop sometime before school started. Dahlia had insisted that starting at the university meant they needed new ¡°signatures scents.¡± I wasn¡¯t so sure about that, but when I showered with Olivia, I loved the look of the little purple bubbles against her slightly pink skin. And I couldn¡¯t deny that it smelled heavenly on her. I loved her natural scent, but her new ¡°signature scent¡± was great too.


    Ithered the soap in my hands to ensure it was warm before rubbing it onto her. I had made the mistake once of just squirting the soap directly onto her body, and she had jumped and squealed that it was cold. Although the memory made me smile, I had no desire to shock her into squealing this morning.


    Once the soap wasthered nicely, I started with her shoulders and worked my way down her arms, massaging her fingers and hands as I went. After rubbing my way back up her arms, I chastely washed over her breasts, taking extra care to be gentle without turning my touches sexual. Her delicate nipples peaked tightly under my hands, and my dick responded, but it didn¡¯t matter. This wasn¡¯t about release; this was aboutfort.


    I needed her to know that I would take care of her, always. As much as I loved fucking her, I also loved taking the opportunity to worship her body without needing to put my dick inside her.


    Satisfied that her breasts were clean, I moved down her stomach and washed her hips and thighs, stopping only briefly in between her legs. I kneeled in front of her to wash her shins and feet. She moaned with pleasure as I massaged her feet, so I took extra time making sure to work out all the soreness. I knew that walking around to all her sses had been making her feet tiredtely. I made a mental note to buy her some new shoes that would be better for walking.


    She turned so I could suds up her backside. I was still kneeling, so I worked my way up her calves and the backs of her thighs before standing back up. Treating her ass the same as her breasts, I washed it carefully but briefly.


    Finally, I made it to her back and finished off with another long massage. Once she was totally soaped up, I pulled her back toward me so she could lean against me while I rinsed her off. I grabbed the shower head from where it hung and held it over her chest so that the water would run down her front. The light purple suds fell away, leaving her clean and lightly perfumed.


    Sheid her head back against my shoulder as I rinsed her off; her eyes were closed in total bliss. I might not be able to keep her from having nightmares, but at least this I could give her. I put the shower head back where it was before turning her back around to face me while her back was rinsed off. Her body looked more rxed, but her eyes still looked troubled.


    ¡°Carino, what has you so worked up?¡± I asked, my eyebrows tense with concern.


    She just shrugged and turned away to get out of the shower. It was so unlike her to ignore me like that. I rushed to get myself showered as she stood in the bathroom and toweled off her hair. I got out and wrapped a towel around myself just as she was finishing up and heading back to the bedroom.


    ¡°Olivia, please, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I begged.


    I needed the closeness we¡¯d had in the shower. I tried to grab her around the waist and pull her toward me, but she pushed my hands away.


    She started out so quietly that I had to lean in to hear her. ¡°I had a dream I was kidnapped. They were trying to get information about you. They were going to hurt me... they did hurt me. I wasn¡¯t going to say anything. I was going to let them kill me before I gave you up. I was so scared, but I wasn¡¯t going to give you up....¡±


    She trailed off as tears began to fall down her cheeks. I felt fucking horrible. I wanted to find her dream captors and kill them. I didn¡¯t care if they weren¡¯t real. They were real to her, and that was enough for me to want to get rid of them.


    Unable to stop myself, I reached for her again. This time, she let me pull her toward me. I hugged her tightly, with nothing but our towels between us. The shower¡¯s warmth still clung to us, making our skin stick where it touched. She roughly wiped her tears away. I knew she hated crying in front of me, but I hated that she felt that way. I wanted her toe to me any time she felt upset.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Olivia. That sounds terrifying. I hope you know that I would never let that happen to you. I will always keep you safe.¡±


    Without warning, she shoved up against me. I stepped away in shock. She had never touched me so viciously before. I didn¡¯t know why her face was suddenly screwed up in anger.


    ¡°You always say that, but you have no fucking clue! You can¡¯t promise that, Gio. You have no idea what could happen. You make these empty promises to keep me safe, but you can¡¯t keep me safe.¡±


    She turned away from me, and my heart twisted. Why did she feel like I couldn¡¯t keep her safe? I had always done everything in my power to make her feel secure. I had no idea where this newfound fear wasing from, and even worse, I had no idea how to stop her from feeling like this.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± I asked, fearing the worst.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get into this right now. I have to get to ss. I¡¯ll see youter,¡± she said, her voice tight and movements jerky.


    I stood there in shock, unable to say a word as she finished getting dressed and ready for ss and then stormed out of the room. I had started to think of our rtionship as being a sure thing, but this outburst of anger had me second-guessing everything. For the first time since we had moved in together, I wondered if maybe this was all too good to be true. I didn¡¯t know what I would do if Olivia decided to leave me.


    Losing her would be the worst thing that had ever happened to me.

 Chapter 360 : Distracted

    <h4>Chapter 360: Chapter 360 : Distracted</h4>


    *Olivia*


    If there was an award for spacing out, I would¡¯ve earned first ce after the day I¡¯d had. I never used to have trouble paying attention in ss; that was always Dahlia or Tallon. I was a model student in high school.


    But now....


    I stared at each of my teachers nkly as they rattled on what seemed likeplete nonsense. I knew what they were saying made perfect sense, but I could swear it was gibberish. Even the ckboard was filled with mashed-up symbols that vaguely resembled letters if you turned your head to the right and squinted.


    Dahlia kept shooting me worried nces as I stared at the board, not having written down a single note despite how studious I¡¯d always been about that. The page in my new notebook waspletely nk.


    There were more than just Dahlia¡¯s eyes on me, though. Several of the students around us kept ncing behind them to see the hulking figures of our two bodyguards as they lined the back wall.


    This particr teacher was kind enough to pretend not to see them as she rattled on about whatever ss we were in. I couldn¡¯t even remember anymore.


    Was it art?


    I felt like it was art.


    The ss felt like it was taking forever, going on and on while I didn¡¯t understand a single word of it. I wondered, as a dozen eyes stared at me in the middle of a ss that only taught gibberish, if I was still asleep.


    Or maybe, I wondered as I stared at my hands, feeling vaguely like they weren¡¯t even mine, if this was all a hallucination and I was still sitting in bed with Giovani.


    My whole mind felt floaty like it had separated from my body, and I was watching everything happen around me from way high up, an invisible spectator that nobody else knew was there.


    I didn¡¯t know.


    All I knew was that I was not okay.


    My dream was still in the forefront of my mind, and though the blurry face of my kidnapper had somehow be even more abstract than before, the fear I felt had been tangible.


    It had been real, and it lingered like the stench of death.


    I didn¡¯t tell Dahlia about my dream, but she knew something was wrong. I was generally a quiet girl, but I¡¯d said all of two words to her today, and even I knew I was acting weird. I hadn¡¯t even wanted to tell Giovani about it, but that didn¡¯t pan out.


    He had pushed me, and he didn¡¯t like the answer I gave him.


    No.


    I shook my head, setting down my pencil inplete defeat as I realized I was being unfair. Giovani had only wanted to help me. It was me who had thrown the me at his feet. I had blown things out of proportion and made him just as upset as I was.


    He didn¡¯t deserve that.


    But I had only spoken the truth, the other side of my mind whispered like a broken record. He hadn¡¯t been able to stop Dahlia from getting kidnapped or Alessandro.


    How could I trust him to stop me from being next?


    The traitorous thoughts were painful, an ache I couldn¡¯t get rid of, and I wanted to deny it. I wanted to fight for Giovani and his strength, but it just wasn¡¯t there.


    I was tired of fighting, of defending.


    I just wanted to feel safe.


    But how?


    Ideas flooded into my mind one after another.


    Should I get a gun? I doubted Giovani would lend me one, and I didn¡¯t have the money to buy one myself. Plus, I knew from experience that I couldn¡¯t shoot it. That day in the kitchen¨Ceven the thought of holding one again was too much for me to bear.


    Maybe I could take defense sses. I was sure they taught a ss here somewhere. Though, with how skinny and weak my ass was, I doubted it would help all that much. I¡¯d have to start lifting and training, and I just didn¡¯t have the time for it, especially if I had to be apanied by a bodyguard.


    I sighed. It was hopeless. I didn¡¯t even know who I was fighting. Even my dreams kept me in a mask where I could only hear a voice. I¡¯d never seen any of the men who kidnapped Dahlia or Alessandro, not even once.


    If I ran into one of them on the streets, I would have no clue.


    Maybe, I thought as my eyes brightened with rity, I could start there.


    If I had an idea of who the bad guys were, I could avoid them, or if I saw them. I could run before they got the jump on me. They¡¯d always had the element of surprise, but if I knew beforehand....


    That was it....


    Like puzzle pieces clicking together, solutions caused hope to rise in my chest. The main enemy wasn¡¯t the Russians; it was myck of knowledge.


    If I knew more about what was going on and how to stop anything from happening, then maybe I would feel safer and more confident. I wouldn¡¯t have to leave.


    I nodded determinedly to myself. I just needed to have a talk with Giovani and get him to tell me the details¨Cthe men who were after us, why they were doing that, and how we were going to stop them.


    My mom had always saidmunication was the key to any rtionship, and we¡¯d both been holding back on each other. We needed to be honest with each other.


    Giovani needed to include me in more of what was going on. I needed to understand what I needed to be doing to keep myself and my loved ones safe.


    And he was the only one who could provide those answers.


    But would he?


    He¡¯d been reluctant to include me in things rting to the mafia before. Everyone had. I knew I wasn¡¯t exactly the best person to be going to for things like this, but I was involved now. If I was a target, I at least deserved to know why.


    Otherwise, I couldn¡¯t continue on like this.


    If Giovani wanted me to stay, he needed to be one hundred percent honest with me. He could do that, couldn¡¯t he?


    ¡°Hey.¡± Dahlia tapped me on the shoulder, breaking me from my daydreaming, and I realized with a frown that the ssroom waspletely empty except for us and of course, our bodyguards.


    ¡°ss is over,¡± she said softly, a worried look on her face as she looked at me.


    I didn¡¯t me her. I swallowed, stuffing my notebook into my bag and getting to my feet. I followed her out of the ssroom but quickly smashed into her back as she halted in her tracks.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I whined, rubbing my nose as she spun on her heel to face me.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Olive?¡± Dahlia demanded, and I gazed around, realizing she had led me to one of the secluded corners. There wasn¡¯t anybody but us in the hallway, and even our bodyguards were standing out of earshot.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been acting weird all day, and don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice,¡± Dahlia snapped, tapping her foot anxiously on the ground as she stared me down like a hawk. ¡°You didn¡¯t say good morning. You¡¯ve ignored at least three people¡¯s greetings and bumped into four walls. Not to mention, youpletely ignored the teacher in ss. Something is going on, and you¡¯re going to tell me what.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I nodded. That was fair.


    ¡°And don¡¯t try to lie to me because you know I¡¯ll know¨C¡± Dahlia pointed her finger in my face and then paused, looking stunned. ¡°Did you just say okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I frowned. ¡°You¡¯re right. Something is wrong. I¡¯ve been distracted all day, and I¡¯m sorry for noting to you sooner. I just needed to get my thoughts in order.¡±


    ¡°Uh....¡± Her mouth flopped open and closed like a fish out of water, and I smiled, waiting patiently for her brain to reboot. She¡¯d probably expected to have to pull it out of me like a bad tooth with pliers, but if I was going to expect honesty from Gio, I had to be the example first.


    ¡°Do you know what any of the Russians look like, the ones who took you or Alessandro? Did you get any of that info from Tallon or Gio maybe?¡± I asked straightforwardly.


    Dahlia frowned, crossing her arms as she tilted her head uneasily. ¡°Why? You¡¯re not going to try to be a hitman, are you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°But I realized that I don¡¯t know what any of them look like. If one of them tried to attack us again or kidnap one of us, I want to be ready, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Dahlia nodded but then shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good idea, actually. But sorry, I can¡¯t help you. All the ones I saw are dead now.¡±


    I sighed, disappointedly. I should¡¯ve expected as much. There was no way any of them would¡¯ve survived if Alessandro had gotten their hands on them. I didn¡¯t even know what Gio had done to the ones he¡¯d captured, but I was pretty sure that was one thing I didn¡¯t want to know.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯ve got to get to my next ss, but maybe ask Gio or Tallon,¡± Dahlia said, leaning forward to grab me into a hug. She squeezed me tightly, and I barely had time to even pat her back before she was rushing off down the hallway. ¡°See youter!¡±


    The bodyguard jogged to catch up with her, both of them disappearing around the corner, and I sighed.


    I was going to bete for my next ss if I dallied any longer. I pulled my ss sheet from my back pocket, the paper all crumpled as I opened it up and read the room number. I was in such a daze I couldn¡¯t even keep track of my schedule.


    It wasn¡¯t too far, so I was in luck.


    I made my way down the halls, and as soon as I turned the corner into one of the more popted hallways, I was rushed by a dozen other students heading the opposite way. I dodged them, hoping my bodyguard didn¡¯t draw too much attention as I made my way to the ssroom.


    As soon as I stepped inside, however, my entire body froze.


    I recognized the room. My eyes fell upon the seat in the middle, the one I had been sitting inst time¨CI clenched my ss schedule in my hand, hearing it crunch up, but I didn¡¯t care.


    Because this was the same room where I had found the note.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± my bodyguard asked from behind me with a bit of a concerned look. The students were impatiently piling up behind us, and I bit my lip, reluctant to step inside.


    ¡°Could you sit with me?¡± I whispered to him, hoping it would make me feel more assured.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think¨C¡± he started hesitantly, but then he sighed when he saw the look of fear on my face. ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll inform your professor.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered, finally stepping inside.


    I avoided my former seat like the gue, choosing to take one of the back ones. I stood by the seat as I watched my bodyguard talk with the professor.


    Finally, he made his way to me, and I settled into my seat, him taking the one to the right of me. Only a few students sent us weird looks, but luckily, nobody said anything.


    I sped my shaking hands together, pulling out my notebook and pencil as I waited for ss to begin. I had no doubt that I wasn¡¯t going to be in any sort of mind to take notes on this one either.


    I sighed, leaning my head on my hand as I turned to stare out the window. The sunbeams pouring through the ss didn¡¯t make me feel any better.


    Like a rat in a maze, I felt trapped.


    I didn¡¯t know how much longer I could do this... if I could at all anymore.

 Chapter 361 : Deja Vu

    <h4>Chapter 361: Chapter 361 : Deja Vu</h4>


    *Olivia*


    The sun had kissed the sky goodnight, casting the empty city streets in a dull shade of gray. From the window, everything looked much smaller than it actually was. The car rumbled dully around me as the driver and I sat inplete and utter silence.


    I watched themps on every corner illuminate as we passed by, a few flickering before falling dead. The path from school to home was a familiar one now. I couldn¡¯t name the streets or the buildings we passed, but I knew the path by heart.


    I counted each turn in my head, my mind awfully silent as we passed by the square for the festival. Half-built booths on the edge of the sidewalks and colorful banners thrown haphazardly into the trees were only the beginning.


    Soon, there would be an explosion of tourists seeking alcoholic beverages, with decorations thrown on every building as bars and crafters came to showcase their mastery of cocktails. A parade would march down the streets to celebrate the history of their beloved city.


    But for now, Florence was little more than a ghost town.


    We turned into the driveway to thepound, the gate opening up easily for us. The car pulled around the circle drive, halting to a full stop. My bodyguard for the day, who had also volunteered to be my chauffeur, killed the engine.


    I sighed tiredly, rubbing the sleep from the corner of my eyes as I unbuckled and got out of the car with my bag clutched in one hand.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered quietly to the bodyguard, who only nodded silently.


    He watched me as I made my way up the path and to the front door. I stopped at the doorway,pletely silent.


    The door stared at me, and I pondered what was beyond its wooden appearance. I figured it was made of reinforced metal. Just like everything else in this house, it was never what it appeared to be.


    Dahlia had fewer sses than me, so she had gone home earlier. I knew she had probably already left to go out with her new vor of the week.


    I raised my hand to grab the doorknob, my fingers twitching right before I touched the cold metal. Despite themands I sent to my brain, it wasn¡¯t listening.


    After a full day of going back and forth in my mind, looking for a solution around what needed to be done, I was just exhausted. I didn¡¯t want to face howplicated life had gotten.


    For once, I just wanted to be a kid again.


    My shoulders slumped as my hand dropped to my side, and I nced behind me. The bodyguard still hadn¡¯t moved from his spot, and he wouldn¡¯t until I was safely inside.


    I didn¡¯t want to go in, but I couldn¡¯t stay out there. I didn¡¯t have anywhere else to go either.


    My eyes drifted to the path to the right, and I realized that wasn¡¯tpletely true. There was one ce to go where I could be safe yet away from the heavy weight the house put on my shoulders.


    I turned my back to the door, following the stone path around the corner and past the drive. I utched the gate around the back, swinging it open. The sight of the trees and flowers was weing to my tired eyes.


    I shut the gate behind me, making sure to relock it as I followed the path into the garden. Soon, I came upon the gazebo. I brushed a few fallen leaves off the swing, dropping my backpack onto the ground as I took a seat.


    The ceiling of the gazebo was reinforced ss that was strong enough to withstand the elements, but it also gave a clear view of the sky. There weren¡¯t any clouds tonight, and the stars shined brightly above.


    I rxed, kicking my feet to get the swing going before folding them up to my chin. I wrapped my arms around my knees, letting the breeze sink into my skin.


    I don¡¯t know how long I stayed there staring into the endless starry sky and every so often restarting the swing, but it was long enough that my arms turned cold. My cheeks flushed from the chill and my mind cleared away.


    The dim glow that the setting sun had cast disappeared and the night grew darker. The sounds of tweeting birds faded into chiming crickets, leaves whistling as they fell, and even the hoots of owls echoed as they passed through.


    I rxed, leaning my head on my knee as my eyes slowly shut. But even the little peace I had found here was soon disturbed.


    The crunch of leaves alerted me to someone¡¯s presence, and I tensed, my heart racing as I heard shoesing toward me, along with the ruffling of clothing.


    I knew instinctually who it was.


    I turned my head in the other direction, making sure not to look at the person who had found me, pretending I didn¡¯t know they were there.


    They sighed, heavy and very unlike themselves. The leaves crunched under their feet as they stepped into the gazebo, taking a seat at the opposite swing of mine. I heard the metal chains creaking under their weight.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were home?¡±


    The words were as much of a question as they were an usation, and my whole body tensed, my body bristling defensively as I bit my bottom lip. I didn¡¯t want to say anything I would regret, not right now.


    ¡°I just wanted to be alone,¡± I muttered, not caring if he heard me or not.


    He was silent for a few moments, with only the sound of his breath quietly reaching my ears before he sighed again.


    ¡°Olivia. Look at me.¡±


    Reluctantly, I turned my head to meet his gaze. There was worry in his eyes, and a pang of guilt shot through my heart as I realized I¡¯d once again been unfair to him.


    Giovani looked me right in the eyes, frowning as he asked the one thing I wished he wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    I winced, clenching my fists together tightly, and I bit down on my tongue as I firmly shook my head. I couldn¡¯t lose it here. I just couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Giovani asked.


    And I lost it.


    ¡°Everything,¡± I snapped at him, guilt running through me as I saw his eyes go wide at my sudden outburst. Even the insects and owls were startled as they too fell silent.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry....¡± I whimpered, feeling like a hurricane was throwing everything around in my chest, with all the control I had tried to build crumbling to pieces underneath its force. ¡°I just can¡¯t... I can¡¯t do this. I¡¯m fucking losing it, and it¡¯s not your fault, I know that, but I don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    I groaned, my thoughts too jumbled to put into words, and I threw my hands over my head, then mmed them down, burying them into my knees.


    ¡°No. Hey,¡± Giovani called softly, rising from his swing as he sat beside me. He turned to me fully, wrapping his arms around me as best he could, though I was still curled up like a ball.


    ¡°Talk to me, Olivia,¡± he whispered to me. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did something happen at school? Dahlia said you were acting distracted today. Was it what happened this morning? I¡¯m sorry about that¨C¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I pushed him away, scrambling to my feet as I brushed my long hair back. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault! You didn¡¯t do anything. I¡¯m just... I¡¯m losing it here. I feel like I¡¯m trapped, and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it, constantly threatened with danger from people I don¡¯t even know! They tried to kill Dahlia, Alessandro, and you! They threatened me, using my own fucking notebook! And I don¡¯t even know why.¡±


    I made the mistake of ncing at Giovani, whose whole face had melted in guilt, but that wasn¡¯t what I wanted. I just wanted....


    ¡°You have to be honest with me, Gio,¡± I begged him. ¡°Tell me the truth. Why did this even start?¡±


    His jaw clenched up, and any emotion on his face sealed up as he became as stony as a brick wall. I bit my bottom lip, waiting for his answer.


    ¡°Did you talk to Dahlia about it?¡± he asked carefully, like someone probing the water to check if there was a shark.


    ¡°I did,¡± I said firmly. ¡°She didn¡¯t know much. I asked her about the men who kidnapped her, but she said they were all dead.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± He nodded, then carefully nced at the floor, not saying another word.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± I snapped. ¡°Don¡¯t shut me out of this! Whether you like it or not, I¡¯m involved now! I deserve to know the truth. Why is this happening? What do they want with you?¡±


    ¡°Olivia,¡± he started, the hesitance on his face telling me all I needed to know. ¡°I¡¯d rather not get into this.¡±


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Iughed, cold and bitter in my frustration.


    I should¡¯ve known he wouldn¡¯t be honest with me. I should¡¯ve known he was just going to keep hiding things from me, to keep me in the dark, protected and safe in his eyes, but losing my goddamn mind.


    ¡°Olivia¨C¡± he started, reaching out for me.


    But I dodged his grasp, shaking my head as I turned to him determinedly. ¡°How am I supposed to even help myself if I know nothing? Every time they¡¯ve gotten close to me, it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t even know what they looked like or who they were! If I knew more¨C¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know more!¡± Giovani finally snapped, getting to his feet. I stood my ground at the fire in his eyes, the anger in his voice. I set my jaw, unwilling to back down now.


    ¡°My people will always be there,¡± Giovani said in a tone of finality. ¡°They will protect you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I shot back bitterly, crossing my arms over my chest. ¡°Because I¡¯m tired of getting fucking blood sttered across my face.¡±


    He stiffened, a look of hurt crossing his eyes, and I felt guilty, but I refused to let this go. I needed to know for my own mental health.


    I stepped forward, standing tall as I stared him straight in the eye. ¡°I want to know who these people are, what they look like, and why they¡¯reing after us.¡±


    He clenched his jaw, both of us standing on opposite sides and neither willing to back down.


    ¡°I¡¯m why,¡± he finally bit out. ¡°They¡¯re after me, and they¡¯re just trying to use you to get to me.¡±


    ¡°Why? What do they want with you?¡± I pushed further, not giving up.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he snapped. ¡°Can¡¯t you just take that as an answer and leave it the hell alone, Olivia? It has nothing to do with you!¡±


    I reeled back as if he had pped me. His eyes shed with regret for a moment before he hardened like stone, and back was the man who led the mafia and not the man who whispered his love for me.


    I breathed out shakily, realizing now I was going to get nowhere with this. I was hurt, feeling like everything I¡¯d gone through meant nothing. All of the tears and panic and fear I¡¯d faced were belittled down to nothing.


    It had nothing to do with me?


    Why did it feel like those words were an old friending back to visit? Or maybe they were one that had never left and taken refuge in the space between trust¡¯s absence.


    Deja vu was a cruel reminder.


    ¡°I¡¯m sleeping with Dahlia tonight,¡± I said firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t wait up for me.¡±


    With that, I spun on my heel, grabbed my backpack, and stormed into the house. I didn¡¯t see the expression on his face, but I heard the rattle in his voice, the slight step of his shoe, and finally, the lump in his throat as he called out my name.


    ¡°Oli-¡±


    I shut the door before he could finish, cutting him off.

 Chapter 362 : Misery Loves Company

    <h4>Chapter 362: Chapter 362 : Misery Loves Company</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I was not unustomed to misery and how it kept mepany. On nights when silence was too loud, and when the weight of the world seemed to crush me under its burden, it was the only friend that I had.


    It would be a lie to say that I enjoyed itspany, but it was also a lie to say I did not. Sometimes, when the night was dark and everything was too much to bear, misery whispered in my ear. It wasfortable, safe even, despite how much I knew its words were only half-truths.


    I couldn¡¯t bear to retreat to the bedroom I¡¯d shared with her, not when it was so empty. I yearned for the warmth of her body pressed against mine, the security of having her in my arms where I could tell her how much I loved her while she slept away.


    But now, I was utterly alone with misery and the moon.


    The light poured from the open window, illuminating the ss bottle in front of me. Beads of condensation were already growing on the untouched ss, hitting the mahogany-stained wood underneath it.


    If Gabriele could have seen it, he would have lectured about using coasters to protect the expensive wooden study. All of my predecessors had used the desk before me, and their shadows watched me in disappointment.


    They could get in line, I thought, as I stared nkly at the amber liquid inside, not even having the strength to take a sip. It was a poison, I knew. To my body and to my mind, it was like drowning myself in a drug to numb everything.


    Maybe that was why I came back to it every time I couldn¡¯t handle the stress of my life. I didn¡¯t have to feel anything under its effects, and right now, I craved theck of sensation it would bring.


    ¡°Drink it,¡± my mind whispered like an addict without restraint, ¡°and all your problems will vanish.¡±


    It sounded just like misery when it whispered how much better off I was being alone.


    I sighed, pouring out the ss as I removed the temptation from my sight.


    How many hours had I sat here already, waiting out the night so that I wouldn¡¯t have to return to my silent room and my empty bed? Her scent had permeated every inch of the sheets, and I wasn¡¯t going to torture myself with what I couldn¡¯t have.


    I thought it would get easier as the hours went on, but I was wrong. It only drained me more of my strength to refuse the tempting liquid courage I had filled my study with.


    The bottle now sat beside me on the desk, half-full. A drop slid down the side, a reminder that I could forget for the night if I just downed the whole thing.


    But it didn¡¯t matter how much liquor I drank; she would still be angry with me.


    She would still be out of my reach, and there would still be that look in her eye, the one that screamed that she was going to run away.


    I looked at the clock hanging on the wall. It was already past 2:00 AM. She would be asleep by now, curled up with Dahlia when she should have been with me.


    I¡¯d never been envious of my younger cousin before, but I was downright jealous at the moment.


    But this argument had not been a surprise. Our disagreement had been building for weeks now. I knew how much stress she was under, how shaken she had been after being thrust into all this.


    I¡¯d had a lifetime to get used to it, and she only had a couple of months. She was still so young, so innocent. It was only natural that she didn¡¯t know how to handle all of this as well as Dahlia or Tallon did.


    The two of them were raised in this.


    But truthfully, it wasn¡¯t Olivia that was the problem. She was right that she deserved to know what was going on. Being with me painted arge target on her back, and if she was going to be involved, it would help her to be prepared for what she might face.


    But that didn¡¯t mean I wanted her to know the truth.


    If I told her about James and the family, about Mikhail and why Dmitri hated us, would she even understand? She was kind and trusting, and she believed in people. I had no doubt she would sympathize with the man for his losses and try to find some kind of humanity in his ckened soul that just wasn¡¯t there.


    Dmitri was so lost in his hatred for me¨Cfor the Valentinos¨Cthat nothing could pull him away from that path. This wasn¡¯t going to be solved like in movies or TV shows. Friendship, love, andpassion couldn¡¯t stop people like him.


    He would kill her in front of my eyes just to prove a point, to make me suffer.


    How could I tell her that, exin that to her, when she had only ever seen the good in people? She saw kindness in me, but not the red that coated my hands. I had to keep it that way.


    I was the leader of a mafia family. I killed and stole and lied on a daily basis. We made a living from piling bodies at our feet andmitting crimes behind closed doors. We were not kindhearted peoplepassion and selflessness were not tolerated in our line of work.


    And to lead those kinds of people, the kind of people willing tomit atrocities for their own selfish benefits, I had to get my hands just as dirty.


    If she knew of the darkness I hid from her, the stains under the wallpaper, and the blood under the floorboards, she would never look at me the same again.


    She would run.


    But it was far toote for that.


    I fucking loved her with every fiber of my being. I refused to lose her. I¡¯d given her chance after chance to run, to not get involved, but now... I was a possessive man, and even if she begged me to, I could never let go of her.


    No, I had to keep her safe, from Dmitri and from the truth. The longer she remained oblivious, the safer she would be, no matter how much she hated me for it.


    I sighed, rubbing my temples as I leaned back into my chair. I was exhausted, about ready to copse, and my head was beginning to pulse. A headache was beginning to form right there on the edge of my mind, and I knew it was going to be a bad one.


    As I shut my eyes, it only took a few minutes of me rxing before things went wrong once again. I heard the hurried footsteps of someone rushing down the hall, and my door burst open, just barely stopping before it hit the wall with force.


    I groaned, ring at the intruder.


    It was Gabriele, and I stiffened at the dark look on his face.


    I knew that look.


    ¡°There¡¯s been a hit,¡± Gabriele growled out, stepping inside as he mmed the door behind him. It was loud enough that it might¡¯ve woken the whole household, but I was more worried about the content of his message.


    ¡°Who?¡± I demanded, gripping my hands together painfully. Another one of my men killed on my watch?


    Fucking hell.


    Gabriele nced at me, a mixture of remorse, pain, and fury in his eyes. He¡¯d lost control; I could see it on every inch of his tensed-up body. He was barely restraining himself from tearing down the walls and trashing my office.


    I grimaced, preparing myself for the worst-case scenario.


    ¡°It was Vincent.¡±


    And at those words, my world came crashing down around me. The wreckage was deafening and I nced at Gabriele, thinking for a moment that this must be some kind of sick joke.


    ¡°Vincent was sent to the States,¡± I said slowly, ¡°on a mission. He¡¯s noting back to Italy for another two weeks.¡±


    Gabriele shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s what we thought. He arrived at the airport one hour ago. He didn¡¯t tell anyone. I guess he thought he¡¯d surprise us. But he was alone and they....¡±


    ¡°Killed him,¡± I finished, nkly.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Gabriele swallowed, and the grief washed out of him in waves.


    ¡°They killed Vincent?¡± I asked for a final time, barelyprehending the words.


    Gabriele just nodded.


    I finally lost the battle with my will, grabbing the bottle from my desk and removing the cap before I downed the whiskey straight from the bottle. It had gone lukewarm at this point, but I didn¡¯t care.


    It burned as it slid down my throat, a wee distraction from the throbbing of the headache that had just hit me like a ton of bricks being thrown at my head. The room was spinning, and I felt dizzy despite sitting down in a chair.


    Vincent was dead?


    It wasn¡¯t true. It was impossible.


    I¡¯d brought Vin into this life after his parents were killed in a fire.


    He¡¯d been left alone, an orphan with nowhere to go. Like so many others, he willingly dedicated his life to our family.


    If Gabriele was my right hand, then Vincent was my left. The three of us had grown up together like brothers. He and Gabriele had been more like family to me than my own parents had.


    He¡¯d been chasing a lead in the States before this whole mess started. I told him to keep doing his work over there despite what was going on over here, so why the fuck had hee back without telling anyone?


    I already knew the answer¨Cfor us, to help. He¡¯d havee even if he had been on fucking Mars. I should¡¯ve known that. He was loyal to a fault; he always said I¡¯d saved him from a life worse than death.


    And the minute he¡¯d stepped back on Italian soil, he was murdered.


    ¡°What happened to the body?¡± I said coldly, the years of being the leader of this damn organization taking control. The wounded man was locked away until I could deal with this properly.


    Emotionsplicated things, and thest thing I needed was moreplications.


    ¡°Being brought back,¡± Gabriele said, just as emotionlessly. ¡°The airport was shut down for... cleanup.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be buried with full stars.¡± I took a long drink of the whiskey, downing it until there was nothing left. It spilled over my lips, and I wiped the remaining drops from my chin before I dropped the empty bottle onto the floor.


    ¡°What do you want to be done?¡± Gabriele asked ¡°Vincent... they have to pay for this.¡±


    ¡°They will,¡± I promised, a cold glint in my eye as I stared down my right-hand man. Vengeance was filling up every inch of my weeping heart, filling all the cracks that had been left behind from a lifetime of misery.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± I swore to myself, ¡°and I¡¯m going to be the one to kill himself myself.¡±


    Dmitri had threatened to destroy me, but I wasn¡¯t going to break. Every broken jagged piece he stabbed into me only made me stronger.


    ¡°Keep this quiet. I want a ckout on Vin¡¯s death. Tell Alessandro, but no one else needs to know,¡± I told Gabriele.


    ¡°What if your girl starts asking more questions? Dom said she was trying to investigate.¡± Gabriele crossed his arms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let either of the girls know, especially Olivia,¡± I warned him firmly.


    I had lost too much recently, and with the loss of Vin, I couldn¡¯t afford to lose her too.


    Oliva was everything to me. I couldn¡¯t let her be even more afraid than she already was, lest I have to chase her down when she finally ran.

 Chapter 363 : New Friends and Old Fears

    <h4>Chapter 363: Chapter 363 : New Friends and Old Fears</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I nced around the bustling cafeteria as Dahlia told me about a gto date with hertest guy. Our bodyguards stood against the wall behind us, alert but not interrupting the steady stream of students.


    I took a deep breath and another bite of the grilled cheese I¡¯d taken to ordering here. Sure, it was kinda in, but the Italian cheese and bread worked wonders for the American ssic.


    It felt like a little piece of home.


    Dahlia waved her hands in my face. ¡°Hellooo, Earth to Olive. Did you even hear what I said about the spoon thing?¡±


    I blinked. ¡°Sorry, Dolly. Got lost in my head. Tell me about the spoon thing again.¡±


    She put her hand on mine, genuine concern shining in her eyes. ¡°Still scary to be at school?¡±


    I looked at the bodyguards again. Nothing had happened here since the note, so it seemed like they were doing their job.


    I shrugged. ¡°Actually, no. It¡¯s starting to feel safer here since nothing has happened in so long. I was just thinking, that¡¯s all.¡±


    A thundercloud crossed Dahlia¡¯s brow. ¡°Did my cousin do something?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Rx, everything¡¯s fine. I was just thinking about my ss, that¡¯s all.¡±


    She quirked an eyebrow. ¡°You sure?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Crystal.¡±


    Dahlia opened her mouth to say something, but an rm went off on her phone. She checked it quickly and winced. ¡°Shit. Sorry, I have to run if I want to get to ss on time, and the professor¡¯s a real stickler.¡±


    I waved her away. ¡°Go, go. ounting waits for no one.¡±


    Sheughed as she gathered her things and raced away, her bodyguard peeling away from Dom to follow.


    I nursed the rest of my grilled cheese. I had a busier schedule than Dahlia overall, but I¡¯d scored fifteen minutes more for my lunch break.


    I hadn¡¯t been entirely honest with her; I was thinking about Gio. It had been a while since our fight, and he still wasn¡¯t telling me what I needed to know.


    Memories of that night kepting back, the night I slept away from him. Dahlia and I had eaten breakfast in her room while we got ready, and I¡¯d been at school all day. I couldn¡¯t decide whether that was better or worse. I¡¯d grown so used to seeing him that it felt like a part of me was missing, but I also couldn¡¯t stand to look at him if I thought about the titudes that he kept giving me in ce of real information.


    I¡¯d realized some time that night that what I really wanted was to be treated like an adult. I loved how he saw me as something precious to be protected, loved the way it made his touches gentle and his eyes soft, but that made him think of me as fragile.


    I needed him to understand that I knew what I was getting into. I understood the danger. Hell, I¡¯d had it sshed all over my face, though the memory still made me shiver in the warm cafeteria. Dom¡¯s head moved sharply toward me in the corner of my vision, and I felt a little more at ease.


    I needed Gio to treat me like an equal and tell me the information I asked about if I was ever going to get my footing in this life. I was tired of half-truths and not-my-problems. I couldn¡¯t figure out if I could handle this without knowing what I had to handle.


    I popped thest bite of grilled cheese in my mouth and began gathering my books. I had Art History next, and the art building was basically on the other side of campus, so I¡¯d lingered a little too long to be confident I could get there on time.


    Dom stepped to my side, and I immediately felt my shoulders drop down from around my ears. I was definitely less frightened than I had been in the immediate aftermath of the note, but it was hard to feel totally confident with so many puzzle pieces still missing.


    How could I tell Gio he needed to treat me like a grown-up without sounding like a teenager? The more we had that discussion, the more I felt the gulf of age between us. He expected me to rely on nothing more than promises, promises that had been proven false after Dahlia and Alessandro got taken.


    I knew he could protect me if I would just restrict my life to hispound forever, but as much as I loved him, I couldn¡¯t keep myself locked up like that. I needed my sses, my friends, and my own career someday. Now that I was looking to the future, I needed¡ª


    ¡°Oof!¡±


    I rounded a corner and smashed face-first into another student, falling backward onto my ass. Both of our books scattered across the hallway, and I felt Dom tense behind me.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± I babbled, shoving my hair out of my eyes to finally get a good look at the person I¡¯d just body mmed.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry!¡± A pale girl with dark, curly hair and a thick Italian ent began scrambling for our books before we¡¯d lose them in the crowd. She looked familiar, but I couldn¡¯t quite ce her. ¡°I left my Art History textbook on my Vespa, and I have that next, so I was basically sprinting across campus to make it on time.¡±


    Art History! She usually sat near the front, while I¡¯d taken to sitting in the back to be closer to my bodyguards. I looked up at Dom and shook my head to tell him she wasn¡¯t a threat as I scooped up the rest of the books.


    ¡°AH 102 with Orhiette?¡± I asked, wanting to be certain.


    She looked up at me with wide eyes. ¡°Yes! You¡¯re the girl who said the thing about the David being made out of poor-quality marble. Ophelia?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Olivia. And you are....¡± I nced down at the notebooks in my hands. ¡°Caterina?¡±


    She stuck out her hand. ¡°At your service!¡±


    I shook it, and we traded books back to their proper owners. Even with Dom at my back, I felt like a normal college student for the first time since the semester started.


    She ran a hand through her hair and bit her lip. ¡°So, I¡¯m totally gonna bete if I try to make it to the bike lot now.¡± She gestured to the books in my arms. ¡°And you clearly have your textbook. Mind if we share today?¡±


    ¡°Not at all! But if we don¡¯t get going, we¡¯re both going to miss the intro lecture.¡±


    ss passed quickly with Caterina at my side. She took the most aggressive notes I¡¯d ever seen, column after column of cramped Italian, but somehow had time to whisperments to me when one of our fellow students said something silly.


    I giggled through half the lecture but still managed to learn a lot about early Renaissance brushwork. When we were dismissed, she twisted in her seat to look at me.


    ¡°I like you,¡± she dered.


    I smiled. This girl reminded me of how Dahlia always made new friends.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking this as an elective, and honestly, I¡¯m kind of drowning. All my pre-med training doesn¡¯t leave a lot of space in the brain for art.¡± Sheughed. ¡°Can we trade numbers, maybe do a study-buddy thing? I¡¯d be happy toe to wherever you and Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome back there are staying.¡±


    I nched, real life suddenly rocketing back in. I remembered the ck bag I¡¯d dreamt about over my head, the suffocation, and the fear. I had a bodyguard for a reason, and it was to prevent people from getting too close.


    I didn¡¯t even know this girl, and she wanted my phone number and my home address? Caterina could very easily be a Russian name, or just a straight-up cover identity. Had I ever even really seen her in ss?


    ¡°Um...¡± I mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but my phone¡¯s... gone. I¡¯ve gotta go.¡±


    I turned and raced up the steps to where Dom had been keeping a watchful eye on the whole encounter. Stoic as always, he simply moved to my side and left without a word.


    I nced over my shoulder as we left the ssroom. Caterina was still sitting at her desk, looking after me with her eyebrows furrowed. I flushed brilliantly red when I met her gaze.


    As we hurried through the hallways of the college, I couldn¡¯t decide whether I felt stupider for blowing off a potential new friend or more worried about whether she could actually be a nt sent to get close to me.


    Somebody had been in my biology ss, somebody my bodyguards hadn¡¯t noticed, and that meant the Russians had to have some people who could pass as college students, maybe even well enough to fly under my radar. Unless they¡¯d paid someone off which was another possibility.


    She took her notes in Italian, but that could just be so I couldn¡¯t see what she was writing about me. My spoken Italian had gotten much better, but I still struggled with writing.


    I wished I had somebody I could go to and ask if I was being paranoid, but after all my crying during the kidnappings, I couldn¡¯t risk anybody seeing me as any weaker than they already thought I was. Gio would just add more bodyguards or promise I was safe, and Dahlia would tell me I shouldn¡¯t worry about it all the time, or I¡¯d drive myself crazy. Neither of those worked for me, not anymore.


    I wasn¡¯t crazy for worrying when the people I loved kept getting hurt. I could be next, or they could just be using me to get to Gio.


    But could I live a life where every person I met needed to undergo aprehensive background check before I gave them my phone number? Could I go to college, do group projects, and attend house parties when I couldn¡¯t make it through a single conversation without freaking out?


    Did I want to?


    Dahlia and I had dreamed of our wild college days in Italy for years, a life full of boys and friends and excitement. Even if I didn¡¯t love Gio so deeply my heart ached whenever I didn¡¯t see him, I couldn¡¯t imagine dating like Dahlia had been anymore. How could she trust those men enough to let them get her alone when I barely feltfortable during a public conversation?


    But god, in those moments when I forgot about the Russians and the mafia war I¡¯d been dragged into, I¡¯d really liked the feeling of making a friend again.


    Dom left me to my silent contemtion as we made our way to the car. It was one of the rare days Dahlia and I got out at almost the same time, so I¡¯d get to see her on the ride back to thepound. We reached the dark-tinted limo, and Dom opened the door for me.


    I took a deep, steadying breath. I didn¡¯t want to think about Caterina, or my future in this world. I didn¡¯t know how I could go back to thepound if I did.


    I stepped into the limo.

 Chapter 364 : Just What the Doctor Ordered

    <h4>Chapter 364: Chapter 364 : Just What the Doctor Ordered</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Inside the limo, Dahlia straightened up from where she had been lounging across three seats. ¡°Olive!¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief and copsed next to her. ¡°Dolly, pretty please tell me about the spoon thing?¡±


    Dahlia¡¯s eyes lit up, and she talked the rest of the way back to thepound. I rxed into her chatter, pretending for a moment that we were only a couple of college girls. By the time we pulled up outside, I had evenughed at one of her jokes.


    The limo rolled to a smooth stop, and I reached for the door handle, but she grabbed my arm.


    ¡°You seem different than you were at lunch. Did something happen?¡± Her eyebrows knitted in concern, and for a moment, I considered spilling my guts, just breaking down in the back of the car. Then, the door to the house swung open to reveal Gio standing just inside.


    My breath caught in my throat. Even through the tinted windows, his expression seemed off. I thought somebody else might have been taken, but the anxious fury I¡¯d seen on his face after Gabriele reported Alessandro missing wasn¡¯t there.


    He was just tired, I told myself. I couldn¡¯t keep thinking something was wrong all the time.


    And, as my heartbeat calmed for the umpteenth time that day, I realized I was tired, too.


    I looked at Dahlia, trying to force enough brightness into my smile to convince her. ¡°I¡¯m all good, really. I just started stressing about something, but I think it¡¯s a much smaller problem than I thought.¡±


    She pursed her lips. I knew she didn¡¯t believe me, but she released my arm, and I opened the door just before Dom could.


    No matter what else was going on, no matter how angry and tired we were, my heart sang at the smile that lit Gio¡¯s face when he saw me get out. I crossed the drive to him quickly, and he swept me up in a crushing hug. I pressed my face into his neck, inhaling the scent I¡¯d grown so used to over the past few months.


    ¡°I missed you, carina,¡± he murmured. ¡°Even when you¡¯re only gone for a few hours, I feel empty.¡±


    I leaned out of his neck and stared into his dark eyes. The exhaustion was still there but overpowering that was a deep and profound love.


    He was worth fighting for, I reminded myself. We could figure this out somehow.


    ¡°I missed you, too.¡± I pressed my lips to his, drinking him in.


    Dahlia cleared her throat behind us. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m d everything is fine with you two, but some people would like to walk inside the house instead of watching a live sex show on the front steps.¡±


    I broke away from Gio, my face ming. I¡¯d totally forgotten about her in my rush to be in Gio¡¯s arms. But even as I tried to step away, he refused to let go of my waist. I blushed even brighter as I felt the effect that restraint had between my legs.


    Focus, Olivia, I thoughtmunication problems now, sex after.


    Dahlia swept past us with augh, and Gio led me inside.


    ¡°Do they feed you at that school, carina? Do you need something before dinner?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Are you offering to cook?¡± I answered with a smile.


    Heughed. ¡°Maybe someday, but I do have to get back to work soon enough.¡±


    I pouted dramatically. ¡°I¡¯ll just have Maria make me something.¡±


    We meandered toward the kitchen, his arm still around my waist. Maria was already in there, clearly making some food for Dahlia. The smell of cooking meat reached my nose, and what had been kind of a joke about eating something became a definite reality. Maria was working on her loaded nachos, and I couldn¡¯t turn those down to save my life.


    I fumbled through asking for some, and Gio sat down with me at the dining room table.


    ¡°Do you really have more work to do?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t want to have a big conversation if he was going to be pulled away on mafia business at any moment.


    He grimaced. ¡°Unfortunately, yes. I wanted to carve out a little time to see you after school, but my schedule doesn¡¯t have a lot of room for carving.¡±


    He seemed busier than usual. ¡°Making progress on the Dmitri front, then?¡±


    A deep and abiding rage crossed his face, which he clearly struggled to hide behind his neutral business expression. ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve gotten some valuable leads.¡±


    I wrinkled my eyebrows. He¡¯d been angry about Dmitri for a while now, but this anger seemed worse.


    ¡°Anything I should know?¡± I asked.


    Gio began to say something, but Maria came out with a te of steaming nachos, and I dug in. She was basically a goddess in the kitchen. When I looked back up, the rage was gone, reced by amusement.


    ¡°I wanted to ask how school was going,¡± he said.


    I swallowed a bite and debated whether to push him for more details. That rage I sensed in him worried me, but I didn¡¯t want to have another fight right before he left to do more work.


    I could wait until this evening to tell him what I wanted. That didn¡¯t make me a coward; I was just biding my time, waiting for the right moment.


    I smiled brightly. I didn¡¯t want him distracted by worrying about me when he needed to be taking care of himself and his people. ¡°I love my sses. I took Biology as my general science, but I like it so much I might switch majors. The professor is incredible. I¡¯ve got to at least minor in it so I can take more of his stuff.¡±


    A slow, matching smile spread across Gio¡¯s face. ¡°Yes? You wouldn¡¯t miss the art stuff?¡±


    The interaction with Caterina came back to me suddenly. If I transferred majors, I could get away from her. But that was scared mafia-girlfriend Olivia talking, and I wanted to be cool college-in-Italy Olivia right now.


    I took a deep breath and shrugged. ¡°I probably would, but I could minor in that, instead, I think.¡±


    He nodded. His eyes always lit up when I was excited about something, and that made me want to say more, just to see him happy for these brief moments.


    ¡°I might¡¯ve even made a friend today!¡± I volunteered before I could stop myself. I immediately looked down at my te of nachos, nearly half gone. I didn¡¯t want to see my fear y out in his eyes, or worse, not see it.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful,¡± he said slowly. ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone loves you there like they do here.¡±


    I nodded, and a tense silence fell over the dining room. Did he think Caterina was a risk, too? Or did he think I was crazy for being so hesitant? I didn¡¯t know which answer I¡¯d like less, so I couldn¡¯t bring myself to ask.


    Giovani broke the silence. ¡°I have to get back to work, but you have a break from school next week, yes?¡±


    I nodded. He stood. ¡°Why don¡¯t you and I go on a trip somewhere, just the two of us?¡±


    I looked at him now. Tension chased every line of his body, but he smiled at me like I was the most beautiful thing in the world. ¡°Really?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Wherever you want¡ªFrance, for the art, Irnd, for the history. We can fly to the most beautiful beaches on this.¡±


    Excitement fizzed in my veins, and I leaped out of my chair to race around the table and throw my arms around him. ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡±


    He chuckled, low and dangerous, and wound his arms around me as well. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what we get up to in a ce where no one knows our faces.¡±


    Suddenly, he dropped his hands lower, grabbing my ass, and he yanked me off the ground into a searing kiss. His tongue pressed into my mouth insistently, and I opened for him with a quiet moan as I wrapped my legs around his waist. I nearly lost myself in the moment and forgot we were in the very public dining room of his very crowdedplex, until he pulled back.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take you on this table, carina, but I am certain I can find somewhere I can,¡± he whispered in my ear. Shivers raced down my spine as he slowly lowered me to the ground, his hands lingering on my body as long as possible.


    ¡°Now, I really must get back to work. You tell me what you want, or I¡¯ll surprise you.¡± With a wink, Gio turned and strode out of the room.


    I spun in a happy circle once I had the dining room to myself. I might not have stood up for myself and told him what I needed, but I got something I hadn¡¯t even known I wanted. A trip, a whole week of just the two of us, was exactly what the doctor ordered. We could see somewhere beautiful, and talk, and I didn¡¯t doubt Gio would fulfill the promise he¡¯d just made.


    I danced all the way up the stairs to the room we shared, bringing the rest of my nachos along with me. Did I want to go to the beach? Life in Florida made the beach almost boring, but I hadn¡¯t been since I moved to Italy, and I missed it. My mouth curved up at the thought of convincing him to take me to one of those topless beaches and watching him grow more and more jealous until we simply had to go home so he could remind me who my breasts really belonged to. Or¡ªI blushed as I opened the door to our room¡ªperhaps not even making it back to wherever we were staying.


    But maybe I did want to go somewhere more historical and drag him around to all the sights while he whispered sweet nothings and threats of what he was going to do to me when we got back. Or maybe even somewhere more exotic, like South America, to see what the wet jungle heat did to us.


    Regardless, I couldn¡¯t stop imagining what the anonymity of vacation would allow us to get up to.


    I flopped onto our bed, careful not to spill my nachos, and noticed someone had brought my backpack up for me already. My Art History notebook peeked out of the top where I¡¯d shoved it messily in to flee Caterina, and I realized another benefit of going where nobody knew our faces¡ªI could spend a week actually rxing, not just looking over my shoulder for a knife or a gun.


    The knowledge washed over me like a cool breeze. I could actually be a fun college girl instead of just pretending to be one. I could enjoy the ce we went, instead of searching it for threats.


    For the first time since Dahlia got taken, I could really, actually sleep at night.


    As I rolled over to begin my homework, I decided I didn¡¯t care where we went. I¡¯d be perfectly happy anywhere safe.

 Chapter 365 : Sexy And Sophisticated

    <h4>Chapter 365: Chapter 365 : Sexy And Sophisticated</h4>


    *Olivia*


    The only thing standing between me and a week of bliss was thest fifteen minutes of my art lecture. The entire day had been torturously long, but this particr ss was the worst of them all simply because I knew how close I was to being finished.


    I tried to force myself to take notes, especially since this was normally one of my favorite courses, but I couldn¡¯t stop daydreaming about the trip Gio was taking me on. I only caught every third sentence that my professor was saying, but I didn¡¯t care.


    All I cared about was me and Gio getting alone time for an entire week. I had no idea where he might take me, and it was making it even more difficult to focus on anything other than the trip because I kept running all of the possibilities through my head. And there were a ton of possiblities. We were in Italy, after all, so the majority of Europe was just a short ne ride away. Hell, Giovani had connections all over the world. Maybe limiting my ideas to Europe was too small....


    Finally, I gave up on trying to pay attention at all and just decided to try to figure out where in the world Giovani was taking me. I was practically giddy as I stopped note taking and started writing out a list of possible trip locations.


    As I was writing, I felt the back of my neck prickle as though someone was watching me from behind. My first instinct was to freeze, but I didn¡¯t want to be that person who froze in fear every time a little danger came my way. I nced around, trying to y it off as a stretch.


    ¡®Oh thank god,¡¯ I thought as my whole body rxed.


    It was Caterina, just the girl who had run into me yesterday, staring at me. When she saw that I was looking back at her, she quickly dropped her eyes to her paper. Her cheeks flushed slightly with the embarrassment of being caught.


    I had noticed at the beginning of ss that she had been actively avoiding me, going so far as to sit three rows behind her usual seat just to get farther away. Anxiety formed a small knot in my stomach; I hated being on bad terms with anyone, but it was probably for the best that I didn¡¯t form any close friendships with anyone right now. I couldn¡¯t afford to let my guard down until I knew exactly who was posing a threat to me.


    Finally, the lecture ended. I quickly gathered my things and nodded at my bodyguard to let him know I was ready to go. I practically ran out to the car waiting to pick Dahlia and me up.


    I giggled to myself; I hadn¡¯t been this excited in a very long time. It was nice to feel something other than a creeping sense of dread.


    Somehow Dahlia was already in the car by the time I got there. I swore she could teleport the way she zoomed from ce to ce. She insisted she was just great at finding shortcuts.


    ¡°So... where are you and Gio going next week?¡± she asked as soon as I had shut the door behind me.


    ¡°I have no idea, and it¡¯s killing me!¡± I replied. ¡°It could be anywhere. He didn¡¯t even tell me what to pack or anything, so I have no clues to go off of. He just keeps looking at me with that little secretive smile of his.¡±


    I tugged at a piece of thread hanging off of my backpack and spun it through my fingers, trying to burn some of my excited energy. Although Gio and I had moved past the point of needing to put on any kind of front for each other, I still wanted to seem sexy and sophisticated for him, especially now that we were going on our first trip together. I didn¡¯t think giggling and bouncing up and down like a kid on Christmas morning was particrly sexy or sophisticated.


    ¡°This is a big step in your rtionship, you know,¡± Dahlia said while ncing at me sideways.


    She was more experienced than me, but mostly because of the sheer number of men that she dated, not because she had really been in anything long-term. Even still, that wouldn¡¯t stop her from giving me advice as if she was an old married woman.


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± I asked, although I did agree with her that this was a big step.


    ¡°Because you know what they say about traveling with someone,¡± she exined. ¡°It¡¯s how you figure out if you really like them or not. You see them in the most stressful of circumstances while also being with them in the most fun ones as well. You and Gio are about to see the total spectrum of your emotions.¡±


    I nodded, knowing Dahlia well enough to wait a few seconds to make sure she was totally finished with what she was saying. Just as I thought she would, she took a breath before continuing to talk.


    ¡°And I know what you¡¯re about to say¨CDolly, we¡¯ve already seen each other in the best and worst of times. And I¡¯ll admit, having to get through multiple kidnappings together is definitely stressful, but that¡¯s nothingpared to the stress of traveling somewhere and getting food poisoning but only having one bathroom in the hotel room!¡±


    I burst into horrifiedughter at the thought of having to deal with food poisoning in a hotel room while Giovani was there. But even though the thought was horrible, I also knew that if something like that did happen, Gio would be amazing through it. He would hold my hair back and find me medicine and do his best to not make me feel awkward about violently shitting in the same small space that we were sleeping in.


    ¡°Well, we might not have had to deal with food poisoning, but I can say that traveling here with you has solidified how much I appreciate our friendship,¡± I told Dahlia.


    She reached out and squeezed my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d we¡¯re here together,¡± she said quietly.


    We both sat in silence for the rest of the ride home, lost in our thoughts about everything we had been through and wondering what was yet toe. By the time we pulled up to thepound, I had managed to get my jittery excitement out and was confident that I had managed to get to the sexy and sophisticated version of me that I wanted to be on this trip.


    That was, until we pulled up and Giovani was waiting outside for us with my suitcases next to him and a ss of champagne in his hand.


    As usual, he was dressed in a suit and tie that were tailored to fit him perfectly. No matter how many times I saw him naked, I couldn¡¯t get over how incredibly hot he was when he was dressed up like that. He looked like a powerful man who could take charge of any situation, and it was even better because he backed it up with his attitude. The fact that a man like that was holding me in his arms every night made me weak at the knees.


    ¡°Oh. My. God!¡± Dahlia eximed. ¡°That is the most goddamn adorable thing I have ever seen.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help it, I pped my hands together in excitement. Sexy and sophisticated be damned, this was the most amazingly romantic thing that Giovani had done since we started seeing each other. I had no idea how he would even manage to top it.


    Before I could open my door, Gio ran around the side of the car to open it for me.


    ¡°Hello, beautiful,¡± he said before nting a kiss on my cheek. ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready for the best week ever.¡±


    He handed me the champagne, but I didn¡¯t even need to take a sip in order to feel buzzed; the happiness of this moment alone was giving me a head rush.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait!¡± I said, bouncing on the balls of my feet.


    I moved a little too enthusiastically, and my champagne sloshed down the side of the ss. Giovani chuckled and pressed his hand on my cheek so that he could gaze into my eyes.


    ¡°I love seeing you so happy, carino. I will spend the rest of my days trying to always make you feel like this.¡±


    His words warmed my heart and left me speechless. I had no idea what I had done to deserve such a wonderful man in my life.


    ¡°Jesus, Giovani, you¡¯re going to make me cry.¡± Dahlia interrupted my reverie. ¡°But seriously, I hope you both have a wonderful time. I¡¯m going home to go see my parents, so thepound will be a little empty this week. I think the staff will love getting a break.¡±


    ¡°Safe travels,¡± I said to Dahlia as I gave her a hug.


    I loved her, but I was ready for her to get the hell out of here so Gio and I could get our trip started. I still had no idea where we were even going....


    ¡°Love you.¡± Dahlia squeezed me tightly and turned to go get herself packed up. Not everyone had a Giovani to pack their bags for them.


    ¡°Drink your champagne so we can get going,¡± Gio said with a smile. ¡°Well, what¡¯s left in the ss anyway.¡±


    Without thinking, I lifted the ss to my lips and knocked the entire drink back. I didn¡¯t want anything else to be in my way. I was ready to spend this next week exploring somewhere new and making love to my incredibly sexy boyfriend. The champagne immediately went to my head, and I could feel myself getting giggly, but I didn¡¯t care. If anything, it would make the first leg of the trip that much more enjoyable. And I knew Gio didn¡¯t mind when I was just slightly tipsy. He always thought it was cute the way I wouldugh at his absolute worst jokes.


    ¡°Alright, my love, are you ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Yes! But when are you going to tell me where we¡¯re going?!¡± I was literally bouncing up and down, the champagne making me unable to contain any of my excitement whatsoever.


    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t think I would tell you that easily, did you?¡± Heughed and started walking me to a car.


    The suspense was killing me and making everything that much more exciting. I didn¡¯t really care where we went as long as we got to go together, but the fact that Gio had nned this entire trip and managed to keep it a surprise for me meant a lot.


    I could tell that he was determined for this to be the exact break that we needed from all of the drama that had been happening in our livestely. I just hoped that it went as perfectly as he was clearly hoping it would.

 Chapter 366 : Airplanes and Champagne

    <h4>Chapter 366: Chapter 366 : Airnes and Champagne</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Like the gentleman that he always was, Giovani made sure to open my door for me and help me into the backseat of the ck sedan before walking around it to get in on the other side. It felt exciting to be riding in a smaller car, just the two of us in the back, instead of the usual SUV surrounded by bodyguards.


    I wondered how it would be safe for Gio to have less security, but I trusted that he knew how to keep himself safe better than I did, although it wouldn¡¯t have surprised me if he had reduced his usual number of guards just because he knew that it always felt weird to me to be surrounded by armed men. I made a mental note to let him know that I cared way more about his safety than I did about feeling awkward with the security trailing us.


    The interior of the car was ridiculously luxurious, with ck leather seats so buttery smooth that I couldn¡¯t stop rubbing my hand on them and windows tinted so dark that nobody could see in. Sometimes I worried that I was bing far too ustomed to living like a princess, but if I was being totally honest with myself, I absolutely loved it.


    The fact that Giovani could regrly pull off grand romantic gestures like taking me to a Michelin-star restaurant or bringing me on a surprise trip just made me fall even more in love with him. I would want to be with him regardless of how much money he had, but damn, it was fun to be spoiled.


    In the middle seat between Gio and I was an ice bucket with a fresh bottle of champagne. I didn¡¯t know much about champagne, but I knew enough to be able to tell when a bottle looked expensive, and this bottle looked extremely expensive. Giovani picked it up and uncorked it gracefully, using a cloth napkin to keep the cork from flying through the air. The popping sound the cork made put me in a celebratory mood and I couldn¡¯t wait to take a sip.


    Giovani poured the champagne into two crystal flutes¨Canother ridiculous luxury since who used real crystal in a car?¨Cand handed me the fuller one.


    ¡°Here¡¯s to a week of rxation and lovemaking,¡± he dered with his ss raised.


    I blushed at his brash toast and nced surreptitiously at our driver. Like a true professional, he didn¡¯t even nce our way. I would never get used to treating the people who worked for Giovani as if they weren¡¯t even there, even though one of the cooks had kindly exined to me once that that was how they preferred it. She told me they could do their jobs better if we just left them to it, but it still felt strange.


    ¡°To us,¡± I said, unable to bring myself to be quite as bold as Gio.


    We gently clinked our sses, but as I pulled mine toward my mouth to take a sip, Giovani leaned over it and stole a quick kiss. Butterflies filled my stomach as he pulled away, and I was hit once again with the full reality of where I was and what was happening.


    I grinned at him as I took a sip of my champagne. The bubbles tickled my tongue, and I reveled in the delicious luxury of drinking expensive champagne in the back of an expensive car. The only thing that would have made this moment better would be finding out exactly where we were going so that I could start to envision myself there.


    ¡°Now will you tell me where we¡¯re going?¡± I asked in my sweetest voice.


    ¡°Not a chance, carino,¡± Giovani replied, putting his hand on the back of my neck. ¡°You¡¯ll know when we get there.¡±


    ¡°Will you at least tell me what the weather is going to be like?¡± I leaned back into his touch, enjoying the way his broad hand felt against my neck. His palms were slightly rough in a way that I found to be excitingly masculine.


    ¡°Nope. I want you toy back and enjoy the ride.¡± He moved his hand from my neck to my back, massaging gently as he went. I shivered at his strong touch, knowing there would be a lot more where that came from.


    Between the champagne and Giovani¡¯s expert hands, I spent the rest of the ride being worked into an almost hypnotic state of rxation. I felt like my body was fully rxing for the first time in a long time.


    My rxation quickly turned back to excitement when we pulled into a small airport. Our car brought us right to the tarmac in a way that I had only ever seen in movies about wildly wealthy people. Not for the first time, I wondered just how much money Dahlia¡¯s family had. I knew they were extremelyfortable, but this was taking it to a whole new level.


    I stayed in the car as Giovani walked around to open my door. I was more than capable of doing it myself, but I knew he took pleasure in treating me like royalty, and I liked to make him happy while he did it. I left my champagne flute in the car; after two full sses, I was more than tipsy and didn¡¯t want to push it. I felt like I was floating as Giovani escorted me across the tarmac to a private jet that was waiting for us. Our driver walked behind us with our bags.


    When I walked into the cabin of the jet, my jaw dropped. I had thought the car was ridiculously luxurious, but apparently, my standards of luxury had been low, because this ne made the car look like a teenager¡¯s first beater. As if being on a private jet wasn¡¯t enough, the cabin looked like a living room straight out of HGTV. There were two white leather couches facing each other with a solid oak coffee table between them. Plush throw pillows inplementary shades of blue and gold were spread artfully across the couches, and a massive television hung on the wall above one of them. Every single detail of the cabin looked like it had been carefully considered by a professional interior designer. Even the shape of the windows flowed well with the curve of the couches.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Gio asked me quietly. I had been so caught up by the beauty of everything that I had forgotten he was even standing behind me.


    ¡°Like it?¡± I asked incredulously. ¡°How could anybody not like this? It doesn¡¯t even look real! How can this be a real ne that real people use to travel in?¡±


    Heughed and took my hand, pulling me to one of the couches and settling us on it, his arm around my shoulders. As I had expected, it was ridiculouslyfortable. We sank right into it, the pillows giving us some extra support.


    ¡°This is amazing.¡± I turned to Giovani. ¡°Thank you so much for doing all this. I really needed something to take my mind off of things.¡±


    ¡°Of course, love. And to be honest with you, I needed it too, to remind me about what¡¯s really important in life¨Cspending time with my loved ones, especially you.¡±


    ¡°I love you so much,¡± I told him, my voice thick with emotion.


    ¡°I love you more than words can say,¡± he murmured before leaning in for a kiss.


    His hands made their way to my cheeks, and he held me gently as he deepened the kiss. I pressed my hands against his chest, loving the broadness of it. His strength made me feel so safe. He moved his hands up into my hair, letting his fingers get tangled in it.


    Without thinking, I moaned loudly then immediately pulled away and pped a hand over my mouth. This was an airne, meaning there were definitely other people around. I couldn¡¯t believe I had just moaned loud enough for the birds outside to hear me.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Giovani asked while pulling me back toward him.


    ¡°There are other people on here,¡± I whispered, too embarrassed to speak.


    He chuckled and nted a kiss on my forehead. ¡°You are so cute. You don¡¯t have to worry. The only people here are the pilot, copilot, and flight attendant. And they¡¯re extremely upied with keeping us alive at the moment. The attendant onlyes if we need her.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked, relief flooding through me.


    ¡°I am. Now get back over here and finish showing me just how much you love me.¡±


    He pulled at me again, and this time I let him pull me against his chest. Heid back on the couch so that I was on top of him, our bodies pressed together. If he wanted me to show him how much I loved him, he was going to get it.


    I dropped a soft kiss against his lips, then moved down, stopping with my face right above where his cock was already straining against his suit pants. I looked up at him and deliberately licked my top lip slowly, knowing the anticipation would drive him crazy.


    ¡°Is this what you want?¡± I asked softly, seeing the lust building in his eyes.


    ¡°You know I do, baby,¡± he said roughly. He was so close to losing control, and I was loving every minute of it.


    I unbuckled his belt and heid back, perfectly still. Slowly, I unzipped his pants, relishing the sound as it only added to his anticipation of what was toe. Finally, it was time to free him from his underwear. Unsure when exactly we would bending, I decided to leave his pants mostly on. Seeing him still in his expensive suit but with his beautiful cock free was an incredibly sexy juxtaposition.


    There was already precum beading on the tip of his head, so I pressed my thumb against it and swiped it down toward the base of his shaft. He shuddered at the sudden contact, and I smiled. Now THIS was sexy and sophisticated. Okay, maybe not exactly sophisticated, but definitely sexy as hell.


    Before he had a chance to know what wasing, I leaned forward and took his entire dick into my mouth, letting him fill me up and loving the taste of him. His hips bucked forward involuntarily, and he pressed even further into my mouth, nearly hitting the back of my throat.


    He fisted his hands in my hair and gently encouraged me to move up and down at the pace that he wanted. I could feel myself growing incredibly wet as he used my mouth to pleasure himself. I reached down and pulled my skirt up just enough to push my panties down to my knees, then began teasing myself, all while licking and sucking Gio.


    I circled my clit slowly with my middle finger, loving the overwhelming sensation of having my mouth filled by Giovani¡¯s manhood while ying with my own pussy. I moaned against Gio, and he responded with a deep moan of his own before pulling my mouth off him and hiking me up so that our hips aligned.


    Heid t on his back on the couch while I straddled him, so I used his cock to tease myself into a frenzy until he finally grabbed my hips and centered me so that he was pressed against my entrance. Without warning, he pulled me down roughly against him so that his cock shoved deep inside me. I gasped at the sudden contact, and my pleasure grew. I was suddenly desperate for him to fuck me fast and rough. I just needed him, nothing but him.


    Giovani pounded into me, and I bounced on top of him, using his hands on my hips to steady myself and match his movements. He reached one hand up the front of my dress and under my bra to grasp my breast gently before running his thumb over my nipple. I sped up my movements, knowing I was close to release. As if he could read my mind, he moved his hand back down and pressed his thumb against my clit.


    The sudden pressure was almost too much, and I writhed against him as I gasped for breath. He moved his thumb up and down, quickly enough to match our already wild thrusts. I could feel my breasts bouncing up and down and straining to pop out of my bra. I knew my orgasm was only seconds away.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I repeated. I needed him to know, now, as he was inside of me.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he grunted, punctuating each word with a hard thrust.


    His words were all it took to send me over the edge. Before I knew it, I was gasping and moaning and my pussy was clenching tightly against him. My orgasm triggered his, and with onest wild thrust he was done.


    I fell against him, needing to feel thefort of him pressed against me. He wrapped his arms tightly around me as Iid on his chest. The outside world flew by in the windows, nothing but blue sky and the asional white fluffy cloud. We spent several minutes infortable silence before the captain came over the loudspeaker, making me jump.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to prepare fornding. Wee to... Paris.¡±

 Chapter 367 : Lovers in the City of Lights

    <h4>Chapter 367: Chapter 367 : Lovers in the City of Lights</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Holy shit, Paris?!¡± I shrieked so loudly that Giovani jumped underneath me. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said more quietly, my entire body buzzing with excitement.


    He smiled and wrapped his arms tighter around me, pulling me in for another long kiss before helping me return to a seated position. I straightened my clothes quickly, not wanting to waste a single second of our time in Paris.


    Of all the ces I had imagined for this trip, Paris was one that I hadn¡¯t dared get my hopes up for. It had been a dream of mine to go to Paris for years, but I hadn¡¯t ever told Gio that. His insistence that this trip was about rxation had led me to think we were going to a beach somewhere, but Paris was so much better.


    ¡°Where are we going first?¡± I asked, practically bouncing up and down on the couch.


    ¡°Wherever you want, my love. This trip is about you.¡± He dropped a kiss on my cheek and warmth filled my heart.


    ¡°I had a Paris-themed bedroom all through middle school¨Cposters of the Eiffel Tower and everything!¡± I told him. ¡°How did you know I wanted toe here?¡±


    ¡°I might have asked Dahia for a few suggestions.¡± He smiled at me.


    I was touched by his thoughtfulness. It hadn¡¯t even urred to me that he would go to the trouble of nning out a trip just for me to fulfill my dreams.


    The nended with a loud shudder that interrupted our conversation. I grabbed Gio¡¯s hand, and he patted my leg to reassure me. I snuggled into his warmth and safety as we taxied to a stop on the tarmac. This was turning out to be one of the best days of my entire life.


    Finally, our ne was safely on the ground, and it was time for us to get off. The pilot opened the door, and I gasped out loud at the view of the Paris skyline. It was like seeing a celebrity in person; difficult toprehend that this was real and not just something that existed only in pictures.


    The Eiffel Tower jutted gracefully into the sky, far in the distance, surrounded by sleek skyscrapers. Our flight had only taken about an hour and a half, but the difference in architecture made me feel like I had stepped into a different world entirely. I couldn¡¯t wait to get out and explore the beautiful city.


    Giovani helped me down the stairs and into the sleek ck car waiting for us. As with every other aspect of this trip, it was wildly opulent. Yet another bottle of champagne waited for us in the back of the car, but I opted for a bottle of water instead. I wanted to be clear-headed so I could remember every single moment of this day.


    ¡°Alright, where to first, carino?¡± Gio turned to me expectantly once we were both seated in the car.


    My mind nked. This was a huge decision. This would forever be cemented in my mind as the very first Parisian ce that I saw in person. After a few minutes of deliberation, I smiled. I knew exactly what I wanted to see first.


    ¡°How about the Louvre?¡± I asked a little shyly. I know Gio had probably been to Paris dozens of times and seen everything that the Louvre has to offer, but I knew he would want me to be honest about where I really wanted to go.


    ¡°Perfect choice!¡± he eximed, immediately making me feel better about my decision. ¡°I haven¡¯t been there in years. I was hoping we would be able to make it on this trip.¡±


    I glowed at his words. He always knew exactly how to make me feel special.


    Our time at the Louvre passed by in a magical blur. We saw the Venus de Milo, which Gio insisted looked just like me, the Mona Lisa, and my personal favorite, the Winged Victory of Samothrace. I stared at Winged Victory for nearly half an hour, feeling exhrated by the sheer energy portrayed by the sculpture. Giovani held my hand tightly as we walked through each exhibit, pulling it up to brush against his lips every so often.


    Although I could have spent the rest of my life at the Louvre, I forced myself away. Giovani promised that we woulde back someday soon.


    ¡°It¡¯s really not that far by ne. And you know you and Dahlia could always n a weekend trip here if you wanted,¡± he reminded me.


    Our next stop was the Musee Rodin. Seeing The Kiss in person with the man that I loved sent a thrill through me. Giovani leaned down to kiss my ear as we stared at the marble couple in their eternal embrace. It was incredibly romantic, and my thoughts quickly turned to what I nned on doing with Giovani at our hotel that night.


    After the two beautiful museums, the sun was beginning to set. Gio pulled me along to a little market where we bought fresh bread and cheese and a small bottle of French wine. Satisfied that we had everything we needed for a lovely pic, he instructed our driver to take us to a specific park that overlooked the city.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for you to see the Eiffel Tower as the sun sets,¡± he murmured in my ear.


    The lust that we shared for each other was always crackling just beneath the surface, but this day had racketed it up so high that just his whisper against my ear had me squirming in my seat and stifling a low moan. Giovani could see how turned on I was, and I could tell that it was getting him hot and bothered in turn.


    We arrived at a quaint park, and Gioid the nket down for us to sit on before popping the cork from the wine bottle. He sat down on the nket and gestured for me to sit between his legs, leaning against his chest. We passed the bottle of wine back and forth, drinking directly from the bottle. We hadn¡¯t brought any utensils or tes, so we tore the bread off in chunks and nibbled at the cheese. After spending the day drowning in luxury, it satisfied my carnal side to be eating with my hands.


    Just as Giovani promised, the sunset looked glorious. We both fell silent, basking in the beauty of it.


    ¡°This has been the best day of my life,¡± I whispered, not wanting to break the silence but still wanting him to know how much I appreciated everything he had done for me. ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°Of course, baby, anything for you. I love you,¡± he whispered back, sending delicious shivers down my spine.


    I set the bottle of wine down and turned so I could face him. I desperately needed to kiss him, and it seemed that he felt the same way. Our lips crashed together, teeth and tongues and lips bing one. He put his hands on my hips and I could feel my dress riding up indecently, but I was too turned on to care. Our kiss turned frantic, our hands gripping and grabbing at each other as we tried to satisfy the deep need that had fallen over us.


    Giovani pulled away first. I didn¡¯t understand how he could possibly have the self-control to stop what we were doing. If it was up to me, I would have fucked him right then and there in that park.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to our hotel,¡± he said in a voice gravelly with desire.


    I stood up eagerly, wanting to get there as fast as humanly possible. It would be a miracle if I didn¡¯t jump his bones in the car. I wished there was a partition so that we could have a little privacy on the way.


    Luckily, the car ride only took a few minutes. Giovani spent the entire ride slowly rubbing his hand up and down my thigh, just barely letting his fingers get under the hem of my dress. The movement and anticipation had me soaking wet.


    When our car came to a stop, he hopped out and ran around the side to let me out, then grabbed me by the hand and pulled me into the hotel. The lobby was dripping in elegant gold and crystal decor, but I was too excited for what Giovani was about to do to me to care. Thankfully our driver had dropped our bags off and checked us in while we were at the Louvre, so we didn¡¯t have to stop until we reached the door to our suite.


    Giovani roughly pulled the key card out of his pocket and shoved it against the door, his lust making him clumsy. Finally, we were inside. Gio turned around and pressed me up against the door, his kisses falling hot and heavy on my mouth and neck. I returned them, gripping him on either side of his head to help gain purchase. The need I had was growing and growing.


    ¡°How much do you like this dress?¡± he asked me in between kisses.


    ¡°I have others,¡± I gasped, unwilling to let the dresse between me and him.


    With a sexy grunt, he yanked the top of my dress down and ripped it so that I was naked down to my waist. He immediately descended upon my breasts,nding kisses and taking little love bites as he went. My breasts were swollen with desire and my nipples stood firmly at attention.


    ¡°Please, I need... you,¡± I struggled to get out between moans.


    ¡°Need. You. Too.¡± He punctuated each word with another kiss.


    Finally, he reached under my dress and yanked down my panties so that I could step out of them. Without warning, he pressed two fingers into my throbbing core. The sudden sensation only left me wanting more.


    ¡°So wet for me, sweetheart,¡± he murmured as he moved his fingers in and out, reaching up with his thumb to tease my clit.


    Just when I thought I was going toe on his hand, he reached down and unzipped his pants, hardly stopping his kisses. He quickly reced his fingers with his hard cock, and the change had me gasping and writhing against him. Using the door behind me to help provide support, he grasped my hips and pulled me up so that he was holding me between him and the door. The angle forced his cock deeper inside me while making my breasts bounce up and down with each thrust.


    He stared hungrily at my breasts as he thrust roughly into me. Seeing the desire he had for me written all over his face ratcheted my own desire even higher.


    Keeping one hand firmly wrapped around me, he reached his other hand around so that he could go back to teasing my clit. He circled it in time with his thrusts. The coil of desire wound tighter and tighter inside of me, and I knew I was going to orgasm any second.


    All it took to send me over the edge was one more long look into his eyes. The love within them as he looked at me made me scream his name as I came, and as usual, my release triggered his. With onest thrust, he was spent. He leaned over to kiss me as he gently put me back on the floor.


    After the long day we¡¯d had, we didn¡¯t even bother to shower. We took the rest of our clothes off and curled up in the glorious bed, Giovani wrapped tightly around me.


    I had no idea how I would ever have a day as wonderful as this one.

 Chapter 368 : Lies and Croissants

    <h4>Chapter 368: Chapter 368 : Lies and Croissants</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I woke up with the sun shining in through the gauzy blinds on our hotel window and immediately rolled over, wanting to cuddle up to Giovani, but his side of the bed was empty. I blinked and felt his pillow, thinking maybe he had just run to the lobby for something, but it had gone cold like he had been gone for a while.


    I couldn¡¯t imagine why he would¡¯ve gotten up without me; it was only our third day in Paris, and so far, we had spent every single second together, just basking in the luxury of being in one another¡¯spany. It had been the best few days of my life, spent doing nothing other than exploring the city, eating amazing French cuisine, and making love to Giovani every single night. I never wanted to go back to our regr life in Italy, I just wanted to keep our Parisian fantasy going forever.


    I sat up and grabbed my phone, but I didn¡¯t have any messages other than a suggestive text from Dahlia about France and high libidos. I could tell that she had been growing increasingly bored at her parents¡¯ ce as her texts grew stranger and stranger. I sent her a quickughing emoji back and resumed my hunt to figure out where the hell Giovani could be.


    After a few minutes of walking in circles around the room, I finally found a small note that Gio had written on the notepad by the phone. The note simply said, ¡°Went to get breakfast. Back soon. Love you. ¨CG¡±


    I found it endearing that he still did things like leave handwritten notes instead of just sending texts, but I was mildly annoyed at how long it had taken me to find it, not that that was his fault.


    I also wished I had some way of knowing when he had written it. What did ¡°back soon¡± really mean if I had no idea how long ago he had left? Being left alone in an unfamiliar country had me majorly on edge. The small bit of peace that our trip had given me was being stripped away as I sat alone in the hotel and hoped that Giovani would return quickly.


    I called him, hoping to get an idea of when he woulde back, but he didn¡¯t pick up his phone. My mind began running through worse and worse scenarios as I sat and tried to stop it. What if he had been injured and was lying hurt in the street somewhere? What if the Russians had somehow kidnapped him and wereing for me next? I decided to give Dahlia a quick call, just to help calm my nerves. I knew that she would be able to help me stay rational. Her parents were staying in a ce near Rome, seeing some friends, so she¡¯d gone there to visit, but I believed she was nning to head home today.


    ¡°Hello!¡± she answered in her usual ¡®happy to hear from you¡¯ way.


    ¡°Hey, Dolly,¡± I said, not bothering to hide my upset tone of voice.


    ¡°Uh oh, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I sighed, feeling a little embarrassed to admit why I had called her. Wasn¡¯t it most girls¡¯ dreams to be surprised with breakfast after their man had taken them to Paris? What was wrong with me that such a sweet gesture left me feeling sad and scared?


    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± I said, feeling like I had majorly overreacted. ¡°I just woke up this morning, and Gio isn¡¯t here, so it kind of freaked me out.¡±


    ¡°Aw, I get that,¡± she reassured me. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re in a totally different country, and he¡¯s the only one there that you know. It makes sense why you¡¯d want him to stick by your side. Do you know where he went?¡±


    Her calming words immediately made me feel better.


    ¡°Yeah, he left a note saying he went to get breakfast, but when I called him, he didn¡¯t answer. I feel stupid for even calling, but with everything that¡¯s been going on, it just felt weird to wake up alone.¡±


    ¡°Well don¡¯t worry about it. I haven¡¯t heard anything from Tallon or Alessandro, so I¡¯m sure everything back home is just fine.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯m just overreacting.¡±


    ¡°Try to let it go, and I¡¯ll see you in a few more days! Have a great rest of your trip!¡±


    ¡°Okay, bye,¡± I told her, feeling far better than I had when I woke up and wondering why I had let my imagination run wild with fear.


    I was in Paris fucking France! There was no time for upset feelings. I decided that I would use Gio¡¯s little outing to my advantage. This would be the perfect opportunity to take a little longer on my morning routine so I could look especially great. We nned on spending the day walking around the city and seeing the most famousndmarks, and I would love to get some great photos to post on my social media. What was the point of going to university in Europe if I couldn¡¯t brag a little bit on social media, after all?


    I got in the shower and turned the water to the perfect temperature, taking my time as I scrubbed myself and shaved my legs. I decided I was finally going to attempt the tousled, air-dried look that I had seen so many of the beautiful French women wearing, so I washed my hair and hoped it wouldn¡¯t dry looking like I had been in a windstorm. I usually used a blow dryer.


    After my shower, I took my time applying my makeup, trying to emte the French style of a fresh face with a lovely pop of red lipstick. By the time I was finished with my makeup, my hair had dried in nice waves that framed my face. I stood back to take in the whole effect and felt rather pleased with myself.


    All that was left was to find the perfect outfit. That would¡¯ve been a bigger challenge back when I was living in the States, but living for a few months in Italy with Dahlia had significantly improved my wardrobe. I chose a mid-length white linen dress with long fluttery sleeves. It helped round out my ¡°effortless but not¡± look perfectly.


    I was deciding on which shoes to wear when I heard the door to the hotel room open. I nced at the rm clock and was shocked to see that I had been awake for well over an hour. And I didn¡¯t even know how long Gio had been gone before that. Surely it didn¡¯t take that long to grab a quick to-go breakfast.


    I turned toward him as he walked in so he could get the full effect of my outfit and makeup. He was used to me going with a more understated look, so I hoped that he would enjoy the extra effort I had put in. But instead of looking at me appreciatively, his eyes were sad.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, immediately terrified that something bad had happened.


    He wordlessly handed me a cup of coffee and a bag with what smelled like a chocte croissant in it, but there was no way I was going to just ignore the haunted look in his eyes. I sat the coffee and bag down as Gio sat roughly on the edge of the bed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I repeated, wondering why he was avoiding my question.


    He looked up at me, his reluctance to answer written all over his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Olivia,¡± he started off, the fact that he used my actual name only made me more worried, ¡°But we have to cut the trip home. We have to go back today.¡±


    Crushing disappointment washed through me, and my immediate thought was denial. Surely, he didn¡¯t mean today as in right this second? Maybe we still had until the evening.


    ¡°When today?¡± I asked, hoping desperately that we would at least have onest day of Parisian bliss before the real world came crashing back in.


    ¡°Right now. That¡¯s what took so long. I was on the phone making arrangements with the pilot at the cafe. I¡¯m so sorry. I know this is disappointing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I lied, not wanting to make things worse for him. ¡°Is everything okay? Why are we leaving early?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not okay; someone else was killed,¡± he said tersely.


    He rubbed his forehead, clearly trying to rub out a tension headache. I felt horrible for him, but I was hung up on what he had said.


    ¡°What do you mean someone else?¡± I pressed. ¡°Who else has died?¡±


    He didn¡¯t meet my gaze; he just kept his eyes trained on the floor and continued to rub his forehead.


    ¡°I just meant¨CI meant when we killed Dmitri¡¯s men. It¡¯s just been a lot of deathtely.¡±


    I eyed him suspiciously. I didn¡¯t believe at all that he had been referring to Dmitri¡¯s men, and his refusal to look me in the eye only confirmed my suspicion that he was keeping something from me. It made me angry to know that he was keeping things from me again after we had already talked about how I needed to know this stuff for my own safety, but he looked so sad sitting there with his head in his hands that I decided not to press the issue.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you¡¯re having to deal with this,¡± I said, forcing away my irritation at his deception. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. We¡¯ll have more trips to Paris.¡±


    ¡°I sure hope so, carina,¡± he said, his voice muffled as he pressed his face against my belly.


    I held him tightly for a few moments, enjoying the feeling of his strength beneath my arms and knowing that he needed the contact. This trip had been an important break for him as much as it was for me, and to have it cut short because someone had died was a lot worse for him than it was for me. The least I could do was be there for him.


    After a while, he pulled back from me. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve got to pack.¡±


    I nodded and quickly got to work packing up my clothes and toiletries. I decided to keep my dress on, but went with afortable pair of sneakers instead of the heels that I had considered wearing. Spending the morning on a flight wasn¡¯t what I had envisioned for this outfit, but at least I looked nice for Giovani.


    Before I knew it, our car had arrived, and we were on our way to the airport where we would catch our private jet. I stared out the window of the car, trying to memorize every inch of the beautiful city. It hurt to know that in just a few short hours I would be right back to my fearful life in Italy. I reached out and grabbed Giovani¡¯s hand. At least I had him by my side, no matter what happened. I just needed to make sure that he stopped trying to keep things from me.

 Chapter 369 : Missing Paris

    <h4>Chapter 369: Chapter 369 : Missing Paris</h4>


    *Olivia*


    It was all a blur. I watched the gorgeous Eiffel Tower from the ne window, standing out against the backdrop of the city as it disappeared from view. It filled me with a sense of loss to see it get smaller and smaller before finally, all I saw were the clouds below us.


    I didn¡¯t want to go back home, not when Paris had been so magical¨Cso easy and free.


    But life always came knocking once more to cut off the end of the road and drop you back into the story it set for you.


    The cabin light dinged when it signaled we were high enough in the air to move around, but neither of us did. Giovani was on his phone, furiously answering calls and redialing numbers as he yelled about things in rapid Italian.


    I spoke Italian fairly well now, but even I had a hard time following him with how loud and fast he was spitting out those words. All I knew was that he was angry¨Cvery angry.


    I stared out the window for the hour-and-a-half-long flight, barely listening to the hums of the jet engines and Giovani¡¯s rapidly growing foulnguage.


    I missed Paris already.


    When wended, Giovani was the first out of his seat, shutting his phone with an angry huff as he turned to me. His eyes softened, guilt-ridden like he knew how reluctant I was to go back.


    But I just thinned my lips and sucked it up. I stepped off the ne, the pavement a dark hue from the recent rainfall. The smell of rain on the dirt tickled my nose, and I rubbed at it as the men got our luggage.


    Giovani didn¡¯t waste any time, however, leaving our luggage to his men as he wrapped his arm around my waist, a frown on his lips as he pulled me along by his side. I frowned at the jerkiness of his movements, which were more careless than he usually was when he touched me.


    But considering something had happened that was serious enough to bring us back, I didn¡¯t me him for it.


    The two of us climbed into the backseat of the car waiting to take us home, and I fumbled with my phone, unhappy with the entire situation. I hadn¡¯t taken nearly enough pictures of Paris. Everything had happened in such a blur.


    I could only hope we would get to go back soon.


    If I had, I was personally holding Giovani responsible.


    The ride back was silent as neither of us was willing to discuss things. More than likely, Gio was just distracted, but I was still a bit upset at having to be rushed back to Italy, especially with those maniacs still on the loose and causing problems. I didn¡¯t know what they had done now, but judging by the tense atmosphere of Gio¡¯s men, it was bad.


    The car pulled into the familiar driveway, and I nced through the tinted windows at the house. It was unchanged like we had just left to get coffee. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d been expecting, perhaps something to be different, but it wasn¡¯t.


    Everything was still the same.


    I sighed, getting out of the car as I clutched my phone tightly in my hand. Giovani stormed across the driveway, the door unlocking for him instantly as he entered. I barely caught it to keep it from mming in my face.


    The moment I stepped inside, I heard a loud, ¡°Olive!¡±


    I prepared myself as Dahlia came crashing into me with a huge hug.


    ¡°I was so worried about you two,¡± Dahlia said softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d try anything while you werending or something. I¡¯m so d you¡¯re safe.¡±


    Just over Dahlia¡¯s shoulder, I saw Giovani hurrying up the stairs and disappearing around the corner. I tried not to be bitter that he hadn¡¯t even said a word to me, but now wasn¡¯t the time to get hung up on pettiness.


    Dahlia¡¯s arms squeezed tightly around me, pressing her head into my shoulder as she rambled incoherently. Her massive pile of hair flew right into my face, and I was soon drowning in it.


    It looked like she had been affected by the sudden humidity as her hair was now frizzed out badly. I doubt she¡¯d even brushed it, which was rming, to say the least.


    I opened my mouth to reply, but I only got a mouthful of hair. I coughed in surprise, wheezing to step out of her clingy grasp.


    ¡°Give her some breathing room, Dahlia,¡± I heard someone say and I flinched, looking behind Dahlia in surprise.


    Tallon sent me a small smile, a grim tint to it as he grabbed the back of Dahlia¡¯s shirt and pulled her away from me.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Dahlia said, shooting res at her little brother, but he just shrugged.


    I sucked in a breath of fresh air, grimacing at the feeling that some of her hair might¡¯ve slipped down my throat when I wasn¡¯t looking.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I smiled at Tallon but he just shrugged, a dark worried look on him. Whatever had happened, he and Dahlia clearly already knew.


    That left a bitter taste in my mouth¨Cthey got to know, but I was dating the head of the mafia and still didn¡¯t have a clue.


    Now wasn¡¯t the time, I told myself, calming down.


    ¡°So what¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, demandingly.


    Dahlia and Tallon both looked at me in surprise.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Gio tell you?¡± Dahlia asked, cautiously.


    ¡°Nope,¡± I said irritatedly.


    The two exchanged a look, one of those sibling bond things where they could read each other¡¯s minds and have a conversation. As an only child, I had no clue how they were able to do it, but it happened.


    Tallon flicked his eyes to me, and Dahlia sighed like she had lost a battle of wills. She stepped forward to grab my hands, hesitantly.


    All she said, however, was, ¡°Someone was killed.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± I asked, fearing the answer as squeezed her hands tightly. It couldn¡¯t have been someone I knew, right?


    Dahlia nced at the floor, conflicted and unsure as she began to tell me, ¡°This guy on Alessandro¡¯s detail. Alessandro and his men were ambushed when they were out. One of their guys died and Alessandro... well, he had to kill the person who did it.¡±


    My eyes went wide with shock. I gasped, thrusting my hands over my mouth as I tried to let that sink in. I knew Alessandro was involved with the mafia and even wanted to be the Don one day... and the mafia wasn¡¯t exactly known for their clean and legal businesses. But killing someone?


    ¡°It was self-defense, Olive,¡± Dahlia told me hurriedly. ¡°I promise he would never do this if it wasn¡¯t absolutely necessary.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but think about how upset Tallon had been the first time he¡¯d killed someone, when Dahlia had been in trouble. Now, Alessandro had had to do the same thing. Wouldn¡¯t that affect him mentally?


    Or maybe I was just being naive.


    Clearly, I¡¯d been left in the dark about a lot of details. I thought I knew the people around me, but there were always more secrets with them. Even Dahlia, my best friend, had been keeping things from me my whole life.


    Who was to say that none of them had killed people before, had ruthlessly murdered someone? I clenched my teeth, unwilling to believe it but knowing deep down that it could be true.


    ¡°He¡¯s really upset about it too,¡± Dahlia sighed. ¡°He¡¯s trying to remain strong, but I know him a lot better than he thinks I do. He¡¯s shaken, Olive.¡±


    Was he?


    Or was he just angry to get revenge, to have more blood spilled on his hands?


    I couldn¡¯t believe the doubts pouring into my mind, but it was like a flood had crashed open the gates. I was doubting everyone around me now, unsure of anything at this point.


    I stepped back from the two of them, wrapping my arms around myself as I struggled not to fall apart, not to take my whirling thoughts and speak them out loud.


    That would make them too real.


    Dahlia¡¯s face fell with hurt as I nced away from her, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself tofort her right now, not when I felt like I was crumbling like an ancient tomb.


    ¡°Is this normal, too?¡± I asked, my voice low. Even I flinched at the bitterness in my voice. ¡°Is this just another day, too? How many people have you killed in self-defense?¡±


    ¡°Olivia,¡± Tallon said sharply as Dahlia bit her bottom lip, her eyes shining with tears.


    ¡°Never,¡± she whispered, shaking her head firmly. ¡°I¡¯ve never... I... I¡¯m just as scared as you are, Olive. I¡¯ve never been involved with something like this, not as an adult. Even when I was just a kid, things were never this bad.¡±


    ¡°Look, Gio has got this handled,¡± Tallon said, his voice cutting like a knife as he wrapped Dahlia into a hug. He reached one arm out for me but I shook my head, taking another step back.


    Sadness flickered in his eyes, but he seemed to understand that I couldn¡¯t deal with it, not right now.


    ¡°We¡¯re all going to be safe, I promise,¡± Tallon reassured us the best he could, but all I could think was how silver his tongue was. ¡°I know how Alessandro feels. This is never easy.¡±


    How easily he could lie to me¨Cto us¨Cabout being safe?


    I was so exhausted. Everything felt so heavy to me like gravity had increased on everyone but me. I was tired of fighting and anger and everything. I didn¡¯t want to deal with any of this.


    But Paris was so far away now. Like a dream that faded the moment you woke up, I could barely remember it now.


    ¡°I need some time alone,¡± I said softly, clutching my trembling hands around myself as I headed straight for the room I shared with Gio. I shut the door behind me, feeling like I was truly made of porcin.


    I was cracked and battered, and instead of bruising, the pieces ked off and shattered upon the ground. I needed something, anything, to keep me from falling apartpletely.


    I rushed to the kitchte, opened the top cab, and pushed all the bags of snacks out of the way. I had seen Gio use this cab once, and I knew he hid things behind the chips and pretzels.


    I pushed on the wood and it popped open, letting me pull it out. The snacks fell to the floor, but my eyesnded on the jackpot.


    A bottle full of whiskey stared back at me. I grabbed it, rushing to the bed, where I plugged in my phone on the nightstand. I opened the bottle, and the smell was enough to make me crinkle my nose at it.


    It was very potent, but I steeled my nerves and took a swig. Immediately, the liquid turned to fire when it hit my throat.


    I flew into a coughing fit, the scorching in my throat making me realize what a terrible idea this truly was. I felt terrible, and salty tears flowed from my eyes as I bit down on my tongue. I put the lid back on and dropped the whiskey onto the mattress, careful not to spill it as I climbed under the covers.


    I grabbed my phone on instinct, my fingers fumbling for the one person I really needed right now.


    ¡°Hello?¡± The caller picked up after two rings, and I nearly sobbed in relief at hearing her voice.


    ¡°Mom?¡± I asked, my voice hoarse and croaking like a toad.


    ¡°Olivia?¡± rm grew in her voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened? Are you sick? I told you to take care of yourself¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom.¡± I lied, ignoring the sting in my throat from the whiskey. ¡°I just... I wanted to ask... would be so bad if I came home?¡±


    The phone fell dead silent on the other end and tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn¡¯t take it if she said no, if she told me I couldn¡¯te back home.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± she said softly, ¡°you are always wee toe back anytime you want. You¡¯re my daughter, and I love you.¡±


    I sighed in relief, but the conflict in my heart didn¡¯t disappear like I thought it would. Even as my mind startedparing airlines in my head, I knew something didn¡¯t feel right. Shouldn¡¯t I be more happy about this?


    It¡¯s what I wanted, wasn¡¯t it? I didn¡¯t want to miss the rest of the semesters of sses, but right now, that wasn¡¯t the most important thing on my mind.


    ¡°That said,¡± Mom sighed, ¡°I want you to be honest with me. Is that what would really make you happy, Olivia?¡±


    I paused, no answering to mind.


    Would that make me happy?


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted, unsure.


    ¡°You¡¯d better find that out before you make that decision then,¡± Mom said softly. ¡°It¡¯s your life, Olivia. Don¡¯t leave any regrets, okay?¡±


    She was right, I realized. Leaving like this, without any discussion or warning, felt wrong. I couldn¡¯t do it.


    I nodded in response, then realized she couldn¡¯t see me through the phone.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I told her. ¡°Thanks for making me feel better, Mom.¡±


    ¡°No problem, baby. Call me anytime you like.¡±


    I smiled as the call ended, and I breathed out.


    I had to decide whether it was worth it to stay or better to leave.

 Chapter 370 : Cruel

    <h4>Chapter 370: Chapter 370 : Cruel</h4>


    *Giovani*


    Again.


    They¡¯d struck again.


    ¡°Bastards,¡± I growled under my breath, barely two seconds fromunching my fists through the fucking wall.


    It took a great deal of self-restraint to make it here without snapping at everyone around me, especially Olivia. Her disappointment of heading back was suffocating, probably dripping off her in waves, but there was nothing I could do.


    They¡¯d fucking done it again.


    I would have preferred to remain in Paris, too, but I had responsibilities and a duty to the family, something Olivia still didn¡¯t understand.


    I took a deep breath, correcting myself. My own guilt of rushing her back was intertwined with my anger, both creating a bomb ready to explode at any minute. It wasn¡¯t fair of me to lecture Olivia.


    She would¡¯ve left me long ago if she wasn¡¯t the patient and kind soul she was.


    Arriving home and entering the house, I spotted Dahlia and Tallon from the corner of my eye, and I knew they would take care of her, as well as fill her in on all the details I didn¡¯t quite have yet. All I knew was there was another attack¨Cthis time with casualties on both sides.


    I stormed up to my study, breathing slowly through my nose as I tried to keep a cool head. I grasped the doorknob and pulled the door open, not surprised in the slightest to see Gabriele standing in front of my desk.


    I was surprised to see Alessandro, however, sitting in one of the chairs. His head was in his hands, his whole body folded over and for a moment, I thought maybe he was crying¨Cuntil he lifted his head, and I saw the anger hidden deep within.


    He wasn¡¯t crying. He was furious.


    ¡°What the fuck happened?¡± I asked him as I rounded the desk. I pushed my chair away with my foot, not even bothering with it as I grabbed the first folder on my desk and flipped it open.


    My eyes searched through the words, skimming until I found what I needed¨Ca report on the incident at a nearby restaurant. Photos of the shooting took precedence¨Cbooths with bullet holes, blood sttered across tables, broken ss, and guns dropped to the floor.


    It was a mess.


    I flipped the page¨Cseveral pages, actually¨Cdetailing coroner¡¯s reports of the bodies recovered. A few of the men were so fucked up, I couldn¡¯t tell if they were ours or theirs.


    I pinned my re on Gabriele and then Alessandro, waiting for an exnation toe pouring out of their mouths. The two exchanged heavy looks, and then Alessandro sighed, straightening in his seat as he stared me down.


    ¡°I was having a private dinner with my team. It was a celebration since ourst raid had been so sessful,¡± Alessandro started, a cold look on his face as he crossed his arms. ¡°I thought the men deserved it after what we¡¯d been through.¡±


    Fair enough.


    I remembered that raid. Alessandro¡¯s team had sessfully tracked down one of the suppliers of Dmitri¡¯s men. They raided the warehouse, and all those goods and money got redirected to us. He¡¯d practically stolen straight out of their pockets.


    No wonder they¡¯d targeted him when I was away.


    ¡°Everything was fine at first.¡± Alessandro sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. ¡°We ordered drinks and food; nothing was suspicious. In fact, it was normal. But when we were about to pay, the fucking waiter, some kid not even out of school yet, pulled out a fucking gun and shot Emile, right through the fucking chest!¡±


    I breathed out as Alessandro took a shaky breath. He clutched the handles of the chair, gritting his teeth so hard I was afraid they might crack under the pressure.


    It was no wonder he was so fucked up right now.


    Just like Vincent for me, Emile had been one of Alessandro¡¯s best guys, his right hand in everything they did together. They were inseparable.


    Fucking hell.


    ¡°And he was just choking on his damn blood, and I couldn¡¯t do a fucking thing to help him¨C¡± Alessandro growled, trembling in his chair. ¡°Then chaos unfolded. People started shooting left and right. I couldn¡¯t even tell who was who. Bystanders got caught in the crossfire, and everyone was screaming. I tried to get everyone out, to stop the chaos, but I just... I couldn¡¯t¨C¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± I raised my hand grimly. I knew what he was trying to say. I¡¯d been through it more than once.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Alessandro muttered, mming his hands over his head as he shook his head. ¡°There was so much fucking blood. I just... what was I supposed to do? And he was a fucking kid, but Emile¨C¡±


    He cut himself off, choking with emotion as he took a straggling breath. I knew the feeling. He was one inch from copsing. I was much the same at the moment.


    Vincent had been a hard loss to swallow, and this was even more so.


    ¡°How many did we lose?¡± I frowned, ncing at the report that gave me barely more than nothing.


    ¡°Seven of the Russians and five of our men were lost, and another three civilians,¡± Gabriele reported cooly. ¡°Of the attackers, however, three were just kids.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck is he doing hiring teenagers to be assassins?¡± I seethed, unable to believe my ears. We had done some fucked up things as part of our jobs, but literal child soldiers....


    They reserved a special ce in hell for those who hurt children, much less forced them into bing murderers themselves.


    ¡°We believe he recruited them in a hurry after all of his members we decimated during the fire,¡± Gabriele said, a look of disgust in his eyes as he gestured to one of the folders. ¡°Youngest was fifteen, and the eldest was seventeen.¡±


    I opened up the folder, reading quickly through the printed lines, and my lip curled up in revulsion. He¡¯d practically picked them off the streets, brainwashed them, and forced them to do his bidding.


    He made them promises he couldn¡¯t deliver, the same thing anyone else wanted¨Cmoney, freedom, safety, food.


    For a couple of runaways who felt abandoned by the world, that was sometimes all the push they needed tomit murder.


    ¡°We need to hit them back,¡± Alessandro dered loudly, his eyes gleaming with anger as he got to his feet. ¡°Fast and hard.¡±


    ¡°For once I agree,¡± Gabriele said darkly. ¡°They¡¯ve taken too much from us already. Cutting off their escape routes and resources isn¡¯t going to work. We need to destroy them as soon as possible, before more people get hurt.¡±


    I sighed, rubbing my temples. Like always, the decision ultimately came down to me. There was no good answer to this problem. We still had no idea where Dmitri was hiding, and every time we found a lead, he would slip away once more.


    Cutting off his resources, his money, and hiding ces wasn¡¯t working either, because he somehow always found someone to hide behind. The fucking bastard was harder to find than an ancient city in a jungle.


    But even a rat could be found hiding in a hole.


    I shut the folders filled with pictures of the dead and the devastation of a family restaurant. None of them would be forgotten, including the civilians who had only been caught in the crossfire.


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said gravely. ¡°We¡¯ll make this right, Alessandro, even if it needs to be by my own hand.¡±


    He stared at me for a few minutes, judging whether my words were true or not, but I only stared back, honest and open. He wanted to be a part of this family, and he was getting his chance now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything rash for the time being. We¡¯ll draw him out and destroy the remainder of his syndicate,¡± I said, cold and detached. This was just another target that needed to be dealt with.


    He¡¯d taken enough from us.


    It was time to hit back.


    After a few seconds, Alessandro¡¯s tense shoulders rxed, and he nodded. He turned on his heel to leave, but I wasn¡¯t quite done yet.


    ¡°And Alessandro¨C¡± I called out to the younger man.


    He paused, his hand on the doorway as he nced over his shoulder at me. There were bags under his eyes, and deep lines etched across his face that made him look older than he actually was. The burden he carried was not light, and it was taking its toll already.


    But despite that, there was still a fire left in his eyes, a fighting spirit that never seemed to die. I¡¯d seen the exact one in James.


    No matter what he thought, it was a blessing he had not be the Don of the family.


    It would¡¯ve crushed that spirit of his, just like it nearly did to James.


    This wouldn¡¯t break him; I knew that. But I still cared enough for him that I couldn¡¯t just let him leave without saying anything. He would carry this loss in his heart for the rest of his life.


    I would know.


    I¡¯d lost too many friends and family to count, and each one had left their fingerprints on that stupid beating organ in my chest. No matter how cold he may be acting now, no man was strong enough not to crumble under such devastating grief.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Emile,¡± I told him sincerely. ¡°He was a great man, and he will be honored. I will make sure he is buried in Eterna, next to his father.¡±


    His grip tightened on the cold metal doorknob, and I could see veins pulsing out of his neck, but he said nothing.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re going through,¡± I sighed. ¡°And I can¨C¡±


    He whirled around on me, a look of pure unadulterated rage on his face. But I knew behind it was a hurricane of hurt lurking just out of reach.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your sympathies,¡± he spat coldly. ¡°Just kill the fuckers who did this to him, or I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    And with that threat, he was gone. The door mmed behind him, the sound still ringing in my ears as Gabriele turned to me expectantly.


    ¡°Find him,¡± I said sharply. ¡°Use every method we have avable. If you even suspect they¡¯re involved with Dmitri at all, make sure to bring one here for questioning.¡±


    ¡°And if there¡¯s more than one?¡±


    I said nothing, just red at him and he nodded in understanding.


    ¡°It will be done.¡± He followed Alessandro¡¯s path, shutting the door quietly behind him and leaving me alone with the pile of reports to go over¨Cburials to n, families to contact, a whole mess to hide under the nose of the police.


    If Olivia knew what I had just ordered, she¡¯d surely tell me I was being cruel.


    Yet, whether it was cruel or not, I was going to keep my people safe, no matter the cost.


    Dmitri had started this war. I was going to end it once and for all.

 Chapter 371 : What a Best Friend Is For

    <h4>Chapter 371: Chapter 371 : What a Best Friend Is For</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I watched the swirls of steam as they twirled around the rim of the mug. The heat of the ceramic blue leached into my hands, warming them from the bitter cold they were. On the surface of the dark liquid inside were tiny boats of white, floating and melting in the hot liquid.


    I raised the cup to my lips, blowing the steam trails softly away before I carefully took a sip of the piping hot drink. The sweetness hit my tongue first, then the slight bitterness of the chocte and the sugar of the marshmallows.


    I breathed out, clutching the cup tightly as the liquid warmed me up as it slid down my throat and into the empty pit of my stomach.


    Normally, I wasn¡¯t a fan of the sweetness of hot chocte drinks. I much preferred the bitterness of tea or coffee.


    But this hit the spot.


    ¡°Feeling better?¡± Dahlia asked with a soft smile.


    We lounged in the sitting room of my suite with Giovani, the TV turned on to some old Italian romance movie. I was barely paying attention as outside the ss window and door, a storm raged on.


    It had begun raining soon after we¡¯d arrived home, and it hadn¡¯t let up in the slightest. The chill from the cold showers seeped into the suite and I wiggled my warm socked feet as I pulled them onto the couch.


    Dahlia had been quick to find me despite my earlier outburst, and though I had made to apologize, she¡¯d refused to ept it endlessly.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to apologize for,¡± she said with a grin, handing me the cup of melted chocte and covering the two of us up with a fuzzy nket.


    I leaned against her, the two of us curled up to face the rainy weather and despite how everything had gone down earlier, I was calm.


    Peaceful.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I whispered quietly to her, watching the rain pelt against the ss as a man whispered his love on the screen.


    ¡°You¡¯re my best friend, Olive.¡± Dahlia smiled. ¡°I¡¯m always going to be here for you. I know how hard it¡¯s been for you, and you should know by now I won¡¯t let you sulk in here alone.¡±


    I smiled, leaning my head on her shoulder as I sipped at the hot chocte. No doubt it had been made by Maria.


    But that peacefulness didn¡¯tst for long.


    The door to the suite opened, and I heard a loud sigh apanied by shoes hitting the tiled floors. I instinctively nced at the new person, and it was no surprise that Giovani stood there.


    He pulled his hair back from his face, sighing heavily, and though I could see the stress in his expression, I couldn¡¯t bring it in myself tofort him as I should¡¯ve.


    I turned away, feeling horrible with myself as I clutched the cup of hot chocte in my hands. Dahlia sent me a worried look, but I gazed at myp, unable to look at either of them.


    ¡°Hey, Gio,¡± Dahlia called out, a bit nervously as she nced at him and then me.


    I heard his footsteps approaching, stopping just behind the couch, and I stiffened on instinct.


    ¡°Everything okay here?¡± his voice asked hoarsely.


    Despite feeling two sets of eyes on me, I refused to answer. I just silently nodded my head.


    ¡°Um,¡± Dahlia started, ufortably, ¡°she¡¯s feeling a little... not great. I wonder if she could spend the night in my room again?¡±


    I heard his sharp intake of breath, and I winced at the sound.


    ¡°Olivia?¡± he asked, an annoyed sound to it. ¡°Is that what you want?¡±


    My bottom lip wobbled as I thought about my mom¡¯s words. Would I be happy going home? Would I be happy to stay?


    I didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°I... I just need some time,¡± I said quietly.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said with a bit of a snappish tone to it, and I shut my eyes tightly, trying to control the wetness building. I could feel his disappointment pouring over me like a waterfall, but this was something I needed to do.


    ¡°Gio¨C¡± Dahlia started, but he cut her off rather abruptly.


    ¡°Take all the time you need.¡± He sighed, and all I heard were his shoes on the ground, heading straight back the way he came. The door mmed shut, and I flinched at the loud sound.


    As soon as we were alone, Dahlia set her mug down and turned to me with a frown.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Olive?¡± Dahlia asked. ¡°That wasn¡¯t like you at all. Don¡¯t you love him¨C¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do!¡± I snapped, jerking forward, and the hot chocte spilled over the edge of the mug andnded on the nket.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I cursed, setting down the mug and ripping the nket off the couch.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Dahlia protested, but I didn¡¯t care as I balled up the nket and stormed to the closet. Before I got very far, Dahlia grabbed hold of my arm.


    ¡°Let go,¡± I said stubbornly, but she only shook her head.


    ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on,¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Nothing!¡± I yelled, turning on her as I threw the balled-up nket at the floor. I missed, identally flinging it at her. She let go of me, screeching as she fell onto the couch with the force I threw it with.


    I mmed my hands over my mouth, my eyes wide as I realized what I had just done.


    Dahlia threw the nket onto the floor, whirling on me angrily as she snapped, ¡°What the fuck is wrong with¨C¡±


    She fell dead silent, her eyes softening as despite all my best efforts, a loud sob burst out of my throat, and I fell to my knees.


    All the stress and fear came pouring out of me all at once, and hot tears rolled down my face as I sobbed into my hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I tried to say through my full-body sobs, but it only came out as gibberish.


    ¡°Olive,¡± she whispered, and I felt her arms wrap around me as she pulled me into her chest. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯ll all be alright.¡±


    Her soft reassurances were kind, something I didn¡¯t feel I deserved at the moment as I cried into her arms like a little girl. Once my tears were dried and my sobs had faded away, I leaned into Dahlia and told her exactly what I¡¯d said to my mother.


    Once I finished, she sighed, leaning back to look me in the eyes.


    ¡°If you want to go home, Olive,¡± Dahlia said determinedly, ¡°then go.¡±


    I sputtered, staring at her in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re not going to try to talk me out of it?¡±


    ¡°Why would I?¡± She raised an eyebrow. ¡°If you want to go home, then do it. I won¡¯t stop you. If you really feel like you need to, then don¡¯t let anybody stop you. I can¡¯t decide that, and Gio certainly can¡¯t decide that. Only you can. That said....¡±


    She took a deep breath, and I flinched as she squeezed both of my cheeks, keeping her hands there as she squished my face. I could feel my lips forming into a duck-like shape but Dahlia just stared into my eyes seriously.


    ¡°Look me in the eye and tell me the truth. Would you be happier at home?¡±


    I opened my mouth to respond but hesitated when no words came out. I sighed, clutching a hand over my heart. It thumped heavily, and I tried to gauge what I was feeling.


    ¡°At first... no,¡± I said honestly. ¡°But I could grow to be happy. I wouldn¡¯t have to look over my shoulder for someone to kill me or wonder if every friend I had was just a trap. I could find someone else....¡±


    I trailed off, my heart squeezing painfully, and a lump developed in my throat. Still, my stubbornness persisted. I was being truthful, wasn¡¯t I?


    I would be okay away from all this, wouldn¡¯t I?


    ¡°Sure.¡± Dahlia nodded. ¡°I believe you can be happy without drivers or fancy dresses. You could find a different city, make more friends, and find a new school. I don¡¯t doubt that one bit. But Olive... could you be happy without Gio?¡±


    From the look in her eyes, we both knew the answer was written inly all over my face. I was never good at hiding things, especially from my best friend.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I confessed. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but I¡¯m just so scared of losing everyone. I¡¯m not strong enough for this.¡±


    ¡°Then talk to him about this. Tell him how you¡¯re feeling, and find a solution together.¡± Dahliaforted me, patting me on the head like when we were kids. ¡°Don¡¯t let this fester any longer ¡¯cause I kinda want my room back.¡±


    I burst into giggles, a little hysterically.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to him.¡±


    ¡°Finally!¡± She threw her hands in the air, both of us giggling.


    ¡°Thanks, Dolly,¡± I grinned, wrapping her in a tight hug.


    ¡°I know,¡± she smirked, then pulled back to get to her feet. ¡°That¡¯s what a best friend is for.¡±


    She offered me a hand, a cheeky smile on her lips, and I grabbed it, letting her pull me up. I wiped the remaining tears from my face as I tried my best to look presentable and not like I had been having a meltdown, even if I had been.


    ¡°Now, go get him.¡± Dahlia grinned.


    Iughed, new hopeful energy flowing through me. Whatever Gio and I were facing right now, we could get past it... together.


    I wasted no time as I slipped out of the suite, leaving the door open behind me for Dahlia to head back to her own room.


    I knew Gio would be in his study, so I headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time as I raced to meet the man I loved. I rounded the corner and noticed with a smile that his office door was open just a crack.


    As I approached, however, I realized that he hadn¡¯t left it open for me as I had thought. Low voices reached my ears, ones I easily recognized as Giovani and Gabriele.


    I leaned against the wall, just barely listening to what they were discussing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to worry anyone¨C¡±


    That was Gio. His voice was dark and stressed.


    ¡°They¡¯re gonna worry regardless!¡±


    Gabriele was arguing back with him, huffy like he thought Gio was being ridiculous.


    ¡°I know that!¡± Gio snapped. ¡°But this is serious. We need to handle this quickly and quietly. We can¡¯t let this cause a rift. We don¡¯t want anyone thinking they can take care of this on their own.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t hide this forever,¡± Gabriele retorted. ¡°Those bastards walked right onto our territory and killed one of our top guys!¡±


    My blood ran cold, my back t against the wall as my heart raced like I was watching a horror movie. With my eyes wide, I realized I¡¯d heard more than I wanted to.


    I slipped away as quietly as I could, refusing to listen to another word as I let my feet take me straight to somewhere safe.

 Chapter 372 : A More Proactive Stance

    <h4>Chapter 372: Chapter 372 : A More Proactive Stance</h4>


    *Giovani*


    If there was one thing I didn¡¯t need to deal with, it was more problems. Unfortunately, that was whatnded on myp near midnight. I sighed from my leather chair in my study as Gabriele stared me down furiously.


    It wasn¡¯t often that Gabriele chose to argue with me, but each time it happened, it always surprised me.


    But it infuriated me that they¡¯d struck again. He didn¡¯t need to remind me.


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that?¡± I mmed my hands on the desk, getting to my feet as I glowered at my right-hand man with all the authority the leader of a mafia should have. ¡°I know exactly who they took out.¡±


    Nostrils ring, a dark look in his eyes, Gabriele was not the patient man he normally was. He had reached his limit, and we both knew it. The deaths had taken a hard toll on both of us, but normally, we¡¯d be given time to grieve for those we lost.


    Now, they were buried in a hurry, kept in secrecy so as not to rm Dmitri¡¯s forces or cause panic in our men. If they knew how many of our brothers we had buried without a funeral, how many nameless faces were left in Eterna due to this one Russian asshole, the men would be difficlt to control.


    From the corner, lounging on one of the chairs and sipping a ss of whiskey, Alessandro nced at us, shadows under his eyes as he stared between us impassively. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t going to intervene.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t right. Does losing our family mean so little to you?¡± Gabriele snarled, a harshness to him. Like a lion baring its fangs for a fight, there would be bloodshed soon, and I had no doubt he would go for the throat.


    I narrowed my eyes at my best friend, my right-hand man, the one who had been with me through everything.


    ¡°Are you questioning my leadership, Gabriele?¡± I asked, slowly and deliberately.


    We weren¡¯t brothers or friends any longer, not in this argument. We were just boss and subordinate, talking business. I had to disconnect from the brotherly rtionship I had with him.


    He was questioning my authority.


    Alessandro stiffened, I saw in the corner of my eye, and he nced at us with wide eyes, having caught onto the hidden threat in my voice.


    But I was not new to betrayal. It was nothing new to me that there were those who wanted to covet my ce because they believed they knew better. Some wanted the power that came with it, while others just wanted to spite me.


    But all of them had fallen at my feet.


    I was not the leader for nothing. My throne was built on top of the greed of lesser men, and I was not going to give it up so easily, not even to a brother.


    Gabriele red at me, his anger and exhaustion mirroring my own. But I was not going to back down, even for him.


    A leader demands respect. That¡¯s the first lesson you learn. I straightened to my full height, keeping my eyes trained on Gabriele for any hint of movement as he stood in front of me.


    His eyes flickered to my hands by my side, right where my gun was holstered on my belt, and then gritted his teeth.


    Finally, the tense moment died down as he sighed and rxed his body. He stepped away, lowering his head before me.


    ¡°No, Don,¡± he muttered bitterly, backing down.


    Alessandro nced between us, his whole body on edge from the tense atmosphere that still lingered. By now, he had probably realized how utterlyughable his threats from months ago had seemed. It was a lesson he needed to learn.


    This was the true cutthroat world, not the childish taunting he was used to.


    I kept my eyes on Gabriele for a full minute, even after he had backed down, before I slowly slid back into my chair, keeping my hand loose at my side and ready.


    ¡°You of all people should know how much I care about this family,¡± I said firmly. ¡°Lain, Vincent, Emilio¨Cevery good man we lose can¡¯t be reced. Each of them deserves the respect and care they had in life to be with them in death. But there are bigger issues to be solved, and you know this. As much as I¡¯d like to hold time to grieve for the men we lost, Dmitri isn¡¯t going to wait for us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we need to act¨C¡± Gabriele protested, but I silenced him with a look.


    ¡°Dmitri is a bigger threat than you think. This is no time for petty revenge, no matter how well-deserved. Every day holds the threat of losing more of our men¨Cgood men. We all need to be safe,¡± I told him firmly.


    ¡°Then what do you suppose we do?¡± Alessandro piped up, looking rather annoyed at my proposal.


    I gave him a bitter look. ¡°We can¡¯t just cut off a single head. It¡¯ll keep growing back. We have to cut them down to their core and destroy them from the inside, or this will never end. But you are right, sitting back and waiting for them to slip isn¡¯t going to work. We need to take a more proactive stance.¡±


    Gabriele¡¯s head shot up to stare at me in surprise.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a meeting this week. We need all of our most powerful capos and lieutenants. We have toe up with a n. Dmitri has to go, now,¡± I dered firmly.


    Gabriele folded his arms, his face looking a little brighter and full of life as he stared at me. His lips curled into a grin as he nodded at me. Appeased and ready for a fight, despite our earlier disagreements, I knew he would have my back every step of the way. This was what family was in our world.


    ¡°Everybody?¡± Gabriele asked, tilting his head. There was a challenge in his eyes like he was betting on a pair of dice he knew had been rigged.


    I smirked back at him, raising my head as I took that bet.


    ¡°Everybody,¡± I confirmed, confident that he got my hidden message.


    And just like that, he was back, with light in his eyes and confidence regained. Our brotherly bond was made of steel, and we both knew it wouldn¡¯t bend so easily. The tension between us faded away as if it had never been there.


    We were back to brothers in arms once more.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it covered, once I make one call.¡± Gabriele nodded, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he whipped out his phone, already heading out the door. He ced the phone to his ear, already beginning to speak rapid Italian to whoever was on the other line.


    ¡°Hey, Lawrie? About that deal we talked about¨C¡± he said with a grin before the door shut behind him, cutting off the remainder of the conversation.


    Once he was gone, and only Alessandro and I remained, my cousin turned to me with a questioning look. I sat calmly, still watching the door he¡¯d just closed.


    ¡°Why do I feel like he¡¯s nning something else?¡± Alessandro asked, frowning like he¡¯d seen something he shouldn¡¯t. ¡°Who¡¯s Lawrie?¡±


    ¡°Because he is,¡± I said simply. ¡°Lawrie¡¯s a baker downtown. He¡¯s probably going to rece my birthday cake with one that¡¯s shaped like a dick.¡±


    Alessandro snorted. ¡°That seems about right.¡±


    ¡°Spread the word about the meeting to your men as well,¡± I told him, quickly delving back into business. He looked up at me. ¡°We got to make sure we¡¯re all on the same page before we attack.¡±


    ¡°What about the spies?¡± Alessandro asked. ¡°Do we have any active right now that we could use, or any that could be? Dmitri is hard to find and even harder to keep in one ce. With how many times he¡¯s changed hands already, we need to infiltrate.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. What made Dmitri so slippery was his constant movement. He didn¡¯t have just one base of operations. He would move around, and every time they used something, they destroyed all evidence and never returned.


    It was smart, I hated to admit, and it made it difficult to pinpoint him. Normally, we had trouble trying to track down someone with how little information they left behind, but Dmitri was the opposite.


    We weren¡¯tcking information. We had too much of it.


    We could only get so many clues from abandoned bases. Once they cleared them, it was impossible to know where they went next. We were always just one step behind.


    But we did know one ce he still had influence.


    ¡°Of course, we do,¡± I smirked, leaning back in my chair, ¡°They¡¯re all in ce already.¡±


    Alessandro¡¯s eyes lit up with surprise. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°All the safehouses we¡¯ve found have had one thing inmon¨Cone breadcrumb trail to follow.¡± I crossed my arms confidently. ¡°That is where we¡¯ll trap the bastard.¡±


    I could see Alessandro thinking, the gears in his head whirling to life as they turned like cogs in a machine. He frowned, tilting his head as he stared into space and finally, his whole body jerked as the answer came to him like a lightbulb shining above his head.


    ¡°Russo?¡± he called out in surprise.


    I nodded. ¡°It alles down to Russo. They smuggled him into the country. They supplied him with endless resources, and they have been the ones providing him with safehouses, one after the other. We¡¯ve been trying to cut them off through business maneuvers, and they¡¯ve already lost quite a lot of stock and cash here, but it hasn¡¯t deterred them.¡±


    ¡°Why would they go so far for this bastard?¡± Alessandro growled. ¡°They¡¯re just digging themselves into a hole... for this person?¡±


    ¡°My guess is someone on the inside has a particr interest in Mr. Zaytsev. Or perhaps, they have a kindred soul. Maybe they both hold grudges against me or your father.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Whatever it is doesn¡¯t matter. Russo is the key to ending that bastard once and for all.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ve already infiltrated?¡± Alessandro raised an eyebrow skeptically. ¡°Despite how close-knit they are?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I nodded, ¡°One of our best men has been working in the organization since Dahlia¡¯s kidnapping. He¡¯s not quite to the top, but they have a lot of trust ced in him. Once he¡¯s fully within the top circle, we¡¯ll bring them down, and without Russo....¡±


    ¡°Dmitri will fall,¡± Alessandro smirked. ¡°When can we expect him to be ready?¡±


    ¡°Soon,¡± I said, my eyes gleaming with anticipation, ¡°very soon.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Alessandro nodded, a dark smirk spreading across his face. ¡°I¡¯m ready for some good old-fashioned revenge.¡±


    That made two of us.

 Chapter 373 : Can You Live Like This?

    <h4>Chapter 373: Chapter 373 : Can You Live Like This?</h4>


    *Giovani*


    Finally, it was time to take a break from strategizing. Immediately, I went to find Olivia, hoping she was willing to see me this time. I had a growing tension headache, and I desperately needed to spend some time with her so I could begin to rx. I knew it was all going to be okay; Alessandro had grown a lot and I was confident that between the two of us as well as Gabriel, we¡¯d be able to get Dmitri in no time.


    But that didn¡¯t change the fact that it was fucking horrible any time I had to send my men into dangerous situations. If it was up to me, I¡¯d be the only one who ever had to stick my neck out for the family, but I knew that that was shitty leadership, and my men loved the opportunity to prove themselves. I just wasn¡¯t sure how many more deaths I could take.


    I headed to my room, hoping to find Olivia there. I knew that spending a few hours in bed with her before dinner would be the perfect way to take the edge of the day off. I opened our door, wanting nothing more than to see one of her sweet smiles, but she wasn¡¯t there. It wasn¡¯t that surprising; she had been spending so much timetely with Dahlia. The two of them loved to rx in the hot tub outside, so that¡¯s where I headed first.


    Damn, she wasn¡¯t in the hot tub. It was too bad, I loved seeing her in her cute little bikini while the steam from the hot water curled up around her. I looked all around the courtyard, but she was nowhere to be found, so I went back inside.


    I found Dahlia in the kitchen and asked if she had seen Olivia.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know where she is,¡± she told me, her eyes looking unusually serious. ¡°But Gio... you have to know that she¡¯s been pretty upsettely, like talking about leaving upset.¡±


    Anxiety red in my stomach at Dahlia¡¯s words. ¡°Fuck, I thought I had convinced her that we could keep her safe. Doesn¡¯t she know she¡¯s safe here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard for her to believe that when she¡¯s constantly overhearing conversations about people dying,¡± Dahlia said pointedly. ¡°She went off to find you, but she came back to me in a panic.¡±


    I thought back to my earlier conversation with Gabriel and grimaced. I hoped she hadn¡¯t overheard that one.


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried to tell her enough so that she knows what¡¯s going on without freaking her the fuck out,¡± I exined to Dahlia.


    ¡°Yeah, me too, but it¡¯s not working. You need to do a better job of keeping her informed. And remind her that there¡¯s a reason our family has been so sessful; it¡¯s because you know what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    I nodded. She was right. I had been trying so hard to keep Olivia in the dark so she wouldn¡¯t walk around terrified, but it had only made things worse for her. She had no idea how much more in control we were than Dmitri¡¯s assholes because she wasn¡¯t hearing the positive conversations. Yeah, it was still really damn stressful, but not to the point where I was scared I couldn¡¯t keep her safe.


    ¡°She just doesn¡¯t understand, Gio,¡± Dahlia continued. ¡°She didn¡¯t grow up with this like we did.¡±


    ¡°I know. And I feel like I just keep failing her. Every time I try to make it better, try to make her feel safer, something happens that ruins it.¡± I couldn¡¯t lose Olivia, I just couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Try looking in her old room,¡± she said. ¡°She wanted some time to think. She goes there sometimes when she¡¯s feeling stressed.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Dahlia,¡± I said with relief. I desperately hoped she was right; our conversation had left me with an even stronger need to find Olivia. I needed to find her, and I knew exactly what I was going to say when I did.


    I opened the door to Olivia¡¯s old room slowly so she would know I wasing in. Just as Dahlia had said, she was there, sitting on the bed. It broke my heart to see her sitting there, just staring off into space. She looked terrified, and it was all my fault. I had done a terrible job of helping her feel safe.


    ¡°Hey, baby, what are you doing in here?¡± I asked softly, moving to sit by her side on the bed.


    I didn¡¯t want her to think I was upset to find her hiding out in her old room. I was here to help make her feel safe andforted, and if spending time in her old room was what she needed, then that¡¯s what she deserved. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, wanting her to snuggle in but not wanting to force it if that¡¯s not what she wanted. To my relief, she rxed her body against mine and buried her face against my chest.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she said, not looking up from where she had pressed herself against me.


    ¡°Carino, I need to tell you something.¡± I stopped to make sure she could hear the seriousness in my voice. The story I was about to tell her was one I did not like to revisit, but I had a feeling it might help her, and I was willing to do anything to help her.


    She nodded against me, encouraging me to continue speaking.


    ¡°The first time I saw someone get shot, I was twelve years old,¡± I took a deep breath as the memory came back to me in hard shes, ¡°It gave me nightmares for years. It¡¯s¨Cit¡¯s hard to talk about even now, all these yearster.¡±


    She looked up at me and put her hand on my cheek. I leaned into the soft touch, she was so fucking sweet. I really didn¡¯t deserve her, and I was terrified that she would figure that out.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to,¡± she murmured, looking up at me with her beautiful eyes.


    ¡°No, I need to tell you. It¡¯s fucking hard to think about, but you¡¯ve got to know that you¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s been scared.¡±


    She nodded and waited silently for me to go on, keeping her hand on my face the whole time.


    ¡°The beginning is a little blurry. I don¡¯t remember why we were out or even where exactly we were. I¡¯ve been told that¡¯s normal when something traumatic happens. It¡¯s your brain¡¯s way of protecting you. Anyway, the man who¡¯d been assigned to be my bodyguard, his name was Tommaso, and I were going somewhere, I remember we were just walking down the street. It¡¯s funny because I don¡¯t remember what the hell we were doing, but I can remember clear as day what he was wearing¨Cck pants and a dark green sweater. He had unusually red hair, and I remember thinking that he seemed to wear that dark green color a lot.¡± Iughed, but it was an angryugh.


    Tommaso hadn¡¯t just been assigned to be my bodyguard that day. He had been my bodyguard for four years. He had been like an older brother to me, there for me during every important moment. He was more than just a bodyguard to me, but Olivia didn¡¯t need to know that. I forced myself not to think about the fact that I was still keeping shit from her, even as I was promising to open up.


    ¡°The fucking Russians had been making threats on my family for a few months, so Tommaso was always on high alert when he took me in public. It seems like the goddamn Russians just can¡¯t leave me alone.¡±


    I paused as I thought about what happened next. Over the years I had managed to convince the logical side of my brain that it wasn¡¯t my fault, but that didn¡¯t stop the emotional part from feeling guilty as hell. Olivia waited patiently for me to continue. I took a deep breath and forced myself to keep going.


    ¡°I¨CI saw something in the street. I thought it was a coin. And I was only twelve. Just a stupid fucking kid. So I darted out in the street, away from Tommaso. By the time he noticed, it was toote. One of the Russian assholes had been following us, just waiting for me to get separated. The second I was a few feet away, the guy wrapped his arm around me and was shoving a gun against my head.¡±


    ¡°Gio, oh my god,¡± Olivia breathed.


    I forced myself to keep going. ¡°Luckily for me, Tommaso was one of the best. He managed to pull his gun and shoot the bastard in the hand, making it so he cuoldn¡¯t shoot me. Then, he ran over and yanked me away without me getting shot. The backup guards that had been waiting in the car close by ran up and had me surrounded. I was safe. The guy had fallen to the ground, and we all thought he was out ofmission, but the piece of shit who¡¯d grabbed me still had a loaded gun. He knew he was too outnumbered to do anything to me, but while Tommaso had his back turned, making sure I¡¯d made it to safety, that Russian scum shot him in the back with his wounded hand before getting up off the ground and running away. Tommaso bled out there in the street, right in front of me.¡±


    I stopped talking, my heart beating erratically as I remembered that moment when I had seen the life go out of Tommaso¡¯s eyes. I remember I had screamed when it happened and tried to get to him, but the guards around me wouldn¡¯t let me get closer.


    ¡°That¡¯s fucking awful,¡± Olivia said, her voice thick with emotion.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m not going to sugarcoat it, carina, it is fucking awful. I had nightmares for years, always ending the same way: with Tommaso dying in front of me while I stood there helpless to stop it. Usually, the gun would get turned on me, and I¡¯d wake up screaming.¡±


    Olivia wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me tightly, trying to offerfort. Her little acts of love melted my heart. She was so fucking sweet.


    ¡°Olivia, I tell you all this to tell you that it¡¯s normal to be scared. I was fucking terrified when that happened. Hell, I¡¯ve grown up in this life, and I still get scared at times. I would worry about myself if I didn¡¯t get scared.¡±


    She nodded, going back to hiding her face against my chest. It was amazing how much she could set aside her own stress when she was focused onforting me. I could tell that now that the conversation was turning back to her fears, she was curling back into herself.


    As much as I didn¡¯t want to know the answer, I had to ask, ¡°My love, I need to know, can you live with this, this fear that will always be here?¡±


    I gently tucked my thumb under her chin and pulled her face up so I could see what she was thinking. My heart shattered when I saw the tears in her eyes.


    I had a horrible feeling that I knew exactly what she was going to say.

 Chapter 374 : Is Love Enough?

    <h4>Chapter 374: Chapter 374 : Is Love Enough?</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I looked up at Giovani with tears in my eyes. He was holding me so tenderly, and I so badly wanted to tell him what he wanted to hear, but I just couldn¡¯t. I had to be honest with him. Even if it meant breaking his heart.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I whispered, unable to bring myself to say the words too loudly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can handle this life.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t pull away from me, Gio¡¯s face hardened slightly, and I could tell he was hurt by what I had said. I didn¡¯t want to hurt him, but this was bigger than us. I couldn¡¯t live a life of fear. I had to get my emotions out in the open.


    ¡°I feel like everything has been so dangerous from the moment I got here that I haven¡¯t even had a chance to stop being scared.¡± I forced myself to keep talking, even though what I really wanted to do was bury myself in Gio¡¯s chest and pretend I had never brought this up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve kept you safe the whole time,¡± he said, a note of frustrationing through in his voice.


    ¡°And I appreciate that. I really do. But you have to admit, it¡¯s been more by chance than anything else. The fact that Dahlia got kidnapped instead of me was because they didn¡¯t know who I was at the time. Now they know who I am. They showed us that when they left that note in my shit! And they kill people, Gio!¡±


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know how dangerous they are?¡± he asked quietly, a controlled anger burning fiercely in his words.


    I couldn¡¯t help it; his angry words made me flinch. I pulled away from him, and he loosened his grip on me so that I could position myself to face him instead of snuggling in his arms. His emotional reaction was understandable, but it was frustrating the hell out of me.


    I needed to be able to be honest with him. If he got upset every time I brought up my real fears, I would just stop bringing them up, but keeping it all bottled inside would destroy our rtionship. He needed to know how I really felt if we had any hope of our rtionship withstanding all of this danger.


    ¡°Gio, I can¡¯t even live a normal life right now.¡± I started over, trying a different tactic. ¡°A girl in one of my sses was starting to get closer to me, but instead of letting her be my friend, I pushed her away. After the note... I can¡¯t trust anyone. Literally, any person in any of my sses could have put it in my notebook. Anyone trying to get close to me could be doing it for the Russians. And it¡¯s really fucked up that I can¡¯t make new friends in college, Gio. That¡¯s kind of a huge part of it.¡±


    There was a storm in his eyes, but he kept his voice calm as he responded, ¡°That¡¯s horrible, Olivia. If it makes you feel better, we can run background checks on anyone you¡¯d like to get close to or anyone who approaches you. I wish you would¡¯ve told me this earlier so I could tell you that.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to tell you things when you get mad at me for being scared!¡± I snapped. I knew my words weren¡¯t exactly urate, but I didn¡¯t care. It was how I was feeling in the moment. Every time I brought up my fears to Giovani, he just shut them down or insisted he would keep me safe.


    ¡°When have I ever gotten mad at you for being scared?¡± he asked, keeping his voice soft even though I could see his irritation in the tight way he was holding his body.


    ¡°Maybe not mad, exactly, but you don¡¯t like it when I talk about it. And you keep things from me! How can you expect me to be honest with you when you won¡¯t even tell me about who died?! I shouldn¡¯t have to go to random people in the house to get information, Gio. I should be able to get it from you.¡±


    He rubbed his hand over the ce on his forehead where he often got tension headaches. I felt guilty for unloading all of this on him at once, but it was time to get it out.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said, his eyes closed and his hand still rubbing his forehead. ¡°I should tell you more. But it¡¯s hard when I know how scared you get. I don¡¯t know how much information would make you feel better versus how much would make you feel more scared. I¡¯m trying to let you know more without overwhelming you, but it¡¯s hard to find the right bnce. I¡¯m trying, Olivia, really trying.¡±


    He looked so exhausted, and I felt horrible. I got up on my knees and wrapped my arms around him. He sank against me, rxing his body and letting me hold him. For the first time, I wondered just how much he had been keeping from me to keep me from being too scared.


    It must have been incredibly stressful for him to feel like he had to walk the tightrope between keeping me informed without giving me too much information. I rubbed his back and neck as he breathed heavily against me, his head resting on my shoulder.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I murmured, not sure what else to say.


    I had no idea how we were going to manage to work through this, but I wanted to. The way I felt about Giovani was unlike anything I¡¯d ever felt before. I didn¡¯t want to lose him. But I also wanted to be a normal person. I didn¡¯t want to spend my life paranoid about every person who tried to get close to me.


    ¡°I love you, too.¡± His words tickled my neck.


    I tightened my hold on him, giving him a good squeeze before pulling back so I could look him in the eyes.


    ¡°I want you to be more honest with me. It might scare me, but I¡¯m already scared. At least if I have more information, it will help me feel less like a sitting duck.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I will tell you as much as I can, as long as it¡¯s safe for you to know. In return, you tell me when things are bothering you. Please, carina, I need you to always be honest with me about your feelings.¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°I swear, Olivia, I will die before I let any harme to you.¡± His voice grew ragged with emotion. ¡°If this bes too much, I understand, but I love you so much. I will do whatever it takes to keep you.¡±


    He cradled my face in his hands and leaned forward to give me a deep kiss. His mouth said everything that his words could not¨Cthat he was desperate for me to be happy here, that he wanted me to stay, no matter what. He would never ask me to do anything I didn¡¯t want to do, but he would be crushed if I decided to leave Italy.


    I kissed him back, hoping that somehow I couldmunicate back to him my feelings¨Cthat I wanted us to be together, but had deep reservations about whether or not I could handle this life. I hadn¡¯t signed up to fall in love with a mafia Don. Hell, I hadn¡¯t even signed up to move in with a mafia family. I hadn¡¯t been prepared at all when I came to Italy, and my ignorance was dangerous. What I didn¡¯t know could be used to hurt me.


    His breathing grew ragged as our lips and tongues danced together. I could tell he wanted more than just a kiss. His hands began to roam around my body, looking for all his favorite spots to tease and tickle. I moaned and closed my eyes as he gently pushed one hand up under my shirt and pushed my bra aside to cup my breast.


    ¡°Tell me to stop, and I will,¡± he whispered against my mouth, his breath hot against my lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to stop,¡± I whispered back.


    I never could resist him. It was like I was a ma, and he was forged of iron. I felt an irresistible pull whenever I was near him. It didn¡¯t matter what was going on in my head. When Giovani was near me, he was all I wanted. I believed him when he said he would keep me safe.


    The problem was that he wasn¡¯t able to be with me twenty-four/seven. What happened if someone tried to hurt me when he wasn¡¯t around? Sure, he could put bodyguards on me, but that wasn¡¯t the same as his loving protection. Someone assigned to protect me would never have the same passion about it as Giovani would.


    His thumb skated across my nipple and sent my worries out of my head. I tilted my neck back so that he could press soft kisses just under my chin, one of my favorite ces. Delicious shivers radiated out from his kisses and down my back, working the stress out of my body and recing it with growing desire.


    I opened my eyes to look at him and felt momentarily out of ce. I had forgotten that we were in my old bedroom, not together in our new room as we usually were. Looking around, I decided that I didn¡¯t want to be together like this in this room. It reminded me of when we had to sneak around and had Alessandro adding a ridiculous amount of extra stress to our lives.


    ¡°Can we go to our bed?¡± I asked.


    Gio lifted his head up from where he had been kissing his way down my neck. He looked into my eyes, trying to read my emotions.


    ¡°Of course, carina.¡±


    He pulled his hand away from my breast and fixed my shirt so that we could walk down the hall without looking indecent. He stood up from the bed and readjusted himself. I blushed to see the barely-contained erection. I didn¡¯t think I would ever get used to the way he physically reacted to me.


    Gio held his hand out and helped me up off of the bed. As I turned to walk out the door, he pulled me back toward him and wrapped me into a fierce hug.


    ¡°Just be honest with me, my love. Just tell me what you¡¯re thinking. Please.¡± His voice was full of desperation as he clung to me.


    I hugged him back, my voice too thick with emotion to answer him. It didn¡¯t matter anyway; I had no idea what to say. After a few moments, he let me go, and we walked to our room hand in hand. No matter how good his hand felt circled around mine, it couldn¡¯t keep my anxious thoughts from swirling.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if this was ever going to work.

 Chapter 375 : Back to Class

    <h4>Chapter 375: Chapter 375 : Back to ss</h4>


    *Olivia*


    After a break that wasn¡¯t nearly as rxing as I had hoped it would be, it was already time to get back to ss. I was nervous that going back might trigger even worse anxiety and fear within me, but part of me looked forward to getting back into my routine.


    Leaving Paris early and being forced to spend the rest of the break wallowing in my own fear had been terrible for my mental health. And although I loved the extra time with Giovani, I also knew it was important for me to have my own life separate from him. I trusted that he could keep me safer than anybody else could, but I couldn¡¯t live my life glued to his hip. I had to have my own life too.


    To my surprise, the first day back had gone smoothly. I¡¯d made it to all of my sses on time, and the extra guards that Gio had assigned to Dahlia and I really had made me feel safer.


    Gone were the days of wishing we didn¡¯t have bodyguards. Now, I was happy to have the muscr men following me around. There was still an undercurrent of fear that I couldn¡¯t seem to shake, but getting back to my normal life was helping me keep my mind off of it.


    My sses had started back up as if we had never taken a break, and I was pleasantly tired by myst ss of the day, my head filled with new ideas, and my hand cramping slightly from taking so many notes.


    I walked into my art history lecture to see Caterina sitting next to an empty seat away from my usual seat. I took a deep breath and forced myself to sit next to her. Even though I felt awkward, I turned to her and smiled, then asked how her break had gone.


    ¡°It was amazing!¡± she gushed. ¡°I got to travel to Mn and visit a few of my favorite fashion houses. I couldn¡¯t believe how lovely everything was. I already have a whole new wardrobe nned!¡±


    I was relieved that she didn¡¯t seem to want to hold on to the awkwardness that had been between us before the break. I had never been very good at dealing with interpersonal conflicts, so I was d to see that we could just forget the past and move on. I had taken for granted how easy it was to be friends with someone like Dahlia, who would tell me the second she had a problem with me so that we could talk it out. It was so much harder to try to make a new friend and navigate the beginnings of getting to know each other.


    ¡°Oh my god, that sounds fantastic, do you have any pictures?¡± I wished Dahlia was here. She would have loved to see this too.


    ¡°I do! I could really only get photos through the windows because a lot of ces are very exclusive about their designs, but let me show you the windows at Prada. They were my favorite,¡± she said as she pulled her phone from her bag and flipped through to find the pictures she wanted. ¡°You can see how they went with a really unique color palette here. The bright lights next to the red purses were incredible, and then you can see here where they put up these white silk scarves. My phone couldn¡¯t pick it up as well as I would¡¯ve liked, but you get the idea. It¡¯s almost like they were giving off this air of sinfulness and extravagance.¡±


    I studied the photo on her phone and understood exactly what she meant. The sleek red purses juxtaposed against the gauzy white scarves felt incredibly bold and brash. It was the same type of feeling I got when I put on blood-red lipstick and a little ck dress¨Covertly sexy, but in an elegant way.


    ¡°I love this so much. And you framed the picture perfectly, with the arches of the windows overhead. You are so talented!¡± I told her earnestly.


    My heart was filled with warmth as we continued to chat about her time in Mn. I was reminded of why Caterina and I had clicked in the first ce. We had such simr tastes, and she was incredibly insightful about art. I wanted to pick her brain even more about the fashion she¡¯d seen, but the professor began talking, and we both turned to take our notes.


    Although I loved art, I had been mentally prepared at the beginning of the school year for art history to be a potentially boring ss of lectures. I¡¯d heard horror stories of students being assigned to stare at one painting for three hours straight, or being forced to write a twenty-page essay on one statue, but this ss was nothing like that.


    Our professor was a short, energetic woman from France who spoke in slightly ented Italian. She often emphasized the points that she was most passionate about by repeating them in rapid French. Instead of boring us with straight facts about the artwork that we learned about, she loved to focus on the mysteries and scandals that seemed to make up a huge part of every historical artist¡¯s life.


    As she spoke, I liked to imagine what an art history ss might say about me someday, if I were ever lucky enough to make it big. I suspected my rtionship with Gio would be a central part of my story. At least, I hoped that it would be.


    Today, we were learning about Leonardo da Vinci, which was even more enjoyable now that I had seen the Mona Lisa in person.


    ¡°Now, let me tell you, there is no need to be making up fiction about da Vinci¡¯s life!¡± my professor said in Italian. ¡°The man was weird enough as it is. I¡¯ll bet you never heard about how he liked to dissect human corpses!¡±


    The entire ss gasped. The professor smiled, satisfied that she had managed to shock us all.


    ¡°Yep! People like to ask what¡¯s the secret behind Mona Lisa¡¯s smile, but maybe we don¡¯t want to know! It might just be the secrets of a mad scientist! Who needs Dr. Frankenstein when you¡¯ve got da Vinci out here taking people apart? The man imed he dissected at least thirty corpses! He did make some amazing art though. Let¡¯s look at a few of his most famous works, and then I¡¯ll show you some of his lesser-known stuff.¡±


    I was on the edge of my seat for the entire ss, writing notes as rapidly as possible. Afterward, I nced at Caterina and saw that she had been just as intrigued as I had by what our professor had to say about da Vinci.


    ¡°Wow, I thought I knew a lot, but turns out I had barely scratched the surface,¡± Caterina said.


    ¡°Same! I can¡¯t believe I never knew about the corpse thing. You know, I got to see the Mona Lisa over the break.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from sharing, I was bursting at the seams to tell someone about my short trip to Paris, and I knew that Caterina would enjoy hearing about the Louvre.


    ¡°Really?!¡± she eximed. ¡°That¡¯s so cool! I¡¯ve never been there. I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s a lot smaller than people think.¡±


    ¡°It was small, but I thought it was perfect. But my favorite piece at the Louvre was the sculpture Winged Victory of Samothrace. It was breathtaking to see in person. Absolutely so much bigger than I¡¯d imagined and just so perfect in every way.¡±


    ¡°I have always wanted to see that one too! I knew we were kindred spirits!¡±


    I glowed to hear her approval. It meant more to hear someone else who appreciated art as much as I didpliment my taste. Not that it was that unique of me to love one of the most famous and revered statues in the world, but that didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°You definitely have to go to the Louvre so you can see it,¡± I told her. ¡°It was even more amazing in person.¡±


    ¡°So, who did you go to Paris with? Or was it a solo trip?¡± she asked.


    I chewed my lip as I considered her questions. Surely, she was just innocently asking, right? I was so tired of this fucking fear and anxiety causing me to second-guess everything. Ignoring my paranoid thoughts, I decided to tell her the truth.


    ¡°My boyfriend took me. He¡¯s been there tons of times, but it was my first. It was just as magical as I thought it would be, and romantic of course.¡± I smiled to myself as I thought about the trip. Even with it being cut short, it really had been the trip of a lifetime.


    ¡°Oh of course!¡± she said in a teasing voice. ¡°But seriously, that sounds fantastic! Your boyfriend should be proud of himself. A lot of guys our age can barely n a dinner date, let alone an entire week-long trip!¡±


    ¡°Oh, um, yeah, he¡¯s actually a little bit older,¡± I stammered, not wanting to mislead her but also feeling weird about the turn the conversation was taking.


    ¡°Oh my! You are wilder than I thought!¡± sheughed.


    I smiled, d that she wasn¡¯t acting judgmental about my age-gap rtionship. I knew that it might sound weird for a woman as young as me to want to be with an older man, but when it came to Giovani and me, age really was just a number. I often forgot that we even had an age gap. We fit together so perfectly, especially now that we didn¡¯t have to keep our rtionship a secret.


    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯d love to get together with you one night for a study session. Have you been to that little coffee shop by the mathematics building? It¡¯s really cute!¡± Caterina effortlessly changed the subject.


    ¡°That sounds amazing. I¡¯d love to. Just let me know whenever you¡¯re free,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Alright, see ya!¡± She waved and headed out of the lecture hall.


    I gathered up my things and followed behind her, my steps light with happiness. Finally, I had managed to ovee this stupid fear that had been clinging to me for months. Maybe things would be okay after all! I couldn¡¯t wait to get home and tell Giovani all about my new friend.


    Outside of the building, I tilted my head up to feel the sunshine on my face. It was a crisp day, but the sun warmed my cheeks as I walked to the car. I found Dahlia about halfway there and jogged to catch up to her.


    ¡°Hey, Dolly! How was yourst ss?¡± I asked her.


    She turned to me and my heart immediately sank. Her face was as white as a sheet. She looked absolutely terrified.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, my fear wing its way back into my heart, threatening to make me hyperventte.


    ¡°This time, I got a note.¡±

 Chapter 376 : We Are Everywhere

    <h4>Chapter 376: Chapter 376 : We Are Everywhere</h4>


    *Olivia*


    The dark of the limo provided scant protection from the unseen enemies outside. I huddled close to Dahlia on the dark leather seat, and she drew herself just as closely into me, as though we could protect each other from such a threat. My hands hadn¡¯t stopped shaking since she told me about the note. I kept pinching myself, hoping I¡¯d wake up in Paris, back before my life hade crashing in.


    My arm was going ck and blue.


    Dom sat in the back with us instead of the front like usual, and I could see his hand hovering near his gun. I wanted to beforted by his presence, by the warm weight of Dahlia against my side, but I couldn¡¯t quite chase the fear away.


    Receiving a note myself had been terrifying, but knowing they managed to get someone so close to Dahlia again without her bodyguards noticing shook me to my core. I squeezed her hand just to remind myself she was here and okay.


    I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the phone call with my mom. I might be unhappy at home, but if the other option was being constantly terrified, did my unhappiness matter that much? Maybe I¡¯d be better off in America.


    My thoughts were racing out of control. Dahlia might have gotten a totally different note, and I needed to know before I did anything drastic.


    ¡°Can I see the note?¡± I murmured.


    She pulled her notebook out silently and offered it to me. I¡¯d never seen her so quiet, so pale. She wasn¡¯t falling apart like I always seemed to, but she definitely didn¡¯t have it all together.


    I swallowed and opened the notebook carefully to where a page had been torn away from the binding but left within. In thick, dark letters, it read, ¡°NOTHING CAN STOP US. WE ARE EVERYWHERE.¡±


    The writing looked exactly the same, down to the dents on the next page. My stomach flipped, and I pressed a hand to my mouth.


    Dahlia pressed a hand to her still-healing gunshot wound and offered me a rueful smile. ¡°Olive, I¡¯m a little scared.¡±


    I made a sound somewhere between augh and a sob. ¡°You know, Dolly, me too.¡±


    My hands shook worse than before as I slipped her notebook back into her bag. This had to be the same person, and I had to tell Gio. I took Dahlia¡¯s free hand to steady myself and pulled out my phone.


    He picked up on the second ring. ¡°All well, carina? I¡¯m a little busy.¡±


    I swallowed back the tears that rose in my throat as I heard his voice. I wished I could just copse in his arms and let him whisk me back to Paris, or anywhere else he wanted to go. ¡°No, everything¡¯s not okay. Dahlia got a note.¡±


    His voice instantly turned businesslike. ¡°You¡¯re on your way home.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I tried to keep the wobble out of my voice, to sound strong, but Dahlia squeezed my hand, so I don¡¯t think it worked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you there.¡± And with that, he hung up.


    I scrubbed the tears from my eyes. He probably just needed to wrap up some business to get home as soon as possible. The wonderful, loving man I was willing to put up with all this for would certainly have someforting words for me when we both got home.


    I pillowed my head on Dahlia¡¯s shoulders and willed the trip to pass as quickly as possible.


    When we arrived at thepound, all our bodyguards congregated around the door of the limo before we got out to create a perimeter between us and anybody who might be out there. Dom exined the process quickly, like it was nothing, but I couldn¡¯t help remembering the man in the park, the blood in my gto. No perimeter would prevent people from dying, even if those people weren¡¯t me or Dahlia. Even thepound walls didn¡¯t make me feel safe.


    We shuffled into the door surrounded by guards and headed right for the dining room. Neither Tallon nor Alessandro appeared on the way. I hoped they hadn¡¯t been told yet. The only other exnation for their absence I could think of was that they were already doing something... or that they¡¯d been taken.


    With the walls of thepound surrounding us, some color hade back to Dahlia¡¯s face. She flung her backpack down at the feet of one of the chairs, sat, and pulled out her notebook. ¡°So this was in my Business Ethics ss, and we did some group work. I wasn¡¯t away from my notebook for that long, but everybody was shuffling around, so I wasn¡¯t paying great attention.¡±


    I sat down much more carefully across from her, ncing at the big windows I once thought were so beautiful. Most of them looked out onto the courtyard, but if they could get someone into our school, why couldn¡¯t they get someone in here?


    ¡°But I think I definitely would¡¯ve noticed some rando walking up to me and writing in my notebook, so it only makes sense it was one of the people in my group. It¡¯s gotta be a student,¡± Dahlia continued. Finally, she looked up at me. ¡°You okay?¡±


    I shook my head, not trusting my voice.


    She smiled softly at me. ¡°We¡¯re safe in here. Nobody can get in. I promise.¡±


    I swallowed. ¡°I thought school was supposed to be safe,¡± I murmured.


    The front door mmed open, and heavy footsteps carried Gio into the dining room with us. His eyes zed, and his jaw was clenched. He looked us over intensely.


    ¡°Is everybody safe?¡± he asked.


    We nodded.


    He turned to the notebook. ¡°May I?¡±


    Dahlia pushed it toward him. ¡°I already ripped out the page so nobody else had to handle it. Should just be me and Olivia on there. I think it¡¯s a student doing this.¡±


    Gio turned around just as Tallon appeared behind him. He nodded sharply, then turned back to us.


    A little bit of my nerves subsided as Tallon shot me a cheeky grin and leaned against the wall. He was okay.


    Gio sat at the head of the table, what felt like lightyears away from Dahlia and me, and sighed heavily. ¡°I think you girls are going to have to take a break from school until we get this sorted out. It¡¯s just not possible to keep you safe in that environment.¡±


    Dahlia rocketed to her feet. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be fucking kidding me! A couple of Russians pay some kid to write a scary note, and you¡¯re just gonna let them win?¡±


    I looked up at my best friend, the picture of righteous rage, and her anger began to seep into me. She was right. It was probably just some kid, and Gio was caving to empty threats.


    Gio shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not letting them win. I¡¯m prioritizing.¡±


    The anger burned away my fear, leaving me shaking with the power of the new emotion now. I stood to join Dahlia. ¡°You¡¯re prioritizing? You¡¯re talking about our lives, our degrees! We came here to go to school, and I¡¯d damn well like to.¡±


    She smacked a hand on the table where the notebook used to lie. ¡°I spent all summer locked up in thispound like a prisoner, and I¡¯m not doing that for another minute for however goddamn long you see fit.¡±


    Gio folded his hands on the table, and I could see his knuckles go white as he gripped them tightly. He was trying to maintain his cool. Normally, I¡¯d care, try to check in, but with this white-hot anger burning in my veins, I was d he was mad.


    ¡°I am prioritizing your lives. A handful of credits aren¡¯t going to make a difference if you¡¯re dead,¡± he said slowly. ¡°I can make arrangements to ensure your progress isn¡¯t damaged by the leave of absence. You can work from here if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not just pieces you can move around on a chess board!¡± I¡¯d raised my voice at some point, and suddenly I found myself shouting down at the man I loved. I wanted to be more reasonable, but more and more, it felt like I had to lose everything to keep Gio, and I was getting tired of it.


    Tallon stepped forward, a hokey grin on his face. ¡°I mean, he is offering you like the greatest doctor¡¯s note ever. ¡®Can¡¯t go to school, too hunted by rival mafia.¡¯¡±


    I whirled on the man who was very nearly a brother to me. ¡°Fuck off, Tallon. Now is not the time for your stupid jokes.¡±


    He winced. ¡°Alright, alright. But I prefer you both alive to college educated.¡±


    Dahlia rolled her eyes. ¡°What? Are you taking his side to impress him into letting you stay here longer? The grown-ups are talking. Buzz off.¡±


    Gio stood suddenly and smashed his hands down on the table. ¡°I seem to have given you the impression that this is up for debate. It is not. I would love to be able to talk to you like adults, but you¡¯ve proven that impossible. You are leaving school, and you may return when we have resolved this threat.¡±


    The righteous anger turned into a boiling fury in the pit of my stomach. I felt like I was losing control of my life, my goals, everything, and in that moment, it felt like Gio was taking it from me. ¡°You¡¯re not in charge of me. You can¡¯t turn my life into this!¡±


    Gio looked at me with a cold anger in his eyes. I barely recognized the man I loved behind the towering fury, behind the mafia Don. ¡°Unfortunately, Olivia, I can. I am a significant donor to your college, and they always take my calls. I suggest you start getting used to the idea.¡±


    He turned and began walking to the door. ¡°Your only other option is to leave.¡±


    My mouth fell open as he stalked upstairs to his office. I¡¯d told him I was scared and thinking about going home because I trusted him. That he would throw that back in my face in front of Dahlia and Tallon almost felt like a worse betrayal than yanking me out of school.


    Tallon looked at me with wide, worried eyes, but I shrugged him off. I¡¯d apologize to himter, if I thought he needed one when I was less angry. I couldn¡¯t make sense of anything right now.


    Instead, I looked to Dahlia, whose mirrored rage seemed like a safer harbor in this storm.


    ¡°Fuck him,¡± I said.


    She nodded. ¡°Fuck him.¡±


    I crossed around the table to her. ¡°Wanna ask Maria to help us get astoundingly drunk?¡±


    A smile spread across her face, feral and furious. ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    I threaded my arm through hers, and we marched off toward the kitchen. Maybe if I got drunk enough, I could stop thinking about how good going back to America sounded right now.

 Chapter 377 : Can’t Keep Her Safe

    <h4>Chapter 377: Chapter 377 : Can¡¯t Keep Her Safe</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I mmed into my office, notebook in hand, and tried to think clearly through the swirl of emotions in my brain. I hated feeling scared, but this was twice that they had gotten to the women in school. They were picking off our people left and right, and with the notes, it felt like a direct threat against both women. I couldn¡¯t take a direct threatying down, not if I wanted to keep everyone safe.


    I grabbed my phone and dialed Gabriele.


    ¡°Another notebook incident. Get here now,¡± I spat as soon as I heard the line connect.


    ¡°I¡¯m with¡ª¡± he started.


    ¡°I know. I need you here.¡± I sat down heavily behind my desk and beheld the bottle of brandy off to the side, still shaking a little with the vibration of my heavy steps. Olivia needed me sharp. They both needed me sharp.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave promptly. Anything else?¡± he asked.


    I started to say no, then caught myself. ¡°Did we ever hear anything back about thest note?¡±


    Gabriele paused. I could almost hear him thinking. ¡°I didn¡¯t, but I¡¯ll make some calls.¡±


    ¡°Tell me anything you hear.¡± I hung up.


    I put my phone down and ran my hands through my hair, breathing out slowly. I¡¯d blown up at them down in the dining room, but they just weren¡¯t listening.


    I shook my head. I hadn¡¯t really blown up at Dahlia, and while I would have easily pulled Dahlia out of school, it wasn¡¯t fear for her that made me cast another longing nce at my decanter. I was scared for Olivia, and, frankly, mad at Olivia. She needed to listen when I told her we needed to do something for her safety. Otherwise, how was I ever going to protect her?


    I picked up my phone again, this time dialing Alessandro. He¡¯d been doing well ever since we¡¯d gotten him back from the kidnapping, and I wanted him in the loop as much as possible.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked through a thick cloud of background noise. I¡¯d sent him to wine and dine some of thepanies Dmitri was trying to destroy our rtionships with, and he seemed to be enjoying himself.


    I bit back a sigh at his casual tone and said, ¡°I need you to get back to thepound. We have a situation.¡±


    There was a brief pause. I heard a door close, and all the background noise disappeared. ¡°Is everybody okay? Tallon, Dahlia, Olivia?¡±


    At least he was learning when to take things seriously. But I needed his head on straight, especiallying from such a different situation. ¡°Everybody¡¯s okay, I just need you here.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± I heard the disbelief in his tone, but he didn¡¯t argue. Better.


    ¡°Get out of there carefully. We need to maintain those rtionships.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha.¡± He hung up.


    I stood. I couldn¡¯t keep sitting. I needed to get this energy out somehow.


    I¡¯d told Olivia that I couldn¡¯t talk to her like an adult. She had every right to be furious with me for that. It was a low blow, and I¡¯d apologize. Hell, I¡¯d apologize for blowing up at all. I¡¯d had a better handle on my temper thesest few years, but something about her brought all my emotions to the surface.


    I began pacing. If she¡¯d just said okay, I could have told her I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be out for more than a semester. But that was just more excuses, and I knew it. I could have told her then. I probably should have. It wasn¡¯t a guarantee, but our spy was well on their way to the upper echelons of the organization, and soon we¡¯d know enough to strike. Even just telling her that might have made her less angry. I wasn¡¯t use to sharing this sort of information outside of my key capos.


    I clenched my fists, wishing I had something to hit in here. She kept saying that I needed to tell her more, and I wanted to do that for her, but she made it difficult when she fought back.


    I¡¯d dated women before, women in this type of life already, women who knew when to listen because the stakes were too high to argue. I kept trying to treat Olivia like those women, but the truth was, she¡¯d caught my eye because she was different.


    I imagined, for a moment, what Olivia would be like if she didn¡¯t push back on me. If she was the sort of perfect, docile mob girlfriend people say they¡¯re looking for, if she took all of this in stride, if she was the sort of girlfriend I¡¯d had¨Cand I¡¯d dumped¨Ca dozen times.


    A calm, cool certainly stole over me. I didn¡¯t want that because that wouldn¡¯t be my Olivia. I loved her, and that meant loving all the things she did that drove me wild. I would always want her to stand up and yell at me when I made her mad, no matter how hard that made my life.


    That¡¯s why I had to do anything to keep her safe.


    I cracked my knuckles and sat back down at my desk. I had a direct line to an administrator at the university in charge of donor rtions, an irritatingly peppy woman who I¡¯d been running all my increasing bodyguard requests through over the past month. I couldn¡¯t stand her, but she never asked me what I did that might be putting her students in this much danger, and I appreciated that at least.


    I dialed, and she picked up on the first ring as always.


    ¡°Hello, Signore Valentino! How can I help you today?¡±


    I sighed heavily and tried not to take my lingering frustration out on her. ¡°Signora Lombardi, sorry to be calling you again so quickly after thest time.¡±


    ¡°No trouble at all! You know how we appreciate your contributions, and we are equally worried about the safety of our students here. Please, just let me know what I can do!¡± she chirped.


    I never liked Signora Lombardi, but at least she¡¯d never said no to me.


    ¡°Thank you for being so amodating about the bodyguards. I actually have another safety concern. There have been a few incidents and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh no!¡± she interrupted. ¡°What sort of incidents? Were any other students harmed? I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡±


    I gritted my teeth and tried to ignore the paltry faux concern in her voice. I knew she cared more about securing my donation than anything else, so I just had to leverage that before I crushed my phone to dust in my hand.


    ¡°Nothing for you to worry about. Everyone is alright,¡± I grumbled. ¡°But those two students we¡¯ve been talking about, Olivia Robinson and Dahlia Valentino? They¡¯re going to have to take the rest of the semester off or study from home.¡±


    She tutted. ¡°That¡¯s so unfortunate. I can just void their semester and refund the remainder of their tuition to you. They will have to take these sses over again if they ever decide to rejoin our student body if they don¡¯t finish them from home.¡±


    I clenched my hand around my phone and heard the stic groan. ¡°I was thinking they could get some credit and be automatically reenrolled for next semester for the time being.¡±


    She hesitated. ¡°Signore Valentino, I¡¯d love to be able to¡ª¡±


    I couldn¡¯t take any more bad news. ¡°There¡¯s no need to refund the remainder of the tuition, but if that¡¯s necessary to get them excused for the semester, I see no reason why it has tond in my bank ount rather than the ount of a hard-working woman like you.¡±


    I heard her teeth click shut on the other end of the phone. She typed a few things into a keyboard and hummed. ¡°Well, it seems there is an option to excuse students in personal physical danger for a semester or so. Ah, but you will not be getting back the semester¡¯s tuition unfortunately. There will be no zeroes on the girls¡¯ records, and we can discuss ss credit at the beginning of the spring semester.¡±


    I sighed in relief. ¡°Wonderful doing business with you as always, Signora Lombardi.¡±


    ¡°Have a lovely day!¡± she trilled.


    I hung up and dropped my head in my hands. Not pretty, but at least it was resolved. And now, there couldn¡¯t be any fight over whether or not they were leaving.


    I wished I could have the sort of rtionship with Olivia where we were equal partners and I told her everything. Maybe we could have that after Dmitri, when there would hopefully be a lull in threats against both of our lives, and she could have an opportunity to catch up on what being in this life actually meant. But currently, shecked the experience to know what to do in these situations. She was scared and away from home for the first time, and if she just trusted me, I could take care of her.


    All I needed to do was exin that to her, and we could figure out a way forward through this mess.


    I hoped.


    I heard Gabriele¡¯s decisive knock on my door. ¡°Come in!¡±


    He opened the door and stepped in quickly, looking me over. ¡°You look like shit.¡±


    I scrubbed my hands over my face. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep burning the candle at both ends and the middle. You¡¯re going to end up useless to us.¡±


    I threw my hands up in the air. ¡°What the hell else am I supposed to do? Somebody¡¯s killing my men in the streets, threatening my family, threatening my woman. I¡¯ll burn whatever I have to burn to get this done.¡±


    Gabriele opened his mouth, but another, more timid knock sounded on the door first.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I called.


    Alessandro opened the door and stuck his head in. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    I gestured him in, and he took his position next to Gabriele. I flipped the notebook on the table in front of me and took a deep breath, trying to be the don my men respected instead of a worried boyfriend they¡¯dugh at.


    ¡°Dahlia got the note this time. Looks like the same culprit to me, but we should get it tested.¡±


    Alessandro spit out a string of Italian swears. ¡°They can¡¯te after my sister again. She¡¯s been through enough.¡±


    Gabriele nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll take it to get tested, confirm the hypothesis.¡±


    I looked up at him sharply. ¡°Were there results fromst time?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Theb was so busy with the recent killings that they got buried. A couple of fingerprints on a sheet of notebook paper didn¡¯t rank as high as figuring out who hit us.¡±


    I clenched my fists. I wanted to know who was killing our guys. It wouldn¡¯t help anything to take out this fury on a couple of techs who didn¡¯t know any better. ¡°And?¡±


    Gabriele smiled, all teeth and not a hint of happiness. ¡°It¡¯s a student. And we have a name.¡±

 Chapter 378 : A Name

    <h4>Chapter 378: Chapter 378 : A Name</h4>


    *Olivia*


    We trekked all over the house to try to find Maria to no avail until Dahlia suddenly remembered her mentioning she had to go grocery shopping today, and we both decided it wasn¡¯t worth the effort of making drinks for ourselves. Instead, we tucked ourselves away in her room to sulk. I nestled myself under her nkets against her huge mountain of pillows, and she¡¯d settled next to me.


    After we burned out our first blush of rage ranting back and forth at each about how unreasonable Gio was being, and how unfair this was, and how we deserved to be able to make our dreamse true, a moment of quiet fell over us.


    ¡°What do you want to do, Olive?¡± Dahlia asked softly. I looked at her, and while she didn¡¯t look scared like she had in the limo, I noticed deep bags under her eyes for the first time. I¡¯d never seen her look so tired.


    I sighed. I¡¯d been spinning that question around in my mind for weeks, and I wasn¡¯t any closer to having a concrete answer than I had been on the first day I¡¯d found the note in ss. Even as furious as I was with Gio, I still loved him. I couldn¡¯t stop factoring him into my decision.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said honestly.


    Dahlia leaned up on her elbow. ¡°You don¡¯t want to leave him.¡± She didn¡¯t ask it like a question, but there was no judgment in her voice either.


    I dropped my head back against the pile of pillows and stared up at her gilded ceiling. Every time I started getting used to the luxury of this lifestyle, I found another thing that surprised me. ¡°Of course not, but I think it¡¯s a little moreplicated than that now.¡±


    Dahliaughed ruefully. ¡°You can say that again.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I keep getting asked what I want, but nobody else is offering opinions.¡± I sat back up and looked at my tired, scared best friend. ¡°What do you want to do, Dolly?¡±


    She put her hands up, copsing against her side of pillow mountain. ¡°Hey, I was just trying to give you space to figure things out cause I¡¯m more used to this life. You know I¡¯ll back you up, whatever you decide. But¡ª¡± She bit her lip, clearly wrestling with the end of her sentence.


    ¡°But what?¡± I prompted. ¡°We¡¯ve been threatened and forced to drop out of college today. How much worse can it get?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°But I think it might be smart to go home, both of us. We came here to get the whole college abroad experience, and we¡¯re not exactly gonna get that cooped up in your boyfriend¡¯s militarizedpound.¡± Dahlia shrugged. ¡°I definitely don¡¯t want to give up, but I do really miss feeling normal.¡±


    Those bags under her eyes jumped out at me again, and Iid down next to her. ¡°You might be right.¡±


    That quiet fell again after we both admitted to wanting to leave. Having it all out in the open, not just shouted at me in the middle of an argument, felt peaceful. I could think about leaving, about wanting to leave, without my heart pounding in my throat and making me feel a little sick. Whatever ended up happening, I knew Dahlia would be by my side. Hadn¡¯t that been the whole point of going to Italy together in the first ce?


    I turned my head to look at her and found her already looking at me. ¡°I love you, Dolly. I couldn¡¯t do this with anyone else.¡±


    She screwed up her face and shoved my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re such a sap.¡±


    Which, of course, I knew meant she loved me too.


    At that moment, somebody knocked on her door, and she hopped out of bed to answer it. I sat up and crossed my arms, ready to face down Gio or Gabriele or whatever other asshole was here to tell me what to do. I wasn¡¯t going to let him talk down to me like he had in the dining room again.


    ¡®Or,¡¯ a small voice in the back of my mind nagged, ¡®you could hear him out if he¡¯se to apologize.¡¯


    Dahlia swung open the door to reveal Gio and Alessandro. Behind them, I could just see Gabriele leaving out the main door. He waved as he went, and in his hand seemed to be the notebook paper in a stic bag for safekeeping. Gio nodded sharply at him.


    Dahlia positioned herself in the middle of the doorway with her arms crossed, not letting them in. ¡°Have youe to apologize, or are you here to yell more?¡±


    Gio sighed, and his eyes flickered to me. Certainly, the anger in them had dimmed, but I couldn¡¯t quite parse the emotion that had taken its ce.


    ¡°Neither,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re here with answers.¡±


    Dahlia nced at me, and I nodded. Whatever answers they had, I certainly wanted to hear. She stepped out of the doorway and rejoined me on the bed. Gio stepped in and, after a moment¡¯s hesitation, Alessandro followed. The two of them stopped in the middle of the room.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What do you know? Can we go back to school?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Do either of you know a student named Joey Mancini?¡± Gio asked,pletely ignoring me. He¡¯d barely even looked at me, and now he wasn¡¯t listening either? I took a deep breath, trying not to snap at him when he was finally offering me some information, and racked my memory.


    ¡°I definitely don¡¯t, but you¡¯re better acquainted with the male poption, Dolly,¡± I said.


    Dahlia stuck her tongue out at me. ¡°I¡¯ve been out with a heaping handful of Joeys already, but I don¡¯t think any of them have thest name Mancinni.¡±


    Gio nodded, but Alessandro looked a little disappointed. I waited a moment, but even though Alessandro looked at Gio like he expected him to say something, neither exined any further. God, I hated feeling like getting a single answer required teeth-pulling, but clearly, I wasn¡¯t going to get anything if I didn¡¯t. Gio would just stand there with a distant look in his eye and nothing to say.


    ¡°Why?¡± I prompted.


    Gio shook his head as if leaving a reverie and crossed his arms. ¡°Ourb techs found that Joey Mancini left the first note. We¡¯re getting the second tested, but we were able to ess his bank ount information, and he received two ten-thousand Euro payments, one on the day you got your note,¡± he nodded to me, ¡°and the other today. It¡¯s quite likely he was responsible for both threats.¡±


    I swallowed. Joey Mancini¨CI had a name to put to the feeling of unsafety that chased me around my college campus at least. I wish I had a face. More than that, I wish we had the puppet master.


    ¡°So he¡¯s just some rando student they paid off?¡± Dahlia asked.


    Alessandro shrugged. ¡°I mean, not random. He shares sses with both of you, and he was going to have to drop out because he couldn¡¯t pay for next semester before this. I¡¯d have picked him, too.¡±


    Dahliaunched a pillow at his head. ¡°Don¡¯t congratte our enemies like that.¡±


    Alessandro tried to catch the pillow but only seeded in iling his arms before it bounced off his nose. ¡°I wasn¡¯t congratting them! It was a lucky break.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve gotten a few too many lucky breaks,¡± Gio muttered. He still stood in the middle of the room, unamused by the sibling antics, staring off into the distance like he was on another.


    ¡°He was in my ss?¡± I ran through my memory again furiously. All of my general education sses were in big lecture halls, so I barely recognized half my ssmates, much less knew their names. It would be so easy for somebody to sneak by me unnoticed.


    I shivered. I didn¡¯t want to admit it, but perhaps Gio was onto something, taking us out of school.


    Gio nodded. ¡°Gabriele is going to find him. If he is, as you put it, a random student, it shouldn¡¯t be hard.¡±


    I winced. I knew certain things had to happen, but I didn¡¯t want to think about what would happen when Joey got found. I still had nightmares sometimes about a few off-handedments Gabriele had made about fingernails. I wanted Joey to stop threatening me, but I would be perfectly fine with him keeping all of his nails intact.


    Dahlia grabbed another pillow, clearly preparing tounch it. ¡°Okay, you¡¯ve got the culprit. Does that mean we get to go back to school now?¡±


    I was about to grab a pillow myself when Gio turned the full force of his attention to me for the first time since he stepped into the room. I could have drowned in his eyes. Love and attention and apology poured out of them, and I felt like I was floating over to him on a cloud.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already called the school. You¡¯ll be able to resume sses next semester with no consequences.¡±


    I thudded back down to Earth. ¡°Why? If you have the guy, why can¡¯t we go?¡±


    I hated how whiny I sounded, but I didn¡¯t know what else to do.


    Gio nced at Alessandro and Dahlia, then back at me. I could tell he didn¡¯t want to answer me with an audience, but I wasn¡¯t much in the mood to concede to his whims.


    ¡°Carina, it¡¯s not safe,¡± he murmured, voice pitched only for me.


    Alessandro looked away, but Dahlia only put down her pillow, tucked her knees into her chest, and waited like we were her favorite TV show.


    ¡°But you know who did it,¡± I insisted.


    He took a faltering step closer. ¡°They can find someone else. And when we close this avenue, they¡¯re likely to get frustrated and try something more drastic. There¡¯s just no way I can keep you safe in a ce with that many unknowns.¡±


    ¡°I liked having a life of my own.¡± I tried to keep my voice steady, to sound like a reasonable person making a reasonable argument, but I sounded like I was on the verge of tears.


    ¡°And I will figure out a way that you can have that again, just not right now. But please, carina.¡± He extended a hand to me. ¡°Come with me to our room so we can talk this over in a little more privacy.¡±


    I looked at his hand, hovering in the air. Dahlia thought we should go back to America. I thought that more days than not. Gio looked at me with eyes that overflowed with love and begged me for one more chance.


    I just didn¡¯t know if it was safe to give it to him.

 Chapter 379 : Apologies and Promises

    <h4>Chapter 379: Chapter 379 : Apologies and Promises</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I rose from my seat on Dahlia¡¯s bed and put my hand in Gio¡¯s. A brilliant smile broke over his face like the suning up over the horizon, and I couldn¡¯t help but meet it with one of my own. When he smiled like that, I remembered how much I loved him, how much I wanted to be the one to make him smile. He might have been difficult sometimes, too caught up in mafia business and stubborn, but I would give almost anything to see that smile.


    Dahlia giggled, and Gio¡¯s gaze shot away from my face.


    ¡°Perhaps we should go to our room, carina,¡± he said.


    I nodded. We had a lot of stuff to figure out before I¡¯d be happy to sleep in there with him again, but I actually wanted to do the figuring.


    Hand in hand, we left Dahlia¡¯s room and trekked to the one we shared. He didn¡¯t say anything on the walk, so I let my gaze wander. Despite the opulence, this ce was heavily fortified. I could just barely make out guards ducking around the corner as we passed and bolts that implied reinforcement to the walls.


    A shiver ran down my spine. I loved Gio. I wanted to fix this. But no matter what, I would have to be ready to live a life with steel-reinforced walls.


    We turned into the bedroom, and Gio shut the door quietly behind us. I hesitated, waiting for him to say something, but instead, he just stepped forward and enfolded me in a hug.


    I wound my arms around his waist, under the suit jacket, and let myself enjoy thefort of his presence. He was so much taller than me, so much broader, that I simply disappeared into his arms.


    I buried my face in his chest, inhaling the woodsy scent of his soap. His suit wrinkled under my face, and he gave no sign of noticing. Nothing could reach me in there. Despite everything, there was still no ce I felt safer than in Gio¡¯s arms.


    We stood like that for a few minutes, allowing the fight and the fear to fall away and leave behind two people madly in love with each other. Then, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of my head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, carina,¡± he murmured.


    I tilted my head up to look at him. I wanted to see his eyes when he said this. ¡°Sorry for what?¡±


    He smiled indulgently at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry forshing out at you downstairs, and I¡¯m sorry for all the danger my business puts you in. I¡¯m sorry you can¡¯t follow your dreams right now, this second.¡± He kissed my head again. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯te in and kiss you immediately.¡±


    I considered his words. ¡°Were you scared?¡±


    He ttened his mouth into a line for a moment, then nodded.


    ¡°You get bossy when you¡¯re scared, and I don¡¯t like that very much,¡± I said.


    Heughed. ¡°Normally, when I get bossy, to use your word, everybody falls in line. You don¡¯t, but I think I like that very much.¡± He squeezed me tighter like he couldn¡¯t stand to be even that far away. ¡°We¡¯re going to get these guys. Joey should have some answers, and we¡¯ve got some pieces in ce, and between those, I¡¯m hoping we can finish this soon.¡±


    My heart soared, but I studied his face for any sign of exaggeration. ¡°Really?¡±


    He nodded, and certainty shone out of his eyes. ¡°Really. And after that, I will make all of this up to you. You can go back to school, or find a new school, or get a job making paninis for tourists. We can go on a month-long tour of Europe... whatever you want.¡±


    If I wasn¡¯t in his arms, I would have spun around in circles. This was my Gio, the Gio I loved, who listened to me and cared what I thought. All ns of moving back to America fled my mind as he leaned in as if he was going to kiss me. I tilted my head up, but he paused.


    ¡°For now, carina, can you trust me? I am happy to talk things over with you in quiet moments like this, but sometimes I just need things done to keep everyone safe.¡± His eyebrows knitted, and I knew instantly he was worried this would be the dealbreaker, that I would go storming out of the room, back to Dahlia, maybe even back to America.


    I paused. My heart wanted me to leap headfirst, but I had to stop making promises I couldn¡¯t keep. When things were dangerous, could I trust that he knew best? Could I let him make the calls, even when the fear weighed me down and clouded my mind?


    I looked into his beautiful eyes, shining with fear and love. ¡°Yes,¡± I said.


    He leaned down, crushing his mouth against mine. I melted into him, and all the time between now and Paris disappeared as he ran his tongue along the seam of my lips. I opened for him with a soft moan. One of his hands ran up my back and into my hair, grabbing tightly as though he was afraid of me pulling away. I pushed up into the kiss, assuring him I wasn¡¯t going anywhere.


    His other hand quickly found the hem of my T-shirt and slipped underneath, palming the skin of my waist. A new fire lit between my legs, and I ground myself against him as I began to yank his shirt out of his pants so I could get ess to his skin. He chuckled against my mouth.


    ¡°Excited?¡± he teased.


    I made a low sound I barely recognized as myself and pulled him back down into the kiss. I¡¯d missed him worse than I realized, and the fire was quickly building into a raging inferno. I craved his body, the release he would give me, and I didn¡¯t much feel like waiting for whatever the teasing tone in his voice implied.


    I gave up on untucking his shirt and began furiously working the buttons with fumbling fingers. He ran his hand up my ribcage to brush the bottom of my bra, and I groaned my impatience. He pulled away from the kiss to watch me struggle with a small smile on his face, his thumb still running tauntingly over the bottom of my clothed breast.


    I yanked his shirt open and heard buttons scatter. Maybe I didn¡¯t get to go to school anymore; maybe I didn¡¯t know what tomorrow would hold or where any of the seemingly endless threats wereing from, but I had Gio, and I intended to make the most of that.


    I leaned in, dragging my tongue over his nipple, and he groaned. I looked up at him, my mouth still on his chest, to see that his pupils had blown wide, and his mouth had fallen slightly open. The hand in my hair tightened, and the fire between my legs zed. I wanted to take him apart, I realized. See him with none of the careful control and attention he¡¯d been wielding since Paris, just Gio, my Gio.


    I attached my mouth to his nipple and sucked, scraping it gently with my teeth. He groaned a little louder, and I smiled. Ivished attention over it, then turned to the other one, leaving a trail of dark hickies in the space between. His hips began jerking aimlessly, and every time I tried something new, the hand in my hair tightened so much it almost hurt, but that only spurred me on.


    When I¡¯d teased both his nipples to attention, a loud moan fell from his mouth with abandon, I pulled away and smiled at him. ¡°Excited?¡±


    He gaped at me, then leaned in for another crushing kiss. I took control, pushing my tongue into his mouth, enjoying the way this powerful mafia Don turned to putty in my hands. He seemed to remember the hand on my breast, pulling the cup of my bra down under my shirt to get ess to my nipple, his hands now fumbling with the intensity of his desire. I moaned into his mouth, then pulled away from the kiss. I needed release, craved it like a drug, but I wanted to see how far I could push him first.


    He stared at me with confused, lust-clouded eyes. We¡¯d barely stepped away from the door, so it was easy to reposition him with his back against it, pull off my top, and drop to my knees.


    Now level with his waist, I could see the enormous erection tenting his pants. He wound a hand into my hair again as I undid his belt and his buttons slowly. His cock bulged against his underwear, and I ran a finger down it, eliciting another low groan. I grabbed the waist of his pants and underwear and yanked them both down to his ankles, leaving him mostly bare in front of me. His cock bounced free, a bead of precum on the tip.


    I ran my hands back up his legs, and he brought his other hand to my hair, already pressing me forward. I resisted, taking my length in his hands first and pumping a few times. His head thumped back against the door. I leaned forward to lick off the precum and back again.


    ¡°Fuck, Olivia, please.¡± He sounded wanton, desperate, and the please shot straight to my aching pussy.


    I bobbed forward, taking in as much of his length as I could in one go, and he moaned loudly. I worked the remainder of his length with a hand, and I could feel the muscles of his thighs straining not to thrust into me.


    I pulled back slowly, licking the bottom of his cock, and went deeper. He continued to pull my hair, creating a bright frisson of pain, and I moaned with him in my mouth. The dam of his control broke, and suddenly we were moving together, both of us working to get as much of his enormous cock into my mouth as possible. I felt the tip hit the back of my throat, but I was more used to the feeling this time, and I barely gagged.


    The sensation made him moan loudly, and I took one hand off the scant inches remaining to fondle his balls. He fucked harder into my mouth, thrusts bing uneven and desperate in a way I knew meant his release was close. I licked around the tip, scraped my teeth gently along the top, and just as I knew he was about toe, I pulled back.


    ¡°Olivia!¡± He came, and I looked up into his eyes as thick ribbons of cum sttered against my chest and throat.


    His pupils were blown wide, and his eyes looked wild. A little bitnded on my lip, so I licked it off, savoring the bitter, salty vor. His hands dropped limply from my hair, and I took him in, mostly naked and spent at my behest. I felt powerful in a way I hadn¡¯t in a long time.


    As he caught his breath, I stood and slowly stripped off the rest of my clothes. He watched me with heavy-lidded eyes. I made no attempt to remove the cum covering my chest as I walked to the unused bed, andid down.


    I turned back to him. ¡°You¡¯re not going to leave me hanging, are you?¡±


    He crossed the room so quickly I barely saw him move. The springs bounced, and my naked, cum-covered chest met his. I moaned at the feeling as I slipped a hand between us, feeling the slick already dripping down my thighs. I wouldn¡¯t need any help to fit him in, but I could resist the desire to fit one finger, then a second into my pussy as he positioned himself.


    I moaned loudly as he ripped my hand away and fit his cock into ce. Gio looked at me for one moment with dark, wild eyes, finding my clit with a spare hand before he rammed into me up to the hilt in a single motion.


    A scream tore from my lips as he fucked me, dropping his lips to the stter of cum on my chest, wiping me clean andvishing attention on my rock-hard nipples with his tongue. I wound a hand into my own hair, pulling like he had while I¡¯d sucked his cock.


    My orgasm came like a freight train, and I screamed his name into his shoulder. He pulled back for a mere moment to check on me, then continued fucking into me hard and fast until he reached another orgasm of his own, copsing bonelessly on top of me.


    We caught our breath in unison, both of us knowing that would be far from the only orgasms we achieved before dinner.

 Chapter 380 : Dinner Party

    <h4>Chapter 380: Chapter 380 : Dinner Party</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Thoroughly content, I didn¡¯t realize how exhausted I had been until the bed dipped as Gio sat next to me, his warm, calloused hand stroking the skin of my back that was still exposed to the air.


    ¡°Carina,¡± he purred, brushing my hair away from my neck as Iy on my stomach, syed out into the massive bed. Heid a soft and tender kiss on my neck, the rumble of his chest vibrating as he said, ¡°It¡¯s time to get up.¡±


    The nkets I was wrapped in shifted as I groaned unhappily, stretching my legs under the covers as Giovani chuckled above me. Woken from my nap after our delightful little exercise, the veryst thing I wanted to do was get up.


    ¡°For what?¡± I pouted into the pillow, still not opening my eyes a wink.


    ¡°Dinner.¡± Heughed, and though I couldn¡¯t see him behind my eyelids, I knew he had that smile I loved stretched across his lips.


    I hummed, acknowledging his words. Now that he brought it up, my stomach began to rumble at the thought of food.


    ¡°I am hungry,¡± I admitted begrudgingly.


    ¡°Then you¡¯ve gotta get up, carina,¡± he said, ying along with my little petnt routine.


    I wrinkled my nose in distaste, not wanting to roll out of the soft, warm,fy bed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna,¡± I whined, opening up one eye as I rolled onto my side to face him. I gave him my widest, most innocent look as I opened up my arms wide. ¡°Carry me?¡±


    His eyes shed with desire, despite everything we had just done, and I smiled coyly as he leaned in close until his lips barely brushed against the tip of my ear.


    ¡°I would love to,¡± his voice rumbled, deep as it was quiet. I hung on to his every word, my whole body tingling with anticipation. ¡°But I¡¯m the only one allowed to see you naked, carina.¡±


    Realization dawned on me suddenly and I pped open the sheet covering my chest, remembering now that I hadn¡¯t put on clothes. I had fallen asleep after Gio had fully satisfied me, without dressing or anything.


    I nced at the floor, searching for the clothes I¡¯d discarded but the carpet waspletely clean.


    Giovani grinned like the Cheshire cat, his eyes ridden with humor, and I saw the warning signs but I could do nothing as he ripped the nket straight from my hands, exposing my entire naked body to the cold air.


    ¡°No,¡± Iined, wrapping a hand around my chest as I sat up, ring at my lover with the scorn he deserved. ¡°What did you do with my clothes?¡±


    Heughed, his shoulders shaking with the sound as he got to his feet. He was fully dressed in a button-down shirt, vest, and cks. Even his expensive Italian shoes were on, while I waspletely bare as the day I was born.


    I red at him, my hair spilling around my shoulders as I could only hope he had mercy on me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll dress you just like you wanted,¡± he smirked, and my eyes widened as he suddenly grabbed onto my ankles and pulled me across the silky sheets. I yelped out of surprise, my legs dangling off the edge as he pulled me under his fully clothed body.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I huffed, blowing my hair away from my face.


    ¡°Just trust me,¡± he chuckled.


    I eyed him suspiciously but rxed as he reached over to a prepared pile of clothes on one of the nearby chairs. I couldn¡¯t see much of the fabric before his warm lips were covering mine, fully distracting me.


    I moaned into his mouth as he teasingly bit my bottom lip. He chuckled as he pulled away, his eyes soft and warm as he gazed down at me. His calloused hands gently ran down my smooth legs, gentle like he usually was with me.


    I was boneless under his hands,pletely under his control as he maneuvered me to his liking.


    He pulled my knees apart, stepping inside smoothly, and the familiar position was enough to send a jolt to my hindbrain.


    But Gio had other ideas.


    I was almost disappointed when he raised up one of my legs and gently slid on a pair of bright red panties. Almost more lingerie than true underwear, he ran it up to my knee and then grabbed the other leg, sliding them on.


    I let him do what he wanted, just enjoying having his hands on me so intimately. This felt different from sex, somehow more personal.


    I lifted myself a bit to let him guide the underwear over the curve of my ass.


    Next came the bra, and I was surprised by the experience he had as he guided the cups over my mounds andtched it in the back, pulling the straps up around my armsst. Next came a short little cocktail dress, pretty but simple just the way I liked, and I giggled, happily lifting my arms to let him pull it over my shoulders.


    I pulled it all the way down, settling it down to just above my knees. It was tight on my figure but in a cozy way. I ran my fingers down my waist, adoring the soft feel of the fabric.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± Giovani breathed, leaning down to kiss me as his arms snaked around my waist. I held him in ce, my arms around his neck.


    I gasped into his mouth as he lifted me straight off the bed and onto my feet. He gave me no time as he swung me around, our lips still connected somehow.


    When we broke apart, I burst into giggles and he smiled, tucking my hair behind my ear.


    ¡°Come on then, Everybody¡¯s waiting,¡± Gio grinned, giving me onest kiss on the cheek before he grabbed my hand and pulled me along.


    ¡°Everybody?¡± I asked, skeptically. Who counted as everybody?


    I swung my hand in Gio¡¯s, walking by his side as we left our suite and headed for the dining room. The kitchen was busy and the smells of sizzling steak filled my nose, the popping sound recognizable from a mile away.


    ¡°Smells good,¡± I sighed, cing a hand over my rumbling belly.


    ¡°Should be.¡± He chuckled as we turned into the kitchen. ¡°I went a little overboard tonight. I thought it would be a good chance for all of us to rx.¡±


    I saw what he meant as soon as we stepped into the dining room. My eyes went wide at the fancy decor set up. The whole twelve-person table had been brought out and decorated with all the items I expected from a fancy restaurant.


    Red napkins were folded andid out over every piece of china as side dishes were being brought out and set like a glorious feast. A whole roast bird, steaks and chops, and every side imaginable were piled on the table.


    And quite a few spots had been filled up already.


    Tallon and Alessandro sat side by side and Dahlia sat across from them. Even Gabriele sat further down the table, looking through a man folder instead of paying attention to the table¡¯s other guests.


    The three siblings were making funny faces at one another, clearly in the midst of another sibling argument.


    ¡°Finally!¡± Tallon grinned as he spotted the two of us standing in the doorway. ¡°We were about to starve!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be dramatic,¡± Dahlia rolled her eyes but grinned and waved at us toe over.


    I beamed as I pulled Gio along, settling into the chair beside her with Giovani at the head of the table next to me.


    I squeezed his hand under the table, mouthing thank you before I let go and pulled the napkin off my te. My attention was immediately captured by the food, still hot from just off the oven.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat!¡± Giovani dered.


    Conversation exploded between us as the food was sliced up and distributed between the tes. Dahlia and I quickly fell into a conversation about outfits as Alessandro, Gabriele, and Giovani talked about work specifics.


    Tallon kept going back and forth between both conversations, cracking his usual jokes between bites of perfectly seared sirloin.


    I sipped on the red wine and all of the stress that had been building finally washed away. I felt stronger and brighter surrounded by the people I cared about most in the world. Soon, my stomach was filled to the brim with wine and good food, and I couldn¡¯t eat another bite even if I wanted to.


    I yawned, my tired body hitting me now. Though I missed school, I was actually d I¡¯d have time to rx. I could finally take the time I needed toe down from all the pressure of everything that had happened.


    Dahlia and I leaned on each other for support as the night drew long, even after all of us had finished devouring the feast in front of us. I could barely keep my eyes open as I listened to the conversation between the boys.


    ¡°And they¡¯re showing a remarkable improvement,¡± Alessandro was saying about someone I¡¯d missed, nodding to himself.


    ¡°You did well,¡± Gio praised him with an easygoing smile. ¡°We¡¯ll have all this sorted out soon enough. Did you decide who you¡¯re going to take as your new second?¡±


    Alessandro stiffened and actually nced at Tallon, who smiled a bit nervously.


    ¡°Actually, I was hoping I could help out,¡± Tallon piped up. ¡°I figured I could work with Alessandro if that¡¯s okay.¡±


    Giovani blinked in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s fine with me, Tallon, but it¡¯s really up to Alessandro..¡±


    At the nces from both his younger brother and elder cousin, Alessandro just nodded in silent agreement.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Giovani agreed. ¡°That¡¯s settled then.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re working with them,¡± Dahlia spoke loudly, my whole body flinching from the sudden volume as she leaned her whole face on my shoulder. ¡°Then you better start killing your own spiders	.¡±


    ¡°It was one time!¡± Tallon huffed, crossing his arms.


    ¡°This week,¡± Dahlia retorted without even opening her eyes.


    I giggled, the boys grinning into their drinks as they stayed out of it. But just as Tallon opened his mouth to argue more, a loud ringtone rang out through the room.


    Every eye snapped to Gabriele, who frowned at his phone as it vibrated in tune with the sound on top of the table.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± he said, getting to his feet as he answered the call and left.


    ¡°You have him?¡± I heard him say before he faded around the corner.


    I felt Gio¡¯s hand stiffen around mine, and I frowned worriedly at him as he got to his feet and followed after Gabriele. Alessandro made a move to get up as well, but Gio just said ¡°Stay here. We¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Gio kissed my forehead, whispering, ¡°Work calls, I love you,¡± before he disappeared around the corner. Then he was gone, intent on finding out what was happening with Gabriele¡¯s call and leaving me behind once more.

 Chapter 381 : Checkmate

    <h4>Chapter 381: Chapter 381 : Checkmate</h4>


    *Giovani*


    Joey Mancinni was a patient young man. That much was clear from the anxious way he tapped the edge of his fingernails on the table he sat at. The seat itself was made of velvet cushioning, and he shifted every few seconds like he couldn¡¯t getfortable.


    The hotel room around him was clearly above his station, and he knew it. With a glorious floor-to-ceiling window view overlooking the massive gardens andke features of the expensive hotel, Mr. Mancinni hadn¡¯t nced out at it even once.


    He¡¯d taken his seat at the table and ignored the luxury bed and expensive artwork hanging from the walls. He didn¡¯t even search through the drawers where gold jewelry had been nted for him to find.


    No, Mr. Mancinni knew his ce; that much was evident.


    A single night at this hotel was clearly more than he could ever afford, even if he worked for the rest of his life.


    Mr. Mancinni sat there, nervous and panicky since the moment he¡¯d been escorted inside hours ago, and a less patient man would¡¯ve gone mad in the istion. But even as the sun died and the night cast long shadows into the hotel room, he did not move from his seat.


    He waited.


    I tilted my head, watching the man behind the two-way mirror we¡¯d set up on the wall. It had only been twenty minutes since I¡¯d arrived at the Firenze and firstid eyes on the man who had slipped those terrifying notes to Olivia and Dahlia.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure it¡¯s him?¡± I asked again, unable to believe the scrawny prick of a kid in the hotel room was working with the Russians. Did he even know who he was working for, or had they hidden their identity?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gabriele nodded beside me. ¡°Besides the waiting, he¡¯s been treated to the utmost hospitality. He seems to think it¡¯s the Russians he¡¯s talking to.¡±


    ¡°Flight risk?¡± I asked, frowning as Mr. Mancinni nervously nced around the room, his backpack held in hisp tightly. His fear of the men he¡¯d been working for was obvious.


    So then why¡¯d he do it?


    ¡°Not likely,¡± Gabriele shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s just a third party in all of this, only following orders. I doubt he has the balls to run.¡±


    I hummed in acknowledgment.


    ¡°Block the doors anyway,¡± I dered. ¡°And shut down the hallway for maintenance. Leave no chance of letting him escape. He¡¯s the best lead we have right now.¡±


    ¡°Done,¡± Gabriele said, pulling out of his phone to make the call.


    I stared at the kid. He was clearly around Olivia and Dahlia¡¯s age, if a bit older, and I wondered what had gotten him so caught up in all of this mess.


    But none of that mattered right now.


    Willingly participant or not, he¡¯d taken the money and threatened Olivia and Dahlia.


    There was no empathy left for me to give to him.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready,¡± Gabriele dered once he put away his phone.


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I turned away from the mirror and headed for the room on the other side. The halls were empty just like I wanted, the plush velvet carpet sinking under the weight of my shoes as I made my way to the next door.


    The que imed it was room 1145, though the hotel didn¡¯t have nearly that many rooms. Two guards posted themselves to the wall beside the door, both nodding at me and Gabriele as we passed.


    ¡°No one goes in or out until I say so,¡± I firmly instructed them.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± they both replied.


    I twisted the gold handle to the door, entering a room that was mostly fake, something we¡¯d created to give an impression.


    Joey Mancinni jumped as soon as the door opened, his whole body radiating nervous energy as he got to his feet. His backpack fell to the ground with a thump, something heavy rattling around in there.


    ¡°Who are you guys? Are you new?¡± he asked with suspicion in his eyes as he rounded the table, backing away from the two of us.


    ¡°Take a seat, Joey,¡± I said calmly, as I heard Gabriele shut the door and the lock clicked into ce.


    Mr. Mancinni paled two shades of white.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the guys from before, are you?¡± he whispered fearfully. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t y that game with us, Mr. Mancinni,¡± Gabriele said, giving him a piercing stare, ¡°not if you want to walk out of here alive. Now, take a seat.¡±


    Joey¡¯s breath hitched as I reached to the holster on my side and pulled out my gun. I dragged the chair out from the table and took the seat across from where he¡¯d been sitting. I kept my eyes locked on him, not a hint of emotion breaking through as I ced my gun on the table, just within reach.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he stammered. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know who you are, but I swear I didn¡¯t¨C¡±


    ¡°Sit,¡± I demanded with no room for disobedience in my tone.


    Joey gulped, his fear just the way I liked it before he cautiously slunked over to the table and retook his seat. Gabriele hovered just out of sight over my shoulder, and we¡¯d done this so many times I could envision the dark re on his face.


    We¡¯d gotten our point across.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made quite a mess for me to deal with, Joey,¡± I said, testing the waters.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Joey yelled out, swallowing when I narrowed my gaze on him. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    His weak protests only further solidified his guilt in my mind. There was no doubt he knew who he had been working for, or at the very least knew what he had done was wrong.


    I sighed, holding out my palm to Gabriele, who slid me the yellow file he¡¯d been carrying. The thin file pped onto the table, and I flipped to the page I wanted.


    Gently, I grabbed the stic baggie filled with a sheet of paper we¡¯d recovered. It was in notebook paper, but the handwritten note on it was what we really wanted.


    I shoved it onto the table, staring him down as he paled at the sight of the note.


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t do anything, Joey,¡± I said softly, ¡°then why did you leave a note for your family members?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s-it¡¯s just a note,¡± Joey stammered, staring at me with wide eyes.


    ¡°Oh really?¡± I raised an eyebrow, then nced at the note as I began reading the first few lines, ¡°If I¡¯m not back by tomorrow morning, take the money out of my ount, and get on the first ne out of here. I don¡¯t have time to exin, but I did something you wouldn¡¯t be proud of¨C¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    The outburst rang in the silent air, and I leaned back in my chair, hiding my smirk as Mr. Mancinni trembled in front of me. His fists were clenched, his head lowered in shame, and he couldn¡¯t look either of us in the eye.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked shakily. ¡°Did you hurt my family when you got that note?¡±


    Now we were getting somewhere. I didn¡¯t feel like answering his question, so I ignored it.


    I flipped the page in the folder, taking out another preserved note, two in fact, and shoving them right next to the one he¡¯d written for his contingency ns. The paper of the notebooks was of different quality, and the notes left to Dahlia and Olivia had more scribbled writing, but it was clear they were written by the same exact person.


    ¡°Look at that,¡± I said, feigning surprise. ¡°It¡¯s a perfect match.¡±


    He gulped, and nced between me and Gabriele with a wide, panicking look.


    And then, he cracked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± he cried, shoving his face into his hands. ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t mean to hurt anybody! I just needed the money! They were just notes, pieces of paper! I didn¡¯t do anything illegal!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid, Joey, that is where you are wrong,¡± I said grimly. ¡°Letters containing threats, even if you were just paid to write them, are considered harassment. That will get you a stint in a cell, Mr. Mancinni, and quite a hefty fee.¡±


    Joey¡¯s eyes were wider than a deer in headlights. For a moment, I swore he had stopped breathing entirely as he just stared emptily at us.


    ¡°I¨C¡± he stuttered, struggling to say something, anything of a defense, ¡°I... I can¡¯t afford that. My-my mom¡¯s sick. She can¡¯t work, and we can¡¯t... we can¡¯t pay the bills, and I just wanted to help her. I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen...I just....¡±


    The poor student was trembling like he was about tobust. Tears flooded his eyes as he stared at the table in pure shock.


    There was a small part of me that felt sympathy for him, for the situation he had found himself in. He was still just a kid, and what he¡¯d done was wrong and utterly stupid, and he hadn¡¯t considered the damage he had caused.


    But a stronger, harsher part of me still remembered Olivia¡¯s tears like acid on my skin. The fear and anxiety she¡¯d felt all these weeks were as visceral as my own, and there would be no forgiveness.


    He¡¯d fucked up.


    And he would face the consequences.


    ¡°I understand, Joey,¡± I sighed like I was sympathizing with him. ¡°You were just a bystander in all of this. You didn¡¯t know what you were doing.¡±


    His head lifted up, his eyes shining with hope as he hurriedly nodded his head in agreement. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right. I swear I just did what they said, nothing else!¡±


    ¡°So here¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do,¡± I smirked, leaning forward in my seat. ¡°You give me anything you have, anything at all that will lead me back to the people you worked for, and I¡¯ll give you fifty thousand euros right here, right now, in cash, no strings attached. Then we can both walk away.¡±


    His eyebrows shot up in sheer surprise. He nced from me to Gabriele, hesitantly.


    ¡°For real?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That is,¡± I said, coyly, ¡°if you give me information valuable enough.¡±


    Joey swallowed, considering his options. I could see the wheels turning in his mind as he thought long and hard. Finally, he pulled out of his phone, unlocking it easily as he scrolled through it.


    Finally, he set the phone on the table, screen up, and pushed it over to me. I stopped it with two fingers, ncing down at the screen. It was a contact. The number was clear as day with no name attached.


    ¡°This is the number they call me with,¡± Joey said nervously, watching our expressions as Gabriele leaned over my shoulder to see as well. ¡°It still works. Would this be enough?¡±


    He shifted ufortably as I pressed him with a stare. Finally, I smirked, grabbing the phone and handing it over to Gabriele. He quickly walked out with the phone and the door shut behind him.


    ¡°My... my phone?¡± Joe swallowed, nervously ncing at where Gabriele had disappeared.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be needing it anymore,¡± I said, getting to my feet. I reached into my coat pocket and threw a bundle of cash onto the table.


    Joey¡¯s eyes lit up with greed, but he didn¡¯t touch the money. Instead, he nced at me for permission, and I nodded.


    ¡°You made a good choice, kid,¡± I said. ¡°Someone will drive you home, and they will take you and your family out of town. I¡¯d suggest you pack light. You don¡¯t want to be a target when they find out you sold them out.¡±


    He gulped, but grabbed the stack of money and stuffed it into his backpack.


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± he muttered quietly, but I didn¡¯t respond. My mind was elsewhere as I left the room in full confidence.


    Gabriele noticed me as I walked out and smirked as he handed me the bagged phone.


    ¡°We traced the number,¡± he said, looking rather happy. ¡°We have a name and an address. Lorenz Ariotti¨Cturns out Dmitri got a new second.¡±


    A grin spread across my face.


    Checkmate, Dmitri.

 Chapter 382 : Almost Over

    <h4>Chapter 382: Chapter 382 : Almost Over</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I awoke to the sound of a creaking door. Not quite awake, I blinked my eyes a few times as I adjusted to the small creak of light from the open doorway. A sliver of light cut through the darkness around me.


    The clock on the bedside table indicated it was way past any time a normal person should be awake. Midnight had gone and passed and the door shut quietly, like someone purposefully being careful not to make noise.


    I yawned as I heard steps on the floor, heading straight for me. I didn¡¯t panic like I normally would, all the weeks of sleeping in the same room as someoneing in handy. I could recognize those heavy steps anywhere by now.


    I rolled over onto my other side, and just as I expected, I caught the silhouette of a tall, muscr man shifting in the shadows. My cheeks heated as I heard him working his belt loose and dropping it to the floor. He slipped off his clothing, all of it hitting the carpet.


    Iy there, appreciating the slight view of his firm back before he heaved a sigh and turned around to face me. Giovani¡¯s eyes met mine, and he stepped back in surprise.


    ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to wake you,¡± he said quietly.


    I smiled softly, sitting up in bed. I kept the nket wrapped around my lower half, only in panties and a T-shirt. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± I asked, watching his expression just in case.


    He sighed, taking a seat on the edge of the bed and facing me with a tired look. ¡°We found the guy who slipped those notes to you and Dahlia.¡±


    I stiffened, my lips folding into a thin line. Those goddamn notes had caused so many problems.


    ¡°And?¡± I prompted, knowing that Gio wouldn¡¯t have let him go easy.


    ¡°He was a nobody,¡± Gio answered unhappily, ¡°just some college kid they paid to do the dirty work. He was never a danger to you or Dahlia, and now, he definitely won¡¯t be.¡±


    I released a breath, automatically reaching out to grab Gio¡¯s hand. He let me take it and pull it into myp, letting me run my fingers across his calloused fingertips.


    Heat welled up behind my eyes, the sheer relief of the culprit being caught enough to start my emotions on a rampage once more. I swallowed, hoping to keep them down before I opened my mouth to reply. ¡°So what did you do with him?¡± I asked cautiously. There was a bit of a heavy stone in my chest, not wanting to know if he killed someone, but it was overpowered by my need tofort Gio, to love him despite all the violence that was imprinted in his soul.


    I needed to know what to expect.


    ¡°We paid him off,¡± Giovani answered coolly. ¡°Got him and his family out of the country for the time being.¡±


    I looked up in sheer surprise, having expected to hear a story of violence and death.


    ¡°He¡¯s alive?¡± I whispered in disbelief.


    ¡°Of course he is.¡± Giovani rolled his eyes. ¡°We don¡¯t kill everyone just because we can. He¡¯s a kid, he was used, and he doesn¡¯t deserve to die for that. If we killed everyone we came across, it¡¯d bring way too much attention to us.¡±


    I blushed, scolding myself internally for the assumption I¡¯d jumped to. ¡°Sorry, I kinda assumed,¡± I said awkwardly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve been watching mafia movies?¡± He crossed his arms, staring me down like he was scolding a naughty child.


    ¡°It was research.¡± I defended myself softly, though under his firm gaze, it quickly fell apart, and I whispered, ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Gio shook his head, chuckling a bit as he leaned closer to press a kiss to my forehead. His breath was warm as it brushed across my skin, and I leaned into him.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Giovani added, a bit thoughtfully, ¡°he¡¯ll never have a normal life again. He¡¯ll be watched by our men for the rest of his life or be used as bait to lure out Dmitri¡¯s men into a trap. Either way, he¡¯ll be punished for what he did.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± I reeled back with wide eyes, having barely caught most of what he said, but Gio just grinned as he took my lips with his own.


    My eyes fluttered closed automatically, leaning into him as he licked my bottom lip, and I dly gave him entrance. He dove in to taste every corner of my mouth with a familiarity that left me in shivers.


    He pulled away, breathing just as heavily as I was, and gave me a tender smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost over, carina,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Almost,¡± I repeated, my chest heaving as I caught my breath back.


    ¡°Here,¡± he said. He patted the bed. ¡°Lay down so I can give you a massage.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to¨C¡± I immediately said, smiling at the thoughtfulness but he shook his head.


    ¡°I want to. Please?¡± he said, nearly begging in his voice.


    Who was I to deny him? I giggled softly, shifting under the cover to pull my arms out, and rolled over onto my stomach.


    Gio brushed the nket down my shoulders, revealing my upper back to him and Iid my head on my arms, sighing contently as his hands dug into the knots on my back.


    I moaned in delight as the months of stress were kneaded out of my muscles, and I melted into a pile of goo before him. My toes curled up as he hit on spot, gently pushing the tightness away with every rub.


    I groaned, unable to stop the little noisesing out of my throat as he sent me straight to the clouds above with just his masterful hands.


    Hisrge and powerful hands slid from around my neck to my back, slowly taking his time as he massaged every part of me. I was practically liquid in his palms, just some putty for him to y with, and I was more than happy to lend him the reins.


    Inch by inch, his hands slid down my back, rubbing along my sides and then further. My breath hitched, my eyes flying open as he lifted up the T-shirt I¡¯d borrowed from him, running his hands along my ass.


    He squeezed gently, and I moaned, throwing my head forward.


    I heard him chuckle and irritatedly, I swung my neck around to try to spot him over my shoulder,


    ¡°Gio,¡± I warned, ¡°what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Just rx. I want to make you feel good tonight, carina.¡± He smirked, looking devilishly handsome in the moonlight as he leaned down, and something wet and solid licked right up against my panties, leaving a trail of wetness behind.


    I gasped, gripping my hands into the pillows as hetched onto my cunt and began to tease me through the thin fabric. I could feel his tongue exploring me even with the small barrier.


    ¡°Gio,¡± I gasped, pushing hard against his mouth, and I felt the vibration as he chuckled into me. His fingers curled around the edge of my panties, pulling them down and I lifted up to help him until I waspletely bare.


    His fingers pushed against my folds, opening them up to expose me, and I squeaked at the sudden rush of cold.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± He grinned and then dove straight in.


    I moaned, loudly as hetched onto my clit with his teeth, just enough pressure to drive me insane as his tongue swirled around the tip. He took his sweet time as he teased me, my core opening wide for him.


    Soon, that familiar pressure started building in me as I gasped out his name, and he broke away before his tongue entered me fully. It swirled around in hard circles, and I could hear himpping up the liquid pouring out.


    My whole body was on fire as I mouthed his name into my arm, rocking back and forth for any bit more I could get of him. Soon, one finger entered me, fitting in right next to his tongue, and I moaned, my core stretching to amodate.


    He pulled back, breathing hard, and I could feel his eyes on me, watching intently as he pumped his finger in and out so slowly. I raised my hips a bit, chasing after that pleasure as I rocked into the friction.


    ¡°Gio, please,¡± I begged, wanting more.


    Heughed, and I could hear the pleasure he had from watching me beg him for this, but I was past caring about dignity or who was in control. All I wanted was that release.


    Just as my hands snuck back, intent on finishing it myself, Gio lightly pushed them away with an ¡°Oh no. This is all mine, carina.¡±


    ¡°Then fuck me like you mean it,¡± I snapped, impatiently.


    ¡°Such a demanding principessa,¡± he said lowly. ¡°As youmand, amore.¡±


    He thrust three of his fingers straight into me, and I screamed as he set a brutal and fast pace. It was almost too much, and he pumped his fingers faster than I ever could, leaning over me as he ced kisses on the curve of my waist.


    There was no way I could¡¯vested long.


    ¡°Gio,¡± I breathed out and then, I came. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as my toes curled and every part of my body trembled.


    What was probably only a few seconds seemed tost much longer in my head, and all of me felt so sensitive. Gio rode it out with me, slowing the pace of his fingers until we were both gasping. I rolled over onto my back, still out of breath.


    Sneakily, I slid my fingers down his abs, gently pulling at his waist, but he pulled away with a stern look.


    ¡°What?¡± I pouted. ¡°I just wanted to repay the favor.¡±


    ¡°Not tonight, carina.¡± He smiled, so soft and loving as he kissed my forehead. ¡°But I¡¯ll take a raincheck on that.¡±


    ¡°Fine then,¡± I giggled. The covers had gotten lost somewhere near my feet, but Gio was quick to grab them and tuck me back in.


    I giggled softly, shifting under the burrito he¡¯d wrapped me in to pull my arms out. I threw the nket over itself, creating a little pocket for him to tuck under right next to me.


    He smiled, eyes shining brightly with love as he slipped in next to me. The bed rocked as he moved, and I waited for him to getfortable before I slithered into his chest, wrapping my arms around his torso.


    He hummed, the little sound rumbling in his throat as he tucked my head under his chin and held me back.


    ¡°Sorry for leaving without saying anything earlier,¡± he murmured to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I reassured him, then asked, a bit hesitant, ¡°Do you have to leave in the morning again?¡±


    His arms tightened around me, and I heard him swallow.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± he said, but it was more like a statement than an answer. It took a moment for me to realize that he meant it as one.


    ¡°Good,¡± I sighed, snuggling into him as I tucked my warm feet against his bare, cold legs. He held me tight, and after a while, he began running his fingers through my hair, slowly at first and then with purpose.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what he was doing, but it felt good to have his fingers intertwined in my hair, rubbing against my scalp. My eyes closed softly without warning as I rxed into his chest, feeling safe for the first time in weeks.

 Chapter 383 : Another Surprise

    <h4>Chapter 383: Chapter 383 : Another Surprise</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I woke up with a cramp in my neck from sleeping on top of Giovani all night. I turned it slowly from side to side to work it out. Once I was loosened up, I pulled myself off him, and he groaned, ¡°Oh thank goodness you¡¯re getting up. My arm is asleep.¡±


    ¡°You could have woken me!¡± I shoved my arm against his as he rubbed it dramatically.


    ¡°No, I love to watch you sleep. You look so sweet when you¡¯re sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Well, that just sounds creepy. But I love you, so I¡¯ll let you get away with it,¡± I teased and turned from him so I could get out of bed.


    Before I could get up, he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me back for a long kiss. He moved his hands up from my waist to my hair and let his fingers tangle up in it while he caressed my mouth with his.


    ¡°I thought your arm fell asleep,¡± I pulled myself away long enough to say.


    ¡°Kisses make everything better,¡± he murmured before grabbing at me again.


    Iughed and let him tangle me back up in the sheets and wrap his arms tightly around me. He was always a little more yful in the morning. I got the feeling that this was a side of Gio that others never got to see, which made it all the more precious to me. The morning light shining in through our window lit up his face and highlighted the golden undertones in his skin. I was struck by how beautiful his face was, especially basked in the morning light. As an art lover, I appreciated art in all forms, and Givoani¡¯s face was exceptionally lovely to me.


    I kissed him everywhere that the sun touched, hoping that the memory of my kisses would stay with him throughout the day. I hated how often this yful side of him got beaten down with worries throughout the day until he looked like he was carrying the weight of the world by dinnertime.


    Once I was satisfied that every inch of his face had been kissed, I got up.


    ¡°I am starving. What do you think is for breakfast today?¡± I asked as I got up and wrapped my dressing gown over my pajamas. I was looking forward to having azy day and had no intentions of getting dressed any time soon. If I was lucky, I could convince Gio toe back up to the room with me after breakfast.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure something delicious,¡± Gio came up behind me and kissed my neck, ¡°but not as delicious as you.¡±


    An incredible shiver of desire made its way from his mouth on my neck down to my stomach. I leaned into his kiss, loving the way his lips felt against the sensitive skin just below my earlobe. He wrapped his hands possessively around me and I melted against him as a new hunger awakened inside me.


    ¡°Hmm, maybe breakfast can wait,¡± I muttered and turned around to face him, pressing my body tightly against his.


    Heughed, sending pleasant vibrations through the parts of me that were touching him.


    ¡°Not so fast, my love. I know how you are, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting you skip breakfast after you just told me you were starving. Don¡¯t worry, I fully n on bringing you back up here afterward. I don¡¯t have too much on my te today.¡± His words sent a thrill through me. I loved it when he didn¡¯t have to rush off to work, especially when he was feeling frisky.


    He reached down and squeezed my ass just enough to make me jump, then spun me around toward the door. We walked to breakfast hand in hand, his promise to bring me back to the bedroom the only thing on my mind.


    Tallon and Dahlia were already at the table by the time we got there, but they hadn¡¯t started eating yet. It looked like the cooks were in the middle of whipping up a full English breakfast. I still wasn¡¯t so sure about eating baked beans for breakfast, but it was one of Giovani¡¯s favorites.


    We sat down next to each other, Gio keeping his hand in mine under the table. Dahlia made eye contact and raised her eyebrows at me. I rolled mine back at her. I don¡¯t know when she developed such a dirty mind, but she loved to tease me. I was just happy that we could be honest with her about our rtionship. No matter how long we were together, I would never take that for granted, not after we¡¯d had to do so much sneaking around before.


    ¡°Giovani, have you heard anything else from Gabriele?¡± Dahlia asked.


    My mood immediately darkened, and I could see from the way Gio suddenly sat up a bit straighter. That yful Giovani was gone for the day. He was going to go back to carrying far too much stress again. I felt a bit annoyed at Dahlia for bringing it up, but I also understood why she wanted to know. If I was being honest, I also wanted to know.


    Gio squeezed my hand gently, then let go, preparing to tell us whatever new information he had. But before he could say a word, Tallon jumped up and yelled, ¡°I have a promation!¡±


    ¡°What the fuck, Tallon?¡± Dahlia asked, rubbing her ear. ¡°You damn near blew out my ear drum.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, not looking sorry at all. ¡°but I have nned a day trip for us all! I know that everyone could use a day of rxation, so I wanted to do something special. And our car is going to be on its way to get us in about half an hour, so everyone needs to eat fast and get dressed!¡±


    ¡°Dressed in what?¡± Dahlia pressed. ¡°You have to give us some kind of hint.¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s a surprise! But you don¡¯t need to wear anything fancy.¡±


    I made eye contact with Gio, excitement making my heart flutter. ¡°Are youing too?¡±


    He had said he didn¡¯t have a lot going on, but then again he often had meetings and things that he couldn¡¯t miss. I didn¡¯t want to get my hopes up, but it would be a lot more enjoyable if he coulde with us.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± he smiled indulgently, happy to give me the answer he knew I wanted to hear.


    I couldn¡¯t help it; I was so overjoyed I pped my hands together like a five-year-old. Giovani chuckled at my little outburst.


    The cooks handed out our tes at the end of Tallon¡¯s promation, and we all ate in silence, trying to shovel the food down quickly so that we wouldn¡¯t bete for the car. Far faster than a full English breakfast should be eaten, we all finished up and went to our rooms to get dressed.


    My ns for azy day were ruined, but this was far better. I looked through my wardrobe, trying to decide what to wear. To Tallon, ¡°nothing fancy¡± basically just meant ¡°don¡¯t wear a ballgown,¡± which unfortunately still left me with way too many options to decide from.


    ¡°You should wear that one,¡± Giovani said, pointing to a cream-colored sweater dress that was loose around the top but clung nicely to my waist and hips.


    ¡°Hmm, okay, but then I get to choose for you!¡± I said, picking out my favorite pair of his jeans and a ck T-shirt that looked amazing on his back and biceps.


    ¡°You¡¯re soscivious, carina.¡± He chuckled and took what I had picked.


    ¡°I could say the same about you!¡± I told him, my back turned as I put on the dress he had picked for me.


    We only had five minutes left, so I quickly gathered my hair into a ponytail and swiped some mascara on. It wasn¡¯t my best work, but it would do.


    ¡°You look beautiful, baby,¡± Gio said quietly. I didn¡¯t think I would ever get used to being with someone who worshiped me the way he did. The way he treated me often left me speechless, and right now was no exception. I turned to him and stood on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek.


    We left our room for the second time that morning, again hand in hand. We found Dahlia at the bottom of the stairs waiting for us. She looked gorgeous as usual in an understated ck T-shirt dress. Somehow she had managed to put on a full face of makeup and fix her hair all in the time it had taken Giovani and me to get dressed.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time! Tallon refused to tell me anything until you both got down here. I was afraid you¡¯d both forgotten all about the surprise!¡±


    ¡°Me, forget about a surprise?! Never!¡± Giovani responded, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.


    Dahlia rolled her eyes at him, then turned to me, ¡°You look great, Olive! Giovani could take notes from you.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the one who dressed me!¡± he sputtered.


    ¡°I think he looks good, Dolly!¡± I protested.


    She justughed and turned on her heel, expecting us to follow. Giovani tickled my side, and I yelped, then poked him back. I smiled, apparently yful Gio was sticking around today. I had been excited about the day trip already, but knowing that Giovani coulde and that he was apparently in a great mood only made me even more excited.


    We made it out to the car where Tallon was already waiting for us. Instead of our usual ck SUV, it was some kind of big, boxy thing with a ridiculous yellow color that made me smile. I could tell it was one of those things that only wealthy people liked or knew about. I hoped the seats werefortable.


    Tallon was leaning up against the car as we approached, then opened the doors for us like a true gentleman. Our driver and a bodyguard sat in the front seats so that the four of us could sit in the back together. As usual, a vehicle full of armed guards would be riding along behind us.


    Giovani helped me step into the car and followed behind me, leaving Dahlia and Tallon to sit in the middle row together. As soon as I was seated and belted in, Gio ced his hand suggestively on my thigh and yed absently at the hem of my dress. I took a deep breath and bit my lip, trying and failing to keep myself from blushing. He smiled at the flush spreading across my cheeks, then leaned over to whisper in my ear, ¡°I love it when you bite your lip like that.¡±


    ¡°So... um, where to, Tallon?¡± I choked out, wanting to remind Giovani that we weren¡¯t the only ones in the vehicle.


    Tallon smiled at me, then turned his head forward to face the driver. ¡°Take us to Tuscany, please!¡±

 Chapter 384 : Unforgettable Memories

    <h4>Chapter 384: Chapter 384 : Unforgettable Memories</h4>


    *Olivia*


    As I¡¯de to expect any time a Valentino man took me on a surprise trip, there was a bottle of ridiculously expensive champagne waiting for us in the car. Tallon popped it for us and handed out generous sses. I took a small sip, wanting to feel a slight buzz but also aware that it was only about 10:00 in the morning. If I had any hopes of making it through the whole day without falling asleep, I couldn¡¯t get wine-drunk just yet.


    ¡°Alright, today we just have one rule: you bring up work, you have to take a shot,¡± Tallon dered.


    ¡°A shot of what?¡± Gio asked. ¡°If it¡¯s whiskey, I¡¯ll just bring up work to get one.¡±


    ¡°Dammit, Giovani, why can¡¯t you just follow the rules for once?¡± Dahlia whined.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ve never seen the point in following rules,¡± Gio said, gently squeezing my thigh as he spoke.


    ¡°Well, luckily for the game, it¡¯s not whiskey, it¡¯s vodka¨CRussian vodka,¡± Tallon said with an emphasis on the word ¡°Russian.¡±


    ¡°Aw, yuck! What the hell, Tallon?!¡±


    I giggled at Gio¡¯s outburst and made a mental note to trick him into talking about work at some point. Seeing him do a shot of vodka would be totally worth having to take one myself.


    The drive was gorgeous, full of rolling hills with little farms dotting the countryside. Before I knew it, we were driving into the renaissance-era architecture that Tuscany was so famous for. It was remarkable. Being from the United States, I couldn¡¯t stop marveling at how old the buildings in Europe were. It was damn near iprehensible to me that many of the buildings we passed by had been built in the 1500s. In a way, it made me feel at peace thinking about how many people had lived their lives in this city. My problems seemed so small when I was confronted with how vast the human experience was.


    We drove almost all the way through the city, finally pulling to a stop next to what appeared to be an empty field. Dahlia turned to Tallon, a question in her eyes. Before she could open her mouth, he held up his hand.


    ¡°Just wait, you¡¯ll see.¡±


    We all sat in silence, wondering what exactly we were about to see. We didn¡¯t have to wait long. A massive hot air balloon suddenly came into view and lowered to the ground. The bright colors of the balloon looked slightly out of ce next to the ssic neutrals of the city buildings, but it was a beautiful sight nheless.


    ¡°Are we riding in that thing?¡± Giovani asked, sounding strange.


    I turned to him and was shocked to see that his face was white as a sheet. Could it be that we had finally found something that scared Gio?


    ¡°Yes!¡± Tallon eximed, too excited to notice Giovani¡¯s distress.


    I tucked my hand into Gio¡¯s and squeezed his fingers. We didn¡¯t have to go for a ride in it. Although I would hate to miss the beautiful views, I wanted this to be a fun day for the both of us. Forcing the love of my life to spend the next however many hours in terror didn¡¯t seem particrly fun.


    ¡°Wow, Tallon, this is amazing!¡± Dahlia gushed. ¡°We haven¡¯t been in a hot air balloon in years!¡±


    ¡°I know. Thest time was when Dad surprised Mom for her birthday. Since Olivia¡¯s never been to Tuscany, I thought this would be the best way for us to show her the city.¡± He turned to look at me expectantly, obviously very proud of himself foring up with such a sweet surprise.


    There was no way I could let him down by refusing to go. I nced at Gio, trying to silentlymunicate with him that it was okay if he didn¡¯t join us. He didn¡¯t turn toward me. Instead, he leaned forward to tap Tallon on the shoulder and said, ¡°Well, buddy, if you¡¯re getting me in that thing, you better break out the fucking vodka right fucking now.¡±


    Dahlia burst into wildughter. ¡°Giovani! You have been in literal gun fights, and you¡¯re telling us that you¡¯re afraid of hot air balloons?¡±


    Before Gio had to answer, Tallon handed back a ridiculouslyrge bottle of vodka.


    ¡°Damn, how much did you think we¡¯d manage to drink?!¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I got it for free,¡± Tallon said sheepishly.


    Dahlia looked at him with suspicion in her eyes. I got the feeling that none of us wanted to know where the hell he would¡¯ve gotten a massive bottle of premium Russian vodka for free.


    Giovani was too focused on his fear of the hot air balloon to notice Tallon¡¯s caginess around where exactly the vodka hade from. Gio pulled the top off and lifted the bottle to his lips, taking a massive swig. In spite of his insistence that he hated Russian vodka, he barely grimaced afterward, but I shuddered to watch. I could barely handle a vodka cranberry, let alone drink it straight like it was water.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Gio grunted, ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Dahlia shouted, always ready for a party to start.


    We got out of the car and headed toward the hot air balloon. The pilot had it anchored to the ground, but the fire in the middle of the basket was lifting it up by a few feet. Giovani linked his arm in mine and leaned over so he could whisper to me without the others overhearing, ¡°I would go anywhere with you, carina.¡±


    I smiled and turned to kiss him, not caring who might see us. I could taste the vodka on his lips, but it only fueled my desire for him. Tasting the alcohol on him reminded me of all the amazing nights we¡¯d had staying upte and drinking outside when everyone else had gone to bed. It reminded me of how much we¡¯d opened up to each other in those moments, telling each other long stories about our childhoods and families. And of course, it reminded me of how I¡¯d always start to fall asleep, so he¡¯d carry me to our bed and wake me up just enough to make love before we fell asleep, curled in each other¡¯s arms.


    Somewhere in the distance, I heard someone clear their throat loudly, and I jumped away from our kiss, my cheeks burning. Dahlia and Tallon were both staring at us, Dahlia with a knowing smirk on her face, but Tallon looking pretty grossed out.


    ¡°Sorry, Tallon, the vodka made me do it,¡± Gio said with a shrug, then he winked at me.


    We all got into the hot air balloon, and Gio wrapped his arms around me before saying, ¡°I am not letting you fall out of this death trap.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a death trap,¡± Iughed. ¡°And I wasn¡¯t nning on jumping over the side.¡±


    He nodded but didn¡¯t take his hands off of me. He was covering up his fear well, but I found it adorable that he wanted to keep me safe even in a situation that wasn¡¯t especially dangerous.


    The views from the balloon were phenomenal. Our pilot pointed out the most famous buildings that she thought we might like, and Dahlia took a million pictures of everyone and thendscape while Tallon made quips about teaching Renaissance-era Italian peasants about selfies. Giovani stayed fairly quiet, just keeping his arms wrapped around me and making sure that I could see everything our pilot talked about. It was the perfect afternoon, one of the best we¡¯d had in a long time.


    By the time wended, the air was getting chillier, and the sun was low in the sky. Tallon hurried us back to the car so that we could make our dinner reservation in time. He had booked out an entire ce so that we could eat in peace without worrying about who wasing in and going.


    When we arrived at the restaurant, I understood why Tallon had been so insistent that we get there at a certain time. The dining area was surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows so that when the sun began to set, the entire restaurant was washed in glorious pinks and oranges.


    ¡°Tallon, this is amazing,¡± I said as soon as we were seated.


    ¡°It¡¯s honestly better than I was expecting,¡± he responded. ¡°I¡¯d heard of this ce, but I hadn¡¯t seen any pictures. Now I know why. A picture could never do this any justice.¡±


    Giovani nodded his agreement, but Dahlia picked up her phone and immediately began to attempt to capture the light. She sat her phone down when the head chef made his way to our table with a massive tray of vegetables and cheese.


    ¡°Good evening.¡± He spoke with an English ent. ¡°I have prepared for you a delicious meal all made with local foods. We work with our farmers to harvest ingredients only when they are ready so that our meals are as fresh and vorful as possible. We will time out your dinner so that dessertes out right when the sun sinks below the horizon. Let me start you off with an antipasto tter paired with a proso made at the vineyard just down the road. On the tter, you will see a colorful array of fall vegetables paired with an assortment of cheeses. Please ask your server if you would like to know more about any of the food that we will prepare for you today. And enjoy!¡±


    The chef moved out of the way so that our server could pour our proso. The bubbles glinted in the colors of the evening sun, and it struck me, all of a sudden, how wild it was that this was just how we were spending our weekend. We weren¡¯t celebrating anything. It wasn¡¯t anybody¡¯s birthday. This was just the type of luxury that the Valentino family was used to. And if I was being honest with myself, it was the type of luxury that I was growing used to as well.


    After our proso was poured, Dahlia raised her ss to toast, ¡°To the perfect day with the people I love.¡±


    Her words left me a little teary as I considered everything that the four of us had gone through together. There was nobody that I would rather have by my side through it all. We clinked our sses and drank, with everyone eximing over how perfect the wine was.


    The evening passed by in a blur of delicious food and wine that paired perfectly with each course. Just as the chef had promised, our desserts arrived right when the light from the sun fully disappeared. The restaurant was lit only by candlelight so that we were still able to see the stars in the sky through the massive windows.


    Gio¡¯s hand rarely left my thigh as the evening progressed. In fact, the more wine he drank, the more suggestive he became, until I was sure that Dahlia or Tallon was going to say something. I didn¡¯t mind; the wine and the beautiful environment were getting me hot and bothered as well. By the time we had finished our dessert, I was more than ready to get home so that I could devour something other than food.


    I fell asleep on the ride home and woke to Gio pressing his lips to my hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you to bed,¡± he murmured before scooping me up and carrying me out of the car.


    ¡°Good night, you two!¡± Dahlia called out before disappearing into her room.


    ¡°Thank you, Tallon, I didn¡¯t know how much we needed this,¡± Gio said over the top of my head.


    ¡°Thank you, Tallon,¡± I repeated, my voice muffled against Gio¡¯s chest. I was too tired to look up.


    Giovani carried me to our bed, then set me down gingerly.


    ¡°I have been waiting to get you alone all day,¡± he said in a low voice.


    Desire red in my heart. Suddenly, I was wide awake and ready for my man.

 Chapter 385 : Safe in Bed

    <h4>Chapter 385: Chapter 385 : Safe in Bed</h4>


    *Giovani*


    The love of my life wasid out on our bed looking at me with the most seductive eyes I¡¯d ever seen, and all I wanted was to rip her clothes off and sink my cock deep inside her. But I wasn¡¯t a fucking animal, and I knew from experience that although fast, rough sex felt good in the moment, it was never as satisfying as taking my sweet time and worshipping Olivia¡¯s body the way she deserved.


    Shey there expectantly, still looking a bit drowsy from the nap she¡¯d taken on the way home, but definitely waking up quickly now that we were alone.


    ¡°What should I do to you, sweet Olivia?¡± I asked, wanting to hear dirty words on her delicate lips.


    It drove me crazy to hear her tell me exactly what she wanted from me. She bit her lip as she thought, then looked up at me with a slow grin.


    ¡°I want you to strip for me,¡± she said proudly.


    For a second I was stunned into silence. Strip for her? I wasn¡¯t sure someone like me was even capable of making that look sexy. At the same time, I wanted to make her happy. I forced myself to stop overthinking it and reached up to take my shirt off by the cor. I had figured out that women absolutely loved that, and Olivia was no exception. As soon as I had my shirt off, her eyes were zed over with lust. As always, when I was intimate with her, I was so fucking d that I had kept up a solid gym habit over the years.


    ¡°Shirt for a shirt?¡± I asked her, not wanting to wait any longer to see her perfect body.


    ¡°Hm... I don¡¯t think that¡¯s fair, I¡¯m wearing a dress. You owe me at least one other item of clothing,¡± she responded.


    Before she could even finish her sentence, I tugged off my socks and shoes.


    ¡°There, that¡¯s four,¡± I said proudly. She had dropped her shoes somewhere before I had even gotten her to the bed. I knew all she had on her now was her dress, bra, and panties.


    ¡°You¡¯re cheating!¡± she protested, but she sat up to pull off her dress anyway.


    No matter how many times I saw her naked, it would never stop taking my breath away. She was wearing a whitecy bra, and I could see her nipples peeking through the fabric. The thong she had on had shifted when she took her dress off, and I could almost see her folds. I wanted to taste her so badly my mouth was watering. She sat there looking up at me expectantly.


    ¡°What, that didn¡¯t count as four?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Definitely not!¡± sheughed. ¡°Now strip!¡±


    ¡°My woman is so demanding,¡± I muttered as I unbuckled my belt and whipped it out of my pants. The sound made her gasp and turned my thoughts to how fun it would be to tie her hands together with it, but that would be a game for another day. Right now, our mutual striptease was more than enough to get me going.


    She reached up and slowly pulled one of her bra straps down her arm, looking at me to gauge my reaction. I was entranced watching her drag the white fabric down her creamy skin. Finally, she pulled the strap low enough to let her breast fall out of the bra cup. Before I could stop myself, I leaned over and took her nipple into my mouth. She moaned loudly andid back to give me better ess. My dick strained against my pants, but I was too focused on pleasuring Olivia to set it free.


    She writhed beneath me, forgetting to even finish taking the bra off. I pulled the other side down for her, then switched to licking and sucking on that nipple. Her hands were in my hair, pulling me closer and closer to her until I was damn near suffocated by her ample breasts.


    I reached one hand down and hooked it around the waistband of her thong before yanking down so that her sex was bared. While I continued to tease her breasts with my mouth, I moved my hand so that I could sink two fingers inside of her. As I suspected, she was already insanely wet for me. I groaned and nipped at her as I fought back the urge to take her right then and there. I wanted to slow down, but damn, it was hard to go slow with Olivia. Everything with her was so hot and heavy, from the moment we first started fucking. She brought a passion out in me that I hadn¡¯t ever felt before.


    I continued to pump her with my fingers, asionally dragging them across her clit until I was sure that she was on the verge of orgasm. Only once she was gasping and damn near incoherent did I finally allow myself to pull off my pants and underwear. When she saw what I was doing, she spread her legs wide for me and whimpered, ¡°Yes, Gio, please, I need you.¡±


    Her words almost made mee without even touching her, but I managed to push my way inside of her hot core. She clung to me, pulling me closer with her arms and legs. I pressed my hand between us, determined to make her orgasm before me, no matter how close I was. She tugged my face closer and captured my mouth with her own, our teeth and tongues shing together in our need.


    With only a few more pumps, I could tell that she was on the cliff of a beautiful orgasm. I circled her clit with my thumb just like I knew she loved, and she gasped as she came. Her pussy clenched around me and forced my orgasm right out of me. The entire time, she kept her arms wrapped around me.


    When I was sure that she was spent, I rolled off her and pulled her in close. I loved to cuddle with her after making here. She always looked disheveled in the sexiest way. It was a vulnerable side of her, and I knew I was privileged to see it. If I spent every night like this for the rest of my life, I would die a very happy man.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I murmured against her ear.


    She snuggled in closer before responding, ¡°I love you too.¡±


    Wey in silence for a little while longer when it urred to me that I had no idea what kind of future Olivia envisioned for herself. I hoped that she nned for me to be a part of it, but I had no idea what she pictured other than that. Did she see herself having a family someday like I did?


    ¡°Carina, do you ever want to have kids?¡± I asked, knowing my question would seem out of the blue, but also that the best time to ask questions was when we were cuddled up happily in our bed.


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe someday. Actually, yeah, I definitely want to be a mom, eventually. But I¡¯ve got to get my degree first.¡±


    ¡°I do too,¡± I responded. ¡°Want kids, I mean. I want them. I¡¯ve always wanted them.¡±


    She kissed me on the cheek before saying quietly, ¡°I¡¯d love to have kids with you someday.¡±


    Her words warmed my heart. My whole life, I had always had women who were interested in me for a short fling, but I¡¯d never thought that I would manage to find someone who would want to really be with me and even start a family with me.


    ¡°I know you will be an amazing mother,¡± I told her honestly. She was such a patient and kind person, always aware of the others in thepound and what we needed. When she was ready, she would be the kind of mom every kid wished they had.


    ¡°That means a lot to me.¡± Her voice sounded like she was tearing up. I squeezed her tight, reassuring her that I was there for her.


    ¡°What would it look like if we had kids?¡± I asked, wondering if she¡¯d want to stay home with them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe I could do part-time work or remote or something. I always loved that my mom could take me to work with her whenever I was out of school. I know that I wouldn¡¯t want them to have to go to daycare if we could help it. Unless it had an insane amount of security, I would never feel safe leaving them.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± I said roughly, hating the idea of anyone ever trying to hurt one of our hypothetical future children, ¡°I¡¯d much rather they stay here, safe with us. I could cut back on work too so that you could still pursue your career. Alessandro and Tallon would love to get more responsibilities, and I¡¯ve been considering letting one of them be the Don someday anyway.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be a great dad,¡± she said before rolling over on top of me and kissing me deeply.


    The feeling of her body pressed against mine had me turned on all over again, and she knew it. At some point, she had managed to pull her bra off the rest of the way so she was fully naked, pressing her bare body against mine. I could feel every curve, and I wanted her again, badly.


    She reached between us and wrapped her hand around my cock, chuckling at how hard I already was. With one smooth motion, she had me inside of her. My movements became erratic; I couldn¡¯t stop myself from pumping wildly into her. She matched my motions, increasing our speed until I was gasping with the effort to try to keep myself from orgasming too quickly. Her breasts bounced enticingly as she moved up and down on my shaft, and I reached up to grab them with my hands, loving the way they felt perfectly shaped just for me.


    ¡°I¡¯m¨Cso¨Cclose,¡± I grunted, damn near unable to speak through my pleasure.


    ¡°I want you toe,¡± she murmured seductively.


    Her words were my undoing. I pounded roughly up into her, my orgasm making my movements jerky. She smiled down at me, proud of how easily she¡¯d been able to make mee.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± I managed to gasp out. ¡°You are so goddamn perfect.¡±


    Sheughed and got up off me so that she could tuck herself back against my side.


    ¡°I could say the same about you.¡±


    I never wanted the night to end, but I could see that Olivia¡¯s eyes were getting droopy. I reached over her to tuck the nkets in tightly on her side, then settled them over the both of us. She fell asleep in my arms, her breathing soft and even. Finally, I had managed to make her feel totally safe.


    I hoped I could continue to do so.

 Chapter 386 : Trust Me

    <h4>Chapter 386: Chapter 386 : Trust Me</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I levered myself slowly down into a chair in the kitchen, running my hand over my swollen belly with a soft smile. Across the room, Gio, the lines in his face deeper than when I met him, swung our eldest through the air while he giggled in pure delight.


    Little Enzo would be turning three at the end of the month, but he still loved the game he pronounced ¡°ay-y¡± instead of airne. Gio looked up suddenly and caught me watching. I waved sheepishly, patting my stomach, where our twins were still growing. He just grinned and lifted Enzo for another round.


    A loud, heavy knock sounded on our kitchen door, cutting through the sound of Enzo¡¯sughter. and I turned to answer it. I tried to take a step forward, but my feet suddenly felt like they were stuck in quicksand. The faster I tried to move, the further away the door seemed, and the louder the knocking got.


    ***


    With a gasp, I sat bolt upright and ran a hand over my t stomach, feeling a strange pang of disappointment. The moonlight seeping in through the curtains cast the familiar shape of the bedroom Gio and I shared in stark relief. I nced over to check on him and found the bed beside me empty.


    A knot of cold fear twisted my stomach.


    The knock came again, and I realized that hadn¡¯t been a part of my dream at all. The door in the sitting room swung open, letting in a sliver of yellow light, and Gio¡¯s broad shoulders stepped into the pool.


    The knot released, and I exhaled. At the very least, Gio was alright.


    But why were we being woken in the middle of the night?


    As my fear abated, I suddenly realized I¡¯d fallen asleep naked once again, and the covers were pooled around my waist. I doubted anyone could see me from the door, but old instincts made me pull theforter to my chin.


    Gio had clearly only taken the time to shrug on a pair of pajama pants before opening the door, and the light revealed how low they rode on his hips, exposing the V-shaped muscles of his pelvis.


    I didn¡¯t know why we were being woken up, but if it wasn¡¯t urgent....


    ¡°What?¡± he demanded, his voice made gravely by sleep.


    Gabriele responded, low and urgent, ¡°We have news. It can¡¯t wait.¡±


    Gio sighed, and I saw him run his hand through his hair in silhouette. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    He shut the door and turned back to see me sitting up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we woke you, carina.¡±


    I yawned and dropped the covers. ¡°No worries. It sounds like something important is going on. I¡¯lle with.¡±


    I stood, and Gio¡¯s eyes dropped briefly to my bare body. I smiled. Even in dire circumstances, I enjoyed knowing he couldn¡¯t help but look at me.


    Then, his gaze returned to my face as his mouth opened in surprise.


    ¡°No, this isn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    I began grabbing clothes off the floor. I didn¡¯t know who was going to be in this meeting, so I should make sure to be fully dressed. I found a pair of jeans I¡¯d worn earlier in the week, the bra I¡¯d shed earlier, and a T-shirt dangling out of a drawer, but no underwear.


    Gio stepped into my line of sight and grabbed my shoulders. ¡°Please, let me speak to Gabriele first. This news could be anything. Just let me hear it, and then I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    I shrugged out of his hold. I was done being sidelined, done finding everything outst. I put on my jeans. ¡°Is there any news other than Dmitri news that would make Gabriele wake you up in the middle of the night?¡±


    Gio opened his mouth, then snapped it shut again. ¡°I sincerely hope not.¡±


    I grabbed my bra. ¡°Then I¡¯ming with you. This isn¡¯t the sort of reasonable safety precaution I promised to agree with you on. You¡¯re just trying to protect my mind, and I¡¯m not going to be any less scared sitting here and wondering what terrible thing might¡¯ve happened.¡±


    He ran a hand over his face and sighed. ¡°Carina, I wish you¡¯d let me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± I asked suddenly.


    Gio nched. ¡°Of course, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ve got to trust me to know what I can handle.¡± I slipped on my bra and pulled the T-shirt over it, then crossed my arms. ¡°I¡¯ming with you. I don¡¯t want to be babied anymore, and I deserve to know what¡¯s happening with a homicidal mobster who¡¯s made direct threats against me and the people I love.¡±


    ¡°Anything you want.¡± Gio wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me in, burying his face in my hair. ¡°I love you.¡±


    I pressed a kiss to his cheek and tried to swallow down a brilliant grin. I shouldn¡¯t be so excited to learn about violent mafia business, but I couldn¡¯t help feeling like I¡¯d finally gained ess to a club I¡¯d been standing outside of for months.


    ¡°I love you too. Now, get dressed, or Gabriele¡¯s going to have both of our heads,¡± I said.


    Gioughed and began pulling on his clothes. ¡°Now you really sound like you belong here.¡±


    He dressed quickly, and in what felt like mere moments, he was throwing open his office door and leading me inside by the hand. Gabriele waited in a standing position in front of the desk, but Gio gestured to me to sit in one of the red leather seats next to the man. I sat, but turned the chair so I could face both of them equally. Gabriele regarded me coolly but did not protest as Gio sat behind his huge desk.


    ¡°Report,¡± Gio barked, suddenly businesslike.


    I¡¯d seen this mafioso side of him before, but never when I really understood, never when I got to be part of the meetings. The only meeting I¡¯d ever been invited to before, I¡¯d blubbered all the way through as Gio nned to give himself up. Now, as an equal participant in what was toe, the sharp edge in Gio¡¯s voice made me squirm in my seat and think about what would happen when we got back to the room.


    I¡¯d been on the outside for so long that I¡¯d forgotten how hot Gio¡¯s effortless air ofmand was.


    ¡°Alessandro and his men have been riding Lorenz¡¯s ass.¡± Gabriele interrupted my train of thought and brought me back to the moment. I dug my fingers into the leather of the chair, an old trick I used to use in boring sses in high school to stay attentive. Of course, I wasn¡¯t bored now....


    Focus, Olivia!


    Lorenz was the bastard who had hired Joey Mancinni to put those notes in mine and Dahlia¡¯s notebooks, the one who chased us out of school. Maybe one day I¡¯d get as bloodthirsty as Gio or Dahlia in my revenge, but right now, I just want to see him humiliated.


    ¡°They know all his civilian haunts. There are a few bars, a few restaurants... a bowling alley he goes to on a daily basis.¡± Gabriele shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re working on mapping the weak points in his security, but we can more or less put eyes on him whenever we want.¡±


    Gio nodded slowly. ¡°All good things, but I want to hit both of them at once. Dmitri keeps slipping out of our grasp. I don¡¯t want to give him a chance to wiggle away again. When we hit, we hit everyone.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep our eyes on him so it¡¯s simple to strike when we¡¯re ready,¡± Gabriele said.


    Gio hummed. ¡°Give it to somebody other than Alessandro. He¡¯s done well. I want him in the strike force, and he doesn¡¯t perform well when his attention is split.¡±


    My mouth fell slightly open, but I snapped it quickly shut again. Alessandro just took his first life, barely a week ago. Did Gio really believe it was a good idea to put him in that position again?


    Was this how quickly Gio had to grow up when he was rising through the ranks? Never a moment to breathe or mourn, just the next mission to be carried out? My heart panged, and I suddenly missed my mom worse than I had since we arrived.


    Gio leaned forward. ¡°This is not the sort of news you wake me up in the middle of the night for.¡±


    A slow, sharklike smile spread over Gabriele¡¯s face. ¡°Rinaldo finally made it to a decent position in the Russo organization.¡±


    Gio banged his hand on his desk. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that first?¡±


    ¡°There was a meeting with their higher-ups tonight, suspiciouslyte, so he contacted us in advance. We were worried he was made,¡± he continued.


    ¡°Is he?¡± Gio demanded. ¡°Have we lost another one?¡±


    Another? I shot Gio a look, asking what I¡¯d missed, and he shook his head. I pursed my lips but relented. I had to trust him just like he trusted me.


    Gabriele shook his head. ¡°Set-up meeting for a new overnight warehouse. Apparently, that¡¯s what they call it when they have to put together a safe house on short notice.¡±


    Gio steepled his fingers, a new light gleaming in his eyes. ¡°My old friend, are you saying what I think you¡¯re saying?¡±


    I leaned forward as well. I had my guesses, but I wanted to hear him say it.


    ¡°Russo has been securing housing outside of the city once a month since this bastard started hitting us. We only ever found out after the fact. Tonight, Rinaldo was in the nning meeting for this month¡¯s safe house.¡± Gabriele¡¯s smile grew even wider. ¡°He has the address in hand. Dmitri himself handed it over.¡±


    I leaped out of my chair with a squeal of delight, then quickly sat back down when both men turned to look at me.


    ¡°Sorry! I got a little excited.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m ready for this to be over.¡±


    Gio reached across his desk, and I put my hand in his. He squeezed itfortingly, and I looked up into his deep brown eyes, full of love and warmth.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready, too, carina.¡± He turned back to Gabriele but didn¡¯t release my hand.


    I smiled to myself.


    ¡°We have to act quickly. Start putting in calls. I want all our best people on this, and I want them here yesterday.¡± Gio looked down at the top of his desk for a moment, lost in thought, and when he looked back up, his eyes burned with righteous anger. ¡°For Vincent, for Emiliio, for all the men they made us put in Eterna¨Cthis ends now.¡±


    His determination lit a spark in my veins. Dmitri had taken so much from us, but no longer.


    We were going to make him pay.

 Chapter 387 : Devil’s in the Details

    <h4>Chapter 387: Chapter 387 : Devil¡¯s in the Details</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I looked at Olivia, alighted with the same righteous anger I felt in myself. I¡¯d so rarely seen her angry, and even more rarely angry at someone other than me. The emotion made her glow, bringing a glimmer to her eyes and precision to her movements. My mind strayed to the memory of her standing up, naked andpletely confident she could talk me into letting her into this room. Then, it strayed a little further to the fact she wasn¡¯t wearing any underwear.


    I ran my thumb lightly over the back of her hand and wished I could scoop her up, drag her back to the room, and take advantage of that knowledge. She was always beautiful, but she was brilliant when she was standing up for herself. I could watch her do that forever.


    Gabriele cleared his throat, and I cut my eyes in his direction. He raised a mocking eyebrow, and I knew he was asking if I was really going to go have sex instead of focusing on the important mission at hand.


    I steeled myself, squeezed Olivia¡¯s hand one more time, and let go. He was right. I had to be the Don right now.


    ¡°Carina, we need to talk details. Can you¡ª¡±


    She bounced up out of her seat. ¡°Say no more. I¡¯m going to go tell Dahlia. She might even be happy enough to forgive me for waking her up.¡±


    I smiled at her. ¡°Good luck with that.¡±


    She circled around the desk to press a kiss to my lips, and it took all my willpower not to deepen the kiss and take her right over my desk. She¡¯d been perfect in the meeting, and now she was leaving withoutint. I couldn¡¯t have asked anything else of her, and it made me love her even more.


    She had been right. She knew what she could handle. And, unfortunately, I knew what I could handle, so I broke the kiss quickly before she could overwhelm me.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she murmured.


    I stroked a thumb across her cheek. ¡°Always.¡±


    She nodded at Gabriele, a small blush rising to her cheeks as though she¡¯d just remembered he was there, and stepped out of the office, closing the door behind her.


    ¡°So,¡± he started, a teasing grin twisting his lips.


    I waved my hand. ¡°Not now. We¡¯ve got a raid to n. I¡¯m sure you know more than you said.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Some. First, Dmitri will be arriving at the safehouse the day after tomorrow. Rinaldo thinks it¡¯ll be sometime in the afternoon, but he¡¯s not certain.¡±


    I exhaled in one big gust. ¡°Not a lot of time to n the perfect raid. I¡¯m d you woke me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect there will be much sleep waiting for any of us in theing days,¡± Gabriele said.


    ¡°Anything is worth it to ruin the man who killed Vincent and the others,¡± I replied.


    My second-inmand nodded, and despite his deferential posture with his hands behind his back, I suddenly saw the brawler I¡¯d grown up alongside. He¡¯d been vicious when we were younger. But then, so had everybody who¡¯d survived.


    He cleared his throat and became the older man who¡¯d risen in the ranks beside me again. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling we¡¯d need the brawler to get through this unscathed.


    ¡°Alright, what do we know about the location?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Rinaldo pumped the man in charge of securing the location for info, and it looks tough. The safehouse is up in the Chianti Mountains, with only one road in and out. We haven¡¯t been able to get anybody up to scout, but it seems like ess is going to be a hassle.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Can we get a helicopter in time? Being able to drop in from above should solve some problems.¡±


    Gabriele sighed. ¡°Probably, but there¡¯s another issue. Dmitri seems to take this time away from the city to meet with big-name partners, and that means the ce will be crawling with security¨Ceasily fifty or more made men, and that¡¯s before we ount for the partners¡¯ own forces.¡±


    I ran a hand through my hair. If I only wanted our best guys¡ªand I did¡ªwe couldn¡¯t match that. And the mountain stronghold would give them the advantage on approach, helicopter or no.


    ¡°Any other bad news?¡± I joked.


    Gabriele smiled ruefully. ¡°Rinaldo said Dmitri was insistent this one had to be perfect because he was holding a very special party there.¡±


    Iughed bitterly. ¡°Nothing in this life is ever easy, huh?¡±


    When the words slipped from my lips, I realized they applied to Olivia as well. We¡¯d had to fight and struggle to get to where we were, but I wouldn¡¯t give up a single moment of it. Well, perhaps a few of the moments where I¡¯d blown up at her and had to grovel. But beyond that, every disagreement, every scare, I¡¯d keep everything to be sitting here knowing she was in this house, and she loved me.


    Gabriele nodded. ¡°How do you want to approach this?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I said I wanted our best, and I mean it. This has to go perfectly. If a single fish slips the, we¡¯ve got to hunt them down. I¡¯m not leaving a brick of this organization standing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already got the calls out. Earliest everyone can be here is eight PM tomorrow, so I¡¯ve scheduled a meeting for then.¡± He began pacing back and forth. ¡°I¡¯m optimistic that we can get eyes on at least the local area before he arrives, if not the house itself, but that¡¯s gonna mean pulling some lower-ranked guys up or spending energy we need for nning.¡±


    I tapped my desk. ¡°Send Alessandro and Tallon. I want them for the hit, but theyck the experience to be extremely valuable during nning stages yet. That youthful exuberance has to be good for something.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be pleased to get out instead of waiting around. Alessandro really has been a good asset since his kidnapping.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Of all the things you can say about a cousin¨Cbut you are right. It¡¯s too soon to be thinking like this, but maybe he¡¯ll get his shot at the Don seat after all someday.¡±


    Gabriele stopped pacing and peered at me. ¡°That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever heard you mention giving up your seat. You¡¯re not going soft on me, are you?¡±


    A denial sprang quickly to my lips, but something made me hesitate. In Tuscany. Olivia and I had talked all night about the future we saw for ourselves, and none of it involved me being shot down in the line of duty. My family needed me, and Alessandro was still far too green to be allowed the sort of control my position offered, but for the first time since I¡¯d epted James¡¯ offer, I was sort of thinking about an end to my time here.


    ¡°Not soft, Gabriele. Just starting to get a little old,¡± I answered.


    He pursed his lips like he didn¡¯t quite believe me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving this up any time soon, don¡¯t worry. Where else would I get the excitement of mountaintop helicopter raids?¡± I smiled.


    Gabriele met my smile with one of his own, but there was a pensive nt to it. I was about to ask what he had on his mind when he began pacing again, and his expression reverted to normal.


    ¡°We still haven¡¯t solved the manpower problem,¡± he reminded me.


    ¡°I am well aware,¡± I huffed. ¡°We could take out the road to limit reinforcements, but then we risk trapping ourselves and preventing Dmitri from arriving in the first ce. We don¡¯t have nearly enough time to get our guys into their security force. We could try poisoning his guys to incapacitate them, but I¡¯m not certain we could do it subtly enough not to spook Dmitri.¡±


    I leaned back in my chair, feeling the worn leather creak under my weight. How many Dons had sat in this chair nning how many raids? I needed their smarts and their luck now.


    ¡°Maybe spooking is exactly what we need,¡± Gabriele offered.


    I crossed my arms. ¡°This is the slipperiest enemy we¡¯ve ever faced, and you want to give him reason to be suspicious?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Not for his life, and not for his safehouse. You¡¯re right; he¡¯s slippery, and being as slippery as he has been requires resources... not just Russo and whatever strings they¡¯re pulling but manpower.¡±


    I nodded slowly as realization dawned. ¡°If we scare him somece else, he¡¯ll divert men there. He has no idea we even know he leaves the city, much less that we¡¯ve got the address for his next soiree. In fact, if he thinks we¡¯re hitting a lesser target, he might just get cocky in his mountain getaway and let his guard down.¡± I mmed a hand down on my desk. ¡°You¡¯re a genius, Gabriele. Thank god I¡¯ve got you as my right hand and not some moron who goes around hiring students to leave notes.¡±


    Gabriele smiled. ¡°A discussion of targets might be better left for a room with more heads than just ours. I know most of our men have a particr hit list of Dmitri¡¯s underlings they¡¯d like to see at their feet.¡±


    And Dmitri himself topped mine. I¡¯d been dreaming about seeing his blood sttered on the floor, knowing he could never reach me or Olivia again. In my wildest fantasies, I stretched his death out for days and weeks, extending the torture for as long as he¡¯d had his boot on our necks.


    But in this moment, the violence didn¡¯t seem paramount. I wanted him to suffer as much as possible for as long as possible, but more than that, I wanted a long, safe life with Olivia away from him. And the brutal death of the old Zaytsev was what called Dmitri¡¯s fury down on us in the first ce.


    Gabriele had already used me of going soft. I had much to think about before Imitted to letting a man like Dmitri live.


    I fought back a yawn and looked at Gabriele, who was starting to sway on his feet. ¡°I will do some thinking, but I agree, the rest of this is for our best and brightest to solve together.¡±


    He nodded sharply. ¡°As Olivia said, I will be pleased to have this over with. We have suffered too many losses and dark days.¡±


    ¡°Too many,¡± I agreed. ¡°Thank you for bringing me the news we needed to fix things once and for all. The bodies in Eterna will rest easier thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°Sleep, if you find the time,¡± he said as he turned for the door.


    ¡°And you, brother.¡±


    On the threshold, he hesitated and turned back to me. That same pensive look overtook his face, and I knew I was going to learn what he had held back.


    ¡°If you love her enough to let her into these conversations,¡± he said slowly, ¡°perhaps it may be time to begin thinking about a more seriousmitment.¡±


    I looked at him, and all the armor of my second-inmand folded away to show the old friend underneath. He hadn¡¯t seen me happy in a while, I realized, and he liked how happy she made me, how she made the tension in my shoulders release and helped me keep my temper in check.


    On the heels of that realization came a second one. I had been thinking of a future with Olivia for some time now. A future where she was a permanent fixture in my life, in my bed, where we settled down together and had all the babies we dreamed of. That future tied my tongue about staying Don and had me hesitating to kill an enemy.


    I leaned back in my chair. ¡°Way ahead of you, my friend.¡±

 Chapter 388 : Commitment

    <h4>Chapter 388: Chapter 388 : Commitment</h4>


    *Olivia*


    After a couple of minutes of banging on Dahlia¡¯s door, she finally yanked it open.


    ¡°What?¡± she demanded.


    I burst into helpless giggles at the sight of my best friend. She¡¯d clearly been asleep, but it seemed she¡¯d passed out before getting all her makeup off, so ck lines smeared down from her eyes, and that soft mauve lip color she¡¯d found at an Italian boutique before we got locked inside smeared up to meet it. Her hair was a rat¡¯s nest, tangled so aggressively it stuck all the way up from her head in ces.


    ¡°Did Tuscany wipe you out, Dolly?¡± I asked throughughter.


    She patted her hair, wiped at her face, and winced. ¡°Did you wake me up in the middle of the night to make fun of me for being tired?¡±


    I bounced on my toes as I remembered why I was here. ¡°Absolutely not! Let¡¯s get you cleaned up and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    She huffed and opened the door a little wider. ¡°This better be good, Olive. I need my beauty sleep.¡±


    Iughed again, near giddy with relief at how soon this was going to be over. ¡°I promise it is.¡±


    Dahlia let me lead her into the bathroom that adjoined her bedroom, sit her down on the edge of the tub, and begin working ab through her hair while she scrubbed off the remnants of her makeup. For a moment, we worked inpanionable silence. I stared around at the sleek white and silver of the bathroom and thought back to all the times we helped each other get ready or clean up across childhood. At this point, I knew her face as well as my own.


    So much of our time here in Italy had been spent in chaos, or worse, with me lying to her. I savored this moment of peace, where I had only good news to share and knots to untangle.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d I came here with you,¡± I said quietly.


    Dahlia twisted in my grip to smile at me. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. Now can you please tell me why I¡¯m awake at three in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Gabriele woke Gio and me up, and I was feeling vindictive.¡± I shrugged, trying and failing to maintain my poker face.


    She swatted my leg and moved back into position so I could finish her hair. ¡°Liar. You said you had something good.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± I said. ¡°So you know Dmitri?¡±


    ¡°Olive, you¡¯re a goddamn tease, and if you don¡¯t tell me what you know now, I¡¯m gonna... gonna....¡± Dahlia cast around the bathroom for some worthwhile threat. ¡°I¡¯m gonna wax your legs while you¡¯re asleep!¡±


    I held up my hands. ¡°No need to resort to violence! I¡¯m just excited.¡±


    She turned to face me so I could see her pout. ¡°Then let me be excited with you.¡±


    I put theb down for a moment and sat next to her. ¡°They know where Dmitri¡¯s gonna be. Gio and Gabriele are upstairs nning an attack right now.¡± I took a deep, shivery breath. ¡°They¡¯re gonna wipe them all out at once, and this is going to be over.¡±


    Dahlia whooped and leaped up from the edge of the bathtub. ¡°For real? For real, actual real?¡±


    I nodded, and a smile stretched tightly across my face. In the office with Gio and Gabriele, the news had felt violent, like a threat we finally got to carry out. In thete-night quiet of Dahlia¡¯s bathroom, the safety it promised finally crashed over me, and tears pressed against the backs of my eyes.


    We could go back to school. We could live our lives. I could go to sleep at night without dreaming of my eventual kidnapping.


    As the tears threatened to well over, I looked at Dahlia, doing the cabbage patch in the middle of her enormous bathroom, a bit of mascara still smudged under one eye and her hair still sticking up in ces, and broke into a chokedugh.


    ¡°Just a few more days, and we¡¯ll have survived,¡± I said.


    She quickly sat down next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. ¡°Yeah, we will. And I¡¯ve been really scared. I¡¯m not gonna say I haven¡¯t been. But now you get to experience the best¡ªwell, only good¡ªpart of having your life threatened.¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at her. ¡°There¡¯s a good part?¡±


    She squeezed me. ¡°Yup. The good part onlyes once it¡¯s over, but now we get to go back out into the world and really appreciate the lives we have.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Now who¡¯s the sap?¡±


    ¡°Still you!¡± she dered. ¡°I¡¯m going to appreciate my life by sleeping with half the guys in Italy!¡±


    We giggled together, and then a moment of quiet fell.


    ¡°You know,¡± she said slowly, ¡°getting Dmitri out of the way doesn¡¯t mean you have to stay¨Cdoesn¡¯t mean we have to stay, I guess.¡±


    I stood and grabbed theb. I hadn¡¯t thought of that. For weeks, it felt like the only thing was stopping Dmitri. I had no time to think about what I might want my life to look like after he was stopped.


    Threats like this woulde again. They¡¯d gued Dahlia¡¯s childhood, and now I had to decide if I wanted that for myself.


    Or for my children, someday.


    ¡°No.¡± I began untangling her hair once more. ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Another moment of quiet passed as Dahlia scrubbed the remainder of the makeup from her face.


    ¡°Do you want to?¡± she asked finally.


    I thought back to the dream Gabriele had woken me up from, little Enzo and the twins. I didn¡¯t want that right now, but my heart ached at even the thought of one of those little dream children being hurt or scared.


    And then I thought of Gio, the way he¡¯d led me into his office with all the surety in the world, the way he looked at me when I told him I wasing with him. I wanted more of that. I didn¡¯t know how I could ever let it go.


    ¡°Do you?¡± I countered.


    Dahlia sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve always dreamed of living in Italy. Not just for college, but for my whole life. Find some handsome Italian man, settle down.¡± Sheughed. ¡°I guess you¡¯ve got me beat on that front.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly settled down,¡± I protested.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a handsome Italian in your bed every night. What more settling could you want?¡±


    The conversation Gio and I¡¯d had after Tuscany sprang to mind, the future we¡¯did out together. But that wasn¡¯t for now. If I wanted that, I had to be patient.


    ¡°Fine, fine. Have your ns changed?¡± I worked through a particrly difficult knot, and she let out a hiss of pain.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I got kind of used to not receiving death threats and having my brother kidnapped, but....¡±


    I finished thest tangle andid theb down. ¡°Done!¡±


    She smiled at me, and I thought about sitting down beside her, but I still had too much restless energy. I began straightening the perfume bottle next to her sink for something to do with my hands.


    ¡°But what?¡± I prompted.


    ¡°But running away feels like letting them win¨Cnot just Dmitri, but everyone who wants to take the Valentinos down, everyone who ever said I was too silly to achieve my dreams.¡± She braced her hands against the tub and dropped her head back to look at the ceiling. ¡°I hate letting other people win.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I get that. But at a certain point, is safety more important than other people¡¯s opinions?¡±


    She picked her head back up, and I met her eyes in the vanity mirror. ¡°Do you think it is?¡±


    I hummed as a moved the bottles into color order. Purples over here, blues over there. I was stalling, and we both knew it.


    ¡°Olive?¡± she prompted.


    I turned to face her properly, leaning on the counter. ¡°I don¡¯t know anymore. A week ago, I would have said absolutely. But I learned about the Dmitri stuff because Gio let me into a briefing with Gabriele.¡±


    Dahlia¡¯s mouth dropped open. ¡°A full briefing? In the office?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s big, Olive. The Don¡¯s office is, like, sacred. People are barely allowed in there to talk to him, much less be a part of meetings.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°He really loves you.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I groaned. ¡°And I love him, too. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t just leave.¡±


    She jumped up off the edge of the tub and pointed at me. ¡°There it is! You can¡¯t leave. That¡¯s the first straight answer you¡¯ve given me.¡±


    I buried my head in my hands. Dahlia was right, of course. I¡¯d said it without thinking, but I never could have left, not really. Being away from Gio would have meant leaving a piece of my heart behind, and I didn¡¯t know how I would have ever survived without it. Through all the ups and downs, fights and scares, I couldn¡¯t imagine my life without him at my side anymore.


    I peeked out through my fingers. ¡°What about you? Are you going to stay?¡±


    Dahliaughed, loud and long. ¡°If you¡¯re staying, Olive, how could I possibly leave? We¡¯re on this Italian adventure together, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    I dropped my hands from my face and grinned at her. ¡°We absolutely are.¡±


    A door thudded shut upstairs, and both of us looked up.


    ¡°I¡¯d guess that¡¯s the office,¡± Dahlia said.


    ¡°Could be Gabriele leaving,¡± I offered.


    She shook her head. ¡°Only Gio ms that door, and Alessandro during his rough patch. Sounds to me like you¡¯re wanted back upstairs. Your husband¡¯s going to be lonely in bed otherwise.¡± She waggled her eyebrows.


    I shoved her shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s not my husband.¡±


    ¡°Sure, you just share a room and a bed and secret mafia meetings in the dead of night. You¡¯re in a super casual rtionship.¡± Dahlia rolled her eyes.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say we were casual, just not... that.¡± I shrugged and looked away. I was neen, far too young to be married. I wasn¡¯t even thinking about being married. If someone had asked me before I moved here, I would have said that I wouldn¡¯t be married until thirty. I intended to have all the fun I could.


    Dahlia scoffed. ¡°You can¡¯t even say it. Go, crawl into bed with your totally regr boyfriend and be totally regr about the whole thing. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    I drifted out of her room and up the stairs. Gio and I hadn¡¯t been together nearly long enough to think about marriage yet, right? But these scant few months held more passion and romance than anything else I had ever experienced in my life before. I loved waking up next to him in the morning, slipping into the shower beside him, eating across from him. I loved him, enough to stay in Italy and get shot at for the rest of my life.


    And I knew he loved me, too. He said it often enough, but if I had ever doubted him, the meeting tonight proved it. He was letting me into his life, letting me have a say if I wanted one. Sure, I was still learning¡ªthe memory of my yell brought color to my cheeks¡ªbut he let me learn.


    I trailed my hand up the banister and remembered the way he¡¯d stroked my cheek when I left, the fire in his eyes. How could I possibly pass up an opportunity to have that forever?


    But would he ask me?

 Chapter 389 : Perfect Ending

    <h4>Chapter 389: Chapter 389 : Perfect Ending</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I stared at the grim-faced, middle-aged asshole who stared back at me in the mirror. I buttoned up my suit smoothly, having done it thousands of times over my lifetime. Truth be told, I¡¯d always preferred casual wear over restrictive suits.


    I brushed back my salt and pepper-colored hair, putting in my cufflinks before I turned away from the mirror.


    I was officially ready.


    I tried to don my usual confidence, the one that you had to have when facing down a couple dozen thieves and murderers you had to convince to follow you. But it just wasn¡¯t there today.


    Anxiety clung to my every move, a nervousness I¡¯d never quite felt before hanging in my throat as I made my way out of the suite. I¡¯d always been a confident man, more than anyone else, to the point where some considered it a fault.


    I¡¯d never felt as shaken as I was right now.


    I turned into the living room, paying the rest of it no mind as I headed straight to the firece. I tapped the bricksid into the wall right above the fire, one at a time as I counted up to eleven.


    Finally, on the eleventh brick, I pushed in on it. It slid inward, and I heard the creak of something opening behind me. When I turned around, I was d to see it still worked; the secret passage had opened.


    I stepped in, the wall sliding closed behind me, and I made my way down a long, winding hallway with no lights in it. I had memorized the passageways here since I was a kid. What child didn¡¯t appreciate a good secret?


    At the end of the darkened hallway was a door, and standing in front of it were three darkened shadows, broad-shouldered and tall.


    The meeting room, one that wouldn¡¯t even be found on the master blueprints of thepound, was not the only one of its kind, but certainly the most used.


    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Alessandro spoke up, grumpy as he red at me usingly.


    Tallon wrinkled his nose when I pushed past him. ¡°Are you wearing perfume?¡±


    I ignored the two of them, giving Gabriele a look as I asked, ¡°Is everyone here?¡±


    Gabriele nodded firmly in response and I smirked.


    ¡°Showtime.¡±


    I entered the meeting room with purpose, wiping all emotion from my face as more than a dozen men and women turned to look at me. Large and small, mean-looking with scars and clean-shaven in suits, there was no end to the variety of men employed in our family.


    I knew each one by sight and could recite their drinking habits and sin of choice. I knew every man before me like they were my own brothers, and they were the same.


    There was a trust that couldn¡¯t be bought between us, and it was exactly that trust that I needed right now.


    ¡°Hey, boss!¡± A loud friendly greeting cutting through the tense air had a smile growing over my face.


    ¡°Leandro,¡± I smirked as I spotted the man I was looking for.


    Leandro leaned back in the biggest wooden carved chair, his feet propped up on the table as he grinned like a madman.


    ¡°You¡¯re in my seat,¡± I stated, crossing my arms with an amused look.


    ¡°And you¡¯rete,¡± Leandro shot back with a grin.


    I shook my head, grinning at the man¡¯s nonchnt appearance. He was not the biggest man¨Cfar from it¨Cbut he was one of the most crucial. His outgoing and non-threatening appearance allowed him to get close to anyone very quickly.


    He looked like an average, trustworthy Joe.


    And that¡¯s why he was perfect to work as a spy.


    I stood in front of him, waiting patiently as I jerked my head to the right. ¡°Up,¡± I said simply.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± He rolled his eyes, holding his hands out in a peace symbol, ¡°Just keeping your seat warm.¡±


    A few men chuckled behind us as Leandro sulked away into a new chair. I reced him in the seat with Tallon and Alessandro taking the ones next to me. Gabriele stood behind me as usual, a stoic look on his face.


    Once I was seated, everyone began to take their own seats until all the men and women were settled.


    ¡°You have news?¡± I asked, turning to Leandro with an expectant look.


    ¡°I do.¡± Leandro grinned. ¡°I met the thorn in your side the other day¨Cquite a character.¡±


    ¡°So he was at Russo,¡± Alessandro growled, leaning back. ¡°Looks like they haven¡¯t been affected by their recent losses if they¡¯re still sheltering that bastard.¡±


    ¡°Did he notice anything?¡± I asked, first and foremost.


    ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± Leandro grinned, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m the best spy in Europe. He didn¡¯t notice a thing, boss. He was in quite a hurry, but I managed to sneak a tracker onto his car.¡±


    He pped his phone onto the table and slid it across to me. I managed to grab it before it slid off the table, and right on the screen was a shing red light on a GPS location.


    Dmitri¡¯s location.


    ¡°Good job,¡± I smirked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± Leandro smirked. ¡°I also managed to sweet-talk the receptionist and get some details on his involvement. Russo¡¯s been providing Dmitri and their new head with safety, but apparently, that¡¯s changing. They provided him with a safe house to get resources from and he goes there once a week. It¡¯s a remote area outside the city,pletely isted.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a perfect area to end this,¡± Alessandro said confidently. ¡°It¡¯ll be easy to hit him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just Dmitri we need to end though,¡± Gabriele piped up, crossing his arms. ¡°We have to take care of Lorenz as well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where Ie in,¡± one of the few female voices in our family piped up. A redhead smirked at me, twirling her curly hair around her fingers. Despite her morous look, she was just as deadly as any of the men in here.


    ¡°Fiore,¡± I nodded, signaling her to speak.


    ¡°We managed to track Lorenz due to the cell phone number we got from that kid,¡± Fiore said, ¡°All we got to do is separate Dmitri and Lorenz, divide their forces, and take them both out at the same time.¡±


    I nced at the tracker on Leandro¡¯s phone.


    ¡°When are they next going to that remote area?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± Leandro smirked.


    And the n was falling into ce.


    ¡°Fiore, you take therger force and stage a hit on Lorenz right before they leave the city. Separate his envoy from Dmitri¡¯s. Once they¡¯re separated, a smaller will head to the remote outpost, thinking we don¡¯t know where it is. A smaller, more deadly force will follow and go after him. With enough luck, both will be dead by the end of the night,¡± I dered.


    A few men whooped, high-fiving one another.


    ¡°Alessandro, Tallon, you two lead Fiore and her team after Lorenz,¡± I ordered calmly.


    Tallon nodded, firmly but Alessandro hesitated.


    ¡°Lorenz was the one responsible for Emilio,¡± I told him firmly, ¡°not Dmitri. It¡¯s crucial we divide them so they can¡¯t escape. Can you do this?¡±


    Alessandro¡¯s lips thinned at my deration. The hurt of losing his right hand was still raw and it showed, but I had full confidence he could do this without letting his emotions get the better of him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alessandro nodded, determinedly. ¡°But I get the pleasure of killing the fucker.¡±


    ¡°Any disagreements?¡± I offered up to the table but no one stepped forward to protest. Emilio had been quite loved in the family, his death hung greatly over our heads. As did Vincent¡¯s.


    But Vincent¡¯s death hadn¡¯t been Lorenz¡¯s fault, not in the slightest. No, that had all been Dmitri.


    ¡°Gabriele and I will lead the team after Dmitri,¡± I dered. ¡°Leandro and a small team I choose will go with us. It doesn¡¯t matter who gets the killing blow, just make sure both fuckers are dead. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the room echoed around us.


    ¡°Great job, everyone,¡± I smirked. ¡°Alessandro, Tallon, you two stay with Fiore and get the details right¨Cno mistakes this time. Tomorrow night, this all ends one way or another. I¡¯ll see you back at thepoundter tonight to go over a few key details.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, an important date?¡± Leandro guessed with a grin. ¡°I haven¡¯t met thatdy of yours, but I hear she¡¯s a hottie.¡±


    I sent him a sharp re, and he shut up, whistling innocently as he avoided my gaze.


    ¡°Remember what I told you,¡± Fiore called out as I rose from my chair to my feet.


    Alessandro, however, was left in the dark as he frowned unhappily.


    ¡°What could be more important than this?¡± he demanded, irritatedly. ¡°It¡¯s the top priority¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t, bro,¡± Tallon sighed, shoving his hand over Alessandro¡¯s mouth to shut him up. ¡°You really need to learn to read the group chat.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll find out soon enough,¡± I smirked, nodding to Gabriele, who took my seat at the head of the table. I slipped out the back, leaving them to execute the finer details of the n.


    I heard Alessandro¡¯s grumbling as I left, but nobody else protested. I trusted all of them with my life and they were the same. They all knew how important this raid was, they wouldn¡¯t fail.


    I briefly wondered who spilled the news on the group chat, but that was the least of my worries. My anxiety returned as the passage spit me out into the garage, and I saw a car waiting for me.


    I nodded to the driver and got inside so he could take me to the destination I had both been dreading and waiting for.


    It took only a few minutes before we pulled up to a closed shop. The steel bars were already over the windows and doors, and a hanging closed sign was in the window. I knew better though.


    I slipped out of the car and rounded the back. Standing out by a steel door in the back was a familiar presence.


    ¡°Hey, Gio,¡± the older man with a long mustache greeted me. ¡°Long time no see, Amico.¡±


    ¡°You, too, Zio Bruno,¡± I greeted him with a wide grin. We sped our hands together.


    ¡°Never thought I¡¯d see you here, but things change, eh?¡± Bruno grinned, gesturing for me to follow him over his shoulder.


    ¡°That they do. Thanks for doing this for me,¡± I chuckled, shoving my hands in my pockets out of sheer nervousness as Bruno jingled his keys and unlocked the metal lock to the door. He flicked on the lights as he did so and gestured to one of the many clear cases in the store.


    Lights glittered from under the gorgeous stones, nes, and earrings in every color and shape. But I was more interested in the line-up of first-ss rings.


    ¡°Anything for family, you know?¡± Bruno said casually, stepping behind the massive ss cases, ¡°Pick anything that catches your eye, okay?¡±


    I surveyed the rack of diamond-encrusted rings¨Csquare-shaped cuts and ovals and diamonds, colorful ones, and just in white, simple designs and unusual designs, each with a growing price tag attached to them.


    But out of all, one caught my eye, one that I knew was just perfect.


    ¡°That one,¡± I pointed, my eyes locked on it.


    Bruno reached into the case to grab it, cutting off the tag attached as he moved it around in his hand.


    ¡°This one, eh? You got a nice eye there,¡± Bruno chuckled as he handed it over to me.


    I grinned, staring at the delicate ring in my hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s going to love it.¡±


    ¡°Get a woman a ring like that,¡± Bruno smirked, ¡°and it says you love her more than anything. You sure you¡¯re ready for that?¡±


    I stared at my uncle straight in the eye and smirked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Tomorrow would be the perfect ending, in more ways than one.

 Chapter 390 : It’s Settled

    <h4>Chapter 390: Chapter 390 : It¡¯s Settled</h4>


    *Giovani*


    The moment the sun fell, the world always felt more silent than it should. I¡¯d always been one to enjoy the ambient noises of the bustling day more than the stillness of the night.


    That said, it was a little unnerving how quiet this ce was. It wasn¡¯t that there weren¡¯t any sounds at all; they were all just very far away. And every creak of the wood felt louder than it should.


    Entering thepound in the early morning hours was not unfamiliar to me. Usually, my worksted long after the sun disappeared.


    But usually, I was never carrying such great weight in my pocket. Secrets were heavier than I expected as I gently stepped across the creaking floorboards toward the room I shared.


    The suite door swung open, revealing the dark room. I knew she would most likely be in bed already, sleeping away like she usually was. I ced my hand against the wall, using it to guide my way through the suite to the bedroom.


    I quietly tiptoed inside and closed the door behind me, making sure ittched properly before turning around to face the connected bedroom. I dodged the furniture in the darkness, even if I could only see the vague shapes of it, and ced my hand against the wall, using it to guide my way through the suite to the bedroom.


    The blinds were shut against the window, leaving the room in pitch darkness. It was unnerving, but her presence was more familiar than my own heartbeat.


    I shed my outer clothes, being careful not to make enough noise to wake her. Too many times I¡¯d done so, but not now. I grabbed the package in my pocket, taking care to ce it in a hidden spot where I knew she wouldn¡¯t stumble across it.


    I used my hand to guide my way until I felt the plushfort of the bed. I heard her soft breathing as I fished around for the nket opening and gently pulled it up.


    I slipped inside, the bed moving with my actions even with how careful I tried to be. Under the covers, Iy on my side and sighed as I wrapped my arm around her waist. Her warmth was afort to me, and there was nothing that could bring me greater happiness than having her by my side every night.


    ¡°Mmm. Gio?¡± Her voice cut through the darkness, so soft and light. She was still half-asleep and I chuckled at how cute she sounded. Her hand wrapped around mine, pulling it up to her chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± I whispered to her, half-hoping she would just go back to sleep like this. But I knew she wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°How¡¯d everything go?¡± She yawned like a sleepy kitten, leaning her back into the embrace. I smiled, tucking my head into the crevice of her shoulder.


    ¡°We found Dmitri and his right hand. We have both their locations, so we¡¯re going to end this tomorrow. The n is to separate their forces and take them down at the same time. One team goes after Dmitr,i and the other after his second inmand,¡± I told her, simplifying it so I didn¡¯t worry her too much.


    I made the choice to let her into my life, but it was still going to be a process. I didn¡¯t want to involve her in too much until I was sure she could handle it. For now, she didn¡¯t need to know the details.


    ¡°Two teams?¡± she mumbled, sounding a bit more awake now.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I sighed, a bit proud and exasperated that she had caught onto that so quickly.


    ¡°Where are you going to be?¡± she asked cautiously. We both already knew the answer, but I squeezed the hand she was gripping a bit too tightly, hoping to give her a little reassurance.


    ¡°My team is going after Dmitri,¡± I told her honestly.


    There was a startling second of silence, the kind where I almost thought she had fallen back to sleep if it weren¡¯t for how tense her muscles were. I knew her, and I knew how much she tended to overthink and worry.


    I gave her a moment to get her thoughts together, happy to wait as I shut my eyes and breathed in her scent. She always smelled sweet, like vani, or a soft fruity scent. It helped to distract me as I waited for her to voice her thoughts.


    It could¡¯ve been seconds or minutes, even an hour for all I knew, but just as I started dozing off, I heard her speak up.


    ¡°Do you have to?¡±


    A tenseness fell upon us once more, and though I didn¡¯t want to admit it, I knew I had to give her an honest answer to this.


    ¡°Carina....¡± I started, not sure what was the right thing to say here, but she only sighed, shaking her head softly.


    ¡°No, I know. I¡¯m sorry for asking that, I just¨C¡± She went quiet again, probably trying to find the right words. She took a deep, shaky breath before continuing.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared something is going to happen to you. I know how much you care about your men but... I don¡¯t want you to be in the middle of all of this, even if I know this is something you have to do.¡±


    She was talking too fast and her voice broke at the end. She was clearly nervous, and I moved toy a kiss on her shoulder, squeezing her hand tightly in mine to give her something to hold onto.


    ¡°I will be close,¡± I told her. ¡°But I won¡¯t be in the middle of anything until it¡¯s safe. I won¡¯t be careless with my life, Olivia. But I have to see this to the end.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said quietly. She gripped my hand like it was her only lifeline, and I felt bad for putting her through this, but both of us knew this is what had to happen. I couldn¡¯t let Dmitri continue to sabotage everything I¡¯d built, to pick off my men one by one and terrorize anyone who got close to me.


    ¡°What about me and Dahlia?¡± she asked softly. ¡°Will we be safe here alone?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t n to leave thepound defenseless in our absence. I arranged a few men to keep watch over you though... I did have a different idea if you might be interested.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The yful lit in her voice made me grin. ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯d enjoy it or not, but I did make arrangements in case you two wanted to go on a day trip. Dom and a few other men would have to go with you, of course, but it would get you out of the city and away from all this for the day. I can make arrangements for you to stay in a hotel, too.¡±


    ¡°A day trip?¡± She turned around in my arms and her eyes were shining with excitement as she gazed up at me. ¡°To where?¡±


    I smiled softly, my heart full of so much emotion at seeing that beautiful smile of hers.


    ¡°Anywhere you want,¡± I told her.


    ¡°That sounds amazing,¡± she gushed, curling into my arms as she buried her head into my chest. ¡°We went to Tuscany with Tallon a while ago and I loved that. I¡¯d have to ask Dahlia where she wants to go.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± I smiled teasingly. ¡°Though I¡¯d prefer you choose somewhere in Europe. I¡¯d miss you too much if you were too far away.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Europe,¡± She rolled her eyes, leaning up so we were face-to-face. ¡°We have to be here to rush back in case....¡± She trailed off, the anxiousness in her eyes returning. ¡°In case something happens.¡±


    I knew I should reassure her, to let her know that nothing was going to happen to us, but I wasn¡¯t about to make promises I couldn¡¯t keep. I wasn¡¯t going to lie to her and tell her we were all going to be safe because there was a very real chance we might not be.


    But there was one thing I could promise her.


    ¡°Olivia.¡± I called her name softly. She gazed up at me with shiny eyes, just on the verge of tears and I pressed a kiss to her forehead, lingering there for a moment as I made this one solemn vow to her.


    ¡°I¡¯lle back to you. I swear.¡±


    A little smile crept up her lips, and she buried her face into my chest, holding me tightly enough that I could feel her nails digging into my skin¨Cnot enough to hurt, but enough to make me aware that it could.


    ¡°I know you will,¡± she whispered, her voice full of emotion. ¡°Or Dahlia will kick your ass.¡±


    Iughed, the sound way too loud as her giggles joined me, and I pressed my grin onto the top of her head, my whole body shaking with humor.


    I could imagine it too¨Clittle Dahlia, all five foot six tracking me down wherever I was and kicking my ass all the way back to Italy. No matter how injured or hurt I was, she¡¯d drag me back by my ear if she had to.


    James had been in a simr situation when the witness protection agency insisted he was dead, but he¡¯d ended up having to reveal himself again because he couldn¡¯t live without Ba. If I ever tried something like that, there was no doubt I¡¯d have a whole family of angry Italians on my ass when they found out I wasn¡¯t really dead.


    And I had no doubt that no matter how sweet and innocent she seemed, Olivia would be the most fearsome of them all.


    I¡¯d be lucky to still be breathing after they¡¯d get done with me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on it,¡± I chuckled into her ear. ¡°If I do something stupid, you¡¯ll drag me back to you, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t do anything stupid,¡± she warned yfully.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, carina,¡± I chuckled, leaning back to ce a kiss on the tip of her cute little nose.


    She giggled, the sound like daisies dancing in the sunshine, and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close. ¡°Let¡¯s get some sleep before morning.¡± She yawned, snuggling into my chest as her eyes fell closed.


    I smiled, running my hands through her hair as her breath evened out and sleep imed her once more.


    I shut my eyes, hoping to gain a few hours of sleep that remained before morning came. When it did, we would wake up and go our separate ways. She would be on a ne to a city of her choosing, and I would be hunting down a maniac.


    By tomorrow night, though, all of this would finallye to an end.


    And our lives together could begin.

 Chapter 391 : Day Out

    <h4>Chapter 391: Chapter 391 : Day Out</h4>


    *Olivia*


    When morning came, I was still in his arms, our legs entangled, his hand gently ying with the hair cascading along my back. A sense of heaviness lingered over us like arge heavy nket.


    Consciousness was not where I wanted to be this particr morning. Despite knowing how childish it was, I refused to open my eyes, ying limp as I savored the feeling of being wrapped in his arms.


    I didn¡¯t want to wake up, to face the danger and fear of today. I knew from the light chuckle in his breath that I had been caught anyway, but he was kind enough to pretend for my sake, to give us both this moment before reality came crashing in like a wrecking ball and tearing us apart.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to get up, carina,¡± he said gently, brushing the hair away from my face as I continued to pretend to sleep. ¡°We¡¯ve gotta get going.¡±


    I didn¡¯t move, justy limply with my eyes firmly shut.


    ¡°Don¡¯t y with me, Olivia.¡± I could feel him grinning even with my eyes shut. ¡°Or I¡¯ll kiss you awake.¡±


    Not a bad idea.


    My lips twitched upward despite my best efforts, and Gioughed, leaning down to kiss me on the forehead.


    ¡°Come on, carina,¡± he called in a sing-song voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m not awake,¡± I mumbled, digging further into his arms as I clung tightly to him like a ko on a tree.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± he smirked. ¡°Then I guess you won¡¯t mind if I do this¨C¡±


    Suddenly, Gio rolled over on top of me, kissing my face and any part of me he could find as I burst into giggles. I struggled to push his overbearing lips away, but he locked his knees, straddling me as he kissed me.


    I giggled into the kiss, leaning up to deepen it and matching his rhythm as it turned from yful to something more.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± I giggled as we broke apart. ¡°I¡¯m awake.¡±


    ¡°Too bad,¡± Gio smirked, pressing our foreheads together. ¡°I could¡¯ve enjoyed myself a little longer.¡±


    ¡°I would let you,¡± I said with a smile, ¡°but my stomach is rumbling and I¡¯ve got to get dressed. We¡¯ve got a lot to do today.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter how much I wanted to put it off and keep rxing in bed with him.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He sighed, rolling off me and getting to his feet. There was a hint of disappointment on his face that I knew if he looked was reflected on mine. But life hade knocking at our door.


    It was time to answer.


    We got dressed in silence, and I packed a day bag for my trip with Dahlia today before we headed down for breakfast. Everyone was already there, waiting for us as usual and I took my seat next to Dahlia.


    A huge spread of breakfasty on the table, all ready for us, and neither of the three siblings had waited before digging in. I took a nice helping of cheesy scrambled eggs and a slice of toast. I thanked him quietly as Giovani ced a steaming mug of coffee in front of me, two sugars, just like I liked it.


    ¡°How¡¯d you two sleep?¡± Dahlia smirked, winking at me as Gio slid into the chair beside me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t answer that,¡± Tallon immediately remarked, making a gross face. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know.¡±


    ¡°Ditto,¡± Alessandro nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a prude,¡± Dahlia rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t know they¡¯re boi¨C¡±


    ¡°Uh-uh,¡± I mmed a hand over her mouth, sending her a firm look. ¡°Not at breakfast.¡±


    She pouted, and I removed my hand, taking a forkful of the scrambled eggs. They were delicious as usual. Just as I did, I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. Gabriele came strolling in, a grim look on his face as he grabbed a piece of bacon from Tallon¡¯s te he passed but didn¡¯t sit down.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Tallon shouted, sending Gabriele a dirty look as he covered his te with his hands.


    ¡°There¡¯s plenty,¡± Gabriele rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Are the ns for today going smoothly?¡± Gio asked, directing his question to Gabriele.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gabriele nodded. ¡°We just need to know where the girls are going.¡±


    ¡°Going?¡± Dahlia¡¯s head whirled over to him with wide eyes and then nced at me expectantly. ¡°What is he talking about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you.¡± I grinned. ¡°We¡¯re gonna head out of the city for today. Any ce you wanna go?¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡± She grinned as well. ¡°Well, I¡¯d totally love to revisit Tuscany without Tallon hanging over our shoulders this time.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I bailed you out of jail,¡± Tallon protested, crossing his arms.


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t,¡± Dahlia huffed. ¡°Olive did! And I was only arrested because of you!¡±


    ¡°Tomatoes, tomah-toes,¡± Tallon rolled his eyes. ¡°Besides, it all turned out fine. The charges were dropped, weren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still banned from the World Heritage site!¡± Dahlia threw her hands up in exasperation.


    ¡°Still, could¡¯ve been worse,¡± Tallon shrugged.


    ¡°Enough,¡± I sighed, interrupting them with a stern look at each sibling. ¡°We don¡¯t need to go over this again.¡±


    ¡°No, please do,¡± Giovani smirked. ¡°I¡¯m interested in hearing this story.¡±


    ¡°Well¨C¡± Tallon started with a mischievous grin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± I shot him a re. Then I turned to Giovani. ¡°We¡¯ll be heading to Tuscany, probably Siena and Chianti.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make the ns then,¡± Giovani nodded. ¡°There¡¯s a small house I own where you can stay the night. You can leave after breakfast.¡±


    ¡°So soon?¡± My smile faded a bit at the reminder.


    He smiled, a bit sad as he leaned over to grab my hand. He pressed a kiss to my knuckles, a mncholy look in his eyes as he told me, ¡°I want you two to really enjoy yourselves. Do whatever you want and don¡¯t worry about anything else, okay? I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, amore mio.¡±


    His sincerity burned right under my skin as he let go of my hand and my fingers twitched, wanting to grab on and never let go.


    It was only one day. I could part for one day. I nced down at my full te, hoping breakfast wouldst just a little longer.


    But even at the snail¡¯s pace at which I ate, it came all too soon. Soon, our luggage was loaded into the car and we were standing outside, all ready to go.


    Tallon hugged Dahlia and then me.


    ¡°Have fun.¡± He grinned, trying to keep the mood light, even as all knew of the threat that lingered over our heads. ¡°And we¡¯d better not get a call about you in jail.¡±


    ¡°Not likely with you not there,¡± I grinned.


    ¡°I am the life of the party,¡± he bragged, stepping away so Alessandro could take his ce.


    His hug with me wasn¡¯t as awkward as it used to be, and I had grown used to the firm distance between us. I didn¡¯t know if Alessandro still had feelings for me or not, but I still cared about him a great deal.


    ¡°Stay safe,¡± he whispered in my ear.


    ¡°You too,¡± I said softly as he stepped away with a strained smile. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking rather casual for a person who might be facing death today.


    Giovani wasst, and my eyes watered as he immediately wrapped me into his arms, holding me tight enough so that I couldn¡¯t escape even if I had wanted to. I buried my face into his arms, struggling not to burst into tears and beg for him to run away with me.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± I responded with only a fraction of the emotion I was actually feeling. It didn¡¯t feel like enough; there was so much more I wished I could say, but there wasn¡¯t enough time.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to go,¡± Dom the bodyguard called out, having volunteered to drive us down to Tuscany.


    We broke apart, and I gazed into his eyes, wishing he would tell me not to go but knowing he loved me too much to do so.


    I stepped back and Dahlia grabbed my hand, squeezing it for support as we slipped into the car. The door shut, and I nced out the window at his face through the tinted ss, praying in my mind for someone, anyone to keep them safe.


    The car rumbled to life and began to drive. I stared out the back window, watching as he and the home I hade to know vanished.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be alright.¡± Dahlia smiled. ¡°Tuscany awaits.¡±


    I nodded, giving her the best smile I could under the circumstances. There was a relief to be leaving all of this behind, but it was tucked beneath the love for the people I was leaving and the worry for their safety.


    If leaving for one day to a city not too far from here was this hard, how could I ever think of going back to the States?


    Soon enough, though, I was distracted by Dom turning on the radio. Some pop station red through the car and Dahlia began to sing, moving back and forth in the car like she was dancing when she only looked like a wiggling slug to me.


    Iughed, putting away all my worries for the time being and focusing on having fun with my best friend.


    Tuscany was just as I remembered it¨Cso full of life and love. People cared about the city they lived in and took care of it just as much. We started with a few of the museums, which were practically ancient art in themselves as their buildings were older than either of us could imagine.


    The Uffizi Gallery was beautiful, filled with masterpieces and treasures beyond my wildest imagination. Dahlia had to practically drag me away from each piece as I studied the shading and sculpture-esque way they painted figures.


    Each artist had a unique voice that came out through their brush, and I wanted to study each one of them so I could paint for myself something that would one day hang on these walls.


    The Duomo was next, and if I thought the gallery was masterfully crafted, it had nothing on the gothic architecture of the century-old cathedral. Dahlia gushed over the stained ss windows and the facade which to her, looked just like a castle.


    ¡°If only Drac could take me,¡± she sighed wistfully.


    ¡°Wrong country, Dolly,¡± I told her, dragging her away from the statue she was convinced showcased the famous vampire devouring his prey.


    We took a tour through Chianti, a nearby winery. I had to stop Dahlia from taking every single sample she was given before she got drunk on twenty-five different wines. We took a bit of a break to have lunch at a cafe, and we were both starving at this point, especially since Dahlia was carrying five bags full of wine. Dom and a few other guards waited at nearby tables, there but out of the way as we ordered food.


    I sighed, happy with the trip so far though my mind kept going back to Gio. Every time I saw something amazing, I wanted to turn to him to show him only to realize he wasn¡¯t there.


    It was way past noon now. The server came back with our white wine just as my phone began to ring. I grabbed my phone, and my heart nearly stopped as I read the ID.


    Giovani.


    There were two things he could be calling about. Either the n went off without a hitch, and we coulde home early, or something had happened to one of the people I loved and we were about to enter into hell.


    I felt like a gambler taking a risk as I answered the phone with a soft, ¡°Gio?¡±

 Chapter 392 : Man Down

    <h4>Chapter 392: Chapter 392 : Man Down</h4>


    *Giovani*


    No matter how many times I went on missions like this, it always felt like the first. My heart was pounding and my senses were on high alert as adrenaline pumped through my body. I reached over and squeezed Gabriele¡¯s shoulder, knowing that he was in the same boat as me. This shit never got easier, no matter how good we were.


    We were riding in a little silver Fiat, one of the mostmon cars in the entire country of Italy. The Russians didn¡¯t know it, but this was the car we kept for our most important missions. We only used it when we needed to be as discreet as possible.


    Gabriele and I sat side by side in the back seat. The silence in the car felt oppressive, but nobody had anything to say. We all knew the n: wait for Dmitri at his warehouse, then hold him for the Interpol officers we were already partnering with. He would never expect us to utilize Interpol, which was why it was the perfect n. If everything went off as we hoped, nobody would even end up dead.


    Of course, that was if the Russians were willing to admit defeat. If they gave me a reason, I would have no problem with putting a bullet in any one of them after the harm they had caused to my family.


    I was just thankful that Olivia was in a safe location. Knowing that she¡¯d be safe no matter what happened helped to keep my anxiety in check. Thinking about her made me even more determined to ensure that tonight would be sessful. I had to get home to her. It wasn¡¯t optional.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Gabriele said quietly as we pulled into the parking lot by the warehouse. There were a few other cars there and our driver smartly parked between tworger vehicles so that we would remain hidden even when we got out of the car.


    Alessandro and Tallon were at a second location. Our two-pronged attack would help ensure our sess. The Russians would be overwhelmed and unsure where to focus the fight. My phone buzzed; Alessandro was calling me.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I picked up, knowing he wouldn¡¯t call if it wasn¡¯t of the utmost importance.


    ¡°We got some of them,¡± he said somberly.


    ¡°Excellent work. Who all was there?¡±


    ¡°Lorenz and a few grunts. Two of them are dead, but Lorenz and the other guy got away.¡±


    He didn¡¯t have to borate. I knew he¡¯d be beating himself up over this. Lorenz was the one who had been responsible for the death of Alessandro¡¯s friend. I knew that Alessandro had hoped to end Lorenz¡¯s miserable life on this mission. I was disappointed that he hadn¡¯t seeded, but I couldn¡¯t let it distract me. The main goal of today was to take Dmitri down once and for all. Once we got that done, we could focus on Lorenz.


    ¡°Fuck. Any of our guys hurt?¡± I asked, not wanting to dwell on Lorenz¡¯s escape for too long.


    ¡°Just some minor injuries. Tallon might have a concussion, nothing too serious.¡±


    I was relieved to hear that. As a Don, it was always incredibly stressful to send my guys anywhere without me. I was constantly bracing myself to find out that I had sent someone to their death. The fact that everyone with Tallon and Alessandro was still alive was a major sess in my book. If Gabriele and I could pull off our end of the n, this entire thing would go down as one of our most sessful missions.


    ¡°Thanks for the update, Alessandro. Send Tallon to get some medical attention and gather up everyone who is uninjured, thene our way. We need as much backup as you can provide.¡±


    ¡°Good luck, Giovani. We¡¯ll be there soon,¡± he said sincerely before ending the call.


    Once again, I was grateful that we were finally on the same side. Alessandro was a major asset for the family business. He and Tallon together were damn near unstoppable. I looked at Gabriele and hoped we could continue what the brothers had started.


    I took the safety off of my gun and tucked it into the back of my waistband. With any luck, I wouldn¡¯t need it, but it was always better to be prepared in these situations. The goal was to get Interpol involved before any bodies dropped, but if Dmitri did something crazy, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill him. He was responsible for so many deaths of people I cared for, it wouldn¡¯t even bother me to see the life leave his eyes.


    We stayed inside the car, just waiting for word from our spy. The important thing was for the second part of our n to go quickly, before Dmitri got word that Lorenz¡¯s team had beenpromised. We wanted him to be confused as to why he couldn¡¯t get ahold of Lorenz for backup. We didn¡¯t want Dmitri to have time to go into hiding if he found out we were on his tail.


    Gabriele¡¯s phone buzzed with a text notification. He showed me the screen so I could read the text. It simply said, ¡°Follow ck car.¡±


    I nudged our driver and ryed the text to him. All of us looked out the windows of our own car intently, just waiting. This was the hardest part of any operation, waiting in silence for the action to get started. I breathed in slowly through my nose and out through my mouth, forcing my body to be calm.


    Gabriele pressed his elbow against my arm, indicating that I should look out his window. Sure enough, there was a ck sedan making its way through the parking lot. I recognized it from pictures that our spy had sent me previously.


    The ck car drove through the lot and behind the warehouse. Our driver waited until it had almost gotten out of sight, then pulled out of our parking spot so that we could follow. It was tough work to follow closely enough that we wouldn¡¯t lose them, but far enough away that they wouldn¡¯t notice us. Luckily our driver was one of the best. I trusted his maneuvering with my life.


    The ck car had pulled to a stop near a nondescript shed. This piqued my interest. We had done a shitload of intel on Dmitri¡¯s guys, but I hadn¡¯t seen a single picture of this shed, which led me to believe that it must be extremely important. Our driver parked us about 200 feet away. We stayed in the car, waiting to see who got out of the ck vehicle.


    Gabriele held his hand out for a silent fist bump when we saw Dmitri himself step out of the car. It looked like it was just him and one other guy. I couldn¡¯t believe how lucky we were. It would be ridiculously easy to take control of the situation. So far, everything had gone exactly as we had nned, other than Lorenz managing to escape.


    We watched Dmitri and his driver walk to the shed and waited until the both of them had gone inside. That was our sign to move, and move fast. Gabriele and I hopped out of the car and got into formation with our driver and one of my best bodyguards. Alessandro and his team would arrive in about ten minutes, which gave us the perfect amount of time to secure the shed and whatever was in it.


    Staying in formation, the four of us sprinted to the shed, then I took point and mmed open the door. I wanted the element of surprise to stay on our side. The sound of the door m echoed throughout the little building as I looked around to get my bearings. I grinned when I realized that it really was only Dmitri and his driver. He was a fucking idiot to travel without guards.


    Behind me, Gabriel held up his gun and pointed it directly at Dmitri.


    ¡°Stand down!¡± Gabriel yelled as Dmitri started to reach for a holster on his hip. ¡°I will not hesitate. You are outnumbered, and you will die.¡±


    Dmitri put his hands up, then looked at the man with him and gestured for him to do the same.


    ¡°Better obey your boss,¡± I told him. ¡°He knows we don¡¯t fuck around.¡±


    Both men had their hands up, but I felt uneasy about approaching them. It all seemed too easy. As much as I wanted to believe Dmitri was just too stupid to know that he should travel with more than one guard, I had a sinking feeling that we were missing something.


    I looked back and forth between the two men, examining their faces for any kind of tell.


    ¡°Keep your fucking hands up and don¡¯t move,¡± I told them before approaching slowly, keeping my gun pointed directly at Dmitri¡¯s face.


    Both men kept their hands up, but Dmitri had a smirk on his face that made my skin crawl. He knew something we didn¡¯t, but I couldn¡¯t put my finger on what it was. I grabbed his gun out of the holster and threw it behind me for Gabriel to catch, then yanked the other guy¡¯s gun away from him as well. Keeping my gun trained on Dmitri¡¯s face, I motioned to my guard to move forward and pat them both down. Neither of them had any other weapons.


    ¡®Too fucking easy,¡¯ I thought, anxiety filling my stomach. Something was wrong. We were missing something.


    ¡°How¡¯s Olivia doing, Giovani?¡± Dmitri asked in a slimy voice.


    I knew he was trying to get a rise out of me, but it didn¡¯t stop me from backhanding him with my gun. Heughed at my reaction, spitting blood all over the floor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking say her name,¡± I gritted out.


    ¡°And your little cousin, Dahlia, right? I think I met her once before... pretty young thing.¡±


    His taunting words made me sick, but I refused to let him see me react to it anymore. He was trying to set me off bnce, which meant he must be grasping at straws.


    ¡°Gio,¡± Gabriele said quietly, reminding me to keep my mind on the mission.


    I shook my head slightly, forcing myself to remain calm and focused. It was time to execute thest part of our n. All I had to do was get Dmitri tied up, then I could call Interpol and wash my hands of the whole mess. I roughly grabbed Dmitri¡¯s hands and zip-tied his wrists tightly behind his back, then shoved him to the floor and zip-tied his feet. I turned to his minion and did the same. To ensure they couldn¡¯t get away, I put ck cloth bags over both of their heads and zip-tied them in ce on their necks. They could breathe, but that was about it. Interpol would have to cut them loose.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to regret this, Giovani,¡± Dmitri said from underneath the bag.


    ¡°I highly doubt that,¡± I responded, standing back to look at my handiwork and make sure that they were secured.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever told you how much my guy Lorenz likes American girls. You think you¡¯ve got Olivia and your little cousin somewhere safe? There¡¯s nowhere safe for them in this country. I have¨C¡±


    His disgusting little speech was interrupted by Alessandro¡¯s team busting through the door. I turned to see that Alessandro was dragging a guy he had firmly in a chokehold.


    ¡°We found him outside with a fucking grenade,¡± Alessandro said through ragged breaths. ¡°He wasn¡¯t expecting us. I threw the grenade into the warehouse.¡±


    As if on cue, the sound of an explosion in the distance punctuated his words.


    ¡°What the fuck, Dario?!¡± Dmitri screamed, muffled slightly by the bag over his head. ¡°You were the fucking backup!¡±


    ¡°You were going to have him kill us?¡± Dmitri¡¯s guy asked quietly. It was the first time I¡¯d heard him speak, and he soundedpletely dumbfounded to hear that his boss would have sacrificed his life without a second thought.


    I smiled as I realized that this was the trick Dmitri had up his sleeve. All his bullshit about the girls had been just talk as he tried to distract us from the fact that someone was prepared to throw a fucking bomb in here. It interested me to know that Dmitri would rather die than be in our hands.


    ¡°Well, good news for you, Dmitri,¡± I said, finally ready to reveal our n. ¡°I¡¯ve got Interpol on their way to arrest you, so you don¡¯t have to worry about what we had nned to do to you in ourpound.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck?! Interpol?! No! Please, kill me. Just kill me! I¡¯m better off dead. I can¡¯t be put in a cage. Don¡¯t put me in a cage!¡±


    His begging was pathetic. I couldn¡¯t believe this was the piece of shit that had been terrorizing us for months. I made the call to Interpol while standing in the shed. I wanted to ensure that Dmitri heard every word. His screams of rage became wordless as he realized that he waspletely done for.


    We walked out of the shed and headed back to our car, sirens wailing in the background as they headed our way.


    Once we were all safely headed back home, there was only one person I wanted to call.

 Chapter 393 : It’s Over

    <h4>Chapter 393: Chapter 393 : It¡¯s Over</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Waiting to hear from Gio had been hell on my fingernails; I was in the middle of biting off my pinky nail when my phone finally rang, Gio¡¯s name the one that shone on the disy. I immediately jumped to answer it as Dahlia waited in anticipation next to me. Her eyes were massive with fear, and I knew my face probably looked the same.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I asked, praying that it would be Giovani talking to me and not someone using his phone to tell me he¡¯d died.


    ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Giovani said simply.


    I immediately burst into tears. I had been wound so tight, I felt like I was exploding in relief. Just hearing his voice was enough to let me know that the mission must have gone well.


    ¡°Really? And you¡¯re safe?¡± I sobbed into the phone.


    Dahlia patted my shoulder reassuringly.


    ¡°I¡¯m safe. We¡¯re all safe. It was very sessful.¡± He sounded so happy it made my heart squeeze.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it was finally over. Dahlia and I could go back to school and not have to worry about anyone trying to hurt us.


    ¡°How soon can I see you? I need to make sure you¡¯re safe for myself,¡± I cried.


    ¡°Head back to thepound now. We¡¯ll get there around the same time.¡± His strong confidence helped me to regain control over my emotions. His voice always seemed to make me feel more calm.


    ¡°Okay! Okay, we¡¯ll do that! I love you, Giovani!¡± I practically yelled into the phone.


    ¡°I love you too, Olivia. See you soon.¡± He hung up the phone and I turned to Dahlia. I could tell by her face that she knew it was good news.


    ¡°They¡¯re all safe! It¡¯s over!¡± I squealed.


    She jumped up and grabbed me into a tight hug. I burst into tears all over again, and this time she cried with me. We were both so happy that all the stress of the past few months was finally over. And the best part was that our family was safe.


    My thoughts caught me off guard for a second. Did I really just think of Giovani¡¯s family as my own? I hoped he thought of me as a part of his family. I was in too deep; there was no getting rid of me now.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home!¡± Dahlia eximed to our guards.


    They quickly turned and led us out to the car. We both piled in, still clinging to each other in our happiness and disbelief. As we rode home, we both talked about how excited we were to get back to school.


    ¡°No more creepy-ass notes to worry about!¡± Dahlia said.


    ¡°And I can finally make friends without worrying that they¡¯re going to hurt me!¡± I responded.


    I was thrilled that we could finally be the normal university students that we had always wanted to be. But even more than that, I was excited that Gio, and I could finally focuspletely on ourselves and our rtionship. I was quickly realizing that I wanted a lot more than to just be Giovani¡¯s girlfriend. I wanted to be a permanent part of his life.


    We got to thepound at the same time as the guys. I hopped out of the car and sprinted to Giovani, jumping into his arms. He caught me and swung me around, then set me down before grabbing my face between his hands and kissing me. Our kiss was slow and calm, we didn¡¯t have the desperation that we¡¯d had before, knowing that Giovani could be killed.


    Tallon, Alessandro, and Dahlia embraced in a tight group hug, grateful that their sibling group remained intact.


    ¡°Alright, enough of this sappy shit,¡± Alessandro said as he pulled away. ¡°I need a drink!¡±


    ¡°You read my mind,¡± Gio mumbled, his lips still on mine.


    We all headed for the kitchen, where I was delighted to find that the cooks had prepared a smorgasbord of desserts. Gio pulled a bottle of champagne from the fridge while Tallon grabbed sses, and before I knew it, I was sitting at the table with a nearly overflowing ss of champagne and three different kinds of chocte pastries in front of me.


    ¡°How did the chef know to prepare dessert?¡± I asked Giovani. The timing was impable.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s be a bit of a tradition every time we have a difficult mission,¡± he chuckled. ¡°I think James actually is the one who started it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m loving it!¡± I eximed. ¡°Now, please, tell us what happened. Dahlia and I are dying to know.¡±


    Alessandrounched into a long-winded ount of how he and Tallon had led a team in the first attack, then met up with Gio and Gabriele just in time to see a man with a grenade about to kill them. I shuddered as I realized that it was sheer luck that had kept them alive.


    ¡°The fucker with the grenade ended up trying to run after we called the cops, but I shot him. He fell into the river with three solid bullet holes in him, so I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯tst long,¡± Alessandro continued.


    ¡°Well, I hate to say it, but good riddance,¡± Dahlia said. ¡°Anyone who tries to blow up my cousin deserves a horrible death.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Dmitri would rather die like that than just go to prison,¡± I said, looking to Gio for insight.


    ¡°Well, guys like him don¡¯t do well in prison,¡± Giovani responded, ¡°especially when they¡¯ve fucked with the cops as much as he has. I think he might even be responsible for a few cop deaths, and let me tell you, they do not take kindly to that. He will have a terrible time in prison.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said honestly. ¡°I hate him. I don¡¯t care if he rots there for the rest of his sorry life.¡±


    ¡°Damn, feisty Olivia is out today!¡± Tallon teased.


    ¡°I like it,¡± Gio said with a smile and a glint in his eye that I knew meant he¡¯d love to see what ¡°feisty Olivia¡± would do in the bedroom with himter. I reached out and grabbed his hand under the table, giving it a little squeeze. He squeezed back, then let go so he could put his hand on my thigh. The corner of his mouth quirked up in a smile. My heart melted to see him feeling so carefree. I couldn¡¯t wait to be alone together.


    ¡°Getting rid of Dmitri will send them into chaos now,¡± Tallon said. ¡°It¡¯ll take them a long time to recover. I think this war might really be over.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say cheers to that!¡± Dahlia eximed, lifting her ss wildly. Champagne sloshed over the side, but we didn¡¯t care.


    All of us stood slightly so that we could clink our sses against hers. I pressed my ss against my lips and took a long swig, loving how the bubbles tickled my tongue.


    ¡°Alright, I need something stronger,¡± Gio dered, his ss already empty.


    He stood up to go get the whiskey he kept in his office, and I stood to go with him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± I said, wanting a few minutes alone with him.


    Dahlia wolf-whistled as we walked out, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care. I needed some time with my man and I wasn¡¯t ashamed to say it.


    The second we were in his office, he shut the door and pressed me up against the wall, his breath hot against my neck as he licked and nipped his way from my jawbone to my vicle. His hands found their way up my shirt and cupped my breasts beneath my bra, squeezing them just enough to send a thrill through me.


    Without even thinking, I dropped to my knees in front of him. My desire for him was overwhelming. I couldn¡¯t do anything else, I needed to taste him, to reassure myself that he was real, that he was safe.


    I unzipped his pants and quickly freed his cock before pulling it into my mouth. Without hesitation, I took his length as well as I could and wrapped my hand around the base of his shaft, working him with wild movements. He leaned his head back and groaned before tangling his hand in my hair and using his grip to gently move my head how he wanted. Feeling his desire for me was an incredible turn-on. I moaned against him, loving every second of this. It was exactly what we both needed.


    I could feel his entire body tightening as he came closer and closer to orgasming, but instead of letting himselfe, he leaned over and pulled me up, then turned around to lean me over his desk. Iid against the smooth wood and let him yank my pants and underwear down, gasping when my pussy was exposed to the cool air. I loved being syed out for him like this.


    Taking him in my mouth had turned me on beyond belief; I knew that I was soaking wet and ready for him, and I was right. Without hesitation, he pressed his cock deep inside me. I pressed my fist against my mouth to keep myself from screaming out in pleasure. His length filled me so perfectly, it felt like we¡¯d been made for each other.


    He steadied my hips with his hands and pumped into me so fast I was overwhelmed with sensation. Holding me with one hand, he reached the other around my thigh to start working tight circles around my clit with his finger. He timed his hand perfectly with his thrusts so that I was almost immediately on the verge of orgasm.


    ¡°I¡¯m so close,¡± I whispered against the desk, unable to catch my breath enough to speak at a regr volume.


    ¡°Me too, baby,¡± he murmured, then sped up his movements so that I was unable to even think straight.


    So quickly I couldn¡¯t believe it, we had both reached our climax together. Giovani leaned over and murmured, ¡°I love you¡± in my ear as we finished.


    After he withdrew, Iy on the desk for a few moments longer, loving the lingering feeling that our quickie had given me. Gio quickly straightened himself up behind me, then helped me pull my clothes back on. We both looked each other up and down to make sure we were presentable.


    Giovani grabbed the bottle of whiskey from his mini bar and reached out his hand so we could go back to the group and pretend like nothing had happened.


    To their credit, nobody said a word when we sat back down at the table. It probably helped that Giovani had grabbed an incredibly expensive bottle of whiskey and was giving everyone a very generous pour. After just one sip of the smooth whiskey, I could feel myself growing giggly and lightheaded. Dahlia smiled at me, knowing just how easy it was to get me drunk.


    We spent the rest of the evening talking andughing, reminiscing on our childhoods and enjoying each other¡¯spany. Finally, it felt like we could all afford to truly rx, not just try to find a distraction, but actually rx and enjoy ourselves.

 Chapter 394 : An Important Question

    <h4>Chapter 394: Chapter 394 : An Important Question</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I woke up to my hand being pulled to Giovani¡¯s lips. He kissed my knuckles softly, then scratched his fingernails down the inside of my forearm, sending delicious shivers up my arm.


    ¡°Wake up, sleepyhead,¡± he murmured. ¡°I have a surprise for you.¡±


    I blinked, trying to force my sleepiness away. Even though we were finally safe, I had struggled to sleep well the previous night. The stress of it all was still giving me asional nightmares that I hoped would go away with time. Sleeping next to Gio every night definitely helped.


    I rolled onto my stomach and pointed at my back. Giovaniughed, knowing exactly what I wanted. I felt the bed sink as he crawled onto it, then straddled his knees on either side of me and began working at the knots in my shoulders with his strong hands. I sighed and burrowed my head deeper into the pillows. Now, this was the perfect way to wake up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to hear what the surprise is?¡± he asked, still chuckling.


    ¡°Is it better than a backrub?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°Okay, tell me what it is.¡± I rolled myself over so that I could face him. He continued to kneel over the top of me, but leaned down so that his arms framed my face andnded a gentle kiss on my forehead.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you back to Tuscany. I know how much you loved it when we went before, and this time we¡¯re going to stay for a few days so you can explore as much as you want.¡±


    That woke me up even more than the backrub. A trip to Tuscany with just the two of us? Yes, please.


    ¡°That sounds amazing!¡± I gushed, reaching up to grab his head and pull him close enough to kiss. ¡°I can¡¯t wait! I just need to pack. I can do it fast!¡±


    ¡°No need to pack; I took care of it while you were sleeping. You really did sleepte!¡± he exined.


    ¡°Even better. What in the world would I do without you? You really give me the princess treatment,¡± I told him before dragging him back down for more kisses. He let me hold him against me for a few moments, then pulled away.


    ¡°As much as I love this, our car is waiting,¡± he said, standing up and then helping me up off the bed.


    ¡°Well, why didn¡¯t you say so?! I have to get dressed!¡± I bounced out of the bed and whipped open the armoire to find something to wear. Luckily one of my favorite dresses was hanging front and center. It was a simple long-sleeve wrap dress with floral details that exaggerated my curves and gave me a great hourss figure. It would be perfect for a day in Tuscany with my love. I finished the outfit with afortable pair of ts that could withstand the cobblestone streets that I wanted to explore.


    Once dressed, I turned to Gio for approval. He always thought I looked great regardless of what I wore, but I still liked to hear him say it.


    ¡°You look beautiful, carina,¡± he said sincerely.


    ¡°You look great, too,¡± I told him, and I meant it. Instead of his usual dark suit or jeans and a ck shirt, he was wearing a lighter linen suit that brought out the olive undertones in his skin. I couldn¡¯t wait to tear it off of himter.


    We walked to the car hand in hand, Giovani pulling our luggage with him. I loved that he had packed our clothes into one suitcase; something about our clothes being all folded up together felt more intimate even than sharing a suite. It felt like it was something an old married couple would do, and I was quickly realizing more and more that that¡¯s exactly what I wanted for us.


    Being Giovani¡¯s wife would be a dreame true for me. I had never imagined that such a perfect man existed for me, but now that I¡¯d had him, my standards were way too high to ever be with anyone else. My god, the man had nned not one but two surprise vacation getaways for me in the past month alone. I could never go back to the days of hoping some asshole would just text me back.


    The car waiting for us was adorable, as silly as it sounds to call a car adorable. It was a little red MINI Cooper with ck stripes. We just had one driver. I looked around in confusion, wondering where Gio¡¯s usual group of guards was. He noticed me looking and smiled.


    ¡°No Russians means no bodyguards necessary. I can keep the two of us safe from any other threats.¡±


    I hugged him tightly. No pack of bodyguards meant that we could really enjoy every aspect of Tuscany, instead of being forced to be aware of the group of men who always had to follow us around. It would feel so much more rxing to spend time with just the two of us.


    We snuggled into the backseat of the MINI Cooper, its close quarters forcing us to touch thighs, not that I wasining. Giovani wrapped his arm loosely around my shoulders and I leaned my head against him, rxing my body against his. As the car drove, I felt myself growing drowsy. My restless sleep from the night beforebined with the warmth of Giovani¡¯s body and the pleasant monotony of the drive made it impossible to stay awake.


    ¡°Go ahead and sleep, carina. I¡¯ll wake you when we get there,¡± Giovani murmured against my ear when he noticed that I was fighting sleep.


    He didn¡¯t have to tell me twice. Within seconds, I was asleep against him. This time, my dreams were sweet.


    ***


    *Giovani*


    Olivia was softly snoring against my shoulder. I could tell that she¡¯d slept poorly the night before, but I hoped her little nap in the car was enough to prepare her for the day. I wanted her to be wide awake for what I had nned. As we pulled into the driveway of the house we¡¯d be staying at, I leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple.


    ¡°Wake up. We¡¯re here,¡± I whispered.


    She woke up quickly and looked around, smiling with excitement. I shared in her excitement, but I also felt nervous as hell knowing what I had to doter in the day.


    We walked into the house and looked around together. It was much smaller than thepound, but the architecture was ssically Tuscan, which I knew Olivia would love. There were multiple bedrooms, and Olivia picked out the one with a canopy bed for us to stay in. She had picked well. The canopy was a deep blue color that would block out the light entirely when we closed it. I hoped that she would finally get some real sleep while we were here.


    As Olivia unpacked our clothes, I kept an eye on the time. The closer it got to 5:30, the more nervous I felt. I felt like a fucking teenager asking his crush to the prom, but this was far higher stakes.


    Olivia finished unpacking and turned to look at me, a seductive smile on her face. As much as I wanted to make love to her, we didn¡¯t have time. I nced nervously at my phone again. 5:15. We needed to go.


    ¡°I have something special nned for us, but it happens at sunset,¡± I exined. ¡°We¡¯ve got to get going now so we don¡¯t miss it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I guess we¡¯ll get plenty of time in the bedter,¡± she responded with a little giggle that drove me wild. Every damn thing she did was such a turn-on.


    I led her back out to the car and gave our driver, who met us there, instructions on where to go. Olivia started to recognize our surroundings as we got closer to the hot air balloon field. I could see on her face that she was excited. I wondered if she had any idea what I had nned, or if I was going to totally take her by surprise. I hoped that it would be a surprise, but I also didn¡¯t want her to be totally shocked by what I was going to ask her.


    I fingered the small jewelry box that I had hidden in my breast pocket, just to reassure myself that it was there. I would feel like a fool if we got all the way up in the hot air balloon and I had forgotten the most important part.


    I felt a spike of fear as we climbed into the basket of the hot air balloon, but once we were both safely in, I felt much better. Even though I¡¯d been a little drunk thest time we¡¯d ridden in a hot air balloon, the fact that we¡¯d managed to safely make it back to earth had done a lot to alleviate my fear of being in one. I knew Olivia had absolutely loved the ride, so I wanted to recreate it, but even better.


    This time around the views were colored by the shades of the setting sun. The pink and orange reflected off of the old Tuscan buildings, and Olivia kept gasping and pointing out buildings that were lit up brilliantly.


    After an hour in the air, the sun was fully touching the horizon and I knew it was time to finally tell Olivia the real reason why I had brought her up here.


    I pointed out a rolling hill behind her so that she would turn around, then got down on one knee and pulled out the ring box from my pocket. I waited, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to escape my chest, in that position until she turned back around.


    When she did turn around, her mouth dropped open, and she pped both hands over it. Her eyes were gigantic in the fading light. I tried to remember the little speech I¡¯d prepared, but I was so nervous I knew I would forget some parts. I decided to just wing it and speak from the heart.


    ¡°Olivia Marie Robinson, you light up the darkest corners of my life. Every day with you is even better than thest. I didn¡¯t know my life was missing something until you came into it, but now that you¡¯re here, I never want to live without you. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?¡±


    I opened the ring box to reveal the antique engagement ring that I¡¯d picked out for her. It was a dainty yellow gold band with arge rectangr emerald in the center, surrounded on either side by baguette-cut diamonds that grew smaller the farther away they got from the emerald. On the inside of the ring, I¡¯d had ¡°my carina¡± engraved in tiny letters, just to add even more of a personal touch. Olivia was such a unique person, she deserved a ring to reflect that.


    My heart continued to pound as I waited for her response. For a half second, anxiety rose in me as I wondered if I had pushed too quickly. Maybe I¡¯d misread our rtionship?


    What if she wasn¡¯t ready for this next step?

 Chapter 395 : A Million Times Yes

    <h4>Chapter 395: Chapter 395 : A Million Times Yes</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I looked down at Giovani kneeling on one knee before me and knew exactly what my answer to him would be. I¡¯d known for a while now that I was ready to be his wife. I was so happy that he was on the same page as me. He looked up at me with nervous anticipation, and I couldn¡¯t help but grin down at him.


    ¡°Oh, Gio, yes! Yes! A million times yes!¡± I shrieked, jumping forward to wrap my arms around him.


    He stood up to catch me, then grabbed my hand and put the ring on my finger. It fit perfectly, and I absolutely loved it. The emerald in the center sparkled in the setting sunlight and I knew I would end up staring at it for hours. I held it up so that Gio could see how it looked on me and he smiled, a possessive look on his face.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I said, pulling him in for a deep kiss.


    ¡°I love you so much, more than words can say,¡± he murmured before settling his lips on mine.


    He didn¡¯t need to find the words. I knew exactly how he felt.


    The rest of the balloon ride flew by in a blur of happy tears, Gio keeping his arms wrapped tightly around me the entire time. Wended with a hard thud and I felt him shudder behind me.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do this on a hot air balloon,¡± I admonished him. ¡°I know you¡¯re notfortable in them.¡±


    ¡°I wanted it to be perfect for you,¡± he said and leaned down to kiss my neck. ¡°You deserve perfection.¡±


    I hoped he would be able to understand that he was perfection to me. He could have asked me to marry him back home in our bed, and I would have said yes. I loved the extra fanfare, but I didn¡¯t need it, not from him. He was more than enough for me.


    Back in the car, Gio asked me, ¡°Would you like to go to dinner? I have reservations for somewhere you¡¯ll love.¡±


    I looked at our hands tangled together, my ring glinting in the light, then looked at his beautiful face. I knew exactly what I wanted.


    ¡°I¡¯m not ready to eat yet,¡± I said quietly, mindful of our driver overhearing. ¡°I want you. I need you.¡±


    His eyes went dark with desire and he clung to my hand a little more forcefully. Without another word, he pulled out his phone and called the restaurant to get our reservation moved back by a few hours. I had to stifle a giggle at his reaction. I had no idea why I held so much power over him, but the way he worshiped my body made me feel like a goddess.


    Back at the house, I led Gio to the room I¡¯d picked to be our bedroom. I felt him silently stalking behind me, his masculine energy filling the air. It filled me with a delicious sense of anticipation. When we got to our room, he shut the door behind him and turned to me. His eyes were sharp as they raked their way up my body, but it was his hands that I wanted on me.


    ¡°What would you like to do to me?¡± I asked softly. The corner of his mouth twitched, he loved it when I asked him that.


    ¡°I want you naked and on that bed. Now,¡± he demanded. His words sent a shiver straight from my heart to the tops of my thighs.


    Stepping out of my shoes, I untied my dress at my hip and yanked it open, letting it fall to my sides. I already wasn¡¯t wearing a bra, so with a few quick movements, I was almostpletely bare. I didn¡¯t stop there, though; I wanted toply with his enticing orders. I hooked my hands around the waist of my panties and quickly pulled them down, turning around so that he would get a nice view of my ass.


    Once I was fully naked, I got onto the bed andy on my side so that I could face him. He looked at me like I was the best piece of art he¡¯d ever seen, which was saying a lot considering how many European art museums the man had been to.


    I bit my bottom lip as I looked at him, just waiting to see what he wanted to do next. He unbuttoned his linen jacket and hung it up before rolling up his sleeves to his elbows. His movements were slow and calcted. He knew he was getting me hotter and hotter without even touching me.


    ¡°Good girl. Now, let me see you touch yourself,¡± he said in that same demanding voice that I loved, ¡°I want to see that pretty ring sparkling while you give yourself pleasure.¡±


    I faltered for a second. Touching myself in front of him was a struggle when I wanted his hands on me. But the fact that it felt dirty also made it that much hotter. Slowly, I moved my left hand down between my legs. I stayed on my side and hitched my right leg up to give myself better ess. Keeping my eyes on him, I dipped my middle finger low enough to feel the wetness that he¡¯d called forth with his words. I slowly dragged my finger up to my clit, using my own wetness to lubricate myself.


    I gasped when I touched my clit. I was already swollen with desire and my touch felt wonderful against the sensitive spot.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re such a good girl,¡± Giovani murmured, his voice gravelly with desire.


    His words of encouragement had me wanting to please him even more. I circled my clit once, then dropped my hand back down to press into my opening. Gio came closer, but I was getting so worked up that I was only vaguely aware of him. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to sink into the sensation of pleasuring myself.


    Without warning, I felt Gio¡¯s tongue on my nipple. He licked the pebbled skin and then surrounded it with his lips, sucking and gently biting. I rolled to my back to give him better ess to my breasts but kept my hand between my legs.


    As I¡¯d hoped he would, Giovani moved to my other nipple and gave it the same treatment. Between his mouth and my hand, I was already on the precipice of orgasm. I felt myself winding tighter and tighter, but before I could send myself over the edge, Gio circled his hand around my wrist and pulled my hand away. A small whine escaped the back of my throat at the suddenck of sensation, but I didn¡¯t have to wait for long.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn,¡± Gio said before settling himself between my legs, my knees resting over his shoulders.


    Going from my hand to his mouth was almost too much for me to handle, but he was slow enough that it didn¡¯t be overwhelming. He started with gentle kisses before letting his tonguezily lick me all the way to my clit, circling my nub once then moving back down.


    I arched my back and raised my hips to better meet his mouth. My moans and gasps filled the air. Giovani adjusted himself slightly so that he could press a finger into me and use it to manipte me from the inside while his tongue kept working on the outside.


    ¡°If I let youe now, will youe again once I¡¯m inside you?¡± he asked, his breath tickling me in all the right ces.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I gasped, not sure if it was true but willing to say anything to find my release at this point. ¡°Please let mee!¡±


    He chuckled and quickened his movements, bringing me right back to the edge that I¡¯d already been at once before. This time there was no stopping, and before I knew it I was falling into the abyss. Gio kept his mouth on me and his finger inside me to guide me through the orgasm.


    When it was clear that the wonderful aftershocks were gone, he stood up and began to undress himself. I watched himzily from the bed, too spent to get up but enjoying what I saw as he slowly revealed his muscled body.


    He carefully hung everything up, then turned back to me,pletely naked. I admired the way the muscles in his torso all seemed to guide my eyes to stare directly at his cock. It was already standing at full attention and in spite of my earlier orgasm, I was more than ready for him.


    Gio stalked to the bed and helped me move so that my head wasying on the pillows. He held himself over the top of me, our faces so close that all I could see was his perfect eyes. Breaking our eye contact, he pressed kisses to my jaw and throat and moved his hand down to slide between my legs, gently working me back up. When he was sure that I was ready for him, he plunged himself deep inside. I gasped as he filled me, loving the sensation of him. I wrapped my legs around his hips to encourage him to go deeper.


    He was patient and watchful as he made love to me, keeping an eye on my face so that he knew when I was getting closer and closer to orgasm. He wouldn¡¯t let himselfe until he was sure we could go at the same time. Before long, I was panting and moaning as I writhed under him, his weight pressing down all around me. He kept his strokes long and purposeful, refusing to let my movements distract him.


    When he knew I was close, he pressed his mouth over mine, letting our tongues find each other. I could taste myself on him, but it only turned me on further, reminding me of the delicious orgasm he had already given me.


    His kiss was what undid the tightening pressure inside me and forced my release. When he felt me clenching around him, he sped up his movements so that he could find his own orgasm. His breath was hot in my ear and he finally came with a loud groan that vibrated my belly.


    Weid together for a while, just basking in the afterglow. He twined his fingers in mine and held my hand up to look at my ring, turning it so he could see it from all angles.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I told him.


    ¡°There¡¯s a surprise on the inside,¡± he said, sounding almost shy.


    I took the ring off and peered at the inside of the band, where I could just barely make out two tiny words engraved: ¡°my carina.¡± My heart melted at the sight. It was the perfect reminder of Gio¡¯s love for me. I put the ring back on and snuggled back against his chest.


    Before we knew it, we were dangerously close to missing our dinner reservation. We quickly cleaned ourselves up and pulled our clothes back on, my dress slightly rumpled from being thrown on the floor. I didn¡¯t care, I was too happy about the fact that I was officially Giovani¡¯s fiancee.


    The restaurant was gorgeous, a quaint little Tuscan cottage that had been restored into an intimate dinner spot. We sipped on our wine and enjoyed appetizers as we talked about the wedding that we now had to n.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care where or when it is, carina, I would marry you tomorrow if I could,¡± he told me honestly, taking my hand in his.


    I smiled at his words. ¡°I feel the same. I¡¯ve been waiting my whole life to find someone who loves me like you do. I can¡¯t wait to be your wife.¡±


    We talked long into the night, just enjoying each other¡¯spany. Finally, it felt like I just might be getting my happily ever after.

 Chapter 396 : Congratulations

    <h4>Chapter 396: Chapter 396 : Congrattions</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I was bouncing in my seat with excitement as the limo pulled up to the front of thepound, but Gio kept a tight hold on my hand.


    The hand with my engagement ring on it.


    I bounced a little harder, and he smiled at me indulgently.


    ¡°Carina, a more jealous man than I might think you were more excited to show Dahlia the ring than to receive it,¡± he chided softly.


    Iughed. ¡°If it makes you feel any better, I¡¯m probably not going to have sex with her about this.¡±


    He squeezed my hand and chuckled. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to content myself with the scantfort of ¡®probably.¡¯¡±


    I leaned my head against his shoulder and stared into his deep, dark eyes, burning with love for me. ¡°And you¡¯ll have to content yourself with it forever.¡±


    He smiled and dropped a kiss on my forehead, but I grabbed the cor of his suit shirt and pulled him in for a proper kiss. It was long and slow, like we had all the time in the world. I felt that familiar wet heat begin to build between my legs, and I leaned into him, moaning softly into his mouth. He fisted a hand in my hair and¡ª


    A knock sounded on the window of the limo. I jumped, and Gio whirled. It was too dark to see through the tinted windows, but the muffled sound of giggles on the other side of the ss began to filter in.


    ¡°It seems nobody much wanted to wait,¡± Gio said ruefully.


    I swept my gaze across his body. ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait either.¡±


    His eyes darkened, and he opened his mouth to say something, but the knock came again, more insistent this time.


    He huffed an aggrieved sigh. ¡°Later.¡±


    I fixed his cor where I had rumpled it and nodded. ¡°Later.¡±


    Then, Gio took my hand¡ªmy engagement ring hand¡ªand opened the door to the limo.


    Our family descended on us like a pack of rabid wolves, if rabid wolves were ever really trying to get a look at your hand before they attacked. Tallon dodged, Alessandro weaved, but Dahlia finally captured our sped hands.


    ¡°She said yes!¡± Dahlia bellowed.


    Tallon and Alessandro began hollering, and I was scooped into a flurry of hugs. At some point in the pile-up, I was released from somebody¡¯s arms to find a heavy hand hadnded on my shoulder. I looked up, half-expecting to see Gio, only to find Gabriele¡¯s craggy face staring down at me.


    ¡°Felicitazioni,¡± he said, his voice much the same as when he discussed raids and torture. ¡°You make him very happy.¡±


    I stared up at the severe mafioso, unable to drop the brilliant grin that had taken up residence on my face since Gio asked me to marry him. A moment passed between us. Gabriele would always be Gio¡¯s number one at work, and he would always be his best friend, but I understood the man would try to make space for me in the Don¡¯s life. He might not celebrate like the rest of the wild animals around us, but he was pleased Gio found someone.


    Gabriele nodded sharply and turned on his heel to go inside. Somebody else grabbed me, and I found myself face-to-face once more with a squealing Dahlia.


    ¡°Okay, I have to see the ring better.¡± She grabbed my hand once more and held it up, twisting my wrist so the glimmering gems caught the sunset light. ¡°Ohhh, Olive, it¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    She turned to Gio, surrounded by Alessandro and Tallon, and nodded. ¡°Good choice. She¡¯s always loved emeralds.¡±


    When she turned back to me, her eyes were bright with tears. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you. We have to celebrate.¡± She pped her hands, and the rest of the group turned to look. ¡°Big dinner with buckets of booze as fast as the kitchen can make it. I had them on stand-by for just this asion. Dress up! I want this engagement to go down in history.¡±


    Iughed and squeezed her hand. ¡°How did you read my mind?¡±


    She shook her head, tears still glimmering in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve known you too long.¡±


    I began to step away toward Gio so we could go to our room and dress¡ªand maybe pick up what we started in the limo¡ªbut Dahlia held tight to my hand.


    ¡°Uh-uh, lovebirds. If you go off together, we won¡¯t see you until next week. Come change with me.¡±


    I looked at Gio helplessly.


    Heughed and shrugged. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind not seeing any of these people until next week.¡±


    My mind began to imagine what we could do with a whole week in the room to ourselves, which sent me wandering down the honeymoon path. Some of my thoughts must have shown on my face because Dahliaughed and tucked my arm into the crook of hers.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± she said. ¡°So you¡¯reing with me.¡±


    Tallon and Alessandroughed uproariously as I was led into the house with blush staining my cheeks. Dahlia covered the distance to her room quickly, with only a quick pit stop in the kitchen that she made me wait outside of, and as soon as the door closed behind us, she enfolded me into another crushing hug.


    ¡°I am so thrilled you said yes!¡±


    I pulled back. ¡°Did you know?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Surprise trip after Dmitri? The way Gio kept checking his pockets before you left? I suspected.¡±


    I swatted her on the arm. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you warn me?¡±


    She opened her mouth in mock horror. ¡°And ruin the surprise?¡±


    I remember the rush of adrenaline in the balloon as I realized where Gio¡¯s speech was leading. I wouldn¡¯t give that up for anything. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    I flopped down onto the bed, and Dahlia joined me.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to be getting ready? What happened to your big dinner?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Won¡¯t be ready for another hour, and I already know exactly what we¡¯re both wearing.¡±


    I leaned up on my elbow. ¡°What?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve got this new blue dress I¡¯ve been dying for an opportunity to take out, and I swiped that little ck one from your closet already, as well as a set of bright red lingerie I didn¡¯t even know you owned to match my red heels.¡±


    I blushed. A few weeks back, before the first note, I¡¯d wanted to celebrate my first month of school with something special, so I¡¯d decided to step a little out of myfort zone. I¡¯d purchased the lingerie Dahlia was talking about both because Gio had said something about me looking good in red, and because it was barely more than a few bits of string andce.


    ¡°That¡¯s a little... risqu¨¦ for a family dinner.¡±


    Dahliaughed. ¡°Only you and I will know. Unless one of us tells.¡± She waggled her eyebrows.


    I threw a pillow at her. ¡°You never change.¡±


    She leaned up on her elbow. ¡°Do you ever get the sense that you have changed... a lot?¡±


    I thought for a moment. When I first arrived in Italy, I had been the wallflower to Dahlia¡¯s center of attention, the worrywart to her, ¡°Just try it!¡± Now, I was engaged to a mafia Don, his engagement ring glittering on my finger, and I couldn¡¯t be happier.


    ¡°I think Italy¡¯s been good for me,¡± I said finally.


    Dahliaughed. ¡°You can say that again. God, and to think you guys were sneaking around until all our noses just a few months ago.¡±


    I copsed back onto the bed in helpless giggles. ¡°I don¡¯t miss that.¡±


    Alessandro had stalked us through the house, forced Gio to make reckless choices, and really frightened me. But, if I was being totally honest, I missed a little of the ndestine thrill of Gio slipping into my room in the middle of the night, the electric charge of knowing any noise could get me caught.


    I wriggled, and the bed bounced underneath me.


    ¡°And now you¡¯re not just gonna be public, you¡¯re gonna be his wife. You guys havee so far,¡± she continued, musing almost to herself.


    She was right, of course. From the first moment of attraction to the stolen kisses to the room we shared, everything had been spinning around Gio and me for thest several months. We¡¯d fought and fucked and struggled to survive, but now, no matter what else came, we would be united.


    I sat up in bed suddenly. ¡°Oh, my god. I have to tell my mom.¡±


    Dahlia sat up. ¡°You haven¡¯t told her yet?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s only been a day... or so.¡±


    Dahlia swatted me and reached for thendline in her room. ¡°Call her right now. Then, I¡¯ll get you all sexy for your engagement dinner.¡±


    I picked up the receiver and dialed with shaking fingers. My mom had been receptive when I told her I was dating Gio, but I knew she always worried about people having kids or getting married young. After her experience with Dad, I couldn¡¯t me her, but I really wanted her to be excited for me.


    The phone rang once, twice, and then she picked up.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hi, Mom,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s Olivia.¡±


    ¡°Olivia! Just give me one second.¡± A rustling sound came across the line, like she¡¯d covered the mouthpiece, but I could still hear a little of the voices on the other end. It sounded like she was telling someone she had to step away from a game to talk to me.


    I stood and began pacing. Dahlia watched me from the bed.


    After a moment, she said, ¡°Hi, baby. It¡¯s bridge night with James and Ba, so I just had to step away. What¡¯s up?¡±


    I exhaled. ¡°Oh, that sounds fun. Um, I have news.¡±


    Her voice instantly became serious. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you okay? Do you want toe home?¡±


    Iughed, but the sound came out wetter than I was anticipating. Nervous tears had sprung up. Dahlia looked at me with worried eyes, but I shook my head.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Mom. I¡¯m really, really good actually.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°Gio proposed.¡±


    A beat of silence passed. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    I bit my lip and looked at the ring on my hand. ¡°I said yes.¡±


    ¡°And that makes you happy? He makes you happy?¡± she asked carefully.


    My heart sank.


    ¡°He does. I¡¯ve never felt safer or more loved. I just want to spend forever with him,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well then.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°Congrattions!¡±


    Her voice crackled over the line so loudly that I dropped the phone and had to scramble for it on the carpet. She was still talking when I picked it up.


    ¡°¡ªAll I¡¯ve ever wanted is to see you happy, and if this makes you happy, I¡¯m all in.¡±


    The tears gathered at the backs of my eyes welled over, now more happy than nervous. ¡°I¡¯m so d. I was worried you were going to think I was too young, or this was reckless, or¡ª¡±


    ¡°Baby, I raised you to make smart decisions. If I didn¡¯t think I could trust you to do that, I never would have let you go to Italy.¡±


    Iughed and spun around in a circle. Dahlia hopped off the bed to join me, crowding her mouth close to the phone.


    ¡°And the ring is so gorgeous. You¡¯re going to absolutely adore it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta see it, Mom! You gottae out!¡±


    ¡°Wild horses couldn¡¯t keep me away.¡± She leaned away from the phone and her voice became quieter. ¡°James! Ba! We¡¯ve got news!¡±


    Dimly, I heard the sound of ttering footsteps as the audio transitioned to speaker. I could picture the three of them, standing in Dahlia¡¯s drawing room like old times, and the words caught in my throat. Dahlia was right. We hade so far, all of us.


    Of course, Dahlia saw the emotion overwhelming me and stepped in. ¡°Olivia and Gio are getting married!¡± she bellowed into the phone.


    I winced at her volume, then broke intoughter as the other side of the call dissolved into cheers and congrattions.


    ¡°When¡¯s the wedding?¡± James asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pester the girl,¡± Ba responded before I could. ¡°We¡¯ll be there as soon as possible to help n.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Mom agreed. ¡°How does next week sound? I¡¯m sure my employers will give me the time off.¡±


    We allughed, and I wound an arm around Dahlia¡¯s waist and squeezed. I was going to marry the love of my life, with my whole family around me. What more could a girl ask for?


    ¡°Alright, alright, we¡¯ve got a dinner to get to, and bridge waits for no engagement. We¡¯ll talk!¡± Dahlia grabbed the phone out of my hands and hung up. Then, she looked at me.


    ¡°Happy?¡± she asked.


    I nodded, and an impish smile took over my face. The only other thing I wanted in this world was not to wait.


    ¡°Think we can n a wedding in a month?¡± I asked.

 Chapter 397 : I Do

    <h4>Chapter 397: Chapter 397 : I Do</h4>


    *Olivia*


    It was hard to believe it had only been a month since Gio proposed. The time passed in a flurry of nning and tasting and looking into the eyes of my soon-to-be husband, and suddenly the day was here. Dahlia stood between the mirror and me in a gauzy, light purple sheath dress with a neckline so low it made my mother blush when she saw it on the hanger.


    In old Italian tradition, I hadn¡¯t seen myself since yesterday. Technically, I could have looked as soon as I put the dress on, but I wanted the full effect.


    ¡°Speaking of the veil,¡± my mom stepped into the bathroom with a wave of creamce over her arm, ¡°here it is.¡±


    She¡¯d brought the veil my great-grandmother made almost a century ago. I¡¯d designed my dress around it.


    ¡°A lot of love hase to the women who wore this veil,¡± she said, ¡°and a lot of pain. But we Robinson women are tough.¡± She settled the veil into my hair and positioned it. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn, Livi, to survive life¡¯s pains with your love at your side.¡±


    I fanned my face as the tears threatened. ¡°Mom, my makeup!¡±


    Sheughed, and I stood to hug her, taking in the much more conservative dress she wore in a matching purple to Dahlia¡¯s.


    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± I said.


    ¡°So do you,¡± she replied. ¡°Do you want to see?¡±


    Ba poked her head in the door. ¡°Is it time for the reveal?¡±


    I nodded, unable to trust my voice, and Dahlia took my hand.


    ¡°We set up a big mirror so you could get the full effect. I¡¯ll lead you in.¡±


    I closed my eyes and followed my best friend, just like I always had.


    ¡°Alright, open up.¡±


    I opened my eyes and barely recognized the woman in the mirror. My hair was curled into a tight bun and tucked underneath the yellowedce of my veil. My makeup was perfect in a way only Dahlia ever achieved, but underneath it, I glowed. My eyes were bright, and a brilliant smile split my face.


    The dress was everything I had ever dreamed of. My arms were covered in tight sleeves of cream-colored, floralce that almost matched the veil, floating over a background of nearly clear mesh that made it look as though I was wearing nothing but thece. The bodice was a simple sweetheart neckline covered in the samece, though it was lined by the softest satin I¡¯d ever felt in my life. The skirt was the piece de resistance, where I¡¯d allowed my fantasies to run free. Thece dripped down to the top of the ballgown skirt and crawled up from the bottom in a way that made it look like actual nts.


    I spun, feeling the weight of the dress and the way I moved in the perilously high heels Dahlia had coaxed me into. The woman in the mirror spun with me, looking giddy and radiant.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good,¡± Dahlia responded. ¡°Because it¡¯s time to go.¡±


    I turned to face the double doors that were the only thing keeping me from the rest of my life.


    Ba kissed my cheek. ¡°I wish you all the love and luck in the world. This road isn¡¯t easy, trust me, but I think you can handle it.¡±


    I smiled at her, and she left for her seat in the audience.


    Dahlia stepped to my side and squeezed my hand. ¡°Kick ass, take names, and remember who you designed this dress for when I finally make it down the aisle.¡±


    I squeezed her back, and she grabbed her bouquet of white roses and Italian bellflowers before standing in front of me.


    Mom stepped to my side, handed me my bouquet, and looped her arm through mine. ¡°I love you, Livi. So, so much.¡±


    Dahlia flung open the doors and began down the aisle.


    Gio had left most of the nning to me, happy with whatever made me happy, but he¡¯d picked the location. The reds and oranges of sunset drenched the small hill overlooking a vineyard in Tuscany in a magical glow. A cluster of friends and loved ones sat on chairs along a short aisle lined with rose petals, at the end of which an arched trellis overgrown with grapevines covered Gio, with Gabriele and Alessandro at his shoulder.


    My breath caught in my throat. I¡¯d seen him in formal wear often, but the soft charcoal suit he¡¯d chosen for the asion fit him like he was born for it. He¡¯d foregone a tie, something I¡¯d encouraged when I heard himining about them at the end of a long workday, and the hair on his chest was visible through the few undone buttons. He had a small cluster of flowers pinned to his jacket, and he smiled like he¡¯d just won the lottery.


    He had never looked so handsome before.


    Suddenly, I was at the end of the aisle, and my mother was pressing my hand into his and joining Dahlia behind me.


    I marveled at the feeling of Gio¡¯s hand in mine. I¡¯d held it every day for months now, but I hadn¡¯t seen him since yesterday, and the simple touch felt electric.


    ¡°You look astounding, carina,¡± he murmured.


    I smiled up at him. ¡°You don¡¯t clean up too bad yourself.¡±


    The priest cleared his throat, and the ceremony began. We decided to go ssic until the vows, which we wrote ourselves. Thankfully, Gio went first.


    ¡°My beautiful Olivia,¡± he started, and tears welled up in my eyes. He smiled. ¡°Before you, my life was very simple, and I thought that was the way I liked it.¡± His mouth twisted ruefully. ¡°I was a fool. You push me to be a better, stronger, braver man. I will take everyplication thates our way dly if it means having you by my side.¡±


    A single tear escaped, and he wiped it off my face as quickly as it came. The crowd ahhed, and I blushed.


    It was my turn now.


    ¡°I came to Italy a regr college student, not hoping for much more than a degree and a little fun.¡± The audienceughed. ¡°Instead, I found someone who made me understand the meaning of trust like I never had before. I trust you, Gio, with everything I have and everything I could be, and I know you trust me. I loved you very easily, but I¡¯m so d I trust you.¡±


    The priest nodded. ¡°Good, good. Now, Giovani Valentino, do you take Olivia Robinson to be your wife? Do you promise to be faithful to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love her and to honor her all the days of your life?¡±


    Gio looked at me with eyes glowing with love. ¡°I do.¡±


    Gabriele offered him my ring, a in gold band with the word ¡°carina¡± carved on the inside, and he slipped it onto my finger.


    ¡°Olivia Robinson, do you take Giovani Valentino to be your husband? Do you promise to be faithful to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love him and to honor him all the days of your life?¡±


    I grinned up at him. ¡°I absolutely do.¡±


    Dahlia poked me in the back with the ring, and I traded it for my bouquet. The bands matched almost exactly, down to the fact I had secretly gotten ¡°carino¡± engraved inside his. I took his offered hand dly and slid the ring into ce. It fit perfectly, just like we did.


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± the priest said. ¡°I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.¡±


    I was in Gio¡¯s arms instantly, his mouth crushing onto mine. I tried to pour all my love into the kiss, opening dly for his tongue when it begged entrance. I threaded my hands into his hair, and someone¡ªTallon, maybe¡ªwolf whistled.


    We broke apart, but I refused to be embarrassed today. The love of my life was officially mine, and nothing could bring me down.


    The reception was a flurry of food and dancing on the trellised patio behind the vi. The meal was spectacr, even better than what I had grown used to in thepound, but I was barely able to finish my te amongst all the chatter. Eventually, Gio enlisted Dahlia to distract well-wishers so we could actually eat before hitting the dance floor properly.


    After the ceremony, we were never more than a few inches from each other, always holding hands or swaying to the music or pressing kisses to the other¡¯s mouth. I felt likes in a twin orbit, moving when he moved, and it was electric. I wanted nothing more than to get my hands on him somewhere Tallon¡ªbecause it was actually Tallon, as he proudly told us¡ªcouldn¡¯t interrupt us.


    I trailed a finger along the arm of his suit jacket, marveling at the softness of the material as we dropped into our seats, breathless from a round of fast songs. Gio really seemed his age when he tried to dance quickly, and my face hurt fromughing so much.


    He caught my hand and leaned in. ¡°You like the jacket?¡±


    I smiled impishly. ¡°I¡¯d like it better off.¡±


    He grinned at me. ¡°I¡¯ve got a surprise for you, carina.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I gaped at him. ¡°How could you have possibly nned a surprise during all of this?¡±


    ¡°I am the Don of a mafia,¡± he said imperiously. ¡°Now, would you like it or not?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°I got us that house from thest time we were in Tuscany. Say the word and we¡¯re gone.¡± His eyes grew dark with desire as his trailed his gaze down to the neck of my dress.


    I looked around at all our friends and loved onesughing and dancing, then back at my husband. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    We disappeared out a side door before anyone could notice we were gone, and Gio got a guard to drive us discreetly away. We reached the vi, and he exited before me and opened my door.


    ¡°Come with me, my beautiful wife.¡± He extended a hand. I took it, and he led me up the path to the door before scooping me into his arms.


    I yelped. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    He smiled and opened the door. ¡°Tradition, carina.¡±


    I grinned as he carried me over the doorstep and didn¡¯t even let him put me down before I pulled him into a kiss. He shifted me so I was straddling his waist, and I wound my arms around his neck.


    I felt him continuing to walk as I pressed my tongue into his mouth and moaned. When I finally pulled away for air, we were in the enormous bedroom. He set me down gently.


    ¡°Let me undress you,¡± he said. I couldn¡¯t say no to the aching passion in his eyes, so I turned to reveal the row of buttons at the back of the dress. He undid them slowly, kissing every inch of exposed skin with reverent grace. When he finished, the weight of the dress pulled it down, and I stood in front of him in nothing but heels and delicate, whitece lingerie.


    I leaned in to kiss him, but he stepped behind me and unhooked my bra. It fluttered uselessly to the ground. Last, he pushed down my panties, already wet from the attention, the anticipation.


    ¡°Bellissima,¡± he murmured.


    Under his gaze, I felt beautiful. He circled my nipples gently, watched them peak with pleasure, then ran a hand between my legs and smiled.


    I ground into his touch gently, caught in his spell, and moaned. ¡°Please, you now.¡±


    He nodded indulgently, and I undressed him with the same reverent care. For a moment we stood in front of each other wearing nothing but moonlight, husband and wife for the first time.


    He stepped forward and kissed me, lifting me to straddle his waist once more. I ground against the muscles of his abdomen, aching for friction, and heid me down on the bed.


    ¡°My wife,¡± he said softly as he fucked into me with one finger, then two, three, achingly slowly. I moaned as my body amodated him easily. I nced down just once and saw his wedding ring glistening with my wetness.


    ¡°Please, Gio,¡± I begged as I felt my orgasm begin to build. ¡°I want toe with you.¡±


    Without another word, he lined up his cock and thrust up to the hilt just as slowly. He ran a finger down the side of my face, and I saw nothing but love in his eyes. He built in speed and intensity until the headboard rattled against the wall.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he murmured between groans. ¡°I love you, Olivia, carina.¡±


    His hand found my clit, and I came with his name on my tongue. He fell over the edge after me and copsed on my chest. I stroked a finger through his hair and smiled.


    This was the beginning of a long night.

 Chapter 398 : The Ultimate Test

    <h4>Chapter 398: Chapter 398 : The Ultimate Test</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I whirled through the dining room in a haze of excitement. Dahlia and I were going to go back to school next week, and there was so much nning to do. I needed new notebooks; somehow my backpack had gotten lost in the wedding shuffle, and Mom just went home a few days ago, so I had barely had any time to do anything.


    As I passed the room that had been hers for the length of her stay, I paused. I¡¯d missed my mom more than I realized in the months since we moved to Italy. Having her here every day, teasing me about Gio with Dahlia and nagging me about wearing sunscreen when I went out despite the autumn chill, had felt like a dreame true.


    Once, Ba made a joke about retiring to the Italian countryside, and her eyes had gotten kind of far away. Later, she asked me if I minded having her around so much. She¡¯d joked about moving here on my wedding day, but I was starting to think she¡¯d seriously consider it.


    I did a happy little spin. Everything was falling into ce perfectly.


    Finally, I reached the room I was heading for. There was a little ground-floor room Gio was thinking of converting into a closet, but I¡¯d been itching for a space of my own outside the suite. When I asked, he¡¯d converted the room into an office for me to do schoolwork in. I didn¡¯t know where he found the time to do half the things he did these days, but having Dmitri off the map seemed to free up a lot of time.


    Everybody had a lot more time since the Russians were out of the picture, and lighter moods, too. I¡¯d even coaxed augh out of Gabriele the other day.


    I flung open the door to my office and swept over to the big wooden desk Gio found for me. It was hand-carved by artists in Northern Italy but inspired by the altar table in Da Vinci¡¯s Annunciation, which I¡¯d been obsessed with since I saw it in the Uffizi Gallery with Dahlia. I ran my hand over the scrollwork and grabbed the calendar I was looking for. Some paperwork required myst enrollment date, and in all the fuss, I could hardly remember anymore.


    I flipped back a couple of months to myst day of school and noticed a red star on the day after, my own little shorthand for tracking my period.


    I stopped short.


    I flipped to the next page and found the next star. Yep, I remembered that one¨Cawful timing in the middle of wedding nning. Then this month¨Cthere was the little star, right when I was supposed to get it.


    Two weeks ago.


    My hands went cold, and I dropped the calendar onto the desk. We¡¯d been responsible. I was on the pill, and I took it at the right time every day.


    But it was only ny-nine percent effective, a little voice in my head nagged. And you¡¯ve really been putting it to the test.


    Test. That was it. I just had to take a test. I wouldn¡¯t tell anyone, wouldn¡¯t turn my lifepletely upside down until I was sure.


    But guards would go with me if I left. I needed to get someone else to do it, someone who wouldn¡¯t talk.


    This time of day, Dom patrolled the back garden. I found him quickly and pulled him aside in a moment where none of the other guards could see him.


    Man, I was getting good at this mafia stuff.


    He stepped into the shadows of an olive tree and furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Are you all right, Mrs. Valentino?¡±


    A little shiver ran down my spine. I wasn¡¯t used to the new name yet, and it was exciting every time. But I shook my head and focused.


    ¡°You can still call me Olivia. And I¡¯m fine, I just need you to get me something.¡±


    I passed him a note on which I¡¯d written the brand of a well-reviewed pregnancy test. He unfolded it, studied it for a moment, and nodded.


    ¡°One more thing, Dom. You can¡¯t tell anyone, even Gio.¡±


    He grimaced. ¡°But Mrs¡ªOlivia, he¡¯s the Don. If he asks....¡±


    I crossed my arms. ¡°If he asks where you were, tell him to ask me. He can¡¯t know yet.¡±


    Dom hesitated another moment but finally nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go as soon as I can.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll be in my old room.¡±


    I spun on my heel and left the garden before anybody could ask what I was doing. Part of me wanted to keep getting ready for school, but the rest wanted to sit stock-still in my room until I knew if I could actually n the next nine months of my life.


    Nine months¨Cif this came back positive, I would have to change the next nine months of my life.


    I hurried up the stairs.


    Dom, as I expected, was quiet and prompt. Nearly an hour had passed when there was a sharp rap on the door. I opened it, and he shoved the bag into my hands.


    ¡°Th¡ª¡± I started.


    He held his hands up. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know anything else. I definitely can¡¯t keep the Don¡¯s kid from him.¡±


    I nched. ¡°Quiet! And... it¡¯s just a test. I don¡¯t know if¡ª¡±


    Dom plugged his ears and walked away. I sighed and closed the door behind him before padding into the adjoining bathroom.


    I took a deep breath and opened the bag. The pink box stared up at me usingly, but next to it was an Italian soda I¡¯d been obsessed with but had only found in the school cafeteria.


    I smiled. Dom might not be the most supportive person to have in this situation, but he did care.


    I put the box and soda on the counter next to the sink and weighed what to open first. I needed to pee on pregnancy tests, right? A little hydration couldn¡¯t hurt.


    I unscrewed the soda and took a sip, pacing back and forth as I stared at the box on the counter.


    Did I want to be pregnant?


    Someday, certainly. Every now and again, I dreamed about Gio and my little¡ªor not-so-little¡ªfamily, and I always woke up feeling at peace. And he wanted kids.


    But did I want to be pregnant now?


    Fuck it.


    I took a big swig of the soda and ripped open the pregnancy test box. Pee on the stick, wait three minutes, so easy a baby could do it.


    I took the test quickly, left it on the back of the toilet, grabbed my soda, and walked out into the main bedroom. I¡¯d be too tempted to look if I stayed in there.


    Instead, I paced.


    Now that the test was taken, the question floated back to the top of my mind. Did I want to be pregnant now? I imagined myself waddling down the halls of the college, everybody whispering and shooting me pitying looks. But just as I began to worry about that, a vision of Gio¡¯s face when I told him the news overtook it. I could picture the smile growing on his face like a sunrise, worry lifting from his brow, years lifting from his tired eyes. He would pick me up and spin me around our room,ughing.


    Did I want to be pregnant now? My mom had been so good about the wedding, and it had been so wonderful to have her here, but would she still be proud of me if I got pregnant so young, if I gave up my college career to take care of babies?


    Dahlia liked kids okay, but she was never the biggest fan. Would she still want to hang out as much if I spent all my time with toddlers instead of going to fancy restaurants and taking impromptu day-trips to Tuscany?


    I raked a hand through my hair. What I knew about Dahlia for certain was that she would be furious if she heard me listing down all these negatives without a single positive. I took another sip of the soda, savored it a moment, and then allowed myself to think about what might be good.


    Did I want to be pregnant right now? It might encourage my mom to move to Italy faster. I was her only child, and her only chance for grandchildren. She¡¯d mentioned that to Gio and me at the reception teasingly, but I thought I saw genuine desire in her eyes. Mom would love a grandkid¨Cor grandkids. I could just picture her returning them from her ce, all sleepy, and telling us in hushed tones that she let them have a little ice cream as a special treat. She¡¯d spoil them senseless, enough to more than make up for theck of family on Gio¡¯s side.


    The kid would grow up in this house, or a house like this, huge and crawling with people for him to talk to and y games with even if Gio and I were both busy one day. They¡¯d never run out of things to do or people to see.


    Gio would be a spectacr father. It might encourage him to finally take a step back from work so he had more time for himself, but more importantly, he had so much love in his heart, and I wanted to let him express it. He would be the best jungle gym when they were younger and give incredible fatherly advice when they grew up.


    More than that, I wanted to be a mother. I wanted to buy all the little outfits and essories. I wanted to look at a kid the way my mom looked at me. I wanted to bring a little life into this world and do right by it in any way I could.


    I took a swig of my soda and wondered if I was going to wear a path in the carpet before three minutes passed. Then, I let myself worry about the worst thing.


    What if I had this baby, and it was as wonderful and beautiful as I thought it could be, and then Gio¡¯s job intruded on our lives again? What if something awful happened? What if they got kidnapped or worse?


    Could I survive that?


    Could I ever have a child with the love of my life if I couldn¡¯t?


    I paced and paced and paced. Three minutes turned into what felt like an hour, and I got no closer to figuring out if I actually wanted a baby right now or not. There were a million reasons for, and a million reasons against. My head swam with all the options, debating pros and cons until I felt nearly dizzy.


    By the time the timer went off, I¡¯d nearly made myself sick with anxiety. I crossed to the bathroom on shaking legs. I discarded my soda on the counter. My world seemed to narrow to the back of the toilet where the slim white stick that would change my life sat.


    Only three steps left. Two. One.


    I picked up the test in one quivering hand. For a moment, I couldn¡¯t read the results it shook so bad. Then, I steadied my hand with the other and it became clear.


    ¡°Oh, my god.¡±

 Chapter 399 : Which Is It?

    <h4>Chapter 399: Chapter 399 : Which Is It?</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Somewhere between the adrenaline rushing through my veins and the weakness that hit me so suddenly my knees cked together, I forgot to breathe.


    I grasped the edge of the sink as my legs gave out from under me, and I hit the cold bathroom tiles.


    I stared at the test clutched in my other hand, unable to believe my eyes as the positive sign stared back at me. At first, the sheer shock sent my whirling thoughts straight into denial. There was no way I could be....


    I wasn¡¯t....


    But the damning evidence was right in front of me.


    Slowly, shakily, I utched my hand from the sink, and like I was touching something precious, my hand covered my t stomach. Somewhere within there... there was a life, a little me growing inside of me... one with dark hair and gorgeous blue eyes just like their father.


    I choked on a sob, tears pouring down my face like a waterfall as my heart thundered in my chest in a storm of emotions. I was scared for sure, I had no clue how to take care of a child or anything about pregnancy in general. There were too many unknowns. What if I identally hurt my little bean?


    I paled as I realized I had drank alcohol not too long ago. Oh god, what if I ruined it already? What if I had killed the little life inside of me before I even knew they existed?


    I clutched my stomach with both of my hands, dropping the pregnancy test to the floor. I bit my bottom lip, my mind filling up with anxiety and grief already. But a wave of calm settled over me and I took a shuddering breath.


    My rational mind took over as it pushed my emotional hindbrain back into its corner. Gio and I had just gotten married. I was on birth control. Pregnancy tests weren¡¯t one hundred percent reliable, just like birth control, especially store-bought ones.


    It could be a false positive.


    Oh.


    Realization hit me like a truck going too fast in the oppositene and crashing headfirst into my heart. There was no denying the sinking feeling settling under my skin, the one that caused my heart to skip a beat.


    I stiffened, my heart dropping to the floor as I slid back and thumped my head against the bathroom sink. My legs stretched out before me, I nced at the pregnancy test and flipped it over so it was face-down.


    I stared nkly at the ceiling.


    It could be a false positive.


    So why did that make me so disappointed?


    It took a few moments of tracing the tiles on the ceiling before I finally worked up the courage to take the next step. The best way of being sure was to go to the doctor, so that¡¯s what I did.


    I called my doctor¡¯s office sitting on the floor of the bathroom, scheduling an appointment for a few hours from now so we could run the tests and determine for sure if I was pregnant or not. I was thankful that they were able to get me in. Sometimes it paid to be the wife of the Don.


    I hesitated to call anyone else. Dahlia would be excited for me, happy to be an aunt, but... if it turned out I wasn¡¯t, she¡¯d make it her mission to make me and Gio have a niece or nephew for her.


    I thought about Tallon or Alessandro, but neither of them would be good with any of this. Tallon would start panicking at just the thought of a baby, and Alessandro would start treating me like I was diseased or fragile like ss. He¡¯d probably order the men to put me into a bubble for my own protection.


    And Gio....


    I didn¡¯t know how Gio would react.


    Would he be upset? Happy? Excited? Or angry? We never even talked about kids before, which was kinda an oversight seeing as we were now married. I was young and Gio... wasn¡¯t.


    But the thought of a little baby that looked just like him, with cute little dimples as it smiled and curly brown hair and blue eyes shining, gave me so much joy. Gio holding that little baby, kissing his forehead like he did to me, and beaming as he taught his son to walk¨Cit all sounded wonderful.


    A little girl that would wrap him around her finger, letting her sleep in his arms as he did his paperwork, teaching her how to order the men around as she toddled around thepound.


    That future, that sweet, hopeful future¨CI wanted it.


    I held my head in my hands, both anxious and full of excitement, my heart racing at both extremes as I realized I wanted a family with Gio.


    Fuck.


    I didn¡¯t know how the next few hours passed, but they did, and soon enough, I found myself sitting in that tiny room inside of the doctor¡¯s office without knowing how I got there. Someone must¡¯ve driven me, but I was in such a dizzy state that I had no clue. It had to be Dom. I didn¡¯t trust anyone else.


    I keptying my hands over my stomach, trying to see if I felt anything different but of course I didn¡¯t. It would be way too early.


    ¡°Mrs. Valentino?¡± The doctor asked as she stepped into the room. I jumped a bit, still not used to that being myst name.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, I guess that¡¯s me,¡± I smiled politely. ¡°I¡¯m not used to it since we just got married, but please, you can still call me Olivia.¡±


    ¡°Olivia,¡± Dr. Gallo smiled. ¡°What brings you here today?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I missed my period, and I¡¯m neverte, like never,¡± I emphasized, meaningfully, ¡°and I took a pregnancy test and it said it was positive, so I just... you know....¡±


    ¡°Wanted to be sure?¡± she finished with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I nodded, relieved.


    ¡°Well, we can do a simple blood test to determine that. It¡¯ll be very quick, a few minutes toe back,¡± Dr. Gallo said politely. ¡°Is that something you want to do, or would you like to try a urine test? It¡¯ll take longer, but some people prefer it over getting pricked.¡±


    ¡°The blood test is fine,¡± I told her hurriedly. I wanted results as quickly as possible.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a nurse take your blood, and I¡¯ll be back to tell you the results as soon as I can, alright?¡± the doctor asked, and I nodded.


    The office wasn¡¯t very busy today, or maybe it was the influence Gio had because as soon as the doctor left, a nurse was rolling in with a vial and needle. It didn¡¯t hurt too badly going in, but I turned a bit green as soon as I saw my blood pooling after she pulled it out.


    She stuck on a bandage with a butterfly pattern and left it at that. I nervously yed with my phone as I waited for the results, even tried out that stupid matching game that my phone came with.


    Luckily, I didn¡¯t have to wait long. Within twenty minutes, the doctor came back to give me the results. My already fragile heart, beaten and bruised from all the emotions I¡¯d experienced today, could barely stand as she gave me the final verdict.


    I walked out of the clinic feeling like I¡¯d just been sentenced by a jury, unsure of how to feel or what to believe anymore. But now, now was the time I needed to talk to my husband.


    As I settled into the car and drove back home, the phone rang in my ear before picking up with a soft, ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m heading home now,¡± I said mechanically. ¡°I need to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked immediately, his voice going serious.


    ¡°Yeah. No. Maybe,¡± I said, confused. ¡°I¡¯m just... I need to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there in a few minutes. Wait for me in the bedroom, alright?¡± he said, his voice a bit rmed, and I didn¡¯t me him. Even if the whole Dmitri thing was over now, his protective instincts were still haywire.


    He still lived a dangerous life.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said quietly and hung up before I could hear his answer. I was in a bit of a daze as I somehow got out of the car and into my bedroom without toppling over or ending up curled on the floor in an anxiety attack.


    I sat on the edge of the bed and I waited.


    Soon enough, just as I expected, Gio burst through the door with a concerned look on his face. He quickly spotted me, rushing over and falling to his knees as he grasped my hands.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he demanded. ¡°Are you hurt? Did someone do something?¡±


    I smiled a bit, reminded how lucky I was to have him as a husband as he flipped my arms over and then trailed his hands down my legs, searching for any sign of injury. He looked suspiciously at the bandage.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Gio,¡± I giggled, grabbing his cheeks in my hands. His eyes were blown wide with the scare¨Cthe thought of me in danger¨Cand I smiled helplessly as I waited for him to calm down.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He squeezed my knee with a frown. ¡°You sounded... upset on the phone. Is there something bothering you about school? Did I do something?¡±


    ¡°Honey,¡± I called affectionately, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just needed to talk to you.¡±


    To my surprise, he sighed in relief but avoided my gaze as he broke away from my grasp and hid his flushed face in myp.


    Ooh¨Ca new side.


    A grin curled on my face as I spotted the tips of his ears turning bright red.


    ¡°Something wrong, dear?¡± I tested, smirking as I noticed him flinch the tiniest bit.


    ¡°The sheer power of that,¡± he mumbled into my legs, probably not intending me to hear, but I did. I filed that little tidbit away forter.


    For now, though, I had something important to tell him.


    My smile fell along with my good mood as I remembered the kind words from the doctor, the ones I now needed to repeat to my husband.


    ¡°Gio,¡± I started, avoiding his eyes as he looked up at me. ¡°I went to the doctor today.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Gio asked, slowly, and I could see the gears turning in his brain, fishing for any kind of idea of why I had gone to see a doctor. But I wasn¡¯t sure he would like the answer.


    I swallowed, then decided to rip it off like a Band-Aid.


    ¡°I missed my period,¡± I said softly, checking his mood as I bulldozed my way through the emotions I¡¯d had an entire afternoon to sort and process. He only had a few seconds.


    ¡°I¡¯m neverte so I took a pregnancy test. It was positive.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t even sure what I expected at this point, the understanding hit him first, and his whole face went nk. There was nothing on his face, but I could see the emotions whirling past in his eyes.


    It was like waiting for the spin of a slot machine. Which one would itnd on?


    I bit my lip, sping my hands together as I waited for the result.


    But finally, it hit him. His eyes burst wide open and his whole face lit up with wonder and awe.


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡± He grinned. ¡°Olivia!¡±


    His lips hit mine, and I gasped at the suddenness as his sheer excitement poured through his every movement.


    ¡°You¡¯re happy?¡± I breathed out between kisses. He moved on to kissing my forehead, my cheeks, anyce he could reach.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m happy!¡± he beamed. ¡°How could I not be, carina? This is wonderful news!¡±


    And that made it all the more heartbreaking what I had to tell him next.


    My lip wobbled as my eyes heated up, a sure precursor to the waterfalls that were bound to happen next. I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Gio.¡±


    ¡°Olivia?¡± he asked, gentle and sweet as he lifted a finger under my chin so he could see my watery eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not pregnant,¡± I blurted, the voice of the doctor echoing in my ears as she told me exactly what I didn¡¯t want to hear. ¡°It was a false positive. The blood test at Dr. Gallo¡¯s office confirmed it. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Gio stiffened for a moment, gazing into my eyes deeply before finally, I could see the resolutione over him like a warm nket of air.


    He tilted his head, serious as he asked, ¡°Do you want to be?¡±

 Chapter 400 : Start a Family

    <h4>Chapter 400: Chapter 400 : Start a Family</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I stammered, staring into Gio¡¯s patient eyes as he waited for my answer.


    "I never thought about it," I admitted quietly to both him and myself. "I just assumed that was something far off into the future. I didn¡¯t expect it to be positive but...."


    "But?" he prompted, so gentle as he cradled my cheek in his hands. I leaned into his warm, calloused hand, shutting my eyes tightly as a few tears spilled over my cheeks. I hated being such an emotional person, hated how I couldn¡¯t keep myself calm like Gio.


    "But it was," I said softly. "And I thought of you, and I thought of... the baby... a little baby with your curly hair and your eyes, and I realized...."


    I sniffled, grasping Gio¡¯s hand as I buried my face into it. "I made the appointment with the doctor because I had to be sure, but she said I wasn¡¯t, and I just felt...."


    "Felt what, carina?" my caring husband asked, his voice a low rumble in his chest as he rubbed his thumb back and forth over my knee, offering thefort I so desperately needed. He¡¯d always been like that¡ªknowing just what I needed when I was too emotional to get myself together. He was my rock, the one who kept me grounded when my thoughts became too much, when my emotions threatened to send me spiraling into an endless whirlpool of anxiety.


    I held onto him, struggling to keep my head above the water as I voiced my thoughts. Honesty about my emotions had never been my best virtue, but for him... for the little bean I didn¡¯t have... I had to try.


    I took a shuddering breath, forcing myself to stare into Gio¡¯s warm face as I said,pletely and truthfully, what I had felt.


    "Disappointed," I choked out.


    A small smile curled onto his lips, and he slid from his knee to take a seat beside me on the bed. It took very little effort for him to maneuver me into his arms, effortlessly picking me up and sitting me straight between his legs. He wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me close as he rested his chin on my shoulder.


    "If you were disappointed, then does that mean," Gio said resolutely, "you want to have a baby?"


    I hesitated. "Only if you¡ª"


    "No." He cut through my excuses like a hot knife through butter.


    His sharp voice caused a shiver to run down my spine, and I bit my bottom lip, shame heating up my cheeks as he caught me so easily.


    "Do you want a baby, Olivia?" he asked firmly. This was a yes-or-no question, what I wanted and felt, and he was going to ept no other answers. I sucked in a breath, squeezing my eyes shut as I curled into his arms and finally, softly, nodded.


    "Yes," I whispered, barely audible, but that was enough.


    "Okay then." I felt his lips pressed against my skin as heid a kiss on my shoulder. I could feel the smile growing there as he murmured, "I want one too."


    His confession soaked into me, simple words turning into a fluttering hope that flew through my bloodstream and straight into my heart. I turned in his arms, my eyes wide as I asked very softly, "Really?"


    "Olivia." He smiled lovingly, wrapping his hand around the back of my neck as he pulled me close. My body was twisted in an awkward way, and I naturally slid around to sit on hisp, holding onto his neck so I didn¡¯t topple over.


    "I love you," Giovani beamed brightly at me, his eyes filled with warmth. "I¡¯ve always wanted to start a family with you."


    "But you never said anything," I frowned. "We always used protection."


    "Of course we did," he chuckled. "You¡¯re still young, Olivia, and there¡¯s plenty of time. We just got married. I didn¡¯t think this woulde up so soon, but I¡¯m d it did. I figured we¡¯d just wait until you were ready."


    I sighed, leaning my forehead against his as I realized we¡¯d done this all wrong. There were a few crucial steps we might¡¯ve missed. We¡¯d only met at the beginning of summer, and now it was approaching winter. We¡¯d been together for less than eight months, and we were already married.


    "We should¡¯ve said something sooner," I told him. "What would you have done if I had never wanted a baby? What were you going to do if I was never ready, and we got old, and you started to resent me for it?"


    He chuckled, as if I was being silly, and I pouted, knowing it had been a valid question.


    "In this hypothetical situation," Gio grinned widely, "if you had never wanted to start a family, that would have been fine too."


    "But you said you wanted to start a family," I protested, getting a bit frustrated as we went around in verbal circles.


    "Yes, I did," he nodded, "but I didn¡¯t marry you because I wanted a family, Olivia. I married you because I loved you. Child or not, you are my family. It didn¡¯t matter whether you wanted a child or not. If you did, I would be overjoyed and love them just as fiercely as I love you. But if you didn¡¯t, then just you would¡¯ve been enough for me. You are more than I could ever ask for, Olivia, the love of my life, my beautiful wife."


    My lip trembled at the sheer vulnerable sincerity in his eyes. I could see myself reflected in his gaze, this emotional mess of a person still trying to figure out what she wanted to do with my life.


    But at that moment, I knew one thing for sure.


    I wanted to be Gio¡¯s wife more than anything else in the world. If life were a puzzle to be solved, then he would be the first piece I wanted in it.


    That was enough.


    I was enough.


    And nothing else needed to be said.


    I mmed my lips against his, my whole body ame as I kissed him with everything I had. Gio was quick to respond, as if he had been waiting for this, and he dove into my mouth, coaxing my tongue out to y with him.


    The heat of the kiss lingered even as we broke apart, both gasping for air. Gio smirked at me, and I pushed his shoulders. He fell easily onto his back, the bed bouncing a bit with the sudden movement, and I straddled him, feeling the bulge in his pants as it pressed against my core.


    One hand hovered around my thigh, but he palmed my hip on the other, sweeping up my lower back to rest at the top of my spine.


    I stretched my arms up, shedding my shirt and bra until I was bare before his eyes. His eyes lit up with fire as he saw my naked body.


    I leaned down, and his lips kissed around my corbone, and I shut my eyes in pleasure as he trailed down to my breasts, quickly finding my nipples as always.


    He took one in his mouth, sucking hard, and I bucked into him, his cock pressing deeper underneath the fabric of his pants. My hand slithered down to his pants as he slipped my bud out of his mouth with a loud and wet pop.


    Gio looked up at me, his gaze like a smothering fire as he watched me unbutton his pants and slink my hand straight past the waistband of his underwear. He was already half-hard, and I smirked as I grasped his cock with my full hand.


    "Fuck," he cursed, his eyes sliding closed as he took in a sudden breath. I coyly and very loosely ran my hand up his shaft, knowing it wasn¡¯t nearly enough pressure to get him off.


    "Tease," he growled, his pupils blown wide, and I grinned as he finally lost control, snatching my waist with his hands as he switched our positions, pressing me firmly into the mattress underneath him.


    I curled my legs around his waist, hooking his hardness into the growing wetness between my legs. Gio pushed my skirt out of the way and delved his hand into my damp flesh.


    I jerked my hips as his fingers stroked me, and I shuddered at the throb in my cunt as he teased me with what I really wanted. I buckled my hips onto his hand, craving more, and he chuckled, low and dark.


    "Naughty girl," he smirked. "Didn¡¯t anyone teach you patience?"


    "Just fuck me, Gio," I ordered, grasping his cor and pulling until the buttons on his shirt came apart. Most likely, it was ruined, but I didn¡¯t give a damn as I clutched onto him.


    And my dutiful husband obeyed.


    "As you wish," he said, his voice low and husky. He pulled back, and I whined a bit, but he only hushed me as I saw him pull his belt off. At first, I didn¡¯t know what he was doing, but soon enough, I figured it out.


    He grasped my wrists in his hands, pulling them away from his bare chest, and before I could say anything else, he tied them to the headboard with his belt. It was loose enough not to hurt but tight enough that there was no way I could pull away.


    "What do you think you¡¯re doing?" I pouted, tugging at the restraints.


    "My little wife needs to learn a little patience, and I¡¯ll be the one to teach you," he smirked, hovering over me.


    "Oh, really?" I said coyly. ¡°I doubt that. I tend to get what I want, remember?¡±


    His eyes glinted with a fiery passion, and I knew I¡¯d made a critical mistake. If I had thought I could win against Gio, I was very, very wrong.


    I locked my legs around his waist, holding him to me, but he only grinned widely as he hovered above me, leaning on his forearms so I could barely feel him. I whined a bit childishly as he gently kissed the side of my neck.


    ¡°Which reminds me, carina,¡± he smirked, trailing butterfly kisses across my skin, and I groaned, needing more as I could do nothing but whatever he wanted to do with me. ¡°I never took you on a honeymoon. What a bad husband I am.¡±


    ¡°Gio, please,¡± I begged as he hooked a finger around my underwear, pulling it to the side and gently running his finger along my folds.


    ¡°Not yet, carina,¡± he promised, his trail having reached my chest now. He licked around the soft mounds, carefully avoiding the peaks that had stood to a point in longing for him. ¡°I had to handle some work after the wedding so we couldn¡¯t go anywhere, but I n to make it up to you now that I¡¯m free.¡±


    ¡°Make it up to me now,¡± I breathed, trying my best to grind down onto his hand, but he kept pulling back just enough to keep teasing me.


    ¡°So where would you like to go on our honeymoon?¡± Gio¡¯s eyes glinted with a kind of sadistic pleasure of keeping me waiting.


    ¡°As long as you fuck me, I don¡¯t care,¡± I groaned, both frustrated and quivering with anticipation.


    ¡°Come on now,¡± the bastard grinned widely, ¡°Surely there¡¯s somece you want to go?¡±


    And he dug his finger straight into my core, piercing me with no warning. I gasped, panting now as I struggled to even think.


    ¡°Paris. No, Sicily, uh fuck, Venice!¡± I shouted out random cities, focused only on the slow and steady rhythm as he toyed with me. ¡°Now, please, Gio.¡±


    I was near tears as I begged.


    ¡°Venice?¡± he asked, ¡°Is that your final answer?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± I shouted. ¡°Please, I¡¯ve been patient enough!¡±


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he murmured. ¡°Now I can give you the baby you want.¡±


    I gasped at his words, my whole body shivering as he pulled his fingers out of me with a wet pop and reced them with his raw cock. It was different from any time before--so much hotter as his head slid across my folds.


    I whined, pushing down on him, and without any warning, he guided his cock into my slit and entered me.


    My mouth opened in a silent scream as he groaned deeply, holding onto my hips as he drove my cunt down onto his cock, deep. Moans slipped out of me as he moved mercilessly, spreading my legs to get deeper¨Cdeep enough that I swore he would never be able to leave again.


    ¡°Olivia.¡± He moaned my name, not stopping or slowing one bit as my vision whited out, and my first orgasm came and went, building into the next without a single chance to catch my breath. He changed his angle, using more force than before, and I shuddered through a second orgasm, my thighs trembling helplessly, the stimtion more than I could bare.


    I screamed, a third hitting me, and his lips swallowed the sound. With a few more thrusts, he spilled into me. It was hot, burning almost, and the strange feeling was almost addicting in a way as I was filled to the brim with his seed¡ªthe seed that could give us the baby we so desperately wanted.


    I gasped out for breaths, struggling to think of anything but the sperm spilling out of me and onto the sheets below. It was wet and messy.


    ¡°I could use another lesson on patience,¡± I said, meeting his eyes in a challenge.


    His eyes lit up with desire.

 Chapter 401 : Honeymoon

    <h4>Chapter 401: Chapter 401 : Honeymoon</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Carina?¡± A voice called me out of the depths of sleep. My entire body felt stiff from being in one position for too long, and despite the rumbling voice calling my name, I was not ready to wake up just yet.


    ¡°Carina, we¡¯re here,¡± the voice called out again.


    ¡°Where?¡± I slurred, my speech muffled as I answered without even opening my eyes, snuggling into the hard abs I was resting my head on. Curled up in a warmp, I didn¡¯t feel like moving.


    ¡°Venice,¡± the voice said. ¡°For our honeymoon, remember?¡±


    Honeymoon?


    That jogged my memory, and my eyes fluttered open as it all came back to me. Gio had woken me up in the early hours of the morning, so early that the sun had yet to rise. I had been half-asleep when he carried me all the way to the ne for our trip.


    I had fallen asleep for the entire two-and-a-half-hour ne ride.


    ¡°Venice? Really?¡± I perked up, stifling a yawn.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. So wake up, sleepyhead,¡± Gio chuckled.


    The excitement was better than coffee as I immediately got to my feet and dressed in the heels Gio had brought for me. I knew to leave our luggage, as somebody would deliver it to where we were staying.


    I winced at the sunny sky as the ne opened up, and I stepped into the aisle. The smell of sea salt and fresh morning air hit me right in the face. I flipped down the sunsses resting on my head, tinting the world.


    I heard footsteps approaching from behind me, and an arm wrapped around my waist as I stood in the middle of the aisle.


    ¡°Ready, carina?¡± Giovani smiled. Behind my new pair of sunsses, everything was tinted dark, but I could still see the excitement burning in his eyes, matching my own.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I sighed happily as we entered the city of our dream escape. Our honeymoon.


    Of course, the Valentinos owned a private airstrip near the city, so that¡¯s where wended early in the morning.


    The strip wasn¡¯t all that far from the canals that made up most of the city. It would be just a brisk walk that we were more than happy to make.


    ¡°Excited?¡± Gio grinned.


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve always wanted to visit Venice. The city is full of historical museums and artwork that date from before the Renaissance,¡± I gushed as we headed for the nearby canal. ¡°And you¡¯re sure there¡¯ll be no work or interruptions?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Gio kissed my temple. ¡°Everything¡¯s in ce. I¡¯m all yours.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s first?¡± I giggled. ¡°Are we taking a car to the city?¡±


    ¡°Better,¡± Gio smirked, leading us to the docks below the bridge that would take us to the city. I could smell the salt of the water in the canals as we approached, and I caught my first nce at the watery city.


    The canals were already busy with boats¡ªsome were the ssical wooden gonds I¡¯d seen in pictures, and others were motorboats racing across the smallpping waves. It was amazing how the water came right up to the sidewalks, with doorways stepping straight out onto the water.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I gasped in awe.


    ¡°Signore, signora,¡± a voice called out from the edge of the water. On the wooden docks reaching into the canals stood a man in ssic gondolier attire¡ªa white and ck striped shirt, ck pants, and a hat.


    Right behind him was a long, skinny gond, and not the typical tourist kind. There was a red carpet in the interior and two ck and gold chairs built side by side. Even a table with freshly picked yellow flowers and candles was set up. The wood of the gond itself was intricate and carved in deep swirling patterns all along the boat.


    "Are you ready to board?" the gond driver asked with a smile.


    "Yes!" I beamed excitedly. Gio chuckled behind me, stepping forward as he reached out his hand and bowed at the waist yfully.


    "Mydy," he said in reverence, offering his hand with one foot inside the boat.


    "Good sir," I yed along, giggling to myself as I took his hand and let him steady me as I climbed into the gond. The boat shifted upon the water, but Gio¡¯s foot and his steadying hand kept me from wobbling.


    I took the farthest seat on the gond, and Gio joined me soon after, settling next to me. He put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close as the gond driver jumped onto the boat and pushed off.


    "Wee to Venice, signore, signora," the gond driver said happily as we took off into the magical canals.


    The little canal we were in opened up into what seemed like a massivekebed if I didn¡¯t know better. Larger boats filled with tourists snapping photos shed past, and motorized boats with luggage and men fishing items out of the canal were everywhere.


    On the sidewalks, just above the waterline, were markets and docks on every corner, with boats lined up and waiting for use. It felt like a festival as the people of Venice gathered around the temporary stalls selling all things from nes to masks and hats, even little boat charms.


    Fruit stalls were set up, and a few men would throw some of the fruits to men on the working boats as if they did it every day.


    The chatter of the crowds was far away as our driver masterfully maneuvered us through the water. I gasped at the towering buildings. I leaned against Gio, absolutely lovestruck with the city.


    "Here we are." The gond driver smiled as he moved our boat toward one of the most gorgeous buildings I¡¯d seen. Four or five stories, it was decked out in decorations of gold and stones, with flowers on each of the railings for each floor¡ªverandahs overlooking the canals on every side.


    It was an estate, and quite an old one by the looks of it. But that didn¡¯t mean it was any less taken care of. The front door rested on a pair of steps that led straight into the canal, the waterpping on the fourth step.


    "Is this ours?" I turned to my husband with wide eyes.


    "Yes," he smiled, "Wee to our home away from home."


    "Oh, I love it," I gushed, pulling him into a hug, "It¡¯s so beautiful. Thank you so much for this."


    The sunlight fell upon the many windows of the estate, lighting up the gorgeous exterior and specifically, the tallest window. At the very top was a colorful stained-ss window of a dove taking flight. It created a shimmering rainbow upon our skin as Gio helped me out of the boat and onto the stairs.


    The cold waterpped at my feet gently, almost like it was ying, and I shivered at the feeling as Gio got down next to me, not even caring about his expensive leather shoes as he dove straight into the water.


    It sshed against my legs, dipping the ends of my long skirt into the water, and I sent him a scolding look, but he only chuckled.


    "Come on, let me show you around." He grabbed my hand,cing our fingers together before he pressed a kiss to my knuckles. I blushed, still affected no matter how long we had been together.


    "Alright, fine, but you¡¯re buying me new shoes," I grinned, reaching down to peel the now-ruined heels off my feet.


    "Deal." He grinned and took the pair of shoes from me as we stepped up to therge, foreboding double doors. There was an old-style knocker in the shape of a bird¡ªa running theme, I was guessing.


    Gio didn¡¯t even have a key. He simply pushed on the door, and it opened before us. I gasped in sheer awe at the sight before me. If I thought thepound was luxurious, it was nothingpared to this.


    Right before us was what I thought was a foyer but seemed more like a ballroom with howrge it was. More double doors led to the rest of the house, and above was a double staircase on either side of the walls. A huge chandelier hung above us, the lights twinkling on the crystals, and everywhere I looked were old-fashioned lights fixed to the wall.


    Clearly, the house was old¡ªthe foundation still firm after all these years and the many renovations it had no doubt gone through. I ran my hand along the wooden walls as Gio took me inside, and I noticed with a bit of shock the unusual texture.


    These walls had been hand carved. Little bumps and features in the walls were remnants, stories of those who had lived here in the past. Even the doors were remarkable in their craftsmanship, the lines theabsolutley perfect, though the finish was a little worn in some ces.


    It was like stepping back in time when this ce was full of families and servants. I could almost see where children would run through here, probably tracking mud up and down the carpeted stairs.


    "This is amazing," I breathed. "I can¡¯t believe this. It¡¯s like being transported back to their time."


    "It was built in the sixteenth century and used as an estate for four hundred years until the family line died off. It was left to rot, sadly, and went on auction a few years ago. We won and fixed it up. It¡¯s a beautiful piece of history. All the wood is original, hand-carved, and the foundation is still the same," Gio exined, taking me from the foyer deeper into the estate.


    A massive grandfather clock chimed in the hallway. The estate had an unusual smell to it, like when you open up an old book that no one has opened in years, but I liked it.


    We toured the house a bit. Each room was so different from thest but just as beautiful. Neither of us had realized howte it had gotten, but by the time we were done, the sun was beginning to set, and my stomach was rumbling.


    Our noses led us to a delectable aroma of food. The kitchens and a private chef met us with a smile. Dressed in a ssical white chef¡¯s uniform, he offered for us to take the terrace, and I saw Gio¡¯s smirk from the corner of my eye. He¡¯d nned all this, after all.


    As soon as we took our seats under thetticework of the trellis, flowers growing all around us, the staff was quick to serve us.


    The candles were lit, the soft glow casting the perfect setting for the romantic evening. We savored the feast of delicious food,ughing as Gio teased me, and I flirted back.


    When we were full, we moved to a porch swing nearby, cuddling together under the starlit sky. The wind carried his whispers of affection, and in this one perfect moment, in the embrace of our idyllic surroundings, our souls intertwined even more deeply.


    Our love blossomed like the vibrant colors of the Vian sunset.

 Chapter 402 : The Master of Glass

    <h4>Chapter 402: Chapter 402 : The Master of ss</h4>


    *Olivia*


    The first official day of our honeymoon started with breakfast. Gio carried me to the table bathed in sunlight as the delicious smells of the private chef¡¯s creations met my nose. Fruits and cream-stuffed crepes were an absolute delight to my taste buds, and we shared a few bites between our meals.


    His ham and cheese crepes weren¡¯t too bad, but I definitely had more of a sweet tooth. We sipped on white wine as Gio hand-fed me chocte-covered strawberries, freshly harvested apparently from a nearby farm. I didn¡¯t even know strawberries grew here, but there was a lot I was learning on this trip.


    "Are you gonna tell me what else you have nned?" I asked, rubbing my full tummy happily.


    "It¡¯s a surprise," Gio grinned, throwing a simple outfit at me¨Cshorts and a breezy blouse. I normally never showed this much leg, but I shrugged as I slipped it on.


    Gio grinned like a wildcat as I undressed in front of him, refusing to take his eyes off me for a moment. Of course, he was already dressed perfectly, even his hair brushed back. The crinkles around his eyes were more prominent today, but it only made him look that much sexier.


    Once we were dressed, Gio led me downstairs and out the front door. We didn¡¯t have to wait long as a sleek boat glided toward us, a new gond driver on the back. This time, a pretty woman with bright red hair smiled at us as she steadied the boat with her long stick.


    My anticipation for whatever Gio had nned peaked, and Gio held my hand as I slid into the boat with a giggle. He took the seat next to me, and then we were off.


    There were a lot more boats out today, not just gonds, but specifically the working boats carrying deliveries or picking up trash or even just ferrying people who looked like they were in a bit too much of a hurry for a regr gond. I took the time to survey the city, happy to see how bright and sunny the day was. A woman selling shiny wind catchers and chimes caught my eye. She handed a mini pinwheel to a baby in her mother¡¯s arms, and I smiled, a pang in my chest as the baby giggled brightly at the little turning wheel.


    "Soon," Gio promised, kissing my temple as he wrapped a reassuring arm around me. That¡¯s right. Soon we would have a baby of our own. It just took time.


    "So where are we going?" I asked yfully, to take my mind off the baby situation.


    A mischievous smile danced on his lips as he stared straight ahead, not revealing anything.


    "If I guess, will you tell me?" I asked, excitedly.


    "Maybe," he shrugged, still as tight-lipped as always.


    "Hmm. San Marco square?" I asked, curiosity burning inside of me.


    "Good guess, but no," Gio chuckled.


    "Doge¡¯s Pce?"


    That would be good. The monument of Byzantine art was gorgeous and something I¡¯d always wanted to see. The balcony provided a perfect view of St. Mark Square and the Bell Tower too, I remembered reading from one of the tourist books conveniently lying in our room. No doubt my sly husband had ced them there to throw me off.


    "Nope," he said, smiling like he didn¡¯t have a care in the world.


    "Um..." I struggled to think of what else I knew of Venice and where I thought he could take me first. "A wine tasting?"


    "I don¡¯t n to get you drunk," heughed, then smirked, leaning over to whisper, "yet."


    The narrow canals opened into arger almostke-sizedgoon, and I felt a bit nervous. I gazed over the edge of the boat and gasped as I saw colorful streaks under the water. The fish were probably ustomed to the tourists feeding them or just dropping random foods in thegoon, but seeing them so close was amazing. I could¡¯ve reached out and just barely dip my hands in the water to touch them.


    Eventually, it became very apparent where we were going as we pulled into another narrow canal, but this one was different from before. While the main city was filled with beautiful buildings, they all carried an ancient feeling to them. They¡¯d been built hundreds of years ago, after all.


    But this section of the city had a different feel. The buildings were painted in vibrant colors ¨C greens and reds and oranges that stood out against anything we¡¯d seen before. They looked less like blocky buildings and more like homes.


    We passed under a brick bridge, and soon I caught sight of a massive market on either side of us. Tents were propped up against the summer sun, and the stores were packed with people. The picturesque ind nestled within the Vian archipgo was unmistakable.


    "Murano?" I gasped, turning to him with wide eyes.


    "Happy?" He chuckled as our driver pulled over to one of the many docks, steadying the boat so we could get out.


    "Buona giornata," the red-headed gond driver said as we got out. Her ent was much heavier than Gio¡¯s, and I suspected that she didn¡¯t know much English, if at all.


    "Grazie," I said honestly, beaming as we got out of the gond. It didn¡¯t take long before she was pushing away from the dock and heading down the canals once more, probably to ferry someone else.


    "Now," Gio said, side-eyeing me with a smile, "how do you feel about ss?"


    "No," I gasped, mming a hand over my mouth. Murano was famous for the renowned ssblowing masters that surrounded the ind. Their techniques were legendary, and as an art major, it was one of the things I¡¯d wished to see up close and personal.


    "Yes," he chuckled.


    Gio led me deep into the streets, and I was practically buzzing with excitement, skipping along next to him as I held his hand tightly. I could barely focus on all the sounds and sights around us. But the thought of seeing the ssmakers, seeing that in person, was enough to keep me from wandering off, even if the acrobatic troupe and handmade gto shops had piqued my interest. He led me to a little shop out of the way of the main streets, one that clearly didn¡¯t get a lot of attention over the other packed stores.


    The first thing I noticed when we stepped inside was the heat, and the second thing I noticed was the way the sunlight refracted through the ss. Hundreds of ss-blown vases and pipes were held on shelves. Above us was a whole chandelier made of delicate work, like a flower reaching down to us, frozen in mid-bloom. There had to be nothing more awe-inspiring. Nearby, there were smaller pieces, flowers made in ss balls, ornaments hanging from the ceilings, and even wine sses in every single color there was.


    My eyes were caught by the little figurines of animals¨Can elephant blowing through its trunk and a tiny mouse that could fit on two fingers.


    "Look at how smooth the ss is, even when made into odd shapes," I gushed, my art nerding out. "Even the little ears on the mouse look like they were always meant to be there and not attached afterward. This must have taken dozens of years of practice and skill. It¡¯s amazing."


    "Grazie, signora," a new voice called out, and I flinched, grasping Gio¡¯s hand automatically. I stepped away from the work as an older gentleman with a friendly look about him stepped in.


    Gio grinned. "Olivia, this is Master Tommaso. He¡¯s a family friend and a very skilled artisan."


    "Mattina," the man nodded his head. He was clearly in his sixties or seventies but looked no worse for wear despite the slight hunch to his back.


    "It¡¯s so nice to meet you," I beamed. "Is this your shop?"


    "Si," Tommaso nodded. "Old famiglia. I inherited it from my grandfather. It¡¯s been in our family for generations."


    "That¡¯s amazing," I said honestly. "So these are all your work? Techniques passed down in your family?"


    "Si," his lips curved up a bit, pleased as I admired his work. "You want to learn?"


    "Can I?" I blurted out, my excitement too much to handle. The thought of working with a master ssblower was amazing.


    "Si,e then." He waved us over, and Gio wrapped his hand loosely around my waist, the two of us following Tommaso into the back. That¡¯s when I discovered why it was so hot in there.


    The workshop was filled with multiple furnaces going at the same time, massive sheets of steel, and some tools I recognized and others I didn¡¯t. Tommaso exined the process of ssblowing to us, his knowledge incredibly vast and valuable. The century-old craft was even more mesmerizing in person than in video as Tommaso demonstrated the vase-making process.


    "It¡¯s the easier beginning item," he said casually. "No small parts to make."


    Seeing the process unfold before our very eyes, the way he handled the ss so confidently, blowing it up and shaping it just the way he wanted. He made it look all too easy, but I could see the technique with every movement. I marveled at the finished pieces, taking the molten ss and turning it into a flower vase.


    "You try," Tommaso said, staring at his work like it was nothing special. He showed us how to add the colors and a few of the original techniques of the Murano specialty before letting us work. Gio warmed up the big piece of ss in the furnace as I rolled out the little pieces of color on the table. I decided to go with cool colors, violets, and blues with a dash of faded pink in it. Gio stood by the furnace, letting me handle the stick as I rolled the ss gently into the coloring, going back and forth just as we were shown.


    "Good," Tommaso said, nodding as he gestured to go back to the furnace. Gio didn¡¯t want to let me near the open fire, so he took control over that. We added more and more color, rolling the piece between furnaces before finally, we got to the shaping. Gio rolled the stick as I used the tools to make an elongated shape under Tommaso¡¯s instructions, then we¡¯d switch, and Gio would try to shape it. And there it went, back and forth into the oven and making painstakingly small shapes before it cooled.


    The inside was the hardest to make as we used a thin piece of steel to insert into the ss, but finally, we were done. Gio did the intricate work on one handle, and I did the other. They had ended up a bit lopsided, one higher than the other. Gio had a little more fun with the intricate handle as he made his handle attach twice, leaving little spaces. It looked like a slithering snake against the ss, and the vibrant turquoise he added to it added to the effect.


    My handle was simpler, heavier on the base of the vase but thin on the neck. It was almost paper-thin, barely connected at all but still visible. I had chosen a deeper blue for the color, and despite how mismatched it looked, it was ours.


    The top of the opening was a bit wavy, crooked on one side, and the shape had somehow morphed a bit into a teardrop shape with an open flower at the top, but I was most proud of the colors. The pink and violets had swirled together in a gradient, leaving the blue at the bottom like a sea and a sunset. Flecks of blue had sshed onto the top, tiny specks barely noticeable, but it only made it look more beautiful in my opinion.


    Tommaso was a bit more critical of the piece, seeing as he was a master, but ultimately, he gave us a pass. "Not bad for the first try," Tommaso nodded in approval. "A very unique piece."


    I beamed.


    We returned home with the piece, and I didn¡¯t waste any time cing it on the table in our room and adding the flowers we had stopped to buy in it¨Cred camellias, baby¡¯s breath, and red salvias. I didn¡¯t ask why Gio had chosen those specific ones, but they fit perfectly within our vase. I stared at the artwork we made together, the flowers we¡¯d purchased after an unforgettable day. Gio wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into hisp as he leaned down into my ear, his voice filled with a mixture of hope and longing as he posed a single question that stirred all of my emotions in full gear.


    "Want to try again for a baby?"


    I suppressed a beaming smile, turning around hisp as I found his lips, pressing them gently against his.


    "Yes," I breathed.

 Chapter 403 : New Beginnings

    <h4>Chapter 403: Chapter 403 : New Beginnings</h4>


    *Olivia*


    It had been the most glorious honeymoon. I couldn¡¯t have imagined a better way to celebrate bing Giovani¡¯s wife, and I never wanted our honeymoon to end. But nothing couldst forever, and before I knew it, we were already on ourst day in Venice.


    Gio had promised me that we would spend thest day hitting all the ces that we hadn¡¯t gotten to yet, and I was hurrying to get ready for the day while he finalized our dinner reservations.


    I ran myb through my hair, grateful that it was obeying me. I only had about fifteen minutes to finish my hair and makeup. I¡¯d never been a particrly fussy person when it came to my looks, but something about walking through famous Italian art museums really made me want to up my game.


    I decided on a romantic-looking messy updo with a few wisps of hair framing my face. It was easy enough to do in a few minutes, and I had a feeling my husband would love it. Every time I thought of Gio as my husband, it sent a little shock of happiness through me.


    Once I was satisfied with my hair, I turned to my makeup. My skin had been remarkably clear the entire week, which I attributed to the fact that I felt more happy and rxed than I had in a long time. It felt like everything in my life was finallying together. Marrying Giovani had brought me one massive step closer to bing the person that I knew I was meant to be.


    With a few swipes of mascara and a bit of blush, I was ready to go. I straightened my clothes, a cream silk blouse tucked into ck linen pants, and left the bathroom to find the shoes I wanted to wear. Giovani was wearing his usual dark suit and looked so good I wanted to tear it right off of him, but there¡¯d be time for thatter.


    He had his back turned to me as he looked out the windows. I took the opportunity to stand and admire him while he was distracted by his phone call. The broad strength of his shoulders made me feel so safe, and I loved the way his hair was streaked with gray. I felt¨Cno, I knew¨Cthat he¡¯d been made just for me. We fit together so perfectly, I couldn¡¯t believe there had ever been a time when I doubted whether or not we should be together.


    ¡°Ciao,¡± he said, then hung up his phone and turned to face me. ¡°You look lovely with your hair like that,¡± were the first words he said to me. I smirked; I knew him so well.


    ¡°Thank you, baby. Where are we going first?¡± I couldn¡¯t wait to do even more sightseeing.


    ¡°I thought we¡¯d start at Doge¡¯s Pce and then move on to Ca¡¯ Rezzonico after lunch. Does that sound good to you?¡±


    He didn¡¯t need to ask. I would be happy with whatever he had chosen. The man had amazing taste, after all.


    ¡°Sounds amazing, let¡¯s go!¡± I eximed, grabbing his hand and tugging him out the door.


    He chuckled behind me but let me lead him out to the canal, where we would catch a gond to take us to our destination. Riding in the gonds was just as romantic as I¡¯d always imagined it would be.


    Walking into the great council chamber of Doge¡¯s Pce overwhelmed me so much that it brought tears to my eyes. Giovani looked down at me with a proud smile on his face; he loved being the one to take me to such amazing ces.


    The ornate golden framing around the intricate paintings that covered the ceiling filled with such beautiful colors was so incredible, I couldn¡¯t think of anything I¡¯d seen that matched the majesty of it all. I wanted to lie down on the floor and stare up at the ceiling for hours, but we had a tour to go on. Gio stopped and patiently let me take a million photos of everything so that I could show Dahlia.


    Before I knew it, it was time to leave for lunch and Ca¡¯ Rezzonico. We were able to walk to a peaceful little cafe where we could have soup and sandwiches.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Gio asked me as I ate my meal.


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering how difficult it would be to paint our own ceiling,¡± I responded, half serious.


    He burst out intoughter. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I expected you to be thinking about anything other than that. You know I¡¯d let you do whatever you wanted. If that includes painting a mural on the ceiling, so be it. I just have one requirement: I want a nude portrait of you right above our bed.¡±


    Iughed and whacked his arm. His request was ridiculous, but I had to admit it would add an interesting bit of spice to bedtime.


    We finished our lunch and walked the rest of the way to Ca¡¯ Rezzonico. This was one of Giovani¡¯s favorite ces, so instead of going on an official tour, he took me around and showed me all his favorite pieces. I fell in love all over again as he excitedly dragged me from piece to piece, pointing out what he loved most. The spark in his eye was undeniable and it made me enjoy our time at the museum even more.


    When Ca¡¯ Rezzonico closed, it was time for our dinner reservation. The restaurant was lit by old-school candlesticks in lovely antique candbras. It was the perfect way to end our time in Venice. As we ate the four-course meal, we already began making ns for our next visit. Once again, I was amazed that this was my life now. I was someone who could make ns to visit Venice for a second time and actually get to do it.


    ***


    The next morning, we made it back to thepound not long after breakfast. Giovani had to catch up on a lot of work, and I was excited to have some girl time with Dahlia. Before he left for his office, he kissed me deeply and told me he¡¯d miss me, even though we¡¯d only be separated for a few hours. I smiled to know he¡¯d be thinking about me.


    Dahlia was in her room reading when I found her. I shut her door behind me so that we could catch each other up on gossip and life happenings without risking anyone overhearing. She squealed with happiness the second I walked into her room and jumped up to give me a huge hug.


    ¡°Thank god you¡¯re back! The whole ce was starting to get a little too testosterone-heavy for my liking!¡± she eximed as she pulled me toward her bed so we could both sit. ¡°So tell me all about the honeymoon! I bet it was so amazing!¡±


    ¡°It really was,¡± I said. I pulled my phone out so I could show her all the pictures I had taken as I told her about all the things we¡¯d done.


    ¡°You know what? You should show these to Caterina too. I know she¡¯d love them just as much as I do,¡± she said once I was finished talking. I¡¯d introduced her to Caterina and they¡¯d be fast friends, just as I knew they would. But her bringing Caterina up reminded me that there was something else I needed to tell her, and I was nervous about what her reaction might be.


    ¡°Dahlia, I need to tell you something, and I want you to let me exin everything before you respond, okay?¡± I said, trying to prepare her so she wouldn¡¯t just blurt out the first thought that popped into her head.


    ¡°Yeah, of course. What is it?¡± She looked concerned, and I felt bad for making it sound like I was about to tell her something terrible, but I also wanted her to understand that I had really thought this through.


    I took a deep breath and decided to juste out with it. ¡°I¡¯m not going back to the university.¡±


    Her jaw dropped. She sat there in stunned silence, and I realized that she was waiting for me to exin like I¡¯d told her I would.


    ¡°This has just been all so new, and I¡¯ve realized that maybe the university isn¡¯t the best ce for me right now. I want to explore what it means to be Giovani¡¯s wife and a part of this family. And I need time to do that. I also want to pursue more of my passions like art and fashion, and although I love our sses, I just don¡¯t think they¡¯re helping me in the way that I want. And hell, I don¡¯t even know if those are my true passions. I feel like I¡¯ve spent so much time just thinking of myself in one specific way, and now I¡¯m realizing that there are huge parts of me that I don¡¯t even really know about.¡±


    I could see the wheels turning in her head as she thought about how best to respond. I knew that what I was telling her would worry her, but I hoped that she would realize that I was making the best decision for myself.


    Her expression of concern quickly turned to a sly grin. ¡°Would those true passions involve Giovani?¡± sheughed, ¡°Maybe you guys just need a little more baby-making time.¡±


    I felt myself pale slightly at just how right her little joke was. She caught my change in expression, and I felt a blush rising to my cheeks as she looked at me with awe.


    ¡°Actually, we are trying,¡± I said quietly, feeling like voicing it out loud to her was somehow sending my desires out into the universe.


    ¡°No way, Olive! That¡¯s amazing!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how I had expected her to react, but her happiness and excitement made me feel so much better.


    ¡°You really think so?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I know so! You¡¯re going to be the best mom ever! And I¡¯m going to be the best auntie! Oh my gosh, I have to find out what designers make baby clothes.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about that. Babies are kind of known for destroying their clothes, aren¡¯t they?¡± Iughed.


    ¡°Only the best for my little niece or nephew!¡± she dered and immediately whipped out her phone to look up designer baby clothes. She turned the screen so I could see it, and we both cooed over how adorable the tiny outfits were.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re going to be a mom soon!¡± She reached out and wrapped me up in a tight hug, and all my fears were relieved.


    I should have known Dahlia would have my back. And the best part was that her excitement was making my excitement grow. I couldn¡¯t wait to be a mother.

 Chapter 404 : Something’s Not Right

    <h4>Chapter 404: Chapter 404 : Something¡¯s Not Right</h4>


    *One Month Later*


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Fuck this,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but cry as I washed my hands in the bathroom. I was getting ready for bed, and I was both pissed off and sad that I¡¯d just had to pull on a pair of period underwear instead of excitedly taking a pregnancy test.


    Giovani and I had made love even more than usual over the past month, but my period had still arrived two days ago. I didn¡¯t understand why we hadn¡¯t been able to get pregnant. All anyone ever talked about was how easy it was to get pregnant when a person was young. Hell, I spent my teenage years constantly being lectured about the importance of safe sex. And now that I was actually having tons of unprotected sex, my body wasn¡¯t doing what I wanted it to do. It was infuriating and made me feel so useless. The one thing my body was supposed to be able to easily do, and it couldn¡¯t? What the fuck!


    I walked out of our bathroom to find Gio sitting on the bed reading a book. He was shirtless, and the sight of his broad chest only made me feel even more heartbroken. He was so perfect. I just wanted to be able to give him the baby that I knew he wanted. He looked up, noticed the tears in my eyes, and immediately grew concerned. To his credit, he¡¯d been absolutely wonderful during the entire process, always making sure that our sex life was romantic and didn¡¯t start to feel clinical, even when we knew we were doing it for a specific purpose.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sweetheart?¡± he asked, standing up to wrap his arms around me.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why I¡¯m on my period right now. What if something¡¯s wrong with me? What if I can¡¯t have a baby?¡± As I voiced my concerns out loud, I started to cry even harder. I really did not want it to be true, but it was impossible not to think the worst. Sure, we hadn¡¯t been trying for very long, but why would I not be pregnant yet considering I was young and healthy?


    ¡°Oh, Olivia,¡± Gio said in a soothing voice, rubbing his hands up and down my back, ¡°You know this takes time. Realistically, you can only get pregnant a few days a month, right? And we haven¡¯t been trying very long at all.¡±


    He pulled me down onto the bed with him then gathered me close to his chest. I rested my cheek against his bare skin, trying tofort myself with the familiar feel of him.


    ¡°But we¡¯ve had sex every day!¡± I eximed, my tears causing my voice to crack. ¡°I can¡¯t stop worrying that something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°It does take a while for the birth control to wear off, you know? Breathe with me, baby.¡± He breathed slowly in and out, waiting for me to match him.


    It took me a few minutes, but finally I was able to calm myself enough to breathe evenly. Gio kept rubbing his hands in circles up and down my back.


    ¡°I know you want this to happen right away, but we both know we can¡¯t rush this.¡± He pressed a kiss to my forehead then pulled back to look me in the eyes. ¡°And besides, don¡¯t you like trying? I sure do.¡±


    I smiled at him. He was right. Something about having sex knowing that we were trying to make a baby made it even sexier than usual.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± I finally acquiesced. I was still upset, but I also worried that stressing too much was what was stopping me from getting pregnant.


    ¡°I¡¯m always right,¡± he said with a grin, then pushed me over so that I wasying on the bed with him on top of me.


    ¡°That remains to be seen!¡± I eximed between giggles as he found all my most ticklish spots.


    He stopped tickling me long enough to gaze into my eyes. ¡°Besides, once we have our baby, and I know that we will, it will never go back to just being the two of us. I¡¯m just as excited as you are to grow our family, but I love having you to myself too. You make a wonderful wife.¡± He leaned down to kiss me, then rolled to his side and spooned me against him.


    We fell asleep wrapped in each other¡¯s arms, but I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how badly I¡¯d love to have a little bass next to our bed.


    ***


    *Three Months Later*


    *Giovani*


    It was fucking killing me to see the way Olivia¡¯s face fell every month when her period arrived like clockwork. I found it ironic that there had been a time in the past when I¡¯d been relieved every time her period came around, knowing that we weren¡¯t yet ready to be parents. Now I found myself praying to whatever god was out there to please not let her period arrive.


    I wanted to have a baby with her, but more than that, I wanted her to be happy. The cycle of getting our hopes up only to have them dashed every single month was stealing away her joy, and seeing her be crushed like that was almost too much for me to take. I was willing to do anything to put a stop to it. I really didn¡¯t think we¡¯d been trying long enough to warrant seeking medical intervention, but I knew Olivia would feel better if we did. I was just waiting for the right moment to broach the subject with her.


    When her period started again, marking four months of trying and failing to get her pregnant, I knew it was time for me to step up and start getting this sorted out. We had way too much money to just suffer like this. I knew there were options out there for us; it was just a matter of finding out about them. After doing some preliminary inte searches, I decided it was finally time to approach her with the idea of getting medical help.


    I found Oliviaying in our bed face down, her body shaking with sobs. My heart felt like it was being ripped apart. I hated seeing her so torn up about this. And there was a huge part of me that knew it was probably my fault. After all, I was the ¡°old guy¡± who¡¯d decided to marry a younger woman. At her age, it was unlikely that she would struggle to conceive, but at my age, it wasmon for issues to pop up.


    After the research I had spent the afternoon doing, I knew that it was most likely me. It made me feel so fucking guilty to think that if she¡¯d married a younger man, she might have the baby she wanted, but I knew I couldn¡¯t let myself go down that road of thinking. It wasn¡¯t productive for either of us to start wallowing in guilt at this point.


    I walked up to Olivia and sat next to her on the bed, gently cing my hand on her back. She rolled over to face me, her face wet with tears. I wanted to kiss her pain away, but I knew that ship had sailed. It was time for action.


    ¡°Baby, I hate seeing you so upset,¡± I told her, knowing I should start off gently. I didn¡¯t want her to think for one single second that I was upset with her or that I wanted to seek medical intervention because I med her. I wanted her to know that we were in this together.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispered, her voice thick with tears. I immediately hated myself for the way I¡¯d started out.


    I pulled her onto myp and started wiping at her tears. ¡°Don¡¯t ever be sorry for having emotions, carina. I love that you feel so deeply.¡±


    ¡°I just hate this,¡± she said before dropping her face against my shoulder.


    ¡°I know. I want to have a baby too. And that¡¯s why¨C¡± I hesitated, hoping she would take what I was about to say how I meant it. ¡°I was thinking we should look into fertility testing, just to check if there¡¯s anything we should be doing differently.¡±


    She immediately perked up in my arms, and my anxiety over bringing it up melted away. She had clearly been thinking the same thing I had.


    ¡°You really mean it? We can look into that?¡± she asked, the excitement in her voice clearing away her tears.


    ¡°Yes, definitely. I¡¯ve already done a little bit of research, but I wanted to get your permission before finding a specialist and scheduling an appointment.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes! Of course! I¡¯m so happy you brought this up! I¡¯ve been wanting to ask but I just felt so overwhelmed by everything....¡± She bit her lip as she fell back into her thoughts.


    I felt like such an idiot for not bringing fertility testing up two months ago, but then again, based on the research I¡¯d done, a doctor wouldn¡¯t want to see us until we¡¯d had several months with no sess anyway.


    ¡°Were you too scared to ask me?¡± I asked her, needing to know if she felt like she had to hide her feelings from me. I hoped I had never done anything that made her feel that way, but we needed to get everything out in the open now.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t scared. I just didn¡¯t want to offend you,¡± she said honestly, looking at me shyly through hershes.


    ¡°Alright, well that stops right now,¡± I dered. ¡°From now on, you tell me everything that you¡¯re thinking, and I tell you everything that I¡¯m thinking. And we won¡¯t be offended because we know we¡¯re on the same team.¡±


    She nodded, her face brightening into a smile. I leaned down so that our foreheads pressed together and closed my eyes. It had been almost half a year since our wedding, and I still felt in awe that I got to call such a perfect woman my wife. Compared to previous obstacles we¡¯d faced together, this would be easy as long as we were honest and open with each other.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she breathed.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I responded before settling her back into the bed and standing up. It was time for me to be the husband that Olivia deserved and go make some calls.


    I spent the rest of the afternoon calling various speciaists and looking up reviews. Finally, I found one that specialized in high-profile clients and was well-known for its sess and uracy. I called them and booked an appointment for the next week. I couldn¡¯t wait to tell Olivia that we had an appointment booked for so soon. I practically skipped around thepound looking for her. I found her in one of her favorite chairs outside on the patio, reading a book.


    She looked up when she saw meing her way and must have been able to read the happiness on my face because she broke out into a huge grin.


    ¡°Did you find anything out?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Better¨CI got us an appointment for next week.¡± I reached down and picked her up, twirling the both of us in a circle.


    Sheughed giddily as I set her down. ¡°That¡¯s way faster than I thought it would be,¡± she said.


    ¡°Never doubt your husband¡¯s determination,¡± I teased, leaning over to kiss her.


    ¡°What did I ever do without you?¡± she asked.


    I could say the same about her.

 Chapter 405 : The Clinic

    <h4>Chapter 405: Chapter 405 : The Clinic</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Giovani and I were on our way to the appointment that he had scheduled for us. I squeezed his hand tightly, a mixture of excitement and nervousness fluttering through me. I was so happy to finally see if we could get some answers about why I wasn¡¯t pregnant yet, but at the same time, I was terrified that my biggest fears woulde true, and the doctor would tell us that we weren¡¯t able to have children of our own.


    I had never considered myself someone who was desperate to have children before, but I found myself desperately longing to be able to have a baby that was half mine and half Gio¡¯s. He really would make the most perfect dad.


    He squeezed my hand back, then brought it to his lips and brushed them against my knuckles. His gentle touch reminded me to take a deep breath; it was going to be okay. No matter what, we had each other.


    We pulled into the parking lot of the doctor¡¯s office, and I was put at ease by how modern the building looked. The ground floor had floor-to-ceiling ss windows with a heavy tint so that people couldn¡¯t see inside, and it had a in sign disying the name: Centro Schmidt.


    I appreciated that they had named it after the founder instead of having a more obvious fertility-rted name. It seemed that their main objective was discretion. Giovani had exined to me that it was a cemonly used by wealthy Italians, including celebrities, and that they knew how to best handle clients who would need extra care to protect their identities. It made me feel much better knowing that Giovani¡¯s enemies would never know that we were trying to have a baby.


    Once inside the clinic, we were greeted by a woman who looked to be in her mid-50s working the front desk. She had gray hair cropped short to her head and a no-nonsense look to her.


    ¡°Wee to Centro Schmidt! I¡¯m Greta,¡± she said in a voice that was surprisingly warm. I immediately took a liking to her.


    She stood up to shake our hands and handed over a folder of paperwork for us to fill out. It was overwhelming to look at the packet of documents, but Greta assured us that our doctor would go over them with us to ensure that we filled them out correctly.


    Instead of having us wait in the lobby until our doctor was ready, Greta opened a door in the hallway behind her desk that led to a private waiting room. It was a peaceful little room with light blue walls and arge painting of a waterfall. There was afortable-looking loveseat pressed up against one wall and two small armchairs facing it. I sat down on the loveseat and Giovani sat next to me.


    ¡°Whenever youe for an appointment, you can just walk right through this door and wait here. We have a few private waiting rooms, and this one will be dedicated to you whenever youe, so you don¡¯t have to worry about walking in on anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Giovani told her, and I nodded my agreement. I was amazed at the measures they went to to keep the identities of their clients safe. It made me wonder who else wasing here.


    ¡°No problem at all,¡± Greta responded with a little bow of her head. ¡°Dr. Schmidt should be with you in just a few moments. She¡¯s finishing up with another couple right now.¡±


    She left us to go back to her desk, closing the door behind her. Gio wrapped his arm around me and leaned over to kiss my cheek. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed,¡± I told him honestly. ¡°I really like this ce. You seriously did your research.¡±


    ¡°Only the best for our family,¡± he said with a smile.


    It was stuff like that that made me want to give him a child so badly. He went above and beyond in everything he did. It would have been easy to just take us to the first fertility clinic that had popped up on an inte search, but he had clearly taken the time to research exactly which one would be the best for us. I snuggled against his shoulder and sighed happily.


    There was a sharp knock on the door, and we both sat up a little straighter, waiting for Dr. Schmidt toe in. She swung the door open and immediately introduced herself.


    ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Dr. Ida Schmidt! You must be Giovani and Olivia,¡± she said in an endearing German ent.


    She looked nothing like any other doctor I¡¯d ever had before, which made me like her all the more. Her hair went down to her shoulders and was dyed a shockingly bright shade of pink. Instead of a whiteb coat, she wore one that sported a rainbow tie-dye pattern. She had on a pair of rainbow earrings to match it. Looking at her, it was impossible not to smile.


    ¡°Hi, nice to meet you,¡± I said as she shook my hand.


    ¡°Likewise!¡± she eximed before sitting down in one of the chairs opposite us. ¡°So, tell me, what brings you both in today?¡±


    I nced at Giovani, but he was looking at me, clearly waiting for me to tell her our story. He kept his arm around my shoulders, and I used that to center myself.


    ¡°Well, we just can¡¯t seem to get pregnant,¡± I exined. I felt a bit awkward about having toy out our sex life for a stranger but reminded myself that she was only thinking about it through a clinical lens. She was a doctor after all. ¡°We¡¯ve been having unprotected sex for about five months now, but unfortunely, I¡¯m not pregnant.¡±


    She nodded at me, her face neutral. I suspected that she was very good at keeping a poker face.


    Giovani added, ¡°I¡¯m worried that my age might have something to do with it.¡±


    I looked at him in surprise. I hadn¡¯t known that he¡¯d been worried about that. I reached my hand up to grasp the hand he had on my shoulder and entwined my fingers with his. I wanted him to know we were in this together.


    ¡°I see,¡± Dr. Schmidt said in a voice that didn¡¯t betray what she was thinking. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get right to it then! For younger couples, it is rmended to wait until you¡¯ve been trying for at least one year before worrying about fertility, but since you are a little older, Giovani, I think it¡¯s good that you came in. There¡¯s no harm in getting some testing done just to see where we¡¯re at.¡±


    Butterflies filled my stomach at her words. Was it possible that we just hadn¡¯t been trying for long enough? I didn¡¯t dare get my hopes up.


    ¡°So, first thing¡¯s first. Giovani, we will need a semen sample from you so that we can check your sperm count and see how strong the little guys are. And Olivia, I will perform a pelvic exam on you just to see how everything is looking. That will be the first steps, and then once we have those results, we can discuss the next steps.¡±


    We both nodded and waited for her to go on. I felt the tension in Giovani¡¯s body and realized that he was just as nervous about this as I was. I was so d that this was something we were going to tackle together.


    ¡°Alright, so we are going to get your paperwork filled out, and then, if you¡¯re ready, Giovani, we can go ahead and get that semen sample today. Olivia, while he is doing that, I will take you out to Greta to get your pelvic exam scheduled.¡±


    She talked us through the paperwork, and before we knew it, we were separated so that Gio could provide his sample. It felt strange to leave him in an exam room knowing what he was about to have to do, but he was a good sport about it. He didn¡¯t even bat an eye when he was left with a little clear stic cup and instructions about what to do.


    After leaving Giovani, Dr. Schmidt led me back out to Greta¡¯s desk. I wanted to schedule the pelvic exam as soon as possible, and they luckily had openings for the next week.


    Dr. Schmidt then led me to her office, where we waited for Giovani to finish up. We made small talk while we waited, and Iplimented her on herb coat.


    ¡°Oh thank you!¡± she eximed. ¡°I love rainbows, and it seems especially appropriate considering the number of rainbow babies that my services have helped to conceive.¡±


    I must have looked confused because she went on to exin that a rainbow baby was a baby born after a couple had experienced a miscarriage.


    ¡°Because a rainbowes after a storm,¡± she said.


    The sentiment was so sweet it brought tears to my eyes. I surreptitiously wiped them away just as Giovani was brought into the room by a nurse.


    He sat in the chair next to mine, both of us facing Dr. Schmidt sitting behind her desk.


    ¡°Okay, so thest thing I want to discuss is what other options you are both open to besides natural conception. This is something that I like to discuss early on so that you can know exactly what your options are before you get to the point of having to make decisions. Two things that my office can help you with are in vitro fertilization and surrogacy. There is, of course, also adoption, but that is something you would need to explore elsewhere. Now, when ites to IVF or surrogacy, there are pros and cons to both. Olivia, IVF would allow you to carry the baby and give birth, which is important to a lot of women. Of course, that isn¡¯t always an option, in which case surrogacy can be a way to have a baby that is biologically yours but would be carried by someone else. I have pamphlets discussing both options more in depth, and I also have this pamphlet from an adoption agency that many of my clients have worked with. I will send you home with all three so that you can discuss between yourselves. Again, this isn¡¯t me saying that you won¡¯t be able to conceive naturally. These are just backup options.¡±


    I took a deep breath and picked the pamphlets up from her desk. I hadn¡¯t really considered what we would do if we found out that we couldn¡¯t conceive on our own, but I appreciated the extra information. It would definitely give us a lot to think about.


    Dr. Schmidt stood up to shake both of our hands one more time, and we stood to follow her back out to the lobby. Back in the car, I handed the pamphlets to Gio so he could look over them. He studied each one, his face scrunched up in concentration as the driver took us home.


    By the time we got back home, both of us had read through each pamphlet at least two times, but we hadn¡¯t discussed if any of the options interested us. I knew that Gio would probably support whatever I wanted, but what I most wanted was to be able to carry his baby, conceived in our bedroom.


    Giovani hugged me and let me know that he had business to attend to, so I went to find Dahlia and talk with her about everything I¡¯d learned. She was in the kitchen drinking tea and flipping through a magazine when I found her. I prepared myself a cup of tea and settled down at the table next to her, findingfort in her presence.


    ¡°So, how¡¯d it go?¡± she asked with excitement in her voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know....¡± I trailed off, trying to collect my thoughts. ¡°The doctor was great, but I¡¯m honestly overwhelmed now. She was talking about IVF, and surrogacy, and adoption, and I just¨CI can¡¯t help but think that I don¡¯t want any of that. I just want to go the old-fashioned route.¡±


    ¡°But what if that¡¯s not an option?¡± she asked gently.


    I passed the pamphlets over to her so that she could read through them.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know, Dolly, I¡¯m not really excited about any of this.¡±


    ¡°I think you just need to take some time to let it all sink in.¡± She reached out her hand and rubbed my back. ¡°Honestly, Olive, I think surrogacy could be a great option.¡±


    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t know, there are so many variables. I can think of a ton of shit that could go wrong.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    I blew out my breath in a huff, not really wanting to list all the horrible things I could think of but also needing to get it off my chest. ¡°What if the surrogate was only in it for the money? What if she didn¡¯t keep herself healthy or got pregnant and then ran off with our baby?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think thatst one sounds like the plot of a movie, so we probably don¡¯t have to worry about that. As for the rest, there would be a contract and tons of legal shit she¡¯d have to follow. Plus, you and Gio would interview her and could screen her and stuff. And you know Giovani has ess to super detailed background checks. And our family has amazingwyers.¡±


    I nodded, knowing she was right about all of that. But there was one other concern that I had, one that I didn¡¯t want to even voice because I knew it was stupid, but I couldn¡¯t help myself from feeling it.


    ¡°What if¨Cwhat if she decided she wanted Gio for herself? And what if Gio sees her growing his baby inside her and he falls for her?¡± I asked so quietly I wasn¡¯t sure she could hear me.


    ¡°Oh, Olive,¡± she gasped and wrapped both arms tightly around me. ¡°You know that would never happen! Giovani is crazy about you!¡±


    I sniffed, feeling ridiculous for even worrying about that. ¡°It¡¯s just hard because I keep ming myself and thinking that some other woman would have given him a baby by now.¡±


    Sheid her head on my shoulder, offering silentfort in the way that only a best friend could do.


    ¡°I think you need to talk to Giovani about this. Then you¡¯ll know that you don¡¯t have to worry at all,¡± she said after a few moments.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right.¡± I agreed.


    I promised myself that I would bring up my fears with Gio for sure. Because Dahlia was right¨Csurrogacy just might be the best way for us to start the family that we dreamed of having.

 Chapter 406 : Results

    <h4>Chapter 406: Chapter 406 : Results</h4>


    *Olivia*


    A month passed, in all its jittering anxiety, and the day came to receive the results. A car full of Gio¡¯s men drove behind us, as always, but Gio had seen my nerves and offered to drive the two of us so we could have some time alone on the way there and back. I ran my thumb over the buttery leather seat of the luxury silver sedan that had appeared out of nowhere and wondered absently where Gio got all these cars from.


    ¡°What are you thinking, carina?¡± he asked from behind the wheel. His hands were sure and steady, unlike mine, which quaked every time I looked at them.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried it¡¯s just me,¡± I whispered. It would be heartbreaking to find out we couldn¡¯t conceive regardless, but if I was the reason? It would destroy me.


    Gio pulled one of his hands from the wheel to fold over mine. ¡°I will think no less of you if it is.¡±


    I savored the warmth of his hand, but I couldn¡¯t trust what he said. I would think less of myself. What if it was a sign that I was never supposed to have children?


    I worried my lip as we pulled into the lot at the fertility specialist. When he¡¯d first suggested testing just to be sure, I¡¯d thought he was a genius. Now, facing the results, I thought I¡¯d prefer not to know.


    He parked and turned to me. ¡°We can always turn back now. I¡¯d like to know what our options are because I¡¯d like a family with you no matter how we get it, but if you want to stop....¡±


    I shook my head vehemently. ¡°I want our family. I¡¯m just scared.¡±


    He took my hand and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. ¡°We can handle whateveres our way. No fertility test can be as scary as the full weight of a Russian mob family.¡±


    Iughed, but the sound came out half-choked.


    He kissed my knuckles again. ¡°Let¡¯s go, carina.¡±


    I followed his lead. It was the only way I could get myself back into the building.


    The cream and white lobby greeted us once more, and Greta, the receptionist smiled brightly. ¡°Valentino, s¨¬?¡±


    Gio nodded. I clutched his hand.


    ¡°You can go into your private waiting room, and the doctor wille get you in a moment.¡±


    Before we could reach our private waiting room, we saw the rainbow-coated doctor who¡¯d exined our options to usst time step out of a door. She met Gio¡¯s eye, and we followed her into our room, hand in hand.


    The moment of truth¨Cmy heart thudded so intensely in my chest that I thought I might be sick.


    Dr. Schmidt led us into her office, and we sat down. Gio squeezed my hand supportively.


    She sighed and opened a folder on her desk. ¡°So, all of your test results came back with clear results. There were no in-between answers and nothing that seemed uncertain. The good news is that we can be certain that what I¡¯m about to tell you is true.¡±


    My heart thudded in my ears.


    ¡°That¡¯s the good news?¡± I heard a voice say. Distantly, I realized it was mine.


    She smiled softly, apologetically. ¡°It depends on how you want to look at things. It is certainly a piece of good news, in that you can now n knowing what your future holds.¡±


    Gio¡¯s hand tightened around mine, and I didn¡¯t quite know whether it was intended to be supportive or if he was holding onto me as the anchor in his own storm.


    ¡°Please,¡± he said, his voice rough with emotion, ¡°just give it to us straight.¡±


    She nced down at the papers in front of her, then back up. ¡°Both of your tests presented possible barriers to conception. In conjunction, I think it is very unlikely you will ever be able to get pregnant naturally.¡±


    The thudding in my ears grew to a roar. Never able to conceive? Was it true that we couldn¡¯t have a baby, no matter what we did, no matter how hard we tried?


    ¡°I¡ªwhat?¡± I stuttered, feeling tears gather in my eyes.


    She pushed a box of tissues across her desk. ¡°Mr. Valentino has an unusually low sperm count, and many of his sperm are not viable. Mrs. Valentino, you have an unusually shaped uterus and uterine fibroids obscuring too much of your cervix for easy conception. In addition, the uterus issue will make carrying your own child impossible. I¡¯m sorry that this isn¡¯t the news you wanted, but you do have some very viable options for parenthood.¡±


    I took a tissue robotically. Once nce at Gio told me he was taking this just as hard. Was he upset with me? Disappointed? I wasn¡¯t disappointed in him, but it was my job to carry the baby.


    Dr. Schmidt cleared her throat. ¡°Let me exin the options at this point. Your eggs are viable, so if having a biological connection to your child was a priority for you, surrogacy would be a potential option.¡± She pulled out a pamphlet from a stack and put it next to the tissues. ¡°Alternately, if your priority is children by any means, adoption remains apassionate and rewarding option.¡± A second brochure joined the first. ¡°Regardless, we can help you at least begin the process. Please, take some time to discuss everything, and reach out whenever you have a decision.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I mumbled.


    Gio scooped up the brochures, and we walked to the car in utter silence. The quiet continued through the drive home, leaving me with my thoughts.


    I¡¯d been having all those dreams, imagining myself round with a child. I had started daydreaming about Gio singing to my belly, those slow Italian songs he liked to dance to, and in my more optimistic moments, had looked at maternity clothes online.


    I had been so stupid.


    I could never carry a child. I would never hold our babies in my arms and know, bone-deep, that they were mine. Even the awful parts disappeared in the blink of an eye¨Cthe morning sickness and the mood swings and the pain of birth. I missed them with the same keening agony as I did the glow and the dreams.


    Gio had let go of me to grab the brochures and hadn¡¯t touched me since. I felt it like a bruise, but I didn¡¯t dare ask anything of him in that moment. He drove distractedly, staring past the road, and more than once he had to m on the brakes to avoid a crash.


    We walked back into the house in the same hazy heartbreak. Dahlia popped out of her room to greet us, but her smile faded when she saw our faces.


    Great, I was scaring away my best friend now. But I couldn¡¯t leave Gio in this moment.


    Without discussion, we retired to our bedroom. Gio sank to the bed and put his head in his hands. I watched for a moment, wondering if he wantedpany or if I could change into the soft pajamas I wanted to wear more than anything.


    Then, like a pit in my stomach, I realized his shoulders were shaking.


    Gio was crying.


    I was at his side in a moment, winding my arms around his waist and pulling him into me as much as possible. He slumped onto my shoulder, his face still covered.


    For a while, we cried together.


    ¡°Shh, carino, I¡¯m sorry.¡± I stroked my hands through his hair softly.


    He turned his face up to me, tears glimmering in his dark eyes. ¡°Why on Earth are you sorry?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± The words caught in my throat. How could I exin my disappointment in myself, my devastation. I could not carry his child. ¡°Because I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    He pulled his hands from his face and wrapped me in his arms as well. ¡°No, no, no. If you can¡¯t carry our child, so be it. At least you have something to contribute.We don¡¯t know that my sperm will ever be viable enough to work.¡±


    Emotions warred in my mind. The dawning horror of his position, that he had no viable gic material to donate if we chose to go that route, battled with the sick anxiety of letting another woman grow my child. I could not imagine it. Would she live here? Would she go to her doctor¡¯s appointments alone, or with us?


    Would I get to watch her give birth to my child?


    I squashed the thoughts down and pressed a kiss to Gio¡¯s head. ¡°Whatever baby we have will be our baby¨Cboth of ours¨Ceven if we adopt.¡±


    I felt the tracks of his tears on my neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, still. If I were someone else¡ª¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°If you were someone else, I would not consider starting a family at neen. There is no one for me but you.¡±


    He pressed a kiss to my corbone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry this isn¡¯t easier for both of us, then.¡±


    I carded my hands through his hair. He broke so rarely, and while my own emotions battled to overwhelm me, caring for him steadied me a little.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we put onfy clothes, have dinner brought to the room, and spend the rest of the night in bed? We can watch that movie you were talking about the other day if you want,¡± I said.


    For the first time since I sat on the bed with him, he lifted his head from my shoulder. Tears still threatened at the corners of his eyes, but that love I had grown so used to seeing shone through.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do this with anyone else either,¡± he murmured. ¡°You are too perfect. Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    We changed slowly, called for dinner, and queued up the TV in our room. I¡¯d requestedfort food, and that ended up being two of the biggest tes of spaghetti and meatballs I¡¯d ever seen in my life, paired with a loaf of crusty garlic bread.


    They also sent red wine and water, and I could sense Dahlia¡¯s hand there. She would want me to have the option to drink my sorrows away, and to not remind myself of my infertility by doing something a pregnant woman never would. Her distant support brought a new wave of tears to my eyes. Leave it to Dolly to know exactly what to do.


    We mbered into bed together and made a cozy nest of pillows and nkets, then grabbed the food. Gio took a bite before the movie even started and groaned low in his throat.


    I looked at him questioningly.


    He smiled, a softer, sadder smile than his usual one. ¡°There is one thing all Italians learn by heart when they¡¯re young, and it¡¯s their mother¡¯s tomato sauce recipe. I taught it to the kitchen staff when I got this ce, and this is it.¡±


    I took a quick bite, savoring the dance of acid and heatplemented by the spaghetti. It was incredible.


    I looked at him, the edges of my smile wobbling. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to learn this to teach to our kids.¡±


    His smile broke as well. ¡°So you still want...?¡±


    I nodded slowly. I wouldn¡¯t give up my family with Gio for anything. He took my hand and squeezed.


    ¡°Me too,¡± he said. ¡°But do you want to adopt or do surrogacy?¡±


    My stomach flipped. Did I want someone else¡¯s biological child or to watch another woman live out a dream I¡¯d never fulfill?


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked.

 Chapter 407 : Anything for Her

    <h4>Chapter 407: Chapter 407 : Anything for Her</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I inhaled deeply and stared into the eyes of my beloved, so full of worries. I hadn¡¯t given any thought to what I wanted since the doctor said I essentially had no viable sperm. That sickening guilt roiled up in me again, but I forced myself to remain in the moment.


    ¡°I will do whatever you want, carina,¡± I said honestly. I knew I would love a baby with Olivia¡¯s eyes, herugh¨Cbut I would love any baby we adopted just as well. My own genes died with me, it seemed.


    I took another forkful of the spaghetti and meatballs and let my mother¡¯s sauce soothe me. I would have a family. We would have a family. Nothing else mattered.


    Olivia chewed on her bottom lip. ¡°But what if we adopt a baby and it has some kind of problem we can¡¯t deal with? Or what if we start trying to adopt and it takes years and years?¡±


    I smoothed a hand over her hair. ¡°Alright, would you like to do surrogacy then?¡±


    She fidgeted with her fork. ¡°Surrogacy is really, really expensive. And that means there¡¯s going to be another woman carrying our baby. What if she runs away right before the due date, and we never see our baby again? Or what if the doctor just thinks my eggs are viable and they really aren¡¯t? Maybe they can only get one egg from me, and if that doesn¡¯t take, then we will have gone through all that money and stress for nothing.¡±


    I shifted the tter of food to a side table and gathered her against my chest. ¡°You are only thinking about the bad parts. What if we get a surrogate, and she¡¯s lovely, and the baby has your smile? What if we adopt triplets, and they¡¯re all perfect? What if we have a family, in whatever way we can? Money is not an issue, carina.¡±


    She tucked her head under my chin. ¡°I can¡¯t help but worry. This is a big decision. I don¡¯t want to mess up our family because I picked wrong.¡±


    I squeezed her tighter. ¡°You can¡¯t mess up, and you can¡¯t pick wrong. I will love our baby, and I will love you, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t think less of me if we get a surrogate?¡± Her voice sounded thick with unshed tears. ¡°You¡¯ll be watching another woman do what I should be able to. How could you not think of me as less of a woman?¡±


    I stroked a hand up and down her side. ¡°There is no should, carina, not for us. Do you think less of me for not being able to father our child?¡±


    I asked the question tofort her, but a small, nervous part of me feared her answer.


    She shook her head. ¡°Of course not.¡±


    That nervous part rxed. ¡°Exactly. So there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    Sheughed ruefully. ¡°Nothing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± I dered. ¡°Money is no object,¡± I repeated. ¡°I love you more than one heart can hold, and no decision we make here can change that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know....¡±


    I nuzzled into her neck, and she giggled.


    ¡°And we can take some time to think,¡± I said. ¡°Now, if you need proof of how much of a woman I think you are....¡±


    I flipped her over, positioning myself on top, and she squealed.


    ¡°Gio!¡±


    I ran my nose down the small triangle of skin at the neck of her pajama shirt. ¡°Do you want me to stop?¡±


    She squirmed. ¡°We¡¯ll think more?¡±


    I nodded,pping at the same piece of skin.


    ¡°Then I¡¯d like that proof, please.¡±


    I smiled wolfishly and sat back on my haunches. I¡¯d seen her change clothes, though I was half out of my mind with guilt and disappointment when it happened, so I knew she wasn¡¯t wearing a bra but had put on what she called herzy-day underwear. I wanted her to feel sexy, desirable, and those didn¡¯t do that for her. I weighed my options, then stood.


    She watched me through hazy eyes. I stripped with quick, efficient movements, my cock already bobbing to attention. She¡¯d admitted to liking the feeling of being dressed when I wasn¡¯t, and I would do anything for her.


    I climbed back on top of her, and she ran a hand down the ne of my stomach and into my pubic hair.


    ¡°Do you see how much I want you?¡± I murmured.


    She nodded and ran that hand down my length softly. I arched into the pressure, unable to resist.


    ¡°Let me take care of you,¡± I begged.


    The corner of her mouth twitched. ¡°For now. I have an idea I¡¯d like to tryter.¡±


    My cock hardened in her grip as my brain spun with possibilities, and her smile grew wider.


    ¡°Not yet. Give me your best shot,¡± she teased as she took her hand away.


    I groaned and leaned in for a kiss, pouring my passion and curiosity into her. If she wanted to feel desirable, all she had to do was tell me she thought about our sex life as much as I did. The admission drove me wild, and I fought to maintain the slow worship I originally had nned.


    She met my mouth with equal fire, parting to allow me entrance before I even asked. Her hands threaded into my hair, and I ached with the need to be inside her already.


    I pulled my mouth away and rucked her shirt up, exposing her beautiful breasts to my view. I salivated at the sight. Her nipples were already pebbled and waiting for my attention. I kissed down the ne of her chest andtched onto one nipple while I fondled the other with my spare hand. She moaned up into my touch, pinning my cock between us, and I couldn¡¯t hold back a thrust and moan of my own.


    Between the way she moved and the taste of her skin, I hardly stood a chance. My focus dissolved almost instantly into a desire to pull as many of those moans from her mouth as possible. I wanted to devour her, to wring her dry. I licked around the nipple in my mouth and sucked hard enough to redden her skin. When she arched into my touch with a cry, I bit down a little and tweaked the nipple in my hand harder than usual. She scrabbled at my back, then found her way back into holding my hair and pulled.


    The sharp sting was almostforting, an externalization of the emotions of the day, to say nothing of how impossibly hard it made my cock.


    I rocked into Olivia, and my bare cock met the soaked fabric of her pajama shorts. She was ready for me. I pulled my hand away from her breast, ignoring her whine, and pulled aside the fabric of her shorts. Her smell met my nose, thick and heady, and I teased her nipple all the harder. I loved how wet she got for me.


    I found her slippery clit with my thumb, and she bucked so hard I nearly lost her nipple. I grinned against her skin and slipped my index finger inside. She began fucking herself on it before I could even move.


    ¡°Gio,¡± she moaned. ¡°More!¡±


    That was my Olivia, always greedy for whatever I could give her. I added a second finger to her velvety warmth, and when she hardly seemed to notice the stretch, a third. Finally, she moaned in satisfaction, and I began thrusting into her.


    She wed at my back as though she was trying to leave marks, as though she noticed how I responded to her pulling my hair. I leaned into the feeling, enjoying the sting and repeating maneuvers that made her w harder. I switched my mouth to her other breast and beganving it with the same vicious attention.


    Her walls started to tighten around my fingers, and her groans grew higher and more frequent. Her orgasm wasing, and quickly. I found her clit again, rubbed frantic circles, and in time with a thrust, mped down on her nipple harder than I had before.


    Her whole body arched with the tension of orgasm, and she screamed my name. I fucked her slowly through it, and when she finally rxed and opened her eyes, I pulled my fingers out.


    She groaned with the loss, and I smiled.


    Her gaze held none of the stupor that would indicate we were done. Instead, she dragged her eyes down my body and licked her lips.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem quite done yet,¡± she murmured.


    I didn¡¯t have to look to know my cock was rock hard and begging for attention. I dragged a finger over her still taut nipple. ¡°Nor you.¡±


    She grinned sciously and stroked a hand up and down my inner thigh. I shivered.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to try something,¡± she said.


    I pressed a kiss to her shoulder. ¡°Anything, carina, anything.¡±


    She sat up, and I moved with her, stealing onest lick at her nipple as her shirt fell back into ce. She rolled her eyes at me indulgently, and I smiled.


    ¡°Get up,¡± she said.


    I hopped off the bed, and she stood with me. I furrowed my eyebrows.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting undressed,y down.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me what we¡¯re doing?¡± I wheedled. I had, perhaps, never wheedled before. Olivia had a strange ability to bring new sides out of me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you, honey.¡± She stroked a finger down my cheek, which med slightly at the pet name. Before her, no one ever called me pet names, and I found I liked them quite a lot.


    Iid down on the bed and watched her strip, much more slowly than I had. She could clearly feel my eyes and was putting on a show. When she turned around and bent at the waist to drag her shorts and underwear down, I salivated.


    She turned back to me with a smirk, then climbed back onto the bed and straddled me. I felt her wetness against my chest, and I ached to pull her down onto my cock, but I was patient.


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to eat me out,¡± she said.


    I grinned. No problem there, but it wasn¡¯t exactly new.


    ¡°While I suck you off,¡± she finished as she turned to face my cock.


    She had pictured this? Wanted to do it? Sixty-nine? Whatever blood remained in my brain disappeared.


    ¡°Yes, please, carina,¡± I mumbled. I grabbed her hips and pulled her toward my face as she gave the tip of my cock an experimental lick.


    I groaned and buried my face between her legs. The taste spread over my tongue, musky and magnificent. I felt her mouth envelop my cock, and I couldn¡¯t help thrusting into the warmth. She moaned, which only increased the intensity. I struggled to keep my focus on her clit as she took me so expertly.


    I twisted my tongue, flicked at her bud,pped at her entrance, but every time she took me deeper, I moaned and lost the rhythm. She didn¡¯t seem to mind, rocking onto my face with every thrust of my cock. Every sense became devoted to her, her sounds, her tastes, the way she felt around me. I had already been close to the edge just watching here, and whenever she took control like this, it drove me wild.


    She raked her nails down my inner thigh with another bright burst of pain, rolled her tongue along the bottom of my cock, and I wasing.


    She took my load in her mouth, and I heard her swallow. That was almost enough to get me hard again. Then, she sat up, bncing her whole weight over my face, and I began devouring her with abandon. I gripped her hips, setting a bruising pace, and pulled out every trick I knew she liked. Her gasps turned to long moans of my name, and within what felt like moments, she went still once more and a flood of wetness covered my face. Ipped it up, like she had swallowed me down, with a grin.


    She rolled off andnded next to me in the bed with a smile on her face. I stroked her cheek.


    ¡°Have I proven myself?¡± I asked.


    She smiled wolfishly. ¡°Almost.¡±

 Chapter 408 : Distractions Are a Girl’s Best Friend

    <h4>Chapter 408: Chapter 408 : Distractions Are a Girl¡¯s Best Friend</h4>


    *Olivia*


    The next day was Saturday, so Dahlia joined Gio and me at breakfast. For a moment, the table waspletely quiet, and I could see Dahlia deciding whether to say anything.


    ¡°So....¡± she started.


    I grabbed Gio¡¯s hand and squeezed it. All of my worries from yesterday rose up again, and I didn¡¯t want them to overtake me, but I didn¡¯t want to block my best friend out of my life either.


    ¡°You can ask, Dolly,¡± I said finally. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to talk about it all day.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°What happened? Bad news?¡±


    I opened my mouth, but the words died in my throat. I looked at Gio helplessly.


    ¡°Neither of us can have children naturally,¡± he said with a grimace. ¡°Our options are surrogacy or adoption.¡±


    Dahlia absorbed the information slowly. ¡°And I suppose asking what you¡¯re going to do falls under talking about it?¡±


    I nodded vehemently.


    She pped her hands together. ¡°Then it sounds like you¡¯re in need of a day of distraction. The brain¡ªespecially yours, Olive¡ªworks better when it can¡¯t focus on the problem it needs to solve.¡±


    Gio squeezed my hand. ¡°That¡¯s probably a good idea. I have a busy day ahead of me, and I don¡¯t want you on your own.¡±


    I inhaled slowly. ¡°Okay, but nothing crazier than a day trip.¡±


    Dahlia tapped a finger on her chin. ¡°Siena? Parma? Mn?¡±


    I sat up straighter in my chair. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to see Mn.¡±


    She grinned. ¡°Of course you do, you big nerd. Lemme guess. You¡¯re gonna drag me to all the galleries and churches instead of the gorgeous luxury fashion houses, right?¡±


    I put up my hands. ¡°Hey, I want to see the luxury fashion, too.¡±


    We allughed, and I felt a little of the tension go out of my shoulders. A day in Mn would take my mind off everything.


    ¡°Maybe we can take the train?¡± I offered. ¡°Should be a short enough trip to get us there and back in a day.¡±


    Gio scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. You¡¯ll take the jet.¡±


    My hackles went up instantly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what I¡¯m going to do. It¡¯s my day out. The train is cheaper, and I might like to see the countryside.¡±


    Gio bristled for a moment, but I watched him take a deep breath and regain himself. ¡°Yes, of course. I can¡¯t make this decision for you. But as I keep reminding you, you don¡¯t have to worry about money anymore, and the jet will give you more time in Mn.¡±


    I tried to steady my temper as well. ¡°I don¡¯t like always taking the fanciest option just because it¡¯s avable.¡±


    He drew my knuckles up to his lips. ¡°Carina, Dmitri may be gone, but I will always have enemies. A train is just the sort of kill box that¡¯s perfect for assassins and kidnappers. Please, I beg of you, take the jet for my sake.¡±


    I nced at Dahlia, who had started bouncing up and down in her seat at the mention of taking a private jet. I really thought I would¡¯ve liked to see the Italian countryside through a train window, but I couldn¡¯t bear to disappoint the two most important people in my life.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I relented.


    Dahlia cheered. ¡°We¡¯ll just finish eating, get dressed, and head out. Can you set up the private jet, Gio?¡±


    He nodded, and Dahlia fell to the business of scarfing her breakfast. I finished mine a bit more slowly, so we had a moment alone after she left.


    ¡°Will you be alright all day without me?¡± I asked. It was silly, I knew, but I was feeling protective after his outburst yesterday.


    He smiled. ¡°I will be alright. Take this day. Clear your head. We¡¯ll attack the problem tomorrow.¡±


    I dropped a kiss on the top of his head and went to our room to dress.


    When I came back down, I found Dahlia practically vibrating at the bottom of the stairs. She¡¯d selected a fitted, charcoal gray sweater dress and chunky ankle boots that made her look stylish and mature. I¡¯d waffled for a while, eventually settling on a cream colored sweater I¡¯d bought at a local shop in Florence and a pair of skinny jeans, as well as my own favorite low-heeled boot. Comfortable and cool, I thought.


    She grabbed my hand as I reached the bottom of the stairs. ¡°Ready for the jet?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°I¡¯ve taken the jet before, a few times.¡±


    She pouted. ¡°Don¡¯t ruin my fun. I only get cousin perks, not wife perks.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± I looped my arm through hers. ¡°Let¡¯s go make the best of this day.¡±


    She skipped all the way to the ne and was disappointed to learn the flight would only be about half an hour. I couldn¡¯t hold in another giggle as we boarded, and she swatted me.


    I was looking forward to a great day.


    After our all-too-brief flight, we descended on Mn. Dahlia demanded we go to the Brera district, the heart of boutique shopping in the city, and I whole-heartedly agreed. The brightly colored building crowded in on all sides, and we had to leap out of the path of more than one Vespa scooter speeding past without looking. We shoppedzily and ate a slow lunch, grabbing snacks in nearly every other caf¨¦ we came across.


    In one shop, Dahlia found a whole wall of hats and insisted we each get one.


    ¡°On one condition,¡± I said. ¡°You pick out mine and I pick out yours.¡±


    She smiled impishly and agreed.


    Ibed the wall for options, trying to guess if Dahlia would be nice or cruel. I checked my phone to see if I¡¯d missed anything important and realized with a start that it was nearly 1:30 and I hadn¡¯t worried about our fertility issues in hours.


    I looked over at Dahlia to tell her this as she lifted a lime-green beret off the wall and grinned at me. I didn¡¯t want to break the spell, I decided.


    And I was getting her the floppy fuchsia sunhat.


    We put the hats on instantly and walked arm-in-arm down the road to il Duomo di Mno, the spiky cathedral I had dered I couldn¡¯t visit the city without seeing. We did a photoshoot out front in our gaudy hats,ughing so hard we barely got a decent picture, and then I coaxed her onto one of the tours.


    Inside, the soaring columns and stunning rose window knocked me breathless. I explored the ce in near silence, uttering little more than hushed whispers. Dahlia trailed after me, making inappropriate jokes to make meugh. I smacked her, but I wouldn¡¯t have wanted her to stop for anything.


    The only thing better than seeing a historical marvel like this was seeing it with my best friend.


    After the cathedral, we shopped and ate until our wallets and bellies groaned and the sun set in the sky. I convinced Dahlia to take a brief spin through the Pinacoteca di Brera, a converted pzzo full of Italian art, and then we trooped back to the jetden with our bags.


    Dahlia copsed into the leather seat with a groan. ¡°They better make the flight longer this time. I¡¯m not getting up for at least an hour.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the pilot.¡±


    They¡¯d refueled in our absence, and apparently that meant they refilled the champagne bucket as well. It brimmed over with ice and a beautiful bottle of Mnese champagne. I smiled. Gio must have told them to do that.


    ¡°Would a drink help?¡± I asked, gesturing to the bottle.


    Dahlia nodded, and I popped the cork and poured two flutes. I might as well drink. I would never have a baby to worry about hurting.


    The thought made my mood plummet, and I downed my first flute in a few quick gulps.


    ¡°Whoa there,¡± Dahlia said. ¡°Are we partying?¡±


    I shrugged and rolled the stem between my fingers before pouring another ss. ¡°No reason not to.¡±


    She downed her flute and gestured for another. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep up. But it seemed like we were having a great day, and now you¡¯re upset all over again. Wanna talk about it?¡±


    I filled her ss and stared at the bubbles in my own for a moment. A ¡®no¡¯ trembled on my lips. I didn¡¯t want to cry again, didn¡¯t want to dredge up the same humiliating insecurities. But, I realized, I wanted her opinion. She was my best friend. The only decision I¡¯d ever made without talking to her was seeing Gio in the first ce, and that was only because I thought she¡¯d be mad.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I do,¡± I admitted. Dahlia swiveled her seat to face me, but I didn¡¯t look at her. I couldn¡¯t just yet. ¡°So, we¡¯re between adoption and surrogacy.¡±


    Dahlia hummed. ¡°I mean, you know how I feel about surrogacy.¡±


    I groaned and dropped my head back against the seat. ¡°Everybody else seems to think it would be so easy to just let somebody else have my baby, but my heart breaks every time I think about it. Even if we can set every boundary andy out a perfect contract, I¡¯ll still have to watch somebody else live my dream.¡±


    Dahlia took a sip of her champagne. ¡°Is being pregnant really your dream? Or is your dream having a baby with Gio, and you just sort of assumed being pregnant would be part of it?¡±


    I sipped my champagne and considered. Being pregnant seemed so important, but what did I really want? Gio swore up and down that he wasn¡¯t bothered by somebody else carrying our baby, and a shiver ran down my spine as I remembered how clearly he proved that. I wanted to feel connected to the child, but they would share my gics, and I would love them regardless. Perhaps I had gotten stuck on an assumption.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Part of me¨C¡± I took a huge swallow of champagne, ¡°part of me thinks I won¡¯t be a real mother if I don¡¯t carry the child.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Olive.¡± Dahlia put a hand on my arm, and I leaned into her touch. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. That sounds awful.¡±


    I knocked back the rest of my champagne andughed bitterly. ¡°But it¡¯s not like I can change that part.¡±


    She swallowed the rest of hers in turn, and I topped us both off.


    Dahlia rubbed my armfortingly. ¡°Then you just have to decide whether it will be more painful to be part of the pregnancy process, even if you¡¯re not carrying the kid, or if you¡¯d rather not know about it.¡±


    I pulled her into a hug. ¡°When did you get so smart?¡±


    Sheughed. ¡°Two sses of champagne ago. In the spirit of not overthinking things, what do you say we put on some music and really party?¡±


    I grinned at my best friend and turned up the dial on the stereo.


    By the time the nended, Dahlia and I had finished more than half the bottle and were swaying to keep our feet as much as to keep the beat. The pilot taxied into Gio¡¯s private runway, and I spotted the same luxury silver sedan we¡¯d taken to the doctor.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡± I screamed. ¡°Gio is picking us up.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god!¡± Dahlia echoed, and we copsed into a fit of giggles.


    The flight attendant came out to open the door for us, and I gged her over.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I hupped. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but we have a lot of bags. Can we get¨C¡± I looked at Dahlia, who shrugged, ¡°help?¡±


    The flight attendant looked like she was trying not tough but nodded and bustled off. In a few moments, Dahlia and I were wobbling down the stairs followed by a ton of baggage guys carrying a shopping bag or two. When we reached the bottom, I copsed into Gio¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Hiiiii,¡± I chirped.


    Gio¡¯s eyes twinkled as he stared down at me. ¡°Hi yourself. Have a good day?¡±


    Dahlia copsed into Gio¡¯s arms on top of me. ¡°Yep!¡±


    Heughed. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get you guys home and get some water in your systems.¡±


    He loaded us and the bags into the back of the car, where Dahlia and I demanded top-40s radio, and when he told us we couldn¡¯t have that in Italy, belted the lyrics to any pop song we could think of. Gioughed the whole way home.


    When we reached thepound, Dahlia tottered inside with a ¡°Toodles, lovebirds!¡± and Gio scooped me up in his arms. I pillowed my head against his chest and enjoyed the easy sway of his gait.


    ¡°I like seeing you smile, carina,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°Well, I¡ªhic!¡ªlike smiling,¡± I replied.


    He made me drink a ss of water and then helped me strip down to my underwear. While he worked, I thought blearily about assumptions. I¡¯d started this trip with a lot of them, and none hade true.


    I copsed into bed. Gio sat beside me.


    ¡°I wanna do surrogacy,¡± I mumbled.


    And I fell instantly asleep.

 Chapter 409 : Steps Forward

    <h4>Chapter 409: Chapter 409 : Steps Forward</h4>


    *Giovani*


    Olivia slept soundly, her breath even. I brushed my thumb under the dark shadows circling her eyes, herck of rest and therge quantity of alcohol she¡¯d consumeding back to bite her.


    "Surrogate, huh?" I mumbled to myself in the quiet hours of the night.


    It was just like her to drop a bombshell on me and then pass out in my arms before I could even respond.


    I wished we didn¡¯t even have to discuss all of this, that I could provide her the baby she wanted without this roundabout way of doing it. But life didn¡¯t have that in the cards for us, apparently.


    I sighed, holding her a little bit closer as I tucked her head under my chin and breathed in her scent. In the morning, I¡¯d have to start researching surrogacy agencies.


    Whatever my beautiful wife wanted, she would have.


    Turns out, by the time I woke up, Olivia had already gotten a head start.


    Before I knew it, it was nearing noon, and we¡¯d spent the whole day in bed just researching.


    "What about this one?" Olivia showed me the page on her phone.


    "I¡¯ll add it to the list," I told her, taking note of the number and adding it to my own phone. Surprisingly, there were quite a few surrogacy agencies within the area, and we already had twenty agencies and professionals to call.


    "This one¡¯s a bit far, but it says it has faster matching," Olivia pointed out.


    "I think we have enough, carina," I told her with a small smile. "I can start calling to narrow it down, and we can schedule an appointment with the best ones, alright?"


    "Yeah, okay." She sighed. "I just want us to be as prepared as we can be. I don¡¯t want any surprises to pop upter down the road."


    "We¡¯ll be prepared, carina. I promise it¡¯ll all go smoothly," I grabbed her hand, kissing her knuckle with a smile. "I¡¯ll be right back so I can start vetting the agencies."


    "Alright," she mumbled, suppressing a yawn behind her hand.


    "I¡¯ll send somebody up with some lunch, and then you, Mrs. Valentino, are taking a nap." I chuckled, getting to my feet.


    "Oh, really?" She crossed her arms, a yful glint in her eyes. "And what makes you think you can tell me what to do?"


    "Because I¡¯m your loving husband," I said arrogantly as I firmly wrapped her up in the nket and tucked her into the bed.


    "That you are." She giggled, yawning as she finally gave in. I made sure her eyes were closed before I left, sneaking away.


    I headed for the kitchen, asking one of the maids to hold back Olivia¡¯s lunch for a few minutes to let her rest. I headed for my study, the list of agencies in my hand. It was my turn now to narrow them down. I sent some of them to one of my most trusted men to vet the ces and started calling the professionals one by one.


    I grabbed myptop, putting the phone on speaker as I began to take as many notes as I could about the process. I wasn¡¯t going to put Olivia or our unborn child at risk. Nothing could be left to chance.


    Each professional had different things to say, but they were all very clear about one thing¨Cit would be our decision.


    It only took an hour for my men to get back to me about the vetted agencies, and it was clear that one stood above the rest. I grabbed myptop and headed back to Olivia to get her opinion before I made the appointment.


    Of course, I would have to check the background of whoever we chose and make sure they had no problems or anything suspicious in their history, but otherwise, it didn¡¯t matter to me. The surrogate could be made of stic for all I cared.


    I just wanted Olivia to feelfortable, and our little child to be born healthy. I promised her a family, and I would reach into the sky and give her a star if I could. She was the love of my life, and she deserved the world.


    I quietly snuck back into our bedroom, and to my relief, Olivia was sleeping away. I watched her chest rise and fall for a minute before climbing in next to her.


    "Olivia." I felt bad about waking her, but this decision needed to be made. She stirred, her eyes opening as awareness came to her.


    "I narrowed it down to a few agencies, but I think this one would be really good for us. What do you think?" I offered her the information I¡¯d stored on myptop, including the page from the chosen agency.


    "What makes this one special?" Olivia yawned, sitting up in bed.


    "They were the most detailed about the women they employ, and all of their background checks came out squeaky clean¨Cnot a single fishy employee or affiliate. Plus, they are very involved with the surrogates. They know a lot about them."


    "Seems great." Her eyes piqued with interest as she scrolled through the information. "When can we make an appointment?"


    I smirked, d I had thought ahead. "We¡¯re in luck because they have an opening in a few hours."


    "A few hours?" she cried. "You should¡¯ve woken me up sooner!"


    And off she went, jumping out of bed and heading straight for the closet to change. I chuckled to myself, happy her mood seemed to be improving after thesest couple of days.


    She had been so crushed when she found out she couldn¡¯t carry her own child, but this seemed like a good alternative for us.


    Surrogazione Generazionale was exactly what I thought it would be. A massive rotund building with only one sign at the entrance¨Cit was sleek in design and could be any healthcare building if you didn¡¯t know what you were looking for.


    I was impressed when a representative met us at the doors¨Can older woman with gray hair and a friendly smile.


    "Wee, you must be Mr. and Mrs. Valentino," she said as we stepped out of the car and onto the entrance. "I¡¯m Mrs. Ortez, the matching agent here with Generazionale. Pleasee inside.¡±


    "Thank you," Olivia smiled, the relief evident in the woman¡¯s professional manner. She grabbed my hand, and my heart warmed at how naturally she did so. Like she didn¡¯t even have to think about it.


    I could feel the band of her wedding ring pressing against my fingers, cold and metallic, but it only brought mefort.


    "Right this way then," Mrs. Ortez showed us inside. They had a waterfall in the middle of the atriumfortable seats in what resembled a waiting room and receptionists waiting at a desk¨Call very normal. It reminded me of Dr. Schmitz¡¯s office in many ways.


    Mrs. Ortez showed us into the back and opened up the doors. The building was muchrger than it looked on the outside, and she led us down winding halls until we reached an office area.


    There was only a desk with aptop, shelves on the walls, and a binder sitting innocently on top of the table. Olivia and I took the visitor seats as Mrs. Ortez settled into theputer chair.


    "Now, this binder has a list of all of our current clients¨Cthose tagged with a red marker are currently serving as a surrogate to a different set of parents and won¡¯t be avable for months, but I did mark a few with the green tab that I think would work best for the two of you and your needs."


    I grabbed the binder, passing it over to Olivia with a small smile. "Pick whoever you feel morefortable with."


    Olivia nodded, flipping open the book, and I gazed over her shoulder as she checked out the green tabs first. Women of all ages, colors, and backgrounds were included¨Cin detailed reports, and I was incredibly impressed by how thorough they were.


    They listed everything from their name and age to their horoscope signs and blood types, but strangely enough, nost names or addresses. For privacy, probably, I thought.


    Olivia paused on a page of a blonde woman in herte twenties by the name of Alessia. She had a sweet-looking face, looking younger than her age, and the page listed that she had already been a previous surrogate.


    It didn¡¯t take long before she paused on a second woman¨Cthis one a little bit younger in her mid-twenties. She had a in-looking appearance to her but looked rather polite. Elena, it said at the top. No prior surrogacies.


    Olivia pursed her lips and then nodded.


    "What do you think? I can¡¯t decide between these two?" She pointed to Elena¡¯s page and then flipped back to Alessia.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter to me," I said honestly, "Whichever you feel morefortable with."


    She pouted at me, giving me a look as if to say I was zero help, and I shrugged, a bit helplessly. There was nothing I could do about it. I really didn¡¯t have a preference. Neither of the women was to my taste.


    That is to say, neither of them were my gorgeous wife.


    "So, Alessia and Elena, is it?" Mrs. Ortez said as Olivia handed her the binder and nodded, "You don¡¯t have to decide now. I can set up a meeting with both women, and you can choose from there. Is that alright?"


    "That¡¯s perfect," Olivia smiled.


    "Alright, let¡¯s see," Mrs. Ortez typed into herputer, pursing her lips as she searched for something. "Both of them should be free on Friday, two days from now. Alessia can meet at noon, and Elena right after at one. Does that work with both of you?"


    I thought back to my own schedule and made a mental note to move one of my appointments on Friday to the day earlier. Gabriele wouldn¡¯t be happy, but he could be bribed with a vacation to the Bahamas or something.


    Olivia looked over at me to check, and I nodded, confirming it was okay.


    "That works for us," Olivia said respectfully.


    "Alright then, I¡¯ll see you both on Friday to meet the women. Congrattions on your first steps to bing parents," Mrs. Ortez smiled.


    "Thank you so much," Olivia said, her voice a bit wobbly, and I knew she was getting emotional again. I chuckled, getting to my feet and shaking Mrs. Ortez¡¯s hand before I led my wife out of the building.


    "I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re really going to meet the potential surrogates. What if we don¡¯t like either of them? What if they hate me? What if they think our child is going to be ugly?" Olivia rambled, paling a bit.


    "That is impossible," I said confidently, wrapping her in my arms. "Because you¡¯re the most adorable thing in the world, and our baby will be just as cute as you are."


    She blushed, and I held her close as I dipped my head. Our lips met in a slow and sweet kiss, onepletely unhurried.


    "You¡¯re not too bad yourself," she flirted, her cheeks flushed as her arms curled around my neck. Iughed, feeling over the moon.


    Our child.


    We were really doing this.

 Chapter 410 : Meeting the Surrogates

    <h4>Chapter 410: Chapter 410 : Meeting the Surrogates</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Dread and restlessness had a vice grip on my throat on Friday afternoon. The ticking of the clock was driving me up the wall as we waited for the time to head back to Surrogazione Generazionale to meet our potential surrogate.


    My nails were bitten down to the quick with how much anxiety was radiating off of me. If my nervousness was radioactive, I would be one second away from a nuclear meltdown.


    I paced back and forth in the middle of the sitting room of our suite. The rhythm was a good way to get out my excess energy, though it wasn¡¯t helping all that much. At this point, I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if there was a hole left in the carpet from how many times I¡¯d circled it.


    "What if something goes wrong and neither of them is avable anymore?" I wondered aloud.


    "Nothing is going to go wrong, carina," Gio sighed as he watched me from the couch. There was clearly disapproval in his eyes, but he didn¡¯t make a move to stop me. I doubted he could.


    "You don¡¯t know that," I shot back. "What if¡ª"


    "No more ¡¯what ifs,¡¯ Olivia," Gio said firmly. "Now take a seat, right here."


    "But¡ª" I protested, turning to him.


    He sent me a scolding look, and I sighed, my whole body tensed like a live wire as I reluctantly made my way to the couch and took the seat at the other end. Clearly, that was the wrong move.


    "No, you don¡¯t," he clicked his tongue, reaching over to grab me by the middle.


    ¡°No¡ª¡± I half-heartedly protested as he dragged me across the couch and plopped me straight into hisp. I pouted as he held me like I was a naughty child, grabbing my fingers so I couldn¡¯t bite my nails any longer.


    "Rx, carina," he said soothingly, digging his fingers into my wild and messy hair.


    I was so nervous I hadn¡¯t brushed it that carefully that morning, and Gio was more than happy to as he gently tugged out any knots with his fingers.


    Despite my attempts to remain firm, I melted into his embrace.


    "There we go," he chuckled, pressing his lips against my temple as he moved my hair to my other shoulder.


    I sighed, my body unfolding from its tight form as I focused on his rhythmic heartbeat in my ears and the soothing way hebed through my locks. But that didn¡¯t stop the worries or anxiety, only quieted them for the time being.


    "Which one do you like?" I asked softly, wanting to know his opinion.


    Alessia was experienced and seemed like a friendly girl, but there was something about Elena that I just liked.


    I felt like the two of us could be friends¡ªmaybe she could even stay in our child¡¯s life and be an honorary aunt. Although, Dahlia had already imed the godmother spot, and she deserved it. I knew I wouldn¡¯t be here without her.


    "Hm," Gio hummed. "Whichever you like."


    I rolled my eyes. Ever since we¡¯de back from the agency, he¡¯d been doing that¨Cpretending like he didn¡¯t have an opinion, just saying it was my choice. But this wasn¡¯t just going to be my baby¡ªit was ours, our family.


    "I¡¯m serious, Gio. Do you like Alessia or Elena more? They¡¯re both very pretty," I hinted, wondering what he thought about the girls. There was no way he didn¡¯t see how gorgeous they were.


    I nced at my hands.


    And more experiencedpared to me, I thought.


    "Carina," he smirked, "neither of them can hold a candle to your beauty. You are my wife¡ªthe only woman I see is you. As long as you like them, it doesn¡¯t matter to me. Alena or Elessia, I couldn¡¯t care less."


    "Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know their names!" I smacked his arm, even as a smile threatened to overtake my lips. Some of my worries were a bit relieved by his answer, I couldn¡¯t deny that. "You probably had them investigated the moment I picked them out."


    "No, actually," he replied easily. "I was waiting until we picked one. I wouldn¡¯t want to invade the privacy of one girl for no reason, you know. I¡¯m not a monster."


    "No, just a nosy husband," I giggled, sending him a cheeky grin over my shoulder.


    "You wanna y that game?" He raised an eyebrow, and I felt his teeth grip my upper ear. I stifled a moan as he bit down softly, not hard enough to leave a mark but enough to make me think of other things besides surrogates, at least for a second.


    I pouted, widening my eyes in that way I knew he was weak too. Two could y at this game.


    "But I¡¯m not wrong?" I said, pretending to be pitiful.


    "But you are naughty."


    I burst into shrieks ofughter as his fingers crawled up and down my sides, tickling me without any mercy or remorse.


    "Okay, okay!"


    Heughed¡ªloud and boisterous¡ªas he finally stopped his torturous methods. I could feel his chest rumbling along my back with everyugh, and I smiled, listening to the rare sound. It wasn¡¯t often that Gio let himself bepletely free, even around me, and each time, it was a wonder.


    I turned in his arms, straddling him as Iid my head on his shoulder, thinking about how quickly our lives had changed and how much they would soon change again.


    "Is this a good idea?" I asked, in our quiet moment. "Are we really doing the right thing?"


    "Yes," Giovani said without a shadow of a doubt. "If we want our own baby, one of our own blood, then this is the only way to do it. Adoption is wonderful, and we can look at thatter down the road maybe, but we¡¯ve gone over this over and over. I know you won¡¯t be able to carry our child, but that doesn¡¯t mean it won¡¯t be ours."


    A pang stabbed my heart at the reminder. It was still hard to believe and even harder to hear. The little bean I thought I had been carrying for a few brief moments was still a fresh wound in my mind, one that I could never move past.


    I would never carry a child in my womb. I could never give Gio that or be a resting ce for our baby. But even if we had to borrow another woman¡¯s womb, we could still have our little bean in the world, a little child who looked just like Gio with wide eyes and a sweet, chubby face.


    I nodded, realizing he was right as he brushedforting circles on my back. We had to do this. We were going to do this.


    "It¡¯s time to go," Gio reminded me as the clock hit 11:00 AM. We moved from our positions of being glued together to finally go and meet the woman who would give us our own baby.


    The two of us were quiet on the ride there, both of us lost in our thoughts, but I refused to let go of Gio¡¯s hand, even as we stepped out of the car and into the agency. Mrs. Ortez met us at the entrance again, quickly taking us back to what I was beginning to think was her office.


    "Alessia is already here, so you can meet her as soon as you¡¯re ready," she informed us with a smile.


    I nodded, holding Gio¡¯s hand tightly as my heart raced in my chest.


    "Ready?" Gio asked me, checking in on me as he did. I had no doubt that if I said I wasn¡¯t, he would make the wholepany wait for me. I smiled, the appreciation for my husband growing stronger.


    "Ready," I said, relieved to have him by my side.


    We entered the conference room Mrs. Ortez led us to, and she joined us. It was a small four-person table with four chairs, and Mrs. Ortez took the seat next to the unfamiliar woman. I recognized her immediately from the photo.


    Alessia.


    She smiled, beaming almost, as she got to her feet and offered her hand. Gio took it and then me. She had soft, gentle hands, and her smile lit up her whole face like a star shining.


    She was beautiful, on par with Dolly and her mother, if I was being honest. I felt a little inferior as Mrs. Ortez talked about the ins and outs of the program, and Alessia spoke about herself. She answered every question Gio threw at her without missing a beat, like she was answering questions in a Miss Universe pageant.


    I especially didn¡¯t like the sh of judgment that came across her eyes when she asked about our ages. The age gap was quiterge, and it had caused a lot of friction for too long. She stared at the bands on our hands for a little too long to be polite, and by the end of the meeting, I was feeling a little nervous.


    She¡¯d been nice enough, but I just didn¡¯t feel any connection to her. She was a stranger¨Cthat was to be expected¨Cbut if she were to be carrying our child....


    I wanted to at least like her.


    We barely had time to talk before Mrs. Ortez was whirling us to meet our next potential surrogate¡ªElena. I hoped I could get along with her better.


    There was a knock on the door, and Mrs. Ortez beamed. "Here she is!"


    "Hello," Elena came in and sat across from me, and I had to suppress my gasp. For a moment, I thought I was looking into a mirror until I noticed a few details that gave it away. Her hair was shorter than mine, her eyes narrower, and she was clearly taller than me.


    Older, too, considering she had lost all of the little baby fat I still carried on my cheeks. I would have assumed her to be my sister if I didn¡¯t know any better. I¡¯d noticed we looked a lot alike in her photo, but it was uncanny now that she was in front of me.


    Elena smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners, and the resemnce faded a bit. I breathed a sigh of relief. It would¡¯ve been a little weird to have a clone of me carrying our baby.


    "It¡¯s so nice to meet you," she said, offering us her hand to shake.


    Gio did, and then me. Her hands were cold, almost like ice, and there were clearly calluses from hard work in her life.


    Elena, as we learned, wasn¡¯t much older than me, and she had a simr love for art. As soon as she mentioned studying Picasso, I couldn¡¯t stop my art nerd from rearing up to rant.


    "My favorite piece was always ¡®Girl Before a Mirror,¡¯" Elena told me with a massive smile, just as excited as I was to meet a fellow art nerd. "I liked the way the reflection was so different from how she appeared in the painting. It was like she saw a different version of herself."


    "I know!" I beamed. "The colorful fragmentation delivered through the duality is iconic! You see it in ¡®The Weeping Woman,¡¯ too."


    "Is that your favorite, T¡¯he Weeping Woman¡¯?" Elena asked, her eyes bright with curiosity.


    Gio chuckled as I blushed, having already gone over this a hundred times with him.


    "No, actually," Iughed, a bit embarrassed. "My favorite¡¯s actually ¡®Guernica.¡¯ My mom introduced it to me. Maybe it was just me overemphasizing it, but the horse in ¡®Guernica¡¯ was my favorite. While everything was in chaos and people were dying, it was only the horse who looked truly horrified by the war around it. It felt like it was telling everyone to stop."


    Gio smiled, squeezing my hand as his eyes glinted with adoration as he stared at me.


    "That¡¯s a very unique take," Elena said, a smile on her lips. "And a very optimistic way of looking at it."


    "That¡¯s kinda me," Iughed, flushing at the attention of the room now on me.


    "Well, then, you two seemed to have struck a connection," Mrs. Ortezughed. "But I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re running a bit over time."


    "Oh, I¡¯m so sorry," I said, unable to believe I took up so much time ranting about art again.


    "It¡¯s no problem. I had fun," Elenaughed. ¡°It was lovely to meet you both. Thank you so much for your time.¡±


    We both thanked her and got to our feet, saying our goodbyes to Elena and Mrs. Ortez. All we had to do next was decide who to pick and move forward. I was quiet as we left the building, my thoughts burning in my mind.


    "Who did you like?" I asked Gio.


    He smirked, ncing down at me. "Clearly, you had a favorite."


    I blushed, feeling a bit brighter after the talk with Elena.


    "I did. I liked Elena the best, but I don¡¯t want to make a decision without you," I told him honestly.


    "As long as you¡¯re happy, I am. If you¡¯re ready to decide now, then I¡¯m all on board for it. Do you feel good about choosing her?"


    I pondered a bit, still a bit nervous over this whole thing, but after meeting her and speaking with her, I felt so much better.


    "Yes," I said determinedly. "Let¡¯s do it. Let¡¯s hire Elena as our surrogate."

 Chapter 411 : Final Plans

    <h4>Chapter 411: Chapter 411 : Final ns</h4>


    *Giovani*


    "Alright, can you send them to me?" I asked through the phone. "Okay, yes. Thank you very much. Arrivederci."


    I hung up the phone, tossing it onto the bed next to me as I stretched out my arms. My bones creaked with the effort, and I groaned, rubbing my shoulder. I was getting way too old, and it was showing. Past injuries came back to haunt me, and my muscles weren¡¯t as kind to me as they once were.


    It had been azy day, and the evening sun filtered through the open window, casting long shadows on the bed as I waited there with my back against the headboard and myptop on myp. The heat had been increasing the longer I kept it open, the vents working overtime, but I didn¡¯t mind.


    There was a notification on myptop followed by a ding, and I grinned, diving into my email. Sure enough, the top spot had an unread email from Surrogazione Generazionale , the surrogacy center we had chosen.


    Compressed files were tucked inside, containing all the information I had wanted to know. I waited for the files to download as I scrolled through the folder they sent. It popped up once it was done.


    "Elena Greco," it said at the top¨Cthe surrogate Olivia had chosen after meeting her. She was younger than I thought, only 22, which was pretty close to Olivia¡¯s own age. No wonder they got along so well.


    This was her first surrogacy; she was a volunteer for a few programs and a graduate from the University of Florence. I made a note to check her school records and delved deeper into the program. Her medical records were squeaky clean, with only a broken arm from a fall and a few cases of a cold, but nothing else.


    There was no history of mental or physical illness in her family. She came from a lower-ss background; her mother had worked at a diner for fifteen years, and her father was out of the picture.


    I frowned as I noticed the simrities between her and Olivia. It was a bit odd, but nothing to really raise any red gs. For all intents and purposes, she seemed like a normal girl just looking to do her part to make the world a better ce, as she had stated in the section of her candidacy interview.


    I grabbed my phone, and the dial tone hit my ear before it was picked up with a gruff, "Yes?"


    "I¡¯m going to send you some files on our surrogate. Vet her as thoroughly as you can," I told him, quickly forwarding the email. "I want to know if she¡¯s had so much as a speeding ticket."


    "Yes, sir," Gabriele said readily. "Anything else? You want a frappino with two sugars and three shots of caramel¡ª"


    I hung up, not even bothering with his sarcastic attitude. A text came in soon after with only a word from Gabriele.


    ¡¯Rude.¡¯


    ¡¯Get over it,¡¯ I wrote back and then tossed my phone onto the bed with a chuckle. He was always yanking my chain.


    I pulled up the forms for the surrogacy contract, filling them out both as detailed and as vaguely as possible. I made sure only Olivia¡¯s number was given to the surrogate and not mine.


    I double and then triple-checked that my number was nowhere listed and sent them off to Surrogazione Generazionale . Olivia had left me to do the boring paperwork by myself, but I didn¡¯t really mind. I was too cautious to leave it alone anyway.


    I had to make sure everything went smoothly, for Olivia, and for our unborn child. Nothing untoward could happen. But I also had to make sure not to go too far.


    If I started putting bugs in Elena¡¯s phone or car, I had no doubt that if Olivia found out, she¡¯d tear me a new one. She already thought I was too clingy with her, but she didn¡¯t realize how much freedom I truly gave her.


    She had me wrapped around her finger, and she hardly knew it. Before I did anything, I had to keep Olivia¡¯s feelings in mind. Happy wife, happy life¨Cthat¡¯s what James told me before we got married. He probably only meant it in a teasing way, but I had seen firsthand the chaos an angry woman could bring to a man¡¯s life.


    If Olivia wanted to, she could make my life a living hell, and I couldn¡¯t do shit about it because I was putty in her hand. Not that she would ever want to.


    I sighed, shutting myptop and pushing it off me onto the bed. I rubbed my forehead as I felt a bit of pressure building. My headaches were getting fewer and fewer since Dmitri¡¯s death, but the asional one still popped up... stress, most likely.


    "Gio!"


    I grinned as Olivia came skipping into the bedroom, her face lit up with happiness. It was like looking straight into the sun, and I almost couldn¡¯t bear it. I leaned my head on my hand, giving her a grin as she plopped straight onto the bed.


    She fell backward onto the mattress, her head hitting myp as she grinned up at me like she had won the lottery.


    "Yes?" I chuckled, brushing her long locks away from her face.


    "Look!" she said, thrusting her phone into my face.


    I squinted to read it, but before I could, she had pulled it back to her chest, beginning to ramble in excitement.


    "Elena sent me a message! She wants to know if I want to go out for lunch tomorrow, just the two of us, to get to know each other better," Olivia told me cheerfully.


    "Sounds nice," I replied, humoring her. It was a good thing if the two of them could build a good rtionship. With how excited they seemed to be when they met one another at the agency, I had no doubt they would be close friends soon enough.


    My wife was just that lovable.


    "Is that okay?" she asked, her brow furrowing at my tepid response.


    "Of course, why wouldn¡¯t it be?" I asked in surprise.


    "I don¡¯t want you to feel upset about getting left behind or get jealous that it¡¯ll just be me and her. We can meet her together if you want to¡ª"


    "Olivia." I ced my hands on her cheeks, smiling down at her upside-down face as she gazed up at me from myp. "I¡¯m not going to get jealous. I want you to like her and feelfortable with her. It¡¯ll be better to do that when I¡¯m not there."


    "That¡¯s not true," she pouted. "You¡¯re very likable."


    "To you," I chuckled. "But I can be intimidating, and this seems like a great way for the two of you to bond without me there. She¡¯ll be morefortable opening up to just you since you¡¯re around the same age and have simr interests. I¡¯d just be a tagalong."


    "You¡¯re not intimidating," she crossed her arms over her chest, looking very cross, "You¡¯re just a big teddy bear who loves way too much. You¡¯re overprotective sometimes, but that¡¯s just like a teddy bear too!"


    Iughed, shaking my head at the description. Only she would describe me, a six-foot middle-aged Italian mafia boss, as a big teddy bear.


    "Thank you, carina." I kissed her forehead, and she beamed, grabbing my hand from her cheeks andcing our fingers together. "But you and Elena can take this one by yourselves. Get to know her, and then tell me all about itter, okay?"


    "Okay," she nodded, agreeable for once.


    "But," I said, a warning in my tone, "I still want a few guards to go with you."


    "See?" she huffed, pulling herself onto her knees and turning to face me with a stubborn look. "Overprotective teddy bear."


    "Three guards," I sent her a firm no-nonsense look.


    "One," she said stubbornly.


    "Three."


    "Half of one."


    I cringed at the image. "Two," Ipromised.


    "Deal!" she grinned, reaching out to cling onto my shoulders. She scooted onto myp, letting me hold her sideways as she sighed happily, finding her favorite spot in the crook of my neck.


    I nced at her adoringly, my heart full of so much love for this damn woman I could hardly bear it. Everything she did was like she had been made just for me. And with how tightly she clung to me, anyone would look at this scene and say that she was more of a teddy bear than me.


    I was a lot less cuddly.


    "When you meet Elena," I reminded her, hooking my thumb under her chin. Our eyes met in a sh of brown and blue, "don¡¯t tell her about the troubles we¡¯ve had these past few months, especially about Dmitri or the Zaytsevs. We don¡¯t want to scare her away if you really end up liking her." I know she knew that, but it bore saying again.


    She nodded, her good mood sobering up as she no doubt remembered everything Dmitri had put us through. I tightened my hold on her, hoping to give her the slightest bit offort.


    The nightmares had dissipated since his death, but they still hadn¡¯tpletely disappeared. Every once in a while, she¡¯d wake up in a cold sweat, mumbling mine or Dahlia¡¯s name. I¡¯d hold her just like this while she cried into my chest, until eventually, she¡¯d cry herself back to sleep.


    Even if he was gone now, the remnants of what he had done still lingered like a dark shadow over our lives. I would have done anything to be able to take that away from her, but there was nothing I could do.


    "You¡¯re right," she said calmly, "I don¡¯t want her to get involved in anything that happened. It should stay in the past where it belonged. But that means...."


    She pinned me with a firm stare. "Don¡¯t you start anything fishy until after our child is born, do you hear me?"


    I grinned widely, the tone reminding me of Ba whenever she used to scold the kids for being naughty. She already had that down pat.


    "You¡¯re going to be an amazing mom," I kissed her forehead.


    She blushed, her cheeks turning red as she shyly looked away. "Thanks, Gio, for everything. I really mean it."


    As she looked up at me with wide, trusting eyes, her sincerity overflowed like rainfall in a desert storm.


    "Well," I replied, grinning as my fingers dipped under her shirt, "You don¡¯t have to thank me just yet."


    "Gio!" I swallowed her giggles, groaning into her sweet little mouth.


    I ran my calloused hands under her shirt, feeling her cool, smooth skin as I traced them up to her bra. It took no effort at all to utch it, and she giggled into the kiss, allowing me a moment to break away.


    With her shirt pulled up to expose her navel, her bra halfway off already, and her lips swollen from our kiss, there was nothing more beautiful than my wife.


    And she was all mine.

 Chapter 412 : What More Could a Girl Ask For?

    <h4>Chapter 412: Chapter 412 : What More Could a Girl Ask For?</h4>


    *Olivia*


    "Gio," I moaned as I sat in hisp, grinding down over his covered cock. I could feel the outline of him through his pants, growing bigger by the minute as I pushed my bare pussy down on him, chasing after the high that had made my head go so fuzzy.


    His suit pants were going to be permanently stained, no doubt¡ªtwo thousand dors right out the window¡ªbut neither of us could care at the moment.


    He dragged his hands along the smooth skin of my thighs, past the tight little skirt I still wore, and upward over my bare ribs. His fingers caught on my shirt, halfway off already, and found their way to the hardened buds.


    I buried my face in the crook of his neck as he palmed my breasts, massaging them gently. His other hand glided down to my ass, squeezing delightfully.


    His hand slid into my long hair, gently pulling me from his neck, and my shiny eyes met his in a cascade of want.


    "Gio." The wanton sound fell from my lips before I could stop it, and he kissed me, so gentle and sweet with me. I opened my mouth for him, my tongue slipping out to meet his.


    He tore himself away from my mouth, scraping his teeth over my jawline as he demanded, so indulgently, "Tell me what you want, carina."


    His hand slid under my skirt, palming my pussy, and I moaned as he sucked a hickey into my throat.


    "Need you to fuck me," I panted out as he toyed with his fingers over my lower half, just barely cing any pressure.


    He chuckled, and I groaned in pleasure as he dipped one finger into my opening, pumping in and out so slowly as he gave me time to adjust. His thumb rolled around my clit, and I jerked into his hand, my hips rolling to meet him.


    One finger turned to two, and I panted, wrapping around him tightly as his fingers fucked into me. He picked up the speed at my request, moving on to three as my stomach wound up tightly in that familiar feeling.


    I curled my toes, pressing down into his palm as I chased after my release. Gio took my lips in his, taking control with his tongue. The pleasure was too much to deny, and soon, I let out a loud cry as I came all over his pants.


    Gio pulled out of me, and as overstimted as I was, I was grateful that he kept his hand there, waiting for me to pull away myself. He had always paid attention to me first, making sure he had pleased me before thinking of himself.


    In times like these, I was so grateful and lucky to have a man like him.


    He was kind, protective, handsome, and, most importantly, he loved me. What more could a girl want?


    But we weren¡¯t done yet, not even close. Gio flipped me onto my back, getting to his knees as he loomed over me with a dangerous smirk ying on his lips. I watched him as he unbuttoned his shirt, giving me a little show as he undressed.


    He discarded his clothes and then finally pulled mine off. Completely bare, he folded himself down, exploring my body with his mouth as he trailed kisses up and down my body.


    He trailed down to my lower half still sensitive froming and pushed my legs over his shoulders. I felt his warm tongue as he licked a wide strip to my clit, and I moaned loudly.


    I felt his smug smile as he sucked hard on my clit, and my body spasmed. He put his arm on my belly to keep me still and devoured me.


    I was toppling into a second orgasm with barely any warning as he fucked me with just his tongue. I breathed hard before I caught his hardened member, straining and red with the need to be released.


    He had pleased me enough¡ªit was his turn.


    I turned onto my stomach, pushing my legs into the air as I sent him a sly grin over my shoulder. I wiggled my ass a bit, taunting him, and I heard him growl.


    "Do you want me to fuck you, carina? Is that what you want?" he asked, even after I had syed myself open for him.


    "Yes, please," I said, batting my eyes innocently.


    I gasped as he grabbed me by the ankles, pulling me down until he lined up with the entrance. He groaned as he pushed into me, my body more than ready to ept him as he sheathed himself fully within me.


    I moaned, stuffing a pillow under my head as he pulled out until just the head remained and slid back into me. We groaned in unison as he let me adjust for a moment.


    "Gio," I whined, pushing back on him until we were connected by the hips. His grip on my ass tightened, and all rational thought left.


    He pounded into me, thrusting harshly, and I cried as he fucked me at a punishing pace. My legs quivered around him, tightening as he thumbed at my clit. I met his pace in a hurried frenzy, panting heavily as every time he mmed into me, the bed squeaked beneath us, the headboard hitting the wall with a thump.


    I shut my eyes, relishing in the pleasure as my pussy tightened around him further, and he groaned into my neck, bending himself around my back as he pressed even deeper into me.


    I came around him, calling his name, and without even taking his cock out, he turned me onto my back.


    My mouth opened in a silent scream, my nails digging into his neck as I came.


    He fucked me through it, only continuing more, and his breath grewbored as he reached his climax soon after. With a final thrust, he pushed into my opening and the white hot liquid poured into me, filling me to the brim and spilling onto the sheets.


    I stared up at him with half-lidded eyes, a silly smile on my lips as he held me to his chest and pushed us onto our sides. We stared at each other, our heated momenting down.


    I curled into him, takingfort in the way his chest moved with every breath. Gently, reality came back to us. I pressed a hand against my stomach, full of him, and a frown yed on my lips as I remembered something very unpleasant.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to take hormones before they can retrieve the eggs,¡± I told him with a bit of dread. ¡°I¡¯ll be out of it, even worse than when I¡¯m on my period.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of you,¡± Gio promised, giving me a short peck on the lips. ¡°However you need me, I¡¯ll be right there for you.¡±


    I smiled, as anxious as I was about the whole process, my excitement was stronger.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have a baby,¡± I told him, a bit drunk on happiness. ¡°A boy who looks like you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯d much prefer a girl, just as pretty as you,¡± Gio answered, tucking my head under his chin.


    ¡°Flirt,¡± I grinned, but my thoughts wandered back to the baby and ultimately, to who¡¯d be carrying them.


    ¡°You like Elena, right? She seems like a nice girl, and I don¡¯t want you to feel like you¡¯re doing this just for me,¡± I asked nervously, not wanting him to hold back on my ount. If he didn¡¯t like Elena, then we would search for a different surrogate.


    No questions asked.


    ¡°As long as you like her and she¡¯s safe, which it seems like she probably is, then I¡¯m okay with it,¡± Gio reassured me, easily. ¡°What¡¯s most important to me is you and the baby. As long as you¡¯re okay with her, I am too.¡±


    A moment of quiet fell upon us, and I sighed, cuddling into his embrace before my thoughts began to run me over once more.


    ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t like me? What if I don¡¯t like her? What if she falls for you and tries to steal you from me?¡± I nibbled on my bottom lip nervously.


    Thest one was my biggest concern.


    It was impossible not to fall in love with Gio. If they weren¡¯t cousins, I had no doubt Dahlia would¡¯ve been all over him. It was a miracle he hadn¡¯t been married before meeting me. Even the thought crushed my heart into tiny little pieces.


    Giovani brushed aside all of my worries,ughing brightly as he pressed his lips to my temple. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for her not to like you and if you don¡¯t like her, we¡¯ll just go with a different surrogate. And if she did happen to fall for me and try to steal me away, it wouldn¡¯t matter in the slightest. I love you and my eyes are only for you. Every other girl could be a blurry blob for all I care.¡±


    I pursed my lips, still unsure. Even though I knew what he was saying was true, I was still a bit worried. Elena would be the one carrying the child, after all. What if she used that against me?


    I shook my head at those nasty thoughts. Elena seemed like a normal, friendly girl. I doubted she would do something like that, especially since she¡¯d been checked by the agency. It was hard to keep my jealousy under wraps though.


    Gio was my life, my love. He was everything to me. If some girl tried to take that away, I didn¡¯t know what I would do.


    ¡°Still worried?¡± Gio mumbled into my temple.


    ¡°A bit,¡± I said honestly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t even talk to her enough for anything like that to happen. I promise. Just trust me,¡± He said, pulling the nket over our naked bodies.


    Gio yawned, and I reached up to run my hand over his stubble. He hadn¡¯t had time to shave with how busy he¡¯d been. The surrogacy and running things as the boss had taken a toll on him.


    He¡¯d been so amazing through this whole process, even after the emotional turmoil of finding out we couldn¡¯t have a baby on our own. After a full day of making ns and finalizing things, so I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about it, he deserved to rest.


    ¡°I do trust you,¡± I whispered quietly, even knowing he had already fallen asleep.


    It was others I didn¡¯t trust.


    Content and exhausted from the long day at the surrogacy center, my eyes fluttered closed as my consciousness slowly drifted away. I pressed my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat as it lulled me into sleep.


    I hoped with all of my heart that this process will be easy and drama-free.

 Chapter 413 : A New Friendship

    <h4>Chapter 413: Chapter 413 : A New Friendship</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I arrived at the restaurant a little early; I wanted to make sure I was settled and had my thoughts collected before Elena arrived. As the hostess led me to our booth, my heart raced with anticipation. I really had a good feeling about Elena, but I wanted to be absolutely certain that she was the right one to be a surrogate for us. It was mind-blowing to think that she could be the person who would bring our child into this world.


    Although I was still nervous about everything, Elena¡¯s personality really did put me at ease. It was undeniable that there was a spark ofmonality between the two of us. I could tell that she had such a passion for helping others, and she seemed like an incredibly warm person, both things that I aspired to for myself and that I would hope my child would have as well.


    I knew that biologically the baby would be all me and Giovani, but that didn¡¯t stop me from thinking that Elena yed a major part in how the baby would turn out as well. It would spend nine months hearing her heartbeat, after all. I wanted it to grow in the belly of someone who would be a good influence on his or her developing brain.


    I looked toward the door of the restaurant right as Elena was walking in and we locked eyes. I smiled and waved her over. She was wearing an adorable green jumpsuit and gold hoop earrings. Her hair was pulled into a cute little side braid. I loved her style; it felt like just another reminder of ourpatibility.


    ¡°Hi!¡± I stood up to kiss her cheeks.


    ¡°Hey! So good to see you!¡± she said before settling into our booth.


    The hostess had seated us into a cozy little corner booth, which I was grateful for. I had a feeling this lunch might go long. I wanted to use this meeting to really get to know Elena and to let her get to know me. If she was going to do something as intimate as carry my child, we needed to be sure we could fully trust each other.


    We greeted each other politely as our waiter came to get our drink order. Elena deferred to me, so I decided to order a bottle of ros¨¦ for the two of us to share. I figured the wine might help us both feel a bit morefortable with the conversation we were about to have. Our waiter left to fetch our ros¨¦, and I leaned closer over the table. ¡°So how have you been?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Great!¡± she said, her warm voice immediately putting me at ease. ¡°I¡¯ve honestly been so excited about this lunch! If it¡¯s not too forward of me, can I ask what you and Giovani are thinking as far as a timeline?¡±


    Her excitement thrilled me. I had worried that she might be nervous about what pregnancy would be like for her, but it seemed like she wasn¡¯t stressed about that at all.


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s okay with you, we really want to get started as soon as possible. We¡¯ve been trying to have a baby of our own for a while now, so we¡¯re really eager. I don¡¯t want to rush you by any means, but if you¡¯refortable with it, we could try the imntation as soon as¨C¡±


    I was interrupted by the waiter bringing our wine over. He sat our wine sses down and poured from the bottle before setting it on the table.


    ¡°And what would we like to eat,dies?¡± he asked. I realized we hadn¡¯t even opened our menus, but food was thest thing on my mind.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯ll just have panzane please.¡±


    I asked for the first Italian sd I could think of.


    ¡°That sounds delicious; I¡¯ll do the same,¡± Elena said.


    Our waiter nodded and walked off to put in our orders. Elena turned back to me expectantly, and I realized that I hadn¡¯t been able to finish what I was saying.


    ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re ready to get started as soon as you¡¯re ready,¡± I exined.


    ¡°Sounds great to me!¡±


    Her words filled me with relief. I knew by agreeing to be our surrogate that she was essentially saying she was ready to get pregnant, but I had still worried that she would want to wait for some reason. This entire process had taken so long already, I was antsy to finally get started.


    ¡°Thank god,¡± I sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve been so perfect already. Are you sure you¡¯re even real?¡± I joked.


    Sheughed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I guess I¡¯m as real as anyone else.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°So, tell me about yourself. I¡¯d love to get to know you better.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m originally from Sicily. I moved here after graduating from high school, and I¡¯ve been nannying off and on since then. Right now, I¡¯m in between nanny families, and I¡¯ll take a break from that during the pregnancy, but I¡¯d like to get back to it afterward. I really love kids.¡±


    Our waiter brought our panzane, and we sat in silence for a few moments as we both ate. It was delicious, especially paired with the ros¨¦. I noticed that Elena only took tiny sips of her ros¨¦, which I appreciated. Not that I expected her to avoid alcohol before she was even pregnant, but it made me feel better knowing that she wasn¡¯t a heavy drinker.


    ¡°So how about you, Olivia? I know you¡¯re from the States. I¡¯m so curious what brought you here!¡±


    I smiled at her question, it had been a while since anyone had asked why I¡¯de to Italy.


    ¡°Well, my mother used to work for my best friend Dahlia¡¯s parents. They are fantastic people, and we basically grew up together. Dahlia and I had always nned oning to Italy for college. It wasn¡¯t long after we moved here that Giovani and I fell in love.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so romantic,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°It was a whirlwind at the beginning,¡± I admitted, ¡°But as soon as things calmed down, and we got married, we both realized we were ready to have a baby. Hepletes me in every way, and I just can¡¯t wait to have a family with him.¡±


    She reached across the table and put her hand over mine. ¡°The two of you are already a family. You¡¯re just adding to it.¡±


    Her words were so kind I felt tears pricking at my eyes. ¡°Thank you. That means a lot to me.¡±


    ¡°Of course! A family is really what you make of it, you know. Growing up, it was just my mom and me, and I loved every minute of it.¡±


    ¡°That is such a crazy coincidence,¡± I said. ¡°I grew up with mostly just my mom as well! My dad left when I was really young; I don¡¯t even remember him.¡±


    It was uncanny how simr Elena and I were. It made me feel even better about choosing her to be our surrogate. If I couldn¡¯t carry our baby myself, choosing someone who was just like me was definitely the next best thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard growing up without a dad, but I think it can make you strong too. I¡¯ve always felt called to help people in any way I can, and I think it¡¯s because I grew up knowing what it was like to not have everything that other people might have,¡± Elena said. ¡°I think that¡¯s part of why I was so interested in getting into surrogacy. The idea that I could use what I have to help other people in such a special way is really exciting to me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m really d that you felt called to do this. You¡¯re definitely the perfect surrogate for us,¡± I told her earnestly.


    ¡°That is really kind of you to say. I was honestly super nervousing into this that I might never find a couple who wanted to have me as their surrogate.¡±


    It was hard for me to believe that she would ever think people would not want her to be their surrogate, but I was d that she hadn¡¯t found a match before us. She was exactly who I wanted.


    ¡°I¡¯m just d you¡¯re going to be going through the process with us. I¡¯m really nervous to be a mom, and I think it made me even more nervous when I had so many months of struggling to conceive. I started to feel like the universe was telling me something, you know?¡± I felt my cheeks flush as I realized that I had just admitted something to her that I wasn¡¯t even sure I had been willing to admit to myself. There was just something about her that made me feelfortable with sharing all of my thoughts.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s horrible!¡± she eximed. ¡°I hope you know that¡¯s not true at all. I can tell you and Giovani will make great parents. Just seeing the way you both love each other is enough to convince me.¡±


    ¡°Well, to be honest, meeting you and seeing how much you and I have inmon has helped me to see that maybe the universe just wanted us toe together to bring this baby into the world,¡± I said shyly, hoping that she wasn¡¯t weirded out by my thoughts.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s exactly it!¡± she responded, immediately putting my fears at ease. She seemed to always know exactly what to say to make me feel better. I began to suspect that the bond we were forming would transcend the boundaries of our shared journey to parenthood. I hoped that this was the start of a genuine friendship. There was so much about Elena that I connected with on a deep level, I just knew we would be great friends if she was willing.


    We spent the rest of our lunch talking about our childhoods and realized that we had even more inmon than we had initially thought. Not only were we both raised by single moms, but her mother had also had a cleaning-rted job, working as a maid for a bed and breakfast. She still worked there, and Elena told me that Giovani and I absolutely must make a trip to the bed and breakfast sometime because they had the best croissants in the world.


    By the time there was a lull in the conversation, our wine and panzane was long gone. Elena checked her phone for the time and gasped, ¡°Oh my gosh! I have to get going, I have an appointment in fifteen minutes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please go ahead!¡± I told her. ¡°Thank you so much for meeting me today.¡±


    ¡°Of course, any time! Thank you for having me,¡± she said before rushing out.


    I paid our bill and headed out myself, feeling like I was floating as I walked to the car waiting for me. I had a feeling that this was going to be absolutely perfect.

 Chapter 414 : As Long as We’re Together

    <h4>Chapter 414: Chapter 414 : As Long as We¡¯re Together</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Driving to see Dr. Schmitz, I felt finally ready to begin the next steps of the surrogacy process. Meeting Elena for lunch had done so much to alleviate my concerns. Knowing that she really just wanted to help people like Giovani and me made me feel much better about everything.


    I didn¡¯t need to worry that she was going to try to steal him away from me or anything silly like that. I was still d that we had taken our time in exploring the surrogacy option, but now that we were one hundred percent decided that it was the right path forward, I was all in and eager to get started.


    Giovani squeezed my hand when we arrived at the surrogacy center, and I looked at him with a smile on my face. I knew he was nervous about this process as well; it would be a much different challenge for our rtionship than anything we had undergone before, but it would be well worth it if it meant we could finally realize our dream of bing parents.


    We walked into the center and were greeted by the staff members who had already taken the time to get to know us. The receptionist let us back to the consultation room, and we waited excitedly for Dr. Schmidtz. Mrs. Ortiz had transferred all of the information over to our original doctor who was ready to help us.


    ¡°Are you ready for this?¡± Gio asked, his brow furrowed. ¡°I¡¯ve heard it can be difficult.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more than ready,¡± I assured him. ¡°And besides, it won¡¯t be as difficult as actually being pregnant and going through childbirth. Knowing that this will help bring our baby into the world will make it easy.¡±


    ¡°Well you know you¡¯ll be getting the princess treatment from everyone in the house,¡± he chuckled. ¡°I think Dahlia might be just as excited for this baby as we are.¡±


    Iughed with him; he was definitely right about that. Dahlia had already begun online shopping for baby clothes. At this rate, the baby would have a full wardrobe before they were even conceived.


    Dr. Schmidt knocked and came into the room. ¡°Hi! How are we today?¡± she asked brightly.


    ¡°Great!¡± I told her, feeling myself sit up a little straighter in her presence. I was so full of nervous excitement I felt like I could run a damn marathon.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get right into it then! This is a very exciting appointment because we are finally going to be taking the first steps toward actually making your baby. So, as we discussed at ourst meeting, the first part of all of this is the egg retrieval. From there, we will fertilize your eggs to create embryos; you can think of embryos as being little baby seeds almost. Then we will examine the embryos and choose the two healthiest-looking ones to ¡®nt¡¯ inside the surrogate¡¯s uterus. Full disclosure, this could technically result in twins, but most likely will not. The reason we like to start with two is to increase the chances that one of them will take and result in a healthy pregnancy.¡±


    Luckily Gio and I already knew what she was telling us thanks to our hours of inte research, but I still appreciated the reminders. It was easy to get overwhelmed by the whole process. I reached out to take Giovani¡¯s hand forfort.


    ¡°Okay, are you both ready to learn more about what leads up to the egg retrieval process? This will be the most difficult part of the process for both of you, so I want to take the time to exin it and make sure you can ask me any questions that you might have.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re ready,¡± Giovani said, his voice confident and strong. I was so lucky to have him by my side through all of this.


    ¡°Because our goal is to be able to retrieve anywhere between eight and fifteen healthy eggs, we¡¯re going to have you on a very specific regimen of hormones leading up to the retrieval. We will start you on a medication that will suppress your ovtion, then when we get closer to the date, you will begin a medication that will trigger your ovaries to release healthy eggs. It is extremely important that you take all medications exactly when we tell you to take them, because failure to do so could result in needing to dy the retrieval process. These hormones can be a lot on your body, so we do not want to have to put you on this regimen for any longer than absolutely necessary.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I told her. I was d that I had decided to take a break from college. It made it so much easier to be able to focus on this full time.


    ¡°I have this chart for you with everything written out. If you have any questions at all, you call my office. We care about your sess as much as you do. Don¡¯t ever feel like you can¡¯t reach out.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Giovani took the chart from her. ¡°I¡¯ll keep track of this.¡± He smiled at me, proud to be able to take at least something small off of my te. I knew that it bothered him that he couldn¡¯t do more, but his presence and support alone was more than enough.


    ¡°We will have a few appointments between now and egg retrieval day, just to ensure that the hormones are having the right effect. I predict that this will go rather smoothly, but it¡¯s still important that we monitor you regrly. Your safety is our top priority. We don¡¯t want to risk your health for the sake of retrieving eggs.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but think that I would be willing to risk my health if it meant that we could have a healthy baby, but I appreciated that Dr. Schmidt cared about my wellbeing. I knew Gio appreciated it as well. Thest thing he wanted was for me to get sick, or worse.


    ¡°Alright, do you have any questions for me about this process?¡± Dr. Schmidt asked.


    ¡°After the egg retrieval, how long will it be until the embryos are ready to be imnted?¡± Giovani asked.


    ¡°About three to five days, depending on embryo development,¡± she responded.


    I was thrilled to hear that it would be so soon. That meant that in just a little over a month, Elena could be pregnant with our baby!


    I hoped that she was ready for such a big step. I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine the emotions that she must be feeling knowing that she was about to spend nine months carrying another couple¡¯s baby inside of her. I could barelyprehend the fact that this egg retrieval would result in a pregnancy, let alone a living, breathing baby. I hoped that Elena was thinking about that so that she would be ready when the time came.


    ¡°Do you have any special dietary rmendations for me? Or exercise?¡± I asked. I wanted to do whatever it would take to ensure sess.


    ¡°Really just continuing to do whatever you already do for exercise, and eat a generally healthy diet. I do rmend avoiding alcohol just because there is some evidence that it can cause hormone disruption, but that¡¯s not a strict rule. Just don¡¯t binge drink.¡±


    I nodded. I would still reduce my consumptionr right away. It would be more than worth it.


    ¡°How do hormones usually affect the person taking them?¡± Giovani asked. He knew I was nervous about that.


    ¡°It is different for everyone, just as everyone has different symptoms rted to their menstrual cycle, but the mostmon side effects that people report are moodiness, feelings of bloating, and an increase in appetite. The good news is that all of that is temporary and should subside within two weeks after the egg retrieval. Of course, if any of the side effects seem extreme or worry you, definitely call the office, and we will schedule an appointment to see if I can do anything to give you some relief. One side effect that¡¯s rare but can be especially annoying is nausea, and I do have some medications I can prescribe for that. Definitely just keep us in the loop for anything that bothers you; don¡¯t worry about whether or not something is too insignificant to bring up. We are here to help in any way we can.¡±


    Her words made me feel much better. I knew that the hormonal effects of preparing for the egg retrieval were nothingpared to what I would go through if I was going to actually get pregnant, but that didn¡¯t stop me from being nervous. I just wanted to feel as much like myself as possible.


    ¡°Do you have any more questions for me?¡± Dr. Schmidt asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Giovani said, looking at me to be sure.


    I shook my head, my thoughts were already spinning with all the information we¡¯d received. I needed time to process before I could handle learning anything new.


    ¡°Perfect! Then I will prescribe you the medications that you need and take you to the receptionist to schedule your first appointment. We¡¯ll see you next week!¡±


    Giovani stood and reached out a hand to help me up. I smiled at his show of chivalry. He had always treated me so well, but I knew that hearing about how the hormones might affect me had made him feel especially protective. I wasn¡¯t even on the medications yet, but it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if he started treating me like a delicate piece of ss starting right now.


    Dr. Schmidt led us back out to the receptionist¡¯s desk and helped us to get our next several appointments scheduled.


    ¡°Again, please feel free to call if you have any questions or concerns. We are here for you and the sess of this process will be much more likely if we can keep an open line ofmunication between each other.¡±


    She shook our hands goodbye, and we were on our way. I felt like my head was spinning between the information we had received and the excitement I had over knowing that we were so close to seeing our baby start to grow.


    Gio opened my door for me and encouraged me to scoot over so that he could immediately slide into the car. I had noticed that he¡¯d kept his hands on me throughout the entire appointment and seemed to be determined to keep that up. I loved that he was so attentive and concerned, and I was determined to soak it up. Although this process would be difficult, as long as I had Giovani, I knew that everything would be just fine.


    As we rode home, I snuggled up against his side andid my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me and held me tightly.


    I smiled at how safe his embrace made me feel. Nothing would ever change that.


    Nothing.

 Chapter 415 : Spa Day

    <h4>Chapter 415: Chapter 415 : Spa Day</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Okay, which of these tops says ¡®super supportive best friend who can¡¯t wait to be an auntie¡¯ more?¡± Dahlia asked while holding up a cream sweater in one hand and a yellow blouse in the other. I wasying on her bed as she prepared for our spa date with Elena. I had been ready well over half an hour ago, but Dahlia was struggling with indecision.


    Her excitement to meet Elena was over the top, but I secretly loved it. Although choosing to use a surrogate was mine and Giovani¡¯s choice alone, having Dahlia¡¯s approval made me feel much better about the whole process.


    ¡°Um, I kind of don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to care what you wear,¡± I giggled.


    Dahlia looked from the sweater to the blouse and back again, then settled on the sweater. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll mostly be in robes anyway,¡± she said.


    ¡°Exactly. And besides, it¡¯s not you who needs to impress her. It¡¯s her who needs to impress you!¡± I reminded her. And I meant it. Dahlia was a great judge of character, and how she felt about Elena was important to me.


    ¡°Well, with how sweet you make her sound. I¡¯m starting to feel like she¡¯s a damn saint,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Dahlia!¡± I gasped, ¡°Is that jealousy I hear in your voice?!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she eximed. ¡°Okay... maybe a little. It¡¯s just that you make her sound so amazing and on top of that, she¡¯s going to carry your freaking baby, and you know, I start feeling like maybe she¡¯s going to end up being your new best friend or something.¡±


    I was shocked to hear Dahlia say that. All my life, I had felt like Dahlia was entirely too cool to be my best friend and that I was incredibly lucky that she had picked me. Now she was telling me that she was afraid I¡¯d find someone else to take her ce? Fat chance.


    ¡°Dolly, you have to know that absolutely nobody could ever take your ce in my life,¡± I said seriously. ¡°Elena might be my baby¡¯s surrogate, but at the end of the day, that¡¯s all she will be to me. Don¡¯t get me wrong, being our surrogate is a huge thing, but it¡¯s not the same as someone like you who is going to be there to see all of the baby¡¯s milestones. I mean, who else is going to buy the baby¡¯s first pair of designer sunsses?¡±


    Dahlia smiled, her face lightening as I reassured her. ¡°You¡¯re right. I guess I forget that there¡¯s a lot more to a baby¡¯s life than the nine months in the womb.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! And even though I think you and Elena and I will get along great, at the end of the day, my rtionship with her is literally bound by a contract, so it¡¯s a lot different from my friendship with you.¡±


    Dahlia bounced across the room and wrapped me in her arms. ¡°I love you, Olive!¡±


    I squeezed her back. ¡°I love you too. Seriously, you¡¯re going to be the best auntie any baby will ever have.¡±


    With her worries subdued, Dahlia quickly finished getting dressed so that we could be on our way to the spa. In the car, she chattered with nervous excitement and had already given me about a hundred different suggestions for baby names by the time we arrived at the spa.


    The spa was inside a gorgeous old stone building that reminded me of some of the architecture I¡¯d seen in Venice. Elena was waiting for us just inside the door, and it was up to me to do the introductions. She and Dahlia hit it off immediately, just as I¡¯d known they would.


    We decided to start off in the steam room so that we could chat before getting hot stone massages. Inside the humid room, it felt like the perfect cozy atmosphere to get to know each other better.


    ¡°So, you both grew up in the States? Tell me what that was like!¡± Elena said once we were seated.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin when you don¡¯t have much topare it to, but honestly I loved it,¡± Dahlia said. ¡°I always dreamed of attending a university in Italy, but now that I¡¯m here, I¡¯m so d I have those American memories. There¡¯s nothing quite like American culture. I feel like for me at least, Italy has been all about sophistication, which I absolutely love, but America was all about just having fun.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so interesting,¡± Elena responded. ¡°I could definitely see that. The first time I found out that a lot of university students in America will wear gym clothes to ss, I didn¡¯t believe it!¡±


    We allughed at that. Thankfully, Dahlia had told me that Italian students tend to dress a little nicer for ss, or else I totally would have stuck out on our first day at the university.


    ¡°I¡¯ve fallen in love with Italy, though,¡± I told Elena. ¡°I don¡¯t see myself ever leaving, especially now that I have Giovani. His whole life is here, and I just have my mom back home, so it¡¯s an easy decision to just stay here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. I would be sad if I had this child for you and you immediately moved across the world! I know that once the baby is born that I won¡¯t really see him or her, but I would love it if I could asionally have visits.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± I said, and I meant it. Elena was an incredible person, and I wanted my baby to know the woman who had sacrificed so much so that he or she could be brought into the world. I didn¡¯t want her to feel like we were just treating her like an incubator when she was so much more than that to our family. Without her, Giovani and I would never have kids.


    ¡°Hell, with how much of a testosterone fest it is over at thepound, it would be nice to have an extra woman around once in a while,¡± Dahlia joked.


    ¡°Ugh, I know how that is,¡± Elena said. ¡°I have only male cousins, so growing up it was just constant boy shit. Boys are great and all, but sometimes you just want to paint your nails in peace!¡±


    We allughed at that, and I wondered if the baby would be a boy or a girl. I knew we would be overjoyed to have either. Just having a healthy baby at all would be a miracle after everything we¡¯d been through.


    ¡°Shall we head to our massages?¡± Dahlia asked.


    I checked the time and was shocked to see that we¡¯d already been in the steam room for a half hour. The conversation had flowed so freely that I hadn¡¯t even noticed the time passing.


    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t wait!¡± I eximed. ¡°These hormones have been really doing a number on me. It¡¯s so weird. I was expecting to be all weepy and emotional, but instead, I¡¯ve just been kind of sore.¡±


    ¡°Well, being sore is better than crying, I think,¡± Elena said.


    ¡°True!¡± Dahlia threw over her shoulder.


    We walked from the steam room to the massage room, and I gasped when the door was opened. The room was on the top floor of the building and had floor-to-ceiling tinted windows so that we could see the sky and the city, but others couldn¡¯t see in. There were three massage tables lined up and fluttery flute music yed softly from a speaker in the corner. Our masseuses were busy heating the stones that they would soon be lying on our backs, but when they saw us enter they stood to greet us.


    ¡°Wee!¡± One woman stepped forward. ¡°Today we will be doing a hot stone massage. I was also informed that a man named Giovani called and gifted the three of you with an extra thirty minutes of deep tissue massage. We will begin with the deep tissue and then move on to the hot stone.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, tell Giovani ¡®thank you¡¯ from me!¡± Elena turned to me, looking shocked. I wondered if she¡¯d ever had someone in her life who spoiled her the way Gio spoiled me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will,¡± I smiled. I was proud to have such a thoughtful and caring husband.


    ¡°We will step out so that you can take off your robes and get situated under the towels. Pleasey face down and cover yourselves however you arefortable. We will be back in about ten minutes.¡±


    We all giggled awkwardly at having to disrobe in front of each other. Dahlia and I had seen each other naked thousands of times, but Elena barely knew us. I supposed that the nature of our rtionship warranted gettingfortable with each other¡¯s bodies pretty quickly.


    After a quick discussion to figure out who was going on which massage table, we were all lying face down and ready for our massage treatments. The gentle flute music was lovely to my ears and for a moment, I was afraid I would nod off before the massage even began.


    The masseuses came back into the room and started up. We stayed mostly silent through the massages, just enjoying the rxation of having a professional work on our muscles. By the end of it, I had forgotten all about the soreness that I had beenining about since starting the hormone treatments, which I suspected had been Giovani¡¯s goal when he decided to gift us with an extra thirty minutes.


    When the masseuses left us so that we could put our robes back on, we all were sighing with contentment and the afterglow of a great massage. Next up on our agenda was pedicures.


    We spent what seemed like foreverughing and talking about which nail polish colors we were going to choose, finally deciding on a deep red for Dahlia, a light blue for Elena, and a soft pink for myself. As we got our pedicures, we got back to chatting about our lives and memories, and I smiled when I realized that it was starting to feel like Elena had been our friend for a very long time. She fit in so well with Dahlia and me that I couldn¡¯t help but think that it was fate that had brought her to be my surrogate.


    After our pedicures were finished, we didn¡¯t want to stop the day, so we decided to all go out to lunch together. Elena had taken a taxi to get to the spa, so she rode with Dahlia and me to the restaurant for lunch. I could tell she was in awe of the fact that we regrly used a car with a professional driver, and I let her know that she was wee to call us any time she needed a ride.


    The day had gone so perfectly. I was totally put at ease about my rtionship with Elena. In spite of what I had said to Dahlia about our rtionship needing to stay professional, it was bing obvious that we were going to be great friends.

 Chapter 416 : The Transfer

    <h4>Chapter 416: Chapter 416 : The Transfer</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I rubbed my hands together, feeling a wash of nerves and excitement. I sat in Dr. Schmidt¡¯s office on the day of the embryo transfer, talking the procedure over with her while Elena got prepped for the process in the other room. The clinic allowed her one guest during the process, and I¡¯d cried when she chose me.


    I would get to be present for the moment of my baby¡¯s imntation, just like I wanted.


    Gio had driven me to the clinic again, but he sat in the waiting room. He said he couldn¡¯t bear being further than that, even if he couldn¡¯te in. I wished I could hold his hand as well, but I knew the procedure room would start to get crowded.


    ¡°So,¡± Dr. Schmidt said, a bright smile on her face, ¡°today is the day! I know we¡¯ve talked this through a couple of times already, but do you have any final questions?¡±


    I fidgeted in my seat. They¡¯d taken the eggs from me a few weeks ago, and I¡¯d only gotten a brief glimpse of their tranquil procedure room before the sedation took me. I hoped Elena would feelforted by the soft blue walls like I had.


    What was truly remarkable was that they had been able to gather a few of Gio¡¯s swimmers that were viable after all, and they¡¯d used those to fertalize my eggs, so this baby was truly ours.


    ¡°Where are the embryos right now?¡± I blurted.


    She smiled and pointed at the wall to her left. ¡°Just through there. We¡¯ve got a team of highly trained embryologists selecting the most viable ones as they thaw.¡±


    I stared at the wall covered in Dr. Schmidt¡¯s degrees and aplishments. Just through a thin sheet of drywall, my baby was being chosen. I would hold one of those embryos in my arms one day. I would send them to kindergarten and college.


    I grinned.


    ¡°And she¡¯ll be awake, right? Elena?¡±


    Dr. Schmidt nodded. ¡°Her end of the procedure is far less painful. We¡¯re just inserting a speculum and the embryos. She¡¯s being given a muscle rxant, but she should be fully conscious.¡±


    I smiled widely, practically bouncing up and down in my seat. I would get to look into the eyes of the woman carrying my baby as my child was imnted and beginning to grow. It was as close as I could get to carrying the baby myself, and I was honored Elena had allowed me to get so close to the process.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re excited, Olivia, but as a doctor, it is my job to be realistic.¡± Dr. Schmidt folded her hands on her desk. ¡°This may not work the first time. We¡¯re only imnting two embryos today, so you have more than enough to try again, but procedures like this often take two or three tries.¡±


    I nodded. I¡¯d been through all the brochures and paperwork she¡¯d given us, most of them so often that the corners were starting to wear down. I sat up at night worrying that the embryos would never take until we ran out of money or I ran out of eggs. Neither of those things would happen soon.


    ¡°And we won¡¯t know if it worked for twelve to fourteen days, at the end of which we have toe back in for you to test if she¡¯s pregnant,¡± I repeated.


    Dr. Schmidt chuckled. ¡°I see somebody¡¯s been doing the homework.¡±


    I blushed. ¡°I really, really want this to work.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± She smiled. ¡°You¡¯re in wonderful hands.¡±


    A knock sounded on the door, and I shot up out of my chair. A nurse I¡¯d seen around poked his head in.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± he said.


    The nurse led me to the procedure room while Dr. Schmidt went to prepare. Inside, Elenay on afortable reclining medical chair, simr to the sort they use at the dentist, wearing a floral cloth hospital gown. The walls were the same cool,forting blue I remembered, and soft, guitar music with an Italian ir yed from a speaker I couldn¡¯t see.


    Elena¡¯s face lit up as I entered. ¡°Olivia!¡±


    I crossed the room to her quickly. ¡°How are you?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Very rxed, which is apparently important for my uterine walls.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Sounds thrilling. Are you ready for this?¡±


    She nodded resolutely. ¡°I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s easier than a pap smear.¡±


    A door at the back of the room opened, and a person in a white coat with dark hair that I hadn¡¯t seen before rolled in with a cart containing a few tools and a single petri dish.


    I raised a shaking hand to my mouth. ¡°Is that...?¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Sure is. Do you want to see up close?¡±


    I nodded vehemently.


    He lifted the petri dish closer, and my heart thudded in my ears.


    My baby.


    My babies.


    This would be my first look at them.


    I stared, but it only looked clear with two ck circles that seemed more like targets than cells.


    I furrowed my eyebrows, and he chuckled as he reced the dish on the cart.


    ¡°They¡¯re too small to see with the naked eye at this point. Dr. Schmidt took some pictures under the microscope, and you can see those if you like.¡±


    I huffed a sigh, and Elena grabbed my hand and squeezed.


    ¡°Dr. Bianchi here is a joker. He was a lot of fun while I was getting set up,¡± she exined.


    I squeezed her hand back, grateful for thefort, as the man turned and retrieved two pieces of photo paper from a lower shelf of the cart.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much to see at this point,¡± he warned as I took them.


    To a certain extent, he was right. I held in my hands two grayscale images of a small pile of ovepping circles, surrounded by onerger circle.


    Tears filled my eyes. In reality, I held the first picture of my baby, and the feeling overwhelmed me. I knew these might not take, that we might go through this process two or three or half a dozen times, but all the work and thought and hope Gio and I had put into this exploded over me at that moment.


    Each tiny embryo represented a profound connection between me and my future child. They represented all of our dreams for our family and our future. We couldn¡¯t build that future the traditional way, but at this moment, that hardly mattered.


    Gio and I would build our future, however we had to do it.


    Elena squeezed my hand again. ¡°Can I see?¡±


    I leaned the pictures toward her.


    She smiled. ¡°That one¡¯s got your hair.¡±


    Iughed wetly. ¡°Can I keep these?¡± I asked Dr. Bianchi.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he answered warmly.


    I swiped at my cheeks. I couldn¡¯t wait to show Gio our first baby pictures.


    Dr. Schmidt strode into the room, snapping a pair oftex gloves around her wrists, with two nurses on her heels.


    ¡°Alrighty, are we ready to get started here?¡± She took in my teary eyes and the papers grasped in my hand. ¡°Ah, the pictures. I thought you¡¯d like those.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, doctor. They¡¯re beautiful,¡± I said.


    She smiled at me, then turned to Elena. ¡°This might be a little ufortable, but it shouldn¡¯t take more than a couple minutes. Afterward, bed rest for the day, but then it¡¯s most likely to take if you¡¯re up and moving. Nothing too strenuous, but light walks and regr activity are good.¡±


    Elena nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve got a great bed set up and everything.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Then let¡¯s get down to business.¡±


    Dr. Bianchi left, and Elena settled her feet in the stirrups on the chair. As Dr. Schmidt turned to the cart, I met Elena¡¯s eyes.


    After all my fears, all the stress and research of choosing a surrogate, I was so thrilled we¡¯d ended up with Elena. Her gaze burned into mine, all full of hope and determination. I knew at that moment that, like Gio and I, she would do whatever needed to be done to have this baby safely. I tried to return the same determination to her, and all the trust I was happy to put in her.


    Dr. Schmidt turned back to us with the first tool in hand, and the procedure began.


    I couldn¡¯t describe the procedure exactlyter, but at that moment, I was overwhelmed by wonder. At any previous time in human history, Gio and I would have just struggled for years and never had the family we dreamed of. Because we were here, now, we could not only have a child but have my child, even if we couldn¡¯t have his.


    A team of medical professionals swirled through the room, effortlessly trading out tools with only the bare minimum ofmunication. Elena¡¯s face pinched once, but otherwise, she seemed perfectly serene, as though the procedure was as simple as getting her toenails painted. Tears welled in my eyes once more as I watched all these people, all these strangers, performing at the top of their ability to make my and Gio¡¯s dreame true.


    At that moment, as much as I loved my baby, I loved all of humanity just as much. It would have been impossible to do anything else.


    Finally, Dr. Schmidt stepped back, and the nurses with her. ¡°And it is done.¡±


    Elena exhaled slowly, squeezed my hand onest time, and let go.


    A wave of emotions welled up in my chest, almost impossible to parse.


    ¡°Elena, you¡¯re going to have to sit here for half an hour or so, but then you¡¯re free to head out. You have transportation home?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°The Valentinos are driving me.¡±


    ¡°Did it work?¡± I blurted as nervous anticipation took over.


    I knew we couldn¡¯t know if anything at all had just happened for two weeks, and I would have to pass those two weeks without annoying the shit out of everyone in my life, especially Gio. I could already feel the fidgety energy in my limbs.


    Dr. Schmidt smiled indulgently. ¡°The transfer went well, but you know as well as I do that no concrete answer can be given now.¡±


    I nodded sharply as hope bloomed brilliantly in my veins. Elena could be pregnant right now. She could be sitting there, carrying our child¨Cno dozen attempts, not even a second one. Sometimes it just worked, and Gio and I were owed a little luck by the universe.


    Nine months from today, I could be cradling my baby in my arms.


    Elena looked to me. ¡°I¡¯d like a little time by myself before we head out, if that¡¯s okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± I said. ¡°Oh, yes, of course. You might have just gotten pregnant, of course you need a moment.¡±


    Dr. Schmidt let me out into the hall and pointed the way to the waiting room. ¡°I¡¯ll send her out when she¡¯s ready.¡±


    I walked down the warm but sterile halls of the clinic that I¡¯d walked so many times now, my head spinning with more emotions than I knew what to do with. I clutched the embryo pictures in my hand and reminded myself that Gioy at the end of this walk, that he would be excited and nervous in a way that steadied me.


    As I took myst step into the waiting room, one final emotion rose to the surface¨Cvulnerability. Whatever came next for usy in the hands of fate.

 Chapter 417 : Between Trust and Caution

    <h4>Chapter 417: Chapter 417 : Between Trust and Caution</h4>


    *Giovani*


    After we returned home from the transfer appointment, I gave a chattering Olivia an absentminded kiss on the head and left her in Dahlia¡¯s excitable care. I had the folder with the pictures in it, and I marched up the stairs to my office. The excitement about the sessful procedure was all well and good, but I could participate in it better after I handled some business.


    I sat behind my desk, opened the folder, and stared at the pictures of the embryos Olivia had shown me so proudly in the waiting room. An intense, protective instinct had risen up in me, and it had not yet calmed. I knew that I would do anything to protect these embryos, even at this early stage.


    Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I had worried about feeling connected to children Olivia hadn¡¯t carried herself, though I hadn¡¯t beenpletely honest with her about it. That fear had died as soon as I saw these pictures. These were my children. I would do anything for them¨Ckill for them, wage wars for them, die for them. I was still in shock that they¡¯d found enough viable swimmers from me.


    There were celebrations to be had, certainly, but we both agreed they should wait until Elena could attend. Now, I needed to do whatever I could to protect my children.


    We¡¯d picked our surrogacy service for its discretion and thorough background checks, and we¡¯d liked Elena so much that I¡¯d beenx in my own preparations. As soon as we¡¯d dropped her off, I had called Gabriele and asked him to expedite Elena¡¯s background check through our avenues. I should never have let it get this far without being certain.


    I couldn¡¯t handle the aching disappointment of knowing I might have already let these embryos down.


    I tapped on my desk anxiously and eyed the drink cart in the corner. One brandy couldn¡¯t hurt anything, so I poured myself a ss of the amber liquid and sipped it slowly. The peaty warmth soothed my racing mind a little, but I couldn¡¯t stop looking at the pictures and worrying.


    Gabriele rapped on my door once, then stepped in without waiting for a response. The sight of my old friend was calming. An exhausted haze in his eyes reflected the hours he¡¯d spent ensuring all our information was perfect, and I knew he wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to Olivia or me that he could have stopped.


    He offered me a tired smile. ¡°The transfer went well?¡±


    I put my ss down. ¡°As well as can be hoped. What did you learn?¡±


    Gabriele took a deep breath, and my heart sank. I had missed something. The agency had missed something. Elena was some horrible monster, a nt by one of those up-anding South American families, a long-lost cousin of Dmitri, someone sent to ruin our lives once again.


    ¡°I checked with all of our contacts, and I mean all of them,¡± he started.


    My heart thudded unevenly, and I took a shaky sip of my drink.


    ¡°Her bank ount is on the lower end, but not low enough to raise eyebrows about anything she told you. She could probably be bribed, but I see no indication she has been already. No sudden expenses, either.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I know she and Olivia bonded over being from less extravagant backgrounds.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s reflected all over her history, but there¡¯s no sign her family became involved in anything illegal to support themselves. I couldn¡¯t find any convictions on her record, not even a parking ticket. She¡¯s got a brother who got a DUI once, but all records indicate he went to his court-mandated alcohol assessment and treatment withoutint, and there hasn¡¯t been an incident since. None of our bookies recognized thest name or the pictures¨Cpawnbrokers either.¡±


    I furrowed my brow as I absorbed the information. ¡°This all sounds good so far. What about more serious crimes?¡±


    Gabriele nodded. ¡°No offences, no moneyunderers, no wheelmen. No connections with any family on our radar.¡±


    I ran my finger around the rim of the ss. ¡°All good. Medical?¡±


    ¡°Nothing the surrogacy center didn¡¯t already have on file. No significant history of mental health treatment. We also checked out the obstetrician she picked, and they seem clean as well. We have a phone tap and tracker ready to go at your signal.¡±


    My stress whooshed out of my body on a sigh, and I dropped my head into my hands. Gabriele had chased every lead, turned over every stone, just as I knew he would. I trusted him with my life, and I respected his attention to detail more than anything else as my second.


    The image of the embryos floated back to the front of my mind, and I could have almost cried in relief. I didn¡¯t miss anything. I didn¡¯t doom our babies before we even knew if they took. I didn¡¯t fail as a father already.


    Gabriele took a step closer and said, ¡°Gio?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your diligence in this matter,¡± I said through my hands.


    There was a pause. ¡°Of course. But are you alright?¡±


    I sighed and picked up my head. ¡°I realized it was reckless to allow the transfer to go forward before we had vetted her our way.¡±


    Gabriele put his hands in his pockets. ¡°I¡¯ll admit I was a little surprised. You usually like every ¡®I¡¯ dotted and ¡®T¡¯ crossed.¡±


    I scrubbed a hand through my hair. ¡°I got swept up in the process. Olivia brought home these pictures of the embryos, and it hit me suddenly that I have more people to protect now.¡±


    ¡°I get that,¡± he said. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, she seems trustworthy. I had a couple of grunts evenb her social media, and they didn¡¯t see a single sign of trouble. She seems like a student making a little extra money and helping people out.¡±


    I studied Gabriele¡¯s face. I knew it nearly as well as my own, and I would be able to sense any flicker of doubt in his mind. Instead, I found him open and forting. He truly hadn¡¯t found anything to raise his hackles, and his hackles rose easily.


    I ran a thumb down the pictures. I didn¡¯t know how to totally rx while my children were still inside a rtive stranger, but Gabriele¡¯s surety eased the worst of my nerves.


    ¡°It is difficult to trust those outside our line of work,¡± I admitted.


    Gabriele shrugged. ¡°Or in it¨Cthere¡¯s no perfect solution in our situation.¡±


    I nodded slowly. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m being overly cautious?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°My first instinct is that there is no ¡®too cautious¡¯ for a man¡¯s wife and children.¡±


    I took a sip of brandy and gestured my agreement.


    ¡°But,¡± he said, ¡°you chose your wife to be Olivia.¡±


    I sighed and finished my ss of brandy, then poured myself another and offered one to him. He epted and sat, and I felt the boundary of leader and follower dissolve. I was simply having a conversation with my old friend, like any normal man might in a difficult situation.


    The thought brought a smile to my face. I had never been normal, but I imagined this might be how Dahlia and Olivia felt sometimes.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I asked.


    He sipped his drink and shrugged. ¡°You know her. You knew her when you married her. She doesn¡¯t like being treated like ss. She hates being left out or locked away. You¡¯re never going to be able to exercise the utmost caution with her if you don¡¯t want her to hate you.¡±


    I dropped my head back against the chair with a groan.


    Gabriele was right, of course. One of the things I loved most about Olivia was watching her be the sort of woman who knew what she wanted, what she deserved, and she fought for it right before my eyes. I loved that she didn¡¯t follow my orders, and I loved that she was more than a decoration in my house. I had enough decorations and enoughckeys.


    Had I been too cautious in this? Perhaps sending a mafia man to dig up our surrogate¡¯s medical records did overstep some boundary. Perhaps Olivia would be angry if she found out exactly how deep I had Gabriele look. I knew, after Dmitri, that she wanted to get back to a normal life. She wanted to make friends without wincing and background-checking every person she approached. I¡¯d held her during the nightmares she¡¯d had for weeks after we took him down,forted her as she weighed the added stress of having a wedding photographer against not remembering our special day.


    Olivia wanted to trust. My long-honed instincts urged me not to. Even with all of Gabriele¡¯s evidence, I still felt a frisson of nerves every time I thought about Elena, alone in her apartment with maybe a roommate forpany. I wanted her here, and I absolutely didn¡¯t, for what that would reveal about our lives.


    I picked my head up. We had to find a middle ground before this tore us apart.


    ¡°Don¡¯t put the tap-and-track on her phone,¡± I said finally.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s smart,¡± Gabriele said. ¡°It seems like the sort of thing that would upset your wife.¡±


    I smiled ruefully. ¡°But I¡¯d sleep much easier if we had it.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°Thepromises we make for love.¡±


    I raised my ss to him. ¡°You can say that again.¡±


    We talked for a few minutes more about less serious topics while Gabriele drank his brandy. When he was done, he set the ss on my desk and stood.


    ¡°I feel very certain,¡± he said, ¡°that Elena isn¡¯t bad news.¡±


    Then he turned and left, abandoning me to my thoughts.


    I scraped my hands through my hair. I couldn¡¯t face Olivia yet. She had bubbled with excitement and nerves all the way home, and nearly every other sentence out of her mouth had contained Elena¡¯s name. She really had developed a rtionship with the woman quickly, much quicker than I would have expected, given all her nerves beforehand.


    I liked seeing the smile on her face when she talked about Elena and the pregnancy. Her eyes brimmed with hope and trust, and I didn¡¯t want to destroy that with my cynicism.


    I finished off my second and final ss of brandy, then lifted one of the pictures to study it more closely¨Cmy baby, my wife¡¯s baby. Over the next nine months, if these embryos took, we would be slowly agreeing on every element of this baby¡¯s raising, from names to religious upbringing, if we decided to have one. I loved Olivia, and I trusted her.


    Perhaps I could trust her on this, no matter how much a little voice in the back of my brain urged me to keep looking.


    I scooped up both pictures and stood to retire to our room. I simply had to trust Elena and embrace her presence in our life.


    After all, she was carrying my children. I couldn¡¯t go back now.

 Chapter 418 : Welcome to the Family

    <h4>Chapter 418: Chapter 418 : Wee to the Family</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I smoothed my hands over the sleek, dove-gray dress Dahlia had picked out for me and tried not to fidget in the back of the limo. The fabric whispered silkily under my fingers and soothed some of my nerves.


    Elena was finally off bed rest, and she imed she was feeling good, so Gio had invited her out to dinner with us to celebrate the transfer.


    All of us.


    Elena had already met Dahlia and Gio, of course, but Tallon and Alessandro would be new to her. Plus, the siblings were bickering about who had to sit in the middle, which of course none of them did on the spacious limo seats. And, as usual, my husband had picked out a world-renowned, Michelin-starred restaurant. Elena had been surprised by the choice, and the reason Dahlia picked out my dress was that I had been busy sending a gown to our surrogate. I didn¡¯t want her to feel out of ce like I had in those early days.


    On top of all that, the worrying part of my brain kept insisting it was bad luck to celebrate something before I knew it had worked. Of course, we knew the transfer had been sessful, and that alone could be enough reason to celebrate. But hope and nerves warred for control over my opinions, and right now, nerves were winning.


    Gio grabbed my hand and pressed it to his lips. ¡°You¡¯re worrying,¡± he murmured against my skin.


    I sighed. He knew me too well. ¡°I just keep thinking that we don¡¯t know if she¡¯s pregnant. This seems like a big celebration for a half-step forward.¡±


    He dropped my hand from his mouth andughed. ¡°Then we¡¯ll just have to do something even bigger when we find out she is pregnant. Celebrations of increasing magnitude from here on out!¡±


    Iughed with him, tickled by his extravagance, and he grinned.


    ¡°There you go, carina. This is a happy asion. I can¡¯t have you upset around our unborn baby.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Then you should¡¯ve married someone else.¡±


    He feigned hurt, and the limo rolled to a stop outside Elena¡¯s apartment building. I stared up at it for a moment. I hadn¡¯t been here while not in the grips of total emotional turmoil yet, so it felt like my first time seeing it¨Cslightly crumbling sto, bars on the windows. Not an awful ce by any means, though. It retained the old Florentine charm with its tiled roof and parchment-tinted fa?ade. I could easily imagine being happy in a ce like that when we arrived in Italy.


    I was struck with the sudden knowledge that, if Dahlia¡¯s family were not who they were, we would have lived in a building like this. If I had different friends, I could have been Elena in a lot of ways.


    I fidgeted with my dress, pulling it further down over my knees, silently cursing Dahlia for making me wear her heels thatced all the way up the calf and demanding they be visible. Elena hadn¡¯t shown a smidgen of judgment yet, but all the wealth on disy suddenly felt extravagant.


    I texted her that we were out front, and a heart popped up on the message immediately. I took a deep breath. Elena liked us, and we were here to celebrate her and this journey we were taking together. I was just overthinking things.


    ¡°She¡¯s on her way down,¡± I told everyone in the car.


    Dahlia, Alessandro, and Tallon abruptly hushed. Dahlia and Alessandro even moved from where they were crushing Tallon between them to sit at a perfectly reasonable distance.


    I nodded. My friends knew how to behave, within reason. We probably wouldn¡¯t scare her away.


    The door at the front of the building swung open, and Elena stepped out into the dim sunset just as the streemps flickered on. She blinked, shielding her eyes for a moment, and I got that strange feeling of looking in a mirror again as Tallon hopped out and held the door open for her.


    She was wearing the dress I¡¯d picked out for her, and admittedly, I¡¯d opted in line with my own tastes because I didn¡¯t know hers quite yet. The medium-length cocktail dress shimmered in the streetlights, showing the quality of the fabric even at this distance. The cut was simple, an A-line skirt with a sweetheart neckline and off-the-shoulder sleeves, but I¡¯d noticed she tended toward pastels in her wardrobe, so instead of the ck I probably would have chosen for myself, the dress was a pale lc. As she regained her bearings in the sudden shift of light, I realized how much pale purple and light gray looked alike.


    Tallon extended a hand to her, and sheughed. I shook my head. I was letting baby nerves get in the way of a good night.


    ¡°Good evening, Elena,¡± he said, exactly like a vampire. I would¡¯ve smacked him if I could reach him.


    Luckily, Elena was made of sterner stuff than me. She simplyughed and put her hand in his. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you have the upper hand on me, sir. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    He bowed low over her hand. ¡°Tallon Valentino, at your service.¡±


    She keptughing at him as she bent to peer inside the limo. I waved sheepishly. I never should have let Tallon handle door duty.


    She grinned. ¡°I¡¯ve never been inside a limo before.¡±


    ¡°Me either, until this summer,¡± I said. ¡°Make sure to duck your whole body when you get in. I hit my back for the first three months.¡±


    She climbed in carefully and took the bench across from Dahlia and Alessandro. Tallon mbered in after her and made sure to sit so Alessandro was between him and Dahlia. I shook my head.


    Introductions and greetings were exchanged in a flurry, and luckily, Alessandro managed to seem like a normal adult instead of a cartoon viin. Elena¡¯s easy, sunshine-y demeanor seemed to put everyone at ease, and soon the conversation was flowing freely.


    I breathed a sigh of relief. The restaurant Gio had picked was nearly a forty-minute drive from Elena¡¯s apartment, and I had been so nervous people wouldn¡¯t get along in the confined space.


    Tallon popped a bottle of champagne with a bang that echoed around the interior and began handing out sses. I winced and tried to stop the circle of flutes.


    Gio leaned forward. ¡°Tallon, she can¡¯t drink.¡± His voice sounded heavy with warning, but Tallon just grinned.


    ¡°What kinda host do you think I am? Check thebel, cuz.¡± He spun the bottle in his hand to disy the gold-leafbel to the rest of us.


    In scrolled ck text across the front, it read ¡°Sparkling Apple Juice.¡±


    We allughed, and sses were handed out freely. When everyone had a flute, Gio raised his.


    ¡°To the beginning of a beautiful journey, and with any luck, a beautiful friendship,¡± he dered.


    Everyone raised their sses to meet his with a hearty ¡°Cheers!¡±


    Seats shifted as the drive continued, and somehow I found myself on the same bench as Alessandro and Elena, talking about Bosch¡¯s ¡®Garden of Earthly Delights,¡¯ which they¡¯d both seen in Madrid.


    ¡°I just think the piece cannot truly be understood without the other two panels,¡± Alessandro said. ¡°¡®Earthly Delights¡¯ itself is, of course, the most sensational piece, so it gets the most focus, but there¡¯s at least as much to see in the other two panels.¡±


    Elenaughed. ¡°I love art as much as you or Olivia, but I think the meaning is created in the viewer¡¯s experience. Bosch left no writings about the work, so there is no true way to experience it. Whatever piece of the triptych you see, whatever reaction you have, is the true understanding for you.¡±


    Alessandro threw his hands up in the air. ¡°Olivia, you were studying art in school. You can¡¯t think art is really just in the eye of the beholder.¡±


    Elena turned to me as well. ¡°I¡¯m not saying there¡¯s no value in history or intention, merely that art is meant to be experienced. Somebody without a degree can have as good a time in an art museum as somebody with one.¡±


    I smiled. I knew Alessandro argued more often than not simply as a way ofmunicating, and I loved seeing how easily Elena fit into the dynamic. She didn¡¯t seem mad or irritated with his stubbornness, just interested in the debate.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s moreplicated than either of you are letting it be. Should a piece be viewed in full? Sure, whenever possible, especially if it is being studied. If you are looking for an academic understanding of Bosch, there¡¯s no other way to view a triptych like ¡®Earthly Delights.¡¯ But, and I¡¯ll deny this if you ever tell my professors I said it,¡± I winked at my two friends, ¡°art is more than academic understanding. The emotions it evokes in a viewer are equally important, regardless of the viewer¡¯s circumstance.¡±


    Alessandro huffed and crossed his arms. ¡°Anybody viewing a Bosch without the proper context is only going to feel confusion, but I¡¯ll concede the point in general.¡±


    ¡°Did you see the Goyas?¡± Elena asked, and the conversation shifted again.


    Later, I found myself in conversation with Dahlia, Elena, and Tallon.


    ¡°Superman beats any other hero from any canon in a fight, hands down,¡± Elena announced.


    ¡°No way!¡± Dahlia said. ¡°The sh can time travel.¡±


    ¡°And,¡± Tallon added. ¡°Aquaman can breathe underwater. Superman gets a lot of power from our yellow sun, but he doesn¡¯t have that.¡±


    ¡°But what if they had to fight on the moon?¡± I offered. ¡°Superman¡¯s weaker, but there¡¯s no water for Aquaman and the sh can only turn back the fight itself.¡±


    All three of them rounded on me, jabbering discordantly about how fighting on the moon breaks all the rules of their system, and I may as well have asked if Batman could fight with all the BatKids at once. I just put up my hands andughed helplessly. All myic book knowledge came from the movies, but seeing them gang up on me warmed my heart.


    As we approached the restaurant, I ended up back next to Gio while Dahlia, Tallon, and Elena chatted and Alessandro tapped at his phone.


    ¡°Well, carina? Feeling a little better?¡± my husband asked.


    I nodded, cheeks aching from how long I¡¯d been smiling. ¡°You were right. I should have known that the people I love could only love Elena as much as I do.¡±


    Something flickered through his eyes so quickly I couldn¡¯t quite catch it, but he said, ¡°Exactly. She fits right in.¡±


    I smiled up at my husband. ¡°How did we get so lucky?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But any process that ends with us having a baby would feel lucky to me.¡±


    The limo stopped, and we all climbed out with varying degrees of grace. The restaurant bustled, and warm light leaked out through the windows, illuminating us as the driver disappeared into the night.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go celebrate!¡± Tallon hollered.


    Gio, Tallon, and Elena began walking toward the door. I moved to follow them, but Alessandro caught my and Dahlia¡¯s wrists.


    I turned to him, confused.


    ¡°Can I speak to you both for a moment?¡± he asked quietly.


    Dahlia nced at me, and I shrugged.


    ¡°Shoe problem! We¡¯ll catch up!¡± I called over my shoulder.


    Gio nodded, and Alessandro pulled us out of the many pools of light.


    He seemed to struggle with his words, but finally, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know about Elena.¡±


    My mouth fell slightly open. Dahlia crossed her arms. I thought everyone had been getting along so well....


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Dahlia demanded.


    He ran a hand through his hair almost nervously. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t quite put my finger on it. Something¡¯s just... off.¡±


    I scrubbed my hand across my face. ¡°That¡¯s not super useful, Alessandro.¡±


    He threw his hands up. ¡°I know! There¡¯s just a vibe.¡±


    ¡°Fuck your vibe,¡± Dahlia said. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not just jealous somebody else ispeting for Gio and Olivia¡¯s attention again?¡±


    Alessandro¡¯s brow furrowed in anger. ¡°You can¡¯t keep throwing that back in my fucking face. I apologized. I¡¯m trying to keep everyone safe, and my gut is telling me we aren¡¯t.¡±


    I put my hands up to try to calm the siblings. ¡°I hear you. But Gio checked her out, and she¡¯s clean. Everybody else likes her. And honestly, this is really important to me.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s important!¡± he whisper-shouted. ¡°It¡¯s important to me, too. That¡¯s why I¡¯m fucking telling you before things get out of hand.¡±


    Dahlia opened her mouth, but I raised my hand to cut her off. I could handle this.


    ¡°Can you just try to see her through our eyes? Please?¡± I asked. Things had already moved along far enough that there wasn¡¯t much I could do now anyway. She had our babies inside of her body.


    Alessandro sighed, and all the fight went out of his body. ¡°Yeah. Fine. Whatever.¡± He stalked toward the restaurant, and Dahlia shrugged.


    ¡°He¡¯s such a freak sometimes,¡± she said.


    I nodded, but in the back of my mind, I started worrying I might have missed something.

 Chapter 419 : Gratitude

    <h4>Chapter 419: Chapter 419 : Gratitude</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Iughed joyfully as I sat at the beautifully set table before us, between my amazing husband and my supportive best friend. Gio had gone a little overboard and rented out the entire restaurant for the night.


    "I think we need another congrattory toast!" shouted Dolly.


    Half a dozen sses were raised into the air, various liquids sshing around the rims as they were carelessly tossed around. After a moment, each ss was raised to the respective lips of their owners and downed.


    "That hits the spot!" Dahliaughed, putting down her empty ss.


    A waiter quickly came by to refill it, and she thanked him quietly, sending the college boy a saucy wink.


    He blushed, dipping his head as he stepped away.


    "Uh, slut," Tallon pretended to cough into his hand.


    "Whatever." Dahlia rolled her eyes. "At least I¡¯m gettingid."


    "Not nearly as much as Olivia," Tallon grinned, sending me a wink from where I sat next to Dahlia.


    I choked on my own drink, and Gio leaned over to rub my back as I struggled to catch my breath again.


    "Please don¡¯t," Alessandro sighed, shaking his head unhappily as he refused to meet either mine or Gio¡¯s eyes.


    "Don¡¯t be a prude, Alex," Dahlia smirked. "I could tell them about the various girls you used to bring home¨C"


    A lump of buttery bread hit her square in the face,nding straight on the empty te in front of her.


    "My makeup!" Dahlia cried, wrinkling her nose as she grabbed the nearest napkin and dabbed it across her now shiny and buttered face.


    "I really don¡¯t think that¡¯s your color, Dolly," I shot at her with a smile, taking a sip from my ss as she gave me a feigned look of betrayal.


    Gio had made sure the restaurant had sparkling cider, and he and I had chosen that for our drinks so that Elena didn¡¯t feel left out. Of course, Dahlia, Alessandro, and Tallon had opted for the wine, though I was hoping they wouldn¡¯t get too crazy in front of our guest of honor.


    I should have known better.


    "How dare you?" she spat back, only half-kidding as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I can pull off butter any day."


    Adorned in candlelight and with two bottles of wine already cracked open for the three siblings to share, I knew it was going to be a long night. We¡¯d invited Gabriele, but he decided to pass on this one, probably so he wouldn¡¯t have to put up with the siblings¡¯ antics.


    But Elena just smiled, looking amused as she nced at the bickering siblings. From the confusion in her eyes, I thought she must be an only child like me.


    "Are they always like this?" Elena asked, a bit in awe as Dahlia grabbed Tallon in a headlock while eating the buttered roll her other brother had thrown at her face. Alessandro just sighed, shaking his head as if he hadn¡¯t been the one to throw the first roll.


    "Mostly," I replied, giving her a beaming smile. "They¡¯re just excited for us. It¡¯s a big day. We might really have a baby. Thank you so much for giving us a chance to be parents."


    I¡¯d said the word¨Cparents¨Cbut I still couldn¡¯t wrap my head around how close Gio and I were to being just that. We were just sitting here eating dinner as if the whole world hadn¡¯tpletely changed for us, and there was Elena, sitting right across the table, possibly already pregnant with our child.


    We had finally made a significant step in our journey to starting a family, and it was all thanks to Elena and her willingness to helpplete strangers. My heart was filled to the brim with warmth for her. She was quickly bing like a close friend to me, and I hoped it wouldst longer than just these few months.


    "No problem, Olivia," Elena beamed. "You¡¯ll be amazing parents, and I¡¯m just happy to be a part of your journey."


    "I hope so," Iughed, turning to Gio with a loving look.


    I couldn¡¯t wait to meet our child. Whether a boy or a girl, I hoped they had the same courage and strength as their dad.


    Gio gave me an adoring smile, raising ourbined hands to press a kiss to my knuckles. Elena watched us with a small smile as a bunch of servers rounded the corner with piles of food.


    Dahlia and Tallon cheered, pping as the feast of dishes was lowered and ced on the table between us. The delicious smells of cooked meats and tes of pasta¡ªevery one of my favorite dishes¡ªhad my stomach rumbling for a taste.


    Before we dug in, I cleared my throat and raised my ss for one more toast. I beamed at Elena as I gave her a respectful nod.


    "I want to thank you for celebrating with us, Elena. It is a miracle that science and love have allowed us to start the family we wanted. It¡¯s thanks to you that we are getting a chance we never would¡¯ve had before. This experience has brought us all closer together." I nced at each of my friends and family members with shiny eyes and a wide smile beforending back on Elena. She looked absolutely touched as she sped a hand on her heart, her eyes wide and just as shiny. "So thank you, Elena, for helping to change our lives."


    "Aww," Dahlia cooed.


    "Pretty cute," Tallon nodded in approval.


    "Thank you so much, Olivia." Elena wore a radiant smile, in the center stage as she humbly bowed her head, just as emotional as I was. "I¡¯m so grateful for the immense trust you¡¯ve ced in me. I am privileged to be carrying your hopes and dreams."


    A bit choked up, I bit my lip, unable to continue unless I burst into tears right here and now. Gio rubbed my back, smiling as he tipped his ss and said, "To Elena."


    "To Elena!" the others followed quickly, Dahlia being the most enthusiastic and Alessandro being less so.


    The room was filled withughter as we relished in these precious shared moments that brought us so much closer together. We dug into our food, savoring more than the taste of the garlic pasta and steaks.


    Tallon and Alessandro got into a steak-eating contest, with Tallon barely beating Alessandro with four whole fifteen-ounce steaks. Alessandro grumbled, but he was too sick to his stomach toin. But he had thestugh when Tallon went running for the restroom.


    Dahlia drank nearly an entire bottle of wine. Her speech was so slurred it sounded like she was talking in gibberish, but Gio was the first to realize she was speaking in a very drunken version of French¨Cwhich was weird because Dahlia had never even learned French.


    But soon, the night winded down. The drive home was quieter than we¡¯d been in the restaurant, probably because we were all stuffed from the feast and it was gettingte. Gio and I stepped out of the limo when we reached Elena¡¯s house. I gave her a friendly hug while Gio gave her a polite farewell, along with more thanks.


    Back at thepound, Alessandro took over caring for the drunken toddler that was Dahlia, who would no doubt be embarrassed tomorrow at how she¡¯d repeatedly chased down that cute server to get his number¡ªeven though he waspletely freaked out by her attempts to flirt in French.


    Tallon looked a bit pale as he headed toward the guest room, but he assured us he was fine and proudly dered that he did not throw up in the restroom.


    I giggled at my dear friends while thinking about how much I appreciated everything I had in my life. There was nothing more I could want or need than having my family, my friends, and soon enough, a child by my side.


    I hoped we would have asting rtionship with Elena. Her presence in our lives had made a deeper impact than she had realized, and I was honored to call her a friend.


    As the others dispersed throughout thepound, Gio swept me into his arms, nuzzling my neck as he carried me to our room.


    Anticipation filled the air as we entered our suite with matching grins, and Gio lightly tossed me onto the couch, leaning down to press our lips together. He took control, dominating me easily as our tongues met. I could still taste the dessert we had devoured on his lips.


    Somehow, we were so different but matched perfectly, a pair that could never be pulled apart. The love we shared hung in the air over us, igniting the me of desire as our kiss turned from sweet to passionate.


    Gio pushed me onto my back, cornering me on the couch, and Iughed, carried away by the mood as I gazed up at him with all the trust and love I had in my heart.


    "Mrs. Valentino," Gio smirked, my reflection staring back at me in his eyes.


    I brushed my hands across his chin and cheeks, beaming brightly at the man I loved. "Mr. Valentino," I replied back.


    I still couldn¡¯t believe sometimes that we were married, that he was officially mine and mine alone¨Cto love, to hold, to cherish.


    I was his, and he was mine, just the way it was supposed to be.


    "Ready to be a daddy?" I grinned, tilting my head in half-curiosity and half-humor.


    "Of course," Gio answered without missing a beat. "I¡¯m more than ready to start a family with you, carina. I will love our child just as I love you¨Cdeeper than the ocean and brighter than any star in the sky."


    It would still be a bit before we knew for sure whether the imnt had taken and Elena was truly pregnant, but I felt that the world was on our side. I had no doubt in my mind that Gio would be the best father for any child¨Ca much better father than I¡¯d had growing up.


    I was so lucky to have such a wonderful, loving man by my side.


    I pulled Gio down to meet me, taking control of this kiss, and he let me all too happily, entangling our tongues together as soon our hands couldn¡¯t be kept still. Clothes were shed andnded in piles on the floor, my need for my husband was more important than tidiness right now.


    "I love you," I panted, letting Gio¡¯s weight pin me to the leather as I wrapped my arms and legs around him.


    "I love you too, Olivia." He sighed, tucking his head into my neck. "More than I can ever say."


    Our desires swallowed us whole, and Gio took me right there on the couch. I moaned long into the night, letting him satisfy every inch of me as I did the same.


    For tonight, our two hearts beat as one as we marked the hope of what would be the start of our family.

 Chapter 420 : Envy for Magnolias

    <h4>Chapter 420: Chapter 420 : Envy for Magnolias</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I watched my wife pace the kitchen floor, a whole variety of snacks left in bowls on the counter as she anxiously waited.


    "She¡¯ll be here soon. What if she hates tropical fruit?" Olivia asked, biting down on her lip as she red at the innocent pineapple pieces in the bowl.


    "I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll love it," I told her, trying to soothe her nervousness. "And even if she doesn¡¯t, I doubt she¡¯ll hate you over some fruit. Who knows if she even likes fruit?"


    She paled, and I knew I¡¯d put my foot in my mouth. I groaned as she turned to me with wide eyes.


    "You¡¯re right! I¡¯m so stupid! We should have gotten something else. What was I thinking?" she berated herself, ncing out the window. "Elena will be here any minute! There¡¯s no time to get anything else."


    "The fruit is fine, and you¡¯re not stupid," I told her, knowing it was useless. She wouldn¡¯t calm down until Elena was here and told her for herself that the fruit was fine.


    I¡¯d noticed her anxiety getting higher ever since we started the surrogacy process, and it was driving us both a little nuts. All I could do was be patient with her.


    The doorbell rang, and Olivia jumped almost a foot in the air, a frayed smile on her lips as she cried, "She¡¯s here!"


    She tore off to the door, running like she was being chased by a wolf pack. I frowned, looking at the bowls of snacks left on the kitchen counter. I grabbed a mango slice and stuffed it into my mouth.


    It was Elena¡¯s first time at thepound, and despite my concerns, I had no reason to stop Olivia from extending the invitation for a tour. Ever since the embryo imntation, Olivia had been going above and beyond to include Elena in everything.


    While I did have reservations, and I was still uncertain about whether trusting her this deeply was a good idea, she could be carrying our child, and I had to give her the chance.


    I followed them, leaning on the wall as Olivia threw open the front door, a huge smile on her face. Elena stood on the other side, an awestruck look on her face.


    She had no doubt never seen anything as grand as thepound before. Like Olivia, she¡¯d lived barely out of poverty, and though Olivia had been friends with Dahlia and gotten used to the unting of wealth, this would have been Elena¡¯s first time seeing it.


    "Wee," Olivia ushered her inside, letting Elena take in the ce.


    Her eyes were wide with wonder as she marveled at everything around us. Her eyes were fixated on a few expensive oil paintings hanging on the walls, the grand staircase leading up.


    "I¡¯m so excited you were able toe," Olivia rambled. "Make yourself at home. We set out some fresh fruit if you want some, and Maria made some macarons and cannolis. She¡¯s the best cook, so I guarantee they¡¯re delicious."


    "Thank you so much," Elena giggled, letting Olivia take her by the hand and pull her into the kitchen. Her eyes widened at the tters of foodid out on the counter, and almost hesitantly, she took a few slices of fruit.


    "It¡¯s delicious." Elena smiled appreciatively.


    Olivia beamed with pride.


    "Are you two the only ones who live here?" Elena asked, ncing around at the nook and running her hand along the marble counters. "It seems like a lot of space for two people."


    "Oh no," Olivia smiled. "We¡¯ve got a few people who live here, not just us. It¡¯s sort of Gio¡¯s family home, so his extended familyes and goes. Which includes Dahlia and her two brothers you met at dinner."


    I nodded in approval at her way of phrasing it. It wasn¡¯t exactly like she could say this was thepound for the Italian Mafia.


    "Here, let me show you around," Olivia grinned, linking her arm with Elena as she took her on the promised tour. I followed just behind them as Olivia showed her much of the house, pridefully telling her everything she knew.


    "It¡¯s beautiful," Elena gushed. "I¡¯ve never seen such a house of grandeur before. The architecture is gorgeous, and then I saw the garden in the back on the way in. It¡¯s idyllic to grow up in. You must feel very lucky to live in such a wonderful home."


    While the admiration she expressed was reflected honestly within her eyes and on her face, I could see little shes of something. When she ran her fingers along the beams of the grand staircase, I could see the longing in her touches, the way she held on just a little too long, the way her eyestched onto the paintings and stonework on the walls with a sense of envy. The fleeting moments weren¡¯t harsh or cruel, so I didn¡¯t mention it, but something felt off already.


    I knew she hade from a poorer background, so I felt a bit guilty showing her a life she might never have, the riches she¡¯d never had the luxury of thinking about.


    At least while she was here, I had to make it my duty to make her feelfortable and epted. She was giving us a precious treasure,pleting our family. The least I could do was make her feel at home.


    We popped into Dahlia¡¯s room, where she was lounging on her bed, and Dahlia caught one nce at Elena and squealed.


    I winced, pulling away as Dahlia tackled Elena and Olivia into a massive hug.


    "You should¡¯ve told me she wasing!" Dahlia pouted at her best friend. "I would¡¯ve prepared something!"


    "I did! You just weren¡¯t listening," Olivia retorted, crossing her arms at the usations.


    "It¡¯s fine. You didn¡¯t have to prepare anything," Elenaughed, squished between the two of them. "I¡¯m more than happy to be invited to see your home. You truly are fortunate to have such a wonderful husband, Olivia."


    There it was again.


    I frowned, leaning against the wall as the three girls chatted excitedly with one another. Neither Olivia nor Dahlia had seen theplicated emotions in Elena¡¯s eyes, the way herments bit just a bit past genuine praise.


    No, the two best friends remained blissfully unaware, consumed by their own excitement and gratitude as they both restarted the tour, this time with Dahlia on her other arm, pulling her along.


    It was a bit disturbing to see how easily Elena had fit in between them, how easily she had hidden her underlying feelings. If I hadn¡¯t already been suspicious of her and been looking for it, she could¡¯ve fooled me too.


    But I had seen it.


    As I followed them to the garden outside, I stayed quiet, pondering my thoughts. I was torn between whether I should address Elena¡¯s envy and whether it could be detrimental to our rtionship or let it go to protect the harmony.


    Elena was our surrogate for better or for worse; I wasn¡¯t going to ruin her rtionship with Olivia for simple suspicions. After all, it would be hard for any person who¡¯de from a lower background to step foot in here and not be envious.


    I didn¡¯t want to create a problem if it wasn¡¯t there.


    "What kind of flowers are these?" Elena asked as we strolled through the garden. She smiled, stopping to point out each different nt and ask what it was called.


    She gazed up at the tree full of light pink blossoms, a truly beautiful sight to see under the blue skies above. A smile yed at her lips as she gently grabbed one without breaking it from the branch and sniffed.


    "It smells like spring," she remarked casually.


    "I don¡¯t know," Olivia said, frowning as she tried to recover the name from her memory. "But you¡¯re right, they are beautiful."


    "Probably some flower with a hard-to-pronounce name," Dahlia waved it off. "They¡¯re everywhere in Florence, especially during spring."


    "Magnolias," I said softly. "It¡¯s a magnolia tree."


    Three pairs of eyesnded on me, and Elena smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at me.


    "It¡¯s wonderful, Mr. Valentino," she said.


    There was an ufortable feeling that burrowed under my skin as she stared at me for a little too long. The expression of her awe for the tree and flowers was normal, so why did it feel so wrong?


    The tour continued with Elena being dragged along by my wife and cousin, and I trailed behind¨Cuncertainly.


    They toured the entirepound, leaving bedrooms and important offices out of it. Olivia wanted to take her in to see our suite, but that was where I drew the line. I directed them upstairs, and Elena just smiled through it all, makingments here and there. Some were filled with genuine warmth, and others with appreciation for Olivia being "lucky."


    Those were thements that made me most ufortable.


    Olivia had made it clear to me over our time together that she couldn¡¯t care less about wealth. She only used my money when I insisted, and though she was thankful for it, she never asked me to pay for anything.


    That was always my decision. But Elena... she may have looked somewhat simr to Olivia, but she was as far from my wife as she could be. Her eyes lingered on the diamonds in the chandelier; she asked about the age of the vases and the grand firece, lettingments about cost slip without seeming to be rude.


    Despite how focused on her role she was, there was just the tiniest hint of bitterness in every smooth movement, one that she was clearly desperate to hide.


    I watched her closely as the group retreated to the kitchen, snacking on the various foods that Olivia had brought out just for her.


    "Hmm, this is delicious," Elena grinned as she took a bite of the cannoli.


    "Maria¡¯s the best," Olivia said proudly.


    "No disagreements there. You should try her margaritas after, you know, the whole pregnancy thing," Dahliamented sheepishly as her eyes flickered to Elena¡¯s t stomach and then awkwardly to the table. "Never mind."


    Elenaughed. "No, that sounds amazing. I¡¯m honored you consider me a friend even after the baby is born."


    "Of course," Dahlia grinned. "Us girls gotta stick together. Plus, you¡¯re helping my best friend out with her dream. How could we not love you already?"


    Touched, Elena beamed. "I¡¯m just happy to be able to help support them on their path to parenthood. Right, Olivia?"


    "Right," Olivia agreed, a dash of cannoli cream stuck on her nose.


    Elena and Dahlia exchanged nces, bursting into giggles as Olivia sent them a weird look.


    "What? Something wrong?" she frowned, putting her hands on her hips.


    I chuckled, kicking off from the wall as I stood behind her.


    "You¡¯ve got a little something, carina," I whispered to her, covering her from the peeping eyes as I licked the cream straight off the tip of her nose.


    She blushed, turning bright red, and I chuckled, stepping back as I licked my lips. She was right; those cannolis were good.


    "Ooooh, love in the kitchen," Dahlia smirked. "You two should get a room before you start making out right in front of us. It¡¯s not very sanitary."


    "I think it¡¯s sweet," Elena said, watching us as I wrapped my arms around Olivia, holding her close.


    I eyed Elena as the girlsughed and joked around.


    I was still unsure about her. She seemed to be genuine, but a little voice kept nagging in the back of my mind.


    Was everything really okay with this woman?

 Chapter 421 : Eyes So Green

    <h4>Chapter 421: Chapter 421 : Eyes So Green</h4>


    *Elena*


    The brisk spring air brushed against my heated skin like a whisper through chapped lips. The clock ticked silently into the night as I stared thoughtfully out of the open window.


    My socked feet were kept from the slight chill, but the simple used T-shirt I wore as a nightdress did little to hide my legs from the wind. It was dark, the sky alight with tiny dots that barely resembled stars. Thest litmppost stood on the street corner like the shadow of a lonely man still waiting for thest bus of the night.


    With my knees tucked to my chest, I took up all the room on the little bay window in my dingy one-room apartment. It was an average room, not the fanciest, but not the worst. It was just average, the kind of ce a person spent their life trying to escape from, unless they were born into poverty like me. Then they might actually be trying to get to a ce like this.


    I had heat and electricity, and I had a ce to sleep and store my clothes. That was all I needed.


    Or that¡¯s what I told myself as the chilly breeze bit against my numb cheeks.


    I breathed a soft sigh, shutting my eyes as I rested my head on the top of my knees. It was a silent, early spring night, and most people were asleep.


    But not me.


    While I sat here, wasting away the hours of the night like a gambler wasted away their coins on onest y, across the cityy a girl who looked much like me¨Cbrown hair, brown eyes,pletely average.


    And yet, she was living a life that was very much not average.


    The stranger I could mistake for my reflection lived in a massive mansion, one with a grand staircase with real wooden banisters and a full garden in the back with flowers of every type that bloomed throughout the year.


    With marble kitchens and gold-lined porcin dishes, even the artwork and portraits that lined the walls were worth more than the amount of my entire apartmentplex.


    I could see the chandelier as it hung from the ceiling now, the crystals twinkling in the sunlight as it cast a faint glow over her pretty, untouched skin. The girl was beautiful, so young and vibrant, just like the very magnolias that blossomed in the spring¨Cthe ones she had barely nced at.


    I could admit to myself that I was envious. Who wouldn¡¯t be, after all? My reflection had everything she could ever want¨Ca best friend who loved her to pieces, more money than she could ever spend, full tuition to any university she may have chosen that she didn¡¯t have to spend a cent for, and most of all... a man too perfect to describe.


    She didn¡¯t have to work two jobs to afford a small, average apartment like me, and then I still struggled to keep it most months. She didn¡¯t have to decide between electricity and food when the never-ending bill collectors came knocking on her door.


    She didn¡¯t have to soak her tired, hurting hands in warm water every night, just to keep them from blistering any further.


    I buried my head into my knees, taking in a shuddering breath as a self-loathing bit at my heels. It was easier to envision her as imaginary, just an image on a screen or in a mirror, so I didn¡¯t have to face my own filthy desires that held their hand around my throat, strangling me with every moment I sat here in my small, average apartmentpletely alone.


    The biting emptiness was easy to ignore on most days.


    But not tonight.


    It was wrong to harbor these ugly feelings, wrong to even consider my own thoughts, but the temptation, the warmth that lingered just out of reach when I had entered that house, was too overwhelming to ignore.


    I¡¯d never seen a man love someone so deeply.


    The way his arms had slid around her waist so easily, his adoring eyes locked only on her, and the way he gravitated to her no matter where she was. It was all too easy to see the worship in his lips as he kissed her¡ªstrong and protective and kind and¡ªhers.


    He was hers, like the house and the money and the endless loving people who surrounded her. All of it belonged to her.


    I bit down on my bottom lip, swallowing the bitterness that threatened toe pouring out. I peeked through my arms, ring at my own reflection in the window.


    The brown eyes that stared back at me were covered in an ugly green haze, and I turned away, shutting my eyes tightly as I set my socked feet on the carpet. I gripped the floral-patterned nket I¡¯d ced under me, digging my fingers into the fabric.


    This was all because I couldn¡¯t keep my stupid heart under control¡ªcouldn¡¯t keep it from leaping at the sight of the love I¡¯d been deprived of for so long, even if it wasn¡¯t directed at me.


    I signed up to be a surrogate because I wanted to be a good person. I wanted to give families the gift that I never had¡ªthat I never would. And if it could help pay off my student loans in the meantime, well, that was just a bonus.


    I had taken this chance to give good people the most precious gift in the world, good people like Olivia and Giovani.


    And now I was ruining it.


    I tenderlyid a hand over my belly where inside of me a baby¡ªtheir baby, I reminded myself with a grimace¡ªcould be growing. All I had to do was my job. Carry the baby for nine months, hand it off, and get paid. That had always been my intention, after all, when I¡¯d decided to make some extra money as a surrogate.


    But all I could see was myself in that beautiful dress, that mansion with the chandelier glittering on my skin¡ªhis hands wrapped around my waist, his lips pressed to mine, and the baby... a baby who looked like me... held in my arms.


    I choked on my own spit, mming my teeth shut as a sob threatened to rise out of my throat, but I was used to holding back emotions when they had be too entangled.


    I wanted that¡ªI wanted a man who loved me, a family, and a baby of my own, a big house with a garden for them to y with all day long... people who loved me, who stood by me no matter what happened, and no stress about whether I could afford to eat that week.


    But it wasn¡¯t mine.


    And I couldn¡¯t take it from her.


    The hopelessness settled over me, and I felt like a little girl again, hiding behind my mother¡¯s door as I listened to her cry herself to sleep night after night, whispering the name of a man I never knew.


    She¡¯d driven herself mad begging for love from a man who would never give it to her. She¡¯d spent her entire life trying to ovee the shadow he had left behind in her heart, and I was sure that eventually, that was what had killed her.


    I knew better than anyone not to reach for things that weren¡¯t mine. It was why I could never have a child of my own¡ªcould never start a family and bring a child into this world, not when I could barely afford to feed myself. I would end up just like my mother, sinking lower and lower into depression while that poor child had to watch me fade away.


    I couldn¡¯t do that, not when I knew how devastating it was.


    Although....


    I got to my feet, silently padding my way across the small bedroom as I headed for the closet. I fell to my knees, shoving into the one storage box I had kept. My fingers flew by through the few pictures and folders, notebooks from when I was young, and artwork my poor mother had hung onto. Eventually, I found it, pulling it from the mess of keepsakes¨Ca school project I had made once when I was young and hadn¡¯t learned how the world worked. It was a big mansion cut from a magazine, some celebrity I could hardly remember the name of, and stick figure drawings over the cutout.


    I brushed my fingers softly over each figure¨Ca daddy, strong and powerful, who worked to keep us safe, and a mommy, kind and loving, who was always there.


    And a baby.


    The longing overwhelmed me and in my mind, I didn¡¯t see the dream I had given up any longer. No, I saw Giovani, so charming and kind, and I saw me, pressed to his side.


    A shaky but hopeful smile made its way to my lips as I pressed a hand to my stomach.


    And our baby.


    My thoughts whirled at a hundred miles per hour, ideas and fantasies turning to cement. Who said I had to leave after the baby was born?


    My admiration had morphed, and I couldn¡¯t tell what was right or wrong anymore as a re of new life burst into my chest.


    They¡¯d invited me into their lives¨Cthey needed me. I was the one pregnant with the baby, not Olivia. And even if he looked at her like that now, who was to say his mind couldn¡¯t be changed?


    He¡¯d smiled at me and told me about the magnolia tree. He liked me well enough. He just needed a little push to see I was just as wonderful as she was.


    And Olivia... as kind as she had been to me, she would be fine. She had everything, after all. What was one little thing taken from her when she had the world at her feet? She was young, and she still had college to go to, she¡¯d told me. Once the baby was a little older.


    She wanted to travel the world, to see art from Tokyo to Greece, she¡¯d said. I was just helping to nudge her to what she really wanted. She couldn¡¯t go to school or go see the world with a baby on her hip and a husband trailing behind her.


    She could be happy without Giovani, without the baby. She could go see the world, and I could rece the void left in his heart... and we could all be happy.


    I smiled shakily, tears gathering at the corners of my eyes as I stared at my childhood artwork. A little part of my mind was nagging me, a ringing bell trying to tell me something, but I ignored it.


    My convictions held firmly, sealing away any more doubts or fears as I realized the solution would be so easy.


    I would just have to pay a little more attention to the routines and dynamics of the household, find opportunities to slip in between them and solidify myself as a presence they couldn¡¯t ignore, one they couldn¡¯t live without. I had the baby after all.


    And little by little, bit by bit, I could have everything I¡¯d ever wanted.


    They just needed a little nudging to realize it was what they wanted too.

 Chapter 422 : The Cliff or the Wolves

    <h4>Chapter 422: Chapter 422 : The Cliff or the Wolves</h4>


    *Giovani*


    The smell of ink had soaked into every inch of the room as the leaning towers of paperwork surrounded my desk. Gabrieley halfway on the chair, his legs propped up on one of the armrests as hezily folded yet another paper ne.


    It shot off into the air, immediately nosediving straight onto the desk.


    I sent him a dirty look, brushing it onto the floor as I flipped my way through the intricate and detailed folder before me. A hundred more were waiting in the wings.


    "Can I go home yet?" Theint slipped out of his lips with an exhausted groan.


    "No," I snapped, automatically for the fourth time that night as I reached for the next file from the pyramid-shaped tower on my desk. Apparently, I wasn¡¯t careful enough because as soon as I touched it, the entire tower copsed to the floor, papers flying everywhere.


    I growled, mming my palms on the desk as I struggled not to lose my ever-weaning temper.


    "Timber," Gabriele said, dyed in a bored-like tone. He wasn¡¯t even trying to read through the dozens and hundreds of files and research materials surrounding us anymore.


    Instead of an office, it was more like we were swimming in ake of paperwork¡ªthe worst kind of hell that could befall any person. Even with the two of us, we had barely made a dent, and it would take even longer to sort through the mess.


    And I couldn¡¯t assign something this important as grunt work. I had to personally go over every inch of this so nothing could escape my scrutiny. But even I had to admit, I wasn¡¯t as young as I used to be. I was getting tired.


    I sighed, a headache forming as I felt like somebody was jackhammering between my temples. I rubbed my blurry eyes, not even sure what I was reading anymore or if it was even in English or Italian. It could have been Latin for all I knew at this point.


    "Can¡¯t we just call it a night? Please?" Gabriele nearly begged, his arm dragging on the floor as he stared at me pleadingly. "We don¡¯t need to be this extensive on one woman, Gio. If we haven¡¯t found anything suspicious by now, I doubt we ever will!"


    "Shut up," I shot back, not willing to admit defeat quite yet.


    Everything we could possibly want to know about Elena Greco was here within these four walls. Her whole life was summed up in ck ink, and I was determined to find every little secret and every skeleton she¡¯d hidden away in her closet, even if it killed me.


    Even if they might actually not exist.


    I sighed, groaning as I leaned back into my chair.


    I¡¯d rarely ever done such an extensive background on a person, especially a civilian, and though I kept trying to justify it, I knew I had gone overboard this time. Just weeks ago, I had promised not to go too far and risk upsetting my wife with the invasion of her privacy.


    And here I was now....


    Something about her visit to thepound had triggered a little red g inside of me. Was it the envy she disyed toward Olivia? The little sincere but not kinda insincerements she¡¯d made?


    I had no clue. Something didn¡¯t feel right, but the further I investigated her, the further it drove me mad. Because she was exactly what she seemed¨Ca perfectly average woman.


    But damn if I was going to just give in now.


    "Keep looking," I said firmly, grabbing the next stack of folders.


    "Gio!" Gabriele dered, nting his feet on the floor as he finally sat in the chair properly, "This is ridiculous. We¡¯ve been through absolutely everything about this woman! Background checks from previous employers." He lifted one of the nearby folders, throwing it onto the desk so the papers flew everywhere.


    "Personal history." He threw another one, covering my current file, and I shot him a re, but he was on a roll now. He kept grabbing folders, throwing them on my desk, and making an even bigger mess with every exaggerated pointed look. "Medical history, family records, character analysis from neighbors and former ssmates, lineage all the way back to her tenth ancestor!"


    "Quit throwing things," I snapped, grabbing one of the folders in mid-air before he could spill its contents everywhere. "You¡¯re cleaning all of that up."


    Gabriele red back at me, crossing his arms. "There is no suspicious information anywhere, no red gs, nothing of interest even! She doesn¡¯t even have a parking ticket, for god¡¯s sake! The woman is squeaky clean, I promise you."


    "I doubt that, actually." A voice piped up from behind us. Both of us turned to the neer with wide eyes, neither realizing the door had been open.


    Alessandro had a serious expression on his face as he leaned against the doorway. He pushed off with his foot, stepping right over the pile of folders without care.


    "I agree with Gio. Something¡¯s off about her," Alessandro told both of us unexpectedly.


    Gabriele blinked, as did I. Neither of us had expected him to throw his hat into the ring for this conversation, especially since he¡¯d only met the surrogate one time.


    But apparently, he had seen something.


    I felt a little validated to have someone acknowledge the bad feeling I had about her. I wasn¡¯t paranoid after all, I thought smugly.


    "Not you too," Gabriele groaned, slumping into the chair and sliding down like his backbone was made of silly putty.


    "Did you see something?" I asked Alessandro as Ipletely ignored Gabriele.


    He shook his head, and my hopes fell. "It¡¯s just¨C" He paused, pursing his lips in a way that I knew he was thinking of what to say. "I felt really uneasy being around her. I could tell something wasn¡¯t right, but not what or why. I don¡¯t have any concrete evidence, but¨C"


    "And there it is!" Gabriele pointed out, hitting us both with a firm re. "There¡¯s no concrete evidence! You¡¯re both judging the poor woman and destroying my sleep for nothing!"


    I sighed, pressing my aching head into my hands. I knew he was right. She had done nothing to deserve such harsh suspicion. She¡¯d been the textbook caring person Olivia kept praising at every turn.


    I hated having such doubts about her, knowing I had no proof or evidence. I¡¯d even gone this far despite knowing Olivia would be disappointed and upset.


    But that little nagging voice in the back of my mind had never been wrong before. And I trusted Alessandro. He¡¯d been raised under James, and he had one of the best minds for singling out people that I¡¯d ever seen.


    He¡¯d loved Olivia first, after all, and I had no doubt that if she hadn¡¯t fallen in love with me, he¡¯d have stolen her heart eventually. Alessandro was a good man with good instincts.


    But I also knew how close my wife had grown to the surrogate. We¡¯d ced our trust and invested all of our hopes into her¡ªI didn¡¯t want to ruin that because of a gut feeling. If we were wrong and we drove away Elena, Olivia might never forgive me for it.


    And we might never get the child we wanted.


    I didn¡¯t want to even entertain the notion that Elena may not be all that she appeared to be, that she could be a danger that slipped through the cracks. But I also didn¡¯t want to disregard Alessandro¡¯s warning either.


    This was a rock and a hard ce, and I was stuck between them.


    "It¡¯s possible Gabriele¡¯s right," I said, giving my right-hand man a frustrated look as he smugly grinned at us. "We don¡¯t have any proof that she is anything more than a simple woman just living her life. We would have found something in her files by now if she wasn¡¯t."


    "Thank you," Gabriele smirked. I had no doubt he was going to hold this over me for months afterward, but a good leader knew when to listen and when to disagree, no matter how much I wanted to be stubborn and keep digging.


    "I don¡¯t buy it," Alessandro said persistently. "There¡¯s no way I¡¯m wrong in this."


    "And where¡¯s your evidence?" Gabriele probed, knowing he didn¡¯t have any.


    "I¨C" Alessandro sighed, then looked me straight in the eye with a deeply suspicious stare. "Look, I observed her all night, and I¡¯m telling you something is off about her. The way she said things was too... polite, like it was rehearsed and not what she was actually thinking, like an NPC from a video game, almost."


    "A what?" Gabriel and I sent him confused looks.


    "Oh, for the love of¨C" He rolled his eyes. "A non-ying character, robotic, like when a news reporter is reading off a teleprompter or a script. It was all rehearsed."


    "Ohhh," Gabriele nodded. "Why didn¡¯t you just say it like that?"


    "Old bastards," Alessandro said under his breath, looking at us like we were ancient beings.


    I frowned, rubbing a hand down my chin as I thought back to everything Elena had said. It was true in a way. Almost everything she¡¯d said had sounded practiced, and besides, when she had spoken to Olivia in the agency about art, her personality hade off as rather nd.


    Even the way she kept smiling at everything despite her inner feelings showing apletely different response was weird.


    "I¡¯m telling you," Alessandro pushed, "there is more to this woman than meets the eye. We need to protect our family and approach this with caution. If she¡¯s really up to no good, we have to make sure Olivia and Dahlia don¡¯t get too close to her."


    There was little luck of that now. They¡¯d already practically adopted her if the way they kept screeching whenever they saw her was any indication.


    Sitting inside the mess we¡¯d made, I realized how impossible the question I was trying to answer was. I deeply valued Alessandro¡¯s opinion, and a part of me agreed with his suspicions. But reconciling it with my own desires for a family, to keep Olivia happy and trust the surrogate she had chosen, was almost painful.


    Frustrated and conflicted, I felt like I was standing at a crossroads. The road to the left led to a pack of bloodthirsty wolves, and the road to the right led straight off a cliff. If you asked me which road to take, I couldn¡¯t answer.


    Alessandro was right. But Gabriele was also right, and no matter which side I took, I¡¯d be losing.


    The two men stared at me, waiting for my decision, and all I could do was stare at them as I waged war within myself. I had to move forward, I couldn¡¯t keep sitting on this fence and hoping everything would turn out fine.


    The only question was... did I prefer the cliff or the wolves?

 Chapter 423 : Pregnancy Test

    <h4>Chapter 423: Chapter 423 : Pregnancy Test</h4>


    *Olivia*


    My phone buzzed, and I was ted to see that it was Elena calling. Ever since the embryo transfer, I was so excited to find out if the pregnancy took that I spent every day just trying to distract myself from thinking about it.


    ¡°Hey, Elena!¡± I greeted her.


    ¡°Hi! Olivia, I have some news.¡±


    My heart started pounding so hard that I thought I might pass out.


    ¡°Y¨Cyes?¡± I managed to breathe out.


    ¡°My period iste!¡± she squealed.


    Tears pricked at my eyes; this was amazing news. ¡°It is?! Do you want to take a test today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got one right here. I just wanted to call before taking it.¡±


    I jumped up and down, my excitement couldn¡¯t be contained. ¡°Yes! Take it! Do you want me to stay on the line?¡±


    She giggled. ¡°Well, you stay on the phone, but I¡¯m gonna leave the phone out here so you don¡¯t have to listen to me pee.¡±


    In my excitement, I had forgotten what taking a pregnancy test entailed. Iughed at myself. ¡°Okay, actually, why don¡¯t you just call me back afterward?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good!¡± She hung up, and I set my phone down, my mind racing. I tried to keep myself from getting too excited. After all, the test coulde back negative. Or even if it dide back positive, she could still miscarry or have a false positive like I¡¯d had. I had spent hours reading up on miscarriages and surrogate pregnancies, which weremon. In spite of my efforts to keep myself from getting too excited, my heart started racing all over again when Elena called me back, this time a video chat. I answered and just waited for her to speak.


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to show a result in just one more minute, I¡¯ll turn the camera so you can see.¡±


    She turned her phone, and I was staring right at a little circle with one line. ¡°What does a positive look like?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯ll show one line for negative, two lines for positive. I triple-checked to make sure I got that right.¡±


    As she was speaking, I saw the beginning of another faint line starting to form. Blood was rushing in my ears and I knew my heart was pounding too hard. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. It would be horrible to faint while on the phone.


    In front of my eyes, the faint line started to grow darker. I held my breath, waiting for it topletely form so we could be totally sure. As I watched, both lines darkened until there was no denying it¨Cthe test was positive.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Elena muttered.


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant!¡± I yelled. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go tell Giovani! Do you want to be the one to tell him?¡±


    ¡°Um... actually, no, you go ahead. This is a special moment for the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well, Elena, I¡¯m so incredibly grateful that you¡¯re doing this for us! Just know that I am here for you every step of the way. If you need anything, anything at all, let me know. Nothing is too big of an ask! In fact, I¡¯m already going to start shopping for a pregnancy pillow because I read that those are super helpful in the third trimester. And if you want to go shopping for maternity clothes, let me know! My treat, obviously!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She sounded a little breathless. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve got to get going, but I¡¯ll talk to youter, okay?¡±


    ¡°Sure! Do you want toe over for dinner? We should celebrate!¡±


    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t think so. I think I need some time to process everything. I mean, I knew this wasing but it¡¯s still just... a lot.¡±


    Her words made me nervous, but I told myself she must just need some time to ept the fact that she had a whole other human growing inside of her. It was enough to make anyone¡¯s head spin, especially considering the fact that it wasn¡¯t even her baby.


    ¡°Okay, I totally understand,¡± I was determined to make her feel at ease. ¡°Call me tomorrow, okay?¡±


    ¡°I will. Congrattions, Olivia,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you again!¡±


    We hung up, and I raced off to find Giovani. He was in his office frowning at a stack of papers scattered all over his desk, but he smiled when he saw me in the doorway.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, carina?¡±


    ¡°Elena took a test! She¡¯s pregnant!¡±


    He stood up and walked around his desk, holding his arms out. I leaped into them, and he spun me around, both of usughing. The worry that I had over Elena¡¯s reaction disappeared as Giovani matched my excitement.


    ¡°This calls for a celebration. Let¡¯s go out to dinner, just the two of us.¡±


    I nodded vigorously. I loved any chance for Gio and me to spend time together. As much as I enjoyed living in thepound, it could sometimes feel a little crowded. I realized I wasn¡¯t ready to share this news with anyone just yet. I wanted time for us to bask in the intimacy of knowing that we were about to have the baby we¡¯d always dreamed of without anyone else knowing, at least for the rest of the night.


    ¡°Alright, let me just finish up what I¡¯m doing here, and I¡¯ll meet you at the car in twenty minutes.¡±


    I ran to our room to touch up my hair and makeup, then at thest minute decided to change out of my jeans and loose top into a dress that was a little more form-fitting. I loved wearing clothes that made Gio want to put his hands on me.


    We met at the car where Gio pulled me into a warm embrace before helping me in. I could feel his excitement matching mine; by the time we arrived at the restaurant, we were both practically vibrating. As usual, Giovani had managed to get reservations at an amazing ce. The atmosphere was perfect for a romantic dinner. They had a live band ying Italian folk music in the corner and warm, glowing candles in the centerpiece of every table. Our waiter brought us a bottle of champagne as soon as we were seated.


    ¡°I hear that we are celebrating some special news this evening,¡± he said as he poured the champagne. Giovani and I shared secretive smiles.


    ¡°We certainly are,¡± Gio told him.


    It was a ssic Italian four-course meal, with each dishplementing thest perfectly. We spent the entire meal talking and dreaming about what it was going to be like to finally have our baby. One thing was for certain¨Cwe knew that going through the adventure of parenthood together would make us even closer than ever before.


    By the time they brought us adorably ted tiramisu for dessert, I had no idea how I was going to manage to make room for it, but I was determined to try. I took a small bite and moaned as it hit my tongue. The vors of coffee were perfectly bnced with the mascarpone.


    ¡°I want to hear you make that noise in bed tonight,¡± Giovani leaned over and murmured in my ear, sending delicious chills down my back.


    Somehow we both managed to finish our tiramisu and I was ready to get back home. I was drowsy thanks to the champagne and delicious food, but I was looking forward to curling up with Gio in bed.


    The entire ride home, we could hardly keep our hands off each other. I was more than ready when we walked into our bedroom.


    Giovani entered the room before me and started pulling his clothes off before I even got the door shut. He stripped down to nothing but his underwear and stood looking at me, a seductive grin on his face.


    ¡°I want to please you,¡± he said quietly, reaching out to help me out of my dress. ¡°You¡¯ve been through so much, all the hormones and the egg retrieval. And now we¡¯re going to be parents thanks to you.¡±


    He leaned forward and kissed me softly as he rubbed his hands up and down my arms. He pulled my dress down off of my shoulders and let it fall to the floor then helped me step out of it and led me to the bed.


    ¡°Lay back and enjoy, carina.¡± He encouraged me toy on my back with my legs hanging over the bottom of the bed then knelt between my thighs. I was shivering with anticipation as he kissed his way up my legs. With a quick tug, he pulled my panties off, and I was bared to him. He was so close I could feel his breath.


    Suddenly, his mouth was on me, and I was seeing stars as he licked and sucked at my most sensitive ces. He alternated between soft fluttery licks and hard sucking until I was lifting my hips up with every sensation, grinding myself against him. I tangled my fingers in his hair and used my leverage to keep his head right where it was, encouraging him to keep going. I was already close to my climax when he began circling my clit with his tongue and pressed his fingers into me. Being filled by him always sent me over the edge, and tonight was no exception.


    ¡°Oh, god, Gio!¡± I gasped as he pushed me over the edge. He kept his mouth on me so that I could ride out my orgasm, slowing his movements down until I had been totally spent. He kept his fingers inside of me as he stood up and kissed his way from my thighs to my breasts, shoving my bra aside with his other hand so that he had better ess. I was overwhelmed in the best way by his touches, and by the time he reced his fingers with his cock, I was ready for round two.


    His movements were sweet and gentle as he thrust slowly inside of me. I clutched at his back, loving the way his muscles rippled under my hands. He settled his face into the crook of my neck so that I could hear and feel every grunt and moan that came out of him.


    ¡°Touch yourself, sweetheart. I want you toe at the same time,¡± he groaned as he got close to his own orgasm.


    He didn¡¯t have to tell me twice. I reached my hand between us and rolled my clit under my fingers, loving the way his body pressed against mine.


    ¡°I¡¯m so close,¡± I whispered, knowing I only had seconds before I was sent over the edge again.


    ¡°I want to feel youe,¡± he moaned. That was all it took for me. I didn¡¯t just fall over the edge, I leaped head-first, dragging Gio with me. He pumped faster inside of me, meeting the clenching of my body with his own sharp thrusts.


    When we were finished, we both stayed where we were, just breathing and enjoying the way it felt to be snuggled up together.


    ¡°I love you. I¡¯ll always love you,¡± Giovani murmured.


    Warmth spread from my heart to the rest of my body. ¡°I love you. Forever.¡±

 Chapter 424 : More Than a Suggestion

    <h4>Chapter 424: Chapter 424 : More Than a Suggestion</h4>


    *Elena*


    To take a step forward, sometimes you have to take a step back. That¡¯s what I¡¯d learned as I watched Giovani¡¯s soft lips kiss Olivia before, peppering them across her face in pure joy.


    I didn¡¯t join the celebration after the positive pregnancy test, even after the offer, for a very good reason.


    I hummed softly in tune with my heels as they clicked on the pavement leading up to the mansion. The red skirt of my dress fluttered around my thighs with every stride. It matched the color of my lips perfectly as I smiled politely at the setting sun.


    The fabric had yet to stretch around my soon-to-be swollen stomach, but it wouldn¡¯t be long before I wouldn¡¯t be able to wear such beautiful clothing. I had barely convinced Olivia to buy the matching dresses, but luckily she was still so young.


    I nced at the mismatched shrubbery on either side of the walkway heading to the gate, sneering at the uneven trimming. That would have to be fixed first thing.


    I paused in front of therge gate just outside the mansion, smiling brightly as I tapped my knuckles against the sleek wood. Soon, I wouldn¡¯t have to wait for the guard to enter, I thought, a curl of excitement wrapping around my heart.


    I heard the sound of someone approaching. All the extreme security measures they had on the property seemed excessive to me, but I knew Gio was a cautious man¨Cmy apartment neighbors had let it slip that someone had been asking around about me. There was no one else it could be, after all.


    Though not necessary, I had to admit if he was curious about me, he could¡¯ve just asked me anything he wanted, and I would¡¯ve answered. But that shy side of him was cute too.


    I feigned my usual softness, rxing my body as the guard approached. Recognizing me from before, he let me in, and I trotted confidently toward the mansion¡¯s front door. My knock was soon answered by one of the maids I didn¡¯t recognize¡ªshort and squat and clearly not Italian by her darker skin and Hispanic features.


    "Hello," I chirped, giving my best smile. "I¡¯m Elena. Olivia asked me toe over."


    The woman frowned, tilting her head, and I saw her eyes nce me up and down as she hesitated. "Senora is not here," she said, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. By the heavy ent in her voice, she was Spanish.


    "I know," I giggled, feigning innocence. "She¡¯s on a date with her husband, right? She told me to wait here for her. I¡¯m a bit early, I know, but I figured it was better thante. I don¡¯t mind waiting."


    Iid a hand gently over my t belly, too early to be showing, but by the way her eyes flew wide open, she was clearly aware of who I was now.


    "Si, si, senorita." The woman, who I had a sneaking suspicion was the famous Maria, quickly ushered me inside, acting much like a mother hen.


    I stepped inside the hallway, breathing in deeply as I nced at the chandelier above. The light from the windows poured through, creating an illusion of colors as they reflected and danced upon my skin.


    "Thank you so much, Miss Maria," I smiled at the Spanish woman, whose eyes widened at my use of her name, "I don¡¯t want to take too much of your time. You must be busy, after all, so I¡¯ll just wait in the living room, if that¡¯s okay."


    "Ah, si." Maria smiled, all of her suspicions having been left behind like a snake shedding its old skin. She pointed to the left, and I thanked her again, making my way to the room.


    I nced over my shoulder, watching as Maria disappeared into the kitchen. I pivoted on my heels, changing directions easily as I headed not into the living room but up the staircase and down the empty hallway.


    It was thest door at the end, I remembered from the tour a few weeks ago. I¡¯d never gotten to see inside due to Gio¡¯s insistence, but they wouldn¡¯t mind just a peek.


    Not with the baby in my stomach.


    The metal door handle was cold, and I turned it, quietly pushing open the door and sliding inside. If Maria came back, hopefully, she¡¯ll think I went to the garden or something. It didn¡¯t really matter.


    The door shut behind me, and I leaned my back against it, taking a small breath as I nced around the room... not just a bedroom as I expected but a luxury suite hidden right behind a simple little door.


    I hummed, taking in my surroundings. I let my hand trail against the fabric of the white L-shaped couch, rounding into the little sitting room. The firece was empty, not having been used in months, it seemed.


    On top of the marble stones were little knick-knacks, including a photo of Olivia and Gio taken at what seemed to be a garden filled with roses¡ªbut not their own... Giardino Delle Rose, I thought. Other photos of the two together peppered the suite in between the simple and nearly bare surroundings. I twisted my mouth unhappily. This was how they were living when the rest of the house was decorated to the nines?


    There was nothing expensive decorating the walls, just sentimental junk. Even the nt in the cornercked any flowers; it was just too in.


    Average.


    I had no doubt this was due to Olivia. She seemed like the kind of girl to expect simple things, even forcing Gio to live like this just for her ownfort¨Ca bit selfish, if you asked me.


    I made my way to the next door, opening it wide. The bedroom was a little better, but not by much. The king-size bed was exactly what I expected from someone of Gio¡¯s stature. I did hate the neutral coloring, however, but it could be repainted.


    To the left was an open doorway, and I peeked inside, a smile curling up my lips as I found the walk-in closet. One side was filled with an endless rack of suits and male formal wear, the other with designer dresses.


    I ran my hand against the various fabrics, pausing at the ones that felt best to me and taking note to ask Olivia to borrow them. It would look better on me anyway.


    But the real prize was on the other side. I smirked, running my hands up the soft suits. I leaned forward, breathing in the scent that lingered... woody and addicting.


    But time was not on my side today, and I knew I couldn¡¯t linger here any longer.


    "Don¡¯t worry," I smiled, rubbing a hand along my belly. "It won¡¯t be long, baby."


    It would be our room soon enough.


    I slipped out of the suite, making my way down the hall when I heard voices from the entrance speaking in low tones.


    I hurried down the stairs and as I turned the corner, Gio¡¯s gorgeous visage came into my eyes. He turned to me, a little frown on his lips, and I beamed, tucking my hands behind my back as I resisted grabbing him into a hug. But of course, he was never alone, was he?


    "Elena!" Olivia broke our gaze, jumping forward with a worried look. "Are you okay? Maria said she left you in the living room, but you weren¡¯t there. We were just about to go looking for you."


    "That¡¯s right," Gio¡¯s eyes flickered in the direction I had juste from, a suspicious look in his eyes as he narrowed them on me. "Where were you?"


    "I just had to go to the bathroom," I lied easily. "But I got lost and forgot if it was upstairs or down. I¡¯m usually not so forgetful, but I guess the hormones are getting to me already."


    I hoped they didn¡¯t catch a glimpse of the silver on my tongue, but Olivia was a trusting woman. She wouldn¡¯t suspect the woman carrying their child.


    "Oh, the best one is upstairs actually," Olivia said, relief sliding onto her features. "I can take you there."


    "No need." I giggled. "You mentioned that every guest room had a bathroom, so I just used one of those."


    "Oh, okay," Olivia paused, a weird look on her face as she tilted her head. A bead of sweat dripped down the back of my neck.


    It was a believable excuse. Even if Gio didn¡¯t buy it, the simple-minded Olivia should¡¯ve. So why did she look so awkward?


    "That reminds me, I needed to talk to you about the baby," I distracted her with a perfectly timed smile. "Could we sit down, if you don¡¯t mind?"


    "Of course," she shook off the weird look, beaming as she grabbed my hand and led me back to the living room. A breath fell out of my mouth as I followed her. I could feel Gio¡¯s eyes on my back, watching me like a hawk.


    As soon as we settled into the living room, the two took up the couch as they curled together and unfortunately left me to sit in one of the chairs.


    "I was just wondering how involved you wanted to be with the pregnancy?" I asked with a patient smile. "It¡¯s still in the early stages, but I figured we should talk about this sooner thanter down the road."


    "What do you mean?" Olivia frowned. "We¡¯re going to be involved, of course. We wouldn¡¯t just ignore you and the baby until it¡¯s born!"


    "That¡¯s not what I meant," I said, soothingly. My gut clenched in envy as Gio¡¯srge hand rubbed circles on her back, his eyes adoring her. "I just meant that some parents like to be more involved than others. Of course, there are the basics like doctor¡¯s appointments and meetings, but some surrogates even live with the parents until the birth date to make the pregnancy easier."


    My smile was polite and professional, any hidden motives securely hidden behind my eyes as I yed the part of the caring surrogate. I surveyed their reactions, portraying nothing but kindness.


    The two looked startled.


    "They do?" Olivia asked, a look of difort crossing her face. "I had no idea that was an option."


    "Of course it is," I pushed a little further, keeping my tone even, "But every couple is different. If the idea makes you ufortable, that¡¯s okay too. Some parents like to be less involved in the process until the babyes. The decision is totally up to you."


    Olivia flinched, a wounded look crossing her face, just as I predicted it would.


    "Well, that¡¯s not¨C" She hesitated. "Of course, we want to be involved, but living here is... that¡¯s¨C"


    "I¡¯m sorry," I said, frowning. "I didn¡¯t mean to make you ufortable. I just wanted you to know all your options now that I¡¯m pregnant. I can manage on my own if that¡¯s what you want."


    If possible, her face fell even more, and her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, struggling to say something, anything. Put on the spot, there was no way she could say no now... or so I thought.


    "We understand," Giovani interrupted, sending me a scathing re. I flinched, shrinking under his gaze as he held Olivia protectively in his arms. "We will discuss the matter privately. If that¡¯s all, Miss Greco, I think you should leave."


    My jaw snapped shut at the sound of myst name.


    "You¡¯re right," I immediately said, sending Olivia an apologetic look. "I¡¯ll talk to youter after you decide. I didn¡¯t mean to put any pressure on you. This is your decision as parents of the baby."


    "Yeah," Olivia said shakily. "I¡¯ll see youter."


    There was conflict in her eyes, and I smiled, nodding to her as I made my way out. I hummed softly, my body singing with victory as I left the mansion and the couple.


    I paused, sparing the huge, beautiful building onest look before I went on my way. I patted my stomach softly, a smile on my lips. I was both hopeful and confident that soon, I wouldn¡¯t be living in my simple little apartment anymore.


    Soon, the mansion would be my home.

 Chapter 425 : Trust and Caution

    <h4>Chapter 425: Chapter 425 : Trust and Caution</h4>


    *Olivia*


    "No," Gio said firmly as soon as we heard the front door shut behind Elena.


    I turned to him, my emotions calming down as I realized Elena¡¯s suggestion had changed from ridiculous to reasonable. Gio shot me a stern look and shut me down.


    "But wait, Gio!" I protested, following him as he headed to our bedroom. "We should at least discuss this!"


    He wasn¡¯t listening anymore, and he mmed the door to the suite behind me. I halted in my tracks, barely stopping from colliding with the wood. I huffed at his childish act but followed him anyway, disregarding the clear warning.


    "Elena had a point," I called out, searching for him in the sitting room before heading to the bedroom.


    Gio had his back turned to me, staring into the closet with a hard look as he unbuttoned the cufflinks on his shirt.


    "This could be a good opportunity for greater involvement in the pregnancy," I said, approaching him cautiously. I could see the waves of his bad mood pouring off of him, and maybe it would have been a good idea to let him cool off first.


    But making that decision without even talking to me? That wasn¡¯t right. I was still his wife, and this was going to be our baby¨Cour family.


    "No, Olivia," Gio said sharply, not even ncing at me. "We are not inviting that surrogate to live with us."


    "That surrogate," I said pointedly, crossing my arms, "has a name. And she¡¯s doing us a huge favor. She¡¯s giving us a family, Gio. The least we can do is discuss this like adults."


    He turned to me, a steel-like look in his eyes. It was rare to see him so unwilling to listen, topromise. I frowned, stepping forward to grab his hand.


    He breathed out through his nose, a vein popping out on his neck. His whole body was tense, like he was ready for a fight, and even his hand was limp in mine when normally they¡¯d be wrapped around me by now.


    "Gio, what¡¯s wrong? Talk to me," I asked, concerned. "Why does this bother you so much? She just wanted us to be involved in the pregnancy."


    "No, she didn¡¯t," Gio bit out, a resentful look in his eyes. "She has ulterior motives, Olivia."


    "What?" I gasped. I thought back to the conversation. As shocked as I was, I hadn¡¯t seen anything but genuine kindness from Elena.


    I had seen how much she craved stability and involvement, especially now that she was vulnerable and carrying our baby. I was the same before I met Gio, and we were more alike than I had first thought.


    There had been nothing wrong with her words. She was just being kind, like she always was. And considering how things had changed with the confirmation of the pregnancy, it was obvious she would ask us what we wanted to do.


    "I didn¡¯t sense anything off," I told Gio with a frown. "How are you so sure she had ulterior motives? She¡¯s been nothing but kind and supportive toward us."


    Gio scoffed, ripping his hand away from mine as he stepped back. I didn¡¯t even try to pretend it didn¡¯t hurt. The callous way he was treating me was not okay, but I knew Gio. He wouldn¡¯t be acting like this if there wasn¡¯t a good reason.


    "Even if she is genuine," Gio retorted, "I¡¯m not inviting a stranger into our home. We need our privacy. Or have you forgotten what I do for a living, Olivia?"


    "Of course, I haven¡¯t," I snapped, my temper rising to meet his. "But wouldn¡¯t it be better to have more control over the pregnancy and what¡¯s happening to our baby? If something happens, it would be easier to treat Elena if she were living with us than in her apartment across the city! Isn¡¯t keeping our baby safe more important than privacy?"


    "Of course it is! That¡¯s why I have people watching her," he protested, "But I¡¯m not going to sacrifice our privacy, our boundaries, and our emotional well-being because of it!"


    "Argh!" I screamed, turning away from him. "You are impossible! All I wanted was to at least discuss it, but you¡¯re not even giving it a chance! I¡¯m your wife. Don¡¯t I get a say in this too?"


    I crossed my arms, my emotions bursting forward. Despite how much I wanted to remain angry, tears flooded the corners of my eyes. I sniffed, brushing them away and cursing myself for how emotional I had be.


    "Olivia," I heard him sigh, but I looked at the wall, pointedly pretending he wasn¡¯t there as I struggled to regain control of my tears. I hated how easily I cried, and it was even worse when I was angry.


    He called my name again, softly, and I felt the warmth of his body approaching. But before he could grab me, I slipped away from him, firmly taking a seat on the edge of the bed as I gazed out the window, intentionally avoiding eye contact.


    If I looked at him now, I knew exactly what I¡¯d see¨Chis soft gaze, so loving and kind, as he tried to cate me. And it would work too.


    Because I was just that weak.


    He took a seat next to me, close enough that our skin brushed against each other, but still, I refused to look at him.


    "Come on, look at me, carina," he said gently, hooking his thumb under my chin and lifting my head. His soft eyes met my teary ones, and he gave me an apologetic look.


    "What?" I bit out, trying to sound tough despite my wavering voice. His lips twitched at the corner, and I knew he was suppressing a smile. He looked at me as if I were a bristling kitten and not the angry wife I was.


    "I¡¯m sorry, amore," he said gently. "I don¡¯t want to fight with you. Of course, your opinion matters. But even if you¡¯re right, and Elena appears genuine, we can¡¯t fully trust her motives and intentions. She could¡¯ve said something before this, but she didn¡¯t. Why?"


    I frowned, thinking deeper about it. Now that he mentioned it, the agent hadn¡¯t said anything about surrogates living with the parents, even after we went over the contract.


    "Maybe she just didn¡¯t think it mattered until now," I said, but I was starting to doubt my own words. Why hadn¡¯t she said something before this?


    "I also don¡¯t like how she kept pushing you," Gio scowled. "Even after you were clearly ufortable."


    "I was just shocked," I told him defensively. "I want to be involved with our child¨C"


    "And we will," he kissed my temple. "But not on her terms; on our own. She doesn¡¯t have to live with us for us to be involved in the pregnancy. We¡¯ve done more than enough to make herfortable and epted as it is. No matter how trustworthy she may be, she is still a person. She may have her own agenda that we know nothing about. No one is one hundred percent self-sacrificing, carina."


    He had a point.


    Despite how conflicted I was, and how much I wanted to do everything I could to help Elena, Gio was still my husband, and he came first. And he was making sense, I thought begrudgingly.


    Even I had thought Elena was acting strange when she hade over today. Something about her had seemed off. And the way her eyes kept flickering between Gio and me. I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it, but I knew I didn¡¯t like it.


    And I had been ufortable when she brought up the idea. No matter how much I liked her, I was still an anxious mess, and involving her too deeply into our lives didn¡¯t sit right with me.


    Our privacy was still important, especially with keeping Gio¡¯s job a secret.


    I sighed, my body rxing as I leaned my head onto his shoulder.


    "You¡¯re right," I admitted, a bit unhappily.


    I could feel his grin even if I couldn¡¯t see it, and I rolled my eyes, snuggling into the crook of his neck forfort. His arm wrapped around my shoulder, pulling me close, and I felt the halo of safety that always surrounded me when I was in his arms.


    The most important thing right now was to establish a solid foundation between us and Elena. Gio had a hard time trusting due to his job and how he lived, and I had to admit I still had a few reservations myself.


    I liked Elena, and I considered her a friend and a kind person, but that wasn¡¯t enough to invite her into our home, to take such a significant step before we knew if she could be trusted with the secrets she didn¡¯t know about.


    If she found out Gio was the boss of the mafia, she could take off, and we¡¯d lose our baby with her. The thought squeezed my heart ufortably. Now that the little bean was growing, we had to take things slowly and cautiously.


    I couldn¡¯t hide my disappointment though. I wanted to keep the baby close, and the thought of something happening and us being so far away and unable to help was triggering my anxiety. But still, I had to respect Gio¡¯s stance on this.


    This could have a massive impact on our rtionship, and it couldn¡¯t be decided just like this.


    I pulled back from his arms, staring him straight in the face determinedly. Even under the pressure of his caution and overprotectiveness, I was still me. And I believed in people. That included giving Elena the benefit of the doubt.


    "We¡¯ll do it your way," I said softly. "But promise me you¡¯ll give her a proper chance. Be more open-minded. Not everyone is out to get you, Gio. She¡¯s a really good person. Give her a chance to show you that."


    He hummed, the hesitation clear as day on his face, but eventually, he nodded. I beamed, kissing him on the lips before getting to my feet.


    "I¡¯ll text her to let her know we need more time to discuss things before we decide anything," I chirped happily.


    As I sent the text message, I couldn¡¯t help but see the reservation in Gio¡¯s eyes as he watched me. Despite what he promised me, I knew it would be a long journey for Elena to earn his full trust.


    I only hoped I was right¨Cthat Elena was the kind of person I believed she was.

 Chapter 426 : No Stealing

    <h4>Chapter 426: Chapter 426 : No Stealing</h4>


    *Dahlia*


    Olivia was sunshine. She was warm beams of rays on a cloudy day and the epitome of optimism if it could be bottled.


    I knew better than anyone how kind and understanding she could be. She was the kind of person who otherstched onto, especially those who didn¡¯t have that kind of warmth. She was a beacon for them, a lighthouse guiding them toward her.


    It was why Tallon always listened to her even though he drove all our parents nuts with his rebellious and mischievous ways. He pulled pranks on everyone, but never Olivia.


    It was why Alessandro, with all of his brutish ways, treated her like she was precious. He¡¯d left bruises on me and Tallon after fights too often when we were younger, but not once did hey a hand on Olivia.


    It was why my parents adored her, why they treated her like a second daughter growing up, always praising her, my dad giving her the male affection she didn¡¯t get at home.


    It had always amazed me how she could have grown into such a caring person with only her mother there to guide her. Her mother was always so busy throwing herself into work to forget about the man who had abandoned them. She got betterter on, but as a small child, I had seen the way Olivia had been the one to take care of her mom, not the other way around.


    And her father... well, no one had seen the bastard, even before Olivia¡¯s mom came to work with us. And her mom never spoke of him. It was possible to believe he didn¡¯t even exist with the way he had just simply vanished.


    But the absence he left was there, even if they ignored it.


    I wasn¡¯t stupid. My family and I... weren¡¯t exactly good people. I¡¯d always known the dangers of being tied to such dangerous work, and I had never wanted Olivia to get involved. She was too soft, too kind for this kind of ce.


    I never wanted anyone to have the chance to snuff out her light.


    But she¡¯d surprised me. Despite everything that had happened, all the fear andplications, I never expected Olivia to have remained so strong through it. Her light never dimmed, not even during the darkest of nights.


    Instead, she kept burning, continuing to be a beacon that kept all of us revolving around her like she was the sun, and we were just caught in her orbit.


    I hadn¡¯t been surprised when I found out about her and Gio. It just made sense. She attracted people who didn¡¯t have that light, and Gio had lived long enough in the dark that even he couldn¡¯t resist her.


    He loved her, and she loved him. That was all that mattered to me.


    As long as she kept smiling, I would be right beside her, supporting her in whatever way she needed me. She was more than my best friend and a sister¨Cshe was the only person I loved more than the world itself. I would burn it down for her, reach into hell ande back as long as she asked me to. If anyone, and I mean anyone, threatened her happiness, they would have to deal with me first.


    And this Elena girl was getting dangerously close to that line.


    Elena giggled as we sat out on the porch under one of the big umbres. The ice in the tea in front of me was slowly melting, but I hadn¡¯t taken a single sip as I kept ncing at Elena.


    The casual hangout had been Olivia¡¯s idea, a hope to strengthen the bond between us¨Ccamaraderie, she¡¯d said.


    ¡°So if you could go anywhere, where would you like to visit, Olivia?¡± Elena asked lightheartedly. She was just making conversation, enjoying the visit, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I couldn¡¯t shake.


    ¡°This sounds weird, but I¡¯ve always wanted to visit Reykjavik,¡± Oliviaughed.


    ¡°d?¡± Elena asked, surprised.


    I smirked, ncing at Olivia, who blushed like a ripe tomato as she nodded in confirmation.


    ¡°You want to see the street art, right?¡± I piped up, remembering how she¡¯d often go on and on about the city.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Olivia gushed, then exined further once Elena sent her a questioning look. ¡°Thews about graffiti art are sox there that local artists have taken to painting the streets, literally. I¡¯ve seen some of the work, and it¡¯s gorgeous. And because it¡¯s street art, it gets repainted or faded away, and there are always new ones. The city is always changing, bathed in color and creativity.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I think she likes art,¡± I teased her with a mischievous smile. ¡°What do you think, Elena?¡±


    I nced at her from the corner of my eye as sheughed.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think she likes art,¡± Elena shot back with a grin. ¡°I think she¡¯s obsessed!¡±


    ¡°Guys,¡± Olivia whined, her cheeks burning red.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± Iughed, waving her embarrassment off. It was endearing how lost she could get in her rants about art, just like I could with makeup and fashion. As different as we were, she had always been willing to listen to me about anything. And I dly did the same.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± a deeper voice piped up, and I turned in my seat to see Gio slide out the back door and enter the patio. He gave us an apologetic smile, taking the seat next to Olivia. ¡°I had a call about something important. What were we talking about?¡±


    Elena, in the seat on the other side of Gio, beamed, leaning forward on the table as her eyes fixated on him. Any normal woman would¡¯ve looked away as Gioid a kiss on Olivia¡¯s temple, the two sharing an intimate scene, but not Elena.


    ¡°Traveling.¡± Elena interrupted the two, smiling brightly as they turned to look at her. ¡°By the way, is there any ce you would like to go that you haven¡¯t been, Giovani?¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at her, my keen intuition picking up. She scooched her chair just the slightest bit closer to Gio, and she called out his name like she was intimate with it. But I didn¡¯t recall him ever giving her permission to call him by his first name.


    Gio raised an eyebrow, a tiny hint of annoyance in his eyes, and I knew that he hadn¡¯t.


    Elena didn¡¯t seem to care, though. She seemed innocent as she smiled brightly, and she stared at him far longer than was polite,pletely overly attentive to him. It was like she¡¯d forgotten Olivia and I were even here.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it,¡± Gio said, slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve visited most ces I¡¯ve wanted to go.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful,¡± Elena giggled, leaning over the table, just a bit too close than was appropriate. ¡°Olivia said she wanted to go to d.¡±


    Olivia blushed, startled at being thrown under the bus.


    ¡°d?¡± He raised an eyebrow at his wife, a small smile ying on his lips.


    ¡°Just Reykjavik! I want to see the street art,¡± she pouted. ¡°It¡¯s not that weird!¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± he chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll n a trip after the baby¡¯s born.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully once they¡¯re a little bigger, though,¡± Elena said brightly. ¡°Traveling can be dangerous for small babies until their immune system is strong enough."


    "Really?" Olivia frowned, looking unsure now. "Well, we don¡¯t have to go soon. I don¡¯t need to see Reykjavik. It would just be nice, you know, in the future maybe."


    "Parents who put their children¡¯s needs over their own wants are truly wonderful. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be a wonderful mother," Elena smiled, and I stiffened, finding it all just a bit awkward.


    "Uh... thanks," Olivia frowned, her mood dropping a bit.


    I nced at Gio, a frown on my lips, and he looked at his wife, his expression a bit concerned.


    "So what¡¯s your favorite ce you¡¯ve been to, Giovani?" Elena asked, drawing him into the conversation and away from the awkwardness she¡¯d caused.


    "I liked Edinburgh well enough," Gio said, turning his back to Elena as he said to Olivia, "I¡¯ll have to take you some time."


    Olivia beamed, her bright mood back, and Elena smiled as well. She seemed innocent as she smiled brightly,pletely unassuming, and between her and Olivia, anyone would think they were simr at first nce.


    Elena did not have that sunshine-like quality. That ability to find the good in every person and thing and bring it to the surface as Olivia¡¯s alone. There was something ufortable lingering behind Elena, especially when she took the chance to lean forward and giggle,ying her palm over Gio¡¯s arm.


    He frowned at her ufortably but said nothing, and I saw Olivia¡¯s smile dim at the action. It was subtle, but enough that I caught it.


    I clenched my fists under the table, my instincts proving right. I hadn¡¯t wanted to jump to conclusions, but my observations weren¡¯t wrong at this point.


    Elena was trying to seduce Giovani.


    My heart burned with unadulterated rage, and the woman who I¡¯d seen as a friend just a couple of hours ago quickly morphed into an enemy.


    I kept my mouth shut despite wanting to scream at the woman, to kick her out and never have here back, but I couldn¡¯t do that. Elena was still their surrogate¨Cshe was carrying their child, and there was no way Gio and Olivia could kick her out or cancel that now.


    My little niece or nephew was what was most important.


    But every time Elena caught Gio¡¯s attention, getting a little too close to him and giggling like a schoolgirl, Olivia¡¯s brilliance flickered just the tiniest bit. It was clear she had noticed something was wrong and was very ufortable, but I knew her.


    She would never assume anything bad of Elena, even if it was right in front of her nose.


    But I did. I wanted to deck her in the face and tell her to stop. I was angry, not just at Elena for making Olivia upset but also at Gio, who kept trying to keep the peace. He could¡¯ve pushed Elena away, but she was a master at making it seem like she was just overly friendly, pretending to be innocent.


    I wrestled inside my mind over what to do. If I said something, if I shared my concerns with Olivia, I could cause her to get mad at me or t o panic and worry, to start distrusting the woman carrying their child for the next few months. That would end badly for everyone involved.


    However, my loyalty remained to Olivia and her happiness. My best friend deserved the world, and she would get it. I couldn¡¯t stay silent, not if what I suspected was actually happening.


    I sighed, finally grabbing the cup of iced tea in front of me. All the ice had melted, making it just lukewarm tea. I downed the ss, gulping it until thest drop, and mmed the cup onto the table.


    Elena and Olivia jumped, startled, and Gio nced at me with a weird look.


    I pinned a smile on my face,ughing it off. Elena rxed, her eyes turning back to Gio, and this time, I caught the blush on her cheeks as he smirked... and the way her eyes sparkled like a woman in love.


    It would have been cute¨Cif she wasn¡¯t staring at a married man, and specifically, a man married to my best friend.


    I made my decision right then and there. I had to tell Olivia, no matter what it did to their rtionship. Either she believed me, or she didn¡¯t, but I wasn¡¯t going to keep silent and let this womane in here and steal my best friend¡¯s man.


    Not if I had any say about it.

 Chapter 427 : Uncomfortable Truths

    <h4>Chapter 427: Chapter 427 : Ufortable Truths</h4>


    *Olivia*


    "There¡¯s no way!" I crossed my arms, my lips pressed together until they hurt as I stared at my best friend straight in the eye. She sighed, clearly unhappy but in a way that let me know she had been expecting this.


    Of course, she should have.


    What she was suggesting was ridiculous, preposterous, absolutely absurd....


    Dahlia sipped her cocktail through a swirly straw shaped like a heart, a glum look in her eyes, and I felt a little bad for not immediately believing her. Dahlia had never lied to me before, and I doubted she ever would.


    But this... I just couldn¡¯t believe this.


    "You could at least hear me out," Dahlia said bitterly, "before shutting me down like I offended your ancestors."


    "What is it with all of you?" I snapped. "First Gio and now you! Why are you so against believing that Elena is just a good person who wants to help us out? She¡¯s been nothing but kind."


    "Gio?" Dahlia asked, surprised, then smirked. "Figures he¡¯d pick up on it first. Good on him."


    "Dolly!" I frowned.


    "Look, Olive," she sent me a firm look. "I know what I saw, and if Gio is telling you the exact same thing I am, then doesn¡¯t that mean there has to be something off about her? I know you don¡¯t want to believe this, but burying your head in the sand won¡¯t make it go away. Besides, I¡¯m your best friend. Shouldn¡¯t you believe me over someone you¡¯ve only known for a month?"


    Guilt shot straight through my heart, and I saw the hurt in her eyes from my vehement refusal. She was right... Gio and she had seen something that I clearly didn¡¯t. And it was true that a few of Elena¡¯s actionstely had made me feel a bit ufortable.


    I shook my head, resisting the doubts I could feel building inside me.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Dolly, but there¡¯s no way I can believe this. Elena is a wonderful person! You liked her just yesterday, and now you¡¯re saying...." I swallowed, not even wanting to say the usations Dolly had leveled at her. "You must have seen wrong. You must have."


    "Olive." Dahlia sent me a pitying look.


    "No, Dolly. I just can¡¯t believe it... I can¡¯t," I shook my head stubbornly, not wanting to consider the possibility.


    "Look, Olive, you can either believe me or not, it doesn¡¯t really matter," Dahlia frowned. "I know what I saw, and I know I had to tell you, even if you didn¡¯t believe me. You have to remain vignt, Olive, because I¡¯m telling you the truth. You need to consider that maybe Elena isn¡¯t as selfless as you think she is. Maybe she has ulterior motives." There was that phrase again.


    "There¡¯s no way," I murmured, overwhelmed by what my best friend in the world was telling me. "There¡¯s no way... Elena is¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t. Elena can¡¯t be trying to steal Gio from me."


    Just saying it aloud sent a pang of guilt straight to my heart, and I clutched my chest, my shoulders slumping under the heavy weight. The rejection of the concern was visceral, and I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around it.


    Elena was a good person. I knew she was. She was the surrogate I had chosen, entrusted with carrying our child, and letting her into our lives. If there was any chance at all that Dahlia was right. That Elena really could be trying to rece me¡ªto steal my life, my husband, and my baby¡ªthen it was all my fault.


    "It¡¯s not true," I said stubbornly, clinging to my own beliefs and thoughts even with all the evidence and apprehensions Dahlia had expressed... even with the concerns Gio had told me about. "I appreciate you telling me about this, but I have to believe in her, Dolly. She¡¯s my friend."


    Dahlia sighed, sending me a soft, helpless smile. "I should¡¯ve known you would say that. You¡¯re too caring for your own good, Olive. I¡¯ll drop this for now, but please, be on your guard. Your optimism is one of your best qualities, but not everyone is as kind as you."


    "I have to believe they are, Dolly." I smiled. I knew I was being stubborn, that I was digging my heels into the sand despite all the evidence otherwise, but either I believed in people or I didn¡¯t.


    And I did.


    Maybe my faith and hope for a sessful surrogacy were blinding me to the truth. Maybe Dolly was right, and everything would blow up in my face, but I had to believe otherwise.


    It was just the kind of person I was.


    "I¡¯ll be careful, I promise, Dolly, but I can¡¯t believe Elena would do something so cruel. She¡¯s my friend and the woman carrying our child. You said you¡¯re not a hundred percent sure, either. This could all be a big misunderstanding, and I don¡¯t want to suspect Elena over something like that. I¡¯ll watch her more closely, though, and if I see anything rming, I¡¯ll be sure to tell you, alright?" I smiled.


    Dahlia breathed out heavily, giving me a small smile. "I guess that¡¯s the best I can hope for."


    And perhaps, if it were anyone else, that would¡¯ve been the end of it. If it had been Tallon or Alessandro who came to me with concerns, I would¡¯ve been able to brush it off easily, but this was Dahlia¨Cmy best friend.


    We¡¯d been stuck at the hip since we were babies. I knew everything there was about her, and she knew everything about me. And the little thoughts I had tried to ignore about Elena, the anxieties and worries, all began to pile up in my mind.


    That unwavering trust I had ced in others began to falter.


    Gio had important business that day and wouldn¡¯t be back untilte. Tallon and Alessandro were who knows where, and Elena was working at her job. It was just me and Dahlia that day, but Dolly never could stay still for long.


    She decided to go out for drinks and invited me along, but I was too consumed in my own head that I told her to go without me. We both needed a break from the heavy emotional conversation we¡¯d just had, and Dahlia dealt with it by partying and cheering herself up.


    I dealt with it differently.


    As in, I didn¡¯t.


    Once she left, I waspletely alone with my thoughts. The day flew by quickly, and the sun set before I knew it. I tried to rx, but the more I did, the more tense I got.


    I couldn¡¯t pay attention to the movies or shows on TV. The inte just made me feel frustrated. I even broke out my old sketchbook and tried to draw. Emptying my mind only made it worse, however, as I soon realized I was drawing Gio, and in his arms was a in-looking woman without a face.


    The tip of my pencil hovered over the sketch of the woman, and I tried to picture my own face, but all I could see was Elena¡¯s sh across my mind.


    I gave up, throwing the sketch to the side as I fell back onto my bed in the suite and stared at the ceiling. All the little seeds of doubt that had festered and grown over the day came back to bite me, and I groaned, throwing my hands over my face.


    All I could think about was Elena¨Cher smiling at Gio when he told her about the magnolia trees, the way she always took the seat to his left, her chair scooted just a little more toward him.


    Even when sheughed, her eyes sparkled and never left Gio. I always thought it was innocent. Even when she kept touching his arm or his side, leaning in too close, I thought she was just an affectionate person.


    But thinking back, she never did that to anyone else.


    Just Gio.


    I bit my bottom lip, a deep internal struggle having been triggered in my psyche. I wanted to believe in Elena¡¯s sincerity. The thought of suspecting her made me feel like a monster¡ªa jealous wife trying to keep all women away from her man.


    But that wasn¡¯t it, was it?


    My emotions were ying tug of war with my mind¡ªpulling me back and forth to the edge of each extreme. I had to protect my rtionship with Gio¡ªwith my family¡ªbut Elena was my friend. I refused to suspect her.


    But she had made a few questionable moves.


    "Shut up!" I screamed in frustration, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at the door.


    "Whoa," a voice called out, and I flinched, whirling to face the intruder.


    Gio stood there, an incredulous look on his face and a scrunched-up pillow held in his hand.


    "When...." I swallowed, reeling myself back in. "When did you get back? Weren¡¯t you going to bete?"


    He raised an eyebrow, a hint of concern flickering across his face. "It iste. It¡¯s nearly midnight, carina."


    I jolted, inplete disbelief as I turned to the window. I¡¯d had the blinds closed all day, so I hadn¡¯t noticed. I grabbed my phone, turned it on, and my eyes widened at the truth¨C11:39. It really was almost midnight.


    Where had the day gone?


    "Olivia, what¡¯s going on? This isn¡¯t like you," Gio frowned, heading toward me. He gently set the pillow back onto the bed, took a seat on the edge, and pulled me into hisp. He ran his hand along my bare arms soothingly and dipped his head into the crook of my neck.


    A small sob came out of my throat, and I shut my eyes, leaning back into his body and letting him be the rock to ground me.


    Once my tears faded, everything came spilling from my lips¨CDahlia¡¯s concerns and my own doubts, my wavering faith in Elena, and how I wanted to trust her so badly, the emotional weight of the surrogacy and how none of this would have happened if I hadn¡¯t been broken... unable to carry my own child.


    Gio listened, keeping me wrapped in his arms and safe from everything that had been weighing on me. There was no judgment in his eyes. He kept silent, waiting for me to finish.


    "I love you, Olivia," he said after everything was done. He grabbed my face in both hands, forcing me to look into his eyes as he told me sincerely, "I love everything about you, and no matter what, I will always love you and you alone. Even if it¡¯s true, and Elena is trying to get close to me, it won¡¯t work. You are my everything, carina."


    "But¨C"


    He shook his head, silencing me with a kiss.


    "I¡¯m d you told me," he pulled away, smiling lovingly at me as he brushed my hair from my face. "I want to be here for you, and I will do whatever you need to make sure you arefortable. If that means not interacting with Elena, then so be it. But I need you to believe in me. No one could ever take me from you because I¡¯m yours. I¡¯ve always been yours, ever since that day we met. You are my wife, and I will be by your side for the rest of my life. Forget everything else, Olivia. That is what you can believe in."


    In his embrace, face-to-face with his love, all of my previous doubts seemed silly. I softened, clinging to my husband as he maneuvered us into bed, pressing kisses to the top of my head every chance he got.


    He was right. Gio was mine. Nobody could take him from me, even if they were going to try.


    My initial resistance to Dahlia¡¯s concerns softened. Dahlia was right about one thing. Whether she was correct about Elena or not, it was important to be vignt. For my family, I had to be the rock to keep us all grounded, and if that meant suspecting Elena¡¯s motives despite considering her as a friend, then so be it.


    Renewed determination filled me, and I knew that soon, we would have to address our underlying concerns with Elena, even if it meant facing some very ufortable truths.

 Chapter 428 : He Said, She Said

    <h4>Chapter 428: Chapter 428 : He Said, She Said</h4>


    *Giovani*


    ¡°We¡¯ve repaired all bridges for our operations in Eastern Europe, which means we can finally start shipping in the volumes we were working with before Dmitri,¡± Gabriele said. ¡°In terms of the expansion into the Middle East¡ª¡±


    A furious, pounding knock sounded on the door, and both of our heads whipped in that direction. I dropped the folder containing the data on our holdings. Gabriele ced a hand on the gun at his waist, and I ran my finger over the panic button I¡¯d recently had installed on the bottom of my desk that would call all the guards in thepound to my location. I hadn¡¯t had one previously because I didn¡¯t like acknowledging that I might not be able to handle every threat that made its way to my office.


    After a moment of knocking, the knob turned and the door swung inward. Gabriele¡¯s gun was out of his holster before I could blink, but I hesitated a moment on the button. It was lucky I waited because the door revealed a panting, wild-eyed Alessandro.


    Gabriele holstered his gun and waved the boy in. Despite his usual desire to seem as professional and capable as my second, Alessandro dropped bonelessly into one of the leather chairs in front of my desk and caught his breath.


    Gabriele, with a slight frown, closed the door behind him.


    My heartbeat, which remained perilously steady when I thought I was under attack, sped out of control. What could have induced Alessandro to burst in like this, clearly exhausted? He had reported attack after attack with the same cool demeanor during Dmitri¡¯s reign of terror. Had something worse happened?


    Something personal?


    Only years of training myself to present a strong front when facing my men prevented me from tapping my fingers anxiously on my desk as he caught his breath.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he wheezed. ¡°I know this is your standing weekly review. I was out with a friend at that caf¨¦ a few blocks down. It seemed silly to take a car, but then I had to run home.¡±


    Gabriele crossed his arms. Alessandro had be vital to the organization, but I knew my old friend was thinking he stillcked the necessary polish of a true right hand.


    I nodded. ¡°And why did you run?¡±


    ¡°Elena,¡± he gasped out.


    My stomach flipped. I grabbed my phone in one hand and circled the button under my desk once more with the other. Had something happened to her, or was she the problem? Was Olivia safe?


    Gabriele handed Alessandro a ss of water, and he chugged it gratefully. When he put the empty ss on my desk, his breathing steadied, and his words came a little more evenly.


    ¡°It¡¯s bad, but it¡¯s not call-in-the-cavalry bad,¡± he said first.


    I breathed a quiet sigh of relief and dropped my phone to my desk.


    Gabriele snorted. ¡°If you felt the need to burst in during a weekly meeting, I think the Don will decide what cavalry is needed.¡±


    Alessandro swallowed. ¡°I started hanging out with a couple of guys at the card caf¨¦, ying scopa. I needed some friends outside the business. It turns out one of those guys, Leo, is friends with Elena¡¯s roommate, and he said she told him that Elena was moving into some kind of high-security pce soon. The roommate¡¯s just worried about being fucked for rent, but I knew I needed to tell you.¡±


    My head spun. We hadn¡¯t told Elena she could move in. We hadn¡¯t even talked to her about it since that initial conversation. I found it hard to believe she would distort such a simple interaction so wildly.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said slowly. ¡°How certain are you that you can trust this Leo?¡±


    Alessandro shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s not in the family business. I had them all checked out. I don¡¯t know why he would lie.¡± He gripped the arms of the chair. ¡°But isn¡¯t this a red g that she¡¯s telling her friends she¡¯s an even bigger part of your life than she is?¡±


    I sighed. After our sessful-transfer dinner, Olivia had confided in me that Alessandro didn¡¯t trust Elena, but that Dahlia thought it might be jealousy. Then, he repeated the same concerns to me in this very office. He¡¯d obviously never liked the woman.


    ¡°I will look into this further,¡± I said, trying to infuse enough finality into my tone that he would get the hint.


    He didn¡¯t. He leaned forward and said, ¡°Look into it further? She¡¯s bad news, Gio. I¡¯m trying to look out for everyone¡¯s best interests, and no one will let me!¡±


    I stood, towering over him. ¡°Thank you for your diligence in this matter. Your concerns are misced. Leave, and stop interrupting a meeting you knew about when you busted into your Don¡¯s office with such violence that you were almost shot.¡±


    Alessandro¡¯s mouth fell open, but he stood and stomped out of the room without another word. I sat back down, and Gabriele beheld me evenly.


    ¡°I know what you sound like when you don¡¯t want to think about something,¡± he said. ¡°Do you believe him?¡±


    I dropped my head into my hands. I didn¡¯t want to believe him. If he spoke the truth, he was right, that was a red g. I didn¡¯t like my location being publicized at all, much less to a group of random twenty-somethings. Beyond that, it meant Elena assumed she would get her way. Olivia might be all for having her move in, but my nagging hesitations about safety and privacy crystallized around this single nugget of doubt.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said finally. ¡°Dahlia thinks he might be jealous of Elena, but you and I are well-acquainted with his reaction to jealousy.¡±


    Gabriele scoffed. ¡°More than... but I wouldn¡¯t say I saw those signs now. He looked frustrated not to be listened to rather than furious ating in second. And no punches were thrown.¡±


    I threw my hands in the air. ¡°Then I see no other reason for him to lie. He does his due diligence, and I believe he had these card friends checked out.¡± I sighed. ¡°But if this information is urate....¡±


    Gabriele nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t wish to believe him.¡±


    I chuckled bitterly. ¡°You can say that again. She¡¯s carrying my baby. I don¡¯t want to find out anything new about her. I barely wanted her as involved in our lives as she is now.¡±


    ¡°I vouched for Elena myself. I hardly wish to be proven wrong in a matter this dire,¡± Gabriele agreed.


    Silently, I moved to the ca where I kept my alcohol and poured each of us a ss of top-shelf whiskey. Gabriele epted his ss, and I leaned against the front of my desk, destroying the barrier between boss and subordinate.


    I had so many emotions flying around in my head, I didn¡¯t want the panic button within reach. If there was one thing I knew for certain, it was that having Elena rounded up by the maximum number of guys I could summon wouldn¡¯t do anything for our rtionship.


    Our rtionship¨Cdid I have a rtionship with Elena, really? Olivia did, certainly, and Dahlia. I tried to greet her when she was around and tried to n events for her to be involved in when it seemed fitting. But that hardly constituted a rtionship. Most of the time, I felt like I was having a baby with my wife, and we¡¯d outsourced the tricky parts. But that didn¡¯t protect the baby in her stomach¨Cmy baby.


    ¡°What I will say,¡± Gabriele began, ¡°is that I have survived this life on my instincts. We all do. Mine told me Elena was alright. Alessandro¡¯s say the opposite. One of us must be wrong, but the question remains. What are your instincts telling you?¡±


    I sipped the whiskey, feeling it burn down the line of my throat and hoping it would provide me with enough answers to go to sleep tonight.


    As always, there was no rity at the bottom of a ss, just hazier frustration.


    ¡°My instincts are... garbled,¡± I admitted. ¡°She makes Olivia so happy.¡±


    Gabriele shook his head. ¡°Stop being married for a moment. You got here because your instincts were honed more sharply than anyone else¡¯s. There is an answer inside you that you don¡¯t want to see.¡±


    I groaned. I didn¡¯t want to be Don Valentino at this moment. I wanted to be a worried husband, trying to do his best by his wife. I wanted the stakes to lessen, and to have a baby with the love of my life without everything spinning off the rails.


    I decided I was going to trust and believe in Elena for Olivia¡¯s sake. I already had this conflict, and I had settled it in favor of my wife and our baby. Why couldn¡¯t that have been enough?


    Gabriele¡¯s eyes burned into me, and I took a step back from my own thoughts. From a distance, they looked deliriously self-pitying. I was Don Valentino and a loving husband at the same time, always. Only with both skill sets could I get out of this mess.


    And goddammit, I was going to get Olivia, the baby, and I out of this mess, whatever it took.


    I downed the rest of the ss. Gabriele raised an eyebrow, but I savored the sting. Then, I stood and retook my seat behind my desk.


    ¡°Rerun Elena¡¯s background.¡±


    Gabriele¡¯s mouth opened slightly. ¡°We¡¯ve already turned over every rock I could think of¡ª¡±


    ¡°Turn them again,¡± I said. ¡°You asked me to think with my head rather than my heart, and I¡¯m telling you to rerun the check.¡±


    He snapped his mouth shut and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have the results as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I lifted the folder once more and peered at him over the top of it. ¡°The Middle East?¡±


    Gabriele knocked back the rest of his whiskey without so much as a wince and returned to his normal position, taking up the flow of our weekly review with nearly robotic ease.


    I tried to keep my mind on the briefing, but it wandered back to Elena within moments.


    Should I tell Olivia what I learned? I¡¯d promised to tell her everything I thought about the baby, but I couldn¡¯t help remembering the look on her face when I said I thought Elena shouldn¡¯t move in. She¡¯d tied her emotions up too tightly with the surrogate to have reasonable conversations about my concerns anymore.


    Part of me wanted to just sweep her away on some retreat until she forgot all about Elena and we could talk like we were on the same team once more, but even if I could feel safe leaving my baby without either of their parents, she would never go. I had to solve these problems here.


    Another, smaller part of me just wanted to be able to trust Olivia and let Elena into my heart. I hated disagreeing with her, hated seeing her upset.


    But what if we¡¯d missed something about Elena?

 Chapter 429 : A Break from the City

    <h4>Chapter 429: Chapter 429 : A Break from the City</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Gio tumbled off of me, panting, and rolled onto his side to meet my eyes.


    ¡°Carina?¡± he said.


    I knew the look in his eyes. He had something real he wanted to say. I pressed a hand to my racing heart and tried to focus my thoughts somewhere other than his cock that had just been inside me.


    ¡°Yep?¡± I said.


    He smiled, clearly seeing the struggle on my face. ¡°Everything has been so stressfultely.¡± He stroked a finger along the line of my cheek. ¡°How would you like to spend a couple of days in Tuscany?¡±


    For a moment, I could do nothing but marvel at how perfect the man I married was. Between everyone¡¯s weirdness about Elena and the general stress of waiting to find out if she was pregnant, I felt like my teeth had been on edge for weeks. And then we¡¯d fought about her moving in....


    ¡°That sounds perfect,¡± I said honestly. I wanted nothing more than a few days to reconnect with my husband.


    He grinned. ¡°I will set it up.¡±


    Then, he pressed a kiss to the top of my breast, and the banked fire between my legs zed back to life.


    ***


    A few days passed, and Gio and I were headed out the door to meet Elena at a caf¨¦ nearby and talked about how she was feeling. As we stepped toward the SUV, he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me in.


    ¡°I got our vi for this weekend,¡± he whispered in my ear. ¡°And I heard the owners might be thinking of selling.¡±


    I squealed. ¡°I have to tell everyone!¡±


    Gio chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ve got ns, carina. You and Dahlia can outfit-shop afterward.¡±


    I blushed. He knew me so well.


    We got into the SUV and began the short drive. I¡¯d convinced him that a setting as casual as a caf¨¦ meant he didn¡¯t need his full suit, so he had reluctantly donned jeans and a T-shirt, but as we sat, I realized the jacketying across hisp was a suit jacket.


    ¡°Why did you bring that?¡± I asked.


    He shrugged, and his gaze darted away from mine. ¡°I¡¯m still not great with all the baby logistics.¡±


    I crossed my arms over the extremely casual sweater and jeans I¡¯d pulled out, feeling suddenly underdressed. ¡°So?¡±


    He fidgeted with thepel, and I realized I¡¯d never seen him look quite so nervous. I¡¯d seen him scared and determinedly putting on a brave face, but this extremely human anxiety was new.


    ¡°So the jackets havee to feel a little like armor.¡± He met my gaze, and honesty shone on his face. ¡°I wanted protection going into this.¡±


    I smiled and looped my arm through his. Little things like that happened more and more often recently, and I was trying to get better about letting them go. Gio mostly had a good exnation for his actions, I reminded myself.


    The time in Tuscany would be good for us. We needed to get back on the same page, and there was nothing quite like privacy, spectacr wine, and even better sex to get us there.


    The car rolled to a stop in front of a quaint caf¨¦. I hopped out, and Elena waved through the te-ss window from a table she¡¯d already grabbed. We weren¡¯t evente, but she was always so punctual. A quick nce told me that, at least in her own sweater, a fitted pink pullover, she wasn¡¯t showing yet.


    I grinned and waved back.


    Gio stepped out and took my arm. I turned to him and gestured to Elena in the window, but by the time I turned back to her, she was sipping a mug of something.


    We headed inside. The air felt warm, cinnamon-scented, and I joined the short line happily.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not the season, but you have to try a Nute bomboloni,¡± Elena called.


    I shot her a thumbs-up.


    Gio and I waited in the short line, then returned to Elena¡¯s table with atte for me, a ck coffee for him, and a te piled high with pastries, including the bomboloni she¡¯d suggested.


    Sheughed. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I didn¡¯t imagine you with much of a sweet tooth, Giovani.¡±


    Gio shrugged. ¡°They¡¯re for her, mostly.¡±


    I picked up the bomboloni and took a huge bite, spilling Nute everywhere. The fried dough crunched perfectly, and the Nute filling took the pastry from sweet to decadent.


    Gio wiped up the mess as I chewed and gave a big thumbs-up.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°Should we get down to some business? How are you feeling?¡±


    Elena sighed. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s a reason we¡¯re here. I¡¯ve been craving these stupid little doughnuts basically every hour of every day.¡±


    ¡°At least they¡¯re delicious!¡± I offered.


    She shrugged. ¡°Comes with the territory. Honestly, what¡¯s been worse is that I¡¯m pissing like a racehorse these days.¡±


    Gio, who had lifted his coffee to his mouth, spluttered. He put the cup down sharply.


    Elenaughed. ¡°What, the big tough guy can¡¯t handle a little mention of the bathroom?¡±


    Gio straightened thepels on his zer, a gesture I recognized as a sign of difort after our talk in the car.


    ¡°I simply wasn¡¯t expecting it.¡± He nced at me. ¡°But we want to be involved in the pregnancy. Please, disclose as much or as little as you see fit.¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m just teasing. I like the zer, by the way. Mind if I?¡± She held her hand out as if to touch the fabric.


    I nced at Gio and shrugged. He nodded.


    She took the edge of the sleeve between her fingers and rubbed it. ¡°God, that¡¯s so soft. What is that?¡±


    ¡°Cashmere.¡± Gio cleared his throat. ¡°Is there anything else we should know about the baby?¡±


    I shot him a look. He was being weird, and I didn¡¯t know if it was just Elena¡¯s frankness about her struggles with pregnancy, but I didn¡¯t want her to feel unwee.


    Somewhere in the back of my mind, the conversation I¡¯d had with Dahlia the other day worried me. I knew Elena liked clothes in general, and anybody would appreciate a jacket as fine as Gio¡¯s. But was this the sort of thing Dahlia was talking about?


    ¡°Oh! Yes!¡± Elena wrestled her phone out of her pocket. ¡°I didn¡¯t know if you guys wanted toe to OB appointments now that there¡¯s actually stuff happening. I think this next one is the first big ultrasound.¡±


    I leaned forward. ¡°I¡¯d love to be present for the ultrasound, if you¡¯d have me.¡±


    ¡°Totally,¡± she said, not looking up from her phone. ¡°It¡¯s your kid, I¡¯d love it if both of you were there.¡±


    I looked at Gio. He seemed stiff and unhappy, but I took his hand and squeezed it.


    He turned to me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be there when the world sees our baby for the first time?¡± I asked.


    Whatever crust had covered him shattered, and he smiled a slow, honest smile. ¡°I really would.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± I turned back to Elena. ¡°When¡¯s the appointment?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± she said. ¡°Got it. Next Friday, 6:00 p.m.¡±


    Gio winced and leaned in to me. ¡°I had the private jet set to leave at three.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t keep the grimace off my face. I wanted to see my baby. Everything in me ached to hold that image in my heart, to treasure it through the months toe. But I couldn¡¯t deny how badly Gio and I needed time away. The stress of the surrogacy was really starting to get to me, and I had to hope a few days in Tuscany would fix that.


    Elena looked up from her phone. ¡°Everybody just got weird. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± I said, ¡°we actually have a trip nned this weekend. Tuscany.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Elena brightened. ¡°Well, maybe I can reschedule the appointment. Hell, maybe I cane with.¡±


    My heart sank. Rescheduling would be great, but the point of the trip was privacy. As much as I loved Elena, bringing her along would ruin that.


    ¡°It¡¯s a husband and wife trip,¡± Gio said firmly.


    Elena frowned. ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m so fun on vacation, and I bet the baby would love it.¡±


    My conversation with Dahlia came screaming back. Who would want toe on someone else¡¯s romantic vacation?


    Gio took my hand. ¡°I¡¯m certain.¡±


    Elena shrugged. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    The rest of lunch passed a little awkwardly, but it passed, and Friday arrived before I knew it.


    The moment in the caf¨¦ with Elena kept bothering me. I didn¡¯t like how she¡¯d pressed, didn¡¯t like how she¡¯d brought up the baby. But when I shared my concerns with Dahlia as I packed, she just nodded sagely and said, ¡°Definitely weird, but if you let her ruin the trip by worrying, she might as well havee.¡±


    I held those words in my heart like a talisman. I would not let her ruin my trip. I took Gio¡¯s hand as the sun started to dip low over the horizon and boarded the jet, the appointment rescheduled for when we got back.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I said suddenly.


    He pressed my hand to his lips. ¡°I love you too, carina. Why now?¡±


    ¡°For picking the perfect time for this trip. We¡¯re gonna have the best time.¡± I smiled up at him, convincing myself as much as I was him.


    The ne ride passed quickly, and we dropped our bags at the vi and changed for dinner before heading out. At Dahlia¡¯s suggestion, I¡¯d gotten a new dress for the asion, skimpier than I normally would have chosen because Gio let slip that we would exclusively be eating in private rooms.


    I changed in the huge closet of the vi so I could see his reaction. The dress was made of a silken, clinging ck material that hugged my every curve. The front and back both dipped wildly low, nearly exposing the top of my ass and barely holding onto my breasts. The skirt draped all the way down to the floor, even in the glittering silver heels I picked out, and there was a slit up to my mid-thigh that was only visible when I moved.


    I forewent a bra and, after a second¡¯s hesitation, underwear. Then, I stepped out of the closet.


    Gio turned to face me in the middle of tying his tie, then froze.


    ¡°Mio dio,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°Like it?¡± I asked, doing a little twirl to reveal the slit.


    ¡°Like it? Carina, you¡¯re lucky I¡¯m starving, or you wouldn¡¯t leave that bed until the ne left on Sunday.¡± His voice sounded hoarse already.


    I stepped up to him, finally almost eye-level in the heels, unknotted his tie, and threw it on the bed. ¡°We won¡¯t need that tilter.¡±


    His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed visibly. I undid the top two buttons of his shirt, then took his hand. ¡°Dinner awaits!¡±


    Something like a growl tore out of his throat, and he swatted my ass with his free hand as I led him out of the room.


    As promised, we ate course after course of Tuscan delicacies in the back room of a restaurant, and the wine flowed freely. Weughed and talked like we hadn¡¯t in weeks, and Gio could barely keep his hands off me. Our easy chemistry resurfaced, and I felt like I was falling in love with my husband all over again.


    ¡°Can you believe this all started when you picked me up from the airport?¡± I asked.


    He smiled. ¡°I will never forget how you looked climbing into my car that first time.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Me either! But I felt so silly crushing on literally the first Italian man I had a conversation with.¡±


    He rested his hand on my knee. ¡°You felt strange? I was, to use your terminology, crushing on a neen-year-old family friend.¡±


    I took a sip of wine, savoring the taste of Chianti grapes. ¡°Did you ever imagine we¡¯d end up here?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Not in a million years. My wildest fantasies at that moment were that I might get away with a one-night stand.¡±


    I hummed. ¡°That would¡¯ve been pretty hot. Imagine being able to say I had a mafia Don in my bed for one night?¡±


    He chuckled quietly and slid his hand up my thigh. The fabric of my dress slipped easily out of his path, but he stopped before he reached where I suddenly needed him.


    ¡°Oh yeah? Do you want to know what I¡¯d be like if you never got to have me again?¡±


    I bit my lip. We had great sex all the time, but I couldn¡¯t deny I thought about it. And all night, it felt like our rtionship was being reborn. What if we yed like we were really starting over?


    I nodded. His eyes darkened, but he tried to put on the hard look I¡¯d only seen him use when he was talking to his men.


    He moved his hand all the way up my inner thigh, exposing my bare pussy to the warm air of our private dining room.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised a nice girl like you would dress like this for a first date.¡± He licked his lips. ¡°But I guess that¡¯s one way to catch a Don¡¯s attention.¡±

 Chapter 430 : Like It’s the First Time

    <h4>Chapter 430: Chapter 430 : Like It¡¯s the First Time</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Gio nced at the door the waiters had beening through. ¡°Since you¡¯re such a nice girl, I¡¯ll ask. Do you want me to finger you to a screaming orgasm right here, where anybody coulde in, or just get you soaking wet before I take you back to my ce?¡±


    I swallowed. ¡°I¡¯d love to see your ce, Don Valentino.¡±


    A small smile cracked Gio¡¯s fa?ade at the title, and I almost lost focus and pounced on my beautiful husband.


    ¡°Let me call for the check¡ª¡± he started.


    I shook my head. ¡°But I approached you because I know I can handle it. If we only have this one night, I want everything you can give.¡±


    A hungry smile spread across his face. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can.¡±


    Gio¡¯s hand finally finished its climb up my leg to meet the wet heat at my center. I covered my mouth as a groan escaped, but with his other hand, he pulled the block away.


    ¡°I thought you said you could handle it?¡± His gaze was severe on my face as his thumb began circling my clit ever so lightly.


    I hesitated. I¡¯d gotten used to loud sex, and not covering my mouth, I knew I would struggle. The harshness in his eyes broke immediately, and the love and concern I always associated with him broke through. I could call it right here, and he¡¯d take me home. We could y this game, or have regr sex, or whatever I wanted, and he wouldn¡¯t mutter a word ofint.


    My heart overflowed with love, and that only cemented my decision.


    I nodded desperately. ¡°I can, I can. Don¡¯t stop, please. Can I just distract my hand?¡±


    I found his clothed cock, already hard, under the table.


    ¡°The Valentino family is famous for their generosity, Miss Robinson,¡± he said. ¡°Rest your hand where you please, but I¡¯m going to make youe as many times as I can before we get to that part of the evening.¡±


    I nodded obediently, and he pressed harder on my clit and pushed one finger inside. I barely stifled a moan as he thrust. Then, Gio dropped his head to my chest and pulled my dress aside with his teeth beforetching onto my nipple.


    The cascade of sensations threatened to overwhelm me almost instantly, coupled with the risk of somebody walking in at any moment. I ground into his hand, aching for release, and just barely managed to stop a long, low moan.


    ¡°More,¡± I gasped. ¡°Please, Don Valentino, I want to feel full.¡±


    He turned his head to look at me, my nipple still caught in his teeth, and smiled wolfishly. Then, in quick session, he fit a second and third finger into me. I met his thrusts as best I could in my chair, and a whine escaped my mouth.


    I whipped my head toward the door, but nothing happened. I rubbed my thumb over his cock and felt it twitch. Gio hooked his fingers and fucked into me even harder, and I lost myself in the sensation. My orgasm was building quickly, and as he flicked the other side of my dress off my breast and began toying with that nipple with his free hand, I realized I wouldn¡¯tst much longer.


    I fucked myself on his fingers once, twice, a third time, and then the orgasm ripped through me. I couldn¡¯t contain a final moan, far louder than any other sound I¡¯d made, but I didn¡¯t care anymore.


    Gio fucked me through the orgasm, then slowly pulled his fingers out. He considered their gleam in the low restaurant lighting for a moment, then stuck them in his mouth, cleaning each thoroughly. I rubbed my thighs together, already ready to go again.


    ¡°Delicious,¡± he murmured. He looked at me with a loving husband¡¯s eyes and leaned in for a long, slow kiss. I was stillpletely exposed in a public setting, but with Gio here, I felt totally safe. How had I found such a perfect man? How could I possibly deserve him?


    He leaned back and raked his eyes over my body. I shivered.


    ¡°Well, Miss Robinson, it seems you¡¯re as good as you say.¡± He threw a wad of cash down on the table. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my ce. I want to know what you can do when you really unleash.¡±


    I fixed my dress slowly, his eyes heavy on me. This was the perfect evening, dancing back and forth between yful and loving. I liked pretending to be na?ve and corruptible for him, even better for the moments when the act broke, and I knew how much he loved me.


    I stood, letting the dress fall back over my legs, and leaned down to whisper in his ear. ¡°I¡¯d like to show you.¡±


    And I sauntered out of the back room to the car I knew would be waiting at the valet, leaving him to pay.


    He followed me quickly, winding an arm around my waist, but as soon as we exited the restaurant, his hand dropped possessively to my ass.


    I feigned a shocked expression. ¡°Don Valentino, anybody could see us out here!¡±


    He smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, carina. I¡¯m gonna brag about this night enough that everyone¡¯s gonna know you fucked me anyway.¡±


    A shiver ran down my spine. I¡¯d never seen this side of Gio, but it lit something up inside me.


    Gio had insisted on driving us while in Tuscany, so we got into the small silver Fiat he¡¯d had delivered to our house here. The vi wasn¡¯t far, but I gave him a moment offortable quiet that spoke to how easy it was to be around each other. For a moment, it felt like a regr night. Then, I reached over and unbuckled his belt.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he snapped, all Don.


    I smirked. ¡°I said I wanted to show you.¡±


    He pursed his lips. ¡°I said I was going to make youe over and over before I do.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said blithely. ¡°Then don¡¯te.¡±


    I reached into his pants and pulled out his cock. It sprang to attention, precum beading at the tip, and he groaned. I swirled my finger in the liquid, then ran my hand along his length. He jerked into the motion, and the car sped up on the empty, moonlit Tuscan road.


    We¡¯d be home in three minutes. I stroked himnguorously, drawing out the moments of pleasure and ensuring he never got to close to orgasm. He kept up a steady stream of curses and groans until we pulled into the driveway.


    ¡°Careful, Miss Robinson,¡± he said. ¡°I might just have to keep you around if you keep doing things like that.¡±


    I giggled. ¡°Maybe I might like to be kept.¡±


    I ran my thumb over the top of his cock, and he groaned.


    ¡°I¡¯m a very particr man,¡± he gritted out. ¡°And for your car stunt, I¡¯d like something in return.¡±


    ¡°Anything, Don Valentino.¡±


    ¡°Leave the dress in the car.¡± He stared into my eyes, my wonderful husband checking once more that I wasfortable instead of responding, I opened the door, stepped out of the car, undid the single knot at the neck that held the whole dress up, and let it puddle at my feet.


    He watched me with reverent eyes as I bent, fully nude, to retrieve the dress and throw it on the seat. Then, he tucked his cock back into his pants and scrambled out of the car.


    He caught me in his arms, pressing a furious kiss to my lips. The game fell away, and we were husband and wife, kissing passionately under the moonlight just like we had on our wedding night. The cool air pebbled my nipples, but I wouldn¡¯t have left that moment for anything.


    ¡°Let me show you inside,¡± he muttered roughly. I let him take my hand and lead me through the vi to the bedroom as if I didn¡¯t know the way. He caught me up in another kiss, his hands groping and fondling with a near frantic fervor.


    He backed me through the room, and I expected my knees to hit the bed, but instead, my back hit the wall. I opened my eyes to find myself next to the ss double door, and Gio pulled back, panting slightly. He shucked his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves, staring at me hungrily. My hips twitched of their own ord.


    Gio dropped to his knees and began kissing up my leg.


    ¡°Why, Don Valentino,¡± I gasped. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect such a powerful man to be so...¡± my breath hitched, ¡°so giving.¡±


    He pulled back for a moment, and his gaze burned into mine. ¡°I¡¯m not giving. I¡¯m unforgettable.¡±


    He hooked one of my legs over his shoulder and buried his face between my legs. I moaned loud and long as his tongue found my clit. One of hisrge, callused hands held my hip stable, and I leaned into the contact as my knees began to shake.


    Hepped along the length of my slit, then plunged his tongue into me. I screamed and fisted my hand in his hair. He hummed against my clit, and the vibrations sent me into a whole new world of sensation.


    My leg began to give out, but almost effortlessly, he grabbed it and draped that over his shoulder as well, so the only thing keeping me upright was his face in my pussy. I rocked into the pressure, delirious with need, and his tongue began to work even faster.


    My orgasm broke over me almost violently, and stars clouded my vision. I stroked my hands through his hair as I came down, admiring the tableau of his salt-and-pepper head pinned between my sparkly heel adorned legs. After another moment, he put me back on my feet.


    I looked into his eyes and found nothing but wild passion. We were far from done, and I wanted him to feel as magnificent as I did.


    I stepped to the side and ttened myself against the ss door. The chill of the ss made my nipples harden instantly.


    ¡°Fuck me,¡± I said simply.


    Gio moaned, and he was on me in a sh. I felt every line of his shirt and suit pants pressing into me, the leather of his shoes when he knocked my feet further apart. He freed his cock from his pants once more, and I felt its warmth against the wetness on my thigh. One of his hands found its way between my body and the ss to knead my breast, and he started pressing passionate kisses to the line of my neck.


    He lined his cock up, lingered at the entrance just long enough to make me squirm, and thrust. The ss rattled, and both of us moaned.


    He set a punishing pace, fucking into me so hard I heard the door groan, and I met his every thrust. I wanted, no, needed to be fucked like this, like everything was still asplicatedly simple as it had been in the beginning, and we had no worries outside this room. Something tightly coiled within me released, and I felt the stress leave my body for the first time since we walked into the fertility clinic.


    I twisted my head and caught Gio¡¯s mouth in a bruising kiss. He groaned as he licked into my mouth, and another hand separated me from the ss, finding its way to my clit.


    Pinned between Gio and the door, my world dissolved into nothing but pleasure. A third orgasm crashed over me, and he fucked me through it. When I came back down, he simply kept going, chasing his own release. My need was hardly met, and I rode his cock until he finished, freezing behind me with a single, ¡°Olivia.¡±


    He released me, and I peeled myself off the ss. Gio stood before me, thoroughly rumpled but still mostly dressed while I wore nothing but my heels. I considered picking the game back up, but I¡¯d had my release. It was fun to y like we were new to each other, but I wanted thefort of my husband.


    I closed the distance between us and pressed a kiss to the exposed skin at the base of his neck. ¡°What do you say you get naked, I run a bath, and we see how easy it is to fuck in there?¡±


    Gio blinked, the weight of the Don¡¯s mantle clearing from his eyes. He put a finger under my chin and forced me to look at him. ¡°That sounds wonderful. But for what it¡¯s worth, carina, I¡¯m d things went the way they did.¡±


    I kissed him, soft and sweet. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡±

 Chapter 431 : Home Sweet Home

    <h4>Chapter 431: Chapter 431 : Home Sweet Home</h4>


    *Olivia*


    "Home."


    I breathed in happily as we stepped foot into thepound. It had been a long flight back to Florence, and I was still feeling the haze of the vacation. Tuscany had been magical and filled with joyful memories that I would never forget.


    But it was still a relief to be home.


    Gio headed for the office as soon as we got home, having to deal with the affairs he had put off due to the trip. I was thankful he had taken the time to go with me even though he was still busy.


    I carried my luggage back to our room, happy to see it cleaned up after being gone. One of the maids must havee in and tidied up. Our bed was made, and there was a fresh scent of lemon circting the room.


    I lugged my suitcase onto the bed, opened it up, and began to sort out my belongings. I hummed,pletely rxed as I heard the sound of footsteps behind me.


    "Gio?" I asked, a bit confused as I turned to face them, but it wasn¡¯t my husband.


    "Not quite," Dahlia grinned, rushing forward to crush me into a hug. "I missed you so much, Olive! Did you guys have a good time? What did you see? You¡¯d better have photos for me."


    Iughed, embracing her back. "I missed you too, and I do have photos. Tuscany was beautiful. We needed some time to ourselves, to get back on the same page."


    "And he treated you right?" Dahlia asked, giving me a surveying look.


    I knew if I told her no right here, she¡¯d take her ass straight to Gio and yell his ear off. She really was the best friend I could hope for.


    "Yes, he did," I smiled. "He was amazing. As usual."


    Even just thinking about how much he showed he appreciated me had my cheeks heating up. He was more than amazing; he was perfect. I felt so much closer to him than I had before the trip. Not everything was solved because life didn¡¯t work that way, but I remembered that we were a team.


    We loved one another, and that was enough.


    "Good," she nodded happily. "You¡¯re looking much better, more rxed."


    "I¡¯m feeling more rxed." I giggled, taking a seat on the bed.


    Dahlia took the chair, smiling at me as I told her all about the trip. I avoided a few of the morescivious details, but by her wiggling eyebrows and saucy grin, she knew exactly what I had purposely not mentioned.


    "So, how were things here? Did you do anything fun?" I asked, wanting to hear about things here. I had felt a little bad leaving things so suddenly, but it had been necessary for us.


    "Eh, the usual," she shrugged. "Clubbing, hooking up with hot Italian guys, you know, all the essentials."


    I rolled my eyes. "The usual, huh?"


    "Hey, not everybody can be a married woman with a baby on the way," she teased, and Iughed, feeling my usual self for the first time in weeks. Things were finally fitting together¡ªthe pieces falling into ce¡ªand I felt better than ever... until Dahlia¡¯s smile faded.


    She sighed, giving me that look, the look she used whenever she had a bit of information she knew I wouldn¡¯t want to hear, the look she had whenever she was hellbent on telling me something bad had happened... the same look she had used when she told me she was convinced Elena was after my husband.


    "What now?" I asked apprehensively. "Did something happen with Elena?"


    "Sort of." Dahlia grimaced. "It¡¯s kinda not looking good at the moment."


    I took a deep breath, preparing myself mentally. Whatever Dahlia had to say, I would believe it this time. I had a family to protect, and if Elena was really trying to threaten that, I wouldn¡¯t be defending her to the death for it.


    It was time to get to the bottom of all this. If she was innocent, then great. But if she wasn¡¯t, I had to stop her.


    "What happened?" I asked calmly, keeping my mind open. I didn¡¯t need my emotions meddling in this; I needed logic.


    "Well, it was the day after you left," Dahlia started with a frown. "Elena hade over without telling anyone. Maria let her in and then contacted me because it was odd, and I was d she did because when I got home, I found Elena standing in your bedroom."


    "My bedroom?" I repeated, rm bells going off in the back of my mind. Why on earth would she be in my bedroom? "This bedroom?"


    "Yeah," Dahlia nodded. "It was really odd too because we never even showed her where your room was. I don¡¯t even know how she found out."


    I frowned, thinking back. When we had shown Elena around, we had avoided showing her the bedrooms, not even mentioning them unless she asked. From what I remembered, we¡¯d avoided this whole hallway.


    But then I remembered something else. A while ago, hadn¡¯t we caught hering downstairs from this hallway? She¡¯d said she was looking for the bathroom, but what if she hadn¡¯t been?


    A shiver ran down my spine, and I nced around my room, feeling a bit vited. This was our private bedroom. Elena had no reason to be in here, and I was honestly upset now. This wasn¡¯t something she could excuse away.


    "Did you tell her to leave?" I asked.


    "Of course I did," Dahlia said firmly. "She made up an excuse that she got lost, but I don¡¯t buy it. If she had just wandered into the sitting room, then maybe, but she got as far as the bedroom and still didn¡¯t turn around? Suspicious."


    She was right.


    Even if I couldn¡¯t believe that she had just gotten lost. But what had she wanted with our bedroom? Nothing looked touched or out of the ordinary.


    "As if that weren¡¯t bad enough, I ran into her at the university," Dahlia told me, this time with a truly pissed-off look burning in her eyes. "Her friends were talking about something. I wanted to say hi, and I overheard them talking about her being pregnant."


    "That¡¯s not weird. They probably know she¡¯s a surrogate," I said reasonably.


    "Except she wasn¡¯t saying she was a surrogate," Dahlia retorted angrily. "Not only was she telling them that she was going to move into the mansion, but she kept telling her friends that she was the mother of the baby."


    An icy hand reached out from the abyss to grip my heart. Cold sweat trailed down my back as I stared at my best friend inplete disbelief. My heart sank to the floor, carried away by a sudden rush of ice.


    There was a ringing noise in my ears, goosebumps along my skin, and I realized with a start that there was something very, very wrong. Comprehension of her words evaded me, however.


    Elena was the mother?


    But... that was a lie.


    She was carrying my baby, and sure, it was growing in her womb, but it was my embryo made in my body... my DNA and Gio¡¯s in that little bean of life.


    There was no world where Elena could be the mother of my baby.


    The shock turned to ice¡ªmy blood freezing along its path¡ªand despite how cold my whole body was, I didn¡¯t care. My anxiety and fear turned to something golden¡ªfresh embers bursting into life¡ªbut this was a fire forged in blue. mes that were cold to the touch burned in my chest.


    She... was going too far.


    My patience had snapped.


    I pinned Dahlia with a narrowed stare.


    "She said what?" I bit out, cold and unfeeling.


    "Take a deep breath, Olive," Dahlia grasped my hands, a worried look in her eyes. "Don¡¯t lose it over this, okay? It¡¯s possible she was saying that stuff because she didn¡¯t want to tell her friends she was a surrogate. Maybe it was just easier."


    But I could see the doubt on her face. Even she didn¡¯t believe that. She was just trying to make me feel better.


    I took in a few deep, calming breaths, reining in my temper under control as I thought about it a little more. Nothing was confirmed yet. We still didn¡¯t know if Elena truly had ulterior motives or not, and she deserved the benefit of the doubt at the very least.


    But the fear for our future together¡ªme, Gio, and our baby cradled in our arms¡ªhad taken residence in my heart. I doubted it would go away anytime soon either.


    If my trust in Elena was misced, we could all be in danger.


    "Are you okay?" Dahlia asked, worriedly.


    "No," I replied calmly. "But I will be."


    I had to be. The promise I had made to myself¡ªof being the rock my family needed¡ªwas still fresh in my mind. I wouldn¡¯t fall to pieces over this. I wouldn¡¯t lose my mind and use Elena of things until I was absolutely sure she had bad intentions toward my husband and me.


    Before we could talk any further, however, Maria appeared in the doorway with a confused look.


    "Senora! Senorita Elena is here," Maria said, looking just as baffled as I was.


    "What the fuck?" Dahlia burst out. "Did you call her here?"


    "No," I answered with a frown. We rushed out of the room and down the hallway, and my mind went back to all the new information I had learned. My spine hardened like steel as I prepared myself for anything.


    But I did not prepare myself for what I saw.


    There in front of the door was Gio. That was normal. But what was not normal was the woman with brown hair who had wrapped herself around him in a shockingly affectionate embrace. Her head leaned on his chest, and though his arms were up and a frown on his lips like he didn¡¯t quite know what to do, that righteous ice-cold fury was back in my veins.


    "Carina." Gio saw me, his expression melting, and he pulled Elena¡¯s arms away from him, stepping around her to head toward me. I put up my hand to halt him in his tracks, and he stopped, surprise and a bit of hurt shing across his face.


    Instead, I turned to Elena with a cold smile.


    "Olivia, I¡¯m so happy to see you guys got back!"


    She spun around to face us, beaming as usual like I didn¡¯t juste in to find her having her hands all over my husband.


    An idea toyed in my mind, and I stepped forward, opening up my arms for my own hug. Her smile faltered at the corners, so small I almost wouldn¡¯t have noticed it. But she opened her arms and hugged me as well.


    But unlike the affection she had just shown my husband, she was incredibly stiff, ufortable when she had never been so before. She stepped back, holding her arms behind her back, even as she smiled.


    I hade back to Florence in a bright mood, hoping to put all of the unease and apprehension to rest. But now, it had only increased.


    I stared at Elena, doubt looming behind her.


    Home sweet home.


    With all the drama that came with it too.

 Chapter 432 : The Chasm Deepens

    <h4>Chapter 432: Chapter 432 : The Chasm Deepens</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Three months had passed since summer came and went, and my first year in Florence had alsoe to an end. It was hard to believe how much had transpired in just a single year, especially considering how different things were now. I found myself married to a wonderful man whom I loved dearly, and we were expecting an adorable baby.


    I should have been overjoyed.


    If only my baby wasn¡¯t growing inside another woman¡¯s womb.


    My reservations about Elena continued to escte as the months went by. Her stomach began to swell, and she quickly startedining about various symptoms. I had to set aside my suspicions for the time being because her struggle with morning sickness had left her in need of help more than ever. I spent many days kneeling in the bathroom with her, holding her hair back as she vomited into the bowl. Though it was unpleasant, I was determined to be there for her.


    But I was also cautious. Her immediate instinct was to ask Gio for help, and more often than not, he obliged, wanting to be of assistance in any way he could. When she asked to spend the night at our house due to her sickness, much to my surprise, he easily agreed, even allowing her to im the guest room right next to ours.


    It bothered me whenever I woke up in the middle of the night only to find Gio making tea for her in the kitchen. I knew he was merely being kind, but it didn¡¯t alleviate the tension of ourplicated situation.


    Her fatigue was another symptom she frequently experienced, often feeling dizzy or lethargic, particrly when Gio was around. After she fell into his arms for the third time, I made sure to position myself between her and Gio at all times. Surprisingly, her fatigue improved soon after.


    It seemed that Gio was determined to spoil her. When her feet began to swell, he bought her ten pairs of new shoes. When sheined about grocery prices, he made sure her fridge was filled with whatever she craved that day. I firmly put my foot down when sheined about her breasts swelling, and he wanted to buy her an entire new wardrobe of maternity bras. Instead, Dahlia and I went shopping, ensuring he wouldn¡¯t be involved in picking out her underwear.


    Unfortunately, they always seemed to find themselves in awkward positions when I wasn¡¯t around to act as a buffer, and it quickly grew tiresome. Even though there was no sexual aspect to their interactions, I still felt uneasy about each borderline-inappropriate moment.


    As the pregnancy progressed, I could sense a growing rift between Gio and me. The small moments piled up, leaving us on opposite ends. Ever since Gio had noticed the little bump on Elena¡¯s stomach, it seemed as though all his suspicions had vanished. He insisted he was focused on taking care of the baby, not Elena, and whenever I brought up my concerns, he reminded me of that. But I couldn¡¯t shake my difort.


    There was a delicate bnce of trust and emotional boundaries, and Elena was quickly trampling over ours. Our nights were now spent in silence, with Gio increasingly spending more hours in his office doing who knows what. The rift between us felt more like an insurmountable chasm, emitting toxic fumes that fueled my jealousy and insecurity to the maximum.


    The sky was sunny,plemented by the cool breeze brushing against my skin. The garden was transitioning into shades of red and orange, signaling the arrival of autumn. But I found no enjoyment in the pleasant weather. The shade from the umbre on the porch table made the area even colder, which suited my mood just fine, even if my bare toes were starting to feel numb.


    Resentfully, I red at the two figures touring the garden¡ªmy husband¡¯s broad shoulders and the petite figure beside him. Elena smiled and beamed as Giovani pointed out various flowers and trees, exining their significance. It was a request he couldn¡¯t refuse from Elena.


    She giggled, too far away for me to hear, but I observed as she leaned closer to him, cing her hand on his arm. One would think he would push her away, even gently, but no, he didn¡¯t even seem to notice, simply leading her to the next set of flowers.


    I tightened my grip around the cold ss I was sipping, grinding my teeth as I slurped up the liquid through the straw. He smiled, and in my mind, I knew it was the same polite smile he bestowed upon everyone, but at this point, my brain couldn¡¯tprehend that. I couldn¡¯t fully trust his intentions anymore, especially when he allowed her to lean on him like that.


    It was difficult to convince myself that their rtionship didn¡¯t extend beyond the agreed arrangement. He had promised to distance himself from Elena, but as soon as her pregnancy became evident, those promises evaporated. He probably spent more time with her than with me at this point. And damn if that didn¡¯t stab me in the heart.


    I never took my eyes off the two, even as I heard flip-flops approaching behind me. Dahlia copsed into the chair beside me, sighing. Sweat glistened on her skin, and she brushed a hand through her damp hair, tying it back into a ponytail.


    "Geez, it¡¯s hot today," Dahlia huffed, fanning her face with her hand. Her gaze fell upon my cold drink, and she grinned. "Hey, can I have a sip?"


    "Go ahead," I grumbled, pushing the drink toward her.


    She leaned forward, bypassing the straw and taking a gulp directly from the cup. I flinched as she immediately spat out the contents, coughing as if she had swallowed poison.


    "What the fuck is that?" She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, giving me a horrified look.


    "Spirytus," I shrugged, grabbing the cup back from her and taking a long drink through the straw. The horror in her eyes spoke volumes, and ordinarily, I would have reassured her that I wasn¡¯t actually consuming ny-six percent alcohol in the middle of the day. But I wasn¡¯t in the mood to lie.


    "Why the fuck are you drinking one of the strongest vodkas at two in the afternoon?" She red at me, crossing her arms as if scolding a misbehaving child.


    "I put strawberries in it," I defended myself. I had thought that the natural sweetness of the fruit could counterbnce the intense burning taste, not unlike swallowing a gallon of gasoline and a lit match afterward.


    Clearly, it didn¡¯t work.


    "Where did you even find Spirytus, Olive? That stuff is nasty!" Dahlia scolded me, staring at me expectantly.


    "Giovani¡¯s liquor cab," I replied simply.


    He believed he had kept the stash a secret, but I knew better. Maybe it was spiteful of me, but I had gradually been depleting his alcohol supply, starting with his favorites, even if I didn¡¯t enjoy the taste of them. I had discovered the Spirytus tucked away in the very back, unopened. He hadn¡¯t noticed, particrly after Elena suggested he stop drinking for the sake of the baby, and he agreed. Well, if he wasn¡¯t going to drink it, I would.


    Before Dahlia could scold me further,ughter echoed through the garden, and I spotted Elena delicately cing a beautiful white flower in my husband¡¯s suit pocket. Her hand lingered on his chest a bit too long.


    I red at them with a murderous gaze, biting my lip as a wave of seething anger engulfed me. Whether it was the effect of the vodka or my own rage, I couldn¡¯t tell, but I continued to drink, hoping that somehow it would neutralize these feelings.


    "You¡¯re not going to do something about it?" Dahlia asked, giving me a questioning look.


    "What¡¯s the point?" I snapped sourly. "He¡¯s just showing her the garden, that¡¯s all. It doesn¡¯t mean anything. You¡¯re overreacting. We have to take care of the baby, Dolly."


    Dahlia flinched, her eyes widening at the venom in my words. The nickname I¡¯d given her all those years ago tasted bitter as it left my lips, and even though I knew I sounded like an angry, jealous woman, I couldn¡¯t stop myself. I was fed up with this situation.


    "Olive," Dahlia called softly, but I intentionally ignored her, not wanting to see the pity in her eyes. "You know Gio loves you, don¡¯t you?"


    Of course, I knew that, logically.


    He wouldn¡¯t have married me or spent thest year of his life with me, begging me to stay when I was on the verge of leaving, if he didn¡¯t love me. Everything he had said and done indicated his love for me, and deep down, I knew it.


    But deep down wasn¡¯t enough. I loved him so much it hurt, yet every night Iy alone in bed, waiting for him toe back, my heart shattered with each tender touch he bestowed upon her, whether intentional or not.


    His priority was the well-being of the baby, and that meant keeping Elena happy. I understood that. I couldprehend it.


    But it didn¡¯t mean I had to ept it.


    It didn¡¯t mean that I wasn¡¯t tormented every time she ended up in his arms, no matter how much I tried to intervene. Excuses could only go so far, and even if I warned her or him, it never made a difference.


    His heart had softened toward her because of the baby, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was falling for her because of it.


    Jealousy and insecurity tore my heart apart, eroding the trust and kindness that Gio imed to love about me, leaving only bitterness in their wake.


    That¡¯s why I sat here in the shade, hiding in the shadows while they strolled around the garden. That¡¯s why I was consuming vodka far too strong for me at two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, ring at my husband and the surrogate carrying our baby as if they were possessed by the devil, instead of engaging in a normal conversation like the mature adult I pretended to be.


    He loved me. It was easy for Dahlia to say, attempting tofort me with soothing words, but I couldn¡¯t force a smile and believe it anymore.


    My eyes narrowed as Elena stumbled forward, and Giovani¡¯s arms enveloped her, preventing her from falling. She gazed up at him, a radiant smile on her face, and though I couldn¡¯t see his expression from this angle, I could only imagine him smiling back.


    Just like he used to do with me.


    I snorted, grabbing my cup and finishing off the vodka before mming it down forcefully. The table shook, and Dahlia startled, her features disying surprise. She looked at me, concern etched on her face, but the vodka had done its job of numbing me.


    "Tell him that," I snapped indignantly before rising to my feet and walking away.


    I didn¡¯t turn back, even as Dahlia called my name.


    The chasm between us grew wider.

 Chapter 433 : Break

    <h4>Chapter 433: Chapter 433 : Break</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Fuses sizzled behind my eyes, and my whole body visibly shook as I practically threw my paintbrush at the canvas. The paint of mixed reds and purples sshed across my cheeks, but I didn¡¯t care.


    I felt like a woman on a warpath as I took every stupid emotion I had and pped it onto the stretched-out piece of textile. The table underneath had already taken some battle damage from the aftershock as each explosion of color spilled over. If I lifted up the canvas, there would no doubt be an imprint from where it had been lying.


    My painting wasn¡¯t even good¡ªjust a mishmash of colors thrown everywhere, lights and darkspeting on either corner, spreading and stretching. If you looked closely, maybe you could see a face in the middle, but otherwise, it was just blobs.


    My fingers trembled as I held the old brush in my hand. It was falling apart due to being left in paint cleaner too many times, but it did the job.


    I dipped into the ck a little too harshly, the whole palette sitting next to me tipping over and crashing onto the floor.


    "Fuck!" I cried, falling to my knees as I peeled the palette from the hardwood floor. The paint smeared together on the floor in a dark color that I couldn¡¯t even name.


    It would stain.


    My arms and hands were covered in harsh colors, shing together in an ugly way, and I couldn¡¯t help but think that if my mom had seen the piece I had just created, or if anyone saw it, what would they think of me?


    My heart was broken down and thrown at the canvas like bombs raining down on a city. I had finally exploded, coating everything in the ugly shade of color that I was.


    I gripped the palette in my hands, my body trembling, and as my eyes went blurred up until all I could see were vague shapes, I wondered why there was paint dripping onto the palette.


    I hung my head, sitting on the floor of the art studio Gio had gifted to me, shame coating my fingers, and despite the bottles of paint I had left open and sprawled across the table, everything was just a dull shade of gray to me now.


    It took longer than I wanted to admit to pick myself up off the floor and attempt to clean up. It was soothing in a way, the simple movements of sealing the paint back up, cleaning the spills, and dropping my brushes into the paint cleaner, even though I knew they would probably stay there overnight and ruin them again.


    I was right¡ªthe floor was going to be stained. But so was the table. Not even elbow grease could remove the stters, and the more I tried to erase them, the uglier they became. Eventually, I had to give up.


    The paint had dried up and down my hands and arms, feeling like ster coating them as I trudged back to the room I shared with my husband. The frustration and hurt had faded away to exhaustion, leaving me empty inside.


    And maybe, if my day ended there, I could¡¯ve curled up in bed and drifted away. I could¡¯ve picked up the pieces of myself with the morning and gone on pretending like nothing was wrong. Those feelings would still be there, but I would be okay.


    But things didn¡¯t always go as I nned.


    I halted in the doorway to my bedroom, ncing at the long-legged figure sprawled out across the bed. His legs hung off the edge, and the only reason I knew he was still alive was the way his chest rose and fell in rhythm.


    It waste, and I wasn¡¯t in the mood for another fight. He insisted he was just trying to protect our baby when I saw something else between him and Elena.


    I stepped quietly inside, heading to the closet as I picked out somefortable clothes. I heard the shifting behind me on the bed, and I could practically feel his eyes boring into me.


    "Where were you?"


    His voice was quiet but rough, using.


    I bristled like an animal under attack.


    "Painting."


    "Dahlia told me you ran off today."


    "And?" I said, my voice like ice as I plucked one of my many shirts from the closet, turning around to face my husband with a bundle of clothes in my arms. kes of dried paint were already beginning to peel off and fall to the ground like glitter.


    He sent me an irritated look. "I¡¯m not in the mood for games today, Olivia. Dahlia chewed me out, and then I had to stop her from verbally assaulting our guest! What the fuck did you say to her? I had to send Elena back in tears!"


    Whatever he should¡¯ve said, it wasn¡¯t that.


    "Sorry then," I sneered, my body tensing up as my anger boiled over the top and overflowed. "I didn¡¯t mean to ruin your date."


    I pivoted on my heel, not even listening anymore as I stormed to the bathroom.


    "Olivia!" he growled, getting to his feet as he chased after me. No matter how fast I was, Gio was always able to catch me before I could run.


    "What is wrong with you?" His grip on my arm was harsh, and I knew there would be a bruise in the morning, even if he didn¡¯t seem to care at the moment. I red at him, tears gathering in the corner of my eyes. "I¡¯m tired of you picking fights with me over every little thing! Elena is carrying our baby! That¡¯s all it is! How many times do I have to go over this?"


    I ripped my arm from his grip, my back hitting the wall. "Stop treating me like I¡¯m crazy!" I screamed back. "I¡¯m not! I have to sit there and watch it all every time shees over¨Cwatching you hold her and letting her get so close to you! I¡¯m your wife, not her, so why can¡¯t you ever take my side?"


    My breath came out in heavy gasps as I tried not to break down. The broken shards of my heart were sharp, and they were cutting into me with every beat. Why couldn¡¯t he see I was drowning, losing myself in the sea of hurt and frustration?


    "Olivia, we¡¯ve been over this." He sighed. "There¡¯s nothing going on between me and Elena. She¡¯s not the enemy here. You¡¯re just overreacting again."


    I choked on my own gasp, unable to breathe as my whole body trembled, and he wrapped his long arms around me, pulling my dead weight into his chest.


    The scent of roses hit my nose, perfume that I didn¡¯t wear, and it smothered me with the stench, invading my lungs like a poison. I balled his suit into my hands, wrinkling it as my eyes leveled out with the pocket on his right side.


    Sitting inside was a white flower, untouched from all the chaos and still protected.


    And I was suffocating, a scream stuck in my throat as the flecks of paint brushed against his ck suit, leaving smears of the ugly color all over his jacket.


    I had been pushed far past my limit. I couldn¡¯t stay here anymore.


    I ced my hands on Gio¡¯s chest and ignored the way he pressed a kiss to my forehead like always¡ªlike nothing was happening¡ªand before he could react, before he could grab me and hold onto me, I pushed with all of my weight. Gio stumbled back, letting go of me to catch himself, and I stared him straightin the eye, feeling like a broken marite. Silent tears streamed down my face as I whispered, "I can¡¯t do this."


    His eyes widened, and I heard him call out my name as I rushed out of the bedroom and mmed the door behind me. I pushed out of the suite and ran down the hall, unable to see anything through the harsh tears stinging my eyes as I fled.


    I ran straight out the front door, mming it behind me, and finally took a deep breath of the fresh air outside.


    "Olivia?" Dahlia nced at me with wide, shocked eyes, standing at the end of the walkway with a car just behind her. The driver had only just gotten out of the front seat, and with the tight ck dress she had on, she had probablye back from a club or bar.


    She rushed to my side, pulling my paint-stained arms from my side as she gentlyid her palm on my cheek. "Olivia, what¡¯s wrong? Talk to me. Why are you out here? Where are your shoes?"


    I opened my lips to respond, but instead of words, an outpour of sobs came flooding out, and I fell into her arms, crying louder than I ever had before. My wails were loud and harsh, not pretty in the slightest.


    "Oh, Olivia," she sighed, rubbing my back as I screamed all of the emotions I had been bottling up into her chest. "You don¡¯t want to stay here?"


    Her voice was so soft and gentle, and I shook my head as an answer.


    "All right, let¡¯s go then, I¡¯ll take you somewhere safe," Dahlia said determinedly. "Hey, get back in the car! We¡¯re leaving!"


    She guided me down the walkway briskly, and I was lucky it was well-maintained from the way the concrete was buried into my bare feet. She led me to the waiting car, and it roared to life as I settled inside.


    I flinched as the front door mmed open, and Gio came running outside with a panicked look.


    "What the fuck¡ª" I heard him snarl, but Dahlia shut the door before I could hear anything else. I stared at my arms in silence, and I sent the driver a shaky smile as he put on the radio, drowning out the arguments.


    I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, but it wasn¡¯t pretty, and soon enough, Dahlia rounded the car and settled in beside me, mming the car door shut in a huff.


    "Let¡¯s go," she demanded, crossing her arms.


    I nced out the tinted windows as the car began to move, and I saw Gio standing there, a look of utter devastation on his face as he watched us leave. I swallowed, shutting my eyes and apologizing silently to him.


    I needed time and space to get myself together¡ªto process everything I¡¯d been trying to hold back and regain theposure I had lost.


    I sighed, leaning my head on Dahlia¡¯s shoulder. She grabbed my hand, squeezing it forfort, and I was thankful to have her by my side.


    Dahlia stopped by a few ces, and I dozed off in the car before we arrived at a fancy hotel. I let her drag me inside, and she practically shoved me into the bathroom with a whole variety of products.


    I took a shower, making sure to get all the dried paint off. I slid out of the bathroom feeling like a brand new person and a thousand times like my old self.


    Dahlia whistled as she spotted me in the halter-top dress she had bought.


    I was happy with it myself, and I grinned, running my hands down the tight waist and the skirt clearly made for twirling. It was ck on the outside, but the underside of the skirt was a bright red. With the strapless heels she¡¯d bought me, it was a perfect match. Dahlia did my hair and makeup, covering up the remnants of my tears until I couldn¡¯t even tell I had been such a mess an hour ago.


    My phone burst to life on the bed, ringing with the same tone it had the past four times, and I nced at it, guilty.


    "Maybe I should¡ª" I started, softly.


    "Nope. You need this," she told me, pulling my face away from the phone and brushing the mascara wand through my eyshes. "So don¡¯t think about everything else. Just have fun tonight, all right?"


    Once she was done, she grabbed my phone, powdering it down.


    "I have mine, so we¡¯ll be okay," she told me, grinning. "Now let¡¯s go paint the town."


    I nodded, sending my phone onest nce. I needed a break for now. I should¡¯ve exined more clearly, maybe, but I couldn¡¯t have stayed there.


    I had to take care of myself right then, to take the time to reflect and recharge. I was a person away from Giovani, and I had forgotten that a little bit. Some time away would remind me, I was sure of it.


    "Let¡¯s go," I said determinedly.


    I couldn¡¯t rely on Giovani or the baby to make myself happy. I had control over my own happiness, and it was time I remembered that, even if it meant losing a bit of my husband in the process.

 Chapter 434 : Quiet Falls

    <h4>Chapter 434: Chapter 434 : Quiet Falls</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I stood in Olivia¡¯s art studio, staring at the canvas on the easel. I¡¯d sat on the bed for a long time after she stormed out, and when I finally got up, I didn¡¯t know where I was going.


    After the yelling, even standing in there felt like a vition. She¡¯d told me I was wee, but I couldn¡¯t stop remembering the way her hands felt on my chest when she shoved me away.


    I messed up. That red back at me from every angle of the painting, a fury of reds and purples, blues and cks, all coalescing around a face in the middle of the canvas. If I stood on one side of the painting, it looked like Olivia, but on the other, somehow, I couldn¡¯t see anything but Elena.


    I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed her number. I needed to talk to her, to exin, to beg her toe home. Just like it had thest two times, it rang all the way through.


    ¡°Buongiorno!¡± she chirped on her recorded message. ¡°You¡¯ve reached Olivia Val¡ª¡±


    I hung up. I¡¯d listened thest two times, and I couldn¡¯t hear her voice anymore, not with the way it made my vision blur and my heart ache.


    I sat on the high artist¡¯s stool and scrubbed a hand over my face. Of course, I shouldn¡¯t have told her she was overreacting, but I couldn¡¯t deny the stab of hurt that came with her usations. I loved Olivia with everything that I was. I would turn my life upside-down for her if she asked. How could she possibly believe I could even look at another woman?


    The resentment that had driven me across the room, that had put my hand on her, bubbled under the surface again. I scrubbed a hand over my face. I had to get a handle on myself. I couldn¡¯t grab her like that, not ever again.


    I opened my eyes and saw her paintbrushes in a mason jar of cloudy water. When we set up this studio, sheined to me that she needed new brushes too often because she always left hers overnight and that ruined the bristles.


    My words kepting out wrong. I couldn¡¯t speak to her in person. She wouldn¡¯t answer my calls. Maybe I could show her how much I cared.


    With a sigh, I got up and removed the brushes from the water,ying them out on a nearby stained towel one by one.


    One of my guards, Marco, poked his head in the door. ¡°Uh, Don?¡±


    I whirled, smoothing my face into the heavy professionalism expected by my men. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That, uh,dy is here, the surrogate. Says she wants to apologize for earlier.¡± He shrugged.


    I ran a hand through my hair. Why would Elena havee back? Why would she need to apologize when Dahlia was the one who chased her off? Why couldn¡¯t anybody see that she, too, was trying her best in a difficult situation?


    ¡°Alright. Show her to the living room. I¡¯ll be there momentarily,¡± I said.


    I needed a second to collect myself. I couldn¡¯t let Elena see the turmoil in our rtionship.


    Marco nodded and closed the door behind him.


    There was a small mirror in the room, and I used it to scrape my hair back into ce. When I angled it down to fix my clothes, I nched.


    In the garden earlier, Elena had tucked a rose into my breast pocket. I thought the gesture was silly, maybe a little overly familiar, but in the mirror, I realized how much it looked like a boutonniere, the sort of thing a girl gives her lover.


    I had folded Olivia into my chest and thought we could get over this. The rose must have been what changed her mind.


    I plucked it out of my pocket, opened one of the wide windows, and threw it into the night air. I obviously couldn¡¯t see Elena with it still in ce, and I didn¡¯t want Olivia finding it in her garbage can tomorrow.


    Or whenever she got home.


    Elena would be getting antsy, but I couldn¡¯t resist calling Olivia one more time.


    ¡°Buon¡ª¡±


    I hung up and headed down the hall.


    Elena was perched on a loveseat in the living room, staring at the huge marble firece when I entered. She looked up at me with a wobbly smile, her belly protruding against the floral sundress she wore, and instinctively I started to go for her. The woman carrying my child should not be looking at me so sadly.


    But I caught myself. Was this what Olivia had been talking about? Had I been too permissive with Elena?


    I sat in the armchair next to the loveseat. She turned to me andid her hands on the arm of my chair.


    ¡°I know it¡¯ste,¡± she said. ¡°And I¡¯m so sorry for intruding. I just had to tell you and Olivia how torn up I was that I might have hurt you.¡±


    A fat tear rolled down her cheek, and unbidden, I wished to wipe it away. I did not want Elena to feel sad or lonely. What was going on in my head that I felt this way?


    I swallowed.


    ¡°Where is Olivia?¡± she asked. ¡°I told your man at the front I wanted to speak to you both.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s having a girl¡¯s night,¡± I answered automatically.


    My stomach flipped when Elena winced.


    ¡°Ah,¡± she said. ¡°With Dahlia?¡±


    I nodded, and she stared sadly over my shoulder. I¡¯d almost forgotten how close she¡¯d been with the two of them at the beginning of the process. Now, when she came over to thepound, I was the only one who gave her the time of day, it seemed. Too often, I found her sitting a bit apart from Dahlia and Olivia, half-contributing to a conversation the other two didn¡¯t seem to want her in. That was why I had taken her on a spin around the garden in the first ce today.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d I got to speak to you, anyway. Is there anything I can do to make you morefortable?¡± Elena leaned forward, putting herself right in my space.


    ¡°I¡¯m not ufortable,¡± I said. ¡°But I will talk with Dahlia and see if I can get a better sense of what happened.¡±


    She nodded gratefully. ¡°I¡¯d really appreciate that. I couldn¡¯t sleep thinking I¡¯d hurt you. I was sitting up watching old ck-and-white movies, and my mind just kept drifting back over here.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°You like old movies?¡±


    She grinned. ¡°Love ¡®em! There¡¯s a marathon right now of Rossellini¡¯s Rome trilogy that I¡¯ve been looking forward to for weeks. There¡¯s just something about catching movies like that in the wild that all our on-demand streaming services can¡¯t recreate.¡±


    ¡°A Rossellini marathon? Where?¡± I demanded. I tried to catch my favorite director wherever I could, and a marathon would give me something to do with the rest of my lonely night.


    ¡°You like him, too?¡± Elena smiled impishly. ¡°Well, clearly you¡¯ve got the night to yourself, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got a TV here somewhere that would blow mine out of the water. Want to make some popcorn and watch them, Gio?¡±


    I drew up short, suddenly realizing how close I had gotten to the surrogate. Mere inches separated our faces. Her eyes sparkled up at me in mischievous delight, and a faint blush colored her cheeks. At some point, I¡¯d put my hand on hers.


    Blood roared in my ears. Olivia was right. Not exactly right¡ªI felt nothing for the woman on my loveseat but protectiveness¡ªbut I had let that protectiveness cloud my vision in other ways. I¡¯d let her get close, far too close.


    I didn¡¯t even remember telling her she could use that nickname.


    I snatched my hand back. She furrowed her eyebrows.


    ¡°I have work to do tonight,¡± I said stiffly.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. That lonely expression she¡¯d had when she came in overtook her face once more, and she moved one of her hands to her stomach.


    Something deep within me ached. That was my baby in there, and I wanted to do anything to protect my baby. But that urge had driven my wife out of my house, and there was no future for me without Olivia. I had to remember that above all else.


    I leaned back in my chair.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t havee. It¡¯s toote. I guess I just thought¡ª¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°We appreciate the thought,¡± I said. ¡°I will speak to Dahlia. Guests are not treated in such a manner in our house. But I am needed elsewhere.¡±


    I stood, towering over her. She looked so small, so curled into herself, on the couch below me. That same something ached tofort her. I¡¯d been reading the baby books Olivia kept bringing home, and enough of them talked about pregnancy that I knew a pregnant mother shouldn¡¯t be stressed.


    A pregnant woman... a surrogate... mine and Olivia¡¯s surrogate.


    I stayed standing. To allow her further into our life, to watch movies with her and eat popcorn andugh, would only hurt Olivia further, and that was thest thing I wanted.


    Better to watch movies alone and think of how to fix this.


    She stood unsteadily, leaning back to bnce out her stomach. I did not put my hand out to help her, though it felt nearly inhumane.


    ¡°Alright,¡± she said. ¡°I guess that¡¯s all I wanted. I¡¯ll just... go home now.¡±


    She nced at the door, and her eyes filled with tears. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I whipped it out, praying it was Olivia calling to say she woulde home.


    It was a text from one of my men, a routine report. I shoved it back unhappily.


    Elena looked from my phone to my face and nodded.


    ¡°Enjoy the movies.¡± Her voice sounded thick. ¡°I¡¯ll be watching them on the other side of the city.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t the time,¡± I said. Her face fell even further. ¡°But I hope you have fun.¡±


    I leaned so I could see through the entryway of the living room and gestured to Marco to lead her out.


    She went slowly, the beginning of a pregnancy waddle already evident in her walk, and I remained standing by the armchair until the door shut behind her.


    In the privacy of my own home, I let out a shaky breath. I didn¡¯t know which affected me more¨Crealizing I¡¯d called my wife crazy for nothing more than seeing something I didn¡¯t, or taking a step back from our baby in another woman¡¯s stomach.


    I picked up my phone to call Olivia once more. It didn¡¯t even ring, just sent me directly to voicemail. She must have turned her phone off.


    I hung up. Shame roiled in my stomach, contested in intensity only by the aching feeling that I ought to run after Elena and suggest she watch her movies here, even though I couldn¡¯t watch them with her.


    Gabriele passed by the entrance to the living room, and I bolted after him before I could think it through. I caught his arm, and he turned in surprise.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.


    I swallowed and took my hand back. Grabbing people was bing an unfortunate habit. ¡°That check on Elena. Have you found anything?¡±


    Gabriele nced around the open hall, then shook his head. ¡°All the same information... nothing suspicious, nothing even worth taking a second look at. Why?¡±


    I shook my head.


    My friend took a step closer. ¡°Get some sleep. You look like you¡¯ve been through a wood chipper.¡±


    I snorted. That more urately described my riot of emotions than anything else I¡¯de up with. ¡°Noted. Get back to work.¡±


    He moved off down the hall in the direction he had been traveling much more slowly than usual, but he didn¡¯t nce back at me.


    I ran a hand over my face and slumped against the wall... nothing, always nothing. I trusted Gabriele with my life. I wanted to believe him. But I couldn¡¯t deny my wife¡¯s doubts any longer, or my own.


    Though I didn¡¯t know if I doubted Elena or myself anymore.

 Chapter 435 : The Morning After

    <h4>Chapter 435: Chapter 435 : The Morning After</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I tapped my feet on the floor of the limo and tried to peer out the darkened windows to guess how long until we arrived back at thepound. The night away had definitely been the right choice, but it didn¡¯t reduce the weight of Gio¡¯s missed calls on my phone or the things he said to me.


    I didn¡¯t want to stay away any longer, but I didn¡¯t know what sort of husband I wasing back to. Could I expect the warm, loving man who held me as we cried about our infertility, or the cold mafia don who¡¯d called me silly and jealous?


    Dahlia reached over and took my hand. ¡°You know I¡¯ll kill him if he acts out again.¡±


    Iughed despite my nerves. ¡°I know. I just think neen is a little young to be widowed.¡±


    She squeezed my hand and looked at me seriously. ¡°He may be big, and he may be intimidating, but you deserve to be heard. Hell, he noticed Elena was encroaching on him first. You just need to be able to talk to each other without him freaking out.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°I know, but that¡¯s not really in my court.¡±


    The limo pulled up the long driveway and slowed. I took a deep breath, squeezed Dahlia¡¯s hand, and climbed out of the car.


    A guard leaned over and knocked on the front door, and Gio swung it open. My heart leaped into my throat. He looked rumpled, careworn. His shirt was untucked, and I could see bags under his eyes. Distantly, I heard Dahlia climb out of the limo behind me. I took a step forward, trying to see the look in his eyes.


    He stepped closer as well. His blue eyes came into view, almost quivering with hope and worry. He opened his arms, an invitation for me to close the distance.


    I hesitated. I hated seeing him hurt like this, but he¡¯d hurt me. I didn¡¯t want to rush back into his arms without resolving anything. I didn¡¯t want him to think he could treat me like that.


    I took a deep breath and shook my head. He folded his arms neatly behind his back and stepped to the side, allowing Dahlia and me into thepound.


    I wound my arm through Dahlia¡¯s, and we walked inside. Gio trailed after and closed the door behind us.


    One of the armchairs from his office had been dragged into the main entryway, along with a small table holding a pile of paperwork. He saw my gazend on it and cleared his throat.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know when you would be home.¡±


    He¡¯d been waiting for me? He abandoned his precious office to sit, exposed, as close to the door as he could for fear of missing me?


    Dahlia pulled her arm out of mine. ¡°I¡¯ll let you two talk.¡±


    As she left, she leaned in and whispered in my ear, ¡°Don¡¯t take his shit, no matter how sweet he¡¯s being.¡±


    I smiled after her. Whoever the enemy, I always had someone in my corner.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Gio said. ¡°How was your night?¡±


    I scuffed my foot against the floor. ¡°Good, good. With... everything, I¡¯d kind of forgotten how to be a college student. Dahlia took me clubbing for the first time in a long time, and I remembered how much I missed dancing.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m d you had a good time.¡± His voice sounded throaty and uneven.


    I looked up at him. Emotion brimmed in his eyes,plex and difficult to understand, but I got the sense he meant what he said.


    ¡°Perhaps... perhaps you can take me to a club sometime... if my dancing wouldn¡¯t embarrass you too badly,¡± he said almost shyly.


    I sighed. ¡°Gio, what are we doing?¡±


    He stiffened. ¡°I¡¯m weing my wife home from a much-needed night out. What are you doing?¡±


    I crossed my arms. ¡°No, you¡¯re not. You¡¯re weing your wife home from a much-needed getting-the-fuck-out-of-Dodge because we fight more often than we talk these days. We can¡¯t exchange a few pleasantries and get right back into the swing of things.¡±


    He drooped, and my heart panged. I hated making him unhappy, but Dahlia was right. I had to stand my ground.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, carina. Will youe to our room with me? I¡¯d rather not do this where everyone can hear.¡±


    I bit my lip. ¡°I¡¯lle to our sitting room.¡±


    I¡¯d missed him enough that I worried I¡¯d have trouble maintaining my focus and righteous anger with our bed right there.


    He nodded unhappily and led the way.


    I let him take a seat on one of the couches before perching myself on the other, keeping the low coffee table between us.


    ¡°I am genuinely pleased you had a good night,¡± he said.


    ¡°My good night made me realize I can¡¯t just keep dancing around problems and hoping they¡¯ll fix themselves,¡± I replied. ¡°I haven¡¯t had fun since Tuscany, did you know that?¡±


    He ran a hand through his hair. ¡°Not in so many words, but I¡¯d be hard-pressed to say I have either.¡±


    I uncrossed my arms and spread my hands. ¡°Why can¡¯t we just talk to each other like we used to?¡±


    He sighed and slumped against the back of the couch. ¡°I wish I knew, carina. I want to, but something keeps taking over my mouth and making me say things I regret.¡±


    My heart soared at his admission, but he didn¡¯t seem finished, so I stayed silent.


    ¡°I spent half the night trying to apologize to you, and the other half imagining sweeping you in my arms and apologizing as soon as you got home.¡±


    The corner of my mouth ticked up. ¡°Do you know you still haven¡¯t?¡±


    He ran a hand over his face. ¡°Would you believe me if I said no? I don¡¯t sleep as well without you next to me.¡±


    I nodded. He reached a hand across the coffee table, and I put my hand in his. I¡¯d missed the warmth of his touch, even before I left. When had west held hands? How had we forgotten?


    ¡°Carina, belissima, I am sorry. I felt like you were doubting my fidelity, and Ished out. I love you, only you, and I didn¡¯t like having that called into doubt. But I should never have said the things I said.¡± He bent and pressed a soft kiss to the back of my hand.


    Tears welled in my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you felt like I was doubting you. I¡¯m just scared, Gio. I¡¯ve learned how to deal with all these physical threats, but nothing has threatened our rtionship like this before. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    He smiled softly and opened his arms once more. I nearly vaulted the coffee table in my desire to enfold myself in his arms.


    For a moment, we just sat like that, hugging and tense with emotion. Finally, he leaned back, and I rested my head against his chest.


    ¡°What are you scared of?¡± he asked.


    I craned my head to look at him. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°When Dmitri was circling, I knew what the threat was, and that made it easier to fight.¡± He shrugged, and my head shifted with his muscles. ¡°Perhaps if wey out the problem, we can get on the same team and face it together.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°My husband, the brilliant tactician.¡±


    His eyes sparkled as he grinned.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°But only if you share yours, too. You wouldn¡¯t be this touchy if you weren¡¯t nervous about something.¡±


    He inclined his head. ¡°One for one.¡±


    I swallowed and tucked my head back into his chest to avoid his gaze. ¡°I¡¯m scared I¡¯m going to want to be pregnant my whole life. Elena¡¯s showing now, and every time I look at her, I get so jealous it hurts. I want to carry a baby, our baby, and I want it so bad it makes me do stupid things.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my carina.¡± Gio pressed a kiss to the top of my head. ¡°I wish more than anything I could fix that for you.¡±


    I leaned into his touch. ¡°Not even money can fix this. But what if it keeps happening? What if I keep getting more and more jealous until I can¡¯t even stand to be in the same room with her? What if I miss our baby¡¯s birth because I wish I was on the table so bad?¡±


    He squeezed me. ¡°If it gets worse, you tell me, and I¡¯ll hold you through it. I know how much you want this baby, and I know you won¡¯t let anything get in the way of what you want.¡±


    I snuggled into his arms. My fears did seem a little less all-consuming with him wrapped around me. ¡°Now you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared I won¡¯t be a good father, or that I already am not.¡±


    ¡°No¡ª¡± I started.


    He squeezed me, and I stopped.


    ¡°I had no father worth speaking of. I have no model, unless you count James, who faked his death after Alessandro was born.¡±


    My mouth fell open, but he plunged onward.


    ¡°He got better after that, but it¡¯s still not what I want for our baby. I want to be the stability I didn¡¯t have, and I don¡¯t know how, and that scares me.¡±


    I wrapped my arms around his torso and squeezed. ¡°I can tell you that I think you¡¯re going to be a great father, but you already know that.¡± I twisted to stare up at his stony face. ¡°So instead, I¡¯ll remind you that you gave yourself up to the enemy to rescue Alessandro, who¡¯d been ckmailing you and making your life hell for weeks.¡±


    He furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what kind of dad you¡¯re going to be.¡± I smiled. ¡°You¡¯re going to do whatever needs to be done, consequences be damned, to take care of our kids, no matter what mess they got themselves in. You¡¯ve already proved that. Admittedly, I don¡¯t have much more experience in the dad arena, but I can¡¯t imagine wanting more.¡±


    A smile cracked his stony face. ¡°You make a good argument. What else?¡±


    I took a deep breath. ¡°I know it sounds shitty, but I¡¯m scared you¡¯re going to fall for Elena because she¡¯s carrying our baby. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, it¡¯s just....¡± I chewed my bottom lip. ¡°I want to be her so bad that I can¡¯t imagine you not wanting that, and I really think she¡¯s trying to get you to think the same.¡±


    Gio sighed. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk about it. I understand your insecurity, and I¡¯m happy to do what it takes to make you feelfortable, but I have a hard time when you doubt me.¡±


    I sat up in hisp to face him. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to doubt you.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°But that¡¯s what it sounds like, and it hurts when I¡¯m already struggling to believe I have the ability to do this.¡±


    I stared into his eyes, absorbing his words. I hadn¡¯t imagined how it might look from his side, that I freaked out every time I found him alone in a room with our surrogate. Compounded with his fears about being a dad... well, maybe I understood why he blew up.


    ¡°Okay, so we¡¯ve gottapromise.¡± I blew out a breath. ¡°What about, you promise to do your best not to be alone with her, and I promise to take you at your word when you say nothing happened?¡±


    He considered for a moment, then nodded. ¡°That could work for me. Would that actually work for you, or would you just be ignoring your hurt?¡±


    I smiled. Even in this difficult moment, he was checking to make sure I was really alright and not sacrificing myself for him.


    ¡°I think so,¡± I said honestly. ¡°But can I ask a couple more things?¡±


    He smiled indulgently. ¡°Always, carina.¡±


    I steadied myself. ¡°Did your... extended background check on Elena pull up anything I should know about?¡±


    Gio sighed, and his eyes went distant. ¡°No. I¡¯ve had Gabrielebing every avenue I can think of, and a few I¡¯m certain he invented, and there¡¯s nothing.¡±


    I read hours of work in his gaze and nodded. He wouldn¡¯t half-ass something this important.


    ¡°And can we do this¡ª¡± I looked down at where our bodies met ¡°¡ªmore often? Touching, kissing, you know. We¡¯ve been so distant, and I miss you.¡±


    He pressed a soft kiss to my lips. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, too. Consider it done.¡±


    I wound my hands into his hair. ¡°We can do this, right?¡±


    Gio leaned his forehead against mine. ¡°We can do this. And there¡¯s no one I¡¯d rather do it with.¡±


    I leaned in and kissed my husband, sopletely in love that my worries floated away from me, if only for the moment.

 Chapter 436 : Family Dinner

    <h4>Chapter 436: Chapter 436 : Family Dinner</h4>


    *Olivia*


    A few dayster, I stood next to the baggage im at Florence Airport, waiting for my mother to emerge from the terminal. She was still deciding whether she wanted to move to Italy full-time, but we were learning the sex of the baby tomorrow, and she¡¯d gotten a few days off work to be involved.


    I clutched Gio¡¯s arm and leaned up on my tiptoes as if that would make her arrive faster. ¡°You said a private flight wouldn¡¯t have this problem.¡±


    He chuckled at my impatience. ¡°I said it would be shorter. We¡¯re still at the Peret, not my private strip.¡±


    I stuck my tongue out at him just as the door swung open, and my mother emerged, lugging a huge carry-on.


    I squealed and raced over to her. Gio followed at a more sedate pace.


    She dropped her bag and enfolded me in a hug. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯ve missed you. Every time Ie here, moving seems smarter.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Iughed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll keep inviting you. You¡¯reing after the baby¡¯s born, right?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Any chance that big, strong husband of yours will take an olddy¡¯s bag?¡±


    I nced at the suitcase on the floor. It bulged at the seams.


    ¡°How could you possibly have that much stuff for a three-day trip?¡± I demanded.


    She smiled sheepishly. ¡°I may have brought some memorabilia from your childhood.¡±


    I blushed as Gio caught up and scooped her suitcase off the ground.


    ¡°Mrs. Robinson,¡± he said warmly, kissing her on both cheeks.


    She blushed the same shade as me. ¡°Please, I¡¯ve asked you to call me by my first name.¡±


    He inclined his head. ¡°Amanda. Let¡¯s get you lovelydies to dinner.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Dinner?¡±


    ¡°Nothing fancy,¡± I said with a giggle, knowing Maria was hard at work in the kitchen. ¡°On the eve of the reveal, we thought it would be nice to have a big family dinner. You, the Valentinos, and Elena¡¯s mom.¡±


    She grinned and took my arm. ¡°The perfect setting for my scrapbooks!¡±


    We arrived home with just enough time to dress before Elena and her mom arrived. The surrogate still made me a little nervous, but I was determined to have a good time tonight. I slipped into a simple charcoal gray linen cocktail dress, chic but not too formal, and helped my mom into a high-necked floral jumpsuit she couldn¡¯t stop telling me about the deal she got on.


    The familiar rhythm of her conversation soothed my nerves. We could have a good night, even with all the emotion and confusion in the air. We had to.


    I slipped on a pair of low heels and led my mom downstairs to where the rest of the Valentinos had gathered, including James and Ba who had arrived a few days earlier. Dahlia had selected a hot pink, fitted, knee-length dress that didn¡¯t really suit the formality level of the evening but that I knew she¡¯d been itching to wear. Tallon tugged at the cor of a short-sleeved button-up patterned with fish and grumbled something to his brother, who had gone with a blue long-sleeved button-up and red tie. James and Ba were so happy to see all of their children, they kept doting over them, driving Dahlia crazy, which I found funny.


    Gio smiled at me from the bottom of the stairs, wearing one of his usual suits, but with the cor unbuttoned to show he had made an effort to be casual. I grinned back at him just as the doorbell rang.


    Showtime.


    He opened the door to show Elena, in a simple, mint-green cotton sundress that stretched over her growing baby bump, and what looked like an older version of her in a navy pantsuit. Elena smiled, but her eyes lingered on Gio.


    I shook my head. We were having a good night.


    She gestured to the woman next to her. ¡°Everyone, this is my mother, Viviana.¡±


    Her mother waved and smiled, but it didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. She looked tired and awestruck by the mour of our house.


    Perhaps we should have gone out.


    Gio weed them in, and we did more formal introductions. Everybody shook hands until I ended up shaking Dahlia¡¯s hand and giggling.


    Maria poked her head into the entryway. ¡°Senor, Senora? Laida esta preparada.¡±


    Gio nodded and pped his hands together. ¡°All right, if we could retire to the dining room.¡±


    He offered his arm to me, and I took it with a brilliant grin. We led the way into the dining room, and even I gasped when I saw the spread Maria and the rest of the chefs had prepared. The whole table was covered in food, from sd to fresh bread to a whole, glistening turkey in the middle of the table. I¡¯d given the kitchen a list of foods that weren¡¯t safe for pregnant people, and it looked like they¡¯d designed a whole menu around avoiding that.


    Everyone murmured as they stepped into the room. The kitchen staff had outdone themselves.


    ¡°How wonderful,¡± Viviana said under her breath as she passed me. ¡°But how will we ever eat it all?¡±


    I felt a pang of guilt as I looked at this woman who came from a simr situation as my mother, as myself, until I met Gio. The extravagance had started to fade into the background for me, but having the Grecos around made it unavoidable. I made a mental note to have the chefs box up leftovers for people to take home... if we even owned Tupperware.


    I took a deep breath and returned to the moment. A good night¨Cwe were having a good night.


    ¡°Please find your name card,and have a seat at the table,¡± I told everyone.


    Gio and I had worked out thatpromise to avoid anything happening with Elena during this special night. I was trying to trust, but trusting was easier when Alessandro sat between her and my husband.


    ¡°You¡¯ll also find your favorite cocktails at your seats, virgin for those who aren¡¯t drinking.¡±


    I lifted my own virgin Sex on the Beach, a peace offering to Gio and Elena both, and tipped the ss at Elena. She smiled at the frozen virgin strawberry daquiri at her ce.


    I sat, but Gio remained standing as everybody found their seats. I looked up at him curiously.


    He smiled at me. ¡°I¡¯d like to give a small toast.¡±


    Everybody raised their sses, even Viviana, though she peered curiously at the deep red drink within. Elena had told me she preferred a dry red wine a few days ago. I smiled at my husband and raised my ss.


    ¡°Tomorrow is an exciting day for us, but in some ways, it¡¯s no more exciting than every other day since we began our surrogacy journey. We are honored to have our whole family around us, even those we don¡¯t know that well yet.¡± He nodded at Viviana, who nodded appreciatively back at him. ¡°Thank you, all, for the parts you are ying in our long walk to parenthood. And without any further ado, mangia!¡±


    Everyoneughed and clinked sses before diving into the spread before us. Despite my lingering fears and the way I kept ncing at Elena to make sure she wasn¡¯t trying anything on Gio when I wasn¡¯t looking or doing anything dangerous for the baby, the dinner went smoothly. Conversation ebbed and flowed. Viviana spoke a little less English than her daughter, but most of us spoke enough Italian to make up for it, and it turned out my mother had begun learning. We all had a goodugh when she told us the tablecloth was morbid instead of soft, but overall, people encouraged her fumbling attempts at thenguage.


    Elena drew her mother out of her shell as the conversation continued, and I learned Viviana had been a waitress for the past thirty years and was hoping to be able to retire soon. She told a few gut-busting stories about patrons at her restaurant, which my mom countered with stories about her clients before the Valentinos. Between the two of them, the whole table was in stitches by the time the tes were cleared.


    I smoothed the front of my dress and stood. Nobody was fighting. Hell, people barely disagreed. After all the stress and fighting of the past few months, a single evening with Elena where everything went smoothly was like a balm to my soul. I inhaled a cleansing breath. Five months left of pregnancy¨Cmaybe everybody had just been hormonal in the first trimester.


    ¡°Everybody want to head to the sitting room for dessert and drinks?¡± I asked.


    Tallon patted his stomach and belched. ¡°Couldn¡¯t eat another bite.¡±


    I shook my head at him as his mother smacked his arm and whispered, ¡°Manners!¡±


    ¡°Maria made that cheesecake you raved about for days,¡± Gio said.


    ¡°Basque burnt cheesecake?¡± Tallon shot to his feet. ¡°You know, it¡¯s funny. I¡¯m suddenly starving.¡±


    Everybodyughed as Tallon led the way to the sitting room.


    I walked alongside Elena. ¡°I had her make bu?uelos as well. They¡¯re safer for you, and they remind me of those Italian doughnuts you like so much.¡±


    Elena smiled, and it looked like the smile I¡¯d seen those first few meetings, before everything gotplicated. ¡°You¡¯re too sweet.¡±


    We moved into the sitting room, and Maria rolled in a cart of desserts. After a small frenzy, everybody settled on the plush couches.


    My mother smiled impishly, her upper lip dusted with powdered sugar. ¡°I brought some fun things on the ne with me.¡±


    I groaned around a bite of chocte-covered strawberry. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me.¡±


    ¡°I most certainly can!¡± She dragged a tote bag out from behind the couch she sat on that she must have hidden there when I wasn¡¯t looking.


    ¡°Ooh, whatcha got?¡± Dahlia asked. I smacked her arm lightly, and she pouted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t encourage her,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Well,¡± she said. ¡°This is Olivia best guess at what a rhinoceros might be, at age six.¡±


    She pulled out a piece of construction paper on which I¡¯d drawn a bright purple T-rex. Everybodyughed and a¡¯d.


    ¡°The word rhinoceros sounded like a dinosaur name to me!¡± I protested.


    Dahlia patted my arm. ¡°And the purple?¡±


    I buried my head in my hands.


    ¡°Here she is at ten, next to a pumpkin she carved herself in ss.¡±


    My mom pulled out a picture of me, grinning wildly with my hair in pigtails next to a pumpkin bearing nothing but a horrifically crooked grimace.


    ¡°I remember that!¡± Alessandro said. ¡°You said there was no reason for something that couldn¡¯t move to be able to see, but it needed the mouth to eat souls.¡±


    I groaned, and the humiliation continued. My mother began passing the pictures around while everybody teased.


    At one point, Gio leaned into me with a picture in his hands.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see,¡± I dered.


    He smiled at me. ¡°Please, carina? I want to show you something.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t resist him. I looked down. The picture was of a very young me, maybe less than a year. I wore a Winnie-the-Pooh onesie I knew my mom got secondhand and had the head of a baby doll halfway in my mouth.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She also brought the onesie,¡± he murmured. ¡°She says we should keep it for the baby.¡±


    Another wave ofughter swept over the group, and tears filled my eyes. Despite everything, I was ovee with love. I was surrounded by my family, and no matter how tough things got, they loved me more than words could say.


    Gio pressed a kiss to my cheek. ¡°I hope the baby looks just like this.¡±


    I stared up into his eyes, and suddenly, I had to have him. I needed him to know just how much I loved him.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s gettingte,¡± said my mom. ¡°I think I¡¯ll turn in.¡±


    Alessandro turned to Elena and Vivianna. ¡°Can I offer you both a ride home?¡±


    ¡°That would be lovely, thank you,¡± said Elena.


    We all said our goodbyes, and I turned to Gio. ¡°We¡¯re gonna turn in for the night,¡± I told Dahlia and Tallon without looking at them.


    I couldn¡¯t wait another minute to be alone with my husband.


    Dahlia wolf-whistled, and though Elena wasn¡¯t quite out the door, I didn¡¯t look at her to see her reaction. I didn¡¯t need it. I just needed to take my husband¡¯s hand in mine and lead him to the room we shared.


    He smiled at me as I closed the door behind us.


    I pushed up on tiptoes and kissed him. ¡°I couldn¡¯t resist you any longer.¡±


    His smile turned to a smirk. ¡°I¡¯m that irresistible?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being an ass.¡± I deepened the kiss, cutting off all conversation. Words couldn¡¯tmunicate what I wanted to say. I kissed all my love into him, all my trust and hope for the future. I would do anything to spend forever in his arms.


    When I finally pulled back for air, he smiled softly. ¡°I love you, too.¡±


    He scooped me up and carried me into our bedroom, just as he had on our wedding night. I pulled him in for another kiss.


    We wouldn¡¯t be going to sleep any time soon.

 Chapter 437 : Gender Revealed

    <h4>Chapter 437: Chapter 437 : Gender Revealed</h4>


    *Olivia*


    It was easy to forget all the chaos of the previous weeks while standing in the living room decorated with colorful balloons. Baby blues and bright pinks were bunched together on either side of us, and a huge colorful banner hung above where Gio and I were standing.


    With his arm around my waist, supporting me, I glowed happily as I had on my wedding day, our friends and family surrounding us. Everyone I loved was there¨CDahlia, Alessandro, Tallon, my mom, and James and Ba.


    And of course, standing happily in front of us with her swollen belly was Elena, just out of the way but close enough to reach out for her. She¡¯d gracefully taken a step back even after we offered to let her join us on our makeshift stage.


    ¡°Herees the cake!¡± my mom sang, pushing through the others as she set the cake on the simple table in front of us. She handed the knife to me.


    The cake knife felt heavy in my hand, and I couldn¡¯t stop my excitement from bubbling up, rocking on my heels back and forth. Gio chuckled behind me, his hands loose around my waist as heid his head on my shoulder.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± I grinned, ncing at him excitedly.


    ¡°Always.¡± He pressed a kiss to my temple. ¡°No matter what the oue, it¡¯ll be perfect.¡±


    ¡°Last minute guesses!¡± Dahlia called out, grinning as she held a thin cylinder in her hand, readying it.


    ¡°Boy!¡± Tallon called out.


    ¡°I say girl!¡± Baughed, her own husband holding her close. Despite her age, she looked just as beautiful as when I was a child, and I was honored to have her and James here with me to celebrate this.


    I grabbed Gio¡¯s hand in mine, sending him a teasing nce as we held it together and approached the cake. It was beautiful¨Chalf baby blue and half pink and easy and delicately, our knife sliced through the soft spongy cake.


    We waited with bated breath, all eyes transfixed on the cake as we dug in and lifted the piece out. My eyes met with the soft color hidden beneath the sweet icing, and I clenched Gio¡¯s hand tightly in mine.


    ¡°Gio....¡± I said, my voice thick with emotion.


    ¡°I know, carina.¡± His hold tightened around me, pressing his lips to the top of my head as he murmured the baby¡¯s gender allowed for the first time.


    ¡°It¡¯s a boy.¡±


    Cheers rang out like a New Year¡¯s Eve party counting down to one, and several bangs went off as confetti burst into the air in colorful pastels.


    ¡°I knew it!¡± Tallon shouted out among the noise.


    Iughed, tears filing my eyes as everyone celebrated the truly happy moment with us. Soaring high above the clouds, I was floating at this moment, and the only thing keeping me from drifting off and nevering back was my husband¡¯s arms.


    We would be weing our baby boy soon, and nothing could diminish the joy and excitement we all felt from adding our new precious member to the family.


    I turned in Gio¡¯s arms, embracing him tightly as I leaned up to kiss him deeply and fiercely. Whistles pierced the air, teasing and light-hearted, but I didn¡¯t care. I caressed my fingers across his cheeks, pulling back to see a mirror of the love I felt in his eyes.


    ¡°A baby boy,¡± I breathed, unable to believe it. ¡°Are you happy? You said you wanted a girl....¡±


    ¡°Carina.¡± He chuckled, kissing my forehead, ¡°He could be green, with one eye and wings, and I would still be the happiest man in the world. Thank you so much for giving me the chance to be your husband and now, a father. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too,¡± I grinned, nuzzling into his arms.


    The future I envisioned wasn¡¯t far off¨Ca baby boy with Gio¡¯s curls and little dimples held in his father¡¯s arms, my two boys holding me close.


    I never imagined how deeply I could love someone I had never even met until this moment. Our son was going to be so spoiled¨CI would give him the childhood neither of us had received. Unconditionally.


    The party was in full swing and none of us were surprised when Tallon spiked the punch. He had just enough sense to stop Elena from taking a sip before Ba had descended upon him with all the wrath of a mother.


    The cake was passed around. It was delicious as usual, and I watched my mom brag about the homemade decorations. She¡¯d always made my cakes every year, even when she was drowning in work. It was something I had always been able to count on.


    Even Elena was having a wonderful time as she and Alessandro talked about school. I was surprised Alessandro was showing such an interest in academics when he had never had before. Maybe going to school would be a good step forward for him.


    Everyone came up to congratte us, including Elena. Despite how tense I had been with hertely, she was still as warm as ever. Gio made sure to keep his distance from her as he promised, and it was clear she had noticed.


    But soon, as with all good things, the party came to an end. My mom was flying back to the States in the early morning with James and Ba, and though we offered to see them off, they refused vehemently, telling us to take this time to enjoy ourst moments of being just me and him.


    Alessandro offered to drive Elena home and she hugged me before she left, taking a few pieces of leftover cake and she even allowed me to feel the bump our baby was growing. Tallon and Dahlia had ns, and that meant Gio and I had some private time together.


    ¡°What now?¡± I smiled, taking my final bite of the cake.


    I was a bit sad to see it all gone since my mom¡¯s baking had always been delicious. It reminded me of home and when I was a little girl.


    ¡°I want to show you something.¡± Gio grabbed my hand, sending me a huge grin as he led me down the hallway and toward our suite.


    ¡°Is this about that mysterious door?¡± I asked, smirking when he chuckled. ¡°Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t notice our whole ass closet being taped up like it was radioactive? I¡¯m smarter than that.¡±


    What had previously been a closet had be off-limits in thest week or so, and though I wasn¡¯t sure what was happening, considering the noise and people moving to and from the suite over the week, I had a pretty good idea.


    ¡°I know. I can¡¯t get anything past you.¡± Heughed. ¡°But you can act surprised if you want.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Iughed again, and Gio stopped right in front of the said door, no longer cordoned off but with a shiny new wooden door in its ce. I had no clue when he had the time or how he had snuck this by me, but I wouldn¡¯t need to feign surprise.


    ¡°Alright, close your eyes,¡± he instructed me, softly and I rolled my eyes but did as he asked. My world fell into darkness, and I could still see a yellow glow from the sunshine, but it quickly evaporated as he covered my eyes with his own hands.


    I giggled, hearing the sound of a door opening and a rush of cold air flowing across my cheeks. Gio hovered behind me, keeping my eyes shut as I waddled into the room, guided only by his presence.


    ¡°And stop,¡± he dered. The floor was plush under my feet, and I curled my toes into the soft, fluffy carpet below. It felt like I was standing on clouds and I grinned, wondering what on earth he had done to our room.


    ¡°Is this another walk-in closet?¡± I asked yfully. ¡°Because I¡¯m pretty sure I have enough room for my clothes, honey.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Heughed. ¡°But I promise you¡¯ll love it. Ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± I cried impatiently.


    ¡°Okay, open your eyes.¡±


    As soon as his hands were pulled from my face, my eyes fluttered open, and I took in the space around me in awe.


    The room wasn¡¯t very big¨Cnothingpared to the other rooms in our suite¨Cbut it was clearly a bedroom. Under my feet was the white carpet that truly matched the feel of standing on clouds.


    The walls were white and bare, but the space was open and had two open windows, including one bay window with a seat. There was a massive two-door closet left open, and though there was nothing inside, I could feel how much care had been put into the room.


    But the main attraction was the wooden crib against the wall. There was no bedding, just a simple mattress, but there was a changing table attached to it with three drawers, more than enough for what we would need once the baby came.


    I breathed in, touched as I brushed my hand against the smooth wood. It was old but polished- like someone had used it for a long time and then had it refurbished and updated. I could see the tiny dents, and in the corner of the wood, a little carving of a bird.


    ¡°Oh, Gio,¡± I turned to him with teary eyes. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    He beamed, giving a pleasant hum as he embraced me from behind, his arms locked and ready to never let go.


    A baby room.


    Besides our baby boy, it was the best gift I could ever receive.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I murmured, ¡°for everything, Gio.¡±


    His only answer was a soft kiss to the top of my head, but it was enough.


    I knew what he meant.


    ***


    With the baby roompleted, Gio and I took the time to carefully select everything that would go inside it. We chose a very light gray for the walls, and Gio let me paint my own mural across them.


    I had chosen a forest with little woond creatures all around. Deer, foxes, owls, and even cute little teddy bears stared back at us whenever we walked in. But my favorite part had to be the ceiling. It had been left white, but when the lights were turned out, above was a starlit sky. It was everything I could¡¯ve ever wanted and more.


    Of course, Gio had to throw in his own surprises and had made the stars into urate versions of the real constetions.


    As the days passed, it became our biggest project to do together. The empty room quickly filled up with shelves, storage,mps, and other decor. We bought a bass as well for our own room as the baby would need to stay with us for the first couple of months.


    Everything couldn¡¯t be more perfect... until we showed Elena the room.


    She wrinkled her nose at the carpet, telling us we should¡¯ve gone for a rug instead, and then stared at the painting I did on the walls for an ufortable amount of time. By the strained smile when she said it was pretty, it was clear she didn¡¯t mean it.


    Then she took issue with the boring color palette, said the lights were too bright, and tried to show us a few pieces of furniture she had picked out. I could only smile and nod as she rattled on about what she wanted the ce to look like, of how it could look so much better.


    Her unsolicited opinions didn¡¯t just make me ufortable, they had pissed off Gio. And the moment she criticized the stars, saying the real constetions with unnecessary and pointless, Gio¡¯s face darkened.


    The way she stilled and immediately backtracked despite having not apologized for all thements she threw at the things I chose told me more than I wanted to know.


    I was nearly sure now that Elena had feelings for Gio, no matter how much she tried to hide them.


    Elena was carrying our baby and it was toote to back out now, so we had to make this rtionship with her work. But there was only so much I could tolerate. I could swallow my pride and admit that her having feelings for my husband made me ufortable, but I also knew there wasn¡¯t much I could do about it. I couldn¡¯t control what she felt.


    But if her feelings for my husband posed a threat to my rtionship with Gio, with our baby, then it was most certainly a problem.


    I decided not to bring it up again with Gio at first. After all, he was doing his part keeping his distance as much as he could. But I was not going to let this interfere with the happiness of growing our little family.


    Elena wasn¡¯t going to ruin what we¡¯d painstakingly built. I was going to make sure of that, no matter what it took.

 Chapter 438 : Third Party

    <h4>Chapter 438: Chapter 438 : Third Party</h4>


    *Olivia*


    My skin had turned a pale yellow under the old fluorescent lights above, casting a sinking shadow that was very unttering to my appearance.


    ¡°Mrs. Valentino?¡± A nurse dressed in blue scrubs and a stethoscope hanging around her neck asked. There were cartoon stickers stuck to her ID badge, and she smiled kindly as she called my name.


    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± I answered coolly, walking straight past the waiting room. I had only been waiting for about a minute before they¡¯d called me back¨Ca perk of being the wife of one of the hospital¡¯s biggest donors.


    Tallon had let that little tidbit slip one afternoon.


    Stares followed me as the red cocktail dress I had been wearing fluttered around my thighs. I was clearly not dressed for a hospital visit, and everyone could tell.


    ¡°Here we are,¡± the nurse said, smiling as she pointed to the room I hade here for. ¡°She should be ready to be discharged soon.¡±


    ¡°If you could bring me the paperwork, that would be great.¡± I smiled at the nurse.


    ¡°Of course.¡± She bowed her head, turning on her heel to walk away. By the exhaustion on her face, she had been here all day, and she was ready for her shift to end.


    I sighed, taking a deep breath before I brushed past the white curtain and stepped into the room. Sitting on the bed and staring at the television as it yed some random soap opera was Elena.


    She looked no worse for wear even as she was lounging in a hospital gown. My eyes drifted to the bump protruding out of her belly; the safety of our baby was always my most important concern.


    ¡°Elena,¡± I called out to her, and she flinched, dropping the patient controller in her hand as she sprung up from her lying position, eyes beaming with excitement. Her eyes fell upon me, scanning for only half a second before they eagerly turned behind me, searching for someone else.


    I pressed my lips together thinly, trying to keep my calm as I saw Elena¡¯s excitement turn to confusion and then disappointment.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Giovani?¡± she asked glumly, not even bothering to hide her true feelings anymore.


    I took a seat in the visitor¡¯s chair, taking my time as I set down my purse and crossed one leg over the other. I scanned Elena up and down, searching for any sign of why she was there, but I couldn¡¯t find anything.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say what was wrong on the phone,¡± I told her calmly, ignoring her question. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Her gaze drifted to her hands, and she gave me an embarrassed smile. ¡°I fainted at work, and my coworkers panicked so they called the ambnce. I just have a little bump on the back of my head.¡±


    ¡°You fainted?¡± I repeated, tilting my head curiously as I got to my feet. I stepped to her side, immediately rubbing my hand through her hair. She flinched, a nervous expression on her face, but finally, I did find a small knot on the back of her head, hidden beneath her hair.


    She was telling the truth... this time.


    ¡°Hmm, you seem to have these fainting spells a lot, Elena. Are you sure you shouldn¡¯t stay here until the baby is born?¡± I asked casually.


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, sending me a nervous look. ¡°Sorry to have called you out here just for this. You look beautiful. Were you going somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered without hesitation. ¡°Gio and I were on a date, which I believe we told you about three times already.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Her face fell, a sad look crossing her face. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Olivia. Ipletely forgot. The pregnancy has been messing with my memory a lot. I shouldn¡¯t have called you. I¡¯m okay, really.¡±


    ¡°And the baby¡¯s okay?¡± I asked pointedly.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Sheid a hand across her stomach, her face softening as she nced down at her bump like any loving mother would... except that we both knew that wasn¡¯t her baby.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± I nodded. ¡°Well, since this keeps happening, I really think we should keep you here to look for underlying problems. Plus, they¡¯ll have the ability to catch you when you inevitably faint again.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not a problem,¡± she said hurriedly, clearly not liking that idea by the way she wrinkled her nose. ¡°I can get by just fine. It might be easier if I had someone by my side like Giovani always is for you... but I can manage.¡±


    And there it was, the smile on her face as she stared me straight in the eyes. The little diggingments were phrased as subtle attempts to manipte the situation in her favor. Maybe she didn¡¯t even know she was doing it.


    But this would be the fourth time this week that Gio and I had rushed to the hospital for one of her fainting spells, and every time, she used the opportunity to nt the idea that she really wanted into our minds¨Cshe was desperately trying to get into our home, toe live with us. This was just another way she had found to do it.


    I wasn¡¯t naive, not any longer. The endless trust and patience I had for her had worn out over the months, and I felt about ready to tear my hair out at this point. She just wouldn¡¯t give up trying to drive a rift between me and Gio, would she?


    And the worst part was that it was working.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I said cooly, and she gazed up at me like she waspletely innocent. ¡°Gio is a wonderful man. He¡¯s warm and protective, kind and doting, and everything a woman could want. He loves deeply and fiercely, and there is nothing in the world that can rip him away from the woman he loves.¡±


    I could see right through her facade, could see that everything she had been doing was motivated by one single goal. From the dreamy glint in her eyes, the small smile on her lips as she nodded along like she knew first hand what I was saying was true. Those emotions were brimming over past the mask she had glued to her face.


    She couldn¡¯t hide it anymore.


    She was in love with my husband.


    ¡°But the woman he loves is me,¡± I added. I had been afraid of making her upset while she carried my baby, but now, I couldn¡¯t control myself any longer.


    She flinched, her little fantasy falling to pieces before my eyes, and she nced up at me as I gave her a cold look.


    She shrunk under my gaze, shame crossing her features. I was d that she at least had a bit of a conscience left to know that what she was doing was wrong.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to finish my date with my husband,¡± I told her calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll cover your bill and ask for your discharge papers, but next time you have a fainting spell, Gio will be busy. He agreed that I should be the only one toe see you whenever this happens since he¡¯s busy working, and my only concern right now is the baby.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t thought it possible, but she deted even more, curling up on herself as she nodded silently, avoiding my pointed look.


    ¡°Good night then, Elena.¡± I smiled, making my tone softer than before so as not to scare her. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon, hopefully. I¡¯ll let Gio know you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°Good night,¡± she murmured back, and I left the room, sighing as my shoulders slumped. I hated feeling like such a bad person, but this was necessary.


    I went to the desk to make sure her discharge papers were in order before leaving as quickly as I could so as not to have another confrontation with her. The ride home was silent as I warred with myself about whether I had done the right thing or not.


    But ultimately, I was sure I had. I had promised not to let her interfere with my family, and I was going to stick to that. But as the car halted in front of thepound, I knew more problems were awaiting me.


    I peeled off my heels as I entered my home, the silence deafening as I made my way to our suite, shutting our bedroom door behind me.


    Gio was still up, sitting in bed and typing away on hisptop. He was on a call, I realized, with his phone pressed to his ear. His voice was low, a simple hum as he spoke quietly but surely. I dropped my heels into the corner, and he didn¡¯t even look at me.


    I¡¯d expected that.


    I shed the beautiful dress Gio had bought me, my heart squeezing since I didn¡¯t even get to wear it properly to dinner. I pulled on one of Gio¡¯s shirts and a pair of shorts, lingering in the closet.


    The air in the room was heavy, and I could tell there was a long conversation ahead of us, one that wouldn¡¯t be pleasant.


    By the time I stepped back into the bedroom, Gio was off the phone, hisptop pushed away, and he stared at me as I put my dress in the hamper. I sighed at his heavy gaze, climbing into bed next to him.


    ¡°She¡¯s okay,¡± I said softly, ¡°barely even a bump on the back of her head.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± he nodded.


    The wedge between us was too heavy for me to push aside on my own, and unless we were working together to climb it, we would both be talking to the wall and not each other.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about our date.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± His answer was curt and to the point¨Cno emotions.


    ¡°Gio.¡± I frowned, turning to him. ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this. Don¡¯t ice me out.¡±


    He sighed, then stared at me. I hated seeing the hurt, the frustration in his eyes.


    ¡°You promised me you¡¯d stop treating Elena like this,¡± he said firmly, ¡°that you¡¯d trust me.¡±


    ¡°I do trust you,¡± I reached for his hand.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it, Olivia.¡± He pulled back, rolling to his feet. He crossed his arms, the anger crawling up his face, and I knew there was no one to get out of his one. ¡°You canceled our date without any warning and stole my car and driver while I was in the bathroom. I had to find out after the fact that Elena had called from the hospital.¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m sorry,¡± I slumped, ¡°I should have told you, and I shouldn¡¯t have run off, but it¡¯s not because I don¡¯t trust you, Gio. I don¡¯t trust her. It has nothing to do with you!¡±


    ¡°The child has everything to do with me,¡± he argued back. ¡°I¡¯m the father! I¡¯m paying for the damn surrogate, and you had no right to stop me from going just because of your unfounded jealousy!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not unfounded!¡± I snapped, crossing my arms. ¡°She¡¯s in love with you, Gio!¡±


    He scoffed, rolling his eyes, but I wasn¡¯t about to let this one go.


    ¡°I saw it tonight! As soon as she saw it was just me, she was disappointed. The first words out of her mouth were ¡¯Where¡¯s Giovani?¡¯¡±


    He frowned, an odd look crossing his features. There was a hesitation in his eyes, like he knew that was weird, but his anger pushed it all away.


    ¡°So what?¡± he retorted. ¡°None of that even matters. This isn¡¯t even about Elena. It¡¯s about you and how paranoid you are that she¡¯s out to steal me¨Cand actually believing I would fall for such a thing¨Cthat you¡¯re willing to sabotage our rtionship to make yourself feel better.¡±


    ¡°Paranoid?¡± I repeated with wide eyes, the word having gutted me with how much venom had been ced there. ¡°That¡¯s what you think? That I¡¯m acting like some paranoid, jealous bitch?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± he snapped. ¡°You did. Don¡¯t put words in my mouth.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty much what you said!¡± I screamed, getting to my feet as the hurt turned into a blinding hot rage. ¡°You said I¡¯m paranoid, that I¡¯m sabotaging our rtionship! Why can¡¯t you ever take my side? Why do you have to defend her?¡±


    ¡°Fuck, Olivia.¡± He threw his hands in the air. ¡°You¡¯re the most stubborn woman I¡¯ve ever met. I am not interested in Elena. I¡¯m interested in our child. Let it go!¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I sneered, backing away from the bed. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll take me and my paranoid ass to the guest room, and you can sleep here alone where I can¡¯t sabotage our rtionship anymore!¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± he growled.


    ¡°Fine!¡±


    I mmed the bedroom door closed behind me, hearing him scream out in frustration before it all went very quiet.


    I bit my bottom lip until it hurt, but I couldn¡¯t force my feet to leave the suite. It felt like admitting defeat, like I was leaving, and I couldn¡¯t do that, not again. Gio meant too much to me, no matter how angry I was at him.


    I sighed, holding my arms around my middle as I walked toward the guest room. Once inside, I climbed into bed, tucking the pillow under my head, spreading the nket around my freezing toes, and shut my eyes. Then, I slowly fell into a light, dreamless sleep.

 Chapter 439 : The Truth Comes Out

    <h4>Chapter 439: Chapter 439 : The Truth Comes Out</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I was regretting my decision to sleep in the guest room. I tossed and turned all night, and by morning, my back was sore, and my whole body was left cramped from so much activity. I groaned, rubbing my neck as my muscles and tendons stretched ufortably.


    I climbed out of the bed, groaning as I stretched my arms above my head. I was still utterly exhausted from the long night, and I felt even worse as the fight with Gio ran through my mind.


    I didn¡¯t regret doing what I¡¯d done at dinner, but I did regret walking out on Gio. I sighed, ncing out the window to get an idea of the time. It was sunny, and that was about all I could figure out without my phone.


    I¡¯d left it in the bedroom, and I hadn¡¯t charged it.


    I padded across the carpeted floors, suppressing a yawn with the back of my hand as I gently opened the door. As soon as it cracked open, however, two voices caught my attention.


    Despite speaking in low tones, I could hear them quite clearly. ¡®They must be in the sitting room,¡¯ I thought. I peered through the doorway, curious, and stiffened as I caught sight of my husband, standing in the midst of the room and looking just as exhausted as I felt.


    He hadn¡¯t shaved yet, as evidenced by the five-o-clock shadow around his chin, and his hair was messy like he had kept running his hands through it. Even standing in a long gray T-shirt and sweatpants, he was still gorgeous.


    My heart clenched as I spotted the dark circles fromck of sleep and the bloodshot hint in his eyes. He had probably gotten less sleep than I did, which was saying a lot.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this,¡± he sighed, shaking his head in annoyance at whoever was speaking to him. I shifted to peer at the stranger, and my whole body went stiff.


    There was Elena, dressed in a tight ck dress. She had a hand resting on her baby bump, but it did nothing to distract from the way the dress hugged her figure.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re busy, but if I could just have a moment¨C¡± Elena said softly, reaching out a delicate hand to his arm. He sent her an irritated look, stepping back in clear dismissal.


    ¡°No, Elena,¡± he said firmly. ¡°Olivia is missing, and I have to find her. I don¡¯t know how you got in here, but you need to go home now.¡±


    ¡°Please, it¡¯ll just be a minute,¡± she pleaded with him with wide and innocent eyes.


    It was hard to believe that those eyes masked a scheming woman who was chasing after another woman¡¯s husband.


    Gio let out a heavy sigh, pushing his hair from his face as he stared at her with an impatient look. ¡°Fine. What is it?¡±


    She stepped closer, her eyes gleaming with hope. ¡°I know Olivia stopped you froming to see me yesterday. She¡¯s jealous, and I know it¡¯s making you ufortable just as much as it is me. But it doesn¡¯t have to be that way.¡±


    He watched her with wary eyes, and I held my breath, staring in disbelief as she crept closer, a smile ying on her lips as sheid a hand straight onto his chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for you and for the baby,¡± she said, shamelessly, ¡°even if Olivia isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    I flinched, still standing behind the door, but Elena didn¡¯t seem to notice at all. Gio¡¯s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, and he red at her like she had suddenly morphed into one of Dmitri¡¯s men.


    Elena only blushed, unaware of the danger as she pressed her body against his, cradling the baby bump in one hand. ¡°We can be a family, Gio¨Cyou, me, and our baby. Because you know, I love you.¡±


    If my heart could break into two, I was sure it would feel just like this. The rapid beats in my ears were all I could hear as I stared at the two of them. Everything was slow around me like I was traveling through msses, but there was a deep ache in my chest that I couldn¡¯t get rid of.


    I clutched over my heart like I could somehow reach in and hold it together, but there wasn¡¯t any glue or duct tape that could fix a broken heart. Anger, sadness, and worry filled me up like an empty ss, shaken around like a cocktail made for disaster. I didn¡¯t know whether I wanted to jump out and scream at them until my voice was hoarse or fall to my knees and sob like the world was ending.


    Maybe I should have done both, if I was being honest.


    And to make matters worse, Elena jumped forward, leaning fully onto Gio as she grabbed a handful of his shirt and mmed her lips toward him.


    I shut my eyes, unable to watch, but when all I heard was dead silence, a sense of masochism washed over me, and I turned back to the scene, forcing myself to see this once and for all, no matter how much it would shatter me.


    But contrary to what I had expected, Elena and Gio weren¡¯t locking lips in a devouring frenzy of passion. No, instead, there was a chill that brushed against my skin.


    Gio¡¯s hand was pressed straight onto her mouth, keeping her from getting anywhere near his face as he glowered down at her.


    ¡°Gio?¡± she started, pulling back with wide eyes. ¡°What....¡±


    ¡°I did not give you permission to call me that,¡± he snapped.


    She flinched from the venom in his voice.


    ¡°Only my family can call me that.¡±


    I held a hand over my mouth in silent awe, joy bursting forth from every crevice of my heart.


    ¡°But I thought....¡± Her eyes watered in downright astonishment. Dismay crept along her face as she took in the anger in his eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you thought, but you have crossed a line, Miss Greco.¡± Even I was stunned by the sheer ice in his voice. He took a few steps back, setting a clear boundary between them. ¡°My love and care are reserved solely for the baby you are carrying for me and my wife. We set clear boundaries during the beginning of our arrangement, and you agreed to them. The only thing between us is a contract, Miss Greco. Now, please leave.¡±


    Despite the burning anger in his eyes, and the sheer coldness he had spat at her, Gio remained respectful and polite toward her. He had given her a way out, a way to correct her appalling behavior.


    But Elena didn¡¯t see the out he was giving her, only the devastation of the rejection.


    Her face fell, the distress in her eyes overwhelming everything else, and an endless pool of tears poured down, dripping onto the floor below.


    ¡°I...I....¡± She backed away, her whole body trembling before finally, she spun on her heel and ran out of the room. The door hit the wall with a bang and soon enough, I heard the front door thrown open.


    There were shouts in Italian from down the hall, and I swallowed ufortably. I still couldn¡¯t digest what had just happened, still couldn¡¯t process everything, but my mind settled on the one thing it could understand right now.


    I had been right.


    I pushed open the door, stepping into the sitting room. Gio¡¯s eyes met mine, his whole body still tensed up for a fight.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± he breathed, taking a step toward me.


    ¡°I was right....¡±


    The words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them.


    That wasn¡¯t what I wanted to say, and regret filled me as soon as the words came out. But I couldn¡¯t catch them in mid-air and redo it. Gio¡¯s whole face dropped, and a sneer curled up on his lips.¡°Is that really all you¡¯re concerned about? Are you happy now, Olivia? You were right! I¡¯m d you enjoyed the show!¡± he snapped, turning on his heel and storming back to the bedroom.


    ¡°Gio, I didn¡¯t mean¨C¡± I chased after him, but he whirled on me with an angry, exhausted, and bitter look.


    ¡°Yes, you did,¡± he spat out. ¡°You meant exactly what you said. Do you want me to put up a banner... hire nes to spell it in the sky? You want an award, Olivia?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me like that,¡± I bristled, hating the unhinged way he red at me. ¡°I warned you about this, but you only called me paranoid! The least you can do is admit that I was right about Elena! That¡¯s all I want, just a little validation that I wasn¡¯t as crazy as you thought.¡± I stabbed my pointer finger into his chest. ¡°Not as crazy as you made me out to be!¡±


    ¡°Well, congrattions, you got what you wanted. Good for you.¡± He threw his hands in the air, turning his back on me as he stormed into the bedroom.


    ¡°Gio!¡± I yelled, frustration brewing. ¡°Don¡¯t walk away from me! We have to talk¨C¡±


    ¡°What do you want from me, Olivia?¡± He whirled on me again, his anger dropping.


    I could see the exhaustion and hurt sh across his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay?¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t listen. You were right, and I was wrong. Is that what you want to hear?¡±


    We stared at one another in the silent suite that had once been filled with so many happy memories.


    Now, all I could feel was resentment.


    ¡°No,¡± I murmured quietly, feeling like our words were filled with more barbs than understanding, more anger thanpassion, and more hurt than love.


    What had happened to us?


    I deted all at once, and I couldn¡¯t swallow the lump in my throat no matter how hard I tried. Shame, regret, guilt ,and fear just lingered there.


    I didn¡¯t want this. I just wanted to be in his arms again, to have everything okay and all of this to be over with and done.


    But the sh of her lips whispering his nickname, confessing her love, and the words he¡¯d spat at me in the heat of anger had buried themselves into the ground and sprouted into thorns. And with every issue that we managed to resolve, two more had popped up in their ce.


    I felt absolutely hopeless, the divide between us growing with every minute, and I didn¡¯t know how to fix it.


    ¡°What do you want, Olivia?¡± Gio said quietly, vulnerable as he gazed into my eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I answered truthfully. ¡°I just want everything to be okay between us. But I don¡¯t know how to make that happen.¡±


    All of the festering tension had exploded around us like acid rain falling from the sky and burning into our skin. We would have scars soon if we didn¡¯t get to cover.


    But, as I nced at the hopeless, exhausted expression on my husband¡¯s face, one that mirrored my own, I realized that it might have been toote already.


    Maybe there wasn¡¯t a way to fix this.


    I asked him a simple question, one I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to hear the answer to. ¡°Do you even still love me?¡±


    I held my breath waiting for him to answer.

 Chapter 440 : Disappearance

    <h4>Chapter 440: Chapter 440 : Disappearance</h4>


    *Giovani*


    It was too damn loud.


    The clock on the wall continued to tick with every second, reminding me of the continuous passage of time¨Chow much of it I was wasting and how little of it I had left. The old wood of thepound creaked and groaned under the storm outside, the rain pelting against the ss harshly.


    There was a sh against the window, illuminating the dark room of my study and then fading away like it had never been there. The bottle clutched tightly in my hand was nearly empty, the liquid lukewarm and refusing to do its damn job.


    I took a swig of the bottle, downing thest of it and grimacing at the poor taste. All of the best alcohol from my stash had vanished, leaving me with this piece of shit.


    I leaned back in my leather chair, letting my hands fall over the sides. The ss scraped against the floorboards, an irritating sound that only added to the chorus of Satan¡¯s orchestra. The mother of all migraines had taken hold of my brain, and I grit my teeth together as a loud boom of thunder struck outside.


    Considering the dy between the lightning and thunder, the storm was still pretty far away, not that it did much good when I was barricaded up in my office for the foreseeable future. The knocking had gone away sometime in the afternoon after I refused all meals.


    And eventually, even her voice had left, slunk off to who knows where. It had taken great effort not to open the door as she begged me, choking on her words as she tried to bite back her sobs.


    I hated it when she cried.


    But I couldn¡¯t open the door, not this time.


    Betrayal had settled deep into my bones like an old enemy settling back into its home after a long time away. Guilt and the heavy weight of failure rested on my shoulders, and I did what I always did¨Cshoved it down underyers of anger and bitterness.


    I was familiar with self-loathing, but this was a new rock bottom even for me.


    I could handle Olivia being pissed¨Cthat just came with the territory of having married her. It wasn¡¯t the first time, and it wouldn¡¯t be thest. The arguments weren¡¯t pretty, and we each said words we didn¡¯t mean, but I always knew we would be okay in the end.


    I could even handle her jealousy and smug righteousness as she pushed the fact that she was right into my face. She had been after all, hadn¡¯t she? The bitter taste in my mouth was only half from the discount whiskey.


    But what I couldn¡¯t handle, what I couldn¡¯t bring myself to face, was the look on her face as she asked me if I still loved her, her bottom lip clenched in her teeth to keep it from wobbling, the trembling of her whole body as she tried to be brave and stand her ground... the watery look to her eyes, filled with tears that she refused to let fall.


    Did I still love her?


    That was the moment everything within me had broken, shattered like fragile ss. I had no clue how to fix it.


    But that was my job, wasn¡¯t it?


    I had to fix everything, to make things better when things inevitably broke. But this situation was such a clusterfuck of brokenness that I had no clue where to even start.


    Her heart had never wavered before, not when our lives were being threatened by Dmitri, not when I offered myself up to him to get Alessandro back, and especially not when the arguments first started.


    She had never questioned my love for her, not once... until now.


    I dropped the bottle onto the floor, listening to it roll across the wood as I clutched my head in my hands, and struggled to keep from screaming. It felt like my skull was going to crack, and everything I was holding back would open and flood the room, drowning me in the process.


    How could I have let this happen? How could any of this have started in the first ce? Why didn¡¯t I stop this before it got this far?


    I knew the answer to that. I had been so convinced that Elena was tied to another rival group trying to hurt us that I had thought a little infatuation was nothing, that I could easily keep my distance. Her background was clean, so I didn¡¯t see her as a real threat, but I should¡¯ve trusted Alessandro and Dahlia.


    And Olivia.


    I should never have let it go this far.


    And I knew exactly where I needed to start to make things right. I grabbed my phone, reluctantly scrolling through my contacts until I found the one I needed. I hesitated, my finger over the button before I sighed and started the call.


    There was a click and then, ¡°Hey, This is Elena Greco. Please leave your name and¨C¡±


    I frowned, the voicemail ringing straight in my ears. There hadn¡¯t even been a single ring. Her phone was off? Why?


    I knew she might be embarrassed and upset after what happened, so I hoped she had just wanted to be alone, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind, and I had ignored that one too many times when it came to her.


    I made another call.


    ¡°Yes, boss?¡± I heard one of the gate guards on the other side of the phone.


    ¡°Who picked up Miss Greco this morning?¡± I asked hurriedly.


    ¡°Ah, let me see.¡± There was typing, a bit of papers rustling and then he said, ¡°A rideshare service, sir. But she did leave a note. Do you want me to forward it to your phone, sir?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I said firmly.


    ¡°Okay. Sent. Anythi¨C¡±


    Before he could finish, I hung up, and sure enough, my phone buzzed with an iing text. It was a photo. I saw the desk at the front gate, but my eyes were drawn to the hastily written scrawl on what looked like torn notebook paper.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. I won¡¯t bother you anymore. Elena.¡¯


    Fuck. I stormed to my feet, the phone clutched in my hand as I finally unlocked the door to the office.


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    Something mmed straight onto the floor, a ker-thunk of flesh meeting wood that had me cringing at the hurt the person would be in. I red down at the mysterious figure on the floor, just a dark shadow.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing¨C¡±


    My voice trailed off as a sh of lightning burst across the sky, illuminating the person at my feet. A teartracked face with sad, pitiful eyes stared up at me, a hand holding the back of her head as shey on the ground like she couldn¡¯t even be bothered to get up by herself.


    ¡°Olivia?¡± I breathed, unable to believe my eyes. ¡°What are you¨C¡±


    She whimpered, a soft sniffling sound that cut through the darkness, and I immediately hit the lights. We both winced from the sudden intake as I fell to a knee and grabbed her, helping her to sit up.


    ¡°Ow.¡± She winced again, holding the back of her head.


    ¡°Let me look.¡± I pushed her hand away, immediately digging my fingers through her messy hair. There was a small bump forming, but it didn¡¯t seem serious. I breathed a sigh of relief, and then my logic came flooding back to me.


    ¡°What are you doing? Were you¨C¡± I nced at my door, the realization dawning on me. ¡°Were you out here all night?¡±


    By the guilty look on her face, I knew I had guessed right.


    A bewildered chuckle left my lips, and everything that had happened suddenly felt so small and insignificant. She¡¯d waited out here, sitting against my door, just hoping for me to open it up¨Cmy beautiful, stubborn, kind wife.


    I sighed, gently connecting our foreheads as I shut my eyes. I allowed myself this one moment, her warmth and hands clutching mine as we sat on the floor outside of my study.


    For a moment, everything was okay. The world was right side up again, and I could breathe. Nothing else mattered but the hum of the loving bond between us.


    But that moment couldn¡¯tst forever.


    ¡°Giovani?¡± she murmured, eyes wide with uncertainty. God, how I missed my name falling from her sweet lips. But now wasn¡¯t the time.


    I grabbed her hand, opened her palm, and ced my phone there. She nced at it bewilderedly.


    ¡°Check my first message,¡± I told her grimly.


    She turned on the phone, easily navigating through my password, which she¡¯d known for a while now. The text was still up, and her eyes scanned through it hurriedly.


    ¡°It¡¯s from Elena. She left it at the gate before she left this morning. I tried to call her phone, but it¡¯s been turned off,¡± I informed her, watching as her face fell in dismay.


    She stared at the note, her hand trembling as she realized what was going on. ¡°What does she mean she won¡¯t bother us anymore?¡± She sent me a panicked look, and I grimaced.


    ¡°I think she ran away,¡± I answered honestly.


    Olivia turned three shades of white.


    It didn¡¯t take long to get the family rallied. We exined the situation, and though I had wanted to go out and look for her myself, I was too exhausted and drunk to do so. Gabriele had proved that point when he poked me in the forehead, and I copsed onto the couch.


    Gabriele and Alessandro split the forces to search for Elena and our son.


    I had no doubt anxiety and unanswered questions whirled around the minds of the men, each wondering what had caused her departure, but only Olivia and I knew for sure, and we weren¡¯t going to give it up.


    No matter how much damage she had caused our rtionship, she was still our surrogate, the woman Olivia and I had chosen to carry our child, and we had to respect her privacy as much as we could.


    They left in a hurry, and I didn¡¯t envy them with the massive storm pouring outside. Olivia and I curled up on the couch, our shared fear of what was going to happen to our family, of whether Elena and the baby were safe or not, causing us to cling to one another.


    All of the hurt and misunderstandings, the resentment and arguments¨Cnone of it mattered anymore. No matter what happened, we were a team. We had to face our challenges together as a united front.


    So, as the long day stretched into night, I held Olivia in my arms, waiting for any kind of news from the teams out searching for Elena and our baby. Every so often, I would tuck my head into the crevice of Olivia¡¯s neck and whisper to her how much I loved her.


    I would never let her question that ever again.

 Chapter 441 : The Hunt

    <h4>Chapter 441: Chapter 441 : The Hunt</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I paced back and forth in front of the unlit firece in our living room-turned-war room. I paused, gnawing on my thumbnail, and looked at the troops we¡¯d gathered.


    Gabriele was bent over his cell phone, whispering rapid Italian along the line. At least, I thought it was Italian. With worry clouding my mind, the secondnguage kept slipping through my fingers, and I couldn¡¯t make out a word of his conversation.


    Alessandro imed a whole couch for himself and covered it in paperwork andptops. He leaned over and typed something into myptop, which I¡¯d happily offered up. The school logo and smiling coffee cup stickers on the front seemed oddly grisly at the moment.


    Dahlia bustled back into the room with another tray of coffee and more potent energy drinks. She didn¡¯t have the sort of connections that let her aid in the search concretely, but she¡¯d turned over her social media passwords in case she and Elena shared any mutual friends I didn¡¯t, and she¡¯d been ferrying in caffeine non-stop ever since.


    I could hardly remember thest time I¡¯d seen my friend so serious. She paused for just a moment to squeeze my arm as she left.


    On the far end of the room, Gio shuffled through all the documents he and Gabriele had collected over the course of their multiple background checks on Elena. asionally, he called out a detail that caused Gabriele or Alessandro to dive deeper into their research. They had plenty of boots on the ground while they were in here digging.


    Tears pressed against the backs of my eyes. I felt totally useless. It was my baby out there, and I couldn¡¯t find him to save my life without all these wonderful people around me. What kind of mom let someone run away with their child? I hadn¡¯t been able to protect him, but with the help of my friends and Gio¡¯s coworkers, we¡¯d find him. We had to.


    Alessandro leaped up suddenly. ¡°Got a lead. Be back.¡±


    He only spared enough time to grab his phone from the pile before disappearing out the door. Hope and fear warred in my heart. Was it a good lead, or was he chasing any thread in case it offered some clue? I wanted to believe this man, practically my brother, could save the day, but I had a hard time believing anybody could. My mind kept going to the worse case scenario, that I¡¯d never see my baby.


    Gabriele snapped his phone shut. ¡°Three of our best noses are meeting for coffee on the other side of town. This seems the sort of problem better exined in person.¡±


    ¡°Go,¡± Gio snapped.


    Gabriele nodded at him, then me, and departed as Alessandro had.


    Suddenly, Gio and I were alone in the havoc of our living room. There were no sounds but the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner, and tears started to overwhelm me again.


    All of my worst fears hade true. Every problem I¡¯d predicted with surrogacy, with our rtionship. Our baby was gone, and my husband was sitting on the far side of the room.


    A strangled sob burst from my lips, and Gio was on his feet in an instant, crossing the room to be at my side. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed me into his chest.


    Distantly, I remembered being angry, but all I wanted was to copse into his arms. I grabbed his waist and cried.


    After a moment, I realized he was shaking. I looked up into his face and found him drawn, his own eyes shining.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, carina,¡± he murmured. ¡°This is all my fault.¡±


    I shook my head and held him tighter. ¡°No, no, no.¡±


    Heughed bitterly. ¡°You warned me. You were right. I let it go too far, and now this woman has disappeared with our baby.¡± His voice cracked on the final word, and I recognized thest hour¡¯s distance for what it was¨Coverwhelming guilt.


    I tucked myself in closer to him. ¡°It¡¯s as much my fault. I picked her. I said we should do this. I pushed you, in the beginning, to let her into our lives. I can¡¯t even help, and I¡¯m going to be an awful mother if we ever do find her.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± His voice was thick with unshed tears. ¡°We¡¯re going to find her, and you¡¯re going to be the best mother. Don¡¯t say ¡®if.¡¯¡±


    I buried my head in his chest. I couldn¡¯t stop worrying, couldn¡¯t stop thinking about my what-ifs, but I didn¡¯t have to tell him.


    ¡°I have half of Italy looking,¡± he said. ¡°We will find her and the baby, and then I¡¯ll make everything right.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t just your job,¡± I murmured. ¡°You have to let me help.¡±


    He pressed a kiss to my forehead. ¡°Yes, carina. I¡¯m sorry, so sorry. I will listen. I will let you help.¡±


    I leaned up closer to him. ¡°And I will stop jumping to conclusions. We have to face this together. Otherwise¨C¡± I stifled another sob. ¡°Otherwise I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m getting through this at all.¡±


    Gio lifted me off the ground, bringing my face up to his height. I wrapped my legs around his waist, felt the warmth of his body.


    ¡°Together,¡± he repeated. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡±


    He leaned in and kissed me, the sort of kiss I¡¯d been missing for weeks. I parted easily under his touch, gasping into his mouth, and he ran a hand delicately through my hair.


    ¡°There is nothing to do here,¡± he said when he pulled back. ¡°And I will drive myself mad with worry without something to do.¡± He was sober now, after all of these hours, and I knew he feltpelled to take action.


    I looked into his eyes and found heat in the depths of his blue gaze. I could think of something he could do here to keep himself busy. For a moment, I worried. What if something happened while we were in bed? What if we missed something because we soughtfort in each other?


    I shook my head. I had worried myself into this situation. I could not worry my way out.


    By way of answer, I imed my husband¡¯s mouth. I felt him begin walking underneath me, and the rocking motion ground my center against him. I leaned into the rhythm and let a fire start to build within me.


    He carried me down the short hallway, past our sitting room, and into the bedroom, breaking apart for air only when absolutely necessary. Heid me down on the bed, and I marveled at him. He was only barely out of breath, and I knew it was more from the kissing than my weight.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing,¡± I murmured.


    He smiled, but the expression was tinged with doubt. I leaned up on my elbows.


    ¡°I mean it,¡± I repeated. ¡°You amaze me.¡±


    He averted his gaze, and I sat fully up and put him between my legs. I undid the buttons on his shirt one by one, kissing each inch of exposed skin, before letting go of the sides and allowing it to fall open.


    ¡°Just look at you,¡± I said, following my own instructions happily.


    He took my mouth with another kiss.


    ¡°What about you?¡± he asked.


    He reached behind me and untied the knot of the halter-neck dress I was wearing. The fabric dropped away, exposing my braless chest.


    He took each of my breasts in his hands and ran his thumbs over my nipples reverently. ¡°I could look at you forever.¡±


    I met his gaze. ¡°I love you.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°I love you.¡± It was nice to hear him say that after I¡¯d posed the question before only to have him leave the room.


    I scooted back on the bed, pulling off the rest of the dress and leaving me in just a pair of in cotton panties. Despite their inness, Gio looked at me like I¡¯d just shown him the most delicious dessert.


    I leaned back on the pillows of the bed one of us had slept alone in too often recently and beckoned him forward.


    He shucked his shirt and jacket, then undid his belt and shoved his pants down before climbing into bed with me. I watched the disy, however efficient and utilitarian, with reverent eyes. I loved seeing him stripped out of the suit, no longer a mafia Don but just a man¨Ca man who loved me, and who was going to turn the world upside down until we got our baby back.


    He leaned over me on both arms, and I stroked a finger down his chest. He shivered at the contact, and I grinned.


    I pulled my hand off his chest and booped him on the nose. He pressed his lips to my finger sweetly, and I lingered in the moment. My beautiful husband, rolling with the punches of my silliness with love shining in his eyes.


    Then, he opened his mouth and licked a stripe up my finger with his talented tongue while meeting my eyes. I bit my lip and swallowed as I felt my underwear begin to soak through, but I didn¡¯t move my finger.


    With a small smile, he leaned forward and took my whole finger in his mouth. The wetness and warmth nearly overwhelmed me, and I gasped. He licked around the digit with the same talent and easy grace as I had felt so often between my legs, then bobbed up and down a few times in an imitation of fetio.


    His gaze never left mine, and I felt like I was drowning in his eyes. Like I was in a dream, I pressed another finger against his lips, and he epted it with the first. He was barely touching me, and already I could feel my first orgasm building.


    After a few moments, he released my fingers with a wet pop and rolled to the side, off me.


    I gaped at him nkly.


    ¡°I want to watch you touch yourself,¡± he said, his voice rough. ¡°Use those fingers, please.¡±


    I swallowed heavily. I felt holy under his gaze, and I would do anything he asked in that moment. I stripped off my underwear with my other hand andy bare before him.


    He leaned up on an elbow for a better view and nodded.


    I trailed my soaking fingers around my nipple and arced up into the touch in surprise. Usually, I didn¡¯t like touching my own breasts much, but his saliva made the feeling electric. My fingers glided across my skin, and I teased my nipple to a point.


    Gio panted, and I looked up at him. He gazed remained with my hand, hot and intense, and I trailed the hand down to my pubic hair while I watched his face. His pupils widened, and his eyes became half-slitted.


    I dipped my fingers between my own lips with a soft moan. His gaze rocketed to my face, and he met my eyes for a moment. The air hummed between us, thick with tension, and I almost could have cum on the spot. I swiped my fingers across my clit, and his name escaped my lips on a gasp.


    He groaned and palmed himself through his boxers. I realized, even with his mouth, I didn¡¯t want toe without him.


    I circled my clit again.


    ¡°Help me, please,¡± I begged.


    He furrowed his eyebrows, and I grabbed the hand over his cock and positioned it at my entrance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll touch myself. Please watch. But,¡± I moaned as he stroked up my slit, wetting his fingers, ¡°I¡¯ve missed you for too long.¡±


    His mouth fell open, and he fucked into me with two fingers as I rubbed my clit in increasingly frantic circles. Moans dropped from my lips, wanton and desperate. He fucked me in time with my hands on my clit, and I met his gaze once more.


    His eyes burned into me, and my orgasm swept over me. I spasmed around his fingers and nearly cked out from the pleasure.


    I scrabbled at the waistband of his boxers as I came down. ¡°Need you inside me, please, please.¡±


    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Gio stripped off his underwear and rolled back on top of me. He positioned himself with practiced ease and sank into me before the final ebbs of my first orgasm faded away.


    He groaned, and I choked on a moan that almost became a scream. I¡¯d missed this feeling, his bulk over me, his cock inside me. I never felt moreplete.


    As opposed to the frantic pace of my fingers, he fucked me slowly. He bnced on one arm and toyed with the breast I¡¯d teased to attention with the other. My brain melted into a haze of pleasure. I thrust with him, arced into his touch, anything to get more of him as he kept the pace msses-slow.


    He smiled down at me, somewhere between teasing and loving, and I almost screamed at him to speed up. Even at this pace, I could feel a second orgasm on the horizon. I wanted toe around him desperately.


    I grabbed his hips and tried to force him into me, deeper, harder, faster. I knew he could resist my weak grasp, but he indulged, meeting my hips loudly.


    I moaned and dug my nails in, dragging him inside me. He trailed a finger over my nipple and whispered, ¡°Almost, carina. Just wait for me.¡±


    I groaned in disappointment and tried to stave off my own encroaching orgasm as he picked up speed. I wound a hand in his hair and pulled. He hissed with pleasure and picked up the pace. I leaned forward to flick my tongue across his nipple, and his breathing hitched.


    After a moment of attention, his thrusts grew uneven, and I knew he was close.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± I begged.


    He pressed his lips to mine and jerked with release. I tumbled over the edge after him as he filled me.


    He rolled off me as we both caught our breaths. I grabbed his hand in the quiet and squeezed. We could face this together.


    On the floor next to the bed, in his pants, Gio¡¯s phone rang.

 Chapter 442 : Olivia’s Way

    <h4>Chapter 442: Chapter 442 : Olivia¡¯s Way</h4>


    *Giovani*


    Olivia and I looked at each other in frozen silence as my phone rang. Anyone could be on the other end of the line, with any news about Elena and our baby. My stomach swooped. I had received endless calls describing death and torture over my years as Don of the Valentino family, and no ringtone scared me as much as that one at that moment.


    She twisted and stared into my eyes. I saw my own worry reflected back at me, but with an edge of determination. She pressed a hand to my cheek and nodded, and suddenly, I was vaulting out of bed and scrambling to reach the phone before it stopped ringing. I didn¡¯t even check the disy before hitting ¡®answer¡¯ and pressing the phone to my ear.


    ¡°What?¡± I barked. Nerves sharpened my voice, and I hoped I hadn¡¯t yelled at someone who didn¡¯t deserve it or wouldn¡¯t understand.


    Olivia scrambled to the end of the bed and perched there, straining to hear over my cell phone¡¯s tiny speakers.


    ¡°I got something,¡± Alessandro said. ¡°I found her.¡±


    My eyes flew wide, and Olivia pped a hand over her mouth. I sat down on the edge of the bed with her. She rested her head against my shoulder, likely to get closer to the phone, but the ease of sitting naked with her stole over me and settled my nerves. I wanted our baby back, but in the process, it seemed I might have gotten my wife back instead.


    ¡°Where?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°She¡¯s still in Florence.¡± Alessandro sounded faintly surprised, and I couldn¡¯t help but agree. ¡°At a friend¡¯s ce.¡± He rattled off an address.


    ¡°A friend?¡± Olivia said. ¡°So she¡¯s got someone with her? Can we reach them?¡±


    He hadn¡¯t heard her, so I repeated her questions into the phone.


    ¡°Well,¡± Alessandro hedged, ¡°not exactly. He¡¯s out of town, so she¡¯s got the ce to herself, a whole house, and she¡¯s all alone in there.¡±


    I blew out a long breath. I¡¯d seen this before, more than I liked. She was reacting like her man had been killed, even though I had simply rejected her, and of course, I was never hers to begin with. But all the women I knew who did stuff like this went in with an endgame, and that endgame usually had a body count.


    ¡°What do we know about the friend?¡± I asked. ¡°Gun cab? Illegal weapons trade? Faulty fucking boiler?¡±


    Olivia nched and sat up as she followed my train of thought. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t....¡±


    I shrugged. I didn¡¯t think Elena would do any of the shit she did. I wanted to be prepared.


    Alessandro sighed. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a chance to do much background. He¡¯s a friend of a friend of mine, and all my friends are clean, but I didn¡¯t check acquaintances. All seems quiet in there for now, though.¡±


    ¡°Noted.¡± I pressed the phone to my shoulder and twisted to face Olivia. ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    Olivia pressed a shaking hand to her cheek and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think... I think we need to give her a chance, just talk to her, and let her exin. She¡¯s not part of your world, Gio. I don¡¯t think her brain would go where yours does.¡±


    I scrubbed a hand across my face. In this, the worst of all situations, Olivia still found a way to see the silver lining, to believe in people. It was what I loved best about her, and after everything, I couldn¡¯t deny that belief now.


    I took her hand off her cheek and kissed it. ¡°Alright, carina. We¡¯ll do this your way.¡±


    I put the phone back to my ear. ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯re gonna do: you stay there for now. Don¡¯t go in, just watch. If she spots you and approaches, you can engage, but don¡¯t freak her out.¡± I nced at Olivia, who mouthed the word fort.¡¯ I sighed. ¡°Be reassuring if you can, but only if she approaches you first.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha,¡± Alessandro said. ¡°Then what?¡±


    Olivia took my free hand, and I felt her fingers shake in mine.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there as soon as we can,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re going to talk to her. No one is to approach until we arrive.¡±


    ¡°No one?¡± asked Alessandro and Olivia in unison.


    I swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m sending a back-up team with the same instructions, just in case.¡± We¡¯d need to watch every exit in the house. We couldn¡¯t let her slip away.


    ¡°Consider it done,¡± Alessandro said.


    I hung up the phone.


    Olivia quirked an eyebrow. ¡°A back-up team?¡±


    I shrugged helplessly. ¡°This is a delicate situation, and I trust your judgment. We will do this your way. But if I¡¯m right, I want people already in ce to handle things.¡±


    ¡°Handle things?¡± she repeated, her voice ticking up an octave. ¡°Gio, do you mean you¡¯re nning to kill our surrogate? Kill our baby?¡±


    Her eyes grew enormous, and her whole body began trembling. I folded her into my arms.


    ¡°That is not the n, carina, I promise.¡± I kissed the top of her head. ¡°It¡¯s just security. It makes me feel better.¡±


    She took a deep, shaky breath. Her breasts pressed into me, and I realized we were both still naked. We had to get dressed, get moving. Elena seemed quiet for now, but I couldn¡¯t trust that wouldst.


    I stood and held out my hand to Olivia. ¡°How do you want to handle this?¡±


    A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. ¡°No men with guns.¡±


    ¡°Can wepromise on a few men with guns you can¡¯t see, and I will go in believing to the best of my ability that we can handle this by talking?¡±


    She put her hand in mine. ¡°I guess I canpromise. But you really have to believe it, Gio, or it¡¯s not gonna work.¡±


    I pulled her to standing, and we headed for the closet, hand-in-hand.


    ¡°I will do my best,¡± I promised as I texted Gabriele to bring a discreet, five-man team to the address Alessandro had given me.


    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not joking. If you keep looking out the window, she¡¯s gonna know. She¡¯s been here. She¡¯s seen the armed security.¡±


    I put my hands up as she reached for a set of pale purple underwear.


    ¡°The windows are dead to me,¡± I said. I wanted to keep joking around, wanted to see her smile, but I couldn¡¯t deny her argument made good sense. If Elena was twitchy or trigger-happy, any indication of backup could set her off.


    I slipped into a pair of boxers, then a pair of jeans. Casual clothes seemed better for such a situation.


    Olivia nodded and grabbed a pair of jean shorts.


    ¡°But it¡¯s more than that, Gio. I don¡¯t think I was wrong in the beginning. I think she¡¯s a genuinely good person who wanted to help people, and something happened. I don¡¯t know what that something was, and I want to find out. Once we know that, we can figure out what to do next. I actually want to hear what she has to say, and I need you to want that, too.¡±


    Olivia turned to face me in nothing but shorts and a bra, and part of me wanted to sweep her up and kiss her, take her back to bed. I couldn¡¯t help but love her when she talked like this. When she talked to me like this.


    ¡°I want to hear her,¡± I said, and was surprised to find the words felt honest. ¡°I should have been trusting your instincts all along. You were right about her falling for me more than I could control, so maybe you are right about her now, too.¡±


    She crossed her arms and nodded. ¡°Okay. Good.¡±


    I plucked one of my T-shirts off the shelf and wrapped an arm around her waist. ¡°But I need you to keep me focused on us and our baby. She deserves to be heard, but I don¡¯t want to put her concerns above our family.¡±


    Olivia smiled shakily up at me. ¡°I¡¯m having a hard time thinking of anything else,¡± she admitted. ¡°I¡¯m trying to believe in Elena, in that feeling I got in the office that first day, but part of me wants to say we should do absolutely anything to make sure our baby is safe.¡±


    I dropped a kiss on her lips. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re the perfect people to handle this. You believe enough for the both of us, and I have the ability to do anything we need. Between the two of us, Elena doesn¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    She swatted me and pushed away. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. We all stand a chance of resolving this without violence.¡±


    I nodded and swallowed down a smile as I shrugged my T-shirt on over my head. ¡°Of course.¡±


    She grabbed a in ck T-shirt of her own, and as it settled over her shoulders, we looked at each other and burst outughing. We¡¯d picked the exact same outfit, except she wore shorts where I had on jeans, and my T-shirt fit a little looser than hers.


    ¡°Should I change?¡± I asked.


    She bit her lip and shook her head. ¡°I think it¡¯s a good sign. We¡¯re in this together, and we can face anything together.¡±


    She looped her arm through mine, and we marched through the halls of thepound. Dahlia caught up to us in the hallway.


    ¡°Alessandro called,¡± she said breathlessly. ¡°Are you going now? Should Ie? Can I do anything?¡±


    Tallon raced in from another room. ¡°Ditto! Seconded!¡±


    Olivia released me toy a hand on Dahlia¡¯s arm. ¡°You guys are sweet, but this is ours to handle. We made this mess. It¡¯s time to see if we can clean it up.¡±


    Neither of them argued, and something deep in my heart warmed to see just how easily the people who loved Olivia listened to her. Her face had taken on the sort of steady determination I saw from her only rarely but led inevitably to her getting what she wanted. As Dahlia squeezed her hand and looped back to the kitchen with promises offort food when we got home, I realized suddenly that I believed just as deeply that we could fix this problem with Elena without violence.


    If anyone could do it, my wife could.


    I sent one of the men at the door to pull the armored SUV around. The day outside was still stormy in the way ofte summer in Italy, and a warm rain pelted the driveway. I stared out at the gray sky and took a deep breath.


    Olivia reappeared behind me and stuck her hand in my back pocket as the SUV pulled up.


    Another moment of stillness passed between us, brimming with nerves and hopes and the desperate desire to get our baby back safely. Then, we moved to the car as one. I gave the address quietly, and the short drive passed in near silence. The rainy day whisked by outside, and the sound of the windshield wipers provided all the audio.


    Finally, we reached the house, a low bungalow in old Tuscan style. Olivia took my hand and squeezed. Our wedding rings cked together in a familiar, homey way.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she said.


    I squeezed her hand back. ¡°I love you, too,¡±


    The driver offered us an umbre, which I took gratefully. I opened the door and the umbre for us, then cuddled Olivia close to keep her dry. She fit so neatly under my arm as we picked our way up the front path. One nce behind us told me Alessandro was parked across the street, and I could just barely see him nod through the quickly picking up rain. A light shone on the left side of the house, and a figure moved back and forth in front of the window.


    We approached the door, a heavy, dark-wood affair with no windows, and Olivia knocked with a shaking hand.


    A moment passed, then another. My heartbeat began to pick up speed.


    ¡°Elena?¡± I called. ¡°It¡¯s us.¡±


    Olivia squeezed my arm.


    Another long moment passed before the door swung open.

 Chapter 443 : Sun Showers

    <h4>Chapter 443: Chapter 443 : Sun Showers</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I huddled into Gio to escape the pouring rain and stared into the face of Elena, our surrogate who had been missing for countless hours. She looked exhausted, and the skin around her eyes was puffy in a way I knew meant she had been crying.


    Unlike the increasingly fancy dresses she¡¯d been sporting ofte, she wore a pair of pink sweatpants that strained to contain her stomach and a loose gray T-shirt that draped off one shoulder. Her mouth fell open as she saw us standing there, and a hint of a blush colored her cheeks.


    ¡°How did you...?¡± she asked.


    Emotions warred within me. I¡¯d been so angry with hertely, so isted in my feeling like she was stealing my husband. But seeing her now, with my baby still safe in her stomach, emotional and unpolished for maybe the first time since we met, the feeling I got when I first saw her in the surrogate agency sprang to the surface once more.


    I¡¯d talked a big game to Gio at home, but until that moment, I¡¯d struggled to not feel like his way might be best. As she swiped at her eyes and let her gaze wander between us, I felt like we¡¯d been crying the same tears on different sides of the city.


    Gio shook his head. ¡°Friend of a friend. Do you mind if wee in? We¡¯d like to talk.¡±


    Elena opened and closed her mouth a few times, but finally stepped silently back from the door. I entered first, and Gio followed after, shaking off our umbre and leaving in the front room.


    ¡°Um,¡± Elena said. ¡°I guess we can talk in the kitchen. I just started some tea.¡±


    She took off down a narrow, tiled hall, and I trailed after her. She didn¡¯t seem aggressive, and I saw no signs of the potential violence Gio was worried about. In fact, it looked like a normal home with a cluster of rooms and a few pieces of art on the wall. When we arrived in the kitchen, it had the same terracotta tile floor as the entryway and just enough space for a four-person table in addition to the counter and appliances.


    Elena fiddled with a steel kettle on the stove as Gio and I sat.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take a second to boil, but, um... do you want any?¡±


    Gio shook his head.


    ¡°A warm beverage would be nice in this weather,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She nodded jerkily and came to stand next to the chair. ¡°There¡¯s only ck tea here.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°That sounds perfect.¡±


    ¡°So...¡± she said. ¡°What now? You drag me back to the mansion? You tell me you don¡¯t want to see me until I hand over the baby? You bring in a team ofwyers to sue me into oblivion for disappearing?¡±


    I shook my head and spread my hands on the table. ¡°We¡¯re here to talk. Honest. I think we all went into this with good intentions, and it seems like those got lost along the way. I¡ªwe want to see if we can get back to a good ce.¡±


    She exhaled unevenly. ¡°Really? No swift, punitive action? I saw your cousin outside.¡±


    ¡°I told him to be subtle,¡± Gio muttered under his breath.


    That got a chokedugh out of Elena. ¡°Not so much on the subtle front. For a minute there, I thought you were calling in some kind of mafia hit on me.¡±


    Gio and I exchanged nces andughed loud and long. After a moment, Elena joined in, and a little of the tension eased. She was making a joke, but she had no idea how close to the truth it was.


    She sat. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s talk then. I¡¯ll go first.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I ran away. I really thought I was picking up on something between us, and when you shot me down, I was beyond embarrassed. Literally, the second after it happened, I realized how delusional I must have seemed. I couldn¡¯t face anyone, and I couldn¡¯te up with another way to handle things, but I bet that was probably really scary.¡±


    She dropped a hand to her stomach, and I let the fear of her disappearance really crash over me for the first time. Tears welled in my eyes and fell quickly. I swiped them away and swallowed, but I couldn¡¯t stop them entirely.


    Our baby had disappeared, just like I feared, but here he was, back where I could see and touch him¨Cor at least his safe cocoon. Everything would be okay.


    Gio grabbed my hand. ¡°Scary is kind of an understatement. We had no idea where to look, no idea what you were thinking. I thought you might be nning something drastic.¡±


    She buried her head in her hands. ¡°Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I didn¡¯t want you to find me. I just felt so stupid.¡± She shook her head. ¡°¡®Felt,¡¯ ha. I still feel stupid.¡±


    The kettle whistled, and Elena started to stand, but I beat her to it.


    ¡°Rest,¡± I said. ¡°Where¡¯re the mugs?¡±


    She pointed me to a cab where I found them, and I poured us two mugs of ck tea.


    She wrapped her hands around hers quickly, as if she needed the warmth. ¡°Can I just ask one selfish question?¡±


    I bit my lip and looked at Gio. He shrugged at me.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said finally.


    She turned to Gio. ¡°You took me on walks, you learned about my interests, you bought me everything I halfway hinted at wanting. Why did you do that if you didn¡¯t feel anything for me?¡±


    I turned to face him as well. He scrubbed a hand across his face and sighed.


    ¡°To be honest, Elena, I thought of it as taking care of the baby,¡± he said. ¡°I became so focused on that, I forgot to consider how my actions could be perceived from the outside. I¡¯m sorry if I encouraged this, directly or indirectly, at any point.¡±


    She nodded slowly and stared into her mug of tea. ¡°So you really never liked me.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re a charming young woman,¡± he said. ¡°And I¡¯d like to discuss Rossellini¡¯s work with you sometime, if we can get this back on track. But I never felt anything more than friendship and gratitude.¡±


    Elena swiped away a tear. ¡°Okay. I can handle that. I can get over this.¡± She turned to me. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ever going to be done apologizing to you for this.¡±


    I bit my lip. This Elena seemed so much more real than any other time we¡¯d spoken, and I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but I¡¯d spent thest five months in varying states of extreme emotional distress.


    I ran my thumb over the chipped handle of my mug. ¡°Can I ask what changed? I really believed we were on a good track at the beginning there.¡±


    Sheughed wetly. ¡°I kinda wish I knew. I can¡¯t pinpoint a moment, but I can tell you what happened in my head.¡± She rubbed her neck. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted a family, but I¡¯m not in a ce where I¡¯m gonna be able to do that any time soon. Forget having a guy in my life; I don¡¯t have the money to support anyone other than myself. My mom can¡¯t retire yet because I can¡¯t help her out. I just got jealous. There you were, a girl just like me, with everything. I thought you wouldn¡¯t mind losing one thing.¡±


    I swallowed heavily. I knew that jealousy, to some extent. In low moments in high school and middle school, I¡¯d caught myself thinking simr things about Dahlia here and there. It was hard, when it felt like the world dealt you a crap hand, not to resent people who had been dealt better ones sometimes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± I said slowly. ¡°I know I got really lucky, and I hope you get a break soon. But Gio¡ªand this baby¡ªare everything to me. I could lose the house, the clothes, the money tomorrow, and I¡¯d still be happy if I still had them.¡±


    She shook her head and took a sip of her tea. ¡°You know, I really believe that¡¯s true.¡±


    Gio squeezed my hand, and I smiled up at him.


    ¡°So I¡¯m sorry.¡± She put the mug down but kept her hands around it. ¡°It was a shitty thing to do regardless, and I based it on wrong assumptions and my emotions.¡±


    I looked into her eyes. She looked emotional, a little bit heartbroken, but there was none of that carefulness I¡¯d seen in her ofte, the carefulness that set Alessandro off at the beginning of everything.


    I owed him an apology, once we got out of here.


    I nodded. ¡°I ept your apology. We need to figur out how to get back to a semnce of normalcy. I have also made some stupid choices when my emotions were involved, but there¡¯s a baby at stake here.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gio said. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve got everything out in the open, we¡¯d like to see if there¡¯s a way we can move forward with this rtionship.¡±


    Elena inhaled deeply. ¡°Wow.¡± She blinked a few times. ¡°I kinda thought you wouldn¡¯t want anything to do with me after that, and I wouldn¡¯t see you until delivery day. Um. Okay. Yeah, let¡¯s see if we can figure this out.¡± She offered me a watery smile. ¡°I liked it when we were friends.¡±


    The months of simmering resentment and day drinking while she flirted with my husband rushed back to me. I took a sip of tea, searing the inside of my mouth. I believed she was sorry, and holding onto the grudge would only bother me in the long run, but I didn¡¯t think I could be friends just yet.


    Gio picked up on my hesitation. ¡°Honestly, we think it might be better to set up a functional working rtionship before we try for personal ones.¡±


    Elena nodded and leaned back, a blush coloring her cheeks. ¡°Yeah, of course.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying we can never be friends again!¡± I blurted. ¡°I just... need a little time. I had a pretty rough few months of it, and I¡¯m not sure how quickly I can get over that anger, even though I forgive you.¡±


    She nodded slowly and sat forward again. ¡°Okay. That makes sense.¡± She swallowed. ¡°If we¡¯re working on our professional rtionship, then I think we can¡¯t touch each other for a while. Or at least, not without the person being touched offering to be touched, with full right of refusal to the other party.¡± Elena shrugged. ¡°When I started showing, Gio¡ªvani started putting his hands on my stomach, and that opened the door for a lot of other things.¡±


    My heart broke a little. I wanted to feel my baby kick, wanted to lean close and croon so it knew my voice. But I nodded.


    ¡°That makes sense.¡± Gio¡¯s voice sounded rough with unshed tears, and I knew his thoughts had gone where mine did.


    ¡°And I think we should meet outside of your house,¡± she continued. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful ce, and that makes it hard not to be jealous of.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°I have a few ideas of my own, if you¡¯re willing to hear them.¡±


    ***


    We left the house a few hourster, having agreed on a whole new set of rules for everybody¡¯s conduct. The rain had cleared to a light shower, and the setting sun peeked through the clouds, illuminating the droplets in golden light. I shook my head when Gio went to open the umbre and stepped out into the storm.


    Warm rain met my skin, and I took a deep breath with my eyes closed. Elena was safe. Our baby was safe. And finally, finally, everybody agreed the way we¡¯d been treating each other couldn¡¯t continue.


    Gio stepped up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He felt warm and solid against my back, a bulwark against whatever showers came with our sun.


    ¡°She¡¯s due in four months,¡± he murmured in my ear. ¡°We have to start getting ready.¡±

 Chapter 444 : Delivery Day

    <h4>Chapter 444: Chapter 444 : Delivery Day</h4>


    *Four Months Later*


    *Olivia*


    I was brought straight out of consciousness by the sound of a loud ringing. My phone vibrated on the bedside table as the clock shed 4:00 A.M. I groaned, blearily blinking in the still-dark room around me.


    I reached out for my phone, fishing it from its spot and untangling the charger. By the time I brought it to my face, it was nearly out of rings and about to head to voicemail.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I asked, groggily, a bit grumpy with whoever had disturbed my rest.


    ¡°Hey, Olivia,¡± Elena¡¯s chipper voice sounded weird, a bit strained, and too cheerful like she was forcing it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I frowned, sitting up in bed.


    ¡°Carina?¡± Gio muttered, stirred awake as I pulled out of his arms. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Uh, so I kinda wanted to let you guys know that I¡¯m at home and could you give me a ride to the hospital please?¡±


    ¡°Is something wrong with the baby?¡± My thoughts went straight to the worst-case scenario, imagining her sitting on the floor of her bathroom bleeding out and still trying to keep a calm smile.


    ¡°Uh, a little¨C¡± She giggled nervously. ¡°It¡¯s¨C¡±


    ¡°Gio, get up!¡± I yelled, rolling straight out of bed, but as I stepped out of bed, my foot slipped. I screamed as I hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. The phone flew out of my hand, sliding across the floor and under the dresser.


    ¡°Olivia!¡± Gio shot up, leaning over the bed to check on me.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± I muttered to myself, unable to believe my luck. My legs had gotten wrapped inside the nkets and in my hurry, I¡¯d tripped over the bedding.


    ¡°Uh, Olivia? Did you just fall out of bed?¡± I heard Elena¡¯s voice call out from where my phone had stashed itself. I must¡¯ve hit the speakerphone on the way down.


    ¡°Elena? What the fuck is going on?¡± Gio demanded, looking way too tired for this shit at four in the morning.


    ¡°Well, funny story¨C¡± Sheughed in a way that did not sound funny at all and then dropped the biggest bombshell she really should¡¯ve just started with.


    ¡°I think my water broke.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that Gio and I didn¡¯t even think to change before we rushed out of thepound in a blind panic. All of the drills we had gone over went right out the window, and all that was left were two utterly clueless, but well-meaning, idiots trying to find where they put their fucking keys, We ended up finding them in the coffeemaker.


    Luckily, by the time we arrived at Elena¡¯s ce, we had gotten a tiny bit calmer¨Ca tiny bit. Probably because we woke up a little. I was surprised she could still answer the door, smiling like everything was normal, but she only looked a little tired, her bags packed at her feet.


    ¡°You know,¡± Elena joked lightly, as Gio lugged her bags over his shoulder and I fussed over her, making sure every part of her was okay, ¡°I really thought this was going to hurt more than it does.¡±


    She regretted that after only a few minutes in the car. I held her hand tightly in mine as she grimaced, her whole body tensing as the first intense contractions rolled over her.


    ¡°You okay?¡± I asked, concerned at the weird look that crossed her face.


    ¡°Yeah, it just feels like a bad stomach ache,¡± she said, frowning unhappily. ¡°And some bad period cramps rolled into one. It¡¯s weird.¡±


    And it was only going to get worse from there. Thanks to a phone call from Gio, they had a nurse waiting by the entrance for us by the time we arrived, and we helped transfer Elena into the wheelchair as she held a hand over herrge swollen belly.


    ¡°Whee,¡± she gave me a pale look as they wheeled her down the halls at a brisk pace. It would be hours before the actual birth, I figured, but I hoped it was a smooth one.


    Gio and I stepped out while they fitted her into a hospital gown, and I let him call our friends and family to let them know what was happening and where we were. I went to get water from the vending machine as we waited anxiously in the hall until Gio tapped me on the shoulder with an annoyed look and shoved the phone into my hand.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I answered, confused.


    A loud shriek on the other end was my only answer¨Ca high-pitched squeal that could only belong to one person.


    ¡°Dolly,¡± Iughed.


    She squealed again.


    ¡°You¡¯d better get here quickly. It¡¯s still early so she¡¯s not that far along, but she seems to be doing okay for now.¡± I told her happily but then my mind traveled to her trouble-making brothers and I added, ¡°Make sure Alessandro and Tallon don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    ¡°Duh,¡± she said then the line went dead.


    I rolled my eyes at her drama then turned to my tired husband who was leaning on the wall.


    ¡°Regretting staying upte to work now, aren¡¯t you?¡± I teased, grabbing his hand as I leaned onto his shoulder. He just groaned, his cheeknding on top of my head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, carina. I¡¯ve handled cases without sleeping for three days in a row.¡±


    I mocked him in a deliberately low voice. He smirked, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.


    ¡°Next time I say that, smack me.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°Oh, you are going to regret that,¡± I warned him, grinning as I leaned up to press my lips to his. ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Valentino?¡± A nurse stepped out of Elena¡¯s room, a smile on her face. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°As we¡¯ll ever be,¡± I took a deep breath, my hand sped tightly in my husband¡¯s. He gave me a reassuring squeeze, sending me a hopeful smile, and I knew everything was going to be okay.


    Dahlia arrived with the group in tow less than an hour after I¡¯d spoken to her. I wasn¡¯t surprised in the least when I spotted Tallon and Alessandro carrying over a dozen designerbeled purchases and boxes wrapped with bows.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± Elena asked with wide eyes as the two dumped their spoils in one of the seats with grumbling looks.


    ¡°Just some necessities,¡± Dahlia answered, throwing her hair over her shoulder. ¡°And some presents for my nephew.¡±


    I dove into one of the bags, pulling out a pure white, soft, crocheted nket. I smiled, feeling the soft fabric in my hands. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to,¡± I told her with misty eyes.


    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± she scoffed. ¡°Only the best for the child of my Olive.¡±


    ¡°And somehow I, your own flesh and blood, don¡¯t even matter,¡± Gio remarked, sarcastically.


    ¡°Olivia¡¯s cuter,¡± Dahlia stuck her tongue out.


    Gio nced at me, and I knew that look in his eyes as he smirked, no doubt something very inappropriate shed across his mind, and I sent him a warning look, but it was no use.


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s cute all right, especially when she¡¯s got her¨C¡± he remarked deviously.


    ¡°Not in the delivery room, Mr. Valentino,¡± a new voice piped up, cutting through the chaos. Out from behind Tallon and Alessandro¡¯s towering forms popped a familiar face.


    ¡°Dr. Schmidt,¡± Elena breathed in relief, then groaned as her body tensed up, another contraction rolling over her. Beads of sweat were beginning to gather around her forehead.


    ¡°Okay, everybody,¡± Dr. Schmidt pped, beaming brightly. ¡°Everybody who is not the intended parents or giving birth, please get out of my delivery room.¡±


    Despite her cheerful words, there was a note of steel in her voice that nobody could go against. I felt like I was being scolded by my mother again, even if it wasn¡¯t directed at me.


    ¡°But¨C¡± Dahlia protested but Alessandro just sighed and pulled her out of the room.


    ¡°All right, then,¡± Dr. Schmidt smiled, striding across the room as she snapped on her gloves, ¡°Ready to deliver a baby?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Elena whimpered, looking much worse for wear than when we¡¯d first arrived. The doctor exined that it would still be a while, but they got the epidural in, and Elena seemed to be in less pain.


    Gio and I took our seats in the corner, out of the way as the nurses came flying in and out carrying supplies. Her difort grew as the hours passed, and Dr. Schmidt came back every hour on the clock to check on Elena¡¯s progress.


    It was always the same¨Cnot quite ready yet.


    By her fifth visit, Gio had crashed, sleeping against the wall with a light snore, but I was vignt by Elena¡¯s side, holding her hand through every painful contraction and talking her through the pain.


    But as Dr. Schmidt did her exam this time, her cheerful smile slid into a frown.


    ¡°Dr. Schmidt?¡± I asked, worriedly and she sighed, stepping away from Elena.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Elena asked, her forehead crinkling.


    ¡°Everything is fine, dear,¡± Dr. Schmidt said reassuringly. ¡°I just need to speak to Mr. and Mrs. Valentino for a moment.¡±


    She stepped out into the hallway, and I woke up Gio, following her out. Dr. Schmidt had a serious look on her face as she turned toward us.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± I stated, just knowing it in my gut.


    She nodded, sighing heavily, ¡°Unfortunately, the baby is not in the optimal position for delivery. At this point, she¡¯s almost eight centimeters in dtion and we would¡¯ve expected the baby to have moved downward, his head facing the entrance, but that hasn¡¯t happened. We are concerned that he could be stuck in her pelvis.¡±


    A nightmare¨CI was trapped in a nightmare. I grasped Gio¡¯s hand tightly to hide how badly I was shaking from the news. My anxiety shot through the roof. We¡¯d learned about how babies sometimes got stuck if the woman¡¯s pelvis was too narrow and how easy it was to lose them.


    ¡°What can be done?¡± Gio asked, voice steady as a rock, unflinching and unwavering despite the bad news she¡¯d just delivered.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to assist the baby before we can deliver him,¡± Dr. Schmidt informed us. ¡°If we can settle him into the right position before she starts pushing, then we can avoid anyplications. We have a very skilled and experienced staff here, so just trust us, okay? We will do everything in our power to make sure both the baby and Miss Greco are safe. While C-section is an option, I have a few other things I¡¯d like to try first.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, shakily.


    ¡°Take a minute for yourselves before you go back in.¡± She smiled. ¡°We don¡¯t want to put any unnecessary stress on Miss Greco before she delivers.¡±


    And then she was gone, back in the room with Elena as if she hadn¡¯t just flipped our worlds upside down.


    Gio sent me a look, one I could interpret without any words as we usually did. I nodded, taking a deep breath before we went back inside. Dr. Schmidt was right; this was not the time to fall apart.


    Elena and our baby needed us, and only the devil himself could drag me away from them.


    The delivery progressed, and we waited anxiously as the nurses and Dr. Schmidt did everything they could to move the baby into the right position, and despite how exhausted and hurt she looked, Elena was a real trooper.


    I showed her all the gifts Dahlia had given the baby, and we swapped stories of our favorite art pieces in between contractions until finally, Elena screamed out, ¡°Something weird is happening!¡±


    ¡°And here we go!¡± Dr. Schmidt announced.


    ¡°I think my epidural is wearing off,¡± Elena said.


    ¡°That will make it easier to push.¡± Dr. Schmidt didn¡¯t seem to care that Elena was in a bit of pain, but then, she knew best, so none of us questioned it.


    I held Elena¡¯s hand, letting her destroy the hell out of it as she mped down on me at every push, and in return, I leaned on Gio, letting him hold me close as I wished to every known star in the universe that Elena and our baby would be okay.


    Childbirth was not pretty. It was bloody and mesy and real. I flinched at every grunt, at the way my hand soon lost feeling from how Elena was strangling it in her tight grip. I looked away, swallowing ufortably at every nurse who rushed in and out in blood-covered gloves.


    But as I watched Elena lose more and more of her energy after each push, I was so thankful that she was willing to go through all this pain for me and Gio. There was no word to express the utter gratitude I felt for her.


    And then, the sound of a cry reached our ears¨Cloud and angry, and undoubtedly our baby¡¯s first sounds echoed down the halls.


    ¡°There we go,¡± Dr. Schmidt said, pulling our son out and holding him up for us to see as the nurses worked to clean him up a bit before she handed a pair of medical scissors to Gio. With mps in ce, he cut through the cord. We both had tears in our eyes as our son¡¯s eyes fell on our faces for the first time.


    ¡°The baby is safe and healthy,¡± she told us. ¡°And so is Miss Greco.¡±


    Despite how much pain I was in from my now bruised and possibly broken hand, and how shaken I was from the ugly and bloody hour-long scene, all I could feel was the overwhelming relief of those words. Gio¡¯s arm around my shoulder tightened and Elena sighed, finally letting go of me as she copsed into the bed with an exhaustion I couldn¡¯t even begin toprehend.


    It had been a long ten hours, but finally, our baby was here¨Csafe and sound.

 Chapter 445 : Welcome to the World

    <h4>Chapter 445: Chapter 445 : Wee to the World</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Congrattions, Mr. and Mrs. Valentino.¡± Dr. Schmidt smiled, holding a swaddled, squirmy baby in her arms. Sticking out through the folds of the nket was a tiny, chubby arm, red and angry skin but undeniably a baby. My baby.


    My mouth opened, no wordsing out as I stared at the little bundlepletely speechless. Gio¡¯s arm around my waist tightened, and I could feel the tension in his body, the nervousness he was trying to hide.


    It had been a long nine months.


    I opened up my arms, hesitantly reaching for the bundle. I¡¯d been dreaming of this moment for over a year, waiting to meet our baby, but now that he was here, now that he was right in front of me, I couldn¡¯t bear to take another step.


    Doubts flooded my mind, but before I could act on those thoughts, a high-pitched wail pierced the air, and as if on sheer instinct, I lurched forward to tuck my hands under the nket. Dr. Schmidt smiled, passing the baby over to me, and I held him in my arms, gently peeking through the fabric to spot his little red, scrunched-up face.


    His wails stopped as soon as he saw me, his wide dark eyes staring at me like I was the most fascinating thing he had ever seen. Tears trailed out of my eyes as our eyes met, identical to one another.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I breathed, halfway between sobbing and smiling.


    His hair was a shockingly bright blond,id thinly over his potato-like head, and I brushed my thumb against his cheek, unable to take my eyes away from him for a single second.


    Awe and happiness welled up inside of my chest, inting like an over-filled balloon until I thought I might explode with how much love had been stuffed inside of me for this tiny little creature.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I repeated, nothing elseing to mind as I greeted him. This didn¡¯t seem like the first time we had met. It was like I had always known him. He blinked slowly, his face still swollen and bloated froming out the narrow birth canal, and there were huge shiny trails down his face from his tears but the only thing I could think was ¡®He¡¯s beautiful.¡¯


    ¡°He looks just like you,¡± Gio murmured into my temple, pressing his lips there as he held the both of us protectively in his arms. ¡°He¡¯s got your eyes.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s red,¡± I said, a bit dumbfounded. ¡°Like a tomato.¡±


    Laughs burst out among the staff who had helped deliver the little bean, and I could feel Gio¡¯srge grin but I didn¡¯t care.


    Oh... the realization set in... this was our baby.


    Like thest piece of a puzzle clicking into ce, everything suddenly made sense. All of the fear and anxiety over the surrogacy, all of the hurt and disappointment over theck of being able to carry our own... even the uncertainty of my rtionship with Gio at the beginning when we first met¨Call of it had led right here¨Cto us.


    ¡°He¡¯s ours,¡± I said, half in surety and half with a protective quality I didn¡¯t realize I even had. Was this the maternal instinct they talked about?


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Gio chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s ours, carina.¡±


    I exhaled all of my excess thoughts and emotions, letting them fly away until I only felt the euphoria of this moment basking over me like the sun. My heart was overflowing with love and gratitude for the little one in my arms.


    I tore my eyes away from our baby, ncing at Gio with teary eyes but arge smile blooming across my face. He was smiling, so much adoration in his gaze that it hurt. He kissed my forehead, beaming just as brightly as I was.


    We wereplete, our family finally together after so many hardships¨Ca quiet, peaceful moment... until he opened his little mouth, his eyes crinkling shut as he let us listen to his brand new set of pipes.


    ¡°He¡¯s been through a lot,¡± Dr. Schmidt reminded us. ¡°Let¡¯s get him cleaned up, and then you can try feeding him. He¡¯s not hungry, but sometimes sucking is calming to newborns.¡±


    I nodded, d that I¡¯d get to feed him. While it was too bad I¡¯d never be able to breastfeed him, I was still d I¡¯d get to hold him close and be the one to be there for him as he ate the form that would help him grow and provide him nourishment.


    ¡°Fed is best,¡± the doctor had told us firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone tell you otherwise.¡±


    The staff let us go with the baby down to the room where they cleaned him up and ran some routine tests. He fussed through a lot of it, but he was perfectly healthy, at a good weight and length. After that, they dressed him in a little white onesie with a hat, and I got to hold him while they prepared the bottle.


    Gio helped me into the rocking chair set up in the corner of the private room they took us to, and I gently rocked back and forth, hushing our newborn son. After so many sses and training with several experts, it was a breeze to fix him into an easy position.


    Hetched onto the bottle right away, the milk warm in my hand, and I beamed as he sipped down his very first taste of milk. Gio kneeled in front of me, awe in his eyes as he gazed at our son with all the love he showed me every single day.


    After a few sips, our son utched from the bottle, giving a big yawn and iling his little arms around. I knew newborns usually weren¡¯t that hungry when they were born, so I wasn¡¯t surprised he didn¡¯t eat much of it. I maneuvered him to my shoulder, beginning the long and arduous task of patting his back to make him burp. He struggled a bit, clearly not liking the position at first, but eventually, he settled, leaning into the crook of my neck.


    Eventually, he let out a loud burp, almost like a hup.


    ¡°There we go,¡± Dr. Schmidt smiled, breezing into the room. ¡°That should do it for his first feeding.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, Dr. Schmidt,¡± Gio got to his feet, offering his hand for her to shake. Sheughed, bypassing his hand entirely as she patted him on the back like an old friend.


    ¡°No need for formalities, Daddy. We¡¯ll be seeing a lot more of each other since I¡¯m now the primary doctor for the baby, too.¡± She winked at his dumbfounded expression and turned on her heel, heading back to check on Elena onest time before she left.


    ¡°Did you know she was a pediatrician as well?¡± Gio asked with a frown.


    I shrugged. I didn¡¯t know that, but I was d because it made everything simpler. I settled our baby back into my arms as he yawned, his little pink tongue pping around. I hummed, rocking back and forth as Gio stepped behind me, taking a seat on the arm as he cuddled me close.


    A little whileter, they wheeled Elena in. We¡¯d asked for her to be in the same room as us now that we were on friendly terms. I nced at her where shey in the hospital bed, looking utterly exhausted. The birth had taken a really long time, but even with her sweat-soaked hair clinging to her forehead and the hospital gown practically soaked with other fluids I didn¡¯t want to name, I could honestly say she had never looked more beautiful.


    I slowly got to my feet, making my way to her side.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told her, tearfully, my heart finally relinquishing all of the resentment it had built up toward her. She had given me the greatest gift anyone ever could¨Ca son.


    She nodded, a ghost of a smile ying at the corners of her lips.


    There was a soft longing in her eyes as she gazed at us, and I knew how hard it must be. She¡¯d told us all she had wanted was her own family, and I smiled, stepping closer to her and shifting the weight of our precious son into my other arm.


    I leaned down, grasping her mmy and warm hand in mine.


    ¡°Elena.¡± Gio spoke up, and Elena met his eyes with a hesitant look, ¡°thank you for protecting our son, for giving birth to him, and letting us have the family we always wanted.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± sheughed, a bit dryly as she gave us a relieved look. ¡°I¡¯m just d everything worked out the way it should be. You two will be amazing parents to the little bean.¡±


    I was startled as the nickname flew out of her mouth, the same one I had been calling him for all this time, and I melted against Gio¡¯s chest. Stars aligned, and I beamed, gazing up at Gio with wide, pleading eyes.


    He smiled, shaking his head as he nodded silently to my request. I knew what he would say if we were alone. ¡®There¡¯s no need to plead,¡¯ he¡¯d tell me with a mischievous smirk. ¡®I¡¯ll give you everything you want, amore.¡¯


    I stood on my tip-toes anyway, leaning up to press my lips against him, just a sweet peck before I turned back to Elena. Gio¡¯s arms fell away from me as I stepped forward and sat on the edge of the hospital bed.


    I leaned down, holding our baby out for Elena to be able to gaze at his sweet face. His eyes were closed, his little hands sped in tight fists as he slept away. The birth must¡¯ve exhausted him as much as it did Elena.


    ¡°We were hoping,¡± I said as I smiled kindly, ¡°that you would stay in his life still, Elena.¡±


    Her eyes widened, and she stared at me in sheer disbelief as I sent her a reassuring look. This was real, not a joke.


    ¡°I¨C¡± Tears flooded her eyes. ¡°I would be honored.¡±


    ¡°No contract this time,¡± Gio stepped forward with a smile, ¡°We want to keep you in the family, and of course, that means you will be able to have a connection with him as well. We thought about naming you godmother, but Dahlia already imed that spot, so we hope you can settle with being his Aunt Elena.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Elena,¡± she repeated with a happy smile, brushing away the tears that spilled out of her eyes. ¡°I love it. Thank you. Thank you so so much.¡±


    ¡°You get the fun part,¡± I teased her. ¡°You get to spoil him to your heart¡¯s content while we get to deal with the dirty diapers.¡±


    ¡°Score!¡± Sheughed.


    ¡°And speaking of the godmother. We¡¯d better let the family see him and let you get some rest,¡± Gio said softly.


    ¡°That would be great, actually.¡± She sighed in relief. ¡°Who knew giving birth could be so exhausting?¡± she said sarcastically.


    I giggled, getting to my feet as the nurses surrounded Elena, brushing her forehead with a cool washcloth. Her eyes fluttered closed, letting the nurses take care of her as she began to drift off into sleep.


    We shut the door to the room quietly behind us, letting her get some well-needed sleep as we made our way to the waiting room. Our family was there, taking up a huge chunk of the room.


    Alessandro¡¯s foot was endlessly tapping the floor as he banged his fist on the nearby vending machine, a pack of chips stuck on the ss. Tallon was doing one of the kid puzzles set up on a nearby table, frowning in frustration as he dug into an old container filled with mismatched pieces.


    Gabriele was leaning by the door, cool as a cucumber except for the furrow between his eyebrows, a clear sign of worry I had picked up over thest year and a half with him.


    But best of all was Dahlia, who was sitting very quietly and properly in her seat, staring down at herp as she tore apart thebel of a water bottle into itty bitty pieces. There were several half-empty bottles beside her and a pile of confetti.


    But she was the first to notice us standing at the entryway. She scrambled out of her seat, racing across the slippery floors and halting just in time to stop right in front of us.


    ¡°That¡¯s my nephew-sh-godson!¡± she panted, her eyes gleaming.


    Tallon, Alessandro, and Gabriele were quick on her tail, all of them surrounding us with varying expressions.


    ¡°He¡¯s ugly,¡± Tallon said in surprise.


    Alessandro smacked him on the back of the head, giving us a small smile as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s just an idiot.¡±


    ¡°I already called him a tomato, so no worries,¡± I giggled.


    Gabriele leaned over to gaze at the sleeping baby, looking both horrified and fascinated by the mysterious creature.


    ¡°Do you want to hold him?¡± I offered him.


    He reeled back as if I had just offered to have him decapitated. ¡°Absolutely not!¡± he shouted, panic in his eyes. It was the most emotion I¡¯d seen out of him that wasn¡¯t anger, and it was a bit funny with how warily he gazed at our seven-pound child.


    ¡°I called dibs anyway!¡± Dahlia scooted him out of the way, holding out her arms, and I gave her a few pointers as I moved our son into her arms. She cooed at him, melting in happiness. A lone finger poked his chubby cheek, and I nced at Alessandro with a grin.


    He tilted his head, looking entirely unsure, like our baby might shatter into a million pieces if he put more than a feather¡¯s weight into the poke.


    ¡°Having fun?¡± Gio smirked at him, and Alessandro blushed, coughing as he stepped away. But I could see he was already halfway won over by the baby.


    ¡°What¡¯s my godson¡¯s name?¡± Dahlia asked, her eyes shiny with emotion. ¡°I¡¯ve got to know what to have it engraved on all of his gifts in the future.¡±


    I nced at Gio, who met my eyes with a smile. We had agonized over the perfect name for him, going through book after book to find just the one that matched him.


    And we had found it, one thatpletely resonated with both of us, the significance of the name symbolizing just how having our baby finally in our arms made us feel.


    The sheer sunshine and warmth he gave to our lives, the bright hopeful future we wanted him to have¨Call of it was there in a single name.


    I leaned over to press a soft kiss on my sleeping son¡¯s forehead, just like Gio had done so many times for me.


    ¡°Wee to the world,¡± I whispered to him, ¡°Elio.¡±

 Chapter 446 : Rally

    <h4>Chapter 446: Chapter 446 : Rally</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I hummed happily, the charcoal scratching on paper as my eyes flickered from the picture on my phone to the drawing I was sketching out with one hand. Trust the process, I reminded myself as I scrutinized all the little mistakes I saw building up.


    ¡°Right, baby?¡± I whispered, beaming as I followed my other arm to where it was lying inside the bass. It had set up right next to our bed, and sleeping soundly inside was baby Elio.


    He clung to my hand in his sleep, drooling all over it as he used it as a makeshift pillow. I was surprised by how much strength he had gotten in only three months, but he was just like his daddy.


    True to my vision, his hair had filled out with fluffy dark curls like his daddy¡¯s, his skin a few shades darker than mine but lighter than Gio¡¯s. You could see his Italian heritage just with one look, but his eyes were all mine¨Csoft and brown with azy little droop to them. Our eyes were identical, and I was really happy about that. At least he had inherited something from me that no one could deny.


    Otherwise, though, he looked like a little clone of Gio. Just like I had envisioned. I moved my numb fingers, gently brushing my thumb against his soft chubby cheeks, and I chuckled as he scrunched up his nose just like I did.


    Things hadn¡¯t always been so peaceful though. The first week of his life was a trying time for all of us.


    Elio had taken to me like a fish to water, much to my surprise. He wanted to be held and doted on at all times, and I was his favorite person to do so. I was happy, of course, that I had been able to bond with him so easily, but my overzealous coddling had resulted in a very bad habit.


    By the second day, he would start wailing the minute I put him down in his bass or tried handing him over to anyone else. Gio was incredibly put out as the baby started screaming anytime he caught sight of his daddy¡¯s face, and usually, it ended with me trying tofort both of my boys at the same time.


    That first week was utter chaos, and I was using muscles I didn¡¯t even know I had.


    My back and arms were sore and turning numb from the constant swaying movement I had to use to keep him calm and happy.


    I had to learn how to put him in his bass in just the right way so he didn¡¯t wake up and start screaming again, which was a trial and error that I failed on multiple asions.


    My voice went hoarse after singing so many lubies and folksongs back to back hoping to get him to sleep for just an hour or two, but many times with no luck.


    I had even googled the trantion of ¡°Twinkle Twinkle Little Star¡± in Italian, but it was worth it to see little Elio drift off after a long, sleepless night.


    I¡¯d pass him off to Gio for a few hours, the only time Elio wouldn¡¯t start wailing at the sight of him, copse into bed or the couch or the floor, wherever was closest, and then wake up once Elio started screaming for his bottle.


    And then I¡¯d do it all again.


    ¡°He asleep?¡±


    I smiled, ncing at the doorway where Gio had snuck in without a sound. He looked a bit wary, ncing at the bass as if he could check to see himself.


    ¡°You¡¯re safe,¡± I told him, giggling as he tip-toed inside.


    He had learned as I had the importance of being extremely quiet, but due to that, our senses of one another had gotten so much stronger. I could tell his steps apart from anyone else; even the way he breathed was too familiar to hide.


    Gio pressed his hands onto the bed next to my sketch, leaning down to kiss me deeply. We broke apart in less than a second as a little sigh came from next to us. We froze, waiting with bated breath as Elio¡¯s eyes fluttered open, and he gripped my fingers a little tighter before he settled once more, breathing peacefully as he fell back into dreand.


    We gave a silent breath of relief, then grinned at one another in unison. Gio rolled onto the bed, curling into my side as Iy on my stomach all spread out. He used his arm as a pillow, gazing up at me with a doting smile.


    ¡°How¡¯s Mom?¡± I asked quietly.


    ¡°She just went to her room for a nap,¡± he whispered back.


    I suppressed a humorous smile as he grabbed the ends of his earlobe, a hint of nervousness on his face.


    If there was one thing I was grateful for during all of the chaos of having a baby, it was my family. They had rallied when we needed them to, taking some of the burden off our shoulders.


    My mom had flown in from the States to meet the baby, and when she took one look at the bags under my eyes, she announced that she was staying for a while. I was anxious when she picked up Elio, and he started crying like he did with everyone else, but she had only shushed him a few times, singing a luby from my childhood, and then he was out like a light.


    I¡¯d slept for eighteen hours straight. By the time I woke up, Gio had picked up on Elio¡¯s schedule very quickly, taking time off work to give me a little bit of a break.


    Dahlia filled me in on the details afterward, but apparently, my mom had grabbed him by the ear and told him firmly he was going to be on paternity leave for the rest of the month while she showed him how to care for a baby.


    His response?


    "Yes, ma¡¯am."


    Now, anytime I even mentioned her, he would grab his earlobe like he expected her to materialize and snatch it with a cackle.


    ¡°Any new packages from Dahlia?¡± I asked with a smile, and he rolled his eyes, sending a re to our closet, which was now filled up with presents.


    Dahlia took an active approach to spoiling little Elio, taking her job as godmother very seriously. She woulde home often after a shopping spree, having bought him whatever struck her fancy, and soon enough, the baby¡¯s room was filled to the brim with fluffy nkets and stuffed animals, books, and enough adorable tiny socks to fill an entire drawer.


    After the first month, it began to spill out into the closet and even the guest room. We warned her to stop, but every once in a while, she came home with some little outfit for him that she just knew he would look adorable in.


    But she wasn¡¯t just spoiling him and running. She took an active interest in helping out too. The first time she fed him, he threw up all over her shirt. She took it in stride though, scolding him yfully and reminding him that if he wasn¡¯t so damn cute, she would¡¯ve been throwing hands, baby or not.


    Elena came often just to chat as she told us about her recovery after giving birth. She had taken the month off school to recover and started sses online so she wouldn¡¯t fall behind. She lent a hand when she could, her awkwardness around the baby understandable. But she seemed happier and more at ease now that she knew where she stood with us.


    Tallon and Alessandro had done their best, and much to my surprise, Tallon took to baby Elio, often ying with him whenever he had time. No one could bring a smile to baby Elio¡¯s face faster than Tallon.


    Alessandro had been a little more reluctant to interact with the baby, but after Dahlia tricked him into holding him, and we¡¯d snapped a photo of his frozen body, he had quickly been won over by the sunny smile of our baby.


    Gabriele still hadn¡¯t warmed up to him yet, but after Elio learned to grab and hand things to people, he¡¯d gifted Gabriele with his one of his socks with little blue fishies on them. When it went missing, he imed he¡¯d lost it, but I had caught him with it a few times since.


    To his credit, the baby socks were incredibly adorable and so small.


    After our family started to help us out, Gio and I had a much better time managing between being new parents and our other responsibilities, and more importantly, keeping our rtionship healthy and strong.


    The small gestures we went out of our way to do¨Ckisses and little touches that just made my heart soar¨Cwere the reassurances that yed a significant part in keeping us on the same page, moving like one unit, and making sure we never drifted apart like we had in the past.


    We both adored Elio, but I would never trade the little moments we got to steal between our busy lives, intimate conversations when we had to wake up with the baby in the early morning hours, whispering with our baby cuddled between us.


    Even now, with his headid against my arm as I drew, my other hand pulled into the mouth of our little drooly baby, these were the moments I wouldn¡¯t trade for anything.


    As Gio brushed his fingers through my hair, however, I caught sight of the dark brown smudge under his fingernails.


    ¡°What¡¯d you nt in the garden?¡± I asked, amused.


    ¡°A strawberry tree and some sea marigolds,¡± he answered absentmindedly as he tugged a knot from my long hair.


    The casual way he answered would¡¯ve had me in tears only months ago¨Cthe thought of Gio personally tending to the garden and nting flowers and trees¨Cbut now, it waspletely normal.


    We¡¯d talked after the first month, and the two of us had taken to realizing how important taking care of ourselves was. Gio¡¯s first act was to throw out all the alcohol he had left, giving some away to Gabriele and Alessandro.


    He vowed to stop for good, wanting to be here for a long time for me and Elio. I believed him, supporting him every step of the way. We both took up small little hobbies to get a breath of fresh air.


    Gio took to the garden, much to my surprise, nting and rebuilding new structures and pathways as a means to keep himself calm. Elio and I would cheer him on from the sidelines, offering our input when he asked for it but mostly letting him have time for himself.


    I had taken to my art room more often these days, finally learning and appreciating the art form of still-lives as I drew Elio and Gio over and over in different mediums. They were my muses, and with each painting, I felt my soul growing a bit lighter. It was a good outlet, but it also made both of us more present in our lives with Elio and ourselves.


    ¡°What are you drawing?¡± he asked, leaning over to catch a glimpse. He caught sight of the photo on my phone and sent me a knowing look.


    ¡°Another still-life?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting tired of those yet?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± I grinned. ¡°I¡¯m almost finished with this one, too. I¡¯m hoping to turn it into a painting.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± He tilted his head, giving me a small smile. ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous, carina. Want me to trim a topiary of those handsome devils in the garden?¡±


    I shoved his arm as he sent me a half-teasing grin. No doubt if I said yes, he¡¯d have it nted and pruned by morning. As I nced down at my charcoal drawing of Gio and Elio sleeping on one early morning, Elio curled up on his chest as both of them had the same open-mouthed expression, I realized it wouldn¡¯t do very well as a topiary.


    But it made just the perfect drawing.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I sighed in contentment, squeezing the hand still stuck in Elio¡¯s hands and the hand Gio had curled in his. I loved my boys more than I could ever express.


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± Gio answered, pressing a kiss to my temple. ¡°Forever and ever, carina.¡±

 Chapter 447 : Perfect Day

    <h4>Chapter 447: Chapter 447 : Perfect Day</h4>


    *One Month Later*


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Whee!¡±


    Iughed, bright and full as I watched as Gio crammed his legs into the tiny colorful slide made for people with much shorter legs than him and gradually slid down. His happy little cheer contrasted with his obviously fake and awkward smile as he pretended to have fun on the slide.


    Elio watched him from my arms, hanging from the carrier I had wrapped around me. His little chubby legs swung back and forth as he stared intently at his foolish father, a bit of drool hanging from his single tooth.


    He looked much like a gaping fish, unable to believe his eyes, and I was right there with him as Gio got stuck on the stic halfway down and had to force himself to keep sliding with his shoes.


    He scooted down the rest of the slide with a dark look. The few elementary-age kids behind him stood at the top of the yground, falling to pieces with giggles as they watched him make an utter fool of himself, all because our son had taken one look at the slide and burst into tears.


    It was a beautiful day, sunny without a cloud in the sky, and the public park was filled with kids, screaming and ying to their heart¡¯s content. Parents watched from benches, keeping a close eye on their kids as they ran up and down the massive yset.


    I thinned my lips as Gio brushed himself to take off the rubber shavings that were on the ground as cushioning, a cross look on his face from what was undoubtedly an ufortable ride.


    But Elio giggled, reaching his little hands out toward his daddy as Gio made his way over.


    ¡°See? Not scary at all,¡± Gio said, attempting to smile even as the kids pointed at him, whispering something in Italian I couldn¡¯t quite make out.


    He red at them over his shoulder, and the kids screeched like little demons, taking off in different directions.


    ¡°Don¡¯t scare them,¡± Iughed, wrapping one arm around Elio as I reached out and plucked a few of the rubber shavings from his hair. ¡°You¡¯ll get us thrown out for being a public menace.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the public menace,¡± Gio said, grumpily, crossing his arms. ¡°At least someone¡¯s having fun at my expense.¡±


    Gio red yfully at his son, who onlyughed, pping his hands together as I bounced him in my arms.


    ¡°Daddy¡¯s just grumpy, Elio,¡± I told him, my voice naturally moving to that high-pitched baby talk that had ceased to be embarrassing after the first two hours of his birth. ¡°We¡¯ll just go for a walk instead, okay?¡±


    I reached out my hand to Gio, beaming as he immediately locked our fingers together. He chuckled, a tender look in his eyes as he nced at Elio.


    His little brown eyes sparkled with curiosity as we headed down the trail surrounding the park, and he observed the new world around him in sheer awe of the vibrant colors. Lush green trees towering over us, pretty flowers in reds and purples littering the grass, and even the animals seemed to fascinate him.


    A squirrel jumped from tree to tree, birds singing loudly to one another, and Elio giggled, reaching his tiny hands out to touch everything. Gio stopped to pick one of the wildflowers, handing it over to Elio with a small smile.


    Elio crushed it in his little hands, eyes wide with shock at the now ruined flower, and I pressed my lips together to stop from bursting intoughter at the sight.


    ¡°Good job, Elio. You got the flower!¡± I praised him anyway, even though the flower was clearly dead at this point. I rubbed his back, yfully kissing his hair. But Elio was not amused.


    The four-month-old pouted, his little lip trembling as tears filled his eyes and he swung his gaze to his daddy usingly like he had given him a faulty flower.


    ¡°Sorry, bud,¡± Gioughed, leaning down to pick a new one. ¡°But you gotta be gentle with them.¡± He opened up Elio¡¯s sped hands, gently cing the stem in his chubby palms.


    Elioughed as he held the flower in one hand, swinging his little hands in sheer joy.


    This was my favorite part of motherhood so far¨Cwatching as Elio discovered the world around him, seeing things for the first time and figuring out what they were. He was so interested in everything, and the more he grew, the bigger the world got for him.


    Soon he would be walking, tracking mud along the floors in the house, and picking up bugs from the garden like I used to as a kid. He would be a hellion just like his daddy had been, I just knew it.


    I pressed a kiss to the top of his head, his untamed curls having grown wildly fast since his birth. We had all been surprised to see him be born with shockingly blond hair, but it had naturally darkened within the first month, and now, he matched his daddy.


    I followed Gio down the natural winding path until we reached a small, t clearing. Surrounded by a meadow of flowers was a pic nketid out, a basket resting innocently as if it had just been set up and abandoned.


    ¡°Wow, a pic! How conveniently ced.¡± I sent Gio an amused nce, knowing he¡¯d had a part in this. Sure enough, when I nced around, I spotted a man with dark sunsses on the bench across from us, who coughed into his hand as he noticed our gazes and then lifted up a newspaper to hide behind.


    The ¡®Daily Tribune,¡¯ which I was pretty sure was a fake newspaper, was upside down in his hands.


    ¡°Idiot,¡± Gio sighed, shaking his head as he pulled me off the path and toward the pic.


    ¡°Give him a break. He works for a very demanding boss, after all,¡± I smirked, pointedly ignoring the annoyed nce he sent me.


    I lowered myself onto the nket, brushing my hands across the soft fabric, and I smiled as Gio took the seat across from me, reaching into the basket and pulling out two sses and a bottle of white sparkling wine.


    ¡°How kind of the strangers to leave this for us,¡± I teased as I utched Elio from the carrier and gentlyid him down on his back. He blew a few spit bubbles, his cheeks puffing up as he waved his chubby limbs, clearly not liking being stuck on his back again.


    I pulled one of the toys from his backpack and handed it to him¨Ca colorful keyring that he had taken a particr liking to. He waved it up and down, giggling like the happy baby he was.


    Gio handed me a drink, and we dug into the food. I hadn¡¯t realized how much I was starving until I took the first bite of my sandwich and moaned at the taste.


    I would never get over how delicious Italian food was. It was like they were cooking wizards, and I could neverprehend how they did it. Elio had not yet experienced it, but he was content with the warm bottle of form we¡¯d prepared for him ahead of time.


    He suckled it down, able to hold it on his own now despite how distracted he was by the flowers. A little butterfly, pale yellow in color, fluttered through the flowers and Elio¡¯s eyes popped open in wonder. He let go of the bottle, reaching his little hands out to touch the butterfly.


    ¡°Baba¨C¡± Elio babbled incoherently, and Iughed, happy to watch our son so fascinated. When he realized the butterfly was too far away, Elio¡¯s little face crumpled in anger, but I knew that steely determination in his eyes¨CI¡¯d seen it far too often in my husband.


    Gio and I gasped, holding our breaths as Elio rocked to the side, using his feet to push off the pic nket, and with onest little push, Elio flipped onto his belly, looking just as stunned as we were.


    ¡°You did such a great job, Elio!¡± Gio reacted first, showering our son with praise and pping enthusiastically. ¡°Good job.¡±


    Elio squealed with delight, kicking his chubby legs on the nket. I cooed in adoration at his contagious smile, happy to join in as I recorded him on my phone, hoping to see him flip over again, but it didn¡¯t happen.


    It was a good thing I was recording, though, as Elio wasn¡¯t just content with his simple milestone.


    No, instead, he caught sight of the butterfly as it flew off the flower and fluttered around Elio¡¯s head. We watched in sheer awe and joy as the little insectnded on his nose.


    Elio blinked in wide eyes, and I heard the snap of a camera interrupting the moment as Elio sneezed, his whole body jerking with the sudden motion, and off went the butterfly.


    I held my phone in my hand, staring intently at the photo I had panic-snapped. It had rendered beautifully.


    ¡°Remind me to paint butterflies on the wall in the baby¡¯s room.¡± I turned to Gio with wide eyes. ¡°I never want to forget this moment.¡±


    Gioughed, pulling me into hisp and wrapping his arms around my waist. ¡°I swear Dahlia sent me the same photo of you. Like mother like son, I guess.¡±


    I blushed a bright red, ducking my head. It was true, and it seemed Elio had inherited my ability to hve a butterflynd on myr nose when I least expected it.


    ¡°First butterfly, first time turning over,¡± I sighed, putting away my phone. ¡°He¡¯s growing up so fast.¡±


    ¡°That he is,¡± Gio said, a bit sadly.


    I leaned against his chest, shutting my eyes during the peaceful moment. Sometimes, I wished I could just halt time right here and now and make it so everyone would stop growing and changing, keeping my little baby just as small as he was now.


    But that was the beauty of the world around us¨Cit never stopped changing. Seasons came and passed, time aged all of us, and we never stopped growing and learning. All we could hope for was to just be there as our son experienced the crazy, weird world around us.


    And we made as many memories with him as we could.


    After the pic, we headed back to the yground. With fewer kids around, Gio finally got to take Elio down the slide, holding him in hisp as they slid down. It ended up much better this time around and Elio didn¡¯t cry like I expected.


    ¡°Because his daddy was there,¡± Gio beamed proudly as we headed for the swings next. I imed the first turn, settling Elio onto myp as I climbed atop the swing. Gio pushed us, and hisughter was like sunshine after a rainy day, filling our hearts with immeasurable joy.


    Gio and I took turns with him, making a game out of it as he giggled madly. The tickle monster even came out to make an appearance. Gio¡¯s long fingers curling around his sides and Elio¡¯s shrieks ofughter were everything to me.


    As daylight began to fade, we decided to take a seat on one of the benches, watching the sky burst full of colors.


    We watched the sunset pass over the hills as Elio¡¯s eyes fluttered closed, and he drifted off to sleep in my arms with my fingers clenched tightly in his hand. He could now hold three of my fingers and was growing bigger by the day.


    I sighed, leaning on the shoulder of the man I loved as the sun dyed the sky in hues of violets and oranges. At this moment, I was grateful for everything I had, for the tranquil moment I could have with my husband and son.


    I was reminded once more that all of the immense joy and fulfillment I¡¯d experienced these past few months were because of the blessing in my arms.


    My greatest gift¨Cmy son, Elio.

 Chapter 448 : Parenthood

    <h4>Chapter 448: Chapter 448 : Parenthood</h4>


    *Three Months Later*


    *Olivia*


    I stood over Elio¡¯s cradle, cooing and ying with his feet. It was difficult to believe he was already seven months old. He just started teething again a few days ago, and while the screaming wasn¡¯t the most pleasant, I couldn¡¯t help but grin every time I caught sight of one of his partially emerged teeth.


    The door opened behind me, and I heard Gio¡¯s tread on the carpet. Out of habit, he dodged the one creaky board that woke Elio up without fail.


    He came up behind me and leaned on the cradle with both arms, caging me in. I spun to face him and pressed my hands against his chest.


    ¡°Good morning, dear,¡± I said.


    I couldn¡¯t resist. It had been hard to find time for ourselves since Elio was born. He shivered.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s mean, and I had such a nice thing for you.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Something nice for me?¡±


    He shook his head yfully. ¡°Well, now I don¡¯t know. And Elio would have loved it, too.¡±


    I pouted. ¡°You can¡¯t deny him, even if you can say no to your wonderful, beautiful wife.¡±


    He grabbed me by the waist and spun me around.


    ¡°Well, my wonderful, beautiful wife,¡± he said. ¡°What do you say the three of us go to Bologna today?¡±


    I squealed. ¡°Absolutely! Just let me grab a few things.¡±


    Within the hour, Gio, Elio, and I waited with just one bag for me and a baby bag on the train tform. While we could¡¯ve taken the private jet, I thought the baby would like the train, and the trip only took a little over thirty minutes.


    Gio had bought us out a whole car, for safety reasons, but I was finally getting to take the train around Italy as I had always dreamed. We weren¡¯t going for longer than an overnight¡ªanything else might upset our little man¡ªand Gio had sent a few personnel ahead on the jet, but I nned to have a wonderful time, and Elio seemed determined to do the same.


    I¡¯d strapped him to my chest in a baby sling, and he babbled happily at everything in the train station. The whistle when it arrived made his lip start quivering, but the judicious application of a pacifier smoothed him right out again.


    I stared out the window while Elio napped, and Gio watched me. At one point, I met his gaze.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    He smiled. ¡°Italy is more beautiful through your eyes.¡±


    I blushed and turned back to the scenery.


    When we exited the train, I marveled at the beauty of the city. Sprawling buildings in matching terracotta and tan brick spread as far as the eye could see, outlined against the blue sky. Elio gurgled and waved his fist.


    ¡°What now?¡± I asked.


    Gio smirked and pulled out aminated piece of paper. I grabbed it from him and skimmed the totally perfect blend of adult and family-friendly activities he¡¯d plotted in an itinerary.


    I pointed to the final entry for today. ¡°Surprise, don¡¯t ask?¡±


    Gioughed. ¡°It says don¡¯t ask!¡±


    I put up my hands. ¡°Alright, alright. Keep your secrets. We¡¯ve got to get going to the¡ª¡± I nced down ¡°¡ªFountain of Neptune anyway!¡±


    The day passed in a blur of art and culture and Elio¡¯s gurglingughter. The Fountain of Neptune was a towering bronze statue I could have stared at all day if Gio hadn¡¯t pulled me way. The Piazza Maggiore was an enormous courtyard, nearly perfectly maintained from the fifteenth century. It thrummed with life, tourists and vendors and locals all blending into one beautiful heartbeat. Off that was a charming history museum with kid-friendly exhibits that Elio kept trying to grab. He¡¯d just mastered grabbing a few weeks ago, and he couldn¡¯t get enough of it. And then, we just explored the city, snacking at various cafes and stopping to marvel at different handicrafts. Bologna weed us with open arms, and before we even left the streets, I couldn¡¯t wait toe back.


    We headed to our hotel room to change before Gio¡¯s final event and put Elio down for a little nap. After he was nestled in the copsible crib he usually used in my studio or Gio¡¯s office, I flopped on my stomach on our king-sized bed in the other room.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get dressed for an event that¡¯s still secret.¡± I kicked up my heels, trying to charm his secrets out of him.


    He kissed me on my head. ¡°You can if I snuck a special outfit into the hotel when you weren¡¯t looking.¡±


    I shot up. ¡°Really?¡±


    He chuckled.


    I swatted him on the arm. ¡°You spoil me too much sometimes.¡±


    As I stood, he swept me into an embrace. ¡°There is no ¡®too much¡¯ for someone like you, carina.¡±


    I shivered and nced at the open door. I missed Gio¡¯s touch badly, but our son came first.


    I kissed him softly, and he responded with a fervor that made me arch into him and gasp.


    ¡°Gio!¡±


    He nuzzled my neck. ¡°Do you want to know why I picked this hotel?¡±


    I nodded and tried to keep my head clear enough to stop him if Elio stirred.


    ¡°The rooms are sound-proofed, even within suites.¡±


    I met his eyes. ¡°You mean...?¡±


    ¡°I even brought the baby monitor, in case that scared you.¡±


    I flung my arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. We both broke apart, catching our breath.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°What am I wearing, then?¡±


    Gio opened the hotel closet doors to show me a garment bag I didn¡¯t recognize. He unzipped it to reveal a floor-length, off-the-shoulder, ck satin dress that looked like it would hug curves I didn¡¯t even know I had. At the bottom of the bag, I recognized a pair of Dahlia¡¯s ck Louboutins. Of course, her fingerprints were all over this. I¡¯d just beenining to her that I didn¡¯t feel sexy very often anymore.


    I flew to the dress and ran it through my fingers. Then, my heart fell.


    ¡°Oh... I don¡¯t think I brought underwear I can wear with a dress like this. With Elio here, I just assumed....¡±


    Gio grabbed me and whispered, ¡°I never nned for you to wear underwear.¡±


    A few hourster, he held Elio and led me with my eyes closed into the surprise. When I opened them, I found myself standing in a restaurant on the rooftop of our hotel, overlooking all of Bologna in the setting sun. I audibly gasped, and Elio pped.


    ¡°Good surprise?¡± Gio asked.


    I grinned. ¡°Best surprise.¡±


    We ate incredible food while the sun set around us and live music drifted out over the city. I didn¡¯t know how Gio always managed to find the most incredible restaurants, but this might have topped them all.


    When Elio got sleepy and fussy, he revealed he¡¯d sent one of our nannies on the private ne and that she could take him and get him settled. I hesitated¡ªeven if we had all the money in the world, I still preferred that I raised Elio day-to-day¡ªbut Gio slid his hand up my thigh, and I remembered the sound-proofing with sudden rity.


    We savored aperitifs as the sun finally dipped below the horizon, and I sighed in perfect contentment.


    ¡°How do you always do this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What?¡± he replied.


    I looked at him, the lines of his face half in shadow, and a small smile pulling at his lips.


    ¡°Know exactly what I need,¡± I answered honestly.


    He took my hand and pressed it to his lips. ¡°Because, carina, there is nothing in the world I¡¯d rather spend time on than you.¡±


    I thought of Elio a few floors down, snoozing peacefully ording to the baby monitor in my bag. As I¡¯d told Elena all those months ago, I really had gotten lucky. I had the perfect husband and the perfect family.


    I drained my ss. ¡°Well, there¡¯s one more thing I¡¯d like to spend a little time on tonight.¡±


    He smiled, suddenly all hunger. ¡°Yes? What¡¯s that?¡±


    I leaned in and whispered in his ear, ¡°I want to test how good that soundproofing really is, baby.¡±


    Gio leaned away from me and swept a gaze down my body. He discarded his drink on the table, stood, and murmured something to a passing waiter. The waiter hurried away, and Gio said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I stood and wrapped my arm through his, noticing for the first time how the eyes of the establishment lingered on us as we left.


    I felt beautiful, desirable, exactly what I¡¯d been missing thesest few months with Elio.


    It was only a short elevator ride to our hotel room, but as soon as the doors closed behind us, Gio was on me. He imed my lips in a bruising kiss, pressing me to the back wall of the elevator, and I moaned into his mouth. I¡¯d put my hair up with a single decorative pin, and he pulled it out, allowing the waves to spill loose around my shoulders. He grabbed my hip and pulled me tight against his already half-hard cock. I rocked into the pressure, and he groaned.


    He leaned back and pulled down the top of my dress, exposing my breasts to the elevator.


    ¡°Gio!¡± I gasped, but his mouth was on them so quickly that what had been an admonition quickly turned into another moan. I couldn¡¯t worry about getting caught when he lit my body up like it had been built for him.


    The elevator dinged, and we were on our floor. I pulled my dress up quickly, even though he pouted a little.


    ¡°Once Elio¡¯s old enough to be left home,¡± I panted. ¡°Get us a floor. I¡¯ll let you do whatever you want.¡±


    His eyes gleamed as he pulled me to our room. The nanny was sitting in the front room with Elio sound asleep in his crib. We thanked her, and she moved the baby to his room, nning to stay with him.


    I giggled as the door shut behind her, and we hurried to the bedroom, no longer worried about the baby.


    ¡°Do you think she knew?¡± I asked.


    Gio swept his gaze over me again. ¡°Carina, I hope the whole world knows. You¡¯re mine, and I¡¯m ready to remind you of just that.¡±


    I looked up into his eyes to find love and passion mixed in a heady cocktail.


    I grinned. ¡°Well then, you¡¯d bettere a little closer.¡±


    He closed the distance between us with a kiss and started to back me towards the bed, but I spun him around and pushed him onto the mattress. He looked at me through half-lidded eyes and refused to take his hands off my hips.


    I grabbed the zipper at the back of the dress and pulled, letting it slip. His eyes grew dark, and he let go of me just long enough for the dress to puddle on the floor.


    One hand ghosted up to my breasts again, and he murmured, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s been so long. Never, never again¨CI¡¯ll sound-proof our room like this.¡± We had had sex several times since the baby was born, but we¡¯d had to be quick about it. This would be different.


    And he slipped off the bed onto his knees in front of me. I stroked a hand through his hair, and he buried his face between my legs. I moaned as his tongue found my clit and flicked it quickly. His hands on my hips soon became the only thing holding me up as my knees shook and my orgasm raced toward me.


    I wound my hand deeper into his hair and pulled. He jerked back with a gasp and smiled at me.


    ¡°I want toe with you inside me,¡± I murmured.


    He stood and began to push me onto the bed, but I shook my head. ¡°I want to ride you.¡± I nced down. ¡°And I¡¯m keeping the heels on.¡±


    He scrambled onto the bed, and I climbed on top. I thought about undressing him, but I couldn¡¯t deny that this time, on top, I felt powerful naked... desirable.


    I undid his belt and pants, then pulled his cock out. I ran my thumb over the bead of precum at the tip, and he groaned.


    I positioned myself over him, and he grabbed my hips. I was already so wet, achingly ready, so I seated myself on him fully.


    He moaned and gasped my name. His mouth stayed open, and he grabbed frantically at my hips. Even in a full suit, he looked totally undone.


    I intended to drive him wild.


    I rolled my hips as I rose off him, pulling another groan from his lips, and set an unforgiving pace. He met me every time, hitting depths within me I hadn¡¯t felt in ages, and my orgasm approached quickly.


    I ran my hands over his chest, toyed with his nipples, and felt his movements be equally frantic. We were going toe together.


    ¡°I missed you,¡± he groaned.


    ¡°I missed you, too,¡± I cried.


    His thumb swiped over my clit, and I came just as he did with a great, juddering gasp.


    When the waves of pleasure stopped, I met his gaze.


    ¡°Pretty good,¡± I said, looking at all four walls. ¡°But I think they need a little more testing.¡±

 Chapter 449 : A Birthday Party Crasher

    <h4>Chapter 449: Chapter 449 : A Birthday Party Crasher</h4>


    *One Year Later*


    *Olivia*


    I flew through the house, frantically double-checking the decorations for Elio¡¯s first birthday party. After Gio told me that paintings done by an artist in the first year of their career was too obscure a theme for a child¡¯s birthday, I¡¯d settled on Elio in One-dend, inspired by one of my favorite books growing up, which I¡¯d already begun reading to him.


    We¡¯d decorated the front door like a rabbit hole for guests to fall down, and the rest of the rooms were inspired by moments from the book. The presents would be left in the living room, which I decorated like the Queen of Hearts¡¯ castle, games would be yed in an oversized flower garden out back, and cake and snacks were in the dining room, which was a near-perfect recreation of the Mad Hatter¡¯s tea party.


    I made a straight te more crooked and smiled over my handiwork. Gio said I was doing too much for a party Elio would never remember, but I¡¯d put disposable cameras all over the ce, so we could get enough pictures to remember this moment forever.


    We¡¯d survived our first year of parenthood, and Elio was growing up into a fine young man already. He toddled around holding onto furniture, which meant we had to baby-gate the ce like crazy. Luckily, Gio didn¡¯t have any legal guns, so most of his firepower was already well hidden away. His babbling sounded more and more like words every day, and he had a few he could use onmand.


    I swept into his room and found him in his crib, standing and holding onto the side.


    ¡°Mama!¡± he called.


    I grinned and rushed for him. ¡°What is it, my handsome birthday boy?¡±


    ¡°Ag-ah-bah!¡± he dered, pointing imperiously at the door.


    I grabbed him in my arms. He was starting to get big, but I¡¯d hold him for a long while yet.


    ¡°You wanna go out?¡± I asked.


    He babbled something else, and I spun him around. ¡°All right, little man, but it¡¯s party day. You and Mama both gotta get dressed.¡±


    I carried him over to his changing table, where I¡¯did out his Alice in Wondend-inspired outfit the day before. I¡¯d gone simple, somewhat at Gio¡¯s request. He said it was a party for me, not Elio, if he couldn¡¯t toddle around and y. So I helped my squirming son into a light blue onesie with a white tie painted on the and ck shoes so he looked a bit like Alice, though in a masculine way. He wriggled and struggled, but he¡¯d run around in his diaper all day if we let him.


    By the time he was dressed, I was winded, and I became grateful I¡¯d chosen a simple outfit for myself as well. If a year of motherhood had taught me anything, it was the value offortable clothes.


    I pulled on my Mad Hatter-inspired outfit, a pair of olive pants, a dark green button-down I tied at the waist, and arge top hat I¡¯d gotten at the store in Florence on a whim.


    Elio pped and giggled.


    ¡°Yeah, you like it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Mama gadabah!¡± he said.


    ¡°Exactly, my love.¡±


    I carried him out to the front room where the rest of the family had gathered. Tallon, Alessandro, and Dahlia were hitting each other with balloons they¡¯d pulled off the banister, and James, Ba, my mom, and my stepfather were standing in a cluster and oohing over the decorations.


    Mom rushed over to me. ¡°Is that my grandson looking that handsome?¡±


    I allowed her to take Elio out of my arms and spin him, causing a cascade of giggles.


    My stepfather, Ben, joined us. He wore a polo and khakis, and my mother grinned at him. He was a nice enough guy, but he¡¯de on the scene toote for me to think of him as my dad until muchter in life. Thankfully, he made Mom happy.


    ¡°His hair¡¯sing in great,¡± he said.


    I nodded, feeling a little awkward about small talk in this important moment, but Ben wasn¡¯t wrong. Elio had a thick head of dark curly hair already.


    Gio appeared at the top of the stairs. He had somest minute work to get done, but he promised to be finished before the guests arrived in¡ªI checked my watch¡ªfive minutes. He¡¯d dressed down into a T-shirt and jeans and set up his guys in in clothes to blend in so as not to scare the parents of the friends Elio had made at the park. I grinned up at him, and he beamed down at me.


    ¡°My boy!¡± he boomed as though he hadn¡¯t seen him at breakfast. He raced down the stairs and yed peek-a-boo with the birthday boy in my mom¡¯s arms.


    I pped. ¡°Alrighty, folks, guests in five. Presents in the living room, games out back. Make friends, and don¡¯t seem like mafiosos!¡±


    Everybodyughed, and the doorbell rang. I scooped Elio back into my arms and raced to open it.


    On the other side of the door stood Elena. We¡¯d had a rough few months of it during her pregnancy, and she¡¯d been too busy to spend a lot of time with us since, but with distance came appreciation. The new, more honest Elena we all got to know after she came back was fun to have around, and she¡¯d be an important part of Elio¡¯s life.


    ¡°Lele!¡± he called, his name for her.


    She thrust a gift bag through the door, and Tallon grabbed it instantly. ¡°Alright, let me see my little nephew.¡±


    I poured him happily into her arms, and she spun inside. ¡°God, Olivia, this ce looks spectacr,¡± she said to me as she cooed at him.


    Iughed and bowed.


    ¡°Nothing but the best for everybody¡¯s favorite little guy.¡± I looked over my handiwork, and it was impressive. The doorbell rang again, and I shook out my hands. ¡°Alright, for real now, acquaintances iing.¡±


    Gio took my arm, and my family turned as one to face the door.


    The party was a flurry of games andughter and celebration. Elio had gotten popr at the park a few blocks down, and nearly a dozen of his friends showed up, ranging in age from a little younger than him to nearly five. The parents flowed in and out of the rooms,plimenting the decorations and asking where I found the time to do all this. Iughed and demurred and didn¡¯t say anything about the six or seven made men I¡¯d forced to help me blow up balloons one afternoon. All of Gio¡¯s guys fawned over Elio, but then, everybody fawned over Elio. He had the sort of face you couldn¡¯t say no to.


    At one point, Elena found me out back where I watched Gio lead Elio through a round of hokey-pokey to limited avail.


    ¡°Did you ever think we¡¯d end up here when you knocked on my friend¡¯s door?¡± she asked.


    I choked out augh. I still didn¡¯t like thinking of those dark and difficult days. ¡°No.¡±


    Sheughed more easily. ¡°Me either. I was pretty sure I¡¯d blown everything.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°It sorta felt like it for a moment there.¡±


    She put her hand on my arm, and I turned to her as my boys copsed in a pile of giggles.


    ¡°Seriously, Olivia, thank you,¡± she said. Honesty shone through her eyes. ¡°I really love being a part of your family, and anybody less amazing than you wouldn¡¯t have let me do that. I owe you a lot.¡±


    I smiled and put my hand on hers. ¡°We¡¯ve got years toe to square all that. I¡¯m just d you¡¯re here.¡±


    She smiled, looking a little teary-eyed, and Gio, our son in tow, called me over to attempt the dance with both of them.


    Later, everyone gathered in the dining room to cut the cake. Just like all my birthdays growing up, Mom had demanded to make his cake. She¡¯d truly outdone herself with a massive replica of the White Rabbit¡¯s pocket watch, big enough for everybody at the party to have a slice. She¡¯d even iced the links of the watch chain onto cupcakes that sprawled away. Of course, we had a smaller smash cake just for Elio that was shaped like a rose from the Queen of Heart¡¯s garden.


    I stroked a finger over Elio¡¯s face where he cuddled in Gio¡¯s arms. He¡¯d gone down for a short nap so we could be totally sure he¡¯d be awake for cake-cutting, and he was still waking up. His hair was mussed on one side, and I decided against stroking it back into ce. I wanted to remember this day how it actually was.


    Gio smiled at me over the top of his head. ¡°One year down.¡±


    ¡°The rest of our lives to go,¡± I replied.


    Inside the room, everyone began holding the first note of ¡°Happy Birthday,¡± and we carried him in.


    Someone had dimmed the lights so the fire on the single candle shone brightly, but what caught my eye was the new decoration. While we were in the hall, somebody had put up strings and strings of Elio¡¯s baby pictures, from the first day in the delivery room to yesterday when he saw a bubble for the first time. Tears filled my eyes, and I was briefly thankful Gio had asked to hold Elio for this part of the day.


    I looked out over the table for a culprit and found the three siblings I grew up with all winking and shooting me thumbs-ups. I blew them a kiss and helped Gio get our son settled in his high chair.


    Elio stared at the candle as the song came to an end, totally transfixed by the fire. He swayed back and forth with it.


    I leaned down. ¡°You gotta blow the candle out.¡± I pursed my lips to show him.


    Gio leaned down on his other side and did the same.


    ¡°Mama, Papa, kandelow!¡±


    I blew a little air, and the me flickered. He pursed his lips and spit a little as Gio and I blew out his candle.


    A camera shed just as Elio leaned forward and smashed his tiny fist right into the top of the cake.


    Everybody aww¡¯d, and the other kids started moring to help him out with his destruction. Elio brought his fist to his mouth and gnawed on it, then burst into delightedughter and reached out to smear more all over his face.


    ¡°Is that yummy?¡± I asked.


    He grinned at me, his tiny teeth covered in red frosting. ¡°Yummy!¡±


    By the time we got all the cake handed out and cleaned up the worst of the messes, the party was beginning to wind down. Gio and I had agreed that opening gifts after seemed smarter, and Elio was riding a sugar high that I knew would crash soon with a whole lot of screaming. A few of the other parents started saying their goodbyes and making ns to see us at the park soon.


    Elio perched in his high chair while Dahlia and Elena fussed over him, trying to get the best picture of his cake-covered face.


    I allowed myself to sit for the first time since maybest night. Mom came up to me, having left Ben with James and Ba.


    She rubbed my shoulders, and I groaned a little.


    ¡°It was a wonderful party, honey,¡± she said. ¡°But maybe next year you let somebody else help you n?¡±


    I chuckled ruefully. ¡°Are you offering?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°I was serious about moving to Italy someday.¡±


    I twisted to face her. ¡°Really? No more stalling? I¡¯d love Elio to have grandparents in his life.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°And you¡¯d love to see your dear old mom?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯d love that,¡± I replied. ¡°You were so busy when I was younger, and now I¡¯m halfway across the world. I¡¯d like nothing more than to have you down the street so we can go out for coffee whenever I feel like it.¡±


    She sat down next to me. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things I didn¡¯t get to tell you when you were younger. I think I might like to let you get to know who I was back then.¡±


    ¡°That sounds incredible.¡± I took her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sure Gio can convince the neighbors to sell their house.¡±


    Sheughed, and I looked across the room to my husband. He was in conversation with one of the ¡°parents¡± I knew to be one of his men in casual clothes. His brow furrowed, and he looked up to meet my gaze. He gestured for me toe over.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I said absently, fear settling in the pit of my stomach. I didn¡¯t like the look on Gio¡¯s face, didn¡¯t like the whispering.


    He took my hand. ¡°Marco just spoke to the gate guard. There¡¯s someone outside.¡±


    That fear roiled, doubling in intensity. Who could want to crash my son¡¯s birthday? What enemy had I forgotten?


    I had no idea who it might be, and I was afraid to find out.

 Chapter 450 : How Far Does the Apple Fall?

    <h4>Chapter 450: Chapter 450 : How Far Does the Apple Fall?</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°I¡ªwho?¡± I said. My mind spun, racing with all the implications of Gio¡¯s statement. Somebody was at the gate wanting to see me. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Gio and his lieutenant exchanged nces before my husband said, ¡°Olivia, he ims to be your father.¡±


    My breath caught in my throat as I took a few uneven steps backward. ¡°What?¡± Some man was here, iming to be my father? I hadn¡¯t seen him since I was a baby. I had no memories of him, no idea what he even looked like because Mom cut him out of all her pictures.


    Who could know I wouldn¡¯t know him?


    Could it actually be him?


    I shook my head. That wasn¡¯t possible.


    Gio shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, carina, but he¡¯s demanding to see you. Do you want to check, or would you rather just send him away?¡±


    I turned and gestured for my mother toe over. She looked confused, but she came.


    Dahlia met my gaze and raised an eyebrow. I shook my head. I¡¯d tell herter.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°Some guy is here iming to be my dad,¡± I blurted. The familial name felt strange in my mouth. I¡¯d never called anyone dad before, and even Elio called Gio Papa.


    She nched. ¡°What? Here? Now?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No? I mean, I don¡¯t know. I mean¡ª¡± I looked helplessly at Gio.


    He put a warm, steady hand on my shoulder. ¡°A man at the front gate is iming to be Olivia¡¯s father. I believe she wants you to look at him to confirm his story.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Mom bit her lip. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen him, though.¡±


    Iughed, half hysterical. One of the other parents looked up, and I smiled at them in a way I hoped wasforting. No one needed to know I was about to lose my mind.


    ¡°We have video surveince at the gate,¡± Gio said, taking my mother by the arm. ¡°If you¡¯ll juste with me....¡±


    I knew he was leading her up to his office. My job was to stay calm enough to get all the strangers out of our house before this turned into a shitshow somehow. I took a deep breath, but it didn¡¯t ease the frisson of nerves.


    Maybe I could use that.


    I walked over to the parent who¡¯d caught my eye, a British transnt named Julia. She¡¯d moved to Italy after a divorce, I remembered, and was raising little Oscar on her own.


    ¡°Can I ask a big favor?¡± I said quietly. She nodded and leaned away from where she was wiping icing off her son¡¯s jacket. ¡°We just got news that my husband¡¯s mother had a fall, and she¡¯s in the hospital. She¡¯s housebound, so she couldn¡¯t be here today, but we need to get over there to figure out what¡¯s going on as quickly as possible. Could you possibly get the news around to other parents that it¡¯s time to head out? I don¡¯t want to put any more on him right now.¡± Gio¡¯s parents were both deceased, but no one needed to know that.


    Julia¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Yes, yes, of course. And if you can¡¯t bring snacks on Wednesday because of this, just text me, and I¡¯ll cover. Everybody will be gone tout-suite!¡±


    She patted my hand and hurried off. Dahlia tried to catch my eye again, but I dodged her. I couldn¡¯t talk to someone I cared about now, not without falling apart.


    I trailed listlessly into the front hall. They¡¯d have toe down the main stairs anyway, and I could either head back into the party or out the front door with ease.


    Out the front door? I definitely didn¡¯t want to meet some whack job pretending to be my dad, but did I actually want to meet my dad after twenty years?


    Gio¡¯s office door opened and closed. I held my breath until they rounded the corner at the top of the stairs. My mother looked surprised, most of all, but Gio looked irritated.


    My heart beat out of time. I didn¡¯t know who I wanted to be standing at our gate, but it seemed whatever answer I was going to get didn¡¯t please my husband.


    They made it to the bottom of the stairs, and I grabbed my mom¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Well?¡± I whispered.


    She nced around. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen him but... it looks like him.¡±


    My stomach swooped. Blood roared in my ears. He¡¯d been gone for so long I had no memory of him, and he was standing on mywn on my son¡¯s first birthday.


    Panic slowly melted into something else. I didn¡¯t know how he knew toe here today, of all days, but if he could find me in a fucking mafiapound in Italy, he could have found me whenever he damn well pleased.


    I turned on my heel and stalked for the door.


    ¡°Carina!¡± Gio caught up to me quickly. ¡°Are you certain this is a good idea? We have no idea what kind of man your father is.¡±


    I whirled on him. ¡°I know exactly what sort of man my father is,¡± I hissed, still cognizant of the party in the other room. ¡°He¡¯s the sort of man who disappears for a couple of decades and shows up whenever it suits him. He¡¯s the sort of man who¡¯s getting kicked out of my fucking house on my son¡¯s birthday. That¡¯s what sort of man he is.¡±


    I continued to stomp toward the door. Gio kept pace, not stopping me, but not letting me go alone either. Even through my anger, I was grateful for his steady presence at my side.


    Mom hung back. ¡°I¡¯ve done my time putting up with him,¡± she said. ¡°You should handle this.¡±


    I nodded resolutely and flung open the door. At the gate, I could see anky, sandy-haired man leaning against the bars.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling ya,¡± he said. His voice sounded thin, hoarse, but unmistakably bore the Florida ent I¡¯d grown up around. ¡°If you just let me in, I can make this all make sense. She¡¯s gonna recognize me, and you¡¯re gonna look like a real jackass.¡±


    The gate guard scoffed. ¡°Good luck with that, pal.¡±


    My furious steps had finally brought me level with the gate guard¡¯s booth, and the man outside¡¯s eyes shifted to me. My breath caught in my throat. I didn¡¯t recognize his long-limbed build or his thin, light hair, but his eyes....


    I had my father¡¯s eyes. I¡¯d never known that before.


    ¡°Is that¡ª¡± he started. ¡°Livi? Olivia?¡±


    I pressed a hand to my mouth as my stomach roiled. Mom called me Livi. Only Mom did that. The name didn¡¯t belong in the mouth of this stranger.


    The door to the house opened behind me, and party noise rolled out. I¡¯d told the other parents to leave, and this was the main exit.


    I whirled to the gate guard. ¡°Let¡¯s go this way.¡±


    ¡°Carina¡ª¡± Gio put his hands up.


    ¡°I want to talk to him. People areing out. We¡¯ll take him to the garage or the shed or the fucking stable, whatever you¡¯ve got that gets him out of the way without putting him in my house,¡± I snapped.


    Gio nodded, and the gate slid open.


    The man stepped inside. ¡°Livi, I¡¯ve got so much to¡ª¡±


    I put a hand up. ¡°First, you don¡¯t call me that. Second, you don¡¯t say anything until we get inside. Gio?¡±


    He nodded, his eyes steely like they had been when he first came down the stairs, and he led us purposefully to the garage. Hopefully, Julia hadn¡¯t been at the door and didn¡¯t think to ask any questions.


    I hadn¡¯t spent much time inside of any of the wide, quiet outbuildings, but it seemed the right ce to face this intruder. As the door closed behind us, leaving us in the white glow of the LEDmps Gio¡¯s men used to service his cars, I turned to the man.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°So you think you¡¯re my dad.¡±


    He frowned slightly. ¡°I am your dad. You can ask your mom, if you two still talk.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we talk,¡± I scoffed, ignoring the years of my childhood when she was too busy to attend anything for me. ¡°But fine, I¡¯ll ask. Who should I tell her you are?¡±


    He swallowed and wiped his hands on his pants. He was wearing in denim jeans and a nnel shirt buttoned all the way up, with the sleeves pushed back to his elbows¨Ca little off for the weather, something in my brain noted.


    ¡°Sal,¡± he said. ¡°Salvatore, if you¡¯re particr, and Montgomery, if you¡¯re looking for ast name. Look, I just wanna¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let me exin something to you, Sal.¡± I took a step forward. ¡°You showed up on my property out of the blue after you ran out on my mom twenty years ago. I¡¯m running this particr interview, and if you don¡¯t like that, you can go back to where you were before I came outside.¡±


    He put his hands up. ¡°Spitfire like your mom, I see.¡±


    I blinked. Spitfire? My mom? I knew her as a workaholic who did her best not to drown under the responsibilities of being a single mom.


    A gulf opened up in me. This man knew a version of my mother I never could, no matter what promises she made about coffee and moving to Italy.


    I steeled myself. That didn¡¯t mean he deserved anything.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with where the hell you¡¯ve been for those twenty years,¡± I said.


    Gio put a hand on my shoulder, and I liked knowing I had six feet of man behind me to back up any threats I needed to make.


    ¡°Well,¡± Sal raked a hand through his hair and sighed. ¡°To be blunt, I got in the sort of trouble that requires a man to disappear. I never wanted to leave anybody, but I wanted you and Amanda dead even less.¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°What sort of trouble?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen my daughter in twenty years, and she wants to hear about the worst mistake of my life? I don¡¯t think so. Rest assured, I¡¯ve outrun it now, and I wanted to see if there was anything here to rekindle.¡± He rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Or at least I wanted to see you once, all grown up.¡±


    My mouth fell open, and all the fight went out of me. He wanted a rtionship, after all these years?


    Did I?


    Gio stepped forward. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, Mr. Montgomery, how did you find Olivia?¡±


    Sal shrugged. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that hard once I figured out she went to school in Italy. Ain¡¯t too many American ex-pats running around Florence, after all.¡±


    Gio¡¯s eyes narrowed, and I put a hand on his chest. Suddenly, I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of them fighting here.


    ¡°Sal,¡± I said haltingly. ¡°Do you have a phone number? This is all really sudden.¡±


    He rattled off a string of digits, then wrote them down on a napkin nearby.


    Hebeled the number ¡°Dad,¡± and my stomach flipped again.


    ¡°Great, thanks,¡± I choked out before fleeing into the sunlight once more.


    Gio started escorting him out, but I didn¡¯t wait. I bolted inside. I had to talk to my mom.


    She was sitting in the living room with Ben next to the pile of presents, talking quietly. When she saw me, she kissed Ben on the cheek and shooed him away.


    ¡°How¡¯d it go, hon?¡±


    My hands shook. ¡°Was his name Salvatore Montgomery?¡± I demanded.


    She looked up at me, startled. ¡°So it was him outside.¡±


    ¡°You said you had things you couldn¡¯t tell me when I was younger. Dad things? Can I know them now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only fair.¡± She swallowed and sat up. ¡°Your dad was... special, a charmer, some would say.¡± She smiled softly. ¡°We used to absolutely run the bar on the corner until the owner kicked us out for making the patrons like us better.¡± She sighed. ¡°He always had money, but I never asked where it came from. Silly, I know, but it seemed reasonable then.¡±


    I huffed augh.


    ¡°A couple of years in, I found out he worked for this... crime family in town. He said he had a big job, and then we¡¯d be set for life.¡± She stared up at me, tears in her eyes. ¡°You have to understand, I was a different woman then. I thought I was living in a fairytale.¡±


    I shook my head, unable to interrupt her.


    ¡°He disappeared that night. A few people came looking for him, but I didn¡¯t know anything. I always sort of assumed they found him someday and¨C¡± She swallowed heavily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Livi. I thought it didn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Do you know the family?¡± I found myself asking through the roar of blood in my ears.


    ¡°What? No, that was too long ago. I never got involved in his work.¡±


    I nodded mutely.


    She stood and pressed a hand to my arm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry he ruined Elio¡¯s birthday. Dahlia has him. I¡¯ll go check on the baby.¡±


    And she walked out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.


    I stared down at the crumpled napkin in my hand, a few numbers and a name I¡¯d never used. Somewhere in this city was a man who¡¯d given me half my DNA, connected to some crime family somewhere in the world, and he wanted a rtionship.


    I didn¡¯t even know if I wanted to talk to him again.

 Chapter 451 : Uninvited Guest

    <h4>Chapter 451: Chapter 451 : Uninvited Guest</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Everyone deserves second chances.


    That had been my policy growing up, one of the core beliefs that had framed my rtionship with others. When Alessandro ckmailed me and Gio, we gave him a second chance because he learned from his mistake.


    I remembered Ba telling me that she thought she would never be able to forgive James when he¡¯d faked his death to go on the run, leaving her with two kids to raise by herself. But eventually, she said, it just happened.


    Forgiveness wouldn¡¯te easy and perhaps, it never would.


    This stranger had just stepped foot in the aftermath of my son¡¯s first birthday party to absolute dead silence, and I owed it to both myself and this stranger the opportunity to prove he was worth that second chance.


    ¡°Hey there,¡± Salvatore chuckled, switching feet a bit nervously as everyone in the room turned to stare at him.


    Gio¡¯s grip on my waist tightened, clearly not liking this situation, but this was my decision and I had made it.


    There was no going back now.


    ¡°Da¡ªer, Sal.¡± I gave him an awkward smile.


    No matter what he was supposed to be to me, I couldn¡¯t call him Dad. I didn¡¯t even call my stepfather ¡®Dad,¡¯ and I¡¯d known him longer than the man who shared half of my DNA.


    Though a lot of the guests had gone home already and the party had died down considerably as kids began to fall asleep, a few guests had lingered and now, they were staring at this random guy who looked like he belonged out in the sticks of Florida and not in Florence, Italy.


    There was an ufortable and heavy tension in the air, and though most of the guests who remained had no idea what was happening or who this strange man was, they could probably feel that he wasn¡¯t very wee.


    ¡°Livi¨C¡± Sal tried for a smile, looking just as uneasy as I was and he stepped forward, opening his arms like he was going for a hug ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Olivia.¡± I cut him off firmly, reeling out of his reach before he could touch me.


    My childhood nickname falling from his lips was anything but endearing, and the fact that he thought he could just hug me like he wasn¡¯t a stranger did not bode well. I could give him a chance to make this up to me, but trust and forgiveness would note easy from me.


    He¡¯d missed twenty years of my life, after all.


    ¡°Olivia.¡± He swallowed, a hurt look crossing his features. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt. I¨C¡± His eyes widened,nding on the baby in my arms and then ncing up at Gio and me.


    Elio had fallen asleep in the middle of the party and decided my arms were thefiest ce to take a nap.


    I tensed, unsure of what was going to happen. ¡°Is that.... Do I have a grandson?¡±


    He took a step forward, clumsily, reaching out for Elio with a hand and I flinched, stepping back into my husband¡¯s arms and clutching Elio tightly to my chest.


    ¡°How dare you?¡±


    Before he could take another step, My mother stepped between us and if I could have seen her face, I would have known exactly what I would¡¯ve seen. That tone of voice only came out when she had lost her patience¨Cwhenever one of us kids had done something stupid and she had to step in to save us from ourselves.


    I felt myself shrinking already, despite not being on the other side of her fierce re.


    ¡°Amanda.¡± He tried for a nervous grin, folding back in on himself. ¡°You look good.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare try that on me, you bas¨C¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± I interrupted, giving her an incredulous look as I gestured to the baby in my arms and the various other toddlers peppering the room. Despite how young they were, it only took one word and then we¡¯d have a bunch of two-year-olds running around calling people bastards.


    Not gonna happen, not on my watch.


    She huffed, crossing her arms but changed her word to, ¡°Jerk. What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing showing up like this after leaving for twenty years? You should¡¯ve stayed dead to us, you son of a....¡± She paused, ncing at me and then reluctantly biting out, ¡°Dog.¡±


    ¡°Look, Amanda,¡± Sal said pleadingly. ¡°I know I messed up¨C¡±


    ¡°Messed up doesn¡¯t even begin to describe it!¡± she snapped. ¡°You left us for twenty years! I raised that girl on my own because you decided we weren¡¯t worth staying¨C¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t it!¡± Sal bit out, giving her a firm re. ¡°I didn¡¯t leave because I wanted to, Amanda. I got into trouble. That part was on me, but I only left to protect you two. I couldn¡¯t let them find you and hurt you just to get to me. It was wrong of me to leave but I had good intentions.¡±


    ¡°Good intentions?¡± she growled.


    I stepped forward, shifting Elio¡¯s weight toy a hand on her arm. She nced at me, her eyes swimming with indignation. I was relieved to see she wasn¡¯t in any pain.


    Even if I wanted to give him a second chance, that meant nothing if it hurt my mom. I never wanted to see her broken like she was when I was a kid.


    But she had been right. She had spent twenty years getting over him and she had my stepfather now. Her wounds were healed up and buried in the past where they belonged. She was angry for me, for Elio, and for having him here to ruin the party.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Mom,¡± I told her with a smile. ¡°Thanks for protecting us, but I can handle this, okay?¡±


    Surprise and pride swam in her eyes and she smiled at me, cupping my cheek before she nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯lly Elio down for a nap.¡± Mom nodded, and I passed over my son into her arms. He stirred only the slightest, letting out a loud snore. Iughed as she and my stepfather fled into the other room.


    I turned back to Sal, giving him a scrutinizing look. I still didn¡¯t know exactly what I wanted to do about this situation, but if what he was saying was the truth, then at the very least, I could hear him out.


    But not now, not in the middle of my son¡¯s birthday party. This was his day, and no one was going to ruin it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want Elio¡¯s birthday ruined,¡± I told him firmly. ¡°So I¡¯d appreciate it if we could talk about all of thister. We can figure out everything soon, but not right now.¡±


    His face fell, looking like a puppy who¡¯d been kicked into a river of mud. ¡°Livi¨C¡±


    ¡°Olivia,¡± I said sharply. ¡°Only my mom can call me Livi. We may be rted, but I¡¯ve never met you before in my life, Salvatore. If you¡¯re being honest and you want to be in my life, you¡¯ll have to prove to me you can be trusted. Being a father isn¡¯t just about DNA. Twenty years aren¡¯t going to be fixed with an apology.¡±


    Sal nodded, taking a step back with a glum look. ¡°I know, and I¡¯ll be happy to prove that to you. But for what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry. I know I have no right to be here after being absent for so many years. You should hate me for leaving you, no matter what my reasons were.¡±


    He gazed at me, a small smile curling on his lips. ¡°But you grew up beautifully, Olivia, even without me. Your mom did a great job. I don¡¯t want to do anything to make you ufortable. I just want a chance to know my daughter again in whatever way I can.¡±


    The sincerity in his eyes was difficult to fake but not impossible. I frowned, still unsure if I could trust him but I nodded, taking a deep breath.


    ¡°We still have a party to finish, so I¡¯ll let you know when we can speak again, okay?¡± I said firmly.


    He took the hint, nodding to himself. ¡°You have my number, so just give me a call when you¡¯re ready. Sorry to ruin the party.¡±


    He shuffled backward, sending me pitiful nces, but I held firm on this. My son came first. Eventually, Sal sighed, giving in as he turned around and left. The door shut behind him and I breathed a sigh of relief, slumping into Gio¡¯s arms.


    ¡°You okay?¡± He rubbed my shoulders, whispering into my ear so the guests wouldn¡¯t hear. I nodded quietly, leaning my head on his chest before I turned to the remaining guests.


    I turned to the guests with a wide smile. ¡°Thank you so much foring to Elio¡¯s birthday party. Please, take some cake and party favors before you go.¡±


    I gestured to the table lined up to the side with a bunch of bags filled with party favors we had left. A lot of them were now missing and luckily, the three or four parents still remaining got the hint.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the party to end, the guests fleeing and thanking us as they passed by. A few of the moms gave me encouraging smiles, but I could see a few who hadtched onto the new gossip. Most likely it would be everywhere by tomorrow.


    I sighed once we were alone and the maids began to clean up. I left them to their work, heading straight for our room to get my head together. The sheer relief I felt as I copsed onto our bed face-first, groaning from the chaotic event, was mind-numbing.


    No matter how well I had nned, not even Gio could¡¯ve known my long-lost father would¡¯ve shown up. I was d to have an answer as to why he had been missing all my life; as a child, I had always assumed it was my fault, but I still couldn¡¯t be happy about all this.


    A part of me wished he had just stayed a shadow, a figure I never knew and never would. But the other part, some kind of broken part of me that I¡¯d had since I was a little girl, wanted to know him, to understand what it was like to have a Dad like Dahlia did, to know who he was and where he came from and if he had any family I didn¡¯t know about. I had so few blood rtives but one had literally just shown up on my doorstep, offering a rtionship.


    ¡°If he really is my father,¡± I said quietly, listening to the sounds of Gio moving around, ¡°I want to get to know him.¡±


    I nced at him, gauging his opinion, and from the way his jaw was set, he did not like the idea at all.


    Well, that was too bad.


    ¡°Just be careful.¡± Gio sighed. ¡°People are capable of anything, carina. Even if he is your father, he left you for twenty years and never came back until now? And he could¡¯ve told your mother why he was leaving before he did, and could have gotten into contact with her one way or another, but he never did. Just... don¡¯t get your hopes up too high, okay? People can disappoint you.¡±


    As I listened to him, I could tell he was speaking from experience, but I didn¡¯t pry. I turned my eyes to the ceiling, pondering the existence of a father I had never known before.


    Curiosity burned inside of me and if I was a cat, I would¡¯ve been worried.


    Who is that man? Is he really my father, I wondered.

 Chapter 452 : The Results Are In

    <h4>Chapter 452: Chapter 452 : The Results Are In</h4>


    *Olivia*


    *Two weekster*


    I stared down at the envelope sitting innocently on top of the coffee table. Elio¡¯s giggles as he yed in his little baby-proofed corner of the living room reached my ears, mixing with the sound of the cartoon ying in the background.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I was supposed to feel exactly. The unopened letter was like a huge neon sign screaming at me to open it and reveal the results of what I wanted to know so badly.


    But I just couldn¡¯t. Every time I reached for it, my chest squeezed until I couldn¡¯t breathe, and I had to move away from the letter. Maybe it was possessed, I thought, a bit hysterically as the third hour of staring at this damn letter passed by.


    But I couldn¡¯t procrastinate forever.


    I heaved a sigh as I lifted Elio from his little corner. He brought his favorite stuffed animal with him¨Ca plush narwhal with a rainbow horn that Dahlia had gotten him, one of the dozens that now littered his room.


    I¡¯d had a rabbit when I was a kid, but Flopsy had long been retired due to his old age. I still had him though, tucked away somewhere safe where he couldn¡¯t get hurt.


    ¡°You like Narwhal, don¡¯t you?¡± I cooed to my son, watching as he stuffed the horn into his mouth with a grin. He liked chewing on the end of it, which I couldn¡¯t me him for. His teeth wereing in all at once now, and there were a lot of long nights I spent up with him trying to soothe the fever and aches.


    I sat on the couch, leaning back as I held Elio in myp with his little plush. He stared at the random cartoon, giggling when the cartoon physics got a little crazy.


    ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t drop an anvil on anyone¡¯s head, all right?¡± I told him with a frown. Elio didn¡¯t answer, just reaching his little hands out toward the TV, mimicking the sound of the birds flying around the character¡¯s head.


    ¡°Good job, that¡¯s what a bird says. Tweet, tweet,¡± I praised him happily. I kissed him on the top of his head and heughed, bubbly and bright just like he should. Cartoon physics wrong or not, I was sure the show was harmless.


    Tallon and Alessandro had been big fans of this cartoon, and they turned out just fine.


    Well... sorta.


    As I gently rubbed Elio¡¯s back as he fixated on the cartoon, I finally grabbed the letter I had been dreading so much. A part of me wanted to throw it away, pretend that it never came, and be done with all of this.


    But another part of me needed to know. The broken little girl who had the world on her shoulders, who spent her nights learning how to cook when she was too young to be using the oven because Mom had forgotten again and I didn¡¯t want to impose on Dahlia¡¯s family. The part I had locked away, she needed an answer, even if it wasn¡¯t one I was going to like.


    My fingers trembled as I purposefully and slowly picked at the seam of the letter. It ripped in a few ces due to me carrying a baby on myp.


    I pulled the folded letter from the envelope, a nervous knot tightening in my stomach as I prepared myself for whatever it might say, even if it was going to hurt.


    I opened up the crease and read the letter. I skipped through the formalities and straight to the definite answer, my eyes going wide at the result.


    I swallowed, nodding to myself as I folded up the letter and tucked it back into the envelope.


    What was I supposed to feel right now? I didn¡¯t know. There was a surprise, but not as much as I had expected. Maybe a part of me had already guessed the truth and this was just confirmation.


    My heart was pounding in my chest, but I was in such aplicated tangle of emotions that I wasn¡¯t sure why.


    But I wasn¡¯t the only one who needed these results. Reluctantly, I picked up my phone, hearing it ring once and then twice.


    On the third ring, I half expected it to go to voice mail but they picked up. The excited voice picked up with a light, ¡°Olivia! I¡¯m so d you called me. Did the resultse in yet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said numbly. ¡°They were positive.¡±


    I stared down at the letter again, remembering that ny-nine percent figure written beside both of our DNA results. Gio had paid for the best testing and for it to be expedited because he knew how impatient I was to find out the truth. I was so thankful for that.


    ¡°Of course they did!¡± Sal boasted proudly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t worried in the slightest. You¡¯re my girl alright, I could tell at just a nce. You look so much like Amanda and me. You¡¯ve got my eyes and my chin.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I said awkwardly, not sure how I felt about beingpared to him. ¡°Well, would you like to have dinner tonight? I¡¯ll pay for wherever. I promised to give you a chance to exin and you were telling the truth. You are my... father.¡±


    The word tasted wrong in my mouthm like a sour note of a lie mixed. It felt weird to call him that after twenty years of only having my mom.


    ¡°That sounds wonderful. How about Trattoria Nerone? I heard their pizzas are delicious!¡± he said excitedly.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, sure,¡± I nodded, smiling a bit. Of course, my father would have the option to choose anywhere and he went for pizza. That sounded exactly like something I would do. ¡°I¡¯ll have toe with about two or three guards, though, if you don¡¯t mind. They won¡¯t hover around us, but Gio won¡¯t let me go otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Gio is your husband?¡± Sal asked a cautious note to his voice.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I smiled. ¡°We got marriedst year before we had Elio. He¡¯s a wonderful man and he takes care of us.¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± was all he said.


    My smile dropped, ufortable at the way he had said that, like he was disapproving.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes dangerously at the stupid duck in the cartoon who kept putting his face on the end of a gun and getting his beak blown off.


    ¡°No, of course not.¡± Salughed, a bit strained. ¡°It¡¯s just... I didn¡¯t know your husband was so... protective.¡±


    That was definitely not the word he wanted to use.


    ¡°He has to be. He has a dangerous line of work,¡± I told him firmly.


    ¡°And what kind of work would that be?¡±


    I stiffened as I heard the door open and I ignored his question, not trusting him with that information yet. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter tonight. Six-thirty, maybe?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure. I¡¯ll see you then, Li¨COlivia.¡± He corrected himself in a hurry. ¡°Bye.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡± I hung up just in time for Gio to appear around the corner with a tired look. Elio squealed as he saw his daddy, wiggling his legs as he held his arms out.


    ¡°Hey, little man,¡± Gioughed, immediatelying over to scoop Elio out of my arms and lift him up. ¡°Did you have a good day? I missed you so much.¡±


    I smiled while watching them happily. No matter how tired Gio was, he always made time for me and Elio.


    ¡°What about me?¡± I huffed, pretending to be offended as Gio took the chair beside me, holding Elio in hisp. He grinned, blowing me a kiss.


    ¡°I missed you too, carina.¡± Heughed.


    I rolled my eyes, giving him the moment with his son. I nced at the letter, handing it over to him with a nervous smile.


    ¡°The results came in today,¡± I told him.


    ¡°And?¡± He grabbed the letter but didn¡¯t open it, only looking at me with soft, trusting eyes. He knew me by now, and I melted at his expectant look.


    ¡°It was positive,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Like we thought.¡± He nodded. ¡°But it¡¯s good to have confirmation. At least you know now and don¡¯t have to keep wondering.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, fiddling with my phone as Gio grabbed the narwhal and pretended it was eating Elio. His shrieks rang through the living room, covering the sound of the cartoon.


    ¡°Nom nom nom,¡± Gio repeated, yfully, teasing our one-year-old with the plush toy. Elio beamed like a ray of sunshine, happily ying along as he tried to push the narwhal away.


    ¡°Mama!¡± Elio reached his hands over to me, hanging upside down on Gio¡¯sp as the narwhal attacked him. His little eyes screamed for help, though the smile on his face told a different story.


    ¡°Is Daddy bothering you?¡± I huffed, suppressing the smile at the corner of my mouth. ¡°Huh? Want me to beat him up? I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Let me see you try!¡± Gio sent me a smirk.


    ¡°You¡¯re on!¡± I grinned, climbing over the couch and leaning over the armrest as I pressed my lips to his cheeks and then to wherever I could get.


    ¡°Ahh, no! She¡¯s got me, she¡¯s got me!¡± Gio iled, pretending to be hurt by the kisses and I giggled, using the moment to grab Elio from him and hoist him into my arms. His giggles were contagious, eyes shining bright as he watched me attack his daddy with my love.


    Before I could kiss his cheek, he turned his head at thest moment, meeting my lips with his and his fingers wound through my hair as he pressed us together. It was only a moment before we broke apart, the two of us grinning like love-sick loons.


    ¡°Want to have dinner tonight? Dahlia wants to kidnap Elio,¡± Gio smirked, giving me a suggestive look.


    I smiled, a yes on my lips before I remembered the dinner with Sal. I sighed, leaning back and curling back into my own seat.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I told him with sad eyes. ¡°I already called Sal and told him about the test results. I offered to go to dinner with him tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we can just go together, then. Where is it?¡± Gio shrugged casually.


    I bit my bottom lip, unsure of how to break this to him without sounding like aplete bitch.


    ¡°Trattoria,¡± I said hesitantly. ¡°But if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to go alone.¡±


    He tensed, sending me a careful nce, all of his emotions hidden behind a stone wall again, but I knew him better now. He was ufortable with the idea but didn¡¯t want to disappoint me.


    ¡°I already told him I¡¯d have guards with me, two to three, and they¡¯ll be with me the entire time. I just¨C¡± I gave him a pleading look. ¡°I just want to get to know him just him and me. Is that okay?¡±


    He sighed, running a hand through his hair. ¡°Of course, Olivia. I just... I don¡¯t know why but I have a bad feeling about all of this. Just be careful, okay?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I said firmly. ¡°He may be my father, but I don¡¯t trust him yet either. He¡¯s been gone for too long for that.¡±


    ¡°All right, then.¡± He smiled. ¡°It¡¯ll just be the boys tonight. Right, Elio?¡±


    Elio giggled, pping his hands together at the rabbit in the cartoon.


    Soon enough, six o¡¯clock rolled around and I texted Sal that I would meet him outside the restaurant. I was dressed nice, but not too nice, just some simple dress pants and a top. I was nervous but a little excited as I said goodbye to Gio and Elio.


    I was tempted to call off the whole thing and just stay home with them but the reservation had not been easy to get.


    On the drive there with my two guards, I couldn¡¯t help feeling a little sick in the car. I went over all the questions I wanted to ask him, everything that I had been asking myself since I was a little girl without a father.


    ¡®Why did you leave me? Why didn¡¯t you get in contact with us until now? Did you ever love me?¡¯


    I sighed. Maybe I¡¯d scratch thatst one. It was a bit too heavy for a first meal, I thought. Once we arrived, I got out of the car, waiting for Ben as he locked up the car.


    ¡°Thanks, Tino,¡± I told my second guard with a smile as he held open the door to the restaurant for me. I walked inside, my guards at my heels and I took a deep breath.


    I caught sight of Sal sitting in one of the waiting rooms and I halted in ce. There was an ache in my chest and a me of anger that had yet to disappear. I wondered, not for the first time that night, whether I would ever be ready to forgive him for abandoning me.


    For now, it seemed like an impossible task.


    But I marched in to meet my long-lost father anyway.

 Chapter 453 : Dinner with Sal

    <h4>Chapter 453: Chapter 453 : Dinner with Sal</h4>


    *Giovani*


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to go alone.¡± That was what my wife said to me as she prepared to have dinner with her father, a man who had abandoned her for twenty years and reappeared just as suddenly.


    Of course, I minded. And she knew it too.


    I agreed not to go with her and I didn¡¯t. But I never agreed not to follow her.


    I ran a hand through my hair, clenching the steering wheel of the car as I listened to the mic we¡¯d ced on Ben rang out through my phone. She had no clue her guard had been bugged and she never would, hopefully.


    ¡°This is fucked,¡± Gabriele shook his head disapprovingly from the seat next to us.


    I sent him a re and he shut up, gazing out the window as we listened to the sounds of the restaurant ambiance¨Cdeep breaths from Ben and the ttering of forks and knives against the ss.


    It was busy tonight.


    ¡°And did you have to bring the kid?¡± Gabriele huffed, looking over the seat into the backseat.


    Elio cooed from his car seat, rattling one of the new toys I¡¯d bought him happily. He had not been happy to watch Mommy leave and especially didn¡¯t like being driven around at night. Luckily, we had time to stop and let him pick out a new toy.


    The stic rattled behind us, a lever being pulled and a loud voice rang out ¡°La ma dice moo!¡±


    ¡°Moo!¡± Elio repeated, drawing it out. With his little front teeth not havinge in, it sounded less like a cow and more like a weird no.


    ¡°You have got to be kidding me,¡± Gabriele gazed at the ceiling in pure exasperation. ¡°How is this my hell now? Where did my life go?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Gabriele,¡± I snapped, straining to hear the sounds from the mic.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m d you came out to meet me tonight.¡± That was Sal, his voice giving me the creeps for some reason. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re giving me a chance again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She sounded curt, very unresponsive, and I frowned. I figured she would be more excited to meet her dad but considering all the baggage they had, it was no wonder she was having mixed feelings about it.


    I sighed, leaning my head on the window. The door was locked to prevent me from running inside and ruining the meal, even though I could very easily just unlock the door right now.


    But that would bring my wife¡¯s wrath upon my head, not only for following her but for bringing Elio out too.


    ¡°II gatto dice meow!¡± The toy spoke again from the back seat.


    ¡°Mau!¡± Elio giggled in response.


    ¡°I¡¯m going insane,¡± Gabriele muttered to himself. ¡°Absolutely nuts.¡±


    ¡°Shh,¡± I hushed him as the conversation between my wife and Sal picked up from ordering food to actual conversation.


    ¡°So what are you going to school for?¡± Sal asked, eagerly.


    ¡°Art, actually. I¡¯m taking a break since we have Elio but once he¡¯s old enough, I¡¯m going to finish my degree. I have plenty of time, after all.¡± Olivia answered, open and honest like she always was. She didn¡¯t seem the least bit bothered to be taking a break, and I smiled.


    I had worried for a bit that she was forcing herself to stay home with Elio, to continue to put her own dream on the back burner for us, but I¡¯m d that this seemed like what she wanted.


    ¡°Art, huh?¡± Sal said, sounding amused, ¡°Your Mom and I never got our degrees, so I¡¯m d you¡¯re doing better than we were at your age. You¡¯ve got your life together.¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Olivia responded quickly. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to do what¡¯s best for my family. They¡¯re the most important thing to me.¡±


    ¡°Aww,¡± Gabriele said, leaning his head against the window. ¡°You lucky dog.¡±


    ¡°Are you looking for a dock in pay?¡± I narrowed my eyes at him, not wanting to take his shit tonight.


    ¡°No, sir.¡± He straightened immediately, sending me a resentful nce when he thought I wasn¡¯t looking.


    As we listened to Sal and Olivia talk, I realized that all of it was incredibly mundane. He asked about her mother and even seemed happy and understanding when he heard about her new husband.


    ¡°She¡¯s a good woman, your mom,¡± he told her. ¡°She deserved a man much better than me.¡±


    It was at that point that Olivia¡¯s icy politeness melted away. Her voice lightened, growing in excitement as she told him about growing up with Dahlia and how James and Ba had practically helped raised her.


    He asked about her hobbies and interests and she quickly delved into the conversation of historical art pieces from the Renaissance period, and then somehow into how ancient paints were made from flowers and beans.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Gabriele whistled. ¡°She¡¯s certainly passionate about art. You should introduce her to Luce.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. Luce was a famous art collector who often went off on trips to other countries to preserve and attain historical art pieces. He had been the one to fill our house with various pieces of art¨Cgifts from him over the years after we helped him with a job a while ago.


    I could just imagine their conversation if the two of them met.


    The conversation between Sal and Olivia continued to delve into mundane territories¨Cnothing interesting or weird in the slightest. He asked about her goals in life and eventually about me and Elio.


    I did find it a bit gratifying to hear from Olivia¡¯s own mouth all the things she adored about me, but once he asked about what I did for a living, I was proud of her for dodging the question masterfully.


    She spoke about Elio for a good twenty minutes, just gushing out how cute and adorable he was. Meanwhile, in the backseat, Elio had fallen asleep holding his new toy, snoring lightly as his mother practically told the whole restaurant how much she loved him.


    ¡°Lucky kid,¡± Gabriele snorted.


    I had to silently agree there. No one was as doting and caring as Olivia was. Her gentle and patient approach to Elio was admirable and somehow worked wonders. Whether it was Elio¡¯s bubbly and cheerful personality or Olivia¡¯s kind hand, I didn¡¯t know, but the two of them were the sweetest human beings in the world.


    A great departure from me.


    I sighed, ncing at the window as I realized that maybe I truly was just being overprotective. Sal had done nothing but give the right answers all night. He seemed like a man truly trying to connect with his long-lost daughter.


    But I still couldn¡¯t shake the feeling in my gut that something was wrong. I¡¯d gone against my instincts with Elena and I¡¯d nearly torn my family apart. I wasn¡¯t going to make that mistake again.


    Something was up, and I had to get to the bottom of it.


    ¡°Sal.¡± Olivia spoke up, her hesitance catching my attention. ¡°Can I ask you about what happened when you left? Why did you run? Why didn¡¯t you at least leave a letter or contact us once you were somewhere safe? Why¡¯d you abandon us?¡±


    He sighed, and I could just imagine the pitiful look on his face, just like when he¡¯d crashed Elio¡¯s birthday party.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even begin to apologize to you, Olivia,¡± he said quietly. ¡°All I can try to give you is an answer to why it happened.¡±


    I pursed my lips in annoyance at how genuine he sounded. His answers seemed almost too perfect to hear, but I listened in closely for whatever damn excuse he was going to shoot out of his mouth.


    ¡°I was young and stupid, Olivia, and I got into some big trouble. They were a powerful family, people who weren¡¯t afraid of doing atrocious things, and they¡¯d get away with it too. They¡¯d bought off the police in our city and practically ruled it at the time.¡±


    ¡°Mafia.¡±


    Her voice was sharp and carrying all the heavy weight of what that word contained. I tensed, and Gabriele sent me a concerned nce.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Sal confirmed. ¡°I got recruited because I saw a chance to make money, to do whatever I wanted without consequences. But came back to bite me. I was just a low level and I saw something I shouldn¡¯t have seen, something that would¡¯ve gotten the organization into a lot of trouble. They figured it would be easier to silence me than pay me off.¡±


    ¡°So you ran,¡± Olivia said bluntly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not proud of it.¡± Sal sighed. ¡°But I was young and didn¡¯t know what else to do. I wasn¡¯t going to testify or go to the police, not when I knew they¡¯d all just bury it with a bit of cash. But what I¡¯d seen, the knowledge I had, it was enough to put me in danger but not just me, all of us. I ran, hoping they¡¯d follow after me and leave you and Amanda alone. I was right, but I¡¯ve been on the run ever since.¡±


    Olivia took in a deep breath, sounding a bit rattled.


    ¡°So why did youe back? If what you know is so dangerous, why¡¯d you put us in danger again?¡± Olivia asked, steely.


    ¡°Because the boss was killed,¡± Sal answered easily. ¡°With him dead, the information I had was useless now. After twenty long years, I could finally be free and go home. But when I did, I found out you had moved. I spent weeks trying to find you and Amanda, just hoping that now that I wasn¡¯t putting you in danger, I could be in your life.¡±


    There was a long pause of silence, only broken by the waitress as she came over to settle the bill. Olivia didn¡¯t speak for a long time and I was beginning to get worried until finally, she spoke.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said softly. ¡°I believe you. I¡¯ll trust you for now, Sal, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll forgive you. You still abandoned me for twenty years, and we can¡¯t just act like that time never happened. It hurt. I grew up believing that it was my fault that you left, that mom was so heartbroken all the time.¡±


    ¡°No, Olivia.¡± Sal rushed to assure her. ¡°None of this was your fault, and I wish I could¡¯ve been a better father to you. I never should¡¯ve gotten involved with the boss like I did, and you and Amanda had to pay for my mistakes. I¡¯m so, so sorry, Livi.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Olivia¡¯s voice was soft but rxed, and I knew from her tone that she had believed him and that she had finally let part of her guard down.


    I clenched my jaw, hearing the two discuss the wood-fired pizza and future ns and as dinner ended, I finally shut off the bug, leaving the car in silence.


    ¡°Well, this was a useless waste of time.¡± Gabriele sent me an annoyed nce. ¡°The only thing we learned was that he had been part of a mafia family for a time.¡±


    ¡°Which mafia family, though?¡± I sent him a meaningful look.


    Gabriele opened his mouth and then paused, realization dawning on him. He¡¯d finally caught what I did.


    There was no family that ruled over southern Florida where Olivia grew up. James had made sure of that. It meant that either they¡¯d lived somewhere else, there was a mafia family in Florida we¡¯d never heard about, or, what was more likely, he was lying.


    ¡°Look into it,¡± I told him firmly as I started the car. Elio was still fast asleep in the backseat and if we wanted to make it home before Olvia, I knew we¡¯d better start now.


    As I pulled out of the driveway, I nced at the recorded conversations on my phone. Something about Sal did not feel right, and if he was going to put my family in danger, I had to handle him quickly, even if it meant breaking my wife¡¯s heart.

 Chapter 454 : Debrief

    <h4>Chapter 454: Chapter 454 : Debrief</h4>


    *Olivia*


    After our rich, heavy meal, Salvatore walked me to the door of the restaurant like a proper gentleman. I¡¯d been so nervous about tonight, but something about the faraway look he got in his eyes every time I mentioned Mom or one of my achievements put me at ease.


    I knew that look. I used to have it in my eyes when I dreamed about who my father might be.


    He shoved his hands in his pockets. ¡°So, how¡¯d I do? Did I pass?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this was a pass/fail dinner, but I¡¯d say you passed.¡±


    A wide, ebullient grin split his face, so clearly delighted that he actually averted his eyes as if embarrassed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll save your number and everything,¡± I joked.


    He peeked up at me, a strange gesture given how much taller he was. ¡°Yeah? You wanna see me again?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± I grinned. ¡°We¡¯ll find a time to get together soon.¡±


    He kicked at a rock. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to meet that Elio of yours. Never expected to get a grandson into the bargain.¡±


    I smiled, but part of me instantly worried about what Gio would say. I¡¯d seen his iron grip on the banister when I left, restraining himself from bolting after me.


    ¡°I cane over to your ce if that¡¯ll make it easier,¡± Sal offered quickly.


    I swallowed. ¡°I will... talk to Gio and see what makes the most sense.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± He nodded. ¡°No, that makes sense. A man needs to know who¡¯s in his house. Just let me know one way or the other.


    ¡°I will,¡± I said.


    The limo pulled up to the curb, and I hesitated a moment. Should I hug him? Shake his hand? Nothing felt quite right.


    I settled for an awkward wave and departed. The whole drive home, I ran that final moment over and over in my mind, trying to figure out a way I could have not ruined our nice night. How was I supposed to behave around my estranged father?


    Far toote, one of Gio¡¯s many speeches about safety clicked into my brain, and I wondered how Sal left the restaurant. I should¡¯ve gotten his license te, or at least the make and model.


    I shook my head. I¡¯d given him a chance, and he¡¯d passed with flying colors. I trusted my father.


    When I got home, I found Gio stretched out on one of the couches in our sitting room, wearing a T-shirt and pajama bottoms, with the baby monitor at his side. He put down the book in his hand and sat up as I entered.


    ¡°How was it?¡± he asked.


    All the nice parts of the night rushed back to me, and I found myself gushing about what a good listener was and how he really seemed to care about my mom.


    ¡°That all sounds good.¡± Gio nodded slowly. ¡°Is that all you talked about?¡±


    I bit my lip. I had to tell him about Sal¡¯s past mafia ties, but I knew how he would get.


    ¡°He exined why he left,¡± I said slowly. ¡°He got caught up in organized crime in New York, learned something he shouldn¡¯t have, and had to disappear.¡±


    Gio¡¯s face went very still.


    ¡°But he¡¯s okay now because the Don died!¡± I blurted.


    ¡°New York,¡± he murmured. ¡°Your family used to live there?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Right after I was born.¡±


    He hummed. ¡°And you believe him? That he¡¯s out?¡±


    I crossed to the couch and perched on hisp, pulling his face until he looked at me. ¡°Yes, I really do.¡±


    He pursed his lips, and his gaze drifted off my face. I knew that look. It was his checking-the-facts look.


    I huffed. ¡°Do you know something I don¡¯t?¡±


    He shook his head, and the look cleared. ¡°No, carina. I just... have a bad feeling.¡±


    ¡°I would appreciate it,¡± I pressed a kiss to his cheek, ¡°if you would forget that feeling,¡± I kissed his other cheek, ¡°and just trust my judgment. Having him around makes me happy.¡±


    I pulled back to study his expression. His eyebrows knitted for a moment, like he wanted to disagree, but he took a deep breath and his expression smoothed into a smile.


    ¡°Anything for you,¡± he said grandly.


    I wound my arms around his neck and kissed him properly. One of his hands gripped my hip to steady me, and suddenly I needed him. After all the stress of the past few weeks, after the relief of a normal dinner, after the easy way he capitted to me, I needed that release.


    I deepened the chaste kiss, chasing his tongue with mine, and turned so I straddled him instead of sitting demurely side-saddle. My dress, a simple ck velvet number with a modest neck and hem, slid up to reveal most of my thighs and the bottom of my in cotton panties.


    Gio groaned and ran a hand up the exposed skin. I kissed him harder, deeper, and he leaned back against the couch, slowly reclining into the rxed position I found him in. His hardening cock lined up with my covered entrance, and I ground down into him.


    The couch creaked under our weight. I pulled my mouth away from his for a moment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait,¡± I whispered. ¡°But Elio¡¯s in the next room. Can you be quiet?¡±


    After our trip to Bologna, we¡¯d soundproofed our bedroom, but we kept the rest of the suite permeable so we could hear Elio without the baby monitor if we ever misced it.


    He smirked. ¡°Can you?¡±


    I nipped his lower lip, and he hissed.


    ¡°Point taken,¡± he murmured. ¡°We¡¯ll both just be careful.¡±


    He slid his hands up my thighs, rucking the dress even higher, up the bodice, and to the top of the neck where the zipper sat. With a single smooth movement, he pulled it all the way down. The dress sloughed off my arms, exposing the simple, skin-toned bra I¡¯d selected for the asion.


    I started to blush at my in underwear, but the lust in Gio¡¯s eyes distracted me. He cupped my still-covered breasts with reverent hands.


    A small smile teased my mouth. He found me sexy in anything.


    With the same easy confidence and desire, he pulled both cups down below my breasts in unison. They bounced free, and he leaned up to capture a nipple in his mouth.


    I stifled a gasp and clutched the back of his head. His tongue swirled over the quickly hardening bud, coaxing it to attention. I rocked against him, feeling my panties cling stickily to my legs already.


    I ran my other hand up under his shirt, tracing the ridges of his crunched abs and toying with his nipples, drawing low moans that vibrated over my flesh.


    I shivered. I had to have him inside me.


    With the hand in his hair, I pulled him back, and pressed him against the couch. He gaped up at me through heavy-lidded eyes, and I smiled.


    I tugged his pants down, and his cock sprang free. Then, I pulled my panties aside and positioned myself above him.


    He pressed the back of his hand to his mouth as I lowered myself onto him.


    I couldn¡¯t stop a low groan as I settled into the familiar feeling of his length seated inside me. I ached and stretched in all the most perfect ways. Weeks of nerves left my muscles as my hips met his.


    I could spend forever here, with Gio staring up at me and his cock inside me.


    He sat up suddenly, crushing me to his chest and changing the angle in a way that made me choke on a moan. Like this, he set a bruising pace. My breasts bounced against his shirt, my nipples constantly teased by the friction. He lowered his mouth to my neck, kissing and sucking, leaving behind the sting I knew meant I would be marked tomorrow.


    I grabbed his hip and buried my face in his neck. Pleasure ripped through me in tidal waves, threatening to pull me under.


    He threaded a hand between all of our clothes to find my clit, and my brain nearly whited out. His fingers moved over me in rhythm with the meeting of our bodies, and it only took a few expert circles until my orgasm crashed over me.


    Despite my best efforts, I called out his name.


    A few more thrusts and he wasing inside me. He copsed down onto the couch bonelessly, and I slumped against the back.


    I caught my breath and stared down at him. A teasing smirk kissed his lips. The fire started between my legs again. We were far from done.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t exactly meet your own challenge, carina.¡± He stroked one of my breasts softly.


    I pouted. ¡°You make it too hard.¡±


    He thrust softly up into me, reminding me just how hard he could make things. I groaned low in my throat.


    He chuckled and sat up, shifting me gently off hisp. ¡°Now we know. Oliviacks the self-control to have sex all over the suite while our son sleeps.¡±


    I smacked him and enjoyed the way his eyes dropped instantly to my swaying breasts. ¡°He didn¡¯t even wake up.¡±


    Gio swept me up in his arms and kissed me. ¡°I¡¯m only teasing, carina. Now, what do you say you strip for me and head into the bedroom so I can make you scream as loud as I damn well please?¡±


    A shiver of pleasure ran down my spine. ¡°Only if you do the same.¡±


    ¡°Scream?¡± he smirked. ¡°Deal, if you can pull it off.¡±


    I stood, allowing the dress to tumble off my hips. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed visibly in his throat, and I grinned. I unhooked my bra and shoved my ruined panties down. Now bare, I strutted across the room to our door.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, slowpoke,¡± I teased.


    He rocketed off the couch, his cock bobbing, and tore his clothes off. His T-shirtnded halfway across the room, and as he pulled his pants down, I realized he wasn¡¯t wearing any underwear.


    I smiled. He¡¯d been waiting up for me for a reason.


    I crooked a finger and disappeared into the bedroom, his footsteps loud behind me.


    ¡°Wait on the bed,¡± he said, a low rasp in his voice betraying how turned on he was even better than his already-hardening cock. ¡°I have something I want to try.¡±


    He disappeared into the closet, and I spread myself on the coverlet.


    Quiet fell over the suite, aside from my husband¡¯s rustling and muttered curses. My mind drifted back to the worry on his face when I offered up Sal¡¯s confession.


    I knew Gio¡¯s fears ran to the professional, but I found that hard to believe of the earnest,nky man I had dinner with. No, when I thought of the worst thing Sal might do to me, I always returned to the years of hoping my father might turn up. If he left once, he could leave again.


    My heart would break if I lost him again. I simply had to be careful, protect myself from getting hurt. I needed to be certain he wouldn¡¯t leave before I really believed he was part of my life.


    Gio emerged from the closet clutching a fistful of ties and smirking. ¡°Roll over. I have some ideas of how we can work on your self-control.¡±


    I grinned, banishing all worries from my mind, and did as my husband asked.

 Chapter 455 : Painted Chatter

    <h4>Chapter 455: Chapter 455 : Painted Chatter</h4>


    *Olivia*


    The next day, Iy on the floor of the living room after lunch with Dahlia and Elio while Gio worked upstairs.


    One of my many baby books said a focus on fine-motor skills in the first year was vital for the developing infant, so I¡¯d spent weeks researching and buying child-safe paints. They were finally all here, so I¡¯d moved the furniture to the side, rolled out some butcher paper, and allowed Elio his first brush with the world of art in the form of a huge finger-painting canvas. Within minutes, he was covered in every color of paint, making me grateful I¡¯d changed him into a romper he was growing out of.


    He scrawled a big green circle and pointed to it enthusiastically. ¡°Mama! Moo!¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Moon.¡±


    Without all his teeth, he still struggled with ending consonants.


    Dahliaughed. ¡°The moon¡¯s not green, little man.¡±


    She picked up the bowl of white, which had smears of almost every other color in it by that point, and scooped up a careful dollop to paint a much neater circle next to Elio¡¯s.


    ¡°That¡¯s the moon,¡± she said.


    Elio screwed up his face and ced his sticky hands on the paper to study her drawing more closely.


    Iughed. He looked exactly like Gio when he couldn¡¯t quite believe what he was seeing.


    Elio looked at me, brow still furrowed, and pointed to Dahlia¡¯s circle. ¡°Moo?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°The moon is white andes out at night.¡±


    I grabbed the blue and ck, mixed them together in my palm, and scribbled a loose approximation of the night sky around Dahlia¡¯s moon.


    ¡°Ny,¡± he mumbled to himself. ¡°Ny-ty.¡±


    ¡°Nighttime!¡± I chirped.


    Satisfied, He leaned away from the painting, leaving behind two perfectly formed handprints. My eyes welled up a little. Whatever happened to the rest of this page, I would be keeping that piece forever, I knew.


    Dahlia met my eye and chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s well on his way to Einstein, of course, you¡¯re proud.¡±


    I stuck my tongue out at her. Elio repeated the gesture, then copsed into delighted giggles.


    I tickled him and hoped Gio never found out he learned that move from me.


    After a moment, he began squirming. ¡°Mama! Pay!¡±


    ¡°Pay¡± was his word for paint, so I released him easily. He dove for the bowl of yellow and began smacking fistfuls of it onto a nk corner of the canvas.


    I smiled. ¡°Einstein or Michngelo, who¡¯s to say?¡±


    Dahliaughed at me again. ¡°I should¡¯ve known you were going to make an artist out of him.¡±


    I put my hands up. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault he likes it!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± she said. ¡°You exin that to Gio.¡±


    We fell into apanionable silence, watching Elio paint haphazardly.


    ¡°So,¡± she said.


    I wrinkled my nose. That was her ¡°you owe me details¡± voice.


    She leaned back against the couch. ¡°That dinner with Salvatore wasst night, right?¡±


    ¡°You know good and well it wasst night.¡± I shook my head. ¡°You helped me pick out shoes.¡±


    She smacked the heel of her hand against her forehead. ¡°Of course! I just thought I might¡¯ve gotten turned around because you haven¡¯t told me anything about it yet, and my dearest, bestest friend in the world wouldn¡¯t have forgotten such a thing.¡±


    Elio bounced his own hand off his head, leaving a smear of paint, and giggled. Dahlia and I both fell upon him to convince him out of the habit before it stuck, and both of us were a bit more paint-covered by the time we actually got a chance to talk again.


    ¡°It went... well.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°He apologized, a lot. He seemed genuinely happy Mom remarried, and genuinely interested in hearing about my life and interests.¡±


    Dahlia smirked. ¡°Oh yeah? How much of the conversation was about art history?¡±


    I blushed. ¡°More than most people let me get away with!¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°Seems like a decent sign to me. Now tell me the scary thing you¡¯re worried you shouldn¡¯t say.¡±


    I barely restrained myself from sticking my tongue out at her again. I should¡¯ve known she could read me too well. I couldn¡¯t keep anything from her.


    ¡°He also exined why he left.¡±


    Dahlia¡¯s eyebrows shot up, but she simply nodded without saying anything.


    I bit my lip. ¡°You know how my mom said she thought he might be in with some crime family? Well, he confirmed it¨Corganized crime, back in New York before we moved.¡±


    Dahlia grimaced. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the New York scene is rough¨Ca lot ofpetition, not a lot of people who make it further than the bottom rungs.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°He said he was low-level.¡±


    She furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°If he was so low, why¡¯d he have to leave? Mostly, bottom-rung guys get hit before they have the chance or never matter enough to need to.¡±


    ¡°Mau!¡± Elio yelled, pointing to an orangish blob on the paper. I couldn¡¯t tell what it was saying, or what it was supposed to be, so I simply nodded and smiled.


    ¡°He said he saw something he shouldn¡¯t have.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Didn¡¯t say what, just that he knew the heat woulde down on Mom and me if he stayed.¡±


    Dahlia nodded. ¡°Have you told Gio yet?¡±


    ¡°I had to,¡± I said. ¡°He deserved to know, and I don¡¯t want to imagine how angry he¡¯d be if he found outter.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be good.¡± She doodled a small flower on the edge of the page. ¡°How¡¯d he take it?¡±


    I huffed out a breath. ¡°Gio-ly. He has a ¡®bad feeling¡¯ and that definitely didn¡¯t improve when I mentioned the mob thing. But he agreed to back off for my sake.¡±


    Dahlia nodded slowly, dotting a yellow middle onto her flower. The silence dragged between us as Elio mixed red and green into a muddy brown. I picked up the paintbrush I¡¯d brought out for myself, stole a little of the multicolored white, and began sketching Dahlia¡¯s profile onto the page.


    After another few moments, I started to go insane.


    ¡°Well?¡± I asked. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    She smiled a little sadly. ¡°I was thinking I didn¡¯t know if I should get a say about your dad because mine was always around.¡±


    My heart warmed, and I would have hugged Dahlia were there not several feet of wet butcher paper and a sticky toddler between us.


    ¡°I want your opinion.¡± I smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve got seniority.¡±


    Her smile evened out into something more pleased, then dropped away as she shrugged.


    ¡°I think you can¡¯t know if he¡¯s got some sinister intention¡±¡ªshe wiggled her fingers like a witch in a movie¡ª¡°until he does something. Just look at Elena. Both of you did research out the wazoo, but that can¡¯t amodate for flukes of human nature. Somebody can be the best person in the world on paper and still screw you, and vice versa.¡±


    I took a deep breath and let her words wash over me. She was right, of course. Perhaps that was why I chafed against Gio¡¯s surveince habit so much; there was never a way to know what was truly going on in someone¡¯s head, no matter how many secret pictures you took of them. Sal either earnestly intended to have a rtionship with me, or he didn¡¯t. My only role was to let him try, if he wanted to.


    ¡°The only thing I¡¯ll say,¡± Dahlia said suddenly, ¡°is that it is a little weird he showed up kind of right after you and Gio got married.¡±


    Instinctively, I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s been over two years since then. That¡¯s not right after.¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Mob time is different than real time. With how tight-lipped Gio kept the ceremony, it kind of is. You already lived here, already shared a room. Anybody watching would have to notice the ring to figure it out, or someone finally talked.¡±


    I swallowed down the defenses leaping to my lips and forced myself to hear her. The wedding was so long ago in real time, as Dahlia put it, that I hadn¡¯t even considered it might¡¯ve been on Salvatore¡¯s radar. Honestly, in my paranoid moments, I was more worried Elio¡¯s birthday had been the trigger. But if she was right about mob time, it could definitely be rted.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said. ¡°But maybe that¡¯s just how he found me. Like, maybe he found the marriage certificate, or he did stumble across a caterer in his search.¡± I cast my mind back. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure we had a few from America, and he mentioned he was looking at ex-pats.¡±


    Dahlia carefully traced a stem under her flower. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s definitely an option.¡±


    Her profile took on an angrier look. ¡°But you don¡¯t think so.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know! And I don¡¯t think anyone can. It just sounds like kind of a weird coincidence to me.¡±


    I started a new painting, of Elio grinning with paint-spattered teeth. ¡°What would you do, in my ce?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d trust my gut,¡± she answered simply.


    Elio lunged over her to reach the yellow on her far side, smearing paint on her pants and ruining the leaf she was adding to her stem. She put her hands in the air,ughing helplessly, and I lifted Elio off herp.


    ¡°We talked about asking for things you want,¡± I told him seriously.


    He pouted. ¡°Lello.¡±


    ¡°I know Aunt Dally took the yellow. But you should¡¯ve said, Aunt Dally, can I have the yellow, instead of making a big mess.¡±


    He kicked his feet, trying to wriggle out of my arms. ¡°Pay! Pay!¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Not until you ask Aunt Dally nicely.¡±


    He scrunched up his face. I positioned him on myp, facing Dahlia, who¡¯d begun scrubbing at the stains on her pants.


    ¡°Lello, Dally?¡± Elio burbled.


    She grinned and handed him the bowl. ¡°Why, of course, Elio. Thank you so much for asking.¡±


    He snatched the bowl out of her hands and settled on the paper in front of me. I carded my fingers through his hair.


    Could I really trust my gut? I¡¯d been so angry when Salvatore first showed up, but after only one dinner, I was nning to integrate him into my life, even let him meet my son. All of Gio¡¯s careful lessons about keeping myself safe in a world that might view me as a pawn in a bigger game flew out of my head the moment he smiled and said he was d Mom remarried.


    Part of me would always be eight-year-old Olivia, standing at the front of the ss alone on Bring Your Parents to School Day because Mom couldn¡¯t get off work. The teacher still made me give a speech about Mom¡¯s job, and I¡¯d burst into tears in the middle of it before running off to hide in the reading corner. I¡¯d ended up staring at a book called Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too and wishing desperately my father would walk in the door, scoop me in his arms, and lead me triumphantly back to the front of the ss.


    I looked at Dahlia. She¡¯d found me after all the speeches were done and told me she asked her dad if he could be mine, too. James, being the man he was, said yes and carried me on his shoulders into the cafeteria afterward, while Dahlia bounced around his feet and dered that she got to go next.


    No matter how kind that had been, it didn¡¯t take the sting out of the humiliation, nor the power out of the desire. I¡¯d spent my childhood wanting a dad so bad my heart still ached with it.


    I couldn¡¯t be unbiased about this.


    Gio strode into the living room. ¡°If it isn¡¯t my little artists!¡±


    He scooped Elio out of myp and cradled him, heedless of his fine suit jacket. He looked so strong and safe and goddamn sexy holding our son. No matter what else happened, Elio would have the dad he deserved.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± he asked Dahlia and me once Elio was done screaming withughter.


    ¡°God, starving,¡± Dahlia answered.


    Gio and Iughed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell them to get dinner started,¡± he said. ¡°And throw this little ragamuffin in the bath before he bes paint.¡±


    He spun on his heel, pulling more peals ofughter from Elio, and marched right out the door he came in through.


    I sighed and began gathering the paint bowls. My worries about Sal could wait. If Dahlia was right about anything, it was that I couldn¡¯t solve this problem without time, or without Sal.


    As I loaded thest of the paint bowls into my arms, my phone rang. I nced at the floor, where ity face-up, and read the caller ID.


    Salvatore Montgomery.

 Chapter 456 : Decisions After Dinner

    <h4>Chapter 456: Chapter 456 : Decisions After Dinner</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I froze, staring at my ringing phone. My heart leaped to my throat. I felt suddenly watched, anxious. I said I¡¯d call him, right?


    Dahlia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Gonna answer?¡±


    I took a deep breath. I was overthinking. It wasn¡¯t weird for him to call. Most dads called their children all the time. Hell, Dahlia and James had a weekly call.


    I set down the paint bowls, grabbed my phone, and pressed it to my ear with slightly shaking hands. Dahlia leaned forward, eyes glimmering with interest.


    ¡°Hi.¡± My voice sounded scratchy and strange, but it worked.


    ¡°Olivia!¡± His voice sounded warm and easy, like it had at dinner.


    I rxed a little.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t caught you at a bad time, have I?¡± he asked.


    I met Dahlia¡¯s eye. ¡°I¡¯ve got dinner in a bit, but I have a few moments to talk. What¡¯s up?¡±


    She nodded encouragingly.


    ¡°Well,¡± he said. ¡°I was thinking about how you said we should get together soon, and how I just found this great caf¨¦ near me. Wanna do lunch?¡±


    I bit my lip. I did want to see him again. I wanted to know if the dinner had been a fluke, or something about our shared gic code always made talking to him easy. Every moment I spent out of his presence, somebody had some worry about him, and that kicked my own worries into high gear.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I blurted.


    A sharp sound like he¡¯d smacked his own thigh crackled over the line. ¡°Well, great! Say, one tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°One,¡± I agreed. ¡°Just send me the name of the caf¨¦.¡±


    Dahlia grinned.


    ¡°Just one more thing,¡± he hedged. ¡°Any chance you¡¯d bring that grandbaby of mine?¡±


    I grimaced. That, I had forgotten to talk to Gio about.


    Dahlia gestured ¡®what¡¯ at me.


    ¡°Um,¡± I said. ¡°I can, but he¡¯s still pretty young, so Gio doesn¡¯t like him going out without both of us whenever possible.¡±


    A short silence reigned over the line.


    ¡°Sal? Is that okay?¡± I asked.


    Dahlia furrowed her eyebrows.


    ¡°Oh, of course!¡± he said, his voice pleasant enough that I forgot the pause almost immediately. ¡°I want to get to know everyone in your life. After all, isn¡¯t it a dad¡¯s job to judge if his little girl¡¯s husband is a good man?¡±


    Instincts warred inside me. Part of me, arge part, warmed instantly to the fatherlynguage. He cared. He wanted to make sure I was taken care of. A smaller, more suspicious part chafed a little against the proprietarynguage. I knew Gio was a good man. I¡¯d picked him out myself, as I had done everything in my life without Sal.


    Rather than saying any of that, I simply replied, ¡°I¡¯ll double-check the time with him. He¡¯s a busy man, and he tends to eat when he can.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sal said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to mess with your life in any way. I¡¯m flexible, so just let me know when, and I¡¯ll be there!¡±


    We said our goodbyes and hung up. Dahlia¡¯s eyes burned into my skull.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked,


    She huffed. ¡°I¡¯m gonna keep wanting to know everything. It¡¯s like you have a new boyfriend, except it¡¯s your dad. Every ¡®date¡¯ is gonna have something new to discuss.¡±


    I threw my hands in the air. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I want to take my d¡ªSal apart like some random guy. He¡¯s blood, even if he never turns into anything else.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Dahlia leaned back against the couch. ¡°I¡¯ll stop bugging you unless it¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I sighed. At least I had one person who wouldn¡¯t be all over me about Sal all the time.


    ¡°I just have one question,¡± she said. ¡°What¡¯d you have to ask if it was okay about?¡±


    The front door swung open on the squeaky hinge Gio kept promising he¡¯d get fixed, and both of our heads shot up.


    ¡°Just me!¡± Alessandro called as he shut the door behind him.


    ¡°In the living room!¡± Dahlia hollered back.


    I winced and waited for Elio to burst into tears, but thankfully, nothing came. It seemed after a year our little man was finally getting used to how the siblingsmunicated.


    Alessandro trooped in, wearing scruffy jeans and a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. I¡¯d walked in on Gabriele lecturing him about how a family man should dress like the business man he was once, but it didn¡¯t seem to have stuck.


    He studied the butcher paper on the floor. ¡°New art style, Olivia?¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Elio¡¯s first work, actually.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°That¡¯d exin all the smearing.¡±


    Gio leaned into the living room from the hallway that led to our bedroom with a squirming, damp Elio in his arms. ¡°He¡¯s an expressionist.¡±


    I burst intoughter while everyone else chuckled politely. When my giggles subsided, I grinned at my husband, and he smiled back at me with a streak of bright blue paint on his cheekbone. Everything in the world felt right, simpler than it had been in a while.


    ¡°Dinner¡¯s in fifteen,¡± Gio said. ¡°Staying, Alessandro?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I got time. But I actually had something I wanted to talk to you about, Gio. Maybe after?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you in my office.¡± Gio left, and I heard his heavy footsteps all the way down the hall to our room.


    Dahlia hopped up. ¡°If we¡¯ve got people over, I¡¯m dressing up.¡±


    Alessandro shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not people.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m not dressing up,¡± I said.


    ¡°You guys are no fun.¡± She shot us the bird and raced out of the room.


    I nodded to the paint bowls. ¡°Mind grabbing some?¡±


    Alessandro lifted half the stack easily, not seeming to notice the way his hands instantly smeared orange and green.


    ¡°How¡¯d it go with, uh, Salvatorest night?¡± he asked as we walked to the kitchen.


    I peered at him. His gaze was trained steadily on the bowls, but I recognized the defensive set of his shoulders. Alessandro always got touchy about new people. He¡¯d been the first one to dislike Elena, too.


    ¡°Pretty well,¡± I said. ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna see him again soon, maybe take Elio.¡±


    Alessandro¡¯s mouth hardened into a thin line. ¡°Elio, huh? Is it safe for him to be leaving thepound like that?¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°He goes to the park once a week.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Alessandro muttered. ¡°Just... keep me in the loop, okay? Against all odds, I care about the stupid kid.¡±


    I took a deep breath to tell him to back off, but I released it. Alessandro worried because he didn¡¯t have a better way to show he cared about people. And he¡¯d been unexpectedly tactful in his approach. If he only ever asked circuitous, suggestive questions, I could live with that.


    We dropped the bowls off in the kitchen to be washed and headed for the dining room, where Gio was strapping Elio into his high chair. Our son was mercifully paint-free, but I couldn¡¯t say the same for Gio. His pants alone had escaped the carnage. The suit jacket dangling off his chair was smeared with every color I¡¯d purchased, his white shirt could no longer be called such, and the blue on his cheek remained.


    To be fair, I wasn¡¯t in a much better state. I¡¯d pulled out a T-shirt and exercise shorts I kept dedicated for painting, so I bore not only today¡¯s stains but years of ground-in color. Even Alessandro had a little paint on his shirt from the trip to the kitchen.


    Dahlia flounced in wearing a highlighter-yellow cocktail dress paneled with ck piping creating a mosaic pattern. She took in the rest of our mess and pouted a little.


    ¡°I guess Elio and I are in charge of looking good tonight.¡±


    Maria came out with family-style tters of food. Tonight, it was fettine alfredo for the adults and in fettine for Elio, who picked up handfuls of the pasta to shove into his mouth.


    We ate and talked, lingering over our meal despite whatever urgent business brought Alessandro to the house. Thanks to Dahlia, the conversation didn¡¯t circle around to Salvatore once. Every time she saw it going down that route, she threw out a new ridiculous hypothetical, which Alessandro descended on with the voracity of a bear, drawing the rest of us in. By the end of the meal, I was in stitches from trying to force Gio to choose between living in Disnend or Disney World, neither of which he¡¯d ever been to.


    He pushed his chair back from the table. ¡°It seems, to defend my honor and my bedroom, I have to bring this evening to a close.¡±


    Dahlia, Alessandro, and I groaned. Elio smacked his hand in the remainder of his pasta, scattering bits of half-chewed fettucine everywhere.


    ¡°We can¡¯t exactly sit here until my son falls asleep at the table.¡± He smiled softly.


    ¡°Seep!¡± Elio crowed.


    I leaned over to Dahlia and whispered, ¡°Can you take him for a couple of minutes? I need to catch Gio before whatever Alessandro cooked up.¡±


    She nodded.


    Gio stood. ¡°I need a minute to get my paper in order, but after that, Alessandro, please join me in my office.¡±


    Alessandro nodded sharply and began helping Maria clear tes. Gio kissed me on the head, circled the table to kiss Elio, and began walking away.


    I darted after him and caught him on the stairs with a hand on his elbow. Part of me nagged that this was a very exposed ce to be talking, but I didn¡¯t have any secrets to share. I was just asking my husband to go to lunch with my father. That was okay.


    Gio turned to me with a surprised look on his face. ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is!¡± I blurted nervously. ¡°I mean, yes. I just had something I wanted to ask you without an audience.¡±


    Gio¡¯s eyes darkened, and he took a step closer, his body pressing into my space. ¡°And what is that, carina?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Not that sort of thing.¡±


    Gio pursed his lips and stepped back.


    ¡°Sal called,¡± I said. ¡°And you promised to trust my instincts.¡±


    He nodded slowly. ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°He wants to go to lunch tomorrow, and he wants me to bring Elio and¡ª¡±


    ¡°I will be in attendance,¡± Gio said abruptly.


    I huffed. ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that. I told him on the phone you would.¡±


    Gio shrugged helplessly. ¡°I am trusting your instincts. I will go to lunch, and I will be reasonable. I simply don¡¯t think you alone should take our baby to meet any strange man.¡±


    A willful instinct rose up in me, suggesting I take Elio to meet the first strange man I came across just to prove him wrong, but I swallowed it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t go anywhere alone,¡± I reminded him. ¡°I always have my guards.¡±


    ¡°I know, I just¨C¡± He ran a hand through his hair. ¡°I would feel better if I could see him.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°I think you should go. I just wanted to make sure you remembered that, because I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re always going to be able toe.¡±


    ¡°Always?¡± he asked. ¡°So you¡¯re settled on doing this again?¡±


    I pulled up short. I hadn¡¯t meant to say that. This lunch was supposed to be another test.


    Alessandro stepped out of the dining room and looked up at us.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet,¡± I said honestly. ¡°All I know is that you can¡¯t put yourself between him and us forever if I do decide that.¡±


    I turned and walked down the stairs. Behind me, I heard Gio tell Alessandro he needed another minute yet.


    In the dining room, Dahlia lifted Elio out of his chair. He looked alert and excited. He wouldn¡¯t be going down without a little ytime.


    I held out my arms for him, and Dahlia passed him over easily.


    ¡°Does somebody want to go outside for a little?¡± I cooed.


    ¡°I do,¡± Dahlia said. ¡°But this dress doesn¡¯t sit great.¡±


    ¡°Should somebody not have dressed up for a regr night in?¡± I asked Elio.


    He pped andughed.


    ¡°Harsh.¡± Dahlia shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you out back.¡±


    I carried Elio to the back door, grabbing one of our pic nkets on the way. My mom always said a little evening air toughened up a baby¡¯s lungs, and I wanted him to have every advantage in life.


    I got him settled and started a round of patty-cake, one of his new favorite games. His eyes sparkled, and hisugh sounded like a thousand bells. I couldn¡¯t imagine leaving him, even to protect him. I would find a way to hide us together if push came to shove.


    Could I really trust Salvatore if he wouldn¡¯t make the same choice?


    I took a deep breath and remembered eight-year-old Olivia crying at the back of the ssroom. I kept thinking about him, kept saying I wanted more when people asked.


    Elio fell over giggling, and I realized the truth.


    I wanted a rtionship with my dad.

 Chapter 457 : Groundhog Day

    <h4>Chapter 457: Chapter 457 : Groundhog Day</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I stood behind my desk, staring out through the old, multi-paned window into the garden below, where I could see Dahlia and Olivia ying some sort of pping game with Elio on a pic nket in the evening light.


    Olivia missed a step intentionally, and Elio toppled backward, clearly ovee by giggles. A slow smile crept over my face, but it was tinged with frustration. I knew I should be down there with them, enjoying the time after dinner with my family. Instead, I was waiting up here to speak to Alessandro, who¡¯d requested a moment to gather his thoughts.


    I crossed my arms and turned away from the window. I didn¡¯t know exactly what Alessandro wished to speak with me about, but the only reason he would have called a lunch meeting was if he wanted to keep it away from Olivia. We had a mostly open-door policy these days, but she rarely cared about my work thiste in the evening.


    A single, firm knock came on the door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I called, letting the mantle of the don settle over my shoulders as I sat in my chair.


    Alessandro pushed the door open and closed it quickly behind him. His brow was furrowed, and the set of his shoulders looked secretive, but I couldn¡¯t tell anything else from his posture alone.


    He strode to the middle of the room and stood with his hands folded behind his back. I smiled. Gabriele had gotten through to him about propriety, at least somewhat.


    ¡°I want to talk about Salvatore,¡± he said.


    I sighed. I probably should have guessed. Alessandro had finely honed people skills and an increasing tendency toward paranoia.


    ¡°What about him?¡± I asked.


    He leaned forward. ¡°You have people looking into him, right? It¡¯s weird that he just showed up out of the blue.¡±


    I nodded, trying to restrain my own frustration about the matter. Alessandro needed a firm hand to keep from rocketing off on his own, and if I admitted my own distrust in Olivia¡¯s father, it would only spur him on.


    ¡°Gabriele has a team on it,¡± I said. ¡°But we haven¡¯t found much yet.¡±


    Alessandro huffed out a breath. ¡°I feel like we¡¯re living in a Groundhog Day situation, but I don¡¯t have a good feeling about him.¡±


    I chuckled bitterly. ¡°I understand the feeling, but this is Olivia¡¯s father. We can¡¯t go off half-cocked.¡±


    ¡°I bet she could find out more.¡± He leaned forward, excitement lighting his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s gotta let his guard down around her, right? So he¡¯d probably let something slip if she asked the right questions.¡±


    I pulled a pen out of my desk and made a quick note to give myself a moment topose an answer. Sometimes Alessandro reminded me too much of all my worst instincts. I¡¯d had the exact same thought in the dead of night a few days ago, lying awake while Olivia slept beside me. Of course, she could get the information we needed. But I could never ask that of her.


    I remembered the blend of tremulous hope and impotent rage in her eyes when she offered me the DNA test, the lightness in her voice after he swore her mother deserved a better man than him. My wonderful, optimistic wife wanted a rtionship with her father, despite what he¡¯d done. I couldn¡¯t let her in on my dark suspicions, the paranoia that curled in my heart, and I wouldn¡¯t let Alessandro do it either.


    The note on the paper in front of me read, ¡°Distract him.¡±


    I took a deep breath. ¡°I think you¡¯re more on the nose with your Groundhog Dayparison than either of us would like. The Elena situation obviously got messy, but I think some of that should be attributed to everybody flinging suspicions this way and that without any proof.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡± he started.


    I held up a hand and he stopped. I inclined my head graciously.


    ¡°I only mean to say I don¡¯t want Olivia brought into this until we have proof.¡± I tried for a smile, but it felt hollow on my face. ¡°It is her father, after all.¡±


    Alessandro furrowed his eyebrows but nodded. ¡°So, what, are we just gonna let Gabriele research him until hees up with nothing again?¡±


    I stood, carefully keeping the reins on my temper and not betraying I¡¯d felt the same worry when Gabriele¡¯s first report hadn¡¯t turned up anything of note.


    ¡°Alessandro Valentino, I know I don¡¯t need to remind you to watch your tongue. Gabriele is my right hand, my consigliere, and I will not allow disrespect on his name.¡±


    Alessandro dropped his gaze to the ground and took a step back. I hadn¡¯t realized how close he¡¯d gotten in his excitement, several feet from where Gabriele would have told him to stand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Don. I¡¯m just worried about family,¡± he muttered.


    My heart twinged. He really was still just a kid, and Elio was more than a cousin¡¯s child, more like a nephew to him. He¡¯d even started hanging out with my son, now that Elio knew a few words and games Alessandro could at least understand.


    I remained standing but leaned easily against the desk. Slights like that wouldn¡¯t be permitted, but he was forgiven.


    ¡°We need some proof before we approach Olivia,¡± I said in a more genial tone.


    His head shot back up, and he nodded. ¡°I agree, but I don¡¯t know if a background check is going to do it.¡±


    I twisted the paper in front of me. Distract him.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take some of your men and tail him?¡± I offered. I did want to know what Sal was up to. He hadn¡¯t mentioned any form of gainful employment at our lunch the other day, only that he was new to the city and looking to set up shop if we were going to stay here.


    I¡¯d intended to be tactfully nomittal, but Olivia had zed ahead and told him she considered Florence her home and wouldn¡¯t leave unless something drastic changed. He¡¯d nodded and said some nonsense about understanding how she could fall in love with a ce this beautiful.


    I gritted my teeth. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Sal kept leaving our encounters with more new information than I got.


    Alessandro grinned. ¡°I have just the guys for it. Total ckout on this?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± I sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell any of the guys who regrly guard her. Dom, Tino¨Cthey¡¯re all on the outs. Anybody else can know.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Gotcha. Focus points?¡±


    I ran back through the lunch in my head. He hadn¡¯t mentioned any friends, any hobbies. The car he¡¯d gotten out of seemed like a regr junker, and I had no idea where he lived. Whenever we pressed for details on him, he told us about life in Florida before he went undercover or said that he was just starting to rebuild.


    I rubbed the back of my neck. I wanted to know who he was running from, if anyone, and what he¡¯d done to piss them off. I wanted to know if he actually wanted a rtionship with my wife or if he was using her for some purpose I hadn¡¯te up with. I wanted to know if I could trust him around my son. But I couldn¡¯t say any of that while seeming like a Don, and I certainly couldn¡¯t say it without Alessandro flying off the handle and doing something foolish.


    ¡°I want to know what he does for a living,¡± I said finally, ¡°and how he spends his days. Take particr note of anyone he talks to who doesn¡¯t seem like a regr Florentine¨Cheavy tattoos, always wearing a hat, strange meeting ces... the usual.¡±


    Alessandro nodded sharply, one step away from saluting. ¡°We¡¯ll be his shadow until you call us off.¡±


    I circled the desk. I couldn¡¯t stand being in my office anymore, turning the Sal problem over uselessly. I wanted to see my wife and son. The paintings of the Dons around my desk red down at me, using me of being more of a family man than Family man, but I ignored them and pped Alessandro on the shoulder.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have anyone else doing it,¡± I said honestly. I¡¯d made up the job to keep him from worrying Olivia more than necessary, but it would be nice to have a better sense of where Sal was when I wasn¡¯t looking at him. Even just knowing how he found the money to live in the city would settle my nerves a little.


    Alessandro grinned up at me, and we left the office together. I locked the door behind me, a new habit I¡¯d picked up to keep from wandering in on my way somewhere else to peruse a document or two, and strode off down the stairs to find my wife in the garden.


    On the way, I passed Dahlia, creeping back inside with her shoes in hand. She smiled at me.


    ¡°Done being the king of Italy?¡± she teased.


    I smiled. Family always came first, but I couldn¡¯t say I¡¯d initially been excited to host my third cousin for the summer. Now, seeing how much love she had in her heart for Olivia and Elio, my distant cousin had be a dear part of my life.


    ¡°You know your brother.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°Well, you missed all the excitement.¡± She gestured with her shoes, the wooden heels cking together. ¡°I¡¯ming back in because the other two just passed out at the swing.¡±


    A very different time I¡¯d found Olivia in the swing suddenly rushed to the front of my memory, when she¡¯d screamed at me for how unsafe my work made her feel. That she could nap in the yard with our son was just a sign of how far we had alle in the year since Dmitri. I didn¡¯t want to let anything take her back to that tense, nervous ce.


    And the truth was, however difficult the situation with Elena got, there had never really been life-or-death danger. Something about Sal made me unwilling to say the same thing about him just yet.


    I caught Alessandro¡¯s eye as he passed the two of us in the hall, and he grinned.


    Dahlia furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Everything good? I know his up-to-something smile.¡±


    I took a deep breath and considered my cousin. For all that she was Olivia¡¯s best friend, she¡¯d also been in the life longer and understood the value of caution.


    ¡°I just asked him to double-check some elements of the background we¡¯re running on Salvatore,¡± I answered. ¡°Nothing troubling, but Alessandro worries, so he¡¯s pleased to be involved.¡±


    She nodded slowly. ¡°You know how excited she is about this, right?¡±


    She¡¯de home glowing from our lunch the other day. She couldn¡¯t stop talking about how good he was with Elio, and how she really thought there might be a future for them.


    ¡°I know,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m keeping as much of the checking from her as possible.¡±


    Dahlia whacked me with her shoes. ¡°Don¡¯t shut her out. Just be careful.¡±


    I rubbed my arm. ¡°Noted.¡±


    With that, she moved on past me, heading for her room.


    I exited into the garden. Just like Dahlia warned, Olivia and Elio were curled up on the swing in the corner of the yard, the pic nket folded up under Olivia¡¯s head. I snuck a little closer.


    Protected from the moonlight, Elio sprawled across Olivia¡¯s chest with a sticky hand fisted in her hair. His mouth had fallen open, and a small puddle of drool collected on Olivia¡¯s white T-shirt. Oliva rested a hand protectively on his small back, her hair syed out around her head, and their chests rose and fell in unison.


    I smiled and sat on the ground nearby to simply watch them sleep. I would do anything to protect this hard-fought family of mine, I knew. And that included taking Salvatore out of the picture if he turned out to be lying.


    I just hoped Olivia wouldn¡¯t hate me when the dust settled.

 Chapter 458 : In the Lion’s Den

    <h4>Chapter 458: Chapter 458 : In the Lion¡¯s Den</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Peek-a-boo!¡± I yelled, sending Elio into a fit of screaming giggles.


    My phone rang, vibrating the coffee table I¡¯d left it on.


    ¡°Mama¡¯s gotta check her phone,¡± I cooed as I scooped him up.


    The pediatrician had said that the more we talked to him, the quicker he would pick upnguage, and that meant I spent about half my days chattering away at him.


    I bent to scoop up the phone. Sal¡¯s name lit the screen, though I hadn¡¯t set a picture for him yet.


    I hesitated a moment before picking up the call. Hadn¡¯t set it yet? Thest few meetings had been great, and I was excited, but was I that certain he would be a part of my life?


    I picked up the call before I could overthink this.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked.


    His voice crackled over the line, still warm despite the distortion. ¡°Livi! Just calling to check in on you and my favorite grandson.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°He¡¯s your only grandson, to my knowledge.¡±


    Heughed with me, and I was surprised at how simr the sound was.


    ¡°It was wonderful to see him the other day,¡± he said.


    I bounced Elio on my hip, and he babbled. On the other end of the line, Sal gasped.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s one heck of a phone voice he¡¯s got already!¡±


    I smiled down at my beautiful son. ¡°That¡¯s my Elio, an overachiever just like his parents.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to see him again soon,¡± Sal said suddenly.


    I bounced Elio a little more. ¡°I¡¯d love to see you too! There¡¯s a new restaurant just down the street¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± he interrupted. ¡°I was thinking we might be past that. It¡¯s a little impersonal, all these restaurants.¡±


    I hummed a song to Elio. I couldn¡¯t exactly disagree. It felt like before we knew Elena, when our life was a series of cafes and fancy dinners. And I¡¯d just been thinking about whether I wanted him in my life permanently.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I put you on the spot,¡± he said after I¡¯d been quiet a moment. ¡°I just want to get to know you like family. Maybe I cane back over to your ce, or you cane to mine. I just want to see the two of you somewhere nobody¡¯ll ask if my te¡¯s alright, you know?¡±


    The more he exined, the more reasonable it sounded.


    ¡°I¡¯d have to talk to Gio about youing back over here, but I coulde your way,¡± I said.


    ¡°Great!¡± A bit of clinking and rattling sounded over the line, like he¡¯d just put something down. ¡°When are you thinking? Are you free today?¡±


    I cast a nce at the ceiling. Gio had said he¡¯d be in meetings all afternoon, and we¡¯d probably have ate dinner.


    ¡°I can actuallye over for a little this afternoon,¡± I said. ¡°Elio¡¯s not due for a nap for a couple of hours yet.¡±


    ¡°Fantastic! Can¡¯t wait to see you, kiddo.¡± He gave me his address, an apartment building in a different part of Florence, but no more than a half hour¡¯s drive away, and we hung up.


    I looked at Elio. ¡°Alright, little man, you ready for a field trip? You just can¡¯t tell Papa.¡±


    Elio nodded solemnly like he understood. Iughed and whisked into the hallway to change both of us before leaving.


    I didn¡¯t actually intend to keep it from Gio in the long run. I¡¯d tell him as soon as we got home, or sooner if he realized we were gone. I just knew he¡¯d stop me if I told him now, and I wanted a chance to get to know Sal like family, just like he said.


    Dahlia stepped into the hallway just as I entered it, carrying a backpack and clearly on her way home from school.


    ¡°Somebody looks sunshine-y,¡± she said.


    I grinned at her. ¡°Somebody¡¯s going to go see where their¡ªwhere Salvatore lives and hang out for a little.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Does Gio know?¡±


    I shook my head and tried to keep my tone light so as not to rm Elio. ¡°Nope! I¡¯m gonna tell him when I get home so he can¡¯t freak out.¡±


    ¡°I hate being the middleman,¡± Dahliained, but she couldn¡¯t help smiling when Elio waved a chubby fist at her. ¡°Alright. Give me the address, and I¡¯ll keep him out of your hair as long as I can.¡±


    I smiled and rattled it off.


    Fifteen minutester, Elio and I were dressed and packed into the back of the safety-tested SUV Gio insisted on getting after Elio was born. His car seat was always set up in the back, and he didn¡¯t travel in anything else. Gio had been like a madman in the weeks right after Elio was born, making sure there was nothing in our dangerous lives that could hurt him before he could even get out of the crib.


    I chewed my bottom lip. Gio¡¯s protectiveness about my father, Salvatore¡ªI still didn¡¯t exactly know what to call him¡ªbut Gio¡¯s distrust of the man sprang from the same instinct, I knew. But I¡¯d told him before, and I¡¯d say it again. I couldn¡¯t live my life looking over my shoulder.


    We pulled up outside an apartmentplex, bigger than the sagging Florentine house Elena lived in, but shabbier and more modern. I took a deep breath. He hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about a job quite yet, and it seemed he was still getting his footing in the city.


    I unstrapped Elio and climbed out with him in my arms. Dom and Tino got out, leaving the driver to park the car and wait until we were done.


    I led them to the third-floor breezeway Salvatore indicated on the phone and knocked.


    He swung open the door with a huge grin on his face but froze for a moment when he saw the two huge Italian men at my back. It seemed more like surprise than anything else, because his grin widened when heid eyes on Elio, and he became animated once more.


    ¡°Look at you! I almost feel bad I had to drag you to this part of town,¡± he said. ¡°Come in,e in. I pulled out some snacks, if you want them. Best I can do for little Elio is saltines, but I figure that¡¯s alright, right?¡±


    ¡°He can have a few saltines, especially if I knock a little of the salt off,¡± I said with a smile.


    I stepped inside, and Dom stepped in with me, leaving Tino to watch the door.


    Sal hesitated again. ¡°Does he have toe in?¡±


    I nced at Dom and shrugged. I¡¯d gotten so used to him following me everywhere that I hardly noticed anymore.


    ¡°I mean, yeah?¡± I put Elio down so his legs could get a little exercise, and he clung onto my hand. ¡°Gio¡¯s in a dangerous line of work, like I said, and they act on his orders anyway.¡±


    Sal nodded slowly, his eyes still on Dom in the doorway and his hand on the knob as though he could shut it in the big man¡¯s face.


    He took a step closer. ¡°I know we just met, but in my mind, you¡¯re my little girl, so I gotta say it. Is your Gio a little bossy? Maybe a little controlling? I just can¡¯t think of any line of work that would mean it wasn¡¯t crazy to have two men trailing after you all the time.¡±


    I flinched at the usation. Gio wasn¡¯t controlling. I needed the guys as protection.


    A small voice in the back of my head nagged that I¡¯d snuck out of the house to keep him from stopping me.


    ¡°I promise I can make it make sense to you,¡± I found myself saying. ¡°Just let Dom in and close the door.¡±


    He scrubbed a hand over his face, then stepped back. Dom entered, and Sal closed the door.


    I took the moment to look around the apartment. I stood in a small, slightly grubby kitchen-living roombo. A linoleum table with one vinyl chair held a bag of potato chips and a box of saltines. A brown couch squatted in front of a TV on a folding table that yed some sport on mute. There were two other doors, one slightly cracked to reveal a blue-tiled bathroom. I had to assume thest was the bedroom.


    I understood why Sal wanted toe to our house. He really was still getting his feet under himself.


    I led Elio over to the table a few steps away and put him on the single chair. He couldn¡¯t walk just yet, but he was really getting the hang of cruising, especially with mine or Gio¡¯s hand in his.


    Sal tore his gaze away from Dom and gestured to the table. ¡°Go ahead, help yourselves! I didn¡¯t really have time to run to the market, or I¡¯d have a better array.¡±


    I smiled as I pulled a saltine out of the box. It felt a little stale to the touch, but Elio started babbling and grabbing for it as soon as he saw it.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect. You don¡¯t need to fuss over us.¡±


    He shoved his hands into his pockets. ¡°So, you said you could exin? ¡¯Cause I know he¡¯s got seniority over me, but if he¡¯s mistreating you, I¡¯ll kick that Giovani to the curb.¡±


    Part of me wanted tough at his attempt at parental protectiveness, but the rest rose up defensively around Gio. The guard had been something I¡¯d asked for, basically.


    ¡°We had some... problems for a while,¡± I said quickly. ¡°Gio¡¯s in a line of work that makes a lot of enemies, and not all of his enemies have his moral code.¡± I swallowed. ¡°Dahlia and Alessandro were kidnapped.¡±


    Sal screwed up his mouth. ¡°What did you say Giovani does again? And I don¡¯t know how other people getting hurt justifies this.¡±


    I handed Elio the cracker. ¡°They threatened me as well.¡±


    ¡°How long ago was this?¡± Sal asked. ¡°A threat could be made up to justify keeping an eye on you.¡±


    I raked a hand through my hair, then smiled as I realized how Gio of a gesture that was. I loved my husband, and I knew he wasn¡¯t being overprotective. I just had to say whatever I needed to in order to make Sal understand.


    ¡°Dom here took Dahlia and me to get gto during those problems,¡± I said finally. ¡°A man with a gun showed up and would have killed us both if Dom didn¡¯t intervene. I owe him my life, and I¡¯d like him to stay.¡±


    Sal sighed, but some of the tension went out of his stance, and he finally looked away from Dom.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I can tell you¡¯re set on this.¡± He walked over to Elio, gumming happily at the cracker, and ruffled his hair. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll put up with just about anything to see this little guy.¡±


    The afternoon passed quickly. Sal turned out to be a great listener, and he had loads of interesting stories about Mom when she was younger. Before she had me, before he left, she¡¯d been the talk of Miami, or at least, the Miami dive bar scene¨Cbeautiful enough to draw heads wherever she went, never drinking on her own dime, and the best dancer the state had ever seen, if you believed Sal.


    What I liked best about all the stories was the faraway look in his eyes when he described how thrilling it was to walk into a bar with her on his arm. Maybe I was just a romantic, but it really seemed like he missed her.


    After a few hours, Elio began fussing. I checked my watch and found it had be five when I wasn¡¯t looking. I scooped up my grumpy son and stood.


    ¡°This was fun,¡± I said. ¡°Really. But I¡¯d better get Elio to his naptime.¡±


    Sal stood with me. ¡°I told you it¡¯d be better than a restaurant.¡±


    ¡°You were right.¡± I bit my lip. I¡¯d considered it earlier, but this only shored up my belief. I wanted him in my life. ¡°We should do this again sometime.¡±


    His face lit up just as Elio began wailing in earnest. I pulled out a pacifier, but I had to get him down in the next half hour or we¡¯d have a full meltdown on our hands.


    I waved my goodbyes and hurried out. The driver raced back to thepound, because all Gio¡¯s guys knew the horror of Elio¡¯s meltdowns by now, and we were back at thepound before I knew it.


    I opened the door and stepped inside, all my attention on getting Elio down as quickly as possible.


    Gio stood at the foot of the stairs with his arms crossed. ¡°We need to talk.¡±

 Chapter 459 : The First Shoe Drops

    <h4>Chapter 459: Chapter 459 : The First Shoe Drops</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I stood at the foot of the stairs, nearly vibrating with worry. I had to keep my arms crossed to be certain Olivia wouldn¡¯t see me shaking.


    She frowned. ¡°Is this about me going out? I¡¯m my own person, I should be able to¡ª¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Please, can we talk in the room?¡±


    She bit her lower lip but nodded. I breathed a small sigh of relief and led the way.


    As soon as the door closed behind us, I put my arms out for Elio. She let me take him, still hesitant, and I buried my nose in his hair.


    The brief burst of terror that raced through me when Tino texted that they were at Salvatore¡¯s house finally abated as I inhaled his scent. He still smelled like my boy, like the soap Olivia picked out for him and the diaper lotion we used when he got rashes. Sure, there was a little bit of cigarette smoke clinging to his curls from the rathole he¡¯d been dragged to, but above all else, he was my son, and he was safe.


    I would¡¯ve swept Olivia into the same sort of hug if I thought she would tolerate it. Instead, she stared at me, concern and frustration warring in her features as she tapped her foot and waited for me to exin.


    I savored Elio¡¯s warm weight for another moment in ce of checking his mother to see if she was equally okay.


    ¡°What, Gio?¡± she snapped. ¡°Did you just pull me in here for Elio? Because he¡¯s getting there, but he¡¯s not much of a conversationalist yet.¡±


    I sighed. I knew I should have handled the approach differently, but with fear vibrating in my veins, I couldn¡¯te up with anything smoother.


    ¡°I¡¯ve irritated you. I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t want to fight with her. In fact, I needed her to listen to me. I finally had my first bit of proof.


    Her brow smoothed a little. ¡°So you¡¯re not just going to yell at me for going to my¡ªSal¡¯s?¡±


    I shook my head, and she took a deep breath.


    ¡°Okay.¡± She uncrossed her arms and moved to the couch. ¡°I maybe wouldn¡¯t wait in the front room with your arms crossed next time. It screams with a ¡®you-missed-your-curfew¡¯ vibe.¡±


    I chuckled, trying to feel at ease. I needed her to listen, I reminded myself. She was too independent. I couldn¡¯t protect her if I couldn¡¯t make her understand why I needed to.


    ¡°I do want to talk about Sal, though,¡± I said slowly, bracing for her reaction.


    A bit of the ease left her posture, and she eyed me a bit suspiciously. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Tino texted me when you got there,¡± I admitted.


    She scowled, and I felt a little bad for the man. Being the target of Olivia¡¯s anger was never pleasant.


    ¡°I had Gabriele run the address, just in case,¡± I continued. ¡°And something came up.¡±


    She furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Something came up about his address?¡±


    The worry threatened to overwhelm me again. If Tino¡¯s text had been upsetting, Gabriele¡¯s discovery had driven me over the edge.


    ¡°He lives in Russian territory,¡± I blurted out. ¡°Or at least, the territory the Russians held when they were here. It seems like he might be using you to get to me for them.¡±


    A storm cloud gathered on her brow. She looked at Elio, who was fussing slightly in my arms.


    ¡°He needs his nap,¡± she said carefully. ¡°Do you want to put him down or should I?¡±


    I offered him to her silently. I didn¡¯t like how even her voice had gotten, and I didn¡¯t like how she looked at Elio like a piece of ssware that needed to be removed before one of the siblings¡¯ riskier games.


    She whisked him into the nursery, crooned a few songs, and he fell asleep easily. She shut the door behind him and jerked her head toward our bedroom. I got up and trudged into the room. Olivia followed icily and closed that door between us and Elio as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to say this quietly, because he was alreadyte for his nap,¡± she said. ¡°But understand that I am not thrilled. Are you looking for reasons to dislike my dad?¡±


    I took a step back as though her words were a blow. How could she think that, when all I wanted was to protect her, and our son? Worse, she¡¯d never called him her dad before, not seriously like this, at least not where I could hear. Real hurt zed in her eyes, and I realized with sinking terror that something had happened this afternoon to make her really, genuinely ept him into her life.


    I¡¯d missed my opportunity, and everything from here on would be an uphill battle.


    ¡°No, Olivia.¡± I scrubbed my hand across my face. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to dislike him. It might seem like nothing to you, but it might be the only warning sign we get before things go south.¡±


    ¡°Go south?¡± she hissed. ¡°Just what do you think is going to happen?¡±


    I threw my hands in the air. I¡¯d blown it. She was already mad.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! Maybe he¡¯ll try to kiss me and run away with our baby.¡±


    Her mouth settled into a hard line, and I knew I¡¯d made a mistake. Fuck.


    I took a step closer, and she stepped back. I winced.


    ¡°I only mean to say I thought you should know,¡± I murmured.


    She did not look appeased. ¡°Christ, Gio, if you¡¯d seen the ce, you wouldn¡¯t be saying half of this. Heined about the way it looked half the time I was there. He¡¯s renting where he can afford. Maybe the neighborhood went to shit after you took the Russians down.¡±


    I felt my temper begin to boil in my veins. I wanted to be kind, wanted to be gracious, but that sounded very like she was defending the Russian mafia.


    ¡°I¡¯m only trying to protect you and our son, like a husband and father should. Why do you always have to think the worst of me? You freaked out when I first said I didn¡¯t trust Elena, and now this. Look who was right about Elena?¡±


    ¡°Me!¡± she yelled.


    We both nced at the door, waiting for the telltale cry of our sleepless son. Nothing came.


    ¡°I was right,¡± she hissed. ¡°Because you backed down as soon as she started showing.¡±


    I ran a hand through my hair. Of course, I shouldn¡¯t have brought up the Elena thing.


    ¡°Fine, alright, you have me there,¡± I said. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that you always freak out when I tell you I¡¯m looking into someone.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes. ¡°What exactly does ¡®looking into¡¯ mean in this context?¡±


    I looked at the floor. ¡°Background checks.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± she prompted.


    ¡°And a little more. He admitted to mafia connections, but he won¡¯t tell us what family. That¡¯s enough to get my hackles up.¡±


    She threw her hands in the air and stormed toward the French doors. ¡°You and your hackles. You just can¡¯t trust anybody, can you?¡±


    I followed her, caught her about the waist. Maybe I could still get this back on track.


    ¡°I trust you,¡± I murmured into her ear.


    She whirled in my arms, eyes still zing. ¡°Do you, Gio? Because it really doesn¡¯t seem like it right now. I tell you I want to see whether this man is worth getting to know, decide that he is, and as soon as I start really liking him, suddenly you¡¯re the dad police!¡±


    I released her quickly. ¡°When have I done anything but try to protect you? You always jump to these worst cases when I suggest someone might have bad intentions or be using you to get to me.¡±


    She scoffed and stormed away again. ¡°You always suggest that about anyone new I started to like. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d say you got jealous when I started giving other people my attention. Is that why you have people following me around all the time?¡±


    I nched, and she froze. Olivia turned back slowly, guilt in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I know the world is dangerous, and I know you¡¯re not just trying to be controlling.¡±


    I kept my distance, even though her rage seemed to have banked. I¡¯d spent all this time worrying about overstepping her boundaries to protect her. I didn¡¯t think she was right. I loved the way her eyes lit up after spending time with Elena now. But I knew all sorts of stories about controlling Dons ruining the lives of their wives and girlfriends, all in the name of keeping them safe. I swore I¡¯d never be them.


    She took a tentative step closer. ¡°I mean it, Gio. I don¡¯t think that about you. Something Sal said got in my head, and I was just mad.¡±


    I swallowed against my fear as rm bells started going off in my head. Something Sal said? Was he trying to drive us apart?


    If I knew anything at all about my wife, I knew I couldn¡¯t say that now if I ever wanted her to listen to me.


    ¡°I just wanted you to have all the information,¡± I said slowly. ¡°So you could make your own decision.¡±


    She sighed and closed the distance between us a little further. ¡°I should have let you say that. I just know how you get when you think safety¡¯s on the line, and I really believe he just wants to have a rtionship with me. I don¡¯t know what happened before, and to some extent, I don¡¯t care.¡± This close, I could see tears filling her eyes. ¡°All I wanted as a kid was a parent who was around, and he seems intent on staying wherever we are. I have to give him a chance.¡±


    My heart squeezed, but the suspicion didn¡¯t abate. It couldn¡¯t, not really, not knowing his past.


    I took the final step and enfolded her in my arms. ¡°I understand that, carina. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do to have parents in my life anymore, and I¡¯m thrilled you might get to have yours.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why it hurts so much when you say he just wants to get to you.¡± She buried her face in my chest and wrapped her arms around me. ¡°It makes me feel like you think I don¡¯t matter to my own dad.¡±


    I pressed a kiss to the top of her head and closed my eyes. Of course, it would feel like that. My beautiful wife wore her heart on her sleeve, and that meant every emotion red up at the slightest provocation. I stored the information away for the next time I needed to approach her about Salvatore.


    Because whatever she believed, whatever she wanted, I knew deep in my gut that there would be another time.


    ¡°I will keep that in mind for the future,¡± I murmured into her hair. ¡°I never want you to feel less than important.¡±


    We stood like that for a long time, until Elio stirred in the other room.


    I broke the hold first.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two. I have a little more work to do.¡±


    She smiled up at me and pressed a kiss to my lips. ¡°Don¡¯t be out toote.¡±


    I left the room, wondering how much proof I would need before she listened to me now.

 Chapter 460 : Wishful Thinking

    <h4>Chapter 460: Chapter 460 : Wishful Thinking</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I whispered the first line of Hey, Diddle, Diddle in a sing-song voice, gently stroking Elio¡¯s little pudgy belly as hey beside me. His brown eyes stared into mine, little feet already poking out of the soft baby nket with his name embroidered on it.


    The nursery was empty except for us, the two of usying in his crib. It didn¡¯t feel nearly as cramped as it had thest time I¡¯d slept in here¨Cnot when little Elio¡¯s smile was so bright.


    I continued the old nursery rhyme, hoping to soothe Elio back into his nap, but it was only doing the opposite it seemed, as he burst out with a ¡°Meow!¡±


    I giggled,ying a kiss on his curly hair. ¡°That¡¯s right. Cats say meow.¡±


    ¡°Meow!¡± Elioughed joyfully, finding the word much funnier than it was. The little excitement he got whenever he learned something new was infectious, and I found myself grinning along with him as he grabbed onto locks of my long hair, pulling.


    I fullyid my head on the mattress, letting him tug on my hair as he wanted. I continued the next line about the cow with a soft croon.


    ¡°Moo,¡± Elio giggled, stuffing his fist full of my hair into his mouth and drooling on it. I rolled my eyes, making a mental note to wash it after he fell back asleep.


    ¡°Sure, good job, baby,¡± I praised him anyway, despite not quite having the word down. One of those spinning speaking toys was his new favorite, though I didn¡¯t quite remember where it came from.


    It was just here one day. But as long as he got enjoyment out of it, who cared? His two favorite animals were the cat and cow, and he¡¯d y it over and over until he got one of the two, probably because he thought it was hrious to shout ¡°moo!¡± or ¡°meow!¡± whenever he got a chance.


    Maybe we could get him a kitten in the future... or a dog.


    Probably not a cow though.


    I read the next line and gave a wide smile as he wiggled excitedly in response. I covered him back up with the nket he¡¯d thrown off and he pouted but settled as he rolled onto his side and went face-first into my chest.


    I finished thest linemely as I had to pull my son from my chest andy him back down on his back. He giggled, finding the whole thing funny.


    ¡°You little jokester,¡± I grinned, tickling his belly and he squealed inughter, rolling to get away from me.


    ¡°Mama! No!¡± he shouted in sheer delight as I dragged him back to me and pulled up his shirt, taking a big breath and blowing into his belly. He shrieked with giggles at the loud raspberries echoing in the room, just in time for the door to open up and for Dahlia to walk in with wide eyes.


    ¡°Does somebody need a diaper change?¡± she asked, only making me dissolve into giggles.


    ¡°Dally!¡± Elio grinned, reaching out his arms to his godmother. He still couldn¡¯t say her name right, but Dahlia seemed to find it all the more adorable. She¡¯d even gotten a mug that said ¡°Elio¡¯s favorite Aunt Dally¡± printed on it.


    ¡°How¡¯s my munchkin?¡± Dahlia grinned, leaning over the bars of the crib to spy on him.


    ¡°We were trying to nap,¡± I told her with a smile. ¡°But it seems like he¡¯s too excited for that.¡±


    Elio sat up on his own, wobbling a bit as he grasped onto the crib bars and pulled himself into standing, his favorite thing to do now that he knew how.


    ¡°Dally!¡± He reached his arms out for her,ughing when she immediately picked him up, settling him on her hip.


    ¡°Sometimes I think he likes you more than me,¡± I grumbled, wincing as I sat up in the crib. My back was sore now from climbing in with him and I once more made myself a reminder not to sleep in the crib, no matter how tempted I was.


    I would probably end up here again in a week or so, anyway.


    He was too cute to deny.


    ¡°Of course he does!¡± Dahlia said proudly, ¡°I¡¯m his favorite Aunt! Right, munchkin?¡±


    He tried to grasp onto the ends of her hair, focusing intently with a little pout. She¡¯d gotten a cut to her shoulders after Elio had discovered how much he liked trying to eat others¡¯ hair and so far, it worked to keep his little hands off her neat cut.


    He huffed, giving up once he couldn¡¯t grab it and instead he clung onto her clothes like a little baby ko.


    ¡°All right, ytime, buddy,¡± Dahlia grinned, sitting him down on the floor. He tried to stand again, making it a few seconds before he fell back onto his butt with a whoosh. He blinked up at us in surprise, then pouted.


    Dahlia and Iughed and I climbed out of the crib to grab his toys. Immediately he gravitated toward the wheel of animal sounds, pulling the lever with a squeal.


    ¡°II polo dice chiia!¡± the wheel said, random chicken noises pouring out in a frenzy.


    Dahlia red at the thing like it had personally assaulted her, and I didn¡¯t me her. We were all getting tired of that stupid thing. Whoever bought it for him was going to get his ass kicked.


    ¡°So,¡± Dahlia said instead, sitting on the plush floor next to Elio. She sent me a small knowing smile and I knew exactly where this was going. ¡°Any idea why Gio stormed off looking more stressed than the top buttons on his shirt?¡±


    I rolled my eyes at her metaphor. ¡°No idea. Why would I?¡± I feigned innocence as I learned for the hundredth time this week what sound a sheep made in Italian.


    It sounded exactly the same in English.


    ¡°Trick question, Olive.¡± She sent me a triumphant look. ¡°I know you know, and I know that you know that I know that you know that I know.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, exasperatedly. I didn¡¯t follow that one bit but by the smug look on her face, she already knew that.


    ¡°I bribed Gabe with cake,¡± she said proudly. ¡°Tiramisu, by the way¨Cgood stuff. Anyway, he told me all about your dad and the background checks Gio¡¯s been running on him. I figured you¡¯d be pissed because of it and you two would¡¯ve fought.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t fight,¡± I denied vehemently. ¡°We just... had a disagreement.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fighting, Olive.¡± She sent me a pointed look.


    ¡°Ugh, fine!¡± I threw my hands in the air. ¡°So what if we had a fight? He shouldn¡¯t have been looking into Sal without telling me, and he certainly should trust me to protect Elio and myself without needing to monitor us twenty-four-seven.¡±


    Dahlia sighed, shaking her head. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what it¡¯s about.¡±


    I sighed, pulling my hair back from my face and wrapping it into a high ponytail with my spare hair tie I kept wrapped around my wrist. Once that was done, I flopped onto my back, staring at the ceiling I¡¯d painted with clouds.


    At night, it would look like a starry sky, but during the day, it was just clouds above.


    ¡°You know I love you, Olive,¡± Dahlia said firmly,ying down beside me. ¡°And it¡¯s because I love you that I have to be honest with you, even if that makes you mad at me.¡±


    I winced, preparing myself for a little bit of her truth-hurts routine.


    ¡°Gio is not in the wrong. It is a good thing that he is looking into Salvatore because it can¡¯t hurt to find out what his motives are.¡±


    ¡°Is it so hard to believe that he might just want a rtionship with me?¡± I sat up, my eyes shining with all the hurt I¡¯d felt. ¡°Am I so unlovable that it¡¯s impossible for him not to have ulterior motives?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even go there, Olive,¡± Dahlia growled, sending me an irritated nce. ¡°You are extremely loved by so many people and sure, it¡¯s possible that... man¨C¡± She spat out like it was a curse word. ¡°¨Cis telling the truth. Maybe he really does just want to be in your life and make up, but you can¡¯t know that for sure. Nobody can!¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°No buts!¡± She hushed me, and Elio unturned to look at us with wide eyes, startled by her statement. She sent him a soft nce. ¡°Sorry, munchkin. Here.¡±


    She leaned over to pull the lever of his toy and his attention was sucked back in as it cried out ¡°Il gatto dice Meow!¡±


    ¡°Meow!¡± he repeated happily, pping like a seal as heughed.


    Dahlia sighed and turned back to me with a softer nce. ¡°If he is in this for the right reasons, then great. All the merrier. But if he¡¯s not¨C¡± She sighed, grabbing my hand and squeezing it tight. ¡°If he¡¯s not, then at least you¡¯ll know. You won¡¯t be blindsided and have Elio and Gio be put at risk with you. Because that¡¯s what you have to think about now. Sal isn¡¯t important. The important ones are your husband who loves you to bits and your son whose annoying toy is driving me nuts.¡±


    She sent said toy an irritated nce as itnded on Meow again and Elio threw his hands above his head, toppling onto his back as he broke down into giggles.


    I smiled at my son, even though I felt like my heart had been stabbed with shards of ss. She was right¨CElio was the most important thing.


    Dahlia nodded at me reassuringly and then stretched her arms above her head as she said, ¡°I have to go take a shower! I¡¯ve got a date. See youter, munchkin.¡±


    She climbed to her feet, rubbing the curls on his hair before she left, shutting the door behind her. This left me and Elio and the toy.


    He stared at me, his wide, innocent eyes hard to ignore as he crawled over to me,nding his little bum right in myp, and then dragged his toy over as well. He gazed up at me expectantly, the toy clutched in his hands, and offered it up to me.


    I sighed, resigning myself to my fate as I gently pulled on the lever. It rotated and we both watched with bated breath before it cried out, ¡°La ma dice Moo!¡±


    ¡°Moo!¡± I shouted just as Elio did as well and I grabbed him into my arms, holding him like a teddy bear as I fell onto my back, pulling him with me and he howled withughter. He happily snuggled into my arms, his giggles fading as he yawned.


    He was getting tired now and I hummed softly, running my hands through his curls as I thought back to everything Dahlia had said.


    I didn¡¯t really know my dad¨CSal¨Cnot truly. Maybe he was honest, maybe he wasn¡¯t. But there was one person who might know whether he was telling the truth or not.


    I fished my phone out of my back pocket, trying not to move Elio as heid on me like I was his pillow. I opened up my phone, flipped it to the speaker phone, andid it beside me. It picked up in the second ring with a groggy, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Mom,¡± I said casually.


    ¡°Hey, baby. How¡¯s everything?¡±


    I hummed. ¡°I wanted to ask you a few questions... about Dad.¡±


    She fell silent, just like she had the few times I had tried to bring him up before she headed back to the States. It was just like whenever I had asked about him as a child, but I was an adult now and I deserved answers.


    ¡°What about him?¡± She sighed, giving up.


    ¡°Did you know he got involved with the mob?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered unhappily. ¡°I knew, but I never got involved with it until I got pregnant with you. That¡¯s when I started begging him to stop. I told him it was getting too dangerous but he just couldn¡¯t. He said he liked the chaos¨Cthe danger and the power that it brought him. It was more important to him than I was.¡±


    Doubt crept into my heart. I thought I had just made up my mind about him but now....


    No, there was no way. I ignored the thoughts, stuffing them away into the back of my mind as I pushed onward.


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s telling the truth that he left to protect us?¡± I asked, preparing for the worst.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know.¡± She sighed. ¡°Could be, but... your father was a dangerous man when I knew him, Olivia. Looking back on it now, I realize how obsessed and conceited he truly was. He testified against his best friend to the police so he could get away scot-free. His only loyalty was to himself. I find it difficult to believe he¡¯s changed, but I honestly can¡¯t say. He could be a different man than he was then. It¡¯s not impossible. Just be careful with him, baby.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I murmured quietly, my mind thrust into turmoil.


    She said goodbye, hanging up, and I stared at the ceiling.


    Elio let out a soft snore and I shut my eyes as I thought back to my childhood. All those times when I was a little girl and I had wished on stars at midnight for my father toe back, to give me a reason for why he wasn¡¯t there¨Cit was the only thing I dreamt of.


    I really wanted this all to work out but as I slipped into unconsciousness, I also had to admit to myself that wishful thinking wouldn¡¯t keep my family safe.

 Chapter 461 : What If She Says No?

    <h4>Chapter 461: Chapter 461 : What If She Says No?</h4>


    *Giovani*


    ¡°Un altro!¡± the chorus of a dozen rowdy men yelled as they mmed their empty beer bottles onto the table.


    I watched it rattle under my hand with an unimpressed look, the dishes clinking and ttering together from the sheer force of the m.


    ¡°Idiots,¡± I said under my breath as I watched one of the men grab another by the head and give him a noogie, boisterousughter ringing throughout the private room I¡¯d paid for. Good thing too, otherwise, we¡¯d have definitely gotten someints.


    The poor terrified server girl stared at us from the corner with an open mouth, taking in a dozen men in their twenties to fifties and drinking like there was no tomorrow.


    ¡°Remind me to give her a huge tip.¡± I sighed, ncing to my right as Gabriele was currently counting the nearly thousand dors he¡¯d just won from the men on a rigged bet with a cunning smirk on his face. ¡°Or better yet, you pay for it.¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± He red at me, holding the money to his chest like it was precious. ¡°This is going for my vacation fund.¡±


    ¡°Please, if you really wanted a vacation, you could take one at any time.¡± I rolled my eyes, grabbing the iced tea I¡¯d so delicately ordered and taking a sip. Like Olivia, I¡¯d been keeping the alcohol to a minimum so we could both stay sober for Elio. I could protect my family better with a clear head. The tea wasn¡¯t great, but what could I expect from a ce that specialized in bar food and alcohol?


    ¡°It¡¯s about the principle,¡± Gabriele said arrogantly, then smirked at the sour look on my face.


    I sneered down at the rtively untouched te of tbread in front of me. I reluctantly took a bite of the tbread, the cold food not appetizing in the least and the taste even worse¨Cboring and nd. Even the food here was mediocre.


    Whoever chose this miserable restaurant was getting fired tomorrow.


    I swallowed, chasing it down with the iced tea and finally giving up on the meal. As I did, Gabriele nced at me with an amused look.


    ¡°I told you you should¡¯ve gotten their spicy vodka rigatoni. It¡¯s a homemade specialty,¡± Gabriele boasted, gesturing to his te that looked like it had been licked clean by a dog. ¡°Delicious.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± I red at him. Even the house special in that ce was suspect.


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡± He shrugged. ¡°But you can stop ring at everyone as if we all dragged you here without your consent. It¡¯s not our fault you¡¯re sober, old man.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the same age as me,¡± I bit out, crossing my arms.


    He grinned, slicking his hair back from his face, ¡°But I¡¯m in better shape.¡±


    ¡°Sei un idiota,¡± I huffed, turning back to the men.


    ¡°E tu sei un demone,¡± Gabriel retorted without a conscience.


    I snorted, making a mental note to dock his pay for that one.


    ¡°You¡¯re both idiotas,¡± Alessandro said, sliding into the seat across from me.


    He had a rather rxed look on him, and I noticed the ripped piece of paper he subtly shoved into his pockets. Considering the obvious looks and slight blush that the female server was throwing at him as she cleaned up the empty dishes, I could put two and two together.


    ¡°And you¡¯re still twenty years too young to be ying with us,¡± Gabriele shot back with a re.


    ¡°Please, I¡¯d kick your ass if you weren¡¯t senior citizens,¡± Alessandro grinned, smugly.


    The two of us shot him identical murderous looks and he backed down with a roll of his eyes.


    ¡°Jeez, touchy,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°Did you find anything else about Salvatore?¡± I asked, eyeing Gabriele from the corner of my eye as the men continued to run wild. They were distracting enough that I¡¯d forgotten my real purpose foring here.


    ¡°Olivia¡¯s sperm donor?¡± Alessandro asked, turning to me with a pissed look, ¡°What about that asshole?¡±


    ¡°I was having Gabriele look into him to see if his story holds up,¡± I exined, then I turned expectantly to Gabriele.


    ¡°Well, I did,¡± Gabriel nodded slowly, tucking his newly won cash into his breast pocket. He gave me a serious look. ¡°That mob he said he got involved with, I¡¯m ny-nine percent sure it was the Zaytsevs.¡±


    I stiffened, giving him a stern nce.


    ¡°Fuck that bastard.¡± Alessandro clenched his fists together, just as angry as I felt by the news.


    It wasn¡¯t unexpectant though. I¡¯d had my doubts from the moment he¡¯d said he got involved with a mob, especially in James¡¯ territory.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Well, I asked around but since Dmitri got taken down, nobody has been willing to step up to the te. They¡¯re all terrified we¡¯ll go after them for revenge.¡±


    They should be, i thought.


    ¡°I did manage to track down a few former members, though,¡± Gabriele said casually. ¡°A few drinkster, they were spilling everything. Apparently, Dmitri started his revenge down in Florida where Olivia grew up. He was trying to get to James, I suspect, and rebuilding undercover. He ended up recruiting hundreds of cannon fodder goons¨Cpeople who had no real idea of what they were getting into... disposable, I guess. The former member recognized Salvatore, though he went by Cmity back then.¡±


    ¡°Cmity?¡± I snorted, half in disbelief and half in humor at the ridiculous name... like something a middle schooler pretending to be a superviin would choose.


    ¡°Figures he¡¯d pick something that stupid.¡± Alessandro crossed his arms unhappily and I silently agreed with him. Salvatore did not seem like a very intelligent man.


    A cunning one, yes, but on sheer intelligence? His brain was the size of a walnut by my standards, especially if he could leave Olivia and her mother, no matter the reason.


    I would never abandon my family.


    Gabriele shrugged. ¡°Apparently, they all got to choose new names to go by and that¡¯s what he chose.¡±


    ¡°So Dmitri was the boss he was running from?¡± I asked, twirling my straw in my drink with a cautious look.


    ¡°That would be a good assumption.¡± He nodded but then gave me a side-eye. ¡°But that¡¯s not all.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not.¡± I sighed. When would things ever be simple in our family?


    ¡°Turns out that two years ago, he was caught in a raid with two guys who worked under Lorenz. If he was on the run all those years like he said, it doesn¡¯t make sense for him to be right in the jaws of the second-inmand of his old boss, does it?¡± Gabriele said, calmly.


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t.¡± I clenched my jaw.


    ¡°Olivia shouldn¡¯t be alone with him again,¡± Alessandro said firmly. ¡°He¡¯s a liability and a bad one at that. He was obviously lying to her about where he was the past twenty years, and that means he could¡¯ve lied about everything.¡±


    I sighed, knowing he was right. But I also knew it would be incredibly difficult to separate Olivia from him at this point, if it was possible at all. We¡¯d already had one fight about Salvatore. I didn¡¯t want to bring any more tension in our marriage.


    ¡°As much as I hate to admit it,¡± Gabriele said cooly, ¡°I think Alessandro¡¯s right. It¡¯s likely that Salvatore is only back in her life to use her to get to you. If he¡¯s still in contact with Lorenz, that could exin everything. Whether he thought of it by himself or he was put up to it by Lorenz, nothing good is going toe of this. We have to get him out of here.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± I snorted, rubbing my temples. I suddenly wanted a stiff drink instead of the iced tea in my cup. Vodka or bourbon would do. Even just a simple beer would help.


    But I was a man of my word, and I had promised Olivia.


    ¡°Olivia¡¯s not going to give him up without a fight,¡± I told them irritatedly, ¡°She¡¯s too independent for that. Besides, she¡¯s convinced this is all a fairytalee true. If I say one bad word about him, she¡¯ll bite my head off.¡± ¡®


    Alessando winced. ¡°Oof. I¡¯ve been there... not pretty.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t tell her,¡± Gabriele said simply, a smirk crossing his lips as he stared at me meaningfully.


    I caught on immediately.


    ¡°Good idea,¡± I smirked back. ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell her. He can do that himself. Give him a false sense of security, make him think I trust him, and then trap him into revealing his true motives.¡±


    ¡°And how are you going to do that?¡± Alessandro rolled his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not like he¡¯ll just suddenly confess everything over a beer¨COh.¡± His eyes went wide as he stared at us in realization.


    ¡°Every man¡¯s weakness,¡± I smirked, downing the rest of my iced tea as I got to my feet.


    ¡°But I thought you were sober,¡± Gabriele raised an eyebrow knowingly.


    I shrugged. ¡°if it¡¯s to save Olivia and our kid, then fuck sobriety!¡±


    ¡°Fuck sobriety!¡± A few of the men overheard and repeated me, half drunk out of their minds as they fell on one another and some copsed face-first into the half-eaten dishes on the table. Laughter rang out from the few who quickly turned the phrase into a drunken bad.


    ¡°Make sure they all get home all right.¡± I sighed, ncing at my so-called superior men, who were all trained in a dozenbat styles and had sessfully run heists on everyone from enemy gangs to political figures.


    So much for being sophisticated, I thought.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Gabriele waved his hand as I turned to leave.


    ¡°Make sure to follow the n,¡± Alessandro called out behind me. ¡°Destroy that motherfucker!¡±


    I paused by the wide-eyed and slightly pale server and reached into my pants to pull out a couple hundreds.


    ¡°Here.¡± I dropped it onto her open hands and she stared open-mouthed and teary-eyed at me. ¡°Thanks for cleaning up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± she squeaked out momentster, but I was already halfway out the door.


    The ride home was long and boring but I had time to gather my thoughts. Thepound was dark, all the lights out, and considering it was past midnight, I hoped Olivia and Elio were asleep so I didn¡¯t have to exin where I was.


    I snuck into our room, shoveling off my shoes in the sitting room before I headed for the bathroom. I didn¡¯t hear any movement as I changed and finally slipped into the bedroom.


    I used my phone as a shlight as I navigated through Elio¡¯s toys left sprawled out on the floor and finally sat down on the bed.


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    I heard a slight groan and rustling. Gently, I shined my light across the bed and my heart melted inside.


    There was Olivia, fast asleep on her side. Laying beside her was Elio, tucked into her chest as he snored lightly, a habit I was sure he had developed from me.


    I grinned at the peaceful sight and gently slipped my legs under the cover andy down, careful of Elio. Gently, I wrapped my arm around Olivia, pulling her slightly toward me so Elio was between us.


    A sigh left her lips and still asleep, she gravitated toward me, cuddling into my chest but still so careful of our son. She fell back asleep and I brushed my fingers through her hair, gently tugging out the tangles.


    I sighed, both in relief at having my family back in my arms and in exasperation. I was not looking forward to convincing Olivia that she couldn¡¯t be alone with Salvatore. He was her father after all.


    As I drifted off into dreamless sleep, I wondered what was going to happen if she said no.

 Chapter 462 : Change of Heart

    <h4>Chapter 462: Chapter 462 : Change of Heart</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Herees the airne!¡±


    I grinned, pretending to make a sputtering sound as I flew the children¡¯s stic spoon all around the face of my one-year-old. Elio giggled, eyes fixated on the spoon. Gradually I inched it closer and flew it right up to his lips, which opened happily.


    The mushy oatmeal slipped past his two bottom teeth, most winding up in his mouth and some dripping onto his chin and the colorful bib I¡¯d chosen with tiny blue fish on it.


    I ignored the mess, scooping up another spoonful of the oatmeal as I hoped to get him to eat at least a few more bites.


    The airne was getting old though and Elio pouted, turning his face away from the spoon as he reached out for the pieces of strawberries I¡¯d cut up on his te.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just eat fruit all day, baby,¡± I sighed.


    Clearly, he disagreed as he stuck the whole piece straight into his mouth, cooing in happiness as he attempted to use his few baby teeth to chew on it.


    I stuck the spoon back into the oatmeal and turned to my own te of food. I leaned over to cut into the waffle with my fork, the metal scraping against the ss te in an irritating way before I expertly stabbed it and threw it into my mouth.


    I didn¡¯t even get a chance to taste anything but the sweetness of the syrup before Elio was reaching for another strawberry and I swallowed, hurriedly moving the te of fruit away from him.


    ¡°Mama!¡± he cried, mming his little palms on the tray of his high chair in frustration.


    ¡°One more bite of oatmeal and then you can have another strawberry, okay?¡± Ipromised, giving him a sweet smile as I scooped up the oatmeal.


    ¡°Mo,¡± he whined, throwing his head back against the seat.


    I sighed, ring at the ceiling. All I could get him to eat was fruit nowadays.


    ¡°Is he giving Mommy a hard time?¡± Gio yawned, stepping into the kitchen with a sleepy look. I stared at him unashamedly as he walked around the ind and Elio to get a cup of coffee.


    He wasn¡¯t wearing a shirt, just a pair of dark satin bottoms that hugged his hips just right. My whole body heated up as I watched his back muscles ripple with his movements. The morning light pouring in from the windows was just too delicious on his sun-kissed skin.


    ¡°You want to try?¡± I smirked, gently pushing the bowl of oatmeal over to his side of the table as he took a seat.


    He took a drink of his steaming mug of coffee¨Cthe bitter scent only egging on my dirty thoughts.


    He raised an eyebrow at me, a smirk tilting up the corners of his lips. I was unbothered as I realized he had caught on to my thought pattern. He grabbed the bowl of oatmeal, stirred it a few times, and attempted to feed it to Elio.


    Our one-year-old son only pouted, turning his head away from the spoon stubbornly as he reached his little hands out for the strawberry again. I tilted my head, giving my husband a look that said, ¡°See?¡±


    He pursed his lips, deep in thought, and then grinned as he gestured for the te from me. I handed it over and he dumped the rest of the strawberry pieces into the oatmeal, stirring it up for good measure.


    Elio¡¯s attention was caught now and he stared open-mouthed as Gio scooped up an oatmeal-covered piece and offered it to him. Elio didn¡¯t fuss this time, just dly chewed on the piece contently.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why Daddy¡¯s a genius,¡± Gio said proudly. I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, don¡¯t go getting an even bigger head. It won¡¯t fit through the doorway.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± He smirked, ncing at me with a look I knew very well. ¡°And to which head are you referring, because I thought mine was certainly quite big enough to satisfy you¨C¡±


    ¡°Gio!¡± I yelled, my face heating up against my will.


    Heughed, and though Elio had a clueless look on his face, still much too innocent though I wasn¡¯t sure how long that wouldst with this pervert as a father, he giggled along with his daddy anyway.


    With Gio feeding the baby, I turned back to my own food, which had quickly grown cold in my absence. The life of a mother, I thought as I ate it up anyway. Maria¡¯s cooking was as delicious as ever, and I was d she¡¯d had time to help me with breakfast before she took the rest of the day off.


    She was a godsend, and Dahlia clearly took her for granted.


    As I ate, however, the airy and light tone of the morning darkened as my thoughts traveled back tost night. Despite knowing the argument was over, my body still stiffened as the muddled river of emotions I harbored came flooding back.


    I still wasn¡¯t happy, not at all.


    ¡°Carina.¡±


    Gio was the first to break the silence. He turned to me with a guilty look, and I knew we had to talk about this now or risk it festering. I sighed, nodding at him to get it over with.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for how I actedst night,¡± he started softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make you feel like I was going behind your back or trying to keep you from Sal. I just want to keep our family safe.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡± I smiled, a bit sadly. He was always working so hard to keep us safe, but there were still certain lines he couldn¡¯t cross¨Cnot with me. ¡°I just¨C¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve been dreaming of having my father back my entire life. And he¡¯s right here and he wants a rtionship with me and I just... I need you to understand that. This is a dreame true to me and I want so badly for this to work. If there¡¯s even the slightest possibility that he¡¯s here for me, that he¡¯s telling the truth, then I have to believe him. It¡¯s who I am.¡±


    ¡°I understand, carina.¡± He sighed, reaching across the table to cup my cheek tenderly. He rubbed his thumb under my eye and I leaned into him, savoring his touch. ¡°I would never try to change that. I love how kind and trusting you are. I don¡¯t want to take this away from you or ruin it. I just want to make sure he¡¯s safe for you and for Elio.¡±


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be careful,¡± I told him firmly, ¡°so can we put this behind us, please?¡±


    ¡°Of course, carina.¡± He chuckled. ¡°And if it means that much to you, how about you invite him over to thepound for dinner tomorrow night?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I perked up excitedly. ¡°With both of us?¡±


    ¡°Anything for you, amore.¡± He grinned, leaning over the ind to sweep me into a hard kiss. Before it went any further, a tter broke us apart and we both whirled around to face Elio.


    He¡¯d apparently grabbed the oatmeal mixture and toppled it all over the tray. His little fingers squeezed the strawberries, somehow finding them in the mess and sticking them into his mouth.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I groaned, looking at the oatmeal dripping onto the floor and smeared across his face and curls. ¡°Now you¡¯re going to have to take another bath.¡±


    He looked at me with wide innocent eyes, like he¡¯d done nothing wrong.


    ¡°I¡¯ll clean him up,¡± Gio volunteered with an easy smile. ¡°You call Sal and tell him about dinner. Come with me, little man.¡±


    My heart melted as he got to his feet, easily unstrapping Elio from the high chair and pulling him into his arms.


    Elio squealed, his messy hands immediately clinging onto his daddy¡¯s face, but Gio wasn¡¯t phased one bit.


    ¡°Thank you, Gio,¡± I told him with a soft smile, ¡°for listening and being there for me. And for giving Elio a bath for me.¡±


    ¡°You can repay me by taking a shower with me next.¡± He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he walked away and Iughed, taking the moment to stare at his back. Naturally, my eyes drifted to the way his pants hugged his ass.


    ¡®I wouldn¡¯t mind a shower, either.¡¯


    I chuckled, getting to my feet and pulling my hair into a ponytail before starting on the mess. It only took a few minutes before everything was clean and put away, but I knew Gio and Elio would be a few minutes more.


    I reached for my phone, quicking finding Sal¡¯s number there. I still hesitated to call him Dad all the time, but I was hoping it would change in the future. Things had been difficult since he¡¯d shown up out of nowhere but it was getting better, gradually.


    I really hoped I was right and that Sal really did just want a rtionship with me.


    ¡°Olivia!¡± He picked up on the first ring, sounding overjoyed and relieved as he usually did. It was easy to imagine that he was as anxious as I was, that each call would be thest and we¡¯d never hear from the other again.


    ¡°Hey, I was wondering if you¡¯d like toe to dinner tomorrow night,¡± I asked straightforwardly.


    ¡°Sure, where would you like to go? I pickedst time so you choose.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°Actually, I was hoping you woulde over here to the house for dinner.¡±


    There was a pause on the phone and I almost assumed he¡¯d hung up if it weren¡¯t for the slightest breath I heard.


    ¡°There, at the mansion?¡± he asked, quietly, sounding a bit shocked. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t Giovani have a problem with that? I know he doesn¡¯t like me too much and I don¡¯t want to intrude, not afterst time¨C¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be,¡± I hurriedly told him. ¡°And Gio likes you, he¡¯s just a very... cautious person. And this was his idea actually, but if you¡¯re ufortable then we can always¨C¡±


    ¡°No, no! I¡¯d be delighted to join you! I wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world.¡± Heughed. ¡°I¡¯m a bit surprised but I¡¯m d you trust me enough to let me inside. I¡¯ll be there, let¡¯s see, around five-ish?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯ll see you then.... Dad.¡± The word still felt ufortable, like forcing my tongue into a shape it wasn¡¯t supposed to go, but I felt a bit better now that I¡¯d said it.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± His voice was thick with emotion. ¡°I¡¯ll see you then... Olivia.¡±


    The call ended abruptly, and before I could question it, Gio walked in carrying a freshly clean Elio, who squealed upon seeing me.


    ¡°Mama! Mama!¡± He reached his chubby hands out for me, nearly jumping out of Gio¡¯s arms to greet me. Iughed, letting himtch onto me. He giggled happily, clinging to me like a little ko as I gently swayed back and forth out of instinct.


    ¡°Did you have a fun bath with Daddy?¡± I asked sweetly. His curls were still a little damp, but Gio had done a good job of ringing the water out, probably because he¡¯d had the same hair type all his life.


    My own hair had always been straight and easy to care for, so I was still learning. Luckily, parenting was a team effort and what I wasn¡¯t sure of, Gio handled easily.


    ¡°What did Sal say?¡± Gio asked with a smile.


    ¡°He said yes,¡± I beamed. ¡°I was hoping everyone woulde¨CAlessandro, Tallon, Dahlia, and even Gabriele if he wants. We¡¯ve also got to n the menu. Would you mind if I picked it out?¡±


    ¡°Sure, just let the kitchen staff know so they can pick up the ingredients,¡± he agreed, a bit too easily.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so excited,¡± I grabbed Gio¡¯s hand in mind, swinging our arms together as I pulled him toward our room. We both had to get dressed and he still owed me a shower. ¡°You¡¯ll all love him if you give him a chance, and you and he will have a ton of stories to share, you know? You have so much inmon.¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡± He chuckled, leaning over to press a kiss to my hair. ¡°We both love you, don¡¯t we?¡±


    I blushed, giving him a sweet smile. ¡°Thank you so much for this. I really appreciate it. Though....¡±


    What made you have a change of heart, I wanted to ask. He¡¯d always been so stubborn before. It felt odd to have him change, literally overnight.


    ¡°What?¡± He tilted his head, smiling like usual.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I discarded the thought.


    Maybe he just knew all of this was hurting me. Maybe he just wanted to make all this easier for me.


    That had to be it. I settled on the thought naively.

 Chapter 463 : Preparations

    <h4>Chapter 463: Chapter 463 : Preparations</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°We¡¯ve got the sausage and cheese for the crostinis, right?¡± I asked, ncing up from the list on my phone.


    ¡°Check and check!¡± Dahlia called out, rumbling through the paper bags from our most recent grocery trip. Maria had insisted on going with us to shop, but even she couldn¡¯t stop me and Dahlia from throwing whatever we could into the cart.


    Maria had only shaken her head in defeat at the dismayed look on the checkout girl¡¯s face as she faced our mountains of food that could probably feed an entire army of starving soldiers, including the war horses.


    Luckily Tino and Dom had been such good sports about lugging all of it inside.


    ¡°All the veggies?¡± I asked with a frown.


    ¡°Uh¨C¡± Dahlia nced at the floor of our kitchen, filled with dozens of bags of groceries. ¡°Probably somewhere, right?¡±


    ¡°Dolly!¡± Iined, putting my hands on my hips. ¡°We need to make sure we have the carrots for the pomodoro, the potatoes for the gnhi, the romano for the genovese, and the tomatoes and onions for practically all the dishes!¡±


    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± she snapped, rolling her eyes as she grabbed the nearest bag and dug through it. ¡°I think this is the meat. Did we order meatloaf or something?¡±


    ¡°That would be the ground pork for the porchetta,¡± I remarked, checking it off the list and moving on.


    ¡°It looks kinda funny, doesn¡¯t it?¡± She made a weird look, staring at the wiggly bag of meat. ¡°What kind of pork is it?¡±


    ¡°The intestines,¡± I said casually.


    Dahlia screamed, dropping the bag of meat and backing away. ¡°Gross. Gross. Gross! What the fuck is wrong with you? Why couldn¡¯t we just order pizza and call it a day?¡±


    ¡°Really, Dahlia? Pizza?¡± I red at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s the food of the gods,¡± she said proudly. ¡°And if you tell me any different, you can pry it from my cold dead hands, Olive. Besides, everybody likes pizza.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not serving pizza.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I have the entire menu nned out and Maria will help me. Right, Maria?¡±


    I turned to her with a bright smile, but she only stared at the kitchen floorpletely covered in ingredients that added up to more than her whole paycheck.


    ¡°Ay.¡± Maria sighed, looking exhausted. ¡°No me pagan lo suficiente.¡±


    ¡°See?¡± I turned back to Dahlia smugly.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Dahlia dug through the bags as Tino and Dom came back inside carrying four bags each, thest of them.


    ¡°This is thest of it,¡± Tino panted, gently cing the bags on the only clear spots left on the table. Dom gave a silent grunt as he didn¡¯t even bother stepping into the kitchen and dumped his right on the front.


    There was an unmistakable clinking of a bottle hitting the ground, and Dahlia¡¯s head whipped up so fast I heard her neck crack. She dashed over, looking much like she was ying hopscotch as she moved through the kitchen and dove into the bag Dom had just left.


    ¡°Here you are my beauty!¡± Dahlia pulled out a bottle of Chianti red wine, looking like she had found an oasis after crossing a desert for a month straight.


    I sighed, knowing she was a lost cause now. A few of the maids stepped forward to help me unpack and put away all the groceries and as Dahlia began drinking straight from the bottle. Hopping up to sit on the kitchen counter, I continued to move down my checklist until it was done.


    ¡°That¡¯s everything.¡± I sighed in relief, finally taking a breath as thest of the groceries were put away. I smiled at Celine and Nilda, two of the kitchen maids whom I had grown rather close to over the past few months. ¡°Grazie,dies.¡±


    ¡°Prego, Signora,¡± The two smiled happily, moving on with their next chores.


    ¡°Now that that¡¯s over,e have a drink with me.¡± Dahlia waved the bottle in the air, a mischievous grin on her lips. I grinned, finally rxing after knowing we hadn¡¯t missed anything.


    ¡°Did Tallon say when he¡¯ll be back?¡± I asked as Maria handed me a wine ss as she passed through, giving Dahlia a rather annoyed look as she took a swig straight from the bottle and took a moment to chase her off the counter.


    ¡°Grazie, Maria,¡± I told her with a smile as I poured myself a small amount. The red wine was still chilled and was just what I needed as I sat down at the ind with Dahlia taking the seat to my right, this time in a chair that was meant to be sat on.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be arriving early morning.¡± Dahlia shrugged. ¡°And I told them they both had to be on their best behavior or I¡¯d make sure they won¡¯t be able to walk for a week. So, they should be good. No promises that they won¡¯t be their usual asshole selves, though.¡±


    ¡°I already expected that.¡± Iughed. ¡°You keep them in line and I¡¯ll keep Gio and my dad in line.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± Dahlia grinned, downing her ss.


    I took my time a bit. Elio was taking a nap, and the baby monitor app on my phone hadn¡¯t alerted me to any activity in his room yet, so I had a few more moments to myself. I realized now, without any more nning to do, that I felt a little lost.


    Anxiety was creeping up my spine like an old friend and I couldn¡¯t seem to shake it off. I had a feeling that something was going to go wrong, though I didn¡¯t know what.


    I wanted everyone to like my dad, to wee him, and to trust him like I did. Maybe Gio was right and I was being naive, letting my emotions get in the way of my logic, but I felt like I needed to get to know him better, that he wasn¡¯t at all the viin I¡¯d often imagined when I was younger.


    I¡¯d spent so long without a father, imagining every scenario possible of why he had abandoned me, that now that I had one, I lived in a constant state of terror that I would wake up one day and he would be gone once more.


    ¡°Nervous?¡± Dahlia asked, bumping into my shoulder lightly.


    ¡°Yeah. What if you¡¯re right? What if this is a disaster and I should¡¯ve just¨C¡± I swallowed, ufortably, unwilling the voice the darker part of my thoughts, shes of violence and anger in my mind. I finishedmely, ¡°Should I have gone with... pizza?¡±


    ¡°You know I think you should always go with pizza,¡± Dahlia smiled, but her eyes softened as the ss of wine trembled in my hands. ¡°But I think this time, you made the right decision, Olive. We¡¯ll be right here with you all the way, okay?¡±


    I smiled, my eyes misting up with emotion and I sighed, leaning my head on her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re the best, Dolly.¡±


    ¡°This we know.¡± She nodded sagely.


    ¡°Signora!¡± A call from the head chef as he entered the kitchen with a huge smile broke me from my thoughts. ¡°You have the menu, Signora?¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course!¡± I grabbed my phone, quickly shooting off the text to his number. ¡°Will it be all right? I¡¯ll help with anything you might need. Like I make a pretty good tiramisu if we can¡¯t do the¨C"


    ¡°It¡¯s perfetto, Signora.¡± Heughed good-naturedly. ¡°It sounds delicious and won¡¯t be a problem at all.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I breathed a sigh of relief just as I heard a soft cry from my phone.


    ¡°Looks like somebody woke up from their nap.¡± Dahlia grinned. ¡°Want me to get him?¡±


    ¡°Could you? I¡¯ll brew us some coffee to wake us up,¡± I smiled.


    ¡°You know I¡¯ll steal that munchkin one day if you let me. I¡¯ll show him how to get free drinks at the bar!¡± Dahlia called off, heading straight to the baby¡¯s room without a second nce.


    ¡°Make sure Gio doesn¡¯t find out!¡± I called back teasingly, knowing she could hear me.


    ¡°Damn!¡± I heard faintly from down the hall. Iughed, getting to my feet to clean up the wine. I tucked it all away, starting the coffee machine and cleaning up the ss I used.


    By the time the machine dinged with two cups made just to order, Dahlia came back with my sleepy Elio in her arms. He yawned, rubbing at the corner of his eyes with his balled-up fist.


    ¡°Hey, baby,¡± I cooed, as he caught sight of me and automatically reached his arms out for me. Dahlia transferred him over to me easily and he clung to my neck, still a bit out of it. ¡°Have a nice nap?¡±


    ¡°Mama.¡± He tucked his head into my corbone, and I chuckled.


    Dahlia grabbed the cups and we headed to the living room, easily bypassing the baby gate we had set up. I turned on the cartoons with one hand, Dahlia curling up into the couch next to me as she handed me my own mug.


    It took a few minutes but soon Elio slid off myp and onto the floor, crawling his way happily to his toys. He grinned as he got into the stationary toy car his daddy had bought for him. It was a perfect size for him. He honked the horn and burst into giggles at the sound.


    ¡°So are you and Gio okay?¡± Dahlia asked with a concerned look. ¡°I noticed he¡¯s been gone a lot.¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± I sighed. ¡°And he is, but between work and him being convinced that my father is a con artist or worse, after Gio and not really here for me, we don¡¯t get much time together. But that¡¯s only natural considering all the snooping he¡¯s been doing. Mostly, hees home and spends time with Elio before we crash.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Dahlia shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not a good judge of character, clearly, so I can¡¯t say if he is or not.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that,¡± I told her with a frown.


    ¡°I fell for a man who literally kidnapped me and sold me to a Russian mob.¡± She sent me a serious look. ¡°My judgment¡¯s kinda questionable after that.¡±


    I opened my mouth to protest but she held up a hand, giving me a hard look.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to defend it. Just don¡¯t,¡± she warned me. Once I fell silent, she continued on with her previous thought, looking rather pensive. ¡°Unlike you or me, Gio is the Don, Olive. He is always in danger and he has to look out for himself in a way we don¡¯t. It¡¯s a constant battle, and I¡¯ve seen my dad betrayed by men he¡¯d trusted his whole life just for money or power. Imagine that but Gio doing it for over twenty years. Doing that for so many years could make you kinda¨C¡±


    ¡°Paranoid,¡± I finished softly.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded. ¡°He may see problems where there aren¡¯t any for a while, Olive, but it has nothing to do with you or your dad. Just be patient with him, okay?¡±


    I nodded, my heart softening as I looked at the situation from his perspective. Dahlia¡¯s advice was right¨CI had to be patient with Gio. It would take a while to build trust between my father and my family, for Gio especially.


    But I knew this dinner will be the perfect step forward to bring us together, for all of us.

 Chapter 464 : Tailing Sal

    <h4>Chapter 464: Chapter 464 : Tailing Sal</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I should¡¯ve brought my work with me.


    I sighed,menting myck of foresight as I stared nkly at the driver¡¯s wheel in front of me. The car was stationary and heating up with every passing moment, but I didn¡¯t dare to lower the tinted windows.


    I would never make such a rookie mistake.


    But sitting here in a metal deathtrap in ny-degree weather didn¡¯t seem like the best idea. I was bored, I was hot, and I was ready to call it quits after sitting here for two hours. If I had been in my usual car, this wouldn¡¯t have been a problem.


    Stake-outs were a usual thing, and we¡¯d learned to include air conditioning that operated in a separate circuit from the car engine for just these asions. Unfortunately for me, my usual car was too nice for a covert operation in this neighborhood.


    I wiped the sweat from my forehead, cursing Alessandro for not being specific about times as I cast a moody re to the old rickety door of the house across the street. It was run down, with paint peeling from the walls and overgrown grass.


    There was only a hint of a path leading to the door,pletely overtaken by the vegetation. There were boards on the windows and part of the roof was damaged by the looks of it. But it did fit in with the rest of the neighborhood.


    Even in such a rich city as Florence, there were still areas where poverty struck hard and crime flourished in the absence of stability. In this part of town, my car was worth more than the houses and would¡¯ve stuck out like a sore thumb, so I had to use one of the more discrete cars in our fleet.


    Unfortunately for me, discrete in this case meant no fucking air conditioning while I waited for my target to show.


    Fuck me.


    Not for the first time, I wondered what Olivia was doing. She and Dahlia were probably still nning the dinner for tomorrow night. With how determined my wife looked as she marched off to the grocery store, I had no doubt they spent a fortune on this one meal.


    I regretted not going with her. Instead of watching her face light up as she rambled on about all the dishes she was nning to have, arguing with Dahlia about which vegetables would be best for which dishes, and little Elio in the cart ying with the fruits, I was here in this hot fucking car with nothing to fucking do but wait.


    Alessandro had assured me the target was at home and he also assured me that he had the same routine on this day, so why the fuck wasn¡¯t heing out of the fucking house?


    As if to answer my prayers, the front door opened, and out stepped a familiar shadow of an older man... Salvatore.


    I breathed a sigh of relief, finally straightening in my seat as I watched Salvatore slip into his own car and start it up. He pulled out of his driveway and I silently started my own car, immediately flipping on the air conditioning full st before I pulled out of the street and followed his car from a safe distance.


    If Olivia had known that I was tailing her father, that I had specifically gone to the city for the day just for this purpose, she would have drowned in her disappointment and anger. I didn¡¯t want to start another fight, but despite what I told her about giving Salvatore a chance, I just couldn¡¯t.


    From his ties to the Russians, his out-of-the-blue appearance after tracking down Olivia, and even just the slyments he made to put doubt in Olivia¡¯s head about me, I couldn¡¯t let this go. Something was off about the man, no matter how well-intentioned he seemed.


    His connections to the Zaytsevs were most rming. Even if they were dead and Salvatore had only gone to them out of desperation, he had still gone to them.


    There was no denying that fact, and he could put my entire family in danger. All of this was adding up to something Oivia didn¡¯t want to acknowledge, but I was going to find out for sure today.


    The drive was long and boring, but at least air conditioned, as Salvatore drove halfway across the city before finally pulling over near one of the nicer parks in the city. I followed him, frowning at his casual demeanor as he stepped out of his car, a ck bag in his hand that I hadn¡¯t seen before.


    rmed, I shut off the car, the rumble of the engine falling silent and I waited until he was heading down the path before I stepped out into the fresh air. It was a hot day,and there were no clouds to block the sun¡¯s agonizing heat as it beat down onto the pavement likeva.


    I was no stranger to heat, but even the light poles were weeping as the sun rose higher into the sky and with it, the temperature. Cars could melt into molten puddles and drip down into the sewer system and I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised in the least.


    But begrudgingly, I ignored the sweat falling down my back and the burn I would no doubt be left with after this and followed Salvatore into the public park. It wasn¡¯t very busy and I flipped my sunsses on, keeping an eye on my target as I surveyed for any hidden threats¨Can old man feeding birds who wouldn¡¯te down from their tree, or even two boys around twelve who had taken shade under the porch with sugary frozen treats from the nearby cart. A man selling portable gto looked very happy as the few adults and children who lingered at the yset all had the sugary sweets in their hands.


    Sal ignored all of this, instead heading to one of the stands that was almostpletely empty. The sign above said ¡®Caffe,¡¯ and I raised an eyebrow as he paid for a cup. Even the worker behind the stand looked surprised that he¡¯d stopped there considering the heat.


    But he made him the coffee anyway, passing it over with a chagrined look. Sal wasn¡¯t put off in the slightest, however, as he took his coffee and settled on a nearby bench. He set the bag next to him and unzipped it.


    I tensed from behind the tree, my hand hovering over the concealed gun at my hip. I didn¡¯t know what he had in that bag but it was nothing good, I was sure... or so I thought, until he pulled out a paperback book and a pair of sses.


    Sal slipped on the reading sses, looking very much like a middle-aged man just trying to read in the park. He licked his thumb, searching through the pages, and set it on hisp as he began to read.


    I rxed, a bit of disappointment hitting me, much to my shame. I had been so sure that there was something nefarious going on, but it was just as Alessandro had said. Salvatore was just a boring man doing boring things.


    Refusing to believe that, I lingered behind the tree, watching him carefully. The minutes passed slowly, much too slowly for my taste. I was sweating like a dog even under the minimal shade the leaves above provided. Salvatore didn¡¯t move other than taking a drink of his coffee and turning the page every so often.


    He even looked like the heat didn¡¯t bother him one bit.


    Damn Floridians, I thought bitterly, wiping sweat from the back of my neck.


    After an hour and a half of this, I was questioning my sanity. If Salvatore really was malicious, then he was the best damn actor I¡¯d ever seen. I had finally caved and sat on the grass, leaning up against the tree bark as I watched Sal every so often.


    des of grass had been plucked in my boredom and I had even turned them into a ring like I had learned when I was kid. Gabriele had always thought it was a useless skill but Vincent... he used to pretend they were made of gold and ask everyone around us to kiss them before speaking to him like from those old movies.


    The reminder of Vincent and how his life had been cut so short was a blow to me. I resolved myself, ring over at Salvatore¨Cnever again. Even if I was crazy and there truly was nothing wrong with Salvatore, I had to know for sure.


    I wasn¡¯t going to lose anyone else, not when I had the ability to stop it.


    Sal got to his feet, stretching a bit as he tucked away his book and threw away his coffee cup. He hadn¡¯t spoken to another soul besides ordering from the coffee stand. I followed him discreetly.


    At first, I thought something might finally be happening, that he would finally be showing his true colors as he took the nearby path, walking with purpose across the pavement, until I realized he was heading back to the parking lot.


    I begrudgingly watched as he got inside of his car and I followed, heading to my own. Sal¡¯s car took a few minutes to start up, and by the rust on the outside of it, I was surprised it started at all. Eventually, though he backed up and left the parking lot.


    My disappointment was tripled as I realized he was just going back to his house with no stops on the way. I watched from across the street as he entered the house, the door shutting behind him and finally ending this goddamn torture.


    I waited an additional fifteen minutes, just in case he woulde back out, but there was nothing.


    The investigation was over. I sighed to myself for the colossal waste of time this was¨CI could¡¯ve been done with all the paperwork Gabriele had needed from me. I could¡¯ve spent this time with Olivia and my son. I could¡¯ve watched that famous trilogy I had been meaning to watch instead of wasting my life here, watching a man doing absolutely nothing but reading for a day.


    Alessandro had warned me, but I had refused to listen. I had to see it for myself, and now that I had, I waspletely underwhelmed. Maybe Olivia was right and I was just being paranoid.


    I started my engine, pulling out of the street as I headed back home to my wife and son. The streets were clear and empty, and it took an additional half an hour before I was pulling into my driveway. I left the car there, vowing never to use it again as I headed inside.


    As soon as I threw open the door, I heard a loud squeal of ¡°Dada!¡±


    I nced up in shock as Elio and Olivia appeared around the corner, both smiling brightly. They had more than the same color of eyes inmon¨Ctheir warmth never failed to lighten the burdens I carried with me.


    This time was no different.


    I grinned, vowing to make up for my lost time with them somehow.


    Maybe it was time to put my doubts and suspicions to the side and just let things unfold the way they would.


    How bad could it be, after all?

 Chapter 465 : Distraction

    <h4>Chapter 465: Chapter 465 : Distraction</h4>


    *Olivia*


    After hours of her insistent begging, I finally caved into Dahlia.


    The scent of baked bread, melted mozzare cheese, and the fresh tomato-based sauce was unmistakable. Gio strolled into the kitchen and Alessandro and Dahlia¡¯s eyes locked onto him and the pile of four cardboard boxes that had just been delivered.


    ¡°Food!¡± Dahlia cried, her eyes misty as she stretched her hands across the table. Gio took his sweet time as he strolled over to the table and Iughed at the teasing look in his eyes. In his high chair next to me, Elio whined, ¡°Dada!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Gio chuckled, finally setting the boxes on the table. I breathed in the scent, realizing just how hungry I was.


    Gio sent me a smirk from across the table as Alessandro and Dahlia dove into the boxes and the scent hit everyone. Dahlia pulled a slice of the pizza, the cheese stretching before finally snapping and releasing it.


    She took a bite and moaned into the slice.


    ¡°Happy now, Dolly?¡± I grinned at the content look on her face as she grabbed a whole box for herself. She could eat the entire thing too, I knew.


    I just hoped she wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said through bites of the pizza. She practically inhaled that first slice, already on her second before I even got my first slice on the te. I took the time to cut up therge slice into easier-to-manage pieces and then ced it in front of Elio.


    Hetched onto the nearest piece with his chubby hands and shoved it into his face.


    ¡°Good?¡± I smirked at him and he didn¡¯t even answer me, his eyes focused intently on the pizza slice. He quickly stuffed another piece into his mouth before he even finished the first and I sighed, taking the te away for a moment.


    ¡°Finish those pieces first, okay?¡± I told him.


    He just stared at me with wide-eyed wonder, his mouth moving as he chewed.


    I grabbed a slice for myself, rxing back into my seat as I took a bite. Dahlia was right¨Cpizza really was the food of the gods.


    ¡°Yummy,¡± Elio cried, finally swallowing the pizza and reaching out for more. I let him have the te again and he ate it slower this time as I watched him carefully between bites.


    ¡°I know, munchkin,¡± Dahlia said while nodding in agreement, ¡°we¡¯ll have you trained up into a mini Dahlia soon enough. I swear it.¡±


    I rolled my eyes but couldn¡¯t stop the smile twitching around the corner of my mouth.


    ¡°You better keep her away from the kid.¡± Alessandro reached out to ruffle Dahlia¡¯s hair. ¡°She¡¯s a bad influence.¡¯


    ¡°Hey!¡± Dahlia pped his hand away, pouting, ¡°I¡¯m a great influence! He even has a special nickname for me. I¡¯m his Aunt Dally!¡±


    That was true. Dahlia and Elio had be really attached. Her time drinking at clubs had severely decreased since he was born, and she often spent her days hanging out with me and Elio no matter what we were doing.


    Elio adored her as well.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Alessandro rolled his eyes. ¡°But when hees home dressed up like a Barbie doll, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t tell you so.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I grinned, leaning over to poke my baby boy¡¯s cheek. He squirmed, his mouth working with the bite of pizza he took. ¡°My baby would be an adorable Barbie.¡±


    ¡°Amen to that!¡± Dahlia raised her hand and without even looking, we high-fived with matching grins, already leaning over to coo at the clueless Elio. I wasn¡¯t even lying¨CI knew Elio would be absolutely adorable in a pink dress and matching sparkly tiara.


    That didn¡¯t mean I was going to force him into one, though.


    With my wide innocent-looking eyes and Gio¡¯s good looks, Elio was sure to be a heartbreaker when he grew up, especially with how sweet and bubbly his personality was already turning out to be.


    ¡°Gio, back me up here.¡± Alessandro turned to my husband with a helpless look.


    Gio nced up from his phone and turned to me and Dahlia with a clueless look on his face.


    ¡°Uh¨C¡± He paused, his brain working to figure out what were talking about. ¡°Olivia¡¯s right.¡±


    I smirked triumphantly and Alessandro rolled his eyes, turning to the kid with a pitying look. ¡°Poor kid,¡± he sighed, shaking his head like he was a tragedy in the making.


    ¡°You¡¯re just jealous you can¡¯t pull off heels.¡± I childishly stuck my tongue out at him, giggling at the offended look on his face.


    ¡°I so could!¡± he argued, just as I knew he would.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Dahlia¡¯s eyes gleamed with interest. ¡°What do you think we should try, pumps or wedges?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say we just go straight to the stilettos.¡± I grinned.


    Alessandro shrank back from us, a look of horror in his eyes. ¡°Women are fucking terrifying,¡± he whispered to Gio as if we couldn¡¯t hear them.


    Gio gave him a sympathetic look and then nodded solemnly. ¡°Alessandro,¡± he said gravely, ¡°you have now learned the secret to life. There is nothing else I can teach you. Good luck.¡±


    The look on Alessandro¡¯s face¨Cthe pure horror sliding over him as if he was about to bolt and nevere back¨Cwas more than I could bear. I burst intoughter, unable to hold back anymore, Dahlia cracking up beside me as Gio winked at us from across the table.


    The horror quickly faded to anger, and Alessandro¡¯s cheeks reddened as he stuffed a slice of pizza in his mouth and turned away. Gio chuckled, taking pity on him and offering him a view of his phone.


    From the soundsing through, it was probably a ser match. Dahlia and I left them to it, with no interest in the sport, and we finished feeding Elio.


    After dinner, Dahlia and I passed out slices of the cake Maria had made and of course, Elio smashed his into his face, giggling like it was the funniest thing in the world.


    I took a bite of the cake, watching Elio¡¯s sheer delight from the corner of my eye as he yed with the soft cake like it was ydough and not food. That was when Alessandro turned to me with a small smirk.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re meeting your sperm donor tomorrow,¡± Alessandro said casually, a weird glint in his eyes. ¡°I have to say I¡¯m quite excited to know more about him and what he does.¡±


    ¡°Alex!¡± Dahlia scolded him, but he just shrugged it off.


    I swallowed the cake in my mouth, sighing. I knew this was going toe up at some point.


    ¡°First of all, his name is Salvatore,¡± I told him pointedly, ¡°and he¡¯s my father. If you n to call him a sperm donor tomorrow, you¡¯d better think twice. Dahlia has my permission to kick you in the balls if you do.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Dahlia cracked her knuckles, giving Alessandro a wide grin. He coughed into his hand, trying to look unaffected, but I saw him discreetly cross his legs under the table and I smirked.


    ¡°Second of all, please tell me you don¡¯t n on interrogating him all night.¡± I frowned at him.


    Alessandro just shrugged, taking a bite of the cake with a mischievous smile on his lips.


    ¡°Nobody is going to grill him, Olivia, I promise,¡± Gio assured me, sending Alessandro a sharp re. Alessandro avoided Gio¡¯s look, humming like he was innocent of any crime.


    ¡°You¡¯d better not,¡± I warned him, ¡°or I¡¯ll kick you in the balls.¡±


    Alessandro choked on his cake, heading straight into a coughing fit as he thumped on his chest. I paid him no mind, letting Gio handle it as Elio¡¯s little head was starting to totter to the side, his eyes fluttering as he tried to stay awake.


    ¡°Come on, baby, bedtime,¡± I told him sweetly, lifting him from the high chair. I wiped off his hands and face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll clean this up. You put him down,¡± Dahlia told me with a smile.


    I gave her a thankful nce and headed for our room. Elio leaned his head in the crook of my neck, all tuckered out as I carried him to bed.


    I hummed softly, rubbing his back. I easily dodged the toys we hadn¡¯t yet put away and grabbed one of the nearby books we¡¯d been slowly reading him. However, multitasking was easier when Elio was smaller. The book slipped from my hand and a hand caught it mid-air from behind me.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I smiled at Gio, his eyes soft and fond as he reached out to brush his hand through Elio¡¯s curls.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take him.¡± Gio held out his hands and I transferred him to him, with minimal protest from Elio. He curled into his daddy, sticking his hand in his mouth as he sleepily gazed at the book. Gio sat down in the rocking chair, opened up the book, and began to read to him in Italian.


    I smiled, taking the time to put away the rest of Elio¡¯s toys and get his bed ready. By the time I was done, Elio was already fast asleep in Gio¡¯s arms.


    We both chuckled and I turned on the baby monitor as Gio gently ced him in the crib. In his sleep, he grabbed one of the plushies and curled up with it. His soft, even breathing was like music to my ears and we gently turned off the lights, letting the stars above illuminate like the sky itself.


    We gently shut the door behind us, the baby monitor in one hand as we gently snuck back to our own room, careful not to wake him. Once the door was shut and we were alone, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°So why did Alessandro look like he was just waiting for the opportunity to dig into Sal?¡± I turned to my husband with an using look.


    Gio shrugged, undressing in the middle of the room without a care in the world. ¡°How should I know? He¡¯s always been a little bristly to new people. It¡¯s probably him being antisocial.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. I¡¯ll pretend I believe you.¡± I let it go, grabbing my pajamas and stripping out of my day clothes. As I did, I could feel Gio¡¯s eyes on me, and I smirked.


    ¡°Like what you see?¡± I asked teasingly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He grinned, grabbing me by the hips and pulling me into his half-naked body. I immediately melted into him, wrapping my arms around his neck as I grinned. ¡°I missed you all day, carina.¡±


    ¡°You did, did you?¡± I yed coy, turning my head away at thest moment to dodge his kiss. His lipsnded on my neck and he wasted no time, suckling a little mark there. ¡°You know everybody¡¯s going to see that in the morning, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°And?¡± he challenged, raising an eyebrow and biting down deeper.


    I moaned, tilting my head so he could have more ess. His hands ran down my waist and further and suddenly, all thoughts of tomorrow were gone from my head.


    ¡°You¡¯re just trying to distract me, aren¡¯t you?¡± I gasped as he finally grabbed my chin and kissed me, hard and deep like he couldn¡¯t get enough of my taste. I was just as fierce, meeting his every dominating movement with my own.


    My body was on fire and Gio pulled back slightly, giving me a wicked grin. ¡°And what if I am?¡±


    ¡°Then you better distract me all night long,¡± I smirked, jumping into his arms.


    He easily caught me, holding me up as I pressed my mouth against his, taking my sweet time.


    And all we cared about was this moment.

 Chapter 466 : Dinner with Dad

    <h4>Chapter 466: Chapter 466 : Dinner with Dad</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I tapped my fingers against the dining table and stared at Elio, gumming on a piece of in toast in his high chair. The dinner was tonight, and I knew Sal wouldn¡¯t answer a call before nine, but I itched to call him anyway. Maria¡ªand the rest of the kitchen¡ªhadn¡¯t been able to get me a start time until this morning.


    Dahlia swept into the dining room with a backpack on. I shot up in a panic¡ªI needed her today¡ªbefore remembering she had an hour-long group project meeting.


    I dropped back into my seat with a sigh. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m silly for worrying this much? He¡¯s been to the house before, it just feels... different.¡±


    Dahlia grabbed a piece of un-Elio¡¯d toast off a te in the middle of the table and took a bite.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re silly,¡± she said through a full mouth. I grimaced, and she swallowed before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s like bringing a boyfriend home to meet your parents, except you¡¯re bringing a parent home to meet your husband. It¡¯s stressful, but I also think it¡¯s probably gonna be fine.¡±


    I rested my head in my hands. ¡°Really? You don¡¯t think he and Gio are gonna kill each other?¡±


    ¡°I mean¨C¡± she said.


    I shot her a frantic look, and she shook her head with augh.


    ¡°No, of course not. This is better than a regr meet-the-parents because everybody really just wants to make you happy.¡± Dahlia stuffed the rest of the toast in her mouth, kissed Elio on the head, and strode to the door. ¡°All you have to do is show up, and nothing can go wrong.¡±


    ¡°Buh-buh, Dally!¡± Elio shrieked.


    She waved at him, and I waved back, hoping against hope she was right.


    Before I could convince Elio to finish his juice, the rm on my phone telling me I could finally call went off. I scooped it up, sippy cup in the other hand, and navigated to my favorite numbers.


    I¡¯d been calling Sal often enough that my phone suggested it a few days ago, and I hit ¡®yes¡¯ before I could overthink it.


    His phone rang twice before he answered.


    ¡°Hey, Livi.¡± His voice sounded groggy like he¡¯d just woke up. I bit my lip and hoped he wouldn¡¯t be mad I called this early. ¡°Got a start time for your old man?¡±


    ¡°Seven,¡± I blurted. ¡°Um, dinner at half past, but we wanted to leave a little time for drinks and showing up before the meal proper.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha.¡±


    I thought I might have heard the sound of a pencil on paper over the line like he was taking notes. Something in my chest glowed. However everybody else felt about this dinner, it was important to him, too.


    ¡°You still remember where we live, right?¡± I asked anxiously as Elio grabbed for the hostage sippy cup. I handed it over dly.


    He chuckled. ¡°Couldn¡¯t forget it if I tried. I thought your Gio might¡¯ve taken me out right in that garage if you didn¡¯t get to me first.¡±


    Iughed, remembering my towering fury that first day. It was hard to imagine being that angry with him now.


    ¡°Alright, I gotta go polish up so I blend in with your house. It takes a minute for someone like me.¡± Heughed again. ¡°Can¡¯t wait to see you. Been too long already.¡±


    I bit my lip and nodded, half d he couldn¡¯t see me. ¡°Tonight! Seven!¡±


    We said our goodbyes and hung up. I took a deep breath and looked at my son, smeared in the remains of breakfast. I just had to pass the next ten hours without losing my mind.


    No problem.


    ***


    By the time six o¡¯clock rolled around, I felt perfectly insane. I¡¯d bathed Elio, picked out three different outfits for him in case of spige, chosen my own outfit twice, scrubbed the dining room and the foyer, poked my head in to check on Gio ying with Elio so often he told me I was going to wake him up from a nap if I did it again, and identally bleach-stained my favorite tablecloth.


    Maria even chased me out of the kitchen a couple of times. I was standing back in the dining room, gnawing on a thumbnail and wondering if I should ask someone to get the special-event chairs out of storage when Dahlia found me.


    ¡°Olive,¡± she said.


    I kept staring at the table. The special-event chairs matched my second-choice tablecloth better, but were they too fancy?


    ¡°Olive!¡± She grabbed me by the shoulders, and I looked at her suddenly.


    ¡°What?¡± I snapped.


    She raised an eyebrow at me.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Thinking too much.¡±


    ¡°More like worrying too much.¡± She shook her head. ¡°What did I tell you about just showing up?¡±


    The morning had faded from my mind. I shrugged.


    She sighed. ¡°Alright. Just go get ready. Everything¡¯s gonna be alright.¡±


    ¡°But the chairs¡ª¡±


    She pushed me out of the dining room and toward my bedroom.


    ¡°Fine, fine!¡± I put up my hands. ¡°But if he says something about the chairs, that¡¯s on you.¡±


    She shook her head indulgently and waved me away.


    I crept into the bedroom. Gio had said something yesterday about putting Elio down for an hour before Sal showed up so he¡¯d be awake during dinner, and I didn¡¯t want to wake him. The lights were off in the nursery, and the sitting room was covered in abandoned toys, so I snuck to the bedroom.


    Inside, I found Gio on his back in bed with his eyes closed and Elio asleep on his chest. For the first time since I woke up, peace stole over my heart. My boys, safe and sound together.


    I padded up to the bed as quietly as I could, but Gio¡¯s long-honed instincts beat me. His eyes fluttered open as I leaned over them, and a satisfied grin spread over his face as he realized it was me.


    ¡°You were too cute to move,¡± I whispered.


    He sat slowly, cradling Elio so our son remained asleep. ¡°I know the feeling. Time to get ready?¡±


    I nodded.


    He stroked a free hand across my cheek. ¡°Go, do what you have to do. He and I will be here when you¡¯re done.¡±


    I twisted to kiss his hand, enjoying how well he knew me, and fled to the closet.


    Forty-five minutester, I scooped a now-awake Elio out of his arms so he could dress. I picked a simple, gray stretch-cotton dress, so as not to scare Sal, but I knew the cut made me look elegant. My arms were totally bare, but it had a low turtleneck, and the hem hit mid-calf with modest slits on either side up to my knee. Paired with ck heels and a simple updo, Dahlia dered me a ¡°vision of modern motherhood.¡±


    Elio squirmed into his first outfit, a sailor-inspired navy shirt with white trim and matching navy-and-white striped leggings. Together, we marched out to the foyer to make sure everyone else was in ce.


    Dahlia leaned against the banister in a simrly casual-cool outfit, a hot-pink oversized zer she picked up in Mn over a ck pencil skirt and a gray patterned T-shirt with matching pink heels.


    Before I could say anything, the door swung open, and I whirled to see Tallon and Alessandro in the doorway. Alessandro, at least, had the dignity to look sheepish.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡± I checked my watch ¡°¡ªfive minutes until he gets here!¡±


    Tallon strode in, his hands in the pockets of his teal chinos. ¡°So we¡¯re right on time.¡±


    Gio¡¯s heavy tread down the hall behind me was the only thing that saved Tallon. I turned to see my husband in ck suit pants and a gray button-up with the sleeves rolled to the elbows and no tie. I breathed a sigh of relief. At least everybody followed the dress code.


    Dahlia held her arms out. ¡°I¡¯ll take him. The jacket¡¯s waterproof.¡±


    I grinned and handed my squirming son over.


    The doorbell rang.


    Time seemed to stretch as I walked to the door, Gio smiling at my side. It was time to wee my father properly into my life. I¡¯d been imagining this moment¡ªa knock on the door of the tiny apartment I shared with my mom, a man at our door promising a better life with tears and hugs¡ªfor as long as I¡¯d known most people had fathers, and it was finally here.


    I took a deep breath and opened the door.


    Sal, freshly shaved in khakis and a white polo, stood on our front stoop.


    ¡°Sorry if I¡¯m early.¡± He rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°I really couldn¡¯t wait.¡±


    I grabbed him in a hug, the first time I¡¯d initiated contact since he appeared outside our gate. It felt right. My father was here, and my husband finally wanted to get to know him. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Sal wrapped his bony arms around me and squeezed.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait either,¡± I whispered.


    I pulled back and grinned up at Gio. He smiled back at me and put his hand out to shake.


    ¡°Wee to our home,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the chance to get to know you.¡±


    Salvatore took it dly, and my perfectly nned night swept us into its rhythm. Drinks and introductions in the foyer flowed easily into dinner in the dining room.


    Maria had outdone herself, creating a perfect Beef Wellington after I remembered Sal mentioned liking it as well as a massive dish of Gio¡¯s mom¡¯s spaghetti. Gio hired a bartender for the evening, insisting none of us would want to worry about it, and the lithe Italian man somehow kept everyone¡¯s ss full in between Dahlia¡¯s attentions. The conversation centered around Elio, the first year of events Sal had missed, and pictures got handed around the table at regr intervals.


    I breathed a sigh of relief as we reach the end of Elio¡¯s first year and nobody had even made an untowardment. Our tes were getting empty, and the night seemed like it was going to be a sess.


    Alessandro knocked back the remainder of a Dark & Stormy and leaned forward. ¡°Speaking of his birthday, did you know that was happening when you showed up?¡±


    I took a steadying breath. Alessandro asked everything like a challenge. He didn¡¯t mean anything by it.


    Sal swallowed quickly. ¡°Um, no. I just finally managed to track Olivia down and couldn¡¯t wait.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Alessandro crossed his arms. ¡°And how¡¯d you find her after all this time?¡±


    ¡°Her school, like I said.¡± Sal furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Why?¡±


    Alessandro shook his head and epted another drink from the bartender. ¡°I¡¯m a curious guy. Why¡¯d you show up after so long anyway?¡±


    My heart raced as Sal gave him the exact same answer he¡¯d given Gio and me. Everything was going so perfectly. Maybe, if he stopped interrogating my dad, I could get the night back on track.


    ¡°It just sounds a little convenient, you know?¡± Alessandro leaned back in his chair. ¡°The way I see it, you fucked off when it was convenient for you and came back when you thought you might get something.¡± A storm cloud gathered on his brow. ¡°Olivia¡¯s our family now, not yours.¡±


    I shot up, screeching my chair against the floor.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Gio said quietly.


    ¡°I need to change Elio,¡± I spat, pulling him out of his high chair and storming out of the room.


    How dare Alessandro say something like that? I¡¯d asked them all to be on their best behavior, but still, they insisted on disliking him. He was my dad. Shouldn¡¯t I get to decide who was my family?


    I sagged against the hallway to the bedroom, tears pressing against the backs of my eyes. The night was ruined.


    ¡°Livi?¡± Sal poked his head into the hall.


    I scrubbed my cheeks and stood. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t take it personal.¡± He stepped closer with a rueful smile. ¡°You¡¯ve been close with them your whole life, and they want you safe.¡±


    Iughed bitterly. ¡°That doesn¡¯t give him the right to talk to you like that.¡±


    Sal patted me on the shoulder. ¡°I can take a few questions from a kid half my age. Nothing¡¯s gonna chase me away. I want to be part of your life.¡±


    I looked up at him, into the eyes we shared, warm withpassion and love. I smiled at him.


    ¡°I do still need to change Elio,¡± I said.


    He took his hand back. ¡°Do what you gotta! Just didn¡¯t like seeing my little girl off on her own.¡±


    This must¡¯ve been what it would be like to have a dad all along, someone to follow you out and tell you what you needed to hear.


    ¡°You can help, if you want.¡±


    A soft grin spread across his face. ¡°I happen to be an expert diaper-changer.¡±


    As I took off down the hallway with him, Alessandro¡¯s words rang in my ears. For everything else my father was, he was awfully convenient.

 Chapter 467 : News Over Lunch

    <h4>Chapter 467: Chapter 467 : News Over Lunch</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I leaned my head back against my chair and closed my eyes with a sigh. I¡¯d been trying to focus on work, but the numbers on my papers kept swimming back and forth. Finally, I had to just let myself think about the specter that had been haunting my thoughts¨CSalvatore.


    A week had passed since the dinner, and we didn¡¯t know anything new. All my ns came crashing down around my shoulders when Alessandro charged into the breach before Sal got anywhere near as drunk as we needed him. Then, after Olivia stormed out, her hackles were up, and I couldn¡¯t ask anything that might risk showing my hand. The only thing worse than her being mad at me for something I told her was her being mad for something I didn¡¯t.


    My phone rang, the ringtone I kept for my high-ranking men, and I plucked it off my desk, answering with my eyes still closed.


    ¡°What?¡± I groaned, hoping I sounded irritated with whoever called and not exhausted.


    ¡°Gio,¡± Alessandro said. His voice was low and urgent.


    I sat up and opened my eyes.


    ¡°What?¡± I repeated, this time actually interested in the answer.


    I could almost hear his grin over the line. ¡°I have news. Meet me at San Fredo¡¯s for lunch?¡±


    I checked my watch. It was nearly three, but Olivia and Dahlia had taken Elio out for shopping and cupcakes, so I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about them for another few hours yet. But I had to be certain. I wouldn¡¯t leave my office for just anything.


    ¡°Sal?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Who else?¡± Alessandro crowed.


    ¡°San Fredo¡¯s. 3:15.¡± I hung up the phone.


    I had to leave immediately to make it to the little bistro on the south side of town, but I allowed myself a moment. So, I hadn¡¯t gotten anything out of the dinner. I didn¡¯t give much away either. He already knew where we lived, and a basic round of surveince would¡¯ve informed him about Tallon, Alessandro, and Dahlia. But perhaps it had lured him into a sense of security because he finally, finally slipped up.


    I swallowed. Olivia would kill me if she heard me say anything like that. In truth, I didn¡¯t like hoping her father was a bad guy. But that didn¡¯t shake my bone-deep faith that he was, and I knew Alessandro wouldn¡¯t have been so pleased on the phone if he hadn¡¯t found something to prove it.


    I heaved up from my desk. All I needed to do now was find out what Alessandro¡¯s news was. I would figure out how to deal with my wifeter.


    A quick, quiet SUV rideter, I walked into San Fredo¡¯s.


    ¡°Giovani!¡± the owner, Tony, called. ¡°How are you thinner every time I see you?¡±


    I allowed myself to be swept into the older Italian man¡¯s hug. Tony was a retired member of the Valentino family, and the only reason Alessandro would¡¯ve chosen this ce was if he had information to say¡ªor show¡ªthat absolutely could not fall on other ears.


    I chuckled ruefully. ¡°I guess I don¡¯te here enough.¡±


    Tony cuffed me on the shoulder, and a couple of patrons I recognized as family men winced. No one else was allowed to touch me like that. But I knew Tony from before I was a made man, and I couldn¡¯t have stopped him from treating me like that any more than I could¡¯ve flown.


    ¡°Damn right you don¡¯t,¡± he said. ¡°Damn fucking right. Get your ass down here and I¡¯ll fatten you up.¡± He jerked a thumb over his shoulder, and I saw Alessandro at a poorly lit table in the back corner where I did most of my business. ¡°Your friend¡¯s in the back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do better,¡± I promised as I headed for my table.


    Tony¡¯s mutterings chased me all the way to Alessandro, who smirked at me until I shot him the sort of re that let him know I would not find his jokes funny.


    He cleared his throat and looked at the folder on the table. ¡°So¡ª¡±


    I put a hand up. ¡°If I don¡¯t order, he¡¯s taking my head off.¡±


    Alessandro nodded, and I gestured over a spooked-looking waitress I knew to be Tony¡¯s granddaughter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the carbonara, heavy on the guanciale. He¡¯ll have the puttanesca.¡±


    She scurried away, and Alessandro raised an eyebrow at me.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t get menus,¡± he said.


    ¡°Work as long as I have,¡± I said with a shrug, ¡°and if you don¡¯t know San Fredo¡¯s menu by heart, I¡¯ll be shocked. Now, you have news?¡±


    Alessandro pushed the folder across the table. ¡°Sal finally got a visitor at that park.¡±


    I flipped open the folder. Inside, I found dozens of pictures of Sal talking to a bald, muscr man in a wifebeater and cut-off shorts, covered everywhere I could see in tattoos. They looked, if not friendly, then at least familiar. Sal¡¯s posture remained at least as rxed as it ever was around me, and the bald man crossed his arms a few times but never seemed seriously irritated.


    I picked up a close-up of the man¡¯s face where I could clearly see the tattoos crawling over his bare skull and throat. If he was in the line of business I thought, I figured that I should be able to read his tattoos like a book.


    At the top of his head bloomed a rose ensnared in barbed wire, most likely to indicate he¡¯d turned eighteen in prison. A snarling wolf on his neck showed a disdain for the authorities. A ship with full sails to say he¡¯d escaped from custody once and would again.


    I knew what mob used this tattoonguage. But I had to be sure.


    I shuffled to another picture. Just like I thought, two eight-pointed stars adorned his knees¨Cthe mark of a thief-inw, or member of the Russian mob, high enough that he didn¡¯t have to kneel to anybody.


    I looked up at Alessandro, who grinned like the cat who ate the canary, just as our food arrived.


    ¡°Do you know what those tattoos mean?¡± he asked as I twirled a bite of carbonara with just the right amount of meat.


    I looked at him and sighed. ¡°This is good work, but don¡¯t get too big. If I couldn¡¯t read those tattoos, I should be shot. Eat.¡±


    Alessandro meekly shoved a forkful of spaghetti into his mouth.


    ¡°This is great,¡± he said through a full mouth.


    ¡°I know.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Do we know anything about this man, have any reason to believe they¡¯re actually in bed together?¡±


    Part of me, I realized at that moment, wanted to be wrong. I didn¡¯t want to be looking at a man with Russian prison tattoos chatting with my wife¡¯s father. I wanted to wee him into our lives, wanted to crawl into bed with her tonight and apologize for being so paranoid.


    Alessandro shrugged. ¡°Haven¡¯t tracked him down yet. They didn¡¯t exchange anything physical at the meet, and I figured you¡¯d want us to stick with Sal and see what he did next.¡±


    I savored my bite of carbonara for a moment. ¡°And what did he do next?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Alessandro muttered. ¡°Just went back to sitting in the park.¡±


    I bit back another sigh. He¡¯d sounded so goddamned pleased on the phone, I¡¯d thought he had a lead we could chase. This was bad, of course, but it was deniable if you really wanted to believe Sal was a good guy, which Olivia did.


    ¡°Next time, take too big of a team. Then, you can send a splinter squad after any arrivals.¡±


    Alessandro nodded, and we ate in silence for a few minutes.


    Eventually, I asked, ¡°Has there been any Russian activitytely?¡±


    He shook his head and swallowed quickly. ¡°Nothing beyond what we¡¯ve been seeing. But I was thinking¡ªwe lost Lorenz. What if he gave it some time, but now he¡¯s looking for revenge? Sal said he got in deep to a local family. Maybe giving them you is a way to pay his debts.¡±


    I stirred my pasta. He was right. It made perfect sense. We¡¯d suspected there might¡¯ve been Russians operating under James¡¯ nose for a little while now, and it would exin why he suddenly appeared. I didn¡¯t exactly publicize my and Olivia¡¯s wedding in business circles, and there¡¯s a chance it might¡¯ve taken a couple of years to reach the Russians.


    I ran a hand over my face and sighed. ¡°That is a distinct possibility.¡±


    Alessandro grinned as he stabbed another bite of pasta. ¡°I knew it! I knew he was bad news from the start, and this is proof. When are you going to tell Olivia?¡±


    I put my hand heavily on the folder he provided. ¡°Let me get one thing straight: this is evidence, not proof. Proof is something that actually connects him to mob business, not just mob members in present day. Even better if it¡¯s Lorenz. This¨C¡± I tapped the folder. ¡°This might be the beginning of proof. But this is certainly not over. And you are not to tell Olivia anything until I say it is.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha, boss.¡± Alessandro¡¯s whole demeanor drooped, suddenly reminding me how young he was. He¡¯d been an invaluable asset these past few years, but in some ways, he was the same kid who ckmailed me for six months over my rtionship with Olivia.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want anyone getting hurt,¡± he said quietly. ¡°She¡¯s my family, too. And the kid.¡±


    I softened. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let anybody get hurt. I have the situation well in hand. And thank you for this work. It is good. Now, why don¡¯t we enjoy this great food and talk about something else?¡±


    He nodded grimly, ncing at Tony in the kitchen. The kid was smarter than I sometimes gave him credit for¡ªhe already knew he had more than a cuff on the shoulder to deal with if he sent an unfinished te back to the kitchen.


    When we finally finished our meal, I loaded into the car by myself. I offered Alessandro a ride back, but he said he needed to get back to his guys on watch. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what would actually be enough proof to convince Olivia.


    Before I finished having the thought, I buzzed up the soundproof barrier and called Gabriele.


    ¡°Alessandro caught Sal talking with Russians,¡± I spat.


    Gabriele let out a long breath. ¡°Russians, huh? Anybody we know?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± I huffed. ¡°But Alessandro thinks it¡¯s tied up with Lorenz. Did he ever resurface anywhere?¡±


    ¡°Not that popped up on our radars,¡± Gabriele answered. ¡°And I always thought that was suspicious. The kid might be right. It seems too coincidental any other way.¡±


    I let out a long, slow breath. The full weight of Alessandro¡¯s discovery settled on me all at once. Somehow, in Gabriele¡¯s mouth, it felt undeniable. Olivia¡¯s father was working with the Russians, and I had to prove that to her before it got one of us killed, and hope that she didn¡¯t kill me in the process.


    ¡°Do you have anything new?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I was going to call you tonight,¡± he said. ¡°A couple of banking inconsistencies. Not too weird on their own, but if he¡¯s with the Russians....¡±


    Gabriele didn¡¯t need to finish his sentence. If he was with the Russians, every banking inconsistency could be a payment. If he was with the Russians, any banking inconsistency threw up screaming red gs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to make any assumptions, though,¡± Gabriele said. ¡°I made up my mind about Elena too quickly, and I don¡¯t intend to fall into that trap again.¡±


    ¡°Smart,¡± I agreed, as though both of us had not just run down every dark road ¡®if he¡¯s with the Russians¡¯ called to mind. ¡°Looking into it further?¡±


    ¡°With our best people,¡± he replied. ¡°At this time, I would ss him as nothing more specific than a threat.¡±


    I rubbed a hand over my face. ¡°So you agree he¡¯s a threat?¡±


    A long silence came over the line.


    ¡°I think calling him anything else is naive,¡± Gabriele finally said.


    We pulled up in front of thepound, and I got off the phone.


    I had to tell her, had to make her see my side despite her desire to have a father in her life. Salvatore was a threat, and most likely a Russian threat.


    I¡¯d promised myself one thing when we drove the Russian scourge out of Florence¨Cnone of those bastards would ever touch a hair on my family¡¯s heads again.


    And I would do anything to keep that promise.

 Chapter 468 : Missing the Little Things

    <h4>Chapter 468: Chapter 468 : Missing the Little Things</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I patted the ground. ¡°Come to Mama!¡±


    Elio wobbled through another step, gripping the bars on his crib in his chubby little fist. He still preferred crawling, but the doctor told us we should encourage him to walk whenever possible.


    I sat on one side of his nursery, slightly beyond the edge of the crib, hoping he would cover the final foot on his own. Dahlia leaned against the wall on the opposite side, ready to continue the back-and-forth if he made it into my arms.


    Elio reached the edge of the crib and hesitated. He still had a small smear of blue frosting on his cheek from the cupcakes we got after shopping, and I¡¯d expected him to go down for a nap right away, but he¡¯d insisted on staying up and ying with clear eyes.


    I tapped the carpet again. ¡°You can do it!¡±


    He took a hesitant step forward, hand still on the crib.


    The door opened, and Gio said, ¡°Olivia?¡±


    I kept my eyes on Elio. We were so close, and now Gio would be here for his first steps!


    Elio scooted a little further forward. His arm was now fully extended behind him, and his final step would have to be unsupported.


    ¡°Olivia, I need to talk to you,¡± Gio said.


    His voice sounded serious, and I turned to face him finally. His brows were knitted in concern, and the corners of his mouth tugged down. Whatever he wanted, it wasn¡¯t good.


    Dahlia burst into cheers, and Elio tumbled into my arms. I caught him and began cooing, so he knew how proud I was, but my stomach flipped. I¡¯d missed my son¡¯s first step.


    ¡®Gio had better have something extremely important to talk to me about.¡¯


    I met his gaze over our son¡¯s head and tried tomunicate that with my eyes. He swallowed and nodded, silently affirming that it had to be now.


    Anger and panic warred in my gut.


    ¡°Do you want to hang out with Aunt Dally for a little?¡± I asked the squirming, giggling baby in my arms.


    He pped and nodded. I nced at Dahlia for confirmation.


    Her eyes flickered between Gio and me. ¡°Yeah, I can take him. He should go down soon anyway, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the n.¡± I passed my excitable son into her arms. Luckily, Elio didn¡¯t seem to notice the total shift in atmosphere.


    Silently, Gio led me through the sitting room and into our bedroom. I swallowed. This was the only room in our suite with total soundproofing.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I demanded. ¡°Is someone hurt? Is the world ending? Because it better be something like that to be worth missing Elio¡¯s first step.¡±


    Gio produced a few folded pieces of paper from the interior pocket of his suit and sat on the bed with a sigh. ¡°The world¡¯s not ending, carina, but I do think this is important enough.¡±


    I sat next to him, but not close enough to touch. The paper filled me with a sense of impending doom. He never brought evidence into conversations unless something big was happening.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Salvatore,¡± he said.


    My heart swooped, and tears pressed against the backs of my eyes. If I had just gotten a father just in time to lose him, I knew it would break my heart.


    ¡°I trust you,¡± he said slowly, ¡°and I didn¡¯t want to believe anything bad of Sal after ourst conversation. So I sent some men to confirm that he just wanted a rtionship with you.¡±


    Relief rushed through my veins, with hot anger on its heels. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot, Gio. You still didn¡¯t trust him.¡±


    He gritted his teeth, then took a deep breath. ¡°Those men found some things I thought you should see,¡± he said evenly.


    I crossed my arms and nodded for him to continue. I didn¡¯t like any of this, least of all finding out after the fact, but if Gio was trying to keep his temper, I owed him the same courtesy.


    He unfolded the papers, which turned out to be high-quality photos of my father talking to a man I didn¡¯t recognize on a bench, taken from a great distance. My jaw dropped.


    ¡°That¡¯s not confirmation, and you know it,¡± I snapped. ¡°That¡¯s surveince.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Yes. Alessandro was worried, and he needed a task to keep him from doing something more foolish. I was simply hoping to figure out what Sal did for work¡ª¡±


    ¡°You could¡¯ve asked!¡± I said.


    He shook his head. ¡°Every time I asked, he avoided the question.¡±


    I bit my lip. I couldn¡¯t exactly remember asking myself, but it suddenly seemed strange that I didn¡¯t know.


    Gio lifted the pictures. ¡°He¡¯s usually alone, but someone finally met him. I don¡¯t know this man in specific, but I know his tattoos.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°A mafioso¡¯s tattoos are like a resume, especially in... certain families,¡± he exined.


    ¡°Which families?¡± I bit out.


    Gio shuffled to the next picture, which clearly showed the stranger¡¯s legs, covered in tattoos. ¡°Russian families. That star?¡± He pointed to matched tattoos on the man¡¯s knees, ck and white eight-pointed stars. ¡°That means he¡¯s a middling member of the Russian mob.¡±


    My stomach flipped. Russians? My father knew Russians? Was he in debt to the Russians back in Miami?


    I shook my head. I couldn¡¯t disbelieve him so quickly.


    ¡°You got rid of the Russians,¡± I said. ¡°And do you have any proof this is anything more than a chance encounter?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°We got rid of Dmitri and his organization in Florence. I thought we wiped out the Zaytsevs. But we didn¡¯t see his second¡¯s body.¡±


    I pressed a shaking hand to my mouth. All this time, I thought I was safe. I had a baby because I thought the greatest threat of my life was handled. And now, after years, Gio was telling me he hadn¡¯t truly handled anything?


    ¡°Carina, I¡¯m sorry.¡± He dropped the pictures into hisp and grabbed my free hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you because I truly believed the matter resolved. It is only now that I wonder.¡±


    Years of nightmares rushed through my head at once. After all the peace, I¡¯d almost stopped dreaming of monsters taking Elio in the night, chopping him up and sending him back to us piece by piece.


    I would never be able to chase those fears away until that second was dead.


    I nced at the papers in Gio¡¯sp, and the truth came rushing back to me. Not only did he believe the Russians were back, but he thought my father was involved. A in white sheet peeked out from behind the photos.


    I pulled my hand from my mouth and plucked it out of the pile.


    ¡°Olivia¡ª¡± Gio said.


    The paper in my trembling hand was a bank ount with a few deposits circled in red ink. In each case, the source of the deposit was a string of meaningless numbers. Each deposit was a few thousand dors, and they seemed toe in threes.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°One of your father¡¯s ounts,¡± he admitted. At least he had the grace to hang his head. ¡°I had Gabriele look into it after I saw the tattoos. The circled deposits are the ones that seem suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Suspicious?¡± I demanded. ¡°So you don¡¯t just think he knows Russians or is hiding from them. You think he¡¯s on the payroll.¡±


    Gio rubbed his chin. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I think just yet. But you have to admit it¡¯s a strange coincidence.¡±


    I wanted tough, wanted to argue, but I could see the puzzle pieces he was putting together. In the first picture, where I could see both men¡¯s faces, they looked rtively at ease with each other.


    I peered closer. No, they didn¡¯t. I recognized the look in our matching eyes. My father looked scared, in the way I had only seen him look when I had him escorted off the property that first day, or when Gio tried to menace him.


    I couldn¡¯t deny the evidence, but maybe Gio was interpreting it wrong.


    ¡°I think there¡¯s another exnation,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s gotta be. No mob hit involves learning as much about my life as he has, as much about my interests and my history. God, Gio, look at how scared he is here. What kind of scheme is that?¡±


    To his credit, Gio picked up the photo and studied it closely. I held my breath, hoping he¡¯d see what I saw and admit he was wrong. Maybe he¡¯d even mount a mission to rescue Sal from the Russian mob, because I couldn¡¯t disagree with the connections Gioid out.


    He put the picture down and looked at me. ¡°I don¡¯t get that off these images, carina, but perhaps you know him better.¡±


    I smiled as fresh relief as my husband finally siding with me broke over my heart. ¡°Exactly! I don¡¯t disagree something¡¯s wrong, but he probably just can¡¯t get away from them. We have to¡ª¡±


    ¡°But,¡± he said.


    I grimaced.


    Gio crossed his arms. ¡°I don¡¯t see an interpretation of this data that doesn¡¯t end in bad intentions. The best-case scenario is that he¡¯s willing to give you and me up to get out from under the mob.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can show him another way¡ª¡± I protested.


    Gio shook his head. ¡°You can¡¯t be alone with him until we know exactly what¡¯s going on. And you don¡¯t need to go over to his house.¡±


    For a moment, shock overwhelmed me. I thought we were on the same side, that he was willing to listen, but instead, he was doing the same thing he always did when he decided things got too dangerous for poor little Olivia.


    As the shock faded, I sprang off the bed with red coloring my vision. ¡°Sorry, do you think you get to tell me what I can and can¡¯t do?¡±


    Gio winced and put his hands up. ¡°No, carina, that came out wrong. I just meant that I don¡¯t want¡ª¡±


    I snorted. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t want me to, so I can¡¯t. Because the world spins around you and your wants. Gio, he might be trapped. They might be forcing him to do this, but you¡¯re so caught up in your blind hatred that you can¡¯t see it.¡±


    He stood, still a bit away and with his hands up. ¡°I¡¯ve told you time and again that I don¡¯t hate him.¡±


    ¡°But you keep doing this!¡± I threw my hands up in the air. ¡°Every time we have this fight, you promise to be different, and then you don¡¯t change fucking anything.¡±


    ¡°Carina, I only¡ª¡± He took a step closer, and I backed away.


    I was tired of defending the people I loved from my husband, tired of always being wrong until time proved me right.


    ¡°Don¡¯te at me with your ¡®carinas.¡¯ This is not a problem ¡®I love you¡¯ can fix.¡± I bit my lip. ¡°I missed our son¡¯s first steps for your paranoia.¡±


    He swallowed and seemed chastened. ¡°All I want is your safety.¡±


    ¡°And all I want is my freedom,¡± I snapped. ¡°If you can¡¯t give that to me, then good luck telling me what I can and can¡¯t do when you don¡¯t know where I am.¡±


    I spun on my heel and stormed for the bedroom door. I flung it open, sending it crashing against the wall, and raced for the nursery.


    At the door, I took a deep breath. Whatever else was happening, I didn¡¯t want to scare Elio.


    I opened the door. Dahlia was in the middle of Elio¡¯s favorite Dr. Seuss book, Hop on Pop, with him dozing on her chest. She put a finger to her lips and transferred him to the crib. He fussed but rolled over and tucked the nket under his chin.


    She stepped outside with me.


    ¡°Can you watch him for a few hours?¡± I hissed.


    She nced at the open bedroom door. ¡°Sure, but¡ª¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll catch you up when I get home. Don¡¯t tell him anything.¡±


    She nodded, her eyes wide. Behind me, I heard Gio stirring from the stun my storming out always induced.


    I squeezed her hand and bolted for the front door. Luckily, Dom was there.


    ¡°I need a car,¡± I gasped. ¡°Only you and Tino cane.¡±


    Tino ratted on me to Gio all the time, but I half-wanted him to hear this.


    Dom looked at me with worried eyes but nodded and took off. In moments, he pulled the Fiat around, the nondescript car Gio used when he wanted to blend in. He and Tino crammedically into the front seat, and I took the back.


    I would¡¯veughed at the squeeze on another day. Today, I just smiled grimly and pulled out my phone.


    ¡°Dad?¡± I said.


    The word tasted foreign on my tongue, but I saw Tino quirk an eyebrow, and that only reinforced my decision.


    ¡°We need to talk.¡±

 Chapter 469 : Sal’s Story

    <h4>Chapter 469: Chapter 469 : Sal¡¯s Story</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Uh, sure,¡± Sal replied, sounding somewhere between confused and pleased. ¡°I cane over in maybe half an hour, or you can swing by here.¡±


    I hesitated. Whatever else I felt about what Gio said, I couldn¡¯t deny there was some evidence that Sal had Russian ties, maybe even deep ones.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather meet somewhere public,¡± I said.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said slowly. ¡°You wanna eat? We could grab an early dinner.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I snapped.


    He fell silent. I took a deep breath to regain my temper. I was mad at Gio, not Sal.


    Right?


    Part of me, a part I didn¡¯t want Gio to see, fought its way to the front. I was furious with Salvatore, almost as much as I was with Gio. I believed he wanted a rtionship, but knowing he might be paid to have that, no matter what his desires were, made me sick with anger.


    I hated being a pawn in these ridiculous mafia games. But I could be angry with him when I knew the truth.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not hungry,¡± I said a little more evenly. ¡°Do you have anywhere else you just hang out?¡±


    He hummed. ¡°I like to go for walks in the Parco di Vi il Ventaglio.¡±


    I repeated the name to Dom, who had been driving aimlessly. He took a sharp right, and mouthed the words, ¡°Twenty minutes,¡± over his shoulder at me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you there in twenty,¡± I said before I hung up.


    I inhaled slowly and dropped my head back against the seat, emotions tumbling over each other in my mind.


    I meant what I¡¯d said to Gio. If he tried to lock me down like he had when Dmitri ran the city, I would fight him tooth and nail. I wasn¡¯t the same wilting flower I was then, and I had people I could mostly count on to help me. But I couldn¡¯t deny the chill of fear Russians in the city sent down my spine. I had never been more scared, more uncertain than when Dmitri held Florence in the palm of his hand. Little made sense to me, and less made mefortable. If the Russians were here, even a four-man enve, I wanted them gone, whatever it took.


    I chuckled bitterly. The Olivia who fled a new friend out of fear she might be a Russian nt would never have had that thought. Years with Gio had changed me more than I thought. They made me strong enough to do this, to face down my father and use him of betraying me.


    I just had to show Gio that, and show Salvatore that I wouldn¡¯t just roll over and be used.


    We pulled up in front of the park. It was small, but Sal hadn¡¯t given me a specific ce. I peered a little closer at the trees and realized I recognized that particr blend of species from the pictures Gio had shown me.


    So he¡¯d invited me to his mob drop zone. A small shiver of fear tingled through me, but I had Tino and Dom.


    ¡°Stay close.¡± I got out of the car and began searching for the bench I¡¯d seen in the pictures.


    My two suited guards trailed no more than five feet behind me. Their bulk steeled my nerves. Unless Sal was in far deeper than Gio or I dared to fear and this was an ambush, I would be safe.


    I rounded a corner to find the scrolled cast-iron bench with Sal sitting on it and reading a newspaper. He folded the paper up at our approach and smiled, patting the seat next to him.


    Part of me wondered if one of Alessandro¡¯s men was photographing me right now.


    I sat a bit further away than Sal indicated, and my guards took six and twelve o¡¯clock positions within a few feet of me.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Livi?¡± Sal asked.


    I swallowed. I was stronger than I had been, but sitting in this park, I couldn¡¯t help but remember the man with the gun who¡¯d attacked Dahlia and me in a very simr ce¨Cthe Russian man.


    ¡°I have to ask you something,¡± I hedged. I needed a little time to scan the trees and the sightlines and reassure myself no one wasing.


    Sal nodded. ¡°I figured as much.¡±


    The sunset cast strange shadows through the trees, but the park was mostly empty. None of the leaves moved in a way I wouldn¡¯t expect, and both Dom and Tino kept their gazes ever outward.


    I steadied myself. ¡°I know about the Russians.¡±


    Sal nched. ¡°I can exin¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really hoping you can,¡± I said honestly. ¡°Gio doesn¡¯t want me here, but I think there could be a good exnation.¡±


    He smiled gratefully and put his hand over mine on the bench. I lingered for a moment, trying to feel the daughterly pleasure I¡¯d experienced when I¡¯d hugged him in the hall, but fear and worry overwhelmed everything else.


    I took my hand back. I wanted to hear his whole story before I drew any conclusions.


    He frowned but nodded.


    ¡°I suppose I deserve that.¡± He sighed. ¡°This story, like far too many of mine, starts back in New York City, before you were born. Your mom and I were bar rats, and I needed a job that didn¡¯t interfere with that.¡±


    I still couldn¡¯t square the image of my mother as Sal described her, queen of the New York bar scene, with the tired, overworked woman I knew.


    ¡°One night, I ran into this guy decked to the nines in diamonds. Told me he worked for the Costas, and they need a guy to drive a truck a couple times a week without asking any questions. The pay was¨C¡± Heughed. ¡°Let¡¯s just say, I knew I wasn¡¯t going to be transporting Barbie dolls. But it would let me make good money and do whatever I damn well pleased. At twenty-one, that sounded perfect.¡±


    I swallowed. Did he know I turned twenty-one recently, that when he was making reckless choices to spend more time at bars, I was raising a son and married to a Don?


    When I didn¡¯t say anything, he continued. ¡°I was low-level, of course, but despite all the cheap vodka I was pickling my brain in, I was pretty smart. There was an uptick in random cop stops, and I built a false back for my truck to cover the real merchandise. Even filled it up with crates of apples I bought myself. Within a week, it was standard across the city. Amanda thought I got into carpentry, I was building so many of those goddamn things.¡±


    He grinned as if he were reliving past glories. Part of me was repulsed, but I couldn¡¯t exactly judge. I¡¯d heard Gio talk about some of his low-level men in the exact same way¨Csmall strokes of genius revealing future potential.


    ¡°How did you end up on the run?¡± I asked. If I was right about him, I wanted to hear all his stories, someday. But right now, as the sun sank below the horizon, I wanted to know if I should be here at all.


    He huffed a sigh and smiled ruefully. ¡°Right to the tough stuff, huh?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Alright. You deserve to know.¡± He stared into the distance for a moment. ¡°After a few months, I got bumped from driver to supplier. Made a couple people mad, so I had to start taking weird routes to make my drops. One day, I found myself well outside Costa territory, heading down a back alley on my way to meet a dealer, when I see Vincente Costa, the Don¡¯s second, talking to some thug. I must have some kind of anti-guardian angel because I walked up just in time to hear him settling a deal to take out Giancarlo Costa, the Don.¡±


    I winced, and he chuckled bitterly.


    ¡°You can say that again. I snuck away and tried to warn Giancarlo. He¡¯d always been kind to me.¡± He snorted. ¡°That was my mistake. I was toote. Giancarlo wrote me down for a specialmendation, and Vincente knew I was the reason his fight was so hard. I had to disappear before the Don brought the whole might of the family down on me.¡±


    I pressed a hand to my mouth. He¡¯d been hunted as a traitor for trying to warn someone he was loyal to, not any of the awful things Gio thought and implied.


    He smiled indulgently at me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. I got out quick. Missed you and your mom something fierce, and I never really had a home after that, but the Costas never caught me.¡±


    ¡°What did you do for all those years, though?¡± I had to ask. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you evere back?¡±


    ¡°Odd jobs.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I worked for whoever would take me. Then, a decade or so back, a man with a heavy Eastern European ent came looking for me in Paris.¡±


    My mouth fell open. I¡¯d half forgotten this was originally about his rtionship with the Russians, and the mention of them sent my gaze skittering over the trees. There was nothing new, thank god.


    ¡°He said his boss would pay top dor for information on the Costa operation, and he heard I might be the man to get it from.¡± He sighed heavily. ¡°I couldn¡¯t turn them down.¡±


    I gnawed on my lip. I could picture him, a decade less haggard, happy to fall into the arms of any family who would take him. Maybe he¡¯d only spent a little time with the Russians, and the tattooed man was an old friend.


    But I knew that didn¡¯t exin the bank discrepancies, or the fear in his eyes in those pictures.


    ¡°Do you still work for them?¡± I blurted.


    He ran a hand through his thinning hair, then met my eyes. ¡°Yes.¡±


    My stomach sank. That was the one answer that could ruin him in Gio¡¯s eyes, could keep him from my life forever.


    ¡°But they don¡¯t know about you.¡± He grabbed my hand, his eyes shining. ¡°I don¡¯t even think they know about Gio. They haven¡¯t asked anything.¡±


    In the back of my mind, I realized that meant he knew exactly what Gio did, and all my careful talking about it had been a waste.


    ¡°What do you do?¡± I asked numbly.


    ¡°A little dealing,¡± he admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t have the sort of resume that lets me find other work, and Italy¡¯s not cheap. But a dealer¡¯s the lowest man on the totem pole. I¡¯ve only ever met my supplier, Alexei.¡±


    I stared into his eyes, searching them for the truth. The shine to them could have been sincerity, but it could also be tears brought on by fear of being caught.


    Or fear of losing me.


    His grip on my hand was desperate, trembling.


    ¡°I want a rtionship with you, Olivia, whatever that means.¡± He swallowed. ¡°Whatever you¡¯ll give me.¡±


    I disentangled my hand from his. ¡°Sal¡ª¡±


    He smiled ruefully. ¡°I thought we were on Dad now.¡±


    I forced a smile. ¡°I want you in my life, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t get over the Russian thing?¡± He released my hand, disappointment clouding his eyes. ¡°This is why I didn¡¯t tell you. I knew, since you told the story about the gto, that you wouldn¡¯t be able to see this for the innocent employment it was. I would never let anything hurt you.¡±


    An instinct to grab his hand back, tofort him, rose up in me. I hated watching his face fall, hated seeing him sad.


    ¡°I... don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°This is big, and I need some time to mull it over. Can I have that?¡±


    He nodded, excitement springing back to his gaze. ¡°As much time as you want! I¡¯ll be waiting for you whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±


    I stood. ¡°I¡¯ll call you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait by the phone!¡± He waved.


    The walk back through the park was as silent as the walk there, and my mind swarmed with even more thoughts. I didn¡¯t know if I could ever feel safe knowing he worked for the Russians, but maybe I could talk to Gio and get him a job in the Valentino organization.


    I kicked a rock. It really seemed like he just wanted to be a part of my life. The way he copsed when he thought I was saying goodbye forever, and perked back up when I said maybe, was the most emotion he showed the whole time. It reminded me a little of the way Elio slumped when I tried to feed him something he didn¡¯t want and sat up when I offered him some fruit. He was, undeniably, my father.


    If he was a liar, he was a damn good one. But then, he would have to be to survive the life he described.


    I just had to decide whether I thought he¡¯d lie to me.

 Chapter 470 : Do You Believe Him?

    <h4>Chapter 470: Chapter 470 : Do You Believe Him?</h4>


    *Giovani*


    Tino alerted me as soon as Olivia had taken off. I decided it was time to step back a little. So long as she had Dom and Tino by her side, she wouldn¡¯t be in danger, at least for now.


    I relieved Dahlia of babysitting duties, heading to the living room to wait for my wife. Elio was more than happy to spend time with me as we waited.


    I felt terrible for missing Elios¡¯ first step and for making Olivia miss it too. Luckily though, now that Elio had gained his bnce, he wanted to walk all the time. I hovered just behind him as he toddled around, often falling, but he never cried and only picked himself up like we had taught him to do.


    Eventually, he got too sleepy to stay awake and Iid him down for a nap in his crib, turning on the baby monitor once he was asleep and heading back to the living room to clean up the mess.


    I started flipping through the channels on the TV, just waiting quietly. Soon enough, I heard the rumble of a car heading up the driveway and I flipped off the ser game I was watching, getting to my feet.


    I stuffed my hands in my pockets, rounding the corner into the foyer just as the lock turned and the door opened.


    My wife walked in, looking ragged and run down. She didn¡¯t even see me at first, her eyes focused on her feet. I cleared my throat to catch her attention and she looked up at me, startled.


    She breathed a heavy sigh, kicking off her shoes.


    ¡°Carina,¡± I started cautiously, unsure of her mental headspace right then.


    She didn¡¯t answer, simply tossed her purse onto one of the hooks in the wall and walked straight past me into the kitchen.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± I called again, following her. She scoffed, an irritated sound that let me know she heard me, but she didn¡¯t really give a rat¡¯s ass right then. She opened up the fridge, grabbed a soda can, and opened it with a snap.


    I crossed my arms, watching as she downed the whole can in less than a minute. ¡°Did something happen with Sal?¡±


    She paused, ncing over at me with a hopeless half-smile. She turned to me, her eyes hard and her body tensed for a fight. I stood my ground as she crunched the can in her hand, throwing it onto the counter as she bit back, ¡°Did Tino tell you that?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    ¡°I suppose not.¡± She shrugged, brushing past me like she didn¡¯t have a care in the world. ¡°Only I care about the surveince you¡¯ve put on me, right? It¡¯s not like it really matters.¡±


    ¡°Olivia,¡± I called sharply, giving her a firm look. ¡°What is going on with you?¡±


    She paused at the doorway, her hands clenched at her sides, and I saw the faint hint of a tremble on her shoulders. She refused to look at me and I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I took a step forward.


    ¡°Talk to me, Carina,¡± I called out to her softly, begging. I didn¡¯t want another fight over this, another rift between us. There had been too many already.


    She sighed, her shoulders slumping under a sudden wave of exhaustion, and she turned around to look at me, her eyes glittering with unshed tears.


    ¡°Not now, please,¡± she pleaded quietly. ¡°I need to be alone right now. I need some time to think. If we talk now, I¡¯ll onlysh out at you, and I don¡¯t want¡ªI can¡¯t....¡±


    Her voice broke, but she held strong. Not a single tear fell from her eyes, no matter how much she looked like she would fall to pieces right in front of me.


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± I cated her, stepping forward to pull her into my arms. The relief of having her close, safe, and unharmed despite her fragile state was more than enough to satisfy me for now. ¡°Just tell me what you found out about Sal so we¡¯re on the same page, and I¡¯ll run you a bath. I¡¯ll get you some champagne, maybe give you a massage if you¡¯re up for itter, okay?¡±


    She took a deep shuddering breath, nodding as she relented. ¡°Okay.¡±


    She pulled back from me, her eyes on the kitchen tiles below as she ran through everything Salvatore had told her¨Cof the Costas he ended up getting involved in back in New York, the way he practically stumbled into overhearing a hit on the Don and spilling what he heard.


    I knew the moment she mentioned the specialmendation what had happened next. A low-level member like him getting amendation from the Don, right before a scheduled hit? Anyone would be a fool not to put the pieces together.


    Giancarlo had practically signed his death warrant. No wonder he took off before they could catch him. Any man with half a brain would do the same.


    If they didn¡¯t have a family waiting for them, that was.


    I clenched my jaw, still not agreeing with his choice no matter what I heard but listening quietly as she told me about his deal with the Russians, about being a dealer. He wasn¡¯t wrong about it being the lowest man, but only having contact with his supplier¨Cthat was suspicious.


    I filed the name Alexei away forter, kissing the top of Olivia¡¯s head and thanking her for telling me.


    ¡°Do you believe him?¡± I asked softly, making sure no hint of my own thoughts or feelings sunk through. I needed to know her own stance on this.


    She shrugged with a nonmittal hum. ¡°I think I¡¯ll take that bath now.¡±


    I chuckled, nodding in agreement. I walked her back to our room, making sure she didn¡¯t take the baby monitor with her to the bathroom but holding onto it myself. It Elio woke up, I didn¡¯t want her to worry about it.


    She needed a little time to rx, and I would give it to her. I headed to my office, lost in my thoughts as I digested everything Olivia had told me about Salvatore. I poured a small ss of bourbon, settling into my chair.


    Did I believe he was telling the truth?


    Somewhat.


    Every good lie had kernels of truth sprinkled within, and I was sure at least part of what he said was truthful. But there were a few suspicious points, just like I thought there would be. To know for sure, we had to verify his story.


    And there was only one man I trusted enough to do so.


    ¡°What now?¡± Gabriele¡¯s gruff voice rang through the phone. He wasn¡¯t happy and I was about to make him even unhappier.


    ¡°I need you to run a few leads,¡± I said casually. ¡°The Costas in New York City¨Cfind out what happened to the Don, Giancarlo Costa, and the uprising by Vincente Costa.¡±


    ¡°Costa?¡± Gabriele shot back, disbelief in his tone. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. They went down like two decades ago!¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how hard it is to find information about a dead mafia that perished twenty years ago, especially an American one? It¡¯d be like finding a needle in a haystack. Why the fuck would you even need this information? The Costas have been gone for¨C¡± He paused, and I smirked as his brain finally kicked in. No doubt he was adding up the years silently.


    ¡°Oh,¡± was all he said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I scoffed. ¡°Apparently, my father-inw is iming to have overheard Vincente¡¯s assassination, but leaked it to Giancarlo. He told Olivia that¡¯s why he ran after Vincente took over.¡±


    ¡°As far as good reasons go, that¡¯s pretty convincing,¡± Gabriele sighed. ¡°The Costas were known to be vicious, especially after Vincente took over. It was part of why they went downhill so fast. But still... finding out that information is going to a while, if I can dig up anything at all. It was so long ago and most of the men are dead after the fall.¡±


    ¡°Until I cane up with any proof, this is all we have to go on,¡± I said, annoyed. ¡°Will you do it or not?¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Gabriele agreed, azy tone to his voice. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few contacts in the States I can ask. But you owe me for this.¡±


    ¡°Duly noted.¡± I chuckled, hanging up before he can wrangle another raise out of me. I swear he got paid more than I did at this point, though seeing as he was like a brother to me, I didn¡¯t mind one bit.


    No one was as trustworthy or capable as Gabriele, especially since he still hadn¡¯t taken that damn vacation he kept griping about.


    I finished off my drink just in time to hear a soft cooing from the monitor. I rose to my feet, trudging my way over to the suite. We had kept the outside of his door a solid monotone color, just to keep with the rest of the suite¡¯s theme, but once you opened the door, it was like stepping inside of a starlit jungle.


    I turned on the light, grinning as I spotted Elio standing up in his crib. He smiled widely at me, showcasing his bottom teeth and the new ones stilling in.


    He reached his hands out for me, doing that excited dance he did whenever he first got up after a nap.


    ¡°Dada!¡± he cried and I easily picked him up, slinging onto my side. He weighed practically nothing still, but I felt better picking him up now that he was much bigger and sturdier than when he was so soft as a newborn.


    I was terrified he was going to break under my strength when he had just been born, he had been so small and fragile, but he grew up quickly.


    ¡°Want to take a walk in the garden?¡± I asked him, grinning as he giggled. He still only understood about five percent of our words and only a handful of sentences, but he was getting there. He¡¯d be a genius just like his mom and dad. I knew it.


    I was a master at getting him ready now, changing his clothes into suitable ones and strapping on his new light-up baby sneakers. He adored the things, often stomping around just to see them glow. Theser sounds were fun too.


    The moment we stepped outside and into the fresh air, Elio was squirming in my arms, struggling to break free. Iughed, letting him down gently and grabbing his hand to steady him. He walked forward, his shoes like little disco balls as he pouted, concentrating very hard on his task.


    We made it all ten paces from the door before Elio got tired and fell on his butt. He looked up at me with wide, sad eyes, and there was no way I could say no, not when he looked so much like Olivia at that moment.


    I grabbed by the armpits, folding one hand on his tummy and the other on his back as I took off, pretending he was flying. He squealed withughter, wiggling his arms and legs like he was a superhero in one of his cartoons.


    I knew at that moment, holding my son in my arms, that father-inw or not, I would never let him hurt us. I hoped Sal was telling the truth, but I couldn¡¯t get rid of the feeling that there was more to the story than what he said.


    And as soon as I found out what it was, Salvatore would never get near my wife or my son again.

 Chapter 471 : All the Best Lies

    <h4>Chapter 471: Chapter 471 : All the Best Lies</h4>


    *Salvatore*


    They were watching me.


    Like flies in the walls and whispers in the trees, I could feel their gazes every time I stepped outside of this goddamn house. You didn¡¯t get to be my age without learning to trust your instincts, and my instincts were all but screaming at me to run.


    I didn¡¯t know who, didn¡¯t know where, but I knew they were watching.


    I slowly walked up my driveway, keeping my eyes in front of me and not giving a single clue I could feel their eyes on me. The keys jingled in my hand and warily, I nced around from the corner of my eye as I stopped on my doorstep.


    It could be the nosy neighbor across the street who was always staring outside her window, I thought, warning the neighborhood kids that being loud was a cardinal sin in her eyes. It could be the mailman whom I had caught shuffling through everyone¡¯s mail before he slid it under the doors.


    Nobody over here could afford a mailbox or if they could, one too many joy rides by drunk teens with baseball bats had ruined them. My own had nothing but a stump at the end of thewn where one used to be.


    I picked up the mail from this morning, that wasn¡¯t even stuck all the way under the door, ncing through it half-heartedly. All of it was for the previous tenant anyway.


    I hadn¡¯t spotted the tail yet, didn¡¯t even have a clue as to which motherfucker it could be, but I knew they were there, waiting for one slip-up, one little hint that I wasn¡¯t all I had told my daughter.


    I slid the key into the lock, turning it and jingling the knob a few times before it finally opened up. It should¡¯ve been reced years ago, only hanging on by one screw at this point, but it worked and that was all I cared about.


    I slipped inside, shutting the door and breathing a sigh of relief once I was safe. The feeling of being watched faded away, but I knew they were still out there.


    I slid the deadbolt lock on, then reced the small pieces of bright yellow tape I had kept on the door, a little trick to know if anyone hade inside. I did the same to the windows, relieved that none of them had been disturbed.


    I kept the yellow tape on my own body, a specific shade that only I had. Even if someone slipped in and wanted to rece the tape, they couldn¡¯t.


    It had long been a habit from my days on the run, but I wasn¡¯t happy having to use it constantly here as well.


    Fucking Giovani, I thought angrily, peering out the window of my house. I was too paranoid to leave unnecessarily and tired of having to keep pretending I didn¡¯t know they had an extra body following me.


    Giovani hadn¡¯t trusted me from the beginning, and I never expected him to. I only hoped my lies would work on the real target, Olivia.


    So long as I could get my loving daughter to believe me, then Giovani would have no choice but to y along for now. I did not doubt that if she hadn¡¯t.... if she had refused to listen to me, I would¡¯ve disappeared just like everyone else who dared to defy the almighty Don.


    Fucking Italians, I snorted, grabbing a beer from the fridge.


    When I first heard my daughter had married the Don of the Valentinos, I had been downright pissed. I left her and Amanda so neither of them would get caught up in all this bullshit, and she swan-dived straight into the lion¡¯s den.


    All Dons were the same, and soon Olivia would learn that the husband she loved so dearly wasn¡¯t a kitty cat for her to y with. No, he was a beast with ws and fangs ready to dig into her back the second she turned around.


    Even the fact that she¡¯d brought a fucking kid into this, as well... all of my efforts had been wasted, it seemed.


    Luckily she was as tenderhearted as her mother, and as easily manipted. It was probably how that bastard had managed to drag her into all of this. She may need some time, but I knew she had believed my story and had been willing to overlook the inconsistencies due to her bleeding heart.


    The father she had always cravede falling straight into herp with a sob story¨Chow could she not believe me?


    Besides, the Costas were all dead by now. All the evidence they find would only coborate with my story, even if it wouldn¡¯t make them feel any better. No amount of evidence could hide their instincts. If they were half as good as I thought they were, they probably knew I was lying.


    An experienced Don like Giovani¨Chell, he¡¯d probably pegged me out from the moment I showed up on that first day.


    I settled into the nice new couch I had bought, sipping my beer and enjoying not working for the first time in my fucking life. I¡¯d spent so long going from job to job, desperate for money, that I had forgotten what this freedom felt like.


    Unfortunately, my rxation was interrupted by the vibration of my phone in my pocket. I pulled out the burner phone, old and beat up but still working. It has served me well in this country. There were only two numbers saved to the phone, neitherbeled. One was Olivia¡¯s and the other was my new benefactor, and this was the number who texted me.


    ¡®Did you fool the girl?¡¯ he asked.


    Lorenz.


    I sighed. It had only been one night and he was still on my case. After the callst night, I had assumed he¡¯d give me a few days before hounding me again. After all the information I¡¯d given him, I figured he would need time for his ¡®Great ns.¡¯


    Olivia was far too trusting. Inviting me back to their home had caused the downfall of that family and she had no fucking clue. It had been all too easy to get an urate count of the guards, the security cameras on every corner, and the blindspots they didn¡¯t cover.


    I had to admit, thatpound was heavily secured. It was no wonder Lorenz was having trouble getting an opening. But lucky for me, my daughter was willing to open her home to me just like that to get the intel I needed.


    Young, naive, and innocent¨Cshe was the perfect target, and though I felt the slightest guilt about tricking her like this, this opportunity was too good to give up.


    ¡®She suspects nothing,¡¯ I wrote back. And it was true. Olivia wasn¡¯t the problem here¨Cher bastard husband was. If he was somehow still standing when all of this was over, I¡¯d pay her to annul that fucking marriage or at the very least get divorced.


    Of course, it was unlikely he¡¯d still be standing.


    A text came through quickly and I grit my teeth.


    ¡®Make sure she doesn¡¯t or she¡¯ll go down with that bastard.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t fucking touch her or our deal is off,¡¯ I wrote back, growling as I threw my phone to the side. I downed the rest of my beer, enjoying the familiar buzz in the back of my mind. I couldn¡¯t drink like I could when I was a younger man, the effects of everything I¡¯d put my body through hitting me hard after I hit my forties.


    My phone dinged with a text again and I groaned, ncing at it half-assedly.


    ¡®Then don¡¯t give me a reason, Salvatore.¡¯


    With those ominous words, I knew he wouldn¡¯t send anything else. The warning was more than enough to have my skin crawl. I threw my head back, sighing as I stared up at the patchy ceiling.


    What I had told Olivia... what I had told my daughter¨Cit was mostly true.


    I had left to protect them, to keep them safe from my mistakes. I had never wanted Amanda or Olivia to get involved, but they had been. If I had stayed, we all would¡¯ve been found. Olivia had only been a few months old at the time, too young to go on the run with me and Amanda... well, she had always been better off without me.


    I was truly d she had done well in my absence. I knew she would¡¯ve been strong enough to do so, and that was why even after the destruction of the Costas, of Vincente, I had stayed gone.


    I never could¡¯ve been the husband Amanda wanted, the father Olivia needed. I was a deadbeat, an asshole with nothing to my name. They didn¡¯t need me.


    So I ran.


    And I never stopped.


    So when Lorenz came to me, offering riches, security, power... how could I say no?


    I didn¡¯t want to hurt Olivia and I held no grudge against the Valentinos. Lorenz wanted revenge, and so long as he promised to keep Olivia and Elio away from the damage, he could do whatever he wanted with thepound and everyone else in it.


    Why the fuck would I care for a man I didn¡¯t even know? Giovani¡¯s death meant nothing to me, and if I could arrange for his death, I¡¯d be set for life.


    Olivia would get over it eventually and find a new husband, and I could be the doting father she wanted, with no clue of what I had done to her husband. I would give her the money to raise her son and make sure they were fed and clothed in only the best, exactly what I¡¯d wanted to do when she was a child.


    I could be a part of their life this time.


    But most importantly, I would be second inmand. Lorenz¡¯s promise echoed in my ears and haunted my every waking moment. This was my second chance to have the life I should have had all those years ago.


    So long as Giovani died.


    Besides, it was nothing he didn¡¯t deserve. I¡¯d heard all about what he and his cousin did to the former Russians. They¡¯d destroyed them in the most brutal way possible. He should¡¯ve known that as long as one of them was still alive, they¡¯d be after his head.


    Lorenz gets his revenge and I get the position I truly deserve¨Cthat was a win-win scenario in my opinion. I knew how to be a good tool for men smarter and more powerful than me. And so long as I yed my part, Olivia and my grandson would be safe.


    All I had to do was keep up this facade and make sure nothing came unraveling until her husband yed his part. He¡¯d done everything I expected him to so far.


    Now all he had to do was to die at the right time.


    I told Livi I wanted to get along with him and that wasn¡¯t a lie. He¡¯d done everything I expected him to so far and for the sake of our future, I truly did want to get along with him.


    Until the moment he had to die.


    A half-lie was a technicality.


    All the best lies were, after all.

 Chapter 472 : What a disaster

    <h4>Chapter 472: Chapter 472 : What a disaster</h4>


    *Olivia*


    As the days passed, my anger faded the fall of the tide against the shore. Like the waning of the moon, a peaceful calm settled over me and my little life. My day usually went the same way, a constant routine that all the books said was good for Elio¡¯s development.


    Gio would often kiss me before heading to whatever work he had that day. Sometimes he¡¯d leave for hours and I never knew where he was or what he was doing, but I didn¡¯t mind. Truthfully, sometimes I didn¡¯t want to know what he was doing.


    I doubted the Don was heading out to nt daisies for kids with cancer.


    After Gio left for the day, I spent my mornings with Elio. He¡¯d gotten much better with sleepingter in the morning, and that allowed me a bit more time to rest before getting up for the day.


    And after days of ignoring my problems, watching my son begin to walk on his own through the garden, gaining more of his bnce each day as he paused to pick up the crunchy leaves on the ground, I realized something very important.


    Elio ran over to me with a wide beaming smile, hanging me the orange leaves that had only just begun to fall from the trees.


    I gently closed my fingers around the leaf, giving Elio a small smile as I stretched out my other hand andid it on top of his unruly curls. I rubbed his head, a warm feeling creeping over my heart as I took in the wide, innocent, and hopeful eyes that gazed up at me.


    ¡°Thank you, Elio, you did such a good job.¡±


    He giggled, stumbling into my legs and thrusting his arms up at me expectantly. Iughed, gentlyying the leaf on the porch table and lifting my son. I hitched him on my hip and he curled into me, yawning under the afternoon sun.


    His back and curls were warm from the heat and he smelled of the sunscreen I had put on him but I hugged him tightly, unwilling to let go for a single moment, in fear that I might miss a single memory of him growing up.


    Like my father had.


    I never wanted him to question his worth, to feel lost and lonely, or that he had to always be behaved to be loved. He didn¡¯t. He would never have to hold back his emotions like I had.


    Elio should be Elio and he should know that no matter what, I would love him until infinity ends.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I murmured into his curls, gently swaying with the soft breeze around us. I hummed a melody I didn¡¯t quite know the name of, being here and present with my child.


    ¡°Mama.¡± He yawned, leaning on my shoulder as his little eyes closed and then opened as he startled himself awake. He did it a few more times, struggling not to fall asleep as he cooed at the swaying leaves in the trees, but eventually, his tired little body couldn¡¯t keep up with his curious mind.


    His breathing evened out and he fell asleep in my arms, clutching strands of my long hair. I smiled softly at him, gently rubbing circles along his back as I soothed him to sleep. He needed a nap before lunch anyway, so I kissed his forehead, bringing him inside.


    I settled onto the couch in the suite, still holding my sleeping baby in my arms as I pulled my phone out of my pocket and nced at it. There was a text message I had yet to answer.


    From Sal.


    I appreciated him giving me the time I needed over the past few days to figure out what I wanted to do, but today, I had finally made my decision. Without my emotions getting in the way and having significantly calmed down, I knew what choice I was going to make.


    My father had missed my entire life. He barely had any memories of me from when I was a child and though it had been his choice to leave, I understood why he felt he had to. Could I have done the same if I had been in his ce?


    Would I have been able to leave Elio?


    I sighed,ying the t of my palm across my son¡¯s back, feeling his every soft breath. It was reassuring and grounding to make sure he was still here with me. I could never have survived having to leave my child.


    And maybe everyone was right.


    Maybe the reason my father survived without me was because I was expendable, that he didn¡¯t care enough to try to stay or take us with him. But I refused to believe that.


    From the moment he walked into my life again, he¡¯d been trying to prove something to me. He said he wanted a rtionship with me. Gio said he wanted to get back at him, that my father was using him. My mother had no good words to say of him.


    Even Dahlia was skeptical of Sal¡¯s history but for some reason, I trusted him. The way he pleaded with me to understand why he left, how he respected my face even if it hurt him to watch me leave, he had to be telling the truth.


    So I would believe him. I would continue to believe him until he proved me differently. And if I was wrong, I could get hurt. But It was a choice I had to live with. I had dreamed of watching him walk up the steps of our house since I was a kid, of him being there one day to wipe away my tears when I fell andfort me after a nightmare.


    His absence had left a huge hole in my heart growing up, and though I¡¯d filled it with the love of the people around me, I still had a ce for him right here. I wouldn¡¯t push him away over things he couldn¡¯t control.


    I especially couldn¡¯t fault him for being part of a crime family. Hell, I was married to the head of one, after all. How could I condemn him for doing the same thing and still look Gio in the eye?


    I picked up my phone, shooting a quick text to Sal. ¡®Would you want toe over for lunch today at thepound?¡¯


    I was surprised at how quickly he¡¯d sent a reply, and I smiled at the few spelling mistakes he¡¯d made in the rush.


    ¡®Of course. Is noon or one okay with you? I can¡¯t wait to see you, Livi.¡¯


    Just as I responded with a text to confirm noon, the door to the suite opened quietly. I nced up, my phone dinging as Sal sent back a ¡®See you then.¡¯


    ¡°I invited Sal to lunch today,¡± I said casually, as if there was nothing weird in my statement.


    Gio paused in the doorway, ncing at me with dark eyes. I couldn¡¯t see any emotions on his face but his body was tensed, his fist clenched around the brass doorknob.


    When his eyes flickered to the phone in my hand and then to Elio as he napped away, I almost thought he would say no, to try to tell me that I couldn¡¯t invite my father over for lunch or that I couldn¡¯t even see my father.


    Instead, he said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided to trust him,¡± I told Gio calmly. ¡°Could you please try to do the same? I deserve to know my father and Elio deserves to know his grandfather.¡±


    Gio pushed his hair back from his face, giving me a nk look before he shut the door behind him and made his way to the couch. He gently sat beside me, careful not to wake Elio, and threw his arm around my shoulders.


    I let him pull me into him, scooting over to lean my head on his chest.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said softly. ¡°But for my peace of mind, please don¡¯t go to his house, just in case you might be spotted by someone else who lives there or one of his bosses, okay?¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± I murmured, smiling as I shut my eyes and breathed in his cologne. And I knew we would be okay.


    Sal arrived for lunch exactly at noon, dressed in a well-worn suit with patches on the elbows and clearly not the best fit, but probably the best he had. He greeted me with a huge smile, even shook Gio¡¯s hand, and asked to hold Elio as we led him into the kitchen.


    ¡°He¡¯s so big now!¡± Sal grinned, thrusting Elio into the air above him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you, kid?¡±


    Elio giggled happily as Sal pretend he was an airne, making a whirring sound as he flew him into the kitchen and set him gently in the high chair. Elio squealed withughter and I smiled from behind.


    Maria had served lunch already, and I took my seat next to Elio with Gio beside me and Sal on the other end, right next to Elio¡¯s other side. I had to admit I was a bit jealous when Sal offered to feed Elio and he managed to get my picky son to eat his entire te of vegetables.


    Elio didn¡¯t even seem to notice, thinking it was some kind of game as Sal pretended to y air guitar, singing loudly and off-key to old rock songs my mom never used to listen to. With every other word, he¡¯d stuff the spoon into Elio¡¯s mouth, the one-year-old too mesmerized by the music and movements to realize he was being fooled.


    By the time I was as old as Elio, Sal had already vanished from my life. So I could admit I was a bit envious watching how great my father was with my son. If things had been different if Sal had been able to stay, would he have treated me the same?


    Would I have grown up knowing the lyrics to all these songs?


    It didn¡¯t matter now.


    Gio excused himself halfway through to get some paperwork done in his office and though I was a bit disappointed, I was thankful for him being so cool about this. He kissed me on the cheek, then ruffled Elio¡¯s hair before taking the rest of his sandwich upstairs.


    ¡°Thank you so much for believing in me, Livi,¡± Sal said to me happily. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how much it means to me that you¡¯ll still let me be here in your life, and the life of this little one.¡±


    He grinned, bopping Elio on the nose, who giggled like it was the funniest thing in the world.


    ¡°That tends to be my thing, apparently, giving people second chances.¡± Iughed. ¡°Gio says I¡¯m too nice for my own good.¡±


    ¡°I agree with him there.¡± Sal grinned, but then softened, giving me a caring look. ¡°But I¡¯m d you are, Livi. You have a kind heart, we need more people in this world like you. I hope you never lose that part of yourself.¡±


    His smile fell, faltering at the edges and for a moment I thought I saw a glimpse of guilt and remorse in his eyes, but it was gone so quickly I couldn¡¯t be sure.


    It must¡¯ve been the light, I thought.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to use the restroom, Livi,¡± my dad announced suddenly, getting to his feet.


    ¡°Oh, sure,¡± I told him, giving him the directions.


    He nodded, leaving me and Elio in the kitchen alone. I took the opportunity to help Maria out by cleaning up the mess left behind. I managed to wipe down the counters and table, clean up Elio¡¯s sticky fingers and face, and even do the dishes, but there was still no sign of Sal.


    Anxious and unsure, I waited at the table as Elio grew fussy, wanting to be let down to y and run around.


    ¡°Mama!¡± he whined, struggling against the straps of the high chair as he held his sippy cup in his hands. His lips were turned into a pout, eyes watering, and I finally caved.


    ¡°All right, all right, baby,¡± Iughed, utching him and pulling him into my arms with a fake groan. ¡°You¡¯re getting so heavy. Soon, you¡¯ll weigh more than Mommy.¡±


    He thrust his sippy cup into my face and I barely had time to grab the stic cup before it mmed into the side of my cheek.


    ¡°Not nice, Elio,¡± I told him firmly, readjusting my grip on him so he couldn¡¯t hit me in the face. He pouted, sipping on his cup as he reached out his hand toward the doorway.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to wait for¨C¡± I started to say, but then I heard a shout from down the hall, rather loud, though I couldn¡¯t hear the words that had been said. I frowned, knowing immediately that something was wrong.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go, baby,¡± I whispered, being extra careful as I turned into the hallway. I followed the sound of raised voices, holding Elio protectively in my arms.


    When I got upstairs and turned the hallway, I finally saw what was making all of the noise.


    Gio and Sal were staring at one another, dark looks on their faces and bodies tense like they were getting ready for a fight. Clearly, their exchange had not been friendly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re trying¨C¡± Gio growled.


    Sal spat out, ¡°You don¡¯t deserve my¨C¡±


    At the same time, both of them looked like they were one inch from throwing the other to the ground and pounding the life out of them.


    ¡°What the...?¡±


    Everything fell silent as Gio and Sal jumped, turning to me with wide eyes. Their mouths shut with a snap, both falling quiet under my surprised re.


    I red at the two bickering middle-aged men, turning from one to the other as I held Elio on my waist and my other hand on my hip.


    I should¡¯ve known this was going to be a disaster.

 Chapter 473 : Gio’s Side

    <h4>Chapter 473: Chapter 473 : Gio¡¯s Side</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I knew telling Olivia I believed Salvatore was going to bite me in the ass someday. I just didn¡¯t expect it to be so soon.


    I¡¯d gotten up from that talk with her and walked right into my office. I locked the door, flipped the switch I¡¯d had installed to prevent listening devices from overhearing my calls, and dialed Gabriele.


    ¡°Boss,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Anything?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯d have called you if I had something? Sal¡¯s a ghost. If there¡¯s one thing I can tell you for sure about the man, it¡¯s that there¡¯s a good reason he survived twenty years on the run. The Costas imploding was a stroke of luck, but he was gone well before that.¡±


    ¡°Start calling in favors,¡± I spat. ¡°I need him out of my life as soon as possible.¡±


    I hung up, poured myself a ss of brandy, and dialed Alessandro.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked.


    I scrubbed a hand over my face. ¡°Tell me you¡¯ve got something.¡±


    Alessandro sighed. ¡°Yes and no. Tal¡¯s in on the tailing, keeping an eye on that Russian Sal met with, and he thinks he might have something but it¡¯s not solid yet. I can have him call you when he knows.¡±


    I knocked back half the ss. ¡°Good. Do that.¡±


    I hung up and swallowed down a yell. My temper surged under my skin. If I was the man I¡¯d been at twenty, I would¡¯ve grabbed the nearest blunt-edged weapon and handled Salvatore myself. He¡¯d be gone before Olivia could think to call him with her ¡°good news.¡±


    I took another sip. My promise to drink less had dissolved like wet tissue paper when that first dinner with Sal went tits-up, and I hadn¡¯t reconstituted it yet. How could I, when my wife loved her father, and I knew deep in my bones that he wanted at least me dead, if not both of us?


    I set the ss down and leaned back in my chair. I wasn¡¯t the man I¡¯d been at twenty anymore, and that was a good thing. I still dreamed about the heft of a baseball bat in my hands and the taste of copper on my lips, but I didn¡¯t miss it like I used to when I first became Don. Stepping out of the field, putting that down, gave me the greatest joys of my life. There was no doubt in my mind that I would never have met Olivia if I hadn¡¯t stepped back, or at least that she couldn¡¯t have loved me as she did.


    No, it was my job to handle things like an adult now, to chase the trouble, find the proof, and discover the way to solve the problem with the least damage, coteral or otherwise.


    My phone rang, and I snatched it up to see Tallon¡¯s name on the disy.


    ¡°What do you have?¡± I answered.


    ¡°Gio.¡± The normallyical and confident young man sounded breathless. ¡°Something big.¡±


    I leaned forward. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°I followed Alexei for a couple of days. For a supplier, he¡¯s not slick. They might have thew on their payroll, but I got enough to start chasing down hiswork.¡±


    I grabbed a pen. ¡°Names we recognize?¡±


    Tallon snorted. ¡°You can say that. I was expecting Russo drop-shipping, maybe a distant Zaytsev cousin or two. But I hit the motherlode.¡±


    I scribbled the name on a piece of paper before I said it. ¡°Lorenz.¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Tallon agreed grimly.


    The pen cracked in my grip.


    ¡°The connection is distant,¡± he continued. ¡°I had to chase a lot of branches before I got there. They might not be working directly together, but it¡¯s closer than I¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°Any connection is closer than I¡¯d fucking like,¡± I growled.


    I took a deep breath. Sal and Lorenz deserved my anger, not Tallon.


    ¡°Good work. Keep on it. Tell Gabriele. Report if you find anything closer.¡±


    ¡°Consider it done, boss!¡± he chirped, already regathering his usual good humor.


    ¡°And Tallon?¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± he answered warily.


    ¡°I want perfect reports on everything you see.¡± I gritted my teeth. ¡°Apparently there are still some nooks for rats in this city. I¡¯m not making that mistake again.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha, boss.¡±


    I hung up and ran the paper I¡¯d written his name on through the shredder. I needed something far more concrete before going to Olivia. But now I had more than a feeling.


    I was fucking right. Sal was in bed with our worst enemies, and nothing good coulde of that.


    I stood abruptly, suddenly needing to see Elio and Olivia. In the wake of this revtion, I needed to know they were safe.


    I crept down the hall to our suite and found Olivia on the couch in our sitting room with a sleeping Elio in her arms.


    I exhaled in relief, and a bit of tension dropped out of my shoulders.


    She looked up at me. ¡°I invited Sal to lunch today.¡±


    The tension sprang back to my muscles, and I gripped our doorknob so tightly in my fist I worried it would go the way of the pen. A Zaytsev agent in our house, with our son?


    I gritted my teeth. I wanted her mostly alone in the house of a Zaytsev agent with our son even less.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said.


    Olivia¡¯s eyes went t, and she spoke in the calm tone I knew meant she was telling me something she thought I would hate, something about Sal, and how she trusted him, I would bet.


    Fear raced through my veins.


    I forced my expression neutral and shut the door behind me before crossing to the couch and sitting next to her. Carefully, so as not to wake Elio, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. I had to tuck her into me, feel her next to me, to believe she would be safe.


    She leaned her head on my chest, and I hoped she wouldn¡¯t hear my racing heartbeat.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I murmured. ¡°But for my peace of mind, don¡¯t go to his house again. Just in case. You might be spotted by one of his neighbors, or one of his bosses. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± she replied.


    I held her until she had to get ready, then made myself scarce. I couldn¡¯t see the man without reacting now, I knew.


    I stepped out into our private garden and summoned one of the men watching it. As he approached, I recognized his red hair¨CDario, a recently made man just promoted to our guard. Good, he¡¯d be anxious to please.


    ¡°Boss?¡±


    I leaned in as if sharing a secret. ¡°Get the word out, but not on anything electronic. Olivia¡¯s father ising, and he is to be treated as an enemy from here on out. Do not approach. Do not allow Olivia to notice a difference. But vary patrols and locations as much as possible, and keep weapons at hand.¡±


    Dario nodded. ¡°Your missus won¡¯t know a thing. Any weapons we can expect from Sal?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know that he¡¯s going to attack when he¡¯s by himself. I just want him off guard and well-watched.¡±


    Dario bobbed halfway into a bow and marched away to talk to the next guard he saw.


    I stepped back inside and closed the French doors behind me, feeling a bit steadier on my feet.


    I paced back and forth in the bedroom. If I had a contact like Salvatore connected to another Don, I knew wouldn¡¯t use him for the hit in a million years. It was far too obvious. Even the cops would know where to look.


    No, however bad he had the ability to hurt my wife, I didn¡¯t think I needed to worry about him killing either of us. That meant any sort of weapons check at the door would only arouse Olivia¡¯s ire.


    Thank god she agreed not to go to his house. I had to assume he¡¯d report whatever he saw to the Zaytsevs, but here, I could control what that was. I could probably increase thepound guard a little without her noticing as well, for the next time he came over. This wholepound ran at my say-so. I¡¯d send the whole thing spinning backward if I thought it gave my family a modicum of safety.


    If I assumed Sal was a spy, my best move was to limit his ess to me and my people, or at least urate versions thereof. Any forced contact between he and I had to be predicated on Olivia¡¯s belief that I trusted him. If he thought me weak, any strike would be sloppy enough to counter easily.


    I needed to get some kind of message to my men in the field he couldn¡¯t catch, tell them to seem lesspetent while functioning at the same level. The signal protector in my office would let me call Gabriele instead of just pacing my bedroom like a madman.


    I smoothed a hand over my hair, straightened my jacket, and stepped out of my bedroom, only to see Salvatore, halfway into the open door of Elio¡¯s bedroom.


    White-hot, molten rage seared through my veins, and I nced at the hidden gun cab in the wall of the sitting room.


    I was not twenty anymore. I needed him to think I trusted him.


    I clenched my fists and crept up behind him as he stepped further in and began peering around. He didn¡¯t go so far as to begin taking pictures, but the way he swept the room with his gaze made me distinctly nervous.


    It looked like he was memorizing it.


    I stepped into the doorway, silent as a ghost, and asked at full volume, ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    With the unppable confidence of a long-time operator, Sal turned and smiled sheepishly. ¡°I was looking for the bathroom while Olivia got Elio cleaned up. She even gave me directions, but this ce is such a maze....¡±


    I took a step closer, boxing the man into the room. ¡°The bathroom is the first door to the left off the dining room. This is upstairs, through two other rooms, and down several hallways.¡±


    His smile remained stable as he put up his hands. The iron control that let me sneak up behind him began to slip through my fingers.


    ¡°Must¡¯ve taken the wrong door out. I only came in here proper because I could tell it¡¯s my grandson¡¯s room, and I wanted to get him a little surprise, so I figured I¡¯d peek through his toys for what he likes.¡±


    Sal stood in the middle of the room, nowhere near the overflowing wicker basket of toys in the corner.


    ¡°If you need to get my son a surprise,¡± I said lowly, ¡°ask my wife, or me. I¡¯m sure you can get it just about anything for him. He¡¯s not even one and a half yet.¡±


    Sal chuckled. ¡°Fair enough. Just figured it would be nice to surprise you as well.¡±


    The easy set of his shoulders, the way his calm made me seem unreasonable, and his answer to my every question made my blood boil.


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± I said. ¡°What sort of surprise were you thinking for us?¡±


    A flicker of something else, something darker, crossed his face. ¡°Aw, nothing particr. What would you want?¡±


    I saw red.


    ¡°See, I think you¡¯re a fucking liar.¡± I stepped into his space, raising my voice. ¡°I think you¡¯re a bullshit fucking liar, and I think you were doing a damn sight more than nning a surprise for my fucking son!¡±


    That dark look returned and stayed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Giovani, and I don¡¯t much like the implication. Olivia wants me to be part of her life. I¡¯m starting to worry you don¡¯t trust your wife.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust my¡ªhow dare you?¡± I bellowed. ¡°I know her better than you ever will, and if you say shit to her about me, I will make you regret it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve shown both of you nothing but kindness,¡± Sal growled. ¡°You can¡¯t treat me like this.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°If this is kindness, I¡¯ll start making charitable donations of broken ss and spiked candy.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve my¡ª¡± Sal started.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re trying¡ª¡± I interrupted.


    The door to our room hit the wall behind me.


    ¡°What the...?¡± Olivia asked, her voice steely.

 Chapter 474 : Who to Believe

    <h4>Chapter 474: Chapter 474 : Who to Believe</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Sal stepped easily away from Gio with his hands slightly raised, though I couldn¡¯t tell if he was cating me or protecting himself from the quivering fury of my husband.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to say this, Olivia, but Giovani is just being paranoid.¡±


    Gio¡¯s shoulders tensed further at the usation, but he didn¡¯t turn to me yet. I repositioned Elio on my hip and let my father continue.


    ¡°I was looking for the bathroom,¡± he said. ¡°I got lost, found Elio¡¯s room, and thought I might take a look-see at his toys for ater¨C¡± He nced at his all-too-alert grandson in my arms. ¡°For ater surprise.¡±


    Gio turned then, slowly. Every line of his body was taut with tension, but the gaze that met minecked any heat. Instead, I found nothing but an open, honest bid for trust. He was begging me, with nothing but his eyes, to believe he wasn¡¯t just paranoid, to trust him over my father.


    I bit my lip. I¡¯d just sworn I was going to trust Salvatore, but with Gio looking at me like I was thest thread between him and total insanity, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to take his side.


    ¡°The bathroom¡¯s the first door on the left from the dining room door I pointed you out of,¡± I said to Sal. ¡°I don¡¯t totally know how you missed it and came upstairs, but why don¡¯t you head there, and Elio and I will be back to walk you out in a moment?¡±


    ¡°Not a problem. You probably have some things to talk about. I don¡¯t know how I missed it, either.¡± He chuckled self-consciously and dodged around Gio to exit.


    I settled Elio on the floor of his room with his animal noises toy, kissed him on the head, and pulled Gio out into the sitting room before shutting the door.


    Sal absolutely couldn¡¯t hear us at this point.


    Gio held onto my hand softly. ¡°Thank you, carina. I¡ª¡±


    My temper red. ¡°That was not a get-out-of-jail-free card. Why couldn¡¯t you just do the one thing I asked and trust him?¡±


    He dropped my hand as if it were hot. ¡°I tried. I was going to my office, staying out of your way, but I caught him in Elio¡¯s room. He was studying it like he¡¯d need to recreate itter.¡±


    ¡°Like he¡¯d need to recreate itter?¡± My eyebrows shot up. ¡°Do you hear yourself? Why would he need to do that?¡±


    A dark cloud passed over Gio¡¯s face, but he simply shook his head. ¡°I cannot shake the feeling that he¡¯s up to something.¡±


    I huffed and dropped onto the couch. ¡°I need you to. He said he was looking for a presentter. Why couldn¡¯t that just be true, even if he wasn¡¯t supposed to be there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± Gio admitted through gritted teeth. ¡°But don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange he got all the way upstairs and into our room before thinking he might¡¯ve had the directions wrong, even if he had something useful to do after he found Elio¡¯s room? We¡¯re on a different floor.¡±


    I closed my eyes. That detail bothered me a little, but I couldn¡¯t stand the conclusions Gio always leaped to.


    He took my hands in his. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, carina.¡±


    My eyes shot open, and I pulled my hands out of his. ¡°Save it. You don¡¯t mean it, and I don¡¯t want to get into the habit of distrusting your apologies like I apparently have to your promises.¡±


    Gio¡¯s mouth fell slightly open, and he looked as if he¡¯d been pped. I regretted it instantly. I didn¡¯t distrust him, not really. I was just tired of spending my days alone while he did god only knew what, tired of defending a father who had maybe just made his first real misstep.


    He gathered himself quickly. If my husband knew one thing, it was how to take a hit.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± he said. ¡°If my words are no longer enough, I will do what I can to prove it to you. I meant to cause you no distress. I didn¡¯t mean to cross paths with your father at all, to ensure your lunch went well.¡± He grimaced. ¡°He¡¯s leaving now?¡±


    It was a good apology. I wanted to believe it, wanted to fall into his arms and weep my own apologies for what I¡¯d said. I wanted the world to be simple enough that I could believe doing that wouldn¡¯t just end us back in this exact same spot a week or a month from now, when Gio had some new scrap of ¡°proof¡± my father wasn¡¯t what he said.


    But the angry part still had the reins.


    ¡°Of course that¡¯s what you want to know.¡± I sighed. ¡°Yes, he was already on his way out.¡±


    He stood. ¡°Let me see him out. I owe him an apology as well, and I¡¯d like to show you I can behave civilly.¡±


    ¡°You owe him more than an apology,¡± I said. ¡°But I don¡¯t want you two fighting in the foyer. Take some time to cool off. You can say whatever you want in a few days.¡±


    Gio crossed his arms. ¡°How else can I make this up to you?¡±


    I dropped my head back on the couch, all the fight draining out of me. How could he make this up? Maybe time travel, or a memory wizard, or actually trusting me like he imed he did.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Gio,¡± I said honestly. ¡°It¡¯s not about the fact that you yelled at my father, though, god, I wish you hadn¡¯t. It¡¯s about the fact that you keep promising to follow my lead and then turning around and doing whatever you damn well please. How do you fix that?¡±


    The couch shifted as he sat back down next to me. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet either, carina, but believe me when I say I will find a way.¡±


    I opened my eyes and found him leaning over me, his gaze boring into mine. He looked determined, earnest, and despite everything, I wanted to see what he came up with.


    I patted him on the cheek. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    He leaned back, and I stood.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to walk him out, and I honestly don¡¯t want to hear anything else about this from you tonight. Can you put Elio in something cleaner and take him to y?¡±


    Gio nodded, looking slightly more repentant.


    I stalked out of the room, wishing I had the anger back to make me feel powerful.


    Sal stood in the front room, coat on and hands behind his back.


    ¡°Livi!¡± he said as I approached. ¡°Did the little guy have to go down?¡±


    I nodded, and the lie didn¡¯t even ache anymore.


    He smiled. ¡°Ain¡¯t that the way with babies.¡±


    That pang I¡¯d felt earlier, that Elio would have him in his life at this formative age when I didn¡¯t, came screaming back to the surface.


    ¡°Well, thanks for having me over,¡± he said. ¡°Great food.¡±


    I offered him a wan smile. ¡°Are you really still d you came over?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Any chance to see you is a good one. And I just wanted to say I was sorry for my part in that little debacle. I had a bit of a temper back in the day, and I let myself get riled for no good reason. I won¡¯t cause you any more trouble.¡±


    I swallowed and mentally held that up against Gio¡¯s apology. He epted me and promised to be better without an ounce of prompting. He met my gaze and seemed honest like he always did.


    ¡°Is it too much for your old man to ask for a hug at this point?¡± He opened his arms invitingly.


    I hadn¡¯t hugged him since our moment in the stairwell after dinner, but raw from my fight with Gio and downright exhausted, I couldn¡¯t deny the appeal.


    I copsed into his arms. He was warm, and he stroked a palm over the back of my head.


    ¡°Take a word of advice from your dad,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Change always seems like it¡¯s turning your whole life upside down. This is just the adjustment period. Everything¡¯s gonna settle out soon enough, and you¡¯re gonna be as happy as you¡¯ve ever been.¡±


    I smiled into his chest and was shocked to feel my eye filling with tears. Were they happy or sad? I couldn¡¯t quite tell.


    I released him and stepped back quickly.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I mumbled, keeping my eyes averted so he couldn¡¯t see my reaction.


    ¡°Anytime, sweetheart,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll just hit the road. Reach out about getting togetherter this week, okay? Or I will, if he¡¯s causing too much trouble.¡±


    Sal¡¯s eyes drifted along the hall to where I knew I left Gio. Something in me bristled.


    ¡°I will,¡± I promised. ¡°Drive safe.¡±


    He opened the door and waved as he left. When it closed behind him, I leaned my forehead against the wood and swiped at my tears.


    I¡¯d just decided to trust Sal, despite the Russian connection, despite the half-truths he told about his past, but it seemed like every time I made that call, something appeared to make me question it. Just now, he¡¯d been a perfect gentleman¡ªa perfect father, I allowed myself to think¡ªuntil he threw in a little dig at Gio in the very end. Gio was nearly insane with paranoia, and he kept stomping all over the boundaries I set up, but in the end, he always seemed to say or do the right thing.


    I thumped my head against the door. Gio had proof¨Cscraps, sure, but still proof. Sal had nothing but his own word on the events of twenty years ago. Even when Gio promised to trust Sal, I knew he¡¯d be looking into the Costa family and their change of leadership, for professional reasons if nothing else. I hadn¡¯t heard anything about it yet, and I didn¡¯t know whether that meant he hadn¡¯t found anything, or he¡¯d confirmed Sal¡¯s story and didn¡¯t want to admit to it.


    I wanted to trust and love them both, but more and more, they seemed to be forcing me to side with one or the other. I didn¡¯t want to keep fighting with Gio. I didn¡¯t want to keep defending him to Sal. I just wanted a father and a husband.


    Was that really too much to ask?


    I shoved up off the door. I could sit here and spin hypotheticals in my mind all night. The only path to any sort of rity was another perspective. Gio had proven time and again that he couldn¡¯t be objective about my father. I needed toy this all out in front of someone a little further away from the problem who I knew had my best interests at heart.


    I took off down the hallway, looking for Dahlia. I just needed someone to tell me I wasn¡¯t crazy, and that my father wasn¡¯t a bad guy.


    Both he and Gio made that difficult to believe on my own anymore.

 Chapter 475 : Where Is the Bathroom, Actually?

    <h4>Chapter 475: Chapter 475 : Where Is the Bathroom, Actually?</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I poked my head into Dahlia¡¯s bedroom and found her, for once, sitting at her desk instead of on her bed.


    ¡°Olive!¡± She shot up immediately. ¡°Are you here to save me from the nightmares of Organizational Behavior 103?¡±


    Despite everything, Iughed. ¡°Not intentionally.¡±


    ¡°God, I¡¯ll take it,¡± she dered, standing and flinging herself backward onto her bed. ¡°It¡¯s like, I get it, there¡¯s a lot of human behavior research that goes into a sessful business. But if I really wanted to learn about human behavior, I¡¯d have majored in psychology!¡±


    I perched on the bed next to her and patted her head. ¡°Sorry, Dolly. Organizational Behavior waits for no debatable heir to a crime family.¡±


    She rolled on her side and pouted at me. ¡°Tell me you¡¯ve got something more interesting going on in your life?¡±


    I groaned. ¡°I guess that depends on how you define ¡®interesting.¡¯¡±


    Her eyes lit up. ¡°Spill.¡±


    I told her everything¨Cthe weird tension between Gio and my dad I¡¯d been feeling since the first time they met, the time I went to his ce and he thought I shouldn¡¯t have bodyguards, Gio¡¯s zillion promises to back off that he kept breaking. I even told her about the surveince photos of the Russian tattoos, the bank ount inconsistencies, and Sal¡¯s exnation for everything.


    Dahlia¡¯s face grew more and more serious as I spoke, but I couldn¡¯t tell who she was upset with.


    ¡°And that brings us to today,¡± I said with a huff. ¡°Where I invited Sal over for lunch after Gio promised to trust me again. Sal left to go to the bathroom for like five minutes, and I found the two of them screaming at each other in Elio¡¯s room.¡±


    She sat up. ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s a huge esction.¡±


    I threw my hands in the air. ¡°I know! Gio¡¯s being totally unreasonable.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Olive, that seems really out of the blue. Are you sure you didn¡¯t miss anything?¡±


    I frowned at her. ¡°I thought you¡¯d take my side.¡±


    She crossed her arms. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t know which side you were on.¡±


    I flopped back on the bed. ¡°I don¡¯t!¡±


    Dahlia stared down at me, nothing but an earnest desire to help in her eyes. ¡°So are you sure that¡¯s exactly how today went? You¡¯re not leaving anything at all out?¡±


    I shrugged. I wanted Dahlia to tell me she thought my father was a good man. I didn¡¯t want to mention the part about him getting lost on the way to the bathroom, because everybody kept fixating on it like it was damning evidence. I got lost the first few weeks, and I lived here. Somebody getting lost sometimes isn¡¯t a smoking gun.


    ¡°Why did you invite Gio to lunch with Sal anyway, if they¡¯re really not getting along?¡± she asked.


    I looked away from her. ¡°I didn¡¯t. Gio just kind of... stumbled into him.¡±


    Dahlia furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°But Gio knew he wasing over.¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°And, wait,¡± she rubbed her head like it hurt, ¡°how did they end up in Elio¡¯s room anyway? Were you eating on one of the balconies?¡±


    I shook my head and began picking at a loose thread on herforter.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± she said sternly. ¡°You cannote to me for advice and keep relevant details from me. That makes my only advice ¡®seems like everyone¡¯s being fucking crazy, wait it out.¡¯¡±


    I gnawed on my lip. ¡°But everybody keeps overreacting to this part.¡±


    Dahlia crossed her arms and sat up. ¡°When does Gio flip out?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, when he¡¯s mad!¡± I plucked the thread off.


    ¡°He flips out when he¡¯d worried.¡± Dahlia sighed. ¡°And for all his many, many quirks, he doesn¡¯t really get worried for no reason. So, tell me, and I promise I will reactpletely appropriately, so you have to take my reaction as true.¡±


    I buried my face in herforter and mumbled, ¡°Sal was there because he got lost on the way to the bathroom.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t hear you,¡± Dahlia said in a sing-song voice.


    I sat up and faced her. ¡°Sal was in Elio¡¯s room because he got lost on the way to the bathroom!¡±


    Her face went still. ¡°You were eating in the dining room?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°But it¡¯s easy to get lost in here!¡±


    ¡°Will you walk with me?¡± She stood and extended a hand.


    I frowned and took it.


    Dahlia walked me into the dining room. ¡°What instructions did you give him?¡±


    ¡°First door on the left.¡± I pointed. ¡°Out that door.¡±


    She walked out the door I pointed at, dragging me behind her. Even just standing in the doorway of the dining room, I could see the door to the bathroom, slightly ajar as always. Hell, the toilet was clearly visible.


    ¡°Elio¡¯s room is upstairs, Olive,¡± she murmured.


    I slid down the wall and sat. Even if, for some crazy reason, the bathroom door was closed, he¡¯d have to go much farther to even see the stairs, much less get to Elio¡¯s room.


    Dahlia sat next to me. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s overreacting.¡±


    Of course, he hadn¡¯t gotten lost on the way to the bathroom. I was so stupid. It was the easiest ce in the house to find, by orders of magnitude. He¡¯d have to be an idiot to have ended up in Elio¡¯s room, and if there was one thing I knew Sal wasn¡¯t, it was stupid.


    He¡¯d lied to my face to get into my son¡¯s room.


    And I¡¯d yelled at my husband for telling me that.


    I jumped to my feet. Dahlia looked at me worriedly.


    ¡°I have to go apologize to Gio,¡± I blurted. ¡°Can you take Elio?¡±


    She nodded and hoisted herself to her feet.


    I raced off down the hall before she could stand.


    When I burst into our room, Gio wasying on the sitting room floor with Elio, coloring in one of his massive coloring book.


    ¡°Kahn!¡± Elio dered, holding up a red crayon.


    Gio chuckled. ¡°Almost. Try cray-on.¡±


    ¡°Cray!¡± Elio yelled.


    ¡°Um,¡± I said.


    Both of my boys looked up at me. Dahlia stepped in behind me, panting slightly, and scooped Elio up.


    ¡°Wanna go see bubbles?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Buh-buh!¡±


    The door shut behind them.


    Gio rolled into a sitting position and looked at me curiously.


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± he asked.


    I threw myself into hisp, feeling crayons roll under my hip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    He stroked my hair. ¡°What happened, carina?¡±


    Tears filled my eyes, and I swiped them away.


    ¡°I talked to Dahlia. She showed me there¡¯s no way he made it up here, even if he did miss the bathroom.¡± I sniffled. ¡°And I feel so stupid and so mean for everything I said to you.¡± I gnawed on my bottom lip, but the words burst forth anyway. ¡°Because I think you were right!¡±


    ¡°Look at me, please,¡± he said.


    I lifted my face from hisp and found him smiling at me, softly and sadly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad, Olivia.¡± He cupped my face in his hands. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be right.¡±


    Tears spilled freely down my face. ¡°Really?¡±


    He kissed the tip of my nose. ¡°Really.¡±


    I threw my arms around his neck and buried my face in his chest as the sobs broke loose. Gio just held me, stroking my hair and never onceining that we were still sitting on the crayon-covered floor.


    Eventually, I pulled my face away. ¡°Do you know what the worst part is?¡±


    He furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°What?¡±


    I smiled a pained, tremulous smile. ¡°That I just feel so goddamn stupid.¡±


    A fresh wave of tears sheeted down my face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re stupid,¡± Gio said. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°Because I wanted to believe him so badly.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I wanted my dad to actually be mysteriously detained for my whole life, only to swoop back in at the first moment he could to be the parent I always wished for.¡± I stoked his cheek. ¡°You¡¯re such a miracle I guess I thought I could get another one, could actually live out every kid with an absentee dad¡¯s dream.¡± I snorted. ¡°I wanted it so bad I ignored all the warning signs.¡±


    Gio peppered my teary face with kisses.


    ¡°You, Olivia Valentino¨C¡± He kissed me again. ¡°Are one of the most loving women I¡¯ve ever had the honor of meeting.¡± He pressed his lips to the back of my hands. ¡°This man used that against you.¡± He kissed my inner wrists. ¡°Do not ever feel stupid for leaving your heart open, just because terrible people will try to take advantage of it.¡±


    I leaned my head against his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re too good to me.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No one could ever be too good for you.¡±


    I smiled softly. ¡°I guess I¡¯m just d this part is over. Now we know we can¡¯t trust him.¡± I swallowed. ¡°He¡¯s just using me to get to you.¡±


    Gio carded his hands through my hair gently. ¡°That¡¯s his loss.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯ll be a little until I can believe that.¡± I patted his chest. ¡°I just don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to keep seeing him.¡±


    ¡°What if you don¡¯t have to for a little?¡± Gio kissed the top of my head. ¡°What if you, and me, and Elio just left town until you can look at him without crying or punching him or whatever¡¯s running through that mind of yours?¡±


    I picked my head up to look at him. ¡°I¡¯d really like that.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll n us something. Don¡¯t worry about a thing.¡±


    My smile turned rueful. ¡°I¡¯d like that, too.¡±


    ¡°Well then, Mrs. Valentino, what do you say we get up off this floor?¡±


    I pecked him on the lips. ¡°Perfect!¡±


    Gio collected his legs underneath him and stood, carrying me with him, bridal style. I gasped.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some trip nning to do, but I¡¯m not going to leave you to wallow,¡± he murmured as he walked into our bedroom.


    I nodded, excitement chasing the dregs of my sorrow from my veins. I didn¡¯t know how long I¡¯d be upset with Salvatore, or myself, but for now I just wanted a little uplicated pleasure.


    He tossed me down on the bed, and I bounced, giggling.


    He grinned. ¡°There¡¯s that smile.¡± His gaze turned wicked. ¡°Let¡¯s see what other expressions I can get out of you.¡±


    Gio leaned over me and began peppering kisses up my arms once more, starting at my wrists. With every kiss a little closer to the top, he nipped and licked a little more. He made it all the way to the edge of my short sleeves, and I wriggled underneath him desperate for something more intense.


    He considered for a moment, then gripped either side of my button-down shirt and pulled. The buttons exploded away from each other, scattering to every corner of the room, and revealing my in, skin-tone bra to his eyes. I gasped and arched into the touch.


    He shoved the cups down under my breasts and began peppering my chest with the same teasing kisses, growing increasingly more intense and closer to the nipple where I wanted him.


    When he finally sucked one tender bud into his mouth, I groaned loudly.


    Gio released his mouth and leaned up to meet my eyes. ¡°How do you feel about Naples?¡±


    ¡°Naples is good!¡± I gasped. ¡°Love Naples! Come here.¡±


    I tried to grab him, but he escaped, sitting up entirely. His erection tented his pants, and I licked my lips.


    ¡°Sorry, carina, I have a trip to n.¡± He stood and adjusted himself. ¡°Feel free to keep yourself upied.¡±


    Iunched a pillow at his head, and he dodged,ughing as he exited the room. I copsed back onto the pillows and caught my breath.


    If just the thought of getting away made us this carefree, I couldn¡¯t imagine what actually seeing Naples would be like.


    I smiled at the ceiling.


    The only good thing about fighting with Gio was making up again.

 Chapter 476 : Naples

    <h4>Chapter 476: Chapter 476 : Naples</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Everything ready, carina?¡± Gio called out to me from the door to our suite. With one hand on the wood and the other on the frame, he gave me an easy-going grin as I raced back and forth across the seat.


    Elio giggled from his car seat, his wide, bright eyes following me as I hurriedly stuffedst-minute things into my bags.


    ¡°Did you pack his ¡®sharkie¡¯? That¡¯s his newest obsession,¡± I demanded, racing into Elio¡¯s room to check if his stuffed animal was still in his crib or not. I pulled back the nket, checking for the shark plush, but there was nothing there but a pacifier that probably needed to be washed and the pillow he used.


    I grabbed his nket anyway, racing back into the living room.


    ¡°I packed sharkie and the bunny,¡± Gio told me, amused as I knelt in front of Elio¡¯s car seat, unfolding his white baby nket and covering him with it, tucking in the sides so it wouldn¡¯t slip away.


    Our one-year-old gave me a toothy smile in response and I chuckled, kissing his cheeks and nose before I pulled away.


    ¡°Are you sure we have everything?¡± I asked Gio, anxiously, biting my bottom lip as I ran through the checklist onest time.


    Gio pushed off the door, shaking his head as he stepped behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. Heid his chin on my shoulder, holding me close and I sighed, rxing into the heat along my back.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine, carina. If we forget anything, we can just buy it. Plus I doubt Elio will need too many toys on the trip. He¡¯ll have so many new sights and sounds to investigate,¡± Gio told me convincingly, kissing my neck to calm me down.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I hummed in agreement. ¡°Alright then.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Gio cheered, releasing me from behind and grabbing Elio¡¯s car seat in one hand. Elio giggled, waving his arms happily as he cheered ¡°Go!¡±


    Iughed, holding onto my husband¡¯s hand as he led us out of the house and toward the private helicopter waiting for us outside. After so many trips with Gio, his overly extravagant disys of wealth hardly fazed me anymore, not like when I first found out he owned a whole fleet of private jets.


    Sometimes it was easy to forget that Gio and I came from totally different worlds, one where I was used to pinching pennies to make our groceriesst, but Gio could have lobster dinners every night and still be rich.


    It was a short ride to the private airport, and Elio loved it.


    The pilot was already up front when we stepped into the jet. I took the time to fasten Elio¡¯s car seat to the seat, triple-checking the secure fastenings just for my piece of mind. Gio didn¡¯t say a word, but I could feel his eyes on mine as I did so.


    There was no judgment. He just waited in case I did find something and needed help. Once I was sure his car seat was going nowhere, I settled next to Gio and buckled up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Gio called out to the pilot, who leaned over his chair from the front and gave us a thumbs up. The door to the cockpit closed and the ne turned on. The ne rumbled to life and we began to move.


    Elio cooed from his seat, looking all too calm while I gripped Gio¡¯s hand tightly in mine, my mind rushing through all the things that could go wrong.


    It was only once we were in the air and the light for the seatbelts to unfasten lit up that I breathed a sigh of relief and finally let go of the stranglehold I had on Gio¡¯s hand. He chuckled, rubbing the feeling back into the white tips of his fingers, and kissed me on the forehead.


    ¡°I¡¯ll watch Elio so you can try to get some more sleep, okay?¡± Gio whispered to me and I nodded, getting myselffortable in my seat. I leaned my head on his shoulder as I shut my eyes and prepared to sleep for the four-hour flight.


    When I woke, we would be in Naples.


    Just like we nned, Gio woke me up before we started thending process. We arrived just before noon and we managed tond safely without a hitch. Elio had fallen asleep sometime on the flight, and I carried his car seat out of the jet and down to the car already waiting for us.


    The first thing I saw and smelled when stepping out of the jet was the sea. Then the whole city settled on top of a mountain before us. It was breathtaking seeing how many different colored roofs were peeking through the green forestation, the way the water surrounded it all in a bright clear color.


    It was like something from a painting, only real. The drive to the house wasn¡¯t too far, but I peeked out the windows as we drove along the winding streets. It was packed to the brim, much more than Florence was, and everywhere I looked there were hoards of people moving down the streets, just as colorful as their city.


    But none of itpared to the breathtaking house I saw when stepped out of the car. Even temporarily, it was hard to believe I was going to live in such a gorgeous house. It was more like a princess tower in a castle, wider on the bottom and stretching far into the sky above us.


    Right down on the water, the scent of the salt and sand was refreshing. With a blooming garden to the side and a winding staircase that traveled down the cliffside to the beach, it was perfect.


    Gio led me inside, a watchful eye on my expression as my jaw continued to drop. The whole house was picturesque, filling with art and seeming to head upward forever. Our room, luckily, was at the top of the tower, and our bags were already there when we stepped inside.


    Our room had a massive bed and a huge balcony. The scene was just to die for, looking out over the ocean as the sound of the rolling waves crashed against the shore. I breathed in the air, taking the moment and tucking it away as a memory I wouldn¡¯t forget.


    ¡°Like it?¡± Gio chuckled, grabbing my waist from behind me and pulling me flush against his back. I giggled, leaning up with a doting smile as my handsome husband.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I breathed, leaning up to kiss him on the lips. ¡°It¡¯s perfect. You¡¯re perfect.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Gio grinned arrogantly, kissing me back sweet and soft. ¡°I have a chefing to prepare dinner tonight so we don¡¯t have to exhaust ourselves. In the meantime, wanna take a walk to explore the city?¡± Gio asked, swaying us back and forth.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± I chuckled, grabbing his hand in mine.


    Elio rubbed his eyes from sleep, yawning as I unbuckled him from the car seat and pulled him into my arms. Gio fished his bag for the sharkie plush and Elio beamed as he reached out for it, grabbing it by the tail happily.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a walk, okay, sweetie?¡± I brushed Elio¡¯s curls from his forehead, reminding myself to give him a haircut. He just cooed in response, shyly burying his head into the crook of my neck. He tucked his sharkie under his chin, his little fingers ying with the toothy smile on the plush. I put him in the stroller since he was still a little sleepy to walk, and he squeezed his sharkie tight.


    Gio took my hand, rubbed Elio¡¯s back for a moment, and then led us out of the new house and into the streets. Instead of heading down to the beach, we turned left to enter the city. We were lucky we were so close to the city center.


    Naples was just as beautiful as I¡¯d imagined.


    I was in awe of how utterly in tune with the water the Naples people were. Everywhere I looked, I saw natives carrying boards back from the beaches, and families and couples walking the streets dressed in swimwear and still-wet hair.


    We stopped for lunch at a local gem, a cozy family-style restaurant with no actual menus. The waiter spouted out fast-paced Italian, naming all the daily specials. I ordered the pasta with potato sauce and provolone, which was to die for, and got Elio the basic spaghetti alle vongole, which of course, ended up with half of it on his face and hair.


    Gio was a bit more adventurous and ordered the octopus with spicy red sauce. And after trying a tiny bite at his convincing, I vowed never again, especially since said octopus still had a face to it. I had to cover the poor creature¡¯s eyeballs to even stand the bite I took.


    Spicy food was not my forte, and after three drinks to cover the spice, we continued on our tour.


    The water was central to the city, but life grew elsewhere as well. We stopped by the Botanical Gardens and I held Elio¡¯s hand as I let him walk down the bridge over theke, giggling at his reflection and trying to chase the dragonflies.


    The lily pads across the calm water, the blooming flowers around every edge were gorgeous to see. I had never seen so much green in my life. The tropical nts down the winding paths and routes, traveling through every continent it seemed, were more than enough to take my mind off the troubles back at home.


    Bronze statues of animals wowed Elio, and he especially loved the mother and child elephant pair. We stopped so that Gio could lift him into his arms and let him touch the trunks. He also adored the colorful murals painted on the few walls, running down the paths as fast as his little legs could carry him so he could trace the colorful shapes of birds and handprints.


    I read out loud every que for the flowers he showed an interest in, but he wasn¡¯t really old enough to pay attention or understand yet. We stopped by the beach to let Elio y a bit and helped him build a sandcastle.


    Elio took it very seriously, especially after his daddy built him a moat around the lump of sand he called a castle.


    I leaned against Gio¡¯s shoulders, offering little suggestions as Elio continued to build up his masterpiece.


    ¡°Thanks, Gio,¡± I murmured to my husband quietly, rxed and content to watch my son y in the sand, ¡°for always knowing exactly what I need.¡±


    I only realized it now, but I had needed this. It was like all the fears and anxiety faded away like the pull of the tide.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, carina.¡± He kissed my forehead, smiling proudly. ¡°My first goal in life is to make sure you and Elio are happy.¡±


    And there, on the beach, I didn¡¯t think it was even possible, but I fell in love with him even more.

 Chapter 477 : Pampering

    <h4>Chapter 477: Chapter 477 : Pampering</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Eventually, when the sun started to set over the horizon, casting a golden filter over the world of Naples, we traveled home with our tuckered baby sleeping peacefully in his stroller. As soon as we stepped inside our temporary new home, I inhaled the tell-tale sign of delicious food being cooked¨Croast beef by the scent of it.


    My stomach growled and I patted it, blushing as Gioughed. We¡¯d stopped to get Elio something for dinner, but Gio had insisted the two of us have dinner at home. Seeing how excited he was about it, I couldn¡¯t deny him whatever he was nning.


    ¡°Boss!¡± Dom and Tino called out to us, waving from the living room as a ser game yed on the massive theatrical TV nailed to the wall. They lounged across the leather L-shaped couch, looking like they were having the time of their lives.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Samuele?¡± Gio asked, keeping his voice low due to Elio still sleeping.


    ¡°In the kitchen. He¡¯s trying to make friends with the chef,¡± Tino snorted.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Gio rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Samuele?¡± I asked, frowning as I thought back to all the men I¡¯d met. I couldn¡¯t picture him no matter how hard I tried, but Gio didn¡¯t answer. He simply turned to head to the kitchen with me tucked by his side.


    I gave up on getting answers out of him. He had a one-track mind when it came to things like this, and I¡¯d find out soon enough. Sure enough, when we entered the kitchen, I saw an older grumpy man in a chef¡¯s uniform cooking five dishes at the same time. Dual-wielding professional knives, there was at least one pan on fire as he moved faster than I thought possible.


    On the other side of the counter was a guard, dressed just like Dom and Tino. He was a man with a kind-looking face, tan with pronouncedughed lines around his eyes.


    ¡°Boss!¡± the man I assumed with Samuele called out, grinning. His eyesnded on Elio and his whole demeanor brightened. ¡°Is this the little tyke? He¡¯s adorable.¡±


    ¡°This is Elio,¡± Gio told him. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be okay with him?¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± I frowned, turning to Gio with wide eyes.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Samueleughed. ¡°It¡¯ll be an honor, Boss.¡±


    ¡°Gio.¡± I red at my husband, gripping my nails into his arm. He winced, turning to me with a sheepish grin. ¡°Exin. Now.¡±


    Turns out Gio did have a surprise for me, and it was Samuele. The easy-going and likable guy lived in Naples here with his wife and five kids, and he assured me that he had left the mafia guard life behind to be a stay-at-home dad. Apparently, his wife was a doctor here.


    He gushed about his kids, showing me his overly packed wallet that was bursting at the seams with pictures of them. Even his background on his phone was just his wife and kids. Samuele volunteered to watch Elio for us for the night, giving us a few hours on our own. Though I was a bit nervous, after seeing how much he clearly adored children and having Gio assure me over and over that he was a good, trustworthy man, I let Samuele take over Elio¡¯s bedtime.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Signora. I¡¯ll watch him,¡± Tino said as he winked at me. I was a bit relieved to have a few familiar faces with him, so I let Gio lead me up to our room.


    I decided to trust Gio in whatever he had nned because God knew I had spent too much timetely doubting him. He had put effort into this and like the good wife I was, I would let him sweep me off my feet¨Cone step after the other, all the way up to our room.


    ¡°Alright, close your eyes,¡± he whispered to me, pulling me in front of him and gently covering my eyes with his hand. ¡°I have a surprise for you.¡±


    I rolled my eyes but smiled, allowing him to lead me inside.


    ¡°Sit here,¡± Gio told me. I could hear the excitement in his voice as I was lowered onto a plush chair. I could feel the slightest bit of wind on my cheeks, the sound of waves, and the scent of salt.


    I faintly picked out the sounds of gulls in the far distance and I knew we had to be on our balcony. Gio let go of me, but I kept my eyes shut at his warning and gasped as he pushed my chair in and something wooden hit my stomach.


    It was a table, I figured as I felt around the edges of it, a very nice one at that.


    ¡°Alright, open,¡± Gio told me and immediately my husband met my eyes. Across a small table, Gio grinned at me as I slowly took in our surroundings. I gasped at the view around us.


    If I had thought the balcony scenery was beautiful during the day, it was nothingpared to after the sun had set. Thousands of stars twinkled brightly above us, the moonrger than I had ever seen before as it controlled the crash of the waves of the sea.


    It was gorgeous and I sighed, happily, my fingers itching to draw such a beautiful sight.


    ¡°This is wonderful, Gio,¡± I told him, my eyes shining with affection.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d like it.¡± He chuckled. ¡°But that¡¯s not all.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t surprised in the least when our new chef came in pushing a tray filled to the brim with food, a dinner fit for kings and queens. He wasted no time serving the dishes and then leaving again until it was only me and Gio having a candlelight dinner under the starry sky.


    The food was wless and the meat melted in my mouth. I was so d to spend this time with Gio, just us together after all the time we¡¯d spent fighting recently.


    Somehow, after dinner, I¡¯d wound up sitting on hisp, just breathing in his presence as he fed me pieces of chocte strawberries in a bowl. With the red wine in my system, I was feeling a bit tipsy but still in control as I sighed.


    ¡°Thank you for doing this for me,¡± I told him, drunk on his pampering as he held me close like I was the most precious thing in the world. ¡°I love you so much.¡±


    ¡°Of course, carina,¡± he purred, gently turning my chin until we were face to face. ¡°I love you more than the stars in the sky, and nothing will ever change that.¡±


    Then he kissed me, sure and warm. He breathed slow and steady and I melted against him, my arms wrapping around his broad shoulders. I pressed my lips against his lips, bing the aggressor as my desire got the best of me.


    His arms wrapped around my slender form, picking me up with his strength easily and seating me on the table. His hands coiled around my knees as he never left my mouth and I willingly parted them, allowing him to step between.


    One of his hands snaked around my neck and up to the bun in my hair. He was quick to undo it and my long locks fell around my back like a soft river. His fingers dove into it, cradling the side of my cheek with his other hand as if I was made of porcin.


    He parted his lips willingly as I took control and my tongue slipped inside, hot and wet as I arched my back, leaning into his hard chest as I reached for him, finding the curls in his wild ck hair and tangling them between my fingers.


    I stroked my tongue along him, yfully coaxing him into deeper desire until my mouth ached. Gio had always been a patient man though, and despite my wild ferocity in taking what I wanted, he had other ideas.


    He pulled away and a little noise of annoyance slipped out of my throat. I tightened my hold on him, making sure he wouldn¡¯t leave me hanging after driving me nuts. He chuckled, pressing a kiss to the middle of my throat.


    He hooked his fingers around thece of my panties, pulling them around the heels still attached to my feet and theynded softly on the floor. I squirmed in anticipation, eagerly keeping my legs spread for him. He went down on one knee, staring at my dripping center.


    The table was getting wet, practically creating a drip onto the floor, but neither of us cared at this point.


    He smirked in appreciation, flickering his eyes up to me teasingly. ¡°All for me, carina?¡± He breathed heavily. ¡°Why thank you.¡±


    ¡°Gio,¡± I whined, panting.


    I moaned as he thrust two, long thick fingers inside until they were sped as deeply as they could go. He gave a little stroke and I gasped at the movement, so tight against my walls. I writhed against the cold wood under my ass, whimpering as he slowly pumped his fingers in and out.


    He used one hand to pin down my trembling thigh, continuing to finger me with pleasure as my breathy whines turned into gasps. I was barely able to keep myself sitting, my palmsid directly on the desk to keep me from falling.


    His slow, easy thrusts barely matched my needy grinding against his hand and he used his thumb to roll my clit gently. A familiar ache grew in the pit of my stomach and I shut my eyes, throwing back my neck as he pumped his fingers with a more brutal efficiency.


    I cried out as I mped down around his digits, and I tumbled over the edge as he determinedly fingered me through my orgasm. My body shuddered and just as I thought he would pull out his fingers, I was proven very wrong.


    Gio¡¯s thrusts went harder and deeper with each second, and despite being oversensitive froming, the intensity of his touch was building around that high once more. My limbs shook, just a mess of fluids and desire as he fucked me harder than he had before.


    And I came for a second time.


    I was still gasping for breath, dizzy with arousal from the second round, but he refused to allow me even a single moment to recover. I was being fucked out of my mind again, the pleasure and despairbining. Pleas fell from my tongue, whether I was telling him to keep going or to stop, I didn¡¯t know. All I knew was he was pushing me to the very brink.


    There was a satisfied grin on his lips as he watched mee a third time and then a fourth. I was groggy and shivering by the time I erupted for a fifth time.


    The liquid ran down my trembling thighs, pooling on the floors below as I screamed his name as loudly as I could.


    My eyes were lidded and foggy as he finally released me, pulling me into his arms and letting me lean my whole body against him. I was weightless,pletely spent as I bonelessly fell into him. It felt like hours but was probably only minutes before my heart finally slowed and my body stopped shaking.


    After I got myself together, Gio took me to the bathroom, running a long hot bath for me and finally undressing us both. The first dip into the water was just what I needed, and it didn¡¯t take long before it delved into another round.


    Before I could sleep, however, I covered myself in a fluffy bathrobe, took Gio¡¯s hand, and headed next door where Elio¡¯s new room was. We peeked inside to check on him, and I was relieved to see him fast asleep in his crib.


    Gio swayed me in his arms, cozy and satisfied as we watched our sleeping son for a moment, and for this moment, everything was perfect.

 Chapter 478 : Safe Haven

    <h4>Chapter 478: Chapter 478 : Safe Haven</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I knew Naples would be the perfect city to take a break in, and I was proven right. I smiled, trudging after my excited wife as she took photos of absolutely everything. Elio giggled, holding onto her hand and switching from the stroller I was pushing when he got tired to running after his mom.


    He didn¡¯t seem to know why all the statues and artwork were so important, but he could tell his mom loved it. I was sure she could spend a lifetime inside just one of the museums Naples had to offer and be a piece of art herself one day.


    But I adored how happy it made her just to see the thousand-year-old works. From the Museo Cappe to the Galleria Borbonica and even the show we watched in the Historic theater, there was nothing that didn¡¯t amaze her.


    The National Gallery of Capodimonte had to be her favorite, however.


    ¡°Bellini shares your name, did you know?¡± Olivia said excitedly as she beamed at a particr painting in front of me. ¡°He was a Giovanni, but he lived in the 1500s, so he¡¯d be quite a bit older.¡±


    ¡°Is that your way of calling me old?¡± I raised an eyebrow, staring unimpressed at the oil painting of a bunch of people holding a naked baby. It seemed like a weird scene and even a weirderparison.


    ¡°Of course not, Gio.¡± She grinned, leaning over to kiss me on the cheek. ¡°You¡¯re infinitely more handsome and talented.¡±


    I let it slide with a roll of my eyes, studying the painting a bit more closely.


    ¡°What are they even doing to the poor kid?¡± I frowned. ¡°Seems like a lot of people to be interested in a baby.¡±


    She snorted, covering her grin with her hand as I looked over at her. She smiled knowingly, humor dancing in her eyes as she gently pointed to thebel underneath the painting, which read, ¡°Circumcision of Christ.¡±


    I nched, staring at the painting with a new horrified light. Who the fuck would paint a scene of a kid getting circumcised?


    Olivia burst into giggles and just because his mom wasughing, Elio did as well. I rolled my eyes, smiling yfully as I scooped Elio into my arms.


    ¡°Are youughing at me?¡± I grinned at him as he shrieked withughter, squirming in my grip. ¡°You and your Mommy are ganging up on me, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Gio,¡± Olivia called out, grabbing my hand. ¡°Come on. There are still more paintings to see.¡±


    We circled the entire gallery and then headed to the San Severo Chapel, and every time we passed works made by someone who shared my name, Olivia would point it out. It turned out that my name was a lot moremon than I¡¯d thought.


    I sighed after about the hundredth artist, wishing that my parents had named me something else. It seemed like a fourth of all artists were named Giovani at this point.


    After the chapel, we stopped in the marketce for some treats and we got Elio his first cup of gto. It seemed that he took after his mom in one thing because he devoured half of an entire cup of mint chocte chip after only taking a spoonful of his mom¡¯s.


    By around noon, Elio fell asleep in his stroller, buckled up, and with half his cup of melted mint chocte chip gto still clutched in his little hands. It took a bit to pry the cup from his sticky hands and wipe down his palms and face, but Olivia was a master at this point. With Elio asleep, we decided to head back to the house so he could rest.


    Our new chef had lunch prepared by the time we arrived and we put Elio in his crib for a nap, turning on the monitor and watching whatever movie was on. Olivia settled on a Spanish telenov while I finished up some work.


    I only paid a quarter of attention to the drama-filled show, filtering through the paperwork. I rubbed my eyes, leaning behind the couch to close up the blinds from the sharp light and grabbing my spare pair of reading sses.


    The moment I slipped them on my face, my vision to read got better but I could feel the stare from my wife. I nced at her with a raised eyebrow, reading the sheer wonder in her eyes as she gaped at me.


    ¡°What?¡± I tilted my head, consciously pushing my sses up the bridge of my nose.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± She pressed her lips together to stop the giggles slipping from her mouth, but she wasn¡¯t doing a very good job of it. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize your eyesight was so bad. You need some hearing aids next, grandpa?¡±


    ¡°Now, you¡¯ve done it,¡± I growled, turning to her with the grace of a predator about to pounce. I gave her a yful but fierce look and she screamed, grabbing onto the couch to run away, but I was faster.


    I grabbed her legs, dragging her toward me. She shrieked withughter as I pinned her underneath me, grabbing her arms so she couldn¡¯t fight back, gently enough that she could escape if she wanted to.


    yfully, I settled my weight on my legs, straddling her as she kicked under me before realizing there was no getting away. She panted, staring up at me with a challenging glint in her eyes and I grinned, gently nipping her on the nose.


    ¡°Brute.¡± She pouted.


    ¡°Brat.¡± I moved both of her wrists into one hand, easily holding her there as I smacked her ass with the other hand.


    She jolted, eyes going wide as she cried, ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for teasing me, carina,¡± I smirked smugly. ¡°Take back the grandpament and I¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    She rolled her eyes, and her smile only grew wider. ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll take it back. Happy now?¡±


    ¡°Very.¡± I nodded, letting go of her hands but not moving another inch.


    Sheughed as she leaned up to grab the nose of my reading sses with her teeth, gently pulling them from my face. I raised an eyebrow, curious at what she would do now.


    She grabbed them with her hand and gently pushed them onto her face. Her nose wrinkled as she gave me a weird look and I smirked.


    ¡°You look funny,¡± she remarked.


    ¡°Because those aren¡¯t for you, carina,¡± I told her, chuckling to myself at how damn cute she looked.


    ¡°Do I look weird?¡± she asked, tilting her head with wide, innocent eyes.


    ¡°You look like an adorable grandma,¡± I smirked, leaning down to press my lips against hers.


    She gasped into my mouth, clearly not happy with the reference, but I pulled off my sses from her face, tasting every inch of her until I was satisfied.


    She eventually rxed, clinging to me and running her fingers through my hair, slightly tugging on my curls with every pull and I tilted her chin up to get better ess, running my lips from her mouth down to her neck.


    ¡°Elio will wake up soon,¡± she breathed, her hot breath brushing against my skin.


    I just chuckled, watching the skin around her throat turn a lovely shade of pink, leaving asting mark that would most definitely bruise.


    ¡°What would you like to do tonight?¡± I asked in a sultry tone, hoping she¡¯d prefer to stay inside.


    ¡°Can we go to the city for dinner?¡± She met my eyes with a questioning look, anxious like I could ever say no to her.


    I chuckled, giving her onest peck on the lips before I finally let her up. ¡°Of course, carina. Where would you like to go?¡±


    ¡°Surprise me.¡± She grinned, sitting up as we took the opposite sides of the couch.


    ¡°My wish is yourmand,¡± I smirked, settling my reading sses back on my face as I turned back to my paperwork. I pulled out my phone, sent a quick text to make a reservation for dinner, and then took up my pen.


    Olivia was right about Elio waking it. It hadn¡¯t even been five minutester that he started crying on the monitor, fussing like always. It seemed he was a little grumpy when Olivia came out with him.


    The pout on his lips was exactly like his mother but the crazy curls were exactly what I looked like after a night of drinking too much, being too drunk to find my way home, and ending up sleeping on a friend¡¯s pull-out couch.


    Those were times that I did not miss.


    Elio slowly came out of it though and Olivia yed with him on the floor of the living room,ughing as they built a castle out of building blocks and named his stuffed shark plush King Sharkie.


    Seeing the two of them so carefree, lost in their little make-believe world, it was hard to imagine all the hardships we¡¯d been through. Despite everything, Olivia was still the strong, kind woman I loved. She had never lost her ability to trust in others, and it was one of her greatest strengths.


    It was something that Elio seemed to have inherited from her as well. Seeing their huge smiles was a relief to me.


    This was my happiness, seeing the two people I loved the most in this world so free of worry and full of joy. There was no better feeling in the universe.


    Naples was the perfect getaway, a safe haven from all the chaos back at home. We would have to go back eventually, though, and I didn¡¯t know what was waiting for us in Florence, what kind of trap we¡¯d be walking right into.


    But I knew for sure at that moment that we could handle it.


    There was nothing we couldn¡¯t do together.


    The rest of the night went smoothly. We went to dinner at a nearby seafood restaurant, one of the best actually, and though Elio never quite figured out how to eat a piece of shrimp, he tried and we both made sure to tell him that he got an A-plus for effort.


    We went for a walk around town afterward, and I ended up spending way too much on souvenirs. But I just couldn¡¯t say no to Olivia, who had to make sure to get a souvenir for everyone she knew, and Elio who kept grabbing anything with a shark on it from the stalls.


    I had no clue what he needed with a tie shaped like a shark but I knew when I bought it that I¡¯d be wearing it at least once to humor him.


    I stuffed all of our purchases in a corner for tomorrow once we got home, and Olivia put Elio to bed. Once I was sure the mountain of souvenirs wasn¡¯t going anywhere, I headed back to our room and copsed onto the bed.


    It had been a long day, and I threw my arm over my face to cover from the light, rxing. I was halfway to sleep when the annoying ringtone broke me out of it. I sighed, ncing at my phone and tensing as I spotted the caller.


    Gabriele.


    Well, this can¡¯t be good, I thought.

 Chapter 479 : The Element of Surprise

    <h4>Chapter 479: Chapter 479 : The Element of Surprise</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I stared at the phone in my hand and my son in his crib. Olivia stood frozen beside me, neither of us wanting to let reality puncture the beautiful bubble we¡¯d created.


    I shook myself. Gabriele was my right hand, but he was also my best friend. He wouldn¡¯t be calling unless whatever happened needed immediate attention.


    I answered the call. ¡°What?¡±


    Gabriele sighed heavily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t drag it out,¡± I snapped as I walked out of Elio¡¯s room. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Olivia bend to press a kiss on Elio¡¯s head before she followed me.


    ¡°Tell me how you really feel,¡± Gabriele said.


    I inhaled to say something I¡¯d certainly regret, but he cut me off.


    ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s not good.¡±


    ¡°It better not be,¡± I hissed.


    Olivia rubbed my shoulders, trying to ease a little of the tension that had crept back into them.


    ¡°One of Alessandro¡¯s guys got caught,¡± he said. ¡°Some idiot followed a supplier into a shop small enough that he could barely turn around. Kid made it out unharmed, but we¡¯d have gotten our ears taken off for a mistake that boneheaded.¡±


    I ground my teeth. ¡°How sure are we?¡±


    ¡°Completely. Fucker made eye contact, addressed him by the family name.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡± I scrubbed a hand over my face. ¡°Thank you. We¡¯re arriving home tomorrow.¡±


    I hung up as Gabriele said his goodbyes and pelted my phone toward the couch across the room.


    Olivia stared at me with worry knotting her face.


    I copsed into the armchair next to the door to Elio¡¯s room and rubbed my hands over my face. ¡°Somebody got caught.¡±


    True fear overwhelmed her worry. ¡°What? Are they okay?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine.¡± I leaned back. ¡°But one of the Russians we were tailing recognized him.¡±


    She perched herself on the arm of my chair and sighed in relief. ¡°Okay. So what does that mean for us?¡±


    ¡°The main thing we had going for us was that we knew more than they did.¡± I took her hand and pressed my lips to it. ¡°We¡¯ve lost that element of surprise.¡±


    ***


    *Olivia*


    My head spun. Every time we got an edge, a moment to breathe, it disappeared out from underneath us. Tonight was ourst night in Naples, and it was supposed to be perfect. I had a whole n for after we put Elio to bed, to keep Gio thinking about our time here for weeks toe.


    ¡°Do we have to rush home?¡± I asked quietly.


    A small smile broke over his lips, and he cupped my cheek as he turned to me. ¡°No, carina. We¡¯re going home tomorrow anyway. Let¡¯s let Elio sleep and rest up while we can.¡±


    While we can¨Cthe phrase rang in my ears, calling up memories of those awful months running for Dmitri, the sleepless nights and war councils I knew urred within the walls of my home. I didn¡¯t want to do that again.


    I swallowed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about that now.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± He smiled. ¡°Do you want to just have a quiet night?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m tired of preparing to be scared and tired. I want to have ourst night in Naples, baby.¡±


    His eyes darkened. Before he could answer, I slipped from the arm of the chair into hisp and pressed a kiss to his lips. He surged up to meet me, wrapping his arms around my waist. I dug my fingers into his hair and pressed his mouth open with my tongue. He groaned low in his throat and allowed me entrance.


    When he thrust his hips up into mine and tightened his hold on my hips, I disentangled myself from our kiss and stood. He gaped at me and grasped the air where I used to be, but I only smiled.


    I¡¯d changed in private before dinner, and I intended to make the most of the reveal. Cast in sunset light, I slipped the sleeves of my dress off my shoulders, then released the side zipper. The heavy, dark fabric slid away from my body to reveal the very special lingerie I;d picked out.


    My breasts spilled out of the ckce half-cups, my already taut nipples peeking out above the fabric. The matchingcy thong exposed so much of me that I¡¯d blushed when I pulled it on this evening. But the centerpiece, the thing I thought would drive my husband insane, was the ckce garter belt that held up the stockings I¡¯d been wearing all night.


    Gio¡¯s eyes went dark and heavy-lidded. I crooked my finger at him and sauntered away, but I could hear the heavy sound of him following me.


    I opened the ss French doors onto the balcony and stepped out. We were miles above a city where nobody knew us, and above all, I wanted to feel safe. The cool, evening air kissed my skin, and I shivered as I grabbed the railing and looked out over Naples.


    Gio closed the door behind him as he stepped out and wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing me into the railing as he peppered my neck in kisses.


    ¡°You are so sexy, carina,¡± he murmured into my skin. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I got so lucky.¡±


    He ran his hands up my ribs to my breasts and palmed them. I moaned and turned to face him.


    ¡°Me either,¡± I whispered. ¡°Now ruin me. I can¡¯t think anymore.¡±


    A wicked grin spread over his face, and he crushed me to the railing again with another kiss. I arched into his touch as he pulled out my simple updo and my hair tumbled down around my shoulders.


    He released my mouth and pressed bruising kisses along the line of my neck, up to my ear. ¡°You really want to be ruined?¡±


    I nodded. I craved the release only mindless pleasure could bring.


    He pulled off his tie and I held my wrists out in front of me, but he motioned for me to turn around. I flushed butplied. He bound me so I couldn¡¯t hide any part of myself and stared at me with a grunt of appreciation before pushing me to my knees. His cock already tented his pants. He undid his belt and the button, then pulled his cock free.


    I licked my lips as he nestled a hand in my hair. Precum beaded his tip, and I licked it off. He groaned. I smiled.


    Without my hands, my bnce was off, but I leaned forward and sucked his length into my mouth. His hand tightened in my hair as I bobbed forward to take a little more. I rolled my tongue, and he moaned.


    I¡¯d never taken his whole length in my mouth before, but I wanted it tonight. I didn¡¯t have my hands to make up the difference.


    I started moving faster, taking more each time. Groans spilled from his mouth. I reached the point I¡¯d always stopped before and went a little further. Tears gathered in my eyes. The hand in my hair became restraining.


    ¡°Carina, you don¡¯t have to¡ª¡±


    I released him, a string of saliva dangling between my lips and his cock. ¡°I need this. Stop being gentle.¡±


    ¡°I could never refuse you anything.¡± He bit his lip. ¡°Just stop if you need to.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Now don¡¯t ask me again.¡±


    He tightened his hand in my hair, eliciting a sharp burst of pain, and pressed me forward. I swallowed him greedily.


    Now, when I bobbed forward, his hand pressed me further. I gagged once, caught my breath, and continued. Between the inexorable pressure of his hand and the seemingly endless length of his cock, I waspletely pinned, unable to do anything but take him deeper. My mind shut off. My world became nothing but his moans and the smell of him.


    Eventually, I nestled my nose in his pubic hair and groaned. Being surrounded by him was intoxicating. My own wetness dripped down my thighs. I lingered for a short moment, rolling my tongue along him, and met his eyes. He looked wild, possessive, and utterly mine.


    I pulled back and began sucking his whole cock. He thrust into my mouth, hitting the back of my mouth, and I groaned. Quickly, his thrusts grew erratic, and he exploded inside me.


    I swallowed and released him. I was about to lean back and clean up, but he pulled me to my feet by my hair.


    I yelped and stood.


    ¡°You¡¯re not quite done yet,¡± he murmured as he bent me over the railing.


    He pulled the tiny cups totally beneath my breasts, letting them dangling over Naples. I could barely make out pedestrians below, but I half hoped somebody looked up and saw me. He yanked my miniscule panties to my ankles, leaving the garter belt and stockings in ce, and plunged two fingers into me.


    I moaned and rocked back into him. He toyed with my nipples, teasing electric pleasure out of me with sharp pinches and small ps that seemed to echo out over the city. I couldn¡¯t stay quiet as he slipped another finger into me, then another. The railing pressed into my hips, and I felt so full, but I needed him.


    ¡°Please,¡± I gasped. ¡°Fuck me, please.¡±


    He pulled his fingers out abruptly and lined up, dropping his hand from my breasts to my clit as he thrust forward.


    I screamed as pleasure rocketed through me. My orgasm crashed over me in a brilliant wave, but he didn¡¯t stop. When my mind cleared, he was still thrusting into me at the same bruising pace, one hand on my hips and the other on my clit. I leaned back to capture his lips messily, sucking and biting and still tasting of his cum. He met me in the same rhythm as his fingers on my clit, and another orgasm raced forward.


    He tore his lips from mine and began sucking at my neck.


    ¡°Good,¡± he murmured in between kisses. ¡°So good for me. I know you can take more. All of Naples is going to know how good you are.¡±


    I nodded, not quite hearing him as another orgasm ripped through my body. This time, he followed close on my heels with a few stuttering thrusts.


    Gio peeled me off the railing and lifted me in his arms. In a few steps, heid me down on a lounge chair on the deck. Dimly, I realized he still wore his suit jacket and shirt, though his pants were at his knees.


    I caught my breath slowly as he undid the sp of my bra and undressed me fully, untying my wrists, then undressed himself with the same careful hands. When he was done, heid down next to me, the full length of his body pressed against mine. I wound myself around him as he pressed a kiss to my forehead.


    Whatever awaited us in Florence could be a tomorrow problem. For right now, we were Gio and Olivia, husband and wife, at the beginning of a very long night we would remember for a long time toe.

 Chapter 480 : Home Not So Sweet Home

    <h4>Chapter 480: Chapter 480 : Home Not So Sweet Home</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s my beautiful little man,¡± I cooed as I lifted Elio out of his car seat.


    ¡°Mama!¡± he replied as I settled him on my hip and turned to face thepound.


    The sun rested high in the sky overhead, and Gio was getting our bags out of the trunk. A driver had picked us up instead of riding the helicopter home. I was d for the slower drive to separate vacation from reality.


    But now we were finally home, the ease of Naples falling away the longer I stood in the driveway and let Elio grab at my hair. I disentangled him absently and offered him a small ring of stic keys instead.


    I sighed. He¡¯d been an absolute dream to travel with, like always. As long as Gio or I read to him, he¡¯d pass out anywhere. But this was his first time on a ne, so I¡¯d still been worried.


    I shouldn¡¯t have thought twice about it. He whimpered and pressed on his ears a little as we took off andnded, but beyond that, he¡¯d napped, yed, and toddled around the cabin just as excitedly as he had in the hotel. Sometimes, it was hard to believe he was only a year old.


    But that didn¡¯t change the unhappy expression on my face.


    Gio circled around the car, suitcases in hand.


    ¡°What are you thinking, carina?¡± he asked.


    I turned to him and tried to muster a smile. ¡°Just happy to be home?¡±


    Heughed at me. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to a mafia Don if you¡¯re that bad at it.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± I slumped dramatically, and Elio giggled.


    Gio smiled. ¡°Seriously, though. What¡¯s going on in your head?¡±


    I nuzzled our son. ¡°I was thinking I¡¯d like to skip the next couple of months and get right to the part where everything is back to normal.¡±


    Gio pressed a slightly awkward kiss to my shoulder, swinging the bags out of the way to get ess. ¡°I wish you could as well. If I could handle this in a phone call, I would have.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I know that. But we¡¯ve got to take the long, not-nearly-boring-enough route there.¡±


    ¡°Can we take the short route inside?¡± he asked. ¡°We picked up a lot of souvenirs.¡±


    Iughed and led him to the front door. Once we got inside, I set Elio down so he could crawl over the suitcases to his heart¡¯s content. He¡¯d tried to pack himself in them three or four times while we were getting ready this morning.


    My phone rang, and I plucked it out of my pocket.


    Sal.


    I grimaced and silenced the call. He¡¯d reached out every day, if not a couple of times a day, since thatst lunch. I had half a dozen unanswered calls, and God only knew how many texts.


    Gio raised an eyebrow at me, and I shook my head.


    ¡°Spam,¡± I lied easily.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to get your number resecured,¡± he answered.


    I hadn¡¯t told Gio about the calls. I couldn¡¯t, because then I¡¯d have to tell him I wasn¡¯t refusing to answer because Sal was some kind of Russian spy, but because my feelings were hurt. Because I still couldn¡¯t help but take it personally. It didn¡¯t feel like mob business to me. It felt like my dad had betrayed me.


    Dahlia raced down the hall with a huge smile on her face and her arms open. ¡°You¡¯re home!¡±


    I opened my arms in anticipation of one of her high-speed hugs, but she scooped up Elio instead.


    ¡°Dally!¡± he yelled.


    She spun him in a little circle, and he giggled wildly.


    ¡°Oh, I have missed my little nephew!¡± she said. ¡°I got you a special new toy, and Maria¡¯s making your favorite for dinner.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°His favorite?¡±


    She stopped spinning and looked at me seriously. ¡°Messy foods, duh.¡±


    Iughed so hard I almost burst into tears. Despite everything with my father and the fear and exhaustion of going up against the Russians again, just seeing Dahlia and Elio together almost made everything worthwhile. It reminded me that whatever disaster came, I had a family worth fighting for.


    Gio came up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders.


    ¡°How much do you want to bet that special new toy is something really irritating to make us stay home next time?¡± he whispered in my ear.


    ¡°Oh, anything you like,¡± I replied. ¡°My best friend Dahlia wouldn¡¯t do that to me.¡±


    She looked up. ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°Get an intentionally annoying toy for our son,¡± I answered with a grin.


    Dahlia looked away. ¡°Noooo... of course not.¡±


    Gio and I broke intoughter.


    Tallon stepped into the entryway wearing a lc suit that didn¡¯t match his serious expression. ¡°Hate to break up the wholesome family fun, but I¡¯ve got business. Can we talk?¡±


    Gio¡¯s hands tightened fractionally on my shoulders, like he wanted to hold on. Then, he released me and turned to Tallon.


    ¡°Now?¡±


    Tallon nodded.


    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Should Ie with?¡±


    Dahlia grabbed my arm. ¡°You literally can¡¯t leave me alone in a situation this ominous.¡±


    I looked at Gio. The hard mask of the Don was starting to settle into ce, but I could still see my husband at the edges.


    My husband looked tired and worried, but not like he was blocking me out.


    I nodded. ¡°Tell me everything when you¡¯re done.¡±


    He squeezed my hand and left with Tallon. Dahlia and I drifted into the living room with Elio in tow, abandoning our suitcases to be picked upter.


    ¡°Okay, sost I saw you, you were going on a fun apology sex trip with Gio.¡± She kissed Elio on the head. ¡°What changed?¡±


    I copsed on the couch. ¡°Everything and nothing, you know?¡±


    ¡°Olive, if I have to wring details out of you, I will.¡± She sat on the couch across from me.


    I put my hands up. ¡°No wringing needed! I¡¯m just tired.¡±


    She smiledfortingly. ¡°Fair enough. I¡¯ll respect your snail-like pace.¡±


    I grimaced. I didn¡¯t want to tell the story at a snail¡¯s pace. I kind of didn¡¯t want to tell it at all, but I needed it out of my head to make sense of.


    ¡°So, Sal was lying about the bathroom, right?¡± I said.


    She nodded. ¡°Is it Sal now, not your dad?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t even realized I changed the way I referred to him. I covered my face and groaned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± I took a deep breath and steadied myself. ¡°I really, really don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t mention him directly,¡± she said in the overly chipper tone I knew meant she was worried about me.


    I flipped onto my stomach and tried to figure out how to tell this in order without getting sidetracked by my feelings.


    Elio rattled his keys enthusiastically.


    ¡°I guess... the bathroom was thest straw,¡± I said finally. ¡°There was all this mounting evidence he wasn¡¯t just here for good reasons, and that was the thing that finally got it through my thick skull.¡±


    Dahlia made a small, sympathetic noise. ¡°What do you think he¡¯s doing?¡±


    What an impossible question¨CI could barely think about the man without hurt and nerves and anger balling together into roiling nausea in my gut.


    ¡°Gio thinks he¡¯s a spy for the Russians. Dmitri¡¯s second, to be specific,¡± I said instead.


    Dahlia nched and clutched Elio a little closer. She¡¯d survived Dmitri¡¯sst reign of terror against Dmitri¡¯s best efforts, and I could understand why she especially didn¡¯t want to face him again.


    ¡°So he¡¯s Russian,¡± she said a little shakily. ¡°And they have to take him down quickly, before the Russians catch wind? Is that all?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Alessandro had people tailing a few Russians, and one of them got spotted or something. We¡¯ve lost the element of surprise.¡±


    Dahlia grimaced and bounced Elio. ¡°Not ideal, but they can figure it out, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    I flopped facedown on the couch. People kept saying things like ¡°figure it out¡± or ¡°handle it¡± and I didn¡¯t know how to square those phrases with the images I had of Sal, his eyes soft as he thought about my mom. I didn¡¯t like thinking about the raids and guns and sprays of blood that tended to apany phrases like that.


    ¡°Olive?¡± Dahlia said, suddenly closer.


    I turned my head to the side and found her crouching next to my couch with Elio still in her arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said softly.


    I furrowed my eyebrows.


    She brushed some hair away from my face. ¡°You deserved a really good dad¨Clike, the best dad. And I¡¯m sorry Sal didn¡¯t turn out to be that.¡±


    Under her gentle ministrations, tears slipped silently down my face. I hadn¡¯t taken very long to grieve him yet, or to grieve the concept of a dad since I never really knew him, and that sorrow overwhelmed me suddenly.


    Elio¡¯s small, sticky handnded on my cheek, harder than I might¡¯ve liked.


    ¡°Mama?¡± he said.


    I sat up and smiled at his concern. ¡°Yes, Elio. Mamas cry too sometimes. But I¡¯m all right, see?¡±


    I wiped away my own tears, just like I would have his. He tried to help, messily and a little painfully, but my heart overflowed with love for him. Maybe I didn¡¯t have the perfect dad, or even an okay one, but I had my perfect son.


    ¡°Sal¡ª¡± I started.


    My phone rang. I pulled it out, but as if I¡¯d summoned him, Salvatore Montgomery red across the disy once more.


    Dahlia peeked at the screen as I ignored the call.


    ¡°He¡¯s called every day since we left,¡± I said, ¡°sometimes more than once.¡±


    She joined me on the couch. ¡°What does he want?¡±


    Iughed wetly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t read any of his texts or listened to his voicemails.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Every day is kind of intense.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± I stared down at the phone in my hand, still showing his name though it didn¡¯t ring aloud anymore. ¡°It¡¯s kind of like he¡¯s getting desperate to see me.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not a great word.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably just that the Russians are back in the mix.¡± I shook my head and turned my phone over. ¡°I spent weeks getting to know him. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d do anything stupid.¡±


    Dahlia ran her hand up and down Elio¡¯s back, and her face grew serious. A brief surge of protective instinct I thought I¡¯d killed when I realized Sal wasn¡¯t what he seemed raced for my mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about it,¡± I said quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not either,¡± she said slowly. ¡°Because if he does do anything stupid, and one of us gets hurt, Gio and my brothers are going to make him pay.¡±


    My heart leaped into my throat. I didn¡¯t like the careful way she moved, how quickly Sal became the enemy, someone to ¡°make pay.¡±


    She shook her head and brought her voice up to a high-pitched coo. ¡°But we shouldn¡¯t be talking about that in front of little Elio.¡±


    I swallowed. ¡°Right.¡±


    She nuzzled his hair. ¡°Whaddya say we y a new game, huh? I learned some great ones while you were gone.¡±


    Elio pped, and I nodded mutely.


    As Dahlia pulled the table out of the way and moved Elio to the floor, I realized with total certainty that I didn¡¯t want Sal hurt. He might be a Russian spy, and he might be a shithead who ran out on my mother and me until we were useful to him, but he was still my dad, whatever that meant anymore. I couldn¡¯t picture him injured, much less dead. I¡¯d rather he ran away again, leaving him the opportunity toe back and hurt us again someday.


    What kind of person did that make me?

 Chapter 481 : Tallon’s First Move

    <h4>Chapter 481: Chapter 481 : Tallon¡¯s First Move</h4>


    *Giovani*


    Tallon paused at the door to the office to allow me in first. I unlocked the door with a small smile. Gabriele mentioned a few months ago that he¡¯d sat down Alessandro¡¯s whole team for a lesson on manners, and it seemed to have stuck with one brother.


    I marched in ahead of him and took my seat. He shut the door quietly behind him and took his position in the middle of the room. In his brightly colored suit, he looked surprisingly official for a kid of barely eighteen.


    ¡°Report,¡± I said.


    He nodded. ¡°Gabriele said we weren¡¯t to contact you until you got home, but something else happenedst night.¡±


    I grimaced. I knew as I promised Olivia that something like this might happen, but I couldn¡¯t rush her out of Naples, not when she looked at me like that... and not, if I was being honest, when I thought she might be an early target.


    Tallon handed over a man folder simplybeled with yesterday¡¯s date. I flipped it open to a few pictures of nothing more than ashes and a few crumbled walls.


    ¡°The Zaytsevs weren¡¯t sure we knew we¡¯d been caught,¡± I guessed. ¡°Any casualties?¡±


    ¡°Two.¡± He grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s the third-best warehouse uptown. Alessandro thinks they just don¡¯t know about our better ones, but my instinct leans toward a warning.¡±


    I leaned back in my chair. They¡¯d totally torched the thing, and with men inside. A warning would be smaller than that. I was inclined to agree with Alessandro, but I liked how steady Tallon seemed. I didn¡¯t want to crush him.


    ¡°What makes you think that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll flip to the next picture.¡±


    I turned the firstyer of pictures over to reveal a single, full-color, letter-sized print of the bronze que next to the door that used to bear the name ¡°Abramo,¡± the first name of our first Don masquerading as ast name. A new legend had been added to the bottom, carved in perhaps centimeter-tall cyrillic.


    ¡°I picked up a little Russian when Dmitri wasst a problem,¡± Tallon said. ¡°That there says, ¡®Thin ice. One step forward.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Two steps back,¡± I finished automatically.


    He grinned, then gathered himself once more. ¡°A cop wouldn¡¯t look twice at it, but I was at the warehouse a couple of days ago. It¡¯s definitely new, and I think the message is unmistakable.¡±


    I peered at Tallon. Operators twice his age and skill would¡¯ve missed something like that, and we would¡¯ve blundered forward thinking the Russians only had a partial scope of our power. Hell, the kid learned Russian when I was barely handing him a loaded piece.


    Somehow, between all his jokes and his garish clothes, he¡¯d grown into someone worth keeping an eye on.


    I nodded. ¡°I think you¡¯re right. We¡¯ve got, what, six warehouses on that side of town?¡±


    ¡°Eight if you count the partials,¡± he added.


    ¡°Third best is too good to be a fluke.¡± I looked back down at the picture. ¡°And they attacked so aggressively to show us they mean business, but they could be fronting more strength than they¡¯ve got, trying to scare us away. If they had a significant presence in the city, we would¡¯ve heard about them before Salvatore showed up at our gate.¡± I ran a hand through my hair and closed the folder. ¡°Alright, take your brother and¡ª¡±


    Tallon cleared his throat. ¡°My report¡¯s not quite done.¡±


    I eyed the teenager, looking for signs of disrespect. Even more so than when he walked in, he stood straight and tall. If I¡¯d had to guess, I¡¯d have said he was proud about the next part, but he didn¡¯t have Alessandro¡¯s cat-who-ate-the-canary grin. He simply looked pleased, and he hadn¡¯t moved from his spot in the middle of the room.


    I inclined my head and gestured for him to continue.


    ¡°Since we couldn¡¯t reach you, and our team was leading this particr charge, I made a call.¡± He nodded. ¡°You can turn to the next picture.¡±


    Another set of images of ashes and rubble greeted my eyes. For a moment, I thought I was looking at the same pictures, but then I noticed that while thest pictures were taken in the dead of night, the sky in these showed the barest hint of sunrise on the horizon.


    ¡°That is the home of Stefan Sorokin, the man who caught Marcello in the first ce. He shared it with his whole crew and no one else. Well,¡± Tallon said as he rubbed the back of his neck, ¡°there was also a live-in cleaningdy who we¡¯ve already cleared of any Russian involvement beyond her heritage, but I got her out before the fire started.¡±


    I exhaled a little in disbelief. This boy, whom I¡¯d watched grow up in front of my eyes, had selected nearly the exact same course of action I would have without a single word from me, and minimized innocent casualties in the process. I kept my eyes bent on the pictures until I could be certain the shock wore off my face. I was impressed, more so than I would have expected, but I didn¡¯t want to let him know that.


    ¡°Casualties?¡± I asked. ¡°And how sure are you?¡±


    The thing about fire that up-anders like him didn¡¯t always realize was that casualties weren¡¯t guaranteed.


    He swallowed. ¡°Five in total, counting Stefan, and pretty sure. I took a three-man team in with me and left another outside. We worked down from there, and the ground team cleaned up any runners. I personally checked the pulse of every member of his crew we identified, and either Russians have some new heartbeat tricks we don¡¯t know about, or they¡¯re dead. I sent them away with our clean-up guys before we even torched the ce. News is running a deathless fire.¡±


    I nodded slowly. Even if they¡¯d been alive, our clean-up guys did stuff with acid that turned even my stomach.


    ¡°Business impact?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It seems like they were cooking something in the basement, but we had to take it apart or risk exploding the ce.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Looked like meth to me, but you never know.¡±


    I dropped the folder back to the desk and looked up at him. He¡¯d done such an efficient job that I could barelye up with any notes to give him for next time.


    ¡°Done with your report now?¡±


    He flinched a little. ¡°Onest thing. Final picture.¡±


    I found anotherrge, full-color image. On the concrete steps, another message was carved in wobbly, muchrger cyrillic. I quirked an eyebrow at him.


    ¡°Mine. I let the moment get to me.¡± He grimaced. ¡°It says check your own ice.¡±


    It was a little reckless, the first breath of a mistake he¡¯d made. An extremely clever and not very pocket-motivated cop could put the two together. But the chances of that in our city were so small as to beughable. What was more likely was that the Russians would see, as I would have wanted to, that for every piddly hit they managed on us, we¡¯d hit back far harder.


    I closed the folder and nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve seen new tails sniffing around us since then.¡± He shrugged. ¡°It looks like the war might be back on, as much as they can manage.¡±


    ¡°Tallon,¡± I said slowly.


    He shrank slightly into himself.


    ¡°This is good work. You made a logical decision and you acted on it before the enemy could think we were weak when I left town.¡± I tapped the folder. ¡°And good reporting as well.¡±


    He visibly exhaled.


    ¡°Next time, I don¡¯t want you to hesitate around me either.¡±


    His eyebrows shot up. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You were worried I¡¯d be upset about the graffiti,¡± I said.


    He nodded. ¡°And some other things.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°If you can¡¯t stand here and tell me you did something with total confidence, don¡¯t do it. Other than that, I want my reports without the flinching.¡± I eyed him. ¡°If you flinch here, you flinch there. Break the habit now.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± He nodded enthusiastically. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to¡ª¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Don¡¯t exin yourself like that either. Not until I ask.¡±


    Hepsed into silence.


    I stared at the folder and let him sweat a little. I¡¯d probably have hit a warehouse, but their team had been tailing personnel, so they made do with what they had. The hit was clean, precise, and clear in its intent. Lorenz, or whoever the hell ran their operation, couldn¡¯t miss it. And I didn¡¯t have to give up my vacation to make it happen, either.


    I¡¯d been relying on Alessandro for a long time, but he retained some difficult personality quirks. Perhaps Tallon could be a promising way forward for that team.


    ¡°What would you do next?¡± I asked. I wanted to see his mind work in real time.


    ¡°We can keep hitting these low-level guys forever.¡± He shrugged. ¡°But it¡¯s like ying whack-a-mole. It¡¯s never going to end. I think we have to go top down.¡± He swallowed. ¡°And we have to be sure we¡¯ve cleaned house this time.¡±


    It made sense, but it wasn¡¯t perfect. The Zaytsevs were like vampires. Leaving low-level guys meant they, too, mighte crawling back someday.


    ¡°You and your brother were in charge of taking out Lorenz,¡± I said as I leaned back in my chair. He took small criticism well, but I wanted to see him really squirm.


    He shoved his hands in his pockets and dropped his gaze. ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to work double-time to take him down now. I owe the family until he¡¯s gone.¡±


    No apologies. No exnations. He learned quickly, at least.


    ¡°That¡¯ll do,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you, Tallon.¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Contact Alessandro and Gabriele. Tell them we need to meet tonight. Here.¡± My gaze drifted off the folder to the lopsided y penholder Olivia made me on her brief foray into pottery. ¡°I have a few things to handle first.¡±


    He turned on his heel and left without another word.


    I flipped the folder back open and stared at the remains of the Russian house. Mob wars weren¡¯t pretty. They looked like this, scorchednd and blood and eye-for-an-eye moves. If I looked at the situation from purely a Don¡¯s perspective, I knew exactly what I had to do next.


    Information always came at a premium, especially information on the sort of high-level people Tallon wanted to target, the high-level people anyone smart would want to target¨Cpeople like me.


    And that meant my first move should be to take out the spy I¡¯d identified. With open war on the horizon, any leaks could be deadly.


    But I couldn¡¯t step that far back. The spy I¡¯d identified was Olivia¡¯s father, however angry she was with him right now. My fingers itched to pick up the phone and just send a few guys to his house to find out what he knew, but I had to be more careful.


    If she gave the word, and said he should be hurt or killed, I just knew her tender heart would bleed. Hell, if she found out about it after the fact, I didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d ever get over it.


    So, how did I eliminate a spy before his information got me killed without touching him?

 Chapter 482 : Promises You Can’t Keep

    <h4>Chapter 482: Chapter 482 : Promises You Can¡¯t Keep</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°I win!¡± Dahlia cheered, throwing her arms above her head.


    ¡°Dally!¡± Elio cried, pouting unhappily as he crossed his arms and stared at his godmother like she had just greatly insulted him.


    I sighed, ncing at my overly excited best friend as she gathered up the te of chocte candy pieces we¡¯d been wagering over. She dumped the wooden tic-tac-toe board again, letting the pieces fall to the floor and Elio huffed, turning away with teary eyes.


    ¡°You know, don¡¯t you think you have an unfair advantage? You should at least let our team win one. This is an advanced game for a one-year-old,¡± I told her, frowning as she purposefully gloated by popping the chocte into her mouth and making an ¡°mmm¡± sound.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to just hand him a win,¡± Dahlia scoffed, ¡°That¡¯s not how life works. He¡¯s got to work if he wants to win the prize.¡±


    I rolled my eyes at her overlypetitive nature, especially against a one-year-old. On our turn, I¡¯d been alternately putting the game pieces on myself and then letting him put the Xs and Os anywhere without any understanding of the game, so it wasn¡¯t exactly fair.


    But I knew very well that this was exactly how James had taught us when we were kids, though his particr choice was Go Fish and we never won against him ever... until Ba had thrashed him in one game and dered everyone got sweets but him. But Elio was taking this lesson a bit harder than we did. We had been much older before James had tried to teach us how to lose constantly.


    ¡°Mama!¡± Elio whined, turning to me with his wide sad eyes filled with shiny tears. Like a puppy left on the side of the road in the rain, I could never resist him and he knew that.


    ¡°Aw, baby,¡± I cooed, grabbing him and plopping him in myp. I hugged him around the middle, rubbing his curls as he buried his face in my chest. He wasn¡¯t actually sad, just upset that Dahlia wasn¡¯t letting him have his favorite candy, and we all knew that.


    But still¨CI nced at Dahlia as she grinned, popping another candy in her mouth, and narrowed my eyes at her smug look.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, baby, I¡¯ll kick Aunt Dally¡¯s butt for you,¡± I smirked.


    Elio looked up at me with wide, uprehending eyes. He seemed to sense something was happening though as Dahlia paused in her munching, sending me a challenging smirk.


    ¡°Oh, you think you can, Olive?¡± She leaned back, crossing her arms confidently.


    I grabbed the three X blocks and flipped over the board, simply gesturing to the Os for her to take.


    ¡°Who knows? I remember that one of us was the poker champion of 2012 and it wasn¡¯t you, was it, Dolly?¡± I smirked. She bristled, just as I knew she would at the reminder.


    I¡¯d beaten her by two points and she had never forgotten it.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re on,¡± she smirked. ¡°Xs go first, Olive.¡±


    And the game was on. Dahlia and I red at one another from opposite ends of the board as I made my first move, sliding the X into position. She was quick, mming her O down to block me from across.


    Elio watched us, seeming to somehow understand that it was just me making the moves this time. He blinked with wide eyes as we went back and forth until I was down to two pieces and she was at herst, staring determinedly at one another.


    ¡°This is just going to end in a tie, Olive, and you know it,¡± Dahlia smirked, twirling herst O block around her pointer finger. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a stalemate forever.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you think,¡± I smirked, setting my X into ce. ¡°Go Fish, Dolly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not even the right game. What are you¨C¡± She nced at the board and her eyes widened. There was the perfect set-up. With only two pieces remaining, one X and one O, there was no way for me to lose. Either way she ced her next piece, I had three in a row.


    Elio blinked up at me and I grinned, triumphantly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, baby. Mama wins,¡± I said confidently and proudly. ¡°That¡¯s how you beat Aunt Dally.¡±


    Elio cheered in his baby babble, throwing his arms up. He turned in my arms, standing to give me a big smooch on the cheek.


    Dahlia stared at the board in sheer horror, her mouth open as I snatched up the remaining candies and handed them to Elio.


    ¡°You son of a¨C¡± She began, but then she halted at Elio¡¯s innocent eyes stared at her. ¡°Gun,¡± she finishedmely, crossing her arms as it was her turn to pout.


    Iughed, handing a piece of candy to my son as he celebrated his hard-won victory much to Dahlia¡¯s ire as he tackled her to the floor, repeating his baby cheers loud enough for everyone to hear.


    That was how Gio walked in to find us. He nced at Elio and Dahlia, raised an eyebrow, and then turned to me but I just shrugged in response, getting to my feet.


    ¡°Dada!¡± Elio cheered.


    ¡°He won,¡± I said with augh.


    ¡°Good job, bud.¡± He chuckled, looking more exhausted than before he¡¯d met with Tallon. He turned to me with a serious look. ¡°Can I steal you for a minute?¡±


    I nodded, following him out into the hall, and he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.


    ¡°How was everything?¡± I asked worriedly, touching the wrinkle between his eyebrows from the umted stress. He looked tired but he rxed into my touch, sighing as he nuzzled his cheek into my hand.


    ¡°Elio and you were staying in tonight, right?¡± he asked vaguely, giving me a meaningful nce. I swallowed, understanding immediately, and nodded. He breathed a sigh of relief, pressing a kiss to my inner wrist as he continued, ¡°I have a meeting to go to and I¡¯ll be backte. Can you make sure Dahlia stays here with you? Just for tonight.¡±


    ¡°Of course. What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, not sure if I wanted to know.


    ¡°The Russians are a problem again. I¡¯m meeting with the team to see what our next moves are, but it¡¯s better to assume that you, Elio, and Dahlia are only safe inrge numbers. That means lockdown until we know what we¡¯re dealing with,¡± Gio told me, a sh of guilt in his eyes. He knew how much I hated to be confined.


    But for Elio¡¯s safety, I could suck it up this time.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said obediently. ¡°That means no going to the city, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. At least, not without a reason, and if you do need to, take extra guards as a precaution,¡± Gio told me. ¡°Have you heard from Salvatoretely?¡±


    I unconsciously touched the pocket where I kept my phone. I could feel its rough shape and feeling torn, I reluctantly nodded.


    ¡°He¡¯s been calling,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I haven¡¯t answered. I didn¡¯t think it was safe and I don¡¯t... I don¡¯t know how to act around him.¡±


    Gio immediately sensed my sour mood, stepping forward to wrap his arms around me and pull me into a hug. ¡°I know this is a lot to ask of you, and I would never do so if I thought there was another choice,¡± Gio started tensely. ¡°But next time he calls, if you can answer and see what he knows, or if he starts acting weird or panicky, then it would be a great deal of help.¡±


    ¡°I¨C¡± I pushed back from him, shaking my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Gio. I¡¯m not a good liar and he¡¯s... experienced in working with liars, obviously.¡±


    Even I could hear the bitterness in my voice and I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can fool him if I have to fake my emotions. I¡¯m hurt, I¡¯m angry, and I feel betrayed. How can I just act like everything with him is fine, that I don¡¯t know he¡¯s been using me to get to you? If I talk to him now, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll all bleed through.¡±


    ¡°The decision is up to you, carina.¡± He gently brushed his palm against my cheek, lifting my gaze to meet his. ¡°I would never ask you to do this if I didn¡¯t think you were capable of it, but if it¡¯s too much, then we¡¯ll figure out another way, okay?¡±


    I swallowed, trusting the sincerity on his face, the loyalty in his words and actions. Instead of answering him, however, the lingering question burning between us blurted from my lips before I could stop it.


    ¡°Are you going to kill him?¡±


    Gio remained unflinching like he had expected this question, and he probably had. It was a ck fog over our heads, always out of sight since I¡¯d found out the true motives of my father.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, carina,¡± Gio answered honestly, searching my eyes for something I didn¡¯t know, ¡°How could you feel if I had no other choice and that happened?¡±


    ¡°I....¡±


    I trailed off, unsure of how to answer. How would I feel? Did I even know at this point?


    I didn¡¯t trust my father. He¡¯d chosen his own road, throwing me away for the second time. I barely knew him, or at least, I barely knew the person he appeared to be. I had clung to the idea of him more than the actual person, and he had taken advantage of me.


    Blood or not, I couldn¡¯t love someone like that.


    But that didn¡¯t mean I wanted him to be hurt, or worse. He was still my father, after all.


    ¡°It would bother me,¡± I told him, unhappy with myself at the answer I knew to be true, ¡°more than I want to admit.¡±


    Gio nodded, giving me a soft smile. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll do everything I can to avoid that, Olivia. I promise you.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± I added on, giving him a knowing look.


    He gave me a sad smile. ¡°But you and Elio are my priority. If it¡¯s between my family and him, I will always choose you and Elio. You are my world, carina, and I can¡¯t put you in danger to save him.¡±


    Though it hurt to hear, I knew he was right. I would never sacrifice him or Elio for my father if I was in the same position. I hoped it would nevere to that, but I couldn¡¯t ask Gio to save someone who wanted him dead, or our child.


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said quietly, stepping into his embrace and letting him hold me for a second. I clenched his suit, the fabric wrinkling in my fists but I knew he wouldn¡¯t care. I just needed the security his arms brought me.


    I could hear Elio giggling from the living room,pletely unaware of what was about to happen, of the world he had been brought into.


    ¡°Everything will be okay, carina. I promise,¡± Gio mumbled into my hair, rubbing my back with one hand.


    I shut my eyes tightly, wishing from the deepest pit of my heart that he would be right, that all of this would truly be over this time.


    But I knew better than most that sometimes, people made promises they couldn¡¯t keep.

 Chapter 483 : Dread

    <h4>Chapter 483: Chapter 483 : Dread</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Thank you, Maria,¡± I smiled at the kind Spanish woman as she set down another fruity cocktail in front of me. Beads of condensation spilled over the ss, a curly straw and half a lime hanging off the rim to finish off the presentation.


    Dinner and drinks were just what me and Dahlia had needed to take our minds off everything. Dahlia hadn¡¯t been happy when I told her we couldn¡¯t leave thepound for the time being, but she understood better than I did, after all of the risks.


    Her scar had faded, but it was a constant reminder of what she had gone through, of how she almost didn¡¯t make it to be here today. I was sure that haunted her just as much as it did me.


    But even though all the boys were gone, Maria was still here for us.


    ¡°De nada, Senora.¡± Maria waved off my thanks, only pausing to pinch Elio on his pink chubby cheeks, cooing in what I presumed was a Spanish version of baby talk before going on her way.


    Iughed at Elio¡¯s little pout, watching him rub his messy fingers against where she¡¯d pinched him, smearing the pasta sauce all over his face. It seemed to be his favorite pastime to make a mess everywhere, but as long as he was having fun, I didn¡¯t mind.


    I took a sip of my drink, trying to rx despite the overwhelming feeling in the pit of my gut that something was going to go wrong. I couldn¡¯t shake it, this dread that I was missing something, that something bad was going to happen and I was helpless to stop it.


    But that was what anxiety did to a person, I supposed. Even just having a simple dinner could turn into a threat in the blink of an eye.


    I sighed, leaning back in my seat as I picked at the pasta in front of me with a fork. It looked delicious, but I just had no appetite.


    ¡°So, this might be a bad time,¡± Dahlia started, ncing up at me from her te of pasta loaded heavily with mozzare, ¡°but the school called me, asking for you.¡±


    I stiffened, a sense of unease and guilt washing over me. I sighed, ncing over at Elio and smiling as he somehow got pieces of pasta stuck in his curls.


    After all the threats and then Elio being born, I hadn¡¯t had any time to really consider what I wanted to do about the university. Neither Dahlia nor I had been back since thest semester, and I didn¡¯t know if either of us would return.


    There were too many bad memories that lingered of that ce, too many reminders and feelings I didn¡¯t want to hold onto. I knew Gio would definitely support me going back, at least after all this mess was over.


    But then what would I do about Elio? Would I hire a nanny and leave him all day? I didn¡¯t know if my weak heart could survive that.


    ¡°Are you ever going to go back?¡± Dahlia asked curiously, sipping on her alcoholic drink. ¡°I mean, I know you¡¯ve got Elio now, but there are ways to do both if you really want to go.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Dolly,¡± I told her. ¡°I just... maybe it just wasn¡¯t the right fit for me, you know? I love art but¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you,¡± Dahlia said hurriedly,ying her hand on top of mine for somefort. She gave me a small understanding smile. ¡°I just know how much you love doing your art, and you should. You¡¯re so talented at it. I just don¡¯t want you to give that uppletely. You deserve to do what you want once everything calms down.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± I said unsurely, ncing at Elio. ¡°But with everything that goes on in this family, it feels like that¡¯ll nevere. You said it yourself. Gio is always going to be a target and since I¡¯m married to him, so will Elio and I. I feel like I should start taking that seriously. And that means avoiding public ces like school.¡±


    I sighed.


    ¡°Besides,¡± I continued, ¡°I can always just take private lessons. I don¡¯t have to go to school to do art. I never really wanted to make it into a career. It¡¯s just something that I enjoy doing. If I make a little money along the way, then all the better.¡±


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s what you want to do, Olive,¡± Dahlia said firmly, then she smiled. ¡°I¡¯m happy as long as you are, even if we can¡¯t go to school together like we nned.¡±


    Like a gut punch to the stomach, there was nothing else I could say.


    I couldn¡¯t meet her eyes, knowing I would see the sadness there. It was tough. We¡¯d been dreaming of going to school in Italy together since we were kids. Giving it all up, even though I knew it was the right thing to do with how my life had gone, it still felt like I was abandoning her.


    But I should¡¯ve known by now that Dahlia would¡¯ve never seen it like that.


    ¡°Honestly, though...¡± she said, shrugging and finishing off herst bite of pasta. I nced at her, startled at her nonchnt attitude. ¡°I¡¯m thinking I may not go back either.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± I asked, surprise coloring my voice. This was the first I had heard of it.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Dahlia confirmed, rather calm despite having just dered she was giving up her childhood dream. ¡°I might go back to the States to go to school. I¡¯m honestly tired of the constant threats here. With Mom and Dad, we had threats and everything, but not like this. I¡¯m going to grow gray hairs if I stay here much longer.¡±


    A deep sense of loss washed over me seeing the relieved look in her eyes. She was right. I knew she was, so why did it feel so terrible to think about? Just the thought of her getting on a ne, being so far away in a whole other country, without me, left me feeling sad.


    ¡°But what about¨C¡± I blurted it out but then shut my mouth before thest word coulde out, a horrible feeling of shame welling up in my gut as I realized what I had almost said.


    Me.


    Selfish had never been a word I had ascribed to myself but now, I had to rethink that.


    ¡°What about what?¡± Dahlia asked, tilting her curiously.


    I swallowed therge lump in my throat, though I doubted it was willing to go away anytime soon. I nced at Dahlia, remembering her pale, stricken face in the hospital, the scar that lined her lower abdomen, and the blood on Gio¡¯s clothes when he came home that night.


    She had been the first to stay, to power through what had happened to her and go to school anyway. But she also had suffered from nightmares more than once. I¡¯d caught her in the kitchen after a bad one every so often, multiple mugs of cocoa mixed with alcohol in the sink.


    I didn¡¯t want her to leave, but I couldn¡¯t force her to stay. No matter how much I wanted to. It was entirely selfish to even ask. She had her own life to live. I wanted her to be happy, even if it meant losing her.


    I put on a smile, feeling stic in the way it curled on my lips, but I powered through it.


    ¡°Just... the gto. You¡¯d probably miss the gto.¡± I faked augh, hoping she didn¡¯t see through me. She raised an eyebrow, sending me a suspicious look like she didn¡¯t quite believe me but luckily for me, she let it go.


    ¡°Oh, I will. But it¡¯s not like I won¡¯t being to visit ever again.¡± She rolled her eyes then grinned at me. ¡°I¡¯d miss you and this munchkin too much.¡±


    She ruffled Elio¡¯s curly hair and he just blinked at her, his eyes half-closed with his mouth wide open. Sheughed at his sleepy look.


    ¡°Time for bed, huh, kiddo?¡± She grinned as his head fell into his chest, too heavy to keep up anymore, and his curls went straight into the te of pasta he¡¯d been munching on.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get him ready,¡± Iughed, getting to my feet. I covered my uneaten pasta and put it in the fridge. As I put things away, Dahlia began talking to me, handing me the dirty dishes on the table as she did so, which I put into the sink.


    ¡°Plus I kinda miss the States a bit,¡± Dahlia admitted with a grin. ¡°Though the guys and the food are definitely better here, I miss telling people to fuck off and having them respond with a, ¡®Fuck you,¡¯ back. They don¡¯t do that here.¡±


    ¡°You miss that?¡± Iughed, giving her an exasperated look.


    ¡°Of course!¡± She sniffed, raising her chin. ¡°It¡¯s proper etiquette.¡±


    I cleaned up Elio, and Dahlia followed me to his room. He was so tuckered he didn¡¯t even need a story as I gentlyid him down in his crib, tucking his sharkie next to him and covering his lower half.


    He snored as soon as he hit the sheets and we tip-toed out, covering our mouths to keep from giggling and waking him up. With the baby monitor in one hand, we headed back to the living room to rx before bed. That was when Dahlia sprung on me her next shock of the night.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re staying here,¡± Dahlia said, hesitantly, ¡°have you ever thought about asking Gio to retire?¡±


    ¡°Retire?¡± I repeated, staring at her cluelessly. The word went round and round in my head, not registering what it meant. ¡°From the... mafia?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah.¡± She shrugged. ¡°He could retire like my Dad did. Gio¡¯s done enough, don¡¯t you think? Alessandro or Tallon could easily take over, and we both knew Alessandro is gunning for that position anyway. If Gio¡¯s not the head anymore, you and Elio will be in less danger.¡±


    ¡°I... I never thought about that before,¡± I blinked rapidly, imagining the scenario in my head.


    It had never urred to me that people could simply retire from the Mafia. I always thought it was an ¡®until death¡¯ club, but now that she¡¯d mentioned it, James did used to be the head.


    He¡¯d retired.


    Logically, Gio also could.


    It sounded nice, handing over the dangerous business to Tallon or Alessandro while Gio and I focused on raising our son, no threats or constant worries over our safety, no endless hours doing illegal business I wasn¡¯t even allowed to know....


    It was nice. But did I even have the right to ask that of him? Gio could never abandon them. He loved this organization too much.


    But maybe it was worth just bringing it up, to see what he thought about it. The worst he could say was no.


    ¡°It was just a thought, Olive. But there¡¯s nothing wrong with at least asking. Gio loves you and he adores Elio, too. Maybe it¡¯s time for a new head to take over.¡± Her words were blunt, as they always were, and I nodded slowly, absorbing what she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± I said, bidding her goodnight as I traveled back to my room.


    I pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind, wanting to check on Elio before I went to bed. I stopped in the doorway of his room, peeking inside, and smiled at the lump I could see in the shadowy room.


    But a sense of dread washed over me as I spotted the window wide open, the curtains fluttering in the wind.


    I hadn¡¯t left them open.


    I swallowed, gripping the monitor in one hand tightly as I stepped in and headed for the window. Nervously I nced outside, checking for anything unusual before gently closing it. I went totch it, but I stilled as I noticed the metal sp broken in two.


    Like someone had tried to pry open the window.


    Panic shot through me and I whirled around to the crib, rushing in.


    ¡°Elio, baby?¡± Hysteria crept through my voice as I dug my hands into the crib but the lump I thought had been my sleeping baby was just a shark plushie hidden under the nkets.


    ¡°Elio!¡± I screamed, throwing away the plush and searching every corner of the crib. I rushed over to the light, flipping it on, my eyes scanning every nook and cranny for my missing baby. The nursery part for the baby monitor, the one I had set up on the table by the crib, was thrown onto the floor, the batteries missing from the back.


    My heart thudded violently in my chest, tears welling up in my eyes as the panic and loss mixed together.


    There was no way. This wasn¡¯t happening. I tore into his closet, not knowing what else to do as I searched his toys and plushes for any sign of my baby, but I already knew he wasn¡¯t there.


    I fell to my knees, holding the shark plush as tears poured like a broken faucet. I wailed, screaming as I clutched to the plush like it could bring my baby back if I only hugged it hard enough.


    ¡°Olive? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Dahlia burst into the room, her eyes scanning the mess, but I was too far gone.


    Trembling, I did the only thing I could think of. I grabbed my phone, clumsily hitting the speed dial, and put it to my ear.


    I sobbed into the phone, lost and emotionally wrecked. The pain beat down on me like a drum, intensifying gravity until I couldn¡¯t breathe and all I wanted was my sweet baby in my arms again, to hear his littleugh.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Gio answered, and all I could respond with was a loud unintelligible wail as I broke down. ¡°Olivia? What¡¯s going on? Are you at home? Are you hurt? Talk to me!¡±


    I took a staggering breath, trying to push through the sobs as I wailed out into the phone.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone!¡±

 Chapter 484 : He’s Gone

    <h4>Chapter 484: Chapter 484 : He¡¯s Gone</h4>


    *Giovani*


    If there was one thing I absolutely couldn¡¯t stand, it was meetings in the middle of the night. James had taught me one rule about being the Don.


    Meetings at night never ended well.


    Usually, it meant someone somewhere had fucked up, and now you had toe and fix all this bullshit for them. Or in my case, there was a fucking lunatic after your family.


    The streets were empty at this time of night, especially on a fucking Tuesday in the middle of autumn. It was hotter than I liked it to be, and the driver behind the wheel had just had a smoke, so the whole ce stunk of cigarettes.


    He could¡¯ve at least used the good stuff but no, he got the cheap American shit. And now I had to put up with it. I sighed, annoyance flooding my veins as I ran a hand through my hair, pushing it back from my face.


    I tapped my fingers on my leg, gazing out the window and counting the streets we passed until we arrived. Olivia was probably putting Elio to bed now, she and Dahlia sitting down for a drink before they went to sleep.


    I imagined how anxious my wife must feel right now. If I could have, I would have been there with her and Elio, tucked up in our warm cozy room, and not a single thought on my mind except how much I loved the two of them.


    But now, I smelled of cigarettes and cheap cologne that one of my men had the great decency to spray all over himself before getting in the car. Fucking bastards, I scolded them silently, sending them yet another irritated nce.


    The two were oblivious to my bad mood. Mr. Cheap Cigarettes focused on the road and stillpletely missing the goddamn stop signs, and Mr. I-Bathed-In-Cologne was humming along to a rock song on the radio.


    All of this added to my bad mood, so by the time we finally pulled up to the warehouse and I stepped outside, I was really to murder everyone in my path.


    ¡°You look like you had fun,¡± Gabriele remarked, casually leaning against one of the walls.


    Tallon had been sitting on the concrete waiting for me, but he jumped up as soon as he spotted me. Alessandro gave a nod and a grunt in acknowledgment, a warm wee by his standards but at this point, all I could do was pin my right hand with a murderous re.


    ¡°So it¡¯s that kind of night. Noted.¡± He nodded to himself, pushing off the wall. ¡°Everybody¡¯s inside already. Except you and¨C¡± He nced at the two men behind me, wrinkling his nose. ¡°Why the fuck do they smell like something crawled in their asses and died?¡±


    The younger of the men, Mr. Cologne, flushed in embarrassment, trying to be discreet as he turned away to sniff his shirt. He frowned, confused.


    Mr. Cigarettes, however, only let out a rattling cough that sounded like he¡¯d been chain-smoking for all twenty-five years of his goddamn life.


    ¡°I see. Good talk then,¡± Tallon remarked, raising an eyebrow at the two questionable workers.


    I shrugged it off, stomping my way toward the warehouse. I threw open the door, stepping inside as a dozen pairs of eyestched onto me.


    Like a zoo animal being watched, I could feel them following my every movement, but I was used to this treatment by now. I shrugged it off, taking one of the few chairs left in the warehouse. The building was filled to the brim with crates and packages just waiting to be shipped out.


    It was a supply depot, a rtively minor one, but big enough to host all of the men we needed.


    ¡°So,¡± I started, clearing my throat to begin. The dozens of men stared at me patiently, waiting for mymand. ¡°Is there anyone who is not up to date about what has been happening as ofte?¡±


    I waited but there was no answer so I just continued. ¡°Good.¡± I nodded. ¡°Now, we are here to discuss what we should do next. Any suggestions? Tallon?¡±


    Tallon stiffened, looking startled like a kid being called out by the teacher to solve the problem despite his hand not being raised. It wasn¡¯t wrong. I just needed to see what he would do under this kind of pressure.


    I could always bail him out if he fucked up.


    ¡°Uh,¡± he started, clearly a bit overwhelmed by everyone¡¯s gazes, but then he straightened, taking a deep breath. ¡°Well, Salvatore was obviously working with the Russians to do something to you. We aren¡¯t sure whether it was a hit or not, but we have to presume so just to be safe. This is probably retaliation for the death of their boss, so we have the upper hand at the moment.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± I prompted, giving him a wave of my hand to continue.


    ¡°We know their goal,¡± Tallon said more confidently this time. ¡°We know what they¡¯re after and we¡¯re familiar with their tricks. Lorenz seems to be calling the shots, and we know how he operates. And since we¡¯ve had Salvatore monitored this whole time, we know where the attack ising from and can n to counter it.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I nodded, and Tallon smirked, looking like a proud kid who finally aced his exam.


    ¡°We should find out where they¡¯re working from,¡± Alessandro dered boldly, ¡°storm the ce, and kill everyone in one go.¡±


    ¡°Because that worked so wellst time,¡± one of the men piped up sarcastically. ¡°How many times has it been?¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s your bright idea, bastard?¡± Alessandro growled, whirling on the man like a vicious dog.


    ¡°Alessandro!¡± I snapped.


    He red at me but fell silent, crossing his arms as he turned his attitude to the floor.


    I sighed. ¡°Storming the ce isn¡¯t going to work, not when they¡¯ll be expecting it. We¡¯ll just be falling into the trap.¡±


    Alessandro scoffed, turning his head away defiantly.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to kill everyone,¡± Tallon spoke up, giving a confident smirk. ¡°We just have to kill the heads. The lower members will crumble once we take out the heads, and we¡¯ll be able to absorb them into our ranks easily. There¡¯s no reason to lose talented men, and we¡¯ve certainly taken too many losses toe back from this empty-handed.¡±


    ¡°You think the bastards working for the Russians will work with us?¡± another of the men challenged, looking disgusted at the very thought.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tallon shot back firmly. ¡°Right now, the Russians have taken so many losses that the majority of men working for them are from here. They aren¡¯t loyal to the Russians. They just want the pay and benefits. If we convince them we have a better deal, they¡¯ll fall in line. This way we also have more leverage in case the organizationes back in the future.¡±


    I had to admit, Tallon had certainlye into his own. I watched as the man who challenged him backed down, clearly convinced by Tallon¡¯s confident and intelligent attitude. Looking around the room at my men, they all seemed rather on board with the idea, looking at Tallon with respect.


    Taking the enemy men into our own group was a bold and ingenious n. Not only did it make the most sense with the less loss of human life, but it installed loyalty into our current men.


    Brilliant.


    I didn¡¯t expect that the kid who alwaysughed at fart jokes would show such a talent for leadership, but here we were. I was liking the way he led the men more and more each time I saw it.


    He was still rough and inexperienced, but I could see the potential to be a Don just like his father. On the other hand, Alessandro....


    He stood apart from the men, clearly not as epted or well-liked as Tallon. He didn¡¯t have the charisma, and though he was passionate about the family, about keeping the men safe, he had difficulty seeing the bigger picture of things.


    Recklessly rushing in was his only answer to the problems, and though I hesitated to say it to him, I could see no leadership qualities within him.


    It was a shame considering everything, but ultimately, Tallon was the better leader. I nced at Gabriele, who seemed invested in Tallon¡¯s idea, nodding along as Tallon exined the details to the men.


    Gabriele caught my eye, sending me a slight smirk and tilting his head to Tallon. I nodded back. No words needed to be exchanged between us. Gabriele and I were in agreement.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go with Tallon¡¯s n,¡± I announced to the group. ¡°We¡¯ll need to work out the finer details, but you should all start informing the men. Spread into groups of five. Intel first¨Ccontact all the spies we have and make sure they are aware to be searching for anything unusual. Rounds are to be doubled until this is over with.¡±


    A few men groaned, whisperingints, but I ignored them, turning instead to Gabriele. ¡°Make sure Manuel takes his team out. I want all of this over as soon as possible. And Tallon¨C¡±


    Tallon turned to me, stiffening like a soldier ready to receive hismands. Steely-eyed and stone-faced, he looked prepared to do anything, and I smirked.


    ¡°Good job today.¡± I nodded at him. ¡°You¡¯ll be the point for this mission.¡±


    Alessandro turned to me bewildered, a deep fury setting on his face, but that was to be expected. Tallon, on the other hand, looked downright shocked by the position.


    ¡°I... really?¡± he questioned, wide-eyed, but then he coughed into his hand, nodding. ¡°Of course. Thanks.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I have to get back to Olivia and Elio and make sure Dom and Tino know their role in all of this. We have extra security on thepound just in case.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Tallon nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll handle things from here. Just keep Olivia and my sister safe.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I smirked. I nced at Alessandro, who looked downright murderous. ¡°Your n was fine, but we need a new perspective this time. Help your brother keep control here?¡±


    I sent him a meaningful nce, and he bristled like a wildcat about to strike but then sighed, rxing all of a sudden.


    ¡°Fine.¡± He nodded, clearly still upset but having enough maturity not to explode right here and now. He was improving little by little.


    It was still a relief to see.


    Gabriele stayed behind to help organize but I turned to leave, assigning Mr. Cigarette and Mr. Cologne onto Alessandro¡¯s team so they would have to stay and I could drive home by myself. As soon as I got into the car, and reached out to buckle up, the sound of my ringtone burst through the car, and I flinched despite myself.


    I frowned, ncing at the caller ID.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I answered, a bit confused.


    I thought she¡¯d be in bed by now. My heart stopped cold when I heard nothing but a heartbroken wail from the other side of the phone. My sobbing wife was saying somethingpletely unintelligible through her body-rattling sobs.


    ¡°Olivia?¡± I demanded. Panic set in as I heard her full-on breakdown. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you at home? Are you hurt? Talk to me!¡±


    I heard her take a deep breath through her sobs, struggling to get out the words before finally, she loudly wailed into the phone.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone!¡±

 Chapter 485 : Make Him Pay

    <h4>Chapter 485: Chapter 485 : Make Him Pay</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°What do you mean he¡¯s gone? Who is?¡±


    Shame curled around my throat like a hand around my windpipe, and every ragged breath through my mouth felt like swallowing a hundred razor des. I could hear Gio¡¯s fear, the way it mirrored my own, and I choked on my spit, unable to say the next words that I didn¡¯t even want to admit to myself.


    I was his mother. How could something like this happen on my watch? He was right here in my arms only a few hours ago and now....


    A hand on my back rubbed slow, deliberate circles, a low voice trying to coach me to breathe in and out, but I felt like I was waiting for a breath that would nevere. How could I breathe without my baby here with me?


    They could¡¯ve torn me limb from limb and it would still hurt less than this.


    ¡°E-Elio,¡± I managed to choke out through my sobs. ¡°They took our baby!¡±


    The line went dead silent and I dropped the phone into myp, lost in a haze of grief as I wailed into my hands, curled up into a ball on the floor.


    I could barely hear the phone still on or Dahlia grabbing it from beside me. She spoke slowly into the phone, her voice sounding choked up as she told Gio everything she knew.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Dahlia said softly.


    The cold metal was pushed against my ear, my hair in the way of the speaker, but I could still hear Gio¡¯s steel-like voice.


    ¡°Olivia?¡± he demanded through the phone.


    I managed a sob in response, curling into myself even deeper.


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way. I promise you we will find him,¡± Gio said, sounding so sure that there was no way anyone couldn¡¯t believe him.


    Despite the grief and fear that had possessed me, I managed a staggering breath,tching onto his promise like a life preserver drifting in the unforgiving sea.


    All I could do was cling to it and cradle the tiny hope in my chest, hoping he could stop me from drowning fully under the weight of my emotions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon, carina,¡± he told me, and then the phone went silent.


    Lost, Itched onto Elio¡¯s favorite shark plush, gripping it tightly in my hands as I tried to get myself together, to pull my broken pieces into ce and hold it there with whatever I had left.


    But my strength had always been clumsy and fragile. A soft, plush feeling wrapped around me, and a familiar scent, the shampoo we used in Elio¡¯s hair, washed over me. Dahlia sat beside me, her eyes shining with tears as she kneeled beside me, one hand pushing my hair from my face.


    I caught the edge of the nket she hadid over me, the little E embroidered in the corner catching my attention, and just like that, I was lost.


    I clutched onto my baby¡¯s nket, staring down at the plush they had left behind to fool me with. I hunched over, curling into the floor until my forehead hit the wood below me. My knees ached from the pain of being in this position, but it was nothingpared to the way my heart had just snapped into pieces.


    ¡°Elio.¡± I choked on his name and all my emotions came pouring out of me all at once. I let out a muffled scream into the floor, breaking apart fully.


    I didn¡¯t know how long we were sitting there, how long I had screamed my son¡¯s name, sobbing until my voice was hoarse and my tears had run dry, but Dahlia didn¡¯t leave me, not once. She kept a solid hand on my back, offering whatever support she could despite her own tears, her pain.


    Eventually, I folded over onto my side, staring nkly at the little rabbit I had painted on the walls, his empty crib looming there as a reminder of what we had lost... what they had stolen from us. I could still hear the echo of his littleugh, his cry as he whined to be picked up.


    ¡®Mama.¡¯ He¡¯d hold his arms out to me, little eyes filled with tears as some masked shadow stole him away.


    And I had let it happen.


    I had failed to protect him.


    But Gio would make things right. He woulde bursting through the door, holding our baby in his arms, and all of this could be a bad dream.


    It felt like an eternity, just curled up there on the floor, waiting for a miracle that would nevere, but the door mmed open, hitting the wall with a bang and I jolted from the loud sound, my eyes immediately connecting with the one who stood in the doorway.


    Gio stood there, a dark look on his face. He nced around the room, at the crib, the open window and finally, me. He shot into action, falling to his knees beside me. His arms were unbearably warm, and I hadn¡¯t realized how cold I was until he was lifting me from the floor and pulling me into his body.


    He cradled me against his chest, holding me tightly like I would disappear if he ever let go. I didn¡¯t even notice Dahlia pulling away and getting to her feet or the sad, worried look she sent me before leaving us alone.


    I was too consumed with the misery of losing Elio.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone. They took him,¡± I mumbled into his neck, feeling numb.


    The tear tracks on my face felt like ice against my skin as they dried up. I couldn¡¯t cry anymore even if I wanted to.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find him, carina,¡± Gio whispered to me, his voice low and restrained. ¡°I¡¯ll get our son back, I swear to you, and I¡¯ll make whoever took him pay for this.¡±


    Numbly, I shut my eyes, fully going limp in his embrace as the thought raced around my head. I hadn¡¯t had time to consider it, but somebody had taken Elio, had known when his bedtime was, where his room was.


    Someone who had seen it before.


    ¡°It was my father,¡± I stated numbly. ¡°That¡¯s why he was looking around Elio¡¯s room. He was trying to see how to get in to take him. This is what he¡¯d been nning from the beginning.¡±


    The truth was bitter on my tongue, but the burning scorn that followed was relief. It chased away the numb misery I had been feeling, letting metch onto it.


    It wasn¡¯t my fault.


    It was Salvatore¡¯s.


    Hatred like I had never known filled every piece of my broken heart and I dug my nails around Gio¡¯s shirt, clenching my teeth down until it hurt. The anger was intense, like wildfire in the middle of August.


    It spread into my veins, infecting me until every part of me agreed on one thing.


    ¡°I hate him,¡± I hissed, pulling from Gio¡¯s arms to gaze him firmly in the eyes. ¡°Make him pay. Hurt him. Kill him. Do whatever you want with him. I don¡¯t care. Just bring me back our son.¡±


    Despite the surprise in Gio¡¯s eyes, it quickly melted into a steely determination and he pressed his forehead against mine, never moving his eyes away as he vowed to me, ¡°I will burn the city down to find him, Olivia. And I¡¯ll take care of everyone who gets in my way.¡±


    At that moment, I knew he would do exactly what he said he would. There was no doubt in my mind that he would find our baby and bring him home.


    Because that was the kind of man I had married.


    My husband scooped me off the floor and carried me like a princess. I wrapped my arms around his neck to stabilize myself as he carried me from the nursery to the couch. He gently sat me down, taking the seat beside me, and I barely heard him as he demanded, ¡°Go bring Dahlia back,¡± to the door.


    That was when I noticed Gabriele standing there with his arms crossed, a pissed look on his face. He nodded once, turning back around and heading to find my best friend. I felt terrible for not stopping her when she¡¯d walked away.


    She had been there for me when I fell apart. And she was suffering too.


    My attention was taken away by Gio, however, as he gently brushed his thumb underneath my cheeks, wiping away the tear tracks still visible there.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered to me, guilt shining in his eyes. ¡°I let this happen.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head immediately, gripping him as I buried myself in his arms. ¡°I let Salvatore into our home. I trusted him, and now look what happened. You were right about everything but I refused to listen and now I¡¯ve put our son in danger! This is my fault, not yours!¡±


    ¡°Olivia,¡± he said sternly, cupping my face in his hands. His eyes flickered back and forth in mine, searching for something. ¡°This is not your fault. It¡¯s his. He will pay for this. I will make sure of it.¡±


    I nodded, believing him with all of my heart as I curled into his embrace. I had to hope that everything was okay, that Elio would be okay.


    ¡°Olive!¡± Dahlia cried.


    I whirled around to face her, whimpering softly at the fear in her eyes, the sadness boring holes into me, and Gio pulled away from me, gently waving a hand toward Dahlia.


    I was grateful for him as Dahlia rushed over and took his ce, hugging me as tightly as she could. I could feel the slight tremor in her body, the sobs she kept biting down, and I held her back just as tightly, hoping to bring her even the slightest bit offort.


    I hardly noticed Gio walking out the door, but I knew he had to go find our son.


    Dahlia pulled back from our embrace with teary eyes. She choked on the words, but pushed forward anyway, biting out, ¡°Elio....¡±


    It hurt all over again to hear his name, like picking a scab and a new wound opening up. I choked on the emotions building in my throat, mming down on them hard. I couldn¡¯t fall apart again, not now.


    Elio would be safe. Gio would make sure of that. I repeated that like a mantra in my mind.


    ¡°He did it, Dolly,¡± I told her, gritting my teeth with anger. ¡°This was his goal from the beginning, and I just let it happen. I was so goddamn stupid to trust him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not stupid,¡± Dahlia reassured me, looking just as furious as I was. ¡°He is. Once Gio gets done with him, there¡¯ll be nothing left of him. We¡¯ll take him down, and he will regret evering back into your life.¡±


    I nodded, finally releasing the tension from my body as I copsed onto the couch beside my best friend. I still couldn¡¯t believe my father would do this to me, but all the warning signs had been there.


    I had trusted him and believed him despite all the evidence pouring against him, and look where it had gotten me.


    Well, he couldn¡¯t fool me any longer, I thought. I hoped with every corner of my heart that Gio would find him. He would find him and once he was in front of me again, he would be answering to me.


    I had some questions left for him.

 Chapter 486 : Casualties

    <h4>Chapter 486: Chapter 486 : Casualties</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I shut the door to the empty nursery, dimming the twin sounds of Olivia and Dahlia¡¯s tears. Gabriele stared at me with hard eyes, but I was too distracted to try to guess what he was thinking.


    Part of me wanted nothing more than to wave him away to solve the problem and copse on the floor with my wife. Looking at that empty crib, there didn¡¯t seem to be any solution other than to scream.


    My son¨Che took my son. I let that bastard get within striking distance, and he took my fucking son.


    I swallowed and pulled my shoulders back. I was more than just a father with a missing son. I was Don Valentino, head of the most formidable crime family in Florence.


    Soon to be the only crime family in Florence.


    ¡°Walk with me,¡± I said.


    Gabriele and I strode out of my bedroom and through the nearest door to the outside. I leaned into the guard there, barely seeing him.


    ¡°Tell Tallon and Alessandro to meet us here when they arrive.¡±


    The man nodded.


    I marched into the night air. It felt cool, a balm for the rage heating my skin.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Gabriele said quietly.


    I whirled on him. ¡°I don¡¯t need apologies. I need you operating at your absolute best. I need everyone operating at their best.¡± I stared at the lit window of the nursery. ¡°Clearly, they weren¡¯t before.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll forgive that because I know you¡¯re having a difficult time, but don¡¯t you dare say that in front of the men. This is the fault of that snake Salvatore, no one else.¡±


    I grabbed him by the cor and dragged him close to my face. ¡°You presume to tell me what I can¡¯t say to my men? I¡¯ll have their goddamn fingers chopped off if I think they need a fucking object lesson. You can¡¯t tell me shit.¡±


    Talon and Alessandro stepped outside and took in the two of us, wide-eyed.


    I gritted my teeth and released Gabriele¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°Four of your men are dead.¡± He smoothed his shirt back out. ¡°You may want to consider that before you treat them like you treated me.¡± He bowed mockingly. ¡°Sir.¡±


    My stomach flipped. Gabriele was right. Of course, he was. I¡¯d let Salvatore stay long after I knew he was trouble to keep Olivia from getting mad at me. I¡¯d let this happen, and I owed my men the respect of behaving like that.


    I turned to Tallon and Alessandro. ¡°The strategy meeting is off. I need both of you to turn this city upside-down until you find Salvatore Montgomery.¡± I took a step closer to them. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you have to do. I just want him brought to me.¡±


    Alessandro¡¯s eyes kept darting back and forth between Gabriele and me, but Tallon nodded sharply.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be done before you think to call us for an update,¡± he said.


    Then, he grabbed his brother¡¯s arm and pulled him back inside.


    I swallowed and turned to Gabriele. ¡°Take me to them.¡±


    He nodded and led me forward. We didn¡¯t have to walk long. There was a stretch of the wall around thepound that abutted the back of a children¡¯s theatre. The roof on the ce was so corniced and ancient that it would take a team and several pounds of equipment to cross it with any degree of speed or quiet. I¡¯d always assigned the fewest men there.


    I didn¡¯t realize until this moment that, if someone managed to cross the wall, the only thing thaty between them and Elio¡¯s window was fifty feet of grass.


    And now, four bodies.


    I approached slowly. The bodies had been gathered on a nket,id out as respectfully as possible. Dom stood next to them with his arms folded behind his back.


    Tomaso. Nol¨°. Paolina. Giustina.


    I knelt at the edge of the nket and muttered a prayer. Gabriele hovered at my back.


    When I stood, he said, ¡°Sal must¡¯ve told them our weak spots.¡±


    I grimaced. ¡°And then some. I¡¯d like to do a full walk, make sure we¡¯re not missing anything.¡±


    Gabriele nodded. I patted Dom on the shoulder as we stepped away.


    As much as I knew Lorenz probably gathered some high-caliber team, I couldn¡¯t help imagining Salvatore creeping over my walls, stealing into my son¡¯s room, absconding with the light in my life. I would destroy Lorenz so badly the Russian mafia might never step foot in Florence again, but Salvatore¨CI wanted to watch him bleed.


    He¡¯d used Olivia and the connection they shared to kidnap Elio. A man like that could never be allowed to rest easily again.


    If he thought he¡¯d been on the run before, he was about to learn what running really felt like.


    Gabriele and I swept the yard with shlights and careful eyes, paying particr attention to spots I knew were weak. We didn¡¯t find anything else until we¡¯d circled all the way around to the front of the house.


    My shlight yed over the crumpled body of Dario, the man who¡¯d just been promoted topound guardst week.


    A scream of frustration tore out of my throat. These were my men. I was supposed to protect them, like they were supposed to protect me. Each of them had families, loved ones I¡¯d have to tell they were dead.


    ¡°Eterna,¡± I spat. ¡°All of them. Full honors.¡±


    ¡°Already in motion,¡± Gabriele replied.


    We dropped our shlights and carried Dario over to join the others ourselves. Somebody had broken his neck, and his head flopped unnaturally as we walked.


    I gritted my teeth. Whoever did this would pay. Salvatore, Lorenz, whatever motherfuckerid his hands on my men. I¡¯d ruin them.


    I murmured another prayer over Dario, then stood abruptly and turned on my heel. ¡°Security footage?¡±


    ¡°Cut out at a certain point.¡± Gabriele hurried to catch up. ¡°The rest hasn¡¯t been reviewed yet, but we¡¯re not optimistic. Elio¡¯s not so big they couldn¡¯t have taken him back over the roof.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m reviewing it,¡± I said. ¡°Now.¡±


    Together, we marched inside and up into my office. I navigated to the front camera and rewound it back nearly twelve before we knew Elio was gone.


    They¡¯d only cut the cameras if they got out some other way. I didn¡¯t intend to miss anything.


    I stood, arms crossed, as hours flickered by on the screen in nothing more than a change of light. The three of us arrived home from Naples, so happy. Guards wandered back and forth in predictable patterns. I left for my meeting.


    A car pulled down the street, a dark SUV with tinted windows. It stopped a couple dozen feet away, just far enough that I couldn¡¯t make out the front te number.


    I gritted my teeth and slowed down the tape.


    Someone exited the driver¡¯s side. A man, if I had to guess by build, wearing an unseasonably thick coat and a baseball cap pulled down low.


    I paused the tape and leaned closer. The pixels fuzzed into total nonsense.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked Gabriele.


    He leaned in like I had, as though that would make any difference. ¡°Next to that model of SUV, he¡¯s at least six feet tall. I imagine someone would don a bulkier coat to disguise slimness. The baseball cap has a symbol on it, but I can¡¯t tell what at this resolution.¡± He leaned back, and met my gaze. ¡°And no, I don¡¯t recognize him.¡±


    I smashed the y button. The man tilted his head up to look at the camera, still fuzzily grayscale and unidentifiable. I couldn¡¯t even make out a facial expression. Then, the picture dissolved into static.


    I mmed my hand down on my desk. ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Gabriele inhaled slowly. ¡°Should we call the police?¡±


    ¡°And say what? My son was kidnapped as part of an ongoing mafia war, and the casualties are five people with unregistered weapons?¡± I shook my head, ring at the screen. ¡°We don¡¯t need them anyway. Their justice means little to me.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°It seemed worth asking at this stage.¡±


    I turned to face him. ¡°If I can¡¯t rescue my son on my own, I should be shot.¡±


    He wavered for a moment, torn between my right hand and my best friend. My friend, I knew, wanted to tell me to take a back seat on this one, that it had gotten too close, and I¡¯d be safer on the sidelines.


    My right hand knew I was right. I had to handle this myself. There was no one else better.


    I saved him the agony. ¡°Go help Dom with the bodies. I want them handled with the utmost care, and that means you.¡±


    He wavered for a moment longer, then stepped out the door without another word.


    I needed to face this problem head-on, to wring the life out of whoever thought my son was a pawn in this game. But as I stood in the silence of my office, staring at a staticky TV screen, my resolve drained away.


    I didn¡¯t want to be the avenging mafia boss. I wanted to be a husband and father.


    I fled my office, back to the nursery where I left Olivia.


    Where I¡¯d left Elio.


    The thought tore at me. I could¡¯ve held the meeting here, could¡¯ve done it all on the phone if I goddamn pleased, but I needed to do things the old-fashioned way. I needed to go out to the fancy restaurant and talk strategy over hundred-year-old wine.


    I¡¯d chosen the trappings of power over my son. I hadn¡¯t known it at the time, but I should have. In this life, every choice could be myst. I had to weigh them more carefully with Olivia and Elio in the bnce.


    I raced into the nursery and found Olivia alone, smoothing Elio¡¯s nket back into ce like he¡¯d be back to take a nap any minute. She tucked his sharkie in with shaking hands.


    Tears welled up in my eyes. I could picture nothing but Elio, in the hands of our faceless enemy, screaming and squirming because he couldn¡¯t sleep without sharkie.


    One of the dark, faceless enemies pulled back a hand to smack him, and I scrubbed my eyes.


    Olivia turned to me. Her face still bore signs of her flood of tears in redness and puffiness, but no sign of them threatened now. She crossed her arms with a face like stone.


    ¡°What¡¯s the n?¡± she asked.


    I crossed the room in a few massive steps and gathered her in my arms, ovee with gratitude for the beautiful, strong woman I married. She bore the kisses I dropped on her head, but she didn¡¯t melt into my arms.


    She needed answers. I wished I had better ones.


    ¡°The n, carina,¡± I said, ¡°is that we find who did this and make them pay.¡±


    She nodded slowly. When she looked up at me again, hurt and rage warred in her eyes.


    ¡°I want to be there when you talk to my dad.¡±

 Chapter 487 : Blame It on Florence

    <h4>Chapter 487: Chapter 487 : me It on Florence</h4>


    *Salvatore*


    I scrubbed my sweaty palms down my pants and took a deep breath. Lorenz had called me and said we needed to meet. Nothing good ever came of meeting with the boss. I¡¯d learned that the fucking hard way. Worse, he had a hardline no-weapons policy for these meets.


    Now I sat in my crappy car, staring at a warehouse I could barely see because of the broken streetlight in front of the door.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I muttered.


    I knew about Stefan¡¯s little hit, and I knew about the Valentino retaliation. There was no getting around the fact that this cold war was starting to be quite a bit hotter than I preferred. If I had my druthers, I¡¯d have pulled up stakes and hit the road by now. That was what anybody smart should have been doing.


    I wiped my hands again. I didn¡¯t exactly have my druthers. My assistance was the only thing keeping Olivia out of the crossfire. I knew I¡¯d never be a dad worth writing home about, but that didn¡¯t mean I wanted to sign her death warrant. And that kid of hers was cuter than I would¡¯ve guessed.


    ¡°Fuck it.¡± I mbered out of my car and headed for the warehouse door. I couldn¡¯t feel any Italian eyes on my back, but something had happened since Stefan caught one of them. They¡¯d gotten slicker. I couldn¡¯t be certain they weren¡¯t watching me now.


    One light on, second floor of the warehouse¨CLorenz had only given me the address, but I knew I¡¯d find him there. I shoved my hands in my pockets and tried to whistle as I strolled forward as if that would trick anyone with half a brain in their head.


    The door opened smoothly on oiled hinges, despite the rust I could feel crackling under my palm. It was a proper safehouse then. I burned the address into my memory and headed upstairs.


    Light glimmered from under the shut door. All around me, rotted, ruined shelves and packages slumped. The ce looked abandoned, except for that one light.


    I knocked.


    ¡°Come in,¡± answered a low voice I recognized, thick with a Russian ent.


    I pushed open the door and found myself in a ramshackle studio apartment. I¡¯d seen squats like this all across Europe, spent more evenings than I¡¯d like on beds identical to the creaky cot in the corner. All you needed was one abandoned office and the ability to install a couple of pretty good locks. Lorenz sat on a folding chair with his arms crossed, but that wasn¡¯t what caught my attention.


    No, all I could look at was Elio, drooling on himself in a cheap-looking car seat next to a pink box of over-the-counter antihistamines.


    ¡°You promised¡ª¡± I said.


    Lorenz waved his hand. ¡°I promised you the girl, and you know it. Don¡¯t go asking for things you haven¡¯t earned.¡± He nced at the car seat. ¡°He¡¯s only drugged. Misha didn¡¯t even jostle him in transit. I¡¯m not nning on hurting the little heir anyway.¡± He smiled. ¡°Currently.¡±


    I straightened up. The bulky Russian might be the sort of broody asshole I¡¯d never interact with under normal circumstances, but he stood between me and my payday.


    ¡°Sounds good.¡± I nodded. ¡°What¡¯s the n with the kid, then?¡±


    Lorenz flicked out a knife and began cleaning his nails. ¡°Bait.¡±


    I swallowed. I hadn¡¯t cared about the kid. It didn¡¯t matter that he had the thickest hair I¡¯d ever seen on a kid his age, or the exact same way of smiling when he found something new that Olivia had as a baby. I¡¯d made the deal for my daughter. I knew she had a kid then, and I didn¡¯t say shit about him.


    I couldn¡¯t go soft just because he kept holding onto my finger like he didn¡¯t want me to leave.


    ¡°And the trap?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re here.¡± Lorenz grinned. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to step out of the shadows.¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from making another expression.


    ¡°I would like you,¡± he said, pointing the knife at me, ¡°to contact Giovani, on something untraceable. Let him know that if he ever wants to see his son again, he has toe to your house alone within twenty-four hours.¡±


    I nodded. The n was solid. Giovani tended to get reckless when people endangered things he loved. He¡¯de charging into my apartment like a bull in Pamplona, and Lorenz could spring whatever he wanted around him.


    ¡°What about his right hand? He¡¯s gonna try to stop him.¡± I crossed my arms.


    Lorenz chuckled. ¡°If I remember correctly,dder-climbing is what got you in trouble at yourst job.¡± He met my gaze, and his voice became sharp. ¡°Don¡¯t think, Salvatore. It doesn¡¯t be you.¡±


    I ran my tongue over my teeth. This was how I liked things, I reminded myself. I wanted to be a grunt, to take orders and not think twice. I liked the freedom of being able to cut and run when my boss got in over his head. It was what had kept me alive thesest twenty years.


    But somehow, I wasn¡¯t cutting. I wasn¡¯t running. I was staring at a dogshit car seat with my drugged grandson inside and trying to figure out if I had anything else to say to stick around a little longer.


    ¡°Any otherints?¡± Lorenz asked. ¡°Or can I expect you to actually do what you¡¯re ordered one of these days?¡±


    Anger flushed my veins. I¡¯d never been able to tolerate condescension.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get one thing straight.¡± I took a step forward. ¡°You may have my money, but I don¡¯t belong to you. When you say jump, I say in a minute.¡± I balled my fists. ¡°That¡¯s how it¡¯s gonna be unless you want to lose me right before the game wraps up.¡±


    Lorenz simply smiled and rocked Elio¡¯s car seat with the tip of his knife. ¡°I can run this game without you. Leave if you want. Call if you don¡¯t.¡±


    I swallowed. The threat to Elio was clear. ¡°I¡¯ll call in the morning. Let him sweat.¡±


    Lorenz smiled wide. ¡°Perfect.¡±


    I turned and marched out of the safe house, and down to my car. I started the old piece of shit and drove half a mile before my brain kicked back on.


    I¡¯d just shown my hand to the soon-to-be king of Florence, a man with the resources to hunt me down from here across most of Asia. Worse, I let myself have a hand to show.


    My car sailed through a red light amidst a flurry of honks. I mmed my hand down on my horn.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± I screamed out the window. ¡°Fuck your mom, fuck your car, and fuck this goddamn city!¡±


    I pressed the gas pedal to the floor, whipping through the tiny Italian streets. I¡¯d spent a good couple of years as a wheelman, and nothing rxed me quite like testing my skills.


    My hand itched for a bottle of something, but I took this car to see Olivia, so I kept all my vices elsewhere. I didn¡¯t even have a goddamn cigarette.


    Olivia was gonna fucking hate me, if she didn¡¯t already. She hadn¡¯t answered any of my calls or texts since Gio had caught me in Elio¡¯s room.


    The worst fucking part was that, sure, I¡¯d wandered off to get better ns of the house, but I¡¯d genuinely been drawn in by Elio¡¯s room. I hadn¡¯t been spying or anything, just imagining what it must be like to grow up in a room like that, so beautiful and full of toys.


    I swung a hard left, taking the long way home. It¡¯d be faster in the long run¨Cless crowded roads, fewer cops. I could outrun damn near anyone, but I didn¡¯t want to know what Lorenz would have to say about that.


    This was what I got for getting in bed with fucking Russians. I¡¯d worked for half the families in Europe once or twice when they reached out, and no one had a good word to say about them. Vicious, they said, unforgiving, willing to go to lengths that turned the stomachs of some of the hardest motherfuckers I knew. I should¡¯veughed in their faces and¡ª


    And what? Gone back to making pocket change? The truth was, Lorenz offered me a deal I never could¡¯ve refused, and now I had to pay the fucking piper.


    Any hope of seeing Olivia after this had been a pipe dream anyway. She was sweeter than her mom, but Gio had her ear long before me, and I just knew he told her everything. He always would¡¯ve figured me out, and that always would¡¯ve been the end of it. I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to believe she¡¯d forgive me, not after everything Dmitri did to the Valentinos.


    I drifted through another turn, the speedometer pushing one-sixty. It was better this way, clean. I didn¡¯t have to worry about being presentable enough to see her, or if any ill-timed phone call might be her. I¡¯d spring the trap, blow the city, and she could go back to hating me like she had before.


    I spun into my driveway and threw the car in park, grinding the engine. What difference did it make? I had two days left in the city, and my crap-ass car couldn¡¯t really get any more crap-ass in that time. I turned it off, climbed out, and mmed the door behind me.


    Without the roar of my straining engine, the sounds of the city at night filtered in around me¨Ca few cars,ughter, faint music from a few doors over.


    This city was too goddamn quiet. I missed New York, where you couldn¡¯t hear yourself think if you wanted to. Maybe I¡¯d go back when this was all over, and try to remind myself what a ce I wanted to stay in felt like.


    I certainly didn¡¯t want to stay in Florence. Lorenz was a shit boss, and I wouldn¡¯t have anything else keeping me here when all was said and done. Maybe I¡¯d pack my bag tonight, have it sitting around when Gio showed up so he knew just how much I couldn¡¯t wait to leave.


    The rage carried me up my front steps, and I flung open the door. Maybe I¡¯d just get piss drunk and hope I woke up in time to ce the call tomorrow. Fuck the bag, fuck everything else.


    I flicked on the light switch, and my heart skipped a beat. Instead of looking at my barren, crap-ass living room, I was looking at an extremely full crap-ass living room, full of Italian twenty-somethings, one of which crossed his arms menacingly over a robin¡¯s eggshell blue suit, and the other of which took a step in my direction.


    I didn¡¯t check the fucking tape. And Lorenz already had the fucking baby.


    ¡°I can exin.¡± I put up my hands.


    ¡°That¡¯s cute,¡± said the one who stepped closer. God, I¡¯d met these fucking kids. What was his name? ¡°You can give it to someone who cares. Tal?¡±


    The one in the blue suit¡ªTallon, I remembered¡ªbrushed his jacket aside to reveal a holstered gun. ¡°Do you want to walk with us, or should we do this the hard way?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡ª¡±


    Tallon unholstered his gun and clicked off the safety. ¡°Move.¡±


    Fucking Lorenz. Fucking no-weapons policy. I backed out the door.


    Tallon kept his gun on me as his brother plucked the keys out of my hands and got in the driver¡¯s side of my car.


    Fucking Florence.


    At least maybe I¡¯d get to exin myself to Olivia.

 Chapter 488 : The Interrogation

    <h4>Chapter 488: Chapter 488 : The Interrogation</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I trudged into the living room with one of Elio¡¯s blocks clutched in my fist like a talisman. I wanted his room set up for if¡ªwhen we got him home, but I needed a little piece of him with me to keep that certainty.


    Dahlia and Gio sat across from each other in the living room, staring nkly into the distance. tes of food sat on the coffee table in front of each of them, both untouched. I copsed into the armchair at the short end of the coffee table. I¡¯d done my crying, my hugging, my curling up in my son¡¯s things as though that would be enough to summon him home. Now, I knew, I needed to be strong until it was over. That meant I needed my own seat.


    The allure of Gio¡¯s or Dahlia¡¯s arms would be too strong for me to resist if I was within reach.


    Maria appeared from the kitchen carrying a steaming te, as though she¡¯d just been waiting for me¨Cpenne alle vodka, one of my favorites under normal circumstances. I epted the te, muttered my thanks, and put it on the table with the others as soon as she left the room.


    Dimly, I noticed neither Dahlia¡¯s nor Gio¡¯s te contained penne. Gio had spaghetti in a thick red sauce, and Dahlia a golden-brown chicken parmesan over linguine. Maria had made all our favorites, or at least as much as she could with no warning and the ingredients we kept around the house. When this was over, I had to get her another raise.


    While it still happened, I couldn¡¯t stomach a bite.


    I checked my phone automatically. There was nothing from anyone, but I finally noticed it was nearly two in the morning. I swallowed. Elio had been gone for six hours.


    I tucked my phone away. Counting minutes helped no one. We would get him back, no matter how long they had him.


    But, God, I wished I could do anything to help with that. Anything had to be better than this endless sitting and waiting.


    The front door mmed open. Gio shot to his feet, unholstering a gun I hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d started carrying around in his own house. Dahlia shrank back into the couch as though she could disappear.


    I remained stock-still in my chair. This, too, would be solved by other people and their guns if it got solved at all.


    There was a bit of arguing at the door, but I couldn¡¯t quite make out the voices. Gio clicked off the safety on his gun. I gripped the arms of my chair.


    Talon and Alessandro, looking tired and pissed off respectively, stalked into the room, pushing a recalcitrant Sal in front of them.


    My heart leaped into my throat, and a million thoughts shot through my head at once. Had my father taken Elio? Was he hurt? When I asked that, did I mean Sal or Elio? How in the hell was I going to talk to a man I trusted enough to allow into my home, who¡¯d betrayed me like no one had before?


    Alessandro shoved him down at my feet¨Cnot Dahlia¡¯s, not Gio¡¯s, mine. Salnded on his knees, barely catching himself with his bound hands before his face hit the floor.


    My pulse raced. I¡¯d spent years wishing for a family, a father. I wanted my mom around more, and a sibling, and a fucking dad.


    The unfortunate man who shared my gic code struggled to his feet. Behind him, Gio sat, though he kept his gun propped on his thigh and pointed at my father.


    I met his eyes, the eyes he¡¯d given me. I wanted to read him, to see regret and fear and a hope to do better, but if I was able to read him, we wouldn¡¯t be in this situation in the fucking first ce.


    This situation¨Cthe situation where he kidnapped or facilitated kidnapping my son. I spent all those years wanting a family, and when I finally built my own, my father came out of the woodwork to rip it away from me again.


    Suddenly, I was on my feet,unching myself at him.


    ¡°How could you?¡± I shrieked. ¡°He¡¯s my baby!¡±


    Inded on him, and he stumbled back a step. I pounded my fists against his chest, one of them still clutching the block, and wished desperately that I¡¯d taken Gio up on one of his many offers to get me a self-defense trainer so I could do some real damage.


    Sal didn¡¯t react, didn¡¯t try to push me away, but with his hands cuffed together, he couldn¡¯t really.


    Gio appeared on my left, gun gone, and wrapped his arm around my chest. ¡°Shh, carina. I know, I know.¡±


    He began to pull me back. His arm was warm, and I wanted to fall into the low timbre of his voice, but my rage hadn¡¯t nearly boiled off. I squirmed in his grip, fighting to get back to Sal.


    ¡°How can you tell me to be quiet?¡± I tried to pull Gio¡¯s arm off me. ¡°He took Elio. He took our fucking son.¡±


    I tasted salt, and I realized I¡¯d begun crying again. Tears soaked my face, rapid and unreasonable.


    Gio pulled me into an embrace, and I buried my head in his chest.


    ¡°Our Elio,¡± I whispered.


    Gio pressed a kiss to the top of my head. ¡°I know, carina, but if you bludgeon him to death, we can¡¯t learn what he knows.¡±


    I sniffled, feeling suddenly young again, like I¡¯d never done this before. I tried so hard to steel myself before I¡¯de out here, but still my emotions overwhelmed me.


    Maybe I didn¡¯t belong in this world. Maybe I never had, and that was why people kept being able to trick me.


    I swiped at my tears and pulled back from Gio. Dahlia looked at me with tears welling in her own eyes and her fists clenched in rage. Alessandro still seemed furious. Only Tallon managed to maintain the cool detachment I¡¯d seen so often in Gio and his men.


    I needed to be like that if I wanted both of us to survive this interview. I straightened my shoulders and let my face fall under a nket of neutrality.


    Gio held me by the shoulders and looked into my eyes. Worry etched lines between his brows, but I nodded at him. I had control of myself now, or at least not enough to throw myself at Sal again. I needed the information he had so badly that I could keep my storm of emotions locked inside, at least for now.


    I remained standing as Gio returned to his couch, not far away, but just far enough to make it clear to the room that I had the floor. I shot him a small smile, then retook Tallon¡¯s detachment.


    ¡°What do you have to say for yourself?¡± I asked.


    Sal had the decency to look down. ¡°I never meant for this to happen.¡±


    I paced back and forth. ¡°For what to happen? For you to trade information to the Russian mob, long-time enemies of my family, or for you to kidnap my son?¡±


    The words burned in my throat, but I spit them anyway.


    Sal cringed. ¡°About Elio. I was keeping you two safe, you and him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing a great job at that.¡± I stopped in front of him. ¡°Just the two of us?¡±


    ¡°There was no deal if I didn¡¯t hand over Giovani.¡± He looked up at me with what seemed like honesty burning in his eyes. ¡°They were never supposed to hurt you.¡±


    Anger chased blood into my cheeks. Tears pressed at the backs of my eyes again, and I flexed my fists, looking for something to hit. How dare he say that in the house where he knew my son had been taken? How dare he offer any excuse, much less one as paltry as that?


    I took a deep breath and tried to steady myself to limited avail.


    ¡°So I understand,¡± I said quietly, ¡°that you thought you could kill my husband and that wouldn¡¯t hurt me at all?¡±


    Sal¡¯s face fell. It looked like real disappointment, real crestfallenness, but I couldn¡¯t let myself be lured in again. He had me on the hook for weeks with nothing more than a few expressions.


    Fuck, I initially trusted him for the way he looked when he talked about my mother.


    I took a step closer. Gio sat up, ready to stop me if I attacked him again, but I didn¡¯t need that. I needed to pull the ice of the mafia over my heart.


    ¡°Sit,¡± I barked.


    Sal nced at the coffee table covered in food behind him and then sat on the floor.


    ¡°We know you have information.¡± I nced at Gio, who nodded. ¡°Give it to us, and we¡¯ll see what sort of mercy the Valentino family might be able to muster.¡±


    Sal nodded furiously. ¡°Anything. Anything you want.¡±


    ¡°Who took Elio?¡± I asked, barely keeping my voice from shaking with rage.


    ¡°Lorenz,¡± he answered. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know if he did it specifically. I wasn¡¯t involved. I didn¡¯t even know what was going to happen.¡±


    I scowled. Sal nched.


    ¡°He mentioned a name¡ªMisha, I think¡ªbut Lorenz has him now, and I know where he was maybe an hour ago.¡± Sal rattled off an address.


    Gio nodded at Alessandro, who turned and left the room, presumably to go check Sal¡¯s information and see what they could dig up on Misha.


    I hated Misha with a sudden and burning passion... more than Lorenz, perhaps even more than my father.


    I looked down into his eyes. No, not more than him, not now.


    ¡°Are they going to kill him?¡± I circled Sal to keep him from seeing the way my face crumpled when I asked that. I had to know, but I couldn¡¯t bear the thought. It called up images of Elio¡¯s little body, still and slicked in blood, that churned my stomach and brought tears to my eyes.


    Sal shook his head. ¡°At least, that¡¯s not the n. They¡¯ve just got him drugged right now, one of those antihistamines that makes you sleepy.¡±


    My pulse thudded in my ears. Antihistamines like that weren¡¯t safe for children under two. The lethal side-effects were rare, but they came on so aggressively that all parents were advised to avoid them.


    Gio met my gaze. His eyes were full of calm certainty. I inhaled slowly and dug my thumb into the corner of the block in my hand. I couldn¡¯t change what had already happened. I could only get what I needed to get Elio back as quickly as possible.


    But I could feel my control beginning to slip. Everything Sal said called up a new wave of rage and fear and grief. I could only bear so many more.


    ¡°What is the n?¡± I snarled.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to contact Giovani in the morning, tell him toe to my house alone within twenty-four hours if he ever wants to see Elio again. Then,¡± Sal swallowed, ¡°Lorenz springs his trap. I don¡¯t know after that.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± I repeated incredulously.


    He shook his head. ¡°I really am the low man on the totem pole. He doesn¡¯t tell me anything he doesn¡¯t have to.¡±


    My vision turned red. ¡°You don¡¯t even know what the n is for returning my fucking son?¡±


    He nched and shook his head.


    At that moment, I could¡¯ve reached back in time and shaken eight-year-old Olivia for the sheer stupidity of wishing my dad would show up. He wouldn¡¯t have changed anything. He couldn¡¯t have, because he was exactly the sort of spineless worm who abandoned his young wife and daughter because hecked the brains or the balls toe up with a better way to fix the mess he blundered himself into.


    I squeezed the block so hard my palm began to ache and I realized, with crystalline rity, that if I didn¡¯t leave right now I was going to ask someone to kill my father.


    Or I was going to take a gun and do it my goddamn self.


    I turned on my heel and stormed out of the room without another word. Quick, light footsteps behind me told me Dahlia was following. I didn¡¯t turn. I could only march through thepound, wondering how fucking stupid I could¡¯ve been to trust him.


    I should¡¯ve known by now that I could never count on my father.

 Chapter 489 : No More Games

    <h4>Chapter 489: Chapter 489 : No More Games</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I stared after Olivia as she stormed away. I¡¯d married a strong woman, but being betrayed by a parent would crack anyone.


    That left me to handle clean-up.


    I stood, cracking my knuckles, and made eye contact with Tallon. Olivia had gotten some good information, but we needed details if we were going to get Elio back, and details usually came harder.


    Sal began struggling to his feet, but I put my hand on his shoulder and shoved him back down.


    ¡°Stay,¡± I snapped. ¡°I think my wife had the right idea.¡±


    Sal swallowed visibly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he babbled. ¡°I never meant any of this to happen, I just¡ª¡±


    Iughed, loud and long. ¡°Any of this? What about killing me?¡±


    He leaned forward. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure they were gonna kill you, just take you out of y, and¡ª¡±


    If there was one thing I couldn¡¯t stand in this business, it was men who¡¯d give up anyone and anything for the right price. The man in front of me gave up his daughter, his grandson, and now the precious boss he¡¯d given everyone else up to.


    I let my fist fly.


    It connected with his jaw, good and solid, and Sal sprawled back with a brief burst of blood into the coffee table. The table skidded across the rug, food flying, and his head hit the ground with a soft grunt.


    I stalked forward and ced my foot on his prone chest.


    ¡°Let me be very clear,¡± I said. ¡°Olivia was the good cop here. If you can¡¯t help me find my son, you are useless to me. Tallon, what do we do with useless people?¡±


    Sal¡¯s eyes rolled almost into his head as he tried to see the blue-suited man behind him. Tallon merely smiled and unholstered his gun. The click of the safety rang loud in the silence.


    ¡°I can help you!¡± Sal yelped. ¡°I can, I promise I can, and then you¡¯ll never see me again.¡±


    I leaned a little more weight on my foot, and the breath gasped out of his chest.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re never going to see you again regardless of what you know.¡±


    He nodded.


    Alessandro stepped back into the room and waggled his phone at me. I pulled mine out and checked his text slowly, like I had nothing better in the world to do.


    Alessandro¡¯s text read, ¡®Address leads to a warehouse on the east side of town. Sent a team to look around the outside. Misha¡¯s toomon of a name to pull up anything specific yet.¡¯


    I turned back to Sal. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about Lorenz¡¯s warehouse. You¡¯ve got an address. What else?¡±


    He looked up and away, like he was trying to remember something. ¡°Decent description of the inside. I¡¯ve always had a good eye. It¡¯s not his usual ce. I think it¡¯s a squat, so security has to be pretty low-key.¡±


    I leaned a little more weight on his chest. ¡°Not good enough.¡±


    He wheezed. ¡°I didn¡¯t see cameras, but I¡¯d bet on them. Street light out at the front. The only ce you could put guards on a ce like that would be the exterior, like the roof and other buildings, to maintain cover. Helluva lock.¡±


    ¡°Better.¡± I lessened the weight a little. ¡°Where does Lorenz think you are right now?¡±


    ¡°Home!¡± he gasped. ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to check in until the morning. But your goons did frog-march me out my front door, so he might know something¡¯s up.¡±


    ¡°Goons?¡± I snarled. ¡°You don¡¯t get to talk like that here, not anymore. Apologize.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He scrambled to put his hands up on the floor. ¡°I¡¯ll fix this, all of this, I promise.¡±


    I stared down at him, so desperate, so scared. I believed, at least, that he was a low man on the totem pole. Hecked any spine. He might¡¯vecked anything but a self-protective instinct.


    I should¡¯ve known the second Olivia said her father left that we couldn¡¯t trust him as far as Elio could throw him. Any man who abandoned his kid just because things got a little difficult was not a man you could rely on.


    I nced at Alessandro and Tallon. Alessandro¡¯s eyes burned with a savage glee, but Tallon remained carefully disinterested despite the gun outstretched in front of him.


    ¡°Well?¡± I asked conversationally. ¡°Do you think we cut him loose, or buy a new rug tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you everything I know!¡± Sal protested.


    I leaned on his chest again, and he fell abruptly silent.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always hated this rug.¡± Alessandro grinned. ¡°May as well tie a string while we have it.¡±


    Tallon hummed thoughtfully. ¡°I say send him home. He¡¯s not smart enough to lie this well, and he¡¯s not dumb enough to double-cross us.¡±


    Sal wriggled under my boot, desperation painted on all his features. I wanted to kill him here and now. I wanted to get down on the rug and wring the life from his neck, watch his eyes grow cold and distant. I wanted to cut off his head and hand it from the front door as a warning to the next person who tried to win Olivia¡¯s heart and fuck us.


    But Tallon was right. If Lorenz expected him home, he needed to be home. And as furious as Olivia was right now, I couldn¡¯t help thinking she might someday regret letting her father die.


    ¡°How do you contact Lorenz?¡± I barked.


    Sal rattled off a number. ¡°And I have the burner I use, if you¡¯d let me get it out of my pocket.¡±


    I nodded at Alessandro. He stalked forward and pried the phone out of the man¡¯s pocket, a cheap, stic piece of shit I¡¯d seen him use more than once in my house.


    I pulled my foot off and kicked him onto his stomach before I could lose my grip on my convictions. We had to y this smart. I was tired of cleaning up the same messes, and I couldn¡¯t endanger Elio for petty revenge.


    ¡°Take him home. He has to y his part.¡± I plucked the phone out of Alessandro¡¯s hand.


    ¡°My part?¡± Sal asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to see if your spineless ass can pull off something simple with a lot of help,¡± I replied.


    Alessandro raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to reach out to Lorenz, set up a meet. Whenever that is, the three of you¨Cand whoever the hell else you need to get it done¨Care going to sneak in and take back my son.¡± I red at Sal. ¡°If you want to fix this, fucking fix it.¡±


    He nodded and grinned at me through the growing bruise on his cheek. ¡°You can count on me. I don¡¯t want him in Lorenz¡¯s hands any more than you do.


    I grimaced. ¡°Know this, Salvatore.¡± I crouched next to the man¡¯s head. ¡°If you fuck me on this, I¡¯m going to hunt you down personally. And there will not be a ce on this Earth you can hide where I won¡¯t find you.¡±


    I straightened. Tallon and Alessandro hauled Sal to his feet, though Alessandro frowned as he did so.


    ¡°I¡¯ll text you.¡±


    Tallon nodded, and both of them marched him out.


    I sat in the chair Olivia so recently upied and spun the burner in my hand. As much as I wanted to call Lorenz directly from it, to show him all his stupid tricks didn¡¯t impress me, there would be no point in returning Sal to his house if I did. I sighed, pulled my own phone out, and dialed the number.


    ¡°Well, well,¡± a low, Russian-ented voice purred. ¡°Giovani. I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve had the pleasure of speaking before.¡±


    It took all my willpower not to crush the phone in my hand. ¡°Cut the shit, Lorenz. This isn¡¯t a fucking movie.¡±


    He chuckled, sibnt and pleased. ¡°What do you want, then?¡±


    ¡°My fucking son,¡± I snarled.


    I had nned to lure him in, to seem at the end of my rope and like I had no choice but to turn to him and do whatever he wanted. All of that fell away in the face of his glib calm, his fuckingughter. This Russian shitstain had my son, and I needed him to know that wasn¡¯t the sort of slight he survived dealing me.


    ¡°A bit impatient, are we?¡± I could hear his smile across the line. ¡°Rest assured, I have ns in ce to restore him to you in due time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done with your fucking games.¡± I stood and began pacing around the living room. ¡°No lieutenants. No hoops. Just you and me. Let¡¯s settle this like men instead of cartoon fucking viins.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Dmitri always said you lost your cool when someone touched something you loved, but I didn¡¯t expect you to lose your business sense as well.¡±


    A low, furious sound tore out of my throat. I hate Sal for his spinelessness, his weakness, but I hated Lorenz at this moment for his strength. He¡¯d put me on the back foot. He held all the cards. I had nothing to bargain with, and he knew it.


    ¡°Alright, alright, if you¡¯re going to get your panties in a twist.¡± Lorenz hummed thoughtfully. ¡°How do you feel about two days from now?¡±


    I mmed my fist into the wall, cracking through the ster and sending up a shower of dust. ¡°Sooner.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m all booked up until then.¡± His smug condescension leaked through the phone, coating my ears and driving my rage to even higher heights. ¡°I can squeeze you in in the morning, if that helps?¡±


    I pulled my hand out of the walls. ster clung to the bloodied spots on my knuckles. It ached dully, and I anchored myself to the pain.


    Through gritted teeth, I spit, ¡°That sounds great.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± he chirped with so much indifferent pleasure that I almost punched the wall again. ¡°I¡¯m so d we coulde to this agreement.¡±


    He recited an address, the same one Sal had given us earlier.


    I exhaled slowly. Sal might be a worm, but he was a worm on our side for the time being. Tallon and Alessandro would get what he knew of the floorn on the way to his house, and we would be as ready as we could be.


    ¡°Oh, and Giovani?¡± Lorenz said.


    ¡°What?¡± I ground out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell you toe alone, do I? Because I¡¯m afraid any outside interference will result in some rather... unfortunate things happening to your son.¡± He hummed. ¡°I might even regret it if you forced my hand. He¡¯s rather cute, your little heir.¡±


    Distantly, across the phone line, I heard the distinctive sound of Elio fussing like he always did right before he woke up. It was as though an arrow pierced my heart. All my rage fell away, instantly consumed by a father¡¯s panic.


    He had my son there with him. He could do anything he wanted, and I couldn¡¯t stop him. I wasn¡¯t just a mob boss avenging a hit. I was saving my son¡¯s life.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said quickly. ¡°No outside eyes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in a few days, Giovani,¡± Lorenz said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of him until then.¡±


    The line went dead before I could respond.


    My fingers flew automatically, updating Alessandro, Tallon, and Gabriele. I canceled the team Alessandro sent to the location.


    Then, I sat back and stared nkly around the living room... the hole in the wall, the table scattered out of ce, the blood and pasta sauce on the carpet.


    I couldn¡¯t fix that tonight. I couldn¡¯t fix anything tonight. But I owed Olivia an update.


    I had to take care of my wife in all the ways I couldn¡¯t take care of my son right now.

 Chapter 490 : An Impossible Choice

    <h4>Chapter 490: Chapter 490 : An Impossible Choice</h4>


    *Olivia*


    ¡°Maybe you should slow down a bit,¡± Dahlia remarked timidly.


    She stared at me with tant worry on her face, watching as I paced back and forth on the patio with a bottle of some kind of alcohol in my hand.


    ¡°Fuck that,¡± I cursed, shutting my eyes tightly as I guzzled down whatever was in the bottle. Bourbon? Whiskey? Hell if I knew.


    It had taken all of five seconds after leaving the sorry excuse of a sperm donor that was father to the hands of Gio before I decided I could not spend the rest of this night sober. Gio had severely cut back on his alcohol collection for the sake of our son, but that didn¡¯t mean hepletely got rid of it.


    Our son....


    I swallowed the bitter liquid, letting it run down my parched throat, and hit the empty well that was my stomach. I hadn¡¯t eaten all day, not since dinnerst night, and though I knew it was a bad idea to drink this much on an empty stomach, I couldn¡¯t give a damn right now.


    I mmed the bottle in front of Dahlia, taking the seat beside her and slumping at the table.


    ¡°Fucking hell, that tastes awful,¡± I wiped the corner of my mouth, grimacing at the aftertaste still lingering in my mouth.


    Dahlia took a swig, almost immediately going to spit it out but she managed to hold on to the mouthful she took, swallowing it down with a re at the bottle. ¡°How the fuck does Gio even stomach this shit?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± I shrugged, grabbing the bottle from her and taking another shot of the nasty-tasting alcohol. Whether it tasted bad or not, it would numb my mind, and that was all it needed to do.


    I slid the bottle back to Dahlia but she just shook her head, shuddering at the sheer thought of taking another drink.


    ¡°All yours. I¡¯ll just try one of these instead,¡± She grabbed the nearest bottle, popping it open masterfully. I shrugged, guzzling down another gulp.


    I was halfway through the bottle by the time the screen door slid open and Gio stepped out onto the patio. There was a serious look in his eyes, a dark one like someone who had to deliver the news that a man who became cancer-free was now dying from a different kind of cancer.


    ¡°What did you find out?¡± I asked, not liking the look on his face one bit.


    He nced at the bottles around us, a look of disapproval in his eyes as he noted the half-empty bottle in my hand and the one Dahlia was currently nursing. We probably looked likeplete messes¨Ca result of having gotten no sleep and no food and having cried practically all night.


    But considering the circumstances, Gio smartly didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°Did you find out where Elio is?¡± Dahlia asked, looking up at him hopefully.


    He sighed, running a hand through his hair and pushing it away from his face. There were bags under his eyes, a pale look to his skin, and lines around his eyebrows from too much frowning. He looked just as bad as I did.


    ¡°We know Lorenz has Elio,¡± Gio said grimly, ¡°and he¡¯s not willing to give him up without getting what he wants in return.¡±


    ¡°Which is what? Money?¡± I demanded, crossing my arms. ¡°Is that his excuse? Kidnapping a one-year-old for cash? Is he that much of a greedy bastard that he¡¯d harm our son just for this?¡±


    ¡°It would be a lot simpler if he just wanted money, carina.¡± Gio grimaced, avoiding my eyes as he stared into the garden with a distant look. ¡°Unfortunately, he¡¯s smarter than that.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be fucking serious,¡± Dahlia growled, whirling on Gio with an incredulous look. ¡°You can¡¯t be thinking of¡ª¡±


    ¡°What choice do I have, Dahlia?¡± Gio shot back angrily. ¡°Elio is probably terrified, surrounded by men he doesn¡¯t know who only want to hurt him! I¡¯m not going to leave him there for any longer than necessary.¡±


    ¡°Back up¡± I cut in, giving them both stern looks. ¡°What are you two talking about? What does Lorenz want?¡±


    Dahlia huffed, turning away with a sour look as she took arge drink from the bottle. Gio sighed, finally looking me dead in the eyes. I had a sneaking suspicion of what he was going to say next, but I begged for anything else toe out of his lips and not what I was thinking.


    ¡°He wants me.¡±


    I shut my eyes tightly, gripping my wrist in one hand. I should¡¯ve known. Things couldn¡¯t ever be simple, could they? It seemed like the whole world had it out for my family, to make sure none of us were ever happy.


    Was this the price?


    To get my son back, would I really have to sacrifice my husband?


    ¡°No,¡± I snapped, tears flooding the corner of my eyes. I bit down on my bottom lip, unable to say anymore without bursting into another round of sobs. I was so exhausted, too tired to continue my life like this.


    The peaceful life I wanted was nothing more than an unattainable dream.


    ¡°Carina,¡± I heard Gio whisper, heading straight for me.


    I saw the edge of his shoes, the nice Italian ones he liked, but my eyestched onto the tiny spots of red on top of them. Who it belonged to, I didn¡¯t know, but I had a pretty good guess.


    Like a ss bridge over a cliff, the fragile cracks finally broke through.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I sobbed, hiding my face in my hands. ¡°I can¡¯t lose you too! I want my son but I don¡¯t want to lose you to get him back! I just want him here, home! There has to be another way.¡±


    Silence answered me and I sobbed even harder, knowing how utterly selfish I sounded, but when it came to the safety of my husband and my son, I would bear that badge with pride. I wanted us to be together, to be happy and safe and not have to worry about all this bullshit of mafias and death and war and terror.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two alone to talk,¡± I heard Dahlia remark quietly.


    I vaguely registered the sound of her shoes on the ground and the screen door shutting behind her. Gio heaved a sigh, sounding as exhausted as I felt. He knelt on one knee before me.


    ¡°Carina,¡± he called out, that sweet lift in his voice he always had. He gently pried my hand from my face, giving me a sad smile as he cupped my teary face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving up just yet, carina,¡± he told me. ¡°Salvatore is going to try to get him back. Tallon and Alessandro are going with him to make sure he won¡¯t betray us a second time. We¡¯re going to get Elio back no matter what, and if all else fails¨C¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I shook my head, reaching out for his shirt and clutching it in my fists. ¡°I won¡¯t lose you! Not like this.¡±


    His arms brushed against my shoulders, pulling me into his chest, and our foreheads collided gently. Gio¡¯s dark eyes stared into mine, the depth of his love for me breaking through all of the stress and misery I¡¯d been feeling. I took a deep shuddering breath, focusing on him as he used his thumb to rub along the inside of my wrist.


    ¡°If all goes to n, you won¡¯t,¡± Gio told me softly. ¡°But I love you and I love our son more than my own life. I would give up my own life to make sure the two of you are safe, Olivia. There is no hesitation in my mind.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡± I protested.


    He shushed me, giving me a wry smile as he used his thumb to brush away my stray tears.


    ¡°But I will do everything in my power to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen. If all goes well, Elio will be back in your arms tomorrow night and we can forget this nightmare. We¡¯ll all be safe and together.¡±


    ¡°And if it doesn¡¯t?¡± I stared deep into his eyes, but we both already knew the answer. Gio just smiled, sad but loving as he gently brought my wrist to his lips andid a tender kiss.


    He didn¡¯t say anything more, but he didn¡¯t need to. I already knew everything he wanted to say.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to meet Lorenz in two days,¡± Gio informed me quietly. ¡°That¡¯s when he won¡¯t be there. Salvatore will lead Tallon and Alessandro to their base, and they will find Elio and bring him back safely.¡±


    I shut my eyes tightly, breathing in the presence of my husband. His hands were freezing against mine when normally he ran warm. I could feel his fluctuating emotions in tune with mine like they were my own.


    For a brief moment, I wished everything could go back to Elio¡¯s birthday, to when Salvatore first showed up on my doorstep, iming to be my father. If I had known then what I knew now, would I have made a different choice?


    Would I have thrown him out of the gates, telling me to nevere back? Would I have never let him in, to never give him the chance to rip my family apart?


    Or maybe this all went much farther back than this, back to when I was a little girl, reading fairytales and dreaming of my fathering back on the back of a white horse.


    Real life didn¡¯t have such neat endings, packaged with a perfect bow. Happy endings were for storybooks. But I didn¡¯t get a white horse or a knight in shining armor.


    All I got was disappointment and more scars than I could count.


    I don¡¯t know what I would¡¯ve told that little girl if I could go back in time, or what I would tell myself a year ago before I let Salvatore into our lives. The only thing I knew was that if we had another option, I would never let Salvatore anywhere near my Elio.


    I could never trust him, not after all he¡¯d done.


    But right now, he was the only one who stood a chance at getting my son back, at least not without sacrificing my husband like a pawn on a chessboard. It was still hard to believe what my life hade to.


    An impossible choice meets with an unthinkable decision.


    There was no good answer here, just like it had been since the first moment I touched down on Italian soil. It was always one chaos after another, one crisis leading to another string of bad decisions.


    Iid my head on my husband¡¯s shoulders, feeling my heart cracking like porcin as I struggled to hold myself together.


    Was this ever going to stop?

 Chapter 491 : In My Arms

    <h4>Chapter 491: Chapter 491 : In My Arms</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I stared nkly at the kitchen wall, rotating my wrist constantly as I stirred the frying pan I¡¯d ced on the stove. I didn¡¯t even remember what I had thrown in there, much less whether it was done or not.


    Dazed, I was on the verge of dissociating as I waited for the food to cook. Half my mind knew that Maria always made breakfast, and the other half was certain I had to do this myself. In the middle were a bunch of thoughts my exhausted mind couldn¡¯t even piece together.


    The sunshine pouring through the window was mocking me, warning me howte it had gotten in the day. Elio was hungry, I was sure of it. I blinked, slowly, like I was trying to swim through msses. Everything around me was running at different speeds, faster and slower than I¡¯d like.


    I swayed back and forth, humming one of the catchy tunes from Elio¡¯s toy. I didn¡¯t know why but it kept ying on repeat in my head, singing over and over like one of those repetitive tunes on the radio.


    I blinked to keep myself awake, struggling to keep my bnce as I swayed dangerously into the stove. Luckily, the heat wasn¡¯t that hot and I didn¡¯t feel even the slightest bit of warmth.


    ¡°Uh, Olive?¡±


    I jolted, dropping the utensil in my hand. It rattled along the pan and I spat out, ¡°Fiddlesticks,¡± as I stared at the wooden spoon in disappointment. What was I going to stir breakfast with now?


    ¡°You made me drop my spoon,¡± I pouted, ncing over my shoulder at Dahlia. ¡°How am I going to finish breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Dahlia asked, concerned, approaching me and leaning over my shoulder. She stared down at the pan of breakfast with an odd look on her face and then nced at me, worriedly. ¡°Did you even sleep?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t remember. Why?¡± I yawned, reaching for the spoon. My palm hit something soft, cold, and gooey and I grimaced, ncing down to see what it was.


    Oh, I¡¯d put my hand on the frying pan.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to cook an unbroken egg... and is that one of Elio¡¯s slime toys?¡± Dahlia raised an eyebrow, giving me a weird look. ¡°Plus, the stove¡¯s not even on, Olive.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, ncing down at the supposed breakfast.


    Sure enough, inside of the frying pan was an unbroken egg just sitting there and gooey green slime covering my hand. With my palm side to the bottom of the pan, if it had been on, I¡¯d be suffering from third-degree burns.


    ¡°Sit down before you hurt yourself,¡± Dahlia sighed, shaking her head.


    She grabbed the frying pan, plucking my hand out and pulling it from the stove. She put the egg back into the fridge and threw away the slime.


    ¡°But Elio¡¯s hungry,¡± I said, watching her dazedly. ¡°I¡¯ve got to make breakfast for him. He¡¯s probably crying right now¨C¡±


    Before Dahlia could catch me, I raced out of the kitchen and to my suite. I hummed softly that stupid song, hearing it echo down the hallway as I approached Elio¡¯s room. I opened up the door, smiling brightly as I approached his crib.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I called out in a sing-song voice, ncing down at the crib.


    My smile fell.


    It was still empty.


    ¡°Olive,¡± I heard Dahlia call gently from behind me. ¡°You know he¡¯s not there.¡±


    I did know.


    But I kept forgetting. Or maybe I just wanted to forget, hoping that every time I came back to check, he¡¯d magically be there, back where I could hold him and keep him safe... back when he¡¯d y with his toy that had the song that drove me nuts.


    God, I would give anything to hear his littleugh again, to hear him giggling at what sound the cow or cat made. ¡®Meow,¡¯ he¡¯d say, waddling around on his little legs, pointing at every little thing as he cried it over and over again.


    Suddenly that song in my head was unbearable, and I stared emptily down at my son¡¯s crib, wanting nothing more than to burn it into pieces, to destroy every part of it until I didn¡¯t have to look at it anymore.


    Until it wasn¡¯t empty.


    ¡°Come on, Olive.¡± Dahlia wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me away from the crib.


    I kept my head down, leaning my weight on Dahlia as she directed me out of the room. By the time my consciousness came back from wherever it had gone, Dahlia was already sitting me on the couch in the living room.


    ¡°Dolly,¡± I whimpered, ncing at my best friend as she took the seat beside me, making sure to keep me close unless I took off to Elio¡¯s room and actually made good on my threats.


    But I needed the crib intact, for when Elio came back.


    ¡°Anyone know why there¡¯s a frying pan coated in slime on the counter?¡± I heard a distant shout from the kitchen. ¡°Dahlia?¡±


    Dahlia rolled her eyes as Giovani appeared in the doorway with a perplexed look on his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t me me. It was your wife,¡± she said, sassily, crossing her arms.


    Being unfairly used of such nonsense would probably do that to anyone normal, but right now, I was toopletely out of it to be normal.


    ¡°Elio¡¯s hungry,¡± I whimpered, ncing at my husband with wide, sad eyes.


    He softened, letting the hurt and fear in his eyes show for a moment as he approached me.


    ¡°I know, carina,¡± he told me softly. ¡°But we¡¯ll get him back today. I¡¯m going to go out with Gabriele to trail Lorenz if we can. And once we confirm that he¡¯s not in the building, Salvatore will lead Tallon and Alessandro to Elio. He¡¯ll be back before you know it, and then you can feed him something more nutritious than slime, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I muttered, softly.


    He leaned over to press a kiss on the top of my head. ¡°I¡¯ll call you as soon as they find him or if something unexpected happens.¡±


    I nodded. All I could do at this point as I watched Gio get to his feet to leave. He turned back at thest moment, giving me a worried look and I saw the tip of his fingers twitch like he wanted to reach out and never let go.


    But his duty won out and he vanished down the hallway. Soon enough, I heard the door m shut, leaving me all alone in the living room.


    Time passed by slowly. Dahlia tried her best to cheer me up in whatever way she could, taking my mind off the situation with her bad soap operas, even showing me random videos she found on the inte with the hope that it might make meugh, but nothing worked.


    She tried to get me to eat, even getting Maria on my case, but neither of them pushed the issue when I refused. I didn¡¯t mean to be difficult. I just couldn¡¯t stomach anything at the moment.


    It felt like my whole body was a ball of rubber bands, and eachyer was another horrible feelingced on top of one another¨Cterror of what would be of my family, grief over the betrayal of someone I thought I could trust, despair over what we¡¯ve already gone through and what Elio could possibly be going through now, and guilt over losing my son under my own watch.


    The deeper I went, the worse it got.


    Curled up on the couch, we waited for any sign of news until finally, my phone began to ring. I was the first to react, hitting my knee across the coffee table as I lunged for it.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I answered anxiously. ¡°Gio?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Gio said, sounding winded. There was a grim note to his tone like he had bad news to deliver.


    My heart sank.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Elio? Is he hurt? Where are you? What¡¯s going on?¡± The questions flew out of my mouth at a rapid speed.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine and Elio¡¯s fine.¡± Gio cut through my rambling, straight to the point as always. ¡°We got him, Olivia. He¡¯s here with me and he¡¯s unharmed. We¡¯re both safe, carina.¡±


    I could hear the sound of babbling, sobs, and teary sniffles that I could recognize as easily as my own heartbeat¨CElio.


    ¡°Oh thank god.¡± I copsed onto the floor on my knees, my heart beating a thousand times per minute as the sheer relief filled me like an overinted balloon. Tears burst down my face and despite hearing that they were safe, all I wanted was my son back home with me and in my arms.


    ¡°Olivia.¡± Gio hesitated, and I heard the sound of whisperinging through, probably Tallon or Alessandro. My husband sighed, and I knew something had gone wrong.


    ¡°What happened? Who¡¯s hurt?¡± I demanded, trying to remain strong despite the overwhelming stress building up deep in my bones. I felt like I¡¯d aged ten years in just these past two days.


    ¡°It¡¯s your father,¡± Gio told me bluntly, with an apologetic tone. ¡°He was shot, and there wasn¡¯t enough time and everything happened so fast. I had to get Elio out of there. We had to leave him there.¡±


    I opened my lips to reply but nothing came out.


    I didn¡¯t know how to feel. Should I be sad? Worried? Angry? I wasn¡¯t any of those things at the moment. Perhaps, it just hadn¡¯t sunk in yet, or maybe, my heart had been too burned to care. Maybe I was cruel. But then, hadn¡¯t my father hurt me first? Wasn¡¯t he just getting what he deserved? My head ached thinking about it so I didn¡¯t.


    But I needed to focus on my baby.


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way now. We¡¯re almost there,¡± Gio said. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too,¡± I murmured distantly, and the call ended.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Dahlia asked worriedly, seeing the tense look on my face.


    ¡°Elio¡¯s fine. He¡¯s safe and they got him out, but my father... Salvatore, he got hurt and they had to leave him behind,¡± I said so distantly that even I could hear the disconnect in my voice. ¡°They¡¯re almost here.¡±


    ¡°Olive... I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Dahlia reached for me, intending tofort me, but I shrugged it off.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I told her bluntly, then headed for the front door. All I wanted was my family¨Cmy husband and my son. Everything else could be dealt withter.


    My heart raced as I heard the lock turning and finally, I spotted a mess of curly hair tucked within the arms of Gio. He gave me a tired smile and silent tears ran down my face.


    ¡°He¡¯s still a little out of it. They drugged him,¡± Gio warned me but I didn¡¯t care.


    I ran to them, immediately pulling my baby from Gio¡¯s arms and into mine.


    ¡°Elio!¡± I cried, and his little head lifted up as I clutched him tightly to my chest.


    I sobbed his name over and over, grabbing every part of his body I could feasibly reach, checking for any kind of wounds.


    His clothes were dirty and dusty, his face smudged with some kind of dark substance, and he looked just as dazed as I had been earlier, but he was safe. He was okay and he was here.


    In my arms.


    I kissed his face over and over, relishing having him with me once more. ¡°I¡¯ll never leave you alone again, ever,¡± I promised him, repeating it over and over.


    ¡°Mama?¡± His voice was weak, blinking softly like he was half-asleep, but the moment I smiled tearfully at him, he let out the loudest wail I had ever heard from him. He screamed ¡°Mama!¡± and buried himself in my arms until he was just a mop of curls.


    I cried with him.


    Gio enfolded us into his arms, all three of us absolutely tired. Dahlia took the moment to ruffle his hair, speaking to him softly, but Elio refused to look at anyone, just clutched onto me like I was the only thing in the world.


    His whole body trembled as he stubbornly pressed his face into the crook of my neck. I was quite the same. Dahlia understood, softly telling him she¡¯d see him in the morning before Gio directed us back to our suite.


    We bypassed Elio¡¯s room, not even considering the thought as we headed straight into our room. Exhausted, I sat on the bed as Gio shut the door, locking it tightly like he never had before. Even the curtains were pulled over the window after making sure they were firmly locked.


    It was only once the three of us were securely inside our room that I finally began to rx. It took some difficulty and a lot of convincing, but we managed to get Elio to let go of my neck long enough to get him a bath.


    I washed him up, horrified to discover a few bruises on his legs and arms.


    They weren¡¯t anything major but enough to send my anger returning. When at least all three of us were clean and in new clothes, we all copsed into the bed, Elio tucked safely between us.


    He refused to let go of me, strands of my hair in one hand and my shirt clutched into the other, but finally, he began to fall asleep.


    Finally, all three of us were together.

 Chapter 492 : No More Trades

    <h4>Chapter 492: Chapter 492 : No More Trades</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I couldn¡¯t exin the unrest I felt, even as I held my wife and son in my arms, or the way the chill of the autumn air permeated so deeply down to the bone tonight. Maybe it still hadn¡¯t sunk in that this wasn¡¯t a dream.


    The nightmare was finally over.


    I gently threaded my fingers through the beautiful hair of my wife, pressing a lock to my lips as I breathed in the scent of her. She was sweet as always, a note of sugar in a world full of bitterness.


    Normally, by now, I would¡¯ve been soothed to sleep by her peaceful breaths as she dreamed away in my arms or by the feel of her soft, warm skin underneath my fingertips. Even just having Elio between us, safe as he gently snored on his tummy, curled into his mother¡¯s arms like he would never let her go again.


    I watched the sleeping faces of my family a little longer, my eyes unwilling to close as I kept watch over them through the night.


    Olivia and Elio... they weren¡¯t perfect beings. Elio slept with his mouth open, drooling all over my pillow and arm. Olivia had stolen most of the nkets, leaving me to shiver with only the fragment she hadn¡¯t stolen.


    But despite these things that would annoy anyone else, they were only endearing to me. Olivia and Elio were more precious to me than anything else in this world, and now that they were here where they belonged, things were finally feeling okay again.


    Of course, in the morning, it would be different. The world always looked different with the sun¡¯s rays upon it. I would have to pry them apart to get anything done, to face the next step before Lorenz and his gang had the time to retaliate once more.


    Getting Elio back was only the first step. There was always going to be more until I finally dealt with those Russian bastards.


    Like a gue that just kepting back year after year, it seemed like there was no end to the madness. I can¡¯t even remember how many times I had sworn that no one else would die, but that promise had been broken over and over.


    They were nothing but empty words now.


    Regret was a funny feeling. Despite everyone that I lost, all the lives I swore to protect that I couldn¡¯t, my mind only went back to one.


    It was Sal lying on the floor, blood pooling underneath him. There had been too much chaos¨Crms ring and Elio screaming¨Cbut I could still remember the way his eyes looked into mine, the deep brown that was identical to Olivia¡¯s and that resigned look he had when we turned to leave without him.


    If he had been another man, we would¡¯ve done everything in our power to get him out, but I couldn¡¯t, not after everything he had done.


    He¡¯d fallen behind, so why did it still leave a bitter taste in my mouth? Why did it itch in my chest like when I knew I¡¯d left something unfinished? He was dead by now.


    Wasn¡¯t he?


    The thought settled into doubt that weighed heavily like a stone on my chest. Before I could think about it any further, however, the familiar buzz of my phone rattling on the nightstand caught my attention.


    I gently pulled my arm out from under where Olivia and Elio were lying on it, and luckily they stayed asleep. I wiped the drool from my forearm, carefully sitting up in bed. I slid the bit of nket I had left over Elio, tucking him in.


    Olivia took a shuddering breath, stirring slightly, and I halted all my movements. I red at the phone on the nightstand as it rang, hoping she wouldn¡¯t wake. She needed sleep. Luckily, she only shifted positions,ying on her back and holding Elio with one arm.


    Her breath evened out and I knew she was fast asleep again. I sighed in relief, getting to my feet and grabbing my phone as I went. The floorboards creaked under my bare feet, and I ignored the slight chill across my bare legs as I carefully unlocked the door and slid out.


    Once I was alone, I nced at my phone with a frown. It was an unknown number, left nk with simply the words ¡®Call from Italy¡¯ under the number.


    That bad feeling I¡¯d had all night tripled.


    I answered the phone with a rough, ¡°Hello?¡± I already knew I wouldn¡¯t like who was going to be calling on the other end.


    There was a deep ragged breath on the other end and a weak, ¡°please.¡±


    I stiffened, recognizing the voice immediately.


    Salvatore.


    ¡°You hear that, Giovani?¡± a new taunting voice called out, dark and chuckling like he was enjoying himself. I could hear the underlining anger though in every word he bit out. ¡°That¡¯s your father-inw begging for help.¡±


    ¡°What do you want, Lorenz?¡± I asked with a bored drawl, trying not to flinch as I heard a squelch and Sal¡¯s muffled screams in the background. I could only imagine what they were doing to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m angry, Giovani,¡± Lorenz spat out. ¡°Do you know why?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re jealous I killed your boss and not you?¡± I taunted him, boldly.


    ¡°No!¡± he screeched and I winced, moving the phone from my ear.


    Maybe I had provoked him a little too far there, but it was nothing he and his dead boss didn¡¯t deserve. I should¡¯ve killed him that night and buried him with Dmitri, burned them both together.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t toote to do at least half of that.


    ¡°I¡¯m angry because you ruined my revenge, you filthy Dago,¡± Lorenz growled, cursing in Russian before he continued with, ¡°You broke into my base and killed my men.¡±


    ¡°Did I?¡± I shot back, sarcastically. ¡°My bad. But you know how it is with us mafiasos types... eye for an eye and all that, you know.¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up,¡± Lorenz snapped, finally losing allposure. ¡°Salvatore isn¡¯t dead yet, but he will be soon if you don¡¯t do exactly what I tell you. Come to the pier and we will exchange your life for his. If not, I swear to god I will make him suffer before he¨C¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡± I interrupted with a mockingugh. ¡°Go ahead and do it. Why should I care what happens to him? That bastard almost cost me my family. I don¡¯t care what happens to him from here on out. Keep him. Kill him. It¡¯s got nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Lorenz hissed. ¡°You think I¡¯d really believe that? I know what he is to your little bitch. I bet you¡¯d care when I put a fucking bullet in his skull right in front of her.¡±


    I clenched my fists by my side, barely keeping a stranglehold on my cool. I could hear my patience snapping, imagining Olivia¡¯s horror if he did what he said he would. No matter what she said, she was too kind to want him dead.


    And watching him die would destroy her.


    But I couldn¡¯t let Lorenz know that.


    ¡°You¡¯re wasting your time,¡± I said, emotionlessly. ¡°You have no hold on me or my family, so go rot in hell for all I care.¡±


    ¡°You will regret this!¡± Lorenz swore hatefully.


    ¡°I doubt that.¡±


    The phone line went dead and I let out the breath I had been holding. It used to be easier to hide my emotions, but now that I had something to lose....


    Despite all my bravado, I knew Lorenz could make good on his threats, could make sure we see Sal¡¯s body. And no matter how much I hated the man, how much he disgusted me as a father and a husband, I still didn¡¯t wish him dead.


    At least, not when Olivia would know.


    I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck as I pondered what to do. Ultimately though, this wasn¡¯t a decision I could make on my own, not when more than my life was at stake here. I grabbed my phone, dialing the one person I knew I could always count on in a crisis.


    ¡°What?¡± Gabriele answered, sounding groggy and very annoyed. ¡°This better be good.¡±


    ¡°I got a call from Lorenz,¡± I told him bluntly, not wanting to beat around the bush for a matter this important. ¡°Salvatore¡¯s still alive.¡±


    ¡°How the fuck did he get your number?¡± Gabriele groaned. ¡°I thought we had it secured?¡±


    ¡°Is that really the biggest concern right now?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Salvatore¡¯s alive.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Gabriele prompted, unconcerned. ¡°He¡¯s a traitor. Why would you care what happens to him? He kidnapped your son.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± I snapped at the reminder, then I sighed. I also wondered why on earth I would care so much about a person who tried to have me killed, but Olivia... her eyes staring back from his face as we left him there, the devastation that remained there once she found out that her father hadn¡¯te back for her, that he¡¯d abandoned her once again.


    No matter how much he tried to hide it, I knew her too well.


    And despite everything he¡¯s done, she would care if he died. She would care and be hurt, and I couldn¡¯t let that happen. Even if she no longer wanted him in her life, she needed to see he was safe and unharmed. He was her father, after all, her blood.


    At the very least, we had to try to give her some closure.


    ¡°Is it possible to get him back alive?¡± I asked somberly.


    ¡°Are you fucking serious?¡± Gabriele groaned. ¡°The only way Lorenz is going to give him up is if he gets you in exchange! Are you really going to trade yourself for that bastard? Alessandro was one thing but that man¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I cut him off firmly. ¡°I won¡¯t trade myself for him. No more trades, Gabriele. We have to find another way.¡±


    There was a long pause of silence on the other end before I heard him give a deep sigh.


    ¡°At least you have some kernel of sense left in that brain of yours,¡± Gabriele remarked, a hint of relief in his voice. ¡°Their guard is going to be doubled afterst time and we won¡¯t have the same opening as before, especially since we won¡¯t have an insider to lead us in. It¡¯d practically be suicide to break in now.¡±


    ¡°Our specialty,¡± I smirked.


    Gabrieleughed, ¡°Yeah, yeah. I swear once this is all over I¡¯m going to take two months of vacation off... all expenses paid.¡±


    ¡°You help me pull this off, Gabe,¡± I told him with a grin, ¡°then I¡¯ll give you double your sry and free use of my bar tab.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±

 Chapter 493 : Family Breakfast

    <h4>Chapter 493: Chapter 493 : Family Breakfast</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I was strolling down the streets of Naples, Elio strapped to my chest and Gio at my side. In unison, both of my boys grinned at me. Then, a horde of ck-shrouded figures swarmed us. I spun around a few times, and when they disappeared, I stood alone in the Italian street. I fell to my knees as a scream tore out of my throat. I¡¯d lost everything. Again.


    ***


    I shot bolt upright in bed. In bed. I sat in my bedroom, thete morning sunlight streaming in through the windows.


    ¡°Mama?¡± a small voice asked.


    All the air exploded out of my chest in a single sigh of relief, and I pounced on my son. He snuggled into my chest, warm and sleepy, and wound a sticky hand into my hair. I happily let him do it. I always would. I couldn¡¯t refuse him another thing.


    Tears gathered in my eyes. We¡¯d almost lost him. I never wanted to feel fear or pain like that again.


    He squirmed, and Iid him back down in the bed. Gio slept peacefully on the other side of him. I ran a finger down his arm. He, too, was warm and safe in bed.


    Iid down next to Elio, close enough that I could watch his little chest rise and fall. We¡¯d almost lost him, but we hadn¡¯t. He was back, safe and sound, like I intended to keep him for the rest of his life. If I had my way, I¡¯d never let him out of my sight again.


    He babbled and rolled onto his stomach, gumming at the pillowcase. I stroked his back. At the very least, I wouldn¡¯t let him out of my sight today. Even the thought called enough tears to my eyes that one overflowed and rolled slowly down my cheek.


    Gio stirred, then rolled onto his side and opened his eyes. His sleepy haze immediately melted away as he took in my expression.


    He leaned up on one elbow and wiped the tear off my cheek.


    ¡°Nothing to cry about, carina,¡± he murmured. ¡°He¡¯s back, and he¡¯s back for good.¡±


    I smiled at him and turned to stare at our son, still in the pajamas I¡¯d put him in the night he got taken. I swallowed and nodded.


    ¡°For good,¡± I repeated. ¡°Thank you for¡ª¡±


    He pressed a finger to my lips. ¡°No thanks. I will always do anything for him.¡±


    I kissed his finger. ¡°No thanks, but what about breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Begfiss?¡± Elio pulled the pillowcase out of his mouth to ask.


    Iughed, the sound still wet with unshed tears. ¡°Breakfast, my little man, the most important meal of the day.¡±


    He pped, but the gesture made him fall on his face. I scooped him up before he could be upset and hopped out of bed.


    ¡°Come on, Papa,¡± I trilled. ¡°I can smell the bacon from here.¡±


    Gioughed. ¡°That¡¯s a lie, and you know it.¡±


    I sniffed dramatically, smelling nothing but the scent of our room. ¡°No, I really can.¡±


    Elio raised his chin like me, but he puffed air out through his mouth.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± I spun him around the room, ovee with the utter delight of holding my brilliant, beautiful son in my arms again.


    Gio caught me mid-spin, having stood while I wasn¡¯t looking. I stared up into his eyes, deep with leagues of love and passion.


    ¡°I believe you both.¡± He smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    Gio and I both still wore yesterday¡¯s clothes, but we could all change after a little food. I pressed a kiss to his lips, grabbed his hand, and headed for the dining room.


    I did not think about how we were walking in the exact same arrangement as my nightmare, either.


    We waltzed into the dining room to find Dahlia sitting in front of a massive breakfast that did, in fact, include bacon. She grinned at us.


    ¡°I figured you¡¯d be up a littleter, so I tried to have this ready for you.¡±


    At the end of the table, a special ce was set. Elio¡¯s high chair had his favorite cup, te, and grippy toddler spoon, as well as a massive te of strawberries. Tears filled my eyes again, and Dahlia swept down the length of the table to wrap me in a massive hug.


    ¡°Thank you, Dolly,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Anything for you, Olivia,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Dally!¡± chirped Elio in my arms.


    We broke apartughing. She cupped his face delicately, wonderingly.


    ¡°You guys got him to yourselves all night,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I arranged this nice breakfast for you to have as a family, but if I don¡¯t get to spend at least three hours with him today, I¡¯m going to burst into tears.¡±


    Gioughed.


    ¡°Done,¡± I replied. ¡°But you have to share. I¡¯m not going anywhere I can¡¯t see him.¡±


    She put her hands up. ¡°Fair deal.¡±


    With that, she walked out of the room. I got Elio settled in his high chair, and Gio and I took the seats on either side. Before we¡¯d even sat, Elio was already face-first in the strawberries. Dahlia had cut them up and removed the stems, which was good, because he just started shoving handfuls into his mouth andughing. Strawberry sprayed everywhere, including over the pile of waffles Gio had been reaching for.


    ¡°You know,¡± he said. ¡°I think I might actually be in a pancakes mood.¡±


    Iughed with Elio at him. The sun shone brightly through the windows, and all my problems seemed far away.


    Partway through breakfast, Gio wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked at me seriously. ¡°Lorenz calledst night.¡±


    I choked on the bite of eggs in my mouth. Elio pped while I coughed, thrilled with the energetic disy.


    ¡°What do you mean Lorenz called?¡± I asked as soon as I was able. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡±


    He ran his finger along the edge of his ss. ¡°I thought you deserved a bit of rest. I was going to tell you when we woke up this morning, but then Dahlia arranged this wonderful breakfast and I just¨C¡± He smiled a little sadly. ¡°I liked seeing you happy again.¡±


    A little of the panic and betrayal eased. Of course, Gio only wanted me safe and happy.


    ¡°What the¨C¡± I nced at Elio. ¡°um, H-E-double-hockey-sticks did he have to say?¡±


    Gio chuckled. Then, his demeanor grew serious again. ¡°Apparently, Salvatore survived the night. Lorenz has him.¡±


    I inhaled slowly. My father survived. Somewhere in this city, he drew breath.


    That made me almost as nervous as knowing Lorenz could still reach us.


    ¡°Was it just a courtesy call?¡± I asked, lifting my ss of orange juice to cover whatever expressions my face might be making.


    Gio pursed his lips. ¡°Not exactly. He wanted to know if I¡¯d trade myself for him.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I mmed my ss back down on the table, sloshing a little juice over the side. My heart pounded in my ears. I didn¡¯t want Sal running around loose in the world, but turning Gio over to the bad guys certainly didn¡¯t solve that problem.


    He was clearly their final target. They would just kill him.


    Elio reached forward, grabbing for the puddle and smearing strawberries all over his pajamas as well as his face. I wiped it up automatically and began nning to bathe and change him as soon as possible.


    Gio smiled. ¡°That is what I said. I have no intention of putting myself in Lorenz¡¯s hands for anyone less valuable to me than you or Elio.¡±


    He pinched our sticky son¡¯s cheek, then winced and wiped his hand off.


    I rxed a little more. They still needed to find a way to stop Lorenz forever, but the call didn¡¯t mean anything specific, just another attempt to y with my husband. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to¡ª


    ¡°But I was thinking of mounting a rescue.¡±


    My mouth fell open. ¡°Rescue? For Sal?¡±


    He studied my face closely but nodded. ¡°Apparently, he¡¯s not in great condition, and Lorenz said something about me regretting the decision. I figured I¡¯d get him out before the Russians could do anything worse to him.¡±


    I was shaking my head before Gio even finished his sentence. ¡°Are you really falling for that? Lorenz has to say you¡¯ll regret it when you don¡¯t do what he wants. That¡¯s like, Bad Guy 101. Don¡¯t risk anyone for him.¡±


    Gio raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth just as Elio stood up in his high chair and grabbed a handful of bacon off the table, yelling, ¡°Bakah! Bakah!¡±


    It took us several minutes to resettle him, double-check the buckles, and clear enough strawberries off his table that I could cut up a little bacon for him. By the time Gio and I were reseated across from each other, I was slightly winded and much greasier than I had been.


    And totally happy... having Elio back, even if he threw tantrums and made messes, was better than anything else I could imagine. It made sympathy for Sal even harder toe by.


    ¡°He made his bed,¡± I said. ¡°Let him sleep in it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Gio began cutting his untouched pancake into pieces. ¡°I know he betrayed your trust, I just thought....¡±


    He put a piece in his mouth, grimaced slightly, but chewed and swallowed it. ¡°I thought you¡¯d at least want him safe, even if you never want to see him again.¡±


    I leaned back in my chair. I couldn¡¯t think about my father without that pure, crystalline hate I¡¯d felt when I first realized he had to be involved filtering through my veins. He hadn¡¯t just betrayed me. He¡¯d harmed my family¨Cmy son. He manipted me into being a tool in that. I needed a word bigger than betrayal for what he¡¯d done.


    I opened my mouth to tell Gio just that, to let him rot, but I caught sight of myself in the long mirror on the back wall... my own eyes stared back at me¨Chis eyes. In all my years with just my mother, she had never told me that I had exactly his eyes.


    Unbidden, I pictured him on some stained cot, bleeding from a gaping wound in his stomach. He groaned in pain and his eyes, my eyes, rolled up into his head. A burly Russian man stepped in with a massive saw, and I shook my head.


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want him to be able to hurt my family ever again, but....¡±


    Gio reached across the table and folded his hand over mine. ¡°But you still have that wonderfully big heart.¡±


    I smiled a wobbly smile. He knew me so well. No matter how angry I was¡ªand god, was I angry¡ªI couldn¡¯t quite wish Sal dead with Elio grinning at me around a mouthful of bacon.


    ¡°You have to be so careful, though,¡± I said. ¡°No unnecessary risks for this. That¡¯s what¡¯s most important.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Whatever you wish.¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± I said, ¡°let¡¯s get back to this family breakfast. Seems you have work to doter.¡±


    Gio nodded resolutely.


    I turned back to my te to offer Elio a bite of eggs, which he took one look at and shook his head, and pulled my mind away from whatever was happening with my father.


    If Gio could bring our son home, he could do anything.

 Chapter 494 : House Call

    <h4>Chapter 494: Chapter 494 : House Call</h4>


    *Giovani*


    Olivia twirled into the open doorway of my office, without Elio for the first time since we woke up in bed with him yesterday morning. I smiled. Part of me was a little envious¡ªI wanted to sit and stare at him until I could convince myself I hadn¡¯t done the wrong thing by bringing a little life I loved so much into this world¡ªbut the rest of me was just so thrilled she got to be with him. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how broken she¡¯d looked when I first found her on the floor.


    I didn¡¯t want her to ever look like that again.


    ¡°He just went down.¡± She smiled. ¡°I¡¯m trying to be very brave and trust the three guards on him by not also watching him sleep today.¡±


    I leaned back in my chair, happy to push away the piles of dull paperwork. ¡°You look very brave to me. Why don¡¯t youe here?¡±


    She danced into the room, almost glowing with glee, and perched herself in myp.


    ¡°He¡¯s back.¡± She wrapped her arms around my neck.


    I stabilized her with a hand on her waist. ¡°He¡¯s back.¡±


    Sheughed, and the shift in her posture made something hard in her pocket dig into my thigh. I fished it out to see the receiver of the new camera-enabled baby monitor I¡¯d rush-ordered yesterday.


    ¡°So this is why you¡¯re still so chipper,¡± I teased.


    She buried her head in my neck. ¡°It¡¯s not cheating if it¡¯s in my pocket.¡±


    I squeezed her and lifted the receiver so that I could see Elio, dozing blissfully wrapped around his sharkie.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s such a thing as cheating on day two of having your son back after he was kidnapped.¡± I kissed the top of her head. ¡°I think you¡¯re doing great.¡±


    She pulled back from my neck and met my eyes. ¡°Really? Cause I kinda feel like I¡¯m about to be one of those insane helicopter moms.¡±


    I moved her so she straddled myp and pulled her tight against me. ¡°Trust me, carina. I will not lose ess to what little private time I have with you.¡±


    Her gaze heated, and she rolled her hips. ¡°You make a verypelling argument.¡±


    I was leaning in to kiss her, wondering absently how I was going to close the office door without taking her off myp, when the front door mmed open.


    I shot up, dislodging Olivia onto my desk and the forgotten paperwork. She looked at me with panicked eyes, and I put a hand on her shoulder that I hoped would be reassuring before grabbing a metal baseball bat I kept behind the curtains and racing for the door.


    If Lorenz was attempting a full-frontal assault, I wasn¡¯t going to let him walk out of here. This baseball bat had gotten me through more fights than Olivia would ever prefer to know, and it could get me through another.


    I arrived at the top of the stairs and froze. Instead of the oing armies of the Russian mob, Tallon and Alessandro stood in the doorway, lugging in a wounded and partially conscious Salvatore.


    When I told them to y the rescue as slow as they needed yesterday, I¡¯d expected to hear from themter this week. That they found an opportunity so quickly was astounding.


    But not more astounding than the sheer presumption of bringing the man who¡¯d made it possible for the Russians to kidnap my son into my house.


    I turned back toward the office and growled, ¡°Clear.¡± I didn¡¯t want Olivia worried.


    Then, I turned and stalked down the stairs, baseball bat still in hand.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here?¡± I spit.


    Alessandro bristled, then winced as the movement aggravated a small cut across his cheek. It didn¡¯t look like anything a band-aid wouldn¡¯t fix. Tallon, for once in a ck T-shirt and jeans, turned to me with nothing but cool rationality in his eyes.


    ¡°He¡¯s bad enough shape that he needs a doctor as fast as possible,¡± he said. ¡°Our regr patch-up guy is out of town, so I had to call his assistant, and the assistant has only ever been here.¡± He met my gaze. ¡°I figured bringing him here was better than him dying because some intern got lost.¡±


    I raked a hand through my hair. Once again, the kid made good points. He even looked uninjured, though I did see a couple of fairly shallow cuts on Alessandro¡¯s skin, nothing that would require more than a stitch or two.


    ¡°Put him in the parlor.¡± I jerked my thumb over my shoulder to the little-used formal sitting area. If I remembered correctly, there was a fainting couch in there that would be perfect for the good doctor to set up on.


    ¡°Is he...?¡± Olivia asked shakily.


    I whirled to see her standing stock still at the top of the stairs, terror in every line of her body and the receiver clutched in her hand. I took the stairs two at a time to reach her and enfolded her in my arms. She trembled against my chest.


    ¡°He¡¯s not dead,¡± I murmured. ¡°Not dead, just very hurt. The doctor will be here shortly. You and I should go to the room so you don¡¯t have to see this.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No, I¡ªI wanna....¡±


    Olivia wriggled free of my embrace and began fumbling her way down the stairs as Tallon and Alessandro dragged her father across our foyer, leaving a streak of blood in their wake. I took her arm and walked alongside her, letting her lean on me as heavily as she needed.


    We all collected in the parlor, where they stretched Sal out on the deep blue velvet fainting couch I remembered. The piece might be ruined after this, but I wasn¡¯t worried about recing it. All my worry collected in the shaking hand on my arm and the tears in Olivia¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked.


    I looked Sal over in more detail now that I had grown used to the idea of his body in my house again. He wore only the khaki pants he¡¯d showed up to the raid in, now dirt- and blood-stained. On his bare chest, I could see the gunshot wound in his right shoulder that made us leave him behind in the first ce, but it seemed even two days in Russian care had not been kind to him.


    Nearly every inch of exposed skin purpled with bruises, and the skin around his eyes swelled massively. In my unprofessional opinion, he had at least a broken nose and a couple of broken ribs to go with his gunshot wound, not to mention any internal injuries.


    ¡°Found another Russian hole,¡± Alessandro grunted. ¡°Got in, got him, got out.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the sort of report I expectedter, but it seemed to satisfy Olivia for now. She sank into a chair across from Sal.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to look so... so weak,¡± she murmured.


    I rubbed her shoulders. Sal didn¡¯t look weak to me. He looked like maybe he¡¯d done the first half-decent thing in his life and stood up to the Russian scum a little. A man didn¡¯te out of mafia custody with injuries like that unless the score they had to settle was personal, and nothing was more personal than a rat.


    For the first time since he¡¯d appeared outside my property, I felt the barest flicker of respect for the man... not enough that he wouldn¡¯t be out on his ass as soon as he had enough of an ass to be out on, but enough that I met Tallon¡¯s eye and nodded.


    Tallon nodded back. Increasingly, the younger of the two brothers impressed me.


    Olivia looked up at me. ¡°What now?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°We wait for the doctor and hope for the best. He looks rough, but I don¡¯t know that he¡¯s unsalvageable.¡±


    She swallowed audibly. ¡°And if he is... unsalvageable?¡±


    I crouched next to the chair and met her eye. ¡°Then we give him whatever funeral you think he deserves.¡±


    Tears welled in her eyes, and she turned back to him, nails sinking into the arms of the chair. Like when Elio disappeared, she clearly intended to keep some kind of vigil until someone stopped her.


    I¡¯d let her stay until the doctor arrived, I decided. However responsible she felt for the man, she didn¡¯t need to see his insides. I grabbed one of her hands and held it tightly.


    ¡°Update Gabriele,¡± I instructed the brothers. ¡°Put the whole house on alert. If there was a scuffle getting out, they know you have him, and we have to be ready if they guess he¡¯s here.¡±


    Alessandro scoffed. ¡°Do you really think they want a rat like him back?¡±


    Olivia¡¯s breath caught.


    I squeezed her hand and red at Alessandro.¡°They might assume we¡¯re distracted. They might want him back. It could be anything.¡±


    Tallon pulled out his phone and began typing. ¡°Better to be ready. I¡¯ll warn Dahlia, too.¡±


    Alessandro shook his head but didn¡¯t say anything further, perhaps cowed by my re.


    Matteo knocked on the doorway into the parlor. ¡°Patcher¡¯s here. Send him in?¡±


    I nodded and stood. Olivia stared at me with wide eyes.


    ¡°We have to go now,¡± I said softly. ¡°The next part is going to get ugly. But I¡¯ll sit with you until it¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡± She furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m his only family here.¡±


    I smiled softly. ¡°And you¡¯ll be here when he wakes up. That doesn¡¯t mean you need to watch the doctor open him up.¡±


    She grimaced and cast onest nce in Sal¡¯s direction before standing.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be in the bedroom,¡± I told the brothers. ¡°Get me when there¡¯s news.¡±


    They nodded. As Olivia and I exited, we passed a surprisingly young man in a white coat with a dark, wispy goatee. He nodded at me, and I remembered vaguely seeing him bent over me during some patch-up before I¡¯d met Olivia. He hadn¡¯t had the goatee then, but he¡¯d done a good job.


    As Olivia wandered, zombielike, toward the room, I said, ¡°He¡¯s good, that doctor. He put me back together at least once.¡±


    She nodded absently. She remained quiet and distant when we reached the room, staring at nothing and barely responding when I spoke to her. I remembered the tense moments after we¡¯d rescued Dahlia. She¡¯d been much like this then, so wound up with worry she could hardly uncoil a finger. I¡¯d barely known her as more than a fling then.


    I swallowed. I couldn¡¯t deny I was a little surprised that the father she told me to kill with no reservations evoked so much emotion.


    I was more worried about how bad he looked. No matter how good the doctor was, at a certain point, there was no going back. And the Russians weren¡¯t exactly known for their personal restraint.


    After pacing a little, trying to talk to her, putting on a show neither of us watched, and opening up the door to Elio¡¯s room so we could see him sleeping peacefully from our couch, I simply sat next to her and held her hand in the tense quiet.


    She epted my touch gratefully, as though she¡¯d been waiting for it.


    I didn¡¯t know how long we sat like that. The sun sank lower in the sky, but it had been afternoon anyway. But after interminable minutes, someone knocked on the door.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I called.


    Tallon swung the door open and leaned in, looking grave.

 Chapter 495 : Exhaustion

    <h4>Chapter 495: Chapter 495 : Exhaustion</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I stared at Tallon, my heart beating in my throat. I¡¯d been wrong, so wrong when I told Gio I didn¡¯t know whether I wanted my dad rescued, when I told him I didn¡¯t care if he died. Of course, I cared.


    How could I not care? My flesh-and-blood fathery in the other room, maybe dying or already dead, and I couldn¡¯t think about anything other than what I¡¯d say to him... if I ever got to say anything again.


    Tallon inhaled. He was going to tell us Sal died. I knew it. I could see it in the set of his shoulders, the heavy downturn of his mouth. I had a father for a few short months. He betrayed me, and then he died because I said to leave him in Russian custody longer.


    ¡°He¡¯s resting,¡± Tallon said.


    The balloon of tension holding me up popped, and I slumped against Gio.


    Resting.


    Resting meant alive, meant okay, meant I would get to say something other than screaming profanities at him.


    Gio held me up, warm and strong and safe. God, I was so lucky to have him.


    ¡°Doc got the bullet out,¡± Tallon continued. ¡°Stitched a couple of cuts, set a couple of bones, and left him with some painkillers.¡± He shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s not awake yet, but he¡¯s stable.¡±


    Tears gathered in my eyes. I believed Sal really only ever meant to hurt Gio. I couldn¡¯t forgive him that either, not without serious making up for it, but at least I could tell him I believed him. That would be enough for me.


    I looked in at Elio, still sleeping. I couldn¡¯t forgive Sal for anything he did that quickly.


    Gio rubbed my shoulders. ¡°He¡¯s alright, carina. Everything is alright.¡±


    The tears spilled over. I thought I¡¯d be all out after days of crying about Elio, but I had more inside me still. Everything was alright, or it would be once they figured out how to eliminate Lorenz for good.


    But I had to admit I was getting damn tired of always having to tack that on at the end of my joy.


    Gio squeezed me close and turned to Tallon. ¡°What happened? How did you get him? Any coteral?¡±


    I flinched. I hoped to God there wasn¡¯t coteral. I wanted my father alive, wanted it worse than even I knew, but I didn¡¯t want anyone else hurt for his sake.


    Through Gio¡¯s arms, I saw Tallon nce at me and raise an eyebrow. Then, I felt Gio nod.


    Even as tears tumbled down my cheeks, a wave of frustration flowed through my system. I¡¯d done my time on the outs, earned my way in. I just wanted to share everything with my husband, not always need permission to hear the details of his work.


    ¡°Lorenz kept a little house a few blocks over from where Sal lived. Looked like any other row house, except for the bulletproof windows. We followed him there and spotted Sal when they lifted him up during an¨C¡± he nced at me again. ¡°During an interrogation.¡±


    I grimaced. They only found my father because he¡¯d been beaten within an inch of his life for choosing at the veryst moment to side with me. Guilt spurred another wave of tears, and I fought to keep them quiet.


    Gio noticed anyway and held me a little tighter. He didn¡¯t judge me for breaking down anymore, and that steadied me a little.


    Tallon cleared his throat. ¡°We didn¡¯t lose anyone. Most of them were armed with automatics, and we got too close for them to be safely used in a row house pretty quickly. Couple of knife wounds, but nothing that took more than three stitches.¡±


    Gio shook his head. ¡°Rookie mistake in this town. We¡¯re all piled on top of each other. You have to be smarter than that.¡±


    Another wave of relief broke over me¨Cthere were no casualties, no serious injuries, even. We hadn¡¯t pulled the doctor away from one of Gio¡¯s men to treat my father. From what I¡¯d seen of mafia men, most of them could probably do three stitches by themselves.


    Suddenly, violently, I had the strangest feeling of looking at myself from the outside. A few years ago, I¡¯d been Olivia Robinson, art student abroad, with no more serious concerns than how I was going to keep track of Dahlia as she slept her way through half of Italy.


    Somehow, in two short years, I¡¯d be Olivia Valentino, mob wife, well enough versed in the business to know what sort of injuries foot soldiers could patch up on their own. I loved Gio and Elio, loved my life in Italy, but I suddenly, didn¡¯t know if I loved that transformation.


    Worse, I was about to be Olivia Valentino without my best friend around to remind me who Olivia Robinson had been.


    The thought startled me out of my tears. I wiped my eyes and disentangled myself from Gio. If I was going to be a mob wife, I had to do it properly.


    ¡°Took out about six of their guys,¡± Tallon continued, ¡°but it didn¡¯t seem like they had any other operations running out of that ce. No cookers, no books. But we didn¡¯t exactly do an in-depth search.¡±


    Gio nodded. ¡°Sal needed immediate treatment.¡±


    Tallon grimaced a little. ¡°That, and we didn¡¯t exactly make a clean exit. There were eight guys in the house. Two escaped over the roofs, and we didn¡¯t want to be around when they came back.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Gio hissed. ¡°Saw faces?¡±


    Tallon nodded.


    Gio ran a hand through his hair. ¡°I guess it¡¯s nothing they didn¡¯t know. Lorenz wouldn¡¯t have offered the trade if he didn¡¯t think we wanted Sal.¡±


    ¡°Just means we have to hit back fast,¡± Tallon replied. ¡°That¡¯s another part of why we brought him here.¡±


    I smoothed my hands down my legs, staring at the cow-patterned leggings I¡¯d chosen for an easy day at home with Elio. I¡¯d thought I might do some painting while he napped, something tomemorate his triumphant return. But I should¡¯ve known life around here didn¡¯t stop. I couldn¡¯t ever dress for a regr day when catastrophe might strike at any moment.


    ¡°Because he may have valuable information.¡± Gio nodded slowly. ¡°Well, he owes us his life now. Let¡¯s hope that keeps him as talkative as he was the other night.¡±


    I swallowed. Gio¡¯s voice had taken on that steely tone I always thought of as his Don voice, the one that brooked no disagreement. He had saved my father because he though it might make me unhappy if he died, but that didn¡¯t mean he was above doing what he had to do to get the information he needed. I knew all too well how many of the men I interacted with on a daily basis were skilled in, as Tallon had put it, interrogation.


    Talon nodded sharply. ¡°I¡¯ll put as many guards as we can spare at his bedside and let you know as soon as he wakes.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that,¡± I said suddenly.


    Tallon¡¯s eyes darted to me in surprise. I¡¯d surprised myself, honestly.


    ¡°I mean, the guards, sure,¡± I corrected. ¡°But I want to sit with him, at least for a little. That¡¯s what family does when family is sick.¡±


    My voice held admirably steady as I said the word ¡®family,¡¯ despite the conflicting emotions in my system. I wanted to sit there, wanted to be with him when he woke so I could say what I needed to say, but part of me worried that hatred might overwhelm me when I saw him awake again.


    I smothered that part. If it rose up, I could handle it. I was good at this now.


    Tallon nced at Gio, sending a frisson of frustration through my system, but Gio looked at me. I met his gaze as evenly as I could. I wanted to look strong, to be strong.


    His eyebrows furrowed, but he nodded at Tallon. ¡°Olivia will sit with him, at least until Elio¡¯s done napping. I¡¯ll send her down in a moment. Thank you for your good work.¡±


    Tallon left without another word, closing the door behind him, and Gio narrowed back in on me.


    ¡°Something changed in the middle of that.¡± He frowned. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Iughed, feeling a bit like a live wire Gio was trying to touch. My emotions strained in all directions. I wanted to be the perfect mob wife for him. I had to be, because he was in the mob, and that meant we would spend the rest of our lives facing disasters like this, and I had to be ready. That was what mattered most, that I could weather the storms.


    ¡°I will be,¡± I said.


    He cupped my face very gently. ¡°I think you¡¯re not telling me the truth.¡±


    ¡°I am!¡± I protested.


    I was. I was certain I was. I just needed to turn myself into Olivia Valentino, mob wife, and then I would be telling the truth.


    ¡°Carina,¡± he murmured. ¡°Please.¡±


    I stared into his eyes and found nothing but love and worry.


    Gio loved me as Olivia Robinson. He fell in love with the hapless art student, in over her head. He held me during the disasters and picked up the pieces in the aftermath. And he never onceined.


    Maybe he didn¡¯t want me to be the perfect mob wife.


    ¡°Do you ever get tired?¡± I asked suddenly.


    He blinked, taken aback by my line of questioning. ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯ve often been exhausted during crises like this. Do you need more sleep?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean tired of¨C¡± I waved my arms around. ¡°Tired of this, everything.¡±


    ¡°This?¡± He furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°We can go on another trip soon if you like.¡±


    I shook my head, trying to figure out how to ask the question without him getting defensive.


    ¡°Not Italy, this life... the constant disasters.¡± I stood and stepped a little closer to Elio¡¯s room so I could see his chest rise and fall. ¡°The constant risks.¡±


    Gio sighed heavily. ¡°I do, but I knew the risks when I took the job. James was very clear about how much my life would change.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s been a while since then,¡± I pressed. ¡°Are you more tired now than when you were young?¡±


    He leaned back against the couch and stared at the ceiling for a long moment. I crept a bit closer to Elio¡¯s room and leaned against the doorframe. He was still there, still sleeping.


    ¡°I suppose.¡± Gio picked his head up. ¡°But it seems like there¡¯s something else you want to ask me.¡±


    I knocked my head back against the doorframe. The couch creaked as he stood and crossed the room to stand in the doorway with me. He put his hands on my shoulders, and I met his eyes.


    I didn¡¯t need to beat around the bush. I didn¡¯t need to be the icy mob wife. I just needed to talk to my husband.


    ¡°Do you ever think about retiring?¡± I asked. ¡°Because I really, really think I want out.¡±

 Chapter 496 : It’s Never Over

    <h4>Chapter 496: Chapter 496 : It¡¯s Never Over</h4>


    *Giovani*


    ¡®Do you ever think about retiring?¡¯


    I drummed my fingers on my desk, the wood steady and dull as I did the motion over and over. I nced at my phone, still waiting for a call on our next move while I reached out for my drink. The bourbon in the ss was smooth, just the way I liked it, and though I had been cutting back on my drinking, I think I deserved a ss tonight.


    Olivia¡¯s soft pleading eyes haunted me, the words she¡¯d spoken following me around like a ghost over my shoulder.


    The simple question she had posed to me was easy to answer, but I hadn¡¯t. I could¡¯ve said anything, but the way she was looking at me, sad and tired and run down, had made me pause.


    It wasn¡¯t until then that I truly took in the differences from when I¡¯d first met Olivia when she was hopeful, bright, and with a youthful glow that I thought would never disappear. Some might¡¯ve called her naive or even sheltered.


    But when I first saw her, all I could see was the potential within her, the beautiful woman she had yet to blossom into, the one who reached out in kindness to even her enemy, whose love andpassion were as deep as the sea and as never-ending. She was like the only star on a cloudy night, forever shining brightly above us to guide me home.


    And I hadtched onto her, her taken her fragile light in my hands and now, I could see it dimming.


    She wasn¡¯t that young, hopeful girl anymore. She had been hurt and beaten down, broken, and forced to repair herself too many times. But god, she was still just as beautiful as the first day I saw her.


    But little by little, that hope and naive kindness had begun to fade away. Why hadn¡¯t I noticed it? Why hadn¡¯t I seen how much being with me had affected her? She¡¯d had her best friend kidnapped and shot, her childhood friend ckmailed her, she¡¯d had constant threats on her life and those of her friends and family, not to mention seen someone killed in front of her and now... her son, our baby.


    Even if it was just a single day, we¡¯d lost Elio.


    This was something we dealt with every day, something I had signed up for when I took the leadership role of the Don. I knew what I had been getting into, and what I had to do to keep me and my people safe.


    It was a world filled with blood, destruction, and cruelty beyond that which most people could imagine. I was not a good person. I knew that from the start.


    But Olivia was just a normal woman, one with bright eyes and a sweet smile, but now she was just....


    ¡®Do you ever think about retiring?¡¯


    Her voice rang in my head, and I clenched my fist around the ss.


    Twenty years¨CI¡¯d been the Don for almost twenty years of my life. It had felt like an eternity if I was being honest, but I was good at it. I had never even considered not being the Don because it was all I had ever done. Before this, I was just a stupid kid doing whatever I wanted, but this life, as fucked up as it was, had given me a purpose. a reason to move forward.


    Who would I be if I wasn¡¯t the Don? What would be of me if that purpose was taken away? The family would survive. They would get a new Don, new leadership to follow, but....


    What about me? How would I move forward when the reason I¡¯d clung to for so long would be gone?


    I sighed, taking a swig of my alcohol. I nced at the screen on myptop, one showing the security feed of the room where we¡¯d ced Salvatore. He still hadn¡¯t woken up after first arriving.


    Gabriele had gotten some minor details from him before he¡¯d passed out, half in shock and pain from his wounds. Considering how bad of a shape he was in, I was surprised he¡¯d made it here conscious at all.


    The old bastard was stubborn and tough, the only good thing Olivia had inherited from him... well, that and his eyes.


    But even with Salvatore now safe and recovering, things weren¡¯t solved. Lorenz was still out there and as long as he was, he would stop at nothing to get to me. He was getting reckless, losing his mind over his obsession with killing me, but that only made things more dangerous.


    I knew what a sane man would do, but one who had lost his mind?


    He was incapable of being tracked. He could be anywhere by now.


    I was broken from my introspection by a harsh knock on the study door. I shook my head off the existential train of thought, letting it halt in ce as I focused my attention on the present.


    ¡°Come¨C¡± The door burst open before I could even finish the words, and I stared at my right-hand man with a re as I finished with ame, ¡°In.¡±


    ¡°Found him,¡± Gabriele dered, looking incredibly proud of himself like a dog that had just performed a trick, it¡¯d been trying to do for weeks and now expected praise.


    ¡°Found who?¡± I rolled my eyes, wishing that if he at least burst into my room, he¡¯d have the decency to start it with a full sentence and not just derative words at me like I knew what he was talking about.


    ¡°Lorenz.¡± He gave me a look like he thought I was stupid. ¡°Your bastard-inw in the basement gave me just the clue I needed.¡±


    I didn¡¯t even bother to correct him. It wasn¡¯tpletely undeserved. Besides, just because I saved his life didn¡¯t mean I was going to forgive him for kidnapping my son and trying to kill me off. He¡¯d have to die a martyr if he wanted that. Luckily, he was too much of a coward to do so.


    ¡°I thought he went underground?¡± I asked with a frown.


    ¡°They did,¡¯ Gabriele smirked. ¡°But they made quite a few mistakes. Lorenz was not careful enough. Makes sense that he was Dmitri¡¯s third choice for a right hand. He¡¯s sloppy. Seems his men have a newfound appreciation for delivery.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me,¡± I stared at him in disbelief. I couldn¡¯t believe my fucking ears. He got caught because of the delivery guy?


    ¡°Not even the good stuff. The guys he hired must be cheap,¡± Gabriele snorted. ¡°But the man who delivered spilled the beans once we found him. He split real quick once we gave him a check.¡±


    I shook my head at the sheer stupidity. Was it a case of overlooking the obvious, or was it just that he didn¡¯t consider the delivery guy an actual human being who could be paid off? Considering his former boss who now rested in ashes, I guessed thetter.


    ¡°We need to find out everything Salvatore knows about them, no matter how small or insignificant,¡± I told Gabriele firmly. ¡°We can¡¯t let this continue any longer. Lorenz is too much of a liability to let him run out there free. We have to drive him out of hiding and take them all out... no survivors this time.¡±


    ¡°¡®Cause that worked greatst time,¡± Gabriele retorted sarcastically. ¡°How¡¯s this time any different from what, the past three times?¡±


    ¡°Gabriele,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Just saying.¡± He raised his hands in defense. ¡°Not disagreeing with you, Boss.¡±


    I ignored him, ncing at the screen where Salvatore stilly unconscious. ¡°Wait for Salvatore to wake up and then find out everything he knows. Once we know all their escape routes, we can end this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Gabriele huffed, then nced at the screen with a dark look. ¡°And if he doesn¡¯t talk willingly?¡±


    ¡°Then make him.¡±


    Gabriele nodded, turning to leave with his mission in tow. Meanwhile, I grabbed my drink and downed thest of it, sighing as I stared at my warped image inside the crystal ss. I looked... tired.


    ¡®Do you ever think about retiring?¡¯


    I got to my feet, shutting myptop as I made my way out of my study and down the endless maze of halls. Twenty years of aimless drifting in these halls had made me more familiar with them than myself. I knew every chip in the paint, every crack in the walls like they were a part of my own body.


    Walking slowly down the halls, I suddenly felt old, like I never had before.


    I paused in front of our suite, wondering what I should say, how I should answer Olivia and her too-important question. Could I even give her an answer when I didn¡¯t know myself?


    But despite my hesitation, I opened the door anyway. Whatever happened would happen. Whatever I chose, it would be something that we choose together. Because there was no greater gift in my life than Olivia and my son.


    The sound of Elio¡¯s delightedugh hit my ears as soon as I stepped inside. I followed it with a smile as I spotted my wife sitting on the floor with Elio, the two building a huge castle out of stic blocks.


    ¡°Your majesty!¡± Olivia cried dramatically. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we are all out of strawberries! The harvest has all turned rotten!¡±


    I grinned as I spotted a te of strawberries hidden behind her back.


    ¡°No!¡± Elio cried, a paper crown on his head. He kicked his little feet, giving her a huge pout.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s this?¡± Olivia gasped, feigning surprise as she pulled the te out from behind her, ¡°There actually was a good strawberry harvest!¡±


    Elio cheered, reaching out for the strawberry pieces and shoving them into his mouth without care.


    ¡°We¡¯d better thank those strawberry farmers,¡± Olivia said.


    She tried to coach him to say, ¡°Thank you,¡± but it didn¡¯t quitee out as words. Elio looked serious as he tried to say it, and I couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    The two of them jumped in surprise, turning to me.


    ¡°Dada!¡± Elio cried, holding his arms out as he waddled to his feet.


    I chuckled, heading forward and stepping over the y gate. Some random cartoon was ying, though it might¡¯ve been a movie.


    ¡°Gio,¡± Olivia beamed as I swung Elio into my arms, holding him with a grin.


    She got to her feet, stretching to the tip of her toes to kiss me. I dly epted, wrapping my free arm around her waist to pull her to me.


    ¡°Is... did¨C¡± She hesitated, a conflicted look in her eyes.


    I knew immediately what she was asking about.


    ¡°Someone will tell us when Salvatore wakes up,¡± I said softly, ¡°He¡¯s in a guest room downstairs.¡±


    She sighed in relief, leaning her head against my shoulder. ¡°When is this all going to be over, Gio?¡±


    Her voice was so quiet, I might¡¯ve missed it if I wasn¡¯t in tune with everything about her. I sighed,ying my chin on top of her head as I held her close.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I told her, but I couldn¡¯t bear to tell her the truth.


    For the Don, it was never really over.

 Chapter 497 : Shameless Apologies

    <h4>Chapter 497: Chapter 497 : Shameless Apologies</h4>


    *Olivia*


    Sometimes, I thought as I stared at my son, all of this felt like a dream. I couldn¡¯t hide the silly grin on my face as I watched himugh at the cartoon I had put on. It had been one of my favorites as a kid, and I was excited to show it to him.


    His adorable dimples on the side of his face were stretched wide as he stared intently at the screen, giggling whenever one of the characters made a funny movement.


    All around us were the piles and piles of toys Elio had received over his year and a half of being alive¨Ctrucks and storybooks, race tracks and stuffed animals, anything a young toddler could want, everything I had wanted as a child.


    I wanted to give him everything he wanted, all the things I had wanted as a kid but couldn¡¯t have. I wanted him to have a better life than I had as a kid.


    Perhaps I was spoiling him a bit too much, but after everything he¡¯d gone through, what we went through, I just couldn¡¯t say no to him. The kidnapping had taken its toll on all of us, except for Elio it seemed.


    It surprised me how quickly Elio had adapted back to his normal joyful self after the kidnapping, except for his slight clinginess toward me and Gio. He¡¯d often fuss when Gio went to work, clinging to his shirt tightly as he sobbed for his daddy.


    And he¡¯d developed separation anxiety if one of us were gone for long periods at a time, but considering everything, it wasn¡¯t anything too major. He was getting better with it every day.


    On the other hand, I nced past Elio¡¯s door with a frown, my mind going back to where it always seemed to be these days, toward guest room on the floor downstairs where myatose fathery.


    Salvatore had yet to wake, despite days having passed since Gio and Gabriele saved him from the Russians. It was worrying, but the doctor assured me that he was fine, and just needed the time to recover from his injuries.


    In addition to the damage from the bullet, it seemed he¡¯d been tortured. Gio didn¡¯t give specifics but the mental image was more than enough. I was conflicted about how to feel about him. On one hand, he had been instrumental in trying to kill my husband and kidnapping my son, but he was also my father.


    He had been the only reason we had gotten Elio back safe and unharmed, literally taking a bullet for it. The image of him in that bed¨Cbloodied and barely breathing¨Chaunted me. If he had died like that, and that was thest image I had of him....


    I couldn¡¯t stand it.


    ¡°Mama!¡± Elio cried, knocking me from my thoughts. I blinked rapidly, reorienting myself to where I was. Elio stood in front of me, a little wobbly still but proud as he held out something clutched in his hands.


    nkly, I held out my hand and he dropped it, nodding like he had done something truly extraordinary and wanted praise. With his puppy-dog eyes staring at me, waiting for me to pat him on the head, I nced at what he had given me.


    A smile curled up on my lips as I stared at the stic strawberry in my hand, probably from one of the extravagant kitchen sets Dahlia had bought him. It looked more delectable than a real strawberry, but there was no denying the stic feel to it.


    ¡°Thank you, baby,¡± Iughed, folding him into my arms. He went with a tiny squeal, giggling as I squeezed him tight until he was cradled in myp.


    ¡°Mama!¡±


    He giggled in delight, the sound music to my ears as I yfully kissed his face over and over, anywhere I could get.


    ¡°Uh, am I interrupting something?¡±


    I jumped, pushing Elio into my chest protectively as I faced the doorway with apprehension. My heart raced in my ears until I saw it was only Tallon standing there with a perplexed look on his face.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to scare you, Livi.¡± He grinned, offering me a hand.


    I sighed, dly epting the help and letting him pull me to my feet. Once I steadied myself, I shifted Elio onto my hip until we were bothfortable.


    ¡°You just surprised me,¡± I told him with a soft smile. ¡°Did you need me for something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, actually.¡± Tallon sobered very quickly and my heart leaped into my throat. I couldn¡¯t take any more bad news, not now.


    ¡°Your father woke up.¡±


    I wondered, at that moment, how a normal daughter would feel if she heard those words, one who actually had a significant attachment to the man she called father.


    All I felt was numb.


    I held onto Elio, letting him cling around my neck as I carried him down the halls. Tallon led me to the guest room, letting me take my time as I lingered around the door for twenty minutes. Ultimately though, I decided it was time to finally confront this, even if it would only end up blowing up in my face again. I felt uneasy as I stepped into the guest room and spotted my father sitting up on the bed. He looked groggy and confused, his brows furrowed as he stared at his bandages.


    He looked more normal than thest I saw him. The color had returned to his cheeks, and despite all the bandages and stitches across his eyebrow, I felt a little relief to see him up. He was going to be okay.


    I stepped closer, hesitating around the edges of the room as I hugged Elio tightly to my chest. He stuffed his fingers in his mouth, clearly feeding off my energy as he hung onto me and wasn¡¯t as happy as he normally was.


    Tallon leaned his back against the wall, watching casually as Sal nced up at him and then his eyes trailed over to me. It took a minute of him staring nkly at me, not really seeing, before he finally recognized me.


    ¡°Olivia!¡± he gasped, his eyes watering as he stared at me like I was just a simple illusion that would be quick to disappear if he took his eyes away for a single moment. ¡°Thank God you¡¯re okay!¡±


    I swallowed, ufortable in a way I couldn¡¯t exin. It was as if his words dug under my skin like insects, crawling around just beneath the surface. I felt restless and self-conscious as I took a single step back, unsure of what to do now.


    ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m okay,¡± I saidmely.¡°So¡¯s Elio.¡±


    His face melted in relief, open and honest as he breathed, ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s important, so long as you and Elio are okay.¡±


    There was a tense silence that settled between us. Everything that went unsaid now weighing over us like heavy rain clouds. There was so much I wished I could say. Why did you do it? What were you thinking?


    Did I even matter at all to you?


    I swallowed them down like I had learned to do all throughout my childhood. Unlike when I was a curious child, burning with desire to hear those answers, I knew better now. I didn¡¯t want to hear his excuses or lies.


    Maybe he cared about me, but he never loved me. He had only ever loved himself.


    ¡°Olivia.¡± Sal¡¯s face crumbled in sorrow and guilt, a tear slipping from his eyes and running down his aged face. ¡°I¡¯m so so sorry for everything. I never should¡¯ve gotten you or Elio involved. I wanted to keep you safe, but I had no clue they would take Elio. You have every right to hate me, but I only hope you can forgive me for betraying your trust one day.¡±


    ¡°Forgive you?¡± I repeated, my eyes wide as I stared at my father¡¯s shamelessness straight in the eye.


    He looked like any old father, one who had done something he could apologize for like forgetting to go to his daughter¡¯s ballet recital or not packing her lunch when he was supposed to.


    His eyes were full of hope like he expected me to just smile and grab his hand and tell him I forgave him, that he could make it up to me next time.


    But this wasn¡¯t just a simple mistake. I wasn¡¯t a little girl who could be bought off with a new toy, who gazed a the father like he hung the moon. He couldn¡¯t just say sorry and expect me to forgive him.


    Not like this.


    I stiffened, straightening my back and hardening my heart as I stared my father down with a nk look.


    ¡°You helped kidnap my son and tried to kill my husband,¡± I stated bluntly.


    His face crumbled in shame and guilt, staring at me like I had just crashed his entire world to the ground.


    ¡°And you have the audacity to expect me to forgive you?¡± I asked. ¡°I can¡¯t forgive you, not now, and I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever be able to forgive you. What you did was monstrous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Olivia,¡± he whimpered, looking dejected like all of his dreams and aspirations had been set on fire and he had to watch them burn before his very eyes. The devastation in his eyes, at least, was very real. I was sure of that.


    I took a deep breath, calming myself carefully before I faced him again.


    ¡°I can¡¯t forgive you but...¡± I started cautiously.


    He looked up at me, the tiniest spark of hope in his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you aren¡¯t dead.¡±


    His lips twitched upward. ¡°I¡¯ll take that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all you deserve.¡±


    A cold voice spoke from behind me, and I nced over my shoulder as two arms wrapped around my waist, pulling my back flush with a man¡¯s torso. I saw the flinch from Sal as Gio¡¯s eyes narrowed upon him, but I ignored it.


    ¡°Gio,¡± I smiled, leaning into his touch as he held me. ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Carina.¡± He said my name quietly into my ear but never took his eyes off of my father¡¯s injured form in the bed. ¡°I need to talk to him for a bit. Can you take Elio out?¡±


    I heard the underlining warning, and I sighed. I nodded and he pressed a kiss to my temple, letting go of me so I could leave. I paused though just as I passed his shoulder and leaned over to whisper firmly in his ears, ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him.¡±


    He nodded, confirming my message, and I felt reassured enough to leave them alone. Whatever was going to happen there, neither Elio nor I needed to be a part of it.


    And to be honest, I didn¡¯t want to know what they needed from my father.

 Chapter 498 : It’s Worth Nothing

    <h4>Chapter 498: Chapter 498 : It¡¯s Worth Nothing</h4>


    *Giovani*


    The man before me was broken, in more ways than one. The bullet had certainly done its damage, I thought as I stared nkly at Salvatore.


    Bandages were wrapped around his torso and stitches across his eyebrow, even his hands were red and raw from whatever they had put him through. It was no wonder he had taken so long to wake up, but it wasn¡¯t just his body that was broken.


    There was a hopeless resignation in his eyes, like a man staring down the end of a noose, the jeering crowd waiting for the moment he took hisst breath. Despite having beenatose for so long, there were dark bags under his eyes, a deep exhaustion that ran down to the marrow of his bones.


    His skin was sallow and sunken like a man who hadn¡¯t known sleep for weeks, and his hair was t with a greasy sheen to it that didn¡¯t match the man who had firste here iming to be my father-inw.


    His dues had caught up with him and life had done quite a number upon him, it seemed.


    ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡± Salvatore spoke quietly, his voice hoarse as he stared at his limp hands in hisp. His appearance was more fit to a hospital room than the guest bedroom we had given him. The bright exterior did not match his gloomy demeanor.


    ¡°That depends,¡± I said indifferently, ¡°on what information you have about Lorenz¡¯s operation.¡±


    ¡°Spoken like a true boss,¡± Salvatore sighed a wry smile on his lips. ¡°All of you mafia bastards are the same, only caring about destroying one another and not who gets hurt in the process, all the lives you ruin for glory.¡°


    ¡°Says the man who sold out his own daughter and grandchild for money,¡± I shot back coldly, crossing my arms as I leaned back in the chair.


    Salvatore shrugged, but he didn¡¯t bother to hide the shame that crossed his features, the guilt that was eating him away at the core.


    ¡°I never meant for any of this to happen,¡± Satore said quietly, ncing at me with an honest look. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for Olivia or her kid to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Just me.¡±


    ¡°Just you,¡± he confirmed, lookingpletely unashamed as he said so.


    The fact that he could look me in the face and tell me he nned to have me killed was either incredibly brave or wholeheartedly foolish.


    Or maybe it was somewhere in between.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be broken up about that.¡± I tilted my head at him, unfeeling as I surveyed his responses with a critical eye.


    ¡°What can I say?¡± He gave me a wry smile. ¡°I guess I¡¯m just as fucked up as the rest of you. I never imed to be a better man or even a good man. I never wanted to get into this life in the first ce, but that¡¯s just how life goes, I guess.¡±


    There was a meaningful look to him as if he was trying to impart some kind of wisdom to me, and I clenched my jaw, wondering if perhaps this is what all men I brought into this life would look like someday.


    Perhaps, this was just a glimpse into my own future.


    This life took in good people, broke them down to their core parts, and reshaped them to be whatever we needed from them¨Ckillers and soldiers, guns with hands that we pointed at our enemies.


    ¡°You know,¡± Salvatore said wistfully, ¡°I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid. I thought I could actually do it too. I wanted to be the first person to taste stardust, to bottle it up and give it back to my mama. But now, here I am.¡±


    He looked me straight in the eye, a sense of sorrow as he asked, ¡°Where do you think the dreams that die go, Giovani?¡±


    I clenched my fist around the wood of the seat I was sitting in. The polish ked off as my nails dug in hard enough that I could feel the splintered wood digging in between my fingernails. For some inexplicable reason, I felt like his words had rubbed against an open wound in my chest, that he¡¯d touched something unseen, something that was too raw and too painful to be touched.


    ¡°You have two choices, Salvatore.¡± I red down at him, the cool indifferent mask slipping away to show the real anger underneath. ¡°Option one, you tell me everything you know about Lorenz¡¯s operation and help us bring him down, win some of those forgiveness points for trying to kill me and for kidnapping my son. If you do, we will let you stay here while you recover and make sure they can¡¯t get to you again.¡±


    ¡°And my other option?¡± he asked, curiously.


    I didn¡¯t say a single word, I smoothly grabbed my gun from the holster and cocked it back, leveling my finger on the trigger as I pointed it straight at his head.


    ¡°Got it.¡± He gave a self-deprecatingugh. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll choose to live then. I don¡¯t know how much it¡¯ll help you, but I know of a few safehouses and a few warehouses, most of them actually. Lorenz is one of those guys who has a routine and he sticks to it. He goes to certain ces at the same time every day and he never deviates. It¡¯s why I knew he¡¯d be out when we broke in.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s predictable,¡± I snorted, holstering my gun once his mouth started moving.


    ¡°You could say that.¡± He shrugged.


    I pulled out the voice recorder I kept on me, started it, and dered the date to the machine and my own name as well as Salvatore¡¯s. I gestured for him to go on.


    ¡°Everything?¡± Salvatore asked, resigned.


    ¡°Leave nothing out,¡± I said firmly.


    So he didn¡¯t. He listed when he started working for them, why and how he first met Lorenz, and everything he knew about Lorenz¡¯s schedule. The more he said, the more confident I was that this would be much easier than ever before.


    It would be an understatement to say that Lorenz was predictable¨Che was downright habitual. Salvatore had his schedule down to the minute with how organized he was, something that wasn¡¯t to be praised when you had dozens of men looking to kill you.


    In addition to the recording, I wrote down the location of every warehouse and safehouse Salvatore knew about. We had already taken a few off the radar, but some looked promising and if we yed our cards right, we could leave them like rats trapped in a cage.


    Salvatore¡¯s voice was hoarse by the time we finished. I wrapped things up by stopping the recording and gathering my belongings. I tucked it safely into my suit pockets, ncing at Tallon, who had watched all of this from the back wall in silence.


    Hopefully, he had learned something from this little exercise. I gave him a nod, letting him know it was safe to leave, and he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he kicked off the wall.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I nodded at Salvatore. ¡°Get some rest. We may have more questionster.¡±


    I turned to leave, ns already forming in my mind of how we were going to do this, when I heard a soft, ¡°Wait,¡± from behind me.


    I paused, my hand on the doorknob but I didn¡¯t turn back. Tallon nced at me with a frown but I just waved him off.


    He did as told, disappearing down the hallway with his hands held casually in his pockets. He had matured greatly over the past few months, but there was still that carefree soul inside of him. Maybe that was just what this family needed.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked roughly, not in the mood for any more mind games from this man.


    ¡°Giovani.¡± Salvatore swallowed and I nced over my shoulder. He was hunched over in bed, staring down at his bandaged hands like he had lost something important.


    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I clenched my jaw, mming my teeth together roughly until the pressure hurt from grinding them into one another. Emotions boiled inside of me like I was a furnace and he was gasoline. That raw part of my chest ached again, rough and angry, much like nails on a chalkboard.


    It was unpleasant.


    But I¡¯d always been a master at ignoring pain.


    ¡°It¡¯s worth nothing,¡± I spat out before I mmed the door shut behind me.


    I took in a few breaths, trying to calm my racing mind. I don¡¯t why I felt so agitated, but it was harder to suppress my emotions the longer I stayed here.


    ¡°Tallon,¡± I called out as I headed for the kitchen and sure enough, there he was, standing in the middle of the kitchen with a bowl of crackers in his hand. Munching away, he nced at me with a curious expression, cheeks stuffed full of crackers.


    ¡°Get Gabriele and Alessandro and meet me in my office in one hour. We have to go over the n of attack,¡± Imanded.


    ¡°Uh, sure.¡± He swallowed his food and then tilted his head with a calcting look in his eye. ¡°But if you don¡¯t mind me asking, what is the n of attack?¡±


    I sent him an irritated nce and he rolled his eyes, grabbing the bowl and moving past me. ¡°Yeah, yeah, need-to-know basis. I got it.¡±


    ¡°Tallon,¡± I stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.


    He looked at me with a confused expression.


    ¡°Thanks. I know all of this has been a lot, but you¡¯ve dealt with it just like a real leader would. You¡¯ve done a great job, Tallon.¡±


    Surprise flickered across his features, and I spotted a deep-rooted pride as he grinned at me with a beam the force of the sun¡¯s rays. But just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished behind a familiar mischievous look.


    ¡°Aw, Gio,¡± Tallon teased with a baby-ish voice, ¡°that¡¯s the nicest thing you¡¯ve ever said to me. I knew you had to have a heart under all that tin!¡±


    I rolled my eyes, but my lips pulled upward despite my best efforts. Somehow Tallon always knew how to ease the tension, to make the other personfortable.


    ¡°Just go get Gabriele and Alessandro,¡± I shoved his head forward, ignoring his puppy-dog eyes that were sparkling with humor.


    ¡®Yes, sir, boss, sir!¡± Tallon saluted poorly and then marched out of the kitchen, still clutching his bowl of crackers.


    Once he was gone, I rxed. My shoulders slumped and I pushed the hair back from my face, feeling like I¡¯d aged ten years in the past month. All I wanted was to crawl into bed with Olivia and Elio and not move for a week.


    But there was still more work to do.


    There was always more work to do.

 Chapter 499 : Calm Before the Storm

    <h4>Chapter 499: Chapter 499 : Calm Before the Storm</h4>


    *Giovani*


    I stood in my office, leaning over a map of Florence on a spare table we¡¯d dragged in there a few days ago. My desk had been pushed against the wall to amodate, but I hadn¡¯t wanted to sit since then anyway. The map, push-pinned to hell and back, took precedence.


    Tallon, Alessandro, and Gabriele had all been rotating in and out of my office for days. I didn¡¯t take meetings outside thepound anymore. I couldn¡¯t, not until I knew Lorenz was six feet under.


    I sighed and smoothed out a wrinkled corner of the map. Lorenz hadn¡¯t made a peep since we took Sal back. The man clearly had more information than he could¡¯ve wanted out, so Lorenz¡¯s silence unnerved me. What was he nning?


    Could we have been wrong to trust Sal?


    Again?


    The door swung open to reveal Tallon with a bag of chips in his hands. I straightened.


    ¡°Had to pull the heist of the century to get these without Maria appearing to make me something ¡®more substantial,¡¯¡± he said.


    I forced a chuckle. I¡¯d kept Tallon by my side thesest few days, devoting the lion¡¯s share of his time to parsing Sal¡¯s information and nning, and he¡¯d finally started to loosen up from that stiffness he acquired after I sed Gabriele on Alessandro¡¯s crew a few too many times. He kept that razor wit I¡¯d noticed over thest month as well.


    He still wore those Easter-looking suits, though. Right now, he only had on a gray button-down and the salmon pants of today¡¯s pick, his jacket abandoned over a chair.


    ¡°When will the others be here?¡± I asked.


    We were nearly certain we¡¯d gotten everything we could out of Sal and were running out of further extraptions to make. It was time to pick a n and set it in motion.


    I nced at the video receiver of the baby monitor. Olivia and Elio sat on the floor of the nursery, coloring in a massive coloring book together in the evening light. I hadn¡¯t left my office before midnight since Sal woke up, and this was mypromise to keep from losing my mind. The more days passed without a contact from Lorenz, the more nervous I got.


    Tallon checked his watch. ¡°Couple minutes. Got any early thoughts?¡±


    I almostughed. I¡¯d fallen asleep dreaming of this map, nning entrances and escapes. ¡°A few, but I¡¯d rather not repeat myself.¡±


    He nodded andpsed into silence.


    A couple of minutes, just a couple minutes, and then I¡¯d know when my family could be safe again, when we could let Elio sleep through the night without checking on him every couple of hours... when I could move my gun from the locking holster I¡¯d attached under our bedframe back to its case, and when I could breathe without the weight of the world on my shoulders.


    As Tallon casually perused the map and munched, it struck me suddenly that a regr operation like this never felt like the weight of the world before. I¡¯d turned myself over to the same goddamn Russians with less angst.


    Olivia¡¯s eyes came back to my mind, nearly dead with exhaustion, as she asked me if I¡¯d ever consider retiring.


    Someone knocked on the door once, then opened it without an invitation. Gabriele and Alessandro stepped together into the room.


    ¡°Evening.¡± Gabriele inclined his head.


    Alessandro rubbed his hands together. ¡°Let¡¯s n a raid.¡±


    My lips twitched, but I nodded. ¡°Yes. Come see what we¡¯ve figured out.¡±


    Gabriele and Alessandro walked closer. On all four sides, we leaned over its pocked surface.


    There were at least thirty pins in the map, covering every quadrant of the city. Sal had given up every location where he knew business went down, and I grimaced every time I looked at just how much of a hold the Russians had established in my city under my nose. But most of them were in metal push pins. Only eight, scattered across the city, bore colored tops.


    Gabriele pointed at one and quirked an eyebrow at me.


    ¡°Hearts of the operation,¡± I said. ¡°The Russians grew fast, but to do so, they had to be sloppy. Most of these are only half-owned by them.¡±


    ¡°Or less,¡± Tallon offered. ¡°Intel suggests a lot of the ones near our territory, ¡± he said as he pointed to a few push pins unsettlingly close to thepound, ¡°are more aesthetic presences than anything official.¡±


    I nodded at him.


    Gabriele pointed to a red push pin, then a yellow one. ¡°Do these colors have meanings? Should we n around that?¡±


    I waved my hand at Tallon. I knew, but it had been his idea. He smiled.


    ¡°Green is drugs. The only ones that made it to this level are big-time cookers, so anybody who goes there is going to have to be prepared for explosives,¡± he said. ¡°Red is warehouses, and yellow is major safehouses.¡±


    Gabriele hummed. ¡°We could hit the hearts, then run cleanup when they scatter?¡±


    ¡°One more thing.¡± I pointed to a ck-painted pin in the heart of the city, barely a block from the Questura, the Florentine police headquarters. ¡°That¡¯s Lorenz¡¯s primary safe house.¡±


    Tallon and I were surprised when Sal had that particr piece of information. It turned out that his being a rat who was totally willing to sell out to the highest bidder with no provocation made him desperate to learn a lot of valuable things about the Russians.


    Alessandro smiled viciously. ¡°Maybe we hit there tonight, scare ¡®em for whateveres next.¡±


    Gabriele red at him. ¡°And give them a chance to flee? We need to finish them this time.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Alessandro put his hands up. ¡°I just don¡¯t want him running around any longer than necessary.¡±


    I breathed out slowly through my nose, trying to stay the Don rather than the furious, vengeful father. I nearly left as soon as Sal gave that up, but I knew it would be stupid. If we didn¡¯t do this right, we might as well not do it at all.


    ¡°Nobody does,¡± I said through gritted teeth. ¡°But early strikes are exactly the sort of fuck-up I won¡¯t be having this time around. Last time, he slipped through our fingers.¡± I met Alessandro¡¯s eyes, then Tallon¡¯s. ¡°Not again.¡±


    They nodded in unison.


    ¡°I think Gabriele has the right idea,¡± I said more calmly. ¡°We¡¯re not going to get enough impact from a single hit, so we¡¯re going to have to spread thin and be ready to scatter. The cement of his safehouse is obviously a taunt, but we can¡¯t know whether he actually has enough polizia to pose a significant threat in that sector.¡±


    ¡°So we need eight team leaders,¡± Alessandro said. ¡°At least.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve considered that.¡± I¡¯d considered everything. ¡°For a while, I thought it would be smartest to assign each of us a team and give four to other men I trust, but I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡±


    I paused. All three men paused with me, waiting for my pronouncement. I¡¯d gotten into the habit of little tricks like this when I first became Don, just testing how much other people were really willing to listen to me, but I¡¯d given them up over the years. I didn¡¯t need them when I knew this would happen every time.


    This time, I did it as a different sort of test. I wanted to see if it gave me the same rush it used to, knowing I was the only thing holding three extremely dangerous criminals in check, and they would wait as long as it pleased me.


    Instead of the sharp rush of power, I just kind of felt like an asshole. These men were my family and old friends. I didn¡¯t need to hold my silence over their head to feel important.


    ¡°Gabriele and I will go together, and lead the team on Lorenz¡¯s safe house.¡±


    Tallon nched and Alessandro made a small, disgruntled noise, but I put up a hand.


    ¡°Part of making sure there are no fuck-ups is putting the best people in the best positions to do the best work.¡± I looked at both brothers. ¡°He knows your weak spots already, at least well enough to escape you once. I know you¡¯re both very different people now, but I can¡¯t take that risk.¡±


    Tallon dropped his head. ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    Alessandro scowled at the map but didn¡¯t say anything.


    I looked at Gabriele, who shrugged. I shook my head. I could deal with Alessandro¡¯s sulkter.


    ¡°Gabriele, can you draw up a list of the five best, immediately avable people?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s basically already done. I guessed something like this wasing.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Alright. Now let¡¯s get into the weeds. How do we get in¨C¡± I began, pointing to a random colored pin, ¡°there?¡±


    Hours passed in a blur. Ins and outs, police patrols and street names raced through my mind like tape in a tape yer. I argued back and forth with my men, hammering out every detail of the perfect assault on the Russians.


    When I looked up, it waste again. Olivia rocked a pajamaed Elio in her arms, clearly preparing him for bed. And the n was done.


    I stared at the map, now scribbled all over with little ck and red arrows.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be spread thin,¡± Tallon said.


    ¡°Not thin enough to screw us,¡± Gabriele replied. ¡°And that¡¯s all that matters for an attack this massive.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Can we have everyone ready by tomorrow night? We¡¯ve already waited long enough to set all this up.¡±


    ¡°They took your son.¡± Gabriele¡¯s gaze grew hard. ¡°You say jump, and half our men¡¯ll take flight.¡±


    Alessandro crossed his arms. ¡°I¡¯m ready now, and I doubt I¡¯m the only one.¡±


    Tallon nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure they¡¯re ready.¡±


    I looked from them, to the map, to my wife on the tiny receiver.


    ¡°Tomorrow night,¡± I said. ¡°Go tell everyone.¡±


    The three of them trooped out, and quiet reigned over my office. I sighed heavily. Our n was good, good enough that I shouldn¡¯t be worried. But somehow my mind kept straying back to Sal on the floor of that warehouse, bleeding and staring at us as we fled. Nothing should¡¯ve gone wrong then, either.


    I ran a hand through my swiftly graying hair and realized with a shock that it was trembling slightly. I was scared, scared of going out tomorrow night, triumphant already with this stupid n, and getting hurt.


    I slumped against the table. Did I ever think of retiring? Yes, all the goddamn time these days. How could I not, when I knew every step out my front fucking door could leave Olivia widowed and Elio fatherless?


    The portraits of all the Dons before me stared down at me. Most of them had wives, and several had families. They endured the life despite the danger. I always thought I¡¯d be able to when my time came.


    I took a deep breath. I needed to go see Olivia.

 Chapter 500 : Hope for the Future

    <h4>Chapter 500: Chapter 500 : Hope for the Future</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I rocked Elio to sleep, singing to him quietly. Since his return, he¡¯d had trouble going to bed at night. I nced at the window, moonlight streaming through the new bars across it, and wished I could exin to him all the security measures that we¡¯d put in.


    My singing faltered, and I swallowed. Elio clutched at my shirt. No, I didn¡¯t want that. I wished my son didn¡¯t have to fear going to sleep in case he woke up, drugged, in a strange location again.


    I stroked his hand and picked up the song again before his eyes could open, an old folk-rock song my mother used to sing to me when I couldn¡¯t fall asleep at night.


    As his tiny fist started to soften, the door creaked open. My head shot up, but it was only Gio, backlit by the light in the room. I put a finger to my lips and kept up the song.


    Gio crept into the room and stroked Elio¡¯s small cheek. As though he was waiting for proof of his father as well, Elio¡¯s hand dropped off my shirt, and his head fell back.


    I smiled and kept singing as I stood and walked to his crib. Gio trailed after us like he couldn¡¯t quite bear to be more than a few feet away. I eased Elio into his crib, and he only stirred enough to grab the nket I ced over him and tuck it under his chin.


    Gio wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and we stood in silence together. Elio had been back for days now, but his presence still felt bizarrely temporary, like he could disappear whenever I turned my back on him.


    After a long moment, I sighed and turned to leave. Gio turned with me, and we snuck out together. I stared at the half-lit sitting room and our bedroom door behind it, wondering whether Gio wanted to have a couch conversation or a bed one.


    ¡°I have news,¡± he said.


    Sometimes, it was like he could read my mind. I moved toward the couch, but he caught my wrist.


    ¡°It¡¯ste,¡± he murmured. ¡°Let¡¯s just talk as we get ready for bed.¡±


    I pursed my lips but nodded. I tried to keep mafia talk out of the bedroom wherever possible, but I couldn¡¯t deny the aching in my feet or the tiredness in my limbs. I wanted to get out of my clothes, even though I¡¯d chosen afy T-shirt and loose shorts, andy down.


    Gio shut off all the lights in the sitting room, double-checked the door was locked, and headed into the bedroom. I allowed myself a moment in the dark, trying to feel sleepy instead of exhausted, calm instead of terrified. Then, I followed him.


    He had already shed his jacket and was unpinning his cufflinks when I entered the room. I walked automatically over to help him. He always struggled with the one on his right side.


    He smiled. ¡°We¡¯ve got a n to strike.¡±


    I nodded. Part of me hoped I could sleep a little easier with Lorenz off the streets, but I doubted it at this point.


    ¡°It¡¯s tomorrow.¡± He shed his left cufflink and offered me his right arm. ¡°We¡¯re going to hit all their major locations, then clean up in the weeks toe.¡±


    ¡°Like you did with Dmitri?¡± I couldn¡¯t keep the exhaustion out of my voice as I freed his right cufflink and scooped them both up to carry into the closet.


    He swallowed. ¡°Well, yeah. We don¡¯t have the numbers to be confident on any kind of bigger operation.¡±


    I trudged into the closet and dropped his cufflinks in their drawer. ¡°And are you part of this strike?¡±


    He paused in the doorway, unbuttoning his shirt. ¡°Yes.¡±


    A wave of numbness washed over me. Another day, another lethal risk for my husband to take. He said he didn¡¯t know when this would be over, and I was starting to think it never would be.


    I pulled off my T-shirt, and when I turned to grab my pajamas, Gio stepped up behind me. The open sides of his shirt brushed against my back as he unhooked my bra with warm hands.


    I leaned back against him, wishing the warmth of his skin against mine was enough to chase the chill of fear away. ¡°Did you think at all about what I said?¡±


    He eased my bra off my shoulders. ¡°I did, actually, a lot.¡±


    There was a weightiness to his voice that kindled a small ember of hope in my chest. It didn¡¯t sound exactly like a ¡®no¡¯ voice, just the voice of someone working through a difficult decision.


    ¡°And?¡± I asked breathlessly.


    He pressed a kiss to my bare shoulder as my bra tumbled off. ¡°When I was younger, I lived for the family. You have to in this business.¡±


    I turned to face him, that ember kindling into a me as his eyes trailed down my bare chest. ¡°But you¡¯re older now.¡±


    He nodded indulgently. ¡°Older, and wiser, and I¡¯ve got a new family to live for.¡±


    The me burned brighter. I pressed my hands to his bare chest. ¡°You mean...?¡±


    He pulled me into him. ¡°I mean this is myst operation. I will retire, and I will be happy to spend that retirement with my family.¡±


    I squealed and threw my arms around his neck. He kissed me, long and hard, the skin of our chests warming against one another. The ze of hope burned away all my numbness, bringing me to life again.


    When would this end? Tomorrow night... one more night, and then Gio would begin taking the steps to retire. I didn¡¯t know what that meant, and I didn¡¯t care right now. All that mattered to me was that my beautiful, wonderful husband and my beautiful, wonderful son would be safe moving forward.


    His hands skimmed up my sides, cupping my breasts, and I shoved his shirt off his shoulders. He chuckled into my mouth and lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist, his loosened belt buckle pressing into my thigh, and he carried me back into the bedroom.


    As hey me back gently on the edge of the bed and stared into my eyes, love overwhelmed me. I¡¯d moved to Italy on this whirlwind adventure, fallen in love with a mob boss, tried to make myself part of his world, and in the end we both realized we¡¯d be happier together than being anything else... just us and our son, our perfect family.


    Gio stared down at me, his eyes burning like he was thinking all the same things. I cupped his cheek.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I murmured.


    He grinned. ¡°I love you, always and forever.¡±


    I pulled him back down to kiss me, slow andnguorous. We had all the time in the world. His mouth moved over mine,zily familiar, and I wove my fingers into his hair.


    He traced his fingers over my breasts in teasing circles, taunting my nipples but never quite lingering. Goose bumps broke out over my skin, and a low moan gathered in the back of my throat. I felt Gio smile against my lips.


    As revenge, I ran my nails lightly over the ridges of his muscled body. They rippled under my touch, and he leaned forward, pressing me into the bed. I could feel his cock already starting to harden.


    I pushed myself further onto the bed, hoping he would follow me andy down, but he merely moved his mouth from mine, down the column of my throat, and onto my breasts. He kissed them with the same easy passion, and I loosened my hand in his hair. I didn¡¯t want to steer him. I just wanted to enjoy this moment, the first when I really believed things might again be quiet someday.


    He teased my nipples to points, coaxing small moans out of my mouth in a ceaseless waterfall. When I was sure they couldn¡¯t get any harder, I pushed myself up the bed again, hoping he¡¯d get the hint this time.


    As before, he remained, kissing down the ne of my stomach to the hem of my shorts. He ran his hands up the outsides of my legs, grabbed the top of my shorts and my underwear, and eased them down my legs. I moaned as air met the wetness between my legs, and his lips never left my skin.


    He merely kissed down over one hip bone, along the inside of my leg to almost my knee, back up, and across to cover the other leg. I writhed underneath him, the slow attention bringing every one of my senses into sharp focus.


    I was achingly wet, desperate for touch, but when I met his blue gaze, I couldn¡¯t ask for anything more. He burned with that same love I¡¯d seen when heid me down, and he intended to take as long as he damn well pleased, showing that to me.


    I rxed under him. He would touch me when the time was right. I trusted himpletely.


    Finally, his kisses lingered at the top of my pubic hair, and he spread my legs slightly wider with gentle hands. I bucked into his touch. He chuckled against my skin and pressed his mouth to the center of my heat.


    I moaned.


    He licked me slowly, teasing my bud but never applying direct pressure. His hands on my legs kept me from wrapping around him, forcing him closer, with the gentlest restraint. I could break it in a moment, but it was enough to know he wanted me to wait.


    My arousal sharpened to a point of near pain as he dragged out minute after minute of pleasure. Gio knew exactly how to make mee, and that meant he knew how to keep me on the precipice, waiting for the moment of release. Every time it approached, he backed off without me having to say a word.


    After the fifth time that I approached the edge and he backed away, he leaned his head against my thigh. His chin glistened in the low light.


    ¡°Well, carina, do you want this one by yourself or with me?¡± he asked.


    I couldn¡¯t make him feel like this in the amount of time it would take me to sail over the edge, and I wanted him to feel as special, as known, as cared for. I nced at the clock on the wall.


    We had more than enough time for another few rounds.


    I moved my hand in his hair to his cheek, regardless of the stickiness. ¡°With you.¡±


    He kissed my palm and stood, shucking his pants and underwear in a single move. His cock stood at proud attention. I scooted up the bed onest time,ying back on our pillows, and beckoned him forward. He grinned andid down on top of me.


    I ran my hands from his shoulders down to his ass, memorizing every line of his body like I didn¡¯t already know it by heart. One more mission, and I¡¯d stop having to worry about losing him in some drive-by nobody expected. One more mission, and I could be sure I had this forever.


    He kissed me as he lined up, and I could taste myself on his lips. I burned for him.


    Gio slid home in a single thrust, our hips meeting as we moaned in harmony. I wrapped my legs around his waist, holding him close, only letting him pull back a scant few inches. He dropped from holding himself up on his palms to his elbows, our chests pressed so close together I could nearly feel the weight of him.


    I smiled softly and kissed him again as he set the samenguorous pace with his cock. His mouth trailed over my lips, my cheeks, my throat. I kissed him back, his eyelids, his jawline. Even as my orgasm built to a fever pitch between my legs, I could only think about keeping him this close to me forever, safe and in my arms.


    It didn¡¯t take much to push me over the edge. My vision turned white as pleasure, deepened by love, became my whole world. Distantly, I heard him call my name and tense, his orgasm on the heels of mine.


    When we both trembled through the aftershocks, he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and rolled so I was on top, his cock still nestled inside me. I pillowed my head on his chest with a peaceful sigh.


    He kissed my hair. ¡°It¡¯s going to take a little while to actually make the transfer. Maybe a month or two.¡±


    I patted his chest. ¡°I don¡¯t need to know that now. I only want to take a little nap before I make you feel as good as I just did.¡±


    A smallugh rumbled from his chest underneath me. ¡°Alright, carina. Whatever you want.¡±


    I shut my eyes and let drowsiness fold over me like a nket, feeling lighter than I had in a long time.

 Chapter 501 : No Regrets

    <h4>Chapter 501: Chapter 501 : No Regrets</h4>


    *Giovani*


    As night fell, everything began to fall into ce. I slid out of the ck sedan with a grim look, staring at the front of the safe house we¡¯d tracked down thanks to Salvatore¡¯s information. This was the final one in the area and based on his information, I knew that Lorenz should be there.


    Tallon was across town, raiding their biggest supply warehouse. He¡¯d already taken down the men working there and salvaged whatever products they had been transporting. Lucky for us, some of it was still usable.


    Alessandro¡¯s team was near the docks we know they used. We¡¯d already bribed all the ship captains and others in the area so that if anyone decided to make a getaway by boat or even train or car, we would know about it. Alessandro took great pleasure in knowing he was in charge of anyone trying to escape.


    I shuddered to think what he would do to them. We may have been cruel, but Alessandro still hadn¡¯t forgiven them for Dahlia¡¯s kidnapping, even if it hadn¡¯t been Lorenz in charge at that time.


    Either way, though, it was no sweat off my back so long as we captured or killed each one of these motherfuckers. This was going to end tonight.


    We¡¯d made sure of it.


    Dark shadows moved across the roofs of the buildings behind us, guns pointed and eyes watching for any sign of movement. I surveyed the dark building closely. There was not a single light on inside, but that was to be expected.


    The ce was probably kept secure from any prying eyes by dark tints on the windows. Luckily, the security wasx around it, probably because they were just overconfident, or maybe the men Lorenz was paying just didn¡¯t care enough.


    All the men who had been loyal to Dmitri were either killed or had abandoned the cause, leaving only mercenaries for hire. Those kinds of men were only in it for the money. They didn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass who was paying them.


    It was a fatal mistake for Lorenz.


    Gabriele held out my gun, offering the handle first with an impassive look on his face that made him appear more bored than serious, but I knew he was more attentive than he looked. He¡¯d already had this ce watched for the whole day and memorized the schedules and names of its inhabitants.


    There was no room for error this time, no chance to let anyone escape. Every entrance and back door to the building was covered by our men, leaving dozens of eyes watching in case they spotted even the slightest chance of a runner.


    They had their instructions¨Cshoot them down and leave no survivors.


    ¡°Ready?¡± I asked Gabriele as I cocked my gun, checking the bullets and making sure there were no bugs. The bulletproof vest I wore over my clothes was heavier than usual, with double padding at Oliia¡¯s insistence.


    Hopefully, we won¡¯t have to test it, I thought.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± Gabriele sighed, grabbing his firearm from the holster and cocking it back with a snap.


    He sent me a determined nod, and I turned to the men we had waiting behind us.


    I raised my hand, pointing to the building for a go motion, and suddenly everything else went quiet as I stuffed the plugs into my ears. The entire street had vanished into a bubble, and there was just me and the cold metal in my hands.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I ordered sharply.


    Gabriele and I took the lead, rushing toward the building and pressing our backs against the rough brick walls. Gabriele nodded to a few of the men following us and raised their guns,pletely ready.


    We were hidden just out of sight but close enough that the minute Lorenz and his men showed up, we¡¯d be ready to take them out.


    ¡°Take out Lorenz and his second inmand,¡± Imanded the men going in with us. ¡°Leave no survivors.¡±


    It was the only way to end this once and for all.


    It didn¡¯t take long before the rat came running into the trap,pletely unaware. The ck car rolled up and we watched patiently as it halted to a stop in front of the house.


    Out stepped Lorenz.


    He had the same arrogance as thest time we¡¯d met, barking out sharp orders in Russian to the man who got out of the car with him. Said man was a big bully type and looked no happier under Lorenz¡¯smand than his boss.


    But he followed him in, probably as just hired muscle to guard him. Salvatore had mentioned Lorenz¡¯s paranoia about being attacked. Though, would it be paranoia if he was really going to get attacked? I wondered.


    Lorenz and his hired gun disappeared into the safe house, and I smirked. We¡¯d finally got him.


    I made a hand signal to Gabriele, who passed it down the line. Our men lined up on the rooftops, rifles pointed at the windows and doors on all sides. I kept a firm grip on my pistol, taking the moment to pull up the protective mask, taking a swift count to make sure the other guys had done so as well, then we swiftly took action.


    We moved fast as we ran to the door and paused for only a second as Gabriele set a hard metallic device on the door. We moved to the sides of the doorway and Gabriele counted down with his fingers.


    Three, two, one....


    The door splintered with the force of the metal device and immediately I pulled the tab of the smoke grenade and threw it in. It took less than five seconds before we heard the shouts and curses, and then smoke billowed out from the doorway.


    Immediately, I heard the sound of ss breaking on the second floor and a loud shot. Something heavy fell into the bushes beside us, but I wasn¡¯t going to look. I stormed inside, followed by my men, gun raised as I spotted the targets.


    A bullet hit the chests of one, two, and then a third man and we continued forward. Between the sounds of gunfire, bodies dropping to the floor, and the smoke filling the room, it was chaotic but also precise.


    wlessly we took it room by room, swiftly taking out each of the men we saw until we had cornered thest few in the basement, where we knew there was an escape route. Unfortunately for them, we¡¯d already copsed that tunnel ahead of time. Salvatore¡¯s information had paid off significantly.


    Once we got back, I figured the least I could do was give him a gift basket.


    He did take a gunshot to the kidney, after all.


    I heard screaming in Russian as we broke open the basement door and stormed down the stairs. I raised my pistol at Lorenz, finding him easily among the six men trying to escape. I smirked at the panicked look on his face as we surrounded them.


    Only a few of the men had weapons on them and they didn¡¯t know who to point at, considering how many of us there werepared with them. The hired gun behind Lorenz didn¡¯t even bother to put up a fight He simply looked resigned to his fate.


    ¡°Giovani,¡± Lorenz hissed.


    I unstrapped my mask, pulling it down so he could see my face. It was a risky move, but a calcted one.


    ¡°Fucking shoot him!¡± Lorenz hollered.


    One of the hired men, still young, maybe in his twenties, raised his gun, his hands shaking. But I red at him fiercely as five guns pointed straight at his skull.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you," I told him roughly.


    The kid swallowed, clearly unsure of what to do, but finally, he dropped his gun, raising his hands in the air in surrender. I saw tears in the corner of his eyes, and it was clear that he hadn¡¯t been in this life for long.


    ¡°You fucking coward!¡± Lorenz screamed, seething in rage. ¡°Fucking die with honor!¡±


    That seemed to be thest straw for the hired men. The other two dropped their guns to the group, raising their hands in surrender as they turned away from their former boss.


    I jerked my head to Gabriele, who nodded. He gestured to the five men who surrendered, each walking forward obediently with their hands raised. He zip-tied their hands behind their backs, forcing them toy on their stomachs one by one.


    Lorenz was left standing there all alone, staring at the end of twenty barrels.


    ¡°You think you¡¯ve won?¡± Lorenz snarled, giving me a nasty re. ¡°You haven¡¯t. You can kill me. You can kill every Russian in Italy and it won¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll alwayse back. We¡¯ll never stoping until you and your filthy kin are dead!¡±


    I shrugged, not caring about his idle threats.


    ¡°They can try, but we¡¯ll always win in the end,¡± I smirked. I pointed the muzzle of my gun straightat his temple, with no remorse or hesitation at all. ¡°Anyst words?¡±


    Lorenz straightened his spine, looked me right in the eye, and announced loudly for everyone to hear, ¡°Long live the Zaytsev.¡±


    And I pulled the trigger.


    Dark red liquid sshed across my face and the back wall. I heard the kid on the floor gagging and whimpering as we all heard the loud thud. I watched emotionlessly, simply brushing the blood away with the back of my hand and lowering the gun.


    ¡°What do we do about them?¡± Gabriele asked, his arms crossed as if he hadn¡¯t just witnessed a brutal murder in front of his eyes.


    This was a Tuesday for us.


    I nced at the kid on the floor and then to the resigned looks of the other four. I gave Gabriele a dark look.


    ¡°The n hasn¡¯t changed,¡± I said coldly.


    I stepped over the handcuffed men on the floor, heading back upstairs as Gabriele gave the order. I was out of the house by the time the shots rang out.


    I cleaned off my gun, waiting outside as the men stripped the house, making sure not a single piece of evidence linking us to the scene could be found. I nced at the sky above. It was cloudy tonight, with no sign of any stars. The moon barely peeked out asionally.


    I suddenly missed the starry sky Olivia had painted in Elio¡¯s room. The mural was more beautiful on a dreary and bitter night like tonight.


    I waited for the calls from Tallon, only mildly paying attention as he confirmed that all the Russian spaces were destroyed and the entire leadership had been taken out in one fell swoop. Alessandro phoned in and shared in great detail how he had taken care of the runners.


    I didn¡¯t particrly care how it got done, so long as it had.


    Maybe I was being needlessly cruel.


    But I held no regrets. I did what needed to be done to keep my family safe. Though I was sure the face of that kid, of Lorenz, and every man I¡¯d ever killed woulde to haunt me on quiet nights, I could deal with that.


    The conclusion could only be made better if there was a sunset I could ride into.


    Now all that was left was toplete my final act as Don¨Cnaming my sessor.

 Chapter 502 : It’s Over

    <h4>Chapter 502: Chapter 502 : It¡¯s Over</h4>


    *Olivia*


    I hummed a soft luby, gently stroking the back of the precious child in my arms. Elio was fast asleep and I held him steadfastly. He was growing so big, and I knew that soon I wouldn¡¯t be able to carry him like that anymore.


    Iid my cheek onto his soft curls, closing my eyes as I swayed back and forth gently like a slow dance just for the two of us. I couldn¡¯t even begin to exin how much love I held for him in my heart. I would do anything for him.


    He was the greatest joy I had ever been given.


    The soft luby I had been singing ended and before I could begin again, I heard the sound of footsteps just outside the door, heavy, like something was weighing them down. The door creaked open, the spot of light from the hallway cutting through the dark room.


    My heart leaped to my throat as my husband stood in the doorway, ncing at me and Elio with such sheer palpable relief. I knew instantly that he needed to talk to me. I gently moved Elio to his crib,ying him down.


    He stirred slightly as Iid him on his back, clenching his fingers as he stretched them over his head but eventually, he rxed and fell back into sleep once more. I tucked him into his baby nket, settling his stuffed sharkie in his armpit.


    I turned to Gio, who watched me with a warm look in his eyes. I tiptoed out of the room, grabbing Gio¡¯s hand as I passed and led him out into the sitting room of our suite. We left the door open, and though I was still a bit worried about leaving him to sleep in there alone, our security measures had tripled since he had been kidnapped.


    I reassured my anxieties, remembering all the locks and changes we had implemented to make sure a repeat never happened again, not to mention that the baby monitor we installed was strapped to the wall and was sr-charged, so there was no chance of removing the batteries.


    We¡¯d spared no expense to make sure Elio would be safe from now on.


    I let Gio into our room, gently shutting the door behind me as I ced the new monitor on the nightstand. I stepped closer to him, lightly brushing my palm against his cheek. There was a bit of stubble there, a shadow that he hadn¡¯t shaven yet.


    "Gio?" I asked, wondering what the vague look in his eyes meant. Normally I could read him like a book, but I was lost now.


    He leaned into my touch, grasping my hand and holding it to his cheek like I might disappear or like he was trying to reassure himself that I wasn¡¯t just a dream version of myself. I was startled when I saw the shine in his eyes, the welling of a tear in the corner of one, and I immediately stepped closer, pulling him into a hug.


    "What happened? What¡¯s wrong?" I demanded, my head racing with possibilities.


    Never before had I seen him shed a single tear, except for the night Elio had been taken. I was the emotional one in our rtionship, and Gio was the rock who kept me from floating away into the clouds.


    It felt weird and rming to have it reversed all of a sudden.


    Gio held me tightly, clutching me in his arms as he buried his face in the crook of my neck. Then with a heavy whisper in my ear, he said, ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    At first, it didn¡¯t register in my head. Over what? Was he breaking up with me? Did he want a divorce? Then why would he be clinging to me like this? What on earth was he¨C


    Then it hit me like being pped with a bag of bricks. These were the words I¡¯d been longing to hear for so long now.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, eyes wide in realization.


    The heat welling up my eyes hit a crescendo as tears poured down my cheeks in an overwhelming sense of relief, and then I was holding my husband just as tightly as he was me. I sobbed into his shoulder, not even sure what I was crying about, but his words echoed through my mind like a mantra.


    It was over. It was truly, truly over... no more would I fear every person who passed me on the street. There would be no more double-checking every lock in Elio¡¯s room before bed, no more hesitating over the motivations of every person I met, no more looking over our shoulders for someone to stab us in the back.


    And there would be no more wondering if today would be thest time I would see one of my loved ones.


    The endless fear and anxiety we¡¯d been put through were over. My tears seemed like they would never stop as I cried into my husband¡¯s chest, gripping him tightly. Eventually, we both ended up on the floor, me in hisp in a twist of messy limbs.


    I cried until my eyes were raw and red and nothing more wasing out, but we sat there together for what seemed like forever. Just as he had his hands in my hair,forting me with soft kisses to the forehead and my cheeks and nose, Iforted him right back, my palms on his jaw, keeping the two of us as entwined as possible as he held me so tight it was almost painful.


    But all I felt was safe and secure.


    And hopeful.


    ¡°What now?¡± I finally asked after my tears had stopped, my voice hoarse after the sobs had wrecked it to pieces. I pulled back from Gio just enough to look into his eyes, searching for whatever he had nned next.


    He had yet to tell me what he wanted to do¨Cabout the family, about me and Elio, and whether we would be staying here. Whatever he decided, I would have to be okay with it, even if he wanted to remain the Don. As long as I had him with me, we could work through anything.


    ¡°Well...¡± Gio started, sending me a crooked grin, his emotionspletely open for me to see and feel.


    I could feel his heart racing under my palms, and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was anxiety or excitement that was reflected in his eyes... or maybe it was both.


    ¡°In a month, I will announce my retirement as the Don,¡± Gio dered with a sure smile.


    I reeled back in surprise, positive I had to have heard him wrong, but the moment I saw his smile, so loving and understanding as he caressed my cheek with one hand, bringing me close so that I could feel the heat of his breath caressing my skin, I knew he had made up his mind.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked worriedly, feeling bad now that he might be doing this for me and not because he actually wanted to. ¡°I want you to do this for you and not for me. Elio and I¨C¡±


    ¡°Are my priority.¡± Gio cut me off firmly, giving me a half-scolding nce. ¡°I didn¡¯t make this decision just because of that. I admit I¡¯m a bit nervous about leaving the position. I don¡¯t know what else I¡¯ll do with my life, but the family needs new leadership now, and I want to be with you and Elio for a long time, without the danger of my position as Don. I¡¯ll name a recement and we can go wherever you want.¡±


    ¡°Anywhere?¡± I beamed, my mind bursting with the possibilities of a new life for us.


    We could move to one of the other cities in Italy, stay close but allow my son to grow up in the country he was born in, or maybe we could move back to the States, to be closer to Dahlia and my mom. James and Ba would love to have us close, I was sure of it.


    The world was so wide, though, and I wanted to see all of it, to show Elio everything it had to offer and let him experience all the things I never got to as a kid. But I realized as I gazed into the warm eyes of my husband that it didn¡¯t matter where we went.


    ¡°As long as we¡¯re together.¡± I smiled, bursting with happiness.


    ¡°Of course. You can¡¯t get rid of me yet, carina.¡± He chuckled,ying a kiss on my temple. ¡°We¡¯ll have to hold a big party for it, invite everyone in the family, so if I could have your help with that, I¡¯d appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Of course! You can count on me,¡± I said with a grin, then I quietly added, ¡°and Dahlia.¡±


    He rolled his eyes with a fondness to it that I adored. As much as heined, I know he loved Dahlia just as much as I did.


    ¡°Just make sure you two don¡¯t go overboard.¡± He sent me a stern look but I leaned up to kiss him and changed the subject.


    ¡°So who are you naming as your sessor?¡± I asked cheekily.


    I could tell by the look he sent me that he knew exactly what I was doing. But he loved me too much to call me out on it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡± He sighed, allowing me to distract him. ¡°I don¡¯t know who would make the best choice for Don. James chose me because he trusted that I¡¯d know how to handle it. No matter who I choose, someone¡¯s going to be resentful.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who you want yet? Did you pick out a few candidates?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Not yet, but I will. I have to, after all.¡±


    ¡°Gio,¡± I said, grasping him by the cheeks and forcing him to look at me. ¡°You will make the right decision. I know you will. Trust your gut and go with it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s riching from you, Miss Overthinker.¡± He grinned.


    ¡°Hey.¡± I winked at him. ¡°That¡¯s Mrs. Overthinker.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± he smirked. ¡°So there¡¯s a Mr. Overthinker in your life, is there? Careful or you¡¯ll make me jealous, carina.¡±


    I giggled, bending forward to lean my forehead on his. ¡°Of course there is. I¡¯m looking right at him. You know I would never dare to marry anyone but you, dear.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± he said teasingly, capturing my lips in his.


    He took away my breath, swallowing my moans as he entangled our tongues together. I gripped his curls, pressing my ass down onto hisp and wiggling until I found exactly what I wanted.


    I smirked, grinding my ass on the shadow of his cock through his pants, and listening to the little groan he made at the sudden friction.


    ¡°So,¡± I started innocently, breathing heavily as I broke apart just enough to see his dted pupils and the dizzy hunger on his face. ¡°Where are we moving to?¡±


    And just as I predicted, Gio pinned me onto the floor, forcing my legs apart as he pushed his bulge toward my core. I moaned, loudly, wrapping my legs around his waist, staring up at him coyly.


    ¡°Wherever you want, carina.¡± He smirked indulgently.


    Then he pushed into me.

 Chapter 503 : The Successor

    <h4>Chapter 503: Chapter 503 : The Sessor</h4>


    *Olivia*


    One monthter


    In elementary school, we used to have a motivational poster on the walls of the principal¡¯s office. It was of a line of cartoon birds sitting on a telephone wire, except one of the birds wasn¡¯t a bird at all.


    It was a fish. All the birds were happy and smiling, but the fish was not. The birds avoided the fish like the gue.


    The poster said, ¡°Just because you¡¯re a fish, doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t hang with the birds.¡±


    Honestly, the poster always confused me. How did the fish get on the telephone wire? How was it breathing air? Why were the birds allughing when the fish looked so sad? Why was the fish sad in the first ce?


    It didn¡¯t make sense to my young brain, and it still didn¡¯t.


    Yes, that is exactly what it meant. A fish couldn¡¯t hang out with birds because fish weren¡¯t birds. And every time I brought that point up to the principal, telling her a little rudely that the fish shouldn¡¯t be on a telephone wire in the first ce, she¡¯d always smile sadly and tell me that one day I would understand.


    Today, over fifteen years since I first saw that poster, I finally understood how that fish felt.


    ¡°Joey Baloney! How¡¯s the wife?¡± Alessandro grinned, grasping the hand of a man with a severe case of dark freckles all over his body.


    ¡°Benny the beauty! I swear you get more handsome every time we see you.¡± Tallon winked at the gentleman wearing a fedora with, I had to admit, a rather handsome demeanor despite his age.


    ¡°Fish-eye and Cacti! I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡± Dahlia grinned, rushing over to hug two older women, one with an eyepatch on her left eye, slightly covered by gray hair, and the other wearing a turtleneck sweater with cactuses all over it.


    And with the three of them gone, I was left standing in the middle of the foyer with Elio in my arms, surrounded by dozens of strangers as they came pouring in from not only the front door but the windows and secret passages I hadn¡¯t even known about.


    I hadn¡¯t realized what Gio had meant by inviting the whole family, but I certainly knew now. I stered on a smile, entirely ufortable as weird nicknames were shouted and people rushed past me like I was a ghost.


    No, not a ghost... I was like a fish in a room with birds.


    I silently said an apology to the poor fish I had called out so many times in my youth, standing awkwardly in the way of everyone as Tallon, Alessandro, and Dahlia rushed around greeting everyone by name.


    The cacophony of sounds was so loud that Elio whined into my shoulder, and I was about ready to call it a night and hide in the suite until things settled down when I finally saw a familiar face.


    ¡°Mom!¡± I breathed in relief, stepping forward as my mom pushed her way through the crowd. James and Ba were right behind her with huge smiles on their faces. I dodged my way around, meeting them in the middle, expecting one of my mom¡¯s warm hugs like usual.


    Instead, before I could even blink andprehend what happened, Elio was plucked from my arms and my mom dodged me entirely, pecking kisses all over his face.


    He giggled, babbling, ¡°Gammy!¡± in sheer delight.


    I stood there at a loss, a bit in shock as I watched my mother ignore me in favor of my baby. I dropped my arms to my side, blinking rapidly in sheer betrayal before Baughed, stepping forward to pull me into a hug.


    ¡°But I¡¯m her baby,¡± I pouted into Ba¡¯s arms.


    ¡°You¡¯re both her babies. But he¡¯s just too cute,¡± Ba told me, grinning at the put-out look on my face.


    I had to admit grudgingly that she was right. Elio was too cute for his own good.


    ¡°It¡¯s a grandma thing. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be the same when one of my kids eventually decides to have kids, if they ever find a partner willing to put up with them.¡±


    I grinned at the yful bitterness in her tone. I knew Alessandro and Tallon had both had girlfriends and Dahlia had boyfriends, but the longest any hadsted was three months. In Tallon¡¯s case, he had admitted that he only dated her because her dad ran the ice cream parlor and she bribed him with free ice cream.


    He was devastated when the girl broke up with him on her dad¡¯s orders, mostly because Tallon was going to start running them out of business with all the free ice cream.


    ¡°Eventually,¡± I chuckled, though I hated to break her heart but I was pretty sure that Dahlia never wanted any kids. She was content to be the cool aunt, and even after helping with Elio for so long and doting on him, I doubted she was going to change her mind.


    Dahlia was too stubborn to do so.


    ¡°If you want another baby so bad, you could¡¯ve just asked,¡± James grinned, curling a sly arm around his wife¡¯s waist.


    Ba sent him an amused look. ¡°Nice try, old man, but this factory is done with. You find a way to give birth to the next one and then we¡¯ll talk.¡±


    I grinned. Ba was still young, so it wouldn¡¯t have surprised me if they had had more kids. But I¡¯d heard her say the same excuse to all of his moves on her for years. And just like always, James sighed, relenting unhappily.


    Despite getting older, James was still in great shape and still absolutely in love with his wife. I hoped Gio and I could be like them one day.


    ¡°So where¡¯s my son-inw?¡± Mom asked, still holding onto Elio as she bounced him up and down like it was sheer force of habit. She nced around with a frown, but I knew she wouldn¡¯t find him.


    ¡°He¡¯s off somewhere greeting guests. He¡¯s been stressing about this party for weeks now,¡± I told her with a shrug.


    ¡°Any hint on who the sessor he¡¯s naming is?¡± James asked with a curious tilt of his head.


    I nced up at him, surveying his thoughts, but he truly only seemed curious. Seeing as both of his sons were contenders, I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if he tried to influence us, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.


    ¡°No.¡± I smiled. ¡°He hasn¡¯t even told me yet. Gabriele doesn¡¯t know anything either, so I think he¡¯s been keeping it to himself, or he¡¯s still just procrastinating until the announcement.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, I trust his judgment,¡± James said, nodding, ¡°whatever he may decide.¡±


    ¡°Dinner!¡±


    A loud shout came from inside the extensive dining room, the one that had been left unused for the entire time I¡¯d been living here. The twenty to thirty people started flocking into the room and I grinned, turning to my mom with my arms held out.


    ¡°I¡¯d better go find Gio, but thank you foring. I know it means a lot to both of us,¡± I told them with a bright smile.


    My mom pouted but reluctantly handed over Elio and I kissed his temple as I hitched him onto my hip.


    He cooed happily, grabbing a handful of my hair as he gazed up at me with wide eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, food time.¡± Iughed with him.


    James and Ba waved us off and my mom stayed with them to go find Dahlia, Tallon, and Alessandro. Meanwhile, the crowd easily parted for me and Elio, all of them smiling and cooing at Elio¡¯s bright grin. Meanwhile, he took the chance to say ¡°Hi!¡± to everybody, just like we taught him a few days ago.


    The guests just melted at how adorable he was. I squeezed my way through the dining room and spotted the same curly hair as my son in the crowd. I made my way to Gio at the head of the table, where a second chair and a high chair had been ced next to him.


    Gabriele stoodzily beside him, looking for all intents and purposes like he¡¯d rather be in bed. He yawned, taking his seat to Gio¡¯s right.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I called out to my husband, settling Elio into his high chair and buckling him before I scooted next to him.


    He grinned, a hand wrapping around the back of my neck and he pulled me into a deep kiss in front of everyone.


    My cheeks red as I heard suggestive whistling and loud ¡®oohs¡¯ from nearly everyone settling into the table.


    ¡°Gio,¡± I scolded him as we broke apart, lightly pping his chest with the back of my hand.


    Gio had never done anything like that in front of everybody before, and I couldn¡¯t help being a little embarrassed at the stares and knowing grins every shot at me.


    But when I turned back to Gio, I saw the nervousness in his eyes.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked worriedly, cing my hand on his cheek.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m a little nervous,¡± he admitted with a tired sigh. ¡°A little affection from my beautiful wife and I¡¯ll be right as rain.¡±


    I rolled my eyes but let him pull me close,ying his head in the crook of my neck. I rubbed his back soothingly, whispering into his ear, ¡°You¡¯re still the boss right now, Gio. Everyone has to ept your decision.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He chuckled into my ear.


    Over his shoulder, Dahlia sent me a saucy wink from down the table, making mocking kissy noises, which her mom promptly pped her on the back of the head for.


    But soon, we were all distracted as the doors to the kitchen opened, and in came a line of servers dressed in simple ck and white suits, all carrying massive amounts of food.


    It was like a banquet to feed a whole army, and soon the table was filled to the brim with wine sses topped off in white or red, carved meats, and massive bowls of every side you could imagine. I took my time to enjoy the party, making funny faces at Dahlia across the table as wemunicated in a way that only best friends could.


    Gio spoke to the various men who came up to congratte him on his retirement, dodging the many questions of who he was going to name a sessor. But soon enough, the food was all gone and the night had drawn long.


    After thest piece of pie had been served and eaten, Gio stood up with his empty wine ss in his hand and gently tapped on it with his fork. The sound caught the attention of everyone and all eyes gazed upon him with anticipation.


    ¡°Famiglia!¡± Gio announced loudly for everyone to hear. ¡°I have been the Don of our family for over fifteen years. But as you all may be aware by now, I have decided it is time to step down.¡±


    The room wasplete silence and Gio¡¯s eyes wandered at the many people before him, like a king surveying his subjects onest time.


    He smiled and said, ¡°Though I am sad to be leaving you, I know that you will be in good hands. My choice may be surprising to some, but I believe he is the best person for the job.¡±


    The tension would have snapped a knife with how thick it was. The air was heavy with anticipation as all eyes stared at Giovani as he announced hisst decision as the Don.


    ¡°Everyone, please wee your new Don,¡± Giovani said, proudly, turning to the young man sitting only a few chairs down.


    ¡°Tallon.¡±

 Chapter 504 : The New Don

    <h4>Chapter 504: Chapter 504 : The New Don</h4>


    *Tallon*


    ¡°Wee your new Don, Tallon.¡±


    As the words echoed through the air, in and out of the ears of all fifty people who had been waiting all night to hear who would lead them after Giovani, I wondered a little hysterically, if it was possible for a heart to beat out of a person¡¯s chest.


    Surely, it was impossible. Right?


    Because there was no way the rhythmic pounding in my head, simr to a drum line of the repetitive songs they y at the clubs, was actually my heart trying to rip through my ribcage and onto the dining table.


    That would have been awkward.


    I didn¡¯t think anybody would want a gross bloody mess of an organ on their dessert tes.


    And I was no doctor. Didn¡¯t pay five minutes of attention in health ss except to doodle penises in my textbook for the fun of it, but I¡¯m pretty sure a person couldn¡¯t live without their heart. Not even vampires can live without their hearts, and they¡¯re undead. Though I was pretty sure zombies could.


    But again, that was beside the point.


    Said point was now staring straight at me in the face, a smirk on his lips as my eldest cousin gestured for me to get up and say a few words but honestly, who could follow that?


    ¡°Tallon? Is this a joke?¡±


    ¡°The second son?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he too young to be the Don?¡±


    ¡°Why would Giovani pick him over the other men?¡±


    All around me, the whispers spread like a disease. I flinched at every mention of my name as they spouted it out of their mouths like it was a dirty word. There were pairs of eyes all around me, staring at me and judging my worth,paring me to my brother and father.


    A few sent me congrattions, real smiles on their faces. Old Joe, a hearty man who sat near me, pped his hand over my shoulder with a friendly grin.


    ¡°Congrats, son! Or should I say, Don!¡± he dered for the entire room to hear, bursting intoughter at his bad joke.


    No, no you should not, Joe, I thought.


    I swept my uneasy nce over the room, meeting the eyes of those who wore expressions of admiration and respect, even happiness for my new title. But most of the gazes upon me were not friendly.


    Uncertainty and skepticism had taken root, and it was reflected back on the faces of those around me. Even I was feeling like there was some kind of mistake made.


    I wasn¡¯t a leader.


    I wasn¡¯t like Giovani, who always kept his head cool in a crisis, and I wasn¡¯t like Dad, who took charge of everything with an authority people always listened to. And I certainly wasn¡¯t like Alessandro, who protected the people he loved with everything he had.


    I was just... Tallon.


    I finally met Giovani¡¯s eyes. He stood firm, unaffected by the sudden storm of whispers and confusion his announcement had made. Like the epicenter of an earthquake, the shockwave had started from him and now, it was finally hitting me.


    Giovani had named me his sessor.


    My eyes growing wider at the realization, I stared at my older cousin, a small part of me hoping he could call out a, ¡®Psych!¡¯ or, ¡®It was just a prank, bro,¡¯ but I knew he wouldn¡¯t.


    That wasn¡¯t the kind of man Giovani was, and he would never name me the sessor if he didn¡¯t mean it.


    But me? The Don?


    It was an impossibility that no one had ever considered. It had always been Alessandro who had been next in line for the Don position, not clumsy, clueless, carefree me.


    Speaking of Alessandro....


    Stiffly, I nced over at my brother beside me, but Alessandro¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t on me. They were staring straight at Giovani. His fists clenched tightly on hisp, and his eyes spoke of a seething murderous anger that even I hadn¡¯t been expecting.


    ¡°Alex?¡± I asked quietly.


    Alessandro only stiffened beside me, not meeting my eyes as he red at his te as if it had personally offended him. My eyes flicked to the knife sitting by his te and I wondered, briefly, a little hysterically, if Alessandro would be insane enough with fury to actually kill me.


    Or Giovani.


    I didn¡¯t want to entertain the idea, didn¡¯t want to think he was capable of it, but I knew how much he had wanted the Don position, and how long he had tried his best to be a good leader worthy of the position. Though he had his failings, I always believed it would be him who would be the Don next.


    But to have it ripped away not just once but twice... and given to me, his little brother at that. It wasughable to say it stung. It would have been like calling decapitation a paper cut.


    I nced nervously at my older brother, his eyes filled with such an unadulterated fury as he glowered at Giovani as if he had just crushed him under his foot. But I knew my brother, and I knew that his anger was fueled by the hurt.


    Giovani, on his part, lookedpletely unaffected by Alessandro¡¯s anger. He simply kept his arms crossed, paying him no mind like a mother trying to ignore a child having a temper tantrum.


    It would¡¯ve been funny had I not known how much this had meant to Alessandro.


    ¡°Alessandro, I didn¡¯t¨C¡± I whispered to him, hoping he would listen.


    But he turned his fury-ridden gaze upon me and I flinched back at the murderous energy. Deep in his eyes though, I could see him wavering, the raw pain more than I couldprehend.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he bit out harshly.


    I lowered my head, silently, feeling like a piece of shit as Alessandro¡¯s chair screeched across the floor as he got to his feet. He let out an uneven breath, ring at Giovani onest time before he stormed out of the room.


    The silence that followed him was deafening.


    I almost wanted to follow him to make sure he was okay, but I knew I was thest person he wanted to see right now.


    I sighed, unsure of how to fix this.


    Giovani nced around at the crowd, many of whom were on the side of my brother, and only sighed before smiling and saying, ¡°Enjoy the drinks, everyone! And speak with your new Don. Tallon, you can take it from here.¡±


    Wow.


    I was not expecting to see the undercarriage of a bus that day, but Giovani had promptly thrown me under one anyway.


    I sent him an incredulous look, unable to believe he¡¯d literally fed me to the wolves as he took a step back from the table and the army of family went to their feet, huge smiles and unhappy frowns surrounding me like piranhas after blood in the water.


    I saw him slipping away out the door that Alessandro had run out of, and though I was d someone had gone after him, I wasn¡¯t sure Giovani would be the right choice considering things, especially when the family was so eager to wring more information from me.


    ¡°Congrattions, Tallon! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re the new Don.¡± Matilda grinned, reaching forward to pinch my left cheek.


    ¡°I can¡¯t either.¡± I pretended tough, unable to pull myself away from her firm grip. She was going to rip my cheeks off at this rate, and I would just have to stand there and smile like an idiot.


    ¡°Seems only yesterday James was bringing you over in diapers and you and Dahlia were sharing a bath¨C¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks, Aunt Matilda.¡± I hurriedly cut her off, pulling my cheek from her grip and stepping away. It was red and no doubt going to be bruisedter, and I rubbed it, only to run into even more of the family.


    ¡°You think you¡¯ve got what it takes, huh?¡± Old Man Jen bit out roughly. ¡°You¡¯re still too wet behind the ears to run things if you ask me! That¡¯s why you need¨C¡±


    He was shoved away by yet another family member who burst out with a wide smile. ¡°I always knew you would be the perfect man for the job, Tallon!¡±


    I sent him a hard look. Not even an hour ago he had been kissing my brother¡¯s ass, telling him he knew he would be the Don, and now he¡¯d changed his tune?


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said bitterly, turning away from him.


    But there was no end to the amount of people surrounding me. I swallowed ufortably, unsure of what to do.


    What had Giovani been thinking, making me the Don? I couldn¡¯t even manage to entertain my own rtives, let alone an entire mafia. Ten minutes in and I was already a failure.


    But then I remembered what Giovani had said, only a month ago.


    ¡°You handled this like a real leader.¡±


    I nced around at the eager faces before me, the dozens of men and women counting on me to be their next leader. Giovani trusted me to be the one to lead them, to seed him as the Don.


    I wasn¡¯t going to let him down, not now.


    I stered on my best grin, rxing my body as I thanked the nearest person.


    ¡°Congrattions, son,¡± the nearest rtive said with a grin. ¡°How¡¯s it feel to the boss man now?¡±


    ¡°Eh,¡± I shrugged yfully, giving him a grin. ¡°I might go mad with powerter, but for now, I¡¯m kinda just chilling.¡±


    He barked out augh. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to knock some sense in ya if you do!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on it.¡± I winked at him.


    ¡°How do you expect to be our Don with that nonchnt attitude?¡± one man huffed, crossing his arms.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have Gio and all of you fine gents to guide me,¡± I smiled amicably. ¡°I doubt anybody expects me to be the best Don right out of the gate. I¡¯ll have to learn like my dad and Gio did.¡±


    He raised an eyebrow but I kept my smile, not hesitating one bit. He smirked, nodding in approval as he backed down without a fight.


    ¡°Aye, we¡¯ll see about that,¡± he remarked.


    I grinned, buzzing with excitement as I found my spark again. I dove into the conversations with the family, entertaining them to the best of my ability with the yfulness I was best known for.


    Sure, I may not have felt like the Don right then, but to enter a lion¡¯s den, you had to convince them you were one.


    I still couldn¡¯t believe that I was the Don, that I had been given this honor and burden. But as long as I was still breathing, I knew I would do my best to be the leader they deserved.


    I could only hope that with time and some space, that Alessandro would forgive me at some point. No matter how much he hated me, I still wanted him to be by my side.

 Chapter 505 : I Should Have Known

    <h4>Chapter 505: Chapter 505 : I Should Have Known</h4>


    *Alessandro*


    ¡°Wee your new Don, Tallon!¡±


    I should have known.


    That¡¯s all that ran through my head at the moment that the name that came out of Giovani¡¯s mouth wasn¡¯t mine. Ever since Giovani had announced he was retiring, the hope had just grown. I¡¯d tried not to have any expectations, but it was hard when everyone around me was telling me I¡¯d make a great Don.


    ¡°The next Don, huh?¡± I muttered bitterly to myself.


    Despite myself, the disappointment washed over me like cold rain on a sunny day at the beach. Now, it was time to go home.


    Everyone around me faded away as my eyes locked onto Giovani. He stood there, unfazed by what he had just dered as if he hadn¡¯t just torn my heart to shred before my very eyes. Olivia stood at his side, an ever-faithful wife with a smile and a baby on her hip.


    And the resentment took hold.


    I couldn¡¯t hide the ever-growing fury as I clenched my fists into balls, digging my nails into my skin until it hurt so much I wanted to scream out with the pain. But nothing could take away the utter hatred I could feel taking root in my bones.


    I should have known before I got my hopes up that I never would¡¯ve been chosen. No matter how hard I worked or how much I improved myself, I wasn¡¯t good enough for Giovani.


    I was never good enough.


    But Tallon apparently was.


    I grit my teeth until they ached, until I could feel them grinding down on one another.


    I had never gotten anything I wanted. The position of Don had been rightfully mine, to begin with, but Giovani was given it instead. Fine, I got over it. I worked double hard to prove I was the best man for the job.


    Then Olivia, the girl I¡¯d loved since I was a kid, chose him over me. Olivia, who was kind and beautiful and sweet and smart, had never failed to ept me, no matter my ws. She never cared that I wasn¡¯t the Don¨Cuntil she chose the man who had been picked over me.


    Fine.


    At that point, I¡¯d decided that I would just better myself, to be the kind of man who could be the leader they all thought I wasn¡¯t. I¡¯d tried so hard to be good enough, but it didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Alex?¡± I heard a soft whisper from beside me.


    I stiffened, feeling his eyes on me as I red down at my te¨CTallon, the new Don.


    It echoed in circles in my head until I was dizzy with the thought. My younger brother was now the leader. He now had the position I had wanted for so long, that was rightfully mine to begin with.


    And I was left on the outskirts, again.


    And who was the cause of all of this? Who had taken away my happiness each and every time?


    I lowered my re at Giovani, the hatred in my heart growing like an infectious disease. He¡¯d told me I was too reckless, rash, violent, and angry. My eyes flickered to the knife next to my dinner te. I could show him just how violent I could be.


    But that wouldn¡¯t solve anything.


    It wouldn¡¯t make me the Don, and it wouldn¡¯t make Olivia love me instead. And I was sure when it came down to it, I didn¡¯t think I could do it either. Giovani was family, no matter how much I detested him at this point.


    And you don¡¯t hurt family.


    But I couldn¡¯t stand here and watch, either. I red around me at the faces who had only hours ago been praising me as the next Don, sucking up to me like I was everything, and now, all their eyes were on Tallon.


    The new Don.


    Fuck this.


    ¡°Alessandro, I didn¡¯t¨C¡± I heard Tallon whispering to me, but I was far too gone to listen to this bullshit anymore. I pinned him with a re, not wanting to take my anger out on him but so overwhelmed with everything that it just seeped out like a gas leak.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I bit out harshly, and he flinched back, a wounded and ashamed look crossing his features before he lowered his head, unable to look me in the eye anymore.


    Good, I thought bitterly and I got to my feet, harshly pushing against the table. My chair screeched across the floor and I hoped it left scratches deep enough that he couldn¡¯t hire anyone to get them out.


    I hope it scarred like he¡¯d done to me.


    I sent Giovani onest re, onest conveyance of how much I hated every fiber of his being for taking everything away from me, and then I turned my back on the fucking so-called family and stormed off.


    I could hear my mother¡¯s scolding tone in my head as I walked out of the dining room, saying how ¡°rude it was to make a scene and leave a party without congratting your brother,¡± but if anyone in that goddamn room wanted me to actually congratte Tallon, they were only kidding themselves.


    I wasn¡¯t going to sit there and pretend like I was happy for him because I wasn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t going to smile like I didn¡¯t want to trash that entire room and leave nothing standing in its ce.


    I fled to the backyard, pushing open the back door and stepping out into the quiet night. It was cold, colder than I¡¯d expected but luckily, I had my fury to keep me warm. I traveled deeper into the maze of a garden, my fists clenched by my side as I struggled not to put holes through every single bush I saw.


    Eventually, though, I hit a dead end. Just like every aspect of my life, there was nowhere to go any longer, no path forward¨CI could only go back and try again. I thrust my hands into my hair, pulling at the roots until it hurt, and let out a harsh scream of frustration.


    Why?


    Why was it always like this? Why couldn¡¯t I ever catch a break?


    Why wasn¡¯t I good enough?


    I fell to my knees and thrust my fist into the dirt, hoping to relieve the tension, anger, and worthlessness that dragged me down but of course, it didn¡¯t work. It never worked.


    All it proved was that they had made the right choice, yet again.


    I sighed heavily, shifting to sit so my back was the random tree I¡¯d found. I shut my eyes and thrust my head into the bark, ignoring the slight pain as I wished with all of my might for me to wake up and realize all of this was just a bad dream.


    But things never worked the way I wanted them to.


    Something I should have known yet again.


    ¡°Alessandro.¡±


    My jaw snapped shut, my teeth biting down and slowly I opened my eyes to see Giovani standing before me, a calm look on his face.


    Don¡¯t show your weakness, I thought to myself, trying to remember everything I¡¯d learned about holding in my temper.


    Don¡¯t let him have the satisfaction of seeing me break, I thought.


    ¡°What?¡± I bit out, the anger seeping out anyway, just as it always did. ¡°What could you possibly want from me now?¡±


    Giovani tilted his head with no sign of anything on his face, and God, I hated him for that. It was the part of him that I resented the most, to so easily be able to lock away his emotions, so logical like a goddamn robot.


    Well, I was done. There was nothing else he could take from me.


    I snapped.


    ¡°What?¡± I screamed, jumping to my feet as I got in his face, a snarl on my lips. ¡°What more do you want to take from me, you fucking asshole? You¡¯ve fucked me over for thest time, Giovani, because I¡¯ve got nothing else! You got the girl I loved, the position that should¡¯ve been mine. Even my fucking parents loved you more than me! What the fuck could you possibly want with me now?¡±


    ¡°Alessandro¨C¡± he called out.


    But I wasn¡¯t fucking done yet.


    ¡°Are you here to gloat?¡± I shot at him, my body shaking with fury as I finallyid out all of my grievances on him. ¡°Here to show off how you won? How you finally manage to destroy me and everything I¡¯ve worked for? How you had me running around like a goddamn rat for you, doing whatever you wanted while you never even intended to give me the Don position in the first ce! You said you trusted me, gave me my own team, and let me handle things! Was that all just a fucking lie to cate me? Just a way to wield your holier-than-thou attitude against me? Were all of you just fuckingughing at me behind my back this whole time?¡±


    ¡°Ales¨C¡±


    ¡°Cause I¡¯m done!¡± I threw my hands in the hair, stepping back from Giovani with a snarl. ¡°I¡¯m fucking done with you and all of this. You can all go back to your perfect lives and I¡¯ll go fuck off like you all want me to!¡±


    The only sound that came after was my heavy breathing as I fought to catch my breath, the tension between the two of us thick in the cold night air, so thick it felt like trying to breathe through msses. I could almost reach out and grab it with my hands, but the exhaustion followed after the anger faded away.


    Disappointment lodged in my throat, the misery squeezing my heart for everyst drop of grief I had left yet. It was agony, standing there in the silence between us, waiting for him to give hisst judgment, to finally kick me out of the family like they should¡¯ve done long ago.


    I should have known from the beginning that this was never my ce to begin with, that I didn¡¯t belong here.


    I was too broken.


    ¡°Alessandro,¡± Giovani called out, stepping forward andying a hand on my shoulder. I wanted to shrug him off but I was too exhausted. ¡°You are not broken.¡±


    I flinched, ncing up at him with wide eyes. Did I say that out loud? How the fuck did he¨C


    He gave me a sad smile, a knowing one, and I felt like he could see straight through me, past all of the anger I hid behind. It was ufortable like I was naked in front of an audience.


    ¡°You have your own strengths and your own ws, Alessandro,¡± Giovani continued softly. ¡°You were honestly one of my top choices, but ultimately, you are an emotional person, and that¡¯s not a bad thing. But one of the hardest decisions to make as a Don is when to think with your brain and not your heart.¡±


    He tapped me right over the organ and I swallowed ufortably.


    ¡°Being the Don isn¡¯t everything and I doubt it would actually make you happy, Alessandro,¡± Giovani told me inly, ¡°So take that big heart of yours and all of those strengths that make you a better man than me, and use them to carve out your own path.¡±


    And suddenly, I wasn¡¯t angry anymore.


    I shrugged off his touch, stepping back again as I grabbed my wrist and thought deeply about what he said.


    ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying, I do,¡± I told him quietly. ¡°And I know that Tallon is the better choice, that he can... lead better. But It¡¯s still hard to ept. I¡¯ve worked for this for my entire life and you want me to just give it up? I need... time.¡±


    Giovani nodded, giving me a reassuring smile as he said, ¡°Take your time, then, Alessandro. We¡¯ll always be here, happy to have you.¡±


    I nodded, still feeling low but better than I had. I didn¡¯t feel like I was about to explode, and that was progress, I supposed. I made my way out of the garden, but a nagging voice in my head stopped me.


    I sighed, ncing at Giovani onest time as I said, ¡°Tell Tallon congrats for me. That¡¯s the best I can do for now.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡± Giovani nodded in agreement.


    And I left. There was nobody there to stop me, and I could hear the party still going from the dining room when I stepped into the house once more. I caught a glimpse through the open door of Tallon,ughing as he was surrounded by our family, grins and happy wishes thrown his way. I turned away with a heavy heart.


    I was never the life of the party anymore, not like Tallon.


    I should have known that.

 Chapter 506 : Happy Birthday

    <h4>Chapter 506: Chapter 506 : Happy Birthday</h4>


    *Tallon*


    Fifteen yearster


    If there was one ce you never wanted to spend your thirty-third birthday, it was inside a local bar at midnight drinking a cold beer in a virtually empty city, especially since said bar was the most sketchy-looking ce in all of Tuscany.


    But here I was, sitting on the stool at the bar and not even daring to put my hands on the filthy counter, as the bartender stared me and mypanion down with a sour look as if we were ruining his night, which we might have since thest call was two hours ago.


    But did saidpanion care?


    ¡°Happy birthday to you!¡±


    Not in the slightest.


    I winced at his obnoxious and overenthusiastic man in his thirties currently wailing the song in my ear, his arm hooked over my shoulder as he swayed us back and forth on the stools with a stupid sappy grin on his face.


    I hated it when he got drunk.


    ¡°Vinny, you need to stop drinking,¡± I remarked casually, pushing the leech off of me so I could grab the beer on the counter I¡¯d been nursing. I took a drink, finishing off thest of it and grimacing at the poor taste.


    Why did it always taste like backwash?


    ¡°Aw, I love you too, bro,¡± Vinny slurred drunkenly, unable toprehend anything I said but still able to recognize me as he half-hung off me. I rolled my eyes at the extra weight but grabbed him by the back of the shirt and hauled him up so he was leaning on the counter and not me.


    ¡°Are you two going to leave at some point?¡± the bartender said rudely, cleaning the same cup for the dozenth time. ¡°Cause I want to go home.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± I ignored his rude attitude, fishing into my back pocket and throwing a wad of cash on the counter. It was annoying to see how the bartender¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the money, probably more than he made in a week.


    ¡°Ah.¡± I stopped him with a stern look before he snatched up the cash like a roon after trash. ¡°Call him a cab and make sure he gets on it. Deal?¡±


    The bartender nced at the moaning and muttering mess of a man slumped over on his counter and pursed his lips unhappily. Eventually, he nodded.


    ¡°Where?¡± he asked roughly.


    ¡°Rosewood.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the bartender smirked, eyeing us like one would tourists invading his property. I could tell he had already pegged us for ¡°rich men from out of town.¡± If he had been just a little smarter, he would¡¯ve figured out that tourist season was over and we were anything but tourists.


    But I didn¡¯t give a shit about what he thought so long as Vinny got back to the hotel without a scratch and I could go on my merry way without anyone knowing I spent my thirty-third birthday in a run-down bar.


    Of course, if things did go south, I had someone watching over the two of us from a distance¨Cthis asshole tried anything and he¡¯d get a rude awakening.


    We weren¡¯t just rich.


    We were filthy rich.


    ¡°Nice doing business with you,¡± I smirked, finally untangling Vinny¡¯s hands from me as I got off the ufortable bar stool. I¡¯d been sitting in it for too long and my back ached as I got up. I stretched my arms over my head, hearing my bones cracking.


    As I did so, I noticed the bartender¡¯s eyes fixate on where my shirt had lifted over my pants, revealing the holster and gun I had tucked away. It wasn¡¯t the only one on me, but was the most dangerous.


    I smirked at the fear that filled his eyes,ing to a realization that many lesser men hadn¡¯t.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The bartender straightened, bowing his head as he suddenly changed his tune. It was to be expected. After all, not many had the privilege of running into the Don of the Italian mafia at three o¡¯clock in the morning.


    Before I could take my leave, a hand wrapped around my wrist, tight enough to be painful, and I nced over at Vinny, annoyed. He peeked out from his scraggly hair, a serious look in his eyes. He muttered something incoherent.


    ¡°What, Vinny?¡± I asked impatiently, ready to leave and get back to the hotel for a good night¡¯s sleep. I was on vacation, after all, and it was my birthday as Vinny had so dly reminded me before dragging me out to his damn bar.


    ¡°Don¡¯t want you to be alone.¡± Vinny nced up at me with sad, pitying eyes. ¡°It¡¯s your birthday. Spend it with family....¡±


    I swallowed, ncing away from his knowing eyes and at the hold he had around my wrist. I counted the numerous tattoos all around my arms, remembering each birthday I had gotten one, and probably would again today.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Vinny,¡± I tugged my wrist out of his grip, sending him an impassive look. ¡°You spent enough time with me. Everyone¡¯s busy, just like we are, so just get in your cab and go back to the hotel. I¡¯ll meet you there.¡±


    Vinny shook his head, heaving a sigh, but he didn¡¯t pick his head from the counter or try to stop me. ¡°At least getid,¡± he muttered into his arms.


    ¡°If you¡¯re offering.¡± I sent him a cheeky grin, turning my back on him. It took a full minute and I was nearly out the door before I heard a loud shriek calling, ¡°What the fuck?¡±


    Iughed, my spirits already feeling a bit brighter, but the moment I stepped outside, it dropped to the lowest point in my stomach. I shoved my hands into my pocket pants, ncing around at the dead streets of the city. Summer was over, school had started, and everyone was going back to their normal lives.


    And I stood here in the middle of the city,pletely and utterly alone.


    It had been a long fifteen years since the day I¡¯d been named the Don. Despite what everyone expected from the troublemaker and jokester of the family, Giovani had been right. I had done well as the Don.


    It had been all too easy to establish my reign over the family. I¡¯d always been too charming for my own good, at least that was what my mom used to say. Using that charm to get the family on my side was child¡¯s y. I wasn¡¯t perfect by any means, and I relied on the talents of the people around me to make everything run smoothly.


    Giovani and Olivia had moved to LA, just like they¡¯d nned, and Elio, their son, was now sixteen. It had been difficult to be away from him over the years, but he was a good kid and a happy one. They all were. The two of them lived a fantasy life, just as much in love as the day I first found out about them.


    Elio had even started learning how to drive over there, and it was hard to believe he was in high school now when not too long ago he was just a baby blowing spit bubbles at me. He even grew out of his separation anxiety, the memory of the kidnapping fading away quickly. He had been so young, after all.


    He¡¯d been told about it, but it didn¡¯t affect him at all. Dahlia had gone to school, getting her bachelor¡¯s and then master¡¯s degrees. She took over Dad¡¯s business, training to be the best entrepreneur. She¡¯d gained them twenty-four percent profit in thest quarter alone.


    Mom and Dad still lived in Miami and though Dad was getting up there in his years, they were both still doing well. Mom had made it her mission now to get all three of us married, but it had yet to happen. Dahlia was too busy with thepany and I was too busy being the Don and Alessandro....


    Well, after a long hiatus, he¡¯d finally swallowed his pride and had be an advisor to me. He was the one I trusted with everything.


    As the years went on, his temper had calmed significantly. I was just happy he didn¡¯t hate me after getting the role he wanted.


    Luckily, Alessandro had proved to be more mature than any of us first thought.


    ¡®Spend it with family,¡¯ Vinny had said.


    Even if I¡¯d wanted to, I couldn¡¯t have. I was sure that if I reached out and flew over to my parent¡¯s house, they would wee me with wide open arms, but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it. The responsibility of the family rested on my shoulders, and every year it got heavier.


    Vincenzo was the only one I hung out with, though he preferred to be called Vinny. My right-hand man and my best friend, I was grateful he was willing to drag me out to spend my birthday with me, especially when I had no one else who did.


    Alessandro had offered toe, but somebody had to watch over the family while I was gone, and I wasn¡¯t going to bother him with something so superficial.


    It was just a day, after all.


    I walked down the dark, empty streets of Tuscany, pondering to myself as I nced at all the businesses that were now closed. I could always do what Vinny suggested¨Cfind some random girl and getid¨Cbut that was never my thing.


    I didn¡¯t date, or at least for real. Of the four girlfriends I¡¯d had in the past, the longest hadsted six months before she broke up with me. Too inattentive, too busy with my work, didn¡¯t love them enough¨Cthere were a thousand excuses they¡¯d allid upon me as the reason.


    And I agreed with each one.


    Truthfully, I hadn¡¯t loved any of them. They were more like passing flings if I was to be honest than a real rtionship. I liked them well enough and was attracted to them, but each time, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to keep them around.


    It always turned into another burden to drag around.


    I sighed, ncing across the bare streets before crossing. There were only a few ces still open, and one of them was right in front of me. With the neon signs, I nced at the tattoo shop before me, surveying the examples in the window before I decided on which one to get.


    It was my yearly ritual and I¡¯ll be damned if I didn¡¯t follow through with it. Ultimately, I decided on one and opened up the door to the shop, the bell ringing above me. I wasn¡¯t paying much attention because I ran straight into something, or something ran into me.


    ¡°Oof!¡± we both eximed at the same time and I caught a glimpse of long, brown hair and a body falling backward.


    It was all instinct as I reached out and caught her by the waist with one hand, hanging onto the door with my other.


    I stared into a pair of wide, deep, crystal-blue eyes.

 Chapter 507 : Like Fate

    <h4>Chapter 507: Chapter 507 : Like Fate</h4>


    *Tallon*


    Like crystals at the bottom of a deepke, the woman¡¯s eyes drowned out everything around me until she was all I could see. Her long brown hair fell around her face, framing it with a gorgeous curl at the end, and her plush lips were a deep pink, just enough toplement herplexion.


    It was unbearably warm where my hand connected around her waist, the heat of her skin seeping through her thin shirt, and I wondered briefly why a beautiful woman such as her would be here on such a cold night in such thin clothing.


    But the thought passed as soon as it came as I felt a jolt of electricity surge between us, traveling from my bare skin to hers. The hair on my arms lifted and I shivered at the feeling, all of the words I had nned to say evaporating, leaving me speechless.


    Everything around us had faded into a blur, leaving only her eyes on mine, the warmth of her skin through her clothing, and god, how easily I could wrap my whole hand around her waist, supporting her. She was so light, and I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away from her.


    ¡°I¨C¡± She stammered, just as shocked and fascinated as I was. Her voice was so angelic, like bells running on a sunny day. I was starstruck. I didn¡¯t even realize I was leaning forward, my eyes flickering to her lips.


    Her breath hitched, her eyes looking just as stunned as I was, but I could feel her leaning up as well, moving just the slightest bit toward me until¨C


    ¡°Hey, shut the goddamn door, will you?¡±


    The moment shattered like a baseball flying through a ss window.


    I reeled back, my whole body warming up as my cheeks flushed a deep red and I tore my eyes from her to whoever had shouted. One of the tattooists, by the looks of him, had a scowl on his face, staring at us expectantly.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said at the same time as she did.


    My gaze whirled back to her in sheer surprise. I could see much of the same expression mirrored in her own, and her cheeks had the slightest hint of a blush on them.


    ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to hold onto you.¡± I coughed in embarrassment, gently letting go of her and the door. It mmed behind me, ringing the bell above and shoving me inside lest I get stuck between it. This only served to push me even closer to her.


    She blushed a deep red as I was squished into her. I flushed as I felt her round, perky chest push straight into me. She stepped backward, gently folding her hands around her waist defensively, and shame hit me.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do that,¡± I told her, hoping she understood that it was the damn door¡¯s fault and not mine. Awkwardly, I stuck both of my hands behind my back, hoping it made me less of a threat in her eyes but the moment I did so, I could feel the ss pane against my hands.


    The cold was biting, and all the heat I¡¯d felt from her body disappeared in a sh. I frowned, wishing I could grasp that warmth of hers and bottle it up for myself... take it home and store it for a cold day like today.


    Or maybe I could just take her with me....


    I shook my head, brushing away those dangerous thoughts. Like a seesaw with only one yer, that was a very slippery slope, especially since I¡¯d just met the woman, for god¡¯s sake. There was no reason to be feeling like this.


    But then she smiled and fuck, I was lost again. Her blue eyes glittered under the lights, and there was a sweetness to her that was like a drug pulling me in.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she whispered, her voice so light and airy. ¡°It was my fault. I should¡¯ve looked where I was going.¡±


    ¡°No, it was my fault, I shouldn¡¯t have¨C¡± I began, not able to take my eyes off of her.


    Until the same tattooist from before gave a heavy sigh and said, rather loudly, ¡°We get it. It was both of your damn fault. Now are you going to continue making goo-goo eyes at each other or did you want a tat?¡±


    My original purpose ofing to this store hadpletely fled my mind, but despite what I had originally wanted to do... I knew I¡¯d found something more interesting.


    ¡°I was just looking,¡± I said casually, then I nced at her through the corner of my eye. ¡°Unless you were here for one.¡±


    She jumped in surprise, eyes wide as she fervently shook her head. ¡°Oh, no. I was just here for my friend¨C¡± She paused, a look of confusion on her face, and then turned to the tattooist with a shy, guilty look.


    Another woman around her age, with blonde hair and a freshly taped-up tattoo, was staring at us with interest. She smiled amicably despite having been forgotten this whole time.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s all right, I was just beginning to think I was invisible is all.¡± Sheughed, jumping off of the recliner and heading toward us. ¡°So who¡¯s your tall, dark, and handsome, Natalia?¡±


    Natalia¨Csuch a beautiful name¨Cblushed. ¡°Alina,¡± she protested, trying to remain quiet.


    But I only found it adorable at how red her cheeks were.


    ¡°He¡¯s not my anything. I just identally ran into¨Cum....¡±


    She turned to me with a helpless look, eyes wide and pleading.


    I was very tempted to tease her, to leave her hanging. I wanted to know how deep that blush of hers could get, how far it could travel down her body. Did it go all the way to her¡ªI choked on the thought.


    ¡°Tallon. My name¡¯s Tallon,¡± I told her, avoiding eye contact. ¡°And I¡¯m really sorry about the whole¨Cdoor issue.¡± I waved vaguely behind me.


    ¡°Oh no.¡± She shook her head, beaming up at me with that adorable smile. ¡°You saved me from a really bad fall. I can be such a clutz sometimes, so thank you.¡± She reached out one of her thin and delicate hands, ¡°My name is Natalia.¡±


    ¡°Unusual name for these parts,¡± I smirked, taking her soft hand in mine, ¡°but beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Tallon¡¯s not somon, either,¡± she said softly, just low enough that it sent shivers down my spine. ¡°But it¡¯s a handsome name... quite fitting, actually.¡±


    And while we were absorbed with each other, her friend nced between us with a knowing smirk and butted in with a rather loud, ¡°And I¡¯m Alina, if you hadn¡¯t guessed.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Nice to meet you, Alina, Natalia.¡±


    The way her name purred off my tongue was unintentional, but I could tell both women noticed, by the yful roll of Alina¡¯s eyes and the adorable blush that spread across Natalia¡¯s nose.


    The tattooist behind us cleared his throat, giving us a pointed look, and I spotted the opportunity.


    ¡°Well, as an apology for running into you, would you mind if I bought you drinks?¡± I suggested with a calm smile, hoping it didn¡¯te across as creepy.


    ¡°No apology needed,¡± Natalia smiled brightly. ¡°But I¡¯ll take you up on that offer. Alina?¡±


    Alina side-eyed her friend, a smirk on her lips and she covered her mouth with her hand, shing her long colorful nails as she pretended to yawn.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually kinda tired,¡± she lied, rather badly at that. ¡°I¡¯m gonna check into the hotel. But you two go on. You¡¯re the one he bumped into, after all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure she gets back safe then,¡± I told her friend with a grin. ¡°Where are you two staying?¡±


    ¡°Rosewood,¡± the two women answered simultaneously.


    I blinked in surprise. ¡°What a coincidence.¡± I grinned. ¡°That¡¯s where me and my friend are staying too.¡±


    ¡°Wow, really?¡± Alina faked a surprised gasp, grinning, ¡°Then you make sure she gets back to me safe and sound, all right?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I chuckled and the tattoo artist sent us onest re as the three of us walked out. Alina went on her separate way, leaving me and Natalia alone.


    ¡°This way then,¡± I grinned at the beautiful girl at my side. I took the road to the bar, hyper-aware of her by my side.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re not from around here?¡± Natalia asked quietly, looking up at me with those big, beautiful eyes of hers.


    ¡°No,¡± I chuckled, ¡°I live in Florence. I¡¯m just here for a vacation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the same,¡± she giggled. ¡°I¡¯m actually from America, but I¡¯m studying abroad this semester. We were just doing a bit ofst-minute sightseeing before school started.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Where in America are you from?¡± I asked with a grin. ¡°Let me guess. California?¡±


    ¡°New York City.¡± Sheughed.


    ¡°Darn, I was so close.¡± I said, grinning when I got another giggle out of her. ¡°What about your family? They from New York City as well?¡±


    Her smile dimmed a bit as she answered, ¡°No, I don¡¯t... really have any family.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she reassured me with a smile. ¡°It was a long time ago. I¡¯m more focused on the future than the past.¡±


    As we rounded the corner, I spotted the bar we had just frequented and the bartender was outside with a cab. He shut the door, no doubt with Vinny inside.


    ¡°Are they closed?¡± Natalia asked with a small frown.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I lied, turning my gaze to the dark bar room.


    The light had just been turned off by the looks of it, with still a faint glow from the neon. As he spotted using, he paled.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, are you closed?¡± Natalia asked politely to the man, who nced at me.


    I sent him my fiercest re, just out of her vision, and shook my head slowly. He swallowed, ufortably.


    ¡°No, the light is just broken.¡± He sighed, looking on the verge of tears.


    He led us into the deserted bar, the room spotless from when I¡¯dst been here, and I had to give him props for that. He stepped behind the counter with a deste look on his face. ¡°What can I get you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll have a shot of vodka, please,¡± Natalia said with that innocent face of hers.


    Both the bartender and I turned to look at her with an incredulous look.


    ¡°Really?¡± Iughed, pleasantly surprised, ¡°Don¡¯t women normally order fruity drinks?¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t guys usually order something boring just to sound cool?¡± she smirked back. ¡°Let me guess. Whiskey on the rocks?¡±


    I nced at her with wide eyes. That had been exactly what I had ordered before. I¡¯d never thought of myself as predictable.


    I took my seat next to her, giving her a mischievous grin as I said, ¡°No.¡± Turning to the bartender, I said, ¡°I¡¯ll have a strawberry daiquiri.¡±


    Sheughed, and I noticed with increasing joy that she had a dimple on the right side of her cheek. I had to stop myself from touching it.


    Our drinks came and just as I¡¯d imagined, Natalia was amazing. She was funny and bright and sweet, but she gave just as much as she got, falling into afortable routine. But as fun as it was, everything had to end eventually.


    I doubled the tip for the bartender, which he looked incredibly exasperated about regardless, and I walked Natalia back to the hotel, constantly talking. She was fascinating on every level, like she was tailor-made for me, and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from being drawn deeper into her.


    I was a string and she was wrapping me around her fingers faster than I could blink. When we reached the hotel, Natalia gave me a slip of paper, biting her bottom lip with a shy look before she dashed off to her room.


    I nced at the piece of paper, a number written there in loopy handwriting, almost too perfect to be real. Underneath it was, ¡®Call me¨CNatalia.¡¯


    I headed back to my room in a daze, clutching the paper in my hand like it was a holy grail. By the time I walked back into the room, Vinny was still up.


    He nced at me as I passed through the room,pletely and utterly dumbstruck.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Vinny asked, raising an eyebrow, surprisingly sober considering how he had been acting earlier.


    ¡°I just met the most beautiful, amazing woman,¡± I gushed, a stupid grin on my face. I told him everything, spilling every detail about the fateful encounter as I got ready to crash for the night.


    Vinny stared at me with a weird look once I was done ranting.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she just amazing?¡± I sighed, leaning back on my bed.


    ¡°I guess,¡± Vinny said, but then he added, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the bad guy, but be careful, Tallon. You never know where enemies are lurking, and I don¡¯t know, this all seems really coincidental.¡±


    I sobered very quickly, thinking about it. He was right in a way. It was odd how things had just unfolded so quickly, but I didn¡¯t think she was an enemy.


    ¡°I hope not,¡± I said quietly, ¡°because I really like her already. And maybe it¡¯s not a coincidence. Maybe it was just meant to be.¡±


    ¡°Like fate?¡± Vinny asked, raising his eyebrow.


    ¡°Like fate,¡± I grinned, nodding as the idea cemented itself into my mind. Right. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence but an act of fate that had brought us together.


    I held onto the rope I called ¡®fate¡¯ as I dangled over the pit called ¡®love,¡¯ I couldn¡¯t see the bottom.


    I could only hear her sweet voice calling my name as I fell into a deep slumber.

 Chapter 508 : Kissing on the Dance Floor

    <h4>Chapter 508: Chapter 508 : Kissing on the Dance Floor</h4>


    *Tallon*


    I leaned over my desk looking at floor ns, but I couldn¡¯t focus on them at all. The only thing I seemed to be able to think about these days was Natalia¡¯s striking blue eyes and the way her silky brown hair perfectly framed them.


    I sighed and rubbed my forehead, feeling like an idiot. She probably didn¡¯t even remember me. We had exchanged numbers but I hadn¡¯t heard from her in over a week. Although I wanted nothing more than to call her and ask her on a date, I also wanted her to take the lead.


    It was clear from our conversation that she was impressively independent, and thest thing I wanted was to stifle that. But as the days drew on and I found myself unable to tear my mind away from thoughts of her, I decided it was time to contact her.


    I pulled out my phone and called her before I could chicken out. The line rang three times, then went to her voicemail. Damn, had she ignored me? I couldn¡¯t afford to let myself spiral, so I turned back to the floor ns in front of me. I had to get this shit done.


    Two weeks passed and I had almost managed to get Natalia out of my mind. I was walking downtown trying to decide where to stop for lunch when I glimpsed a familiar head of dark hair. I stared hard, trying to figure out if the woman walking right in front of me was Natalia or if I was just starting to go crazy.


    Just as I was sure that I was finally losing my grip on reality, she looked up from her phone and grinned at me. I would have recognized those blue eyes anywhere. I grinned back and waved at her before jogging over. I didn¡¯t care if I looked like a lost puppy dog.


    She was worth it.


    ¡°Natalia!¡± I said, relishing the feel of her name on my lips. ¡°How are you? I never heard from you.¡±


    ¡°Hm, I could say the same about you,¡± she responded quietly, a coy smile ying at the corner of her mouth.


    ¡°I called you, but you never picked up,¡± I said, vaguely aware that I sounded slightly pathetic.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t leave a message. I¡¯m sure I would have remembered.¡± Her smooth voice was heaven to my ears. I would do anything to keep her talking.


    ¡°Well, I was just going to get lunch. Do you want to join me?¡± I asked, hoping and praying that she was avable.


    ¡°Oh, I would love to, but I just ate. Maybe another time, okay? Call me, and leave a message this time!¡± She chuckled as she walked away without a second nce.


    I stared at her open-mouthed. I had never met a woman who so easily put me under her spell. Hell, I had barely even interacted with her, and yet I found myself craving her, wanting nothing more than to be close to her.


    This time I didn¡¯t wait to call her. As soon as I got back to thepound, I called. As I expected, she didn¡¯t pick up, but this time I was sure to leave a message. ¡°Hey, Natalia, it¡¯s me, Tallon. I would love to take you out on Friday. What¡¯s your favorite restaurant? I¡¯ll take you there. Just let me know what time you¡¯re avable. I¡¯m free on Saturday too! Just let me know. Okay, bye.¡± I forced myself to end the call before I could ramble any longer.


    Fuck, this woman was going to be the death of me.


    The weekend came and went, but Natalia never called me back. I was beginning to think she enjoyed this little game of cat and mouse that we had going, but I wondered if it would ever end. Was it possible that I had any chance with this woman? Either way, the ball was in her court. I wasn¡¯t about to call and leave a second voicemail.


    Sunday afternoon, my phone buzzed and Natalia¡¯s name shed across the screen. I grabbed it and opened her text.


    ¡°Sorry I never called back. I was busy.¡±


    I stared at the words, willing her to type more. I had no idea what the hell to say back to her, but after ten minutes, it was clear that this was all she intended to say.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. I hope you had a good weekend.¡± I finally typed out, hoping it sounded more casual than my beating heart felt.


    The little check mark popped up to indicate that she had seen the text, but she didn¡¯t start typing again. I slid my phone back into my pocket with a sigh. It seemed that she was always just barely out of reach.


    That night, I dreamed of Natalia. I dreamed of her body pressed against me and her curves under my hands. I woke up just before I had the chance to kiss her. I got out of bed and went directly to take an ice-cold shower.


    This was getting ridiculous. I was pining after her like a teenage boy. I had never been the type to fall head over heels for a woman. There had been women here and there, but nothing like the electric pull I felt toward Natalia.


    The next weekend, I was moping around the kitchen when Vinny walked in.


    ¡°What has gotten into you?¡± he asked when he noticed that I was still in my pajamas instead of my usual suit. ¡°No, no. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still hung up on that girl!¡±


    I sighed, unable to work up the energy toe up with apelling lie.


    ¡°Holy shit, Tallon. This is getting out of hand. Alright, you and me, we¡¯re going out tonight. And we¡¯re going to find a couple of gorgeous women to dance with and we¡¯re going to get trashed.¡±


    His n sounded horrible. I didn¡¯t want to dance with a random woman. I wanted to dance with Natalia.


    ¡°I am not taking no for an answer. Now, go get dressed so we can get some food first.¡±


    I knew if I didn¡¯t give in, he¡¯d just hound me for the rest of the night. It was easier to go along. Before I knew it we were being driven to one of Vinny¡¯s favorite bars. It was a ssy ce, but in recent years, some of the local university students had started to make it their usual spot. It was interesting to see how the younger crowd mingled with the old guys like Vinny and me. Sometimes I wondered where all the time had gone; I didn¡¯t really feel much older than I had at twenty-one, but somehow the time had passed and brought me with it.


    ¡°Two negronis, and keep ¡®eming,¡± Vinny told the bartender.


    The ancient, solid oak bar was at odds with the house music that was ring over the speakers, but I enjoyed the juxtaposition.


    The bartender handed us our drinks and I drank deeply from mine, enjoying the way the bitter liquid burned just slightly as it went down. As I sat my drink down, a brte sidled up next to me. I looked down but was disappointed to see that she was a stranger.


    ¡°What are you drinking?¡± She had to yell slightly to be heard over the music.


    ¡°Oh, uh, just a negroni.¡± I tried to be polite, but I had no interest in talking to this woman.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve always wondered what those taste like!¡± She looked at me with expectation in her eyes, but there was no way I was going to let her share my drink.


    ¡°You should order one!¡± I told her, and then I turned back to Vinny.


    I felt like a massive asshole, but really I was doing her a favor. Ending our conversation prematurely would keep her from wasting her evening talking to someone who had no interest in her.


    Unfortunately for me, Vinny was in the middle of a heated debate with a gorgeous blonde woman.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Ringo was the best Beatle!¡± Vinny practically yelled at her.


    ¡°That is just ridiculous. That¡¯s like saying the basil leaf is the best part of a Caprese. Does it add to the overall great vor of the dish? Absolutely! But you would never consume it all on its own. Tell me for real, have you ever even listened to one of Ringo¡¯s solos?¡±


    Vinny was speechless.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I leaned over to talk to the blonde. ¡°We¡¯ve been having this argument for years, and I think you¡¯ve finally ended it.¡±


    Sheughed and smiled up at Vinny, clearly enjoying hispany. I decided to walk around and give them a little space.


    Before I knew it, I found myself being jostled around on the dance floor. I tried to let loose a bit and lose myself in the music, but I was too wound up to really let go¨Cuntil I felt a hand wrap around my waist. I whipped my head down and was ted to see Natalia. I had no fucking clue how she had found me, but I didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she said, as if we had been nning to meet here.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I said stupidly, unable to make my brain work correctly as long as I was staring into her mesmerizing eyes.


    ¡°Want to dance?¡± she asked.


    I nodded, unwilling to open my mouth in case I said something else embarrassing. I was not used to feeling this out of my element with a woman.


    She smiled and turned so that her back was pressed against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and followed her movement. I was in heaven. Finally, I had Natalia against me, my hands running over her curves and my body moving with hers.


    I leaned forward and pressed a kiss against the side of her throat. She shivered against me, sending shockwaves through my body at every ce hers touched.


    Before I knew it, she had turned around so that we were facing each other. Unable to stop myself, I kissed her. I held back a bit in case this wasn¡¯t what she wanted, but she wrapped her hand behind my neck and pulled me closer.


    Still, I let her lead. I forced myself to maintain a respectful amount of control. That is, until she slicked her tongue against my bottom lip and then bit it ever so slightly. I groaned into her mouth and reached up to hold her face in my hands, then kissed her fiercely, pushing my tongue into her mouth and loving the way it felt to be inside her, even in this small way. She matched my energy, and our kiss quickly turned into a wild tangle of lips and tongues and teeth.


    Too soon, she pulled away. I dropped my hands down to hold hers, but she pulled away.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this,¡± she muttered so quietly that I wasn¡¯t sure if I had heard her correctly.


    ¡°Do what?¡± I asked, wondering what was wrong.


    Instead of answering, she turned quickly and weaved through the crowd until I couldn¡¯t see her. I had no idea why she¡¯d left so abruptly, but I knew one thing for sure¨CI desperately wanted Natalia to be mine.

 Chapter 509 : Family Ties

    <h4>Chapter 509: Chapter 509 : Family Ties</h4>


    *Natalia*


    I looked at the missed call that had made my phone go off in ss, even though I already knew who it would be from. I sighed as I saw Tallon¡¯s name listed over and over on my call log. It had been three days since I kissed Tallon and then ran away from him, and he had called me every single day, sometimes more than once.


    The messages he left me were ridiculously sweet, always respectful but also extremely obvious that he was desperate to hear back from me. I listened to the message he¡¯d just left for me as I walked to my next ss.


    ¡°Natalia, it¡¯s me. I was thinking about you this morning because I was walking in my garden and I saw a bleeding heart nt. At first, I was annoyed, because I¡¯ve told my groundskeeper so many times that I only want Italian nts in my gardens, but bleeding hearts are native to Korea. Italy has such beautiful nt life. There¡¯s no need to supplement with anything else. And so I¡¯m standing there, annoyed at this gorgeous flower, when I started to think about you and how you are a gorgeous flower who refuses to be tamed, much like this bleeding heart. And now you¡¯ve nted yourself in my life, and no matter what I do, I can¡¯t seem to stop thinking about you. That kiss was... well, to be honest, it was indescribable. And dancing with you was the most fun I¡¯ve had in a long time. I¡¯ve tried to y it cool with you so you wouldn¡¯t think I was an idiot, but I¡¯ll be honest, Natalia, it¡¯s impossible for me. You consume my thoughts, and I like it that way. Please call me back soon.¡±


    My heart twisted at the earnestness in his tone. A part of me was pleased that he was falling for me because if I was being honest with myself, I was falling for him too. But that just made me feel even more horrible about what I was doing.


    It was true that I was from America and was in Italy to study abroad, but what Tallon didn¡¯t know was that my family had ties to his... horrible ties, ties that would make him never want to speak to me again if he knew about them.


    It was my cousins who had kidnapped his sister Dahlia years ago, and my uncle who had started a years-long war between the Valentino family and the Russian mafia. Worst of all, it was my family that was currently picking up the pieces of what Tallon and his family had tried to destroy.


    Tallon thought that they¡¯d been sessful in permanently removing all Russian influences from Italy, but he didn¡¯t know that for the past fifteen years, my family had been lying in wait for the perfect opportunity to infiltrate the Valentino family. It turned out that I was that opportunity.


    When one of my uncles called my mother and asked if I would be willing to study abroad in Italy in order to help get closer to the Valentino family, my motherughed at him. She thought it was an absurd n that would never work.


    But Italy had always intrigued me after growing up hearing my cousins reminisce on their time here, so in spite of my mother, I had agreed toe. I had mostly nned to be a normal university student, but my uncle forced me to ¡°bump into¡± Tallon. I knew that if I didn¡¯t seem loyal to the family they would stop funding my studies abroad, so I had to at least keep up the appearance that I was trying to infiltrate the Valentinos.


    The first time I met Tallon, I hadn¡¯t intended to get him to fall in love with me. I thought the Don of the most powerful family in Italy would have dozens of women lining up to be with him. It wasn¡¯t until after we¡¯d had a long conversation that I realized he was single, and I figured out exactly how I could gather intel for my family¨Cby bing Tallon¡¯s girlfriend.


    After growing up hearing all about how he and his family had destroyed our wealth and forced us into hiding, it seemed like an easy way to get payback for my family, and I knew it would make my uncles happy.


    What I hadn¡¯t been able to prepare for was how much I would enjoy Tallon¡¯spany. It turned out that he was far kinder than I had been led to believe, and it helped that he was one of the most attractive men that I had ever met.


    What had started out as a way to help my family gain back some of what they had lost had quickly turned into a horribly anxiety-inducing problem. Not only did I not want to use Tallon to put his men in danger, but I was also quickly falling for him in a way that was dangerous for me.


    I took a deep breath. My feelings didn¡¯t matter. I needed to do this for my family. They weren¡¯t the best family a person could have, but they had always been there for me throughout the years, and my mother was wonderful.


    She was the real reason I had agreed to do this for my uncles. Even though she thought it was a silly n, I was able to tell by the tone of her voice that she was excited at the idea of us finally regaining the power we had lost. I was too young to remember what it was like when my family had controlled the entire Russian ck market, but my mother always spoke fondly about growing up in a gorgeous mansion filled with family and friends. They had servants who attended to their every need and never wanted for anything. It was difficult for me to imagine considering I had grown up in a small condo in the States, where it was mostly just my mother and me.


    When I considered how much it would change my mother¡¯s life to get some of that wealth and power back, it was obvious that I needed to continue with the n. I made it to my next ss and sat in the far back so I could text Tallon without the professor noticing.


    ¡°What are you doing today?¡± I smiled to myself, imagining how happy he would be to hear from me.


    He responded almost immediately. ¡°Mostly paperwork, unfortunately. How about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in ss. Learning about carbon-carbon double bonds.¡±


    ¡°Yikes. That sounds terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Only a bit.¡±


    ¡°You must be some kind of genius.¡±


    ¡°Not really, but you¡¯re wee to keep thinking that.¡± I smirked as I imagined his reaction to that.


    ¡°I think the world of you. I can¡¯t imagine you being bad at anything.¡±


    I frowned. He was right to think that I was usually pretty good at anything I set my mind to, but it made me feel guilty all over again to think of the ways in which I was going to betray him. I put my phone away, not wanting to think about it anymore.


    The professor had moved on from carbon-carbon double bonds to talk about hybridized orbitals. I attempted to take notes on myptop, but I kept getting distracted thinking about how Tallon had thought of me when he saw a bleeding heart flower. He had no idea how urate hisparison had been. I was invading his life, and if my n was sessful, he would hate me forever.


    I forced myself to think about my mother, about how sad she had been to grow up away from her family. I forced myself to remember the brother that she¡¯d lost because of Tallon¡¯s men. She had never really gotten over her grief for him.


    I pulled my phone back out.


    ¡°What¡¯s your favorite flower?¡± I asked him, trying to steer the conversation away from any discussion of me and my supposedly good attributes.


    ¡°I like red lilies. I know the white lily is our national flower, but I find the red so much more alluring.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. His flower metaphors were getting a little pointed. But honestly, I loved it. There was something so intriguing about a man who was happy to discuss his favorite flowers when I also happened to know he was a mafia Don.


    I could feel myself itching to pull back theyers of Tallon¡¯s personality to see what was underneath. He didn¡¯t have secrets the way I did, but I knew there were things that he wouldn¡¯t reveal to me until he was reallyfortable. If I was going to be sessful at this, I needed to get him reallyfortable, even if that meantpromising my own morals.


    ¡°My grandmother used to call red lilies ¡®stained madonnas.¡¯¡± I texted him back. It wasn¡¯t true. In fact, I never even knew my grandmother, but I hoped that if I mentioned something small about my family, then he might start talking about his own.


    ¡°She sounds scary! I¡¯d love to meet her someday. I love terrifying women.¡±


    His text made meugh out loud and I quickly covered my mouth. The people around me turned to look at me, no doubt wondering what I found funny about an organic chemistry lecture. ¡°Sorry!¡± I whispered.


    I spent the rest of the ss texting back and forth, trying to toe the line between doing something good for my family and not wanting to break Tallon¡¯s heart.


    As I was walking out of ss, I realized that there was no way to do this without breaking Tallon¡¯s heart, and that my own would likely be broken as well. I shoved my phone back into my pocket and vowed to stop talking to Tallon.


    I would just tell my uncles that I had tried, but he had pushed me away. Surely they would believe me. Once again, guilt gnawed at me as I mentally prepared myself to lie to people I imed to love. How could I ever choose between Tallon and my family?


    Other than my mother, my family had never been great. My cousins were mostly rough boys being raised by angry men who had been chased out of their homes years ago. I grew up quickly learning how to fight, not because of bullies in the schoolyard, but because of my own family. My first fistfight was when I was nine, and my older cousin attacked me for calling him a cheater.


    But tricking Tallon wouldn¡¯t only benefit my cousins and uncles; it would also help my mother. I chewed on my lip as I considered whether or not helping her was worth it.


    I just couldn¡¯t decide what to do. My phone buzzed a few more times with messages from Tallon, but I didn¡¯t want to see them.


    I needed to stop thinking about all of it for a little while.

 Chapter 510 : Pining

    <h4>Chapter 510: Chapter 510 : Pining</h4>


    *Tallon*


    ¡°The armory is running low on supplies, so Tino is requesting new updates for both the weaponry and armor stores. Our shipment from Guam is running behind due to the tropical storm, so Manuel is requesting that we dy the products we do have.¡±


    I sighed, bncing my pencil on the edge of my pointer finger. I was only half paying attention as Vinny went on and on about things I couldn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about. I stared down at my desk, the one I¡¯d inherited from Giovani, and the slip of paper sitting innocently beneath my fingertips.


    Her handwriting stared up at me, taunting me, but I couldn¡¯t look away. After studying it for hours on end, I had begun to notice the little details like how she drew a tiny heart above the I in her name, the way she flourished her M¡¯s, and how the line of ¡®Call Me¡¯ was drawn thicker than the rest of the note.


    It was just a ripped-up piece of notebook paper but somehow, it had be invaluable to me, just like Natalia had.


    She was an enigma, a siren who only I could hear as she sang just for me. She was too alluring to ignore, drawing me into her with every moment she made. Despite how vulnerable, thin, and breakable she seemed, she held an iron will that held up against anything I could throw at her.


    I hadn¡¯t known her for that long, had barely spent more than a few hours together, but there was just something about her that kept meing back to her. I just couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her and all the stolen moments we had shared.


    In my head, I kept running back to ourst conversation¨Cthe way her face fell, hesitation in her eyes as she stepped away from me, and those cold, biting words she¡¯d said before leaving the dance floor and me.


    Most men would¡¯ve given up by now. They would have gone on with their daily lives and forgotten about the woman who rejected them so brutally. But that wasn¡¯t the kind of man I was.


    No, the vision of her back as she left me alone on the dance floor had only fuelled the mes of desire within me. But the more days that passed with no sign of her returning, the more bitter my heart grew with longing, leading me to grasp the only thing I had of her in my possession¨Cthe damn number that she never answered.


    ¡°Tallon!¡±


    I snapped to attention, ncing up at Vinny, who gave me a cross look. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not even paying attention!¡± He threw his hands up exasperated, beginning to pace in front of my desk with a heated passion. ¡°You¡¯re so distracted these days that we¡¯ve got a whole backlog of internal affairs to sort out, and you¡¯re just staring at the stupid piece of paper like some lovesick hopeless romantic idiot!¡±


    I crossed my arms, giving him a pointed look. ¡°Update the armor and have the shipment marked express. We just got new weapons, so no to that. Tell Manuel that we¡¯re not dying anything. We give the product we have, and if they have anyints, just tell them we don¡¯t control the fucking weather. Anything else?¡±


    There was asting moment of silence as Vinny and I stared at each other, neither backing down from our defensive sides. Finally, he sighed, giving me a narrowed look like he hated me and everything I stood for.


    ¡°You are the bane of my existence,¡± Vinny grumbled unhappily.


    ¡°Love you too,¡± I shot back with a grin, then I turned back to the number on my desk,ying my head on my fist. ¡°Now, if only I could solve this issue as easily.¡±


    Vinny copsed onto the leather recliner on the other side of the desk, propping his feet up on the mahogany desk without a care in the world for its preciousness. If Giovani¨Cor worse, my father¨Chad seen what he was doing to their precious desk, there would be hell to pay.


    Luckily for him, Vinny knew I just couldn¡¯t give a damn.


    He rolled his eyes. ¡°Just fucking call her, you idiot. There, solved.¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± I shot back, my annoyance creeping up on me. ¡°I¡¯ve called her a dozen times and she isn¡¯t answering... not my calls, not my messages or texts, just nothing. It¡¯s like she¡¯s disappeared off the face of the.¡±


    I could still hear the faint ringing of the phone in my ear, the non-stop tone of her voicemail as I left message after message, growing more desperate by the day. I felt like I was losing my mind, that maybe I¡¯d scared her off so badly that she would never want to talk to me again.


    Because wasn¡¯t that what she said?


    ¡®I can¡¯t do this.¡¯


    Her words followed me like a ghost.


    If I could just know why, I thought that maybe I could give up on this borderline obsession and put these feelings to rest. I knew I had to find her somehow, to give me another chance to exin myself or at least to put me out of my fucking misery.


    But how?


    I was interrupted from my thoughts by the annoying ringing of Vinny¡¯s cell phone. The high-pitched song from the radio was one that I detested, and I red at my right-hand man as he took out his phone, answering it with a cheeky, ¡°Hello?¡±


    He¡¯d only made it his ringtone to annoy the shit out of me, and I hated that it worked every time. I red at the piece of shit stic, wishing I could take a hammer to it or drop it off a ledge, but Vinny loved that thing more than any girlfriend he¡¯d ever had.


    Which was why he was single.


    ¡®And happy to be,¡¯ he always said smugly whenever I brought it up.


    Plus, he did need the phone for micro-managing our warehouse, and supplies, and even investigating or finding the location of suspicious¡ª


    An idea struck me over the head, and I couldn¡¯t believe that I hadn¡¯t considered it before. I was the Don of the Italian Mafia, the leader of the Valentinos. I had unlimited money and resources at my fingertips and sure, someone better than me might lecture that it should only be used for the family¡¯s well-being and not for personal escapades, but fuck all that.


    My mental well-being was important to the family, so I could lead them properly, right? And I was certainly being driven mad because of this woman. So finding her was in the interest of the family.


    I ignored the flimsy excuse, sticking to my guns as I turned to Vinny with an excited but determined look. He hung up, turning to me with a serious look, but I was too preupied to notice.


    ¡°Vinny, I want you to find Natalia. Use anything you have to,¡± I told him firmly. ¡°She¡¯s about fife-foot-five with gorgeous long brown hair and beautiful clear blue eyes. I don¡¯t have herst name, but she¡¯s a foreign exchange student from New York City. There shouldn¡¯t be too many of them with that name, so check every college in the area.¡±


    Vinny stared at me nkly then said in full disbelief, ¡°You don¡¯t even know herst name?¡±


    ¡°Is that really important right now?¡± I shot back defensively.


    It was a bit weird that she hadn¡¯t given me herst name but then again, I¡¯d never given her mine either.


    ¡°Just find her for me, okay?¡±


    Vinny sighed, lounging in the leather chair across from me as he mmed his palm down his face, dragging it along his skin. I could see in his eyes he was not happy about this and he did not approve of her, but fuck him.


    Natalia was more important to me than his opinion right now.


    ¡°Look.¡± He stared with a heavy sigh, looking me straight in the eye. ¡°I¡¯ll find your girl for you, but until I do, you gotta focus on work, right? Speaking of, you have to head over to Warehouse C, like right now.¡±


    I frowned at the urgency in his voice, unusual with Vinny¡¯s carefree attitude. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Vinny leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms unhappily. ¡°There was a raid on our recent shipment. Dom is over there now and he needs to talk to you.¡±


    Well, fuck.


    ¡°Tell him I¡¯ll be there in ten,¡± I said, tucking the paper with Natalia¡¯s number in my pocket as I grabbed my coat and rushed out of the door. As I left, I shouted out, ¡°And find Natalia!¡±


    It made it to the warehouse in a record time of eight minutes.


    As I drove up, however, it was clear this was no ordinary raid. My men were standing outside of the warehouse, looking worse for wear. Everywhere I looked there were gun casings and scattered pistols just tossed on the ground. Several cars had their whole windshield shattered, while others had holes in their chastise.


    It looked like a warzone.


    I got out of the car with a dark look, ncing around. I lightly kicked one of the bullet casings, hearing the jingle as It rattled across the pavement. I leaned down to grab it, surveying it. Normal brass, cheap quality, and by the looks of it, handmade.


    I pocketed the casing for further researchter, stepping over a few piles of blood as I headed to where I spotted Dom through the crowd.


    ¡°What the fuck happened?¡± I demanded as I got to them, surveying the few men leaning against the walls, covered in bloody clothing or being patched up for wounds. ¡°Is anyone else hurt?¡±


    ¡°Most of it is superficial,¡± Dom said firmly. ¡°But two of our men are in the hospital and one is dead. Four of the enemy are dead, but there¡¯s nothing on them for an ID. They¡¯re ghosts, too.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I rubbed the back of my neck, unable to believe this had happened. ¡°Exin everything.¡±


    ¡°I was on transport duty for the recent shipment by boat,¡± Dom exined calmly. ¡°We reached the harbor just fine but when we got here, there was already a battle going on. We left the shipment to engage the enemy, and that¡¯s when they pushed us back and raided the shipment. They took off soon after.¡±


    ¡°They got all of it?¡± I asked in disbelief, ncing at the huge shipment container that was now riddled with holes and empty.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Dom nodded. ¡°They were efficient and highly trained. This wasn¡¯t any normal raid. They were prepared. They knew a shipment wasing, and they had enough vehicles and men to take four of them, but they only got one.¡±


    ¡°So why didn¡¯t they get the rest of it?¡± I wondered, staring at the shipment container before I finally realized why. I turned to Dom with a shocked look and he nodded, grimly.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t realize that the rest of the shipment had been dyed due to the storm,¡± Dom stated. ¡°And that¡¯s not all.¡±


    A chill went down my spine as I nced around at the chaos, taking it all in.


    ¡°What could be fucking worse than this?¡± I demanded.


    Dom sighed, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out what looked like a pistol. I immediately grabbed it, checking the cartridge and the stamping. But there was no sign of a manufacturer, just like the casings.


    They were homemade or produced locally.


    But then I noticed the unusual shape, and my whole body tensed.


    ¡°Is this a Tokarev?¡± I asked cooly, ncing at Dom with a sharp look.


    He nodded grimly and my worst fears were realized. I nced around at the battlefield, taking note of how many identical guns had just been thrown around without care.


    Cheap and effortlessly reced, it was no wonder they¡¯d just thrown them out once they were done. We wouldn¡¯t find fingerprints on them either, I was sure of that. They were too careful for that with the homemade casings of cheap brass, a Tokarev, and the raid on the shipment¨Cthis shipment.


    ¡°Dom, when was thest time this warehouse was raided?¡± I asked, quietly, not wanting to confirm my suspicions. But Dom was ready for the question, having already put it all together.


    ¡°Fifteen years ago,¡± he answered knowingly, ¡°when the Russians hit it.¡±


    Fucking shit.


    It had been so long since we¡¯d seen any hint of those fucking Russians that I¡¯d begun to think they¡¯d truly given up and had cut their losses, but I should¡¯ve known better. Giovani had told me of Lorenz¡¯sst words, but I hadn¡¯t believed it.


    It was true though.


    ¡°The Russians are back in Italy,¡± I said darkly. Before I had time to process any further, my phone began to ring and I groaned, answering with a rough, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Well, you were right,¡± Vinny said casually. ¡°There weren¡¯t that many exchange students named Natalia.¡±


    ¡°You found her?¡± My heart leaped to my throat, pounding at the thought.


    ¡°I found her."

 Chapter 511 : Convince Me

    <h4>Chapter 511: Chapter 511 : Convince Me</h4>


    *Tallon*


    Via dei Fagioli, or as it would be called in America, Bean Street. Tucked away in a quiet corner of the city where the artisans had taken over, it was thest ce I expected Natalia to be.


    But there she was.


    She was unmistakable as I spied her through the ss windows of the storefront, the tiny coffee shop too small to actually hide in, drinking something out of a ssic white mug, happily in her own little world like she didn¡¯t have a care.


    Like she hadn¡¯t been driving me nuts for the past week.


    My heart skipped a beat just watching her through the ss, my eyes tracing over her like I couldn¡¯t get enough, memorizing every inch of her. Who knew if this would go well? Who knew if I¡¯d ever see her again after today?


    She¡¯d ghosted me long enough. It was time to get answers.


    The coffee shop was clearly local, as signified by the giant chalkboard they hung outside thatbeled all of their specials and sales, and the fact that you could only get there through the winding streets of the artisanmunity.


    The whole neighborhood looked like it had jumped out of something from the eighteen hundreds, down to the cast iron street lights on every corner and the unusual shops selling handmade soaps and finely-crafted cheese. There were hardly any people around, and I supposed that was why the ce was as quiet as it was.


    It seemed like a know-about-it-before-youe kind of ce.


    And the coffee shop was no different.


    I opened the door, the bell jingling above me as I did so, and the barista behind the counter smiled as I entered.


    ¡°Wee to Bean Street!¡± she said in a chipper voice. ¡°Can I get you anything?¡±


    I nced at the corner table where Natalia was, only able to see her back, her long hair falling over the wooden chair she sat in. There were only two other customers¨Ca middle-aged man typing away on hisptop and an older woman with poofy white hair and a cane leaning against the table.


    Neither of them even looked up as I approached the counter. The barista just smiled at me, like this was the best day of her life, and I nced at her nametag pinned to her shirt, which said, ¡°Giorgia.¡±


    ¡°Could I have a¨C¡± I nced at the chalkboard menu above her head, picking a random one, ¡°Carameltte, please?¡±


    ¡°Here or to go?¡± she asked immediately, inputting my order into the screen with an intense familiarity.


    ¡°Here.¡± I nced over at Natalia again, checking if she was still there or if she had even noticed me yet. She hadn¡¯t, of course. Good.


    The barista told me the price and I fished into my back pocket for my cash, pulling out a bill and handing it to her.


    ¡°Keep the change,¡± I said with a nod at her.


    She nced up at me, shocked, then at the money in my hand, with wide eyes. ¡°Are... are you sure? That¡¯s over double the price¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± I smiled at her, watching as her cheeks turned bright pink in response. She could take it as thanks for helping me find Natalia.


    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± she beamed happily, dly taking the money and stuffing it into the cash drawer. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back with your drink.¡±


    She turned away, immediately beginning the process of making it. I waited patiently, watching Natalia from the corner of my eye. I could see her phone over her shoulder and watched as she scrolled through some random social media tform that I wasn¡¯t on.


    ¡°Here you go, sir!¡± The barista returned with a white mug, identical to the others in the shop.


    I nced at the cup, a little impressed to see a design of a rose made into the coffee and cream.


    ¡°Impressive.¡± I grinned and she blushed a bright red.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± She waved fervently at me, then grabbed her own hand, blushing as she stuffed it below the counter.


    I chuckled, grabbing the coffee by the handle and the tiny te below it. I sent her a nod as I turned away, my heart racing as I caught sight of Natalia once again.


    The afternoon light was pouring in from the window, illuminating the stones below like a golden path showing me the way to her. I walked around the table and gently set thette on it, calmly sitting in the chair across from her.


    Despite it feeling like my heart was about to race out of my chest in anticipation, she didn¡¯t look up at all. I felt an intense and slightly annoyed impulse to gently grab her chin and draw her eyes to mine.


    It had been too long since I¡¯d seen her.


    I licked my bottom lip, remembering the taste of her lips on mine. All of the pining I¡¯d been doing hade back in full force, and I clenched my fists under the table, barely stopping myself from calling her name, hearing its sweet tones in my ears.


    But I was patient. I watched her,ying my head on my fist as I stared at her. The setting golden sun bursting from the windows cast a glow upon her, illuminating the softer tones in her hair and making her seem like she was a burning me.


    I could stare at her all day like this, I thought. She was so goddamn beautiful and I¡¯d never met anyone like her before. Maybe that was why I was so anxious to hold onto her.


    I knew how crazy I was acting, and how creepy my behavior coulde off, chasing a woman who¡¯d rejected me. But there was just something about her that I couldn¡¯t get out of my head.


    I just had to see her this one time and if she rejected me again, I¡¯d walk away. That was the promise I¡¯d crossed into my heart but now, I was second-guessing myself. The whirlwind of emotions that had smacked me in the face after meeting her again was enough to shake my resolve.


    And finally, after a few minutes, I was rewarded for my patience.


    Natalia reached out for her mug, her knuckles knocking into my cup and she jumped almost a foot in the air, her eyes whirling up. I witnessed the moment her eyes connected with mine, feeling a jolt of electricity jumping between us.


    I sent her a grin, watching the emotions flit across her face in a hurricane¨Cconfusion and shock, then realization and uneasiness, and just a hint of hope peeking through it all. I may have been a hopeless fool, but Itched onto the lingering hope in her eyes, ignoring everything else as my heart leaped to my throat.


    I swallowed, feeling just as nervous as she looked, and we stared at each other in silence, neither one of us speaking as we stared endlessly into each other¡¯s eyes.


    And god, her eyes were brighter than thete summer sky, bluer than the clearest waves in the sea.


    And though I¡¯d enjoy just sitting here and staring at her, basking in her presence and the triumph that came with finding her after being ignored for so long, I had a job to do.


    ¡°Hey.¡± I broke the silence in a low tone, watching her wavering eyes.


    She nced around at us nervously, but nobody else was paying attention. Both the patrons and the barista were off in their own little worlds. She nced at her coffee and then mine, a look of something I couldn¡¯t recognize shimmering in her eyes before she nced at the barista behind the counter.


    Said barista nced up at us with a knowing grin, giving Natalia a thumbs up. Natalia blushed a deep shade of red, sighing as she grabbed her temple with her thin fingers, exasperated for some reason.


    I didn¡¯t realize why until I nced at her owntte, the remnants of a heart still showing on top... a rose and a heart.


    How fitting, I thought with a twinge to my upper lip. There was no way that was a coincidence.


    ¡°So,¡± I started with a pointed look at her. ¡°You ghosted me.¡±


    She swallowed ufortably, then looked me straight in the eyes with a steely determination. ¡°You should have gotten the hint.¡±


    Damn. That was cold.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve at least had the decency to tell me what I did wrong,¡± I shot back, dropping the humor from my voice. I was a bit ashamed as I heard the hurt that slipped in, the note of usation.


    This wasn¡¯t how I wanted this to go. I was supposed to charm her, to make her rethink cutting me out of her life, to convince her to give me a chance.


    But things were just going horribly wrong right out of the gate.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry about ghosting you.¡± Natalia sighed, looking a bit repentant. ¡°But I meant what I said. I really can¡¯t do this anymore.¡±


    I stared at her for a few minutes, surveying every inch of her nkly and she shifted in her seat, looking ufortable.


    Finally, I grinned and said, ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She burst out, giving me an incredulous look. ¡°What do you mean, nope?¡±


    ¡°I mean,¡± I said casually, ¡°that I can tell you¡¯re not telling the truth and just making excuses. So, until you tell me a good reason for not giving me a chance, then I will sit here and drink my expertly preparedtte.¡±


    To prove my point, I leaned back in my chair, cing thette to my lips and taking a sip. Just as I¡¯d thought, thette was pretty good. Natalia just stared at me open-mouthed, looking like I was crazy.


    She was probably right about that.


    But I had a feeling she was a little crazy too.


    ¡°Fine. You want a good reason?¡± she huffed, crossing her arms. ¡°Then I¡¯m just not that into you.¡±


    ¡°Try again,¡± I countered easily. ¡°We both know you are.¡±


    She gaped at my shamelessness, her cheeks burning red, and I knew I had caught her red-handed. I smirked at her, tilting my head and waiting for whatever she woulde up with next.


    ¡°I¡¯m an exchange student. I won¡¯t be here forever. I don¡¯t want to start a rtionship just for it to end when I go back home.¡±


    ¡°Then it won¡¯t. I¡¯lle to visit you and pay for your ne tickets to visit me. Plus, there¡¯s the inte.¡± I shrugged. ¡°There are a million ways to stay connected when you leave. Besides, who knows when that will be?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too old for me.¡±


    ¡°Please, you¡¯re what, twenty-three? Ten years isn¡¯t that big of a difference,¡± I quirked an eyebrow at her. ¡°We¡¯re both adults.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to take this! I said no, so leave me alone!¡± She mmed her palms on the table, avoiding my eyes as she got to her feet, and for a moment, I panicked.


    I was going to lose her again.


    Before she could lose her shoe and run away from the ball, I reached out to gently ce my hand over hers.


    ¡°Natalia.¡± I called her name softly and she flinched, finally looking me in the eyes. I could see the fear, the shame in her eyes, and though I didn¡¯t know what she was so afraid of, I knew that she was terrified.


    ¡°I like you,¡± I told her bluntly, smiling softly as she blushed, her lips twitching into a smile before she tried to forcefully pull them down.


    She looked away,pletely unsure and anxious, but I got to my feet, circling the table and gently cing my palm on her cheek, guiding her gaze to my eyes.


    ¡°I like you, so I spend days thinking about nothing but you. You¡¯ve driven me absolutely nuts, and I tracked you down just to beg you to give me a chance. So please, Natalia, don¡¯t run away again.¡± I searched her eyes, finding that little hint of hope in them and praying she didn¡¯t push me away.


    I leaned forward, keeping an eye on her reaction as I got closer and closer until our lips were just millimeters from brushing. I could feel the heat of her breath, and I waited there for her permission, letting her make the next move.


    Her bottom lip wobbled, her blue eyes swimming with anxiety before finally, she shut her eyes, sighing.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she murmured but then, just when she leaned forward, her lips brushing against mine just the tiniest bit, she was gone again.


    Not even realizing I¡¯d closed my eyes, I opened them, shocked to find there was no one in front of me.


    Panicked, I turned around, intending to chase after her, but I spotted her standing there with her back to the windows, the sunlight pouring in and illuminating her like an angel¡¯s halo.


    She gave me a mischievous smile, hands tucked behind her back, looking more like a temptress than an angel as she stole my breath from my lungs once more.


    ¡°Convince me then.¡±

 Chapter 512 : Too Late to Regret

    <h4>Chapter 512: Chapter 512 : Too Late to Regret</h4>


    *Natalia*


    I don¡¯t know why I had challenged him.


    I¡¯ve always been impulsive, but challenging the Don of the Italian mafia to woo me wasn¡¯t just taking the cake, but the whole damn bakery with it.


    Maybe I just wanted to see how far he would go for me, how deep the feelings he imed he had for me truly were. Or maybe I wanted to test him, to see if I could really capture his heart for my family, just to break it in the worst way possible.


    Or maybe I wanted to see if he felt it too, this deep connection I¡¯d never experienced before with anyone, this intense longing to be by his side, to talk to him and be near him.


    I didn¡¯t know.


    Whatever my expectations had been, Tallon had certainly surpassed them.


    ¡°And vo! The best gto in the world!¡± Tallon grinned like a kid, handing me the sugary dessert in a cup.


    I giggled, feeling like I was on the edge of a cliff, one puff of wind from blowing me over the edge as I dly took the cup of dessert.


    ¡°Why thank you, sir,¡± I pretended to curtsey, grinning as he bowed like a gentleman, even pretending to take off his imaginary top hat in respect.


    ¡°Why, mydy, I wouldb the heavens for whatever you asked. For you are the moon and I am the sky under your domain.¡± He sent me a flirty wink, his own cup of gto clutched in his hand.


    Iughed. ¡°That was incredibly cheesy,¡± I teased.


    ¡°Did it work?¡± He wiggled his eyebrows yfully.


    I didn¡¯t answer, but we both knew the answer was yes. I¡¯d always been good at faking my emotions, hiding the true ones inside. But for some reason, I couldn¡¯t do that with Tallon. He read me like an open book, and I longed to know how he did it.


    Not even my own mother could read me as well as he could.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get a big head,¡± I told him, turning to walk down the street. I could hear him quickly running to catch up, falling to my side and matching my pace easily. I scooped up a bite of the gto, admiring the deep chocte color.


    I wondered how he knew that chocte was my favorite.


    I took a bite, the cold hitting me first and then the sheer explosion of chocte goodness. I moaned over the gto, the smooth iciness melting away in my mouth, and I felt like I could cry.


    ¡°Told you.¡± Tallon grinned smugly as my expression and I was too mesmerized by the treat to banter back. I was astonished that anything could ever taste so delicious.


    ¡°So, where to now?¡± I asked casually, smiling as I finished off my gto, throwing the cup away in the trash. I took my ce on the inside of the sidewalk because Tallon had insisted on it, like the gentleman he was.


    I hummed happily as Tallon chuckled to himself, and I sent him a curious nce as he stopped in his tracks, tugging me to face him.


    ¡°Now¨C¡±


    He gazed at me straight in the eyes with an adoring look. ¡°Now I have to ask. Did I convince you?¡±


    My mouth opened to respond but I regained my senses just before I did and halted the words that I was able to say. I knew exactly what those words were, too. I avoided his eyes, searching around us as I ignored the things I didn¡¯t want to think about.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯ll let you knowter.¡± I dodged the question, hoping he would give me more time with him before I had to respond and make my choice. ¡°It¡¯s still early. We could go to the park. I¡¯ve heard there are many parks here.¡±


    ¡°Early?¡± Tallon gave me an incredulous but fond look then nced at the sky above us.


    I was wondering what on earth he was going on about but I followed his gaze, looking at the sky, too. At first, all I noticed was the twinkling of the stars above, the soft blues of the night¨Cthat was when it hit me.


    ¡°It¡¯s night?¡± I breathed in sheer disbelief, my eyes reopened as I looked around us.


    Shops were closing and the streets were sparse as people headed home for the day, and the street lights hade to light the way too.


    It was still noon when Tallon had found me, still early in the day. And sure, we¡¯d gone to museums and several of their national parks and went to see. Okay, so maybe the time was right and I just hadn¡¯t noticed that I had spent the entire day with Tallon.


    I deted like a balloon, unsure of what to say now.


    ¡°Are you disappointed?¡± Tallon asked with a chuckle.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I answered without thinking, sulking to myself, and then nched as I realized I¡¯d said that aloud. ¡°Oh no, I meant¨C¡±


    ¡°I know what you meant.¡± He grinned then nced between us with a joyful look. ¡°You didn¡¯t even notice that you¡¯ve been holding my hand for thest half-hour.¡±


    True to his word, I nced down and our hands were tightly bound together, me holding his without even noticing. I took in a breath, unable to believe my eyes.


    Dammit.


    I¡¯d meant to hang out for an hour and then gently let him down and we¡¯d both go on our ways. I genuinely liked Tallon, in a way I¡¯d never liked anyone before.


    That was why I didn¡¯t want to use him. If I made him give up on me, I could get out of using him for my family, but....


    I guess I liked him more than I¡¯d thought.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to have fun,¡± I said quietly, more to myself than him.


    ¡°But you did.¡± He grinned, stepping closer. His eyes were focused on mine, so close that I could see my reflection in his.


    ¡°But I did,¡± I admitted, finally giving up on holding him back.


    He¡¯d somehow torn down all of my walls like a wrecking ball without me even knowing. My feelings surged up, oveing all of the other fears I¡¯d been harboring until I leaped forward, capturing his lips with mine.


    Soft.


    It was all too easy to fall into him, to lose myself as he slipped his tongue into my mouth, meeting mine in a frenzy of heat and passion. He was slow as he coaxed me, but confident as he dominated our battle of wills.


    I couldn¡¯t contain the heat in my body as we gravitated into one another, my hands on his clothes and his around my waist as I got as close as I physically could to him. When we broke apart for air, we were both gasping.


    Sparks traveled from everywhere we touched, like tiny jolts of electricity flowing from me to him and back again.


    ¡°You¨C¡± I gasped, looking him in the eyes meaningfully. ¡°You might want to get us a room.¡±


    His eyes widened in surprise, and I saw the desire spread until it consumed every part of him.


    It took fifteen minutes before we were pushing our way through the hotel door, and I mmed it shut behind me as we immediately jumped on one another. I felt like I was starving, like I needed his skin connected to mine or I might just fade away into dust.


    The hunger was deep and ravenous as I thrust my hands around his shirt, tossing it to the floor easily as he grabbed the hem of my dress, pulling it over my head. It was lost somewhere on the floor, and I gasped as Tallon pushed me into the wall, my bare back hitting it with a thump.


    His tongue dove over my neck and I lifted it for better ess, closing my eyes in pure bliss as he sucked a mark right over my heartbeat. I wondered if he could feel it racing in my chest.


    Soon my bra was on the floor, leaving me in only panties as he attacked my chest with a frenzy and I moaned as he took my nipple into his teeth, sucking hard.


    I ran my hands over his muscled back, tracing my fingertips over his numerous tattoos. Impatient, I grabbed his head, forcing his lips to meet mine again, and Tallon finally pulled me from the wall, supporting me by my thighs as he dropped me onto the bed and hovered over me.


    ¡°God, you¡¯re so beautiful,¡± he breathed through peppering kisses.


    I blushed as he murmured praises against my skin, every word making it feel hotter and hotter until it damn near unbearable.


    I¡¯d had enough. I hooked my legs around his waist, pulling his groin to meet mine, and my god, the friction had me moaning his name aloud. Tallon let out a low growl as I grinded against the swelling member under his pants, and it didn¡¯t take long for him to pull back.


    I whined at the loss but heid a kiss on my lips, and I could hear him unbuckling his belt and the fabric falling to the floor. I stared up at him with heated eyes, my mindpletely empty except for how much I needed him to be inside of me.


    ¡°Tallon,¡± I groaned, annoyed that he wasn¡¯t moving fast enough. I writhed under him, desperate to have my hands on him.


    He shushed me with his lips and I felt hisrge, strong hand on my thighs, so big I felt like he could snap me in a single moment. He hooked his thumbs under my panties, pulling them down torturously slow, and I sighed in relief once they were off.


    I wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling him down to meet me with a brutal strength, and he gasped in surprise as I turned the tables on him, forcing him underneath me. With lidded eyes, I watched him, wanting to see every part of his reaction as I slid my pussy over his cock, sliding back and forth.


    He groaned, shutting his eyes as he gripped my hips painfully, but I didn¡¯t give a damn as I kissed him hard, sliding my tongue into his mouth as I lost all sense of reason.


    At the same time, I used my hand to stroke his cock, lining it up with me and enjoying it as I swallowed up every little sound we made. Finally, I felt him pushing against my hole, sliding right in... and Jesus Christ, was he massive.


    I breathed in sharp and slow as I slid down on him, stretching to fit his size. I pulled from Tallon¡¯s lips, throwing my head back as I groaned at the pressure, but finally, he was all in me. I felt full and as I swallowed. I could feel myself tightening around him.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Tallon cursed, breathing just as heavily as I was.


    But I adjusted, and finally, I began to move. It all blurred from there, my screams resounding through the room as he tore me apart and I came again and again and again.


    I only remembered that I shouldn¡¯t be doing this after it was all over and I was too numb and satisfied to run away again.


    Fuck it. It was toote already, I remembered thinking before sleep took me.


    He cradled me in his arms, the scent of us lingering in my nose as sleep came quickly for me.


    ***


    *Tallon*


    I didn¡¯t remember falling asleep until the heat of the morning sun had grazed my bare skin, warming me down to the very marrow. It took a bit to truly wake up, to open my eyes, and get a handle on my surroundings.


    It was unfamiliar, the sheets too bright and the nket too scratchy for my liking. I yawned as I stretched out on the bed. Reaching out my fingers, I felt a slight warmth from the empty side of the bed.


    And it all hit me. Like an old-time movie in ck and white, yesterday shed through my mind¨Cfinding Natalia, convincing her to give me another chance, and taking her around town until the sun had set.


    And I remembered the way she had kissed me, whispering to get a room. I remembered our passionate night in the hotel room and the way I¡¯d fallen asleep holding her.


    I snapped up in bed, ncing with a panicked look at the side of the bed. It was still warm, but that could have been from the sunlight streaming through the windows.


    Natalia was nowhere to be seen.


    I nced around on the floor, spotting my own clothes thrown around but not the dress I¡¯d ripped off of her.


    She was gone.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I cursed, jumping out of bed.


    But before I got very far, the door opened up and a long leg popped into view, followed by the slender body of the missing woman. She was carrying two coffee cups in her hands.


    Natalia blinked in surprise, seeing me standing therepletely buck naked, and naturally, her eyes fell downward. She turned a bright red, making a little squeaking sound as she averted her eyes from my manhood.


    Iughed, settling back under the covers so she wouldn¡¯t have to stare at me.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d run off again,¡± I told her with a grin, relieved to see she had only gotten coffee for us.


    She pursed her lips, handing me one of the cups and crawling into bed beside me with her own. ¡°Jeez, a girl can¡¯t even get coffee without being used of ghosting.¡± She smiled yfully, gently bumping my shoulder. She took a sip of the coffee and then shuddered with a disgusted look on her face. ¡°Maybe getting hotel coffee was a bad idea.¡±


    I just grinned, taking a sip of my own coffee to immediately find out that she was right. It really was terrible.


    I curled my arm around her shoulder, gently pulling her into my side. She leaned her head on me, both of us perfectly content to bring in the day together.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± I murmured into her temple.

 Chapter 513 : Someone Is Lying

    <h4>Chapter 513: Chapter 513 : Someone Is Lying</h4>


    *Tallon*


    ¡°This is bad, Boss,¡± Alessandro said as he and several of my most trusted men gathered in the safe room in ourpound.


    We were surrounded by maps and documents outlining recent Russian movements. The air was thick with tension; everyone was concerned about the increased violence we had been experiencing from the Russians. ¡°Someone is leaking intelligence. It¡¯s obvious that the Russians aren¡¯t just getting lucky.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Vincenzo added. ¡°Thisst raid was so precise, it was obvious that they knew exactly where to go and what to grab. They also seemed to know that you were elsewhere. I just can¡¯t figure out who the leak could be. I¡¯ve been going over everyone for days and I can¡¯t imagine any of them betraying us.¡±


    ¡°Whoever the leak is, we¡¯ll figure it out. They¡¯re going to regret ever deciding to turn their back on us,¡± I said through gritted teeth. My jaw flexed with anger. I couldn¡¯t fucking believe that one of my men would stoop so low as to be a Russian informant.


    Most of my guys had been with me since they were teenagers. If they weren¡¯t directly rted to me, they were usually someone I had helped get out of a shitty situation. Every single one of them had been treated like family ever since being put on my payroll. I believed in taking care of my own, but apparently, I had let that cloud my judgment.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re going to have to tighten up our intel. Anybody not standing in this room is no longer given information that doesn¡¯t directly pertain to them. Alessandro and Vinny, I need you to back me up on this. I¡¯m going to rely on you to keep your ears to the ground and try to figure out who the leak could be. Frank and Eddie, I need you both to ce wiretaps around thepound. I hate to spy on our own people, but at this point, it¡¯s a necessity. The rest of you, tighten up security in all areas of thepound and around the city. It¡¯s no longer eptable for anyone to be totally alone as long as they¡¯re outside the walls of thepound, and we¡¯re going to double up guard duty. I know nobody wants to hear that, but it¡¯s better to be overworked than dead. Of course, I¡¯ll make sure that everyone who has to pull more guard shifts will be well paid for the trouble.¡±


    The men nodded, everyone serious as we considered what it would mean if we discovered who the leak was. I could tell that they were all hoping we were somehow wrong; the idea of having to take care of someone we had known for decades left a bad taste in all of our mouths. Although it angered me beyond belief to know that someone was betraying me, I was still a human being, and I had no desire to have to kill someone I knew well.


    My phone buzzed and I nced down at the screen quickly, happy to see that Natalia had texted me. I couldn¡¯t wait to call her after this meeting was over. Things had been going exponentially better between us ever since we¡¯d finally made love a few days before. It seemed that she was one of those rare women who actually needed sex to feel a deeper connection to someone.


    thought of being with someone who needed a physical connection with me in order to be able to process her emotional connections sounded fucking phenomenal. I¡¯d have sex with her every day for the rest of my life if that¡¯s what she needed, preferably multiple times a day.


    I looked back up from my phone, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand. It was extremely concerning to me just how sessful the Russians had betely. They had barely even been on my radar in my entire time as the Don, but now they wereing back with a vengeance, and it was clear that they were thirsty for Italian blood.


    Although Natalia was a wee distraction, I couldn¡¯t afford to let myself get totally lost with her until we neutralized the threat. It terrified me to think about how the Russians could use her against me if they found out about our rtionship. I made a mental note to tell her to avoid being alone after dark.


    ¡°I cannot emphasize enough just how much I need everyone to be on their A-game right now. This is the kind of shit that could destroy our entire operation. Alright, men, you¡¯re dismissed,¡± I said, letting them go about their days. I motioned to Alessandro and Vincenzo to stay back.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Alessandro asked quietly once everyone else had filed out.


    ¡°Keep this quiet, but out of everyone here, you two are the only ones who I know I can trust absolutely. This leak is definitelying from someone close to me. Thest raid happened while I was¨C¡± I coughed awkwardly, wanting to be honest with them without being crude. ¡°Well, it was while I was meeting with Natalia, the night I spent with her. Very few people knew that I wasn¡¯t at thepound that night. I didn¡¯t exactly make itmon knowledge.¡±


    Vinny waggled his eyebrows suggestively at me while Alessandro looked horrified to be talking about anything remotely close to my sex life. The horror was mutual. Thest thing I wanted to discuss with my brother was mytest fling.


    ¡°You seriously think one of those guys in here just now could be the leak?¡± Alessandro asked, quick to change the subject.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I think they are the only people it could be. Nobody else would know my schedule that well, and that raid couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence. And that¡¯s not the only thing; I know for a fact that I was being followed the other day as soon as I left thepound. How would they have known exactly when I was going to leave if it wasn¡¯t someone in my inner circle?¡±


    ¡°Wait, what the hell? You were followed and you didn¡¯t say anything?¡± Alessandro was pissed. I knew he wouldn¡¯t like that I had kept that from him, but at the time I had wanted to keep the information to myself. It made more sense to gather all the facts that I could and then present them to my men, rather thane running every time there was a threat.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you, but I¡¯m telling you now. It¡¯s clear to me that somebody who was in this office with us is working with the Russians.¡±


    ¡°Then why the fuck did you just tell them your entire n?¡± Vinny interjected.


    ¡°Because that isn¡¯t my real n. Only the two of you are going to know the real n.¡±


    Alessandro rubbed his hands together, forgetting his irritation at me and eager to hear what I had to say. He loved this kind of shit; secrets were like currency to him. It had taken me a while to trust him again after how he had reacted to me bing the Don, but at the end of the day, he was my brother and I knew he would die before he would ever betray me.


    Our rtionship had aplicated past, but he had more than proven himself during my time as the head of the family. Now that we were facing the Russian threat once again, I was grateful to have him by my side. He had been heavily involved in ourst conflict with the Russians and would have more intel than most of my other guys.


    The younger crowd had mostlye around after we had managed to crush the Russians, so this was all new to them, and besides, if my suspicions were correct, then I couldn¡¯t rely on any of them until I figured out which one was betraying me. Alessandro might not have always respected me as his Don, but he would always look out for me as his brother.


    ¡°You two are going to help me figure out who the traitor is,¡± I exined, ¡°by putting out bad information. This will work twofold. One, it¡¯ll confuse the intel that the Russians are receiving so they stop catching us by surprise, and two, it¡¯ll help us catch the fucking rat.¡±


    ¡°How do you figure?¡± Vinny asked.


    ¡°Every guy who was in this room is a suspect, which means I want you two to divide them up amongst yourselves and keep track of who you talk to. That gives you both five to talk to. What you¡¯re going to do ise up with a different lie for each person that you talk to. The lie needs to be extremely specific. I want you to write down who you talk to and exactly what you tell them, things like, ¡®Tallon will be in Florence on Thursday¡¯ or, ¡®The Venice warehouse won¡¯t be manned on Friday.¡¯ Then we¡¯ll wait to see what the Russians do. If they show up somewhere based on one of the lies you tell, that will tell us right then and there who our informant is.¡±


    ¡°Damn, little brother, you¡¯re pretty fucking smart when you want to be,¡± Alessandro said.


    I chuckled at his words. It didn¡¯t matter how sessful I had grown our family to be, I would always be his goofy kid brother. But I didn¡¯t mind; it was nice to remember my roots. Sometimes it felt like being the Don was more a character that I took on rather than who I actually was. People expect the boss to be gruff and hard, even cruel at times. In order to be respected, I had to be able to take on that persona no matter how much it differed from who I actually was.


    In the beginning, I had been able to uphold a clear line of demarcation between me as the Don and me as myself, but after a decade and a half of ying the same character, it was easy to forget where the character ended and I began. Over the years, the side of myself who loved teasing my family and making everyoneugh had been mostly tucked away out of necessity, but it was a loss that I mourned greatly. So when Alessandro reminded me of who I really was, underneath all the mafia bullshit, I appreciated it. I wondered if I had done a good enough job of showing Natalia the real me as well.


    ¡°Alright, stay safe, you two. Don¡¯t trust anyone,¡± I said, dismissing both of them.


    They nodded and let themselves out of the safe room. I stayed for a bit longer, examining the maps I had out and wishing that I was in a hotel with Natalia instead. If only I could figure out how to neutralize the Russians once and for all, I could focus solely on my rtionship with her. I took my phone out to see what she had texted me during my meeting.


    ¡°What are you up to today?¡±


    It was sappy as fuck, but I couldn¡¯t help but grin. It hadn¡¯t been that long ago that I¡¯d had to practically stalk her to get her to talk to me, so it made me ridiculously happy to have her be the one contacting me just to chat.


    ¡°Just some work. You?¡± I sent back, hoping she would be able to see meter.


    ¡°Same. What kind of work?¡±


    I settled into the chair and decided to just call her. I would talk to her for hours if she wanted me to. I was putty in her hands.

 Chapter 514 : A New Deal

    <h4>Chapter 514: Chapter 514 : A New Deal</h4>


    *Alessandro*


    I had been on edge ever since the meeting with Tallon. Although keeping secrets and lying to people wasn¡¯t necessarily a new thing for me, it didn¡¯t make it any less difficult when it came to my right-hand man, Luca. We were meeting for lunch, and I was finding myself struggling to keep from telling him about Tallon¡¯s n to fake out the inner circle.


    Everything in me told me that I could trust Luca, but I couldn¡¯t risk going against what Tallon had told me, and Vinny. I would have been lying if I didn¡¯t admit that it still chafed to have to take orders from my little brother, but I had worked hard over the past many years to prove to Tallon that he didn¡¯t have to worry about my loyalty.


    I walked into the sandwich shop where Luca and I ate lunch at least once a week and found him sitting at our usual table in the corner. We both preferred to keep our backs against the wall and the corner table allowed us a great vantage point. For years, our precautions had been overly cautious, but now with the rising threat from the Russians, I was d that I had maintained my old habits. It was proving useful to be overly observant of my surroundings.


    I hoped that Tallon had those same skills that I had developed in my years under Giovani¡¯s rule as Don. Tallon had been more sheltered than I had from the violence in those days. He had still been so young. But now I worried that he was unprepared for just how serious shit could get.


    ¡°Hey, how¡¯s it going?¡± Luca asked as I walked up to him. He¡¯d already ordered for me; my sandwich was wrapped neatly in paper on the table.


    ¡°Not great. Tallon is stressed about this Russian bullshit. Do you have any idea who the mole could be?¡± It was the first time Luca and I had been able to speak privately since the meeting, and I wanted to gauge his thoughts before I lied to him like Tallon wanted me to.


    ¡°I have no clue. I¡¯ve been listening to some of the recordings from the wiretaps around thepound, but I haven¡¯t heard a single incriminating thing so far. I¡¯ll be honest, man. I¡¯m not so sure it¡¯s one of us. I think Tallon might be overlooking something.¡±


    I took a minute to unwrap my sandwich and take a bite. I was unwilling to add my two cents and make it seem like I was shit-talking my brother, but I wanted to hear what Luca had to say about Tallon. A good leader was always willing to listen to what the people he led had to say about their higher-ups. Luca might have seen something that I had missed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who could be feeding the Russians the information, but I just can¡¯t see it being one of us,¡± he continued.


    I tried to hide my annoyance. Of course, he couldn¡¯t see it being one of us. None of us could. That was why it was so difficult to figure out who it could be. But the fact of the matter was that someone was betraying us. Going in circles about how much we couldn¡¯t believe it wasn¡¯t going to get us any closer to figuring out who it was.


    ¡°We just need to figure it out soon so those bastards stop fucking with us,¡± I growled.


    Luca nodded his agreement, his entire face tense with anger. I hated to think it, but it was time we started to prepare for an all-out war.


    ¡°Well, Tallon¡¯s going to be at the Venice warehouse on Friday to check on some things,¡± I told him, knowing he wouldn¡¯t sense the lie. I had never lied to Luca before, had never had reason to, so he had no reason to be suspicious. I felt like an asshole for not trusting him, but I reminded myself that this could help clear his name. If the Russians followed a different lie, then we¡¯d know Luca was innocent.


    ¡°I¡¯m d,¡± Luca said. ¡°I was starting to get worried that he was too distracted with that girl of his.¡±


    ¡°Nah, he knows what really matters. He¡¯s always put our family first above all else.¡± I knew that to be true. Tallon had sacrificed his personal life for over a decade so that he could be the Don our organization needed. He deserved to be happy.


    Luca grew silent as he noticed something across the room. I looked in the direction he was looking and saw two strange men approaching us. They were both dressed in all ck, one wearing cks and a button-down and the other wearing a three-piece suit. It was obvious they wereing to us by the way they stared us down.


    I subtly reached for the small pistol I always kept strapped at my hip. I saw that Luca was doing the same. We had no desire to open fire in this restaurant but would do so if the pair seemed to be a threat.


    ¡°Are you Alessandro?¡± the man in the suit asked. The fact that he was Russian was obvious in his ent.


    ¡°I suspect you already know exactly who I am,¡± I said calmly.


    I nced at Luca out of the corner of my eye and could see that he was ready for whatever came next. I was d he was with me and that I hadn¡¯t been cornered all alone.


    Both men sat down at our table, which only served to heighten my suspicion about their intentions. I had no idea what they could possibly want from me. Luckily, they seemed to be in a talkative mood.


    ¡°Our boss sent us,¡± the one in the cks spoke up, his ent equally as thick as his partner¡¯s.


    ¡°And that would be?¡± I asked, hoping they¡¯d tell me. I genuinely didn¡¯t know who was running their organization these days. Finding out a name would be immensely helpful.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern,¡± the suited one said harshly. Luca¡¯s hand moved almost imperceptibly slowly, closer to his gun.


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡± I asked, ensuring my voice was dripping with bravado. I¡¯d dealt with far scarier shit than a couple of gothic wannabe motherfuckers in a sandwich shop. They obviously wanted to instill fear with their faux-secrecy bullshit but it wouldn¡¯t work on me.


    ¡°Our boss has a proposition for you, one that he thinks you would quite like, given your... history.¡±


    His emphasis on the word history was not lost on me. It was just another way for them to show that they knew a helluva lot more about us than we¡¯d like them to.


    ¡°And what proposition would that be? Because it would have to be pretty fucking good for me to ever want to work with any of you.¡±


    Luca was silent, clearly lying in wait for any signal of danger. But I had a feeling that the pair was being honest with us, and I had to admit that I was intrigued.


    ¡°This would be an opportunity for you to finally surpass your brother¡¯s shadow. You would have more control than you had ever been given by your family. You would have the opportunity to carve your own path rather than following meekly in his footsteps.¡±


    For the first time since they had interrupted my meal, I decided to consider truly listening to what they had to say. What would it look like if I actually betrayed my family and joined the Russians? It was difficult to even imagine, but if I was honest with myself, my family had betrayed me first by foregoing me as the Don in spite of the fact that it was my birthright.


    ¡°What would that look like?¡± I asked.


    I could feel Luca¡¯s surprise emanating from him. He raised his eyebrows at me inplete shock. I acknowledged his surprise with a terse nod in his direction. To his credit, he stayed silent and waited to see where I would lead the conversation.


    ¡°We already have someone close to Tallon working with us, but your insight would be far more valuable. In return, our boss would be willing to give you control over his entire Italian operation. Once we destroyed your family¡¯s hold, we would take it all and give it to you. The only thing our boss would require would be a small percentage of all profits.¡±


    Luca looked from them to me and back again, clearly waiting on pins and needles to see what I would say, but this wasn¡¯t the kind of decision that I was willing to make lightly. I would need time to think through the repercussions of it all. Choosing this path would mean permanently severing any and all rtionships with my family. Although they constantly underestimated me, I wasn¡¯t sure that I was ready to write them off entirely.


    ¡°I¡¯ll consider the offer,¡± I finally said after a few moments of silence had passed.


    The suited man nodded and passed me a business card with nothing more than a phone number typed on it. ¡°Our boss thought you might need some time to think it over. Call this number when you have your answer. And remember, we¡¯re already going to win this. We just want you to make it faster.¡±


    Luca¡¯s jaw tightened at the obvious threat. Both men stood up and turned without another word. As they walked away, Luca leaned forward. ¡°What the fuck?¡± he whispered angrily.


    ¡°I learned a long time ago that I have to look out for myself,¡± I exined. ¡°My family is never going to put me first. The only one who will do that is me.¡±


    ¡°I have seen your brother stick his neck out for you many times,¡± he argued. It was unusual for him to be so outspoken, but then again, it was unusual for me to consider colluding with our number one enemy.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m going to do it. I¡¯m just saying I¡¯m not going to make such a big decision without thinking about it for a while.¡±


    ¡°This is fucked up, Alessandro, seriously fucked up. We¡¯re out here trying to figure out who the traitor is and you¡¯re considering bing one yourself? Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t tell Tallon if you turned on us?¡± Luca stood up as if to leave, but I got up and blocked his way.


    ¡°Luca, stop. Don¡¯t say a fucking word to Tallon. I¡¯m serious. This is between me and him. Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re supposed to be loyal to me. You¡¯re MY second inmand, not his.¡±


    A vein in his forehead pulsed faintly as his anger surged. I could tell he would have punched me in the face by now if we weren¡¯t in public.


    ¡°I¡¯m loyal to the Valentinos. If you have a problem with that, then you can find a new second.¡± He shoved his way past me.


    Although he was pissed, I was sure he wouldn¡¯t tell Tallon, not yet anyway. I turned the business card over in my hands, thinking about what I would do.


    What was I willing to give up to finally realize my dreams?

 Chapter 515 : Kisses And Tapas

    <h4>Chapter 515: Chapter 515 : Kisses And Tapas</h4>


    *Tallon*


    After a long day of stressfully trying to track down our mole, I was more than ready to meet Natalia for a date. I had spent such a long time pursuing her that it still surprised me when she quickly answered my texts and calls.


    I had called her during lunch to ask her out to dinner and was excited when she easily said yes. Now I was on my way to pick her up from her apartment. She lived within walking distance of the heart of the city, and although I would have felt much better if she was safe within thepound, I couldn¡¯t help but agree with her that her apartment was in a great location.


    I walked up to her door and knocked, holding a bouquet of flowers in my hand, including a sprig of bleeding hearts. I smiled to myself as I remembered our previous conversation. I knew I was being sappy as hell, but I didn¡¯t care. Natalia was worth it.


    She opened the door with a small smile on her lips. My jaw dropped as I took in her perfect figure in a form-fitting red dress. I could practically feel my mouth watering as I stared at the way it hugged her hips. It was cut low in the front, and she had paired it with a teardrop ne that might as well have been a damn arrow pointing directly at her cleavage. Her demure smile changed to a smirk when she realized that she had literally left me speechless.


    ¡°I¨Cwow¨Cyou look amazing,¡± I finally managed to stutter out as I handed her the bouquet.


    She took the flowers and studied them, grinning when she noticed the bleeding hearts.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said simply, still smiling widely.


    I loved that I had been the one to make her smile. I had noticed that she always looked a little sad around the eyes, and I was determined to be the one to change that.


    ¡°How do you feel about Spanish food?¡± I asked. ¡°I know an amazing wine and tapas ce near here.¡±


    ¡°That sounds amazing.¡± She took her bouquet inside and sat it on her table, then turned back to me.


    I reached out the crook of my elbow so that she could put her hand on it.


    ¡°You¡¯re so old-fashioned,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°A beautiful woman is always worth dusting off the old chivalry,¡± I responded as she tucked her hand into my arm and we began our short walk to the restaurant. ¡°And besides, I want everyone we pass to know that you¡¯re my date. You look far too gorgeous tonight.¡±


    At that, she threw her head back andughed. Herugh was perfect. She was normally so reserved that herugh always caught me a little off guard. I loved the way herugh overtook her body; it was like she forgot everything except whatever had given her such joy. I wanted to spend the rest of my life making herugh just like that.


    ¡°Tallon, has anyone ever told you that you are an insufferable flirt?¡± she finally asked once she had caught her breath.


    I pressed my hand to my chest in mock hurt. ¡°You think this is me flirting? No, this is just me being honest! Do you really not know how amazing you look? Come on, surely you looked at yourself in the mirror at least once before I got to your ce.¡±


    ¡°You are ridiculous! And what¡¯s with the fake humility? I know you know exactly how good-looking you are. Surely you have women falling all over themselves to try to get with you,¡± she said.


    She was still smiling, but there was a slight edge to her tone that made me think it was time to get serious and tell her just how deeply my feelings for her ran.


    ¡°Natalia, there is nobody who has ever made me feel the way you make me feel. I need you to know that to me, this is more real than anything else I¡¯ve ever felt. I care about you too much for you to not know how special you are to me.¡± I stopped on the sidewalk and turned to her, dropping her hand from my arm so that I could gently frame her face with my hands.


    She was still looking down instead of meeting my eyes, so I moved one hand under her chin and encouraged her to lift her face so she could see the sincerity in mine.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m alone in feeling like this,¡± I said quietly once she met my eyes.


    ¡°No... you¡¯re not,¡± she said.


    Before she could pull away, I leaned forward and kissed her, trying to bridge the gap that she seemed so intent on keeping between us. I knew that the passion we had for each other was like a pile of kindling, and I was determined to be the match that set it all on fire.


    Our kiss was scorching, all tongue and lips and teeth pressing, silently saying everything that we weren¡¯t yet brave enough to voice out loud to each other. Her hands were clenched against my chest, holding fistfuls of my shirt. Aware that we were in public, I kept my hands chastely pressed against her cheeks, but I couldn¡¯t help but think of where I¡¯d love to let them wander if we were alone.


    Finally, we had burned through whatever tension we¡¯d seemed to be holding, and we both came up for air. Natalia¡¯s eyes were bright with emotion. The streetlights and stars reflected in their blue depths, and I knew I could spend forever letting myself get lost in them.


    ¡°You are remarkable,¡± I said softly before finally turning back in the direction of the restaurant.


    She smiled and tangled her fingers in mine, letting me lead the way. We had only walked a few blocks before the delicious scent of seafood and Spanish spices enveloped us. The sound of a guitar ying menco music drifted through the night. The restaurant spilled out onto the sidewalk, where they had string lights hung up over small tables.


    Natalia stopped and turned to me, a grin on her face. ¡°This ce looks amazing!¡±


    My heart warmed to see the pure joy overtake her. I still wasn¡¯t sure exactly what it was that made Natalia so reserved, but I had an inkling that it had something to do with her family. I wondered if she hadn¡¯t grown up being taken to very many fun ces.


    I knew that I had lived an exceptionally privileged life thanks to my family; not many people had traveled as extensively as I had. Knowing that I could give Natalia just a bit of that excited me just to think about it. I began to think of all the ces I could take her, but I knew I would have to be careful not to scare her off. She probably wasn¡¯t ready for an international trip just yet, but perhaps I could convince her toe away with me just for a weekend.


    We were quickly seated at the restaurant; I slipped the hostess a few extra euros to ensure she would give us the best table, right next to a small fountain that was bubbling in the corner of their patio. The twinkle lights were strung on the opposite side from us so that our table was more in the shadows than others. I wanted Natalia to feel like we had plenty of privacy. I hade to realize that she was an extremely private person and I respected that, knowing how many secrets I myself had to keep on a regr basis.


    ¡°Have you ever eaten Spanish cuisine?¡± I asked her before our waiter came over.


    ¡°No, I have no idea what to order.¡± She was scanning the menu a little desperately, obviously trying to decide quickly.


    ¡°Do you want me to order for the both of us?¡± I asked. I loved to take control like that, but I never wanted toe off as overbearing, not to a woman like her. She nodded as the waiter arrived.


    In Spanish, which I knew was rusty, I ordered an expensive bottle of Spanish wine and a ridiculous amount of food. I was showing off slightly, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself. I was so eager to prove myself to Natalia.


    ¡°Wow, impressive,¡± she said when the waiter walked away. ¡°How manynguages do you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. I barely know Spanish.¡± Iughed. ¡°I primarily speak Italian and English, and a tiny bit of Russian.¡±


    She had an odd look on her face. I worried that I wasing off as pretentious. ¡°It¡¯s more thanks to my parents than anything else,¡± I rushed to say, trying to ensure I didn¡¯t seem like a snob.


    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± she said, seemingly wanting to change the subject. Thankfully, the waiter arrived with our wine so I didn¡¯t have to sit in my embarrassment for too long.


    Natalia took a small sip and smiled. I drank from my own ss and tried to force myself to rx. I felt my limbs loosen a bit as the liquid hit my stomach.


    Before we had the chance to start up our conversation again, our first round of tapas had arrived. Our waiter set down a te of mussels in red sauce and another te with warm bread to soak up the red sauce. I watched as Natalia took her first bite, satisfaction filling me as she closed her eyes in enjoyment. Choosing that moment to be brave, I decided to finally ask her to go away with me.


    ¡°What do you think of taking a long weekend to travel?¡± I asked.


    She looked surprised, but I had emotionally prepared for that reaction. I knew that she would initially be wary, but I hoped that I could convince her that she would enjoy it.


    ¡°Not far, just to Positano and the Isle of Capri. I promise you¡¯ll love it. Just for the weekend.¡±


    I could practically read her thoughts on her face. She was worried that this was too big of a step, but I knew that it was exactly what we needed. I didn¡¯t know why, but she seemed determined to keep some amount of distance between us.


    I was sure that a weekend away together would give me the time I needed to show her that she didn¡¯t have to be scared to let me in. I would be there for her. In fact, if I was really being honest with myself, I was beginning to think that Natalia was the woman I was meant to spend the rest of my life with.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Tallon...¡± she hedged. I waited, unwilling to push any harder than I already had.


    Finally, she smiled. ¡°Okay, what the hell? Let¡¯s do it!¡±


    I grinned and reached for her hand across the table. ¡°We can leave tomorrow. I¡¯ll arrange everything. Just tell me what time to pick you up.¡±


    I could see the excitement overtaking her trepidation as she grinned back at me and squeezed my hand. ¡°Okay, I can be ready by eight.¡±


    We spent the rest of the dinner nning our trip, our excitement building as we talked. By the time I was leaving her at her apartment, I could hardly wait for the next day. Our goodnight kiss lingered until we were both panting and clinging to each other, but she pulled away before it could grow into anything more.


    ¡°I need to pack,¡± she said as I kissed my way down the side of her neck.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I whispered. ¡°Bute tomorrow morning, you¡¯re mine.¡±


    I felt her shiver under my hands and pressed a few more kisses to the soft spot under her earlobe that I knew would raise goosebumps along her neck. I wanted to leave her wanting more, and I intended to give it to her.


    ¡°Goodnight, Tallon,¡± she finally said, her voice breathy with desire.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, love,¡± I told her before shutting her door gently.


    I practically skipped to my car.


    I felt like things were finally going right between us.

 Chapter 516 : Half-Blood

    <h4>Chapter 516: Chapter 516 : Half-Blood</h4>


    *Natalia*


    Tallon had walked me home. He was so sweet and gentle as he walked me through the streets when he very easily could¡¯ve sent me in one of his no doubt very expensive cars. But he was charming, as he joked that he would miss my lovelypany, and I had to admit I was d to share thosest few moments with him.


    If only I hadn¡¯t lied about where I lived¨Cif I hadn¡¯t directed him to the spare apartment my family had rented out for me that allowed them to keep an eye on me and in extension, Tallon.


    The moment I walked through the door, however, I was met face-to-face with thest person I wanted to see right now.


    ¡°Uncle.¡± I immediately straightened to my full height, swallowing ufortably as he turned his dark eyes on me.


    He sat on the couch, a nice leather one I didn¡¯t have to steal from the garbage like in myst apartment. He surveyed me, a cigar in his left hand, and I grimaced as he blew out a puff of smoke all over the couch, the scent of the nicotine bitter and acrid.


    ¡°So you managed to pull it off,¡± my uncle drawled with a bored tone. ¡°Impressive for someone like you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Uncle.¡± I flinched despite myself, hanging my head and staring at my sandals. I needed to repaint my toenails; the faded blue color was rubbing off. I heard his snort, something I had heard often as a child, mostly whenever he became aware of my existence.


    ¡°Make sure not to screw this up, Natalia,¡± my uncle said coldly as he rose to his feet, sending me a scathing re. ¡° semyi.¡±


    I stared at him nkly as he waited for my response with growing agitation. Finally, under his cold stare, I paled as he took a threatening step forward, his eyes narrowed on me angrily.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know that. How disappointing.¡± He passed by me, blowing a ring of smoke right next to my face. I held my breath under the cloud of smoke, but he took his sweet time and I had to inhale. I held in my breath the desperate need to cough the toxins out of my body as I stood there, too stiff to befortable.


    I heard the door open behind me, and my uncle muttered a low, angry, ¡°polukrovka,¡± before storming out and mming the door shut. The photo on the wall rattled and fell over, shattering the ss into pieces.


    I burst into a coughing fit, holding my chest as it felt like my lungs were trying to jump out of my body. I waved away the remnants of the smoke, ncing at the photo on the floor. It was one of the few photos I had.


    I knelt on the floor, clearing my throat as I gently plucked the picture from the mess of ss and wood frame.


    I traced the face of the young woman in the photo, beaming despite the exhaustion in her eyes as she held a toddler in her arms. With an arm wrapped around her, a man stood beside her, a goofy grin on his face as he stared not at the camera but at his wife and child.


    The little girl had her fist stuffed in her mouth as she stared at the camera with wide, curious eyes.


    It was the only photo I had of my father, of all of us together.


    I got to my feet, cing the photo in one of the many drawers for safekeeping as I grabbed the broom and swept up the ss shards. It was calming in a way, helping to soothe my anxiety from my uncle¡¯s visit.


    I dumped the ss and finally settled on the chair across from the couch. I couldn¡¯t bear to sit in it half the time, despite how high-end it looked. I sighed, pulling out my phone as I tucked my knees to my chest, curled up in the old rocking chair that used to be my mother¡¯s.


    I stared nkly at my phone, a smartphone I¡¯d gotten from the clearance rack and decorated with a cover full of rainbow butterflies that I¡¯d done myself. I thumbed the on button on the side of the screen, pushing it on and off even though I knew it wouldn¡¯t do any good.


    Polukrovka.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d heard the slur being thrown my way, and it probably wouldn¡¯t be thest time either. And it wasn¡¯t like it was wrong. I¡¯d never learned Russian properly.


    It was one of my biggest ws in my family¡¯s eyes and my own. My mother, despite being close to her brother, had not been part of the family legacy. Even if she wanted to, she couldn¡¯t have been.


    She was a woman, and women, at least in the mafia, were to be seen and not heard. My family was not happy when my mother married a foreigner, especially one from the States, but they saw an opportunity to gain a foothold here through him.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what my father did for a living, but I remembered him as a kind, goofy man who yed with me all the time. But then things crumbled, as they always did.


    My mother did her best after my father¡¯s death, after losing her entire family and all the money and prestige it came with. I didn¡¯t know the details, but we went into hiding after that, something my father had guaranteed if things went south.


    She made a new life for us, one that was harder but she provided me with everything I needed, except for one thing.


    Despite only being rtives, we were being hunted and as such, my mother had chosen to forgo her identity as a Russian woman. That meant there had been no keepsakes from her home country, no traditions of foreign holidays or recipes she grew up eating, and, especially, no speaking Russian.


    Anytime my uncles or cousins came to visit, it was the biggest rule my mother kept¨Cno Russian. We spoke English in the house at all times and though my uncles hated the rule, and thought it was disrespectful to her roots, they obliged.


    For my cousins, it was their firstnguage, the one they learned before all else. For me, however, I had never learned a single word. ¡®We are American,¡¯ my mother would always scold me when my cousins teased me about not knowing our homenguage. ¡®Ignorance keeps us safe.¡¯


    And it did, for a while.


    Not knowing thenguage actually put me at an advantagepared to my uncles and cousins. They would often be tracked down more easily and be harassed or even killed. I couldn¡¯t count how many wives my first uncle had lost, or how many of my cousins never made it to their first breath because my elder cousins couldn¡¯t keep their mouths shut.


    But my mother and I were kept safe.


    As an adult, I learned a little Russian, just to keep up in a basic conversation. But my cousins, the brutes that they were, never let me forget that my pronunciation was all wrong, that my ent was American, and that I used the wrong word in the wrong situation.


    It never ended with them, but I never forgot that stupid nickname they called me all the time.


    ¡°Polukrovka,¡± I muttered bitterly to myself, the word sounding wrong rolling off my inexperienced tongue.


    Half-breed.


    It was a reminder that I was different, that I was tainted with blood not their own... an outsider within the family. Despite my ws, they still kept me around because of my mother. They still made sure I was taken care of, but they would never let me forget that I was still a half-blood.


    I sighed, leaning my head on my knees as I fiddled with my phone in my hand. My uncleing here would only be the first of no doubt many times. They were always watching me, someone always hidden away in the shadows to make sure I did my duty to my family.


    It was a familiar bond that felt like a noose around my neck sometimes.


    I never wanted to deceive Tallon, to y him like an instrument and destroy everything he had built and worked for. I didn¡¯t want to do that. I couldn¡¯t keep this up forever. I wasn¡¯t even sure if I wanted to, especially not now.


    Tallon was the leader of the Valentinos, the mafia that had destroyed my family. I had been raised on stories of their bloodthirsty nature, learning of their traitorous spirits that had killed so many of my blood rtives, including, indirectly, my father.


    But now... I just couldn¡¯t believe Tallon was the same person in all of those stories. the one willing to cut down anyone in his way, willing to destroy good people just to get what he wanted. He didn¡¯t seem like any of that to me.


    He was doting and funny and he never failed to make me smile, to bring me from the dark ces where my thoughts would travel. Like a light in my life, he was the brightest star in the sky, ready to guide me home.


    And I was the foolish little girl who¡¯d fallen in love with him.


    Our night together had been amazing. He¡¯d been exactly the kind of lover I¡¯d always wanted and more, and I could feel in my heart that I was drifting. I just couldn¡¯t stay away from him, like he was a drug I had to keeping back to.


    But despite how they treated me, despite knowing what they did was wrong, I still loved my family. My mother deserved the world and I wanted to give that to her, to restore the glory of our former family for her.


    But it was getting harder to see where the line was. The bridge of my loyalties was crumbling away, and I couldn¡¯t tell which way was up or down anymore. I liked Tallon, perhaps even loved him, but I couldn¡¯t just abandon my mother either.


    It was like they¡¯d tied ropes to my heart and each of them was pulling in a different direction. I didn¡¯t know who would win at this point, who I wanted to win.


    I sighed, finally grabbing my phone and making the call I had been dreading. The call rang and then someone picked up with a rough, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°He is taking me to Positano and the Isle of Capri tomorrow,¡± I reported diligently, despite how hard my heart screamed in defiance.


    ¡°Good. Someone will follow you,¡± my cousin answered in response, cold and detached as always. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    And without as much as a goodbye, the call fell silent. I sighed, dropping the phone into myp just as I heard the familiar tone of an iing text message. I frowned opening it up, and my heart leaped when I saw it was from Tallon.


    ¡®Hey, just wanted to let you know we¡¯ll leave tomorrow afternoon, probably one or two if that¡¯s okay with you? I¡¯ll pick you up at your ce, so don¡¯t worry about anything. I miss you already, Natalia.¡¯


    My heart melted at the sweet words, and I tucked my phone over my heart and shut my eyes. The doubts came back, closing in on me as I realized this might have already gone too far.


    But what could I do?


    Tell him? He¡¯d hate me. He¡¯d lock me up as he rightfully should, or maybe even kill me. But if things continued like this, Tallon would be in danger. I didn¡¯t know the right answer and I wasn¡¯t sure there even was one, but maybe he¡¯d be safe if I left before things got out of hand.


    Before my family tried to kill him.


    But when the time came, could I even let him go?

 Chapter 517 : Round one to me

    <h4>Chapter 517: Chapter 517 : Round one to me</h4>


    *Tallon*


    I couldn¡¯t even begin to hide my excitement. I felt like I had drank a dozen energy drinks and half a bottle of old-timey cough medicine, the ones they loaded up with all the good shit before regtions came down on their assess.


    And that shit was effective too. I couldn¡¯t deny having downed saidbined energy drinks and cough medicine one time in high school, half on a dare and half because it was exam weeks and I hadn¡¯t studied or slept for a week.


    Well, the consequences came back with a baseball bat to my stomach because I woke up the next day with no memory and puked my guts out. I got a perfect score on my exams, though, and that was what mattered.


    Today, however, felt different than back then.


    I was wide awake, my phone gripped tightly in my hand as I stared out at the streets of Florence, a huge grin on my face as I imagined what Natalia was doing, if she was waiting for me.


    I nced at the texts on my phone. There was no sign of a response after I¡¯d sent ¡®I¡¯ming to pick you up. Can¡¯t wait to see you,¡¯ twenty minutes ago. I was a bit worried that I hadn¡¯t heard a response, but maybe she was just busy getting ready.


    That had to be it, I thought reassuringly to myself.


    I¡¯d made all the arrangements for our trip already. I had the vi cleaned and ready for us, fully staffed for the weekend, and the jet prepared and ready to go. I¡¯d made sure Alessandro and Vinny had control of the situation back home, all so that I could get away from the city and all of the responsibilities for a while.


    Alessandro had been surprisingly positive when I told him about Natalia. He even offered to let me take his car to impress her, but I was attached to my own. I couldn¡¯t wait to have Natalia see it at the vi.


    When we arrived, the street was empty. It sent rm bells off in my head and for a moment, my heart dropped as I thought something bad had happened. I¡¯d just thrown off my seatbelt, ready to take off down the driveway when I saw the front door of her apartment open.


    Natalia stood there with a wide smile, looking adorable in her miniskirt and tight cami. She waved a bit, dragging a white rolling suitcase behind her, and I got out of the car slowly, with a bit of a lovesick gaze as I waited for her.


    Her sandals had a bit of a heel to them, and the pavement wasn¡¯t the smoothest due to how old it was. But I like to think she did it on purpose.


    I grinned as she tripped one of the cracks in the sidewalk, falling headfirst into my chest as I easily caught her from a nasty tumble. I grinned with a gentle hold on her elbow as I helped stabilize her.


    ¡°Well, this is bing a recurrence. Tell me,¡± I smirked, leaning down to whisper in her ear, ¡°is it just me you keep falling for?¡±


    I watched the rose shade of her cheeks turn into a fire-hydrant red and she sent me a yful re, her lips twitching in the corners as she forced herself not to smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s just the shoes. They¡¯re brand new,¡± she said, raising her head high as she pulled out of my grasp. I closed my hands, already wanting to reach out and pull her back into my arms, to feel her fully against me again, but I was a gentleman and I knew my boundaries.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± I grinned, tilting my head to the side as I surveyed the heeled sandals with interest. ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to know you¡¯re wanting to get so dolled up for me, sweetheart.¡±


    ¡°As if,¡± she huffed, crossing her arms. ¡°There was a sale at my favorite store, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? And why didn¡¯t you call me for this sale?¡± I asked, stepping a bit closer as we naturally moved toward the car, keeping her gorgeous eyes locked on mine. It was like a dance we yed, one step forward and one step back, so intricate that only we knew the rules.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± She sent me a sly grin. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were into women¡¯s shoes. I¡¯ll have to invite you next time. I¡¯ve got a stiletto that¡¯ll fit you in my suitcase.¡±


    My eyes shed as I saw my moment and I leaned my arm on the car door, my shadow falling over her as she met me with a fierce look in her eyes, not at all intimidated by me. I chuckled under my breath.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to try them on for you, mia be ragazza,¡± I purred in her ear. I smirked as I saw the shiver that ran down her back at my words, the little gasp that escaped her mouth, and the flush to her skin.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± she asked with wide, uncertain eyes, looking just as affected by me as I was by her.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯ll have to learn Italian to figure it out¡±. I dodged the question easily, taking a tiny bit of joy in her annoyed expression.


    Round one to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out, eventually. I will,¡± she promised.


    Iughed as I leaned down to press a soft kiss on her cheek. A moment was all I allowed myself before I pulled back, utching the car and giving a mock bow as I opened the door for her.


    ¡°Mydy,¡± I winked at her and she broke free of the trance I¡¯d sent her into, sending me an impressed look before she gracefully epted her loss this round and scooted inside the vehicle. I ran to the other side, taking my seat beside her with a little grin as the car started up.


    ¡°Flirt,¡± she huffed.


    ¡°Only for you,¡± I flirted with a grin and though she turned away from me with a disbelieving look, I saw the small smile on her face through the window. Iughed, just happy to have her beside me once again.


    I felt like I could breathe again, despite everything that had been happening with the family, the thoughts of a mole having sold us out and the Russians back from the dead once again. All of that was a ¡®future me¡¯ problem. Right now, all I had to focus on was the beautiful woman beside me.


    It didn¡¯t take long to get the airstrip and the jet was waiting at the beginning of the runway, already loaded and ready to go at any time. I was d I¡¯d thought ahead as I watched Natalia¡¯s eyes widen at the scene as she stepped out of the car.


    ¡°Oh,¡± She said rather nkly. ¡°It¡¯s big.¡±


    ¡°Have you been on a jet before?¡± I asked as I took her suitcase in hand, holding out my arm for her. She sent me a careful look, like she was debating something in her mind and a hint of doubt wormed its way into my heart.


    The obvious answer here was no. After all, Natalia came from a rtively lower-ie family. There was no way she¡¯d been on a private jet, ording to our resources but yet... why was it so difficult to answer?


    ¡°No.¡± She shook her head, ncing up at the jet with a weird look. ¡°I¡¯ve been on a ne before but not a jet. Sorry, it¡¯s just a bit weird. I¡¯ve never even seen one in person before and now I¡¯m getting on one.¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief in my mind, casting away the few shadows of doubt.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± I smirked, leading her up the ramp.


    The jet was just as I remembered, and I was d I decided on this model instead of the smaller one we¡¯d taken earlier this year. The luxury was practically oozing from every leather chair and the bar of crystal sses ready to be served.


    ¡°Wow,¡± she gasped, spinning around in a circle as she took everything in.


    I handed her suitcase to the attendant, feeling a little nervous and a little proud as she eyed everything like it was a grand museum.


    ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous,¡± she gushed.


    I chuckled, feeling quite satisfied with myself as I led her to our seats, pouring us both a small drink before we buckled up and readied for take-off. I held her hand during the liftoff with the excuse that she might get scared and despite my n of her getting frightened and jumping into myp, it didn¡¯t happen.


    She looked bored almost as she flipped through one of the magazines in front of us, drinking a gin and tonic like it was nothing and I swear to god, I fell in love a little bit more with her.


    Landing was just as easy and soon enough, we were an hour outside of Positano and I finally got to introduce to her my baby.


    ¡°Wait a minute. Is that¨C¡± Natalia gasped upon seeing it as we descended from the jet. The bright cherry red coloring was as unmistakable as the car itself, and I puffed up my chest proudly, grinning like a loon as Natalia let go of my hand and rushed over to the car.


    ¡°The one and only,¡± I chuckled happily.


    She circled my 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible, the one featured in so many shows and movies. I¡¯d seen it as a kid in a ssic spy movie and I¡¯d saved up for years to buy a crappy one about to be junked.


    I couldn¡¯t even count how much money I¡¯d poured into the car to get her breathing again, but I was proud of her.


    ¡°Is it yours?¡± she asked with wide eyes.


    I nodded, flipping my sunsses over my eyes as I opened up the passenger side door for her, the keys already in my hand.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got about an hour left before we reach the vi. Ready for the ride of your life?¡± I smirked.


    ¡°Can I drive?¡± she asked with puppy dog eyes, and I chuckled.


    ¡°Maybeter,¡± I reassured her and she huffed, taking her seat in the passenger side.


    She trailed her fingers across the interior, the soft and plush leather, all custom. The car started below us, purring like a jungle cat ready to pounce and I caressed the wheel, happy to have it under my fingers again.


    I didn¡¯t get many chances to drive it anymore as it was safer to be driven by armored vehicles. But this weekend, I wasn¡¯t the Don of the Valentinos.


    I gazed at Natalia from the corner of my eye, smiling at her awed expression as the overhead protector slid down, exposing us to the bright warm light of the sun. She stretched her arms above her like a cat happy to be sunbathing, and I grinned.


    Vi del Vita was the oldest vi in the city, and if I thought she was impressed with my convertible, she was even more in love with the Vi. The moment we pulled into the driveway, she gasped as if she had just seen the Mona Lisa step out of her painting.


    It was quite picturesque with two spiral towers and a massive forefront covered in growing ivy. The trees and foliage around seemed to extend for miles in every direction and the balcony and bridge were directly over the ocean, bright and beautiful just like the woman beside me.


    She stared at the vi open-mouthed, as if she couldn¡¯t believe her eyes, and I could only imagine what she must be feeling right now. I¡¯d been born into the money and had seen more vis as beautiful as this one than I could count.


    I knew I was a rich kid and I had privilege beyond anyone else¡¯s wildest dreams. Even as an adult, the Don held a massive fortune and properties in the palm of his hands. But Natalia had none of that.


    This had to be her first time seeing something this grand and glorious and to be honest, I was a bit nervous she might think it over the top. I was willing to spend a night with her in a motel if she wanted, but I also wanted to show her the world she¡¯d never had the chance to see before.


    I felt like spoiling her a little.


    And by the awed look on her face as she gazed upon the vi, I had seeded.

 Chapter 518 : A City of Lights

    <h4>Chapter 518: Chapter 518 : A City of Lights</h4>


    *Tallon*


    The long staircase leading to the main building was as old as the city itself and I told her that, describing all of the little details I could to her curious mind. I led her inside, where the shiny marble floors caught her interest.


    I was delighted when her first instinct was to take off her shoes and pretend to skate around the floors with a giggle. I had done the same thing when I was a kid.


    Just for the hell of it, I kicked off my shoes, throwing them to the wind as I grabbed her hand like we were preparing for a waltz and twirling her around on our socked feet. My cheeks hurt from smiling and I felt like I couldn¡¯t breathe from how hard we wereughing, especially when one of my spins sent me straight into a priceless vase.


    We¡¯d only stared at the broken pieces on the floor for a minute before running awayughing like madmen. I kept an eye on the clock as I took her on a sweeping tour of the ¡®castle¡¯ as she stubbornly called it.


    And just when the clock struck four and the sun began to set, I knew it was time for the grand weing I¡¯d prepared. I showed Natalia to our room, a little anxious to see her reaction when I mentioned we would be staying together, but she was unfazed like she had already expected it.


    Warm and giddy, I led her to the bed whereid out were two white boxes, each stamped with Dahlia¡¯s signature on the top¨Ca special order from her favorite brother, she¡¯d said. She¡¯d even told me she¡¯d done something special that I would either hate her or love her for.


    ¡°Our clothes for my surprise, mdy.¡± I offered her the box without looking, trusting in Dahlia¡¯s vision as I handed it off.


    She pursed her lips, shaking the box like it was a Christmas present and she could guess what it was, but the fabric wasn¡¯t the noisiest.


    Eventually, I scooted her into the bathroom, allowing her some privacy to change as I did the same. The suit was exactly what I expected of Dahlia. It was a deep blue silk with matching pants and a silver tie.


    Looking closer, there was an almost impossible-to-see embroidery on the fabric in a deeper blue that gave so much more depth than I thought possible. The silver trim added just the right touch as well.


    I was surprised at how easily it fit despite Dahlia not havinge to visit in years. She knew me better than I knew myself apparently and I gazed into the mirror, satisfied with how I looked. I was just starting to wonder why Dahlia had given a hesitant message when Natalia stepped out of the bathroom.


    If there was a way for my breath to be stolen straight from my lungs, this moment would be it.


    Like a goddess who¡¯d stepped out of the sea, she wore a dress of the deepest ocean blue that hugged every curve of her body, ring out at the end in a seafoam silver like she had been adorned by the very waves herself.


    Her hair fell in curls on one side of her bare shoulders, her dress the perfect shade of gorgeous as her eyes.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I muttered in wonder, taken aback by how wonderful she looked, but in reality, it wasn¡¯t the dress that had me so awestruck. The dress was just a feature, a bonus to her beauty. Yet, it exaggerated those features I loved so much, entuated all of her, and any man would have his jaw on the floor looking at her now.


    Dahlia had outdone herself this time.


    My lips split into a wide grin, unable to take my eyes off of her as she stepped into the bedroom with a shy smile. ¡°You look gorgeous, Natalia.¡±


    She beamed like a star on a cloudless night.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the big surprise?¡± she asked coyly as she offered out her hand to wrap around my arm. As we fell into ce beside one another, I noticed exactly what Dahlia had been referring to.


    The blue of my coat and the silver of my tie were the exact match of her dress. We fit together like one puzzle piece in two halves.


    ¡®Dammit Dahlia,¡¯ I cursed, realizing now exactly what she had sent to us¨Ca couples outfit.


    It wasn¡¯t that I was embarrassed to be seen in a couples outfit with Natalia¨Cfar from it. I just didn¡¯t want this to be too early, to ruin the perfect night I¡¯d set up by making it awkward.


    But Natalia nced me up and down, then at her dress and she giggled, covering her mouth with her hand as she broke into loud bursts of true, joyfulughter. I grinned at her clear joy, putting off my worries as I led her down to the car.


    The night sky had just turned a dull shade of violet and pink, the sun falling over the distant mountains as I helped Natalia into my convertible, taking the driver¡¯s seat. As I readied the car, Natalia leaned over to turn on the radio, beaming when she recognized the song ying.


    She sang along quietly, leaning her hand just outside the window as we took off down the streets of the city. Positano was a tourist destination for a reason, and the views were breathtaking as we drove over the mountainous backroads to the main city.


    Over the hills, the city was a gleaming beacon of lights, nearly everything lit up and sparkling across the various canals and rivers. Natalia sighed at the scene, a beautiful smile crossing her features.


    I smirked to myself¨Cscore two for Tallon.


    We pulled up to the restaurant, only a simple in sign in the front that dered itself as iI Tridente, which admittedly didn¡¯t look like much from the ground, but lucky for me, we weren¡¯t going to be eating on the ground. The ssic stone structure was easy to miss if you didn¡¯t know what you were looking for, and Natalia only raised an eyebrow at me as we entered the in-looking building.


    I only smirked at the waiter standing at the entrance, who bowed when he spotted us.


    ¡°Wee, sir and ma¡¯am. This way please.¡± He gestured his arm toward the winding staircase in front of us.


    I sent Natalia a smirk, keeping an eye on her skeptical expression.


    He led us to the top of the building and opened the doors leading us to the rooftop. Natalia gasped. The entire city could be seen for miles from this one view and under the night sky, it seemed like a thousand stars had descended upon the city, dancing before us in a rhythm of life.


    ¡°Like it?¡± I whispered into her ear.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she breathed, giving me a soft look. ¡°Thank you, so much. I¡¯ve never seen anything so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Not even this view canpare to your beauty,¡± I grinned, bringing her hand up to my lips for a gentle kiss.


    ¡°That was corny,¡± sheughed, with a soft dust of pink on her cheeks.


    ¡°But it worked,¡± I smirked, victoriously and she rolled her eyes fondly. The waiter directed us to our table, letting us get settled and as we ordered drinks to start, Natalia nced around at the empty rooftop with a questioning look.


    ¡°Did you¨C¡± Realization dawned on her and she sent me a shocked look. ¡°Did you rent out the entire restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°Of course you did.¡± She shook her head. ¡°That was unnecessary, you know. I would have been perfectly fine in a crowded restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed easily, sending her a wicked smirk. ¡°But I¡¯m kinda selfish and I wanted you all to myself.¡±


    ¡°Flirt!¡±


    ¡°Guilty.¡±


    The candlelight on the tables set up a romantic glow and we talked as we waited for our food. The drinks were sublime, as I knew they would be, and while I took sips of my Chianti, Natalia was on her third by the time our food had arrived.


    While the basil Scitielli pasta was amazing, I was only a little surprised to see Natalia order the ssic Club sandwich with extra crispy bacon. She devoured it and even across from her, I could hear the crunch of her burnt bacon with every bite.


    ¡°The poor pig that had to be butchered and then burnt for that sandwich,¡± I teased her, sipping my wine.


    ¡°His sacrifice was not in vain,¡± she shot back with a grin. ¡°He was delicious. Besides, if it¡¯s not ck, it¡¯s not done yet.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me that¡¯s not how you make your smores, because I am about to riot.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not ck¨C¡± she repeated, sending me a wicked grin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even say it,¡± I gasped in horror, cing a hand over my poor weak heart. ¡°You heathen!¡±


    She burst into giggles, plucking the cherry from her cocktail and pulling off the stem. I swallowed when she stuck the stem into her mouth, ying with it for only a few seconds before she stuck out her tongue.


    It was in a perfect loop.


    ¡°Guilty as charged.¡± She winked.


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± I breathed and sheughed, open and free with no sign of the guard I¡¯d seen from her. Our conversations came easily and smoothly, and I hung on to every word, allowing myself to rx.


    I wasn¡¯t even drunk but I felt like I was as our conversation delved deeper from the surface and straight into our hearts. She confessed about her mother and how she wanted to pay her back for everything she¡¯d done for her and I¡¯d told her about my siblings, and how I felt like Alessandro still resented me for being chosen as the sessor to our family.


    I kept out the mafia, choosing my words carefully, but as the night continued, our tongues got looser. Natalia kept downing drink after drink and soon, I wasn¡¯t even keeping count. While I was still sober, she¡¯d quickly delved into a state of non-coherence.


    It wasn¡¯t until Natalia looked me straight in the eyes with a totally serious look and said, ¡°Let¡¯s rob a bank,¡± that I realized maybe it was time for the night to end.


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± I agreed easily, grinning as I helped to gather her from the rooftop and head down the stairs. After she tripped on the fourth stair for the fourth time, I simply lifted her into my arms, carrying her down the rest of the stairs and to the car.


    ¡°Ooh! Princess! I¡¯m a princess!¡± She giggled happily to herself,pletely out of her mind at this point and Iughed along, settling her into the car. She struggled a bit, wanting to get out, and kept suggesting increasingly rming things.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get tattoos on our butts!¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± I nodded, buckling her up.


    ¡°I wanna fly! Can we fly?¡±


    ¡°You mean in an airne?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± She whined, ¡°I wanna be a bird! Get me wings and let¡¯s fly!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to do that.¡± I kissed her forehead, rounding the car to settle into the driver¡¯s seat. I thanked the waiter before leaving, though he kept chuckling into his hand as she threw her arms out and nearly punched me in the jaw.


    ¡°Good night,¡± I told the waiter, settling her hands at her sides. Luckily, the minute the car started, all of her drunk energy was zapped out of her. She fell asleep within five minutes, leaning on my shoulder as she kept murmuring nonsense.


    When we got back to the vi, Natalia was so out of it that I couldn¡¯t get her to wake up. I carefully pulled her from the seat, carrying my sleeping princess into the vi. I nced down at her with a grin, having had one of the best nights of my life thanks to her.


    And despite my after-dinner ns having been ruined due to her drunken state, I wouldn¡¯t have changed anything. I couldn¡¯ty a hand on her, not when she was this drunk. I respected her and myself too much for that.


    But as I took her up the stairs, carrying her across the vi¡¯s threshold like a newlywed husband carrying his bride, a sudden realization fell over me.


    I nced at Natalia in my arms, my heart soft and warm as I gazed upon her. Softly, I murmured the words I¡¯d been longing to say all night.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    Natalia stirred, frowning as she shifted and for a heart-stopping moment I thought she had woken up, had somehow heard me but all she did was murmur, ¡°Macaroni,¡± and fall still once more.


    Iughed to myself,ying a kiss on her forehead.


    Now I only had to tell her when she was awake.

 Chapter 519 : Hazy Memories

    <h4>Chapter 519: Chapter 519 : Hazy Memories</h4>


    *Natalia*


    I woke up slowly, and then all at once, anxiety making my heart race and my eyes fly open. I couldn¡¯t even relish the fact that theforting weight of Tallon¡¯s arm was draped over my waist, because all I could think about was how drunk I had gotten the night before.


    I couldn¡¯t remember our whole conversation, but I did remember Tallon opening up to me about his family. Oh fuck¨CI hoped I hadn¡¯t said anything about my own family. Iid still, trying to settle my breathing and calm my heart before I woke him up too.


    I must have been moving around even more than I had realized because before I knew it, Tallon was kissing my neck softly. My heart began to race for a different reason entirely as he wrapped his arm more firmly around my waist and pulled me close to him, close enough that I could feel every part of his body pressed up against me.


    He was wearing silk pajama pants, but his chest was bare. I looked down and realized that I was still in my gorgeous dress from the night before. I was perplexed to see the wrinkles in the fabric that only a professional would be able to get out, and I wondered how I had managed to get so drunk that I couldn¡¯t even put pajamas on, but then I realized that the fact I was still wearing the same clothes meant that Tallon had done nothing more than get me safely into bed.


    It was overwhelming to think of how much he cared about me, that he didn¡¯t even want to undress me unless he knew for sure that was what I wanted.


    I lost my train of thought as his hand roamed over my curves, stopping every now and then and giving me a reassuring squeeze. I rolled over to face him and saw that he still had his eyes closed. He had a blissed-out smile on his face that I couldn¡¯t help but smile back at.


    ¡°Hey, you,¡± I whispered.


    He slowly opened his eyes. I loved how young and innocent he looked as he was first waking up. Afterst night, I knew how much his family struggles weighed on his heart. It made me happy to see him so rxed. And then it made me guilty to think about how my actions were putting more stress into his life.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he murmured, ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve been worse.¡±


    His eyebrows raised in shock. Damn, I must have been badst night.


    ¡°Um, what did I sayst night? I can¡¯t really remember much.¡±


    Heughed, easing some of my anxiety. Surely if he wasughing, then that meant I hadn¡¯t blown everything.


    ¡°You were pretty adamantly demanding to be turned into a bird.¡± Heughed again, his body vibrating pleasantly against mine.


    I buried my face in his chest, embarrassed over my ridiculousness but pleased that that was all I had said. It was stupid to let myself get that drunk with him, but the stress of trying to maintain my lies through an entire weekend together had gotten to me.


    And I just felt so incredibly safe with him. I had known that he would get me home safely, and he had more than proven himself by not only getting me home but also ensuring that nothing happened between us.


    ¡°I¡¯m still in my dress,¡± I said against his chest, my voice muffled.


    He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. ¡°Yeah... I know it¡¯s probably notfortable but I didn¡¯t want to go digging through your suitcase. And to be honest, you were asleep before I even got you into bed.¡±


    Finally, I forced myself to stop hiding and looked him in the eyes. He met my gaze and reached his hand up to stroke my hair.


    ¡°You make me feel safe,¡± I said simply.


    I could see the pride in his eyes as he nodded once, then wrapped his arms around me so that he could pull me close. ¡°I¡¯ll always keep you safe,¡± he murmured.


    I was so ovee with emotion at his deration that I had to take a deep breath to stop myself from crying. I couldn¡¯t remember anyone who had ever made me feel so cherished as Tallon did. At that moment, I just wanted to forget everything else and feel what it would be like to be loved by a man like him, truly loved, with no hidden agendas.


    I wiggled up so that I could reach his mouth, then captured it firmly with my own. As we kissed, the world fell away. Our mouths tangled with as much passion as I could muster, determined to let myself fully enjoy this, enjoy him.


    Tallon rolled so that he was lying on his back and pulled me with him so that I was lying on top of him. My dress got tangled up in our legs, so I reached down and hiked it up, freeing myself up to the waist. Tallon¡¯s hands immediately fell upon my exposed ass, greedily squeezing enough to make me moan.


    Without hesitation, he moved his hands up to hook his fingers around the waistband of my thong and quickly yanked it down so that I was almost fully exposed with my dress around my waist and my thong around my knees. Tallon moved his hands back to my ass and encouraged me to straddle him.


    The silk of his pajamas felt like heaven against my soaking core. I wanted nothing more than to lick his exposed chest, but he had taken full control of my mouth, licking and sucking and biting until I was nearly delirious with desire.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from grinding against his erection, loving how the thinyer of silk between us only added to the sensation. Tallon finally freed my mouth and trailed kisses down my neck. I leaned up slightly to give him better ess and he groaned appreciatively as I moved against him.


    Still keeping one hand on my backside, he reached the other up so that he could pull the strap of my dress down and expose my breast. My nipple was already hardened in anticipation as he took it into his mouth. I arched my back and moaned in pleasure, barely able to contain myself.


    He took my movement as an opportunity and moved his other hand around so that he could stroke a finger against my clit. I was nearly undone. My pleasure had already spiraled so high that I was certain that an orgasm was going to crash through me at the slightest touch. Tallon circled my clit with his finger a single time, then pressed inside of me, gently stretching me.


    ¡°You¡¯re so wet for me,¡± he murmured against my breast.


    I reached up and freed my other breast so that he could give it equal attention. He obliged by moving over and taking my other nipple in his mouth while rolling the nipple he had abandoned between his thumb and forefinger. The sensations were overwhelming, and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from screaming out in ecstasy. Tallon chuckled against me, loving how much pleasure he was giving me.


    ¡°Tell me what you like the most,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°I... love... it... all,¡± I panted, barely able to form words as he worked my body. It was like he was perfectly attuned to what I wanted. The second that any one sensation began to feel overwhelming, he would slow down just enough so that it never became too much to handle.


    ¡°Are you ready for me?¡± he asked, his mouth still on one breast while his hand yed with the other. His other hand was alternating between stroking my G-spot and my clit.


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± I gasped, desperate to feel him fill me.


    That was all he needed to hear. He let go of mepletely and I nearly cried out from the sudden loss, but before I knew it he had pulled himself free from his pants and neatly unrolled a condom onto his cock. He put his hands on my hips, encouraging me to lean up slightly so that he could settle against my entrance.


    He looked at me, a question in his eyes. He was so fucking sweet, it killed me.


    I nodded once, then closed my eyes as he clutched my hips and pressed his cock slowly inside of me. Once he waspletely buried, he picked up speed until my breasts were bouncing with the movement. I threw my head back and enjoyed the ride, loving the way I could let him haveplete control. I never once had to worry that he would do anything I wouldn¡¯t want done.


    After we had settled into afortable rhythm, he moved his hand so that he could tease my clit with his thumb. The pleasure was almost agonizing, it felt so perfect. Too soon, I was pushed over the brink and was gasping and moaning as my orgasm overtook me. Tallon grunted as he pumped into me quickly and finished.


    I fell against his chest,pletely spent even though the day had just begun. Tallon wrapped his arms around me and stroked my hair away from my face.


    ¡°I could get used to that,¡± he said.


    ¡°Me too,¡± I agreed. I had never been with someone who was so attuned to my needs. I felt so deeply connected to him, it scared me.


    ¡°Alright, now we need to get ready for the day I have nned!¡±


    ¡°And what exactly do you have nned?¡± I asked. ¡°I hope whatever it is, there¡¯s time for more of this.¡± I wiggled suggestively against him.


    ¡°Oh trust me, there¡¯s plenty of time for that,¡± he said, his voice low with desire and his eyes slightly zed. I loved that I had that effect on him. ¡°But no time right now!¡±


    I pretended to pout, but secretly I couldn¡¯t wait to find out what he had nned for us. I was growing extremely spoiled the longer I spent with him. I hadn¡¯t expected him to be so amazing at nning surprises that I would love.


    He gently set me down on the bed before standing up, then leaned over to give me a kiss on the forehead. ¡°I need to shower. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    I smiled at the fact that he felt the need to kiss me goodbye when he wasn¡¯t even leaving. He hadn¡¯t said it yet, but somehow I knew that this man loved me, really loved me. And if I was being honest with myself, I loved him too.


    But what the hell was I going to do with that? Falling in love with Tallon had never been a part of my n. I didn¡¯t even want to admit that what I felt could be love, but I couldn¡¯t lie to myself any longer.


    I just had to figure out whether or not I was going to lie to my family.

 Chapter 520 : Lovers In Paradise

    <h4>Chapter 520: Chapter 520 : Lovers In Paradise</h4>


    *Tallon*


    I got out of the shower and found Natalia struggling to disentangle herself from her dress. The sight was enough to make me want to get her right back into bed again, but I didn¡¯t want us to miss the boat tour that I had nned for us, and thest thing I wanted her to think was that I had only brought her on this trip to have sex.


    She grunted and turned around, trying to yank her dress down, when she finally noticed me watching her. Her cheeks immediately turned an adorable shade of pink and she turned back around.


    ¡°Let me help you,¡± I said, walking up to her and wrapping my arms around her still-naked torso. Although I had vowed not to try to seduce her again, I couldn¡¯t resist leaning down and cing a few light kisses on her neck.


    ¡°I feel terrible. I think I¡¯ve ripped this dress.¡± She sounded genuinely sorrowful over it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ll buy you a dozen dresses just like that one,¡± I reassured her.


    ¡°Yeah, but none of them will be this dress. It¡¯s so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°If you want, I can send it to Dahlia and ask her to mend it,¡± I told her while pulling down the pesky zipper that had trapped her in the first ce.


    The skirt of the dress had somehow wrapped around the zipper so that every time she tried to get it, she just created a bigger knot. Finally, she was able to step free of the whole thing. She turned around and I respectfully kept my eyes on her face, although her perfect body was ridiculously enticing, I could tell that she was feeling a bit shy to be totally naked in front of me now that the haze of sleep had fully worn off.


    ¡°It is a beautiful dress,¡± I told her, ¡°but only because you were wearing it.¡±


    She rolled her eyes, but a smile yed at her lips.


    I reached out to grab her hand and brought it to my mouth for a chaste kiss. ¡°Okay, gorgeous. Today¡¯s activities include a boat tour, so I rmend wearing something you wouldn¡¯t mind getting a tad wet.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be ready in a few.¡±


    She walked into the bathroom, gathering up a bundle of clothes before she went. I wondered when we would befortable enough to get ready together without needing to shut doors between us. It felt like we had already made great strides toward bing closer just in the time we had been on our trip. The fact that Natalia had let her guard down so much the night before gave me hope.


    She came out of the bathroom dressed in a lovely sundress that brought out the blue in her eyes even more than usual.


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, as always,¡± I told her honestly. I didn¡¯t think I would ever be able to stop myself fromplimenting her.


    ¡°You¡¯re sweet,¡± she said, her usual coy grin on her face.


    Before long, we were settled into thefortable seats of a small yacht, touring the Isle of Capri. I tried to pay attention to the stunning views of the massive cliffs and clear blue water all around us, but I kept stealing nces at Natalia instead.


    The wind whipped her hair around her and brought some color to her face. She looked radiant, her joy clearly visible as she watched a flock of gulls twirl above us.


    ¡°Oh, Tallon, look!¡± she suddenly shouted out, pointing at three dolphins ying in the wake of our yacht.


    We both stared in wonder at the energetic trio. I knew that I would never forget this moment in time. Everything between us felt right, and it was as if the world itself agreed.


    After another hour of riding, the yacht stopped and set anchor so that we could eat lunch. The crew had prepared an opulent spread of meats, cheeses, and vegetables and set it all out for us along with a chilled bottle of champagne.


    I had grown up in luxury, but even still I could recognize that eating antipasto on a yacht in the middle of the Isle of Capri was especially indulgent. I took a sip of my champagne and Natalia did the same. Although I didn¡¯t want her to get quite as drunk as the night before, I wouldn¡¯t have minded if the champagne helped to loosen her tongue just slightly. I could feel how much closer we had grown, but I wanted even more. I wanted to know everything about this woman who had somehow fallen into myp.


    ¡°This is wonderful, Tallon,¡± she said after taking a bite of an olive. ¡°I really can¡¯t even believe I¡¯m doing this right now.¡±


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s a little over the top,¡± I admitted. I hoped she didn¡¯t feel ufortable.


    ¡°It is ridiculously over the top! But I love it.¡± She leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek, her lips just barely brushing against me.


    I wanted more, but I settled for just wrapping my arm around her shoulders.


    ¡°I never thought I would see things like this,¡± she sighed as she leaned into me just a bit.


    My ears perked up as I realized that she was about to open up.


    ¡°It was just my mom and me growing up. I wasn¡¯t living on the streets or anything, but money was definitely tight. Just being here in Italy at all feels like a dream... and now meeting you... I just can¡¯t believe it sometimes.¡±


    As she often did, she stopped speaking even though it seemed like she had more to say. I didn¡¯t press her. So far, Natalia had been revealing herself to me bit by bit, and I had all the time and patience in the world. Someday I would fully know her, and the wait would make it all the sweeter.


    ¡°Being here with you is a dream for me as well,¡± I told her. ¡°I never thought I would meet a woman like you. I feel so incredibly lucky.¡± I pressed a kiss to her temple, hoping to convey how precious she was to me.


    ¡°Thank you, Tallon, not just for bringing me here but also for making me feel like I¡¯m worth bringing. You make me feel cherished. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever had that before.¡±


    My chest felt like it was going to burst with pride. I wanted to spend the rest of my life making her feel cherished.


    Before we knew it, the sun began to set and our captain steered the yacht back toward the coast. Natalia seemed disappointed to see our excursioning to an end, but I reassured her that there was still more toe. On the car ride back to our hotel, she asked what more I could possibly have nned.


    ¡°We have dinner reservations at de Paolino. It¡¯s a really neat ce filled with lemon trees,¡± I exined. I had been there before and couldn¡¯t wait for her to experience the wafting scent of lemons that was present throughout the entire restaurant. I knew that she would love it.


    ¡°That sounds amazing,¡± she said,ying her head back and closing her eyes. ¡°Wake me up when we get to the hotel.¡±


    I watched her as she napped. Our car ride only took a few more minutes, but I loved the opportunity to study her lovely face and to see the way she looked when she was totally rxed. Someday I hoped that she would look like that all the time. I was so desperate to free her from whatever stresses she had that made her look so nervous and upset from time to time.


    When we made it to the hotel, I gently pulled her hand into my own and rubbed her palm to wake her. In spite of my gentleness, she startled awake, the tension that I was used to seeing returning to her face. But as soon as she looked at me, she smiled. She felt safe with me, and I intended to keep it that way.


    Back in our room, I had changed into a tan linen suit. I smiled thinking of how Natalia and I had matched the evening before. It had been cheesy and probably too much considering the early stage of our rtionship, but I couldn¡¯t lie to myself, I had loved how obvious it was that we belonged together.


    I waited to choose a pocket square until I saw what color Natalia was wearing. I had brought a few different color options. It wouldn¡¯t match nearly as much as the night before, but it would be enough to make me happy.


    I had never been the possessive type before, always dating casually enough that there was no reason to get possessive, but I found that with Natalia I wanted people to know that she was with me. It wasn¡¯t because I wanted to im ownership over her¨CI respected her far too much for something so barbaric¨Cbut because I was so proud that she had chosen me.


    She came out of the bathroom and twirled, giving me the opportunity to see her from every angle. She was wearing a light purple dress that looked gorgeous against her skin. It was looser in the skirt than she usually wore and tied in the back with a small cutout underneath the bow. I found that I was quite drawn to that little cutout; the idea of being able to discreetly touch the bare skin on the small of her back was quite enticing.


    I fished out a purple pocket square from my suitcase. It was a deeper color than her dress, but it served its purpose well.


    ¡°Matching again?¡± she asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°What can I say? I like for people to know we¡¯re together.¡± I shrugged in feigned innocence. ¡°You look stunning, by the way.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll ever get tired of that,¡± she sighed and smiled, reaching out so that I came closer. She settled her head on my chest and I instinctively wrapped my arms around her, loving how perfectly she fit in my arms.


    ¡°Tired of what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of how you always make sure to make me feel pretty.¡± She pulled back so that she could look me in the eye, ¡°You make me so happy.¡±


    I swallowed, taking a moment. If ever was the right time to tell her I loved her, this was it. I gazed into her endless eyes. ¡°Natalia, I¨C¡±


    My phone rang out, cutting me off. The moment was broken as she pulled away so that I could grab it from the nightstand. I sighed, vowing that I would tell her by the time we finished dinner. I nced at the screen and saw that it was Vinny calling me. He knew how important this weekend was to me, so I doubted he would call unless it was urgent.


    ¡°This better be important.¡± I answered the phone tersely, hoping to end the conversation quickly.


    ¡°Hey, Boss, I¡¯m sorry to bother you, but it¡¯s really bad.¡±


    Fuck. This night wasn¡¯t going to go to n. I allowed myself one more long look at Natalia before turning around and focusing.


    ¡°Exactly how bad?¡±

 Chapter 521 : In the Dark

    <h4>Chapter 521: Chapter 521 : In the Dark</h4>


    *Tallon*


    ¡°Tell me everything, in exact detail,¡± I said to Vinny.


    I turned to Natalia and mouthed, ¡°Work bullshit.¡±


    Her eyes were huge and serious. I knew that she could tell by my quick change in demeanor that this wasn¡¯t good. I turned away from her so that I could focus, and try to keep her from figuring out what I was talking about.


    ¡°Alright, so there¡¯s been a few things, we didn¡¯t realize how bad it was until just now. The men and I were trying hard to keep from needing to involve you, but at this point, I don¡¯t know how we could move forward without your guidance.¡±


    ¡°Start at the beginning. Just tell me everything that¡¯s happened since I left.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so starting on Friday night there was a hit on two supply warehouses at once, the one at the docks and the one over by the old mill.¡±


    ¡°Were either of those locations that you or Alessandro had been telling people about ording to our n?¡± I asked, trying to keep my words vague so Natalia wouldn¡¯t overhear.


    I still wasn¡¯t ready for her to know about this aspect of my life. I knew it would be overwhelming, and I intended to fully convince her that it was worth it to be with me before revealing that I was in the mafia¨Cor rather, that I was the mafia Don.


    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s killing us. Before Alessandro left to visit your parents, he left me a ledger exining what he had told everyone. Neither attack happened in a ce we had talked about to anyone because both of them actually do have weak points. The security wasn¡¯t bulked up enough because we had ced guys over at the two locations that we had been saying were weak in preparation for when the mole revealed themselves. And here¡¯s the bad part. Since none of the hits were rted to the lies that Alessandro and I have been spreading, the mole isn¡¯t one of our inner circle guys¨Cunless you think it¡¯s me or Alessandro, which I can promise you it isn¡¯t me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I don¡¯t think it would be Alessandro either,¡± I said. ¡°Has he been informed of the hits?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Vinny said.


    ¡°Keep it that way, for now.¡±


    I just couldn¡¯t imagine my brother betraying me like that. But if it wasn¡¯t one of the inner circle and it wasn¡¯t Vinny... Alessandro was the only one who would have such detailed information. I shoved the thought out of my head. I couldn¡¯t let myself start doubting my family now.


    ¡°Anyway, there were the two warehouse hits on Friday night. They took three of our guys from the docks and two from the old mill. I know they¡¯re alive because one of my guys escaped and told me that the Russians had tied them up and thrown them in a van. I don¡¯t know what they want with them, maybe some sort of hostage negotiation.¡±


    I decided to go into the bathroom and shut the door so I could speak more freely. Natalia would know I was hiding something from her, but I could just tell her that it was some confidential business shit. I hoped this wouldn¡¯t cause another rift between us; I felt like I had just begun to break down some of her barriers. But if she thought I was actively hiding stuff from her, that might be enough to make her put them right back up. I closed my eyes and forced myself to stop worrying about her. My family needed me, and I couldn¡¯t afford to be selfishly thinking about my rtionship.


    ¡°That¡¯s really fucking bad. Make sure we know exactly which of our guys they took. I want a rundown of all their backgrounds and medical information. Send that to me on my cell as soon as you get itpiled.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let me get my second on that real quick.¡± He paused, and I could hear him discussing it with his second. ¡°Unfortunately... that¡¯s not all. This morning there were three hits on some of our business fronts. Luckily nobody was hurt, but they stole some seriously confidential files.¡±


    ¡°What was in the files?¡±


    ¡°It was years¡¯ worth of financial information, not only background stuff like how people are getting paid but also the paperwork from our arms deals and our paper trail of moneyundering. It¡¯s the kind of stuff the feds would love to get their hands on. It would implicate all of us for the crimes we¡¯vemitted, going all the way back to when your father was in charge. I don¡¯t know why we didn¡¯t burn some of that shit, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I muttered, trying to think this through. ¡°Alright, I need all that sent to me as well, a list of exactly what was in that paperwork. And I need you and the men to start scrubbing all evidence. They might be able to find a paper trail, but we need to make sure it ends there. If there¡¯s no physical evidence and no other paperwork, then they wouldn¡¯t have much of a case. We¡¯re going to have to change the locations of all of the businesses they hit and hide our shit a helluva lot better. We¡¯ve gottencent since I¡¯ve been in charge, but that ends now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, Boss. I hate that they took our guys along with the paperwork. They¡¯re looking for something and I¡¯m afraid they just might find it. The idea of those fucking bastards torturing my men for intel makes me sick.¡± I could hear the pure rage in his voice. ¡°I hate to say this, but I think you need toe home. I thought we had a handle on this, but obviously we don¡¯t. It was like they knew you¡¯d be gone and decided to wait until the exact moment you left.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I sighed, running my hand through my hair.


    Thest thing I wanted was to cut my weekend with Natalia short, especially when I couldn¡¯t even exin to her exactly why we needed to leave, but if the Russians thought that I was going to be out of town all weekend, it was likely that they had more attacks nned. I needed to get home and prepare for the inevitable war that the Russians seemed intent on waging against us.


    ¡°Alright, Vinny, we¡¯ll leave right now. I should be home in a few hours. Get everyone ready for a meeting in the safe room. And tell everyone that nobody leaves thepound until then. I want a total recall on everyone except for those who are guarding our warehouses.¡±


    ¡°You got it, Boss. See you soon.¡±


    He hung up and I looked at myself in the mirror. Just a few minutes ago I had been carefree, getting ready to take the love of my life to dinner. Now I looked bedraggled; my hair was a rumpled mess and my suit had gotten wrinkled as I had leaned against the bathroom sink. And I had to break the news to Natalia that we were going to have to leave early.


    I opened the bathroom door to find Natalia sitting on the bed, chewing on her thumbnail. Her shoulders were hunched over, the tension in her body obvious. I walked to her and sat down next to her, wrapping my arm around her waist.


    I had hoped that she would rx against me as she had begun to do on this trip, but her body remained rigid. Fuck, this was definitely going to set us back. Just as I had suspected, she must have felt insulted when I had gone into the bathroom to hide my work from her.


    ¡°Natalia, I¡¯m so sorry, but we have to leave tonight. Something came up with my business and I have to be there in person to oversee it.¡±


    She turned to me and for a moment, she looked absolutely terrified. It puzzled me. I understood why she felt upset, but I had no idea why she would be scared. I wondered if there was some reason why she wouldn¡¯t want to head back early. Maybe somebody was bothering her at home. I tightened my arm around her, determined to let her know she was safe no matter what.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked, ¡°with your business, I mean.¡±


    I sighed, hating to lie to her but knowing it was for her own good. ¡°I can¡¯t really tell you. A lot of the shit I deal with is pretty confidential for our clients and our employees. I swear I would tell you if I could, and I hope you know that there¡¯s nothing more that I would like than to ask you for your opinion on some of this stuff, but for right now, I have to keep it under wraps.¡±


    She nodded, seemingly lost in thought. Not for the first time, I wished that I could read her mind. There were so many times when it was obvious what emotion she was feeling, but I never had any clue why she was feeling it. It was clear that something was bothering her, but it seemed to go a lot deeper than just having to leave our weekend trip early. I wanted nothing more than to pull her onto myp and beg her to tell me exactly what she was thinking, but I had a feeling that wouldn¡¯t go well. She was the type of woman who needed space. I hadn¡¯t figured out why, but I hoped that if I kept showing her that she could trust me, then eventually she would let me in.


    My patience was rewarded when she finallyid her head on my shoulder and settled into my embrace a little bit. ¡°I am sad to miss dinner. It sounded like it was going to be lovely,¡± she said.


    ¡°We¡¯lle back,¡± I promised, and I turned to kiss the top of her head. ¡°Even though we only got about twenty-four hours, this has been the perfect trip. I hope you¡¯lle on more with me.¡±


    She sat silently for a moment and I wondered if she was considering whether or not that was something she would want to do. I was furious with the Russians for using this trip to hurt my organization. This had been my opportunity to prove to Natalia that she was safe with me, and instead, it made me seem like I would prioritize my work over her. Someday I would be able to exin to her that actual lives were on the line when I talked about my job, but for right now I just had to hope that she would forgive me.


    ¡°I¡¯lle on more with you,¡± she said quietly, then looked up to meet my eyes. ¡°This has been the best twenty-four hours of my life.¡±


    I was overwhelmed by her quiet deration. It was the first time that she had ever said something so open and positive about our rtionship. I once again was struck with the feeling that this was the woman I was meant to be with. Making her happy was more rewarding than anything else I had ever done in my entire life.


    Throwing caution to the wind, I wrapped my arms around her and rolled so that I was on my back on the bed with her on top of me. She yelled in surprise and then giggled once she was settled on top of me. She was so close our noses were practically touching. I tangled my hands in her hair and pulled her in for a kiss, trying to remain mindful of the time but unwilling to ruin this moment between us.


    We were both breathless and her cheeks had turned my favorite shade of pink by the time she pulled away. ¡°Don¡¯t we need to go?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I just wanted to do that one more time before we left,¡± I grinned.


    We both hopped up and began to pack, all the lightness that I had felt with Natalia in my arms quickly leaving my body as I thought about the days ahead.


    Like the old saying went, it was going to get a helluva lot darker before the dawn.

 Chapter 522 : Investigation

    <h4>Chapter 522: Chapter 522 : Investigation</h4>


    *Tallon*


    There was never a worse time to be the boss than during a crisis, and despite learning it years ago, I kept being reminded of that fact, especially now.


    Natalia was surprisingly quiet the whole trip home, looking rather downcast as she stared out the jet¡¯s windows. She didn¡¯t ask questions about why I needed to go home so urgently, and she didn¡¯t seem to wonder why my personality had flipped on its head.


    Sometimes I wondered if she had actually figured out who I was and what I did. Maybe she was just pretending not to know.


    But I knew how ridiculous that sounded, even in my own head.


    There was no way Natalia knew I was the Don of the Italian mafia.


    Natalia didn¡¯tin about the rush from thending zone, even being her sweet and polite self as she helped the process go quicker. A car was waiting for us at the airport, and I directed them to Natalia¡¯s ce before heading to thepound.


    My mother had taught me manners, and I was determined to be a perfect gentleman with her.


    She seemed contemtive when we pulled up to her driveway like she wanted to say something but just couldn¡¯t get the words out.


    ¡°Tallon¨C¡± She started, turning to me with her blue eyes. ¡°I¨C¡±


    Despite my hurry, I turned to her patiently, but all she did was sigh.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± she finally muttered to herself.


    Though I wanted to press her, to understand why she looked so upset, I didn¡¯t have the time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you tonight, okay?¡± I tucked her hair behind her ear, leaning forward to press my lips to her before letting her go. She got out, her suitcase in hand and we waited in the driveway until I saw her enter safely.


    ¡°Take me to Warehouse Seven.¡± My voice dropped an octave lower as I ordered the driver in the front. Immediately, the soft and kind Tallon vanished and instead, the mafia leader came to the surface, ready to take control of this situation.


    We were lucky that Warehouse Seven was rather close to Natalia¡¯s house, which I found a bit odd. It was only a fifteen-minute drive before we drove up, and unlike the other hit, this one was particrly clean.


    On this sunny day, I could almost say nothing was wrong, that everything was working just as expected, but I caught sight of Vinny leaning against the warehouse doors, tilted with ck marks across them, and I knew I was in the right ce.


    As soon as the car rolled up, Vinny kicked off from the warehouse, walking over to meet me with a pissed-off look on his face. It took a lot to get a guy like Vinny angry but whatever they had done, they had managed it.


    I got out of the car, squinting from the sudden bright sunshine but hurried into the shade of the warehouse.


    ¡°You sure took your damn time,¡± Vinny said bitterly, an unlit cigarette in his left hand.


    It was a bad habit he¡¯d picked up from his father, being a habitual smoker. Vinny never lit the things, but during bad days, I¡¯d catch him rolling it between his fingers, helping to think as if his father could give him the answers through cancer in a stick.


    I ignored his bad mood, my eyestching onto the warehouse doors, just like I thought. I crouched down, brushing my fingers against the ck marks on the door. They were crooked, pulled out of alignment, and one was barely still standing, hooked only by one steadfast bolt.


    I brushed my fingers through the ck, and sure enough, it rubbed across my fingers. I sniffed it, the familiar scent just what I had thought.


    ¡°ck powder.¡±


    ¡°Even with our best security on this ce, it was bested by an old trick,¡± Vinny spat angrily. ¡°ck powder loaded into old shells¨Cthe cheapest pipe bomb you can get.¡±


    I sighed, getting to my feet. Unfortunately, ck powder was not traceable. It was so widely used that tracking down any illegal sales was impossible. It¡¯s like searching for a small needle in a barrel of pins¨Ctoo many dead ends to follow, and all potentially deadly.


    I pushed past the now ruined and charred doors, and entered the facility. Despite what I heard from Vinny already, I had to see the damage for myself.


    I spotted the same kind of guns and shells from thest raid piled up by the doorway, bullet holes in the metal walls, and a good chunk of our wares justpletely missing.


    By the tracks left on the floor, they used our own lifters.


    This was incredibly well-thought-out and thorough. They knew exactly how to get in and get out without causing a scene. I nced at the security cameras, hopeful they might have caught something. They didn¡¯t have any damage on them.


    ¡°The power grid went out fifteen minutes before the attack,¡± Vinny said, following my gaze with a harsh look. ¡°Shorted out every single camera in the vicinity.¡±


    ¡°Of course it did,¡± I sighed, brushing my hand through my hair. ¡°So we have nothing.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Vinny said, gesturing to the single table set up in the middle of the chaos. Vinny directed me to the middle of the table that had incredibly detailed maps of the city and random points around the map that were circled with red markers.


    ¡°What are the circles?¡± I asked, tracing my finger between them.


    ¡°Each one has been hit in the past week,¡± Vinny answered grimly. ¡°Warehouses, supply routes, safe houses¨Cthere¡¯s no pattern, no unique distinguishers. The only connection is us.¡±


    I shut my eyes, rubbing my forehead as the sheer magnitude finally hit me.


    ¡°I get the warehouses and supply routes, but what the fuck do they want with our safehouses?¡± I asked, baffled, noticing that only two safehouses had been circled.


    They were small ones, not connected to any big operations but still, they held nothing of value to the Russians.


    ¡°Each had the same M.O., too¨Cstruck at night, the power grid goes out and they¡¯re in and out in thirty minutes. Some were lucky and they only wanted the goods but others... safehouse fourteen was hit pretty hard. Danny and his wife¨Cthey were staying there when they hit....¡±


    I stared Vinny straight in the eyes, watching the sorrow and grief cross his features and a low, sinking feeling hit me as I realized what he was trying to tell me, what the Russians had wanted with our safehouses.


    There wasn¡¯t anything of value¨Cexcept the people.


    ¡°How many?¡± I demanded, my heart racing in my chest.


    ¡°Tallon, that¡¯s not what¨C¡± Vinny grimaced, but I knew from the look in his eyes he was trying to spare me the cold hard truth.


    Not this time.


    ¡°How many did they fucking kill?¡± I shouted, mming my hands on the table. The warehouse fell intoplete silence, and you could hear a pin drop with how quiet everyone fell.


    Vinny sighed, ncing at the men who were now staring at us warily. They shuffled back to the work, the noise returning at once as they worked to clean up the ce, to catalog everything we had left and get it ready to be moved.


    ¡°How many, Vin?¡± I asked, both terrified and desperate to know how many people I had failed. Vinny sent me a pitying look but gave me the answer I wanted anyway. ¡°Seventeen.¡±


    It hit me like a bullet straight to the heart, and I swallowed as I slowly and carefully dropped to the ground. I sat on the floor, staring emptily at nothing as I tried my best to wrap my head around what Vin had just said to me.


    But as my mind always did, it drifted¨Cto the night I officially took over duties as the Don of the Valentinos. Giovani had told me something that stuck with me.


    ¡®This title is a great responsibility but a heavy burden,¡¯ he¡¯d said to the young, impressionable version of me fifteen years ago. ¡®Good men have ced their trust in you and you will break it, over and over again. But no matter how many times you fail, you must have the strength to keep that burden on your shoulders and not theirs.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t until I lost my first man to a stupid mistake that I should have caught that I understood what he meant. Telling his family members that he wouldn¡¯t being home, and burying him in Eterna while his grieving pregnant widow sobbed her heart was the burden he spoke about.


    And as the Don, I had to stand there and take responsibility for his death. It haunted me when I was twenty-two, and it haunted me to this day. Every loss was a hard one to take.


    But this one... this one was the biggest of them all.


    Eterna was full of men and women who had given their lives for the family, who had served until theirst breath because we gave them what the world hadn¡¯t¨Ceptance, family, stability and fucking money. Some had just been plucked straight off the streets as kids, taken in, and joined because they had nowhere else to go.


    These were broken, wed people whom the rest of the world rejected.


    But whatever their reason for joining, none of them deserved to die. There was never a good reason to have a new plot in Eterna made. But this... this was the least deserving of all.


    But like Giovani had said, that burden rested on my shoulders. The responsibility was mine and like every other time, I picked myself up, got to my feet, and faced the situation head-on.


    I buried the people I failed in my heart and kept at the forefront of my mind the hundreds more who needed me to be a leader right now, who needed to stop these motherfuckers from taking any more of us.


    ¡°Is there anything about these ces that were unusual? Anything that stood out?¡± I asked Vinny, searching the map for a clue, any sign of why they had been attacking these ces in particr.


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯spletely random, like they... wait¨C¡± Vinny blinked, leaning forward to go over every spot with his finger again, drawing lines between them as he muttered to himself. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Vinny turned to me with an excited grin. ¡°They are random, except for one thing. Every single one of these ces we¡¯ve visited in the past few months! Random wellness checks, remember?¡± Then his grin fell as he came to the same conclusion as I did at the exact same time.


    ¡°That means¨C¡± He stared at the map nkly.


    ¡°We have a mole,¡± I finished darkly.


    Vinny straightened, turning to me with an uncharacteristically serious look. ¡°I shudder to think of anyone betraying us but... it certainly seems that way. It¡¯s possible someone would have slipped through the cracks, though getting information about your schedule, they would have to be someone close.¡±


    I red at the circled map, suppressing my anger.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Vinny asked.


    ¡°Draw out the mole,¡± I said inly. ¡°Whoever it is, they won¡¯t get far. They¡¯ll have hell to suffer for this.¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s someone close to you?¡± Vinny asked with a skeptical eyebrow raised.


    I gave him a dark smirk, pulling out my pocket knife in a sh and stabbing it through the circled safehouse.


    ¡°No matter who it is,¡± I vowed, ¡°they will pay for this. I swear it.¡±

 Chapter 523 : A bloody legacy

    <h4>Chapter 523: Chapter 523 : A bloody legacy</h4>


    *Natalia*


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you tonight, okay?¡± he whispered to me sweetly, gently tucking my hair behind my ear. He left me with a kiss, and I could still taste him on my lips even as I fled up my driveway, pushing my back against the door until I heard the hum of his car drive away.


    I didn¡¯t know for sure where he was going, why he hade back in a rush, or why he had such a serious and dark look in his eyes when he had answered that phone call.


    But I had a pretty good guess.


    My uncles were ruthless, and revenge was their lovenguage.


    The two and a half hours of driving and flying back had been a whirlwind, gone by so fast and so slowly at the same time. Half of me was suffocating from the tense atmosphere and the suspicious looks his men gave me as they loaded up the luggage.


    I didn¡¯t me them. I was a stranger, after all. And by now, they had probably guessed that someone had been feeding information.


    The guilt had been slowly devouring me bit by bit, creeping from the pit of my stomach to the middle of my chest. Even breathing felt like a betrayal, and half of me had almost confessed to him in that car. I¡¯d wanted to tell him who I was and why bad things were happening to him.


    I had wanted to beg him to forgive me, to exin myself, but the better half of my judgment had left me a stranglehold.


    Forgive me? I¡¯d have been lucky if he didn¡¯t shoot me on sight with what I¡¯d done. I pressed my head against the front door, wishing I could just leave all of this behind and start over, to meet Tallon as a normal college student who was new to town, and as if he was just an ordinary guy sweeping me off my feet.


    But the blood running through my veins couldn¡¯t be erased.


    He and I were standing at pr ends of the earth, locked in a war neither of us had asked for. And I loved him.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± I bit my bottom lip as heat welled up in my eyes, and I struggled to hold back the tears as I slid down the door to the ground. I pulled my knees to my chest, kicking off my shoes in the process as I tried not to have a mental breakdown on the floor of my apartment.


    I didn¡¯t have long to pity myself though, for a familiar ringtone burst through my eardrums¨Cone I knew I couldn¡¯t ignore.


    ¡°Shit. Not now,¡± I groaned, fishing into my jeans pockets for my phone.


    I nced at the number on the screen, and to no surprise, it was an unknown number. I tapped my fingernails against the hard case for a second, debating whether I really wanted to deal with this right now.


    But my uncles were not patient men.


    I sniffed, brushing my tears away as I hardened myself like my mother taught me. Emotions made you weak, her father would tell her, and she passed that lesson on to me. Weakness could not be tolerated in a family like ours, not if you wanted to be safe and alive.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I answered with a low tone, hoping he didn¡¯t hear the slight tremble in my voice.


    ¡°Good job, Natalia,¡± my uncle said with an unusually pleasant note in his voice. ¡°We have dealt quite a great blow to the Valentinos, all thanks to you.¡±


    His words hit like salt pouring into an open wound. I struggled to keep my voice calm and steady, not to give away how much I wanted to scream and beg him to stop all of this madness.


    ¡°I¡¯m¨C¡± I swallowed, ufortable from the lies in my throat. ¡°I¡¯m d to have helped the family.¡±


    ¡°And help you have, plemyannitsa.¡± He purred the foreign word, and as a child, hearing him call me his niece, to recognize that I was his family and I belonged, would¡¯ve made me happier than anything.


    But now all I felt was bitter.


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else you need, Uncle, I¡¯m kinda tired.¡± I tried to excuse myself without drawing his attention, hopeful I could sleep this nightmare away but of course, things could never be that easy for me.


    ¡°That intel you got before was good, Natalia, but we need more. When are you seeing him next? I imagine he¡¯ll be preupied with the damage we caused, but you need to distract him and keep him off our trail. He¡¯ll have no doubt figured out there is a mole¨C¡±


    My breath hitched without warning. ¡°He knows? Does that mean he suspects me? Am I in danger? Is Mother safe?¡±


    He knew? Did that mean he suspected me?


    ¡°Calm yourself, Natalia!¡± my uncle scolded me for the outburst. ¡°Your mother is safe and so are you. He may be aware of a mole, but I doubt he¡¯ll have figured out it is you. That is where youe in.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± I muttered, terrified of what he was going to suggest next.


    ¡°Yes, you will nt the seeds of doubt in his head,¡± my uncle said.


    I could almost hear him grinning through the phone.


    ¡°Make him think his men are turning against him, that it is they not you who is working to bring him down. The sweet words from the lips of a woman should be enough to convince any man.¡±


    The very image painted in my mind of me whispering such horrible things into his ear, of turning his anger and rage upon the men he trusted while he unknowingly yed right into the hands of his enemy¨Call because of me.


    It sickened me to my core.


    I couldn¡¯t. No, I wouldn¡¯t do it.


    ¡°But Uncle... I¨C¡± I struggled to get the words out but finally, I took a deep breath and said clearly and firmly, ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    I winced at the dead silence that met my words, and despite the absolute fear I felt for going against my family¡¯s wishes, for disappointing them in this way, I couldn¡¯t destroy my own morals and my own soul for this.


    Not anymore.


    Or so I thought.


    ¡°What?¡±


    The harsh response was something I had been expecting, but the sheer fury hiding underneath still shook me to my core. I swallowed ufortably, folding my limbs together and hanging my head like he was here in front of me, staring me down with those horrible judging eyes.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore, Uncle. I¡¯m not cut out for this and I want¨C¡± I tried to reason with him, but I should¡¯ve known that reason was not within a single bone of that man¡¯s body.


    ¡°What you want?¡± he snarled through the phone. ¡°You selfish stupid girl! Did you think about what they have done to us, how they have killed our bloodline and hunted us down like animals? Your grandfather was ughtered like livestock because of them, and you want to show mercy now?¡±


    ¡°No, I know that, Uncle, but¨C¡±


    ¡°And your poor mother¨Cdid you think about what she has suffered? She would be ashamed to hear you throw her sacrifices away for your selfish desires? You finally have use to this family, to be more than a burden and help us regain our glory and restore our family name, and you throw it all away because you are weak?!¡±


    I kept silent, staring at the pattern on the floor as he cruelly berated me just like he had always done. Once he was finished, I felt numb down to my very core.


    Maybe he was right. I was being selfish.


    My mother... she deserved a better daughter than me.


    ¡°You will continue to see that asshole, Natalia,¡± my Uncle said very firmly, leaving no room for argument. ¡°And you will report new intel on me by the end of the week or you will regret it. Do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Uncle,¡± I responded nkly, my mouth agreeing without any sort of thought. It had been so ingrained in me at this point that it was all I could do. Fighting back and choosing my own path¨Cthey had never been real choices in the first ce.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    The call ended with a decisive click, leaving me alone in my empty and silent apartment. My mind whirled around in an endless loop, all circling back to one word.


    Grandfather.


    It was a foreign word to me, one that felt wrong to even say aloud. I only remembered meeting Dmitri Zaytsev once, but I still remembered it like it had been burned in the forefront of my brain.


    From the perspective of a little girl, he had been a tall, intimidating man, and I remembered his eyes, so full of hate and malice as he stared at me. I remember hiding behind my mother¡¯s long legs as she introduced me in English.


    He responded in that guttural harsh sound of pure Russian and he leered down at me and murmured my name in that low, immoral voice of his.


    ¡°Natalia.¡±


    That was the first andst time I saw him. After that, I heard from my cousins that he had been killed. My mother tried to keep it from me since I was so little, but it didn¡¯t help. They tried to scare me with gruesome descriptions of his death, each time changing the story.


    Calling Dmitri my grandfather wasughable at best and insulting at worst. He wasn¡¯t family. Even before his death, he had never been there. And once he died, all he left was a legacy of violence and revenge, a bloody legacy I wanted no part of.


    I didn¡¯t need revenge or riches or fancy mansions. I didn¡¯t want to kill anyone or take down everything that Tallon had spent his life and his family¡¯s lives building up. I just wanted to be a normal woman with a normal life who didn¡¯t have to worry about any of this.


    I wanted to go to school and learn everything I could. I wanted to travel to ces I¡¯d never seen or learned. I wanted to fall in love and marry someone in a beautiful wedding and live my own damn life.


    I wanted Tallon.


    I wanted his soft whispers as he held me in the early morning hours, as he murmured praises into the heat of my skin, the sweet way he held open every door for me and made sure to walk on the outside of the sidewalk so I was kept safe... his dorky smile as he made corny jokes, flirting in that dumb little way that only he could do.


    His twinkling eyes filled with mischief as we bantered back and forth like it was all some silly game. I wanted his kindness, his sweetness, and I wanted to love him, truly love him like our families never were at war.


    But it felt like my own blood was like shackles around my wrists and ankles. It was like someone had taken a needle and thread to my mouth, sewed me up, and controlled me like a puppet at their whim. I couldn¡¯t trust that what I was saying was actually me or just what I knew they wanted me to say.


    But there¡¯s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and I couldn¡¯t escape the mess I was born into. I¡¯d done something truly unforgivable to the man I imed to love, and even if I somehow ran to him for help, I doubted he would ept the ugly truth about me.


    I doubted he would forgive me.


    I wouldn¡¯t forgive me.

 Chapter 524 : Delivery

    <h4>Chapter 524: Chapter 524 : Delivery</h4>


    *Tallon*


    ¡°This is Natalia. Leave your name and number after the beep, and I¡¯ll get back to you.¡± A loud beep followed soon after, ringing out of my phone¡¯s speaker into the empty room.


    ¡°Natalia, call me back please,¡± I muttered into the speaker, probably too close to my mouth, but I didn¡¯t care at this point. ¡°I... there¡¯s something I have to tell you.¡±


    I ended the call, feeling the exact same way as I did yesterday when I left a voicemail on her phone... and the day before... and the day before.


    I heaved a sigh, nting my face straight onto the smooth wood of my desk and not even caring as it smooshed my features into the mahogany. Hunched over in an ufortable way, I didn¡¯t even have the energy to lift my goddamn face.


    How did everything go so wrong so quickly?


    The hit on the warehouses had been bad enough, but it didn¡¯t stop at just a few hits. With at least five of our men having been taken instead of killed, we were on high alert trying to find them. In the meantime, though, we were being attacked from all sides, and there wasn¡¯t a damn thing I could do about it.


    Attempts to track down the Russians and our kidnapped men all hit dead ends. They¡¯d usedmon and disposable weapons and old tricks that were virtually untraceable.


    All the old leads had been cut off since before Giovani left the position to me, and ording to everyone they formerly worked with, the Zaytsevs were ghosts.


    It was like trying to chase your own shadow on a cloudy day. I knew they were close, just one step behind us and lurking in the shadows, but I couldn¡¯t grasp any sign of them.


    And though we were being more careful now, it wasn¡¯t enough. I could see how angry and impatient my men had be, wanting revenge on the people who had killed so many of us in one fell swoop, not to mention that the idea of a mole had swept through the family.


    Paranoia had settled in. And as if the threat outside wasn¡¯t enough, now we had our own men turning on one another. We would destroy ourselves from the inside soon enough before the Russians even had a chance to get to us.


    And just to make it better, the woman I was in love with had been avoiding me.


    And I had no clue why.


    After the trip, she¡¯d been distant, and I expected that. After all the fuss I¡¯d made in rushing back here, I expected her to have questions and be a little upset, after all, but she wasn¡¯t. The first thing she did was assure me that she was okay when we talked.


    But after that, it was like she was keeping me at arm¡¯s length again. Every time I told her I wanted to see her or I suggested a date or just to visit, she kept pushing it off. She¡¯d answer me with, ¡°I have a project at school,¡± or, ¡°I¡¯m hanging out with my friends.¡±


    There was always something else going on. At first, I thought perhaps she was just busy, until she stopped epting my calls. She¡¯d text me still, but every call I made went straight to voicemail, not even ringing as if she kept purposefully denying the call.


    I wasn¡¯t going to lie. It stung, a lot.


    But I wasn¡¯t angry. I just wanted to know what I¡¯d done wrong. Why did she keep avoiding me when I thought everything between us was going so well? Or at least I thought it was.


    I sighed, running my hands through my hair again until it was unruly. I pulled a few mats on the way, not having cared about brushing it as muchtely. I¡¯d been so distracted with Natalia and the Russians and my men.


    It felt like everything was falling apart around me, and all I could do was sit here and watch.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I muttered to myself, mming my head against the desk and muttering a low, ¡°Ow,¡± from the pain. No doubt I¡¯d have a bruise in the morning but right then, I didn¡¯t care.


    Unfortunately for me, even though I only wanted to sulk in the darkness of my unlit study, life had other ns.


    The door to the study opened and I heard a loud, boisterous call of, ¡°Tallon!¡± before he cut himself off. I didn¡¯t move from my ce, but I did flinch when I heard the sound of the light switch, and the sudden brightness descended upon me.


    I hissed into the desk, curling my arms over my head like I could block out the light from my view.


    ¡°Jesus man,¡± Vinny eximed, the shock and disgust in his voice justified, probably. ¡°What the fuck happened to you?¡±


    I moaned incoherently into the desk, wishing he would go away and leave me to my scheduled moping.


    ¡°Seriously? Is he still doing this?¡±


    I perked up, ncing at the doorway in a whirlwind. There, leaning against the door stood my older brother, Alessandro, with a scowl on his face.


    ¡°Alessandro?¡± I asked, confused. ¡°When did you get back? I thought you went home to visit Mom and Dad?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± he scoffed, kicking off the door and grabbing the nearest leather chair, lounging in it like he owned the damn ce. ¡°But despite your best attempts to keep me from hearing what happened, I still have a loyal few who know when you¡¯re in over your head.¡±


    I red at Vinny, who only shrugged, taking the other chair.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to rush back here,¡± I sighed, scratching at my unshaven face. The hair growing there was patchy as it always was. ¡°I have everything under control.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± he said with apletely disbelieving look on his face as he nced at my unkempt clothes and unshaved patchy beard.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I tried to grin, absolutely in denial and I knew it.


    ¡°Sure.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Your ass is lucky I kept Dad froming down here. Mom and I had to stop him from flying here the second he heard the Zaytsevs were back. He says sorry, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡± I repeated, baffled.


    ¡°For, in his words, ¡®making you deal with the generational trauma of my mistakes that somehow just won¡¯t die.¡¯¡± Alessandro snorted, crossing his arms. ¡°At least he¡¯s aware of it. When I told Gio what happened, he said, and I quote, ¡°It¡¯s not my problem.¡± So don¡¯t expect any sage advice from that asshole. But he did send cookies.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t. If there was one thing I learned from taking over after Giovani, it was that the second he left Italy, he hadpletely turned to mush. All he did nowadays was take his wife on fancy vacations and show up to every single one of his son¡¯s events at school.


    You wouldn¡¯t think it of the six-foot Italian man, but after moving to Florida, he¡¯d be a stay-at-home dad, and he was fucking proud of it.


    I just sighed, rubbing my face to wake myself up as I turned to Vinny with an expectant look. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± I asked, seriously. ¡°Because I¡¯m about to jump out of the window.¡±


    ¡°That window?¡± Vinny raised an eye good-naturedly, pointing to the only window in the damn room. ¡°Please, you¡¯d barely break a bone. I suggest going up to the top if you really want to jump.¡±


    ¡°Vinny,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t,¡± Vinny responded with an irritated look. ¡°I don¡¯t know who keeps spreading the rumors of the mole either. I had to disconnect my phone because I kept getting false reports. Practically everyone in the family¡¯s been turned in for being the mole, and we don¡¯t even have any evidence there is one yet. I¡¯m particrly pissed at Benny, by the way. He turned me in. Me! The nerve of that jerk.¡±


    ¡°Vinny.¡± I snapped my fingers to get him back on topic.


    ¡°If there is a mole,¡± Alessandro said crossly, ¡°then it¡¯s not going to be anyone who¡¯s been with us for a while. I have a team looking into everyone and checking if there were any sudden new rtionships that developed.¡±


    He nced at me pointedly.


    I grit my teeth, clenching my fists on the table as I try not to explode at his usation.


    ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t mean Natalia.¡± I called him out, a bit more bite to my voice than I intended. ¡°Because I¡¯m not afraid to punch you again.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I mean your little girlfriend,¡± Alessandro said fearlessly, staring me straight in the eyes. ¡°Not only is she new, but her timing fits perfectly. Besides, Natalia is a Russian name, and she was the only one who reported a suspicious background.¡±


    ¡°We already vetted her! There was nothing suspicious in her report!¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Except for the fact that for fifteen years we haven¡¯t had a single problem, but the moment she shows up, we suddenly have a leak? It¡¯s too coincidental for me.¡± Alessandro said cooly.


    ¡°Shut up, Alessandro,¡± I growled. ¡°Don¡¯t bring her into this. She¡¯s not a spy. She would never¨C¡±


    ¡°You have no clue what she would or would not do,¡± Alessandro snapped back, the tension between us rising like a me. ¡°You just met her, what, a month ago. You just don¡¯t want to think about the possibility that she¡¯s using you!¡±


    ¡°You¨C¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, both of you,¡± Vinny interrupted with an irritated look. ¡°We do not need any more bickering between us, alright? Tallon, Alessandro has a point. It¡¯s worth looking into, and if nothinges of it, then you can rub it in his face, alright?¡±


    There was a tense moment of silence as Alessandro and I red at one another, neither willing to back down, but Vinny wasn¡¯t either. He stared us down until we both looked away, huffing as calmed down.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I bit out. ¡°But when shees out as clean, I expect an apology.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Alessandro shrugged. ¡°And if she doesn¡¯t, I reserve the right to say I told you so.¡±


    ¡°You basta¨C¡± I growled but before I could go any further as the sound of my ringtone split through the air. I jumped at the sudden intrusion, grabbing my phone in a hurry.


    Thinking it could be Natalia, my heart raced in response, a grin lifting the corners of my mouth before it quickly faded away.


    The name that stared back at me over the caller ID sent chills down my spine.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Silvo¨C¡± I swallowed, ncing up at Alessandro and Vinny. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he one of the ones kidnapped?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why?¡± Vinny asked, confused, until his phone began to ring as well, and soon after, Alessandro¡¯s tone rang out in disharmony. Three phones rang different tones and my face hardened as Vinny and Alessandro turned to stone.


    I answered the call, preparing myself for anything with a cold, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Privet, Don Tallon,¡± a low, heavily ented voice answered. ¡°I trust things are well with you?¡±


    ¡°Just peachy,¡± I shot back in a dark tone. ¡°And may I know who is calling?¡±


    ¡°Oh, just a delivery man.¡± The man chuckled. ¡°Speaking of¨Cding-dong, you have a present outside.¡±


    Before I could say another word, the click of the end call met my ears. I gripped the phone tightly in my ears, ncing at my brother and best friend as they too had their calls ended. We stared at one another with dark looks.


    This wasn¡¯t good.


    This was a direct challenge to us and I grabbed my gun from the desk, flicking off the safety as I got to my feet. Vinny and Alessandro did simr actions, none of us saying a word as prepared ourselves for whatever these bastards had done.


    We were ready to meet our enemies.

 Chapter 525 : A Horrible Surprise

    <h4>Chapter 525: Chapter 525 : A Horrible Surprise</h4>


    *Tallon*


    Walking downstairs with my brother and my second-inmand nking me, I felt powerful. I was ready to meet this threat head-on and finally take care of it once and for all.


    I heard Alessandro and Vinny both get their guns out and cock them, holding them just above my shoulders so that they could back me up no matter what happened out there. I chose to keep my gun holstered, my hands free. I wanted to show our enemies that I wasn¡¯t afraid; that my men had my back.


    Fuck all this mole nonsense. There must have been some other way that the Russians were getting their intel. I knew it wasn¡¯t Natalia¨Cshe would never betray me like that. And I was pretty sure it couldn¡¯t be any of my other men. At this point, we had examined every single one of them, and it just didn¡¯t make sense.


    I was done looking over my shoulder. I was done running. It was time to stand and fight for my family. The three of us got to the door and I took a deep breath as I put my hand on the knob, turning to look at both Vinny and Alessandro.


    They nodded at me solemnly, indicating they were ready for whatever we were about to face. I knew it wouldn¡¯t be pretty, but with the two of them backing me up, I was confident we could take down whatever enemy was standing out there.


    I had been prepared for a gunfight. I had been prepared for bullets to fly and blood to be spilled. I had been prepared toy down my life for my family.


    I had not been prepared to see bodies¨Cmy men, every single one that had been taken, unceremoniously dumped right on my frontwn. They had all been murdered. I stopped, it was toote to help them, and I couldn¡¯t let the sheer emotion of what I was seeing overtake me.


    That was the harshest reality of being a mafia Don; I couldn¡¯t afford to let myself grieve. My men looked to me for leadership, and I couldn¡¯t be a good leader if I fell apart. I swallowed and took a deep breath, taking a moment to look at each dead man¡¯s face, memorizing it, forcing myself to hold their names in my head. I didn¡¯t have time to grieve, but they would not be forgotten. I would never let myself forget them. And their deaths would be avenged tenfold¨Cthe Russians would forever regret the day they dumped bodies on mywn.


    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± Alessandro muttered behind me as he saw what I saw.


    Vinny looked like he was about to be sick, but he held it together. It wasn¡¯t the first time the three of us had been faced with dead bodies, and it wouldn¡¯t be thest.


    I turned to Vinny. ¡°Take care of this and make sure to notify their families. Tell them what happened. I don¡¯t want any rumors. I want everyone to know exactly who did this.¡± My voice was low with rage. ¡°Everyone needs to know exactly what the descendants of Dmitri Zaytsev have done to us. And tell them that we will be returning the favor and then some. This is an all-out fucking war.¡±


    Vinny nodded and pulled out his cell phone to begin directing his men.


    ¡°This is what happens when we don¡¯t stand united,¡± I told Alessandro. ¡°I¡¯m tired of worrying that my own brother is going to stab me in the back at any moment. I want you and your men to hurry up with your search for the mole, and I want you to know that I¡¯ll trust you, even if I don¡¯t like what you say. I was beginning to think that perhaps we were wrong and the Russians were gathering intel some other way, but now I don¡¯t want to leave any stone unturned. I trust you, Alessandro, but don¡¯t make me regret it.¡±


    Alessandro nodded, although I could see his jaw flex in anger at my words. I understood his frustration, but I had to be honest with him about my doubts. It wouldn¡¯t do us any good to bury what we were really thinking and feeling.


    ¡°I need to talk to Natalia,¡± I said, walking away so I could call her.


    Although I didn¡¯t expect her to pick up the phone, I was relieved when she did. Just knowing she was alive and safe helped to calm my swirling emotions.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she said, sounding sad.


    I wished I knew what had changed between us since our trip. I couldn¡¯t tell if she was upset because she knew I was hiding something from her or if there was another thing entirely that I just wasn¡¯t picking up on. Either way, I hated the fact that it felt like the bridge I had built between us on our trip had been burned to a crisp. I just wanted her to be able to trust me.


    ¡°Natalia, I¡¯m d you picked up. I need to see you. We have a few things to discuss.¡± I decided to get right down to business.


    ¡°No, Tallon. I¡¯m really busy today. I don¡¯t have time to meet up with you.¡±


    I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. I should have known she wouldn¡¯t make this easy. ¡°Please. It¡¯s extremely important. I cane to your apartment and I¡¯ll leave quickly. But I can¡¯t discuss it over the phone.¡±


    There was silence. I checked my phone to make sure she hadn¡¯t hung up on me, but sure enough, the call was still going. She just wasn¡¯t answering.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she finally said. ¡°Come over in an hour.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡± I hung up, not wanting to waste any more of her time in case she truly was busy and wasn¡¯t just avoiding me, although I suspected that her ims of busyness were totally fabricated.


    I had my driver take me to Natalia¡¯s apartment so that I could continue tomunicate with Vinny and Alessandro. Both of them kept me updated and I made sure to give them my guidance. Before I knew it, I was walking up to Natalia¡¯s door. I tried to clear my head to ensure that I could think through everything I needed to say to her. I wasn¡¯t going to tell her that I was a mafia Don, not yet, but I needed her to understand that she was in real danger if anyone found out that I cared about her. I decided to make up a lie that was as close to the truth as possible.


    She answered the door as I was thinking through my lie. She was as gorgeous as ever, and our time apart only made her even more beautiful to me. The weight of how much I had missed her hit my chest like a ton of bricks, and without thinking I reached out and gathered her against my chest, tucking her head under my chin. I breathed deeply, enjoying her perfume and the weight of her body against mine.


    ¡°I missed you,¡± I murmured before kissing the top of her head. ¡°Please don¡¯t avoid me anymore. I can¡¯t take it.¡± So much for trying to y it cool. When it came to Natalia, it was impossible for me to keep my feelings under wraps.


    She hesitantly wrapped her arms around my waist, meeting my embrace with one of her own. Finally, I felt her rx against me and take a deep breath.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get inside,¡± she said after another moment.


    I followed her into her cozy apartment. Although she had decorated the ce well, it was obvious that much of her furniture was secondhand. There were a few rips in the sofa. I itched to rece it all for her, but I knew that would be going too far. Someday I would give her the princess treatment that she deserved, but for now, I just had to wait.


    I settled on the couch, hoping that she would sit next to me so that I could hold her while we talked, but she sat in the armchair across from me instead. I tried to keep myself from frowning.


    ¡®It¡¯s good that I¡¯m even here at all,¡¯ I reminded myself.


    ¡°Okay, what is it that you need to tell me?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been having some serious trouble at work. I had to cut our trip short because of it, as you already know,¡± I started out, waiting to see her reaction to my mention of the trip being cut short. She kept her face nk.


    ¡°There are some seriously bad guys trying to get some information about mypany. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re going to do with it, but I have to tell you that they¡¯ve actually hurt some of my employees in their efforts to get it.¡± I didn¡¯t mention that by ¡°hurt¡± I actually meant ¡°killed.¡± Hopefully, she would understand the level of danger without me spelling it out for her.


    Her face paled, and it was obvious that she was taking what I said seriously.


    ¡°How hurt?¡± she asked quietly, concern in her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s really bad. I can¡¯t give many details for their privacy, but let¡¯s just say that I am concerned that this could be a matter of life and death. I¡¯m telling you because I¡¯m worried about what might happen if they were to realize that I¨Ccare about you,¡± I stopped myself just before saying that I loved her. I refused to let those be the circumstances under which I told her that for the first time.


    She stared off into space and refused to meet my eyes. I worried that she was going into shock, but after a moment, she looked at me quickly and said, ¡°Okay, I understand. But I have an early ss tomorrow, so I really need you to leave.¡±


    My heart felt like it was breaking. It was more than obvious that she didn¡¯t want me around. I had no idea what had gone wrong between us, but I was desperate to fix it.


    ¡°Natalia, I¨Cdid I do something wrong?¡± I asked her, wanting to get up and pull her into my arms, but forcing myself to stay seated.


    ¡°No, Tallon. I just really need to focus on my studies right now,¡± she said vaguely.


    I nodded to myself, wondering if this would be thest time she let mee over.


    ¡°Alright, well, I¡¯ll call you tomorrow,¡± I said, standing up so that I could kiss her goodbye.


    She stayed in her chair, so I leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.


    ¡°Be safe, okay?¡± I asked her.


    She nodded slightly but still refused to meet my eyes. I let myself out of her apartment and walked to the car that was waiting for me. I wished I knew what I had done wrong.


    I just couldn¡¯t figure out why she was acting so strangely.

 Chapter 526 : A Terrible Call

    <h4>Chapter 526: Chapter 526 : A Terrible Call</h4>


    *Natalia*


    I was stunned. I couldn¡¯t even get up from the chair I was sitting in after Tallon left. I knew he wanted more from me, but I had nothing left to give. I couldn¡¯t even pretend to be there for him, not when my own emotions were spiraling out of control. And the entire time he was with me, I had been terrified that the second I opened my mouth, I was going to confess everything to him. Just an hour ago, my uncle had called and warned me that they would be leaving a horrific gift on Tallon¡¯swn.


    ¡°Your little boyfriend won¡¯t like what we¡¯re about to do,¡± my uncle had said ominously when I answered his call.


    ¡°What are you about to do?¡± I asked, terror rising in my throat and threatening to cut off my airway in a full-blown panic attack.


    ¡°Remember the men we took while you were on your holiday?¡± He paused, waiting for me to answer as though I could have possibly forgotten.


    ¡°Yes, I remember,¡± I said, trying to force my emotions away so he wouldn¡¯t sense how much this conversation was scaring me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say they are no longer with us, and your little boyfriend is about to find them in a rather... unpleasant way.¡±


    ¡°What?! What are you talking about?¡± I demanded. ¡°You never told me that you were going to kill people!¡± I knew my voice was rising too much, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I hadn¡¯t agreed to take part in murder, and that¡¯s what this was¨Cmurder. My uncles could pretend all they wanted, but there was no justifiable reason for why Tallon¡¯s men should have been killed.


    ¡°We do not tell you everything for a reason, mishka.¡± His voice had softened in a way I rarely heard from him. ¡°You must have usible deniability in case you are found out. Those brutes would do anything to get information on us.¡±


    My horror only increased as I realized what he was saying. They kept things from me so that Tallon¡¯s men couldn¡¯t torture me for information. I couldn¡¯t imagine Tallon ever doing such a thing. My family? Yes, I could see them torturing a young woman for information. I could even see them torturing me if they thought they had a good enough reason, but Tallon? Never. He would never hurt a young woman, and he especially would never hurt me.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± I said bravely. ¡°Tallon wouldn¡¯t let his men hurt me. Even if...¡± I trailed off, unwilling to even voice the fact that he might discover what I had done. ¡°Even if he did find out.¡±


    ¡°I would not trust him so easily. I know you think we are too brutal, but you were not there fifteen years ago. You did not see what they did to us, to our family. You must understand that the man you see has a dark side, far darker than you could imagine. Everything we have done, he has done to us ten-fold.¡±


    I didn¡¯t believe my uncle at all, but his words did give me pause. Maybe the only reason I was so trusting of Tallon was because I was fooling myself into believing that the side he showed me was all he had to him. I knew that he hid his mafia ties from me, so why was I so willing to believe that he wasn¡¯t hiding anything else? Was it possible that he had a dangerous side that I couldn¡¯t even imagine?


    I decided to try to press my uncle for why they wanted to kill Tallon¡¯s men.


    ¡°But why, dyadya?¡± I asked him, trying to win his favor by referring to him in Russian. ¡°I thought you were just focused on gathering information. Why would you kill these men?¡±


    ¡°It is unimportant. Just know that they needed to die. It is all for a greater good, one that serves our family, and that is all you need to worry about.¡± He so easily dismissed the human lives that he had taken, it was unbelievable to me. I had known that my uncles were a cold bunch, but I had no idea just how cold until this moment.


    ¡°But surely we cannot kill others only for the sake of benefitting our family. Surely that crosses a line. Are we really willing to stoop so low?¡± I asked, knowing I needed to tread very carefully with my words.


    ¡°We are willing to do whatever it takes for our family. Don¡¯t you care about your mother? Don¡¯t you care about our family name? I cannot believe I am hearing such nonsense from you as this. Believe me when I say this. Your precious Tallon would not hesitate to do the exact same thing if he had the opportunity. The only reason why he has not killed any of us yet is because he cannot find us. You are an idiot if you think that he has a heart of gold.¡±


    But that was the issue; I didn¡¯t think I was an idiot at all for what I thought. Tallon had shown me that he was kind-hearted again and again. I couldn¡¯t risk arguing any further, though, or else my uncle would truly begin to suspect that I was no longer working for my family, and I had enough sense to know that that would put me in danger.


    ¡°Okay. He will be here soon, so I need to go.¡±


    My uncle told me to be ready for Tallon¡¯s reaction, whatever it might be, then hung up after harshly warning me that I had to follow through with my family¡¯s n because it was toote to go back.


    Not long after my uncle hung up, Tallon knocked on my door. I could never have prepared for the panic and heartbreak that I¡¯d witnessed in his face, even though he¡¯d bravely tried to shield me from the brunt of his emotions. The fact that he¡¯de here specifically to check on me and make sure I would keep myself safe only made it all worse.


    My guilt was all-consuming. I deserved to burn in hell for the part I¡¯d yed in the deaths of Tallon¡¯s men. It didn¡¯t matter what my uncle said. Any man who was this torn up over the deaths of his subordinates couldn¡¯t possibly be a bad man, and I couldn¡¯t bear to keep deceiving him.


    Growing up, I knew that my family killed people sometimes, but I also knew that some of my family had been killed. It had felt more hypothetical than real, and even though I didn¡¯t like hearing about it, I never really thought of it as a concrete fact.


    Now for the first time, I was faced with the repercussions of death, and I was finding that it clung to everyone like cigarette smoke. My uncles, me, hell, even Tallon¨Call of us were stained by the deaths of these men. None of us would ever be the same, no matter how much my family tried to downy these deaths.


    It was sickening.


    Finally, I stood up and began to pace my small living room. Surely there was something I could do. Should I call my mother? I pulled my phone out and stared at the screen¨Cmy background was a photo of the bouquet that Tallon had brought me on our first date. No, calling my mat would only make things worse. If she knew what was happening, she would insist that Ie home to safety.


    I wondered how much my uncles had told her about what they were doing. There was no way she knew the extent of their actions; I didn¡¯t think she would get me involved if she knew that people would be killed. Then again, she did desperately wish to return to the wealth she¡¯d grown up with. How far would she go to get that back? Would she put me at risk? I had to admit that I wasn¡¯t sure.


    If I couldn¡¯t trust my own mother, what reason did I have to even stay with my family? It was time to admit to myself that I wanted to get out of this. I didn¡¯t want to be a part of the evil that my family had be.


    I had to stop this somehow. But how could I get out? I would have to get help from someone, and the only one who could offer me protection was the one whom I least wanted to ask for help.


    If I asked Tallon for help, I would have to confess to everything.


    I stared at my phone for a moment longer, wondering if I should call Tallon and just tell him everything that had happened. If I threw myself at his mercy and begged forgiveness, maybe he would help me leave my family. Surely he couldn¡¯t hold it against me? I had practically been forced into tricking him. I allowed myself to imagine how that conversation would go, but I knew it would be horrible. Tears began to fill my eyes as I imagined what Tallon would say.


    ¡°You fucking bitch¨Ctheir deaths are on your hands! How dare you do this to me? To us? I thought I loved you!¡± I could hear the words in my head just as well as if he had spoken them. No, the time for exining everything to him hade and gone.


    It was obvious that he had fallen in love with me. If I wanted his forgiveness, I should have confessed everything on our very first date. Instead, I had kept it from him and chosen to put him and his family at risk. Even worse, he would know that I had continued to feed information to my uncles long after we had gotten serious. I bit my knuckle and tried to stop my tears, but they continued to fall.


    My phone buzzed while I was holding it, making me jump. Tallon had texted me. I didn¡¯t even want to open it, I knew it would only make me cry harder as guilt consumed me. I forced myself to read it anyway, telling myself that I deserved this as my punishment. I should feel guilty. I had caused the deaths of innocent people.


    It was all my fault.


    Tallon¡¯s text simply said, ¡°I hope everything is okay. I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. Please stay safe and call me when you can.¡±


    The fact that he worked so hard to keep from controlling me made it all the worse. He was so kind and patient; he had figured out from the beginning that I was nervous to get too close too quickly and he had always respected that. He didn¡¯t know that it was because of my ulterior motives with my family.


    I had known for a while, but our trip made it especially obvious that he was incredibly special. He wasn¡¯t the kind of man who was easy to find and it broke my heart that I would eventually lose him. I couldn¡¯t imagine ever finding someone better than him. Hell, I couldn¡¯t imagine ever even finding someone close to being as good as him.


    I fell asleep crying.

 Chapter 527 : Secrets Revealed

    <h4>Chapter 527: Chapter 527 : Secrets Revealed</h4>


    *Alessandro*


    For the first time in many days, I had managed to slip away unnoticed. Considering the increased security that Tallon had been insisting on for everyone, this was a huge task in and of itself. It annoyed me to have to jump through hoops just to have a moment to myself, but I understood his fear.


    After finding those bodies on ourwn, I was a bit fearful myself. The Russians were escting their boldness, and it would only result in greater horrors for everyone. Of course, other than my second inmand, nobody knew that I had been approached by the Russians. Although I hadn¡¯t yet agreed to work with them, I also hadn¡¯t given them a firm no. I was lying in wait to see what would work best for me.


    I took a sip of bitter coffee and tried to hide my grimace as the hot liquid hit my tongue. In an effort to avoid being seen, I¡¯d been forced to go to a small cafe that I hadn¡¯t been to before, and I was regretting it. I had no idea how they¡¯d managed to create such horrible coffee, but it was easily the worst I¡¯d ever had. To top it off, they seemed intent on serving only the most pungent of foods. The heavy scent of garlic and onion might have been appetizing if it was not mingled with the smell of burnt coffee, but as it was, I was struggling. I could admit that I had lived quite a luxurious life, and I often found myself unable to deal with mediocre ces such as this, even when it was necessary for business.


    I forced myself to take another sip, trying to look casual, when finally the man I was supposed to have met twenty minutes ago approached me from the side. I turned my body so that I was prepared to move quickly if needed; he might have arranged this meeting, but I still didn¡¯t trust him whatsoever.


    He sat down at the table next to mine, facing me in a way that would keep passersby from being able to see that we were speaking to each other. Although we were far from thepound and it was unlikely that my family or Tallon¡¯s men would wander by, I appreciated his discretion.


    ¡°Have you seen enough to want to work with us?¡± the man asked, his Russian ent light. He must be a younger member of the family, I thought, one who had spent the majority of his time in the United States.


    ¡°I prefer a little more discretion and subtlety in my work, but you Russians do have balls, and I can respect that,¡± I told him honestly.


    I had been disgusted to see our men dumped so unceremoniously, but I had to admit that it was a big statement for them to make. They were not fucking around, and they were willing to do anything it took to make us understand that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass along your admiration,¡± he said, a slight tone of sarcasm in his voice. ¡°Do you have an answer for me yet?¡±


    I took another sip of the horrid coffee, mostly buying time as I considered what to say. I was unwilling to express my allegiance to the Russians just yet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch,¡± I said, then I stood up.


    He looked as though he wanted to say something more, but I decided to exit quickly before he had the chance. It was obvious that the Russians were desperate to get me on their side and would say damn near anything if it would convince me, but I had seen and heard enough.


    I walked down the cobbled street, the uneven bricks scuffing up my leather shoes as I walked. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care enough to tread carefully as I thought about my life and my past.


    It wasn¡¯t surprising that the Russians had connected with me. I had always been overlooked in life. Although James and Ba had worked hard to always make me feel like one of their own and I knew that they had fought through hell and back to keep my insane father¡¯s family from getting their hands on me, I had always felt like they were closer with Tallon and Dahlia than they ever were with me.


    It was difficult not to take even the smallest of slights personally, especially as Tallon got older and it became clearer, at least to me, that he was being groomed to take over a leadership position in the family that I had never even been considered for.


    The icing on the cake had been when Giovani decided to recognize Tallon as the Don instead of me. It had been such a p in the face to see my younger brother receive something that technically should have belonged to me, and it felt like one more reminder that I would never be recognized as James¡¯s true adoptive son, but instead as his grandson with the tragic backstory.


    Now that we were dealing with the Russians again, it was bringing up so many memories of thest time we had dealt with them, and I couldn¡¯t help but reminisce over how much I had done for my family and how little Tallon had been involved in. Sure, he was older now, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that he would always be that goofy kid in my eyes.


    I just didn¡¯t understand how that goofy kid had managed to fall into one of the most powerful positions in the entire country. Everybody knew that I wanted to be the Don. Everybody had seen how hard I had worked to prove myself again and again.


    But I couldn¡¯t ever seem to shake off the tragedy that they associated with me. Instead of viewing me as thepetent and cunning leader that I was, they saw me as poor little Alessandro, the orphan with too many secrets.


    Fuck, I needed a drink.


    I was so fucking sick and tired of wallowing in my own self-pity. I saw an Irish pub at the end of the block and decided to make that my next stop. It would be nice to down a few whiskeys before heading back. After all, I had gone to all the trouble of slipping out unseen, I might as well enjoy myself a bit.


    I stepped into the pub and found that it was a much better match for my mood than the shitty cafe that the Russian had suggested. The windows were covered with dark blinds that filtered out the sunlight, and it seemed that at least half of the lightbulbs in the ce were out. I wondered briefly if they would ever get around to recing them or if they preferred the way it left the whole pub in a permanent state of semi-darkness.


    I made my way to the oak bar and sat down next to an elderly man who looked like he had spent the past half-century drinking himself to death. I tried my best not to look at him directly as I ordered myself a whiskey neat; I wanted to be able to tell myself that I would never be like that, but the fact that I was ordering room-temperature whiskey at two in the afternoon probably didn¡¯t bode well.


    The bartender sat my drink in front of me with a paper napkin and I stared into the amber liquid, willing it to brighten the ck mood that I¡¯d found myself in. No matter how hard I tried, I was never going to be able to stop resenting Tallon for the life that he had. While I had been forced to go through damn near every bad thing that a person could experience from the time I was barely a year old, he¡¯d had his entire life handed to him.


    I raised my ss and took a long swig, relishing the burn as it went down. I could feel the tension in my body loosening slightly as the whiskey did its magic. I took another long drink, downing the rest of the ss. I sat it down and gestured to the bartender to bring me another.


    Before he arrived with my second drink, my phone went off. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw that it was a contact I¡¯d been working with to gather intel. For a second, I considered just letting the call go to voicemail so I could continue to drown myself in whiskey, but I knew that would just make me feel worse.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I answered the call quietly.


    The elderly man next to me shot me a dirty look, as though I had screamed into the phone. I turned my back on him. He might be pissed that I was interrupting his precious afternoon drink, but I wasn¡¯t about to leave the pub and risk having this conversation out in the open.


    ¡°I got that information that you were wanting. It was hard to find, but we ran a deeper check and did a little backdoor digging. I can¡¯t get into it much on the phone, but suffice it to say, we know exactly where she came from.¡±


    My stomach flipped and I forced myself to focus in spite of the slight alcohol haze that my brain had slipped into. This could change everything, and I needed to be extremely attentive to what he was about to tell me.


    ¡°Alright, give it to me,¡± I said, I was as focused as a tightrope walker.


    ¡°Like you suspected, Natalia is Russian.¡±


    I mmed my hand against the bar. ¡°I fucking knew it!¡± I practically yelled.


    The bartender and my elderly neighbor both red at me.


    ¡°Sorry, just got good news,¡± I muttered to them.


    ¡°Yeah, apparently the Natalia that your brother knows didn¡¯t even exist three years ago. Her real name is Natalia, but her backstory ispletely made up. She¡¯s not at all who she said she was.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit.¡± I felt tingles on the back of my neck as I realized how close my brother could havee to death. He had been alone with this woman many times, and none of us had truly thought she was dangerous.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. We were able to find her real identity, and this is where it gets crazy. Natalia is Dmitri Zaytsev¡¯s granddaughter.¡±


    My mouth dropped open. I had thought that perhaps Natalia had loose ties to the Zaytsevs, that she might be a cousin or something. I had never suspected that she could be the granddaughter of our biggest nemesis. This was so much worse than I had even begun to consider.


    Natalia wasn¡¯t just our mole.


    She could be our biggest enemy.


    ¡°I have to talk to my brother,¡± I said, then I hung up.


    I sat for a moment, thinking about what I had just learned and wondering how to best use it for my benefit. I decided that there was only one course of action I could take.


    Unfortunately, Tallon wasn¡¯t going to like it.

 Chapter 528 : The Bitter Truth

    <h4>Chapter 528: Chapter 528 : The Bitter Truth</h4>


    *Tallon*


    My nerves were still coiling the second Natalia ended our call. The beating of my heart stammered and crashed against my ribcage like it was trying to escape.


    Hearing her broken voice through the speaker of my phone, left my palms sweating and a deep ache in my chest. What could possibly have happened that caused her to nearly break out, sobbing over the phone?


    I snatched my phone off of my desk and headed straight for the car without giving it another thought. Out of pure habit, I packed my gun into my back holster and struggled not to think for the worse.


    The sound of my heavy footsteps echoed madly throughout the house. I called one of the guards near the front doors to bring the car around. I wasn¡¯t going to waste another moment. I needed to get to her. I needed to pull her into my arms, to feel her warmth and ease her stress.


    Amongst the anxious feeling swelling between my lungs, I somehow felt a strain of pride rushing through me. Even though I loathed the sound of her crying, I felt honored that she chose to call me in the first ce. She purposely chose to reach out to me.


    And here I¡¯d thought she wanted nothing more to do with me. In between those soft, shattered whimpers was a flicker of hope. Part of me wanted to tell her the truth about who I was, who my family was, and what I ¡®really¡¯ did for work. But God only knew what would have be of the conversation then.


    There was no way in hell I could have possibly dumped that on her after all that¡¯s been going on. Everything would end between us for sure.


    And who could me her if she were to end our rtionship and turn me away?


    Even though I knew it would crush me to no end, I couldn¡¯t allow any harm toe to her.


    ¡°I love her,¡± I thought undeniably.


    It sounded so simple, but it was quite the contrary.


    Natalia became one of the many things that consumed my thoughts. She was my first thought in the morning and thest thought at night.


    Alessandro had no right to use Natalia of being involved in the mad shit that had been happening. For Christ¡¯s sake, she was just a college student from California who was just trying to get through her semester sses.


    Why the fuck would she have anything to do with the Zaytsevs?


    Lately, life had been nothing but aplete shit show, yet having Natalia in the back of my mind always made the darkest times seem a little bit brighter. As delusional as it sounded, I didn¡¯t care.


    But it sounded no more insane than him and Vinny practically using her of working with the goddamn Russians.


    Oh, yeah. I was fully intending to collect on my brother¡¯s apology when the time came.


    I quickly slid into the backseat of the vehicle and instructed my driver to hit the gas pedal with no intention of slowing down. The other cars on the road were wise to stay out of our way.


    About halfway there, I heard my phone begin to buzz. My blood curdled with the thought of it being Natalia again. Her first call was enough to send chills down my spine in the worst way imaginable. And if this was her trying to call again, then I¡¯d know that something was horribly wrong.


    Yet when I finally nced down at my phone screen, it was my brother¡¯s name that appeared. I didn¡¯t know whether to be relieved or worried.


    Ourst conversation hadn¡¯t exactly ended on a high note. The moment he suggested Natalia¡¯s potential involvement with everything that¡¯s happened, feelings between us had been strained. Then again, these past few weeks had been hard on everyone.


    Vinny was still in the process of reaching out to the respective families of those who¡¯d lost their lives¨Cunder my leadership.


    I knew I would never forget that ungodly sight when Vinny opened the door of the house to a frontwn filled with lifeless bodies. Those lives would forever hang over my shoulder until the score was made even. We may not have known who the mole was, but we knew enough that the Russians were the cause of everything.


    I was convinced that he was calling to inform me about Natalia being a dead-end. I was ready to hear the exasperated, sullen tone in his voice when he¡¯d tell me that he was wrong all along for suspecting her.


    I hit the ¡®answer¡¯ button on my screen and held the phone up to my ear. My mouth twisted into a knowing smirk.


    ¡°So, are you ready to ept that I was right about Natalia?¡±


    That irritated tone I was fully anticipating to hear from Alessandro was nowhere to be found. In fact, the guy sounded far too chipper for my liking.


    ¡°Oh, little brother... You could not be any further into a rut had you dug the fucking hole yourself,¡± Alessandro slithered.


    My heart mmed inside of my chest as I proceeded to ce my brother on speakerphone.


    ¡°The fuck are you talking about?¡± I hissed.


    I didn¡¯t need to see my brother to know that he was wearing his infamous shit-eating ¡®I told you so¡¯ smirk on his face.


    ¡°I finally got around to checking out that little girlfriend of yours.¡±


    My blood was on the verge of boiling from the sharp, unforgiving tone in his voice. A long moment of silence passed between us before he spoke again. Now was not the time for someone to y on my nerves.


    ¡°And?¡± I growled.


    ¡°And it turns out that your ¡®precious¡¯ Natalia is not who she says she is.¡±


    I felt my stomach twist into knots. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°Oh, believe me, Tallon,¡± my brother sighed through the phone. ¡°You have no idea how badly I wished I was wrong about her.¡±


    Oh God. No. No, I didn¡¯t want to ask. I didn¡¯t want to know what Alessandro had discovered.


    The ache in my chest grew worse with every passing second that I wasted not asking the million-dor question.


    ¡°What¨C¡± I cleared my throat the best I could. ¡°What did you find?¡±


    ¡°Based on my sources, you Natalia did not exist anywhere before three years ago,¡± his brother said.


    My brows pulled together in pure confusion. ¡°The fuck do you mean she didn¡¯t exist until just three years ago?!¡±


    It didn¡¯t make sense. How could someone just magically appear out of nowhere without any sort of record or background? Alessandro was quick to fill in the nks that my mind so desperately needed.


    ¡°Well, before I go any further I have to ask... are you sitting down?¡±


    I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling of the car and snarled venomously under my breath.


    ¡°Stop dicking me around and just tell me what the fuck you found!¡± I shouted. ¡°Who is she?!¡±


    Another long pause went by.


    My nerves couldn¡¯t take the suspense. I was about a second away from reaching through the phone and throttling my brother with my bare hands.


    ¡°Natalia¡¯s real name is Natalia Zaytsev....¡±


    My voice sounded too far away as I struggled to process the words that had juste through the speaker of my phone.


    ¡°She¡¯s the granddaughter of Dmitri Zaytsev.¡±


    And that, right there, was the final bullet that struck me in the chest, the final nail to be hammered into my self-made coffin.


    A Zaytsev... a motherfucking Zaytsev.


    Not only was the love of my life a goddamn Russian, but she just so happened to be a direct blood rtive of the biggest enemy the Valentinos had ever fought against. The number of people my family and friends had lost because of that Russian snake was a list that was practically endless.


    The whole family was heartless, a bloodthirsty group of conniving rats that had proven impossible to get rid of. That¡¯s why my mind simply could not wrap around the truth that Natalia was one of them.


    Unfortunately, there were too many factors stacking against her the more I began to consider it all.


    Each and every time there was a raid or some kind of attack, Natalia was with me. I thought back to our trip to Positano. We were away from home, and that was when one of the biggest attacks took ce.


    ¡°She was the one who¡¯s been telling them of my whereabouts,¡± I thought nkly to myself. ¡°That¡¯s how they¡¯ve been keeping one step ahead of us this whole time.¡±


    Yes, well, that time was about to end.


    The ache in my chest started to beced with a burning sensation of pure, unbridled anger. The idea of marching up to her apartment and crashing her door down was far too appealing to ignore.


    I wanted answers.


    I deserved an exnation for how she could live, knowing that so many people had lost their lives because of her family.


    Was it worth using me? Were all the lifeless bodies that lined my property worth it?


    ¡°Tallon.¡±


    Alessandro¡¯s voice broke my excessive train of thought. For a quick second, I had forgotten that we were still on the phone.


    ¡°Where are you now?¡± he asked.


    A dangerous smirk curled my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m actually outside of my ex-girlfriend¡¯s apartment right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit. Tallon,¡± my brother hissed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯m going to say this but... don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    Of course, I didn¡¯t have it in me to physically hurt a woman... enemy or traitor, regardless. But that still didn¡¯t mean that I wasn¡¯t going to storm up there and shake her for answers.


    My voice grew calm, too calm to be considered normal given the circumstance. Alessandro had only witnessed me using such a tone a small handful of times to know that the results were never pretty.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything besides talk to her,¡± I exined.


    ¡°Tallon, I think it would be a wise choice to simplye back to the house and think of our next course of action,¡± he suggested.


    The corner of my mouth pulled back into a tight sneer. My anger continued to eat at me.


    ¡°Since when did you be the fucking voice of reason?¡± I snapped back. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who would march into the ce with a gun in each hand and kill anyone who gets in your way?¡±


    My seething words taunted my poisonous feelings even further. My hands curled into such tight fists that my knuckles were turning white.


    ¡°You¡¯re not thinking clearly. Come home and give yourself a break¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking for the sake of everyone whose life was stolen because of her and her involvement,¡± I growled into the phone.


    Without so much as another word of reasoning, I ended the call and climbed out of the car. I easily adjust my clothing and leisurely make my way into the apartment building.


    I got to her floor and I reached her door in record time. The back of my hand knocked heavily against the door. I could hear her moving on the other side.


    Suddenly, the door swung open and I was standing face to face with a very distraught-looking Natalia. Her eyes were puffy, and she looked as though she¡¯d been crying for the past thirty minutes.


    ¡°Tallon,¡± she said weakly.


    I hated that my first initial instinct was to reach out and pull her into my embrace. But I managed to hold my ground.


    ¡°I can hardly imagine what¡¯s left you in tears when it¡¯s my family who have been ughtered by you Russian parasites,¡± I grated through my teeth.


    Natalia visually froze in front of me, and I was fairly certain that I¡¯d made her heart stop beating.

 Chapter 529 : Broken Hearts

    <h4>Chapter 529: Chapter 529 : Broken Hearts</h4>


    *Natalia*


    I felt my heart sink in my chest the second I heard Tallon speak.


    I had originally opened my apartment door with the expectation of him rushing in to wrap his arms around me. After all, he was the one who knew how tofort me when I needed it most. He was the one who made me feel safe.


    But it was clear as day that ¡®that¡¯ version of Tallon was long gone.


    Instead, I was left frozen to stare at apletely different side of him. This was the side of him that I was taught to hate¨Cto fear. The Italian mafia Don, whose family had dissolved my own, was the man who was standing in front of me now. I should have always held more hatred and anger toward him like I was expected to. But, deep down, I didn¡¯t.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    Somehow in the ongoing turbulence that was our rtionship, I¡¯d fallen for him. Every nce he¡¯d stolen when he thought I wasn¡¯t looking, to every glorious touch he¡¯d ced on my body¨CI loved him.


    His very voice had seeped under my skin and made mee to life. It was as though he already knew about the worries and fears that I carried and was able to brush them away with a simple caress of his hand.


    Now he was looking at me as if I was no better than the dirt on his shoe. It made my insides curl and twist in shame. If looks could kill, Tallon would have had me nailed to the wall.


    His eyes were filled with a mixture of fire and pain.


    I don¡¯t know how he¡¯d found out about me. But it was going to take a serious miracle for me to get him to hear me out.


    ¡°Tallon,¡± I said softly.


    He held up his hand in warning. I held my breath and waited for him to speak.


    ¡°Think very carefully before you start talking,¡± he snarled. ¡°I am not in the mood to stand here and listen to any more of your lies.¡±


    An awful shiver raced up my spine. I quietly lowered my head in shame.


    He was right. For weeks it had been nothing but secrecy and deception. What was stopping him from throttling me or walking away, at the very least?


    He had no reason to hear me out. But, God, I was praying that he would.


    He folded his arms across his chest and grimaced. I took it as a clear sign that he was somewhat willing to hear me out as he pushed past me to stand in the middle of my apartment.


    My eyes became glossy with tears as my throat grew dry. I was begging myself to keep it together before my nerves would get the better of me.


    ¡°Please,¡± I rasped. ¡°T-Tallon... I can exin.¡±


    He scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can. The question is, do I give you the opportunity to try?¡±


    ¡°I never wanted to hurt you¡ª¡±


    Tallon barked out a venomousugh. ¡°Oh, It¡¯s far toote for that, ¡®sweetheart.¡¯ You gutted out my fucking heart with a dull knife and proceeded to stomp on it just like you were told to do.¡±


    I frantically shook my head and felt the tears streaming down my face. ¡°No. I mean it. I never wanted to hurt you or even be involved with you, okay?¡±


    He stood as still as stone where more of his anger was reced with sadness. It felt like seeing a child have their favorite toy taken away. My stomach flipped several times.


    ¡°Okay, yes. I admit it. I purposely nted myself in your line of sight so that you would notice me. I was to be your distraction while the Zaytsevs plotted their attacks. Please believe me when I tell you that I am not close with anyone on that side of my family,¡± I exined.


    Tallon narrowed his on me with heavy skepticism.


    ¡°My cousins, the men I have no rtionship with, are using me. They¡¯ve always used me in order to get to you.¡± I shook my head and shrugged. ¡°Truthfully, I¡¯m just as much of a disappointment to them because I never embraced my roots. They think that my mother and I turned our backs on the family when we moved to America.¡±


    I kept my movements slow and cautious, knowing that he was eyeing me like a hawk. My knees felt weak from holding my body up. I was desperate for any support I could get. I carefully leaned against the wall and lowered my gaze to the floor.


    ¡°Being that it was just my mother and me, life wasn¡¯t easy. Money was always tight, and I wanted to find a way to make things easier for us,¡± I told him weakly. ¡°I knew faintly of the ongoing war between the Valentino family and the Zaytsevs. But my mom never wanted us to get involved. I didn¡¯t know Dmitri or a majority of my other so-called rtives. I met the man once as a child and knew from the sheer look in his eyes that he was a malicious man.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m what they call a ¡®polukrovka,¡± a half-blood. Because in their eyes, I am not a full-blooded Russian who is ready and willing to sacrifice my life for the sake of a family I¡¯m not close to. To them, I am weak. I¡¯m not someone who wanted any part in their revenge scheme to get back at the Valentinos.¡±


    Part of me didn¡¯t know why I was bothering to defend myself. I knew that, deep down, I was just as guilty as the men who pulled the triggers during the raids. Although I may not have been present while it was all happening, I was still the rat that gave them the green g to go ahead.


    ¡°And you want to know something? They¡¯re right. I am weak,¡± I sniffled. ¡°I never wanted to be involved in the horrible n to take down your family.¡±


    Tallon pulled back his lips and sneered. His heated gaze was enough to burn me where I stood. He eyed me from head to toe as if he were looking for potential cracks in my exterior. Little did he believe that I was wearing my true face at the moment.


    His words felt like daggers when he spoke. ¡°You¡¯re the reason that over a dozen of my men are dead. Innocent families who did nothing wrong were attacked and ughtered, all because you told them where I was.¡±


    I bit my lip and bared through the gruesome feelings of guilt and shame.


    ¡°I know,¡± I cried. ¡°And I can¡¯t tell you how awful I feel, knowing that people are dead because of me.¡±


    ¡°And why the fuck should I believe a word of what you¡¯re telling me?¡± he fired back.


    My heart sank into my stomach. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t ept my exnation. He had no reason to. Our whole rtionship was built on lies and secrets. And I hadn¡¯t been forting with information about my own family to him.


    ¡°Because I have no intention of helping my uncle and the rest of the Zaytsevs anymore. Because I would rather run the risk of turning my back on them to try and make things right between us. I love you, Tallon.¡±


    My vision blurred over with fresh tears that I couldn¡¯t stop from trailing down my cheeks. Even though I had a difficult time seeing him, I knew that he was still staring at me.


    ¡°When I called you earlier, I knew I sounded panicked and distressed. Well, it¡¯s because I¡¯vee to the realization that I¡¯ve fallen in love with you.¡± I felt myself crumbling under my own words. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have, and that I have no right to have these feelings but I do. And I can¡¯t keep hiding the truth from you anymore.¡±


    Again, I wanted nothing more than for him to reach his arms out for me. But he didn¡¯t. Instead, I was left feeling cold and alone even though he was standing only a few feet away from me.


    When Tallon finally opened his mouth to speak, his voice was consumed with a gravely, malicious tone. My sweet, loving Italian was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand and listen to this bullshit anymore,¡± he growled.


    I was certain I could hear my heart cracking in my ears.


    ¡°It¡¯s not bullshit!¡± I shouted back eagerly. ¡°Everything I said to you is true.¡±


    Tallon took tworge steps closer to me. ¡°True or not, that doesn¡¯t erase the fact that multiple people are dead because you chose to work with the goddamned Zaytsevs! Their blood is on your hands,¡± he told me darkly.


    Within seconds, I found myself shrinking smaller and smaller as he towered over me with hisrge frame. His eyes burned into me like a scolding brand of vexation and hatred.


    He mmed his fist against the wall beside my face and made my whole body shake in fear. My breath caught nervously in my throat.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I don¡¯t take my gun and aim it between your eyes right now,¡± he said bitterly. ¡°I regret the day I ever ran into you.¡±


    With one final sneer, Tallon turned his head and stormed out of the apartment. For a good handful of seconds, I remained in that exact position while I heard the sound of his heavy footsteps grow further away.


    I buried my tear-soaked face in my hands and let out a disgruntled groan. ¡°Goddamn it!¡±


    Just when I thought the tears had stopped, a whole new stream began to pour out. I couldn¡¯t stop it. It was as if I were a broken faucet.


    Part of me still had a hard time understanding how Tallon could have known about my past. And an even bigger part of me hated the fact that I wasn¡¯t the one to tell him about it first. There was a deep-seated ache in my chest, knowing that our rtionship was utterly demolished.


    I couldn¡¯t envision a way that it could be fixed. And, hell, who could me Tallon for not wanting anything to do with me?


    Be it as it may, he now knew the whole truth about my situation, which basically meant that my situation was notpletelypromised on both ends.


    I was now sitting in the most dangerous game of tug-of-war between two long-standing rivals. Both the Valentinos and the Zaytsevs were going to want to get their hands on me, if not for revenge, then definitely to make some sort of example out of me.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I hissed under my breath.


    I hastily pushed myself off the wall and rushed into the bedroom, where I grabbed my duffle bag. I began tossing in as much clothing and personal belongings as I could fit, along with whatever money I was able to set aside in case of such an emergency.


    Wiping the tears from my eyes, I forced myself into my most normal-looking expression before making my way out of my apartment and down the back stairwell.


    It was time for me to disappear.


    I only hoped that one day Tallon would find it in his heart to forgive the wrongful acts I hadmitted. That empty look in his eyes would forever haunt me, knowing that I was the reason for destroying the glimmer that once was there.


    ¡°Please forgive me,¡± I whispered under my breath.

 Chapter 530 : War of Hearts

    <h4>Chapter 530: Chapter 530 : War of Hearts</h4>


    *Tallon*


    ¡°How could I have been such an idiot?¡± I muttered under my breath.


    I¡¯d finally forced myself to leave Natalia¡¯s apartment. It took every nerve inside of me to leave her behind, knowing that she was a mess of tears.


    She¡¯d told me her story, but was I willing to believe it? After everything that I found out, it became too difficult to decipher between truth and deceit.


    ¡°How could I not have seen thising?¡± I huffed. ¡°Dmitri¡¯s granddaughter¨Chis fucking granddaughter. Another goddamn Zaytsev, just what I need.¡±


    Alessandro, my own brother, was always looking out for me. Even when we¡¯d hit our rough patches, at the end of the day, I knew I could always count on him toe through for me.


    But Natalia¨Chow could I not have known that woman was a spy?


    The woman held my heart in her hands. She practically owned me in every way. My stomach twisted in total disdain. Who the fuck was I kidding? She still owned me.


    I was a man blinded by lust and the desire to possess something that was too good to be true. And in the end, innocent people lost their lives because of it.


    Just knowing that I was purposely leaving her behind in such an agonizing state tore me to shreds. To think I went as far as to threaten her as well....


    I could never imagine taking my gun out and aiming it at her. Hell, I couldn¡¯t even picture using my own bare hands to finish the job.


    Although hearing that cursed name, Zaytsevs, made my fists clench at my sides, my heart still saw her as just Natalia, even though my mind was beginning to see her differently.


    It wasn¡¯t her fault that she was born into such a screwed-up family that only lived for revenge and murder. In all that time we¡¯d spent together, there was never a moment where I doubted her sincerity. Her eyes were always filled with so much light and life. Her smile made her feel that we could have a life together¡ªthat I had finally found my chosen person, my perfect other half who would stand by me through all the difficult times.


    I wanted to give her all that I was. Granted, I was nning on somehow working her into my world. But apparently, none of that mattered now.


    Having heard the truth about Natalia¡¯s history from him made me feel betrayed and simply angry because I hadn¡¯t heard it from her lips first.


    ¡°There was no way that she would have been willing to tell me anything when she knew who I was the entire time,¡± I thought.


    Yet, Natalia had every opportunity to tell me the truth... and she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°But would I have listened?¡± I asked myself.


    Probably not, and then where would we have gotten? The moment the word ¡®Zaytsev¡¯ would have crossed her lips, I would surely have pulled my gun. So, no. I suppose I couldn¡¯t readily me her for wanting to y things safely.


    Jesus Christ. Part of me hated the fact that I was still finding ways to defend her, even after she lied to me. But seeing her falling apart in front of me... it was its own form of torture.


    I still loved her.


    My heart weighed heavily in my chest with every step I took. It was insane to think that I was fighting my own instincts to run back to her and wipe away all the tears she¡¯d cried.


    I hated myself for how much I wanted to. I wanted to take her delicate face in his hands and promise to make all the bad things that surrounded us disappear. I¡¯d take her into my arms and protect her from the dangers thaty within her family and find a way to protect her from the wrath of my own.


    But at that very moment, the only thing I wanted to do was find the bottom of a bourbon bottle and pass out for a good week. But now was not the time to lose what little control I had left.


    My anger stayed with me long after I reached the car that waited for me outside.


    I slid into the backseat and barked at the driver to take me home. I wanted to forget that today ever happened. Fuck. I wanted to forget the past two months ever happened.


    I needed to call Vinny and let him in on this new development. Not that I was looking forward to hearing another ¡®I told you so,¡¯ but we all needed to be on the same page.


    Quickly pulling up his number, I hit the call button and waited. I took in several long breaths as I attempted to ease my nerves, which proved to be useless since my chest continued to ache with every lungful of air.


    Vinny thankfully picked up after the second ring. God save what patience I still had left. Had I been the one behind the steering wheel, there would have been several idents along the road, purely out of rage.


    ¡°Tallon,¡± he greeted me evenly.


    His tone gave away a sense that he already knew what I was about to say. I wasn¡¯t sure if that made me feel better or worse.


    ¡°I just came from Natalia¡¯s apartment,¡± I told him briskly. It physically pained me to utter these next set of words. ¡°You and Alessandro were right... Natalia. She¨C¡±


    Goddamnit. Why the hell was it so hard to say what I needed to say?


    I tried to stay focused, but every other thought that passed through my mind led me to be drawn right back to Natalia¡¯s crushed expression. Her limp body leaning against the wall while an ongoing stream of tears flooded her face was surely set to haunt me.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to sleep with that image engraved into my memory,¡± I thought gravely.


    Suddenly I was pulled from my endless train of thought by the sound of Vinny¡¯s voiceing through the speaker.


    ¡°I know, boss.¡± His tone was direct but didn¡¯tck empathy. ¡°Alessandro told me a little while ago.¡±


    I swallowed the lump in my throat and fought the urge to let out a growl. I wasn¡¯t surprised that my brother jumped at the opportunity to tell everyone how stupid I¡¯d been. He probably went around telling the whole family how I¡¯ve been thinking with my dick instead of my head these past several weeks over some woman who turned out to be a bloody Zaytsev descendant.


    I pinched the bridge of my nose and tried to gather some sense. No. Alessandro wouldn¡¯t do that.


    As much as I was sure the man wanted to scream the words ¡®I told you so¡¯ at the top of his lungs, he was my brother. I knew that he¡¯d never wish to see me in pain, physically or emotionally.


    Christ,e to think of it, I was fairly certain that the guy was even trying to calm me down earlier. Before I had made the reckless decision to storm into Natalia¡¯s apartment building and bang down her door, he was the one trying to reach my sanity.


    ¡°Asshole would have reached through the phone if it meant stopping me,¡± I mumbled to myself begrudgingly.


    There was a long pause on the line before I heard him speak again.


    ¡°Tallon....¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Did you kill her?¡±


    My eyes widened while my heart seized in my chest. I nearly choked on my words as they became caught in my throat.


    ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t fucking kill her,¡± I snarled. ¡°But I¡¯m going to lie, the thought had crossed my mind at least once while she was exining everything to me.¡±


    Was that what they expected me to do?


    ¡°So, she basically spilled her guts about the Zaytsevs?¡± he asked with a hint of shock. ¡°Dmitri¡¯s granddaughter. Who the fuck knew?¡±


    I let out a long breath. ¡°She told me about the role her rtives were making her y, and about her personal stance on the matter as a whole.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And what does the little Russian princess make of all this rivalry and bloodshed?¡±


    My mouth pulled back into a menacing sneer. Had Vinny been able to see my face, he wouldn¡¯t have been so quick to crack a joke.


    ¡°She said she wanted nothing to do with any of it, said she just wanted to help out her mother because the two of them hadn¡¯t been living easy ever since the Russians were driven out of Venice,¡± I said coldly.


    ¡°So, her job was to basically keep tabs on you this whole time.¡±


    I rolled my eyes up to the roof of the car.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now anyway, alright?¡± I said roughly. ¡°The damage is done. I refuse to lose any more men because of my ignorance. It¡¯s over.¡±


    Thosest two words came out easier than I imagined. Although, I did not care for the bitter aftertaste they left in my mouth.


    I could easily recall the time when I refused to let Natalia go, prior to us ever getting together. She kept me at such a discernable distance that it baffled me how I hadn¡¯t noticed it before. Maybe that wasn¡¯t her just trying to y hard to get. Maybe that was her fighting with her conscience.


    What broke her down? What made Natalia finally give me a chance?


    Was it really just the looming threat of her uncle that made her act, or was it actually something more?


    If I closed my eyes and focused hard enough, I could still hear her voice in my head.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s because I¡¯vee to the realization that I¡¯ve fallen in love with you,¡± Natalia had said.


    Her voice wasced with so much desperation that it was a true wonder whether what she said held even an ounce of truth.


    I would rather have taken a bullet to the chest than have stood there, listening to her clear deception.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve wanted to tell you those same exact words,¡± I thought silently. ¡°But your lovees with a deadly price, it seems.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tallon,¡± Vinny said assuringly.


    I¡¯d almost forgotten I was still on the phone with him.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to make those bastards wish that they never stepped foot back in Italy.¡±


    I ran a rough hand through my messy hair and threw my head back. When did I all of a sudden be disinterested in the thought of fighting violence with violence? Wasn¡¯t that the way of things since God knows when? How many generations before me had handled their enemy with the same brutal means?


    It was merely a vicious cycle that never wanted to end.


    ¡°Is there no other way to deal with this?¡± I asked out loud.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Vinny questioned.


    I could tell from the sound of his voice that his brows were pulled together and his mouth was forming a deep frown.


    All each side of this ongoing war knew was the monotony of power and bloodshed. But where the hell had that gotten anyone for the past forty years?


    If they weren¡¯t dead, then they were suffering from the ongoing nightmares that came with the never-ending war, the worry of constantly looking over their shoulder for fear that someone woulde after them.


    It was the only way either side knew how to exist.


    Well, I¡¯d grown tired of being a pawn in this game.


    ¡°Vinny, find a way to contact the head of the Russians. I don¡¯t care how you do it, just make it as discreet as possible. The bastard¡¯s name is Ivan,¡± I told him.


    I ended the call without saying another word. I knew I would need to set my heartache aside if it meant finally putting an end to this useless rivalry.


    It was time to turn my rage into strategy.


    It was time to end this once and for all.

 Chapter 531 : Unbearable Loneliness

    <h4>Chapter 531: Chapter 531 : Unbearable Loneliness</h4>


    *Natalia*


    It was a full moon tonight. It cast its light through my open window, shining down onto me. But unlike the sun, there was no warmth¨Cjust an endless, cold pit.


    I stared emptily at the sky, my whole body feeling heavier than usual as Iy curled up under my nkets. The tears had thankfully stopped, but the dry tracks on my face were ufortable. Every movement felt sluggish, like trying to move in slow motion.


    I tried to hold onto what little warmth I could but the ice had permeated down to the bone, numbing me in my core. I stared at the battery percentage on my phone, watching it slowly countdown but not bothering to plug it in.


    Three percent.


    I wondered if the moon felt as lonely as I did now¨Cif this feeling would ever fade, or if this was my punishment for deceiving the man I loved, if this numb misery was my new normal I would have to suffer through this for the rest of my life.


    The thought was unbearable.


    One percent.


    The screen of my phone flickered and died, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the moon. I¡¯d never felt so alone as I did now, and I nced at the sky and the stars shining above. I wondered perhaps if stars could still grant wishes for someone like me.


    If they could, I had only one wish.


    ¡°Natalia.¡±


    It was impossible. I whirled up in bed, my eyes wide and my heart beating loudly in my chest. Standing in front of my doorway was the person I wanted to see more than anything.


    ¡°Tallon,¡± I whimpered, my heart constricting in pain at the sight of him. There was a nk look on his face and he stood there, not moving an inch but keeping his eyes on me. ¡°You came back.¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer, and despite my best attempts to keep myself together, I couldn¡¯t stop the floodgates from opening up once more.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I wailed. ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you! I was just doing what my family told me. But you were so kind and loving and I fell in love with you, and I was going to tell you but you beat me to it and¨C¡±


    I choked on my own tears, dissolving into whole-body sobs. I could barely see through my blurry eyes, the tears burning as they streamed down my face, and just when I thought Tallon was going to leave me again, to turn his back and leave me in the cold again, I felt a warm touch on my cheek.


    I jolted from the temperature difference, ncing up as Tallon kneeled on the bed before me, a sad look in his kind eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he whispered, his voice like a low hum over the radio. ¡°You didn¡¯t mean for any of this to happen. I forgive you.¡±


    Before I could say another word, he kissed me with everything he had. Itched onto him like he was the only thing keeping me anchored to the ground, opening my lips for him as he caressed my cheek.


    And I felt whole andplete. The chill washed away like it never existed and a warmth grew from the middle of my chest down to my fingertips. I threw my arms around his neck, pushing myself into hisp as I craved more and more of him.


    He tasted just as I remembered, and I moaned as he threaded his fingers into my hair, tugging my neck back so he could trail his lips down my skin. I tore my hands under his shirt, murmuring his name between relieved shudders as I fell apart in his arms.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I whispered over and over as he gently pushed me onto my back, staring deeply into my eyes. I felt unbearably warm, sweat trailing down my skin and I reached my hands out to touch him, to feel any bit of him that I could.


    And I felt nothing.


    ***


    I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar, empty, dark room. It took a moment to gather my bearings, to understand why I couldn¡¯t feel Tallon near me, why I wasn¡¯t in my own room, and why I was sweating like a dog in the California heat.


    I slowly sat up in the ufortable bed under me, rubbing my eyes at the sweat that had umted there, and it finally hit me. Yesterday shed through my mind like a movie, like someone else¡¯s life passing me by.


    But it was real¨CTallon, finding out before I could tell him and leaving me, and the panic I felt as I gathered everything I could and ran from my apartment like a mad woman.


    And this was where I¡¯d fled to.


    I kicked off the scratchy nkets, my whole body covered in a sheen of sweat as I slowly got to my feet. I turned on the bedsidemp, which looked like it came from the 1980s floral print era.


    I had taken a bus to the farthest I could reach in one night, to a shitty motel just outside of the city, one that looked sketchy as shit, but they didn¡¯t ask any questions when I signed in. They gave me a room and they surprisingly took the fake name I gave¨CMilena, like my grandmother.


    It was probably a bad idea to use a recognizable name, but it was the one my mother had always told me to use just in case. I knew my family could find me easily that way but I doubted they would be looking for me just yet. I was more concerned about Tallon¡¯s men.


    There was an ache in my chest at the thought of him sending men toe to kill me. But it wasn¡¯t anything I didn¡¯t deserve.


    I grabbed the single bag I¡¯d taken from my apartment, opened it up, and shuffled through for some clothes. The little I had brought was mismatched with clearly not much thought put into it. I sighed, grabbing what I could and heading for the attached bathroom.


    I ignored the worsening heavy feeling in my body as I sluggishly headed for the shower, stripping my current clothes. I wondered briefly how I was going to wash them now that they were soaked in sweat and I couldn¡¯t go back to my apartment.


    Aundromat?


    I¡¯d have to get coins.


    I jolted as the cold water from the shower came down upon my skin, roughly beating down inparison to the gentle water pressure I was used to. I grit my teeth at the sudden cold, bearing it until it slowly starts to warm up.


    I could¡¯ve stayed in there forever, rubbing my sore muscles and thinking about nothing until my skin was red and raw, but I knew from the lessons my mother had taught me as a child that I couldn¡¯t stay in one ce for very long.


    And it was already too long.


    I sighed, turning off the shower as I dressed in the new clothing. Even the towels were low quality, already fraying at the edges, but I folded the dirty ones and tucked them in the corner anyway.


    When I got out, I sorted through my bag for my brush but my hand met something soft and fluffy, something I recognized immediately. I pulled out therge bit of fabric, the scent hitting me all at once.


    Tallon¡¯s hoodie.


    He¡¯s given it to me after one of our dates and I¡¯d forgotten to give it back. I had to admit I had been using it as a way to deter myself from calling him, from going to him when I was avoiding him.


    Now, it felt like a reminder of everything I¡¯d lost.


    I bit my bottom lip, struggling not to dissolve into tears yet again as I pressed my nose to the fabric, inhaling the scent that still lingered there. Longingly, I slipped on the hoodie, determined to carry whatever piece of him I still had with me.


    I packed my stuff up and took the time to set up the burner phone I¡¯d bought. I¡¯d left my old one at my apartment and I was going to miss it, cracks and all, but it wasn¡¯t safe to keep it with me. I didn¡¯t know if anyone was actually after me, but I wasn¡¯t going to take any chances.


    I hoped my mom was safe with my uncles, wherever they were.


    I was sure she would be. It was me they were angry at, not her.


    As I sat on the bed, unsure of my next move and slowly losing my goddamn mind, I realized I didn¡¯t have anywhere else to go. I couldn¡¯t go to a friend and put them at risk. I couldn¡¯t go to any family members. They would turn me in immediately. And Tallon....


    I didn¡¯t know what he would do if I showed up in front of him. But I was sure it wouldn¡¯t be anything good. Eventually, my growling stomach led me to my next stop on the list. I pushed away all of my bad thoughts, focusing on one thing at a time.


    I grabbed my valuables, slipping them into the hidden pocket inside the hoodie that I¡¯d found by ident. I had thought it was just like Tallon that all he had stored in there was a couple of mints and my own phone number, the slip of paper now worn and torn with how much he had used it.


    I pulled my hair into a low ponytail, stuffing it inside of the hood as I left the hotel room, clutching my keys and my newly bought pepper spray in my left hand. I made my way to the nearest store and luckily, nobody seemed to think I was odd.


    I grabbed some hair dye, an ugly shade of blonde, and a little food before making my long walk back to the hotel. My anxiety was at its peak and I kept expecting someone, anyone, to show up and grab me. But nothing happened.


    I couldn¡¯t decide if that was a good or bad thing.


    By the time I got back to the hotel, I was ready to dye my hair and leave for the next town, but as I walked in, the nervous-looking desk clerk waved me over.


    ¡°Hey, so um, someone came looking for you,¡± the clerk said with an anxious look. ¡°I told them you weren¡¯t here but um... just wanted to let you know.¡±


    I swallowed, my heart racing in my chest in both fear and hope. Did my family or some of Tallon¡¯s men find me? Or... perhaps was it Tallon? Was he looking for me himself?


    ¡°Who? Do you know what they looked like?¡± I said urgently, pressing him, but he crumbled like an overbaked cookie.


    ¡°No, sorry!¡± He bowed his head, twiddling his fingers together. ¡°I¡¯m terrible at descriptions! It was a... guy, I think and he had a beard, um, that¡¯s all I remember.¡±


    Beard? It wasn¡¯t Tallon then.


    ¡°Thanks anyway.¡± I nodded at him, ncing around at the empty lobby just to make sure nobody else was there before I headed for my room. The hallways were empty, luckily, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was being watched, that feeling on the back of my neck that I couldn¡¯t ignore.


    I hurriedly packed my things, stuffing whatever I could into my bag and pockets. I cracked open the door, checking the hallway onest time before I stepped outside. I shut the door behind me and made my way out of the hotel.


    I never saw iting.


    A gloved hand wrapped around my mouth and neck, pulling me backward into a huge body. I screamed, but the hand only shut my jaw forcefully, cutting off my air in the same move. I bit my tongue, tasting blood as I struggled to get away from whoever had grabbed me.


    It was like fighting against steel and with no oxygen to my lungs, my vision blurred around the corners as they pinned me against the wall like I weighed nothing. They pulled my arms behind my back, stretching them until I heard a loud pop, and tears poured from my eyes at the shock of pain.


    I kicked my legs, threw my head back, and did whatever I could to escape, but it wasn¡¯t enough. My lungs screamed out for oxygen that it wasn¡¯t getting and for a single moment, I thought, ¡®Oh, I¡¯m dying.¡¯


    And then everything went dark.

 Chapter 532 : Resolve

    <h4>Chapter 532: Chapter 532 : Resolve</h4>


    *Tallon*


    Everywhere and everything reminded me of Natalia. Even when I was sitting at home alone watching TV, my mind was overrun with confusing feelings of love mixed with guilt mixed with sadness.


    Looking at the screen, I saw a character with dark brown hair and watery blue eyes walking across a room, speaking in rapid Italian as she argued with her boyfriend, little tears forming in the corner of her eyes.


    Memories of Natalia hit me like a blow to the chest.


    I hated that it was thest image I had of her¨Cher desperate tears as she begged me not to leave, sobbing out that she loved me, so heartbroken like I had never seen her before and¨C


    No. I couldn¡¯t feel that way.


    I pressed the palms of my hands to my eyes until I saw stars behind my eyelids, and I tried to push the guilt worming its way into my heart back down the depths where it belonged.


    She had lied to me. She hadn¡¯t just betrayed me¨Cthat wasn¡¯t even the worst part. She had gotten my men killed, men with families, with the bullshit she pulled, all in the name of her pathetic family.


    And she had the nerve to be the one crying, to be heartbroken?


    ¡®But she was forced into it. She said as much.¡¯ As always, a little voice in the back of my head rose in her defense.


    ¡°Fucking get out of my head,¡± I growled to myself, trying my damnest to get rid of the thoughts. Natalia had consumed every part of my waking life, and as much as I wanted to walk away from it all, to leave her behind in the past for what she fucking did, I just couldn¡¯t.


    I was beginning to think I was going insane with all the obsessive thoughts that kept filling my mind. I constantly wondered what she was doing, where she was, and if she was still crying, waiting for me toe back and tell her I forgave her.


    But I couldn¡¯t do that.


    I didn¡¯t even know if what she did was forgivable, or if I even wanted to try. She had crossed a line that most of my enemies had never dared before and now, I was left to pick up the pieces.


    I hated that after everything, she still had such a deep hold on me.


    But on the other hand, a part of me didn¡¯t hate it. I still loved her. I loved her today, and I knew that I would love her tomorrow and until myst breath. She was like a firework on the Fourth of July, bursting into my life just when I needed her to light up the dimness I lived in.


    I thought it had been fate.


    But it had been nned from the beginning... by her family.


    I sighed, throwing my arm over my face. I could just hear Alessandro in my head calling me dramatic. No doubt he¡¯d tell me to stop moping. Vinny would just say to find a new girl and get the old one out of my system, but neither of them really understood.


    This was the first woman I ever truly loved, the first one I wanted to keep by my side, not because she was pretty or I could gain something from it, but because I just liked her. I loved her shy smile whenever I gave her a gift she wasn¡¯t expecting, the way her cheeks turned pink as Iplimented her, the way she clung to me during sex with her long hair red out against the sheets.


    I cut off that train of thought immediately, groaning to myself as I muttered, ¡°I¡¯m so fucked.¡±


    ¡°In more ways than one.¡±


    A biting voice cut through my moping. I removed my arm from my face, staring at Vinny.


    With his arms crossed and face set into a grimace, I could almost imagine him smiling from the angle I was looking up at him in. I hadn¡¯t even realized I¡¯d beenying there practically upside down.


    ¡°Anything new?¡± I sighed, straightening myself on the couch so everything was right-side up again. I clenched my fists onto the teeth as the blood suddenly rushed back down and I grew dizzy, my eyes blurring at the corners.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Vinny said quietly,ing to take a seat on the couch next to me. ¡°I finally heard back from them.¡±


    He didn¡¯t need to specify who he was talking about. Just by the way he spat out ¡®them,¡¯ I knew immediately there was only one person he could be talking about. I sighed, running a hand through the few tangles in my hair before ncing at the TV once more.


    The woman on the TV who I had thought resembled Natalia came to the screen again, but looking at her now, right-side up, I realized they weren¡¯t simr at all. She was just a pretty face on a screen, not anything like the woman who haunted my every waking and sleeping moment.


    ¡°What did this Ivan character say?¡± I asked Vinny tiredly.


    ¡°He wants to meet tonight for dinner. They named the restaurant and time and said no more than two men besides us. They imed they would do the same, but I don¡¯t trust it one bit,¡± Vinny said crossly.


    ¡°Typical Vin,¡± I smirked. ¡°You don¡¯t trust anybody.¡±


    ¡°Especially not these fucking assholes! You¡¯re insane if you think we can trust them,¡± Vinny ranted, shooting me an incredulous look. ¡°They¡¯ve made it their mission to kill us for decades! They even went so far as sending in that bitch to seduce you!¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± I interrupted, ring at him fiercely. ¡°Don¡¯t call her that.¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± he scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re still fucking defending her after everything she did to you, to the family? She caused the deaths of fifteen of our members, whether she knew what she was doing or not.¡±


    Another reason I couldn¡¯t hate her like I should¨Cit had been pointedly clear after our research that sending Natalia to seduce me hadn¡¯t been some masterful n like we first thought. They¡¯d simply sent her in out of convenience. It was an impulsive decision, not a calcted one.


    They¡¯d used her to get to me, and though she knew what they were doing, I doubted she had any idea of the damage they had caused or how many lives they had truly taken. The guilt I¡¯d seen in her eyes during our fight had been real.


    But Vinny was right, too.


    I couldn¡¯t keep defending her, not when I had so much riding on this.


    Vinny sighed, ncing at me from the corner of his eye. ¡°I still think you¡¯re stupid and being an absolute dickhead for her but... I figured I should let you know. That girl... Natalia.¡± He corrected himself at my fierce re. ¡°She¡¯s missing.¡±


    I stiffened, turning to him with a weird look. ¡°What do you mean missing?¡±


    ¡°I mean,¡± Vinny said, holding back no punches as he coolly delivered the news, ¡°that after you left the other night, someone saw her run out of her apartment with a bag and she didn¡¯t return. We kept watch over the ce since we thought her associates might show up, but there¡¯s been nothing.¡±


    ¡°She ran?¡± I asked, numbly, feeling like everything around me had stopped. The moment seemed tost forever as I tried to understand the words he was saying, the implications of what that meant.


    My head felt like the ck and white static on a broken TV.


    Vinny sent me a pitying look that I only half-caught, with my mind continuing on like a freight train on the tracks with no care whether I was right in his path.


    ¡°We tried tracking her, but she hasn¡¯t used any bank ounts and she didn¡¯t go to any ces we know she frequented. She alsopletely skipped out on school. Not even the teachers know where she is. I don¡¯t know whether she went back to her godforsaken family or if she took off on the run but either way, she won¡¯t be a problem anymore.¡±


    A problem.


    To Vinny, that¡¯s all she was, just a problem removed from the equation, negated like we were just numbers to be solved and forgotten. And I didn¡¯t me him. In this line of work, it was how he had managed to be my right-hand man and had managed to keep that position by always making sure I stayed on the right track.


    But to me, she had always been more.


    ¡°Tallon,¡± Vinny snapped, grabbing my attention from where I had dazed off. ¡°I don¡¯t trust Ivan or any of those Russian bastards, but I do trust you. If you think this is the right move, I¡¯ll follow you, just like I always have, but you gotta get your head together. Focus on this deal and then we can discuss what to do about your girlter, okay?¡±


    Surprise must¡¯ve flickered across my features because Vinny rolled his eyes, sending me a knowing look.


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know you? I don¡¯t know why, but you love her.¡± He shrugged, then sent me an easy-going grin, one I hadn¡¯t seen since this whole mess had begun. ¡°And as much as I don¡¯t like it, I¡¯m not going to try to stop you or convince you she¡¯s bad news. You already know that. So, whatever happens, just know I¡¯ve got your back.¡±


    And just like that, I knew we were okay. The unspoken bond between us was still as strong as ever, and I gave him a little nudge on the shoulder as thanks, my mind racing with a brand new rity.


    He was right. Perspective was a hell of a thing to have beat into your skull, and it was a lesson I never seemed to stop learning.


    I loved Natalia. She was the one I chose to give my everything to, and I wasn¡¯t going to take that back now. It would take work to sort out this mess, but I was willing to do that for her and for my family.


    And the first step to getting that done was this dinner.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust them either, Vin, but don¡¯t worry about it.¡± I grinned confidently. ¡°I¡¯ve got a n.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you always?¡± he said with a reluctant chuckle that was tainted with a bit of sarcasm.


    I got off the couch, brushing off my clothes as I determinedly nodded at my right-hand man. ¡°I¡¯ve put some contingencies in ce in case things go south, but right now, we have the advantage. So let¡¯s get ready for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Aye, aye, captain.¡± Vinny mock-saluted, getting to his feet beside me and sending me a grin.


    I watched him race upstairs to get dressed and I checked the time on my phone. My eyes traveled to my text messages and despite knowing she may never get it, I couldn¡¯t help but send her onest text just in case.


    ¡®I¡¯ll see you soon.¡¯


    I pocketed my phone, finally ready.


    It was time to get this party started.

 Chapter 533 : Into the Lion’s Den

    <h4>Chapter 533: Chapter 533 : Into the Lion¡¯s Den</h4>


    *Tallon*


    Arriving at the address selected by our foes made me feel like we were a group of elk wandering into a cave with no clue of the beasts that lurked inside.


    It was impossible to tell what the building held behind its high stone walls and creeping vines; the dark exterior was hidden behind the bright neon lights dering the restaurant name and its type of cuisine on the front window. But it loomed over us, at least three stories tall, and as we stood in front of its simple facade, a feeling of being watched crept over me.


    From the surveince cameras cleverly hidden within the foliage to the men and women dressed as waiters whose outfits were a little too baggy around the waist, stares followed us as Vinny and I entered with our two chosen guards.


    Dom was getting on in his years, but he was more capable than any of our men and he had an eye for these people. He¡¯d fought them by Gio and Olivia¡¯s side, and I trusted him to watch our backs.


    Vin had chosen the bulky Manuel as our second guard, a man with more strength and integrity than anyone in our family. If anything happened, he could crush their heads between his thighs and not even blink about it.


    I felt pretty confident despite walking into the territory of our enemies, and though Vinny by my side was less sure of our survival with how twitchy he seemed as he red at every person who came near us, I knew he would be the first to jump into action if he sensed anything was off.


    ¡°Mr. Valentino.¡± One of the waiters, a female with a sharp smile, stopped in front of us. She had a regr uniform on, but underneath that short skirt, I had no doubt was a knife waiting to stab any of us. ¡°This way, please.¡±


    She held a menu in her hands, in anguage that I recognized as Russian, and she gestured for us to follow her into the restaurant, turning on her heels and leading us inside without another nce, like she was positive we would follow.


    We did, of course, but cautiously.


    The smell of smoke hit me as soon as we stepped inside, an overwhelming scent of cigars like the nice ones Gio used to smoke just permeating the restaurant, drowning out the smell of any kind of food that was served there.


    I nced at the few tables we passed, full of fancily dressed men and women who paid us no mind, but I knew at least a few of them were in on this, nted to watch us. The waitress¡¯s heels clicked on the tile floors sounding like ss with every step as she led us to a winding stone staircase.


    It was short, not nearly tall enough to head to the upper floors, but that wasn¡¯t the purpose. It led to a high tform where there was a fancy leather booth made to seat nearly a dozen men. Sitting there with their backs to the wall were two men with narrowed gazes, who were a little too pleased to see us, judging by the looks on their faces.


    I knew immediately that this was the new head of the Russian Mafia, the next generation of Zaytsev¡¯s.


    Ivan Zaytsev.


    He was a tall, intimidating man with dark hair and ever-darker eyes as he watched us enter the tform. Something that made me extremely ufortable already. If the rxed man in the booth was like a king upon his throne, then this was a stage and all eyes were upon us.


    His right-hand man sat beside him, with just as a sharp smile as the waitress had, like he knew something we didn¡¯t and was all too excited to share it. A bad feeling welled up in my stomach¨Can instinct I knew was never wrong.


    I kept calm, knowing that even if he had men who¡¯d infiltrated the ce, it wouldn¡¯t matter. I meant what I said to Vin. I had contingencies, enough that I trusted them with my life and those of the family.


    ¡°Wee.¡± Ivan opened his arms with a sly grin like he was going to give a wide hug. ¡°I appreciate your arrival. Here, take a seat and we shall discuss what you sent a message about, yes?¡±


    His ent was heavy but he still spoke English quite well, clearly having lived in Russia for some time like the rest of his family. But if I knew anything about these people, they¡¯d probably been here in Italy for a long time.


    ¡°Of course.¡± I smiled amicably, pretending like I bought his smiling friendly act. There was too much bad blood between us for that. Being friends was never my goal, and we both knew it.


    I took the seat directly across from Ivan, with Vinny to my right. Both Anton and he stared one another down, neither looking the least bit friendly despite Ivan and me ying the role of friends. Dom and Manuel stood directly behind us, both stone-faced and wary as they eyed our surroundings, looking for any potential threats.


    ¡°Vodka, Mr. Valentino?¡± Ivan offered a ss, pouring the clear liquid into the fancy shot sses and giving me an expectant look.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said politely, reaching across the table to grab one of the shot sses. Vinny shot me a wary look, but I knew these men. They held too much respect for themselves and what they did to poison a good shot of vodka just for me.


    Still, I smelled it first, and the strong, one-hundred-proof alcohol hit me like a ton of bricks to my face. Still, I threw my head back, swallowing everyst drop in one go. The taste was awful; I wasn¡¯t going to lie.


    I kept the grimace from appearing on my face, but something must¡¯ve slipped through as Ivan clicked his tongue, looking chagrined.


    ¡°My apologies, friend.¡± He gave me a sharp grin. ¡°It is not the finest Russia has to offer, I promise, but it is cheap. Elite it is not, but money is tight nowadays, you see? We¡¯re not in quite the best shape as we once were, you understand, yes?¡±


    The dig was pointed butcking any subtlety, just like them. Anton chuckled, crossing his arms as he surveyed us like we were bugs underneath his boots.


    ¡°Of course I understand.¡± I brushed thement away. ¡°That¡¯s actually what we came here to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, I got your message.¡± Ivan nodded to himself, waving to a nearby waitress who quickly came over with a tray full of food. Some I recognized as traditional Russian dishes and others I didn¡¯t. But all of it smelled delicious.


    Ivan grabbed a fork and a knife, digging into a piroshki. The meat fell out upon the fork upon opening the bread, steam swirling in the air as he stabbed a bite and popped it into his mouth.


    I waited as he chewed, merely prolonging the ufortable and tense silence between us.


    When he finally swallowed, primly taping his mouth with a white napkin as if he¡¯d just enjoyed the best meal of his life, I finally bit out, ¡°I believe you¡¯ve stalled enough, Ivan.¡±


    ¡°My apologies¡± He gave me a shameless smile. ¡°I do not wish to waste your time, nor mine. But with our history, I am sure you can understand my hesitance with your offer. We have each left quite a bloody and violent mark on the other.¡±


    ¡°Something which has benefited neither of us,¡± I shot back firmly. ¡°We¡¯ve both lost good men, family. And this feud has gotten us nowhere. Despite your best attempts, our family is still standing and despite our exhaustive and extensive efforts, you all seem to pop back up like weeds.¡±


    ¡°Weeds.¡± Ivanughed, something cold and high as he stared directly at me, a chilling smile on his face. Despite hisugh, there was no humor on his face, just a strong bitter resentment that was clear for all to see.


    He¡¯d finally dropped the mask and the y could now begin for real.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can understand the analogy, yes?¡± I raised an eyebrow, smirking at the shadow of annoyance that crossed his face.


    ¡°No.¡± Ivan stared me straight in the eye, his voice light and high despite the murderous look in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll be, how do you say, frank with you, Tallon. I see no reason we should work with you. Can you honestly give me one reason that I shouldn¡¯t put a bullet through your skull right now?¡±


    ¡°You can certainly try, Ivan.¡± I emphasized his name, leaning back in the chair casually like I was unaffected by the threat. ¡°But as I¡¯m sure you know, even if you somehow seeded, someone will alwayse to rece me. They would have no choice but to avenge me and well, I¡¯m afraid you wouldn¡¯t be able to buy better vodka then, would you?¡±


    I smirked as his jaw clenched, the man across from me fully at his limit as he glowered across the table. Anton was no different, bristling like a cat on Halloween as he sneered at us.


    ¡°You are right,¡± Ivan sighed, never taking his eyes off of me. ¡°I kill you, someone else will be after my head and they kill me and it¡¯ll be a never-ending cycle like you said. Vengeance has not done wonders for the bank, no. And I do enjoy a good vodka.¡±


    ¡°If we end the feud, it¡¯ll be better for both of us. We¡¯re willing to open trades to Russia back up and make a deal for the profits on the ck market. No more killing and more money in both of our pockets. Isn¡¯t that a good enough reason to put this feud behind us?¡±


    Ivan hummed, the corner of his lips lifting into a slight smirk as he eyed me like I was a particrly unfunny joke. He ran his finger around the shot ss in front of him, toying with the silence.


    ¡°You know what I¡¯d love more than expensive vodka?¡± Ivan stared me straight in the eyes, a cold smile on his lips. ¡°Your head on a spike.¡±


    He snapped his fingers and the waitress who was hovering by our table jolted into action, pulling out a Glock and pointing it at my head. Before she could pull the trigger, though, her arm was twisted behind her back and she mmed into the floor, a foot on the middle of her back.


    ¡°Why, thank you, kind stranger,¡± I smirked at the man with the hood who had disarmed her, ¡°How noble of you.¡±


    The stranger rolled his eyes from under the hood.


    ¡°Well, that was exciting,¡± I turned to Ivan with arge smirk.


    ¡°So¡± Ivan sneered, ¡°you did note alone. It doesn¡¯t matter. We have others set in ce. You and your kin will not leave here alive.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I scoffed, crossing my arms. ¡°Do you mean the sniper on the second floor, the couple hiding behind that fake wall, or did you mean the fake cook you set up in the kitchen? I¡¯m not as stupid as you think I am, Ivan. All of your traps had been taken care of before we even stepped foot in here, all thanks to Mr. Kind Stranger over here.¡±


    ¡°Stuff it, Tallon.¡± Alessandro rolled his eyes as he pulled off his hood, revealing his face to Ivan and Anton, who both had incredibly ugly expressions. Manuel and Dom nodded to him, both in thanks and acknowledgment.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t really think my own brother would betray me, did you?¡± I raised an eyebrow, judgmentally. ¡°Our family bonds are stronger than that.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that was cheesy,¡± Vinny shook his head disappointedly.


    ¡°Incredibly,¡± Ivan smirked, looking like the cat that ate the cream. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to trust that buffoonpletely, so we made a little contingency n of our own. And I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find thisst trick just delightful.¡±


    That bad feeling tripled in the pit of my stomach as Ivan grinned evilly at me.


    ¡°What?¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Oh, we have someone who wants to say hello to you. My niece is waiting just off stage for you, though she¡¯s in a bit of a bind right now.¡± Heughed coldly.


    ¡°Your niece?¡± I questioned, rudely, ¡°I don¡¯t know her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. That¡¯s not what you know her as. Well, a different name but it¡¯s all the same, Tallon, I assure you. My niece,¡± he waved his hand flippantly, ¡°your little girlfriend?¡±


    Hended his eyes on me, and I knew exactly what that bad feeling was now.


    ¡°Our lovely Natalia?¡±

 Chapter 534 : A Person for a Person

    <h4>Chapter 534: Chapter 534 : A Person for a Person</h4>


    *Tallon*


    ¡°Fuck you. You¡¯re nothing but a liar,¡± I hissed at Ivan, not allowing myself to even begin to believe his words.


    ¡°Oh I assure you, I would not lie about something like this,¡± he said coolly. ¡°After all, her mother will not be happy about this. I suspect I will have to spend the next many years apologizing to my sister for what I am about to do.¡±


    My mind was racing. I nced from face to face, trying to discern whether or not Ivan was telling the truth. Would he really stoop so low as to put his own niece in danger? I wasn¡¯t sure. I hated the fact that he had known that Natalia was my weak spot. Even knowing she¡¯d betrayed me, I still didn¡¯t want her to be put in danger.


    I looked at Vinny; his face was hardened, not showing any emotion. I knew he didn¡¯t want to influence my decisions, but I had a feeling his response would be to just walk away. Why should we even care whether or not Natalia was in danger? She was partially responsible for the deaths of our men. She was the one who had gotten us into this whole mess in the first ce.


    But I couldn¡¯t ignore the part of me that knew that she was just a victim of her own family. Sure, she had worked with them, but how could she have known any better?


    ¡°Prove it, then,¡± I finally said.


    I hadn¡¯t decided what I would do, but before I made a decision, I had to ensure that Ivan was even telling the truth. For all I knew this was just another borate scheme and Natalia was safe at home.


    Ivan nodded at one of the blonde ¡°waitresses¡± by his side. She moved forward and handed him a cell phone. I could see the outline of a gun against her hip as she stepped back. I wondered what part she yed in all of this. There must be a reason why Ivan had chosen her to be the one who held the phone. Ivan dialed slowly. He seemed to enjoy the theatrics of the moment. I realized that he had nned out every single detail of this meeting, even down to the shitty vodka. I wondered how many years he had spent waiting for this. I suspected it was quite a few.


    Ivan pressed a single button on the phone; it must have been directly connected to whatever ce he was calling. I was disgusted to think about the effort he had gone to to kidnap his own niece. He was far worse than I had ever thought.


    Ivan raised the phone to his face and said simply, ¡°Put her on.¡±


    The sinister tone of his voice sent chills down my spine. I had no doubt in my mind as I looked at his cold eyes that this man would not hesitate to put his own niece in danger. He looked more than willing to murder her if it would further his own cause.


    I felt sorry for Natalia as I imagined what it must have been like to grow up with a family like this. I had grown up with even the toughest of bodyguards doting on me, and my older cousins had always been kind and loving.


    Ivan handed the phone to me and I slowly raised it to my ear, steeling myself for whatever might be on the other end. For all I knew, this was still an borate trick, but I had to admit to myself that the most likely scenario was that Ivan was telling the truth.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I asked, praying that I wouldn¡¯t hear Natalia¡¯s voice on the other end.


    What I did hear was far worse than I could have ever imagined. I had to pull it away from my ear slightly as I was immediately greeted by screaming sobs. ¡°Tallon! Tallon, please help me,¡± Natalia pleaded, her voice hoarse as though she had been screaming for hours. ¡°They¡¯re going to hurt me! Please, they¡¯ve already hurt me. Tallon, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry for everything. Just please don¡¯t let them hurt me. Please! I never meant for any of this to happen!¡±


    My heart broke into a million pieces. No matter how hard I tried to tell myself differently, this was the woman I loved. I didn¡¯t care what she had done to me or how many mistakes she had made. All I wanted was for her to be with me.


    And now she was in pain and begging me for help, but I had no idea what I could do for her or where she even was. I was fucking powerless and it killed me. I forced myself to calm down so that I could at least provide her with somefort. I was worried that she would go into shock if she didn¡¯t manage to get control of her breathing.


    ¡°Natalia, listen to me, you need to take a deep breath, okay?¡± I said in a calm, steady voice.


    I ignored my racing heart and the way every single instinct in my body screamed for me to kill Ivan with my bare hands for hurting her. For Natalia, I could be calm. I breathed deeply and loudly so that she could match me. I heard her try to slow her sobs and take a few shuddering breaths.


    ¡°Good girl, just keep breathing. Don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s all going to be okay. You just need to keep breathing.¡±


    ¡°Hm, lying to her, are we?¡± Ivan asked smugly. ¡°I don¡¯t think you really have any idea about whether or not this is ¡®all going to be okay.¡¯¡±


    Natalia could hear him on her end, and she gasped in fear. She still tried to breathe as I had told her to, but I could hear that she was crying quietly. I clenched my jaw hard enough to break a tooth in order to keep myself from telling him what I was about to do to him and every single one of his cronies who had dared to harm Natalia.


    ¡°How could you do this?¡± I demanded. ¡°How could you hurt your own family?¡±


    I kept my ear pressed to the phone so that I could hear that Natalia was still breathing and so that she could hear my voice. I could tell that it calmed her just to listen to me. Ivan red at me, clearly unimpressed with my question.


    ¡°Family doesn¡¯t betray family. She stopped being my niece the second she decided to tell you who she was,¡± he snarled, sheer malice in his voice.


    I wondered if Natalia¡¯s mother had any idea just how dangerous her brother was. Had she unknowingly sent her daughter to the wolves, or had she known and decided not to care?


    ¡°She was toote, asshole. I already knew who she was. She didn¡¯t say a word until after Alessandro told me.¡± My muscles tensed as I remembered the horrible things I had said to her. I wished I could take it all back. I couldn¡¯t let those be myst words to her. I would never forgive myself.


    ¡°It does not matter. When one of your men betrays you, do you care when the betrayal happens, or do you care about the fact that they were willing to betray at all?¡± He looked at his fingernails, as though he was utterly bored with this entire conversation.


    I still heard Natalia¡¯s breathing on the other end of the phone. I vowed to hold her in my arms again, if it was thest thing I did. And I would apologize for the horrible things I had said. She didn¡¯t deserve death for what she had done. She had just been trying her best with what she had.


    ¡°What do you want, Ivan?¡± I asked, determined to give him damn near anything if it would guarantee Natalia¡¯s safety.


    I had faith that my family could recoup anything we lost to the Russians, and I was sick of the violence. If Ivan wanted money, I would give it to him. I didn¡¯t care if it ultimately made the Russians stronger, as long as it brought some sort of peace.


    ¡°Hmmm... what do I want?¡± He continued to pick at his nails, but I knew it was all a facade. He had nned every moment of this and he loved that it had gone as he expected. He turned to the ¡°waitress¡± beside him with the gun on her hip. ¡°What do I want, Vera?¡±


    She smiled at me with nothing but malice in her icy eyes. ¡°I think you want a person for a person, sir. After all, that¡¯s only fair.¡±


    I should have known that would be his request. He wanted to trade a hostage for a hostage. In my mind, I began to run through which Russians we were currently holding. Surely there was someone we could trade back to Ivan who wouldn¡¯t be particrly helpful to him. I knew we had at least three of his men in one of our warehouses, and so far they hadn¡¯t been particrly useful for gathering information.


    ¡°Deal. I can trade back one of your men and we get Natalia,¡± I said easily. After all, it was only a matter of time before we took their entire organization down.


    ¡°Not so fast,¡± Ivan said, clicking his tongue like a disappointed school teacher. ¡°I already have one of my own. You seem to forget that Natalia is one of my own. I want to trade her for one of you. And she seems quite important, which makes me think that she should be traded with someone quite important. That¡¯s only fair, after all.¡±


    My mind raced. I couldn¡¯t ask Alessandro or Vinny to be the trade. I couldn¡¯t do that to them, no matter how much I wanted to. Ivan was right; family didn¡¯t betray family. Although I thought that his idea of family was sick and twisted, I knew that my own family deserved my protection.


    ¡°Who do you have in mind?¡± I asked, praying that he didn¡¯t ask for Alessandro or Vinny.


    ¡°You, of course! Do you think I would go to all this trouble for anyone less?¡± He looked genuinely astounded that it hadn¡¯t urred to me. All I felt was relief as I realized that I could sacrifice myself to save Natalia.


    ¡°Done,¡± I said without a second thought.


    ¡°Tallon, no!¡± Vinny roared next to me.


    Alessandro looked as though he was about to physically restrain me.


    ¡°Uh oh, the big Italian mafia Don is losing control of his men,¡± Ivan taunted.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Alessandro yelled at him.


    I raised my hands to silence all of them. ¡°It is my decision to make. I¡¯m taking the deal.¡±


    I hoped that I wasn¡¯t making the biggest mistake of my entire life, but if Natalia was safe, it would be worth it.

 Chapter 535 : A Horrible Awakening

    <h4>Chapter 535: Chapter 535 : A Horrible Awakening</h4>


    *Natalia*


    I woke to the sound of unfamiliar voices speaking Russian around me. My shoulders screamed in pain as I regained consciousness; my arms were tied tightly behind me and my legs were cuffed to the legs of the chair I was sitting in. My throat hurt terribly and I could tell it was swollen and bruised from being choked out by my captors.


    I tried to ignore the pain, but it felt like sparks were shooting down my shoulders and the rope they¡¯d used to tie my wrists was far too tight. My skin was being rubbed raw just from how tightly the rope sat against it. I kept my eyes closed so that they wouldn¡¯t immediately be alerted to the fact that I was conscious. I hoped that I could listen to what they were saying and gain something that would help me.


    ¡°You really think he¡¯ll go for it?¡± I heard a female voice ask in Russian. I wracked my brain to figure out who she could be, but I had no idea. I couldn¡¯t ce her voice at all.


    When I heard who responded to her, my blood ran cold. I was in far more danger than I had realized. ¡°Yes, love makes everyone do stupid things,¡± my uncle Ivan said.


    So it was my own family that had taken me. My worst nightmares hade true. If my family had me, that meant there wasn¡¯t anybody who woulde to rescue me¨Cdefinitely not Tallon, not after he had found out that I betrayed him. I resigned myself to the fact that this must be where it all ended for me. My family had found out that I was going to tell Tallon everything, and it didn¡¯t matter to them that he¡¯d found out before I could tell him. They were going to kill me anyway.


    I slowly opened my eyes, trying to see how many people were in the room. Surely at least one of my cousins would stand up for me. They had never liked me much, but still, we had grown up together. Didn¡¯t that count for anything? As I scanned the room, I was nervous to discover that it was only Ivan and a blonde woman whom I didn¡¯t recognize. Who in the world had taken me? Had Ivan himself been the one who choked me into unconsciousness?


    ¡°Ah, the printsessa finally awakens!¡± Ivan announced when he saw that I was openly looking around.


    The blonde woman sneered at me, not bothering at all to hide her contempt. I couldn¡¯t imagine what I had done to make her hate me so much. I didn¡¯t even know her.


    ¡°Uncle, what is happening?¡± I asked, trying to y up that I was his young niece. I wanted him to be sympathetic to me.


    Ivan grabbed a chair and twirled it around so that it was facing me, then sat himself down ufortably close. I tried to lean back, but I was tied to my own chair so tightly that I had no range of movement whatsoever. Ivan chuckled as he saw my obvious difort.


    ¡°You should have known how good you had it before, my niece,¡± he murmured, nothing but evil in his voice. ¡°Were you notfortable living in your apartment? Going on fancy trips with your little boyfriend? I should have known you would end up wanting more. You¡¯re a spoiled little brat just like your mother.¡±


    His words shocked me. I had heard him speak brutally before, but never about his own sister.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I gasped, trying to calm my racing thoughts and get answers. I couldn¡¯t understand why he was doing this. What benefit could he get from kidnapping me? I had nothing to offer him any longer. ¡°Tallon has ended things with me. He found me out. He found us all out. I¡¯m lucky he didn¡¯t kill me.¡±


    Ivan chuckled as if he knew something that I didn¡¯t. ¡°We both know he never would have killed you. And unfortunately for you, I know that you were going to betray our family long before Tallon ever found you out. Did you really think that I wouldn¡¯t be watching you? Did you think it wasn¡¯t obvious that you were developing feelings for the man who destroyed our family? Stupid girl, I knew I couldn¡¯t trust you to do our dirty work.¡±


    ¡°So, what, now you¡¯re going to kill me?¡± I asked, genuinely unsure of what he was going to say.


    He openlyughed in my face, then turned to the woman next to him, ¡°You hear that, Vera? She thinks we¡¯re going to kill her! Damn, we must have given her quite a fright, eh?¡±


    The woman he called Vera smiled at him, her eyes sinister. She looked at me, then, and finally, inbination with her eyes and her name, I recognized her. She was my cousin. I was unsure how close, but she had been sent away when we were children. I never knew why, all I knew was that at some point she stoppeding around to y. I remembered feeling sad about it; she had been one of my favorite ymates.


    ¡°Vera, is that really you?¡± I asked, incredulous that she would be involved in all this.


    ¡°Ah, now you recognize me! I thought you had forgotten me entirely, cousin,¡± her voice dripped with venom. I couldn¡¯t imagine what my family had done to her to change her from the sweet girl I remembered into the human weapon who stood before me.


    ¡°Enough with the games,¡± I said with as much gruffness as I could muster. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to me?¡±


    Without warning, Ivan smacked me across the face. My head whipped to the side and I gasped at the unexpected contact.


    ¡°You will not disrespect me any longer. Never speak to me as if you have any control here.¡±


    I felt panic surge in my chest. My uncle clearly had no qualms about harming me, and I waspletely trapped. I had no idea what was going to happen next.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky. We aren¡¯t going to kill you. No, you¡¯re far too valuable to Tallon for us to do that. Instead, we¡¯ll be using you as a little bargaining chip. If all works out, you¡¯ll be handed over to the Italians by the end of the day, and Tallon will take your ce. There, now you know the n. Are you happy?¡± His voice was sarcastic.


    ¡°He won¡¯t do it. He hates me. He won¡¯t trade himself for me, not after what I¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°That is of no concern to me. I will give him a choice: he may trade himself for you, or you will die and your blood will be on his hands. I have learned that your little boyfriend is quite the altruistic type. I have a feeling he will not want to be responsible for your death.¡±


    I remained silent. I knew that if I spoke, tears would overtake me, and I had no desire to cry in front of Ivan.


    ¡°Good, you have learned your ce. Now, Vera and I are going to go have a meeting with your little boyfriend. I expect you to behave yourself, but since I can no longer trust you, I will be leaving Ilya here to watch you.¡± A massive man stepped forward from the shadowy corner of the room. He looked remarkably unfriendly. ¡°And don¡¯t get any ideas. Ilya has been given the go-ahead to keep you quiet any way that he sees fit, so I wouldn¡¯t try and sweet talk him if I were you,¡± Ivan threatened.


    And with that, Ivan and Vera walked off behind me. I was tied too tightly to turn around and see where they went. My emotions were a tangled mess. I hoped Tallon would refuse to even meet with them, but at the same time, I irrationally wished that he would somehow save me.


    ***


    After what felt like an eternity, Ilya received a phone call. I flinched as he pressed the phone roughly against my face, then heard Tallon say, ¡°Hello?¡±


    I was simultaneously heartbroken that Ivan had managed to get him to meet, and ted that Tallon might be able to save me. The panic that had been steadily rising ever since I¡¯d found myself in this situation overtook mepletely and before I knew it, I was sobbing into the phone and begging Tallon for help. I felt horribly guilty to even ask him to help me, but I didn¡¯t know what else to do. I knew that Ivan wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill me if it meant he could hurt Tallon.


    On the other end, Tallon encouraged me to breathe. I tried hard to follow his instructions. I wanted to do anything to make him happy with me, and I needed to calm down so that I didn¡¯t put him in more danger.


    To my horror, I heard him agree to trade himself for me. I tried to yell into the phone that he couldn¡¯t do it, but Ilya ripped the phone away and quickly grabbed my throat the second he saw me open my mouth to protest.


    My entire body twitched as he pressed the air out of me. My instincts demanded that I fight, but I couldn¡¯t move a single inch. Just as I began to see darkness twirling into the edge of my vision, he let go. I gasped deeply for air, trying to soothe my aching lungs. Ilya simply shook his head and clicked the button to end the phone call, then stepped away from me as though he regrly enacted this level of violence against people.


    Too soon, Ivan and Vera were back. They roughly opened the handcuffs that had kept my legs attached to the chair and pulled me onto my feet.


    ¡°Good news for you, niece, he chose for you to live. Unfortunately, that means he will die, but I do not care so much about that.¡± Ivan¡¯s glee was abhorrent. He was such a brutally violent man, I couldn¡¯t believe I had ever agreed to work with him.


    All of this horrified me, and the worst of it was knowing that I had drawn Tallon directly into the middle of it all without a second thought. His death would be because of me. It might be my uncle who pulled the trigger, but it was me who had ced the gun in his hand. He never would have had this level of ess to Tallon if not for me.


    Silent tears ran down my face as Ivan dragged me outside to a van. I squinted against the sun and desperately tried to think of what to do. I was terrified to think that these might be Tallon¡¯sst few moments as a free man. I couldn¡¯t live with myself if that turned out to be true.


    I had to figure out a way to get us both out of this. I just had to.

 Chapter 536 : A Deal with the Devil

    <h4>Chapter 536: Chapter 536 : A Deal with the Devil</h4>


    *Tallon*


    Vinny and Alessandro sat silently beside me, but their frustration was obvious. Ivanughed across from me, then snapped his fingers at one of his cronies, who quickly sprang into action. Everyone there seemed to have known exactly what I was going to say, and just like before, their movements were obviously carefully orchestrated by Ivan.


    ¡°When do you want to do this?¡± I asked Ivan, allowing him to think that I was willing to be a pawn in his little n.


    ¡°Tomorrow, before sunrise. Natalia¡¯s apartmentplex. This will probablye as little surprise to you, but most of my men have already been living there, so don¡¯t bother trying anything. We will know.¡± He stood up, clearly signaling that this meeting was over. ¡°And Tallon? Just in case you need a further reason not to try anything, know that I will not hesitate to kill her if I even begin to get the slightest hint that you aren¡¯t ying fair.¡±


    I scowled at him but stayed silent. He had the upper hand right now; he had Natalia locked away somewhere, and I had no way of getting to her. At least not until our exchange.


    ¡°Now get the fuck out of my face,¡± Ivan snarled as his men nked us on either side and roughly escorted us out of the facade of a restaurant.


    We all remained silent as we walked, but I knew that as soon as we were back in the privacy of our car, Vinny and Alessandro would jump on me. They respected me as their leader enough to keep their mouths shut in front of our enemies, but in private, they would have no problems with chewing my ass for being so reckless.


    I couldn¡¯t make myself care. All I cared about was getting Natalia to safety. Hearing her beg me for help... it had broken something deep inside me. She needed me, and I would be damned if I was going to let her down. I felt like aplete piece of shit for ever allowing her to be in this situation in the first ce. If I had just kept a few of my men watching her apartment, I could have prevented all of this. Instead, I¡¯d let my stupid pride take control of my decisions.


    Back in the car, Alessandro immediately turned on me.


    ¡°What the actual fuck, Tallon? This has got to be the stupidest fucking thing you have done in your entire time as Don.¡±


    ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t understand. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t ask your permission,¡± I said dismissively. It was a low blow, but I had no interest in arguing this with him.


    ¡°What the fuck is that supposed to mean?¡± he growled, his jaw tensing.


    ¡°It means that you don¡¯t understand what it¡¯s like to be in love with someone. I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s true. You don¡¯t get it, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m not going to discuss this with you.¡±


    He gaped at me, mouth open. I had never been so directly unkind to him before, and I hated the hurt that I could see in his eyes.


    Vinny spoke up. ¡°But she¡¯s a traitor, Tallon. How do you know this isn¡¯t all a trick? She could¡¯ve been sitting safe and sound in her apartment, ying a role for Ivan. What happens if we trade you for her and she¡¯s still working with her family?¡±


    I shook my head. I understood where he wasing from, but there was no way she had been acting on the phone. I had heard the sheer terror in her voice. And I had seen her face when I¡¯d dismissed her thest time we spoke. She had been devastated that Alessandro had told me who she was before she had the chance to tell me herself. She¡¯d been ready to turn her back on her family for me, but I¡¯d been too stupid to see it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a trick. The woman I love is in danger, and I¡¯m going to save her. I know you two don¡¯t support it, I get that. But I don¡¯t care. Look, Natalia has made mistakes, I¡¯m not going to say she hasn¡¯t. But she also tried to change her loyalty, and look where it got her. I won¡¯t leave her to be murdered by her own family, especially not when I¡¯m the reason that she¡¯s in this mess. I couldn¡¯t live with myself.¡±


    They saw the truth in my words and finally stopped trying to talk me out of my decision. We sat for the rest of the ride in tense silence, my second inmand and my older brother wondering if these were thest few moments that we would be together.


    When we arrived at the house, it was alreadyte and we would only have a few hours to get everything into ce. I called an emergency meeting in the safe room, knowing that in order to pull this off, I would need every single one of my men.


    Within an hour, they were all crowded into the safe room, listening intently as I outlined our n. I could see the disgust on some of their faces as they realized that we were going to be rescuing Natalia, but they were all wise enough to keep their thoughts to themselves.


    Vinny and Alessandro were allowed to tell me their true thoughts, but anyone beneath them was required to follow my orders without argument. To go against what I said waspletely forbidden. It was the only way that we could maintain order and control.


    ¡°Alright, obviously our real n does not involve Ivan and his men actually taking me, but they can¡¯t know that. As far as they¡¯re concerned, right now I am making a contingency n for who will be taking over after I sacrifice myself. Ivan has told us that he has that apartment building crawling with his men, which is what I had assumed the second I found out who Natalia was. Luckily for us, they have no clue what the majority of us look like. I need everyone to suddenly find a reason to be around that building at four AM. Some of you will be jogging, some walking, some sitting in cars, you get what I¡¯m saying. Vinny will head that up and make sure we don¡¯t have too many people in one ce, but also that we have eyes everywhere. Discretion is key, so make sure you don¡¯t stand out. Obviously, everyone should be armed, but chest holsters only, nothing on your back or hips. That shit¡¯s too easy to spot.¡±


    I nced around the room, feeling the tension rolling off of my men as they all considered what I had said. This was the most delicate mission we¡¯d run in a long time, and I hoped they were all ready for it. It would require everyone to do their part perfectly.


    ¡°Now, I do not want a single fucking trigger to be pulled until after we have Natalia safe with us. That is a hard-line order. I do not care if someone has a gun on me. I do not care if someone shoots me. You do nothing until Natalia is in the car and being driven away. Do I make myself clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± they said in unison. I nodded, pleased at their discipline. We had spent years training for moments like these, and I had faith that they could do it. I just had to ensure to y my part as well.


    ¡°Alright, men, you¡¯re dismissed. Rest up and prepare.¡±


    They all headed out of the room, but I stopped Alessandro before he could follow them. Vinny turned back and shot me a questioning look. I motioned at him to go on ahead. There was a discussion that Alessandro and I needed to have in private.


    ¡°You know you¡¯ll always be my brother,¡± I said, looking Alessandro in the eyes so he could see my sincerity. I saw the surprise on his face at my words; we weren¡¯t exactly the tender type, but I had learned from my heated exchange with Natalia that it was better not to let things end on a sour note, and I was feeling guilty about what I had said to him in the car. If that was ourst conversation... I wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive myself.


    ¡°I know,¡± Alessandro finally responded, once his surprise wore off. ¡°And even though it might not seem like it, I have always looked out for you and for this family. That¡¯s all I¡¯ve ever cared about, is making sure our family is safe.¡±


    I nodded. I did know that. Ivan might have been stupid enough to think Alessandro would betray me and work with him, but I wasn¡¯t. I knew that he would never turn his back on me. ¡°I need you to know that I have always looked up to you. I know I¡¯m the Don, but I couldn¡¯t have ever done any of this without the guidance you gave me growing up. I couldn¡¯t ask for a better brother, and I¡¯m always trying to follow your footsteps.¡±


    For the first time in his life, Alessandro looked truly speechless. He reached out and pulled me roughly to him for a tight hug. I hugged him back just as tightly, memories of growing up filling my head as I thought back to what it had been like to have him as a big brother. I realized that I was extremely lucky, especially considering how horrible Natalia¡¯s family was. Alessandro could have been a resentful prick, but instead, he had always looked out for me.


    Alessandro pulled away first, then looked me in the eye. ¡°Today is not the day that the Russians take you, little brother.¡±


    I nodded solemnly. ¡°I agree. We can do this.¡±


    We parted ways so that we could finish preparing for the trade. I went to my room and took a minute to look around, centering myself and getting into the headspace that was necessary before going into battle. It was difficult to be the leader in times like this. I had to force all emotions to leave my body, and instead work off of cold, hard logic. The only thing that mattered was that the Russians didn¡¯t gain the upper hand.


    I changed from the rumpled suit I had been wearing into one that had been freshly pressed. I wanted Ivan to be scared when he saw me, to wonder why I looked unshaken even though I was handing myself over to him and his men. And if I was being honest with myself, I wanted Natalia to see me and know that I was going to rescue her and keep her safe for the rest of our lives.


    I looked in the mirror to tie my tie and took a deep breath. No matter what, whether I lived or died, this time, I was going to tell Natalia I loved her... if it was thest thing I ever said.

 Chapter 537 : Last Words

    <h4>Chapter 537: Chapter 537 : Last Words</h4>


    *Tallon*


    ¡®It¡¯s time,¡¯ I thought coldly.


    It was the wee hours of the morning when I found myself getting ready to face off against Ivan. I slid into my best suit and checked my appearance in the wall-length mirror. I wasn¡¯t going to lie; I looked sharp. But I needed to appear lethal. Ivan needed to know just from looking at me that he royally fucked up by thinking his family could ever step foot back into Venice.


    With little to no sleep under my belt, I was both wired and ready for this whole mess to be over. I couldn¡¯t wait to see the look on the asshole¡¯s face when he¡¯d discovered his mistake. But now was not the time to be getting cocky. Even if I had full confidence in the n that was set in ce, I forced myself to stay realistic.


    Because in reality, when it finally came down to facing any enemy¡ªanything could truly happen.


    Just knowing that she was still under Ivan¡¯s control made my chest tighten with burning anticipation. Part of me wanted to act out and drive straight to her apartment building and shoot my way through however many men Ivan had ced around. I would get Natalia and the two of us would make it out with both our lives safe and intact.


    I almost made a move to grab my leather holster and my gun, but I remembered what Ivan said during our little chat. He was ready and willing to kill Natalia if he suspected any foul y. Although it went against every lesson I was taught to be armed and protected, I knew I couldn¡¯t bring them with me.


    I wouldn¡¯t take the risk.


    I made it toward the main doors of the house where I caught a quick glimpse of Vinny and my brother.


    ¡°Everyone is in ce and waiting for the signal,¡± Vinny said.


    I gave him a curt nod and took a quick nce at the time on my watch. It read a little after five.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± I told them.


    My eyes wandered over to Alessandro, who remained silent and stiff as always. But I knew that behind that icy exterior, the man was worried sick. I wanted to assure him that everything was going to be okay.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    But I wasn¡¯t about to leave Natalia to die at the hands of Ivan either.


    ***


    I pulled up to the front of Natalia¡¯s apartment. The sun looked as though it was just about to hit the horizon. I swiftly turned off the ignition and stepped out of the car, heading directly toward the entrance.


    The ce looked abandoned at first nce, but I knew better than to think that Ivan would be there alone.


    Hidden within the shadows of the room we were in were his mindless cronies. There were at least ten from what I could manage to see from my angle. Yet my real attention fell on the slender figure that was slumped over across the room.


    My heart sank heavily inside of my chest.


    No further than ten feet away was Natalia. Her arms were tied restrictively behind her back. Her face looked red and puffy. Did someone hit her? Or was it from crying? I couldn¡¯t tell from the shitty lighting that surrounded us.


    But I knew well enough that it was her that Ivan was keeping close to his side. She was his bargaining chip, after all. It wouldn¡¯t have been wise for him to leave her unattended. Of course, that only made my n to get us both out of here alive a bit more troublesome.


    Natalia¡¯s strained voice sliced through the silence. ¡°Tallon!¡±


    My gut twisted inside of me as I watched two trails of tears fall from her eyes. Seeing Natalia like this¡ªso emotionally beaten down, so shattered from bearing the weight of trying to live two different lives, was enough to bring me to my knees. But no, I wouldn¡¯t let an ounce of suggestive weakness show through.


    My feet instinctively pulled me closer, and her name slipped right past my lips before I could stop it.


    ¡°Natalia.¡±


    ¡°Get out of here!¡± she shouted. Tears continued to stream down her face, tearing my heart in two.


    ¡°We made a deal,¡± I muttered darkly.


    She tried to blink back the emotion in her eyes and tried to fight against the ropes behind her back.


    ¡°Screw the deal!¡± Natalia fired back. ¡°What makes you think that he¡¯s going to let me go once you¡¯re dead?¡±


    My gaze lingered on her anguished expression for far too long. Fuck. She made a good point. This whole exchange was meant to ensure her safety. But, Natalia was right. What would stop Ivan from turning the head of his gun on her once I was out of the way?


    In their eyes, at the end of the day, she was still a traitor. None of these people, her so-called cousins, gave a shit about her. Half of them probably wanted her gone as much as they wanted me dead.


    My stomach was in knots, but I still refused to let my true emotions show. Ivan, on the other hand, looked positively smug that he got me here in the first ce. I suppose a part of him believed that I wasn¡¯t going to show up, leaving Natalia to face a horrible death regardless.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± I stated firmly. ¡°I¡¯m going to get you out of here.¡±


    Ivan let out a disgruntled snort and practically rolled his eyes. ¡°Not fucking likely.¡±


    Some of his men broke out into childish snickers, whispering offensivements and slurs under their breath. None of it mattered to me. The only person who stayed at the center of my attention was Natalia.


    ¡°Please,¡± she whimpered. ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this. Just leave me!¡±


    I kept my stance solid and unmoving as though I was rooted to the ground. I shook my head.


    Her brows drew together and she shook her head in anger. ¡°Think of your family¨Ceveryone who¡¯s counting on you¡ªwho depends on you. Do not give in to his sick game! Ahh!¡±


    Ivan grabbed Natalia by her hair and yanked her head back. I took another step forward and gnashed my teeth.


    ¡°Zaytsev!¡±


    He halted his actions long enough to turn his head in my direction. I couldn¡¯t reach for my gun, which was my first instinct. If I had brought it, pulling a weapon would have meant that everything I nned would go up in mes. But that didn¡¯t stop me from ring every ounce of venom I held toward the bastard and his little minions.


    A dangerous, heartless smile curved the corners of my mouth.


    ¡°This is between you and me,¡± I said to him.


    An unpleasant, rodent-like grin spread across his face. It made my skin crawl and Natalia tense up even further. Her wide eyes bounced between me and her uncle, not having a single clue what he would do next.


    Her chest was heaving as if the man had stolen the very air from her lungs. Ivan glowered down at her and rambled something off in Russian before nearly tossing her away like a rag doll.


    I should have been thankful that he didn¡¯t decide to pull a knife on her and go for her throat. But just seeing how horrible they were openly treating her, only confirmed my suspicions that the likelihood of Ivan letting Natalia go was not viable.


    I watched as she tried to carefully collect herself, having just been shoved to the ground. Her arms proceeded to work behind her back while everyone else brought their attention back to Ivan and me.


    ¡°I held up my end of the deal, Ivan,¡± I uttered coldly. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    Ivan¡¯s bitter disposition from earlier melted away to something along the lines of passive and bored. Yet underneath that bullshit demeanor was a man that was just dying to get his hands on his own gun and pull the trigger.


    The man was itching for it. I could tell.


    Another taunting smile pulled at his mouth. ¡°Of course,¡± he started. ¡°I have every intention of keeping my end of the bargain,¡± he slithered darkly.


    ¡°Prove it,¡± I said. I held out my hands, gesturing toward Natalia¡¯s struggling form. ¡°Remove her from this room.¡±


    If I really was about to die, then I didn¡¯t want it to be in front of her.


    Ivan scoffed. ¡°How sweet. Even in yourst moments, you¡¯re still trying to y the hero, Valentino.¡±


    I said nothing. Not ament nor a defensive sound fell from my mouth as I watched him cross the room to Natalia. I kept a close eye on his hands, wanting to make sure that there wasn¡¯t any foul y in the making.


    Her breathing was still harsh and broken while Ivan roughly tugged her to her feet. His hand gripped around her small bicep and violently pulled her to the center of the room. He brushed her hair out of her face and leaned over her shoulder to speak.


    ¡°Anyst words to your toy before I finally finish him off?¡± Ivan asked her menacingly.


    My hands clenched tightly at my sides. Oh, how tempting it was to want to swing my arm back and punch the bastard square in the jaw. He looked so smug as if he¡¯d already won the war between us.


    Slowly my eyes drifted to Ntia. I never thought it would hurt me to see her this close-up.


    ¡®My beautiful flower is wilted from all the tears she¡¯d been crying,¡¯ I thought painfully to myself.


    I wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch her,fort her, to promise that nothing like this would ever happen again and that no one from her family would ever try to hurt her.


    The look in Natalia¡¯s eyes, although distant, held so much love and devotion. I couldn¡¯t believe that there was a time when I once doubted her feelings.


    Deep down, we both knew that nothing needed to be said. Still, she parted her lips and turned her head slightly to nce at Ivan.


    Her lips pulled back into a sneer I didn¡¯t know she was capable of.


    ¡°Vaffanculo,¡± she hissed. ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    My chest swelled with the overbearing feeling of pride and honor as I heard the sweet sound of my nativenguage roll off her perfect tongue. All the air was stolen from my lungs. My mind begged her to speak more in Italian and it left my body buzzing.


    Of course, I was quickly snapped from my thoughts when Ivan dragged her away and practically manhandled her toward one of the side doors. My heart sank into my stomach while my every instinct told me to go after them.


    However, Natalia¡¯s actions appeared almost willing. But little did I, or anyone else, realize that the ropes around her hands were no longer constricting her.


    She lowered her chin down and quickly snapped her head back, hitting Ivan directly in the face. The man cursed and hastily stumbled back as a thick stream of blood fell from his broken nose.


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± he barked.


    Natalia whipped around, revealing her freed hands, and dove straight at Ivan. The force of her attack caused them both to hit the floor. She scrambled to keep the upper hand in the coiled situation, but it didn¡¯tst long. Because of Ivan¡¯s strength, the man overpowered her in less than two minutes. He towered over her, reached into his jacket, and aimed his gun right between her eyes.


    My mind went nk as my vision saw nothing but red.


    I tore myself from my position and lunged at Ivan with all my weight, knocking him back to the ground.


    ¡°Tallon!¡±


    Natalia cried out my name, but I could barely hear her over the ring sound of a dozen guns firing.

 Chapter 538 : Surrender

    <h4>Chapter 538: Chapter 538 : Surrender</h4>


    *Tallon*


    Gunfire echoed through the room.


    Time felt as though it had stopped moving the second I¡¯d lunged for Ivan. I knew a part of me snapped when he went for his gun and pulled it on Natalia. Something may have broken inside of me. Maybe it was my sense of control. Perhaps my ability to differentiate between right and wrong... or rather, what I wanted to do as opposed to what I needed to do.


    I needed to gain control of the gun that had scrambled out of Ivan¡¯s hands. But what I wanted was to smash his skull in with my hands.


    I wanted to make him pay for all the awful things he put Natalia through. The thought of him pulling the trigger on her made my blood sizzle and my rage soar to unimaginable heights.


    It was as if I was the one experiencing her life sh before her eyes. All those few shared moments we spent together¡ªit wasn¡¯t enough.


    It would never be enough.


    I realized a long time ago that I wanted to be with her. But I wasn¡¯t prepared for what it would be like if I lost her. When it was just the two of us, nothing else mattered. The horrors that I¡¯d face sometimes on a weekly basis were nothingpared to the sweet, happy nights we¡¯d spend together.


    I was not about to give that up.


    My initial thought of wanting to find another way to deal with the Russians, aside from the ongoing violence and murder our families have known for decades, was fading quickly in my mind. The thought ofing to some sort of peaceful agreement did not seem possible.


    This is all they knew¡ªanger, violence, and murder.


    I was perfectly aware that I had no right to pass judgment when my own family used those same tactics for God knows how long. But my family would never cross the line to openly kill a rtive.


    Ivan was ready to take Natalia out as if she was nothing. He didn¡¯t care about her wellbeing. He didn¡¯t care whether she lived or died.


    It was utterly disgusting. The madman inside of me was enraged over this fact.


    I kept myself as low to the ground as possible while I was still trying to gain control of the gun that flew out of Ivan¡¯s hands. Dozens of bullets continued to fly through the air above us, amazingly none of them hitting me or Ivan in the midst of our struggle.


    My men knew to rush in after the sound of the first gunshot.


    And that was exactly what they did. The ce was swarming with men from both sides of this never-ending battle. The sound of guns firing off consumed the air around us like a symphony of total catastrophe.


    They came from all different directions, surprising each one of Ivan¡¯s men due to their out-of-character disguises. A spark of smugness erupted inside of me. I relished in knowing that we¡¯d outsmarted Ivan and his band of morons.


    The fighting continued with full fervor. When someone ran out of bullets, they would resort to using either a knife or their fists. But as long as Ivan and I continued to fight over the gun that scattered between us, the war went on with no end in sight.


    Soon enough, men were falling. There were casualties on both sides, but it was clear which side was gaining the upper hand. Ivan¡¯s men were crumbling to the ground left and right as more shots went off.


    Ivan¡¯s face contorted with seething anger as I managed to show my elbow into his side. I knocked the air from his lungs and wheezed. He cursed his breath and proceeded to strike my jaw with a curl of his fist.


    It was a nasty, almost childish, fight between the two of us¨Ctwo grown men grappling over a fucking gun.


    ¡°You¡¯d kill your own niece? What kind of fucked up psychopath are you? ¡± I hissed bitterly.


    Ivan had the actual audacity to let a manicugh slip past his lips.


    ¡°That useless bitch is no niece of mine,¡± he gritted between his teeth. ¡°She had one damn job. And she went ahead and screwed that up by falling for a fucking Italian¨Ca Valentino, no less!¡±


    His spiteful words only enhanced my burning desire to see him dead. There was truly no telling what I¡¯d do once I got my hands on that fucking gun.


    ¡°I would have had better luck training and putting my trust in a fucking dog rather than that stupid, little bit¡ª¡±


    The sharp tips of my knuckles smashed into Ivan¡¯s face. I was fairly certain that I had knocked a few of the bastard¡¯s teeth loose when my fists met his mouth. Blood filled the spaces between his teeth, making him look even more unsightly than before.


    I didn¡¯t care.


    I wanted to make him choke on those words. My stomach clenched with every insult he¡¯d thrown in Natalia¡¯s direction.


    ¡°If she was so useless, then why even drag her into this shit in the first ce?¡± I snarled. ¡°Why expose her to this terrible business?!¡±


    Ivan could barely speak between the blood that was pooling in his mouth and the excessive fight over the weapon. But I wasn¡¯t looking for an actual answer.


    I just wanted something to take my anger out on at this point. There was a moment where I nearly disregarded the gunpletely just so I could go for Ivan¡¯s throat. Thankfully, I wasn¡¯t that far gone to make such a mistake. The thought was very tempting.


    My mind was still focused on Natalia¡¯s involvement with her family¡¯s idiotic revenge ns. I know she told me about her wanting to help her and her mother, but her rtives were just as guilty. They¡¯d roped her into a job that left her drowning in guilt and resentment. And when she wanted out, they threatened her.


    It felt like they intentionally destroyed the innocence that surrounded her and left her shattered by the consequences. And there was a very good chance that Natalia would never be the same once all of this insanity was over. She was just as much a victim as those who¡¯d been attacked by Ivan and his minions.


    My vision was on the edge of cking out again. But instead of letting my rage get the better of me, I used it to my advantage.


    With Ivan practically on top of me, I bent my arm out in front of me and snapped it back with all the force I could muster. I heard a blood-curdling crunch and a sharp hiss of pain from above me. Ivan hastily abandoned his attempt to get his hands on the gun and rolled off my side. He covered his face with his hands as more blood came gushing out.


    At that same moment, I reached for Ivan¡¯s gun and grasped it tightly in my hands. I aimed it straight at his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± I snarled. ¡°Call your men off.¡±


    Ivan snorted in response as if he still held the power in the situation. I watched the arrogance fade from his eyes when I cocked the top of the gun back and pressed it further into his face.


    ¡°Tell them you¡¯re surrendering.¡±


    Ivan¡¯s bloody mouth turned back into a sneer, yet he turned his head to speak to what few men of his were still left standing. They all lowered their weapons and tossed them aside for my men to gather.


    I felt my sanity start toe back to me as I heard my brother and Vinny slowly approach me.


    ¡°Tallon.¡±


    ¡°Boss.¡±


    I didn¡¯t think either of them had ever seen me in such a manic state. I tried taking several deep breaths in order to regain myposure. But a part of me was having a difficult time believing that it was truly over.


    I sucked in another breath and made it back onto my feet. I still kept the gun aimed at Ivan, not trusting the bastard a single moment not to pull something.


    My head tilted toward Vinny and Alessandro. ¡°Give me numbers.¡±


    ¡°Only a couple of casualties, none dead though,¡± Vinny told me.


    ¡°What about his numbers?¡± I asked, gesturing to Ivan, who kept his hands over his broken nose.


    Alessandro came up to my side and offered me an aplished smile.


    ¡°The Zaytevs are down fifteen.¡±


    A malicious, prideful smirk curved my mouth. I was feeling arrogant and sly as hell. To think I was the one who¡¯d left his weapon at home and walked into that cepletely unarmed. I was almost certain that today would have been myst.


    ¡°You lying, cheating bastards!¡± Ivan growled through the cracks of his hands. ¡°Here I thought you were going to do the honorable thing and show up alone.¡±


    Both Vinny and my brother scoffed.


    ¡°And just what the fuck would a rat like you know about ¡®honor¡¯?¡± I questioned sharply. ¡°You were so ready to kill Natalia¡ªyour own niece! And you dare to talk about honor.¡±


    I could sense Vinny and Alessandro tense at my side. They shared a look of disbelief on their faces, and they nearly pulled their guns out again.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying?¡± my brother muttered under his breath. ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯d actually kill her.¡±


    ¡°Natalia broke free from her restraints and fought back,¡± I exined with a charmed smile. ¡°Ivan here quickly overpowered her and went for his gun. He had every intention of ending her right then and there.¡±


    Vinny¡¯s lips twisted into a disgusted sneer.


    ¡°Your own niece?¡±


    ¡°Jesus Christ,¡± Alessandro sighed.


    I didn¡¯t want to let go of the high that was coursing through my body. It was like a huge weight finally lifted off my shoulders and I could breathe easy again.


    ¡°Vinny, round up whoever¡¯s not dead and move them to one of the warehouses,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll check inter.¡±


    Vinny went off without another word while my brother turned to me.


    ¡°Tallon, where¡¯s Natalia now?¡±


    My brows lifted and my shoulders dropped. I finally lowered the gun in my hands and quickly nced around the room.


    Nothing.


    ¡°Check down a few of those side halls. I¡¯ll take these,¡± I told them.


    He nodded his head and made his way toward the left side of the building while my eyes continued to scan the other half of the room.


    Maybe she¡¯d made it out while all the shooting was happening. It must have been terrifying to watch the whole erupt in a shootout. I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised to find her huddled somewhere with her head tucked between her knees.


    Instead, all my eyes took in was a decent number of dead bodies and numerous patches of blood. But what really caught my eye was one spot that led off into a long, dark red trail that led out of the main room and down a smaller hallway.


    I followed it.


    I expected to see one of Ivan¡¯s men, trying to escape, but instead, I saw Natalia.


    She looked one second away from slumping over where she stood. Her body sagged against the wall while her knees were shaking from trying to keep her up.


    ¡°Natalia....¡±


    I could barely recognize my own voice as my mind struggled to process what was happening in front of me.


    She stopped moving and turned to face me. Her face was ghostly pale. My terror-filled eyes dropped from herplexion down to her trembling hands that were covered in blood.


    Her mouth curved into a gentle smile that was meant to ease my nerves, but it did no such thing.


    ¡°T-Tallon.¡±

 Chapter 539 : Stay with Me

    <h4>Chapter 539: Chapter 539 : Stay with Me</h4>


    *Tallon*


    ¡°Natalia...¡±


    The exhrating high that I¡¯d been chasing since Ivan bitterly surrendered to me and my men came to a crashing halt. In fact, I was fairly certain that my entire world was about to be ripped from beneath me.


    I was prepared to walk into a death trap before the sun even made its appearance in the sky. I was ready for Ivan to aim his gun at me and possibly end my life. Hell, I¡¯d anticipated walking away with minor injuries at the very least.


    But not this....


    Nothing, absolutely nothing, in the world could have prepared me for the terrifying sight that awaited me beyond the main room. Somehow in the midst of all the fighting and flying bullets, Natalia had gotten injured. One of the aimless shots must have gotten her when no one was looking.


    Oh, Christ. And I hadn¡¯t even noticed because I was too busy trying to keep the gun out of Ivan¡¯s hands. What the fuck kind of a man was I? Here I was trying to keep her safe and ensure that she would get out of that apartmentplex alive, only to have her end up shot and losing ounces of blood.


    Natalia just stood there, sagging helplessly against the wall. Her skin paled several shades lighter than normal. Her body was trembling terribly.


    She looked freezing while also breaking out into aplete sweat like she had a fever of a hundred and four degrees. My mind couldn¡¯tprehend what my eyes were seeing. From where I was standing, she looked as though she was about to topple over at any given second.


    But it wasn¡¯t until my gaze had drifted down from her face that I noticed her hands.


    Aside from their excessive shaking, they werepletely covered in blood. That same trail of blood I¡¯d been following led to a small pool of it next to her.


    Whether Natalia was aware of this or not, she turned to face me and gave a gentle smile. My heart sank into my stomach.


    Her voice came out weak and raspy. ¡°T-Tallon,¡± she said again.


    All the air caught in my throat as I watched her eyes roll to the back of her head and her knees begin to buckle. Without a single thought, I dove to her side and carefully took her into my arms. My stomach rolled in a mixture of nausea and anxiety.


    I needed to find the wound¡ªneeded to stop the bleeding.


    ¡°Sweetheart.¡± My voice came out rough and winded as the fear crept up my spine. ¡°You need to stay with me. Keep your eyes open.¡±


    I waited for her eyelids to crack open. Good! She was still conscious.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to try and see if I can find the wound. We need to stop the bleeding,¡± I told her.


    Whether she understood me or not, I quickly went to work by gliding my hands down both her arms and her sides. Natalia winced and whimpered in difort but didn¡¯t tell me if I was getting closer to the area or not. I was growing frustrated from not making any progress. If I couldn¡¯t find the wound, then there was no telling what would happen.


    She was losing more of her normal color and fading by the second. My mind began thinking the worst.


    ¡°Vinny!!¡± I called out in desperation.


    Momentster I was joined by my second as he came barreling into the hallway. His expression also twisted into one of worried confusion.


    ¡°Is she¡ª?¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t even allow him to finish his sentence because, among my overwhelming feelings of dread and worry, I was also in feral denial.


    ¡°She¡¯s not dead,¡± I grounded out. ¡°But she¡¯s losing a lot of blood. We need to get her out of here. Go get the car,¡± I said shakily.


    Vinny responded with half a nod and quickly turned on his heels.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you out front,¡± he said.


    From there, I gently eased Natalia off the floor and held her close to my chest once more. I felt her muscles tense as she winced in pain.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered. ¡°But I need to get you out of here so we can get you fixed up.¡±


    Natalia tried opening her eyes again, but I could see her losing the battle to stay awake with every passing second.


    I hastily took off down the hallway and rapidly made it toward the main entrance. I didn¡¯t stop to see or talk to anyone as they were rounding up the remainder of Ivan¡¯s men. I knew I¡¯d told Alessandro to have them moved to one of the warehouses, but I couldn¡¯t spare another second to deal with that issue.


    As far as I was concerned, the matter involving Ivan was dealt with. I won, case closed.


    But now it seemed like the real test of wills had begun.


    Was I going to be able to get Natalia the help she needed in time? Or was I going to lose her because I failed to keep her safe in the first ce?


    The clock was ticking in the back of my mind while I rushed past my brother, who turned his head to spare me a passing nce. His face fell in shock. He must have seen that both Natalia¡¯s hands, as well as my own, were covered in blood and knew better than to try to stop me.


    ¡°Keep me posted,¡± he called after me.


    It wasn¡¯t much, but I felt a warm spark of eptance from my brother¡¯s words. I knew he was never crazy about my rtionship with Natalia. Having been the first one to question her loyalty and being the one to inform me about who she truly was certainly didn¡¯t make things easy between all of us. He didn¡¯t even want me making the deal with Ivan in the first ce.


    Yet now, it seemed he was finally understanding that my love for her was real¡ªthat what I felt for Natalia was not just some fleeting emotion. I wanted a future with her.


    But that future was now in jeopardy.


    Thankfully, I spotted Vinny whip the car around a minuteter. I felt my ears wince from the harsh sound of the tires screeching against the pavement as he came to an abrupt stop in front of us.


    He quickly jumped out of the front seat to help me ce Natalia in the back. As soon as she was in, I watched Vinny take out his phone and quickly dial a number.


    ¡°I¡¯m calling Collins,¡± he told me.


    Jonathan Collins was one the best physicians we had on our staff. If anyone knew how to fix up Natalia, it would be him.


    Hearing this piece of news set my mind a little bit at ease, for what it was worth. While Vinny was still waiting on the phone, I swiftly climbed into the back with Natalia.


    ¡°Step on it,¡± I said.


    Vinny¡¯s foot hit the gas and we were off. He skillfully dodged every other car that got in our way, all while maintaining his conversation with the physician on the phone.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know where the wound is,¡± he said bitterly.


    There was a short pause after everyment he gave. No doubt that Collins was trying to drill him for as much information as humanly possible about Natalia¡¯s situation. I knew it was important. He was the one who was going to have to perform the surgery, after all.


    ¡°No, we have no idea how long she¡¯s been losing blood,¡± Vinny snapped. ¡°Look, we¡¯re on our way to the safe house. We should be there, hopefully, in twenty minutes. Prepare your team for an emergency procedure.¡±


    Without so much as another word, he pressed the ¡®end call¡¯ button and tossed his phone to the seat next to him.


    I gently lifted Natalia¡¯s upper half to drape carefully over myp. I rested my palm against her slightly chilled, yet mmy cheek. Her breathing became much morebored since I¡¯d moved her out of the hallway. It sounded shallow with far too long of a break in between each breath.


    ¡°Natalia.¡± I tried calling out to her to get her attention. ¡°I need you to try to stay awake.¡±


    A distorted moan broke from the back of her throat, yet her eyes stayed closed.


    ¡°Please.¡±


    My own breathing grew strained as the cold hand of reality started to rest on my shoulder. I knew Vinny was doing everything in his power to make sure that we got back to the safe house, but time was our biggest factor. I wasn¡¯t sure how much longer Natalia was able to hold on.


    I wished I actually knew the amount of blood she lost. At least then I would have been able to pinpoint roughly how long we had.


    Unfortunately, all I could do was hope for the best.


    ¡°I need you to stay with me,¡± I told her quietly.


    I knew Vinny was too distracted on the road ahead to hear anything I was saying, but I still wanted us to have as much privacy as our situation would allow.


    ¡°You can¡¯t leave me like this,¡± I told her weakly.


    I didn¡¯t care how selfish it sounded, especially when it was true. I couldn¡¯t lose her, not when things were finally going to be back to normal. Neither Ivan nor any of the other Zaytsevs, for that matter, were ever going to get between us again. I would make sure of that.


    My idea of peace was temporarily on hold. If things didn¡¯t pan out with Natalia¡¯s surgery and things took a turn for the worse, I was fully prepared to put a final end to the Zaytsev bloodline. It would all have to depend on fate.


    While she looked so frail beneath my hands, I couldn¡¯t keep myself from thinking back to our short trip to Positano and the Isle of Capri. She looked so beautiful back then in that blue dress that made her eyes shine with life and passion. I would have given anything to see her like that again.


    A powerful sensation of guilt washed over me. What if I never did? What if I never saw her smile again, or felt the way her hand fit perfectly into my own? What if we never took another trip like that again?


    What if these were ourst moments?


    The heart ached in my chest with no foreseeable sign of stopping. I ran the pad of my thumb over her bottom lip, wishing she was still awake to hear me.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I said.


    I blinked back the tears in my eyes as Vinny pulled the car into the driveway of the safe house. He helped me ease Natalia out of the car. I took her graciously back into my arms and rushed her into the house.


    The physician along with his medical team were waiting for us as soon as we came in. To my dismay, two of the staff members were already trying to take Natalia away. They ced her on a stretcher and wheeled her to the back of the house.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep you informed as soon as the surgery is over,¡± the physician said.


    I hardly gave a response as I watched Natalia be taken away from me... again.


    I knew I needed to stay positive and have faith in our medical staff.


    But it was hard to stay optimistic when I could still feel the love of my life¡¯s blood drying on my hands and clothes.

 Chapter 540 : Sheer Agony

    <h4>Chapter 540: Chapter 540 : Sheer Agony</h4>


    *Tallon*


    Red.


    Like the first sip of freshly poured wine I ever tasted, stolen from my dad¡¯s liquor cab and passed around until it was empty and just perfect for spinning on the wood floor.


    Red like the very first stop sign I ran when I snuck out to head to a concert. I didn¡¯t even remember who yed, but I remembered the color of my dad¡¯s face when I got brought home by two cops and a car I hadn¡¯t gotten permission to take that now sported a brand-new dent on the side.


    Red like the color of her lips on our first date¨Csuch a pretty color that shined in the light. Her lips parted with every smile and giggle as she left marks in the shape of her lips on my cor.


    Red was the color of how I felt about her, the color of her dress and my cheeks when I first saw her in it, the color of love and passion and everything good in the world.


    But it was also now sttered all across my hands.


    I stared nkly at them, lying sideways on the couch in the safe house, where I hadn¡¯t moved for thest six hours since we¡¯d gotten here.


    Someone had taken the time to throw a nket over me. I hadn¡¯t even noticed until now that it was red just like my hands, like my shirt and my pants, and the blood as it trailed on the floor, leading to the pale face of the woman I loved as she bled all over, the red had poured out so quickly.


    I didn¡¯t like the color red anymore.


    The worst part about hospitals, which the safehouse was now, at least temporarily, was the waiting. I¡¯d been through it more times than I could count, but this was different.


    This was sheer agony.


    My phone had been silent for the past few hours, and Vinny had promised to only call once he¡¯d grabbed Ivan and Anton.


    At this point, I didn¡¯t care if they were in a body bag or unrecognizable. The fact that that monster could do this to their own blood was enough to have signed his death warrant and over.


    My mind kept racing back to that moment¨Cthe sh of silver from the gun pointed at Natalia¡¯s crumpled form on the ground.


    I had tried to be fast enough. I thought I was fast enough. But the moment victory had coursed through my blood, the moment I¡¯d finally remembered the woman I loved and searched for her, expecting to see her exhausted and bruised but alright and happy to see me like I was her, she¡¯d been bleeding out against the goddamn wall, calling my name like it was thest thing she would ever utter.


    I had failed to protect her.


    And she was paying the price for my mistakes.


    But finally, after hours and hours of endless waiting and wondering, I heard the door to the surgery room open. I jolted up from the couch, getting to my feet fast as lightning, and nearly fell from the whish.


    The doctor bounded over to me in a few steps, grasping my arm to keep me steady and asking from under his medical mask, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    I nodded shakily, noting with a grimace the blood on his blue scrubs. ¡°Natalia?¡± I asked, my voice sounding like I hadn¡¯t spoken in over a year. Parched and raspy, I cleared my throat, asking the question a second time with better results.


    The doctor pulled off his mask, tucking it into the pocket of his scrubs as he gave me a hesitant smile.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    The relief that poured through every bone in my body was more than I could take, and I copsed back onto the couch, holding my head in my hands as I breathed out, silently thanking everything in the universe that she was alive.


    The doctor patted me on the shoulder, giving me a moment to catch my breath, and once I looked up at him, giving me a shaky nod, he continued, ¡°She lost a lot of blood, so she lost consciousness pretty quickly. But the injury was located in her shoulder, not vital at all. She¡¯s very lucky it wasn¡¯t in an area that would cause more serious injury.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I gave him the most grateful look I could muster when I hadn¡¯t slept the entire night and he nodded in appreciation, giving me a small smile.


    ¡°She¡¯s resting, but you can go see her. She¡¯ll need to be monitored for a few nights, whether here or at the hospital, but she¡¯ll make a full recovery soon enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to keep her here, at least for now,¡± I told him quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to move her, not when the reason she¡¯s like this is still out there. Once we have this situation handled, we¡¯ll transfer her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfectly fine,¡± the doctor agreed easily. ¡°Now, I believe you have someone waiting to see you. She¡¯ll be a bit groggy from the medication, but I know for a fact she¡¯ll want to see you.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t as confident about that as he sounded. I nced at the room he had juste from, swallowing ufortably as I debated with myself. The doctor turned around to head to one of the other rooms, giving me some space. But before he could fully leave, I called out to him.


    ¡°How do you know she wants to see me?¡± I asked nervously. I¡¯d failed her, after all. I was the reason she¡¯s like this.


    The doctor smiled over his shoulder, a reassuring and confident one as he said quite bluntly, ¡°Because your name was the first thing she said when she woke up.¡±


    With that, he left into the other rooms, already moving on like he hadn¡¯t just shaken up my entire worldview and saved the life of the woman I loved in just a few hours.


    I nced from the door where I knew she was just behind and then at the phone which had yet to ring. Now that I knew she was safe, there was one thing I needed to do before I went in there and lost myposure entirely.


    I grabbed my phone, already speed-dialing and luckily, he picked up on the first ring.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Vinny answered. ¡°How is she?¡±


    ¡°Alive,¡± I answered. ¡°What about Ivan?¡±


    ¡°Well, hear for yourself.¡± I could almost hear his smirk as there was a beep like he¡¯d pushed a button and I suddenly heard a very loud and angry string of Russians being yelled out at the top of their lungs.


    I could only make out a few words, mainly swears but from the sound of skin connecting to skin, loud and sounding very much like it hurt, I could generally tell what was happening.


    ¡°Punch him in the face for me,¡± I growled.


    ¡°With pleasure.¡± Vinny gave a short bark ofughter, absolutely merciless as he followed through immediately. I heard the blow as if I was really there, the crack of his neck as it swung to the side, even the blunt force of the knuckles across what I assumed was the cheek.


    ¡°Fucking¨C¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell what the rest of it was, only the loud slurs and curses in Russian pouring out from a very angry Russian with what I suspected was now a bruised jaw and missing one or two teeth.


    I smirked, actually cheering up a little bit at hearing the bastard¡¯s misery. After what he did, everything he caused, he deserved every piece of pain we could dish out.


    ¡°Alessandro¡¯s having a field day,¡± Vinny said rather matter-of-factly. ¡°I¡¯m just here to make sure he doesn¡¯t kill them. Ivan and Anton are not having a pleasant day, if that makes you feel any better.¡±


    ¡°A little bit,¡± I admitted, smiling for the first time in days.


    There was a reason Vinny was my best friend, and it wasn¡¯t just his sense of humor, even if that was most of his personality. He was the most loyal bastard I¡¯d ever had the pleasure of meeting.


    ¡°Well, Ivan¡¯s iming he wants to take that deal now so whenever you¡¯re ready, I think we can finally solve this bullshit and bury it in the ground where it belongs,¡± Vinny told me casually. ¡°But you¡¯d better stay with your girl, at least for a bit. Getting shot can be pretty painful, and she looks rather¨C¡± He paused, hesitating over his next word.


    I raised an eyebrow, wondering if he was going to say it outright.


    ¡°Delicate,¡± Vinny finishedmely.


    ¡°Nice save,¡± I smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon. After I see Natalia, I¡¯ll head over.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, goody. We get to have a little more fun with them,¡± Vinny said cheerfully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go too crazy,¡± I warned him, grinning as I immediately heard another smack across the phone and more strings of Russian, this time from both of the Russian men.


    ¡°No promises,¡± Vinny replied, and then the phone call went dead just like I expected.


    I chuckled to myself, tucking my phone into my pocket as I took a deep breath and got to my feet.


    I was more nervous than I expected as I faced the door, but despite how utterly terrified I was, I needed to see her more. Gently, I pushed open the door, trying to remain quiet as I slipped inside, shutting it behind me.


    There was a white curtain surrounding a hospital bed, various machines, and an IV hooked up on either side, and from the doorway, all I could see was the lump of her feet tucked under nkets and the hint of her arm, the wires and tubes shockingly present against her pale skin.


    I stepped around the curtain, my heart lurching as I saw more and more of what her uncle had done to her. There were bruises around her wrists and up and down her arms, even more so a very red and angry-looking one across her jawline.


    Her entire upper torso was wrapped in bandages, double padding around her shoulder where the wound was but I could already see hints of red peeking through the white. I approached slowly and carefully, watching her stable heart rate and the fall and rise of her chest just to make sure she was still alive and breathing.


    That this wasn¡¯t a dream and I was still cradling her limp body, red pouring out all over the floor.


    ¡°Tallon.¡±


    The murmur was so soft I almost didn¡¯t hear it and my eyes widened, stuck on her feet as her eyes softly fluttered open, like she had sensed my presence and reacted without knowing. She turned her head to the side, her blue eyes more foggy than normal but I could see she was still aware.


    She smiled, soft and small but it was enough.


    I grabbed her hand, leaning over the bed as I brushed back her long hair and ced a tender kiss on the middle of her forehead.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I murmured to her skin, finally getting the words I had longed to say out and in the air. I heard her give a small giggle, beaming like she wasn¡¯t stuck in a hospital room and had been shot by her asshole uncle.


    My heart grew warm as she whispered back exactly what I had needed to hear.


    ¡°I love you, too.¡±

 Chapter 541 : Bullets Hurt

    <h4>Chapter 541: Chapter 541 : Bullets Hurt</h4>


    *Natalia*


    The morning light from the window was blocked by the dark curtain over it, though I could still see peeks of it pouring from under it. I sighed, having been in and out of consciousness all night, as the doctor finished up his exam.


    He checked over the IV and beeping monitors hooked up to me onest time, making sure all was in proper working condition before he smiled and said, ¡°You should try to get some rest. It¡¯ll make you heal faster. Is there anything else I can get you before I duck out?¡±


    I stared at him, half-delirious from the pain medicine and half-delirious from the exhaustion and pain. I opened my mouth, intending to say thank you, or something meaningful perhaps, but all that fell out was, ¡°Quack.¡±


    ¡°Noted.¡± The doctor chuckled, nodding to himself as my cheeks burned bright red in embarrassment.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled to myself, wishing I could sink into the hospital bed and disappear.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. It¡¯s not the weirdest thing I¡¯ve heard from a patient on such a high dose of pain medication.¡± Heughed to himself. ¡°Why, I remember Tallon had asked me out on a date as soon as he came out of surgery once, to repay me for my services he said.¡±


    ¡°Tallon did?¡± My eyes went wide, my heart lurching as Itched onto the small anecdote. Just the sound of his name was enough to send pangs of longing through my chest. I wondered where he was now, what he was doing.


    Why wasn¡¯t he here with me?


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. But don¡¯t tell him I told you.¡± He winked then nced down at my wound, surveying the extra padded bandages all around my chest. ¡°Everything looks good for now, but I¡¯ll be back to help redress your wound in a few hours, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded obediently, watching the doctor as he waved to me, aforting smile on his lips before he disappeared behind the door.


    I heaved a sigh once he was gone, finallyying back to rx only to wince at the sharp pain from my shoulder.


    The pain was excruciating, I had to admit. I never imagined what being shot felt like, only what I¡¯d seen in the movies or read in books. But nothing could prepare me for the aching pain that lingered after the surgery.


    Even wrapped up and half-delirious from the anesthesia, I could still feel the stitches pull with every micro movement. Being still had never been my best quality and I struggled just to breathe without tugging the damn stitches.


    I was lucky, the doctor had told me as soon as I woke up, that I hadn¡¯t been awake for the actual sewing. That would¡¯ve been even more painful. If this was how I felt afterward, I could only imagine the pain I would¡¯ve felt.


    I had a new healthy and terrified respect for Tallon and everything he and his men went through. How many times had he been shot, I wondered as Iy exhaustedly in bed. I could barely open my eyes as images of Tallon taking bullets like falling rain upon him, simply ricocheting off his muscles like he was invulnerable entered my brain.


    It probably wasn¡¯t like that but still, it was fun to imagine, just to get my head off the soreness of my body. I was wrapped up like a mummy, or so it felt, like my entire upper torso and right arm were covered in the heavy bandages.


    With the matching bruises on my wrists and arms, I surely looked like I had been through hell. And maybe I had.


    My uncle... my cousins... I didn¡¯t know where they were now, or what Tallon was nning to do to them.


    All I cared about was that my mother and I were safe¨Cor as safe as we could be, considering everything. I drifted off into a faint sleep, just lingering beneath consciousness as my exhaustion caught up to me.


    Before I could drift any further, however, I heard the faint shifting of the door being opened, and heavy steps on the floor approaching my bed. At first, I guessed it was just the doctor, keeping my eyes shut as I tried my best to keep resting like he had ordered.


    Until I caught the faint scent of something familiar, something I knew better than myself, and my eyes shed open, my body jerking out from unconsciousness and I swallowed my groan at the tugging and sudden pain in my shoulder.


    I turned my head, blinking slowly as I saw the person I had wanted to see the most standing right beside me.


    He looked horrible, his clothes rumpled and still covered in red splotches, a five o¡¯clock shadow on his jaw, and a miserable look in his eyes that made him look like a depressed and lost puppy. But despite everything, he still looked handsome to me.


    ¡°Tallon,¡± I murmured, not even realizing I¡¯d said his name aloud until his eyes locked on mine, going wide in sheer surprise and ever-growing joy.


    I gave him the smallest hint of a smile, the best I could muster with how horrible I felt and next, I knew, he was by my side, his warm hand in my freezing cold one as he brushed a hand through my crackly and dry hair. I no doubt had some blood still stuck in there, but I didn¡¯t really want to move to take a shower right now, especially with a hole in my body.


    My smile grew a bit wider and my eyes fluttered shut as he leaned over the bed and ced a soft and tender kiss on the middle of my forehead. I felt his lips more than heard him as he murmured the words I¡¯d longed to say to him.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    The sheer warmth and joy spread from every inch of my body and I gripped his hand in mine, a beaming smileing to my face as tears of relief spilled out of my eyes. I couldn¡¯t stop the giggle that burst forth from my lips, the happiness more than I could contain in my small and broken body.


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± I told him, as loudly and as confidently as I could, grabbing his exhausted face in my bruised hands as I gently ran my thumb under his eyes, catching the little tear that threatened to fall.


    He gave me that grin I loved so much, a new brightness behind the exhaustion in his eyes, and then his lips were on mine. I shut my eyes tightly, grasping his face so gently as he kissed me like I was something breakable, something about to fall to pieces at the slightest pressure.


    But I wasn¡¯t having any of that.


    Knowing that he still loved me, that I could still be with him after all I had done, though I knew I still had a long way to go to earn his trust and forgiveness back¨CI couldn¡¯t contain the rush of love and adoration.


    We were here, together and alive, and I had never felt more like I was living in a dream than I was now. Everything I wanted was right here in the palm of my hands and I couldn¡¯t help surging toward him.


    I kissed him with everything I had, wrapping my arms around his neck as I pulled him into me. He lost his bnce with a small gasp into my lips and barely caught himself as he fell half on top of me.


    I burst into giggles, finally breaking apart as he sent me a grin, now twisted on top of the bed. He rolled his eyes, still smiling fondly as he slid to get morefortable, grabbing the nearby chair and sitting in it. He was still close enough that I could feel his body heat but no longer crushing my aching legs.


    But the high wouldn¡¯tst forever. The guilt of what I did hit me as soon as we heard a chime from his phone. He frowned staring down at what was no doubt a text from his family¨Cthe people I had betrayed.


    I swallowed, remembering how they hade to my rescue, how Tallon had almost handed himself over to my uncle just to save me. I didn¡¯t deserve him.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Tallon gently squeezed my hand, a worried look on his face as he flicked his eyes to my shoulder, a little fear appearing in his eyes. ¡°Does it still hurt? Should I get the doctor¨C¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head, giving him a sad smile. ¡°I just... I¡¯m so sorry, Tallon, for what I did. I never meant any of this to happen and you still... you still came to save me, after everything.¡±


    Tears fell down my cheeks, the memory of that night burning itself in my eyes. More than the pain of the gunshot, more than being beaten and kidnapped by my own family, what had broken my heart more was the desperation on Tallon¡¯s face, the sheer willingness he had to give up his own life for me.


    If I hadn¡¯t done what I did, I had no doubt my uncle would¡¯ve killed him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve it,¡± I sobbed. ¡°I¡¯m so goddamn sorry. I have no excuse for what I did and you shouldn¡¯t forgive me¨C¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey,¡± he shushed me, gently wrapping his hand in my hair as he pulled my face into his chest. I clutched at his shirt, still stained with my blood as I sobbed into his chest. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Natalia.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not!¡± I pushed him back, giving him an incredulous stare. ¡°How can you possibly forgive me for what I did? I hurt you! You¨C¡±


    ¡°I love you,¡± he interrupted me, rather firmly, the honesty in his eyes overpowering the words I had wanted to spit out. ¡°I love you, Natalia.¡±


    ¡°I¨C¡±


    My lip trembled, but there was nothing more to say. He smiled at me, tilting his head softly as he brushed his fingers across my face like he was still reassuring himself that I was here and alive.


    I couldn¡¯t believe how goddamn lucky I was to have a man such as Tallon, who loved me this much. I would spend the rest of my life making sure he was the happiest man in existence, protecting that smile of his.


    Loving him.


    Tallon stayed for a bit longer, making sure I had everything I needed but the anesthesia was wearing off, unfortunately, and soon, it was getting difficult to keep my eyes open.


    ¡°Sleepy princess,¡± he cooed, brushing my hair from my face. ¡°I¡¯ll let you sleep.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I whined, reaching for his shirt but he expertly dodged.


    ¡°I have to go handle some things, alright? But I¡¯ll be back as soon as possible okay?¡± He smiled, giving me a cating nce and with how tired I was, I didn¡¯t want to fight him on it.


    I couldn¡¯t even if I tried. Handling some things no doubt meant my uncle and his followers, and it scared me to think he was going to face him again but we both knew it was necessary.


    He leaned down to kiss me on the lips, lingering sweetly before he pulled away. I couldn¡¯t hear him exactly but I saw the word ¡°bye¡± on his lips before he left. I watched him leave, shutting the door behind him before I shut my eyes, sighing to myself.


    I couldn¡¯t believe everything that had happened but now, it was finally almost over.


    Our lives¨Cour real lives without any of the lies or secrecy¨Ccould begin.

 Chapter 542 : End of a Feud

    <h4>Chapter 542: Chapter 542 : End of a Feud </h4>


    *Tallon*


    I stood to the side, unnoticed, listening and watching my brother and my best friend.


    ¡°So, what do you think? It¡¯s been an hour. Do we kill them?¡± Alessandro asked casually, turning to me with a bored look. He didn¡¯t even bother looking at the beaten and half-copsed bodies of the two Russian men before them.


    Strapped to wooden chairs with piles of duct tape around each of their limbs, neither Ivan nor Anton looked particrly okay in this instance. Swollen faces, blood dripping from various orifices, and slumped over as they went in and out of consciousness, there was very little keeping them still awake except for their sheer stubborn will.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Vinny shrugged, turning the page of the magazine he was reading from the one old worn-out couch in the room. ¡°But you¡¯re exining to Tallon why he couldn¡¯t punch them in the face himself.¡±


    Alessandro pursed his lips, a little annoyed, but he reluctantly took a seat on one of the various recliners in the room. The warehouse they had settled in was one of the smaller ones, refurbished in the back room they had been in.


    With a desk and various furniture that were too old or worn for the regr house, it had be somewhat of a hangout on a good day and a torture room on bad ones. Today, it was a holding cell for the two Russian men.


    ¡°They¡¯re not worth it,¡± Alessandro decided finally, opening up his phone as the very loud sounds of a game on his phone came on.


    The music was both annoying and incredibly repetitive and Ivan nced up, one eye swollen shut as he red at his interrogators.


    ¡°Svolochi,¡± Ivan muttered under his breath, spitting a mix of saliva and blood through his split lip onto the floor.


    ¡°And?¡± Alessandro raised an eyebrow, recognizing the word. ¡°I may be a bastard in the literal sense, but at least I¡¯d never sell out my own family, unlike the two of you. You still haven¡¯t even asked if your niece, the one you shot, is still alive.¡±


    ¡°That predatel is not my family!¡± Ivan shouted as loudly as he could, blood dribbling down his chin, ¡°If she lived then I¡¯ll kill her myself¨C¡±


    ¡°Say that again. I dare you.¡±


    Ivan stiffened, turning his heated gaze to the open doorway just as Alessandro smirked.


    I stepped into view as I lowered my murderous gaze upon Ivan and his half-dead associate. Anton didn¡¯t even flinch or move as I stepped inside, not like Ivan, who tracked my moves like a spiteful deer caught in a bear trap.


    He was trapped and he knew it. All he could do was growl and wait for death.


    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Vinny huffed, tossing his magazine onto the couch as he got to his feet. ¡°We were beginning to think you wouldn¡¯t being.¡±


    ¡°And miss this?¡± I smirked, ncing over Ivan and Anton¡¯s injuries with dark satisfaction. ¡°Never.¡±


    ¡°So, what you wanna do, boss?¡± Alessandro asked, not even looking up from his phone as he lounged in the recliner. ¡°I can kill them or Vin can take them to the authorities, get them locked up for life, though I¡¯d rather the first option, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°Prison is too good for them,¡± I said calmly, crossing my arms.


    ¡°Kretiny!¡± Ivan burst into a low, crazyughter, pinning his good eye on me. ¡°You think we¡¯ll go down this easy? My father waited years for his revenge and we waited fifteen more for ours! Do you think this will end with us? No. We won¡¯t stop until both of our families are dead in the ground. No matter what happens to me, the Zaytsevs will live on!¡±


    I studied him for a moment, watching as his crazedughter turned into a choked cough. He wheezed, his breathing in pants at his extensive injuries. With how he was nursing his right side, I guessed he had at least a few broken ribs on top of everything else.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said calmly as he met my cold gaze. ¡°Killing you won¡¯t end this. But it sure would make me feel a lot better.¡±


    Ivan grit his teeth, hanging his head in what I was assuming was pure exhaustion. I stared at the two of them closely, watching for any hints of weakness to exploit but unlike the fearsome men from before, they were broken down, cracked, and bruised.


    They had nothing left anymore and they knew it.


    I grabbed a chair and sat on it backward, my legs syed out as I tucked my arms over the back. ¡°Let me be very clear. Natalia is alive. She is expected to make a full recovery, and that is the only reason the two of you are still alive. You are lucky she survived or I might not have been so benevolent.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And why be so kind?¡± Ivan nced up, baring his teeth at me as he spat the word. ¡°Are you expecting an apology? Remorse of shooting her? Well, you will only be disappointed. That predatel got what she deserved for getting in my way. All of you deserve death for my father¡¯s death!¡±


    ¡°Getting in your way?¡± I raised an eyebrow, my voice lowering ten degrees as I pinned him with an unblinking stare. ¡°I know everything you did, Ivan. You think that you¡¯re the victim here, but you¡¯re not. Your father was a cruel, ruthless man and we gave him every chance to walk away, to pursue a life outside of here. It was he who chose toe after us again, to pursue revenge over rebuilding. His death is his own fault.¡±


    ¡°You know nothing!¡± Ivan snarled, struggling against his binds.


    ¡°I know everything,¡± I said forcefully and coldly, ignoring his attempts to run from the hard truth thrown into his face. ¡°Any of you could¡¯ve chosen to start a new life like Natalia¡¯s mother did, but it was your senseless goal of revenge that has driven you into a corner again and again. Do you want to know why you keep losing? Why you couldn¡¯t beat our men? Why you failed to turn Alessandro against me? Because you treat everyone around you like pawns in a chess game! None of your men are loyal to you because you don¡¯t value what they bring. Even your own family turns their back on you because you use them and throw them away, just like you used Natalia!¡±


    ¡°And you expected us to be the same,¡± Alessandro said, ncing up with a firm re. ¡°No matter what transgressions I may have, no matter our disagreements, we are brothers. I would never turn against my family, especially not for personal gain.¡±


    ¡°Unlike your brothers,¡± Vinny smirked.


    Ivan stiffened, an unnaturally still look to him as our words settled in like water being absorbed into a sponge. It was slow and gradual, but the pieces began toe together bit by bit¨Chow we knew about his ns before even entering the restaurant, how we had the time and resources to get rid of the many assassination attempts he had put in ce, and how easy it had been to trap them.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for them taking Natalia, which had been a pure impulsive move, we wouldn¡¯t have destroyed them in that restaurant, taken them down as easily as a match of chess. And the only way we could¡¯ve done all of that was due to those contingencies I had set up¨Cor rather, the ones that hade straight to me.


    Loyalty really did not run in their veins, it seemed.


    It was several minutes of tense silence, watching Ivan as he slowly bit by bit lost all sense of fighting back, slumping against the tape binding him. It was sad in a way to watch a man lose his spirit, his world turning on its head as he gave up¨Cor it would have been if he hadn¡¯t shot the woman I loved.


    Instead, I felt gratified, triumphant as he fellpletely and utterly silent, not even an ounce of his wheezing breath in the air. It was easy to mistake him as dead, if it wasn¡¯t for the slightest movement of his chest, the rise and fall of his lungs.


    But after a long time, Ivan slowly nced up at me. His dark eyes were just endless pools of nothing like everything he¡¯d had was drained out of him.


    ¡°Killing me,¡± he said in a slow and calm way, ¡°will only continue the feud.¡±


    I snorted, crossing my arms as I stared him down with a nk look. Did he really think such a pitiful excuse would stop me from making sure the rest of his life was miserable? After what he did to my family, to Natalia, to my father, and to Gio and Olivia....


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± I said honestly. ¡°As long as you pay for what you¡¯ve done, then this war can continue for ages. But just know that we will always crush you beneath our feet. The Zaytsev¡¯s will never win, not while my family is here.¡±


    It may have seemed cruel after he¡¯d been dealt such a critical blow to his psyche already, but to me, it was nothing but necessary. He¡¯d taken too many lives and hurt too many people. I would personally make sure his family could never rise up into power ever again if it meant protecting the people I loved.


    ¡°And Natalia?¡±


    Ivan stared me straight in the eyes, thest few straws he had clutched in his hand as he baited me out. I gave him a steady look, not showing any emotions like he wanted.


    ¡°Take her away and cut her off. The blood of Zaytsev runs in her veins,¡± Ivan told me with a slight curl to his lips and a devious look in his eyes. ¡°You really think she won¡¯t side with her family again, even for her precious mother?¡±


    I set my jaw, not willing to give him the reaction he wanted but also knowing that he was right. I doubted Natalia would side with them again, but the guilt she would have over abandoning them... of choosing me over her mother, well, it wasn¡¯t a choice I ever wanted her to have to make.


    We were stuck at an impasse, our two families on either side of the road as we blocked one another¡¯s path to what we wanted. Neither of us was willing to step aside, to give even an inch ofnd, and as I stared at Ivan and he at me, there was a spark of recognition¨Ca realization that there was only one way out of this goddamn mess.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I scowled, already knowing the answer but forcing it out of him anyway.


    ¡°My life,¡± Ivan said inly, ¡°and Anton¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°And what are you willing to offer for it?¡± I red at him.


    ¡°The end of this feud.¡±

 Chapter 543 : The Treaty Begins

    <h4>Chapter 543: Chapter 543 : The Treaty Begins</h4>


    *Tallon*


    Ivan¡¯s words seemed to echo in the warehouse around us. I was simultaneously excited and disappointed to hear him say it.


    On the one hand, I wanted all of this to end. It was time to put a stop to the violence. On the other, I wanted to make Ivan pay for what he¡¯d done to Natalia. But I knew that making him pay wasn¡¯t what would keep her safe in the long term.


    No, the only way to do that would be to forge an unprecedented peace between our two families. And perhaps, if we worked together, we could manage to maintain that peace for decades toe.


    ¡°I¡¯m done fighting,¡± I told Ivan honestly. ¡°Too many innocents have lost their lives all because we can¡¯t stop trying to get revenge. It¡¯s pointless and it only punishes our men.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Ivan said, the mean glint in his eyes slowly fading as he realized that he was unlikely to die today.


    ¡°I can¡¯t abide by your entire family living here in Florence, but I am willing to take on some of your men for moving products. I understand that many of them have families here, and I wouldn¡¯t ask them to relocate. My intention is not to punish anyone who only followed orders, but I also don¡¯t think it¡¯s the best idea if we all try to coexist here either. The city just isn¡¯t big enough for the both of us.¡±


    Ivan nodded, considering my words. ¡°I don¡¯t particrly enjoy this city of yours,¡± he admitted. ¡°I would much prefer to go back to my homnd. But I have to know that my men will be safe. How do I know you won¡¯t ughter them the second I leave?¡±


    The thought of more betrayal made my stomach turn, but I couldn¡¯t let Ivan see that. He still needed to think of me as a brutal asshole who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill anyone who got in my way. He might be willing to make a truce, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was always willing to stab me in the back. I thought of how I could satisfy his concerns while also ensuring that I would have eyes on Ivan at all times.


    ¡°I have a few men who have been wanting to get out of Florence and see more of the world. I would be willing to send them with you as insurance. Your men¡¯s safety will equal my men¡¯s safety, and you will train them the same way I¡¯ll train yours. In the end, we¡¯ll both have men who are allied to us but report back to the other. That will help ensure the peace for years toe.¡±


    Ivan wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think that my men wouldn¡¯t still be answering to me and reporting back on his behavior, but I also wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think that his men wouldn¡¯t be doing the same. This way, our newfound alliance would be monitored on both sides, and we could both begin to trust each other knowing that everyone was on equal footing.


    ¡°I ept the proposition,¡± Ivan said in a formal tone.


    I reached out and shook his hand, then motioned for my men to free him and Anton.


    ¡°I never thought I would see the day when I made a deal with a Zaytsev,¡± I told Ivan.


    He nodded. ¡°I promise you I am even more surprised than you are. Dmitri is rolling in his grave right now.¡±


    I chuckled at the thought, enjoying the idea of pissing off the old bastard. Ivan was bad, but Dmitri had been pure evil. A deal like this never would have happened while he was alive.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get the fuck out of here.¡± I nodded to Alessandro and Vinny, our signal to leave.


    Ivan and Anton would have to find their own way home. I had no doubt that they had men on the way already.


    Once we were outside and away from prying ears, I turned to Alessandro. ¡°I need you to stay here and keep an eye on them,¡± I said quietly. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere, but make sure they don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    He nodded and made his way to a small nondescript building that we¡¯d built in the parking lot solely for the purpose of being able to watch the warehouse without being seen.


    The Russians wouldn¡¯t notice him, but he would be able to see their every move. I hoped that they would stay true to their word, but until they were out of Florence for good, I wouldn¡¯t risk leaving them to their own devices. Alessandro and his men would be able to quietly keep tabs on them.


    Finally, Vinny and I were headed back to the safehouse. I was desperate to see Natalia again. The doctor had said she would be okay, but that didn¡¯t mean I feltfortable leaving her side. As soon as I got back to her, I was determined to sit by her bed until she was cleared toe home. And then, I would beg her toe home with me. I needed her to be safe, and the only way I could ensure that would be if she was at thepound with me.


    Vinny pulled into the safehouse driveway and said, ¡°Tell her I¡¯m sorry, will you?¡±


    I looked at him, my eyes widening.


    He must have sensed my surprise because he went on to say, ¡°I feel terrible for doubting her. You were right. She was just caught in the crossfire. I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t let that asshole kill her. So tell her I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I doubted her too. It¡¯s my fault that he was able to capture her. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever stop feeling guilty about that,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a way to make it up to her.¡± He winked. ¡°Now get in there and see to yourdy! I¡¯ve gotta go check on my men.¡±


    I got out of the car and flipped him off. Heughed as he pulled away. I was so grateful that we were back toughing and joking around. It had been a tense few days, and I knew we were all d that we had made it out alive.


    The nurse we¡¯d hired to care for her smiled as I walked in. I smiled back and made a mental note to have some flowers delivered and give her a bonus. She had all been more than attentive to Natalia, and I was grateful.


    I eased open the door to Natalia¡¯s room in case she was asleep. She had slept a lot since we had rescued her, and I didn¡¯t me her. Sleeping was a good way to help process shock and trauma.


    To my surprise, she was awake and alert. Her smile when she saw meing through her door made my heart want to burst. My love for her had only grown in our time apart.


    ¡°Hey you,¡± I said quietly, walking over to sit in the chair by her bed. I reached out to pull her hand gently into mine, then pressed a light kiss against it. I hated seeing the IV needle that had been pushed into her skin; I didn¡¯t want to see her in pain, even if it was helping her in the long term.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she whispered.


    Her voice was still strained from the injuries she had sustained to her throat. I had to force myself to take a deep breath as I nced at the bruise surrounding her neck like a vicious choker. I vowed to buy her a diamond ne the second I got home. It wouldn¡¯t take her pain away, but it would help ease my guilt.


    ¡°It¡¯s over. We¡¯ve taken care of everything,¡± I said, squeezing her hand gently.


    Her eyes widened, and I realized what she was thinking.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t kill your uncle,¡± I exined. ¡°We came to an agreement about a truce.¡±


    Relief overtook her face as a few tears came to her eyes. ¡°Oh thank God,¡± she said. ¡°I was so scared when you left. I couldn¡¯t sleep. I mean, he deserved whatever punishment you give him, but¨C¡±


    She paused, and her beautiful blue eyes were like crystal pools as her tears ran freely.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for everything I¡¯ve put you through,¡± I murmured, standing up to kiss her forehead and wipe her tears. ¡°I promise you, I¡¯ll keep you safe from here on out. No matter what, I¡¯ll always protect you.¡±


    She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me close. I nestled my face against her neck and tookfort in her scent. I couldn¡¯t help but press a few kisses just under her ear and was rewarded with a small giggle. I pulled back so I could see her smiling again.


    ¡°I would do anything to keep you smiling forever,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Just let me be with you. That¡¯s all I want,¡± she said.


    After spending so long knowing that she was stopping herself from loving me fully, it still amazed me at how open she was now that we didn¡¯t have secrets between each other anymore. I loved the openness between us; it showed me that she cared just as much about me as I did about her.


    Although, after seeing how hard she had fought Ivan when she thought my life was on the line, I didn¡¯t doubt for one second that she loved me deeply.


    ¡°I love you, you know,¡± I said, kissing her on the forehead once more.


    ¡°I love you more,¡± she said with a grin, then pressed her hands to my cheeks and pulled me down so that she could kiss me fully.


    I groaned as her mouth met mine and had to hold myself back, constantly keeping aware of her injuries and making sure that she wasfortable even though all I really wanted to do was climb right into the bed with her.


    ¡®Later,¡¯ I promised myself. Later I would pull her into bed and keep her there for days. For now, I just needed her to heal.


    Finally, I pulled away from the kiss, knowing that if we continued for much longer it was likely that her nurse would walk in on us and scold me for raising Natalia¡¯s heart rate. I knew she was monitoring it from the other room. I nced at the machine to see that it was definitely higher than it had been before.


    Her cheeks were beautifully flushed and her eyes slightly zed with desire, but I forced myself to sit back down in my chair and take her hand chastely in mine.


    ¡°We have all the time in the world,¡± I reassured her.


    She smiled at me, thenid her head back and closed her eyes. Within minutes, her hand had gone limp in mine and she was softly snoring. After everything she had been through, it was a precious sight to see her so rxed.


    I leaned back in my chair and thanked the universe for bringing her safely back to me.

 Chapter 544 : Fireworks

    <h4>Chapter 544: Chapter 544 : Fireworks</h4>


    *Two Weeks Later*


    *Natalia*


    I sat at the vanity in the room Tallon had given me in thepound and brushed my hair. I was d to see that the bruising around my neck had finally faded. I felt horrible every time I saw Tallon noticing my bruises, and I could tell that he felt responsible for them.


    I suspected that he would be spending a lot of time trying to make it up to me, even though I had told him that none of it was his fault. He had no way of knowing that my uncle was willing to put me in danger.


    But he had been doting on me ever since. Not only had he gifted me a diamond ne that I was too afraid to wear outside of thepound, but he had also taken me to several ridiculously expensive shops and bought me an entirely new wardrobe.


    If I was being totally honest, I loved the princess treatment he had been giving me. I had always been an independent woman, but Tallon had an amazing way of preserving my independence while still treating me like ady.


    After leaving the safe house, he insisted that I stay at thepound while I recovered, but he made sure to give me my own room so that I didn¡¯t start to feel trapped by his behavior. Although I might have worried a few months ago that I couldn¡¯t stand to live with a man, I realized now that living with Tallon was a dreame true. He knew exactly how to give me space while also seeing to my every need.


    I finished brushing my hair just as a text from Tallon came through on my phone.


    ¡°Everything is agreed upon. We are finally done negotiating the final details.¡±


    I smiled and sent him back a quick, ¡°That is amazing!¡± before beginning on my makeup.


    I had no idea how Tallon had managed to make the decades-long feud between our familiese to an end, but I was beyond grateful for it. It made my rtionship with Tallon much easier to navigate now that my family no longer had a reason to use me as a weapon against him.


    I leaned into my mirror to apply a bit of mascara and blush. I decided to stop at that and go with a more natural look. I was hoping to spend a night in with Tallon once he finished up his work for the day. Although I loved our extravagant date nights, I still struggled with leaving thepound. I always felt slightly on edge when we were out and about, and I couldn¡¯t truly rx until we made it safely back.


    My phone went off again and I looked down to see another text from Tallon. ¡°I¡¯m heading home now. See you soon, I love you.¡±


    I felt my heart flutter at his words. I would never get used to the way he casually told me he loved me. It always filled me with butterflies. I knew I was the luckiest woman in the world.


    I finished with my makeup and settled back into bed with a mystery novel. Before I even made it through the first Chapter, there was a small knock on my door.


    ¡°Come in!¡± I said, knowing it would be Tallon.


    He peeked around the door, a grin on his face. He always seemed to be smilingtely.


    ¡°What are you reading?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Another mystery, of course. They¡¯re my favorite.¡±


    He sat on the edge of my bed and pulled his shoes off.


    ¡°How can they be your favorite? They¡¯re all the same!¡± he teased. ¡°Isn¡¯t it always the butler who did it?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm... no, sometimes it¡¯s the Russian girlfriend,¡± I quipped.


    His mouth dropped open in surprise before he fell backward onto the bed withughter.


    ¡°I cannot believe you just said that.¡± He chuckled and reached out to pull my feet to his chest so that he could rub them.


    ¡°I can¡¯t either,¡± I admitted.


    It was a testament to how far our rtionship had progressed in such a short time that I feltfortable enough to joke about our dark beginnings. But I felt that it was important to be able to be honest about how we had started out, in order to move past it all.


    Tallon pressed his thumbs into a sore spot on the bottom of my foot, and I moaned with pleasure. The man was the most impressive masseuse I had ever had.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ve noticed that you seem to really like thepound,¡± he said in an overly calm tone of voice that suggested he did not at all feel calm about what he was saying.


    ¡°Yeah, I really do,¡± I admitted. ¡°It¡¯s the only ce I feel safe. I know my family isn¡¯t a risk anymore, but I still can¡¯t help but feel like I always have to look over my shoulder when we go out.¡±


    His face darkened at my words. ¡°I hate that you feel that way, Natalia,¡± he murmured and readjusted the both of us so that he was lying next to me and holding me in his arms. I gazed into his eyes and knew that if I could just be with him, I would always know I was safe.


    ¡°I¡¯ll heal eventually,¡± I said honestly.


    I knew that with time, my emotional wounds would heal the same way that my physical ones had.


    ¡°Is it going to scare you off if I tell you that I want you to do all your healing here? Permanently?¡±


    He looked so nervous it almost broke my heart. I knew why he was so anxious to suggest that I move in with him; it was because I had been so flighty at the beginning of our rtionship. I hated that our early days would always be marred by what my uncles had forced me to do.


    ¡°Tallon,¡± I ced my hands on either side of his face, ¡°there is nothing I would like more than to move in with you.¡± I looked into his eyes so that he could see the truth in mine. At that moment, I could feel a shift in our rtionship. Finally, we were moving toward the permanency that we both desired.


    Keeping my hands on his face, I used my leverage to pull him toward me and kissed him with everything I had. Within seconds, he was deepening the kiss and running his hands over my body. He pulled my lower lip into his mouth and bit down gently, sending an electric pulse through my body.


    I whimpered at the sudden need that filled me, and he responded by rolling over so that he was on top of me, his arms framing my face and caging me in. He pulled back from our kiss and gazed at me as though he wanted to remember this moment forever. I had a feeling that he, too, knew the significance of what had transpired between us. I hadn¡¯t just agreed to move in; I had also agreed to everything that came next¨Ca proposal, marriage, children... all of it.


    I wanted all of it, and I wanted it with Tallon.


    He leaned forward and began toy kisses down my throat, making sure to be exceedingly gentle where I had been injured. His hands remained at my hips as he explored me with his mouth, taking his time to kiss his way from just under my jaw to my corbone, then shifting slightly to do the same to the other side.


    As he drifted lower, I arched slightly to give him better ess. I desperately wanted his mouth on every part of my body, and I knew that he would give it to me. With one swift movement, he pulled my shirt off over my head and flung it across the room, grinning as he did it.


    ¡°Tell me what you want, Natalia,¡± his voice was a smooth growl and I could feel my body responding to his words alone.


    ¡°I want you¨C¡± I panted, ¡°your mouth... all over me.¡±


    At that, he unsped my bra from the front and freed my breasts. My nipples were already pebbled with want.


    ¡°You¡¯re so goddamn beautiful, baby,¡± he muttered as he leaned forward to tease my breasts with his mouth.


    He was a fucking expert with his tongue, and the cocky bastard knew it too. He knew exactly how to kiss and lick so that I was worked into a frenzy without even getting my pants off.


    Just when I thought I might orgasm then and there, he pushed one hand down the front of my pants and ran a finger over the wet spot that I had created in my panties.


    ¡°Already so wet for me,¡± he chuckled against my breasts, ¡°what a good girl.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think straight enough to respond; all I could do was moan in pleasure.


    Slowly, too slowly, he pushed my pants down so that I was finally naked except for the ckcy thong that I had put on solely for his benefit. I knew I had made the right choice when I saw the slight flush in his cheeks as he looked at the ck fabric just barely concealing my sex.


    ¡°I want you on your hands and knees,¡± he suddenlymanded, his voice gravelly with desire.


    I rushed to obey him, excited to see what he would do next. I arched my back so that my ass was in the air, nothing covering it except for a thin strip of ckce. My breasts felt heavy with desire; I leaned forward and just barely brushed my nipples against the sheets, desperate for more touch.


    I could feel Tallon¡¯s eyes on me and I shivered as I imagined what I looked like from his perspective. With just a tiny shift of fabric, he would be able to see me fully disyed for him.


    Tallon shifted so that he was kneeling behind me, hovering over me. I felt at once vulnerable and totally safe. Most of all, I was overwhelmed with love for him.


    So gently I could barely feel it, he hooked his fingers around the waistband of my thong and pulled it down so that it was around my knees. I arched my back further, offering myself up to him. All I wanted was to be filled by him, but I knew he would wait until he was certain I was fully ready.


    I gasped as I felt him press a finger inside of me, then pull it back out to circle my bundle of nerves. Shockwaves of pleasure rippled out from everywhere that he touched, and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from writhing against him, trying to increase the friction.


    ¡°You¡¯re so needy,¡± he murmured as he used his fingers to pleasure me.


    It was maddening the way he would bring me almost to the edge and then slow his movements so that I would fall back down again.


    ¡°Please, I need you inside me,¡± I begged.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I needed to hear, baby,¡± he said. I stayed on my hands and knees and waited as he pulled his pants off and quickly put a condom on.


    ¡°Are you ready for me?¡± he asked as grabbed both of my hips and settled behind me.


    I could feel the head of his cock just barely teasing my entrance and I couldn¡¯t imagine anything more pleasurable than being filled by the love of my life.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I need you,¡± I mumbled.


    He gripped my hips and eased his way into me, holding me tightly so that I couldn¡¯t m myself against him. He wanted to tease me with how slowly he could fill me. Inch by inch, he pressed into me until finally he was fully inside.


    He wrapped his arm around me andzily yed with my breasts as he slowly pulled back out. I took advantage of the fact that he had let go of my hips and pushed back against him, forcing a faster rhythm. He groaned at my movement and met it, moving faster and faster until I was seeing stars.


    He let go of my breasts and moved lower, circling my pleasure spot in tandem with his thrusts until I was a writhing mess beneath him, unable to even hold myself up.


    All at once, I was falling into the deepest orgasm I¡¯d ever had. I pressed my hand against my mouth to stifle my scream as I felt myselfe. His body responded to mine and his movements became jerky as he orgasmed along with me.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he said quietly once we both had stopped experiencing aftershocks. He pulled out and quickly took care of the condom, then got back in the bed and spooned me against him.


    ¡°I love you, Natalia,¡± he whispered, pressing a kiss against the back of my neck.


    ¡°I love you. I¡¯ll always love you,¡± I whispered back, snuggling closer.


    He tightened his arms around me and I knew that neither of us wanted to break the spell that we had fallen under.


    Things between us finally felt exactly right.

 Chapter 545 : Diamond Rings

    <h4>Chapter 545: Chapter 545 : Diamond Rings</h4>


    *Three Months Later*


    *Tallon*


    I leaned toward the mirror and brushed a bit of lint off of my tie, then turned around so Natalia could evaluate me. I liked to think of myself as fairly well-versed in fashion, especially considering what my older sister did for a living, but I had noticed that Natalia enjoyed dressing me.


    She had a quirky sense of style that had resulted in me wearing a lot more color than I was used to. Today I had put on one of my usual charcoal suits, but added a light blue tie thanks to Natalia. I loved that the tie was almost the exact color of her eyes.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked as she stood with her hands across her chest and looked me up and down.


    ¡°I think you just need one more thing, hold on.¡±


    She turned around and went to the vase on her nightstand that I kept filled with fresh bouquets every week. She pulled out a small white flower and handed it to me.


    ¡°I think you should wear this as a boutonniere. It¡¯ll elevate the whole look.¡±


    I examined the flower and looked back at her, skepticism written all over my face. ¡°I really don¡¯t think it¡¯s that nice of a ce,¡± I exined. ¡°It¡¯s just lunch with Vinny and Alessandro.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s been a while since the three of you have gotten together. And you told me you¡¯re going to Bon Vin. That ce is fancy! When you took me there I wore an evening gown.¡± She pouted her bottom lip out just slightly and I knew that I was going to lose this argument.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s a good point, but that was at night. I swear it¡¯s not nearly as nice for lunch.¡± I tried to hand the flower back, but she refused to take it.


    Instead, she fixed me with her icy stare that always sent an electric shock right to my heart. Fuck, she was beautiful. I started to consider canceling the lunch altogether and spending the afternoon with her instead.


    I sat the flower on the vanity behind me, then reached out and grabbed her before she could move out of my reach. She squealed as I pulled her tight and tried to wriggle out of my grasp, but she was no match for me. I knew all of her tricks, and most importantly, I knew exactly where she was most ticklish.


    I wrapped my arms around her to get better leverage, then tickled the soft spot just above her waist. Just as I¡¯d known they would, her legs immediately went out from under her as she kicked and squirmed. I held her weight as sheughed and tried to get away. I stopped tickling her long enough to carry her to the bed and plopped her onto it, quickly climbing over her so that she couldn¡¯t escape.


    Her giggles warmed my heart as she looked up at me and I thought about how serious she had been when I first met her. I loved how yful she had be in her time living with me, and I was dedicated to making herugh every single day.


    Before long, Natalia¡¯s movements became less about trying to get away and more about trying to get me to stay. She bit her lower lip slightly and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from leaning down and taking her mouth with mine. Even after months of living together, I couldn¡¯t believe that she was really mine.


    Hating that I had to do it, I pulled away from our kiss.


    ¡°I really do need to go,¡± I murmured. ¡°But I expect to do more of this when I get back.¡±


    She smiled seductively and nodded, then bucked her hips against mine, forcing me to groan in pleasure. I had to leap off of her just to keep myself from tearing her clothes off.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m leaving!¡± Iughed as I tried to straighten up my clothes.


    I rushed out of the room before she could remember to pin her flower on me, then headed outside to meet my driver. Vinny and Alessandro were meeting me at the restaurant. They had both been insanely busy ever since our merger with Ivan.


    Although his men were excited to learn about our business, they also needed a lot of training. It was obvious that Ivan hadn¡¯t really done much beyond showing them how to shoot a gun. None of them knew how to keep track of shipments or load pallets, which happened to be the majority of what we needed them for.


    Luckily, Vinny and Alessandro had decades of experience between the two of them. I had no doubt in my mind that they would have Ivan¡¯s guys acting like naturals in no time.


    When I arrived at the restaurant, I saw that Vinny and Alessandro were already seated. The hostess led me over to their table and Iughed to myself to see that both of them were dressed more casually than I was. I would have to tell Natalia that I would have looked especially ridiculous wearing a boutonniere next to the two of them. They were both wearing cks and button-downs.


    ¡°How¡¯s it been going?¡± I asked as I sat down.


    ¡°Alessandro here was just enlightening me to your scheming,¡± Vinny said. ¡°And let me just say that I am outraged that I didn¡¯t know what was going on!¡±


    I looked at Alessandro, trying to figure out what Vinny was talking about.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t know that you were aware of my meetings with the Russians,¡± Alessandro exined. ¡°I was just telling him how I had met with you as soon as they approached me, and that we had agreed that I would string them along and see what information I could get.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, sorry, Vin. I just wanted to keep it as quiet as possible. That was also when we were trying to figure out who the mole was. I knew it wasn¡¯t you, but I figured it would only confuse things if you also knew about what Alessandro was up to.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think that¡¯s bullshit, but I forgive you,¡± Vinny said with a smile.


    Our waiter brought us our appetizer, some sort of French-Italian fusion dish with plenty of tomatoes. I took a bite as afortable silence fell over us. I was grateful that things had calmed down ever since our truce with Ivan. It was nice to be able to spend time with the two of them and not have to fill it with conversations about work.


    ¡°How¡¯s Natalia?¡± Alessandro asked. ¡°I still feel guilty for telling you to just leave her in Ivan¡¯s hands. I hope she likes that dress I bought her. I asked Dahlia to pick it out.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s forgiven you,¡± I assured him. ¡°She gets it. She didn¡¯t want me to trade myself either, so really you all were in agreement.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering when you¡¯re going to make this official!¡± Vinny interjected.


    ¡°Damn, Vinny, they¡¯ve only been together for a few months. Give the man some time,¡± Alessandro said.


    I smiled and held my hand up to interrupt him. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been nning out my proposal.¡±


    ¡°No shit?!¡± Alessandro reached over and pped me on the shoulder. ¡°I cannot believe my little brother is going to settle down.¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡± Vinny crowed, elbowing Alessandro. ¡°Did I not tell you that as soon as everything settled down, he¡¯d be proposing?¡±


    Alessandro rolled his eyes. ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever. We all knew he would ask eventually. I just didn¡¯t think it would be so soon.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s soon,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I just know she¡¯s the one for me. I mean, fuck, the idea of her ever moving out of thepound kills me.¡±


    ¡°I get it, man,¡± Alessandro said. ¡°I think you should go for it. It¡¯s obvious that she feels the same way about you. The fact that she was willing to turn her back on her entire family for you says a lot. She¡¯s tough as hell, too. The perfect match for you. You need a tough woman to keep you in line.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± I took another bite of our appetizer, thinking about what it would be like to marry Natalia. Alessandro was right; she was tough. She wouldn¡¯t take shit from anybody, I was sure about that.


    ¡°So what¡¯s your n?¡± Vinny asked. ¡°I know you¡¯re the king of romantic gestures.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, give us a lesson on how to n the perfect proposal,¡± Alessandro teased.


    Ignoring their jokes, I leaned in and told them my n. ¡°I¡¯m going to take her to Tuscany. Our family seems to have good luck with proposals there. I haven¡¯t decided exactly what I¡¯m going to do yet, but I know she¡¯ll be surprised. I just hope she says yes. You¡¯re right, Alessandro, it is really soon. And I know she¡¯s young. She might not be ready to take such a big step forward.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ve seen the way she looks at you,¡± Vinny argued. ¡°She¡¯ll say yes. No doubt about it.¡±


    Alessandro nodded his agreement. ¡°She¡¯s young but she¡¯s not stupid. She knows that what you two have is special.¡±


    ¡°Either way,¡± I added, ¡°I¡¯ll stick with her. Even if she¡¯s not ready to get married yet, I¡¯ll stay by her side. She¡¯s not going to be able to get rid of me that easily.¡±


    Alessandroughed. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to be trying to get rid of you. You¡¯ll sh her that ¡®I¡¯m the baby of the family and get whatever I want¡¯ grin and she¡¯ll definitely say yes.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I resent that. I don¡¯t always get whatever I want. Dahlia has definitely told me no a few times.¡±


    They both threw their heads back andughed. It was a long-running joke in our family that I was the family favorite. I could hardly deny it; growing up as the youngest had its perks. But I had my doubts about whether or not my ¡®baby of the family¡¯ charm as Alessandro put it would work on her.


    She had already been through so much in life and was forced to make so many difficult decisions. I wanted to make sure that being engaged to me would be the easiest decision she had ever made.


    Our waiter brought out the entrees and set them down neatly in front of us. Our conversation paused as we all took a few bites. I was grateful for the pause. I was excited to propose to Natalia, but if I was being honest with myself, the whole thing scared me shitless. I really had no clue what she was going to say, and I wasn¡¯t sure what I would do if she said no.


    All I knew was that I had to ask. I couldn¡¯t stand to go any longer without at least trying to get a ring on her finger.


    I wanted her to know that I wanted her to be mine forever.

 Chapter 546 : Taking a Trip

    <h4>Chapter 546: Chapter 546 : Taking a Trip</h4>


    *Tallon*


    The whole matter was settled in my mind.


    I was going to marry Natalia.


    But, of course, I needed to make sure that everything was perfect.


    Having spoken with Vinny, I was both shocked and happy to know that he was a hundred percent supportive of me wanting to marry Natalia. Not that it would have persuaded me otherwise if he wasn¡¯t, but it was still nice to know that he had my back in this case.


    These past couple of months have been nothing short of a blessing. Work has been running smoothly. The Russians had been keeping good on their word to y fairly when it came to business. And I had been lucky enough toe home each day to find Natalia tucked away somewhere in my house. For a time, it felt like I was living a fantasy. Everything was working to my advantage.


    But in the back of my mind, I knew that all of that could easily vanish if this proposal didn¡¯t go well.


    The sun was still decently high in the sky as I was on my way back to thepound. The air felt cool against my skin, making me want nothing more than to curl up with Natalia as soon as I got home.


    I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I took it out to see a new message on my screen. It was Vinny telling me that everything was ready to go for the Tuscany trip I was going to surprise Natalia with. ording to the message, everything¨Cthe flight, the house, and the staff¨Cwas clear to go.


    A spark of excitement raced through me. The idea of a proposal seemed like nothing more than a dream for so long. And at one given point, there was a time when I didn¡¯t even believe it would¡¯ve been possible.


    I leaned forward in my seat and told my driver to step on it. I didn¡¯t want to waste any more time being away from Natalia. With the speed of the car finally picking up, I eased myself back in my seat and began mentally preparing myself for when the time finally came to pop the question.


    This was actually going to happen.


    By the time we reached the house, my nerves were jittering with child-like excitement that I hadn¡¯t felt in years. I couldn¡¯t wait to see the look on her face when I told her about the trip.


    I was hoping that she would light up the same way she did when we went on our first one. With any luck, this one wouldn¡¯t be rudely interrupted like thest one was.


    I stepped through the main doors and began scanning for any sign of Natalia. I loved this little unknown game of hide and seek. Although it wasn¡¯t done intentionally, I took a strange pleasure in trying to find her in different areas of the house.


    Sometimes I¡¯d find her in the kitchens. Other times she¡¯d be hanging out in our shared bedroom, and then there were moments when I¡¯d see her lounging in the living room. It didn¡¯t matter where she was, I was just d that she feltfortable enough to move around and make herself feel at home.


    After the horrific events that took ce in her apartment building a few months back, it came as no surprise that she didn¡¯t want to go back.


    Nheless, I wandered through the halls until I saw her from the doorway to the living room. She was curled up on one of the armchairs,pletely lost in another book.


    Whether it was for school or for pleasure, I adored the way Natalia looked whenever she became consumed by something she was reading. She appeared so focused yet so angelic¡ªit drove me nuts because I knew I could watch her for hours.


    It almost gave me the idea of, perhaps, one day having a library ced somewhere in the house for her.


    A secondter, Natalia lifted her head from her book as though she sensed me watching her. A beautiful smile curved her lips, which made my body buzz to life. This was a look that I wanted toe home to every day.


    ¡°You¡¯re home,¡± she greeted me softly.


    I felt my chest contract when I heard her use that word¨Chome. She would never know how ted this made me feel, knowing that she referred to thepound as being her home.


    I sauntered further into the room with a tantalizing grin syed across my face. I bent down to capture her lips in a heated, much-needed kiss. I snaked my hand up from her jaw to sink back into the thick locks of her hair, deepening the kiss and taking in her sweet taste.


    God, I missed her.


    I wasn¡¯t even gone for that long of a time, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to pull away so easily. Even though work hadn¡¯t been too stressfultely, I never wanted to be away from her. I could have nipped and kissed along the edge of her jaw for hours if time allowed me.


    However, we had a flight to catch in the next two hours and I needed to break the news to her.


    Against my better desire, I slowly pulled back. I kept my hand curled in her hair while the other framed her face. I nced down at her adoringly.


    Our kiss left her breathless and slightly dazed from the spaced-out look on her face. Her lust-blown eyes had me wanting to throw her over my shoulder and take her up to the bedroom. I could have easily spent the next several hours worshiping her body and listing the ways she ruined me.


    I grazed the pad of my thumb over her bottom lip, wanting to lean down and kiss her once more.


    ¡°I have a surprise for you,¡± I whispered.


    The whites of her eyes grew wide with excitement.


    ¡°What kind of surprise?¡± she asked me.


    I didn¡¯t mean to make my smile as devious as I¡¯m sure it looked. But I couldn¡¯t help myself from getting lost in her light-hearted expression of pure wonderment. It filled me with so much joy, knowing that I possessed the ability to give her these kinds of experiences.


    ¡°We¡¯re going on a trip for a couple of days.¡±


    As expected, Natalia¡¯s face lit up with tion which made it difficult to keep a straight face.


    ¡°A trip where?¡± She lightly nudged me. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    My smile deepened into a yful smirk. ¡°Ah, sorry, no can do.¡±


    I started to pull back and watched her face fall into slight puzzlement. She narrowed her eyes on me.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you tell me where we¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°Because that¡¯s part of the surprise,¡± I told her. ¡°What fun would that be if I were to just tell you?¡±


    Natalia puffed out a breath and rolled her eyes up.


    ¡°Tallon, if you don¡¯t tell where we¡¯re going, then how am I gonna know what to pack?¡± she questioned.


    I wanted to string her along in this little game for at least another hour. When I nced down at my wristwatch, I knew that I would not have that luxury this time.


    ¡°Well, will you at least tell me when we¡¯re expected to leave?¡±


    I gave her a curt nod. ¡°Of course. We are set to fly out of here... in about two hours.¡±


    Natalia¡¯s mouth flew open, her eyes widened in unfathomable disbelief. I could easily tell that her heart must have skipped at least two beats as she stuttered over her words.


    ¡°W-what?!¡±


    She quickly shut the book she was reading and tossed it away. She scrambled to find her bnce while running through a list of questions.


    ¡°Two hours? Two hours!¡± She threw her hands out around herself to collect her bearings. ¡°How the hell am I supposed to pack a bag for a trip that starts in ¡®two hours,¡¯ a trip where you refuse to even tell me where we¡¯re going?¡±


    I know I shouldn¡¯t take any pleasure in her distress, but she was so cute when her mind was inplete disarray. She was jumpy and spry on her feet, still trying to figure out what she could possibly throw in a suitcase so that we wouldn¡¯t miss our flight. I suppressed a chuckle.


    I couldn¡¯t bear to watch her lose her sanity any further.


    Just as she was about to fly out of the room, I snaked my arm around her waist and swung her back into my arms.


    ¡°Tallon! Please, I need to go and figure out what I need to pack before we¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sweetheart, please calm down,¡± I said, trying to soothe her.


    She vigorously shook her head and continued to try and get out of my arms. ¡°I can¡¯t calm down, I need to pack!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hold myughter back any longer. I threw my head back and chuckled till my sides were starting to hurt. Natalia stopped trying to get away and instead went stiff in my hands. For a moment, I was thankful that we weren¡¯t facing each other because I was fairly certain that she would be ring at me.


    ¡°Tallon.¡± Her voice grew stern. ¡°Tell me where you¡¯re taking me.¡±


    I tightened my hold on her and lowered my face to her neck. cing a lingering kiss over the sensitive part below her ear, I spoke softly.


    ¡°I refuse to tell you where we¡¯re going,¡± I hushed. ¡°And before you break out into aplete panic once again, you must know that everything has already been taken care of.¡±


    Natalia twisted herself around to better face me. Her expression of worry and fret graciously melted to something resembling bashful excitement. Natalia wrapped her arm around my neck and pushed herself up on the tips of her toes to reach me.


    ¡°You are mischievous sometimes, you know that?¡± she said with a smile.


    I rolled my brows and proceeded to swing her around the room, spreading kisses all over. She giggled and hummed in eager anticipation till it was time to leave.


    By the time it came ready to head to the airstrip, I made sure we both had our phones and everything needed.


    I couldn¡¯t wait for her to find out where I was taking her. The flight from Venice to Tuscany was a little over an hour, but went as smoothly as possible. We were set to arrive in about ten minutes.


    Natalia stayed glued to the window on her right side for the entire flight. Her gorgeous eyes searched our surroundings until it came time for our descent.


    A small gasp escaped her lips. ¡°Oh my God, Tallon,¡± she breathed. ¡°Tuscany... you brought me to Tuscany.¡±


    I took a nce out the window to see the gorgeous foliage that greeted us and instantly felt a familiar sense of warmth. I was so d to see that Natalia felt the same way I did about visiting. Her features were alight with enthusiasm.


    I wanted to make that wondrous expression be permanent on her face. So many things were new to her and that only made me want to do it all. I wanted to fill her schedule with trips like this where the two of us would travel and experience new things together.


    I couldn¡¯t wait to ask her to marry me.

 Chapter 547 : Seeing Tuscany

    <h4>Chapter 547: Chapter 547 : Seeing Tuscany</h4>


    *Tallon*


    Natalia and I were greeted with the soft green hills of Tuscany as the sun was finally making its way towards the horizon. The sky was painted in several shades of violet, gold, and pink. It was the perfect way to end the day as well as start our wonderful trip together.


    Natalia could still hardly believe that I had chosen this specific location for our destination, the ce where we¡¯d first met. For the past several minutes, I was listening to her adorable boasting excitement for having a chance to really see some of the incredible sights that she hadn¡¯t enjoyed before when her family had controlled her.


    And she was right to be excited. Tuscany was home to a multitude of museums, galleries, and zas. Her thirst for exploring made me want to dive straight into our schedule as soon as we got off the private jet.


    The pilot informed us over the inte that we were clear tond and that we expected to touch down in a couple more minutes. I watched Natalia lean back in her seat and fasten her seatbelt. Her smile hadn¡¯t left her face since we¡¯d left thepound.


    Hopefully, I would be able to keep that smile on her face once we got to the vi. It was far toote for us to do any sort of sightseeing, but I was determined to make sure we were well-rested and prepared for the following day.


    As excited as Natalia was, her little yawn did not go unnoticed. I found myself smiling while she tried to hide her exhaustion. I¡¯d tried to convince her to take a short nap while we were still in transit, but she persistently refused.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to miss anything,¡± she said.


    And with that in mind, I left her be. But with the day eagerly slipping away, I wanted us to get to the vi and settle in. I even managed to reach out to one of the chefs on our staff to have a special dinner prepared as soon as we arrived.


    I was personally excited to show Natalia around the vi. The ce was gorgeously constructed out of tan stones and soft-colored tiles. The ce had belonged in my family for countless generations and was always well taken care of by the staff that remained there throughout the year.


    A car was scheduled to pick us up from the airstrip and bring us straight to the house. I graciously took Natalia¡¯s hand in my own and led us down the small staircase of the jet to the car waiting for us below.


    The ride over to the vi was blissfully serene. Her eyes stayed glued to the window again as we coasted through the small vige.


    ¡°Oh my God, it¡¯s so beautiful,¡± she remarked.


    Part of me always sort of wondered what ces Natalia wanted to visit. Aside from secretly promising to show her the rest of Italy, what other ces would she be interested in traveling to? Would she want to visit Spain? What about France and Germany?


    Come summertime, I was more than okay with picking some tropical ind for us to spend a few weeks away together. Hell, I didn¡¯t care where we¡¯d go. As long as I was with her, it didn¡¯t matter.


    A wave of pride swelled inside of me while her gaze remained fixed out the window. It was beautiful. Most of the houses in the vige were smaller and tucked away amongst the healthy vegetation and greenery. They all carried that same country re that could make anyone feel right at home.


    A humored smile touched my lips. ¡°Just wait until you see it during the day,¡± I mused.


    Tuscany was just one of those ces that was stunning all year round. If it turned out in the end that Natalia really enjoyed the ce, I would have had no objections to using back here in the near future for a longer period of time.


    A few momentster, the car pulled up to the vi and we were greeted by a few of the staff members. Two of the men went to take our bags inside while one of the housekeepers escorted us toward the dining room.


    ¡°Ah, Mr. Valentino. It¡¯s so good that you¡¯vee back to visit.¡±


    I smiled and lightly nodded. ¡°It has been a while, hasn¡¯t it? I promise to hopefullye back here more often if the future allows,¡± I said.


    ¡°Come,e. One of the chefs has prepared a light meal for the two of you.¡±


    I snaked my arm around Natalia¡¯s waist and guided her toward therge table. Just as we were seated, the dishes were brought out and ced in front of us¨Cfreshly made tortelli paired with a white wine butter sauce.


    It smelled amazing along with the basket of freshly made rolls. One of the staff came up from the wine cer, holding a bottle of Ribo Gia.


    I watched Natalia take her first bite. Her eyes rolled back and I chuckled. Our meal was delicious and thankfully not too filling. Afterward, one of the staff members informed us that our bags had been ced in the master bedroom.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to bed,¡± I said warmly. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re exhausted after today.¡±


    Natalia nodded her head and the two of us made off to the bedroom, where we got ready for bed. With nothing more than a pair of pajama pants I slid under the inviting covers and waited for Natalia to finish up in the bathroom.


    ¡°Jesus Christ,¡± I hissed under my breath.


    I felt my entire body tense up as I watched her open the bathroom door to reveal a dark purple nightie. The silk nightdress reached the middle of her thighs and effortlessly flowed as she made her way over to the bed. The material hugged every single one of her perfect curves and left nothing to the imagination.


    ¡°Well, I ¡®was¡¯ tired,¡± I thought shamelessly to myself.


    I didn¡¯t know who was in charge of packing her suitcase, but I was ready and willing to send thergest, most borate thank-you note I could find.


    Natalia pulled back the covers to climb into bed, but she paused half way through. She looked at me in puzzlement,pletely unaware of her natural beauty.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are?¡±


    Her eyes widened while a deep blush touched her cheeks.


    ¡°Oh, stop it,¡± she hushed.


    I swiftly reached out to cup her cheek and leaned over to press a chaste kiss to her lips. I thanked her for allowing me to take her on this trip, given that it was a bitst minute. But so far, I was convinced that she was enjoying the surprise.


    I turned to shut off the remaining light in the room and the two of us slipped into a consuming, yet weing sleep the moment we closed our eyes.


    ***


    The following morning, we were greeted by the sun streaming its light through the curtains of the bedroom. I cracked my eyes open and instantly found myself smiling as my gaze took in the magnificent sight of Natalia wrapped around my side.


    She looked so peaceful that I actually felt bad about disturbing her sleep. But I had nned a full day out and I couldn¡¯t wait for us to start exploring together.


    I leaned over to press a soft kiss to her temple, trying to coax her into waking. Natalia slowly blinked her eyes open and graced me with a warm smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to get ready, love. We have a busy day ahead of us,¡± I told her.


    With onest lingering kiss, I got up from the bed and headed into the bathroom for a quick shower and a fresh change of clothes. I secretly wished that Natalia would have joined me in the shower, but I could see that she was still feeling a bit sluggish from our travels the night before.


    No matter... as soon as I finished up in the bathroom I gave her privacy and wandered into the dining room. The staff hadid out a perfect spread of fresh fruit, cheeses, and pastries to pick on.


    Natalia joined me noter than twenty minutes and she looked breathtaking. She wore a long dress with a pair of sandals that were perfect for walking around all day. She left her hair down and braided it back with just a few pieces framing her face.


    Once we finished breakfast, we set off to where we became swept up in the stunning art and culture of the lustrous city. We started out at the Piazza del Duomo, where Natalia had utterly fallen in love with Renaissance artistry and Gothic architecture. Her mind looked as though it had short-circuited when we came upon the Leaning Tower of Pisa. We spent hours roaming about the ce, where eventually I got us to a small cafe that made homemade biscotti.


    From there, we kept wandering around the multitude of small, well-kept viges and simply enjoyed the ambiance and local life.


    I caught myself ncing over at the beautiful woman next to me throughout the day and consistently asked myself how I¡¯d be so lucky. As crazy as our rtionship has been in the past, I couldn¡¯t imagine myself with anyone else. She was the one.


    ¡°Today was incredible, Tallon,¡± Natalia said. ¡°Thank you so much for taking me here.¡±


    Our perfect day was spent the best way imaginable and I wanted it to have that same wonderful ending as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet,¡± I told her with a knowing smile.


    For our evening ns, I made a reservation at one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city. I had specifically asked for a private room, overlooking the Apennine Mountains. I wanted total privacy for us. Not to mention I had another special gown waiting for Natalia back at the vi for her to wear. I did not want any other man getting the chance to ogle her tonight.


    Natalia raised a brow. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We have special dinner arrangements tonight.¡±


    A look of worry streaked across her face. ¡°We do?¡± She looked down at her clothing. ¡°Am I even dressed for these so-called dinner ns?¡±


    I chuckled and pulled her into my embrace. ¡°You look perfect in anything you wear, but I¡¯ve already picked you up something special for tonight.¡±


    After we had enough wandering and exploring, I had the car bring us back to the vi. We headed straight to the bedroom to get ready.


    Natalia froze in the doorway when she saw what outfit I had chosen for her. It was a sift, petal pink colored gown with a long slit up the side. Along with it was a set of rose gold earrings and a matching ne.


    ¡°Tallon,¡± she said breathlessly. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Try it on,¡± I urged her.


    She took the dress into the bathroom to get ready while I began to change out of my own clothes. For tonight, I decided to go with a light beige suit and a tie that would match Natalia¡¯s gown. Before she¡¯d finished getting ready, I swiftly took out the small velvet box from the top drawer of the dresser and slipped it into my pocket.


    My heart leaped into my throat when I finally got a real chance to look at her. As I expected, the dress fit her like a glove, and her hair remained in loose curls around her shoulders.


    ¡°You look perfect.¡±


    ¡°So do you,¡± she whispered back.


    As the driver took us into the city, Natalia went on to talk about everything we had seen during the day, but my mind was reeling from the one question that was branded in my mind.


    The velvet box that held the ring felt like it was burning a hole in my pocket.


    I just hoped that I could make it through tonight.

 Chapter 548 : A Question

    <h4>Chapter 548: Chapter 548 : A Question</h4>


    *Tallon*


    ¡°I can do this,¡± I thought to myself. ¡°I can do this... oh, shit. What if I can¡¯t do this?¡±


    For the love of God, how was it possible that I could hold a loaded gun to a person¡¯s head, but couldn¡¯t manage to maintain my cool in front of the woman I loved?


    We took the beautiful scenic route through the city to get to the restaurant. As expected, one of the owners of the ce greeted us at the door and brought us directly to our table in a private room that overlooked the natural majesty of the Apennine Mountains, which was decorated tastefully with candles and fresh flowers.


    Our evening began with an aged bottle of wine and a few light pickings. Natalia was dazzled and couldn¡¯t get over the fantastic view that stood before us. The waiters were conscientious and perhaps just a bit too... attentive at times.


    Had my nervousness not been enough to deal with, my jealousy was sure to sabotage tonight¡¯s purpose.


    At least three of our servers kept lingering in our private room just to steal a look at Natalia. It was beginning to get on my nerves.


    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, they¡¯re not even trying to be subtle about it,¡± I thought angrily.


    Of course, they were leering at her. How could they not? Who could me them? She was a walking dream, an angel that had literally ¡®fallen¡¯ into my life.


    From the moment we stepped into the restaurant, I could sense that every other man¡¯s attention was instantly drawn to her. Everyone who was working as well as present for their own romantic evening out, turned their heads to catch a quick glimpse.


    I was almost beginning to regret getting her the dress and jewelry set, just because it was drawing too much attention to her. Natalia didn¡¯t need any help in making her look more beautiful.


    I was not about to ruin this night just because I wasn¡¯t able to keep my emotions in check.


    God, I felt childish. It was as if the grown man I¡¯d be had stepped out of the room and left behind a young boy who was afraid of his own shadow. I couldn¡¯t fathom why I was so nervous.


    Ever since she¡¯d moved into the house, we¡¯d spent countless nights together. We¡¯d been in each other¡¯spany long enough to feelpletelyfortable. There were no secrets, no fears. It was just us in our little world, safe from all worries and threats now that business with the Russians changed so immensely. Nothing¨Cthere was absolutely nothing that could have caused me to feel so agitated, and yet I was.


    ¡°Jesus, get a hold of yourself,¡± I cursed.


    I forced myself to take numerous deep breaths and find my focus. Of course, none of that was easily achieved when I spotted one of our waiters peeking around the corner to sneak a nce at Natalia¡¯s side profile.


    A part of me demanded that I get up from the table and remove the other man myself, but kept myposure in line.


    Natalia must have noticed my uneasiness because a secondter, she was reaching across the table to rest her hand over my own.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she spoke softly. ¡°Just ignore them. I do.¡±


    I let out a bashful chuckle. ¡°Believe me, love. It¡¯s taking every nerve inside of me to not go for their throats.¡±


    She squeezed my hand. The sound of herughter allowed my shoulders to rx.


    ¡°Well, now you know how it feels when we¡¯re out in public and literally every woman is staring openly at you,¡± she pointed out.


    My lips parted in shock. Suddenly, I felt a wild spark of arousal course through me. It never urred to me that Natalia would ever feel something as trivial as jealousy. Surely she knew that these other women were not even a thought in my mind. There wasn¡¯t even aparison whenever it came to her.


    I brushed the pad of my thumb over the top of her hand and smiled. ¡°I think I like you a little possessive,¡± I said smugly.


    Natalia yfully rolled her eyes and shared a look of amusement.


    ¡°I know I¡¯ve been saying this since we got here, but thank you,¡± she said. ¡°Tonight has been perfect. I¡¯ve loved every moment we¡¯ve spent together.¡±


    Hearing her say this gave me the rush of confidence I didn¡¯t know I needed.


    It was hard to believe that just a few months ago I had willingly walked into an ambush, without a single piece of protection. The chances of me walking out of that predicament alive were one out of a hundred. And still, I found this whole situation far more terrifying.


    My mind was bing my worst enemy. As each minute ticked by on the imaginary clock I¡¯d set inside of my head, the list of questions was growing endless.


    What if by the end of the night, I¡¯d lose my nerve and fail to ask her? What if I did ask her, but she ended up saying no? What was I going to do if she said no?


    It was not a pleasant thought to ponder, but it was certainly one that I needed to take into consideration. Our rtionship was many things¡ªconventional was not one of them. But I was willing and wanting to overlook everything that set the two of us apart because, deep down, I knew that we were perfect together.


    Whatever fear that was rolling through me would just have to be suppressed until the end of the evening.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask her at the end of dinner,¡± I decided.


    My nerves, thankfully, were beginning to calm down as our waiters brought out the next course. For a good while, the two of us fell into afortable silence as we ate. Aside from the irritating, persistent nce from the waiting staff, the food was exceptional.


    For a moment I allowed my eyes to drift from Natalia to nce out therge window next to our table. The scenery was unmatched as the city below was starting toe to life with small lights filtering throughout. Granted there were multiple spots that were considered major tourist attractions in Tuscany, but I knew I wouldn¡¯t mind spending more time out here. The countryside was peaceful and the vi was tucked away for decent privacy.


    It made me wonder if Natalia would be interested in staying for a longer period of time, maybe a few weeks as opposed to a few days?


    Honestly, it almost felt surreal, sitting where we were together. A small smile curved the corner of my mouth.


    To think, there was a time when I truly didn¡¯t believe that we would have another opportunity like this.


    Natalia ced her fork down and reached for my hand once more. I was quickly pulled from the thoughts and turned to face her.


    ¡°Tell me what¡¯s on your mind,¡± she said.


    My smile deepened.


    ¡°Oh, just thinking about how beautiful this city is and wondering why I haven¡¯t made the time toe here more often with you,¡± I answered. ¡°And, also how there was a time when I didn¡¯t think any of this would be possible....¡±


    She took her bottom lip between her teeth and gently bit down. Her gaze dropped to our hands.


    ¡°I know what you mean. Thesest couple of days, my mind has been wandering back to when we first met here. It¡¯s hard to believe how much time has passed, and yet it all feels like it happened yesterday.¡±


    I nodded my head in agreement.


    She couldn¡¯t have been more right.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I agreed. ¡°These past few months have been crazy as all hell, to say the least. But I can still picture that fateful day when I first saw youing out of that tattoo parlor.¡±


    A slight blush touched her cheeks. She lowered her head down, almost as if she were embarrassed by the whole act she¡¯d put on to capture my attention.


    Surely she knew that I had forgiven all ill-intent that was wrapped around that time for us.


    ¡°Natalia. You need to know that I don¡¯t hold any negative emotion about how things were back then,¡± I told her.


    I knew that in certain cases, Natalia was still deeply bothered about the violent acts her family had made against my own. The deaths of many of my men prayed horribly on her mind even after the Zaytsevs and I worked out an arrangement. There were times when the matter bothered her so much that she¡¯d m up and try to brush me off.


    I¡¯d spent numerous nights trying to ease the guilt, wishing that I could just wash away the terrible memories from her mindpletely. I med myself for the things I¡¯d said back then about the situation, but I knew for a fact that Ivan added to her remorse as well.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s been a hair-raising past few months,¡± I said. ¡°But, let me just say that I wouldn¡¯t trade any of it if it meant losing you.¡±


    Natalia looked up from the table to find me staring heavily into her stunning eyes. Her lips parted in surprise.


    ¡°Tallon.¡±


    I could hear the sharp tone of doubt edged in her voice. There was no chance I was going to allow this night to turn into a possible meltdown.


    ¡°You are beyond anything I have imagined in a person. You¡¯re kind,passionate, and openly concerned about so many people that it constantly amazes me how all that emotion fits inside of you at times.¡±


    Her lips began to curl into a smile that made my heart skip a beat. I felt the tension in her hand ease ever so slightly.


    I found my face reddening for a brief second. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, it was your beauty that first caught my attention. As you literally fell into my life, I couldn¡¯t get that thought of you out of my head.¡±


    ¡°I wish I hadn¡¯t yed so hard to get,¡± she giggled. ¡°Even though it was expected of me to act a certain way, a lot of my distancing was due to my own guilt. Tallon, I never wanted to hurt you, or anyone else.¡±


    Her voice grew hushed, which almost made me jump from my chair to hold her in my arms. I hastily shook my head.


    ¡°I know that, Natalia. Please, you have nothing to feel sorry for. You are not your grandfather or your uncle¡ªyou¡¯re your own person, and that¡¯s just one of the many reasons why I love you.¡±


    The corners of her eyes became speckled with tears as her smile remained in ce on her perfect lips.


    The servers went ahead and took our tes away when we finished dinner. For a short moment, Natalia got up to use the powder room. My hands rested on the table while I felt the outline of the ring box in my pocket.


    By the time Natalis returned, the waiters brought out the final piece to our evening, and a Torta di Mele, a traditional Tuscan apple cake that was dusted with powdered sugar was ced in front of us.


    My nerves were beginning to coil once more as I recalled the promise I made to myself earlier.


    ¡°Natalia?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    My voice sounded a bit distant at first. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to ask you.¡±


    She nodded her head and waited for me to speak. But I didn¡¯t.


    Instead, I got up from my seat and shortened the distance between us. I slowly lowered myself till I stood on one knee before her.


    Her eyes widened in realization of what was toe. I gripped the box tightly in my hand.


    ¡°Natalia, you mean the absolute world to me. Every moment I spend with you is a gift and one that I do not wish to ever part with. I can¡¯t imagine my life without someone as brilliant and loving as you. I love you now and always.¡±


    The next words that I spoke came out in a hushed tone of voice.


    ¡°Will you marry me?¡±

 Chapter 549 : The Answer

    <h4>Chapter 549: Chapter 549 : The Answer</h4>


    *Natalia*


    ¡°Will you marry me?¡±


    All around me was an emptying silence. I knew of course that I was sitting in the middle of a restaurant, the apple cake that the waiters had just delivered to our table sitting innocently in front of me, coerced in the powdered sugar and sweetness that a single bite could make my teeth hurt.


    Wide-eyed and unblinking, I stared at the glittering ring inside of the velvet box that Tallon had presented to me, one foot and one knee firmly on the floor as he looked up at me, imploringly, nervously, hopefully.


    The noises around us slowed down. The sound of the waiters hiding just behind the corner, too attentive to be natural as they kept stealing looks at the two of us¨Cfaded into the background.


    I trembled as the breeze blew through the open window, brushing my loose hair from my face and across the uncovered skin of my open-back dress. The stars twinkling above us and the sight of the mountain just behind Tallon¨Cit was a gorgeous picturesque moment where I wondered if this was truly happening.


    Most women dreamed of this moment their entire lives, a handsome man on one knee, an expensive and gorgeous diamond presented to them as they stared at the one they loved like they were the only person in the whole world.


    I had never had the luxury to imagine such a sweet life.


    I had struggled just to survive for so long. I had soldiered my way through life trying to get through each day as they came. There was no time for childish dreaming, or imagining better lives.


    Not until this moment.


    Possibilities shed across my eyes as the world seemed to burst into colors and for the first time in my dull, colorless life, I could imagine it¨Ca gorgeous aisle decorated with flower petals, my mother next to me in tears as she watched me glide down in a white dress.


    The world around us ceased as my eyes met his. Everything else faded away as I held out my hand to the man I loved with all of my heart and the words we both whispered, full of emotion and vows to the universe itself.


    I do.


    ¡°Natalia?¡± Tallon asked, rm and dismay flickering in his eyes as his words jolted me back to the present.


    He dropped the ring, reaching for me and I let out a loud sob, unable to stop the rush of emotions that had suddenly taken over my body.


    Trembling and weak, I fell to my knees in front of him, grabbing onto his shirt as I tried not topletely fall apart. He gently held my face in his hands, the concern in his eyes overpowering anything else as his eyes swept me for what could possibly have dissolved me into tears.


    It was sweet and charming to see how much he loved and cared for me but I shook my head, pulling out of his embrace as I nced at the fallen box on the floor and quickly grabbed it. I pushed it into his hands, staring into his eyes as I dropped my entire guard.


    Tears rushed down my face, and as my body trembled from the powerful motions I probably looked like a mess, but whatever he saw in my eyes shocked him. Hope lit up his face as he gently plucked the ring from the box, tossing the now empty container to the ground as he tightly held onto the ring.


    Swallowing, with a look ofplete and utter astonishment, he gently slid the ring onto my finger¨Ca perfect fit.


    ¡°Will you¨C¡± he repeated, just as overwhelmed as I was.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I choked out between sobs, nodding furiously into his chest. ¡°Yes, of course, I will, you idiot.¡±


    I gripped him like he was myst lifeline and I heard hisugh, the rumble of his chest everything to me as he held me tightly in my arms, as if he was afraid I would disappear.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered in my ear, and before I could respond, he¡¯d lifted me into his arms, holding me by the waist as he stood both of us up.


    Heughed as I yelped, wrapping my arms around his neck tightly as I suddenly went weightless, my feet dangling in the air.


    ¡°Tallon!¡± I yelled, holding onto him as he just gave me a joyful, mischievous nce and began to twirl us around in the room.


    The disbelief faded as pure unadulterated joy overtook every inch of my body and Iughed, shutting my eyes as I savored being this close to him. I¡¯d never felt this happy in my entire life, and I wanted to keep this moment close forever.


    I was going to marry this man, and nothing was going to stop us now.


    Finally, however, the twirls slowed to a stop and Tallon gently let me down until my feet were on solid ground once more. He grinned, wide and happier than I¡¯d ever seen him as he breathedboriously.


    His eyes were shining with love, the room utterly quiet and absent except for the two of us, and my eyes flickered to his lips before I grinned, realizing there was no reason for me to hold back anymore.


    I followed my instincts and kissed him with everything I had. His lips opened for me automatically, like he didn¡¯t even have to think of it and he pulled me even closer, one hand delving into my thick wavy hair as we both tried to devour one another right then and there.


    I licked his bottom lip, meeting his tongue yfully as he matched my every move. Our kiss grew harder and more needy and I let out a soft moan, pressing my heated body flush against his front. I could feel the lump in his pants, growing with every minute and I slid my leg over him until I could feel him pressed against my core.


    ¡°Nat¨C¡± he groaned, but I swallowed my name on his lips, tugging on his hair as he lost his bnce for a moment, hitting the table. We both ignored the rattling of the tes and silverware, too focused on one another.


    I wasn¡¯t even conscious of what I was doing at this point, just fully focused on him as my hands slowly ran into the cor of his shirt, a few buttons pulling away as I felt his strong back tense in response to my wonderings.


    I would¡¯ve fucked him right here and now if it hadn¡¯t been the harsh tug on my hair and I gasped, both in slight pain and annoyance from being pulled away from his lips as he stared down at me, eyes dark with lust but firm.


    ¡°Fucking hell.¡± He was out of breath, and I could feel the heat from very on as he sucked in oxygen to his lungs.


    I licked my bottom lip, still tasting him there as we both caught our breaths and I smirked as I saw his eyes trace my eyes action. I felt like I was drunk right now, utterly incapable of thinking as I just acted on whatever impulse first entered my mind.


    And right now, all I wanted was him.


    He kept a firm hand buried in my curls, preventing me from taking his lips again, but my thoughts had already focused down lower.


    My hand trailed from his neck down the side of his chest and all the way down until I felt the bulge in his pants. I trailed my finger up and down the zipper, teasing softly as I stared him down challengingly.


    ¡°We still¨C¡± He panted, not even dodging my hand as I felt his every twitching to meet me, ¡°We still have dessert.¡±


    ¡°We can get it to go,¡± I whispered, intent on taking on what I wanted right here and right now the moment he let go of me. ¡°I just want you.¡±


    And instead of teasing, I fully stroked my hand up and down, firmly gripping him through his pants and he gasped, buckling into my hand, his eyes now ck and feral with want.


    ¡°Naughty girl,¡± he bit out through his teeth, a bead of sweat falling down the side of his face and I just smirked in response, waiting until he broke.


    But I should¡¯ve known I wouldn¡¯t have won that easily.


    Before I could even blink, he swept my legs out from under me, carrying me like a princess as he thundered out of the room. ¡°We¡¯ll take dessert to go!¡± he yelled to the shocked waiters, giving them no more nces as he hurried out of the restaurant.


    Still feeling mischievous, I kissed the side of his neck, nibbling a bright red mark on his skin and loving the way he tightened his grip on me. I focused my attention on his neck, hanging onto him as he rushed out and into the car.


    He didn¡¯t even bother with seatbelts, simply ring at the driver as he settled me into hisp.


    ¡°Home,¡± He said roughly and the driver just nodded, purposefully ncing away from us as a divider slowly slid upward.


    I shifted on hisp, and he groaned as I parted my knees, pressing him into my core with a soft moan. The ring glittered on my finger as the car took off, the street lights glowing as we headed for the vi, not nearly going fast enough for me.


    I could feel Tallon¡¯s impatience with every sloppy and hurried kiss as he tried to distract me from fucking him right in this car, but I was long past any sort of logic right now. As soon as the car stopped, faster than I could blink, I was in his arms again as he carried me straight into the vi like a fire was on his heels.


    Somewhere along the way, my heels fell off my feet onto the floor, but I didn¡¯t care in the slightest as he carried me to the bedroom, shutting the door with the heel of his foot and dropping me onto the bed.


    I grinned, my back against the nket as he loomed over me with an irritated look. Still drunk on happiness, I dug my hands into his thick curls, pulling him until our mouths connected and I moaned into his mouth.


    I was buried underneath the force of his love for me as he hurriedly stripped me bare, his hands trailing heat waves along my bare skin as he devoured every piece of me like he was a starving man.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I whispered between heavy breaths and kisses, wrapping my arms around his waist in the flurry of our passions.


    Tallon didn¡¯t answer but I could hear the words without him saying it, could feel it on the weight of my finger, and see it in the gleam in his eyes.


    My heart skipped a beat as he grabbed my wrist, locking his dark lustful eyes upon me as heid a possessive kiss right above the vein that went to my heart as if he was trying to im it for himself.


    But there was no need.


    My heart was already his.

 Chapter 550 : Bliss

    <h4>Chapter 550: Chapter 550 : Bliss</h4>


    *Six monthster*


    *Natalia*


    Nimble fingers swirled back and forth across the premium stock paper, the glossy finish only elevating the elegant signature as the tip of the pen swirled my name across the front. I hummed softly to the light music on the radio, gently tucking the faded card into the envelope.


    It was fastened with a ribbon folded along the sides, a faded silverish red, and a seal of gold on top. I gently ced the invitation on top of a pile of twenty others and then nced at the massive pile of unfinished ones with a soft sigh.


    For every one I finished, it seemed like the mountain never decreased. But I kept reminding myself that it would all be worth it. The soft curtains billowed outward from the open French-style window in front of me like fragile butterfly wings just barely caressing the tops of my knees.


    The table I sat at was a mess¨Cstationary and letters, envelopes and pens of dozens of sizes all lying around in an organized chaos. In between the loose papers and pens threatening to topple the mountain of invitations still waiting to be signed and sent, were flowers.


    Dotted with batches of tiny flowers clustered together under one stem, little yellow centers were the only pop of color from the baby blues of the petals. It brightened up the table but also kept a small smile on my face as I diligently worked.


    The other flower that had been specifically selected was a dusty pink and white orchid that sprouted from the sturdy but hollowish segmented stems. The pot was a goldish color thatplimented the room just as well.


    Forget-me-nots and bamboo orchids, the two flowers I was debating between to be chosen for the wedding, sat as a reminder of what I worked so hard for, of why I had put so many hours and careful selections into something so simple as invitations.


    It was a promise that was set delicately on my finger, a ring of rose gold, three bands meeting around a beautiful inset diamond, petals of diamonds forming around it like a flower, and three petals, each with three miniature diamondsid inside. The top band wasid with gems all the way around the band, and for every movement, every swish of my hand as I signed my name right under my finance¡¯s, I could feel its heavy and expensive promise.


    And I knew right under the flower-like diamond were the initials of my soon-to-be husband.


    I loved the ring, but I loved the one who gave it to me even more. Tallon had told me of how long he had spent picking out just the perfect one, the cost of it not even in his mind, and as much as I loved him for it, I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him that he could¡¯ve proposed to me with a ring of candy and it would¡¯ve been more than enough.


    I would have said yes to a dandelion twisted into a ring or one cut out ofmon printer paper. Price, diamonds, and even the gold used didn¡¯t matter to me.


    He was.


    It had been six months since he had proposed, six long months that were filled with blissful happiness that I would never take for granted again. I had put off nning the wedding for as long as I could and for the past few days, under the guidance of my own mother and Tallon¡¯s mother and sister, I had begun the slow and meticulous process.


    There were so many decisions to be made that my head spun with all of the advice from those around me. My own mother had gotten married in a courthouse, a simple dress plucked from a thrift store and a ring so cheap it turned her finger green.


    Maybe that was why she was so determined to have me have the perfect wedding of my dreams. It had been a bit funny when she¡¯d suddenly thrown a dirty bag covered with fresh soil and mud at Tallon, sending him a veryrge smirk as she demanded to pay for the wedding.


    We were all a little shocked when we saw the piles of cash that poured out. I had no idea how she had hidden it for all these years, and despite the first instinct of illegal cash that passed through all of our minds, she¡¯d reassured both of us that it had just been a crazy night in a casino¨Cthe same one where she¡¯d found out she was pregnant with me.


    ¡°I vowed then and there that this money would pay for your wedding, Little Sun,¡± my mother had said, a beaming smile on her face as she hugged me tight.


    I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her no, nor could I ept it in good conscience, but luckily Tallon had been more than happy to take the money. I only found outter that he had decided to use just enough of it so that she could say she had paid for the wedding, but he had also set up a separate ount for my mother for all of the interest she should¡¯ve umted for the money if it hadn¡¯t been buried, plus arge chunk from Tallon.


    She would never have to work for the rest of her life.


    It was a hard-fought battle to get her to ept the money, but eventually, Tallon won with his sheer persistence. I could tell from the smile on my mother¡¯s face that she appreciated Tallon¡¯s stubborn kindness.


    ¡°Just like your Papa,¡± she told me, softly, her eyes shining with unshed tears.


    Thankfully, except for my mother and my eldest cousin, the rest of my family had yet to show up in front of me.


    Despite the truce between our two families, My uncle still held a grudge. I doubted that would go away in his lifetime but luckily, my cousins seemed to be more humbled after the experience with Tallon and his people.


    My eldest cousin was officially announced as the next leader of the Bratva. I had been shocked when he hade to apologize in his father¡¯s stead, for using me, kidnapping me, and then trying to kill me.


    I was hesitant, but the guilt in his eyes had been real. Family was important, after all. He vowed to restore our family name, this time in the right way, and Tallon at least seemed satisfied now that my grandfather¡¯s cycle of hatred was breaking.


    For me, however, I didn¡¯t want anything to do with that side of my family any longer. Whether it was my uncles or cousins, even my grandfather, I was done with them.


    The legacy that had been left to me was over. It was their burden now, and I felt free.


    I stretched my arms behind me, yawning loudly as I struggled to keep my eyes open under the warm noon sunbeams that fell through the window. My muscles stretched and my bones cracked after being so stiff for so long.


    I settled in, a small smile on my lips as I basked in the summer sunlight. It seemed like everything was wrapped up with a nice little bow, all the loose ends cut away, and a sense of peace had descended upon us all.


    Fall would be on its way soon and once it came, so would our wedding. I could picture it now¨Cthe crispy autumn leaves of reds and golds, the outdoor air as we stood at the altar, only my fiance in my eyes as I exchanged this ring for one that would bind us together forever more.


    As quick as the vision came, it faded as I felt arge pair of arms wrap around me from behind, a soft head of curls burying itself into my neck. I could feel the soft breath against my skin as he breathed out, his lips barely touching my skin.


    ¡°Is your important work done?¡± I giggled, softly pouring my hands into his hair, gently ying with the ends of his springy and rather long hair¨Che had grown it out once he realized how much I loved to y with it.


    ¡°Hm,¡± he mumbled, and I could feel the slight nod as he nced up and over my shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°Wedding preparations,¡± I told him with a roll of my eyes. ¡°The ones you skipped out on for the past week, babe.¡±


    ¡°You look like you have it handled.¡± He smirked, shifting to press a very loud smacking kiss to my cheek. Iughed, my cheeks turning red as he spun me around in the swivel chair, kneeling before me with that mischievous grin I loved.


    ¡°You could still help, you know,¡± I told him, smiling as I cupped his cheeks in my hands.


    There was a bit of a dark outline under his eyes, not anything too bad but just noticeable. I wasn¡¯t sure what had him and Vinny as he told me to call him rushing around like chickens without a head, but it was important.


    I reached behind me, hoping to take his mind off of whatever they were working so hard about as I grabbed the forget-me-not and orchid in each hand, presenting him with the choices with a big smile.


    ¡°Forget-me-not or bamboo orchid, which one do you want at our wedding?¡± I asked him.


    I watched his eyes flicker between the flowers, even raising an eyebrow at me when I thrust them into his face but he nheless, obliged and smelled the center of each one.


    He frowned, lines on his forehead as he flicked between both rapidly, then finally grinned up at me, a little mischievous twinkle in his eyes. ¡°Whichever makes you happier,¡± he said sweetly.


    My heart warmed at the honest answer, his sincerity burning in his eyes but I wasn¡¯t about to let him get away with this by sweet-talking me, even though I was pretty sure he really didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Tallon.¡± I gave up, dropping the flowers on the table as I gave him a pouting look. ¡°It¡¯s your day too. I want us to make these decisions together. There¡¯s so much to decide, and I want it to be perfect for both of us, not just whatever I want. Please help me?¡±


    I gave him the wide puppy dog eyes that I knew he couldn¡¯t ignore and heughed, leaning up to press a kiss to my lips.


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Heughed, getting to his feet. ¡°But I¡¯m getting my cuddles in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± I frowned, unsure of what he meant until he literally scooped me out of the chair like I weighed nothing.


    I yelped, clutching onto him as my whole body was lifted into the air. He held me princess-style, a smug grin on his face as he strides over the loveseat.


    Before I could even protest, he dropped me onto the seat sideways and copsed on myp, scooting until his head was resting on my chest. I leaned back against the pillows, as he sighed in absolute bliss.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve asked,¡± I told him, ncing down at him as I pulled up my phone so both of us could see it.


    ¡°But this was more fun,¡± he shot back, quite content and cozy.


    I justughed, leaning down to kiss his forehead like he had done so many times for me. ¡°You¡¯re so silly,¡± I whispered to him.


    He just smirked, reaching for my phone as I spotted something interesting. I let him take it, my hands automatically burying themselves in his hair as he found the folder I hadbeled for venues and cakes.


    ¡°Ooh, I like this one,¡± Tallon grinned, showing me the photo.


    It was the candynd-themed cake that I had put in there as a joke, just because I knew Tallon had a sweet tooth. I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°How did I know you were going to pick that one?¡± I huffed.


    ¡°You love me.¡± He stuck out his tongue yfully.


    I just smiled, feeling happier than I had in my entire life just by being by his side.


    After everything we¡¯d been through though, we deserved to celebrate and have a little fun.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered him quietly, watching his face light up as he scrolled through the dozens of cakes I¡¯d saved for him to see.


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

 Chapter 551 : Something Old, Something New

    <h4>Chapter 551: Chapter 551 : Something Old, Something New</h4>


    *Natalia*


    ¡°Gorgeous!¡± Alina cried with wide sparkling eyes.


    The dozens of beautiful models strutted down the runway in designer white dresses, princess styles and ball gowns, sheaths and A-lines, and even white jumpsuits and tuxedos.


    The music red in my ears, as did the person behind the mic as he announced the names of the designers behind the outfits. Though my best friend sighed dreamily, absolutely in love with the fashion show before us, I just stood there awkwardly.


    It wasn¡¯t every day I got to attend a bridal show, especially one with big designer names as Alina had exined to me, but my interest in the fancy fashion was waning very quickly. I had hoped to see some dresses on bodies like mine, but I didn¡¯t have the hips or chest to fill out these designs, not like the models on the runway.


    Maybe I was just being a little too self-conscious, but I didn¡¯t think any of these dresses would look as nice on me as they did on these models. I sighed, ncing around at the cheering women around me, wearing fancier outfits than anything I owned and diamonds on their nails.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was standing alone in this crowded room like I didn¡¯t belong.


    ¡°Alina,¡± I called out to my best friend amidst the loud music and chaotic happiness of the potential brides around us.


    She looked over at me with a wide grin and I told her, ¡°I¡¯m going to check out the booths!¡±


    ¡°The what?¡± she yelled, cupping her mouth, but I rolled my eyes, pointing out of the runway area and into the massive booths set up outside. She nodded, giving me a thumbs up before turning back to the runway and cheering as a new set of dresses and tuxes came out.


    I shook my head at her enthusiasm, wondering where on earth she got it all as I made my way through the thick crowd and back out onto the main floor. I hadn¡¯t expected to spend my weekend at a bridal show, but when Alina suggested it, I figured I might as well check it out.


    I still had so much nning left to do for the wedding, especially with the dress I still hadn¡¯t found.


    I rubbed my arms, feeling a bit chilly on the massive showcase floor of the Expo. With the dress show going on, the main floor was pretty sparse in terms of people. Most of the booths had only a couple of people crowded aroundpared to earlier when it was so packed I had to shove my way through just to get from one end to the other.


    I trailed by the various booths that were selling bouquets coated in resin orcquer that would make themst forever... or jewels to be crafted into handmade jewelry. There was even a booth just for shoes, each decorated by hand.


    Nothing in particr caught my eye until I almost walked past a tiny little booth on the end, clearly not as high-end as the others, with a young woman perhaps in her twenties standing behind it with arge smile.


    ¡°A sample for the blushing bride-to-be,¡± she called out, her bright red hair tied into a braid on her shoulder.


    Intrigued, I paused for a moment at her empty stand, my attention caught by her little booth of vintage-looking essories as they stood out over the massive venue of white and pink.


    ¡°These are beautiful.¡± I smiled at her, searching the table she had set up.


    Many of the antique pieces were crowns orbs of bronze or silver with that beautiful aged look to them. Many were adorned with jewels like emeralds or amethyst, still as glittering as the day they were set.


    ¡°Thank you. All are vintage crowns and headpieces.¡± The woman grinned. ¡°I¡¯m Efie. It¡¯s sort of my hobby to fix them up and make sure new brides can use them. My grandmother used to tell me they carried the wishes of brides from the past.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a sweet thought,¡± I said, a little touched.


    I grazed the tip of my fingertips over a few of the metal pieces, in awe at how utterly bright and new they looked despite clearly having been well-worn and used over the years. Some of them I could imagine to be hundreds of years old.


    My eyes were drawn, however, to one specific piece¨Ca crown, which looked as if it once held a bridal veil attached to it, sat innocently in the middle, a showpiece of the collection. It was a simpleb, the teeth dull and aged but enough to still hold. There were blue sapphires the same color as the sea dotted along the intricate floral metal, and my heart ached at the sight of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same color as your eyes. How beautiful,¡± the red-haired Efie said with a soft smile, gently plucking theb up and holding it next to my face, right beside my eyes. ¡°It would look absolutely beautiful on you.¡±


    Gently, she offered it out to me, and mesmerized with the piece, I smiled to myself as I held it in the palm of my hand.


    ¡°How much?¡± I asked cautiously.


    Sheughed to herself, giving me a soft smile.


    ¡°It is my favorite piece,¡± she said thoughtfully, tapping her chin with one finger then just shrugged, ¡°How about an even fifty?¡±


    My eyes went wide for a bit, shocked at the number before I realized how old this piece was and how much it must have taken to get it back to this state. There were probably only a few people in the world who had the delicate hand to do so and suddenly, the price made perfect sense.


    ¡°Of course.¡± I grinned, reaching into my pocket for the bundle of cash Tallon had thrust into my hands when he learned where I was going this morning.


    I had tried to tell him no, but he¡¯d insisted. I found a fifty among the cash, noticing the little giggle Efie did as she noticed the huge bundle of cash that looked like I¡¯d just robbed a bank ande straight here.


    ¡°My fiance¡¯s... excessive,¡± I exined, a bit embarrassed as I handed over the cash.


    ¡°No problem.¡± Sheughed, putting the cash away in a lockbox under the table before gently folding the crown up in tissue paper and tucking it into a prepared white box. ¡°Here you are.¡±


    Just before I reached out to grab the piece, a smile on my face from the purchase, we both heard the startling sound of heels cking on the floor in a full-out sprint toward us.


    I barely had time to look up before a woman with dark brown hair nearly crashed into the booth with a loud, ¡°Am I toote?¡±


    It was a thin woman, roughly the same size and height as me, with dark brown hair in a medium cut hanging loose and falling around her shoulders. I was startled as she corrected her posture and her face came into the light, to see how simr she looked to me.


    Even our current outfits with neutral colors were quite simr. From a distance, we could be twins or perhaps even mirror images of one another. The only difference, I noticed startingly as she nced at me and then Efie, was that her eyes were a pale light brown, unlike the blue of mine that Tallon often told me he loved so much.


    ¡°The sapphireb, is it still here?¡± the woman asked hurriedly, her eyes wide with hope.


    ¡°Just sold I¡¯m afraid,¡± Efie told her with an apologetic smile.


    I recognized the tightness around her mouth, the unusual polite tone that was very different from how she had spoken to me. I was no stranger to customer service jobs. I had performed a good handful of miserable ones, and I could tell immediately that Efie had already dealt with this woman and she did not like her one bit.


    It was an ufortable realization, considering how simr the two of us were and that I was now holding said sapphireb.


    ¡°Oh, jeez.¡± The woman sighed in disappointment, a silver credit card held in her hand as she slumped. ¡°If only I hadn¡¯t bought that ne set earlier.¡±


    I felt a bit bad as I slunk away from the booth, intending to just walk away with my new purchase in the box until I heard the loud call of ¡°Natalia!¡± from across the venue, at the same time another loud call of ¡°Bianca!¡± rang out.


    I spotted Alina right near one of the white rooms, a huge grin on her face as she waved me over. Standing next to her simrly was a tall blonde with tan skin.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I called out just as the woman beside me did as well.


    We turned to each other with wide-eyed looks and then broke out into smiles.


    ¡°Natalia, I guess?¡± The womanughed, an easy-going look to her as she finally stopped leaning on the booth.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I smiled. ¡°And you are Bianca, I¡¯m guessing?¡±


    ¡°The one and only,¡± she said proudly, giving me a surveying look. ¡°I love your shirt.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I like your skirt,¡± I told her, ncing at the tan mini-skirt and nude tights she wore under it. She truly did look ssy with the look, and it somehow matched the nude blouse I had worn today.


    ¡°Why, thank you. Come on, then, we¡¯d better not keep them waiting. The fittings must be happening. Are you a soon-to-be bride too?¡± she asked excitedly, gently grabbing me by the elbow as she led us over to where Alina and Bianca¡¯s friend were waiting.


    ¡°I am,¡± I grinned.¡±We¡¯re having the wedding in the fall. You?¡±


    ¡°Same!¡± Bianca cried cheerfully, her whole face lit up with excitement.


    She rambled on about the decor and ideas she and her partner had decided on¨Can outdoor wedding with bright autumn colors¨Cand I told her about the cake tasting Tallon and I had scheduled the next day.


    Alina and Bianca¡¯s friend, who I learned was named Gianna, met us at the very long line before we could talk any more about weddings and dragged us into what looked like a dressing room with various other women rushing around in wedding dresses.


    ¡°They¡¯re having a showcase to try them on before they go public!¡± Alina told me excitedly. ¡°I put a few aside for you to try on!¡± She dragged me into one of the changing rooms, throwing a sleek dress at me, and I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m so excited for you to try it on!¡± Alina said as I changed from my clothes into the dress. It was a bit troublesome zipping it up in the back without help but I managed, patting down the smooth and fine fabric as it fell snugly against my body.


    It was beautiful¨Ca mermaid/sheathbination that wasn¡¯t quite a bright white but an off-color thatplimented my skin tone perfectly. I smiled as I stepped out with a shy look. Alina gasped at me, covering her mouth with wide and misty eyes.


    ¡°You look gorgeous!¡± she gushed. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s perfect, just like I imagined.¡±


    Iughed at her enthusiasm. It was a beautiful dress, but I knew it wasn¡¯t ¡°the one,¡± though I had to admit I felt a little emotional trying on a wedding dress for the first time.


    A momentter, Bianca stepped out wearing the exact same dress. The two of us looked at one another in surprise and then she giggled, holding a hand over her stomach.


    ¡°Looks like we have a simr style as well, Natalia,¡± she smirked, giving a little twirl. ¡°I do think we make quite beautiful brides. What do you think? My fiance is going to love this dress on me. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I swished the fabric against my knees, a smile on my face as I thought of what Tallon might look like if he saw me in this dress, walking toward him. ¡°Tallon¡¯s quite a simple guy, but I think he¡¯d love any dress regardless of the style.¡±


    ¡°Tallon?¡± Bianca jolted, her smile fading as she faced me fully. ¡°Tallon Valentino?¡±


    A bad feeling welled up in the pit of my stomach and I nodded, feeling very self-conscious all of a sudden. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s my fiance.¡±


    ¡°Well, how about that?¡± she huffed, crossing her arms with a small smirk. ¡°I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever get married but apparently, I¡¯m wrong.¡±


    ¡°How do you know him?¡± I asked cautiously, not really wanting to know the answer.


    ¡°Valentino?¡± She turned to me with a gleam in her eye. ¡°He¡¯s my ex-boyfriend.¡±

 Chapter 552 : She’s Not Over Him

    <h4>Chapter 552: Chapter 552 : She¡¯s Not Over Him</h4>


    *Natalia*


    I walked back into the dressing room in shock and got back into my regr clothes. Alina seemed to catch on that I wanted to get out of there, so we left shortly after, avoiding Bianca.


    The trip home was quiet and peaceful. I was exhausted, so I zoned out while looking out the window.


    The scenery outside of the window was probably beautiful, but I wasn¡¯t really seeing it. I just stared out the window as my thoughts wandered elsewhere.


    I tried to forget about Bianca and took to daydreaming about my wedding day, picturing myself in a beautiful dress with my hair done perfectly and Tallon looking at me with that lovestruck expression of his that made my heart flutter in my chest.


    Then I remembered the look in Bianca¡¯s eyes when she said Tallon¡¯s name... and the daydream was shattered.


    No matter how many times I told myself to forget her and tried to picture Tallon and me dancing or to imagine what his suit might look like, I just kept thinking about Bianca. The jealousy twisting in my chest made me feel awful.


    It wasn¡¯t like me to dwell on something like this. It must have been the nerves about the uing wedding getting to me. I was afraid of something going wrong, so I was getting worked up over something small.


    That was a logical exnation... it didn¡¯t make me feel any better though.


    I knew that I shouldn¡¯t let the interaction with Bianca bother me, but it had overshadowed all of the pleasant parts of the event. Even though I wasn¡¯t quite as excited about the bridal show as Alina, I was excited about possibly finding the perfect dress and finally being able to picture myself as a bride.


    But now I couldn¡¯t shake the dark cloud that had fallen over me.


    I was being silly. Even if Bianca still had feelings for Tallon, that didn¡¯t mean that he had lingering feelings for her.


    He had never given me any reason to doubt his affection. I loved him and I know that he loved me, so there was no reason to worry. Right?


    Despite my attempts to think positively, I was in a bad mood when I got home.


    When I got back to the house, I paused before going in. I took a few deep breaths and thought about all of the positives of the event. I was so excited to marry Tallon, and our wedding ns were really starting toe together.


    I tried to keep a pleasant expression on my face as I entered the house. I didn¡¯t want to give Tallon the impression that I wasn¡¯t excited about the wedding.


    It was starting to gette, but Tallon was still in his home office. I knocked lightly on the door frame and he stood and walked to the door to greet me.


    Of course, Tallon could tell immediately that something was wrong.


    ¡°Wee home, darling.¡± He bent to kiss my forehead and when he stood back, I could see the worried crease in his brow.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± he asked.


    I shook my head. ¡°Not really,¡± I said. ¡°I just ran into someone unexpected while I was at the bridal show.¡±


    ¡°Who would that be?¡± he asked.


    His tone was concerned, and I knew that there was no point in avoiding the topic. He would worry if I didn¡¯t tell him, and I would keep dwelling on it if I didn¡¯t ask.


    ¡°Bianca,¡± I said. ¡°Your ex-girlfriend.¡±


    Confusion crossed his features for a moment before he nodded. ¡°Ah, her,¡± he muttered. ¡°Was she working there or something?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, she¡¯s getting married,¡± I exined.


    ¡°Good for her,¡± he said dismissively. ¡°Did she say something that upset you?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯ve never mentioned her before,¡± I pointed out.


    He looked surprised at my words. ¡°Why would I have?¡± he asked. ¡°We were barely together. We dated for maybe four months and that was¨C¡± he looked thoughtful for a moment. ¡°I guess it was eight years ago now.¡±


    ¡°I never would have guessed that,¡± I said. ¡°The way she talked about you, I would have thought it was much more recent.¡±


    A sour look settled over his face. ¡°I ended things quickly because she was far too clingy.¡±


    I nodded thoughtfully. She must have been far more into him than he was into her for her to talk about Tallon the way she did after so many years.


    ¡°Did she say something that upset you?¡± he asked again.


    I shook my head emphatically. I didn¡¯t want him to get worked up about this or feel like he needed to defend me in some way.. ¡°No, I¡¯m probably being silly....¡±


    ¡°But...?¡± he prompted.


    I sighed at him. ¡°You know me too well. It¡¯s annoying sometimes,¡± I griped.


    ¡°Best get used to it, sweetheart,¡± he said. ¡°Now tell me, what¡¯s gotten under your skin?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted. ¡°There was just something about her that unsettled me. I feel like she¡¯s going to cause problems. I can¡¯t exin why.¡±


    ¡°I promise you, I won¡¯t let that happen,¡± he said seriously.


    He pulled me into his arms and I wrapped my arms around him and leaned heavily into his embrace. Being in his arms made everything else feel unimportant. I tried to hold on to that feeling.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want anything to ruin our day,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°I will be marrying you, so it will be the best day of my life no matter what else happens,¡± he said firmly. ¡°And I will make sure that it¡¯s everything you¡¯ve ever dreamed of and more.¡±


    I smiled against his chest. ¡°I know that you will,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a dreame true.¡±


    I pulled out of the hug and looked up at him. I was a little embarrassed that I had gotten so upset.


    ¡°Bianca is nothing to me, and I will not allow her or anyone else to detract from your big day, sweetheart.¡± He waited for me to nod my understanding, then smiled. ¡°That aside, how did it go? Did you find a dress that you like?¡±


    I thought briefly about the dress that had matched Bianca¡¯s that I¡¯d left behind, but I decided to shake the thought of her aside and focus on our wedding.


    ¡°I have an idea of the style I like. But the models were... not like me. It would have been more helpful to see dresses on women who have a simr build; it would make it much easier to pick out a dress that¡¯s ttering for me.¡± Just talking about picking a dress got me excited about the wedding again. ¡°I think it will be easier when I go shopping because I have a general idea of what I want now.¡±


    Tallon had a fond smile on his face as he listened to me talk. My excitement about the wedding was difficult to contain. It felt so much more real now that we were nning the details. My heart was so full when I thought about it that I worried it might make me cry. Part of me still couldn¡¯t believe that this was real.


    ¡°Any dress will look good on you,¡± Tallon said. ¡°You could show up in a beige jumpsuit and you would still be the most stunning woman in the room.¡±


    Iughed at the image and shook my head at him. ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear it was a sess,¡± he said. ¡°I must admit, I had my doubts that a bridal show would really be helpful.¡±


    I smiled. Tallon was so used to living in luxury that an event like a bridal show probably seemed bizarre to him. ¡°I know that it isn¡¯t the type of event you would enjoy, but overall, I am d that I went.¡±


    ¡°If it helps you to find what you like, then it¡¯s great,¡± he said.


    I knew he was telling the truth, but I could also tell by his expression that he didn¡¯t really get it. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t care, but things like dresses and decor and wedding favors just weren¡¯t up his alley. The little details of the wedding didn¡¯t matter to him, notpared to the fact that we were getting married. I didn¡¯t fault him for that.


    ¡°That reminds me, we have the cake tasting tomorrow. Don¡¯t forget,¡± I said. ¡°We have to settle on a vor.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten,¡± he assured me. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    He seemed sincere. I was looking forward to it, too. Any chance to spend time with Tallon was weed, but it was even more special because we were nning our wedding.


    ¡°You still have business to take care of, don¡¯t you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It won¡¯t take long,¡± he promised. ¡°Then I¡¯m yours for the rest of the night.¡±


    I didn¡¯t miss the suggestive tone in his voice. I was sure that my cheeks flushed at the thoughts that came to mind, but I just smiled and shook my head at him.


    ¡°Take your time,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    His eyes moved over me slowly before he bent to kiss me gently.


    I considered pulling him into a deeper kiss, but if he really had work to do, then I didn¡¯t want to interrupt him. I returned the kiss and he lingered a moment before pulling away.


    ¡°Fifteen minutes,¡± he said.


    I nodded, then he turned and went back to his desk.


    I headed toward our bedroom to get changed. It was a little too early for bed, but after spending the day in public, I felt like I needed fresh clothes.


    I was excited to spend the day with Tallon tomorrow. The cake tasting would be fun. I had a feeling that I would want something simple, but trying a variety of extravagant cakes would be interesting if nothing else. Besides, we might just find something that Tallon really likes.


    The wedding was about both of us, so while I appreciated that he wanted to make it the wedding of my dreams, I knew it should represent Tallon and his tastes just as much as mine.


    I looked through my dresser, trying to decide what to change into.


    I did feel better after talking to Tallon about Bianca, but the uneasy feeling I had about her was still there.


    If she was nning a wedding here, then there was a chance we¡¯d run into her again.


    I shuddered at the thought. I did not want to run into her again, and I definitely didn¡¯t want to risk being with Tallon and running into her. I knew it would be awkward, to say the least.


    It suddenly urred to me that there was a chance we¡¯d see her at the cake tasting tomorrow. The bakery we were going to was extremely popr and, since they were advertised at the bridal show, a lot of the brides who had attended that would probably be checking them out.


    I hoped that I was just being paranoid. I didn¡¯t want my day with Tallon ruined by her.


    He seemed annoyed at the mention of her name. It made me think that there was more to the story than he was letting on. I didn¡¯t think that he was lying exactly, but maybe the breakup was messy and he didn¡¯t want to talk about it.


    Whatever the case, I knew in my gut that Bianca was going to be a problem. The way she said Tallon¡¯s voice proved to me that she wasn¡¯t over him.

 Chapter 553 : An Unwelcomed Presence

    <h4>Chapter 553: Chapter 553 : An Unweed Presence</h4>


    *Tallon*


    My morning with Natalia had been nearly ideal. If not for the looming dread of Bianca¡¯s reappearance, it would have been perfect.


    Natalia hadn¡¯t brought her up again, and I hoped that I had been sessful in reassuring her. She had no idea how right she was when she said that Bianca was going to cause trouble. Being with that woman was one of the worst mistakes of my life.


    Saying that she had been clingy was an understatement. She was frighteningly obsessed with me, and within the first few weeks of our dating, she had started to talk about marriage.


    I thought that it was innocent teasing and jokes at first, but I was wrong. I had strong suspicions that she had been obsessed with me before we met, but there had never been any proof of that. I just didn¡¯t see how she could have developed such a deep attachment in only a few weeks.


    I hadn¡¯t spoken to Bianca in eight years, not since I threatened to file a restraining order against her.


    I didn¡¯t want to scare Natalia by getting into all of this, but I was very concerned about Bianca¡¯s sudden reappearance.


    The timing could not be worse.


    Natalia and I were beginning our lives together. This was a chance for both of us to create a new normal for ourselves and I wanted it to start smoothly. For a mistake from my past to creep up now was infuriating.


    I wouldn¡¯t allow anything to interfere with my marriage to Natalia, and God help anyone who made her day less than perfect.


    All that I could do for now was hope that she really had moved on and was focused on nning her own wedding. If this was some kind of game of hers, it was not going to end well for her.


    I tried to put the thought out of my mind as Natalia and I drove to the cake shop. She was so excited for us to work on the wedding ns together. I didn¡¯t want anything to distract my attention from her.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you were able toe for the tasting,¡± Natalia said.


    Her voice pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to her and smiled. I love the excitement on her face.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss it,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m d that you asked me toe.¡±


    ¡°Well I can¡¯t do all of the nning by myself,¡± she teased. ¡°It¡¯s your wedding too.¡±


    I smiled. Every time I thought about watching Natalia walk down the aisle, my heart stuttered. I never thought that I would find a woman who made me this happy.


    ¡°I want it to be everything you¡¯ve ever dreamed of,¡± I said.


    I already had what I wanted. Natalia was going to be my wife. It was important to me that the day be as perfect for her as possible.


    ¡°I know,¡± she said with a roll of her eyes. ¡°You keep reminding me.¡±


    ¡°Have I been repeating myself?¡± I asked.


    I knew that I had been. Natalia needed reassurance and I didn¡¯t mind providing it, even if it made me sound like a broken record.


    The bakery that we pulled up to was a small, neat-looking building with a simple sign above the door. If I hadn¡¯t known their reputation, I wouldn¡¯t have even considered stopping there.


    The fact that Natalia had managed to schedule a private tasting for us was lucky. I had a feeling that dropping her soon-to-be surname was a big part of that.


    I stepped out of the car and offered her my hand. She took it firmly and stepped onto the sidewalk.


    She looked up at the sign and a wide smile spread across her features. She took a deep breath as if to calm herself, then we walked into the shop together.


    The smell inside of the brightly lit,fortable space was incredible, with the scent of fresh-baked cookies wafting in the air. It assured me that Natalia had made the right choice of bakery. I was suddenly much more enthusiastic about the tasting.


    Natalia led me toward the counter and stopped a few feet away. There were a few people in line ahead of us.


    I nced at the woman at the back of the line and froze.


    My blood pressure spiked when my eyes fell on the unmistakable form of Bianca standing in front of us.


    I turned away from her, pretending that I hadn¡¯t noticed her. I could see from the look in Natalia¡¯s eyes that she had already seen her, too. It was rare to see Natalia look so angry, but If looks could kill, Bianca would have dropped dead where she stood.


    I took Natalia¡¯s hand, drawing her attention to me.


    ¡°Before we start tasting, what do you think you¡¯re going to like?¡±


    She looked up at me in confusion and I saw her eyes flick back toward Bianca. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have pretty simple tastes when ites to sweets.¡±


    ¡°That could change after you try a few different vors,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m just curious. If we didn¡¯t have a chance to do a tasting, what would you have chosen?¡±


    ¡°Probably vani,¡± she said.


    I nodded. ¡°That does seem a bit too simple,¡± I said thoughtfully.


    She scrunched up her nose and frowned at me. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling at the expression. She looked very cute.


    ¡°It¡¯s ssic,¡± she argued. ¡°We want something that everyone will enjoy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± I said. ¡°If we go too niche, then we run the risk of people disliking it.¡±


    She smiled victoriously and I squeezed her hand lightly.


    This was what we were there for. It didn¡¯t matter if Bianca was there. I wasn¡¯t going to allow her to ruin this experience for Natalia.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I need your input though,¡± she said earnestly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to pick something too dull. It would be embarrassing.¡±


    I smiled and lifted her hand up, then kissed her fingers. ¡°We¡¯ll get what we enjoy. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s something simple.¡±


    Her cheeks colored slightly and she nodded her agreement. ¡°It¡¯s our day,¡± she said.


    ¡°Tallon?¡±


    I cringed at the sound of Bianca saying my name. I saw the anger return to Natalia¡¯s eyes, and it filled me with anger as well.


    I turned and looked at Bianca with as neutral a facial expression as I could manage. She was smiling brightly at me as she hurried toward me with small, bounding steps. She looked like an overexcited toddler.


    ¡°Oh, it is you!¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you!¡±


    ¡°Hello, Bianca,¡± I said coolly.


    ¡°I hoped I¡¯d run into you,¡± she said. She turned her eyes to Natalia and waved a greeting. ¡°After running into Natalia yesterday, I just couldn¡¯t stop thinking about you. It¡¯s so strange that we¡¯re both nning our weddings at the same time, isn¡¯t it?¡± She looked up at me and smiled expectantly.


    I raised an eyebrow at her. Did she really expect me to engage with her like this? Her slight at Natalia was subtle but insulting. I pulled Natalia close to my side and put my arm around her waist. I could feel how stiff her posture had gotten. She was obviously on edge.


    ¡°I¡¯m happier than I¡¯ve ever been,¡± I said simply.


    The smile remained frozen on her lips, but I saw anger fill her dark eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that,¡± she said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to chat,¡± I said. ¡°I assume you¡¯re here working on your own wedding ns, so I¡¯m sure you understand.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± she answered. ¡°It¡¯s so sweet that you¡¯re here. Natalia sure is lucky. My guy couldn¡¯t make it, so I¡¯m flying solo.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about her like she isn¡¯t standing right here,¡± I ordered.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything by it,¡± Bianca said quickly. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Valentino?¡±


    I turned toward the counter to find a pretty young woman with red hair smiling nervously at me.


    Natalia and I walked past Bianca without another look and approached the young woman.


    I could feel Bianca¡¯s gaze burning into my back as we walked away, but I didn¡¯t pay her any attention. If she thought that showing up here was going to take any of my attention away from Natalia, then she was dead wrong. I couldn¡¯t wait to be as far away from her as possible.


    ¡°Sorry for the wait sir,¡± the red haired woman said kindly. ¡°We¡¯re ready for your tasting.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to apologize for,¡± I assured her. ¡°We¡¯ve just arrived.¡±


    She looked relieved. ¡°Wonderful. Please, follow me into the back.¡±


    I motioned for Natalia to go ahead of me and we both followed the woman around the counter and through a tall, wooden door.


    Through the door, there was a long table covered by a white linen cloth. Arranged on the table were dozens of small tes with thin slices of cake on them and small silver forks at the ready. There was a pitcher of water at one end of the table and a few sses standing by.


    An older woman dressed in a smart white pantsuit was standing with her arms sped behind her back. She smiled widely at us as we approached.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± she said in greeting. She held her hand out and I shook it firmly. She then shook Natalia¡¯s hand. ¡°We¡¯re honored you¡¯re interested in letting us provide the cake for your big day.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot of good things,¡± Natalia said. ¡°I¡¯m excited to see what our options are.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d hate to keep you in suspense,¡± the woman said kindly. She led us to the far end of the table and poured us each a ss of water from the pitcher. ¡°We¡¯ll go down the table in order,¡± she exined. ¡°And I¡¯ll take notes as we go, to make it easier for you to remember each option.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very helpful,¡± Natalia said.


    ¡°Some people get a little overwhelmed by the process and by the time we get to the end, they can¡¯t remember what they thought of the first few options,¡± she exined.


    ¡°I can see how that might happen,¡± Natalia said as she nced down the length of the table. ¡°What do we have first?¡±


    ¡°The first vor we have for you to try is chocte raspberry truffle,¡± the woman said.


    ¡°That sounds amazing,¡± Natalia said happily. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if we want to go with a berry vor. It seems like the kind of thing that some people wouldn¡¯t enjoy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± the woman agreed. ¡°Taking your guests¡¯ tastes into ount is important, but that is why some couples will have different vors for different tiers. Have you given much thought to how big you¡¯d like your cake?¡±


    I zoned out while the two of them discussed the merits of a ssic three-tiered wedding cake.


    Bianca¡¯s presence at the cake shop had thrown me off, as much as I didn¡¯t want to admit it. Natalia had good instincts, and her feeling that Bianca was going to be a problem seemed to be correct.


    I wasn¡¯t going to allow that to happen, though. If this was some kind of scheme on Bianca¡¯s part, I was going to quash it before it went any further.


    And if this was a bizarre coincidence, then I was going to make it clear to Bianca that we were not friends, and her presence in and around my life is not going to be tolerated.

 Chapter 554 : Far from Finished

    <h4>Chapter 554: Chapter 554 : Far from Finished</h4>


    *Natalia*


    I was doing my best not to dwell on Bianca¡¯s presence at the bakery, but it was hard. The way she had approached Tallon made my blood boil. She acted as if I wasn¡¯t standing right there with him.


    His cold treatment of her did reassure me that he had no lingering feelings for her, but that didn¡¯t solve the problem. Bianca was clearly willing to insert herself into our business even when she clearly wasn¡¯t wanted. I couldn¡¯t help but think that she had only gone to the bakery because I had mentioned it to her the day before.


    I felt like I was being paranoid, but I couldn¡¯t help it. There was something about Bianca that put me on edge. I think it was the intensity in her eyes when she had looked at Tallon, or even when she had said his name. There was something deeply concerning about the way she talked about him, and it filled me with dread.


    I looked up from my te of barely-touched food and saw that Tallon was glowering too. He had been visibly angry when Bianca started talking to him. She was still in the bakery after our cake tasting and tried to approach him again, but Tallon had ignored herpletely and put his arm around me before hurrying out to the car.


    I had the feeling that there was more to their breakup than he had told me, but I didn¡¯t want to pry.


    The silence was too ufortable and I needed to break it somehow. ¡°I¡¯m d that we were able to settle on a cake,¡± I said.


    ¡°So am I,¡± Tallon said. He looked up at me and smiled. ¡°Even if we did end up choosing three vors.¡±


    I smiled. In the end, I hadn¡¯t been able to make up my mind, so we decided to get a six-tier cake with three alternating vors. We got a basic vani tier, and Tallon and I each chose our favorite option. It was a perfectpromise.


    I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just too bad Bianca ruined the mood,¡± I muttered.


    Tallon returned my sigh and leaned back in his chair. ¡°I won¡¯t let her interfere,¡± he said firmly. ¡°She won¡¯t be a problem for us, I promise you that.¡±


    His tone left no room for argument. I wanted to be reassured by it, but I wasn¡¯t.


    I shook my head. Tallon was underestimating how determined a woman scorned could be, but I knew firsthand. If Bianca had some kind of ax to grind, I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d be able to stop her easily. The thought of her doing something to hurt or embarrass Tallon filled me with a kind of anger that I had rarely felt. It was almost frightening how defensive I felt.


    It wasn¡¯t just that our wedding was important to both of us or that I wanted it to be a smooth start for our marriage. Bianca¡¯s sudden appearance felt like a threat to my rtionship with Tallon, and that infuriated me.


    I wasn¡¯t going to let anyonee between us. I had already made that clear. If this woman thought that she was going toe out of the woodwork after nearly a decade and stir up trouble, she had another thinging.


    I must have been ring down at my te because Tallon made a frustrated little sound that drew my attention. He was frowning when I looked up at him.


    Tallon stood suddenly and walked over to me. He pulled my chair back and knelt in front of me, looking up into my eyes.


    ¡°I am not going to let that woman, or anyone else, ruin our day,¡± he said seriously. ¡°Nothing wille between us.¡±


    He ced his hands on my knees and waited for me to respond. After a few seconds, I smiled and started to giggle. He smiled victoriously and reached up, kissing me lightly.


    I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him in ce as I deepened our kiss.


    Tallon made a surprised sound and leaned into me. I couldn¡¯t help but cling on to this contact. This is what mattered most, after all. Tallon and I were in love. That¡¯s why the wedding mattered. That¡¯s why I was so nervous about Bianca¡¯s sudden appearance. I wanted my wedding to set the tone for our marriage. I wanted it to be perfect.


    Tallon stood up slowly, pulling me to my feet with him. He continued to kiss me as he backed me into the nearest wall. I could feel how warm my face had gotten, and I was embarrassed by the desperate little sounds that were slipping out of me, but I didn¡¯t want to stop.


    He slid his hands up my outer thighs and pushed my dress up around my waist. I dug my nails into his back, careful not to hurt him, but trying to urge him to keep going.


    I whined and arched against him, but frustratingly, he pulled away from the kiss. He began kissing my jaw, making me moan more.


    As he kissed down my neck, he pushed my dress up further. His hands skimmed over my sides, making me shudder.


    I was surprised that he was taking things so far right here in the dining room, but I wasn¡¯t about toin. I needed the reassurance that Tallon wanted me, and this was certainly showing how strong the attraction was.


    He pushed my dress over my head and bit lightly at my corbone. I arched my back and gasped at the feel of his body pressed against mine. The heat growing between us was incredible... and I wanted more.


    I pulled him as close as I could and kissed him. He grabbed my waist and lifted me up, pinning me to the wall firmly. I wrapped my legs around him, hooking my ankles behind his back to hold myself up.


    Tallon gripped my upper thighs and held me effortlessly. The show of strength sent heat coursing through me. I needed to feel him closer and I needed it now.


    ¡°Take me to bed,¡± I said breathlessly.


    ¡°Too far,¡± he muttered.


    He pulled me away from the wall and started walking. I wasn¡¯t paying attention to where we were going. My focus was on nipping at the side of his neck and making him groan.


    It made me feel strangely powerful to get such a reaction out of him.


    We passed through a doorway and I realized that Tallon had brought me into one of the rarely used sitting rooms in the house. He lowered me onto a couch and wasted no time in pinning me down.


    I lifted my hips to allow him to remove thest of my clothing and pulled him in eagerly as he settled himself between my legs. I needed to feel him closer. We both needed to reaffirm our connection.


    The rest of the world didn¡¯t matter. Nothing outside of this room mattered, not right now. Tallon was the most important person in my life, and I believed that he felt the same way about me.


    I just wanted to be with him right now. The wedding could wait. Bianca wasn¡¯t important. Tallon¡¯s body against mine was everything.


    His powerful thrusts pulled desperate sounds from me as we moved together. My nails dug into his shoulders as I tried to urge him on. He kept his rhythm slow and steady and I did my best to keep pace with him, even though I wanted to move faster. I also wanted this tost, so keeping the pace slower was the best option.


    I let my hands rove over Tallon¡¯s body, loving the feeling of his taut, warm skin beneath my fingers.


    He held himself up on the back of the couch as he moved and gazed down at me. His intense attention made me feel like I was on disy, but the feeling was weed because it was Tallon.


    I would never grow tired of the way he looked at me. He made me feel so precious and beautiful.


    I adjusted the angle of my hips and moaned wantonly as Tallon hit the perfect spot inside of me. He grinned at my reaction and snapped his hips forward with greater speed and force.


    The increased pace made me shake and gasp beneath him.


    Just as I was about to finish, Tallon stopped moving. I wanted to scream in frustration. I opened my eyes and stared at him in confusion.


    He kissed me firmly, then pulled back. There were emotions warring in his expression, and I got the feeling that he wanted to say something. I reached up and gently ran my fingers down the side of his handsome face.


    He didn¡¯t have to speak; I understood what he wanted to say. It was the same thing that I had been thinking. As long as we were together, everything else would work out. We could make everything else work for us, as long as we had this connection between us.


    I pulled him into another kiss and he started to move again, a little slower, but with much stronger thrusts.


    I held onto him tightly as he hit that spot inside of me that drove me wild. It only took a few seconds for me toe undone. I threw my head back and cried out breathlessly as my body began to shake.


    Tallon held onto my legs and continued to move until my quivering brought him over the edge as well.


    We held onto each other as we both rode out the pleasure.


    After a few minutes of panting, Tallon pushed himself back and sat heavily beside me. I pulled my unsteady legs under me and leaned against his side.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I said softly.


    He put his arm around me and kissed the top of my head. ¡°I love you,¡± he replied.


    I smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to be your wife,¡± I said.


    Tallon smiled and gripped my chin lightly, lifting my head for a gentle kiss.


    ¡°Be patient, my love,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re going to be the most stunning bride that anyone has ever seen.¡±


    ¡°Only because I¡¯m marrying such an incredible man,¡± I replied.


    We sat infortable silence for a few minutes before Tallon stood and held his hand out to me.


    I took his outstretched hand and he pulled me to my feet, then wrapped his arms around me and kissed me deeply.


    I put my arms around him and returned the kiss with a rapidly growing heat.


    When I pulled back, he was grinningsciviously at me. ¡°I believe you told me to take you to bed,¡± he said.


    I smirked. ¡°I did.¡± I reached up and ran my fingers lightly through his hair. He leaned into my touch and grabbed my wrist, pulling me closer.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± he said. ¡°Because I am far from finished with you tonight.¡±

 Chapter 555 : A New Friend

    <h4>Chapter 555: Chapter 555 : A New Friend</h4>


    *Natalia*


    Spending the night with Tallon was exactly what I needed. I felt so much more secure when I woke up in his arms the next morning. We had already been through so much in order to be together, there was nothing Bianca could do that would break us apart.


    Tallon seemed to be in a better mood, too. We spent the morningzing around and flirting, which was honestly the best way to spend any day in my opinion. I had taken a long, hot shower this afternoon and now I was lounging in bed and touching up my nails. The acrid smell of the polish was nostalgic in a way. It had been a long time since I¡¯d bothered doing my own nails.


    It was rare for us not to have anything nned for the day, and it was nice for a change.


    Tomorrow I was going to the dress shop to try on some more dresses and, hopefully, choose my perfect gown. I had an idea of what style I wanted, but that was just the beginning. I still had to choose an actual dress, plus a veil, shoes, and jewelry....


    I sighed. There was just so much to think about. It was overwhelming. This was something that I couldn¡¯t ask Tallon to help me with, either. It was bad luck for him to see me in my dress before the wedding. I knew that seemed like a silly superstition, but I wasn¡¯t about to tempt fate.


    I was going to have to trust the staff at the bridal shop and my own taste to make the right choice.


    ¡°Alessandro has invited us to dinner,¡± Tallon said suddenly.


    I looked up from my nails in surprise. Tallon was looking at his phone with a thoughtful expression. There was something odd about his tone that I couldn¡¯t ce.


    ¡°That could be nice,¡± I said.


    ¡°He wants to introduce us to his new girlfriend,¡± he added.


    That exined his tone. He was surprised. I didn¡¯t think that Alessandro had been in a steady rtionship in all of the time I had known Tallon. It must have been serious if he was introducing her to the rest of the family.


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± I said.


    Tallon nodded, but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    He was quiet for the next few hours, even as we were getting dressed and driving to the restaurant to meet up with Alessandro. I know that his rtionship with his brother has been tense at times in the past, but I didn¡¯t think that¡¯s what was going on right now.


    It was much more likely that he was worried about Alessandro. If he was introducing his girlfriend to the rest of the family, it could be a very stressful time for him. There were so many personalities and conflicting priorities to deal with and, as I knew well, it could take a lot of work to win everyone over.


    I hadn¡¯t even seen this woman yet, but I was determined to greet her in the warmest way I could. I wanted her to know that as intimidating as the family could be, it was worth the effort to join it.


    I held Tallon¡¯s arm as we entered the restaurant. Alessandro was standing at the hostess¡¯s stand and speaking to a woman in a ck dress. They must have just beaten us here if he was still getting a table, I thought.


    There was a tall, stunning woman standing beside Alessandro in a very ttering red dress. Her hair was perfectly styled and her makeup looked like it had been done professionally. Her perfectly put-together look made me feel a little self-conscious of my slightly smudged nails.


    She looked a little nervous as she nced around the room. I didn¡¯t me her. She was meeting a very important person in her boyfriend¡¯s life, and that was always nerve-wracking. I knew that adding in the fact that Tallon was the head of the family would only enhance the feeling of unease. When her eyes fell on him, she shook off the uneasy expression and smiled kindly at us.


    She said something quietly and Alessandro turned to face us. He smiled and nodded his head in acknowledgment.


    Tallon walked directly to Alessandro and I went along with him. We reached him just as the hostess was walking away, to lead him to the table. The brothers greeted each other briefly, then we all went to our table and took our seats.


    The restaurant was busy already, even though it was early in the evening. I could tell by the decor that it was an expensive spot, but I was getting used to that from Tallon and his family.


    Alessandro ordered a bottle of wine for the table before the hostess hurried off, and then he turned his attention to us.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you,¡± Tallon said. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Life gets busy,¡± Alessandro said sheepishly.


    There was a moment where the two of them just stared at each other in tense silence, and then Alessandro broke into a wide grin andughed. Tallon did the same, and all of the tension in the room dissipated.


    ¡°This is my Mia,¡± Alessandro said happily. He reached out and took the beautiful woman¡¯s hand.


    She smiled shyly at us.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± she said. ¡°Alessandro has told me so much about you.¡±


    ¡°And you still agreed to meet us?¡± I joked.


    Sheughed. ¡°Well I figured I might as well get it over with,¡± she said.


    ¡°Where did you two meet?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Florence,¡± Alessandro said. ¡°I was on holiday and was lucky enough to meet the most beautiful local there.¡±


    ¡°That sounds incredibly romantic,¡± I said.


    Mia nodded in agreement. ¡°It was lovely.¡±


    Alessandro said something to Tallon, but I was focused on Mia. She had a dreamy look on her face as she leaned forward slightly and said, ¡°You¡¯re getting married soon, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said excitedly. ¡°I¡¯ve been working hard on wedding nning. You don¡¯t realize how much work goes into a wedding until you¡¯re thrown into it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s very stressful,¡± she said. ¡°I have a cousin who runs a bridal shop, an aunt who runs a boutique that does wedding parties, and a friend in a salon who does weddings, so I¡¯ve heard some wild stories.¡±


    ¡°Oh god, I haven¡¯t even thought about hiring someone to do my hair or makeup yet,¡± I gasped. I wondered how something that important had slipped my mind.


    She smiled kindly. ¡°There¡¯s still plenty of time to figure that out. You need your dress picked out first, the rest is done topliment that.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± I said. ¡°I haven¡¯t picked a dress yet, but I¡¯m going to look tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like so much fun,¡± she said in an excited tone.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I sighed, wishing Alina wasn¡¯t so busy. ¡°I just wish I wasn¡¯t going alone.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked in confusion.


    ¡°My friend is too busy to go with me tomorrow. It stinks because I really feel like I¡¯m in over my head, and I would love a second opinion to help me make the decision, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯lle with you,¡± she offered.


    ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t impose. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already got ns¨C¡±


    ¡°I really want toe with you,¡± she insisted. ¡°It¡¯s such an important part of the process, and you shouldn¡¯t have to do it alone. If you¡¯re okay with me tagging along, I would love toe dress shopping with you.¡±


    She sounded so sincere, and there was a hopeful look in her eyes as she waited for me to decide. I didn¡¯t want her to feel obligated toe with me since we¡¯d just met, but it seemed like she really wanted toe along.


    I smiled and decided it would be fun. ¡°That sounds great,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯ll feel much better having someone with me just in case anything weird happens.¡±


    ¡°Weird?¡± she asked. ¡°Like what?¡±


    I sighed. Mia was so easy to talk to, and the thing with Bianca could have very welle up while we were shopping if I was right about her following me around. I figured I might as well give her fair warning.


    ¡°There¡¯s this weird ex of Tallon¡¯s that keeps popping up thest few days. I ran into her at the bridal expo, and she was at the bakery when we went for our cake tasting. It¡¯s probably a coincidence, but it feels weird to me.¡±


    ¡°Gross,¡± she said softly. ¡°That would make me so ufortable. Even if it is a coincidence, that would be just so awkward.¡±


    ¡°It really is,¡± I said. ¡°So just in case I run into her again tomorrow, it will be nice to have someone else with me.¡±


    Mia¡¯s expression shifted to one of determination. ¡°Just let her say something off in front of me,¡± she said.


    Alessandroughed. ¡°You don¡¯t want to get on Mia¡¯s bad side,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen her reduce a woman to tears with a sentence. She¡¯s sweet as an angel as long as you¡¯re kind, but treat her rudely and she¡¯ll put you in your ce.¡±


    Tallon looked at Mia thoughtfully and smiled. ¡°She sounds perfect for you,¡± he said. ¡°You need someone who can keep you in line.¡±


    ¡°I want to argue, but you¡¯re right,¡± Alessandro said.


    A waiter arrived at the table with our wine and drew our attention to him. I realized with some embarrassment that I hadn¡¯t even nced at the menu yet, and I saw Mia scramble to open her menu at the same time that I did. It made me smile.


    I could see myself bing good friends with Mia.


    It would be nice to have someone else to talk to about the unique challenges of being a member of the family. If Mia and Alessandro were going to be together for a long time, and it seemed that they would, then maybe I could help her to limate to this weird new life.


    I needed more female friends to talk to and go out with, so the idea of having another woman to do things with was thrilling.


    I felt a lot more confident about dress shopping tomorrow, too. The fact that Mia had some experience with wedding nning, even if it was just from stories she¡¯d heard from her family and friends, was reassuring. It may not have been direct, but it was more experience than I had.


    Besides, Mia was gorgeous and morous. If I could trust anyone to steer me in the right direction when it came to choosing a dress, then it would be her.


    My nerves about tomorrow were reced by excitement. Not only was I going to find the dress that I would marry Tallon in, but I might just make another good friend along the way.

 Chapter 556 : The Perfect Dress

    <h4>Chapter 556: Chapter 556 : The Perfect Dress</h4>


    *Natalia*


    The next morning, my driver took me to pick up a couple of coffees from my favorite cafe and then to pick up Mia. When she got into the car, she was dressed in a very expensive-looking sundress without a hair out of ce.


    ¡°I¡¯m so excited,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you again for bringing me along.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for offering,¡± I replied. I handed her a coffee and she took it gratefully. ¡°I feel so much better about this now that I¡¯m not going it alone.¡±


    ¡°So, do you have some idea of what you want?¡± she asked. She took a sip of her coffee and smiled in satisfaction.


    ¡°The dresses that I liked the most at the bridal show were mermaid and sheath cuts,¡± I exined.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said with a smirk. ¡°You¡¯re going to be a total bombshell in a dress like that.¡±


    Iughed and waved my hand dismissively. ¡°I just think that those dresses look really elegant, you know? They¡¯re modern, but not too edgy.¡±


    ¡°How much cleavage are youfortable showing?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t thought about that aspect of it. I looked down at my chest and frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t want it to be too much, but I think it should be a little sexy, right?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said thoughtfully. ¡°How about the fabric?¡±


    ¡°I am so unprepared!¡± I said in distress.


    ¡°No!¡± Mia said. ¡°Lots of women walk in with no idea what they want. There are so many options. You just want to have a good ce to start.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste anyone¡¯s time,¡± I said.


    Mia scoffed. ¡°Are you joking? I can¡¯t think of a better way to spend my day than finding the perfect dress.¡±


    I nodded. She was right. I told myself that I had plenty of time to try again if I didn¡¯t find anything today. I took a sip of my own coffee and sighed. This was major though. I knew that if I found a dress that I really liked enough to buy, that would make the uing wedding feel incredibly real. It was much more tangible than a cake vor, after all.


    The car pulled up in front of the bridal shop and Mia and I stepped onto the sidewalk. I looked up at the sign and took a deep breath to steel myself before going in.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got jitters, huh?¡± Mia asked. ¡°That¡¯s normal.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I muttered. ¡°That actually makes me feel better.¡±


    Not much about my life was normal, so it was nice to know that this was par for the course.


    Mia opened the door for me and we went in. There was a nicely dressed young woman standing near the entrance who greeted us and brought us to a nook off to the side with plush seating. She instructed us to wait while she got our stylist for us.


    It was less than five minutester that a tall, slim woman with blonde hair and sharp green eyes approached us. She smiled broadly and offered me her hand. I stood and shook her hand firmly.


    ¡°I¡¯m Angelica,¡± she said in a breathy voice. ¡°I take it you¡¯re Natalia?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I said. ¡°And this is my friend Mia.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you both. I¡¯m very excited to help you find the perfect dress today. Can you tell me a little bit about what you¡¯re looking for?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say, and I looked at Mia uncertainly.


    ¡°Something that¡¯s sexy without being too revealing,¡± she jumped in. ¡°She¡¯s leaning toward a sheath or mermaid silhouette.¡±


    Angelica smiled. ¡°Perfect! I¡¯m going to grab a few dresses that I think you¡¯ll love. I would suggest that the two of you take a look around and pick a few out, too. Then we¡¯ll get you into a fitting room and start the show!¡± She gestured toward a long row of dresses hanging at the other end of the room. ¡°The style you want is over there, but don¡¯t feel limited.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said nervously.


    Mia linked her arm with me and led me across the room. We spent the next several minutes looking at dresses, and Mia kept joking about some of the more extreme designs and it helped me to rx and loosen up. After a little while I had chosen two dresses and Mia had chosen one that she wouldn¡¯t let me get a good look at.


    Angelica approached us and looked at the dresses in our arms appraisingly. ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve had some luck,¡± she said. ¡°Are you ready to try some on?¡±


    I nodded excitedly. ¡°Very ready.¡±


    She led us to another section of the shop that had a row offortable-looking seats across from a small circr tform that was lined by mirrors on the opposite side. There was a long coffee table in front of the seats that held an array of light snacks and an ice bucket with a chilled bottle of champagne.


    She took the dress from Mia, then gestured for her to have a seat. ¡°Help yourself to champagne and snacks,¡± she said. ¡°And we¡¯ll be right out to show you the first dress.¡± She looked at me and smiled. ¡°Before we¡¯re through, we¡¯ll find you a dress that gives you that magical, bubbly feeling in your chest,¡± she promised.


    I followed Angelica to the dressing room and stared in surprise at the half-dozen dresses that were hanging on hooks around the room. There was one tall mirror in the room and a chair, but that was all.


    The next few hours passed in a blur. I tried on dress after dress and trotted out to the tform to show Mia. It felt silly at first, feeling like I was trying to imitate the models at the bridal show, but soon I was twirling andughing as Mia eithervished me with praise or made witty remarks about the dresses. It felt so light-hearted and was a ton of fun. I was so d to have her with me.


    After about five dresses, Angelica helped me into a dress that was far from what I had asked for. I was skeptical about it, but I didn¡¯t say anything.


    It had a full, multyered skirt that had a long train behind it. The dress was silky smooth against my skin, but many of the skirtyers were stiff in order to hold its shape under the weight. Despite how heavy it felt, I quickly grew ustomed to the feeling.


    The dress was too big, so Angelica used a fewrge clips that reminded me of oversized clothespins in order to hold the back closed so that the bodice fit snugly around my waist.


    The dress had an off-the-shoulder top and showed a bit of cleavage without being too revealing. The entire dress had small pearls sewn into the topyer. It was stunning, and I was shocked by how much I liked it when I looked in the mirror.


    ¡°This is the dress Mia chose,¡± Angelica informed me. ¡°Shall we go show her how it looks?¡±


    I nodded mutely and turned toward the door. Angelica followed after me, carrying the long train of the dress so it didn¡¯t get caught on anything.


    Mia gasped as I stepped onto the small stage. Angelica red the dress behind me and then stepped back. I looked into the mirror ahead of me and stared.


    ¡°This might be it,¡± I said softly.


    ¡°You look incredible,¡± Mia said. ¡°I¡¯m not just saying that because I picked the dress.¡±


    ¡°I think I want it,¡± I said. I turned slowly and watched the dress move with me. It looked almost unreal.


    ¡°So, there¡¯s good news and bad news,¡± Angelica said nervously.


    ¡°Uh oh,¡± I replied. ¡°Better start with the bad news.¡±


    ¡°So, the way this normally works is that you choose a dress you love based on the floor model and we order you a brand new one in your size,¡± she exined.


    ¡°But¨C¡± I prompted her.


    ¡°But, this dress is from a discontinued line. We can¡¯t order one.¡±


    My face fell. I was immediately upset that she had let me try it on if I couldn¡¯t have it.


    ¡°Now, the good news is that the floor model is in good condition and is just a little bit too big on you, so we could sell you this exact dress and have it custom-fitted to you by our seamstress.¡±


    ¡°Some people think it¡¯s bad luck to wear a dress that others have worn, but if it doesn¡¯t bother you, then it¡¯s a good option,¡± Mia said hopefully.


    ¡°I see,¡± I said. I looked down at the train of the dress and twisted slowly. I really did love the dress, and I couldn¡¯t see a single w in it. It didn¡¯t bother me that it was the floor model, especially if they were going to customize it to fit me perfectly.


    ¡°I do really like it,¡± I said.


    Angelica smiled and nodded. ¡°We have a couple more to try if you still want to.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said happily.


    ¡°We¡¯re still looking for that moment,¡± she said with a knowing smile.


    I nodded in agreement then we went back into the dressing room.


    After a few minutes of fussing with the clips, I slipped into another dress. This one was satin and felt amazing against my skin. There was noce or beading, but it had a very shiny jeweled belt.


    I walked out to show Mia. I twirled as soon as I stepped onto the tform and sheughed in delight.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s sleek, but I think it¡¯s too simple,¡± she said, ¡°especiallypared to thest few.¡±


    I looked into the mirrors and turned slowly. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said. ¡°I really like the way it feels, but it¡¯s not very eye-catching.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s got to be the other dress,¡± I said. ¡°I want that one.¡±


    Angelica smiled broadly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s all yours then. We just need a deposit.¡±


    I frowned. Was I being too hasty? I didn¡¯t really want to put money down on anything yet. If this dress sold and I couldn¡¯t get over it, I had no doubt that Tallon would hire a seamstress to make me one just like it. It wasn¡¯t like I would really be missing out.


    I went back to the dressing room and changed into my normal clothes, then Mia and I went to the front with Angelica. The dress was hanging on a hook by the front desk waiting for us. I looked at it longingly, but I just wasn¡¯t ready tomit to a dress.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to have to think about it more,¡± I said.


    Angelica looked disappointed. ¡°We can¡¯t hold it for you,¡± she pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s thest one we have, so if someone else snatches it up, then it¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said. ¡°I want to sleep on it, though.¡±


    ¡°Nothing wrong with that,¡± Mia said firmly.


    We thanked Angelica, then turned to leave. The moment we did, my face fell.


    Standing near the door and waiting patiently was Bianca. Mia saw the look on my face and linked her arm with mine protectively.


    ¡°We have to stop running into each other,¡± Bianca said as she approached me. She wasn¡¯t looking at me.


    She was staring over my shoulder at the dress.


    ¡°Bianca,¡± I said coolly.


    ¡°Sorry, we don¡¯t have time to chat,¡± Mia cut in. ¡°We have too much to take care of today.¡± Without another word she pulled me toward the door, leaving Bianca behind us with a sour look on her face.


    I knew that she was going to buy that dress. I could just tell by the way she was staring at it. It didn¡¯t really matter to me because I could get one just like it if I wanted, but it still pissed me off.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel like Bianca was intentionally trying to sabotage me.

 Chapter 557 : Can’t You Take My Word for It?

    <h4>Chapter 557: Chapter 557 : Can¡¯t You Take My Word for It?</h4>


    *Natalia*


    Mia and I had a long lunch after the dress appointment. She tried to get me to vent about Bianca, but I hadn¡¯t wanted to talk about it then. I felt off bnce after seeing her at the dress shop. It felt like I was stuck in some kind of a bad movie¡ªa bad sequel at that.


    Tallon and I had fought our way through so much to be together, and now that it was time to settle down together, some crazy ex had popped up to make trouble. It made me so angry.


    By the time I got home, I really regretted the decision not to talk to Mia about how I was feeling. I knew I should have gotten it all off my chest over drinks, because now I was dwelling again. I could try to pretend that I didn¡¯t care about whatever Bianca was up to, but I wasn¡¯t fooling anyone.


    Maybe it was because of my background, but I had a very hard time believing that she wasn¡¯t trying to do something underhanded. No one snuck around and acted so fake sweet unless they wanted something.


    Bianca was up to something sinister. There was no doubt left about that. The way she had eyed the dress made that clear. She must have been standing there listening to me talk about how much I loved the dress but wasn¡¯t ready tomit to it.


    I could picture her grinning as she realized that I wasn¡¯t going to pay the downpayment to hold the dress. She was going to take it from me. I had no doubt that if I called the shop right now, they would tell me that the dress had been sold.


    I looked at my phone and considered calling the shop to ask about the dress. I was sure that Angelica would still be there, and she would know exactly what I was talking about. I was so confident that Bianca had bought it that it wasn¡¯t even worth asking the question. I knew that hearing it confirmed would only make me more upset.


    I was quiet the entire drive home. When I got into the house, I found Tallon waiting for me. I was frustrated that I wouldn¡¯t have a chance to try to clear my head before facing him. I wasn¡¯t really surprised that he was waiting, though. I had been gone a lot longer than I nned, and although I had texted him that we were stopping for food, I hadn¡¯t updated him beyond that.


    ¡°I was starting to worry,¡± he said in greeting.


    I shrugged half-heartedly. ¡°It was much more of a production than I thought it would be, and we got lunch after.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you and Mia are bing fast friends,¡± he observed.


    I smiled. ¡°I think we are. It¡¯s really nice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d,¡± he said. ¡°Did you find a dress that you like?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Sort of. I found a lot of them that were pretty, and there was one that I really liked, but I just wasn¡¯t ready to pull the trigger on it yet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± he said. ¡°We can go back for it.¡±


    ¡°Not likely,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Why not?¡± he asked in confusion.


    ¡°Because Bianca showed up,¡± I snapped.


    Tallon looked shocked at my sudden outburst, and I immediately felt bad. I took a deep breath through my nose to calm myself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± he said.


    ¡°As I was talking to the woman about the dress and exining that I wasn¡¯t ready to buy it yet, Bianca showed up. She stood there and listened to my conversation, and when I turned around, she was staring at the dress like she¡¯d just won the lottery. I guarantee you she bought it the moment I left. She probably didn¡¯t even try it on.¡±


    Tallon was staring at me in disbelief as I spoke, and the expression made me feel ridiculous.


    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t see her buy it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No,¡± I confessed. ¡°But I would bet anything that she did.¡±


    He didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°I know that it seems bizarre, but isn¡¯t it possible that she just happened to choose the same dress shop? There are only so many high-end bridal boutiques in town....¡±


    He trailed off as my frown deepened. He stepped forward and took my handsfortingly. ¡°I just don¡¯t think we should get worked up about it yet.¡±


    ¡°I just know that she¡¯s up to something,¡± I insisted. ¡°Tallon, I can tell when someone is being deceptive, and she is. Why can¡¯t you take my word for it?¡±


    I was so frustrated that he wasn¡¯t taking me seriously. I had a bad feeling about Bianca from the moment that she arrived, and she just kept showing up in ces that she shouldn¡¯t be. I knew that she was trying to get under my skin at the very least.


    ¡°Darling,¡± he said gently, ¡°you¡¯re under a lot of stress. I know that there¡¯s a lot of pressure on you to make all these decisions and that you want it to be perfect. I think that you¡¯re just worried about something going wrong and you¡¯re reading too much into it.¡±


    My jaw dropped and I stared at him in disbelief. Did he really just say that it was all in my head?


    ¡°The bridal show, the bakery, the bridal boutique,¡± I said slowly and pointedly, ¡°and she just happens to be there at the same time as me every time? I¡¯m not a mathematician, but I think the odds of this being a coincidence are astronomical.¡±


    I stepped away from him and crossed my arms over my chest. I felt like he was calling me hysterical, and I wanted to scream.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you¡¯re wrong,¡± he said. ¡°I just think that we shouldn¡¯t jump to conclusions.¡± There was a weird inflection in his voice that I hadn¡¯t heard from Tallon before. He almost sounded nervous.


    I narrowed my eyes at him. I wondered what he would have to be nervous about, unless there was something about Bianca that he wasn¡¯t telling me.


    The thought that he was holding something back had urred to me before, but at the time I hadn¡¯t wanted to pry. Now, I needed to know if Bianca was as big of a threat as I worried that she was.


    ¡°What are you not telling me?¡± I demanded.


    Tallon scoffed and crossed his own arms. ¡°Don¡¯t use me of hiding things,¡± he said firmly. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to reassure you that there¡¯s nothing to worry about. Bianca isn¡¯t going to ruin our day. Even if she is trying to y some kind of a game, there¡¯s nothing she can do to derail the wedding.¡± He dropped his arms and made a visible effort to rx his posture. ¡°You said that she bought the dress you wanted,¡± he said more gently. ¡°If that is true, then I¡¯ll have one made for you that surpasses it in beauty and style. There¡¯s nothing that she can aplish by prying into our wedding ns.¡±


    ¡°So why is she following me then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Knowing Bianca, she¡¯s probably jealous and wants to copy your wedding ns.¡±


    I blinked as I took in his words. ¡°Copy me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he confirmed. ¡°There¡¯s nothing original about that woman. I didn¡¯t date her long, but it was long enough to know that she is always concerned with what other people were doing. There¡¯s not an original bone in her body. She wants whatever the trends are, and she copies celebrities that she wants to be like. If some pop star is photographed wearing a certain top, you can bet Bianca will have a knockoff by the end of the week.¡±


    I felt my shoulders rx slightly. ¡°You think she¡¯s just trying to rip off our wedding ns because she doesn¡¯t know what to do for her own wedding?¡±


    ¡°I think that she¡¯s jealous of you and knows that you will have ess to avish wedding that she can only dream of, so she¡¯s going to copy as much from you as she can,¡± he said confidently.


    ¡°So, she¡¯s copying me because she¡¯s jealous of your money,¡± I said tly.


    Tallon nodded. I felt anger re up in my chest. It felt like such a dismissive answer, and it took me out of the situation almostpletely. I felt like he was saying that my value was based on his money. I knew that wasn¡¯t what he meant, but that was the way it hade across. I rolled my eyes and walked past Tallon.


    ¡°Natalia...¡± he said in frustration.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to clear my head,¡± I called over my shoulder.


    I knew that he would be upset by my storming off, but if I didn¡¯t take some time to cool off, we were going to fight, and I didn¡¯t want that.


    Tallon didn¡¯t try to stop me as I walked quickly to the back door and went out into the yard.


    I shut the door firmly behind me, then walked off into the garden.


    I paced around for a while, huffing out angry breaths and cursing quietly to myself. I gestured wildly as I imagined confronting Bianca back at the bridal shop.


    I should have told her to leave me the hell alone. I should have demanded that she exin herself. I didn¡¯t, though. I¡¯d hurried off and didn¡¯t look back.


    I just wanted her out of my life.


    After a while, I stopped and sat down heavily on a stone bench in the garden.


    I was angry that Tallon didn¡¯t believe me. That¡¯s what it boiled down to.


    It wasn¡¯t all about the wedding. I knew that the wedding itself was just a ritual and a celebration, and that it didn¡¯t change the strength of our rtionship. At least, it wouldn¡¯t change our rtionship unless we let it.


    I ran my fingers through my hair and groaned. Was this what Bianca wanted? Was she winding me up in the hopes that it would drive a wedge between Tallon and me?


    I wouldn¡¯t let Bianca or anyone else take Tallon from me. I would fight anyone to stay by his side, but it seemed like the only one I had to fight right now was myself. I was being irrational.


    Tallon might just be right, I thought. He did know her better than I did, after all. Maybe she was jealous that she had lost out on marrying Tallon, and she was trying to copy our wedding as some kind of twisted revenge. Stranger things had happened.


    I just wanted the wedding to be perfect. I wanted it to be a memorable event that would show everyone how much care and thought that Tallon and I put into the celebration of our love.


    My life had been such a mess and so very lonely. This was my chance to have something beautiful and loving in my life. It was my chance to be the focus for once, in a positive way. I wanted that. It might be silly and a little selfish, but I wanted it.


    I wanted to stand at the altar with Tallon in front of our friends and family and finally know that I belong somewhere... and that I was really not alone anymore.


    No one was going to take that from me.

 Chapter 558 : Trouble Brewing

    <h4>Chapter 558: Chapter 558 : Trouble Brewing</h4>


    *Tallon*


    I watched Natalia walk toward the back door of the house and my heart sank.


    It had been a long time since I¡¯d seen her so upset. I didn¡¯t mean to be dismissive of her fears, but I had a hard time believing that Bianca was really trying to sabotage our wedding. But after seeing how upset Natalia was, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if I was missing something.


    Could she have been right about this? I didn¡¯t want to believe it, but I wouldn¡¯t put it past Bianca to stalk my soon-to-be wife. I just didn¡¯t see how she could possibly know so much about our wedding ns. How would she have known to show up at the bridal shop today?


    Natalia hadn¡¯t even picked out this bridal shop until after the bridal show where she met Bianca. She wouldn¡¯t have mentioned it to her there, and she didn¡¯t talk to her at all at the bakery. How could Bianca have known about it?


    It didn¡¯t make any sense.


    But I did truly believe what I had told Natalia.


    Bianca was a social chameleon. She had no real personality of her own, and she did her best to mirror the tastes and beliefs of those she was trying to impress. She believed that if she could just copy the rich and powerful well enough, then she would be able to break through into their world. Copying Natalia¡¯s wedding ns was exactly the kind of desperate, pathetic stunt she would pull.


    Natalia seemed to believe that whatever Bianca was after was far more devious than that.


    Anger flooded through me at the thought of anyone intentionally hurting Natalia and trying to drive a wedge between us. We had already proven that we would defy anyone to stay together. Bianca would be a fool if she thought she could gain anything from this.


    But again, I just didn¡¯t see how it was possible. Going in circles over it wasn¡¯t getting me anywhere.


    Regardless, Natalia was very upset, and I had only made it worse.


    I walked toward the back door, determined to apologize and try to get to the bottom of this, but I was halted by my phone ringing.


    I would have ignored it, but I recognized the ring tone.


    I answered the phone in irritation. ¡°What is it, Vinny?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a problem,¡± he said seriously. I waited a moment, expecting him to exin. ¡°Grade A problems,¡± he added meaningfully.


    I cursed under my breath. Whatever it was, we couldn¡¯t discuss it over the phone.


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way,¡± I replied. I shoved my phone in my pocket and looked at the back door. There was no time to talk to Natalia now. I didn¡¯t want this conversation to be rushed.


    I walked to the front door and grabbed a pen and paper from the small table beside it. I jotted down a note for Natalia, then I grabbed my keys and left.


    Vinny texted me his location and when I saw where he was, I was even more concerned. He was in one of our main warehouses in the city. Something big must have been going down for him to choose a location that was fully secured, yet inconspicuous.


    Vinny was in the supervisor¡¯s office waiting for me when I arrived. I made sure to lock up behind myself before I headed upstairs to talk to him. The odds of someone following me inside were low, but I could never be too careful.


    The warehouse was outfitted with a state-of-the-art security system, and the offices upstairs contained devices that would jam any listening devices, so this was the best ce to have a conversation about something we didn¡¯t want anyone to overhear.


    Vinny was pacing around the office when I walked in. It was arge room with an old oak desk at one end and a window that overlooked the work floor on the other. The space was cluttered with boxes of documents and arge industrial printer.


    I frowned at the mess and made a note to reach out to the manager at this location and tell him to get his paperwork in order. A bad audit was thest thing we needed.


    Vinny looked at me and tried to force a smile, but all he managed was a grimace.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked. I could tell that it was bad, but I didn¡¯t know how bad.


    Vinny leaned against the desk at the far end of the room and looked at me. I could see in his expression that he was choosing his words carefully.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start by saying we don¡¯t know who¡¯s behind this,¡± he said finally. ¡°There¡¯s no clear responsible party, and no witnesses that are willing toe forward.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°That doesn¡¯t exactly fill me with joy, Vinny,¡± I said. ¡°Tell me what exactly is going on.¡±


    ¡°Hits,¡± he said. ¡°The best we can tell, they¡¯re hits. Several Russians have been killed recently. The deaths are decidedly not idents.¡±


    I felt my heart rate double at the news. Nothing good coulde of this, especially if we had no idea who was behind it. That meant that the Russians likely had no idea who was behind it either, which meant that they would be on high alert.


    And it meant that they would me us.


    I cursed loudly and mmed the palm of my hand into the nearest wall.


    Vinny kept his expression neutral. ¡°The best we can tell, someone is trying to kick start another war. We don¡¯t know why.¡±


    ¡°Why is this the first I¡¯m hearing of it?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t clear at first that there was a pattern,¡± he exined. ¡°We wanted to make sure this was actually something before we interrupted your time with Natalia to bring it to your attention.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No,¡± I said angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t feed me that shit. You don¡¯t keep things from me, understand? I need to know these things immediately.¡±


    Vinny looked down guiltily and nodded. ¡°We should have told you right away,¡± he agreed.


    ¡°I need to be able to act swiftly to keep everyone safe,¡± I said firmly. ¡°I can¡¯t do that if you¡¯re keeping information from me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it happen again,¡± I ordered. I sighed and rubbed my temples. ¡°I want everyone on this, but I¡¯m sure you already know that.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°We¡¯re already monitoring all channels. If there are any developments, we¡¯ll know right away.¡±


    ¡°Let me know the second we know more,¡± I said.


    Vinny nodded his understanding.


    ¡°Does Alessandro know about this?¡± I asked.


    I knew the answer already. There was no way that my brother wouldn¡¯t have told me about this if he knew. Vinny shook his head, confirming that Alessandro hadn¡¯t been told about these killings either.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call him,¡± I said. ¡°Whoever is already monitoring this, tell them I want answers yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Vinny said.


    I turned and walked out the door. Ripping into Vinny wasn¡¯t going to help the situation, so I did my best to let my anger out with a long, deep exhale. I had to keep my wits about me.


    I got into my car and started the engine, then called Alessandro.


    He picked up almost immediately.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said. There was a tension in his voice that I recognized as concern.


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± I said. ¡°Right now.¡±


    ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d say that,¡± he muttered. ¡°Hang on a second.¡± I could hear the soft sound of him doing something on his phone, then his voice returned. ¡°Should Ie to you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m already on my way.¡±


    ¡°Anything you can tell me now?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not much,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long night. We may have problems with our oldest friends.¡±


    I could tell by his sharp inhale that he understood what I was saying.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯ll kill your buzz,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there in about fifteen minutes,¡± I replied.


    Alessandro hung up.


    I drove straight toward his house. I wasn¡¯t even sure what I was going to say to him when I got there. This was a mess and there was no clear path for us to take in dealing with it. Was this an inside job? Maybe the Russians were thinning their ranks or dealing with some rats? That would exin why they hadn¡¯t made any moves to deal with the situation yet.


    Or it could be that they knew who was behind the killings. It was possible that this was retaliation for something the Russians had done, and they were already aware of the culprits identity and were dealing with it quietly.


    Then there was the possibility that someone in our orbit had gone rogue. Not everyone was happy to see the feud with the Russians end. I couldn¡¯t think of a single person who would go behind my back to do something so reckless, but that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t happening.


    Or it could be apletely unknown party that had decided to make their debut by gunning for one of the oldest yers in the game.


    I didn¡¯t know, and that¡¯s what made this so dangerous. There was no way to mitigate the potential risk to my family because I didn¡¯t know who that risk could being from.


    Alessandro needed to be appraised of the situation, even though I wasn¡¯t confident that he would have any insight that would help me understand the situation. I had to make sure that all of my trusted men knew that something was brewing, and we needed to keep our ears open and our heads on straight.


    We couldn¡¯t let ourselves be distracted and risk missing something.


    The Russians hadn¡¯t made a move in response to the killings yet. That meant that something was on the horizon. Knowing the Russians, it wouldn¡¯t be long before they did something major in response.


    My head spun when I tried to think of what that response could be.


    I didn¡¯t have enough information toe up with a n yet, and it was maddening.


    I thought of Natalia, who was so hard at work nning our big day, and I felt sick. This could derail everything. She would be devastated if we had to postpone the wedding.


    She would understand, of course, but it would hurt her all the same. I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of her being so disappointed.


    Then there was the potential human cost to this. If the war started again, there would be no telling who might get caught in the crosshairs. It was my responsibility to keep everyone alive and thriving. I couldn¡¯t let this happen. I had to make the right call, and I had no idea what that call was right now.


    The only thing I knew for sure, was that we couldn¡¯t let the war resume.


    This had to be stopped.

 Chapter 559 : What Really Matters

    <h4>Chapter 559: Chapter 559 : What Really Matters</h4>


    *Natalia*


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long I¡¯d been outside for, but when I went back into the house, Tallon was gone. When I realized that he had left, I was upset.


    It wasn¡¯t like him to storm off after a fight. I was getting worked up about it when I found the note that he¡¯d left next to the door.


    ¡°Work emergency. Needed in person.¡±


    I stared at the note as a sour feeling rose in my throat.


    That wasn¡¯t good. If there was a business issue that he had to drop everything to deal with in person, it was a fair bet that someone had died.


    I sat the note down and sighed. This day just wasn¡¯t going well for us.


    There was no way to tell how long Tallon was going to be gone for, and I really didn¡¯t feel like being home alone right now.


    There were the guards around, of course, but I was so used to them that I might as well be on my own. If I just sat around here, I was going to dwell on our fight and get myself all worked up.


    I pulled out my phone and called Mia.


    We had just parted ways, but I couldn¡¯t think of anyone else to reach out to who wasn¡¯t busy. We¡¯d had a good time, so maybe she would be up foring out for dinner with me.


    I started to feel silly as the phone rang, but I resisted the urge to hang up. I didn¡¯t have a lot of friends, and I worried that I wasing on too strong with Mia, but I really didn¡¯t want to sit around waiting for Tallon toe home right now.


    ¡°Hello?¡± she answered.


    ¡°Hey Mia,¡± I said nervously. ¡°I was wondering if you were busy tonight.¡±


    ¡°You know, Alessandro actually just canceled our dinner date for tonight. He said something about work. I take it you¡¯re free, too?¡± she asked.


    Alessandro was probably dealing with the same thing that Tallon was. I worried about what could be so important that they both had to drop everything and rush to deal with it. There was nothing I could do about whatever it was, at least not right now.


    ¡°Want to get dinner with me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That sounds wonderful,¡± Mia said happily. ¡°Give me an hour to get ready?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up in an hour.¡±


    I went upstairs to get ready for my night out with Mia. I was so d that she was able toe with me. I was really hoping that we would be friends, and getting a chance to know Mia better was the best way to do that.


    We¡¯d had a good time this afternoon, but all the talk was about the wedding and Bianca. I felt bad about monopolizing the conversation. This would give me a chance to ask Mia about herself.


    I texted my driver to let him know the new n for the night, then went upstairs to get ready.


    I changed into a nice dress and touched up my hair. While I was looking in the mirror, I couldn¡¯t help but picture myself in the wedding dress I had tried on this afternoon.


    It really was beautiful, and I felt so pretty wearing it. But the more I thought about it, the more I was convinced that losing out on it was a good thing.


    Maybe I should take Tallon up on his offer to have the dress custom made, I thought.


    I could get something with a simr cut and style, but that had a little more personal ir. The idea of trying to incorporate some traditional elements into the wedding had been floating around in my head for a while, but I hadn¡¯t worked up the nerve to broach the subject with Tallon yet. I didn¡¯t want to cause a stir among the family by drawing attention to my Russian heritage.


    It wasn¡¯t out of any sentimentality for my family, but more a feeling that my own identity should be more present in the wedding. I spent so long pretending to be someone else and now, with Tallon, I was finally getting a chance to be myself. Being Russian was a major part of that, and I didn¡¯t want to turn my back on itpletely just because my family was... well, what it was.


    I pushed the thought from my mind and jotted a quick note on the back of Tallon¡¯s, then went out to the car. Maybe I¡¯d draw some sketches of dress ideaster and see what Tallon thought of them, I thought. Would it be too scandalous to include a little red in the dress?


    Despite my attempts to think about something besides the wedding, the drive to pick up Mia was quiet and gave me a lot of time to daydream about the perfect dress. Maybe I would forget about a veil and wear a kokoshnik. That would certainly simplify my anxiety about choosing a hairstyle.


    I shook the thoughts off as we pulled up outside of Mia¡¯s ce. She was wearing another stunning dress, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if they were custom made or if she just had some trick for clothes shopping that most women never figured out.


    ¡°Thanks for the invite,¡± she said happily. ¡°I was so disappointed when Alessandro had to cancel, so you saved me from a very lonely and boring night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you aren¡¯t sick of me yet,¡± I joked. ¡°Is there anywhere specific that you would like to go for dinner?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the area well enough yet to have a preference,¡± she said. ¡°Everything is still pretty new to me.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay with something a little less opulent thanst time?¡± I asked. The really high-end restaurants are nice, but I kind of wanted fried snacks and cocktails tonight.


    ¡°Oh, absolutely,¡± she said in excitement. ¡°Those ces are so nice to experience, but I don¡¯t need that all the time, you know?¡±


    I nodded my agreement. ¡°I know just the ce then.¡± I leaned forward and told my driver where to take us. He nodded his understanding, but his expression was less than impressed.


    The restaurant we pulled up to was very nice, but the atmosphere was much more casual. There was upbeat music ying through the speaker system and the hostess that greeted us was wearing a nice sundress rather than an expensive uniform.


    She took us to our table and sat a couple of menus in front of us.


    Mia grabbed the cocktail menu right away and perused the offerings.


    ¡°I want something fruity,¡± she muttered.


    I smiled and looked over the menu. I already knew what I was going to get, but I didn¡¯t want to make it too obvious how often I came here.


    ¡°So, how did you and Alessandro meet?¡± I asked.


    ¡°At a concert,¡± she said with a wistful smile. ¡°I love music, and any chance I get to see a live performance I jump on it.¡±


    ¡°What kind of music?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh, everything,¡± she said happily. ¡°Opera, orchestra, rock concerts, anything.¡± She set the menu down. ¡°I was at a rock concert when I ran into Alessandro. He didn¡¯t waste any time making his attraction known, and normally I would have dismissed a guy like that, but the way he approached me was¡ª¡± She made a hand gesture as she tried to find the right words. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He wasn¡¯t creepy or aggressive. He was just very confident andplimentary. I knew that if I told him to leave me alone, he would. I just had this sense that I could trust him. I know that sounds strange.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± I said. ¡°Sometimes you can just sense what kind of person someone is. It¡¯s a good instinct to have, as long as you don¡¯t trust it blindly.¡±


    She nodded in agreement. ¡°It surprises me that he was at a concert like that,¡± she said, ¡°once I learned who he is.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the Valentino men love music,¡± I said. ¡°It surprised me, too.¡±


    The conversation was cut short when our waitress arrived. She introduced herself and took our orders. I was thrilled when Mia ordered a dish just as breaded and cheesy as the one I wanted. She looked at me a little sheepishly, but when she heard my order, sheughed.


    We had a lot inmon, it seemed. The waitress went to put in our orders and Mia jumped right back into the conversation.


    She told me all about her home and all the beautiful sights and amazing foods that could be found there. The love she had for her home was obvious in the way she talked about it, and I wondered if she was feeling a little homesick.


    I knew how that went. I still had moments where I feltpletely out of ce here. I was happy and I wouldn¡¯t trade this life for anything, but I still felt like I didn¡¯t belong sometimes. I felt even more determined to help Mia settle in and get to know the city.


    Introducing her to a nice restaurant where we could get fried food and fruity drinks was a great start, in my opinion.


    We spent the next few hours snacking and talking in increasingly boisterous voices about everything.


    Mia was so much fun to be around that I quickly lost track of the time.


    When I realized howte it had gotten, I was shocked. I left a very generous tip to make up for taking up the table for so long, and we headed for home.


    We continued to joke around on the drive back to Mia¡¯s house, and I waited to make sure she got into her house safely before I had the driver pull away and head home.


    I was feeling much more secure now that I¡¯d had a chance to dpress a bit, and I was feeling pretty bad for how I had reacted to Tallon early today.


    He was just trying to reassure me, and I knew that he wasn¡¯t a liar, so what he said about Bianca was probably his honest opinion on the matter. Just because I didn¡¯t agree with him didn¡¯t give me the right to go off on him about it.


    It was sote now that I was sure he would almost definitely be home. If he wasn¡¯t asleep yet, then I was going to apologize when I saw him.


    We couldn¡¯t let Bianca, or anyone else, drive us apart. We¡¯d been through too much together to let something so insignificant cause problems for us now.


    Tallon was the love of my life, and I wanted our wedding to reflect that, but in the end, all that mattered was that we were together.

 Chapter 560 : Fear of the Unknown

    <h4>Chapter 560: Chapter 560 : Fear of the Unknown</h4>


    *Tallon*


    When I returned, I wasn¡¯t surprised to find that Natalia wasn¡¯t home. There was a hastily written addendum to my note telling me that she went to dinner with Mia.


    I was d that the two of them were bing fast friends, but given the circumstances, I was very worried that she had left.


    She had her driver nearby and she was being monitored to keep her safe, but I had already decided that I would need to step up her personal security. We had no idea what was going on, and it was possible that, given her family ties to the Russians, Natalia could be targeted by this killer.


    Just the thought was enough to make my stomach turn. I thought that the fact that she was no longer part of the Russian family may not matter to whoever was responsible for these killings. She was still Russian and the granddaughter of Dimitri. If someone was trying to piss off the leadership, hurting Natalia might just do it.


    This killer was bold and might not care that she was under my protection.


    It would be thest mistake they ever made.


    I debated with myself for a long time about whether I should go get her, but I didn¡¯t want to ruin her night and I didn¡¯t want to start another fight with her.


    Besides, I had no reason to believe that she was actually in danger.


    I decided that I would just have to wait for her to return. I called her driver and told him that he wasn¡¯t to let Natalia out of his sight and that he should let me know the moment anything out of the ordinary happened, even if it seemed insignificant.


    He knew better than to ask questions, but I knew that he was rmed, as he should have been. I was going to have to put the entire family on alert, and the thought of it filled me with dread.


    This entire situation had me on edge. I had a few drinks to take the edge off while I waited for Natalia to get home, but as the night wore on, I realized that I was being ridiculous.


    There had been no move made against us. There was no reason to believe that we were being targeted. I was not going to upset Natalia or frighten her by rushing her home.


    I showered and got ready for bed, trying all the while to reassure myself that Natalia was safe and would be home soon.


    The sound of Nataliaing up the stairs filled me with relief.


    She was wearing a nice dress, and I could tell by the way she was walking that she was a little tipsy. She must have had fun with Mia.


    ¡°You¡¯re still up,¡± she said with relief. ¡°I lost track of time. I was worried that you¡¯d be asleep before I got home.¡±


    ¡°I was waiting up,¡± I admitted. ¡°I wanted to apologize to you for how things went earlier. I didn¡¯t mean to be dismissive of your concerns about Bianca.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too,¡± she said. ¡°I know that I was being dramatic. I¡¯m just so freaked out by the whole situation. It¡¯s so eerie the way she keeps showing up.¡± There was a sour look on Natalia¡¯s face that made it clear just how distasteful she found the entire situation.


    I nodded my agreement. It was bizarre that Bianca kept showing up. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll look into it. It¡¯s too much of a coincidence.¡± I figured that it couldn¡¯t hurt to check up on Bianca and make sure that she wasn¡¯t up to anything underhanded.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.


    She looked relieved. I felt stupid for not making her this promise earlier. All she needed was for me to take her worries seriously, and I had been too distracted by my own concerns about Bianca to do that.


    I couldn¡¯t resist pulling Natalia into my arms and kissing her. I was so relieved to have that silly argument behind us and to have her home safely. She reacted to the kiss immediately, and it would have been so easy to fall into the moment. I forced myself to pull away.


    I had to tell her what was happening.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± she asked.


    I nodded. ¡°Vinny called me. That¡¯s why I had to leave so suddenly.¡±


    She was visibly tense. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly what¡¯s going on,¡± I said. ¡°But someone is hitting the Russians. There have been multiple deaths, and it isn¡¯t clear who is behind them.¡±


    Her eyes went wide with fear, but she didn¡¯t move otherwise. After a few seconds, she walked to the bed and sat down on the edge.


    ¡°Is this about me?¡± she asked softly.


    I hated that I didn¡¯t have answers for her almost as much as I hated the fear in her eyes. I knelt before her and gently ced my hand on her knee.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I doubt it,¡± I said calmly. ¡°We will need to step up security, just to be safe. You shouldn¡¯t leave the house without security for the time being.¡±


    ¡°I thought that this was all behind us,¡± she said sadly.


    ¡°I know,¡± I replied. ¡°But feuds don¡¯t die easily, and the Russians have other enemies. We don¡¯t know who is behind this or what their goals are. We just have to take precautions.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± she said with a forced smile.


    I ced my hand gently on her cheek and waited for her to look me in the eyes. ¡°I will keep you safe, darling, at any cost.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said. ¡°I trust you with my life.¡±


    The sincerity in her words made my heart ache. This was supposed to be a happy time for us, but it seemed that the universe simply wasn¡¯t going to cooperate.


    I got up and sat beside her on the bed. Natalia leaned into my side and I wrapped my arm around her and kissed the top of her head. The way she melted into me withplete trust andfort made me smile, despite myself.


    The world may try to keep us apart, but nothing was going to take Natalia from me.


    I knew that she felt the same.


    We sat in silence for a long while, just holding each other and thinking about the strange circumstances that we found ourselves in. It would be easy to give in to despair. It really felt like the universe was trying to put a damper on our wedding ns.


    It was veryte, and we were both exhausted. Without a word, I stood and held my hand out to her. She took my hand and together we walked to the dresser. I got out one of her nightgowns while she undressed. The sight of her beautiful body gave me plenty of ideas, but I knew Natalia was too tired and scared to have fun, and I didn¡¯t want her fear to get in the way of our intimacy.


    Once she had changed, we shut off the light and climbed into bed together.


    Having Natalia safe in my arms was the only thing that was going to allow me to rx today. She nuzzled into my chest and a soft, contented sigh escaped her. The alcohol in our systems was probably doing a lot to numb the fear of the situation.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Natalia to drift into a peaceful and deep sleep. I kept my arms around her and gently stroked her dark hair with my fingers.


    Possible exnations for this situation with the Russians kept running through my mind. It was pointless to specte when I had so little information, but I couldn¡¯t help myself.


    The more I thought about the killings, the less sense they made.


    There was no calling card of any kind, and no one was taking responsibility.


    Killings like these were usually carried out to send a message, that was why the bodies weren¡¯t concealed in any way. There was no attempt to hide the fact that a crime had beenmitted, or to hide the identities of the victims. It was like they wanted the Russians to know that their people had been killed.


    Or like they wanted the police to find them.


    I wondered if this could be some kind of a setup. I wasn¡¯t aware of any evidence that had been gathered from the crime scenes, but it was possible that these killings were meant to draw police attention to the Russians.


    That didn¡¯t quite make sense either, though.


    Sure, the police would know that something was up with the Russians, but in this case, they were the victims. It wasn¡¯t as though they would be arresting any Russian enforcers for this mess.


    I frowned deeply as I thought about the circumstances of the killings.


    Could it be that someone was trying to draw police attention to someone else? If that were the case, we could be in real trouble. Our old rivalry with the Russians was well known, and it was just possible that the cops would start poking around our business to see if we might be involved in these killings.


    I would have to warn everyone to keep their noses clean for a while, and to keep their guard up. It wasn¡¯t going to be easy to do both.


    I closed my heavy eyes and listened to Natalia¡¯s rhythmic breathing. I tried to quiet my mind. I was warm andfortable, but sleep still wouldn¡¯te. Despite how calm everything was at the moment, I just couldn¡¯t let my guard down.


    My men were monitoring the house, and my security system was state of the art, but the sensation of being watched from some dark corner overrode all of my logic. I felt the prickle of danger along my spine, and I couldn¡¯t convince myself that it was nothing to worry about.


    The sudden buzzing of my phone broke the moment, and I reached out blindly and snatched it from the side table. The dim light of the screen was almost blinding in the darkness, and it took a moment for my eyes to adjust before I could see the screen.


    All my anger and anxiety returned in full force as I read a text message from Vinny instructing me toe immediately to an address that I didn¡¯t immediately recognize.


    I looked down at Natalia¡¯s peaceful, beautiful face and smiled softly. I was going to protect this peace for her.


    I carefully slipped from beneath her and quickly dressed in the dark room.


    She was sound asleep and grumbled slightly, but she didn¡¯t wake up.


    I kissed her forehead lightly before I slipped out of the room.


    If Vinny was contacting me thiste at night, something was wrong. I wasted no time in hurrying out to my car and punching the address he had texted into my GPS.


    It wasn¡¯t far from the house.


    I responded to his text that I was on my way, then I pulled out of the driveway.

 Chapter 561 : It’s a Setup

    <h4>Chapter 561: Chapter 561 : It¡¯s a Setup</h4>


    *Tallon*


    The text from Vinny directing me to a warehouse that we rarely used didn¡¯t sit right with me. It wasn¡¯t like him to be so vague, or to disclose potentiallypromising information in writing. Maybe it was because I was exhausted, but I made the choice to go to the address he sent me.


    I had a bad feeling about it, but I couldn¡¯t ignore it.


    I had told Vinny to let me know the moment there was more information about this whole Russian mess, and it seemed like that¡¯s what he was doing. I couldn¡¯t ignore it. My instincts were screaming at me to turn back, climb into my warm bed, and pretend I hadn¡¯t seen the text.


    It probably would have been a smart move, but sometimes in this line of work, I had to do stupid things. I hadn¡¯t gotten this far by being over-cautious.


    Driving out to a warehouse in the dead of night was not the kind of thing I made a habit of. It looked suspicious, and there was no telling when I might be under surveince for one reason or another. As far as I knew, the police had no reason to be tracking me closely right now.


    It was probably fine.


    I pulled up in front of the warehouse and parked my car. This was a warehouse that the family had owned for decades, but it wasn¡¯t currently in use. It had a security system installed and underwent an annual cleaning and inspection to make sure the building was in good condition and could be put into use at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Why the hell Vinny wanted to meet here was beyond me.


    There was no sign of Vinny¡¯s car nearby. In fact, there were no other vehicles anywhere near the building. If any of my men were trying to meet me here, there would be at least one car.


    I cut the engine and stared at the building for several seconds, trying to decide what I should do. The uneasy feeling I had was bing difficult to ignore. This just wasn¡¯t right. I couldn¡¯t put my finger on what exactly was making me suspicious, but I knew that this situation was off.


    I pulled my phone out and I tried calling Vinny, but he didn¡¯t answer immediately, and that set me on edge far more than I liked to admit. He had texted me less than half an hour ago, so why wouldn¡¯t he answer his phone now? It didn¡¯t make sense.


    The voicemail instructed me to leave a message, then beeped.


    ¡°Vinny, where the hell are you?¡± I asked angrily. ¡°I¡¯m at the address you sent. If this is some kind of a joke, I¡¯m missing the punchline.¡±


    I hung up and put my phone in my pocket. If I had any sense, I would have turned the car around and gone home. I didn¡¯t.


    This had to be about the Russian killings. The idea that Natalia was in danger because of this situation wouldn¡¯t leave my mind, and I couldn¡¯t walk away from information that could help me protect her. If there was some new development, I needed to know about it. The security of the family was at risk.


    I checked the message from Vinny again and triple checked it. It confirmed that this was the correct address. There was no doubt about it. I was in the right ce.


    I went to the door of the warehouse and punched in the security code, then let myself in.


    The building was dark, and there was no indication that anyone was waiting for me inside. The moment that I opened the door I was met with an odd, chemical smell that I couldn¡¯t ce.


    It was clear that no one was inside. I was immediately angry that Vinny wasn¡¯t here to exin himself.


    The lights buzzed to life with a flicker when I hit the switch, and all the anger I felt turned to ice in my veins.


    There was a motionless body in the center of the room.


    I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm the erratic beating of my heart. The form was facing away, and I didn¡¯t recognize who it was, at least not immediately. The thought that it was one of my men made it difficult for me to move for several long seconds.


    This was a worst-case scenario for someone in my line of work. There was a body on my property, and I didn¡¯t know who it was or who put it there. This opened a whole Pandora¡¯s box of possibilities that could very quickly bring everything toppling down.


    I reached into my pocket and pulled out the leather gloves that I always kept in my jacket, just in case I needed to mitigate the chance of my fingerprints ending up somewhere problematic.


    With the gloves on, I walked to the body and stepped around it until I could see the face.


    I didn¡¯t know this man, which was a small relief. It also furtherplicated the situation.


    He had shaggy dark hair and pale skin. His strong jawline was covered in thick stubble. It looked like he hadn¡¯t shaved in a few days.


    He had a single gunshot wound to his chest, but there was no blood on the ground. He wasn¡¯t killed here. I knew that for sure. Someone had dumped his body in the middle of my warehouse without setting off the security rm. Who could have pulled something like this off?


    I carefully lifted thepel of the man¡¯s jacket to reveal a distinctive tattoo that identified him as a Russian asset. He was another of the murdered Russians. cing him here was obviously meant to antagonize the Russians and make it seem that we were involved in these murders.


    Why would someone want to restart the war? What was there to gain?


    I stepped back and frowned down at the body. My mind was racing as I tried to decide on a course of action. I had to get him out of here as soon as possible. What happened to him after that didn¡¯t matter to me. I just couldn¡¯t let the family get wrapped up in this mess.


    It waste. If I acted fast, we could take advantage of the dark and get him relocated before dawn.


    Something glinted in the light and drew my attention. Lying on the ground near the man¡¯s hand was a small, silver handgun. I didn¡¯t touch it, but I bent down to get a closer look at it.


    I recognized the model. It was an easily obtained and reliable model that most of my men used. In fact, it was something of a calling card for my men. Whoever had put it there obviously meant to frame us.


    Anger flooded through me.


    The ringing of my phone pulled my attention away from it. I answered on the first ring, and stared at the body as I spoke.


    ¡°Vinny, tell me why I¡¯m staring at a dead man in the middle of my warehouse?¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Vinny hissed. ¡°Get out of there,¡± he said urgently. ¡°I just got your voicemail. I didn¡¯t send any message. You¡¯re being set up. Get out!¡± There was unadulterated panic in his voice, and it sent my heart rate skyrocketing.


    I hung up and put my phone in my pocket.


    I walked as calmly as I could toward the door. I had to get out of there. I¡¯d already been in the building for several minutes. If someone was watching the building, they knew I was here.


    I didn¡¯t know how I was going to handle this mess, but at this moment, all I could do was leave.


    I was a few feet from the door when it burst open.


    Time seemed to slow as arge man rushed in with a gun aimed directly at my face. His light eyes were wide with the force of his focus as he came straight toward me.


    Three more men followed behind him. Each of them was armed, and the guns locked onto me the moment they were in the door.


    They were uniformed police officers.


    The fact that they came in with guns drawn told me that they knew exactly what they were going to find. If I made one wrong move, they would shoot me dead where I stood.


    I held my hands up where they could see them and disyed my open palms. I stood still as they rushed at me, despite every instinct in me screaming to run. I had to remain calm.


    There was shouting, but it seemed far away at this moment. The first man who had entered was speaking, but I could hardly understand what he was saying. The flood of adrenaline he was experiencing was causing his words to slur.


    I didn¡¯t move as he reached me. I just stared straight forward. My arms were wrenched behind me forcefully. I didn¡¯t resist as I was handcuffed. There was no getting out of this arrest. I had to mitigate the damage as much as I could, and that meant keeping my mouth shut.


    Once I was booked, I¡¯d be able to call mywyer and get this mess sorted out. Right now, I just had to make sure I didn¡¯t get shot.


    This was a setup. Someone had put this body here, texted me from Vinny¡¯s number, and alerted the police once I arrived. They had told the police what they were going to find, and likely, told them that I would be armed.


    I wasn¡¯t. Thankfully, I had chosen not to grab my gun on the way out the door. One of the officers turned my pockets inside out and frisked me as the first officer held my hands behind my back. The other two holstered their weapons and walked over to the body.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± one of them demanded.


    I didn¡¯t say a word.


    This was aplicated scheme that relied on having ess to me, my men, and my property.


    There weren¡¯t a lot of people who could manage this. I couldn¡¯t stomach the thought that it was an inside job.


    The word murder rang out as the police officer holding my arms shoved me unnecessarily. I was under arrest for murder. I listened numbly as they informed me of my rights.


    As far as a worst-case scenario went, this was pretty much it. Vinny knew something was going on, so he would be able to put the family on alert. That was the only thing that I had going in my favor.


    I stumbled as I was man-handled by the officers and attempted to walk toward the door. I nced back at the body on the ground before I was dragged out of the building. I had no idea who that man was or how he¡¯d ended up here, but his death could have cost me my life if this confrontation had gone wrong.


    I allowed the officers to shove me into the back seat of their cruiser.


    I looked out the window at the warehouse. Light was spilling out of the open door, and the other two officers were still inside, probably taking photos as they waited for backup and the crime scene techs.


    There was one question that kept echoing in my mind.


    What the hell was going on here?

 Chapter 562 : Helplessness

    <h4>Chapter 562: Chapter 562 : Helplessness</h4>


    *Natalia*


    There was a sound cutting through the peaceful quiet and I wanted it to stop, but for an indeterminate amount of time, I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. It was an annoying, repetitive, and high-pitched sound. I was so warm andfortable that the idea of moving my arms or opening my eyes felt absurd.


    I¡¯d had a lot of cocktails with Mia, and I was drunk. I was just the right amount of drunk to sleep soundly and not have any bad dreams. This sound was ruining it.


    When I realized that the source of the noise was my phone, I reached across the bed to shake Tallon¡¯s arm. It was ungodlyte, or early, depending on how you looked at it. No one would be calling me right now. Whoever was calling was probably trying to get a hold of Tallon. Sometimes if he fell asleep with his ringer off, and people called my phone looking for him.


    My handnded on a cold nket, and that was strange enough for me to crack my eyes open. I stared at Tallon¡¯s side of the bed and frowned. I was alone in bed. I was immediately annoyed that he was no longer cuddling me. Sleeping in his arms was one of my favorite things.


    I sat up with a grumble and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. The screen lit up and blinded me for a moment. The bedroom was pitch ck, and the light stung my eyes as they adjusted to the sudden intrusion.


    I looked down at the screen and all myints fell away when I saw that it was Vinny calling. There was only one reason that he would be calling me in the middle of the night. I looked at Tallon¡¯s empty pillow and braced myself for bad news.


    I epted the call and held the phone to my ear.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Are you at home?¡± Vinny asked in a tense voice. The tone was enough to confirm my fear that something was terribly wrong.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. I could hear the fear in my own voice, but I didn¡¯t mind Vinny knowing that I was scared. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He sighed in relief and there was a long pause before he answered my question. ¡°Tallon¡¯s been arrested.¡±


    I inhaled sharply and held my breath. What the hell happened after I fell asleep? Tallon hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about going outter, and I couldn¡¯t think of a reason why he would have snuck off without saying anything to me.


    It must have been something bad. I remembered the murders of Russian assets he had mentioned, and my stomach churned. Could he have gone out to deal with another death? What if he had run into the killer....


    No, I couldn¡¯t let my imagination run wild. There was no reason to believe that Tallon was hurt.


    I exhaled slowly and forced myself to stay calm. I had to hold it together, there would be time to get upsetter. Right now, I need answers.


    I braced myself for whatever bad news Vinny might have to tell me. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, exactly,¡± he said in frustration.


    The admission shocked me. Vinny always knew what Tallon was getting up to. He was his right hand and his best friend. If Tallon did something dangerous enough to get him arrested, Vinny should know all about it.


    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?¡± I asked in disbelief.


    I heard shuffling on the other end and Vinny hissed at someone to shut up. After a moment, he came back onto the line. ¡°He left me a weird voicemail, and the next thing I know he¡¯s booked for murder. All I know is that he was found with a body. I¡¯m trying to figure out what exactly happened, but I haven¡¯t been able to talk to Tallon yet.¡±


    I felt like I was going to be sick. He was found with a body? How could that have happened? I wasn¡¯t sure if the alcohol in my system or the fact that I had just woken up was a factor, but I just couldn¡¯t wrap my head around this right now.


    ¡°Thewyer is on his way, but it seems like this is going to be bad. He¡¯s not in for questioning. He¡¯s booked into custody.¡±


    There was another sound on the line, and I realized that Vinny must have been giving orders to his men and trying to contact Tallon¡¯s men while he was on the phone with me.


    I was so grateful that he had taken the time to fill me in, considering all the chaos that was going on and how many things he must have been trying to coordinate right now.


    If I had just woken up alone in the morning, I would have had no idea that Tallon was in trouble.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to get him out right away. Bond hasn¡¯t been set yet,¡± Vinny added. He sounded so frustrated.


    ¡°So, he has to spend the night in jail?¡± I asked in disappointment.


    Tallon had to deal with the police from time to time, but it was usually a formality that annoyed him, but only cost him a few hours at a time. It was part of the cost of being the Don.


    There was another long pause before Vinny answered. ¡°I think it¡¯s going to be more than a night,¡± he said sympathetically. ¡°I¡¯ll call you the second I know more,¡± he promised.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I managed to say.


    The line went dead, and I dropped my phone as the reality of the situation started to sink in.


    Tallon was in jail, and I didn¡¯t know when he was going to get out. It felt like the world had just dropped out from beneath me. I could feel tears streaming down my face, but I felt like I couldn¡¯t move. I was frozen.


    Tallon was in trouble and there was nothing I could do.


    For the police to hold him, they must have something damning against him. They were too smart to arrest a man like Tallon without strong evidence against him. No one was stupid enough to pick a fight with the family unless they were confident that they could win.


    How could this have happened?


    I stared down at my dark phone screen and tried to keep my crying from turning into sobbing.


    I felt ridiculous. My crying in the dark wasn¡¯t going to help anything. Vinny was hard at work trying to help Tallon, but all I could do was sit here and be sad. It made me feel so powerless.


    On the other hand, I knew that Tallon wouldn¡¯t want me to get involved in this at all if I could avoid it. He would be so worried about me being implicated in some way. If I inserted myself into the issue, the police might bring me in for questioning, and that would send him through the roof. I didn¡¯t want to make things worse.


    Staying out of it was the best thing I could do, but I wanted to help. I wanted Tallon toe home. It made me sick to think of him being locked up for an extended period of time.


    I managed to force myself to move long enough to put my phone on the side table andy down. I pulled Tallon¡¯s pillow tight to my chest and stared at the ceiling.


    Murder?


    What was he thinking? That couldn¡¯t be right. Tallon wasn¡¯t new to this, and he was too clever and too careful to get caught in the act. Even if he decided that someone needed to be killed, why would he go out in the middle of the night to do it with his own hands? It was so unnecessarily risky.


    I would know if he was doing something so risky, wouldn¡¯t I?


    I didn¡¯t believe that Tallon would do something like this without giving me some kind of warning. This couldn¡¯t be right.


    I tightened my grip on his pillow as a new wave of emotion overpowered me.


    I let myself sob this time. I hadn¡¯t been this scared in a long time. My chest heaved as I sobbed openly. There was no one to hear me, so why shouldn¡¯t I let it out? I knew that trying to hold this in would be too much.


    We had to find who was really responsible for this. I knew that it wasn¡¯t Tallon, so there had to be some evidence that would exonerate him.


    No matter how thoroughly someone tried to frame him, there would be some proof that he didn¡¯t do it. We had to find that proof. We had to find who was really behind this and force them to take responsibility. If we didn¡¯t, then there was no telling what could happen to Tallon.


    Hiswyers were the best, but that might not be enough to protect Tallon from the police. It was not an exaggeration to say that the police and the local prosecutors hated the family. If they could take out the Don, then they would do it in a second. We couldn¡¯t give them the chance.


    That was ignoring the possibility that Tallon had in fact killed someone.


    If he had done it, I didn¡¯t believe for a second that it was nned. It must have been a self-defense situation. But who would believe that about him? Who would take his word that he was innocent?


    I pressed my face into his pillow to stifle the sound of my own sobs. I just couldn¡¯t get a hold of myself.


    This could drag out for years, I thought. The courts weren¡¯t exactly known for being swift and well-organized. I could see a world where a prosecutor would choose to dy as much as possible, just to make sure that Tallon stayed in custody and weaken the family.


    I could end up having a prison wedding.


    It was a selfish thought, but it shed through my mind without warning. I forced it away and embraced the guilt I felt for my moment of selfishness.


    Tallon was in trouble and I was thinking about how it inconvenienced me. I felt so stupid. I rolled onto my side and clutched his pillow as my breathing finally started to slow.


    My exhaustion returned in full force, and I closed my eyes. I doubted that I would be able to sleep any time soon, but if I did manage to fall asleep it would be a weed reprieve from this waking nightmare.


    If this was a setup of some kind, then Tallon could be in real trouble. I didn¡¯t want to think about what would happen if he was found guilty of murder, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself. If he was convicted, the courts would want to make an example of him. He could go away for life.


    I could lose him forever.

 Chapter 563 : This Is Bad

    <h4>Chapter 563: Chapter 563 : This Is Bad</h4>


    *Tallon*


    This wasn¡¯t the first time that I had been arrested, or even the first time I had been booked, but it was the first time I wasn¡¯t confident that I would be out by morning.


    Whoever was behind this setup was thorough. There was no doubt in my mind that there was evidence in the warehouse that I hadn¡¯t seen before I attempted to make my escape.


    The police let me sit in the stress of the situation for what felt like hours before finally getting me booked into my cell. From there, they quickly escorted me to an interrogation room.


    It was pointless for them to try to question me. This wasn¡¯t my first time dealing with thew, and I knew better than to talk to the police without mywyer by my side.


    I looked down at the ink staining my fingertips as the detective across the table spoke. I was barely paying attention as he introduced himself to me. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was going to try to y good cop. It wasn¡¯t going to do him any good.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing to say to you,¡± I said simply. ¡°I won¡¯t speak without awyer present.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re innocent, why do you need awyer?¡± he asked in a curious tone.


    ¡°I need mywyer because I¡¯m innocent and you goons have never let that stop you from locking someone up,¡± I snapped. I cursed myself internally and bit the inside of my cheek. I couldn¡¯t let them goad me into talking. They could twist every word I said and use it against me.


    The detective held his hands up in a cating gesture.


    ¡°I won¡¯t lie,¡± he lied. ¡°Some officers do shady things like that, but I¡¯m not one of them. I¡¯m only interested in finding the truth about what happened to that John Doe. Do you know who he is? His name?¡±


    I leaned back in the chair and stared at the wall behind him. I was determined not to speak again, no matter how much he pissed me off.


    ¡°This looks really bad. You understand that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    There was a long silence.


    ¡°Of course you do,¡± he continued. ¡°You¡¯re a smart man. We found you with a dead body and the murder weapon. You have to understand what that looks like.¡±


    I sneered. They hadn¡¯t even swabbed my hands or clothes to check for gunshot residue. It was obvious they were looking to hang me out to dry, not exonerate me. They didn¡¯t care about the truth. They cared about getting this case off their books.


    I didn¡¯t say anything, and after a few beats of silence he nodded to himself. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re smart. Smart enough to take precautions. He sat back in his chair and looked at me critically. ¡°You know, we found a stic poncho and gloves in a trash can not far from the body.¡±


    Iughed, but I stopped myself quickly. If this guy thought we were wearing ponchos to carry out hits, he was watching too many movies.


    ¡°A man is dead,¡± he said in exaggerated shock. ¡°What is there tough about?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wasting your breath,¡± I told him.


    He could ask questions until he was blue in the face. I wasn¡¯t answering him.


    Several minutes passed while we both sat in awkward silence and stared at one another. Eventually he sighed and leaned back in his chair. He looked at the clock and stood with a groan. ¡°Are you a smoker?¡± he asked.


    I shook my head no. It would take a lot more than offering me a cigarette to get me to drop my guard.


    ¡°Coffee drinker?¡±


    I shook my head again. ¡°I don¡¯t need anything until mywyer gets here,¡± I said.


    ¡°He¡¯s on his way,¡± the detective said in irritation.


    I smiled as he cursed under his breath. He hadn¡¯t meant to tell me that. If I didn¡¯t know how long I had to wait, he had a better chance of wearing me down. Now, I knew for certain that help was on the way.


    ¡°She,¡± I corrected.


    ¡°I need a cigarette,¡± he muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll send my partner in to keep youpany.¡±


    Ah, he must be sending in the bad cop, I thought.


    He walked out without another word, and a secondter the door opened, and arge, sharp eyed man walked in. He had a stack of papers in one hand and a paper coffee cup in the other. He sat across from me and red directly into my eyes.


    I stared back and waited for him to speak. After a moment, he tossed a stack of papers onto the table. I didn¡¯t look at them. I knew what they would be¡ªcrime scene photos. He wanted to gauge my reaction to seeing them unexpectedly. I didn¡¯t take my eyes off him.


    Before he could try whatever other cards he had up his sleeves, the door opened.


    I nced over my shoulder and relief flooded through me at the sight of mywyer. The detective red at her, but he got to his feet and held his hand out.


    She shook his hand firmly. ¡°Detective,¡± she said by way of greeting. ¡°I¡¯m going to need a few minutes with my client, and I¡¯m going to need that time somewhere that isn¡¯t being recorded either through video or audio surveince.¡±


    She looked pointedly at the small surveince camera in the corner of the room.


    I grinned. The detective¡¯s face went a little red as he dropped his hand and red at her. ¡°You can talk in here,¡± he said.


    ¡°With all due respect,¡± she said, ¡°that¡¯s not going to work for me.¡±


    There was a tense silence as she stared the muchrger man down. I sat backfortably and waited for him to make a decision.


    ¡°I¡¯ll shut the camera off,¡± he said.


    ¡°And the audio recording device,¡± she reminded him with a smile.


    He nodded, then left the room with a grumble.


    ¡°Hello Mrs. Morton,¡± I said once we were alone. ¡°I apologize for waking you at such an ungodly hour.¡±


    ¡°These things can never happen in the midafternoon, can they?¡± she joked. She sat across from me and folded her hands in herp.


    We sat infortable silence for a few minutes until the red light on the camera turned off. We waited a few more seconds before she spoke.


    ¡°Walk me through it,¡± she said.


    ¡°I got a text that appeared toe from Vinny, but it wasn¡¯t from him,¡± I started. ¡°The text instructed me to go to one of our warehouses immediately. We¡¯ve been having some issues rted to our business, and I¡¯ve been on alert in case of an emergency. Despite the hour and how vague the message was, I rushed out to meet him.¡±


    She nodded thoughtfully at my words. ¡°So, you were lured out under false pretenses,¡± she said. ¡°What happened when you got to the warehouse?¡±


    ¡°I was confused,¡± I said. ¡°There were no cars and no lights on. It appeared that no one was there.¡±


    ¡°Suspicious, but you went in?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I figured since I was there anyway, I should go inside and see if there was a note or something like that to fill me in on what the hell was going on.¡±


    I sighed. It was a stupid move and I regretted it, but there was nothing I could do about that now.


    ¡°What did you find inside?¡±


    ¡°A body,¡± I said with a grimace. ¡°He was in the middle of the room. I didn¡¯t see any blood, so I went to check. He was dead. There was a gun lying near him. I was in shock. Before I could react, Vinny called me. I asked him what the hell was going on and he said that he hadn¡¯t sent the text and had no idea what was going on.¡±


    She frowned deeply at that. ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°I started heading toward the door. I was trying to decide what to do, and I wanted to get away from the body. Before I reached the door, the police burst in with guns drawn and ced me under arrest.¡±


    Her eyebrows shot up at that. ¡°They entered with guns drawn?¡±


    I nodded firmly. ¡°Drawn and pointed directly at me. I don¡¯t know who called them.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to be tracking down that 911 call,¡± she muttered. ¡°Is there surveince in the warehouse that would show your movements?¡±


    I ran through the events in my mind quickly. I didn¡¯t recall doing anything questionable in the short time that I was there. I nodded. ¡°Vinny can get you the footage.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else I should know?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°The man had a tattoo that I noticed. He¡¯s affiliated with the Russians.¡±


    She inhaled sharply and cursed. ¡°Well, thatplicates this significantly. It doesn¡¯t look good, Tallon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we called you,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m good, but I¡¯m not a miracle worker. You keep your mouth shut and let me do my digging. This is going to take time. If we take one wrong step, they¡¯ll throw the book at you.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said. ¡°The detective indicated that there was some other evidence recovered from the scene, but I don¡¯t have details.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can to fast track the bond hearing and get you out of here,¡± she promised. ¡°The rest is going to depend on what they find.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said with a sigh.


    ¡°Do you have any idea who could be trying to set you up?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°We don¡¯t have any tense business rtions right now,¡± I exined. ¡°I have no idea why someone would have done this.¡±


    ¡°Any other odd urrencestely, around your house or vehicles?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Well, I assume you didn¡¯t talk to the detectives.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Which really pissed them off.¡±


    ¡°No one should ever talk to the cops,¡± she said emphatically, ¡°especially not when they¡¯re innocent.¡±


    I had to smile. That attitude was exactly why I¡¯d hired her. There were a lot of good defense attorneys out there, but I had never met one with such a deep distrust of the police. I¡¯d never asked, but I was sure she¡¯d seen some underhanded cops pulling truly shady stunts in the attempt to get a conviction.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± I said wryly. ¡°They¡¯ll hang me with any inch of rope I give them.¡±


    ¡°Grim,¡± she said in an unamused tone. ¡°I hope you recognize exactly how serious this is. It¡¯s going to be an uphill battle and at this juncture, I¡¯m not confident I can get you off unscathed.¡±


    I looked down at the ink on my hands and thought about her words. She was right. This was really bad. My normal defenses weren¡¯t going to cut it, and it was going to take a lot to convince a judge and jury that I was innocent.


    My only alibi was that I was at home with my wife. No one would ept that as a trustworthy alibi. Natalia would vouch for me, but anyone would be justified in believing that she was lying to protect me.


    I really could go to prison for this, I thought.

 Chapter 564 : We Need to Get Him Home

    <h4>Chapter 564: Chapter 564 : We Need to Get Him Home</h4>


    *Natalia*


    The phone call from Vinny and the sobering revtion about Tallon¡¯s arrest left me a sobbing mess for a long time, but at some point I did lose consciousness. I woke up with a start not long after, which was a pattern that repeated for the rest of the night.


    I managed to doze off for short periods of time, but each time that I did, I woke in a panic thinking that I had missed a call from Tallon. I was so worried about missing his call that I turned the volume on my ringer all the way up and ced the phone on the pillow beside my head. If he called, it was going to re directly in my ear, and there would be no possible way for me to miss it.


    Even with that reassurance, it took what felt like hours for me to finally fall asleep.


    Hazy light wasing through the window when the phone ringing startled me awake again. I answered it without looking and my heart thudded erratically as an automated message yed, informing me that I was receiving a call from an inmate. The halting feminine voice paused and for a moment Tallon¡¯s recorded voice cut in, ¡°It¡¯s me, darling.¡±


    I epted the call as I tried to choke back tears.


    ¡°Hello, darling,¡± Tallon said softly.


    I choked back a sob at the sound of his voice. We had only been apart for a few hours, but I couldn¡¯t shake the fear that I wasn¡¯t going to see him again. It filled me with such dread that for a moment the sobbing fit I hadst night threatened to take over again. I took a deep breath to gather myself before responding.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I said shakily. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Natalia,¡± he assured me. He sounded tired, but other than that he didn¡¯t seem to be in distress, which relieved me a little. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that?¡± I asked in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯ve been arrested for murder!¡±


    ¡°Darling,¡± he said gently, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. This is a mess, but I¡¯m innocent and mywyer is working hard to prove that. We just have to be patient.¡±


    Hearing Tallon assert his innocence eased my mind a lot. I knew that he might not be telling the truth because these phone calls are recorded, but he sounded sincere. If he really was innocent, then surely we could prove it, and the police would have no choice but to drop the charges against him.


    ¡°I just want you home,¡± I said. I sniffled and pulled his pillow into myp.


    ¡°I want to be home,¡± he said. ¡°But it¡¯s going to take a while, unless someone figures out who actually did this.¡±


    There was frustration in his voice that he couldn¡¯t hide, even though he seemed to be trying. I was sure that Tallon was on high alert. While he was in custody, everything he did and said was being watched and recorded. Even a slight slip-up could mean big trouble.


    ¡°There has to be some evidence to show you didn¡¯t do it,¡± I said. I was scared, but I was also angry. Whoever did this was going to pay dearly for messing with my Tallon. I would make sure of it. ¡°What can I do to help?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he said firmly. The immediate rejection of my offer put me on edge. ¡°Don¡¯t get involved in this mess. Someone is dead. Whoever did this is dangerous.¡±


    I bit my lip. I had to choose my words carefully so that this phone call couldn¡¯t be used against Tallon. I wanted to remind him that I¡¯m not some wilting flower that needs to be coddled, but I wasn¡¯t sure how to do that without reminding him of how we met. That wasn¡¯t a story we needed anyone digging into.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m going to marry you, and we aren¡¯t doing it in a prison chapel.¡± I sounded a little spoiled, but I didn¡¯t care. I wasn¡¯t going to marry him in prison. Come hell or high water, I was going to get him home in time for the wedding.


    ¡°Natalia.¡±


    I could hear the fondness in his voice as he said my name, and it made me even more determined to help end this ordeal as soon as possible.


    ¡°I will work with Vinny, and we will keep the business running smoothly, but I am not going to sit around hoping that you¡¯re eventually released. I can¡¯t be passive like that, and you should know that about me by now.¡± I kept my voice strong and no nonsense, despite how upset I was.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said fondly. ¡°But I want you to stay safe.¡±


    The love in his voice cooled my anger, but not my resolve. ¡°And I want you safe,¡± I replied immediately.


    There was a long pause before Tallon sighed in defeat. ¡°You be careful and stay in touch with Mrs. Morton,¡± he instructed. ¡°She¡¯s the best defensewyer around, and she¡¯ll tell you how you can help. Listen to her,¡± he ordered.


    He was using his Don voice on me, which was not something that I would normally tolerate. Given the situation, I understood why he felt it was necessary.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°You¡¯ll stay in contact with her,¡± he insisted. I should have known that he knew me too well to ept a vague answer like that. ¡°She¡¯ll be contacting youter today.¡±


    I grimaced. Talking towyers, even when they were on my side, was an experience that always upset me. I was already emotionallypromised, and I didn¡¯t want to cry in front of a stranger.


    ¡°I promise,¡± I said reluctantly. I hoped that it wasn¡¯t a lie, but I wasn¡¯t going to let thew stop me from helping Tallon. If there was something that I could do to bring this situation to an end, I would do it.


    I heard a muffled voice on the other line, then Tallon said, ¡°I love you. I¡¯m out of time, but I¡¯ll call you again tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I love you too,¡± I said. ¡°You stay safe in there and I¡¯m going to see you very soon.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right, darling,¡± he replied. The line went dead a secondter. I stared down at the screen of my phone until it went dark. I wanted to cry again, but I wasn¡¯t sure that I had any tears left right now. I had a headache from the crying I had already done in the past few hours.


    My mind was racing as I tried to figure out what I could do next. There was no obvious answer. Someone had taken Tallon from me intentionally, and I wanted to find them and make them pay for daring to mess with us.


    Who could have done this to Tallon? Who would be motivated to do something like this? Why set him up for murder of all things? If someone just wanted to embroil the family in legal issues, there would be a lot of ways to do that without taking such big risks.


    It just didn¡¯t make any sense.


    I didn¡¯t have enough information, and I didn¡¯t know where I could even start trying to help. I needed to find out more about what exactly had happenedst night. There might be something that had been overlooked that could help, I thought. Everything had happened so fast that I was sure that there were details that hadn¡¯t been noticed yet. I knew exactly who I could ask to fill me in on the situation.


    I opened my contacts and called Vinny. Hopefully he knew more than he had when I spoke to him earlier. I needed someone to fill me in on what the hell was going on, and no one else would be as informed as he was.


    He would have had time to inform the rest of the family about what was happening by now, so hopefully he was avable. I could order him to drop everything, but that would be foolish of me. Vinny was doing important work that I couldn¡¯t do right now.


    He answered on the second ring. ¡°Hello?¡±


    I felt bad for calling the second I heard his voice. Vinny soundedpletely exhausted. He obviously hadn¡¯t taken a break or gotten any sleep since this mess started.


    ¡°I just talked to Tallon,¡± I said. I wasn¡¯t sure where else to start.


    ¡°How did he sound?¡± he asked. He sounded almost hopeful.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°Tired and frustrated, but he seemed okay. He wasn¡¯t optimistic about getting out anytime soon.¡±


    Tallon had sounded almost resigned to his fate. I hated it. I wasn¡¯t going to let him spend one more second in that cell than was absolutely necessary.


    ¡°No, he wouldn¡¯t be,¡± Vinny said with a sigh. ¡°This is a disaster. I pulled the security footage for hiswyer just now, and it¡¯s all cked out. You can still hear some movement once in a while, but it¡¯spletely impossible to know what¡¯s happening. Whoever did this disabled the cameras without setting off the security rm. I don¡¯t know how that¡¯s even possible unless they figured out some way to remotely hack the feed, and if that¡¯s the case, it does not bode well for our chances of catching the bastards.¡±


    ¡°We need to figure this out,¡± I said in frustration. ¡°What can we do, Vinny? We have to get him out of that damned jail.¡± My voice was choked with emotion, and I had to take a second to regain control of myself.


    ¡°Our hands are tied,¡± he said. ¡°We have to y this by the rules, or we¡¯ll only make things worse. If Tallon gets a lengthy sentence, then the entire family is going to fall into chaos.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not an option,¡± I said firmly.


    I wasn¡¯t going to allow Tallon to remain in prison, and I was not going to allow the family to fall apart in his absence. It would break his heart. ¡°You know as well as I do that the police are going to drag their feet on this just to hold him for as long as they can. They may very well try to deny him pretrial release by iming that he has the resources to flee. What can we do if that happens?¡±


    ¡°Hell, I don¡¯t know,¡± he said in distress.


    ¡°I need you toe over,¡± I said. ¡°We need to talk about this face to face or we aren¡¯t going to get anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Vinny said in a distracted tone. There was shuffling as he moved around for a moment. ¡°Give me half an hour?¡± he asked hopefully. ¡°I have to take care of a couple of things, then I¡¯ll be there.¡±


    ¡°Half an hour,¡± I agreed. ¡°Then we¡¯re getting to work and getting Tallon home.¡±

 Chapter 565 : Life

    <h4>Chapter 565: Chapter 565 : Life</h4>


    *Natalia*


    It took what felt like forever for me to pull myself out of bed after my conversation with Vinny. There was so much that had to be done, and I was so afraid of messing it up. I was paralyzed with indecision for a while.


    I was able to shake myself out of it when I thought about how safe and warm I had been in Tallon¡¯s arms just hours ago. I wanted that again, and I was going to make sure that I got it.


    Drunkenly passing out on his chest was not going to be myst moment alone with Tallon.


    I got up and took a hot shower. The water helped to wake me up a little and made me feel refreshed. Once I was dressed, I felt a little more prepared to deal with this.


    I had spent the night crying, but now it was time to get to work. Sitting in bed all day feeling bad for myself wasn¡¯t going to get Tallon home.


    The more I thought about the situation, the angrier I was and the more I wanted to get my revenge on whoever was responsible.


    Once I was dressed, I went to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. Vinny and I were both going to need a little help staying sharp. Besides, it gave me something to do to keep busy so that I didn¡¯t slip back into my negative thoughts. I needed to be proactive.


    The strong smell of the coffee filled the room, and I leaned against the counter and shut my eyes for a second. I must have zoned out or fallen asleep, because I was startled to attention when the kitchen door opened.


    Vinny walked in looking absolutely haggard. His hair was mussed and there were dark bags under his eyes. His shoulders were hunched, either from the weight of the situation or from how drained he was. I hadn¡¯t seen Vinny like this before and I didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°Have a seat,¡± I said.


    Vinny nodded mutely and walked to the breakfast nook where he sat down heavily.


    I grabbed a pair of mugs and poured the coffee. I was d that I had made the coffee because it looked like Vinny needed it even more than I thought he might.


    Vinny epted the cup when I offered it to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I wasn¡¯t here sooner,¡± he said. ¡°My phone has been ringing nonstop, and people kept showing up at my doorstep demanding answers that I don¡¯t have.¡±


    I waved my hand dismissively. ¡°You¡¯re trying to wrangle everyone. There¡¯s nothing to apologize for.¡±


    I sat across from him at the small table and looked down into the steaming cup. The family was in a panic, but that was to be expected. It would be manageable if we had any details to give them at all.


    As things stood, we had no idea who the dead man was, how he had ended up where he was, who had killed him, why he had been killed, who wanted Tallon setup and why... we knew virtually nothing. There was no way tofort the family when we couldn¡¯t give them any answers.


    The worst part was that we couldn¡¯t talk to Tallon about what exactly had happened.


    ¡°How did this happen?¡± I asked out loud.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Vinny said. ¡°But when I found out what bastard had the gall to use my name to go after Tallon, I¡¯m going to tear them limb from limb.¡±


    There was hatred and anger clear in his voice, and in a way that wasforting. Vinny was as angry as I was, and that meant that he would be willing to go to the same lengths I was. When we found the person responsible for this, they were going to regret the day they decided to mess with the Valentino family.


    ¡°What are the updates?¡±


    ¡°Nothing good,¡± he said. He was using that defeated tone again, and it scared me. If Vinny was feeling hopeless, then we were really in trouble.


    ¡°Tell me how we get him home,¡± I said.


    He shook his head. ¡°They aren¡¯t going to give him pretrial release,¡± he said.


    ¡°No,¡± I agreed. ¡°They would be stupid to do that. He¡¯s a flight risk, and if they gave him a chance to run, they would be torn apart in the press.¡±


    ¡°This is going to be a media circus regardless. Rumors are already spreading online, it¡¯s only a matter of time before the major outlets confirm the arrest and the charges. This is going to dredge up all the old family skeletons. We won¡¯t be able to cross the street without someone questioning our motives.¡±


    Silence fell between us, and I picked up my coffee cup, hoping that the heat on my palms would help anchor me so that I could think.


    This was all so incredibly upsetting, and it was difficult to think clearly. I had to find a way, though. I was not going to allow Tallon¡¯s name to be dragged through the mud.


    ¡°All the old skeletons, huh? And the fact that it¡¯s a dead Russian will make it worse.¡±


    ¡°Much worse,¡± he confirmed. ¡°It will start rumors about the old war and the rivalry and draw unwanted attention to the Russians, which could prompt them to action.¡± Vinny rubbed his temple as he spoke.


    My identity would very likely be public knowledge and only start more rumors.


    The quicker we got Tallon out of this, the better. We had to put a stop to this as soon as possible.


    ¡°What can I do?¡± I asked. ¡°Would talking to the media help? Would putting out a statement through thewyer be a good idea?¡±


    Vinny stared at me for a moment before asking, ¡°Are you sure you want to get into the middle of that?¡±


    ¡°I love Tallon, and I am not going to stand by and watch all of this happen without at least trying to help.¡± I met Vinny¡¯s eyes as I spoke, hoping that he would see how serious I am about this.


    He nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Tallon¡¯s not going to like that,¡± he pointed out.


    ¡°He already told me to stay out of it,¡± I said. ¡°He thinks it¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°It is very dangerous,¡± he agreed.


    ¡°And I¡¯m no stranger to dealing with dangerous people,¡± I pointed out. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how you all are forgetting who I am so quickly, but this isn¡¯t new territory for me. I¡¯ve been through more than my fair share with my own family. When I made the decision to leave them to be with Tallon, it wasn¡¯t so that I could turn my back on him the second things got hard.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Vinny said with an air of finality. ¡°We¡¯re partners on this, then. Until Tallon is free to take over again, you and I are going to have to step up.¡±


    ¡°I trust you,¡± I said. ¡°And I¡¯m willing to do whatever it takes to get Tallon home.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Vinny said with a slight smile. ¡°Now we just need to figure out how to pull it off.¡±


    ¡°Do we have contacts in the police?¡± I asked hopefully.


    Vinny shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s aplicated question. We do, but we can¡¯t risk asking too much of them on this or they could be exposed, and we¡¯d be in even more trouble.¡±


    ¡°What about journalists?¡± I asked.


    Vinny¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. ¡°Why journalists?¡±


    ¡°Because it would be perfectly reasonable for a journalist to question police about this case, and they would have better ess than we would. We could have a journalist meet with our police informant to discuss the case and pass the information to us. It¡¯s not ideal to get things secondhand, but it would give us some usible deniability.¡±


    Vinny nodded slowly. ¡°That could work.¡± He took a sip of his coffee as he thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s a start at least,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to depend on press releases for information, and I don¡¯t want to put Tallon in a situation where he has to say anything incriminating on those recorded phone calls.¡±


    ¡°You do have experience with this stuff, don¡¯t you?¡± he muttered.


    Before I could answer, my phone started to ring. I pulled it out and frowned at the unfamiliar number.


    Vinny nced over and indicated the number. ¡°It¡¯s Mrs. Morton,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thewyer?¡± I asked.


    He nodded and I epted the call quickly.


    ¡°Hello?¡± a stern female voice greeted.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I replied. ¡°Mrs. Morton?¡±


    ¡°I hope this isn¡¯t a bad time,¡± she said.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve been expecting your call.¡± I put the call on speaker phone and sat the phone on the table. ¡°Vinny is here with me and you¡¯re on speaker,¡± I informed her.


    ¡°Do you have an update?¡± Vinny asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± she said.


    My heart sank and I could tell by Vinny¡¯s face that he felt the same. I wasn¡¯t sure either of us could handle any more bad news today.


    ¡°Go on,¡± Vinny prompted her. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m going to be able to get Tallon out anytime soon,¡± she admitted. ¡°The police chief himself is determined to, and this is a direct quote, nail him to the wall.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s made it personal,¡± Vinny said angrily.


    ¡°How long can they hold him before trial?¡± I asked.


    There was a long pause that made my heart sink even further.


    ¡°Six years, but three is the average,¡± she said. ¡°He has no right to pretrial relief and the judge isn¡¯t going to grant it. Unless we can find strong enough evidence to facilitate his release, Tallon is going to be in custody for a very long time.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡± I asked. I already knew the stakes, but I needed to hear it spoken out loud. It wouldn¡¯t feel real until someone spoke it.


    ¡°Six years at most if he¡¯s found innocent,¡± she said. ¡°But with the evidence they have currently, I don¡¯t see that happening. Given the family¡¯s judicial history and Tallon¡¯s reputation, it would be nearly impossible to convince a judge that he¡¯s innocent.¡±


    ¡°What about a jury?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We don¡¯t do that in Italy,¡± she said. ¡°The trial will be decided by a judge, or a few judges if the case is deemed serious enough.¡±


    ¡°No jury?¡± I said in surprise.


    In Russia, a defendant could ask for a jury trial if their charges were serious enough. I felt even less hope about the oue now that I knew Tallon¡¯s fate would be decided by a judge.


    A jury you could sway with sympathetic character witnesses, but a judge would be far too desensitized to be convinced by anything less than cold, hard evidence.


    ¡°Six years before the trial starts,¡± I said. ¡°What about his sentence? What is he facing?¡±


    ¡°Life,¡± she said without hesitation. ¡°He could be put away for life.¡±

 Chapter 566 : Tears in Her Eyes

    <h4>Chapter 566: Chapter 566 : Tears in Her Eyes</h4>


    *Tallon*


    I had been held in custody a few times in my life, but never for any significant length of time. I could be reckless when I was young, but the family was well prepared to deal with any minor run-ins with thew, and most detectives were too smart to pick a fight with us. It was very likely that I had be jaded by those early experiences.


    I felt like I was untouchable. I was always careful about what my men did, and I made sure to take precautions to protect the family, but when it came to my own legal jeopardy, I was never worried about serving time. I thought I¡¯d get killed before I ever ended up in a cell.


    I was wrong.


    I was ustomed to a certain lifestyle and, as much as I liked to pretend that I wasn¡¯t spoiled, I was quickly learning differently. I wanted nothing more than to go home, and I felt ridiculous for feeling that way.


    The only thing keeping me levelheaded through this ridiculous ordeal was Natalia. I knew that if I couldn¡¯t hear her voice every day, I would go crazy. Hearing her determination to resolve the problem and her confidence that I would be exonerated gave me hope.


    It did nothing to alleviate my anger, which was growing every hour that I spent here.


    Being locked up might not have pissed me off so badly if I¡¯d been there for something I had actually done. There were plenty of crimes that I was guilty of, and were I there because of any one of them, I wouldn¡¯t have felt so bitter.


    The fact that I was there because of a setup filled me with rage. If I focused on it for too long, my hands would shake with the force of my anger.


    I tried to keep my mind focused on other things, but there wasn¡¯t much else to think about.


    I thought about Natalia a lot. I thought about our wedding and tried to picture her in a white gown. The thought made me smile. I had no idea what kind of dress she wanted, and I wanted to keep it a surprise, but picturing her in a variety of dresses was oddlyforting to me.


    As soon as I was out, I was hiring the best fashion designer avable to make her a custom dress. It would be a thousand times better than the dress that Bianca had swiped from her.


    She deserved at least that much for putting up with all of this.


    Fantasizing about Natalia was the only thing that brought me any relief in this pit. I dreaded every time I had to step outside of this cell.


    It wasn¡¯t that anyone was giving me a hard time here. It would be suicidally stupid to do that. There were enough of my guys on the inside that I could be confident that someone was always watching my back.


    When a member of the family got into legal trouble, I couldn¡¯t always get charges dropped, but I did always make sure to provide for those who were loyal to me. I made sure that they had all the money they needed for their legal team and enough to keep them asfortable as possible.


    It was paying off for me now. I didn¡¯t have to worry about anyone trying to make a move against me to bolster their own reputations or to get some kind of revenge.


    That wasn¡¯t the only thing that was working in my favor. There were a few guards here that were sympathetic to my situation. I was able to learn from my men who I could talk to about getting a little help from the guards.


    It was a tricky negotiation and cost me more than I would have liked, but I was able to offer a couple of the guards somepensation in exchange for bending the rules a bit.


    I knew it was worth every penny if they followed through with their end of the deal.


    I was informed by my men that there was an area of the yard that is a blind spot for the security cameras. It was in the seating area of the yard where several stone tables and benches were located. If you were to sit at the furthest table from the door, you would be just out of frame of the cameras. There was a side entrance that the guards had ess to, and there was usually a guard or two standing near it in case they needed to rush someone inside for any reason. That entrance was just a few feet from that table. That was probably why they¡¯d never bothered to address the camera issue.


    If someone were to enter and exit through that door and not pass beyond the table, the cameras would never see them.


    It took some convincing and a lot of financialpensation, but we finally got one of the guards to agree to sneak Natalia out of that door so that I could see her out of sight of the cameras and guards.


    I had to see Natalia in person. I wanted to see that she was safe, and I wanted to hold her again. More seriously, I needed to speak to her openly about what was going on.


    Her stubborn insistence on being actively involved in the hunt for the real killer put her in harm¡¯s way, and I feared every day that Mrs. Morton was going to arrive with bad news.


    When the guards came to my cell to get me, I was hopeful, but I didn¡¯t dare show it. I had no idea if or when they would follow through on our deal. It wasn¡¯t as though I could do much about it if they didn¡¯t.


    They could very well be taking me to meet with Mrs. Morton or for another exhaustive round of questioning with those damned detectives.


    It wasn¡¯t until we stepped out into the courtyard, and I saw Natalia sitting on that stone bench in a pretty sundress with her hands sped nervously in herp, that I knew it was real.


    Her beauty froze me in ce. It wasn¡¯t that I had forgotten how beautiful Natalia was, but rather that a part of me had started to believe that I wasn¡¯t going to see her again.


    While I stood frozen, she looked up and saw me. Her eyes widened slightly as she stood and rushed to me.


    I caught her in my arms and bent to kiss her. I held her tight to my chest, and she hung from my shoulders almost desperately as our lips met.


    I don¡¯t know how much time passed before the guard cleared his throat.


    ¡°Fifteen minutes,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s all I can give you.¡±


    He turned and went back through the door, leaving Natalia and me alone in the courtyard.


    I sat her back on her feet slowly, but I found it hard to let her go. She wasn¡¯t arguing. She leaned heavily against me and turned her head so that she could rest her cheek on my chest.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you arranged this, but I¡¯m so d that you did,¡± she said softly.


    ¡°So am I,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m d to see that you¡¯re well.¡±


    ¡°As well as I can be,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°I feel like we¡¯re no closer to getting you home. It¡¯s so frustrating.¡±


    She pulled away from my embrace and looked up at me with concern clear in her blue eyes.


    I wanted tofort her, but I wasn¡¯t sure what I could say. titudes wouldn¡¯t be helpful for either of us.


    ¡°Vinny tells me that you¡¯ve been incredible at dealing with the family in my absence. It makes me proud.¡± I smiled at her as her eyes went wide at my words.


    Vinny had nothing but praise for Natalia. She had surpassed expectations both in her proficiency at managing the family and in her approach to dealing with our killer problem.


    He told me that she had even managed to keep the story out of the press somehow. It was only being reported in gossip rags that most people didn¡¯t pay any attention to.


    I wanted to ask her how she had pulled off that miracle, but we didn¡¯t have much time.


    Her cheeks flushed at my words, and she shrugged slightly. ¡°It¡¯s my ce, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed. ¡°But it isn¡¯t an easy ce to be.¡±


    She nodded emphatically. ¡°I have a lot of respect for how stressful your role is,¡± she said. ¡°How are you holding up in here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a vacation,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯m doing just fine.¡±


    ¡°I find that hard to believe, but I¡¯m d to hear it,¡± she said.


    We walked together to the table and sat down.


    I took her hand as we sat, and she held onto me. We were both desperate for touch, but this wasn¡¯t the ce for it.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have you home soon,¡± she said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°You¡¯re very determined about that,¡± I said with a grin. ¡°I like seeing this protective side of you.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m protective,¡± she scoffed. ¡°What kind of wife would I be if I wasn¡¯t?¡±


    Hearing her call herself my wife sent a jolt through me. My dreams of her in a white dress shed through my mind as I looked at her and I had to take a second to reorient myself.


    I reminded myself that this was a business meeting and that we had very little time.


    ¡°Tell me what you¡¯ve learned so far,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough,¡± she muttered.


    I listened as she started to go over all the actions she had taken since the morning of my arrest. Most of the information she detailed, Vinny had already gone over with me. I found myself struggling to focus on her words. I was so distracted by looking at her and feeling her hand in mine.


    I felt a little childish for how strongly her presence was impacting me. I hadn¡¯t been locked up for that long, really.


    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re covering all of your bases,¡± I said when she stopped speaking.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to be as thorough as possible,¡± she said. ¡°I feel so awful that you¡¯re still stuck here.¡±


    ¡°Darling,¡± I said sternly, ¡°don¡¯t for one second me yourself for any of this. This was a setup, and the person responsible is going to pay dearly for it.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she agreed. ¡°I just¨C¡±


    The door opened and the guard who had escorted me out appeared along with another guard that I knew was on our payroll.


    ¡°Time¡¯s up,¡± the first guard said in a tone that was almost apologetic.


    Natalia looked at me sadly as we stood.


    ¡°I¡¯ll escort you out, ma¡¯am,¡± the second guard said.


    I pulled her into a quick kiss. There were tears in her eyes when she pulled back, and it broke my heart to see it. She walked to the door, ncing over her shoulder at me when she reached it.


    She didn¡¯t have to repeat her promise to get me out. I knew that she was a woman of her word.


    If I needed the reminder that I had chosen the right woman to marry.


    Natalia¡¯s strength and ability left no room for doubt.

 Chapter 567 : Fighting the Doubts

    <h4>Chapter 567: Chapter 567 : Fighting the Doubts</h4>


    *Natalia*


    I wept the entire drive home after my all-too-brief meeting with Tallon. I managed to hold it together until I got to the car because I didn¡¯t want the guards to see me so vulnerable, but the moment I was safe in the back seat, I fell apart.


    I was thankful that my driver pretended not to notice. I don¡¯t know how I would have reacted if he asked me if I was okay.


    How could I be okay after seeing Tallon under these conditions?


    Seeing him in that damned prison uniform was almost too much for me to stomach. They were treating him like somemon criminal, and he was anything but. It was like a bad dream that had leaked into reality. I thought that seeing him in person would bring mefort, but it only made my loneliness stronger.


    I hated it.


    I hated this entire situation, and the longer it went on, the more I wanted to make the person responsible pay for it. By the time we got back to the house, my tears had dried up and were reced with angry determination.


    I wanted revenge, but I had to find the bastard first.


    Alessandro and Vinny were already at the house when I arrived. We had nned to meet so that I could update them on Tallon and we could discuss the next steps.


    The two of them were sitting in the lounge and drinking. Their quiet conversation died the moment I walked through the door. I didn¡¯t even look at them as they greeted me.


    I walked to the dry bar at the end of the room and poured myself a shot of vodka. I downed it, then turned and took my seat across from them.


    Vinny had a strange expression on his face as he looked at me, but Alessandro just looked amused.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m d you were able to be here.¡±


    ¡°How did it go?¡± Vinny asked.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s obvious,¡± Alessandro replied. ¡°It¡¯s not easy the first time you have to visit someone in custody.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s never easy,¡± Vinny said. ¡°Were you able to learn anything useful?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± I sighed. ¡°Tallon is doing alright. He wants us to be careful.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re taking every precaution possible,¡± Vinny said. ¡°I keep telling him that, but he¡¯s very concerned. This whole thing has gotten into his head, he¡¯s convinced that whoever is behind this is not to be trifled with.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t ying around either,¡± Alessandro said sternly. ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t seem like it, but I¡¯m convinced we¡¯re getting close.¡± He crossed his arms, and the intense look in his eyes showed how serious he was.


    ¡°Tell me we¡¯ve found something,¡± I said hopefully. I leaned forward, eager to hear every detail that they could give me.


    ¡°We¡¯ve run down every lead on these killings,¡± Alessandro said, ¡°every Russian who has been killed over thest month was involved in a Valentino killing during the war.¡±


    I locked eyes with him. Alessandro didn¡¯t flinch and his eye contact didn¡¯t waver.


    ¡°Every single one?¡±


    He nodded. I turned my eyes to Vinny.


    ¡°We triple checked it,¡± Vinny said. ¡°I had to dig into a lot of old paperwork and contact an old friend familiar with the Russian side of things.¡±


    ¡°So, every single dead Russian was involved in a Valentino killing?¡± I asked in disbelief.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Vinny said.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be a coincidence,¡± I said.


    I rubbed my temples, and we all sat in silence for a few minutes while I processed what this could mean. I closed my eyes and tried to think it through.


    The only sound in the room was our breathing and the soft sound of ss being lifted and set down while Vinny and Alessandro drank. I found myself wishing that I¡¯d poured myself something more than a shot.


    The implications of their findings were hard to miss. I didn¡¯t want to believe that someone in the family really was responsible for all these killings, but it was hard to believe that anyone else could be responsible. What if this wasn¡¯t just a set up by some stranger? What if this was a betrayal from within the family?


    I felt sick at the thought of someone turning on Tallon like that.


    A small voice in the back of my mind said that it was my fault. Maybe someone was so disgusted that he was marrying a Russian that they acted out like this to hurt him.


    No one had said anything directly against our marriage, but that didn¡¯t mean that no one was feeling that way. Voicing that kind of opinion would not go over well with Tallon.


    There was no proof of any of that, though. I tried to force the dark thoughts away. It wasn¡¯t helpful for any of us for me to think like this.


    I had to find the person responsible, no matter who they might be, and I had to bring them to justice. Uncovering their identity to the police was the only chance I had of getting Tallon out of jail. And if for some reason the police couldn¡¯t be swayed, I would make the person responsible pay myself.


    I stood and walked back to the dry bar. I poured myself another shot and downed it quickly. The burn of the alcohol at the back of my throat was enough to help me refocus on the current moment.


    I turned and pressed my back to the bar as I looked at Vinny and Alessandro. I made sure that when I spoke again, my voice didn¡¯t waver.


    ¡°I see three possibilities,¡± I said. ¡°This could be a setup as we suspected. Some third party outside of the Valentino¡¯s and the Russians could be using the old feud to stir up chaos in an attempt to seize power for themselves. I don¡¯t know who that might be, but we need to look into it. Who would benefit from both groups being destabilized?¡±


    ¡°There are a few options,¡± Vinny said.


    ¡°Look into all of them,¡± I said.


    He let out a slow breath and nodded. It was a big ask, but we both knew we couldn¡¯t leave any stone unturned.


    ¡°You said three possibilities,¡± Alessandro said. ¡°What else are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°It could be an internal purge by the Russians. If there is resistance within the organization to upholding the new peace with the Valentino¡¯s, they may handle that resistance by wiping it out.¡±


    Vinny nodded gravely at my words, but Alessandro looked surprised. The idea that the Russian¡¯s would kill their own for not falling into line must not have urred to him before.


    ¡°And the third possibility?¡± Vinny asked.


    ¡°We have a rogue.¡±


    A heavy silence fell over the room. None of us even wanted to entertain the idea, but it had to be addressed.


    ¡°I want those leads reexamined,¡± I said. ¡°Look into every rtive of the people killed in those incidents, on both sides if possible. I don¡¯t care if they weren¡¯t born yet at the time. I want to know who else might be connected to this.¡±


    If there was someone in the family that was working against us, we had to find out about it as soon as possible. Tallon had already been targeted, this could only be the beginning.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Alessandro asked skeptically.


    ¡°It could be that someone isn¡¯t happy the war ended because their personal vendetta wasn¡¯t satisfied yet,¡± I exined. I walked over to them and sat down. ¡°Or they just want others to suffer the same way they did. Either way, we need to know. I hope that nothinges of it, but if we don¡¯t check it out and¨C¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Alessandro cut me off. It was clear that he didn¡¯t want to talk about this, and I didn¡¯t me him.


    ¡°I take no joy in this,¡± I said softly. ¡°But we have to rule it out.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you and Tallon didn¡¯t swap minds?¡± Vinny asked with a smirk. ¡°You sound exactly like him right now.¡±


    My eyes went a little wide at his words. It was a hugepliment to bepared to Tallon, especially right now when I was so filled with doubt about my own ability to lead. I wanted to do right by the family, and I was afraid that I was going to mess this up.


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Alessandro said after a moment. ¡°This is exactly what he would do.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said quietly.


    Alessandro stood and sighed deeply. ¡°We¡¯d better get to work. We have a lot of work to do.¡±


    Vinny stood as well, and I followed suit.


    ¡°We¡¯ll let you know the moment we learn anything,¡± Vinny promised.


    ¡°Good,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much longer I¡¯ll be able to stand this. Having Tallon locked up is hard enough. Not knowing who¡¯s to me for it is maddening.¡±


    Alessandro frowned. ¡°I know what you mean. I want to make whoever did this pay, but I don¡¯t know who did it. It pisses me off.¡±


    Vinny nodded his agreement but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be in touch soon,¡± Alessandro said.


    ¡°Stay safe,¡± I replied. ¡°Don¡¯t take any unnecessary risks. We can¡¯t afford to lose you, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± he assured me. ¡°And I expect you to call if you need anything at all.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I said.


    I would do my best not to have to lean on Alessandro, but it was nice to know that he was there if I needed him.


    I watched them leave, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. They thought that I was doing what Tallon would do. That meant that I was on the right track.


    My smile didn¡¯tst long though. The moment I found myself alone, my dark thoughts reemerged.


    Was it really possible for me to free Tallon?


    The more time passed, the more I worried that I wasn¡¯t going to pull it off. It had only been a few days, but it felt like months.


    I could handle being away from Tallon if he was gone on business or something like that, but this was different. I couldn¡¯t reach him where he was now. I couldn¡¯t call him. I couldn¡¯t go to him. He had been taken from me.


    As much as I didn¡¯t want to consider the possibility that all our efforts to find the true killer might fail, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from wondering what would happen if I couldn¡¯t prove Tallon innocent.


    Without him, I felt like I didn¡¯t have a ce with the Valentino family. I certainly couldn¡¯t go back, so what would I do?


    It didn¡¯t bear thinking about, but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    I had never lived a normal life, and I didn¡¯t want to.


    I wanted to be with Tallon. I would do everything that I could to make sure that we were reunited. I had to stay positive and believe that it was going to work.


    If I let the doubts take over, then we were really going to be in trouble.

 Chapter 568 : A Woman Scorned

    <h4>Chapter 568: Chapter 568 : A Woman Scorned</h4>


    *Natalia*


    After my meeting with Alessandro and Vinny, I found it difficult to rx. I was checking my phone every few seconds to make sure that I hadn¡¯t missed a text or phone call from one of them.


    I hated the fact that we had to look within the family for answers, but it would be foolish not to explore every possibility. We had to know for certain who was responsible.


    It was the only way we were going to get Tallon home.


    I had to find a way to clear my mind, or I was going to go crazy. Nothing that I tried was helping though. Showering only made my mind wander to Tallon, and that made me remember our stolen moments at the prison. I managed to keep myself from crying, but it wasn¡¯t easy.


    I tried listening to music and going for a walk in the garden. I even tried reading, but nothing took my mind off the situation.


    I considered having another drink to take the edge off, but if something dide up, I needed a clear mind to deal with it.


    I picked my phone up again to find that there were no notifications. As I was about to put it down, it urred to me that I could probably call Mia. Alessandro was busy, so she was probably free. It was gettingte, and I hadn¡¯t eaten a bite.


    Inviting her to dinner seemed like a pretty good way to keep busy and get out of my own head.


    Mia answered after a few rings.


    ¡°Hello, Natalia,¡± she said with a sigh.


    ¡°Is this a bad time?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m just feeling sorry for myself. Alessandro isn¡¯t going to make it home for dinner tonight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my fault, I¡¯m afraid,¡± I said. ¡°He and Vinny are working on¨C¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said quickly. ¡°Please, don¡¯t feel the need to exin. Like I said, I¡¯m just feeling sorry for myself.¡±


    ¡°Can I treat you to dinner?¡± I asked. ¡°It won¡¯t make up for missing out on a romantic night with Alessandro, but it could be fun.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great,¡± she answered. ¡°I always have fun when we go out. I¡¯ll get ready.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± I said with relief. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in about an hour?¡±


    Mia agreed and we hung up.


    I let my driver know about my ns, then I started to get ready to leave.


    I did feel bad that Mia was losing out on time with Alessandro because of this mess. But she seemed to understand the urgency of the situation, and she didn¡¯t seem like the type to hold a grudge.


    Wedding ns had been put on hold for the time being, and I had been hard at work managing the family, so I hadn¡¯t seen Mia since the day we¡¯d gone out to dinner.


    I was looking forward to hanging out with her again. I checked my phone the entire drive to pick her up, fully expecting that something was going to happen to interrupt the evening. Nothing went wrong though. We picked Mia up and the two of us chatted politely as we made our way downtown.


    We ended up at the same restaurant we¡¯d eaten atst time. It was afort spot for me, and that feeling was very weed right now.


    It had only been a few days since Tallon¡¯s arrest, but it felt like a lifetime. Every second since then had been filled with fear and suspicion, so this was the first time I was really trying to let my guard down.


    Things were a little awkward between us when we ordered our food. We both had a lot on our minds, and our attention kept wandering away from the conversation.


    When our food arrived, Mia looked at me and smiled guiltily.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I haven¡¯t been very goodpany.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t either,¡± I replied. ¡°I just can¡¯t stop worrying about this.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine what you¡¯re going through,¡± she said sympathetically.


    ¡°I know that we¡¯re going to get Tallon out. It¡¯s just a matter of time. The waiting is so difficult, though.¡± I poked at my food as I spoke. ¡°I still get to hear his voice, but in a way that just makes the separation harder, you know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I could cope if Alessandro were in that situation,¡± she said. ¡°I would be so angry.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I agreed. ¡°When I think about finding the person responsible I just....¡±


    I stabbed my fork down forcefully. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do when we find them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re confident that you will find them?¡± she asked hopefully. ¡°Alessandro wants to know who did this to his little brother. The look in his eyes when he talks about it is almost frightening.¡± She looked at me hopefully. ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re going to find the true killer?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of time,¡± I assured her. ¡°We won¡¯t leave any stone unturned. It¡¯s clear to me that whoever did this has some motivation to be angry with Tallon and wants to punish him in some way. The fact that they didn¡¯t attempt to kill him but framed him instead gives us some direction to start it. I know that we¡¯ll find them soon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s such a relief to hear,¡± she said. ¡°I really hope that you¡¯re right.¡±


    I nodded. I hoped that I was right, too. We were going to keep looking until we figured it out, but there was no telling how long it was going to take. I could only hope that it was going to be soon, and I wanted to reassure Mia, even if I couldn¡¯t guarantee what I was saying to her. Sometimes, maintaining hope was more important than being one hundred percent truthful.


    There was also a risk that someone else could get hurt in the meantime. Taking Tallon out of the picture might not be the ultimate goal of the killer. There was still a chance that someone else could end up in trouble.


    I couldn¡¯t let ite to that. We had to find this bastard before the family was put at any more risk.


    ¡°Alessandro is very happy with your leadership,¡± Mia said suddenly.


    My head snapped up and I looked at her in surprise. ¡°He said that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh yes,¡± she nodded emphatically. ¡°He said that he¡¯s d Tallon has found such a capable wife to guide the family.¡±


    I smiled brightly at that. Alessandro had been kind to me, and he seemed receptive to my leadership in this crisis, but it was a great relief to hear that he really did trust my judgment.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°It really means a lot to me to hear that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing they had a woman ready to step up,¡± she said with a grin.


    Iughed and returned her grin. ¡°You know what they say about a woman scorned,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s the real mistake this killer made,¡± she said seriously. ¡°They didn¡¯t realize that getting between a woman and her wedding day is the worst mistake a person can make.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. ¡°I will not be getting married in a prison,¡± I said firmly. ¡°And this creep is going to pay for even making me consider it.¡±


    We kept the serious expressions on our faces for a few seconds, then we both dissolved intoughter.


    It wasn¡¯t that the situation was really funny. It was just nice for both of us to have a chance to talk about it freely.


    It was different when I had to speak to Vinny and Alessandro about this. The stakes were so high and the three of us were responsible for saving Tallon and, by extension, the entire family.


    With Mia, we were able to blow off some steam and joke about the situation without making light of it at all.


    It was such a relief to me that I found myself unable to contain myughter. This was the first time I hadughed since Tallon¡¯s arrest.


    Mia fell into a fit ofughter as well and before long, we were wheezing and wiping tears from our eyes. It took a few minutes for us to contain ourughter and start to catch our breath.


    Mia¡¯s face was red, and she was bent forward with her arms around her stomach. I was sure that I looked the same, but I didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°God, I needed that,¡± I said breathlessly.


    ¡°Me too,¡± she agreed. ¡°I¡¯m so d you called me.¡±


    I nodded enthusiastically.


    The rest of our dinner passed with pleasant conversation and a great deal of joking. Before we knew it, a few hours had passed, and it was time to head home.


    Mia seemed reluctant to leave, and I felt the same way. We were having fun and when we left here, we had to go back to dealing with the reality of this situation. Neither of us were looking forward to that. We didn¡¯t have much choice, though.


    I paid the bill, and we made our way towards the exit.


    The air was slightly chilly as we stepped outside, and Mia shuddered and stopped to adjust her jacket. I waited beside her and nced around us. My eyes fell on a familiar form, and I grimaced.


    It was Bianca.


    She was walking down the sidewalk toward us, and she smirked at me as she approached.


    I red at her unflinchingly but didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°Oh, Natalia,¡± she said smugly. ¡°You¡¯re thest person I thought that I would run into out here.¡±


    Mia looked up in confusion, and I heard her curse under her breath when she saw Bianca. I wanted to curse too, but much louder. I didn¡¯t respond to her. I just looked at Mia.


    ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± she replied.


    ¡°I mean, if I were in your shoes, I wouldn¡¯t be out in public. I was so sorry to hear about Tallon. I can¡¯t even imagine how heartbroken you must be,¡± Bianca said snidely.


    For a moment, I seriously considered punching her in the face. It would feel so good to get some of this aggression out, but I restrained myself.


    I turned away from Bianca and offered Mia my arm. She linked arms with me, and we turned our backs to Bianca and walked away together.


    When we were a few feet away, Mia said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how you keep your temper like that.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not worth my anger,¡± I replied coldly.


    My driver was waiting by the car and opened the door for us. We got inside and sat in silence for a few moments.


    ¡°How would she know about Tallon?¡± Mia asked in concern.


    ¡°Gossip magazines,¡± I said bitterly. ¡°Those rags are run by people far too stupid to keep quiet, no matter who tells them to.¡±


    Mia nodded thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± she said. ¡°You would think that people would  respect.¡±


    ¡°Not people like Bianca,¡± I spat. ¡°But it really doesn¡¯t matter. We have much more important matters to deal with... like getting Tallon home.¡±

 Chapter 569 : A Lead

    <h4>Chapter 569: Chapter 569 : A Lead</h4>


    *Natalia*


    A full week had passed since Tallon¡¯s arrest, and I didn¡¯t know much more now than I had on that awful night. We hadn¡¯t been able to turn up any evidence or even any solid suspects.


    Vinny and Alessandro had been working tirelessly, and I felt terrible that the pressure had fallen upon them.


    I didn¡¯t have the background knowledge or the ess to do it myself, or I would have done that. I wanted answers as soon as possible, and not being able to find them was impacting every part of my life.


    It was getting more and more difficult to take care of myself in any way. I wanted to stay sharp so that I could make the right calls, and that meant that I needed to eat and sleep. Those seemed like impossible tasks for me right now.


    The cook was doing a great job of tracking me down and guilting me into taking at least a few bites at each meal, but I certainly wasn¡¯t eating enough.


    I couldn¡¯t sleep at night, and nothing seemed to help with that. Every time I started to drift off, I was reminded that Tallon wasn¡¯t beside me, and I found it impossible to rx.


    I was crying far more than I wanted to admit, too.


    I felt pathetic for how helpless I was without Tallon, but I was doing a pretty good job of hiding it. At least, I was hiding it from most people. Alessandro wasn¡¯t fooled for a second. In typical big brother fashion, he kept checking in on me.


    I managed to hold myself together whenever anyone else was around. The longer I went without him by my side, the harder it became to keep myposure. If he wasn¡¯t home soon, I was going to fall apart, I just knew it.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Tallon¡¯s daily phone calls, I wasn¡¯t sure that I would even be functioning. I treasured every second we were able to speak on the phone, even though we couldn¡¯t speak freely.


    Tallon had managed to arrange another in-person visit for tomorrow, and I was desperate for it toe. Walking away from him at the end of our short time together was like torture, but it was worth it to see his face and touch him.


    I hoped that the few moments we were able to steal together helped Tallon to get through his ordeal, too. I had no idea what he was going through, and Tallon kept telling me that he was okay. I didn¡¯t believe him.


    Italian prisons were probably very different from Russian prisons, but I couldn¡¯t believe that he was actually fine. He was trying to be strong for my sake. I appreciated that he wanted to protect me from the harsh reality of the situation. It didn¡¯t help, though.


    I had no idea what I was going to say to him when I saw him, since I had so little to report. I promised him that I would bring him home, and I felt like I was failing. I couldn¡¯t stand the idea of seeing disappointment in Tallon¡¯s eyes. I didn¡¯t want to let him down.


    I was sitting in bed waiting for his call, and as I thought about my shorings my eyes welled up with tears. I tried to choke them back. I didn¡¯t want him to hear me crying the second I answered the phone.


    Tallon had enough to deal with without worrying about my emotional state.


    Just as I was reigning in my emotions, the phone started to ring. I answered it immediately and listened impatiently as the prerecorded message yed. At this point, I was used to hearing the automated voice dering that an inmate was calling me. It made me angry every single time I heard it.


    I epted the call as quickly as the system would allow.


    ¡°Hello, Natalia,¡± Tallon said. He sounded tired. ¡°How are you, darling?¡±


    I took a shaky breath and started to answer, but a sob broke free before I could get the words out. I covered my mouth and attempted to hide the sound of my crying, but I knew that he had already heard it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said softly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize,¡± he said gently.


    I could hear the heartbreak in his voice as he listened to be sob softly. I cursed myself internally. I was supposed to be cheering him up and assuring him that this would all be over soon. Instead, I was crying like a baby, and he wasforting me.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that we can talk,¡± I said.


    I felt like I needed to exin why I was crying. I didn¡¯t want him to think that anything terrible had happened or that these phone calls were too difficult for me to handle. ¡°I just feel so bad that you¡¯re still in there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only been a week,¡± he said with amusement. He said it like it was nothing at all. ¡°I know that you¡¯re doing everything in your power to help.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t enough,¡± I cried. ¡°I want you home, I need you home.¡±


    The frustration in my voice was obvious. I didn¡¯t want to take it out on Tallon, but the pressure within me had reached a boiling point and I needed to vent a little bit.


    ¡°I will be home,¡± he promised. ¡°It¡¯s just going to take time.¡±


    I wiped my eyes and took a deep breath to calm myself. ¡°It¡¯s taking too much time,¡± I said angrily. ¡°You¡¯re innocent. You never should have been there in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°Your confidence does more than you know,¡± he said fondly. ¡°I have no doubt that you¡¯ll get me home soon.¡±


    He did sound like he really believed what he was saying, and that face renewed my determination to get him out. I wouldn¡¯t lose hope. Tallon needed me to stay strong.


    ¡°We are going to find the person that really did this. I promise you that. We¡¯re running down every possible lead,¡± I said, ¡°even those we really hope don¡¯t pan out.¡±


    I had to be careful about how I said things. Tallon¡¯s phone calls from jail were all recorded, and the detectives could listen to them and hear every word we said. I couldn¡¯t directly tell him anything.


    It was extremely upsetting for me. I wanted to tell him about the three possibilities that we were pursuing. I wanted to tell him about the information that Alessandro and Vinny had shared with me a few days ago. I couldn¡¯t tell him any of the details.


    He made a thoughtful sound that told me he understood. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that someone would do this,¡± he said. ¡°Whoever that man was, I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t deserve to die like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s awful,¡± I agreed. ¡°But whoever did it is going to end up where they belong.¡±


    Whether that was a prison cell or a hole somewhere, I knew I would be satisfied with either. I just wanted them to pay for what they put Tallon through.


    ¡°I have full faith that they will,¡± Tallon agreed. ¡°Alessandro tells me you¡¯re doing well keeping the business running in my absence,¡± he added smugly. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. I know how capable you are when you¡¯re motivated.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying my best,¡± I replied with a smile.


    It was just like Tallon to slip apliment into the conversation.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said in amusement. ¡°It isn¡¯t. Listen darling, I have to go. I need to call mywyer. I just wanted to see how you are and tell you that I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± I said. ¡°And I will see you soon.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± he said. ¡°Stay safe.¡±


    I sighed when the line went dead, and I dropped my phone onto the bed.


    Tallon may have epted that he was going to be locked up for a long time, but I hadn¡¯t. I was determined to get him home as soon as possible.


    It was driving me crazy that there was so little I could do. Sitting around and waiting for the phone to ring with news made me feel sopletely powerless. I hated it.


    I wished more than anything that I could just go out and hunt this bastard down myself, but that just wasn¡¯t an option.


    My thoughts were cut short by my phone ringing. I looked at it in confusion and when I saw that it was Vinny calling, and hope and anxiety swelled up within me.


    I answered the call immediately.


    ¡°Vinny?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way to pick you up,¡± he informed me. ¡°Be ready.¡±


    I jumped out of bed and scrambled to the dresser to throw some clothes on. I put the call on the speaker and sat the phone on top of the dresser as I dressed quickly.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We think we¡¯ve found something,¡± he said.


    There was a tension in his voice that was making my heart beat erratically. It gave me the impression that he was more than just suspicious that they had found some answers. He sounded confident.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be out front when you get here,¡± I said.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said.


    He hung up, and I finished dressing then ran downstairs. I grabbed my bag and shoved my feet into my shoes, then ran out to the driveway.


    My heart was hammering against my ribs, and I paced up and down the driveway, unable to stand still.


    This had to be it. We had to have answers. I couldn¡¯t stand going through another day without some hope that this hellish ordeal wasing to an end. I wanted Tallon home so, so badly.


    The few minutes that I was waiting outside felt like an eternity.


    Vinny had barely stopped when I was climbing into the car and mming the door behind me. He took off again before I had my seatbelt on.


    It confirmed that this was more than a maybe.


    ¡°Tell me everything,¡± Imanded.


    ¡°You remember that we told you the Russians that had been killed were all involved in Valentino killings?¡± he said.


    ¡°How could I forget?¡± I asked.


    The revtion had been difficult for me to process. It was the thing that had made me suspicious that we may have a rogue in our midst, as much as I wished that it wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°Well, it turns out all of those Valentino men were part of one group, and their leader is still alive.¡±


    I stared straight ahead at the road as his words sank in. Each of those men whose deaths had been avenged were part of one unit, and that unit¡¯s leader was still alive. There was no way that was a coincidence.


    It felt like my heart had stopped beating as the reality of what he was saying dawned on me. I didn¡¯t want to believe it.


    ¡°His name is Antonio,¡± Vinny said.


    I now knew the name of the man who had betrayed the family and framed Tallon, and regardless of his motivations, I was going to make sure he didn¡¯t get away with it.

 Chapter 570 : Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 570: Chapter 570 : Revenge</h4>


    *Antonio*


    I sat back in my chair and looked with satisfaction at the stack of magazines on my desk. They were the physical proof that everything I had worked so hard for over the past year had paid off.


    Each one had a blurry photo of Tallon and a headline about his arrest.


    I was finally getting everything that I wanted, everything that I deserved.


    The family had done a good job of covering it up, so only seedy gossip magazines were running the story right now, but word of Tallon¡¯s arrest was spreading quickly.


    Soon, the trial would begin, and the family wouldn¡¯t be able to hide the truth anymore. The public reputation Tallon had worked so hard to build was damaged for good. Now the world knew that he was nothing but a low life.


    I smiled bitterly.


    I didn¡¯t want things toe to this, but he¡¯d made his bed with that damned Russian, so there was no way around it. He had to pay for turning his back on his family, all for some woman.


    The Russians had obviously concocted some kind of long con and Tallon had walked right into it. Marrying that woman was only part of their scheme. It had to be. There was no way the Russians would abide by any peace agreement. We couldn¡¯t trust them.


    I had spent a lot of time thinking about my start with the family. It was decades ago now. Back then, I was just a stupid kid, barely in my twenties. I had bought into the family mission entirely.


    Back then, the Don was a real man. He was not someone who suffered fools, and he didn¡¯tpromise when it came to his vision for the family. If you wanted to get on his good side, you had to be willing to do anything he asked. That kind of leadership was exactly what I needed.


    It wasn¡¯t easy, but I had remained loyal through the loss of family and friends. It was a bloody business, but I trusted the Don and I believed that we were doing what was best for the family. I never doubted that I was on the side of righteousness.


    I worked my way up until I became a trusted enforcer. I learned the trade from the best, and it wasn¡¯t long before the Don starteding to me when he needed someone eliminated.


    It was a hard thing to do, but I learned to do it well. I never got caught. Even as technology improved, I learned ways to stay two steps ahead of the police. I couldn¡¯t be tied to a single death, no matter how personally involved I had been.


    When I became a leader and was put in charge of my own team of guys, I was determined to be sessful and prove that I deserved the trust the family had put in me. They were elites by the time theypleted their training with me. We were a fearful force that the Don could turn to with any task, no matter how difficult.


    I was in my sixties now, and I¡¯d put in the hard work to earn this rank. It was the recognition of my dedication to the family that I had wanted, and I was thrilled.


    At first, things were great. I grew to love my guys like they were my own sons.


    Then we fell afoul of the Russians.


    One by one my men were killed by those bloodthirsty monsters.


    My heart was shattered, but I still believed that we were doing the right things. The Russians had to be driven from Italy. It was clear by what they did to my boys that they were beyond redemption. I was able to maintain my belief in the family through it all¡ªthat is, until Tallon.


    Thinking about the way he fawned over that Russian woman made me sick. He was nothing but a traitor. He spat on the memory of all the men we¡¯d lost to them when he chose her as his wife. I couldn¡¯t forgive such a tant betrayal of our trust.


    It was like the lives that we had lost meant nothing to him.


    He was nothing but a spoiled brat. What did he know about being Don? He¡¯d been born into wealth and power. He¡¯d never had to work for a thing in his life, not like I did, and not like so many of the men we had lost. We were pawns to him, and it wouldn¡¯t stand.


    I looked at the magazine cover with a photo of Tallon and his pretty, young Russian woman. Every time I thought about it, I felt sick. All it took to turn him against us was a beautiful woman. It was pathetic.


    When I learned about the peace agreement with the Russians and the reason for it, I knew that Tallon had to be removed from power. If he wasn¡¯t, it would only be a matter of time before the family was destroyed. We had worked too hard to let that happen.


    Tallon was the problem. His mind was too easily swayed. His judgment simply couldn¡¯t be trusted.


    The lives and wellbeing of so many people depended on him, but it was clear that all he cared about was himself.


    I swept the pile of magazines into the trash and stood.


    I was d that my n had worked, as much as I wished it wasn¡¯t necessary.


    Tallon was going away for the rest of his life. I made sure of it.


    Killing the Russians who had killed my men was gratifying, but it wasn¡¯t enough. After the first few, I started to draw it out. I wanted them to suffer.


    The full n developed as I worked my way through the list. The deaths of these Russians could be put to good use. All I had to do wasy the breadcrumbs for the police. They would have to be idiots not to see that these killings were a result of the old feud starting back up.


    Unfortunately, they were idiots. My contacts in the police department would have told me if suspicion had fallen on the family, and I hadn¡¯t heard a thing. Was I covering my tracks too well? My decades of experience had made me too efficient of a killer.


    I would have to be more deliberate about leaving evidence behind.


    That¡¯s when the idea struck me. I would frame Tallon for the killings.


    I needed to break this ridiculous peace. It wouldn¡¯tst anyway. It was obvious to me, after all my years of experience with the Russians, that they were going to betray us.


    So, I needed to beat them to the punch. I needed to kick start the war so that we were on guard. We couldn¡¯t be caught unaware by their inevitable betrayal.


    It would save our reputation if I made it look like this peace had been a ploy to lower the Russians¡¯ defenses. It would show that the Valentinos weren¡¯t easily swayed by a pretty face. As a bonus, I could get that sorry excuse for a Don out of power.


    I had talented hackers that I could rely on. I was able to get around all Tallon¡¯s security with their help. They even managed to remotely hack into Vinny¡¯s phone so that I could send a message through his number. Tallon wouldn¡¯t suspect that his right hand would lead him astray. No matter how off the message seemed, I knew that he would follow whatever instructions I sent if they seemed toe from Vinny.


    The fact that it worked just proved me right about Tallon. He didn¡¯t have the shrewd intellect needed to be the Don.


    He walked right into my trap. It was almost too easy.


    I was able to watch the entire thing go down through the remote ess my hacker had given me to the security cameras. I watched as Tallon examined the body with obvious confusion. If he had half a brain, he would have left the second he saw it. It wouldn¡¯t have saved him if he had, of course. I would have sent a copy of the security footage to the police, and they would have arrested him.


    Part of me was disappointed to see him surrender peacefully. If he had drawn his weapon or tried to resist, the police would have killed him, and he would have spared the family the public scandal of a trial.


    Not everything could go my way, though. I was more than content to see him rot in jail for the rest of his miserable life.


    The rest of the family would see him for the traitor he really is eventually.


    And outside of the family, the other organizations would believe that Tallon had been fooling the Russians all along. It would seem like he had lulled them intocency, then picked off their men.


    It was a win-win, really.


    I was happy to know that Tallon was behind bars.


    I knew that no one would be able to trace any of this back to me. I had been careful to cover my tracks. There was no one clever enough to figure out who got ess to Vinny¡¯s phone or the security cameras. Even the police hadn¡¯t been able to tie me to any of the deaths, and I had taken pains to set up thest crime scene to make it look like Tallon had done it.


    I put the body in a location that only Tallon and a handful of others had ess to. I left one of his chosen weapons at the scene, and I nted a tarp and poncho that had Tallon¡¯s fingerprints on them. That hadn¡¯t been easy to aplish, but I¡¯d managed.


    It was an airtight case, and no matter how smart his prettywyer was, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get him out of this one.


    It was for the best. The family needed a strong, capable leader. We deserved to be led by someone who wouldn¡¯t turn his back on the values the family stood for just for a pretty woman.


    With Tallon out of the way, a new Don would be chosen. Just about anyone would be better than him. I doubted that Alessandro would want the job, but I knew that we could trust him if he took it. He was always more observant and intelligent. He was more ruthless, too.


    This wasn¡¯t a role for someone soft-hearted. You had to be vicious to survive in this world.


    We would finally have a Don who was capable of restoring the family to its full glory. We would be feared again, and no one would dare to cross us.


    The deaths of my men would be avenged in full.


    I looked down at the trash can and grinned. I could still see the blurry photo of Tallon on the cover. He got what he deserved.


    A new era would start for the Valentinos, without him.

 Chapter 571 : Living on Borrowed Time

    <h4>Chapter 571: Chapter 571 : Living on Borrowed Time</h4>


    *Natalia*


    I could feel my heart beating so hard that I momentarily worried I was actually having a heart attack. We had a name. We had a main suspect.


    The person who had taken Tallon from me had been closer than we realized all along. He was a member of the family, probably one of the people that Vinny and Alessandro had been working so hard tofort and reassure over the past week.


    It filled me with rage to think about this man trying to act like he was upset and concerned when all the while this was his doing. So many days had passed now that whatever anxiety he felt about getting caught had probably started to fade. He was likely feeling confident in the sess of his betrayal.


    I would make sure that he regretted that confidence. He wasn¡¯t going to get away with this for a second longer.


    I hated that it was a member of the family, but I wasn¡¯t surprised. My gut was telling me that the person responsible was closer than we thought. It only made sense that it was an inside job, considering the level of knowledge about the family that would be necessary to pull off the killings and the set up. It almost had to be an insider.


    Our troubles were far from over, though. We had to find proof if we wanted to get Tallon out of police custody. They weren¡¯t going to let him go just because I gave them a name. We needed something solid to prove that he was being held without reason. Getting that evidence was most likely going to mean confronting this Antonio person directly.


    The thought of it sent a chill through me. This man had killed a lot of dangerous people and framed the Don himself. There was no telling what he would do when confronted. He would just lie and try to talk his way out of things. I knew I wouldn¡¯t be surprised at all to find that he had some trump card up his sleeve to throw suspicion on someone else.


    That wasn¡¯t the worst-case scenario though, sadly. I couldn¡¯t help but fear that he might get violent when confronted. He might try to go out in a ze of glory. If that was the case, we may not be able to avoid bloodshed.


    If we ended up killing Antonio, then we would be back to square one with no way to prove Tallon¡¯s innocence.


    The situation was so messy. I wasn¡¯t sure what the right approach was. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the future of the family was at risk, not to mention Tallon¡¯s freedom.


    I wanted to be selfish about this. I wanted to demand that this bastard turn himself in and confess to everything. I wanted to make it very clear to him that if he didn¡¯t, I would kill him myself.


    I knew that wouldn¡¯t work.


    I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t notice Vinny had parked the car until the engine died. I jerked my head up in concern and found that we were outside of Alessandro¡¯s house.


    I breathed a sigh of relief. He¡¯d never actually told me where we were going, and I wasn¡¯t sure what I was going to see when the car stopped. It made perfect sense for us to meet with Alessandro first.


    I wasn¡¯t ready to confront anyone just yet, anyway. This was far too personal, and I needed to get my thoughts straight before I could act. I couldn¡¯t afford to make a mistake.


    I wasn¡¯t the type of person to go in blind. I wanted to have a n in ce first. I hoped that Alessandro and Vinny could offer some insight that would help me to prepare.


    I couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility that we just didn¡¯t have enough information to form a n, though. It seemed like we had all been caught off guard by this, so trying to predict how things might y out could prove to be a futile effort.


    Vinny and I walked quickly to the front door. The moment Vinny knocked on the door, it swung open, and Alessandro ushered us in. His shoulders were tense, and there was a carefully neutral expression on his face.


    ¡°Come in,¡± he said in a tight voice.


    Vinny and I entered, and Alessandro locked the door behind us, then led us to the sitting room without speaking another word.


    We all sat down and waited tensely for someone to speak. It felt like none of us were quite sure who should be taking the lead right now.


    After a few seconds, I cleared my throat and adjusted my legs awkwardly.


    ¡°Vinny tells me he has a prime suspect,¡± I said. ¡°What can you tell me about this Antonio guy?¡±


    Alessandro leaned forward and put his elbows on his thighs. He supported his head with his hands and rubbed his temples. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is happening,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said softly. ¡°I know that none of us wanted to believe it could be an inside job. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have the luxury of processing our emotions right now. We have to stop this from going any further. We can deal with the emotional falloutter.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Alessandro said. He sat back and looked at me. ¡°Antonio has been with the family for decades. It¡¯s just hard to believe that this is really happening.¡±


    ¡°It all feels like a nightmare,¡± I agreed. ¡°But it¡¯s almost over.¡±


    ¡°I know that his men were killed by the Russians,¡± Vinny said. ¡°He¡¯s the only survivor of his team.¡±


    Alessandro nodded. ¡°It makes sense,¡± he agreed. ¡°Antonio isn¡¯t good with technology himself, but he has contacts. One of his boys is the brother of a verifiable tech genius. Getting past the security system at the warehouse would be a piece of cake for him, and he would be more than willing to do Antonio a favor, especially if he thought it would avenge his brother in some way.¡±


    ¡°What about my phone?¡± Vinny asked. ¡°Do you think this contact could hack my phone somehow?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Alessandro said. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t even be a challenge for him.¡±


    ¡°So, he could have pulled off all of the hacking,¡± I said. ¡°And he would have knowledge on the Russians that had been involved in the killings of his men, that makes sense. Would he be capable of pulling off the killings?¡±


    Alessandro and Vinny exchanged a look that I couldn¡¯t quite read. I waited as patiently as I could for one of them to answer me.


    ¡°He could do it,¡± Vinny said finally. ¡°He¡¯s getting on in years, but he has the experience and the strength to manage it.¡±


    ¡°He might have other aplices too,¡± Alessandro pointed out. ¡°Either way, this is something he could easily do.¡±


    ¡°It seems like we have our answer then,¡± I said. ¡°The only question remaining is, why?¡±


    ¡°I spoke to a few people close to him,¡± Vinny said. ¡°They agreed that something has been eating at him recently. None of them seemed to know why, but he has been distracted and unhappy for a while now.¡±


    I nodded thoughtfully. It made perfect sense to me. In a way, this was my fault, as I feared.


    Antonio must have done this because he was angry about the end of the war with the Russians. If that was the case, he probably wasn¡¯t thrilled with Tallon for marrying a Russian. He targeted Tallon because of me. I inhaled slowly and held my breath for a moment before I exhaled.


    ¡°What is he likely to do if we confront him?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say,¡± Vinny said. ¡°If he¡¯s capable of all of this, then I don¡¯t know if we can predict how he¡¯ll behave.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandro agreed. ¡°He may ept that he¡¯s been caught, he may try to fight us off. It¡¯s hard to say. That¡¯s why Vinny and I need to go deal with this ourselves.¡±


    Alessandro stood and Vinny hurried to stand with him. Without another word, they turned toward the door.


    ¡°Hold it,¡± I ordered.


    Vinny stopped right away, and Alessandro turned to face me after a few more steps.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t up for debate,¡± he said. ¡°This is a dangerous situation. Tallon would never forgive me if I let you get hurt.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right about one thing,¡± I agreed. ¡°We aren¡¯t debating this. ¡°I¡¯ming with you. Tallon is to be my husband. In his absence, it is my responsibility to take care of the family. We have a traitor that is putting the entire family at risk, and I will not sit idly by and wait for the problem to be dealt with.¡± I wanted to cross my arms, but I worried it would look too childish. Instead, I stood with my shoulders back and looked Alessandro directly in the eye.


    If he thought for one second that I was actually going to let them go alone, he was insane.


    ¡°Think this through,¡± Vinny said. ¡°All three of us can¡¯t put ourselves at risk. Tallon is locked up, if the three of us were taken out, what would happen to the family?¡±


    Silence fell over us again. Vinny had a good point. Alesandro was the next in line to be Don, and Vinny was the Don¡¯s right hand. If all three of us were to die, the family would descend into absolute chaos.


    But what were the odds that he could kill all of us before we took him out?


    ¡°You make a good point,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯m not staying behind. That bastard put Tallon¡¯s life at risk and took his freedom. He risked the entire family by doing so. The police could have found any number of things when they arrested Tallon. If he wasn¡¯t so careful about hismunications and what he does on his phone, there¡¯s no telling what could have happened.¡±


    The police could have destroyed the Valentino family if they had gotten the wrong information from Tallon. Antonio had risked more than he realized in his search for revenge. It was reckless and hateful what he had done, and it would not stand.


    ¡°She has a right to be there,¡± Alessandro said softly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Vinny muttered.


    ¡°Neither do I,¡± Alessandro agreed. ¡°But what can we do?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re outranked,¡± Vinny sighed.


    ¡°Hrious,¡± I said with a roll of my eyes.


    They were teasing me. Despite my annoyance, I felt myself smiling.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going,¡± Alessandro said. ¡°Antonio will probably still be in his office. It¡¯s not far from here.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way, then,¡± I said. ¡°Antonio forfeited his freedom the second he acted against the family. Whether he knows it or not, he¡¯s been living on borrowed time and that time is up. Let¡¯s go get him.¡±

 Chapter 572 : Together Again Soon

    <h4>Chapter 572: Chapter 572 : Together Again Soon</h4>


    *Natalia*


    I wasn¡¯t sure how so much time had passed, but it was the middle of the night by the time we left Alessandro¡¯s house.


    It felt like everything had been happening so quickly, but that just went to show how warped by fear and anxiety my perception was. It made me all the more nervous about confronting Antonio.


    I would have preferred to do this with a level head, but it just couldn¡¯t wait any longer. We had no idea what else Antonio might have nned, and we couldn¡¯t give him the time to do any more damage.


    I rode with Alessandro and we took his car, since the warehouse that Antonio was currently working out of was under Alessandro¡¯s direct supervision. Seeing his car pull up wouldn¡¯t raise any rms.


    Vinny followed behind us in his own car. We had him on speaker phone so that we could discuss our n on the way.


    It was a terribly simple n, and it made me incredibly nervous to move forward with it.


    It didn¡¯t take long to get to the warehouse. We could see that there were lights on inside and there were a couple of cars parked outside. I had a hard time believing that he would really be here thiste at night.


    ¡°Are you sure he¡¯ll still be at work?¡± I asked nervously.


    ¡°That¡¯s his car,¡± Alessandro answered, indicating a nice deep blue car parked near the main entrance.


    I took a deep breath. This was really happening then. We were going to confront the killer that had set Tallon up.


    We got out of the car and walked confidently towards the entrance.


    I reached into my purse and pulled out a rectangr device. I pressed a button on the device, and it clicked loudly. I reced it in my bag and zipped it securely. Now, all I could do was hope that this n worked.


    Alessandro let us in, and I looked around the warehouse nervously. I didn¡¯t see a soul around, but the main level lights were on and there was music ying from somewhere.


    Alessandro motioned for us to follow him, and we headed upstairs. He took us directly to the manager¡¯s office and banged loudly on the door.


    Someone inside cursed at the abrupt knock and the door swung open to reveal a tall, older man with gray hair and a scraggly beard.


    His dark eyes went wide when he saw the three of us standing before him. After taking a second to process, he stepped back and motioned for us toe in.


    ¡°It¡¯ste,¡± he said gruffly. ¡°What brings you all out here?¡±


    ¡°I think you know,¡± Alessandro said in a tone that could only be described as disappointed.


    I stood beside Alessandro and tried to keep my expression neutral. It was difficult given the stakes of my conversation.


    In my purse was an old-fashioned cassette tape recorder. Alessandro had it in his car, for reasons that he refused to borate on. Our n was to get Antonio talking. If he said something to implicate himself, then I could take the recording to the police and use it to get Tallon released, hopefully. It was a long shot, but it was the best chance we had to end this without more bloodshed.


    My top priority was getting Tallon home, and I prayed that this would be enough.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Antonio asked with concern. ¡°There haven¡¯t been more arrests, have there?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Vinny answered angrily. ¡°Why, have you set anyone else up?¡±


    There was a very tense silence for the next several seconds before Antonioughed nervously.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± he asked.


    His eyes darted between Alessandro and Vinny.


    ¡°We know that it was you,¡± I said. ¡°You killed that man and you tricked Tallon intoing out in the middle of the night. Then you called the police, knowing that he would be arrested for it. You¡¯re not only a murderer. You¡¯re a traitor,¡± I spat.


    ¡°I¡¯m a traitor?!¡± he demanded angrily. ¡°You keep your mouth shut you Russian¨C¡±


    ¡°Watch yourself,¡± Alessandro cut him off.


    I lifted my chin proudly. Whatever he was about to call me, I knew it wasn¡¯t anything nice. He had a grudge against the Russians, so to him I was trash.


    ¡°You are a traitor,¡± I repeated. ¡°You betrayed Tallon.¡±


    ¡°He betrayed me!¡± Antonio roared. ¡°That bastard made peace with the Russians! All because he fell into bed with you. That Russian bastard deserved to die, just like the rest of them, and Tallon deserves to rot for turning his back on me and my boys!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Alessandro stepped in front of me protectively. I wanted to argue, but I couldn¡¯t. We had what we needed.


    Vinny gently took me by the elbow and led me out of the office.


    I hated leaving Alessandro alone with that creep, but I knew that he could protect himself.


    Vinny rushed me to his car and handed me the keys.


    ¡°Get that tape to the police,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll keep Antonio from leaving.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it quick,¡± I promised.


    Vinny rushed back inside as I pulled out of the parking lot. As I drove, I pulled out the tape recorder and listened back to the recording. We could use it. There wasn¡¯t anything in the recording that could implicate the rest of the family in anything.


    I tried my best not to speed as I drove, but it was difficult. My adrenaline had spiked, and the idea what I could finally free Tallon made it difficult to be patient.


    I parked the car, then ran into the station. I was slightly breathless by the time I reached the front desk. The woman behind the desk looked at me skeptically.


    ¡°I need to speak to the detective in charge of Tallon Valentino¡¯s case,¡± I demanded.


    She raised her eyebrows at me but made no move to call the detective.


    I took a deep breath and squeezed my eyes shut. If I didn¡¯t calm down, they were going to kick me out or arrest me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said calmly. ¡°I¡¯m a little frightened. I have evidence that the detective needs to see. Please, if he¡¯s here let him know that I need to talk to him.¡±


    She looked me over slowly, then grabbed the phone on her desk and hit a button. She spoke softly into the receiver, then hung up.


    ¡°Have a seat,¡± she said, pointing to a row of stic chairs nearby.


    I wanted to argue, but I knew that it wouldn¡¯t do me any good. I walked to the chairs and sat down, then hugged my purse to my chest.


    Vinny and Alessandro would hold him there for as long as it took. I just had to keep telling myself that.


    I didn¡¯t know how much time had passed before a tall, stern looking man approached me. He nced at the front desk, then looked back at me.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just give your name?¡± he said in an irritated tone. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    I stood and followed him through a door and into what I took to be an interrogation room. I sat down and pulled the cassette tape from my purse.


    Without a word, I pressed y.


    The detective listened closely with a frown on his face. When the tape ended, he looked at me for a long, tense moment.


    ¡°Whose voice is that?¡±


    ¡°His name is Antonio,¡± I said. ¡°He works for Tallon¡¯s brother, Alessandro. I know where he is right now, and I can give you the address.¡±


    He tossed a pad of paper and pen onto the table in front of me.


    I wrote down the address in the steadiest hand I could manage.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± he said firmly. ¡°If there isn¡¯t some physical evidence to back this up, this tape won¡¯t be worth the twenty-five cents you paid for it, you understand?¡±


    I nodded my head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look into it,¡± he said. ¡°You get out of here, but don¡¯t go too far.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I promised.


    I followed the detective back to the lobby area. He went to the front desk and whispered something to the woman there, then he vanished into the back again.


    I stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, then stepped outside.


    I nced at the time on my phone and was shocked to see that it was nearly time for my meeting with Tallon. The jail wasn¡¯t far from the police station, so it wasn¡¯t really worth going home first. I went back to Vinny¡¯s car and drove to the jail.


    I waited in the car for a little over an hour before I got the signal that Tallon¡¯s guards were ready to sneak me in.


    This was going to be a short meeting, but a few stolen minutes were everything to metely, especially when I had such big news to share.


    I followed the same procedure I had thest time. It was still dark in the courtyard when I was led outside, but I saw Tallon standing there immediately. I ran to him and jumped into his arms.


    He caught me easily and held me close to him.


    I wanted to cry, but I did my best to hold it back.


    ¡°We did it,¡± I said over and over. ¡°We found him.¡±


    He sat me down slowly and looked into my eyes in amazement. ¡°You found the real killer?¡±


    I nodded and a wide grin broke across my face. ¡°We have proof and I¡¯ve already turned it over to the detective. You¡¯ll be out in a matter of days, I know it.¡±


    Tallon surged forward and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around him and returned the kiss, but I couldn¡¯t contain myughter.


    ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you,¡± Tallon said as he rested his forehead against mine. ¡°You¡¯re incredible. I knew that I could leave things in your hands.¡±


    I kissed him again and tried to pull him in closer, but after a moment he pulled back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not give them too much of a show,¡± he said softly, ncing over my shoulder at the guards. ¡°There will be plenty of time for that when I¡¯m home.¡±


    Heat flooded through me as I thought about our reunion. I couldn¡¯t wait to show him exactly how much I had missed having him in my arms.


    I grinned at him as my face flushed. ¡°Soon,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ll be home soon, and I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    He looked over my shoulder and sighed deeply. ¡°Given the circumstances, I can¡¯t risk getting caught out of my cell,¡± he said sadly.


    He was right. The detectives were going to being to talk to him about this revtion. He had to be on his best behavior now, so that they wouldn¡¯t have any reason to dy his release.


    I nodded. ¡°I know. We have to go.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be together soon,¡± he said. He kissed me once more lightly, then released me.


    It was hard to walk away from him, but I knew that our separation was nearly at an end. We would be together again soon, and we could put this entire ugly mess behind us.

 Chapter 573 : I’m Going to Show Her

    <h4>Chapter 573: Chapter 573 : I¡¯m Going to Show Her</h4>


    *Tallon*


    ¡°I hate this,¡± the detective said under his breath.


    It was taking every bit of self-control I had not to grin in his face. Natalia had promised she would get me out, and I never doubted her, but I never dreamed she would pull it off so quickly.


    Mrs. Morton, mywyer, was waiting for me as the detective walked me into the interrogation room.


    She took one look at me, turned her fierce eyes to the detective, and said, ¡°Get those handcuffs off of my client.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting to it,¡± he muttered bitterly.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Mr. Valentino,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the dy in your release.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said. The detective unlocked the cuffs from my wrists, and I rubbed my hands absentmindedly. ¡°There was a lot of paperwork to get through.¡±


    She smiled wryly at that and nodded. ¡°Luckily there wasn¡¯t as much dy in arresting the actual guilty party.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m only d that the killer is off the streets.¡±


    The detective rolled his eyes, but neither of us acknowledged him. ¡°You¡¯re free to go,¡± he said tensely. ¡°But since this man was an employee of yourpany, we¡¯ll likely be asking you to answer some questions about him.¡±


    ¡°The evidence speaks for itself,¡± Mrs. Morton cut in. ¡°Given the documentation, text messages, emails, and weapons you found in the suspect¡¯s home, I don¡¯t see what testimony you could possibly need from my client.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be d to help in any way I can,¡± I said. ¡°With mywyer¡¯s guidance, of course.¡±


    Mrs. Morton and the detective exchanged a long, dark look before the detective turned to the door.


    ¡°You can leave whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± he said. Then he walked out of the room.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said sincerely. ¡°I know that if you hadn¡¯t been breathing down their necks, they would have put off my release as long as possible.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a game to them, and they hate to lose,¡± she said. ¡°Now let¡¯s get you out of here. Your fianc¨¦e is waiting outside.¡±


    My heartbeat sped up at the mention of Natalia. I couldn¡¯t wait to hold her in my arms again, this time without an audience or time limit.


    I let Mrs. Morton lead me out of the jail and to the parking lot, where Vinny was waiting next to his car. Natalia was a few feet away from him, pacing nervously.


    When she saw me, the most brilliant smile broke over her features and she broke into a run.


    I braced for impact as sheunched herself into my arms. I had to spin to keep the momentum of her jump from sending us both sprawling onto the ground.


    I was sure that Vinny was stifling augh, but I didn¡¯t mind.


    I kissed Natalia as I slowly lowered her back to her feet. She kept her arms locked around my neck and pulled me back in as I tried to stand up.


    Iughed and kissed her back.


    When she did let me go, her face was flushed, and she was smiling sheepishly at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you, too,¡± I teased.


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± she replied. She skimmed her hand lightly down my chest as she let her hands fall from around my shoulders.


    I shuddered at the light touch.


    Before I could pull her into another kiss, Vinny¡¯s voice broke through.


    ¡°Oh, get a room,¡± he said.


    Nataliaughed and covered her face with her hands. I looked at him and grinned.


    ¡°I n to.¡±


    Vinny pulled a face and opened the back door of the car.


    I turned to Mrs. Morton, to thank her again and say goodbye, but she was already halfway across the parking lot. I smiled.


    Natalia took my hand and we got into the car together. Vinny got into the driver¡¯s seat and started the engine.


    As soon as we were on the road, he started to fill me in on what I had missed over the past week and a half.


    It wasn¡¯t a very long time, but so much could happen in just a week.


    My arrest had caused an all-out panic among many in the family. People had been afraid that they would be next. They had believed that the police would find incriminating evidence in their search of my personal property that would implicate the rest of the family.


    For most of the family, the news of my arrest had been like learning that the sky was falling.


    The more Vinny told me about the reactions of various family members, the deeper my frown grew. I had done such a poor job of informing the family of the safety measures that we took to keep them safe in the event my records were leaked or seized.


    I would never be reckless enough to leave a digital trail that could harm the family. I knew all too well how quickly our lives could unravel, and I did everything humanly possible to make sure that didn¡¯t happen.


    I needed to be more transparent with others so that they understood that they were safe under my guidance.


    If someone had been frightened enough, they could have gone to the police with a confession in the hopes of getting leniency for themselves. I didn¡¯t believe that any of the men would do that, but I wasn¡¯t sure about some of the wives and children.


    I would do a lot to protect my Natalia, and I couldn¡¯t really me anyone who felt they were backed into a corner for doing what they could to protect their loved ones.


    I needed to make sure that it was clearly understood that I protect my own. No one under my protection as the Don was in danger of being caught, not through my actions anyway.


    I listened with rapt attention as Vinny exined all the temporary changes that had been made to keep the business running smoothly and the family calm.


    He and Alessandro had been run ragged making sure that everyone was cated and that there was no interruption in ie and payments. They kept things running in my absence, and I owed them a world of gratitude for that.


    Natalia had surprised me more than anyone. I knew how much she worried about her abilities to lead and her standing with the family, so the way she had put her own feelings aside and made the difficult calls that needed to be made impressed me greatly.


    It allowed me to focus on mywyer¡¯s instructions, and on fighting for my freedom.


    If I had been stressing out about the outside world, I may have slipped up. There was no telling how badly things could have gone if I didn¡¯t have such a strong and capable inner circle.


    I was impressed with the administrative acumen Vinny demonstrated. I hadn¡¯t known Vinny to be especially interested in the legitimate business side of the family, but he clearly had a mind for it.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that I had you to step in and keep things from falling apart,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°In future, we¡¯ll have a n in ce to handle immediate, short-term management of the business.¡±


    It was short-sighted of me not to have a n in ce already. It showed exactly how sloppy I had gotten. Or maybe it was overconfidence. Either way, it needed to change.


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly my area of expertise.¡±


    ¡°You handled it like an expert,¡± Natalia said. ¡°He was great¡ªhe and Alessandro both.¡±


    ¡°I owe all three of you a huge debt,¡± I said. ¡°Not only did you hold the family together and keep the business running, but you also proved my innocence. I¡¯m an extremely lucky man to have you in my corner.¡±


    ¡°We did our jobs,¡± Vinny said. ¡°Natalia went above and beyond. If she hadn¡¯t pushed us to follow every lead, no matter how ufortable, there¡¯s no telling how long it would have dragged on for.¡±


    I looked at Natalia and smiled. ¡°I chose well,¡± I said.


    She shrugged. ¡°I had a gut feeling,¡± she said softly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t ignore it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you didn¡¯t,¡± I said.


    Vinny pulled the car down our long, winding drive and I took a moment to take in the view. I hadn¡¯t been confident that I would see this house again anytime soon. I really expected that I would be locked up for months, if not years. I didn¡¯t think that Natalia understood how impressive her investigation really was.


    Vinny parked the car and the three made our way inside. There was a lot that had to be done now that I was free. The family needed to be notified. I was sure that I would have to smooth some ruffled feathers before people would be able to rx.


    Things would get back to normal with time, but it would be a while before anyone feltfortable lowering their guard again.


    The fact that this attack hade from within the family was going to havesting effects.


    ¡°Tell me about the family,¡± I said. ¡°Who do I need to visit?¡±


    Vinny smiled wryly. ¡°Everyone is pretty shaken, but no one wants to admit it. I don¡¯t think that one-on-one visits are going to be necessary for most. I do think you¡¯re going to be spending a lot of time on the phone.¡±


    I sighed. That was almost worse. I would rather throw a get-together at thepound and get it all over with in one go.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t help with prioritizing much,¡± Imented.


    Vinny started to respond, but Natalia cut in quickly.


    ¡°Speaking of priorities,¡± she said pointedly, ¡°can¡¯t this wait until tomorrow?¡±


    I looked at her in surprise. When I saw the heat in her eyes a flood of arousal washed over me, and I turned to Vinny.


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± I said simply.


    Heughed out loud and rolled his eyes at us. ¡°Like a couple of teenagers,¡± he scolded. ¡°I¡¯ll be here bright and early, so be ready to work.¡±


    I nodded my agreement. ¡°First thing in the morning,¡± I agreed. ¡°Lock the door behind you.¡±


    Heughed again and walked away.


    I turned back to Natalia and picked her up. I threw her over my shoulder and was rewarded with a surprised yelp followed by excited giggles.


    She held on tightly as I carried her up the stairs and into our bedroom.


    I had missed Natalia. I had spent so many hours of my confinement thinking about her and fantasizing about our reunion and our uing wedding.


    I carried her into our bedroom and sat her gently on the edge of the bed. I remained on my knees and surged forward to capture her lips in a slow and passionate kiss. She moaned softly and wrapped her arms around my neck, holding me close and making sure that I wouldn¡¯t slip out of her grip again.


    I wasn¡¯t going anywhere. I¡¯d already made her wait long enough.


    The stolen moments we had managed together weren¡¯t enough. I was going to show her exactly how much I had missed her.

 Chapter 574 : Contentment

    <h4>Chapter 574: Chapter 574 : Contentment</h4>


    *Natalia*


    Tallon knelt on the floor between my legs as he kissed me. I pulled him closer, trying to urge him up and onto the bed with me.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if he wasn¡¯t taking the hint or if he was trying to savor the moment.


    I didn¡¯t have the patience to savor right now. I was desperate to touch him. I grabbed his shirt and pulled forcefully.


    Heughed as he stood and allowed me to pull him over me. I shifted back onto the bed until we could both fitfortably.


    I wrapped my arms around him as he hovered over me for another kiss.


    I ran my hands over every inch of him that I could reach. I slipped my fingers beneath his shirt and sighed in contentment at the skin contact.


    I felt a little embarrassed by how much I had missed his physical presence. After all, he had been gone for less than two weeks. For me to feel this desperate after such a short separation seemed silly.


    I med the fact that we didn¡¯t know how long he would be gone for. There was a very real possibility that he would be gone for years, if not forever. The fear made the distance between us feel so much worse than it really was.


    The timing was a factor, too. For Tallon to be ripped away from me while we were in the middle of nning our future together was beyond cruel.


    Everything had been thrown into question. Overnight I went from worrying about what my wedding dress would look like to wondering if I would even make it to the altar.


    I shouldn¡¯t have needed a reminder of how dangerous this lifestyle is, but apparently, I did. The reality was, Tallon could be taken from me at any moment. Either through arrest or murder, there was always the risk that I could lose him.


    I wouldn¡¯t make the mistake of taking our time together for granted again.


    I pulled Tallon into a heated kiss that drew a low, deep moan from him. I smirked. I loved when I could get an unguarded reaction from him.


    He pulled back after a few moments to pull his shirt over his head and toss it away. I took advantage of the momentary distraction to slip from beneath him and scramble up the bed.


    I giggled helplessly as he grabbed my ankle and pulled me back.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± he asked in a faux irritated voice.


    I grinned up at him. ¡°Just getting morefortable,¡± I said. I reached blindly above me and grabbed a pillow. He raised an eyebrow at me as I hugged the pillow between us.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tease me,¡± he said in a warning tone.


    My grin widened. ¡°I¡¯m not teasing,¡± I said. ¡°I just want to getfortable because I have a feeling we¡¯re going to be here for a while.¡±


    He released me and looked at me expectantly.


    I felt my face heat up as I squirmed from beneath him and crawled up to the pillows. I could feel his eyes burning into me as I made a show of carefully arranging the pillows. When I turned to face him the look on his face almost made me lose my resolve.


    I looked him in the eye as I slowly hiked up my dress and pulled it over my head.


    That was all the patience that Tallon had to spare, apparently. The moment I dropped my dress onto the bed, he flew forward and pulled me against him.


    I giggled helplessly as he kissed his way down the side of my neck. My giggles turned to moans as his mouthtched onto my cor bone. I tangled my fingers in his hair as he sucked a bruise onto my skin.


    It stung in the best way possible, and I got a thrill from the knowledge that there would be a physical sign of our first night together after the ordeal we¡¯d been through.


    I ran one hand up and down his back, dragging my nails gently. The other hand remained tangled in his hair.


    His hands were firmly on my waist, holding me in ce like he thought that I was going to slip away again. I didn¡¯t mind at all. I loved the feeling of his bare skin against mine.


    I wrapped my legs around him and pulled him closer, wanting to feel more of him.


    Tallon made a soft, breathy sound against my skin in response.


    ¡°Impatient,¡± he muttered.


    I tightened my legs and pulled him closer. He sat back abruptly and started to undress.


    I watched in satisfaction as he shed thest of his clothes.


    Being able to affect Tallon like this always gave me a little bit of a rush. He was such a powerful and intelligent man. Making him lose hisposure was thrilling.


    ¡°Keep that grin on your face,¡± he said with a growl. ¡°It¡¯s a good look for you.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows and looked at him in surprise. ¡°Is it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered. He grabbed my waist without warning and pulled me until I was t on my back beneath him. ¡°I like seeing you look so self-assured.¡±


    He grabbed my knees and pushed my legs apart. I grabbed his biceps and held on tightly as he pushed into me.


    The sound that escaped me was embarrassing, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care. I sounded desperate because that¡¯s how I felt. I needed this. God, I needed to feel him so badly. I needed to know that he was really back and that we could be together again.


    I felt tears pricking my eyes as the emotion of the moment threatened to overwhelm me.


    This was my soon-to-be husband. I had fought to get him back, and no one was going to take him from me again. I pulled him closer so that I could wrap my arms around his neck.


    He braced himself over me and nuzzled the side of my neck.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m wonderful,¡± I said breathlessly.


    He stroked my hair with one hand while the other held him above me. If I wasn¡¯t careful, I knew I really was going to start crying.


    Given our current position, that would be more than a little awkward.


    I tugged lightly at his hair and, when he lifted his head and gave me a curious look, I kissed him passionately.


    The heat of the kiss pulled a moan from him. His tongue licked into my mouth, and I rolled my hips up into him. He took the hint and started to move.


    The pace he set was steady, but not fast, and the force of his thrusts was enough to push me up the bed.


    I put my hands above my head and braced them on the headboard so that I wouldn¡¯t be pushed up into the wall.


    The angle was perfect, and in only a few minutes my legs were starting to shake.


    I clung to Tallon and let my nails dig into his flesh just slightly. He gripped my hips and picked up the pace.


    I could tell by his haggard breathing that he wasn¡¯t going tost much longer than I was.


    It had been too long for both of us, and the emotion of our reunion was making every touch that much more effective.


    I could feel that I was on the precipice of my climax, and I wanted Tallon to go over the edge with me. I pulled him as close as I could and moved my hips in time with his.


    He moaned and pushed himself up as he continued to move in a steady rhythm.


    I could feel his eyes on me, and I knew that if I met his gaze I would be finished. This was already so intense.


    Tallon didn¡¯t give me any breaks though.


    His deep, wrecked voice seemed to fill the room as he said, ¡°Look at me.¡±


    My eyes flew open and locked onto his. As I predicted, the moment my gaze met his, the heat that had been growing inside of me reached its pinnacle.


    I cried out his name as my back arched hard and my body shook uncontrobly.


    Tallon held my gaze as I shuddered and gasped for air. Then he went over the edge, too.


    He went stiff and moaned deeply.


    I copsed beneath him and did my best to catch my breath.


    I felt cold the moment he pulled away, but he was back in a few seconds. Hey beside me, and I cuddled into his side. He kissed the top of my head.


    For several minutes wey like that, both catching our breath and enjoying the afterglow.


    I closed my eyes and sighed in contentment. It was early, but I was exhausted, and this was the most rxed I had been in a long time. I knew I could easily fall asleep like this.


    ¡°Did I miss any wedding updates?¡± he asked sleepily.


    I smiled and nuzzled closer to him. ¡°Of course not,¡± Iughed. ¡°How could I think about wedding nning without you?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t been able to think of anything but getting him back. The wedding was a far too positive topic for the state of mind I was in during his incarceration.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said in a satisfied tone. ¡°I want to help with the rest of the nning. I want to be involved in all of it.¡±


    I lifted my head and looked at him in surprise. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said emphatically. ¡°I had a lot of time to think about it, and I want to be more involved. It wasn¡¯t fair of me to put so much of the nning on you.¡±


    I smiled and kissed him lightly. ¡°I appreciate it,¡± I said. ¡°I want it to be our day, not just mine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d,¡± he said. ¡°But before we jump back into the nning, I think we deserve a little vacation.¡±


    ¡°Vacation?¡± I asked in surprise.


    There was so much work that needed to be done to reassure the family, deal with the media circus, and make sure that Antonio didn¡¯t throw the rest of the family under the bus. Was this really an appropriate time to take a vacation?


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I know that the timing seems wrong, but I think that we deserve a little escape, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I said with a wide smile. Spending some time alone with Tallon, away from all the stress and work that was waiting for us outside of this room, sounded like a dreame true. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise,¡± he answered with a smirk.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough surprises,¡± I pouted. ¡°Tell me where we¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be worth the wait, I promise. Just trust me.¡±


    ¡°When are we leaving?¡±


    ¡°A few days,¡± he answered.


    I sighed dramatically andy my head on his chest. I would rather he just told me the n, but he seemed genuinely excited about it, and I didn¡¯t want to spoil that for him.


    I wondered when he started nning a trip for us. He could certainly arrange something quickly, but I had a feeling from his demeanor that this wasn¡¯t a spur-of-the-moment thing.


    He wrapped his arms around me, and I smiled.


    Wherever we were going, I knew that I was going to have a great time.

 Chapter 575 : Getting Away from It All

    <h4>Chapter 575: Chapter 575 : Getting Away from It All</h4>


    *Tallon*


    It was more than a bit extravagant to take the private jet for such a short trip, but I didn¡¯t want to be trapped in a cramped car for hours on end. I wanted to be able to move freely and enjoy my time with Natalia.


    She had asked me a million questions as she packed for the trip, trying her best to weasel some information out of me that would tell her where we were going.


    She kept asking me questions that might give her some hint about our destination.


    ¡°Do I need my swimsuit?¡± she asked curiously. ¡°Should I bring a jacket?¡± she added thoughtfully. ¡°Will I need hiking boots? Should I pack my nice heels?¡±


    Every time she asked, I told her to pack whatever she wanted and that if she needed something while we were gone, I would buy it for her.


    Each time I refused to give her a straight answer she fixed me with an irritated pout.


    It was cute, really.


    ¡°Rx,¡± I told her gently. ¡°It¡¯s a vacation. I promise, you¡¯ll have everything that you need.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to rx if I don¡¯t know where we¡¯re going?¡± she asked.


    She had tried to get me to tell her all morning. The entire drive to the airport, she¡¯d made wild guesses about where we were going.


    ¡°Japan? Canada? Australia? South Africa?¡±


    I just shook my head at every guess. ¡°Be patient,¡± I chided.


    She had shaken her head emphatically and continued to guess.


    She seemed almost disappointed when she realized we were taking the private ne, because she wouldn¡¯t be able to just check the flight number to find out our destination.


    I hadn¡¯t given anything away. Her frustrated sigh and the little pout that she had aimed at me almost made me crack, but I knew that her excitement and surprise would be worth it.


    We¡¯d had a crazy few days after my release. There was so much that had to be squared away before we could take a moment to ourselves.


    I was incredibly grateful to Natalia that I only had a week¡¯s worth of drama to unpack and deal with. If not for her, it would have been a lot worse. I was optimistic that things would be able to get back to some level of normal now.


    While we were on this trip, Vinny and Alessandro would be meeting with the Russians. I was confident that they would understand the situation and it wouldn¡¯t sink us into another war.


    They would have demands, of course. They had lost several of their men. It wouldn¡¯t be enough for me to assure them that the man responsible was in police custody and had been disavowed by the family.


    Whatever they wanted inpensation, I would be happy to do it. Keeping the peace was of the utmost importance for all of us. The old war had done so much damage and I was determined to protect the family from going through anything like that again.


    That was a matter for another day. For now, I was happy that I could focus solely on Natalia.


    She kept looking out the window as though she would be able to guess where we were going based on the scenery. I poured her a ss of champagne and reached over her, pulling the window shade down.


    She turned to me with an exaggerated expression of shock. She motioned to the closed window and waved her hand at it.


    ¡°No fair!¡± sheined. ¡°I can¡¯t even look out the window?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise,¡± I said simply. ¡°Stop trying to peek.¡±


    She epted the ss from me and sat back heavily with a deep sigh. ¡°I¡¯m only excited,¡± she said innocently. She took a sip while she stared at me over the rim of her ss.


    ¡°I know you are, darling,¡± I said fondly. I patted her knee and smiled at her puppy eyes.


    She smiled suddenly and I could tell that she wanted tough. It made me grin back. If she was actually sad, I would tell her everything and she knew it. She was just testing me.


    I was more than happy to be the target of her little game. Seeing her rxed and acting silly did my heart good.


    When she visited me in the courtyard of the prison, her stress and fear was a palpable thing. It filled me with guilt and anger to see her that way. As much as I had needed to see her, it was difficult to put her in that situation.


    This was the woman that I love, and she was suffering because of me. I had never felt anger quite like the anger I felt in those moments. It was lucky for Antonio that he had been caught and arrested.


    If I¡¯d had a chance to deal with his betrayal myself, it would have been a much less sympathetic encounter. His reasons for feeling the way he did were understandable, but his actions were unforgivable.


    On some level, he must have known that. He had been silent as a grave since his arrest. He made no attempts to defend himself or to throw anyone else under suspicion. As long as he stayed quiet, he would be safe from us. He must have realized that.


    I was d that it was over and soon that part of our lives would just be a bad memory.


    Natalia had set me free. She had made the difficult calls that were necessary, and she had been relentless in her pursuit of the real killer.


    She was incredible.


    I couldn¡¯t believe how lucky I was to have her. She surprised me at every turn.


    ¡°You¡¯re staring,¡± Natalia said softly. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just basking in your beauty,¡± I answered.


    Her cheeks turned pink, and she scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s too cheesy,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth,¡± I argued. ¡°I know we were only apart for a short time, but I missed being able to see you.¡±


    ¡°I missed your face too,¡± she said in a goofy tone.


    I shook my head at her antics and took a sip of my own drink.


    This was exactly what I had wanted when I nned this trip. There were no looming issues that we had to deal with and no deadly threats on the horizon. We had nothing to keep us from rxing and no one to distract us from one another.


    Natalia sat forward and an excited glint came into her eyes. ¡°You said that you want to help with the wedding nning,¡± she said.


    I nodded. ¡°I do,¡± I confirmed. ¡°I¡¯ve been far too hands-off until this point. I want to be by your side for the rest of the nning.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really happy you feel that way,¡± she said with a wide, beautiful smile.


    It made my heart soar to see that look on her face. If I had realized that being involved in the nning would make her smile like that, I would have done it from the beginning.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already chosen the cake,¡± I said thoughtfully. ¡°I already have my suit. I think that your dress is the most important thing that hasn¡¯t been chosen.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot left to do,¡± she corrected. ¡°But my dress is at the top of the list.¡±


    ¡°You know how I feel about it,¡± I said. ¡°You could wear a potato sack and you¡¯d be radiant.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the sentiment,¡± she said. ¡°But I don¡¯t think that would go over very well.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°No, I suppose not. Besides, you deserve the finest dress possible. I know that you¡¯ve been looking at those off the rack things, but if you want something made just for you, I will make that happen.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°I know,¡± she assured me. ¡°I have a much better idea of what I want now, but I¡¯m not in love with any of the dresses I¡¯ve seen yet.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what you¡¯ve liked,¡± I said.


    The moment the words left my mouth, I knew that I¡¯d made the right call.


    Natalia scooted closer to me and pulled her phone out. She turned the screen so that we could both see it and started pulling up pictures.


    I don¡¯t know how long we sat there looking at dress after dress. It must have been hours.


    Far from being bored by the topic, I reveled in hearing her excitement. She pointed out what she liked about each dress and told me what she wasn¡¯t sure about.


    I looked at each dress and pictured her in it. I teased her about getting something sexy, but she only giggled and quickly flipped past the more revealing dresses.


    I pretended to reach for the phone and tried to go back, but she pulled out of my reach.


    The teasing andughter filled my heart with joy.


    We discussed the options that she had tried on and what she thought looked best on her. I wished that I had gone with her instead of Mia, but it was bad luck for me to see her dress before the wedding. I wasn¡¯t willing to risk any more bad omens.


    I was surprised when the captain¡¯s voice cut through the silence, informing us that we would be descending soon.


    Natalia looked at me expectantly. ¡°Will you tell me where we are now?¡± she asked excitedly.


    I reached across her and lifted the window shade.


    She looked out immediately and I heard a soft, amazed inhale from her.


    The aerial view wasn¡¯t nearly as impressive as the city itself, so I wasn¡¯t sure if she actually recognized where we were. She turned back to me after a few seconds and stared in surprise.


    ¡°Is that Rome?¡± she asked.


    I felt my eyebrows raise with impressed surprise. ¡°It is,¡± I confirmed.


    She turned back to the window, and I looked out with her. An expanse of old roads lined with beautiful stone buildingsy below us. The domes of the architecture shone in the sunlight and made the entire city seem somehow ethereal.


    It was a magical city, in its own way. That was why I had chosen it. Well, that and the fact that it wasn¡¯t too far away. I wanted to take some time to be alone with Natalia, but I couldn¡¯t afford to go too far right now. The family was still in upheaval, and I needed to be close by in case something went awry.


    Still, Rome was a wonderful choice for our little getaway.


    There was beautiful architecture, history, and art for us to explore. There was good food to enjoy. We could rx in our vi the entire time if that¡¯s what she wanted to do, but I made sure that there were options.


    Natalia deserved the world, and I was determined to give it to her. I wanted to give her every reason possible to smile. I wanted to see her enjoying herself. It was the least I could do after what she had done for me.


    I was going to make this trip as perfect as possible. Making Natalia happy was all that mattered to me right now, and I wasn¡¯t going to miss any opportunity to do just that.

 Chapter 576 : Plenty of Time

    <h4>Chapter 576: Chapter 576 : Plenty of Time</h4>


    Natalia


    I was so excited to be spending time alone with Tallon that it really didn¡¯t matter where he was taking me, but when I realized that we were in Rome, I was ecstatic.


    I had spent a lot of time in Italy, but I had never been to Rome before. I was so excited to explore the city, I was practically bouncing in my seat on the entire drive to our vi.


    When we arrived, I was awed by how beautiful the ce was.


    It was obviously a newer construction, but the design borrowed heavily from the historic architecture of the city. The front of the vi featured avish garden that was in full bloom at this time of the year. The scent of the flowers filled the air as we stepped out of the car.


    While the staff unloaded our bags, Tallon took my hand in his and led me into the vi.


    It was just as beautiful inside as it was out. There were gold gilded frames on every wall that featured beautifulndscape paintings. Vases of fresh flowers sat on nearly every surface and carried the pleasant scent throughout the building. Whoever managed the vi clearly paid attention to every detail.


    It was like something out of a dream.


    I wandered aimlessly through therge rooms for a while, just taking in all the beautiful decor. Tallon followed my lead, and I could feel how amused he was by my reaction. I didn¡¯t mind though. He had clearly put a lot of thought into nning this trip, so he was justified in feeling a little smug about it.


    ¡°This ce is enormous,¡± I said in awe. ¡°We could spend all day here and still not see everything.¡±


    ¡°It is a bit much for just the two of us,¡± he said thoughtfully. ¡°But I wanted to make sure that we would have our privacy.


    I stood on my toes and kissed Tallon quickly. He smirked back at me.


    ¡°Was it worth the wait?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°But I would be just as happy if you¡¯d told me.¡±


    ¡°Would you?¡± he asked skeptically.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I insisted. He was probably right, but I wasn¡¯t going to back down.


    ¡°Do you want to go explore the city?¡± he asked with a knowing smile.


    I nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Of course!¡±


    Tallonced our fingers together and led me back towards the front door.


    I was surprised by how quickly we were able to walk from our private, scenic vi to the city. It made me even more excited to know that we would be able to spend as much time as we wanted in the city and not have a long drive home afterwards.


    I felt a little bad for not paying more attention to Tallon as we walked, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind the silence. I just couldn¡¯t keep my eyes off the skyline of the city. In the distance, I could see the colosseum and the domed roof of what I was pretty sure was the Sistine Chapel.


    I pointed both out to Tallon as we walked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that you were so familiar with the city,¡± he said in surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to visit Rome,¡± I answered.


    I had daydreamed about exploring the world for much of my childhood, but I never thought that I would really be here. The Sistine Chapel and Colosseum were right at the top of my bucket list. I realized that we would be able to visit both and a whole new wave of excitement washed over me.


    The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was something that I had always wanted to see in person. Everyone had seen the images of Michangelo¡¯s famous fresco, but I had always wondered what it would be like to see it in its entirety, and not just reproductions of bits and pieces.


    I was equally curious about the colosseum. The fact that it was still standing after nearly two thousand years was mind boggling. I thought that being able to stand in a structure that so many others had stood in over the course of so many millennia must feel incredible. I couldn¡¯t wait to experience it.


    I looked up at Tallon and saw the fond smile on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I said.


    He nodded, but his eyes never left my face.


    ¡°What would you like to see first?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I answered truthfully. ¡°There are so many options, I don¡¯t know where to start.¡±


    He smiled and ced a light kiss on my lips. ¡°We¡¯ll see it all,¡± he promised. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± I asked in confusion. It wasn¡¯t especiallyte, so I wasn¡¯t sure why we couldn¡¯t start today. I was so eager to see everything the city had to offer.


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± he confirmed. ¡°Because tonight we have dinner reservations. In fact, we should get back soon so we aren¡¯tte.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said in surprise. He really had thought it all out. ¡°Where are we going to eat?¡±


    ¡°Pulejo,¡± he answered simply.


    I should have expected that he would choose a world famous, Michelin-star restaurant.


    Tallon led me back to the vi and up to our bedroom.


    The room was beyond extravagant, but I didn¡¯t take a lot of time to admire it just yet. I was busy worrying about what to wear. This is why I wanted to know where we were going. I wasn¡¯t sure that I packed a dress appropriate for a venue this fine.


    Tallon was already adjusting his tie before I had even chosen a dress.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked in concern.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to wear,¡± I said in frustration. ¡°And don¡¯t you dare say it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I added.


    He smiled at me and pointed to the bed. Lying on the duvet was a gorgeous gown that I had never seen before. I walked over to it and shook my head. He had thought of everything.


    It was a beautiful mauve color, and the cut was ttering without being ufortable. I dressed quickly and touched up my makeup, then we were ready to go.


    By the time we walked out the door, a car was already waiting for us.


    I looked out the window as we drove and took in as many of the sights as I could. I wanted tomit all of this to memory. Tallon had no idea how much this trip meant to me.


    When we arrived at the restaurant, there was a woman in an immacte uniform waiting out front. She greeted Tallon and opened the door for us.


    I looked at him questioningly, but he just linked his arm with mine and led me inside.


    There wasn¡¯t a soul in sight when we entered and Tallon bypassed the ma?tre de station and walked confidently into the dining room.


    In the middle of the room was a single table with candles burning in the center.


    There was a string quartet at one end of the room, and a nervous-looking waiter appeared from seemingly nowhere as we neared the table.


    Tallon pulled my chair out for me, and I sat.


    Once Tallon was seated, the nervous looking man poured us two sses of red wine. He stepped away and I looked at Tallon in utter confusion.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked.


    Tallon looked around slowly and smiled. ¡°I rented out the entire restaurant,¡± he exined. ¡°I didn¡¯t want any distractions to ruin our first evening in Rome.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at him. ¡°This really wasn¡¯t necessary,¡± I said. ¡°Being with you guarantees I¡¯ll have a good time.¡±


    He looked pleased by my statement and raised his ss to me in a toast. I lifted mine and clinked our sses together gently, then took a sip.


    The wine was deliciously spiced, and I made a small sound of appreciation.


    After a few moments, the nervous waiter returned with a wheeled tray full of dishes. I looked at Tallon in confusion.


    ¡°I spoke to the chef about our menu for the evening so that he could prepare our food ahead of time. It didn¡¯t make sense to keep the entire kitchen on for the night when they were only going to have two customers. Since he knew what time to expect us, he was able to time things out.¡±


    ¡°It smells incredible,¡± I said.


    I hadn¡¯t even realized how hungry I was until this moment.


    The rest of our meal was nothing short of decadent. The food was some of the best I¡¯ve ever eaten, and the atmosphere of the restaurant was perfectly romantic. The lighting was dimmed, but not too dark to see and the music that the string quartet yed filled the room with unobtrusive and gentle melodies.


    I couldn¡¯t have nned a more perfect evening if I¡¯d had a hundred years to do it.


    Of course, the thing that made it so perfect was Tallon.


    He focused solely on me while we chatted about the lovely food and what we were going to do for the rest of our vacation. His eyes never left mine for long and he listened intently as I talked, even when I felt like I was rambling in my excitement.


    I reveled in the feeling of having his full attention on me and nothing else.


    Tallon was a busy and important man, so it was understandable that these moments were rare for us. That just made me savor it all the more.


    He reached out to hold my hand and looked at my hand for a long time. I didn¡¯t realize at first that he was looking at my ring.


    He lifted my hand and gently kissed my knuckles.


    ¡°I¡¯m so lucky,¡± he said softly. ¡°A woman like you is more than I ever deserved. When you epted my proposal, it was the proudest moment of my life.¡±


    I stared at him in disbelief.


    Tallon had aplished so much that it was hard to believe he really thought that, but the look in his eyes was so honest that I had to believe him.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I said softly. I couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say.


    Tallon leaned forward and captured my lips in a short, heated kiss.


    ¡°I love you too.¡±


    I caught myself leaning in for a more intense kiss when I remembered that we weren¡¯t actually alone. Tallon must have realized what happened because he chuckled softly and leaned close to me.


    ¡°We have plenty of time for that,¡± he whispered.


    I felt my face grow warm at the implication and his teasing tone. As much as I wanted to agree with him, I had a feeling that we were both going to be too tired by the time we got back to the Vi.


    But, as Tallon had pointed out, we had plenty of time to enjoy our vacation to the fullest.

 Chapter 577 : After Dinner Delight

    <h4>Chapter 577: Chapter 577 : After Dinner Delight</h4>


    *Natalia*


    Waking up in Rome was better than I had imagined it would be. That was due mostly to the delicious smell of freshly baked bread wafting through our vi. I felt Tallon¡¯s warmth by my side and smiled as I snuggled in close to him.


    I barely remembereding to bedst night. We had stayed at the restaurant for a long time drinking and talking, then went for a long walk to take in some of the scenery. By the time we got back, we were both so exhausted that we had fallen into bed.


    I was so happy to wake up with him next to me that for a moment I felt my eyes getting watery.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he said groggily.


    ¡°Morning,¡± I muttered in response. ¡°I¡¯ve really missed waking up like this.¡±


    He wrapped his arm around me and kissed my temple. ¡°So have I.¡±


    I smiled and let myself drift back towards sleep. I don¡¯t know how much time passed before Tallon spoke again.


    ¡°We have a lot to do today,¡± he said. ¡°We need to get up.¡±


    I frowned. There was a lot that I wanted to do while we were here. He was right. The longer wezed here, the less I would get to experience.


    I forced myself to sit up, but groaned as I did so. Tallonughed softly and I ignored him as I got up and stumbled to the dresser to get ready for the day.


    ¡°I¡¯ve hired a tour guide to show us around,¡± he said.


    I frowned at that. It seemed so touristy to hire a guide, but we were tourists, and I probably wouldn¡¯t know where to start without the guide.


    ¡°That sounds helpful,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you think so. We¡¯re going to meet him after breakfast.¡±


    My stomach growled at the word and the smell of bread returned to the forefront of my mind. I was suddenly starving.


    Once we were dressed, we went downstairs and enjoyed a light breakfast of bread and some of the most delicious preserves I had ever eaten. As we ate, I asked Tallon that we were going to see first, but he refused to answer. I wanted to be annoyed at his insistence that it be a surprise, but his surprises had worked out for me so far.


    Tallon looked excited as we drove into the city, and it only made me more curious about where exactly we were going.


    When we reached the city, the car pulled over and we got out to walk. There were areas of the city where cars just weren¡¯t an option, and this was one of them. I held Tallon¡¯s hand as he led me through the crowded streets towards arge courtyard. When I recognized the building ahead of us my heart nearly stopped.


    I wasn¡¯t especially religious, but I stopped and crossed myself at the sight of the Vatican Basilica.


    The rest of the afternoon passed in a swirl of exquisite sights and sounds. Our tour guide was fantastic as he led us on an extensive tour through the Vatican, Colosseum, and Sistine Chapel. The sights were burned into my mind, and I knew that these memories were going to stay with me forever.


    When I thought back on this trip, Tallon¡¯s face was going to be the first thing that came to mind. Every time I nced at him, he was looking at me. He was either looking at me with unmistakable heat or with an expression of such love that it made my heart flutter. Maybe it was our short time apart, but I felt like I was falling even more in love with him than I thought was possible.


    We made our way back to the vi after our tour ended. It was already getting prettyte, and I was getting hungry again. ¡°Do you want to go out to dinner?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I have dinner taken care of,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve hired a private chef to make us dinner here tonight.¡±


    I smiled and shook my head at him. ¡°You¡¯ve really thought of everything, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I had a lot of time to think about it,¡± he replied.


    ¡°This has been a dreame true,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you on the terrace in an hour,¡± he said. He stopped to kiss me, then we parted ways.


    I went upstairs to get cleaned up and change my clothes.


    By the time I made it to the terrace, Tallon was already there. I paused and looked at him andmitted the sight to memory.


    There was a bottle of red wine on ice and the table was set with candles burning in the center and a fragrant basket of bread was waiting for us. The view of the garden behind him and the city skyline beyond that was breathtaking, but it was nothingpared to how he looked. He had taken some time to tame his hair, and the shirt he was wearing showed off just enough skin to be distracting.


    I took my seat across from him and he smiled sweetly at me. ¡°The food will be here soon,¡± he assured me.


    ¡°You look incredible,¡± I blurted. He chuckled and reached for my hands. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said. ¡°This whole day has just been so much. I can¡¯t think of anything more romantic.¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± he said. ¡°Our wedding.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully,¡± I said with a hint of nerves in my voice.


    ¡°It will be,¡± he promised. ¡°And it will be here before we know it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s so much to do before then,¡± I said.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to handle it together,¡± he reminded me.


    I smiled. With Tallon¡¯s help, I was sure that the nning would go much more smoothly than they had so far.


    Before I could respond, the door opened and a short, elderly man pushed a food cart out. He smiled at us kindly as he gently sat our tes in front of us.


    Tallon thanked him and the man said something I didn¡¯t catch, then turned and went back inside.


    The food was incredible, and for several minutes we ate in silence. We had both worked up an appetite walking all over the city and the food was so good that it deserved our full attention.


    ¡°This is almost too good,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that was possible, but I agree,¡± Tallon replied. ¡°This is so good that I forgot where I was for a second.¡±


    Iughed. Tallon was joking around with me, how could I notugh?


    I absolutely loved seeing this rxed, sillier side of him.


    ¡°This trip has been incredible,¡± I said.


    Tallon smiled brightly. ¡°I¡¯m d,¡± he said. ¡°I wanted to do something special for you, to show you how much I appreciate everything that you do for me. I don¡¯t just mean the issue with Antonio, either. You¡¯re always by my side when I need you and the joy you bring to my life makes it worth all the nonsense I have to deal with.¡±


    My throat was tight with emotion, and it took me a moment to respond to him. ¡°I love you,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m d that I¡¯m able to bring some value to your life, because you bring so much to mine. I honestly don¡¯t know where I would be without you. I was so alone before we met, I....¡±


    I let my words trail off. I had no idea how to articte what I wanted to tell him. I just didn¡¯t have the words.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± he said gently.


    I stood suddenly and moved around the table to kiss Tallon. I didn¡¯t have the words to tell him what I wanted him to know, but maybe I could show him through my actions.


    He reacted to the kiss with surprising heat, and after a few seconds he pulled me down onto hisp. I gasped at the sudden shift in position. I held onto his shoulders as he kissed me more deeply.


    It was a slow, thorough kiss that left me panting by the time he pulled away. I was surprised to see how heated Tallon looked already. His normalposure seemed to be faltering.


    I tried to move off hisp, but he held me in ce. Before I had a chance to question him, he started to kiss my throat.


    I shuddered at the contact, and it seemed to embolden him. Tallon¡¯s hands slid up my legs and under my dress, drawing a full body shiver from me.


    The way he was touching me was so gentle, yet firm and he was moving so slowly. It was different enough that I wasn¡¯t sure how to react myself. I gasped and shuddered at his light touches until he had my dress bunched up above my hips.


    I was a little embarrassed because we might get caught, but the heat slowly building in me was more powerful than the risk of someone seeing us.


    Tallon shifted around on the wide, sturdy chair and I realized that he was lowering his zipper. A thrill went through me at the idea of having sex right there on the terrace.


    We had shared heated nces all day, and everything we had done had been intimate and romantic, so it really wasn¡¯t surprising that we had ended up here.


    I thought we would make it back to the bedroom first, that¡¯s all.


    I lifted onto my knees and helped Tallon shift our clothes around until there was nothing standing between us anymore.


    He held onto my hips as I lowered onto him, and we both gasped into the darkening twilight.


    I looked down at Tallon and his eyes locked with mine. The pleasure I was feeling was incredible and I wanted to moan in pleasure, but that look in his eyes stole my breath away.


    I couldn¡¯t look away from his gaze. His hands guided my movements and I rose and fell over him. Our breaths mingle in the silence of the night and neither of us moaned or cried out, even though I was shuddering from the pleasurable sensations already.


    It was like we were under a spell that neither of us wanted to break. The way my heart was pounding was due to more than exertion, but my mind wasn¡¯t clear enough to process that right now.


    All I could do was look into Tallon¡¯s sharp, intense eyes and roll my hips into his.


    I didn¡¯t know how much time passed before my climax was crashing into me, but it couldn¡¯t have been long. I shook like a leaf in a storm, and he brought his hips up into me, lifting us both from the chair. After a few more thrusts, he followed me into his climax.


    I moaned desperately and fell forward, finally breaking our eye contact. I pressed my face into the side of his neck and rode out the waves of pleasure.


    Tallon held me close as we both breathed heavily. I let my full weight rest on him, and he held me easily.


    This was the first time that I had ever felt this way after sex. My heart was fluttering, and it wasn¡¯t from the activity. Something about the way Tallon had looked into my eyes went straight to my soul.


    I felt a connection between us that I had only sensed hints of before. This wasn¡¯t just sex. As cheesy and cliche as it sounded, I knew why this was different.


    Tallon and I had made love.

 Chapter 578 : Back to Business

    <h4>Chapter 578: Chapter 578 : Back to Business</h4>


    *Natalia*


    The trip back to Florence was mostly a quiet one. Our time in Rome was so magical and going home to deal with the fallout of Tallon¡¯s arrest wasn¡¯t something either of us really wanted to do. We couldn¡¯t put it off any longer, though. We had responsibilities to the rest of the family.


    The flight seemed short, but that was probably because I kept drifting to sleep on Tallon¡¯s shoulder.


    He didn¡¯tin, even though I was sure it was ufortable for him. He let me doze until we had to buckle in fornding.


    I was sad that our trip was over, but I knew that it wasn¡¯t thest vacation we were going to take together.


    I decided to think of it as a practice run for our honeymoon. The thought filled me with such joy that I couldn¡¯t stop myself from grinning as we loaded into the car to head home.


    I caught Tallon smiling at me as we got into the car.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked innocently.


    He just shook his head and shrugged.


    I wondered if his thoughts were along the same lines as mine. His phone was buzzing like crazy, and I didn¡¯t want to distract him from whatever conversation he was having. Now that we were back home, he was going to be swamped with work. There was no getting around that, so I just tried to brace myself for it.


    We were barely inside the door when Tallon¡¯s phone started to ring. It was Vinny¡¯s ringtone. I tried not to eavesdrop as he answered it, but it was difficult not to overhear.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said softly. I couldn¡¯t hear anything from the other end of the call. Tallon lowered his head and took a few steps away from me. ¡°Right now?¡± A long pause. ¡°I understand. It is what it is. I¡¯ll be there in ten minutes.¡±


    My heart sank. He had to run off to work already. I was disappointed that our uninterrupted time together was over so soon. I understood, though. This was the way things were.


    Tallon approached me with a contrite smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I have to go. Vinny needs my helping dealing with some business.¡±


    I frowned deeply at him. Thest time Vinny had called him away suddenly, he¡¯d ended up in police custody.


    I didn¡¯t have to voice my concerns. He knew what I was thinking.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he assured me. ¡°That¡¯s all behind us, I promise you.¡± He pulled me into a hug, and I let myself melt into his arms.


    ¡°Come home safe,¡± I said.


    ¡°I will, darling,¡± he assured me. ¡°But it¡¯s going to be a long one, I think. I¡¯d like you to go out and find something fun to do. Don¡¯t sit around waiting for me and worrying, alright?¡±


    I pulled out of his arms and nodded my agreement.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± I promised.


    Tallon kissed the top of my head quickly, then turned and hurried out of the room.


    I watched him go and sighed as I was left alone in the hallway again.


    He was right. If I stayed home, I would just worry about where he was and whether anything had gone wrong. I needed to get out, for at least a few hours, and keep myself busy.


    I pulled out my phone and sent Mia a text to see if she was free.


    She didn¡¯t answer immediately, so I went upstairs and got cleaned up. After the long flight, a quick shower and fresh clothes were weed.


    By the time I was ready, I had a response from Mia. She was free and hoping that I had something fun in mind. I smiled as I answered, inviting her to go shopping with me.


    She responded right away that she would love to, and we agreed to meet at a popr shop downtown.


    She was already waiting there when I arrived. She held a coffee out toward me, and I took it gratefully. The caffeine was very weed.


    ¡°When did you get back into town?¡± she asked.


    ¡°A few hours ago,¡± I replied. ¡°Tallon was called away on business immediately.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said with an eye roll. ¡°They just never get a break, do they?¡±


    ¡°Hardly ever,¡± I agreed.


    I had to smile, though. It was so nice having someone to talk to who understood the unique challenges of being with someone in this lifestyle. It was something that most people wouldn¡¯t be able to fully appreciate.


    ¡°Well, it just gives us a chance to hang out again,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Was there anything specific that you were shopping for?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± I said sheepishly. ¡°I wanted to look at bridesmaid¡¯s dresses. I thought that you could help me pick something nice. I don¡¯t really know where to start.¡±


    ¡°I was hoping it would be wedding shopping,¡± she said in excitement. ¡°Have you settled on a dress for yourself then?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I confessed. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a chance to really look again. The arrest really put everything on hold.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it did,¡± she said sympathetically.


    ¡°The good news is, Tallon is suddenly interested in helping with the wedding nning.¡±


    Her face lit up and she said in an excited tone, ¡°That¡¯s fantastic! Oh, that¡¯s the way it should be. It¡¯s his day too, he should be just as involved as you are.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± I said brightly.


    ¡°Should we go back to the same bridal shop, or did you want to look somewhere else?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I guess start at the same one since it¡¯s close. We can go from there.¡±


    She nodded and we walked to the bridal shop together. We chatted about what she had been up to since thest time we met up for dinner. She told me about all the sweet dates that Alessandro had taken her on, and from the tone of her voice and the look on her face, it was clear just how in love she was. I was so happy for her, and for Alessandro.


    It suddenly urred to me that Mia was now one of my best friends, and that if I was going to have bridesmaids, then I would need a maid of honor. It only made sense that it should be her.


    I didn¡¯t mention it to her, because I wasn¡¯t absolutely certain that I did want a bridal party. Once I¡¯d talked to Tallon and made up my mind, then I would ask her.


    We entered the shop together and I paused and looked around. I hadn¡¯t really thought about this ce much since everything went sideways.


    A woman approached us with a wide smile on her face. ¡°Hello, do you have an appointment?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No,¡± I answered. ¡°We were just hoping to look at some bridesmaid¡¯s dresses.¡±


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re on the far end of the shop,¡± she said. She turned and pointed out a corner of the store where various colorful clothes were visible. ¡°Just let us know if you have any questions. If you do decide that you want to make an appointment, we¡¯d be more than happy to get something on the books for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. Mia and I walked over to the section she had pointed out and started to look through the many rows of dresses.


    There were fabric samples hanging on the ends of clothing racks that showed all the avable colors that each brand offered.


    Mia was digging through the dresses with obvious interest, but I got distracted by the color samples. Most weddings had color themes, but I hadn¡¯t been able to settle on one yet. We¡¯d gone with all white and gold for the cake to keep it as neutral as possible without being boring, that way it would match whatever colors I finally settled on.


    My eye was drawn to a beautiful, subdued, dusty blue color. I closed my eyes and pictured it beside a pure white with gold ents. I smiled. I would have to ask Tallon, but I think that I had chosen the wedding colors.


    I don¡¯t know how much time passed after that. It seemed like we looked at fifty dresses. Mia would hold them up in front of her or even slide the sleeves over her arms and twirl around to model them for me.


    Ourughter earned us a few stares, but neither of us cared.


    We didn¡¯t fall in love with any dresses, but we did find a material that we both really liked¡ªchiffon. The way it flowed was just incredibly beautiful and I loved how it looked.


    As we made our way towards the front door, the girl behind the counter called out to us. ¡°Did you find everything you wanted?¡±


    I paused. I did want to find out about the dress I¡¯d like thest time we were here. It couldn¡¯t hurt to ask, right?


    ¡°Actually, I was wondering about a specific dress,¡± I said. ¡°I tried it on a while back and was interested in it, but I hadn¡¯t made up my mind yet. It was thest floor model remaining, I just wanted to know if you still have it.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the name of the design?¡± she asked.


    I shook my head. ¡°No, but Angelica was the one I had the appointment with, if that helps.¡±


    The girl pushed the button on the small microphone pinned to herpel then spoke into it. ¡°Angelica to the front desk for customer service please,¡± she said clearly.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.


    It was less than two minutester that Angelica appeared. She smiled widely when she saw me and held her hand out in greeting.


    I shook her hand.


    ¡°How can I help you?¡± she asked. ¡°Did you want to schedule another appointment?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I just wanted to find out if that dress is still avable.¡±


    Her smile became strained, and she shook her head slightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but no.¡±


    My heart sank. I thought it was probably gone, but it was still disappointing to hear it confirmed. ¡°I see,¡± I said. ¡°I should have guessed.¡±


    ¡°It actually sold that same day,¡± she said. ¡°Right after you left, another customer said that she saw you trying it on and just fell in love with it. She was so relieved when you didn¡¯t buy it. She paid in full right then and there.¡±


    Irritation was clear in my voice when I said, ¡°Thank you. That¡¯s all I wanted.¡± She looked a bit nervous, but she nodded.


    ¡°Please, let me know if there¡¯s anything else I can do to help.¡±


    I just nodded back, then turned on my heels and hurried to the exit. Mia followed close after me.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked as we walked down the sidewalk.


    ¡°It was Bianca,¡± I said angrily. ¡°I know it was. She swooped in and took that dress. I don¡¯t know how she¡¯s doing it, but she¡¯s showing up everywhere and stealing my wedding ns.¡±


    ¡°I believe you,¡± Mia said. ¡°But I don¡¯t know how she could possibly be doing that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find out,¡± I answered with a growl.


    Bianca had picked the wrong person to mess with. The dress wasn¡¯t even the thing I was really angry about, I hadn¡¯t been in love with it. It was the fact that she was trying to steal something meaningful from me. She thought she was ruining my wedding.


    Whatever she was trying to do didn¡¯t really matter.


    All I knew was that she¡¯d better back off before I really lost my temper.

 Chapter 579 : A Problem

    <h4>Chapter 579: Chapter 579 : A Problem</h4>


    *Tallon*


    Vinny was waiting for me at a nearby restaurant. I was annoyed that I had to walk away from Natalia so suddenly, but it couldn¡¯t be avoided. I did need to find out how the talks with our Russian contacts had gone. Everything else that I did this week was going to hinge on how they reacted to the situation.


    I didn¡¯t get the feeling from Vinny¡¯s tone that I needed to worry, but it was difficult not to dwell on the worst possible scenario.


    Vinny was already seated and had ordered me a coffee. I sat across from him and took a swig of it immediately. It burned my throat, but I didn¡¯t mind. I was exhausted from the flight, and it helped to wake me up a bit.


    ¡°Sorry to call you out so suddenly,¡± Vinny said. ¡°Alessandro has been on my case to fill you in on this Russian thing because the family won¡¯t stop questioning him about it. Everyone is still pretty wound up and there¡¯s a lot of concern about what the Russians might do in response to this mess.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said. ¡°So, fill me in. How did the meeting go?¡±


    ¡°Better than anticipated,¡± he said. He was a little wide eyed, like he couldn¡¯t quite believe what he was about to tell me. ¡°Everything is fine.¡±


    I stared at him mutely for several long moments.


    ¡°Fine?¡± I asked.


    Vinny nodded. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe how amiable they were about it considering how many of their men Antonio killed. Our contact said that theypletely understand that the killings were not sanctioned and that the man responsible has been dealt with. He said they trust us to deal with him if the police don¡¯t, and I assured him that we would.¡± He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°That was pretty much it.¡±


    I shook my head in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s too easy,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought, too,¡± Vinny said with a sigh. ¡°But they seemed to really mean it. I didn¡¯t want to press too much and insult them.¡±


    ¡°Did they give any indication of the reason they were being so amodating?¡± I asked.


    There had to be something more to it. I wouldn¡¯t be so forgiving if my men had been killed like that, even if the organization wasn¡¯t responsible. It would still be incredibly tempting to demand some kind of retribution.


    ¡°Alessandro asked if there was anything we could do to make things right,¡± Vinny said. ¡°He offered to pay the families, but they said it wasn¡¯t necessary. Our main contact was very clear. He said that nothing was needed. His exact words were, those men were causing us trouble anyway. In a way, you did us a favor. They just couldn¡¯t let it go.¡±


    I shook my head. That would exin it. There were bound to be people on their side that couldn¡¯t let go of the old war too. Antonio saved them the trouble of making the impossible choice to kill their own men. He would be furious to know that they were grateful for the killings.


    ¡°I see,¡± I said softly.


    It was a blessing that they epted the situation. Too many lives had already been lost on both sides. If they had been angry, things could have gotten out of hand very quickly. I wouldn¡¯t have unnecessary bloodshed, not if there was any way to avoid it.


    Besides, those were Natalia¡¯s people. In some small way, I felt that fighting them again would harm her.


    I was d to hear that it wasn¡¯t going toe to that.


    ¡°We really lucked out, didn¡¯t we?¡± Vinny asked with a nervousugh.


    ¡°In so many ways,¡± I agreed. ¡°Not to discount the hard work you did to find our traitor, but the fact that you solved the mystery so quickly is nothing short of miraculous.¡± I sat back and crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°I never thanked you, did I?¡± I asked with a frown.


    Vinny shook his head slightly but held a hand up as if to deflect the words. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to thank me for,¡± he said. ¡°I did what had to be done. We needed to get you out of there and deal with the person responsible for putting the family at risk like that.¡± He frowned deeply and I saw disgust creep into his expression. ¡°How that old fool could do something so reckless is beyond me. I can¡¯t decide if he was so blinded by his hatred that he couldn¡¯t understand the risks or if he really just didn¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Probably a bit of both,¡± I answered. ¡°He was old school. He thought that being unforgiving was a sign of strength. All the old leaders were like that.¡± I frowned down into my coffee.


    We¡¯de a long way from those ruthless killers and brutalmanders. There were better ways to handle things now, and I was going to show the family that it worked. Dealing with Antonio was an important step in showing that, although I might not seem as strong as previous Dons, I was not a man to be trifled with.


    I had some leg work to do. I knew that. It was going to take a lot more than my promises and the word of the Russians to calm the rest of the family. My arrest had shaken everyone.


    Now that I was back from vacation, I needed to get serious about putting together contingency ns. I couldn¡¯t let something like this happen again. If I got sick or was out ofmission for any other reason, there needed to be very clear instructions about how things were to be handled.


    I would start on those ns right away.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got that look on your face,¡± Vinny said with a wide smile.


    I looked up at him and blinked in confusion. ¡°What look?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That serious expression you get when you¡¯re overthinking,¡± he answered.


    I scoffed but returned his smile. He was probably right. I did need to deal with all these things, but it wasn¡¯t as though I was up against the clock. I could take my time with this. I needed Vinny to remind me to take a step back sometimes.


    I frowned as I looked at Vinny. His smile froze, then slowly dropped away as his eyes fixed on something behind me. I turned and looked over my shoulder, expecting to see some kind of threat. I was not expecting to see Bianca swaying her hips as she sauntered toward me.


    I felt the re sh across my features. It was a struggle to reign it in, but I managed.


    ¡°Tallon,¡± she cooed in greeting. ¡°We just keep on running into each other, I guess we still share a lot of simr tastes.¡±


    ¡°What do you want, Bianca?¡± I asked coldly.


    Her smile remained in ce, and sheughed softly. ¡°Oh, I just wanted to catch up. It seems like you¡¯ve had a lot going ontely, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    I clenched my teeth to keep my face impassive.


    ¡°I mean, I saw the news about you getting arrested. Have you started wedding nning now that you¡¯re out?¡± She ced her hand on her hip and looked at me with an exaggerated expression of concern. ¡°That must have made it pretty hard to focus on the wedding. I can¡¯t imagine how scared you must have been.¡± There was a slightly mocking hint to her tone that made my skin crawl. I could hear Vinny¡¯s breath hitch at her words, and he shifted as if to stand. I shot him a warning look and he remained where he was, but there was anger on his face that was unmistakable. ¡°Natalia didn¡¯t even buy that dress she wanted,¡± Bianca added.


    My head snapped toward her at those words. The argument I¡¯d had with Natalia when she came back from the bridal shop shed through my mind and a cold feeling washed over me.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said innocently. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? I ran into her at the bridal shop. She tried on this really gorgeous dress, but it sounded like she couldn¡¯t afford the down payment.¡± A halfcocked grin spread on her face at the implication. It was the kind of smirk you saw on people when they were feeling superior.


    I wanted to wipe it off her face, but I needed to hear where she was going with this.


    ¡°Well, the dress was so beautiful, I just couldn¡¯t help myself,¡± she said with a giggle. ¡°I bought it right then and there. It looks absolutely perfect on me.¡±


    I stopped trying to control my facial expression and red at her openly. She had intentionally taken Natalia¡¯s dress. It was just like Natalia had told me. I hated myself for not believing her immediately.


    This woman had not only upset Natalia, but she had also caused an argument between us. Now she was bragging about it with that fake, mockingugh and a smirk on her face. It filled me with rage.


    ¡°Get away from me,¡± I said carefully.


    Bianca¡¯s smile melted into fear, and she took two quick steps backward. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to be friendly,¡± she said defensively. ¡°I figured you could use a friendly face after spending so much time in prison.¡±


    She straightened up and rolled her shoulders, then smiled again. She let her eyes rove over me in a way that was so obvious it was almost obscene. She took a step forward and gently pressed her fingertips into my shoulder. ¡°I guess you¡¯re not used to receiving a kind touch,¡± she added. She did a half turn but didn¡¯t stop touching me. ¡°Until we meet again,¡± she said in a suggestive tone.


    She dragged her fingers across me as she strolled away.


    I had to close my eyes and focus all my energy on not losing my temper. She had the absolute gall to insult my Natalia, mock me, and make a pass at me all at once?


    Had she forgottenpletely who I was, or did she just have a death wish?


    Vinny cleared his throat after a few moments, and I turned to face him.


    ¡°Is she going to be a problem?¡± he asked in a hushed tone.


    I grimaced. Natalia may have been right about Bianca all along. She did seem to be taking joy in interfering in our wedding nning. It was possible that she was doing it all intentionally. If that was true, it was the least of my worries.


    The wedding was going to be everything we dreamed of¡ªI would make sure of that. Nothing would stop me from giving Natalia the day she wanted down to the smallest detail.


    The bigger concern was that Bianca seemed to always know where we were going to be and what we were doing in regard to the wedding. How did she have all this information about us?


    Was she actually stalking Natalia? It would be apletely foolish thing for her to do, but it was just possible that she was stupid enough to try it.


    Was she going to be a problem? I looked up at Vinny and answered his question honestly.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡±

 Chapter 580 : A Partnership

    <h4>Chapter 580: Chapter 580 : A Partnership</h4>


    *Natalia*


    I was in the sitting room making myself a drink. I didn¡¯t really need it, but I wasn¡¯t sure what else to do with myself right now. I was far more worked up than I should have been.


    I tried not to let the dress issue ruin the rest of my day out with Mia, but it had weighed on my mind the entire time we¡¯d been out. Eventually we agreed to make an appointment at a different bridal shop to look for bridesmaid dresses. I knew what color and fabric I wanted now, but that was it.


    I wanted to look at more gowns, too.


    The perfect dress was still out there somewhere, and no I had no idea what it might look like.


    I didn¡¯t want a dress that looked anything like what Bianca was going to wear. That might have been petty, but it made me angry to even think about the smug look on her face when she bought that dress. I wouldn¡¯t give her the satisfaction of thinking she stole something from me.


    I didn¡¯t hear Tallon when he entered the room, so when his handsnded on my waist I jumped and shouted.


    When I whirled around, ready to hit someone, he was standing with his hands up defensively.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said with amusement clear in his voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to startle you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear youe in,¡± I said. I pressed my hand to my chest and took a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re going to scare me to death,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°What has you so jumpy?¡± he asked with concern.


    I sighed and shrugged helplessly. I abandoned my drink and turned to give him my full attention. ¡°It¡¯s nothing important, I was just distracted. Mia and I went to look at dresses and I found out that Bianca definitely bought the dress that I wanted....¡±


    I trailed off. I didn¡¯t really want to get into this topic again. Tallon had been so skeptical of me before and I didn¡¯t want to fight with him.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said.


    I stared at him in shock. ¡°You do?¡±


    A sour look came over his face as he replied, ¡°I ran into Bianca. She told me outright that she took your dress.¡±


    ¡°I knew it,¡± I said angrily. ¡°Why is she doing this? What the hell is she trying to aplish?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°But I think that you¡¯re right. She clearly has some scheme in the works, and her goal seems to be to ruin our wedding.¡±


    I was torn between relief and anger. Tallon believed me, he didn¡¯t think that I was imagining things or being oversensitive.


    On the other hand, I was furious. The fact that Bianca had approached Tallon was infuriating, even more than the fact that she was trying to mess with the wedding.


    After the snottyment she had made to me about his arrest, I could only imagine what she said to him. We¡¯d been through enough already. Dealing with her crap was just too much.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to fail,¡± Tallon assured me. ¡°There¡¯s nothing that she can acquire that we can¡¯t and nothing that she can take from us that we can¡¯t find a better version of.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s the audacity that she had to try to rub it in our faces,¡± I said angrily. ¡°That¡¯s what really gets to me. It¡¯s not enough for her to take the dress, she has to brag about it too. What does she think she¡¯s going to aplish by doing this? I just can¡¯t understand the goal here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand it either,¡± he said. ¡°But it¡¯s nothing that we can¡¯t handle. She¡¯s an inconvenience, that¡¯s all.¡±


    I smiled a little. She would be so furious to hear him say that.


    I found it incrediblyforting that Tallon was finally on the same page as me when it came to Bianca. He had mentioned before that he could look into her, but then everything with the police had happened and Bianca just wasn¡¯t important anymore. I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to ask him to follow through on that offer, but it was an option and knowing that wasforting too.


    ¡°My offer to have a dress made for you is still on the table,¡± he pointed out. ¡°I know that you still aren¡¯t sure what you want, but consulting a fashion designer will help you find the perfect dress.¡±


    I was tempted to ept the offer. It would take a little bit of the pressure off because I wouldn¡¯t have to keep searching, but ultimately it would be even more stressful. I would have to make choices about every aspect of the dress from the fabric to the type of closure. I had enough on my te. I didn¡¯t need to be thinking about those details.


    ¡°I appreciate the offer,¡± I said with a shake of my head. ¡°There are enough decisions to be made without trying to approve custom designs.¡±


    He nodded thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s fair enough. We do have a lot of other details to iron out.¡±


    He was right. We¡¯d barely begun nning and we were already running out of time. If we wanted our chosen date to work out, we had to start getting things scheduled.


    ¡°We need to book a venue,¡± I said.


    Tallon nodded his agreement, but a look of unease passed across his face. I did my best not to grin orugh at him. I could tell by his reaction that he had forgotten all about the venue. I couldn¡¯t me him entirely for thepse. He had a lot of other things on his mind recently.


    ¡°Have you put any thought into what you want?¡± he asked.


    I shrugged. ¡°A bit, but I don¡¯t have my heart set on anything. I would like a ce that¡¯s in a quiet location where we don¡¯t have to worry about making too much noise. I think that I would like for us to have use of the entire venue, too, not just a dance hall or something like that.¡±


    ¡°That all sounds good to me,¡± he said. ¡°Some venues have a lot of restrictions on caterers and such, so we¡¯ll want a ce that will let us have our chosen vendors and not raise a fuss about it.¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of that,¡± I said.


    Tallon walked to the couch and sat down. I joined him and watched curiously as he pulled out his phone and started searching for wedding venues in the countryside.


    I was amazed by how many options there were. As we scrolled through the options and looked at pictures of many of them, I began to realize that my desire for privacy was outweighed by how much I really didn¡¯t like the rustic wedding look.


    ¡°I think that I¡¯m changing my mind,¡± I said softly.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Tallon asked.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t like the country feel,¡± I answered. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s really right for us.¡±


    He smiled broadly at that. ¡°I¡¯m so d you said that. I wasn¡¯t sure how to tell you that I hated all of these.¡±


    We bothughed and I leaned heavily into his side. ¡°I wish you¡¯d said something right away,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re doing this together, right? That means that we both need to state what we want so we can find a good middle ground.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± he conceded. ¡°I just feel a little strange joining in on the nning thiste. I didn¡¯t want you to feel like I was trying to take over.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that at all,¡± I said in surprise. ¡°Tallon, I am so excited that you want to be part of the nning. It takes a lot of the pressure off. I¡¯ve been trying this whole time to take into ount what you might want, and I¡¯ve felt like this was some kind of test... like I was going to screw it all up if I identally made a choice that you really didn¡¯t like.¡±


    He looked surprised by that. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t try to test you,¡± he said. ¡°I just wanted to make the day perfect for you, that¡¯s why I wanted you to choose whatever you wanted.¡±


    We bothughed again. It felt like a ton of weight had been taken off both of us.


    For the next few hours, we looked at dozens of wedding venues and picked them apart thoroughly. We wanted something big, with a bridal suite and a wet bar. Those were the must haves. We also wanted something with plenty of parking that was a standalone building, not part of a biggerplex.


    We ended up with a short list of promising options. We wrote down the contact information for each and Tallon promised to call and set up tours of the venues so that we could see them in person and see which felt right to us.


    It would also give us an opportunity to get a feel for the management of the venues and see which would be the best fit for us. It didn¡¯t matter how perfect the venue was, if we hated the manager then it was going to make things difficult.


    Tallon had a few business calls that he had to make anyway. He kissed me lightly, then excused himself to go up to his office.


    I watched him go with a fond smile on my face. I couldn¡¯t help but feel optimistic about how things were going.


    We were finally on the same page about Bianca, which meant that Tallon would deal with her and get that headache out of our way.


    Even better, we were working on the wedding nning together. I felt so close to Tallon while we went through the venue options and discussed what we liked and disliked about each. We had our differences, of course. I wanted a garden in ce of expensive floral arrangements, and he wasn¡¯t really interested in the flowers at all. He wanted to ensure that there was an expansive wet bar that could cater to ourrge guest list, while the alcohol wasn¡¯t a big consideration for me.


    The differences didn¡¯t really matter, though, because we had so much inmon. We both wanted the venue to berge and open so that everyone could congregate together. We wanted on-site security to be avable, even though we would have our private details as well. We both wanted suites for the bridal party so that everyone could get into their dresses at the venue and not try to travel in formal wear. We also agreed that the dining room and dance floor should be separate, rather than transitioning the dining hall into a dance space after dinner.


    It felt like everything was finallying together for us. It might have been tempting fate, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself from thinking that things were finally going to start going smoothly for us from now on.

 Chapter 581 : Pampering

    <h4>Chapter 581: Chapter 581 : Pampering</h4>


    *Natalia*


    Last night had been a bit of a mixed bag. I was so happy that I got to spend time with Tallon working on our wedding ns, but we weren¡¯t able to spend more time together after that. Tallon had ended up working for the rest of the night. He even missed dinner. I understood and I didn¡¯t hold it against him. He was still dealing with the fallout of his arrest, and it was going to take a lot of time and effort for us to get things back to normal.


    He must have felt pretty bad about it though, because when I woke up the next day, he had a surprise for me. I had walked downstairs to find avish breakfast prepared and a bouquet of roses in the center of the table. Tallon had been sitting at the table and he smiled brightly at me when I walked in.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he said. ¡°How did you sleep?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡±


    ¡°A good breakfast to start your day,¡± he said. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I have a surprise activity for you. I¡¯ve scheduled a limousine to pick up Mia and take the two of you for a spa day.¡±


    I was wildly excited by what he told me. I really enjoy spending time with Mia, and a spa day sounded like a great way for us to continue to bond and to shake off the residual stress and tension from the long ordeal of Tallon¡¯s incarceration.


    We had shared a pleasant breakfast together, then Tallon walked me out to the limo. He held the door for me as I slid inside next to Mia.


    ¡°Have fundies,¡± he said.


    ¡°We will,¡± I promised.


    ¡°This is a nice surprise,¡± Mia said, as the limo pulled out of the drive.


    ¡°I know,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°I hope it wasn¡¯t toost minute.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± she assured me.


    The spa that we ended up at was one that I had never been to, but it was obvious from the moment we stepped inside that it was the height of luxury. We were greeted by a vibrant and pretty older woman who checked us in and took us into a suite where we could change into plush robes.


    Mia was bubbling with excitement as we stepped out of the room and were met by a man in a light blue uniform.


    ¡°Ladies,¡± he said in greeting. ¡°Are you ready to be pampered?¡±


    ¡°So ready,¡± Mia said happily.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to start with a deep tissue massage, then a hot stone treatment, and finally a rxing trip to our mud baths. Do you have any questions?¡±


    We both shook our heads and grinned at each other in excitement.


    The massage was the most rxing that I could remember having. That might be because I had so much tension to work out after everything. I had no doubt that by tomorrow I was going to be too sore to move, but I didn¡¯t mind.


    The hot stones were calming enough to neutralize any of the pain that was already present. By the time we were led to the mud baths I felt like I was ready to just melt.


    I slid into the warm mud with a content sigh and let my head fall back onto the cushioned headrest.


    Mia made a simr sound of enjoyment from beside me.


    We sat there infortable silence and just let the mineral mud soak into us. I was aware that there was likely no real benefit to this treatment, but it was rxing and that was all that it really had to be for me to be satisfied with it. I was here to rx and feel pampered after all, not because I believed in some weird new age medical treatment.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long it was before my thoughts started to wander to less pleasant topics.


    I felt myself frowning as I thought about Bianca¡¯s little run in with Tallon. There was no way that it was an ident. She had to be finding this information out about us somehow, but I couldn¡¯t imagine how. She was showing up at ces that we didn¡¯t n on going to until just before arriving. How could she know where we were?


    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be rxing,¡± Mia pointed out.


    ¡°I know,¡± I groaned. I opened my eyes to find her staring at me with a slight frown. ¡°I¡¯m trying, but I just can¡¯t stop dwelling on this Bianca mess.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the dress?¡± she asked. ¡°Because we¡¯re going to find one for you that¡¯s at least a hundred times better.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I know. It¡¯s not just that she bought the dress. She approached Tallon about it when he was out with Vinny yesterday. He said that she was bragging about stealing the dress from me. It just makes my blood boil.¡±


    ¡°I can see why,¡± she said. ¡°If one of Alessandro¡¯s exes was acting like that I would... well, I probably shouldn¡¯t say what I would do.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows at her. I wouldn¡¯t expect Mia to have a dark or violent side, but that¡¯s definitely what she was implying. She noticed the look on my face and grinned.


    ¡°Do you want me to take care of Bianca for you?¡±


    My eyes went wide, then Iughed. I couldn¡¯t help myself. Mia wasughing too, and for a few minutes it seemed like ourughter was feeding into each other¡¯s. After a while, there were tears in my eyes and I struggled to control myughter and breathe. When I looked at Mia, she was bent over and holding her ribs while she wheezed outughter.


    This only made meugh harder.


    It felt like an eternity passed before we were both able to calm ourselves down and breathe normally.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this girl messing with my friend,¡± she said. ¡°I know that you don¡¯t need any help taking care of yourself, but just know that if you need me, I¡¯m here for you.¡±


    I stared at her for a long time before muttering a soft, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Any time,¡± she said with a bright smile.


    ¡°So, how are things with Alessandro?¡± I asked. It was a clumsy segue, but she didn¡¯t draw attention to it.


    She smiled dreamily and leaned back, rxing into the mud. ¡°We¡¯re great,¡± she said. ¡°Things are going so well that I keep expecting to uncover some deep dark secret of his. He¡¯s just too good to be true.¡±


    I chuckled and shook my head. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the dark secret be that he¡¯s a Valentino?¡± I asked. Most people would consider dating a member of the most well-known mafia family in the country to be dangerous. Mia didn¡¯t seem bothered by it in the least. It made me wonder about her own background, but it seemed like too personal a question to ask her at this point.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t bother me,¡± she said dismissively. ¡°But I guess you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d things are going so well. Is it getting very serious then?¡± I asked.


    It really seemed like they were falling for each other very fast, but I didn¡¯t hold that against them at all. I fell for Tallon so quickly, so I would have been a hypocrite to hold it against them.


    ¡°Well, it might just be my imagination, but I get the feeling he¡¯s going to ask me to move in with him.¡± She had a hopeful look on her face as she said it.


    ¡°That is a big step,¡± I agreed. Honestly, I had assumed they were already living together. After all, she had moved to Florence for him. ¡°What makes you think that?¡±


    ¡°He keeps makingments about my apartment being too far away and it being inconvenient for me to go home sote at night,¡± she exined. Her voice was so full of hope. If Alessandro wasn¡¯t going to ask her to move in, I was going to kick his ass.


    ¡°I can see why you¡¯d think that,¡± I said.


    ¡°It may be wishful thinking, but what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± she added with a dreamy sigh. ¡°Alessandro is the best guy I¡¯ve ever been with.¡±


    I smiled at her. I knew how she was feeling, and I liked this romantic side of her. It was a gentler and more innocent side than I had seen before.


    ¡°I feel the same way about Tallon,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that we get along,¡± she said as she sat forward to look me in the eye. ¡°I don¡¯t think there are many women out there that would be able to rte. It¡¯s nice to have someone to talk to.¡±


    ¡°I feel the same way,¡± I agreed.


    It was exactly the reason that I kept inviting Mia out. Now that we were really getting to know each other, I knew that my gut feeling about her had been right.


    We chatted happily for the rest of our spa time.


    After we had showered and gotten dressed, my driver took Mia home. I could see Alessandro¡¯s car parked out front as we pulled up.


    I waggled my eyebrows at her, and sheughed as her cheeks turned a little pink.


    ¡°Wish me luck,¡± she said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need it,¡± I said. ¡°But good luck.¡±


    We waited until she was safely in the door before pulling away and heading home.


    If things with Mia and Alessandro stayed on this trajectory, we were going to have another Valentino wedding on the horizon. Just the thought made me smile.


    I wondered if Mia¡¯s excitement about looking at wedding dresses was a sign that marriage was on her mind, too.


    I kind of hoped that it was. Getting to be part of a wedding that I wasn¡¯t nning sounded pretty nice.


    When I arrived home, Tallon was there. I had expected him to be out at meetings all day, so I was pleasantly surprised to see him. I walked straight to him and greeted him with a kiss.


    He smiled at me suggestively. ¡°So, I take it you had fun?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered with a wide smile. ¡°The spa was wonderful, and I always have a good time hanging out with Mia. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very happy to hear it,¡± he said. He leaned down and ced a quick kiss to my lips that made me grin like a fool. ¡°And I have good news. I was able to book tours of three of our venue options for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°So soon?¡± I said in excitement. ¡°How did you manage that?¡±


    ¡°Luck,¡± he said.


    There was a twinkle in his eye that told me he had pulled some strings. I was so excited that I didn¡¯t want to question it, though.


    The sooner we chose a venue, the sooner we could secure our wedding date. Every decision we made and every step we took to make our wedding a reality filled me with so much joy.


    We were really going to be married, and nothing in my life had ever meant more to me.

 Chapter 582 : Middle Ground

    <h4>Chapter 582: Chapter 582 : Middle Ground</h4>


    *Natalia*


    The day to choose our venue had arrived quicker than either of us expected, and though I wasn¡¯t quite ready to make a decision, Tallon kept reminding me it was crucial we booked it early since our wedding day wasn¡¯t that far off.


    We¡¯d decided on one of Tallon¡¯s choices, one of mine, and one we had chosen together, just to have a few options. But yet, as we stood in front of the first venue of our morning, the one Tallon had chosen, I wasn¡¯t prepared for what he had described as ¡°nice and simple.¡±


    Of all the ces I would¡¯ve thought Tallon would suggest holding our wedding, I never thought it¡¯d be a real-life castle.


    There was simply no other way to describe the massive looming structure before us. Completely made of brick and stone, it rose high enough in the sky to cover the sun, casting us within shadows as we entered the Caste di Vincigliata.


    The tourdy, dressed in a pencil skirt and a friendly smile, showed us inside, telling us all kinds of facts about the castle and its origin, how it was bought and transformed to be what it is today, but my eyes were simply on our surroundings.


    Vines crept along the castle walls, the simple and openyout showing its history as she led us through the main room and to where the venue would be held¨Ca raised garden protected on all sides, half of its pavement and walkway, and the other freshly mowed grass.


    We toured the gardens, which our guide reminded us was where the actual ceremony would ur, and though being surrounded by the flowering trees and so much green was appealing, my hesitations just wouldn¡¯t go away.


    She took us to the inner courtyard, showcasing the various spots and ideas for wedding decor cement, even mentioning a few celebrities who¡¯d had their wedding here. But I didn¡¯t think a few of them counted because the only one I recognized had had at least four marriages, and each one was in a different country.


    White umbres protected the passing workers from the sun, and I noticed there was even a set of instruments on a raised tform, ready to y. I could imagine a great party being held here, but not our wedding.


    Though the castle was widely beautiful and rtively close to the city center, something just wasn¡¯t clicking. For our needs, the huge area would be widely unused.


    ¡°We can support up to three hundred of your guests for a reception in the courtyard, which can be either day or night. At night, the torches and lights will be lit up for your enjoyment, and I must say it is quite an amazing view,¡± she told us with a beaming smile.


    It was a bit unnerving how she had failed to even address me, simply speaking to Tallon as if I were not there. Tallon for all his part simply ignored it as he turned to me for the deciding vote.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, but we don¡¯t have anywhere near three hundred people,¡± I looked at Tallon with a downcast nce, hoping he caught how much I wasn¡¯t in love with this ce. ¡°


    ¡°We have other ces to look at,¡± Tallon kissed my forehead and I noticed the smile on her face stiffen in response, from his tant affection for me that she¡¯d been trying to steal or that we wouldn¡¯t immediately be putting arge payment down, I didn¡¯t know.


    Either way, it was on to our next choice.


    ¡°It¡¯s small,¡± was the first thing out of Tallon¡¯s mouth as we stepped out of the car and onto the round driveway of the Vi I had chosen. Vi Cora was beautiful this time of year with the same scent of freshly mowed grass and morning dew.


    I gave Tallon an incredulous look as he pursed his lips at the vi before us, his arms crossed as he had already judged the ce to be insufficient.


    ¡°At least look inside,¡± I told him, wrapping my arm around his to drag him inside.


    It was a two-story vi with modern architecture, filled with nine ss pane windows and a staircase that led to the front entrance.


    The sun had risen a bit higher and my eyes were drawn to the stone statues out front, beautiful but a bit creepy with how lifelike they were. The marble floor inside was perfectly smooth and glossy, just like what you¡¯d expect from a ce like this.


    Unlike the Caste, there was no tour guide to show us around, but a few workers gave us nods as we passed, all dressed in the same uniform. They were happy to answer our questions and directed us to some brochures for more information.


    The gardens, while smaller, held much more vibrant nts that I adored, but it was the roof terrace that was truly breathtaking. Tallon busied himself with quizzing the bartender about various cocktails, iming that his family was just that Italian.


    There were two rooms for the reception¨Cone for more intimate weddings and fewer guests, and though I would¡¯ve liked to have a smaller wedding, I knew that Tallon¡¯s family was massive.


    Maybe there weren¡¯t three hundred people in it, but there were enough that a simple twenty-four-guest room wasn¡¯t going to do. Meanwhile, on my end, my only guests would be my mother and Alina. I did send invitations to my cousins, but they had enough sense to say they wouldn¡¯t be attending.


    My uncle hadn¡¯t even been on the guest list.


    After all, he¡¯d tried to kill both of us and nearly seeded with me. Tallon would¡¯ve torn him to shreds if he tried to show up at our wedding.


    The second hall in Vi Cora held up to ny people, one of the workers told us in passing when Tallon had asked, which was still too small. As I walked out with a heavy sigh, disappointment in my veins, Tallon sent me sad puppy-dog eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± He said glumly, ¡°We could always¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I chuckled, grabbing his face in my hand. I smiled brightly, ¡°We¡¯re getting married together. We¡¯ll find a ce that we both can be happy with, alright? No making sacrifices, as sweet as it is.¡±


    His kiss was sweet on my lips and itsted until our third and final arrival of the night. At this point, I was feeling like Goldilocks, one toorge, one too small, and with my dwindling hopes, I wasn¡¯t sure we were ever going to find something that would be perfect for us.


    Vi La Fontanelle was as beautiful as the pictures, like stepping out of an old oil painting straight onto the grounds, and I almost couldn¡¯t believe my eyes as Tallon and I stood in the front of the vi.


    Like a middle ground between the extravagance of the Caste and the simplicity of the Vi Cora, the Vi La Fontanelle was like a luxury hotel surrounded by two and a half acres of privacy that reminded me strongly of the Vi we had stayed at during our vacation.


    A mix of strong boxy buildings melded together in a clear Spanish influence, the Vi was somewhere between a castle and mansion, the tower bringing it to three stories and stretching across what seemed like miles.


    As soon as we stepped away from the car and into the gorgeous and vibrant vi, I spotted a familiar figure walking out of the front doors, a tour guide with a polite but strained smile trailing behind her.


    It was Bianca. She waved her hands in the air, clearly saying something to the guide that wasn¡¯t very pleasant, and I tightened my hand around Tallon¡¯s, a full grip that was enough I heard him hiss in pain.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I let go, guilty and he just gave me a small smile, taking my hand back into his without paying Bianca a single mind.


    But as much as I wanted to ignore her, Bianca had noticed us as well.


    ¡°Natalia and... Tallon?¡± Bianca called out, tilting her sunsses off her face so we could see her twinkling brown eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you two here.¡±


    ¡°I highly doubt that,¡± Tallon muttered under his breath, annoyance clear on his face as she met us at the entrance.


    ¡°Bianca,¡± I nodded to her, wishing she would blow up like a balloon and float off into the sky so I couldn¡¯t see her anymore.


    ¡°The ce is great, but a littlecking for me and my fiance,¡± Bianca said with a smirk. ¡°It¡¯s not really what we¡¯re looking for, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯d be perfect for you two.¡±


    The not-at-all hidden insult did not escape me and I ground my mrs together, clutching Tallon¡¯s hand to prevent myself from smacking the shit out of her.


    ¡°We¡¯re quite busy, Bianca, so have fun with finding somewhere else,¡± Tallon said, rather coldly, not giving her a second look as he pulled me beside her.


    ¡°Oh, I will,¡± she called out behind us, giving me a dirty look before she took off, her hips swaying as she stormed down the gravel pathway.


    Putting Bianca out of my mind, the tour guide smiled at us as she offered to show us around and we dly epted.


    And I immediately knew this was the ce.


    Not only was it beautiful and secluded, but the vibrant garden was fully tended to on the outdoor panoramic terrace. The venue held between one hundred and one hundred fifty guests, which was the perfect number, and included a luxury hotel for out-of-state guests to arrive ahead of time.


    That was something Tallon was particrly excited about due to his family all being in America. He was even quite impressed with the selection of cocktails offered by the bar out in the garden. From the lights to the floors to the garden, everything was just what the two of us had wantedbined together.


    Before our guide had even offered us a price, I nced at Tallon who nodded, a bright smile on his face and I announced, ¡°We¡¯ll book it.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± she beamed. ¡°Here, let me take you to the front desk. What dates are we looking at?¡±


    ¡°September 25 to 26,¡± I told her as she led us through the halls to the front desk. Sitting behind the desk was a frowning clerk, who looked rather put out.


    ¡°Sammy, this couple would like to book for a September 25th to 26th, wedding, right?¡± she asked us with a smile, and we nodded. ¡°Those dates were freest I checked, so go ahead and book them, okay?¡±


    ¡°Um, actually,¡± Sammy looked at us nervously, ¡°I¡¯m afraid they just got booked.¡±


    All three of us stared at Sammy with wide eyes.


    ¡°But I checked them this morning and nobody had booked them yet,¡± our guide stammered, shuffling around theputer to stare at it and immediately I saw her look sour.


    ¡°Thatdy from before, the rude one, just called and booked it on those dates,¡± Sammy said with an apologetic look towards us. ¡°She was rather insistent about it.¡±


    And I knew immediately¨CI didn¡¯t know how, didn¡¯t know why but I just knew from deep in my gut exactly why they were booked. I didn¡¯t know how she figured out our date or whether we would try to book here, but she¡¯d taken yet another thing from me in a foolish attempt to sabotage our wedding.


    I looked Tallon straight in the eye with my anger flowing out of me as I gripped his hand a bit too tightly and bit out, ¡°Bianca.¡±


    He winced.

 Chapter 583 : No Coincidences

    <h4>Chapter 583: Chapter 583 : No Coincidences</h4>


    *Natalia*


    ¡°She did it!¡± I spat through gritted teeth as I threw my white coat onto the couch in our room. My whole body was tense as if I was about to dive headfirst into a fighting ring. I turned to my fiance, who trailed behind me with a grim look. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you won¡¯t support me on this!¡±


    ¡°Of course I support you.¡±


    Tallon repeated what he¡¯d said for the dozenth time on the car ride home, crossing his arms with a deep frown. ¡°I understand your anger, Natalia, but think about it logically.¡±


    ¡°Logically?¡± I scoffed, whirling at him with a scowl. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s think about this logically. We meet your ex-girlfriend outside of the vi, who says, ¡®Oh, this ce isn¡¯t up to my incredibly bullshit standards,¡¯ but then five minutes after we go in and decide it¡¯s perfect for us, she calls to book it on the exact same date our wedding is being held? Is any part of that logical?¡±


    Tallon sighed, rubbing his thumbs against his temples as he said firmly, ¡°There is another exnation other than her sabotaging our wedding, Natalia. Maybe it¡¯s just a¨C¡±


    I narrowed my eyes on him, stepping forward right into his face as I hissed, ¡°What, a coincidence?¡±


    Tallon must¡¯ve seen something rather threatening on my face for his mouth to shut with a loud snap. I felt his eyes on me as I stormed into the bedroom, throwing off the simple sweater I had worn to change into something morefortable.


    I fumed silently to myself, not sure who or what I was angry at this moment. Bianca for stealing the venue we wanted when she had already said it didn¡¯t fit what she wanted? Tallon for not believing me that she had done it on purpose?


    I didn¡¯t know.


    I was just angry about everything¨Cannoyed that no matter what I did, Bianca didn¡¯t seem to go away, and frustrated that everything we¡¯d nned for the wedding was going wrong because of her. I was also hurt that Tallon kept defending her and not me.


    And mainly, just tired from all of it.


    I fell face-first into the bed, curling one of the pillows under my head as I stared at the wall,pletely and utterly done with everything. Thoughts swirled in my head, too fast for me to grab and understand, but I could tell how utterly miserable they made me.


    Soon enough, I felt the dip on the side of the bed and a warm,rge hand on the middle of my back. His hand slipped under my shirt, bare against my skin, and I sighed as I felt him rubbing soft, slow circles.


    It was soothing, but I also wasn¡¯t sure I was even in the mood to ept his touch at the moment.


    ¡°Natalia,¡± he said, voice low and soft as called my name lovingly.


    I could feel his attempts to calm me, to make amends for whatever he did wrong, but it only made me feel worse.


    Because he didn¡¯t do anything wrong.


    I knew that and he knew that. But my stupid brain was being pulled in a thousand different directions, with too many emotions to even name as they flooded through my system. I buried my face into the pillow, biting my tongue that wanted tosh out at him.


    It wasn¡¯t fair to him, but my anger had nowhere to go and the more I tried to contain it, the more it spilled over and sshed whoever was closest to me. And unfortunately, that was the man I loved more than my own life.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you, Natalia,¡± Tallon said quietly. ¡°But think about it. I just can¡¯t imagine how Bianca could¡¯ve known the dates we chose. Did you tell her?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I muttered, my voice muffled against the pillow ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°Do you think she found out through our friends or family?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I sighed, grumpily, ¡°But I¨C¡±


    ¡°Then doesn¡¯t it make the most sense to assume that this was just bad luck on our part?¡± Tallon asked, leaning over to spy into the little cove between pillows I¡¯d stuffed my face into. He gave me an understanding, hopeful smile.


    And as much as I wanted to push him away, to fight him on this and yell until both of our ears bled, I knew that I very much had to be an adult about this. I couldn¡¯t just sulk like a child until he agreed with me. That wasn¡¯t how to build a healthy rtionship.


    I sat up, downcast as I nced at my hands in myp. Tallon grabbed one of them in hisrge hands and I swallowed ufortably. I could feel the difference between our hands, how calloused and used mine were from constant chores and odd jobs I¡¯d taken to support my mother and me.


    That kind of poverty¨Cthe kind where you weren¡¯t sure where your next meal was going toe from, the kind where a twelve-year-old had to pick up sketchy and probably illegal after-school jobs or had to learn to go without heating in the depth of winter¨Cwas not a life that was kind.


    It was one that left marks on a person.


    But Tallon, one who had never suffered any grievances of that sort, his hands were always soft and kind. He was sweet as he brushed my bangs away from my eyes, tucking them behind my ear.


    ¡°Natalia,¡± Tallon called me, gently lifting my chin to meet his soft eyes. ¡°Talk to me. Why is it so important to you that Bianca be guilty of this?¡±


    And just like that, the calm resolve to talk through this with him was broken.


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± I swatted, getting to my feet as I red at him. ¡°I just know she did this on purpose! Why can¡¯t you believe me? I thought you were finally on my side, but you¡¯re not!¡±


    There was a fissure between us, a gaping hole that neither of us could cross, and I knew that I was the one who had driven it bigger. I knew acting mad wasn¡¯t the way to go about this, but I couldn¡¯t say what I wanted to say.


    All of it just came out wrong.


    I looked away from his sad, hurt eyes, feeling guilt and shame and frustration and suddenly, all I wanted was to be alone.


    ¡°I am on your side!¡± Tallon got to his feet as well, storming over to me and grabbing my arm. His grip was firm but gentle enough that I could break away if I really wanted to.


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t feel like it,¡± I snapped, pulling my arm out of his grip. ¡°It feels like you¡¯re defending her!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not defending anyone,¡± Tallon sighed, running a hand through his hair. ¡°I just don¡¯t think you¡¯re thinking about this clearly. You want it to be on purpose, so you¡¯re seeing connections that maybe don¡¯t exist!¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡± I shot back, gritting my teeth.


    I felt like I was banging my head against a wall. How could he not see that she was clearly trying to get at us, with the barbs in every sentence she said to us, the way she tried to one-up me every time we saw her, and how she just seemingly appeared out of nowhere?


    Once or twice could¡¯ve been a coincidence, but this had happened far too many times for this to be brushed off. I wasn¡¯t sure how I knew, or how she did it, but I knew she was trying to sabotage our wedding, our life together.


    ¡°Natalia!¡± He threw his hands up, exasperation as he paced in front of me. ¡°How long as you going to keep digging your heels into this? If she really wanted to sabotage our wedding, she could do a lot more than just book a venue or buy dress you wanted. Why can¡¯t you just let this go?¡±


    ¡°Because I know it¡¯s her! Why can¡¯t you just believe me?¡±


    ¡°Because it doesn¡¯t make sense!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to! You¡¯re supposed to love me, not her!¡±


    My scream hung in the air between us and with my fists clenched tightly at my sides, almost too painfully, my breath came in ragged huffs as we both fell deafeningly silent. For a moment, all I could do was stare at the floor and wait for whatever he would say next.


    But a minute passed and then another and soon, my legs had grown tired from standing there and waiting. I broke first, holding myself around the middle, full of shame for yelling and being so difficult as I carefully looked up at him.


    There was a frosty coldness in his eyes that I had never seen directed toward me before, not quite anger but something that was not the soft and kind man that he normally was. He tilted his head at me with an emotion I couldn¡¯t name on his face.


    I stiffened like I had been dropped into a coldke. Looking into his eyes, I saw underneath it all one very damning thought.


    He didn¡¯t believe me.


    ¡°You¡¯re really going to question my love for you, Natalia, after everything we¡¯ve been through? Over this?¡± His voice was as cold as ice and I shivered upon hearing it.


    I looked at my bare feet, my vision blurring as I held my arms around my waist like I could shield myself from the sudden blizzard that had overtaken my fiance.


    I knew I was acting childish but I just couldn¡¯t give in this time, not over this.


    I knew I was right, but I also didn¡¯t want this to drive a wedge between us. I flinched as I heard his sharp sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep on the couch,¡± he said coldly, and I only saw his shoes as he left the bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind him. I was left alone.


    And I thought with a heart-wrenching guilt that maybe she really had seeded. Maybe she¡¯d already driven a wedge between us.


    Or, something dark whispered in my mind, maybe it was you.


    I shakily made my way to the bathroom, ncing in the mirror at my pale reflection. I felt like I was staring at a ghost, at someone who wasn¡¯t really there, just a memory of a person looking back at me.


    I nced at my rough and harsh hands, too rough to hold his kind and smooth ones.


    I wondered, a little hysterically, if perhaps that was the reason the universe kept getting between us. Maybe this was a sign that we weren¡¯t meant to get married... or be together at all.


    But then I remembered the smug grin on Bianca¡¯s face, the smirk as she looked down on me, and a fire was reignited in my soul.


    I wasn¡¯t the problem.


    Tallon wasn¡¯t the problem.


    It was her.


    I wasn¡¯t going to give up on our happiness, on the wedding we had so carefully picked out together. With a determined glint in my eye, I faced my reflection stubbornly and made a n.


    All I had to do was find the problem and put an end to it.


    Once and for all.

 Chapter 584 : Confrontation

    <h4>Chapter 584: Chapter 584 : Confrontation</h4>


    *Natalia*


    I spent the night restless, tossing and turning within the empty bed and half tempted to just give in by the time midnight rolled around. Part of me wanted to slip to the couch where I knew Tallon had posted camp, crawl into his arms, and beg for forgiveness, but there was another part of me that knew if I did that, nothing would get fixed.


    And I was going to fix this, no matter what.


    It was all too easy. As the morning light came fluttering through the window, I got out of the lonely bed to get ready for the day. I dressed lightly in thick clothing, stealing one of Tallon¡¯s leather jackets from the closet and pulling it over myself like I was preparing for war, like I was a soldier and this was my armor.


    It still smelled of him despite having been washed, and I slipped my phone inside the inner pocket, finally feeling like I was ready.


    I quietly slipped out of the bedroom, spying on my fiance and soon-to-be husband sleeping away on the couch. There was a pang of guilt in my heart, seeing how his legs were cramped and tilted in an awkward way so as to fit, the couch pillow under his head and the too-small nket lying on the floor. He looked about ready to fall off the couch, and I sighed to myself.


    I wouldn¡¯t let this happen again. No matter how angry we got with each other, nobody should sleep on the couch. If Tallon insisted next time we had a fight, because neither of us was perfect and we were going to disagree, then I would be the one to sleep on the couch.


    It hurt to see how ufortable he looked, the little lines on his forehead, a frown on his lips as he tried to pack his tall body into a ball that just wasn¡¯t working.


    I gently grabbed the nket from the floor, brushing off the dust as I unfolded it andid it around him. He seemed exhausted, and I spotted shadows underneath his eyes that told me he had gotten as much sleep as I did.


    I leaned on my knee as I crouched down in front of him, brushed a lock from the middle of his forehead, and smiled sadly. ¡°I love you,¡± I whispered, gently and quietlyying a soft kiss on his lips.


    He didn¡¯t wake, much to my surprise, but I did see his eyes flutter a bit, probably dreaming of something I would never know. I hoped it was a good one.


    I took a deep breath as I got to my feet and with onest longing look at the man I loved, I quietly left the bedroom suite, gently shutting the door behind me. As soon as I was out, my expression hardened and the anger that had been building in the pit of my stomach all this time was finally unleashed.


    I clenched my jaw, striding out of thepound with purpose as I fished out my phone from my jacket pocket and rang one of the few numbers that Tallon had put into my phone¨Cfor safety purposes, he had said.


    This may not be an emergency, but I knew he would help me.


    After all, we both cared about Tallon and his happiness. Even if we may have different ways of going about it. I leaned against the wall by the front door, the phone to my ear as I heard it ring once... then twice, and finally¨C


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    His voice was groggy, deeper than I was used to, and I felt a little bad about having woken him up but this needed to be done now, before Tallon woke up and tried to talk me out of it and tried to stop me.


    ¡°Um, sorry to bother you this early, but I need a favor,¡± I said calmly to the man on the other side of the phone. ¡°It¡¯ll be real quick, I just need to know something.¡±


    There was silence on the other end and it made me a little nervous. If he said no, or worse, if he told Tallon what I was trying to do, then I would be fucked.


    Luckily, Vinny was a kinder soul than he let on.


    ¡°Is this about Bianca?¡± he asked with a low chuckle, and I smiled to myself.


    Tallon was right. He was one of the most insightful people I¡¯d ever met. It made sense he would know what the problem was considering he was Tallon¡¯s right hand and more importantly, his best friend.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered, seriously,pletely honest for once in my life.


    He hummed, sounding a bit static as he did so before he asked, curiously with no judgment in his voice, ¡°And what can I do to help you then?¡±


    ¡°I want her address,¡± I told him, leaning my back against the wall as I stared at the ticking clock in the kitchen area. It was just barely past six.


    ¡°Oh? And what makes you think I have that information? Or that even if I did, I would give it to you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t test my intelligence, Vincenzo,¡± I said impatiently, a bit too harsh perhaps. ¡°I know you get information for Tallon all the time, and don¡¯t even pretend like it¡¯s all legal. She¡¯s dated Tallon before, even if it was only a short time, so you probably kept track of her just in case. You know where she lives. I know you do.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I do.¡± He gave a short humorlessugh. ¡°But why should I give it to you?¡±


    ¡°Because she¡¯s trying to ruin our wedding.¡±


    There was a pause over the phone, and it was so silent, so void of any breath or noise that for a moment, I was afraid the call had been disconnected, that he¡¯d hung up and was now calling Tallon to tell him exactly what I was doing. But eventually, I heard a small sigh.


    ¡°I have the address.¡± Vinny paused, and I could feel his hesitation even through the phone.


    I gripped my case tighter, frustration welling up in me. If this door was closed to me too, I felt like I really might snap.


    ¡°Look, I know Tallon doesn¡¯t want anyone investigating her, especially you, and if I give the address to you, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re nning, but Tallon isn¡¯t going to be happy about it. You haven¡¯t seen him when he¡¯s truly pissed off at you. Don¡¯t bring that hell upon yourself just for some petty chick who can¡¯t leave things enough alone.¡±


    And much to my sheer relief, I could feel through his words that unlike my fiance, who was sleeping away on the couch of his pure stubborn will, who had not believed a single word I said and had defended Bianca to the end, Vinny was different.


    He knew.


    Just like I did.


    I sucked in a breath, feeling more resolved than ever now that I finally had someone behind me, someone finally telling me that I wasn¡¯t just crazy or mistaking coincidences.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt her,¡± I told him quietly. ¡°I swear I¡¯m not. I just want to talk to her and get her to stop. Tallon... refused to believe me no matter how many times I told him but... I know girls like her. She¡¯s not going to stop unless she knows she can¡¯t push us around like this. All I need is her address. I¡¯ll tell Tallon after I get back and I will take responsibility. Tell him I forced you, I don¡¯t care. This needs to stop, today.¡±


    I heard him give a heavy sigh, and he replied carefully back, ¡°I¡¯ll find it for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I smiled, truly grateful for his help. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Tallon, please. I¡¯ll tell him everything when I get back myself, alright?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell him unless he asks me himself. I won¡¯t lie for you on this,¡± he said firmly. ¡°Tallones first.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I said kindly. ¡°I would expect nothing else.¡±


    He gave a low chuckle, and I could hear in his voice that he disapproved of what I was going to do but that he wasn¡¯t going to stop me. There was a tiny hint of respect in his voice as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll text the address. Just don¡¯t kill her.¡±


    And before I could reply, the line went dead.


    I sucked in a deep breath, holding my phone tightly in my hand as I nced at the clock, just waiting. It was not even ten minutester that I felt the vibration of the text, and I barely nced at it before I pulled on my shoes and purse and used every bit of careful sneakiness I had to utch the front door that was built like a steel bunker and shut it behind me.


    Determined, I nced at the road, the sun having just risen over the side of the house. It was still chilly from the cold morning, with a slight frost on the fallen leaves as they crunched under my shoes as I made my way to the end of the driveway.


    There waiting was the driver Tallon had assigned to me recently, a kind woman in her fifties with a crooked smile and rosy cheeks.


    ¡°Morning, Miss Natalia,¡± she said cheerfully, way too chipper for the time I had called her out.


    ¡°Good morning, Ethel,¡± I said casually, flipping out my phone as I approached. I opened up the text with the address, handing it over as I said, ¡°Can you take me here?¡±


    ¡°Can do, Miss Natalia,¡± Ethel smiled, asking no other questions. ¡°Would you like to stop for breakfast first?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I politely declined.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be about ten to fifteen minutes then, depending on traffic.¡± She chuckled to herself, moving to the driver¡¯s seat as I climbed into the back. Ethel seemed to understand my non-talkative mood as she quietly started the car and we pulled out of the driveway.


    I tapped my finger on the screen of my phone, anxious. I hoped that this didn¡¯te to a fight, but I wasn¡¯t going to let her push me or Tallon around anymore.


    And if, as Vinny had said, Tallon truly got angry at me for this, then I would just have to do my best to make him understand it was necessary.


    The trip was quicker than expected due to theck of traffic that early in the morning, and soon we pulled up to the apartment building.


    I double-checked the address out front before telling Ethel, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could wait for me.¡±


    ¡°No problem, Miss Natalia,¡± Ethel said kindly.


    I nodded at her before heading up the stairs. The apartment was easy to find thanks to Vinny¡¯s message, and after a short elevator ride, I appeared in front of the maroon-colored door.


    I took a deep breath, steeled myself, and knocked firmly on the door. At first, there was no reaction, and I knocked again before I heard movement shuffling across the floorboards.


    The door opened, and an annoyed woman appeared as she ranted, ¡°Who the fuck¨C¡±


    She stopped at the sight of me, her eyes going wide in shock.


    ¡°Hello, Bianca.¡± I gave her a sharp grin.

 Chapter 585 : Strong as Steel

    <h4>Chapter 585: Chapter 585 : Strong as Steel</h4>


    *Natalia*


    I could read the shock written all over Bianca¡¯s face, as well as a bit of apprehension. Good. I wanted her to be nervous. She might have thought that she was messing with some girl who would just run off crying to Tallon, but she had no idea what I was capable of.


    I had never been the type of girl who ran away from a problem, and I wasn¡¯t about to start now. I worked to keep my face neutral. I wanted this to be a pleasant interaction if at all possible, but I could still feel my jaw clenching involuntarily.


    ¡°Um, hey,e on in,¡± Bianca finally managed to choke out.


    She stepped back and opened her door, and I walked in and surveyed the ce. I had to admit that it was nice; she definitely had great taste. Her entire living room looked like it had been taken directly from a magazine. It was full of neutral colors thatplemented each other beautifully.


    If I were here for any other reason, I would have loved to ask her where she got her plush couch pillows from, but unfortunately for her, this was not a friendly visit.


    ¡°How have you been?¡± Bianca asked nervously as I made no move to sit down, instead turning to face her with my arms crossed over my chest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, Bianca, not great,¡± I said as I walked around the living room, not bothering to hide the way I was surveying and judging the ce. ¡°I¡¯ve been having a few issues with wedding nning.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I totally get that! It¡¯s tough to n such a big event,¡± she said.


    I turned to face her, crossing my arms over my chest.


    She smiled weakly, then continued on, ¡°I¡¯ve been having troubles too. You know, I met the most amazing wedding nner the other day, I¡¯m nning on hiring her myself, but I could definitely pass along her information! You would love her. She¡¯s so in touch with all the local ces. She really knows her stuff.¡±


    I wanted to roll my eyes at her nervous babbling, but I didn¡¯t want to put my cards on the table just yet. I knew from experience that the longer you stay silent while someone else is ufortable, the more they¡¯ll identally reveal. Hell, Bianca was acting like she was about to confess everything to me and I had barely even said two sentences to her.


    I turned around and settled down on her couch, making it clear that I was more thanfortable. I could tell that my apparentfort in her presence was putting her even more on edge.


    I leaned over and picked up a copy of Vogue Italia that she had disyed on her coffee table. The front cover featured a model wearing a voluminous wedding gown, and the few words I nced over made it clear that it was some sort of bridal issue.


    ¡°Anything catch your eye in here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Um, yeah, a few things. I don¡¯t know, a lot of it is pretty high-end.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have the budget for that?¡± I looked at her and raised my eyebrow.


    The dress she had stolen from me was definitely high-end, and the venue that Tallon and I had picked was the opposite of cheap. Although I would be happy to marry Tallon anywhere in anything, he had insisted that we go all out. I knew that he would be inviting family who hadn¡¯t seen him in a while as well, so I wanted to make a good impression.


    But Bianca¡¯s meddling had taken a lot of the wind out of my sails, and I was beginning to regret agreeing to avish wedding. It would¡¯ve been much more difficult for her to cause problems if we¡¯d done something more discreet.


    ¡°Well, not really,¡± she muttered, clearly ufortable with talking about money. ¡°Not all of us are marrying sessful businessmen!¡±


    I worked hard to suppress my smile. She was right. Not all of us were marrying sessful businessmen, me included. But just the fact that she didn¡¯t even know Tallon well enough to know about his involvement in the mafia made me feel much better about how insignificant she really was to him. If he had ever actually nned on having a future with her, he would have told her about what he really did.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right,¡± I responded, unwilling to apologize.


    I carelessly tossed the magazine back onto her coffee table, not bothering to ce it back where it had been. I didn¡¯t care at all if I came off as rude.


    She nced around, seemingly at a loss for what to say next. I felt like a cat who had managed to trap a mouse between my paws. I had to admit, it was satisfying to see her squirm under my critical gaze. I suspected that she¡¯d never thought I would actually confront her about her attempts to get in the way of my wedding nning and even still, she didn¡¯t seem sure whether that was why I was here or not.


    ¡°So, Natalia, how did you find out where I live?¡± she asked, a slight tremor of fear in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I never told you.¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t, but I have my ways.¡± My voice was as hard as steel. ¡°You seem to have your ways as well. You¡¯re sure good at getting in people¡¯s way.¡±


    She appeared to go through every emotion all at once, and I coughed to cover up theugh that threatened to burst out of me at the sight of her pretty face turning bright red as her mouth twisted, clearly unsure which emotion she wanted to let me see. Finally, she managed to widen her eyes and slightly wrinkle her forehead; the perfect picture of confusion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± she said, her voice tight with the lie.


    I rolled my eyes, unwilling to y along with her when it was obvious that we both knew exactly why I was here. At this point, it was insulting to both of our intelligence to continue to beat around the bush.


    ¡°Cut the bullshit, Bianca,¡± I said pointedly. ¡°How have you been getting information about my wedding ns?¡±


    She sighed and hung her head, finally giving up the innocent act. I stood up and walked closer to her again. ¡°Tell me who has been feeding you information,¡± I gritted out through clenched teeth.


    I knew I was being over the top, but I was pissed. I had never done anything to this woman, but she had inserted herself into my life in the worst way. I was sick of acting like it didn¡¯t bother me.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a friend of mine who works at the venue. Her name is Liza. Please, don¡¯t get her fired. She was just trying to help me out; we¡¯ve been close for a long time. She has no idea who you are. I told her that you were someone I knew from an old job who had been horrible to me. She thought that¡¯s why I was trying to get in your way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. It¡¯s going to be pretty tough for me to feelfortable working with Liza after this. How do I know she won¡¯t try to sabotage things in her own way?¡± Knowing that Bianca had been spreading lies about me only made me angrier.


    ¡°No, please, don¡¯t tell her boss. I promise I¡¯lle clean to her. I¡¯ll tell her that I was being petty and jealous. I never really got over Tallon and when I found out that he was getting married... I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s like something just snapped. I guess I always thought that maybe we¡¯d find our way back to each other someday, and it shocked me to find out he was marrying someone else.¡±


    Tears began to well up in her eyes, and I turned my face so I wouldn¡¯t have to see her cry. I wanted to intimidate her, but that didn¡¯t mean I was heartless. It was obvious that she had some unresolved issues.


    ¡°I will be calling the venue and asking to speak to Liza tomorrow to ensure that you aren¡¯t lying right now. You have until the rest of the evening toe clean with her. And if I even get so much as a hint that you are messing with my wedding again, you will seriously regret it. I know a lot more about you than you know about me. Don¡¯t ever forget that.¡±


    I turned and walked out the door without looking back. My anger was spent, and I found that in its ce I felt an ufortable sadness. Although I didn¡¯t regret what I had done, I did feel a kind of pity for Bianca. Knowing how wonderful Tallon was, I couldn¡¯t imagine losing him.


    On the car ride home, I grew excited to see Tallon that evening. I knew that he would be home waiting for me, and now that I had finally put an end to Bianca¡¯s shit, I couldn¡¯t wait to be able to truly start wedding nning without feeling like I needed to be watching my back. I also hoped this meant that Tallon and I would never have to talk about her again; I had no desire for her name to ever be on his lips.


    Once home, I walked into the kitchen to pour a cup of tea. After the interaction I¡¯d just had, I needed something to calm my adrenaline a bit. Tallon was seated at the table, his back turned to me.


    I walked over and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, loving the feeling of his embrace. To my surprise, I felt him tense under my touch instead of rxing into it. I stood up, ready to ask him what was wrong, but before I could even get a word out, he got out of his chair and turned to face me, his eyes cold and angry.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked quietly, hating the way that my voice came out meek.


    He looked over my shoulder, his jaw tight and eyes unfocused, as if he was trying to think of what to say. I wanted nothing more than to cross the distance between us and wrap my arms around him, but he might as well have put up a wall of ice between us for how closed-off he seemed. I was terrified that he would just push me away if I tried to hug him.


    ¡°You went after Bianca?¡± he finally asked, focusing his eyes directly on me.


    At that, it was like a lightning bolt had struck my spine, and all meekness I had been feeling in the face of his anger burned away. My whole body went rigid with disbelief.


    ¡°Yes, I did. And I was right!¡± I stopped myself just short of shouting.


    He shook his head, his disappointment obvious. I waited for what he was going to say, knowing that whatever came next would be a defining moment in our rtionship.

 Chapter 586 : Words Hurt

    <h4>Chapter 586: Chapter 586 : Words Hurt</h4>


    *Tallon*


    ¡°What do you think, Vin? Should we put a few of Alessandro¡¯s men here, just to beef up the security for a few weeks?¡± I turned around to see Vinny shuffling nervously from one foot to the other.


    ¡°Um, what was that?¡± he asked, refusing to meet my gaze.


    We were examining one of our warehouses by the docks, but it was obvious that his head was not in the right space to be making important decisions. I waved my fingers in front of him.


    ¡°Come on, man, pay attention,¡± I snapped.


    I tried hard not to pull rank with Vinny, but our life was too important to let anyone start cking. If he couldn¡¯t pay attention, he needed to tell me. In our line of work, our heads always had to be in the game.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just have a lot on my mind,¡± he muttered. ¡°What were you saying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried that the new ferry they¡¯ve got is going to bring a few too many tourists into the area. Should we beef up security for a few weeks and go from there? I don¡¯t want anybody identally wandering in here and seeing something they shouldn¡¯t see.¡±


    Most of the locals vaguely knew to stay away from the docks for this exact reason, but we couldn¡¯t expect tourists to extend us the same courtesy. I was terrified that some brash Americans would stumble their way into our warehouse and blow up our whole operation.


    ¡°Yeah, sure, that sounds good,¡± Vinny responded, already sounding as if he had tuned me out.


    I stopped walking and stared him down, my arms crossed over my chest. I loved Vinny like a brother, but he was seriously starting to piss me off. Thest thing I wanted was to have to be here for twice as long just because he couldn¡¯t seem to keep his thoughts straight.


    ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s going on with you?¡± I asked, making it clear that I wouldn¡¯t ept anything less than the truth.


    To my surprise, he sighed and hung his head. My irritation quickly turned into worry as I waited for him to tell me what was bothering him.


    ¡°It¡¯s Natalia,¡± he said, his eyes on the floor.


    My heart was in my throat. What about Natalia could possibly have him so distracted? As far as I knew, they barely even interacted outside of family dinners.


    ¡°What about her? Am I seriously going to have to drag this out of you like I¡¯m pulling teeth? Come on, Vinny.¡±


    It was childish and stupid, but I felt a sh of jealousy that he knew something about my fiance that I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t like being left in the dark, especially when it came to the woman I loved.


    ¡°She told me she wanted Bianca¡¯s address and I gave it to her. I think Natalia went over there to confront her. I know it was fucking idiotic of me to give Natalia the address, but I thought maybe it would help her realize that she had nothing to worry about. I didn¡¯t know that she was going to confront Bianca, or at least, I didn¡¯t think she would actually go through with it. I just thought if I showed her that she had my loyalty, then it might help settle her down a bit.¡±


    His words came out in a rush. I saw red as I realized what he had done.


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that Natalia went behind my back? And you helped her do this?¡± I asked, my voice dangerously quiet. I was embarrassed that Vinny was involved in this; it was a petty argument between Natalia and me that never should have involved him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, man. I really thought it would help. It wasn¡¯t until after that I realized I should have just told her to talk to you about it.¡±


    Vinny looked miserable, but I didn¡¯t have it in me to reassure him. I was pissed that my supposed best friend would allow my fiance to go behind my back.


    ¡°I need to leave,¡± I said tersely, then I walked out without another word. I needed to get home to Natalia and assess the damage that she had done.


    I was fuming the entire ride home, my mind circling what had happened over and over again. I vowed to try to approach the situation calmly with Natalia, but it was difficult to calm myself down enough to know that we would have a productive conversation. I just hoped that she would somehow have a valid reason for what she had done, beyond simple jealousy.


    I got home before she did and went to sit at the kitchen table, waiting for her. I didn¡¯t have to wait long. She waltzed into the kitchen, acting as if nothing had happened. I wondered if she had even nned on telling me what she had done, or if she was going to try and keep it a secret. I kept my back turned to her and tried to take a deep breath, reminding myself to at least give her a chance toe clean.


    Instead of saying anything, she came up behind me and wrapped her arms around me. Although I normally would find immensefort in her touch, I couldn¡¯t rx into her embrace. Instead, I took it as proof that she was already nning on lying to me about what she had done that day. I stood up to face her, trying to collect my thoughts.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked in a small voice.


    The fact that she had the audacity to act like she didn¡¯t know what I was pissed off about only made me angrier. Her innocent act would not get her far with me. I knew exactly how smart she was, and thanks to how we¡¯d met, I knew how sneaky she could be. I just didn¡¯t think she would ever try to trick me again after everything we¡¯d been through.


    ¡°You went after Bianca?¡± I finally just came out and said it. I didn¡¯t want to give her the opportunity to lie to me. I wanted it to be clear that I knew exactly what she had done.


    She straightened slightly and I could tell by the set of her jaw that she was done with the innocent act.


    ¡°Yes I did. And I was right!¡± She damn near yelled in my face.


    I shook my head and brought my hand up to smooth my forehead, trying with all my might to keep this from turning into a full blown argument but knowing it was a losing battle.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you were right, Natalia,¡± I said tersely.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t care at all that your ex-girlfriend has been trying to sabotage our wedding?¡± she demanded, her eyes stormy.


    ¡°I never thought you would stoop so low, to be honest. I thought you were better than this. Surely you know that I chose you! Nothing Bianca does even matters. Don¡¯t you get that?¡± My words came out pleading. I was desperate to keep this from turning into something worse, but I could tell that she had settled in and wouldn¡¯t budge on her thinking.


    ¡°It does matter, Tallon,¡± she said indignantly. ¡°She¡¯s doing this shit because she thinks she still has a chance with you. If she didn¡¯t, she wouldn¡¯t be trying to stop you from getting married. How can you not see why this bothers me? How would you feel if I had an ex-boyfriend who was actively trying to get in the way of us getting married? Are you seriously going to tell me that you wouldn¡¯t do exactly what I just did, or worse?¡±


    I had to admit, she had a point, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that she had lied to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s not really about that. It¡¯s about the fact that you went behind my back with my best friend. Did you really not think that Vinny would tell me? It is not okay for you to ask him to keep secrets from me.¡± I managed to calm my voice slightly, hoping that she could hear the logic in my words if I could keep my emotions in check.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sorry about involving Vinny and I¡¯m sorry I went behind your back. But surely you see where I¡¯ming from.¡±


    I had hoped that her apology would end the argument, but it was obvious that she wouldn¡¯t be happy until I admitted that she was right to confront Bianca, and I just couldn¡¯t do that.


    ¡°Bianca is meaningless. There¡¯s a reason why I¡¯m not with her anymore. You¡¯re so much better than her and you need to let this go.¡± I started to walk away, heading in the direction of my office. I would find something to work on untilte in the night so that she could go to sleep before I got back to our room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare walk away from me, Tallon!¡± she spat, following behind me and grabbing my hand until I turned around.


    ¡°I¡¯m sick of having this argument. I don¡¯t know what more I can tell you to make you stop being so fucking insecure about Bianca. It¡¯s not my fault I have exes, and I¡¯m tired of being treated like some sort of viin just because of Bianca¡¯s idiotic behavior.¡±


    I tried to pull my hand away, but she clung to it, clearly not ready to let this go. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever she was going to say next.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re sick of this? Imagine how I feel, knowing that my own fiance doesn¡¯t care about my feelings. You¡¯re acting like you care more about what Bianca thinks. Is that why you¡¯re so worried about the fact that I confronted her?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not, Natalia! I don¡¯t give a flying fuck what Bianca thinks. But I care a lot about what you think, and the fact that you didn¡¯t trust me enough to just fucking talk to me about this makes me feel like shit. In case you weren¡¯t aware, I have a bit of aplex about you keeping shit from me.¡±


    I worked hard to keep from yelling at her, but I could hear the way my voice was rising. I hated myself for trying to cover up my hurt with anger, but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    Her face softened slightly. ¡°Is that why you¡¯re upset, Tallon? Because you think I¡¯m lying to you again?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that,¡± I grunted.


    ¡°Alright, if you say so. Look, I already said I was sorry for going behind your back, and I meant it. But we can¡¯t keep having this argument over and over. What¡¯s done is done.¡±


    My heart squeezed at her words. It was easy for her to say, ¡°What¡¯s done is done,¡± when I had been the one who had suffered the consequences of her lies when we first met.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. I don¡¯t know why we¡¯re getting so worked up over this anyway, it¡¯s just a wedding. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s that big of a deal,¡± I mumbled.


    Her mouth fell open and I immediately regretted my words as her face paled slightly and tears sprang to her eyes. She ran out of the kitchen before I could say another word.


    I felt like such a fucking idiot.

 Chapter 587 : The Search

    <h4>Chapter 587: Chapter 587 : The Search</h4>


    *Tallon*


    I watched Natalia leave but didn¡¯t even try to stop her.


    I had no idea what had possessed me to blurt out something so hurtful to her. As soon as she turned away from me, I felt my entire body dete, and all the anger that I had been feeling turned to regret.


    I was such a fucking idiot. How could I say that our wedding wasn¡¯t important? Of course, it was. Falling in love with Natalia was the best thing that had ever happened to me, and finally being able to call her my wife was going to be even better.


    I knew she had been getting stressed out with the wedding nning, but instead of stepping up to help her, I ignored the problem until it became too big for her to solve by herself. Then I had the audacity to get mad at her for the way she had chosen to handle it.


    I shook my head and ran my hand anxiously through my hair, then pulled my phone out and tried to call her. She had only left a few minutes ago, and I hoped to catch her before she left thepound.


    The phone rang and I waited anxiously for her to pick up, trying to think through how I would apologize. I had to reassure her that I cared deeply about marrying her. I wasn¡¯t sure if she would be ready to forgive me yet, but I would figure out a way to make her feel better.


    On the eighth ring, the call went to voicemail. I sighed as the robotic voice encouraged me to leave a message.


    ¡°Sweetheart, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m so sorry. Please,e back to the kitchen and let me apologize to your face. I know that I really fucked up. Let me make it up to you,¡± I pleaded. ¡°I love you. Call me back when you get this.¡±


    I hung up quickly and went straight to texting her. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Come back and I will get on my knees so you can see how sorry I am.¡±


    I hoped that would at least make her smile. Maybe it wasn¡¯t the right time to try to be funny, but that was always my go-to when things got tense. Before this argument, I would have said that was something Natalia loved about me, but now I wasn¡¯t so sure.


    This was the first time I felt like I had said something to her that would be extremely difficult to forgive. Even when we had found ourselves on opposite sides of our family feud, there had always been something inside me that knew that we would be okay. But now I wasn¡¯t so sure.


    I decided to text her again, just in case. ¡°Okay, that was a stupid joke. Except I¡¯m not really joking. I really am that sorry. Pleasee back.¡±


    I shoved my phone in my pocket and ran outside, hoping I could catch her before she left. I looked around frantically, but she was gone. She had managed to leave so quickly that she must have driven herself. I hated knowing that she was out driving alone while upset. I knew that she was a better driver than me, considering I had grown up with drivers while she had grown up driving herself, but she was still rtively new to living here.


    I pulled out my phone again and stared at it, willing it to ring. I didn¡¯t want to call her again and risk distracting her from driving even more, so I decided to call Vinny and ask for his help.


    Unlike Natalia, Vinny picked up quickly. ¡°Hey, Tallon, I¡¯m d you called¨C¡± he started, but I interrupted him. We didn¡¯t have time to hash out ourst conversation.


    ¡°Natalia¡¯s missing,¡± I blurted out.


    ¡°What? When did youst see her?¡± I could hear the panic in his voice as he thought about thest time Natalia had gone missing.


    ¡°Sorry, not really missing. She left.¡±


    I hated to even say the words. Thest thing I wanted to do was rehash our argument with Vinny, but I knew that I would at least need to exin to him why she had left and was now avoiding my calls.


    ¡°What happened, Tallon?¡± Vinny prompted.


    ¡°I confronted her about the Bianca thing, and let¡¯s just say it went horribly wrong. Ipletely fucked up. I just got so pissed off and I said something I shouldn¡¯t have,¡± I exined, avoiding telling him what I had said.


    ¡°What the hell did you say that made her want to run away?¡± he asked.


    That was what made Vinny such a good second for me. He never let me get away with my bullshit. Although I hated it at times, I knew it was good for me.


    ¡°I told her the wedding wasn¡¯t that important.¡± I ran my hand through my hair, waiting to hear his response.


    ¡°You are a fucking idiot,¡± he said. ¡°Why would you say something like that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It came out wrong. I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I just meant that we shouldn¡¯t be so worried about all this stuff.¡±


    ¡°Well damn, you sure found the absolute worst way to tell her,¡± he chuckled darkly.


    ¡°I know. Can you please just get over here and help me look for her? She drove off on her own and I¡¯m worried for her. Who knows where she might have gone?¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll be there in five.¡±


    He hung up without saying goodbye. I wondered if Vinny was mad at me now too. I knew that he and Natalia had developed a bit of a friendship since she hade to live in thepound. They loved to y chess together, and I could tell that he had started to view her as a little sister. He probably hated the fact that she was out on her own almost as much as I did.


    I decided to risk texting her one more time, just to see if maybe she had gone somewhere and calmed down enough to answer.


    ¡°Baby? Please will you just text me back and let me know you¡¯re okay?¡± I typed it out and hit send. I was fully begging now and I didn¡¯t care. I just wanted her back in my arms where I knew she was safe.


    Vinny pulled up in a ck sedan and rolled down the driver¡¯s side window.


    ¡°Hop in, I¡¯ll drive. We can check her favorite ces first, then call in backup if we still don¡¯t find her,¡± he said.


    I got into the passenger seat and nodded my thanks to him. I really was lucky to have him in my life.


    ¡°Alright, where should we go first?¡± Vinny asked. ¡°Where do you think she would go to try to cool down?¡±


    ¡°Maybe that cafe she likes downtown,¡± I suggested, not feeling particrly hopeful that we would find her. I couldn¡¯t understand why she wouldn¡¯t at least text me back and tell me she was okay. My heart squeezed with anxiety.


    We drove to the same cafe that I had once found her in a long time ago. I walked in, my heart hopeful as I looked around the room. My eyes passed over a small brte sitting in the corner and I did a double take, my heart stuttering, but she nced around the room and it wasn¡¯t Natalia.


    I turned to Vinny and shook my head, leaving the cafe before the people behind the counter could ask us if we needed anything.


    We got back in the car and Vinny waited for me to direct him where to go next. I pulled my phone out just in case Natalia had finally reached out to me, but of course, she hadn¡¯t.


    ¡°You know what? Let¡¯s go look on foot. I think the walk would do you some good,¡± Vinny said gently when he saw the distress on my face.


    He drove to a parking garage and parked in a discrete corner of the third story. Luckily all of our vehicles were nearly unidentifiable, so we didn¡¯t need to worry about our enemies trying to break in.


    I sighed and got out of the car, deciding to wander in the direction of the Ponte Vhio. I remembered that Natalia had said she liked to walk across it to clear her mind sometimes. It was a few blocks to the east of the parking garage.


    I kept my head on a swivel, looking back and forth and desperately hoping to catch a glimpse of her in the crowds of people on the street. There was some sort of festival going on in the block just before the bridge. Live music red out ofrge speakers that had been ced every few feet and arge crowd danced in front of a small stage that held a band ying an eclectic mix of pop and folk music.


    This was exactly the sort of thing that would have Natalia stopping and deciding to bob along to the music, but looking in the crowd, I didn¡¯t see anyone who even remotely looked like her.


    I snuck around the stage and continued on my way toward the Ponte Vhio. The old shops that led up to it were very active, but I didn¡¯t think Natalia would be in any of them. Being a big tourist attraction, they weren¡¯t exactly the best ce to go if she wanted to clear her head.


    Of course, if her goal was simply to elude me, then it would make sense to hide in a ce that I wouldn¡¯t even think to look. My thoughts were in an endless circle and I stopped in front of one of the little shops, hand on the door, indecision paralyzing me.


    I stopped myself from going inside. No, I knew Natalia. She wasn¡¯t just running away from me. She had to have gone somewhere where she could think over our argument and get herself in the right headspace to see me again.


    I just hoped I could find her in time to apologize before she could twist herself into knots wondering what I had meant by saying our wedding wasn¡¯t important. I needed to be able to tell her that I had misspoken.


    Vinny and I walked in silence and I could feel his disapproval.


    ¡°What? Clearly, you want to say something,¡± I said, tired of his judging silence.


    ¡°Nothing, Tallon,¡± he sighed, disappointment evident in his tone of voice. ¡°I just really wish we didn¡¯t have to be doing this right now.¡±


    ¡°Me fucking too,¡± I responded tersely. ¡°Trust me, nobody is angrier with myself than I am right now.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get my men on this. With just the two of us, we¡¯re never going to find her.¡±


    He pulled his phone out and shot off a few quick texts. I desperately hoped that the help of his men would be enough.


    Would I be able to find her in time to ensure that she forgave me?

 Chapter 588 : Wine and Venting

    <h4>Chapter 588: Chapter 588 : Wine and Venting</h4>


    *Natalia*


    ¡°It¡¯s just a wedding. It¡¯s not that important... just a wedding... not important... not important....¡±


    Tallon¡¯s cruel words persistently reyed in my head as I paced the perimeter of our bedroom. It went on like a broken record in my head because I still couldn¡¯t wrap my mind around any of it.


    ¡®How could he not care about our wedding?¡¯ I asked myself.


    I was d I¡¯d walked out of the room when I had because God only knew what I would have said back to him. Part of me was faintly aware that Tallon was speaking out of anger for what I had done. And, yes, I knew I should have told him what my n was when it came to finally dealing with Bianca.


    He¡¯d tried for weeks to make me think differently about her, to make me assume that all of it was in my head¨Cthe constant appearances in public, booking the same venue, picking the same dress.


    It all became just too damn much.


    And instead of supporting me, or hell¡ªjust believing me¡ªTallon kept ying it off. So I needed to take matters into my own hands, and I had absolutely zero regrets. Because now, I at least knew the truth. I wasn¡¯t crazy, nor was I imagining any of it.


    But Tallon didn¡¯t seem to care about that. He was more upset at the fact that I went behind his back and tried to deal with this problem on my own. I wanted to understand his side of things and, for a brief moment, I did.


    But then he¡¯d gone ahead and threw out his true feelings about our wedding.


    ¡®Maybe he really doesn¡¯t care about us getting married at all,¡¯ I thought bitterly to myself. ¡®I should have realized that from the beginning.¡¯


    I stopped my pacing and hissed under my breath. ¡°Fine. If this is how he truly feels, then I really don¡¯t need to be here right now.¡±


    I reached into my pocket for my phone, quickly pulled up Mia¡¯s number, and waited for her answer. Thankfully, it only took two rings before I heard her calm voicee through the speaker.


    ¡°Hey, Nat. What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked.


    I nced around the empty room and felt myself shrinking more and more by the second. My stomach continued to twist in knots as my head filled with awful doubt. Was all of this just a mistake¨Call the nning, the need to try and make everything perfect and special?


    ¡°Natalia?¡± Mia¡¯s voice wasced with concern, which snapped me out of my mental train of thought.


    I cleared my throat. ¡°Sorry, Mia. Everything¡¯s... well... alright. To be honest, I feel like everything¡¯s pretty much fallen to shit,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°What the hell happened?¡±


    I shook my head and ran my hand through my hair in frustration. ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not allowed to leave me in this kind of suspense,¡± she remarked tly. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe over to my ce and tell me everything?¡±


    My nerves happily loosened up at the sound of her invitation. Even though it felt like I¡¯d just got back home, I was finding myself reaching for my bag again.


    ¡°Sounds perfect,¡± I confirmed. ¡°I¡¯ll be over there as soon as I can.¡±


    I ended the call and decided that I was going to drive myself over to Mia¡¯s. Deep down, I knew Tallon would have preferred that someone else drove me there, but I desperately needed a break... from him, his men, and his world.


    I tossed my bag over my shoulder and headed toward my car. I earned one or two suspecting looks from the men stationed around the main doors, but I hastily brushed them off. What was more surprising was that Tallon was nowhere to be found.


    A sad part of me would have thought that he¡¯d at least try and speak to me again.


    But I guess I was wrong again.


    ***


    I sent Mia a text the moment I got to the apartmentplex, letting her know I¡¯d arrived. I gave myself onest nce in the rearview mirror of my car to check out how swollen and red my eyes were. The second I¡¯d gotten behind the wheel, I¡¯d felt my whole body begin to crumble to pieces.


    Quickly fixing any makeup that may have rolled off my face, I locked my car and dropped my keys into my bag. I kept my head ducked low as I walked through the main doors of the building and headed up to Mia¡¯s floor.


    I lifted the back of my hand to knock on the door.


    ¡°Coming!¡± Mia called from the other side.


    I faintly heard her make her way across the room, and the door swung open a momentter. Mia greeted me with a warm smile that I wished I could have reciprocated.


    Her enthusiasm slowly melted as she took in the mess I¡¯d be. ¡°Oh, Nat,¡± she said solemnly.


    I took my bottom lip between my teeth and swallowed down the emotional storm that resigned in my chest.


    ¡°Come on,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s go sit down.¡±


    She pulled me inside in her ce and eagerly led me over to the small, cozy living room. I finally let my legs give out beneath me and sank into the soft plush of the couch. My face fell into my hands and I let out a frustrated groan.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I mumbled through my hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than okay. Now, can you please tell me what the hell happened?¡±


    Slowly, I leaned back and took in a deep breath. I ignored the tears that prickled in the corners of my eyes.


    ¡°Okay, well¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, wait!¡± Mia gasped.


    My eyes widened as I watched her jump up from the couch and rush into the kitchen down the narrow hall. A few momentster, she came rustling back with two wine sses and arge bottle of wine. I couldn¡¯t keep myself from giggling as she set it all down on the coffee table in front of us.


    ¡°Well, you said on the phone that it¡¯s a long story, so I figured this might help,¡± she said, gesturing to the ss in her hand.


    I gave anotherugh and happily nodded my head. ¡°You¡¯re right about that,¡± I sniffled.


    Once the two of us took a tentative sip of our wine, I started from the beginning.


    ¡°So, do you remember a while back when Tallon and I ran into one of his ex-girlfriends, Bianca?¡±


    Mia nodded her head.


    ¡°At the time, I truly thought nothing of it,¡± I continued. ¡°I mean, what are the chances of running into the same person more than once in a city like this? Well, turns out that coincidences aren¡¯t as naturally urring as you¡¯d think.¡±


    Mia raised her brows and gave a questioning look.


    ¡°Bianca seemed decent enough the moment we first met. Tallon told her about our engagement, and from that point on, I kept running into her. Her behavior was... off. It felt like every smile was fake and every question was backed by some secret motive.¡±


    I took a long sip from my ss before going on. ¡°The wedding venue I¡¯d checked out with Tallon just so happened to be the same ce that Bianca picked for her reception, and on the same date, no less. And then there was the incident about the first wedding dress I¡¯d picked out.¡±


    Mia¡¯s mouth fell open as though she already knew where I was going with this conversation.


    ¡°Bianca basically swooped in and stole the dress I initially wanted.¡±


    ¡°Jesus Christ. It¡¯s like she was trying to steal your wedding!¡± she eximed.


    I snorted and shrugged my shoulders back. ¡°Yeah, well, that¡¯s what I always thought. But whenever I tried to tell Tallon this, he¡¯d simply brush it off. It was all driving me crazy¡ªI thought I was crazy. So, I hit a breaking point and asked Vinny if he could find Bianca¡¯s address.¡±


    Mia¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Nat, are you serious?¡±


    I silently nodded my head. ¡°Yes. I went to her ce and the two of us spoke. It was actually quite civilized to my surprise. Bianca admitted to everything. She has a friend who works at the venue, and she knew about the dress I¡¯d picked out. Bianca said she¡¯d never officially gotten over Tallon and promised to stop meddling.¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s good, right?¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek. ¡°I thought so¨Cthat is, until I got home afterward and was confronted by Tallon. I hadn¡¯t told him about going to see Bianca or the fact that I had Vinny find her for me. He was monumentally pissed off, and I tried to exin to him why I¡¯d done what I did.¡±


    ¡°But, wasn¡¯t he at least shocked to hear about Bianca¡¯s meddling?¡± Mia asked incredulously.


    Again, I shrugged my shoulders.


    ¡°Tallon didn¡¯t seem to care that I was right about any of it. I knew Bianca was sabotaging our wedding ns, but he never believed me. He yelled at me for going behind his back and basically told me that I was overreacting.¡± I felt my voice grow weak. ¡°He said... that it¡¯s just a wedding and it wasn¡¯t that important.¡±


    Mia¡¯s features softened withpassion. She reached out and rubbed my arm, trying tofort me from my own thoughts.


    ¡°I mean, if this is how he truly feels, then why are we even getting married?¡± I asked. ¡°Obviously, none of what I¡¯ve been trying to do meant anything to him. Of all the trials and tribtions we¡¯ve faced, maybe this is the true wake-up call the two of us needed.¡±


    ¡°Now, just hold on,¡± Mia insisted firmly.


    She leaned over to set her wine ss down while I went to refill my own.


    ¡°Natalia, you and I both know that a lot of what you¡¯re saying is just because you¡¯re still upset with Tallon,¡± she stated. ¡°But, deep down, I know that you undeniably love him.¡±


    Oh, for Christ¡¯s sake... yes, I did.


    As much as he hurt my feelings, I still loved him with all my heart.


    ¡°When Tallon said that about the wedding, I¡¯m sure that he didn¡¯t mean that you weren¡¯t important. What truly matters to him is you.¡±


    I felt a long tear trail down my cheek.


    ¡°I mean, think about it. There¡¯s really no such thing as the perfect wedding. But at the end of it all, all that matters is that the two of you are together and that you¡¯re happy with each other,¡± Mia exined.


    Thanks to her unexpected words of wisdom, I felt the heavy burden of my feelings lighten tremendously. She was right. At the end of the day, all that mattered was that Tallon and I were together. I was so lucky to have a close friend like Mia to help ground myself in a time like this.


    The two of us easily lost another hour in each other¡¯spany, and soon therge bottle of wine was finished. My body was lightly buzzing, and I knew for a fact that I was tantly tipsy. I reached for my phone, intending to call for my driver toe and pick me up.


    The second before I hit the call button, Mia and I heard a sudden knock on her front door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡± Mia got up from the couch.


    I heard her open the door and fall silent.


    ¡°Tallon? What are you doing here?¡±

 Chapter 589 : Apologies

    <h4>Chapter 589: Chapter 589 : Apologies</h4>


    *Tallon*


    I fucked up. I knew I fucked up before Natalia and I even finished our conversation from when she first returned home.


    ¡®Conversation? More like a total blow-out argument,¡¯ I thought angrily to myself.


    The devastated look on her face was enough to make me feel as though I¡¯d just taken a curled fist to the gut. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt her feelings. That was never my intention. But when I found out about her ns to confront Bianca, I felt my vision turn red.


    I was beyond frustrated that she¡¯d let this nonsense with Bianca consume her life. But then I heard from Vinny that she¡¯d asked him to help her find Bianca¡¯s home address. Had shepletely lost her mind? What if something had happened to her? What if Bianca tried to attack her on a mere whim?


    I know my tone hade out harsh and on the borderline of cruel, but Natalia was everything to me. If something were to happen to her, it would¡¯ve been the end of sanity as I knew it.


    But of all the manic things toe flying out of my mouth that moment, I¡¯d made the total mistake of disregarding our wedding.


    ¡®It¡¯s just a wedding. It¡¯s not that important.¡¯


    Why? Why on earth did I say that? How could I have even thought of such a ridiculous statement?


    Of course, our wedding was important. Natalia has done nothing but try to ensure that our wedding would be as perfect as it could be. All the stress and mental torment Bianca put her through was worse because Natalia had been trying to make our day special. And instead of giving her a chance to exin herself, I fucking gave her a reason to leave me.


    I was almost certain Vinny was going to shoot me when I¡¯d gone to him about all this. While, yes he¡¯d admitted to helping Natalia out, he proceeded to call me out on my bullshit behavior toward her and the situation, and rightfully so.


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?!¡± Vinny shouted in my face. ¡°Natalia tells you that Bianca has been the one trying to sabotage your wedding, and you¡¯ve gone ahead and taken your anger out on your fianc¨¦e? What the hell is wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, everything!¡± I snarled back.


    ¡°Jesus Christ, Tallon. You¡¯d think that after all the crazy ass shit the two of you have gone through in this past year alone, you¡¯d know better than to cause a mess like this,¡± he barked.


    As much as I could have sent my fist flying at Vinny for his degradation, the bastard was absolutely right. I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw in anger¨Canger at myself for the piss-poor way I¡¯d treated her feelings.


    Son of bitch, I could have kicked myself for my loose mouth.


    Thankfully, Vinny¡¯s anger at my stupidity didn¡¯tst long, then he helped me track Natalia down. The moment I received the message that one of my men spotted her car outside of Mia¡¯s apartmentplex, I instantly headed for her.


    And thanks to my brother for sending me Mia¡¯s apartment number, I was able to rush straight up to her floor and knock on her door. My body was pulsating with anticipation. There was zero doubt that I was going toe face to face with a very pissed-off Natalia.


    I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if she opened the door and chose to p me across the face. Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t have even batted an eye if that was her reaction to seeing me again. But, Christ, I needed to make things right between us.


    A momentter, the door swung open to reveal a surprised-looking Mia.


    ¡°Tallon,¡± she said. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I came to find her,¡± I said, pointing to Natalia, who poked her head up from across the room.


    Her eyes lit up with excitement as she pulled herself up from the couch and started running at full speed right toward me.


    ¡°Tallon!¡±


    Natalia¡¯s mouth stretched into a wide, gracious smile. ¡°Tallon!¡± she repeated.


    I instinctively threw my arms out to catch her, but my bnce ended up betraying us both. ¡°Natal¡ªugh!¡±


    My knees bent and soon we were falling backward, and my hands curled around her side to make sure I didn¡¯t identallynd on her as we fell. Natalia gave out a sharp squeak, followed by a series of tipsy giggles.


    Thank God she was okay.


    Apart from our silly mishap in the open hallway, I was just d to see that she was alright in general. Granted, her eyes were still a little red. No doubt my stupid remark had caused her feelings to be crushed. My chest ached with the thought of her crying over something I¡¯d done.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said.


    My brows pulled together in confusion. ¡°What?¡± She was apologizing? For what?


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have gone behind your back or got Vinny to help me¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Natalia,¡± I said, shaking my head.


    I attempted to pick us both off the floor and bring us back to our feet.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s supposed to be apologizing. Sweetheart, I¡¯m so sorry for what I said about our wedding.¡±


    Her eyes started to soften as she took her lip between her teeth. I had half a mind to curl my hand through her hair and crush our lips together. I was encapsted in her sweet, luscious scent. I needed her. I needed the painful ache in my chest to disappear now that I had her back in my arms.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said something so careless,¡± I told her sincerely. ¡°Of course, I care about our wedding. Everything you¡¯ve been doing for the past several months means so much to me. I love that you want to make our day as special as possible.¡±


    A bright shade of pink touched her cheeks. ¡°I still feel bad about sneaking behind your back. I didn¡¯t intend to say or do anything hurtful. I just needed to know why Bianca kept on deliberately wrecking our ns,¡± she said airly.


    ¡°I should have listened to you earlier,¡± I remarked with a grimace.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Natalia said. ¡°And for what it¡¯s worth, Bianca did say that she would stop trying to sabotage our wedding ns. She¡¯s still fairly in love with you.¡±


    I shook my head and tucked a few locks of her hair behind her ear. ¡°Well, that may be, but Bianca is not the woman I love.¡±


    Once the two of us were standing up, I easily pulled Natalia into a proper embrace. She brightened with eager excitement and slid back into my arms. I let out an amused chuckle.


    ¡°I gotta ask, are you drunk right now?¡±


    Natalia giggled again and held up her hand, showing a small inch of space between her thumb and forefinger.


    ¡°Maybe just a little,¡± sheughed. ¡°Can we go home, please?¡±


    Warmth spread throughout my chest. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever get tired of hearing her say that. I slipped a supportive arm around her waist and nodded.


    Natalia happily epted her belongings from Mia, who handed them back over to her. She specifically handed me the keys to Natalia¡¯s car and winked.


    ¡°Thank you so much for letting mee over,¡± Natalia said to her. She stepped away from me long enough to wrap her arms around Mia and pull her into a tight hug. Mia bubbled inughter and jovially hugged back.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem,¡± she said. ¡°This was fun. We need to do it more often.¡±


    Natalia beamed and the two of them said their goodbyes. I slipped my arm back around her and bent down to ce a chaste kiss on her head. As she and I made our way down to the main lobby, I turned my head and asked, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    She eagerly nodded her head. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m starving.¡±


    Without another word, I took us back to thepound. Just as I parked the car, I swung around the other side to help Natalia out of the passenger seat. I slipped my hand into hers, and both of us headed inside, where we were greeted by a small group of kitchen staff.


    ¡°Ah, wee home. Dinner is ready to be served whenever you and Miss Natalia are ready, sir.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Natalia said with a gracious smile.


    I spared a smile to our staff. ¡°Your timing could not be more perfect.¡±


    I felt her squeeze my hand and pull us forward toward the dining room. The staff brought out several tes from the kitchen as I pulled Natalia¡¯s chair out for her to sit down. Once we were both seated and our dinner was brought out, we fell into afortable bout of silence.


    The meal was savory and delicious, paired beautifully with a vintage bottle of red wine, though Natalia shyly opted for water instead.


    What truly made it all better was that Natalia was back where she belonged, safely at home and by my side.


    Looking back on our dispute from earlier, I felt foolish for how strongly I overreacted. Although I was deeply upset that she¡¯d gone behind my back to confront Bianca, I was immensely impressed by her drive to face her problems directly. As sneaky as she¡¯d been about it, I adored her for her independence and hoped that she would never lose it.


    Nheless, I was d that everything was sorted out between us and we were finally on the same page.


    Natalia took arge sip of her water and spoke over the rim of her ss.


    ¡°Tallon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, love?¡±


    ¡°How long would it take to get your family here for a wedding?¡± she asked.


    I raised my brows and gave it a solid thought. I tilted my head back and forth and gave a fairly rough estimation.


    ¡°About a week, at most.¡±


    She silently nodded her head and went back to her dinner.


    Between the two of us, there were significantly more people on my side as opposed to hers when it came to the guest list. Not including the immediate family, there were the cousins and their families to consider as well. If we were to actually sit down and make out a list of all the potential guests, only about ten percent of the reception would probably belong to Natalia¡¯s side.


    I peeked over my own wine ss to find my woman smiling as though she was plotting another hair-raising scheme.


    I rolled a brow and tipped my head forward.


    ¡°Care to tell me what¡¯s ying around in that pretty head of yours?¡± I asked.


    Natalia¡¯s smile deepened as she poked at the uneaten food that was still on her te. She tried to shrug off her amusement but to no avail.


    ¡°You said that it would take about a week for your family to get here.¡±


    I nodded my head.


    ¡°Want to get married in a week then?¡±


    I set my ss down and let myself fall back into my chair. It had just urred to me that with all the madness we¡¯d been dealing with¨Cenemies, wedding venues, ex-girlfriends, and finding the perfect dress¡ªthe two of us had never settled on an actual date.


    I didn¡¯t give an immediate answer to her question. Whether it was said out of humor orplete honesty, it brought a wave of utter devotion crashing over me. Visions of Natalia walking down that aisle, looking gorgeous in her long, white dress, danced in my mind like a teasing fantasy.


    I couldn¡¯t wait for that special day toe.


    ¡®Why wait a week?¡¯ I thought heatedly to myself. ¡®I would marry her tomorrow if she¡¯d let me.¡¯

 Chapter 590 : Plans and Passion

    <h4>Chapter 590: Chapter 590 : ns and Passion</h4>


    *Natalia*


    Tallon gave me a surprised look as if he wasn¡¯t sure whether I was being truly serious. And the thing was, I wasn¡¯t sure either. Was it even possible to put together a whole wedding within a week?


    Still, the thought of being Tallon¡¯s wife within mere days had my heart fluttering.


    He didn¡¯t give me an immediate answer, not that I expected him to. Tallon merely sat back in his chair and pondered on the idea as if it were actually possible.


    The more he sat there thinking about it, the more excited I grew at the possibility.


    I shook my head and brushed off the crazy idea. Tallon had such a huge family, and it wasn¡¯t fair to him to expect them all toe running for ast-minute wedding. Big families like that expected big weddings, I was sure of it, even though my side of the family wouldn¡¯t mind at all.


    I was thinking about how impossible it would all be when Tallon¡¯s deep, sexy voice spoke out.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    My heart jumped into my throat when I nced up to find Tallon smiling at me with a wondrous glint in his eyes. He nodded his head and spoke.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get married in a week,¡± he said firmly.


    I couldn¡¯t stop the excitement shooting out of me as millions of chills raced down my body. Was he being serious?


    ¡°Really?¡±


    He waved his hand in the air. ¡°Why not?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s our wedding. The day is meant to be about us, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The corners of my mouth pulled my lips into a wider smile. ¡°Very true,¡± I remarked. ¡°But how are we going to book a venue for a wedding in just a week?¡±


    He sat there thinking again, and it was making me even more excited.


    Tallon gave me a suggestive look and smirked. ¡°Who¡¯s to say we need to even book a venue? Why not have it all here? We certainly have the room for it.¡±


    My mouth fell open. Oh my God. Why hadn¡¯t I ever thought of that?


    We¡¯d been looking around at all these big estates with elegant grounds andrge rooms for the reception, and here we were sitting in the middle of such a ce the whole time.


    Thepound was, indeed,rge enough to hold such an event. But what truly snagged my interest was that it was private. There would be no dealing with other couples and venue coordinators or worrying aboutst-minute mistakes that often happened.


    And I¡¯d never need to worry about Bianca booking our own home for her wedding.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a perfect idea,¡± I said.


    I jumped up, unable to contain my excitement anymore and thankfully, Tallon got up and met me halfway. I threw myself into his arms, feeling the warmth andfort of his body against mine.


    I felt his finger on my chin, and he tilted my head up so that our eyes met.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be my wife this time next week,¡± he said firmly.


    The words sent tingles all through my body, and I stood on my tiptoes so his lips could meet mine.


    For a moment, I let myself rx with him, relishing the knowledge that our future was going to begin so much sooner than I¡¯d thought.


    But then I opened my eyes¡ªsooner than I thought....


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± I said, a little too loudly for how close we were. ¡°I have a million things to do!¡±


    He chuckled against my lips and tasted me for a few more seconds before we forced ourselves apart.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll help in any way I can,¡± he said. ¡°This is our wedding, and I want to be a part of nning it.¡±


    My eyes watered at his sweet words.


    ¡°We¡¯d better start with a list,¡± I said.


    Tallon nodded and got some paper and pens out of the sideboard, and we sat down next to each other at the table while the staff cleared away our tes.


    With no venue rental to think about, nning the wedding was surprisingly easy, at least on paper. My dress was taken care of. We¡¯d need flowers and decorations, and a cake... and we¡¯d need someone to be the officiant.


    ¡°I have someone in mind for that,¡± Tallon said.


    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I have a lot of connections,¡± he added.


    I giggled and moved on to the other items. Granted, the list was a bit long for a one-week turnaround, but it was doable. We had staff and plenty of people to help, and I was beginning to really envision the event happening soon.


    It was so thrilling, I could hardly sit still, but between me and Tallon, we got a pretty good handle on the details.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a crazy day,¡± I said.


    It was true. I¡¯d gone from thinking things were over between us to nning a very speedy wedding, right here in our own home.


    With everything firmly on paper, I was starting to feel tired from all the excitement.


    ¡°Let¡¯s pick this up tomorrow,¡± Tallon suggested.


    He stood and rubbed my shoulders, and I closed my eyes at the feel of his hands on me.


    ¡°We won¡¯t get more done tonight,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s get some rest.¡±


    I nodded, standing up and taking his hand as he led me down the hall. After the emotional rollercoaster of a day I¡¯d experienced, I was ready for my head to hit the pillow. We made it up to our bedroom and I slid my way into the bathroom.


    I smiled into the mirror as I took what was left of my makeup off and slipped my silky nightgown over my head. Just as I was finishing up, I switched the light off and made it back to the bedroom.


    But I stopped short.


    Sitting across the room, on the very edge of the bed, was Tallon.


    My heart pounded in my ribcage at the gorgeous sight of him with nothing on but a pair of loose-fitting pajama pants. His shoulders were bent hunched forward, and the dim lighting around the room gave his dark features an ethereal ir.


    There was no mistaking the sultry, passionate look that was held deep within his eyes.


    I knew this look.


    I could barely find my voice. ¡°Tallon?¡±


    His heated gaze raked over my barely d body. He silently pushed his hand out and crooked two fingers toward himself, beckoning me to move. My feet, unconsciously, dragged me forward till I stood between his bent legs.


    My body swooned when I felt the palms of his hands sy on the back of my bare thighs. His touches were feather-light. He remained quiet for a brief moment before finally speaking.


    ¡°I just... I need a moment,¡± he said roughly.


    My brows pulled together. ¡°A moment? For what?¡±


    He wrapped a strong arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. Tallon leaned his head to rest below my chest.


    ¡°I feel like I almost lost you today,¡± he exined. ¡°When you left... I didn¡¯t know where you were. It terrified the hell out of me.¡±


    My breath caught in my throat while a horrible sensation wed at my insides. I nearly gasped.


    Oh, God.


    An overwhelming wave of guilt spiraled inside of me as I raised my arms to envelop him in a tight hug. I curled my fingers through his thick hair and bent down to ce a loving kiss to his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I whispered. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have done something so impulsive as to leave and not at least tell someone where I was going.¡±


    Tallon tilted his head back. ¡°I love you too much to ever let anything happen to you, Natalia.¡±


    And with that statement, my heart filled with a heavy warmth that I would have dly suffocated in.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± I said, ¡°so, so much.¡±


    He bent forward to ce a kiss in the center of my chest. His one hand snaked its way down to the hem of my nightgown.


    My nerves jittered and coiled as the tips of his fingers brushed along thecy material of my panties. He cursed under his breath and slid them down the curves of my legs.


    ¡°I need you.¡±


    I bit my lip and smiled. ¡°You have me,¡± I moaned.


    Much to my dismay, Tallon pulled his hand back, but only to bunch the material of my nightgown over my head. Once he tossed the garment away, he hastily took hold of my waist and flipped me around so that I was lying face up in the center of our bed.


    My giggles were quickly drowned out by the glorious sight of him looming over me. He leaned down to capture my mouth, spreading kisses all along my neck and down my corbone.


    My moans grew louder when I felt the hot, wet sweep of his tongue swirl around my nipples. He took my other breast in his hand and firmly massaged the mound before rolling the pad of his thumb over the stiff peak.


    The ache between my legs became unbearable. I tried lifting my hips up to catch any ounce of friction I could get. But Tallon was quick to press me back down into the mattress. He firmly nted himself between my legs and brought his hand to my slick folds.


    He groaned in the back of his throat. ¡°You¡¯re so wet for me.¡±


    ¡°Tallon, please,¡± I breathed.


    He thrusted a single finger into me before pulling out and returning with two. He kept his pace consistent and on the border of torturous. With every twist of his hand, I raised my hips up to meet his ministrations.


    ¡°More,¡± I begged. ¡°P-please, Tallon. Please, I need more.¡±


    A broken moan slipped from my mouth when he pulled himself back. I raised myself up on my elbows to see him doing away with his pants and boxers as he threw them on the floor.


    He took himself in his hand and gave his cock several long strokes before moving back to kneel between my opened thighs.


    He pressed the head of his cock into my core and gave one strong thrust forward. We both let out a heavy sigh and fall into a delicious rhythm of pure need. Tallon snapped his hips forward in a punishing pace, hitting that perfect spot deep inside of me.


    ¡°So fucking perfect,¡± he hissed between kisses.


    I was so close to the edge, and when I looked up into his eyes, I was done for.


    ¡°My Natalia,e for me,¡± he ordered.


    My mouth fell open as a series of whimpers and moans echoed off the walls.


    My vision grew dark, and all I could feel were Tallon¡¯s strong arms wrapping around me. I felt this thrust grow stronger as he neared his climax, and we both moaned loudly into the air.


    He copsed next to me and pulled me to his chest, our breaths slowing as I listened to the firm beat of his heart.


    I smiled and thought happily to myself, ¡®I¡¯m home.¡¯

 Chapter 591 : Red Is Her Color

    <h4>Chapter 591: Chapter 591 : Red Is Her Color</h4>


    *Natalia*


    It was hard to believe that the wedding was so close. I had feared that we would never get here. It seemed like things just kept popping up to derail us. That was all in the past, though.


    Almost everything was arranged for the wedding and there was nothing that was going to stand in my way now.


    Tallon¡¯s family had started to arrive at the house a few days ago.


    I was incredibly nervous about having everyone here, but I was also excited. I could see how much it meant to Tallon to be surrounded by family. He was smiling andughing almost constantly. Part of that was anticipation about the wedding, but it was mostly having everyone nearby and safe.


    He worried a lot about the family. It reassured him to have them close.


    Several more rtives were supposed to arrive that day, and I was incredibly nervous about meeting them.


    Tallon¡¯s cousin Giovani and his wife Olivia, along with their sixteen-year-old son Elio, were supposed to arrive that morning. Dahlia, Tallon¡¯s sister, wasing with them, and I hadn¡¯t met her yet. I was so nervous that she wasn¡¯t going to like me.


    I had been up for hours by the time Tallon came down for breakfast, making sure that everyone had everything they could possibly need. Tallon kept reassuring me that I didn¡¯t need to worry, and that his family would love me, but I couldn¡¯t stop worrying.


    Tallon and some of his rtives were still in the dining room drinking coffee and chatting, but I felt like I couldn¡¯t sit still. I was pacing around the house. I knew that I was being silly, but I felt like I just couldn¡¯t rx.


    The ringing of the doorbell interrupted my thoughts, and my heart started to pound.


    They¡¯d arrived.


    I walked to the door and took a deep breath before opening it.


    The loud and excited burst of sound that greeted me took me by surprise. The older man was at the front of the group, and he was the first one to step inside.


    As soon as he had stepped aside, the women threw their arms out and headed straight for me.


    Before I could react, I was being wrapped up in a warm embrace.


    ¡°Natalia, it¡¯s so good to see you!¡± I recognized Dahlia right away from the family resemnce.


    ¡°Oh, look at your hair!¡± Olivia said as she squeezed me tightly. ¡°I¡¯m so jealous!¡±


    ¡°Give her some space,¡± Giovani said with augh. ¡°Let the poor girl breathe.¡±


    Moreughter erupted as I was released from the crushing hug.


    Despite my surprise by the greeting, I was smiling broadly. The warmth and excitement they were feeling was contagious. I heard footsteps approaching and looked to see Talloning to greet them.


    ¡°Tallon,¡± Olivia said sternly. ¡°How could you keep such a lovely woman from us, huh? You should have introduced us much sooner!¡±


    ¡°I know, Olivia,¡± Tallon said as he bent to embrace her. ¡°Life has been crazytely.¡±


    She returned the hug, then swatted his arm. ¡°Always an excuse,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m so excited,¡± Dahlia said. ¡°I love weddings! I can¡¯t wait to see the cake, and the flowers, oh... and your dress!¡± she squealed.


    Iughed. ¡°I can¡¯t wait either.¡±


    Olivia gave me a strange look. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen your dress yet?¡± she asked. ¡°Is it not back from the seamstress?¡±


    I felt my face heat up. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t have one yet. It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    She smacked Tallon on the arm again and said something quietly that I didn¡¯t catch. Then she turned back to me and said, ¡°Come on, get your jacket. We¡¯re going to get this sorted right away.¡±


    My eyes went wide. ¡°Oh no,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re guests, and you¡¯ve just arrived, I couldn¡¯t¨C¡±


    ¡°You call your girlfriends to meet us there. We¡¯re going to get you a dress.¡±


    Her tone left no room for argument. I looked at Tallon, but he just shrugged.


    ¡°Dhalia, you¡¯reing too,¡± she said.


    I pulled out my phone and texted Mia. It seemed like I didn¡¯t really have a say in the matter, and honestly, I weed the help in choosing a dress.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked.


    Dahlia held out her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll give them the address,¡± she said.


    I reluctantly handed my phone over. She tapped out a message, then put my phone in her purse. I started to protest, but she grinned at me and said, ¡°It¡¯s a surprise.¡±


    The trip into the city was a whirlwind of questions andughter. I was shocked by how quickly I was growing to like Olivia and Dahlia. I wasn¡¯t normally so quick to warm up to people.


    Mia was waiting outside of the bridal shop when we arrived and, after I introduced her as Alessandro¡¯s girlfriend, she was greeted with the same crushing hug that I was. I smiled at the surprised look on her face and shrugged at her.


    When we entered the shop, an attendant approached me. Before she could get a word out, Olivia, Dahlia, and Mia had taken off in different directions and started searching through the dresses.


    I smiled apologetically at the woman.


    ¡°I need a wedding dress, right away,¡± I said. ¡°They¡¯re very eager to help.¡±


    Sheughed. ¡°I¡¯ll get a fitting room ready for you,¡± she said before walking away.


    I walked inside and started looking through the dresses as well. I figured I might as well grab what I wanted to try on. If I could find a dress today, then there would be nothing left to prepare for the wedding. It would be a huge weight off my shoulders.


    I looked at dozens of dresses, but nothing stood out to me. I was ready to give up when Mia appeared beside me.


    ¡°Come on,¡± she said eagerly. ¡°We have so many dresses for you to try!¡±


    I let her take my hand and lead me back to the changing room. The shop attendant was waiting for me with at least fifteen dresses hanging around the small room.


    I stared at them in surprise. I was expecting nothing but bridal gowns, but there was a lot of color to the dresses.


    I smiled. Maybe I had been too rigid in the dresses I was considering. Something less traditional might be perfect.


    The attendant helped me into all the white dresses first, and I dutifully marched out to model them for the girls. There were cheers and whistles to most of the dresses, which made meugh and blush in turn.


    Olivia, Dahlia, and Mia were snacking on cheese and crackers and sipping sparkling wine while they watched the show I was putting on.


    I was relieved to see that they were having so much fun. I had been a little worried that the outing would be boring for them. It seemed like Mia had won them over just as quickly as she had won me over.


    None of the bridal gowns stood out above the rest, so we moved on to the evening gowns.


    The first few were too simple. We all agreed that they would blend in with the guests¡¯ dresses.


    I was feeling discouraged. We were almost through all of the dresses, and we hadn¡¯t found any that felt right. The shop attendant handed me a long, silky ck evening gown. I put it on and looked into the mirror. It was very ttering, and I knew that Tallon would find it sexy.


    I walked out to show the others.


    ¡°That¡¯s sexy,¡± Dahlia said. ¡°Very edgy and cool!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still a wedding. We don¡¯t want to jinx anything,¡± Olivia pointed out.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Mia said. ¡°It¡¯s bad luck.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± I agreed.


    There was only one dress left to try. I tried not to let on how disappointed I was when I went back into the dressing room.


    It was a strapless, A-line evening gown with red embroidery along the top of the bodice and the bottom of the skirt. Once I had it on, the moment I looked into the mirror, I felt my eyes well with tears. I twirled around and couldn¡¯t keep my eyes off the mirror. The way it swayed around me was perfect. I could picture the way it would like on the dance floor, and a thrill of excitement passed through me.


    I still had to show the others, but I was pretty sure this was the dress.


    The colors were a subtle nod to Russia, but it wasn¡¯t a traditional choice at all.


    The shop attendant could see the excitement on my face.


    ¡°I know that look,¡± she said kindly. ¡°Let¡¯s go show them.¡±


    I nodded enthusiastically and followed her out to the viewing area. Before I stepped into sight, the shop attendant stopped me.


    She stepped out and said, ¡°Can I have everyone close their eyes for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s promising,¡± Olivia said as she set her wine ss aside and put her hands over her eyes. Dahlia squealed in excitement and did the same.


    ¡°Oh, I already know I¡¯m going to cry,¡± Mia said in distress. She covered her eyes and lowered her head.


    The attendant led me out and helped me step onto the raised tform in front of the couch where they were waiting. Then she motioned for me to wait and ran out of the room.


    I straightened the dress and made sure that it looked perfect in the mirror. It fit me exactly, which meant if we bought it, I wouldn¡¯t even need to worry about getting alterations done.


    The shop attendant returned and hopped onto the tform. She carefully ced a long white veil with red embroidered roses around the edges onto my head and pinned it in ce with a small silver tiara iid with sparkling jewels.


    I looked into the mirror in awe. It was perfect.


    ¡°Open your eyes!¡± she said in excitement as she stepped away from me.


    I heard the others inhale sharply as they looked at me.


    ¡°Red is certainly her color,¡± the attendant said happily.


    ¡°You need red heels,¡± Dahlia said automatically.


    ¡°And a good ne,¡± Olivia added, ¡°something to match the tiara. Then, the look will beplete.¡±


    Mia jumped out of her seat and ran to me. She threw her arms around me and started to jump up and down in excitement. I put my arms around her shoulders and hopped with her.


    ¡°We found it!¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s so much better than thest one!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± I agreed.


    Mia released me and stepped back. She straightened the veil then looked at me with the brightest smile I¡¯d ever seen on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m so excited for you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Who picked this dress?¡± I asked curiously.


    Dahlia jumped out of her seat in excitement. ¡°I did!¡± she shouted.


    Everyoneughed as she and Olivia stepped onto the tform and started to fawn over the dress and discuss where we could go to get essories.


    I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the mirror. This was it. This was the dress I would wear to marry Tallon.


    I was ready for the wedding.

 Chapter 592 : Catching Up

    <h4>Chapter 592: Chapter 592 : Catching Up</h4>


    *Tallon*


    ¡°I have to admit, I never thought this day woulde.¡± The older man in front of me raised one of the fancy sses filled with simple ice water, slouchingfortably in the leather chair across from the desk, a smile on his lips despite the creases around his eyes and the gray that was slowly overtaking the ck in his thin curls.


    ¡°You mean me getting married or finally settling the feud with the Russians? And here I thought you had faith in me,¡± I snorted, sending him a grin.


    Giovani had certainly aged in these years. But unlike how stressed and cold he was as the Don, this version of him was rxed and open¡ªhappy.


    I was a bit jealous.


    ¡°Of course, I did. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have left the family to you, Tallon.¡± He smiled, the lines around his eyes curling and despite his age, even I had to admit he still looked handsome. ¡°I¡¯m proud to see how well you¡¯ve both handled the family. It was a shock for both me and your father to hear that you¡¯d managed to settle the feud, but even more so to hear you finally wanted to settle down.¡±


    ¡°Here, here,¡± Alessandro agreed, rolling his eyes as I sent him a re from where he sat in the chair opposite from Giovani.


    The study was empty except for us. Dahlia and Olivia had arrived, beaming and still full of life as they had practically kidnapped my fianc¨¦e for a shopping trip.


    Natalia had been nervous to meet them, but I was d they were as epting as they were. No one had brought up the past or her family, thankfully, and I trusted that they wouldn¡¯t.


    But that didn¡¯t stop Natalia from being anxious. But I had to admit, it had been adorable watching her nose crinkle as she ranted about her worries to me right before they arrived, her blue eyes swimming as she told me how much she wanted to be liked.


    I knew they already liked her. After all, she was the woman I loved.


    ¡°Yeah, well.¡± I smiled at my brother and cousin, thinking of my beautiful, soon-to-be wife.


    From that very first day I¡¯d seen her when she fell into my arms, when I saw her beautiful blue eyes reflected in mine, I knew she was the one. I had probably fallen for her right then and there and though I couldn¡¯t put a name to it, from the beginning, I¡¯d always been hers.


    She¡¯d captured my heart and soul without any effort, and she hadn¡¯t even realized it. Despite everything else, all the lies and troubles with her family, the hurt and anger we¡¯d directed toward each other, I knew I wouldn¡¯t change it for a thing.


    Because at the end of the day, she was finally going to be mine¡ªmy beautiful, gorgeous wife.


    But putting all of that into words was too difficult. Instead, I looked at my brother, who¡¯d been by my side through all of this, and Giovani, who loved someone just as deeply as I loved Natalia, and told them quite honestly, ¡°I love her.¡±


    Gio smirked, a sh of understanding in his eyes, and I knew that he understood. He knew exactly how I felt toward Natalia because he¡¯d been there too.


    ¡°Please.¡± Alessandro couldn¡¯t help but cut through the moment with the snark he was known for, a grin on the edges of his mouth as he sipped his ss of whiskey in the opposite chair. ¡°Gio¡¯s just making excuses. He just meant he never thought he¡¯d get old. I told you that you would be too old for Olivia, and I was right.¡±


    ¡°I may be old, but I still have more than enough energy to satisfy my wife,¡± Gio retorted smoothly, crossing his arms with a smug look. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re one to talk. I can see a few grays already popping up. Soon you¡¯ll be as old as me, and then we¡¯ll talk.¡±


    Despite their exchange sounding rather harsh, neither Alessandro nor Giovani had any anger or bite to their words. The two just smirked at one another, neither backing down for a moment.


    And what fifteen years ago would¡¯ve driven Alessandro nuts or sent a flying fist straight at the wall or the older man¡¯s jaw, now meant nothing to my older brother as he finally rxed, shrugging with a hint of respect in his face.


    ¡°Bastard.¡± Alessandro just smirked, taking a swig of his drink without a single sign of anger or regret upon his face. ¡°You¡¯re whipped more than Tallon.¡±


    ¡°Hey! As if you aren¡¯t.¡± I gave him a straight-faced look. ¡°Mia¡¯s got you wrapped around her finger, and you know it.¡±


    ¡°I never said she didn¡¯t.¡± Alessandro chuckled and rxed as his eyes softened at the mention of his girlfriend.


    I could tell how much he cared for her, how much he loved her. It was written on the beaming look he gave, the lightness he carried himself with.


    He¡¯d changed ever since he had met Mia, and I was d to see how positive her influence had been on him.


    ¡°But about the feud,¡± I hesitated, sending him an unsure nce, ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure how happy you and Dad would be about it. I know how many good people you lost to them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Giovani sighed, looking weary as the memories of all those we lost hit him. I could see that he still carried their deaths on him like weights over his shoulders. ¡°But the feud had to end or more lives would be lost. There was too much bad blood there for me or your father to end it, but you managed to do it.¡±


    He gave me a look full of pride and wonder. ¡°I chose the right person to leave the family to.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Gio,¡± I grinned, a warmth filling me up.


    I remembered the uncertainty and anxiety when I had first been named the Don¡ªAlessandro¡¯s anger at being passed over once again, and the members of the family who thought I was too immature or too young to make the calls necessary.


    But contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations, even my own, I had seeded.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take all the credit though,¡± I said. ¡°It was only possible because of Alessandro getting inside their heads and their ranks, Vinny for setting everything up, and especially Natalia. Without her, we never would¡¯ve been able to get close enough.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alessandro smirked. ¡°Who knew all it required was falling in love with the enemy¡¯s niece and having her betray you, get kidnapped, shot in ce of you, and then getting married?¡±


    I sent him a re as Giovani turned to both of us with a bewildered nce.


    ¡°I have a feeling I¡¯m missing a few crucial parts to the story.¡± He raised an eyebrow, looking between Alessandro¡¯s smug grin and my death re. ¡°What¡¯s this about getting kidnapped and shot?¡±


    ¡°Later, Gio,¡± I sighed, shaking my head as I let it go. ¡°How have Olivia and Elio been? I saw him a few years ago but he¡¯s sixteen now, right?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Giovani responded, looking cross as he reached out for his ice water and gave it a scowling look like he wished it was vodka instead.


    ¡°That bad?¡± Alessandro chuckled, a huge grin on his face as if he particrly enjoyed Giovani¡¯s misery.


    ¡°I know they said teenagers are hellions, uncontroble, unpredictable and just chaos incarnate, but I guess I expected Elio to be better,¡± Giovani grumbled, swirling the ice in his ss unhappily. ¡°He was such a happy-go-lucky kid but once he hit twelve or so, he just turned into such a smart-ass.¡±


    ¡°Ah, teenagers,¡± I nodded, grinning. ¡°Let me guess. He thinks he has to be in charge of everything, is unreasonably angry all the time, and no longer epts any kind of physical affection. How many holes in the walls have you had to fix?¡±


    ¡°Dozens,¡± Gio reluctantly admitted, sending me a dark look. ¡°If he wasn¡¯t my own son, I¡¯d have sent him here for some well-needed discipline, at the very least to give me time with my own goddamn wife without him barging in with some new chaos he caused.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Alessandro snorted. ¡°The only reason you haven¡¯t is because Olivia would kill you.¡±


    ¡°At least Elio hasn¡¯t set the kitchen aze yet,¡± Giovani sent Alessandro a pointed look.


    ¡°Oh yeah.¡± I jolted from the sudden memory. ¡°Weren¡¯t you like ten the first time, though? That hardly counts as a teenager.¡±


    ¡°Cooking isn¡¯t my forte.¡± My elder brother just shrugged in response. ¡°Besides, every teen boy¡¯s an arsonist deep inside.¡±


    ¡°That is objectively not true,¡± I said firmly, but by the way Giovani¡¯s face began to darken with misery, I was beginning to question myself. I thought back to my own childhood, frowning as I tried to remember any time I¡¯d yed with fire. ¡°I never set fires.¡±


    ¡°Not as a teenager.¡± Giovani gave me a dark look. ¡°But on your second birthday, you set the cake on fire.¡±


    My mouth dropped open and Alessandro openly burst intoughter.


    ¡°Ipletely forgot about that!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember that.¡± I nched, staring at the two of them as theyughed over the shared memory.


    ¡°Of course not. You were too little. You got obsessed with matches and demanded that the candles be lit all the time. Well, your dad did it. And by the time it was time to serve the cake, it was covered in melted wax, so we lit it up again and boom, the whole thing caught fire,¡± Giovani exined with a grin.


    My face felt warm as I watched the two burst into more rounds of chuckles.


    Before I could analyze any part of that story, however, I heard a loud bang as the front door burst wide open downstairs and a very obnoxious voice screamed out, ¡°We¡¯re home!¡±


    ¡°And that would be Dahlia,¡± I sighed, rising from the desk as I swerved around.


    Gio and Alessandro followed as we climbed down the steps and sure enough, the sound of the girl¡¯s chattering grew closer as we entered the living room.


    ¡°I thought I said a little shopping,¡± I smirked, leaning against the doorway as I gazed at the floor of our living room, which waspletely filled with boxes and bags.


    ¡°There was a sale!¡± Dahlia huffed, crossing her arms.


    ¡°Tallon!¡± Natalia¡¯s face lit up with joy as she saw me, and she quickly stepping over the bags as she rushed over and threw herself into my arms. ¡°I got my dress and it¡¯s so beautiful! I can¡¯t wait for you to see it.¡±


    ¡°Not until the wedding day, though,¡± Mia reminded her from where she sat on the couch.


    I grinned at my fianc¨¦e, giving her a soft kiss as I soaked in the happiness she was practically radiating.


    Alessandro brushed past me, taking a seat on the couch next to Mia and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing you guys had fun?¡± he asked with a quirk of his lips.


    ¡°Yes, Olivia and Dahlia were quite happy to fill me in on some of your more interesting childhood memories,¡± Mia said slyly, giving him a wink as his face darkened.


    He red at Dahlia, who gave a smugugh.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you get for skipping my birthdayst year.¡±


    Olivia, ever the kind soul, took pity on him with a smile. ¡°We didn¡¯t tell her anything too bad, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Alessandro, what¡¯s for dinner?¡± Dahlia asked, turning to him expectantly.


    ¡°What are you looking at me for?¡± he sneered. ¡°Buy your own damn dinner.¡±


    ¡°Do you hear this, Mia?¡± Dahlia huffed. ¡°His own sisteres into town for the first time in years and he doesn¡¯t have the decency to take us to dinner? Come on. Leave this terrible brother of mine. You are much too good for him.¡±


    ¡°This we know.¡± Mia grinned but then ced a kiss on his cheek. ¡°But I love him anyway.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, smirking as Alessandro¡¯s cheeks burned a bright red and he coughed to hide his embarrassment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy, Dahlia,¡± I told the group, giving my soon-to-be wife a huge grin. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do considering I am the groom.¡±


    Natalia beamed at my words.

 Chapter 593 : The Perfect Day

    <h4>Chapter 593: Chapter 593 : The Perfect Day</h4>


    *Natalia*


    Everyone wants a perfect wedding.


    I smiled at the bride in the mirror. The clock ticked away slowly as I waited calmly and patiently on this, my wedding day. As calm as I looked, there was an uncertainty inside of me, and not about the wedding or Tallon or even me.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I was feeling, whether I was nervous, anxious, excited, or happy. I didn¡¯t have a single clue and maybe that was the exciting part¡ªnot knowing. All I knew for sure was that I was getting married today, to the love of my life.


    The bedroom was empty except for me, and after a fresh shower, I sat with my wet hair wrapped in the bath towel, my body only covered by the fluffy pink robe Dahlia had insisted I needed.


    My mirror image stared back at me, both of us tilting our heads as we waited. The time ticked down painfully slowly as I spied in the mirror my dress, whichy sprawled out behind me on the bed to keep it from getting wrinkled on the big day.


    I probably would¡¯ve been lost in my thoughts for some time if it hadn¡¯t been for the mming of the bedroom door as it hit the wall and the grinning future sister-inw who stood there, holding a tote bag full of supplies and dark sunsses covering her eyes.


    ¡°Time to get hitched, bitches,¡± Dahlia said confidently.


    Peeking out from behind her was Olivia, who gave me a helpless apologetic look, and Mia, who was nearly bouncing up and down from excitement.


    ¡°I thought I was the only one getting hitched today?¡± I asked, amused as they poured into the room, a whole plethora of bagsing with them that they tossed onto the bed and floor.


    ¡°Share the love, Nat,¡± Dahlia smirked. ¡°Let me live vicariously through you. There isn¡¯t any man strong enough to put up with me, so the very least you can do is let me help doll you up for your big day, right?¡±


    Dahlia, as I was learning, was a very intense and straightforward person. But she was also one of the friendliest people I¡¯d ever met. Despite only meeting me this week, she had quickly been the first to reach out and treat me like we had known each other for years.


    It was amazing but also a little overwhelming.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s someone who will love every part of you,¡± I told her with a smile, ¡°even if it¡¯s not quite who you expected.¡±


    ¡°Girl,¡± Dahlia pulled down her sunsses, staring at me with wide eyes. ¡°That¡¯s some wise-ass shit. Does getting married make you sound like a fortune cookie for everybody or is that just you? Olive, give me good advice!¡±


    She turned to Olivia, who giggled to herself while shaking her head.


    ¡°Good advice¡ªlet¡¯s see. If you really want to find someone, then I¡¯d start by not leaving your panties all over your bedroom floor,¡± Olivia smirked, crossing her arms.


    Dahlia gasped, cing a hand over her heart mockingly. ¡°How dare you out me like that? And here I thought we were best friends?¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± Olivia nodded solemnly. ¡°But good friends know when to tell you the truth, and best friends know when to call you out on your shit.¡±


    There was a small pause of silence as we all stared at Olivia and then Dahlia sighed.


    ¡°Damn, marriage does run on fortune cookies.¡±


    We allughed.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Mia luckily stepped in to cut through the nonsense, with hands on her hips and a stern look. ¡°We¡¯ve got a bride to dolly up, so let¡¯s get to it, girls.¡±


    I grinned, feeling lighter than air as they surrounded me. They pulled everything out of their bags as we readied everything and soon enough, I felt like one of the many dolls I¡¯d had as a kid.


    It was a bit embarrassing at first, sitting in front of the vanity in only my underwear and a robe as the three girls threw various objects at me. I smiled as I thought of the fancy strapless bra and panty set Mia had helped me pick out. I couldn¡¯t wait for Tallon to see itter tonight.


    Dahlia got started on my makeup while Olivia turned her attention to my hair. My dress was luckily one I could slip straight into, so I didn¡¯t need to worry about it messing up my hair or makeup once I put it on.


    But unfortunately for me, as soon as things began to get started, Alina popped her head in with a guilty look on her face.


    ¡°Um, would now be a good time to deliver some bad news?¡± she asked nervously.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Dahlia said with a re at her.


    But Alina didn¡¯t back down. She just sent me an apologetic look as she quietly said, ¡°The photographer isn¡¯ting. He was in a car ident and is in the hospital. His wife called to let us know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me,¡± Mia said, blinking rapidly with her mouth wide open. ¡°That has to be a joke.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, it isn¡¯t,¡± Alina bit her bottom lip, all four of the women turning to me with wide, hesitant nces.


    I just smiled, my hands tucked on myp as I told her, ¡°That¡¯s fine. Call her back and offer to pay for his treatment. It¡¯s the least we can do.¡±


    ¡°Uh, right.¡± Alina sent me a weird look but nodded as she ducked back out.


    ¡°Natalia?¡± Olivia frowned, sending me a concerned nce.


    But I just smiled, picking up the lipstick tube Dahlia had been about to put on me. ¡°We should finish up. There¡¯s only two hours left.¡± I said calmly.


    The girls exchanged looks and shrugged, going back to work. But unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t thest of the bad news.


    As the girls did my hair and makeup, Alina kept ducking in with more to tell us.


    ¡°Apparently, some of the guests caught a cold and can¡¯t attend, so we¡¯re missing about ten or so people from the guest list.¡± Andter, it was, ¡°Uh... one of your cousins, Dahlia, got drunk and knocked over one of the flower pirs. The florist is pissed and is threatening to leave.¡±


    We thought that was it until she came backter. ¡°The cook just got fired for using contaminated meat.¡± This was then followed two minutester by a hesitant, ¡°Your mom is now cooking the reception food, which will be two to three hourste now.¡±


    While Olivia, Mia, and Dahlia¡¯s faces continued to grow darker, their eyes tinted with shadows as they did their best to distract me, I was fine.


    Nothing could ruin this day.


    By the time I was finished, the girls looked ready to quit, and I stood there in my beautiful gown, admiring myself in the mirror.


    ¡°You did a wonderful job. Thank you so much,¡± I gushed to them, simply beaming with happiness.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re happy but¡ª¡± Olivia shared a look with Dahlia, who huffed in annoyance.


    ¡°Maybe you should postpone the wedding after all,¡± Mia suggested timidly. ¡°There¡¯s no photographer, the florist just quit, the cook was fired and we¡¯re missing a good chunk of people because they¡¯re sick. It¡¯s like everything that could go wrong, has!¡±


    And it was at that moment when Alina popped her head in again, mouth open for another dose of bad news, but Dahlia just raised her finger at her with a fierce re.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. You. dare.¡±


    Alina snapped her mouth shut and slowly closed the door behind her. Once she was gone, I burst into soft giggles, twirling to face them with a wide smile.


    ¡°How can you beughing at a time like this? Everything¡¯s ruined!¡± Dahlia huffed, crossing her arms as she stared at me impatiently.


    ¡°But I have everything I need right here,¡± I told her sweetly. "I have my wonderful husband-to-be, a dress I love, and all of the people we care about here. That¡¯s all we really need, isn¡¯t it?"


    "I guess, but¡ª¡± Dahlia frowned. "Every bride wants a perfect wedding, right?"


    I just smiled to myself at that word. Perfect¡ªthe idea had driven me for so long but today, I felt a little wild, a little crazy even. I didn¡¯t answer her anymore, instead focusing on getting ready with only half an hour before the ceremony.


    Carefully, I grabbed the veil, swinging it behind me as I carefully pinned it to my hair, the sapphires shining brilliantly under the vanity lights. Olivia reached out to help me as I ced the crown that I had bought all those months ago at the bridal show as the centerpiece.


    Something old and something blue....


    Dahlia sighed after I went quiet, stepping up to help me put on the new teardrop earrings we had bought. They were heavier than I first thought but looked gorgeous, even under the veil.


    The ne was the borrowed part from Tallon¡¯s mother. It nestled upon my chest like it always belonged there.


    Something borrowed and something new....


    ¡°Oh, you look beautiful,¡± Mia gushed, while Dahlia and Olivia messed with my veil a little more, getting it just right.


    ¡°Gorgeous.¡± Dahlia nodded in approval.


    ¡°A beautiful bride,¡± Olivia whispered over my shoulder, giving me a soft look.


    I smiled at her happily, then rose to my feet, strapping on my heels as my outfit was finallyplete. I didn¡¯t look like most brides. My dress wasn¡¯t even meant for weddings, but I still felt beautiful, and that was what mattered.


    There was a knock on the door and Alina popped her head inside, giving me a beaming look as she caught sight of me.


    ¡°You ready? Everything¡¯s in ce, as best as we could get it, at least,¡± she said sheepishly. Dahlia sighed, pping her own face into her hand as she slowly shook her head. Alina could be rather clueless at times, but I appreciated her, nheless.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± I said confidently.


    The girls apanied me as we headed down the halls to the main living room. Thepound had been decorated beautifully today, with gands of flowers on the walls leading to the garden out back. It felt like a trail to follow, a path made just for me.


    Fairy lights dotted the way, apanying me with every step, and there was a ckout curtain covering the window and screen doors out to the backyard. Mia, Dahlia, and Olivia said their goodbyes, all wishing me luck, with Alina handing me the bouquet before she too departed.


    There was a loud chatter when the door opened, and the girls slipped out, leaving just me with my heartbeat racing in my chest.


    I took a deep breath. That feeling of not knowing still had its hold on me as I waited.


    ¡°Ready, baby?¡± a hand gently dropped around my elbow, and my mother¡¯s smiling face came into view. I beamed, giving her a shaky nod as I took a deep breath.


    ¡°You look beautiful, my Natalia.¡± My motherid a soft kiss on my forehead, winding her elbow around mine as she intended to apany me down the aisle.


    From somewhere outside, I could hear the music ying, and my heart leaped inside of my chest.


    ¡°Thank you, Mama.¡± I gripped her arm tightly, my vision going blurry around the edges from unshed tears as the doors opened, the music ying the familiar song, and we stepped out into the garden.


    The walk was painfully slow, the stone path covered in a trail of flower petals that led straight to the end of the aisle, ending straight at Tallon. Dressed in a tailored suit, his hair slicked back, he looked as handsome as ever.


    He looked at me like the breath just got knocked from his chest. Complete awe and love poured from his eyes as I made my way down the aisle, and it was like the world around me didn¡¯t exist anymore.


    All I could see was him.


    It was all a blur from there, our eyes locked together as my mother gave me away, taking her seat right at the front as her eyes wavered with sadness and hope and joy for me. Around us were all our friends and family, waiting with bated breath as the ceremony began.


    Tallon gripped my hands in his, the two of us lost in our own world as the official spoke loudly for all to hear. Despite all the worries and everything that had gone wrong, the garden looked beautiful, even though it was missing one pir and a good fifth of the chairs were empty.


    Even with no florist, no cook, and no photographer, I wouldn¡¯t have changed a thing, not even the cloudy, muddy gray skies above us, which darkened the longer the ceremony went on.


    I said my vows and Tallon did as well, both of us having written them beforehand, then we exchanged rings.


    Just one more part, I thought, and we¡¯ll be married.


    My stomach fluttered with butterflies, I gripped his hands impatiently, staring deeply into Tallon¡¯s eyes as he lifted the veil as the official announced before our entire family, ¡°And I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may now¡ª¡±


    He was cut off by a loud boom of thunder striking across the sky and I flinched, ncing upward with wide eyes as rain began to pour from the gray clouds.


    ¡°Is this a good time for some bad news?¡± I heard Alina shouting across the garden before three very loud voices cut in with, ¡°No!¡±


    But despite the guests around us immediately rushing out of their seats to head for cover, all my perfect makeup and hair being drenched away by the falling rain that soaked into our expensive clothing, I only grinned widely.


    ¡°It¡¯s raining,¡± I mumbled softly to myself.


    Tallonughed, pulling me closer into his arms. ¡°What a terrible wedding.¡± He pushed our foreheads together, a smirk on his lips as we were drenched in the downpour.


    ¡°The absolute worst,¡± I agreed, smiling just as widely. ¡°But you know, you didn¡¯t kiss the bride yet, Mr. Groom.¡±


    And he grinned, kissing me as fiercely and passionately as our first. The world was drowned out by the falling rain, but I could still make out cheers and apuse as Tallon hoisted me off my feet, spinning me around happily.


    I spread my arms out like wings,ughing as the two of us yed in the rain like we were kids again.


    Everyone wants a perfect wedding.


    And this was mine.

 Chapter 594 : Newlyweds

    <h4>Chapter 594: Chapter 594 : Newlyweds</h4>


    *Natalia*


    Despite the disaster that was our wedding, in which my new husband had exined the entire drama of the cook and florist to me once we were seated inside and changed out of our soaked wedding attire, the reception was as lively as ever.


    I had shaken hands with so many of Tallon¡¯s rtives, some of whom I was pretty sure weren¡¯t actual rtives but part of the mafia family, that I was dizzy from congrattions being thrown my way. I¡¯d heard it so many times the word had lost any meaning.


    Dahlia had immediately started a toast, somehow praising and insulting her baby brother in every word she dered for the entire party, and I was a bit impressed with how easily Tallon kept his cool, especially when she brought out his favorite stuffed animal.


    ¡°Mr. Snuggles.¡± She had proudly shown us the very old and very worn lion plush. Mr. Snuggles was missing most of his stuffing, looking like a concave pile of fabric that vaguely resembled a lion if you squinted and turned your head twenty degrees to the left. It was missing one eyeball, instead had arge X scribbled over the spot in what looked to be a marker.


    He was even carrying a tiny sword sewn onto his hand, which Dahlia described as the ¡°monster-yer sword.¡± But despite theughter the little plush had brought out, Tallon just shrugged it off.


    ¡°He was a good defender,¡± he said coolly, and then he stole back his plush, handing it to me as he smirked, ¡°He¡¯s a little worn, but he will be the perfect defender for any of the future children we have. Right, Natalia?¡±


    He kissed my hand, giving me a sultry look as he did so,pletely and utterly shameless.


    I swear my face could¡¯ve fried an egg after the many knowing and excited nces that were sent my way, especially by my own mother.


    And speaking of my mother, she had been utterly proud to wheel out the new menu, consisting of a mixture of Russian and Italian dishes. Seeing pelmeni dumplings and blini pancakes served next to mushroom carbonara and potato gnhi was a new kind of whish.


    I never really connected with my Russian heritage, but I had to admit, her pelmeni was to die for. And I supposed Tallon appreciated the gnhi because he ate two bowls. Or maybe he was just as starving as I was, considering neither of us had eaten that morning.


    Weddings were hard to n, but even harder to execute. The cake came out, a glorious massive wedding cake with an untold number ofyers and details that I didn¡¯t even think were possible. They had somehow made balconies with flowers falling over the sides, columns on the edges that had little doors in the middle.


    Despite being reassured that everything on the cake was edible, it was hard to believe that the ss heart topper with both of our names written on it and flowers abundantly pouring over the top cake onto the sides like a river of spring was entirely made of cake.


    It was almost too beautiful to cut, but the cake was meant to be eaten and enjoyed, so Tallon held my hand as we cut into the masterpiece, showcasing the unusual vors beneath. We had gone with a mixture of hummingbird cake, Italian cream, and German chocte, all in different tiers of course.


    Though after the cake was cut and served, that didn¡¯t stop Tallon from taking a slice of all three vors and taking a bite of all three of them at the same time.


    ¡°Surprisingly edible.¡± He shrugged, finishing it off with a ss of red wine. As the night continued, the drinks came out and the fancy party turned into the equivalent of a college bar on a Friday night.


    Dahlia and Olivia had taken to the drinks a little too much and had barely been stopped from dancing on the tables to a very explicit song by Olivia¡¯s husband, Giovani, and her son, Elio.


    Despite being sixteen years old, Elio was already as tall as his father and clearly had the same curly hair and dark features. He would be a heartbreaker when he grew up. He somehow managed to coax his mother and godmother off the tables.


    Giovani had just red at the DJ we hired until he was sweating bullets and reluctantly changed the song. Tallon found the whole thing hrious, as did most of his family members.


    I had a few drinks as well, my cheeks glowing a bright pink as I found everything around me unusually funny, leaning on Tallon¡¯s shoulders as his rtives continued to share stories and celebrate the happy asion.


    But as Tallon diligently opened presents, saving the cards to write thank you notester, my head gradually slipped to fully leaning on my husband¡¯s shoulder, my eyes fluttering sleepily with a soft smile on my face.


    I held one of his hands in myp, my fingers gently twirling the ring I¡¯d ced on his finger mere hours ago. The metal was a calming presence in the chaos around us, but I found I didn¡¯t mind all the craziness.


    His presence was warm and strong and dependable, his eyes so loving and protective, and his scent¡ªit was so familiar that it reminded me strongly of the bedroom we shared together, of the safe space I had with him at home.


    No, that wasn¡¯t right.


    Tallon himself was home.


    And that was why I began to drift off, too tired to keep my eyes open as I trusted my husband to keep me safe and warm, filled in a room with so much love and care from not just his family, but ours now.


    Our family... our home... our life together¡ªI had shared every part of me with him, and there was nothing else I could ever want than him by my side. Even in my soft drifting, I could still feel as he chuckled, pressing a kiss to my temple.


    His long arms wrapped around my body, lifting me up and carrying me through the crowd. I frowned, stirring slightly in the haze of sleep as I heard the whispering around me, excited and joyful, but none of the words stuck.


    I drifted in and out, catching only snippets of sounds or feelings until I felt myself being lowered, a plush feeling on my back and my eyes snapped open as I jerked awake.


    ¡°Tallon?¡± I reached out instinctively, gripping the sleeve of his tux before he left.


    ¡°Hey.¡± He smiled, giving me a soft look as he gently brushed the little hairs that had escaped from the pins in my hair from my face. ¡°I was going to let you sleep.¡±


    I pouted, sitting up as I brushed the corners of my eyes, giving him a soft look as I said, ¡°But it¡¯s our wedding night.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t deny that I had certain expectations about this night. I¡¯d prepared so meticulously, and he was just going to sleep with me... without sleeping with me?


    I gave him a grumpy look and he chuckled, leaning down to press a kiss to my lips. I grabbed the cor of his jacket, pulling him toward me, and I felt his grin before he truly let go of any gentleness.


    His hands held him up on either side of me. His tongue immediately swirled around my bottom lip and I let him in easily, moaning as our tongues met in a sh of passion and heat. His hands trailed down my back, caressing my waist and hips before he gently moved back up, tangling his hands in my hair.


    I felt the knot of the hairdo that Olivia had done so carefullye undone, my hair spilling out and over my shoulders in curls. His fingers trailed down my spine, unzipping the back of my dress, and I kicked off my shoes in response, barely taking a gap between intense kisses.


    I murmured his name, relishing in the sound of it as he pushed me onto my back, gentlyying one knee over each side of me without disconnecting our lips... and if it wasn¡¯t for the need to breathe, I swear neither of us would¡¯vee back up.


    We both panted as he helped peel my dress off me and onto the floor. He sat back on his knees, his eyes dark with lust as he saw the lingerie I had bought just for tonight. It was a pure white strapless bra and high-waist panty set with ckce trim, and garters attached to the stockings along my feet.


    ¡°You naughty girl.¡± He smirked at me, ying with the tiny ck bows on either side of my waist, the only slip of fabric keeping him from the wet core underneath, one that was longing for him.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d like it,¡± I said innocently, blinking coyly up at him as I slowly slipped out from under him and got up on my knees. I snaked my arms around his neck.


    I yfully bit at his tie, pulling until it came undone, and he watched me with lidded eyes, my every movement slow and purposeful as I carefully kissed the side of his neck, trailing down to his cor. With slow movements, I undid the buttons on his shirt, pressing kisses on each bit of exposed skin, and he breathed out heavy and unsteady.


    Each time I got a bit lower, a bit lower until my mouth ended at the button of his cks, his hard member pushing through the fabric, hot and bulging for release. In one smooth movement, I undid the button, letting his ck pull down to his knees, and with it, came his boxers.


    His cock sprung forth, ready and pulsing hot and red, almost angry looking, but I wasn¡¯t afraid. I took him into my mouth, sucking softly and going slow at first until I heard a soft sound from the back of his throat, a little needy gasp.


    Feeling confident and more powerful, I sucked hard, bobbing my head back and forth as I pushed more and more of him into my throat. But right as I could feel his cock expanding, his hips thrusting in tune with my mouth as I felt him just about there, he grabbed me by the hair, pulling me off his cock.


    I gave him a curious look, licking the corner of my lips, which still tasted like him.


    ¡°If I¡¯m going toe tonight, it¡¯s going to be inside of you,¡± he said darkly, well beyond his limit of patience.


    I just smirked, knowing I was ying with fire as I tilted my head and said two words. ¡°Prove it.¡±


    With a challenge in his eyes, my husband pounced upon me. He grabbed my legs, twisting me onto my stomach and I moaned as he caressed the curves of my ass harshly, untying the bows at each of my hips and the fabric fell apart just as it was meant to.


    I wiggled my ass for him, already dripping wet, and he just clicked his tongue, instead taking it very slowly as he trailed a finger just on the outskirts of my folds, teasing with little pressure. I shivered from the feeling, impatient as I bit my bottom lip.


    His other hand snuck into my bra, molding my breast into the shape of his hand as he massaged firmly, rubbing against my tender buds.


    ¡°Tease,¡± I gasped out as he focused his attention on every single spot that he knew was my weakness.


    ¡°Only for my beautiful wife,¡± he replied, the chuckle in his voice sending a shiver up and down my spine as he dipped one finger into me.


    I moaned, breathing like I¡¯d run a marathon. He worked every inch of me,ying his lips and hands everywhere until I felt like he¡¯d branded his name across my skin. But after so long, I was shaking, tears in the corners of my eyes as hevished in his slow pace, taking his sweet time but increasing the pleasure just enough to keep me on the edge.


    I was begging him with every breath, trying to chase after the edge I needed, the passion and intensity more than anything I¡¯d felt before and he breathed in my ear, just as affected as I was.


    ¡°As you wish, wife,¡± he whispered in my ear, finally pulling his fingers out of me.


    He flipped me onto my back easily, grasping my hands in his as he lined his cock up to my entrance, and I was more than prepared for his one smooth push that slid right into me.


    I cried out, screaming at the pleasure that hit me, but he wasn¡¯t holding back any longer. He mmed his hips against mine, thrusting into me harshly and hitting just the right spot to bring tears to my eyes.


    We held onto one another, the rings on our hands shing together as we collided into one another and then, we were falling apart.


    Our hearts matched in pace, our bodies in tune with one another as we fell together as husband and wife for the first time in a sh of earth-shattering indulgence.


    As we breathed together,bored, and slowly came back to our senses, only one thought hit me as I stared into the eyes of my newlywed husband.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for the honeymoon,¡± I gasped out.


    Tallonughed.

 Chapter 595 : One Last Thing

    <h4>Chapter 595: Chapter 595 : One Last Thing</h4>


    *One Week Later*


    *Tallon*


    I found Natalia curled up in an armchair in the living room reading a thriller. I loved the way she bit her lip and furrowed her brow just slightly every time she read something that intrigued her. She was always beautiful, but I especially loved her like this, curled up in her pajamas with a good book.


    I knew she was most at ease when she was immersed in her reading, and I loved that I got to see that more vulnerable side of her.


    I still couldn¡¯t believe that she was my wife. It felt strangely formal yet somehow exactly perfect to look at her and think, ¡®That¡¯s my wife.¡¯ Every puzzle piece was finally falling into ce, and now there was just one thing I still wanted to do.


    I walked over behind her and leaned down to kiss her neck, loving the way my touch sent goosebumps down her skin. She groaned in mock-irritation and closed her book, turning to look at me pointedly.


    She knew that there was no point in trying to ignore me now that I was wanting her attention. I was pretty sure that she secretly loved the way I would find her just to pull her in for a few kisses.


    ¡°Yes?¡± she asked, her lips quirked up in a half smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ve realized that we made a terrible mistake,¡± I murmured, pressing kisses along her neck to punctuate my words.


    ¡°And what could that possibly be?¡±


    ¡°We forgot to n a honeymoon!¡± I pulled away from her neck and walked around the chair to kneel in front of her. ¡°I know you were so distracted by the thought of marrying such a catch as myself, but I can¡¯t believe you forgot to tell me where you wanted to go.¡±


    Sheughed at my teasing, then thought for a second.


    ¡°We can go anywhere,¡± I promised, ¡°no limits.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, Tallon. I¡¯m kind of tired of nning things. Can you just surprise me? I know I¡¯ll love whatever you decide.¡±


    I grinned. ¡°I was hoping you might say that. Alright, you get back to reading. I¡¯ll get to nning!¡±


    I already knew exactly where I wanted to take her.


    ***


    *A Few Days Later*


    Our private jet taxied on the tarmac at Naples-Capodichino International Airport. Natalia turned to me, her face lit up.


    ¡°We¡¯re going back to Positano, aren¡¯t we?¡± she asked excitedly.


    I nodded and she immediately hopped into myp, wrapping her arms around my neck and squeezing tightly. Her excitement made my own build as I held her close and rubbed her back absentmindedly, thinking of all the things we would get to do that we hadn¡¯t been able to thest time we were here.


    This time around, it would be the perfect trip. I had given Vinny and Alessandro strict instructions not to contact me. I had faith that they could handle anything that would pop up.


    Natalia and I needed this time uninterrupted together. I wanted to really show her that she was the center of my whole world, and nothing could take me away from her.


    We got out of the jet and into the ck SUV that had been waiting on the runway for us. I didn¡¯t always opt for shy transportation, but for our honeymoon I had chosen a luxurious vehicle that would have us traveling infort and style.


    There was already a bucket of ice in the back with a chilled bottle of champagne waiting for us to pop. As soon as Natalia had settled in, I poured us both sses and tipped mine toward hers for a toast.


    ¡°May our love grow stronger with each passing moment. May we always remember the best times and tackle the hard times together, hand in hand. I love you, Natalia, forever.¡± She clinked her ss against mine, tears welling up in her eyes.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she said quietly, her voice thick with emotion.


    We both took a sip from our sses but quickly set them down in favor of wrapping our arms around each other. We just wanted to hold each other and remind ourselves that this was real.


    In what felt like no time at all, we were driving into Positano. Thest time we had left here, I had wondered if I was screwing things up between us for good. The fact that I wasing back with Natalia as my wife overwhelmed me with pride. It had not been an easy road for the two of us, but we had ovee every difficulty that life threw at us, and we were a stronger couple for it.


    I had rented a private home for us in Positano. As we walked to the front door, I sat our bags down, then reached out and swept Natalia off her feet so that I could carry her through the front door.


    ¡°Tallon, what are you¨C¡± she giggled.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this what I¡¯m supposed to do with my new bride?¡± I asked, setting her down and closing the door behind us quickly so that I could pull her into a deep kiss.


    She fell into the kiss as much as I did, and before long we were both breathing heavily, our faces flushed and our clothes wrinkled from more than just traveling. She pulled away before I did.


    ¡°I packed too many designer clothes to leave our bags just sitting outside,¡± sheughed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy you a new wardrobe every week,¡± I dered, pulling her back in for another kiss.


    She rolled her eyes but didn¡¯t move to stop me. I knew she loved it just as much as I did. Our physical chemistry had always been perfect.


    Once I had kissed her enough to know that she was putty in my hands, I nudged her to go toward the bedroom and told her to let me get our bags. She walked off in a daze, and although I wanted nothing more than to follow her immediately, I knew that we really would regret it if our luggage was stolen.


    As quickly as I could, I grabbed the bags from outside and pulled them in, only to dump them by the front door so that I could follow her to the bedroom.


    My beautiful bride was curled up on the bed, waiting expectantly for me to join her. Although we had a day filled with ns, I couldn¡¯t resist climbing in next to her and running my hand over her hip, knowing we didn¡¯t really have time for what I wanted to do with her.


    ¡°Tonight,¡± I promised, ¡°I will have you every way that I can think of.¡±


    Her cheeks turned pink with the innuendo, and I leaned over to catch her mouth onest time before we really did need to leave.


    Hourster, we had walked ourselves to exhaustion. Natalia had taken thousands of photos to show Mia when we got home, and I had spent the entire day just watching her and soaking in every second. We were both exhausted, but we just barely had time to get ready for our dinner reservations.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Natalia asked as she pinned her hair up in a way that entuated her lovely jawline.


    I came up behind her and wrapped my hands around her waist, careful not to get in the way of the work she was doing to her hair.


    ¡°Il Tridente, of course,¡± I murmured and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.


    She shivered under my hands.


    ¡°Alright, but this time, I¡¯m only sticking to two sses of champagne,¡± she chuckled, remembering thest time we had eaten there.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s too bad, I had a great time with drunk Natalia,¡± I teased. ¡°But I suppose I¡¯ll have an even better time with tipsy Natalia. She won¡¯t fall asleep before I manage to get her to bed.¡±


    She smiled slightly as I kissed my way from her neck to her shoulder.


    ¡°You look so beautiful, baby,¡± I said quietly, letting my chin rest on her shoulder so that I could make eye contact with her in the mirror.


    And she did. She was absolutely breathtaking in a shimmery ck gown that skimmed her curves perfectly before elegantly cascading to the floor. She looked like a Russian princess.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she said as she finished with her hair. She turned around so that she could wrap her arms around my neck.


    ¡°I love you so much,¡± I responded, nuzzling my face once more against her neck.


    At Il Tridente, I had rented out the entire restaurant so that we would get the royal treatment and total privacy. We sat at a table near the edge of the roof that had the perfect view of the sparkling city as well as the moonlit ocean. Natalia kept staring out at all of it, but I couldn¡¯t stop staring at her.


    ¡°I never thought this would be my life,¡± she sighed as we dug into our first course. ¡°I still keep pinching myself, thinking it¡¯s going to turn out that I¡¯m back at my mom¡¯s and this has all been an borate dream.¡±


    ¡°You deserve this and so much more. I feel so lucky that I get to be the one to give it to you,¡± I said fiercely.


    I hated the way her family had convinced her that she wasn¡¯t worth a life like this. I knew she still had a few deep-rooted insecurities left over from them.


    ¡°I¡¯m just d you found me... or I guess I technically found you,¡± she said with augh.


    Iughed too, then held up my ss. ¡°To the most beautiful spy whom I¡¯ve ever met. Thank God they sent you and not your uncle.¡±


    She threw her head back and gave a deep bellyugh, the kind that she so rarely let out. It made me so proud to make herugh like that. Natalia had always been a person who guarded her heart. That she had let me in would never cease to amaze me.


    She raised her ss and added, ¡°To the most forgiving person who has ever been spied upon.¡±


    I smiled as we clinked our sses, and we both took a sip. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was the most forgiving person, or if I just knew that she hadn¡¯t truly done anything that needed my forgiveness.


    ¡°No matter what fate throws at us next, I¡¯m sure that we can ovee it. I will always know how lucky I am to have a woman like you at my side,¡± I told her.


    I knew it was true. She was the strongest person I knew, and thanks to her, I could handle anything.


    ¡°Thank you, I hope I can be the woman you think that I am,¡± she said quietly.


    I reached out and took her hand in mine. ¡°I know you are.¡±

 Chapter 596 : Honeymooners

    <h4>Chapter 596: Chapter 596 : Honeymooners</h4>


    *Natalia*


    ¡°As you can see, the owner was heavily influenced by ssic Italian art.¡± Our tour guide pointed at one of the busts in the Vi San Michele.


    I was grateful for the other people on the tour, who seemed far more interested in what we were doing than I was.


    It was an absolutely gorgeous museum, but this tour alone hadsted over an hour, and it was our third one of the day. I was beginning to suspect that Tallon had jam-packed our day just in case our trip was cut short again.


    I loved seeing so much of the Isle of Capri, but I found myself continuously ignoring the beautiful views in favor of staring at my husband. We had ended the night before with a sweet round of lovemaking, but it hadn¡¯t even begun to satiate my hunger for him.


    Tallon felt my gaze and turned to make eye contact, smiling at me absently and reaching out to entangle his fingers with mine. He turned back to the tour guide but pulled my hand up to his mouth for a gentle kiss.


    Fuck, that shouldn¡¯t have turned me on nearly as much as it did. The press of his mouth on my skin gave me a shback to the other ces his mouth had been and sent a little shiver of desire straight to my heart.


    He moved as if he was going to drop my hand, but I clung to him and stepped closer so that our sides were pressed together. I couldn¡¯t get nearly enough contact.


    ¡°Please follow me as we head toward the private garden, one of Italy¡¯s most beautiful private parks,¡± the tour guide said.


    We exited the vi through a gigantic archway and found ourselves in paradise. I gasped in awe at the stone pathway surrounded by lush nts that led all around the vi. It was like a fairy book pagee to life with the way the nts grew over an intricate pagoda that had been built over the pathway. Everywhere I looked was filled with green.


    Tallon tugged at my hand gently to pull me away from our tour group. We walked in silence for a few moments, taking in the peace and tranquility of the garden. In spite of all the tourists, there was a hush that had fallen over everyone who walked through the pathway, as though the garden was far too beautiful for pointless chatter.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy you brought me here,¡± I whispered, reluctant to break the silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy to be here with you,¡± Tallon whispered back before quickly pulling me into a hidden corner, blocked on three sides by pirs and hidden from view of anyone walking the path.


    He pushed me against the pir and crowded over me, his hands firmly nted on my waist. I tilted my chin up as he leaned down and caught my mouth in a kiss that was almost harsh with passion.


    He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth and bit me slightly, pulling a gasp out of me as he licked at the small hurt and immediately bit again. He kept one hand on my waist but moved the other to cup the back of my neck, ensuring that I wouldn¡¯t pull away until he was ready for me to... not that I had any desire to end this. It was exactly what I had been desperate to do with him all day.


    ¡°Tell me you¡¯re mine,¡± he growled low in his throat, quietly enough that anyone walking by on the pathway wouldn¡¯t be able to hear him.


    ¡°I¡¯m yours,¡± I moaned into his mouth as he moved his hand from my waist to my breast and teased at my nipple with his thumb.


    He pulled away for a moment and let go of my neck so that he could tuck his thumb under my chin, ensuring that I wouldn¡¯t look away.


    ¡°Bringing you here... it reminds me of thest time,¡± he murmured, ¡°when you weren¡¯t really mine, not yet.¡±


    I gazed into his eyes, trying to read him. I could see there was real tension there and hurt. My heart dropped as I saw how desperately he needed me to reassure him that what we had was real and destined tost.


    ¡°Tallon, I am yours until the end of time. Nobodyes between you and me, not ever,¡± I said firmly, reaching up to cup his cheeks in my hands.


    He turned his face to kiss my palm, then leaned down for a sweeter kiss than before. The passion was still there, but the slightly desperate feeling had subsided. We kissedzily for a few more moments, but jumped awkwardly apart as we heard someone walk by too close forfort.


    ¡°I want to go back to the vi now,¡± I whispered.


    He smiled at me knowingly and nodded. We managed to make it to the car before we started kissing again, and by the time we got back to the vi, I was practically panting, I was so desperate for him.


    The second the door was shut, Tallon picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he took the both of us to the bedroom, our mouths locked the entire time.


    ¡°I have no idea what you have nned for the rest of the day, but you need to cancel it,¡± I demanded as he sat me down on the bed.


    He chuckled at my tone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nobody will care if we miss it.¡±


    He stared down at me on the bed as he tugged his tie free and threw it on the floor. He didn¡¯t break his gaze even as he unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves to his elbows. I bit my lip as I stared up at him, desperate for whatever was going to happen next.


    ¡°Do you want to show me who you belong to right now?¡± he asked softly, his voice unbearably sexy.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I sighed, just waiting to submit myself to him. It was rare that he let this possessive, domineering side of himself out to y, but I loved it every single time. I felt that it was a sign of immense trust between the two of us that he was willing to show me a side of him that few people ever got to see.


    ¡°Take your panties off, but keep the dress on,¡± hemanded.


    I rushed to obey him, standing up to quickly shimmy out of my underwear and letting it drop to my feet before quickly sitting back down on the bed. My dress was a soft, silky material that felt deliciously sensual against my skin. I hadn¡¯t worn a bra with it, and I could see Tallon¡¯s gaze move quickly down to my nipples as they hardened against the silvery fabric.


    He dropped to his knees in front of me and leaned forward to ce his mouth on my nipple over my dress. I gasped at the sudden sensation as he gently bit down just enough to send a shot of pleasure right to my core.


    He pulled away and moved to my other breast, giving it the same treatment. The wet spot he¡¯d left on my dress quickly chilled in the air, leaving a reminder of where his mouth had been. He stood back up so that he could look down at his handiwork, visibly pleased at the way the wetness from his mouth had given the dress a more translucent quality so that my nipples were nearly visible but still just hidden enough to tease.


    He reached up and unbuttoned his shirt the rest of the way. My eyes followed his strong hands as they worked to reveal his chiseled chest and abs. He pulled his shirt off and tossed it into the corner before turning back to me.


    I could practically feel my mouth watering at the sight of him. I let out a small whine from the back of my throat, something between a whimper and moan as I was overwhelmed with the desire to put my mouth on him.


    ¡°What do you want, sweetheart?¡± he asked. ¡°You know you can ask me for anything.¡± There was a wonderfully wicked gleam in his eye as he looked down at me, waiting for whatever dirty thing woulde out of my mouth.


    ¡°I want to taste you,¡± I admitted, biting my lip as I looked up at him.


    ¡°Fuck, I love it when you say that,¡± he groaned. ¡°But I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to let you have me just yet. You¡¯re going to have to earn it.¡±


    I fought a smile from rising to my lips. I loved it when he yed hard to get, and it seemed that today he was intent on drawing this out.


    ¡°Hm, I think I want you on your hands and knees on the bed, facing away from me,¡± he said.


    I obeyed quickly, my dress hiking up around my thighs in my hurry. I felt vulnerable in the best way as he stood behind me and I waited to see what he would do next. I didn¡¯t have to wait long for him to reach out and tug my dress up so that my ass and pussy were exposed to him. Thanks to his teasing, I was already soaked, and I knew he would love seeing how much he had already turned me on.


    He ran his hand over my ass and between my thighs, brushing against my folds with a touch so light I couldn¡¯t help but arch into it, trying to increase the friction. He pulled his hand away and tsked at me.


    ¡°Such a needy woman,¡± he murmured. ¡°I can see how wet you are for me.¡±


    I moaned, arching my back to give him better ess. He obliged my wordless pleading by pressing a finger gently inside of me, going slowly enough to ensure that he wouldn¡¯t hurt me.


    ¡°Fuck, yes,¡± I gasped. ¡°More, please.¡±


    He chuckled at my begging, but quickly added a finger to his explorations, stretching me just slightly. I stayed as still as I could, allowing him to take his time. He rewarded my patience by pulling his fingers out and moving them to circle my clit. His movements were maddeningly slow, but I knew the payoff would be worth it.


    ¡°Who does this pussy belong to?¡± he asked as he rolled my clit between his finger and his thumb.


    I jerked against him involuntarily and his movements quickened.


    ¡°You,¡± I managed to say between my teeth as my entire body tensed with pleasure. Fuck, I was already going to orgasm, and he hadn¡¯t even taken my dress all the way off.


    But I should have known Tallon had other ns. Just as I thought my orgasm was imminent, he pulled away from me entirely. I whined at the suddenck of sensation and looked over my shoulder to pout at him.


    ¡°I know, I know, but I don¡¯t want you going just yet. I think you can take a lot more,¡± he reassured me. ¡°Now stand up so I can help you out of that pretty dress.¡±


    I got off the bed and turned my back to him so that he could undo my zipper. Once it was down, he slipped the sleeves down my arms slowly, running his hands down every inch of me until I was covered in goosebumps.


    It amazed me that something so simple as running his hands down my arms could feel so intimate after what he had just been doing to me, but that was what I loved about Tallon. Every touch from him reminded me that I was cherished. He put his hands on my waist and encouraged me to turn around so that I could face him.


    ¡°My god, you are so fucking gorgeous,¡± he said before leaning down to kiss me again, his hands roaming freely over my naked body.


    I reached out and undid his belt buckle, then pulled at his pants until he finally pulled away from our kiss and helped me get him out of his pants. I slipped my hand into his underwear and wrapped it loosely around his cock, loving how hard he already felt. His eyes zed slightly at my touch, and I grinned, knowing that he would do whatever I wanted now that I had my hands on him.


    I knelt in front of him and pulled his underwear down so that he could step out of them. He tangled his hands in my hair, and I quickly pulled his entire length into my mouth, loving the way his entire body shuddered with pleasure. I felt his hands clench in my hair as he guided me, his body tense as he struggled to keep himself from losing control entirely. Too soon, he pulled out of my mouth and reached under my arms to pick me up.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore, I need to fuck you,¡± he muttered before turning me to bend over the bed.


    He teased my entrance for only a moment, ensuring that I was wet enough to take him, before he filled me so quickly that it left me gasping, the stretch deliciously overwhelming. The second I had adjusted to him, he pulled out and pushed back into me.


    I clenched at the sheets as he held my hips so that he could determine our pace. My breasts were pressed against the bed, his movements creating the perfect amount of friction against the sheets. Once Tallon had settled into a consistent pace, he reached around to tease at my clit.


    ¡°I want you toe with me,¡± he said, kissing my shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m so close,¡± I panted as he kept pace with his hand and his hips. My entire body felt like it had been coiled up and woulde loose at any moment. I knew it would only be seconds before I was sent directly over the edge into bliss.


    Tallon responded by increasing his speed, sending me into a screaming orgasm before I had even taken another breath. As my body squeezed around him, he jerked into me, his movements erratic as he matched my orgasm. He held me there for a second, both of us gasping for air as our bodies remained connected.


    Finally, he pulled out and climbed onto the bed before pulling me against his chest, his arms wrapped around me as I rested my head on his shoulder.


    ¡°I love you so much, Natalia,¡± he whispered, as if the words were too precious to speak out loud.


    ¡°I love you, Tallon... forever,¡± I whispered back.


    If this was married life, it was going to be a piece of cake. I had never been happier in my entire life as I was wrapped up in my husband¡¯s arms.

 Chapter 597 : Gummy Worm Toasts

    <h4>Chapter 597: Chapter 597 : Gummy Worm Toasts</h4>


    *Two Months Later*


    *Natalia*


    Mia helped mey a white tablecloth over my bed so that we could eat in it without getting crumbs everywhere. We set our pizza in the middle of the tablecloth, then organized chips and candies all around it so that we could easily grab a variety of foods.


    Alessandro and Tallon were gone for the evening, so we had nned a girls¡¯ night in to enjoy ourselves. First up on the agenda: consume the mountain of junk food that we had piled onto my bed.


    I had ordered the pizza and Mia had been in charge of chips and candy. I stared down at the colorful wrappings and marveled at the selection she had brought. We had everything from Italian choctes to American sour candies, with plenty of chip options as well.


    Once we were satisfied that everything wasid out nicely, we settled ourselves into the bed and dug in. I went straight for a slice of pizza; a ssic Italian margherita with the perfect amount of mozzare. Mia picked up a bag of gummy worms and popped one into her mouth. We both moaned at the same time, then made eye contact, and burst intoughter.


    ¡°Oh my god, we are ridiculous,¡± Mia giggled.


    ¡°Our men leave for like ten minutes and we lose all control,¡± Iughed.


    It was so nice to have her around. Tallon would indulge me if I said I wanted to have a pic in our room, but he wouldn¡¯t get it the way Mia did. Some things women just inherently understood, like the simple pleasure of eating junk food while snuggled up in bed.


    I had never really had many friends growing up, let alone female friends. It had made me nervous when Alessandro first started bringing Mia around, but now I couldn¡¯t imagine not knowing her. She had quickly be my closest friend.


    ¡°Look, I love all the five-star hotels and fancy dinners as much as the next woman, but sometimes I just crave this kind of food. I don¡¯t think Alessandro or Tallon gets it, to be honest. They were raised in such a different world,¡± Mia said.


    I nodded my agreement as I took another bite of my pizza. It was the perfect blend of gooey from the cheese and crispy from the crust.


    ¡°Speaking of Alessandro, how are you two doing now that you¡¯ve moved in together?¡± I asked after finishing my bite.


    One of my favorite things about Mia was the fact that we could talk openly about our men with each other. I couldn¡¯t imagine having a best friend whom I had to keep Tallon¡¯s job from. It was perfect that Mia knew everything about the family business.


    ¡°I mean, there are growing pains for sure,¡± she said, grabbing another gummy worm and taking a bite out of it.


    I was surprised to hear anything but excitement from her. I knew that she¡¯d wanted to move in with Alessandro for a long time. As far as I knew, he was over the moon now that they lived together.


    ¡°What¡¯s been the hardest part?¡± I asked, genuinely curious to know.


    The circumstances that had led to Tallon and I moving in together had been less than ideal, but I supposed the outside stress of dealing with my psychotic family had helped alleviate any internal stress that we might have felt. It was impossible to get worked up over the small things at home when we had such big stuff going on outside the home.


    ¡°Honestly, just getting used to checking in with someone has been tough for me. I¡¯ve spent so much of my life being an independent woman that I¡¯m not used to having someone who really cares where I¡¯m at and what I¡¯m doing. Don¡¯t get me wrong. I absolutely love having someone who wants to watch over me. It¡¯s just an adjustment. The other day he got pretty upset because I didn¡¯t get home when I said I would.¡± She shrugged, but I could tell there was more to the story.


    ¡°Well what time did you get home?¡± I asked, knowing that Alessandro wasn¡¯t the type to worry unnecessarily.


    ¡°It was a little after ten,¡± she admitted. ¡°I went out for a walk, but I got distracted and ended up doing some window shopping.¡±


    ¡°And what time were you supposed to get home?¡± I pressed, just barely able to keep the smile off my face.


    ¡°A little before eight.¡±


    ¡°Mia!¡± I scolded. ¡°I would have been worried too! You didn¡¯t even check in with him?¡±


    ¡°Well, my phone died. And I might have been struggling to find my way back.¡±


    I smacked my forehead in disbelief. No wonder Alessandro had been upset. She¡¯d been missing for over two hours, and he hadn¡¯t known where she was.


    And it sounded like she hadn¡¯t known where she was either. Hell, when I ran away from Tallon after our fight, he¡¯d sent the whole damn mafia to find me. She was lucky Alessandro hadn¡¯t alerted his men.


    ¡°You know that¡¯s ridiculous,¡± I told her.


    ¡°h h h, I promise I heard it all from him already,¡± she muttered. Her words came out annoyed, but a smile yed at her lips. ¡°He made me start carrying around a phone charger in my purse. Do you know how annoying that is?¡±


    ¡°You love that he worries about you,¡± I said.


    It wasn¡¯t a question. I could tell by how she was acting. She hadn¡¯t meant to worry him, but she loved that he cared enough to worry. I got it, especially after growing up in a family that didn¡¯t really give a shit about me one way or the other, it was intoxicating to have someone love me enough to worry about me.


    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± she asked.


    Iughed and nodded vigorously. She smacked my arm, then reached for a slice of pizza.


    ¡°Alright fine, I¡¯m a lovesick fool and I can¡¯t get enough. I live with the man, and I still can¡¯t get enough of him,¡± she said before taking a dramatic bite.


    ¡°I know the feeling,¡± I reassured her.


    Although it was amazing to be cared for the way Tallon cared for me and Alessandro cared for Mia, it was also intimidating. It made you constantly wonder if you were good enough for that kind of love, and it made you terrified of what might happen if you ever lost it.


    ¡°Have you guys talked about marriage at all?¡± I probed.


    I had a feeling Alessandro would be asking her soon, but I hadn¡¯t heard anything from him. I hoped Tallon would keep me in the loop, but it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if the two men had decided to keep everything from me just in case I spoiled the surprise for Mia.


    ¡°No, but he¡¯s the type who would want it to be a total surprise. I know he won¡¯t say a word to me until he¡¯s down on one knee.¡± She rolled her eyes, her grin making it obvious that that was exactly the way she wanted it to be.


    ¡°Aw, he¡¯s such a romantic at heart,¡± I gushed.


    Suddenly she turned to me, her eyes narrowed. ¡°Do you know anything? Has he told you and Tallon about any ns?¡±


    ¡°No! I swear, he hasn¡¯t told us a word. I wish he would, I want to know what his n is!¡± I eximed.


    She sat the pizza slice back down and settled back against the headboard. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. I hope he asks soon. I really want to be his wife. Even when he¡¯s upset with me, even when I have to carry a damn phone charger just to ensure he can reach me, even when he leaves his beard trimmings in the sink because he left in a rush... it doesn¡¯t matter. I still love him and want to call him my husband.¡± She stared dreamily into space, no doubt imagining her wedding.


    ¡°That was ridiculously adorable,¡± I told her.


    She threw her head back andughed. ¡°Well, that¡¯s what love does to you, I guess. I¡¯ve officially be adorable.¡±


    ¡°Well, I want you two to get married for my own reasons. Then you and I would finally be family,¡± I told her shyly.


    Revealing to Mia just how much I loved her made me feel vulnerable, but in the best way. I truly saw her as a sister, and I wanted her to know that. Thankfully, she reached out and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.


    ¡°I would love that,¡± she said, her arms still squeezing me.


    When she pulled away, we both dabbed at our eyes, wiping away the few tears that had gathered there. Weughed at ourselves, but I knew we both felt incredibly lucky to be in each other¡¯s lives.


    ¡°And here I thought I¡¯d end up with inws as crazy as my own family,¡± I joked. ¡°Instead, I¡¯m afraid I might be the craziest of the bunch.¡±


    She looked at me pointedly. ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s not you. It¡¯s Alessandro. Did you not hear the part where he¡¯s making me carry a phone charger in my purse? I was onlyte the one time!¡±


    Iughed at her exasperation. ¡°No, you don¡¯t get sympathy from me. I¡¯m in favor of the phone charger thing,¡± I teased. ¡°I don¡¯t want you lost in the city either.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, I was not lost! I knew exactly where I was!¡±


    ¡°Somehow, I don¡¯t think Alessandro quite bought that argument. And I¡¯m not buying it either. You got lost. In the city, at night!¡±


    ¡°Fine, when you put it that way, I guess the phone charger makes sense,¡± she admitted, crossing her arms and pouting dramatically.


    Her theatrics had me cracking up. She was such a perfect match for Alessandro. It was ridiculous. I was certain the two of them would be married soon, and I had a feeling that the four of us would grow old together, close friends for the rest of our lives.


    When I¡¯d first fallen in love with Tallon, it had been terrifying. I had been so certain that my heart would be broken as I tried to bnce my growing love for him with my loyalty to my family. I¡¯d had no clue just how lucky I was about to be.


    Not only had he managed to help my family and create a peace treaty that had never existed between his family and mine, but he¡¯d also given me the first real home I¡¯d ever had. Not just a ce to live, but a ce where people loved me, and I loved them.


    I reached out and grabbed the bag of gummy worms, handing one to Mia and taking one for myself.


    ¡°Cheers,¡± I said, holding out my gummy worm and tapping it against hers, ¡°to us and to friendship.¡±


    ¡°Cheers,¡± she responded before taking a bite from her worm.


    We settled into afortable silence, just enjoying the pleasant feeling of eating good food while in goodpany.


    I hoped that this feeling of contentment would carry through the rest of my life.

 Chapter 598 : The Engagement Ring

    <h4>Chapter 598: Chapter 598 : The Engagement Ring</h4>


    *Tallon*


    ¡°Jesus Christ, if I¡¯d known this was going to be such a fucking ordeal, I would have started this project months ago!¡± Alessandro cursed under his breath.


    I couldn¡¯t stop the chuckle from erupting from my chest. My brother jabbed his elbow back, striking me in the arm in response. Unfortunately, this only made meugh even louder.


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny, Tallon,¡± he gritted through his teeth.


    Good God. It felt like ages since I¡¯d seen the guy be so worked up over something. Normally this sort of reaction was geared toward an outside threat. Buttely, my brother had be his own worst enemy... well, more or less, his anxiety had.


    Ever since he told me that he was thinking about finally popping the question to Mia, the man wasing apart at the seams due to excessive worrying. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure if he was worried that Mia would say no or if he was just concerned about screwing up the proposal all on his own.


    Regardless, I gave him my full sympathy.


    Looking back nearly a whole year, I could still recall the night I¡¯d proposed to Natalia. I¡¯d been a nervous wreck nearly the entire night until the waiters finally brought the dessert out and I pulled out the ck velvet box from my pocket.


    Once it was all over, my nerves were finally able to rest, and I could move forward with little worry. Now it was Alessandro¡¯s turn to go through the motions.


    This morning, before I left the house, Natalia told me that she and Mia would be out spending the afternoon together. The timing couldn¡¯t have been any more perfect, because within the same hour, Alessandro reached out and texted me about going out to search for the perfect engagement ring.


    I hadn¡¯t breathed a single word of this to Natalia. Although, a part of me felt that Natalia may have already suspected that this proposal was going to happen. If my wife could be considered anything, it was perceptive.


    After we returned from our honeymoon, the Natalia and Mia became even more inseparable than before. I was so d she¡¯d found someone to whom she could confide in other than myself. I loved my Natalia without any doubt, but I wanted her to have friends she could trust and spend time with. I couldn¡¯t imagine what it must have been like for her to grow up without any siblings.


    As annoying as Alessandro and Dahlia were at times, I wouldn¡¯t have wished for anything different.


    When it came to Natalia spending a good portion of her time with Mia, I had zeroints¡ªand to think that soon we¡¯d all be connected as family.


    ¡°Come on, man. This wasn¡¯t meant to be a stressful event,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Well, it is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re making it out to be that way,¡± Imented dryly.


    To think, this was the same man who had once ckmailed Olivia and was now losing his sanity over something as domestic as picking out an engagement ring. He let out a disgruntled noise while peering down at the dozens of designer rings the store attendant had ced out for us.


    Thanks to the owner¡¯s easy eptance of therge sum of cash we presented to him upon our arrival, they closed the ce down just for us. With no one else around and no other possible distractions, this should have been an easy-going venture without a doubt.


    But I could sense that my brother¡¯s nerves were straining more and more the longer his eyes wavered over the various velvet-lined trays.


    I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. Fucking hell, at the rate he was moving, we weren¡¯t going to return back home till sundown.


    ¡°For the love of God, you¡¯re overthinking this,¡± I told him. ¡°When I was picking out my ring for Natalia, I tried to imagine that she was there with me. You know?¡±


    Alessandro slowly nodded his head. Of course, being ced in front of several dozens of ring designs was intimidating. I was pretty sure that the guy would have rather walked straight into an ambush defenseless than be standing where he was.


    ¡°Yeah, you mean try to envision what she would pick out for herself.¡±


    I nodded my head with hope. ¡°Exactly!¡±


    ¡°Alright, well¡ª¡±


    He looked down. ¡°How about this one?¡±


    I nced at where Alessandro was pointing. It was a trillion-styled cut ring embedded between two smaller diamonds. It was nice, but it didn¡¯t really seem like a ring that Mia would wear.


    I narrowed my eyes and gently shook my head. Much to my surprise, he agreed with me, and we moved on to the next set.


    ¡°How about these?¡±


    My gaze roamed over the various simr round cut diamond bands. They were all stunningly crafted, but once more, none of them seemed like the right fit.


    Before we went any further, I reached out my hand to rest on my brother¡¯s shoulder. I snagged his attention and calmly spoke up.


    ¡°Here, let me ask you this. Because while I¡¯m more than happy to help you with this project, I¡¯m not the one who knows Mia best here.¡±


    Alessandro nodded his head in agreement. He scratched the back of his neck and let out a long breath.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said.


    ¡°Alright then. Tell me, do you believe she would gravitate more toward a traditional type of style, or is Mia a woman that is moved more by a unique¡ªlessmon sort of style?¡±


    I gestured toward the disy of rings that were all either oval and princess cut to then pointed to another disy that showcased Asscher and marquise cut rings.


    A long bout of silence passed before I turned my head back to Alessandro. The man didn¡¯t necessarily look frustrated, but more so lost in thought.


    ¡°Mia... she¡¯s everything,¡± he said. His voice grew low in his throat. ¡°The day I met her at that concert, I knew right then and there that everything had changed. I knew that I couldn¡¯t see myself with anyone else. I don¡¯t want to see myself with anyone else. She¡¯s a constant breath of fresh air that always keeps me grounded as well as on my toes. She makes me forget about the past and makes me actually want to look toward the future.¡±


    My brows lifted into my hair inplete shock. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever heard my brother speak like this about anyone. It was beautiful and incredibly unexpected. I believed I¡¯d just reached a whole new level of respect for my brother.


    Alessandro raked a rough hand through his hair. ¡°So, the fact that I¡¯m only meant to pick out one ring that¡¯s meant to encapste all of that is what¡¯s making this whole situation so goddamn difficult!¡±


    I offered a supportive smile and pped a hand on his back.


    ¡°All the more reason to take your time and really put some thought behind this ring then,¡± I said.


    ***


    After another hour of constant encouragement and careful searching, Alessandro had finally settled on an engagement ring for Mia.


    He¡¯d decided on a three-stone ented round cut ring.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± he said.


    And Ipletely agreed with him.


    The attendant happily ced the ring in a dark velvet box and handed it over to him with a wistful smile. Based on the grin that marked my brother¡¯s face, I could tell that he was satisfied with his choice. I snagged a quick nce at my watch and realized that I had a bit of time to burn before Natalia was expected to be home.


    ¡°How about we go grab a drink?¡± I suggested.


    Alessandro let out a hearty chuckle and jutted his chin forward. We thanked the jewelers again for giving us the privacy we needed and made off toward one of the nearby bars we used to frequent.


    The bar was evenly packed for a Thursday early evening. A good share of the people inside were locals that were too busy keeping to themselves to notice that the two us had stepped inside. One of the owners who stood behind the bar top recognized my brother and me immediately.


    ¡°Hey, look what the wind blew in,¡± Quinton eximed. A wide smile lightened the man¡¯s features. ¡°My, haven¡¯t seen you boys around here in ages.¡±


    We approached the bar and greeted Quinton with a respectful nod.


    ¡°How¡¯ve you been, Quinton?¡± I asked.


    The older man shrugged and tossed a faded rag over his shoulder. ¡°Same old, same old. Cannotin, eh?¡± he remarked. ¡°So, what brings you over to my neck of the woods?¡±


    I patted Alessandro on the back and turned my head.


    ¡°Well, this guy here just came from picking out an engagement ring for his girlfriend,¡± I said smugly.


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s wonderful! Come,e sit down here,¡± Quinton waved his hand over to the two empty spots that had just opened up. ¡°How¡¯s a couple sses of our house bourbon sound?¡±


    ¡°Sounds perfect,¡± Aless said.


    We both sat down and waited for Quinton to return with our drinks. For the first time in the past several hours, my brother appeared rxed. But I knew that beneath that chilled exterior, there was a whole new feeling of nervousness. At least from what I¡¯d experienced, I knew that such a feeling would surely pass once he¡¯d finally ask Mia to marry him.


    ¡°So, when are you thinking of actually popping the question?¡± I asked.


    Quinton ced two ss tumbles in front of us and turned back to greet another patron. I clicked our sses together and took a tentative sip.


    Alessandro spoke over the rim of his ss. ¡°I¡¯m going to do it tomorrow night. I know this really nice restaurant just outside of the city... small ce, family owned. I think it¡¯s perfect because it overlooks the countryside, and it will be nice and private.¡±


    He took another sip of his bourbon and nced passively around the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain that Mia has no idea that this ising,¡± he said. ¡°Then again, who knows? That woman can be unknowingly sneaky when she wants to be.¡±


    I snorted under my breath, earning myself a side-eyed nce from him.


    ¡°I know the feeling.¡±


    I took anotherrge sip of my drink and allowed the cool liquid to burn on the back of my tongue. Thoughts of my brother¡¯s soon-to-be engagement as well as my wife yed in my head. It was incredible how far we¡¯ve bothe from where it all started. I was so happy for him, for both of us.


    My mind wandered back to the very night Gio had named me the new Don. It felt like a lifetime ago when the grand decision was made¡ªall those shocked expressions and deathly res. I was almost certain that I was going to lose my brother that same night.


    We¡¯d had our fair share of fights. There had been multiple moments when we couldn¡¯t see eye to eye with one another. Oftentimes, I would remain calm and collected when in the face of turmoil or danger, whereas Alessandro possessed a more aggressive approach and had a tendency to be rash when making certain decisions.


    Taking a much-needed break from the family was exactly what we both needed. Alessandro was able to focus on himself, and I was able to give my attention to the role of Don without the constant worry of my brother¡¯s hatred toward me.


    Thankfully, that hatred had dispersed, and he was able toe back so that we could peacefully work together. The hot-tempered Alessandro that I grew up with had been reced with a matured, level-headed man that was on the verge of finally getting what he deserved¡ªa loving wife and hopefully a family of his own.


    The man hade a long way.


    ¡®I can¡¯t wait,¡¯ I thought happily to myself.

 Chapter 599 : Celebration

    <h4>Chapter 599: Chapter 599 : Celebration</h4>


    *Tallon*


    I wasn¡¯t going to lie. Having spent nearly the entire previous day ring shopping with Alessandro, it made me want to spend a nice, romantic night out in Florence with my own girl.


    When I told Natalia this morning that I was nning on taking us out to a nice dinner, I watched her face light up with pure excitement. We hadn¡¯t even fully finished our coffee when she flew out of her seat and rushed up to our room.


    ¡°Oh my God, what am I going to wear?¡± she shouted over her shoulder.


    I couldn¡¯t keep myself from smiling like aplete idiot. I hadn¡¯t even gotten the chance to even tell her where I was taking us, and the woman was gone.


    I yfully shook my head and finished up the rest of my breakfast. Between thinking about my wife and tonight¡¯s ns, my mind easily drifted to my brother. Lord only knew how he was holding up.


    The sses of bourbon he and I shared certainly helped ease his nerves the night before. But what about now? Between his troubling doubt and constant anxiety, I was worried that the poor man would give himself away before even getting a chance to properly propose.


    ¡®It will be fine,¡¯ I thought to myself.


    I wasn¡¯t nervous. For the sake of Alessandro and his crippling nerves, I was deeply excited for him to finally im the happiness that he so deserved.


    The day passed with a gentle ease. With Vinny filling me in on whatever business was currently going on, I found that there wasn¡¯t much to be dealt with. It felt like a rare gift to not be losing my mind over some kind of external or internal threat after thest couple of weeks I¡¯d had.


    With that in mind, I was able to make my way up to my bedroom and begin getting ready for our night out. I noticed the long, dark blue dress that was hanging up on one of the closet doors. I smiled to myself, thinking that Natalia had chosen well. Of course, she looked gorgeous in every color, but seeing her in dark blue always left my blood sizzling for her.


    Topliment her choice, I went ahead and chose a dark, charcoal gray colored dress shirt with a pair of ck pants and leather shoes. The door to the bathroom opened and I immediately turned my head to see Natalia in nothing but a thick, white robe. She¡¯d pinned up a part of her hair and curled the rest into loose tendrils that perfectly framed her face. Her makeup was wless andplimented her natural beauty.


    I felt myself harden in my pants at the mere sight of her.


    ¡°See something you like?¡± she asked yfully.


    I picked up a pair of gold cufflinks and deepened my grin into a suggestive smirk.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t get that dress on, I¡¯m going to tear that robe off of you and you can forget about going out tonight,¡± I drawled.


    Natalia¡¯s cheeks blushed an adorable shade of pink as she gasped. She quickly grabbed her dress off the hanger and rushed back into the bathroom. I chuckled under my breath and finished up getting ready.


    By the time we were ready to leave, the sun had already sunk well below the horizon. The lights of the city were aglow, and the nightlife was only beginning.


    I was feeling nostalgic. It seemed like ages since we were out and about in this city. I took us down an old, yet familiar street that gave us a gorgeous view of the clustered vis along the way. Natalia turned her head to nce at him. A wondrous expression took hold of her features.


    She remembered this road and knew exactly where we were going.


    ¡°Are we¡ª¡±


    I nodded my head and smiled. ¡°Yes.¡±


    I¡¯d made reservations at the very same restaurant where I¡¯d proposed to Natalia. Like I said, I was feeling nostalgic.


    ***


    Natalia and I were eagerly greeted by the hostess and brought immediately to our private table. With a gorgeous view overlooking the naturalndscape of the mountains, we hastily put in our drink order and turned to admire it to its fullest.


    ¡°Thank you for bringing me back here,¡± Natalia said with a warm smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure,¡± I told her. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we don¡¯te here more often. The food is sublime, and the scenery is unbeatable.¡±


    She nodded in agreement.


    Natalia folded her hands under her chin and smiled longingly out therge window next to our table.


    ¡°Maybe we can make it a habit to visit here at least once a year,¡± she suggested. ¡°It is, after all, a very special ce to us.¡±


    The waiters returned with our wine and took our dinner order. I quickly turned back to face her and clinked my wine ss gently against hers.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a perfect idea.¡±


    The evening carried on the same way the day had. The conversation was soft and light, and soon our dinner was brought out to us and we were immersed in the delicious vors Florence had to offer.


    A little more than halfway through our meal, I heard a muffled noiseing from across the table.


    It sounded like it wasing from Natalia¡¯s handbag. She swiftly turned around to search for her phone and at that same moment, I heard my own phone begin to go off.


    My brows drew together and I hastily slipped my device from the pocket of my jacket. I felt my heart m in my chest when I saw that it was my brother who was trying to reach me. A hundred worrisome questions flew through my mind.


    Did Alessandro propose to Mia? How did it go? Did she say yes? Oh, God. Did she end up saying no? Was this essentially a phone call to inform me that everything my brother nned had gone south and he was in need of copious amounts of liquor?


    I noticed that Natalia was hesitant to answer her phone call as well. My honest guess was that it was Mia trying to call her. I watched my wife slowly press the answer button on her phone and hold it up to her ear.


    I bit the inside of my cheek and answered the call on my own device. I slowly held it up to my ear and proceeded to speak.


    ¡°Tell me what happened.¡±


    There was a quick pause on the other end of the line but was soon filled with boisterousughter. ¡°She said yes!¡±


    Whatever weight was pressing down on my shoulders instantly let up. I felt like I could officially breathe normal again for the sake of my brother¡¯s endeavors. He sounded exhrated, and he wasn¡¯t the only one....


    Across the table from me, Natalia squealed with pure excitement. Her smile was wide, and her eyes were blown with happiness.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± she cried out. ¡°I knew it! I¡¯m so happy for the two of you!¡±


    I chuckled into the phone. ¡°I believe Mia has just told Natalia the good news.¡±


    Alessandro shared in myughter. ¡°Mia wants all of us to go out and celebrate, what do you think?¡±


    I nced over at my wife to see her nodding her head in agreement.


    ¡°Sounds like a great idea,¡± I said back. ¡°We¡¯re just about finished up with dinner ourselves, so how about we meet up somewhere for drinks?¡±


    ¡°Great! I¡¯ll send you the address,¡± Alessandro said.


    And with that, the call ended and a few secondster I received the location of the bar my brother wanted to meet up at. I called over one of the waiters and requested the check.


    Natalia was beaming with joy, practically bouncing in the passenger seat of the car as I drove through the city. It was nice to see that the ce Alessandro had chosen was not overly crowded but had a decent amount of people around.


    I slipped my hand into Natalia¡¯s, and we stepped through the doors. We quickly spotted my brother and his fianc¨¦e sitting in a private looking booth. As my wife went off to greet them, I leaned my head over the bar top to tell one of the bartenders to send a bottle of their best champagne over to our table.


    When I finally made it over, I pped my brother on the back and hugged Mia tightly in congrattions. Both women easily became immersed in their own conversation as I turned my attention to Alessandro.


    ¡°So, I take it the night went well then,¡± I assumed with a grin.


    Alessandro blew out a long breath. ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, I thought I was going to pass out from how nervous I¡¯d gotten,¡± he said.


    I nodded my head in sincere understanding.


    ¡°But, at some point, my anxiety stopped. It felt like a wave of numbness came over me, and I figured it was now or never. Part of me is still riding the natural high of knowing that she said yes.¡±


    I chuckled and nodded my head again. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s sort of how it went for me as well back then. I kept telling myself that everything was going to be fine. And in the end, I was right,¡± I said smugly.


    Our conversation gradually faded out, and Alessandro and I leaned into the separate conversation between Natalia and Mia.


    Mia was glowing with happiness as Nataliaplimented her on the beauty of the ring.


    ¡°It really is stunning, Mia,¡± she said.


    Mia gently shook her head in bafflement. ¡°I just can¡¯t get over how you were right about the proposal.¡±


    My brows lifted into my hair as I felt the intense heat from my brother¡¯s steel gaze hit me head on.


    ¡°Tallon, did you tell Natalia that I was nning to propose?¡± he asked me.


    Just as I parted my lips to defend myself, Natalia turned her head and spoke.


    ¡°Hey, give a girl some credit, will you?¡± she said humorously. ¡°Alessandro, Tallon hadn¡¯t breathed a single word of this to anyone. I can assure you, that I merely guessed it would happen.¡±


    Aless narrowed his eyes. ¡°Well, that¡¯s one hell of a guess.¡±


    Natalia snorted in response. ¡°Not really. You two are perfect for each other. Anyone with a working pair of eyes can see that.¡±


    Aless conceded the argument and smiled right as one of the bartenders came over to our table with a freshly opened bottle of champagne and a bucket of ice. As soon as each of us received a ss, we all joined them in the center of the table and toasted to the new engagement. The next few hours were filled withughter and excitement for the future wedding our family was going to see.


    A gracious warmth spread through my chest as my eyes locked on the loving embrace between my brother and his future wife.


    By the time the night reached its end, Natalia and I were back home happily lying in bed together. My arm wrapped around her waist as she snuggled into me.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± I asked her quietly.


    Natalia shifted her head up to look at me as her smile deepened. ¡°Just thinking about how much has changed in thest year.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t keep from grinning as well. She was right. So much had changed. Business between the Russians has never gone smoother, our own engagement was rocky and unpredictable for a time, but in the end, our marriage couldn¡¯t be stronger.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t change a single thing,¡± I told her. ¡°Now Alessandro can finally experience that for himself, and I can finally bring my full attention back to you, my beautiful wife.¡±


    A deep blush touched her cheeks while a devious smile curved on her lips.


    ¡°Why, my handsome husband, what did you have in mind?¡±


    I tightened my hold on her and pulled her into a searing kiss.

 Chapter 600 : The Future

    <h4>Chapter 600: Chapter 600 : The Future</h4>


    *One Year Later*


    *Natalia*


    The beautiful sound of heavy church bells echoed in the light spring breeze that surrounded us as everyone gradually left the church. Unlike Tallon and myself, Alessandro and Mia took the traditional route and got married inside of a beautiful, gothic-style church with a hefty crowd of family members and personal friends.


    Mia looked absolutely stunning in her floor-length gown that formed perfectly to her body. Her hair was styled up and curled to frame her face, while her makeup was delicate and natural. Alessandro looked handsome in his ck tux as he stood waiting for her at the head of the altar right next to Tallon, who stood with him as his man of honor.


    The past couple of months were thankfully less chaotic as opposed to when I was nning my own wedding. But when Mia had asked me to be her maid of honor, I waspletely overjoyed and eager to help her n.


    Everything was perfect. The dress fittings went smoothly, and the flower arrangements were stunning. There was little to no difficulty when it came to creating a guest list, and deciding on a venue was a breeze.


    Throughout the ceremony, I consistently caught myself ncing over at Tallon who kept catching my gaze and secretly smiled. My face flushed on numerous asions because I was certain the man was trying to undress me with his eyes.


    I had to admit, I looked good.


    Mia was gracious enough, as the bride, to allow me to pick out my own dress as the bridesmaid. I¡¯d gone with a spaghetti-strap, light purple dress with silver hoop earrings. I t ironed my hair and went with a gentle blush on makeup on my cheeks.


    ¡®God, I love this man,¡¯ I thought.


    He always knew how to make me feel like the center of the universe.


    Now that the ceremony was over, everyone was heading over to the venue for the reception. I quickly found Mia among the small groups of people who tried to crowd them. I reached for her arm and leaned in to kiss her cheek, officially weing her to the family.


    I¡¯d let her and Alessandro know that Tallon and I were heading over to the venue and to check into our hotel room.


    ¡°There you are,¡± Tallon said from beside me. ¡°Are you ready to go?¡±


    My lips curved into a joyous smile, and I slid my hand into his. Without another word, we made off toward the beautiful reception venue.


    Mia had truly outdone herself when deciding on a florist. The ce was absolutely breathtaking and swimming in the most vibrant, fresh-looking flowers I¡¯d seen for the season.


    We stepped up to the desk and collected our room key while one of the staff members took our bags up. Tallon led me into the reception room, where soon we were joined by the other arriving wedding guests.


    Once it came time for Mia and Alessandro to make their grand entrance and share in their first dance, the after party took off.


    The day quickly bled into the night, and everyone was having the time of their lives. Tallon and I danced for what felt like hours. When it was time for dinner to be served, we took our seats at the head table and listened in on given speeches.


    Alessandro, of course, spoke out for the love of his new wife and recounted the day they first met, letting everyone know that it was the second best of his life. But today would obviously take first ce.


    Many of the guests had tears in their eyes, myself included, by the time he was finished.


    Dinner was delicious and before we knew it, everyone was back to either socializing or dancing. Just as I was about to get up from my seat to re-apply my makeup, I was swept away by a small group of elderly women from Tallon¡¯s side of the family.


    ¡°Oh, Natalia, dear,¡± one of them greeted me.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been trying to get a hold of you all night!¡±


    My stomach flips with worry. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I asked.


    All of them gave a light-heartedugh as though they knew something that I didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Oh, no. Nothing is wrong.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that thedies and I were wondering....¡±


    ¡°When are you and Tallon going to start having children?¡±


    My heart jumped into my throat at the unexpected question that was eagerly awaiting a response. But I didn¡¯t have a clear answer to give.


    Tallon and I had spoken on numerous asions about when we thought the right time was to try to start a family. But if it wasn¡¯t business getting in the way, then it was always some else that would distract us from really discussing the matter.


    I wanted children. I adored the idea of there being a little version of Tallon running about the house. The very thought caused my nerves to flutter with want.


    My lips parted as I tried to give an answer, but I was swiftly cut off by the sudden appearance of Tallon. The man practically showed up out of thin air. A tight smile was fixed on his mouth as he curved a supportive arm around my waist.


    ¡°There you are, love. Thought I lost you for a minute,¡± Tallon said jokingly. He bent down to ce a chaste kiss on my head.


    With a charming smile, Tallon led us away from the huddle of women and brought us back to the dance floor. He kept a single hand on my waist and tilted my chin up with the other to look at him.


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± he asked with mild concern.


    I gently nodded my head and allowed myself to be swayed by the music.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. It was honestly nothing that I couldn¡¯t handle,¡± I told him with a smile. ¡°But I appreciate the rescue.¡±


    Tallon swung us around and pulled back to his firm chest. He bent his head down to whisper into my ear.


    ¡°Well, you know I¡¯m a sucker for a damsel in distress.¡±


    I yfully rolled my eyes and let myself be led gracefully across the dance floor.


    ***


    As the night truly started to wind down, more than half of the guests had either gone home or returned to their hotel rooms. I was bing desperate to count myself among that group as my feet were minutes away from giving out from under me.


    Tallon and I said our ¡®goodnights¡¯ to Alessandro and Mia, congratting them onest time, and slipped out of the venue hall toward the elevators.


    The hallways were dimly lit and quiet as we approached our designated room. Tallon slid the key into the lock and the door clicked open. Just as I was about to step into our room, he took me into his arms and snatched me off my feet.


    The air knocked from my lungs and soon I grew into a fit of giggles. He carried me into the bedroom and dramatically tossed me into the center of the mattress. My heart leaped into my throat as I stared up at the heated gaze that locked on to me.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked quietly.


    His lust-blown eyes grew hooded as his smile deepened with admiration and want.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he said. He cupped my cheek and brushed his thumb over my bottom lip. ¡°Just thinking about how happy I am right now.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t keep myself from smiling like aplete fool. My chest filled with warmth around my heart, and I wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull him into my arms.


    ¡°Me too.¡± I tilted my chin up to ce a small kiss on the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°We¡¯re just missing one thing,¡± he noted.


    My brows raised in question. ¡°We are?¡±


    Tallon nodded his head and spoke against my lips. ¡°A family.¡±


    A sudden gasp escaped me, and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. He captured my lips in a searing kiss filled with sweet promises for the future... a future that I wanted so desperately with him, one that I was ready for.


    The second we separated, I slid off the bed to stand on my feet. Tallon reached out his hands to tackle the zipper of my dress. The silken material slipped off my shoulders and fell to the floor, exposing my bare body to his hungry eyes.


    ¡°Jesus Christ, Natalia,¡± Tallon drawled. My cheeks took on a dark pink hue. ¡°You mean to tell me that you¡¯ve been naked under this dress the whole time?¡±


    My breathing became hitched as I soaked in the gentle, calloused touch of his hands up and down the nes of my back, till he reached the swell of my behind.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I breathed.


    ¡°What am I going to do with you?¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do with me?¡± I countered.


    I heard Tallon do away with his own clothing before pulling us both back toward the bed. Heid back and beckoned me with a curl of his finger.


    ¡°I want you to ride me.¡±


    And with that, I crawled up the mattress to straddle hisp with both thighs on either side of his hips. I felt the strain of his length press against the inside of my thigh. I ced a long, lingering kiss on his lips before confidently leaning back to appreciate the gorgeous man beneath me.


    My hands raked down the chiseled muscles of his chest all the way down to his lower abdomen. I slowly lifted up to align the tip of him at my slicked entrance. In one fluid motion, I lowered myself down and sank fully onto his stiff member.


    A delicious shiver rocked through my body and shook me to my very core. We both gave out a breath-stealing groan. Tallon gripped my hips and took control of our movements. With every pull of my center, I was met with a harsh thrust of his hips.


    He shifted his hands to cup my breasts. His thumbs circled my nipples till they were stiff, pebbled peaks. I persistently circled my hips, drawing out a series of muffled curses and dirty promises from him.


    The second he struck my bundle of nerves, a broken moan tore from the back of the throat.


    ¡°Oh, Tallon.¡±


    His thrusts grew urgent, and soon that delirious heat behind my stomach was roaring to life.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, love. I love how well you take me. So perfect,¡± he said roughly. ¡°I love you so much.¡±


    God, I felt so full¡ªfull of hope, full of love... and full of Tallon.


    ¡°Mm, love you too,¡± I cried out. ¡°Oh, God. I¡¯m... I¡ª


    ¡°Come for me,¡± he demanded. ¡°Be a good girl ande for me like this.¡±


    I threw my head back, eyes closed as I chased my orgasm. He gave just a few more thrusts before I felt him spill himself into me. My nerves coiled and spiraled in manic euphoria, leaving me breathless and trembling.


    My whole body swayed, and I fell forward onto Tallon¡¯s chest. He enveloped me in his arms and turned us onto our sides. He kissed me long and deep before tucking me under his chin. Together wey there in a stagnant state of sated bliss.


    I wondered if that was the very moment that our future baby was conceived.


    My hand reached up to frame his face. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to start a family with you,¡± I whispered.


    I wasn¡¯t going to lie. Our rtionship had started out as anything but normal. We faced trial after trial and obstacles that were hard enough to cause any rational person to call it quits. But Tallon and I were far from rational.


    The second I literally fell for him, and I felt his arms wrap around me, I knew that there was no going back. But I had no regrets because I was exactly where I was supposed to be¡ªhappily caught in the arms of the man who I deeply loved, and looking hopefully toward the future.

 Chapter 601 : Keep Them Safe

    <h4>Chapter 601: Chapter 601 : Keep Them Safe</h4>


    *Six Months Later*


    *Tallon*


    ¡°Italian-Russian fusion?¡± Vinny raised an eyebrow at me as we walked down the new boulevard. New restaurants and shops, some brand new and some familiar, were opening in just a few weeks, and there was a rush of workers as they finished thest few touches.


    Signs on ss windows were installed in a hurry. It was a busy location, and one that I was proud to have had a hand in building.


    ¡°I was inspired,¡± I said with a grin, ¡°from my mother-inw¡¯s wonderful menu at our wedding. Plus, the chef is a rather unusual sort who wanted to build a new restaurant here to ¡®unleash their creative spirit.¡¯ I figured you¡¯d appreciate their enthusiasm.¡±


    ¡°Oh, joy.¡± Vinny rolled his eyes. ¡°Are you even sure this guy knows what he¡¯s doing?¡±


    ¡°Well, the chef is a graduate of the Italian Culinary Institute and the Novikov School in Russia, where they got top marks for making doctor¡¯s sausage pelmeni with Bolognese sauce. They¡¯re the real deal alright, and probably one of the only chefs who knows how tobine Russian and Italian dishes into something edible.¡±


    ¡°None of that means anything to me,¡± Vinny sighed. ¡°But I trust your judgment. Though, I¡¯m very curious. What the hell is a doctor¡¯s sausage?¡±


    Iughed, not giving him an answer as we arrived in front of the restaurant. The building was rather unusual, shaped like a semi-circle. From the top to the bottom were reinforced ss windows with light pouring in from every angle. Though we could barely see the second floor from where we were, the main floor had a very delicate atmosphere.


    The chairs and tables had yet to be set up. For now, they were leaning against the windows, but I could already see booths made with Italian leather in the corners, some long and some short. In the back was a very fancy-looking bar with barstools bolted to the floor.


    I nodded in approval at that. We could never underestimate a drunk¡¯s ability to throw a bar stool out of a window... or on rarer asions, people.


    But at least we could prevent the bar stools from going through the windows. As soon as we entered the building, the heavy scent of fresh paint and sawdust met our noses. Underneath was an alluring aroma, one very familiar but also unusual.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I called out.


    I felt a bit strange, standing in the very well-lit lobby of an unfinished restaurant. There were heavy-duty lights above that had yet to be turned on, but I could tell they had been inspired by stage lights. The floor was made of wood panels and very muted in colorpared to everything else, but the view was amazing outside.


    ¡°Hey there!¡±


    A head popped out from around the corner, with a few dishes on very colorful bowls and tes on a tray. The very beautiful woman grinned at us with a bright look, her hair pulled back professionally into a bun. She was dressed in a white coat that we immediately recognized as the head chef¡¯s uniform.


    ¡°You must Miss Barbieri?¡± I asked with a smile, ncing at Vinny with a smug look from the corner of my eye.


    His jaw had dropped, and he peeled his eyes from the chef I had hired to me with a betrayed look.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say she was a woman,¡± he hissed quietly to me.


    ¡°Does that matter?¡± I raised an eyebrow and he faltered, shutting his mouth with a pout.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve told me at least,¡± he huffed. ¡°I figured it was an old guy who was bored with life and just wanted to do something crazy.¡±


    ¡°Old guy who¡¯s bored with life? No. But she is a bit crazy,¡± I admitted thoughtfully.


    ¡°Mr. Valentino!¡± Our chef, Beatrice Barbieri, grinned widely, setting the tray of dishes onto one of the only tables flipped on its right side. ¡°I was just making some of the dishes I wanted to serve in the restaurant. Would you mind giving them a try?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied politely, holding back augh as Vinny¡¯s face went pure white at the sight of the Russian-Italian fusion dishes.


    Much to my delight, Vinny got to do most of the taste-testing.


    I got to pass by with a little taste of each dish, but Chef Barbieri was intent on impressing Vinny once she knew he was also funding the restaurant. She made him try everything from a vodka sauce alfredo to Russian Shashlik on fire oven pizza pies.


    By the end of it, Vinny had copsed onto the table, looking quite green as I finished closing the deal with Beatrice.


    ¡°These are delicious. We¡¯ll visit again in a week or two for the whole menu if you can have it ready by then,¡± I told her with a friendly smile.


    ¡°Yes! Yes! I can be ready by then. Thank you so much, Mr. Valentino!¡± Beatrice gushed, her cheeks turning red in pure bliss as she excitedly hopped around like the twenty-something fresh culinary graduate she was.


    I knew from her background that no one had been willing to give her a chance, especially in such an old and traditional city like Florence. But as I had learned with everything I¡¯d experienced with Natalia, change could be good sometimes.


    ¡°Alright, ready to go, bud?¡± I grinned at my best friend, crossing my arms as he slowly dragged himself up from the table.


    He gave a loud burp, which I could only imagine smelled as bad as it sounded.


    He grimaced, sending me a death re. ¡°I hate you.¡±


    ¡°Love you too, Vin,¡± I smirked, finally taking pity on him as I threw his arm around me and helped me out onto the sidewalk. ¡°So, what was your favorite dish?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    ¡°Personally, I liked the pizza.¡±


    He just groaned in response. It took a while before he gained his footing again, and we headed down the street, intent on heading home. But just as we turned the corner, we nearly ran straight into a hooded figure in a jacket.


    I frowned at him. A simple ck mask on his face obscured his features, but I could see his eyes, dark and utterly pinned on me. A bad feeling welled up in my chest and I sidestepped to the right, intending to go past him, when from underneath his coat he pulled out a shiny pistol and narrowed it straight at my head.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± I said, holding back my real rage as I red at the unknown assant. ¡°Do you want money? Cause you fucked with the wrong person, asshole.¡±


    By my side, Vinny had already drawn his gun, though he didn¡¯t pull the trigger yet with the stranger¡¯s pistol trained on me. I hoped it was still possible to disarm this man, especially if he was inexperienced.


    But my confidence quickly dissipated as the man chuckled and lifted off his mask, the aged, hatred-soaked face of Antonio leering out beneath the hood.


    ¡°Antonio,¡± Vinny growled, as pissed as I was.


    We both had thought he¡¯d disappeared for good after getting caught for trying to frame me. It had been a long time since either of us had even heard his name, much less caught sight of him. In truth, I had thought he had fled, finally given up on his vendetta.


    But we should¡¯ve known better.


    Antonio was older, and he didn¡¯t get to his age in the business without being very good at what he did. He¡¯d almost ruined my life for nothing but a grudge, and I had no doubt that was why he was in front of me today.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Tallon,¡± Antonio sneered as he caught the twitch of my fingers toward my holster. ¡°One wrong move and I¡¯ll put a bullet through your fucking skull. It doesn¡¯t matter to me whether you die here or not, so long as you suffer.¡±


    I grit my teeth, feeling cold down to my fingertips. He really would do it. I had no doubt. But I also knew that soon enough Dom or Tino would notice we were missing ande looking. I just had to buy time.


    But a part of me couldn¡¯t help but wonder why he was doing all this. I could see we had attracted the attention of a few onlookers at this point, who had noticed that something was wrong but hadn¡¯t quite noticed the weapons.


    The gun had been cleverly disguised by his sleeve, only the silver muzzle pointing out and from a long distance, the scene looked odd but not concerning, not yet.


    ¡°What¡¯s your n here, Antonio? Are you going to shoot me in broad daylight in front of all these people?¡± I shrugged, stepping forward full of bravado.


    Vinny¡¯s hand immediately grabbed my wrist to pull me back, but I sent him a sharp look, especially when Antonio¡¯s gun moved from me to him.


    ¡°Even if you kill me, you¡¯ll gain nothing from it,¡± I said, smirking with more confidence than I felt. ¡°You think you can take on the Valentinos and the Russians together? You can¡¯t and you know it.¡±


    My smirk fell when Antonio burst intoughter, his whole body shaking with the effort. But he never took his eyes off of me and Vinny.


    ¡°You think this is about those Russian bastards?¡± Antonio sent me a grin, a glint of madness in his eyes now as he stepped forward, now holding the gun straight to my chest. ¡°This is for Lain, for Mattia and Tommaso, for Nic and Renato... for all the men who were brutally ughtered.¡±


    I eyed the pistol on my chest, then stared Antonio straight in the eye. ¡°I know that you¡¯re angry¡ª¡±


    ¡°You know nothing!¡± Antonio screamed, a snarl on his lips like a rabid dog.


    The bystanders had finally noticed something was going on, watching intently and unsurely. I noticed one of them had pulled out their phone, no doubt calling the police, and I felt a twinge of relief.


    ¡°They died fighting for us, for what they believed was right, because you and your family told us that it was the right thing to do!¡± Antonio hadpletely lost it at this point, eyes full of loathing like he couldn¡¯t stand my entire being. ¡°You take in these fucking kids, teach them to do your dirty work, and then throw them away like they¡¯re garbage! Family? Don¡¯t make me fuckingugh. You¡¯re working with the very people who killed them in cold blood! You¡¯ve spit on their graves, and you have the fucking nerve to stand here and say you know what I feel?¡±


    ¡°He only did it to keep more of our men from dying!¡± Vinny shouted back, anger burning in his face. ¡°Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re some righteous hand of God!¡±


    I watched as Antonio nced at him with fury before it melted away like snow on a summer day.


    Suddenly, he was very calm.


    ¡°Antonio¡ª¡± A bad feeling welled up in my gut as Antonio smirked at me.


    ¡°No more, Tallon. You¡¯re going to feel how I have for the past thirty years,¡± Antonio said.


    The mad gleam in his eyes hit its peak, and I rushed forward to grab the gun right as Antonio leveled it at Vinny.


    A shot rang out, and screams filled the area.


    Antonio smirked, and I watched in horror as Vinny copsed to the ground, a spray of red hitting both me and Antonio.


    ¡°Fucking bastard!¡± I snarled, grabbing my gun as Antonio simply holstered his gun and turned away.


    I aimed at his back and fired, but he dodged around the corner. I cursed, starting to run after him, revenge filling every corner of my mind... until there was a soft groan from behind me.


    I had barely made it five steps before I turned around, kneeling on the ground next to Vinny. I propped his head up, pulling his clothes away to see the wound. Dark red blood was bubbling up from the hole right in the middle of his chest.


    From hisbored breathing and the coughs that wracked him, I immediately knew that it had hit a lung.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I swore, my eyes misting up as I put both my hands on the wound, intending to stop the bleeding with pressure.


    Vinny groaned, a little dribble of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t do this Vin¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tallon.¡± Vinny struggled to get the word out, his face going pale as blood began to pool around my feet.


    The exit wound was bleeding as well, and I fucking knew right then and there, there was nothing I could do.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this. You fucking asshole,¡± I sobbed, tears pouring out of my eyes as I watched my best friend begin to fade away.


    ¡°Tallon,¡± Vinny gasped, ¡°I¨CI need you to take care of her. My... my Caterina... my daughter.¡±


    This hit me like a brick, and I stared at him wide-eyed in disbelief. ¡°You have a daughter?¡±


    ¡°I... I should¡¯ve married her... should¡¯ve... told you,¡± Vinny said with a shaky smile. ¡°But... but... I was... scared. I wanted to... keep them safe from this life. But... their address is on... my phone. Call Matilde... take care of them... for me.¡±


    ¡°I will, I swear, just don¡¯t leave¡ª¡±


    But before I could finish my words, Vinny let out a shaky, rattling gasp, and I was staring into his unseeing ssy eyes.


    My best friend was dead.

 Chapter 602 : Eterna

    <h4>Chapter 602: Chapter 602 : Eterna</h4>


    *Natalia*


    It was raining that day and Eterna was quiet.


    There were no headstones within Eterna, only rows and rows of monuments, reaching back far longer than any of us who stepped inside had been alive. I could only imagine how many souls had beenid to rest there.


    The cobblestone roads led through the endless maze of monuments, each holding thest burial ces of the many men and women who had been lost to the family.


    My husband led the pallbearers, his white gloves clutching the brass holders on the right side of the dark casket. The men carried the casket respectfully, each man looking like a stone monument as they made their way through Eterna.


    The weight of the casket was nothingpared to the loss of the man whoy inside.


    The rain fell coldly and quietly, like the hum of static as we all followed quietly and mournfully until the funeral procession stopped at a single mausoleum made of dark marble with four pirs and two simple steps. Flowers and shrubbery decorated the area around it, and there was a list of names inscribed on the double door that led inside.


    At the very top, carved within the stone in immacte cursive were the words, ¡®In Aeterna Requiescium.¡¯


    I held the ck umbre above me tightly, closing my eyes softly as I heard the stone doors being moved open. Only Tallon, as the head, and the rest of the bearers were allowed inside, and I spared onest look at my husband before the stone doors were closed behind him.


    This was where Vinny would beid to rest.


    We stood in silence while the rain poured a requiem on the pavement.


    ¡°Vin is dead.¡±


    That was all Tallon had said when he first came home after it happened. Covered in blood and with a haunted look in his eyes, he mumbled those words again and again, even as I held him. Even in the days after, he was like a hollow shell.


    Vinny¡¯s death had affected us all, but Tallon had lost his best friend. His right hand was a man who had been with him for most of his life.


    Losing Vinny was like losing a part of himself.


    I hadn¡¯t known Vinny for long, but despite the pain I had caused, the trouble I had made due to my family, he had still been willing to ept me... to joke with me andugh with me. He was an old soul, one who could lighten up anyone¡¯s day.


    His uncanny ability to make anyone feel at ease was unparalleled, and it was hard to believe that he was gone, that his bright light could be snuffed out so easily... and suddenly.


    But maybe this was the fate of all those who chose this kind of life, a life of danger at every turn, where death and pain were always lurking around every corner. To get your hands dirty like that, one couldn¡¯t be afraid of the reaper hanging over their shoulders.


    I wondered how many of the men and women buried here had died just as young as Vinny had, or perhaps even younger. I wondered whether any of them expected to end up here so soon, or, like Vinny, if their loyalty been greater than their survival instinct.


    And there was a moment, listening to the raindrops hitting the pavement in a rhythmic song, that I could imagine being there just like this, standing all alone in a ck dress... but with a different name carved on those doors.


    I shuddered in the cold, clutching the umbre closer to me as I took in a shaky breath. Thoughts could be a powerful thing, and even just thinking of that potential future was too much to bear.


    ¡°Shh, honey. It¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    A voice filled with indescribable exhaustion and grief spoke up softly, yet loud enough for me to hear through the pattering of the rain. I nced over at the two figures to my left who were slightly separated from the rest of us.


    It was a woman, dressed in a simple long-sleeve dress that came to knee-length and a wool sweater over top, with short ck heels and stockings underneath. She made almost no impression... and I hadn¡¯t noticed her until just then.


    Her hair was pulled into a low bun, and a ck hat with a short,ted veil did little to hide her features or grief-stricken emotions. There was a sense of difort in looking at her, and I didn¡¯t want to think about the pain that lurked beneath those eyes.


    But what caught my attention more than the woman was the small, short figure tucked close at her side. Dressed in a ck dress with her hair in pigtails on either side of her head and t ballet shoes in the same color, was a little girl.


    She stood close to her mother, a nk look on her face as she loosely held her mother¡¯s hand, simply standing there vigntly, staring with ssy orbs at the stone doors. There was no sign of emotion or thoughts on the girl¡¯s face, and that was more heartbreaking than her mother¡¯s tears.


    I knew exactly who they were.


    Tallon had told me Vinny¡¯sst words and had taken great care to track down his lover, Matilde, and apparently, their daughter. Vinny had never told us about a child.


    They must¡¯ve been so young when they had her, and Vinny¡¯s position had not been stable yet, which was probably why he had thought of hiding their existence, as cruel as it sounded. He probably thought it had been the best move at the time, though I could only imagine how the two had felt, being hidden from everyone else in Vinny¡¯s life.


    But seeing her now, mourning for the love who had kept her so quiet that even his best friend had no idea she existed, I could only imagine what I would have felt if I had been in her shoes.


    I wondered darkly how long it would be before I wouldy my husband to rest here, in tears as a grieving widow just like her.


    The thought was unbearable.


    I was jolted from my thoughts when therge stone doors of the mausoleum opened back up and out poured the pallbearers holding nothing in their hands anymore. With downcast looks, each of them was soaked from the rain and wearing stone-like expressions as they made their way to their respective families.


    Alessandro walked by, not even noticing me as he fell into Mia¡¯s weing embrace. There was a sad smile on her face as he leaned on her despite being two heads taller than her. I could see his back shaking, but there was no sound besides the falling rain.


    Tallon was thest one to exit the mausoleum, an empty look in his eyes as he stood at the doors for a while his back turned to me. I bit my bottom lip to keep it from wobbling, choking on my sadness and grief as I carefully and silently walked up the steps toward him.


    I ced my hand on his back, intending to give him what little warmth andfort I could, but he was cold. It was like I wasn¡¯t even there as he just stared emptily at the tomb. Eventually, though, he nodded to himself, his eyes sliding over to me, full of hopeless misery.


    I grabbed his freezing cold hand, standing right beside him as I nodded.


    ¡°Close the doors.¡± The hoarse whisper slipped out of his lips, but it was heard by all.


    The nearby men did their duty, exchanging solemn nces as they carefully shut the stone doors and locked them.


    The key, made of old discolored brass, was handed back to Tallon, who simply grabbed it, letting his hand fall limply beside him. I knew this was his responsibility as the Don of the Valentinos, but it felt too heavy, too cruel.


    I could only imagine how many times Tallon had done this,id to rest many of the men and women he had gotten to know, the people he cared for and respected... even the ones who had died because of me.


    I held the umbre up, being Tallon¡¯s support as I hooked my arm around his, gently pulling him from the mausoleum to where the crowd was dispersing. The funeral rites were over. Vinny had beenid to rest. But many had chosen to stay, to keep paying their respects even after what was required was done.


    Matilde looked up at us as we approached, her mascara streaked from her tears, and quickly brushed her tears away as she said, ¡°Oh, Mr. Valentine, uh... I¡¯m sorry for you to see me like this¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Matilde, right?¡± I smiled kindly, gently reaching forward to offer one of my hands. ¡°I¡¯m Natalia. This is Tallon, your... Vinny¡¯s best friend.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± She sniffed, clutching her daughter close to her.


    The little girl simply stared up at us with a quiet, reserved look.


    ¡°He talked about you often,¡± Matilde said. ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me everything but uh... he took care of us. He gave me and our daughter a nice house and made sure we had money. He... he wanted to keep us safe from all of this but¡ª¡±


    She nced at her daughter with worried eyes, then she looked back at me with a pleading look. I stiffened, ncing at little Caterina. She didn¡¯t know the truth about things, and probably didn¡¯t even know why or how her father died.


    ¡°Matilde.¡± Tallon spoke up, a steel glint to his eyes as he said very seriously, ¡°You are part of this family too, so we¡¯ll make sure both you and your daughter are taken well care of, Matilde.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She let out a sob, holding a hand over her mouth as her tears flowed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what we¡¯re going to do without him. I... he loved us, I know but¡ª¡±


    ¡°But he left.¡±


    I stiffened, ncing at the soft voice that had spoken so quietly that I was sure I was the only one who had properly heard her. Caterina stared at the mausoleum with calm eyes.


    ¡°What was that, sweetie?¡± Her mother sniffed, utterly distraught, but Caterina simply nced up at her, emotionless like a doll before she gave a small smile, clutching her mother¡¯s hand like she hadn¡¯t just said what she did.


    ¡°Nothing, Mom,¡± she said quietly.


    Shaken, I nced away from the little girl who felt nothing,ying a soft palm on my t stomach.


    It was a secret that Tallon and I had been trying to get pregnant. We didn¡¯t want to alert anyone before it happened. But now... if our child had to face a future just like this little girl, if our daughter had to be this detached about the death of her father to keep her mother from falling apart....


    Or worse, if someone targeted our child just because of who their father was, and I lost them both....


    I was in a daze as we said our goodbyes, heading back home. It wasn¡¯t untilter that night when Tallon and I were cuddled up under the nkets, both of us awake with our thoughts but neither saying a word, that I finally got the courage to say what I wanted.


    ¡°I want out,¡± I whispered to my husband quietly.


    His body stiffened upon my words, even his breath pausing and for a heartbeat, the world was silent between us. Finally, he leaned over to press a kiss to my forehead, muttering softly, just one word.


    ¡°Okay.¡±

 Chapter 603 : The Next Steps

    <h4>Chapter 603: Chapter 603 : The Next Steps</h4>


    *Over One Year Later*


    *Tallon*


    The celebration was in full swing. Much like so many years earlier when Giovani had decided to retire and hand the position of Don to me, the entire family had gathered to celebrate the new Don, the head of the family from this point on.


    Unlike my own celebration, where nobody had known I was the one going to be named, I had made it very clear to everyone who was to seed me.


    I smiled out into the crowd, watching as I leaned against the wall with a drink in my hand as the various family members celebrated in their own unique ways. Fisheye had started a game of poker, and we had barely managed to talk her down from making it strip poker.


    As old as she was, she had no fear of stripping down until she was nude just for the fun of it.


    Her partner, Cacti, was no better as she had started one of the many drinking games in the other corner, quickly gaining traction as she cleverly outdrank them all with arge grin.


    Dahlia was already slurring her words as she faced Cacti in what everybody knew was a rigged game, but nobody knew how she did it.


    ¡°One more round,¡± Dahlia cried to the group watching them.


    Cacti grinned, her eyes glinting as she pulled out two more bottles of vodka from under the table.


    ¡°Of course, patatina.¡± Cacti patted her knee a little too happily. ¡°I¡¯m always happy to destroy younglings in battle.¡±


    Olivia and Mia stood nearby, shaking their heads. I smirked to myself, smiling at the old nickname. Dahlia had looked remarkably like a potato when she was a baby, her birthmarks more prominent and of a darker color than the rest of her skin. I¡¯d seen pictures, and I agreed with the nickname.


    Luckily, she¡¯d outgrown it by the time she was three, but the name had stuck.


    I nced around where I caught sight of my beautiful wife taking part in the poker game, a sweet smile on her face but daggers in her eyes as she pushed her wedding ring into the pot.


    I wasn¡¯t too worried, considering I could just buy her a new one, but it did surprise me when they all threw down their cards and Natalia smirked, the crowd around her cheering as she took the pot, including Fisheye¡¯s pair of dentures.


    Fisheye gave her a grin, showing her toothless gums, and I shuddered in response. That was a sight I would never unsee.


    I leaned my head against the wall with a sigh, finishing off my drink and crushing the soda can in my palm. I set the crushed can on the windowsill, taking a moment to nce outside. It was still dark, the evening cloudless as the moon shone brightly above.


    It was picturesque and for a moment, my mind trailed back to the night I met Natalia, the night of my thirty-third birthday. The sky had looked exactly like that when Vinny had dragged me to that bar, not wanting me to be alone on my birthday.


    ¡°Spent it with family,¡± I murmured softly to myself, remembering the words Vinny had said to me. I felt like I could see just a hint of my best friend in the full moon as it shined above, always willing to be a guiding light, even on the cloudiest of days.


    Vinny had led me to my beautiful wife that night, and he¡¯d been guiding me ever since.


    ¡°Drinks for everybody!¡± Benny came around with a huge tray full of drinks, grinning like a loon as he passed them around. ¡°Here ya go, Tallon!¡± He handed one that looked suspiciously pink in a ss before walking away to the cheers of the family.


    I smirked at the ss, not even knowing how fucked up it would make me in the morning. But knowing Benny....


    I nced at the moon again.


    ¡°A presto, Vinny.¡± I raised my ss, taking a drink just for him.


    I immediately grimaced, the overly sweet taste masking the concoction of alcohol mixed together. It tasted like a unicorn had pissed in it.


    Just as I put it down, a figure slinked up to me, leaning against the wall next to me as he gave me a yful smirk.


    ¡°I figured you¡¯d have skipped town by now,¡± Alessandro said casually, ¡°considering you¡¯re... you know, free of the burden of being the Don now.¡±


    ¡°And I figured you¡¯d be shouting from the rooftops by now,¡± I shot back with mirth, ¡°considering you now have the position you¡¯ve wanted for so long.¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± he smirked. ¡°You know me. I¡¯m more of the billboard type.¡±


    ¡°I figured that might¡¯ve been yours,¡± I joked, grinning.


    Heughed then sent me a smile, gratitude shining in his eyes. ¡°But seriously, Tallon, thanks.¡±


    I smirked. ¡°No need. The position was always meant to be yours. You just needed a little growing up first. But you¡¯re not that angry, bull-headed, reckless kid anymore. You¡¯re ready now. I know you¡¯ll do a better job of leading the family than any of us did, even Dad.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. You¡¯re right.¡± He grinned, eyes a little misty with emotion. ¡°I¡¯m ready for this now.¡±


    And as we settled into a yful conversation, I couldn¡¯t tell if it was the aftermath of the disgusting drink in my hand or not, but I swore I could feel the tension between us just dissipate.


    Ever since I¡¯d been named over him, I felt like our bond had been strained, even though neither of us held grudges over what had happened.


    Despite all of that, Alessandro had dutifully been by my side for years, helping manage the family and working hard to prove he could be the man he wanted to be. And he had, so many times over the years.


    Now, all of that had melted away like it never existed in the first ce. And I knew I¡¯d made the right decision.


    ¡°And here¡¯s the two men of the hour.¡± Giovani slinked up to us with a grin, his hair having gone full gray at this point as he crossed his arms. Despite his age, he hadn¡¯t lost that intimidating aura that came with being the head of the mafia for almost twenty years.


    ¡°How¡¯s the acquisitioning?¡± I asked curiously as he joined us on leaning against the windowsill behind us.


    Recently, Gio and I purchased a property down in Los Angeles County as part of starting a new life outside of the Mafia. Gio was incredibly helpful and weing after we¡¯d told him we wanted to leave the family and go legit.


    He understood better than anyone, after all.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Gio nodded, sending me a smile. ¡°It¡¯s ready for development, actually. They can start tomorrow, so long as they get the okay from you.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you n to do outside of the family?¡± Alessandro asked curiously.


    ¡°We were thinking of turning thatnd we bought into amercial real estatepany so that we have some capital for those who want to retire from the family,¡± I told him with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think many will choose to do so, but if they do, they should be able to live freely outside, not just the former boss. Getting out of this game hasn¡¯t been easy, so we¡¯re looking to change that. The mafia isn¡¯t a very good job reference, after all.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Alessandro smirked. ¡°But it¡¯s in development, right? So where are you guys staying?¡±


    ¡°With me,¡± Gio said. ¡°I told them they could stay with me and Olivia for the time being, at least until thend is developed and their houses are built. Of course, that includes Matilde and her daughter, too.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± I spoke up cautiously, sending him an apologetic nce. I had meant to tell him about our change of ns. ¡°Natalia and I actually talked about it this morning, and we decided we¡¯re going to go to Florida. We¡¯ve got business ties there in the tourist industry, so it should be enough to support us for a while. Plus, once I get the hang of it, I¡¯ll be able to be a CEO like Dad.¡±


    ¡°Tourist industry?¡± Gio snorted. ¡°Well, that¡¯ll do it. Florida is sixty percent tourists. James and Ba are down there too, so he¡¯ll be able to help with the transition once he and Ba get back from their around-the-world vacation.¡±


    ¡°The transition?¡± I raised my eyebrow.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think it was going to be easy trying to transition from mafia Don to CEO, did you?¡± Giovani smirked, and even Alessandro chuckled into his hand at my clueless expression.


    Actually, I had thought it would be that easy. But I couldn¡¯t admit that. I huffed, crossing my arms unhappily. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. It can¡¯t be that different.¡±


    ¡°Famousst words, Tallon,¡± Gio rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll see soon enough. Have you thought about doing something you like? CEO is fine, but you¡¯ve got to choose an industry soon enough.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I thought, then I remembered Chef Beatrice and her restaurant. We had plowed on with the opening despite Vinny¡¯s funeral, due to how much work the two of us had put into it. Much to everyone¡¯s surprise, the restaurant was doing very well for itself.


    When Beatrice had heard of Vinny¡¯s death, she had finally settled on a name for the ce.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll expand Vincenzo¡¯s,¡± I said with a smile, ¡°take it to the US. The market will be smaller, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll do well there.¡±


    ¡°Ah, if you bring the menu over, you¡¯ll need a chain to make it work, but it¡¯s not impossible,¡± Gio said calmly.


    Before we could talk anymore, I spotted my nephew with a ss of pink alcohol in a ss, about to down it in one gulp as he passed by us carelessly.


    ¡°Nope,¡± I said sternly, plucking the ss from his grip and setting it beside my half-empty one. ¡°You¡¯ll thank meter.¡±


    Elio red at me, stuffing his hands in his jean¡¯s pockets with a huff. ¡°You never let me do anything fun. I¡¯m an adult, you know?¡±


    Tall and full of attitude, Elio had the same curly hair as his father but a lighter skin tone, much like his mother¡¯s. He was a handsome young man now, twenty years old, and he knew how to wield it for his own benefit.


    ¡°You¡¯re taller than thest time I saw you, but you¡¯re still a squirt,¡± I smirked.


    Elio¡¯s ears turned red as he shot me a death re, turning away.


    ¡°You¡¯re still not twenty-one,¡± Gio said coolly, a bit more sharply than when he talked to us. ¡°By the way, Matilde and her daughter will being to live with us. Since Tallon and Natalia won¡¯t being to California, I expect you to watch out for Catarina.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be a babysitter,¡± Elio sneered, turning away.


    I sighed, stepping forward as I slung my arm around his shoulder, pulling him toward me with a firm grip. My smile didn¡¯t meet my eyes as I turned him around and pointed to one of the corners.


    Sitting quietly in the corner was Caterina. She sat all alone, watching the party with ssy eyes like a pretty doll. She¡¯d been there all evening, from the moment her mother had been swept away for a drink.


    Even I had to admit that Caterina was a very unusual girl. She was a pretty thing, very smart and responsible, but she also seemed incredibly lonely. She didn¡¯t have any friends, she rarely spoke or showed emotion, and she was obedient to the point of it being almost creepy.


    I didn¡¯t know if it was because of losing her father, but for the entire year they¡¯d been living with us, she¡¯d been incredibly distant.


    ¡°That is Caterina,¡± I told him quietly. ¡°Her father was my best friend, and he was murdered. Her mother is a wreck. Despite our best efforts, she has been distant from everyone around her. I need your help to keep that little girl safe, alright?¡±


    Elio swallowed, a glimmer of pity in his eyes before he sighed and nodded.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled.


    I let him go and he rubbed his neck, giving me a glower before scurrying off.


    ¡°I swear he gets worse every year,¡± Gio sighed.


    ***


    The next evening, I was alone with my wife in our room. I sat in the bed and stared at my phone, waiting for her to finish up in the bathroom. She¡¯d been taking an unusually long time in there, but I didn¡¯t think much of it, at least, until she came out hollering at me.


    ¡°Tallon!¡±


    I stiffened, hearing the urgency in my wife¡¯s voice, I jumped up and held her waist, looking over her body for any injuries as she collided with me, throwing her arms around my neck with a giggle.


    ¡°Are you okay? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I pulled back, anxiously.


    She beamed, shining brighter than a star as she stood on her tiptoes and gently whispered the greatest news I¡¯d ever heard into my ear.


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡±

 Chapter 604 : You’re Not My Dad

    <h4>Chapter 604: Chapter 604 : You¡¯re Not My Dad</h4>


    *Four Years Later*


    *Elio*


    I sat across from my parents, feeling a strange nervousness as my dad inspected the tax documents I¡¯d brought. He had put me in charge of the business a while ago, but I wasn¡¯t sure I would ever feel like I could live up to his expectations.


    My mom smiled at me over her te of spaghetti. She¡¯d shown up with a bag of groceries and made the spaghetti just because she knew it was one of my favorites.


    My parents traveled a lot, especially now that the houses were built, and Dad was enjoying being mostly retired. I had my own house now, and they¡¯d given Matilde and Caterina a house next to mine and told me to keep watching out for the girl.


    It was hard enough building up thepany let alone y ¡°dad¡± to a kid, but I kept remembering the way Tallon had talked about the death of his friend and how he¡¯d promised to look out for Matilde and her daughter. It was a pain keeping an eye on the girl, but I felt like I owed it to Tallon.


    Right then, I was enjoying my mom¡¯s spaghetti in peace in a temporarily kid-free zone. I looked down at my te and twirled a bite of noodles absently around my fork. I thought back to the many childhood meals when I¡¯d done the exact same thing.


    My dad cleared his throat and my eyes shot back to his face, looking for any sign of disapproval.


    ¡°This looks good, son,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve done a great job gathering this information. I know it¡¯s a pain in the ass.¡±


    I took a sip of my wine and allowed myself to feel the sense of pride that only came from his approval. There was nobody who I wanted to impress more than my father, the legendary mafia Don turned businessman.


    ¡°How¡¯s business been going in general?¡± my mom asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve managed to close on five deals in this past week alone,¡± I told her, not bothering to hide the note of pride in my voice.


    My dad nodded in approval. ¡°I knew you had what it takes for this. You¡¯ve got your mother¡¯s brains.¡± He smiled fondly at her.


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh hush, Gio. You know you¡¯re better at business than I am.¡±


    I turned back to my meal as they fell into afortable banter that only came with decades of marriage. Although we had arge extended family, as an only child, I was used to ying third wheel to my parents.


    I didn¡¯t mind at all. It had always made me feel more secure to see how much they loved each other. I just hoped I¡¯d be able to find something like that for myself someday.


    The front door mmed harshly, and my shoulders immediately tensed up. That m could only be Caterina, who was supposed to stay in my house while her mom was away.


    She must have known she was in huge trouble... I had no idea where she¡¯d been for the past several hours. Since her mom had started finding real sess working her TV writing job and left Caterina in my care more frequently, I¡¯d stepped up as more of a parent than her. Caterina was supposed to ask permission to go anywhere, not just venture out around LA on her own.


    She stalked into the dining room and stood there looking at the three of us with her arms crossed obstinately over her chest.


    In the past few months, she had grown a few inches. It had given her a clumsynkiness that would have been endearing if she wasn¡¯t so intent on being a thorn in my side every chance she got.


    Even now, she knew she¡¯d broken the rules by going out without telling me where she¡¯d been, but she had the audacity to stand there looking pissed at me.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± I asked tersely, trying to keep my voice even to avoid fighting with her in front of my parents.


    She blushed slightly and a ridiculously guilty look took over her features, but she continued to re at me. ¡°None of your business,¡± she said.


    I sighed, hoping to de-escte the situation. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you to be able to have fun. But I need to know where you are. I¡¯m just worried about keeping you safe, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Screw you! You don¡¯t care about me!¡± she spat.


    I saw my mom visibly flinch at the harshnguage. It was embarrassing to be talked to like this by a teenager, especially one I was supposedly in charge of. It made me feel like I was doing a horrible job.


    I just didn¡¯t understand why Caterina seemed to have such a problem with metely. When she had firste into my life, I¡¯d been able to be more of a cool uncle figure to her. She¡¯d been such a sweet and quiet little girl.


    But ever since her mother had been away at work more, Caterina¡¯s attitude had started to rear its ugly head, and I¡¯d been forced to be far stricter with her.


    I took a deep breath, working hard to stay calm. ¡°I do care about you, Caterina. Your mom left me in charge of you for a reason. She trusts me to keep you safe, and I need you to help me out with that. You can¡¯t be running around God-knows-where.¡±


    She rolled her eyes, apparently intent on turning this conversation into a fight. I grimaced as I could see she was racking her brain for more insults to fling my way. She was obviously furious about the fact that her mom was busier than ever before, but I had nothing to do with that.


    ¡°I can go wherever I want and do whatever I want. You can¡¯t stop me. You aren¡¯t my dad!¡± She had practically worked herself up into a yell by the end of her little deration.


    My own dad raised his eyebrows at her words, probably wondering how the hell I¡¯d managed to get stuck with such an insolent child to take care of. It just didn¡¯t seem fair that I was only twenty-four and already being forced to deal with this shit.


    I hated to even think it, but Caterina felt like a hopeless case. She obviously didn¡¯t want to be under my care, and I doubted that anything I said or did would change that.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m not your dad, Cat,¡± I said as patiently as I could. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be your dad. I¡¯m just trying to keep you safe. You¡¯re young. You don¡¯t even understand all the dangerous things out in the world. I know it¡¯s annoying to be told what to do all the time, but it¡¯s for your own good. Do you really think I never had rules I didn¡¯t like? My parents are right here. Why don¡¯t you ask them?¡± I gestured across the table and waited for her to say something.


    ¡°Ugh, whatever!¡± She stamped her foot like a toddler and stormed off to the living room.


    I made a mental note to take her a te of dinnerter. Her growth spurt had made it so that she was already so thin, she really couldn¡¯t afford to skip any meals, and thest thing I wanted was for her usual crankiness to be exacerbated by hunger.


    ¡°So, how¡¯s that going?¡± my dad asked, a smile tugging at his lips.


    ¡°Well, you can see exactly how well it¡¯s going,¡± I said wryly.


    ¡°How old is she now, fifteen?¡± my mom asked.


    ¡°She just turned sixteen a few months ago. It seems like she¡¯s been intent on bing my worst nightmare ever since. She genuinely hates me, I think.¡±


    Both of my parents looked at me knowingly. My mom responded, ¡°Oh, she doesn¡¯t hate you, Elio. Don¡¯t you remember when you were a teenager? Everything we did infuriated you.¡±


    My dadughed. ¡°Remember the time we tried to y a card game and you damn near flipped the table by the end?¡±


    I took another sip of wine to hide my mortification from the memory. I had never been known to have a temper, but my parents were right. My teen years had been rough for the three of us.


    I remembered struggling to feel like I belonged. My parents had always been so in love, and as a young kid I had felt like the center of their world. But as I grew older, I started worrying that I wasn¡¯t as important to them as I had thought. Of course, Iter realized I was wrong. But at the time, I had no idea what I was feeling. All I knew was that I was pissed off all the time.


    ¡°I wish I could tell Cat that someday I¡¯ll bring up all these little moments and she¡¯ll be humiliated about her behavior,¡± I joked.


    ¡°Teenagers hate being told that there¡¯s something they don¡¯t understand,¡± my mom said wisely. ¡°They are convinced that they know everything about the world and that we just don¡¯t get it, and there¡¯s nothing you can say to convince them otherwise.¡±


    ¡°I really want to be there for her. I know she¡¯s having a hard time with her mom working so much. But she makes it so damn hard to even be around her. I don¡¯t know how to make her feel better when she¡¯s so intent on yelling at me every time we¡¯re in the same room.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Mom said. ¡°Just remember, when she¡¯s hurt, she¡¯s going tosh out with anger. That¡¯s just what kids do at that age. If you keep that in mind, you¡¯ll have more sympathy for her, even when she¡¯s acting like a brat.¡±


    ¡°Your mom had to tell me that once when I was about to head up to your room andy into you for being disrespectful to her,¡± my dad said.


    ¡°Well, damn, I didn¡¯t think I was that hard to deal with!¡± Iughed.


    I knew it was all water under the bridge. My parents loved me dearly, and they always made sure I knew it. I wondered if that would help Caterina at all. Maybe she just needed her mom to tell her she loved her more frequently.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t! Your dad just didn¡¯t know how not to treat everything like you were one of his men.¡± My mom poked him in the side as she said it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. I just don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing when ites to her. I¡¯m trying my best because Tallon asked me to help take care of her, but every day I think someone else would have done a better job,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing great, sweetheart,¡± my mom reassured me. ¡°Nobody knows what they¡¯re doing when ites to dealing with teenagers, especially ones who have had to deal with the death of a parent. Just keep being there for her as best as you can, in whatever capacity she needs.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mom,¡± I said genuinely, reaching out to take her hand in mine and squeeze it once.


    I hadn¡¯t been realistic when I agreed to help care for Caterina. I¡¯d thought she would just be a sweet little kid forever, always wanting to follow me around like a puppy. But I had made a promise to my family to take care of her, and I never broke a promise, no matter how difficult it became to keep.


    I just hoped we would both make it out of her teenage years with our sanity intact.

 Chapter 605 : Homework

    <h4>Chapter 605: Chapter 605 : Homework</h4>


    *Elio*


    I sighed as my phone screen lit up with Caterina¡¯s mother¡¯s name. Caterina had an uncanny ability to need me right when I was in the middle of important work.


    I had been just about to call an important contact and press them on whether they had made the decision to deal with us. It was a phone call that had taken me over an hour to prepare for, but I never ignored Matilde¡¯s calls.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I answered.


    ¡°Hey, Elio, I¡¯m sorry to callst minute, but I got stuck at work again. Can you go over and meet Cat when she gets home from school? She needs to be doing her homework. I¡¯m really worried about her grades. I got a call from her English teacher yesterday that she¡¯s close to failing. I just don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten into hertely.¡± She let out a breath.


    I knew she¡¯d been stressed by her job and Caterina¡¯s spiraling behavior. I wanted to help in any way that I could. So much for making that call today, I thought.


    ¡°Yeah, of course, no problem!¡± I said cheerily. ¡°I¡¯ll head over now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much. Elio, I know that thest thing someone your age wants to be doing is taking care of someone else¡¯s kid. I hope you know how much I appreciate it. I don¡¯t know where Cat and I would be without you.¡± Her voice tightened and it sounded like she was on the verge of tears.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m happy to help. I was just finishing up my work for the day anyway,¡± I lied.


    As Matilde¡¯s work had kept her busier and busier, I had noticed that she¡¯d be more prone to making tearful derations about how grateful she was for my involvement with Caterina. It made me ridiculously ufortable. Caterina was definitely a little pain in my ass from time to time, but helping take care of her was the least I could do for my family.


    I locked up my important documents in my desk and tidied up my office before heading to Matilde¡¯s. It was a short drive from my office, perfect for dropping by quickly. I suspected that Cat had no idea I would being over, and I didn¡¯t want her to know. She¡¯d gotten into a bad habit of sneaking out any time she knew I wasing to watch her.


    I walked in the front door, shutting it loudly behind me and yelling out, ¡°Hello?¡±


    Cat appeared at the top of the stairs, her arms crossed and her face twisted into a grimace.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here?¡± she practically growled.


    ¡°Your mom called,¡± I said, purposefully ignoring hernguage. ¡°I¡¯m here to help you with your homework.¡±


    She immediately turned on her heel and ran to her room, mming the door behind her. I took a deep breath, working hard not to let her behavior trigger me. I¡¯d noticed that most of the bullshit she pulled was done to get the adults around her to react, and the calmer I behaved, the more it threw her off until she would finally give up.


    I found her backpack thrown carelessly on the floor by the front door, so I picked it up and headed up to her room. I mentally prepared myself for a long evening of arguing. At least her mom was supposed to be home in a few hours and then I could take the rest of the night off. The nights when her mom had to stay out of town were the worst.


    I knocked on her bedroom door gently, trying to exude patience.


    ¡°Go away!¡± she screamed.


    ¡°Open the door now. You know I can just unlock it from out here anyway.¡±


    I heard her stomp over to her door and unlock it before wrenching it open with all her strength. She stared up at me, the picture of fury.


    It reminded me of the time when I was a kid and had identally found a goose¡¯s nest in the park. The mother goose had hissed and chased me all the way back to my parents. I wondered if Cat was going to try to chase me down the stairs.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± she half-whined, half-yelled.


    ¡°We need to work on your homework. Your mom told me you¡¯re failing English. What the hell is that about? You love to read.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not failing. I have a D,¡± she said insolently.


    I scoffed. ¡°As if that¡¯s much better? Seriously, what¡¯s the deal? You¡¯re a smart girl. There¡¯s no reason why you should be even close to failing any of your sses.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about any of it. None of it matters. I¡¯m going to leave this shithole as soon as I can anyway.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t get anywhere in life if you don¡¯t get good grades. I¡¯m serious. You think you can fail through life and nice things will just be handed to you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I get it, I¡¯m just a spoiled brat who doesn¡¯t understand how good she has it,¡± she muttered, looking away from me.


    I wondered who in the world had told her that. It hadn¡¯t been me, although I might have thought it a few times.


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nobody has to say it. I know that¡¯s what everybody thinks. Nobody understands me.¡±


    I raked my hand through my hair and tried to hold back augh. It was such a cliche thing for her to say, but I knewughing at her wouldn¡¯t make her feel any better. I wondered why teenagers were so determined to believe that no adults had ever been in their shoes before.


    ¡°Alright, I might not understand you, but I happen to be pretty damn good at understanding schoolwork. Pull it out and I¡¯ll help you. Wouldn¡¯t it feel good to get it all done before your mom gets home? You know it would make her happy.¡±


    She rolled her eyes, but she reached out her hand and took her backpack from me. I didn¡¯t let myself get too caught up in my victory. I knew from experience that just as quickly as she might settle down, she would also re up again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go sit at the table downstairs and I¡¯ll make us something to eat,¡± I said, turning back around.


    In the kitchen, I pulled out a box of mac and cheese and got some water boiling. It didn¡¯t seem like that long ago when I¡¯d taught Caterina how to make mac and cheese for herself.


    She¡¯d been so cute and eager to learn back then. She never cursed at me or asked why I was at her house. She¡¯d just been happy to see me. I sighed and hoped that version of her woulde back eventually.


    I didn¡¯t mind her being a bit feisty. I knew it would serve her well in the adult world if she wasn¡¯t a pushover, but I just wanted her to like being around me again. Lately she seemed determined to try to push me away as far as possible.


    The water boiled, and I threw the noodles in as Cat spread her work out on the table.


    ¡°I just have math and science to work on today,¡± she said, pointing at the textbooks as if to prove to me that she was telling the truth.


    ¡°And what about English? You don¡¯t have any make-up work to do or extra credit or anything? What are you going to do about that grade?¡± I tried to keep my words calm, but I knew she would feel like I was being usatory.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything! I don¡¯t know what my teacher even wants me to do. She just hates me,¡± she whined.


    ¡°Alright, I know that¡¯s not true. Tomorrow, I want you to ask your teacher what you can do about that grade, and then I¡¯ll help you with whatever she says, okay?¡±


    There was about a fifty percent chance she would not do what I had asked, but I was hoping she would feel more motivated if she knew I¡¯d check on it.


    Once the noodles were done boiling, I added the cheese powder and milk and butter, then mixed it all together. I made sure to add extra milk, just like Caterina liked. I put more into her bowl than mine, then brought them over to the table and joined her in staring down at her homework.


    She wordlessly pulled her bowl over to herself and dug in. I was pleased to see her eating. She¡¯d been looking too thintely and it worried me, especially when I knew she skipped meals sometimes. I made a mental note to talk to Matilde about it.


    ¡°Alright, what have we got in math today? That¡¯s my favorite subject,¡± I said cheerily, trying to lift the mood.


    She red at me for a second, then turned back to look at her worksheet. ¡°It¡¯s solving for multiple variables. I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, well let¡¯s go back to that for a second,¡± I said, pulling her notebook toward me and opening it to a random page so that I could write out some practice problems for her.


    I nced down at the page and was mildly horrified to see that she had written ¡°CL + JT¡± on it multiple times... with hearts surrounding the initials. I nced up in time to see her turn bright red when she realized what I was looking at. She snatched the notebook away from me and tore that page out, stuffing it deep into her backpack.


    ¡°Who¡¯s JT?¡± I asked, amused to see her so thrown off but also terrified to think that she was old enough to have a crush on a boy.


    ¡°None of your business!¡± she eximed, her face still red.


    I decided to drop it. I knew if I pressed, she would just end up storming off to her room again.


    ¡°Okay, fine. Let¡¯s just focus on the math,¡± I appeased her.


    We spent the rest of the evening working on equations. She seemed too distracted by the fact that I¡¯d found out about her crush to want to fight me, which worked in my favor. We managed to get through her science and math homework without any further arguing.


    For a few minutes, I felt like that sweet version of her who¡¯d wanted to learn how to make mac and cheese hade back. Even though she had an uncanny ability to piss me off from time to time, I was reminded that she really was just a kid trying her best.


    When Matilde got home and it was time for me to go, it felt like we¡¯d reached some sort of truce, at least for the night. I stood up from the table and ruffled her hair to say goodbye. She rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her mouth.


    ¡°Thank you so much foring over!¡± Matilde said gratefully as I headed out.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem at all,¡± I reassured her, and I found that I really meant it.


    Our situation was definitely a little odd, but helping her take care of Caterina was a lot more rewarding than most things I did in my life. I just hoped that I was a good enough influence to help her grow out of this angry teenager phase.

 Chapter 606 : Returning Home

    <h4>Chapter 606: Chapter 606 : Returning Home</h4>


    *Four Years Later*


    *Caterina*


    I stopped in front of my mom¡¯s front door and took a deep breath. It had been two years since I hadst been inside, and it hadn¡¯t been easy for my mom to convince me toe back for Thanksgiving this year.


    She¡¯d been guilt-tripping me for months trying to get me to agree toe home this year instead of our usual arrangement of hering to see me, and I had finally relented. But now that I was here, about to walk in the door, I was second-guessing everything.


    Now that I was older, I could look back and recognize that everyone had just been trying to help me stay on the right path as a kid, but it had been exhausting to be constantly looked after, especially by Elio.


    I felt guilty when I thought of how I¡¯d ghosted him when I first moved to college, but I knew the separation was needed. I¡¯d been so resentful of his presence in my life that it was impossible for me to be objective about the fact that he¡¯d been really helpful to my mom.


    I knew that part of the reason my mom had wanted me toe back for Thanksgiving was so that she could force me to see Elio again. He had texted me sporadically for the past couple of years, but he¡¯d finally given up after it became obvious that I wasn¡¯t going to keep up my end of the rtionship. That still never stopped him from sending me a birthday card every year, which only made me feel worse about my behavior.


    I took one more breath, grabbed the doorknob, and walked in. As if my very thoughts had summoned the man, Elio was crouched underneath our dining room table with some tools, tightening one of the legs that hade loose.


    He had hung his dress shirt over one of the dining room chairs so that all he wore was a white tank top with his work cks. The muscles in his arms tensed as he tightened a screw, and I found myself staring at his hands and forearms as he worked.


    What the hell? Was I seriously looking at him like that?


    He turned his head slightly to get a better look at whatever he was doing, and I saw that he had grown out his facial hair to be a slight stubble.


    Yep, I was definitely looking at him like that.


    Finally, he noticed me standing there gawking at him. His eyes widened and he quickly came out from under the table, arms held wide for a hug.


    ¡°Caterina! You¡¯re back!¡± he eximed before wrapping me up in his muscr arms.


    I returned the hug, still too shocked by my feelings toward him to say anything. His body felt amazing pressed against mine, and I had no idea how to feel about that fact.


    He gripped my shoulders so that he could pull back from me and get a look at my face.


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re beautiful,¡± he said, then immediately let go of me.


    I knew I was blushing profusely, but I tried desperately to y it cool. ¡°Um, hey, how¡¯s it going?¡± I asked, feeling like an idiot.


    He looked like he was feeling as ufortable as I was now that he¡¯d gotten a good look at me. Was it possible he was feeling the same way about me as I was about him?


    No, surely, he wasn¡¯t.


    He probably saw me as the same stupid kid who¡¯d left here a couple of years ago.


    ¡°Oh, you know, just working,¡± he said, raising his hand to the back of his neck in a way that made his bicep bulge.


    Damn, what was wrong with me? Why was I noticing his biceps? And his beard stubble? And the way his tank top had ridden up slightly, revealing an inch of his chiseled stomach just above his waistband?


    I coughed, trying to cover up the fact that I was literally staring at him like he was a piece of meat.


    ¡°Um, do you have any bags or anything that I can grab?¡± he asked awkwardly, seeming like he was working hard to avoid making eye contact with me.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. I set it outside the door.¡± I was grateful that I could give him something to do other than stand way too close to me.


    He went and grabbed my bag at the same time that my mom came down the stairs. She shrieked when she saw me standing there and practically broke her neck trying to run down and pull me into a tight hug.


    ¡°My baby!¡± she eximed as she attempted to pick me up off the ground.


    ¡°Mom, stop! You¡¯re going to hurt us both,¡± I joked, but I secretly loved it.


    No matter how standoffish I acted, my mom always knew that what I really needed was her love. She¡¯d always been such a gentle soul, and I hadn¡¯t really known how lucky I was to have her until I¡¯d gone off to college and had to live without her.


    I had to admit, I was d she¡¯d convinced me toe home, even if things with Elio were... different. It would be a great visit. I was sure of it.


    Elio walked in holding my bag as if it weighed nothing, even though I had struggled to get it out of the cab and pull it to the door. Seeing him manhandle my bag made me wonder what it would be like to have him manhandle me.


    Oh, my god, what was I thinking?!


    I felt like I needed to go take a cold shower. My thoughts were getting ridiculous.


    ¡°Elio, can you believe how much older she¡¯s gotten?¡± my mom eximed, turning me to look at him.


    To my horror, I started blushing again as he looked me up and down with a smirk on his face.


    ¡°And she¡¯s so sophisticated too! I just love your haircut.¡± Mom ruffled her fingers through my hair as she said it.


    ¡°Your haircut looks great,¡± Elio agreed with her, which only added to my embarrassment and confusion. Why was I getting so flustered over him, especially when he¡¯d alreadyplimented me earlier?


    ¡°I already ordered delivery from your favorite pizza ce. I knew you¡¯d be tired and hungry,¡± Mom said, cutting through the strange tension that only I seemed to be feeling. ¡°Elio, do you want to join us for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Definitely! I finished up with your table. Let me wash up and get my shirt back on, and I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    He pulled a small screwdriver out from under the table and set it on the counter before grabbing his shirt and heading to the bathroom. When he left the room, it felt like I could finally breathe again.


    I cursed myself for not staying in touch with him while at college. It was obvious that ourck of contact and sudden reconnection was causing my fucking brain to misfire or something.


    ¡°Go ahead and take your stuff up to your room. It¡¯s just like you left it. I couldn¡¯t stand to change a thing.¡± Mom said, getting a little teary.


    ¡°Aw, Mom, you didn¡¯t have to do that. You could¡¯ve turned it into a craft room or something. I hate thinking of you passing it every day and wishing I was in there.¡±


    She dabbed at her eyes with her pointer finger, a habit she¡¯d had as long as I could remember. Not for the first time, I wondered if she was hoping I¡¯d move back home after college. As great as it felt being back home with her, I just couldn¡¯t see myself giving up the independent life that I¡¯d grown ustomed to.


    I loved my mom, but I also loved being an adult and making my own way in the world. As amazing as she was, I had felt stifled growing up just me and her, with Elio popping in, of course.


    Thinking about Elio again made me turn and grab my bag before she could see the look on my face. My mom knew me too well, and I was terrified that she would notice that I was acting weird around him. I grunted as I picked up the heavy bag and went to haul it up the stairs.


    When I opened my door, I was shocked to see that my mom wasn¡¯t kidding. It was just like I¡¯d left it. I was immediately transported back to being a frustrated teenager, desperate to get out and experience something new.


    I hadn¡¯t even known what I was so desperate to experience. I just knew that I couldn¡¯t get it living here in my mom¡¯s house. If I could go back and talk to the younger me, I wondered if she¡¯d be proud of who I was now. I suspected she¡¯d be disappointed that I didn¡¯t have a nose ring, but proud that I¡¯d stayed away for so long.


    Although now that I was examining my choices through a more adult lens, I wondered if it wasn¡¯t bravery that had kept me away like I¡¯d initially thought, but instead cowardice. Maybe I¡¯d stayed away for so long because I¡¯d been afraid toe back and confront these memories.


    I walked over to my bed and flopped back on it, staring up at the ceiling that had been so familiar to me after years of sleepless nights. I smiled to see that the tiny, ¡®Fuck this¡¯ that I¡¯d written on the ceiling was still there.


    That was a particrly hrious act of rebellion considering I¡¯d made sure to write it too small for anyone to be able to see it, other than myself. I supposed the satisfaction of knowing I¡¯d gotten away with something, albeit something tiny, was enough.


    I allowed myself a few more moments toy in bed and relimate myself to being at home before I forced myself to get up and head back downstairs. There was no reason to feel so off about everything, I reminded myself. It was just my mom and Elio, after all.


    They had seen me at my worst and loved me through it, although maybe that was part of the problem. Now that I was an adult, it was weird to see Elio and know that he¡¯d been around for several of my more embarrassing moments.


    I walked downstairs to find them both sitting at the table, chatting like old friends. I wondered how often he came over to see my mom now that he didn¡¯t have me to help look after. They both stopped talking when they noticed me, which led me to think they¡¯d been discussing me.


    I felt a little twitch of anger deep in my gut, just a tiny reminder of how it felt growing up knowing they were discussing my misbehavior behind my back. I forced that feeling away. It was ridiculous. I was a grown woman, and I didn¡¯t need to feel insecure about walking around in my own home.


    I sat down across from my mother, but quickly realized my mistake at sitting next to Elio instead of across from him. He smelled so good.


    Had he always smelled good? Why did I care?


    His arm brushed against mine and I scooted over, holding myself rigidly so we wouldn¡¯t identally touch again.


    When the pizza arrived, Elio got up to greet the delivery driver. I used the opportunity to move my chair over farther away from his.


    I didn¡¯t know what was going on between us, but I had the distinct feeling that our rtionship was very different from how it used to be.

 Chapter 607 : A Night Out

    <h4>Chapter 607: Chapter 607 : A Night Out</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡°Caterina,e down, dinner is almost ready!¡± my mother called out.


    ¡°I¡¯ming, Mom!¡± I shouted back.


    I picked myself off my bed and tucked my phone into the back pocket of my jeans and began my descent down the stairs. I was only a day into my Thanksgiving break and already I was feeling the effects from being back home again. I hadn¡¯t expected to feel so normal about it all.


    The weight of school, although temporary, was lifted from my shoulders and I could finally take a real breath. I loved my sses and the campus I lived on, but something about being back home with my mother gave me a deeper, warmer sense of security and I didn¡¯t realize I was missing.


    And Elio... well, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure where I stood with him.


    Of course, I knew I was bound to run into him at some point while on break. But I certainly wasn¡¯t anticipating my body¡¯s reaction to seeing him after so long.


    Envisioning his muscles underneath that thin undershirt made my heart race with anticipation. Yes, anticipation that I will never allow myself to act on... yet that didn¡¯t stop my mind from imagining other things....


    By the time I reached the kitchen, my eyes were instantly drawn to the tall, well-built figure that crowded the doorway. The name slipped off my tongue before I had a chance to stop it.


    ¡°Elio?¡±


    He turned to face me and smiled. ¡°Hello, Caterina,¡± he drawled.


    My lips parted as several thousands of goosebumps rolled down my spine, something that has never happened before, nor something I knew how to deal with.


    My mother poked her head from around Elio to smile at me. ¡°I invited Elio to join us for dinner,¡± she told me.


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± I blinked twice before passing them both to grab the tes and utensils. I began setting the table and noticed Elio wandering over.


    ¡°So, how has your break been so far?¡± he asked.


    My hand nearly faltered as I went to carefully ce the ss te down, causing it to tter. I could feel the tips of my ears burning red from my shaking nerves.


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s been, I guess,¡± I answered passively.


    I wished he¡¯d let up and ended the conversation there, but no. Elio moved closer and was clearly determined to get more out of me.


    ¡°How have your sses been going?¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯m not looking forward to finals, per say. But I¡¯m ready for the semester to be over,¡± I responded calmly.


    He nodded his head and crossed his arms over his chest. With a tilt of his head, he spoke. ¡°Have you been seeing anyone while at school?¡±


    My eyes widened and my breath grew tangled in my chest. I pulled my brows together and red at him with whatever offensive anger I could find to throw back at him.


    ¡°That¡¯s really none of your business now, is it?¡±


    His eyes glimmered with challenge while the corner of his mouth started to curl into a daring smirk. My stomach coiled. Suddenly the two of us tensed from the sound of my mother telling us that dinner was ready.


    Elio turned to help my mom bring over therge tter of chicken pata. I grabbed the tossed sd and baked rolls from the counter to ce on the table. As we all took our seats, I found myself seated across from Elio while my mother sat at the head of the table. We fell into afortable silence right as my mom smiled and spoke.


    ¡°This is wonderful,¡± she said softly. ¡°It¡¯s just like old times.¡±


    Elio hummed in agreement whereas I remained silent. Was it, though? I nced around the table and felt a mixture of awkward uneasiness, but not quite the sense of nostalgia.


    Then again, this was probably how my mother viewed the situation with Elio and me. In her presence, we were two rxed kids that never acted out. I¡¯d keep my anger and resentment hidden until she was no longer around.


    No. This was nothing like the old times. And, perhaps, in my case, that was a good thing. All that pent up emotion had finally calmed, and I felt more in control of my life.


    ¡°So, after this I was going to go out with Anna and catch up,¡± I told my mom.


    She nodded her head. ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s home from school as well for the break,¡± she noted. ¡°I think that¡¯s a great idea. Are you going over to her house?¡±


    ¡°Actually, she and I were going to check out this new club.¡±


    Elio¡¯s voice was firm. ¡°What¡¯s the name of it?¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek and fought back a rude remark. Instead, I gently shook my head and shrugged. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t remember the name off the top of my head,¡± I said.


    He narrowed his eyes in doubt, knowing fully well that I was lying through my teeth.


    As soon as I was finished with dinner, I helped my mother put away whatever leftovers we had and raced to get ready. I switched into a better fitting top and pinned back part of my hair while keeping my makeup light.


    ***


    I¡¯d told Anna to meet me outside of the club and we¡¯d go in together. I was deeply excited to see my best friend after being away for so long. No doubt she would try to bat me over the head with whatever was in her hand the second we¡¯d find each other. Even though we talked and messaged each other non-stop, it wasn¡¯t the same when we were away at school.


    Anna was the first real friend I ended up making since my life had turnedpletely upside down. She knew about my hostile behavior but never held it against me. Anna never treated me like some immature child, nor pitied me for my family background. I felt beyond lucky to have someone like her in my life who just epted me for who I was.


    I spotted Anna the moment I parked my car in the nearest avable spot. The Exchange was a new nightclub that attracted various crowds of people. The ce looked decently packed, and there didn¡¯t seem to be any sort of wait to get inside.


    ¡°Caterina!¡± Anna eximed.


    The two of us practically fell to the ground as we collided into a strong, death-grip hug.


    ¡°I missed you so much!¡± I cried.


    ¡°I missed you too. God, you look great!¡±


    Much like mine, Anna¡¯s hair was trimmed into a different style that framed her heart-shaped face perfectly. I returned thepliment and together we made it inside the club and checked the ce out. Anna immediately pulled me toward the center dance floor, where dozens of people were pressed closely against one another, moving their bodies to the sound of the booming music.


    It felt amazing to let go for a little bit. I allowed the rhythm of the music around us to move me in whichever way came naturally.


    It was clear that, like me, Anna was over with sses and books this semester. Our minds were on the verge of clocking out. We enjoyed the reprieve for the time being.


    After a while, Anna and I found that we were no longer alone out on the floor. We were joined by a pair of handsome looking guys. The one who began dancing with Anna had light blond hair and wore a white shirt, while the guy who crowded against me wore all ck and had dark brown hair.


    He reached out to loop his arm around my waist and pull my back into his front. I used to dance like this when I¡¯d let myself have fun at one or two college parties. But something felt off about this.


    Each time I tried to put some semnce of space between us, this guy immediately yanked me back. His hands continued to roam over my arms and down my sides. Part of me wanted to give into this stranger¡¯s touch, because at least it offered me needed distraction from a certain ¡®someone.¡¯ But at the same time, it felt pressured and borderline forceful.


    Anna turned her head to give me a look. ¡°Cat, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I... I think I need a break,¡± I tried telling her over the loud music.


    I grabbed the guy¡¯s arm to try and loosen his hold on me, but he wouldn¡¯t let go. I tried again and grew more agitated, until suddenly the feel his hands were gonepletely.


    I quickly turned around to find Elio shoving the guy to the ground with a force I¡¯d never seen.


    My eyes widened in shock as my heart jumped into my throat.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you take a fucking hint when a woman isn¡¯t interested?¡± he snarled.


    The dark-haired guy fought to get back on his feet, but Elio called over one of the security guards and had the guy removed from the club.


    I was stunned. Elio turned back to face Anna and me and spoke angrily. ¡°I¡¯m taking you and your friend home. Now,¡± he grated.


    Neither of us tried to argue. We simply followed Elio out of the club while trying not to attract any more unwanted attention than we already had. He told both of us that he¡¯d send someone to bring both of our cars back to the house.


    A mind-numbing silence filled the space around us. I tensely crossed my arms over my chest and shook my head.


    ¡°This is utterly ridiculous,¡± I hissed. ¡°You have absolutely no right telling me what to do. For Christ¡¯s sake, Elio, what did you do, track us here?¡±


    He scoffed. ¡°You make it sound like it was a challenge to find you.¡±


    My lips pulled back into a frustrated sneer as I kept my gaze locked out the window.


    ¡°You are not my father,¡± I muttered harshly.


    I could feel his eyes burning into me. ¡°No.¡± His deep voice rolled over my body. ¡°I¡¯m certainly not your father.¡±


    My chest clenched in response. God, I hated how easily he affected me now. It was no longer ¡®what¡¯ he said but more so ¡®how¡¯ he said it. His voice wasn¡¯t venomous or threatening like a guardian trying to discipline a child. It was softer and more of an affirmation that I didn¡¯t want to acknowledge.


    Soon enough, he pulled the car into the driveway and let both of us out. I told Anna to go up to my room and wait for me. My head turned back to nce at Elio.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said curtly. ¡°But can you at least try to remember that I am an adult now? I really don¡¯t need you acting like you have some twisted control over me.¡±


    Elio opened his mouth to speak, but I quickly cut him off by raising a hand to stop him.


    ¡°And no, I don¡¯t need a lecture.¡±


    I turned to head toward the front door while leaving him behind. My hand had nearly grazed the door handle when I heard him speak. I stopped short and nced over my shoulder to look at him. His eyes were darkened by something I couldn¡¯t clearly identify.


    ¡°Oh, believe me. I am fully aware of just how grown up you¡¯ve be,¡± he said warmly while letting his eyes carry over my body.

 Chapter 608 : A New Attraction

    <h4>Chapter 608: Chapter 608 : A New Attraction</h4>


    *Elio*


    I didn¡¯t need to look at Caterina to know that she was thoroughly pissed off at me. The boiling tension that kept rolling off her body was proof enough.


    ¡®If anyone has the right to be mad as hell right now, it¡¯s me,¡¯ I thought bitterly.


    For a good while I tried to convince myself not to go after Caterina. She deserved her own space and some time alone with her friend.


    But I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something just wasn¡¯t right. I didn¡¯t like the way she t-out lied to me at dinner. My instincts were screaming at me that she knew exactly where she was going. But I meant every word of what I¡¯d said before.


    It really wasn¡¯t a challenge to find her.


    But I wasn¡¯t about to openly admit that I always have a pair of eyes on her when I can¡¯t be around. It was just another habit I¡¯d picked up from my father growing up in a rather ¡®unique¡¯ family. When I sent word out that Caterina went out with her friend, I was almost instantly informed that she was heading right for my friend Leo¡¯s club.


    Truthfully, I had no intention of spoiling her night. I¡¯d slipped through the doors unnoticed and hung back in the outer rings of the ce. I spotted Caterina and her friend almost immediately. They seemed like they were having a fun time... that was, until a pair of cocky bastards decided they needed to invade the girls¡¯ space, especially that one asshole with the dark hair and ck clothing.


    At first, I tried to think nothing of it. Hell, clubs were full of people grinding and rubbing against one another. Between the alcohol and the strobe lights, it was easy to lose sight of reality. As much as it irritated me to see some random guy crowd Caterina, I remained hidden and kept to myself.


    But the second I noticed the guy was beginning to get too handsy with Cat and wouldn¡¯t leave her alone, I emerged from the shadows with one clear motive in mind.


    I didn¡¯t care about Caterina¡¯s ring or even the mild tantrum she tried having in the car on the way to the house. My nerves would be able to rest easy for the remainder of the night now that I knew she¡¯d be safe at home.


    As Caterina turned away to go inside, her words echoed through my head like a scratched record.


    ¡°You are not my father... at least try to remember that I am an adult now....¡±


    Jesus Christ, never in my life had I ever been more thankful for something so apparent. There was no blood connection between the two of us, whatsoever.


    I knew that at times I came off domineering, but all of it was in the pursuit of making sure that Caterina was looked after. I¡¯d gone two years without seeing her and I wasn¡¯t going to lie¡ªit fucking sucked. I missed her horribly¡ªher snarky attitude, her fiery fits of anger that she continuously threw at me.


    Did that make me a masochist of some kind? Shit, I didn¡¯t care. When I got my first real look at her when she came home, I was stunned. I didn¡¯t think it was possible for Caterina to be any more beautiful than she already was. But there she was.


    The words fell out of my mouth before I could even attempt to stop them.


    ¡°Oh, believe me. I am fully aware of just how grown up you¡¯ve be,¡± I told her pointedly.


    Her eyes widened, whereas my own heart mmed in my ribcage. My unexpected remark left both of us speechless. Caterina merely rolled her eyes and went inside, while I let out a long breath and returned to pull my car into the driveway next door.


    I had little to no interest in returning to the club. After the screwed up disy I¡¯d seen with Cat, I was still far too ticked off. But I sure as hell possessed enough energy to reach out to my friend Leo.


    I sat down on the corner of my bed, facing the window, and pulled out my phone. Scrolling to my friend¡¯s number, I pressed the ¡®call¡¯ button.


    It rang twice before I heard his voicee through.


    ¡°Hey, man. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Leo.¡± I scratched the back of my neck. ¡°The guy I had one of your security guards toss out tonight at your ce... I want you to find out who he is and then cklist him for life.¡±


    I picked up the note of amusement in Leo¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Consider it done,¡± he said. ¡°But may I ask, out of curiosity, what exactly happened? Of course, you know I get stuck in my office when something interesting actually happens.¡±


    I rolled my eyes and suppressed a growl of annoyance. ¡°Believe me, Leo, you didn¡¯t really miss anything.¡±


    ¡°Mm, since you¡¯re someone who rarely loses their shit, I¡¯m going to have to ask that you give me a bit more than just that,¡± he mused.


    I blew out a breath and threw myself back into my mattress. ¡°Alright, well, before you go ahead and call me a stalker, I found out that Caterina and her friend were going to be at your club tonight. I nonchntly followed her out there and hung out at one of the back tables.¡±


    ¡°Yep. Sure. Not stalkerish at all,¡± he muttered sarcastically.


    I snorted in my throat and went. ¡°Yeah, well, go ahead and call me what you want. I watched Caterina have her fun until it got out of hand,¡± I exined. ¡°One moment she¡¯s having fun with her friend and the next thing there¡¯s this douchebag guy that starts grinding on her like some stray mutt.¡±


    The other end goes silent.


    ¡°Listen, Leo,¡± I continued, ¡°you¡¯re right. I¡¯m not someone to overreact. And at first, I didn¡¯t do anything. But I saw Caterina try to pull away and the asshole refused to let her go.¡±


    My friend¡¯s voice red through the speaker on my phone. ¡°What the fuck?!¡±


    ¡°I saw red, man. One minute I was sitting down and the next thing I knew I had the dickhead nailed to the ground.¡±


    Leo chuckled. ¡°Well, I¡¯m d you were there. There¡¯s no way I want someone like that back in my club. Consider it done.¡±


    I let out an easy breath. ¡°Thank you, Leo. I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡±


    I ended the call and noticed a strange light in the corner of my eye. I sat up and turned my head to see that the lights had been turned on in Caterina¡¯s room.


    I wasn¡¯t able to see anyone clearly, but that didn¡¯t stop my mind from spinning back to Caterina. Amid my insane night, I hadn¡¯t missed the tantalizing outfit that she¡¯d pieced together before heading out.


    Caterina wore jeans that clung to her every curve and a top that was just a small step above too tight. The material looked soft and offered the slightest peak at her generous cleavage. She was a walking fantasy in my eyes.


    Her lips were so pouty as her voice held so much conviction. It was nice to see that she still owned that fiery streak within her. I was so tempted to spend the remainder of my night standing in her driveway if it meant continuing our conversation. I wouldn¡¯t have cared if most of the night was spent with me getting berated by her.


    ¡°At least try to remember that I am an adult now....¡±


    She was right, though.


    Caterina was an adult. She was grown. That stubborn, hard-headed girl who had gone off to school hade back a mature, beautiful woman, a woman who knew how to press my nerves in all the right ways. Every scowl and shake of her head set my blood a ze with a new kind of interest.


    For as long as I could remember, our rtionship was purely on an as-needed basis.


    ¡®Watch after Caterina.¡¯


    ¡®Make sure Caterina is doing okay.¡¯


    Of course, I grew to care for her deeply over the years, but not quite like this. This particr feeling, which stirred in the pits of my stomach, caused a scorching heat to spread throughout every corner of my body. It made me feel ufortably tight in my pants.


    The previous vision of Caterina in my mind¡¯s eyes had all but faded into this new stunningly attractive version of her that made me want to reach out and snatch up for myself.


    I heard a persistent buzz and nced down to see my phone going off. My brows lifted as I took in the name that lit up across my screen¡ªCaterina.


    I quickly cleared my throat and answered the call.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡±


    A huff of frustration blew through the speaker. Her voice was strained and filled with irritation, part of me already kind of knew where this call was going. But I wanted her to ask for my help. I wanted her to say that she needed me.


    ¡°Can youe over here?¡± she gritted. ¡°My shower decided to not work.¡±


    For some strange reason, the shower in Caterina¡¯s room had always given her trouble. If it wasn¡¯t something as simple as a leaky shower head, then it was something more serious like a broken knob. But regardless of the issue, I had always volunteered to go over and fix things. It was nice to see that some things never really change.


    A chuckle rumbled through my chest. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be right there,¡± I told her.


    I heard another aggravated huff before the call ended. With my shoes still on my feet, all I needed was to grab my toolbox and keys.


    I make sure to lock the door behind before heading across the path between our homes. Heading up to the front door, I stopped for a brief moment to find that the door waspletely unlocked.


    I hissed under my breath at such a careless misstep. How could she possibly forget to lock the door once she walked inside?


    Nheless, I pushed my irritation aside and walked through the door, making sure to close the door and turn the lock over. I quietly headed up the stairs and turned in the direction of the bathroom. I heard muffled shuffling on thending up ahead while keeping my head down.


    "You really need to lock the door behind you," I said firmly.


    A soft, feminine voice spoke out. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    I slowly lifted my head up from the floor to find Caterina standing at the end of the hallway. She was dripping wet. Her hair still had some suds bubbling through. And all that covered her was a skimpy towel.


    As all the blood in my body headed toward one direct ce, my mind was wiped nk. The air was torn from my lungs and there were only two words that repeated brokenly in my head.


    Holy. Shit.


    ##


    ##


    ##

 Chapter 609 : A Seductive Look

    <h4>Chapter 609: Chapter 609 : A Seductive Look</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I heard Elio before I watched him ascend the staircase. The sound of his heavy footsteps hitting the floor caused my nerves to coil. With each step he took, my stomach clenched and my heart mmed in my ribcage.


    His hair was still slightly slicked back from before. Now it was just a tad more rxed, and his clothes were a bit rumpled.


    He looked rtively rxed and perhaps a little amused....


    The corner of his mouth was curved upward. No doubt he was secretly pleased at the fact that I chose to call him to help me with my shower. After the unexpected¡ªand slightly embarrassing¡ªmoment at the club, it irked me beyondprehension that I was the one who needed to reach out to him.


    Oh, how my anger was still fizzling throughout my body. My hands were tingling from having clenched them so tightly before.


    My head was killing me as my mind continuously jumped between two different moments.


    One was Elio looking fierce and borderline pissed off at the club. And the second was the indescribable way Elio had looked at me before I went into the house. Those smoldering eyes of his had changed from intense vexation to absolute carnality.


    ¡®Stop it, Cat,¡¯ I thought to myself. ¡®There¡¯s no way in hell that Elio would ever think of you that way.¡¯


    ¡°Oh, believe me. I am fully aware of just how grown up you¡¯ve be....¡±


    Elio¡¯s words paired with that rousing look in his eyes had sent my mind reeling in several different directions. It was as though I could feel his eyes raking over my body, and not in a bad way.


    Then again, it was most likely that I was overthinking the situation. Granted, I could have asked what he meant by that remark, but my feet had already made the decision to take me back into the house.


    Good god, all I wanted was a hot shower to loosen up my tense muscles and allow me to wash away the aggravation of the evening. But no, life seemed to have other ns in mind.


    Anna had been currently chilling out in my room when I tried to turn the handle of my shower on. At first nothing happened. But thankfully the water eventually turned on and I was able tother up my loofah with fresh smelling shower gel and work the muscles in my arms and legs.


    But after about ten minutes, just when I¡¯d gotten to adding shampoo in my hair, the water was no longering out of the showerhead but rather the hose it was attached to.


    Water was getting everywhere, so I quickly turned the handle to stop the shower and carefully stepped around the small puddles on the floor, my hair still full of suds.


    ¡°Great,¡± I muttered bitterly, ¡°just great.¡±


    Against my better judgment, and my stubborn pride, I had made the call and asked Elio toe over and see if he could fix the problem.


    It hadn¡¯t even urred to me to try to cover myself up better.


    And now, Elio was standing at the head of the stairs with his toolbox ready in his hand. He muttered something under his breath about remembering to lock the door, or something.


    And I, without a single thought, answered him back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± I said softly.


    Elio¡¯s eyes immediately locked on me. His lips parted as if to speak, but he said nothing. Instead, the man just stood there staring at me.


    A million goosebumps broke out over my skin as I watched Elio¡¯s eyes travel down the various curves of my body. My brows raised in disbelief at the earth-shattering thought.


    Was Elio attracted to me?


    My heart leaped into my throat as I watched his chest continue to expand withrge bouts of air. The man was panting.


    His lust-blown pupils were partially dted in shock along with an unanticipated sight of longing... for me?


    No. That couldn¡¯t be. There was no possible way that Elio found me even remotely desirable. I was still seen as a child in his eyes. His actions tonight had made that perfectly clear.


    Also, I wasn¡¯t exactly in my best state right then. I still had those suds bubbling in my hair and there wasn¡¯t a scratch of makeup on me. I must¡¯ve looked like a total sight.


    Denial was hanging heavily in my mind, but I knew what it looked like when a man wanted me. And that was exactly what Elio¡¯s face was telling me.


    If that notion were true, I would have taken a few brave steps forward and reached out to him. But a cool, chilly breeze of reality washed over me and snapped me back to my senses.


    This was Elio.


    I cleared my throat and pulled both of us out of the haze we¡¯d slipped into. Elio snapped back to the present and blinked his eyes a few times while nonchntly shaking his head. I¡¯d have been lying if I¡¯d said that my heart didn¡¯t skip a beat when I noticed his face turn red for a brief second.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Um... show me what the problem is,¡± he said roughly.


    I lifted an unsure hand toward the bathroom and led up both inside. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to ignore how naturally close Elio was to me. I could almost feel the heating off his body.


    I swallowed the lump in my throat. ¡°Here,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s the damn shower head.¡±


    Elio tilted his head and looked up at it. ¡°Is it leaking again?¡±


    I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth and shook my head.


    ¡°Not quite,¡± I muttered. ¡°Here, watch.¡±


    I raised my hand up to gently push Elio back and out of the potential ¡®ssh zone¡¯ of the shower. With my other hand, I turned the handle back and was hastily greeted by a manic, icy spray of water from beneath the metal shower head. In a sad attempt to block the water from getting in my face, I found myself stumbling backward into something warm and firm.


    Elio wrapped a strong, supportive arm around my waist and quickly pulled me out of the spray-line. All the air became lodged in my lungs. The feel of hisrge hands became imprinted on my sides.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± he said gruffly.


    I quickly reinforced the corners of the towel that was, thankfully, still wrapped around me. Elio instantly turned the water off and got to work. My gaze was glued to him the entire time.


    He bent down and opened his toolbox, pulling out what looked like some kind of wrench and a thick, metal mp. I tried to make it my job to pay attention to what he was doing in case this incident should happen again. Having been away at school for so long, my innate sense of independence came rushing back.


    But while my intentions were solely meant to be focused on the mechanics of the problem, my eyes began wandering away. Instead of looking at the shower head, my gaze dropped just a few inches lower to Elio¡¯s capable hands, the same hands that had been on my waist just a few minutes ago.


    With every intended movement, the muscles in his arms flexed. My stomach churned and my eyes proceeded to wander further. Those muscles carried on to the broad ns of his back and shoulders.


    I caught a quick glimpse of Elio¡¯s intense eyes fixed only on the work in front of him. It reminded me of when I first came back home and found him under the dining room table. He possessed that same determined look that made my mouth go dry.


    ¡®Oh, for Christ¡¯s sake, Cat. Would you get a fucking grip on yourself?¡¯ I scolded myself.


    But I couldn¡¯t. The chance of me going back to thinking about Elio the way I had before seemed fruitless. My perception of Elio had drastically changed whether I wanted it to or not. That overbearing, suffocating, insufferable image of him was melting into something far more alluring and provocative.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the problem,¡± he said firmly.


    I tried clearing my throat while not appearing distracted. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It seems that the hose got disconnected from the shower head, which is why it was spraying all over the ce,¡± he exined. ¡°Should be an easy fix.¡±


    And just like that, Elio got back to work. I watched with bubbling anticipation as his hands and strong arms worked above him. My eyes shamelessly continued their tant gawking.


    Apart from his mind-bending muscles, I noticed his other features had slightly changed as well. His dark facial hair was even and well kept. His dark eyshes made his eyes pop and his lips....


    ¡®Oh, god,¡¯ I groaned inwardly.


    I shook my head silently in defeat. There was truly no need to try to deny anything. Elio was, indeed, attractive... and I found him attractive. But surely, countless other women did as well, right? So, what the hell would he possibly see in me to have looked at me the way that he did before?


    Elio spoke low in his throat. ¡°Look, Caterina.¡±


    How I wished my stomach wouldn¡¯t twist from hearing him speak my name like that.


    ¡°Y-yeah?¡±


    ¡°About what happened earlier, you know, back at the club,¡± he started. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Elio, you don¡¯t need to say anything about what happened, okay?¡±


    He let out a long breath.


    ¡°Caterina, I really didn¡¯t mean to interrupt your night out with your friend,¡± he said. ¡°It was the guy that was practically dry humping you in the middle of the room that set me off. You clearly wanted to be left alone, and the asshole wasn¡¯t getting the hint.¡±


    My eyes widened in shock. It wasn¡¯t usual for him to actually exin himself to me whenever the two of us got into a heated dispute. Normally, Elio was one to y the seniority card and go off on a tangent of how I need to be more caring and vignt.


    ¡°Oh. Well....¡±


    ¡°There. All done,¡± he said brightly.


    Elio stepped back to examine his work and flipped the handle. A secondter, hot water was streaming out of the shower head with its usual ease.


    He gathered his toolbox and turned to face me.


    I offered a small smile. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Suddenly, that unexpected look he¡¯d given me back when he¡¯d first arrived reappeared. His eyes grew hooded, and his features darkened with lusting desire. His honeyed voice rippled over my exposed skin.


    ¡°Enjoy your shower,¡± he drawled with a seductive grin.


    My heart mmed viciously in my chest as I proceeded to watch him leave. As soon as I heard the front door shut behind him, I made a mad dash back to the bedroom. I quickly reached out to Anna and shook her awake.


    ¡°Mm? Huh? Cat?¡± Anna mumbled. She rubbed her tired eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Sorry to wake you, Anna, but I really need someone to talk to right now,¡± I gasped.


    The two headed into the bathroom. Anna took a seat on the counter while I stepped back behind the shower curtain to finally get the remaining soap out of my hair. I told her about everything she¡¯d missed while she was asleep¡ªeverything, minus the fact that I was desperately attracted to Elio.


    Anna was partly furious that she¡¯d missed a so-called glorious sight of watching him fix my shower, which sent both of usughing into hysterics. Once I turned off the water I stood there for a brief moment.


    ¡°Anna, I feel like I¡¯m in deep, deep trouble,¡± I told her quietly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve known Elio for a long time. He¡¯s always been this annoying, overbearing know-it-all. He was one of the main reasons why I needed to go away for school. I just couldn¡¯t stand the way he always treated me like some child....¡±


    ¡°But now? Something¡¯s changed hasn¡¯t it?¡± she asked.


    I bit the inside of my cheek. ¡°Yeah. Something has definitely changed. I... I think I like him. And I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to do about it.¡±


    Was I really going to allow myself to like Elio, of all people?

 Chapter 610 : What Just Happened?

    <h4>Chapter 610: Chapter 610 : What Just Happened? </h4>


    *Caterina*


    It always struck me as a little bit odd how into Thanksgiving the family was, considering that none of us celebrated it until the big move to the US. No one would have ever guessed that based on the way everyone acted about it.


    The week leading up to Thanksgiving was filled with food prep and nning. I helped as much as I could, but I wasn¡¯t the most skilled cook.


    I wasn¡¯t against celebrating by any means. It was a good excuse for everyone to get together, and the food was always incredible. The party was going to runte into the night and end in some drunken hugs and lots ofughter. I always had a good time, and this year I¡¯d be able to join in on the drinking.


    I smiled to myself as I thought about it. If there was one thing the family was good at, it was throwing a hell of a party.


    I spent the morning cleaning the house until it looked practically new while people buzzed around in the kitchen. Mom was doing most of the cooking, but Olivia had insisted on helping.


    When Olivia saw me, she wrapped me in a crushing hug and asked me when I got so grown up. I justughed nervously at thement.


    It reminded me a little too much of what Elio had said to me, and I was trying really hard to keep myself from thinking about that.


    By the time guests started to arrive, the smell of food was driving me crazy. I couldn¡¯t wait to eat.


    Gio arrived early with a few very nice bottles of wine under his arms.


    Thest people to arrive were Tallon, Natalia, and their son. Tallon apologized profusely and exined that his son had been difficult when getting ready.


    We allughed when the boy scoffed and loudly informed everyone that Tallon was the one who took forever to do his hair.


    It was hard to believe that he was only eight years old. He had his father¡¯s serious expression and his mother¡¯s biting humor. He was going to be something when he grew up. That was obvious.


    Elio was making himself very helpful as the food was brought out to the table. He was smiling sweetly at my mom as he carried out the enormous turkey for her and set it at the head of the table for Gio to carve.


    I felt my cheeks flush and I looked away. Everyone was too busy chatting loudly andughing to notice how awkward I was being, thankfully.


    Elio sat down in the chair across from me as Gio stood to carve the turkey. He looked around the table and smiled broadly.


    ¡°We have a lot to be thankful for this year,¡± he said proudly. ¡°I¡¯m thankful that each of you are here with us today. Now let¡¯s dig in while the food is still hot,¡± he said.


    A cheer went up around the table.


    Gio was surprisingly good with the carving knife, and in no time at all, serving dishes were being passed around the table. Everyone was heaping their tes with food andplimenting the women who had spent all week preparing the feast.


    I was aware that I was taking more food than I could reasonably eat, but I couldn¡¯t help it. Each dish that was handed to me looked and smelled so great that I just had to take a little bit of everything.


    ¡°Caterina, how have you been?¡± Natalia asked.


    She was sitting next to Elio with her son sitting on her other side.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing well,¡± I said. ¡°It took some time to get used to being away from home, but I actually like it now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± she replied. ¡°That first taste of independence can be intimidating, but it¡¯s exciting too. You finally get to do things your own way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s awesome!¡± I answered. ¡°It¡¯s a lot of work, but it¡¯s so worth it. I really enjoy the work too, honestly. I love learning new things and challenging myself to look at things in a different way than I¡¯m used to.¡±


    ¡°You sound like your father,¡± Tallon said fondly.


    I felt my smile freeze in ce.


    Momughed. ¡°You have no idea how simr they are,¡± she replied. ¡°Sometimes when she talks, all I can hear is Vinny.¡±


    My eyes stung as tears welled up. I stood and muttered, ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    I rushed out of the dining room and down the hallway.


    I only made it halfway down the hall before I copsed against the wall and sobbed. My legs felt unsteady, and I was having trouble breathing. It took all of my effort to make it to my room, and even then, I couldn¡¯t even take the time to close the door. I just fell against the wall and cried.


    I was so frustrated with myself. It had been years since Dad died, but I still couldn¡¯t control my emotions whenever people talked about him. I knew I shouldn¡¯t be reduced to tears like that so easily. I felt ridiculous and dramatic.


    It just felt so wrong to talk about him so casually. There was nothing wrong with it, but any mention of him brought back the memory of his death.


    I could still see the heartbroken look in my mom¡¯s eyes when she told me he was gone. It felt like the entire universe had stopped turning. I felt sick to my stomach.


    I put my hand over my mouth in an attempt to stifle my crying. I didn¡¯t want anyone to hear me. I was so embarrassed that I was losing it like that. I had ruined dinner. We were just having a good time and chatting, and I had to go and wreck everything by crying like a baby. I squeezed my eyes shut in frustration.


    I thought about him every day. I knew I shouldn¡¯t still be this sensitive at the mention of him.


    I heard soft footsteps approaching and looked up to find Elio walking cautiously toward me. I groaned and put my hands over my face.


    Just when I thought I couldn¡¯t feel more embarrassed... he cautiously stepped into the room and looked at me in concern.


    I took a shuddering breath and leaned my back against the wall for support. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°I just wasn¡¯t expecting Dad to be brought up. I wasn¡¯t ready for it. I made everyone ufortable.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he answered automatically. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We all understand. Tallon shouldn¡¯t have said¨C¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I cut him off. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. I don¡¯t want people to avoid talking about Dad. I don¡¯t want him to be¡ª¡±


    A sob welled up in my chest and made it hard to speak.


    Understanding dawned in Elio¡¯s eyes, and he took a step closer to me and gently took my hands in his.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want him to be forgotten,¡± he said softly.


    I nodded, but I was crying too hard to speak.


    He pulled me into his arms, and I copsed against him. He held me up easily and rubbed my back as the sobs ripped through me.


    I was so embarrassed that he was seeing me in this state, but I felt safe with him, and I needed to let it out. I didn¡¯t know how long I cried on his shoulder, but when I finally calmed down and pulled away, there was a damp spot on his shirt.


    I felt drained.


    Elio didn¡¯t release me as I stood straight. He reached up and wiped the tears from my face with the pad of his thumb.


    ¡°You are like your dad,¡± he said softly. ¡°You¡¯re smart and stubborn. He would be so proud of you. I know that I am.¡±


    ¡°You are?¡± I asked incredulously.


    He smirked at my tone. ¡°Don¡¯t let it go to your head,¡± he teased. ¡°But yeah, I am.¡±


    My heart picked up speed and I twisted my fingers together nervously. ¡°Thanks,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he replied. ¡°Are you feeling alright now?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Much better. Thanks for....¡±


    I trailed off, not sure how to say what I wanted to express.


    ¡°Anytime you want me to hold you, all you have to do is ask,¡± he replied.


    My head snapped up and our eyes met.


    There was no mistaking the meaning of his words. He was hitting on me.


    ¡°How about now?¡± I replied softly.


    Without another word, he pulled me into his arms and pressed his lips to mine. I pushed up into the contact and deepened the kiss immediately.


    Elio made a soft sound and flicked his tongue out against my lips. I gasped at the sensation and his tongue brushed against mine.


    He tasted like tart wine, and I chased after the taste as I returned the kiss.


    His hands moved down my sides and along my hips. I pushed myself tighter against him in response and pulled at his shirt until my hands were against his warm, smooth skin.


    The heat that was racing through me was unlike anything I had ever felt before. My fingers were trembling as I trailed my hands up his back.


    One of his hands pulled up the bottom of my dress and wrapped around the outside of my thigh. I lifted my leg for him and wrapped it around his hip. He pushed me back into the wall, and the way our bodies pressed together made us both moan.


    I wanted more. I wanted everything. I grabbed the back of his neck and held him close as I kissed him. He pressed his hips against mine and I could feel how aroused he was.


    This was crazy. Our entire family was just a few feet away, and we were grinding against each other like horny teenagers.


    I should have been mortified, but the threat of getting caught just made it more exciting.


    Elio¡¯s hand slid from my thigh upward. I shuddered in anticipation. He paused and turned his head toward the dining room.


    My breath caught in my throat as he suddenly released me and stepped away. His eyes locked with mine, and for a moment the heat that passed between us made everything else fade away. I wanted him more than I had wanted anyone else, and I could see that he wanted me too.


    This was going to be a problem.


    ¡°Cat?¡± Mom¡¯s voice called from the dining room. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I called back, my voice uncontrobly shaky.


    I took a step away from the wall and straightened my dress.


    He smoothed the front of his shirt and turned to face the door without a word. I watched him step away and tried to force my heart to stop pounding so hard.


    I needed to calm down.


    I had to go back to the dining room and sit across from him. I had to pretend like none of that had just happened. It seemed like an impossible task.


    The entire family was waiting and worrying about me. I couldn¡¯t just stay in my room all night.


    My mind was racing. Mom was walking toward us. She was going to know that something had just happened between us.


    My face was flushed, but I could me that on the crying. No one was going to ask, anyway. I wasn¡¯t sure what I would say if they did. My heart was pounding, and I was confused.


    What just happened?

 Chapter 611 : Frustration

    <h4>Chapter 611: Chapter 611 : Frustration</h4>


    *Caterina*


    Mom stopped outside of the door and knocked lightly on the frame. It was a silly thing to do, since the door was open and we were both looking at her. She was giving Elio a curious look as she stepped inside.


    I could see that his shoulders were stiff and he was ufortable. I was too. She had nearly caught us making out.


    Being an adult did nothing to temper the embarrassment I felt at the idea of my mom catching me with a guy. The fact that it was Elio only made it worse.


    What was I thinking?


    She turned her gaze to me and smiled. ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked softly.


    I nodded mutely. I wasn¡¯t really paying attention to her. My heart was still beating wildly, and I could feel the heat of Elio¡¯s touch slowly fading from my skin.


    Seriously, what was I thinking?


    How could I kiss him like that? He was attractive, sure, but he was still an annoying know-it-all. But my heart wouldn¡¯t slow down, and the heat that was coursing through me wouldn¡¯t calm.


    I knew my face must be flushed and I worried that my mom would be able to tell that it wasn¡¯t just from crying. The rest of the family wouldn¡¯t be paying enough attention to tell that something else was up with me, but she might.


    ¡°Cat?¡± she asked a little louder.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said quickly. ¡°I was just about toe back to the table.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you some space to talk,¡± Elio said suddenly.


    I started to protest, but he turned to look at me with an expression that I couldn¡¯t read, then he walked out the door.


    I was so frustrated. I had no idea what to make of his behavior. He just confused me so much. One second he was looking at me like he was desperate for me, then he was walking away like nothing had happened between us.


    Mom turned to me after he left and opened her arms to offer me a hug. I stepped forward and hugged her tightly. I felt the residual sadness that had overwhelmed me a few minutes ago start to melt away. I leaned my head against her shoulder as she rubbed my back and kissed the side of my head gently.


    ¡°I know that it can be hard to talk about Dad,¡± she said softly. ¡°It¡¯s hard for me too. Sometimes the sadness wins out, but I¡¯m also so happy to hear other people remember what a good man he was.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯m honored to bepared to him. It just surprised me, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I know, sweetie,¡± she said. ¡°I understand.¡±


    She rubbed my back vigorously, then pulled back to look at my face. ¡°You know that you don¡¯t have to run into your room when you¡¯re upset, right? You don¡¯t have to hide your feelings from me.¡±


    I stood back and wiped thest of the tears from my eyes. ¡°I know, Mom.¡±


    ¡°I mean it,¡± she insisted. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you have to protect me from your grief. I¡¯m your mom. It¡¯s my job to protect you. If there¡¯s ever anything you want to talk about, I¡¯m here for you.¡±


    ¡°I know, Mom,¡± I said fondly. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She nodded and sighed. ¡°You said you wanted toe back to dinner?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m starving,¡± I said with augh.


    Sheughed too and motioned toward the door. ¡°Let¡¯s get back before they start in on the pies.¡±


    I walked out first, and Mom followed me back to the dining room. Everyone was chatting pleasantly, and no one turned to look at me as I returned to my seat. It was a nice gesture, but it just made me even more aware of how awkward the situation was.


    No one said anything to me for a few minutes, and I focused on eating my food before it got cold.


    I kept getting the feeling that someone was looking at me, but whenever I nced up at Elio, he was looking somewhere else.


    I may have been imagining it, but I could have sworn that there was a slight flush to his cheeks.


    Maybe he was just as worked up about our encounter as I was. I wanted to talk to him about it, but I couldn¡¯t do that right now. I wouldn¡¯t even know what to say, anyway. I wanted to know what he was interested in me for.


    Did he just want to have a little fun or was there something more....


    I shook the thoughts away and took another bite of food.


    That wasn¡¯t a thought process that I could follow right then. I needed to forget about it.


    ¡°So, school¡¯s going well?¡± Olivia asked with a friendly smile.


    I nodded and took a bite of potatoes. I nced at Mom. She didn¡¯t seem to be paying attention. She was talking to Gio about something.


    I hadn¡¯t talked to Mom about my ns to transfer yet, and I didn¡¯t want to blurt it out in front of the whole family.


    ¡°Are you enjoying the university?¡±


    ¡°I enjoy having my own space,¡± I said truthfully. ¡°The university is amazing, but it can be a little overwhelming.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± she said with a knowing nod. ¡°New environments can be that way. I know you were only a child when the big move happened, but I¡¯m sure you can remember how stressful it could be at times.¡±


    I nodded. I did remember how hard it was for everyone to adjust to life in America. There were a lot of differences in the culture between the United States and Italy. It took a long time for everyone to feel at home. It was weird to think about now. Everyone was so confident andfortable in this new life.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get through the stress,¡± she assured me.


    I smiled at Olivia. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    My smile was strained, and I took another bite quickly to hide it. I felt a little guilty about my ns, but I knew that it was the right move. I just hoped that Mom and everyone else would understand. I didn¡¯t want to let them down.


    ¡°Cat?¡± Elio¡¯s voice pulled me from my thoughts.


    I looked up at him and met his eyes. There was an intensity to the way he was looking at me that made my breath catch in my throat.


    The memory of his hands on my skin made me shudder.


    ¡°Pass the butter,¡± he said suddenly.


    I blinked in confusion. He pointed to the butter dish sitting to my right, then nodded toward the head of the table. ¡°Gio asked, but I don¡¯t think you could hear him.¡±


    My face was burning with embarrassment. I fumbled the butter dish and passed it up the table toward Gio.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Do you want more wine?¡± Elio asked.


    I frowned at him, then looked at my empty ss. I didn¡¯t even realize that I had finished it. Was I a little drunk? Maybe that was why I was feeling so scatterbrained.


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± I answered.


    Elio stood up and went to grab a bottle of wine. I expected him to hand it to me, but instead he walked behind me and leaned over my shoulder to pour me a ss.


    I could smell the musk of his cologne and the heat of his body close to mine. I bit the inside of my cheek and resisted the urge to look at him. He lingered for a moment before standing up again.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Any time,¡± he said close to my ear. Then he turned and walked away.


    Arousal and frustration threatened to overwhelm me. I picked up my ss and took a deep swallow of the tart wine. It was delicious, and I focused on the feeling of the liquid on my tongue to distract myself.


    No one else seemed to notice the tension between us. I was grateful for that.


    When we finished dinner, everyone made their way into the living room. Someone turned on the music, and most of the younger people began to dance while the older generation sat around talking in serious tones, though I didn¡¯t pay attention to most of the conversation.


    I helped Mom clear the table and prepare the desserts. We made arge pot of coffee, and the smell of fresh brew and cinnamon filled the house.


    It was pleasant... so was the sound ofughter and conversation that filled the air.


    I smiled and took in the feeling of being surrounded by family.


    The party went on for hours.


    We ran out of wine and started encouraging people to drink coffee and eat more. Mom said she didn¡¯t want leftovers, but I knew she was trying to sober everyone up.


    I helped her to prepare coffee for Gio just the right way. Heplimented me after taking the first sip. I just smiled and went back to the kitchen to brew more.


    Natalia and Olivia insisted on filling the dishwasher before they would leave, so it was veryte by the time Mom and I closed the door behind ourst guest and set the rm.


    Mom sighed and looked at me.


    ¡°That was a sess,¡± she dered. ¡°Thank you so much for all the help. I know that you¡¯re here to enjoy the holiday, not spend your holiday vacation working.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s really alright. I love having the family around.¡±


    I took a deep breath. I was still a little tipsy, and I knew it would help me to tell her about my ns. I couldn¡¯t keep putting off the conversation.


    ¡°Mom, you said before that I can talk to you about anything, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said with concern. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?


    ¡°School,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about it, and I¡¯m not sure that I¡¯m in the right ce.¡±


    Her face fell, but she hid the disappointment quickly. ¡°What do you mean, dear? Are you thinking of changing your major? That¡¯s not a problem if you are, you¡¯re mostly taking general education sses, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my major that¡¯s the problem,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s the school. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good fit for me. I¡¯m having a hard time being so far from home.¡±


    She frowned in confusion. ¡°You¡¯re not saying that you want to drop out¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said quickly. ¡°I know how important it is to get my education.¡±


    ¡°Well, then I don¡¯t understand. What do you mean?¡±


    I took a breath to calm myself and stood up straight. She would have to understand my choice. Even if she wasn¡¯t happy about it, I knew that it was the right call for me.


    ¡°At the end of the semester, I¡¯m moving back and transferring to UCLA.¡±

 Chapter 612 : Transferring to UCLA

    <h4>Chapter 612: Chapter 612 : Transferring to UCLA</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I woke up the next Monday, and it still felt strange to be home. My things were still packed up in the suitcase and matching travel bag, pretty much just clothes and necessities that I had taken to the university with me.


    I¡¯d never been the kind of person to hold onto things or give them meaning. Even my old bedroom, which hadn¡¯t changed from the day I left, was pretty empty. There were only a few items that I had kept.


    I showered and got ready for my visit to UCLA. This was it. I was making it official.


    Done with my shower, I sat down at the vanity Mom had refurbished for me back when we first moved into this house. It still had the pink flower stickers that I had put on it around the mirror, though most were now discolored and peeling away.


    Besides the old and worn jewelry box on the table, there wasn¡¯t much else to greet me. I sighed, grabbing the makeup from the table as I started the long process of changing my features to something more pleasant for me to look at.


    I added a bit of bronze highlights on my too-long nose, a bright shiny red lipstick on my too-thin lips, and a sharp ck liner around my eyes, their green color still too bright and noticeable for my tastes.


    Mom used to tell mete at night how beautiful they were, and that she was grateful I had such beautiful eyes, just like....


    It still hurt too much to think of Dad.


    I nced at the white and pink jewelry box on the table, knowing what it would contain if I opened it¡ªa little twinkling luby and a ballerina in a pink tutu twirling around, surrounded by only one piece of jewelry that I kept hidden away in there, one I hadn¡¯t seen since the day I had gotten it.


    My twelfth birthday was not a memory I liked to revisit.


    The birthday card propped up between the mirror and jewelry box had aged poorly over the years. It looked yellowed and frayed, even warped in some spots. But it was still readable.


    ¡®Happy Birthday to the Sweetest Girl!¡± it shouted in bold letters, a little cartoon girl popping out of a cake on top with a huge smile. Inside of it was a nted scrawl that I could repeat word for word.


    Thinking back to the talk with my mom about UCLA, I was surprised at how well she had taken it. She had always pushed me to go for a higher education, and she¡¯d been the most excited when I had been epted to the university that she had nned for me, so I hadn¡¯t been sure how she was going to react to my transfer.


    Luckily, she seemedpletely fine with it, and even happy that I wasing home. She even believed me when I said it was because I just missed home.


    That kind of lie never would have gotten passed Elio.


    I reached for my concealer, the expensive waterproof kind. I didn¡¯t normally overspend on fancy or high-end products, especially if it meant dipping into the savings left by my father, but this was an exception.


    I looked in the mirror and wondered what my dad would think, if he hadn¡¯t gotten himself killed, about me leaving the university he had paid for anding back home just to lie to my mother to her face.


    Would his green eyes have been filled with as much hatred as they were when I looked in the mirror?


    I dabbed my brush into the concealer, holding out my left wrist. The swelling had gone down, luckily, but the now-fading bruise was still ugly to look at. Long-sleeve shirts did the trick most other days, but I still used the concealer in case they rode up my arm.


    I¡¯d almost forgotten to hide it when Elio came to fix my shower, but I remembered and kept that wrist out of sight.


    It was a reminder of what I was running from.


    I sighed, covering up the ugliness like I always did, making sure not a speck of it was visible to the eyes of those watching me.


    Maybe it was the coward¡¯s way out, lying and hiding like that, but I didn¡¯t want to tell my mom the truth. I didn¡¯t want to tell anyone the truth. I wouldn¡¯t burden them by bringing them into my own mess, especially my mom.


    She had her own grief to deal with.


    Once done, I dressed warmly in a sweater and gray infinity scarf, pairing it with my jeans and fluffy snow boots. I grabbed my backpack, hooking it onto one shoulder before I started out. Mom knew where I was headed, so I didn¡¯t worry about leaving a note as I left the house, locking it behind me.


    We didn¡¯t live far away from UCLA, but I found my bike in the backyard anyway. I hadn¡¯t ridden it in some years, but they say you never really forgot how to ride. I wobbled a few times but then it was just like when I was in high school as I took off down the streets.


    Anna was waiting for me at the entrance, a bounce in her step and a big smile on her face as she nodded to the various students going in and out. She beamed as she saw meing and I pulled up to the bike rack, pulling off my helmet as she bounced over to me with a bubbly giggle.


    ¡°Cat!¡±


    She hugged me, her eyes twinkling as she watched me lock my bike onto the rack. I shuffled my backpack to my other shoulder, giving her a soft smile.


    ¡°Hey, how¡¯s the tea been?¡± I asked casually.


    Her eyes lit up with excitement.


    ¡°Piping hot!¡± Anna gasped. ¡°You don¡¯t even know the half of it! You know Tara from high school biology? Well, she was supposed to get married a few months ago because she got pregnant and she and Todd... you remember Todd right? Well, they wanted to have the wedding real quick to cover it up.¡±


    ¡°Jeez, figures she¡¯d have an ending like that,¡± I said, shaking my head disappointedly.


    Tara had often been outwardly mean, and from what I remembered, she had been one of those girls who didn¡¯t have friends, only followers.


    ¡°Oh, it gets better!¡± Anna rolled her eyes. ¡°Anyway, so they were going to get married, but then Todd called off the wedding because he found out that baby wasn¡¯t even his!¡±


    I winced. ¡°Oof.¡±


    ¡°But this is the best part,¡± Anna sent me a grin. ¡°Turns out the baby was actually Mike M¡¯s! You know, from the track team?¡±


    I halted in my tracks. ¡°Mike M?¡± I asked cautiously.


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they cousins?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god,¡± I sighed, wincing at the information overload.


    Anna had always been a bit of a gossip, ever since I knew her at least, but she¡¯d never been harmful about it. If she wasn¡¯t so much of a ditz, she might¡¯ve made a good investigative journalist in another life.


    Anna led me to the main office, talking my ear off as usual, and I chatted a bit as we entered. The receptionist behind the desk was a little bit older than us. He gave us a bright smile as we entered, his little desk filled with trinkets from y figurines of frogs to plushes of cats, and all sorts of drawings and photos on the boards on the wall.


    ¡°Hey there,¡± he called out happily. ¡°I¡¯m Caleb. Wee to the office. Can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Hi.¡± I pulled out a file of paperwork I had made sure to bring in my backpack, setting it on the desk as I told him, ¡°I called earlier. My name is Caterina Leone. I¡¯m here to transfer.¡±


    ¡°Transferring to UCLA or out?¡± he asked simply, with no judgment in his eyes either way.


    ¡°To.¡±


    ¡°Lovely. Alright, is all your paperwork here, Miss Caterina?¡± he asked, opening the folder as I nodded. He went over it, filling it out and entering the details into theputer with his fingers flying across the keyboard.


    ¡°Let me just file this away and you¡¯ll be all set to go.¡± He smiled, getting to his feet and heading through the door behind the desk, probably where they kept records or other items they needed.


    I sighed, leaning my elbows on the desk as Anna rocked back and forth on her feet, humming tunelessly to herself.


    ¡°You doing okay?¡± she asked softly.


    As much as a head-in-the-clouds kind of girl she was, Anna was my best friend for a reason, and that reason was how sweet and caring she could be to her friends.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I sighed. ¡°Life is just... a lot, too much sometimes, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d you¡¯re transferring over here,¡± Anna said honestly. ¡°I think it¡¯ll be good for you, getting away from all that toxicity.¡±


    I stiffened, my hand immediately tugging down the sleeve of my shirt as I nodded to myself. ¡°Yeah, maybe.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty!¡± Caleb came back with a huge grin. ¡°Here you are! You should be starting after the winter break, and an email wille soon with your first sses, once they¡¯re decided. Sound good?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks,¡± I grabbed the remaining paperwork, including a brochure of sses they offered, and waved as we left.


    ¡°Now that that¡¯s done, let me show you around!¡± Anna said, her expression shining hopefully as she gave me her puppy-dog eyes.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Iughed, letting her drag me around by the wrist.


    Despite how much I wanted to go home, I could give her this time for all she¡¯d done to help me. We stopped by the coffee shop where Anna said, ¡°Theirttes are to die for!¡±


    And we went to the library, which was practically empty with the holiday break going on. The campus was huge, and I was d I let Anna take me on a tour or else I would¡¯ve for sure gotten lost.


    But eventually, Anna and I parted ways to go back home.


    By the time I was walking my bike up the driveway, the sky already dark and the moon out, I spotted Elio walking straight out of his house. I parked the bike, locking it up, trying to ignore him out the awkwardness from the kiss, but of course things couldn¡¯t go that easy.


    ¡°Where were you?¡±


    The demanding tone in his voice was familiar to me and just as irritating as when I was a teenager and I got caught sneaking out of the house for the first time. I¡¯d never done it again after that, mostly because of the asshole standing behind me.


    ¡°None of your business.¡± I crossed my arms as I turned to face him.


    He rolled his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets. ¡°Look, Cat, don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    But he didn¡¯t get to finish because a loud ringing cut him off. I jumped, immediately grabbing my phone and ncing at the screen, which read, ¡®Blocked number.¡¯


    My heart dropped to my stomach... not again. I bit my bottom lip, trying not to freak out as I held down the power button, shutting off the phone and stuffing it into my backpack. I hoped to God that Elio hadn¡¯t seen the worry on my face.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Elio asked firmly, the space between his eyebrows furrowing like it did whenever he was worried about something.


    ¡°Just spam,¡± I lied, avoiding his eyes as I moved around him, keeping my head down.


    Before I couldpletely get past him, I saw a sh of a hand from the corner of my eye and before I knew it, I had jumped back, wrenching my wrist behind me with a panicked look.


    ¡°Cat?¡± he asked, rm in his eyes.


    I just swallowed, putting on an annoyed expression as I shuffled my bookbag on my shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to grab people like that,¡± I said, keeping my eyes trained on the ground as I rushed up to the house.


    As I reached my door, I heard a ringtone, the most basic and generic one that came with the phone, and I could feel Elio¡¯s eyes on my back like a heat wave as I heard him answer.


    ¡°Hey, Al,¡± he said as I shut the front door behind me.


    I breathed out. I could only tell myself that it was nothing, that he didn¡¯t suspect anything was wrong, and that everything was fine.


    I didn¡¯t need him getting involved in my life. I didn¡¯t need him trying to control me.


    I certainly wasn¡¯t a kid any longer.

 Chapter 613 : Attraction

    <h4>Chapter 613: Chapter 613 : Attraction</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡°Hey, Al,¡± I said casually, watching as Cat fled from me, holding onto her left wrist.


    She nced at me one final time, a cautious look to her as she shut the door, and I was left alone in the middle of her driveway.


    ¡°You said you had a tip for me?¡± Alessandro sounded as rough and straight to the point as ever.


    I smirked at the hint of exhaustion I could hear behind his voice, probably from dealing with so much shit over the years.


    But I had to admit, he was still one of the best Dons the family had ever had. Ever since he had taken the title, it had been smooth sailing for all of us in the States and for them back in Italy.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it like two AM over there?¡± I asked, amused.


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± he growled. ¡°What did you find?¡±


    I rolled my eyes, not paying his rough attitude any mind. My uncle was a lot of things, but polite, especially at two in the morning, was not one of them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got my own shit too, so I won¡¯t hold you. There¡¯s been some activity over here that we think can trace back to... you know, him.¡± I said vaguely, ncing at the house in front of me.


    A light turned on in the top window, the one I knew to be Cat¡¯s room. I could see her shadow cross in front of the curtains, no longer the skinny figure of the little girl I¡¯d first met all those years ago, now a woman with curves in all the right ces.


    ¡°Is Caterina and her mother safe?¡± Alessandro asked urgently. ¡°Did you inform Tallon yet?¡±


    I shook myself out of my thoughts, beginning the short trek back to my own house next door. I held my phone between my shoulder and ear as I opened the door and walked inside.


    ¡°No, I wanted to tell you first,¡± I told him. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure Tallon could be objective about it, but the Leones are safe for now. I sent you everything I know through the private server. It¡¯s not much, but I figured you¡¯d have more resources over there to find them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it on it,¡± he sighed. ¡°Keep them safe.¡±


    ¡°I always do.¡±


    I hung up, tossing my phone onto the coffee table as I copsed onto the couch with a heavy sigh of relief. My whole body was aching from exhaustion after the long day, though I still felt pretty good.


    I threw my hand over my face, brushing my lips against the skin of my palm and I flinched, remembering the soft and warm touch of another¡¯s against mine.


    Cat.


    Cat was gorgeous. I knew that long before the kiss, but ever since she¡¯de back from college, it was like I¡¯d been hit by a brick with it. She¡¯d truly blossomed into a woman when I wasn¡¯t looking... and an especially well-endowed one at that.


    I found myself drawn to even just her walking¡ªher hips swaying with every step, her firm ass andrge chest that looked so soft and sexy. It was like every inch of her body was enticing me closer without her even realizing it.


    And it didn¡¯t help that she wore those skin-tight leggings either.


    And that kiss¡ªher lips had been so soft, so warm and full of life. I could still remember the heat of her mouth connected to mine, our tongues intertwined as we devoured one another like we were starving, my hands on her skin, pulling her into me until I could barely remember where she stopped and I started.


    And that little moan she let out, probably not even aware she had done it... I wasn¡¯t sure I could have held myself back from taking her right then and there if her mom hadn¡¯t dropped us back to reality.


    I was never one to ignore things and hope they went away, though I knew Cat was. I liked to tackle things head on, even if there were repercussions. My mom always said I was tactless and stubborn like my father, which was fair since she was right.


    But in this case, there was no way Cat would approach me about the kiss considering the awkwardness that hung between us ever since it happened. But we would have to address it sometime, and I was tired of beating around the stupid bush.


    It was going to be up to me.


    Though considering Cat¡¯s personality, she wasn¡¯t going to be happy about it. She probably felt as weird about it as I did, I thought, considering we met when I was a full adult and she was still only a child.


    I¡¯d never looked at her like that¡ªromantically¡ªat least not until a few days ago, but we were both adults now. And adults can be attracted to one another without making such a big deal out of it. Shame had nothing to do with it.


    Besides, considering the age gap of the couples in the family, our difference was barely even on the scale.


    I brushed my hair from my face, getting to my feet as I grabbed my phone and headed upstairs. I pushed open the door to my bedroom, ncing out my open window to see the light in her window still on.


    I smirked to myself,ying my phone on the windowsill and leaning out to feel the slight chill in the breeze. On speakerphone, the phone rang loud in the empty room, and I saw the silhouette in Cat¡¯s rooms dip out of sight for a moment before there was a click and a cautious, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you busy?¡± I asked, straight to the point, no exnation.


    There was a brief pause, and all I could hear were her soft breaths before she answered. ¡°No, why?¡±


    ¡°Great. Be ready in thirty. I¡¯ll pick you up.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she eximed, the exasperation in her tone putting a grin on my lips. ¡°Ready for what? And even if I¡¯m not busy, what makes you think I want anything to do with you? I¡¯m perfectly okay staying at home. I¡¯ve got work to catch up on for my transfer to UCLA, and so much paperwork to go through. I don¡¯t have time¡ª¡±


    ¡°Cat,¡± I said firmly, unintentionally using the tone I used to use when she would refuse to do her homework.


    She went dead silent on the other end.


    I coughed, correcting myself. ¡°I¡¯m going to take you out... thirty minutes.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t just order me around, Elio,¡± she sneered, ¡°and you still haven¡¯t said where to. I¡¯m smart enough not to follow strange men to unknown locations.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a stranger,¡± I bit back casually. ¡°I¡¯ve known you since you were a kid, Cat.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you were.¡± There was a hint of smugness in her voice. ¡°I just said you were strange, which you are.¡±


    Well, touch¨¦.


    I grinned. ¡°Just get ready.¡±


    A pause fell over us and I could almost hear her overthinking through the phone, debating with herself but ultimately, we both knew what she would choose. She sighed and I smirked in victory.


    ¡°Fine. What do I need to wear to this ¡®mystery adventure?¡¯¡±


    I could practically see the way she rolled her eyes at this, the quotation marks seeping in sarcasm.


    I thought back to the outfit she was wearing when I¡¯d just seen her.


    ¡°What you were wearing is fine.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Nothing fancy, just casual. Make sure to wear a jacket though.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    The phone went dead, and I chuckled to myself, pushing off the windowsill and heading to the bathroom. I pulled off my shirt, dropping it to the floor, and discarded my jeans just as easily, reaching into the shower to turn on the hot water.


    Steam immediately poured out, fogging up the bathroom and I shut the door, paying no mind as I nced at the mirror. I tilted my head, smirking at my image.


    I knew I was good-looking. I didn¡¯t mind admitting it, since it wasn¡¯t due to anything I had done. I was just lucky. I¡¯d inherited the strong genes of my father paired with the soft doe-eyes of my mother, with golden tan skin and the vibrant brown curly hair that ran in the Valentino genes.


    I was ratherzy when it came to my appearance, so I kept my hair a medium length with a fade on either side, the curls just long enough to dip in between my eyebrows. I was a perfect blend of my parents¡¯ best features.


    Covered in the T-shirts and jeans I often wore, it was hard to see from the outside, but I kept my body fit and active, even down to the dip where the mirror couldn¡¯t see.


    I rolled my shoulders as the steam coated the window, obscuring my vision as I stepped into the shower, breathing a sigh of relief as the heated water pounded on my body. I rxed, taking my time in the overly hot water, as high as it could go, which was nearly burning.


    By the time the water was running at a tepid temperature, I finally stepped out, shutting off the water and drying myself off. I wrapped the towel around my waist, grabbing clothes from my closet, casual but still nice¡ªsimple blue jeans with a dark gray T-shirt and a ck zer over the top.


    I dried my hair, nced at my phone, and then looked through the window to see Cat¡¯s room. I could see her silhouette moving back and forth but I couldn¡¯t see anything more, which was a relief and if I was being honest, a disappointment.


    But at least if I couldn¡¯t see anything, no weirdos on the street would be able to either. I couldn¡¯tin about that.


    I pocketed my phone and keys, pulled on my shoes, and locked up the house at exactly twenty-nine minutes after I¡¯d called Cat.


    I leisurely strolled over to the house next door like I had done a thousand times before. I climbed the front porch steps, pausing at thest step.


    I frowned, tilting my head, confused. There was a fluttering in the pit of my stomach, like a mixture of excitement and anxiety that I wasn¡¯t prepared to feel. It felt like when I was a teenager heading to my first date with my crush at the time.


    But that was impossible.


    Cat was pretty and I was attracted to her, but that was all. Right?


    I shook off those crazy thoughts and walked straight up to the door and into the house.


    I had to be mistaken. There was no possible way I was falling for Caterina Leone. We were just two adults attracted to each other. That was all it was.


    I was sure of it.

 Chapter 614 : Falling for It

    <h4>Chapter 614: Chapter 614 : Falling for It</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I hung up the phone, annoyance brimming in every inch of my body. I hated the way Elio treated me like a child¡ªnot telling me where he wanted to take me, ying games with me, and dodging my questions, acting like I¡¯d do anything he asked with no regard for my own choices.


    And I hated how I fell for it every time.


    Even the dad-likements he threw in would set me off. Wear a jacket... really? Like I wasn¡¯t an adult who couldn¡¯t be told what to wear? Like I didn¡¯t know how to wear a jacket in the cold November air, even in California?


    I huffed, setting my phone down as I nced in the mirror. I had nned on staying in, so my hair was a bit of a mess, and I wasn¡¯t dressed to go anywhere at the moment.


    I didn¡¯t know where he wanted to take me or why right then, but I had a sneaking suspicion and dread that he wanted to discuss the kiss. I knew I couldn¡¯t avoid him forever, but I still didn¡¯t want to talk about it.


    I rubbed the skin around my elbows, feeling a bit of a chill all of a sudden. But despite my hesitations about where Elio wanted to take me, or why, I still headed to my closet, choosing a rtively nice but casual outfit.


    I picked a gray sweater dress with leggings underneath and a warm scarf that hung around my neck. I nced in the mirror, pursing my lips as I pondered over my appearance.


    I pulled the ponytail out of my long hair, letting it cascade around me and I brushed it away from my shoulders and scarf, finally satisfied with my appearance.


    I pulled on my boots and turned my phone on silent. Anna was meeting with her boyfriend Daniel tonight, so she wouldn¡¯t need me, and I knew for a fact that Mom had gone to bed early. She had to work tomorrow morning.


    I nced at the jacket I¡¯d left sprawled out on my bed and just out of spite, I turned away with a huff, heading to the door as I tucked my phone into my pocket.


    But before I could leave, my hand paused on the door handle, that annoying little stubborn voice in the back of my mind peeked up, the one that sounded a lot like Elio as I could almost hear him in my head.


    ¡°Make sure to wear a jacket,¡± his smug voice taunted me, circling my head like a vulture in the desert.


    ¡°Fucking bastard,¡± I grumbled, hating myself a bit as I descended the stairs, feeling a little too warm with the jacket I¡¯d stuffed on top of my outfit. It wasn¡¯t even cold enough to need it, but my stupid brain wouldn¡¯t let me leave it, not when Elio had specifically asked me to wear it.


    I bounded down the stairs two at a time, the pit of my stomach fluttering with butterflies despite my sense of stubborn denial that pulsed through my veins. I ignored the feeling, pushing it away as Inded on the bottom step with a thump.


    As I did, I heard the jingling of the lock and the door opened, and in walked Elio, dressed simply in ck but still looking just as good. Our eyes met as he walked in like he used to do all the time¡ªlike he owned the ce.


    He tilted his head, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets as he slowly gazed at me up and down. My cheeks heated, feeling a bit self-conscious as I shifted on my feet. I suddenly felt like zipping up the jacket and pretending I couldn¡¯t see him, though I knew how ridiculous I would look.


    Finally, he caught my eye, giving me a little sly grin. ¡°You wore the jacket.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go!¡± I interrupted loudly, my cheeks burning red as I pushed past him and out the door.


    As soon as I stepped outside, the chill of the nighttime hit me and I shivered, d I wore the jacket now, despite how annoying Elio was being about it.


    I heard him chuckle behind me, locking the front door behind us and he stepped ahead, spinning on his heel to face me. Elio had always been the honest type, and I couldn¡¯t stand the soft look in his eyes as he gazed at me.


    I looked away, biting my bottom lip and refusing to analyze the emotions beaming toward me. I had my father¡¯s stubbornness, after all.


    Elio held out a hand, bowing his head as he sent me a mischievous smile, his eyes twinkling under the porch lights. ¡°Ready for our date, mdy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a date,¡± I huffed, ring at him, but I couldn¡¯t help taking his hand anyway. Hisrge hand was warm, and I swallowed at how easily our hands fit together, like pieces from two different puzzles that you would never expect to go together.


    We walked over to his driveway, and he held the door to his car open for me.


    ¡°So where are we going?¡± I asked, ignoring the silly grin he sent me as he let go of my hand.


    I instantly missed the warmth of his touch and tried not to show it.


    ¡°Well, it might be out of the blue, but a date¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not a date,¡± I said firmly.


    He just smirked. ¡°A date doesn¡¯t need a destination, does it? Can¡¯t I just want to take you out?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I rolled my eyes, giving him a serious look. ¡°You always have some kind of ulterior motive, so don¡¯t y with me. You¡¯re not that charming, Elio.¡±


    ¡°Ouch.¡± Heughed. ¡°I happen to think I¡¯m rather charming myself, but I guess I¡¯ll have to step up my game.¡±


    I gave him a narrow-eyed stare before I got in the car.


    We drove up the hill to a small, quiet neighborhood park that overlooked the city.


    ¡°I thought a nice walk would make a good date,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°Not a date,¡± I said again, but it was little more than a whisper.


    We walked quietly for a while, admiring the view of all the twinkling lights below, then he paused in the middle of the sidewalk, tugging me to a halt as well.


    I flinched out of instinct when I saw something moving from the corner of my eye. He stepped closer, a smile on his lips as he brushed my hair from my face, leaning over me as we stood underneath the streetlight.


    My heart leaped to my throat as my eyes flicked to his lips, remembering the heat and passion of our tongues intertwined, the taste of him echoing in my mind. For a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me as he leaned closer, my eyes fluttering closed until I heard a soft flick of his finger.


    ¡°Were you expecting something?¡± he whispered, the heat of his breath brushing over the top of my ears and sending a chill down my spine. ¡°Hm, Cat?¡±


    My eyes flew open, and I swallowed ufortably as he sent me a wicked smirk, pulling back and showing me the dead leaf in his fingers. Realization poured over me like hot water and I blushed, pulling my hand from his as I instinctively checked my hair.


    He smirked again, smug and confident just like always and I fumed to myself, cursing in my mind for having gotten lost in the moment. His eyes had drawn me in and with a pang of misery, I realized he was teasing me again.


    And I had fallen for it, just like always.


    I stormed ahead but Elio caught up quickly with his long legs, strolling casually beside me.


    ¡°So, UCLA.¡±


    I stared straight ahead at the sidewalk, ignoring his heated gaze on me.


    I inhaled sharply, hyper-aware of him walking right beside me, our shoulders brushing with every movement. I had a sudden urge to run, to pull the ripcord out of this conversion.


    ¡°What about it?¡± I asked, making my voice sound neutral despite the anxiety buzzing in my chest.


    ¡°You were pretty adamant about going to the university you picked out, yet youe back and transfer to UCLA out of the blue.¡±


    I fell silent, clenching my hands tightly, enough that I could feel my nails digging into my palms.


    ¡°So what?¡± I tried to shrug it off.


    ¡°So why aren¡¯t you going back to your school, Cat?¡±


    ¡°I wanted a change,¡± I said vaguely, not lying one bit. ¡°They have a new business program here that I want to join.¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± was all he said.


    I had no idea whether he believed me or not but luckily, he dropped the subject. Unfortunately for me, he dropped it for an even more awkward question.


    ¡°So, are we going to talk about that kiss?¡±


    I tripped over myself, nearly kissing the pavement had it not been for Elio¡¯s arms wrapping around my waist and holding me in ce. I could feel his strong body against my back even through the thickyers of my jacket and sweater.


    In the mess, my scarf fell off my neck, hitting the pavement in my stead, and I stared at it for a moment, unwilling to push him away to grab it.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said sharply, pulling out of his grasp.


    He let me go easily, giving me a soft look. We had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, inches away from one another and to anyone else, the scene would have been easy to misunderstand.


    I swallowed, gazing into his eyes, and bit my bottom lip out of habit. I could see his eyes follow my movements, darkening.


    I turned away in a hurry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should,¡± I said coldly, regaining myposure as Ipletely turned my back on him. ¡°It happened and it¡¯s done. We can¡¯t take it back, but it¡¯s not going to happen again.¡±


    I saw him bending down from the corner of my eye, my bright red scarf held in his hands as he brushed it off with hisrge hand. He gave me an unreadable smile, stepping forward, and I nearly took a step back before I remembered myself.


    I held my ground, staring at him firmly to make my stance on this clear. He took a step forward, leaning down. He was so close I could feel his hot breath brush against my cheeks as he gently wrapped my scarf around my neck once more.


    He leaned back, shoving his hands into his pockets as he gave me a smoldering look.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    Despite how red my cheeks were, Elio didn¡¯t call me out on it.


    We returned to the parking lot, and he held the car door open for me again, and we drove back quietly while I tried to force the blush off my face.


    When we got back to my house, Elio walked me up to the porch. It was a bit nostalgic, with how many times he¡¯d walked me home when I was in high school.


    I paused at the front door, unsure of what to do from there.


    ¡°Uh, goodnight,¡± I said awkwardly.


    ¡°Thanks for apanying me on our date,¡± he said with a grin.


    ¡°Not a date!¡± I protested immediately, crossing my arms over my chest.


    He just chuckled, and there was a moment of something that shed in his eyes.


    I sobered quickly, my breath catching in my throat as he took a step forward and gently brushed his hand over my cheek.


    My heart pounded in my chest, my whole body heating up. There was a sh of thought in my head. Stop him. Turn away. The warning signs shed, but his eyes smoldering with heat overpowered my senses.


    His hot lipsnded on my cheek, and I felt his breath against my skin as he lingered there for half a moment.


    My eyes zed over, and my hand gripped onto his shirt without me realizing it and everything was a blur.


    The next thing I knew, our lips were connected in a fiery passion as he pulled me away from the door and back toward his car. His strong body and passionate lips enticed me to follow, mymon sense flying out the window and before I knew it, I was sitting in hisp in the driver¡¯s seat, his arms around my waist and the back of my head as his tongue devoured every inch of me.


    Dammit.


    I¡¯d fallen for it again.

 Chapter 615 : Bad Idea

    <h4>Chapter 615: Chapter 615 : Bad Idea</h4>


    *Caterina*


    Hot.


    That was my only thought as hisrge hands roamed across my bare skin. My jacket had long been discarded on the seat next to us as he peeled up my dress, his palm t against my ribs and the other creeping up my back.


    I could feel a hard pressure between my legs syed out as I sat on hisp, neither of us making the move to pull away despite knowing how much of a bad idea this was.


    His tongue dipped into my mouth, forceful and passionate and dominating as he held the back of my head, my hair held firmly in his fist so I couldn¡¯t pull away.


    I doubted I would have even if I could.


    I moaned as he pulled at my bottom lip with his teeth, barely breaking away for a heated gasp of breath before he came back once more, devouring me like a hungry beast. He was good, too... good at this, and it didn¡¯t take much before I¡¯d lost my mind in a daze, anchoring to him as the only buoy in an endless sea of pleasure.


    He thrust up suddenly, pressing himself into me and I gasped, shocks running down my whole body as I instinctively ground down with my hips.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I heard him pant out between kisses, going back for more in the next second as his tongue traced mine like he was savoring the taste of me like I was a delicacy he couldn¡¯t get enough of.


    ¡°Elio.¡± I breathed his name like he was a god I was praying to, and that seemed to tear him out of the trance we were in.


    He finally broke the kiss, his eyes dark with lust as he stared at me, swollen lips parted as he breathed out like a marathon runner.


    I wasn¡¯t in any better shape, my overly heated skin feeling like a furnace now. In this brief moment of rity, I caught sight of a red mark on Elio¡¯s bottom lip, having been bitten somewhere between the front door and the car, though I didn¡¯t remember doing so.


    Pure instinct led me I reach out with my shaky hands, curling my fingers around his jaw as I gently touched the mark, fascinated with the way his plush lips folded under the slightest pressure. It was warm and wet from our kisses.


    Before I could convince myself out of it, I leaned forward, pressing a kiss directly on the mark as gently as I could like I could heal it with my lips if I was just gentle enough. It was stupid¡ªchildish even¡ªbut I heard the catch of Elio¡¯s throat, and the way his hands tightened around my skin, and he let out a little growl in response, clearly holding something back though I didn¡¯t know what.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be the death of me,¡± he whispered, even his soft voice sounding too loud in the quiet of the car between us.


    I blinked dazedly, my head still fuzzy from ack of oxygen and drunk on his taste as he pressed his head into the crevice between my shoulder and neck.


    I felt his lips press against the skin there, too warm as he gently took it in with his teeth, nibbling, and for a moment, I wondered if he was perhaps going to eat me, to devour me until there was nothing but my bones left.


    What a bad idea, I thought deliriously, not even considering the thought of pulling away or telling him to stop. Whatever trance we were in, it had a hard grip on the two of us.


    ¡°Cat,¡± Elio groaned, thrusting up into me.


    I arched my back, savoring the jolts of pleasure that shot up my spine. I hummed in response, too utterly spellbound to do much else than cling to him and let him do whatever he wanted with me.


    ¡°Come home with me.¡±


    Until the spell was broken.


    As if I¡¯d been dropped from the heat of a desert into a freezing pool of ice, the shock had me pushing away until my back mmed against the wheel. I winced, knowing there would be bruisester, but the pain helped me to wake up from whatever dream I had been in.


    What the hell had I been doing?


    Eyes wide, I nced at the scene around us. It was undeniable, especially from an outside perspective. Elio and I making out in the car, me on hisp as we moaned and groaned like horny teenagers.


    I could still feel the pressure between my legs, and I turned a deep red, embarrassment and shame hitting me all at once. For a moment, I was at aplete loss on what to do. I simply frozen in ce as Elio finally noticed something was wrong.


    ¡°Cat?¡± he asked with a frown.


    I spotted the mark at the corner of his lip, a reminder of this little escapade that was undoubtedly real and not the dream I wished it was.


    How did this fucking happen? Where did it go wrong?


    I traced my steps. Elio took me home and kissed me on the cheek, and instead of pulling away, I got swept up by my emotions. I let him take me back to his car, and I let him slide me over onto hisp. His hands were under my goddamn dress.


    And that was the moment it all went wrong.


    I shouldn¡¯t have evene out on this so-called date, I thought. I¡¯d been fooling myself thinking I could maintain distance... thinking I had deterred him from our previous kiss. It wouldn¡¯t happen again, that was what I had said, right?


    Fucking hypocrite, I scolded myself.


    ¡°Cat, are you okay?¡±


    Back in my presence, I now had to deal with the aftermath of my bad decisions.


    I shook my head, gripping his wrist and pulling it from under my dress as I hurriedly straightened my attire, sliding off hisp.


    ¡°Cat, what¡ª¡±


    Before he could say anything else that could tempt me into another spell that would get me to do even more, I opened up the door and practically rolled out onto the pavement. The chill of the night air hit me, and I finally felt like I could breathe properly. I got to my feet, ring at Elio, though I wasn¡¯t really mad at him. I was mad at myself for getting carried away like this.


    ¡°Good night!¡± I mmed the car door, ignoring his bewildered look as I ran from him and into the house.


    I barely took a moment to catch my breath and make sure the door was locked before I rushed upstairs, taking the steps two at a time. Back in the safety of my room, I pulled out my phone from my pocket and immediately dialed the first number I saw.


    I paced around my room, listening to the ringing as my heart thumped loudly in my chest. But finally, I heard the line pick up and the grumpy voice of Anna.


    ¡°I thought I told you I was with Daniel, so why¡ª¡±


    ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    ¡°About Elio?¡± she asked with no hesitation at all despite the urgency in my voice.


    I heard shifting on the other side, mumbling from a distinctly male voice, and then silence.


    ¡°How¡ª¡± I sputtered, my face flushing at her direct answer. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    I could almost see her rolling her eyes even through the phone.


    ¡°It was tantly obvious to anyone with eyes. So did you finally make a move, or did he wake up and realize you had the hots for him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the hots for him!¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Her disbelieving tone said everything.


    ¡°Look, I got emotional at Thanksgiving, and he came andforted me and somehow, it may have ended with our lips together¡ª¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re only now telling me?¡± she gasped. ¡°I¡¯m your best friend! I need the deets, Cat!¡±


    ¡°Well, I was hoping we could both ignore it, and it would go away!¡± I defended myself, realizing how ridiculous it sounded outside of my mind. At the time it seemed like a good n, one that had absolutely betrayed me in the end.


    ¡°That¡¯s not how these things work, babe,¡± Anna said, disapprovingly.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, but then tonight he called me out for a drive and a walk in the park¡ª¡±


    ¡°At night?¡±


    ¡°So, we did and he brought me home¡ª¡±


    ¡°You went?¡± Her voice kept getting shriller, the sheer incredulousness in her voice making me feel even more like a child getting scolded.


    ¡°And he kissed me on the cheek, and I don¡¯t know what happened from there. I lost my mind or it was witchcraft or something because the next thing I knew, we were in his car and....¡±


    I trailed off, cheeks ring up like a tomato as I remembered his hands and body so tightly bound around me.


    ¡°You had sex with him... in a car?¡± she demanded, sounding horrified.


    ¡°No! We were just... making out... and his hand went under my dress but¡ª¡±


    I fell silent, realizing there were no excuses I could give. Maybe we could ignore a simple kiss, but this... even I couldn¡¯t deny we had started down a path neither of us was ready for.


    ¡°Well, at least there¡¯s that,¡± Anna hummed indifferently, ¡°though making out with him in his car wasn¡¯t the best idea.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I groaned.


    ¡°But then again, considering how long you¡¯ve liked him and kept denying it to yourself, I¡¯m surprised yousted this long. A less dense woman would¡¯ve exploded and full-out fucked him.¡±


    ¡°Anna!¡± I scolded her.


    ¡°Please,¡± she scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re both grown-ass adults. If it¡¯s something you want to do, then go for it. Sounds like he wasn¡¯tining and even started this shit, so I say just see where this takes you. Though, is that really what you want?¡±


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know... I¡ª¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t help but nce at my wrist, the one with the mark that was slowly fading but also still a reminder to me. ¡°I don¡¯t have the best judge of character. Maybe it¡¯ll... turn out the same.¡±


    ¡°Cat,¡± The sympathy in her voice was also mixed with a sharpness. ¡°You can¡¯t think every man is the same as that bastard. Not every rtionship will turn out like Paul¡¯s. Elio is... he¡¯s nothing like him.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said quietly.


    And she was right. While Elio was effortlessly charming and handsome, with a sense of responsibility that was bone deep despite how much he may have yfullyined about it, Paul was everything he wasn¡¯t.


    Paul had been kind of like the sun¡ªbright and kind of harsh yet having a way to guide you and light your way, until it was toote to realize how utterly destructive getting too close could be. The sun could burn at the slightest glimpse, let alone being right next to it. A person would be devoured.


    Elio, on the other hand, reminded me of the moon. He had always been there, even when I couldn¡¯t see him. Even after the fight where I¡¯d left for university, he would always send me text messages, emails, and packages to make sure I was doing well.


    I ignored most of his calls, but I had saved those voicemails. They had gotten me through some sleepless nights better than any medicine.


    Elio was cool and calm, like a ripple on ake. He and Paul were nothing alike.


    But that didn¡¯t mean being near him was safe, either. There was a reason I had avoided my feelings all these years and had denied them so vehemently.


    ¡°I know Elio¡¯s a good person,¡± I said cautiously. ¡°I know he would never treat me badly like... but me and him together? It can¡¯t happen, Anna.¡±


    I nced out the window through the curtains, where I could spot the light in the window from the house beside us. I swallowed, wondering what he was thinking right at that moment.


    I steeled myself, locking down the feelings that had just started to slip out back into their cage.


    This wouldn¡¯t happen. I couldn¡¯t let it.


    ¡°I know a bad idea when I see one.¡±

 Chapter 616 : Red Lipstick

    <h4>Chapter 616: Chapter 616 : Red Lipstick</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I flopped over on my bed, tossing the magazine I was reading onto the floor. I quickly realized that finishing out the semester online was not nearly as time-consuming as I had thought it would be. Or maybe it was just the fact that my life here wasn¡¯t nearly as time-consuming as my life in New York. Without the distraction of the city that never sleeps, I found myself finishing my work before lunch most days, and I quickly realized that it was a lot harder to make new friends when I wasn¡¯t going to sses in person.


    I really needed to get a hobby to upy my time, or maybe a job. Anything would be better thanying around in my room for half the day.


    I pulled out my phone and called Anna to see if she was free to hang out. I had thought that being home would be easy, that I would just reintegrate to my old friend group from high school, but it turned out that a lot of my old friends had either moved away or drifted too far apart for me to feelfortable getting back in touch. Thank God I always had Anna by my side.


    ¡°Hello?¡± She answered quickly.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± I asked, wishing I had something interesting to talk to her about.


    ¡°I¡¯m walking to ss. What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Damn, I was hoping we could hang out,¡± I exined. ¡°I¡¯m so fucking bored!¡±


    It was such a relief to have a friend who I didn¡¯t have to pretend for. I loved my friends back in New York, but I never would¡¯ve admitted to them that I was just sitting around bored in my house. I knew they all prescribed to the philosophy that ¡®only boring people get bored.¡¯ Most of them had grown up in the city and had no idea what it was like to live somewhere where there wasn¡¯t something to do constantly.


    Annaughed. ¡°Come to ss with me! My professor is actually really cool. I know she wouldn¡¯t mind if you sat in.¡±


    I loved spending time with Anna, and I was sure her professor was great, but going to an extra ss was not my idea of fun. With my luck, I¡¯d end up being confused about what information I¡¯d learned in my own sses and what I¡¯d gotten from hers. Thest thing I needed was to make school harder on myself.


    ¡°No, thank you. Will you call me when you¡¯re free?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, but honestly, school is going to have me pretty busy for a while,¡± she said, sounding apologetic.


    I felt guilty for bothering her in the first ce. I didn¡¯t want her to feel like my decision to move back home for the time being meant that she needed to spend all her time entertaining me. It wasn¡¯t her fault that I hadn¡¯t bothered to maintain any other rtionships here.


    ¡°No worries. I¡¯ll talk to youter. Have a good ss!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, girl,¡± she said.


    We hung up and I flopped back on my bed again, my mind going in circles as I tried to think of what I could possibly do to fill up my day. I decided to go see what my mom was up to. Maybe she¡¯d want to go for a walk with me.


    I knew that out of everyone, she was the most excited that I had decided to finish out the semester here at home. She still didn¡¯t understand why I¡¯d felt the need to so strongly distance myself from home after leaving for college.


    I wasn¡¯t sure I understood it myself either. I just knew that our home had felt so stifling for so long, and once I¡¯d tasted the freedom of being in New York, I hadn¡¯t wanted to give it up, even for a short time. But now, I was finally ready toe back. It felt right.


    I wandered downstairs to find my mom, hoping she¡¯d be free, but she was already in the kitchen pulling on a set of high heels. She was wearing her usual cks and blouse that she wore to the office. I guessed we wouldn¡¯t be going on that walk.


    ¡°Hey, honey,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I got called in for an emergency meeting. One of the actors is throwing a hissy fit over a line we wrote for him, but it¡¯s really central to the overall storyline. We have to go in and write something he¡¯s willing to say withoutpromising the story, or else there¡¯s going to be at least two days¡¯ worth of reshoots,¡± she exined in a rush as she stood up and grabbed her briefcase.


    I frowned, very aware of the fact that I was on the verge of full-blown pouting. It just sucked to be here specifically for the purpose of spending more time with my mom, only to realize that she was far busier than I was.


    I felt like a loser for having absolutely zero ns when everyone else in my life seemed to be constantly on the go, and I hated that it was bringing back some of those negative feelings from my teenage years that I had worked hard to suppress.


    My mom was an amazing woman and fantastic mother, but it still hurt that she had to work so much. What made it all the worse was that I felt selfish for being hurt by it because I knew that it was a miracle that she had been able tond her dream job while being a single mother.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll see you when you get back,¡± I said, trying to keep myself from whining.


    She pulled me in for a hug and kissed my forehead, just like she¡¯d done when I was a kid. ¡°I love you. I¡¯ll be home for dinner. I promise!¡±


    And with that, she was out the door, and I was back to square one. I reconsidered sitting in on that ss of Anna¡¯s, but a nce at the clock told me it was toote. No matter how cool her professor was, I was sure she wouldn¡¯t appreciate me trying to get into her ss over twenty minutes after it started.


    I wondered what Elio was up to. Ever since our kiss, I had been adamantly trying to avoid thinking about him, but thinking about observing Anna¡¯s ss gave me an idea. Before I could second guess myself, I called him.


    He picked up so quickly I wasn¡¯t even sure how his phone had had a chance to ring.


    ¡°Hey, Cat,¡± he said, his voice sounding deeper than normal.


    ¡°Um, hey, look,¡± I stammered before managing to get it together. ¡°I was wondering if I coulde and shadow you for a day at your job.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡¯ll be honest. That surprises me after you ran off the other day,¡± he said with a tense chuckle.


    I swallowed nervously, really not in the mood to discuss what was going on between us. My feelings toward Elio were so confusing that I wasn¡¯t sure if I would ever be able to untangle them, and I was certain that talking to him about it would only make everything worse. I was desperate to just forget everything that had happened.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯m really bored, so I figured hanging out with you must be at least a little better than watching paint dry,¡± I attempted to joke.


    ¡°Whatever you say... I just wanted you to know that I can¡¯t stop thinking about it.¡± His voice took on a husky tone that made my stomach do flips.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll be there soon, okay?¡± I said, refusing to acknowledge what he was talking about.


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± he answered.


    I hung up before he could say anything else that made me question myself. I was not developing feelings for Elio... absolutely the fuck not. He was just an old friend who I was enjoying reconnecting with, and nothing more.


    I continued my train of thought as I went upstairs to change, ignoring the fact that there was no real reason why I needed to change out of my leggings and T-shirt and into a ck sheath dress that I really only owned in case I needed to interview for an internship or job.


    I told myself that it wasn¡¯t because the sheath dress hugged my curves in a way that was both professional and sensual. I reminded myself that Elio dressed in suits at work, so it made sense for me to dress up as well. Even though I wouldn¡¯t be seeing any clients, I didn¡¯t want to look underdressed.


    And since I was wearing a nice dress, it only made sense to put on some makeup and put a few quick curls in my hair. If I happened to add a bolder red lip than normal, that was just because I was excited to be leaving the house.


    It certainly wasn¡¯t because I wanted to draw Elio¡¯s attention back to my lips, the lips he had handled so expertly with his own...


    I pulled away from the mirror and shook my head slightly to try to stop where my thoughts were headed. The red lipstick looked nice with the ck dress. That was it. End of story. I was not dolling myself up for Elio, dammit!


    I finished up my lipstick and looked at myself in the mirror, admiring what I had done in a short time. It really was nice to have somewhere to be. I promised myself that I would enjoy the day and stop dwelling on the kiss. Grabbing a ck purse that matched my dress, I headed downstairs.


    I stood staring at the small pile of my shoes that had built up by the back door. It was a tough decision to make between my red heels that perfectly matched my lips and a pair of leopard print ts that probably looked more professional.


    I picked up the ts, but as I was about to slip them on, I shed back to that kiss¡ªdamn, it was such a good kiss. Fuck it. I dropped the ts and pulled the heels on instead. It was just so I could feel more confident, I told myself. It had nothing to do with Elio. But the smaller, more honest part of myself knew that it had everything to do with him.


    I walked outside, ready to drive myself to Elio¡¯s office, but a ck sedan was waiting in our driveway. The driver rolled down the window.


    ¡°Miss Caterina?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Um, yes, that¡¯s me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Mr. Elio sent me. I¡¯m his driver.¡±


    With a small smile, I tucked myself into the back of the car. It was nice to be taken care of, and I knew that Elio loved taking care of me.

 Chapter 617 : Shadowing Elio

    <h4>Chapter 617: Chapter 617 : Shadowing Elio</h4>


    *Elio*


    I sat at my desk, my knee bouncing up and down as I read over an expense report and tried desperately to keep myself from ncing at the clock on the wall for the hundredth time since Cat had called me.


    I had thought about her nonstop ever since our kiss, but I hadn¡¯t wanted to push anything that she wouldn¡¯t befortable with. Now that she had reached out to me, all bets were off.


    I was going to take that as the green light from her that she was interested in exploring this new development in our rtionship. I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what she wanted from me, but I couldn¡¯t wait to find out.


    Against my better judgment, I nced at the clock again. It had been nearly an hour since Caterina had called and asked if she coulde follow me around for the day, and all I¡¯d managed to do was read two lines on the expense report in front of me.


    With an irritated sigh, I shut down my desktopputer and stood up, hoping that a quick stretch would alleviate my jangling nerves before she arrived. I had already decided to take her to one of mymercial buildings and show her around. It would allow us to walk and talk without being forced to sit face to face in my office.


    I was hoping we could explore these new feelings that we both seemed to have for each other, but I knew that would never happen if we were sitting across my desk from each other.


    The clock ticked off another minute, and I pulled out my phone to see if she¡¯d texted me any updates. Before I could open my messages, there was a knock on my office door. I took a deep breath and ran my hand through my hair, looking down to ensure my clothes weren¡¯t overly rumpled from sitting at my desk all morning.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I said, forcing myself to calm the fuck down.


    She opened the door, and I could practically feel my eyes bulging out of my head as I got a good look at her. She was absolutely gorgeous in a professional-looking dress that emphasized her curves.


    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from picturing her working in my office. I knew that just seeing her every day in that outfit would be enough to make me want to show up bright and early.


    ¡°Wow, you look amazing,¡± I told her, reaching out for her hand.


    Instead of holding her hand out for mine, she sped both hands behind her back. Her cheeks flushed slightly with mypliment, but she kept her eyes trained on the floor.


    Fuck. She¡¯d been here all of two seconds and I¡¯d already made her ufortable. I should have known that she wasn¡¯t ready to discuss what was happening between us.


    Internally, I forced myself to change ns. It was just going to be a fun day between two old friends, nothing more. And I was okay with that, no matter how hard it would be to wait to talk about everything that had happened between us. It was best not to push things to move too quickly between us. She deserved my patience, and I could give it to her.


    I cleared my throat, trying to dispel the awkward tension that had built up in the room.


    ¡°Um, anyway, I thought I could show you one of our properties today,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s actually pretty cool. It used to be a high school, but we¡¯re having renovations done. Eventually, it¡¯ll be a mix of apartments, office space, and maybe a restaurant or coffee shop. I¡¯m actually pretty excited about it. It¡¯s a lot more unique than what I usually get to work on.¡±


    Finally, she looked up and met my eye. I felt like her gaze was burning into me, but I refused to look away. I wanted her to know that I could do this. I could just be her friend if that¡¯s all she wanted from me.


    I seemed to pass her test as she nodded once before saying, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    I led her back downstairs and to my car, resting my hand gently on the small of her back. When we got to my car, I felt her body tense up slightly and she turned around, looking at me usatorily.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You drive yourself around?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Um, yes, usually I prefer it.¡± I had no idea where she was going with this.


    ¡°Then why did you send a car to pick me up? You seriously thought I couldn¡¯t handle driving myself here?¡±


    Damn. I¡¯d forgotten how fiercely she protected her independence. I should have known she would hate the fact that I sent a car for her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cat,¡± I said. ¡°I thought you¡¯d like being driven around a bit. I honestly didn¡¯t mean to imply anything.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes at me, obviously trying to tell whether I was lying or not. The air between us felt electric. I so badly wanted to lean down and kiss her, just to see if sparks would fly, but I had a feeling that would only result in a quick smack across the face.


    Instead, I reached around her to open her door, then quickly rounded the car before she could yell at me. I smiled to myself as I caught her rolling her eyes. She could yell and stamp her feet all she wanted, but I couldn¡¯t stop being a gentleman. It just went against every fiber of my being. Besides, I knew my mother would kill me herself if she ever heard of me not treating ady correctly.


    We drove in silence until Cat leaned over and turned on the radio. I wracked my brain to think of something safe to say that wouldn¡¯t get those sparks flying between us again. It had never exactly been easy to spend time with Cat... but damn I didn¡¯t remember it ever being this hard either.


    Caterina seemed content to ride in silence, bobbing her head along to the music and watching the passing buildings. Finally, I thought of a topic of conversation that seemed innocent enough.


    ¡°Do you miss New York?¡± I asked.


    She stared out the window for a few more seconds and I thought she hadn¡¯t heard me, but then she turned to me, her eyes moist. Fuck, I should¡¯ve known this wasn¡¯t a safe conversation. Of course, she missed New York. It was the first ce she¡¯d lived on her own. But how could I have known that? I knew that staying here to finish out the semester had been her choice.


    ¡°I just miss feeling like I belonged somewhere,¡± she said quietly.


    My heart broke to hear her say that. She didn¡¯t feel like she belonged here? I really must have been doing a shitty job at being her friendtely.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, knowing better than to immediately start telling her all the ways in which she definitely did belong.


    She swiped quickly at her eyes, obviously not wanting me to see the tears that had gathered there. ¡°Well, I know it¡¯s stupid. I know Mom loves me and I know I have friends here, and you....¡±


    Her voice trailed off, but I noticed the way she had separated me from her friends.


    ¡°If it¡¯s how you feel, then it¡¯s not stupid,¡± I said firmly. ¡°I learned a long time ago that there¡¯s no point in trying to out-logic our feelings. How we feel is how we feel.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for saying that,¡± she said. ¡°I just feel guilty because I know my mom has been out here living her life without me, and I refused to evene back for visits, so who am I to suddenly insist that she hang out with me? But when she¡¯s constantly having to run off for work. I don¡¯t know, it just reminds me of when I was a kid, you know?¡±


    I smiled slightly, thinking of the days when her mom would call me at thest minute toe take care of Cat. It was cute that Caterina had thought of me today. I liked that she knew she could count on me, even for small stuff like giving her something to do.


    ¡°Yeah, I get that. I hope you know that you do belong here. I¡¯m happy to spend every day with you.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m starting to figure that out.¡±


    And just like that, even though I had tried so hard to avoid it, that electricity between us was crackling again. Luckily, we were pulling into the parking garage next to the building I wanted to show her.


    I parked and got out, practically running around the car to open her door before she did. She waited for me to open her door for her, although she wasughing so hard that she could barely catch her breath.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, full of faux indignation.


    ¡°That was ridiculous. You know that was ridiculous, right?¡±


    ¡°I have no clue what you¡¯re talking about.¡± I turned around and started walking, enjoying herughter, even if it was at my expense.


    It was a short walk to the building, but I could tell her interest was growing with every step. It was nearly one-hundred years old and had clearly been intended to be used as a school. The architecture was whimsical, it looked like a ten-story fairy cottage.


    The second I¡¯did eyes upon it, I¡¯d known it would be one of my most favorite projects. The double doors opened to a massive lobby, with an old principal¡¯s office that I envisioned turning into a coffee shop. There was a cafeteria also, located on the ground floor, that had great bones to be turned into a restaurant. The next few floors were filled with ssrooms that would be easy to convert to office spaces, but it was the top three floors that I was particrly excited about.


    The gymnasium of the school was on the top floor, and we were converting it and the ssroom next to it into a massive penthouse with an open-floor n.


    ¡°Wow.¡± Cat exhaled as I showed her around, talking through my ns.


    ¡°I really love it here. I¡¯m honestly considering keeping one of the apartments for myself,¡± I told her as we rode the elevator back down to the ground level.


    ¡°The penthouse calling your name?¡± she asked with a smirk.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not that fancy,¡± I joked.


    We got out of the elevator and wandered over to a few plush chairs that I had added to the lobby, trying to get a feel for what it would look like fully decorated.


    ¡°Thanks for bringing me here. It reminds me a little bit of a ce my dad took me to in Italy once.¡±


    She smiled, and I could tell by her face that she was re-living a special memory. It warmed my heart to see her be able to remember her dad with a smile.


    She still didn¡¯t know all the details about what had happened to Vinny. All she knew was that he¡¯d been murdered. I felt horrible for keeping the full truth from her, but I knew it was for her safety.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you can talk about him with a smile on your face. He was a great man,¡± I said.


    She nodded once, then stood up. ¡°Alright, where to next?¡± she asked, obviously wanting to change the subject.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head to my house. We need to talk,¡± I said firmly.


    Cat might have wanted to avoid it, but I couldn¡¯t wait any longer. It was time to figure out what was going on between us.

 Chapter 618 : Head Over Heart

    <h4>Chapter 618: Chapter 618 : Head Over Heart</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I fiddled with the hem of my dress as Elio drove us to his house. I couldn¡¯t even look at him, I was so nervous. I had thought I¡¯d yed it cool enough all day that we would just skip over the fact that we¡¯d kissed, but I had apparently been very wrong.


    I saw the way his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly and swallowed anxiously, yep, I thought, very, very wrong. His knuckles were white against the ck leather of his steering wheel, his forearms bulging with tension.


    Far too quickly, we were pulling up to his house. I sat still in silent obstinance, reluctant to let him see that he had the upper hand here.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± he said, his jaw tensing.


    His order had me lifting my chin in defiance. It was just like how he¡¯d talked to me when I was growing up, and it did nothing but make me want to refuse whatever demand he had made.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just tell me what to do like that,¡± I said haughtily, crossing my arms over my chest and making it clear that I wasn¡¯t going to fucking move until I wanted to move.


    He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Satisfaction rose in my chest.


    In a tight voice, he said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Please will youe inside?¡±


    His acquiescence to my stubborn demands loosened something within me. He was always going to be an overly demanding asshole, but the fact that he was willing to tamp that down to please me made me happy. It took away my desire to fight him.


    Without another word, I got out of the car before he could run around and open my door for me. Inside his house, I was hit with a wave of overwhelming nostalgia.


    I had only asionallye here growing up. He usually stayed at my mom¡¯s house if I needed to be watched, but the few times I had been to Elio¡¯s were some of my most favorite memories. Those were the times when we got to forget about the bullshit of homework and chores and just hang out.


    Our favorite activity had been movie marathons. Elio loved showing me his mom¡¯s old favorites. She had been a huge fan of cartoon princesses growing up. But now as I walked through the doorway and felt Elio crowding behind me, I was excited for a whole different reason.


    Wanting to avoid dwelling on that revtion for too long, I headed for the living room and was horrified to see that it looked totally different from how I remembered it. It used to be a haven of squishy armchairs and one overstuffed leather sectional with cup holders in the arms, but now all the furniture was sleek and modern looking. The couch was all straight lines and looked terribly ufortable. When I sat down, it was so firm that I felt like I was going to fall right off it.


    ¡°You redecorated,¡± I used him.


    He had the decency to look ashamed. He shrugged and ran his hand through his hair. ¡°I thought the old furniture looked a little too immature.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell would rather have ufortable furniture because they¡¯re afraid of seeming immature?¡± I demanded.


    He justughed and plopped himself down next to me, so close our thighs were touching. I looked down, suddenly feeling self-conscious in his presence.


    Heid his hand on my knee, as if this kind of closeness was normal for us. I bit my bottom lip anxiously and waited to see what he was going to say. I never expected him to look at me and chuckle, reaching his hand out to cup my cheek.


    ¡°I love when you bite your lip like that,¡± he said in a husky voice that had me curling my toes.


    I scooted over slightly, trying to put distance between us. His cologne was intoxicating me, but I couldn¡¯t let myself give in.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop thinking about kissing you. And when you bite your lip like that... fuck, it reminds me of what it felt like to have my teeth on your lip,¡± he said, keeping his distance but leaving his hand on my knee.


    ¡°I,¡± I breathed, trying to collect my thoughts as he rubbed his thumb in maddening circles along the side of my knee, ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to stop thinking about it either.¡±


    I stood up and began to cross the room to go sit in one of the angr chairs that looked even more ufortable than the couch, but before I could make it even a step, Elio was up and wrapped his hand around my arm, stopping me. He spun me around to face him, keeping his tight hold on me.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t run away from me. Just talk to me,¡± he said softly, letting go of my arm to reach up and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, then running his fingers down my jaw and resting them gently over my throat.


    I wanted nothing more to lean into his touch. Everything about the way he was holding me felt so fucking perfect, from his hand ghosting over my throat to his chest pressing against mine. Every point of contact between us burned with the heat of unmet desire. But I couldn¡¯t do this.


    ¡°There are a million reasons why this can¡¯t work,¡± I said, looking down. I started to pull away again, determined to break the spell that his touch put me under.


    Before I could fully turn away, he grasped my hips, his fingers digging in and stopping me from moving. Once he was sure I wouldn¡¯t leave again, he moved his hands up to cup my face, forcing me to look up into his eyes. They were darker than I had ever seen them and filled with an emotion that I was sure matched the look on my own face.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. There are a million reasons why this can¡¯t work. But if there¡¯s only one reason why it can. That¡¯s all I need.¡±


    Before my brain even had time to register what he said, his lips crashed into mine. It was just as perfect as I had remembered. His hands smoothed down my face and caressed my shoulders before moving lower. His tongue teased at my lips before he sucked my bottom lip into his mouth and bit down gently, squeezing my hips with his hands as he did so.


    I leaned my head back so that he could deepen the kiss, marveling at the way he seemed to instinctively know exactly how I wanted to be touched. He alternated between softness and roughness, filling my entire body with a need so deep that I wondered if it would ever be satiated.


    I reached out tentatively, wanting to feel him under my hands but also feeling shy. His silk shirt was heavenly against my palms. I ran my hands over his biceps and reached around to sp them behind his neck, using my leverage to pull him lower to me and take control of the kiss. Our tongues swirled together deliciously as Elio¡¯s hands began to roam my body more freely.


    He let go of my mouth so that he could nt a trail of kisses just under my jaw to the shell of my ear, then nibbled at my earlobe until I was squirming in his arms.


    ¡°Oh fuck, careful how you move, sweetheart,¡± he muttered, ¡°unless you¡¯re wanting more than just a kiss.¡±


    His words sent a thrill through me. As much as my brain wanted to say that this was wrong, that we shouldn¡¯t be doing this, there was a bigger part of me that desperately wanted more than kisses from Elio.


    If the way he was touching me right then was any indication, I had a feeling that he would more than satiate the desire that was coiling inside me. It didn¡¯t matter how much I tried to logic myself out of it. I wanted him. And I wanted him now.


    ¡°Give me more,¡± I sighed against his chest.


    He pulled away slightly, just enough to look me in the eyes. He studied my face, looking for confirmation that I meant what I had just said. I nodded at him, then reached up to pull his face back down to mine. That was all the confirmation he needed. With a near-growl, he reached down and wrenched my dress up, exposing thecy underwear I was wearing.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± he murmured, hooking his thumbs on the waistband and quickly yanking them down.


    I flushed slightly at the way I was exposed, but the way he looked at me as though I was the most gorgeous woman he¡¯d everid eyes on alleviated all sense of self-consciousness.


    Putting his mouth back on mine, he slipped his hand between my thighs and gently palmed my sex, his middle finger just barely pressing against my entrance. His fingers twitched against me as I bit at his lip, but he didn¡¯t move them, just held me in a way that simultaneously felt ridiculously intimate and not nearly intimate enough. I ground myself against his hand, trying to increase the friction.


    ¡°Need to taste you,¡± he groaned before suddenly dropping to his knees.


    He knelt in front of me and grabbed one of my ankles, throwing my leg over his shoulder. His hot breath filled me with such anticipation, I almost didn¡¯t want him to actually touch me. Just the anticipation alone had me dripping down my thighs, I was afraid that I might not be able to handle the pleasure of his touch.


    Looking up at me from between my legs, he paused and asked, ¡°Is this alright?¡±


    The loving concern in his eyes melted my heart. I had never felt more alright in my entire life, but I didn¡¯t think I could manage to actually speak. I just nodded down at him, trying to maintain my bnce.


    The second he swiped his tongue once, slowly, over my folds, I knew that bncing was impossible. Luckily, Elio was strong enough to keep me from falling over as my legs trembled with pleasure. His tongue swirled over my most sensitive ces as expertly as he had moved it in my mouth, all while his strong hands held my ass and thigh.


    The coil wound tighter and tighter until I was certain I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. My entire body tensed up with pleasure. At my movement, Elio moved his mouth directly onto my clit and sucked hard.


    I was undone. Waves of pleasure overcame me, and I gave up on trying to hold myself up at all. Elio eased me toy on the floor in front of him.


    Funnily enough, the plush rug he¡¯d added to his living room was morefortable than his new couch. I settled onto the fluffy material, my dress shoved up around my waist and my legs spread on either side of Elio. With anyone else I would¡¯ve wanted to cover myself immediately, but the way he looked down at me with such adoration had me wanting him to see even more of me.


    ¡°You¡¯re so fucking pretty, Cat,¡± he murmured. ¡°I want to feel what it¡¯s like to be inside you.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t do anything but nod breathlessly at the thought. His words turned me on just as much as his touch did, and I found that I wanted nothing more than to feel him moving inside me.


    He quickly freed his cock from his pants, then pulled a condom out from somewhere and slid it on. He leaned over me, bracketing my head with his hands so that all I could see were his eyes.


    With a swift movement, he was pressing inside me.


    I moaned at the stretch of him, the pleasure riding just on the edge of pain in a way that had me writhing against him. As he moved against me, he held my face in his hands so tenderly I almost felt like I could cry.


    He was a man who truly knew me, every part of me, even the ugly parts. And he cared about me anyway. It was a powerful feeling.


    Before long, he dropped his head to my shoulder as his movements became faster and more erratic. I lifted my hips to meet his thrusts, loving the way he got a little rougher as he got closer to his own release.


    I could feel his belt buckle pressing against the inside of my thigh, the cool metal providing an interesting contrast with the heat of his skin. He bit my shoulder as he came, moaning loudly against me. It was a wonderful feeling to see a man who was normally soposed fall apartpletely in my arms.


    He kissed my shoulder gently where I was sure he¡¯d left a little mark, then moved his mouth back to mine.


    ¡°That was amazing,¡± he whispered against my lips.


    I kissed him back instead of responding. It was amazing, too amazing for words. If I thought too much about what had just happened between us, I was afraid I would start panicking. So instead, I let my heart take over and wrapped my arms around Elio.


    I decided it would be okay to let my heart win out, just this once.

 Chapter 619 : Sudden Doubts

    <h4>Chapter 619: Chapter 619 : Sudden Doubts</h4>


    *Caterina*


    It had been two days since Elio and I had slept together. The feel of his rough, calloused hands and the hot, wet sweep of his tongue left me shivering with every recurring thought. My mind proceeded to y the entire event on constant rewind, making it near to impossible to think about anything else.


    Maybe that wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing....


    All the visions of seeing him work between my legs, the overwhelming pleasure that ran up my spine¡ªit felt like my mind was shattered.


    He was the best I¡¯d ever had. No man before him, and probably after him, would ever surpass the euphoric sensation that he spread throughout my body.


    Elio made me feel special, needed, ¡®wanted.¡¯ I felt desired on a level that most women would kill for. He didn¡¯t even give much thought to his own needs or desires. It was as if I was the only one that mattered in that moment.


    It left me shocked beyond words.


    And it certainly got me thinking about the moments after our love making sure enough. Lying there, on the fluffy rug on his office floor with our arms draped around each other, we spoke intimately. The crazy, rousing haze gradually faded and the shocking reality started to set in with full force.


    Holy shit... I just had sex with Elio, I had thought. My heart jumped into my throat and my nerves were instantly coiling.


    Elio must have sensed my growing anxiety because I felt his arms tighten around me in assurance.


    ¡°Cat, please.¡± He ced a single kiss to the side of my head. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to rush out of here, freaking out and possibly... regretting that this ever happened.¡±


    I had taken several long, deep breaths and tried to center my focus. I tilted my head upward to get a better look at him. His features were so soft, so handsome in the dimly lit room it made my stomach flutter. My cheeks blushed a deep shade of pink, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious of our physical situation.


    ¡°Believe me, I¡¯ve no intention of running out here... I won¡¯t run the risk of someone else seeing me naked,¡± I told him jokingly.


    Elio¡¯s chest had rumbled withughter that warmed me to my very core.


    We had stayed in that same position for what felt like several hours. Sometime in those moments, we came to the easy agreement that we would keep the rtionship secret from our families, at least for the time being.


    Between his work and my finishing up sses for the semester, we figured it would be better to keep things strictly between us.


    But as the days went on, I found myself needing to talk to someone about it all. My mind was bing a jumbled mess and with finalsing up, there was no way I was going to be able to focus.


    I quickly grabbed my phone and messaged Anna, asking her toe by the house. Within the hour, the two of us were sitting around the kitchen counter with a bottle of wine between us. I had a strong feeling that the moment I¡¯d spill my gut about what happened with Elio, the girl was going to pounce and demand to know every detail imaginable.


    ¡°Okay, girl, spill it,¡± Anna insisted. ¡°Your message was ridiculously ambiguous but has captured my interest, nheless.¡±


    I giggled at her dry sarcasm and proceeded to pour us both a ss of wine. After handing her ss over, I took a lengthy sip from my own and allowed the bitter, sweet liquid to coat my mouth.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± I hummed. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you in such hair-raising suspense any longer.¡±


    Anna leaned in, practically sitting on the edge of her seat with her ss in hand. I took a deep breath in and let my mouth rattle off.


    ¡°Elio and I had sex about two days ago on the floor at his ce. We haven¡¯t said much about it since, but we¡¯ve decided to give whatever the hell this thing is between us a go. Oh, and we¡¯re not telling anyone about it as of right now.¡±


    Anna¡¯s bottom lip hung open in wordless shock. Her expression was a mixture of pure astonishment and admirable pride. The corners of her mouth slowly started to curve upward into a dazzling smile.


    She squeaked in utter delight, nearly knocking herself off the stool she was sitting on. ¡°Oh, Cat! That¡¯s great! Wait¡ªdid you say the floor?¡±


    My eyes widened as the wine in my mouth proceeded to roll down the back of my throat, causing me to lurch forward into a total coughing fit. My chest seized up from the striking burn of the alcohol and the roaringughter that soon filled my throat.


    Together, the two of us fell into a fit of giggles and small spurts of coughing. Once my throat was clear and I wiped the tears from my eyes, I took in a few good breaths.


    ¡°Yes, Anna. Elio and I fucked on the rug in his home office,¡± I stated.


    She raised a brow in question. ¡°Well, was there something wrong with the literal furniture in the room?¡±


    I let out another indignant snort and took a long sip from my ss.


    ¡°As a matter of fact, yes. The new furniture he has in his office looks and feels like you¡¯re sitting on a literal rock.¡±


    Anna yfully rolled her eyes and chuckled. ¡°Point taken. So, the rug was clearly the only ideal option to take,¡± she said.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± I added with a smirk.


    ¡°Well, in all seriousness... I¡¯m happy for you.¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek and carefully set my wine ss down on the counter. ¡°Really?¡±


    Anna nodded her head. ¡°Absolutely. Whether you care to agree with this idea or not, you deserve to be happy, Cat,¡± she told me softly. ¡°I know that you and Elio didn¡¯t particrly get along when you were younger. Based on what you¡¯ve told me, it always seemed that there was some kind of disconnect between you both.¡±


    I let out a sigh. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not wrong. Elio has always been a tad bit overbearing. Truthfully, not much of that has really changed,¡± I mused. ¡°But I think that he¡¯s genuinely trying to not act as controlling as he usually wouldtely.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that these feelings have been kind of simmering beneath the surface for a while? I know that you haven¡¯t been back home for long, but... is there a possibility that perhaps you two always had a soft spot for one another?¡±


    My eyes narrowed in tremendous doubt.


    ¡°Yeah, no. I don¡¯t think so. Elio has always been that constant annoying voice in the back of my head that constantly hounded me to do better. And me? Hell, I¡¯m sure I was nothing more than a gigantic pain in the ass that he felt he needed to watch over.¡±


    I poured us both another ss and took arge gulp.


    ¡°But it¡¯s clear that the two of you are not letting your past get in the way of the present,¡± Anna pointed out. She reached out to rest her hand over my own. ¡°I really am happy for you, Cat. I¡¯m d to see you¡¯re finally going after something you want.¡±


    A slight blush touches my cheeks. It did feel good to be going after something that I desperately wanted. And to think that Elio wanted it too only made it that sweeter.


    ¡°I mean I know the two of you have a history of a different kind, but I think it¡¯s worth it for you to see where this goes.¡±


    I nodded my head in agreement. ¡°I think so too.¡±


    ¡®Thank God I¡¯ve got a friend like Anna,¡¯ I thought to myself.


    ***


    ss finals were finally upon me and, as I suspected, my head was anywhere but on my studies. I wished Anna was able to stay home where at least the two of us could rack our brains over this together. Unfortunately, she needed to return to campus, leaving me to struggle among my books and notes. Granted, my academics have improved significantly over thest few years, there was always this looming fear that would settle in the pit of my stomach¡ªwhat if I don¡¯t do well on them, and my grades end up plummeting?


    I¡¯d worked so meticulously hard on my sses, but there was still no guarantee that my professors would necessarily go easy on us. There were those selective few teachers that would purposely make things more challenging, knowing this made my nerves spiral with worry.


    I smiled to myself at the thought of knowing that soon sses would be over, and I would be back home permanently. Even though sses were online, it still felt like I had one foot in New York.


    There was also the warming idea that soon Elio and I would be able to spend more time together now.


    As I sat at the kitchen table surrounded by piles of textbooks and notepads, my mind continued to wander around the man that has been taking up so much of my valuable study time. I wanted to see him. I wanted Elio to barge in and whisk me away from the futile, wasted attempt at studying.


    My head dropped to my arms. If I closed my eyes for more than a few seconds, I could easily envision his hands wrapped around me. The feel of his lips against my skin made goosebumps ripple down my back.


    God, I shouldn¡¯t be doing this, I thought. I needed to focus, but I couldn¡¯t.


    Hearing the sudden sound of the front door opening immediately pulled me from my distracting thoughts. Elio appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. At first, I honestly believed that it was my imagination ying tricks on me. I blinked back the blurriness in my eyes to find that it was really him.


    Elio looked stressed. The vein on the side of his head was more prominent than usual and his jaw was tightly clenched. Something was clearly bothering him.


    I got up from my chair. ¡°Hey.¡± I spoke softly. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    He released a long, fuming breath. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look fine.¡±


    His sharp eyes speared through me like a pair of daggers. ¡°I said I¡¯m fine,¡± he insisted sternly. ¡°It¡¯s just work, nothing you need to worry about.¡±


    Elio looked exhausted and a tad bit run down. Even though he imed it was no big deal, it was obvious that his work was getting the best of him. I wanted to reach out and wrap my arms around him, to ease the aggravation of whatever it was that was bothering him.


    My brows pulled together in doubt. ¡°Elio, work or not, something is clearly upsetting you. Why don¡¯t we go out for a little while... you know, take a break from work?¡±


    The corner of Elio¡¯s mouth pulled up into a venomous sneer. He let out a stifling breath and clenched his hands into fists at his sides.


    ¡°For Christ¡¯s sake, Caterina. It¡¯s none of your fucking business, alright? I told you it was nothing, so just drop it!¡± he snapped.


    My eyes widened in shock at his sudden outburst. My stomach tightened in knots at the sound of his hurtful tone. I red back at him with a spiteful look.


    ¡°Well screw you then!¡± I hissed back. ¡°I was only trying to help. But fine, I need to study for finals anyway.¡±


    Elio turned his head to nce at the table behind me, seeing all the workbooks I had opened prior to him showing up. The anger in his eyes intensified.


    ¡°You have finalsing up and yet you made the suggestion of going out?¡± he questioned bitterly. ¡°Your ass isn¡¯t going anywhere. Sit down and get back to studying.¡±


    My expression twisted in irritation. I rolled my eyes while nting my hands on my hips.


    ¡°Oh, Jesus. Here we go! Will you ever lose that shitty quality of needing to control everything I do?¡± I shouted back. ¡°You know what? You should just go. I didn¡¯te back here so you could treat me like a child again.¡±


    Without another word, Elio turned his back and left. The sound of the door mming behind him felt like a punch to the stomach. I was honestly baffled more than anything.


    ¡®Does Elio even want to have a rtionship with me?¡¯ I wondered solemnly to myself.

 Chapter 620 : Making Up

    <h4>Chapter 620: Chapter 620 : Making Up</h4>


    *Elio*


    Well, it was apparently that ¡®cheerful, wonderful, and heart-warming¡¯ time of the year again. Thanksgiving came and went, making what was left of California¡¯s autumn fade not too long after that. The temperature remained semi-consistent, but people were noticeably getting ready for the holidays.


    Normally, I would be eager to join in on the seasonal festivities, even if it meant lugging out my various boxes of decorations and fake tree from the back of the garage.


    But ever since my slight fall-out with Cat, my mood remained cold and indifferent. I hadn¡¯t meant tosh out on her the way I did. It was never my intention to simply show up and take my anger out on her. In fact, my whole purpose of going over to see her was because I missed her. I missed the soft feel of her around me. I missed her scent and her beautiful smile.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I hissed under my breath.


    Why did I let my anger get the better of me in the first ce?


    For the past couple of days, my mind had been consumed with nothing but work, and I spent more time in the office than at home. Now that Christmas was clearly on its way, I knew my workload was bound to be more rigorous than before.


    I sagged back into the chair behind my desk, letting my head fall back and my eyes closed. I took in numerous long breaths, trying to clear my head.


    Christ, I couldn¡¯t even properly rest my eyes long enough without seeing Caterina¡¯s broken expression. I needed to fix things between us. With a whole lot of the familying to the States for Christmas, I need to knock this shitty feeling that¡¯s been hanging around me since Ist saw Cat.


    I heard a buzz, and my eyes fell to my desk where my phone sat. The screen lit up and my mind instantly went to Caterina. But my hopes were quickly deted when I saw that the caller ID belonged to someone else.


    I picked up my phone and pressed the answer button.


    ¡°Hey, Dad,¡± I greeted curtly.


    I heard his chuckle through the speaker. ¡°Sounds like someone is having a rough day,¡± hemented with amusement. ¡°Care to talk about it?¡±


    I let out a long breath and bit the inside of my cheek. No, I couldn¡¯t actually tell him what had been eating away at me, not without running the risk of exposing my rtionship with Caterina in the process.


    ¡®Yeah, that¡¯s assuming that you still have a rtionship after the way things ended a few days ago,¡¯ I thought bitterly to myself.


    Oh, for Christ¡¯s sake. I ran a rough hand through my hair and bit back a curse.


    ¡°No,¡± I answered. ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t deal with.¡±


    ¡°Well, I called in mainly to see if you¡¯ve heard from any more of the family abouting in for the holidays,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. I got a call from Natalia earlier this morning. She and Tallon won¡¯t be able to make it for Christmas,¡± I exined. ¡°Something about spending a week in Tuscany or something.¡±


    I constantly wondered if Cat would ever be interested in traveling out of the country. Knowing that I originally grew up in Italy, I¡¯ve always felt drawn to the idea of taking a trip back to visit. Taking her through the various touristy spots and a few personal areas of Venice made me smile with interest.


    My father sighed. ¡°Yeah, I think I heard something about them missing out this year too.¡±


    ¡°But at least Alessandro and Mia will be flying in,¡± I told him.


    For a brief moment, I felt my stomach turn over in hesitation. I think part of the reason why I was so angry before was because I knew that at some point, I was going to have to face my father¡¯s rigid opinion about me wanting to work with Alessandro. The mafia was never a clean sort of business to be involved with¡ªthat much I always knew. It sort of became a sore subject for my parents to talk with me about if and when I¡¯d ever try to bring it up.


    Knowing the hell my family had endured during my father¡¯s previous reign as Don, I understood why my parents weren¡¯t eager to talk about their past. But it always left me wanting to know more... more than I should probably have wanted to know.


    ¡°Well, speaking of Alessandro, there¡¯s kind of been this opportunity floating around between me and him,¡± I said.


    His octave dropped as he spoke. ¡°Oh? What kind of ¡®opportunity¡¯ exactly?¡±


    I rolled my fingertips against the top of my desk and mustered up my patience.


    ¡°I spoke with Alessandro about the idea of potentially expanding the business over in Italy. Because of its sess over here, he thinks that he could have some serious potential overseas as well.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he muttered. ¡°And who would be covering the groundwork from their end if your position is in the U.S.?¡±


    ¡°Alessandro mentioned that there are people from his end who would handle things while I¡¯m stationed here. Honestly, I think this would be a great expansion opportunity, not just to cover moremercial ground but to keep things tighter with the family.¡±


    He gave an indecisive hum in response. ¡°Elio, I know you feel a disconnect with not being around the immediate family. When I first moved you and your mother out to the States, I was worried that we would lose contact with a lot of people back in Venice. But that was a risk I was, and still am, willing to take. Nothing is more important than your safety.¡±


    ¡°But Dad, there is nothing unsafe about this deal I¡¯m trying to make here,¡± I countered.


    ¡°You know damn well what Alessandro¡¯s real business is. You know about the work and the kind of people who operate under him. The extreme lengths these men are willing to go to for the sake of family are nothing short of disturbing.¡± His voice filled with stress. ¡°Not many people know the kind of energy and emotion it takes to be a Don. The list of enemies we¡¯ve acquired over the years is horrific and unyielding. Why do you think I fought tooth and nail to remove us from that kind of life?¡±


    I let out a long breath and rubbed the sore spot between my eyes. ¡°Dad, I really think you¡¯re overthinking this.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t think you realize the dangers thate with working that close to the family, Elio. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do with myself or your mother if you were to be sucked back into the life we tried so hard to keep you away from.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to let this kind of opportunity pass me by,¡± I said firmly.


    ¡°Be careful, Elio. I came far too close with losing once. Grown up or not, I¡¯ll be damned if I let it happen again.¡±


    The call ended without so much as another word. My brows pulled together, and I tossed my phone onto my desk in a fit of frustration. God, I knew that wasn¡¯t going to go well. I knew what I was doing, and I certainly didn¡¯t need my father to remind me about the less than pretty past of our family.


    Alessandro and I had spoken numerous times about the idea of a possible expansion. We¡¯ve crunched the numbers and discussed locations. Nothing felt shady or dangerous at all.


    Good Christ, well, now I really needed to reach out to Cat. My head was killing me, and I refused to have both my father and her upset with me.


    I reached for my phone again and quickly pulled up her number. I hit the call button and held my breath in hopes that she¡¯d pick up.


    Her soft voice filled the phone. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Cat.¡± My chest filled with warmth as I stood up from behind my desk. ¡°I need to see you. Can I... can Ie by your ce so we can talk?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± she agreed.


    I couldn¡¯t stop the smile from spreading across my face. I didn¡¯t care how crazy I may have looked. We hadn¡¯t spoken since our fight and I missed her terribly. I told her that I would be over as fast as I could once I ended the call.


    God only knew what speed limit I kept as I guided my car through the busy streets to get to her house. The moment I pulled into the driveway, I rushed to the door and found it locked.


    At first, I was a little peeved that I couldn¡¯t just walk right in. Then again, I was the one who had told Caterina to always make sure her door was securely locked. It was nice to see that this bit of advice wasing back to bite me in the ass.


    I started to use my keys but remembered that with the new level of our rtionship, I needed to respect her boundaries.


    I rang the bell and was swiftly greeted by a hesitant looking Caterina. She looked shy and slightly unsure as though she didn¡¯t know who was standing in front of her. This led to an awful feeling raking through my chest.


    ¡°Cat, I¡¯m so sorry about thest time we spoke,¡± I said earnestly. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have taken my anger out on you the way that I did. I know you were just trying to help me rx and I went ahead and¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too,¡± she interrupted suddenly.


    My brows drew together while I shook my head in confusion. ¡°What? No, Cat. You have nothing to be sorry for.¡±


    ¡°I honestly shouldn¡¯t have suggested that we go somewhere,¡± she admitted. ¡°I had to study for finals, and you were right to point that out.¡±


    She opened the door wider, allowing me to step inside. I closed the door behind me and instantly pulled her into my arms, holding her close. I ced a single kiss on her head and ushered us into the living room. It wasn¡¯t enough though. I needed more of her.


    Before either of us knew it, we were falling back into therge couch while our arms still remained a tangled mess. I brushed her hair back from her face and leaned in to kiss her properly. Cat arched into my touch and matched my movements with intense fervent passion.


    Cat pulled back long enough to properly straddle my waist. Her hands went straight for the hem of my shirt and tugged it over my head. A desperate, guttural sound tore from my throat as she grinded her hips against me.


    With rough hands, I practically ripped apart her blouse, causing small buttons to fly out in several directions. I snagged the back of her neck and pulled her back to capture her lips. I swallowed each and every one of her moans.


    Were we really about to have sex in her living room where anyone could find us?


    Another hard swipe of her hips made me quickly realize that I truly didn¡¯t care. I needed her, and I could tell from the heat between her thighs that she needed me too.


    I swept my tongue along the seam of her mouth as my hand slid beneath the waistband of her leggings. My fingers drifted lower until I sought out her wet, slick folds. Cat¡¯s mouth fell open in a breathless gasp.


    ¡°Mm, Elio!¡±


    ¡°God damn!¡± another female voice spoke out.


    My eyes widened while Cat¡¯s entire body instantly froze above me. She slowly peeked over her shoulder to see who stood in therge entry way of the room.


    ¡°Anna?¡± she gasped.


    Her friend couldn¡¯t suppress theughter that came bubbling out of her, whereas Cat and I continued to stare at her with wide eyes and shock. This, of course, caused her tough even harder at her unexpected discovery.


    Much to my dismay, Cat quickly reached for her clothes and tried to cover herself as best as she could.


    ¡°Have you ever heard of knocking?¡± she asked her friend.


    Anna rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, please. Since when the hell have you ever known me to knock? Anyway, you¡¯re the one who texted me, remember? We need to n out tomorrow¡¯s dinner party.¡±


    Cat sighed. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Okay.¡± She turned back to face me and softened her expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this.¡±


    I brushed it off as no big deal and let her get back to nning with her friend. I left the house with numerous thoughts on my mind. But only one seemed to bother me the most.


    Why didn¡¯t Cat ask me toe to her event tomorrow night?

 Chapter 621 : Surprise Guest

    <h4>Chapter 621: Chapter 621 : Surprise Guest</h4>


    *Caterina*


    As a college student, there was really no better feeling in the world than finishing up with finals and knowing that the semester was truly over. Naturally, the only thing better than that was that I¡¯d gone ahead and aced all of them, which I happily had.


    Maybe all that arguing with Elio before inspired me to study harder just to prove him wrong. The second he¡¯d marched out of the house, I had permanently nted myself at the table and dove right back into my studies. Only resurfacing for asional food breaks and sleep, my mind revolved around nothing but my sses for the rest of the semester.


    My anger was what fueled me. But the moment my finals were finished, I felt utterly drained. My body was physically exhausted, and my head throbbed from theck of sleep. I was more than happy to let myself crash the moment it was all over.


    My mother was, of course, happy for me that I was finally finished. Yet, the person I wanted to speak to the most was someone who¡¯dshed out at me and hurt my feelings for some unknown reason.


    As sad as it sounded, I missed Elio.


    There was hardly anyone in the world who supported my studies more than him. And with all my academic sess, I couldn¡¯t find the courage¡ªmuch less the energy¡ªto reach out and talk to him.


    Each time I tried, I was instantly struck with the thought that he¡¯d yell at me again for some reason. I knew he was busy, and I wasn¡¯t going to risk the chance. Nevertheless, I missed him and wanted so badly to see him and talk to him again.


    But in the meantime, I was more than ready to put the past behind me, and I eagerly looked forward to my transfer to UCLA. And while my world shifted from books and homework assignments to Christmas lights and party nning, my new sses had already been selected and my books purchased.


    I felt ready.


    My mind was still somewhat reeling from having seen Elio yesterday. Seeing his name pop up on my phone screen nearly made my heart jump into my throat. I didn¡¯t know what to expect when I answered the call.


    Part of me half anticipated Elio to tell me that a rtionship between the two of us was just not worth it. Maybe he still really thought of me as some immature child. But when I heard just how heavy his voice sounded, I knew that wasn¡¯t the case.


    And when I saw him standing on the other side of my doorway, any previous assumption I had bouncing around in my head instantly vanished. Aside from looking exhausted and rundown, Elio appeared distressed and... desperate.


    My stomach twisted in knots when he outright apologized for his behavior from thest time I saw him. I had honestly never thought I¡¯d see the day when Elio would own up to his actions. It made me want to reach out and snatch him from the doorway.


    I wanted to remind myself what his arms felt like around me.


    Thankfully, Elio shared that same interest. He¡¯d wrapped his arms around me, and I became consumed in his warm embrace.


    What I hadn¡¯t fully expected was him moving us into the living room, where I ended up full-on straddling the man on the couch. Granted, yes, I was the one who started tearing away at our clothes. But I sure as hell didn¡¯t think that Elio would follow that up with sliding his hand into the band of my leggings and feeling just how badly I wanted him.


    Oh, how my stomach fluttered at the memory of seeing his eyes filled with such raw arousal. Thank God, we made up. I didn¡¯t think I could have handled never feeling his touch again. I still couldn¡¯t believe that this was truly how I felt toward him after leaving to get away from him.


    And yet there we were, most likely in the throes of nearly having sex out there in the open space of the living room... well, that was until Anna basically walked in on the whole scene.


    No. I genuinely did not think I was going to recover from that form of embarrassment. Even after Elio and I collected ourselves and proceeded to go our separate ways, trying our best to downy the whole scene, Anna had been quick to drill me for details.


    It was only two days before Christmas, and the final details of our dinner party were just about finished up. Anna confirmed that nearly everyone whom we¡¯d reached out to had epted the invitation.


    This had me feeling a mix of excitement and pure anxiety. It had been so long since Ist connected with our other friends. I¡¯d nned on telling everyone about my transfer to UCLA and hoped they¡¯d be interested in rekindling our friendship as a group.


    ¡°Oh, Cat, would you please rx?¡± Anna shouted from the kitchen. ¡°Everything is going to be great tonight.¡±


    I took my bottom lip between my teeth. ¡°I just want everything to be perfect tonight,¡± I told her. ¡°Anna, it¡¯s been over two years since I¡¯ve seen everyone. What if... what if¡ª¡±


    ¡°What if they decide to give you hell and curse you off for not keeping better contact with them and basically shun you from ever trying to be in our friend group ever again?¡±


    My mouth fell open. My eyes widened in startled bafflement.


    ¡°Well, shit, Anna. Tell me how you really feel, why don¡¯t you?¡± I stammered.


    Anna yfully rolled her eyes and gave me a reassuring smile.


    ¡°Seriously, Cat. Cut yourself a break. Our friends know that you went away for school because it was the best option for you at the time,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯re not going to begrudge you.¡±


    As if it weren¡¯t nerve-wracking enough trying to connect with our old friends, Anna had gone ahead and invited some new people from campus to introduce to me as well. I wanted to make a good first impression.


    Anna finished stacking some tes in the kitchen, and she proceeded to join me in the living room. I carefully nced around the area to make sure that everything was where it needed to be. But my eyes tended to linger on the couch too long for it to go unnoticed by my friend.


    Anna smirked and nudged me on my shoulder.


    ¡°So... you and Elio,¡± she said suggestively. ¡°I take it that the two of you are really back on good terms with one another?¡±


    A slight blush touched my cheeks. ¡°Yes, Anna. It¡¯s like I told you yesterday. Elio came by after work and we both apologized for acting stupid to each other, and now we¡¯re good.¡±


    She tilted her head in thought.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± she asked calmly. ¡°I mean, aside from clearly looking embarrassed, I feel like something was still slightly off when he left. I don¡¯t know, maybe it was something in his expression. It looked a little solemn.¡±


    Normally, I would be quick to deny and brush off anything that involved my rtionship with Elio. But the more I let myself dwell on the idea, the more I felt she was right. Elio did look a little off before he left yesterday. His features appeared drawn and ck, as if he were... disappointed?


    At first, I didn¡¯t know why. Yet, the more my mind circled around the matter, the more I got to thinking.


    Oh, shit.


    ¡°Do you think it may be because I didn¡¯t invite him to our dinner party tonight?¡± I asked sheepishly.


    Anna took a sudden step back from me and stared.


    ¡°Wait. Cat, you didn¡¯t invite Elio? Why?¡±


    I nted my hands on my hips and let out aplicated sigh. Anna knew that we were still keeping things on the down low, which had to have been why he had looked so stunned when Anna walked in on us.


    ¡°Well, for a few reasons. One, there¡¯s a good chance that my mother will be floating around tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so?¡±


    I raised a brow. ¡°As far as my mother knows, she believes that I still hate Elio,¡± I exined. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s going to raise some questions if she manages to catch the two of us kissing.¡± My stomach twisted into knots at the thought of having that exact moment actually happen.


    She slowly nodded her head. ¡°Alright, I see your point there. And the other reasons?¡±


    ¡°He and I are still trying to keep a low profile on our rtionship. For him to even be here would cause people to question things. I know that if he was going to be here, I would want to spend most of the night by his side.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can see how that would be a bit suspicious,¡± shemented with a gentle smile.


    ¡°Believe me, I would love nothing more than to have him here tonight, but... I feel like it¡¯s just too much of a risk right now.¡±


    As Anna went off to double check on something back in the kitchen, my gaze continued to linger on the spot where Elio and I had our intimate moment before. A strange heart-warming sensation swelled in my chest.


    ***


    My previous worries about the evening gradually eased as the night went on. Once the sun finally set behind the tree line and festive lights were turned on, the whole ce really felt magical. We had light music ying in the background, and everything was ready in ce.


    At first, my nerves were on edge as people were beginning to filter in. But much like my initial reconnection with Anna, many of our other friends reacted the same way.


    ¡°Cat! Oh, my God, you look great!¡±


    ¡°Is it true that you¡¯re really starting the new semester at UCLA?¡±


    ¡°What are your sses? We should totally pick a ce on campus and make it our study spot.¡±


    Any trace of anxiety I thought I was feeling naturally melted away as time went on. And Anna, in between her role as designated bartender, was sweet enough to introduce me to some new people that I could be sharing sses with in the future. A couple of them even had the same major as me. It was good to know that I at least would recognize some people when I started up at my new school.


    Yes, everything seemed to be going perfectly.


    But the thought of Elio not being there really stuck in my mind. As I suspected, my mother waved her way into our night simply to say hello to a few people. I kept trying to remind myself that it simply wouldn¡¯t have worked out if he were there.


    But that didn¡¯t stop me from wishing otherwise.


    A little more than halfway through the evening, I heard a knock at the door. Anna turned to give me a questionable look because everyone who was invited was already there.


    We both shrugged our shoulders as Anna went over to the door to answer it.


    I turned back from the scene, thinking nothing of it. Suddenly, I noticed the strange shift in Anna¡¯s tone change when she realized who it was standing there.


    ¡°Paul?¡±


    My heart dropped into my stomach as I turned around to see the familiar figure standing there.


    ¡®What the hell is he doing here?¡¯ I thought angrily to myself.

 Chapter 622 : Standing Her Ground

    <h4>Chapter 622: Chapter 622 : Standing Her Ground</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I didn¡¯t know what had happened. Everything was going perfectly. All the guests seemed like they were enjoying themselves, and my jittery nerves had finally taken a much-needed rest¡ªuntil Anna had decided to answer the strange knock at the door.


    It seemed that some unseen force in the universe was set on making me into aplete wreck tonight.


    I felt my entire chest seize up in silent fear as I saw Paul standing there with his hands shoved in his pockets and a shit-eating smirk on his face.


    His dark eyes immediately nced over Anna¡¯s head to find mine. Thankfully, Anna was determined to stand her ground against Paul¡¯s possible attempt toe inside.


    I could feel my friend¡¯s anger sizzling through the air. ¡°Oh, God, it¡¯s you,¡± she hissed. ¡°What the fuck are you doing here? Leave!¡±


    Paul humored Anna¡¯s direct question with a snide remark. ¡°Not that it¡¯s any of your business, sweetheart, but I¡¯m here to see my girl.¡±


    Something vile burned in the back of my throat. I didn¡¯t need to see Anna¡¯s face to know that her expression matched Paul¡¯s¡ªamused and frighteningly ruthless.


    ¡°Oh, sweetie, I¡¯m going to need you to put those two remaining brain cells together and work with me on this, okay?¡± she said mockingly. ¡°You and Cat are not together.¡±


    Paul¡¯s lips pulled back into a tight sneer. ¡°Move out of my way. I didn¡¯t travel hundreds of miles to be stopped by some know-it-all bitch who thinks she has the right to barge in on other people¡¯s business,¡± he snapped.


    Anna remained as calm as ever. She crossed her arms over her chest.


    ¡°You see, Paul, when I be informed about my best friend¡¯s abusive rtionship with her douchebag of an ex-boyfriend, not only does it be my business, it now bes my sole purpose to ensure that the two of you are never in the same ce at once.¡±


    My chest swelled with a strong sense of pride, having heard Anna¡¯s deration. Paul, on the other hand, was unrelenting. He rolled his eyes in disinterest.


    ¡°I know about everything you did to her,¡± she continued.


    For a brief moment, his expression slipped.


    ¡°It¡¯s why I truly can¡¯t believe you¡¯d even have the nerve to show your face here,¡± she said firmly. ¡°You are not wee.¡±


    Paul had just looked as though he was about to say something when suddenly my feet were pulling me toward the door. I reached out to rest an easing hand over Anna¡¯s shoulder.


    This whole scene needed to stop before it drew any more attention.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Anna,¡± I said.


    I slowly eased my friend back so that she was standing behind me. I carefully handed her my ss and ushered her back into the house while I closed the door shut behind me. I knew Anna wasn¡¯t thrilled about me being alone with Paul, but knowing her, she was firmly nted in front of the nearest window, watching our every move.


    Now that we were alone, I was really beginning to regret handing my wine off to Anna. I could¡¯ve used the liquid courage at the moment.


    ¡°Why are you here, Paul?¡±


    I know Anna had already asked him, but I was hoping for the real answer now.


    Paul dropped his gaze to the ground and let his head slightly sag. He never could look me in the eyes when he knew he had messed up. Part of me already sort of knew where this conversation was headed just by the looks of his stature. I knew what kind of talk I was in for.


    And it was one that I was not interested in hearing, not again.


    ¡°Cat... look, I¡¯m sorry, alright?¡± he started. ¡°I know what I did was wrong.¡±


    I drew my brows together and stifled a doubtful snort.


    ¡°Really? If you honestly knew that, then why did you keep repeating it?¡± I asked sternly.


    Being away from home all that time had its pluses and minuses. While I was avoiding Elio¡¯s domineering behavior, I had managed to capture the attention of someone who was pure evil inside.


    Paul had originally presented himself to be an averagely attractive student who carried a genuine interest in me. Based on his personal group of friends, he seemed normal enough. But what none of them came to realize was that Paul was a closet alcoholic with a deeply hidden violent streak.


    I¡¯d made the painful discovery one night back on my previous school campus. We were just starting to go out with one another and were invited to a friend¡¯s fraternity party one weekend. It was honestly a fun time until the very end of the night. Paul ended up drinking far too much, and I ended up with a nasty purple bruise beneath my left eye.


    Looking back on it, I felt foolish for even allowing myself to tolerate such toxic behavior. Paul imed that it was an ident, and I was stupid enough to believe him. But I did. Each and every time something like the first incident urred, it always left us in the same vicious cycle¡ªme being used as a human punching bag and Paul appearing guilty and sorry for his actions.


    Why had I stayed with him?


    It wasn¡¯t forck of trying... I could say that for the very least.


    There were a handful of times when I tried calling things off between us. Paul either outright refused or tried to y the guilt card. I¡¯d constantly put my foot down and refused to see him.


    But that never stopped Paul from showing up at my sses or my dorm room, trying to get us to have a conversation about getting back together. It left me feeling terrified at times. I felt suffocated and trapped. I knew about halfway through thest semester that I needed to get away.


    ¡®I just never thought in a million years that the guy would have the guts to follow me all the way back home to California!¡¯ I shouted in my head.


    Paul let out a bothering sigh and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Yeah, I know. But I mean it this time,¡± he stated. ¡°I want to get help. I want to get better.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s nice to hear,¡± I murmured under my breath.


    He lifted his head to finally look me in the eyes. ¡°Pleasee back with me.¡±


    My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. What? Surely, he wasn¡¯t being serious?


    Then again, I hadn¡¯t caught any scent of alcohol on him since I¡¯d stepped outside. The man was pin sober. I didn¡¯t know if this was a good thing or not.


    At first, my voice wavered. ¡°No.¡±


    Paul¡¯s disposition stiffened at my response. There was almost this faint look of surprise wrapped in his expression. The corner of his mouth started to curve upward, causing my whole body to tense.


    ¡°Oh,e on, Kitty-Cat. You don¡¯t mean that,¡± he said. ¡°I know things have been a little difficult between us, but we can go back together and work them out.¡±


    ¡°I said ¡®no,¡¯ Paul.¡±


    ¡°Caterina¡ª¡±


    ¡°I am not going back with you,¡± I told him. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m not going anywhere with you. Ever!¡±


    I noticed Paul taking a small step forward and moving to reach for my hand. But I quickly yanked myself back before he got the chance to actually grab ahold of me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± I hissed weakly.


    All those emotions I¡¯d been fighting to keep suppressed since the moment I saw him again were rushing back like a tidal wave. I felt nauseous... scared... angry. I thought of all that wasted time I had spent thinking that he was a good person, believing that he would change and that the pain would stop. But it never did.


    None of Paul¡¯s actions seemed to register with his intentions. Right after I pulled my hand back, the man proceeded to move even closer with the intention of hugging me. I swiftly lifted my hands up and pressed against the nes of his chests.


    ¡°Paul, no. Stop!¡±


    I heard the front door behind me rip open, along the startling sound of Anna tromping through the doorway.


    ¡°Hey, asshole. She said no,¡± she seethed.


    I quickly stepped back and raised my arm up to keep Anna from bulldozing Paul off the front steps of the porch. If there was still time to prevent aplete scene from happening, I was going to do everything in my power to ensure it.


    But out of the corner of my eye, I saw another dark figure emerging from between the parked cars.


    Elio?


    ¡®Oh, you¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me,¡¯ I cursed to myself.


    As if things really couldn¡¯t get any worse, Elio stormed up the main path with a murderous look in eyes. Knowing him, he had probably seen everything that transpired between Paul and me.


    His voice was low and rough in his throat. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± he asked angrily.


    I let out a long breath. ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t handle, Elio. Alright?¡± I tried to tell him.


    For a brief flicker of a moment, I truly thought that I¡¯d sessfully defused the situation. But then Paul had to go ahead and open his big mouth.


    He took a decent step back and gave a long look at Elio, like he was sizing him up or something. His nasty smirk returned, and he spoke.


    ¡°So, what are you, like her uncle or something?¡± He stole a nce back at me and chuckled. ¡°Is he the one who you¡¯re trying to rece me with? He¡¯s a bit old for you, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    I could easily tell from the way Elio turned to re at Paul that he was majorly pissed. Never taking his eyes off Paul, Elio moved to nt himself between him and me.


    ¡°If I was, wouldn¡¯t it be a good idea not to get on my bad side?¡± Elio bit out.


    Paul merely smiled, acting unbothered by Elio¡¯s remake and growing anger. Apart from letting his fists fly against those who were physically weaker than him, Paul was not someone to pick a fight, especially when it was clear that odds were heavily set against him.


    Thankfully, he was smart enough to keep quiet because Elio was, without a doubt, one more smartment away from decking Paul in the face.


    Without a word, Paul left. For the first time within the hour, I could finally allow myself to breathe again properly. Unfortunately, I was now left to deal with an upset Anna and fairly pissed-off Elio.


    As all three of us made our way back inside, I heard my phone ring. I looked down to steal a private nce at my phone screen. My heart lurched in my chest when I saw that I¡¯d received a message from Paul.


    ¡®I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡¯

 Chapter 623 : Christmas Eve

    <h4>Chapter 623: Chapter 623 : Christmas Eve</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡°Hey, honey. Can you help me in the kitchen for a second?¡± my mom called from the bottom of the staircase. Her voice echoed down the hall and into my bedroom, where I¡¯d just about finished getting ready for the evening.


    I slipped my earnings on and stuck my head out of the bedroom door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right there!¡±


    A quiet, private night in with just my mom and Elio was exactly what I needed after the unexpected drama that had taken ce a few nights ago.


    Aside from the unwanted visit of a certain someone, Anna and I thought that our dinner party was a great sess. After Paul made the wise choice to leave without causing any further trouble, when the three of us entered the house, only a few of the guests turned their heads in question about Elio¡¯s sudden appearance. But no one made any real fuss about it.


    Elio, on the other hand, proceeded to stick closely by my side for the remainder of the night. I could tell from the worrisome, aggravated look in his eyes that he wanted answers. I couldn¡¯t me him for wanting to know what was going on between Paul and me. And in all honesty, I had no objection to talking about it¡ªwell, most of it.


    In any case, I shoved Paul and our unfortunate past to the back of my mind. I gave myself onest look in the mirror above my dresser. Unlike the dinner party, I purposely dressed down my attire significantly by opting for a soft sweater and dark jeans. I let my hair remain down and went with just a simple palette of makeup.


    As part of my small family¡¯s holiday tradition, it was Christmas Eve and my mother, Elio, and I would all exchange gifts among ourselves before our big family Christmas the following day. It was probably one of the few times growing up when Elio and I didn¡¯t go at each other¡¯s throats. It was as though we would call a silent truce and we¡¯d act civil.


    Only this year, I knew things were going to feel different... much different.


    I made my way down to the kitchen, where I saw Mother looming over arge roasting pan. My body instinctively nced around to see if Elio had already shown up. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time that he¡¯d slipped through the doors and stuck to the shadows of the house without my notice. But when I truly couldn¡¯t find any sign of him, I found myself feeling a bit peeved.


    My mother nced over her shoulder and gave me a questionable look.


    ¡°Is something the matter, dear?¡± she asked.


    I gave a reassuring smile and gently shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯m just surprised to not find Elio here already.¡±


    Sheughed under her breath. ¡°Funny you should mention that. He called me not too long ago. He said he¡¯d get here as soon as he could. Work must really be piling up for him at the office.¡±


    I nodded my head and went to take out a few tes and silverware. I began setting the table while my mind wandered back over to the night of the dinner party.


    I couldn¡¯t have been more thankful at the fact that my mother hadn¡¯t witnessed the scene that took ce on our front porch. She must have been stuck somewhere toward the back of the house. Regardless, she was still able to remain ignorant to the situation I¡¯d gotten myself into.


    My mother would have tried to handle the situation, but God only knew what would have happened then. My stomach coiled at the mere thought, although a sudden disturbing notion came to mind that made my blood run cold¡ªwould Elio try to bring up the encounter with Paul tonight while we were all together?


    ¡®Jesus Christ, I hope not,¡¯ I thought uneasily to myself.


    Elio and I hadn¡¯t spoken or seen each other since the dinner party. So, I never really got a chance to tell him to keep the whole issue on the down-low. Considering it was Christmas, maybe there was a chance that he¡¯dpletely overlook it and we could pretend that it never happened.


    ¡®Yeah, fat chance of that happening, Cat,¡¯ I scolded myself.


    If anyone was going to beat the hell out of the situation, it was going to be Elio. This was no one else¡¯s business to deal with except me. While my mother focused on her cooking behind me, I pinched the bridge of my nose and let out a long breath.


    Granted, I was thankful for Elio¡¯s presence at the time, but I wanted to handle my own battles. I needed people to realize that I wasn¡¯t just some weak, defenseless woman who needed to be saved. But I wasn¡¯t going to lie to myself either.


    The way Elio stood up for me against Paul¡¯s harassment made me buzz with excitement. The man looked too hot for his own good as his features darkened and his muscles flexed under his clothes.


    Chances were that had I not had a house full of people, I would¡¯ve immediately hauled him upstairs into my bedroom and spent the rest of the night worshiping his body. Even now, the thought was still very tempting.


    But what I think really stuck to me was how willing Elio was to jump to my defense. I¡¯d never been protected like that before, least of all by Paul. When he and I were together, there were moments back in school where some of his friends would make a few suggestive remarks about me. Whether it was just forughs or they were told withplete serious intent, Paul never said nor did anything to keep them from recurring.


    Paul¡¯s vicious words echoed painfully in my head. ¡°So, what are you, like her uncle or something? Is he the one who you¡¯re trying to rece me with? He¡¯s a bit old for you, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    His pompous, sleazy expression made my skin crawl. I wished I possessed the courage to knock him off his feet at that very moment. How badly I wanted to snap at him and openly admit that Elio was, in fact, my boyfriend.


    At that moment, there was a loud knock on the front door followed by heavy footsteps. I turned to nce behind me to find Elio walking through the living room. He happily greeted my mom with a cheerful smile and slowly came to stand in front of me.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Cat.¡±


    My heart skipped a few beats in my chest as I fought the horrible urge to fling my arms around him and pull him into a tight hug.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too,¡± I said quietly.


    He secretly shed me a devilish, heart-stopping smile and turned away to offer my mother any needed help.


    ***


    Dinner was finished and all three of us moved into the living room and satfortably around the tree. The warm lights offered a beautiful ambiance while my mom offered to turn on some light music for background noise.


    I felt genuinely at peace with the loving scene around me. There was no point in trying to think otherwise; Elio was a big part of my life, and something in the back of my mind told me that he always would be.


    I was happy we had this moment of quiet with my mom before the rest of his family showed up. At times, it really felt like a lot to deal with.


    We exchanged our small gifts with one another and easily slid into a gentle conversation about my transfer to UCLA.


    ¡°Oh, Cat, I¡¯m just excited that I¡¯ll get to see you more often than before,¡± my mother beamed. ¡°You know that I never cared where you went to school. As long as you¡¯re happy and you feel confident where you are, that¡¯s all that matters to me.¡±


    While I offered a supportive smile, I felt Elio¡¯s eyes pour into me.


    My chest seized up with sudden anxiety as I made the fatal mistake of ncing in his direction. His once tranquil expression shifted to something dark and possessive. It was as if he¡¯d pieced together the real reason as to why I chosen to switch schools.


    ¡°I know, Mom.¡± I let myself sink back into the couch. ¡°And I really am excited to start somewhere new again.¡±


    A few hours flew by before my mother stood up from her chair. With a slight stretch, she dered that she would be turning in for the night. Before leaving, she turned to Elio and spoke.


    ¡°Just so you know, Elio, you¡¯re free to spend the night here if you¡¯d like so you¡¯re here first thing when the family arrives. We have plenty of room.¡±


    He returned herment with a gracious smile. ¡°I may just have to take you up on that offer,¡± he told her. Elio turned his head and gave me a pointed look, causing a million goosebumps to break out over my skin.


    As soon as my mother retired to her room, the air thickened between us. My heart practically leaped into my throat as I watched Elio get up from his seat to steal the open spot next to me on the couch. He sank into the cushions and turned to me.


    ¡°The other night... tell me exactly what that guy is to you,¡± he demanded softly.


    I took my lip between my teeth and slowly nodded my head. Deep down, I knew this sort of talk wasing.


    ¡°Paul. He and I briefly dated back when I was at school,¡± I stated. I could see Elio visibly tensing over this bit of information, but he never interrupted me. ¡°We met at some party a while back and we hit off. Things were good until they weren¡¯t. I made it clear on numerous asions that I wanted to break up, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°But he had other ns in mind,¡± Elio finished for me. ¡°So, he¡¯s a big part of the reason why you¡¯ve decided toe back home.¡±


    I nodded my head and sighed. There was no way I was going to tell him the rest of the gruesome details. Knowing Elio, he would¡¯ve jumped up from the couch and stormed out the door with the intent of hunting Paul down.


    ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t think he¡¯d stoop so low as to show up here and disrupt everything.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m just d that I stepped in when I did,¡± he said. ¡°Believe me, I had no real intention of crashing your night. But when I saw him begin to crowd you, I couldn¡¯t stop myself.¡±


    While my body continued to heat up from the honesty behind his words, I needed him to know where I stood on the matterpletely.


    ¡°Look, I appreciate you getting Paul to leave. But you need to know that I can handle myself in these sorts of situations, okay?¡±


    The corner of his mouth pulled back into a smirk. ¡°Cat, I have absolutely no doubt that you can take care of yourself. Like I said before, I couldn¡¯t stop myself. Shit, I¡¯m just happy that I didn¡¯t end up punching the asshole out,¡± he muttered.


    I giggled under my breath and thoughtlessly leaned into his warm side. Elio wrapped a strong arm around me and pulled me in closer. I closed my eyes and took in the moment. For now, we let the conversation over Paul drop, even though my feelings of bitterness were still lingering.


    I felt Elio brush my hair out of my face and speak against my cheek.


    ¡°So, your mom said I could stay tonight.¡± His deep, honeyed voice caused my breathing to hitch. ¡°I¡¯d like to, if that¡¯s okay with you?¡±


    ¡®Oh, God... how can I say no?¡¯

 Chapter 624 : Keep Quiet

    <h4>Chapter 624: Chapter 624 : Keep Quiet</h4>


    *Caterina*


    Elio¡¯s words danced over my skin like tiny flicks of electricity. Each word caressed me like a warm hand that I wanted to reach out and take.


    ¡°So, your mom said I could stay tonight. I¡¯d like to... if that¡¯s okay with you?¡±


    The rich baritone sound of his voice caused the muscles in my body to spasm beyond my control. Yes, I wanted him to stay. I needed him to stay. Hell, I was sure the man already possessed a secret key to the front door. Why couldn¡¯t he just move some of his stuff in here already and stay permanently?


    Ever since ourst encounter on that very couch, I¡¯d felt nothing but an unbearable pent-up frustration. Between the constant heated looks and innocent touches behind my mother¡¯s back, I was certain I was on the edge ofbusting.


    My eyes slowly opened to find Elio¡¯s dark hooded gaze staring at me, waiting for an answer. My cheeks flushed a pink hue while my eyes dropped to his lips.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I responded wistfully.


    He gave a slight smile that was marked with some kind of silent victory. How could he possibly think that I would say no to him, I wondered. The very air around us was growing thicker by the second. And with it, I could sense Elio¡¯s reserved behavior was beginning to crack away as well.


    Between pushing back my hair from my face, he glided his fingers down my cheeks and over the curve of my neck to y at the cor of my sweater. His tantalizing touch coaxed me to melt further into him.


    No one had ever made me feel this desperate for attention before. Not a single other living soul had made me feel more desperate, more entranced to be touched.


    Part of me still couldn¡¯t fathom that this man wanted me. Elio was strong,passionate, devoted, family-oriented, ambitious, protective¡ªthe list went on. He could easily have anyone he wanted. But based on the sensual, hypnotic movements of his hands, it was clear that he wanted me.


    The feeling was entirely mutual. And I was prepared to prove it to him.


    I lifted my own hand up to take his face in my palm. Leaning in, I captured his lip in a searing kiss. I needed him to feel my longing for him.


    As I melted further into his touch, my hold on him grew tighter, almost angry... because among my desperate unyielding need to feel him against me, my anger toward his actions was fighting back just as strongly. Something about my rough movements must have been a clear indicator for Elio that there was more at y here than just lust.


    He took my chin between his thumb and forefinger and pulled back, breaking the connection between us. He tipped my head slightly back and forced me to look him in the eyes.


    Elio was breathless, his voice rough and gravelly. He narrowed his eyes and spoke.


    ¡°Are you still upset about me stepping in between you and Paul?¡± he questioned sternly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I hissed. My breathing grew to be just as broken as his. ¡°But... but I understand why you did it too.¡±


    Elio pulled his brows together. A notion of skepticism crossed his features. He ran the pad of his thumb over my bottom lip.


    ¡°Do you?¡± he asked with a hint of doubt. ¡°Do you understand the awful feeling of rage that filled me when I saw him get close to you? When I watched him try to wrap his arms around you, I thought he was going to end up in a body bag.¡±


    I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to keep my calm as Elio frighteningly arousing words rippled over me. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that he would have torn Paul to pieces had he not held himself back. I was secretly thankful and pleased that my dinner party didn¡¯t end with an ambnce and a formal statement to the local authorities.


    The old version of myself would have surely rolled her eyes and scoffed some snide remark back at him. But the new me, the me who wanted to tear away both of our clothing in that same moment, found his domineering nature to be endearing... and sexy as hell.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I gasped.


    He let out a muffled growl of frustration from his chest while nearly manhandling me to better situate himself. Before I knew it, he¡¯d curled his hands underneath my legs and lifted me onto hisp. He quickly locked his hands onto my hips, forcing me to stay in ce.


    I was once again straddling this man¡¯s waist.


    ¡°Caterina,¡± he said raggedly. ¡°I promise I¡¯m not trying to overstep your boundaries. But I could tell from a mile away that Paul wasn¡¯t going to leave without some form of force.¡±


    He raised his hips up, unconsciously pressing his hardening length against the inner side of my thigh. I bit back a moan. My face twisted in agony as I nodded my head.


    ¡°I know,¡± I whispered. ¡°I know that, Elio. You¡¯re right. You being there made the situation better. Thank you.¡±


    He lifted one of his hands to stroke my cheek. ¡°Tell me what you want, Caterina.¡±


    I bunched the material of his dress shirt in my hands and pulled him toward me. Closing the gap between us, I caught his mouth in another mind-bending kiss and grounded my hips down against his own. His hands were everywhere he could get them as I rolled our clothed bodies against each other.


    ¡°I want you,¡± I said heatedly.


    Elio returned my feelings with another push of his hips. God, it wasn¡¯t enough. I needed to feel his bare skin against my own. For just a brief moment, I pressed against his chest and gave myself enough space to pull my sweater over my head. As soon as I carelessly tossed it to the floor, I made the attempt to get up from the couch.


    But Elio wasn¡¯t having any of that.


    His hand continued to grip my waist and refused to let me go. My heart dropped into my stomach. Did he think we were going to continue this out here in the open?


    ¡°Elio.¡± I shook my head. ¡°We can¡¯t¡ªnot here.¡±


    A devious smile curved his mouth. ¡°Why not?¡± he asked firmly. ¡°I say we finish what we originally started here days ago.¡±


    My mouth fell open in shock. ¡°Are you insane? My mother is literally down the hall. She could walk in at any moment. What if she hears us?¡±


    This exnation only appeared to excite him even more. Elio glided his hands over my nearly exposed chest and hummed. He nipped at my corbone and syed several small kisses along the curve of my neck. ¡°Would you really rather we go upstairs?¡± he asked.


    I should have said yes. I should have been the mature adult in the situation and made us go upstairs to the bedroom. I should have wanted to y it safe. But there was a feeling, a rousing thrill of doing something we know we¡¯re not supposed to do.


    Instead of nodding my head I muttered out a, ¡°no.¡±


    Elio went on to grace me with a haughty, know-it-all grin. ¡°Well, you¡¯d better keep quiet then,¡± he told me with another kiss.


    The next several minutes were filled with nothing but frantic movements and numerous pieces of clothing flying in all different directions. Elio¡¯srge, warm hands roam over my front, cupping my breasts. His thumbs circled and rolled over the stiff peaks of my nipples, making me arch further into his hands.


    I took my lower lip between my teeth to keep myself from moaning too loud. Unconsciously, my hips began rotating over the maddening hardness of his erection.


    ¡°Mm, please,¡± I whispered against his lips.


    Elio licked his way into my willing mouth while taking himself in his hand and giving long, tentative strokes. He lined the head of his length at my entrance and pushed forward in one brutal thrust of hips. My eyes widened as the intense, overwhelming pleasure rushed through me. His one hand instantly covered my mouth, keeping the wanton moan from echoing off the walls.


    ¡°Fuck, Cat,¡± he grunted. ¡°Be a good girl and try to keep quiet for me.¡±


    My eyes nearly rolled to the back of my head as my entire body broke out into countless tremors as he went on to set a punishing, determined pace for us. Elio¡¯s eyes were filled with carnal eagerness that could only be matched with the sensual movements that grew between us.


    Jesus Christ, this was wrong. Yes, it waste, but that didn¡¯t mean that no one would catch us. But... good God, I became nothing but putty in his hands.


    It was almost terrifying how willing I was to hand over my sense of control to him. Normally, I was prickly when it came to my independence. I hated it when Elio would try and run my life, always telling me what I had to do and what I needed to do.


    But this felt different. This didn¡¯t feel like he was trying to control me. Every touch, every surging thrust of his hips sent an individual message of despairing need.


    I nodded my head inprehension. Slowly, Elio lowered his hands from my mouth. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and leaned down to kiss him again.


    A sudden spark of heat started to flicker beneath my stomach. I undted my hips against his own with every strategic movement. He slipped his hand into my hair and leaned my body back, allowing him to thrust deeper.


    My nerves tensed and shook as he hit the hidden pleasure spot inside of me.


    ¡°Oh, my God, Elio.¡± I whimpered. ¡°Don¡¯t stop. Please, don¡¯t stop.¡±


    Again and again, Elio hit that same glorious spot. My vision was beginning to blur, and my inner muscles were starting to clench around him.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± he drawled. ¡°Come for me, Caterina.¡±


    His pace quickened to the point where my whole was ovee by a euphoric wave of pleasure. He continued to thrust throughout my orgasm while chasing after his own.


    The moment I stopped shuddering, I felt myself sway forward and sag heavily into Elio¡¯s chest. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to try and move, nor did I really care to.


    But before I knew what was happening, I felt myself being moved off the couch. He carefully gathered me up in his arms and moved us out of the living room. I buried my face in his neck and kept my arms around him.


    ¡°Our clothes,¡± I mumbled into his ear.


    Elio hummed in amusement. ¡°I¡¯ll go back for them.¡±


    He ced me down on the center of my bed and disappeared for a brief minute. I allowed my eyes to flutter close, knowing that he¡¯d return to me.


    And just as I expected, he did. There was a quiet, ruffled sound of clothing dropping on the floor near the door. The next thing I heard was the creaking of my bed frame as Elio climbed onto the mattress to lie beside me.


    He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me flush against his side. His masculine, musky scent filled my senses. I felt wanted. I felt cared for.


    And it was all because of Elio, the man I¡¯d traveled hundreds of miles to get away from. Now I couldn¡¯t imagine being any further away from him than this.

 Chapter 625 : Christmas Day

    <h4>Chapter 625: Chapter 625 : Christmas Day</h4>


    *Elio*


    I couldn¡¯t getst night out of my mind. Things had been incredible between me and Cat. I¡¯d been thankful that her mom wasn¡¯t an early riser because I managed to make my way out to the couch before she woke up.


    Spending the night with Cat had been heaven.


    Now, we were standing at the front door of my parents¡¯ house with Matilde still rummaging through the car getting thest of the gifts for the party.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± I said reassuringly to the woman at my side. ¡°You¡¯ve been here a hundred times before.¡±


    Cat red at me as we stood in front of the front door of my parents¡¯ house. She crossed her arms, turning with a huff. ¡°That was before, Elio. Your parents are¡ª¡±


    ¡°Incredibly loving people,¡± I suggested with a grin.


    She side-eyed me. ¡°They¡¯re smart, especially your dad. What if they figure out that we¡¯re... you know... together?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Just enjoy the holiday and don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    And before she could protest further, I gripped the doorknob and pulled.


    The scent of wood burning, the fresh pine of the tree, and cinnamon and gingerbread baking throughout the house was nostalgic. I couldn¡¯t help the little smile that pulled at the corner of my mouth.


    It was like walking into a memory from when I was a kid. It was my mother¡¯s favorite holiday, and she always went overboard. The house was lit up with decorations.


    Gands hung upon the walls. The ssic red Christmas flowers decorated every shelf. Snowkes on strings hung in the windows, with white lights in the corners between the wall and the ceiling that created a path to the living room.


    I gestured for Cat to go first. She huffed, reluctantly entering. I followed her happily, a content feeling that I couldn¡¯t exin overtaking me.


    From the open kitchen, I could see my mother busying herself, humming to the Christmas songs ying on the Bluetooth, just loud enough to be heard but not enough to drown out the voices of the dozen or so guests.


    There was the distinct scent of fresh gingerbread and my favorite apple cider mulled wine cooking on the stove, along with what I¡¯m sure was a delicious feast of food being piled in the dining room.


    The firece burned to life, crackling like a campfire and bringing warmth to the hearth that was just perfect for the guests gathered around it. Above the mantle was Mom¡¯s collection of snow globes¡ªwe had gotten a new one every family vacation.


    The tree was over the top as usual¡ªa forty-foot monstrosity that stretched two floors in the open-ceiling room. The twinkling colorful lights on the tree shed and blinked in time with whatever Christmas song was ying, and I was d to see the mixture of new and old ornaments on the tree.


    There was one from our trip to Paris and another from when I was nine and I made a glittery paper dinosaur in arts and crafts.


    ¡°Hey, Mom,¡± I greeted her, heading into the kitchen with a smile.


    Cat followed me hesitantly, holding a te of sugar cookies. My mother turned to face me, a casserole of some kind in her hands just fresh from the oven.


    Despite having a few cooks nearby who were paid to do this, my mother had always insisted on making dishes herself.


    ¡°My baby boy!¡± She brightened up and I flushed a bit as she hurried to set the casserole down, throwing off her oven mittens, which were caught from heading onto the floor by one of the other cooks, and rushed over to pull me into a hug.


    I leaned down automatically, ignoring Cat¡¯s teasing smirk as my mother embraced me.


    ¡°You do know I¡¯m not a baby anymore, right?¡± I said, despite knowing how futile it was, and sure enough, she simply beamed.


    ¡°You¡¯ll always be my baby,¡± she said sweetly. ¡°I missed you so much. How are you doing? Oh¡ª¡± She finally caught sight of Cat, her expression melting into a kind warmth only she was capable of. ¡°Is this little Caterina? You¡¯re so big now!¡±


    Cat blushed, awkwardly letting my mother fold her into a hug as well. I had to grab the container of cookies from her before she dropped them, and I slipped them onto the counter with the rest of the desserts.


    ¡°Nice to see you again, Miss Valentino,¡± Cat said politely.


    ¡°Oh, none of that. You call me Olivia, like you used to, okay?¡± Mom smiled brightly. ¡°I¡¯m so happy you were able toe. Matilde, how are you?¡±


    While she greeted Cat¡¯s mom, Mia spoke up, nursing a ss of mulled wine that I suspected wasn¡¯t her first. She sat at the counter, a slice of half-eaten pie in front of her. ¡°Nice to see you two kiddos.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were in Italy, Aunt Mia.¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Did my uncle skip out on work again?¡±


    Cat showed a clueless look, being the only one who didn¡¯t know the true family business.


    ¡°Nah, we got Tallon to fill in for him,¡± Mia smirked. ¡°Nat and his kid are sick this year, so he volunteered to give us the day off. My husband¡¯s many things, but a cker, he is not. I had to pry him away from that damn desk.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like him,¡± I snorted just as my mom rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Speaking of¡ª¡± Mom gave me a certain look. ¡°Go say hi to your father. He and Alessandro are supervising the kids.¡±


    ¡°You put them in charge of the kids?¡± I gave her an incredulous look.


    ¡°Just go,¡± Mom waved me off and then eyed Cat¡¯s jeans. ¡°And Caterina, Matilde, you can stay here with us. Cat, I actually have something I¡¯ve been meaning to give you.¡±


    Cat sent me a panicked look, but I just shrugged helplessly as she was dragged off by my mother and aunt. I made my way to what used to be my yroom, which had since been converted.


    Sure enough, I spotted a table full of gingerbread, tubes of icing, and various piles of candies. A small group of kids, many with the same dark brown curly hair as me, were making their own houses, though somewhat poorly. Many looked like they had been hit by a hurricane instead of a winter wondend.


    I chuckled to myself, spotting my dad in the chaos, patiently letting the kids climb all over him. One of the little girls was clutched firmly in hisp, sucking on her thumb as she curiously yed with the icing, not even trying to make a house but just using it to dip her thumb in for eating.


    Another kid, a boy about eight, was hanging off the sides of his chair, sticking colorful gumdrops into his hair with a huge grin.


    Dad didn¡¯t seem to mind though. He just smiled contentedly as the kids took advantage of him. I know he and Mom had always wished they could¡¯ve given me more siblings, but it had never happened.


    I knew what a challenge it had been having me, including the chaos my surrogate mother had caused. Despite remaining an honorary aunt, Elena had her own family now, a husband and kids loved to death, but she always sent me festive cards for holidays and my birthday. Even though she had been the one to give birth to me, I had never been super attached to her.


    Even though they had remained on good terms with Elena, Mom and Dad had never tried surrogacy again, focusing instead on caring for me and loving each other.


    Alessandro was a sharp contrast to Dad¡¯s patience. Sitting in one of the stic kids¡¯ chairs, his legs awkwardly brought to his chest, he was firmly instructing two boys how to build the perfect gingerbread house, perhaps taking it a bit too seriously as he used tweezers to gently ce each piece of candy.


    Only one little girl stared at him with owlish eyes, watching without blinking as he made the finest gingerbread house I¡¯d ever seen.


    ¡°Dad,¡± I called out to my old man, who nced up at me. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing alright,¡± Dad chuckled, plucking the little girl from hisp effortlessly.


    I walked up and gave him a brief hug.


    Alessandro noticed us and peeled himself from the finished gingerbread house, which honestly looked like a masterpiece. He pped a hand on my shoulder in greeting, while Dad smiled amicably.


    ¡°How¡¯s Italy?¡± I asked immediately, looking to Alessandro for answers. I¡¯d been curious since I rarely got information about what was going on over there.


    ¡°Doing good. We¡¯ve had a few bad supply runs and there¡¯ve been a few targets on the family, but it¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t handle. We have started a new training program for the younger recruits¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Dad cut in sharply. ¡°Elio doesn¡¯t want to know about all that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± I said, irritated and crossing my arms.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± Dad eyed me with a sharp look. ¡°We don¡¯t talk about that side of the family, especially not here.¡±


    He nced at the group of kids who were watching us with wide eyes, and I grumbled to myself, knowing he was right.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I said, walking out.


    ¡°Elio,¡± Dad called after me.


    But I was too frustrated to turn back. I needed to cool down before I said something I regretted.


    I had only made it to the hallway when a hand on my elbow pulled me back.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Alessandro said awkwardly.


    I raised an eyebrow at him, unsure of what he wanted. ¡°Look, I know how frustrating it is, but your parents worked hard to get you and themselves out of that life. They¡¯re a bit touchy on that subject.¡±


    ¡°Their decisions shouldn¡¯t impact me, especially since I¡¯m a grown-ass adult,¡± I bit back.


    ¡°I know. Sometimes it just gets into you.¡± He chuckled, and I could feel somehow that he really understood where I wasing from. ¡°Look, if you ever want, there¡¯s a ce for you in Italy, in our family. I could always use an extra hand.¡±


    Surprised, I thanked him, and he headed back to the room with the kids, leaving me in the hallway to think. Was that really something I wanted... to officially join the mafia?


    But that wasn¡¯t the only surprise of the night.


    As soon as I entered the living room, I spotted a sh of bright red, and I looked up instinctively. There was Cat, but she wasn¡¯t dressed in the jeans and T-shirt I hadst seen her in. Instead, she wore a bright long-sleeved red dress that came to mid-thigh with a detailed whitece over the bare shoulders and white stripes along the bottom. It was simple but gorgeous on her body.


    Surrounded by a group of rtives, her cheeks were a bright pink as they showered praises upon her.


    With her hair braided into a long it over her shoulder, she was nothing short of the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. My fingers brushed against the small box in my pocket.


    Cat spotted me then and gazed at me, her green eyes shining with the lights from the Christmas tree.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she look lovely?¡± my mom asked. ¡°I saw that in the store and thought of Cat.¡±


    ¡°She looks beautiful,¡± I said honestly.


    I smiled and brushed by her, whispering, ¡°Meet me in the hallway.¡±


    I saw the slightest hint of a nod, and when everyone¡¯s attention had turned away, I stepped over to the hallway to wait for her. Momentster she appeared, and I led her down the hallway, ducking into the office quickly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll match your new outfit, but here you go.¡± I handed her the simple ck box.


    The moment she lifted the lid, her breath hitched.


    Inside was a silver ne, a locket decorated with diamonds, and at the center, a bright green gemstone. I bit my bottom lip, unsure of how this was going to go as she opened it. I knew what it said on the inscription.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Kitty-Cat.¡±


    Her voice choked as she recited the words engraved inside. ¡°I love you always... Daddy.¡±


    She looked at me, confused.


    ¡°Tallon and I, we managed to track it down. It was thest present Vinny, your dad, bought. He wanted to give it to you for Christmas, but he didn¡¯t... get the chance. It wasn¡¯t easy to get it back. He hid it pretty well. But I thought you should have it.¡±


    ¡°Elio,¡± she murmured.


    I watched in a full moment of panic as her eyes flooded with tears.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! This was stupid. I shouldn¡¯t have¡ª¡±


    But she surprised me yet again by jumping into my arms.


    She didn¡¯t say a single word, but I could feel her body trembling and I wrapped her in my arms, holding her together during this painful and bittersweet moment.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get you a gift,¡± she murmured in my shirt.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± I chuckled, gently lifting her head so I could see her pretty face. ¡°You can always make it up to me.¡±


    She blushed, but without any hesitation, she leaned up and pulled me into a passionate kiss. I lost myself for a moment, so focused on her that neither of us heard the door opening and we didn¡¯t have time to pull away.


    ¡°I thought so.¡± A loud voice cut through our moment.


    Shocked, we jumped apart, ncing at the intruder with wide eyes.


    ¡°Mom?¡± I asked wide-eyed.


    And there stood my mother with crossed arms and raised eyebrows, clearly expecting an exnation.

 Chapter 626 : This Could Get Ugly

    <h4>Chapter 626: Chapter 626 : This Could Get Ugly</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    Elio¡¯s shocked and dismayed voice had shocked me back to reality.


    The moment I realized what had happened, I took several steps away, my arms pulled tightly behind my back as I immediately stared at the floor in sheer embarrassment, gazing at the pretty red heels Olivia had generously let me borrow. The skirt of the brand-new dress she¡¯d insisted on putting on me fluttered around my thighs.


    What the fuck had we been doing?


    I clutched the box containing the heartfelt present like a string pulling me back down to the earth. I couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯d been making out with Elio in his parents¡¯ house... in his dad¡¯s office.


    And worst of all, we¡¯d gotten caught by his mother.


    I bit my bottom lip, my face burning in shame. The only way it could have been more humiliating was if she¡¯d caught us without any clothes on. Thank God for that small mercy, but this wasn¡¯t great either.


    Olivia had always been so kind to me. She was like a mother figure to me, only a bit older than my own mom, and there I was making out with her son during the Christmas party she¡¯d been so gracious to invite me to.


    I nced up at Elio, feeling even worse to see the awkward look on his face. He made eye contact with me and then his mom, and I saw the resolution in his eyes. He put on a casual, charming smile, the same one he used when trying to mediate fights between me and my mother.


    He stepped in front of me, his shadow falling over me as he hid me behind his back like the coward I was. I clenched my fists, hating myself for being protected and not brave enough to face Olivia right now.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Elio said awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even try that with me,¡± Olivia said cooly. ¡°Front and center, both of you. Now.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡ª¡±


    My hands trembled, wondering if I was going to be faced with her anger, or worse, her disappointment. But I grit my teeth, kept my head up, and stepped out from behind Elio¡¯s back, standing even with him as I faced the consequences of our actions.


    ¡°It¡¯s really not a big deal, Mom.¡±


    Elio tried to smooth it over, and I stiffened as his hand slithered around mine, gripping tightly. It was bothforting and terrifying.


    ¡°Mmhmm,¡± Olivia said, eyeing our hands like a hawk. ¡°So, how long have you been dating?¡±


    ¡°Well....¡±


    Elio scratched the back of his head, ncing at the wall.


    ¡°We¡¯re not,¡± I said honestly, standing strong when her eyesnded on me. ¡°At least not like that. We¡¯re not dating or anything. We¡¯re just... sort of....¡±


    I trailed off, unable to find the words of how to describe our rtionship under the gaze of a woman I respected so much. What was I supposed to say, that we¡¯d randomly kissed and then hooked up a few times, but there was nothing more than that?


    That clearly wasn¡¯t true considering we¡¯d just had our hands on each other just a few minutes ago, even sneaking off to do so from her perspective. I chewed on my lip, unsure of what more to say.


    ¡°Right,¡± Olivia sighed, shaking her head, but she wasn¡¯t looking as shocked or disappointed as I thought. There was a weird look in her eyes, one I couldn¡¯t quite ce, but she didn¡¯t seem angry in any way. ¡°Well, you¡¯re both adults and I¡¯m not going to get involved, but....¡±


    She hesitated and then looked her son straight in the eyes. ¡°You are my son, so I had a feeling something like this might happen. I¡¯ll keep your secret. But take it from me, Elio, if this is more than a simple hookup, more than a passing fling, then do right by Caterina and yourself. Tell everyone about it yourself. Don¡¯t make them find out the hard way. Your family isn¡¯t stupid. Don¡¯t keep whatever rtionship you have a secret, or you¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    Elio gulped, and my heart thudded loudly in my chest as Olivia gave us each a long, serious look. I¡¯d always known her as a kind and cheerful woman, but now, she reminded me startlingly of Elio himself.


    They had the same shade of eye color, I realized in wonder.


    ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready. Come out soon.¡±


    Olivia nodded at us, then turned around and left, gently shutting the office door behind her. The silence was left between us, an awkwardness that started as a hill and only grewrger in the seconds that passed.


    I could feel Elio¡¯s eyes on me, but I stared at the floor, unsure of what to say. I knew we had to have this conversation sooner orter, but I wasn¡¯t sure I was prepared for it. Anxiousness had turned to outright fear over thest few days because I sure as hell knew what Elio was to me, even if I didn¡¯t want to admit it.


    But for him... I was just a little girl, someone he had to take care of out of obligation. I still didn¡¯t know why he had even taken an interest in me now, of all times. Or maybe I just didn¡¯t want to know.


    I didn¡¯t want him to confirm that this was just a casual thing for him, that I was just like those girls I used to see go in and out of his house next door years ago... just a passing fling, here for the winter chill and gone with the summer sun.


    ¡°Cat.¡±


    I flinched, still not looking at him, and he sighed. I saw him from the corner of my eye, brushing his hair from his face, tapping his fingers impatiently on the desk as he gave me a frustrated look.


    ¡°Is she right?¡± he asked bluntly. ¡°Should we juste clean about us?¡±


    I swallowed the heavy stone in my throat, pondering my words before finallynding on what I wanted to say. I finally gazed into his eyes, searching for any emotion, but all I could see was the same hard-to-read man before me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said slowly. ¡°But I have a lot going on right now. I don¡¯t want to add something I can¡¯t handle to my already full te and have it blow up in my face again.¡±


    ¡°Again?¡± he questioned, a look of realization in his eyes as he opened his mouth to say the word I didn¡¯t want to hear right now. He barely made it past the ¡®P¡¯ before I cut him off quite loudly.


    ¡°And even if we did tell everyone, what are we supposed to say? We¡¯re not dating! In fact, I don¡¯t even know what we are!¡± My frustration bubbled up, hitting him like daggers from my tongue. ¡°If I¡¯m just another one of your random hook-ups, then you¡¯d better tell me now because now we have your mom thinking we¡¯re together when we¡¯re actually....¡±


    I paused as I saw the look on his face. I¡¯d never seen Elio make an expression like that. He stared at me, his eyes dark and shining, his whole body reeled back like I¡¯d just hit him in the chest with my fists. He looked almost... hurt.


    And then it was gone. The normalidback and casual man stood in front of me... no expression, no emotion shining through.


    ¡°...not,¡± I finishedmely, wondering if I had just imagined it.


    Elio tilted his head, a nk expression on his face as if he felt nothing and simply said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Despite his carefree appearance, a sense of guilt wiggled its way into my heart. Could I have hurt him?


    There was no way, right?


    ¡°Sorry, I was just¡ª¡±


    I reached out, but he dodged my hand masterfully, not looking back at me as he followed the path his mother had just taken.


    ¡°We should get back before anybody else notices we¡¯re gone.¡±


    His shutdown hurt more than I liked to admit, and I swallowed my own pride, trudging after him at a much slower pace. We had exited through a different door that led to the outdoor patio and the back of the house. We were just about to open the back door when I heard a familiar voice that stopped me in my tracks.


    ¡°Cat.¡±


    Soft-spoken, almost drowned out by the Christmas music, everything else was eerily silent when before it was such a lively party. I felt a sharp pain around my wrist, and I gripped it tightly, finally looking up.


    Sure enough, there he was, the same as when I¡¯dst seen him¡ªnonchnt, a bright smile on his face and his messy blonde hair falling into his eyes, eyes that were trained on me and me only.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Elio demanded, looking between us with a frown.


    I gulped, not daring to look away from Paul¡¯s eyes as I stepped back without thinking. I had a sudden indescribable urge to run, but I was frozen in ce like a deer trapped in the headlights of an oing semi. And said semi was smiling at me as he took two steps forward, unblinking as he trapped me within that mad gaze of his.


    A shiver ran down my spine and I whispered out his name almost involuntarily.


    ¡°Paul.¡±


    Elio jolted at the name, his eyes leveling at me with a wave of growing anger before hended on Paul¡¯s figure and stepped between us with a scowl. He crossed his arms, squaring up as he made it very clear he was not going to be moving.


    ¡°Excuse me, sir,¡± Paul said with mock politeness.


    But the sheer arrogance waving off him was unmistakable, and Elio¡¯s re only deepened as the other man approached him face to face.


    ¡°I¡¯m just here to pick up my girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°We broke up, Paul,¡± I said firmly, hiding my fear behind my anger. ¡°How did you even find me?¡±


    ¡°Come on, babe. It was just a little spat. I¡¯m willing to forgive you though, so let¡¯s go back home, okay?¡±


    He grinned, reaching his hand out toward me, but Elio gripped his wrist firmly, ring at him.


    ¡°She said you broke up. So, I¡¯m going to give you one minute to get the hell out of here, and if you evere back around here again, we are going to have a problem... Paul.¡± He stepped forward until they were chest to chest, and all politeness faded away.


    I could see them eyeing one another up and finally, Paul smirked, as if he had concluded that he had nothing to fear from Elio, that he could take him on. And with Elio already in a bad mood, I had no doubt in my mind.


    This could get ugly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can, old guy,¡± Paul said arrogantly. ¡°Cat¡¯s mine, and she¡¯sing with me. Even if I have to go through you to prove it.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I heard screaming and I flinched as Paul threw a punch, straight for Elio as gasps came from the crowd around us.


    But Elio was not a pushover. He smoothly dodged the punch by just a hair, a dangerous glint in his eyes as he swept Paul¡¯s feet from under him with one leg, gripping him by the cor and with his other hand firmly smashed his fist into his face.


    I winced as I heard a loud crack and Paul dropped to the floor, groaning. Drops of red hit the ground as Paul nursed his nose, most likely having beenpletely broken with such a powerful hit. Elio stood over him with no sense of empathy or mercy in his gaze.


    It was like he was looking down at a pathetic insect whose life he could take with no remorse at any moment.


    ¡°Get him the fuck out of here,¡± Elio ordered coldly.


    ¡°You fucking bastard,¡± Paul snarled, holding his bloody nose as he struggled to his feet.


    But he was grabbed around the arms by two veryrge men. They picked him up like he was a bag of air, dragging him across the floor as he screamed curses at everyone, struggling like a pebble in an earthquake.


    Elio turned to me, his eyes softening as he nced at my trembling figure, and he gently folded me into a hug. It was warm, and I finally released a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding.


    But over his shoulder, I met Paul¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking touch her, you bastard! You¡¯re fucking mine, Cat! Do you think you can just throw me away? I¡¯ll fucking kill you myself before I let you leave me!¡±


    I flinched, shutting my eyes as the curses finally died down. I barely noticed as Elio spoke to Olivia for a moment, letting him pull me back into his father¡¯s office. I felt numb, lost in an endless sea of emotions as I let him guide me into a chair. A warm drink was pushed into my hands, a nket wrapped around my shoulders.


    And slowly, I came back to life.


    When I did, Elio was kneeling in front of me, his eyes shining with anxiety as he held my loose hand tightly in his own. It was soothing to have him there, but I knew Elio was smart enough to have figured out Paul was more than just an ordinary ex-boyfriend.


    ¡°What did he do to you, Cat?¡±


    I shamefully cast my eyes to myp, unwilling to tell him, but he gently lifted my chin, our eyes meeting in a sh of worry and concern.


    ¡°I need you to tell me the truth so I can protect you,¡± he said honestly.


    Whether I wanted to or not, I knew I couldn¡¯t hide it any longer.


    I sighed, and I told him everything¡ªhow we had met, and I had fallen for his charming and outgoing appearance... how I had thought he was a good person until we got together. I had been too dumb to recognize the red gs until it was almost toote.


    I told him how Paul had criticized me for everything I did¡ªwhat I wore, what makeup I used¡ªhow he controlled where I went and what I did, verbally tearing into me when I fought back. Then he started controlling who I could see, when I could see them... and soon enough, I¡¯d found myselfpletely isted at school.


    He imed it was all because he loved me, and I kept making excuses for him, until the night we fought.


    Elio had called me that night, just wanting to check on me, but Paul had gotten into my phone, seen his name, and assumed I was cheating on him. I tried to defend myself, but there was no reasoning with him and eventually, I tried to walk out.


    He grabbed my arm, tight enough that it left arge bruise in the shape of a handprint, enough that I cried and begged him to let go. And once I was submissive enough, only then did he release his grip.


    I knew then what trap I had fallen into. I ran as fast as I could.


    Once I finished telling Elio, I stared emptily at the floor, not even emotional about it anymore like I was simply an outsider looking in. But Elio wrapped me in his arms, so gently as he tucked me into his chest. I was safe and protected there, and my heart calmed as I clung to his shirt.


    I was grateful he didn¡¯t point out how hard I was shaking. But as he shielded me from the rest of the world, Elio whispered softly to my temple, a single promise that shook me to my core.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Cat. I¡¯ll take care of it. No one will ever hurt you again.¡±


    And for once, I believed him with every fiber of my being.

 Chapter 627 : Not My Past

    <h4>Chapter 627: Chapter 627 : Not My Past</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡°Twenty-four thousand square foot lot, with the majority beingmercial state. I assure you this La Cienega warehouse is the best price for such arge lot.¡± The sleazy-looking seller grinned, his teeth too brilliantly white to be real as he walked us around the massive, empty building.


    I nced around without much care. There was hardly anything to notice since it was just a cement building with no windows in the middle of downtown nowhere. Surrounded by run-down ces with for-sale signs, I had seen the broken needles in the crumbled parking lot, the remnants of pots and metal spoons that had been used for who knows what.


    This was a drug addicts¡¯ heaven, and it was truly the worst ce to buymercial property in Las Angeles.


    And that was exactly what made it perfect for my uncle¡¯s purposes. Alessandro politely shook the seller¡¯s hand, who was a bit too enthusiastic as he pulled out the contract and deed. Alessandro didn¡¯t waste a second in purchasing it, with a nod of okay from thewyer they¡¯d brought.


    The case of money was handed over to the seller by one of Alessandro¡¯s men.


    ¡°Thank you so much for your generous purchase, Mr. Valentino.¡± The seller buzzed with excitement, his eyes nted firmly on the case full of cash. ¡°I assure you this will be dealt with at the highest discretion.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that, Mr. Be,¡± Alessandro said.


    He spoke rather nonchntly for someone who¡¯d just spent millions on an empty warehouse that doubled as a squatter¡¯s summer vi. Mr. Be, like the sleazy man he was, ran off like a little rat, clutching the case of money with a huge grin.


    By the time he disappeared, Alessandro¡¯s polite smile dropped and he scowled, pulling off the ck glove that had shaken hands with Mr. Bet and dropping it onto the floor.


    ¡°Take care of it,¡± Alessandro said coldly with a nod at one of the men. ¡°And bring back the case untouched.¡±


    Two of the guards he¡¯d brought nodded, one even cracking his knuckles with a sadistic grin as they hurriedly followed the rat-like man¡¯s trail.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit cruel?¡± I raised my eyebrow. ¡°It was a fair purchase.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot to learn,¡± Alessandro said, crossing his arms. ¡°Not only was this entire purchase illegal, but he also used a fake name so he could avoid taxes. Felony tax evasion is no joke, and I¡¯m not bringing us down like that. Plus, the only reason he had the deed to this property was because he killed the guy who had it before him. He probably buried the body here since he was in such a rush to get rid of it. Well, it works for us. We get the deed to the property, and he gets to atone for being such a bag of writhing maggots.¡±


    I stared at him wide-eyed, truly stunned by the information dump. The two guards came strolling back in carrying the ck case, and Alessandro gave me a smirk as he took it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe everything you¡¯re told, Elio. Rule number one is that everyone around you has an agenda. You just need to see through it before they get a knife in your back, even if it means being just as deceitful as them.¡±


    Alessandro opened the case, letting it fall to the ground. Inside was just a bunch of nk paper bundles, millions of them, with single bills on top to make it look real.


    ¡°Huh,¡± was all I could say in response.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to invest to make this ce usable,¡± thewyer whose name I didn¡¯t know said casually, crossing her arms with a distasteful look at the cracking walls. ¡°Though I don¡¯t see how something so shabby could be useful in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°Shabby as this ce is, I think this could finally help the family get a foot in the door of the American scene. We¡¯ve been trapped overseas for so long, and it¡¯ll be a good way to start up business here,¡± Alessandro smirked. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s in the perfect ce. Major cities always overlook the working people of the slums. It¡¯ll be a perfect start to spreading our influence.¡±


    Alessandro nced at me as if remembering himself and I shrugged, not asking for any details. I had a strong feeling I didn¡¯t want to know. Alessandro gave me a grin, a simple nod as he understood what I was saying without words. He didn¡¯t offer up any more details, simply discussing vaguely with his people for a minute before giving me an expectant look.


    ¡°Well, your parents probably have dinner ready, so want to head back?¡± Alessandro asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t had Olivia¡¯s pot roast in ages, and I¡¯m going to eat as much as I can until I have to go back to Italy.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°You live in Italy and you¡¯reining about the food?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡± Alessandro shrugged, leading me out of the warehouse and to the cars. ¡°I¡¯m just ready for any kind of meat that doesn¡¯t have some kind of pasta or cheese in it. Though I have to admit, the gto really is built differently over there.¡±


    ¡°I bet,¡± Iughed. ¡°Aunt Dahlia spends hundreds to get it shipped, and Mom says she would consider moving back to Italy just for the gto.¡±


    ¡°Mint chocte chip with a double shot of chocte syrup.¡± Alessandro nodded. ¡°A ssic.¡±


    I grinned, settling in the car as Alessandro took over on the wheel, automatically handing me the cord for the radio. I put on my favorite ylist, rxing as we made the long trek back to Mom and Dad¡¯s ce.


    Alessandro had always been my favorite Uncle. I had nothing against Tallon¡ªhe was great¡ªbut Alessandro just always seemed to get me better. He never forced a conversation, rarely even started them, and was always straight to the point, just like me.


    Mom said we were like twin personalities, and she oftenmented that I had been a bundle of sunshine as a kid and med Alessandro for corrupting me. Either way, she loved me. I knew that.


    The trip back home went quicker than I expected and soon enough we pulled into the driveway. It was a little after eight so we were prettyte, but I knew my parents wouldn¡¯t care.


    I followed my uncle into the house as he burst open the door and called out a very loud, ¡°Yo!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re like forty and you still greet people like that?¡± I snarked as I stepped inside, kicking off my shoes and tossing them against the wall.


    ¡°It works, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Alessandro grinned as we headed down the hallway.


    The scent of my mom¡¯s pot roast hit us both at the same time, some deliciously fragrant meat, and I could hear the hushed voices of my parents when we entered the kitchen.


    Mia was the first to see us, grinning as she raised a wine ss with some kind of dark red wine in it. ¡°Yo!¡± She slurred the word.


    Well, apparently that was a thing. I shook my head in exasperation, greeting my aunt with a simple wave.


    Her cheeks were bright red, and I spotted the empty bottle of wine in the trash already and another one open on the counter.


    ¡°You¡¯rete!¡± my mom popped up with a huff, her hands on her hips. ¡°I said be back by six, not eight o clock! You took so long that Mia¡¯s drunk and your dad started working on one of his models!¡±


    I chuckled, leaning over to nce into the living room, where Dad was sitting at the table, tiny parts all already him as he put together one of his model kits. It had been a hobby of his since he had retired and I took over as CEO of thepany.


    ¡°Sorry, Mom,¡± I said out of habit, taking a seat at the counter as I saw Alessandro head over to his wife, pressing a kiss to her lips as a greeting. The two were practically made for each other.


    ¡°Cheer up, Livi,¡± Alessandro grinned, hugging his wife as she hupped in his arms. ¡°It¡¯s rare for me to see my beautiful wife so out of it. We¡¯re only in town for a week, so chill out, okay? I promise we¡¯ll spend the whole day with you guys tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no you won¡¯t,¡± Mom huffed. ¡°You promised to take Mia out on a date tomorrow. She¡¯s hardly seen any of LA because you¡¯ve left her here with us to just sit around and get drunk.¡±


    ¡°Mm, not drunk,¡± Mia pouted in defiance. ¡°Just tipsy.¡±


    And to prove it, she slid off the stool, tripping on her own feet, and would¡¯ve hit the floor face-first if Alessandro hadn¡¯t caught her by the waist and hoisted her into her arms. I shook my head at their childishness, but Alessandro couldn¡¯t be happier, beaming as he cradled his wife like a princess.


    ¡°Not drunk,¡± Mia insisted still. ¡°Can do backflips!¡±


    She wiggled inside of Alessandro¡¯s arms, huffing as she struggled, managing to flip around so she was face to face with the floor, and then said very proudly, still hovering mid-air in her husband¡¯s arms, ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°Well done!¡± Alessandro praised her, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he maneuvered her back into her seat. She could barely stay upright, leaning on Alessandro¡¯s chest with a ze over her eyes.


    Mom just silently shook her head, heading to the oven where she pulled out two made-up tes of food. She set one in front of Alessandro and the other in front of me. It wasn¡¯t very warm anymore, but I thanked her with a grin, digging in.


    I had to admit that I missed my mom¡¯s cooking. Even if she had given me the recipes to make on my own, it just wasn¡¯t the same. I was a terrible cook and burned mostly everything. I mainly ate out due to how busy I was but having a home-cooked meal in the house I grew up in, just hit that spot of longing nostalgia.


    Despite all her huffiness, Mom joined us as we ate, talking about everything going on, from random snippets to just how they were doing. Dad even joined us, showing off his hand-painted and put-together model ne.


    But after it passed ten and Alessandro took Mia to bed after she started snoring on his shoulder, I knew it was time to get home too. I said goodbye to Dad and Mom, and they walked me out.


    After Dad walked away and as I was putting on my shoes, I heard her soft voice call out, ¡°Elio. Be careful.¡±


    Her eyes were full of worry as she watched me in the hallway, and I was a bit surprised to see the signs of aging that I hadn¡¯t noticed before.


    ¡°Of what?¡±


    ¡°I know where Alessandro took you today,¡± Mom said quietly. ¡°I know what he offered you. I can¡¯t control your decisions, but just be careful. You don¡¯t know what that life was like, the things your father had to do. It burdens you. I never wanted that for you.¡±


    ¡°The deal was legit, Mom,¡± I said crossing my arms in annoyance. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your mother.¡± She smiled sadly. ¡°I¡¯m always going to worry about you. Just... maybe it¡¯s better to leave the past in the past where it belongs. Don¡¯t go too far into things you don¡¯t understand.¡±


    My temper red up at the sorrowful look in her eyes, and despite knowing where she wasing from, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like she was scolding me like I was a child she still had to guide.


    ¡°But it was never my past, was it, Mom?¡± I said coldly.


    She reeled back, her eyes shining with unshed tears, and I regretted how harsh my words sounded but I still stood by them.


    ¡°See youter, Mom,¡± I said quietly, shutting the front door behind me.


    It took me a minute to gather my bearings and then I took my car back to my house. I pushed all thoughts of what happened together to the back of my mind, filling it with the silence of the radio.


    The nkness helped as I arrived home. Out of habit, I nced at Cat¡¯s window, but it was dark. She was probably asleep. I sighed as I got out and headed up the sidewalk. I reminded myself to call a few people for work, locking the front door behind me.


    I was barely paying attention as I climbed the stairs to my bedroom. But the moment I opened the door and flicked on the light, I noticed something was very out of ce.


    My jaw dropped¡ªlying on my bed was Cat, all dressed up like a present to be unwrapped. Her sultry eyes nced at me with a little smirk in the corner of her mouth.


    ¡°Wee home,¡± she whispered.

 Chapter 628 : Caterina’s Surprise

    <h4>Chapter 628: Chapter 628 : Caterina¡¯s Surprise</h4>


    *Caterina*


    Elio¡¯s eyes widened as he took in the sight of me lying across his bed. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling at the expression on his face. The mixture of shock and desire spread across his features was satisfying as hell to see.


    I knew I had been right to surprise him like this, wearing nothing but a ck satin nightie and my skimpiest panties. After talking to him and finding out he would be away for dinner, I hade up with the idea to dress up in my sexiest nightgown and sneak into his bedroom so that he would find me.


    After seeing the way he¡¯d handled Paul, I wanted to show him my appreciation, and fuck it, I wanted to spend more time with him. I felt like a drug addict. The more time I spent with Elio, the more I missed him when we were apart.


    Now as I saw the way his eyes raked over my body, a shiver of desire passed over me. Without a single word, Elio crossed the room and cradled my face in his hands, pulling me into a deep kiss that left me gasping for air. I wanted nothing more than to tear my own nightie off and let him take me, but I knew the anticipation would make it that much better.


    ¡°You¡¯re perfect,¡± he breathed against me, trailing kisses across my corbone.


    His fingers yed at the thin strap of my nightie, and I knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before he ripped it off of me, which was exactly what I wanted.


    ¡°I missed you,¡± I whispered, admitting to myself that it was more than just his touch that I had missed.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what was happening between us, but for me, this wasn¡¯t just about sex anymore.


    I was starting to fall for Elio.


    He pulled the strap that he was fiddling with to the side and kissed the ce on my shoulder that he had revealed, letting it slip down so that the only thing keeping my breast covered was the peak of my nipple just barely holding up the ck fabric.


    As it always seemed to be with Elio, he¡¯d only been touching me for a few minutes, and I was already overwhelmed with desire. All I wanted was to feel him touch me, and he seemed to feel the same way.


    He quickly slipped out of his shirt and tie so that I had better ess to scratch my fingernails gently over his chest and back as he pressed against me andid us both down, holding his weight slightly so that he wouldn¡¯t crush me. He groaned at my touch; I loved that I knew exactly what he wanted.


    Our movement had finally set my breast free. Elio immediately took it into his mouth, using his hand to caress my other breast over my nightie. I squirmed against him as the satin and his mouth teased my nipples, the sensation exquisite but leaving me wanting a hell of a lot more.


    Just when I thought I couldn¡¯t take his teasing any longer, he sat up slightly and reached down to pull my nightie over my head, then quickly tearing off his pants and underwear. Finally, the only thing between us was my thong. But Elio must have been tired of teasing me. To my relief, he quickly yanked my thong down and pressed a finger inside me, testing my wetness.


    I was already soaked. Just the anticipation of lying in his bed and waiting for him had turned me on. Between that and his expert attention to my breasts, I was more than ready for him.


    His movements were jerky as he slipped a condom on and sank inside me. We both moaned in relief at the contact. It was exactly what we needed¨Cthis feeling of connection as Elio pumped inside of me. I held his shoulders as he slowly pulled out, only to sink deeply back in again. He took my mouth in his once again and our bodies felt impossibly close, almost like we were two halves of the same whole that were finally fitting together after years apart.


    Elio wasn¡¯t my first, but he was by far the sweetest lover I¡¯d ever had. It was clear in the way he watched me to gauge my reactions that he was far more focused on my pleasure than he was on his own. He made it so easy to be with him, I found myself craving his touch constantly.


    I knew he was getting close to release when he moved his hand from my hip to my core, circling his finger gently around my clit, then moving it faster and faster until I was damn near seeing stars. I arched my back to give him better ess, and he dropped his head down to take my nipple in his mouth once more. Within seconds, I was shouting his name as we orgasmed together, his mouth still pressed tight against me.


    Weid for a while in each other¡¯s arms, neither wanting to move apart. Too soon, he pulled away from me to go clean himself up. When he came back, he held one of his T-shirts in his hands.


    ¡°I thought you might prefer to sleep in this over that scrap of fabric you were wearing,¡± heughed.


    I smiled and nodded, too tired for words. He walked over and helped me pull the shirt on. It hung to my thighs and smelled like him. I knew I would be stealing it for myself.


    ¡°I like you in my clothes,¡± he said, a note of possessiveness in his voice.


    We fell asleep curled together in his bed, his armid casually across my waist. It was the best night¡¯s sleep I¡¯d had in a long time.


    I woke up with a pleasant soreness between my legs and Elio snoring lightly against the back of my neck. Sometime in the night he had pulled me tighter against his chest so that nearly every inch of me was pressed against him. I rolled over and snuggled into his chest, enjoying the intimacy of waking up with him in the morning.


    ¡°Hey, you,¡± he said, sleep making his voice gravelly.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said quietly, keeping my face tucked against his chest so that I could soak up his warmth.


    He rubbed his hands along my back, then rolled us both so that I wasying on top of him. I giggled as he shamelessly squeezed my naked thighs. I loved this yful side of him, it was a side that I felt like I was only now beginning to see more often. If I was being honest with myself, I would have had to admit that I wanted to see every side of him more often.


    ¡°Elio, what are we doing here?¡± I asked before I could lose the nerve.


    I steeled myself for his answer, terrified that he would say we were just having fun. His smile faded slightly as he considered my question, but he kept his hands on me. I tried to rx into his touch, but I was too anxious to hear what he had to say.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, Cat, I never expected this. I mean, we have a prettyplicated history. But spending more time with you... it¡¯s been amazing. It¡¯s been more than amazing. It¡¯s been the best thing that ever happened to me. I never knew what I was missing until you came back into my life. I think we have something really special between us, and I think it¡¯s real.¡±


    Warmth pooled in my chest at his words. He moved his hands from my thighs to my cheeks, holding me so that we were staring into each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°So, what are we?¡± I asked, feeling overwhelmed.


    ¡°I mean, I hate the word boyfriend, but I guess I¡¯m your boyfriend?¡± he said, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.


    I was ted. It was exactly what I wanted to hear from him. I leaned down to kiss him, forgetting the fact that I was currently straddling him with absolutely nothing separating us other than his boxers. I didn¡¯t forget for long, and neither did Elio. He groaned as I moved against him.


    Just as he was about to take his shirt off me, his phone went off. He reached over to check the name and muttered, ¡°Fuck. It¡¯s Alessandro,¡± before gently moving me off him.


    I stayed in his bed, but paid attention to the conversation.


    ¡°The warehouse was burned down? Shit,¡± Elio said.


    He looked at me with concern as he listened to Alessandro. I strained my ears trying to hear the other side of the conversation, but something about the way Elio was holding his hand over his phone made me feel like he distinctly did not want me to hear the whole conversation.


    ¡°I agree, it feels like some kind of message,¡± Elio said. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m on my way now. We need to discuss this in person.¡±


    He hung up, looking at me with a guilty expression. All I felt was confusion. Why would someone burn down one of Elio¡¯s warehouses to send him a message? A message about what? Was it a real estatepetitor or something? Burning buildings down seemed pretty damn extreme.


    ¡°Why does he think it¡¯s a message?¡± I asked Elio as he started pulling clothes on. ¡°What message would someone be trying to send?¡±


    He turned away from me as he got dressed, and I got the distinct feeling that he was avoiding telling me the truth for some reason.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, baby, but I have to get going,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve got to talk to Alessandro about this. It¡¯s really important. I hate to run out on you like this, but I¡¯ll be back if you just want to hang out here this morning.¡± His words came out in a rush.


    ¡°Wait, what¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, starting to get frustrated with his avoidance of my questions.


    ¡°I can¡¯t talk about it right now. I¡¯m sorry, please understand. If I could tell you everything right now, I would.¡±


    I nodded, biting my tongue. My first instinct when it came to him was to start fighting, but I really wanted to give this new Chapter between us a chance, and I had a feeling that if I reverted back to my old habits now, it would scare Elio off.


    ¡°Thanks for understanding, Cat, seriously,¡± he said as he finished getting dressed. Hended a kiss on my forehead before leaving me with nothing but questions.


    There had to be something I wasn¡¯t understanding. The world of real estate definitely wasn¡¯tpetitive enough for people to start burning down each other¡¯s properties. What in the world was Elio not telling me?


    And how could I figure it out?

 Chapter 629 : Evil Returns

    <h4>Chapter 629: Chapter 629 : Evil Returns</h4>


    *Elio*


    I had driven to the meeting ce that Alessandro had given me in a rush, my mind running a million miles an hour as I considered what the implications of the warehouse fire were.


    ¡°Hey man,¡± I said as I walked up to Alessandro.


    We were meeting in a busy coffee shop, which I had learned from my father was the best way to meet and ensure you wouldn¡¯t be overheard. Meeting somewhere private might feel safe, but it was always possible for a wiretap to be ced somewhere without you knowing. Meeting at random public ces ensured that the only way we¡¯d be listened to was if someone tried to listen in person, and at that point, we¡¯d be better able to see them.


    ¡°Hey, how are you doing?¡± Alessandro asked.


    ¡°I could be better,¡± I said honestly.


    Looking at him, he looked like he could be better too. When I sat down, I noticed the lines of stress in his face. When I was growing up, Alessandro had always been the cool, fun uncle, even though he wasn¡¯t exactly my uncle.


    The family always said I was a lot like him. I¡¯d once overheard my parents talking about how different he was with me than he was with the rest of the people in his life, and I felt like I was now seeing that other side of him that they¡¯d spoken of. It was obvious that he was all business right now, with absolutely no sign of the fun uncle I¡¯d grown up with. The second I sat down, he leaned forward and began speaking in a low tone.


    ¡°Alright, this was definitely done on purpose. I have a guy who investigates fires and had him check it out for me. He said there¡¯s no doubt in his mind this was a targeted attack. There was evidence of multiple ignition points, which just wouldn¡¯t happen naturally.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± I said quietly. ¡°Why would someone do this?¡±


    ¡°I know exactly who did it, and I know why.¡± He took a sip of his coffee, looking grim.


    ¡°Tell me everything. I¡¯m tired of being kept in the dark,¡± I said.


    He nodded. ¡°I know exactly how that feels. Look, I know your parents don¡¯t want you to get involved in this life, but you¡¯re not a kid anymore and this is your decision. I want you to be fully informed on everything so you don¡¯t go in blind. If you want to back out, now is the time to tell me. Once I get you more involved, there¡¯s no turning back.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a question for me. I wanted this. I wanted to be a part of the family business, and I was tired of being left out of it like some defenseless kid. With everything that was happening between Cat and me, it was now or never. If I had any hope of bing a part of the mafia, I needed to do it now.


    ¡°I want this. Tell me everything,¡± I said firmly.


    Alessandro nodded and sat down his coffee, gesturing to me to lean in farther.


    ¡°It all starts with the son of a bitch who killed Caterina¡¯s dad, Vinny. He¡¯s a scumbag named Antonio who thinks that he can do whatever he wants. After he killed Vinny, we spent years looking for him, but we never could get a hold of him. He¡¯s now managed to start his own family. I don¡¯t know who the fuck would want to follow him willingly because the guy is fucking ruthless, but he¡¯s even managed to convince a few of our own to betray us and get with him.¡±


    He paused for a moment and continued. ¡°He didn¡¯t know about our deal with the Russians, so he started trying to get an in with them, but he pretty quickly figured out that they were with us and started targeting them too. Even with their family and ours fighting him on both sides, he managed to get enough followers to gain power. At this point he¡¯s older, but he¡¯s still fucking dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Damn, you really think he¡¯s here now?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not a doubt in my mind. Somehow he must have figured out our ns to expand, and he wanted toe here and try to destroy everything. I can¡¯t emphasize enough how dangerous he is. He doesn¡¯t give a fuck if someone is a part of this or not. He targets everyone. I know for a fact some of the people who work for him only do it because he threatened their families.¡± He paused and took a sip, thinking about what to say next.


    ¡°I always knew the guy who killed Vinny had something to do with the life, but I had no idea he was so prolific,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yup, and that¡¯s another thing. He killed Vinny purely to make a point. It was senseless and it shows exactly the kind of piece of shit that Antonio is. He doesn¡¯t respect human life at all. I¡¯m a brutal son of a bitch when it¡¯s necessary, but Antonio¡¯s brutal just for the sake of brutality.¡±


    His words filled me with rage as I thought about the people I loved being targeted. The first person I thought about was Cat. Antonio was the man who had killed her father in cold blood. I was sure he would love the chance to take her out as well.


    ¡°Alright, thanks for telling me everything,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get going. I¡¯ll be in touch.¡±


    I sped back to my house as quickly as possible, praying Caterina would still be there. I knew it had pissed her off when I left without exnation, but I hoped she had at least waited around so I could apologize again.


    I was desperate to see her after hearing from Alessandro that she could be in serious danger. In my head I knew there was no way that she had gotten into any trouble in the short time I¡¯d been talking with Alessandro, but my heart would be in my throat until Iid eyes on her and could confirm for myself that she was safe and sound.


    I walked into my house and felt my whole body go ck with relief to see her sitting at my dining room table eating a bowl of oatmeal. I walked over and knelt beside her, pulling her hand into both of mine. She looked at me with surprise, her mouth full of oatmeal.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for rushing out like that,¡± I said, worried that she was still angry.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she managed to say around her food, looking confused. She swallowed her bite and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look so stressed out. Is it because of the fire?¡±


    I hated that I was about to lie to her, but it felt like she¡¯d be safer if she didn¡¯t know anything.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m really worried about it. I just feel like someone did it on purpose to try to threaten me.¡±


    As I spoke, an idea came to me that I knew could alleviate my stress.


    ¡°Is there any chance you and your mom would move in with me? Not permanently, of course, but just for now so I can make sure you¡¯re safe.¡±


    She looked even more confused. ¡°Why would we do that? I don¡¯t really want to move in here with my mom.¡±


    ¡°Please, Cat, I¡¯m just worried about your safety. If someone¡¯s targeting me, it¡¯s only a matter of time before they figure out how important you are to me. The idea of you being in danger terrifies me. I couldn¡¯t think straight the whole drive here because I was so stressed about it.¡±


    Her brow furrowed as she looked down at me. I could tell she wanted to argue, but she seemed conflicted about it. I wondered what was stopping her, normally she didn¡¯t hesitate toy into me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do that, Elio,¡± she said quietly before turning away from me and back to her oatmeal.


    I stood up and turned around, trying to hide my frustration. Thest thing I wanted to do was take my anger at Antonio out on Caterina. It wasn¡¯t her fault that she didn¡¯t understand the danger here, considering I was the one avoiding telling her the whole truth.


    I took a deep breath and turned back around, sitting in the chair across from Cat but reaching out to take her hand again. I was working hard to keep this conversation calm.


    ¡°I know it sounds crazy, but I¡¯m just asking you to trust me right now. I¡¯m begging you to trust me, Cat. I need to ensure that you¡¯re going to be safe.¡±


    She kept her eyes down, refusing to look up at me. I reached out and tucked my finger under her chin, gently lifting it so that she met my eye.


    ¡°Hey, sweetheart, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked softly.


    Normally I¡¯d have expected her to be yelling at me indignantly if I kept insisting on something after she¡¯d said no. I didn¡¯t want her to think that being my girlfriend meant she couldn¡¯t argue with me anymore. Her feisty attitude was a pain in my ass, but it was also part of what I loved about her. She was passionate about her beliefs, and that was a good thing. I would never want to stifle that.


    ¡°I feel like if I argue with you, you¡¯ll just see me as the stupid kid I used to be,¡± she finally said, biting her lip anxiously.


    ¡°Caterina, how could you ever think that? You¡¯re seriously afraid that I don¡¯t see you for the woman that you are? After what we didst night? I promise you, nothing you do will ever make me think of you as a kid. I respect you too much for that.¡±


    I moved my hand from her chin to cup her cheek. She turned and kissed the palm of my hand, the sad look in her eyes finally starting to go away.


    She turned back to me with a sassy smile. ¡°Well in that case, no, absolutely not. We¡¯re not moving in here.¡±


    I rolled my eyes; I didn¡¯t know why I had expected anything different.


    ¡°Alright, fine, but I¡¯m moving in with you two until I know things are safe.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Elio. What does a warehouse fire have to do with my safety? You¡¯re being ridiculous,¡± she said in exasperation.


    ¡°I¡¯m just being cautious. I care about you too much to risk your safety.¡± I knew it was a flimsy excuse, but I had no idea what else to say to her.


    She sighed, frustrated that I was obviously keeping something from her. I had no idea how I was going to be able to keep her safe without telling her the truth about everything, but I was determined to try.

 Chapter 630 : The Truth

    <h4>Chapter 630: Chapter 630 : The Truth</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I finished my oatmeal while Elio made a few phone calls. I noticed the fact that he had walked into his bedroom and shut the door so that I couldn¡¯t listen in.


    In spite of my best efforts to keep my temper in check, the fact that he was continuing to keep things from me was starting to seriously infuriate me.


    I brought my bowl over to the kitchen and mmed it roughly in the sink, not bothering to clean it off. I knew I was being petty, but I didn¡¯t care. I had let myself be so vulnerable in front of him. I had told him that I was trying so hard to be different, and all he did was push me away and tell me what to do. It was a p in the face, and it made me feel incredibly disrespected.


    It was exactly like how he used to treat me, just making demands and expecting me to follow along. But there was no way in hell I was going to let him think that his age meant he had the right to tell me what to do.


    I shoved into his bedroom, not caring that the door banged open and interrupted his phone call. He asked the person on the phone to hold on and pressed the mute button so he could talk to me.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, obviously noting the way I was angrily gathering my things.


    ¡°You¡¯re hiding shit from me, and I don¡¯t like it. I¡¯m going to see Anna,¡± I said tersely.


    ¡°Please, will you just head to your house? I¡¯ll follow you and then we can talk more about this.¡±


    I hated the way he sounded so appeasing, like he was just trying to calm me down but didn¡¯t really care how I felt. I wanted him to fight back and stop treating me like I just needed to follow whatever he wanted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get hometer,¡± I said vaguely, unwilling to rify any more than that.


    I turned on my heel before he could say another word and hurried out of his house. I had parked a block away so that I could surprise him the night before, a decision that I was quicklying to regret. How could it be that the same man who had held me so sweetly all night was also the one who turned around and acted like a fucking dictator?


    I got to Anna¡¯s apartment and knocked on the door, hoping she wasn¡¯t out. Thankfully, she answered wearing sweatpants. Her TV was ring old reruns of her favorite show, making it obvious that she had nned on spending the next few hours at home. I felt guilty for interrupting her rxation time, but I needed her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked, reading my emotions all over my face.


    ¡°Everything.¡± I sighed, walking past her to flop down on her couch.


    My phone went off and I pulled it out of my pocket, seeing a text from Elio sh across the screen.


    ¡°When are youing back?¡± he asked.


    I rolled my eyes and ignored it. If he thought he could keep tabs on me, he had another thinging. I might be happy to call him my boyfriend, but that did not give him the right to know where I was and what I was doing all the time.


    Anna sat next to me on the couch. With our feet curled up together, I exined to her everything that had happened since Elio and I had woken up that morning, including our discussion of our rtionship, which made her squeal and p her hands excitedly. I loved that she was so happy for me, but I had to immediately burst her bubble by going on to exin everything that Elio had done to piss me off the rest of the day.


    She sat and thought for a minute, mulling over what I¡¯d told her. ¡°I definitely agree that something weird is going on,¡± she finally said. ¡°But is it possible that the whole Paul fiasco is what¡¯s making him extra cautious? Maybe he¡¯s not hiding anything from you. Maybe he¡¯s just worried like he said.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, feeling like there was a lot more to it than that. ¡°You didn¡¯t see the way he was acting when he was talking to Alessandro. It was so weird.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that, I just think maybe him bossing you around is a sore spot for you, and it might have made you jump to conclusions a little bit.¡±


    She had a point. It was obvious that my history with Elio made me feel touchy about the way he talked to me. Even if he was just trying to keep me safe, I couldn¡¯t stand it when he told me what to do. And I especially hated it when he acted like he could just override my decisions.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± I admitted.


    I realized that I desperately hoped she was right. The idea that Elio was just being overly cautious was a lot more ptable than my sneaking suspicion that there was something huge that he was hiding from me. I sighed, trying to convince myself that I was overreacting, but feeling uncertain.


    ¡°Alright, well I better head home. I know he¡¯s worried right now,¡± I said.


    Anna followed me to the door and gave me a hug goodbye.


    ¡°Alright, go see your boyfriend,¡± she teased.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the word.


    Back at home, I let myself in the side door. I could hear my mom and Elio talking, so I followed their voices to the study. They didn¡¯t hear me, and it was obvious they were discussing the events of the day. I decided to stay quiet and see if I could figure out what the hell was going on.


    ¡°Alessandro said it¡¯s definitely Antonio,¡± Elio said.


    I wondered who Antonio could be. Was that thepeting real estate agent who had started the fire? Why in the world would Alessandro know the guy? And why would my mom care about that at all?


    ¡°How can he be certain?¡± my mom asked.


    ¡°He said he has some guys who have been tracking Antonio for years, trying to get a solid lead on him,¡± Elio said. ¡°They have reason to believe he¡¯se over here to stop our family from growing the mafia business.¡±


    What the fuck? Did he just say mafia? Were Elio and Alessandro in the mafia?


    ¡°I hate that he¡¯s here. I¡¯ve spent so long shielding Cat from that world. I thought after so long, we were safe from it all,¡± my mom responded to Elio.


    At that, I couldn¡¯t stand staying in the shadows any longer. My own mom had been hiding this from me?


    I walked into the study, practically shaking with anger.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± I demanded.


    As I had expected, they both began stammering excuses, trying to cover up what they had been talking about.


    ¡°Just stop it!¡± I yelled, ¡°I¡¯m tired of all the lies! You¡¯re the two people I trusted most in the world, and you¡¯ve been lying to me all this time! I knew something was going on, but you just treated me like I was stupid instead of trusting me enough to tell me the truth!¡±


    ¡°Caterina, calm down right now,¡± my mother said sternly, but I was on a roll.


    ¡°I will not calm down until I get some goddamn answers! I am sick and tired of being treated like a child. This all ends right now. You both tell me what you know, right now!¡± I knew I was screaming, but I didn¡¯t care.


    I stood in front of them, my chest heaving with emotion. I looked back and forth between the two of them and saw the way they exchanged a nce. My mother nodded at Elio, and he stood up.


    ¡°Cat, why don¡¯t you sit down? This is going to be a lot,¡± he said in that maddeningly calm voice.


    I sat down, even though what I really wanted to do was stomp my foot and cross my arms stubbornly. I knew that wouldn¡¯t help my case.


    ¡°You know your father was murdered. But you don¡¯t know who did it or why. We¡¯ve kept the truth from you all these years, and I have to say, I¡¯m so sorry for keeping it a secret, but we thought it would help you stay safe. We know exactly who killed your father, and we know why it happened. It¡¯s because my family, the Valentino family, runs the Italian mafia. They¡¯re extremely powerful, which has gained them the attention of a lot of power-hungry people. My dad was in charge of it in Italy, but he quit that life so my mom and I could lead a normal one. My cousin Tallon became the new Don, but he eventually quit, too. Alessandro is currently in charge.¡±


    He took a breath. ¡°Your father Vinny was Tallon¡¯s best friend and most trusted advisor. He was a part of the mafia life, but he was killed because of his rtionship with Tallon.¡±


    He paused, checking to see if I was taking it all in. I was stunned into silence. For a second, I wondered if I was going into shock. I could feel my heart beating abnormally fast and my hands were mmy. How could they have kept such a major part of my identity a secret all these years?


    ¡°Your dad was killed by a man named Antonio,¡± he continued. ¡°Now, the reason why this all matters is because Antonio was the one behind the warehouse fire that Alessandro called me about this morning. Antonio is back, and I¡¯m terrified for your safety. Your mother and I have worked so hard to keep you safe all these years, but now I¡¯m afraid that Antonio could be closing in, and you just might be his target.¡±


    A cold shot of fear went through my heart. No wonder Elio had been so desperate to get my mom and me to stay with him. But why hadn¡¯t he just told me the truth? Surely there was no reason to continue to keep it from me now that I was an adult.


    Had Elio and my mom nned on keeping this all a secret for the rest of their lives? It felt like the only reason they had bothered to tell me was because I had backed them into a corner.


    Aplicated mix of betrayal, fear, and shock swirled through me. I stared up at Elio, then turned to see my mom. Tears were streaming silently down her face as she looked back at me.


    At that moment, I realized that I had to get away from them. I just couldn¡¯t stand to look at either of them for one second longer, knowing what they had kept from me.


    I stood up from the couch and ran out of the room, both of them calling out for me as I left.

 Chapter 631 : Secrets Revealed

    <h4>Chapter 631: Chapter 631 : Secrets Revealed</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I managed to hop in my car and drive off before my mom or Elio could stop me. I sped away, not sure where I was going, my mind racing through my entire life, wondering how it could be possible that they had kept such a massive secret from me.


    dad was in the mafia?


    Elio¡¯s entire family ran the mafia?


    How could it be possible?


    But when I really considered it, everything started to make a lot more sense. The family connections in Italy, the extreme wealth, the way that my mom had always glossed over questions I had about my dad... all of it was evidence that something weird had been going on, but I had never really questioned it.


    I had never thought that the two people closest to me would be keeping such a huge secret. Why would I? The turmoil in my heart was killing me. I couldn¡¯t stand to be alone any longer.


    Even though I had literally just left her house, I called Anna. She picked up right away, probably waiting for me to call with an update about Elio.


    ¡°Hey, girl, what¡¯s up?¡± she asked.


    I wanted to break down into tears the second I heard her voice, but I just barely managed to keep it together.


    ¡°Can Ie over?¡± I asked, my voice wobbly.


    It was obvious that she could tell I was almost to my breaking point. ¡°Of course! Come on over, I¡¯ll get out the ice cream!¡±


    Luckily, I was only a couple minutes from her apartment, so I was able to get there before totally breaking down. But the second I walked in the door and she looked at me with concern, I burst into tears. She rushed over and wrapped her arms around me.


    ¡°Oh no, what happened?¡± she asked.


    ¡°My whole life has been a lie,¡± I sobbed.


    She was visibly confused, but like the great friend she was, she held her questions and led me to the couch, letting me get my emotions out before asking me to exin everything to her.


    I sat and cried in her arms for a few minutes, takingfort in the fact that at least she had never lied to me the way my mom and Elio had.


    ¡°Alright, what¡¯s going on?¡± she asked once my sobs had subsided for a few minutes.


    ¡°You¡¯re never going to believe what I¡¯m about to tell you,¡± I said, ¡°Hell, I¡¯m not even sure how much I believe. I mean, it¡¯s genuinely crazy.¡±


    ¡°Just tell me, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not as crazy as you think.¡±


    ¡°Elio knows who killed my dad.¡± I decided to start with the easiest to digest information.


    ¡°What?!¡± Anna gasped. ¡°Is he still around? Why isn¡¯t he in prison? Why didn¡¯t Elio report him?¡±


    ¡°It gets worse,¡± I added. ¡°The guy is here, and he burned down one of Elio¡¯s warehouses to send him a message. Now Elio is sure that I¡¯m in danger too.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, Cat, that¡¯s terrifying! Why is this guy after you?¡±


    ¡°Brace yourself, this is the most insane piece of information of all. Elio and his entire family are involved in the Italian mafia, and so was my dad.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Her eyes widened in shock, but after only a second or two of thinking, she said, ¡°You know, this actually makes a lot of sense.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense?¡± I asked. ¡°Tell me how this makes sense to you because from where I¡¯m standing, this doesn¡¯t make sense at all.¡±


    ¡°Well, think about your life,¡± she said. ¡°I mean, you grew up in Italy but then suddenly moved to the States after your dad was suspiciously killed. You know Elio¡¯s family is, like, insanely wealthy and has all these connections in Italy. Plus, I¡¯ve met Elio¡¯s dad, that guy is basically straight out of a mafia Don movie.¡±


    I chuckled, but she was right. Gio really did seem like the stereotypical old mafia boss. I had just assumed it was because he was Italian and had an obvious affinity for wearing suits everywhere he went.


    The more I thought about it, the more this whole mafia thing made a lot of elements of my life make more sense. It definitely helped exin why my single mom had been able to afford to pursue her dream job in television. It also exined why Elio had helped us out all these years. It wasn¡¯t just because he was a family friend. It was also because he felt an obligation to help after my dad had been killed as a way to hurt his family.


    It made sense, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that I was still hurt about being kept from the truth. I felt like I would always struggle to trust my mom and Elio. Knowing they had been able to keep such a huge secret from me all these years made me wonder what else they had hidden from me.


    ¡°I really think that the worst part of it all is the only reason I know now is because I walked in on Elio and my mom talking about it. They¡¯ve been keeping this from me my entire life, and they didn¡¯t even consider telling me now, even though it could put me in more danger to not know the truth. Elio had asked me if my mom and I would move in with him for a short time, but I refused because I thought he was just being overprotective. If he had just told me the truth, I wouldn¡¯t have been so stubborn.¡±


    ¡°I know it hurts that they kept the truth from you, but think about it, Cat. It wouldn¡¯t have been safe for you to know, not if some crazy asshole was after you and your mom after he already murdered your dad. Them not telling you when you were a kid was the best chance you had at safety,¡± Anna said.


    She was always so practical. I appreciated that she knew exactly what to say to make me feel better, and talking to her had definitely helped with a lot of my fears.


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± I said. ¡°And trust me, they said all of that too. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t get why they left me out of it when I was a kid. Of course, I understand that. My problem is that I¡¯m an adult now, but they¡¯re still trying to hide shit from me as if I¡¯m a child.¡±


    ¡°I get that, but I wonder if they were going to tell you eventually but just hadn¡¯t had the chance to discuss how to break it to you. I mean, obviously it¡¯s a really huge deal. They probably wanted to break the news to you more delicately, but you found out before they had the chance.¡±


    She got up and went to her freezer, pulling out a pint of our favorite chocte ice cream.


    ¡°Alright, here¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen,¡± she said in her get-shit-done tone of voice. ¡°We¡¯re going to sit on the couch and watch some mindless reality TV show while we eat this ice cream, and then you¡¯re going to go back to your mom and Elio and let them apologize to you for lying to you all these years. And you¡¯re going to forgive them because you know they were just doing their best and that they love you.¡±


    Iughed at her deration. When Anna went into fix-it mode, there was no arguing with her. She had decided what I needed, and it was in my best interest to just follow along.


    She grabbed two spoons and settled onto the couch next to me, handing me a spoon and the ice cream while she grabbed the remote and turned on something about wealthy housewives who loved to argue every time they went to dinner together. Weughed as the women all argued over who had breast imnts¡ªit was obviously all of them¡ªand Anna turned to me.


    ¡°See,¡± she said, ¡°at least you have real shit happening in your life and don¡¯t have to make up drama just to feel a bit of excitement from time to time. These women are the perfect example of what happens when life gets too boring.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± I acquiesced as I took another spoonful of ice cream. ¡°But I think this might be a little too much excitement. I mean, seriously, the guy who murdered my dad could be out there trying to find me and my mom. That¡¯s really scary.¡±


    ¡°You know what else is scary?¡± she asked, a wicked grin on her face.


    ¡°No, what?¡±


    ¡°Your brand-new boyfriend is about to move in with you and your mom!¡± She squealed.


    I grabbed the couch pillow behind me and threw it at her head, just barely missing. She giggled evilly.


    ¡°Oh my god. I do not need to be thinking about that right now,¡± I groaned. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not sure where Elio and I really stand right now. My whole meltdown freak out about all of this might have been a bit too much for him.¡±


    ¡°Oh whatever, Cat. He¡¯s head over heels for you. And he knows how you are. Do you really think the way you reacted was a surprise to him? Because I don¡¯t. And after seeing him defend you against Paul, I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s very attached to you. The way he looks at you, it¡¯s just so obvious how much he cares.¡±


    I felt myself blushing as she went on and on, but I hoped she was right about it all. I wanted this thing between Elio and me to be real. I cared about him too much for it to just turn into a short-lived fling.


    ¡°Alright, now it¡¯s time for you to get back to your boyfriend,¡± she said, practically singing thest word, ¡°and let him tell you exactly what he¡¯s going to do to keep you safe. And listen to him! I know you¡¯re stubborn, but I love you too much for you to get taken out, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said reluctantly.


    She was right. I needed to swallow my pride and let Elio handle this. It wasn¡¯t about him being older. It was about the fact that he understood this life and I didn¡¯t.


    With another hug, I was out the door and headed back home. While driving, my phone started going off. I pulled it out, expecting to see Elio¡¯s name, but instead it was Paul.


    A sick anxiousness filled my stomach at the name. Would he ever leave me alone? I declined the call and spent the rest of the drive feeling like I was being watched. I tried to chalk it up to anxiety over the whole Antonio thing, but if I was being honest with myself, Paul felt like a more present threat.


    I hated the hold that he had over my emotions, and the whole thing had me d that I was heading back to Elio.


    I was sure that Elio could keep me safe.

 Chapter 632 : Clearing the Air

    <h4>Chapter 632: Chapter 632 : Clearing the Air</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I slowly turned off the ignition to my car the second I pulled into the driveway. I was both mentally and physically exhausted from my day of mulling over all the secrets and lies that have been running my life. My eyes lifted from myp to the front door. My stomach churned at the thought of walking back into that house, knowing fully well that I was going to be bombarded by Elio and my mother.


    What I truly wanted the most was some real peace and quiet¡ªa nice, hot shower and a chance to rest my aching head were all that I cared for.


    But no.


    I knew I had to go back in there and deal with the mess I¡¯d left behind. At least my earlier talk with Anna helped me open my mind up a bit to the situation. I was sure they had their reasons for keeping me in the dark when I was younger¡ªbut why not tell me about everything now?


    ¡®They could have eased me into the truth, even if it was a bit too much to take in all at once,¡¯ I thought bitterly. ¡®Instead, they kept me in the dark and proceeded to treat me like some immature child.¡¯


    Apart from not ever knowing the real truth about my father, ¡®this¡¯ was what upset me all the more.


    With one big breath in, I grabbed my bag and got out of the car. And just as I expected, the sound of my entering the front door caused an instant chain reaction of frantic emotions and rushed questions.


    Both Elio and my mother jumped up from their spots in the living room the second I came into view. My mother¡¯s expression was painted with worry, while Elio looked distressed and slightly tense about my leaving.


    ¡°Caterina!¡± She reached out to grab my arms as though to double check that it was really me. ¡°Oh, thank God you¡¯re home.¡±


    ¡°Care to exin to me why you refused to answer any of my phone calls?¡± Elio questioned sharply.


    I shot him a daring look through narrowed eyes which immediately made him drop the topic. Mom proceeded to try to pull me over to one of the couches to get me to at least sit down.


    ¡°Look, Cat. About what happened earlier... honey, you need to understand that there was a very good reason why we chose to keep this from you,¡± my mom said.


    ¡°This is not information to be taken lightly,¡± Elio added firmly. ¡°We were trying to keep you safe from it. Nothing good has evere from knowing the truth about the real work that goes on in the family.¡±


    My brows pulled together in frustration.


    ¡°Oh, so purposely keeping me in the dark and treating me like a child was your way of handling me with all of this, was that it?¡± I asked bitterly. ¡°Was that your idea of keeping me safe?¡±


    For a split second, they both fell silent before Elio and my mom tried speaking to me at the same time. One of them tried a sensitive, motherly approach, whereas the other chose to stand his ground and speak with a sense of authority in his voice.


    I could hardly make out what either of them were saying. The pain in my head grew worse with every passing second. This was not how I was going to let this issue end. Knowing the two of them, they would try to brush over everything and force me back into the dark they¡¯d put me in since the very beginning, I thought.


    Well, there was no way I was going to let that happen.


    The rambling went on for another half a minute before I lifted my hands up and shouted.


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    I let out a long, exhausted breath and rubbed the sore spot between my eyes in hopes of alleviating some of the pent-up pressure. At least the two of them were generous enough not to try to start up again.


    ¡°You both had your chances to exin yourselves in all of this, but now it¡¯s my turn to speak, alright?¡±


    My mom nodded her head while Elio sat back in his chair.


    I tried to gather my thoughts as best as I could. On my way back from Anna¡¯s ce, I had actually mapped out what I¡¯d initially nned to say if given the chance. Of course, that was before I was sted with a bunch of nonsense and excuses as to why they¡¯d been hiding everything from me.


    Yet the feelings I had back in the car still stood at the forefront of my mind.


    ¡°You know, I did a lot of thinking when I left this house earlier,¡± I started. ¡°Do you know that among everything the two of you tried to throw at me today, there is one major issue that I cannot seem to move past?¡±


    Neither one of them tried to speak. But I could easily tell that I¡¯d captured both of their attentions fully and without fail.


    I turned my head to nce at Elio. ¡°I am not looking for a lecture about how dangerous the ¡®family business¡¯ is,¡± I told him. My head then turned to look at my mother. ¡°I do not need to be convinced that my dad was still a decent person, considering the real work he was involved in.¡±


    I slowly shook my head and took in numerous deep breaths.


    ¡°Look, I understand the need to keep these sorts of things from me when I was younger. It was probably a wise decision to do so at the time. I know I wasn¡¯t the easiest person to deal with at times, so having one less thing bouncing around in my head was probably a blessing in disguise. However, what the two of you failed to realize is that I am older and a lot more understanding than I¡¯ve been given credit for. I deserved to have been told the truth now more than ever, and neither of you believed that I could¡¯ve handled it.¡±


    The two of them looked deted at my exnation.


    My mom let her shoulders drop as she let out a sigh. She reached out to take my hand between her own and rubbed little circles over the top of my palm.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said. ¡°I should have told you the truth a lot sooner.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too, Caterina,¡± Elio stated.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t right for you to find out everything the way that you did,¡± she added. ¡°We should have all sat down like adults and exined to you what¡¯s really been going on.¡±


    I lowered my gaze to the small table in the center of the room. I wished their apologies were enough to make me feel even remotely better. But they weren¡¯t.


    ¡°Like I said, I understand why you did it. But I am still exceedingly upset, and I don¡¯t know when that¡¯ll stop,¡± I informed them.


    My mom nodded her head. Before either of them could get out another word, I stood up from the couch and headed toward the staircase. I desperately needed to lie down and clear my head.


    But just as my hand reached out for the railing, I felt a strong hand pull me back. I had a feeling, deep within my gut, that Elio was going to try to stop me from locking myself away.


    This was no longer something I wanted to deal with, at least not at the moment. I was angry. I was heartbroken and feeling betrayed. Most of all, I felt exhausted.


    ¡°Cat,¡± he spoke sternly.


    I turned my head to face him. Although I still sensed my anger beneath my surface, not a single ounce of it came out when I spoke back to him.


    ¡°Stop,¡± I said softly.


    Elio appeared as though I¡¯d pped him clear across the face. His entire body went stiff as stone and his brows raised in shock. Clearly, he was expecting to be on the receiving end of my naturally sharpened attitude. But I didn¡¯t have an ounce of lethalness left in me.


    I pulled myself out of his grip and headed for my room. Without giving it too much thought, I kicked off my shoes and flopped onto the mattress of my bed. I weed the softness that embraced me as the ache inside of my chest waivered.


    A small part of me thought of texting Anna to at least let her know how everything went. But the thought of lifting my head up made me groan.


    ¡®I¡¯ll give her a callter,¡¯ I decided.


    Without ncing at the clock, I knew that a good amount of time had passed. The sun was well below the horizon and my room grew significantly darker. I slowly lifted myself up and heard a sudden knock on the door.


    My mom slipped inside and gave me a small smile. ¡°Just wanted to see how you were doing.¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Fine, I guess. I really needed to lie down.¡±


    She nodded her head and came to join me on the bed. I noticed her nce across the room to see the small picture of my dad on my dresser. Her smile began to grow.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure knowing about your father¡¯s actual background hase as a bit of an unexpected shock,¡± she stated.


    ¡°That¡¯s a damn understatement,¡± I snorted.


    The two of us fell into a fit ofughs and giggles.


    ¡°But in all seriousness, Cat. When I first met your dad, he was just a regr man. He was just ¡®Vinny.¡¯¡±


    I folded my legs under me and turned to better face her. ¡°When did you realize that there was more to his life than what you thought you knew?¡±


    ¡°You mean, when did I realize that he was part of the Italian mafia?¡±


    I nodded my head.


    ¡°It happened while we were still dating. At the time, he and I would be in the middle of a nice date and then suddenly he¡¯d get a mysterious call, and everything was cut short. It happened far too many times for me not to be suspicious.¡±


    ¡°So, what did you do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, one time, I ended up following him. I¡¯d be too fed up and annoyed at being kept in the dark about things that were going on in his life that I took matters into my own hands.¡±


    I raised a brow and gave her a pointed look.


    She sighed. ¡°I know, I know. I shouldn¡¯t have kept you in the dark for so long.¡± Small specs of tears dotted the corners of her eyes. ¡°But I think that¡¯s part of the reason why I refrained from telling you. I didn¡¯t want the vision of how you viewed your father to change all because you knew about the darker parts of him.¡±


    My throat started to tighten with emotion.


    ¡°Cat, you need to know that the real side of your father¡ªnot the mafia part¡ªwas who he really was. He was a good man. He loved his family, and he loved us so much,¡± she confessed through fallen tears.


    ¡°I wish he was still here,¡± I said quietly. Soon my own tears were trailing down my cheeks.


    My mother pulled me into a tight hug. ¡°I know that if he were here, he¡¯d be so proud of you for all that you¡¯ve aplished. He wouldn¡¯t want you to be upset like this. Cat, I promise that I won¡¯t ever keep anything from you again.¡±


    I nodded my head and hugged her back. ¡°Okay.¡±


    It felt good making up with my mom. It pained me more to try and stay mad at her. When she turned to leave me alone once more, I found that the sad emotions stayed back with me and lingered.


    Iid my head back and allowed the tears to flow. I tried wiping my face and continuously sniffling, but it was no use. I missed my father, and I went on to wonder what he would be like now if he were still around.


    Suddenly my door cracked open, and I saw Elio trying to look in on me.


    ¡°I heard you sniffle. Can Ie in?¡±

 Chapter 633 : A Love Confession

    <h4>Chapter 633: Chapter 633 : A Love Confession</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I wasn¡¯t entirely expecting to see or hear from Elio so soon.


    He was apletely different case to be dealt with than my mom. I was d to have cleared the air with her but didn¡¯t know if I was ready for the conversation with Elio. And from the worrisome look in his eyes, I could tell that even he knew that.


    My heart had jumped into my throat when I heard my door begin to creak open. I¡¯d quickly turned my head and saw Elio standing on the other side, waiting for my approval to step in. His voice sounded small andced with concern.


    I hastily wiped away what remained of my tears and quietly cleared my throat.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I said.


    Elio wasted zero time stepping into my room, closing the door behind him, and moving to sit beside me. I felt the mattress dip as his muscrlyrger frame took up the space. He ced his arms around me, and I became engulfed in his familiar andforting scent of him.


    I allowed myself to melt further into his arms. My body was thankful for the reprieve of being held up by someone, whereas my mind was currently vacationing somewhere else.


    For a good while, neither of us spoke. I believed it was safer that way. I was in no mood to hear any more possible excuses for his reasoning to keep me in the dark about everything involving my father. Had the look on my face been any indicator as to how I felt, Elio would¡¯ve been wise not to test me. So, in the meantime, I simply epted thefort that he was offering.


    But for a good while we remained in tranquil silence. Elio asionally rubbed up and down my arms, and I kept telling myself to keep taking deep breaths in. At some point, the tears stopped falling and I was able to regain a better sense of focus.


    My mother and I were somewhat back on decent terms with one another, but I had no clear idea where that ced Elio and me. Because of our ¡®specific¡¯ arrangement, he and I were not on the same level as though he were another guardian.


    It was quite the contrary.


    Because of who we were to each other, I genuinely expected more from him. I¡¯d truly hoped that if anyone could see me for who I was, it would be him.


    Then again, perhaps there was more to Elio that I had failed to recognize.


    When I¡¯d first heard the word ¡®mafia,¡¯ my mind went into a hundred different directions, yet every one of them led me to the same disturbing inner thoughts... danger, corruption, scandal... murder.


    I didn¡¯t like any of it. And to think that my father was once part of it all made my skin break out into millions of uncontroble goosebumps.


    Elio must have sensed my tension and immediately turned his head to nce down at me. His voice was soft, though it still held its usual roughness as he spoke.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    My breath wavered in my lungs. I could¡¯ve scoffed in response to such a question. My brows drew together in part of my honest response.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I told him.


    It wasn¡¯t much of an answer. As vague as it was, it was the truth, which was more than I was clearly receiving from him.


    Once more, we fell into another bout of silence. But unlike the first round, this seemed to be filled with a lot more weight. It was as if the obvious question was hanging above our heads, and I was the only one who was willing to address it.


    My stomach twisted in protest, but I needed to know.


    ¡°Do you ever wish you were in that life?¡± I asked him.


    This time, it was Elio who started to tense up. The arm he¡¯d draped around me seemed to have tightened for a brief moment before forcibly rxing. He let out a long breath as though to signify that his answer was just asplicated as my question.


    ¡°Sometimes,¡± he answered.


    Elio pulled back both his arms, and I instantly felt myself growing cold once more. He readjusted himself back a little to better face me. I missed the security that his body gave me when he was closer. Yet if this was how I was going to get an honest conversation out of him, so be it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as easy to talk about as you may think,¡± he said.


    I rolled my eyes and held back a brazen remark. ¡°Believe me, Elio. I¡¯ve never given this subject much thought before now,¡± I hissed. ¡°So, I¡¯m going to ask that anything you do say on the matter better be nothing short of truthful, alright?¡±


    Elio closed his eyes for a few seconds and let out a long, withheld breath.


    ¡°Caterina.¡± He ran a rough hand through his hair. ¡°The thing about the mafia is that it¡¯s not something that can so easily be described as simple. It¡¯splicated in its own right because it puts the ideas of morality and human decency to the test.¡±


    So, in other words, he was saying that people who chose to get involved in such a business were expected to strip away anything and everything that made them a socially eptable person. They had to trade in their life and be expected to give it to some else entirely. But for what? What could possibly be worth that sort of a trade?


    I didn¡¯t understand what could draw a person to such a life. Was it for money? Power? A chance tomit some kind of heinous crime and not be touched by the authorities?


    No. Surely people in that particr business knew that they couldn¡¯t really remain elusive to the police. What sort of life was worth living if it meant having to constantly be on alert from the cops, right? Right?!


    To think that Elio had even considered that caused another cold shiver to race through me. This time it was I who moved back slightly from him.


    ¡°I can tell that your mind is moving a mile a minute,¡± he said lightly. ¡°Cat. Please talk to me. What are you thinking about?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m thinking that you¡¯ve got to be out of your goddamn mind to even think about wanting to get involved with that kind of business,¡± I said sternly.


    To my surprise, Elio didn¡¯t try to bite back at my harsh remark. Instead, he¡¯d given me an unanticipated smile and chuckled.


    ¡°You sound just like my parents,¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯re not too fond of the idea either, especially my dad, considering that he and my mother have far too much personal experience with that particr lifestyle. I guess that ounts for their grizzly opinions about it.¡±


    I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. The more he was telling me, the more I felt my mind cracking into pieces. His parents... had I not spent countless hours with the three of them growing up to not notice something that astronomical?


    ¡®Remember, Cat. You¡¯re the one who requested that Elio start being a hundred percent honest with you,¡¯ I thought weakly to myself.


    I felt deted and slightly betrayed by my own inner thoughts.


    ¡®Oh, shit. I did say that, didn¡¯t I?¡¯


    Nevertheless, I directed my attention back to Elio. ¡°If that¡¯s true, then why would you want tomit to something so dangerous as that?¡±


    He reached out to stroke the back of his fingers down the length of my arm. He tilted his head to the side and spoke calmly.


    ¡°Cat, believe me. It¡¯s not as if I spend all my waking hours pining over the idea of someday joining the mafia as our dads did,¡± he exined. ¡°It¡¯s just that sometimes,te at night, I tend to get into my own head about things.¡±


    ¡°About what though?¡± I asked cautiously.


    ¡°About your father, for instance.¡±


    My brows raised as he went on.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to know that the guy that killed your dad is still out there and the cops can¡¯t catch him. Nobody can. But I wish I could try.¡±


    I nodded my head and sighed. ¡°I do too. He took my dad, changed my life. I want him to be held responsible.¡± A sudden pressure filled my chest. ¡°But, Elio, as sweet as that is that you want to find justice for Dad¡¯s death, it¡¯s not enough of a reason for you to give your life over to someone to control, family or not.¡±


    I was sure there was more than that reason alone why he¡¯d even want to consider going back to the mafia. Unlike the police, this group of unseen men probably possessed their own form of secret connections and innerworks that could better track down Antonio.


    My nerves were in desperate need of a new subject. What my feelings and my mind needed was time. So much has been thrown at me. Between learning the truth about my dad and now about Elio¡¯s inner thoughts on the whole argument, I felt like my head could¡¯ve spun off my shoulders at any given moment.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s been a long day, and I really need to get some sleep,¡± I said.


    I was hoping for Elio to take the hint. But the solemn expression on his face told me that he had other thoughts on his mind.


    ¡°Caterina, about earlier today. What you overheard... I¡¯m so¡ª¡±


    ¡°I get why my mom lied to me,¡± I said swiftly. ¡°As my mother, I understand why she saw the need to protect me from these things. But why you?¡±


    Elio lowered his gaze to the floor.


    ¡°I really thought I could trust you,¡± I whispered. ¡°I thought that things had really changed between us....¡±


    For a moment I thought I felt a new set of tearsing on, and I was dreading having another meltdown. I was too tired for another crying session.


    ¡°Cat, I kept my mouth shut for all these years because I needed to keep you safe,¡± he rasped. ¡°I¡¯d made a promise to my family and to myself that I would look after you. As time went on, I¡¯ve grown to love you and watched you develop and mature into this stunning woman in front of me.¡±


    My heart mmed violently in my chest as my cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink. Elio¡¯s words chased off the chill that hung over my shoulders.


    ¡°But you¡¯re right about one thing. Things have changed between us,¡± he stated.


    I felt Elio lift my chin up with his hand and turn me to face him.


    ¡°Now I¡¯m in love with you.¡±

 Chapter 634 : I Love You Too

    <h4>Chapter 634: Chapter 634 : I Love You Too</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡®What did he just say?¡¯ I asked myself. ¡®Love?¡¯


    My heart mmed widely inside my chest as though it were fighting to break out.


    But my mind needed to back up for a moment.


    I know that I was tired. The events of this entire day were enough to send any normal person into aplete tailspin. I should have been asleep hours ago. I should have tried shutting my eyes the moment my mom left my room. Lord knows that I was tired enough.


    I really didn¡¯t know what to expect when Elio first knocked on my door, asking toe in and speak with me. I figured, at most, it would just involve some kind of an apology. I recalled the tense expression his features took on when I spoke to him and my mother down in the living room.


    I¡¯d said my piece. I didn¡¯t care to talk any further. My head couldn¡¯t possibly have fit any more unwanted information, and all I really wanted was to fall asleep and find a way to move on from it in the morning toe.


    But Elio seemed remorseful enough. Part of his sincere apology was literally holding me together in his arms. I felt safe. The warmth his body emitted, provided with an anchor that I didn¡¯t realize I desperately needed. Our time together should have ended with that.


    Yet, instead, I¡¯d had to go ahead and ask that unnerving question. Part of me truly didn¡¯t want to know these things, especially when I, myself, knew and understood too little of any of it. And to think that Elio, somewhat, wanted to be a part of it all. It made my skin crawl with uneasiness.


    And in all honesty, I hadn¡¯t meant to pry into the topic of mafia business¡ªI just needed to know why.


    And, much to my surprise, Elio had told me the truth.


    I was willing to admit it. I was touched by his exnation. His need for involvement stemmed from the murder of my father. Much like me, he too wanted justice for the life that was taken. But something surged back amid our conversation... a feeling, a sudden wave of anger spurred within.


    The fact that Elio was willing to sell his life away to such an unruly and dangerous group, all for the hopes of bringing justice to my father¡¯s death, was proof enough that he cared deeply for me.


    Love... but if I really did mean that much to him, then why on earth did he proceed to lie to me about everything concerning my father as well as arge portion of his familial background?


    He had purposely kept me in the dark about so much that it was difficult for me toprehend most of what he was trying to tell. Regardless of his apology, his actions of continuously keeping me in the dark are what hurt me all the more.


    Elio¡¯s exnation fanned around his care and deep concern for me... how he was told to keep a watchful eye over me, including his initial im of loving me. It did allow a weing warmth to spread through me. Somehow, deep down, I always knew that Elio loved me.


    But this was different.


    ¡°Y-you... you¡¯re in love with me?¡± I stammered.


    Our rtionship has been nothing short of rocky since I first kissed him. There were times when I didn¡¯t know how serious our rtionship was. We¡¯d had our hot and cold moments, but we¡¯d always found a way toe back to each other and resolve any issues.


    Elio still had my chin between his thumb and forefinger. ¡°Yes,¡± he confirmed. ¡°I¡¯m in love with you, Caterina Leone.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop the smile from taking over my face. The space between was suddenly too much of a distance to stand. I pushed myself forward andced my arms around his neck. I leaned down and captured Elio¡¯s lips in a fiery kiss that sealed the emotions that had been simmering between us all night.


    Hisrge hands syed across my back and loosely tugged at the material that was covering me.


    My hands curled into the thick locks of his hair and pulled him closer. But it still didn¡¯t feel like enough.


    Closer... god, I needed to get closer to him.


    Elio kissed me back with as much needy desire as I possessed in that moment. A series of small moans tore from my throat as he went on to kiss a hot trail down my neck and over my cor.


    The tips of my fingers tugged at the hem of his shirt while my hips grinded forward. Elio let out a rugged grunt and caught on to my devious intention. With one hand, he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it onto the floor. Secondster, my own clothing joined his, and he flipped us over to where he was now on top of me.


    My face flushed a deep shade of pink as I felt the heat of his gaze roam over my exposed chest. He ced another chaste kiss on my lips before lowering himself down to my breasts. My breath hitched widely in my lungs as his tongue licked and yed at the stiffened peak of my nipple. I arched into his lustful, skilled touch.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I hissed through my teeth. ¡°Please. Stop teasing me.¡±


    He snaked his hand down between my thighs to find me slick and ready. The pad of his thumb circled my clit several times before he stopped his ministrations altogether. I moaned in discouragement when he pulled away.


    ¡°Patience, love,¡± he hushed.


    He quickly removed his pants along with his boxers and resumed his tantalizing position above me. He grabbed the backs of my calves and parted my legs to slide himself between them. My mouth fell open when he ran his hand down my right leg and proceeded to hook it over his shoulder.


    I felt the head of his length press against my slicked entrance. In one swift thrust, he slid into me and began a steady pace. My bottom lip trembled in shock as I became consumed by the hot, rousing sensation of him moving within me.


    Jesus Christ. It had to have been the deepest he¡¯d ever been. Any sounds or words I tried to find came out incoherent.


    I felt so full, so full andplete by him. I matched every thrust of his hip with my own till that beautiful heat started to burn beneath my stomach.


    My hands fisted at the bed sheets until I frantically found myself reaching out for him. Elio leaned into my touch and bent down to kiss me. His movements grew faster and harder. I spoke breathlessly against his lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m in love with you too,¡± I told him.


    Elio¡¯s features darkened with carnal lust. He curled his hand around the back of my neck, locking me in ce.


    ¡°Say it again,¡± he demanded softly.


    The corners of my mouth curved upward. ¡°I love you, Elio Valentino, so, so much,¡± I cried out.


    From there on out, Elio threw at me everything he had. A few secondster my entire body was buzzing as my climax sent me spiraling over the edge and my vision turned white.


    The next thing I knew, Elio was pulling the bed covers around us. Together, our bodies remained intertwined as the need for sleep became too much to fight.


    My eyes slowly started to flutter closed, and the day came to a surprising end.


    ***


    I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what time it was when my eyes finally opened the next morning. The sun streaked through the thin curtains on the windows and illuminated the room. The first thing I noticed was the various pieces of discarded clothing that littered the floor.


    The unexpected, warm feeling of Elio¡¯s arms wrapped protectively around me made me think back to the previous night¡¯s events. A small smile began to pull my mouth.


    ¡®Elio told me that he was in love with mest night,¡¯ I thought happily.


    Regardless of the time, I was more than happy toy around relishing the intimacy for just a bit longer. But I heard the unmistakable sound of someoneing up the stairs. Before I could do anything, the door to my room opened, and in walked my mother, whose eyes grew wide in disbelief.


    My heart vaulted into my throat as I shot up in bed.


    ¡°Oh, my God! Mom!¡± I screamed out.


    ¡°Sorry!¡±


    She quickly grabbed the doorknob and made a hasty retreat into the hallway.


    Due to the sudden meltdown, Elio was now fully awake as well. The two of us quickly gathered our clothes in awkward silence and got ready to head downstairs. I bit the inside of my cheek with worry as we descended the stairs to find my mom waiting for us in the kitchen.


    She handed each of us a coffee mug and waited patiently for either of us to begin talking. I cleared my throat and started from the beginning. I admitted to having kissed Elio first and how we sort of took our time toe to terms with our feelings for each other.


    ¡°I was the one who suggested that we keep our rtionship on the down-low,¡± Elio confessed.


    ¡°Are you mad that we didn¡¯t tell you?¡± I asked nervously.


    Throughout the whole conversation, my mom¡¯s expression remained calm. She set her mug down and spoke softly. ¡°I¡¯m not mad, Cat. Frankly, I¡¯m just d that everything is out in the open between all of us now,¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t very well be mad when I kept things from you for so long.¡±


    Elio and I both shared a breath of relief.


    My mother stepped forward and pulled me into a reassuring hug. ¡°I¡¯m very happy for you two.¡± She pulled back only to nce at the clock. ¡°Oh, I need to get a move on if I¡¯m going to make it to work on time.¡±


    She slipped out of the kitchen, and I then turned to nce at Elio. A charming smile yed on his lips.


    ¡°Would you be interested in spending the day in the city with me today?¡± he asked.


    My eyes lit up with excitement, and I quickly nodded and went back to my room to grab my bag. As my mother headed in her own direction, Elio and I made off toward the other.


    He parked the car on some random side street and from there, we walked hand in hand. I had very little idea as to where he wanted to take me. But the second my eye caught the street sign that read ¡®Wilshire Boulevard,¡¯ I nearly jumped out of my shoes.


    It was the beginning of our self-guided art tour through the area. Murals of all sizes and stunning colors lined the buildings and walkways. We stopped several times to gaze at some of the magnificent pieces that almost brought me to tears.


    It was wonderful. Each piece was as stunning and interesting as the one before it. At some point during our excursion, Elio made the great decision to stop somewhere to eat. But knowing that I still wanted to continue our walkthrough, we decided to stop at a local Thai food stall that was known for their coconut curry noodles and Thai fried rice.


    When our feet were too sore for us to go any further, we headed back to the car. I couldn¡¯t stop smiling. The day had been incredible.


    ¡°Thank you so much for today, Elio.¡±


    A warm smile curved on his lips as I leaned over the seats and kissed his cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you had fun. I loved exploring this part of the city with you. We¡¯ll have to do it again¡ª¡±


    He was interrupted by the buzzing of his phone. Elio¡¯s brows pulled together as he reached for it. My stomach twisted with worry as Alessandro¡¯s name appeared across the screen on the dash of his car.

 Chapter 635 : A Sudden Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 635: Chapter 635 : A Sudden Encounter</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡®Why is Alessandro calling me?¡¯ I asked myself.


    I was so happy Cat had agreed to spend the day out with me. Having driven through L.A. nearly on a daily basis and seeing all the incredible artwork on disy, I just knew that it would be right up her alley.


    There were multiple points throughout yesterday¡¯s disaster that truly had me thinking that things were over between us.


    That conversation I¡¯d been having with Matilde was not meant to be heard beyond those four walls. And the look that Caterina gave us haunted me for hours. It was a mixture of pure disbeliefced with shattered betrayal.


    When her eyes filled with tears and her brows knitted together in anguished confusion, I knew right then and there that there was no way of getting out of the truth. I¡¯d spent so many years strategically keeping Cat hidden from the unsightly business that had clouded my family history, including that of her father¡¯s.


    There were numerous reasons why I¡¯d never chosen to tell her about it. It was never my ce, nor my business, to tell her. That, and I was strictly put in charge of watching over her. God only knew what could have happened had Cat found out any sooner.


    Every nerve in my body was screaming out for me to follow her when she left the house. But I knew that would have done more harm than good in the end. Granted, I¡¯d tried calling her to at least know where she¡¯d ended up.


    When she refused to answer any of my calls, my anxiety practically hit the ceiling. I knew in the back of my mind that Cat went to see her friend Anna, but I was raised never to make loose assumptions.


    Cat needed space. And I¡¯d been in no position to deny her that.


    Although, when she finally returned home, at least half of my anxiety had disappeared. All that really remained was exhaustion and a heavy dose of guilt.


    I knew she was hurt. Hell, I¡¯d anticipated her arrival to be filled with anger and fury. I expected to be yelled at and cursed out, regardless of her mother¡¯s presence.


    But no.


    She returned to the house calm and collected. She confronted the two of us with a firm, almost grim, behavior that left me shocked and severely disced. I didn¡¯t know how to handle such a version of her. But Cat was direct and straight to the point in her argument.


    My heart mmed in my chest when she forced me to step back in her living room. She¡¯d spoken her peace and was looking to retreat to her room. I should¡¯ve let her be at that moment, but my body had other ns.


    I didn¡¯t want her to leave the room on such a solemn note. I wanted tofort her¡ªto pull her into my arms and promise that nothing would ever hurt her again.


    As if I had the power to make such a promise... but I was still willing to try.


    I let her go, nheless. But still arge part of me was too nervous that she¡¯d wake up the next day and rethink our entire rtionship. So, I¡¯d waited for her mother to leave her room in order for a real chance to talk with her. Of course, any ns of talking were immediately altered when I saw just how distraught she looked. Her eyes were puffy and red from all the tears she¡¯d been crying.


    ¡®It¡¯s my fault,¡¯ I thought bitterly to myself. ¡®I made her feel this way.¡¯


    I hadn¡¯t initially intended to tell Cat about how deep my feelings ran for her. One moment we were talking about the shadows of my past, and the next thing I knew I was divulging how much I loved her. I didn¡¯t want it to sound like some cheap plea to get her to listen to me. I meant every word of it.


    Before my eyes even fully closed, I nned this whole day out and centered it specifically around Cat. I knew she¡¯d love the art district and I wanted to make her feel happy after such a horrible day prior. But now my time with her was being rudely interrupted.


    I cursed myself inwardly for even letting Cat see that Alessandro was the one who was trying to reach me. Without a word, I switched the Bluetooth off from my car and answered the call on my phone.


    ¡°Alessandro,¡± I greeted him curtly.


    ¡°Elio. New intel on Antonio has juste in. We¡¯ll be waiting for you toe to the house,¡± he told me.


    My stomach lurched at the sound of hearing his name. I gritted my teeth and spoke hastily.


    ¡°See you in an hour.¡±


    I ended the call and threw the gear shift into drive. My eyes focused solely on the road while Caterina¡¯s gaze burned into my side profile.


    ¡°Elio, what¡¯s going on?¡± she asked with a hint of worry in her voice.


    I let out an honest sigh of disappointment. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have to cut our day out together short,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Cat looked deted and a bit saddened by this bit of news.


    I nodded my head. ¡°Yeah, Alessandro wants to discuss another property purchase. I¡¯m not entirely sure how long he¡¯s going to be around before heading back to Italy, so I want to lock in as much time as I can before then,¡± I exined.


    Much to my surprise, Cat didn¡¯t try to question anything about my false exnation. God, I hated lying to her. After everything that we¡¯d spoken about in the past twenty-four hours, this was truly thest thing on my mind. But I couldn¡¯t very well tell her the truth now.


    I knew for fact that she¡¯d demand toe with me when I¡¯d go to meet Alessandro. Regardless of her feelings, she would insist on being a part of trying to bring Antonio down. At the end of the day, the reality of it all still stood. I needed to keep her safe.


    After everything she¡¯d found out, something as miniscule as this could certainly wait. If it was all just about a piece of information, then I was more than happy to keep this on the down low.


    Unfortunately, I could feel the energy in the car shift between us from that point on. I knew she was just as disappointed as I was to not spend more time together.


    As I pulled into her driveway, I turned to face her and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can,¡± I said.


    I leaned across the center console and ced a quick kiss on her head. The second Cat headed inside the house, I reconnected my phone to my car¡¯s speaker and quickly dialed Leo¡¯s number.


    After two rings, his voice came through the other side of the line. ¡°Hey, Elio. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I got a call from Alessandro just now,¡± I told him. ¡°I¡¯ming to pick you up. Are you at the club or your ce?¡±


    ¡°My ce. The club doesn¡¯t open for another couple of hours,¡± he exined. ¡°What¡¯s the situation with Alessandro?¡±


    ¡°He says that they received some sort of information on Antonio,¡± I said.


    Christ, I hoped it had something to do with a location. Maybe there was a particr ce the man was caught hanging around. Maybe some of Alessandro¡¯s men were close to having actually nailed down the literal ce to where he¡¯s been hiding. I hoped they were close to circling in.


    I wanted this to be over. Whether I decided to truly be part of it was no longer part of the question. For the sake of Cat and her mother, I wanted Antonio to be taken down. Jail and possible imprisonment had proven to be useless. I wanted the ongoing threat of his existence to be gone.


    Hearing Leo¡¯s voice snapped me out of my deep thoughts.


    ¡°Interesting. Alright, I¡¯ll meet you outside my ce,¡± he said.


    ¡°Great. I¡¯ll be right over.¡±


    I ended the call and weaved in and out of the moving traffic. By the time I reached Leo¡¯s apartment building, my head was sore from all the recurring thoughts and ideas that kept popping up.


    As much as I wanted to know what Alessandro discovered, all I really wanted was to return home to Caterina. Had our day not been cut short so abruptly, I¡¯d nned on taking us out to a nice restaurant, possibly a ce that was quiet and private where we could just focus on each other. I wanted to clear away any potential doubts that she could have had about our rtionship.


    I needed her to understand just how important she was to me.


    I turned my head to see Leo heading out of the main doors of his building. He looked as determined as I felt. But in the corner of my eye, I noticed another figure heading toward the car.


    A man dressed in all ck with a pair of sunsses covering half his face approached Leo from behind. My stomach twisted in knots when my gaze suddenly fell to the handgun the man had pulled from behind his back. With his other hand, he snagged Leo by the back of his shirt and dug the head of the gun into his shoulder.


    Leo¡¯s eyes widened in unspoken fear, not even fullyprehending what was happening behind him. I instantly threw the door open and rushed out of the car without a single coherent thought.


    I didn¡¯t have a fucking clue as to how I was going to help him. It wasn¡¯t as though I was armed myself. What the hell was going on?


    Just as I stood a couple feet away from Leo and his unknown attacker, the picture started to clear up. I recognized some of the prominent details the man possessed.


    ¡°Antonio,¡± I gritted through my teeth.


    ¡°Stop helping Alessandro,¡± he spat out.


    The older man tilted his head as though to intimidate me. The air caught in my chest in panic, but I wasn¡¯t about to let him know that.


    ¡°We both know that you aren¡¯t in this sort of life,¡± Antonio said tauntingly.


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± I snarled back. ¡°But surely you know that this kind of life doesn¡¯t just leave people so easily.¡±


    The older man sneered in disdain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ignorant. You¡¯re way in over your head, boy. If you continue to work with Alessandro, I can promise that you¡¯re as good as dead.¡±


    My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when instead of firing his weapon, Antonio chose to shove Leo toward me. My hands reached out to steady my friend.


    I quickly nced back to where Antonio was once standing, but I no longer saw him. I nced around and spotted a dark colored van speeding away in the opposite direction. And just like that, he was gone.


    Both Leo and I rushed into the car and locked the doors. I whipped the steering wheel and put us back onto the road. I tapped a few buttons on the screen on my dashboard, pulling up Alessandro¡¯s number.


    Soon his voice came through the speakers. ¡°Elio? What is it?¡±


    ¡°It was Antonio,¡± I hissed angrily. ¡°We saw him. He pulled a gun on Leo.¡±


    ¡°Shit. Is he alright? Are the two of you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I grunted. ¡°He didn¡¯t fire it. He just spoke a few words and left. Some car picked him up. He¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°What exactly did he say?¡±


    I let out a long, exhausted breath. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything in a few minutes. We¡¯reing to you now.¡±

 Chapter 636 : Waiting and Worrying

    <h4>Chapter 636: Chapter 636 : Waiting and Worrying</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I clutched my arms close to my chest and bit my lip in ongoing worry as I watched Elio back out of the driveway.


    Today was perfect, I thought.


    Well, at least it ¡®was¡¯ perfect until Elio received that strange call from Alessandro. I could tell from the faraway look in his eyes that it was something unexpected, but it still needed to be dealt with.


    I¡¯d seen some of the most incredible pieces of art today with him. No one has ever gone out of their way like that to make a whole day geared around my interests. And from the looks of things, I was fairly certain that Elio had enjoyed the day too.


    Then again, I had just watched his leisurely expression change to something resembling hardened bitterness. His mood had taken aplete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn around the moment Alessandro¡¯s name popped up on the screen of his car dash.


    Honestly, I was a bit peeved by the fact that he hadn¡¯t just answered the call through the touch system on his car. Instead, Elio chose to take the call privately. It almost felt as though he was trying to keep something hidden from me.


    Of course, he was entitled to his privacy, but afterst night, I thought we¡¯d reached a breakthrough with each other. Now that I knew about certain things regarding his family¡¯s past, I was almost sure that Elio wouldn¡¯t choose to keep me in the dark now.


    He imed the call was business rted....


    I knew a little about Elio wanting to expand his business over to Italy based on what he¡¯d told me in the past. I loved the idea of him wanting to reach back to his family¡¯s original roots this way. I had no doubt that his work would thrive over there the way it did here.


    But this wasn¡¯t the feeling that this private call from Alessandro gave me. It didn¡¯t seem energetic and opportunistic. It seemed rather cold and filled with an icy venom.


    He and I had barely spoken a word after that. We spent nearly the entire ride home inplete silence. And that was what made things even more troubling for me.


    Our fun day out together was snatched away because of some unknown news.


    ¡®For God¡¯s sake, rx,¡± I scolded myself. ¡®Elio said that it was just business. Give him a damn chance, will you?¡¯


    My inner voice was right. I stepped away from the window to try to find something to upy my time while Elio was off handling his own affairs. Meanwhile, my mind fought endlessly with the unruly sensation that swelled inside of me. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.


    I wanted to believe him. I needed to trust him. After the horrific and mentally draining day I¡¯d had yesterday, I refused to think that Elio would proceed to lie to me yet again.


    All that time I spent in his arms¡ªa feeling I didn¡¯t know that I desperately needed¡ªmade me realize that I didn¡¯t want to be alone. I didn¡¯t want to end the rtionship that we¡¯d started together.


    Had it been anyone else¡¯s name that appeared on the screen, I didn¡¯t think it would have bothered me as much. But no. It was Alessandro¡¯s.


    What little I knew, and barely understood, was that he was not a man to mess with. His stern demeanor, although softened around his family, gave me chills down my spine.


    I dropped the thought of Alessandro from my mind for the time being. I wandered into the living room and sagged back into the cushions of the couch. Reaching out for the remote, I clicked on the TV and scrolled through the various channels to find something.


    I was desperate for a distraction.


    ***


    I wasn¡¯t sure what time it was at first. The sun had seeped well below the tree line outside, and the room grew dark. I¡¯d send a few messages to Elio in hopes of finding out when he¡¯d be on his way back. Nothing.


    My stomach flipped with the same anxiety I¡¯d managed to dodge from earlier when I nced down to find that all my messages remained unread.


    Something wasn¡¯t right.


    It wasn¡¯t like Elio to not respond to any of my texts. If he was still in a business meeting with Alessandro, the least he could do was open one of them to show me that he at least got it.


    Still nothing.


    It was then that I made the mistake of ncing at the time under the TV. My eyes widened in disbelief. Holy shit... five hours had passed since Eliost dropped me off, and I hadn¡¯t gotten a single word back. What if something was going on? What if something happened on his way back here?


    My nerves coiled and twisted in havoc as my mind continued to find imaginary scenarios. It wasn¡¯t until I heard a sudden screeching sound of a tire outside that I allowed my emotions to stop spiraling in distress.


    I quickly shot up from the couch and rushed over to the window.


    Seeing Elio¡¯s car pull into the driveway offered my nerves a much-needed reprieve. But it also ended up filling me with a severe bout of annoyance. Just as my feet were getting ready to pull me toward the front door, I stopped dead in my tracks.


    Elio was back... but he wasn¡¯t alone.


    My heart skipped a beat as I watched Elio step out of the driver¡¯s seat and leisurely toss his keys at Alessandro.


    ¡®Elio, what the hell are you doing?¡¯ I asked myself.


    My brows pulled together in question as the two of them parted ways. Alessandro came around the back to slide behind the wheel. Elio waved the man off and turned to head inside.


    My feet remained nted where I was standing as I heard Elio walk into the house. His deep voice echoed off the walls.


    ¡°Cat?¡±


    ¡°In here,¡± I called back.


    A worn expression crossed his features. ¡°I thought I told you to always keep that door locked,¡± he said.


    I raised a single brow and crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°Yeah, well, I thought that you¡¯d be gone for all of an hour, maybe two at the very most,¡± I challenged back.


    Elio closed his mouth and dropped his gaze to the floor. He rubbed the back of his neck and tried to find the right words to respond.


    I let out a long breath and gently shook my head. I didn¡¯t want some random excuse. What I wanted were answers¡ªan exnation for why he¡¯d proceeded to spend over five hours with Alessandro and not have the decency to simply send me a text, letting me know what was going on.


    ¡°Can I ask why you gave Alessandro the keys to your car?¡±


    He raised his brows, as though surprised that I would even bring up such a topic. He quickly nced between me and the window I stood next to and pieced the situation together.


    ¡°Oh, Jesus, no, Elio. I was not stalking you from the window,¡± I told him dryly.


    A humorous smile touched his lips, which caused my cheeks to blush.


    ¡°I merely heard a car pull up to the house and was wondering who it was.¡±


    Elio chuckled and walked up to envelop me in his arms. ¡°Alessandro doesn¡¯t have a rental and since I have another car, I¡¯m letting him borrow it for the time being,¡± he said.


    The straining ache in my muscles gradually rxed as I melted into his touch. I let my head rest against his chest and take the moment in.


    ¡°I was really worried,¡± I muttered under my breath.


    He dragged his hands along the nes of my back, rubbing in small, calming circles.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said.


    I tilted my head back to look at him. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you just let me know that you were okay?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I should have and I¡¯m sorry. We got caught up in talking about possible expansions in the European market. I hadn¡¯t realized how much had gone by until I checked the time myself,¡± he told me.


    Even with his exnation for histeness, I felt a strange twinge inside my gut. His voice wasn¡¯t at all wavering in any way that would¡¯ve signified that he was lying, yet... something seemed off.


    ¡®There¡¯s probably nothing wrong and you¡¯re overthinking again, as usual,¡¯ I told myself.


    Again, I wanted to believe my inner voice on this. I wanted to believe that Elio really was discussing the European market with Alessandro for nearly six goddamn hours and that nothing else was going on. Even though the nerves in my body were telling me that there was something else at y here, I fought the urge to continue to question him.


    I wanted so badly to believe that Elio wasn¡¯t keeping things from me again. I also wanted to believe that any business that was going on between him and Alessandro was nothing more than literal ¡®business.¡¯ There was no doubt in my mind that Alessandro was a force not to be trifled with. And Elio was not foolish enough to get himself involved in something so heinous... so dangerous.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to believe what he¡¯s telling me,¡¯ I concluded.


    Wanting to push Alessandro and the rest of my wavering thoughts out of my head, I took a sudden step back from Elio. His eyes curiously followed me while I gestured my head toward the kitchen.


    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s see if we can find something in the kitchen that I can make for dinner.¡±


    Elio smiled and graciously followed me.


    A short while after we were through making a mess, I gingerly ced our fettine on three separate tes. I heard my mome in. She looked exhausted from work as usual, but she was happy to see Elio and me moving about the ce together.


    ¡°Hello, you two,¡± she greeted us.


    ¡°Hi, Mom. You¡¯re just in time. I just finished up with dinner. Come sit down.¡±


    The three of us took our seats at the table and fell into afortable silence. We were all about halfway through when my mother lifted her head.


    ¡°So, New Year¡¯s Eve in two days,¡± she began. ¡°Do you two have any special ns?¡±


    My face instantly flushed. It was crazy to think that now my mom knew the truth about Elio and me being together.


    ¡°Um, I was just sort of thinking about staying in that night,¡± I said. ¡°We could all hang out and watch the big countdown on TV.¡±


    My mom smiled. ¡°Sorry, Cat. As rxing as that sounds, I actually have a date for that night.¡±


    My brows raised. ¡°Really?¡±


    She sheepishly nodded her head.


    ¡°Oh, well, that¡¯s okay. I¡¯m d that you¡¯re seeing other people. What¡¯s he like?¡±


    She shrugged her shoulders. ¡°His name is Robert. He¡¯s nice, I suppose. It¡¯s nothing too serious as of right now.¡±


    I had half a mind to press for a little more information, but I could tell that the woman was exhausted. My mom finished what was left of her pasta and offered to help clean up. I shook my head and softly pushed her off to her room to rest.


    I carried the dirty dishes over to the sink. Not a momentter, I felt Elio snake his arm around my waist and pull me back into his chest. My breathing grew hitched when his lips brushed the side of my ear.


    ¡°Since your mom won¡¯t be here, let me n a trip for us,¡± he suggested.

 Chapter 637 : You’re Worth It

    <h4>Chapter 637: Chapter 637 : You¡¯re Worth It</h4>


    *Caterina*


    My whole body went still.


    ¡°What?¡±


    I thought for sure I¡¯d identally misheard Elio when he spoke. But by the confident look on his face when I turned my head to nce back at him, I knew right then and there that he waspletely serious.


    ¡°I said, let me n a trip for us,¡± he repeated.


    A small smile started to curve the corners of his mouth.


    My brows pulled together in hesitation over his unexpected suggestion. A trip? Right now? Was that seriously the best idea given our current situation?


    I parted my lips to speak but nothing immediately came out. That unsettling feeling that I¡¯d been battling nearly the whole day started to rush back in with a bitter vengeance on me. Meanwhile, Elio¡¯s eyes nced over my worried features with a notion of concern.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.


    I lightly shook my head. ¡°I just... don¡¯t think a trip would be a good idea right now.¡±


    He tilted his head and gave me a look of genuine interest. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because,¡± I stated firmly.


    Elio stared at me, waiting for the actual answer toe flying out of my mouth. But the truth was that I didn¡¯t want to tell him the real reason. I didn¡¯t want to tell Elio that I was nervous and borderline intimidated to travel together because of his family¡¯s previous connections. The mere idea of someone possibly following us made my skin crawl.


    ¡°Look, as nice as a trip sounds, I¡¯m going to have to pass on the idea right now,¡± I told him. ¡°I have to start thinking about the new semester.¡±


    He curled a brow at my reasoning. ¡°Cat, you and I both know that you¡¯re more than ready for your new sses.¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek and tried to fish for another sad excuse. ¡°Look, I just¡ª¡±


    I wished I found the words to properly express my thoughts without sounding like aplete hypochondriac. Unfortunately, Elio quickly caught onto my intentional dodging before I got the chance.


    ¡°Caterina... are you... are you saying no because you¡¯re scared?¡±


    His voice was absent of any and all teasing and disrespect as he took a slight step back to better look at me.


    ¡°And what if I am?¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    My brows drew together as a humorlessugh slipped from my throat. ¡°Why? You¡¯re seriously asking me why? Aren¡¯t you the one who¡¯s been telling me over and over that it¡¯s notpletely safe right now?¡±


    I could tell Elio was doing his best to suppress augh, which I found to be less than amusing myself. I gently shook my head and narrowed my eyes.


    ¡°What if I could promise that nothing bad will happen?¡± he tried.


    I rolled my brow and scoffed. ¡°Well, that would be one hell of a promise to keep.¡±


    Without another word, I quickly turned my attention back to face whatever I was doing before. I hastily reached for the sponge on the counter and turned the faucet on. I picked up one of the tes and went on to scrub the hell out of it.


    I could feel Elio¡¯s disappointment in my response to his idea. Personally, I was in love with the idea of going away for a few days. I wanted nothing more than to spend some quality, uninterrupted time with him, especially before the new school semester started.


    But there truly came a price when it came to knowing the full truth about a situation as dangerous as our own. To find out Elio still had ties to the Italian mafia, just as my own father had, brought on a new sense of awareness that left me feeling constantly on edge.


    For a moment, my hands stopped their rigorous movements. I turned the water off and sagged my shoulders back.


    ¡°Elio, don¡¯t get me wrong. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to go. But what about my mother? You can promise all the security in the world for us, but what about her?¡±


    He let go of my waist and framed the sides of my face with both of his hands. His eyes poured into my own with a firm notion of promise.


    ¡°Trust me, Cat. I¡¯ve thought all of this through already,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve hired guards to look after the ce and your mom. They¡¯ll be here twenty-four-seven, watching her no matter where she goes.¡±


    My eyes widened in disbelief. A gigantic weight suddenly lifted off my chest and the haze faded from my frantic mind. A short moment of silence passed between us until I slowly nodded my head.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I softly agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s go on a trip. Where are you going exactly?¡±


    A devious smile yed on his lips, and a bit of that same anxiety decided to roll back.


    Elio shook his head. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m not telling. It¡¯s a surprise.¡±


    My brow furrowed after I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling. Seriously? He was going to keep me in the dark about something as pivotal as this?


    ¡°Elio, please just tell me where we¡¯re going.¡±


    He shook his head again.


    ¡°How the hell am I supposed to know what to pack then?¡±


    He took a few more steps back as though he was anticipating me throwing something at him. I was truly considering it until he started to smirk.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about not knowing what to pack,¡± he informed me. ¡°Tomorrow, I have every intention of taking you shopping.¡±


    ***


    I wasn¡¯t even fully through my morning coffee when I heard Elio step through the door. He was eager and way too energetic to get the day started. I, on the other hand, was still a little bit timid.


    Although I was looking forward to taking a trip away with him, I did not favor the concept of having it all remain a mystery. As usual, the man was dressed in a dark navy-blue shirt with a pair of ck jeans. His muscles were well defined under the material and never failed to make my heart skip a beat.


    ¡°Good morning, beautiful,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Ready to go?¡±


    For the time being, I suppressed those jittery feelings. I wanted to enjoy the day out with him since our previous day was cut short. I swiftly hugged my mom before she headed off to work and snatched up my bag.


    Elio and I headed into the city, where he parked by a nearby strip of various clothing stores.


    He slipped his hand into mine and pulled me forward. I happily allowed him to guide me since he was the one who knew the types of clothes I¡¯d be needing. After a few minutes, he led us into arge store where we were immediately greeted by a few of the shop assistants. Every woman in the general vicinity stopped what they were doing to catch a glimpse at us... well, mainly at Elio.


    I raised a brow at them while Elio, as usual,pletely disregarded the attention.


    ¡®Oh, for the love of God, Cat. Just ignore them. Remember, you¡¯re the one that he¡¯s dating,¡¯ my inner voice shouted.


    I took in a deep breath and pressed forward. I tried approaching the first rack of clothing that caught my interest, but Elio pulled me away instantly.


    ¡°Elio, I thought the point of bringing me here was to find some clothing for our trip,¡± I stated.


    ¡°So it is, love.¡± He smiled. ¡°But the clothes that we¡¯ll be looking at need to be warmer. You were heading into their spring line.¡±


    ¡®Warmer?¡¯ I thought. ¡®So, wherever he¡¯s nning on taking me requires us to wear warmer clothing. Duly noted.¡¯


    As I looked through the numerous hangers and racks of winter clothes, my mind tried to pinpoint our possible destination. But all I knew was that this mystery ce was colder, so it could have been just about anywhere.


    I turned my head to see Elio looking through a pile of brown jackets.


    ¡°So, if where we¡¯re going is colder, doesn¡¯t that technically mean that we¡¯d be flying out?¡± I asked him.


    Elio nodded his head. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re flying out on the jet.¡±


    I knew Elio had a jet, but I¡¯d never been on it before. The idea of flying off with him on his private jet was tantalizing.


    By the time we finally reached the front counter to check out, my head was reeling. Elio had picked out a handful of designer sweaters, jeans, leggings, a silk scarf, leather gloves, and a matching dark brown knitted beanie. Elio ced everything up at the register and the girl behind the counter began bagging all the items. I reached into my bag to pull out my wallet and was instantly stopped by his hand covering my own.


    ¡°Elio¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said sternly as he handed over his tinum credit card.


    I let out a huff. ¡°This is ridiculous. At least let me buy some of this.¡±


    ¡°That is absolutely out of the question.¡±


    The woman behind the register happily handed our bags over. We left the store and continued our walk down the strip. My expression remained hardened as Elio checked his phone for any new messages.


    ¡°You¡¯re spending too much on me,¡± Imented.


    Elio immediately stopped walking and turned to re at me with a fiery look in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re worth it, Caterina,¡± he said forcefully. ¡°No amount of money will ever be too much when ites to you. Do you understand?¡±


    My stomach felt like it was doing summersaults. This wasn¡¯t the first time that Elio had used that sharp tone of voice with me. But it was the first time that I¡¯d ever felt warmed and loved by it.


    Suddenly my eyes were drawn to the illuminated screen of his phone. He¡¯d received a new text from Alessandro.


    ¡°Is Alessandro still wanting to talk more about the project exnation?¡± I asked quietly.


    Elio pulled away to check the message. ¡°No,¡± he answered. ¡°This is about something else.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what had possessed me to bring up the topic. We¡¯d been having such a nice day together, and I didn¡¯t want to tarnish it by talking about grim subjects.


    ¡°Do you know why he¡¯s never found Antonio?¡±


    For the first time today, I¡¯d sessfully shocked Elio. His eyes widened and his lips parted without a sound. But I had meant the question in all seriousness.


    ¡°Part of me really wants to know why they never got revenge for my father, but I don¡¯t think I have it in me to openly ask Alessandro about it,¡± I admitted sheepishly.


    Elio silently nodded his head in understanding. He, of all people, knew what a heavy topic this was for me.


    ¡°How about the three of us go out to dinner tonight?¡± he suggested. ¡°Maybe it will ease your mind to have some of your questions answered.¡±


    I watched him send a quick text to Alessandro about the dinner invite. Within seconds, he received an answer back.


    ¡°Alessandro agreed toe out tonight. So, what do you say?¡±


    I gave him a small smile. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s meet him for dinner tonight.¡±


    ¡®Maybe then, I¡¯ll finally get some answers,¡¯ I thought to myself.

 Chapter 638 : Hell Hath No Fury

    <h4>Chapter 638: Chapter 638 : Hell Hath No Fury</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡°I¡¯m getting into the shower,¡± Cat called out.


    I rolled over on the bed, facing the door to the bathroom. I spotted her bare legs through the open door as she hummed gently to herself.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said in response, and she peeked her head around the door, giving me a smile before shutting the bathroom door behind her. I waited in bed, twirling my phone in one hand as I stared nkly at where she had disappeared.


    I heard the telltale sound of the shower running, the water pattering on the tile floor and ss windows. Small wisps of steam floated out from under the door, and I could almost feel the temperature change from the water despite knowing it was just in my head.


    It was only once I was sure I heard her step into the water, humming a song I couldn¡¯t identify, that I got out of bed, holding my phone uncharacteristically tight in my hands. It took only a few minutes to grab clothes from the closet and get dressed. As I buttoned up my shirt, I started the call, holding my phone between my ear and shoulder.


    I stared into the mirror, patiently waiting as it rang twice before he picked up with a grumbling, ¡°What is it now?¡±


    ¡°Bad day?¡± I said with a small smirk, wondering just what kind of bullshit Alessandro had been dealing with to sound so unhappy.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it. What do you need?¡± he asked, his annoyance shining through.


    I knew my uncle had little patience during bad days, and the first thing to go when he was stressed was his polite and utterly charming personality.


    Mind the sarcasm.


    ¡°You¡¯re still up for dinner tonight with me and Cat, right? She has... questions for you about her father¡¯s death.¡± I said cautiously.


    ¡°I see,¡± he muttered. ¡°And I¡¯m assuming her knowledge about the incident is limited?¡±


    ¡°She knows about our family. She doesn¡¯t know everything about Antonio, and I¡¯d like to keep it that way. She knows he killed her father and that he¡¯s here in the US, but she doesn¡¯t know that he leads a mafia group now. I¡¯m afraid that if she finds that out, she might start digging into things and making his people nervous, which would cause more trouble,¡± I said firmly.


    ¡°And you¡¯re just casually mentioning this so I don¡¯t tell her anything about him,¡± Alessandro figured out quickly, smarter than he appeared sometimes. He snorted, and I grit my teeth at the tone in his voice. ¡°Keeping secrets and telling yourself it¡¯s for their own good... that¡¯s just like your parents.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a lecture from you! Cat is under my protection, and I¡¯m not getting her involved in this. Tell her what she wants to know, but don¡¯t mention anything about what he¡¯s doing nowadays,¡± I said with finality.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you,¡± Alessandro said seriously. ¡°I won¡¯t outright say anything, but I¡¯m not going to lie for you. If she asks, I¡¯m telling her. He killed her father, Elio, and she deserves to know. But I won¡¯t go against your judgment, so long as she doesn¡¯t figure it out first. But you better be prepared, Elio. If the dayes when she figures out you were keeping this from her, well....¡±


    He gave a dark chuckle, and a shiver ran down my spine, like a demon itself hade down from hell to give me this warning.


    ¡°Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I relented quietly, not arguing any further.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll see you twoter at 71 Above. You know the one.¡±


    I nodded, not registering that he couldn¡¯t see me through the phone. ¡°See you there.¡±


    The call ended abruptly, and I could tell that despite promising not to say anything, Alessandro had made it very clear just what he thought about me hiding the truth from Cat.


    There was a war within me at that moment. I knew he was right, that Cat deserved to know the truth of what had happened to her father, including what Antonio was doing now, but I also wanted to protect her, to keep her from getting involved or doing something incredibly stupid like going after him herself.


    Antonio was dangerous.


    I didn¡¯t think that Cat couldprehend just how much.


    The secret about the family had been ingrained in our rtionship from the beginning. Her mother and I had talked about it when she first started living near me.


    At first, we didn¡¯t tell her because she was too young, just a child grieving for the parent that she had lost. We made excuses, telling ourselves it was for her own good, or that she was too busy adjusting to school, or the move, or that it wasn¡¯t the right time.


    But because Cat grew up not knowing about the mafia, she couldn¡¯t understand its dangers now the way I could. I knew she would be curious about Antonio. She knew that because of our underground dealings, he essentially got away with murdering her father. If she knew he was a mafia Don, I had the feeling it would make her try to get him arrested as a substitute punishment for that.


    But messing around with a mafia family was an easy way to get killed.


    Antonio was dug deep into our city and had connections everywhere. If she started digging up dirt, they¡¯d deal with it swiftly and precisely.


    The idea gave me a shudder.


    I finished dressing, waiting in the living room as I scrolled through my social media ounts, just waiting on Cat as she finished up her outfit.


    ¡°Elio.¡±


    Her voice caught my attention, and I looked up, my eyes widening at what I saw. In the elegant dress she wore, she was like a vision of a winter fairy. She wore an asymmetrical cut dress, cut just above her knees in the front but reaching her mid-calves in the back. It was a gorgeous pale periwinkle color with see-through sleeves andyers of intricate threading like frosted branches on trees across the fabric.


    With diamond earrings and her hair pulled into an intricate braided bun, she looked nothing like that young girl I¡¯d first met with that dull ze in her eyes. That doll-like beauty in her had only grown. She was like an otherworldly fairy that had stepped straight out of a storybook.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± I murmured, getting to my feet.


    I grabbed her small and delicate hand,ying a kiss on her knuckles. Her red lips twisted into a sweet smile, her cheeks giving a rosy glow that made her all the more enticing.


    A part of me wanted to keep her here, to make sure no other man couldy eyes on how beautiful she was, and the other part wanted to show everyone just how beautiful she was... and that she was all mine.


    ¡°Not so bad yourself.¡±


    She grinned, enfolding her arm around mine as we headed out. It didn¡¯t take long to get to 71 Above and soon enough, we were being directed by the waitress through the quiet and modern restaurant.


    We only needed to drop Alessandro¡¯s name before the waitress had hurriedly directed us straight through the line and to the table. She grabbed the reserved sign off the table, one closest to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking LA, and left us there with the menus and sses of water.


    Alessandro arrived only momentster with two of his bodyguards. Luckily for Cat¡¯sfort, they sat at the table beside us, touching nothing as they gazed around the building with suspicious eyes.


    ¡°Elio, Cat,¡± Alessandro said curtly.


    It was probably as polite as he could manage right then. Cat didn¡¯t seem to mind as she awkwardly nced at me and then Alessandro.


    ¡°So, how was the traffic?¡± She attempted a smile.


    ¡°Terrible,¡± he huffed as the waitress returned with a bottle of expensive-looking wine, already pouring it into the sses.


    ¡°Um, so how¡¯s your, uh, business¡ª¡±


    Alessandro rolled his eyes, cutting her off with a sharp look. ¡°I may look intimidating, but I¡¯m not going to eat you, okay Cat? I¡¯ve seen you a couple of times before, so we can stop with the whole polite thing. You wanted answers, right? Well, ask. I¡¯ll answer to the best of my ability.¡±


    Cat¡¯s eyes were wide, and she turned to me hesitantly.


    ¡°Go on.¡± I grinned, enjoying her lost look a little too much. I knew she was always an upright and polite person, so it must have been killing her. ¡°Alessandro¡¯s a good guy. He¡¯s like my dad, if my dad was twenty years younger, rude, and impatient and making a living from doing bad things to people. He¡¯s family, though, so no need for formalities.¡±


    Her lips pursed, discontentment brewing her eyes but despite that, she gave Alessandro a firm look, like steel was flowing through her veins, and said quite bluntly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you try to find Antonio? Why didn¡¯t you ever try to get justice for my father?¡±


    Alessandro raised an eyebrow, looking taken aback, as much as he could anyway, and he sent me a sly look. ¡°She doesn¡¯t hold any punches, does she?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± I grinned, taking a sip of the wine. It was pretty good, merlot.


    ¡°The truth is, we did look for him,¡± Alessandro said. ¡°Our intention was to find him and punish him for what he did but unfortunately, he slipped away. Men like Antonio don¡¯t live this long in our business without being good at what they do. Truth be told, Antonio is closer to a fox than a rat. He knows just what holes to crawl in to get out.¡±


    ¡°But why didn¡¯t you find him? Surely, he can¡¯t just disappear. Italy¡¯s not that big, is it?¡± she said with frustration in her tone. ¡°There had to be a reason he managed to get away, right?¡±


    ¡°There is,¡± Alessandro admitted, then he hesitantly nced at me.


    There was a hidden meaning in his eyes, and I grit my teeth as Cat followed his eyes to me. Immediately, she caught on, being much smarter than she gave herself credit for.


    Eyes zing with anger, she demanded firmly, ¡°You swore to tell me the truth. Now tell me.¡±


    I sighed, realizing I couldn¡¯t let this go on any further. She had a right to know.


    ¡°Tell her everything, Al.¡±


    So, he did.


    He told her about Antonio escaping to the US, meeting other members of their family who had defected, and how they built up an empire here, running the biggest Italian mafia ring in the US to this day, and how he was the reason we could never expand over here.


    He even told him about the threats he¡¯d made, the true goal behind killing Vinny and going after Cat and her mother now.


    I sipped the wine cautiously, keeping an eye on Cat¡¯s darkening expression as she took it all in like a sponge, calcting behind her eyes as she came to several very important conclusions.


    ¡°Unfortunately, he still evades us, but we tried to find him and identify all his associates, and we are still trying,¡± Alessandro finished, ncing between us like he might just see the start of a fight.


    Cat was silent for a long moment, digesting all the information before she turned to me with fury-filled eyes.


    ¡°He¡¯s a criminal here in the US. We could bring him down. And you kept it from me.¡±


    I gulped silently, understanding now what Alessandro had meant.


    Hell hath no fury, indeed.


    ¡°I did,¡± I admitted. ¡°I wanted to protect you after everything you recently learned, but I know understand that you need to know. You¡¯re not the same kid I have to protect anymore, but it¡¯s hard to break away from that habit. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I could tell her anger had not dispersed but my apology did dim it. She nodded slowly, sinking into her seat before she reached out and downed the whole ss of wine.


    ¡°Okay, you owe me a meal then,¡± she said more calmly than I thought she would be. Alessandro and I breathed a sigh of relief at the same time, ordering food as we let the conversation travel to other things.


    It wasn¡¯t until after dinner when Cat and I were walking out and leaving the bill with Alessandro that Cat pulled me into one of the unused hallways of the restaurant, a burning look in her eyes as she gripped my wrist tightly.


    She searched my eyes just as I did to her and finally said very seriously. ¡°I think I understand why you didn¡¯t tell me the truth, but you need to understand that he was my father. I lost my childhood because of that bastard, and I deserve to be involved in bringing Antonio down. So no more... you tell me everything, and I mean everything, or I will kick your ass so hard your ancestors will feel it. Do you understand me?¡±


    And there was a grim promise behind her words, a solemn vow that sent a shiver straight down my spine.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I whispered.


    She let go, turning to walk away, her hips swaying like nothing had happened.


    Well, shit.


    Why was that so goddamn hot?

 Chapter 639 : New Years Vacation

    <h4>Chapter 639: Chapter 639 : New Years Vacation</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡°Remember to stay safe and don¡¯t go off wandering by yourself.¡± My mother lectured me through the phone, her voice still filled with the overbearing worry that she¡¯d had when I was a kid.


    ¡°I know, Mom. I¡¯m not a child anymore.¡± I chuckled to myself, curling up a bundle of clothes and folding it within my already packed suitcase. I held my phone to one ear, nodding along to my mother as she prattled on how much she was going to miss me.


    ¡°When are you leaving?¡±


    ¡°In an hour or two. Don¡¯t worry so much. Elio will be with me, so it¡¯ll be okay. Plus, I can take care of myself now. I¡¯ll be perfectly safe,¡± I reassured her, zipping up my bag with thest of my stuff and taking a seat on the bed.


    Mom scoffed on the other end of the line.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re going to the Museum of Cotton and the walls, floors, and ceilings are covered head to toe with padding. I¡¯m still going to worry about you because I¡¯m your mother and that¡¯s what mothers do,¡± she said quite firmly.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see that, actually... might be fun for our next trip,¡± I teased her, giggling at the image she created in my imagination¡ªa whole museum just for the use of cotton with a building just made of a giant cotton suit. It sounded fun to my inner child but incredibly impractical to the realistic adult in my head.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just going to miss you so much. It¡¯s the first New Year I¡¯ve been away from you since you were born. I just can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going to be alone this year.¡± The sadness in her voice made me feel a little guilty, but I already knew she wasn¡¯t going to be alone.


    ¡°Alessandro¡¯s going to stay to help out the guards around you, and Elio¡¯s parents said they¡¯re having party tonight in LA. Valentino parties are legendary, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯d want to go. Plus, what about that guy you had a date with, Mom?¡±


    I was more than relieved to know that Alessandro had volunteered to help keep my mom safe while we were gone, especially with her new boyfriend.


    Elio had told me how his aunt got kidnapped after dating somebody new, and that apparently it was amon way to lure out protected targets. I hated thinking of my mom as a target, but I hated even more thinking she could be in danger from some random guy I had yet to meet.


    Alessandro promised to check out Mom¡¯s new boyfriend thoroughly, and though I wasn¡¯t quite sure what he meant by that, something illegal no doubt. I was thankful anyway.


    I was starting to think that Elio¡¯s words weren¡¯t wrong after all. If Mom or I had gone to the police for protection, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything since there was no proof of any wrongdoing.


    But working outside of thew, I knew that justice for my Dad just might be possible.


    ¡°Alright, you two have fun, you hear me?¡± Mom chuckled over the phone. ¡°But not too much fun, okay? And remember to use protection¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± Iined, my face burning with embarrassment.


    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Sheughed. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you, honey. Happy New Year.¡±


    ¡°Happy New Year, Mom.¡±


    Once the call ended, I took a deep breath to gather my thoughts. The excitement in the pit of my stomach was still bubbling around and I grinned to myself, feeling so much freer now that everything was in the open.


    It was like a veil had been lifted over my eyes, revealing all the colors and sites I couldn¡¯t see. I wasn¡¯t blind anymore. I could stand on equal ground with Elio and with my Mom. I could protect them like they had when I was a kid who didn¡¯t know anything.


    And most importantly, I could feel closer to my dad. I¡¯d spent so long being angry, feeling frustrated because he¡¯d left, because he was rarely ever here for me and Mom, but now I knew the truth.


    He¡¯d been protecting us from the mafia¡¯s dangers.


    I fingered the locket around my neck, remembering the words engraved there, the ones he hadn¡¯t been able to get me, but that Elio had spent so much time and effort tracking down for me.


    ¡°You ready?¡±


    I looked up, pulled from my thoughts and Elio stood in the doorway, leaning against the wall with a smile on his lips.


    ¡°As I¡¯ll ever be,¡± I said with a grin, getting to my feet. I lowered my suitcase to the floor, holding the handle so I could wheel it down. I shouldered my other bag, my carry-on, which really was more of a duffel bag that I¡¯d inherited from my mom. It was fraying and the zipper was broken, but it still worked.


    ¡°Remind me to get you a new one.¡± Elio made a face at my duffel bag, but he leaned out to grab it from me, hoisting it onto his shoulder instead. Iughed at the colorful bubblegum pink bag contrasting with his gray and ck color scheme.


    ¡°I like this one. It suits you.¡± Iughed as we headed downstairs, my suitcase thumping on each step. Outside, a ck sedan was waiting for us, and Elio waved for me to get in while he stuffed the trunk with the bags.


    I buckled up and Elio took the seat beside me. The man driving had ck sunsses on, and I met his gaze in the rearview mirror. I gave an awkward wave, unsure if I should say hi or not, and he just nodded in return, his eyes back on the road as he adjusted the mirror.


    I shrugged, buckling in just as Elio had.


    ¡°The airstrip isn¡¯t too far,¡± Elio reassured me as we pulled out of the driveway and onto the road. I spent my time scrolling on social media and checking my email and soon enough, we arrived at the airstrip.


    The moment I got out, my jaw dropped to the ground.


    I¡¯d never seen a private jet before, except for in movies, but this one was absolutely stunning. It was much bigger than I thought it would be but nothing like a regr airne. They had rolled out a red carpet up to the stairs and while I was staring in awe, Elio nonchntly grabbed my duffel.


    I spotted a few men loading our other luggage onto the ne and Elio grabbed my hand, tugging me up the carpet. I carefully went up the stairs, even more shocked once I saw the interior.


    It was like a fancy hotel crammed inside of a long hallway, with fancy recliners withrge pull-out tables. There was even a whole ass couch, and from what I spotted in the back, a bathroom with all the amenities.


    ¡°Impressed?¡± Elio smirked at me, as I took in the jet with wide eyes.


    ¡°Absolutely!¡± I said excitedly.


    He chuckled, helping me to one of the seats. He stuffed my duffle above us, locking thepartment with a key which he tucked into his jacket. ¡°My dad always owned his own jet, so I¡¯ve been flying in them for a long time. I was obsessed with nes and jets when I was a kid, so that¡¯s how my dad got into models. He used to build a new model ne with me every year on his birthday.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sweet.¡± I grinned, taking a seat.


    Elio took the one next to me, taking the moment for us to getfortable.


    ¡°Yeah, well, he could be sweet when he wanted to be.¡± Elio chuckled. ¡°After Mom and Dad left Italy and the family behind, Dad became kind of a stay-at-home dad. He still had thepany, but he mainly worked in the evenings andte after hours, meetings and all that. Mom did all the work at thepany herself.¡±


    I gave him a bright smile, happy to hear about part of his childhood. He gazed over at me, his cheeks burning as he scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.


    ¡°Sorry, I said too much,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m happy to hear about it.¡± I grabbed his hand, beaming. ¡°You know almost everything about me, so it¡¯s nice to hear when you were a kid and weren¡¯t as well put together as you are now.¡±


    ¡°Well put together,¡± he scoffed, grinning. ¡°I¡¯m still an absolute mess. That¡¯s why I love you so much.¡± Heced our fingers together, keeping his heated eyes on me as he pulled my hand to his lips, delicatelyying a kiss there.


    ¡°Flirt,¡± I smirked.


    ¡°Only with you.¡±


    The preparations for the jet finished up and the same guard who had driven us there climbed in, folding the ne door closed behind him. He took his seat toward the front and Elio helped me find the seatbelts. Once we were ready, the jet started to move and I clutched his hand tightly, nervous and excited as we took off into the sky.


    I spent the few hours of the ride trying to guess where we were going, and Elio passed out a few hints with a grin, letting me curl around in my chair as I couldy my head on his shoulder, watching the clouds pass by out the window.


    ¡°Is it sunny there?¡± I guessed, softly. ¡°Like LA is? Could it be Florida?¡±


    ¡°Nope. It¡¯s actually snowing there this time of year.¡±


    ¡°What are they known for? New York¡¯s known for pizza, right? Is it New York?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not New York.¡± He chuckled. ¡°But they do have a lot of good food.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not too far away? We¡¯re not heading to Asia, are we?¡±


    ¡°The flight is only an hour and thirty minutes, real short, and we¡¯re not leaving the country, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Minnesota.¡±


    ¡°I said it¡¯s snowing this time of the year, not all year.¡± Heughed.


    Despite my best sleuth skills, I couldn¡¯t figure it out in the short flight. Soon enough, we were touching down and right as the jet came to a halt, the speaker lit up.


    ¡°This is your pilot speaking. Wee to Lake Tahoe.¡±


    I gasped, immediately climbing to look out the window but all I could see was the gray of the airstrip and a forest of trees around us, each covered with nkets of white snow.


    ¡°We¡¯re in Nevada?¡± I asked with sparkling eyes.


    ¡°On the border, but yes.¡± Heughed.


    I beamed, practically bursting with excitement as we made our way from the jet and to the car waiting for us. Our luggage was carried with us, and I stared out the window as we started the long drive to the north side of theke.


    Lake Tahoe was beautiful, with snowy, forested fields with no sign of therge, towering buildings I was used to or the mansions on every street corner. It was simply perfect.


    ¡°Cat, there¡¯s the house we¡¯re using. We¡¯ll also have a private chef.¡± Elio pointed out toward the vacation vi sitting just off the side of theke, built right into the mountainside. Under all the snow, it was almost hard to see if not for the unusually bright colors of the painted exterior¡ªbright blues and cks among the white and green.


    ¡°Is there skiing? Swimming? Water-skiing?¡± The visions of my imagination bounced in my head.


    Elio chuckled, throwing an arm around my shoulder and pressing a kiss to my temple. ¡°Later. First, we¡¯re going to the spa. You¡¯re probably stiff from the flight and the car ride, right?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I smiled, snuggling into his chest. ¡°But then you teach me how to ski.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±

 Chapter 640 : The Right Man

    <h4>Chapter 640: Chapter 640 : The Right Man</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I had to admit that Elio had picked the perfect vacation spot. Elio took me to a luxurious couples¡¯ spa, and I swear to god the masseuse had hands of gold. She managed to target every spot of tension on my shoulders and back, rubbing them away until I was a pile of naked melted humans on her table.


    I didn¡¯t even remember what kind of nonsense I had spouted out, but Elio told me afterward that he nearly died from holding in hisughter. But I couldn¡¯t have helped it even if I tried. Years of anxiety had poured from me like a snake shedding its skin and I felt brand new.


    The charcoal lift mask was amazing, leaving my whole face baby-bottom smooth, and the foot scrub had been delightful. I was ticklish on the bottom of my feet, but luckily my masseuse was careful and very gentle as she got rid of all the calluses and dry skin.


    I had been too nervous to do the hot stones, but Elio appreciated them very much, though I did get a bit jealous to hear how much he was moaning from the ck little stones.


    After the spa, Elio kept his promise as he took me up to the mountain. I had never seen so much snow in my entire life, the forest nketed with blinding white. After so many years in LA, I had virtually no immunity to just how cold it was going to be.


    I could get cold on a summer day, but the top of the mountain was below freezing. Elio helped me into my new snowsuit, double packing until I stoppedining and the cold was bearable.


    When it came to skiing, we learned I had virtually no talent. It took me several tries to even stand on the skis let alone move on them. My sense of bnce was way off being strapped to the wooden sticks on my feet, so I kept falling straight into the snow.


    Elio was patient with me though, helping me get back up every time, and with his encouragement, I was able to brush myself off and try again. After a few hours, I was able to travel down the baby slopes by myself and without falling.


    Elio told me it was a major improvement for only one day of practicing, but I was pretty sure he was just trying to be nice. There was a five-year-old girl who skied past me several times after only an hour of practice.


    I was ny percent sure I just sucked, and maybe ten percent wary that the little girl was just a future Olympian. Elio took me back to the vi for lunch and made me what he called his specialty hot chocte.


    With a cinnamon stick, a mound of whipped cream, and chocte shavings, not to mention a roasted marshmallow on top, it was in fact the most delicious hot chocte I¡¯d ever had, and also the biggest sugar rush.


    We curled up by the firece, getting warm together with the steaming pile of mugs, and I was feeling more loved than I had in my entire life. I didn¡¯t have to raise a finger. Elio was already there pampering me to his heart¡¯s content.


    And curled up in his arms, my belly full of warm hot chocte and the crackling of the fire in my ear, it didn¡¯t take long before my eyes closed, and I drifted off into sleep.


    I would¡¯ve slept all night if it hadn¡¯t been for the delicious scent of a roast cooking in the oven and the loud rumble of my stomach in response, loud enough that I jerked awake, eyes blinking furiously as I adjusted to the bright room.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve slept longer.¡± Elio¡¯s low voice brushed the base of my ear.


    I yawned, shifting inside his embrace. Our legs were still tangled together and there was a mound of nkets on top of us, but it was warm and kind and everything I could ever want.


    I wrapped my arms around his waist, burying further into his warm and strong body as I mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Heughed, the sound sweeter than any candy to my ears. I saw his grin from the corner of my eye, brighter than the sun, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile in response as heid azy kiss on the top of my head.


    ¡°Dinner¡¯s almost ready, but I have another surprise for you if you want it,¡± he teased, brushing his hand through my hair.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I groaned, only half-joking. ¡°I¡¯mfy here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be worth it, I promise,¡± he murmured.


    I couldn¡¯t exactly miss that, now, could I?


    It took a bit to gain the motivation to push myself off the couch and out of his arms, but I let him lead me upstairs to the bedroom we were sharing.


    ¡°Go ahead and change. I¡¯ll meet you downstairs when you¡¯re ready,¡± he told me with a grin, giving me no other clues as to what his special surprise was before he shut the door and left me alone.


    The first thing I noticed was the whole bouquet of roses lying on top of the bed, gorgeous and bright and real. I stepped forward with a smile on my face as I pulled one from the dozen, lifting it to my nose. The fragrance was wee, a breath of fresh air from the scent of firewood that had been burning while I was asleep.


    The second thing I noticed once I was closer was therge white boxying underneath the bouquet. There was a note on the box that had one simple sentence.


    ¡®I hope you like it.¡¯


    I gently pushed the bouquet over to the side, digging my fingers into the thin lid and lifting it up. My heart leaped to my throat, and I took in a shaky breath. Sure enough, it was a dress, a beautiful one at that.


    It was silk, a shiny ck color with red ents. There was a red tulleyer under the mid-thigh skirt and as I put it on, I could see the red with every movement like a teasing bullfighter waving the color in front of a raging bull.


    It was a halter top,pletely backless, and I felt a little nervous about showing that much skin. But once I stepped in front of the mirror, I fell in love with the dress.


    It was deceivingly simple, but there were so many hiddenyers to the dress that I loved¡ªthecework in red by the low-cut dip, the way it hugged all of my curves but remained loose enough that the skirt twirled without revealing anything.


    Most of all, I loved how it made me look... like a temptress ready to bewitch any man who crossed her. It was ssy with just enough of a sexual tone to it.


    There was no sign of a little girl in the mirror. Looking back was a full-grown woman, and everyone who saw me would know it.


    I grinned proudly, twirling a few times just out of happiness but eventually, the smell of food traveled to the upper floor. My stomach rumbled and I knew I couldn¡¯t put it off any longer.


    I pulled on my strappy heels, holding the rose I plucked in one hand as I exited the bedroom and descended the staircase. At the foot of the stairs waiting for me was Elio with his hands shoved into his pockets. His back was to me, but I could see he too had changed into a nice tux in a dark blue. Even his hair lookedbed and slicked back.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the surprise?¡± I called out with a smile.


    Elio flinched in surprise, turning on his heel. The moment his eyesnded on me, I saw them widen and then darken. His heated gaze felt like burning coal on my skin as I descended thest few steps.


    All I could see was his eyes, shining with love and desire as he watched me approach him.


    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± he smirked, offering his arm to me like a proper gentleman.


    Iughed, my cheeks hot as he led me from the staircase deeper into the house. It was still only the first day, so I hadn¡¯t had time to explore the vi properly.


    But I could see his mother¡¯s touch everywhere, including the few paintings on the walls that looked like they were fingerpainted to the bright atmosphere. The halls were a pale-yellow color¡ªa shade I¡¯d seen before at the Valentino house.


    There was an earthly touch to an otherwise otherworldly vi like this, something neither Elio nor his father would¡¯ve been able to pull off. Rich kids were a different breed after all.


    And though I¡¯d never beenpletely poor because of my mother¡¯s various jobs and the money my father had given us, I never quite had the luxuries that someone like Elio would have had. I spotted one of the framed drawings inside, made with crayons and marked on the corner with a very crooked script of ¡®Elio and Mommy.¡¯


    I grinned, giving him a teasing look. He just coughed, turning away as he led me through the halls to the backyard. I wasn¡¯t quite sure what to expect until we took our first foot outside.


    Greenery hung from everywhere, the veranda practically dripping in it, but sitting in the middle kept away from the snow was a table and two chairs, perfectly prepared for a dinner by candlelight.


    ¡°Surprise.¡± Elio grinned.


    I rolled my eyes but stood on my tiptoes andid a kiss on his cheek anyway.


    ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s beautiful, Elio,¡± I gave him a smile.


    He grinned, his cheeks turning red as he sent me a smothering look. He led me to the table where he held out my seat for me, making mefortable before taking the other side.


    Despite the cold, it was warmer than I thought it would be, until I spotted the half a dozen heaters discreetly ced around. His thoughtfulness knew no bounds it seemed, and this was just the beginning of his surprise.


    Waiters came out to deliver a basket of fresh rolls. We talked long and hard about everything, from simple things such as our favorite foods and colors to how Elio felt about his parents being part of the mafia and then leaving it. We talked about my father and how his death had affected me growing up, which I realized was more than I once thought.


    Soon, our food came out¡ªherb-crusted steaks and roasted red potatoes, grilled garlic asparagus, and mushrooms. Everything was delicious and so worth getting dressed up for. I didn¡¯t know how it happened but after dinner, I ended up sitting in Elio¡¯sp, no longer facing the table but outward across the massiveke just below the mountain.


    It was a beautiful sight and I cuddled into his embrace, perfectly content to be in his arms for the rest of my life... until dessert came out, anyway.


    Elio was kind enough to feed me spoonfuls of the mousse and cream tarts, each one more delicious than thest. But soon enough, the sky above theke lit up with sts of colors.


    Fireworks exploded and I gasped with awe, watching them make shapes and leave imprints over theke. The show didn¡¯tst long, but it felt like forever as I savored every moment of it.


    And when they ended, my heart was still pounding, my chest filled with emotions that I feared would overflow and empty into theke.


    What would love to look like once it had devoured me whole?


    ¡°Did you like it?¡± Elio asked in my ear, a smile in his voice.


    Still feeling like I might explode like the fireworks, I gently disentangled my limbs from his, turning in hisp until we were face to face. I leaned over him, eyes locked on his until we were centimeters from each other¡¯s lips. And there was no way I could keep the words back from pouring out of my lips.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    The wind took my whisper like a dandelion taking a wish.


    His eyes reflected into mine, and we both could see clearly the same inexplicably unbreakable feeling echoed back. Our lips met in a sh of sweetness and heat and without breaking apart, Elio got to his feet, taking me with him as I clung to him tightly. No other words were spoken as he kissed me all the way up the staircase, the rest of the world a blur as he piled into our room and my back mmed across the plush bed.


    It was a tangle of limbs as our passion became untamed and wild and I realized in a brief pause as he shed his shirt and tugged my dress off my shoulders, that it had only been a month.


    My entire life had changed in a single month, and I thanked the heavens above that I¡¯d returned home when I did. I was able to have this in my life.


    Now, I loved the right man.

 Chapter 641 : Make Them Pay

    <h4>Chapter 641: Chapter 641 : Make Them Pay</h4>


    *Caterina*


    Too soon, we were headed back home after a trip that I never would have even dreamed I would get to go on. Already my life with Elio was feeling like such a fairytale, it was hard for me to believe that any of this was real.


    We were only a few minutes away fromnding in the private jet, and I was curled up against Elio¡¯s chest in a seat so plush that I could hardly believe it was on a ne. I stared out the window at the perfect blue day, nothing but sunshine and sky and a few puffy clouds.


    I had never been a big fan of the word ¡®perfect.¡¯ There were too many expectations tied up in it. You started throwing around the word perfect and suddenly you realized that nothing in life could ever measure up. As someone who had often felt that I didn¡¯t measure up in life, I tried hard not to get anyone¡¯s expectations too high, including my own.


    But snuggling up to Elio on a private jet after we¡¯d just spent a magical weekend together felt as close to perfect as I could possibly imagine.


    Elio absently rubbed circles against my arms, his fingers leaving goosebumps wherever they went. I leaned back and nestled my head against his shoulder, my favorite ce to be. I¡¯d noticed that now that we were finally out in the open, Elio was touchier than I ever could have imagined.


    He loved to wrap his arms around me and hold me close, and I was quickly finding that I loved it too. I just felt safe with him in a way that I had never felt before. Pulling me even closer, he dropped a kiss to my temple and let his lips linger there.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he murmured, just barely loud enough to hear above the whining of the jet.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I said back.


    I was still struggling to believe how far our rtionship had progressed in such a short time. I supposed it all made sense, considering our past together. And things with him were too perfect for me to want to take it slow. I wanted all of him¨Chis heart and soul¨Cand I wanted it now.


    It felt like my entire life had been leading up to this moment with this man. Everything we¡¯d been through together, all the ups and downs, had brought us to this point.


    Just as we came to a smoothnding on the runway, Elio¡¯s phone started ringing. He held up his phone so I could see that it was Alessandro calling him.


    His face immediately changed from the happy, rxed expression that he had been wearing all weekend to one of stress. I knew that Alessandro had promised not to call unless there was an emergency.


    The hand that Elio kept on my arm stopped itszy movements and went rigid instead. I reached up and linked my fingers with his, trying to provide some of the samefort that he had given me. I prayed that maybe Alessandro had good news for him, but I knew there was no such luck.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he answered.


    I couldn¡¯t hear Alessandro¡¯s end of the call, but judging by Elio¡¯s face, it was bad. He pulled away from me entirely and sat straight up, his body radiating tension.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be right there,¡± he said before hanging up.


    He took a deep breath and raked his hand through his hair before turning to me, concern written all over his face.


    ¡°Someone broke into the house,¡± he said, his voice overly calm.


    My heart dropped to my stomach. That was exactly why I hated the word ¡®perfect.¡¯ I had finally started to let myself believe that somehow this perfection could be mine, and now I was paying the consequences. Nothing could ever be perfect.


    ¡°Wh¨Cwhat?¡± I managed to grit out, my breathing irregr as I imagined all the horrific things that could¡¯ve happened to my mom while we were off having fun.


    ¡°Come on, we need to get to the car. I¡¯ll tell you more once we¡¯re on our way.¡± He stood up and helped me up, keeping his arm wrapped tightly around me and leading me out.


    Luckily, the ne had stopped taxiing by that point. The single flight attendant opened the door just in time for us to rush out to the car that was waiting on the tarmac. I was d that Elio had nned ahead so we didn¡¯t have to make any calls. The second we were in the car, Elio instructed the driver to go as quickly as possible to my home.


    Finally, he turned to me. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. Alessandro was with your mom when he called. That¡¯s all that matters, that they didn¡¯t hurt her or anybody else. We can figure this out.¡±


    I nodded absently but couldn¡¯t bring myself to respond. I stared out my window, mind racing. The thought of someone breaking into my home, of them viting our space and my mother¡¯s safety... it was too much. It was sickening to think that such a vition could have happened to us.


    My mom and I weren¡¯t even involved in the life. Targeting us proved that Antonio didn¡¯t give a flying fuck about anybody. All he wanted to do was spread violence and unhappiness. Not for the first time, I wished that someone would have taken him out years ago.


    Somehow, he and his men had snuck past multiple armed guards. How was it even possible that this had happened?


    I felt terrified. The only reason I had agreed to go on the trip with Elio was because he had assured me that my mom would be safe. Now, I wasn¡¯t so sure that anybody was safe from Antonio and his men.


    Elio reached out for me as we rode in the back of the car and pulled me closer so that he could wrap his arms around me. He looked just as stricken as I felt.


    I tried to takefort in his closeness, but all I could feel was fear. I had thought that finding out the truth about my father and my life would make me feel more powerful, but I worried that now I was doomed to live a life of looking over my shoulder. How would I ever feel safe living in a world where people wanted me dead just because of my deceased father¡¯s connections? They had already killed him, but that wasn¡¯t enough. They wanted to take out my mom... and me too.


    Elio tucked his hand under my chin and tilted my face to look at his. ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright,¡± he promised.


    I desperately wanted to be able to believe him.


    After what felt like hours of driving, we finally arrived home. Alessandro met us at the front door and grimly led us to the living room. I gasped the second we saw the damage. They had trashed our living room, with deep knife cuts ripped through every pillow and couch cushion.


    The worst of all was the message they had scrawled on the wall in garish red paint: ¡°Stop the deals or we stop you.¡± The paint had dripped messily down the wall, making their intended message clear¡ªnext time, it wouldn¡¯t be pillows on the receiving end of their knives.


    ¡°This is horrible,¡± I muttered, looking around at the cushion stuffing that was strewn about the floor.


    It must have taken a while for them to be able to do so much damage. The fact that they had gone undetected sent a fresh wave of fear down my spine.


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± Alessandro said, nodding his head toward the kitchen.


    He and Elio started to walk away, once again trying to keep me out of discussions that involved me. Instead of giving over to the rage and fear that swirled within, I forced it down and calmly said, ¡°Talk here. This is my home. These people are making threats against me. I deserve to know what¡¯s going to happen.¡±


    Alessandro looked at Elio, a question in his eyes. I lifted my chin defiantly. It didn¡¯t matter what Elio said. I was going to be involved in this. Although I was ready to fight, Elio simply nodded at me.


    ¡°Alright, love, no more secrets.¡±


    I let out a breath, tears pricking my eyes. I hadn¡¯t realized just how much it would mean to me to finally be trusted to be involved. Seeing the emotions on my face, Elio stepped across the disaster in the middle of the room and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, squeezing gently.


    Alessandro raised his eyebrows, obviously surprised that Elio was willing to include me, but he didn¡¯t protest. I wondered if it was his memories of my father that kept him from wanting me to be involved, but I couldn¡¯t dwell too long on that train of thought for fear that I would lose my resolve. I needed to be involved in this. Antonio had forced my hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious what they were hoping to aplish with this little disy,¡± Alessandro spat, holding his arm out to indicate the ugly writing on the wall. ¡°They want to scare you and your mom into trying to get us in line. And apparently, they think that this kind of shit is the way to do it. Luckily for us, I know that you and your mom aren¡¯t so easily swayed. It¡¯ll take more than a little red paint and some ruined couch cushions to get you two to turn tail and run.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we can just let this go,¡± Elio interjected, his jaw clenched in anger.


    ¡°No, of course not,¡± Alessandro agreed.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the n?¡± I asked, impatient to know what would happen to the men who¡¯d dared to invade my home... the same men who had gotten away with murdering my father.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already got men on their way from Italy,¡± Alessandro said. ¡°This shit ends now, and it ends for good.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to finally track down Antonio?¡± I asked, hopeful that my father¡¯s killer would finally receive the justice he deserved.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re going to track him down alright,¡± Alessandro said, a mean glint in his eyes. ¡°And then we¡¯re going to make that bastard wish he¡¯d never even fucking looked in our direction.¡±


    A nasty sort of excitement rose in me. I wanted Antonio to pay for everything he had done to me and my family, and I had a feeling that Alessandro was going to make sure he did exactly that. I just wished I could see the look in Antonio¡¯s eyes when he realized that he¡¯d messed with the wrong family.


    Elio rubbed his hand down my arm, I assumed to try to providefort. But I didn¡¯t needfort.


    I needed revenge.

 Chapter 642 : Making Plans

    <h4>Chapter 642: Chapter 642 : Making ns</h4>


    *Elio*


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of pride at the look of angry determination in Cat¡¯s eyes as we discussed what we were going to do to Antonio. I loved how fierce she was. She would never be the type who cowered away from her problems, she was determined to face them head-on.


    Even though the thought of her getting more involved in this than she already terrified me, I had to admit that it was a turn-on to watch her demand to take part in it.


    Alessandro nodded at me, then turned to make a few more phone calls. Caterina looked up at me as if she was just waiting for me to let her loose on Antonio. I smiled at her and reached my hand out to cup her cheek.


    It enraged me to see what Antonio¡¯s men had done to her home, and although I hated that it had happened while Matilde was here, I was overwhelmingly d that I¡¯d taken Cat away for the weekend. It made bile rise in my stomach just to imagine Antonio¡¯s men sneaking into Cat¡¯s house while she slept peacefully. I wasn¡¯t sure I would ever be able to let her sleep on her own again.


    ¡°I need to call Leo. He wants to be a part of this,¡± I told Cat, moving my hand from her cheek to her shoulder.


    I squeezed slightly,forting myself with the fact that she was safe with me. I had been on the fence about joining the mafia life, but now I knew that trying to keep Caterina safe just might be enough to push me over the edge. I was more determined than ever to rid the world of anyone who would dare to threaten her safety, starting with Antonio.


    ¡°Alright,¡± she said. ¡°I probably should go talk to my mom anyway.¡±


    She wandered off, giving me privacy for my call. I appreciated that she was finally trusting me enough to not want to eavesdrop on every phone call. I felt guilty about the fact that it was my own lies that had gotten her to that point.


    It felt so much better now that we had everything out in the open. I felt like an idiot for hiding everything from her for so long. She was right. The more she knew, the safer she could keep herself.


    I pulled out my phone and called Leo. He picked up quickly.


    ¡°Hey man,¡± I said, avoiding any small talk. ¡°There¡¯s been an incident. Antonio and his men made a direct threat to Caterina and Matilde. We¡¯re talking options now and I¡¯m going to need you soon.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to get too detailed on the phone. It was always best to only get into specifics in person. You never knew who could be listening in.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready, just let me know when,¡± he said simply before hanging up. He knew how I felt about phone calls.


    I always knew he¡¯d have my back. I was d he was in this with me every step of the way. We hung up and I walked out of the room, searching for Cat. She had wandered up to her bedroom while on the phone with her mother. When she heard mee in, she turned around. I shut the door behind me to give us a few moments of privacy.


    ¡°Alright, I love you, Mom,¡± she said before hanging up.


    She looked at me with tears shining in her eyes.


    ¡°I could¡¯ve lost her,¡± she whispered.


    In two quick steps, I crossed the room and wrapped her in my arms. I knew that the shock of everything was wearing off and now that she had spoken to her mom, she was finally processing the true horror of what could have happened.


    Cat copsed against my chest, letting me hold her up. Her entire body shook with her sobs. I held her and rubbed my hands up and down her back, desperate to provide her with some sort offort. I wished more than anything that we had the time for me to carry her to her bed and hold her until she felt safe again, but time was of the essence.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay,¡± I murmured. ¡°Everyone¡¯s okay, baby. Everyone¡¯s safe.¡±


    I must have repeated the word ¡°safe¡± a few dozen times before finally her crying slowed down and she was able to take a few deep breaths.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, just breathe with me,¡± I told her, keeping my breathing even and slow. She pulled away from me slightly and wiped self-consciously at her eyes.


    ¡°God, I don¡¯t know what that was about,¡± she said, her breath hitching slightly.


    I wiped the remaining tears from her face and rubbed at her makeup where it had smudged slightly. She gave me a watery smile, visibly embarrassed about her emotional outburst.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you feelfortable enough to let me see how you really feel,¡± I told her. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard for you to be vulnerable with anyone. It means a lot to me that you trust me like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just d you¡¯re here, Elio,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I tell you that enough.¡±


    Her words warmed my heart. I didn¡¯t know how much I needed to hear them until she had said them. I really did know that she loved me, but being loved and being liked and appreciated were two separate things. Knowing that she liked and appreciated me made me feel far more secure in our rtionship.


    I hadn¡¯t really consciously realized it, but I had spent a lot of time feeling slightly insecure about whether or not she really wanted me around. I supposed it had to do with the many times that she had screamed in my face to leave her alone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll always be here for you,¡± I told her earnestly, and I meant it.


    I had always been there for her, and I always would. There was nobody else for me but her. She was the most important person in my life.


    She nestled back against my chest, and I took a second to revel in thefort of her touch, but I knew that every second that passed was just more time for Antonio and his men to prepare for our retaliation. With a sigh, I pulled away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can stay here anymore,¡± I said gently, knowing she would fight if she thought I was trying to boss her around.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want to anyway, knowing that they could so easily get in.¡± She shuddered.


    I nodded, neither of us needed to go down that train of thought. It was terrifying, to say the least. I took her hand and led us both back down to the living room, where Alessandro was finishing up a phone call.


    ¡°That was Gio,¡± he said after he hung up. ¡°I wanted him to know what our ns are. He agreed that this needs to happen. Now, I¡¯ve already got a safe house set up, so we just need to get Cat and Matilde there. Cat, can you pack for the both of you? If you forget something, I can send someone to pick up more stuff. But I want us all to leave here soon. I don¡¯t want to give Antonio¡¯s men a chance to put a tail on us.¡±


    Caterina nodded and rushed off to pack a few bags for herself and her mother. Within moments, she rejoined us in the living room with two giant suitcases trailing behind her.


    Alessandro¡¯s men were already on their way to the safehouse with Matilde, so the three of us got into Alessandro¡¯s car and made our way there as well.


    ¡°Where are you guys going after this?¡± Caterina asked suspiciously as we drove.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to go do some surveince,¡± Alessandro answered.


    ¡°Take me with you,¡± she insisted.


    Alessandro scoffed and shook his head. I knew he was pretty old-fashioned when it came to his desire to keep women out of the family business, but the way he was acting was only going to make Caterina more determined to start arguing. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want her involved just because she was a woman. I just didn¡¯t want to have to worry about her safety on top of my own.


    ¡°Cat, someone needs to be with your mom,¡± I said soothingly. ¡°I promise, we won¡¯t do anything without you.¡±


    She stared into my eyes, seemingly trying to sense whether I was lying. I stared right back.


    ¡°Fine. But promise me that nothing happens unless I¡¯m there!¡± she demanded.


    I chuckled and held out my pinky. ¡°I pinky promise.¡±


    In spite of her attempt to keep her face angry, her mouth quirked up at the gesture. Sheughed as she held her hand out and tangled her pinky with mine. ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± she said.


    I couldn¡¯t argue with that.


    Too soon, we were at the safehouse, and it was time for me to leave Caterina with her mother. After the events of the day, I really didn¡¯t want to leave her at all, but I knew it was for the best. I needed to be able to put all my attention into the task at hand.


    Alessandro and I headed to get Leo. I texted him to be outside waiting for us so that we could quickly get him and go. He slid into the backseat behind me. Before taking off again, Alessandro said, ¡°Leo, hand me that ck bag next to you.¡±


    Leo followed his instructions. From the bag, Alessandro pulled out two sleek handguns, both charcoal colored and polished enough to remove any serial numbers.


    ¡°Both of you need to carry these at all times. You¡¯re going to need them now. No sense in being caught like you werest time,¡± Alessandro said gruffly.


    I took the gun as he handed it to me, impressed by the weight of it in spite of its small size. I tucked it into the back of my waistband as I had seen my own father do when I was much younger. The metal was cool against my skin, but it quickly warmed.


    Before long, I was used to the feel of it against my back. I knew that it was like another body part now. I would keep it on me every single day. I nced back to look at Leo and could tell he was having simr thoughts. The road we had been slowly going down was quickly getting to a point of no return.


    Alessandro pulled into the parking lot of an unassuming building that looked like it was a few offices. When we got inside, I realized that it was yet another front for the family. Alessandro¡¯s men milled about inside,ughing and talking. When Alessandro walked in, they all quieted quickly and turned to face him, waiting for him to address them all.


    Alessandro turned to me and smiled broadly.


    ¡°Wee home, Elio.¡±

 Chapter 643 : Exploring Campus

    <h4>Chapter 643: Chapter 643 : Exploring Campus</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I woke up with a start, looking around and trying to figure out where the hell I was. After a few seconds, my brain managed to catch up to my situation and I remembered that I was at the safehouse. I hated the room that had been designated as mine. It was small and cramped, and the walls were painted a shade of drab gray that I could only associate with prisons.


    Elio hadn¡¯te back the night before, so I had spent the night tossing and turning, worrying over whether or not he was safe and wondering about what was happening.


    I rolled out of bed and pulled my robe over my pajamas so that I could grab some breakfast from the kitchen. I needed something to eat before I could bother with getting dressed or thinking too deeply about where the fuck Elio might be. It made me nervous that he hadn¡¯t even texted me an update.


    It turned out I didn¡¯t have to wonder any longer. Elio was in the kitchen already eating breakfast with my mother. A little spark of irritation started to light within me, until he looked up from his eggs and broke into a huge grin.


    That grin would be the death of me. It left me weak at the knees and desperate to rush over to him and do whatever he wanted. Thankfully, I was able to maintain a bit of self-respect in front of my mom by walking over and dropping a small kiss on his cheek.


    ¡°Where were youst night?¡± I asked, trying not to sound usatory. After the stress of yesterday, I had really wanted thefort of sleeping in his arms.


    ¡°I got backte and didn¡¯t want to wake you. I was out with Alessandro and his men well into the night.¡±


    He reached up and took my hand, bringing it to his mouth for a quick kiss.


    It felt strange to be so open in front of my mom, but I loved that we could finally be a normal couple... well, as normal as two people currently hiding out in a safe house from a power-hungry mafia wannabe could be.


    ¡°What are you up to today?¡± he asked, still holding onto my hand.


    ¡°I need to get ready for the semester. I thought I¡¯d ask Anna if she wanted to go grab textbooks at the campus bookstore and then show me around campus.¡±


    I nced toward my mom, hoping she¡¯d be pleased to hear that I was checking out the campus. I knew she cared deeply about my education and wanted to ensure that I kept going.


    ¡°I¡¯d really prefer it if you just stay here until we get everything under control,¡± he said, his eyes pleading with me not to turn this into a fight.


    I wasn¡¯t going to turn it into a fight. But I sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to hide out in this safehouse for the rest of my life.


    ¡°School doesn¡¯t stop just because my life has bepletely batshit insane,¡± I said, keeping my voice calm.


    ¡°Sweetheart, I really would prefer you to stay here too,¡± my mom chimed in.


    I had to actively fight the urge to roll my eyes disrespectfully. That was the old me, I reminded myself. I was an adult now and I could make my own choices, but nobody would trust me to make them if I acted like a brat, although I did feel deeply betrayed that she had taken his side over mine.


    ¡°I get that, Mom, but I need something normal to do today. If I just stay here twiddling my thumbs, I¡¯m going to lose it. I¡¯ll be perfectly safe going to campus with Anna. You can even track me on my phone if that would make you feel better.¡±


    ¡°Wait, she can track your phone?¡± Elio asked. ¡°I want to track your phone.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± I said, walking away to grab a bowl of cereal.


    I loved the man, but nothing good woulde of him watching my every move. I heard my mom chuckle behind me.


    The rest of our meal was spent in charged silence.I could tell that both my mom and Elio were damn near biting their tongues off to keep from telling me what they thought I should do. I appreciated that they had finally learned their lesson and stopped trying to force me to go along with whatever they wanted. I had to make my own decisions in life. I could not give up the freedom that I had finally gained when I moved to New York, it would only make me want to run away again.


    What Elio and I had was special and real, but if we wanted this to work, he had to trust me.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve got to go get some writing done,¡± my mom said before standing up and heading back to the room that she¡¯d imed for herself. ¡°Please be safe, Caterina.¡±


    Mom left the room, and it was just Elio and me sitting across from each other, both knowing exactly what the other was thinking but refusing to acknowledge it. The tension in the air was stifling.


    After a few more silent moments, he finally said, ¡°I just want to keep you safe.¡± His voice was strained with emotion.


    ¡°I know it, and I really appreciate that, but you have to trust me. I can keep myself safe. And I¡¯ll call you if anything weird happens. Hell, I¡¯ll even text you every half hour just so you know I¡¯m doing okay.¡±


    He hung his head, and I could tell that he¡¯d given up on trying to convince me to stay. I finished up my meal and ran to my room to get dressed before he could change his mind.


    While I was dressing, I texted Anna to ask if she wanted to meet up. Luckily, she was avable. I was sure that Elio would not want me to go alone.


    Elio came into my room just as I was about to leave. There was a hungry look in his eyes that sent a thrill straight to my heart.


    ¡°I missed youst night,¡± he said, his voice gravelly. ¡°I had hoped to spend the morning in here with you.¡±


    I responded by wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him into a deep kiss. I had missed him more than made sense to me. I had tossed and turned all night, unable to get to sleep without his strong arms wrapped around me. I didn¡¯t understand how it was possible that I was already so addicted to sleeping with him.


    ¡°I missed you too. I promise I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± I said as I pulled away from the kiss.


    He let me go, but his facial expression told me how he really felt.


    As I pulled up to Anna¡¯s apartment building, I let myself forget about everything that was going on and focus only on the excitement of starting at a new school. I had always been a sucker for new beginnings, and this was no exception. The fact that Anna and I would finally get to go to the same school only made it better.


    She bounced out to my car without a care in the world. It was strange to remember that not everyone¡¯s world had been rocked the past few days. Some people were just living their normal lives, free from mafia bullshit.


    I decided that I wasn¡¯t going to tell her the details about what was going on. Not only did she deserve to keep living her life naive of the dangers that lurked, but I also knew that she would be much safer if she didn¡¯t know anything. Fuck, suddenly it madeplete sense why my mom and Elio had kept so much from me.


    ¡°Hey, girl!¡± she eximed as she got into the car. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on! How was your trip with Elio?¡±


    ¡°It was amazing, honestly,¡± I told her, happy to be able to gush about it without having to dredge up the memory of what had happened when we got back.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d, I want to hear all about it, every detail!¡±


    We drove the rest of the way to campus with me babbling about everything we had done on our trip. It was cathartic to be able to talk it over with her. I hadn¡¯t realized just how much I was missing being able to be a normal person with a normal life until I got to be normal with Anna. It gave me even more incentive to want to keep her out of everything.


    After I finished talking about the trip, Anna asked, ¡°So what ever ended up happening with the other stuff?¡±


    It was obvious what ¡®other stuff¡¯ she was referring to, but I had no desire for her to know anything.


    Without even thinking about it, I lied. ¡°It turns out Alessandro is just here on regr business. I guess there¡¯s a business rival he has who is resorting to illegal methods topete with him, so he¡¯s had to deal with that.¡±


    She looked at me with confusion, no doubt wondering why I didn¡¯t mention the mafia connections, but I wasn¡¯t going to bring it up. She might vaguely know that my family had mafia ties now, but she didn¡¯t need to know the details. Luckily for me, she epted my lie easily after her initial confusion, and the conversation quickly moved on.


    We spent the rest of the morning exploring the campus, with Anna showing me her favorite ces to study... and to procrastinate on studying. I couldn¡¯t wait for the semester to start. It was going to be amazing.


    We were walking toward an old fountain that had some sort of tradition involving one of the fraternities.


    ¡°So apparently, they have to get in and dunk their heads, then tear off their shirts and yell out some kind of secret phrase. I don¡¯t know. They keep it kind of mysterious. I¡¯ve heard they only do it at 3:19 in the morning, and it always has to be at that exact time,¡± Anna was exining.


    ¡°That sounds ridiculous,¡± Iughed.


    ¡°Yeah, most fraternities are pretty ridiculous, I¡¯ve noticed.¡±


    We chuckled together and stared at the fountain, appreciating the beauty of it and imagining the absurdity of it being filled with a bunch of half-naked men. If they all looked like Elio, it would probably be kind of nice to see, but knowing what the average frat guy looked like, I suspected it wasn¡¯t nearly as fun.


    Just as I was about to turn around, I caught a nce of the one man I had hoped never to see again. My heart began to pound, and I reached out to clutch Anna¡¯s arm. She nced over at me to see why I had grabbed her, then turned to see what I was looking at. As soon as she noticed, her face paled.


    Paul was walking directly toward us.

 Chapter 644 : The Altercation

    <h4>Chapter 644: Chapter 644 : The Altercation</h4>


    *Caterina*


    Anna gasped the second she saw Paul walking quickly toward us. His steps were long and hurried, making it obvious that he had been trying to get to us before we had the chance to notice him and walk the other way.


    ¡°What the fuck is he doing here?¡± she muttered.


    I had the same question. How had Paul even known that we would be here? Was he stalking me? The thought made my heart ice over with fear. I didn¡¯t think Paul was dangerous exactly, but the idea that he could be watching me or following me around made him seem like far more of a threat.


    Suddenly I regretted not just staying at the safe house with Elio and my mom. As I stood rooted there in shock and fear, Paul only had the opportunity to get closer and closer.


    It was obvious that I had squandered my only chance at trying to get away before he could talk to us, but Anna moved so that she was between him and me. She put her hands on her hips and stood there like a little wall. The message she sent was clear: to get to me, he¡¯d have to get through her.


    ¡°Get the fuck away, Paul,¡± she said venomously when he was within earshot.


    He pulled up short, about ten feet away. I tried to keep myself from visibly cowering behind Anna, but him showing up like this was too unsettling for me. It was impossible not to want to cower.


    ¡°Cat, please talk to me, please, Cat,¡± he begged pathetically, ignoring Annapletely even though she was standing right in front of him.


    He moved closer slowly, as if trying to see how close he could get before Anna physically attacked him. Knowing Anna, it wouldn¡¯t be much closer. She was not afraid to get into a scuffle when needed, and she had been harboring a grudge against Paul for quite a while now. I had the feeling she would love to jump at the chance to give him a ck eye.


    ¡°Get away from us right now. Do note any closer,¡± Anna demanded, her voice forceful.


    ¡°Cat, please, just give me five minutes to talk to you in privacy. It¡¯s seriously important. I¡¯m not trying to scare you!¡± he said.


    If only his actions followed his words¡ªIt was impossible to believe he wasn¡¯t trying to scare me considering the fact that he was currently inching toward us in spite of Anna¡¯s repeated threats. He kept walking forward, and I was pissed. Once again, he was showing that he didn¡¯t give a shit about my boundaries at all.


    ¡°Go away and leave us alone or I will call the cops, Paul,¡± I said over Anna¡¯s shoulder, standing up a little straighter.


    Heughed coldly, then said, ¡°You could try. Just remember, I tried to save you.¡±


    What the fuck was that supposed to mean? And why had his demeanor changed so quickly? The way he had gone from anxious pleading to cold-hearted vague threats was even more unsettling than the fact that he was there at all.


    Anna seemed to feel the same way, because she took a step toward him, her fists clenched. For a crazy second, I thought she was going to start swinging. I thought if we both attacked him, we just might be able to take his sorry ass down.


    Paul opened his mouth to say something else, but before he got the chance, arge college-aged guy walked up behind Paul and pped his hand on his shoulder, asking ¡°Do you have a problem?¡±


    Paul cringed away from the contact like the coward he was, but then tried to square up with the bigger man. ¡°What the fuck do you care, dude?¡±


    Once again, his change in attitude was scary. It was like he was trying to keep up some sort of facade but couldn¡¯t decide exactly what that facade was. He kept swinging from anxious tomanding at the drop of a hat.


    Two guys that had been walking with the big one came up and nked Paul on either side. One of them said, ¡°We heard them tell you to leave them alone. Now do we have a problem here, or are you going to leave them the fuck alone?¡±


    The other one added, ¡°I would suggest walking away now. We¡¯re really not in the mood to deal with some creep today.¡±


    My heart was pounding in my chest watching the whole thing. As gratifying as I knew it would be to see these three guys pummel Paul into the ground, I really wasn¡¯t interested in the scene that would create, especially knowing that I would be attending this campus soon.


    I didn¡¯t want to get a reputation before I even started, and I didn¡¯t want someone else to end up calling the cops and getting them involved. The best-case scenario for everyone would be for me and Anna to be able to walk away without anything going any further.


    Luckily for me, Paul wasn¡¯t stupid enough to provoke someone when he was obviously outnumbered. He nced at me one more time and said, ¡°You¡¯re going to regret this.¡±


    He had an unsettling smile on his face that made my stomach twist. Finally, he walked off. The three men who hade to our rescue stood there and watched him go, then looked at us. The one who had first talked to Paul asked, ¡°Are you two okay? Do you want us to walk you somewhere?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re alright, I think he¡¯ll leave us alone now,¡± Anna answered for both of us.


    The three of them nodded and continued on their way to wherever they had been heading. The whole altercation made me feel sick. As soon as the adrenaline left my body, I had to take deep breaths to keep myself from dry heaving.


    Paul had always been a majorly controlling jerk, but this seemed a bit much even for him. Normally he was the type who would run away the second he was confronted. I didn¡¯t understand what he would even think he had to talk to me about that would be worth making such a ridiculous scene.


    Anna turned around and wrapped her arms around me. I sagged against her, grateful that she was with me. I couldn¡¯t imagine how badly that would have gone if I had been alone. I hated that he had managed to ruin such a perfect morning.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked.


    I nodded, but I didn¡¯t want to talk about it until we were back in the car. ¡°Let¡¯s just go home,¡± I said.


    She nodded as well and we walked back to my car, my mind spinning over what had happened. There had to be something I was missing. Paul¡¯s behavior just didn¡¯t make sense.


    As I drove to Anna¡¯s house, she said, ¡°I really feel like you should call the cops and get a restraining order on him, Cat. I know you¡¯ve been trying to just handle this on your own, but what he did today was seriously creepy. How did he even know we were going to be there?¡±


    ¡°I know. It scared me too,¡± I said, knowing there was no way in hell I would be getting the cops involved. I had other people who were way more frightening who would handle the situation far better than the authorities.


    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m just so d you have Elio. When I think about that creep trying to get back with you, it just gives me the heebie jeebies to even think about.¡±


    Iughed without any real humor at her words. I was so d that my rtionship with Elio had shown me how a real man treated a woman. Anna was right. It gave me the creeps to even imagine being with Paul now.


    ¡°Me too,¡± I said.


    When I pulled in front of Anna¡¯s apartment building, she leaned over to give me another hug. ¡°I love you, Cat. Stay safe, alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best,¡± I promised.


    As soon as she was out of the car and in her building, I called Elio. I needed him to hear about the interaction with Paul. It had just been too weird to not mention, even though I really wanted to be able to tell Elio that everything had been fine considering how badly he had wanted me to stay at the safehouse.


    ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡± he asked as soon as he picked up. ¡°You forgot to text mest half hour.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, d he couldn¡¯t see it. ¡°I was driving. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d want me to be texting and driving.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right,¡± he said, ¡°Sorry, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Well, something did happen,¡± I admitted, pissed at Paul all over again. Now Elio was going to be even more reluctant to let me go out without him.


    ¡°Tell me everything,¡± he said sternly.


    I could practically hear his jaw tightening over the phone.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal, but I thought you should know because it just felt weird.¡±


    He sighed loudly. ¡°Cat, I know you don¡¯t want to tell me, but please just get it out.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine. Paul came up to us while we were walking around the campus.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck? Paul? How did he know you were there?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the problem, I don¡¯t know why he would know we were there. I¡¯ve been thinking about it since it happened, and the only way I could figure is either it was just random, or he was watching Anna¡¯s apartment waiting for me toe and see her. I feel like that one¡¯s more likely, because I don¡¯t know why he¡¯d just be wandering around campus like that.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Elio said tersely. ¡°So what did he do?¡±


    ¡°He told me that he wanted to talk to me, but Anna wouldn¡¯t let him.¡±


    ¡°Smart woman,¡± he said approvingly.


    ¡°Yeah, anyway, he started acting kind of crazy and yelling about how I would regret it. It was creepy. He got so out of hand that some random guys came up and told him to leave us alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d they were there at least. But I¡¯ll be honest, Cat, that really pisses me off. I wish I had been there.¡±


    ¡°I know. I wish you had been, too.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think you¡¯re right. Something weird is going on with that asshole. I¡¯ll look into him.¡±


    I drove the rest of the way to the safehouse thinking about how grateful I was for Elio. The fact that I knew I could go to him with any problem and he would help me solve it made me feel a thousand times safer, even with the worst kind of men after me.


    I was so lucky to have Elio in my life.

 Chapter 645 : Hidden Identity

    <h4>Chapter 645: Chapter 645 : Hidden Identity</h4>


    *Elio*


    The second my call ended with Cat, my stomach felt like it instantly filled with lead. A vicious, mind-bending anger speared through the back of my head and nearly caused me to see fucking red.


    Paul¡ªmotherfucking¡ªBryant.


    ¡®Why was this guy continuously trying to get at Caterina?¡¯ I asked myself bitterly.


    I rubbed a rough hand over my face and tried to stay focused on the issue at hand. But the horrible, broken sound of hearing Cat¡¯s trembling voice still echoed through my head. There was nothing I hated more than feeling her distress through a speaker when I couldn¡¯t do a single thing in that very moment tofort her.


    She sounded terrified. I wanted to make her feel safe. The issue with Paul needed to end just as much as the ongoing problem with Antonio. Hell, I thought for sure that the guy would¡¯ve disappeared for good after our personal confrontation with one another during the holidays, but it was clear that I¡¯d misjudged his IQ.


    Big mistake for him.


    I knew that the moment Alessandro ced that gun in my hands that everything had ultimately changed. It had permanently ced me in a different frame of mind, one that set me apart from the average man. Granted, I wasn¡¯t about to jump in my car and hunt Paul down like some rabid dog. No.


    I¡¯d decided a long time ago that if I was going to ever have someone¡¯s blood on my hands, it was going to be Antonio¡¯s. But in the meantime, Paul still needed to be dealt with.


    I wasn¡¯t going to know peace as long as the man had open ess to Cat whenever it caught his interest. What the hell possessed the asshole to show up on her new campus? Would Cat be afraid to start her new sses all because the guy couldn¡¯t take a damn hint and leave her alone?


    Campus security would only do so much to help. And to go about the issue in a legal way seemed useless and too time-consuming.


    What we needed was a different kind of approach.


    I quickly took my phone back out and pulled up Alessandro¡¯s number. After two rings, I heard the man¡¯s voicee through.


    ¡°Elio? What is it?¡±


    ¡°I need you toe to the safe house,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Has something happened?¡±


    I took a deep breath in and struggled to keep my calmposure. ¡°Yes. Cat was out with her friend today, checking out her new campus. They were approached by a guy who¡¯s been harassing her for weeks.¡±


    ¡°Is she there with you now?¡± Alessandro asked.


    ¡°Not yet, but she told me that she¡¯s on her way back here as we speak.¡±


    ¡°Alright, good. I want to talk to her about this situation in further depth,¡± he said. ¡°You said this has been going on for weeks?¡±


    ¡°At least for as long as Cat¡¯s been back here. Ever since before the holidays, he¡¯s shown up and wrecked fucking havoc on her life. She¡¯s told me that the two of them used to date back at her old school. She¡¯s tried breaking things off with him and now he won¡¯t leave her alone.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in five.¡±


    The call ended. I was thankful that Alessandro was taking the situation as seriously as I was. Something about Paul consistently showing up, always needing to speak to Cat, was getting to be far too suspicious to be ignored.


    I was fairly certain that after the altercation at Christmas, the guy would have called it quits. But Paul just kept sticking around.


    ¡®Far too longer than expected, that¡¯s for sure,¡¯ I thought.


    ¡°Elio!¡± a female voice called out and I knew the familiar tone who it belonged to.


    I quickly got up from my chair in the den and rushed toward the front entrance where I saw Cat. The second she saw me, she took off like a rocket and slew into my arms and squeezed me tightly.


    She looked exhausted and utterly drained. I could tell her emotions had gotten the better of her as her makeup appeared slightly smeared from possible tears.


    But Christ, none of that mattered to me. Even at her worst, this woman looked absolutely perfect to me. All that truly mattered was that she was physically safe and back home where nothing could get to her.


    I loved the way her body melted into mine as I wrapped my arms around her back. Her head rested perfectly right under the curve of my chin. There was a slight tremor to her hands that I felt through my shirt. My chest ached, knowing I didn¡¯t have enough time to properly calm her down and ease her nerves.


    Nheless, I was d she was letting me support her like this.


    Unfortunately, our moment came to an abrupt halt when we heard the front door open once more. Cat went stiff in my arms as she tried to angle her head to see who it was.


    ¡°I called Alessandro over here so that we might assist with your situation,¡± I told her.


    Cat took a step back and quickly wiped her face of any remaining tears. Alessandro eyed her softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Cat. I¡¯m d Elio reached out to me about this,¡± he said. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve been dealing with a bit of a stalking issue.¡±


    She nodded her head and brought her arms up to cross over her chest. I draped an arm over her shoulders, guiding us all into the living room.


    Once we were all seated, I turned to face Cat and instructed her to tell Alessandro everything.


    ¡°Tell him everything about your rtionship with Paul before you came back home for the holidays.¡±


    She slowly nodded her head and let out a long breath. ¡°Okay. It started back in my other school. Paul and I were seeing each other. At first, everything seemed normal. I mean we did what normal college students did. We¡¯d study together, hang out with our friends, and asionally go to a party on the weekends.¡±


    Alessandro nodded his head. ¡°But?¡±


    Cat fiddled with her fingers in herp. ¡°But, somewhere along the line of being together... Paul changed. He used to be so calm and easy-going, then all of a sudden, it was as if his entire personality flipped around. He became controlling.¡±


    ¡°Controlling in what way?¡±


    She shrugged her shoulders back. ¡°He kept trying to tell me how to do things, told me how I should dress, how I should talk, how I should deal with sses. Then he tried to tell me which people I could talk to. But we quickly reached the point when he didn¡¯t want me talking to anybody at all.¡±


    She blinked back the saddened tears in her eyes.


    ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t want to think too much of it. I thought it was purely looking out for me and wanted what was best. But it reached a point where I feltpletely isted. I was trapped at my own school. And whenever I tried to question his behavior, he¡¯d either deny it or....¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡± Alessandro pressed.


    ¡°He¡¯d turn violent. He¡¯d grab me tightly to the point of leaving these ugly bruises all over my arms and skin.¡±


    I felt the anger rising in my chest at the thought of someone putting their hands on Cat, but I tried to keep it to myself so she could continue talking to Alessandro. I watched him let out a controlled breath, but I could tell from the look in his eyes that he was as disgusted by this guy¡¯s behavior as I was.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°One more question and then we can stop. What¡¯s this guy¡¯s full name?¡±


    Cat dapped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. ¡°Paul Bryant.¡±


    We both watched Alessandro take out his phone and make a call.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me. I need you to run a name through the system for me... yeah, Paul Bryant.¡± He turned back to nce at Cat. ¡°Caterina, did you say that he attended your school as well?¡±


    Cat shook her head. ¡°No, Paul went to another school close by.¡±


    He turned back to his phone call and gave the receiver a bit more info before hanging up.


    For a moment, we all fell back into silent resolution with ourselves. I found it strange that someone would go through all that trouble to control someone else when they didn¡¯t even attend the same college. How did this creep even find Cat in the first ce, I wondered... to think of the lengths he¡¯d gone through just to get a hold of her.


    Part of me wished that Paul was standing right in front of me so I could let my fist fly through the air again and knock him on his ass. What gave him the right to treat Cat, or any woman, that way?


    Caterina sunk further back into the couch while her eyes wandered off in thought. I hated the fact that I hadn¡¯t gone with her today. But what good would that have done?


    I didn¡¯t want to coddle her. What Cat needed was support, not someone to stand around and dictate how she should go about her life. After all, that was what Paul had done. I didn¡¯t want her to be afraid of the world around her. But if this issue with Paul didn¡¯t get resolved, I didn¡¯t know how things were going to go down.


    A little less than an hour went by before Alessandro¡¯s phone went off. The sound nearly caused Cat to jump out of her seat. I reached out to rest a hand on her knee while he took the call.


    ¡°What have you found?¡±


    Ever so slowly, I watched as his eyes started to widen. Oh, my God. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever seen Alessandro look so shocked. It was beyond unsettling, and quite frankly, disturbing.


    He nodded his head. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be in touch. Yeah, that¡¯s all for now.¡±


    The call was dropped, and he turned his head back to face the two of us.


    ¡°Alright, you two. Caterina, I¡¯m going to need you to be as calm as possible.¡±


    Her breathing hitched in her chest, yet she nodded in response.


    ¡°Paul Bryant is not who he says he is.¡±


    My brows drew together in question. ¡°Then who the fuck is he then?¡±


    ¡°Antonio Jr. He¡¯s Antonio¡¯s son.¡±


    I felt as though a piece of my brain had literally imploded on itself. What the actual hell? No. No, it wasn¡¯t true....


    ¡°This can¡¯t possibly be right,¡± I challenged. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it.¡±


    Alessandro nodded his head. ¡°Our guys have found a lot of this guy¡¯s fake IDs, so it was easy to crack. ording to his real identity, he was born and still lives here in California. Chances are very likely that Antonio Jr. was sent to get close to Cat.¡±


    A burning rage scoured through me like a wildfire. Who the fuck did this guy think he was toe into Cat¡¯s life just to tear apart my family?


    Well, I wasn¡¯t going to stand by and let it happen. I was going to find a way to bring down Antonio. I was going to pay him back for taking away Cat¡¯s father, even if it meant evening the score by taking away his son from him.


    I refused to remain powerless in this situation any further.

 Chapter 646 : Taken

    <h4>Chapter 646: Chapter 646 : Taken</h4>


    *Caterina*


    My nails had been biting into the palms of my hands as I waited for Alessandro to get off the phone. My nerves were already terribly on edge from earlier that day, so much so that I didn¡¯t even know how I was still functioning at that moment.


    I was practically sitting on the edge of my seat when he finally ended the call and came to stand in front of Elio and me. The grave look on his face should have been proof enough that something wasn¡¯t right.


    ¡°Paul isn¡¯t who he says he is....¡±


    That right there must have been the catalyst for my mental breakdown. Meanwhile, I felt Elio grow tense next to me. He was just as upset and curious as I was about the whole issue.


    Alessandro¡¯s voice came out gravely. ¡°Paul is Antonio Jr. He¡¯s Antonio¡¯s son.¡±


    Oh. My. God.


    I thought I was prepared to hear the worst. I thought I¡¯d mentally prepared myself well enough to face whatever the hell Alessandro was about to throw at me. But my God, was I wrong.


    My stomach twisted into knots. I was nauseous. My bottom lip trembled until my jaw wentpletely ck. I was numb, pure and simple. I was numb.


    My hearing went slightly muffled, but I still made out what Elio and Alessandro were saying. Apparently, Paul¡ªor Antonio Jr.¡ªwas actually sent to me with some kind of purpose.


    The muscles around my heart clenched in rtive anguish.


    ¡®So, none of it was ever real,¡¯ I thought nkly to myself. Even before he¡¯d changed and gotten violent, I thought at least things had started between us with some sort of affection. But it turned out that Paul never cared about me at all.


    The concept hit me like a punch to the gut. I wasn¡¯t a love interest. I was an assignment, a mission. He weaseled his way into my life and caused me nothing but chaos and grief. All that time was wasted, the time I spent harping over the way he made me feel, the time I spentpletely filled with delusion and anxiety, trying to be the way he wanted me to be.


    All that God awful trouble... only to find out that he was the son of the man who had murdered my father.


    Something began to slowly seep into my bones. That feeling of numbness gradually started to fade where a feeling much worse began to take its ce¡ªthe feeling of being vited.


    I raised my hand to cover my mouth while a broken, distorted sound slipped past my lips. A million grueling shivers broke throughout my body. I was disgusted at my ignorance.


    ¡°Fuck, Cat.¡±


    Elio tried to shake me from my semi-permanent state of shock. He curled his arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug. I wished I could lose myself in his touch. I wished he held the power to make that terrible feeling inside of me go away.


    ¡°Elio....¡±


    My voice sounded so far away from me.


    I felt his hands rub small circles over my back and hush quiet words of assurance in my ear.


    Christ, I just wanted to let this nasty feeling inside of me out. I wanted to scream, cry, anything. But no. Nothing woulde out.


    ***


    Later that night, due to the unforeseen events from earlier, Alessandro offered to make dinner for everyone¡ªhomemade pizzas, mushroom risotto, and steamed mussels in red sauce. He¡¯d made arge list of supplies and sent one of the men who patrolled the property out to pick everything up.


    As soon as everything came in, the man swiftly got to work.


    Watching Alessandro prep everything for dinner was oddly therapeutic. I sat silently at the counter with my head resting in my arms and watched him work through all the necessary ingredients. He¡¯d make asional small talk with me, but he knew well enough that I wasn¡¯t in the best frame of mind.


    Thankfully, my mother was too far into her work to notice much of the tension that circted the room. She was surprised to see that Alessandro was sticking around and moving about through the kitchen. She offered to help in any way she could, but Alessandro assured her that he had everything under control. So, my mom pulled out a nice bottle of red wine to go with dinner and started pouring everyone a ss.


    Elio, on the other hand, remained firmly by my side. He kept his touches light and hardly noticeable, which I was grateful for. Thest thing I needed was for my mom to find out the truth about Paul and worry about me even further.


    The woman had enough on her te with her workload and having to move everything into the safe house. Thest thing she needed was more drama to deal with.


    ¡°Oh my, everything looks amazing, Alessandro,¡± my mommented with a smile.


    It truly did. The pizza he¡¯d hand-tossed looked like it came from an actual restaurant. The risotto smelled amazing, along with the mussels.


    ¡°Yes, it does,¡± I agreed. I carefully pulled myself off the bar stool and went over to the cab to pull out some tes and utensils.


    Elio helped me set the table while Mom helped Alessandro bring all the food over. Everything was delicious. It was difficult to exin, but I felt a strange sense of warmth fill my chest as I silently nced around the table. I felt secure and supported.


    I leaned over toward Alessandro. ¡°Thank you for this,¡± I said softly.


    ¡°Yes, thank you for all of this. It¡¯s incredible,¡± my mom chimed in with a smile.


    Alessandro chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s no problem. But I honestly can¡¯t take all the credit. I identally forgot desert,¡± he admitted.


    That was the first time since this morning that I found myself smiling.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s okay,¡± Mom said. ¡°After we¡¯re finished here, I¡¯ll go to the store and pick up some ice cream. How¡¯s that sound?¡±


    I felt her gaze fall on me. Quickly, I swallowed my mouthful of pizza and nodded my head.


    ¡°Works for me,¡± I said.


    Just as we were all about finished with dinner, my mom got up from the table to grab her bag. I swiftly got to my feet and went to hand her my keys instead.


    ¡°Here, take my car,¡± I told her. ¡°I think it¡¯s parked behind yours anyway.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    I knew in the back of my mind that she wouldn¡¯t be any longer than fifteen minutes. My nerves were still too unsteady, and I couldn¡¯t bear to let my thoughts run wild.


    ¡®She¡¯s going to the store and then she¡¯ll be right back,¡¯ I thought. ¡®Fifteen minutes.¡¯


    Well, that fifteen minutes hade and gone like the wind. I was in the middle of helping Alessandro and Elio clean up the kitchen when I stole a nce at the clock.


    ¡°It¡¯s been over twenty minutes,¡± I muttered.


    I hastily set the wet dishes on the drying rack and went to pick up my phone. I pulled up my mom¡¯s number and eagerly waited for her to answer.


    Several rings went by, but I never got an answer. My call went straight to voicemail, causing my stomach to flip and my nerves to tangle with worry. I tried again and I waited.


    But still nothing.


    I lifted my head to see Elio ncing at me from the doorway of the kitchen. I shake my head in distress.


    ¡°It¡¯s been over twenty-five minutes, Elio,¡± I said weakly. ¡°Mom should be home by now.¡±


    He quickly rushed to my side and rubbed up and down my arms, trying to get me to calm down.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Cat,¡± he hushed. ¡°I¡¯m sure your mom just went ahead and picked up a few other things while she was out.¡±


    I nodded my head and took a deep breath.


    Yes, I was sure that was the case. Knowing my mom, I was sure she had a whole list of items in her head while she went off to the store. Whenever she¡¯d tell me that she was heading to the store for two items, she¡¯d almost alwayse back with at least twenty.


    A brokenugh slipped past my lips. Yet, something in the recesses of my head was telling me that this was not one of those times.


    I bit the inside of my cheek and nced down at my phone.


    ¡°The thing is, why wouldn¡¯t she pick up her phone?¡± I questioned. ¡°You know she never has it on silent. I¡¯ve called at least twice, and she hasn¡¯t even tried to call me back. Something¡¯s not right. I can feel it.¡±


    I noticed Alessandro move out of the corner of my eye. He reached into his back pocket to fish out his own phone to make a call. His voice was far too low for me to be able to hear what he was saying.


    Regardless, I continued to get in touch with my mother.


    Over the next half hour, I moved myself into the living room, where I was finally sitting down. My phone was still tightly gripped in my hand and my mother was still nowhere to be seen.


    Elio¡¯s working theory of her picking up a few more items deteriorated in my mind. There was something else at y. But still, I kept calling her number in hopes that she¡¯d pick up.


    Finally, I put the call on speaker before pressing the call button. I waited patiently as it rang, then someone finally picked up.


    Both Elio and I shot up from our seats.


    ¡°Well, hello, Kitty-Cat,¡± a familiar voice slithered into the speaker.


    My eyes widened in disbelief as all the air became lodged in my lungs.


    ¡°Paul,¡± I hissed out. ¡°What the hell are you¡ª¡±


    ¡°What am I doing on your mom¡¯s phone?¡± He chuckled darkly. ¡°Well, as luck would have it, we sort of fell in each other¡¯s way.¡±


    My lips twisted into a tight sneer. ¡°So, help me God, Paul. If you do anything to¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not in any position to be making demands here, Caterina. Oh, and I suppose you can stop calling me Paul now... I know you know who I really am. Such as shame you couldn¡¯t just remain ignorant in the dark. It was so much safer for you there.¡±


    Angry tears filled my eyes. ¡°What the fuck do you want?¡± I shouted.


    ¡°It¡¯s very simple,¡± he said. ¡°If you want your mother back, you¡¯ll have to bring Alessandro to me.¡±


    My brows drew in confusion. ¡°What? Are you insane?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch,¡± Paul remarked shortly.


    ¡°Wait! No, don¡¯t hang up. Please! Please, just let me talk to my mom. Let me know that she¡¯s okay at least,¡± I pleaded.


    Paul tutted and clicked his tongue. ¡°Aw, such a shame that this willing behavior of yours ising out now. Unfortunately, it had toe to this,¡± he sighed. ¡°You know that if you¡¯d chosen to simply stay with me, none of this would have ever happened.¡±


    The call dropped.


    And soon after, so did my tears.

 Chapter 647 : A Working Plan

    <h4>Chapter 647: Chapter 647 : A Working n</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡°Aw, such a shame that this willing behavior of yours ising out now....¡±


    Every single one of Paul¡¯s words felt like a sharp p to the face.


    Oh, how I wished I could¡¯ve just reached through the phone and hauled Paul out the other end. I wanted to pummel his face in. I wanted him to hurt the same way he¡¯d hurt me in the time that we were together, all the times that he¡¯d made me feel less of myself and made me believe that I would never be good enough.


    I had tried severing the ties between us. But he kept hanging on anding like an unwanted virus. And now his venom was spreading beyond just myself. Now it was getting to my family. Paul found a way to snake into my life, and now he was spreadingplete havoc.


    To think I disliked him before... now I wanted to unleash every ounce of my pent-up, burning rage that prickled through me like red, hot embers. My fists clenched tightly at my side. My nails were biting so fiercely into my palm that I was certain I¡¯d cause myself to bleed.


    ¡®Who the fuck does he think he is?¡¯ I screamed inside my mind.


    That psychopath had my mother. I didn¡¯t have the slightest idea how he managed to swipe her without someone else noticing. But I refused to linger on the thought for too long. My nerves were already on edge enough as they were. Thest thing I needed was to send my emotions into crippling overdrive.


    My anger was seething, nheless.


    It was, perhaps, the only thing that made me realize that this was all real. Ever since I had encountered Paul at my new college campus, I¡¯d felt as though I crossed over into some messed up surreal dream, a nightmare that my mind refused to let me awaken from. And now things had proceeded to go from bad to worse in just a few short-sighted hours.


    That terrible, all-consuming feeling was getting ready to burn a hole through me at any given second. And I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. I couldn¡¯t even tell the asshole off without running the risk of possibly provoking him.


    Again, I felt trapped, ced between a rock and hard ce with no means of escaping.


    As much as it pained me to ever beg him for anything, I needed to know that my mother was, in fact, okay. Right as I opened my mouth to speak, the call was dropped.


    My brows drew together in disbelief. ¡°P-Paul? Hey! Paul!¡± I shouted into the phone but as expected, there was no response.


    Elio reached out to rest his hand on my arm. ¡°It¡¯s over, Cat,¡± he said softly. ¡°He dropped the call.¡±


    The hand that was holding my phone up fell to my side as I swayed back on my heels. Thankfully, Elio was there to steady me, for what it was worth.


    The tears that I¡¯d managed to hold back were now flooding down my cheeks. My bottom lip was trembling.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay,¡± he told me firmly.


    But I couldn¡¯t seem to understand why or how. How? How could he possibly think that this situation was going to work out in the end?


    I shook my head. ¡°No. It¡¯s not,¡± I cried. ¡°He has my mother, Elio.¡±


    Elio was about to open his mouth to say something when Alessandro stepped back into the room with his phone still held in his hand.


    ¡°While that may be the case, thanks to you putting the call on speakerphone, now we know what¡¯s been going on,¡± Alessandro stated. ¡°Did you get all of that?¡±


    An unfamiliar, deep voice came from the other end of the line on his phone. ¡°We sure did, boss.¡±


    ¡°Good. Expect to see us back within the hour,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Alessandro ended the call before shoving his phone back in his pocket.


    The house fell into a bout of ufortable silence for a long moment. The air in the room thickened beyond the point of being able to breathe easily.


    Alessandro subtly cleared his throat and turned to face Elio. ¡°We need to meet up with the team,¡± he said.


    Elio nodded his head and took a step back.


    The thought of potentially being left there alone made me want to cling to him and never let go. No. I was not about to be left behind like some child who needed a babysitter. This situation very well involved me just as much as everyone else now.


    ¡°I¡¯ming with you two,¡± I stated.


    Elio froze where he stood. His expression twisted into something resembling disapproval. He looked as though he was just about getting ready to deny my request. Little did he know that I wasn¡¯t making one. I was issuing a demand.


    ¡°Cat¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not staying here!¡± I shouted.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t something that¡¯s up for debate,¡± Elio countered.


    My eyes narrowed with spiteful determination.


    ¡°This is ¡®my¡¯ mother, Elio. My mother is the one who they fucking kidnapped, and if you think I¡¯m just going to sit back and let you two deal with this¡ª¡±


    I let out a long, shaky breath and pressed my hand into the side of my pounding head.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault this happened in the first ce,¡± I whispered.


    Alessandro raised his brows. ¡°Caterina.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Elio hissed. ¡°Nothing about this is your fault.¡±


    I shook my head in firm denial. ¡°Think about it. It was ¡®my¡¯ car that was spotted. The people who took mom probably didn¡¯t even realize that it was her driving and not me,¡± I exined.


    ¡°You believe yourself to be the intended target all along?¡± Alessandro questioned.


    I nodded my head whereas Elio let out a frustrated sigh.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably right. Paul was the one who picked up the call. He¡¯s the one who¡¯s been after Cat for months. Chances are it was her he was anticipating to catch tonight.¡±


    I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to steady my breathing.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I need toe with you two tonight,¡± I pointed out.


    Elio pinched the bridge of his nose and stole a nce at Alessandro who merely shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t bothered to bring my bag with me when the three of us made it out to the cars. But I made sure to keep my phone in my pocket just in case another call came in.


    Alessandro informed us that we¡¯d be heading to one of the warehouses his team has been operating out of. I didn¡¯t see the need to ask any further questions since my mind was currently upied with other pressing matters, like how the hell we were going to get my mother back.


    Paul¡¯s nauseating voice echoed in my ears. ¡°If you want your mother back, you¡¯ll have to bring Alessandro to me....¡±


    I rolled my eyes at such a ridiculous remark. How could he seriously think that we¡¯d just willingly hand over another person in exchange for someone else? What kind of fucked up business was this?


    We made it off the main road to head down an eerie-looking side street.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to do the exchange,¡± Alessandro said evenly.


    ¡°You what?¡± I gasped. ¡°Alessandro, you can¡¯t be serious!¡±


    Elio turned to nce at him from the passenger side. ¡°How?¡± he asked.


    Alessandro rolled an inquisitive brow.


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out somehow.¡±


    I sat back in my seat and shook my head in bafflement. How has this be my life? When did my sense of normalcy change from a night out with my friends to now tagging along on a ransom exchange?


    ¡®Will it always be like this?¡¯ I asked myself solemnly. ¡®Is my life bound to revolve around nothing but danger and fear?¡¯


    Maybe so.


    But if that was truly the case, then I knew I had to learn how to evolve along with it. I couldn¡¯t just let myself curl up and shrivel away when times would get tough. I knew for a fact that the previous version of myself would have. The old me would have been a coward and hid from the thought of danger. But not anymore¡ªI wasn¡¯t going to lie down and just take it.


    These people had already taken my dad away from me, I was not about to let the same thing happen to my mom.


    We arrived not too long after that at the warehouse, Alessandro had mentioned earlier. Elio kept me close to his side as we all walked through the various doors and hallways. We gathered in a main room that acted as the center of Alessandro¡¯s base.


    Dozens of tables were lining the walls, holding pounds of heavy equipment. There were men on guard everywhere. It made me feel both secure and unsettled.


    Once they all noticed that Alessandro was there, they stopped what they were all currently working on and gave him their immediate attention. A tall man with dark hair approached the main table.


    ¡°Sir.¡±


    ¡°What have you got for me?¡± he asked.


    The man went on to pull out a tablet and began reading through the notes he¡¯d made.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got eyes on where they¡¯re keeping Matilde Leone.¡±


    I immediately perked up and took a step closer. Alessandro noticed my heavy interest and pressed for further details.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem hurt, but she is, in fact, surrounded on all sides.¡±


    Alessandro grimaced. ¡°So, there are no weak points is what you¡¯re telling me then.¡±


    The man nodded.


    ¡°We can¡¯t get to her without the likely chance of someone killing her before we do. I would be too risky to make any rash decision, sir.¡±


    I sucked in a fearful breath and swallowed hard. Alessandro slowly nodded his head before falling into sudden thought. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    The man nodded. ¡°Yes. Turns out we discovered a hidden tracking device that was purposely nted on Caterina¡¯s car. We ran the prints through our system and found that they belonged to a Paul Bryant.¡±


    ¡°That would be Antonio Jr.,¡± he grumbled.


    The man with the tablet nodded. ¡°Our theory says that Caterina was the original intended victim of the kidnapping.¡±


    My stomach clenched in distress as Elio¡¯s hand enveloped my own.


    ¡°We¡¯ve made that same discovery ourselves before we got here,¡± Elio noted.


    The room was suddenly ovee by a buzzing sound that wasing from my back pocket. I quickly pulled out my phone and saw the caller ID belonged to my mom.


    ¡°It¡¯s Paul,¡± I said weakly.


    Alessandro snapped his head up. ¡°Put it on speakerphone... and act normal.¡±


    ¡°Hello?¡± I silently prayed for the off chance that it would be my mother waiting on the other end of the line. But I was wrong. Paul¡¯s snarky tone filled the room, and it made me feel sick.


    ¡°Well, are you ready for the details of this exchange?¡±

 Chapter 648 : Fooling the Enemy

    <h4>Chapter 648: Chapter 648 : Fooling the Enemy</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡®What aplete cluster fuck of a day,¡¯ I thought dryly.


    How did we go from having a quiet night in with a home-cooked meal to all three of us standing in the center of Alessandro¡¯s team base?


    Yet, there we all were. Paul had taken Matilde with high expectations of it originally being Caterina. I was happy to hear that she was alive and well, but knowing we couldn¡¯t reach her was nerve-wracking.


    Also, learning that the psycho had set up some sort of tracking device on Cat¡¯s car made me wonder just how long he¡¯d been able to know about her location. I knew Alessandro had taken great care to keep the safehouse location confidential. Few of his men even knew where it was, and they were all the most trusted associates.


    When we moved Cat and her mom to the safe house, we¡¯d been sure they were secure. Going to a store a block away shouldn¡¯t have been a problem.


    ¡®Who the hell was I trying to kid? Caterina was never truly safe,¡¯ I thought bitterly to myself.


    I¡¯d never given such an idea even a moment of my time to consider.


    But there was a deeper level of fear for Cat when it came to Paul. It was awful watching how just the mere sound of his voice affected Cat when he spoke to her on the phone. I wished I could just go straight through the line and level the guy for daring to frighten her.


    But I had to be careful because her mom was still in danger. Ironically, it was the same people who had killed her father who had her mother¡¯s life in their hands.


    I couldn¡¯t let Cat lose another parent, not if I could help it.


    He mentioned making a trade¡ªMatilde for Alessandro.


    I still had no idea how it could be done cleanly. But sure enough, Paul was calling Cat back to discuss further details about the exchange.


    ¡°Well, are you ready for the details of this exchange?¡± Paul asked with a sleazy tone.


    Cat¡¯s lips pulled into a disgusted sneer.


    ¡°Just tell me,¡± she hissed.


    ¡°Ooh, someone¡¯s a bit touchy.¡± He chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll make the trade-off in exactly two hours¡¯ time. You and Alessandro are toe alone... no one else. I¡¯m sending over the address as we speak.¡±


    Sure enough, her phone buzzed, and an address came up. Caterina showed the man holding the tablet the address to double-check that they were right all along about knowing the location of where they were keeping her mother.


    I watched helplessly as her hands shook with fear. In all the years I¡¯d watched out for her, there had never been a truly serious threat to her. It had been all about making sure she did her homework and helped her mom when she needed it, all the ordinary things kids and teenagers dealt with.


    I¡¯d always felt a tug at my heart knowing that her father had been killed in Tallon¡¯s branch of the mafia, which had been inherited from my own father. I never wanted anything like that to happen to Cat again, so I made sure to keep her mother safe as well as her. But there I was, standing there helpless while her mother was in the hands of the worst people we could imagine.


    Alessandro¡¯s man nced down at his device and quickly nodded his head. Cat let her shoulders drop for a second in ease, but the anger and bitter loathing still hung very heavily around her. Seeing her like that made it feel like my heart was ripped into pieces.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°Anything else you need to tell me?¡±


    I was surprised at her tone, and proud of her for handling herself so well in such horrible circumstances.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you again, Kitty-Cat,¡± he drawled out.


    I felt like I wanted to puke. How the hell had Cat ever fallen for such an asshole like him? The sound of his disturbing voice made even my skin crawl. But I couldn¡¯t me her. He¡¯d been sent to worm his way into her life, so he had probably used every ounce of fake charm to get there. There was no way Antonio¡¯s son was going to take no for an answer. He would have kept trying to charm her no matter how long it took.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t say the same,¡± she said coldly.


    Paul continued tough. I couldn¡¯t wait for the moment that I could put my hands on that guy. I was going to tear him up so slowly that he felt every ounce of pain he¡¯d inflicted on Cat.


    ¡°Well, either way, I¡¯ll be seeing you very soon, sweetie,¡± he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.


    The call ended.


    I was just about ready to throw my fist into the nearest wall. Fucking hell... two hours?! In two hours, I was going to let both my girlfriend and Alessandro walk into the damn death trap. They had to go alone. How the hell had ite to this?


    Alessandro must have noticed my calm demeanor shift over the course of the three-minute phone call with Cat and Paul. ¡°Elio.¡± I nced in his direction to find him staring at me.


    He jutted his chin to the side and signaled for me to follow him. I looked at Cat, not wanting to leave her side, but she seemed to be lost in her own world. She sat in a chair one of the men offered and stared off at the wall. Reluctantly, I walked toward Alessandro, and the two of us headed off to one of the smaller rooms across the hall.


    Alessandro folded his arms over his chest and raised a brow at me. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s on your mind,¡± he said.


    I practically scoffed. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    What was on my mind was the best way to kill Antonio Jr. in the slowest, most painful way possible.


    He waited for me to speak. My mouth twisted into a vicious sneer until I took a long breath in and out.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll tell you what¡¯s on my mind,¡± I said. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m on the verge of losing my fucking sanity.¡±


    I curled my hands into tight fists to keep from hitting the wall next to me.


    ¡°One of the main reasons why I ever wanted to get involved again in all this was because of Cat. My purpose is to keep her safe.¡±


    ¡°And you will,¡± he stated.


    ¡°And just how the fuck am I supposed to do that when she is expected to show up to some disclosed location with you in less than two hours?¡± I fired back. ¡°You two need to go alone. I won¡¯t even be there to protect her. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll have all his men there guarding her mom and protecting him. I don¡¯t like these odds, Alessandro. I feel like I¡¯m practically handing her over to that psychopath.¡±


    How was I supposed to keep Cat safe now? The night I¡¯d taken that gun from Alessandro was a lot more than just getting back into the family. It was a promise I¡¯d made to myself. I¡¯d promised that no matter what, I would always protect her. Being in this world was going to give me the resources I needed to always keep her safe. I was sure of that. But now, she was in danger again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your feelings toward Antonio Jr. keep you from focusing on the real goal here. It¡¯s going to be fine.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but have a difficult time believing him. ¡°I¡¯ve made plenty of exchanges like this in the past. I know how to properly keep everyone safe.¡±


    An unexpected smile curved the corners of Alessandro¡¯s mouth. ¡°Humor me for a moment, will you?¡±


    I raised a brow.


    ¡°Do you actually know how to shoot that gun I gave you?¡± he asked.


    My mouth pulled back into a knowing smirk. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve known how to shoot long before I¡¯d ever been given one.¡±


    This bit of news surprisingly lightened the mood between us. I hadn¡¯t realized how badly I needed it. He was right. I needed to focus my mind on what really mattered, which was getting both Matilde and Cat out of there as safely as possible.


    ¡°Look, when ites down to me and Caterina having to go in, I promise that I will do everything in my power to keep her safe,¡± Alessandro promised.


    My features softened. ¡°You¡¯d better.¡±


    He tilted his head back to the main room. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s figure out how we¡¯re going to outsmart Antonio and his dipshit son,¡± he said.


    ***


    The two hours were closing in quickly.


    The moment Alessandro and I rejoined the group, we were hit with a multitude of ideas, but only one of them was put into action. Many of the others were trying to devise a n where everyone would make it out safely. But something in Alessandro¡¯s old manner kept him from jumping at any of their suggestions.


    ¡°We can¡¯t make it appear that we have any sort of ulterior motive. The whole point of a tradeoff is to ensure that there isn¡¯t any type of foul y being made,¡± he exined.


    Caterina shook her head in disbelief. ¡°So, you seriously intend on going with Paul when this happens?¡±


    ¡°Oh, not by any means,¡± he told her. ¡°But what¡¯s important is that we make Antonio believe otherwise.¡±


    The golden idea that struck the group as to how we were going to pull this stunt off was actually inspired by Cat¡¯s car, or more specifically, the tracking device that good ol¡¯ Paul had secretly ced on it.


    Alessandro¡¯s team got to work by nting a small, unnoticeable tracking device within the lining of his coat so that we would be able to find him during the time of the exchange.


    I nced down at my watch and grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±


    Alessandro slid into the bugged coat and instructed everyone to get into position. I slid my hand into Cat¡¯s and we both walked out to the car.


    Her breathing was already hitched. She reached out to open the door, but I quickly slid my arm around her waist to stop her. I turned her around and captured her lips in a searing kiss. All the anger, sadness, and pent-up passion that I¡¯d been suppressing until now came out in sweeping waves. I swallowed any sound that she made in response to me practically manhandling her. As always, she melted into me.


    When we pulled back, I noticed there were small tears dotting the corners of her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m really scared,¡± she whispered.


    My chest swelled in a painful ache. ¡°I know.¡±


    I wanted to promise her that everything would be over soon and that it was all going to be okay. But I knew there was no real guarantee of anything at this point.


    I helped Cat get into the car and kissed her onest time on the cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be right behind you the whole time, making sure that you¡¯ll be okay,¡± I said quietly. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too.¡±


    Without another moment, I watched the car slowly roll down the street and turn to head to my own. We kept a decent amount of space between the cars as we all headed out.


    I was determined to see this night end in our favor.

 Chapter 649 : Scream

    <h4>Chapter 649: Chapter 649 : Scream</h4>


    *Caterina*


    The rumbling of the engine as the car led me and Alessandro toward the prisoner exchange gave me something to focus on. I closed my eyes and felt the way the vehicle moved us closer to where my mother was. I had to stay focused on her.


    If I didn¡¯t, I knew that the fear that was coursing through me would be too much.


    I was doing my best to hide my nerves, even though I knew that Allesandro could see right through me. I wanted to do this. I wanted to protect my mom and face the bastards that took my dad away. I wouldn¡¯t show any weakness.


    Despite my determination, my chest was rising rapidly and my heart was hammering.


    I could feel Alessandro ncing at me, but he didn¡¯t say anything. I was grateful for that. I wanted him to focus on the exchange, not me.


    I took a deep breath as the car slowed to a stop.


    This was it.


    Alessandro stepped out first and offered me his hand. I took it and he squeezed my fingers reassuringly. I squeezed back, thankful for the gesture.


    There was another car a few yards ahead of where ours had stopped, a sleek-looking luxury SUV with darkly tinted windows. I couldn¡¯t see inside, but I knew it must be where my mom was. I stared at the windows, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.


    Alessandro stood just ahead of me, shielding me from whatever wasing next.


    I could see around him as two figures emerged and started to approach us. I recognized Paul right away. The expression on his face was difficult to read.


    I felt sick looking at him. Everything between us had been a cruel lie. To think that I¡¯d let him treat me the way he did when all the while he was the son of the man who killed my father¡ªI red at him, and he stared back at me with that strange expression on his face.


    There was an old man standing beside him. His age was given away by the lines on his face and the white of his hair, but that aside, I would have never guessed that he was any older than forty. He was obviously muscr, and he looked sturdy. He was standing straight and tall as he looked at Allesandro defiantly.


    ¡°Antonio,¡± Allesandro said coldly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame we have to meet this way, Valentino,¡± the older man replied.


    I wanted to demand to see my mother. I wanted to curse him for what he did to my father. I knew that I couldn¡¯t do either. I clenched my fists at my sides and gritted my teeth. I was face to face with the man who had taken so much from me, and I couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    He wasn¡¯t even looking at me. It was like he thought I didn¡¯t matter.


    Paul¡ªno, Antonio Junior¡ªwas looking in my direction. His eyes were fixed on me in a way that made my skin crawl. He hadn¡¯t looked away from me since he got out of the car.


    I crossed my arms over my chest and looked over his shoulder. The windows of his car were too dark for me to see inside. My heart ached.


    What if mom wasn¡¯t in there?


    ¡°This is a mistake. You realize that?¡± Alessandro asked coolly.


    Antonio gritted his teeth. ¡°The only mistake I made was trusting the Valentinos!¡± he shouted. ¡°If your damned brother hadn¡¯t betrayed the family, none of this would have happened.¡±


    I had no idea what he was talking about. How was he ming Tallon for all of this?


    He smirked suddenly and shrugged. ¡°But it¡¯s better this way,¡± he continued smugly. ¡°I¡¯ve got my own organization, and we do things the old way. That¡¯s why I have to bring you all down. There¡¯s no room in this game for flip-flopping weaklings like you and your brother.¡±


    Alessandro lookedpletely unfazed by the insults. I couldn¡¯t understand how that was even possible. Antonio wasn¡¯t even talking to me and I wanted to punch him for what he was saying.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my mother?¡± I demanded.


    I wasn¡¯t going to sit there and listen to him rant and rave all night. We were here to get my mom, and that was all I wanted to do.


    All eyes turned to me. Antonio smiled slightly. ¡°I see why my boy liked you,¡± he said.


    I sneered in disgust at thement and refused to look at Junior. ¡°I want to see my mother,¡± I said firmly. ¡°Prove to me that she isn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    His eyebrows rose and he turned his head toward the car he had emerged from. He waved his hand and a second the door opened.


    My mom stepped out and arge, stern-looking man followed her. They walked toward us, and my mom nced at Alessandro hesitantly. Her eyes were red and puffy, and there were tears on her cheeks. Other than her obvious distress, I couldn¡¯t see any sign that she was hurt.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t think we would hurt your mother,¡± Antonio said with amusement. ¡°I¡¯m a gentleman, and like I said, we do things the old way. Women and kids are off limits.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee here, Cat,¡± Mom said meekly.


    ¡°Now, now,¡± Antonio said. ¡°She¡¯s a good girl taking care of her mother. Don¡¯t go giving her a hard time about it.¡±


    His words made me feel gross. I did my best to ignore him.


    ¡°Well, Valentino?¡± Antonio said impatiently. ¡°Are you going to be a man and let this nicedy go home to her daughter or ain¡¯t you?¡±


    Alessandro reached out and squeezed my shoulder reassuringly, then took a few steps forward. The burly man who was standing behind Mom gave her a light shove to get her moving. She hurried toward me, only pausing long enough to whisper something to Alessandro that I couldn¡¯t hear.


    I hugged Mom tightly when she reached me.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± I asked softly.


    ¡°No,¡± she answered. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee. You can¡¯t trust them.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my call,¡± I said. ¡°Alessandro wanted to do this.¡±


    At my words, she turned and looked at Alessandro. He was standing in front of Antonio and staring at him defiantly. He was a little bit taller, and he was ring down at Antonio in a way that made it clear he found the older man despicable.


    No one said a word.


    I realized that I was holding my breath as I waited. I wasn¡¯t sure what we were supposed to do now. I wanted to get in the car and get Mom as far from here as possible, but I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of leaving Alessandro alone with these psychos... not that I could do anything to help him.


    Without warning, Antonio shot forward and punched Alessandro in the face.


    The sound of the impact was almost deafening in the silence.


    Alessandro looked off to the side for a long moment. He spit and a small puddle of blood appeared on the ground.


    Alessandro straightened up and stared at Antonio again.


    The older man turned toward us, and a cold feeling of dread shot through me.


    ¡°Youdies best be on your way,¡± he said coldly. ¡°You don¡¯t want to see how this is going to y out.¡±


    I started to argue, but Alessandro turned to look at me and nodded toward the car. I swallowed my words and nodded back. I took Mom¡¯s hand, and we turned our backs to the men and hurried into the car.


    As soon as the door was closed, I turned to look out the window. I didn¡¯t want to leave Alessandro like that, but I knew that I had to get out of the way.


    He had a n, right?


    My breath caught in my throat as I watched Antonio pull a gun from his waistband and aim it directly between Alessandro¡¯s eyes. Mom gasped, and I felt her hand grip my knee tightly.


    I couldn¡¯t look away.


    Our driver started the motor and started to back up. The sound of screeching tires cut through the air. From behind us, several cars sped toward the men.


    Antonio turned to face the approaching cars. Alessandro took advantage of the distraction and tackled him, knocking the gun from his hand.


    Antonio Junior and the burly bodyguard rushed toward him. The car we were in whipped around as explosive noise erupted around us.


    Everything was in chaos, and I couldn¡¯t follow what was happening. Alessandro¡¯s men were here, but that didn¡¯t exin the sound.


    Then I realized.


    It was gunfire.


    I ducked my head and put my arms up to shield myself. We were moving rapidly, but there was gunfire all around us. My heart was thudding against my ribs, and I felt like I couldn¡¯t breathe as fear rushed through me.


    I reached for my mom. My hands gripped her shirt, and the world went still as I slowly realized that the fabric that I was gripping was warm and wet.


    I shook my head. This couldn¡¯t be happening. We were supposed to be alright. Alessandro¡¯s n should have worked, and then we were supposed to be safe.


    I felt tears burning in my eyes as I remembered the day dad was shot. My entire world had been changed for the worse. My heart felt like it was going to stop and at that moment, I wished that it would. I couldn¡¯t go through this again.


    I wouldn¡¯t survive it.


    ¡°Mom?¡± I asked hopelessly.


    I lifted my head and looked up at her. She was slumped forward with her head pressed into the window. Broken ss was scattered across herp, and her shirt was soaked in blood.


    The car turned without warning and threw us forward. The motion seemed to jar me out of my shock. The sounds of gunshots and screaming came back and I realized that we were still close to the chaos. Only a few seconds had passed.


    We were speeding away from the fighting.


    ¡°Help!¡± I screamed. I slid from the seat to the floor and grabbed her shoulders. Iid her back on the seat and lifted her shirt, looking for the injury that had caused her to lose so much blood.


    ¡°Mom, say something!¡± I cried.


    She didn¡¯t react. Her eyes were closed. Her chest was heaving as she struggled to breathe. She was still alive, but the pool of blood was only growing.


    I turned toward the driver. ¡°We need help!¡± I screamed.


    He didn¡¯t respond. He just kept driving.


    I looked at the rapidly bleeding hole in the middle of her abdomen and a sob stuck in my throat. That bastard Antonio had taken my dad from me, and now he had shot my mom too.


    This couldn¡¯t be happening.


    ¡°Mom?¡± I asked.


    I shook her shoulders, desperately hoping that she would open her eyes.


    She didn¡¯t.


    I started to scream.

 Chapter 650 : Been Through a Lot

    <h4>Chapter 650: Chapter 650 : Been Through a Lot</h4>


    *Caterina*


    My voice was the only sound in the room besides the humming and asional beeping of machinery.


    I was reading an article from one of Mom¡¯s favorite magazines out loud. I wasn¡¯t paying attention to what the article was about at all. I personally found it boring, but the doctors told me that talking to her could help. Apparently, it was good fora patients.


    Mom hadn¡¯t woken up since she was shot. The doctor told me that even though she had lost a lot of blood, the wound to her abdomen was actually pretty minor. He said that at some point during the shootout, she¡¯d hit her head. That was what had really hurt her.


    Her brain function was normal, and he was confident that she would wake up. He just couldn¡¯t say when.


    It has been two months already. I was struggling not to lose hope.


    Alessandro and his men were tirelessly hunting for Antonio and Junior. Somehow, they had managed to escape in the chaos of the fight. No one would admit it, but I was sure that it was because of me.


    The driver of the car Mom and I were in had rushed us to the hospital. He had ryed what had happened at some point.


    Alessandro had rushed to the hospital. I was sure that if he had stayed to deal with Antonio himself, things would have been different.


    I tried not to dwell on it. They would find him. I was confident in that.


    School had started already, but I wasn¡¯t going. I hadn¡¯t dropped out for the semester yet, but I knew I might have to. This was far more important than school. I could go back when things had been resolved. Right now, it wasn¡¯t safe.


    Elio has been staying close to me, which has helped a lot with my feeling of security. If I were on campus without him, I was sure I would be a disaster.


    When he wasn¡¯t in the hospital with me, he was looking for the bastards responsible for this. I smiled a little at the thought. I really needed to thank him again for everything. I was here every day, and he always stopped by at least for a little while.


    Right now, he was picking up lunch for us. I didn¡¯t want to leave Mom¡¯s bedside if I didn¡¯t have to. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that if I wasn¡¯t with her, something terrible was going to happen.


    I knew that it was paranoid, but Elio didn¡¯t try to talk sense into me. He just made sure that I ate and took me home after visiting hours.


    I turned the page of the magazine and continued reading. The article was about something technical, and I was having trouble pronouncing some of the words. I wasn¡¯t sure why Mom had even subscribed to this thing.


    I sighed and closed the magazine.


    ¡°Sorry Mom, this is just really dull,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe after I eat, I¡¯ll be able to focus on it.¡±


    ¡°You never can focus when you¡¯re hungry.¡±


    My head snapped toward the groggy, slightly slurred voice.


    My mom¡¯s eyes were open and fixed on me, and she was smiling gently.


    I stared at her, unable to react for several seconds. When I did speak, my voice was thick with emotion and there were tears stinging my eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be?¡± she asked in confusion.


    I shook my head vehemently. ¡°You should be,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to wake up.¡±


    I wanted to scream in joy and throw my arms around her. I didn¡¯t think it would be a good idea to get her worked up right then, though. There was no telling what state she was really in.


    She remembered me. That was a good sign. But she had been unconscious for so long. I didn¡¯t want to cause any stress that might hurt her.


    I reached over to her bed and hit the call button. Mom was watching me with confusion clear on her face. I wasn¡¯t sure that she really understood what was going on.


    ¡°Why am I in the hospital?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll exinter,¡± I said.


    I smiled. She seemed to be fine, but I didn¡¯t want to get my hopes up.


    ¡°Yes?¡± a female voice said over the crackling inte system.


    ¡°She¡¯s awake,¡± I said as calmly as I could. ¡°Please, tell the doctor right away.¡±


    My throat felt tight, and I knew that I wasn¡¯t going to be able to hold back my reaction for much longer. I could hear hurried footsteps and voices outside.


    I took Mom¡¯s hand and squeezed it gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I assured her. ¡°You¡¯re safe. The doctors are just going to check on you now that you¡¯re awake, okay?¡±


    She frowned at me. ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± she said. ¡°Why are you acting so strange?¡±


    I shook my head helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I lied.


    The door burst open, and several people hurried inside. I stood up and took a few steps back to make room for the doctors and nurses.


    The tears were streaming down my face now. The relief that I felt made me almost lightheaded. She had woken up. She got shot, and she was still alive.


    A sob shook my chest, and I brought my hand up to cover my mouth. I didn¡¯t want her to hear me crying.


    ¡°Cat,¡± Elio¡¯s voice called softly.


    I turned to see him setting a bag of takeout on a nearby table. He held his arms out to me, and I rushed into his embrace.


    I felt so weak, but he held me easily.


    ¡°Sir?¡± one of the nurses said gently. ¡°Could we ask you to step into the hallway for a moment please?¡±


    Elio didn¡¯t argue. He led me outside.


    I was grateful for the rtive privacy, so I didn¡¯t protest. I leaned heavily against Elio and let the tears fall freely. He stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head until I was able to calm myself. I wasn¡¯t sure how long it had been, but by the time I was able to stop crying, I felt exhausted.


    All the lost sleep and fear that had gued me thest two months had finally caught up to me.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Elio asked softly.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said.


    I smiled. He had been so supportive all this time. I didn¡¯t know how I would have made it through this without him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that this is a lot to take in,¡± he said.


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m so relieved,¡± I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about what life would be like without Mom.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I,¡± he said. ¡°But we don¡¯t need to worry about that for a long time. She¡¯ll have the best healthcare avable. I promise you that.¡±


    I nodded. Alessandro had promised the same thing. The family was going to take care of Mom. We could just focus on her health.


    We were lucky to have people to support us.


    I was pulled from my thoughts by the sound of the door opening. Elio and I both turned to see the doctor approaching us. Elio took my hand, and I held onto him as anxiety washed over me.


    ¡°How is she?¡± I asked nervously.


    He smiled. ¡°She¡¯s better than I expected, honestly. She¡¯s pretty shocked to know she¡¯s been out for so long, but physically, she¡¯s doing well.¡±


    I felt my shoulders sag as the good news hit me. She really was alright.


    ¡°Now, don¡¯t get too excited. We still have a long road ahead of us. Being stationary for so long takes a toll on the body. There will likely be a psychological impact as well.¡±


    I nodded my understanding. She¡¯d been kidnapped and shot, so of course she was going to be messed up about it all.


    ¡°But she¡¯ll make a full recovery?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any indication at this point that she won¡¯t be able to,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Can we see her?¡± Elio asked.


    The doctor nodded and motioned towards the door. ¡°Of course. She¡¯s asking for you.¡±


    Elio didn¡¯t hesitate to open the door for me. I rushed inside and went straight to Mom. She was sitting up and sipping a cup of ice water. She had a wide-eyed, shocked expression on her face.


    ¡°Cat,¡± she said when she saw me approaching. ¡°I can¡¯t believe all of this¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said as I sat on the edge of the bed. ¡°But it¡¯s going to be alright.¡±


    She nodded slowly. Her eyes turned to Elio. ¡°The person responsible¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be taken care of,¡± he said seriously. ¡°You have my word.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I trust you.¡±


    ¡°Mom, how are you feeling?¡± I asked.


    She crinkled her nose. ¡°Disgusting,¡± she said. ¡°I need a shower and some clean clothes.¡±


    Iughed and put my hand over my mouth. I hadn¡¯t expected a response like that. She narrowed her eyes at me in warning, but I couldn¡¯t stopughing.


    I was just so relieved that she was herself. I had been mentally preparing myself to deal with memory loss or extreme fear, but she was just Mom. I was so, so happy.


    Elio put his hand on my shoulder and smiled at her.


    ¡°We¡¯ll bring you some clothes from home,¡± he offered. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll feel better in something other than a hospital gown.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± she said with a curt nod. ¡°When can I get out of here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a little while,¡± one of the nurses answered. ¡°We just need to be sure you¡¯re ready to be independent. You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡±


    Mom scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve been through worse,¡± she said dismissively.


    That made Eliough. It was true, although the nurses certainly wouldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°You¡¯re a strong woman,¡± Elio said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be home in no time.¡±


    He squeezed my shoulder gently. I reached up and put my hand over his, thinking that he couldn¡¯t possibly know how much it meant to me that he was by my side right now.


    He and Mom were smiling andughing, and the mood in the room was so light and hopeful. It was a stark contrast to the fear and uncertainty of thest few weeks.


    The doctor was right. We weren¡¯t in the clear yet. There were a lot ofplications that could still arise. Whatever happened, though, I was confident that Elio would stand with me through it all.


    I thought of Antonio and a cold feeling came over me. He was still out there. He was still dangerous. He had taken so much from me, and I knew that we hadn¡¯t heard thest from me.


    I leaned against Elio¡¯s side, and he held my shoulder a little tighter.


    I wanted revenge for what happened to my dad and now to my mom. I knew that Elio felt the same way. With him by my side, I knew that we were going to see this thing through to the end.


    Antonio hadn¡¯t seen thest of us.

 Chapter 651 : Life Changes

    <h4>Chapter 651: Chapter 651 : Life Changes</h4>


    *Three Months Later*


    *Caterina*


    ¡°Marketing, especially on social media, is a way to spread your online presence and build trust within your brand. That¡¯s why manypanies have taken to social media tforms that provide advanced ad targeting.¡±


    Ms. Sumners paced slowly at the front of the room, her heels tapping on the shiny tile floors as she lectured the few students who had elected to take her ss. It was a small ssroom, probably half the size of a standard one, and besides me, there were only five or six other students.


    Each student was hard at work as they wrote or typed down every word the teacher was saying. I twirled my pencil in one hand, frowning as I double-checked my notes with what she was saying.


    ¡°Tracking statistics is the number one way to grow your brand as it allows you to find out demographics, interests, behaviors, budgets. Everything you could possibly want to know about the consumers buying your products. And once you know that it¡¯s easy to market hard and fast to that specific group of people.¡±


    Ms. Sumners paused as the digital clock on her desk red out in a dial tone and immediately, my eyes flew to the clock above the doorway. It was four o¡¯clock¡ªright on time.


    I folded up my notebook, beginning to gather my things as Ms. Sumners turned off the rm, resetting it for the next ss.


    ¡°Remember to have your essay on marketing to specific demographics on my desk by Monday morning or you will receive a zero,¡± she called out, sternly, taking a seat behind her desk as the few students practically flew out of the ssroom.


    I was thest to leave, and as Ms. Sumners pulled out her infamous red Sharpie, I quietly shut the door behind me, leaving her to it.


    ¡°Cat!¡±


    I flinched, dodging at just the right moment as Anna went flying past me, practically hitting the wall head-first but grabbing her before she did. I giggled as she held her nose in mock pain, pouting at me like I had done something unforgivable.


    ¡°I was just trying to hug you,¡± she said, sounding congested as she held her nose.


    She let go, wiggling it with a wince. I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Sorry, but no,¡± Iughed, falling into line beside her as we made our way down the empty hallways.


    ¡°To think I took summer sses to hang out with such an ungrateful friend as you,¡± she huffed, crossing her arms unhappily. ¡°I am such a good friend, but you refuse my hug. You are the worst.¡±


    ¡°Uh, huh, and I¡¯m sure you sticking to me like glue also had nothing to do with Daniel on his trip abroad,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°It¡¯s France!¡± Anna cried out, swinging her arms out and almost hitting a passing student going the opposite way in the face.


    ¡°Hey!¡± He red at her.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologized for her, but Anna waspletely uncaring as she pursed her lips, giving me wide sorrowful eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m lonely, Cat! Give me a break. Sexual frustration is a real bitch, and you¡¯re my only friend!¡± she yelled out in the middle of the school hallway.


    The guy she almost hit turned bright red, quickly scurrying away like someone was chasing him.


    ¡°And I wonder why that is,¡± I sighed, hiding my face in my palm. ¡°Do you have to make the whole school aware of your issues?¡±


    ¡°Rude.¡± She pivoted on her feet, walking backward so she could stick her tongue out at me.


    I rolled my eyes andughed. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get home, so I¡¯ll see you on Monday, okay?¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± She waved her hand at me as she approached the exit. ¡°Leave me to my lonesome.¡±


    A ck car was waiting for me as usual, with one of the men in a ck suit and sunsses leaning against the door. I knew there were probably more hidden around.


    Anna frowned as we spotted them and the guy nodded at me, opening the car door like he did every evening pick-up. ¡°Those guys are creepy, Cat. How long do you have to keep getting chauffeured around like that?¡±


    ¡°Uh, not much longer.¡± I avoided her eyes.


    Anna didn¡¯t know much of anything, only that an old enemy of my dad¡¯s showed up and my mom got hurt. I told her that the family was paying for protection, hence the bodyguards, but I could tell she only half-believed me.


    But she still didn¡¯t ask any questions. She did insist on taking the summer sses and walking me to and from each ss, and we both knew it wasn¡¯t because Daniel was abroad for the summer.


    She was my best friend, and she knew something was wrong, even if I didn¡¯t have to say it.


    ¡°Thanks, Anna. I¡¯ll see youter.¡± I leaned over to grab her into a hug.


    She hugged me tighter, her face softening as she smiled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get mushy on me now,¡± she muttered, her voice a little hoarse with emotion.


    I ignored it, blinking away the water in my eyes as I pulled back. I waved to her until I reached the car, settling inside as the bodyguard silently shut the door behind me.


    Anna stood at the entrance, watching until we disappeared, and my smile dropped. I sighed, hugging my backpack to my chest as I pulled out my phone. There were no new messages, and I wasn¡¯t sure whether to be disappointed or happy about that.


    I always heard that no news was good news, but I still wanted to know how my mom was doing. She was still in the hospital, recovering little by little.


    It didn¡¯t take long to head from the school to where we were going. It was a private little house, a new safe house that Alessandro had set up for us in a quieter part of town. We drove up, the building looking domineering from the outside.


    It was a depressing sight, to be honest. The windows were only cosmetic, and the door was reinforced steel, only painted to look wooden. Most of the building was concrete and metal, nothing bright or aesthetic, just a pile of grays.


    But this was home now, at least while Antonio and his asshole of a son were on the loose. It took a minute to get the courage to get out and approach the safe house, the bodyguard only following me to the door, standing guard as he always did, but I hesitated when it came to actually going in.


    I didn¡¯t want to spend another nighting home to nothing. With Mom in the hospital, all I had was Elio, but he spent his time split between his job at hispany and his deals with Alessandro.


    He called me every so often to tell me how they were making great strides in expanding the family into the US, but when it came to anything else, well, he was like a ghost these past few months.


    Elio returned home after I fell asleep and was gone by the time I woke up most days. It had been weeks since we had a day to ourselves and I had to admit, it was lonely.


    I was happy to know that Elio and I were on the same page now, with no more secrets and withholding things from one another, especially with a clear goal in our minds¡ªfind Junior and Antonio and make them pay, no matter the cost.


    Yet, I couldn¡¯t help but wish for just one day, just a few hours to rx. Things had changed so much in the past few months, and it felt like nothing would be the same as it was. I didn¡¯t know if that was a good thing or not.


    I unlocked the door and headed inside. A hot shower and a change of clothes sounded good before I had to make my way over to the hospital. Mom was probably going stir-crazy after so many months of being bedridden. Elio already told me he was going to bete tonight, so there was no point in waiting for him.


    I slung my backpack onto the nearby couch, stretching my arms above my head as I suppressed a yawn when I heard a loud ¡°Ow!¡± in response.


    I flinched, immediately going on the defensive as I turned to the couch. I saw a pair of feet hanging off the couch and a head popped up, holding my backpack by the strap.


    ¡°Jeez, Cat. What did I do to you to deserve that?¡± Elio grinned, rubbing the top of his head like he had actually been injured.


    ¡°What are you doing here? I thought you were going to bete getting home tonight.¡± Iughed, running over to his side.


    He climbed to his feet, folding me into a hug and I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling warm and safe for the first time in weeks. It had really been so long since I¡¯d seen himst.


    ¡°That was a bluff. We wanted to surprise you,¡± Elio chuckled.


    ¡°We?¡± I frowned, looking up.


    Elio just smirked, ncing at the kitchen. I followed his gaze and my heart leaped to my throat. There, sitting innocently in a bulky wheelchair, was my mother, smiling just as she always was with a store-bought cake on herp.


    ¡°Mom!¡± I jumped out of Elio¡¯s arms, rushing toward her. I kneeled right in front of her, checking her for any bandages or injuries. There was nothing. Herplexion looked even brighter than thest time I¡¯d seen her.


    ¡°I was justing to visit you. Did you get released? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°Now, you¡¯re sounding just like me, Cat.¡± Mom cupped my cheek. ¡°I just got released today, so we wanted to surprise you. It was Elio¡¯s idea and the hospital helped as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just d you¡¯re out of there. This ce is one level, so it should be easy to navigate with the wheelchair. I¡¯m sure Elio already thought of that, though.¡± I sent him a sly nce and he just shrugged with a smirk on his face.


    ¡°I may not be able to walk yet, but I¡¯ll be out of this chair soon enough. You¡¯ll see,¡± Mom said warmly. ¡°I¡¯m getting better every day with my exercises, and the doctor said I¡¯ll be back on my feet in just another month or two.¡±


    ¡°Of course you will. You¡¯re the strongest woman I know.¡± I smiled,ying my hand over hers. She was as warm as always, just radiating like the sun.


    ¡°Oh.¡± She gave me a teary smile. ¡°I raised such a beautiful, strong, and kind daughter. You are the greatest gift I¡¯ve ever been given, Cat. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Mom,¡± I beamed, gently folding her into a hug.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for cake!¡± Elio pped behind us, interrupting the sweet moment with a mischievous grin. ¡°Specially picked up from my favorite cake store. It¡¯s your favorite.¡±


    I rolled my eyes as he energetically ran past us into the kitchen, taking the cake from Mom as he opened it up and began to slice out pieces. He was right. It was my favorite.


    I took a bite of the delicious cake, fully content as I watched my boyfriend make my momugh. I couldn¡¯t believe how happy I was just seeing their faces, and how lucky I was to be with such a great man like Elio.


    Life was changing all the time, but as long as I had them, I would be fine.


    ¡°Let me get you a drink, Mom. Do you want milk or a coke?¡± I asked, setting down my te as I made my way to the fridge.


    ¡°Milk, please!¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    I barely noticed Elio following me as I leaned over to inspect the fridge, quickly finding the gallon of milk. Right as I pulled it out, I nearly walked into the brick wall that was my boyfriend.


    ¡°Elio?¡± I questioned him, unnerved by the uncharacteristically serious look on his face.


    ¡°I need to talk to you,¡± he said firmly.


    ¡°Can it wait? Mom just got home,¡± I frowned.


    He shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Junior.¡±

 Chapter 652 : We’ll Get Him

    <h4>Chapter 652: Chapter 652 : We¡¯ll Get Him</h4>


    *Caterina*


    Antonio Junior¡ªeven the name left a bad taste in my mouth, like swallowing gasoline and just like lighting a match right after, my anger exploded inside of my chest, an uncontroble fire that burned with injustice and hatred.


    I stared nkly at the counter of the kitchen as the white milk sshed around into the ss cup before me. It was only filled halfway before the carton was empty, and I made a mental note to pick some up tomorrow.


    Mom liked to drink milk. It was a habit she told me she formed when I was a kid. The only way to get me to drink milk was to have a ss herself. Once I saw her drink it, I would as well.


    ¡°Cat, we need to talk,¡± Elio reminded me, his whole presence behind me like a heater.


    I was acutely aware of every movement of his, every shift of his body, even the way his hand naturally gravitated to hover above my waist, too hesitant to touch but a reminder that he was right there.


    I nodded solemnly, ncing over at Mom, who was still enjoying her piece of cake as the TV yed her favorite movie on the screen. I pivoted on my heel, facing Elio with a determined look.


    ¡°After Mom goes to bed¡ªI don¡¯t want her to worry about it,¡± I told him firmly with no negotiation in my voice.


    She¡¯d been through enough. I wasn¡¯t going to get her involved anymore.


    Elio stared at me for a moment, as if trying to see through my brain and read my thoughts, but eventually he sighed, nodding in agreement.


    I took his hand in mine, giving him a small smile as thanks and then heading into the living room with a grin stered on my face. I stayed up with Mom, watching the movie she¡¯d picked that I barely understood.


    Elio took my side by the couch, quiet all night until Mom grew too tired to keep her eyes open. I helped her get ready for bed and then stayed by her side until she fell asleep. It wasn¡¯t long until I quietly snuck out of her room, and then I nced at Elio, who had been patiently waiting all that time.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered quietly, ¡°for waiting.¡±


    ¡°She alright?¡± he asked instead.


    I nodded. ¡°She¡¯s doing much better. She wasining a bit about sleeping here instead of the house but... I¡¯d rather not take any chances, not again,¡± I wrapped my arms around my middle, suddenly feeling colder than normal as I remembered how helpless I¡¯d felt in the waiting room, not knowing if my mom was dead or alive.


    All I could do was sit there, covered in blood that wasn¡¯t mine and praying to anyone who was listening that they didn¡¯t take the only parent I had left.


    Never again¡ªI never wanted to feel like that again. Even with Elio by my side, it felt like torture, almost indescribable in the amount of pain I was feeling, and if Mom hadn¡¯t been so lucky if the bullet had been an inch closer....


    I shivered, biting my bottom lip, and Elio opened his arms, stepping forward to help me out of pure instinct. But I shook my head, steeling myself as I gestured for him to follow me. I headed to our bedroom, sending onest nce to my mom¡¯s door before I took a deep breath and headed inside.


    Elio followed silently, and the moment that our bedroom door shut behind us, I whirled on Elio, urgent and tense as the thought of that psychopath came back to haunt me.


    ¡°Did you find him?¡± I demanded.


    Elio shook his head, and my heart dropped to my feet.


    I had expected disappointment, but there was also a little bit of relief. Some part of me kept thinking that the longer he stayed gone, maybe it would keep being that way. Maybe he would just disappear out of my life for good this time.


    Even as childish as it sounded, I didn¡¯t want the conflict that came with Paul or Antonio Junior or whatever the fuck his name was. He¡¯d taken too much of me¡ªmy life, my time, my safety. I didn¡¯t want him to have a second more.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t find him,¡± Elio added. ¡°But we do have a lead on a guy in his crew.¡±


    ¡°His crew?¡±


    ¡°Followers¡ªhe¡¯s got a whole group of people who think the sun shines out of his ass,¡± he exined. ¡°They¡¯re mostly kids picked off the streets, or kids of criminals. Sometimes it just runs in the veins. Underage teens are the best as they¡¯re not as traceable and easy to mold, especially foster kids or runaways.¡±


    He looked nonchnt as if this wasn¡¯t the most horrifying thing I had ever heard.


    I sneered, feeling sick to my stomach at the thought. I knew Junior had always been one of those people who drew crowds to him, despite how disgusting he was inside. I had to admit that he could be charismatic when he tried. But to think he had used that to take advantage of teenagers, kids who had nowhere else to go just for his own purposes¡ªthat was sickening.


    Elio watched me carefully from the corner of his eye. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much into it, Cat. This isn¡¯t just something he and his father have done. Mafias, crime rings¡ªthey all use the same tactic to recruit. It¡¯s the easiest way to get cheap and quick hires. Nobody misses them when something goes wrong. They just get reced.¡±


    I clenched my fists at my sides, hating the words he was saying despite knowing how true they were. I was thankful I had my mom, that she had kept her sanity after my dad¡¯s death, and I was even thankful to my dad.


    The more I learned about the life he came from, the more I could understand and appreciate just why he kept us in the dark about it. It was a cruel and heartless world, one that never abided by thews the rest of us did.


    But in the end, if you y with fire and get burned, you don¡¯t have anyone to me but yourself.


    I sighed,bing a hand through my hair and pushing it behind my shoulders. It had been five months since my mother had been shot, and the anger had only grown day by day, that burning need to return the pain both of us had received.


    But all I could do was rely on Elio and wait helplessly, just like when Mom was dying and I couldn¡¯t do a damn thing.


    Despite my best efforts, hot tears poured down my face, my emotions overflowing like water in a cup.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get him, Cat. I promise,¡± Elio said softly, as he stepped forward, embracing me into his warm arms.


    I stood there limply for a minute, just struggling not to burst into full-on sobs before I slowly leaned into his embrace, clutching my hands around his shirt.


    I buried my face into his clothes, feeling a bit bad for leaving tears all over them.


    ¡°He won¡¯t get away with this,¡± Elio vowed, the anger in his voice matching mine like a fingerprint. I sniffed, my tears drying up as I held onto his promise, tucking it away into my heart. I felt his movements as hisrge hands cupped each of my cheeks, bringing my gaze to meet his.


    He leaned forward and my breath hitched as heid a gentle kiss to my forehead, a soft moment within all of the chaos that surrounded us. In that single gesture, my mind went silent. All my anxieties and worries, my anger and fears, vanished like they had never been there to begin with.


    All that mattered was the two of us, the reflection of each other in our eyes, and without even thinking, just chasing after a simple impulse, I breathed out and lifted myself onto my toes, our lips connecting softly.


    It was all so natural that we lost ourselves to the heat of the kiss. His lips were warm, and he sweetly nibbled on my bottom lip, his hands tangling themselves into my hair as he brought my head up, deepening our kiss.


    I let him take control, simply floating in the moment like one would on ake, letting it carry me away like the morning tide. His tongue brushed against mine, coaxing me out to yzily and I clutched his cor as I fully leaned on him.


    He broke apart for only a second, a soft chuckle rumbling in his throat as his hands grabbed my ass, lifting me easily and I jumped up, folding my legs around his waist. Our mouths connected deeply to one another. I barely paid attention as Elio headed from the doorway to the bed, carrying me with every step.


    Iughed as he full-on dropped me onto the bed, following me soon after as he pinned into the sheets. I kissed him through my smile, and his hands wandered from my waist to my shirt. It only took a few minutes before it was off and on the floor, my jeans following soon after and leaving me only in my underwear.


    I moaned as his fingers found my lower half, dipping into my wet hole and he grinned above me as I chased after his touch. His lips found my breast, pulling my bra down andtching onto my red bud.


    I buried my hands into his hair, as he teased me open slowly and surely. One finger turned to two and I swallowed my moans as he returned to my mouth, his tongue still tasting like the salt of my skin.


    And right as he hit the deep spot inside of me, he grinned as my back arched and he thrust three fingers into me, hitting that spot over and over until I couldn¡¯t contain myself anymore. I came, falling into bliss as Elio pulled out of me, on his knees as he watched me like a lion would a gazelle.


    I panted, barely recovering, still overstimted as I saw him lick his fingers clean, savoring every taste. He barely gave me a minute before he threw off his clothes, bare before me as he pumped his cock a few times.


    My arms trembled as I crawled forward, his dark eyes watching my every move as I met his eyes with my own heated gaze, licking my lips as I pulled myself right up to his cock. The smell was heavy and dark, but I didn¡¯t give a fuck.


    My eyes were on the prize in front of me.


    I teasingly slid my fingers under him, pushing away his own hand as I took his ce, pumping my hand a few times in the same rhythm. He groaned in response and I licked the tip, tasting the salt of his precum.


    My impatience took over and I swallowed his cock into my lips, only an inch or two at first. His breath caught as I gained speed, opening up my mouth as his length slid further and further until the base hit the back of my throat and all of him was swallowed up by me.


    I breathed out through my nose, my eyes shut tightly. I felt so full, like I was choking on him, but I kept calm, pulling away and plunging back down.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± he cursed, losing his patience atst. He curled his hands around the back of my head, thrusting into my throat much harsher than I had. It was almost too much, and I could feel myself dripping onto the sheets, my thighs rubbing together as I let him use me to his heart¡¯s content.


    He pulled out, and then mmed back in, not missing a single beat and I happily took every inch of him again and again until he pulled back, staring at me in sheer lust as his member shot out hot white cum all over my face and chest.


    I panted, swallowing whatever hadnded on my tongue. It was bitter and salty, not very pleasant at all, but I was too lost to care. I didn¡¯t pay much attention as Elio slid on a condom and then gently pushed me down onto the bed, hovering over me as he gripped his member tightly in one hand.


    He pinned me down, breathing just as hard as I was as his hot inted cock slid effortlessly into me. I moaned, folding my legs onto his waist and getting a better angle as he thrust into me.


    He was sharp and fast, hitting just where I needed him to and I whined and moaned underneath him, unable to even think of anything but his name and his cock as he fucked me hard enough to bruise.


    ¡°Cat, baby, I¡¯m¨C¡±


    He panted and I just nodded, leaning up to swallow his words with my tongue, shutting my eyes tightly as we both groaned,ing at the same time. We breathed heavily together, savoring the moment as we clutched one another tightly.


    ¡°You know,¡± Elio said after we caught our breath, staring down at me with mischievous eyes, ¡°I was thinking tomorrow we could go out for a special dinner.¡±


    Iughed, still in that blissful aftermath. ¡°Sure. Where to?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll worry about thatter.¡± He shrugged, his eyes focusing on my chest. ¡°But I¡¯m not quite done enjoying our night yet.¡±


    I smirked, using my hips to flip us over so I was on top of him, still attached to his cock inside of me. I squeezed down and he cursed, giving me wide but lustful eyes.


    ¡°Me neither.¡±

 Chapter 653 : The New Normal

    <h4>Chapter 653: Chapter 653 : The New Normal</h4>


    *Caterina*


    An intoxicating and familiar scent hit me in the nk unconsciousness that had consumed me. My eyes fluttered open as the salty sizzling smell of bacon pulled me into the wakingnd. Excitement pooled in the center of my stomach, and I shifted slightly, immediately regretting it as my muscles and limbs sharply ached in response.


    I groaned, feeling so sore that just the thought of getting up had me flinching. There wasn¡¯t a single part of me that wasn¡¯tpletely spent, and rememberingst night, it wasn¡¯t difficult to see why.


    It was tempting to me Elio for going overboard, but I knew I had been just as much of a willing participant, or even more so at times.


    I huffed, letting my face fall straight into the pillow as I pouted. I was stuck on my stomach, my arms curled around my waist as it ached with every movement and my face fully smashed within the pillows.


    But the bacon, my favorite breakfast food, was still luring me, teasing and tempting as it struggled to pull me out of bed, and I knew only one person could be behind this.


    And speak of the devil, I thought.


    I heard the door open and then shut quickly, a few footsteps and I strained my head, trying to look over my shoulders, but it was no use.


    ¡°Having trouble?¡± I heard him chuckle from somewhere behind me.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± I groaned. ¡°It¡¯s your fault.¡±


    ¡°And who was the one who kept begging me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just shut up and help me!¡± I blushed a deep red, iling my arms out behind me.


    Elioughed, and I heard his footsteps approaching and the dip of the bed as he took a seat beside me. He grabbed one hand of mine and slipped the other underneath my waist, gently helping me turn over.


    I shut my eyes tightly from the sore protest of my body but eventually, I was staring at the ceiling. Elio gently wrapped me up in the nket, folding me like a burrito, and I sent him a questioning and pouting look as he grinned.


    And then he lifted me into hisp, holding me like a swaddled baby. I huffed, blowing my messy hair from my face, my arms trapped within the nket burrito, and I felt sort of like a slug, just wiggling my way to getfortable.


    Heughed, gently kissing the tip of my nose.


    ¡°My sweet baby,¡± he cooed teasingly.


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Did I smell bacon?¡± I asked curiously, trying to look around the room for where the savory-smelling meat might be hiding.


    Heughed, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. ¡°Yes. Breakfast is almost ready. We¡¯re just waiting on you.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± I tilted my head with a frown. Then I remembered that my mom hade homest night. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say something? Let me go and get dressed!¡±


    I struggled to get out of his embrace, but his grip was like iron, and he just coddled me even more, keeping me close to his chest.


    ¡°Matilde¡¯s live-in caretaker arrived this morning, so I made breakfast for everybody,¡± Elio exined, looking much like a satisfied jungle cat as he cradled me perfectly in his arms.


    He had no intention of letting me go anytime soon, and I was too bundled up to move properly, especially with how sore and bruised I felt.


    There was only one option. I gave him the biggest puppy-dog eyes I could, cuddling up to him to try to win some sweetness points.


    ¡°Then let me go so I can get dressed and eat food. I¡¯m hungry,¡± I whined, pouting like a toddler who didn¡¯t get what they wanted, much to my own shame.


    But bacon took precedence over shame. I¡¯d run an olddy over with a cart just to get thest package of bacon.


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Heughed, letting me go finally as he tossed me and the nket onto the bed.


    I huffed, scrambling out of the twisted nket burrito. I still felt sore, but it was better now that I was moving my body again.


    I ignored Elio¡¯s heated stare as I dropped the nket, fully in the nude as I headed for the closet. It felt a bit weird to have a mixture of our clothes staring back at me, almost nearly imperceptible from just a nce but I grabbed what I needed, dressing as quickly as I could.


    I pulled on a simple pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and an oversized jacket that I had an inkling wasn¡¯t actually mine but I didn¡¯t point it out, and neither did Elio, who simply grinned a little too widely at the choice.


    I brushed my hair, put it into a high ponytail, and did a little bit of makeup before nodding in content at my appearance. Elio had patiently waited for me and once I was ready, he hopped up to his feet, wrapping his arm around my waist as we headed to the kitchen.


    I heard voices that were too low to make out as we approached and when we entered, I saw Mom sitting in her wheelchair at the table, a tter of food spread out though she was only having a bowl of oatmeal, some fruit, and a bit of bacon.


    My mouth watered as I saw the te full of glorious meat, even over the other dishes¡ªwaffles, toast and cheesy scrambled eggs, hash-browns, and sausage links, along with a whole spread of sauces and fruits.


    ¡°Yum!¡± I grinned, my stomach rumbling as the smell of so many different foods hit me all at once. I took my seat between Mom and Elio right as the caretaker came back carrying a pitcher full of orange juice.


    ¡°Good morning, Miss,¡± the sweet olderdy in her fifties or sixties said happily as she poured four sses of orange juice around the table.


    ¡°Morning. Lauren, right?¡± I made sure to get her name right. We¡¯d only met a few times before this, but she seemed like a very caring and sweetdy. Mom seemed to like her too.


    ¡°Right. Well, dig in, dear. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Lauren chuckled, taking a seat at the table. Mom had already finished off half her bowl of oatmeal and started munching on her bacon, just as obsessed with the stuff as I was.


    I spared no more time, immediately filling up my te. Mom and I carried the conversation as we ate breakfast, asking Lauren all sorts of questions about her and the process of being a caretaker, what her hours were, and what she could help with.


    By the time the te of bacon was gone, I was feeling pretty good about having Lauren watch over Mom in my stead. I had originally wanted to take time off school to care for her, but Mom wasn¡¯t having any of it. I was d at least she¡¯d have someone to keep herpany while Elio was at work and I was off at school.


    Elio finished up, giving me a soft smile as he got to his feet. ¡°I¡¯d better get going. I have some urgent work to take care of, but I¡¯ll pick you up after yourst ss.¡± He leaned down to whisper in my ear, ¡°I have a surprise for you.¡±


    I smirked. ¡°Better be worth it.¡±


    ¡°It will be,¡± he promised, giving me a short kiss before he took his te to the kitchen, washed it, and then left.


    ¡°Bye!¡± I called out right before the door shut.


    I heard himugh with a teasing, ¡°Goodbye, darling!¡±


    I turned back to my mother with a smile on my lips, and both she and Lauren were grinning from ear to ear, knowing looks on their faces.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± I rolled my eyes, face bright red and they luckily let it go, sparing me the embarrassment. I took my time to finish the rest of breakfast, and Lauren insisted on doing the dishes while Mom and I talked.


    I filled her in on everything that had been happening with me thest few days, weeks even. I told her about the summer sses I was taking, and how Anna had been sticking by my side and been a great sort offort for me while Elio was busy.


    We even talked a little about Antonio and his connections to Dad, though we kept it vague so as not to let Lauren in on too much.


    ¡°I¡¯m just so d to have you back home, Mom,¡± I sighed, gripping her hand tightly. ¡°I was so scared when you were in surgery and then bedridden for so long. I thought I was going to lose you like....¡±


    I trailed off, unable to finish, but Mom sent me a soft, sad smile. ¡°Like your dad.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I admitted reluctantly.


    Her eyes were full of understanding, not interrupting me at all while I talked, and I felt bad for unloading all of it on her. She had probably been just as terrified as I was, scared she would be paralyzed for the rest of her life, or worse.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re okay,¡± I sniffed, leaning over toy my head on her shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do it without you, Mom.¡±


    ¡°Oh, baby.¡± She sighed, squeezing my hand tightly. ¡°You are so much stronger than you know. I was a mess after your father died, and I know that took a huge toll on you, too. You kept me going even when I wanted to give up and if I... when I pass away, and I hope it¡¯s not for a long, long time, but these things happen, I know your loving and caring heart will be more than enough to pull you through it.¡±


    I stared emptily at the table. I knew that we all died one day, but it had never urred to me that I would ever have to live without my mom by my side, that her hand would be taken away from me and I could do nothing about it.


    I was scared, but I was also so damn grateful that I had this time with her.


    ¡°I can always miss a day at school and stay here with you, just to help you get¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, Caterina,¡± Mom said sharply, giving me a pointed re. ¡°You go to school and get the best grades. Do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mom.¡± I sighed, knowing I could never beat her. She would have the final say on anything, no matter what I said or did.


    ¡°Besides, baby,¡± Mom said, hugging me close, ¡°I have a lot of therapy today and Carrie¡¯s here with me. We¡¯ll be here when you get back, okay? You can do this.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mom,¡± I chuckled, getting to my feet.


    She squeezed my hand, a huge proud smile on her face. ¡°My beautiful, strong girl. I¡¯m so proud of you. I love you, and don¡¯t ever forget it, alright?¡±


    ¡°I love you, too.¡± I gave her onest hug, waving goodbye to Lauren as I grabbed my bag and took off. It was only a few minutes to school on my bike, and I was beginning to feel better as I rode through the bright green trees, with signs of spring already upon us.


    It was warming up again, getting back to the normal 80 and 90 degrees. My muscles were still a bit stiff, but they loosened up as I rode into campus, heading for the bike rack, where I quickly spotted Anna leaning against the wall.


    She was buried in her phone and didn¡¯t even notice as I rode up, unmounting and tying up my bike with a chain. I swung my bag onto my back, raising an eyebrow at her oblivious self.


    ¡°You do realize there¡¯s a life outside that tiny ck box?¡± I called out amused.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go get one?¡± Anna snarked back without even looking up. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for my friend, jackass¡ª¡±


    She finally nced up and her eyes widened. ¡°Cat!¡± She squealed, whole-heartedly jumping me into a firm hug. ¡°You were taking forever, so I was watching this funny video. You would find it hrious because¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let me guess.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°There are cats?¡±


    ¡°There are cats!¡± she yelled, excited and bubbly like her normal self. ¡°Here, let me show you!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time for ss, Anna,¡± I mentioned, amused as she hooked her arm around mine, pulling me right up close so she could share her screen.


    ¡°We can walk and talk,¡± she huffed, restarting the video.


    It wasn¡¯t as easy as she said, but Anna masterfully pulled me up the stairs, all the while the cat video yed in the background. Iughed as it sneezed hard enough to throw itself off the table and she squealed in delight.


    ¡°He¡¯s so cute, isn¡¯t he?¡± Anna rambled, ¡°I think¡ª¡±


    But she let out an ¡°Oof!¡±


    She nearly fell onto her ass and dragged me with her if I hadn¡¯t grabbed onto the wall. A tall guy pushed past us. Dark hair was all I could see as he hurried down the hall and away from us.


    ¡°This guy again,¡± Anna snapped, stabilizing herself.


    She brushed her skirt off, unhappily sending a middle finger at him as she turned back to the ss we shared this morning.


    ¡°When will he get the goddamn hint?¡± sheined. ¡°And no sorry? Fucking asshole.¡±


    She entered the ss, but there was a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach, and before I entered the ssroom, I looked over my shoulder, that uneasy feeling turning sour.


    The guy was watching me from the end of the hallway, his dark eyes pinned on me unblinkingly.


    A shiver ran down my spine.


    Before I could say anything, the guy quickly ducked his head, rushing off around the bend. I swallowed ufortably, wondering what the hell was going on.


    Anna even seemed to know him.


    For some reason, I was reminded of Paul¡ªAntonio Junior¡ªand how he¡¯d first shown up everywhere I was before the nightmare had started.


    Questions filled my mind. Should I be worried?


    Am I being stalked?

 Chapter 654 : Work

    <h4>Chapter 654: Chapter 654 : Work</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡°As you can see, there¡¯s plenty of space for expansion, but it can also be blocked off with these movable walls so that it doesn¡¯t feel empty,¡± I exined to one of my newer clients.


    He was the head of an up-anding techpany that was buying office space for the first time. So far, we had shown him eleven different properties, but this was the only one he seemed even slightly interested in.


    I understood his hesitation to sign a multi-million-dor lease, but I was starting to get annoyed by his pickiness. Anyone who was unwilling to build something from scratch had to be willing to make a fewpromises.


    ¡°There¡¯s also the option of renting out the second floor if needed,¡± Leo added, anticipating that the client was about to ask about extra space.


    He always seemed overly concerned with extra space, as if hispany was going to unexpectedly grow twice the size that it currently was.


    ¡°I like these windows, but does it ever get too bright in the morning? I¡¯d hate for my people to start getting migraines.¡±


    I had to turn away to roll my eyes. Who the fuckined about too much natural sunlight? I heard Leo stifle a chuckle as he saw my exasperated expression.


    We continued to lead our client around, pointing out the various points of interest that would work well for hispany¡¯s needs. This was the side of my job that I found particrly boring, which was why I was finding this particr client so difficult to deal with. Most office spaces were the same with a few unimportant differences. Unlike this guy, most of our clients looked at two or three options and picked the size that best fit theirpany. It was rare toe across someone so picky.


    I wouldn¡¯t have been showing office space if I¡¯d had a choice. Instead, I liked the chance to use my creativity and transform a space into something new. That was the part of my job that really thrilled me, and I loved that I had been able to hone that talent over the years.


    I knew that it was thanks to my father¡¯s connections and money that I had been given the opportunity to pursue more creative endeavors, but for those developments that we kept in the portfolio, renting out office buildings was where the real money was at, and at the end of the day, I still had to work to ensure thepany made money.


    Of course, I hoped that I wouldn¡¯t have to continue with this career much longer. My mind was extremely preupied with joining the family business, especially now that Caterina was all in.


    ¡°Alright, well you¡¯ve given me a lot to think about,¡± our client said nomittally as we led him back to the door.


    Leo nodded and held the door open for him. Once he was gone, we both turned and looked out the windows. The view was vast despite being on the first floor. The building was situated at the top of arge hill so that we were able to look out and see several city blocks. People scurried around to wherever they needed to be as Leo and I stood inpanionable silence.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet you a hundred bucks he calls tomorrow wanting to look at more options,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet you one-fifty he calls in five minutes wanting to look at more options,¡± I countered with augh.


    We both chuckled and shook our heads, amazed at our client¡¯s mundane life now that we were getting involved in real shit.


    Against my better judgment, I had found myself thinking more and more of the mafia life as ¡°real shit¡± and my everyday real estate development life as ¡°fake shit.¡± I knew it probably wasn¡¯t a healthy way to categorize things, but it was impossible not to feel that way knowing that doing ¡°real shit¡± could get me killed.


    When death was on the table, everything felt so much more heightened. Everything was sharper, every emotion stronger. Even my connection to Caterina felt deeper, something that I never thought possible considering how close we had been already. But everything we had been through had only served to push us closer together.


    ¡°I got a text,¡± Leo said after a few minutes of staring out at the city. ¡°It¡¯s that contact that Alessandro put me in touch with. He said we need to meet.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get going,¡± I answered, heading out without another word. Finally, it was time for some real shit. I¡¯d been craving this all day.


    As I walked, I pulled out my phone and called the contact for myself. His name was Thomas and based on his texts, he was one ruthless motherfucker. I definitely never wanted to cross him, and I wondered where on earth Alessandro had managed to find him.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± he answered gruffly, as though he was annoyed that I had bothered him with a call.


    ¡°I was calling to confirm,¡± I said vaguely.


    ¡°I already confirmed with your buddy. We¡¯ve secured a meeting.¡±


    He hung up without another word. Although the bastard didn¡¯t need to be quite so abrupt, I knew exactly what this meant. Leo and I both got into my car, and I drove us to the warehouse location that Alessandro had given me several weeks earlier when we first discussed this n.


    As we drove past the tall buildings of downtown and toward the rougher part of the city, I wondered what Caterina would think of what I was about to do. There was no doubt in my mind that she would support me, but in what capacity? I wasn¡¯t sure if she was ruthless enough for the mafia life. And Alessandro had drilled into my head that ruthlessness was the only way to get ahead in this business.


    ¡®If you aren¡¯t willing to be the meanest bastard you¡¯ve ever met, you might as well just stick with real estate development,¡¯ he¡¯d told me once not too long ago when I had hesitated about carrying out a particrly brutal n.


    His words had stuck with me. I¡¯d let myself be hardened in the subsequent days. I wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake again. Thest thing I needed was for Alessandro to think I was too weak and stop allowing me to make this transition. Caterina and I had decided that this was the life for us, and I was determined to make it happen.


    I pulled up to the warehouse, not bothering to try to hide my car. Nobody would recognize it anyway.


    ¡°Be ready,¡± I muttered to Leo as I tucked the gun Alessandro had given me into the back of my waistband.


    I had grown ustomed to it over time, wearing it more days than not. The weight of it wasforting, especially after what had happened to Caterina¡¯s mom. Leo had his own gun in the shoulder holster that he had taken to wearing. He nodded at me, and we got out of the car quickly, walking with purpose into the warehouse.


    Light barely made it through the grimy windows at the top of the nondescript building. The warehouse looked like it was one strong wind away from falling overpletely, which is exactly why Alessandro had chosen it for this purpose. Nobody would ever suspect that the most powerful mafia family in Italy was running part of its operations out of this thing.


    As my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, I could make out the figure of a man tied to a chair in the farthest corner of the building. I walked toward him confidently, Leo trailing behind and covering my back, although the man in the chair looked pretty incapable of doing anything at this point.


    His hands were tightly bound together behind the back of the chair with duct tape, and his ankles were zip-tied to the legs of the chair. He had a strip of duct tape across his mouth.


    He watched us warily as we crossed toward him, but he didn¡¯t look fearful. His chin-length hair fell into his eyes and gave him an insolent look as he red at us. He didn¡¯t show any signs of being physically harmed, but then again, just because he didn¡¯t have bruises didn¡¯t mean he hadn¡¯t been smacked across the face a few times.


    I smiled at him, mustering up all the real estate mogul charm in my body. ¡°So happy you could join us today, I know this will only take a few minutes,¡± I said, speaking in a tone that indicated that for me this was just another business meeting.


    I turned around and grabbed a chair that had been tossed haphazardly toward the wall. I ced it only a foot away from the guy and sat down, staring at him.


    Like a rabid dog, he met my gaze and refused to nce down. ¡°I need this to be quick. I have a special date to get to,¡± I said cordially, ncing at my watch as if this was the most mundane thing in the world that we could be doing.


    After staring at the man for a few more minutes, allowing the silence to build to an intolerable level, I reached out and roughly ripped the duct tape off his mouth. I let the smile fall from my face and the barely contained rage in my body rise to the surface just enough to show on my face.


    The man in the chair moved away from me. It was the tiniest of movements, damn near imperceptible, but I saw it. I saw the way his eyes widened slightly. I saw the way he cringed away from me, even just by a few millimeters. He was scared of me.


    My heart beat faster with the sudden rush of power that flooded my body. I could do anything, absolutely anything, to this guy. I could make him tell me what I wanted to hear. I could make him beg for his life. Whatever I wanted, he would give it, because he knew I had the upper hand.


    I leaned forward and rested my elbows on my knees, keeping my posture casual and my face devoid of emotion. I didn¡¯t want him to be able to figure out my next move. He smartly remained silent, although his mouth was now free of tape. There was a bright red mark around his mouth where the tape had torn at his skin.


    Seeing that I had managed to inflict a real injury, even a small one, on him sent a thrill through me, given who this guy was. I would have to be careful to ensure I didn¡¯t start liking this shit a little too much....


    ¡°So,¡± I finally said after another long silence, ¡°let¡¯s talk about your boss.¡±

 Chapter 655 : Elio’s Surprise

    <h4>Chapter 655: Chapter 655 : Elio¡¯s Surprise</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡°I bet it¡¯s a surprise trip. I feel like guys like Elio love to n surprise trips,¡± Anna babbled next to me as we walked side by side down the steps of the lecture hall we had been in.


    Sometimes I wondered if she was almost as invested in my rtionship as I was. Maybe I¡¯d have to find a mafia man for her... surely Elio had a single friend or two.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a trip,¡± I said. ¡°He knows I have ss and everything.¡±


    If I was honest with myself, I¡¯d have admitted that it had been torture to go to sses all day and wonder what big surprise Elio had nned for me, but I knew he would make the anticipation worth it. He always made things worth the wait. Hell, our entire rtionship had been worth the wait.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s like a ridiculous present, like a car or something! He seems like the kind of guy who would totally just buy you a car.¡±


    Although it would be just like Elio to randomly buy me a car, I didn¡¯t think that was it either. I really had no clue what his surprise could possibly be, but I was quicklying to realize that the best part of being with an older man was his ability to n and execute surprises.


    He didn¡¯t wait around for me to make ns. He just made them and knew me well enough to know I would love them. He was ridiculously good at spoiling me. I¡¯d never been one who thought I wanted the princess treatment, but Elio knew exactly how to give it to me without being overbearing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, a smile on my face that I couldn¡¯t contain.


    ¡°Holy shit, Cat.¡± She stopped in the middle of the stairs and grabbed my arm to force me to stop next to her. Students continued to stream around us, a few of them shooting dirty looks our way as we blocked the quickest path to freedom.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, trying to pull free from her grasp so we could continue down the stairs.


    ¡°What if he¡¯s about to propose?!¡± she squealed, causing even more people to look our way.


    I felt my face flush at the attention. ¡°Hush. He¡¯s not going to propose,¡± I muttered, dragging her the rest of the way down the stairs.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that!¡± she insisted, allowing me to pull her to the side and out of the way of all the foot traffic. ¡°You know he¡¯s going to have it be some kind of big surprise! He¡¯s old-school like that, I¡¯m sure of it. Someday he¡¯s going to propose, and you¡¯ll have absolutely no idea.¡±


    She had a point, but again, I was sure that wasn¡¯t the surprise. Although I was certain that Elio was my forever, I didn¡¯t think we were ready to get married just yet.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s not proposing... not yet, anyway. I think there¡¯d be more signs if that was in the works.¡±


    Just as she opened her mouth to respond, she shut it again and waved.


    I turned to see Elio waving back at her, a ridiculously charming grin on his face. His hair was slightly ruffled from where he¡¯d obviously been running his fingers through it. He was wearing one of his usual work suits, but he had removed his tie and unbuttoned the top few buttons, revealing a triangle of his chest that damn near made my mouth water. Fuck, he was good looking. I couldn¡¯t believe I hadn¡¯t noticed that before my return from New York.


    I practically bounced over to him, Anna at my side. He leaned against his car as he waited for us, looking like he belonged on the cover of a men¡¯s magazine. Possessiveness rose in my chest as I saw the way a few women did a double take of him while they walked past.


    ¡®That¡¯s right,dies, keep on walking,¡¯ I thought to myself, some primal part of me willing to fight anyone who tried to get in between him and me.


    I walked over and reached up to grab the sides of his face, pulling him down for a kiss that skirted on inappropriate for such a public ce. My tongue swirled against his, encouraging him to open his mouth and give me exactly what I wanted.


    He grinned against my mouth, then pulled away slightly and nced toward Anna, as if he was unsure whether I really wanted her to see this.


    Anna coughed awkwardly. ¡°So, um, I guess I¡¯ll be going... you be good to my best friend, Elio!¡±


    Elio chuckled and turned to open the door for me. ¡°I¡¯m always good to your best friend. I happen to like her quite a lot.¡±


    Anna rolled her eyes and walked away before we subjected her to any more public disys of affection. Elio walked around the car and slid in smoothly, reaching his hand out automatically to rest on my thigh.


    Heat spread from his fingers straight to my core. I rested my own hand on top of his and settled in for the drive. I had no idea how far we were going, but being with Elio filled me with a deep sense offort. I closed my eyes and rxed against my seat, letting the light filtering through the passing buildings warm my face.


    ¡°Hey, baby,¡± he said softly, startling me slightly.


    I had somehow managed to fall asleep in the few minutes we¡¯d been driving.


    ¡°Sorry, I hate to wake you, but I wanted to let you know I have to run by one of my apartments to grab some paperwork,¡± he said. ¡°I hate doing work while you¡¯re with me, but it should be quick.¡±


    ¡°What apartment?¡± I asked. ¡°I thought you only did office stuff?¡±


    ¡°Remember that old school building that I showed you on one of our first dates? We¡¯re going there. They have apartments on the top few floors and then a coffee shop and a restaurant in the bottom. I¡¯m actually pretty excited for you to see it. It¡¯s changed a lot since I first showed it to you.¡±


    I nodded andid back again, allowing myself to fall asleep until we got there. I always slept best with Elio watching over me.


    He woke me by gently rubbing his thumb in circles on the palm of my hand. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± he said, a gleam of excitement in his eyes.


    I wondered what could be so exciting about having to do work on our date.


    ¡°This might take a few minutes. Do you want toe in? I thought I could show you around.¡± He almost sounded nervous, but I couldn¡¯t imagine why.


    I nodded. ¡°Sure, that sounds great.¡±


    When we walked in the front doors, I was amazed at how transformed the space was. There was a fancy Italian restaurant operating where the cafeteria had been, and a coffee shop that was partially in the old principal¡¯s office.


    coffee shop had decided to lean into the principal¡¯s office aesthetic, full of antique desks and a giant chalkboard menu that sported drinks all named after famous teachers from books and movies. The Italian restaurant had utilized the indoor space to create a sort of faux patio, perfect for people who wanted the experience of outdoor seating even on the worst weather days.


    Elio pulled me over to the elevator. As soon as the doors shut, he had me pressed against the wall. He wrapped one arm around my waist and the other around the back of my neck, using his leverage to pull me into a toe-curling kiss. He took his time with his kiss even though we could be interrupted at any moment. Too soon, the elevator dinged to indicate we were on our floor.


    ¡°The penthouse,¡± Elio said, pulling away from me.


    The elevator opened directly into the apartment.


    ¡°We made it so you can only ess this floor if you have the key,¡± he exined. ¡°That way you can ride directly up.¡±


    I looked around, amazed at the elegant penthouse. It had once been the upper floor of the school, but you would never know that now. It had been transformed into a giant open-n industrial style apartment. Every inch of it oozed luxury, from the kitchen with some of the fanciest appliances I had ever seen, to the living room that had floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the entire city. The view was breathtaking as the sun had begun to set and cast a golden light over everything.


    I wandered around, opening doors at random and taking in the opulence of it all. It was the kind of ce that someone like me could only ever dream of living. I felt lucky just to see it, and I understood why Elio had been so excited to show me.


    I knew he¡¯d had a hand in the design of the space, and it was obvious that he¡¯d worked hard at it. He¡¯d struck the perfect bnce between the harsh modernity of his usual taste and the old moneyfort that anyone who could afford this ce would want to have.


    I went into the bathroom, amazed to find a touch screen vanity mirror that could be adjusted to any kind of lighting and would give tips on how you should do your makeup or what clothes you should wear to best suit your mood. The shower had a heated tile floor and two shower heads that faced each other, so that you would never have to rotate. The best of all was the gigantic jacuzzi tub that sat nestled in the corner with a beautiful window overlooking yet another breathtaking view of the city.


    The bedroom had the same gigantic windows that the living room had, but with automatic blinds that could be drawn to plunge the room into total darkness at the touch of a button discretely located near the bed. It was the perfect room to spend the day with a lover justvishing in each other¡¯spany. It was cozy without being ustrophobic.


    ¡°This is... amazing, Elio,¡± I breathed, as he came up to stand behind me and rest his head on my shoulder.


    We both stood together, staring out the window as the city started to light up for the night. The glittering lights warmed my heart. I loved knowing that there was a whole busy world out there, people who I had never even met living lives that I had never even heard of.


    ¡°Do you really like it?¡± Elio murmured in my ear, kissing my earlobe.


    ¡°I do. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have any trouble at all selling this one. It¡¯s the most amazing apartment I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± he said, moving around so that we were looking at each other, ¡°Because I was hoping I could sell you on it. Will you move in here... with me?¡±

 Chapter 656 : In the Penthouse

    <h4>Chapter 656: Chapter 656 : In the Penthouse</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡°Will you move in here with me?¡± Elio asked.


    I was stunned into total silence. I couldn¡¯t believe that I hadn¡¯t seen thising, but I really had no idea. I looked around at the opulent penthouse, imagining myself living there with Elio. It was a dreame true, a dream that I hadn¡¯t ever even imagined for myself because it felt too good to even hope for.


    I looked back to Elio, unable to really form words as my thoughts ran wild.


    ¡°I just thought the safehouse was a little bit crowded with everyone living there. Maybe it¡¯s time for us to have a little more privacy. And besides, this ce is a lot closer to campus, so you won¡¯t have such a long ride every day.¡±


    I smiled at the way he had started to ramble with nervousness. It was cute to see him nervous. He was normally so cool and collected. And looking around, I knew I would be crazy to say no to this. It was the perfect ce for us.


    But as I nced around, I remembered my mom. What would she do? She was still so reliant on me and her caretaker. And there was only one bedroom in the penthouse.


    ¡°Elio, I¡¯d love to,¡± I said, stepping closer to him and wrapping my arms around his waist. His eyes lit up, but before he could look too excited, I added, ¡°But what about my mom?¡±


    The nervous look finally left his eyes, and he pulled me against him fully, resting his head on mine.


    ¡°I already thought of that. There¡¯s an apartment right below this one that¡¯s perfect for her. She¡¯ll be close by but still have her own space and her own independence. I know eventually she¡¯ll fully heal, and she¡¯ll want to go back to living her normal life. This way, she¡¯ll live in a guarded building, and we can all be together without constantly tripping over each other in one space.¡± He pulled back, cing his hands on my shoulders. ¡°So, what do you say?¡±


    The earnestness in his eyes was enough to melt my heart. He really had thought of everything. He knew my heart and knew what I would need to feelfortable moving in here with him. I looked around one more time, really letting myself soak in this moment that I knew I would remember for the rest of my life.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I squealed, practically jumping back into his arms. I wrapped my arms around him tightly and burrowed against his chest.


    He tangled his fingers in my hair and pulled gently so that I would look up at him. His happiness was written all over his face, and I could stop myself from leaning up on my toes so that I could kiss him.


    What began as an innocent kiss to celebrate quickly turned into something much deeper as he pressed his tongue into my mouth, swirling it with my own before pulling back enough to bite my bottom lip. The little hurt was quickly alleviated with another pass of his tongue, and just like that, I was moaning into his mouth and tearing at his clothes, desperate for more of his body.


    He let me take his jacket off and start working on the buttons of his white shirt, but then he caught my wrists in his hand and stopped me from going any further.


    ¡°I want to take my time and enjoy this. It¡¯s not every day I get to fuck my woman in our new penthouse,¡± he growled, sending a shiver of desire right to my core.


    He let go of my wrists, but his molten look had me keeping my hands at my sides as his eyes raked me up and down, deciding what he wanted to do with me. Finally, when I was nearly shaking with anticipation, he put his hands at the hem of my shirt, letting his fingers skim my sides.


    Goosebumps rose everywhere that he touched as he tortured me with the slowest movements. He ran his hands up under my shirt, slowly peeling it up to reveal my body to him. I lifted my arms so that he could pull it over my head, and he looked down at my body appreciatively. I was wearing a ckcy bra that pushed my breasts up and made them look even perkier than they normally were.


    I could tell that Elio loved it by the way his hands immediately fell to cup my breasts. He leaned forward and kissed a trail from behind my ear down the side of my throat, stopping when he reached the space between my breasts. He rubbed his thumbs over my nipples, visibly peaking through the fabric and quickly bing almost painfully hard. My entire body was desperate for him, but as usual, he would make it worth the wait.


    He urged me to turn around so that I was facing out the windows. The scandal of being able to view out even while being slowly undressed turned me on even more. I knew that we were too high up for anyone to be able to see us, but just the idea of being caught had my heart jumping into my throat and my pussy clenching with desire.


    Elio put his hands on my hips and pushed me forward so that I was pressed against the floor-to-ceiling window. I gasped at the feeling that I would fall, but I knew that was impossible. The thrill of it all had wetness pooling at my core even though Elio had just barely begun to touch me.


    Keeping his hands on my hips, he nudged his leg in between my thighs, pressing up and encouraging me to grind against him. The friction was delicious, but it wasn¡¯t nearly enough for what I wanted. I moaned in frustration.


    Elio pressed his hips against me so that I waspletely pinned against the window, then reached his hands up and unsped my bra, quickly freeing my breasts so that they were pressed flush against the cool ss.


    The sensation was exquisite, but still I wanted more.


    Elio tossed my bra to the side and urged me to turn my head slightly so that he had better ess to my neck. He continued kissing me everywhere except for the one ce I wanted his mouth to be, but I knew it wouldn¡¯t be much longer before he couldn¡¯t help himself.


    He turned me around to face him so that he could unbutton my pants and help me step out of them. Before I was steady on my feet again, he yanked at my underwear so hard I thought for sure he was going to rip them, but luckily, they held. I stepped out of them as well and he tossed them in the same general direction as my bra, a wolfish grin on his face.


    He took advantage of the fact that he was kneeling in front of me and grabbed one of my ankles, tossing it carelessly over his shoulder and encouraging me to use the window to help hold me up. Iid my head back and closed my eyes, knowing my release woulde soon. He could never stand to keep me from orgasm for too long once he got his mouth on me.


    I felt his hot breath on my folds, but just when I was sure I was about to feel the delicious touch of his tongue, he pulled back. ¡°Eyes on me, baby,¡± he murmured.


    My eyes flew open, and I looked down at him, feeling the connection between us sizzling. Without looking away from me, he leaned forward and speared me with his tongue, licking up to my clit with one smooth motion.


    I couldn¡¯t help it, I sagged against the window and closed my eyes, moaning at his touch. He chuckled and pulled away from me, causing me to groan in exasperation.


    ¡°I told you, eyes on me,¡± he said with a little more force behind it.


    Themand in his voice was undeniably sexy, even though I knew I would struggle to obey what he wanted from me. But I looked back down at him nheless and nodded, trying to show him that I would try my best.


    This time, he began in earnest. After only a few quick licks through my folds, hetched onto my clit and began to suck, creating a pressure so immense I felt my legs quaking with the effort of holding myself up through it all. He reached up and palmed my ass, giving me the leverage I needed to stay standing and taking the opportunity to massage me.


    Within seconds, an undeniable pressure was building deep inside me, and I had no other option but to give in to it and let myself fly apart in his hands. My entire body shook with the orgasm, and I fisted my hands in his hair, unwilling to let him go until my aftershocks finally subsided. As he usually did, he continuedvishing me with his tongue until I became too sensitive and started to pull away.


    ¡°Now turn around so I can fuck you against our window,¡± he said as he helped me put my leg back on the ground.


    I gasped at his dirty words but quickly obeyed his demands, not wanting to waste a single second. In the reflection of the ss, I could see him quickly unbuttoning his shirt the rest of the way and tossing it to the ground, then I heard him unzip his pants.


    He didn¡¯t bother to take them off the rest of the way, instead quickly pulled a condom on and moved forward to position himself at my entrance. I arched slightly so that he had better ess and he groaned as the movement caused my wetness to coat his cock.


    I realized that I had the perfect view of his face in this position and could watch him in the ss without him knowing. It was remarkable to see the sheer desire in his eyes as he looked down at me. He bit his lip slightly as he pressed against me, making sure I was fully ready for him before he pushed inside.


    I arched against him again, moaning involuntarily. I was desperate for him to fill me with his thick length, and I knew he was desperate for the same as he quickly thrust inside of me, holding his hands on my hips so that he could guide the movement.


    My breasts pressed against the ss, increasing my pleasure as the ss cooled my nipples. Elio reached around my thigh so that he could rub circles around my clit and bring me to orgasm again. He loved making mee multiple times, especially when his cock was buried deep inside me.


    He leaned his head against my shoulder as he thrust inside me, quick, sharp movements that hit exactly where I needed them to. His breath starteding faster and faster and I knew he was only seconds away from orgasm as he sped up the movement of his fingers against me. He began to grunt with each rough thrust and his hand became erratic as he was ovee with his own desire.


    That familiar coiling began deep inside me, and I threw myself into the feeling, practically screaming his name as I fell apart. With one more sharp thrust, he found his own orgasm.


    Elio held me for a few breathless moments as we both panted and came down from the pleasure that we¡¯d found with each other.


    ¡°I love you, baby,¡± Elio murmured against my ear.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I whispered back, reveling in the perfection of everything that had just happened.

 Chapter 657 : The Search Begins

    <h4>Chapter 657: Chapter 657 : The Search Begins</h4>


    *Elio*


    Although I had been certain that Caterina would say yes to moving in together, it still made me feel far better to have her give such an enthusiastic yes followed by such enthusiastic sex. I loved it when she let me see that needy side of her that was desperate for me to give her release.


    She was normally so independent, so feisty, I knew that I was the only one in her life who ever got to see her totally lose control and give in to her pleasure. And damn, was her pleasure beautiful. The facial expression she made when she was just on the edge ofing was ridiculously gorgeous, a mix of pleasure and surprise that left her little nose scrunched up and her mouth falling open wide.


    When shit got exceptionally boring at work, I often found myself conjuring that image in my mind just to add a little spice to my day. It was my favorite face of hers, followed closely by the ridiculously overjoyed face she made whenever I managed to pull off a really great surprise.


    I had a feeling that today had been one of those really great surprises. If our lovemaking was anything to judge by, it was clear that she was extremely happy with this turn of events. And I was happy too.


    I couldn¡¯t wait to live together, just me and her. We¡¯d finally have the privacy that we craved and the chance to really enjoy ourselves as a new couple. Even as I held her against the windows, both of us breathing heavily after our mutual orgasm, I found that I wanted to take her again.


    Maybe this time on the living room floor....


    But one nce at the time told me that I needed to wrap this up. We¡¯d have plenty of timeter for lovemaking. Right now, we had dinner reservations that I knew Caterina would love. I¡¯d managed to get us a table at an exclusive rooftop restaurant that I knew she¡¯d been dying to try, and the best part was that it was a full moon tonight, so the restaurant did a special menu with a lunar theme.


    Cat loved that kind of stuff, and I loved seeing her eyes light up when I surprised her with the absolute perfect experience. I had even requested that the chef make chocte cake, Cat¡¯s favorite. And thanks to a small but significant bribe, he agreed. I knew it would be the perfect evening, hopefully followed up with a little more of what we¡¯d already been doing.


    I gently pulled out and helped her steady herself on her feet before going to get myself cleaned up. When I came back, she was sitting down facing the window, mesmerized at the twinkling city lights below. She sat cross-legged, still naked, her hair trailing down her back.


    I took a moment to admire her before walking around to gather up our clothes. After getting dressed, I kneeled next to her and kissed her cheek. She leaned into my kiss and sighed, turning her head to pull me into a deeper kiss. I let her get in a quick peck, but quickly pulled away before I could get carried away with her all over again.


    ¡°I really did n a special dinner,¡± I said as I handed her the clothes that I had tossed in every direction.


    ¡°Well, I worked up an appetite, so I hope it¡¯s good,¡± she said with a giggle. Her cheeks were still flushed. Fuck, she was perfect in every way.


    She stood up and pulled her own clothes on, but I couldn¡¯t resist pressing her back against the windows for just one more kiss. I ced my hands on either side of her head and pressed my hips against her, pinning her and loving the way she squirmed against me. I felt my pants getting tighter as my arousal grew, but I forced myself to pull away before I ended up tearing her clothes off again.


    ¡°Good god, woman, I don¡¯t know what it is you do to me!¡± I teased her.


    She smirked as she went to freshen up, and when she returned, I took her by the hand and led her back to the elevator doors.


    She chuckled and leaned against me as we rode in the elevator. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and held her close to me, relishing every point of contact between us.


    I loved these simple touches just as much as I loved the more erotic ones. It was these small touches that reminded me that our rtionship was real. It wasn¡¯t just about sex or lust. It was about love and understanding. It finally felt like we were going to have a chance for everything to go right between us. The beginning of our rtionship had been such a bumpy ride, but I had a feeling that moving into the penthouse together would be the beginning of a nice, smooth road to the future. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from envisioning what it would be like to propose to her, to marry her, maybe someday to even have kids with her. I knew it would all start here.


    On our way to the restaurant, Leo called. I let the car speaker pick up the call, knowing that Cat hated it when she felt like I didn¡¯t let her be involved. I thought this would be a step in the right direction, to show her that I was including her in the things that she could be involved in. I had tried to be more open with her about information as well.


    After Leo started talking, I wished that I had just let the phone ring instead.


    ¡°Hey, Leo, you¡¯re on with me and Cat,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hey, man, um, listen. Our associate left unexpectedly... I really need you to get here as soon as you can. Sorry for ruining the date.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right there,¡± I said, ncing over at Caterina, knowing that it didn¡¯t matter how vague Leo was. She would catch on to what he had said immediately.


    After hanging up with Leo, I took the exit that would take us back to the safe house. There was no way in hell I was going to let Caterina be a part of this. Not only was our captive extremely dangerous, but I also just didn¡¯t want her to see me dealing with him. I much preferred her to see the more polished, tender side of me.


    Cat quickly picked up on the fact that I was driving to the safe house before heading to meet Leo.


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± she said indignantly. ¡°You are not about to drop me off as if I¡¯m a child. This is as much my fight as it is yours. The ¡®associate¡¯ Leo mentioned was the man you guys are questioning about what happened to my mom, right?¡±


    Fuck, I loved how smart she was, but sometimes I wished she didn¡¯t pick up on things so quickly. I didn¡¯t want to lie to her, but I knew it sure would be easier if she could just let things go as if she didn¡¯t understand them. But leave it to Cat to immediately figure out exactly what Leo was talking about.


    ¡°Caterina,¡± I said, trying to soothe her, ¡°I can¡¯t let you be a part of this. I can¡¯t risk your safety like that.¡±


    ¡°The guy fucking got away! You don¡¯t have time to drop me off, Elio. Let mee with you. I can help!¡± Her voice was crackling with anger, and I knew she was minutes away from an outburst.


    ¡°Cat,¡± I said sternly, ¡°I have always looked out for you and that isn¡¯t going to stop now. I love you too much to let you put yourself into danger like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, fuck you, Elio. How fucking dare you try to use that voice on me! I am not a fucking thirteen-year-old anymore. I¡¯m a grown woman! Or did you forget where your cock has been for the past hour?¡±


    Her crass words took me aback. I was used to her anger and yelling, but she hadn¡¯t ever thrown our rtionship in my face like that. It hurt me to hear her use something that I had thought was special between us as a way to try and get under my skin.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cat, I have to protect you, even if it upsets you,¡± I said simply as I pulled up to the house.


    She red at me with the fury of a thousand suns, and I wondered how the night had gone so wrong. It damn near gave me whish to think about the fact that just an hour ago we had been making love and talking about our future together and now she was so angry with me I wondered if she would ever get over it.


    ¡°You know what, Elio? Don¡¯t bothering home tonight,¡± she said coldly as she got out of the car and mmed the door behind her.


    As I drove to Leo, I went back over the night in my head, wondering how I could have done anything differently to prevent our argument. I hated hurting Caterina, but the idea of her being put in harm¡¯s way made me sick with fear.


    I couldn¡¯t risk it, even if it meant that she ended things with me. I would rather our rtionshipe to an end than selfishly allow her to put herself in harm¡¯s way just because that¡¯s what she wanted. She just didn¡¯t understand how dangerous this all really was, and I had to be the one to look out for her.


    I finally arrived at the warehouse to find Leo waiting for me. He was leaning against the corner of the building, but strode over to my car as soon as he saw me pull in. Although I wanted to spend more time worrying about Caterina, I had to focus on the task at hand. I forced myself to put my argument with her into a little box in my mind and put it on a shelf to think aboutter.


    ¡°How the fuck did he get out?¡± I asked as soon as I got out of the car.


    ¡°It looks like he might have broken his wrist in order to pull off the duct tape,¡± Leo said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he managed to do it. Just goes to show he¡¯s even crazier than we thought.¡±


    ¡°Goddamnit,¡± I muttered, trying to hold in my rage.


    How the fuck had we let this happen? Mistakes like that would keep Alessandro from ever being able to trust us.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elio. He only has a fifteen-minute head start. There¡¯s no way he got far on foot, especially with a broken wrist and no weapons. Alessandro¡¯s guys are already searching for him.¡±


    My fury simmered just below the surface, but I managed to keep it down. ¡°Alright, get in. We¡¯re going to canvas too. I¡¯m sick and tired of letting Alessandro¡¯s men do all the dirty work. It¡¯s time for us to get our hands dirty too.¡±

 Chapter 658 : Ignorance Is Bliss

    <h4>Chapter 658: Chapter 658 : Ignorance Is Bliss</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡®What the¡ªactual¡ªhell just happened?¡¯ I asked myself nkly.


    How had I gone from having a wonderful night with Elio to being straight dumped off at home all within a five-minute time frame?


    It was all because of a goddamned phone call.


    It didn¡¯t matter how slick he thought he was on the phone with Leo before. I could tell from a mile away that what they were discussing was news pertaining to Antonio and Junior. I obviously couldn¡¯t very well pinpoint the specifics, but for the past few months that was all that business was for Elio.


    ¡®Does he think I¡¯m an idiot to be that naive about what¡¯s been going on?¡¯


    I¡¯d told him time and time again that I didn¡¯t want to be left in the dark about issues like these. I needed to know. I deserved to know what had been happening behind the scenes.


    That night of the exchange was still fresh in my mind. It was incredible how a few months only felt like three hours at times. Sometimes,te at night, I¡¯d find myself mentally wandering back toward that awful moment. The fear and agitation lingered deep within my gut, and I could still hear the echo of the gunshots firing through the air and those damn bullets that found my mother and turned my entire world upside down, yet again.


    Elio was still trying to y the protective card. That was admirable and caring of him. But at the same time, it made me feel wildly insecure and riddled with anger.


    How could he still see me as a child? After all that we¡¯d gone through and dealt with together on this mess, Elio was persistent about keeping me at arm¡¯s length when it came to this stuff.


    I was utterly infuriated. But beneath the seething river of rage that permeated off my skin, there was a huge underlying feeling of sadness that twisted inside of me.


    I never liked separating on a bad note with him.


    ¡®For the love of God, I told him not toe hometer,¡¯ I thought fumingly.


    But had I truly meant that? Partly.


    The idea of himing back to see me felt like a cheap cover-up, a guilty quick fix, a convenience that worked for his schedule.


    No doubt, he would try to vouch for himself that everything he was doing was for the sake of my safety. I was tired of that excuse because in the end, it always came back to make me feel weak about myself.


    I knew that if I lingered too long on the subject, then I¡¯d soon feel tears springing into my eyes. I didn¡¯t want to cry. I didn¡¯t want anyone to notice or suspect what was going on in my mind, especially my mother.


    The woman had enough to think about with her physical therapy. Thest thing she needed to deal with was my emotional issues.


    ¡®Christ, I just need to forget about this already,¡¯ I said to myself.


    I shook my head and turned to walk inside.


    My first thought was to head upstairs and take a nice, long bath. It was gettingte, and what little appetite I had left was now gone. All I really wanted now was to find a quick way to unwind.


    Passing through the living room, I spotted my mother out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head and saw her sitting down in one of therge, cushioned chairs. Her caretaker, Lauren, was standing attentively beside her.


    It was clear to see that they were in the middle of some of her mini-exercises to help rebuild the nerves in her back and legs.


    A sudden smile pulled at my lips. ¡°Hey,¡± I greeted them.


    Lauren nced up from watching my mother¡¯s shaky movements and gave me a small wave.


    ¡°Hello, Caterina.¡±


    ¡°Hi, dear,¡± my mom said tenderly. ¡°How was your day? How were your sses?¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek, fighting to control the urge not to bypass the earlier events of my day and rush right into the sour topic of Elio. Instead of jumping headfirst into the heated argument, I let out a long breath and sat down on the couch near her.


    I ran a rough hand through my hair and leaned back into the cushions.


    ¡°sses were okay, I guess. I have some work I still need to finish up for a few of them, but it¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t handle,¡± I exined. ¡°How is your session going?¡±


    This time it was Mom who let out a deted sigh and leaned back into her chair. ¡°Oh, same as your case, I suppose,¡± she mused. ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t handle.¡±


    We all shared a smallugh of amusement. It didn¡¯t take a genius to see that many of the mini-trials that the therapist put her through were taking a lot of energy out of her. Lauren was a true saint. The woman never lost her patience. She constantly encouraged my mother to keep going and that every little bit helped.


    Lauren rested her arm on the back of Mom¡¯s chair and looked down at her with encouragement.


    ¡°Believe me, Caterina. Before you got here, she was doing great,¡± she assured me. ¡°Come on. Matilde, I want at least five more mini bicycle steps before we call it a night.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± my mother murmured under her breath.


    Obviously, there was no literal bicycle in front of her, but my mom lifted her feet off the floor and went on to move them in small, consistent intervals. I could tell from the strained look on her face that it wasn¡¯t easy to manage after the first few reps. But at least these movements were keeping her blood cirction flowing.


    ¡®Mom is getting better,¡¯ I noted wistfully. ¡®She¡¯s going to get better.¡¯


    Matilde Leone was a strong woman in my mind, probably one of the bravest and most resilient people I¡¯ve ever known. It came as no wonder to me how she managed to stay with my dad when they were still married to each other.


    My gaze slowly drifted away from my mom and off to some other part of the room where I fell into a daze. Meanwhile, my stomach felt like it was twisting in knots as my thoughts drifted back toward Elio and our brief argument from before.


    ¡°Has something happened?¡±


    I faintly heard my mom¡¯s voice but didn¡¯t give her my full attention until I heard my name being called out.


    ¡°Cat!¡±


    I snapped out of my heavy train of thought and turned back to face my mother. Her expression mirrored my own¡ªworried and curious.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I breathed. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I asked you if something happened,¡± she repeated. ¡°You looked a little upset just now.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I shook my head. As usual, nothing ever got past that woman. ¡°It¡¯s just... how often did Dad ever shut you out of his life? You know, when he was still working with Elio¡¯s family?¡±


    My mom let out a long sigh and briefly stopped her movements. She slowly nced up at Lauren and smiled. ¡°Perhaps we can take a short break?¡±


    Lauren gently nodded her head. ¡°Of course.¡±


    And with that, she left the room to give us a bit of privacy. My mom easily adjusted herself in her chair and allowed her shoulders to sag back. She possessed this look on her face that told me she knew exactly what was going on. My blunt question about her and my dad was a dead giveaway to the rtionship troubles that Elio and I were currently facing.


    ¡°Cat, of course you know that your father and I loved each other very much. I¡¯ve told you before about the different sides he had. He always knew when to separate his work life from his family life. It was his way of protecting us from possible threats,¡± she exined.


    She tilted her head while a small smile touched her lips. ¡°I think your dad always kept secrets, even when he was working. He never told me much about a lot of things and I never really considered it as lying.¡±


    I let my head fall back. ¡°And that never bothered you?¡±


    Good God, just the thoughts of Elio purposely keeping information from me made my hands want to curl into fists and my jaw clench. If anyone knew how I felt about secrets, it would be her and Elio. My mom at least has been more forting about certain information ever since I found out the truth about my dad and Elio¡¯s family. But it was evident that Elio still wanted to keep certain things hidden from me.


    And I was not okay with it.


    ¡°Not really,¡± she admitted softly.


    My brows drew together in disbelief. Right as I was about to open my mouth and speak, she quickly cut me off with a raise of her hand.


    ¡°Hold on. You¡¯re familiar with the phrase ¡¯ignorance is bliss.¡¯ I know it sounds like your father was purposely keeping things from me, but believe it or not, I wanted it that way. I had a faintly decent idea of what was happening whenever your father was called in, and I purposely chose never to ask. I was happy not knowing the full truth of the situation. Should there have ever been a time back then where I was questioned about this sort of information, I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be a viable source of intel for people to use.¡±


    I felt my heart skip a beat within my chest. I¡¯d never thought about it like that.


    ¡®There doese a price with knowing certain things,¡¯ I thought silently to myself.


    ¡°Not to mention that bearing this kind of information in your mind isn¡¯t always the easiest thing to deal with,¡± she added.


    I nodded my head. ¡°I understand that,¡± I said. ¡°But I feel like I¡¯ve had enough of secrets and being kept in the dark about things. Whether it¡¯s good or bad, I want to know.¡±


    My mother¡¯s expression grew resolute. ¡°I take it that this conversation has a bit more to do than just my rtionship with your father,¡± she pointed out.


    I folded my arms over my chest. ¡°Elio and I were supposed to go out to dinner tonight. While we were in the car, he got a call from Leo telling him that he needed to meet up and deal with work. It sounded like they were speaking in some kind of code, but I already knew otherwise. Elio¡¯s immediate thought was to send me back here. But I told him that I wanted to stay with him. Whatever is going on is just as much my business as it is his.¡±


    I shook my head in exhaustion.


    ¡°But hepletely disregarded me and refused to even tell me what was going on. He promised me that he wouldn¡¯t keep things from me anymore and yet¡ª¡±


    My mouth twisted into an irritated scowl. ¡°He keeps shutting me out. You say that you were okay not knowing about Dad¡¯s work life. But that¡¯s not me. I can¡¯t keep living my life wondering what is going on all the time.¡±


    She offered me a gentle smile.


    ¡°You¡¯ll just have to tell Elio then,¡± she advised. ¡°Make him understand how important this is to you.¡±


    All I could do was nod my head as I left the living room to allow my mom to get back to her physical therapy. I headed in the direction of my room to do what I¡¯d initially intended.


    I wandered into the bathroom and went straight for therge tub to turn on the facets. Once it was properly filled up, I put my clothes into a small pile on the floor and carefully lowered myself in. I happily let the steaming water ease the strain in my muscles.


    I closed my eyes and let the stress of the day melt away.

 Chapter 659 : Protecting Us Both

    <h4>Chapter 659: Chapter 659 : Protecting Us Both</h4>


    *Caterina*


    A lot of thoughts rushed through my mind when I closed my eyes and allowed the hot water from the bath to seep into my muscles.


    The room was slightly steamy and smelled heavily of floral and vani. I wished I had lit a few candles just to enhance the soothing ambiance around me, but I was satisfied enough as it was.


    I tried to find and center my focus. I was tired of feeling upset and angry¡ªand over the same nonsense, nheless. I was done with all the secret-keeping and being pushed aside whenever the opportunity arrived.


    Elio¡¯s reasoning was based on my protection. I was sure he meant for his actions to make me feel secure and protected. But then why did they end up making me feel the exact opposite?


    My mom¡¯s words bounced around my head like a broken record yer.


    ¡°Ignorance is bliss.¡±


    ¡®But where among all the ignorance am I supposed to feel safe?¡¯ I asked myself.


    I lightly shook my head and I let out a long breath of bitter indifference. What use was letting this issue eat away at me when I knew that I needed to talk to Elio?


    I know that myst few words to him weren¡¯t exactly the nicest. But a part of me strongly believed that they weren¡¯t enough to truly keep someone as persistent as him away. After speaking with my mom, I couldn¡¯t say that I felt any better. I¡¯d openly expressed my disdain for being purposely kept out of the loop, whereas she weed it.


    It still kind of baffled me how someone in her case was always willing to ept as little information as possible when it came to my dad¡¯s work life. Then again, it was not as though she was ever directly involved in any of it... well, not until quite recently, that is.


    But since I was once with Junior, I felt as though I¡¯d always been involved with the unspoken, shadowed life that Elio once came from.


    An ugly sensation wavered within my stomach just thinking about my bastard ex-boyfriend. Maybe if I had known the truth sooner about my dad and the world he worked for, I would have been more skeptical of the man I then knew as Paul. Maybe it would have toughened my exterior if I¡¯d been more exposed to it all. Maybe then I wouldn¡¯t have tolerated and endured all the cruelty and pain he¡¯d put me through.


    ¡®Oh, who the hell are you kidding, Cat?¡¯ I hissed. ¡®You couldn¡¯t handle one night in Elio¡¯s world.¡¯


    And that was because it ended in a sea of flying bullets and gunshots.


    But, as usual, I felt as though my inner voice was right. Whether or not I could handle the gruesome pressure that came with the untold dangers of the mafia, I wanted nothing to do with any of it in the long run.


    But because of the personal attacks made on my family, I wasn¡¯t about to sit back and let it happen again. I wanted Junior and his father found. They needed to face the consequences of their actions. Regardless of how frightening it was, I needed to be a part of seeing it happen. For the sake of my dad¡¯s life and the attempt made on my mother, I was not going to tolerate being left in the dark.


    My mom was right. I needed to talk to Elio about everything that I was feeling.


    ¡®Goddamnit. Well, so much for trying to rx.¡¯


    I sank lower into the tub, letting the steaming water work its magic into my shoulders and neck. I found my eyes drifting open from the sound of someoneing into the bathroom. The airy, flowery scent of the bath soap was suddenly apanied by a deeper, masculine musk.


    Elio¡¯s voice echoed off the walls, sending chills down my spine. ¡°Caterina.¡±


    My heart jumped into my throat and I almost turned my head to look, but I refrained from moving even a single muscle.


    I kept my head facing forward and heard Elio move around the bathtub to sit beside it.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re home,¡± I said firmly. ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have to look at him to know that he was staring at me with heavy intensity. Just from his mere presence, I could also tell that man had gonepletely tense as well.


    I knew that nothing good ever came from a conversation that started out with the phrase ¡®we need to talk.¡¯ But between my sharp tone and the loud sigh I heard Elio release, it was obvious that this issue between us needed to be dealt with.


    ¡°Look, Cat. I just wanted to start this by saying that I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    I instantly held my hand up and stopped him from speaking any further. I didn¡¯t want an apology. If this was his idea of fixing the problem, by apologizing and brushing over itpletely, then I was not interested in speaking to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn to talk,¡± I said.


    Much to my surprise, Elio remained silent. I was almost half certain that he was going to at least try to gain some control back and exin his actions from earlier. Yet, he didn¡¯t. He simply nodded his head and gave me the floor to speak.


    I took in a deep breath and steadied my breathing.


    ¡°You, of all people, know that I¡¯ve gone my entire life believing a lie,¡± I started. ¡°And when the unfortunate time came when I found out the truth about it all, I knew right in that moment that I never wanted to live in the dark again.¡±


    All those months back when I first overheard the truth about my dad and what type of business he was really involved in, I was devastated, to say the least. I felt like my head was on the verge of splitting into two from all the excuses both he and my mother had been trying to feed me to keep me grounded.


    I was so upset. And for a good while, I didn¡¯t want to believe in any of it. But the past could only stay buried for so long.


    Finding out that someone who once worked under Elio¡¯s father was the one responsible for my dad¡¯s death was shocking enough. But to hear that the man was still walking around, free as a bird, was the piece of news that truly threw me over the edge.


    I¡¯d never thought in a thousand years that I¡¯d be getting involved in such a dangerous business, only to find out that I¡¯d been knowingly involved since I moved away for school. Thanks to Junior and his fucked up mind games, I¡¯d been just another game piece in Antonio¡¯s n to hurt Elio¡¯s family.


    ¡°I feel like all anyone has ever done was purposely keep things from me. You im again and again that it¡¯s for my own protection, but I don¡¯t see it as protection, Elio.¡±


    I watched his brows pull together in conflict. I could imagine the several dozens of responses that wanted to pass through his lips as a means of defending himself.


    I gently shook my head. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be another argument,¡± I told him. ¡°I can¡¯t handle any more pain and aggravation. And ever since you decided to leave me here, that¡¯s all my mind has been able to process and deal with.¡±


    His gorgeous eyes poured into me as though they were desperate to tell me something. Yet, Elio kept his mouth shut, not daring to interrupt my flow.


    ¡°You know how I feel when you purposely keep things from me. I hate it. Of all the worst feelings I¡¯ve experienced in these past few months, this has to be one of the top-ranking ones. And just when I think we¡¯vee to some kind of understanding, it¡¯s like I¡¯m brought all the way back to the beginning.¡±


    I took in another deep breath.


    I hadn¡¯t anticipated feeling so heavy when I started to talk about all of this. Thinking about my father, as well as thest few months, made me feel like my lungs were filling with lead. At least I didn¡¯t feel any tears in my eyes. Although, I wasn¡¯t so sure if I was going to make it through this next part so easily.


    ¡°I know you think that you¡¯re protecting me by keeping me at a distance with these things, but the thing is, I don¡¯t want you to just protect me.¡± I felt my cheeks begin to blush under his firm gaze. ¡°I want to be there when things happen, when bits of newse in. I want to be there with you to face these issues too. We¡¯re supposed to face this nightmare together. I¡¯m okay with you wanting to protect me, Elio, just as long as you¡¯re willing to let me be there to protect you as well.¡±


    Did Elio need protecting? Probably not in the physical sense as much as in the mental sense. If there was one thing that I¡¯d learned fairly quickly about this kind of business, it was that it took a real toll on one¡¯s mental health.


    Back when my mother was still in the hospital, no matter how hard I tried, my mind always drifted back toward that horrible night with Alessandro facing off against Antonio and Junior. I¡¯d lost count of the hours of sleep I lost and the number of nightmares that terrorized my nights.


    This sort of life was not easily adaptable, and I worried for Elio¡¯s peace of mind probably just as much as he worried about my safety.


    Elio¡¯s features softened in a gradual wave of gracious understanding.


    The water in the bath had gone noticeably cold a few minutes ago. Without another word, I pulled the plug in the drain and slowly stood up to get out. Elio moved quickly to his feet and offered me his arm to hold onto.


    I reached for a towel and patted myself dry before wrapping it around my body. I made my way over to the counter and picked up some moisturizer.


    Elio spoke low in his throat. ¡°I understand,¡± he said as he came to stand beside me. ¡°I know you hate secrets and being kept in the dark about things. I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll be perfect about it, but I¡¯ll try. Going forward, I will try to keep you in the loop of what¡¯s going on.¡±


    I braced myself on the counter in front of me and turned to nce at him.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I murmured quietly. ¡°That¡¯s enough then.¡±


    The awful weight that hung over me for hours suddenly seemed like it was slowly lifting off. It may not have been the most promising answer, but I could tell that it was an honest one.


    ¡°Then maybe you can start now,¡± I told him. ¡°What happened today?¡±


    Elio scratched the back of his neck and tilted his head.


    ¡°Recently, our team managed to get a hold of a guy that works under Antonio,¡± he exined. ¡°We¡¯ve been questioning him for a while, barely getting much out of him about where his boss and bastard son ran off to.¡±


    My breath hitched inside my chest while I nodded my head.


    ¡°Well, today, I got a call from Leo, who informed me that our one and only lead managed to escape the warehouse we had him in. But we were able to track him down, and they have him in a more secure location this time.¡±


    ¡°Have you gotten any real info out of him yet?¡± I asked with a hint of trepidation.


    ¡°Not yet. But I¡¯ve got this feeling that he¡¯ll talk soon enough.¡± Elio slid a strong arm around my waist and pulled me back into his chest. ¡°We¡¯ll do whatever it takes to find Antonio and Junior.¡±


    I let myself lean back into him and embraced the wonderful, much-needed feeling of his warmth and security.


    ¡°If anyone can do it, it¡¯s you,¡± I hummed.


    Elio smiled and bent down to press a kiss to my head. The corners of my mouth started to slowly curve upward, and an old giddy feeling of excitement fluttered in my stomach.


    ¡°What?¡± he chuckled.


    My smile deepened. ¡°We need to tell our families that we¡¯re moving in together now.¡±

 Chapter 660 : No Going Back

    <h4>Chapter 660: Chapter 660 : No Going Back</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡®Well, at least I was able to ovee one problem,¡¯ I thought tiredly to myself.


    I hated fighting with Caterina. I knew, deep down, that her heart was always in the right ce, even when the two of us would fall into an argument. She hated secrets, and being kept in the dark on matters that would ultimately affect her... and rightfully so.


    I knew for a fact that a part of her would still never truly forgive me for lying about her father and my family¡¯s past. It had been months since Cat found out the truth, months since she became entrusted in the mess that was my family business.


    That awful night between Alessandro and Antonio was still burning in the back of my mind. I was well aware of the nightmares that Cat suffered from as a result. All that time she spent in the hospital looking after her mom never failed to remind me how close we came to losing everything that night. Had Matilde died from that gunshot, I knew that Cat would have never recovered from the loss.


    Thankfully, this dark scenario never came to fruition and her mom was on the slow, but steady, road to recovery. Having Matilde back at the house and finally out of the hospital brightened Cat¡¯s mood tremendously.


    But the guilt that pooled in my stomach drove me to work even harder to find Antonio and Junior.


    I was hell-bent on taking them both down, even if it meant scouring every corner of the earth to find them. They were going to pay for what they did.


    Because of this mind-numbing guilt that was eating away at me, I fell back into the habit of wanting to keep Cat at a distance from the ugly business. I couldn¡¯t risk her safety, not again. I knew there was only so much I could control in life, but when it came to her, I was willing to push the boundaries of possibility.


    Yet, I should have known that my feeble attempts at keeping her at s distance were bound to burn me in the end. Cat¡¯s eyes were filled with fiery disdain when I insisted on taking her home after I got the call from Leo.


    Her telling me not to bothering home had felt like an equal p in the face. She didn¡¯t want to see me. I¡¯d angered her, hurt her, to the point of her pushing me away. But the problem had to be dealt with. And it was.


    In the end, I was d to havee back to find Cat willing to talk. Granted, she did most of the talking, but it was an enlightening conversation, nheless. I was d to know that the day finally came to an end on a high note.


    I told her that I would try to keep her in the loop about what was going on. Even though the thought of dragging her into danger left me feeling sick and irritated, I wasn¡¯t going to run the risk of hurting her again.


    For the remainder of the night, Cat and I got into a discussion about finding a way to tell everyone about our moving in together.


    ¡°How about we invite everyone over to my house and we tell them then?¡± I asked.


    Caterina practically jumped at the idea with exuberant interest. I told her to leave all the finer details to me and just focus on her mom and schoolwork. At first, she seemed a little hesitant by my insistence, but she ultimately agreed to let me handle getting everyone together.


    I could tell that she was a little worried, which was why I¡¯d graciously stepped up to take care of things. I may have had my own reasons for wanting to n the evening.


    It had been a while since I¡¯d actually stayed at my house that sat next to Caterina¡¯s old one, the very house that was broken into and vandalized thanks to Antonio¡¯s goons.


    I¡¯d had a cleaning service brought out to my old ce to make sure everything looked orderly and somewhat lived in. I then instructed them to stay at the house as well as drive the cars that were left behind there. I wanted to give the illusion that the house had life in it on the off chance that Antonio would try and make another attack. This n served as both a possible trap... along with a basic cover-up for my father¡¯s perception.


    For the past few months, I¡¯d been doing everything in my power to keep my business with Alessandro under wraps. I hadn¡¯t told my father much about any of it, aside from the literal business expansion end of it all. But I couldn¡¯t stop him from finding out some of the details after the incident with Cat¡¯s mother.


    ***


    Dad and Mom were the first ones to arrive tonight. My mom came in with a glimmering smile on her face, happy to see everyone, whereas my dad appeared more reserved and on guard than usual.


    I felt like nerves twisted every time I noticed him ring at him. His eyes were like two hot pokers, burning in the back of my head.


    I didn¡¯t need to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking.


    ¡°I want to know what happened, Elio,¡± he said to me coolly.


    I poured the man a ss of wine and put on my best stoic face. I gently shrugged my shoulders and shook my head.


    ¡°Antonio must have seen Alessandro spending time with Matilde,¡± I told him calmly. ¡°He must have thought that by going after her, it would have been a good way to get to Aless.¡±


    My dad narrowed his eyes as he took in my exnation.


    ¡°What about you?¡± he asked firmly.


    I raised a brow. ¡°I didn¡¯t have any part in it.¡±


    Something in the back of my mind was screaming that my father didn¡¯t believe a single word of what I was saying, and rightfully so. The man once led the Italian mafia with such skill and precision that it came as no shock that he¡¯d be naturally skeptical over something like this.


    He was smart, to say the very least.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a few car lights beaming from outside. People were starting to arrive. I happily excused myself from the living room and headed into the kitchen to help Cat.


    ¡°Is everyone here?¡± she asked.


    I nodded my head. ¡°I believe so. I just saw a couple of cars pull in and people are starting to filter in.¡±


    Cat went to grab the stack of tes to ce on the counter. I stopped for a split second to admire just how beautiful she looked.


    Caterina was dressed in a simple dark purple dress that went as far as her knees. As usual, she kept her makeup light and chose a pair of silver hoop earrings. But underneath it all, she looked as nervous as I felt.


    For a brief second, I snaked my arms around her waist and pulled her into me.


    ¡°Everything is going to go smoothly,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°I know,¡± she whispered under her breath.


    When I first told her about hosting the dinner here, I could tell that she was slightly ufortable with the idea. Considering all that had happened, I wasn¡¯t surprised by her reluctance. But I quickly assured her that the entire ce was secure and guarded.


    While she dealt with the utensils, I handled uncovering all the trays of food I had catered for tonight¡ªchicken parmesan, rigatoni, a fresh green sd, and garlic bread. It all smelled and looked fantastic.


    ¡°Alright, everyone! Dinner is ready!¡± I called from the kitchen.


    While everyone started to make their way into the kitchen, I weaved my way through the group and said my hellos to those who¡¯d just arrived. My sight caught Leo hanging toward the back of the line. My feet instantly pulled me to him out of habit and I gave him a silent, questioning look.


    He nonchntly shook his head, which tranted to, ¡®still no word from our lovely captive.¡¯ I let out an indignant breath and refrained from sneering in frustration.


    ¡°Thanks for the invite, man,¡± Leo added.


    I rolled my eyes and yfully patted him on the back. ¡°Oh, please. You know damn well that you¡¯re as much family as everyone else.¡±


    ***


    The evening carried on with dinner and light conversation. I noticed Cat making her own rounds around the room, trying her best to say hello and catch up with everyone. Of course, they were all curious about how she was doing with her new courses at school.


    I loved watching her light up with excitement whenever she talked about her sses. She truly loved her new school.


    But between her and myself, I knew that she was mostly grateful for the chance of still having the ability to see and be close to her mom.


    As soon as she finished making her way around the room, Cat came to stand at my side. She leaned into me and spoke into my ear.


    ¡°Do you think we should tell everyone now?¡±


    I nced down at her and smiled. ¡°Well, now might be as good a time as ever.¡± I cleared my throat loud enough to grab the attention of just about everyone in the room. ¡°Everyone, allow me to just steal your attention for a moment, please.¡±


    The second I had everyone¡¯s eyes on me, I stole another quick nce at Caterina and smiled.


    ¡°First, I want to thank you all foring here tonight. It¡¯s been a long time since the group of us havee together like this. But the real news that we wanted to tell everyone is that... Cat and I have decided to move in together to an apartment in the city.¡±


    Matilde and my mom were the first to gasp and speak out their cheerful congrattions. It was easy to tell from the wide grins and tearful eyes that they were exceptionally happy for us.


    ¡°Oh, Cat, Elio! That¡¯s fantastic!¡± Matilde said. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you two. Cat, this is wonderful.¡±


    I felt Cat slip her hand into my own and give it a slight squeeze.


    ¡°Well, Mom, the other piece of news is that there¡¯s an apartment right below ours for you,¡± Cat said. ¡°It¡¯s so that I can still be close by while you¡¯re recovering.¡±


    Matilde looked utterly taken back. She let out a quiet gasp and wiped the corners of her eyes. ¡°You two,¡± she chuckled. ¡°That is so thoughtful, thank you.¡±


    While everyone began to circle around congratting and wishing us the best of luck, I noticed that my father remained as reserved as ever.


    The evening came to a graceful close. Most of the people waved off their goodbyes and headed home. I walked my parents to the door, thanking them foring out.


    ¡°Go on ahead to the car, love,¡± my dad said to Mom. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to tell Elio.¡±


    My stomach flipped, yet my expression stayed neutral.


    He leaned over and spoke softly so that no one else could hear us.


    ¡°I know you haven¡¯t been staying here. I know more than you think. Really consider this... once youmit, there¡¯s no going back.¡±


    Without another word, the man nced at me with an icy re and turned to leave.

 Chapter 661 : Think About It

    <h4>Chapter 661: Chapter 661 : Think About It</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I really had to hand it to Elio. When hemitted to something, he reallymitted. It had only been a day since we decided to move in together, but the pure efficiency and confidence he had meant we were already moving in before I could even blink about it. The movers came in a single day, and Elio took the day off to help me and Mom unpack our stuff.


    Elio already had mostly everything that we still wanted moved out of the old houses and taken to our penthouse or Mom¡¯s apartment below us. Mom and I decided to donate or throw away a lot of stuff we didn¡¯t need anymore.


    The movers were incredibly efficient too, unloading boxes and furniture from the trucks and carrying them to the penthouse no matter how heavy they seemed. The elevator helped a lot. Mom and I were the main unpackers and we went room by room, pulling out things and getting them settled in.


    It was a bit weird having to separate Mom¡¯s things from mine, but it was a good change anyway. Going through all the old things she had saved was like a trip down memoryne.


    And surprisingly, she had saved quite a lot, from my old baby clothes to all my old school photos and the arts and crafts projects I¡¯d made for her. She¡¯d even saved the shitty bowl I made in art ss when I was in second grade. It didn¡¯t work at all as a bowl, seeing as the paint I used on it was toxic for consumption and there was a giant hole in the bottom... because apparently, I¡¯d thought a bowl shaped like a donut was hrious.


    But she loved it all the same.


    Elio¡¯s stuff was pretty basic, mostly going to the room he imed as his office or into our bedroom. I spent quite a lot of time purchasing things online to add to our penthouse, all paid for by Elio, who had insisted.


    I wasn¡¯t an interior decorator, but I liked to think it all looked pretty good, including the new bed Elio had purchased, a California King with beautiful bedding and pillows. The mattress was so goddamn soft, it felt like sleeping on a bed of clouds.


    It was surprising, but thanks to the movers and everyone¡¯s help, we got the ce set up in half a day. Lauren and Mom focused on Mom¡¯s ce the next day as making sure she had room for her therapy and appointments was a must.


    But finally, everything was perfect, or so Mom informed me by text before I entered my final exam for the week.


    I suppressed a yawn behind my hand, blinking my bleary eyes as the sound of scribbling pencils began to lull me to sleep. I shook myself awake, staring at the pages filled with questions, seemingly endless to my sleep-deprived brain.


    ¡°Five minutes remaining!¡± the proctor called out, an eagle-eyed man with sses who roamed around the room filled with fifty-plus students. It didn¡¯t matter that he was only one man and couldn¡¯t watch all of us at the same time. I nced up at the cameras in all four corners of the room. We were being watched.


    I gripped my number two pencil in my hand, flipping to thest page and doing some quick math as I finished up thest three questions. I answered two of them confidently, having remembered them from my study sessionst night, but thest one was tricky.


    With a nce at the clock, I eventually shrugged and picked my best guess. I wasn¡¯tpletely sure about it, but I wasn¡¯t going to torment myself for the next five minutes with a question that I didn¡¯t know the answer to. It was better to just make a guess and move on.


    I flipped through the exam booklet oncest time, checking my answers and fixing any spelling or grammar mistakes, and then nodded to myself, happy. I was the first to rise from my seat, gathering my exam and cing it on the proctor¡¯s desk.


    He nodded at me, a pass to go, and I gathered my water bottle and pencil¡ªall they had allowed us to bring in¡ªand left the ss. I breathed a sigh of relief as soon as I did.


    Even if I had made a few guesses and didn¡¯t know a few questions, I still felt pretty good about the exam. I knew that most of the answers were right, which was more than I needed to pass with an A. Luckily, they graded by curve and not a regr rubric. Unless somebody got a perfect score, I would be passing at the top of the ss.


    I raised my arms above me, stretching my sore muscles. The hallways were quiet as only a few exams were being taken today. The week had been stressful with so many back-to-back tests, but luckily it was over, and I could now go home to my beautiful penthouse that I shared with the man I loved.


    Mom even said she was baking me a cake to congratte me¡ªmy favorite of her recipes, a death-by-chocte cake with peanut butter buttercream and candied bacon. I made a reminder to myself to force Elio to try it.


    I hummed a little to myself, heading out of the school with a skip in my step, thinking of everything I wanted to do to rx this weekend. Unfortunately, Anna had already finished her exams, so she wasn¡¯t there to walk me out, which felt a bit weird, but I shrugged it off.


    I saw the car parked in the driveway, one of Elio¡¯s that he insisted I take when I told him I was just going to ride my bike. These days, I switched between biking and driving to school.


    The guards were still on campus for me if I needed them, but they stayed away for the most part so things could feel semi-normal. I just had to speed-dial them if I needed to and they¡¯d find me ande running.


    I popped the trunk with a button, heading around to get my backpack. I was so focused on getting home that I didn¡¯t realize someone had approached me. I shut the trunk and revealed a face standing right next to me.


    I screamed, jumping away as my heart thudded rapidly in my chest and I gripped the keys between my fingers, intent on stabbing and getting into the car as fast as possible, or running if I needed to. I felt around for my phone, but I¡¯d put it in my backpack without thinking.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you!¡± The guy raised his hands in defense, taking a few huge steps back. ¡°I just wanted to talk to you, I swear!¡±


    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± I demanded, ring at the man.


    He looked close to my age with blue eyes, and he offered me a tense smile as I debated between hearing him out, stabbing him with the keys, or figuring out how to quickly get my phone out of my backpack.


    ¡°I go to school here. I¡¯ve seen you around a couple of times¡ªCat or Caterina, right? That¡¯s what your friend calls you, right?¡± he asked hurriedly, looking warily at my defensive posture and then where I clutched the keys tightly in my hand. ¡°Could you put down the keys, please? I¡¯m not going to do anything but stand here, I swear.¡±


    I frowned, deciding ultimately that he wouldn¡¯t harm me as I shouldered my backpack and stared at him warily. I kept the keys wound in my fist just in case, but I tried to rx as much as I could.


    He breathed a sigh of relief and then my eyes met his. There was a sharp feeling in my brain as I suddenly realized I recognized him.


    ¡°You!¡± I frowned ¡°You¡¯re that guy who kept staring at me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a stalker, I swear! Uh, Cat, can I call you Cat? Caterina¡ª¡± he cried, flinching and stepping back even more when I turned my re on him. He gave me a nervous smile. ¡°You are Caterina, right?


    With his hands out where I could see him andfortably out of my personal space, I felt less threatened. I didn¡¯t acknowledge whether I was Caterina or not, simply crossed my arms and leveled a fierce re at him. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Once the keys were put away, the guy rxed, breathing a sigh of relief, and he sent me a polite grin. ¡°I¡¯m Alexi.¡± He offered out his hand in greeting, shoulders slumped and body forced smaller than normal like he was trying to reassure me he wasn¡¯t a threat.


    ¡°And?¡± I raised an eyebrow at his hand, not taking it.


    He awkwardly pulled it back, brushing a hand through his hair in a sigh. ¡°Look, I know this is weird, but I just want to help, okay? So don¡¯t kill me before you hear me out. Look, I can¡¯t tell you how I¡¯m involved, but I¡¯ve got contacts and well, I know everything.¡±


    ¡°Everything?¡± I frowned.


    He grimaced, looking very much like he would rather be anywhere else. ¡°About who you¡¯re dating, I mean, and what his family does¡ªor did, for a living. I mean I know about the Valentinos and especially, what happened to you and your mom.¡±


    My blood ran cold. I stared at him in sheer frozen panic, unable to move or say anything. I just stared in sheer horror as this random guy upended everything that I had tried so hard to keep secret from this part of my life.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°I know you... your mom got hurt and you got involved in something that well, wasn¡¯t your fault in the first ce. It¡¯s not fair and you seem like a nice girl. You were always kind to your friends and evenplete strangers. I feel bad that you got caught up in something like this, something you didn¡¯t even ask for. So, I want to help.¡±


    I broke free from the ice in my blood, taking in deep and ragged breaths as I clutched my hands tightly by my side.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who the fuck you are or what you think you know. Get away from me,¡± I snapped coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t want your help, and I don¡¯t need it!¡± I stormed away, heading straight for the front seat.


    ¡°Wait a minute. You didn¡¯t hear me out!¡± he called out behind me, chasing after me.


    But I didn¡¯t give a shit. I flung open the car door, threw my backpack onto the passenger seat, and got inside. Right as I pulled on the door to shut it, Alexi¡¯s hand snapped in between the door, holding it open with more strength than I had.


    ¡°Wait¡ª¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone!¡± I shouted, trying to force the door shut. ¡°Or I will call the police!¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Alexi finally snapped, pinning me with a re then shouted the only words that would¡¯ve gotten me to pause.


    ¡°I know how to get to Antonio and his son!¡±


    Everything froze and I stared wide-eyed at Alexi, the both of us in a standstill. He looked just as grim as I did, neither of us wanting to speak first but knowing someone had to.


    Alexi broke first. He sighed, handing over a slip of paper. ¡°Think it over. This is my number. Call me when you want to talk about it. I¡¯ll leave for today, okay? Just know... I want those bastards caught just as much as you do.¡±


    The sincerity in his eyes wasn¡¯t a lie and I reached out, taking the paper from his hand. He nodded in relief, finally stepping back and turning to walk away.


    I swallowed ufortably, shutting the car door and locking it immediately.


    I sat there, my hands on the wheels, the piece of paper clutched in my hand. I kept an eye on the rearview mirror until he disappeared, and then the panic started. I started the car in a hurry, fumbling with the keys, and pulled out of the parking lot.


    The congrattory cake was thest thing on my mind now.

 Chapter 662 : I Get It Done

    <h4>Chapter 662: Chapter 662 : I Get It Done</h4>


    *Caterina*


    My heart drummed in my chest like the beat of a club ring over the speakers, or the loud warning of a siren screaming over the city about to be hit by a natural disaster. I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel, trying to keep my wits about me as I drove through the streets as fast as I could while still being mindful of thews.


    I hadn¡¯t even bothered to call the guards. I¡¯d just gotten out of there.


    The hair on my skin was standing straight up, and goosebumps had erupted over my arms as I finally saw our apartment buildinge into view. I breathed a sigh of relief, despite knowing I still had to get inside before I was truly safe, and I got into thene to turn.


    Impatiently, I nced at the passing cars before I turned and hurriedly turned the wheel when I saw a sh of silver from the corner of my eye. I hit the brake out of pure instinct, the car screeching to a halt and sending me full force into the steering wheel. My seatbelt burned across my chest as it kept me from going through the windshield but just narrowly, I saw a car pass behind me, only an inch or two from hitting me.


    If I had finished my turn, I no doubt would¡¯ve been crushed like a pancake.


    My nerves, already shot to death, had me one inch from spiraling into a panic attack. I took a long deep breath, finishing my turn slowly and carefully. I pulled into the parking garage attached to the apartment, shing the pass Elio had given me.


    The guards there made me feel safer.


    I was directed straight up to the second level of the garage where I finally parked. But this area was empty, and though my mind knew no one could be there without getting past the guards, the fear was starting to take over. My hands trembled as I pocketed the keys and threw my backpack on, shutting the door and locking it.


    I made my way across to the stairs, eyes flickering to every corner, watching warily for anything that might suddenly burst out to send my heart straight into a full attack. I felt like I was in a horror movie, just waiting to be killed as I approached the entrance.


    I calmed down a bit as I entered the building, and I gave a shaky wave to the doorman. He nodded in response, opening the elevator for me.


    ¡°You alright?¡± he asked, concerned when I passed by.


    I swallowed, nodding as I hugged my arms around my waist, feeling like the worst liar in the world. He gave me a worried look, leaned into the elevator to press the top floor, and stepped out.


    ¡°Have a good night, Miss Caterina,¡± he said kindly, his face disappearing as the elevator doors shut.


    I breathed a deep sigh, trying to calm down as I shakily pulled out my card, sliding it into the reader.


    The light turned green, allowing ess to the floor and I waited as patiently as I could as the numbers counted up, sending me straight to my floor. When the doors opened, I ran off the elevator, not waiting for it to leave as I entered our penthouse.


    ¡°Elio?¡± I called out urgently, searching the living room and then the kitchen.


    I moved quickly through the house, trying my best to find my boyfriend before I burst through the door to our bedroom, breathing heavily as I felt like I just run a marathon.


    ¡°Okay, get it ready and I¡¯ll talk to them,¡± Elio said cooly, the phone stuck to his ear as he gazed out the window. His shoes were by the door and he was in his socks and his cks, his white shirt unbuttoned and flowing open.


    He lookedpletely rxed, not even noticing me until I raced across the room, throwing my backpack onto the floor and tackling him from behind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there¨Cfuck¡ª¡±


    He broke off, barely keeping his bnce as I threw my arms around his waist, clutching him like he was the only thing to keep me from falling off a cliff. I shut my eyes, trembling as I hugged him from behind, unable to move even if I knew he was busy right now.


    ¡°Cat? What¡¯s¨C¡± His voice trailed off. ¡°I¡¯ll call you back.¡±


    He ended the phone call and threw it carelessly onto the bed, not even caring as it bounced off the mattress and hit the floor.


    He turned around, not peeling me off as he wrapped me into a hug and I breathed a sigh of relief, finally feeling myself beginning to calm down.


    I was safe.


    ¡°Cat, what¡¯s wrong?¡± He cupped my cheeks in his hands, lifting my teary eyes to meet his worried ones. ¡°What happened, baby?¡±


    I sniffed and opened my mouth to start but nothing came out. My lips only trembled. Elio acted immediately, lifting me behind the knees and holding me like a princess as he quickly transferred us to the bed, holding me in his arms as I slowly calmed down.


    And once my heart had matched his rhythm and I no longer felt like I was losing control of everything, I spilled everything. Elio listened calmly and patiently as I told him about Alexi approaching me, how nervous I felt, and what he had told me.


    I even handed him over the slip of paper, telling him word for word what he said and how he knew things about me, especially about Mom getting injured. By the time I was done, my voice was hoarse, and I was tired enough that I had gone boneless in his arms, shutting my eyes as I leaned against his chest.


    ¡°You did good, Cat,¡± Elio whispered once I went quiet, cing a kiss on the top of my head. ¡°You protected yourself and came home safe and sound. That¡¯s all you needed to do.¡±


    ¡°Is... is he telling the truth?¡± I mumbled, exhaustedly. ¡°Does he really know what happened? How does he know about Antonio and Junior? Was there a leak or¡ª¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Elio said firmly, a sharp anger in his voice. ¡°This is my fault. I should¡¯ve had a guard actually watching you instead of setting it up where you had to call them. I thought they¡¯d be in hiding, not brave enough to make a big move again so soon.¡±


    ¡°You think he¡¯s working for them?¡± I paled, pulling away with wide eyes. ¡°That¡¯s how he knows? That he was part of them?¡±


    ¡°Probably. I told you they hired a lot of runaways, right? A lot of them went missing, were killed, but a small handful defected pretty early on. I¡¯m betting he¡¯s one of them,¡± Elio said coldly.


    Elio¡¯s eyes were full of a burning anger, not directed at me but at Antonio and Junior, who kept invading our lives again and again. I was d to have him by my side, to have him be so furious in my stead while I felt vulnerable.


    I had never expected to be approached at my own school and it had me shaken a bit, but this wasn¡¯t the time for me to fall apart. I vowed to be strong enough to deal with all of this. I wanted in, and I had to prove I could handle it.


    I slid out of hisp, pulling my phone out of my pocket. I debated for half a second and then grabbed the slip of paper I gave Elio, ncing at the number.


    ¡°Whatever his story, he knows about Antonio and Junior, so he might be able to lead us to them, or at the very least give us new information on where they are hiding or what their ns are. It¡¯s worth a try,¡± I said with no debate left in my voice.


    I could see by the sour look on his face that Elio didn¡¯t like this n.


    He just sighed though, wrapping his arms around my waist tightly and holding me like I was a teddy bear. I rolled my eyes but leaned back into his embrace, not wanting to admit how much it helped me feel safer.


    ¡°If you want me to have a guard watching closely, I¡¯m okay with it,¡± I conceded, giving him a small smile over my shoulder. ¡°But you have to helpe up with an excuse that Anna will buy in return, deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡± He kissed my shoulder.


    With Elio behind me, I took a deep breath and called the number, quickly switching to the speaker so we could both listen in.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯de around,¡± Alexi¡¯s voice answered, as bright and energetic as when he first surprised me in the parking lot. ¡°Miss Caterina.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you know it was me?¡± I asked suspiciously.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who has this number,¡± he said simply. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid enough to use my real number, no matter how it might look to you.¡±


    ¡°How do you know Antonio?¡±


    ¡°Ah, right to the source, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    I could hear him moving around over the phone.


    ¡°Well, the easy answer is that I was part of his crew. Stupid to get involved with guys like him, I know. but Antonio found me and well, he paid good money. I¡¯m broke and in college, so I needed the money, plus I had a few skills he liked.¡±


    ¡°What skills?¡± Elio demanded over my shoulder.


    There was an awkward pause and then I heard Alexi cough to break the tension. ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t expecting you to have your boyfriend on the call too. But uh, I¡¯m guessing you are Elio? Junior talked a lot about you.¡±


    ¡°Good things, I hope?¡± Elio smirked.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Alexi chuckled awkwardly. ¡°But uh, well, I¡¯m a foster kid. Grew up in this neighborhood, so I know the ce like the back of my hand. Plus, I¡¯ve got a special ability to disappear whenever I want to. Part of the reason I got out and the other guys didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯d you leave? Did he stop paying you?¡± I asked sarcastically.


    ¡°As if.¡± He snorted. ¡°No, I left on my own aoford. Once I saw what they did to you and your mom, and how they treated you despite being innocent, I couldn¡¯t do it anymore. Both of them are some nasty pieces of work and Junior in particr¡ªhe¡¯s got some rather in-depth ideas of what he wants to do with you.¡±


    Elio¡¯s hands tightened around my waist.


    ¡°I felt like I had to warn you, to get that bastard,¡± Alexi continued. ¡°My own little version of fighting back. I¡¯m going to text you some addresses¡ªsafe houses that they were using andmon ces he and Antonio liked to hang out. I¡¯m betting they¡¯re still using some of them. Wish I could do more, but after this call ends, this phone goes dead, and ¡®Alexi¡¯ will disappear.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± Elio said roughly.


    ¡°Good luck, Caterina, and you, too, Elio. I hope you catch that rat bastard.¡±


    The call went dead. Only a few secondster, my phone dinged with a new message, and I opened it up. There was a list of more than twenty addresses, all in alphabetical order. Elio took over from there, quickly forwarding the text to himself.


    He had to move to fish his phone off the floor and quickly forwarded the text to Leo. He called him really quick, saying simply, ¡°Look into the addresses in the text I just sent you. We got a tip.¡± ¡°What the¡ª¡±


    I heard Leo¡¯s loud voice over the phone, and then it cut off as Elio tossed his phone away like it was nothing once more.


    Iughed, turning around in his arms so I was straddling hisp as I wrapped my arms around his neck.


    ¡°See what happens when you let me be involved? I get shit done.¡± I grinned.


    He rolled his eyes but buried his head into my shoulder, holding me tightly like a content wildcat. ¡°Fine, fine, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m wrong. You¡¯re still too cold. Let me warm you up.¡± He grinned mischievously as his hand dipped lower than my waist.

 Chapter 663 : Sharing Stories

    <h4>Chapter 663: Chapter 663 : Sharing Stories</h4>


    *Caterina*


    His smile was like a cat that had finally conned the mouse into the trap he hadid out and I only realized at that moment as Elio took my lips, pushing me down onto the bed until my hair wasid out like a halo and I was pinned beneath his muscr body, that I had been tricked.


    But like a canary in a cage who still sang for her master, I was more than willing to overlook the iron bars that kept me within his arms.


    I kissed him back, a feverish heat growing along my skin as his hand curved around the dip of my hip. Fire erupted along every part he touched, sending a cascade of heat that burned from the inside out.


    I gripped him tightly, wanting nothing more than to lose myself in his mes, absorbed into the passion and love he showed me, but another nagging thought pushed its way to the forefront of my mind.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I gasped out, pulling from his kiss.


    Elio immediately halted, giving me a concerned look as he lifted himself off me, supporting hisrge body with just his forearms. I breathed out to calm myself before meeting his eyes.


    I smiled reassuringly and then flicked my eyes to the boxes piled in our closet. ¡°We still have some unpacking to do, and I want to see the apartment properly. We didn¡¯t have much time before. We can finish thister, right?¡±


    He rolled his eyes, a little pout on his lips, but he nodded nheless, giving me a quick kiss on the lips before he rolled off me.


    I was slower in getting off but no less excited as I grabbed my phone and we headed to the living room. We knelt on the floor, and I grabbed the nearest box as I surveyed the empty shelves. We¡¯d sorted mostly everything into the right room but had yet to put up our knick-knacks and more hobby-rted items.


    ¡°Do you really need all this?¡± I asked skeptically as I pulled out a very dirty baseball and a pretty hefty rock. ¡°What¡¯s the point of keeping this? It¡¯s just a rock.¡±


    ¡°Ria!¡± Elio grinned, grabbing it. He red at me, holding the rock protectively in his arms like I might snatch it away. ¡°He¡¯s not just a rock. He¡¯s a very good pet.¡±


    ¡°You have a pet rock?¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh, and he stuck up his nose, ignoring my teasing look as he petted his rock like it was something precious. ¡°Of all things, why a pet rock? Your family is rich. You could¡¯ve gotten any kind of animal as a pet.¡±


    ¡°Well, I did,¡± Elio admitted, an ashamed look. ¡°I got a fish, but I forgot about it, so it died. I got a hamster, but it escaped into the walls after I forgot to feed it. I got a bird, but it was so afraid of me it kept mming itself head-first into the cage and developed brain damage, so we gave it away. Mom said the only thing I could keep alive was a rock, so Dad got it for me. I didn¡¯t get another animal because I was so bad with them, but Ria was a good pet and still is.¡±


    I went from amused to horrified and then smiling at the sweet story so fast, I was afraid I might get whish. ¡°And the baseball?¡± I offered it to him with a grin.


    ¡°Ah, Dad took me to the World Series for my ninth birthday,¡± Elio beamed as he took the baseball into his hand. ¡°Dad lifted me up so I could catch the foul ball, and I managed to get it signed by every member of the team.¡±


    He brushed off the dust, leaning close to show me all the different signatures with a proud twinkle in his eye. I smiled as he exined to me every member and their position on the team, even some fun facts about them, though I didn¡¯t know a single thing about baseball.


    Fully excited and invested now in unpacking, Elio took out item after item from the box, exining the story and memory connected to each one.


    He found a magic kit he had asked for when he was a kid, even showing me how to do a few of the tricks he remembered. The coin one was pretty good. I couldn¡¯t lie. There was a dartboard with darts, and he told me how he and his dad bet that if he learned how to hit the bullseye all seven times in a row, he would teach him how to shoot a gun.


    He even put it up, managing to hit every bullseye perfectly even after so many years. He took the time to show me too, but I never even came close to it, though I did put a few holes into the wall. I was horrified, but Elio justughed.


    There was a chessboard and model nes, from when he was a kid, and a gorgeous dream-catcher full of high-quality feathers and stones.


    We lounged on the floor, cuddled up together as Elio exined he¡¯d been kidnapped as a child and suffered from nightmares. To help him out, his mom had helped him make a dreamcatcher, telling him it would catch the nightmares so he would only have good dreams.


    Elio swore it worked, and I grinned,ying my head on his shoulder as we went through his childhood memories. He showed me his old ser ball. He had yed every summer in a small league. He boasted about how he was the best goalie in the whole city.


    In return though, I showed him the box of knick-knacks I¡¯d collected, including a stained-ss ornament I¡¯d made in high school art ss, which Elio liked so much he immediately hung it up in the window, where the light could catch it and sprinkle mosaic rainbows across our skin.


    I showed him the snow globe collection I had, one from every city I¡¯d ever been in, which wasn¡¯t much since Mom wasn¡¯t much for traveling. Elio kissed the rainbow reflections on my hands, promising it would be bigger.


    We carefully ced each one on the mantle as I exined the story about each city and why I went, including the first one I ever got¡ªfrom Florence with my dad.


    We hung my nts in every corner, and though Elio was wary about killing them just from being around them, I was more than happy to see how gentle he was when touching their leaves and petals.


    We went room by room, slowly filling our apartment with memories of our lives, sharing them, and creating new ones¡ªhis collection of coffee mugs in the kitchen and the electric guitar he hung on the wall in the bedroom, something he¡¯d inherited from his ¡°Grandfather James,¡± an honorary title as James was actually Elio¡¯s great uncle on his dad¡¯s side, but Elio¡¯s mother was like a daughter to James.


    My filled sketchbooks went into the office where they could be disyed properly, even though I told Elio he didn¡¯t have to. I even found the old journals he¡¯d kept from middle school, filled with handwritten poetry.


    He¡¯d blushed and tried his hardest to catch me as I raced around the kitchen ind reading them aloud. Eventually, though he caught me around the middle, hoisting me onto the counter as he kissed me.


    The poetry was forgotten.


    As we worked through the boxes, we each decided there were things we didn¡¯t exactly need to keep holding onto.


    The magic kit and ser ball were tucked away in the boxes, where he teasingly told me he would bring them out if we had a child. In return, I packed up most of the stuffed animals and toys I had kept through all these years, sliding those boxes into the living room closet right next to his.


    I didn¡¯t know if we would ever have kids, or if we would even get married, but it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine a little girl or boy with Elio¡¯s hair and my eyes running away doing coin tricks and a stuffed rabbit under their arm.


    But some things were too precious to tuck away.


    Elio¡¯s dreamcatcher was hung beside the shelf, right next to the jar of paper stars I had made in high school. Elio had asked about that one, but I didn¡¯t tell him.


    I couldn¡¯t tell him how every night I looked out my window, wanting to wish on the stars above for my father toe back, for my mother to be okay. I couldn¡¯t tell him how I wrote those wishes on a piece of paper and folded them into a paper star, putting it in the jar so I wouldn¡¯t say them aloud.


    I couldn¡¯t tell him how the girl back then never could¡¯ve imagined any of those wishesing true... and now, I was living one.


    Some stories just weren¡¯t meant to be told.


    As night fell, we lounged on the couch, cuddling together so tightly I couldn¡¯t tell where he started and I began, focused only on the rise of his chest and the beat of his heart. The wine on the coffee had been opened and fully emptied.


    The city lights outside of the open bay windows were like twinkling stars in the night sky, the only kind that existed in the bright city of LA.


    The light breeze was a nice contrast with the heat of Elio¡¯s body, and I felt sofortable I didn¡¯t want to move an inch. I couldn¡¯t deny that I loved being here. I loved this apartment, all our things mixed together, and that my mom was just downstairs, being taken care of twenty-four-seven.


    But most importantly, I loved being here with Elio.


    My musing was interrupted by the sound of a text message and Elio shuffled around, pulling his phone from his pocket. I waited patiently until he passed me the phone, showing the text from Leo to me.


    ¡®I¡¯ve got scouts assigned to each location. If anyone sneezes, we¡¯ll know about it.¡¯


    I smiled, putting the thought out of my mind for now as I snuggled into his chest. The sign of trust he had just shown me was more than enough to send my heart soaring. I was d we were working together, living together, finally starting our lives together.


    And now that we had everythingpleted, I could focus on the one thing that remained. A sly smirk crossed my lips as I leaned up, straddling him by the waist and I kissed him like my life depended on it.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I whispered and before he could say it back, I bit his bottom lip, teasing him toe y with me.


    Elio¡¯s eyes lit up and he enthusiastically took the bait, hands immediately crawling up my shirt, palms t against my bare skin.


    The night had just begun.

 Chapter 664 : Late Night Plots

    <h4>Chapter 664: Chapter 664 : Late Night Plots</h4>


    *Elio*


    I woke with a start in pitch-ck nothingness, sitting up straight and looking around in the darkness, my eyes struggling to adjust. Confusion fell over me as I took in the unfamiliar surroundings of our new bedroom, but Cat¡¯s sleeping form next to me immediately settled my heart.


    I reached out and gentlyid my hand on her back, feeling her deep breaths in and out as she slept peacefully. She was so gorgeous, wearing nothing but one of my T-shirts. At some point in her sleep, the shirt had gotten pushed up so that I had a great view of the backs of her thighs.


    I would¡¯ve loved to trace my hand around those gorgeous thighs, but I knew she needed her sleep. She hadn¡¯t been getting enoughtely between her sses and worrying about me and her mother. My heart always squeezed with concern when I saw the little smudges of darkness beneath her eyes in the morning.


    Her hair trailed behind her on the pillow, and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from running my fingers through it. Her silky locks were always so enticing to me. They were so soft and luxurious, I loved feeling them on my skin.


    When she stirred slightly, I finally forced myself to pull away and figure out exactly what had woken me. I nced at my phone to see the screen still lit up with Leo¡¯s name and grabbed it, hoping that he had good news for me.


    Not wanting to wake Cat, I snuck out of bed and walked out onto the balcony that surrounded our entire penthouse. The night air was shocking on my bare chest, but it invigorated me in the best way.


    I called Leo back and he answered quickly, unwilling to waste any time. I began pacing back and forth.


    ¡°Alright, man, the guys we sent to watch the safe houses saw Paul go into one of them. I have the address right here,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh, hell yeah, that¡¯s great news,¡± I answered.


    ¡°The only problem is we still haven¡¯t seen Antonio. And at this point that slimy fucker could be anywhere. I wouldn¡¯t put it past him to have fled the States entirely.¡±


    His voice was gruff with nervousness. I knew he was just as desperate to bring down Antonio as I was.


    ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t think that sounds like him,¡± I said to calm Leo. ¡°He¡¯s on a mission to destroy us. He wouldn¡¯t run away. I still think we should be happy that we¡¯ve got eyes on Junior. With how much he knows about Caterina, I hate him running around unchecked.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too, man,¡± he audibly shuddered. ¡°Gives me the creeps to know he lied to her about his identity for so long.¡±


    I appreciated that Leo cared almost as much about Cat¡¯s safety as I did. It made me feel better knowing that she had so many people looking out for her, especially now that she was insisting that she be a part of all of this.


    It still felt wrong to let her know so much, but she was right. I had to let her in. She was a valuable resource between her knowledge and her willingness to get the information she needed from people. It still didn¡¯t make me feel better about letting her be put in danger.


    ¡°Thanks for the heads up. Alright, we need to keep watching all the safe houses. Surely Antonio will show up at some point. And besides that, we¡¯d better keep an eye on Junior at all times. I want him to be trailed by at least two people 24/7.¡±


    Really, I would¡¯ve preferred to have at least three guys on Junior, but I knew that wasn¡¯t possible with our current manpower. I took a mental note to ask Alessandro about recruiting a few more guys.


    ¡°You got it. The guys are hungry for a win at this point. I know they¡¯ve got this under control,¡± Leo said coldly.


    I almost felt sorry for the poor bastards who got in our way. I knew it had been so long since we¡¯d been able to retaliate that we were all out for blood. There was a limit to our restraint, and we wereing close to it.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± I said simply, knowing that he knew I was just as bloodthirsty as him.


    We had entered this life slowly, but now we were fully in it. My family was under attack, and I wasn¡¯t going to let anyone get in my way of protecting them. This was too important.


    Leo grunted his agreement. ¡°Alright, now go enjoy that fancy new apartment with your girl. I¡¯ll let you know if there¡¯s anything else.¡±


    I chuckled and hung up, ncing back through the ss door to catch a glimpse of Caterina. She was still sleeping soundly, barely covered by the nket. Her body was so enticing, especially after talking to Leo about people who wanted to put her in danger.


    I was overwhelmed with the desire to wrap myself around her and reassure myself that she was safe, but again I knew I couldn¡¯t allow my desires to win through. She needed her sleep, and now that we lived together in our own ce, we¡¯d have plenty of time to enjoy each other.


    Instead, I decided to calm myself by wandering over to the bar cart in the living room. The doors to the living room swung inward so that they could be left open on nice days. I carefully let myself in, holding the knob to shut it so I wouldn¡¯t make a noise.


    I knew Caterina would jump awake if she heard a strange noise in the house. The poor thing had been especially jumpy after Antonio¡¯s men had trashed her old house. I knew she had nightmares about being there when it happened.


    Our bar cart was sparse; we hadn¡¯t exactly prioritized getting booze, but there was an aged bottle of whiskey that my father had given me to celebrate our new home. I poured myself a little more than a shot¡¯s worth, just enough to calm my buzzing nerves.


    Usually when I felt like this, I preferred to go for a run or take my nicest car out for a drive, but I knew I couldn¡¯t leave Cat like that. I knew she¡¯d be scared if she woke up and I was gone, and then she¡¯d be pissed because she¡¯d assume I had gone somewhere to do business without her.


    I walked back out onto the balcony with my drink, taking a sip as I stared out over the city. The lights were twinkling as brightly as ever, and I knew that somewhere out there, Antonio was hiding from me. The thought made me flex my hand.


    I wanted nothing more than to get that sorry piece of shit into one of our warehouses and make him regret everything he¡¯d ever done to my family. I took another sip of the whiskey, trying to let the burn warm the cold thoughts that had invaded my head.


    I still didn¡¯t like working with Alexi. It felt dangerous to trust someone who had formerly worked for Antonio, but I had to admit, his intel had been good so far.


    I just wanted to find a way to get him to work with me instead of Cat. The fact that he seemed to only want to deal with her made me ufortable. It just made me worry that it was a ¡°Paul¡± situation all over again.


    But I knew I had to stop thinking of her as being so fragile. If I continued this way, desperate to protect her from everything that could possibly put her in harm¡¯s way, I would lose her. She wanted us to be equal partners, and I wanted that too.


    I just knew it would kill me if she ever got hurt on my watch. It had never been her decision to be a part of the mafia life. It was only because of her father and now because of me that she had anything to do with any of this, and that weighed heavily on my heart.


    I wanted what was best for her, and she insisted that it was best for her to be able to get involved in this life as much as possible. Although that didn¡¯t feel true to me, I had to ept it. She would never believe that I didn¡¯t see her as a child anymore if I continued on my path of desperate protection.


    I had to let her make her own choices.


    I wondered if I should tell her about the intel Leo had given me. I knew she¡¯d want to know that we had eyes on Junior, but at the same time we didn¡¯t have anything concrete. I didn¡¯t want to get her hopes up only to have to give her bad newster.


    It was agonizing trying to decide how much to tell her. I never wanted her to think I was hiding things from her ever again, but at the same time, I wanted to ensure that her mental health was protected. Fuck, this rtionship shit was so much harder than I had thought it would be. She was the absolute perfect woman, and I was terrified that I would mess it all up. The idea of her ever wanting to leave this penthouse and me being forced to live here alone... that was inconceivable.


    I could never let that happen.


    I finished the rest of my drink in one deep swallow and finally decided that I would at least wait to tell her about Junior until she finished her summer sses. She needed to focus on her finals right now, and thest thing I wanted was to distract her with something that might not even pan out.


    I hoped we would have eyes on Antonio by then as well, so I could present the pair of them to her on a silver tter. I would dly do anything she asked of me when it came to them. If she wanted me to torture them, I would in a heartbeat.


    I took my empty ss to the kitchen and sat it in the sink before making my way back to our bedroom. As I snuck in, the door made a noise and Caterina sat up in bed. Shit. I felt horrible for waking her, but at least I would be able to help her fall back asleep.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked drowsily.


    ¡°Nothing, baby. I just had to get some fresh air. Lay back down.¡±


    She snuggled back into the covers, readjusting them so that her body was actually under them this time. I happily crawled back in behind her and pulled her to my chest, settling a kiss in the curve of her neck.


    I would do anything for her.

 Chapter 665 : Afternoon Study Session

    <h4>Chapter 665: Chapter 665 : Afternoon Study Session</h4>


    *Caterina*


    There was something strange, yet special, about waking up in a new ce, especially if it was a new ce where you wanted to create a future.


    I could still vaguely recall how I felt back when Elio and Alessandro relocated my mother and me to the safe house when our old home had been broken into. It was cold and so unfamiliar that I honestly felt ufortable being in it for a good while.


    Slowly but surely, I¡¯d gotten used to the ce. But it wasn¡¯t as though I was there under decent circumstances to begin with.


    But this... this was different.


    My eyes slowly crept open as the morning light from the sun streamed into the room. As Iy on my side, I felt the heavy weight of Elio¡¯s arm dapped around my middle. I bit the inside of my cheek and found myself smiling like a fool.


    It all felt so invigorating to be lying in bed in our new apartment with the man I loved. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world, and I didn¡¯t want this feeling to end. My body was happily satiated from our lovemaking from the previous night, and I had little to no desire to move from my spot.


    Unfortunately, my finals were just a day away, and I knew that I needed all the study time I could get my hands on in order to feel prepared. So, against my better want or judgment, I slowly attempted to pull myself out of bed.


    Elio must have sensed my intention and instantly tightened his hold on my waist. A sharp gasp escaped my lips as he pulled me back to his side.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± I heard him mumble.


    ¡°Elio.¡±


    ¡°Five more minutes, please,¡± he insisted.


    I fought back augh and still tried to climb out from under the nkets. But Elio was relentless and locked his arms around me like a vise.


    A series of giggles bubbled out of me. ¡°Elio,e on,¡± I said. ¡°I need to get up.¡±


    ¡°Mm, but you don¡¯t have sses today,¡± he groaned into the crook of my neck.


    His words were a tantalizing brush against my skin that sent shivers down the length of my spine.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t.¡±


    His hands grazed along my hips and lower stomach, making me jolt and squirm. I could feel him smiling.


    ¡°Then that means that I get at least five more minutes with you like this,¡± he stated.


    I took in a deep breath and let out a sigh inplete forfeit.


    ¡°Well, with that kind of reasoning, who the hell am I to argue such a thing?¡± I muttered.


    Elio let out a deep chuckle and kissed the sensitive spot just below my ear.


    Another five minutes flew by and this time, Elio slid out of bed and dragged his feet toward the closet. I watched him get ready with a fresh shirt and a pair of dark-colored pants. With what little motivation I had, I pulled myself upward and found my footing. Unlike Elio, I decided to grab a set of clothes before heading to take a quick shower.


    As soon as I came out, I headed into the kitchen where I found him pouring two freshly made mugs of coffee. My chest swelled with the warmth of feeling so naturally domesticated as we were together.


    ¡°What are your ns for today since you don¡¯t have sses scheduled?¡± he asked while sipping his coffee.


    ¡°I think I might call Anna and have here over here to help me study. You know I have my finals tomorrow,¡± I mentioned.


    Elio nodded his head and gave me a reassuring smile. ¡°I already know that you¡¯re going to ace them all.¡±


    Flushing, I took another big sip from my mug and shrugged my shoulders.


    ¡°Well, I wish I felt as confident as you¡¯re making me sound,¡± I said sheepishly.


    He walked around the counter and leaned down to ce a single kiss on my head. ¡°You¡¯re going to do great no matter what.¡± He nced down at his watch to check the time. ¡°I need to head out. I¡¯ll call youter, okay?¡±


    I nodded my head and watched him take off for work. Once I finished up with my coffee, I reached for my phone and called Anna.


    A few rings went by before I heard her voice on the other end of the line.


    ¡°Hey, Cat!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± I greeted her. ¡°Are you busy today? I was thinking you coulde over to the new apartment and we could spend the day preparing for finals.¡±


    Anna eagerly agreed and told me she¡¯d be over as soon as possible. As I finished getting ready, I grabbed my notebooks and set everything up in the living room. My nerves were giddy with excitement. Not only was I ready for finals to be over, but I was really looking forward to finally showing Anna around the new apartment.


    Apart from possibly seeing each other in between sses, I felt as though she and I hardly had any time to actually see each other. Needless to say, she also sounded like she was ready for this semester to be over.


    Within the hour, I heard a knock at the front door and quickly rushed to answer it. Standing on the other side was Anna with her bag and arge smile stamped on her face.


    ¡°Hey! Oh, my God, Cat! This ce is beautiful,¡± she said with a gasp. ¡°All I did was walk through the main lobby and already I¡¯m in love with the ce.¡±


    She and I shared augh and I offered to take her bag and ce it with my own stuff in the living room.


    ¡°Well,e on. I¡¯ll give you a tour of the ce,¡± I offered cheerfully.


    I first brought Anna through therge kitchen and private eating area. Her eyes went wide as she took notice of all the brand-new appliances and cookware. She moaned over the espresso machine as well as the double-decker oven that was already built into the wall.


    ¡°So, tell me,¡± she started, ¡°how did everyone take it when you told them that you and Elio were moving in together?¡±


    I raised my brows and let out a long breath. ¡°Honestly? It went a lot better than I expected.¡±


    We moved on from the kitchen into the formal dining room, which had arge hand-crafted dining table and several dark wood chairs.


    ¡°Part of me kind of anticipated a hundred questions and numerous looks of doubt and shock,¡± I told her. ¡°Most of the family is well aware of how Elio and I acted around one another when we were younger. But really, everyone was surprisingly supportive, my mom especially.¡±


    Anna gave me a smile and nodded her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. But how do you feel about being here with Elio when your mom is still going through her recovery?¡±


    ¡®God, sometimes it¡¯s really scary how well this woman knows me,¡¯ I thought to myself.


    The corner of my mouth began to curve upward into a knowing grin. ¡°Well, funny you should mention that,¡± I noted. ¡°Because a few days ago, Elio told me that he and I own this apartment space as well as the one below it too.¡±


    Anna¡¯s eyes grew wide in disbelief. ¡°So, I told my mom that on top of Elio and I moving in together, that she would be moving here along with us.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, Cat! That¡¯s awesome!¡± she eximed. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you both.¡±


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you a peek of the bedrooms and then we¡¯ll get into studying.¡±


    My friend let out an unhappy grunt at the mention of schoolwork, but she graciously followed behind me through the rest of the apartment.


    ***


    After I was done showing Anna around, we settled down in the living room and found ourselves surrounded by a sea of notebooks, highlighters, and made-up shcards for various sses. The bulk of her work centered around mathematics and statistics, whereas mine fell to art history and chemistry.


    Anna sat with her legs folded beneath her on the couch. She had a small stack of white note cards sitting in front of her while I readied my mind to focus on each individual question.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Anna asked firmly.


    I nodded my head and narrowed my eyes in burning anticipation. ¡°Do it.¡±


    She picked up the first shcard and read it off. ¡°What type of subjects were seen most in Paleolithic Art?¡±


    ¡°Paleolithic Art showed primarily animals, almost never any humans.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s an example of a kind of animal one would see?¡±


    ¡°Usually horses, bulls, and cattle.¡±


    ¡°Correct!¡±


    A wave of pride and much-needed confidence washed over me. Before I knew it, we flew through the entire first round of shcards without a single missed question. I felt good.


    We heard a buzz, and Anna turned her head to nce at the coffee table. ¡°Oh, Cat. I think that¡¯s your phone going off.¡±


    I quickly turned my attention to see Elio calling me.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    His deep voice rolled through the speaker. ¡°Hello, Love. How¡¯s your day been so far?¡±


    ¡°Pretty good actually.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± he said. ¡°I want you toe out here and meet me for lunch. I have a surprise visitor you need to see.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± I said with a hint of suspicion in my voice.


    Elio ended the call and went on to send me the address where he wanted to meet. I bit the inside of my cheek.


    I told Anna that we needed to cut our study session a little short on ount of needing to meet Elio for lunch. She thankfully understood and was happy to walk back down toward the lobby.


    We said our goodbyes and I gingerly made my way to my car and pulled up the address Elio sent me. I quickly call him back and tell him that I¡¯m on my way.


    Much to my dismay, the address that Elio sent me didn¡¯t exactly lead to a restaurant or some kind of cafe. The road I was told to stay on led me down a long, narrow path that brought me to a warehouse.


    An unsettling sensation started to swirl in the pit of my stomach. Just seeing the run-down looking structure made my skin crawl with vicious, unsightly memories.


    ¡®Why the hell did Elio tell me to meet him here?¡¯ I asked myself nervously.


    I had half a mind to turn my car around and head back to the apartment, but something in the back of my mind was telling me to stay.


    I hesitated to park the car and turn off the ignition. But my nerves seemed to ease when I caught sight of Elio heading toward me. He walked around the front of the car and pulled open my door for me.


    Just as I was about to open my mouth to speak, he held up his hand.


    ¡°I do have lunch. But you said you wanted me to keep you in the loop.¡±


    I eyed him curiously and felt myself go pale as I turned my head back toward the warehouse, not having a single idea what waited for me within those walls.

 Chapter 666 : The Burden of Inclusion

    <h4>Chapter 666: Chapter 666 : The Burden of Inclusion</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡®I did say I wanted to be involved,¡¯ I told myself.


    This was a part of that, and just being out here meant that Elio trusted me, and he truly wanted to respect my wishes. That was what I wanted. But the eerie-looking warehouse gave me a chill up my spine, and it took everything in me not to throw the car in reverse and get the hell out of there.


    But Elio was there, so I knew I was safe. There was no way that man would let me anywhere near a ce that was dangerous, no matter how involved I¡¯d told him I wanted to be. I couldn¡¯t help feeling for a few seconds that inclusion wasn¡¯t something I wanted at all.


    Those feelings warred with each other inside me as I slid out of the car and grabbed my bag. Elio casually slipped his hand into my own and pulled me forward. The feel of his touch wasforting, and I was back to being certain that I was safe with Elio here.


    But then the closer we got, the lower my heart started to sink into my stomach. Yet, I kept quiet. As Elio opened the doors, I ducked in behind him and felt my nerves spiral as the doors mmed closed loudly behind us.


    I took a deep breath and looked around. The ce seemed to be made up of mainly onerge room and appeared poorly lit. Unlike the previous warehouse I was in, this one held less cargo and a lot less high-tech equipment.


    For a moment, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what Elio wanted me to see, and I was starting to feel like I didn¡¯t want to see it, whatever it was. But I walked forward, my hand still firmly in Elio¡¯s as we weaved through the stacks of pallets and shrink-wrapped boxes.


    When we turned onest corner, a sharp shiver of difort raced down my spine as my eyes fell upon a strange, unfamiliar man who was tied to a chair. He was ced in the far center of the room. His face was covered mostly by shadows and, to my surprise, didn¡¯t even appear to be all that injured.


    My stomach turned over with slight nausea. Right then and there, the thought dawned on me.


    I gently lifted my hand to point at the man. ¡°Is that the guy who escaped?¡± I asked.


    Elio merely nodded his head as he took hold of my hand once more and led me through a side door and down another narrow hallway. I followed him up a long flight of stairs and into anotherrge room that was significantly more put together than the one downstairs.


    The floor was carpeted and at the far end of the room was arge desk and a few leather-bound chairs. Arge ss window overlooked the main room below. I¡¯d been just about to feelfortable when I felt my stomach instantly sink when my gaze caught sight of the man restrained in the chair yet again.


    A strange sound of rustling made me turn my head to see Elio picking up a white delivery bag and cing it on the desk.


    I¡¯d forgotten all about lunch.


    My appetite felt vastly diminished, given my current surroundings as well as seeing the unknown man tied to a chair. It felt wrong even to just stand where I was.


    Then again, I was the one who had told Elio that I needed to be kept in the loop. I insisted on knowing what was going on, but it hardly ever urred to me that he would want to physically bring me into his business like this.


    ¡°Come here, Cat,¡± he spoke softly.


    By the looks of it, it appeared that Elio had sandwiches delivered. They looked great, but my stomach was still swirling with uncertainty.


    ¡°Has he still not said anything?¡± I dared to ask.


    I picked up one of the sandwiches and diligently unwrapped it. Elio took a long sip of his drink before turning his head toward the window. He shook his head while his expression grew grim.


    ¡°Nothing of any usetely,¡± he said. ¡°I told you that he somehow managed to escape, and we found him and brought him back here. Bastard put up a decent fight but ultimately gave in when he realized how outnumbered he was.¡±


    I plopped down into one of the chairs and forced myself to take a bite of my sandwich.


    ¡°And still nothing,¡± I muttered under my breath.


    I felt a mixture of dejection and growing impatience toward the situation at hand.


    ¡®All that pain and he still refused to give up anything pertaining to either Antonio or Junior,¡¯ I thought bitterly.


    That particr kind of loyalty had to have been founded by fear. Whatever Elio and his men tried to use against this nameless guy was clearly not worthy of the consequences that he would potentially face if he were to let something slip.


    The mere thought of Antonio¡¯s thought process about punishment made my skin crawl with uneasiness. For once, I wanted to believe that we had the upper hand in the situation, yet the oue was not as productive as it should have been.


    From what I could quickly gather, Elio and I appeared to be alone. Granted, there were a few men roaming about, patrolling the grounds, but the two of us were able to speak freely.


    I quickly turned my thoughts to another apparent figure.


    ¡°Well, any news on the safe houses that Alexi gave us?¡± I asked.


    Elio¡¯s expression only seemed to darken from there. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that Elio wasn¡¯t fond of the stranger. To say that he was skeptical of Alexi¡¯s true intentions was truly an understatement. Why, out ofplete nowhere, was a random man from Antonio¡¯s side so willinglye forward when there were terrible consequences to be faced from either side?


    Regardless of the real reasons, I could tell that it infuriated Elio beyondprehension. To think that the only real link we had to Antonio and his band of misfits was through a man that was free as a bird, whereas the captive they¡¯ve been holding has remained silent.


    ¡°ording to the locations he¡¯s given us, I¡¯ve gotten word back about a few sightings of Junior¡¯s men, but none of him specifically,¡± he said.


    I nodded my head and bit the inside of my cheek as my bout of impatience grew even deeper. My body unconsciously tensed at the thought of Junior still roaming about wherever. Finding a way to cope with what happened to my mom was one thing, let alone having that creep out there free. I realized that not many people knew about the mental and emotional issues I¡¯d been dealing with for the past few months.


    Ever since I was told the honest truth about ¡°Paul¡± and his true identity, my willingness to trust and believe new people had be near to impossible. I dealt with constant moments of anger and partial self-hatred for allowing myself to be controlled by someone like Junior for so long.


    All that time, I¡¯d believed that he cared for me. I shuddered at all the sad ass excuses I had made for him and myself, only to make the painful discovery that I was nothing more than a pawn in father¡¯s game.


    I was a firm believer that no one wanted to see Antonio taken down more than Alessandro and Elio. But what I wanted, was for Junior to be taken down and face the consequences of his actions. The thought of him inflicting that same pain on some other woman was revolting.


    God, I hoped that Elio and his men would find a way to get the man they have downstairs to talk soon. Anything at this point would be useful to work with as opposed to nothing at all.


    I finished thest few bites of my sandwich and grabbed one of the sodas off the desk.


    ¡°Well, although this was not entirely what I was expecting when you said you wanted to do lunch together... still, I¡¯m happy that you called me,¡± I told him.


    Some of the tension around Elio¡¯s features started to lessen. The corners of his mouth pulled up into a heart-warming smile that made me shiver in a glorious, needy way.


    ¡°But, while we¡¯re on the topic, why did you ask me toe here?¡± I asked.


    It wasn¡¯t as though Elio couldn¡¯t have just simply told me all this while at home. It probably would have spared me the anxiety I felt when I first pulled up to the warehouse.


    Elio swept what trash was left over from our lunch and tossed it back into the bag it first came in. He leaned against the desk and eyed me carefully.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d want to be here if our little guest finally decides to start talking,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re about to interrogate him again.¡±


    I physically felt myself go pale.


    ¡®Oh, God. Am I seriously ready for something as big as being a part of this?¡¯ I asked. ¡®No, probably not. But I was the one who made it a point to tell Elio that I needed to be included in things from now on.¡¯


    As easy as it would have been for me to make up some sort of excuse that would allow me to skip out on this unsettling activity, I needed to stick by my own word.


    I swallowed the lump in my throat and slowly got up from my chair, hardening my resolve.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I mumbled.


    The sooner this happened, the quicker I would be able to return to the apartment and continue to study.


    I tried to convince myself that I needed to do this. For the sake of my father and my mother, I needed to take a firm stance against all the madness that had done nothing but wreak havoc on my life.


    Silently, I followed close behind Elio as we both descended the stairs down to the main room. He gave an unspoken look to some of the men who continued to circle the area, and they immediately joined us from a few feet away.


    He led me over to the man, giving me a better chance to look at him. Elio broke away from my side to lean down into the man¡¯s personal space. My earlier calctions were correct. The guy didn¡¯t seem to be injured at all, just severely ufortable.


    The air around us filled with a terrible, spine-chilling tension. The moment Elio opened his mouth to speak, I knew that something was different. The Elio I knew disappeared and a harsher, darker version has taken his ce.


    ¡°Last chance,¡± he snarled to the man in front of him. ¡°Where is Antonio?¡±

 Chapter 667 : Not Built for This

    <h4>Chapter 667: Chapter 667 : Not Built for This</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    I couldn¡¯t think straight.


    I couldn¡¯t even find the strength to make it through the whole interrogation.


    Somewhere between, what seemed like, the tenth and twentieth attempt to get Antonio¡¯s man to give us even just a piece of viable info I left the room. I had to.


    There was no way my nerves were capable of handling another moment of it all. Between the agonizing silence and hearing Elio lose his temper, I was fairly certain that it was going to end up in another bloodbath.


    I was just waiting for the final nerve to snap inside of him and watch him send his fist hurling through the air. Or maybe one of the men was getting ready to pull a gun or throw a de at the guy.


    I didn¡¯t know what frightened me more¡ªthe unbreakable tension or the way that Elio shifted his entire demeanor for the sake of potentially gathering information.


    Where did this side of hime from? Did it always exist? Howe I¡¯d never seen it growing up?


    Growing up with Elio protecting me, I was certainly enough of a pain all on my own that I could have undoubtedly brought this side of him out.


    But no. This unseen version of Elio was cold... unhinged... disturbingly ruthless. It was almost impossible to think that he was the same man I¡¯d fallen in love with.


    That made it all the more painful when I forcibly pulled myself away. I left the main room without so much as a single word and headed straight for the doors. I bared the weight and pushed my way out until I could feel the cool air hit my face. Only then did I feel like I could officially breathe again.


    Why? Why the hell did Elio think that I needed to be a part of something like this?


    The whole process was maddening at best. Even though no one necessarily acknowledged my presence, I felt as though it was wrong to be standing there witnessing it all happen like some kind of phantom.


    This was not how I thought my day would go.


    I leaned back against the wall behind me and took several deep breaths. I folded my shaky hands under my arms and pushed down the nausea that swirled in the pit of my stomach. Aside from the queasiness that made me sway, I was totally tongue-tied from the shock of it all.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted my car that was still parked just a few yards away.


    ¡®What if I just got in my car and left?¡¯ I asked myself.


    Surely, I could just text Elio and tell him that something hade up and I needed to head back to the apartment.


    ¡®But wouldn¡¯t that be considered lying then?¡¯


    Even if it was just a white lie to escape the current moment, I couldn¡¯t do it, not when I¡¯d put Elio through the wringer about secrets and purposely keeping things from me.


    I needed to stick this out.


    As long as Junior and Antonio remained in hiding, I needed to keep a firm standing in all of this.


    The doors of the warehouse suddenly opened. Elio came rushing out, frantically turning his head to look around.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I mumbled under my breath.


    He snapped his head around to find me breathless. His eyes held a sense of worrying and concern that managed to crack away at his stoic demeanor from earlier. I was beginning to see the Elio that I knew beneath the mask.


    He took a few steps toward me but noticed how my body tensed up. My trepidation must have shattered what was left of his stoney behavior because he refused to hold himself back. He reached out his arms and practically hauled me into his chest.


    ¡°Caterina.¡± He hummed my name to soothe me.


    I lifted my hands to press against the nes of his chest to get some space between us. But Elio was not having any of it. He tightened his grip and held me closer.


    ¡°Is it easy for you?¡± I asked quietly.


    ¡°Is ¡®what¡¯ easy?¡±


    ¡°Being able to turn off your emotions when you need to,¡± I exined.


    My mouth felt dry and my neck grew sore. I felt him go stiff against me, giving me the chance to pull back a little. He angled his head down to look down at me through softened eyes.


    I truly didn¡¯t know what to make of the business that was going on here. Worst of all, I didn¡¯t know how I felt about Elio¡¯s ability to switch his emotions off like a machine on a moment¡¯s notice. Was this how people were supposed to be in this type of lifestyle¡ªcold and cut throat?


    ¡®God, this whole situation better have been worth it,¡¯ I thought to myself.


    I wanted to believe that was. Maybe the man had finally told us something of value after I¡¯d already left the room... something, anything. Any piece of information was better than nothing at all. This awful sensation that seemed like it was ready to take up permanent residency in my chest was an ongoing reminder that this whole mess needed to end.


    What kind of life could Elio and I possibly have if we were always going to be looking over our shoulders for fear of a possible attack?


    No. I refused to allow that kind of fear to rule my mind and ruin any chances of a peaceful future with my family.


    Antonio needed to be stopped on all ounts, no matter what. If this was what needed to be done for it to happen, then so be it.


    Elio slowly nodded his head. His expression was solemn as he went on to speak.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. I don¡¯t like it and it makes me feel sick. But I know it¡¯s required sometimes,¡± he exined.


    I nodded my head and tried to let the tension in my muscles rx. Elio started to rub small circles over my back while resting his chin on top of my head.


    ¡°At least now we know Antonio isn¡¯t even stateside. Hopefully, he¡¯ll offer more now too.¡±


    My eyes widened as a sharp gasp slipped from my lips. ¡°You mean you actually got something out of that guy?¡±


    Elio¡¯s mouth curved and nodded his head in pride. ¡°Yup. Not too long after you slipped out, we actually got him to talk.¡±


    I scoffed in disbelief. ¡°What did you do, threaten to shoot him if he wasn¡¯t willing to open his mouth?¡±


    He raised his brows and tilted his head in silent contemtion of answering my question.


    ¡°Elio!¡±


    ¡°Rx, love. No one was shot at.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I will say that a few empty threats were tossed around for a bit of a dramatic effect, but nothing too serious.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes on him in heavy skepticism.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Cat. How am I supposed to interrogate someone if they¡¯re on the brink of death?¡±


    I didn¡¯t even want to dignify that question with a literal answer. All that truly mattered was that they got something real out of the guy.


    To hear that Antonio wasn¡¯t even in the country should have made me feel a bit more at ease. But I found that it only left me wanting to know more. If he wasn¡¯t in the country, then where the hell else could he have gone?


    It wasn¡¯t likely that he¡¯d go back to Italy given Alessandro¡¯s position there. Right?


    And aside from Antonio¡¯s current position, I was fairly certain that the man inside hadn¡¯t mentioned anything pertaining to Junior.


    ¡®Just because Antonio was out of the picture for time being, doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that Junior is with him. He could still very much be floating around,¡¯ I thought bitterly.


    Elio dropped his arms and took my hand in his. He led me over to his car.


    ¡°We should head home,¡± he suggested while opening the car door for me.


    I slid into the passenger seat without so much as a debating thought. He rounded to the other side and took his spot behind the wheel.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Leo drive your car back to the apartment,¡± he said before I even got the chance to inquire about my own car.


    I clutched my bag to my chest and nodded my head. I was happy to leave, and no way was I going to dy our departure any longer than necessary. In all that had happened, I wanted nothing more than to go home andy down.


    But the reality of my situation came back to haunt me. I still had my finals to study for.


    The thought of trying to hunker down and give even a half hour of my focus to something made my head ache.


    We spent the majority of the car ride back inplete silence. By the halfway point, Elio took his right hand off the wheel and drew it over to my side. He curled his fingers around my thighs and gently squeezed every so often.


    I briefly closed my eyes and let the warmth of his touchfort me until we arrived back at the apartmentplex. Elio pulled the car into its designated spot and turned off the ignition. Just as I was about to get out, he broke the silence between us.


    ¡°Caterina.¡±


    I drew my brows together in question. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that again if you don¡¯t want to,¡± he said. ¡°Just because you may decide that you don¡¯t want any physical part in this business doesn¡¯t mean that you won¡¯t be involved at all.¡±


    I admired his reasoning for wanting me to be involved in this whale matter, but arge part of me wondered if this was a test to see if I had what it took to be involved.


    Was I strong enough to handle the entire truth of things? My mother¡¯s words, ¡®ignorance is bliss¡¯ was really beginning to make sense in my mind. Maybe I didn¡¯t need to be a part of everything.


    ¡°There are some things that I¡¯m willing to let you protect me from,¡± I told him.


    Elio nodded his head with true enthusiasm. ¡°You know that¡¯s all I want,¡± he admitted with a smile.


    I let out a sigh and sagged back into the seat. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not entirely cut out for the physical end of things, you know? I mean, not that I really did anything but stand there and listen. But I think I¡¯d much rather be the brains.¡±


    We got out of the car and headed for the main doors of the building. I took my phone out of my bag and dreaded checking the time. How much time had I lost during this unexpected venture today? And exactly how much studying was I going to have to make up to feel prepared for tomorrow?


    Elio led us over to the elevators and pressed the button to our private level.


    He rubbed my shoulders. ¡°When we get in, I¡¯ll run you a bath. How does that sound?¡± he asked.


    I nced over my shoulder, barely looking at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to pass.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Because my finals for this summer are tomorrow,¡± I said pointedly.


    The doors to the elevator slid open and I could feel the intense stare of Elio¡¯s eyes in the back of my head as I moved forward.

 Chapter 668 : A Morning of Lies

    <h4>Chapter 668: Chapter 668 : A Morning of Lies</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I groaned as the high-pitched squeal of my rm red through my ears, loud enough to wake a damn elephant from the best sleep of his life, not to mention fully interrupting the dream I had just gotten invested in. As soon as my eyes opened, said dream slipped away as the morning light fluttered through the window.


    The warm and bright sun of LA had returned, leaving the semi-chilly days of our pathetic excuse for winter behind and I yawned as I shut off my rm, resetting it for tomorrow. I rubbed the crust from my eyes as I stepped out of bed, finding the other side empty, as usual.


    Elio was surprisingly a morning riser, getting up even earlier than me. Though I was by far from a night owl, even I couldn¡¯t beat him. He told me his internal clock was damn near perfect, waking at the same time every day no matter howte he went to bed.


    I was a bit jealous, if I was being honest.


    I slipped on my fluffy slippers, no longer embarrassed at the pink bunny ears on the top as I shuffled my way to the bathroom.


    A minuteter, I made my way into the kitchen, following the scent of my nose and my instincts. The sound of sizzling came to my ears, cookware being used and footsteps on the tile beneath our feet.


    I yawned, barely able to keep my eyes open as I took a seat at the ind, and I heard a familiar chuckle and felt the heat of his body as he stepped next to me, then his lips were on my forehead.


    ¡°Good morning, sleepyhead,¡± he said happily.


    My eyes finally opened wide, more awake as I took in my surroundings. As usual, Elio had made me breakfast, and my heart warmed as I took in the te that he¡¯d slipped in front of me.


    It was covered in crepes that were oozing with a strawberry creme center and a mountain of whipped topping with a side of bacon and the only mug I¡¯d kept from my old home. It was a unique one in the shape of a pink frosted donut with a white handle on the side. The open top was made to look like a bite had been taken out of the donut, even though it was just ceramic.


    I breathed in the fresh scent of morning coffee. I could tell the drink had already been loaded with creamer and sugar.


    I sent Elio a warm grin as he moved back and forth in the kitchen, making sure I had everything I needed before he sat down himself.


    ¡°Eat up. You have your exam today, right?¡± Elio said, giving me a smile as he took a seat across from me. Contrary to my fresh and warm breakfast, Elio had only a cup of coffee and a bagel on his side.


    I grabbed a slice of bacon and put it in my mouth. With the salty and greasy meat mixed with a sweet taste of smoked maple, I was in sheer heaven.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I said honestly, feeling a bit drunk on sheer happiness. This was my heaven.


    He chuckled. ¡°If I knew all I had to do was cook some bacon to get you to fall in love with me, I would¡¯ve done it sooner.¡±


    ¡°It would¡¯ve worked,¡± I moaned, taking a second bite. ¡°Thank God you can cook bacon, or I¡¯d have left you.¡±


    ¡°Good to know.¡± He smirked, shaking his head yfully. He sipped on his coffee as I pretty much inhaled my breakfast, only feeling alive once my belly was full and the coffee had woken my brain up with the shot of caffeine.


    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± I purred in contentment, heading to his side of the ind and plopping myself down on hisp.


    I took the minute to wrap myself around him, just existing as he finished his coffee, hands on my hips to keep me from slipping off. He chuckled, kissing the top of my head softly.


    ¡°Well, I feel terrible for forgetting about your finals yesterday. I never would¡¯ve asked you to do all of that if I had remembered. You have enough to stress, and I shouldn¡¯t have been adding to that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I nuzzled into the crook of his neck. ¡°You¡¯re forgiven.¡±


    After such a wonderfulzy morning, I felt ready to tackle my finals, and I spent a few more minutes clinging to him like a kitten before he finally dropped me into the shower for me to get ready, which I did reluctantly.


    By eleven am, I was heading off to school, leaving Elio behind to finish his work. I wasn¡¯t sure what he was doing as he wanted me to stay focused on my exam today. I made it there with plenty of time to spare, and the exam started at noon.


    I actually felt pretty good about that one as I knew the material pretty well. It was a breeze to shoot through, and there were only a couple of questions I had to guess. Even then, I was about 80% sure I had the correct answer.


    I finished within the hour and triple-checked my answers before leaving. Out of the hundreds taking the exam today, I was one of the first dozen to finish. I stretched as I usually did after I left, my body still feeling cramped from sitting in the same position for so long.


    Elio had offered to give me a massage tonight to help, and I thought about taking him up on that offer as I headed out to the car. As I held my keys in my hand, there was a familiar feeling of deja vu when I opened the door and heard a soft voice call out.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    I stiffened, whirling around defensively and just likest time, that stupid asshat was standing there, his hands raised in defense, attempting to show me he meant no harm and with a sly smile on his lips as he stared at me intently.


    ¡°So much for disappearing,¡± I sneered, crossing my arms.


    Alexi chuckled, his posturepletely rxed and open like I was no threat to him. I wasn¡¯t, truthfully, and we both knew it.


    ¡°Did things work out like I said?¡± he asked casually... like we were friends and as if he hadn¡¯t worked for the man who tried to kill me and my mom and had killed my father. Before I could answer him, he just smirked knowingly. ¡°Trick question. I already know they did.¡±


    He stepped forward, and there was a different vibe to him this time... a much less innocent one. Questions swirled in my mind. Was it because I knew his identity now? Or maybe it was that I knew what he was capable of? I didn¡¯t know, but I didn¡¯t like this situation one bit.


    I kept the keys clenched in my fists, the door to the car wide open in case I needed to jump in.


    ¡°Why are you back here?¡± I demanded. ¡°You gave us what we needed. Our transaction is done.¡±


    He just smiled like he hadn¡¯t a care in the world. ¡°Let¡¯s just say there are more loose ends than I first thought. So, you trust me now, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, yet,¡± I said, ring at him and keeping a careful distance. I thought about it and then decided to be honest. ¡°But it¡¯s promising.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit hurtful.¡± He gave a shortugh, eyeing me intently. ¡°I mean I did lead you to Junior. I know your boyfriend already found him.¡±


    My head went nk.


    I swallowed, trying to act unaffected by this piece of news, especially in front of a shady character like Alexi.


    Elio had found Paul already?


    But Elio said¡ª


    And with Alexi¡¯s dark eyes focused on me, looking for any tiny changes in my expressions, I realized this was exactly what he wanted, why he had just told me this. I kept my expression neutral, swallowing down my building anger toward Elio as I pretended I already knew the bombshell he had thrown at me.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t trust you,¡± I said inly, ¡°especially now that you¡¯ve cornered me in a parking lot twice.¡±


    He gave me an amused look, crossing his arms like I was a baby rabbit trying to fight a lion. I felt like it too, like I had been thrust into a world of carnivores, each just toying with me until they got bored and finally decided to devour me.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, Cat.¡± Alexi sighed then gave me a piercing look. ¡°You will.¡±


    And without another word, he turned on his foot and walked away leisurely like a lion who had decided the prey wasn¡¯t worth killing... at least not yet.


    A shiver ran down my spine and I breathed out, my hands trembling. Something about Alexi had changed. There was a danger to him that hadn¡¯t been there before.


    Maybe it had always been there, but now he just wasn¡¯t hiding it anymore.


    I jumped into my car, mmed the door, and locked it as I shakily grabbed my phone and dialed Elio¡¯s number. The call clicked and before Elio could say a word, I rushed out with a hurried, ¡°Where are you? We need to talk.¡±


    I could tell he heard something in my voice, the urgency, the underlining anger, I didn¡¯t know. But Elio quietly replied, ¡°I¡¯m at a showing. I¡¯ll text you the address. What is this about, Cat?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you when I see you,¡± I snapped, ending the call.


    I waited in the car for a moment until I received the text and then took a few deep breaths to calm my racing heart and stop me from flipping out on Elio.


    He had lied to me... again.


    And as pissed as I was about that, I knew I had to handle this like the adult I was. I was not a child Elio needed to protect, and I thought we had finally got past this issue. But old habits die hard, apparently.


    The car rumbled to life under my fingertips and I kept calm as I drove to the address, which wasn¡¯t far from my school. And despite my promise to keep calm, my anger only rose at every stoplight, every crosswalk where I stared at people passing by and going about their lives.


    My chest was burning with righteousness, a fury that couldn¡¯t be contained as I parked at the sky-rise Elio was showing. When I arrived, he was already waiting at the entrance, arms crossed with his back to the wall.


    I turned off the car, grabbing only the keys as I stormed from the car to the entrance. Elio¡¯s eyes lit up once he spotted me and normally, this would¡¯ve melted my heart but right then, all I wanted was to punch him in the goddamn face.


    He¡¯d fed me a morning of lies and he expected me to jump into his arms happily... not this time.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± he asked worriedly as I approached.


    But then he hesitated, a wary look crossing his face as I stormed up.


    Ished out once I was at arm¡¯s length, and he winced but my hand wrapped around his silk tie, pulling him down to my level until we were face-to-face and mere inches from one another. From afar, I was sure it looked like we were just a happy couple, but only Elio and I knew the truth.


    I red at him with poisonous anger as I whisper-yelled my grievances at his face.


    ¡°You found Junior?¡±

 Chapter 669 : Reprecussions

    <h4>Chapter 669: Chapter 669 : Reprecussions</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡°You found Junior?¡±


    Indignation reflected in the eyes of the woman I loved as she faced me with zing wrath, her hand clenched around my tie hard enough that her skin had turned white. My back ached from being hunched over to be on her level, but I didn¡¯t dare to move, simply gulped down any excuses that had been building on my tongue.


    I knew like a sailor in the eye of a storm that it was already toote. I didn¡¯t know how she had found out, but she knew I had lied to her.


    Again.


    A sense of guilt and shame washed over me as she waited patiently for my answer, a hot-tempered me ready to consume me the moment I opened my mouth. There was no getting out of this, no sweet-talking or convincing her that I had noble intentions.


    I knew that lying to her would have repercussions. We¡¯d been through this before, and maybe I really was insane to keep doing something over and over and expecting a different oue. I couldn¡¯t keep lying and expecting her to forgive me again and again.


    She was a caring person, but not to that extent.


    And it was through the sheer fear that crawled up my throat at the thought of her walking away from me, at her being done and never having her in my arms again, that words immediately burst out of my throat.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I fucked up.¡± I confessed, staring into her unforgiving eyes and hoping she would give me onest chance to make things right. ¡°Yes, we found Junior, and I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you. I should have told you sooner.¡±


    I had made the wrong decision by not telling her, and I knew that now.


    Her brows furrowed and her lips pursed as she gazed into my eyes searchingly. I didn¡¯t know what she found, but she removed her grip from my tie, and I inhaled deeply, not having realized how much pressure it had been putting on my throat until now. I rubbed my neck, the sore skin being a little tense as Cat took a few steps back, crossing her arms unhappily.


    She didn¡¯t have the same look of fury on her face, but she didn¡¯t look like she was in a forgiving mood either. She stared at me for half a moment, and for the first time in a long time, I didn¡¯t know what she was thinking.


    I nervously shifted on my feet, feeling like I was a kid being scolded again.


    ¡°You let me sit in on an interrogation,¡± Cat started, her voice sharp as a knife, ¡°but you don¡¯t tell me that you have a lead on one of the two men I want to see pay for their crimes, that I was even getting involved in all of this for? Really, Elio?¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡ª¡± I sighed,menting my past self for being so stupid. I should¡¯ve juste clean before this point. ¡°But I¡ª¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to get your hopes up,¡± I admitted softly. ¡°We¡¯ve only spotted him a few times, and we¡¯re still far from getting close enough to get him. We have to go slowly because if he makes us, he¡¯ll only disappear again. It¡¯s been so slow-going that I don¡¯t know when we¡¯re going to have results, if we even get them.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± she snapped. ¡°I deserve to know the truth. You said you respected me, that you were going to tell me the truth, and then you go behind my back again and lie to my face, again. This time, you can¡¯t even me it on Antonio because he¡¯s not here... or are you lying about that too?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I said quickly, running a hand through my hair in stress as I took in her pissed-off eyes. ¡°I messed up. I know. You deserved to know the truth, and I should¡¯ve told you earlier. But I wanted to protect you¡ª¡±


    She fully scoffed, rolling her eyes as she shifted weight to her other leg, giving me no other chance to drop in as she snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that again. You broke your promise to me, Elio. You swore you wouldn¡¯t do this again and you did. How can I trust you if you keep lying to me and treating me like I need to be put in a bubble?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that,¡± I protested.


    But I could see herck of disbelief in her eyes as she turned away from me. She was at least calming down, not so eager to punch me in the face, so I stepped forward, gently sneaking my arms around her waist as I pulled her into me.


    She was reluctant but didn¡¯t fight me as I held her close, breathing in her scent as I buried my face onto her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cat. I fucked up, but I¡¯m really trying here,¡± I confessed softly. ¡°It¡¯s just so hard to fight my instincts to keep you safe and happy. I want to keep you away from all of this, but I want you by my side at the same time. I¡¯m not perfect, but I¡¯m trying. You can see that, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I can.¡± She sighed, finally crossing her arms as she bumped her forehead into mine. Our eyes connected and though I could see she was still unhappy, the anger was dispersing, only showing how much she cared and how hurt she was by this.


    Slowly her arms gently wrapped around my chest, fisting my shirt and wrinkling my jacket, but I didn¡¯t care as I kissed her on the nose, smiling sadly as she forgave me like she always had. I hated myself for taking advantage of her kindness, her ability to forgive my mistakes again and again.


    ¡°You have to tell me the truth,¡± she said pleadingly, a serious look in her eyes as she stared at me. ¡°We have to be together on this because I¡¯m not going to keep doing this. You have to trust that I can keep myself safe, that I won¡¯t fall apart, or... I can¡¯t be with someone who constantly lies to me, Elio.¡±


    There was a very real threat in her words that hung in the air between us, an honest and sincere one and I knew she wasn¡¯t kidding. This was thest chance she was giving me, thest time she would forgive my lies.


    I swallowed, nodding softly as I shut my eyes tightly, not even wanting to imagine my life without her, a world where she wasn¡¯t by my side any longer or worse, on the arm of some other man.


    ¡°I promise,¡± I whispered, each word like a vow burnt itself into my soul, ¡°I will keep you involved as much as I can, and I won¡¯t lie to you ever again.¡±


    I would do anything to keep her with me. I loved her too much to let her go.


    Hesitance crossed her face, as if she was debating whether I was being truthful or not, and my heart thumped loudly in my chest as I waited to see if she would walk away from me or stay. Finally, she sighed, eptance in her eyes as she buried her face into my chest.


    I clenched my fists, pulling her into my arms with more force than I meant to, but she didn¡¯tin, simply let me cling to her as I got my emotions back in order.


    It took a few minutes before my heart settled in ce and I was reassured enough to let her go. Once I did, she gave me that sweet smile I loved so much, and I felt a breath of relief escape my lips.


    Then came the next burning question I had.


    ¡°Did you take your exams? How did you do?¡± I asked, wanting to change the subject, but not wanting to be obvious as to what I was going to ask next.


    ¡°Good.¡± She smiled confidently. ¡°I knew pretty much all of it, so I should get above a 90 or at least above 80, I think.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± I kissed her, arms around her waist as I lifted her slightly and twirled us around.


    She beamed, giggling as I gently set her down on the floor. I slowly edged into the burning question in my mind.


    ¡°So,¡± I asked, pretending to be nonchnt, ¡°how¡¯d you go from your exam to finding out about Junior? Did somebody tell you something?¡±


    My voice didn¡¯t sound as se as I wanted, and she gave me a nd look like I was the most obvious thing in the world to her. I could¡¯ve been more subtle, sure, but this was important.


    I winced a bit, wondering if I was losing my charms in front of her, but she pursed her lips into a grim line.


    Her eyes flickered to the lower left, a sense of anxiousness washing over her as her fingers clenched around my suit.


    ¡°It was... Alexi, actually,¡± she said slowly.


    I should¡¯ve fucking known. I clenched my jaw, trying not to show how pissed I was as Cat bit her bottom lip, looking worriedly at my expression, searching for any hints of anger.


    ¡°What else did he say?¡± I prompted her, making my voice sound softer so I didn¡¯t scare her with my irritation.


    ¡°He approached me when I was getting into my car and told me. He said things were more...plicated than he thought. Something about loose strings and that he knew you¡¯d already found Junior.¡± She told me with a frown. ¡°I got the feeling that he knew I didn¡¯t know, somehow. But that¡¯s impossible, right?¡±


    Fucking bastard.


    ¡°It should be,¡± I told her honestly, brushing my hand across her cheek. ¡°But these guys are slippery. Did he say anything else, anything about Junior or Antonio?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She shook her head, hesitating over something and then taking a deep breath as she looked me in the eyes. ¡°He was incredibly insistent that I trust him, though. He kept asking if I did and when I said I didn¡¯t... he said I would. Do you think... is he following me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡¯ I shook my head. ¡°If he was following you, we would¡¯ve known by now. He only approached you at the school because it¡¯s a public ce and he knew you would show up for your finals. But to be safe, you should probably take a guard or two next time, just in case.¡±


    She sighed, pouting a bit at the thought but didn¡¯t fight it, just nodding softly as she huffed me. We stayed like that for a few minutes before I heard my phone begin to ring. I fished it out of my pocket, answering swiftly.


    ¡°Clients areing out,¡± Leo informed me, then hung up.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to go?¡± Cat asked as I shoved my phone back into my pocket.


    I nodded reluctantly and she released me, leaning up to kiss me once, just a peck before she stepped back with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at home then.¡±


    She took off, her long hair swaying behind her. I watched her go until I saw her car pull out and take off. Leo came out momentster, the two clients right behind him with big smiles on their faces.


    I put on the politest smile I had as they chatted about the space they wanted.


    ¡°Well, it seems you¡¯re happy with the quality of our development.¡± I chuckled. ¡°If you invest with us, I think you¡¯ll find that your own development will be the same. So how about we finalize that paperwork then? Leo and I can have that ready for you back at the office.¡±


    The clients agreed eagerly, and we each went to our own cars. As soon as they were out of sight, my smile dropped, and I climbed into the driver¡¯s seat as Leo got in on the other side.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Leo asked, raising an eyebrow at the dark look on my face.


    I stared at the mirror, my eyes full of malice.


    ¡°I think Alexi could be a problem.¡±

 Chapter 670 : Comparisons

    <h4>Chapter 670: Chapter 670 : Comparisons</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡®We should go out to dinner tonight.¡¯


    The text on my phone was from Elio, and I smiled, a fluttery happy feeling inside.


    I wondered where he would take me this time. Thai? Italian? Russian? It could be anybody¡¯s guess, but I knew it would be delicious. It always was.


    ¡°Okay, almost done, Matilde.¡±


    I nced up from my seat in the corner, watching as my mom kept a steady posture on her feet, with Lauren helping to guide her through the exercises as best as she could. There was a little bit of a wobble near her ankle, but nothing too major. Mom breathed out slowly as she switched the foot she was leaning her weight on.


    ¡°Rotate your hips a little more to the left,¡± Lauren instructed kindly, hovering her hand over my mom¡¯s hip as she corrected her posture. Mom nodded in response, following the movement slowly and carefully.


    ¡°There we go. That¡¯s perfect.¡± Lauren smiled.


    Mom shot me a tired grin at where I was tucked away in the corner. I gave her a thumbs up, encouraging her without being too distracting. I was here to observe, not to get in the way of her recovery.


    But it was hard to hold back the pride beaming in my chest as I watched Mom get back on her feet, getting used to the movements of handling everything herself. Lauren had assured us that she would have no trouble getting back to normal but that the physical therapy would be slow-going.


    She¡¯d suffered a terrible shock to her system, and though the wound had healed up, leaving behind a jagged scar, it would take a while for her muscles and joints to get back to full strength again.


    But despite how her hands trembled when she pushed herself, the little wince she gave every now and then as she ufortably twisted her body, she never gave up. She always kept a tired smile on her face, just happy to be up and moving again.


    My heart lurched as Mom stumbled in the next stretch, barely managing to keep standing. I reached out on instinct, getting halfway out of my seat before Lauren gently sent me a little wave with her hand, signaling to keep seated.


    I gritted my teeth, not liking it but having agreed to listen to Lauren when I wanted to sit in. She was the expert here.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, you¡¯re doing wonderful, Matilde. Here, have a seat and we¡¯ll take a break, okay?¡± Lauren guided her with a stable hand on her back to the wheelchair, and Mom sighed in relief once she sat down.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Mom said frustratedly. ¡°I lost my bnce there¡ª"


    ¡°That¡¯s perfectly alright, Matilde,¡± Lauren reassured her with a smile. ¡°You havee leaps and bounds already, and you¡¯re surprising everyone with how quick you are at this. It¡¯ll take some time and no doubt you¡¯ll stumble again, but that¡¯s okay. Your perseverance is admirable, Matilde, and you¡¯ll be back to normal soon enough. Just take your time.¡±


    Lauren wasn¡¯t just telling her that either. Both Lauren and her doctors had been amazed at Mom¡¯s recovery speed, mostly attributing it to the wonderful care Lauren provided and Mom¡¯s ¡°go-get-¡®em¡± attitude when it came to therapy.


    Her progress was twice what they had thought it would be, and that was amazing considering when she was in the hospital, they worried she would never be able to walk again. Now she had even started using crutches more and doing things on her own again.


    I had no doubt she¡¯d be running a marathon soon at the pace she was going. I got to my feet, leaning on the side of her wheelchair as I bent over to pull her into a side hug.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Mom,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sweetheart,¡± Mom beamed, holding me closer as she rested. ¡°How¡¯s Elio and you? Did you finish your finals alright?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Mom.¡± I smiled. ¡°Whose daughter do you think I am? I aced them. And Elio¡¯s doing good. He¡¯s working a lot, but he¡¯s been taking the time to care for me because of the finals. He made me breakfast in bed yesterday¡ªmy favorite crepes and bacon too. I¡¯m a lot less stressed than usual because of him.¡±


    ¡°I bet.¡± Mom giggled. ¡°Though I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not just his breakfast that¡¯s making you so happy in bed.¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± Iined, blushing bright red as I gently pushed her shoulder.


    She justughed, sharing a look with Lauren, who pretended not to hear anything, though her lips were pursed like she was trying not tough.


    ¡°Oh, please. I¡¯m your mother,¡± Mom said firmly. ¡°I¡¯ve done a lot more embarrassing things than anything I tease you about.¡±


    I rolled my eyes as the two womenughed. Mom and Lauren had bonded very quickly, bing closer to old friends like they¡¯d known each other for a lifetime. It was especially annoying when they used it to tease me.


    I checked my texts again, replying to Anna¡¯s message as she told me about her schedule for next semester. I sent her my own, excitedlyparing which sses we¡¯d be taking together and which we took apart. Surprisingly, we shared quite a few of the same sses, which was a relief.


    I was still getting lost on campus, so I needed her to guide me to most of my sses. I¡¯d always been kind of directionally challenged. Thank God for the GPS app.


    I sent a quick reply to Elio. ¡®That sounds lovely. Can¡¯t wait.¡¯ Then for good measure, I sent an excited emoji face.


    ¡°Alright, all done now,¡± Lauren dered into the room, smiling as she picked up the therapy equipment. ¡°I¡¯ll go put this stuff away and then I¡¯ll go make lunch. What would you like, Matilde?¡±


    ¡°Hm. Stew sounds good,¡± Mom sighed, a dreamy look in her eyes. ¡°How do you get it so delicious? You have to share the recipe with me.¡±


    ¡°On myst day, I will, but only if you finish all of your therapy,¡± Lauren responded, giving her a wink as she headed down the hall to the kitchen.


    ¡°You drive a hard bargain!¡± Mom yfully shouted back.


    I grinned, happy to see her rosy cheeks and vibrant appearance. It was a huge contrast from the pale and waxy look she had in the hospital when the bruises under her eyes were sorge, she looked like a roon.


    I was so d she had recovered, that she was stillughing and smiling here with me.


    Once Lauren left, we could only really hear pots and pans being shuffled around before Mom turned to me, her smile sobering into a grave look.


    ¡°So,¡± Mom started.


    I swallowed, feeling like I was a teenager again and she¡¯d just caught me sneaking out of my window to head to a party she forbade me to go to.


    ¡°Are you still looking for the men that did this on your own?¡± she asked.


    I nced at myp, turning my phone around in my hands as I debated with myself over this. I honestly didn¡¯t know what to say. I could lie and save her the worry, but that felt too hypocritical of me.


    I¡¯d just gotten angry at Elio for doing the same exact thing.


    I didn¡¯t want to lie, either. I¡¯d never lied to my mom about anything important before, and I didn¡¯t want to start now. After all the lies that came out about my father when I was kid, I¡¯d learned that hiding things from the people you loved only brought misery to everyone around you.


    I couldn¡¯t do that to my mom.


    But I also didn¡¯t want to tell her the truth, to have her anxiously worry about me in the middle of the night or call me just to check if I¡¯d gotten involved in anything dangerous. That too felt like doing exactly what my dad had done.


    Besides, no matter what my mom or Elio thought, I could take care of myself. I wasn¡¯t that helpless, empty little girl anymore.


    On the two warring sides of myself, I weighed what was more important¡ªhonesty or peace of mind. And I chose honesty.


    ¡°I am actually.¡± I looked her straight in the eyes. ¡°But not by myself¡ªElio and all his friends and family are helping too, so I¡¯m not alone.¡±


    Her eyes drooped, her lips forming a sad smile as she looked at me like she was seeing the ghost of someone she loved standing behind me.


    ¡°You....¡±


    She sighed, giving me a downcast look as her eyes swam with unshed tears. ¡°You¡¯re so much like your father, sometimes it¡¯s painful to look at you.¡±


    And whatever I had expected her to say, it wasn¡¯t that.


    Her words were like the ws of a beast as they ripped into an open wound that I didn¡¯t even know I had, twisting it there until I felt a scream bubbling up in my throat. It ached, and maybe it was just a phantom pain, an emotional wound presenting itself physically, but I rubbed the spot over my heart in response, my lips opening in sheer hurt and shock.


    She didn¡¯t mean it, my thoughts raced to soothe me, spreadingforting lies over the spot I gripped so tightly, unable to speak a single word. All the words my mother had praised into my ears over the years came back like a ring rm on a clock, swirling in my ears until they drowned out my heartbeat.


    ¡®He was a wonderful person who did the best he could.¡¯


    ¡®He always fought for what was right.¡¯


    ¡®Your father was a kind man who loved us very much.¡¯


    But the truth was a cold creature, one who loomed over us. I wasn¡¯t a child any longer. We both knew that though my father was a good man, but he was also a liar, one who did bad things because he was good at it¡ªthe same kind of man I now loved.


    I had spent a lifetime trying to crawl out from under my father¡¯s mistakes, though I loved my father, all his ws included.


    So why did her words feel like she had just ripped my heart out?


    Why did I feel like I could only hate the part of that man she saw within me?


    Self-loathing erupted out of my every pore, and I leveled a fierce re at my mother, ready to explode like a volcano as Ished out with a harsh, ¡°What the fuck is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Mom looked rmed at me. ¡°I just meant I wish you would think about keeping yourself safe instead of going after some silly revenge plot. I begged your father to do the same thing, and I just don¡¯t want you to¡ª¡±


    ¡°End up like him, right?¡± I snapped.


    Her mouth snapped shut at a loss for words and there was a hint of regret in her eyes, but I couldn¡¯t stand looking at her at that moment, afraid I might say something I couldn¡¯t take back.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this right now, Mom,¡± I said instead. ¡°It¡¯s my life and I¡¯m doing what I think is right. Dad... I¡¯m not him. I¡¯m my own person, and I have the right to control my own life. I¡¯ll text youter.¡±


    ¡°Caterina, don¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Mom pleaded with a soft look, but I just shook my head.


    ¡°I have to meet Elio anyway. See youter,¡± I mumbled, walking away feeling like shit.


    I nodded to Lauren in the kitchen as I passed and left the apartment. I breathed out, shutting my eyes for a moment once I was alone in the hallway, and then I made my way up to my own ce.


    I was still in a bad mood when I entered the apartment, nearly missing the note posted on the door. It was in Elio¡¯s handwriting with a simple request.


    ¡®Look in the closet.¡¯


    Confused but slightly excited, I headed straight for the closet in our bedroom, and right as I opened the door, I gasped in sheer awe.


    Hanging there in a stic sheeting was a gorgeous red dress, and pinned to the top was another note with familiar handwriting.


    ¡®I can¡¯t wait to see you in this tonight.¡¯

 Chapter 671 : A Night of Stars

    <h4>Chapter 671: Chapter 671 : A Night of Stars</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I muttered, throwing down my tube of mascara as I poked myself in the eye yet again. I was way too excited for my date with Elio, and it was making it difficult to focus on my makeup.


    I took a deep breath and tried to look objectively at myself in the mirror. Other than the smudged mascara under my right eye, I looked good. The dress that Elio had picked out for me was gorgeous, the neckline cut into a sweetheart style that I knew made me look enticing without being too revealing. I paired it with a simple diamond ne that I knew would sparkle beautifully all evening, drawing his eyes exactly where I wanted them to go.


    I had thought that my lust for Elio might eventually cool as our rtionship deepened, but instead I found that the more I fell in love with him, the more I wanted him physically, and at this point, I could not get enough.


    My phone went off and I pulled it out to see that Elio had texted to say he was on his way. I sighed at my appearance, realizing I only had enough time to clean off the mascara smudge. I would just have to go without eye makeup for the evening.


    Luckily, I¡¯d had the time to put my hair up into an elegant French twist, which reduced the ¡°half done¡± effect that myck of eye makeup had on my overall appearance. I knew Elio wouldn¡¯t care either way.


    Life was chaos, but Elio was constant. He was one I could always rely on to treat me with kindness and respect, and he didn¡¯t give a shit about how I looked, not really, which was exactly why I loved dressing up for him.


    I heard the elevator doors open and quickly made my way over to our bedroom door, leaning against the frame in a way that I knew would have Elio wanting to rip my dress right back off me. As soon as I caught his eye, he couldn¡¯t stop looking me up and down. It felt like I was a cool ss of water and he was a parched man out in the desert, desperate to get to me.


    He stalked over to me, his eyes nearly ck with desire. A shiver ran up my spine at the possessive look on his face, the one that screamed that I was his, all his.


    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± he said, his voice low as he wrapped his hands around my waist and leaned in to kiss the curve of my neck.


    I ced my hands on his face and brought his lips to mine, just a hint of my perfume lingering on his skin. As always, his taste drove me wild. There was something about kissing Elio that just made me want more every time.


    But just as I was reconsidering how much I really wanted to go to dinner, my stomach growled. With a low chuckle, Elio pulled away.


    ¡°Come on, baby. Let¡¯s not miss our dinner this time.¡± He took my hand and led me to the elevator, hitting the up button instead of down.


    I looked at him questioningly, but he just smiled. The man loved to surprise me, at this point, I had learned to just go along with it. It was more fun that way.


    The elevator dinged and the doors opened to reveal a rooftop patio that I hadn¡¯t even known was there. A small table and two chairs were ced near the edge of the rooftop with nothing but a ss partition between it and the sky. People dressed in catering uniforms bustled around lighting candles that circled the entire patio, adding a gentle glow to the area.


    I turned to Elio, my mouth open in shock. He smiled at me, his eyes crinkling in that way they only did when he was particrly pleased with himself.


    ¡°Do you love it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Elio, this is amazing!¡± I gushed.


    In the far corner, a string quartet began ying. I stared at them, wondering if I¡¯d ever seen an actual live string quartet in my entire life. I was pretty sure I hadn¡¯t.


    One of the caterers walked up to us and began to lead us to our table.


    ¡°Good evening,¡± she said, ¡°We have a five-course meal nned for you. We have used all local ingredients to create an eclectic menu meant to take you around the world with vor fusions. I will start you off with a te of appetizers.¡±


    She walked away to get our food. I couldn¡¯t stop staring at everything that was set up around me. Our table had a small candle that lit Elio¡¯s face beautifully, showing just how well he¡¯d aged over the years. His strong jaw and smile lines made me want to smother him in kisses.


    ¡°This is amazing,¡± I said again, really unable to find any other words.


    ¡°Cat, you are amazing. You deserve all the best things in life. I want you to always get the best of everything.¡± He reached out and took my hand in his, rubbing his thumb gently over my knuckles.


    ¡°You make me feel like a princess,¡± I admitted, blushing slightly. I wasn¡¯t used to letting him see my vulnerable side, but I knew I could trust him with all of me.


    ¡°I love you. I¡¯ll always do my best to make you feel that way.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes it just doesn¡¯t feel real, you know... what we have, I mean,¡± I said.


    It was a concern that I hated even voicing, but if we were going to make it, I needed him to know just how scared I felt sometimes.


    ¡°This is real, Cat. I want you to know that. Everything between us is real. I would never have asked you to move in here if it wasn¡¯t. I¡¯m not some guy who ys fast and loose with people¡¯s hearts, especially not the woman I love.¡±


    I nodded, unable to speak past the lump of emotion that had welled up in my throat. I had never felt so safe before. Even though Elio had really been looking after me most of my life, I hadn¡¯t ever known just how safe I was with him.


    Not only would he keep me physically safe, but he worried about my emotional safety as well. I could trust him with my heart in a way that I¡¯d never been able to do with anyone before.


    ¡°And here is your first course¡ªminiature baked brie smothered in homemade spiced apricot jam with sourdough toastlets for dipping. We also have a pot of specially imported balsamic ze that really brings out the pop of vor in the apricot jam,¡± our waitress said as she settled a gorgeous tter in front of us.


    As I took a bite of the appetizers, I understood exactly what the waitress had meant when she described the food as eclectic. Every single vor burst on my tongue at once and brought to mind dozens of memories, from eating toast with jam as a child to sharing a fancy te of charcuterie with Anna, and now, to eating this incredible dish with Elio.


    I knew that I would never taste anything as simultaneously nostalgic and new as this. Somehow the chef had managed to elevate it far beyond mere toast and jam without making the dish entirely unrecognizable.


    ¡°Wow, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever tasted anything like this,¡± I told Elio.


    He nodded his agreement as he chewed. Afortable silence fell upon us as we both enjoyed the food and the lovely music. I stared out at the city lights twinkling in the distance, enjoying the way they added to the ambience. It felt like we were surrounded by stars on all sides. It couldn¡¯t have been a more perfect evening.


    The rest of the meal went by quickly as our waitress brought out each course just as we finished the one before. We chatted about us and our rtionship, avoiding any talk of Junior or the mafia life. It was an unspoken agreement that tonight was just for us, and we didn¡¯t want anybody else to be a part of it, even in passing.


    ¡°Tell me about New York,¡± Elio said after our dessert had been brought out.


    It was a fluffy, creamy thing that looked like a cross between chocte pudding and a cloud. Our waitress had said that it was the chef¡¯s take on pavlova.


    ¡°It was wonderful, of course. You know how badly I¡¯d needed my independence, and it meant a lot to me that Mom trusted me to go and be on my own like that. But it was hard, too. I missed everyone back here.¡±


    ¡°Even me?¡± he interrupted, a devilish grin on his face.


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Yes, even you, although I don¡¯t think I realized that at the time.¡±


    ¡°I always was afraid that you were just trying to get away from me,¡± he said, his eyes trained on his dessert as though he didn¡¯t want to see the reaction I would have to his words.


    ¡°No, no, it was nothing like that, Elio, I promise. I just needed to breathe. I had to know that I could go out and conquer the world all by myself. And that¡¯s why I came back, because I realized that I could do it. And even better, I could do it with my family at my side.¡±


    He looked back up, his grin bringing a sparkle to his eyes that made me want to lean over and kiss him.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d you came back,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°Me, too.¡±


    As we finished our dessert, Elio stood up, holding his hand out to me. ¡°Do you want to dance?¡± he asked.


    I nodded, standing up and wrapping my arms around his shoulders so he could pull me close. Iid my head on his chest, and we swirled around the roof to the music, totally lost in each other. It was a magical moment, too magical for words.


    When the music ended, I looked up at Elio with such longing in my heart, I was sure he could see it in my eyes. He leaned his head down and crashed his lips against mine, holding my waist tightly so that our bodies werepletely pressed against each other. His tongue ran along my bottom lip, coaxing my mouth open so that we were fully immersed in each other. It felt like the stars that had surrounded us all night had been gathered together and concentrated into this one, perfect, electric kiss.


    I pulled away, panting heavily.


    ¡°Please take me home,¡± I whispered, ¡°I need you now.¡±

 Chapter 672 : Independent Decisions

    <h4>Chapter 672: Chapter 672 : Independent Decisions</h4>


    *Caterina*


    The elevator doors opened to our penthouse, but somehow Elio had managed to get my dress off me in the few seconds it took to travel from the roof. Elio held me up with my legs wrapped around his waist, our lips locked in a kiss that I wished would never stop.


    Still keeping his mouth on mine, Elio kicked my dress into the apartment and quickly stepped out, his hands firmly gripping my thighs so that I wouldn¡¯t fall. We didn¡¯t make it to the bedroom. Instead, he walked straight for the couch,ying me gently on it and pulling away.


    I whined at the sudden loss of contact but smiled when I saw that he had only pulled away so that he could tear his own clothes off. I would never get used to his body. He was built like a Greek statue, all masculine muscle.


    His shoulders flexed as he lowered himself over me, allowing me to feel how hard he was already. I moaned, wanting nothing more than to feel him press inside of me, but he pulled back so that I couldn¡¯t get any closer.


    ¡°I know what you want, baby. But I¡¯m not interested in making this quick,¡± he murmured against the shell of my ear before licking it and sending a cascade of goosebumps down my neck.


    I arched my back, trying to give him better ess to all of me.


    He smiled and quickly licked his way down to my nipples, taking them into his mouth one at a time, moving back and forth between them at a pace that almost made me dizzy with pleasure. I wrapped my legs around his waist once more, trying to pull him closer to me, but he was too strong.


    ¡°Nope, not yet,¡± he said, his voice muffled against my breast.


    Fuck, he knew exactly what I liked, and he knew exactly how to torture me with it. This was why he was so addicting. I couldn¡¯t get enough of the way he pushed me closer and closer to the edge, waiting until the perfect moment to send me over it. It felt like he knew me better than anyone ever had.


    Without stopping the attention he was giving my breasts, he moved his hand down between my legs and pushed my panties to the side so that he could slip his finger along my wetness. I tangled my fingers in his hair, desperate to keep him going.


    ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re so wet for me,¡± he growled.


    I bit back yet another moan in an attempt to y it cool. Who was I kidding? I was literally wrapped around him. He knew exactly how much I was loving this. I stopped trying to hold back and let out a sound that I hoped would get him to move faster.


    ¡°Please,¡± I whispered, unable to get out anything else as he continued swirling his tongue and moving his finger in tandem.


    ¡°Please what, sweetheart?¡± he asked, a wicked grin on his face as he looked up at me.


    ¡°I need more,¡± I panted, my voice ragged with desire.


    ¡°All you had to do was ask.¡±


    He drove one finger inside me as he bit down lightly on my nipple. I gasped at the intensity of it all, grasping at his shoulders to keep me steady. Pleasure crackled down my spine, connecting the two intense points of contact.


    He added a second finger with the first, sinking them deep inside me only to quickly pull out, allowing his thumb to lightly brush against my clit as he did so. He kissed the little bite mark he¡¯d left on my breast, then moved to the other one and gave it the same treatment, increasing the pressure on my clit as he did so.


    I brought my hands from his shoulders to his face, pulling him toward me so that he would kiss me again. His kiss was as gentle and loving as he was. He slowly pressed his tongue into my mouth, keeping in time with his hand movements.


    As his tongue swirled mine, his thumb massaged that bundle of nerves and his fingers pushed inside of me, stroking so deeply I felt like he¡¯d found a secret ce within me. He crooked his fingers slightly, making me gasp at the intensity of it all.


    With his other hand, he held my face, stroking his thumb along my jawline and encouraging me to tilt my chin so that he could deepen the kiss further. My legs began to shake as his expert hands and mouth continued to work my entire body to climax, and before I knew it, I was pushed over the edge.


    ¡°Oh, Elio,¡± I moaned into his mouth as he helped me ride out the aftershocks.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful like this,¡± he whispered as he pressed kisses along my jaw and slowly slid his fingers out of me.


    Once I¡¯d caught my breath, he pulled my underwear off me and took my mouth in his once again, this time pressing his length in between my thighs and teasing at my entrance to make sure I was ready. With his hands on either side of my face, he pulled back so that we could see each other more clearly.


    He looked deeply into my eyes as he pushed inside of me, nothing but love and affection on his face.


    I wrapped my legs around him, encouraging him to go even deeper inside me. He grunted with pleasure as he pulled out and pushed back in again, faster this time. My breasts bounced with the motion, and I noticed the way the movement caught his eye. He stared down at them in appreciation before cupping one in his hand, rubbing his thumbfortingly over the nipple.


    The level offort that I felt with him inside of me was ridiculously erotic. It was amazing to me that I could feel so safe even while lying naked with him.


    I knew it was because Elio was such an attentive lover. He noticed everything¡ªthe sounds I made, the looks on my face, every cue he paid attention to and used to ensure that I was loving it just as much as he was. And I had always loved making love to him.


    I could tell he was getting closer to his own release as his eyebrows wrinkled slightly and his eyes lost their focus. I smiled up at him and bucked my hips slightly, trying to send him over the edge.


    I loved watching the way he got lost in the pleasure of it all. He jerked at my motion and came with a deep moan that left my whole body tingling. His head dropped to my shoulder, and weid together, reveling in the closeness of it all.


    ¡°Alright, let me carry you to bed,¡± he said as he stood up and cradled me against his chest.


    Iid my head on his shoulder,pletely spent and very grateful to be carried. Afterying me down on our bed, he crawled in beside me and pulled me against him so that I couldy my head on his chest.


    Hezily traced shapes on my arm with his fingertips and I was sure I would fall asleep within seconds, but just as I was about to doze off, I remembered my argument with my mom. Just the passing memory made my heart jolt with anxiety and gave me the desire to talk it over with Elio. Maybe he would be able to offer some sort of advice.


    ¡°Elio, my mom¡¯s pissed at me.¡±


    ¡°Why? What happened?¡± He continued to run his fingers over my arm, offering thefort he knew I needed.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t want me getting involved with all this. She thinks I¡¯m being too much like my dad... that I could find the same fate as him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you fought with her, but I have to admit, I¡¯m d I¡¯m not the only one struggling with this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your concern. It¡¯s mine,¡± I said angrily.


    I pulled my arm away from him, irritated that he was going to take my mom¡¯s side. Seeing exactly what I was thinking, he reached out and took my arm back.


    ¡°Now hold on, baby. Don¡¯t go running away on me. I¡¯ve learned my lesson. Your mom and I will both have to let you decide what you want in life. I support you in that, okay?¡±


    His words calmed me down and Iid my head back on his chest. ¡°Okay,¡± I said, ¡°I just don¡¯t like being told what to do.¡±


    He chuckled, the sound rumbling deep in his belly. ¡°I know, Cat. Nobody is in charge of your life but you. Trust me, I figured that out a long time ago. And I swear, I support you being a part of this. I¡¯m going to tell you everything from here on out.¡±


    I lifted my head up to look him in the eyes, ¡°Really? You¡¯re not just saying that?¡±


    ¡°I swear, baby. We¡¯re equal partners. I¡¯m telling you everything and you can decide what you want to be involved with and what you don¡¯t. It¡¯ll all be totally up to you. I was wrong for trying to keep that choice away from you, and I see that now.¡±


    I broke into a grin, overjoyed to hear that he was finally going to give me what I wanted without hesitation.


    ¡°Thank you, Elio. Thank you for finally seeing me and seeing that I need this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± He pulled me down to him for a kiss. ¡°And everything¡¯s going to be okay with your mom. You know you two always figure it out. She can¡¯t live your life for you, no matter how much she wishes she could.¡±


    I nodded and settled back down against his chest, feeling more rxed than I had in months. I finally had his full support to be a part of the mafia life. It was everything I¡¯d been wanting for so long, and it was finally happening.


    Knowing that Elio respected me enough to allow me to make the decision for myself even though it terrified him made me feel even more supported.


    ¡°You know, when you say all the right things like this, it really just makes me want to show you how much it means to me,¡± I murmured.


    His hands stilled and he looked down at me.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked, a grin pulling at the side of his mouth.


    ¡°I think you know exactly what I mean,¡± I said as I slowly moved down, positioning myself right where I knew he would want me.


    ¡°Fuck, baby, you¡¯re so perfect,¡± he said appreciatively.


    I grinned at him, looking forward to a long night of appreciating each other.

 Chapter 673 : Plans and Surprises

    <h4>Chapter 673: Chapter 673 : ns and Surprises</h4>


    *Elio*


    I woke up the next day with Cat¡¯s naked body draped across my chest. Her beautiful hair tickled my arm, and I couldn¡¯t resist giving her a few kisses as I gently moved her so that I could get out of bed.


    I would¡¯ve loved to wake her up by kissing her everywhere, but she needed to sleep longer, and I needed to get going. She sighed in her sleep as I gently rolled her to the other side, but she didn¡¯t wake up.


    I had kept her upte the night before, and I knew she¡¯d end up sleeping for another few hours. After tucking the covers up around her, I quietly got ready for the day.


    I was going to meet Alessandro and Leo today to discuss thetest intel they had about Paul and Antonio. If I was honest, I was getting sick and tired of chasing around Junior and Antonio. I was hungry for retribution, and I wanted to get my hands on them.


    I hoped Alessandro had something good to tell me. I wanted toe back and be able to tell Cat that we were close to ending this. With onest nce at her sweet face, I snuck out of the bedroom and quietly closed the door behind me.


    As usual, Alessandro wanted to meet at a busy restaurant. I drove to it quickly, ncing in my rear-view mirror a few times to ensure I wasn¡¯t being followed.


    I arrived to find a trendy breakfast spot overtaken by college students. I chuckled to see Alessandro, Leo, and a few of Alessandro¡¯s men sitting in arge corner booth, their suits standing out ridiculously among the kids dressed in athleisure.


    Alessandro must not have checked the ce out before agreeing to meet. I was surprised that he would make such a simple mistake.


    ¡°Hey, now that you¡¯re here, we¡¯re leaving,¡± Alessandro said as soon as I walked up to the table.


    He and his men were already standing. Leo looked slightly confused but stood up as he saw everyone else getting up.


    I looked around and nodded. It was obvious to me why we couldn¡¯t stay. Anyone who saw us would easily remember it, and more than a few people would be trying to eavesdrop on our conversation to figure out who we were. I had already caught a few people ncing our way more than once.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading to the same warehouse as before,¡± Alessandro said before throwing a wad of cash down on the table. Our waitress hurried over and began clearing the table, the money more than enough to fix the fact that they¡¯d taken up her table without ordering anything.


    We all left together. I knew it would draw even more attention, but at this point, we hadn¡¯t discussed anything important enough to care. Leo hopped in the car with me, and we followed Alessandro¡¯s driver to the location, again checking to ensure nobody was following.


    ¡°That was fucking weird,¡± I said as soon as Leo and I were alone in my car.


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know. He seems a little frazzled these days. I wonder if it¡¯s been too much to try to keep a hold on things here in the States and in Italy. It¡¯s a lot for one man to handle. I knew as soon as I got there that he had fucked up.¡±


    I nodded my agreement, hoping that meant that I could get Alessandro¡¯s blessing to take control here in the States even sooner. I knew I was ready for it.


    I might have been naive about this life a year ago, but at this point, I knew everything. And if Alessandro was slipping, he needed to let me take charge. It only made sense for the future of the family business. I hoped that he would see it that way too.


    We pulled up to the warehouse and hopped out of our vehicles, ncing around to ensure nobody saw the crowd of men walking in. It helped to maintain the abandoned charade if people didn¡¯t notice us going in and out.


    Once we were all seated around a table that had been arranged in the middle of the main room, Alessandro began speaking.


    ¡°Elio, I wanted to wait until I could tell you this in person. Some of my men already know. As you know, we¡¯ve been looking diligently for Antonio. We finally managed to get eyes on him in Italy. Now, I know that¡¯s not what you wanted to hear because it means we can¡¯t deal with him here, but this will work out better,¡± he said in a voice that demanded respect.


    My stomach sank. Thest thing I had wanted was for Antonio to manage to get out of the US before I got my hands on him. The fact that he had eluded us like that made it feel even more hopeless that we¡¯d ever be able to find him. I hated that he was still running around free.


    ¡°Alright, tell me how this is better,¡± I said gruffly, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice.


    I would have preferred for him to tell me this privately so that I could show my true emotions. But in front of his men, I knew I needed to keep up a tough facade.


    ¡°I need to get back to Italy. I¡¯ve been in America for far too long now, and things are slipping. I want to go back, and I want you toe with me,¡± he said in a way that made it clear that saying no wasn¡¯t really an option.


    I was shocked. I hadn¡¯t ever considered going back to Italy to be a part of my overall n. We had always talked about me maintaining control here. I supposed that it made sense for me to go to Italy eventually, but this was sooner than I¡¯d imagined.


    ¡°Why do you want me to do that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I have a few contacts who need to meet you in person before they¡¯ll agree to do business with you. And I think it would be nice for you to get up close and personal with the family business before you take things over here. I know you think you know everything, but you still have a lot to learn.¡±


    ¡°What about Junior?¡± I asked. ¡°He¡¯s still hanging around here. I don¡¯t want to lose track of him or give him the chance to be a threat to Caterina or her mother.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep a tail on him,¡± Leo said, ¡°We¡¯ve got a tracker on his car now, so we know where he is at all times. He still has no idea whatsoever that we have eyes on him, so I doubt he¡¯ll do anything crazy.¡±


    I nodded, my mind quickly working through all my options. If Alessandro wanted me to go to Italy, then I would need to go. I had to prove to him that I was fully in if I ever wanted him to trust me enough to put me in charge.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it,¡± I said before I could talk myself out of it.


    ¡°Good. I thought you might say that. I¡¯ll n to arrange a dinner in three days so we can discuss this further. It was good seeing you today.¡±


    ¡°You too,¡± I said, shaking his hand before Leo and I headed back out to my car.


    I was grateful to get out of there. Although I was bing morefortable around Alessandro and his men, it still put me on edge to be with them. I always felt like I had to perform perfectly so that they would trust me.


    I drove Leo to our usual office. We still had work to do that day, although it felt like the real estate development business was slowly slipping further and further out of our minds. We still needed to keep the business going as a front. We¡¯d just need to hire new executives.


    ¡°How do you think I should approach these contacts?¡± I asked Leo once we were back in the office.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to need to be humble, but also make it clear that you know what the fuck you¡¯re doing,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good point. I know most of them probably respect my dad, but I can¡¯t have them thinking that I¡¯m only doing this because of him. In fact, it might be better if they know that I¡¯m doing this in spite of him. Maybe that would show my dedication to the cause.¡±


    Leo nodded, then paused. I could tell that he had something he wanted to say but he wasn¡¯t sure how I would react to it.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, not wanting there to be things left unsaid between us.


    ¡°Well... it¡¯s just that, Caterina could help you out.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? She doesn¡¯t know nearly as much as I do about all this.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s good with people, Elio. Look at how well she handled Alexi.¡±


    He was right about that. And as much as I hated to admit it, I loved the idea of taking her to Italy with me. Although we both had ties to Italy, we¡¯d never been there together as a couple. I knew it would be magical to show each other the ces that we remembered.


    ¡°I just hate putting her at risk. It goes against literally everything I¡¯ve ever been taught. I was raised to believe that women should be protected, not put into the middle of everything.¡±


    I sighed, running my hand through my hair. I knew Cat would hate that I had even said that. It was an old-fashioned and mildly sexist belief system.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t putting her at risk. You¡¯re letting her help you. Do you really think she wouldn¡¯t want to be a part of this?¡± Leo asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. And she¡¯d be pissed if she even knew that I had considered not inviting her. It¡¯s not my choice anymore. I already promised her that I¡¯d tell her everything from here on out. She wants us to be equal partners, and although it scares the shit out of me, I want that too. I know it¡¯s the only way for us to work.¡±


    Leo nodded in agreement. I knew he respected the hell out of Cat.


    She was a fighter. It was obvious to everyone who knew her. Who was I to try to take that away from her just because of my own fears?


    ¡°Alright, fuck it,¡± I said, pulling out my phone to text Cat.


    ¡°I have a surprise for you when I get home,¡± I sent her, smiling to think of the excitement she¡¯d get from that simple message. Now that I really thought about it, I couldn¡¯t wait to see how she¡¯d feel abouting to Italy.


    It very well could be the trip of a lifetime.

 Chapter 674 : A Surprise

    <h4>Chapter 674: Chapter 674 : A Surprise</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡°Hey, Mom, what do you think about this one?¡± I asked as I pointed to the picture of a light purple sundress.


    My mom leaned over from her own magazine to get a better look at the catalog. She narrowed her eyes in contemtion.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s cute,¡± shemented. ¡°But don¡¯t you have one simr to it at home?¡±


    I nced back at the picture and smiled. ¡°Yeah, I think you¡¯re right,¡± Iughed. ¡°It¡¯s probably why I picked it up in the first ce.¡±


    I¡¯d decided to spend the day with her to ease the tension between us. I knew that openly admitting my involvement with the whole Antonio business was bound to upset her. But I wasn¡¯t going to lie. I was tired of all the lies and secrets within my family, which was why I chose to be honest.


    But it was that same honesty that was causing a tear in our rtionship. I knew she was upset, and I couldn¡¯t say that I med her. No parent would want to know that their child was purposely getting involved in something as dangerous and life-threatening as the mafia.


    I was desperate to mend things between us. My initial thought was for us to spend a good part of the day out shopping, but I didn¡¯t want to push her. Her physical therapy has been going well, and I wasn¡¯t about to jeopardize that.


    So, I decided to hang out with her at her ce. She agreed, and I swiftly grabbed a few clothing catalogs and made my way down to meet her in her new ce. I switched on the coffee maker and went straight to making a few simple omelets with bacon.


    The morning led on like nothing had gone down between us, and I was grateful for the moment of normality. I inquired about how she was feeling, and she returned the interest with wanting to know how Elio and I were doing.


    I could tell that she was still somewhat bemused about the two of us getting together even after all this time. I told her bits and pieces of what it was like living together and how easy everything came for us.


    Although I was a little disappointed to not have caught Elio before he went off to work this morning, I was d for the quiet morning, nheless.


    My body needed the rest after our previous night¡¯s events. Parts of me were still buzzing from the intense feel of his touch and the sweet sound of his voice against my skin.


    But my dampened feelings were quickly resolved when I received a sudden text from him around mid-afternoon. At first my stomach flipped with unknown anticipation. My mind went immediately to thinking about Antonio and Junior. Had they gotten new information? Had Antonio been spotted over in Italy? Did they have his location? Could this entire issue finallye to an end?


    I expected something to be said. But no. Elio had said something about a surprise. Suddenly, my feelings of worry and dread were reced with excitement. Of course, he merely added that he¡¯d be hometer after work and failed to tell me anything regarding this so-called ¡®surprise.¡¯


    So, I was left to my own devices, wondering what it could possibly be. And knowing Elio... the possibilities were practically limitless.


    From that point on, the day seemed to drag on.


    I left my mom¡¯s ce right around the time she was expecting her physical therapist to stop by. As I headed back toward my apartment, I stopped and smiled as a happy idea popped into my head.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to create a little surprise of my own for when Elioes home,¡¯ I thought mischievously.


    ***


    It was just a little after four and I¡¯d just returned from the grocery store. I headed straight for the kitchen and ced all my bags down and got to organizing.


    I started by pulling out one of therger saucepans and breaking up some chopped meat in olive oil and minced onions. I added my species and continued to turn the mixture until it browned in the pan.


    Thanks to Elio¡¯s mysterious mention of a surprise, it inspired me to want to give him a surprise of my own. I wanted to make a special dinner for us¡ªspaghetti Bolognese. Although not asplicated as some other Italian dishes, it always held a special ce in my memory growing up. And it also happened to be something that I knew Elio loved.


    While the meat was continuing to cook down a little, I grabbed arge cutting board and sliced open a freshly baked baguette that I got from the bakery section. Garlic bread and a freshly tossed sd were the perfect sides to have with the dish.


    A small smile yed on my lips. I tried to get everything done at the same time so that we could sit down and eat as soon as Elio got home.


    As I waited for the water to bowl, my mind started to filter through all the possible ideas as to what the ¡®surprise¡¯ could possibly be.


    Surely it wasn¡¯t another dress. Thest one he gave me was so beautiful, and I couldn¡¯t believe that he¡¯d gone to the trouble of picking one out for me.


    ¡°A surprise,¡± I muttered under my breath.


    The very thought gave me goosebumps of both excitement and trepidation, knowing Elio... his surprises were never considered small. They were always endearing and never unforgettable. But there were times when he¡¯d truly shocked me with the amount of money and power that he kept hidden behind him.


    Even though I cherished everything he¡¯d given me thus far, I didn¡¯t want him to shower me in over extravagance. I hoped that this so-called surprise wasn¡¯t a brand-new car when I already had a fairly new one. I hoped that he wasn¡¯t intending on showering me in dozens of jewels because the jewelry I already have was beautiful enough.


    Then again, maybe this surprise wasn¡¯t some sort of material object. Maybe it was some sort of an activity, an experience that we could share together. Now my mind felt like it was expanding even further.


    A feeling of warmth spread through my chest at the thought of the two of us creating new memories with each other.


    I quickly nced at the digital clock above the oven and wished for Elio toe home sooner. My nerves couldn¡¯t take much more of the suspense.


    I gave the pasta one final stir before lifting the pot over to the sink to drain the water out. A muffled noise came from the front hallway.


    ¡°Hello? Cat?¡± Elio called out.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m in the kitchen.¡±


    I heard Elio¡¯s heavy footsteps carry him toward me. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed him leaning in the doorway of the kitchen with a smug looking expression on his face as he watched me move about.


    My cheeks flushed. ¡°And how was your day?¡± I asked him.


    He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Boring,¡± he muttered and stepped further into the kitchen. ¡°It smells amazing.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not the only one who can pull off a surprise,¡± I said with a knowing smile.


    He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I melted into his embrace and leaned my head back.


    ¡°You know you didn¡¯t have to do all this,¡± he said lightly as he bent down and ced a kiss on my head. ¡°If you wanted, we could have always gone out somewhere. I wish I¡¯d known that this was your n all along, I would have tried toe home much sooner.¡±


    My heart mmed in my chest. ¡°Elio, it¡¯s just spaghetti Bolognese,¡± I giggled. ¡°I know that you love it, and I wanted to have something waiting for you when you got home.¡±


    His eyes grew hooded. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°Mm, I love you too,¡± I said back. ¡°Now tell me what the surprise is.¡±


    Elio chuckled and nodded his head. ¡°I know that you¡¯re done with your sses for about a month, which is good because now you¡¯re given a proper break of time,¡± he said.


    I raised a brow.


    ¡°Well, I thought that with everything going on that we deserve to get away for a little bit,¡± he said.


    My voice filled with tantalizing amusement. ¡°Oh? Get away? As in, go on a trip?¡±


    Elio turned me in his arms and tucked a tick lock of my hair behind my ear.


    ¡°I met with Alessandro today. He wants us to fly to Italy so that we can meet a few people,¡± he exined. ¡°And then we can vacation a bit while we¡¯re there.¡±


    My breath caught in my lungs. My eyes grew wide at the unexpected opportunity that I hadn¡¯t ever considered. Among all the random possibilities my mind had cooked up, a trip to Italy was never on the list.


    I hadn¡¯t been to Italy since I was still a child. I had to admit to having thought about going back once or twice in the past, but something always seemed to stop me from pursuing the idea.


    But maybe with Elio with me, I¡¯d finally be able to do so.


    I wanted to feel excited about this. ¡°Elio, that sounds amazing. But¡ª¡±


    He nced down at me with a curious expression.


    ¡°But what?¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek and pressed through the jumbling nerves that fluttered in my stomach.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that... well, I feel a little scared about going back.¡±


    The look on his face forced me to exin myself better.


    ¡°Thest time I was there, I ended up losing the most important man in my life,¡± I said solemnly.


    I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to think that it could happen again, this time with Elio. The very thought caused me to shiver and my stomach to churn in knots.


    No, I wasn¡¯t about to let fear rule my life like this and keep me from having any memorable moments going forward. I shoved what nervous feelings I had down and tried to think on a more positive note.


    ¡°Maybe we can take a trip to the Uffizi Gallery and maybe the ademia Gallery,¡± I said.


    Elio¡¯s worried expression shifted. He smiled and nodded his head in support.


    ¡°Yes, we will go to all the great art galleries you want to,¡± he insisted.


    I hugged him tightly and felt him rest his chin on top of my head. I felt so secure¡ªso anchored.


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave tomorrow afternoon so that we¡¯ll get there in time to sleep a bit before starting our day in Florence.¡±


    There was no mistaking Elio¡¯s excitement for this trip, and I don¡¯t want to be the one to drag the mood down.


    But as much as I wanted to be excited about it, I just couldn¡¯t shake my nervous feeling.

 Chapter 675 : Taking Off

    <h4>Chapter 675: Chapter 675 : Taking Off</h4>


    *Elio*


    The room was still dark when I opened my eyes the following morning. Part of me wanted toze about in bed for another few hours just to relish the feel of having Cat¡¯s soft, warm body wrapped around my own. But we couldn¡¯t.


    Even though our flight wasn¡¯t scheduled to leave till the afternoon, I wanted to take Cat out shopping for a few new pieces of clothing for our trip. I didn¡¯t want either of us to have to worry about figuring out what to pack.


    The whole thing was rather short notice. But I couldn¡¯t pass up the opportunity of taking a trip back to Italy. And the thought of being able to bring Cat with me made me all the more excited.


    It had been years since either of us had been there, and I figured that we both deserved a break.


    I knew it was a bit cruel to have left Cat in total suspense yesterday, not giving her any sort of indication about what the surprise was. When I finally came out and told her, I watched as her bubbling anticipation morphed into something resembling uncertainty.


    The hesitant look in her eyes caused my muscles to tighten with worry. Thank God, she gave me some sort of exnation about her reaction, otherwise I wasn¡¯t sure what I was going to do.


    To hear that a lot of Cat¡¯s worry revolved around what happened to her father led me to feel a sharp pang of sympathy that quickly shifted into determination.


    I was determined to erase this fear and worry from her mind about going back to Florence. Around the time we had finally settled into bed for the night, I decided that I wanted to make this one of the most memorable trips for us. As soon as my business with Alessandro waspleted, I nned on doing nothing but spending all my time showing her all the magnificent sights.


    I turned my head to see Cat still blissfully asleep. It was peaceful to see that all that worry and concern had temporarily left her features. The corners of my mouth started to curve upward into a loving smile. She looked so beautiful that it pained to wake her and ruin that.


    I slowly reached out my hand to cup her cheek. ¡°Cat,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°Come on, we need to get up,¡± I told her.


    Her brows pulled together, making me smile.


    She tried to bunch up the nkets to cover her face, but I swiftly stopped her from doing so.


    ¡°Mm, no,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Too early.¡±


    I lightly chuckled and pushed back her hair from her face.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s early, love. But we have to get up. We need to get ready for our trip.¡±


    Gradually, her eyes started to blink open.


    ¡°Elio? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    I deepened my smile while pulling off the nkets. ¡°I¡¯m taking you shopping before our trip, and we need to get ready.¡±


    She rubbed her eyes open and gently shook her head in confusion.


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± I urged.


    I circled my hands around her wrists and pulled her to her feet. My arms snaked around her waist to keep her from losing her bnce. From there, I walked us into the bathroom and switched on the shower. Cat slowly began pulling at her tank top and tossing her clothing into theundry bin.


    The water was steaming and inviting as the two of us remained under the constraint stream for a few much-needed minutes. I then grabbed the loofah and body wash off the shelf and beganthering it up. I worked any strain and tension out of her muscles before moving on to shampoo.


    Cat merely allowed me to take control of everything, and I was more than happy to get the job done. Toward the end, I just ended up holding her close to my chest and soaking up the intimacy that each of us needed.


    I¡¯de to love the way Cat would let her body practically melt against my own whenever we held each other. It was a clear sign of unbreakable trust and devoted love that I became addicted to.


    Once we were dressed and finished our coffee, I drove us out to Rodeo Drive and ignored Cat¡¯s excessive ring and shortments.


    ¡°Elio, really. We don¡¯t need to be doing this,¡± she kept saying. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of clothes at home.¡±


    ¡°And I am fully aware of that. However, this is something that I insist on doing,¡± I stated firmly.


    I pulled the car into the first avable spot I saw and turned to face her.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to go shopping, I am going to buy as many clothes and other things as I see fit, and there is not a single thing you can do or say that¡¯s going to stop me,¡± I said with a grateful smile.


    Cat¡¯s mouth fell open in shock over my audacious statement.


    I quickly guided us into the nearest store before she had the opportunity to say something back. I prompted her over to an area filled with sundresses while I chose to roam toward the swimwear section.


    ¡°Here, how about these?¡± she asked sheepishly.


    I gazed over at the few dresses she selected and nodded with honest approval. She certainly had an eye for what would look beautiful on her. Aside from picking up a few swimsuits, I also decided on a light cover up and a few new pairs of sunsses for her.


    By the time we were ready to check out, I had to practically race to the counter in order to escape Cat¡¯s feeble attempt to try to pay for these things herself. I kissed her temple and took her by the hand, dragging us to the next shop.


    ¡°I¡¯m very happy about your selections,¡± I told her.


    Cat shook her head and kept her eyes forward. ¡°I still feel like it¡¯s too much.¡±


    I let out a long sigh and squeezed her hand.


    ¡°But I insist, and I can honestly promise you that I can well afford all of it.¡±


    Cat dropped the conversation after that, and we peacefully went on to look at a few other ces. By the time we finished shopping, it was time to head back to the apartment to pack.


    Cat was bing a little frazzled when it came down to timing, but I easily assured her that everything was right on schedule.


    By eleven-thirty, Leo called me, letting me know that he was ready to drive us over to the airstrip. Cat looked like a pure mixture of anxious excitement. We grabbed our luggage and headed down to the car. Traffic was little to no issue. And as soon as everything was transported onto the private jet, Caterina and I were told to take our seats while we readied to take off.


    We were in the air in no time, and I immediately called over one of the attendants to bring out a bottle of champagne. The nice woman poured out two flutes, where I happily toasted to the beginning of our trip. Cat smiled and took a tentative sip as her gaze wandered toward the window.


    Around halfway through our flight, I brought out one of my tablets and decided to check in on a few work emails and made sure that all my messages were up to date. Meanwhile, Cat was reading through a small stack of magazines and asionally marking a few pages that caught her attention.


    I was pleased to find her finally rxing now that we were truly on our way to Florence.


    ¡°Has there been any new word about Junior?¡± she asked suddenly.


    The muscles in my stomach instinctively twitched at the sound of hearing the bastard¡¯s name. Thest thing I wanted was for this trip to turn into something stressful for the two of us. I wanted Cat to rx and enjoy our time together before her new semester started. But I was also told on numerous asions to always keep her in the loop of what was going on.


    I cleared my throat. ¡°We¡¯ve ced a tracker on his driver¡¯s car. That way at least we have some kind of eyes on him, even though we¡¯ve yet to get closer.¡±


    Our biggest risk when it came to Junior was rushing into something and having it ultimately blow up in our faces. Thest thing I wanted to do was have him catch on to us and disappear like his father.


    ¡°Believe me,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m about as ready as you are to see this all be finished. But we have to wait for the right time.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right.¡± Cat nodded her head and returned to her magazine.


    The silencested for all of ten minutes before she tossed the catalog away and turned to look out the window again. The expression on her face was enough to tell me that there were things weighing on her mind.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I was just wondering about the people that Alessandro said we needed to meet. Who are they exactly?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re mainly just connections of his. I guess that since I¡¯m bing more involved, he wanted to make sure that we¡¯re familiar with the people who work for him going forward,¡± I exined. ¡°I promise that when we go to meet everyone, you don¡¯t have to talk much.¡±


    Cat turned her head to look back at me. She raised her brows and spoke with intention. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to keep quiet and mesh into the background.¡±


    She sat back in her seat and folded her arms over her chest.


    ¡°Is that what you expected me to do?¡± she questioned.


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡±


    I strategically ced my tablet off to the side and crossed my ankle over my knee. I leveled my gaze with hers.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually d to hear that you have no intention of keeping quiet. Since we¡¯re in this together, then I¡¯m more than happy to see you step forward and want to make yourself known to everyone,¡± I rified with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re strong, smart, and confident, Cat. These are just some of the things that I love most about you. And I think that everyone needs to see that when we go to officially meet themter.¡±


    My gaze deepened with desire as I watched her face flush from mypliments. But they were more than just merepliments. They were facts.


    When it came time for everyone else to meet with us, I needed them to respect Caterina as well as myself. I would not settle for anything less.


    The tension between us started to defuse, and I felt my body temperature begin to rise the longer I stared at her. It constantly amazed me just how beautiful she was and how casually she went about her business.


    It drove me nuts. I could spend hours just looking at her and not even give a single care about much less.


    I suddenly found myself leaning forward in my seat, wanting to reach out and touch her.


    A lustful smile took hold of my lips.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked with a giggle.


    ¡°Do you want to be a member of the mile-high club?¡±

 Chapter 676 : The Mile High Club

    <h4>Chapter 676: Chapter 676 : The Mile High Club</h4>


    *Caterina*


    My jaw went ck, causing my mouth to fall open in utter shock. If I thought I was flushed before, I was certain that my face had turnedpletely beat red now.


    I was at a loss for words.


    Of course, my reaction was more than amusing for Elio, who merely chuckled and turned his attention to the flight attendant, who had suddenly appeared next to us with tworge tes in her hands.


    Elio graciously sat back in his seat with a wide grin on his face, as though he hadn¡¯t said a word, and allowed the woman to serve our dinner.


    ¡°Thank you, Julia,¡± Elio said to the young woman. ¡°It looks incredible, as always.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t do more than nod in agreement, being suddenly at a loss for words and trying to cool down the heat.


    Our dinner did look incredible. No airline I¡¯d ever been on had served pesto chicken bruschetta. It looked like a work of art, as if a world-famous chef was in the ne¡¯s tiny kitchen cooking up masterpieces. The chicken looked grilled to perfection and was topped with fresh mozzare pearls and minced up cherry tomatoes and garnished with basil.


    With our dinner, we were offered a fine choice of white wine as well as some baked rolls.


    Everything was delicious. Each bite made me forget that I was actually on a ne and not in some exclusive restaurant, and I managed to put what Elio had suggested aside¡ªfor a while, at least¡ªso I could enjoy the food.


    But I wasn¡¯t going to let him forget the offer once we were done. I decided to y a little cool-down game with him as well andpletely change the subject.


    ¡°So,¡± I started, ¡°exactly how much have you made, working for Alessandro?¡±


    Elio chuckled a bit at the sudden new topic. He swallowed arge bite of his chicken and took a sip of his wine before speaking.


    ¡°A lot of it is from the legit business that he and I first started,¡± he informed me. ¡°However, regarding ¡®other¡¯ circumstances, I¡¯ve already made six figures with him.¡±


    Jesus Christ, I thought to myself.


    I tried to keep my expression as neutral as possible, but my heart was busy mming frantically inside my chest as I tried to mentally process the amount in my mind. Although I was taken back by his answer, I was really thankful that he was finally taking me seriously.


    A soft smile started to curve the corners of my mouth.


    ¡°Thank you. I appreciate how open you¡¯re being about everything,¡± I said.


    Elio returned my sentiment with a smile.


    My eyes roamed out the window, where I could still catch a glimpse of the sun¡¯s rays peeking over the edge of the clouds. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m actually heading back to Italy,¡¯ I thought to myself.


    Betweenst night and all throughout this morning, I had felt as though I were walking through a surreal dream. I hadn¡¯t expected to wake up at the crack of dawn, and I wasn¡¯t prepared for the shopping trip and the rush to get packed.


    My body had still felt a little fatigued when we¡¯d arrived at the jet, and I assumed that I would just catch a few hours of sleep during the flight. I should have closed my eyes the moment Elio and I took our seats, but my mind had continued to race with several concerning thoughts¡ªthe memories from my past, the safety of my mother while I was going to be away, capturing Junior, facing the new people that Alessandro deemed important enough for Elio and me to meet personally....


    But I didn¡¯t want this trip to be surrounded by anxious thoughts and spiraling nerves. I wanted to rx and build new memories with Elio, especially once our business with Alessandro waspleted. The time I had off before starting my next semester was brief and I needed to make the most of it.


    Elio assured me that his men would be keeping close watch on the apartment building, particrly keeping an eye out for my mom while we were away. This eased a bit of my conscience for the time being. But the same couldn¡¯t be said when my mind wandered toward Antonio and Junior.


    When I asked about any sort of update regarding Junior, part of me expected Elio to somewhat dodge the topic. But I was relieved to hear that they managed to put some kind of tracking device on one of his cars.


    I felt happily vindictive about the matter considering that Junior¡ª¡°Paul¡± at the time¡ªhad once put an unseen tracker on my own car with the intent of kidnapping me.


    I was beyond eager to get back at him for everything that he¡¯d done. I wanted him to pay for all the pain he caused me and my family.


    I was slightly disappointed at the slow pace of things, but I understood the importance of not making any rash, impulsive decisions. If we were going to bring down Junior, we needed to be smart about it. And sometimes that required a lot of patience.


    Regarding the people Alessandro wanted us to meet, I had to admit that I felt a little anxious at the idea of it, only because I didn¡¯t really know what to expect from these types of connections. But I had made it clear that I had zero intentions of simply fading into the background.


    People needed to know that Elio and I were a package deal.


    I turned back to look at his gorgeous eyes and quickly decided that I needed to hurry through dinner. Elio chuckled as he noticed, but I saw that he too was hurrying through what was left of his chicken a bit faster than before.


    We both held back ourughter as our lovely flight attendant cleared the dishes away. I continued to leisurely sip on my wine and asionally nce out the window, trying to act nonchnt.


    But I couldn¡¯t get Elio¡¯s offer off my mind.


    Between that and the wine, I soon felt my body buzzing with eager anticipation. A slow, burning ache traveled down my chest, beneath my stomach.


    My eyes gradually danced back over Elio¡¯s figure, outlining each and over one of his defined muscles that were beneath his clothes. I took my bottom lip between my teeth and lightly bit down, needing to suppress the desperate noise that was creeping up my throat.


    As soon as I noticed that the flight attendant had finished clearing everything away and closed the door behind her, I flicked my gaze back to Elio.


    ¡°I know we should probably sleep,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯m not tired... and your membership offer was very tempting.¡±


    Elio raised a brow and tilted his head, acting surprised by my forward approach.


    I giggled in response. ¡°Can we tell the staff to keep out?¡±


    His expression immediately turned mischievous. With a lustful glimmer in his eyes, Elio proceeded to reach out and press a white button on one of the side panels on the wall.


    ¡°A do not disturb button,¡± he said firmly. ¡°I¡¯m all yours, Miss Leone.¡±


    Another blush broke out over my cheeks as I slowly got up from my seat. I closed the gap between us and slowly lowered myself onto hisp. Elio ced his hands on my hips and kept me steady.


    I leaned forward and went on to kiss him deeply. My tongue slipped along the seam of his lips while my hands slid through the thick locks of his hair. Elio groaned and curled his fingers tighter around my thighs.


    My breath caught in my lungs, and soon I was being lifted into the air and brought over to the queen-sized bed.


    ¡®Gotta love the perks of having your own private jet,¡¯ I thought blissfully.


    Elio¡¯s arms fell away, and I dropped to the mattress with a sharp gasp. My eyes widened while I watched his lust-blown look take in every part of me. His hand pulled at the material of his shirt, easily tossing it to the floor.


    His voice rolled over my skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake. ¡°Turn around. I want you on your hands and knees.¡±


    I let out an involuntary moan and I did what I was told without a single hesitation. I felt the hot, calloused pads of Elio¡¯s fingers graze the back of my thighs. He inched his way up to the hem of my dress. At first, I thought he was going to merely bunch it around my waist.


    But it wasn¡¯t enough. He reached for the small zipper at the top and pulled the silken material away.


    I was left in nothing but my thin bra and matchingce panties.


    ¡°So beautiful,¡± he growled.


    Without warning, Elio slipped his fingers beneath thecy material and stroked through my slick folds. The tips of his middle fingers yed at the swollen bud of my clit, causing me to slump to my elbows.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I hissed through my teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t tease me.¡±


    I could feel him smirking at me from behind. Secondster, his fingers were back to curling through my soaked folds till he slid into my tight channel. A broken groan tore from my chest as he continued to hit that hidden pleasure point inside of me.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    I spread my legs wider, pushing back against his skilled hands. Right as I felt myself begin to tip over the edge, Elio pulled his hand awaypletely. I practically cried in frustration. But I heard the quick rustle and movement of him doing away with his belt and pants.


    His hands came back to rest on the sides of my hips. He brushed my panties to the side, thumbing over the hot, slick crease of my entrance. I felt the wet tip of his length press against me, then in one swift thrust, he slid right in, knocking the very air from my lungs.


    Elio moved in and out of me at a consistent yet leisurely pace that was both delicious and agonizing. Good God, I loved the way he always made me feel so full.


    I nced over my shoulder to find his eyes locked in a serious look of concentration. When they found mine, he slid his hands over my stomach to cup my breasts. He pinched and rolled my nipples from under my bar and pulled me impossibly closer to him.


    He stretched over me to capture my lips. ¡°You drive me mad,¡± he said against my mouth.


    His thrust grew punishing and soon that glorious, searing heat started to grow, and I was falling over the edge. All my mind could process was the feel of him around me and the euphoric bliss that I never wanted to end.


    ¡°Ah! Oh, God!¡± I whimpered. ¡°Elio¡ª¡±


    He continued to thrust all through my orgasm until I felt him find his release. His head fell to the back of shoulder, where he ced several small kisses over my skin.


    ¡°I love you so much,¡± he moaned.


    My eyes fell shut and exhaustion overtook me. Elio came toy close beside me and pulled the nkets around us.


    I didn¡¯t quite remember falling asleep, but my eyes fluttered open to the sound of an unfamiliar voice.


    ¡°Wee to Florence.¡±

 Chapter 677 : Landing in Italy

    <h4>Chapter 677: Chapter 677 : Landing in Italy</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I pulled my sunsses from the top of my head, letting them fit snugly on my nose as the world turned into shades of gray. Darkened, it was a relief because the sun above us was somehow worse than in LA.


    Elio waited for me at the end of the catwalk, a smile on his face as he discussed things with a nearby guy in a suit. I didn¡¯t recognize him, but he seemed friendly enough as I stepped down next to my boyfriend.


    He nodded at me as I stepped onto the cement and went right up to Elio.


    I let out a little breath of air, unsure of how I was feeling. I¡¯d been nervous abouting back to Italy, but now that I was here, it didn¡¯t really feel that much different from California.


    It was a warm, dry heat overhead, and I could smell the familiar scent of the salt of the ocean on the wind but otherwise, I feltpletely normal, to my surprise. Elio sent me a questioning nce and I nodded to let him know I was okay, grabbing his hand and intertwining it with mine.


    He gave me a little squeeze, turning back to the unknown guy as they both rapidly said something in Italian. I was surprised to hear it again. It had been a long time since I¡¯d been in Italy. My mom wasn¡¯t a native Italian speaker, so though I learned it in school, English was always morefortable for me. Once I moved to the States, my Italian fell to the wayside.


    Elio and the guard were interrupted by arge SUV that rolled up, and both men went silent, simply staring at the car as they waited. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what they were waiting for until the car pulled to a stop in front of us.


    The doors opened and out stepped a few men in ck suits with sunsses covering their eyes and looking rather more like bodyguards with how stiff their movements looked. One kept looking around us, speaking slowly to what I thought was himself, but I quickly spotted the wireless Bluetooth in his ear.


    A familiar face popped out of the backseat. I breathed a sigh of relief as Alessandro stepped out wearing nothing but jeans and a T-shirt, looking more casual than Elio at the moment.


    He grinned widely as he saw us, opening up his arms. ¡°My favorite nephew!¡±


    He pulled Elio into a hug, taking the chance to rub his fist along his head. Iughed to myself, a little bewildered by the warm wee but happy to see the gruff and annoyed look on my boyfriend¡¯s face.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Elio pulled out of his grasp, crossing his arms impatiently. ¡°And don¡¯t let Tallon catch you saying that, or he¡¯ll beat your ass. Their kid is adorable.¡±


    ¡°True, but you¡¯re still my favorite. Just don¡¯t tell Tallon.¡± He winked, a grin on his face.


    A few of the men behind him cracked smiles, some even hiding their faces behind their hands.


    Alessandro turned to me. ¡°Hi, Cat. I¡¯m d you coulde.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, returning his one-armed hug.


    Though I knew Alessandro well, it still felt strange to be in Italy making pleasantries with the head of the Italian mafia. I knew that my father had worked with the previous leader, Tallon, who was Alessandro¡¯s younger brother.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how things had gotten messed up so that the younger brother was the leader first, but it wasn¡¯t really any of my business. I¡¯d met Tallon but hadn¡¯t seen him as much as Alessandro since he lived on the other side of the country and when Alessandro was in the US, he was near us.


    I noticed the men around us had gotten our bags from the ne, already loading them up into the back of the SUV.


    ¡°I¡¯m just d to have you guys over,¡± Alessandro said. He looked at me. ¡°Mia¡¯s excited to have someone to y dress-up with, so be prepared for that.¡±


    I smiled at the thought, though I did remember his wife from the party, her eyes gleaming as she shoved me into the dress. I¡¯d been grateful, but she was a bit overeager.


    Still, I imagined that with everything in the open now, I could probably pick her brain about what it was like to be the wife of a mafia Don. With Elio running the US side, I knew I¡¯d be in a simr situation. So far, the ¡°industry¡± was a bit too heavy on the male side, and the idea of having someone to share some girl-talk with was pleasant.


    ¡°Well, get in. We¡¯re heading to myplex, where you¡¯ll stay while you¡¯re here,¡± Alessandro said, moving to take the front passenger seat.


    Elio tugged me along to get into the back and we buckled up. I was surprised by how nice the car was¡ªcushiony andfy.


    ¡°I think I remember that ce,¡± Elio said with a thoughtful look. ¡°I stayed there as a kid, right?¡±


    ¡°Eh, briefly. You were young, and it¡¯s changed a lot since then, but it¡¯s big enough to house everybody,¡± Alessandro answered casually as the driver got in and the car rumbled to life. ¡°We¡¯ll have dinner with the associates tomorrow night, so today you should be free to do whatever you want. I have a great chef I can rmend for dinner if you want.¡±


    His words went in through one ear and out the other as I stuck my head right next to the window, pulling my sunsses up to rest in my hair. My eyes widened as I stared enchantedly at the city passing before us. It was just like I remembered¡ªold and intricate, with every building looking like it came from a different time. There was a special magic to it that made it seem like the city had a life of its own.


    It was a lot different from LA, which I supposed made sense. LA was new, rtively speaking. While things were clearly modern in this ce, there was something about that intricate, older architecture that made everything about the city seem timeless.


    As Alessandro and Elio chatted, my mind wandered back to my childhood¡ªour little house where Mom and I lived, the streets I would walk every morning to get to school. Mom worked a lot, but she never failed to make time for me, taking me shopping in the square whenever I felt down, getting gto in the smallest, dingiest-looking shop.


    I couldn¡¯t remember the name of it anymore, but Mom always used to say they had the best gto, telling me stories of her first date there with Dad, and how he swept her off her feet and they made me in a single night. The greatest gift they had ever received, Mom used to say.


    But as the good memories flooded back, so followed the bad ones like a shadow¡ªall those hours I would stare out my bedroom window, hoping to see a hint of my dad pulling up, and the disappointment when Mom told me only hourster that he couldn¡¯t make it that night.


    I thought about the birthdays and parties he missed, always bringing home an apology gift a few dayster. I remembered having to ster on a smile, hoping he wouldn¡¯t notice how upset I really was. There had always been a fear in my heart as a kid that if I expressed my disappointment with him, he would disappearpletely.


    And I remembered one of myst days in Italy, when the rain fell around us as I tried to keep my exhausted and weeping mother from falling apart. I could still feel the emotion as dozens of strangers dressed in ck told me how great of a man my father was as if they knew him better than I did... and the empty realization that they did.


    I hadn¡¯t really known my father at all.


    There was a squeeze on my hand, warm and steady and I flinched, ncing over at Elio. He sent me a worried look and I smiled.


    Right, I wasn¡¯t alone anymore.


    We arrived at the saidpound and my jaw literally dropped at how massive it was. I¡¯d seen mansions, but this was more like a massiveplex of houses all joined together. It was amazing.


    Alessandro gave us the tour. I could tell that Elio found the ce somewhat familiar as he kept telling me the whole time that this is where he grew up for the first few years of his life, back when his dad was the Don. After the tour of the massive building, Alessandro showed us to our room, which he informed us was where Elio¡¯s parents used to live.


    It was surprisingly more down-to-earth than I expected, nothing toovish and no fancy statues or oil paintings. It was kind of simr to the penthouse back home but with the added feature of a back door leading straight to the gardens.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you guys get settled.¡± Alessandro winked. ¡°Let me know if you need anything.¡±


    He shut the door and as soon as he did, Elio turned to me with an expectant look, crossing his arms unhappily.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Cat? You¡¯ve been acting weird all day,¡± Elio said firmly. ¡°And don¡¯t do that thing where you pretend you¡¯re fine and I have to spend all night trying to guess. Just tell me.¡±


    I sighed, knowing I couldn¡¯t keep it in any longer. I didn¡¯t even want to, either.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong really,¡± I confessed while taking a seat on the bed. ¡°It¡¯s just being back here. I¡¯m happy of course because I grew up here. I have a lot of good memories attached to this ce, but also a lot of bad ones. Thest time I was here, I lost my father. And this ce... it¡¯s a reminder that until his death, I didn¡¯t know anything about my father. It¡¯s just taking its toll on me is all.¡±


    Elio nodded, taking the seat next to me as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder, bringing me into his chest. ¡°I thought it might be that. I¡¯m sorry you¡¯re having such conflicting feelings. If it¡¯s too hard, we can stay somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said firmly, breaking from his embrace to stare into his worried eyes determinedly. ¡°I¡¯m okay, really. We can make new memories here, good ones this time, and though I¡¯m sad, this city is still the closest I¡¯ve felt to my dad for a long time. Plus, I really am excited to see the city together.¡±


    He smiled, the fondness in his eyes sweeter than candy as heid a peck on my lips, barely waiting before he offered his hand to me. ¡°Ready to go now then? I¡¯ve nned the whole day out.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Iughed. That was just like him. ¡°But can I shower first?¡±


    ¡°Only if I can join you.¡± He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

 Chapter 678 : A Day to Relax

    <h4>Chapter 678: Chapter 678 : A Day to Rx</h4>


    *Caterina*


    Elio gave me enough time to soap up before he stepped in the shower behind me, running his hands across my hips.


    My skin reacted with a wave of goosebumps, and I closed my eyes as he rubbed the soap in circles across my ass. I moaned a little and he moved in closer, wrapping his arms around my front and massaging his way up my belly.


    I moaned again as he reached my breasts, his fingers ying teasingly with my nipples. He turned me suddenly, rinsing my hair gently before pulling it aside and finding the nape of my neck with his lips.


    He kissed his way up to my mouth slowly, where I opened happily to let his tongue explore mine while his fingers moved down to my folds, which were now wet by more than shower water.


    Faster than he normally moved, he turned me to face him and lifted me up, both my legs straddling him, and gently pressed me against the shower wall. Our mouths still locked together, he thrust his length into me, and I cried out, shoving against him as I felt him stretch me apart.


    Isted about five seconds before I let go, screaming his name as he followed soon after, getting impossibly harder as he moaned into my mouth.


    We caught our breaths while still in the same position, then he lifted me up gently and set me down, back to soaping and rinsing me while I giggled with pleasure.


    ¡°Sorry for the rush, but I had to have you,¡± he breathed. ¡°And I have a big day nned for us.¡±


    Iughed and nodded as I finished rinsing my hair. I didn¡¯t want to miss a day of our vacation ns in Italy.


    Once we were out of the shower and towel-dried, he led me over to an already-stocked closet full of designer dresses, full of everything from casual to a ball gown you¡¯d wear in a movie.


    I picked something simple and casual, a light blue maxi that I instantly fell in love with. The color was the same as the line between the sky and the ocean, something that I just couldn¡¯t resist. It was light and flowy and came down to my ankles, which made it perfect for a day out in the town.


    Elio was dressed simrly, in jeans and a zer. It was simple but damn, did it look good on him. I pulled on my sunsses as we stepped out of thepound, and my jaw dropped as I saw what was waiting for us.


    ¡°You¡¯re driving this?¡± I eximed, shocked.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Elio smirked as he rounded the bright cherry red convertible in front of us. ¡°Alessandro lent it to me.¡±


    I recognized the car from one of the magazines Elio often hadying out in the penthouse. It was a Ferrari 250. The oddly shaped headlights and grill made it easy to recognize, along with the huge metal words dering thepany stamped on the back.


    There was no top, and the summer air brushed across my skin as the car started up.


    I remembered that I had once told Elio that cars like that seemed excessive. But I had to admit, as we pulled out from the city streets to the open mountain passes, with my favorite songs ring from the radio and the wind throwing my hair in every direction, that this was the best way to live.


    All my stress and worries just seemed to disappear as we curved around the mountain, with not even a railing to stop us from driving straight off. It was a thrill, and I raised my hands in the air, singing the words to the songs with all my heart.


    Elio kept sending me a grin, with pure love and adoration in his eyes as he switched between keeping an eye on the road and watching me dancing in the passenger seat.


    I felt his hand on my thigh for a moment, though he couldn¡¯t keep it there for long. But it was long enough to feel his warmth.


    I looked over at him. ¡°Where are we going, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere you¡¯ll like,¡± he answered with a mischievous grin.


    And he was right. It was somewhere I liked. The first ce we stopped was a spa. I needed to rx, ording to Elio, so we opted for a couple¡¯s treatment. And I had to admit, I was fully rxed.


    The massage was wonderful, even if I felt a bit awkward being naked in front of a stranger, but luckily the towels they gave us were very generous and I could wrap two of me in them and still have room.


    Next was a mud bath, and luckily, they allowed us to change into swimsuits before entering. It was outside in argemunal bath, but with Elio¡¯s connections, we got it to ourselves today. I sighed in sheer relief as we entered the thick viscous mud, almost too hot but just rxing enough to make me turn into a puddle.


    I practically crawled into Elio¡¯s arms,ying my head on his shoulder as I contently soaked in the mud. I must have readjusted wrong because I slipped, and Elio quickly caught me, though in the process he wentpletely under.


    For a moment I was shocked before he came out sputtering, entirely coated in the gray-brown mud, He smirked, his facepletely covered, but I didn¡¯t care as I pulled him toward me and weid muddy kisses all over each other.


    The attendant didn¡¯t look the least bit surprised when we stepped out fully covered head to toe with mud. We fully got scrubbed down and they took us to a separate section to wash our hair and faces¡ªrxing scrubs that felt like heaven.


    By the end of the two-hour package, we were both practically glowing, and I felt like years of stress had just been scrubbed off my body.


    We went into the city next and stopped for ate breakfast at a cafe nearby. They served us a little tower arrangement with a selection of cheeses, vegetables, bread, and fruits, all served with jams, butters, and creams. Their coffee was to die for, and I had three cups before we left.


    And since the cafe was attached to a theater, we stopped to see one of the new ys going on. I was awed by the talent of the actors and actresses, especially the female lead, who had a voice like an angel. The entire thing was in Italian, and I was a bit surprised by how the longer I listened, the more thenguage came back to me.


    Elio murmured a few trantions in my ear, enjoying it a little too much as he nibbled on my neck. By the end, I had a few bright red bruises along my neck, and I blushed, trying to hide it from the staring hostess.


    After that, we went to a few galleries, from the Uffizi to the Opera del Duomo and ending with the Galleria dell¡¯ademia. Elio was only mildly interested, but he patiently led me around and let me admire everything. He probably spent more time watching me than looking at the magnificent artwork and statues.


    I found the stories and history behind the pieces more interesting than the artistry, although that was breathtaking. It was both sad and fascinating how human beings could fight wars over simple pieces of paint on a canvas, or marble carved to look like people.


    Though looking at how lifelike some of them were, even down to the wrinkles on their knuckles, I could see how older civilizations believed they had been people cursed by the gods. It was a creepy feeling to think they could¡¯ve once been people, now trapped within marble or stone.


    But that was all just superstition.


    By lunch, everything about the city hade flooding back to me, and I dragged Elio across the city, barely remembering the path as we found that little tucked-away gto shop that my mother and I used to go to.


    It tasted just as I remembered, and I shared a strawberry cone with Elio, both of us telling stories about what we remembered from our childhoods here. I¡¯dpletely forgotten I had ever been scared. I felt like I had never left, like I was still that little girl who called this city home.


    The sunset came and went, and Elio drove us up to a nice hillside outside the city, a field of flowers and trees that overlooked the entire city. I could see the twinkling lights stretch out before me for miles, and above us was the night sky, all the stars shining brightly like they were put there just for us.


    It was simple, as we shared wine and dinner, just the two of us and a never-ending meal that came from a pic basket he had somehow snuck along. Though I had spotted more than once the guards hiding just out of sight.


    I still appreciated that it was the two of us alone, as much as it could be anyway. I probably drank too much, my head a bit feverish and my vision dizzy as I crawled into Elio¡¯sp, letting him hold me tightly as we gazed out at the stars above.


    Elio pointed out a few constetions, telling him the legends and tales his dad had told him growing up¡ªCassiopeia, who was punished for boasting of her daughter¡¯s beauty, and Cepheus, the king beside her, who was forced to sacrifice his daughter to a sea monster, and the daughter, Andromeda, who was saved and married to the hero demi-god, Perseus.


    It was a sad and bloody tale but no less riveting than the ones at the museums. But listening to Elio¡¯s voice as he described the stars like they were actual people and not myths, I slowly began to nod off.


    ¡°Time to go home, sleepy head,¡± Elio said with a chuckle once he noticed my eyes sliding closed.


    I yawned, nodding a bit as he lifted me up, and I clung to him as he carried me back to the car. It was a slow drive as we headed back to thepound that would be our home for the next week or so.


    We were both exhausted as we dragged ourselves inside and got ready for bed, finally copsing into the fluffy sheets next to one another. I curled up under the nket,tching my legs around Elio to keep warm.


    I was surprised when after only a few moments, Elio was snoring, absolutely knocked out. Iughed to myself, snuggling into his arms as he cuddled me like a teddy bear.


    My heart was warm with the amount of love I felt for this man. And now we were one step closer to meeting Alessandro¡¯s clients, one step closer to finding Antonio, and then everything would be over.


    We¡¯ll have a whole future to look forward to... to be happy together.

 Chapter 679 : Cat the Asset

    <h4>Chapter 679: Chapter 679 : Cat the Asset</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡°It¡¯s been slow going due to the transfer of assets from here to America,¡± Alessandro told me with a frustrated look. ¡°We¡¯ve been having trouble hiring people over there due to theck of loyalty. We¡¯ve had nine cases of deserters in the past few weeks, all US hires. It¡¯s making establishing operations more difficult.¡±


    ¡°The US doesn¡¯t really have the same loyalty as they do in Florence. We¡¯ve got roots and power here, but family doesn¡¯t really have the same meaning overseas,¡± I exined, my lips twisted into a frown. ¡°Plus, there¡¯s been a new rise of work-hopping, just going from onepany to the next without staying for long. It¡¯s difficult for everyone to keep workers, especially for dangerous work like we¡¯re asking. We may have to raise the sries to keep people on.¡±


    Cat yawned, her head propped up on my arm as she listened to us debate back and forth with a groggy look. She listened quietly to our conversation as a hand gentlyid a mug of steaming hot coffee in front of her.


    I heard her thank the servant quietly, a sweet middle-aged woman who reminded me of my mom. She nodded, smiling as Cat took a sip of the mind-awakening potion. I chuckled, kissing her forehead as she leaned against me.


    ¡°The Euro doesn¡¯te out to be an exact transfer either, so you¡¯re losing about four coins per dor for every hire,¡± I said, pointing to the paperwork on the kitchen table.


    ¡°Three,¡± Cat corrected.


    I looked over at her with a raised eyebrow, but Alessandro didn¡¯t even register her as he plowed straight on, eyes focused entirely on me.


    ¡°And what are we supposed to do about that? The intion of the US dor keeps rising and we¡¯ve got to pay our men somehow. These new hires do half the work for twice the pay, and it¡¯s causing significant rifts in our US branches.¡±


    Cat¡¯s expression turned sour. I knew she hated being ignored.


    ¡°Losing four coins is the least of our worries at this¡ª¡± Alessandro continued.


    ¡°Three.¡± Cat asserted herself into the conversation, voice stronger and louder as she crossed my arms. ¡°Let¡¯s get something straight here, Alessandro,¡± Cat emphasized his name, ring at him straight in the eyes. ¡°I asked to be a part of this. I am not Elio¡¯s girlfriend he dragged along. This is my family that was affected by this motherfucker, and I am going to help catch him with or without you. Your choice.¡±


    There was a beat of silence when Alessandro¡¯s re leveled at her. I stared at her in awe as she red into the face of the head of the Italian mafia and threatened him before my very eyes.


    But the stalemate was broken by the sound of a slow p and a quiet chuckling from behind us. I nced over my shoulder, a bit startled to see Mia standing there with a huge grin, looking like she¡¯d just seen all her dreamse true.


    ¡°Mia,¡± Alessandro warned slowly, but Mia didn¡¯t pay him a single mind.


    ¡°Well said, Cat,¡± Mia praised her, beaming like she¡¯d won a medal. ¡°Not many people can stand up to Alessandro and his grumpy face, but you did. I told him he shouldn¡¯t re so much, or he would get wrinkles. Now look at him.¡±


    She sighed like it was such a shame and Alessandro¡¯s face cracked, melting away in embarrassment as he rubbed his forehead.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re fine,¡± Mia waved her hand, the tense atmosphere disappearing immediately as she rounded the table andid a kiss on his cheek. ¡°You¡¯re still handsome. Now stop trying to act all tough, grumpy pants.¡±


    She grabbed his cheeks, grinning as she wiggled them up and down and getting out of range as he immediately broke out of her hold. ¡°I told you to stop doing that,¡± He growled, rubbing his cheeks which now looked a bit red.


    She just blew through her lips like a horse before sitting down opposite him and right next to me.


    ¡°So?¡± She tilted her toward Cat, and Alessandro pursed his lips, before sighing in defeat. Cat grinned in victory.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Cat,¡± Alessandro admitted begrudgingly, though he did have a hint of a smile now ¡°You have a right to be involved in this.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Alessandro turned to me. ¡°You¡¯re lucky to have a woman who will give you a kick in the ass when you need it. She¡¯s a keeper.¡±


    Cat shot him a grateful smile.


    He nodded, then nced at the mountain of paperworkid out on the breakfast table. ¡°So, three you said?¡± He raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Right here.¡± She pointed to the paper she had noticed, bringing it to everyone¡¯s view.


    We continued to discuss thingste into the morning, at which point Alessandro left to gather the family.


    By the time we were getting ready for dinner, the sun was already setting and more than half of the day had gone by. I dressed in a causal suit and Cat was in a gorgeous evening gown. I had to restrain myself from taking her right there and messing up her makeup and hair.


    The dining room was always a shock for those seeing it for the first time, and Cat was in a daze as we were seated at the huge table next to Alessandro and Mia.


    As the family came up, I took the time to whisper the names of the people into Cat¡¯s ear. I could see that a few of them caught her off guard, especially at the bold few who came right up, all excited to meet ¡®Giovani¡¯s son.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m Randy.¡± The man shook his six-fingered hand with me andpletely ignored Cat. ¡°But they call me Six-Fingers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Elio. This is¡ª¡±


    I gestured to Cat but she cut in with a sharp, ¡°I¡¯m Cat.¡±


    Six-Fingers ignored herpletely, heading to his seat without a single acknowledgment of her existence.


    ¡°I¡¯m Sweet-Cakes,¡± one of the few women purred as she looked me up and down like I was a snack despite her clearly being two decades older than me. ¡°Want to find out why, honey?¡±


    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t.¡± Cat pulled his arm away toward me, irritated.


    The woman barely nced at her, looking her up and down before giving a little smirk. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, giving me a sultry look before she retreated to her own seat.


    ¡°I am Francesco,¡± a voice beamed.


    I looked up to see a man only a few years older than me who had a calm but cold demeanor to him.


    ¡°Your father helped me greatly when he was the Don,¡± the icy man said coolly, ignoring my outstretched hand. ¡°I expect you will disappoint his legacy.¡±


    I grabbed Cat¡¯s hand, reading the anger on her face and smiling at Francesco like I was unbothered.


    ¡°I will try not to, Francesco,¡± I told him with a faux-friendly look. ¡°But then again, I am not my father. I do things... differently.¡±


    Francesco¡¯s eyes narrowed before he actually looked at Cat, a sneer on his face. ¡°I see you have your father¡¯s tastes. But I warn you. This is no ce to bring your silly little toys. They have no business getting involved.¡±


    ¡°Excuse¡ª¡±


    Cat stepped forward but I quickly pulled her behind him, cutting her off. I knew it would piss her off, but now wasn¡¯t the time to make enemies, even though he deserved it.


    ¡°Caterina has every right to be here. She is family to me,¡± I said with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°We shall see how long thatsts.¡± Francesco snorted, pivoting on his heel as he walked away. I grit my teeth, my mood souring by the minute, as was Cat¡¯s.


    As the night grew on, Cat grew more annoyed as they ignored her every time, speaking only to me, talking over her, and treating her more like an ornament than a person. When I nced at Alessandro, he just shrugged his shoulders.


    Mia was sympathetic, patting Cat¡¯s hand as she tried to chat with her to take her mind off it, but by dessert, Cat looked ready to flip the table on its side and scream.


    Luckily, Alessandro called for the meeting to start. Some of the members left with Mia as she chatted to them, leaving less than half. I rxed at the smaller numbers, hoping it would put Cat more at ease.


    ¡°Thank you foring,¡± Alessandro announced, projecting his voice across the room.


    He immediately gained the attention of everyone in the room, a dozen eyes staring straight at him, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind in the slightest.


    ¡°Today, we are discussing our expansion in the US and our exhaustive efforts to catch the traitor, Antonio.¡±


    Growls went around the room, a few muttering insults under their breath.


    ¡°Thanks to Elio and Cat here,¡± Alessandro said, nodding at us, ¡°we have gained important information about how he is functioning over there, including several of the important safe houses and assets they use. We have located a few key members of his group but unfortunately, our manpower is running out. The danger of the job andck of trust and resources overseas means we are seeing a rise in defectors. Any ideas on how to handle this would be wee.¡±


    Alessandro then crossed his arms, nodding to the group as he allowed the group to take over the discussion.


    ¡°Those American bastards have no sense of loyalty! We beat it into them then!¡± said Six-Fingers. He mmed his hand on the table with a snarl on his face.


    ¡°Idiot! That¡¯ll never work. I say we recruit younger members first and raise them up,¡¯ Sweet-Cakes dered loudly. ¡°Loyalty can be cultivated, like we do here.¡±


    A dozen other suggestions went up, voices raising with each one until there was so much arguing I could barely hear myself think, until one cold voice cut through it all.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple really.¡± It was Francesco, and I knew I would hate whatever came out of his mouth, ¡°We catch the defectors and make an... example out of them. Show them what it means to abandon your family.¡±


    Silence reigned after his statement, but the meaning behind his suggestion was not lost on anyone. Francesco had a look as cold as ice like it wasn¡¯t people¡¯s lives he was discussing.


    But as Alessandro actually appeared to be considering it, Cat had finally had enough.


    ¡°That won¡¯t solve anything,¡± she said, making her voice as loud as she could.


    The guests nced at her once before dismissing her once more, discussing among themselves whether Francesco¡¯s idea would work.


    ¡°Caterina is talking¡ª¡±


    I tried to step in, but Cat cut me off as her patience finally snapped. She mmed her hands on the table, the sound reverbing through the room as she got to her feet, making her presence known.


    The room fell into silence as every eye looked at her. She took a deep breath to control her raging emotions and then coldly nced around the room at every person, especially Francesco.


    ¡°Whether you like it or not, I am a part of this operation, and I am staying here not because I am fucking the former Don¡¯s son.¡±


    I flinched at this, mouth dropping.


    She continued. ¡°But because I have valuable input that this group needs. I had thought that considering the nature of your work, this group would have better evaluation skills, especially with potential assets, but apparently, I greatly underestimated you all.¡±


    The look of outrage directed at her was exactly what I didn¡¯t want, but Cat only stared back with a steely demeanor, not the least bit intimidated.


    ¡°America isn¡¯t like Italy,¡± she said. ¡°The reason you¡¯re losing money and people is that you¡¯re using too many hired hands. They are outsourced. Of course, they¡¯re going to leave. Contract work is temporary to them. If you really want to establish operations, you need to hire people from over here, within the family. It would be costly in the beginning but would save more money over time.¡±


    She waited patiently as her words sunk in and the looks of anger and outrage melted away in shock and awe, grins and smiles heading straight toward her. I breathed a sigh of relief and stared up at her in sheer adoration.


    ¡°Ah, genius.¡± Six-Fingers pped the table with a huge grin.


    ¡°It could work,¡± another admitted reluctantly.


    The others chattered excitedly, and she sat down by my side. I was so turned on I couldn¡¯t control myself. My hands snuck around her waist, pulling her closer.


    ¡°That was amazing,¡± I whispered in her ear, hands slipping lower.


    She flushed, giving me a re.


    I nuzzled my face into her neck, pressing kisses there, but even as distracted as I was, I couldn¡¯t help but spy a pair of old eyes staring at us across the table. My possessive instincts lit up as Francesco leveled a freezing re at me.


    He would have to be dealt with, one way or another.

 Chapter 680 : Lay Me Bare

    <h4>Chapter 680: Chapter 680 : Lay Me Bare</h4>


    *Caterina*


    We walked to our room quickly, Elio¡¯s hands never leaving my body. I could tell by the grin that he couldn¡¯t seem to keep off his face that he was proud of how I¡¯d handled myself in the meeting.


    I was proud, too. I¡¯d been so afraid when I came to Italy that all the trauma of losing my father would paralyze me and prevent me from being an asset to the family, but it turned out I was stronger than I ever realized.


    The second the door to our room closed behind us, Elio pressed me against it, one hand under my chin and the other up against the wall next to my head. I was caged in the best way.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how fucking amazing you are?¡± He murmured as he pressed his forehead to mine.


    I smiled up at him. ¡°Hm... I don¡¯t know...¡± I hedged.


    ¡°You are a miracle, Cat, a goddamn miracle.¡± He took my mouth in his, keeping his fingers on my chin to hold me in ce.


    His kiss could only be described as worshipful. I was the altar at which he came to give his offering. Hevished me with kisses, moving from my lips to the curve of my throat and back again.


    ¡°You have no idea how proud I was to have you at my side today. Every man at that table was sitting up straight and listening to you, not because I brought you, but because you demanded their respect.¡± He moved his hand from my chin to the dip in my waist, his fingers dug in slightly, as though he wanted to remind himself that I was real, that we were here together.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always thought of you as my princess, but today you were a queen.¡±


    His words were as intoxicating as fine wine, and I was quickly getting drunk off them. What I loved the most was that I found myself agreeing with him. I knew that my father would¡¯ve been proud to see me take on his legacy as an equal part of the family. I was nobody¡¯s little girlfriend. I was the daughter of Vinny Leone, here to carry on what my father started.


    Elio knelt down and helped me step out of my high heels. I looked down at him regally, finally feeling for the first time what I had wanted all along¡ªthat we were true equals. I saw it in his eyes. He respected me the way I wanted to be respected. He would protect me, but in return, I would protect him.


    We were in this together, fully.


    As he stood back up, he trailed his hands up my body, lightly touching each curve until he stopped at my cheeks. He held my face as he looked into my eyes, and for the first time, I felt truly seen. There was no misunderstanding between us.


    He knew me.


    ¡°You are everything to me,¡± he whispered.


    The reverence in his voice brought tears to my eyes. To be loved like this... it felt almost terrifying. It was like being peeled back to who I was at my core, and I wondered how I had ever survived not being understood at this level.


    This was the realest love I¡¯d ever felt, the truest rtionship I¡¯d ever had. He saw the tears in my eyes and swiped them away with his fingers before wrapping his arms around me and pulling me to his chest. I could hear his heart beating against my ear, and I knew it would be the sound that would always bring mefort.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I said, my words muffled. I pulled out of his embrace so I could look into his eyes once more, ¡°I love you, Elio, so much.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Caterina. I always will.¡±


    Pressing his forehead to mine once more, he ran his hands up under my shirt and syed his fingers over my ribs, just resting there, enjoying the small points of contact. I reached out and untucked his shirt, pushing my hands up under it until I was resting them against his bare chest.


    We breathed in tandem, the desire between us growing with each breath until it felt impossible not to tear our clothes off so that we could touch more of each other.


    I pulled my hands away from him and tugged at my outfit, quickly pulling it off as he did the same with his suit. Once we were both bared to each other, he pressed me against the door again, reaching down to hook one leg around his waist so that I was open to him.


    I felt his body pressing against mine as he kissed me, and I felt myself growing wetter with need as his hardness moved against my most sensitive ces.


    When I was on the verge of copsing with desire, he easily reached down and gripped me under the ass so that he could carry me to the bed as I stayed wrapped around him. Our mouths never once broke contact. It felt too important to stay connected. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of losing it even for one second. We continued our kiss even as Elio sat down on the edge of the bed, straddling me over hisp. He let go of my ass so that he could move his hands up to massage my breasts, rubbing his thumbs enticingly over my nipples as he thrust his tongue in my mouth.


    I moaned and rocked against him, more than ready to take him. I braced my hands on his shoulders as he moved his mouth down my throat and dragged his tongue first across one nipple, then the other. I arched my back, desperate to give him more ess to my body.


    Finally, he put his hand between us and used his fingers to circle my clit. His movements were smooth, but I could feel the tightness in his shoulders as he tried to tamp down his own desire in order to spend more time on me.


    That lovely familiar feeling welled up in my core and I knew that I was going to orgasm in seconds. Elio knew too, he watched my face and saw the way my mouth popped open as I got closer and closer. He smiled up at me, momentarily forgetting his attention on my breasts as he watched the pleasure that I knew was evident on my face.


    I kept my eyes on his. I wanted to see the look on his face as he dragged my orgasm from me. With one more circle, I was gone. I was caught somewhere between a moan and a shriek as he continued his smooth motions. Elio chuckled at my erratic noises, loving the effect he had on me.


    Gently, Elio moved me so that I was lying t on my back. I almost felt self-conscious as he looked down on me,id totally bare in front of him, my thighs slick with my release, but then I saw the look in his eyes as he stared down at me.


    There was nothing there but the purest love I had ever seen. I had nothing to be scared of with him.


    Quickly pulling on a condom, he positioned himself over me, bracketing my head with his arms. He kept his eyes on me as he pushed into me. I saw the way his jaw clenched as the first wave of pleasure overtook him just before he leaned forward so that he could kiss me, his mouth moving in time with his thrusts.


    I writhed and moaned beneath him, allowing myself to fully let go in the moment. Everything was perfect. There were no more secrets between us, nothing left to hold us apart. Our connection had never been stronger, and I felt it as he moved within me. This was what I had wanted from Elio all along. Knowing that we¡¯d finally gotten to this point made our lovemaking all the better.


    He closed his eyes as his hips began working harder, thrusting into me with more and more fervor as he got closer to his own orgasm. His movements hit me exactly where I needed, and before long we were both climaxing together, desperately moaning each other¡¯s names as our pleasure overcame us.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered over and over again, his body heavy over mine as I whispered the same words back.


    When he rolled off me, I was far too exhausted to do anything. Seeing that I wasn¡¯t going to get up, he adjusted me so that I wasying on my pillow, then tucked the covers up around me before he got up. I wiggled around a bit to getfortable.


    Although he was only gone for a few seconds, I had already started to fall asleep before he came back. He slipped into the bed behind me, pulling me close to his chest and draping his arm over my waist, where I could feel him rubbingzy circles against my skin with the very tips of his fingers. His touch made me shiver against him.


    ¡°Careful, you¡¯ll get me going all over again,¡± he murmured so close to my ear.


    I smiled as his breath gave me goosebumps.


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s exactly what I want,¡± I challenged, wiggling against him purposefully.


    Heughed but soon stilled me with his hand. ¡°I would love to spend all night worshiping your body, but I¡¯m exhausted. That was... amazing.¡±


    My heart glowed at his words. I was happy to know that it had felt different to him too. Something about finally agreeing to open ourselves up to each other and be fully honest had deepened our rtionship in a way that I never knew was possible.


    Elio¡¯s breathing evened out and his hand over my waist went limp. I closed my own eyes, nearly on the edge of sleep myself.


    A loud knock on the door made me nearly jump out of my skin. Elio startled awake, sitting up and looking around as though there was an intruder.


    There was another loud knock, making us both look toward the door. I nced down at my naked body andy down in the bed, doing my best to cover myself up.


    Elio got out of bed and grabbed his nearest pants, pulling them on as he walked toward the door. When he opened it, I was unsurprised to see Alessandro¡¯s face over his shoulder. I slunk lower into the bed, unwilling for Alessandro to see me like this.


    ¡°I have news,¡± Alessandro said.


    I had no idea what it could be, but I knew that if he wasing to us thiste at night, it couldn¡¯t be anything good.

 Chapter 681 : We Found Him

    <h4>Chapter 681: Chapter 681 : We Found Him</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt,¡± Alessandro said as he took in the fact that I was wearing suit pants with no shirt.


    I was d that we were in my parents¡¯ suite where the bedroom was separate, though I suspected Cat was getting up to see what was going on for herself.


    I threw a look over my shoulder and saw her through the half-open bedroom doorway, leaning forward as much as she could while still keeping herself covered. I tried and failed to keep a smile off my face as I turned back toward Alessandro and put an arm up on the doorframe, blocking his view into the room. To his credit, Alessandro avoided looking in her direction.


    ¡°What¡¯s the news?¡± I asked, knowing Caterina was probably even more curious than I was.


    ¡°I finally had one of my men get eyes on Antonio. He¡¯s trailing him as we speak.¡±


    ¡°Shit, that¡¯s great news. Let me get dressed and I¡¯ll go to wherever they¡¯re at,¡± I said, quickly turning around and gathering up the clothes that I had carelessly thrown to the floor earlier.


    ¡°Fuck no,¡± Alessandro said. ¡°I can¡¯t have you drawing any attention. If Antonio gets one look at you, he¡¯s going to be gone to the wind. If he disappears on us again, we might never find him. This is way too important to let you get in there and potentially mess it all up.¡±


    I turned to face him again, my search for clothes forgotten. ¡°I need to do this, Alessandro. This is my fight. Antonio has been threatening Caterina and her mother for far too long. I don¡¯t want to go back to the States without at leastying eyes on the bastard.¡±


    ¡°And what are you going to do when he sees you and runs away... or worse, sees you and starts shooting? We know the man doesn¡¯t give a shit when ites to opening fire in public ces. I can¡¯t risk it. My guy is good. He won¡¯t lose him.¡± Alessandro crossed his arms, clearly trying to indicate that the discussion was over. But he wasn¡¯t used to dealing with me at least not as much as his other men. I wasn¡¯t used to blindly obeying orders.


    ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot,¡± I said. ¡°I know how to go unnoticed. I might not have as much experience as you, but I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°I never said you were an idiot. But Antonio knows what you look like. He has no idea what my guy looks like. My guy could go up and talk to him and he¡¯d be none the wiser. Don¡¯t you get that? You could ruin this entire operation!¡±


    ¡°I understand the risks involved. I just want to be able to see him, that¡¯s all. I won¡¯t do anything stupid. I¡¯ll stay out of it, I promise. Your guy will call all the shots.¡±


    Before Alessandro could open his mouth to argue back, Caterina slipped beside me, wrapped in a thick duvet. I instinctively wrapped my arm around her waist, presenting a united front. I was sure that she would back me on this. If anyone wanted toy eyes on Antonio before we left Italy, it was her. Of all of us, her life had been the one most fucked up by Antonio.


    ¡°Alessandro¡¯s right,¡± Cat said, looking up at me confidently.


    My jaw dropped. How could she betray me like that... and right in front of Alessandro? I had no problem with her disagreeing with me privately, but in front of others, I hated it. I didn¡¯t want people to think that we weren¡¯t on the same page.


    ¡°You seriously don¡¯t want me to go find Antonio myself?¡± I asked her incredulously.


    ¡°No, I really don¡¯t. It¡¯s way too dangerous. Everything Alessandro said is true. I can¡¯t lose another man to Antonio. I just can¡¯t.¡±


    The grief in her voice was palpable as she remembered the loss of her father. My stomach twisted as I realized again how difficult this entire trip must have been for her. Coming back to the ce where she¡¯d lost him had brought up a lot of hard memories. I squeezed her waist gently, reminding her that I was here, and that I would never leave her side.


    ¡°I know why you¡¯re afraid,¡± I said, working to keep my voice measured. ¡°But I¡¯ve been searching for Antonio for so long. I hate the idea of leaving without seeing him for myself. We¡¯re so close to finally ending this.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said. ¡°And I agree, we do need to see him. Trust me, I want to see just as much as you do, probably more.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡± Alessandro asked, now knowing as well as I did that she always had something spinning in her mind.


    I had begun to suspect that Caterina was far more calcting and intelligent than all the rest of usbined.


    ¡°We need your man to send a video,¡± she said, ¡°something that will prove that he really saw Antonio and that can give Elio and me a bit of relief. And we need the exact details of how they¡¯re going to keep an eye on him. I don¡¯t want to go back to the States only to have your guys fuck up and lose track of Antonio. I won¡¯t be able to stand it if he gets away again.¡±


    Alessandro nodded, his respect for Cat¡¯smanding nature visible on his face. I knew how he felt. She might be young, but she spoke and behaved like someone with years of experience. It was hard for me to believe that she had known about this life for far less than I had.


    She was a natural.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to go get dressed. You ask your guy for a video and his game n,¡± Cat said before turning on her heel and heading to the bathroom.


    The duvet trailed behind her like a wedding dress. I couldn¡¯t lie to myself... it was nice to imagine her walking down the aisle....


    Before I could get lost in the fantasy, I turned back to Alessandro and invited him toe into our room and sit down. We sat in the armchairs that had been arranged to loosely face each other. He was furiously texting his men, attempting to meet Caterina¡¯s demands.


    I knew he had a reputation for being a hard ass, but seeing the way Cat easily wrapped him around her finger showed a different side of him that I appreciated. It was obvious how much he cared about making her happy.


    I suspected his rtionship with her dad yed a part in that. I had never known Vinny that well, but I remembered from the few times I was around him that he had often been a buffer between Tallon and Alessandro, keeping the two brothers from chafing too hard at each other. It was obvious that losing him had been a horrible blow to the entire family.


    Alessandro received a phone call right as Caterina walked out of the bathroom, dressed in jeans and a simple T-shirt. She had run her fingers through her hair, but I could still see the ces where it had been tangled by our lovemaking. It made me smile to see the reminder. She was so beautiful, it damn near made my heart hurt just to look at her.


    ¡°Yeah, just send the video over. It¡¯s encrypted on my end. It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Alessandro was saying to whoever had called him. They must have agreed quickly because he hung up without another word.


    ¡°Well?¡± Caterina asked, ¡°Do you have the video?¡±


    Alessandro nodded. ¡°My guy¡¯s sending it now. He took it earlier tonight. He said it¡¯s shitty quality, but you can tell who¡¯s in it.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯re sure it¡¯s Antonio?¡± Caterina demanded.


    I was so goddamn proud of the way she carried herself.


    ¡°Yeah, they know it was him. I promise, my men are good. They wouldn¡¯t work for me if they weren¡¯t the best.¡±


    Cat nodded and sat down in myp, wrapping her arm around the back of my neck for bnce. I rubbed her back as we waited for the video toe in on Alessandro¡¯s phone. The tension in the room was thick. It felt like any moment something could go terribly wrong.


    I knew it was just our desire to see this through that had all of us on edge. We were desperate for sess.


    Finally, Alessandro¡¯s phone buzzed with the arrival of the video. I could feel Caterina holding her breath. I poked her side slightly to get her to rx.


    She jumped and leaned away from me as she shot me a dirty look, but she had started to breathe normally again. My distraction worked perfectly. Alessandro held his phone out to me, and I grabbed it, hitting y on the video and holding it so Cat could see as well.


    As Alessandro had said it would be, the video was horribly grainy. It had been taken inside a restaurant, and it was obvious that whoever had taken the video had been working hard not to be seen. They zoomed in on a man sitting on the other side of the room.


    It was obvious that it must be Antonio, although it was difficult to really make out his face in the video. We¡¯d have to take their word for it. It did look like him, though, and I trusted Alessandro when he said his men were the best.


    Antonio was seated across from another person. They wereughing and talking, clearly oblivious to the fact that they were being watched. Good. Antonio had no idea what wasing his way. It was going to be horrible for him very soon.


    The video soon ended, but Caterina and I were both satisfied to finally haveid eyes upon Antonio.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the n?¡± Cat asked as I handed the phone back. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want your men to lose him.¡±


    Alessandro nodded. ¡°My tail put a tracker under his car. It¡¯s real state-of-the-art stuff. He¡¯ll never notice it, and it¡¯s so urate that we¡¯ll always know exactly where his car is. As long as he stays with his car, which we believe that he will, we will know where he is.¡±


    I looked at Caterina to see if she had any more questions. She nced back at me and kept her mouth closed.


    I nodded to Alessandro. ¡°Thanks for all of the information.¡±


    Alessandro nodded. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do. Trust me, I want this fucker dead just as much as you two do. Whenever we get the opportunity, he will be taken care of.¡±


    A shiver ran down my spine at the words. I was grateful that I wasn¡¯t the man being tracked down. I knew that it was only a matter of time before Antonio met a horrible fate, and I knew that he would deserve every bit of it.

 Chapter 682 : What the Future Holds

    <h4>Chapter 682: Chapter 682 : What the Future Holds</h4>


    *Caterina*


    After Alessandro left, Elio helped me undress and tucked me back into bed before doing the same for himself. We fell asleep in each other¡¯s arms, both lost in thought as we considered what it meant for Alessandro¡¯s men to be tracking Antonio. It felt like our biggest goal was going to finally be realized, and it made me wonder what we would do next.


    I woke up the next morning to Elio kissing my cheek softly. I smiled and rolled overzily, stretching so that my breasts arched out of the covers. Although we had just made love the night before, it was difficult to ever feel truly sated when I was with Elio.


    The more I had him, the more I wanted him. He was like a terribly addictive drug.


    ¡°Well, good morning,¡± Elio murmured in my ear before kissing the soft spot behind my ear lobe and sending goosebumps down the back of my neck.


    His hand trailed over my waist, clutching me closer to him.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    I smiled as I rolled over so that I was on top of him, my legs straddling his thighs. He was already hard beneath me, and I rocked slightly back and forth.


    He groaned and closed his eyes. ¡°Why do you torture me like this? We have to meet with Alessandro before we leave.¡±


    I giggled at the genuine concern on his face. I loved how much he loved my body. I felt the same way about his. But we would have plenty of time to enjoy each other¡¯s bodiester. For now, we needed to get downstairs.


    I leaned in for a quick kiss and then got out of the bed, swaying my hips dramatically on my way to the bathroom. Elio groaned again, and I knew he¡¯d be counting the seconds until we were alone next.


    Downstairs, Alessandro had catered in an incredible spread of handcrafted pastries. I stood in front of the counter, paralyzed with indecision, and thought to myself that Elio and I needed to start nning our next trip to Italy. The food alone was worth the trip.


    Finally settling on a croissant that had been loaded with berries, I sat at the table with Alessandro, Elio, and Francesco from the dinner. I had been surprised to see Francesco, but I assumed Alessandro must have had a reason for wanting him there.


    I had noticed that Alessandro was extremely particr about information. He didn¡¯t let just anybody know whatever they wanted. He ensured that only certain men knew certain things, and always it was because they needed to know so they could help out.


    ¡°Cat, Elio, I want you to getfortable with Francesco. He¡¯s going to be heading to the States so that he can work closely with you and head the operation there for now. Of course, the eventual goal will be for you to be able to run things yourselves, but I¡¯m notfortable with setting you loose just yet.¡±


    Elio nodded, but I could see the tension in his back at Alessandro¡¯s words. I thought that Alessandro was making the right call, but I knew Elio felt ready to take over. I had no problem with waiting though. This was too important to mess up.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to working with you,¡± Francesco said between sips of coffee. He held up his mug in a semnce of a toast. ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen so far, you both make a great team. I know you¡¯ll learn quickly.¡±


    Elio straightened up a bit at his praise. I smiled. I liked seeing him feel proud of himself. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to make the transition into the mafia lifestyle, there were a lot of sacrifices that had to be made. But Elio had done it all and made it seem simple. He was hard-working and smart, the two best qualities a person could have in my opinion.


    I was surprised at Francesco¡¯s change of demeanorpared with the dinner. But I supposed that a big ¡®family¡¯ meeting was a ce where he needed to show that he was tough. I decided to encourage the newfound warmth.


    ¡°We look forward to working with you,¡± I told Francesco.


    Elio nodded his agreement.


    I took a bite out of my croissant and fought back the urge to moan at the vor. I couldn¡¯t spend all my time in Italy eximing over the delicious food, no matter how badly I wanted to. I just couldn¡¯t believe how phenomenal every meal had been. It was truly a revtion.


    ¡°What¡¯s the n for you guys here?¡± Elio asked Alessandro.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep up normal operations, but now that we have Paul and Antonio fully under our supervision, we¡¯ll be closing in on them.¡±


    ¡°Why are you waiting?¡± I asked. ¡°Why not just capture them both now and put an end to this?¡±


    Francesco chuckled. ¡°Bloodthirsty little thing, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Alessandro smiled at me. ¡°As much as we¡¯d all love to do that, we¡¯ve got to trail them both for a while longer so we can figure out who their main contacts are. We don¡¯t want to take them out only to have some unknown threat starting after us. We need to know exactly who they work with so we can take down the whole thing.


    I nodded. His exnation made sense. The fact that it hadn¡¯t urred to me just reinforced the reason why Francesco would be joining us in the States. At this point, any decisions Elio and I made would be more based on instinct than experience. And although I believed we both had strong instincts that served us well, there were also times when it was important to let logic win out.


    ¡°I¡¯m d we¡¯re finally getting somewhere after searching for so long,¡± I told Alessandro. ¡°I feel like this all can finallye to an end, and we can have at least a little bit of peace.¡±


    Alessandro nodded. ¡°I know this has been hard on you, knowing that your father¡¯s murderer is still out there. I promise you, nobody wants to get justice for your father as much as I do. Vinny was a great man. He didn¡¯t deserve to have his life cut short like that, and you didn¡¯t deserve to have your father stolen from you.¡±


    I nodded, afraid that if I spoke, it would only result in tears. Thest thing I wanted to do was cry in front of these men. They had only just begun to respect me as one of them, I didn¡¯t want them to start thinking I was too soft to be a part of everything. But to my surprise, when I looked at Alessandro, his eyes were shiny with unfallen tears.


    ¡°You remind me so much of your father, Caterina,¡± Alessandro said, his voice thick with emotion.


    Seeing that I was on the verge of falling apart, Elio reached over and put his hand on my thigh, squeezing gently to reassure me that he was here with me. I took a deep breath and attempted to tamp down the emotions that were threatening to ovee me.


    ¡°Thank you so much. That means more than you can know,¡± I said once I was sure I wasn¡¯t going to burst into tears.


    I didn¡¯t know how I really felt about beingpared to my father like that. What would my father think of what I was doing now? Would he be proud of me? Would he even want me to be a part of the mafia life? I wished he was around so I could talk to him about it.


    I had no idea whatsoever how he would really feel about me doing this. I was sure that he would want to keep me safe like Elio had, but I didn¡¯t know if that meant that he wouldn¡¯t let me be a part of it, or if it meant that he would encourage me to be informed and take an active interest in being able to protect myself.


    The fact that Antonio had taken that away from me, the simple ability to ask my father what he thought about my choices in life, made me so angry it was difficult to think straight. I was d that Elio and I would be heading back to the US so that I wouldn¡¯t have to sit around in Italy knowing that Antonio was a free man.


    I knew the urge to track him down and get revenge would be difficult to ignore.


    We all finished up our breakfast, and Elio and I excused ourselves to go finish packing our things. In the room, he pulled me into a tight hug.


    ¡°I love you, Cat,¡± he said in a tone that told me he was worried about how I was doing.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I responded. ¡°And I¡¯m doing okay.¡±


    He brushed my cheek with his knuckles. ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s okay if you aren¡¯t, you know. You are so incredibly strong. And you¡¯d still be strong even if you felt sad about your dad from time to time.¡±


    I nodded and tucked my head against his chest so I wouldn¡¯t have to look up at him. I knew he was right. I was still strong even if I felt sad, but it didn¡¯t mean that I was ready to face my emotions head-on.


    I hadn¡¯t realized how many feelingsing to Italy would dredge up for me. Now that they were all bubbling to the surface, it made me feel fragile in a way that I never had before. The only thing that kept me together was knowing I had Elio by my side.


    He rubbed my back and then let me go. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get packing.¡±


    We brought our luggage downstairs to the car that was waiting to take us to the airport. Francesco was in the middle of putting arge suitcase into the trunk of the car. I came up short, staring at him and wanting to talk to Elio privately.


    ¡°Wait, is he flying with us?¡± I asked quietly.


    ¡°Yeah, I assume so,¡± Elio said, ¡°It makes more sense than having him fly on his own. Although I am surprised that he was able to get ready so quickly. Alessandro must have prepped him with his n a while ago.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you have a problem with him? You know we can always talk to Alessandro if we need to.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, it¡¯s just that... I was hoping to fly alone with you,¡± I said, looking up at him suggestively.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Elio seemed almost surprised that I had wanted to get a little more one-on-one time before we had to go back to reality. His shock was so funny to me that it almost made me forget about Francesco¡¯s intrusion. ¡°Well, yeah, I would¡¯ve liked that too.¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just have to find some other time to fly internationally,¡± I teased, taking his hand in mine and pulling him toward the car.


    ¡°We can fly internationally any time you want, baby.¡±

 Chapter 683 : A Not-So-Welcome Home

    <h4>Chapter 683: Chapter 683 : A Not-So-Wee Home</h4>


    *Caterina*


    Well, it was official. Our beautiful trip to Florence had finallye to a close as we all felt the graceful touchdown of the ne¡¯s wheels hit the airstrip. As nice of a trip as it turned out to be, I was happy to be home again.


    I felt a slight sadness I hadn¡¯t anticipated. Florence was just as beautiful as I remembered it. I knew, deep down, that I was going to miss the gorgeous art galleries and the breathtaking architecture. But California was home... my true home.


    Excluding the business side of our trip, I was excited to sit down with my mom and tell her about everything Elio and I had done while we were away. But at the moment, all I really wanted most was to return to our apartment and rest.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Elio asked me.


    I turned my head to nce out the window one final time. Two ck cars were already waiting for us outside, it seemed.


    Letting out a deted breath, I grabbed my bag and got up from my seat. I followed Elio¡¯s lead and headed down out of the ne and down the slim staircase.


    I nced around to find that the crew as well as Francesco were already out and waiting for us with our luggage. Elio thanked everyone for a smooth ride back home before turning to face Francesco.


    ¡°It was nice having you with us on the way back, Francesco,¡± Elio said.


    Francesco smiled. ¡°I appreciate you letting me tag along with you both. I¡¯ll be in touch soon.¡±


    Elio nodded his head and slipped an arm around my waist. We watched him get into his own car and head in the opposite direction.


    From there, our bags were loaded into the trunk of our vehicle, and we were ready to head home. Elio opened my door and allowed me to slide into the back seat with ease. He quickly got in behind me and took his spot. With a direct order to take us home, we were off.


    I looked out the window as more memories of Florence streamed through my mind. It really was great having the chance to visit my home country. Between the various art galleries and breathtaking architecture, it was rather difficult to pull myself away from it all. Granted, there had been one or two moments when I found myself slipping into my fearful and depressed state, thinking about the loss of my father. But Elio was always quick to divert my mind.


    He kept me grounded and constantly entertained me the whole time. I was so thankful to him for the wonderful trip, and I couldn¡¯t wait for the time toe when the two of us could return. In the meantime, I was happy to be home. Soon I would be starting my new semester and I¡¯d be up to my eyes in assignments. So, with that in mind, I wanted to cherish what free time I had left with Elio before things became hectic again.


    We were just about halfway back to the penthouse. My body was buzzing with eager excitement that in just a few moments, the two of us would be back in our ce, in our bedroom, in our bed.


    I silently inched my way closer to Elio and rested my head against his chest. He snaked his arm around me once more, wrapping me a secure shield of warmth.


    He kept his gaze fixed on the road outside, paying no attention to me or my subtle ministrations.


    Without a word, I lifted my hand to rest over the top of his thigh. I dragged the tips of my fingers in slow, sensuous patterns. Elio¡¯s entire body rxed next to me. His voice came out low and ragged.


    ¡°You¡¯d better stop if unless you¡¯re ready to finish it.¡±


    I tilted my head back, cing a single hot kiss on the base of his neck.


    ¡°No,¡± I whispered.


    He smiled but kept pretending that he could control himself. I was ready for the challenge. My hand leisurely made its way up his thigh and ghosted over the outline of his erection.


    ¡°Caterina,¡± he growled.


    I remained unrelenting in my mission to tease him. I wanted to make him so wild that the moment we arrived home, he¡¯d haul us both up to our ce and pay me back for the indecent behavior.


    He finally turned toward me and tilted his head down to re at me. His eyes burned with an invigorating mixture of lust and pent-up arousal. Elio reached over to the small panel on the door and clicked a button that instantly set the dividers up between the front and back of the car.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t love,¡± he said warningly. ¡°I can¡¯t promise that what you¡¯re wearing is going to make it back home in one piece.¡±


    Thisment sent dozens of small shivers racing down my spine. I lifted my hand from his waist and snaked it up the muscled nes of his chest. A devious smile curved my lips.


    ¡°Make me,¡± I whispered against his mouth.


    What little was left of Elio¡¯s self-control immediately snapped in half. Both his hands came to wrap around my waist as he lifted me onto hisp. He adjusted my legs till I was perfectly straddling him in his seat. A warm blush touched my cheeks. He took my chin between his thumb and forefinger and tipped my head forward.


    He leaned in and captured my lips in a searing kiss. The tips of his fingers slowly roamed over the exposed skin of my shoulders and back. I felt myself melt into his touch and practically rock my hips forward.


    Elio trailed a line of small kisses over my jaw and down the curve of my neck. He nipped and dragged his teeth over the sensitive patch just below my ear.


    ¡°You drive me insane,¡± he growled under his breath. ¡°All that shameless teasing, getting me all worked up.¡±


    His rugged voice stole the air from my lungs. I curled my hands into the soft material of his shirt, desperate to feel his kiss once more.


    Part of me deeply hoped that he would sneak his hand under the hem of my sundress and discover just how turned on I¡¯d be from my excessive ying. I waited to feel the tips of his fingers brush along the inner sides of my thighs, yet he kept them firmly on my waist.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I breathed.


    He chuckled deep from his chest as he continued to hold out on me. I wanted him to continue what he¡¯d started. I wanted him to kiss me, touch me, anything... but I soon came to realize that this was his way of getting back at me.


    When I rolled my hips forward again, his grip on my waist stopped me. I then tried to at least kiss him but again he held me back. I was growing frustrated and needier by the second.


    Elio spoke roughly against my ear. ¡°It¡¯s not nice to tease people, is it?¡±


    I could tell from the intense depths of his eyes that not even he was really willing to hold back for much longer. His gaze kept dropping to my lips, where his restraint was wearing thinner by the second.


    ¡°Oh, fuck it,¡± he huffed.


    Elio snatched the back of my neck and pulled me back into a heated kiss. His tongue ran along the seam of my lips and pressed into my mouth with fervent intent. We were entangled with each other for what felt like hours.


    By the time we reached the apartment building, we were seconds away from tearing at each other¡¯s clothes. Our driver pulled the car into its designated spot and was already taking our bags out of the trunk.


    Much to my dismay, Elio broke the kiss and slid out of the backseat. He rolled a suggestive brow and smirked. ¡°I¡¯m ready to get you upstairs and happily finish what you started, Ms. Leone,¡± he said.


    Just as I was about to slide out of the car, I watched Elio¡¯s expression shift when he turned his head. My brows pulled together in question. I followed to look in his direction to see what had captured his attention so severely.


    For a brief second, my stomach dropped when I saw a familiar face staring back at us.


    Alexi.


    ¡®Oh, God,¡¯ I thought to myself.


    ¡°What the¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stay here.¡± Elio gently pushed me back into the car and closed the door.


    I watched him stalk over to where Alexi was standing, and I quietly rolled down the window just enough for me to be able to catch at least a part of their conversation.


    Why in the hell was Alexi here?


    I couldn¡¯t imagine that he was here to ry any serious news regarding Junior, considering that Elio and I had been away for days and no one had tried to message us since. Things were surprisingly calm, which was a blessing since our trip would have been cut short had something happened.


    Elio¡¯s voice is muffled from the window as well as his distance away.


    ¡°We appreciate the assistance you¡¯ve given us... but this is really getting to be too much.¡±


    I was frustrated that I couldn¡¯t make out more of the conversation. But from where I was watching them, the conversation looked like it was growing heated.


    Elio kept his hands at his sides, but they were both clenched. His anger was growing with each passing second as Alexi kept talking about something.


    While Elio appeared tense, Alexi maintained a rxed demeanor. ¡°Look man, you¡¯re reading too much into this. I¡¯m only trying to look out for her.¡±


    I cursed under my breath because I still couldn¡¯t fully make out what either of them was saying. But whatever fell out of Alexi¡¯s mouth next was clearly enough to set Elio off.


    My heart leaped in my throat as I watched Elio shove Alexi against the side of the building.


    ¡°Leave! Alright?¡± he shouted angrily. ¡°Get out of here! I can look after Cat just fine.¡±


    Something flickered across Alexi¡¯s eyes that I couldn¡¯t quite decipher. That alone made me nervous with uncertainty.


    Alexi gave onest look in my direction before he made off. Elio wasted zero time walking back over to the car and pulling me out. Since our bags were already waiting for us upstairs, all that was left was us. He wrapped his hand around my wrist and hauled us inside.


    I wanted to ask him about what he and Alexi had spoken about, but I didn¡¯t want to aggravate him any further. It was obvious that whatever Alexi¡¯s intentions were, they weren¡¯t sitting right with Elio.


    Well, so much for spending the rest of the day in bed together, I thought. Our sensual mood was more than ruined at that point.


    My initial thought was tofort Elio and try to calm his anger, yet I couldn¡¯t get Alexi out of my mind. A part of me couldn¡¯t help but feel like all of this wasn¡¯t going to end well for him.


    Alexi had already betrayed Junior bying to us with information, but now it seemed he was hell-bent on pissing off Elio. What good was it if both sides of this fight wanted nothing to do with him?


    ¡®But what else are we supposed to do?¡¯ I asked myself helplessly.

 Chapter 684 : A Late Night Call

    <h4>Chapter 684: Chapter 684 : A Late Night Call</h4>


    *Elio*


    I let out a disgruntled groan from my chest when I heard the continuous buzz of my phone going off. The room was pitch ck as Cat remained curled up beside me with her face buried in the bed covers.


    My sight was barely visible as I struggled to find my phone on the bedside table in the dark. And my head was still aching from the anger and stress of seeing Alexi waiting outside of the building yesterday.


    I hated how easily he was able to trigger my anger while he managed to remain so calm and collected.


    ¡®That smug bastard,¡¯ I had snarled to myself. ¡®Who the fuck does he think he is?¡¯


    I was so angry I could barely see straight, even after he had left. Did he seriously believe that I didn¡¯t care about Caterina¡¯s safety? The man went out of his way to see Cat and tried to steal a moment alone with her, more than once.


    Why?


    I didn¡¯t miss the stolen nce he¡¯d shot in her direction right before he headed to his own car. It felt like a block of lead in my stomach.


    Goddamnit, so much for a peaceful arrival home.


    I¡¯d already figured that the moment our ne touched down, my mind would be one hundred percent transfixed on work. But Cat¡¯s unexpected,nguid touches made me rethink my priorities.


    I wanted to push whatever work that needed to be dealt with until the following day and focus on Cat. I had every intention of rushing us back to the apartment and spending the next several hours worshiping every curve and line of her body.


    Instead of that, we both got back to our penthouse and spent what was left of our night in an awkward silence. Cat tried to ask me about Alexi, but I couldn¡¯t find the mental rity to tell her much. Knowing that I was purposely holding out on her, she proceeded to take a long shower and head straight to bed.


    I followed swiftly after her and hoped that tomorrow would bring less aggravation.


    Unfortunately, seeing Leo¡¯s name appear on the screen of my phone told me that a possibility of tranquility was unlikely to happen.


    I quickly answered the call and slid out of bed, trying my best to not wake up Cat. I nced out the window to find that the sun hadn¡¯t even peaked over the horizon. Damn, it was early. That only caused my nerves to spike further. What information did Leo need to tell me that couldn¡¯t wait until morning?


    ¡°Is there a reason why you¡¯re calling me at the ass crack of dawn?¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Ha, ha. Believe me, I wasn¡¯t too keen about calling you either. To be honest, I was going to pass the phone to someone else and spare myself a verbalshing,¡± he snarked.


    Leo sounded just as thrilled as I did, only his voice wasced with an undertone of anger that I would, undoubtedly, be sharing with him.


    ¡°Just tell me what¡¯s happened.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that rat Alexi,¡± he snarled.


    Suddenly, I found myself wide awake. What little exhaustion that was still lingering in me instantly faded. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from shouting out a series of curses.


    ¡®Of-fucking-course this is about him,¡¯ I thought bitterly.


    I took in a staggering breath and pushed the rage deep within my chest.


    ¡°What about him?¡± I asked through gritted teeth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, man. The fucker double-crossed us it seemed,¡± Leo exined. ¡°You know we¡¯ve got eyes on all the safehouses he told us about?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and?¡±


    ¡°The team has discovered Alexi trying to head to one of those safe houses, very likely trying to get to Junior. Well, we stopped him before he got the chance.¡±


    The pause in his voice told me that there was much more to the story than he was leading on. The terrible feeling in my gut would not calm down for anything. A part of me wanted to be shocked by this revtion, but I never fully trusted Alexi to begin with.


    ¡°What aren¡¯t you telling me, Leo?¡±


    ¡°While we may have stopped the bastard from getting to Junior, there is the very likely chance that the damage has already been done,¡± he said. ¡°Apart from getting a hold of him, the team had eyes on Junior. They watched hime out of one of the safe houses and remove the tracker we¡¯d ced on his car.¡±


    My eyes fell shut while I felt my self-control lose another piece of itself.


    ¡°Motherfucker!¡± I hissed loudly.


    Quickly, I nced over my shoulder to see Cat was still sleeping soundly. Thest thing I needed was to wake her up and have her find out about what was happening. I didn¡¯t think I could handle her reaction to finding out that we¡¯ve basically lost our advantage over Junior. Here I was thinking that this whole mess was soon to be over....


    My lips pulled back into a tight sneer. ¡°So, what you¡¯re basically telling me is that we¡¯repromised.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Leo sighed. ¡°Chances are that Alexi reached out to Junior and told him everything, or at the very least, informed him about the tracker on his car.¡±


    I took several breaths in hopes of keeping my head clear. But my nerves were so tense that my hand was shaking tensely at my side. It clenched into a tight fist and was just waiting for the chance to fly out and hit something.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t get it, man,¡± Leo sounded resigned. ¡°I really thought that Alexi wanted nothing more to do with Junior, and yet he turns around and pulls some shit like this? What the hell happened?¡±


    I knew exactly what made Alexi change his mind about wanting to keep working with us¡ªme.


    After going off on him yesterday, I¡¯d basically told the asshole to crawl back to his boss. I wanted him to stay away from Cat.


    It didn¡¯t exactly take a genius to see that Alexi was interested in her. He surely wasn¡¯t the first man to ever look at Cat with interest, and much to my dismay, he wasn¡¯t likely to be thest. Whether she realized it or not, Cat was unearthly beautiful. Whenever she and I would spend time outside of the apartment, she¡¯d capture the attention of whoever we¡¯d walk by.


    Not a single man was dumb enough to ever approach her when I was around, but Alexi had proven to be different. For some unknown reason, him helping my team out must have given him the idea that he was granted ess to Caterina.


    ¡°Yeah, that may have been because of me,¡± I muttered bitterly.


    ¡°What the hell do you mean?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Catarina and I were heading back to the penthouse after the flight home. Well, when we got there, we saw that Alexi was waiting outside the building. I¡¯d asked him what he was doing there, initially thinking that it was something Junior-rted, but the stalker was just hanging around because of Cat. He made some stupid, cutting remarks about me not being able to protect her well enough, something about me being too careless about her safety.¡±


    I didn¡¯t care how immature or jealous I sounded. The guy needed to back off. If he hadn¡¯t left when he did, there was a very good chance that I would¡¯ve pounded him. Now that I was being told that he¡¯d gone ahead and blown our cover, I knew should¡¯ve thrown my fist when I had the chance.


    ¡°Well, look, man.¡± Leo said. ¡°Junior hasn¡¯t left the safe house yet, but there¡¯s a good chance that could happen soon.¡±


    I ran a rough hand through my hair and down my face. ¡°Yeah, I think you¡¯re right. Chances are that he¡¯s currently making ns to relocate and trying to get out of there without us noticing.¡±


    At this rate, we were going to lose track of him. All those months of searching and nning were about to fall to nothing.


    I didn¡¯t need to nce down at my hand to know that my knuckles were white from all the straining. I really needed to find a way to release all this pent-up stress and anger. I imagined using Alexi as my personal punching bag.


    If I couldn¡¯t catch Paul, then the next best thing was to get the guy who had ruined my ns, for the time being.


    ¡°You said that you caught Alexi. Where is he now?¡± I asked sharply.


    If it turned out that Alexi was currently being held in one of our warehouses, I was going to throw on some clothes and take a ride out there myself. And as much as I hated to leave Cat in the middle of the night with zero exnation, it was a decision that would¡¯ve been easily made.


    ¡°We let him go,¡± Leo said.


    ¡®You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me,¡¯ I snarled to myself.


    At that moment, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure I trusted myself not to explode. We don¡¯t even have the guy responsible for our failed n.


    Fucking hell.


    Now I was truly beginning to understand why Leo was hesitant to be the one to call me. Not one piece of information he was telling me was decent.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re pissed off, Elio, but think about it,¡± Leo reasoned. ¡°Alexi has no one at this point. He¡¯s as much of a traitor to Junior as he is to us. We let him go so that Junior can deal with him however the hell he wants.¡±


    My brows raised in surprise. Maybe it was for the best that Alexi was out of our hands now. As long as he stayed away from Cat and me, I didn¡¯t care what happened to him.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°As annoyed as I am about all this, I¡¯ll call you again in the morning. I¡¯ve got some other news to tell you and I don¡¯t have the brain function to exin any of it now.¡±


    I ended the call and refrained from throwing my phone across the room. Sliding back under the covers, I rested my head against the pillow and searched for any chance of falling back asleep.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Cat whispered softly.


    Every muscle in my stomach clenched, and I turned to see her eyes blinking up at me. Oh shit, how much had she heard? Was she awake the entire time? Damnit, I knew I should have left the room to take the call in the hallway.


    I lifted my hand to brush her hair back from her face. ¡°It¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t deal with,¡± I hushed. ¡°Go back to sleep.¡±


    Cat¡¯s eyes fluttered closed, whereas mine remained wide open. My mind slipped into a long, endless train of thought. So, my team decided to let Alexi go....


    Just knowing that the guy was walking around freely set my nerves on edge.


    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have let Alexi walk away the first time,¡¯ I thought aimlessly. ¡®I won¡¯t be making that mistake again.¡¯


    Before I allowed my eyes to close again, I decided that tomorrow Leo and I would talk to Francesco. The man needed to be brought up to speed on our situation as soon as possible. Plus, it was vital that I talk to Leo about being my potential second.


    He had remained by my side through nearly this entire ordeal. This had be his fight just as well as mine.

 Chapter 685 : Rough Morning

    <h4>Chapter 685: Chapter 685 : Rough Morning</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I heard rustling long before I opened my eyes. The light from the morning sun gently streamed through the blinds of the windows, casting an ethereal glow throughout the room. Slowly, I blinked away the blurriness in my eyes.


    My hand felt around for Elio, only to find that his side of the bed waspletely empty.


    What little bit of sleep that was still lingering around my eyes instantly fell away. I turned my head to find Elio rummaging through the closet and dresser and throwing on whatever clothes he found.


    My brows drew together in confusion. Was I forgetting something? Where on earth was he going in such a hurry? Did we have some kind of errand or engagement this morning that I¡¯dpletely forgot about?


    In all honesty, there wasn¡¯t much to remember from the evening before. After the whole unexpected run-in with Alexi, Elio¡¯s mood had remained rigid and distant. I had hoped to spend the rest of our night rxing and winding down from our trip, but that didn¡¯t happen.


    I hadn¡¯t even tried to revive the passion I¡¯d originally stirred back in the car, allowing Elio to simply work through his own feelings in peace. Normally, I would have poked at him for an exnation.


    I still didn¡¯t know or understand why Alexi was there in the first ce. Whatever was said between them was enough to send Elio into a spiraling fit of rage, and I knew that pestering him on the matter was not going to make things any better.


    I figured that once the two of us finally got some real rest, that everything would be fine.


    But by the furious look on Elio¡¯s face, that was clearly not the case.


    ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡± I yawned.


    I brushed my hair back from my face and blinked up at Elio, who nced over his shoulder to look at me. His eyes were filled with stern exhaustion.


    ¡®Well, so much for getting any real rest,¡¯ I thought to myself.


    ¡°I have to meet with Leo and Francesco,¡± he said under his breath.


    Elio turned back to continue getting himself ready. Meanwhile, I threw back the covers and struggled to find my bnce when my feet touched the floor. I carried myself over to my side of the closet and began rolling through my hangers.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that we have a meeting,¡± I said. ¡°If I¡¯d known before, I would have set an rm to wake up a bit earlier.¡±


    I settled on a cream-colored blouse that I liked along with a pair of faded jeans. My hair was slightly a mess, but I figured I¡¯d just pull it back into a clip or a ponytail of some kind.


    I had just turned to head into the bathroom when Elio¡¯s voice broke through the silence.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need toe,¡± he stated firmly.


    There was no possible indication in his tone that he meant those words as a suggestion. My entire body froze on the spot. I turned around to face him with a look of utter confusion.


    ¡°What do you mean, I don¡¯t need to go?¡± I asked him tightly.


    For him to be meeting with Leo ¡®and¡¯ Francesco meant that this wasn¡¯t just regr work they¡¯d be discussing. This very likely involved talking about Junior and Antonio¡ªwhich meant that I had every reason to be there. I had told Elio that I needed to be included in everything that pertained to those two.


    And yet for some unknown, aggravating, reason, he was making the decision to exclude me.


    Again.


    I tried to keep my tone as calm as possible and gave him the chance to exin.


    ¡°Elio, tell me why I don¡¯t need¡ª¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s not something you need to concern yourself with right now,¡± he said pointedly. He let out a long breath. ¡°I¡¯ll fill you inter.¡±


    My chest tightened in devastated anger. How the hell could he say that?


    Part of me wanted to be spiteful and tell him that it was too bad, that I had every intention ofing with him. But Elio was already finished getting ready and was on his way out of the bedroom. So, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered how quickly I¡¯d have tried to get myself together.


    Elio was dead set on leaving me behind.


    I was beyond pissed. My hands clenched into tight fists at my sides, causing my knuckles to turn white with rage. He was shutting me out¡ªdisregarding my stance in the entire situation. What had happened to the Elio who was defending my ce back in Florence? When every other man was so quick to discount my importance, he had been the one standing up to them and insisting that I be a part of it all.


    And yet here he was, pushing me aside, leaving me behind... shutting me out.


    ¡°Well, have a great time,¡± I hissed bitterly.


    Elio suddenly stopped and turned back to face me. For a brief moment, I genuinely thought that he¡¯d changed his mind. Maybe in those few split seconds, he hade to his senses and realized the mistake he was making.


    I was wrong.


    Elio didn¡¯t say a word, nor did he even appear to be remotely sorry for his shitty attitude. He took a few steps toward me, closing the space between us. He looked as though he was going to lean down and kiss me. But I didn¡¯t have a single ounce of interest in affection right now.


    I narrowed my eyes and mmed the door right in his face.


    ¡°Just go,¡± I said quietly.


    Tears threatened to fall in disappointment, but I fought them back. Grabbing clothes off the bed, I headed into the bathroom to get ready on my own time.


    ***


    I¡¯d decided on a long, hot shower in hopes of working out some of the stress my muscles held since the morning. As much as I tried to forget about the whole encounter with Elio, I couldn¡¯t.


    I tried to think through several different possibilities as to why he saw the need to leave me out this time. It was then that I remembered about the strange phone call Elio had received in the middle of the night. I couldn¡¯t tell who exactly was on the other end of the line, but what I did notice was how tense Elio became afterward.


    The thought then urred to me... not only did he not include me, but intentionally didn¡¯t tell me about the meeting until it was toote for me to be a part of it. What the hell kind of shit was that?


    Once I was put together, I reached for my phone to call Anna. If anyone could help me see logic in my anger, it was her.


    Two rings went by before I heard her voicee through the other side of the line.


    ¡°Hey, Cat.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Anna.¡±


    Apparently, the trepidation in my voice was easily picked up.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Anna asked. ¡°You normally don¡¯t reach out to me this early unless something has happened.¡±


    I paused. ¡°Well....¡±


    ¡°Cat. Did something happen?¡± she asked sternly.


    I let out a long sigh of frustration. ¡°It¡¯s Elio,¡± I muttered.


    I knew I couldn¡¯t very well fill Anna in on ¡®all¡¯ the details of the issue, so I made it a point to alter the truth just slightly for everyone¡¯s sake.


    ¡°Elio told me that he wanted to include me in on a meeting at work to help me gain some experience,¡± I told her.


    ¡°That sounds great,¡± she said.


    ¡°Exactly. I really thought that he was finally taking me seriously in wanting to be involved in his work and was willing to bring me in on the important parts.¡±


    The anger that I¡¯d managed to tamper down from earlier was beginning to re up again by the second.


    ¡°So, what happened?¡±


    Another huff of irritation slipped from my mouth.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that... for a while now, Elio¡¯s been on board about including me when it counts at his work, yet he proceeded topletely disregard me this morning when he tantly refused to let me go with him,¡± I exined. ¡°I thought we were finally past the whole keeping me at a distance phase, and now he decided to pull this.¡±


    ¡°Cat, it sounds like you and Elio really need to sit down and talk about this,¡± Anna suggested. ¡°I think it¡¯s great that he wants to include you in his work, but if he¡¯s persistently keeping you away then you need to know why.¡±


    As usual, Anna was right. There was little to no point in skulking over Elio¡¯s actions, though he had left me feeling angry and upset with little to no exnation.


    ¡°Maybe something came up in his schedule, and it just wasn¡¯t the right time to bring you into his work,¡± she said.


    My brows raised while my thoughts immediately took me back to the mysterious call that I¡¯d overheardst night. Something obviously happened that required Elio¡¯s immediate attention. Maybe it wasn¡¯t necessary for me to be physically brought in, but the least that he could have done was just tell me about it.


    Nheless, I felt much better having spoken with Anna. She¡¯d asked about Italy and told her a few bits and pieces from my trip before I came to the startling realization that I had yet to inform my mom about my return home. I quickly ended the call and grabbed my bag.


    Key in hand, I hastily made my way down to my mother¡¯s apartment and lightly knocked on the door. Just as I was about to turn the key into the lock, I saw the doorknob twist open. My heart jumped into my throat when I came to see that it was my mom who answered the door.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± I gasped in shock.


    My mom¡¯s face lit up with both surprise and happiness. ¡°Cat! You¡¯re home! Oh, dear, how was the trip?¡±


    I nearly shrugged off her question as though it held little consequence.


    My mother was walking again. Granted, she was relying heavily on her walker, but she was walking. It was almost enough to bring tears of joy to my eyes, seeing her regaining her life back one step at a time.


    I led us back into the living room. ¡°Florence was beautiful and every bit of how I once remembered it,¡± I said. ¡°It was incredible to go back.¡±


    Her features softened with blissful ease as I told her all about the art galleries and museums we went to. My mom¡¯s smile widened further with every new detail. I could tell that she missed the ce deeply. When it finally came to reaching her full recovery, I made a mental promise to myself that she and I would go back to Florence again.


    For the remainder of the afternoon, we spent most of our time catching up until I heard the sudden noise of my phone buzzing on the coffee table.


    I quickly nced down at the screen to see that it was Elio¡¯s name being disyed. For some strange reason, I felt a twinge of uneasiness.


    I pushed my slighted feelings to the side and answered the call.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Al just called me,¡± Elio said. ¡°He has an update on Antonio.¡±

 Chapter 686 : Update from Al

    <h4>Chapter 686: Chapter 686 : Update from Al</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡°What happened?¡± Caterina¡¯s voice perked up, sounding eager as she asked questions I couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°Did they find him? What about Junior? Are they tracing them right now so we don¡¯t lose them? Did they get away, or¡ª¡±


    ¡°Calm down.¡±


    I smirked, shaking my head at how obviously excited she was about catching the bastard, even though most people would be scared out of their minds to face down such a hardened criminal.


    Her fearlessness was one of the things I loved the most about her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to discuss anything over the phone,¡± I exined. ¡°We¡¯re finishing up the meeting here, and I¡¯ll be home soon to fill you in on everything, alright?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said softly.


    I wanted to apologize for the way I¡¯d stormed out and kept her in the dark about what was going on... again, but now wasn¡¯t the time for that, either.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon,¡± I said.


    ¡°Bye,¡± she replied.


    I watched the call dissolve on the phone screen and paused for a moment before turning back to the men.


    ¡°That¡¯s all we¡¯ve got right now from Al¡¯s side, so it¡¯s up to us to finish this,¡± I said calmly to the room.


    Leo and Francesco still had serious looks on their faces as they digested the news from Italy and the new n we were putting into ce.


    ¡°It¡¯s risky.¡± Francesco frowned.


    ¡°It always is,¡± I pointed out. ¡°This is the best n we¡¯ve got for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m in. As long as we get the guy, I¡¯m happy.¡± Leo grinned, looking like azy cat as he stretched his arms behind his head.


    I doubted there was anybody who could be as rxed as him after hearing what Al had just told us.


    ¡°We all want that,¡± I said. ¡°Francesco?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± he said coolly. ¡°But just to be clear, I do think this n is too risky.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± I said. ¡°If youe up with a way to mitigate that risk, I¡¯m all ears. But we¡¯ll go ahead with the n for now.¡±


    Leo sighed, leaning back in his chair with his arms behind his head. His chair toddled precariously on the back two legs.


    ¡°Okay, with all that we¡¯ve learned, I need to update Cat as soon as possible,¡± I said. ¡°Anything else I need to cover in case I forget?¡±


    Leo and Francesco exchanged nces. I could read Leo like an open book as he raised an eyebrow at his fellow man and then sighed, shaking his head like he was about to watch someone do something incredibly stupid.


    And that was exactly what happened.


    ¡°Actually, I think it would be for the best of the operation if you didn¡¯t share so much with your girlfriend,¡± Francesco said bluntly.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I narrowed my eyes at him, crossing my arms as I stared him down.


    My temper was already rising, as it did whenever Cat was involved, and I still hadn¡¯t forgiven this bastard for his clear dislike of Cat back in Italy, though I¡¯d thought he¡¯d gotten over that given how friendly he¡¯d been on the ne ride home.


    But apparently, I was wrong.


    ¡°To be clear,¡± Leo piped up, holding his hands out in defense, ¡°I have no part in this. He is acting alone in this, okay? I won¡¯t take responsibility for his stupidity, okay?¡±


    Francesco didn¡¯t back down, even at Leo¡¯s words. He stared me straight in the eye, unreadable as always.


    ¡°And what brings you to that conclusion, Francesco?¡± I demanded coldly.


    ¡°Caterina¡ª¡±


    I hated her nameing out of his mouth in that way, and he seemed to know it as his eyes glinted under the lights, a pleased look on his face when I clenched my fists together. ¡°She may have impressed the Don and the family at dinner and forced her way into being a part of the operation, but that does not mean she needs to know every little thing we do. Discretion is key, and I doubt she has the necessary... skills to keep this information from the enemy. Her father was in this business, but that doesn¡¯t mean his girl will be any good at it. Maybe it would be best if she was left in the dark on this.¡±


    I red at him, trying not to snap as I knew that was exactly what he wanted. I had to handle this carefully. He was here to partner with me during the leadership transition. I wasn¡¯t fully in charge, and Alessandro trusted this man to make decisions. He was already hesitant about my n, and now he was resistant about Caterina.


    I knew that if I took Cat¡¯s defense in the wrong way, he could use it against me to say I was too emotionally involved to make logical decisions. If that happened, he could take control of this operation, and I didn¡¯t want that. The man seemed to respond to strength, so that was what I went with.


    I straightened my spine like it was steel. ¡°Cat has just as much of a right to know about this as you or I do. He killed her father, held her hostage, and shot her mother. She has gone through hell because of this asshole, and she deserves the chance to help catch him.¡±


    ¡°Also, she has proven to be very helpful,¡± Leo added, giving Francesco a pointed look. ¡°Half of the safehouses and locations we know about were because of her. Plus, her idea of bringing our guys from Italy instead of hiring here was incredibly insightful.¡±


    I looked at Leo, thankful for his support of Cat, and d that I¡¯d shared that tidbit of information from our meeting with the family in Italy.


    It only took me a moment to decide on my next move. Yes, Francesco was here to help me make decisions, but I also had to prove to him that I was fit to be the Don of the American side of things. If I wasn¡¯t firm about mymitments, I would be no good as a leader. It helped that my stance about Cat was immovable. Though I wanted to protect her from danger, I also wanted to protect her right to be included.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you think of her,¡± I said firmly. ¡°I will include Cat in our movements because she is useful for helping to catch Antonio and his bastard of a son.¡± I left no room for any more objections on the matter.


    Francesco thinned his lips, looking incredibly pissed off for a few moments, which was the most emotion I had gotten from him in weeks. But I didn¡¯t give a shit right then. Cat was more important, and she was waiting for me at home. I needed to fill her in.


    I turned to leave, grabbing my jacket and throwing it on, but I only made it a few paces before I remembered something else. When I turned back to him, Francesco¡¯s mood had already changed. He was almost back to being the same friendly man who¡¯d apanied us home.


    I softened my voice in response. ¡°Also, before I go, we need to give you a nickname, Francesco. Alessandro said you¡¯re going to make you stick out like a sore thumb over here, so you need a more Americanized name. Do you have any nicknames we can use?¡±


    Francesco just stared at me nkly then pursed his lips. ¡°A few people used to call me Franky,¡± he said slowly.


    ¡°That works,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks, Franky.¡±


    I thought I caught a smile on his face, but it was hard to tell with that man.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Leo.¡± I nodded my head to the exit. ¡°I need your help with something. Franky, we¡¯ll be in touch, so get settled and get the men together before tonight. We¡¯ve got some shit to deal with in the meantime.¡±


    Franky just nodded.


    ¡°Alright, party time.¡± Leo grinned, turning to our newrade. ¡°Thanks for watching the base, Franky. I really appreciate it.¡±


    Once we entered the parking lot, I threw Leo a pair of keys to the extra car. He caught them easily in one hand, giving me a confused look as I pulled out the keys to my own car. Realization dawned on him in a single instant, and his grin fell to a pout.


    ¡°We need this contract, so I need you to go to the meeting,¡± I said. ¡°Unfortunately, we have to keep the developmentpany profitable if we¡¯re going to use it as a front. The new client is pretty hesitant, but I think you can firm up the deal. I¡¯ll go update Cat.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s real nice. Leave all the hard work to us single guys while you go and cuddle your precious girlfriend,¡¯ Leoined, grumbling like an old man.


    I knew that Leo was starting to hate our legitimate work as much as I was, but I kept reminding myself that it was part of the mafia life. It was crucial that we maintain some above-board businesses to keep up appearances. It had to make sense that we had so much money, and we needed to run some of the funds through these legitimatepanies to make things work. Leo knew that, but he didn¡¯t seem like he was in the mood to deal with it right then.


    ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a meal,¡± I threw him a bone, rolling my eyes at his pouting.


    ¡°It better be a three-star and you better pick me up in the Mercedes, the red one!¡± he demanded as I headed for my car. ¡°And let me know how she takes the news, by the way. I expect she punches you in the face.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t happen,¡± I refuted calmly as I got into the car.


    But before I could shut the door, I saw Leo flip me off from where he was. I smirked, starting the car and pushing down on the pedal to rev up the engine as he passed by. He jumped nearly a foot in the air as the engine roared to life before him.


    I could see him mouthing some insult, but I turned on the radio, ring some popr song as I pulled out of the driveway. I knew he would get over it soon enough, and that he¡¯d be great with the clients. Their personalities sort of suited him.


    As I headed toward the penthouse, I knew that Leo was right about one thing. I wasn¡¯t sure how Cat was going to react to this news. She could either be happy enough to kiss me and I would have a very wonderful night, or so disappointed she¡¯d spend the night so caught up in her anxieties, and I¡¯d be chopped liver to her.


    Either way, it was bound to be interesting.

 Chapter 687 : Miscommunications

    <h4>Chapter 687: Chapter 687 : Mimunications</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I got off the phone with Elio both excited and scared of what he might say. It had to be big if he didn¡¯t want to discuss it over the phone, but it could be anything. Maybe they had located Antonio and were ready to kill him, I thought, or he¡¯d already been killed. I wouldn¡¯t be the happiest about that, but I wouldn¡¯tin so long as he was dead for good.


    Or maybe he had escaped Italy and they lost track of him entirely. Then we¡¯d have to start the whole search over.


    Restless and anxious, I paced the living room floor, staring at my phone and then the door as I waited for him to get home. Endless possibilities of what was so urgent filled my head, and each one was worse than thest.


    After fifteen minutes, I¡¯d moved on to wondering if everyone I knew was killed by the motherfucker and Elio was justing by to break the news. I knew that wasn¡¯t likely, or even possible considering that all my loved ones were safe and ounted for, but my brain wasn¡¯t exactly thinking rationally at the moment.


    I was just about to go out of my mind when I heard the sound of the front door unlocking. I jolted to attention, hovering by the entrance as Elio popped inside, carrying his bag and jacket in one hand.


    ¡°Hey.¡± He greeted me casually, a soft smile spreading across his lips as soon as he saw me.


    I could do nothing but stare as he kissed me, short and sweet, and then pushed past me before I could even register what had happened.


    ¡°How was your morning?¡± he asked, throwing his stuff down with a patient look. He sat on the couch, untying his shoes and I hovered over him with wide, unblinking eyes.


    ¡°What happened with Antonio?¡±


    ¡°Leo¡¯s finishing thest meeting of the day, so I¡¯m pretty much free for the rest of the night. Did you want to get Chinese for dinner? I know you love your orange chicken¡ª¡±


    ¡°Elio!¡± I copsed next to him on the couch, my muscles so tight it was painful as I red at him and demanded firmly. ¡°Stop ying games with me. What happened with Antonio?¡±


    He chuckled, light and airy as he propped his head up on his fist, looking at me with those sparkling, adoring eyes. Any other time I would¡¯ve melted into a puddle for him to y with, but this time, it was way too urgent.


    Seeing I wasn¡¯t cracking, he sighed and nodded to himself. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±


    I breathed out, trying to rx as I curled into the corner of the couch, my knees propped up to my chest and my socked feet on his thigh as I waited intently for whatever he needed to say to me. Good or bad, I could take it.


    ¡°Al called,¡± Elio started, a frown on his lips.


    My heart dropped at his expression. This wasn¡¯t good.


    ¡°He had a team watching Antonio,¡± he continued. ¡°We were trying to find a good ce to take care of him quietly butst night, the team went silent. They were supposed to report back but they didn¡¯t, so Alunched an investigation.¡±


    I shut my eyes, knowing instinctively what he meant.


    ¡°They found the team dead by the pier. They¡¯d been caught by surprise and taken out before they could alert us,¡± Elio said, a look of regret on his face. ¡°Unfortunately, we also found out that Antonio had left Italy as well.¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I mmed my hand onto the couch, loathing welling up from the pit of my stomach as I struggled to digest that we had lost him... again.


    He was out there now, who knows where, causing who knows what kind of damage, and now we couldn¡¯t touch him. It was fucking bullshit.


    ¡°I know.¡± Elio pulled me into hisp, running his hands up and down my arms soothingly as I buried my face into his chest, my lips twisted into a deep frown.


    ¡°He needs to die for what he¡¯s done,¡± I muttered darkly.


    ¡°And he will,¡± Elio vowed, gently tipping my face up to meet his eyes. ¡°Because that¡¯s not all.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Al caught on to what happened quick enough that weunched an investigation. Thanks to your brilliant idea, we had people on this side who acted fast enough, and we were able to find his new alias as soon as hended. We traced him, and I sent a team to track his whereabouts discreetly.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t lose him?¡± My eyes shined with hope.


    Elio grinned, pressing a kiss to my lips.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he breathed. ¡°We found him in a safe house we had no clue even existed before. He¡¯s back here in LA and now, we have the chance to end him for good. Last I heard, Leo had sent a few men to tail him. We¡¯ve got eyes on him now, and he won¡¯t be getting away.¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief, in sheer awe of how quickly Elio and Al had worked together in a single night. It fucking sucked that they¡¯d lost a few good men and lost their tail on Antonio, but I just couldn¡¯t believe we still had him.


    I was beginning to understand just how difficult Antonio had been to find after all these years, but whether it was a slip-up on his part or the sheerpetence of the team Elio and Al had set up, we still had him right where we wanted him.


    It was a relief, especially since Junior had already found out about us. I¡¯d figured it would¡¯ve made things more difficult, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t so. Antonio must not have realized that we had gone to Italy after him.


    He may have been expecting Alessandro, but certainly not us.


    He would pay for his crimes this time¡ªfor killing my father, all those years of grief my mother and I had suffered... for tearing my family apart and showing no ounce of remorse for it. Antonio was a monster and he deserved to die for everything he had done.


    But as happy as I was with this news, I still remembered that I had a bone to pick with Elio. I pulled out of his embrace, giving him a fierce look as I scooted back to the other side of the couch.


    Despite my re, Elio just nced at my pajamas and socks printed to look like cat paws and gave a look like I was just adorable to him.


    Grumpily, I crossed my arms and said very slowly, ¡°You left me out of the meeting.¡±


    Elio, for all his part, didn¡¯t make any excuses. He nodded his head, a sh of guilt in his eyes. ¡°I did. I¡¯m sorry for that. I should¡¯ve told you, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°No buts,¡± I snapped. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time we¡¯ve been through this, but it will be thest time. Do you understand me? You promised to include me in everything, and that means meetings too. Unless you have a very good reason¡ª¡±


    ¡°I do, I swear.¡±


    He grabbed my hands, pulling them from the clenched balls they were and intertwining our fingers together. He gave me a sad look, and I could almost imagine puppy dog ears flopping on his head.


    I pursed my lips, trying not to fall for his sad eyes and pitiful look but ultimately, I couldn¡¯t help but cave. He just looked too adorable.


    Elio beamed once he knew I had let it go, gently tugging on me so he could plop me right into hisp and encircle my waist in his arms.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t nned on making the meeting anything too important, but I needed to talk to Franky¡ªthat¡¯s what we¡¯re calling Francesco now.¡±


    He grinned as my lips twitched upward at the nickname. That ice cube of a man was being called something like Franky to his face?


    I could only imagine the scowl he would wear.


    ¡°What did you need to talk to Franky about that was so important I couldn¡¯te?¡±


    ¡°Well, I first had to let him know how things were going to be,¡± Elio said calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll be running the operation over here ultimately, and it¡¯s his job to deal with that or get the fuck out.¡±


    ¡°But he was friendly on the ne,¡± I said. ¡°It was like he calmed down from how he was in Italy. That¡¯s not the case?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°He probably has a problem with women being in leadership roles. But that¡¯s his problem, and I needed to tell him that. I needed to do that without you there so it wouldn¡¯t m him into a wall might make things worse.¡±


    I opened my mouth to refute that, but then actually thought about it for a second. I knew Francesco didn¡¯t like me at first. He¡¯d made that clear at that first meeting. But he¡¯d seemed to change on the way home, but maybe that was just to keep the peace so we could get through the ne ride together.


    The more I thought about it, the more I realized it would have been awful if he had been confrontational the whole way home.


    I stared into Elio¡¯s eyes and remembered how fragile male egos could be, though that didn¡¯t seem to be the case with Elio, thank God.


    I nodded understandingly.


    ¡°Good point,¡± I said, rxing in his arms now that I knew he did actually have a reason other than his stupid overprotectiveness.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve told you my reason for leaving you out before I left, but I was only thinking about getting it over with so we could focus on Antonio,¡± he admitted, giving me his wide puppy-dog eyes. ¡°I also was pretty pissed off about Antonio and what he¡¯d done. If I¡¯d been thinking straight, I would have reconsidered leaving you at home.¡±


    I nodded. It made sense, though I still didn¡¯t like being left out. ¡°Well, it can¡¯t happen again, and you¡¯re sure to get pissed off at these people again, or someone else once they¡¯re out of the picture. What¡¯s to stop you from leaving me out again?¡±


    ¡°My love for you,¡± he said softly.


    I nearly melted under his gaze.


    ¡°Forgive me?¡± he asked.


    I pursed my lips, as if I was thinking about it, but then cracked a smile when he added a very soft, ¡°Please?¡± as heid kisses on my hands.


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Iughed. ¡°I forgive you. And thank you for thinking of me. You were just trying to protect me. Though the next time somethinges up, you have to tell me before you do it, okay? We¡¯re a team.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± Elio grinned, kissing me on the lips.


    His hands wandered under my shirt, hot skin burning as he trailed up my back. I sat on my knees in between his long legs, and I threw my arms around his neck, fully putting my weight on him as I enjoyed his lips on mine.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you¡ª¡±


    I panted as I briefly pulled away, suppressing a moan as I bit down on my lips as his hand snuck up to my breast, eagerly pushing it away as he teased the nubs there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have something else to do with Leo?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He¡¯ll just have to wait,¡± Elio smirked. ¡°This is much more important.¡±

 Chapter 688 : You Asked for It

    <h4>Chapter 688: Chapter 688 : You Asked for It</h4>


    *Caterina*


    Desire flickered in the pit of my belly, only growing by the second as heated hands roamed along my feverish skin. Every part of me was in tune with him, even as he distracted me with his lips and tongue, teeth grazing on my bottom lip to allow better ess.


    I was helpless in his hand, just a toy for him to mold around himself and I gasped out, moaning as he just brushed his fingers over my nipples, stiff and sensitive.


    It didn¡¯t take much before I was rolling in pleasure.


    He knew just what to do to set me off, to rile me up until I couldn¡¯t think of anything but his body on mine, our names forgotten to the wind. He chuckled, in full control as he undid the straps on my bra, my shirt being pulled up to expose my breasts into the air.


    I could feel his hard bulge underneath me as I sat on hisp and he leaned back against the armrest, giving me a lustful smirk as he expertly pulled my shirt and bra right off of my head. He leaned forward, taking the red nipple into his mouth and I groaned, pressing my hands around his head, pushing harder as he sucked and nibbled.


    He circled the nib with his hot burning tongue, gently pulling with his teeth as he massaged my other breast with his hand. I was enthralled by him... his movements were slow and sure as he teased my nipples like he had all the time in the world.


    It was just the two of us in our little world.


    His lips pulled from my breast with a pop, and his breath was hot against my skin as he pressed kisses up my corbone and neck, making red love bites as his one hand massaged my breast, flicking my nipple every so often. His other hand traveled down, slipping beneath the waistband of my shorts, and I gave an unsteady shiver as his fingers teased me over my panties.


    I pressed down on instinct, feeling the outline of his cock through his pants, and I quivered in anticipation as his fingers dipped into me, finding my clit easily. He set an achingly slow pace, using only his fingers in slow circles as he drove me insane.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I gasped as he hit a rather sensitive spot, pushing just a little harder and he quickly found my lips again, swallowing my moans as he teased me with his tongue.


    It could¡¯ve been minutes or hours, I didn¡¯t know, but it felt like forever as he kept me right on the edge, just mere inches froming. I was teary-eyed, overwhelmed, and overstimted as I clung to him, pleading in whispers until he finally grew impatient with this little dance.


    He removed his hand and I whined on instinct, trying to rece his fingers with my own. I felt numb down there after being teased for so long, but Elio didn¡¯t care as he gave me a wicked smirk, grabbing my wrists in his hands and pushing me from on hisp to my back on the couch.


    In only my soaked shorts, I was half-delirious, feverish, and trembling and I could see the delight, the lust in his eyes as he brought me to such a vulnerable state. He licked his lips, eyes flickering down as he kept my wrists gently folded in his hand.


    With his other, he tugged down my shorts, discarding them on the ground somewhere and I shivered as the cold air hit my lower half, whimpering as I rubbed my thighs together, begging for any kind of stimtion.


    ¡°Keep them there, just like that,¡± Elio breathed, eyes dark with lust as I gripped the arm of the couch as tightly as I could, feeling exposed as my breasts heaved up and down with my heavy breaths.


    Elio gave me a dark smirk, as wicked a demon as he kissed me bruisingly hard. He was no longer gentle, impatience having turned to neediness, and I could feel how much he wanted me as he bit my lower lip, leaving the imprint of his teeth there before moving lower.


    He trailed kisses, using his tongue to make the path on my skin as he moved lower and lower and my breaths came faster and faster in anticipation.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I whispered right as hended on my exposed pussy.


    He grabbed my ass with both hands, spreading my thighs apart so he could nestle in just the way he wanted. His shirt was undone, leaving his chest exposed and he licked his lips, eyes focused fully on what he wanted.


    And like the man he was, he took it.


    I gasped, eyes widening in shock as he dove straight into my wet cunt,pping up the flowing juices there and sucking on my numb clit. I trembled, pleasure hitting me more than anything I¡¯d felt before as he devoured me.


    I could hear him growing, the vibrations of his throat as he licked everything, flicking his tongue around my clit and diving into the open hole, widening it with the t of his tongue. No part of me was left untouched, and it didn¡¯t take long before I was shaking with the full force of the orgasm approaching.


    And it hit me with the force of a tsunami. I screamed, wanting to move my hips but he held me firmly in ce as I held onto the couch, bucking into his mouth as he swallowed everyst drop of my juices. He didn¡¯t stop even when I had copsed back onto the couch, dripping with sweat from the heat and I watched, my heart beating faster than I could even imagine as he pulled off me with a pop.


    He wiped his mouth, licking up any remaining juices from his fingers and never breaking eye contact as he did so. There was a feral, unhinged look in his eyes, one that told me I would be getting much more than I bargained for.


    ¡°Elio¡ª¡±


    I didn¡¯t have time to say anything else as he scooped me up into his arms and I squealed, hanging onto him as he strode to the bedroom with purpose, flopping me onto the bed.


    Inded on my stomach, and before I could say another word, I felt his hands on my ankles, pulling me to the edge of the bed. My knees were still shaky from the orgasm, but I went willingly, dly as I let him pull me into position, on my knees with my ass in the air.


    I heard the rest of his clothes hit the ground and I groaned in anticipation, my hole soaked and ready to be filled with his cock.


    And then I felt him. The blunt head of his member slid in through my folds, finding just the perfect ce and I moaned out in sheer relief as he finally slid in bullying the tip straight inside.


    It burned, stretching around him and despite all the preparation, he was still big enough that that he had to pull out, sliding back in gently and slowly until finally with a shudder and moan from both of us, he settled his full length inside of me.


    ¡°Fucking hell, you¡¯re so tight still,¡± Elio groaned, giving me time to adjust but all I could do was moan in response.


    All real words had fled my mind, and I could only focus on the cock that had rooted inside of me.


    He felt as good as always and I was helpless, my arms copsing as I hit the bed face first, clenching the sheets with my fists. My hips pushed back on impulse, and he grabbed them immediately with a growl.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that or I¡¯ll lose control,¡± he warned me.


    But even with only half a mind, I had never been one to follow directions.


    ¡°Then do it,¡± I whispered back, wondering for a minute if he even heard me as it fell silent.


    ¡°You asked for it.¡±


    I screamed as he moved, pulling out of me and then thrusting all the way in with as much force as he could. I arched my back, unable to do anything but hold on as he fucked me like an animal.


    Rough and hard, he murmured praises in my ears, things I couldn¡¯t evenprehend.


    All I could feel was his cock as I tensed, and I came with a scream. He didn¡¯t even pause, just fucked me through it before flipping me onto my side and folding my leg over his shoulder. Over and over, I couldn¡¯t even count how many times we did it, how many times.


    By the end of it though, I felt battered and exhausted, unable to even move a muscle as he finished, letting me rest on top of his chest.


    With every breath, I could feel his chest moving up and down and it soon lulled me into a tired doze, my eyes shut as my heartbeat naturally slowed to match his.


    I was boneless, held up by him entirely as he gently ran his fingers through my hair, a soothing motion that I couldn¡¯t help but adore with every fiber of my being. Warm and happy, there was nowhere else I would rather be, and I couldn¡¯t help but think about how lucky I was to have him.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long wey there, simply breathing and being together, but it was heaven to me... until the loud sound of ringing hit my ears like a ring drum. Even from all the way in the living room, I could still hear it clearly.


    I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut as I buried my head into Elio¡¯s arms and heughed, his whole chest shaking with the movement.


    ¡°Make it go away,¡± Iined. ¡°I¡¯m cozy.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sweetheart,¡± Elio kissed the top of my head. ¡°But duty calls. If I know Leo, and I do, he¡¯ll just keep calling until I pick up. Better to get it over with.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± I rolled off Elio, curling the nkets around my nude body and letting Elio get to his feet.


    I watched him with a smirk, appreciating his naked body as he pulled pants and a shirt from the closet, dressing in clean clothes while stepping over the discarded ones on the floor.


    The phone fell quiet again and we both nced at the living room where ity. For a moment, we held our breaths, and I hoped that Elio was wrong and they would just let it be, but in the next second, the same ring tone rang out.


    I pouted, stuffing a pillow over my head at the intrusive noise as Elio made his way into the living room. He left the door open, but the call cut off before he could answer it. Elio headed back, his white button-up hanging off his shoulders and revealing his muscled body underneath.


    He took a seat on the edge of the bed, phone to his ear as he listened intently to the message the caller had left.


    He frowned and turned to me with a wary look.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± he told me, quickly dialing Leo¡¯s number back. ¡°The first few messages were only about how the meeting went well and they wanted to move forward with the development, and then he said something about another deal he hooked, but thest one....¡±


    I sat up, crawling across the bed until I was right beside him. Elio nced at me before putting the phone onto the speaker, the dialing ringing out loudly.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Leo finally answered, sounding very unlike himself... downtrodden almost.


    ¡°What¡¯s happened? You said you found Alexi?¡± Elio demanded.


    I jolted, wide-eyed. I hadn¡¯t heard or seen from Alexi in a while, and Elio had told me they had found no trace of him since he had rejoined Junior.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Leo acknowledged hesitantly. ¡°I did. We found him in one of our newmercial buildings and it... it wasn¡¯t pretty, Elio.¡±


    My heart dropped to the floor, the hair on my arms raising as I caught on to what he was implying.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± Leo continued. ¡°Alexi was killed and dumped for us to find. They left us a message, Elio, and I don¡¯t think any of us like what it¡¯s saying.¡±

 Chapter 689 : Unsettling News

    <h4>Chapter 689: Chapter 689 : Unsettling News</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon,¡± Elio said hurriedly, ending the call with Leo.


    An ufortable silence fell between us as we both stared at his phone, unsure of what to make of this.


    ¡°Alexi is dead,¡± I repeated nkly.


    Maybe I was getting indifferent to death, or maybe I was just heartless, but I didn¡¯t really feel anything at the moment. Normally, a person would be sad if someone they had known died but....


    Alexi had helped us, and then betrayed us.


    He¡¯d been ying a dangerous game for longer than we¡¯d known him. Maybe this was his retribution.


    Elio nced at me with a serious look. ¡°I have to go take care of this, but you don¡¯t have toe. From what it sounded like, it¡¯ll be pretty... gruesome. I don¡¯t want you seeing that, so you can stay here and I¡¯ll let you know¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± I huffed, already having rolled off the bed and onto my feet.


    I grabbed my clothes from the closet and the dresser, already shoving on my underwear and bra. I flipped my hair over my shoulder, going for a light dress so we could get out faster.


    ¡°Cat, seriously, you don¡¯t want to see this.¡± Elio got to his feet, approaching me grimly. ¡°I can handle it alone¡ª¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± I shrugged, giving him a stubborn look as I crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°But I¡¯m not letting you go alone anyway. It won¡¯t look strange to have your significant other with you, especially since this was your property, right? I want to be there for you, and nothing you say is going to stop me.¡±


    ¡°Cat¡ª¡±


    He gave me a helpless look, his fingers twitching like he wanted to grab me into his embrace or shove me into the closet to stop me from following him, but he knew I¡¯d kick his ass if he tried that shit.


    ¡°Nope,¡± I said simply, turning my back on him as I shoved on my shoes, heading into the living room to grab my bag.


    ¡°Cat, I¡¯m serious. You¡¯ve never¡ªI don¡¯t want you to see something like this, especially since you... knew him.¡± Elio trailed off, his face darkening as he paused in the doorway, hands clenched into fists.


    I knew how much he didn¡¯t like Alexi, especially after Alexi had essentially stalked me and then went straight to Junior to report our movements. I was grateful that he seemed to be thinking of me, but it wasn¡¯t necessary, not in this case.


    I wasn¡¯t sure whether Alexi had been a traitor from the beginning or if he just decided which side could be more beneficial to him. But he¡¯d chosen the wrong side. He had put me and my loved ones in danger.


    I didn¡¯t feel an ounce of sadness or guilt for his death.


    I stepped closer to Elio, gently grabbing his balled-up fists in my hands and unfolding them to intertwine with mine. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Thank you for thinking of me, but I¡¯ve seen death before. I can handle this. I love you and I want to be by your side, even if it means seeing some things I¡¯d rather not.¡±


    He gazed into my eyes, searching for something, but when he didn¡¯t find it, he sighed in defeat.


    ¡°Fine, but stay by my side at all times, okay?¡± he warned me, a worried glint in his eyes.


    I stepped closer until I could feel his chest rising and falling between us, his breath hot as I gazed up at him. I tilted my head, giving him a sweet smile.


    ¡°Where else would I go?¡±


    We rushed from the penthouse, and I left a message for my mom saying we were going out as we headed for the car. Elio probably broke a few speed limits on the way, but I didn¡¯t say a word. I only hoped my presence was afort to him as he headed to the property.


    I tried to prepare myself mentally for what I might see. A dead body was one thing, but from what Leo had said, it wasn¡¯t just him being shot and left. He¡¯d said there had been a message, and worse, that the scene was bad.


    I had no clue what he could possibly mean by that, but I steeled my nerves as best as I could. I¡¯d never had a weak stomach, and my heart had slowly gotten stronger over the time spent with Elio, so I wasn¡¯t too worried about it.


    I nced at Elio, who drove with his knuckles white on the steering wheel, his jaw set and eyes zing with fury.


    I just hoped I could support Elio properly as I¡¯d promised.


    On the way, Elio called Leo back, asking him to send someone named John, who I remembered from seeing a few times¡ªhiswyer. He¡¯d been a pretty easy-going guy, though a bit pretentious at times.


    I supposed that if you find a dead body on your property, it helped to have legal representation. I didn¡¯t know much about it, but I trusted that Elio was doing the right thing.


    ¡°Is it an expensive property?¡± I asked, just to fill the silence once he hung up and Elio shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s remote, outside the main city. It¡¯s more a warehouse than anything, so I¡¯m surprised they would choose this location to leave a message. It¡¯s more of their style to do things more publicly,¡± Elio frowned. ¡°Their tactics are changing.¡±


    ¡°Is that a problem?¡±


    ¡°Possibly,¡± he answered with a grimace.


    I thought I knew what the location remote was but apparently, I was wrong. The further we drove outside of the city, the longer the roads were and the less there was to see. I swore we could¡¯ve been in another state with how endless and different the scenery looked.


    It was like a desert outside, nothing but t cliffs and grassless rocks as far as the eye could see and I frowned, wondering why the fuck Antonio and his goons even made it all the way out of there for this one property.


    There were dozens of properties they could¡¯ve chosen from in the city, closer and more habitable. So why this one?


    I wondered if I was linked to Antonio in some way, or maybe a former base or safe house that Elio had just so happened to get his hands on.


    I nced at Elio from the corner of my eye.


    Or maybe he had already known of its connections to Antonio and decided to purchase it anyway. The reason was up in the air, and I wasn¡¯t going to ask. We had more important things to worry about right now.


    The road was bumpy, and I grabbed onto my seatbelt, wincing as the car rumbled, shaking back and forth across the rocky terrain until the warehouse was right before us,rge and imposing. It was nothing more than a stone and metal building in the middle of sand and rocks.


    For a moment, I wondered what the purpose of such a building even was. Elio stepped out, and I took a deep breath to calm myself before following him inside. There were a dozen cars already lined up outside, including at least four police cars.


    I grabbed Elio¡¯s hand as we entered through the door, the only one actually human-sized and not a big steel garage-looking one.


    The moment we entered, both Elio and I tensed up.


    The first thing I noticed was the smell¡ªhorrid, acrid, and incredibly pungent. It was overpowering, like we¡¯d stepped into a sewage nt. It was almost sickly sweet in a way that had shivers running down my back.


    I¡¯d never smelled anything so disgusting in my life, and though half of my body wanted to run, I forced myself to keep in line with Elio¡¯s steps, heading further inside. But as we rounded the corner, my stomach dropped to the floor.


    Leo was right.


    It wasn¡¯t pretty at all.


    Several cops were in the room, searching everything from top to bottom, and there was Leo, standing in front being asked questions with a very unpleasant look on his face. I didn¡¯t me him because he was standing inches away from what I could only describe as a mutted corpse.


    I swallowed, my hand over my mouth and nose as we approached. There was blood everywhere, all over the floor and trails smeared from everywhere.


    He was face-down with bloody hands outstretched across the floor, and I winced as I saw the handprints smeared in blood like he¡¯d tried to drag himself across the floor.


    He must have been trying to get away, I thought.


    It hadn¡¯t worked, apparently because Alexi was truly and wholly dead. Beyond pale, he was whiter than a ghost, and flies had already umted around the body.


    The worst part was his legs. They were just a gory mess of red and the white of his bones sticking through like he¡¯d been beaten over and over with a sledgehammer or something else incredibly heavy. They were nothing but shattered and mutted gore.


    No wonder he had to crawl.


    The only part of Alexi that remained untouched was his face. Staring endlessly into the distance, it was clear they had preserved it on purpose. But it was startlingly clear that it wasn¡¯t the brutal bludgeoning of his legs that had killed him, but rather the gunshot right in his chest.


    I stared emptily down at his body, a sense of distance between me and my body that I couldn¡¯t quite exin like I was watching all of this from afar. Deep in my chest, there was only one thing that continued to anchor me there¡ªpity.


    I stared down at the bloody mess of a man I once had known, had talked to and gotten to know, a little. His life was now ended, nothing more than a footnote in a war between Antonio and us.


    He¡¯d been a message¡ªan afterthought¡ªand I doubted he had anyone who truly cared about him. There was no one left to mourn him, to bury him.


    How many simr men had died by Antonio¡¯s hand? How many had he ughtered just to make a point?


    I nced away from the body, grasping firmly onto Elio¡¯s arm as I stared at a fixed point on the wall. A few cops surrounded us as we approached, and I stayed quiet, just a pir as Elio and I held onto each other.


    Despite my shaken courage, Elio was unfazed. He answered their questions boldly, holding back on the mafia parts. John, thewyer, stood next to him and just smirked, not saying a word, and I doubted Elio had even needed him there.


    ¡°From our investigation so far, he was crippled somewhere else and then shot, probably hitting a lung before he was left here to die. He bled out from his injuries,¡± the cop told us with a wince.


    I could only imagine the pain he must¡¯ve been in, the struggle as he had crawled to find help, to save his own life. But in the end, he died there for nothing.


    Elio held my hand tightly as the cops took down our names and information and then closed off the area as they promised to take the body for the case. Elio nodded, not waiting another second before all four of us left.


    The entrance and the bright air loomed just outside, a relief from the stench of death that hung around us. I paused right before leaving. I shut my eyes, taking a deep breath as I exited the building, leaving Alexi behind us.


    Leo and John said their goodbyes, having more things to do, but Elio and I were free to go.


    We got into the car, and as soon as we did, I nced at Elio with a firm look, my burning questions needing to be answered now.


    ¡°Was that a property linked to Antonio?¡±

 Chapter 690 : It’s Time

    <h4>Chapter 690: Chapter 690 : It¡¯s Time</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± I answered Caterina. ¡°But it might have been. I¡¯m d I hadn¡¯t gone there yet.¡±


    Caterina nodded, relief visible on her face. We were safe... this time. But that had been far too close of a call. If they¡¯d managed to nt any incriminating evidence or somehow get the body into my house, it would¡¯ve been impossible to keep the police off me.


    I wouldn¡¯t be any use to our family if I got locked up for murder. I couldn¡¯t wait to get my hands on Junior. That bastard had been slinking around for far too long.


    ¡°I hate that Junior is still out there,¡± Caterina said, as though she had read my mind.


    She shivered with disgust, no doubt imagining the things that had gone on when the two of them had been together. It made me feel disgusted as well, knowing that he had been with such a wonderful woman just to use her. The fact that it was Cat that he had taken advantage of made me even angrier.


    I clenched my fists, trying to dispel some of the rage that was building within me. I needed to stop thinking about Junior. It wasn¡¯t doing me any good to sit and stew in my own anger.


    I pulled out my phone and called Leo. I was going to need his assistance with this.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Leo asked as if he¡¯d been waiting for my call.


    ¡°I need you to call Franky and tell him to meet us at the warehouse. We¡¯ve got to discuss the next steps, and I need to tell him about the body. It¡¯s time we retaliate. This has gone on long enough.¡±


    ¡°You got it,¡± Leo said simply before hanging up.


    Cat looked at me expectantly, her sweet eyes wide in her face. I knew exactly what she wanted, and I knew she would never ask for it. She wanted toe to this meeting, but more than that, she wanted me to want her there. And I found that despite all my reservations about letting her get involved in such dangerous work, I did want her there.


    Her skills were invaluable to us, she was great at reading people and even better at getting them to open up to her. Although things with Alexi had gone south, she had gotten some great information from him.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to get your chance toe to a meeting now,¡± I said.


    Her eyes lit up even as her face retained its grim expression. This shit was stressful, but my love wanted to be a part of it. She was so happy when I included her, and it made me feel like an idiot for not including her a long time ago. All I wanted in life was to make Caterina happy. I just wished there was a way to do that without involving her in life-and-death situations.


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She wrapped her arms around my neck, practically strangling me in her excitement. There couldn¡¯t be very many people in this world who would be happy at the idea of joining the type of meeting that we were about to be a part of. But then again, Cat wasn¡¯t like most people.


    She was remarkable.


    Caterina was the strongest person I¡¯d ever met, and I knew that she was more than capable of handling herself, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that I worried about her. It was quickly bing clear to me that worrying about Cat was just going to be a permanent state for me. I had spent such arge portion of my life keeping her safe, and I didn¡¯t think that feeling would ever go away.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how much you amaze me?¡± I asked her, taking a moment to lean forward and give her a lingering kiss.


    When I pulled away, she was smiling at me. I silently felt triumphant at my ability to wipe that stressed frown off her face.


    ¡°Hm, maybe you can show meter,¡± she flirted.


    I chuckled, quickly regretting the fact that we had to rush to the meeting at the warehouse and wishing instead that I could take her to our penthouse.


    Unfortunately for me, we made it to the warehouse in no time. Leo was outside waiting for us. I wondered if he wanted to speak to me privately before we met with Franky.


    I got out of the car and rushed around to the other side to open Caterina¡¯s door before she had the chance to open it for herself. She might be strong, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t be chivalrous.


    As I opened Cat¡¯s door, Leo caught my eye. Yep, he definitely wanted to speak with me. After I helped Caterina out, I walked over to him. She stayed back, waiting to see what would happen.


    ¡°Just so you know, Franky wasining to me again about her involvement.¡± He motioned with his chin in Cat¡¯s direction.


    She was standing by the car, her arms crossed over her chest. She had gotten the hint that Leo wanted to speak with me in private. As usual, her ability to read the situation impressed the hell out of me.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s old-school. He still doesn¡¯t get why you want her to be a part of all this.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s bullshit,¡± I said. ¡°I thought we put this to rest already.¡±


    Leo shrugged.


    ¡°She gets to be a part of this because she wants to be a part of this,¡± I continued. ¡°Who the fuck am I to tell a grown adult what she can and can¡¯t do?¡±


    Leo shrugged again, obviously not wanting me to shoot the messenger.


    ¡°Sorry, man,¡± I said. ¡°It just pisses me off. She has as much a right as anyone.¡±


    ¡°I know, trust me. I just wanted to give you a heads-up before we went in. He might not be respectful of her, even though she hasn¡¯t done anything wrong. I know how much of an asset she can be,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°Everything all right?¡± Caterina asked, raising her voice to be heard from where she was standing so that she didn¡¯t interrupt our conversation.


    ¡°Yeah,e on,¡± I told her, unwilling to continue the conversation with Leo.


    He didn¡¯t believe the same bullshit that Franky did, so it was stupid to even keep talking to him about it, although I could rant for days about how unfair it was to expect Cat to stay out of this when it was her own father who had been killed by Antonio.


    She had more of a right than any of us to want revenge.


    The three of us waltzed into the warehouse, where Franky was already waiting for us. I had my arm wrapped around Caterina¡¯s waist, intent on showing a united front. Franky didn¡¯t bother to hide his irritation at Cat¡¯s presence. His eyes slid over to her and narrowed as he turned back to me. I felt my jaw clench at his open disrespect. It was one thing to not want her there, it was another thing entirely to be an asshole.


    ¡°Hey, Franky,¡± I said, deciding to head off the conversation before he had the chance to criticize Cat. ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot to fill you in on.¡±


    Franky nodded, his arms over his chest. He sent another sideways nce toward Cat but waited for me to start talking before he said anything. I felt Caterina shifting on her feet next to me. I knew Franky wasn¡¯t making her nervous. He was pissing her off. It would only be a matter of time before she exploded at him.


    ¡°For a short time, we had an informant working for us. His name was Alexi. He primarilymunicated via Caterina, but we think he tried to switch sides back. His body was found in one of our properties. He¡¯d been beat to hell, shot in the chest, and brought there. He wasn¡¯t shot in the building, so I don¡¯t know where they killed him, but the fact that they wanted to leave him where we would find him makes it obvious that it¡¯s a message directly from Antonio and Junior.¡±


    Franky nodded. ¡°Yeah, those fucks¨Cexcuse me.¡± He interrupted himself with a nce toward Caterina. ¡°Those jerks couldn¡¯t make it any clearer that they want toe after us.¡±


    Cat muffled augh with her hand when she realized that Franky was trying to avoid cursing in her presence. Franky scowled at her.


    ¡°We need to go on the offensive,¡± Franky added. ¡°No more of this wait and see bullshi¨C bullcrap.¡±


    At that, Caterinaughed out loud. ¡°I won¡¯t break at the sound of a curse word, you know,¡± she said.


    ¡°Does she really need to be here?¡± Franky asked me,pletely ignoring her.


    Apparently, despite his supposed unwillingness to curse in front of a woman, he had no problem with treating her like she wasn¡¯t even there. His rudeness pissed me off. I could understand him wanting to keep her out of things for her own protection, but to treat her like dirt was uneptable.


    Cat opened her mouth, and I knew whatever she was about to say wouldn¡¯t be kind and would definitely be filled with curse words, but I held up my hand to stop her. She¡¯d done enough to defend herself and her right to be here.


    It was time for me to step up.


    ¡°She is equal to me. If you can¡¯t work with her, then you can¡¯t work with me. Are you really going to call up Alessandro and tell him that you¡¯re incapable of doing the job he sent you to do?¡±


    Franky rolled his eyes. ¡°It will take a lot more than a little threat like that to get me to back down. But fine, I¡¯ll stop bringing it up. I was just worried about her safety. In case you were unaware, the people whoe after us don¡¯t tend to be kind to women. And I don¡¯t like seeing women be put in danger. Call me old fashioned, but that¡¯s how I was raised.¡±


    Caterina rolled her eyes, calling his bullshit just as well as I did. He might im that he was just worried about her safety, but if that was the case, he would¡¯ve been kinder to her. No, he just didn¡¯t like the idea of a woman being there at all.


    But now wasn¡¯t the time to start challenging Franky¡¯s sexist beliefs. We needed his help with what I was nning to do. I would worry about correcting his bullshit beliefster.


    ¡°I n on a total ambush, multiple angles,¡± I said, ignoring Franky¡¯s misogynistic problem. ¡°Leo¡¯s been working on coordinating so that we can take thempletely by surprise.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t expect us to attack multiple locations,¡± Cat added. ¡°It¡¯s the perfect way to end this once and for all. We could even get Italy involved.¡±


    Franky nodded. Even he had to admit it was a good n.


    ¡°Are your men ready to make a move?¡± I asked Franky. ¡°It¡¯s time to take out Antonio.¡±

 Chapter 691 : A United Front

    <h4>Chapter 691: Chapter 691 : A United Front</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡°She is equal to me,¡± Elio was saying.


    I tried to look away so Franky couldn¡¯t see the smug smile take over my face as he said it. I loved seeing Elio put Franky in his ce. I was sick and tired of these old-school guys treating me like I was a delicate flower who would easily be crushed. Or worse, they treated me like I was genuinely too stupid to be a part of things.


    I didn¡¯t know how it was possible that these men had been raised by women and yet still have such archaic beliefs about our capabilities. I understood the protective desire to keep me safe, but Franky wasn¡¯t just worried about my safety. He clearly had some other issues with me being here, and it was infuriating.


    I managed to wipe the smile off my face before turning back, but my heart was soaring. I couldn¡¯t lie; it did something to me to see Elio basically tell Franky to shut the hell up when it came to me. I would¡¯ve had no problem standing up for myself and telling Franky to stick it where the sun doesn¡¯t shine, but having Elio do it for me made me feel even better.


    It showed me that he really meant it when he said he wanted me there. After fighting for so long to get Elio to stop trying to shelter me from the mafia life, it was refreshing to see him stand up for me.


    It was obvious that Franky was still ufortable with my presence, no matter what Elio said, but that was too damn bad. I¡¯d fought far too hard to get to this point to allow an old cranky Italian to push me back out.


    With one final irritated nce my way, Franky finally dropped it and stopped pushing Elio on it. Discussion about logistics was more important than about whether I deserved to be there, although I suspected that this wouldn¡¯t be thest time Franky felt the need to voice his sexist opinions. I wondered if all of Alessandro¡¯s men felt the same way.


    ¡°My men are ready when you are,¡± Franky told Elio. ¡°They¡¯ve been instructed to stay conflict-ready at all times, so it shouldn¡¯t take them long to mobilize.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we need them poised and ready to strike at the safe house. We don¡¯t know where Junior is, but if we can get Antonio, I know it¡¯ll draw Junior out,¡± Elio said. ¡°He doesn¡¯t do anything of his own ord. He¡¯s just the puppet, and his dad is the one pulling the strings.¡±


    ¡°I know Junior stayed close. A few of my men have managed to catch glimpses of his car. He just always throws us off,¡± Leo added, ¡°which makes me think that Antonio told him to stick around for some reason.¡±


    Franky nodded. ¡°Good. That means when we get his dad, and we get him. He¡¯s not smart enough to know it¡¯s a trap. He¡¯ll fall for it right away. I have a feeling he¡¯lle around in just a few days, trying to get his dad back.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not as stupid as he seems,¡± I interrupted, worried that they were underestimating Junior¡¯s prowess. ¡°After all, he managed to fool us all. Even Elio met him and thought he was just a regr guy. I know he seems like he only does what Antonio tells him to do, but we don¡¯t really know that. He could be more in charge than we realize.¡±


    ¡°It would be stupid if we underestimated Junior after getting this far,¡± Leo said, nodding in my direction to show his support. ¡°Thest thing I want is to take out Antonio only to find out that Junior was the real brains behind it all.¡±


    I gave him an appreciative smile. Franky might think I was an idiot who would fall for any man who gave me the time of day, but Elio and Leo knew me. They knew that ¡®Paul¡¯ had woven an intricate web of deceit and I had found myself caught right in the middle. I


    t wasn¡¯t because I was stupid, it was because Junior was calcting and knew exactly how to catch me in his trap. He¡¯d spent a long time just getting to know me and acting like he was my friend before he ever showed me the darker side of his personality.


    ¡°Junior has the patience to pull off a long con,¡± I said. ¡°He might not just go in guns zing for his father. I think Antonio is more dangerous, but Junior is a close second.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Elio said, ¡°But I still think Antonio is more important anyway. Who would you feel safer having walk free, Antonio or Junior?¡±


    ¡°Junior,¡± I answered automatically. ¡°Antonio is definitely the bigger threat right now.¡±


    He was right. Eliminating the threat that was Antonio was the right move, even though I was sure it would result in Junior disappearing for good.


    I just didn¡¯t have the same level of confidence that the guys had that Junior would for suree back for his dad. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me at all if he disappeared and we never found or heard from him again. He was a coward, and that would be the coward¡¯s way out.


    ¡°I have a team of men at my disposal. They¡¯ve been watching Antonio and they¡¯re poised to strike whenever I give them the word. Just let me know,¡± Franky said.


    He cracked his knuckles ominously. Although he was getting on myst nerve today, I could see why Alessandro had chosen him toe to the States and mentor Elio. He was a terrifying man, built to kill.


    Elio wasn¡¯t afraid to back down from a challenge, and I had seen him first-hand dealing with the more brutal side of being a mafia leader, but I also knew that not growing up in the life made Elio have gentler instincts than someone like Franky.


    Franky was the kind of guy who would shoot first and ask questionster. Elio was more likely to try to negotiate with people. Both ways were needed at different times. Today, it was time to do things Franky¡¯s way. We¡¯d tried to sit back and let things y out with Antonio for far too long.


    ¡°How long will it take your men to fully mobilize?¡± Elio asked Franky.


    ¡°They can be ready by tonight, I¡¯d say around eight PM.¡±


    Elio looked at me, and for a moment I didn¡¯t understand why. But then I realized he was asking me permission to proceed. The sheer power I felt in that moment was overwhelming.


    The future leader of the United States branch of the Valentino mafia family was asking me to approve his next move. And suddenly, his earlier words hit me.


    ¡°She is equal to me,¡± he had said.


    Equal¡ªnot his partner, not his girlfriend, his equal.


    Did he really mean that he wanted me to lead this with him? It appeared that was exactly what he meant.


    I nodded, too overwhelmed to speak.


    Elio nodded back, then turned to Franky. ¡°Do it.¡±


    Franky turned away and pulled his phone out as he left the warehouse. Big ns had been put into motion, and it was all because of me. I reached out for Elio¡¯s hand, needing something to steady myself. Each new revtion threatened to send me to my knees. I had been demanding this for so long, but now that I finally had what I wanted, I almost didn¡¯t know what to do with myself.


    ¡°Man, I bet Franky¡¯s fun at parties,¡± Leo said with a smirk.


    His joke pulled me back to reality, and I forced myself to focus.


    The three of us walked back toward our cars, Elio pulling me along by the hand.


    ¡°Will you get in touch with thewyer? I need to make sure we don¡¯t have anything to worry about with all that,¡± Elio said to Leo.


    Leo nodded and pulled away from us to make his own phone calls. Elio opened my door and helped me into the car as he always did before walking around and getting in himself.


    ¡°How are you doing?¡± he asked quietly once we were back in the privacy of his car.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± I said, surprised to realize that I was telling the truth.


    Being a part of the meeting had been a lot, but I was okay. I was proud of how I¡¯d handled it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let what Franky said get you down. He¡¯ll be gone soon anyway. You know that Leo and I have all the respect in the world for you,¡± Elio said, taking my hand in his and bringing it gently to his lips. ¡°You are so amazing.¡±


    ¡°It means so much to me to finally have your support, Elio,¡± I said, fighting to keep from choking up. ¡°This is all I¡¯ve wanted for so long. I finally feel like I belong somewhere. I know that I¡¯m meant to be doing this. I¡¯m meant to follow in my father¡¯s footsteps.¡±


    ¡°I agree. You¡¯re a natural. It¡¯s in your blood. The way you read people, the way you know how to talk to them so they do what you want them to do¡ªit¡¯s like you¡¯re a weapon specifically created to do this.¡±


    I smiled, his words hitting a deep desire in my heart that I hadn¡¯t even realized was there. I wanted to make my dad¡¯s memory proud. I belonged here, doing this work, being a part of this life.


    Elio leaned over and pressed a kiss to my forehead, his tender reminder that he supported me, one hundred percent. Iid my hand against his cheek and stroked his skin with my thumb.


    There was nobody I would rather have at my side than Elio. He had made all this possible. Although it had taken a while for me to convince him that I should get to be a part of this, it was clear now that he wasn¡¯t going to try to fight me on it anymore.


    We were a team, an unstoppable force.


    Nothing would get in the way of our sess now, not Antonio, not Franky, not anybody. We were going to lead the Valentino family into a new era, one where they easily took control of America, thanks to us.


    I could see it all so clearly¡ªarge table filled with mafia members, and at the head, Elio and me, working together to make ns and hand out orders, neither of us more important than the other, both equal halves to the same whole.


    Our first order of business was to take down Antonio. He was the only thing standing in our way, and he¡¯d been free for far too long. I couldn¡¯t believe how close we finally were to bringing him to justice.


    If everything went to n, by tomorrow, Antonio would be gone, and Elio and I would be one step closer to finally making our dreamse true.

 Chapter 692 : Waiting

    <h4>Chapter 692: Chapter 692 : Waiting</h4>


    *Caterina*


    As we rode back to our penthouse, the energy in the car was electric. We were both ridiculously amped up, knowing what was going to happen soon. Although we wouldn¡¯t be there to see Antonio get taken down, both of us felt the same adrenaline rush as if we were preparing to go in by ourselves.


    Elio tapped his fingers absentmindedly on the steering wheel while I struggled not to pick at the hangnail on my thumb.


    ¡°What do you think will happen?¡± I asked Elio for what felt like the millionth time.


    My mind couldn¡¯t stop racing and turning over and over the events of the day. I had thought through every scenario and talked through them with Elio, my anxiousnessing out as pointless babbling.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s going to work,¡± he said, as he had several times already.


    I nodded, I thought it would work, too. ¡°But what if it doesn¡¯t?¡± I asked, as I had already multiple times.


    ¡°It will work. It has to work.¡± He reached out and put one hand on my knee, his thumb rubbing reassuring circles.


    I tried to rx against his touch, but it was impossible.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± I conceded.


    Neither of us wanted to think about the possibility of failure. If Antonio wasn¡¯t captured... I didn¡¯t know what I would do. I just couldn¡¯t think about it. There was too much riding on this moment for it to go wrong.


    ¡°How will you react when they tell us?¡± I asked, thinking through my own reaction.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to pop open that champagne that my dad gave me back when I turned twenty-one,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°I¡¯ve been saving it for something, I just didn¡¯t know what. I think this is the perfect asion.¡±


    I chuckled. Only the son of a former mafia Don would randomly have a bottle of vintage champagne. It was so old-school, I loved it.


    Finally, we pulled into the parking garage and found ourselves back on the elevator to our apartment. I was ready to get inside and rx, or rather, to get inside and continue to talk ourselves in circles about Antonio¡¯s capture.


    I walked inside and immediately began pacing back and forth in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows in our living room. The bustling city below was the perfect reflection of how I felt inside. I was wired beyond belief.


    I heard the clink of ss behind me as Elio poured himself a whiskey. He walked up behind me and captured me around the waist, resting his chin on my shoulder so that he could look out at the view as well.


    He raised his ss to his lips and drained it in one gulp, still keeping his head on my shoulder. I could smell the whiskey on his breath, and it reminded me a lot of our first kiss.


    I smiled to myself, remembering how naive I had been at the time, thinking that my biggest worry would be how to deal with developing a crush on Elio.


    Look at us now, I thought. My former self would¡¯ve probably had a heart attack if I could have told her where she¡¯d end up in just a few short months.


    ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s going to all work out?¡± I asked again, needing to hear his reassurance.


    ¡°Yes, baby, I do. But I can¡¯t keep thinking about it, knowing that I¡¯m stuck here, unable to help. I need something else,¡± he murmured in the space just behind my ear, reaching forward to set his ss down on the side table.


    His words sent a shiver down my spine. I couldn¡¯t believe how easy it was for him to turn me on. Seemingly out of nowhere, I was ready to tear my clothes off and let him take me. As if he could read my thoughts, he bit my earlobe, forcing a moan out of me.


    Keeping one arm wrapped around my waist, he reached his other hand up under my shirt and tugged at my bra, freeing one breast and taking it roughly in his hand. My nipple was already a hard little peak, desperate for him to pinch and knead it.


    He knew what I wanted, and I knew he would give it to me.


    I arched my back, grinding against the erection that I felt forming in his pants. There were too manyyers between us, but I knew Elio would take care of them in no time. For now, I was just riding the high that was sex with Elio.


    It was all so fucking pleasurable. The way he touched me as if he could read my damn mind, the way his body responded to mine... it was better than I had ever imagined sex could be.


    As I knew he would, he took his hand from my waist and deftly undid the button of my jeans so that he could slide it down the front of my panties. I was so wet already, I could feel his fingers slip as he slid them down across my clit and back up, teasing my nipple with the same pace. He bit my earlobe again, sending an electric shock right to my core.


    ¡°Oh, Elio, please,¡± I muttered, arching myself further.


    ¡°Please, what, baby? Tell me what you want,¡± he growled.


    ¡°I need you¨Cneed your cock, now,¡± I barely managed to speak, but it didn¡¯t matter, he was just teasing me, he wanted me just as badly as I wanted him.


    With a wordless groan, he tore my clothes off and threw them across the room before turning me to face him. He drank in the sight of me, his eyes roving from my lips to my breasts to my aching pussy. I was sure he could see the wetness glistening between my thighs, but I was too turned on to care.


    ¡°Touch yourself for me,¡± he demanded as he pulled his own clothes off.


    I shyly pushed my hand between my thighs and rolled my fingers around my clit. I wasn¡¯t nearly as good at touching myself as Elio was, but it was better than nothing.


    I moved my other hand to my breast and pinched my nipple between my thumb and forefinger, digging my fingernail in slightly to increase the pain and simultaneously, the pleasure.


    ¡°Fuck, I love seeing you like this¡ªnaked and on disy for me.¡± He was finally free of his own clothes, and had quickly pulled a condom on. He wrapped his hand around the base of his cock, stroking himself slowly as he watched me touch myself.


    ¡°Now,e here, baby,¡± he murmured, wrapping his hands under my thighs and lifting me slightly so that we fit together. He pushed inside me with one long thrust, sending shockwaves of pleasure through me.


    I wrapped my arms around his neck, using his strong back as leverage so that I wouldn¡¯t fall. After a few deep thrusts, he helped me to the ground, staying inside me the whole time.


    Iid on my back, Elio pressed on top of me. He took my mouth in his as he set a harsh pace with his thrusts. I met every single one with a little thrust of my own. My body was already fluttering with my building orgasm, and I knew I wouldn¡¯tst as long as him.


    He was hitting that perfect spot within me, his mouth moving against mine with such fiery passion, I had no choice but to lose myself to it all.


    I came with a scream, unable to contain myself. Elio met my release with his own, moaning my name against the curve of my throat. Hearing my name on his lips sent another wave of pleasure through me. I grasped his shoulders as I rode it out, and he held me through it all.


    ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re so good at that,¡± he groaned as he pushed himself up and reached out his hand to help me up as well.


    He took me by the hand to the shower, turning the water on and testing it with his hand before encouraging me to get in. He stepped in behind me and grabbed the soap,thering it in his hands so that he could rub them over my shoulders and back.


    His gentle movements rxed the tension that I still held, even the distraction of phenomenal sex wasn¡¯t enough to take my mind fully off what was happening.


    He turned me to face him and circled my breasts, teasing at my nipples before descending lower and rubbing circles around my hips.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± He asked.


    I smiled up at him. ¡°You.. and us.¡±


    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s my favorite thing to think about,¡± he said as he aimed the showerhead to wash the soap off my back.


    ¡°Mine too. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you so fucking much,¡± he murmured, leaning forward and settling a gentle kiss on my lips.


    Just when I thought that we might end up going for round two, Elio¡¯s phone began to go off. I looked at him with wide eyes, my heart racing a million miles an hour as I wondered if that was the news we¡¯d been waiting for.


    He rinsed himself off quickly and stepped out of the shower before grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist. His phone was by the sink, so he was able to grab it quickly. I waited under the water, my blood running cold despite the heat.


    ¡°It says Franky and his men are in ce. They¡¯ll storm in any minute now,¡± Elio said, his face solemn.


    I turned the water off and stepped out of the shower, reaching for one of the plush towels that was hung up and wrapping it around myself. I wandered into our bedroom, trying to distract myself from the news that we were waiting for as I dried myself off and looked for clothes to put on.


    I knew that as soon as the next text came in, we might need to leave quickly, so I pulled on a pair of jeans and a in ck T-shirt. I had no idea what was going to happen next, but I wanted to be prepared for anything. Now was not the time for designer dresses.


    Beside me, Elio dressed in cks and a button down. I had noticed that he had started to wear a simr style to all the Valentino mafia men. I suspected he didn¡¯t even realize he was doing it.


    As I was running a brush through my wet hair, another message came in. I turned to Elio so I could see his face as he read it. A smile broke out on his face.


    He looked up at me and read it aloud. ¡°We picked up our friend.¡±

 Chapter 693 : Password

    <h4>Chapter 693: Chapter 693 : Password</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡®It¡¯s almost over,¡¯ I thought pointedly.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go,¡± Cat said hastily.


    My body was still buzzing from the adrenaline that cycled through me from earlier. When that text came in, it was like I was hit with another jolt of energy.


    ¡®We picked up our friend.¡¯


    A rush of exhration that could onlye from the business that my family had always been involved in. Knowing that we were finally the ones that held all the cards. Our long-standing problem was finally going to reach its end.


    I couldn¡¯t keep the corners of my mouth from curving upward into a prideful smile. I knew it was far too early to jump to any sort of conclusion, and that anything could happen to screw up the n, but I was ready for this to be over.


    Cat was quick to grab her bag and follow me out to the car. We headed straight to the warehouse without wasting any more time. I could tell that Cat was just as tense as I was.


    I asionally nced in her direction to check to see how she was holding up. Her hands were folded gingerly in herp, as though she were trying to hide the fact that she was anxious.


    Who could me her?


    Thest time she¡¯d gotten a real nce at Antonio was all those months ago when Alessandro was here with us. I had no doubt that among all the anger Caterina must have been feeling, there was also an underlying sensation of fear.


    This unfortunate business she¡¯d been dragged into since the death of her father had gone on long enough. For the mere sake of her and her mother, I was finally going to see that it all came to an end, regardless of how violent it needed to be.


    Cat and I spoke little to nothing as we pulled into the long, narrow dirt path that led to the opening of the hidden warehouse. Before I pulled the car over to park, I noticed the van Franky must¡¯ve used to bring Antonio in... and right next to it was Leo¡¯s car.


    Suddenly, the reality of it all was truly beginning to hit me. This¡ªall of this¡ªwas finally going to end. I was ready to get justice for the chaos and pain both Antonio and Junior had inflicted on my family. Antonio man was nothing but a walking gue that was only capable of spreading death and misery. And I was more than happy to see that it woulde to an end.


    I parked the car and turned to face Cat.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± I asked her.


    She slowly turned to look at me. Her eyes were filled with determination, with a slight hint of worry that made me reach for her hands. I covered them with my own and gave her a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I think so.¡±


    I offered a small smile. ¡°It¡¯s almost over,¡± I assured her. ¡°We have Antonio... all that¡¯s left is Junior.¡±


    Cat nodded her head in agreement and the two of us made our way into the warehouse.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m just ready for this whole thing to be done with,¡± she said under her breath.


    I reached for her hand and enveloped it within my own. My eyes were instantly drawn to the two men that were standing guard at the doors. I expected Leo had put two men on every possible point of exit on this ce, which made me both grateful and impressed.


    It was good to see that Leo took his role as my being my second with strong initiative. His tactful behavior was sign enough that he¡¯d had just about enough of Antonio¡¯s bullshit like the rest of us.


    With a quick nod to the two men, Cat and I slipped through the doors. Leo kept the room as dark as possible, while keeping only one light hovering above Antonio¡¯s head.


    I did a quick survey around the ce to see that the inside was just as heavily guarded as the outside. We weren¡¯t taking any chances this time. Even if his mindless goons ended up tracking him here, it wouldn¡¯t matter. They would be outnumbered indefinitely.


    Yet even with this notion of assurance, my stomach still tensed from the mere sight of him, not out of fear but from pure, unbridled anger.


    Thank God I was still holding onto Cat, otherwise I would¡¯ve likely punched the bastard square in the jaw.


    ¡®It¡¯s not as though he doesn¡¯t deserve it,¡¯ I thought bitterly to myself. ¡®Asshole deserves to be torn to pieces, having hurt so many others.¡¯


    The closer I got, the more detail I was able to make out. Antonio was securely tied to a chair and didn¡¯t appear like he¡¯d been greatly injured, for the most part, at least.


    His nose looked slightly off point, and there was a decent amount of dried blood around the area, signifying that he didn¡¯t exactly like the idea of being taken in. He certainly didn¡¯te peacefully. Of course, I expected nothing less from the man who had fled the country like aplete coward.


    Even with the dimmed lighting around us, Antonio seemed to recognize us almost immediately. One corner of his mouth turned upward into a crooked smile. He smirked like he knew something that we didn¡¯t, making my anger re.


    ¡°I see the life has finally pulled you under as well. Wee,¡± he greeted.


    My mouth pulled into a sneer while my free hand clenched into a tight fist. Oh, how I wanted to snap the smug expression clear off the man¡¯s face.


    ¡°How amusing,¡± I drawled. ¡°It looks like my men ended up hitting you a little too hard. You seem to think that you¡¯re the one who¡¯s still in control.¡±


    The men around us all snickered. Antonio¡¯s look of amusement dampened. He curled his brow and tilted his head.


    ¡°You of all people should know that if and when I die, there will always be someone else to fill my ce,¡± he said confidently.


    The venom in his voice caused my entire body to spike with several waves of fiery rage. I felt Cat tense up beside me, indicating that at least a small part of her actually believed him.


    If that was the case, then when all was said and done, we¡¯d never be free to live our lives without having to nce over our shoulders. Just the thought of there always being someone who was determined to make our family suffer was enough to make me grab for my gun.


    I refused to let him instill that kind of fear into her after all the hell he¡¯d put her through.


    ¡°Well, now that you¡¯ve got me here,¡± Antonio started with an easy smile. ¡°What is it that I can do for you?¡±


    I hummed with amusement.


    The man was under the impression that I wanted to interrogate him.


    Seriously?


    We were beyond the point of meaningless conversation and equal exchanges. Did he think that he was going to offer up some priceless piece of information to weasel himself out of this?


    This wasn¡¯t going to turn into another trading ordeal. We¡¯d reached the end of line. This ongoing game of cat and mouse wasing to a hard, unforgiving ending.


    His previousment held very little weight. If there was any sense of truth around it, then it was obvious that Junior would have been the one to take his father¡¯s ce, technically. But not even that possibility truly bothered me.


    I had every intention of taking them both down.


    ¡°We don¡¯t want anything from you,¡± I told him coolly, ¡°but your password.¡±


    Antonio drew his brows together in question. Leo stepped forward and presented me with the man¡¯s phone. I held it up to his bruised face to show him that we needed the password to get into it.


    Antonio scoffed. ¡°As if I¡¯m going to just give it to you boys,¡± he snapped. ¡°Sorry to break it to you, but I¡¯ve got nothing valuable in that thing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, believe me, I don¡¯t doubt that remark for a single moment,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ve been running for your life for the past several months. I find it hard to believe that you of all people could possibly have something simmering in that old head of yours.¡±


    I watched Antonio¡¯s eyes narrow in disdain while I leaned my hip against the table and tilted my head down to re at him.


    ¡°However, there is something that I want. So, I suggest that you give me the password.¡±


    Silence.


    I knew he wasn¡¯t going to be easy about it. The man was nursing a bruised ego. No doubt he was being stubborn out of sheer spite, but I had fully anticipated it.


    A devious smile curved my mouth. My eyes flickered toward the two men who were guarding Antonio. Without a single word being said, they quickly untied the ropes that were bound around his wrists. The other guy snagged both his arms and mmed them down on the table in front of him.


    ¡°You¡¯re a lot of things, Antonio. Dumb was never one of them,¡± I exined. ¡°You¡¯re not the kind of man who would simply set a password that anyone could figure out. You¡¯re the kind of person who would link their fingerprint to their phone for an extra bout of security. Too bad that security is about to bite you in the ass.¡±


    One of the men snagged Antonio¡¯s right hand and forced him to press his forefinger against the phone screen.


    ¡°You son of a bitch!¡± he snarled.


    The phone opened and we were sessfully in. I chuckled to myself as I maneuvered my way through the dozens of contacts to get to Junior¡¯s number. My fingers scrawled across the keypad to send him a message toe out and meet us under the guise of sounding like Antonio.


    I attached the address and sent the message out.


    ¡°Well, now we can all wait around till your son joins us,¡± I said.


    Antonio fumed with rage. He struggled against the two guards that were still holding him against the table.


    ¡°Why drag him into this?¡± he shouted.


    ¡°You know fully well why,¡± I spat back with indignation. ¡°He¡¯s as guilty as you, maybe even worse. You had him imnt himself in Caterina¡¯s life and terrorize her. He¡¯s as much a monster as his father.¡±


    He rolled his eyes and grimaced.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry. By the end of the night, none of it will matter anymore.¡±


    He and his son would be moving on from this world for good¡ªno more chasing, no more deals... and no more negotiations.


    I was satisfied with my time with Antonio. I had gotten what I needed, and he was no longer the center of my attention. I turned my head to nce back at Cat to see how she was fairing with all of this.


    Much to my pleasure, she didn¡¯t seem frightened or upset, but rather, she was inly furious. I got up to stand by her side again and draped my arm around her waist.


    I instructed Franky¡¯s men who were nted around the room to remain hidden around the warehouse, knowing that Junior was soon to arrive. I expected he¡¯d arrive with backup, and I had every intention of being ready to take them all out if need be.


    It was time.

 Chapter 694 : Shootout

    <h4>Chapter 694: Chapter 694 : Shootout</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Elio asked softly.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I gave a slight nod and pried my eyes from Antonio to look at Elio. Part of me knew that deep down I was lying through my teeth. Of course, I wasn¡¯t okay, but I wasn¡¯t exactly going to ask to leave at this point.


    ¡°Do you remember the room on the second floor of that warehouse, the ce where we had lunch that one time?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered.


    Suddenly, his voice grew somber. ¡°This warehouse has the same room. I need you to wait up there, understand?¡±


    I knew better than to think he was asking me to do this rather than ordering me. Elio wanted me to be clear out of sight and as far away from the pending danger as possible. And I was in no mood to try to argue with him.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed.


    He gave me a small smile and called over for Leo. ¡°You¡¯re going to be sticking to her the entire time, got it?¡±


    Leo nodded without so much as a word.


    I snapped my attention back to him instantly. I struggled to hide the spike of panic in my voice as I spoke. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to be out in the open either,¡± he told me.


    Elio leaned down to press a chaste kiss to the side of my head before gently pushing me to follow Leo. I felt the warmth of his hands vanish. And thus, my anxiety returned with a vengeance.


    I trailed behind Leo until we were both tucked away, and I continuously tried to assure myself that this would soon be over.


    A n was in motion.


    When Elio and I had been making our way over to the warehouse, I had to admit I was a bit anxious. How could I not be? This wasn¡¯t just your typical meeting with his team and Francesco. They already had Antonio in custody.


    If anything, I should¡¯ve been feeling a sense of relief. This whole chaotic mess was soon going to be over. But I¡¯d been quivering at the thought of facing Antonio again. Thest time I¡¯d seen him was the night I almost lost my mother. I wanted to think that I was stronger now than I was all those months back. Yet the unnerving sensation that continued to coil in my stomach, told me that I was wrong.


    At first, it had been strange seeing Antonio bound to that chair. He¡¯d certainly proved himself to be sneaky and resourceful when it came to tracking him down. But it was obvious that his luck had officially run out. This image of him being some elusive, untouchable ghost had finallye to an end.


    Leo directed me to the corner of the room, the farthest one away from what we knew would happen downstairs. They kept the building as dark as possible while everyone got into their respective positions. It wasn¡¯t long until we all caught sight of glowing headlights slowly approaching outside.


    Leo had me crouch down, and the reality of our situation was once again bing far too real, and I was desperate to keep myself mentally grounded. Elio was downstairs with everyone else, waiting for Junior to step through the doors.


    My stomach churned with worry for his safety as well as my own.


    I knew well enough that casualties were inevitable when it came to moments like these. And I didn¡¯t think of myself as someone who openly wished pain and violence on other people.


    Then again, Antonio was a man who deserved to pay for the harm he caused. All the pain and chaos he and his son had inflicted was finally going toe back and bite them both in the ass.


    And I truly couldn¡¯t say that I felt sorry for either one of them.


    A few minutes passed before I heard the main doors of the warehouse m open. I could see through the corner of the ss window that Junior had entered the ce along with four other men around him. They gave the area a thorough search while gingerly drawing their guns up for a suspecting attack.


    Junior began calling out for his father but was only greeted with silence.


    Elio must have moved Antonio to another room, I thought. Junior and his men looked utterly lost and confused. God only knew what Elio had sent in that message to Junior earlier, but clearly it was enough to make the guy continue his search around the ce.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t seeing anything, boss,¡± one of Junior¡¯s men muttered out loud.


    ¡°Yeah, me neither.¡±


    ¡°You sure you got the right address?¡±


    Junior let out a familiar sound of frustration that made my skin crawl with disgust. It brought me back to the times when the two of us were still together. Anytime I tried to do something my way or argued with ¡®Paul,¡¯ he¡¯d always respond with the same disgruntled sound like a child throwing a pitiful tantrum.


    ¡°Would you all shut the fuck up?!¡± Junior shouted furiously. ¡°You two, go check those rooms on the side there.¡±


    I would have given anything to steal a quick peek at Junior¡¯s annoyed expression, but there was no way I would have run the risk of blowing our cover by being spotted. I was sure it was like when he realized that someone had ced a tracker on his car, knowing that, at least for a decent amount of time, someone had gotten the better of him for once.


    If Junior was known for anything, it was for being a major sore loser.


    Junior was swiftly rejoined by the two men he¡¯d sent out. Theyined that once more they had found nothing.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have sent me the address if there wasn¡¯t something here,¡± he stated.


    I found myself smirking coyly.


    ¡®Oh, believe me, Junior, there is, in fact, something here. And it¡¯s going to blow your world to pieces,¡¯ I thought bitterly.


    I heard his group move further into the room. My stomach flipped when I heard Junior mutter something about checking upstairs. My head turned to see Leo, who appeared just as alert as me.


    He drew his gun up vertically while holding his forefinger up to his mouth, telling me to be as quiet as humanly possible.


    I was terrified that the men would find me.


    But that fear didn¡¯tst long.


    My heart lodged itself in my throat as a series of loud, violent gunshots broke through the silence. Even though my positioning was rather awkward in way of hiding, I was able to see the madness that was taking ce. As soon as Junior and his men made their way toward the staircase, they were chaotically ambushed by Francesco¡¯s men.


    Junior began shooting without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Part of him probably knew that this entire ordeal was a trap from the very second he¡¯d arrived. The ongoing suspicion in his tone from earlier was evidence enough of that.


    Yet he was firing away with his gun as if he really believed he was going to make it out of this ce alive.


    The room swarmed with loud voices, shouting curses and several more gunshots.


    I quickly mped my hands over my ears in hopes of muffling as much of the ear-piercing sounds as I could. My eyes, on the other hand, remained open and fixated on the merciless insanity on the floor below.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I finally spotted Elio. He had purposely remained hidden for much of the fight until it seemed opportune for him to join in. He acted with confidence and firm authority, which made me feel somewhat at ease.


    Unfortunately, with every gun fight came the bloody casualties. Of the four men that Junior had brought along with him, three of them had fallen to the ground, as well as a few of Francesco¡¯s men. No doubt, the wounds were fatal.


    My heart ached in my chest for the tragedy, regardless of whose side they were fighting on.


    At some point, the gunshots stopped and all I heard was the sound of thundering footsteps. Junior and the one man who remained with him ran out of the warehouse. Francesco and his men chased after them in wild pursuit.


    I turned my head to see Leo nodding his head, assuring me that it was safe to leave the room. My hands slowly fell away from my ears while I cautiously slipped down the staircase. I needed to find Elio and see that he was okay.


    ¡°Elio!¡± I called out.


    I nced around until I saw the back of him walking through the room with Antonio. He turned around to face me and smiled.


    ¡°Cat!¡±


    I felt breathless and utterly ted. I rushed to his side and threw my arms around him. It was then I realized that Antonio was among the injured.


    ¡°Oh, my God,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°One of the rogue bullets must have hit during the shootout,¡± Elio exined.


    The bullet had struck Antonio directly in the chest, likely killing him instantly. I was genuinely surprised, but no more surprised than when I nced up to see two of Francesco¡¯s men walking back into the warehouse.


    Both men looked purely exhausted and were short of breath as they spoke.


    ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve captured the one man Junior had with him, but Junior has escaped.¡±


    My eyes widened in disbelief while Elio let out a snarling noise of frustration.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± he shouted angrily. ¡°Have Franky and the rest of you scope out the entire city. He couldn¡¯t have gotten that far. No matter what it takes, find him!¡±


    Once the men left us, my gaze fell back to a lifeless Antonio. Was it wrong of me for not feeling happy that the man was dead? After all the damage and destruction that he¡¯d caused, he certainly didn¡¯t deserve an ounce of my sympathy... but I felt emotionless, though somewhat safer.


    Elio ced Antonio¡¯s body beside the others and hastily returned back to my side. He cupped my face in his warm hands and checked me over for any possible injuries.


    ¡°Elio, really, I¡¯m fine,¡± I assured him.


    He pulled me into a searing kiss and spoke against my lips.


    ¡°I swear I will never let you get this close to something so dangerous ever again,¡± he promised.


    I could have argued against such a fruitless statement, considering life had proven to be nothing short of unpredictable.


    What about Junior? Were Francesco¡¯s men capable of finding him?


    I wanted so desperately to believe that they would. With Antonio gone, we were more than halfway there. But in the meantime, I simply allowed him tofort me and ease the tension in my muscles... until Elio took away thatfort with one sentence.


    ¡°I¡¯m sending you home,¡± he said.

 Chapter 695 : Shower Thoughts

    <h4>Chapter 695: Chapter 695 : Shower Thoughts</h4>


    *Caterina*


    He was going to stay there and send me away. My brows pulled together in confusion. What the hell was he talking about?


    My lips parted. As I was getting ready to speak, Elio instantly cut me off with a tone that was both concerning and stern.


    ¡°I¡¯m having someone take you back to the apartment,¡± he stated. ¡°This is not up for discussion, Caterina.¡±


    My stomach twisted in knots. As much as I wanted to stand there and argue, I honestly didn¡¯t have it in me to try.


    ¡®He¡¯s not shutting me out,¡¯ I told myself. ¡®After everything that¡¯s gone on, Elio is not trying to push me away... he¡¯s merely trying to gain control of the situation again. And thest thing he needs to worry about is me.¡¯


    I asked about his n before I left. Elio told me that he was going to stay back with Leo and Franky to help deal with the bodies and potentially create a new game n should no word of Juniore through the wire.


    So, I left without so much as another word, following the man he¡¯d assigned as my driver. I was too stunned by everything that had happened to even remember the guy¡¯s name. I struggled to keep my eyes from lingering on those who hadn¡¯t made it through the shootout as we headed for the cars outside.


    Once I was back within the safe walls of our penthouse, I tossed my phone to the side and headed straight for the bathroom. An awful wave of nausea hit me, and I was certain I was going to be sick. I had gone through yet another terrible event that was sure to leave a mental scar on me.


    Thankfully, the feeling passed, and that just left me wanting a shower to at least help me unwind.


    ¡®They¡¯re going to find him,¡¯ I thought mindlessly to myself.


    It became my mantra for a half hour, or rather however long I¡¯d been home since the shooting at the warehouse. Inplete honesty, I couldn¡¯t remember much after I discovered that Antonio was dead. My mind grew foggy, and the horrid events of the evening were ying around like a broken record in my head.


    I pressed my arm against the cool tile of my shower and allowed the hot water to stream down my back. The scolding temperature felt incredible as it helped bring my body¡¯s temperature back up to its normal level.


    I hadn¡¯t realized how cold I was until Elio wrapped his arms around me earlier. It had brought back a warm, familiar sense of security that I needed desperately, one I was sorely missing right now.


    ¡®They¡¯re going to find him,¡¯ I repeated.


    I let my eyes flutter closed and let out a long-focused breath in hopes of leveling out my anxiety. I tried to make sense of all the troubling thoughts that clouded my mind.


    I remembered hearing all the gunshots going off and the unnerving sounds of men shouting. My muscles tensed uncontrobly with every thought.


    I had nced at Antonio¡¯s lifeless body and made the rash assumption that everything was over. But when Francesco¡¯s men came back to tell us that Junior had gotten away, I felt the intense weight of my mistake.


    Of course, the bastard had managed to slip away.


    Elio was beyond pissed off, and who could me him? Tonight was supposed to be the night this would all be over. Both Antonio and Junior were meant to be taken down. The job was only half done. And that was not good enough.


    I remembered how his eyes burned with rage as he directed Francesco¡¯s men to search high and low for Junior. But the question remained... where the hell could Junior possibly have gone?


    I couldn¡¯t imagine he¡¯d be dumb enough to head back to any of his safe houses. The second he discovered that the team had ced a tracking device on his car, he should¡¯ve known that his location had beenpromised.


    And I wasn¡¯t entirely convinced that he had the same kind of connections as his father did when he fled the country. Even then, not even Antonio was able to find a usible situation when he was over in Italy, so I couldn¡¯t imagine that Junior would have much luck either.


    ¡®Be careful, Cat,¡¯ I thought mildly. ¡®You almost sound like you have sympathy for the guy.¡¯


    A humorlessugh slipped past my lips. Oh, please... there wasn¡¯t an ounce of sympathy or pity that I could possibly muster up for someone like him.


    ¡°My God, I need to stop,¡± I hissed under my breath.


    I needed to stop harping on Junior or I was going to drive myself insane.


    Another intense spasm of pain ached within the muscles of my back. I reached over to adjust the temp of the water and set it to an even hotter level. My skin was probably as red as a boiled lobster by now.


    I didn¡¯t care.


    I tried to push all thoughts of Junior out of my head. At the very least, I should have been d that Antonio was no longer an issue. But even though the man was gone, that didn¡¯t necessarily mean that the threat was over.


    As long as Junior was still around, he would always be able to recruit more men. The organization would never be gone unless the root of the issue was gone itself. If we didn¡¯t take Junior down, then Elio and I would have no choice but to spend the rest of our lives always looking over our shoulders.


    How was anyone supposed to live like that? Having nothing but fear and constant worry that something terrible was on the verge of happening was enough to make any person lose their mind.


    ¡°Goddamnit!¡± I grumbled.


    So much for trying to rx.


    I quickly turned the lever off the shower and kept myself leaning against the tile for a few moments longer. My skin was tingling from the intense heat of the water. I wrapped my arms around myself and took several deep breaths.


    Yes, I wanted Junior to be found and brought in, but what I wanted more was to be with Elio. Instead, I was alone. The night felt like it was dragging on endlessly, and I knew we both could use the rest.


    But Elio had made it clear that his work was far from being finished.


    I turned my head at the sound of someoneing through the front door of the apartment. My heart mmed in my chest as heavy footsteps tramped through the halls.


    ¡°Cat?¡±


    It was Elio¡¯s voice that echoed through the hallway. I let out a tremulous breath and quickly snatched a towel off the rack next to the stall.


    ¡°Jesus Christ,¡± I whispered.


    I needed to get a hold of myself.


    ¡°I¡¯m in the bathroom,¡± I called out.


    Momentster, I stepped out of the shower and Elio was leaning within the doorframe. His clothes were slightly disheveled, and his hair was tousled. What I really tried to focus on was his expression. Aside from, of course, looking exhausted and ready to physically crash, Elio appeared tense.


    ¡°Still nothing on Junior?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what had possessed me to even ask such a question when the look on his face was all the answer I needed.


    ¡°Nothing as of yet,¡± he grumbled.


    I secured the folds of the towel around my waist and moved to close the distance between us. Now that we were both back in the safety and privacy of our home, I felt like I was finally able to properly embrace him.


    Elio took the liberty of returning my affection and engulfed me in hisrge arms. His deep, masculine scent flooded my senses. I was nearly swept off my feet as he pulled me from the bathroom and into our bedroom.


    ¡°Come. We need to talk,¡± he murmured close to my ear.


    My stomach flipped.


    Elio guided us over to the bed, where we both sat next to each other on the edge. I folded my legs under me and turned to face him.


    ¡°I know I already asked you this before,¡± he started. ¡°But I really need to know. Are you alright?¡±


    I let my shoulders shrug back.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I mean, it¡¯s not like I was directly involved¡ª¡±


    ¡°Cat. You know that¡¯s not what I mean,¡± Elio said pointedly.


    He came to rest his hand over my thigh and gave a light squeeze for assurance. What he was asking me was a lot moreplex than I cared to get into at the moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m... I... I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted weakly. ¡°I can¡¯t exactly say that I¡¯m okay with what went on, but I know, deep down, that there was very little choice in the matter.¡±


    Elio slowly nodded his head and drew small circles over my leg as a way to soothe me.


    ¡°Antonio had reached the end of his line,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s making me second guess my feelings¡ªhis death,¡± I said. ¡°All the pain and misery he caused felt like it had finally been put to rest. Yet, at the same time, I feel like because of his death, we¡¯re on the edge of something... extreme.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I think you and I have always been heading in this direction since the very beginning,¡± he said. ¡°Antonio was the one who killed your father to begin with, so I¡¯ll admit that I don¡¯t feel a bit sorry for his death. But you¡¯re right about thatst part you mentioned. Now that he¡¯s gone, his men are going to be scrambling to figure themselves out.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s still the worry of Junior.¡±


    Something dark flickered across Elio¡¯s eyes. I was sure that if he had the ability and the time, he would be out searching for the guy too. But I was d that he wasn¡¯t. I needed him here with me more than ever.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got everything taken care of, love,¡± he said. ¡°Franky has a team out looking for the sneaky bastard as we speak. I trust that they will find him.¡±


    Hearing him say these things took a lot of stress off my chest. I already found it easier to breathe and focus.


    I leaned into his side and gently let my head rest against his shoulder. My hair was still very damp from my shower, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind. Elio even leaned down to press a chaste kiss to my forehead before speaking.


    ¡°Everything is going to be fine.¡±


    I wanted to believe him. Nothing in the world meant more to me than the safety and security of our family. I tried to think optimistically and hold some piece of faith in Francesco¡¯s men to find Junior.


    With Antonio truly gone, our lives were undoubtedly to be very different... for better or for worse.


    All that I knew was... that there was no going back.

 Chapter 696 : Back to Normal

    <h4>Chapter 696: Chapter 696 : Back to Normal</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I had a dream that night.


    I was standing in an empty room, with walls that seemed to reach upward to impossible heights and no windows or doors. It was dark, no lights around me, and I was alone.


    I knew it was a dream, but I couldn¡¯t move, like there were chains that hade from the ground and wrapped around my body. I kept struggling against the invisible hold, but it was useless.


    I was trapped.


    Then I began to hear gunshots, loud and abrupt,ing from everywhere around me. I heard screams following them, banging against the walls like someone was screaming for help. I struggled to move, to do anything... but I was stuck in ce, feet nted to the ground.


    And then my feet began to slowly sink into the floor, dragging me underneath.


    I tried to call out for help, to find out who was screaming, but I was mute. My mouth opened and closed but there was no voice. All my words had been taken from me.


    Then the walls lit up in brightness and I could see faces behind the wall, crying and begging for me to help them, faceless nobodies but scattered within were silent statues. My waist had sunk underneath the floor now, and I threw out my hands to grab anything to pull myself out.


    But like a sticky tar, it clung to me, only pulling me down faster.


    I saw people I knew¡ªAlexi, a corpse pale and bloody, stared at me with lifeless eyes... my mother, pale and weak in her hospital gown... and someone I had not seen in years.


    My father was in between them, standing there with a tilted head, watching me sink lower and lower. His eyes were glued shut, his whole body unnaturally stiff and he took a step forward, body flopping like a boneless marite.


    He opened his mouth, showing the bolts keeping it shut, and whispered one thing as my head sunk beneath the floor.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    And I woke up.


    Soaked in sweat, my heart racing and pounding in my chest, I jolted up in bed, the images I had seen burned into my retinas. I swallowed, my throat parched for water, and I automatically turned beside me, my hands searching the sheets forfort.


    But they met emptiness.


    ¡°Elio?¡± I asked, throat scratchy but I was relieved nheless that I had my voice back.


    As my heart calmed down and the nightmare began to fade from my forefront, I remembered that Elio had gone to help in the search for Junior.


    I took a deep breath, grabbing my phone from the nightstand. My heart leaped to my throat as I saw I had a missed call from my mom. I turned on themp, rubbing the crust from my eyes as I called her back.


    It rang a couple of times and with each one, a seed of anxiety grewrger andrger, quickly morphing into panic when I went straight to her voicemail. Mom always answered her phone. Always.


    I dialed her back, biting my bottom lip as I tapped my foot impatiently on the floor. I was going to head down to her apartment if she didn¡¯t answer this time, and I would force myself in there if I had to.


    I was just thinking of raiding Elio¡¯s toolbox for a hammer to break open her door when she finally picked up with a strange sounding ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Mom, are you okay? You didn¡¯t answer and I was worried.¡±


    The words burst out of my lips, but Mom only chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, sweetie, I promise. I was just doing my exercises. I called you like two hours ago, but I guess you were still sleeping. Just because you¡¯re on vacation from school doesn¡¯t mean you should sleep all day, you know.¡±


    I smiled at the same old lecturing from the same old Mom. ¡°I know, Mom. What did you call for?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was just wondering if you wanted to go to dinnerter. My doctor says I¡¯m healthy enough to get off the crutches now, so I figured a little celebration should be in order.¡±


    Sheughed, sounding bright and happy like I hadn¡¯t heard from her before all of this mess started.


    My eyes watered at her words. After months of physical therapy and going back and forth to the hospital, she was finally feeling good enough to go out, to get back to her normal life. It was a relief to hear Mom was recovering.


    As I went to answer, I heard the front door opening, shuffling in the entrance, and someone heading straight for me. Elio was probably back, I thought.


    ¡°Yes, of course, Mom. I¡¯d love to. Where do you want to go?¡± I asked as Elio entered, giving me a surprised look as he saw me.


    ¡°Hm, haven¡¯t decided yet, but meet me at my apartmentter, sometime around five-ish, and we¡¯ll figure it out, okay?¡±


    ¡°Sure, Mom,¡± I smiled and waited for Mom to end the call before I turned to Elio.


    ¡°You okay?¡± he asked, concerned.


    He had a brown bag and coffee cup in his hand, which he handed over to me before sitting down beside me. I grinned, inhaling the familiar scent of freshly brewed coffee.


    I took a sip¡ªit was just the overload of sugar and whipped cream I wanted. I ruffled through the bag, pulling out a bagel and a side of cream cheese to go with it.


    ¡°Thank you, Elio,¡± I told him with a big smile. ¡°And I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m just happy. Mom wants to go out to dinner to celebrate getting off her crutches. I feel like things are finally starting to look up.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a strong woman.¡± Elio grinned. ¡°She¡¯s been putting so much effort into getting better, so she deserves to celebrate. I know how proud you are of her.¡±


    I took a big bite of my bagel, happiness fluttering like butterflies in my stomach as Elio got on his phone, scrolling through with a thoughtful look as I ate. After my coffee was down and my stomach filled, I finally got the courage to ask about what was on my mind.


    ¡°Any sign of him?¡±


    Elio sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, no. His father taught him well about hiding his tracks, but we¡¯re still searching. We¡¯re not going to give up.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but be disappointed at the news, even though I knew it was still early. It had only been two days since he¡¯d escaped, and these things took time.


    ¡°We found him once,¡± I said confidently. ¡°We¡¯ll do it again.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you say so, then it must be true.¡± Elio grinned, leaning over to kiss me.


    I stretched up to kiss him back, happy to have him with me. My dream was long forgotten, but I still felt uneasy from the nightmare.


    ¡°Do you want toe to dinner with us?¡± I asked, ncing up to see his face as I hugged him around the waist.


    He kissed the top of my head with a soft smile. ¡°No, I¡¯ve got more work to do tonight. Besides, I think you two are overdue for a mother-daughter date. I think she¡¯ll appreciate that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± I grinned. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too.¡± He kissed me.


    Elio and I spent the rest of the afternoon justzing around together. We hung out on the couch, watching TV and scrolling on our phones. I showed him some funny videos and we watched a few movies. Elio even made popcorn with some chocte to munch on before dinner.


    I enjoyed just spending this time with him with nothing else to get in between us, just me and him together.


    Once five o¡¯clock rolled around, I got dressed and ready for dinner with Mom, double-checking with Elio that it was okay if he didn¡¯te, but he just waved me off with augh, typing away on hisputer.


    I headed downstairs, texting Mom to let her know I was there before I entered. The ce was pretty quiet, and I found Mom in her bedroom, trying on a few different dresses. It brought tears to my eyes to see her fully upright, healed, and walking on her own two feet like she had never been injured.


    She beamed when she saw me, folding me into a hug and roping me into helping her choose her dress. We decided to go with a modest blue one and finally, we headed out. It felt good to be with Mom and I held her arm around mine, happy to see her so full of life as we headed to the restaurant.


    We decided to go to Saffy¡¯s because it was within walking distance, and it felt good to get out of the house, strolling down the streets of themercial district. The warm air felt good on my skin, and it was nice to see Mom so enthusiastic.


    The restaurant was pretty busy, but we had a reservation, so we got in early and chatted about school as we ordered drinks. We both ordered a few cocktails before dinner since we had walked, but I made sure not to drink too much just in case.


    I told her all about what Anna was doing. ¡°Ever since her boyfriend came back, they¡¯re practically joined at the hip.¡±


    Momughed. ¡°Well, that¡¯s normal for your age when you have someone close. Speaking of that, how had it been, living with Elio?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like heaven, Mom.¡±


    She seemed to understand with just that short answer, and the conversation moved to which sses I was going to attend when the semester started.


    It felt a bit weird to talk about something so normal after everything that had been going on, but I was happy to put everything else out of my mind for a moment. Plus, if I wanted a life that I created for myself and not what I gained by relying on Elio or my mom all the time, then I needed to go back to school.


    Learning about the world and finding out what I could do to make it a better ce was crucial to bing independent. And that was the kind of person I wanted to be. Mom gave me some advice, and we just chatted about random things until the food came.


    We shared a tter of Saffy¡¯s wood-fired shawarma,mb, beef, and chicken with some vegan options too. I was in love with it.


    I got the banana cake for dessert, and Mom wanted the pecan apple crisp. She did end up stealing a few bites of my cake anyway, but I didn¡¯t mind at all. By the time dinner was over, it was already dark out and I supported Mom, who had a healthy red glow to her cheeks as we walked back to the apartment.


    She leaned on my shoulder, beaming brightly as it seemed that with every step, the four cocktails she¡¯d had came back to bite her. The doorman was kind enough to help me and Mom get into the elevator, and we stopped on her floor.


    Lauren wasn¡¯t there tonight, so I helped Mom get into her pajamas and sent her to bed. As she snored face-first into the pillows, I covered her up with the nkets and made sure to put some Advil and a ss of water on her bedside table before heading to my own apartment.


    I rubbed my sore arms, sighing to myself as I stepped inside the darkened house. Elio wasn¡¯t to be found, probably in the bedroom or on the balcony. I poured myself a ss of water, sipping it slowly as I came down from the alcohol.


    I had just set my phone on the counter, leaning over to take off my heels, when I heard it ring out loudly in the quiet penthouse. I frowned, ncing at the caller ID.


    My heart leaped to my throat.


    It was a number I knew well.


    Junior¡¯s.

 Chapter 697 : Bitter Cycle

    <h4>Chapter 697: Chapter 697 : Bitter Cycle</h4>


    *Caterina*


    My mind went absolutely nk as if I had never had a thought race across my mind ever in my life. I couldn¡¯t think of anything, just simple, mind-numbing panic. My heart raced like a jackhammer in my chest, pounding with the force of a stampede.


    Three shes went by before my senses finally came back to me and I looked around me for something in a panic, anything to help... and one thought crashed upon my numb brain.


    ¡°Elio!¡± I screamed as loud as I could, sure that even in this well-insted penthouse that the neighbors, including my mother downstairs, had heard me.


    I heard a loud thump from the other room, and curses in a familiar voice that reassured me I wasn¡¯t alone. I answered the call, my entire body trembling as I put it on the speaker right as Elio came stumbling into the room with a wide-eyed look.


    Fight or flight had him in its grasp, and he looked ready to kill as his wild eyes searched the room and nced over at me for any kind of threat. I put my finger over my lips in a hurry, trying to tell him to be quiet.


    He luckily got the hint, eyesnding on the phone like it was some kind of monster he needed to execute to protect me.


    ¡°You know,¡± the familiar voice,zy and nonchnt, said, ¡°it¡¯s only polite to say hello when you answer the phone. How rude of you, Kitty-Cat.¡±


    I stiffened, and my whole body tensed up. I was afraid I was going to choke on my words, but I managed to get out a quiet, ¡°Sorry to disappoint you,¡± before falling silent once more.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. You have, Sweetheart. You have disappointed me greatly.¡±


    There was a snarl in his voice, bitter and angry still. But like the con artist that he was, it changed to a rxed tone in the next heartbeat, hiding his true face behind his words.


    ¡°But that¡¯s all in the past,¡± he said. ¡°Now you have a chance to make up for all the terrible things you¡¯ve done to me. All you have to do is one little thing, Cat. Tell me where my father is.¡±


    The sheer audacity he had to gaslight me right on the phone, to pretend to be a victim when he was nothing more than a monster who¡¯d taken advantage of me, abused me, and tried to kill me and my family... it knocked me right out of my panic.


    I grit my teeth and I could see Elio¡¯s hands clenching, just as angry as I was.


    ¡°I don¡¯t owe you a damn thing. You shot my mother,¡± I snapped fiercely.


    ¡°It never would¡¯ve happened if you had just obeyed me like a good little girl!¡± he screamed, then said calmly after a heartbeat, ¡°It was regrettable truly, but it had to be done. Now, it was smart of you to use my father to get to me, but the game ends now. Where is he, Cat? My patience won¡¯tst forever, so if you don¡¯t want another ident to happen, tell me what I want to know.¡±


    I smirked, calming down as I nced at Elio¡¯s expression. He wasn¡¯t the least bit intimidated, and I could hear the cracking in Junior¡¯s voice¡ªhe was desperate. We had the upper hand here and we all knew it.


    I took a deep breath, pushing away my emotions as I calmed down.


    ¡°Threats won¡¯t work on me anymore, Junior.¡± I emphasized his name, forgoing the alias he had used with me.


    I wasn¡¯t going to buy into his lies any longer. He had no control over me anymore. I was a different person than when I was when I was with him.


    That seemed like a million years ago.


    There was a beat of silence and I nced at Elio, both of us waiting for his next move. I half-expected him to hang up or explode in anger but when he spoke next, none of that happened.


    ¡°If you want to make an exchange, name the terms.¡±


    His rough voice was strained, anger underlining his tone, but he was still calm, with no sign of the fury or explosion I expected. In a way, he sounded almost... defeated.


    I grinned in victory and Elio smirked, crossing his arms. But then came the next part. I wasn¡¯t the greatest liar, but there was also no way to make an exchange with a dead person. Junior seemed to have no idea that his father was dead.


    I put the call on mute for a moment, biting my bottom lip as I debated with myself.


    ¡°Do I tell him the truth or lie?¡± I asked Elio.


    He shrugged. ¡°Whatever you want to do. This is your battle right now. I trust your judgment.¡±


    It warmed my heart to hear those words and I beamed, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek as thanks. I took a deep breath, deciding my next move as I took the call off hold. There was an unsettling silence on the other side, and I was surprised he had waited so patiently instead of cursing me out.


    But finally, I made my decision.


    ¡°Unfortunately, Junior, there isn¡¯t going to be an exchange,¡± I said rather coldly.


    ¡°What the fuck do you mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°Did you know your father killed mine over a decade ago?¡± I asked detachedly, staring at the wall with nk eyes.


    The memory of that day came back like a vivid hallucination. I remember staring out the window, waiting for my father toe back as I finished up my homework.


    His car had driven up, and I was so excited I bounced out of my seat, running down the driveway to meet him. My feet had been bare, the asphalt burning, but I didn¡¯t care.


    But instead of my father, it was a stranger I hadn¡¯t met before. At the time I didn¡¯t know, but it was Tallon who hade to visit us.


    I hadn¡¯t understood right away, looking into the open car door and searching for my dad, but my smile slowly died as I realized he wasn¡¯t there. The sky had been gray and stormy when Mom came out after me.


    She had known as soon as she saw him. I remember her falling to her knees, sobbing loudly on the ground, and all I could do was stand there, uprehending as rain began to fall upon us. I remember calling for my dad toe out and give me a big hug like he always would, but he didn¡¯t.


    I still remembered the words Tallon had said to me that day.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I have to be the one to tell you, but you won¡¯t be seeing your father again.¡± I repeated those words to Junior now with darkness in my eyes. ¡°I had to hear those words almost a decade ago. And now I have the pleasure of telling them to you, Junior. Your father is dead.¡±


    And now, I finally had vengeance for mine.


    There was pure silence, a cold and endless quiet that bit down to the bone like frostbite across my skin, numbing stillness in the chaos of the rest of the world. At that moment, it was like the clock stopped ticking and the world stopped turning.


    Everything around me froze, turning seconds into hours.


    My father had died as revenge from one man. And now, Antonio had died as revenge for my father.


    It was a bitter cycle with no end. Someone would always have to die in the name of revenge.


    I thought I would feel differently at this moment, finally avenging the pain and anger I¡¯d felt ever since that rainy day. But just like when Antonio died, I felt empty inside.


    No joy, no sadness... nothing.


    And I realized in this moment where time had stopped around me that there was nothing more terrifying than apathy.


    Then it was all over.


    Time had caught up with me, and I could hear the heavy, disjointed breathing on the other end like he was trying to catch his breath and failing. I knew what he was going through.


    His father had put me through the exact same thing.


    The disbelief turned to anger, sadness, and tears then numbness as I was forced to ept the one single truth that we all must grasp¡ªthat life could be very cruel.


    It will rip the people you love from you, and there is nothing you can do to stop it.


    I held onto Elio¡¯s hand tightly, perhaps too tightly by the wince I saw from the corner of my eye, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to let go.


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Junior said, his voice shaking.


    Then all at once, it went very quiet. If someone had told me he had stopped breathing on the other end and died, I would¡¯ve believed it, but no, he was still there.


    ¡°This is war. I hope you¡¯re all ready.¡±


    And before I could say another word, the line went dead.


    ¡°I think he took that well.¡± I gave Elio an attempt at a smile, wobbly and not at all sincere, but it was the best I could do under the circumstances.


    ¡°You did good.¡±


    Elio opened his arms, tugging me forward, and I went bonelessly into his embrace. He kissed the top of my head, murmuring sweet words as he rubbed my back with his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    I wondered for a moment what there was to be proud of. I¡¯d just told someone their father was dead, that we had caused his death. Was that something to be proud of?


    Did I deserve to be the oneforted right now?


    Maybe I was a bit twisted.


    My hands clung to his shirt, unsure of how to feel or react, but Elio just murmured reassurances to me, keeping me close so I could hear his heartbeat thumping in my ears. It was a soothing force, and I focused entirely on it as I threw away all the rest of my thoughts.


    After a few minutes, I pulled out of his hug, giving him a smile to show I was okay. Elio immediately got to work once he saw I was okay. In an instant, he was on the phone.


    ¡°Hey, reach out to Franky. We need to meet ASAP. I¡¯ll be there in twenty,¡± Elio instructed firmly, with no room for debate.


    ¡°Can I finish my snack first?¡± I heard Leo¡¯s faint joking voice on the other end.


    ¡°No,¡± Elio said coldly, and then he hung up.


    I chuckled, leaning my head on his arm. ¡°That was mean.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s used to it.¡±


    Elio shrugged, getting to his feet. He pocketed his phone, running around to grab his jacket, keys, shoes, and wallet. I watched him stuff everything into his pockets, wondering how on earth they were big enough to store all his shit.


    Elio patted himself down onest time then headed for the door, opening it up. He paused, one foot through the doorway, and then spun on his heel, giving me an expectant look.


    ¡°Youing?¡± He tilted his head with a smile.


    I grinned, my spirits lifting at the unprompted invitation.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    And I took his hand.

 Chapter 698 : Clean Up

    <h4>Chapter 698: Chapter 698 : Clean Up</h4>


    *Elio*


    The warm sun had begun to fade away, casting a twilight glow across the sky as the ck sedan rumbled down the beaten and bumpy path. In the setting sun, it was even more obvious just how much nothing there was around us.


    The warehouse loomed in sight, the same one we¡¯d used to hold Antonio, with only a few cars waiting silently outside as we pulled up.


    The engine cut off, the keys jingling as I pulled them out of the ignition. The click of the seatbelts was the only sound in the quiet desert before us and I got out, tucking the keys into the hidden pocket in my suit, brushing down my zer for imaginary dust.


    I spared merely a moment, ncing at the leftover police tape that had been brushed aside. A few strands swayed as a hot breeze brushed across the rocky terrain. I rounded the car, the rocks under my feet crunching with every step and I grabbed the door, opening it with a quiet click.


    Her eyes met mine, bright and warm, and I smiled on instinct, stepping to the side like a chauffeur. She was gorgeous¡ªher long legs sexy as hell under the short ck dress she had worn, and her face gleamed with red lipstick and shadowy eyes.


    I shut the door after her, offering my arm with a grin and she smiled, her eyes twinkling like the colors of the sky above as I escorted her along the walkway up to the warehouse.


    ¡°Has it been cleaned up?¡± she asked cautiously.


    ¡°Spotless, as much as it could be, anyway.¡± I shrugged, remembering thest time we¡¯d been there. My men were good at what they did, but not even they could destroy every piece of evidence of what had happened there.


    There may be a few stains left over, I thought, but nothing major. At least we took care of the body.


    ¡°And Alexi... what happened to his¡ª¡±


    She spoke quietly as we approached the side door. ¡°Did you bury him?¡±


    I paused outside the door, my hand on the doorknob as I wondered how to answer her. I knew from working with Franky and Al that protocol would be returning the body to the family, or if there was none, a simple burial at Eterna. But that was for those who were part of the family.


    Alexi was not.


    Plus, being overseas, there was no way we would spend the resources and money to ship his body across the ocean to give him a proper burial.


    Truthfully, his body had been taken, burned, and thrown into a pauper¡¯s grave.


    I felt no remorse over that decision, considering that he had betrayed our trust and worked with the enemy. We did give out a proper notice and even gave him a simple headstone. That was the least bit of consideration I could give him for ratting out his boss and leading us straight to him.


    Truthfully, I didn¡¯t want to tell her all of that, mainly for her own peace of mind and mine.


    But I also was not going to lie to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I made sure he¡¯s been taken care of,¡± I told her vaguely, tucking her to my side a bit more closely as I pushed open the doors.


    I held it open, allowing her to head in first, and she gave me a knowing look, a frown on her lips like she knew I wasn¡¯t telling her the entire truth.


    But she said nothing, giving a little nod as she headed past me. The concrete floors were much better to stand on than the gravel paths outside, and the whole ce smelled of bleach and dust as we entered.


    As we turned the corner, I almost expected to see the dead body lying there, blood pouring around it and officers standing around, just like a few days ago.


    But there was nothing.


    Leo and Franky sat at one of the tables pushed against the wall, a really crappy stic one with equally crappy chairs. Leo had his feet propped up on the table, while Franky sat still and proper as always, a scowl on his face, which only deepened when he saw Cat and me.


    Cat, for her part, ignored Franky¡¯s hostile gaze, but Leo waved to us with azy grin.


    ¡°Hey,te-night appointment, eh?¡± he chuckled. ¡°Always nice to see you, Cat.¡±


    She took a seat beside him, the farthest from Franky, and I didn¡¯t me her. I grabbed the seat next to her, in between her and Franky.


    ¡°What¡¯s this all about?¡± Franky said roughly, giving me an expectant look and discarding Cat¡¯s presence altogether.


    It really was the best we could hope for from him. He was a misogynist piece of shit, but he had his uses, so if I had to be in the same room as him, I would have at least prefered he keep his damn mouth shut about Cat.


    I understood that he was old school from the old country, but I was really tired of his attitude.


    ¡°Junior called Cat¡¯s numberst night,¡± I said grimly. ¡°Luckily, she was quick enough to get me and put it on speakerphone. I tried to record what I could, but the audio was short and not the best quality.¡±


    ¡°Junior?¡± Leo raised an eyebrow, ncing at Cat. ¡°How¡¯d he get your number?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve switched phone numbers, so I¡¯m not sure how he got my number.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awfully suspicious,¡± Franky said, ring at Cat usingly.


    But I wasn¡¯t having any of it. ¡°Cut that shit out,¡± I snarled, then I turned back to Leo. ¡°I¡¯m not too worried about it. It seems like he got the number from Alexi when he had him killed. He¡¯s the only one who had her number, and his phone was missing when we found his body.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s gruesome,¡± Leo made a face.


    ¡°The main issue,¡± I said, turning to Franky with a stern look, ¡°is that this isn¡¯t going to go away. Junior knows about his father¡¯s death now, and he¡¯s not going to let this go. We need to arrange for more guys to find him and more guards on our assets. I don¡¯t want a repeat of the Alexi incident on one of our sites.¡±


    ¡°And does the Don know of these ns?¡± Franky shot back, crossing his arms with an unhappy look.


    ¡°Really? You gotta be difficult?¡± Leo shook his head in exasperation.


    Cat rolled her eyes but they both looked expectantly at me. I sighed, putting out my phone from my pocket. I had Al on speed dial.


    I put it on speaker, right when Al answered with a sharp, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Oh, bad day?¡± Leo joked.


    ¡°Your subordinate was worried that you weren¡¯t updated on the situation, so I¡¯m calling to rectify that so that he¡¯ll follow my orders,¡± I said annoyed.


    ¡°If he¡¯s being a problem, kill him and send back the body. I have enough on my damn te,¡± Al snarled out.


    Franky¡¯s eyes went wide, a look of hesitance crossing his features. I smirked, sending him an I-told-you-so look.


    ¡°Nah, too much paperwork.¡± I shrugged nonchntly.


    Franky¡¯s look of relief was worth it.


    ¡°Fine, what¡¯s the damage? Antonio?¡±


    ¡°Dead,¡± I answered quickly. ¡°But his son got away. He¡¯s on the run. I wanted some more men so we could organize a search for him and guard our shit. They left us a present in one of our warehouses a couple of days ago. It was a bitch to clean up, so we don¡¯t want any repeats.¡±


    ¡°One of ours?¡±


    ¡°Informant... he seemed to be ying both sides,¡± I said coldly, ¡°at least until he wound up dead. We think they used him to get a hold of Cat¡¯s number and threaten us. Junior wasn¡¯t too happy to learn of his father¡¯s fate.¡±


    ¡°He should¡¯ve thought of that before turning on the family,¡± Al said, more bitter than the ckest coffee. ¡°I¡¯m flying to the States anyway, so I¡¯ll be there sometime tomorrow. We¡¯ll discuss the next steps then.¡±


    ¡°And in the meantime?¡± I prompted, giving a pointed look at Franky, who was scowling in his chair like a child scolded by their parents.


    ¡°Your idea isn¡¯t bad. Keep looking for the runaway and add some more security, especially around your apartments. That¡¯s the first ce they¡¯ll try to hit, so keep a careful eye out. I can¡¯t help you if you end up getting taken hostage... or worse.¡±


    ¡°Will do. Thanks, Al.¡± I barely waited for his annoyed goodbye before I hung up, turning to Leo, Cat, and Franky with a confident smirk. ¡°You heard the man. Teams of two from now on, nobody is left alone. One team to Leo¡¯s apartment and one team to ours for extra security. Get a search team out there to keep looking for Junior, and make sure any spies and informants are aware of the danger. If they want to be pulled out, make it happen.¡±


    ¡°And go where?¡± Cat spoke up with a frown. ¡°Do we have any safe houses in the area to use?¡±


    I opened my mouth to reply but nothing came out. I hadn¡¯t thought about that, to be honest. I turned to Leo, who nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get on it. We had a few, but they¡¯ve all but been abandoned at this point. I¡¯ll get them restocked and new security measures updated once I contact the informants. I can also start looking for a few promising locations, just in case,¡± Leo said, then he gave Cat a grin. ¡°Excellent suggestion, Cat.¡±


    She crossed her arms, staring at Franky. ¡°What about the security and search teams?¡±


    We all turned to Franky expectantly, and he frowned, but the fight he¡¯d had in him from before had left. With Al on our side, there was no excuse to go against my word now.


    ¡°I will do as you say,¡± he said reluctantly. ¡°I can get the security there in an hour.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Like Al said, keep your eyes peeled,¡± I said as I got up from the table, with Cat doing the same half a secondter. I waited until she came to my side before giving both Leo and Franky a warning look. ¡°Things are about to get messy, and we need to be prepared.¡±


    We all got up from the table, eyeing one another before splitting ways. It was quiet, eerily so, as we left the warehouse and got into our cars, with Leo and Franky driving off first and then me and Cat.


    It was a long drive from the endless nowhere back to the city, and Cat dozed off as we listened to the radio.


    I taped my fingers on the steering wheel, humming to myself as I drove into the night. It was almost too dark at night to see any longer. Once we pulled into ourplex, it became obvious to me that Cat was not going to wake up.


    Exhausted, she slept soundly against the window, and I took my time to unbuckle her and pick her up, carrying her inside. The doorman gave me a nod as I passed, not even questioning the woman I was carrying as we headed up to our penthouse.


    I shifted Cat in my arms, relying on the automated door sensor to get inside without waking her. It took a bit of maneuvering, but Iid Cat gently onto the bed, taking my time to take off her heels before I tucked her in.


    After I straightened, pulling off my jacket and throwing off my shoes, my phone lit up with a silent call, and I nced at the number with questioning eyes.


    It was Alessandro.

 Chapter 699 : An Exciting Offer

    <h4>Chapter 699: Chapter 699 : An Exciting Offer</h4>


    *Elio*


    I tiptoed over to the balcony door and opened it as quietly as I could before taking the call from Alessandro. Luckily, everything in our penthouse was such high quality that it was easy to slide the door open without it making a noise at all.


    One nce at Cat told me that she was still sleeping soundly. I was d that she was able to sleep after everything that had happened today. Watching her sleep filled me with such peace; just knowing she was safe was all I needed in life.


    Her involvement in the mafia life still worried me greatly. But seeing her sleeping safe and sound was a great reminder of how strong she really was. Hell, she was handling what had happened today better than I was.


    It didn¡¯t bother me at all that Antonio was dead, but that didn¡¯t stop me from seeing his body slumped over every time I tried to close my eyes. Death was a necessary evil that came along with the mafia territory, but I wasn¡¯t heartless. I still didn¡¯t like seeing a person¡¯s life fade from their eyes.


    Overlooking the city, I hit answer on my phone and held it up to my ear. ¡°It¡¯s Elio,¡± I said quietly as I shut the door behind me.


    If Cat was able to sleep soundly, I didn¡¯t want to be the one who ruined it. She deserved her rest.


    I could tell by the background noise that Alessandro was already on a ne heading our way. I couldn¡¯t lie, I was d that he wasing. Although I felt like everything with Antonio and Junior had gone as well as it could have, the fact that Junior had managed to slip away had left me feeling off-kilter and worried.


    I would feel better once Alessandro was here to assess the situation himself. His expertise would be much appreciated. I also hoped to have a private conversation with him about how he dealt with the strange feelings that were swirling through me.


    It wasn¡¯t guilt, not at all, more just... a general wondering if things could¡¯ve gone differently. I was curious to know if Alessandro had felt simrly when dealing with his first few deaths. The man was cold-blooded for sure, but surely, that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t think about it.


    ¡°Hey, thanks for answering. I know it¡¯s been a long day, but I felt like I needed to talk to you a little more one-on-one,¡± Alessandro said.


    ¡°Sure, no problem. I wasn¡¯t sleeping anyway,¡± I admitted.


    I wasn¡¯t ashamed of the fact that the shootout had left me a bit shaken, but I didn¡¯t want Alessandro to worry about me either. I wanted him to know that I was capable of leadership, no matter what happened.


    I just needed time to adjust to the new normal. Going from real estate development to working in the mafia was a pretty fucking big life change.


    ¡°Yeah, that adrenaline rush is fucking crazy, huh?¡± He chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing like a shootout to remind you of your own mortality.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was a lot to process. I¡¯m just pissed we let Junior get away,¡± I said. ¡°And I wish we¡¯d managed to keep Antonio alive. I feel shitty about the fact that his death was basically meaningless.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Junior. We¡¯ll figure it out. He¡¯s all alone now, without his dad to tell him what to do. We¡¯ll find him soon enough. And as far as Antonio is concerned, he was a dead man walking anyway. It was only a matter of time before we took him out. He probably got lucky. Now he won¡¯t be tortured for information,¡± he paused, then said, ¡°Look, I wanted to let you know that Franky has been reporting to me on everything, and he¡¯s been really impressed by you¡ªyour decision making, how calm you stay under pressure, all of it. And he¡¯s not an easy man to impress, which means I¡¯ve been impressed as well. I know this shit isn¡¯t easy, but you handle it like a pro.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Alessandro, that means a lot,¡± I said earnestly.


    I hadn¡¯t expected him to start heaping me with so much praise, especially considering that I still viewed the mission as partially failed. His words helped ease the ufortable feelings I¡¯d been dealing with all evening.


    ¡°So, when I get there, we¡¯re going to need to talk about where you want to be and what you want out of all this. After all, you are your father¡¯s son, and I happen to be a strong believer in the idea of birthright. I wasn¡¯t allowed to take leadership for a long time, maybe for my own good, but I happen to be a little salty about it, and I don¡¯t want to do that shit to you, especially now that you¡¯ve proven yourself.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows, intrigued at his words. I had assumed that I would eventually takemand, but I didn¡¯t realize it would be so soon.


    Did I want to be the boss already?


    I could only think of one person who I could talk it over with. I nced through the ss door in Cat¡¯s direction, where she was shifting around in her sleep.


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t lie, that definitely sounds enticing,¡± I told Alessandro. ¡°I look forward to talking to you in person.¡±


    ¡°Me too. Now get some sleep. It¡¯ll be a big day tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I will,¡± I said before hanging up.


    I turned back to look over the balcony, leaning against the metal railing and watching the cars drive by below. The city wasn¡¯t very active at this hour, but there were always a few people who had ces to be.


    I tried to imagine how it would feel to take control of the US branch of the Valentino mafia family. It filled me with an overwhelming feeling of power to think of how many people would be under my control. I knew I would do a good job.


    I was levelheaded enough not to let the power corrupt me. And with Cat by my side, I was sure to be able to make the right decisions. I could lead our family to find more sess than we had ever known. Now I just needed to see how Caterina felt about that.


    I went back inside and was happy to see that Cat was already awake. Although I¡¯d wanted her to sleep, I had been too overwhelmed with the idea of taking control to not wake her and talk to her immediately.


    Sheid on her side watching me, her big eyes shiny in the dark. She was so perfect, I could hardly believe it. She had been by my side every step of this journey to join the mafia, and I knew I wouldn¡¯t have been nearly as sessful without her and the advice she provided. If I was going to take control, I could only do it with her at my side.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Cat asked, moving to get out of bed.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, don¡¯t get up, I was just about to get in with you,¡± I said quietly.


    But I soon found out she had already been up. She had changed into a little ck nightie that made my mouth water. As she sat up against the pillows, one of the straps slipped over her shoulder and revealed the generous swell of her breast.


    Fuck, how did I get so lucky? I stopped dead in my tracks as I stared at her, unable to move. Finally, she patted the bed next to her and broke me out of my trance.


    I fell into the bed with a groan andid my head in herp. She absently trailed her fingers through my hair, and I closed my eyes with the pleasure of it, loving the closeness we shared.


    ¡°So, who called?¡± Cat asked.


    ¡°It was Alessandro. He was calling to tell me that he and Franky have been really impressed with me,¡± I said, my voice swelling with pride.


    I was a bit embarrassed at how much I wanted to share Alessandro¡¯s words with her. I knew she loved me, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that I still wanted her to be impressed by me. I wanted her to know that I could keep her safe, provide for her, be everything she needed me to be.


    ¡°Of course they have. You¡¯re amazing,¡± she said with a smile, still tangling her fingers in my hair.


    I grinned up at her, basking in thepliment. It meant everythinging from Caterina. Her hair cascaded over me as she leaned down to kiss me.


    I put my hand on her cheek, caressing her with my thumb as her soft lips pressed against mine. I wanted to deepen the kiss, but we had more to discuss.


    ¡°Alessandro said he wants to discuss next steps with me while he¡¯s here,¡± I said after she pulled away, ¡°He said he¡¯s pretty big on birthright, and he wants me to follow in my dad¡¯s footsteps.¡±


    ¡°This sounds serious, Elio. Do you think he¡¯s going to ask you to be the new boss in the States?¡± She bit her lip in thought.


    I reached up and tugged on her chin with my thumb to free her lip before swiping my thumb across it. I wanted to kiss her again, but she was too lost in thought to lean forward again.


    Instead, I nodded up at her. That¡¯s exactly what I thought, and Alessandro had all but confirmed that it would be happening soon.


    ¡°What would you think about that?¡± I asked carefully.


    I wouldn¡¯t do this if she didn¡¯t want me to. I had no desire to do it without her by my side.


    ¡°Hm... Elio, mafia boss,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I think that sounds exactly right.¡±


    I thought about what she¡¯d said and found that Ipletely agreed with her. This was my destiny, my birthright, as Alessandro had said. I wanted it more than I had been willing to admit to myself before. I was ready to take control, and I knew I would do well.


    ¡°I only want to do this if you¡¯ll be with me through it all,¡± I said, sitting up and putting my arm around her shoulders so that I could pull her close to me. ¡°You have the final say, always.¡± I pressed a kiss to the shell of her ear before whispering, ¡°You know I can¡¯t live without you.¡±


    She moved so that she was facing me, her legs straddling myp. Her little nightie shifted even further so that I could see one of her nipples. I wanted to take it in my mouth, but before I had the chance, her mouth was on mine.


    ¡°I say yes,¡± she said as she pulled away, panting. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer her with words. Instead, I let my body do the talking. Soon, we were both naked, our bodies writhing together in the sheets... everything was falling into ce.

 Chapter 700 : Breakfast with Alessandro

    <h4>Chapter 700: Chapter 700 : Breakfast with Alessandro</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I woke up to the sound of Elio¡¯s phone going off. His arm was still wrapped around my waist, and he made sure to squeeze me once before slowly rolling over and grabbing his phone.


    Neither of us was ready to wake up, and all I really wanted was to snuggle closer into his arms and spend another few hours sleeping, but I assumed that anyone trying to get in touch with him would have a good reason for it.


    I turned to look at him as I tried to blink the sleep out of my eyes. I could tell that Elio felt the same as me; after all, he was the reason why I¡¯d stayed up sotest night. Both of us were only half-dressed now. Elio¡¯s chest was bare, and he wore nothing but his boxers, while I only had on one of his T-shirts. I reached over and put my hand on his chest, tracing my fingers in swirls.


    Suddenly, Elio sat up straight. ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± he said.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, my heart beating faster.


    I pulled my hand away and leaned up on my elbow, trying to read the text on his phone.


    ¡°Alessandro is downstairs right now. He needs me toe down and let him in.¡± He nced over at me, taking in the fact that I waspletely naked from the waist down. ¡°You better go ahead and get dressed. I¡¯ll tell him I¡¯ll be down in a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°I thought he would meet us somewhere else,¡± I muttered. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he tell us he wanted toe here?¡±


    I tried to remember if I had picked up the living roomst night before we went to bed. We weren¡¯t particrly messy people, but I definitely had a habit of leaving pillows and nkets in random ces.


    Elio hopped out of the bed and raced to pull on his clothes. It was impressive to see how quickly he could get dressed in a suit. I got out of bed myself and went to our closet, trying to find something that would be easy to pull on and wouldn¡¯t scream, ¡°I just woke up because I stayed up half the night fucking my boyfriend.¡±


    I decided on a in ck dress that fell just below my knees. It wasfortable without looking overly casual. I knew that Alessandro would be dressed impably as always, and I didn¡¯t want to stand out. Thankfully, Elio and my mother had always kept my wardrobe full of nice clothes.


    Elio dropped a kiss on my cheek before rushing to the elevator and down to the ground floor. While he was gone, I went to the bathroom to try and get my hair into a semnce of a style. I ran my brush through it, flinching at the rats¡¯ nest that had formed at the nape of my neck. I really needed to invest in a silk pillowcase so this would stop happening every time we had sex.


    Unwilling to take the time to deal with the tangled mess, I twisted it all into a chignon that would cover up the tangled bits until I had the time to deal with themter. I looked in the mirror at my reflection, impressed with how quickly I had managed to go from a sleepy mess to something presentable. I even had time to swipe on a bit of blush and mascara. Alessandro would have no idea that I had just woken up.


    The elevator dinged and the doors opened as I was walking out of our bedroom. My stomach tangled up with nerves as I saw Alessandro. I really hadn¡¯t expected him toe to our penthouse, and I nced around to make sure that there wasn¡¯t a mess anywhere.


    There were a few couch pillows on the floor, but other than that, everything was where it belonged. I sighed with relief. I wasn¡¯t sure why his presence made me feel so nervous, but I wanted to impress him.


    He walked in and kissed me on the cheeks. ¡°Good morning, Caterina. It¡¯s good to see you again,¡± he smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too,¡± I smiled back. ¡°Please, make yourself at home.¡±


    The words felt strange and overly formaling out of my mouth, but I knew it was the right thing to say. I gestured to the couch.


    Alessandro walked over and sat down, sinking into the thick cushions that I loved. Elio had tried to bring his modern angr monstrosity with us when we moved in here, but I had refused and demanded that we invest in a plush couch that swallowed you right up. It was my favorite ce in the whole penthouse to sit and read.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make us all some coffee,¡± Elio said, walking out of the room and leaving me with Alessandro.


    My nerves intensified as I sat across from the older man. He reminded me so much of my father, and I supposed that was why I was so desperate to impress him.


    I wanted him to know that I would always work to make my father proud. He had known a side of my dad that I never had, and that also made me hungry to get to know Alessandro better. What memories did he have that he might someday share with me? It would be amazing to find out, I thought.


    ¡°How have you been, Caterina?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯ve been doing well,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Well, actually, yesterday was a shock, if I¡¯m being honest.¡±


    I felt like an idiot, but it was true. It had been an unbelievable day from start to finish.


    He chuckled darkly. ¡°Yes, I suspect it was. It went well, though. I¡¯m d you were there to provide your help.¡±


    Elio walked back in with two coffee mugs and handed one to Alessandro and the other to me. I took an appreciative sip, hoping the caffeine would hit me quickly.


    ¡°Actually, have you eaten yet, Alessandro?¡± I asked, desperate to give myself something to do so I wouldn¡¯t have to just sit here.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t, but I don¡¯t want to impose.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a problem at all, neither have we. Let me fix something for us.¡± I hopped up and headed to the kitchen.


    Both men followed behind me and settled themselves at the bar so that we could all continue talking. I was grateful that they wanted to make sure that I was included. I was still so used to having to fight to be a part of everything, it surprised me when they didn¡¯t act like that.


    I began heating a pan and grabbed the eggs out from the refrigerator, deciding to keep it simple with fried eggs and buttered toast. I knew from my time in Italy that Alessandro was used to eating delicious Italian pastries every morning, and I couldn¡¯t even begin topete with that, so I didn¡¯t bother trying.


    ¡°I told Elio thisst night, Caterina, but I wanted to say to you that I heard Elio handed himself very professionally yesterday. Franky also told me that he was quite impressed with you as well,¡± Alessandro said as I waited for the pan to heat up.


    My mouth popped open involuntarily at his words and I turned around to face them. Franky had been impressed by me? Surely Alessandro was lying just to make me feel better. There was no way Franky had everplimented me.


    ¡°I thought Franky hated me,¡± I said.


    Alessandro threw his head back andughed. ¡°Nah, he doesn¡¯t hate anybody. He¡¯s just cranky and hard to get along with. He told me about five different times how calm you are under pressure and how you have no problem standing up for yourself. I actually think he was pretty shocked by you.¡±


    I nced at Elio, who was smiling at me, pride written all over his face. A smile broke out on my own face as well. Who knew that my feisty-ass attitude would eventually get an old mafia man like Franky to be impressed with me? I definitely never suspected that someday people would appreciate me being the way that I was.


    I turned back to my cooking and cracked a few eggs into the pan before putting three slices of bread into the toaster. I took a sip of my coffee as I kept an eye on the eggs. Maybe they really would see me as more than just Elio¡¯s annoying girlfriend. Maybe they¡¯d finally start viewing me as Vinny¡¯s smart daughter. That was who I¡¯d wanted them to see all along.


    ¡°So, Elio, I hope you¡¯ve given thought to what I saidst night. Do you want to be a bigger part of this family and really get into the business? Caterina, I¡¯m sure you have a say in this decision as well.¡±


    I turned around and saw that Alessandro was looking between the two of us.


    I looked at Elio. He already knew what I thought. I wanted him to take this. I wanted the two of us to lead the family into a new era.


    ¡°Antonio chose to take this conflict global, and with everything that happened, it¡¯s more obvious to me than ever before that we need to have a more official presence in the States again,¡± Alessandro continued. ¡°We¡¯ve had some solid deals in the real estate business here thanks to you, Elio, and it¡¯s clear to me that we could make good money here as well. It¡¯s a win-win situation. We can make money and ensure that we don¡¯t lose the control that we¡¯ve fought so hard for. To be honest, I¡¯ve thought about reviving our presence in the States in the past, but I never had someone I trusted enough to head it until now. So, what do you say, Elio? Do you want to be the head of the Valentino mafia family in the United States?¡±


    Holy shit, I couldn¡¯t believe this was finally happening. Everything Elio and I had been working for, hoping for, it was all finally going toe true.


    I had never expected it to happen so soon. Elio looked at me, giving me the opportunity to have the final say. He¡¯d made it clearst night that he wouldn¡¯t do it if I didn¡¯t want him to. Luckily for him, this was exactly what I wanted for both of us.


    I nodded at him, smiling encouragingly. We were ready for this, and Alessandro wouldn¡¯t have offered it if he didn¡¯t think we could handle it.


    Elio nodded back, his face serious with the weight of the decision we were making. He turned back to Alessandro.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this,¡± he said with a wide grin.


    He reached out to shake Alessandro¡¯s hand, but Alessandro pulled him into a bear hug.


    ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Alessandro eximed. ¡°Wee to the family, kid.¡±

 Chapter 701 : The New Don

    <h4>Chapter 701: Chapter 701 : The New Don</h4>


    *Three Months Later*


    *Elio*


    Construction had finally finished a few weeks ago on our new home, and tonight we were going to have a housewarming party so that everyone could see it. Caterina was dressed in an elegant ck gown that I had picked out for her.


    It was form-fitting with a back that draped just low enough for me to be able to brush my hand against her bare skin every time I came up beside her. I loved it, and I loved how she looked in it. I would dress her every single day if she would let me.


    There was something so enticing about seeing her wear something and knowing that I was the one who had picked it out for her.


    Cat and I both loved the penthouse, but as the new Don, we needed something a little different.


    Our new home was as vast as the oldpound in Italy. We had bought a few acres of farnd just outside of the city and built a modern fortress. Nobody could get in or out without entering a password into the only gate that broke up our massive fence.


    A security detail made up of new recruits manned the gate constantly. After everything that had happened with Antonio and Junior, I wasn¡¯t taking any chances when it came to my family¡¯s safety. Caterina was too precious to me to ever put her at risk, and as much as we had loved our penthouse, we knew that it wasn¡¯t possible to keep it truly safe all the time.


    Cat had been responsible for designing our new home. She had worked with one of the city¡¯s most famous architects to create a gorgeous mansion in the Italianate style. Wide steps lead up to a front porch full of rocking chairs, and the front door was magnificent.


    The home was three stories, with ten suites scattered across the top two stories so that we could easily host our Italian colleagues. Each suite on the second floor had ess to a balcony that wrapped around the home and doubled as a roof for the porch.


    Caterina¡¯s and my suite had its own private balcony that looked out over a pond behind the house.


    The first floor had a formal dining room, a massive kitchen, two living rooms, and my office. There was a password-protected basement door hidden within the pantry of the kitchen that only a select few people knew about.


    The basement served as our top-secret meeting room and could double as a panic room if anyone ever managed to get past the security at the gate.


    We¡¯d designed that to be impossible.


    On the grounds were sprinkled three small cottages that matched the style of our home. Mathilde lived in one of them, and the other two we had saved in case we needed to provide anyone with a safe ce to stay. Each cottage had two bedrooms of its own and was big enough that even a family could live in them if need be.


    I loved knowing that we could provide safety to anyone who needed it.


    Caterina had thought of absolutely everything, and then she had hired a designer toe in and take care of the furniture. It was worlds above my ¡°horribly modern bachelor pad,¡± as Cat loved to tease me about my old house.


    And although I hadn¡¯t thought that any home would top our penthouse, I had to admit that this one did. It was full of little Italian influences that made me feel truly at home, and getting out of the bustle of the city was exactly what we both had needed so that we could focus on leading the American branch of the Valentino family.


    I knew that we would be happy living here for years toe.


    I was straightening my tie in the mirror in our bedroom and checking that my hair had managed to remain presentable even though I had spent thest hour helping the catering staff pull their equipment into our kitchen. They had insisted that I didn¡¯t need to, but it felt wrong for people to be working in my home while I just sat around and did nothing.


    ¡°Elio!¡± Cat yelled from the foyer. ¡°Come on, they¡¯re driving up!¡±


    I hurried down the grand staircase just as Alessandro¡¯s car was driving around the fountain in the middle of our driveway. Caterina turned to me and looked me up and down.


    ¡°You look good, baby,¡± she said approvingly.


    I grinned down at her. ¡°I could say the same to you.¡±


    Before I had the chance to sneak my hand into the side of her dress, Mathilde wandered in from the kitchen to help us greet our guests.


    Every time I saw her walk, it sent a shock of relief through me. I still couldn¡¯t believe how well she had managed to recover. I knew we were lucky to even have her with us at all.


    Caterina opened the front door as Alessandro was walking up our front steps. Leo was following close behind him. A few of Alessandro¡¯s men had driven in their own vehicles.


    Before we knew it, our new living room was full of guests for the first time. I nced across the room at Caterina and loved the way she sparkled as a host. It was like she was born for this life, and I supposed that in some ways, she was.


    My admiration of her was cut short as Alessandro walked up beside me.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling great,¡± I answered honestly. ¡°This is exactly what I¡¯m meant to be doing.¡±


    He nodded approvingly. ¡°That¡¯s good. I know shit doesn¡¯t quite feel real until you¡¯re in the fancy house hosting the fancy parties, so I¡¯m d to hear you still want to do this. You¡¯ve done the hard shit. Now I hope you can enjoy some of the easy shit.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I appreciate that. I just wish my dad could be here to celebrate with us,¡± I said.


    My father still refused to ept that I wanted what he had once had. He insisted that he had gotten out of the life for a reason. I had decided to hide the fact that I was taking over in the US from him, because I knew that he would just try to fight it tooth and nail if he knew.


    ¡°He mighte around. Gio¡¯s one of the most stubborn assholes I know, but he loves his family. If you give it some time, maybe eventually you¡¯ll be able to tell him.¡± Alessandro pped me on the shoulder. ¡°In the meantime, I hope you know I¡¯m proud of you, and I think you¡¯re doing the right thing.¡±


    His words warmed me. It wasn¡¯t the same as having my father¡¯s approval, but it was afort, nheless.


    ¡°Alright everyone, dinner is ready!¡± Caterina announced over the mingling voices in the room.


    We had yet to hire any house staff, but for the party Caterina had managed to find a catering service that was ustomed to absolute discretion.


    All of them had signed NDA¡¯s saying they would never reveal our names or address to anyone. Apparently, they were used to working with celebrities, so they hadn¡¯t even batted an eye at the requirements.


    The entire party went to our dining room, where the massive table had been set with real china and silver. Mathilde had been the one to create the table setting, and I was amazed at how well she had done. Fresh flowers had been ced in a few vases here and there, and each ce setting had a tiny roseid over the napkin. The effect was beautiful.


    The table was arge oval, and I had purposefully arranged the chairs so that Caterina and I would be side-by-side at the head of it. My message was clear: she was my equal in every way.


    I might have been the one everyone called the Don, but Caterina was my other half.


    At my side sat Leo, who was going to be my second-in-arms. On the other side of Caterina was Franky, who was staying on with us for a while longer until we had fully established ourselves.


    Although we¡¯d had our rough patches, he had been thoroughly impressed with Cat and me when we had taken out Antonio, and I was d that he would keep providing advice to us for a while toe.


    As everyone sat down, the catering staff quickly rolled out the food and walked around behind everyone, serving them from a delicious menu of Italian food. My te was filled with different pasta dishes and fresh bread, the aroma making my stomach growl. We drank a fine wine topliment the food.


    Once everyone had been served, Alessandro stood up and clinked his knife against his ss, proposing a toast.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to raise my ss to Elio, who has stepped up for our family since he was barely a grown man himself. It¡¯s rare to find a man who is as honorable and trustworthy as Elio, and I am happy to announce that he is the new Don of the Valentino family in the US. Under his guidance, I know that we will see growth like never before. To Elio!¡±


    ¡°To Elio!¡± The rest of the table took up his cheer as they raised their sses.


    After everyone had the chance to sip, I stood up to make my own toast.


    ¡°And to my beautiful Caterina, without whom none of this would be possible,¡± I said, my hand resting on her shoulder.


    ¡°To Caterina!¡± Everyone agreed and took another sip.


    Cat¡¯s cheeks had turned an adorable shade of red. When I sat back down, she reached out and took my hand, squeezing it once under the table. I squeezed hers back. We both knew exactly how much we needed each other.


    After dinner, the party had migrated back to the living room. Everyone was full of delicious food and slightly buzzed from the wine. We¡¯d already made ns for everyone to stay at the house tonight so that they wouldn¡¯t have to drive home.


    I wasid back against the couch, with Caterina¡¯s head on my shoulder, as Alessandro and Leo argued about ser. Mathilde was in a deep conversation with Franky. I couldn¡¯t quite hear it, but it looked like they were discussing something about Italy.


    As I looked around at the room full of happy people, I felt on top of the world. Once again, I was overwhelmed with the feeling that I was exactly where I was supposed to be, doing exactly what I was supposed to do. Everything felt so right.


    My phone buzzed in my pocket and I excused myself, helping Caterina sit up. I walked to the foyer so that I could speak without interrupting anyone else¡¯s conversations. I grimaced when I saw my dad¡¯s name sh across the screen.


    I hated lying to him, and having him call while we were celebrating just made me feel like an even bigger liar.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Congrattions, Don. I hope you¡¯re happy now.¡±

 Chapter 702 : Living Your Life

    <h4>Chapter 702: Chapter 702 : Living Your Life</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡®I wonder who that is?¡¯ I asked myself.


    But I wasn¡¯t able to get up and check since my mom was still talking to me.


    ¡°Oh, Cat, it¡¯s so good to hear that the semester has been going well for you,¡± she said.


    I mindlessly smiled over the rim of my ss and gave a short nod. I couldn¡¯t get Elio¡¯s expression out of my mind, and I worried about what was going on. He had looked strained and slightly anxious, which made my stomach churn for him.


    Everyone¡¯s voices started to muffle out in my head and I found myself starting to physically pull away.


    ¡°Cat?¡± my mom asked. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    I gave another smile and a nod. ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯m just¡ªuh, need to freshen up my ss,¡± I said meekly.


    I quickly turned away before getting caught up in another question. I squeezed through a few people while trying to ignore the guilty feeling in my chest. Once I nced back, that disappeared as I saw her chatting with Franky again¡ªwith a smile on her face.


    I furrowed my brow, curious about that, but I was d Mom had someone to talk to besides just me all the time. I was so thankful that she liked her cottage, and it was nice to keep up our early morning coffee chats, though it was a few steps more to reach her in the mornings from the main house.


    I was still in the middle of adjusting to the new home Elio had moved us into just a short while ago, and happy that the party was going well, since it was our first official dinner party in our newpound. It was bigger and grander than any ce I¡¯d ever lived before.


    Truthfully, I never anticipated living in such a breathtaking ce. But now that Elio had been officially brought up to the top of the pyramid, it only made sense. As stunning as the whole set up was, the ce was wired with the best security system and possessed more guard coverage than ever before.


    Instead of actually refilling my ss, I¡¯d set it down on the nearest surface and slipped away from the crowded room. I did my best to be as elusive as Elio, not wanting to attract any attention to myself as I stepped out.


    I nced around the front of the house until I spotted Elio standing near the foot of the long driveway.


    He had his phone pressed to his ear and his head slightly tucked down.


    For a brief moment, I actually contemted leaving him alone. Obviously, he was looking for privacy, yet something in my gut was telling me that I needed to be at his side.


    I wasn¡¯t sure who he was on the phone with him when so many of the usual suspects were already here. I gradually made my way down the steps and down the narrow path to where he was. By the time I reached him, Elio had ended the call and let out a startling sound of frustration.


    My eyes widened and my stomach dropped to the ground in pending dread.


    ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± I asked him pointedly. I held my arms close to my chest as though that would help me keep some sense of stability.


    Elio turned to look at me and this time let out a long sigh. He closed his eyes and rubbed a rough hand over his face.


    ¡°It was my dad,¡± he said. ¡°He knows about everything.¡±


    With that, my entire body went stiff. My brows raised with worry and my nerves coiled with uneasiness in light of this revtion.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I murmured.


    More like ¡®oh shit¡¯ was what I truly wanted to say. But Elio didn¡¯t need any more reminders of what a sticky situation we were in.


    He grunted and raked his fingers through his hair. ¡°I knew he¡¯d find out eventually,¡± he huffed. ¡°I just hoped that I would have had a little more time before....¡±


    I closed what little distance was between us and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. My chest ached when I heard the anguish in his voice. I knew it bothered Elio enough that his parents weren¡¯t here to be a part of this new Chapter in his life.


    The strain between him and his dad was growing tighter and tighter over thest year, between working with Alessandro as well as dealing with Antonio and Junior.


    I¡¯ve known for a while what Elio¡¯s father thought about the whole Don business and the pressure it was putting on Elio.


    He had told me multiple times about his dad¡¯s opinion on the matter as a whole, and never once did it seem like the man would evere around to epting Elio¡¯s position. And each time I did my best to assure him that what his father needed was time to adjust.


    But part of me knew, deep down, that the likeliness of Gio ever fully epting Elio¡¯s choice to immerse himself in this sort of life was slim to nothing. And in all honesty, I truly couldn¡¯t me the man for feeling that way.


    Gio knew, unlike most people, the dangers and ongoing threats that came with this type of life. No matter how many security and safety measures were put in ce, Elio and I would always be looking over our shoulders for the next uing threat.


    I realized that when someone stepped into the role as the new Don, they inherited a lot more than just the title.


    Gio knew this. And instead of offering some kind of helpful insight into what his son could possibly expect, he was choosing to be cold and resentful about it all.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± I asked softly.


    Elio shook his head and shrugged. ¡°Nothing decent, I¡¯ll say that,¡± he muttered. ¡°He basically called to ¡®congratte¡¯ me. But I knew he didn¡¯t actually mean it. It sounded spiteful and filled with sarcasm.¡±


    Again, my heart ached. I held him tighter and rested my head against his shoulder, wanting tofort him the best that I could at the moment. I knew that thest thing Elio wanted was to fight with his father.


    As much as I wanted to fully sympathize with the tension between Elio and his dad, I found myself wavering between each side. I wanted to be one-hundred percent supportive of Elio and his choice to be the new Don. After all, that was what I wanted as well.


    But I also understood why Gio was acting that way toward his son.


    It reminded me of the talks my mom used to give me about my dad. She wasn¡¯t all that crazy about me getting involved in this sort of business either.


    What sort of parent would be happy knowing that their child would always be in some type of imminent danger?


    It seemed like Elio and I were ced in the middle of an unwinnable tug of war.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I told him sincerely. ¡°I know this tension between you and your dad is rough. But you have to live your life and be happy for yourself, not him.¡±


    I knew that this was something easier said than done. And from what I had always seen, Elio was close to his parents. They supported him and cared for him, only wanting what was best.


    For a split second, Elio pulled back to nce down at me. His expression was filled with wonder and astonishment.


    ¡°How did I get so lucky to have you in my life?¡± he asked.


    I could feel a deep shade of pink spreading across my cheeks. A small smile slowly curled the corners of my mouth.


    It was like the air around us lightened tremendously, and I was more than happy to take advantage of it.


    With a raised brow, I trailed my hand up his chest and peered deep into his eyes.


    ¡°Oh, lucky, huh?¡± I smirked. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that....¡±


    Elio drew his brows together in question.


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Because, if we were really that lucky, you and I wouldn¡¯t be outside at the foot of the driveway right now,¡± I informed him.


    ¡°No? Where would we be then?¡±


    My smile deepened while an arousing heat of lust pooled beneath my stomach. I reached further up to curl my fingers through his thick hair, loving the soft, silky feel of him.


    ¡°We¡¯d be upstairs in the bedroom. No more party. No more people. Just us,¡± I hushed.


    Elio traced my bottom lip with the calloused pad of his thumb. His eyes grew hooded as the tip of my tongue peeked out to swipe against him. A disgruntled groan tore from his throat.


    ¡°What else?¡± he pushed.


    A jolt of excitement wound through me as I felt the hardness of his muscles tense beneath my hands.


    ¡°Our clothes are lying scattered all over the floor and I¡¯m on my knees in front of you¡ªhmm!¡±


    Elio let out a sharp curse before diving down to capture my lips in a soul-searing kiss. His tongue pressed against the seam of my mouth, demanding entrance. I happily gave it to him along with the silent eptance of having his hands feel up the length of my body.


    ¡°You drive me fucking nuts,¡± he hissed. ¡°I ought to tear this dress off of you and bend you over the hood of this car.¡±


    A sharp gasp slipped past my lips. Holy shit¡ªI shouldn¡¯t have entertained such an idea for as long as I did. Not that Elio was actually going to act on his word, but the thought of it happening was enough to make me wet between my thighs.


    Instead, he continued to kiss me with longing and heavy passion until a sudden sound caused us both to turn our heads.


    Leo stood just a few feet away with his hand curled up to his mouth, coughing.


    Elio raises his brows, giving him the silent message, ¡®This better be good.¡¯


    ¡°Alessandro wants to talk with you,¡± Leo exined.


    Elio nodded his head and gave me onest squeeze before heading back toward the house. I felt instantly colder now that he¡¯d left my side. I nced back at Leo and awkwardly folded my arms over my chest.


    ¡°What¡¯s that about?¡± I asked him.


    Why did Alessandro need to talk to Elio so soon?


    But Leo merely shrugged in response. The guy tilted his head to the side, gesturing toward the front door.


    ¡°Come on, we should head back too.¡±


    I raised a skeptical brow, knowing fully well that there was more than I was being told. Regardless, I followed Leo back into the house and rejoined the party as though I was never missed.


    I wasn¡¯t entirely concerned about not being invited to join in on the conversation between Elio and Alessandro, because I knew that in the end, Elio was going to fill me in on itter.

 Chapter 703 : The New Boundaries

    <h4>Chapter 703: Chapter 703 : The New Boundaries</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡®Well,¡¯ I thought numbly to myself, ¡®that¡¯s one way of getting rid of a raging hard-on.¡¯


    I weaved my way through the small cluster of people to get to the private office toward the back of the house. I hadn¡¯t the slightest idea what Alessandro needed to talk to me about, and honestly, I didn¡¯t really have much focus to give at the moment.


    Today had already felt like a whirlwind of emotions. I¡¯d been excited that everyone was willing toe out to celebrate the news of me bing the new Don in the States, only to then have my father pop whatever bubble of tion I¡¯d felt.


    His words from earlier still felt like lead in my stomach. I should have known better than to think I could dy telling him anything. I rolled my eyes in bitter exhaustion... as if anything was capable of getting past his notice.


    I just hadn¡¯t thought it would happen so soon. I¡¯d thought I¡¯d at least get my feet wet in the new business with Antonio and prove to my dad that I had everything under control and that he didn¡¯t need to feel so negatively about my position. But it didn¡¯t matter, it seemed.


    And Cat¡¯s timing couldn¡¯t have been more perfect. At first, I wasn¡¯t sure that I wanted to be around anyone. Whenever it came to facing my dad with an open-ended issue, I wasn¡¯t exactly the easiest person to be around. But Cat saw right through my anger and refused to leave me to face it alone.


    It should¡¯ve been considered illegal how much I loved this woman. She truly knew how to make me feel better, and she also got me heavily aroused within seconds. I wasn¡¯t kidding when I made that scious remark about bending her over the hood of some car, and I had to try not to think about it as I kept walking toward my meeting with Alessandro.


    Cat knew just the right way to grab my attention and rile me up at the same time. As appreciative as I was for everyone¡¯s support in me, I was really looking forward to the end of the evening when I could finally get Cat all to myself again.


    I finally made it to my office and quietly slipped inside to find Alessandro waiting for me. I closed the door behind me and was instantly handed a ss of bourbon.


    I cracked an amused smile. ¡°You wanted to speak to me?¡± I asked.


    Alessandro¡¯s features softened while he let out a deep chuckle.


    ¡°I wanted to properly congratte you for tonight,¡± he said evenly. ¡°I¡¯m happy that I finally have someone I can trust should things ever go wrong....¡±


    My brows pulled together as his voice trailed off.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I questioned.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about the sudden change in his tone, having just been congratted. Something solemn passed over Alessandro¡¯s face that caused an unsettling feeling to creep down my spine like a cold hand.


    Oh.


    ¡°Believe me, it¡¯s not a topic one likes to harp on,¡± he exined. ¡°But it is something that needs to be thought out just in case, you know?¡±


    I nodded my head while still trying to gain control of my thoughts. Of all the things to be discussed, this had to have been thest on my mental list.


    ¡°So, as I was saying, should things go wrong, at least I know I have someone reliable and level-headed to step in for me.¡±


    To say I was stunned was, in fact, an understatement. I was certain that Alessandro had dozens of other guys who were more than capable of stepping in to take his ce should the need ever arise. Yet here he was, suggesting that I was the man he wanted for the position.


    ¡°In fact, I think it would be just easier to say that I want you to take over if anything should happen to me,¡± he stated firmly.


    It was a strange mixture of astonishment and pride that filled my chest. I briefly struggled to find the right words.


    ¡°I... well, what can I say? I¡¯d be honored to,¡± I told him.


    Alessandro patted my shoulder and smiled. We both took a tentative sip from our sses as though we had given a silent toast of sorts. It was one thing to be officially appointed as Alessandro¡¯s counterpart here in the States, but to think that the man was insisting upon me taking ¡®his¡¯ official ce over in Italy... I felt like I¡¯d slipped into a daze.


    ¡°But, what about Cat?¡±


    She¡¯d proven on numerous asions that she was ready and willing to be a part of this sort of life. Granted, the matter left me in a never-ending cycle of frustration and defeat. Every time something potentially dangerous arose, I made it my job to make sure that the threat never touched her.


    But then there was Caterina, who constantly imed that she needed to be involved. She refused to remain on the sidelines when things got hairy and by God, at times it took years off my life.


    Alessandro finished the remainder of his drink and nodded his head in understanding.


    ¡°I adore her tenacity,¡± he started. ¡°And her willingness to be involved in every aspect of your life is nothing short of admirable.¡±


    I recalled hearing stories from both my dad and a few other rtives about struggles that came when trying to find the right woman. And the older I got, the more I came to understand what they were all telling me. This life was a lot to take on.


    Cat truly had no idea how much it meant when I said that I was lucky to have her. Most women wouldn¡¯t have given me or my family¡¯s background a second thought. She had proven herself to be part of the rare breed capable of embracing both the good and the bad when it was necessary.


    I honestly couldn¡¯t imagine myself to be with anyone else... ever.


    Caterina Leone was it for me.


    For a brief moment, I truly thought that Alessandro and I were on the same page when it came to her. Unfortunately, his demeanor shifted, making my muscles tense.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, I think she¡¯s a perfect match for you and this kind of life. However, it¡¯s imperative to not let her be too involved,¡± he noted, ¡°at least from this point onward.¡±


    My mouth fell open and a humorlessugh nearly escaped.


    Fucking what?


    Did he seriously think that there was some internal switch in my head that was going to make me purposely push her aside?


    I¡¯d lost count of the number of times Cat had verbally ripped me in half because she discovered that I had kept things from her. She did not, by any means, appreciate being kept in the dark.


    I gave Alessandro a wavering nce.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to be possible,¡± Imented.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to make it possible then,¡± he countered. ¡°I know she¡¯s one for being hands-on in certain matters, but you need to make her realize that things are different now.¡±


    I tilted my head down.


    ¡°Al¡ª¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t just a revenge tour anymore. This is a business.¡±


    Alessandro understood and evenmended Cat¡¯s need for involvement. But maybe that was because the business immediately pertained to her. It was her father who¡¯d been killed by Antonio, after all. So, of course there wasn¡¯t this sudden need to keep her at a distance.


    ¡°Going forward, this position means a hell of a lot more than just protecting her from potential enemies. Keeping her separated from this would save her from ever getting caught up with thew. Understand?¡±


    I silently nodded my head as he went on.


    ¡°The less you tell her, the less likely she is to end up in jail should something go wrong.¡±


    God, my stomach knotted at the thought of Cat being dragged off in handcuffs all because of her stubbornness to stay firmly by my side at all times. Though nothing would have pleased me more than to have a legitimate reason to finally keep her away from the business side of things, the very thought felt impossible to achieve.


    Al must have noticed the strained look on my face. He reached out to rest his hand on my shoulder to snag my attention.


    ¡°Hey, look. I¡¯m not expecting you to lie to her. Just slowly move her out of the active role she put herself in,¡± he said.


    All I could do was nod my head. Honestly, I agreed with everything he was saying. I never wanted this part of my life to touch Cat. But something in the pit of my stomach told me that this sort of endeavor was not going to end well.


    I threw back whatever liquid was left in my ss and savored the bitter burn that lingered on the back of my throat.


    I felt a desperate need to change the topic at hand. I¡¯d find a way to deal with Cat, but what Al needed to know was where my father stood on all of this.


    ¡°I got a call from Dad earlier,¡± I told him. ¡°Needless to say, he¡¯s far from happy about my choice to be the Don here.¡±


    Alessandro cast his gaze toward the far side of the room. ¡°Yeah, I wasn¡¯t going to mention it at first, but Gio gave me a call as well,¡± he admitted. ¡°It¡¯s no surprise why he¡¯s so against this setup. After all that happened when he was Don, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s just thinking of your wellbeing.¡±


    I scoffed while tightening my hold around my ss.


    ¡°Yeah, well, it doesn¡¯t like the man¡¯s been trying to keep my best interests in mind,¡± I said dryly.


    Al offered a small smile. ¡°Then allow me to leave you with this bit of thought, yeah? When ites to business like this, the only person you really need to listen to is yourself.¡±


    Without so much as another word, Alessandro nodded his head and slipped out of the office. I should¡¯ve followed after him, if not to speak more to him then to at least find Cat again.


    ¡®Oh, God.¡¯ My thoughts were crashing through my head. ¡®What am I going to do about her?¡¯


    I wandered over to the antique bar cart and poured myself another drink. With slow, meaningful sips, I recounted all that was told to me. Al made a number of good points, but the million-dor question still remained at the forefront of my mind.


    How on earth was I going to do this to Cat?


    ¡®Just slowly move her out of the active role she put herself in.¡¯


    Caterina was so strong-willed and smart, there was no way she wasn¡¯t going to catch on to what would be happening around her. But Alessandro was right. At the end of it all, it was about keeping her safe. And there was nothing that I was going to allow to jeopardize that.


    I hastily finished up my drink and made it out of my office, where I immediately stumbled into Cat, her eyes were filled with curiosity as she spoke.


    ¡°What was all that about?¡± she asked.

 Chapter 704 : Don’t Tease

    <h4>Chapter 704: Chapter 704 : Don¡¯t Tease</h4>


    *Caterina*


    There was a price that came whenever I flirted with Elio. As much as I enjoyed riling him up and feeling his tense up under my hands, it always left me antsy and wanting more as well.


    I entered the house and tried to act as though I wasn¡¯t deeply aroused and practically itching to get out of my clothes. I took several deep breaths and ignored the wetness that slicked between my thighs as I walked.


    My curiosity about what Alessandro needed to speak to Elio about was fading to the back of my mind with every passing second. I hadplete faith in him that he would tell me whatever was being discussedter. But in the meantime, I was focused on something else, something far more frustrating and difficult to ignore....


    From the looks of things, it seemed that most of the people that were gathered around were saying their goodbyes and making their way out.


    ¡®Thank God,¡¯ I thought shamelessly.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how much more socializing I could take at the moment. I nonchntly slipped into the kitchen, where I poured myself a fresh ss of wine and tried to find some semnce of self-control.


    But it was no use as my mind continued to rey the carnal words of Elio¡¯s devastatingly heated remark from earlier.


    ¡°I ought to tear this dress off of you and bend you over the hood of this car.¡±


    ¡®Jesus Christ,¡¯ I hissed to myself.


    I crossed my legs while leaning against the kitchen counter. That was a big fucking mistake. All it had done was apply further pressure to the ache between my legs. I nearly moaned when a tantalizing shiver raced up down my front and fell straight to my clit.


    My hand tightened around the stem of the winess nearly to the point of breaking it. Good God, I needed to get a hold of myself. There were still a few people trying to make their rounds, and I knew it was terribly rude of me to simply hide away in the kitchen, wishing they were all gone.


    ¡°Pull yourself together, Cat!¡± I hissed under my breath and took arge gulp of my wine.


    I finished what was left of my ss before slipping back into the living room to resume my role as hostess. I waved, hugged, or nodded to everyone as they made their way out the door. They all gave their best to Elio, who I assumed was still meeting with Alessandro. I supposed all the guests were used to someone as important as the Don disappearing from parties.


    I turned and noticed Alessandro helping my mom with her coat. I practically stumbled over my own feet.


    ¡®What the hell?¡¯ I thought brazenly. ¡®Was his meeting with Elio over? Why didn¡¯t hee tell me?¡¯


    I quickly nced around and failed to see Elio anywhere. My stomach flipped with worry as I calmly made my way over to my mom and Alessandro.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the morning, Mom,¡± I told her.


    I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a warm hug, and she and Alessandro walked out together, thest to leave the party.


    The moment the door shut behind them, I whirled around and made a dash for Elio¡¯s office. My heart mmed in my chest as I spotted himing out of his office. I came to an abrupt halt, nearly knocking both of us off our feet.


    Yes, my moves were hasty and scattered. But ever since our moment outside, I needed to have him back with me. I needed to feel his hands on my body and the heat of his breath against my bare skin.


    In an attempt to hide my sizzling desperation, I let out a long breath and hid my intentions behind the first question that popped into my head.


    ¡°What was all that about?¡± I asked.


    Elio reached to rub my arm. ¡°He just wanted to congratte me and to tell me he wants me to take over if something ever happens to him.¡±


    Holy shit.


    Well, that was one way to sober myself up. My eyes went wide in shock as a slow smile started to spread across my face. Even though I still considered myself new to this sort of lifestyle, I knew enough to realize that such a deration was a very big deal.


    Honestly, I wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind to be considering every angle of what Alessandro told him, not at that very moment.


    But still had enough sense to slide my arms around his waist and pull him toward me.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you,¡± I told him softly. I hummed with amusement. ¡°Alessandro must like you a lot to put that much trust in you already.¡±


    Elio chuckled and nodded his head. ¡°Yeah, I thought the same thing too.¡±


    He leaned down to press a chaste kiss to my head. I must have let some kind of needy sound from my throat because Elio¡¯s entire body tensed around me. He proceeded to spread small, light kisses across my face and down the curve of my neck. My nails curled into his biceps as my body hummed back to life. The fire I¡¯d started earlier was crackling back to life, and it refused to be ignored a second time.


    I practically pushed myself into him, needing to feel him pressed against me.


    Elio peered down at me and smirked. ¡°Are you ready to celebrate, just us?¡±


    Jesus, I could have very well jumped him right there in the hallway. But he was quicker than me.


    Elio picked me up by my waist and hastily wrapped my legs around his hips. He carried us down a series of hallways, asionally stopping to either kiss me against a wall or press himself against my hot center.


    My mind grew fuzzier by the second and all I could manage to process was thank God we were within the walls of our home.


    No more apartments with floors above and below us. Now it was just us in our home, our beautiful home that I wanted to make dozens of memories in.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I moaned against his neck.


    We finally reached our suite and then our bedroom, and the door easily clicked shut behind us. I slowly slid down till my feet reached the floor. His hand tangled through my hair and pulled me back, making me see just how lust blown his eyes had be.


    ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate being teased, Caterina,¡± he growled low in his throat. ¡°That little stunt you pulled earlier... I have half a mind to edge you to the brink of your sanity, but I¡¯m too damn stuck on the idea of having you on your knees in front of me.¡±


    He snatched the hem of my dress and whipped it over my head, leaving me in nothing but mycy bra and underwear.


    My mouth fell open while my face burned a deep shade of pink. Although it physically pained me to take a mere step back, I graciously lowered myself down, never once breaking the eye contact between us.


    I instantly reached for the buckle and zipper of his pants. My breath caught in my throat as I took his hardened length in my hand. I stroked him from his thick base all the way to the tip. My eyes were locked on the drop of precum and leaned forward, catching it on my tongue.


    Elio bit back a harsh curse and sank his fingers back into my hair. I took nearly all of him into my mouth and hollowed out my cheeks. The second I found my sweet rhythm, my eyes rolled to the back of my head.


    He groaned. ¡°Fuck, Cat!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t very well smile, but I certainly relished in the fact that I was capable of bringing him this intense feeling of pleasure. My hands curved around his muscled thighs and felt the head of his cock press against the back of my throat.


    Elio¡¯s breathing grew more ragged with each passing second.


    ¡°Mm, Cat... Cat stop,¡± Elio insisted.


    The agonizingly pinched look on his face made me stop but left me with questions.


    My brows drew together.


    Elio hooked his hands under my arms and hauled me back to my feet. He twirled us around and practically tossed me onto the mattress.


    The air was knocked from my lungs, but a bubbling giggle broke my chest. Elio locked his searing gaze on me and stalked over to the bed like a starving predator.


    ¡°Why did you make me stop?¡± I asked quietly.


    ¡°Because,¡± he said pointedly, ¡°I had no intention of finishing in that sweet little mouth of yours... not this time, at least. What I want now is to feel you clenching and shaking around me as I pump you.¡±


    My mouth fell open. An unidentifiable noise tore from my throat and the next thing I knew, Elio had flipped me over so that I wasying on my stomach. I felt him hover over me, cing several long, lingering kisses down my back. He unclipped my bra and tossed the flimsy bit of material away. Both his mouth and his hand traced the line of my back till he reached the band of my panties.


    ¡°Oh, God,¡± I whimpered.


    He dipped two of his fingers over the soaked material between my thighs. I tried pressing back into the touch of his hand, but he kept me firmly in ce, refusing to let me get an ounce of friction.


    ¡°So, beautiful,¡± he purred. ¡°Have you been this wet for me this entire time?¡±


    I weakly nodded my head and bit down on my bottom lip.


    ¡°Please,¡± I gasped.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, baby. I¡¯m going to make the ache go away,¡± he said promisingly.


    Elio hooked his fingers under the string of my underwear and gently guided the silk down my legs. He grabbed a pillow and went on to stuff it beneath my stomach.


    Another blush touched my cheeks as he went on to lift me to my knees and spread my legs. I felt the head of his cock rub against the slick folds of my center.


    In one breath-snatching move, Elio thrust forward.


    The two of us let out a symphony of gasps and moans as we fell into our own synchronized moves. With every push of my hips, I was met with a firm, hard thrust from Elio.


    He had both his hands on my waist till he felt the need to explore. His fingers trailed along the edges of my stomach and rib cage to cup both my breasts. He yed and tweaked the hardened peaks of my nipples.


    A trembling sound echoed off the walls. God, I was like y in his hands. Elio could bend and mold me into anything he wanted... and I knew I would happily let him.


    Suddenly, that scorching burn that had been eating away at me since earlier was bing too hard to hold off. I felt myself tighten around him as he moved. And I could tell from the quickening of his pace that he was close too.


    He¡¯d found that perfect spot inside of me and continued to abuse it with every deepened thrust.


    ¡°Mm! Elio... I¡¯m¡ª¡± I was breathless. My hands fisted the bed sheets, seeking release.


    ¡°Come for me.¡± He took his own hand back down and pressed the heel of his palm against my throbbing clit, sending me clear over the edge.


    My entire body broke out into a series of trembles and shakes. Elio captured his release a few seconds after me and before I knew it, we were both lying next to each other. He¡¯d gathered me in his arms, and I closed my eyes without a single care.


    I didn¡¯t think to ask more about his meeting with Alessandro because in the back of my mind, I knew Elio would find the time to talk about it further.


    But for now, this was all I wanted.

 Chapter 705 : Morning Rush

    <h4>Chapter 705: Chapter 705 : Morning Rush</h4>


    *One Week Later*


    *Caterina*


    I jolted awake at the sound of a ring rm in my ears and my eyes shed open, staring at the nightstand, where my phone was vibrating upon the wood, getting closer and closer to the edge with each ring.


    I groaned, blinking the crust from my eyes as I reached out, just in time to catch my phone as it fell from the nightstand. In my hand, I quickly opened the screen, scrunching up my nose when the screen lit up unpleasantly.


    Once my eyes adjusted, I shut off the rm, hating myself for choosing to use math problems as my rm shut off. I stared nkly at twelve divided by three, my brain trying to whirl to life as I watched the counter going down until it came to me.


    I hurriedly pressed the four and the rm shut off. I stretched my arms above my head, my bones popping rather loudly and before I could even think of getting out of bed, a strong arm snuck its way around my bare waist, pulling my naked body straight into the warm, muscledpanion.


    Elio mumbled something, still asleep as he tucked his head into the crevice of my neck, and I blew out a breath of air. Under the warm covers, with Elio¡¯s arms around me¡ªthat was where I wanted to stay.


    I didn¡¯t want to drag myself out of the warmth of Elio to go sit through my sses at eight in the morning while the professor droned on and on. I grabbed Elio¡¯s hand, intertwining our fingers, and I raised them to kiss his knuckles like he would often do to me.


    I sighed, wishing I could rx back into his embrace like butter but unfortunately, being an adult meant having responsibilities. Though I grumbled about my professor only having a one-time slot for this ss that was too early in the morning, I gently untangled my limbs from Elio and stepped out of bed.


    It was immediately cold without any clothes on, and I shivered, wrapping my arms around my waist to grasp onto any little remaining warmth as I hurried to the closet. I picked out a simple outfit and headed to the bathroom for my morning routine.


    By the time I had taken a shower, done my makeup, and changed into new clothes, I walked out of the bathroom to see Elio sitting up in bed with his eyes shut, almost like he was still asleep.


    I grinned, slowly creeping across the floor in my socks so as not to disturb him and grabbed my backpack.


    I gently ced it on the bed and then myself, the bed lowering just a tiny amount of my side, but that was enough. Elio¡¯s eyes snapped open, and he turned to me blinking repeatedly.


    ¡°Morning, sleepyhead,¡± I giggled, pulling on my shoes one after another.


    This particr pair of sneakers was pretty worn out, but I couldn¡¯t bear to throw it away. My mom had gotten them for me for my birthday and I was quite attached to them. Even if the heels looked like they needed some duct tape soon.


    ¡°Morning,¡± Elio yawned, leaning back on his arms as he watched me get ready.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Did I wake you?¡± I asked once my shoes were on my feet.


    I leaned over the bed, giving him a quick kiss and he barely reacted, blinking slowly like he was stilling back to this reality.


    ¡°You were gone,¡± he finally answered after several minutes. ¡°So, I woke up.¡±


    Iughed, giving him a teasing grin. ¡°Did you want to get some more sleep then, baby? I think you might need it.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Elio yawned again. ¡°I have to go check out a few properties with Leo today anyway. It won¡¯t matter if I¡¯m early.¡±


    The scent of bacon and eggs wafted through the air.


    ¡°Looks like the cook has breakfast ready,¡± I said. ¡°I can bring you some if you want to get some more rest.¡±


    ¡°Mm, I¡¯d rather have something tastier for breakfast,¡± he said, pulling me into his arms. ¡°You.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°I don¡¯t have time, though I¡¯d love to stay.¡±


    ¡°Then stay,¡± he said.


    I opened my mouth to say something else and he jumped on the opportunity, swallowing my words with his tongue. I moaned into his mouth and let my tongue y against his for a moment of pure bliss. But school was calling me, and I had to push away gently. ¡°I need to get ready.¡±


    I could feel his desire pushing against my stomach and he smirked, gently tracing the red blush on my cheeks.


    Pinned under him, I was practically useless, but we both knew I could escape if I wanted to. I didn¡¯t, though.


    With some reluctance, Elio kissed me onest time then released his hold on me, and I almost wished he would firmly drag me under the covers and undo all my hard work. I pursed my lips, my unhappiness clear and he smiled as he got out of bed, grabbed some clothes from the closet, and headed to the bathroom.


    I watched his fully nude form with appreciation, and he turned to face me, his cock fully hard even this early in the morning. He smiled again and then shut the door, cutting off my view. I was tempted to follow him for a minute until I regretfully looked at the time and grumbled to myself.


    The breakfast was even better than expected¡ªFrench toast with fried eggs and bacon. I thanked the cook and had just filled my te when Elio came in. The cook ced two steaming cups of coffee in front of us and Elio looked up, thanking her as I did the same.


    The food was delicious but as I took a bite of the French toast, Imented over how it had never quite tasted the same for me since Dad passed away. He had a special recipe that he would make for me and Mom on those rare mornings when he didn¡¯t have to rush off for work. Now, of course, I understood the rush. The mafia business wasn¡¯t exactly a nine-to-five job.


    He did write down the recipe and Mom made it sometimes, and I¡¯d tried as well, with less sess than Mom had, but it still wasn¡¯t the same.


    I felt a bit guilty now, as I remembered that Mom had tried to make them a week after his death. She had been so proud of it, and I had thanked her by throwing an absolute fit.


    Dad¡¯s French toast had been banned ever since. Looking back, I wished I¡¯d been there for Mom better after Dad passed away, especially when she tried to revive his memory with his special recipe French toast. I made a mental note to apologize to my mother.


    The chef¡¯s French toast, of course, was heavenly, and I tried to push all my memories and guilt and regrets out of my head so I could enjoy it more. I really admired the live-in cook¡¯s work. She knew how to make just about everything from fancy Italian fare to simple breakfasts taste even more special. It always amazed me how chefs could time everything perfect so that it was all ready at once and cooked to perfection. That was definitely a skill Icked.


    For a moment, I let my mind wander as I thought about having a family with Elio one day. I¡¯d surely need to learn to cook better then, even with a team of chefs at my disposal. Maybe I¡¯d specialize in pies. Those were always my favorite. Everyone needed a mom who could make a special pie that was better than store-bought. I¡¯d need to think about that more.


    But I was knocked out of my thoughts by my second rm going off, ring inside of my jeans pocket. I pulled it out, doing the math problem and dismissing it hurriedly. ¡°I need to hurry or I won¡¯t make it in time.¡±


    I quickly finished myst few bites and reached for my backpack.


    ¡°You know,¡± Elio started casually, poking at his unfinished eggs, ¡°it¡¯s a pain to get up this early every morning, isn¡¯t it? You don¡¯t have to go to school if you don¡¯t like it. I can more than support the both of us.¡±


    I paused, staring intently at Elio as he did the same to me. It seemed like he didn¡¯t want me to even go to school, though I thought he¡¯d been so supportive of it in the past. But thinking it over, I realized that this wasn¡¯t the first time he had suggested this and no doubt, it would not be thest. But as always, my answer would remain the same.


    ¡°No,¡± I said firmly, as I crossed my arms unhappily. ¡°I¡¯m going to school, and I¡¯m going to get my degree, end of story.¡±


    Whether I was with Elio forever, which I certainly hoped I would be, or not, I needed to have some semnce of my own life. I needed something that was my own, and getting this education was more important to me than I¡¯d realized before.


    He sighed, dropping the matter, but I could see how much it clearly bothered him. I knew that he wanted to support me, to give me the world if he could, but I also didn¡¯t want that. I wanted to be able to stand on my two feet without him, to make something of myself through my own effort.


    I didn¡¯t get why he didn¡¯t understand that, and he didn¡¯t understand why I kept shutting him down every time he brought it up. But we¡¯d been through it so many times that I just didn¡¯t want to fight about it anymore.


    ¡°I love you.¡± I pressed a kiss to his cheek, and he smiled at me as I rushed out of the house.


    Ourpound was father away from school than our penthouse had been, and it was a bit of a drive now that took me almost forty-five minutes. I had to rush at this point, so I parked and locked the car, rushing into the building.


    I had to reorient myself a few times, having only been to the ssroom twice so far, so I rushed through the halls, counting doors and halls and hoping I was going the right way. I had just turned the corner which should contain the ss when I hit what felt like a wall.


    I fell back onto my ass, groaning painfully as the items in my backpack spilled across the floor. Even more rming was that the wall fell onto me, pinning me on the floor.


    My heart raced in my chest, and I stared into two very confused brown eyes.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± was the only response I coulde up with.

 Chapter 706 : Elijah

    <h4>Chapter 706: Chapter 706 : Elijah</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡°I am so sorry!¡±


    The guy who knocked me down rolled off me and reached for me to help me up. I pursed my lips, staring at the guy¡¯s offered hand before sighing. I took his hand, not wanting to spend any more time on the floor, letting him pull me to my feet.


    His hand was sweaty like he was nervous and once I was steady, I immediately dropped it. As he stepped back to help me up, he stepped onto one of my pencils, which snapped under his weight, and I stared incredulously at the pieces. ¡°I¡¯ll rece that. Uh, here¡ª¡±


    He immediately got onto his knees, gathering up the splintered pieces of my pencil and offering it to me with a sheepish look.


    I stared at him with a frown, unwilling to take it. He was cute, in a boy-next-door kind of way, around my age, and he looked incredibly guilty about the mess, but I wasn¡¯t in a forgiving mood right now, though I knew I shouldn¡¯t have been rushing.


    ¡°Forget about it.¡± I sighed, brushing my hair from my face as I grabbed the pieces and stuffed them into my back.


    I began to gather the rest of my stuff one by one, and the guy helped me, gently cing them in a pile in front of me. I had to admit his long arms came in handy.


    Once everything was picked up, my hand automatically moved to zip it back up and with just my luck, the metal zipper broke off in my hand.


    ¡°Uh,¡± the guy said, looking just as shocked as I was.


    I red at the broken zipper, throwing the piece into the bag as I gave up on it. I knew I should¡¯ve gotten a new bag due to how old this one was. One little fall and now it was broken.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that,¡± the guy said, getting to his feet. ¡°I didn¡¯t even see you. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m okay, only one casualty here, the pencil,¡± I said as I dusted off my clothes.


    ¡°I really am so sorry!¡± the guy said again, giving me a guilty look. ¡°I should have been looking where I was going.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, really,¡± I said, mustering up a polite smile.


    I grabbed my phone from my pocket, ncing at the time. Luckily, I still had a few minutes before ss started.


    ¡°I need to get to ss,¡± I said.


    I dodged around the guy, heading down the hallway to my ss in a speed walk.


    ¡°Wait, let me make it up to you!¡± The guy jogged up next to me. ¡°My name is Elijah. Here, I can give you my number and I¡¯ll send you the cash for a new bag and pencil.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really fine, okay,¡± I insisted. ¡°I don¡¯t need anything. I shouldn¡¯t have been rushing either, so don¡¯t worry about it. I really have to get to ss, though, so goodbye.¡±


    But it seemed Elijah wasn¡¯t taking no for an answer. Though he fell silent and didn¡¯t push any further, he continued to walk beside me all the way to ss. I gave him a weird look, but he just grinned in response.


    It wasn¡¯t until we arrived at the ssroom that I finally turned to him. ¡°This is my ss, so thank you, but I¡¯ve got it from here,¡± I said firmly, knowing that I probably looked stand-offish, but after having him follow me all the way there, I felt a bit defensive.


    He blinked, surprised and seeming not to get it until realization shed in his eyes and a sheepish look came across his face. He rubbed the back of his head, looking more awkward than when he had knocked me to the ground.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, about that.¡± Heughed nervously, ¡°I wasn¡¯t following you. This is my ss too. I¡¯ve, uh, actually seen you in ss before.¡±


    He trailed off, standing there awkwardly and I swallowed, my face heating up in sheer embarrassment. No matter what I said, it would just be a loss.


    Sure, I¡¯d been busy with Elio taking over the base of operations in the US, finding my own ce in all of that, the ongoing search for Junior and school on top of all it, but that was not really a good excuse.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, fully chastised, ducking my head as I entered the ssroom.


    I just wanted the whole day to be over and done with and maybe tomorrow will be better. I locked eyes with Professor Donovan, a rather young guy with a beard and a no-nonsense attitude, who stood at the podium with a very displeased expression.


    My face burned with embarrassment as I realized the only empty seats were at the front of the ss, and the silence as we walked between the rows to the front of the room was worse than I expected. I felt like everyone was staring at me and to make things worse, Elijah was still trailing behind me slowly, not a single word from his mouth either.


    I settled into one of the seats and to my chagrin, Elijah took the seat next to me, though admittedly, he didn¡¯t have much choice. The professor scowled at both of us and then turned to the board to continue his lecture.


    I was relieved to have all eyes off me, but it didn¡¯tst long.


    Professor Donovan was a very unforgiving man. He called on me and Elijah constantly for the next two hours. Elijah was quite smart and managed to answer all the questions wlessly, which was impressive. Much to my surprise, the earlier awkwardness was forgotten due to the professor¡¯s sudden attention on us both.


    My relief was palpable when the buzzer went off and ss was over. I gathered up my things and Elijah and I escaped into the crowd.


    ¡°Thanks for jumping in on some of those questions,¡± I said to Elijah once we¡¯d made it down the hall.


    ¡°No problem,¡± he said, winking at me. ¡°You answered the ones I couldn¡¯t handle, after all. And I¡¯m still sorry about crashing into you earlier.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll just call it even,¡± I said, turning to head to my next ss.


    ¡°Oh, wait!¡±


    I looked over my shoulder at him and he gave me a crooked smile.


    ¡°Uh, I was wondering if you¡¯d like to get coffee or something,¡± he said. ¡°We could bounce some things off each other since we seem to work pretty well as a team, like a study date, or not a date, but just like a hangout¡ª¡±


    As flustered as he was and as kind as he seemed, red gs went off in my head. I took a step back on reflex, not even realizing it until his face fell in dismay. I felt bad for him, but truthfully, no matter what he seemed like, I knew firsthand the lies men could tell, the masks they hid behind to ensnare unsuspecting victims.


    Even the slightest act of kindness could result in another Junior, or another Alexi.


    Plus, I didn¡¯t want to make Elio worry either, though I doubted he¡¯d get jealous.


    ¡°Um, sorry,¡± I said hesitantly. ¡°I really can¡¯t. And from what I saw, you¡¯re very smart, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine. But thanks again for the help.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡ª¡±


    I ignored his calls, disappearing into the crowd. I knew Anna would be waiting for me in the courtyard. Her sses didn¡¯t start until noon, but she would alwayse early to get breakfast at themissary.


    Sure enough, it didn¡¯t take long to find her nted at the fountain edge, sipping on a juice box.


    ¡°There¡¯s my girlie!¡± Anna greeted me as I took the seat beside her.


    I sighed heavily and she raised an eyebrow. ¡°Rough day?¡±


    I nodded silently.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you, girl,¡± Anna reached into her bag, pulled out another juice box, grape-vored, and stabbed it with the straw before passing it to me.


    The juice was still cold, and it was refreshing after such a tiring morning.


    Anna didn¡¯t push me, just hung out until I was ready to talk, and I was so grateful for her because of that.


    ¡°This guy ran into me,¡± I exined. ¡°I fell on the floor and my stuff went flying. He helped me pick it up, but it made mete to ss. Turns out the guy, Elijah was my ssmate, but I didn¡¯t know that before I used him of stalking me to ss.¡±


    Anna snorted.


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny,¡± I sent her a serious look. ¡°I humiliated myself. And then the professor got mad at us for being two minuteste and kept calling on us to answer question after question, me then Elijah, then me, and¡ªugh, it drove me nuts!¡±


    ¡°I told you not to take his ss. There¡¯s a reason I dropped out of his ssst semester.¡± Anna shrugged.


    ¡°Yeah, well, Elijah actually helped me out by picking up some of the questions I didn¡¯t know. I was thankful for that, but....¡±


    I paused and then sighed.


    ¡°But what?¡± Anna asked, taking a bite of her breakfast.


    ¡°Well, he asked me for coffee to study with him, or at least, that¡¯s the excuse he gave. Of course, I said no, but it was weird, you know? I just met him."


    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s not too unusual,¡± Anna said thoughtfully. ¡°You are gorgeous, my friend, after all. Of course, guys would ask you out. Was he hot?¡±


    ¡°Uh, what?¡± I asked.


    She just stared at me expectantly and I thought about it. ¡°I guess so. I didn¡¯t really think about it.¡±


    ¡°Cool, then here¡¯s what you do,¡± she said. ¡°Introduce him to me, and I¡¯ll figure out if he¡¯s weird or just likes you.¡±


    I had to admit, she had a good idea. Anna was oddly really good at getting things out of people. She could¡¯ve been a psychologist or profiler if she wanted, but she preferred a more ¡®exciting life¡¯ in her words.


    But I didn¡¯t hate the idea of Anna scoping him out for me. If someone was after me the way Junior or even Alexi had been, then I needed to know.


    I nced at the big clock tower, sighing once I saw it was thirty past ten and already time to head to my next ss.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a ss to go to, so I¡¯ll see youter,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks for the juice.¡±


    She hummed in acknowledgment. ¡°Love you!¡±


    She waved at me as I headed to the far building for the next ss. Before I even left the courtyard, my phone started vibrating in my pocket and I fished it out. Nobody was supposed to be calling me during school hours.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡± It was Elio¡¯s voice that greeted me. ¡°I have some news.¡±


    My stomach dropped.

 Chapter 707 : Monster Named Guilt

    <h4>Chapter 707: Chapter 707 : Monster Named Guilt</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Even with her voice riddled with nervousness, she still somehow managed to sound like a boss being told his workers fucked up. I couldn¡¯t help the pull of my lips at the image of her in a suit, dwarfed by a huge ck swivel chair, trying to be serious all while looking more adorable than a kitten.


    ¡°Elio?¡± Cat asked, worry bleeding into her tone.


    I coughed into my hand, throwing away the brief fantasy as I focused on the task at hand.


    ¡°Nothing wrong,¡± I told her calmly. ¡°It¡¯s good news, actually.¡±


    I heard her breath of relief over the phone. ¡°That¡¯s good. So, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    I smiled to myself as she switched from stern and worried to excitement all with one breath. She was so goddamn adorable sometimes that I felt like screaming into the void.


    ¡°I actually wanted to take you to New York as soon as you¡¯re done with sses for the week, just for the weekend,¡± I said cooly.


    ¡°New York?¡± She sounded dubious, and my heart skipped a beat as I swallowed ufortably. If she said no, I had more chances, but it would no doubt raise some gs in her head. Thest thing I needed was to raise her suspicions.


    ¡°Why do you suddenly want to go to New York?¡±


    ¡°Just because,¡± I lied smoothly. ¡°You¡¯ve always wanted to see New York, right? And it¡¯s been a while since we had a trip with just the two of us. Italy doesn¡¯t count since I was working, and it wasn¡¯t really our choice to go there. I figured, why not New York.¡±


    ¡°I do want to go to New York but....¡±


    She hesitated. I could feel that she knew something was odd about this request, and I could only hope my lying skills came in handy.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to. We can stay home this weekend if that¡¯s what you want. I just figured it¡¯d be a nice surprise.¡± I let a little bit of disappointment leak out through my tone, not even faking it because if she didn¡¯t go, I would truly be disappointed.


    ¡°No, no! I want to go!¡± she hurriedly responded.


    I gave a faint smile, a little sad to know how well I was able to manipte the woman I loved.


    ¡°New York would be lovely,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you so much for doing this for me. I love you so much. I¡¯ll have to get ready¡ªoh, we have to see the Statue of Liberty and the Metropolitan, oh and the Aquarium! Jeez, there¡¯s so much to do!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best to see it all.¡± Iughed at her enthusiasm. ¡°But if not, we can always n another tripter down the road, so don¡¯t worry about it too much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just excited,¡± Cat said happily, and I could almost see the grin on her face as it stretched from one cheek to the other, beaming with happiness.


    There was the tiniest twinge of guilt in my stomach, but nothing more.


    ¡°Oh, I have to go,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you when I get home. Love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too.¡± I had barely finished speaking when she hung up, the phone falling silent.


    In that silence, I could have sworn that I could hear Alessandro¡¯s words repeating in my mind.


    ¡®Slowly move her out of the active role. The less you tell her, the less likely she is to end up in jail.¡¯


    And that thought, that persistent worry that was slowly bing a deep-rooted fear, came back to me, of Cat and her tear-streaked face, wrists rubbed raw from the metal around her arms, dragged off with no mercy because in the eyes of everyone around her, she was a criminal... because of me.


    I was realizing now exactly why my father had never wanted to discuss his life as the Don with me, and why Mom and he had kept tight lips around me, even after I got older.


    And I was realizing now, why he had left the life¡ªto protect me, to protect my mom.


    There was a deep guilt growing like a hungry carnivorous nt in the back of my mind, devouring up every seed of truth that I dyed with a lie. This was how things had to go now.


    But despite that guilt of bringing Cat into this world, whether she was willing or not, I knew Alessandro was right. This was the best decision.


    Cat needed to have usible deniability in case the worst happened. If she was ever to be dragged into the illegality of everything, then her hands needed to be clean. I was willing to dirty every part of my body so long as she stayed safe.


    But to do that, I had to cut her away from the front lines.


    I sighed, straightening myself in my chair as I set my phone on the long mahogany table in front of me. It was only a minute or twoter when I heard a firm knock on the door¡ªthree in session.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Franky appeared first with Leo ducking in from behind him.


    ¡°Heya, boss!¡± Leo waved, taking his seat to my right while Franky took the one to my left. ¡°Did Cat agree to New York?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I responded a bit too quickly.


    Leo raised an eyebrow, clearly having caught onto my rushed answer, and I cursed myself for giving him the opportunity.


    ¡°And yet, why do you seem so discontent about that?¡± Franky smirked, leaning back in his chair with a goading look on his stupid face.


    I pinned him with the coldest re I could muster, clenching my fists under the table to stop myself from decking him.


    ¡°Never mind,¡± I shot back harshly. ¡°We¡¯re here to work, so let¡¯s work.¡±


    ¡°Touchy,¡± Franky said, tilting his head amusedly.


    ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s chill out for a minute, okay?¡± Leo asked. ¡°I¡¯ve got the folder you requested, Boss,¡± He nced between me and Franky warily and patted the man folder on the desk in front of him, sliding it toward me with another copy to Franky.


    I flipped open the folder, a portfolio and list of restaurants¡ªfirst with locations in Los Angeles and after I flipped to the back, several for New York.


    ¡°There are a couple good contenders for LA, but nothing too exciting. All the main ones we want are in New York, so I¡¯ve made up a list. Our math guy made up some predictions based on revenue and some other IT bullcrap. I failed math in high school, so I don¡¯t pretend to understand any of it.¡± Leo shrugged.


    ¡°You failed math? Shocker,¡± Franky said sarcastically.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I got straight A¡¯s in every other ss, thank you very much.¡± Leo red at him. ¡°But once they started adding letters and shapes to math, they lost me pretty quickly. It¡¯s a bunch of nonsense to me.¡±


    ¡°Stay on task,¡± I reminded them once Franky opened his mouth, no doubt to give some biting sarcasticment that would¡¯ve sent either me or Leo on a rage.


    I nced at the restaurants, looking through the reports. ¡°Take off D and E. They¡¯re too conspicuous. There is way more money flowing in than their revenue reports. Most likely they¡¯re getting help from outside resources.¡±


    ¡°So? We do the same thing,¡± Leo snorted. ¡°It¡¯s not a crime.¡±


    ¡°It very much is a crime,¡± I stared at him nkly. ¡°Moneyundering is taken seriously in the US, especially in ces like LA or New York. If I can guess dirty money from just a nce, no doubt the police can too. I¡¯m not doing twenty years because some dumbasses can¡¯t cover up their tracks.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention the fines,¡± Franky said with a smirk at Leo. ¡°They¡¯re twice whatever funds are involved.¡±


    Leo reeled back, a look of horror on his face. ¡°Fuck that shit.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I told him with a sigh, brushing through the ces.


    Most of it was just projections and graphs, numbers that even I could barely follow.


    ¡°Besides, that would defeat the purpose,¡± I added. ¡°We want to buy these restaurants to help clean up our flow of money and give us some legitimate businesses so that we don¡¯t get investigated. Taking on a business that already has dirty money would just be stupid.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine, I get it,¡± Leo shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ll take them off. But which ones do you like then?¡±


    ¡°A and H seem the best candidates,¡± Franky said definitely, sliding the folder away from himself. ¡°They¡¯re simr enough that we won¡¯t waste too much money with providing resources but different enough to stand out in their locations. Their revenue varies per season, so if the feds doe sniffing, we¡¯ll have an excuse for the fluctuating reports. Low-cost with high revenue is exactly what we need.¡±


    ¡°I have to agree,¡± I said with an annoyed look at Franky. ¡°Get the team ready for this weekend so we can make the purchases quick and efficiently. And keep it quiet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Boss,¡± Franky said as he got to his feet, taking the folder with him as he left.


    As much as I disliked him as a person, he got things done. I¡¯d keep him on for now, I thought, but the minute he made a mistake, he¡¯d be the first to be cut off.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that Cat doesn¡¯t know about the restaurants?¡± Leo asked once we were alone.


    ¡°No,¡± I admitted. ¡°Not yet, and I don¡¯t want to tell her for now. If she knows then she¡¯ll want to be involved, and I need her to not be. As long as she doesn¡¯t¡¯ know, then if something does go wrong and our tail gets caught, she¡¯ll be able to escape the usations. If she doesn¡¯t know, then she won¡¯t get dragged down with the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Leo nodded sagely. ¡°We¡¯ll need someone to bail us out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Hey!¡± He raised his hands in defense, getting to his feet with a yful grin. ¡°We both know Al won¡¯t do it. Plus, I¡¯m ny percent sure your dad will let us both rot in jail to teach you a lesson.¡±


    I had no response to that. Leo chuckled to himself, heading to the door before he paused, one foot outside. He looked over his shoulder.


    ¡°I understand where you¡¯reing from, Elio, but I think you¡¯re underestimating Cat too much. She¡¯s too smart to buy your lies for long. She¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    I clenched my jaw.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to surprise her today. It¡¯ll keep her off our trail, at least for a while.¡±


    Leo raised an eyebrow. ¡°You know, I wonder if you actually believe that.¡±


    Then he stepped out, leaving me alone in the empty room. I stared at my phone as the monster named Guilt came back to whisper in my ears.


    ¡®You don¡¯t,¡¯ it said.

 Chapter 708 : Secrets and Lies

    <h4>Chapter 708: Chapter 708 : Secrets and Lies</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I walked up our front steps, wondering if I would even manage to make it through the front door or if I would just copse on the porch swing. It wasn¡¯t even lunchtime yet, but I felt like I could damn near fall asleep for the night.


    ¡®You want to be in school, you want to be in school...¡¯ I had repeated to myself thousands of times as I sat through my lectures and diligently took notes.


    Although I knew that getting my education was the right choice right now, it was hard to remember exactly why it all mattered when I was so exhausted.


    Trying to bnce life with Elio and my schoolwork had proven to be more difficult than I had expected. I could feel myself moving further away from the mafia work that I had worked so hard to be a part of, but I knew that getting my degree would be worth it.


    Eyeing the porch swing longingly, I decided that my best bet was to go inside and plop down on the couch instead. The couch¡¯s closer proximity to the kitchen made my decision for me as I realized that if Iid down on the porch swing, I would definitely end up falling asleep before lunch.


    I opened the door and was surprised to see Elio standing in the foyer, texting someone on his phone.


    ¡°Hey, baby!¡± he said happily when he saw me. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to get home.¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you at work?¡± I asked, confused as to why he appeared to be waiting for me.


    Sometimes he came home so we could have lunch together, but I was sure that he hadn¡¯t nned on meeting me today.


    ¡°We have to go to a business dinner while we¡¯re in New York, so I thought you¡¯d enjoy buying a new dress for it,¡± he said brightly as he tucked his phone away in his pocket.


    I did love the idea of buying a new dress. I had never considered myself a particrly materialistic person, but Elio brought it out in me. He just loved to spoil me.


    ¡°Sure!¡± I said as I dropped my bags by the front door. ¡°What¡¯s the meeting for?¡±


    ¡°Um, what was that?¡± Elio asked as though he hadn¡¯t been paying attention, but he¡¯d been looking at me the whole time I was speaking.


    rm bells sounded somewhere deep in the back of my head. Was he lying to me?


    ¡°What¡¯s the business dinner for?¡± I asked again. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me we were going to have a business dinner.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just something for the real estate business, thinking about branching out to another city and seeing if it would be lucrative, nothing Valentino rted,¡± he said in an overly casual tone that only increased my suspicion.


    I wanted nothing more than to cross my arms across my chest and demand he tell me the truth, but I couldn¡¯t understand why he would lie to me. He loved my involvement in the mafia life. He¡¯d said so himself.


    He had kept me involved throughout everything with Antonio, and I couldn¡¯t think of a reason why he would suddenly stop keeping me involved. I decided to drop the whole thing. I trusted that if Elio was keeping something from me, it must be for a good reason. I was just touchy about things being kept from me because of our past.


    ¡°Anyway, are you ready?¡± he asked me, holding out his arm so I could loop my hand in the crook of his elbow.


    I took his arm with a smile on my face, knowing that I didn¡¯t have a reason not to trust him. He had more than proven himself to me by letting me be involved with taking out Antonio, and I knew that pushing the issue would only cause us both to feel frustrated.


    Elio drove us directly to my favorite boutique. They had perfectly cornered the market between edgy style and business attire. I tried on just three dresses and chose the third one, a ck sheath dress with long sleeves and pointy shoulder pads that reminded me of something a vampire might wear if she was the head of a Fortune 500pany. Elio took the dress and paid for it before I had even managed to get my other clothes back on.


    ¡°I think you made a great choice,¡± he said as we walked back to the car, my shopping bag in his hand.


    I chuckled at his words, knowing he really didn¡¯t care what I wore. I was pretty sure I could walk around in a trash bag and he would tell me I looked beautiful.


    It would be funny to test that theory out sometime, I thought.


    ¡°Where are we going for lunch?¡± I asked once we were back in the car.


    ¡°Hmm... how about Hot Green?¡± he asked, naming my favorite lunch ce in the city.


    I nced at him suspiciously. Although I thought Hot Green was delicious, it wasn¡¯t one of Elio¡¯s favorites. They only served vegetable-based dishes, which didn¡¯t impress Elio. He was a firm believer that some sort of meat should be present in every meal.


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds great,¡± I answered, struggling to press down my growing suspicions.


    I thought that he had cut out of work early just to buy me a dress and grab lunch together, but now I was starting to feel like he was purposefully sucking up to me so that he could give me bad news or something.


    We handed the car over to a valet parking garage and walked a block over to Hot Green. The hostess seated us at a patio table close to the sidewalk and brought us two sses ofvender sparkling water, their signature drink.


    Elio traced the rim of his ss absentmindedly as he read the menu, no doubt trying in vain to find a dish that had meat in it. I knew I would order my usual house sd, so I didn¡¯t bother looking at the menu, instead using Elio¡¯s distraction as an opportunity to study him.


    If I was being honest with myself, the lines in his face did look a bit deeper. And was that a gray hair at his temple? I couldn¡¯t be sure from this angle, but either way, it was clear that something was causing him more stress than usual. I frowned as I watched him, worried about what was going through his mind that would cause him to be so on edge. I reached out and took his hand in mine, twining our fingers. He looked up and smiled at me, sending reassurance through me.


    Just as I was about to ask him what was worrying him, a familiar voice said from behind me, ¡°Hey, Caterina!¡±


    I sank down into my chair, my mood immediately turning sour. I had no desire for Elio and Elijah to meet. Hell, I didn¡¯t even really want Elijah to stop and talk to me. I was trying to avoid the guy for a reason. I nced at Elio and saw his face tighten with barely concealed irritation.


    Elijah stood next to our table, looking down at us with a smile on his face. Not wanting to cause a scene, I sat up a little straighter and said, ¡°Hey, Elijah. This is my partner, Elio. Elio, Elijah.¡±


    Elio nodded at Elijah but didn¡¯t say a word. My stomach clenched in embarrassment at his open rudeness, and I could see that Elijah was ufortable with the interaction as well. He shuffled around awkwardly, as if he was tempted to just turn around and run away.


    ¡°Well, uh, it was good to meet you, Elio,¡± Elijah managed to mumble.


    ¡°You too,¡± Elio said back, not even bothering to look back up from his menu.


    ¡°See you around, Cat,¡± Elijah said before turning around and walking the way he hade.


    I wondered if he hade in our direction just because he had seen us sitting here. I sure hoped not. The thought of him noticing me made my stomach turn. I¡¯d had too many bad interactions with dudes who always seemed to be able to find me no matter where I went.


    As Elijah walked off, our waiter came and took our orders. I was grateful for the distraction, although I could tell by the set of Elio¡¯s jaw that he was going to bring this up again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the house sd with a lemon wedge, please,¡± I said with a smile.


    The waiter nodded and wandered off to put our orders in. Elio turned back to me, his eyes stormy.


    ¡°So, who the hell is Elijah?¡± he asked, his voice low.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a guy from school. You saw me blow him off. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re acting like this,¡± I said, my anger ring at his usatory tone.


    ¡°Caterina, you know that we need to do background checks on anyone who shows an interest in you, especially now. We still have no fucking clue where Junior is, and he¡¯s sure to know by now that I¡¯ve taken control of the Stateside Valentinos.¡± Elio paused to take a sip of his sparkling water.


    Rage swirled deep within my gut. How fucking dare he talk to me like I was a child? Were we seriously going to have this argument yet again?


    ¡°If you think I don¡¯t know that, you¡¯re mistaken,¡± I gritted out, working hard to keep my voice under control. I didn¡¯t want to make a scene at one of my favorite restaurants.


    ¡°Cat, please, don¡¯t get upset. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to sound like I was chastising you,¡± Elio said. ¡°I know you know this stuff. I just get so fucking scared when I think about anything happening to you. I love you so much.¡±


    I softened at the worry in his voice and immediately felt guilty for assuming that he was going back to his old habits. He knew I hated it when he treated me like I didn¡¯t know shit about life, and I shouldn¡¯t have assumed that he would do that.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, reaching out once again for his hand. ¡°I just need you to understand that I think of this stuff too. I don¡¯t just waltz through life assuming that nothing bad will ever happen.¡±


    ¡°I know, baby. I shouldn¡¯t have assumed.¡±


    He stroked his thumb over the back of my knuckles. I felt better at his reassurances, but I still noticed that he seemed on edge for some reason. I wished I could figure out what was going on. We ate the rest of our meal in rtive silence, the mood ruined even though we¡¯d both technically apologized.


    Something was wrong with Elio. I just wished I could figure out what it was.

 Chapter 709 : Coming to Terms

    <h4>Chapter 709: Chapter 709 : Coming to Terms</h4>


    *Elio*


    The ride back home after lunch had been awkward at best. I could tell Caterina was pissed but didn¡¯t want to argue, which just led to her giving me the silent treatment the entire way home.


    My attempts to break the silence by asking about her day had only resulted in her giving me terse one-word answers that made me feel even worse than the silence did. I couldn¡¯t stand arguing with her. All I ever wanted was to make her happy.


    I sighed when we finally made it back to the house, hoping that an afternoon of rxation would help us both cool off a bit. Caterina was always a bit testy after her sses and she needed some time to unwind. I wondered if she¡¯d like it if I drew a bath for her.


    Just as I was about to turn and ask her, my phone rang. I checked to see who was calling and groaned when my father¡¯s name popped up.


    He was the absolutest person I wanted to talk to right now, when I was already on edge and trying to figure out how to smooth things over with Cat. But I knew my dad was not to be ignored. He would just continue to call until I picked up.


    He imed it was because he worried when I didn¡¯t answer, but I suspected that it was more about wanting a bit of control over me. It was hard on him to have me living my own life. It had been tough ever since I had moved out for college. He trusted me, but he also wished he could be there with me every step of the way.


    I sighed and headed for the balcony just off the kitchen so that Cat could go to our bedroom or wherever she wanted to rx.


    ¡°Call to fake congratte me again, Dad?¡± I asked, not bothering to conceal my irritation.


    He had really pissed me off with his little stunt thest time he¡¯d called. I should be able to celebrate my new position in the family without his disapproval hanging over my head. I knew it was just because he was scared, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was going about it in a shitty way.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not why I called, although I¡¯m still not going to congratte you. I think you¡¯re making a huge mistake.¡±


    I rolled my eyes at his words. He had already made his opinion pretty fucking clear. I really didn¡¯t need a reminder.


    ¡°Yeah, I get it. Doesn¡¯t change my decision. I¡¯ve been a grown man for a while, and I¡¯m going to make my own choices.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Elio.¡± He sighed. ¡°I just hate that I can¡¯t protect you.¡±


    I was so tired of him acting like he still needed to protect me. I had never asked for that. ¡°Alright, why¡¯d you call, Dad?¡± I asked, trying to change the subject.


    ¡°Your mother wants you and Caterina toe to dinner tonight. She hasn¡¯t seen you in a while, and she misses you. And you know we love seeing Caterina.¡±


    I was certain that this was just a ploy to get me toe over so he could once again berate me for my choices, but the idea of spending the evening with the two of them instead of arguing with Caterina did sound nice.


    And I knew that Cat and my mother always enjoyed seeing each other. They had a lot inmon. Hell, maybe spending some time with my mom would help convince Cat to back from some of the mafia stuff on her own.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be there,¡± I said.


    ¡°Great! See you at six o¡¯clock.¡±


    I hung up and headed back into the house, looking for Caterina. I heard her favorite music sting from somewhere near our bedroom, so I headed upstairs.


    As I had suspected she would be, she was taking a bath in our gigantic jacuzzi tub. Bubbles surrounded her as sheid back, her eyes closed. She had piled her hair up on top of her head in a messy bun, revealing the delicate curve of her neck that I loved to kiss. The bubbles concealed her body, but she had one leg propped up on the edge of the tub that was just begging for me to go and touch it.


    I sat on the edge and took her foot in my hands, kneading her calf in the way she always begged for after a long day. Her eyes popped open, and she red in my direction, but she didn¡¯t pull her leg away.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, baby?¡± I murmured, trying to charm my way out of being in trouble with her.


    ¡°You know what¡¯s wrong,¡± she grumbled, crossing her arms in front of her chest.


    The movement swished the bubbles around so that I could see a lot more of her under the water. My body reacted to the beautiful sight, and I looked away to keep myself from getting distracted.


    ¡°This is still about the Elijah guy?¡± I asked, ying dumb.


    ¡°Obviously it¡¯s about him, Elio! You would rather look like an ass in front of aplete stranger than trust that I can handle myself.¡±


    She yanked her foot away from me and plunged it back into the water, sending a small wave over the side of the tub and effectively soaking my thigh. I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to stave off my growing anger. I was so tired of everyone being upset with me when I was just trying my best to do the right thing.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to apologize for that, Caterina. I have dedicated damn near my entire adult life to keeping you safe. Our rtionship has changed a lot, I acknowledge that, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I will always, always fight to keep you safe. Your safety is and always will be my top priority. There¡¯s nothing that I will ever let get in the way of me protecting you,¡± I told her, opening my eyes to stare down at her.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re just worried about me. I know. But I have to be able to live my life,¡± she said with a sassy tone.


    ¡°Yeah, and you just living your life has resulted in men like Junior and Alexiing in and hurting you. I¡¯m so fucking sick and tired of seeing you get hurt, Cat! I wish you could just live a normal life. Trust me, I want nothing more than that. But you don¡¯t have a normal life, we don¡¯t have a normal life. And that makes it to where I constantly have to be watching out for you.¡±


    I had to work hard to stop myself from raising my voice at her. I hadn¡¯t ever wanted this to turn into another argument, but she just made it so damn difficult. I loved her stubbornness, but when it was directed at me, it made my life harder.


    Cat rolled her eyes, making my irritation continue to rise. I hadn¡¯t even managed to ask her if she was okay with going to dinner with my parents yet, and we were clearly on our way to yet another explosive argument.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even really notice Elijah. I definitely wasn¡¯t nning on letting him into my life in any capacity. You think I haven¡¯t learned my lesson when ites to strange men approaching me? Because I have. Anna is the one who was interested in him and wanted to get closer, which has nothing to do with me really. But that does mean that if he and Anna get serious, I can¡¯t have you treating him like shit. I¡¯m not trying to be his friend, but I don¡¯t want things to be awkward either.¡±


    Hearing her say that she had never nned on getting close to him did rx me a bit, and I was d to hear that she was reluctant to let anyone get close to her after everything that had happened, but it still didn¡¯t mean I trusted the guy.


    If he was going to be hanging around Anna, I needed to do a background check on him. I just wouldn¡¯t be telling Caterina that. I knew she¡¯d think it was an overreaction. I thought back to what Alessandro had said about slowly phasing her out of everything and once again, it felt like he had been right about that. Caterina wanted to be as normal as possible, attending school and meeting new people, and I wanted that for her if that was her dream, but she couldn¡¯t have that life if she was also trying to keep one foot in the mafia. The best way forward would be to reduce her involvement and encourage her to focus more on other things.


    I sighed, finally releasing the tension that had been building inside me all this time. ¡°Alright, I promise I¡¯ll try to be better with this stuff going forward. Do you forgive me?¡± I asked.


    She smiled up at me, looking so sweet it was hard to believe she¡¯d been sassing the hell out of me just a minute ago.


    ¡°I forgive you. And I love you.¡± She reached out and grabbed my hand, squeezing it once. ¡°So, what was the phone call about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, it was my dad. He wants us toe over for dinner. I¡¯ll warn you. It¡¯s probably going to be ufortable as hell. I think he¡¯s going to try and convince me to change my mind. He¡¯s still upset that I went behind his back like this.¡±


    She nodded, biting her lip as she thought. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll go. You know I love seeing your mom. And I happen to be pretty good at arguing with people,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s going to be a long night,¡± I groaned, standing up from the tub so I could go get ready for dinner.


    Caterinaughed behind me, the sweet sound reminding me just how lucky I was to have her. I was so grateful that she would be apanying me to dinner. Just having her there with me, knowing that she was on my side, would be a hugefort.


    There was a sshing sound behind me as Cat stood up out of the bath. Without warning, she wrapped her soaking arms around my waist and pressed her wet body against me. Iughed, d that I had already nned on changing as she quickly soaked through the back of my clothes.


    I turned and wrapped my arms around her naked body, letting the front of my clothes get wet too. I didn¡¯t care. I was just happy to have her in my arms where she belonged.


    I wished that she could stay right there forever.

 Chapter 710 : Dinner with Gio

    <h4>Chapter 710: Chapter 710 : Dinner with Gio</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I was mentally prepared for battle as we walked up to Olivia and Gio¡¯s house, and it was a good thing that I was. Giovanni answered the door for us looking like someone had died, but I knew he was only upset because of Elio.


    His face was pinched, and the wrinkles around his eyes were deep with stress. It struck me how simr Elio and Giovanni looked when they were stressed out. It was sweet that they both got most upset about not being able to keep their loved ones safe, even though it was frustrating to deal with for the ones they were trying to protect.


    ¡°Hey, Dad. How are you?¡± Elio asked.


    Giovanni simply grunted out, ¡°Fine,¡± before turning to me and pulling me in to kiss each cheek. ¡°Hello, Caterina, I hope you¡¯ve been doing well.¡±


    His obvious snub of Elio left both of us feeling off kilter. Gio had always been someone who liked to get his way, but I had never seen him be so openly distant to Elio. He really was angry about this whole mafia thing, angrier than I had realized.


    I was starting to regret agreeing toe to this dinner, and I hoped that Olivia would rescue us all soon from the angry silence that Giovanni had plunged us into. It was difficult for me to know exactly what to say when I agreed with Elio but had no desire to find myself in a fight with Elio¡¯s parents.


    Thankfully, Olivia walked in from the kitchen and smiled warmly. ¡°Caterina, Elio, wee!¡± she said as she enveloped us both into hugs.


    She was always so wonderful at maintaining a calm demeanor. I had no idea how she managed it, especially with how often she had to deal with these cranky Italian men.


    Giovanni and Elio were both wonderful, but they sure hated it when they didn¡¯t get their way. Seeing them on opposite sides of an argument for the first time showed me just how stubborn they both could be.


    ¡°Please,e into the dining room. I made us carbonara to eat and tiramisu for dessert! It¡¯s been a while since I got to spend some time cooking for guests, I¡¯m so d you agreed toe for dinner,¡± Olivia said as she ushered the three of us to the dining room.


    She had set the table with tapered white candles in brass candle holders, giving the whole room a lovely ambiance that was at odds with the tension in the air. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her efforts. She really was good at this. A bowl piled high with carbonara sat in the middle of the table, with a sd bowl on one side and a te of bread on the other.


    We all sat down and Gio passed around the dishes so we could get our food. I smiled as I saw that Elio avoided the sd, no doubt feeling that his vegetarian lunch warranted it.


    ¡°So, Caterina, how are your sses going?¡± Olivia asked once we were all settled in and enjoying our meals.


    ¡°Really well,¡± I said pleasantly, aware of the fact that the conversation would likely have to be carried by the two of us. ¡°I have been pretty tired, but I like having something that¡¯s just for me.¡±


    ¡°I keep telling her she doesn¡¯t need to work so hard,¡± Elio interjected. ¡°She knows I can support her.¡±


    Olivia smiled indulgently at her son, then turned to me. ¡°But where¡¯s the fun in that, am I right?¡± she said conspiratorially.


    I giggled and nodded. ¡°Exactly! I keep telling Elio I have to challenge myself or I won¡¯t be satisfied.¡±


    ¡°Well, one thing about my boys, they love to spoil their women,¡± Olivia said with a smile in Gio¡¯s direction. ¡°Sometimes we have to remind them that we don¡¯t just want toy around and eat chocte all day.¡±


    Giovanni chuckled and said, ¡°It would be easier if you didn¡¯t look so adorable sitting around and eating chocte.¡±


    Olivia rolled her eyes and smacked his arm, but it was obvious she loved thepliment. It made me smile to watch them. I wondered if my own parents would have ever been able to have times like this if my father hadn¡¯t been so brutally taken from us. I hoped that Elio and I could grow old together too.


    I nced over to see if Elio was feeling the same emotions as me, but he was ring down at his te, his jaw twitching. I wished I could take away his frustration so he could just rx and enjoy the evening.


    After we had all stuffed ourselves on carbonara, Olivia stood up to get the tiramisu out of the refrigerator. I had no idea where I was going to manage to fit it, but there was no way I was going to miss out on her tiramisu.


    ¡°Sorry, Caterina. I¡¯m going to just pull Elio out for a moment before dessert so we can speak privately,¡± Giovanni said once Olivia was in the kitchen.


    ¡°No, Dad. Anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of Caterina,¡± Elio said coldly.


    I nced between them, feeling like I was caught in the middle andpletely unsure of what I should do to ease the tension. Before either of them could say a word, Olivia walked back in with a stack of dessert tes and the tray of tiramisu. She took one look at their matching set jaws and pulled down eyebrows and rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Boys, let¡¯s not fight over dessert,¡± she said as she handed out the tes and began cutting into the tiramisu. ¡°It makes it taste bad.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to discuss things without fighting,¡± Elio said tersely, ¡°but Dad seems incapable of understanding that my life is my own to live. He can¡¯t control me.¡±


    ¡°Elio, your father understands that. It doesn¡¯t stop him from worrying,¡± Olivia said in a soothing voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m more than worried. I¡¯m pissed,¡± Giovanni said.


    I flinched at his harsh words. It was unusual to see him lose control of his temper. I couldn¡¯t remember ever seeing him truly angry in all the time I¡¯d known him.


    ¡°At what, Dad, the fact that I want to follow in your footsteps?¡± Elio spat.


    ¡°I¡¯m pissed at the fact that you¡¯re throwing your entire goddamn life away for nothing!¡± Giovanni yelled. ¡°You don¡¯t even need to do it! We¡¯ve given you everything, Elio, fucking everything! And you¡¯re spitting in our faces by ignoring the sacrifices we¡¯ve made!¡±


    My mouth popped open in shock. I didn¡¯t even bother to hide my emotions.


    ¡°The life never fucking leaves, Dad!¡± Elio yelled right back. ¡°Just look at what¡¯s happened to Cat! Vinny did everything to keep her out of the life. None of us even knew about her for years! But it didn¡¯t matter. The life found her anyway, and she was put in danger. I¡¯m not going to spend my life running away from who I am, and I¡¯m definitely not going to tuck my tail between my legs and act like a fucking coward.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you think this is, cowardice?¡± Gio¡¯s voice was dangerously low, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to rise.


    I knew that if Elio wasn¡¯t careful about what he said next, this argument might escte into something that could never be resolved.


    ¡°No, Dad. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a coward.¡± Elio sighed, exhaustion in his voice. ¡°But I do think I would be a coward if I ignored the fact that my girlfriend is constantly being threatened because of our family. I can¡¯t just sit by and watch. I have to do something. I have to be prepared.¡±


    Giovanni stormed out, not bothering to touch the slice of tiramisu that Olivia had put on his te. She looked at the dessert sadly, as though it could¡¯ve somehow stopped the argument between the two men.


    ¡°I just wish you¡¯d be more understanding, honey,¡± she said to Elio.


    ¡°Mom, you can¡¯t seriously be taking his side right now!¡± Elio said indignantly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking sides. Maybe you¡¯re right about the life finding you anyway, but that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s easy for us to watch you go down this path. We worked so hard to give you more options than this.¡±


    Tears welled in her eyes, and my heart broke for her, but I still agreed with Elio that we were doing the right thing. I knew it was hard for them to watch us join the mafia life. It had been hard for my mom too. But pretending like we would never be in danger if we didn¡¯t get involved wasn¡¯t just na?ve. It was dangerous. Me not knowing any of this was what had made it possible for Junior to worm his way into my life.


    ¡°Thanks for dinner, Mom. I think we need to go now,¡± Elio said quietly.


    Neither of us had touched our dessert either.


    ¡°I understand. Call me in a few days, okay?¡± Olivia said quietly, her voice wavering.


    Back in the car, Elio was so angry he hadpletely forgotten about our own earlier disagreement over Elijah. All he wanted to do was rant about his parents.


    ¡°It¡¯s just fucking ridiculous that they think they can control me like this! This is exactly why I tried to keep it from them in the first ce. I can¡¯t believe they think they can lecture me like I¡¯m some kind of child.¡±


    It was slightly gratifying to hear him repeat some of the same frustrations that I¡¯d had with him, but I understood exactly where he wasing from as well.


    ¡°I know,¡± I soothed. ¡°They just don¡¯t get it. They¡¯lle around. My mom was against it too, at first, but now look at her. She¡¯s more than supportive.¡±


    Elio nodded, and it was a relief to be back on the same page with him. I hated it when he and I fought, and I hoped that uniting against this argument with his parents would help him to start opening back up to me about what had been bothering himtely.


    When we parked the car at home, Elio leaned over and pulled me in for a deep kiss.


    ¡°I am so grateful to have you with me,¡± he said in a gravelly voice that sent a bolt of longing through me.


    ¡°I just love being here with you,¡± I whispered against his mouth, reminded once again of that electricity that had so drawn me to him from the beginning.


    Our connection was so strong that I was sure it could ovee anything.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you inside,¡± he said after another long kiss. ¡°I want to get you out of that pretty little dress.¡±

 Chapter 711 : I Love You

    <h4>Chapter 711: Chapter 711 : I Love You</h4>


    *Caterina*


    The anger and frustration that Elio had been feeling all evening simmered just beneath the surface. It made him more passionate, more desperate, as his hands roamed my body and he pressed his tongue between my lips, exploring every inch of my body.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if we were going to make it back inside at this rate, but I didn¡¯t think I would care if we didn¡¯t. His almost brutal need for me was all-consuming. It ratcheted up the desire that I always felt when Elio touched me.


    He yed with the hem of my dress as he kissed me, his fingers pushing it up farther and farther until I was almost exposed, but stopping just before he reached my panties.


    I was desperate to climb over the center console and ride him until we both fell apart, but he was in control here and I wanted to see where this would go.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to take you in here,¡± he murmured as he pressed kisses down the side of my throat. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside. I think you need another bath.¡±


    The thought of him giving me a bath sent a tingling rush through me. ¡°Okay,¡± I sighed, leaning my head back so he could have better ess to the sensitive skin just under my jaw.


    He nipped me before pulling awaypletely. ¡°Come on, princess. Let¡¯s go get you cleaned up.¡±


    His voice was practically a growl, and I loved the way it made my stomach feel like it was filled with molten heat.


    He walked around and opened my door as I was adjusting my dress so that it covered me again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pull that down,¡± hemanded. ¡°I want to watch your ass while you walk inside.¡±


    I chuckled and obliged him, helping my dress ride up so that he could see the curve of my ass beneath the skirt. He spanked me once.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he said.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from moaning. I fucking loved it when he took control like this.


    I rushed to get upstairs to our bedroom, Elio following me the whole way. He turned the water on while I stripped bare, then turned to look at me appreciatively.


    I shivered under his appraising gaze. I loved how it felt to stand before him,pletely bare, while he looked me up and down. He always liked what he saw when it came to me.


    I grabbed a hair tie from the counter and quickly knotted my hair up so that it wouldn¡¯t get in the way. I knew Elio loved it when I wore my hair up. He swallowed roughly, still gazing at me like I was the most perfect thing he¡¯d ever seen.


    ¡°You are a fucking goddess,¡± he groaned. ¡°Now let me clean you.¡±


    He helped me get into the quickly-filling bathtub. The water was the perfect temperature, and I groaned with pleasure as I sank back into it. My bath earlier had been interrupted with our argument, and I was happy to be getting a second chance.


    Once I was in, Elio rolled up his sleeves and kneeled by the side of the tub, picking up the lc-scented body wash that I kept next to it. He squirted a generous amount of the body wash into his hand, then sat the bottle back down so he couldther his hands together.


    Just seeing the soap and knowing that he was about to use it to glide his hands all over my body had me pressing my thighs together in anticipation.


    The water had risen almost deep enough to submerge mepletely, so I turned off the faucet before leaning back, Elio at my side. He leaned forward and took my hand in his, soaping up each finger and then moving on to my arm. He massaged me as he went, taking his time to rub out every bit of tension that was hiding in my body.


    It had been a long day, and his attention made me feel incredibly cherished. He worked his way up to my shoulder, then urged me to move so that he could rub my other hand and arm as well. Once both arms were massaged, he rearranged himself so that he was behind me and moved on to my shoulders, letting his fingers dip down to my breasts but never low enough to touch my nipples. As he rubbed, he went lower and lower, teasing all around my nipples until I was moaning and arching my back so hard that I was practically shoving them into his hands.


    He chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re so needy for me.¡±


    Unable to speak, I simply nodded. I was needy for him. I always needed him, in every sense of the word. Hispanionship, his advice, his touch, his love¡ªI needed all of it.


    Finally, he rolled both nipples in his fingers at the same time, forcing a deep moan out of me. The soap on his hands made his fingers slippery and increased the pleasure. I was sure that I could climax just from his touch on my nipples alone, but I didn¡¯t want it to be over so soon.


    His touch was heavenly, and I was desperate to make itst.


    As he toyed with my nipples, he leaned forward and took my earlobe in his teeth, scraping them across my skin and shooting goosebumps all the way down my neck. I arched into his touch, unable to control myself. I was moving purely on instinct. I slipped my hand between my thighs and tried to alleviate some of the desire that was growing there, but my hand was nothingpared to Elio¡¯s touch.


    After a few more moments, he let go of me entirely and scooted to the other side of the tub. I let out an involuntary whine at the sudden loss of contact and pressed my fingers harder against myself, just trying to give myself anything.


    Elio took my foot in his still-soapy hands and rubbed the tension out of it before quickly moving on to the other one. He leaned forward farther and took both calves in his hands, rubbing his way up to my thighs. I scooted down so that he could have better ess to me without getting his clothes all wet.


    I already felt guilty for soaking his clothes earlier today. His hands on my thighs just made me want more. I circled my clit with my fingers, wishing he would touch me there. Elio nced down and saw where my hand was, then looked up at me with a devilish grin.


    ¡°Are you touching yourself?¡± he asked, his voice sly.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I sighed, unable to stop even as he watched my hand moving under the water.


    ¡°Are you imagining that it¡¯s me touching you?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± I panted, moving my other hand up to cup my breast.


    Elio let go of my thighs and stood up so that he could get a better view of me. I was sure I was quite a sight to behold as Iid in the bathtub, frantically rubbing my fingers through my folds and kneading at my breast.


    ¡°Fuck, you look so good like this,¡± he said appreciatively. ¡°I wanted to do nothing but please you tonight after that shit show of a dinner, but when you act like this, it makes me lose control.¡±


    I liked the sound of him losing control. He was always so damn in control, I knew it would be nice to see him lose it for once.


    I sped up my movements and tossed my head back, closing my eyes and moaning.


    When I opened my eyes again, Elio was rushing to pull off his clothes. His thick cock had already been straining to get free of his pants, and now that he had undressed, it was standing tall.


    I smiled at the sight of him, loving the fact that I was able to get him to that point. He was so aroused simply because he¡¯d touched me and watched me touch myself. It was a powerful feeling.


    He stepped into the tub, sending a small tidal wave over the side as he sat down facing me, his eyes fixated on where my hand was moving between my thighs. Once he was seated, he reached out and cupped his hands under my ass, using his leverage to pull me closer.


    My legs were on either side of his arms, and he had the perfect view of my spread pussy as I continued to work myself with my fingers. Knowing that he was watching me closely only increased my pleasure.


    Elio moved one hand out from under me and used his fingers to tease at my entrance. I rocked against his touch, desperate for him to push inside me.


    He obliged me quickly, sinking two fingers deep into me. I gasped at the perfect feeling of being filled by my love. He watched my hand and moved his own fingers in and out of me at the same pace.


    Finally, my release came.


    ¡°Oh, Elio,¡± I gasped as I orgasmed on his hand.


    He pressed his fingers inside me and didn¡¯t pull them out again until I had stopped fluttering against him.


    ¡°That was beautiful,¡± he said as he pulled me closer so that I was straddling hisp.


    He cupped my cheek with his hand and pulled me in for a deep kiss.


    I felt his erection nudge my entrance, and I wanted nothing more than to be filled by him. I leaned up on my knees and used my hand to guide him inside of me, settling quickly on his cock. He hissed as I took his entire length, then gripped my hips and began to set his own pace.


    I moved with him, letting my head fall forward to rest on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around me, and I felt like I lost track of where I ended and Elio began. Our bodies were so deeply intertwined in every way, from the way he was nestled inside of me to the way our arms were wrapped tightly around each other.


    We rocked together, the movement between us conveying far more emotion than words ever could. My breasts pressed against his chest, and he pressed his mouth against my ear.


    ¡°I love you, I love you, I love you,¡± he whispered, a mantra that I knew we both needed to hear.


    We loved each other. Nothing else mattered. Nothing needed to get between us, not when we had this kind of soul-deep connection.


    When he reached his climax, his movements became jerky, but he kept whispering that perfect phrase, over and over again. We sat tangled up in each other¡¯s arms until the bathwater chilled to room temperature, neither of us wanting to break the perfect spell that we had found ourselves under.


    This was what love meant.

 Chapter 712 : Ongoing Surprises

    <h4>Chapter 712: Chapter 712 : Ongoing Surprises</h4>


    *Two Days Later*


    *Caterina*


    ¡°Mr. Valentino, Ms. Leone. I¡¯ve just got word from the pilot. We¡¯re due tond in just a few moments,¡± one of the attendants said with a sweet smile.


    I gave her a gracious smile back and nodded my head. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The flight to New York couldn¡¯t have gone smoother if we¡¯d nned it to.


    As always, the flight crew on the private jet was very attentive and gracious in their handling of our belongings. Both Elio and I were able to get some work done, which I saw as a blessing in disguise. I needed the distraction since he¡¯d chosen to tell me near to nothing about this trip in particr.


    I wasn¡¯t exactly nervous but rather intrigued by hisck of exnation. Something in my gut told me that there was more to this trip than just business, and I was eager to find out what.


    Before we knew it, the jet made it down to the strip and it was finally safe for us to make our descent down the narrow staircase. As expected, Elio had assigned a car toe and take us to our hotel.


    Once the staff ced our bags in the truck, he and I slid into the back seat of the ck Mercedes and made off.


    Now that my schoolwork was tucked away, I found my thoughts wavering back to this so-called business dinner Elio had nned.


    I didn¡¯t want toe off as pestering or pushy about it, so I kept my questions to a bare minimum. But I couldn¡¯t seem to understand why Elio was insisting on withholding of this kind of information in the first ce.


    ¡®Since when has he decided to start keeping things from me again?¡¯ I wondered hesitantly.


    I knew it was dangerous to fall into that mental rut of thinking, especially when he and I had had our fair share of arguments over that very topic.


    Elio knew how important it was for me to be included in that particr aspect of his life. Yes, I knew of the dangers that came with being involved. He of all people should have understood what my limits were at that point.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like Elio was being intentionally secretive this time around. Nheless, I wasn¡¯t about to make a scene of any kind.


    Should this business dinner turn out to be something more involved than what I was being told to believe, I knew I would be able to determine more once we were there.


    Regardless, apart from just that one night out, I knew very little about the rest of this trip he¡¯d nned for us.


    ¡°So,¡± I breathed out evenly while Elio turned to nce at me, ¡°have you anything nned for us while we¡¯re here... you know, aside from this mysterious work dinner?¡±


    The corners of his mouth curved into a suggestive smile, yet the rest of him remainedposed. He started to shake his head.


    ¡°Sorry, sweetheart,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this trip is nothing but business this time. I just thought it would be nice for the two of us to have a change of scenery.¡±


    My mouth fell into a straight line as Elio turned his head to continue ncing back out his window.


    Well, I couldn¡¯t say that I wasn¡¯t disappointed.


    ***


    We reached the hotel within an hour and were leisurely escorted up to our private penthouse suite. My eyes were instantly captivated by the gorgeous style of ssic architecture that was used to design the ce.


    The hotel seemed fairly packed with other guests and small families looking to get away for the weekend. Elio curled a supportive arm around my waist and guided us over to the elevators. A special attendant pushed our designated button and the doors slid closed.


    As soon as I felt us lift off, I leaned closer into Elio¡¯s side.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll take a shower and then get some more work done,¡± I told him.


    Elio silently nodded his head and went on to pull out his phone from his pocket to check for any new messages.


    Was I disappointed that he¡¯d nned nothing for us on this small getaway? Maybe just a little bit.


    Granted, I knew that the whole point of this trip was probably work-rted, but it just seemed unlike Elio to forego such a thing.


    Normally the man always had some activity or outing nned out, some secret surprise hidden up his sleeve. Then again, maybe I was wrong, I thought.


    The doors of the elevator finally slid back open to reveal a long hallway that was lined with red, velvet carpeting. Elio slipped his hand into my own and led us down to our door.


    He took out the sleek looking room key and buzzed us inside. The interior wasvishly decorated to match the main lobby downstairs. Whoever was in charge of the room made sure that ce was swimming in freshly cut flowers and small lit candles to properly set the mood.


    It was romantic and very intimate, which led me to narrow my eyes with suspicion. cing my bag down on the nearest surface, I turned my head to find two massage tables set in the middle of our living room. Along with them were two staff members, who both stood by trays with an array of oils and scented lotions.


    My heart jumped into my throat. I quickly turned back to re at Elio with a look of surprise and utter tion.


    ¡°Elio!¡±


    The man threw back his head and let out a series of chuckles. I nted my hands firmly on my hips as I continued to re at him in disbelief.


    ¡®This whole time... this whole time this sneaky man had been actually nning this whole trip out for us, hadn¡¯t he?¡¯ I questioned myself.


    Good God, I felt like aplete idiot, feeling sorry for myself while all along, Elio was several steps ahead of me.


    Once he managed to gain control of his excessiveughter, he reached out for me. He slid his arms around my waist and pulled me into a loving hug that practically knocked the air from my lungs.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I tricked you, love,¡± he soothed. ¡°I just couldn¡¯t help myself.¡±


    I had never had a massage before, much less a couple¡¯s massage. I was excited and deeply appreciative of the opportunity.


    ¡°Thank you for this,¡± I told him softly.


    Elio returned the smile and leaned down to kiss my head. The two of us met our skilled masseuses and got prepped for our session.


    Honestly, I was a little bit hesitant to remove all of my clothing. Granted, I knew it was necessary for it to be properly done, but I wasn¡¯t ustomed to basically stripping in front of strangers. Thankfully, the woman who was in charge of my session informed me that I could remove my bra and underwear once I was hidden under the towel on the table.


    But once we started....


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± I groaned.


    My body had melted into aplete mess. I was turned into putty by the hands of my masseuse. Every knot and tense muscle she worked through left me babbling and spewing sounds that one would only ever think to hear behind closed doors.


    Elio turned to nce at me with a raised brow on numerous asions. But it reached a point where my excessive moans were bing a tad bit distracting for him.


    ¡°Goddamnit, Cat. You make one more of those sounds, and I¡¯m cutting our session short,¡± he grumbled.


    I couldn¡¯t help but giggle. I¡¯d never felt so rxed in my life. It almost made me mad to not have had one of these massages done before.


    Unfortunately, the time came when our session wasing to a close. I dreaded having to get off the massage table. I struggled to find my footing while my entire body felt like a bag of Jell-O.


    Elio handed them both a generous tip and ushered us into the master bathroom to shower off any of the excess oils.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he prompted. ¡°Now we need to get ready for our dinner.¡±


    My voice filled with yful sarcasm. ¡°Would this be yet another surprise you¡¯ve decided not to tell me about?¡± I asked.


    The corner of his mouth curved into a sultry smirk as he rolled his eyes. ¡°Maybe. But you¡¯ll have to get ready in order to find out.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t wasted another moment. I quickly showered off and went straight for my suitcase to pull out one of the dresses we¡¯d picked out together. Elio finished up in the bathroom and came out looking dashing as ever in a creme colored dress shirt and ck pants.


    I pinned back part of my hair and chose a thin pair of silver hooped earrings to finish up my look. Elio¡¯s hungry eyes burned into me with a look of need and desire. I had to remind him about our dinner ns... otherwise, we would have never left.


    Another car came around the front of the hotel to pick us up. It brought us to a beautiful Italian restaurant just a few blocks away. Upon checking in for our reservation, the ma?tre de took us up to the rooftop, where a secluded area had been specially prepared.


    My jaw hit the floor once more. A private table lit by candlelight and surrounded by hangingnterns made my heart swell with so much emotion.


    Elio pulled out my seat for me to sit and proceeded to take his own. He ordered what I assumed was the best bottle of wine the ce had to offer and turned his attention back to me.


    I was beyond impressed about everything he¡¯d nned for us. ¡°You really are something else, you know that?¡±


    Elio¡¯s smile sent shivers of warmth down my body.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t believe you honestly thought that I would have nothing nned for us when we got here,¡± he said smugly.


    I rolled my eyes and scoffed. ¡°You¡¯d think I would know your tricks by now... but I love it. Really, Elio. Thank you for everything today.¡±


    Elio took my hand and turned it over to kiss the inside of my wrist.


    ¡°Anything for you.¡±


    One of the waiters brought up our wine and we were immediately served the first course. Everything was delicious. Everything was perfect.


    As the night drew on, we slipped into easy conversation about current events. And all I could think to myself was that I never wanted this feeling I had for Elio to ever go away.


    I knew I drank far too much wine than I should have, but I was feeling lighter and happier than I had in a while.


    I was practically falling asleep by the time we returned to the hotel. With Elio¡¯s arms wrapped around me, I knew there wasn¡¯t anywhere in the world I would rather be.

 Chapter 713 : Beauty and Lies

    <h4>Chapter 713: Chapter 713 : Beauty and Lies</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡°Cat,¡± I said quietly. ¡°Come on, love. I need you to wake up.¡±


    Cat grumbled into her pillow and managed to bury herself deeper into her nkets. I chuckled at her weak attempt to avoid getting up and gleamed at her cuteness.


    I¡¯d be too fond of the expression she¡¯d wear whenever I seeded in surprising her. What I found even more adorable was seeing her push her lower lip out and pout whenever she felt even slightly disappointed. Honestly, I had almost caved in the day before in the car when she asked me about our ns.


    As if I could n a trip like this and not include any sort of activity we could do together¡ªthe very thought made me scoff with indignation.


    Nevertheless, she loved the couple massages I¡¯d booked and the romantic dinner out. I probably shouldn¡¯t have kept refilling her wine ss as the night went on, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to stop our good time.


    By the time we left the restaurant, Cat was more than half asleep. I¡¯d gotten us ready for bed and made sure she drank a full ss of water before truly falling asleep. I was not about to let her suffer through a hangover by being careless.


    Thankfully, shepletely finished the ss I¡¯d given her, which happily allowed her to avoid a nasty hangover. I had quite a bit nned for us today, and thest thing she needed was to feel weak and crummy.


    I tried nudging her awake once more. ¡°Cat. We need to get ready. I have our whole day nned out.¡±


    She mumbled under her breath. ¡°But... can¡¯t we just stay here for a little longer?¡±


    The corners of my mouth curled into an amused grin as Izily dragged my fingers up and down the length of her bare back.


    ¡°Mm, well, although that idea does hold some serious merit, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to refuse,¡± I told her gently.


    Cat moaned and curled further into the bed. ¡°Mm, why?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve already nned for us to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art.¡±


    Caterina instantly shot up from her pillows and red at me through wide eyes.


    ¡°Really?¡± she gasped.


    I nodded my head and smiled. ¡°Then afterward, I thought we could grab something light for lunch and then maybe take a walk through Central Park.¡±


    Cat quickly sprang from the bed and dove straight into the bathroom to begin getting ready. While that was happening, I made a quick call to the hotel¡¯s front desk to have room service brought up to us.


    I figured a museum and a nice walk outside would be the perfect activities for the day, since the real business was to happenter that night. Yes, tonight was the night I was finally meeting with some of the restaurant owners to discuss certain future business arrangements. I purposely kept our ns light for the day since I didn¡¯t want to be too worn out when getting thereter to start negotiations.


    And as far as I was aware, Cat hadn¡¯t suspected anything out of the ordinary with this trip being anything other than a normal work trip for the development business.


    ¡®It¡¯s better this way,¡¯ I told myself. ¡®Alessandro is right. The less Cat knows, the better.¡¯


    Tonight was going to go smoothly. I was determined to make sure that it did. But in the meantime, I was set on having an easy-going day with my girl.


    ***


    There was absolutely no chance of containing Cat¡¯s exuberance once we arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her pupils were blown wide with wonder, and she took off like a child in a candy store.


    Who the hell was I to try to contain her excitement? She merely grabbed my hand and took me along for the ride.


    The ce was decently crowded for a Saturday, but many of the patrons were moving at a workable pace. Then there were the true art admirers who stood in front of a particr piece for what seemed like hours.


    I never considered myself to be a real art buff. I was fairly certain that my personal opinion on many of these pieces would fall under that of the average person¡¯s. Yet whenever I was with Cat while she was looking at and admiring the various disys, I always felt like she expanded my opinions.


    We¡¯d stopped to admire several pieces of art that seemed to grab her attention in particr. She was particrly fond of the European paintings and sculptures.


    ¡°Oh, Elio. Look at this one,¡± she said.


    I turned my head to see arge scale, framed painting of a naked young woman whose arm was extended outward, reaching toward what looked like a bird.


    I thought it was nice, just like all the others we¡¯d previously seen. But Cat¡¯s jovial expression was enough to tell me that she had a whole list of thoughts on this painting.


    ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®Woman with A Parrot.¡¯ It was painted by a man named Gustave Courbet in 1866,¡± she said.


    An impressed smile touched my lips. My Caterina was a walking encyclopedia of art and the history behind it.


    My voice grew soft so only she could hear me. ¡°And do tell me the significance of this piece,¡± I prompted.


    I caught the slight blush of pink touching her cheeks as she cleared her throat before speaking.


    ¡°Well, the significance doesn¡¯t necessarily lie within the painting, but more so the artist,¡± she exined. ¡°You see, ording to some of my textbooks, Gustave Courbet wasn¡¯t taken seriously as a real artist when he was younger. Many people considered his work to be unseemly and cking in taste¡¯ because he chose to paint what he saw and what he believed to be beautiful. He didn¡¯t care about superficial things like ss boundaries and academic standards.¡±


    I found myself smiling at her bout of knowledge that appeared endless and so insightful. I¡¯de to the realization months ago that I loved just hearing her talk about what interested her.


    It was clear that her passions lied with the art of others, but to me she was the very definition of art, a walking masterpiece in every sense of the word.


    We easily lost a few more hours just waltzing around the ce until we¡¯d had our fill of art. Cat was happily chipper and I was satisfied, knowing that I made her feel that way.


    From there, she grabbed my hand and led me down the massive outside steps to what appeared to be some kind of food vendor. I raised my brows and turned to look at her with questionable judgment. Cat rolled her eyes and giggled.


    ¡°Oh,e on, Elio,¡± she huffed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve never gotten a hot dog from a vendor stand like this.¡±


    I pursed my lips and feigned offense. ¡°Of course, I have,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m just surprised, is all. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go somewhere else?¡±


    She nodded her head enthusiastically. ¡°We¡¯re in New York. I feel like it¡¯s only right that we get at least one hot dog from a street cart while we¡¯re here.¡±


    She stepped up to the vendor and we each got a hot dog, and shared one of their salty, soft pretzels. With our lunch in hand, we started our leisure stroll through Central Park. The temperature was perfect for a walk, and it looked like many others felt the same way.


    It was truly a rxing afternoon that was well spent.


    By the time we headed back to the hotel, the sun was finally beginning to set. Cat and I decided to each take a quick shower before getting ready for the important dinner.


    I let her use the bathroom first while I took the time to check over some messages and emails. I knew if I saw her beautiful body, we might lose control and not even make it out of the hotel room, and I wanted everything to be perfect that night.


    Admittedly, my nerves were starting to be a bit on edge. And, once more, it was entirely about the business end itself but rather about Cat¡¯s presence.


    Her perception was sharper than most men I worked with. If I managed to get through this evening without a single sign of doubt from her, I knew I¡¯d be nothing less than stunned.


    I heard the door to the bathroom open and I felt my heart skip several beats when my eyes took in the sight before me. Among the small puffs of steam stood Cat wrapped in a fluffy white towel. Her hair was still damp and small droplets of water were clinging to her skin. But what really caught my attention was how bits of her makeup were still smudged around her eyes.


    She looked utterly debauched and downright sinful. I easily abandoned my phone on the bed and sauntered up to her with confident strides.


    ¡°Bathroom¡¯s all yours,¡± she said with a sweet smile.


    My heavy-lidded expression melted into her. My voice felt scratchy in the back of my throat as I spoke.


    ¡°Would you be willing to take a second shower with me?¡± I asked.


    So much for control.


    Cat¡¯s eyes widened with interest. Her mouth curled into a devious smile that only pushed me further over the edge. ¡°You know that¡¯s not possible.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± I prompted. ¡°All you need to do is drop that towel and allow me to do the rest.¡±


    I leaned forward to capture her lips in a kiss that was filled with promise of pleasure. My tongue yed at the seam of her mouth before she let me inpletely, letting me deepen the kiss with a fevered hunger.


    Cat gave me a solid two minutes before pressing her hands against my chest and pushing me away. She was breathless and her face was perfectly flushed.


    ¡°Nope. You¡¯ll have to wait. We will not bete for dinner tonight.¡±


    I was disappointed by her refusal to let me ravish her in the shower. But all was hastily forgiven when I saw just how breathtaking she looked once we were both ready. I¡¯d chosen a ck suit with a charcoal gray shirt underneath, whereas Cat stepped out wearing a deep midnight blue dress with a neckline that dipped well between her cleavage.


    ¡®I will never stop being surprised over how utterly stunning this woman is,¡¯ I thought to myself.


    We finally made our way over to the restaurant where we were immediately greeted by the owners. From what I could tell based on a simple overview, the ce did seem a little run down. Some basic repairs definitely needed to be done, but other than that, the ce appeared well built.


    Both Cat and I were escorted to arge table where the wine was beginning to be poured. Many other men that sat around the table asionally nced in Cat¡¯s direction, probably wondering what someone like her was doing in a meeting like this.


    But none of them really spoke to her directly. About halfway through the night, the owners and I had reached a pleasing arrangement that was guaranteed to work for everyone. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.


    I turned my head to check on how Cat was fairing. That was when my stomach dropped and whatever calmness I felt had instantly diminished.


    She was not happy.


    In fact, she looked down right pissed off.


    I hastily excused myself from the conversation I was a part of and pulled her off to the side.


    ¡°Are you alright? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She narrowed her eyes and practically snarled under her breath.


    ¡°Expanding the real estate business? You must think I know nothing if you thought I¡¯d believe that.¡±

 Chapter 714 : After Everything

    <h4>Chapter 714: Chapter 714 : After Everything </h4>


    *Caterina*


    Son. Of. A. Bitch.


    ¡®You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡¯ I snarled to myself.


    I should have known that something else was going on with this business dinner the moment I stepped into the restaurant. Apart from the owners, there were a suspicious number of other men that were present with us. I couldn¡¯t possibly fathom why their presence was considered mandatory when this was supposedly meant to be just a real estate expansion deal.


    Something from the dark recesses of my mind told me that this wasn¡¯t the case.


    While Elio was speaking closely with one of the owners, I¡¯d taken the time to study each and every person who sat around the table. Each guy carried a lethal air about himself and gave no doubt that they were carrying some concealed weapon on their person.


    And if it weren¡¯t for the way they looked, then it was certainly the way they spoke to one another that made me suspicious. Nothing they said sounded as though it was real. It was all coded and meant to mask the truth.


    It didn¡¯t take long for me to grasp the truth of the situation, and by God, was I infuriated.


    I¡¯d lost whatever appetite I came in with and merely picked around my te once dinner was brought out. Most of the people I sat around ignored me as if I wasn¡¯t even there, which left me to nurse the ss of wine I refused to let go of.


    I treated it like it was the only thing that kept me grounded. Otherwise, I would have simply gotten up from the table and left. It wouldn¡¯t have been difficult for me to be taken back to the hotel, considering this entire meeting was nothing but aplete fucking ruse.


    I struggled to keep my expression as neutral as possible, but the second Elio turned to nce at me, he was quick to pick up on my mood.


    Dinner was all but done and everyone left the table to continue their conversations in the main lounge area. Elio excused himself from the conversation he was in the middle of and brought us off to the side.


    ¡°Are you alright? What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.


    He reached out to rest his hand over my arm. I tensed under his touch, causing him to stiffen in rm.


    I narrowed my eyes and spoke as calmly as my anger would allow.


    ¡°Expanding the real estate business? You must think I know nothing if you thought I¡¯d believe that.¡±


    At first, Elio seemed taken back by my remark. He blinked several times and took half a step back from me.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Do not treat me like I¡¯m some kind of idiot, Elio,¡± I hissed under my breath. I narrowed my eyes and squared my shoulders back. ¡°I know that this has nothing to do with your ¡®regr¡¯ business. But I just can¡¯t seem to wrap my mind around why you chose to not tell me the truth about it.¡±


    His guilty gaze dropped to the floor while he gently shook his head in denial.


    ¡°Cat, it¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking. Believe me,¡± he said. ¡°Alessandro knows the owners of this ce and knew they were looking to either sell or co-sign with another potential owner.¡±


    A sour grin curved my lips. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it? ¡®Alessandro¡¯ is the one who told you about this ce.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    ¡®No. He¡¯s lying,¡¯ I thought bitterly to myself. ¡®He¡¯s not even willing to look me in the eyes and tell me this.¡¯


    The muscles in my stomach continued to twist and churn with dismay. My vision was on the brink of turning red from all the rage that started to re up from beneath my skin.


    Elio persisted on with his farce excuse until I reached a point where I just couldn¡¯t stand to hear another word of it. I swiftly held up my hand, causing him toe to an abrupt stop in his useless rant.


    ¡°Stop,¡± I demanded.


    I kept my voice quiet, not wanting to draw any further attention to us than we already had.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to cause a scene. But you can best believe that I am not going to stick to the sidelines while you proceed to act like you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s involved in all of this.¡±


    The look in his eyes was pleading, begging me to understand why he chose to, yet again, keep me in the dark. But I had truly believed that we¡¯d moved beyond this issue.


    It was clear now that we weren¡¯t. No, instead, I felt like I¡¯d been dragged all the way back to the very beginning of it all.


    ¡°Caterina¡ª¡±


    ¡°Valentino!¡± a deep voice called out from across the room.


    We both turned our heads to see one of the restaurant owners gesturing for us toe over and join the conversation.


    ¡°How about we get to know this fine young woman who¡¯s apanied you this evening?¡±


    Elio shot me a warning look, telling me to politely decline the invitation to further socialize. The man looked as though he were seconds away from telling everyone we were leaving and heading back to the hotel.


    But I wasn¡¯t going to give him the chance to make that decision for us.


    I gave him onest ring look before pping on my most convincing, pleasant smile and headed off to finally speak with some of the other people who hade out for this uwful meeting.


    I never turned back to nce at Elio once.


    **


    As the evening carried on, the wine continued to flow. I¡¯d managed to work my way through a majority of the crowd. Once I got past one or two awkward introductions, many of the men I spoke to were rather interesting and were impressed by my involvement.


    I certainly hadn¡¯t forgotten Elio¡¯s failed attempt to try to divert the attention away from me. It only proceeded to anger me further. But by the time our night came to an end, I was sober as a pin, despite all the wine I drank. Most, if not all of it, was clearly burned off from the rage I felt simmering inside of me.


    ¡°Well, Mr. Valentino. You and Ms. Caterina, here... it was a true pleasure,¡± one of the owners said.


    ¡°Yes, it was,¡± I agreed politely. ¡°Thank you for a lovely evening.¡±


    We said our goodbyes and waited outside for the car to pull around to take us back. Out of the corner of my eye, I could sense Elio ncing at me.


    Both my hands curled into tight fists at my side. I forced myself to ignore the biting pain of my nails stabbing into the palms of my hands.


    ¡®I¡¯m not going to blow up in front of this restaurant where everyone can see me,¡¯ I told myself coolly. ¡®We¡¯re going to get into the car and go back to the hotel, where I¡¯m sure Elio is going to try to defend himself yet again.¡¯


    The problem was I had zero intention of letting him speak. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, he could say that was going to take away the irritation that his actions had caused. There was no undoing the turmoil that he created due to his choices.


    The second I noticed the car pull up, I took off like a rocket to get inside. Normally, Elio would have opened the door and allowed me to slide in first, but I was in no mood for his chivalry.


    No.


    I didn¡¯t want to hear him speak. And I didn¡¯t want him to act as if everything between us was okay.


    The ride to the hotel was nothing short of unpleasant. The tension between us was so thick that someone could have easily choked on it. I continued to feel Elio¡¯s eyes drift back over to me several times, yet he was wise enough to remain quiet.


    I silentlymended him for it. I truly had nothing nice to say and I think, deep down, he knew that.


    We arrived back at the hotel, and Elio was hot on my tail as I made it over to the elevators.


    I was purely exhausted. I had every intention of taking off my dress and removing my makeup before falling straight into bed, yet the moment he and I were in the privacy of our suite, those ns were instantly halted.


    ¡°Cat.¡± He spoke softly. ¡°Can we please talk about this?¡±


    I let out a long sigh. ¡°Elio, there¡¯s nothing that needs to be said at this very moment.¡±


    Was I being stubborn? Maybe.


    I knew that the mature thing to do was to openly give him a chance to exin himself properly. Now that we were alone and away from prying eyes, he had a real chance to talk and, hopefully, tell me the truth.


    But the heavy emotions that burned inside of me were a clear sign that now wasn¡¯t the time for it.


    ¡°Please, Cat. You need to understand¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, I understand perfectly,¡± I snapped. ¡°I understand that I will never truly be by your side. You have made it abundantly clear, time and time again, that you are determined to keep me in the dark. I mean... seriously, Elio? After everything we¡¯ve worked through, we¡¯re heading straight back to the original problem.¡±


    He shook his head frantically. ¡°You know that¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± I insisted. ¡°Why try to keep me out of it then? Why can¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    ¡°I do trust you. You know I do,¡± he said beseechingly.


    I resented the tears that started to prickle the corners of my eyes. On top of everything that I was dealing with, I was not about to let myself cry. But my God, it was difficult to hold back.


    Something resembling fear crossed Elio¡¯s eyes. He took numerous steps forward, trying to close the gap between us. But my one, single, step back caused him to stop short altogether.


    His features grew strained. He pinched the bridge of his nose and bit back a curse.


    ¡°I did it to keep you safe.¡±


    I refrained from rolling my eyes. Oh, where had I heard that one before?


    I slowly shook my head and started to pull the pins out from my hair. ¡°You and I both know that there¡¯s a lot more to it than just that. You say you¡¯re just wanting to protect me, but I can do that myself. And what I don¡¯t want is to continue fighting. I¡¯ve had enough of this. I¡¯m going to bed.¡±


    I turned my back on him without so much as speaking another word. What more was there to say, honestly?


    ¡°Cat!¡±


    ¡°We can talk about this another time... maybe.¡±


    Our day had started out so wonderfully, but some disturbing shadow in my mind told me that none of it was as it seemed. Had Elio taken me to the art museum because he thought I¡¯d enjoy going? Or did he merely see it as a way of distracting me into overlooking the true business behind this trip?


    Was everything just one big cover-up to pacify me?


    The more I thought about it, the more my head ached. But nothing couldpare to the pain that I had swelling inside of my chest.


    ¡®And here I am... right back where I started.¡¯

 Chapter 715 : World Weary

    <h4>Chapter 715: Chapter 715 : World Weary</h4>


    *Elio*


    Despite my best attempts to get to sleepst night, I only managed a faint doze, jerking awake at several points just to see if Cat was truly still beside me. She was, and unlike me, each time I looked, she was fast asleep.


    Turned to the wall, hair strewn behind her, I could only glimpse the fall and rise of her back as she breathed, hearing the soft snore she let out once in a while and letting it lull me into another restless sleep, only to do it all again in an hour or two.


    So, when I woke up earlier than I would ever choose to get up, I decided just to give up on a good night¡¯s sleep. I watched Cat sleep, eyes weary and body exhausted, listening to her breathing as the morning rays breached through the blinds in the windows.


    There was a harsh chill in New York, at leastpared to the normal temperatures of LA, and I noticed goosebumps along her arms. Not wanting her to be cold, I gently pulled theforter up over her shoulders so only her hair peeked out through the lump of fabric.


    Several times I wanted to reach out, to cross the distance between us and pull her into my arms like we normally slept. It felt lonely to see her but not be able to touch her, to hold her, and give her warmth that way.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    I feared that she was still angry. She¡¯d slept in the same bed with me even after our fight probably because we got a room with one bed, and not even she was cruel enough to make me sleep on the floor or the armchair by the window. But still, I took that as a hopeful sign that she wasn¡¯t too angry with me.


    I was firm that I was right. All I wanted was to keep her safe for as long as possible, and that meant keeping her out of the loop sometimes. It wasn¡¯t an issue of trust, because God knew I trusted that woman with my life. Instead, it was to make sure she doesn¡¯t get pulled down because of me, or like Leo said, would be someone to bail me out if things went sideways.


    I hoped she would see my side, no matter how impossible that seemed. We were both stubborn creatures, and neither of us was willing to give in easily.


    Eventually, six o¡¯clock rolled around and I knew that if I wasn¡¯t going to sleep, It would be better to get ready for the day. We were flying backter in the day due to Cat having ss tomorrow. I hated ending our trip like this¡ªin a fight with no resolution¡ªbut it was inevitable that she would find out.


    She wasn¡¯t stupid. I knew she was wickedly smart. But I had been hoping to keep it a secret for a little longer, at least until the trip was over, but the cat hade screaming out of the bag and once it had, I couldn¡¯t stuff it back in.


    I rolled out of bed, grabbing my suitcase and carelessly grabbing a handful of clothes. I headed for the bathroom, a sigh on my lips as I took onest nce at the peacefully sleeping woman in our bed.


    At least one of us got a good night¡¯s sleep, I thought as I stepped into the shower. The hot water beating down on my sore muscles was a relief, and I probably stayed in there for a little longer than I normally would, just letting the water run down my back.


    I stepped out of the shower, throwing on my clothes until I reached what I had thought was a shirt. It turned out I had grabbed two different pairs of pants and I groaned to myself.


    I left the bathroom shirtless, and I was a bit surprised to see Cat sitting up in bed, bleary-eyed but awake. There was a pile of clothes at her feet, and I knew she had been waiting for me.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said calmly, trying not to show how much my heart was thudding in my chest.


    After our fight yesterday, Cat hadn¡¯t said a word to me, and I was hoping at least we could talk about something today. The silent treatment had always been the worst punishment for me.


    Much to my chagrin, she was quiet, just staring at me indifferently.


    ¡°The shower¡¯s all yours,¡± I said, hopefully, trying to break the ice. ¡°Water¡¯s still hot, I hope.¡±


    My attempt at a joke went on deaf ears, and whereas Cat would normally tease me for it or groan at how bad it was, she just quietly nodded.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    That was the only word she said as she got out of bed, clutching her clothes. She slipped past me to the shower and on instinct, feeling guilty and all shades of bad, I reached out to catch her hand with a soft, ¡°Hey, aboutst night¡ª¡±


    My eyes widened as Cat fully dodged me, not even ncing at me as she stood in the doorway. I heard her breathe out a sigh, a technique for remaining calm I had noticed she used a lot. My hand, useless in the air, trembled. Never had she dodged my touch... never.


    ¡°Cat¡ª¡± My voice shook.


    ¡°Forget it.¡± She said coldly, and then she shut the door in my face.


    I stood there nkly long after I heard the shower start, staring at the floor as I ran her actions over and over in my head like a bad movie I didn¡¯t want to see. But this wasn¡¯t fiction.


    This was the reality I lived in.


    And the woman I loved wouldn¡¯t speak to me.


    I finally turned away, limbs feeling heavier than usual and the colors a little less bright as I clumsily threw on a shirt, hastily buttoning it up as I took a seat on the edge of the bed, not even thinking anymore.


    It wasn¡¯t until I heard the shower stop and Cat came out fully dressed that I realized that this wasn¡¯t what I wanted. Cat was my world, and I wasn¡¯t going to ept this coldness.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take this anymore,¡± I said firmly to Cat, my eyes focused on her figure as she stuffed things back into her suitcase.


    Her back stiffened and I could tell she was listening, but she didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Cat, we have to talk about this.¡±


    She turned around a frown on her lips and crossed her arms as she leaned against the wall. ¡°Fine then. Talk about what?¡±


    I swallowed, forming sentences in my head at break-neck speed. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make you think I don¡¯t trust you. It¡¯s not about that because I trust you with my life¡ªyou are everything to me, Cat. I just want you to be safe, and the best way to do that is to make sure you can¡¯t be tied to the... unsavory parts of the... business.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Cat responded shortly. ¡°Then let me ask you this.¡±


    She pushed off the wall,ing to stand before me with an impatient look. ¡°Do you want me to be involved in this with you?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do.¡± I got to my feet, reaching out for her, but she side-stepped me for the second time this morning and I couldn¡¯t deny the hurt I felt.


    She looked me straight in the eyes, with no sign of any emotion other than an expectancy for answers. I let my hand drop to my side.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not that simple, Cat. Don¡¯t you get it? I need you to be safe. What we¡¯re doing is dangerous, and getting you involved any further would mean incriminating you too. I can¡¯t allow that.¡±


    ¡°You always use the same damn excuse, and it¡¯s getting old, Elio,¡± Cat said harshly. ¡°No, not getting¡ªit got old five times ago. You never consider what I want before doing this, not one damn time. And every time I knock some sense into you, it isn¡¯t long before another thinges up and we¡¯re back to square one. I¡¯m fed up with it!¡±


    Fists balled at her side, eyes ring with anger, I had never seen Cat as angry as I did right then. But my own frustration was rising in response to hers.


    ¡°I wanted to be your partner in this, but every step forward, it¡¯s two steps back with you! I thought you wanted me to be by your side, to be your partner, so what changed, Elio? Tell me!¡± All of her coldness had melted away in the face of her fury, her eyes as bright and hot as a me.


    I clenched my jaw at her usations, trying not to lose it but failing miserably.


    What changed?


    Images raced across my head¡ªAntonio with a bullet through his skull, our menid into coffins and her mother in the hospital bed. Alessandro¡¯s warning raced in my mind andnded on her being dragged away in handcuffs, me helpless to do anything.


    I snapped.


    ¡°People died, Cat! That¡¯s what happened!¡± I yelled, stepping closer. Much to her credit, she didn¡¯t move an inch, matching my anger in equal force. ¡°And seeing Antonio made me think. What if that was you next?¡±


    ¡°What if that was you?!¡± she screamed.


    It shocked me into silence, and she stood there breathing heavily.


    Both of us fell silent as she looked into my eyes, her own glimmering with unshed tears. It was a moment of vulnerability I hadn¡¯t seen from her in a long time and before I could reach out, to say anything in response, it was gone.


    Her face fell, reflecting the disappointment and exhaustion she felt as she turned away from me, hugging her middle as if to protect herself. ¡°Enough, Elio. We¡¯re getting nowhere with this. This is why I didn¡¯t want to argue about it in the first ce. You¡¯ve made your choice, and you clearly don¡¯t care about my opinion.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair, Cat,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°I¡¯m not fair?¡± She snorted, giving me a resentful look. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to respect me as a partner then at least respect me as your girlfriend. You don¡¯t want to involve me? Fine. But don¡¯t lie to my face about it.¡±


    With that, she grabbed her makeup bag from her suitcase and without another word or look at me, she went inside, and it was just an extra stab to the heart to hear the lock turn after her.


    I sighed, shoulders slumping as I sat on the bed.


    I don¡¯t know what else to do or say. I was only thinking of her... but she didn¡¯t see it that way. Was I really doing the right thing? Driving Cat away like this was only hurting her.


    But I didn¡¯t see any other way.


    I felt sick and tired of everything. Fighting the same fight with Cat, I felt like I was in the middle of a war alone, trudging up a hill that never ended.


    World-weary and cynical, I dragged myself through the morning quietly. Cat and I rarely spoke, and even then, we were polite to one another when we did as we headed to the airport for our flight back to LA.


    But when we got on the ne, my mood only got worse as I received a call as we settled in on the flight. I didn¡¯t even look at the caller ID as I answered and tiredly said, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We have a problem.¡± Leo¡¯s voice came through.


    I didn¡¯t even blink, just stared nkly in front of me as I responded, ¡°Of course we do.¡±

 Chapter 716 : In the Air

    <h4>Chapter 716: Chapter 716 : In the Air</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡°We have a problem.¡±


    My ears perked up as soon as I heard Leo¡¯s voice from the other end of the phone, and I nced at the seat next to me where Elio sat with a resigned look.


    ¡°Of course we do.¡± He sighed heavily as an answer. He paused, then said, ¡°Hold on.¡±


    Elio nced at me, and I immediately looked away from him, leaning over to grab the book I¡¯d brought from my bag. I opened it up to the bookmarked page, pretending to be reading it. I swerved my eyes across the words on the page, none of it actually making it to my brain, but I knew Elio wouldn¡¯t know that.


    Satisfied that I wasn¡¯t listening, Elio said quietly into the phone. ¡°What¡¯s the problem then?¡±


    Despite Elio¡¯s attempts to be quiet and discreet, Leo was a rather loud guy, and I could hear him perfectly with just a little focus.


    ¡°One of Franky¡¯s guys has gone missing,¡± Leo said, both worried and annoyed. ¡°Teo. He and Ricardo were on guard duty at one of the warehousesst night since they had an uing shipment from Italy. Ricardo made it back but Teo¡¯s still missing.¡±


    ¡°What about the shipment?¡± Elio asked urgently.


    ¡°Everything was fine. We looked there first to see where he went and he took off in his car, just like Ricardo. Only we found Teo¡¯s car abandoned in an alleyway. Nothing was touched or disturbed, keys were still in the ignition. It looked like he had just vanished.¡±


    I frowned at the description, my thoughts racing wild at the possibilities of what could¡¯ve happened to the missing man.


    ¡°Any chance he defected? Secret girlfriend or kid we didn¡¯t know about?¡± Elio asked.


    ¡°No way, not Teo. He¡¯s been loyal for years, recruited by Al from the streets,¡± Leo said firmly, but then hesitated, ¡°Franky and I are going to check out his apartment and records to see if we can find anything. I¡¯m hoping this has nothing to do with Junior or some other vengeful hellbent-on-destroying-us psychopath, but this is weird, Elio. It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    Both Elio and I looked up as the flight attendant came by, tapping her heels on the floor impatiently as she stared at Elio with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Sir¡ª¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Elio sighed, interrupting her as he rubbed his temples frustratedly. ¡°Let me know what you find.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call as soon as you touch down so send me a text.¡±


    The flight attendant pursed her lips, clearly not willing to wait another second. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re about to leave, and the phone signal might interfere¡ª¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± Elio said quickly as he ended the call, sighing heavily.


    ¡°What was that all about?¡± I asked him.


    I yed innocent, turning the page of my book as the ne¡¯s engine began to roar to life.


    ¡°Like you didn¡¯t hear every word.¡± Elio sent me a knowing look.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve been quieter,¡± I smirked.


    Elio rolled his eyes but then sighed, sobering up quickly. He looked troubled as he told me, ¡°One of Franky¡¯s men has gone missing. There was no sign of breaking or entering into his car. They found it abandoned. But it¡¯s worrying. I hope he¡¯s just run off with some woman but... I¡¯d hate to think it¡¯s something else.¡±


    I caught on to his worry immediately.


    ¡°Shit.¡± I swallowed, then nced at him seriously. ¡°Have there been any signs that Junior is still around or his men?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Elio nodded, ¡°but nothing concrete, mainly hearsay and some unusual purchases, but nothing nearby. Leo¡¯s heading the investigation for now, but Junior doesn¡¯t have the skills to make someone disappear like this. Either he¡¯s working with someone more dangerous, or he¡¯s not involved at all. What do you think?¡±


    I smiled, shutting my book as he gave me a questioning look. There was full trust shining in his eyes like he would believe anything I said, and I knew he would. I could tell in moments like these, where he was being open and honest with me, how much he valued my opinion, not as his girlfriend but as a close confidant.


    Despite how angry I was at him still, warmth spread from my heart all the way to my fingertips. I pushed my book aside, thinking deeply.


    ¡°Junior isn¡¯t quiet,¡± I told him, thinking back to the man and his over-the-top dramaticism. ¡°He¡¯s more likely to leave the body somewhere for you to see. He likes the attention, and having people know it was him. He¡¯d at least leave some clues, but this... I don¡¯t think it¡¯s him this time, or if it is, someone else is calling the shots.¡±


    Elio nodded, giving a little smile. ¡°I agree. I¡¯ll run it by Franky and Leo once we¡¯re back in LA.¡±


    Lift-off began and I gripped my armrest, still not liking the feeling of take-off as we pulled into the sky, my stomach doing flips in a nauseous-inducing way. Once we were stabilized, and I felt like I could open my mouth without spewing my guts out of it, I nced at Elio.


    He¡¯d fallen silent, simply going through a file of papers, writing down his signature on a few and circling certain words. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was but by his serious work, it was rted to the mafia business.


    I nced down at the cover of my book. I was happy in a way. He trusted me enough to do his work beside me, where I could easily read it over his shoulder, but that he also knew I wouldn¡¯t without his permission. His being open with me was one of the things I loved the most.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I said calmly, and he nced at me with a raised eyebrow, waiting for me to continue. ¡°Thank you for being open with me just now. I... I appreciate it. And... I don¡¯t want to fight anymore.¡±


    I sighed, deciding to show him as much honesty as he showed me. I turned to him in my seat, gazing into his eyes. ¡°I understand that not everyone can see me like you do. Franky hates me and I¡¯m sure a lot of others do too. But that doesn¡¯t mean you have to stop doing including me in things, no matter what anyone else says. You¡¯re the boss, Elio. You have the power to decide for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Cat¡ª¡±


    I held up my hand to stop him, needing to get this off my chest. He fell silent, waiting patiently as I organized my thoughts.


    ¡°That said,¡± I sighed, relenting to him for now, ¡°I can step back. I can focus on school and not be as involved anymore. That¡¯s... that¡¯s not what bothered me so much. I hate being lied to, Elio, especially by you, because I love you and I trust you wholeheartedly and it makes me feel like you don¡¯t trust me, that you¡¯re keeping me in the dark and treating me like a princess who needs to be protected from the world. I hate it. I can take care of myself, and it kills me that you don¡¯t think I can.¡±


    ¡°Cat.¡± Elio sighed, gently grabbing my hands in his and pulling me close. Our foreheads bumped together, and I stared into his eyes, emotional. ¡°I know you can take care of yourself, and I trust you but... this whole idea was Alessandro¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I reeled back wide-eyed.


    He looked guilty, rubbing his thumb along my skinfortingly. ¡°Al had a stiption for me to be in charge and to be the next leader after him. He thinks... he agreed to you helping with Antonio because it did involve you and you proved your input was valuable, but he¡¯s... old-fashioned.¡±


    ¡°What the hell does that mean?¡± I snapped, crossing my arms.


    My feelings for Al had officially hit rock bottom, and I really wished I could turn the ne around, head to Italy, and punch him in the goddamn face.


    ¡°Take Mia for example,¡± Elio said quietly. ¡°She stays behind the scenes, more of a supporting role without being too involved so that if God forbid, something happens and Al gets... arrested, Mia is able to take over temporarily. They keep their two parts separate so they can¡¯t both be taken down for the same thing. As long as one of them is still free, the family can still function, but if they both get taken, everything crumbles. That¡¯s why I have Leo and Franky. We can¡¯t all be traced to the same crimes.¡±


    I took a deep breath, struggling to calm myself from this info-drop. I understood how Al and Mia worked now and it made sense on a level, but that didn¡¯t mean I liked it. It didn¡¯t make me feel any better knowing that Al had purposefully driven a wedge between us, even telling Elio to not let me know what was happening.


    If they had talked to me in the first ce and exined why they didn¡¯t want me too involved, I might have been more receptive. Doing it this way... it was just maniptive.


    Elio must¡¯ve noticed my anger because he brought my knuckles to his lips, his eyes pleadingly soft. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That¡¯s how Al does things and you¡¯re right, I¡¯m not him. I¡¯m the boss over here and I get to decide. I won¡¯t keep you in the dark anymore, but I still don¡¯t want you to be too involved, okay?¡±


    I pursed my lips, still not entirely happy, but I couldpromise.


    ¡°Deal.¡± I leaned my head on his shoulder and before I could protest, he had already lifted my chin and our lips met in a hurried passion.


    I melted into his kiss. All the tension from the past few days slipped away as I let my love for him take full throttle. He grinned in our kiss and he pulled me closer.


    He practically lifted me onto hisp, chest-to-chest and I automatically shifted, resting my arms on his shoulders. He bit my bottom lip, begging for entrance and I granted it, softly moaning as our tongues melted together.


    It didn¡¯t take long before I forgot everything around me, including where we were as I focused on his wandering hands, his magical tongue as he delved from my lips to my neck, leaving rosy bruises on my skin.


    I breathed out, his hand snaking under my shirt, bare fingers tickling up my spine. I was so out of it that time passed without my noticing, only growing hotter and more indecent until we heard a loud coughing from beside us.


    I jumped, immediately staring at the intruder and reality came crashing back onto me.


    The flight attendant spoke while looking the other way. ¡°We¡¯ve about tond, so please, if you could buckle up¡ª¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Elio said hoarsely, barely recovered from our kiss.


    Embarrassment returned and I quickly sat back down, fixing up my clothes and buckling up.


    ¡°We¡¯ll pick this upter,¡± Elio whispered in my ear, and I couldn¡¯t help the giggles that slipped out of my mouth.


    Wended safely and Elio texted Leo as soon as we were on solid ground. I was excited to be back, the hot humid air just the temperature I was used to.


    Elio drove us back home but didn¡¯t get out as his ringtone started ring. ¡°I have to go deal with this, but I¡¯ll be home for dinner,¡± Elio told me, giving me a kiss before dropping me off with my luggage.


    I sighed, watching him drive off before I rolled up to the driveway, pulling my suitcase. I was so tired that I didn¡¯t see the figure sitting on our front porch step.


    ¡°Caterina!¡±


    I jumped a foot in the air, dropping the suitcases as Anna rushed toward me with a very pissed-off look.


    ¡°I cannot believe you!¡±

 Chapter 717 : Girls’ Night

    <h4>Chapter 717: Chapter 717 : Girls¡¯ Night</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡°Anna?¡± I asked warily as she stormed across the pathway straight toward me, looking like she might p the hell out of me for whatever I did to cause her grievances.


    She stopped inches in front of me, eyes zing with fury with her hands on her hips. She reminded me of my mom when she caught me trying to light a cigarette when I was sixteen. I had gotten a mouth full, and Mom had been furious.


    But now, I had no idea what I had done to set off Anna.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell Elijah about me!¡± She red at me, stomping her foot childishly. ¡°You ran off to New York andpletely forgot about me!¡±


    My mouth was wide open andpletely shocked. It took a few minutes for my brain to catch up but once I did, I took one look at Anna¡¯s pursed lips and burst out into giggles. Her fake angry look melted away into a grin.


    ¡°You¡¯re waiting outside my door for that?¡± Iughed.


    ¡°Despite you not telling me,¡± she said, giving me a pointed look, ¡°I knew you were getting home today and since you did mention that your boo was dealing with that work thing all day, I invited myself over.¡±


    I made a face at the word. ¡°Nobody says ¡®boo¡¯ anymore, Anna.¡±


    ¡°Well, I do.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Now, are you gonna let me in or not? I¡¯ve been out here for hours, you know, since somebody didn¡¯t tell me what time they would be back.¡± She pointed to the door with a huff.


    I rolled my eyes, chuckling as I used the thumbprint on the door. It opened up automatically and Anna grabbed my suitcase, helping me pull it inside, where we both plopped onto the couch.


    ¡°So, why¡¯d you decide toe over?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Oh, right!¡± She perked up from the couch, giving me a grin as she reached into her overlyrge purse, pulling miniature bottles of alcohol.


    My eyes widened as she kept pulling them out like a clown car until there were nearly ten half-sized bottles on the table, a pile of movies, popcorn supplies, new pairs offy fuzzy socks, and a bunch more items.


    She grinned proudly. ¡°I just got paid from my new job and I wanted to celebrate with my best girlie. I figured, let¡¯s have a girl¡¯s day. It¡¯s been forever since we¡¯ve hung out.¡±


    ¡°Anna.¡± My eyes misted up at the thought. ¡°You were waiting at my door all day for that? You¡¯re the goddamn best.¡± I scooted over, hugging her tightly, emotional at how thoughtful she was.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m the best around, I know.¡± Anna patted my back awkwardly. ¡°Now don¡¯t get too weepy yet. I¡¯ve got stuff for three, so you better call your Mom too because that woman knows how to party.¡±


    Iughed, blinking away the water in my eyes. Anna grabbed one of the four bags of microwave popcorn and left for the kitchen while I called my mom. It didn¡¯t take much convincing. She was over the moon to hang out with me and Anna.


    It took less than five minutes before I heard the doorbell and I got up from the couch, where Anna and I had spread out the movies, trying to settle on one. I wiggled my toes in new fuzzy socks, bursting with happiness as I opened up the front door.


    There was my mom, holding her giant tote bag that she always used for parties and a massive grin.


    She barely got through the door when Anna yelled, ¡°Let¡¯s go,dies! We¡¯re doing the 80¡¯s first!¡±


    I chuckled, and we settled in for a fun day. We quickly made it through the movie pile, making cocktails out of whatever we had in the house. I was on my third rum and coke when Mom broke out the nail kit, insistent on fixing me and Anna¡¯s toes.


    We made our way through the assortment of popcorn and snacks that Mom had brought, giggling as we talked straight through the movies we¡¯d seen hundreds of times at this point. I ordered pizza for us from my favorite shop.


    I wasughing all night as Anna did impressions of all the movie characters, and Mom got all of them wrong. We even broke out one of the old board games Mom had brought, something we used to y with Dad before he died.


    It was old and worn and truly a terrible game, but I didn¡¯t feel sad or angry anymore. I felt happy, sharing those memories with Mom and Anna as we tried to sabotage one another. Eventually, it ended with me and Anna bankrupting each other and Mom taking the win.


    I felt light, like I was floating on cloud nine way above the reality of home. All the stress just vanished as I yed around like I was a little kid with stars in her eyes and hope in her heart that everything was going to be okay.


    Anna and I hung upside down from the couch, our feet propped up against the window as our nails dried¡ªpurple for mine and red for Anna. Mom had dozed off an hour ago after we started watching one of the corny horror movies we brought.


    I sipped the remainder of my drink through a silly straw as I watched some random girl get chased by a maniac.


    ¡°Rule number one in horror movies. You never go off to have sex in a car.¡± Anna rolled her eyes. ¡°Totally deserved that one.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s assuming she knew she was in a horror movie, which she didn¡¯t,¡± I pointed out, ¡°unless the characters are self-aware, then their actions make sense.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. If you¡¯re a cheerleader and your boyfriend¡¯s best friend tries to have sex with you in a carte at night in a parking lot, just go home. Ain¡¯t worth that shit,¡± Anna huffed. She shrugged, grabbing a handful of the cheddar popcorn and throwing it into her mouth.


    I was about to retort when I heard the tell-tale sign of a text message on my phone. ¡°Oops,¡± I struggled for a bit to untangle myself from where I had hung upside down on the couch, reaching out for my phone as I opened it up. The blood rushed to my head in a hurry, and I steadied myself, blinking wildly to get rid of the double vision.


    I frowned once I saw the message though. It was from Elio.


    ¡®It¡¯s what we thought. I¡¯ll tell you more when I get home.¡¯


    Reality hade crashing through the front door. I swallowed, setting my phone down as I tried not to show any emotion on my face. I didn¡¯t want to lie to Anna or Mom, but I couldn¡¯t tell them anything about this either.


    I stayed cool for the rest of the movie, pretending I hadn¡¯t read the message as I tried to savor thosest stress-free moments with Anna. Eventually though, night came and Anna stretched her arms above her head.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got ss tomorrow, so we better get to bed,¡± I convinced her as she yawned like a toddler up past their bedtime.


    She¡¯d drunk more than I did, and because I didn¡¯t want her driving home after drinking, I directed her to one of the guest¡¯s rooms.


    ¡°You better tell Elijah about me tomorrow in ss, okay?¡± Anna lectured me, slurring her words a bit as I pushed her by the shoulders to the guest room.


    ¡°I promise I will,¡± I reassured her and after that she grinned, patting my cheeks with a dazed look.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± she said and then face-nted onto the bed, letting out a huge snore.


    I suppressed myughs as I rolled her up in the nket like a burrito, making sure she waspletely covered before I snuck back into the living room.


    I cleaned up the living room, saving thest few slices of pizza and washing the dishes we¡¯d used. I packed up Anna¡¯s stuff and Mom¡¯s, getting them ready for the morning. As I did, I didn¡¯t notice a pair of eyes on me.


    ¡°Sometimes I forget how old you are now.¡±


    I nced up at Mom, who smiled sadly at me. ¡°You¡¯re not that little girl who used to insist on doing everything I did, chasing me around like a little duckling.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I smiled, ¡°But I¡¯m still your baby.¡±


    ¡°Right, that you are,¡± she chuckled then patted the couch next to her. A bit confused, I willingly sat next to her. ¡°So, tell me, baby girl. What¡¯s got you in knots?¡±


    I jolted in surprise, giving her a wide-eyed stare, but she only smiled knowingly. ¡°How¡¯d you notice... I thought I hid it¡ª¡±


    ¡°You did, to anyone else.¡± Mom nodded softly, gazing at me from the corner of her eye. ¡°But I¡¯m your mother, Caterina. I always know, especially when you¡¯re worried about something. You scrunch up that little nose just like your dad used to.¡± She bopped me on the nose with her finger as an example and I blinked, covering my nose.


    I wasn¡¯t sure whether I was more concerned that I shared that odd trait with my dad or that I had such a big tell. But knowing I couldn¡¯t keep this from my mom any longer, I sighed, ncing at my phone with a heavy heart.


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you details,¡± I told her firmly. ¡°But one of Elio¡¯s men went missing. We... we haven¡¯t found him yet and it looks like it wasn¡¯t... simple.¡±


    Mom sighed, gently holding my hand as she turned to me with a sad look. ¡°Did you know him?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I answered.


    She nodded, looking a bit relieved. ¡°Unfortunately, baby, because of what you¡¯re mixed up with, that is going to happen again and again. People are going to die, go missing and never be recovered, or worse, they¡¯ll be found in a condition worse than death. That¡¯s how it works in that life. It never stops. Your father knew that, and that¡¯s why he tried to keep us as far away from it as possible.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said solemnly. ¡°But even after all of that, he didn¡¯t. We still got involved anyway. If his choices are going to affect me anyway, then I want to make the choice to be prepared to fight. I don¡¯t want to live in fear all of my life.¡±


    Mom smiled sadly. ¡°I know, baby. That¡¯s why I won¡¯t say anything more. It¡¯s your life and you can choose what to do with it. Just... be careful. The violence never stops when you¡¯re involved with people like that. I don¡¯t want to bury you too.¡±


    ¡°Mom....¡±


    I was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and Elio appeared in the entrance, a tired look to him.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll sleep off the alcohol here if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Mom gave me a strained smile, blinking away the tears building in her eyes as she got up. She nodded to Elio as she passed by, heading off to the second floor where there were several spare rooms.


    ¡°Goodnight, Mom,¡± I called out after her.


    Once she was gone, Elio gave a heavy sigh, copsing on the couch next to me. I grabbed his hand, squeezing it reassuringly as I waited for him to start. But instead of what I thought, Elio just looked over at me, lookingpletely drained of life, and said simply, ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± I chuckled, then leaned forward with a serious look.


    ¡°Tell me everything.¡±

 Chapter 718 : Unexpected Comforts

    <h4>Chapter 718: Chapter 718 : Unexpected Comforts</h4>


    *Elio*


    Cat sat across from me on the couch, looking at me expectantly, her beautiful eyes wide with anticipation. I could tell her brain was working overtime as she thought through every possibility. I was so lucky to have her to bounce ideas off of.


    I trusted Leo¡¯s intuition, but Cat provided a perspective that none of us could imitate. She was able to see things from a different angle from the rest of us, and it made her more valuable than I think I realized a lot of the time.


    I vowed to stop letting myself forget that as I thought through everything that I wanted to tell her.


    ¡°I met up with Leo, and we finally got a chance to look through Teo¡¯s car,¡± I said.


    Caterina nodded and uncrossed her legs so she could lean forward, hanging onto my every word. ¡°Did you find anything that they had missed?¡± she asked.


    I shook my head. ¡°Not really. Like they said, everything was there. His wallet and phone were just sitting in the glovebox. It was really strange. It looked like he had just parked it and walked away. There wasn¡¯t even a sign of a struggle. No blood, no scratches or dents on the car, not even a broken door handle. Not a damn thing was out of ce.¡±


    ¡°What about his gun?¡± she asked. She had such a mind for details. ¡°Surely he always kept a gun on him?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, he did. But even his gun was left behind, tucked in the center console. It¡¯s so fucking confusing. We just can¡¯t even imagine what could¡¯ve happened to him. And I¡¯ve confirmed with Franky that he¡¯s a guy who knows his shit. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for him to just be taken, and he definitely wouldn¡¯t have ever defected. He owed his life to Alessandro and would rather die than betray our family.¡±


    Caterina nodded, chewing her lip as she got lost in thought. I waited expectantly for her next questions. I hoped desperately that she would think of something that hadn¡¯t yet urred to me, but I was afraid there just wouldn¡¯t be any answers when it came to this case.


    ¡°What neighborhood was it in again?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Near the corner of 10th and Delfino,¡± I told her, ¡°It¡¯s really not somewhere you¡¯d ever want to find yourself. It¡¯s full of bullet holes and people down on their luck. But still, Teo knew how to handle himself. He grew up in rougher neighborhoods himself, so we know it¡¯s not like he just fell victim to some random thief or something.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°That makes sense. And what about cameras? Surely if it¡¯s a bad neighborhood, there are security cameras damn near everywhere. Are there any local businesses that might have security footage that we could ask for?¡±


    ¡°We thought about that too. There is actually a security camera pointing directly at where his car was parked, but it¡¯s been spray painted over. We have no way of knowing if that¡¯s random or if it was purposeful. There were a few other cameras on that block, but they were all owned by the same guy, who forgot to rece the tapes. The onest camera we thought seemed promising turned out to have been turned off. It¡¯s all been a fucking dead end.¡± I picked up one of our couch pillows and threw it across the room, tired and frustrated with not being able to find answers.


    Cat reached over and patted my armfortingly, then rested her hand on top of mine. She knew I was reaching my limit. I just hated when we didn¡¯t know what to do next. It made me feel useless and powerless, the worst feeling in the entire fucking world. I was terrified that if they could make Teo disappear, that Caterina could be next. I would lose my mind if she disappeared without a trace like that. I didn¡¯t think I could survive it.


    ¡°Franky has nearly all his men out searching, but they have to go in pairs, so it could take a while to find anything.¡± I flipped my hand over so that I could hold hers in mine.


    She scooted closer to me on the couch, and I breathed in the scent of her perfume that I had begun to associate with our home. I loved that being with her made me feel so at home.


    ¡°Any news on Junior at all?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I groaned, ¡°He¡¯s just as fucking elusive as ever. I don¡¯t get it. The guy is not that damn smart. How can he continue to evade us?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find him,¡± she said soothingly. ¡°I know it in my bones. He¡¯s out there somewhere. It¡¯s only a matter of time.¡±


    I sighed and leaned back, pulling her into my arms so that she wasying on top of me. I loved using her as a human weighted nket. She leaned her arms on my chest and propped her chin up with her hands, looking down at me.


    I wrapped my arms around her back and held her close. I couldn¡¯t live with myself if anything ever happened to her.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to want to hear this,¡± I said, ¡°but please just do what I want, for once.¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°Just tell me what you want, and I¡¯ll decide if I want to do it or not.¡±


    Even knowing we were probably about to argue, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her sass. ¡°I need to give you an escort for the next few days of school.¡±


    ¡°What, Elio? No!¡± she protested. ¡°That would be a ridiculous overreaction.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not an overreaction, Cat,¡± I said seriously. ¡°When men are going missing without a trace, it¡¯s not an overreaction for you to have a bodyguard. In fact, it¡¯s an underreaction. If I wanted to overreact, I would lock you away in a safe house.¡±


    ¡°This is just ridiculous. Normal people do not have bodyguards.¡±


    ¡°Good thing you aren¡¯t a normal person then,¡± I said irritably. I was so exhausted from the way she was always trying to put herself in harm¡¯s way. ¡°You are the love of my life, and I am a mafia Don. That makes you pretty fucking abnormal. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not going to let you risk your life just because you want to maintain some semnce of normalcy.¡±


    Seeing how worked up I was getting, she leaned down and dropped a kiss on my cheek. I appreciated the fact that she wasn¡¯t going to let this escte into a genuine fight. I was too exhausted to try to hold onto patience.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue about this. I want to be safe too. But how am I going to exin this to Anna?¡± Sheid her head on my chest and my heart melted at the sweet gesture.


    ¡°The guys will try to be discreet. But I¡¯ll be honest. I wouldn¡¯t hate it if you just took a break from school until things finally calmed down,¡± I said.


    She lifted her head up so that she could look down on me again. ¡°You know that if I just wait until things are calm that I¡¯ll be waiting for the rest of my life,¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t just give up my life outside of the mafia because of the mafia. That makes no sense. I feel like if I change everything about my life, that¡¯s just letting Junior and the rest of our enemies win.¡±


    I nodded. She had a good point. ¡°I know you¡¯re right. And I¡¯m sorry that all of this has disrupted your life once again. I really wish I could keep it all away from you.¡±


    She kissed me and settled back against my chest. ¡°I know you do.¡±


    ¡°I promise the guys will be discreet. They¡¯ll stay back. They¡¯ll dress like students. They¡¯ll look like they belong, and you won¡¯t even notice that they¡¯re there.¡±


    ¡°Hm, I find that hard to believe,¡± she said.


    Iughed, just grateful that she seemed to be softening to the idea. I tightened my hold on her, allowing thefort of her lying safe in my arms to rx my stress. ¡°And I¡¯ll make sure to give you lots of love every evening just because you¡¯re putting up with something so annoying,¡± I teased.


    ¡°Like back rubs?¡± she asked hopefully.


    ¡°Back rubs, foot rubs, maybe other kinds of rubs....¡± I let my voice go husky and moved my hands to go up under her shirt and rub against her bare skin.


    ¡°Mm, I like the sound of that,¡± she murmured, pressing a few kisses along my jaw.


    ¡°You do? Should I tell you all the other things I want to do to you?¡± I whispered in her ear, my body quickly responding to the way she was moving against me.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s finish what we started on that ne.¡± She moved against me, increasing the perfect friction between us. She pressed her mouth onto mine,ying hot kisses on me that made me hard with need.


    I moved my hands up under her shirt until I had ess to her bra. I unsped it quickly while continuing to kiss her, then moved my hands around so that I could cup her breasts gently, enjoying the fullness of them and the way they perfectly filled my hands.


    She was more than I had ever dreamed of, and it still blew my mind that I got to call her mine. She sat up so that I could lift her shirt over her head, and before long I had her fully topless. I gazed affectionately at her body, my favorite thing to look at.


    She leaned back down once again, her hair forming wavy curtains on either side of my face so that I was enveloped in her as she continued to kiss me and grind her hips against mine.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take this to the bedroom,¡± I panted between passionate kisses.


    She nodded and quickly got off of me before reaching out to grab my hand and lead me upstairs to our suite. Watching her walk up the stairs ahead of me gave me the perfect view of the curve of her ass.


    My mouth watered as I imagined myself pulling her jeans off of her in just a few short moments.


    She opened the door to our bedroom and turned to look at me expectantly, knowing that whatever I was about to do to her would fill her with unspeakable pleasure. I smiled down at her and jerked my chin toward the bed, indicating that she should go andy down.


    She obeyed me quickly,ying back on the bed so that her beautiful breasts and peaked nipples were on disy. I walked over and ran my hands along her hips and thighs, bending over to give a teasing lick to one of her nipples.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to show you just how much I love you,¡± I murmured.

 Chapter 719 : Sweet Memories

    <h4>Chapter 719: Chapter 719 : Sweet Memories</h4>


    *Caterina*


    Elio knew what it did to me when he ordered me around in the bedroom. It made all of the thoughts in my head seep out so that all I could focus on was the moment with him.


    It was so incredibly intoxicating to just let go and give him total control, especially when I knew that he would always focus on my pleasure first. Iid back on the bed just like Elio had told me to and arched my back slightly so that my naked breasts would jut out enticingly.


    I was rewarded for my effort when Elio¡¯s eyes were immediately drawn to my chest, and he stalked across the room, leaning over me and taking one of my nipples in his mouth.


    Unable to help myself, I moaned and tangled my fingers in his hair, trying to keep him from moving away from me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to show you just how much I love you,¡± he whispered against my breast, his breath cascading over the sensitive flesh and pulling another moan from me.


    ¡°Want... you....¡±


    I barely managed to gasp as his tonguevished on my breasts, first one and then the other. I writhed on the bed, unable and unwilling to control myself.


    I tugged at his hair, pulling him to me, closer and closer. I couldn¡¯t get him close enough. His hands roamed my body before he moved them to unbutton my pants. I let go of his hair and leaned my hips up to help him pull my pants free.


    He immediately dropped to his knees and pulled me down the bed so that my feet were dangling on either side and his face was between my thighs. The only thing between his mouth and me was mycy thong, which wasn¡¯t much.


    I could feel his breath go straight through the fabric and light up my most sensitive ces. I spread my legs wider to give him better ess, which caused him to chuckle darkly.


    ¡°Always so needy for me,¡± he said before turning his head and nipping my thigh.


    The tiny pain sent a wave of pleasure through me. It was a heady reminder of just how close his mouth was to my pussy. He was right. I was needy. I wanted him to tear my underwear off and thrust his tongue deep inside me, but that wasn¡¯t his n, not yet anyway. Instead, he licked the ce that he had bitten, soothing for just a second before moving to my other thigh.


    This time he didn¡¯t bite, he sucked, a reminder of what he would soon be doing to my clit. I moaned again, sure that he¡¯d be able to see my wetness through my thong at this point.


    ¡°I love it when you make that noise,¡± Elio said, his mouth still against my thigh. ¡°I want to hear you scream for me tonight.¡±


    ¡°Then make me scream,¡± I breathed, desperate for him to hurry things along.


    ¡°dly,¡± he murmured before moving my underwear to the side and quickly sinking two fingers inside of me.


    The sudden intrusion had me arching against him¡ªit was both too much and not enough. I wanted him to fill me up with more than just his hand. He moved his fingers slowly back out, crooking them slightly in the way he knew drove me wild.


    ¡°Hm, no screaming yet?¡± he asked, his eyes twinkling.


    Iughed. ¡°I think your mouth will have to get involved for that.¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask,¡± he growled.


    In one smooth motion, he managed to yank my thong off and get his mouth on my clit. The sensation was overwhelming in the best way. I lost all sense, there was nothing but Elio¡¯s mouth on me.


    I closed my eyes and gave up any attempt at retaining control. There was no point in it when Elio did this so well. He was everything I could¡¯ve ever imagined¡ªstrong, passionate, and kind. Making love with him really showed his strengths and always left me incredibly satisfied.


    His fingers joined his tongue and amped up the pleasure I was feeling. Sparks blew in my vision and my moans became louder and louder as he increased his speed and pressure. Soon I was screaming my pleasure as he pulled an orgasm from me, but he didn¡¯t stop there. He kept going.


    I was so overwhelmed that my first instinct was to pull away, but he mped his hand on my thigh so that I couldn¡¯t go anywhere. Before I knew it, the feeling of overwhelm gave way to a glorious sensation that was even stronger than before and I was shaking as I came again.


    I clutched at his hair, unable to hold still as the immense waves of pleasure hit me again and again. My screams softened to whimpering moans as the waves slowly died down, Elio there with me the whole time.


    As I came down from the pleasure, he stood up and undressed. Seeing him standing bare over me had me ready to go all over again.


    ¡°Get up on the bed for me, baby. I want you to befortable,¡± he murmured before turning to pull on a condom.


    I rushed to obey him, climbing up so that my head rested back on the pillows. He covered my body with his own, pressing against me so that I could feel every hard muscle contracting as he moved against me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, more than ready for him to push inside of me.


    He slowly pressed his cock against my entrance, ensuring that I was ready for him as he inched himself inside me. Once again, I was overwhelmed. Our emotional connection always did that to me when we had sex. We just understood each other on such a deeper level that it made everything that much more enjoyable.


    ¡°Fuck, you feel so good, every fucking time,¡± he groaned as he pulled out, only to press deep inside me once again.


    He kept his movements measured and slow, knowing that after two orgasms, I was more than sensitive. He took his time with me, gently twirling my nipples in his fingers, kissing my neck, even moving his hand down between us to press against my clit.


    Before long, thanks to his expert movements, I was on the brink of another release, and he was right there with me. We came at the same time, gasping each other¡¯s names and clutching at each other, our tandem release far more satisfying than anything we could experience separately.


    Elio rolled off of me and went to the bathroom to clean himself off, but I stayed right where I was, letting the heat that had pooled in my belly spread warmth throughout my body. My limbs felt pleasantly loose and I rested on my side, closing my eyes and basking in the perfection.


    Elio came back and spooned me up from behind, both of our naked bodies fitting together as though we had been made for each other. I supposed that in many ways, we had been made for each other. We were a perfect match in every way.


    Elio nuzzled against the back of my neck. I giggled at the way his breath tickled me. My hips rolled back against him, and I felt him growing hard again.


    ¡°Keep that up and I¡¯m going to have to take you for another round,¡± he murmured before nipping at my ear.


    ¡°What if that¡¯s exactly what I want?¡± I teased, purposefully rubbing myself against him.


    ¡°Well, we all know I love to give you what you want,¡± he said, rolling us both so that I was on my stomach and he was kneeling over me.


    He took me again, both of us ovee with need as he pounded into me and we found yet another release. This time he didn¡¯t even bother to run to the bathroom, instead staying with me and rolling me on top of him for yet another round.


    I had no idea where we both found the stamina to keep going, but it felt like we were never going to be able to stop. Our desires overrode everything else as we both came again and again.


    After I hadpletely lost track of time and sense, we were both finally spent. Weid next to each other on the bed, holding hands and panting slightly. Elio was facing me, tracing shapes along my arm with his other hand.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he said, ¡°I hope you never forget that.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I promised, ¡°as long as you don¡¯t forget how much I love you.¡±


    He smiled and reached out to wrap his arms around me. I settled against his chest,pletely content. There was nothing that could satisfy me more than being wrapped in Elio¡¯s arms.


    As I was about to fall asleep, his stomach growled loudly. I jumped at the unexpected noise, sending Elio into shoulder-shakingughter.


    ¡°Sorry, I am pretty hungry,¡± he admitted.


    Iughed. ¡°Hm, I guess you did get a pretty good workout in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll order Chinese food,¡± he said, standing and finding his phone.


    As he called our order in, I stood up and pulled on a pair of pajamas. After he finished, he pulled on some boxers and a T-shirt.


    Our food arrived not long after, so we settled on the couch in our suite and put on one of our favorite old Italian movies. Elio had introduced it to me years ago, and we would watch it almost every time he had to spend the night because my mom was gone for work. We could both recite it word for word at this point, but we still loved putting it on for background.


    It was a nice reminder that those times hadn¡¯t all been bad between us. Sometimes I felt guilty about the hell I had put him through when I was a teenager, but then I remembered the good moments, and it didn¡¯t feel like it was as bad as I had remembered.


    ¡°This movie always makes me think of you, you know. I used to watch it sometimes when I was missing you after you moved away,¡± Elio said between bites.


    ¡°Well, I never would have admitted it at the time, but I did the same thing when I was missing you. I wish I could¡¯ve known then how important you¡¯d be to me. I wouldn¡¯t have acted like such a little shit all the time.¡±


    Elio busted outughing. ¡°Nah, you still would¡¯ve acted like a little shit,¡± he said.


    That made meugh because he was right, and I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. Although there were times when I felt guilty about it, I also knew that it gave me a lot offort to know that he had seen me at my worst and still loved me.


    There was nothing I could do to identally push him away.


    We spent the rest of the night watching our movie and teasing each other, until I finally began to nod off on the couch.


    Elio picked me up and carried me back to bed, where we fell asleep in each other¡¯s arms.

 Chapter 720 : The Bodyguards

    <h4>Chapter 720: Chapter 720 : The Bodyguards</h4>


    *Caterina*


    Elio had an earlier morning than I did, so I woke up to the sound of my rm and the chill of an empty bed. Thinking about how we¡¯d spent the evening before helped to warm me up.


    I smiled as I went about my morning routine, hoping that we might spend another evening doing the exact same thing. We had both been so busytely, and it was a treat to have an evening to ourselves, spent doing what we wanted.


    I loved spending time with Elio, just enjoying each other. We never seemed to get tired of each other¡¯spany.


    I let the shower warm up while I brushed my teeth. I had little circles under my eyes because we¡¯d stayed up far toote into the night, just talking and enjoying each other.


    It was difficult for us to get to sleep by a decent time because we just loved to talk to each other. Every time one of us would start to drift to sleep, the other one woulde up with yet another question or story or idea that felt absolutely necessary to say right at that very moment.


    We¡¯d finally fallen asleep sometime around midnight when we realized that we were both just mumbling nonsense to each other in a half-asleep state.


    The shower was plenty warm as I stepped into it, but I wished Elio had the time to join me. I could never get enough of his hands on my body. Even having nearly endless sex the night before, I knew I could easily go for several more rounds this morning.


    I just never tired of him, not with how amazing he was at what he did. He was by far the most giving lover I¡¯d ever had in my life. I had no idea how addicting sex could be until I had sex with Elio.


    After pulling on a casual outfit that would befortable enough to wear to ss, I wandered downstairs to find some breakfast. I was confused to find three ridiculouslyrge men wearing university sweatshirts and jeans sitting at our dining room table. They looked to be in theirte 20s but were clearly trying to dress as though they were younger.


    ¡°Um, hello,¡± I said awkwardly.


    I knew they must be my new bodyguards. Elio had promised they¡¯d be inconspicuous, but this was ridiculous. The three men looked like they could be on a pro football team, and one of them wasn¡¯t even wearing the right university name on his sweatshirt.


    ¡°Oh, good. You¡¯ve met your guards,¡± Elio said as he came up behind me. ¡°This is Nev, Lucas, and Jake. Men, this is Caterina.¡± Elio stood between us and gestured to me.


    I didn¡¯t want to be rude in front of the guys, but I couldn¡¯t help but turn to Elio, disbelief on my face. ¡°Inconspicuous?¡± I asked between my teeth.


    Elio shrugged. ¡°They¡¯ll be discreet. Won¡¯t you, guys?¡±


    The three men nodded. I had no doubt they would try their best, but it was going to be ridiculous to have them following me around. I groaned, realizing that it was toote to stop this.


    ¡°Alright, well, as long as you¡¯re all here, does anybody want some breakfast?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sure, I could eat,¡± Lucas piped up.


    I busied myself preparing a massive batch of scrambled eggs. One thing I knew about guys this size was that they ate a lot. If they were going to be hanging around, we were going to have to start stocking up more groceries.


    Thankfully, Anna had an earlier ss and was already gone.


    Although I was annoyed about their presence, I had to admit that it did make me feel a bit safer to know the bodyguards were keeping an eye on me. They parked close to me, and I tried to ignore them as I headed to my first ss. As I walked, I saw a familiar figure up ahead.


    ¡°Hey, Elijah!¡± I raised my voice so he could hear me.


    He turned around and smiled when he saw me. I still felt awkward about Elio¡¯s behavior thest time we¡¯d seen Elijah, but it looked like Elijah had forgiven it already.


    ¡°Hey, Cat, how¡¯s it going?¡± Elijah asked.


    I had to fight the urge to turn in the direction of my bodyguards and make sure they weren¡¯t standing too close.


    ¡°This might sound crazy, but my friend Anna is just dying for me to introduce you. I was telling her about you, and she thought it sounded like you had a lot inmon. Would it be okay if I got you two together sometime?¡±


    Elijah¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and I hoped he would say yes. I knew I would feel horrible if I had to tell Anna that he didn¡¯t want to get to know her.


    ¡°Um, yeah, sure, that sounds great. I love meeting new people,¡± he said, excitement finding its way into his voice as he spoke.


    ¡°Okay, great! I¡¯ll probably see herter today, so I¡¯ll talk to her then. Have a good day!¡±


    ¡°See youter!¡±


    Elijah wandered off and I gave up on my battle to not look at my bodyguards. I turned around and saw them all standing barely fifteen feet away from me, spread out slightly so that they had mepletely surrounded.


    I rolled my eyes. ¡®It makes Elio happy. It makes Elio happy...¡¯ I repeated in my head as I walked to my first ss of the day.


    I desperately hoped they wouldn¡¯t try to follow me in. It was a smaller discussion-style ss, and they would most definitely be noticed. Luckily, they had decided to stay outside of all of my sses. I felt much morefortable being able to attend ss without having three sets of eyes watching me constantly.


    My sses went by uneventfully, and by the time I was walking to myst ss of the day, I had almost begun to forget about my entourage... that was, until I came across Anna, and she immediately looked over my shoulder and asked, ¡°Who are those guys?¡±


    Fuck. What could I even say to that? ¡®Oh, those are the bodyguards that my mafia boyfriend is forcing me to have?¡¯ No. That wouldn¡¯t work at all.


    I couldn¡¯t believe Elio had been so sure that the men wouldn¡¯t stand out. I nced behind me and saw all three of them staring at me intently, standing out horribly as students streamed past them.


    ¡°Oh, um, I don¡¯t know, new students, I think,¡± I mumbled, trying to shrug it off. ¡°So, guess who I talked to today!¡± I hoped my pathetic attempt to distract her would work.


    ¡°Who?¡± she asked, still ncing behind me.


    ¡°Elijah! And he¡¯s very interested in getting to know you!¡± I knew I was being overly enthusiastic, but I wanted her to drop the bodyguard issue.


    Luckily, that was all it took. ¡°Really?¡± Anna asked, her cheeks turning slightly pink.


    ¡°Yeah, he said he loves meeting new people.¡± It was as if my words had summoned him. ¡°Actually, there he is, right there!¡± I raised my hand and waved. ¡°Elijah!¡±


    He walked over with a smile on his face. ¡°Hey, Cat, nice to see you again.¡±


    ¡°Elijah, this is Anna. Anna, Elijah. I¡¯ve told you both a lot about each other!¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course, the lovely Anna,¡± Elijah said smoothly.


    Anna¡¯s cheeks turned even more pink.


    ¡°Alright, well I¡¯ll leave you two to talk,¡± I said. ¡°See you bothter!¡±


    I walked away, winking over Elijah¡¯s shoulder at Anna. I hoped it worked out for her.


    I still had a few minutes to spare before my ss, so I decided to take the opportunity to talk to my guards. I found an empty ssroom and gestured to the three of them to follow me into it.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Nev asked.


    ¡°You guys are way too obvious! Anna asked me who you were immediately. You¡¯re drawing too much attention.¡±


    ¡°Look, Miss Caterina, we really don¡¯t want to make things hard for you, but we have strict orders to follow you everywhere and not let you out of our sight. Even allowing you to go into your sses without us is technically breaking the rules, but I figured you¡¯d hate it if we went in with you.¡±


    I groaned. I would definitely have hated that, and I appreciated the fact that they had at least given me that small mercy. It was ridiculous that Elio had tried to get them to go into my sses with me.


    ¡°We¡¯ll try to be more inconspicuous,¡± Lucas said. ¡°But we can¡¯t make any promises. Your safetyes first.¡±


    I rolled my eyes and led all four of us to my next ss. It hadn¡¯t been that bad of a day, but I was ready for it to be over. As soon as I got home, I was going to beg Elio to put an end to this bodyguard nonsense. It was just so unnecessary. Nothing was going to happen to me on the packed campus.


    Luckily, myst ss of the day passed quickly, and the three guards really did a slightly better job at staying farther away from me. I headed to my car and found that Anna was leaning against it, a massive grin on her face.


    When I got closer, she squealed and wrapped her arms around my neck. ¡°We¡¯re going to go to dinner!¡± She eximed.


    ¡°No way!¡± I yelled, ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡±


    I was so happy for her. She deserved to be happy. I was also happy that I would be able to tell Elio that Elijah and Anna were going to be dating. I hoped it would get him to stop worrying so much about Elijah. Surely, he would stop assuming that Elijah was just another Junior if he knew that Anna was dating him.


    Before I had the chance to ask Anna anything more, I noticed the bodyguards walking toward us. They would have to walk right beside us to get into their car, and I didn¡¯t want Anna to question their presence yet again.


    ¡°Alright, well I need to go, I¡¯ll call youter!¡± I told Anna, trying to get her to leave.


    I got into my car and Anna waved at me, her face still split into that massive grin. My bodyguards walked around her, but she didn¡¯t notice them as she turned and walked to her own car. I held my breath as the three got into their own car, grateful when Anna didn¡¯t notice them.


    I knew there was no way I¡¯d be able to get her to forget about them a second time.


    How in the world was I going to manage to continue to keep my life from her?

 Chapter 721 : No Good News

    <h4>Chapter 721: Chapter 721 : No Good News</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡®She¡¯s okay. She¡¯s going to be okay,¡¯ I told myself silently.


    I wasn¡¯t pleased with the fact that Cat was so persistent about going to school. Granted, I had nothing against her wanting to continue her education. In fact, I¡¯d encouraged it for much of her life.


    But ever since hearing about Franky¡¯s man disappearing, my nerves had remained on high alert. I honestly thought that by putting three guards on her, that it would make me feel more certain of her safety.


    But part of me was still hesitant to believe that it was going to be enough.


    If it were up to me, I would have foregone the security detail and insisted that she resume her sses online somehow. But I knew better than to think that Cat would ever agree to that sort of idea.


    My jaw clenched in frustration.


    I knew I couldn¡¯t focus solely on this issue. Both Leo and I were busy on our way to meet with Franky to discuss any further developments of the sudden disappearance. Yet my expression remained strained and unfocused.


    ¡°You look lost in thought,¡± Leomented. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    I let out a long breath and slowly shook my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I muttered.


    Leo raised an unconvinced brow at me in skepticism. For Christ¡¯s sake, the man knew me as well as Caterina. I bit the inside of my cheek and subtly rolled my eyes upward.


    ¡°I¡¯ve ced a few men to tail Cat while she attends her sses,¡± I admitted pointedly.


    Leo¡¯s eyes grew wide in disbelief before his features broke out into a humored expression of pure amusement.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± My silence was a clear indication of the answer. ¡°Holy shit.¡± He broke out into a series of chuckles and shook his head. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t imagine Cat being too pleased about that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be right about that,¡± I murmured. ¡°But I didn¡¯t give her much choice about it. We need to figure out what the hell is going on. And until we do, the damn guards stay.¡±


    Our conversation came to an abrupt halt when we finally arrived at Franky¡¯s. Leo and I were quickly met by a few of his men before being gingerly escorted to the back of the building.


    Franky, along with a few others, were standing over arge table that was covered by various street maps and ns.


    The man looked as pissed off as I felt. I needed answers and I needed them now. Part of me was hoping that Franky would have something decent to tell me about this strange issue. But something in the pit of my stomach was telling me that was unlikely to happen.


    Franky nced up from the table to re at us. ¡°There you two are.¡±


    ¡°Has there been any word?¡± Leo asked.


    Each of them shook their heads in dismay, causing the hole in my chest to grow bigger.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± one manmented. ¡°It¡¯s like the son of a bitch vanished into thin air.¡±


    ¡®But that¡¯s just it,¡¯ I thought bitterly. ¡®People don¡¯t just vanish into thin air. Something obviously happened. The question is, what? And by who?¡¯


    Franky shook his head slowly and kept his gaze locked on the red dot that was obviously marking where his guy wasst spotted. ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel like a random disappearance,¡± he said coldly. ¡°But it¡¯s best that we assume he¡¯s dead now.¡±


    My nostrils red in frustration. This was not the news I wanted to hear, not by a fucking long shot. For Franky to tell me that the search had to be given up was all that I needed. After all, the man wasn¡¯t anything if not a realist.


    But still, there were too many questions that remained unanswered.


    I pinched the bridge of my nose and bit back a curse. ¡°Why kidnap him rather than just kill him where he was nted to begin with?¡± I asked openly.


    Leo folded his arms over his chest and shrugged his shoulders back.


    ¡°Maybe the setup was meant to throw us off,¡± he suggested. ¡°Maybe they wanted us to search the area out. The less we¡¯re all together, the thinner our ranks be. They could be trying to find weak spots.¡±


    Great, that was just what I fucking needed.


    This meeting had taken a sore turn for the worse and didn¡¯t seem to have a silver lining in sight. I¡¯d hoped to gain answers and instead, I would be leaving with more questions and deeper worries.


    I masked my emotions under a visage of pure indifference.


    ¡°Franky, keep me updated indefinitely on this,¡± I told him. ¡°Should anythinge up, I want to know. Leo and I have other business to attend to.¡±


    Franky gave a curt nod of his head as the two of us saw ourselves out. He and I had a meeting for the legitimate business that afternoon that I somehow needed to appear professional and confident for. God only knew how I was going to make that happen given our morning of sheer disappointment.


    I had to find it in me to switch from one dominating role to another. This was the trick with having to live a double life. I¡¯d developed the skill to drop the grizzly, ruthless demeanor and flip back to my happy-go-lucky personality that had a knack for developing property.


    ¡°I can feel the gears spinning in your head, Elio,¡± Leo said. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about this, alright?¡±


    I grunted in response.


    ¡°I mean it. You know that Franky will keep you updated should anythinge up. And the client we¡¯re meeting with today should be easy.¡±


    He was right. Goddamnit. I shouldn¡¯t have been letting so many of these things eat away at me when I knew I had very little control over the issue to begin with.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I breathed. ¡°Let¡¯s go over a few of the property¡¯s selling points. We need to make sure that we hit upon location and the view. It¡¯ll be the perfect ce for his apartmentplex development.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Leo noted. ¡°Barkley made it perfectly clear that he was looking for a view that would make it easier to sell his units.¡±


    Yes, funny thing about this client Barkely. The man wanted his development to have a fantastic view of the area, but the man was a stickler when it came to money.


    Leo and I had miraculously found the perfect ce for the guy, and our construction partners were ready to move forward.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get him on this deal,¡± I said promisingly. ¡°The man would be aplete fool if he were to turn it down.¡±


    ***


    The meeting had gone off without a hitch. Barkley was easily impressed with the space we¡¯d shown him and made good to emphasize all of the deciding factors Leo and I had gone over in the car.


    We are positive we¡¯d had this deal in the bag until we started to discuss the price.


    Barkley¡¯s face had visibly turned two shades paler than normal.


    But I wasn¡¯t overly concerned. I¡¯d anticipated such a reaction and was readily capable of pointing out several reasons as to why this ce for his development project.


    By the time I was done giving my award-worthy spiel, Barkley was fiddling with his thumbs and had fallen into a concentrated look of contemtion. I shared a look with Leo, who appeared equally on edge.


    After several, long minutes of silence, Barkley shot his head up and gave us a confirming smile.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he started. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯m still a little hung up on the price but you two are right. This lot and your construction estimate will be absolutely perfect for me and my team.¡±


    Barkley shook both our hands.


    ¡°I have to get in touch with the board and discuss this all with them,¡± he said. ¡°But I should have an answer for you promptly.¡±


    As I watched Barkley head for the exit, I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. It was Cat.


    I hastily answered the call and was swiftly greeted by a sharp tone and heated words.


    ¡°The security has to go,¡± she stated.


    My eyes widened, I nearly stammered. ¡°What? Wait, Cat. What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The security detail, which you¡¯ve so heavily insisted upon, are either unsure about the meaning of the word ¡®subtle¡¯ or are purposely trying to make my life at school even more difficult than it already is!¡±


    My brows pulled together. ¡°You mean they were noticed?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± she shouted. ¡°They don¡¯t blend in, Elio. I have Anna asking questions, and now I have no idea what to say to her.¡±


    Shit. I was well aware of Anna¡¯s keen perception.


    ¡°She¡¯s already noticed them once,¡± Cat said. ¡°She¡¯ll notice them again, especially if this is meant to be an everyday ordeal.¡±


    Well, so much for my positive feeling. Here I thought the day was actually turning around in my favor, considering the morning had started out as a total cluster fuck.


    I let out a long breath. ¡°Look, we¡¯ll talk about this when I get back home, okay? I know you¡¯re not happy about the guards, but my hands are tied with this. If it¡¯s really that big of an issue for you, then I suggest you pull out of school.¡±


    The call went dead.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just fucking wonderful,¡± I hissed angrily at myself.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Leo asked.


    I ran a rough hand through my hair and exined the situation about the guards being spotted by Cat¡¯s friend. ¡°Anna is just as smart as Cat. It¡¯s not really a shock that she would have picked up on something like this, but more so an inconvenience.¡±


    Leo slowly nodded his head and began to speak evenly, ever the voice of reason.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, this is a shitty situation. But the way I see it, there are only two possible options,¡± he exined. ¡°Either Cat tells Anna about what¡¯s been really going on in her life, or, she has to stop being her friend.¡±


    I hated this for her. But unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t see any other way around this situation either.


    ¡°Remember to check in with Franky to see if anything¡¯s changed,¡± I said to him.


    Leo nodded as I made my way down to the car to head back home. My stomach churned in knots at the thought of having to face Cat with the predicament. It was bad enough that I basically told her to put her academic life on hold for my sake. But now I had to somehow break the news to her about how she was going to have to deal with her friendship with Anna.


    There was no way in hell this day was going to end well for anyone at this rate.


    Regardless of the oue, I knew the conversation with Cat wasn¡¯t over.

 Chapter 722 : The Fear of Losing a Friend

    <h4>Chapter 722: Chapter 722 : The Fear of Losing a Friend</h4>


    *Caterina*


    My jaw was still tightly clenched after I ended the call with Elio. I dropped my phone on the couch cushion next to me and waited for my blood pressure to lower.


    Call me immature, I thought. I didn¡¯t care. If I hadn¡¯t hung up on him when I had, there would be no telling the words that were going toe flying out of my mouth. I¡¯d been heated about what went on earlier and demanded that it be dealt with in some way.


    I didn¡¯t like purposely interrupting his day while he was at work, but something needed to be said.


    I¡¯d hoped that he would see reason and understand why it was so reckless to ce not one, but three damn guards on me while I was at school. There was not an ounce of subtlety to be found with those men tailing me all day. And, of course, Anna was quick to pick up on it.


    I wanted Elio to at least consider drawing back on the security detail. But instead, the man proceeded to make yet another cutting remark about me leaving school.


    I was so angry. Elio knew how I felt aboutpleting my education, and he¡¯d still gone ahead and said that.


    ¡®It¡¯s not going to happen,¡¯ I thought to myself. ¡®I¡¯m not going to leave my education behind for the sake of our second lives.¡¯


    But the fact that this was the second time Elio had mentioned quitting school caused my nerves to be on edge. Was there a reason as to why he kept saying it? Was something going on behind the scenes that he wasn¡¯t telling me about?


    I may have ended our call on ount of my anger getting the best of me, but our conversation was far from over. Deep down, I knew that Elio knew that as well.


    I tried to find some way to upy my time as I waited for Elio to get home. I figured digging into some of my actual ss work would have been wise, but my mind was far too distracted to keep focus.


    My thoughts wandered between Elio and Anna relentlessly, not having a single clue how I was going to deal with either one. I wasn¡¯t sure how much time had gone by before I heard the front door open. Heavy footsteps made their way toward me while I sat at the kitchen table.


    I knew it was Elio who stood in the doorway, silently staring at me, no doubt with a look of hefty caution. But I quickly shot to my feet and faced him with determination.


    ¡°Do you seriously want me to quit school?¡± I asked.


    Elio caught the note of panic in my voice and hastily moved closer to me before stopping short. My stomach filled with a disturbing weight of anticipation.


    He let out a long sigh and rubbed his eyes in frustration.


    ¡°No,¡± he said tiredly. ¡°I know you need to do that for you. I just... I just don¡¯t know what else to do. I think you¡¯re going to have to tell Anna the truth.¡±


    My eyes widened in shock. Tell Anna the truth... as in the whole truth?


    I felt myself go slightly weak in my knees and before I knew it, I was sitting back down in my chair, utterly deted. My eyes fell away from Elio as I tried to process the idea of bringing Anna into something so dangerous.


    How on earth was I even supposed to talk about something like this with her? It¡¯s not as though this was a recent development. Elio and I have been melded into this sort of life for a while and I¡¯ve been purposely keeping it from her as a means of ensuring her safety.


    Just then, my eyes widened in sudden shock.


    ¡®Oh, shit,¡¯ I thought. ¡®Is that how Elio feels every time he tries to justify his actions for needing to keep me safe?¡¯


    Oh God. It was like someone had taken a bucket of ice water and proceeded to dump it over my head. Talk about a serious wakeup call¡ªthere was absolutely no way Anna was going to take this well.


    I could easily recall the anger and devastation that always came crashing over me whenever I discovered that Elio was keeping something from me. I¡¯d feel betrayed and angry for hours on end until we¡¯d reach some kind of resolve.


    But the rtionship between Anna and me waspletely different. It wasn¡¯t as though this was some minor subject to be taken lightly. How was I going to resolve things with her?


    With Elio, we¡¯d used makeup sex to resolve our issues. I¡¯d hold a tough grudge and he¡¯d be the one to apologize while slowly making it up to me. In the middle of all that, Anna was usually the one to help me see through the angered haze of my mind.


    She was the one who¡¯d constantly help me see reason and make sense of my thoughts.


    I brought my hand up to my mouth and nibbled on my nails. I found myself slowly shaking my head in denial.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way that that¡¯s possible,¡± I told him weakly.


    How on earth was this going to make her feel?


    It wasn¡¯t as though the content of the discussion was what startled me. It was the fact that I¡¯d kept it all from her for so long. It was enough to elicit its own argument in itself.


    Anna would surely question me seven ways to Sunday about why I¡¯d kept everything a secret.


    ¡°Cat,¡± he started. ¡°I know this won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    Easy? I nearly scoffed at his remark, aplete understatement. He truly had no idea.


    Elio never had to exin himself or his life to someone who was considered an outsider. Yes, there was the business with his parents, but it wasn¡¯t as if Gio and Olivia weren¡¯t familiar with the lifestyle.


    Hell, it wasn¡¯t even easy talking to my own mother about these things. She wasn¡¯t exactly cross with me, but she wasn¡¯tpletely epting either when I¡¯d told her. I knew that the real business that went on behind the scenes bothered her. And the fact that her only child had decided to get herself involved in it too was not exactly aforting thought.


    But, once more, my mother was familiar with the lifestyle, having been married to my father. He kept her out of harm¡¯s way, but that didn¡¯t mean she was ignorant of the truth.


    Anna was a totally different case. She hadn¡¯t the slightest inkling of what this life was really like. To her, a mafia life was something that one could only find in books and movies. And even then, it was usually over-romanticized and never truly captured the real dangers and threats thaty behind every corner.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way,¡± I started. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can possibly tell her.¡±


    ¡°Cat¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand,¡± I said sternly. ¡°Anna isn¡¯t like any of the other people in our lives, Elio. She has no prior knowledge or understanding of how things really are. Her life has only ever been an upper-ss sort of living.¡±


    He let out another sigh while his expression became resolute.


    ¡°Tell me, how the hell am I supposed to go about telling her these things?¡± I asked him.


    It wasn¡¯t as though I could set the mood to hopefully buffer the blow to all of this. It didn¡¯t seem right to n a nice rxing girls¡¯ day out and nonchntly tell her everything like it was no big deal.


    Could I tell her over dinner? Maybe drinks? What about a spa day? What about a weekend away somewhere?


    ¡®Yeah, Cat. Those all sound great. A nice rxing weekend away with your best friend is exactly what needs to happen. Just you, Anna, and the three fucking security guards that Elio ced on you for extra protection because our lives are a far cry from normal,¡¯ I said bitterly to myself.


    Every possible idea that tried to spring into my mind was quickly trashed and forgotten.


    Who was I trying to kid? There was nothing that I could do that could dull the wild exnation for what I needed to tell her. I felt riddled with worry. My stomach swam with uncertainty.


    Suddenly another troubling thought urred to me. What if Anna gets mad at me and doesn¡¯t want to be my friend anymore?


    Elio must have seen my body physically shake from the appalling thought, and he demanded to know what I was thinking. I told him my worries and restated my question.


    ¡°If that were to happen, would she be considered a threat then?¡± I questioned with a tremble to my voice.


    And here I had thought that the worst-case scenario was that Anna would end up being pissed off at me, but no. No, instead I came to the brutal realization that Anna could very well end our friendship and now she¡¯d be walking away with a slew of viable information.


    Oh, God.


    What if someone discovered that Anna now had all this valuable, dangerous information and tried to use it against her? I didn¡¯t want to end up seeing my best friend potentially be my enemy. Not only would I be putting my friendship in jeopardy, but I could also be putting a potential target on her back.


    I didn¡¯t want to imagine any of these awful possibilities, and I certainly didn¡¯t want to put my friend¡¯s safety at risk. I wouldn¡¯t.


    Elio shook his head and enveloped me in his arms. He curled his hand around the back of my head, pulling me against his chest.


    ¡°Cat, you know that would never happen,¡± he said reassuringly. ¡°You and Anna are best friends. I¡¯m sure that she would at least give you a chance to fully exin things.¡±


    ¡°What if, after she hears everything, she decides she doesn¡¯t want to be friends?¡±


    ¡°Should that be the case, then she could walk away with no repercussions,¡± he promised.


    Without so much as another word, I came to wrap my arms around him and embraced the loving warmth that came from him. No matter what, I knew I could always count on him to make me feel safe.


    ¡°Well, on another note, Elijah and Anna finally met today.¡±


    Elio¡¯s chest vibrated with a series of chuckles, causing me to smile.


    ¡°Good, he needs someone else to focus on,¡± he said.


    I rolled my eyes but ended up joining him in augh. ¡°Oh, please... as if I could ever be interested in anyone other than you.¡±


    His eyes grew hooded with want. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t know the first thing about how to please you anyway.¡±


    A deep shade of pink touched my cheeks.


    ¡°No, he wouldn¡¯t....¡±


    My voice trailed off as Elio swooped down to take my lips in a heated kiss.


    I practically squealed when I felt the hot, wet brush of his tongue along the seam of my mouth, demanding its entrance. I allowed myself to be lost in the lustful sensation of his hands and his lips. They were the only things keeping me grounded at the moment.


    Unfortunately, that bit of stability came to a crashing halt when we heard the sound of his phone ringing. Elio broke away in an irritable huff. His brows raised when he saw the caller ID.


    ¡°It¡¯s Franky. I have to take this.¡±

 Chapter 723 : Unsettling News

    <h4>Chapter 723: Chapter 723 : Unsettling News</h4>


    *Elio*


    As much as I hated leaving Cat to her own devices, I knew I needed to take this call from Franky. It was imperative that I knew what was going on at all times and clearly his men found something.


    I palmed Cat¡¯s face in my hand and brushed my thumb over her cheek lovingly. My stomach flipped as herrge, doe eyes poured into me with heavy emotion.


    I wished I could take the worry from her regarding the problem with her friend. I made it my job to be optimistic about the whole ordeal, but in all honesty, I truly had no idea which way Anna was going to side with this.


    I hit the answer button and held the phone up to my ear.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked evenly.


    Franky¡¯s sharp tone filled my ear, causing my nerves to freeze over.


    ¡°We found him,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡±


    I quickly pulled away from Cat and stood up from my chair. Caterina¡¯s eyes filled with concern that I hastily defused by pointing over toward the balcony doors. My lips parted as I silently told her that I would be right back.


    This wasn¡¯t the kind of conversation that she needed to overhear at the moment. The only real thing she needed to focus on was finding a way to speak to Anna. I didn¡¯t want nor need to trouble her with this sort of business, at least not at that very second.


    Although this was one of Franky¡¯s men who¡¯d gone missing, the cause and effect could easily trace its way back to Cat and myself.


    Once I was out on the balcony, I slid the doors shut, allowing us both to speak freely. It was imperative that I knew every detail of what happened.


    ¡°Tell me everything,¡± I instructed.


    Franky¡¯s voice remained even and direct as he spoke. ¡°He was found at one of the warehouses, beaten to a bloody pulp before he was likely shot.¡±


    My expression twisted into a vicious scowl, my mouth pulled back into a tight sneer. The muscles in my chest contracted with a mixture of grief and pure anger. Again, I knew that this was one of Franky¡¯s men, but a loss was still counted as a loss to me.


    I wanted so badly to think that Franky was acting pessimistic this morning when he spoke to Leo and me. I thought he was just painting the picture as grim as possible to spare us from disappointment.


    Did I honestly think that the guy was going to magically turn up out of blue,pletely unscathed? No.


    There was a clear difference between being hopeful and being realistic.


    But knowing that Franky¡¯s prediction was correct all along didn¡¯t exactly make me feel too great either.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I hissed under my breath.


    He hummed in agreement. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I know for fact that the guy went down fighting,¡± he exined.


    ¡°You examined the body,¡± I stated.


    ¡°Precisely. We found traces of someone else¡¯s skin and blood under his nails on his clothing.¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek and pressed a hand to the side of my head. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Yeah....¡±


    I was not favoring the pause that dangled off his voice.


    ¡°We found a note that was clearly attached to his body for us to find. It said, ¡®This is just the beginning.¡¯¡±


    And that was the true piece of information that caused me to see fucking red. The ache in my head kept me from cycling through all the possible meanings for that message as well as who could have potentially sent it.


    Junior was my first and only thought. But there was nothing indicating that he was responsible for this. After all, the bastard had been floating just under the radar since the death of his father. But months had passed since that night, and part of me felt like there was more at y.


    Nheless, it didn¡¯t leave a pleasant taste in my mouth to even think about because in the end, it only confirmed my concerns.


    ¡®This was no idental killing,¡¯ I thought. ¡®It was purely intentional and meant to send a distinctive message that my men and I are being targeted, which means that Cat is being targeted too,¡¯


    I let out another indignant curse while clenching my hand into a tight fist at my side. I ignored the biting pain of nails digging into my palm and gave out a clear order to Franky.


    ¡°Call Leo,¡± I said. ¡°Tell him that you two are to meet me at the warehouse.¡±


    I ended the call without giving Franky a chance to ruin my mood even further. We needed a n. I couldn¡¯t manage to go on any further without consulting with the others and establishing some kind of strategy.


    But before any of that was going to happen, it was imperative that I spoke to Cat.


    This day had already gone to shit. Thest thing I was going to do was make it worse by trying to intentionally keep her in the dark about this. As much as it pained me, this information was vital to her life too.


    I took a few deep breaths and was determined to regain my focus before letting my anger get the best of me. I stuffed my phone back in my pocket and opened the door to rejoin Cat in the kitchen. I had to tell her the unfortunate news.


    Not surprisingly, she was exactly where I left her before my call. She picked her gaze up from the table when she noticed meing into the room.


    ¡°What is it? Has something happened?¡± she asked.


    Her features were pinched with worry, and I hated knowing that I was about to make it ten times worse by exining everything to her.


    I need to protect her. And I had absolutely no intention of letting here with me when I left to head to the warehouse.


    But I wasn¡¯t going to lie to her.


    Cat was right. If I wasn¡¯t going to allow her presence at some of these meetings, the very least I could do was tell her the truth about the current state of our situation.


    I sat down and reached out to take her hand between my own.


    ¡°You remember when I told you about one of Franky¡¯s men going missing a little while ago?¡±


    Cat slowly nodded her head. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, Franky and his men finally found the guy.¡± Her brows raised in surprise. ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡±


    Her mouth fell open as a sharp gasp escaped her throat.


    ¡°I have to go meet with Franky and Leo now to figure out what we¡¯re going to do from here,¡± I told her.


    She closed her mouth and gently tilted her head downward.


    ¡°And I take it that you don¡¯t want me toe with you right now,¡± she said.


    I could see from her sullen expression that she was upset that I was purposely leaving her behind, but I didn¡¯t have a choice. There was no way I was going to risk her safety now.


    Slowly getting up from my chair, I leaned down to press a chaste kiss to her head.


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can.¡±


    Leaving her like this felt like a punch in the gut, but I needed to go. I didn¡¯t have any other choice.


    ***


    When I arrived at the warehouse, I was quick to notice that Leo managed to get there before me.


    ¡®Good,¡¯ I thought briskly. ¡®There won¡¯t be any time wasted waiting around.¡¯


    All I wanted was to form and n and return home. The less time we spent waiting, the better.


    Once I made it inside, I saw that both Leo and Franky were standing around a table waiting for me. Two men were stationed outside of the main doors, and the rest of Franky¡¯s men were spread out around the ce.


    I came up to the table and mmed both of my hands down. The shattering noise echoed throughout the warehouse, capturing everyone¡¯s attention almost instantly.


    ¡°Well, somebody had better tell me just how the fuck this happened!¡± I shouted.


    Many of the men dropped their eyes to the floor like they were unwilling to look at me for fear that they¡¯d magicallybust. With all that had gone on that day, I honestly wished I possessed such an ability. Maybe then I wouldn¡¯t have felt so powerless.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t expect an answer to that, and Franky seemed to realize that as he spoke next.


    ¡°Elio, the n is simple,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s best that going forward, we all stick together and find out who¡¯s responsible.¡±


    ¡°No more individual stakeouts,¡± Leo rified. ¡°We won¡¯t run the risk of losing someone else, should the need arise where we need to fan out and search an area.¡±


    I nodded my head in agreement. Yes, at the very least we weren¡¯t going to make the same foolish mistake of letting our men work alone. It was best to have them paired up, but it wasn¡¯t enough to ease the distress in my chest.


    ¡°What else?¡± I prompted.


    ¡°Aside from the body, we had his car brought on as well,¡± Franky mentioned. ¡°I currently have a few men looking over the car as we speak given everything we know about the disappearance. I also have another team looking for any sort of hidden cameras around the area to see if we can find anything at all that might link this to someone directly.¡±


    I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.


    ¡°Something is going to turn up, Elio,¡± Leo said with confidence. ¡°It has to. There¡¯s only so much that these bastards were capable of dealing with at the time of the kidnapping.¡±


    That was true. What were the chances of them tampering with every single surveince camera in the area to cover their tracks? Not very likely, especially if the camera just so happened to be hidden.


    So once again, we were back to searching for anything that could be of use, which meant that I was, once again, in wait mode.


    I nodded my head, wishing I felt better about the current n than I did. But what else could be done?


    It sucked that all we could do was hope to find even a trace to follow. And in the meantime, I felt utterly helpless on the sidelines.


    But I wasn¡¯t about to tell Franky that.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s the current n then,¡± I confirmed. ¡°Have your men search over everything and let me know as soon as anything is found.¡±


    Both Franky and Leo nodded their heads before we all split to leave in our own direction. I turned back toward the main entrance with the clear intention of heading straight home to Cat.


    I was more than ready for this day to be over, but so many thoughts and concerns were running through my head at too quick a pace. Were Franky¡¯s men capable of finding what we needed? Who was behind the violent attack and threatening note?


    One of our guys was dead.


    Would someone in our family be next?

 Chapter 724 : Insomnia

    <h4>Chapter 724: Chapter 724 : Insomnia</h4>


    *Caterina*


    When I was a child, I was afraid of the dark.


    No, it was more urate to say I was scared of the night. Mom used to tell anyone around how cute it was that her little girl was scared of the monsters under the bed and the shadows that moved across the walls, but that wasn¡¯t what I had been afraid of.


    Shadows didn¡¯t scare me. They were friends that my father would puppet with his hands across the walls, making up stories together before bed. I didn¡¯t fear monsters, either. They were fuzzy with googly eyes and taught me lessons about kindness and safety on TV.


    No, I was never afraid of the dark.


    It was the nighttime that I feared¡ªthe moment when the sky began to darken and the sun disappeared, where the colors turned into shades of dark blues and purples, and to me, as a wide-eyed innocent girl, it seemed like the world turned into something wrong.


    It was like everything was reced with something that just wasn¡¯t quite what it should be.


    The night felt like a standstill, like once the sun went down everything around me was put on pause. The flowers and trees stopped growing, the warm air turned cold, and the streets became empty.


    Eyes closed as we slept during the night, and I feared that one day, when I opened them back up, the world would still be that same dark and cold night, that the sun would never rise, and morning would nevere.


    But it always did.


    Sunrise always rose to greet me every morning and eventually, I outgrew my fear of the nighttime. I learned to appreciate the hints of life that would appear within the darkness¡ªcrickets that yed symphonies if you listened closely, the sounds of owls and creatures shuffling awake, the moon able to shine without the sun to block it, pushing and pulling the tide as wolves sang to its visage.


    Despite that appreciation, though, the sunrise always remained my favorite time of the day.


    I loved the colors that flooded the sky as the sun rose, especially on the LA skyline, where colorful clouds drifted across like fireworks. It always left me breathless.


    Sometimes I used to stay up all night just to wait for the sun to bring the world back to life.


    Just like now.


    The clock ticked endlessly as I sat outside our front porch, huddled up with my knees on the step. The wind was dry like it had been all week, and though the temperature had dropped without the sun, it still felt too warm to befortable.


    I sighed, ncing at my phone in my hand one more time, hoping there would be some kind of message, anything. But of course, there wasn¡¯t.


    It had been hours since Elio had left, but it felt so much longer as the night seemed to stretch on forever. I thought of my younger self as I waited, childish and silly, but I could almost feel those same fears of nighttime creeping up on me, that time had stopped, and the sun would never rise again.


    And this time, there was no one here to soothe me to sleep. The driveway was as empty as when he had first driven away.


    Anxiety twisted in a merry-go-round in my stomach and if I opened my mouth, half expecting to hear the distorted carnival song ying. I sighed, resting my head on my knees as I continued to wait.


    I perked up as I heard the sound of a car. The engine roared as it turned down our street, and relief overcame every bit of my anxiety as I spotted Elio¡¯s familiar ck care through the gate. I leaped up from the step as he pulled in.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I said with relief as he got out of the car, an exhausted but happy look on his face once he saw me. But he frowned as he came closer.


    ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± he asked tensely as he reached down to grab my hands.


    He was warm, simr to a furnace against my ice-cold skin. I hadn¡¯t realized how freezing I was until then, but I wouldn¡¯t have changed a thing.


    ¡°I was waiting for you,¡± I told him. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I was cold until now. I should¡¯ve brought a nket.¡±


    ¡°Cat,¡± he groaned, a helpless look on his face as he rubbed my hands between his, trying to gain some warmth in them but I just smiled, happy to have him back here with me.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked as he hurriedly wrapped an arm around me, still clutching my hands, and pulled me inside.


    I went willingly, only caring about his answer as he used the thumbprint to open the front door.


    ¡°Is that really important right now?¡± He red at me. ¡°You¡¯re as cold as ice!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always cold,¡± I protested, but I fell silent when he shot me a fierce re.


    I relented, letting him pamper me as he pulled me into the living room, wrapping a nket around my shoulders, and then hurried to the kitchen. I heard the sounds of our mugs and what sounded like the coffee maker running before he came back.


    I smiled, finding it a bit funny and both endearing to see how utterly attentive he was as he rushed back in with a pair of winter gloves. They were obviously his, too big for me, but he shoved them on my fingers anyway. Iughed silently to myself as he pouted when they slipped off.


    Eventually, he ran back in with two mugs of hot tea and forced one of the steaming hot mugs between my poorly gloved hands. He took the other one and pulled me into his arms, sitting on the couch with me in hisp.


    ¡°I¡¯m warm and cozy now, so can you tell me what happened?¡± I asked, taking a sip of the tea. It was my favorite¡ªcinnamon.


    He sighed, hugging me tighter like he was afraid I might disappear right before his eyes.


    ¡°Al is pissed,¡± Elio sighed frustratedly. ¡°Teo was one of his guys before he came here. He was a newer recruit, a good kid. He went out like a champ and fought like hell, but it just wasn¡¯t enough. He didn¡¯t have any family, so he¡¯s being shipped back to Italy. He¡¯ll be buried in Eterna.¡±


    ¡°Where my father is,¡± I said quietly.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He nuzzled his face into the crevice between my shoulder and neck, and I knew he was trying to find somefort. I finished off my tea, waiting for Elio to regain himself and tell me more, and I pulled off the ridiculous gloves.


    I held his hand, ying with his fingers absentmindedly as I waited and that seemed to help as he spoke up again.


    ¡°We agreed that going forward, no one is to be alone. We¡¯ll all stick together. We usually work in pairs anyway, but Franky thinks we should focus on groups of three or more, just in case. They got Teo after being apart from his partner for only ten minutes. We¡¯re not going to take that chance again. We¡¯re not losing anyone else.¡±


    I could tell how much this had affected him, how much it hurt to have this loss. It hadn¡¯t been long since Elio had been the boss in the US and yet they already had a crisis like this. It wasn¡¯t his fault, but he wouldn¡¯t think of it that way.


    ¡°And the culprit?¡±


    ¡°We still don¡¯t know,¡± Elio snapped, tightening his hands around my waist.


    I flinched at the sudden pressure and he immediately let me go, rxing his body for fear he¡¯d hurt me.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I was just surprised,¡± I reassured him, grabbing his hands and pulling them back to where they were.


    He rested them gently around my stomach, extra careful now.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he mumbled into my shoulder, his hot breath brushing across my bare skin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. I can tell you¡¯re angry and frustrated, and you have every right to be. But how could somebody be killed in broad daylight, and nobody sees a thing? What about witnesses or the security cameras?¡± I asked hopefully.


    He shook his head. ¡°We checked everything already. We tracked Teo¡¯s movements as far as we could, but he had disappeared. The warehouse he was working at is on the poorer side of town.¡± Elio sighed. ¡°There aren¡¯t any working surveince cameras there.¡±


    ¡°What about his phone? Couldn¡¯t you guys check the GPS on that day?¡± I frowned, feeling like I was throwing darts wildly at a board and missing each one by a foot and a half.


    ¡°His phone was found in his car, broken. They most likely smashed it when they took him, so we¡¯ve got nothing there. We traced hisst location there from the GPS, so that¡¯s how we found his car. But they were smart. They covered their tracks¡ªno tire tracks, no footprints, nothing was disturbed and the car was fully clean. It was like ghosts snatched him up and deposited him across the city for us to find.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± I told him firmly, shifting around in his arms so I could see his beautiful face. There was a haunted look in his eyes, one identical to those I¡¯d seen in his father and Alessandro before him, the same look I¡¯d seen in Tallon when he¡¯de to tell me my father had died in his arms. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Elio. Do not me yourself for this.¡±


    He leaned forward, pressing our foreheads together as his eyes closed. I could see the stress lines developing on his forehead, around his mouth and I wanted to be able to brush them away, to make him smile again. But this was something he needed to get through internally.


    ¡°Next time, it may not be one of our men, but one of their families,¡± Elio said softly, then he opened his eyes staring at me determinedly. ¡°Do you understand why I want to protect you from all of this now?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do.¡± I held his head in my hands, a frown on my lips. I always understood, but I wasn¡¯t the only one who felt that way. ¡°But who will protect you?¡±


    Surprise flickered across his face, a hesitance I¡¯d never seen before as my words sunk in. I¡¯d halted him in his tracks like it was the first time he¡¯d ever heard someone wanted to protect him. But that was what I¡¯d been saying all along... as had his parents before me.


    He sighed, giving a wry smile. ¡°You always surprise me, Cat. You¡¯re right. I guess we can¡¯t guarantee anything.¡±


    I gave him a sad smile. ¡°I knew that all along, Elio.¡± I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, hugging him as tightly as I could.


    I kissed him, letting my lips distract him from all the failures he¡¯d felt he¡¯d made in the past and all the tough decisions he would make in the future. Right now, it was just him and me.


    We were alive and together, and that was all that mattered.

 Chapter 725 : Almost Perfect

    <h4>Chapter 725: Chapter 725 : Almost Perfect</h4>


    *Caterina*


    Sleepingte was the greatest gift to mankind. I snuggled up into my nkets, happy and content like a purring kitten for the first time in weeks as the sun slowly rose higher and higher into the sky.


    Elio had long since left me with a simple kiss on my forehead and a reminder that he¡¯d be back for dinner while I was half-asleep before I was alone... alone andfy.


    I stretched my limbs like azy cat under the sun, curling up deeper into my nkets as I shut my eyes for a longer nap. I knew I would have to get up eventually, but not now. Morning sses were officially over for me, and my first ss today wasn¡¯t until after lunch.


    I woke up slowly in stages as I came up from dreaming to resting and finally, I couldn¡¯t rest any longer. I slowly pulled myself up to sit, covering my bare front with the nket as I yawned and rubbed the crust from my eyes.


    I grabbed my phone off the nightstand, checking my email and messages before deciding I would text Anna.


    ¡®Want to ride with me to school?¡¯ I wrote out.


    True to Anna¡¯s personality, it was barely even a second before she replied with an enthusiastic number of emojis and exmation points.


    ¡®Of fucking course! Plus, I¡¯ve got so much to tell you about my date with Elijah! It went so well!¡¯


    I chuckled at her, knowing she would talk my ear off once I picked her up. I finally climbed out of bed to get ready for my ss. I still had a few hours, and I knew Anna did, too, so I decided to take a long, hot shower.


    I decided to go with a pretty bright yellow floral sundress today. Spring wasing, and the temperatures had started to ramp up already.


    I strapped on a pair of heeled sandals, packed my school bag, and then made myself a sandwich before I headed out for the day. I made sure to text Elio that I was leaving for school and what time I would be back before I locked the door.


    I was in love with the cherry red optima that Elio had surprised me with after my car had broken down. Tired of me stealing his cars and having to adjust the steering wheel and seats every time he got inside, he finally caved and bought me my own.


    I had told him I was saving up to buy it, but he insisted as he always did. Now I was saving up to repay him. I would¡¯ve had to get a loan out on it anyway, so paying him was the same thing.


    Luckily, I was just as insistent as him. I was sure he was probably funneling my money back to me somehow, but it made me feel less like I owed him.


    I got inside, throwing my backpack onto the passenger side as I started it up. Like a dream, she


    gently started up and I was off. With the windows down and my favorite songs ring through the speakers, I truly felt like today was the best day I¡¯d had in a long while.


    It was perfect.


    Well, almost... except for the ck car with tinted windows following me along every road. It was at a distance but absolutely noticeable, especially every time I had to nce in my rearview mirrors. I sighed, knowing it was inevitable since Elio had specifically arranged for them to follow me every time I left the house, but it was still unnerving, and frankly, annoying.


    It didn¡¯t take long to get to Anna¡¯s apartment. I pulled into her parking lot, checking to make sure the guards hadn¡¯t followed me in and luckily, they had parked down the street in a restaurant parking lot. I could still see them and they could see me, but it didn¡¯t look like they were hovering around me.


    Once I was sure Anna wouldn¡¯t be suspicious, I texted her that I was there, and she came bolting out of the apartment building with a huge grin. Her huge backpack haphazardly thrown over one shoulder jingled very loudly as her dozen keychains and buttons pped against each other.


    She finally reached the car, breathing like she¡¯d run a marathon. She opened the back seat, throwing her bag in there and not caring about the heavy crash.


    I gave her an incredulous look as she got into the front seat, pushing my backpack into the back next to hers.


    ¡°You¡¯re a mess,¡± I told her with a shake of my head, starting the car as she buckled up.


    ¡°You know it.¡± She winked as I pulled out of the parking lot. ¡°So, Elijah, right? He is so sweet. Like I swear just being in his presence could give me cavities¡ªthat sweet. Oh, and that boy may look innocent, but goddamn, does he know how to use those lips¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you had fun,¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°I did,¡± she said proudly, but then she frowned. ¡°There was something weird about it though. At first, he kept asking me about you. I kept trying to change the conversation to get to know him better but somehow, he kept bringing up you. It didn¡¯t feel like he was doing it on purpose either, just unconsciously. I thought maybe it was because you were what we had inmon. Anyway, eventually it died down... once his mouth had other priorities.¡±


    She winked at me, and I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°So did you find out more about him?¡± I asked, curiously.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Anna crossed her arms, tilting her head. ¡°He was very... reluctant almost to speak about himself. Like if I asked him what his favorite color was, he¡¯d just say something like, ¡®Most people say blue or red is their favorite color,¡¯ which like, yeah, but that doesn¡¯t answer my question. So, I didn¡¯t really find out much, to be honest. At least he doesn¡¯t seem to be a creep or stalker.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s good?¡± I said questioningly, giving her a weirded-out nce.


    Anna shrugged. ¡°Still, I like him. There was good chemistry, and he seems like a good guy¡ªsomeone who won¡¯t go abroad, cheat on you, lie to your face about it, and have said the girl he cheated on you with call you up monthster and im she¡¯s pregnant and that I was ruining her life because the said guy isn¡¯t taking responsibility. At least he doesn¡¯t seem like that kind of guy.¡±


    I winced at her nonchnt shrug, like all of it was just the story of some random person on the street or a TV drama but no, that was reality and even more disturbingly, her own life.


    Her previous boyfriend, Daniel, was a piece of shit.


    And despite taking it all like a champ, I knew she had been deeply affected by it, which was why I was so happy she showed such an interest in Elijah.


    But I felt hesitant. Because what if my instincts were right? What if Elijah wasn¡¯t who he said he was, and Anna got hurt this time?


    No matter how well things seemed to be going, I hoped that she didn¡¯t get hurt again, no matter how impossible of a task that seemed.


    To get rid of my guing doubts, I sent a quick text to Elio when Anna wasn¡¯t looking, asking him to look into Elijah. He sent back one as soon as we arrived in the parking lot.


    ¡®Thanks for reminding me. I¡¯ve been meaning to look into him, but I forgot. I¡¯m on it now.¡¯


    We arrived at school an hour early. It was only a general education ss that we shared, but the professor took punctual attendance very seriously. Half the grade was just attendance, and there was no way we were going to fail such an easy ss.


    The professor was an old grumpy man who had to be in his sixties or seventies at least. He was very old-fashioned and stood by the doorway as we passed. With a clipboard in his hand and a scowl on his face, he pursed his lips as we passed by, giving us a dark look as he used a Sharpie to scratch off our names.


    I thanked him quietly while Anna stuck out her tongue at him once his back was turned. There were still quite a few students not there yet, so I didn¡¯t worry too much about it. We took our seats, chatting until ss started and the professor happily announced that four of his students didn¡¯t show up today and would get a fail on their quiz.


    Ruthless geezer, I thought with a shake of my head.


    The ss was boring, and Anna immediately dozed off, head in her arms with a book propped up on her desk to make it look like she was studying. I doodled aimlessly on my notebook, already knowing all of the material anyway since the professor only ever recited from the book we¡¯d already read.


    By the end of ss, I could barely keep my eyes open, but I had managed to draw a dragon out of squares. I woke up Anna, waiting for her to gather up her stuff before we headed out. Luckily, this was our only ss today.


    ¡°So, what do you wanna do?¡± Anna asked chipperly as she bounced beside me down the hallway. ¡°We could go to the mall and have a little shopping spree. Or what about that new movie that came out?¡±


    ¡°The zombie movie?¡± I gave her a weird look.


    ¡°Duh. I¡¯ve seen every zombie movie to date. I¡¯m not missing this one,¡± Anna said firmly. ¡°Or we could¡ª¡± She cut herself off, a look of anger shing across her face as she halted in her steps. She red over her shoulder and then said, ¡°Excuse me while I beat some stalker¡¯s ass.¡±


    I barely had time to blink before she yelled out, ¡°Hey, assholes!¡± and took off down the hallway.


    I paled as I noticed exactly who the ¡°stalkers¡± she was referring to were. My two guards, attempting to look casual in T-shirts and jeans, were hovering just down the hall, and both tensed up as Anna chose the shortest one, getting in his face with a snarl.


    ¡°Why the hell are you following us, huh? Think we¡¯re an easy target? Well, think again, asshole!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. You¡¯re imagining things, little girl,¡± my guard said cooly.


    Luckily, he knew who she was and hadn¡¯t brought out his gun. Anna wasn¡¯t a threat, or so I thought.


    Anna¡¯s eyes narrowed at him. ¡°Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t kick you in the groin if you try to follow us!¡± she hollered.


    I ran over. ¡°Hey, hey, It¡¯s not like that, I swear! Anna¡ª¡±


    I tried to pull her away, but she wasn¡¯t budging, squaring up to face the guy fearlessly.


    ¡°Anna, he¡¯s with me!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°What?¡± That snapped her out of it, and she turned to me with a frown. ¡°With you? What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    I nced around us. Dozens of eyes were staring at us. ¡°Not here,¡± I hissed to her quietly, ¡°Come with me.¡± I grabbed her by the wrist, dragging her out of there.


    ¡°What the hell, Cat? You have guys following you now and you didn¡¯t tell me? What the fuck is going on?¡± Anna shouted all the way.


    I sighed, spinning around to face her once we were outside.


    Anna frowned, crossing her arms, and I could see the suspicion and confusion in her eyes. At this point, I knew what I had to do.


    She was too smart to let it go or to believe some lies or half-truths. I had to tell her. She deserved to know anyway.


    ¡°Look, not here, Anna. This conversation deserves a meal and maybe some wine, my treat,¡± I told my best friend with a sigh.


    I only hoped she¡¯d still be my best friend after all this was over.

 Chapter 726 : Face the Music

    <h4>Chapter 726: Chapter 726 : Face the Music</h4>


    *Caterina*


    Daggers could¡¯ve been thrown across the simple wooden table we were sitting at, and it would¡¯ve looked less hostile than Anna¡¯s piercing re. I sat ufortably at the booth we had been directed to, trying to pretend I didn¡¯t notice her eyes on me as I looked over the menu.


    The menu was useless though, and we both knew it since I had it memorized.


    Langers was my favorite restaurant in the whole city, and Anna knew that. Elio still insisted on taking me out to fancy restaurants, which was good, but give me a good pastrami on rye from Langers any day and I would take it.


    This wasn¡¯t really his scene but for Anna and me, it was heaven.


    ¡°What can I get for....¡± The waitress appeared and then her voice trailed off, her smile falling as she nced between my sweating figure tucked in the corner of the booth and Anna, who had blocked all entrances, arms crossed so tightly it looked like she might never get them unstuck again.


    I was sure she could feel the tension between us.


    I sighed, grabbing the menu Anna hadn¡¯t touched on her side and handing them to the waitress with a strained smile. She took them, still looking a bit freaked out.


    ¡°Do you need me to call the police?¡± she whispered slowly.


    I shook my head. ¡°No. She¡¯s my best friend and she¡¯s mad at me.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Like a lightbulb went off in her head, her tense figure immediately rxed, and she sent me a smile. ¡°So, what would you two like to drink? Soft drinks, coffee, juice¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like a cream soda, please,¡± I said calmly, meeting Anna¡¯s eyes and not looking away.


    ¡°Oh! Good choice¡ª¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d like a hard version of the same.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± The waitress nced at me, shocked, and then slowly nodded, backing away at the speed of a snail.


    Anna raised an eyebrow. ¡°So, this is that kind of conversation, is it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said casually, sorting the salt and sugar packets the party before us had mixed up.


    The waitress took off like we were a pack of hyenas ready to tear into her and to be honest, I didn¡¯t me her.


    This was that kind of conversation.


    Once our drinks came, the waitress nervously took our order and then rushed off again. I took a sip of the cream soda, relishing the foamy delicious taste. I could have used a stronger beverage, but one of us had to be fit to drive.


    Finally, though, Anna¡¯s patience wore thin. She mmed her empty ss of on the table, ignoring the looks of the customers nearby, and gave me a re. ¡°So, were those guys hit men?¡± she blurted out. ¡°Is that why you were so secretive about it?¡±


    The absurdity caught me off guard, and theugh spilled from my lips before I could stop it.


    ¡°No.¡± I waved my hand. ¡°You¡¯ve got it all wrong. There¡¯s a lot you don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me already,¡± Anna pouted. ¡°I¡¯m tired of you keeping secrets from me!¡±


    That statement hit me hard because I had yelled the exact same words at Elio, demanding to know what was going on when the people around me only wanted to protect me. I had med them, but here I was doing the exact same thing.


    I sighed and lowered my voice. Luckily, the other people in the restaurant had gone back to their own conversations. ¡°They¡¯re not hit men, and they¡¯re not doing anything illegal.¡±


    I paused, faltering at that point. I was pretty sure they did do a lot of illegal things but following me wasn¡¯t one of them. I shook my head to get back on topic. ¡°Anyway, they¡¯re not hit men but they¡¯re... close?¡±


    ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean?¡± Anna demanded.


    Luckily, she had lowered her voice in response to mine.


    ¡°It¡¯splicated, but here, hold on a minute,¡± I pulled out my phone, opened up my messages, and began to write out absolutely everything in a text... from the beginning to the end, everything that I knew and had figured out.


    I exined about my father and who he¡¯d been involved with, Elio¡¯s true identity, and the ongoing feud with Antonio and Junior¡ªand how that was Paul¡¯s real identity. I practically wrote an essay with everything I crammed in there and I bit my bottom lip, deciding to leave out the part about my own involvement and how much I had wanted revenge personally.


    If she didn¡¯t leave because my boyfriend was the head of the American branch of the Italian mob, then she would because of what I had done to get my revenge. Mom hadn¡¯t even epted that part of me. I didn¡¯t want to guarantee my best friend leaving by including it.


    We had to start slowly.


    I included how Junior¡¯s men may still be after us and that was the reason Elio had assigned bodyguards to me, that if she got involved with me further, she would be in danger as well. I hadn¡¯t worded it like that, not wanting to seem like I was chasing her away, but I needed her to know what she was getting into.


    I didn¡¯t want her to get hurt because I had been keeping her in the dark.


    Nervous but satisfied with the text, I finally sent it just in time for the waitress toe back with refills on our drinks and our food. I wasn¡¯t really hungry, but I anxiously watched Anna¡¯s face as she pulled out her phone and frowned as she opened up the text.


    I could see her eyes moving back and forth, reading intently. They widened the further she scrolled. Her mouth dropped open at some point, and I nervously stuffed fries into my mouth to avoid talking.


    Meanwhile, Anna finally hit the end of the text, staring silently as her shocked expression morphed into a nk one. She slowly and carefully slid her phone face-down onto the table and then nced at the sandwich she had ordered in front of her.


    She ignored it entirely, moving sluggishly as she grabbed her refilled alcoholic cream soda and drank. And she didn¡¯t stop, glugging it down like she had been in a desert without water for seven days.


    It wasn¡¯t until thest bit of foam was down her throat that she finally mmed the mug onto the table, startling the few people near us as they automatically stared at us and with very haunted eyes, looked at me and said roughly and quietly, ¡°So you guys are like a mob family that murders people?¡±


    I reared back in shock.


    Elio¡¯s family, who had been nothing but kind and caring toward me, being a bunch of murderers....


    I paused, staring down at my hands as I really truly thought about it. Murderers¡ªbut wasn¡¯t that exactly what they were sometimes?


    For all of his kindness and harmless appearance now, Elio¡¯s father had once been just as terrifying as any other mobster, hadn¡¯t he? They dealt with shipping illegal substances across the world, did deals with less than reputable people, and most of all, they killed.


    From Tallon¡¯s father, James, to Giovani to Tallon to Alessandro and now Elio, they all had their hands stained in blood. Despite each one¡¯s attempt to get out of the family, the next generation was always pulled back.


    No matter how kind they were to the ones they loved, they ran a business, a cold, cut-throat business, and it was now Elio¡¯s responsibility to keep that going, to carry on the legacy that each Don before him had carried to him.


    I swallowed, realizing this truth like an oversized pill going down my throat. I didn¡¯t want to admit it, but Anna was right. What made Elio any better than the other crime families?


    ¡°It¡¯s different but sort of on the right track,¡± I said solemnly. ¡°Elio... they call themselves a family for a reason.¡±


    ¡°Uh, huh.¡± Anna nodded, twirling with her now useless straw. ¡°Well, that exins a lot, why you¡¯ve been so weird for the past year and why I always got a bad feeling about that asshole, Paul or Junior or whatever his name is. But... why didn¡¯t you tell me this before? I could¡¯ve been there for you and for your mom. You guys are family to me. Do you not trust me?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it!¡± I leaned forward, horrified by the thought. ¡°I trust you more than anybody else in the world, I swear. But you didn¡¯t ask for this, Anna. You shouldn¡¯t have to be involved just because you chose the wrong friend. I didn¡¯t want you to get hurt because of me.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Anna said harshly.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I was taken aback for a second.


    ¡°You¡¯re not excused,¡± she hit back sassily. ¡°You really think I¡¯m going to believe that bullshit? That you didn¡¯t tell me because you didn¡¯t want to involve me, that you didn¡¯t want me to get in trouble? That¡¯s what being a best friend is about! Your trouble is my trouble and furthermore, I chose you to be my best friend and the only one who can tell me I chose wrong is me. Got it?¡±


    She mmed her palm on the table, ring at me like I¡¯d insulted her very being.


    ¡°Anna, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Anna said firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it, because I know you and you¡¯re going to do the heroplex thing, which apparently runs in your family. But I¡¯m telling you right here, right now, I¡¯m not going to listen. You are my best friend, and I am not going to run away because of this. How could you even think¡ª¡±


    She paused, realization dawning on her face, and then she pierced me with an even nastier re if that was possible. I sank lower into my seat, shame hitting me hard as my face lit up like a freshly picked tomato.


    ¡°Caterina Alexandra Leone.¡± She scowled.


    ¡°Not my middle name,¡± I interjected quietly, but I fell silent once she dug her fingernails into the wooden table.


    ¡°Did you really think I¡¯d just abandon you after everything... over this? A little family dysfunction and you suddenly want to go all noble hero on me? Do you really think I would run away? Am I a coward in your eyes? Am I so low that I would abandon my best friend over one little convenience? What the fuck, Cat?¡±


    ¡°Should Ie back?¡±


    We both nced at the waitress holding refills of our drinks, looking like she¡¯d rather be anywhere else as she stared at us, baffled and distressed.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Anna snapped at the same time that I said, ¡°No.¡±


    And the waitress¡¯ face fell even more in dismay.


    ¡°Thank you for the drinks.¡± I gave her an attempt at a smile.


    She winced, nodding as she set down the drinks, turned, and zoomed off before I could say another word.


    Anna huffed, rolling her eyes as she settled down in her seat, sipping on her third drink.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make this clear, Caterina,¡± Anna sneered. ¡°I am going nowhere, and there is nothing you can say or do to drive me away. Understand?¡±


    My eyes watered as my fears were firmly crushed under Anna¡¯s deration, her anger feeling like a warm crackling fire on a winter night¡ªcozy and kind.


    ¡°What did I ever do to deserve you?¡± I gave her a watery smile.


    ¡°You did nothing,¡± she snorted. ¡°I chose you... end of story.¡±


    Then her lips split into a grin, both of us sharing the same bubbling happiness. Despite all my worries, our friendship was still strong and intact.


    We finished lunch, and the relief on the waitress¡¯s face once we asked for the bill made me feel like a horrible person. I threw a hundred dor bill on the table as a tip, one of the few times I didn¡¯t mind taking Elio¡¯s offer of money. This was kind of his fault in a roundabout way.


    Anna talked to me more about Elijah as I took her home and I was happy to listen, just content that there were no more secrets between us.


    We nned to meet for ss tomorrow before I watched her go into her apartment, then I began to pull away. As I did, my phone began to ring.


    The Bluetooth connected to the car lit up showing Elio¡¯s number, and I hit the button on the card to answer it as the radio cut off and Elio¡¯s voice came on.


    ¡°I finally got a report on Elijah.¡±

 Chapter 727 : There’s a Rat

    <h4>Chapter 727: Chapter 727 : There¡¯s a Rat</h4>


    *Elio*


    The other side of the phone went dead silent for half a second, abrupt enough to make me check if the call was still connected or not. Apparently, it was, and I shrugged, letting her gather her thoughts.


    ¡°Well, is he okay or not?¡± Cat snapped out her impatience in a tone that was more than familiar to me.


    I didn¡¯t mind. I understood that she was still very anxious about whether this guy was good or if she had introduced a trap to her best friend. She¡¯d been tricked once, and as angry as it made me, it had made her even warier.


    Junior hadn¡¯t just hurt her. He¡¯d torn her trust in people to shreds.


    Cat was protective of those she loved. I knew that. It was one of the things I loved the most about her, which was why I didn¡¯t take her angry tone to heart.


    ¡°I looked into him, and as far as it looks on the outside, he¡¯s clean,¡± I told her, flipping through the folder I¡¯d received just a few minutes ago. ¡°No criminal activity, no record at all actually. He¡¯s a straight-A student with perfect attendance. Hell, he was even the valedictorian in his high school. We couldn¡¯t dig up a single skeleton. On paper, he¡¯s just a perfectly average Joe.¡±


    And after looking at the guy¡¯s report, I felt a lot better about where he stood with Cat.


    I had nothing to worry about when it came to this Elijah guy, and I was d.


    ¡°So, he¡¯s okay then.¡± She breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Yes, there is no need for me to get involved unless you want me to. I could still handle him if he¡¯s bothering you,¡± I suggested yfully, only half serious.


    If this guy had turned out to be enemy scum, I would¡¯ve personally made sure he never showed up in front of her again. Necessityes in unusual forms, and this one would¡¯vee with a bullet with his name on it.


    But I was happy not to have to go to those extremes.


    Cat ignored my joking. ¡°I¡¯m heading home then. Are you back yet?¡± she asked curiously.


    ¡°Afraid not. I¡¯ve still got some more work to do, but I¡¯ll be home in an hour or so,¡± I said regretfully. Unfortunately, our business was taking longer than usualte tonight, or I would have already been there holding her in my arms.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll see you when you get home then. I love you.¡± Those sweet little words against my ears felt like heaven, and I found myself smiling widely.


    ¡°I love you too.¡±


    The call ended but I sighed, brushing my hair from my eyes as I looked up at the sky above. It was a clear night, stars shining brightly overhead, and maybe it was just how happy I felt hearing Cat¡¯s voice, but all of it felt just a little more beautiful.


    But that beauty didn¡¯tst long.


    ¡°Elio!¡±


    I heard the call from inside the propped-open security door, the warehouse lights overly bright as they drowned out the night sky. I crashed back down to reality like Icarus with burning wings, and my smile dropped off to a grimace as I shoved my phone back into my pocket.


    The few guards standing outside the warehouse nodded at me as I brushed past the smoke from their cigarettes. Butts lined the ground, still half-burning as they crushed them beneath their heels, but I didn¡¯t care.


    Whatever they did was their own business.


    I stepped inside, feeling the heat as we had cut costs on the warehouse buildings by excluding air conditioning. At least for this one, there was no need to have good venttion. The product needed a dry environment, and desert heat was perfect for it.


    I ignored the cheers and groans from the poker table the guys had set up on the first floor and I climbed the rickety metal staircase going to the overseer booth.


    I spotted Leo standing by the window, ring longingly at the poker table and when I entered, Franky was shuffling through the mountain of paperwork that sat on the only good table in this ce.


    I could see why Leo had gotten bored already.


    It was less of a mountain and more like a volcano about the blow, piled high in ways that shouldn¡¯t be possible. It seemed like one small sigh could send it toppling all over the floor.


    ¡°And we found some hits on the security thanks to our helpful asset in the LA police force, but it was minimal at best.¡±


    ¡°Jamie wins again.¡± Leo sighed as I walked in, interrupting Franky.


    Franky sent him an irritated look but caught sight of me and straightened in his chair, pretending like he hadn¡¯t just been fighting a losing battle with dead tree pulp.


    ¡°And why does Jamie win again?¡± I asked, crossing my arms, already irritated.


    ¡°Because he¡¯s got that huge scar across his face. Lost his nerve damage due to that bullet, so nobody can tell when he¡¯s bluffing. Look, he¡¯s got two fives, two fours, and a queen, he should¡¯ve been out rounds ago but he¡¯s winning again cause nobody¡¯s calling his bluffs! He should be banned from poker night, dammit¡ª¡±


    Leo was still ranting when he turned to me and then abruptly fell silent.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to tell Jamie that then,¡± I smirked.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± Leo whimpered, wide-eyed. ¡°He¡¯ll kick my ass.¡±


    ¡°Then he¡¯ll be doing me a favor,¡± Franky interjected, ignoring Leo¡¯s re.


    ¡°Instead of watching poker, do your job, Leo,¡± I said firmly, taking my seat at the table. I turned to Franky. ¡°Continue what you were talking about. Something about the LAPD.¡±


    Franky looked relieved actually as he stopped fiddling with the paperwork, turning in his chair to face me. ¡°We took your suggestion and went to our mole in the LAPD. He got us the security footage from the streets. We didn¡¯t find anything we didn¡¯t know about Teo¡¯s route. There were no cameras in that area, or when there were, they just didn¡¯t work. But we did find an unregistered van that was gged leaving the area.¡±


    ¡°Connected?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°It was bought second-hand from a private dealer. Besides being currently unregistered, its license te is expired. We ran it and a name came up¡ªJames Hammond.¡± Franky smirked. ¡°Nothing suspicious. He¡¯s awyer, good guy, except our mole dug around and found his missing person¡¯s report from ten years ago. It was dropped, but Mr. Hammond has never been seen since.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking he was connected to Antonio, dealt with and they¡¯re reusing the license te?¡± I frowned. ¡°That¡¯s smart.¡±


    ¡°Fits with your theory that Junior isn¡¯t running the shots anymore. He¡¯s got help,¡± Leo frowned. ¡°But why would anybody that smart choose to go against us and Alessandro? We¡¯ve got ties to almost every crime family in Europe now. Dere war and they¡¯re finished.¡±


    ¡°No idea, but lucky for us, that¡¯s not all,¡± Franky grinned, looking happier than I had ever seen them. ¡°These guys were careless. Ran a red light and our friend got us the snapshot. We got a picture of the driver.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Leo grinned. ¡°Score one for the good guys.¡±


    Franky pulled out his phone, unlocking it with his thumbprint before pulling up the photo. It was grainy but the face was perfectly captured the person¡¯s image¡ªa man, in his thirties with a scar under his eye and a very menacing look.


    My mouth went dry.


    ¡°I know him. He was one of the ones who escaped when Cat¡¯s mom was kidnapped,¡± I said.


    His ugly mug was one I wouldn¡¯t forget. I knew I should¡¯ve put a bullet in his back when the coward ran, but I had been too slow.


    Now, it wasing back to bite me once again.


    ¡°Part of Junior¡¯s crew,¡± Franky exined. ¡°Rick Cassin, thirty-five, a very long and detailed rap sheet. Been in and out of prison for minor theft until the idiot got picked up by Junior. He¡¯s off the grid now, so we¡¯ve got nothing on him, but we know for a fact who¡¯s behind this now.¡±


    ¡°Junior and whoever he¡¯s working with,¡± I scowled. I sighed, confirming my worst fears. ¡°This was a hit.¡±


    ¡°They only picked Teo ¡¯cause it was convenient,¡± Leo said, shaking his head with a disgusted look. ¡°He was still fresh here, only getting settled, so they found his routine, stalked him out until he was alone, and then grabbed him. But how did they know he was working for us, or where to find him?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re starting with the lowest-ranked members and working to the highest,¡± I said, as the realization hit me. ¡°That means they know who¡¯s working for us.¡±


    Franky nodded, seeming to have alreadye to the same conclusion.


    ¡°And that means we have a mole,¡± he said roughly.


    ¡°Any idea who?¡± Leo frowned.


    ¡°Not in the slightest,¡± Franky sighed.


    They both turned to me, and I struggled to keep my face neutral, but the idea of us having a mole had cemented itself into my mind.


    I knew it might happen. Alessandro had warned me about the flow of information and how much I should trust the individual men, but....


    It infuriated me to think someone had betrayed us, had gotten Teo killed and thrown everyone around me into danger.


    For what... money, spite? Just for the hell of it?


    I shut my eyes for a moment, breathing out through my nose as I remained calm. Once I was sure I had a stranglehold on my temper, I nced at Franky and Leo coldly.


    ¡°Make sure all of your guys are grouped by the threes at least, preferably more. Nobody goes anywhere alone, and make sure all of our moles and spies are aware. Everyone keeps their eyes peeled but makes sure not to let the idea of a mole spread out. We don¡¯t want to make anybody nervous just yet.¡±


    Franky nodded and I turned to Leo.


    ¡°Gather up the records for everyone we employ, even to the smallest person. Alessandro¡¯s sending another group of men from his side in a couple days. They aren¡¯t involved in this, so have them g anyone even the slightest bit suspicious and tail them. Rotate the surveince so nobody finds out what¡¯s going on. If there are any questions, direct them to me.¡±


    ¡°And what do you define as suspicious?¡± Leo raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°As of this moment, everyone is suspicious,¡± I said firmly.


    I got to my feet, pacing over to the window as I stared down at the enthusiastic game of poker the men were ying. To think one of them had sold us out....


    ¡°Teo was just the beginning,¡± I said grimly. ¡°There¡¯s going to be another hit, so if there¡¯s a rat, we¡¯re going to find him... at any cost.¡±

 Chapter 728 : Worry and Attitude

    <h4>Chapter 728: Chapter 728 : Worry and Attitude</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡°God, where is he?¡± I muttered timidly under my breath.


    Ever since I got home from my lunch with Anna, my mind had been firmly fixated on Elio. Although it was decent enough for him to call me in the middle of his workday, it ended up leaving a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach.


    I was still very much relieved to know that Elijah was no major threat that needed to be dealt with. Just knowing that he was just a basic, average guy took a huge weight off my mind, especially when it came to his budding rtionship with Anna.


    Part of me still couldn¡¯t fathom how well she took the news about my family.


    I felt truly lucky to have someone like her as my best friend, and now I knew I wouldn¡¯t have to concern myself with her wellbeing when it came to Elijah going forward.


    But Elio, on the other hand....


    Something was going on behind the scenes. I could feel it in my gut as he spoke to me earlier. While the conversation didn¡¯t stray too far off the topic of Elijah, I sensed there was a strained hesitation in his voice.


    I didn¡¯t want to push. I knew that when the time was right, Elio would tell me all that was happening with him and the rest of the team. So, I let it go.


    Upon my return home, I tried to bury myself in my schoolwork as a means of distraction. It worked for a good few hours. I¡¯d managed to get pretty far ahead in most of my sses, but that feeling of aplishment dwindled instantly when I turned my head to steal a nce at the time on my phone.


    It felt like a heavy weight of lead settled into my chest. The sun had already sunken well beneath the tree line, and still I hadn¡¯t heard a word from Elio.


    I¡¯d gone ahead to check my phone for any messages or calls I may have missed while I was working before. But there was nothing.


    Part of me knew better than to think that Elio would ever text me about what was going on. He much preferred to talk in-person or call at the very least. I knew he wouldn¡¯t tell me exactly what was going on at work, but why couldn¡¯t he at least give me some detail regarding his whereabouts?


    ¡®Where the hell is he?¡¯ I thought frantically.


    I had an early day the next day, and I wasn¡¯t too keen about going to bed without knowing just where the hell he was. It was surely a mental tick I¡¯d developed over the past few months. I needed to see him. I needed to see that Elio was safe and out of harm¡¯s way.


    There have been times when I¡¯d go almost the entire day without seeing him, and my anxiety would be on the verge of spiraling. Seeing him, or even receiving a mere call from him was always enough to ease my nerves.


    It wasn¡¯t umon for him to workte, but not like this. Dinner had alreadye and gone without a word from him.


    I picked up my phone and sent him a quick message, inquiring about his situation. I fought viciously with myself to not let my mind go to a darker ce.


    ¡®He¡¯s fine,¡¯ I told myself. ¡®He¡¯s probably still with Leo and Francesco dealing with how to track down the people who took one of their guys.¡¯


    Unfortunately, this sort of mental train of thought wasn¡¯t much help to me either. I didn¡¯t like knowing that there was some person, or group of people, that was snatching up Elio¡¯s men like it was nothing¡ªwith no trace nor a single indication as to who was truly behind it all.


    I shook myself from the unpleasant, grizzly thought and nced down at my phone.


    Still nothing.


    ¡°Damnit,¡± I hissed.


    My patience was growing as thin as my ability to remain calm. I hastily pulled up Elio¡¯s number and called him. The line went through several rings before sending me to voicemail.


    I dialed him again... and then again... and again.


    With each missed call, my anxiety rose higher and higher with no chance of stopping. I couldn¡¯t understand why Elio wasn¡¯t answering any of my calls when I knew he kept his phone close to him at all times.


    Yes, I knew I was probably acting paranoid, but it became more and more impossible to believe that everything was, in fact, okay.


    I should have put my phone down. I should have packed up all my books and sswork back into my bag and gone up to my room to take a shower. I needed to calm myself down and have a little bit of faith that there was a logical exnation for Elio¡¯steness.


    I hit the call button onest time.


    It rang twice before I heard the gruff tone of Elio¡¯s voice break through the speaker of my phone. I finally released the long breath I didn¡¯t realize I was withholding.


    ¡°Elio?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked sternly.


    My brows pinched together. ¡°It¡¯s already past nine-thirty,¡± I told him briskly.


    ¡°Yeah, so I¡¯ve noticed,¡± he muttered dryly. ¡°Time has gotten away from me. We¡¯ve been busy here, as you can imagine.¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek and refrained from unleashing my pent-up anger on him.


    ¡°Well, are you nning oning home at all?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Cat,¡± he fired back. ¡°I have absolutely no idea when I¡¯ll be back home, alright? Look, I¡¯m dealing with a lot right now and would really appreciate it if you could cut me some damn ck.¡±


    My mouth fell open inplete shock. What was worse was that my chest went from aching with worry to now aching with anger and vexation.


    This man had just put me through several rings of hell just to make sure that he was okay, and now he proceeded toe back at me with a snapping attitude.


    ¡®Well, fine,¡¯ I decided. ¡®Although my reason for calling was to hopefully find out when he would be home, Elio at the very least let me know that he still had a pulse and was with the others. Screw him.¡¯


    I ended the call without so much as another word.


    Now that I knew he was technically okay, I could try to dissolve my anxiety that I¡¯d allowed to build up for no reason. Apart from feeling stupid for letting myself overreact, I was beginning to feel suffocated.


    The phone buzzed and I nced down to see that Elio was trying to call me back. I swallowed back a scoff and set my phone to ¡®do not disturb.¡¯


    Was I acting immature? I honestly didn¡¯t care at this point. Among everything that had happened as well as the crazy shit that was currently going on, Elio should¡¯ve already known that my intentions wereing from an honest ce.


    And I truly didn¡¯t have it in me to answer his call and listen to his sad-ass excuse for acting like a total prick.


    ¡°If he wants to apologize, then he can very well do it to my face,¡± I said mildly.


    I grabbed my bag and headed toward my mom¡¯s cottage. I knew that the best thing to do was to talk about my feelings out with someone and not try to keep them bottled up because chances were that if Elio came home within the next hour or so, I was going to go off on him.


    Once I made it to my mom¡¯s house, I reached out my arm to knock. A few moments flew by before the front door opened, revealing my mother, who looked as lively and happy as ever. Her smile grew when she saw it was me on the other side of the door.


    She pulled me into a tight hug and kissed my cheek. ¡°Cat? Hey, how are you?¡±


    Just as I opened my mouth to speak, I was interrupted by the sound of someone else calling out for my mother¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Matilde? Is everything alright?¡±


    My brows lifted into my hair in surprise. My mom had a guest....


    The idea felt almost foreign to me, but I was so d that she found it in herself to bask in this type of normalcy.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± I whispered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I had no idea that you hadpany.¡±


    My mom waved it off like it was no big deal. But I knew that it was. The woman had gone through hell and back with her recovery and physical therapy, and she deserved a bit of happiness.


    And I had absolutely no business barging in on it just for the sake of dealing with my own problems.


    ¡°Well, in that case, I¡¯ll let you get back,¡± I said.


    I felt her gaze on me intensify. She narrowed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest.


    ¡°Cat, something¡¯s going on, isn¡¯t it? Why don¡¯t youe in and we can talk about it?¡± she asked.


    My heart swelled with love, knowing that this woman would literally put her ns aside just to check in on how I was doing. But again, I wasn¡¯t going to let that happen. I could see that my mom was just starting to live her life again.


    I gently shook my head and even offered a smile to reassure her.


    ¡°No. No, everything¡¯s okay,¡± I told her. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal, really.¡±


    My mother¡¯s expression remained ever skeptical as I tried to weasel my way out of being dragged into her house, where I knew she¡¯d drill me for answers. I instead told her that we would catch up tomorrow and that she should enjoy the rest of her night.


    I headed back to my ce with the same number of thoughts in my mind as when I first left. When I got up to my room, I spotted Elio waiting for me. My feet stuck to the floor as I stood frozen, staring at him in surprise. He sat on the corner of the bed with his head tilted downward.


    I hadn¡¯t expected to see him for the remainder of the night.


    For a brief moment, I wondered how long he¡¯d been back and sure enough, I went to check my phone to see that he¡¯d left over seven missed calls on my phone during that time.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have taken my frustration out on you,¡± he admitted softly.


    I slowly moved about the room, setting my bag and phone aside so that he had myplete attention.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    He ran a rough hand through his hair and let out a long-defeated sigh. ¡°Franky¡¯s uncovered some video footage of the scene where the car was abandoned. We¡¯ve also managed to locate a van that just so happens to be linked to one of Junior¡¯s men. He¡¯s concluded that whatever the n is on their end, that they seem to be working from the bottom up,¡± he exined. ¡°So, they¡¯re after lower guys first and working their way to the top. And if that wasn¡¯t enough, Franky seems to believe that we could very likely have a mole within our group.¡±


    A sharp gasp slipped through my lips before I could stop it. I couldn¡¯t believe that we already had to worry about there being potential rats within the organization.


    Right as I was about to speak, Elio reached out toce his arms around the back of my legs and pull me into him. He pressed his face into the curve of my neck while my hands lifted to wrap around his shoulders.


    He ced a soft kiss to my skin and the two of us fell swiftly into a much-needed sleep. I embraced the strong feel of his arms around me and tried to forget about the pending threats that were surely getting closer to us.


    I weed sleep with open arms, but all that awaited me once I closed my eyes were grizzly nightmares.

 Chapter 729 : Restless Night

    <h4>Chapter 729: Chapter 729 : Restless Night</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I should have known from the get-go that I wasn¡¯t in for a decent night of sleep. The moment I closed my eyes and felt my exhaustion drag me under, my subconscious was swirling beyond my control.


    If I wasn¡¯t dreaming about Junior and his psycho of a father, then my mind was forcing me to relive the night when I¡¯d almost lost my mom.


    Each time I felt my chest seize up and my lungs burning for air. I shook myself awake, only to fall back into another nightmare of my mind¡¯s nefarious choosing.


    Of course, none of this came as a surprise to me. Certain events in my life were enough to scar even the strongest-willed people.


    What I found honestly shocking was that I didn¡¯t seem to suffer worse from these sorts of dreams. It was surprisingly easy to fall asleep, despite the nightmares that awaited me.


    That night, I didn¡¯t exactly find it surprising that I would have a night like that. Given all that had been going between Elio and his men at work, I wasn¡¯t shocked in the slightest.


    No, not shocked... I was just fucking tired.


    I just couldn¡¯t seem to shake myself out of it. Every time I¡¯d start this vicious cycle, I¡¯d check the time on my phone to see if I was any closer to just foregoing sleep entirely just to get myself ready for sses.


    Unfortunately, the time on the clock was only two-thirty in the morning.


    Damnit.


    It was still far too early for me to begin getting ready. So, against my better judgment and basic interest, I closed my eyes and tried to go back to sleep. At least Elio was still peacefully asleep beside me, which let me know that despite all my restlessness, I hadn¡¯t managed to wake him up.


    ¡°Mm, Cat?¡± Elio mumbled.


    Guilt at waking him went through me as I felt him reach out for me while he continued to keep his eyes closed. Elio slightly lifted his head off the pillow, while the tips of fingers curved around my waist.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.


    I struggled to get myselffortable. I tossed back one of the sheets andid on my side.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I whispered. ¡°I just got too warm is all.¡±


    Elio made a sound that told me he wasn¡¯t entirely convinced with my answer. But God knows I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him what I was really dealing with. I knew that if Elio knew that I asionally suffered from nightmares, he would never let me hear the end of it.


    He wouldn¡¯t make fun of me for it, but he¡¯d likely cast the me on my consistent need for wanting to be involved in his business. All I needed was for Elio to find a real excuse to keep me away from everything, and that would be the end for us working together.


    But luckily enough, he didn¡¯t seem to want to press me about it. I felt his body settle back into the mattress next to me, and I allowed myself to rx.


    I closed my heavy eyes and curled deeper into the bed. I basked in theforting heat that rolled off Elio.


    Due to my exhaustion, it didn¡¯t take long for me to sumb to another dreamscape. Although this time around, it was actually somewhat normal and calm as opposed to hellish and distorted. I felt like I may actually have had a chance to collect up on the time that I¡¯d lost before.


    Of course, then it was interrupted by buzzing.


    I had no idea how much time had gone by since Ist closed my eyes. But my whole body jerked out of its paralyzed state when I heard the shrilling sound of Elio¡¯s phone going off.


    My vision cleared, and I carefully stretched myself to peer over Elio¡¯s muscr form to see who was calling. His phone was on the nightstand, and when I saw the name on the screen, my chest filled with dread. For anyone to be calling him at that ungodly hour was evidence enough that something bad had happened, but Francesco almost certainly brought bad news.


    I reached my hand out to gently shake Elio awake.


    ¡°Elio... Elio, wake up.¡±


    He started to stir, wearing an equally confused expression on his face. I pointed to his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s your phone. Francesco is calling you,¡± I told him.


    That was clearly enough to shake him out of what little sleep was still clinging to him at that moment. Elio sat up and quickly reached for his phone. He spared one nce at me before trying to get up from the bed.


    My nerves jumped to attention, and I scrambled onto my knees. I flung my hand out to grab his arm with the hope of stopping him.


    I didn¡¯t want him to leave the room. I wanted him to stay¡ªI needed him to stay. Whatever Francesco needed to discuss with him, it was imperative to me that Elio knew he didn¡¯t have to face it alone.


    He turned to look at me where I spoke.


    ¡°Stay,¡± I told him earnestly. ¡°Please stay.¡±


    I didn¡¯t care how vulnerable or desperate I sounded. Because, in all truth it was how I felt. Each one of my nightmares had left me feeling weak and slightly shaken.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be quiet,¡± I said promisingly.


    A short moment passed when Elio nodded his head. I hid my giddiness and eased myself back into the mattress while hiding the fact that I also wanted to know what was happening.


    Elio answered the call and slipped back into bed beside me. While I chose to turn over andy back down, he decided to keep himself upright with his back against the headboard.


    I could barely hear bits and pieces of what Francesco was saying to him. Nheless, Elio only decided to respond in one-word answers.


    His expression remained tight and closed off, making it all the more difficult to distinguish what exactly was being discussed.


    ¡°Alright, fine. Yes. I¡¯ll be there tomorrow.¡±


    Elio ended the call without so much as another word. I slowly turned back to face him. My eyes peered up at him expectantly as he stayed pressed and sullen in a deep train of thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut before sinking back down into the bed toy beside me.


    I hesitated to even ask about what was said. I figured when he was ready, Elio would open up and talk. A few minutes went by where I genuinely thought that he was going to stay silent on the matter and possibly fall back asleep. I couldn¡¯t me him if that was the case.


    What we both needed was some serious rest. But really, we both knew that the chance of either one of us getting any sleep rested solely on whether or not he was going to tell me what was going on.


    Elio let out another long sigh and raised his brow.


    ¡°He said they found another body. But it¡¯s not one of his men. It¡¯s one of Alessandro¡¯s men. They killed him in Italy just to bring him here,¡± he said.


    My jaw fell open before I had a chance to stop it.


    ¡°Why? Why would they even do that?¡± I asked incredulously.


    What was the point of killing a man in one ce only to have him relocated to another? Was it meant to send some kind of messed up message? ¡®Seems like a lot of trouble to dump someone in the US when Alessandro could¡¯ve found them in Italy just as easily,¡¯ I thought to myself.


    So, why bring the body here? Maybe it was because it was more imperative that Elio¡¯s men discover the body as opposed to Alessandro... and to go through all the trouble of moving a body for the sake of it being found by someone in particr came off as personal.


    But part of me still couldn¡¯t grasp the connection of why it was one of Alessandro¡¯s men.


    Elio shook his head. ¡°I think Junior wants me to know that this is between us, no matter who gets in the way.¡±


    Oh God. Well, that answered that question.


    Yet regardless of the reason behind it, it was still a terrible business. My heart clenched in my chest with sympathy for Alessandro¡¯s loss.


    I slowly closed what space was left between us and shimmied closer till I was able to rest my head over his chest. Elio was quick to wrap his arms around me once more and enveloped me in a nket of protection.


    I happily melted into him.


    ¡°Whatever happens, we¡¯ll be okay. We¡¯re going to protect each other,¡± he told me firmly.


    I nodded my head in silent agreement. He ced a quick kiss to the top of my head and lulled us both back to a peaceful sleep. I didn¡¯t remember falling asleep or even dreaming again, for that matter.


    All I knew was that the next time I was so abruptly woken up, it was by my own rm on my phone. My eyes slowly blinked open, and I found myself still resting against Elio¡¯s chest.


    I had no desire to move. After the night we¡¯d both endured, getting up felt like torture. I reached for my phone to at least turn off the rm then debated about staying where I was, especially if it meant spending just a few more hours with Elio.


    I had zero doubt that he was in for a just as hectic day as me, which was why I kept wavering on the idea. But ultimately, I decided to get up. I wasn¡¯t too fast or enthusiastic about it, that was for sure. But I did.


    As quietly as possible, I went into the closet to pick out my outfit. I chose a simple dress, paired with a denim jacket.


    I made sure to keep quiet for Elio¡¯s sake as I finished getting ready in the bathroom. I pinned a few parts of my hair back and gave myself a slight brush of blush and some simple mascara.


    Right as I was about to leave the bedroom, I nced over at one of the school notebooks and decided to write something out for Elio once he¡¯d woken up.


    With a smile on my lips, I stole one final look at him before slipping out of the bedroom to get my bag together. Right as I was about to leave, I noticed that I¡¯d received a text message from my mom.


    ¡°If you want to talk today, call me. I have some news for you too.¡±


    My brows drew together with curiosity. I wasn¡¯t quite sure what to make of it, but I knew I¡¯d address it once I had time.

 Chapter 730 : A Call from Overseas

    <h4>Chapter 730: Chapter 730 : A Call from Overseas</h4>


    *Elio*


    I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what it was that woke me up. Ever since that sudden phone call from Franky, my mind had felt like one distorted, foggy mess. The previous night came back to me in clips and fragments. The first time my sleep broke, it was because I thought I felt Cat shifting around in the bed too much for it to be considered nothing.


    She imed that it was because she was too warm, but something in the pit of my stomach knew better. I let it go. I didn¡¯t press for multiple reasons, one being that I knew things were still a bit tense between Cat and me. I felt like shit for the way I treated her on the phone yesterday, and my heart had practically jumped out of my throat when I didn¡¯t find her there when I finally got home.


    It was then that I made a mental note to myself to find a way to make it up to her today. There were a few ideas rolling around in my head, but I knew that business needed toe first.


    And although I was still semi-asleep, I felt and heard Cat rustle around the room to get ready for sses. Had I not been so tired from my previous night¡¯s affairs, I would have easily slid my arm around her waist and tried to convince her to stay back with me.


    As my vision started to clear, I nced around the room before reaching for my phone. There I saw a small folded up piece of paper with Cat¡¯s handwriting scrawled over it.


    I reached out for the paper to see that she¡¯d left me a note. ¡®Off to school, I love you.¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling like aplete fool. It was like whatever straining doubt that had been locked inside of my chest was instantly released. A small part of me thought that maybe Cat would still be holding onto a grudge for my behavior yesterday.


    But maybe that fact that I stayed with her during my call with Franky and that I confided in her was what had softened that tension between us.


    Either way, I was d for it. It gave me that extra bit of energy I needed to get through whatever unsettling business I had to deal with.


    I pulled myself up from the bed and went straight to the closest to gather some clothing. I headed into the bathroom, where I decided on a long, hot shower in hopes that it would wake me up. It wasn¡¯t often that I let myself sleep in. Usually, it left me even more tired than normal, and this time, it even gave me a headache... and considering what went on yesterday, the pain in my head was stronger than usual.


    As the stream of water hit my back, my thoughts drifted toward the information Franky told me over the phone.


    ¡®Another dead body,¡¯ I thought. ¡®It¡¯s bad enough we were struggling to track down the men responsible for Franky¡¯s guy. Now we need to get the details about Alessandro¡¯s man.¡¯


    I didn¡¯t know what to think. From what I could remember, Antonio didn¡¯t have much luck when he was over in Italy. When he realized that no one would have anything to do with his bullshit, it basically forced him to return to the US. But clearly, the same could not be said for Junior.


    That asshole had actually managed to gain some form of traction overseas, or he wouldn¡¯t have been able to send that message to us.


    I remembered Cat asking me why he¡¯d go through that kind of trouble. But I knew why. It was obvious enough. This was Junior trying to send the message that he had the upper hand. It didn¡¯t matter whether it was our men or Alessandro¡¯s, whether it was here or overseas¡ªhe was determined to seek out his own revenge while killing his way to the top.


    I finished getting ready and shot a quick text over to Leo, letting him know that I was on my way over the warehouse. For a brief moment, my eyes wandered down to the note that Cat had left me. I snatched it back up with a second thought and ced it in my back pocket along with my phone.


    I made it to the warehouse to find Leo and Franky¡¯s cars already parked off to the side. As usual, I was greeted by two armed men guarding the door, who each gave me a curt nod while remaining firmly in ce.


    I slipped inside and made my way straight for the center room, where I knew they were waiting on standby.


    ¡°Elio,¡± Leo greeted me.


    Franky nced up from one of the multiple screens and gave me a solemn look of acknowledgment.


    ¡°Has there been any word?¡± I asked.


    Both of them shook their heads.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re here now,¡± Franky said. ¡°We have a calling in from Venice. Alessandro wants to confirm the details with us and pass on any other information he might have on the case.¡±


    I nodded my head and took a seat at the table. Leo tampered with a tablet before cing it in the center of the table. A few momentster, the tablet picked up an iing call using some type of international caller ID.


    Franky answered the call.


    ¡°Hello, Alessandro. We appreciate the call in.¡±


    Whether it was cellr connection or the current circumstances, I wasn¡¯t sure, but Al¡¯s voice sounded throaty and somewhat strained.


    ¡°Francesco,¡± he said. ¡°I take it that everyone else is there with you as well.¡±


    Leo and I briefly chimed in, making him aware of our presence. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Good. Good. It¡¯s important that all of us remain on the same page going forward,¡± he noted. ¡°I take it that there have been no other strange, sudden disappearances since thest time I was informed.¡±


    My eyes wandered over to Franky, who firmly shook his head.


    ¡®Well, that was decent enough at least,¡¯ I thought to myself. ¡®At least his n to pair everyone up into small groups of three has been working so far.¡¯


    I cleared my throat before speaking up.


    ¡°No. No other sudden disappearances have urred as ofte,¡± I told him. ¡°What about on your end? Aside from the one man we¡¯ve discovered here, have any other of your men gone missing?¡±


    ¡°Thankfully, no,¡± Al answered. ¡°But that¡¯s not to say that this little spectacle hasn¡¯t caused quite the stir among the family here.¡±


    I leaned my head back, suppressing a groan of dread while Leo shook his head in frustration. Thest thing we needed was for this to be an international issue.


    ¡°Are we one hundred percent certain that this is the work of Antonio¡¯s bastard son?¡± Franky asked bitterly.


    Alessandro hummed with confirmation.


    ¡°Oh, yes. It¡¯s definitely him.¡± His voice grew thicker with noticeable disdain. ¡°While we¡¯ve kept him at the top of our suspect list, we still made it a point to look into any other possible options. We came up with nothing. No one else holds a severe enough grudge against the Valentino family.¡±


    ¡°What about the Russians? Are they still holding up their side of things over there?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Believe it or not, things have been working out just fine with the Russians. Business has remained peaceful and productive, without any sort ofint or scuff up. The past has very well been forgotten here.¡±


    From what he was telling us, it sounded like our family didn¡¯t have any other major enemies at this time, which only left Junior as the number one suspect.


    ¡°So, Junior really is our guy then,¡± Leo muttered.


    ¡°Undoubtedly.¡± Alessandro went on to exin. ¡°Even if there were those that stood against the family for whatever reason, none of them had the resources to pull off a stunt like this.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t entirely sure how all this information made me feel. Yes, I was d that we could at least put our suspicions to rest on who was behind everything. But it wasn¡¯t like it brought us any closer to find a solution as to how to end it.


    If I¡¯d learned anything through my unfortunate encounters with Junior, it was that the bastard was slick and devious as all hell. Just when we thought we had found a way to end the threat, he managed to slip away at thest moment.


    It infuriated me beyond belief. My hands curled and clenched into tight fists till my knuckles were on the verge of turning white.


    ¡°What can you tell us about the guy he snatched from your team?¡± I prompted.


    ¡°His name was Nolo Oliveri. He wasn¡¯t your high-level guy, but more of a basic bodyguard,¡± he said. ¡°If he wasn¡¯t ced on surveince, then it was normal for him to be assigned to acting as an escort for extra security.¡±


    ¡°What was the case of his disappearance?¡±


    ¡°Much like your man. Oliveri was alone as well at the time of the kidnapping, and there was absolutely no evidence of who took him.¡±


    The weight of rage that was simmering inside of me made me sink further into my chair.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I murmured.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine him striking again so soon, especially since you¡¯ve just discovered the second body. But look, I have my men out searching for Junior, too. We will find him.¡±


    I knew that it was in everyone¡¯s best interest that I try to keep a level head and some sort of positive attitude through this shit storm. But I felt as useless and trapped as a rat in a maze. Every turn I¡¯d make, I was forced to meet another dead end.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, we will,¡± I affirmed.


    ¡°Elio, call me if anything happens. I¡¯ll be in touch.¡± Alessandro ended the call.


    I went on to take several deep breaths in and forced myself to refocus my thoughts. No matter how I tried to see some kind of different angle of this situation, I wasn¡¯t feeling too great about it. What I needed was Cat.


    I swiftly got up from the table. ¡°Leo, I need you to take on this next meeting with our client without me,¡± I told him. ¡°And Franky, as usual, keep me in the loop should anything new be found.¡±


    They both nodded their heads, and I turned back toward the entrance. I was in waiting mode again, and I needed something to distract me from all this. There was only one person in the world who could do that.


    The corner of my mouth curved upward into a knowing smile as I made it out to my car. I was going to surprise Cat at school.


    As soon as I pulled onto her campus, I quickly spotted her car and strategically parked behind it. I nced at my watch and knew that she¡¯d being out of her ss in just a few moments.


    The second I spotted her among the other students, I quickly got out of the car and made my way around to lean against the side.


    By the spaced-out look on her face, she looked purely distracted and nearly walked right past me. But she stopped. Cat blinked back the dazed look in her eyes and suddenly realized who was standing right in front of her. I watched in delirious delight as her features lit up with excitement.


    It really made me wonder if I was ever going to grow tired of seeing her happy.


    No, absolutely not.


    Cat let out an enthusiastic squeal and jumped into my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into a deep-hearted kiss that sent an arousing shiver straight down my spine.


    I hugged her tightly to me and wasted no time returning her passionate kiss until both of us were desperate for air.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asked breathlessly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you enough yesterday. I¡¯m here to make up for that.¡±

 Chapter 731 : Playing in the Office

    <h4>Chapter 731: Chapter 731 : ying in the Office</h4>


    *Caterina*


    My eyes were still wide as saucers as I listened to Elio¡¯s exnation for his sudden appearance at my school.


    A small part of me still felt a tiny bit embarrassed for having almost walked right past him before. But having him standing there was something I hadn¡¯t expected to see, especially with how his schedule had been treating ustely.


    Nheless, I was happily stunned by both his presence and his impable appearance. His sharp, dark colored suit and pants made his devastatingly handsome features pop. God, I knew I would never get tired of how he good he looked dressed up in a nice suit.


    It came as no surprise when he began to catch the attention of several others who were making their way past us.


    I heard their little gasps and muffled words under their breath. They weren¡¯t slick by any means. I should have been a little peeved at their behavior, but who could me them? Elio was, without a doubt, the sexiest man that had probably ever stepped foot on the campus.


    I didn¡¯t need to turn my head to know that they were openly gawking at him like starving dogs who¡¯d just found a bone. I could have easily allowed my jealousy to take over, but the truth of the situation was simple.


    While he stood there, looking edible in every way imaginable, Elio only had eyes for me.


    It was like the rest of the word didn¡¯t even exist. And that was all that I needed.


    Instead of snapping my head around and ring, I did them all one better. I closed the gap between us and looped my arms around his neck. I raised myself up on the tips of my toes and pressed a heated kiss to his lips.


    I loved how easily I was able to lose myself in him. His very scent encapsted me like a protective nket, shielding out everything else around us. Elio was quick to wrap his arms around me and return the hug with equal fervor. He took control of the kiss by wrapping a strong hand through my hair and pulling me impossibly closer.


    He swallowed each of my moans before regrettably pulling himself back.


    His voice was husky and rugged, sending chills up my spine with every word.


    ¡°As much as I could go on kissing you like this, I¡¯m not about to give your entire campus a show of how badly I want to fuck you against the side of this car right now,¡± he said.


    I failed to suppress my giggles. I gave onest quick peck to his lips while nodding my head. I ced a good foot of space between us and tilted my head to the side.


    ¡°So, you said that you wanted to make up for some lost time,¡± I noted.


    Elio nodded his head in confirmation.


    ¡°Well, what did you have in mind?¡±


    A sultry smile curved the corners of his mouth. He said nothing and instead gestured for me to slide into the passenger seat of his car. I swiftly did what I was told, ced my bag down, and grabbed for my seatbelt.


    I could still feel the excitable buzz and flush of my cheeks as I kept my gaze out the window. I wondered where he was taking me for a good few minutes until he pulled into a private looking French-style bistro. The whole front of the ce was covered in dark green vines and had a vintage-looking awning hanging over the doorway.


    I nced at Elio for an exnation. The ce was beautiful and full of charm.


    ¡°Are we eating lunch here?¡± I asked with excitement.


    Elio nced at me and nodded. ¡°I thought we could give it a try. I¡¯ve passed this ce at least a dozen times on my way into work, so I thought it was worth a try. What do you think?¡±


    This ce was, without a doubt, perfect for a romantic dinner out, but it seemed a bit much just for a casual lunch. But I wasn¡¯t going toin... no, not in the slightest.


    I was just happy to have this free time with Elio while I could. There was hardly ever any notice as to when he would receive a call and need to head out to meet either Leo or Francesco.


    Our waiter came around with our drinks and promptly took out our orders. I sipped slowly at my iced tea and heavily debated whether to talk about work. A strong part of me was always determined to stay in the loop.


    I carefully nced around and cautiously leaned over the edge of the table. ¡°Has there been any other word today regarding... work?¡± I asked.


    Elio¡¯s expression fell just a tad. I could tell from the sullen look in his eyes that he felt deeply frustrated and borderline antsy about how things were going.


    ¡°Nothing yet,¡± he answered. ¡°We¡¯re still working the same leads to see if they bring us any closer to what¡¯s really been going on.¡±


    I nodded my head and graciously changed the subject to get both of our minds off of work for the time being. I spoke about a few of my sses and some assignments that I hading up. Elio went on to tell me about one of the office developments he and Leo had just finished building.


    ¡°Would you be interested in seeing the ce after this?¡± he asked with a devious smile.


    I didn¡¯t miss the suggestive tone in his voice. Right as I was about to question him further, the waiter came back with our food.


    Our lunch was delicious, and I was more than happy to tell Elio that we should make it a point toe back more often in the future. He readily agreed, but I could tell was eager to pull me from the restaurant.


    We headed straight toward the office building he¡¯d mentioned before and barely spoke a word on the way there.


    From what little I knew about working in real estate, the high-rise building appeared to be in a decent enough area. There was a good amount of traffic flow, and the road didn¡¯t seem to be too congested. It was also ced among a small cluster of othermercial buildings and restaurants. The space looked like it was every upstartpany¡¯s dream location.


    Elio pulled the car into the lot, and we headed inside. ¡°It¡¯s newly finished but hasn¡¯t been leased yet.¡±


    As expected, the ce waspletely empty as I poked my head out of the elevator and scanned the ce for any other signs of life. I wasn¡¯t sure why, but being there felt kind of wrong. I wasn¡¯t a potential tenant, so it didn¡¯t seem right that someone like me was in this restricted area, even though I was with Elio.


    Nevertheless, I had to admit, the ce looked really nice. I stepped further into what would likely be used as the main conference room and gaped at the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the walls. My jaw wentpletely ck at the incredible view of the ocean thaty just beyond therge ss windows.


    I felt Elio¡¯s eyes burn into me the entire time I looked around.


    I didn¡¯t bother checking out any other part of the office. I¡¯d be far too invested in the view.


    Several rows of goosebumps flooded over my skin as Elio¡¯s rugged voice came crashing through the silence. ¡°So, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a lovely ce,¡± I told him.


    He hummed in agreement and proceeded to move closer till he was at my side.


    ¡°Leo feels the same way, but I just can¡¯t seem to figure out what exactly the selling point of this space is in order to attract potential tenants,¡± he exined.


    I let out scoff and turned to meet his yful gaze. ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t be in real estate if that¡¯s the case, babe.¡±


    Elio tilted his head back and chuckled. ¡°No, of course I know the view is breathtaking.¡±


    My brows drew together while an amused smile took hold of my lips.


    I raised a brow with mocking suspicion. ¡°Why pretend you don¡¯t then?¡±


    Elio slid further behind me and began kissing the curve of my neck. I felt him grinning against my heated skin as he spoke.


    ¡°I thought if I said let¡¯s go fuck in an office building with a great view, you might not agree.¡±


    The muscles in my stomach tightened with heated arousal that spread down to my very core. God, he felt so good. He continued to kiss and nip at my neck until it left me practically keening. I turned on my heels to face him and pulled him in for a deeper kiss.


    ¡°You showed up at school to surprise me, dressed in a suit¡ªwhich I love and find incredibly sexy. You could¡¯ve said that. I¡¯m more than happy to fuck right here.¡±


    In that very moment, the air was knocked from my lungs as Elio pushed me up against the ss.


    ¡°What about right here?¡± he asked against my lip.


    I ran the tip of my tongue along his lower lip. ¡°You can take me anywhere.¡±


    Elio wasted no time. He did away with my clothes so fast that I didn¡¯t have time to properly react to the fact that I was now standing utterly naked in an office building, standing directly in front of a window.


    My face broke out into a bashful blush, but Elio didn¡¯t give me a single moment to rethink our actions.


    And I was thankful for that.


    Because had I possessed even an ounce of rity, I wasn¡¯t sure I would have had the courage. Yet, Elio did away with his own clothing before dropping to his knees.


    He slid a warm hand between my legs and eased my thighs apart.


    My eyes rolled to the back of my head as his mouth covered my mound. His tongue slid through my slick folds and pressed directly against my swollen clit.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± I cried out weakly.


    ¡°Mm, I love how you¡¯re always so wet for me.¡±


    I felt my body begin to sway. I struggled to find my bnce as I reached my hands out only to have them pressed against the cool ss of the window. While Elio directed most of his attention to my ache between my thighs, he snaked a single hand up the front of my body to cup my breasts. He rolled his thumb over the stiffened peaks of my nipples.


    Good God, he yed my body like an instrument, and I loved every second of it.


    Just when I was starting to feel the euphoric heat pool beneath my stomach, he stood from the floor and forced me to turn around.


    ¡°Press your hands against the window,¡± he instructed sternly. He nipped at the shell of my ear. ¡°Don¡¯t let them drop. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I hissed.


    I felt the head of his hardened length press into my soaked entrance. Elio sunk all the way inside of me, leaving me breathless and panting for more.


    ¡°Fuck, Cat,¡± he groaned. ¡°Look how you¡¯re letting me fuck you out in the open like this. You¡¯re so beautiful, so perfect for me.¡±


    Something about us having sex in such an open space caused a spike of exhration to rush through me. His strokes grew deeper and faster in carnal need.


    My body rocked instinctively back into him, goading him to ruin me. He brought his hands from my waist up to my chest, where he palmed both my breasts and used them as greater leverage.


    ¡°Ah! Elio! Oh, my God! F-fuck!¡±


    He¡¯d found that perfect hidden spot within me and continued to relentlessly hit it.


    Our movements grew frantic, and my vision started to blur. Another strong thrust from Elio and my body was thrown over the edge. I shook and spasmed with such intensity that my limbs gave out.


    Thest thing I recalled was feeling his arms curled around me and holding me close.

 Chapter 732 : Another Player

    <h4>Chapter 732: Chapter 732 : Another yer</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡®This woman will never cease to amaze me,¡¯ I thought mindlessly.


    Cat and I were back in the car, presently heading home as though nothing significant had just happened. And while I fixed my eyes strictly on the road, my mind kept wandering back to our little escapade in the empty office space.


    Both the feel of her soft skin and the sweet sounds of her wanton moans were still very fresh in my mind. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that parts of her body were now covered in small marks from how tightly I¡¯d held onto her.


    Taking her from behind, pressed up against that ss window, caused me to lose what little sanity I had left. It was raw, unhinged, and utterly animalistic.


    And the fact that it happened within a public setting where literally anyone could have discovered us only added to the pure carnality that was absolute perfection.


    God only knew how either of us managed to walk out of that building with a straight face, having left each otherpletely exhausted and debauched. It was by no means considered a walk of shame, but rather one of excessive pride.


    Knowing that I was the one who got to bring Caterina so much pleasure and make her fall apart was a joy that I took great pride in.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling like a total nutcase. To say I was smug as all hell was, indeed, an understatement.


    There were no words to describe how much I loved Cat. Her passion and continuous devotion to me and the people she cared for never stopped. And just when I thought I had her all figured out, she¡¯d proceed to astonish me and leave me awe-struck.


    I adored how adventurous she could be and how open she was to experimenting with new things with me. Part of me wasn¡¯t entirely sure how Cat would respond to having sex in some ce other than our home, especially a ce that was very much essible to others.


    There was, of course, the possibility of her saying no. And thest thing I ever wanted to do was make her feel ufortable. Yet her body responded beautifully to my lustful intentions, and I couldn¡¯t have been happier.


    Her blissed-out moans echoed in the back of my mind like music. The way her body arched, the gentle sway of her breasts, and the agonizingly sweet way she wrapped around my cock through every merciless thrust left me wanting more.


    Jesus Christ, it was beyond the sexiest thing I¡¯d ever seen. I¡¯d never be tired from it. It was an easy addiction that I would never seek help for.


    I unconsciously found myself reaching over to rest my hand over the top of Cat¡¯s thigh. I felt her slightly tense beneath my touch before melting further into my hand. The corner of her mouth curved upward into a knowing smirk, and I certainly didn¡¯t miss the adorable flush that touched her cheeks.


    I felt amazing, and it was no mystery that she felt the same.


    Unfortunately, our unspoken moment was rudely interrupted by the sound of my phone going off. A secondter Alessandro¡¯s name popped up in the main dashboard. My stomach coiled with anticipation, and I turned my head to nce at Cat. I gestured with my finger pressed to my mouth for her to keep quiet while I took the call.


    She nodded her head and I hit the answer button.


    ¡°Alessandro?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Elio.¡± His voice sounded strained and worn. ¡°Are you alone?¡±


    I shot a quick nce over at Cat. ¡°Yes,¡± I answered.


    Part of me was not prepared for the information that he was about to dump on me. Both my nerves and my muscles clenched with regret for the fact that Cat had to deal with this business.


    ¡°We¡¯ve managed to locate Junior,¡± Al said tightly.


    Cat¡¯s eyes widened with uneasiness.


    ¡°The bastard somehow found his way back into Italy,¡± he continued. ¡°We¡¯re not sure for how long, but it seems like the little shit has be quite the reclusetely.¡±


    Both my hands gripped the steering wheel as a means of keeping my anger under control. I fought to keep my cool while also keeping a sharp eye out on the cars around me. Just hearing that asshole¡¯s name made my knuckles turn white and my jaw clench with unbridled anger.


    Honestly, I should have been d that at least something hade up about the slippery shithead. He¡¯d remained elusive for months without so much as a single indicator as to where he could have gone.


    At least now we had some kind of idea of his whereabouts.


    I took in a deep breath and kept my tone as leveled as possible.


    ¡°Has anything been done to deal with him?¡±


    ¡°Not as of yet,¡± he said dully. ¡°It seems that apart from turning into a hermit, he¡¯s got constant armed guards around him, many armed guards.¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek and swallowed back an inpatient snarl.


    ¡®Yeah, that fucking figures,¡¯ I thought angrily. ¡®We finally sniff out the guy and now he¡¯s made himselfpletely untouchable.¡¯


    ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that nothing can be done.¡±


    Alessandro let out a long sigh of frustration through the speaker. ¡°As of right now, no. It¡¯s not worth making a move on him when I know I¡¯m easily going to lose many of my men in the process.¡±


    Well, shit. I couldn¡¯t very well nag on him for that reason now. Of course, he wasn¡¯t willing to put the lives of his men at risk, and nor should he feel obligated to.


    When Junior had slipped through our hands all those months ago, I¡¯d lived with the constant belief that it was my fault he¡¯d gotten away. Now that we actually had eyes on him, there was no likely chance of finally finishing what we¡¯d started all those months ago.


    ¡°I understand,¡± I told him.


    ¡°We won¡¯t make any physical move against him, but we are going to keep a close eye on him, without a doubt.¡±


    It sounded as though there was a bit more that Alessandro needed to say, yet he¡¯d fallen quiet. It wasn¡¯t often that Al was ever rendered silent. That usually meant there was more bad news that needed to be said.


    ¡®Lovely,¡¯ I said to myself. ¡®So much for my fantastic day out with Cat.¡¯


    A long pause passed before either one of us spoke.


    ¡°What is it, Al?¡± I prompted. ¡°What else do you need to tell me?¡±


    A solemn chuckle reverberated through the speakers.


    ¡°Ah, you know me all too well,¡± he said. ¡°But, yeah, there is something else that you need to know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, let me have it.¡±


    Another short pause went by, and I felt Cat rest her hand over my forearm.


    ¡°While Junior still stands as our number one priority, it¡¯s important you know that there¡¯s another yer in this game.¡±


    My brows snatched together in disbelief. Someone else?


    ¡°Who?¡± I questioned sharply.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have an actual name at this time,¡± he exined. ¡°But what we do know is that he goes by an alias¡ªthe Ghost. And as far as we¡¯re aware, he¡¯sst been spotted in America.¡±


    I was not impressed, nor was I able to understand the role this person yed in all of this. What made him so specialpared to other dangerous men we¡¯d been dealing with?


    ¡°So, what¡¯s this person¡¯s deal?¡±


    Why did they call him the Ghost? Was it because they¡¯ve kept their identity hidden by keeping their face covered? Or was it maybe because the guy was considered to be untraceable?


    ¡®No, that can¡¯t be the case,¡¯ I debated. ¡®If this person was truly untraceable, then Alessandro would have no idea that he was in the States right now.¡¯


    ¡°The Ghost specializes in kidnapping people and making it appear as if the victim merely walked away on their own ord.¡± Al scoffed with indignation.


    I practically swerved the car off the road with merely a few seconds to catch my mistake. My stomach jumped into my chest as my hands on the wheel grew inexplicably tighter. The pain in my fingers was almost enough to make me overlook the pinching feeling of Cat¡¯s nails digging into my arm.


    I didn¡¯t dare nce at her. I already knew that she was feeling the same unsettling sensation of dread as I was.


    ¡°So, what you¡¯re telling me is that we¡¯ve got another psycho that¡¯s impossible to catch,¡± I muttered under my breath.


    Al scoffed with indignation. ¡°This person is only known to people like us. The police and other authorities have never even heard of them.¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s got to be the one killing these men then, right?¡± I inquired.


    As if the conversation couldn¡¯t get any worse, Al proved me wrong once more.


    ¡°It¡¯s very likely,¡± he stated. ¡°Because he¡¯s never made it on the authorities¡¯ most wanted list, he¡¯s been able to slip back and forth between countries with ease. But listen, I¡¯ve got Franky working on this too, but it hasn¡¯t been easy.¡±


    I shook my head incredulously. ¡°I bet. Do we have any idea how long this person has been hiding behind the scenes?¡±


    ¡°The Ghost has been killing people for over twenty years. Look, if we can bring him down, it would be a huge win for us.¡±


    I agreed with Alessandro, who ended our call with a few words of encouragement. But something in the pit of my gut was telling me that I needed a whole lot more than just basic encouragement. What we needed was a fucking miracle.


    Even though the information wasn¡¯t positive in any way, it was still important to know going forward. I hesitated to nce at Cat. She had eased her nails out of my arm a little while ago and remained silent beside me until we finally pulled into the driveway of our home.


    ¡°Well, seems we know who¡¯s killing our men now,¡± she said softly.


    Our¡ªshe¡¯d said ¡®our men.¡¯


    I quickly turned to face her and was met with a genuine look of solid stability. My chest instantly filled with an overwhelming wave ofpassion and security, knowing that none of what Al said was enough to scare her off.


    It was times like that when I knew that Cat was truly all in. She¡¯d proven her dedication and devotion in small ways like this, and I found it to be incredibly touching as well as sexy.


    She grabbed her bag and stepped out of the car. Cat turned back to face me and smiled.


    ¡°I know you have to go, but don¡¯t be out all night again,¡± she said.


    The corner of my mouth pulled back into a suggestive smirk.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be home soon. I have more ns for you.¡±

 Chapter 733 : Mom’s Got a Date

    <h4>Chapter 733: Chapter 733 : Mom¡¯s Got a Date</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I carefully watched as Elio¡¯s car pulled out of the driveway just as I¡¯d gotten out with my bag on my shoulder. I gave him onest reassuring smile before turning to head inside.


    He told me that he had ns for me....


    I wasn¡¯tpletely sure what that entailed, but from the suggestive look he gave me, my insides fluttered with interest at all the possibilities. I was desperate to hold onto that wondrous and desirable feeling for as long as I could.


    But in the meantime, I was left to my own thoughts and feelings. I was d to have the chance to spend some real time with Elio before he¡¯d gotten sucked back into work, though the danger that surrounded everyone felt like it was circling in on us.


    God, how I wished I were better at hiding my emotions like him. I couldn¡¯t even begin to understand how Elio was able to bury his emotions for the time being and go about his business as though nothing major had just happened.


    Once again, I had managed to witness yet another private conversation regarding Elio¡¯s work. And this time it was with Alessandro. I didn¡¯t fully know what to expect to hear when Elio answered the iing call. The moment I saw the man¡¯s name pop up on the dash, my stomach had instantly flipped, and my heart mmed against my rib cage.


    It was as though I was afraid of Alessandro, but I was more disturbed with what he needed to say to Elio. Of course, there was the naive part of me that would always hope that the man would one day call with positive news rather than bad.


    But today was not one of those days, it seemed.


    In fact, this particr conversation had taken a turn for the absolute worse. Just when we thought that it was Juniormitting these murders single-handedly, we discovered that there was another person involved.


    ¡°The Ghost,¡± I whispered under my breath.


    To say his self-given name was not as painful as it was to think about the damage he had caused. It was unearthly disturbing to think that this person was capable of kidnapping people and making it appear as though they¡¯d walked away of their own volition.


    ¡®Who would be next?¡¯ I thought worriedly.


    The Ghost had already proven himself capable of taking down two full grown men, men who were trained experts in how to fight and defend themselves.


    I let out a humorlessugh and made my way up to the bedroom. I ced my school bag down and fought to gather my thoughts. I¡¯d decided to tackle what little ss work I hadter and debated about reaching out to Anna as a means of help clearing my head.


    Now that I had brought her in on the truth of my family¡¯s background, it finally gave me a chance to actually speak openly with her and not have to mask thenguage that I used anymore. Just as I was reaching out for my phone, I felt an intense wave of hesitation.


    Anna knew the truth of our reality, but that didn¡¯t mean that I had to burden her with problems that had nothing to do with her. As much as it pained me to think about it, it was true.


    What good would it do if I were to drag Anna into what had been happening? The way I was beginning to see it, I¡¯d only be putting her at an even greater risk.


    No. I couldn¡¯t tell her about what had been going on.


    Well, if not Anna, then my mind immediately fell to the next possible person¡ªmy mom.


    My eyes widened as a sudden thought came to the forefront of my mind. I¡¯dpletely forgotten about the text she¡¯d sent this morning. Quickly, I reached for my phone in my bag and pulled up the message.


    ¡®If you want to talk today, call me. I have some news for you too.¡¯


    Shit. I had meant to at least text her back earlier, but I was already runningte to my first ss at the time. I pressed to send her a call and waited for her to pick up.


    A few rings went by before I heard the soft tone of her voice.


    ¡°Hello? Cat?¡±


    She sounded a bit preupied, but I thought nothing of it. I had very likely caught her in the middle of doing something.


    ¡°Hey! Yeah, it¡¯s me,¡± Iughed. ¡°I just wanted to reach out because of your message from this morning. I¡¯m sorry, I meant to reply but got caught up with needing to rush to school.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± she said reassuringly. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been busy with your ssestely.¡±


    ¡°Well, are you home now? Would it be okay if I came by now?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s okay. But I will say that I¡¯m getting ready to head out very soon.¡±


    I told my mom not to worry and that I would be right over. When I got to her cottage, I gave a knock and waited for her to answer the door. Right as it opened, my brows lifted into my hair as I stared openly at my mother¡¯s choice of attire.


    She wore a dark purple dress with a pair of brown leather boots and golden hooped earrings. Her makeup was light, and her hair looked freshly curled and sprayed.


    This was the look of a woman who was just about ready to go out on a date.


    Whatever worry and tension I¡¯d been harboring in my chest from earlier had fizzled off for the time being because all that I felt was a pure sense of excitement.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± I eximed.


    My mother¡¯s cheeks flushed while a sheepish smile took hold of her lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± sheughed. ¡°What do you think? Is it too much?¡±


    I gave her an affronted look as if she¡¯d just insulted me. My brows pulled together in confusion as I nted my hands on my hips.


    ¡°Oh, please tell me you¡¯re joking,¡± I gaped. ¡°Mom, you look amazing! How could you possibly have any doubts about that?¡±


    She slowly shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°It¡¯s just that it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve put myself out there, you know?¡±


    I nodded my head in understanding. ¡°So, is this the news you had for me?¡± I asked, motioning to her outfit.


    Another blush touched her cheeks. ¡°I actually met a man during my physical therapy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. So, was he like another patient receiving medical care too? Or....¡±


    A bashful smile curved her lips.


    ¡°He is actually a doctor at the facility I used to go to. When I would go in for my appointments, he and I would often end up chatting for longer than expected. I mean, technically I was never under his care in the first ce, but we kept running into each other at the facility. Now that I¡¯m no longer going to that ce anymore for further treatments, he and I are officially allowed to see each other.¡±


    Oh. my God, finally some good freaking news....


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling like a total mad woman. I couldn¡¯t help it. I was so excited for her.


    If anyone deserved happiness, it was her, especially after going through such a hellish ordeal.


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± I told her warmly.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re really not bothered by this?¡± she asked with a tilt of her head.


    I shook my head and slid off the barstool. I closed the space between us and wrapped her in a loving hug.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not bothered by this,¡± I said. ¡°You, more than anyone, deserve to go out and meet new people. I know you loved Dad. But I seriously think that he would still want you to find happiness, even if it were with someone else.¡±


    Her voice grew hushed. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°So... when exactly do I get the chance to meet this doctor of yours?¡± I hummed with amusement.


    My mom and I shared a much-neededugh to the point where she needed to check on her eyeliner and mascara.


    ¡°He¡¯s actually on his way over here now,¡± she told me.


    I gave her a devious smile and rolled my eyebrow. ¡°Oh, so I can meet him then?¡± I asked teasingly.


    I let out another shrillingugh when I watched my mother¡¯s eyes grow wide. Of course, I would never put that kind of pressure on my mother, especially not on the first date she had with this guy.


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding,¡± I assured her. ¡°But really, Mom, I¡¯m very happy for you. Maybeter you could send me a picture of him.¡±


    My mom returned my smile and graciously agreed to send me a picture. She told me that his name was Charles and that he was quite handsome.


    I decided I wouldn¡¯t steal any more of her time getting ready. As I made my way back over to the door, I felt my mom¡¯s hand rest on my shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, before you head out,¡± she started. I turned back to face her. ¡°Last night, when you came by here, you seemed a little off.¡±


    My body went stiff for a brief second. ¡°Oh, um... yeah, everything¡¯s okay.¡±


    Her expression shifted into something resembling doubt. Her tone grew stern with parental authority.


    ¡°Cat.¡±


    ¡°No, seriously, everything¡¯s okay,¡± I said. ¡°The reason I came by before was because Elio and I had a bit of a small fight. Kind of... I mean it was over the phone and it was over nothing serious.¡±


    My mother¡¯s firm disposition seemed to slightly loosen up.


    ¡°Oh, but the two of you are alright now, aren¡¯t you?¡± she questioned.


    I lifted my hand and waved off the concern in her voice.


    ¡°Yeah. He and I talked it out once he finally got home from work,¡± I snorted. ¡°That was actually what our argument was about, if you could believe it. It was gettingte, and Elio failed to tell me that he was still working, so I ended up waiting around and making myself worry sick.¡±


    My mom grinned and nodded her head with sympathy.


    ¡°Oh, believe me. I¡¯d lost count of the number of times your father would keep me up waiting for him toe back home. He¡¯d roll in at all ungodly hours during the night. It drove me nuts.¡±


    I let out a long sigh. ¡°Exactly. I was worried out of my mind, so I tried calling him just to see if everything was okay.¡±


    ¡°And let me guess... he snapped at you,¡± shemented.


    I felt my face heat up from the blush that touched my cheeks. ¡°Y-yeah. But, like I said, everything is okay now.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. Now, is there anything else that¡¯s going on?¡±


    I hesitated for a few good seconds before ultimately shaking my head and leaving my mother to her date. There was no way in hell I was going to tell her what was going on, not then.


    As I made it back to my ce, I heard my phone go off and nced down to see that it was another text from my mom. Apparently, Charles had arrived, and he was okay with my mother telling me all about their dateter on.


    The edges of my mouth bent into a warm smile. Upon getting home, I was shocked to find Elio already there waiting for me.


    ¡°You really did mean soon.¡±


    Elio gave me a devilish smile and raised a suggestive brow. ¡°I told you I had ns for you.¡±

 Chapter 734 : Unexpected Plans

    <h4>Chapter 734: Chapter 734 : Unexpected ns</h4>


    *Caterina*


    ¡°I told you I had ns for you,¡± Elio breathed.


    His voice sent several dozens of shivers and goosebumps all across my skin. The muscles of my stomach clenched with a racing excitement that traveled throughout my body.


    It brought tantalizing visions of our time together back in that vacant office building to the forefront of my mind. The way Elio gripped my hips while mming into me with such wild abandon forced me to suppress a small moan. He¡¯d reached parts of me so deeply that I didn¡¯t even think it was possible. I knew, without a single moment¡¯s doubt, that I would never grow tired of it.


    He kept pulling me to bigger heights. The moments grew riskier, and the pleasure always became more intense.


    ¡®We literally fucked in an office where anyone could have walked in on us,¡¯ I thought to myself. ¡®And if that weren¡¯t enough, we¡¯d done it right in front of a damn window!¡¯


    I¡¯d never done something so reckless, so undeniably exciting that it still proceeded to spark my arousal.


    I felt my cheeks flush a deep shade of pink as the ache between my thighs grew stronger. I wanted him again. Any which way he had in mind, I was ready and willing to go. All he had to do was say the word and I was all his.


    I knew that kind of mentality was dangerous. But God, I couldn¡¯t help it.


    Elio made me weak, and I was okay with that. Every basic instinct in my body knew that I could trust him. If there came a time where I felt like letting go for a little while, I knew that he would take care of everything. Like right now... all Elio did was stand there, and my underwear was practically soaked.


    I wanted to tear my clothes off and have him take me however the hell he wanted.


    Elio¡¯s eyes pierced with a mixture of lust and something else I couldn¡¯t quite make out. The second he began to move closer to me, every nerve ending in my body started to hum with excitement.


    He came to stand just a foot away, and my heart jumped in my chest as I watched him reach out his arm to me.


    ¡°Here,¡± he said.


    My brows pulled together in confusion while my gaze shifted from him to what he was holding out to me¡ªa file folder.


    Of all the possible things this man could have presented to me, this was truly one of the furthest things from my mind.


    Slowly, I lifted my head back to nce at Elio with a questionable look.


    ¡°Uh... what¡¯s this?¡± I asked hesitantly.


    Why on earth was he giving me a folder?


    A dozen questions yed through my mind as I did nothing more but continue to stare at the folder. Meanwhile, Elio chuckled and pushed the thick file into my hands.


    ¡°I need your help,¡± he told me softly.


    I pushed my wandering thoughts aside and gave him my full attention.


    ¡°You know that at times it can be difficult for me to want to let you in on certain matters,¡± he said.


    I nodded as he went on.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve learned time and time again that it isn¡¯t always fair, and it sort of defeats the purpose of us protecting one another.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said affirmingly.


    I didn¡¯t know where he was going with this. It wasn¡¯t often that Elio spoke about our ces within the morally gray, double life we lived.


    My shoulders sagged back in astonishment. Here I thought this man was suggesting sex for half the day, only for this whole situation to be referring to work.


    I was a bit disappointed. My body was running on an imaginable lust high, and I felt like I was finally crashing down from it.


    But I wasn¡¯t about to stop him. Regardless of the folder¡¯s contents, just having him hand it to me was enough to tell me that Elio trusted me. He¡¯d just started taking phone calls with me still in the close vicinity, and that in itself was a big step.


    ¡°So, are you going to tell me what¡¯s in the folder then?¡± I asked teasingly.


    The corner of my Elio¡¯s mouth pulled back into a knowing smirk.


    ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s difficult for me to let you be brought in on certain matters. I don¡¯t like seeing you in the middle of a shootout or, hell, even having your presence at the warehouse.¡±


    I opened my mouth to speak but he swiftly cut me off by raising up a single finger. My breath caught in my lungs while the words stumbled in my throat.


    ¡°I¡¯m still slowlying around to the idea of epting your willingness to be involved. What you need to understand is that this is not something that is easy for me to do, especially now with Junior, his men, and this fucked up third party we knew nothing about.¡±


    Again, I found myself nodding my head at his words.


    ¡°I understand. Really, Elio, I do.¡± I told him earnestly, ¡°I know you¡¯ve never been too crazy about the idea of me getting myself involved in all of this. At first, I did it to seek justice for the death of my dad. But one thing led to another, and I quickly realized that bringing down Antonio just wasn¡¯t enough. As long as Junior still walks the earth as a free man, I can¡¯t simply sit back and do nothing. When you epted the title Alessandro gave you, I knew that it meant a major change for both of us.¡±


    He crossed his arms over his broad chest and gently nodded his head.


    ¡°And believe me, I¡¯m fully aware of the thoughts that he and Francesco have about me looking to stay in the inner circle of the business, alright?¡±


    I could tell from the way Elio attempted to cover his face with his hand that he was fighting to suppress a smile.


    He quickly cleared his throat. ¡°They both think it¡¯s admirable for wanting to stick close to me through all of it, but no. You¡¯re not wrong about them, that they don¡¯t want to take your position in all of this seriously,¡± he exined.


    Elio let out a long breath.


    ¡°But... neither one of them knows you the way that I do.¡± His chin jutted toward the folder in my hands. ¡°I need your help. And I¡¯m more than happy to have you involved, as long as it means you¡¯re staying behind the scenes.¡±


    He was right. No one needed to know how much I was involved.


    For a moment, I directed my attention down to the folder and flipped the cover open. From a quick second¡¯s nce, it looked like it was filled with job applications for a restaurant.


    ¡°Would you be willing to search through these applications and find someone you think could be a good employee?¡± Elio asked. ¡°We need some that we can bring into both worlds.¡±


    I instantly snapped the folder shut and rushed up to hug him. I couldn¡¯t help myself. I was so shocked yet so touched by his request. Careful not to spill all the papers within, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pulled him in close. I felt the tingling vibrations of Elio¡¯sughter through his chest.


    ¡°So, is that a yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I would love to help you do this!¡± I eximed.


    I tilted my head back and ced a chaste kiss on his lips. From there, I quickly took a step back before the kiss turned into something more. Now that I¡¯d managed to set aside my burning arousal, I wasn¡¯t about to let it get the better of me now that I had something more pressing to deal with.


    ¡°Thank you for trusting me and for giving me something that I could do like this,¡± I said.


    Elio gave me a warm smile before I broke away to really begin to get to work. I rushed up to the bedroom to grab myptop beforeing back down the stairs to set up a self-made workstation in the living room.


    I flipped the folder back open and started with the first application. I felt myself slip into serious research mode beyond that point.


    I didn¡¯t even know what became of Elio once I really started getting into the work in front of me. There had to have been at least a dozen applications, and Elio had even attached their criminal history as well as their family background.


    While I carefully scanned through each of the sections, I came to the realization rather quickly that these weren¡¯t typical job applications. They not only wanted to know about the person¡¯s previous work experiences, but they also contained a particr section that wasbeled as ¡®special skills.¡¯ And that clearly didn¡¯t meanputer expertise,munications, or even something involving time management.


    Many of the ¡®special¡¯ skills that I¡¯de across involved things like forgery, theft, cyber-hacking, and even weaponry preference.


    No one in their right mind would hire these people for a normal job. But that was exactly what made each of them perfect candidates. We needed someone who could appear normal but also wasn¡¯t afraid to get their hands dirty or walk the fine line of morality.


    As I expected, all of them were male applicants, but most came from a diverse background. Some had obviously worked in the restaurant business prior to this, while a few others came with a work background in security. On myputer, I made it a point to make a list for each applicant when it came to knowing their strengths and certain aspects of their personal skills.


    I didn¡¯t know how much time had gone by since I began reading, but eventually, Elio came over to sit next to me on the couch and draped an arm over my shoulder.


    ¡°How¡¯s iting?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Out of everything you gave me, I¡¯m down to five possible applicants,¡± I told him.


    I hadn¡¯t realized how exhausted I was until I pulled my gaze from the files and myptop screen. I rubbed at the corners of my eyes and let them fall closed for just a few seconds.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, it wasn¡¯t easy,¡± I said. ¡°Have Leo interview them. He¡¯s good at reading people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± he hummed lightly.


    I found that my eyes were far too heavy to keep open. Before I knew it, my body was sinking further back into the couch and into thepelling warmth of Elio¡¯s side.


    My sleep was well earned, knowing that I was able to help him and our men and to benefit the future of this business.

 Chapter 735 : In the City of Angels

    <h4>Chapter 735: Chapter 735 : In the City of Angels</h4>


    *Elio*


    Never in my life had I wished that the world would stop turning.


    I had always been impatient, even as a kid, wondering what the next adventure would be. The future couldn¡¯te fast enough for me as I drew up ns and rushed toward my goals like a marathon sprinter.


    I¡¯d never thought before, ¡®If only time moved slower.¡¯ I¡¯d never wanted to grab the hands on the clock and make them stop ticking. I was always ready for that next tick, that next second.


    But that moment probablyes to everyone, I assumed.


    The glow from the TV as it yed an old ck-and-white western movie was the only light in the whole house. I was barely paying attention, mostly because I knew all the words. It was one of my dad¡¯s favorites, and I¡¯d spent many movie nights as a kid watching it.


    I rxed, my limbs stretched out on the couch with a pillow propped up behind my neck. It was ufortable after so many hours in the same position, but I didn¡¯t dare to move because this moment was too precious to break.


    I breathed in the scent of Cat¡¯s shampoo, her wisps of hair tickling my nose as shey curled up on top of me, her stomach pressed against mine and her hands clutching my shirt even in her sleep. I couldn¡¯t suppress the silly grin on my face even if I had wanted to as Izily watched her sleeping away.


    She was vulnerable here, and I was thankful that I was the only one she allowed to see her in such an unguarded moment.


    She had stayed up for as long as she could. The contents of the file I had given to her for her new task wereid out all over the coffee table. Eventually, her exhaustion had won out.


    I gently yed with the ends of her hair as it spilled over her back onto my shoulder. Much to my chagrin, time continued to move forward, ticking away the night and the time I had left holding her like this.


    If I could, I would have smashed the clock and kept us looped into this moment for as long as I could.


    But it wasn¡¯t up to me.


    I sighed, deciding that I had kept her long enough, and as much as I wanted to continue locking her up in my arms all night, she wouldn¡¯t befortable for long. And she would wonder why my neck and back were sore in the morning.


    Then she¡¯d scold me for it.


    I took my sweet time, gently and quietly untangling my arm from around her so I could sneak it behind her knees, cradling her head with the other as I slowly slipped my feet onto the carpet below.


    I moved as little as I could so as not to disturb her. Luckily, she stayed asleep as I lifted her easily into my arms, cradling her like the queen she was to me. I ignored the TV ying the credits to the movie, slipping into the hallway and heading upstairs to our bedroom.


    Cat stayed fast asleep, her mouth a little bit open as she breathed softly. I took it one step at a time until we reached the top and I slipped through the open door of our bedroom. But picking her up was one thing andying her back down was another.


    I knelt down on one knee, gently cing Cat on the bed before pulling my arms out from under her. There was a slight hup when it came to her fingers still clutching at my shirt, and after only one slight tug, her brows furrowed and she shifted in her sleep, gripping on tighter as she moved instinctively toward my chest.


    She was most likely just searching for my body heat to keep her warm. I fumbled with the nket underneath her, pressing my lips together as I held back from telling her how adorable she was.


    I loved how much she wanted me by her side, even when she wasn¡¯t fully conscious.


    I decided that waking her up wasn¡¯t worth it, so I just slid out from under my shirt, letting her clutch it tightly. I got to my feet, tucking her arms into the bed and then folding the nket over her to keep her warm.


    As soon as I turned away, intending to go to the balcony, I heard a very groggy, ¡°Elio?¡± from behind me.


    I sighed, smiling a bit but mostly disappointed that my efforts had been in vain. Of course, she would wake up after everything I had done to keep her asleep. That was just Cat.


    ¡°Hey, baby,¡± I said quietly, turning back to her.


    Her eyes were slit open. Clearly, she was not fully awake and was fighting off sleep, but she reached out her arms, my shirt falling to the floor.


    I chuckled, stepping close so that she could wrap her arms around my chest for a hug, clinging to me tightly.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in bed too?¡± she asked quietly, her eyes falling shut once more.


    I rubbed my hands down her bare arms, hoping to soothe her back to sleep, and it looked like it was working as she yawned, curling her face into my neck. I could feel her melting into my embrace, limply letting me hold her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be here soon,¡± I promised her,ying a kiss on her forehead.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She yawned, tucking herself into a little ball under the covers and within minutes, she was fast asleep once more. Part of me wanted to stay in bed and hold her, let the night pass by, but I knew there was no way I would be able to sleep.


    My thoughts raced in my head louder than a jet engine as everything that had happened came flooding back like a typhoon. The stillness of the night wasn¡¯t enough to get my mind to rest. I disentangled myself from Cat one more time, making sure she was really asleep this time before I headed out of the room.


    I shut the door quietly, not wanting her to wake up again, and I stopped by the living room long enough to turn off the TV, which was beginning to y another long ck and white film, this one a ssic mystery noir.


    The screen turned ck, plunging me into total darkness, but I didn¡¯t mind. I made my way to the kitchen on muscle memory, dodging the furniture and papers strewn along the floor. I pulled a ss from the bar, picking a random alcohol bottle to go with it.


    It sshed on the counter and my fingers as I poured, but I didn¡¯t bother to clean it up. Instead, I headed back upstairs, bypassing the bedroom and heading to the balcony. It was a hot evening, showcasing the continued march to summer.


    I sighed, leaning against the railing as the lights of the city burst across my eyes. From here, the city seemed so big and so small at the same time.


    The City of Angels was a ce that never stopped turning. On the surface, it was a city of dreams, one that took the smallest mes of hopes and turned them into wildfires. So many had made their marks upon the pavements, leaving handprints on every street corner if you knew where to look.


    It was a city that seemed to have wings that stretched across the entire world. It was ironic that such a glorious and beautiful name had been given to a city with such a dark history¡ªthose same wings that lifted some to the highest peaks of fame had swallowed so many others, devoured them entirely until not even a speck of them could be found any longer.


    LA was not full of angels, but demons that rode upon her inhabitant¡¯s backs. From the most esteemed celebrity who thought the world was in the palm of their hands to the lowest scum who slunk through the back streets snatching up fragile creatures for their entertainment, there were no angels in this city.


    I swirled my drink in my hand, then downed it in one gulp. The sour burning liquid hit the back of my throat with a familiar ache. I sighed, wishing I had thought to bring the whole bottle up here until I heard the familiar buzz of my phone in my pocket.


    I pulled it out, ncing at the name, Leo, before answering.


    ¡°Hey, Leo. I have something¡ª¡±


    But Leo cut me off with an urgent tone.


    ¡°We found something.¡± He paused. ¡°Sort of.¡±


    I straightened and I peeled myself from the railing as I turned to head inside.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Just get to the warehouse now.¡±


    The call went dead and I cursed, stuffing my phone in my pocket. I nced at the bedroom door, wondering if I should wake up Cat and let her know, but I shook away that thought. She needed to sleep. She had ss in the morning.


    I headed down the stairs two at a time and I threw my empty ss into the sink, grabbed a pen from the dining room table, and wrote out a note quickly.


    ¡®Emergency came up at work. Be backter.¡¯


    It was so early that I was sure I¡¯d be back in before she got up but just in case I wasn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t want her to worry. I left the silent house, heading to the warehouse. It would take a while to get there, so I prepared myself for the long drive and pulled out of the driveway.


    When I arrived, the whole ce was dark. I raised an eyebrow as I got out, wondering where everybody else was if this was such an emergency. The gravel crunched under my boots as I approached, and the side door was locked as usual.


    I input the key code, sidestepping inside. Despite the near pitch-ck warehouse, the upstairs room was full of artificial light, and I made my way up the metal staircase. As soon as I entered, I was understandably surprised by the transformation.


    The back of the room had monitors lining the back walls, andputers of all shapes and sizes had been installed. There was surveince footage on them, showing all different angles of the same footage.


    I frowned as I approached Leo and Franky, who stood in the middle of the surveince area talking quietly to one another.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I demanded as I approached. I recognized one car in the footage as Teo¡¯s car, with him still driving it.


    ¡°d you made it,¡± Leo smirked. ¡°This is huge.¡±


    ¡°One of our tech guys found out that Teo was being stalked,¡± Franky exined, hitting the space key on the keyboard.


    The footage on the monitors yed out, showing Teo¡¯s car passing by the street corners. Looking at the different monitors, they were timestamped on different days and times.


    But I perked up as I noticed that in every clip that yed, only a minute or two after Teo passed by, a ck SUV would follow. It was subtle, several cars away, but it followed the exact same route Teo took.


    Some of the footage was weeks apart, I noted, so that exined why he hadn¡¯t caught on to it. Nobody could¡¯ve.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± I turned to Leo.


    ¡°Dead license te so no tracking, windows are cked out. Whoever it is, they are very, very careful,¡± Leo exined, an excited look at him. ¡°But look at the day he was killed.¡±


    Leo leaned over to my side, pointing out one of the monitors. I watched the route with a frown, my eyes widening as I noticed it went on for much longer than the others, from the moment Teo left the warehouse he was guarding, all the way to thest turn before he entered the slums.


    The SUV was following but slowly crept closer, overtaking a car every turn or so until on thest frame, it was right behind him. It turned in the same direction, right after Teo, and then the footage restarted.


    I couldn¡¯t fucking believe it.


    ¡°The Ghost.¡±

 Chapter 736 : Sleepyheads

    <h4>Chapter 736: Chapter 736 : Sleepyheads</h4>


    *Caterina*


    When my eyes opened after my long dream, I could barely see through the tears. And I knew instinctively that I¡¯d had that same dream again, one that I had dreamed of every so often since I was a child.


    It was a dream that was like a candle, a brightness so easily snuffed away, so easy to fade but one that continued to flicker. I could never remember what it was exactly, but I had it often enough that I could never forget the feeling I had when I woke up.


    It was a happy dream, I thought, or maybe a sorrowful one. Maybe it was both.


    But as I sat up in bed, my legs tangled in the sheets, I brushed the tears from my face, that candle still burning from my dream, giving me a single me of hope. For what, or why, I was never sure.


    But I knew that dream meant only good things.


    It was a rare morning when I woke up before my rm, and I knew I wouldn¡¯t go back to sleep, so I just disabled it on my phone. I got out of bed, stretching, and then nced softly at my side. Elio was face-down in the sheets, the nkets not even covering him, still wearing the same outfit he hadst night.


    One shoe had been kicked off onto the floor, but the other was still half-hanging onto his foot. I vaguely remembered that he had put me to bed, but that he didn¡¯te back to bed until veryte.


    Letting him sleep, I untangled myself from the nkets and rounded the bed to his side. I pulled off his other shoe, tucking him in like he did to mest night and smiling as I brushed his curls from his face.


    Iid a kiss on his cheek, hoping I could spread some of the warmth left from my dream to him. He needed it a lot more than I did.


    I got ready for the day, hours before I needed to, so I made my morningzy, feeling unusually awake and bright. I took a shower, staying in the heated water a bit too long before I stepped out.


    I felt like getting dressed up today, so I grabbed one of the colorful rompers that Elio had bought me. It was probably a designer piece, but I didn¡¯t really care about that. I liked the sunset colors on the white that stood out. I pulled on a ne and left my hair long and wavy as I did my makeup.


    Once I was done and happy with my appearance, I looked over at Elio, who was still fast asleep. He let out a few snores and I giggled to myself, deciding to let him sleep just a little longer. He was too precious to wake up right now.


    Feeling ambitious in my free time before school, I decided to go ahead and make breakfast to give the cook the morning off. I made a loaded home fry mash and French toast, some eggs on the side, and with thest few bits of our fruit, which were on the verge of spoiling, I threw them in the blender with some sugar, ice, and thest of our orange juice.


    I admired my work then headed back into the bedroom to wake Elio.


    I nced at my phone, wincing at the time because if Elio had work today, he was undoubtedlyte. It was a good thing he was the boss then, I thought.


    I sat on the side of the bed, cing my hand on the middle of Elio¡¯s back as I gently shook him awake.


    ¡°Time to wake up, sleepyhead,¡± I whispered in his ear. ¡°Are you nning on going to work today?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± His muffled voice was barely audible as he stirred beneath the nkets. I saw one eye peek open, and Elio moved toy on his back, his arm thrown across his face from the morning rays peeking through the window. ¡°What time is it?¡±


    ¡°Just after eight,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I¡¯mte.¡± He groaned.


    ¡°I figured,¡± I chuckled. ¡°I made breakfast. Want some before you have to go?¡±


    He yawned, head falling sideways onto his shoulder as he looked at me with bleary eyes. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Ah, poor baby,¡± I cooed, cupping his cheeks in my hand.


    There was a bit of a prickly feeling as a beard was trying to grow in, and I knew he had skipped shaving yesterday. There was a prick of sympathy in my heart as the stress from everything was already showing. ¡°Why¡¯re you so tired today? Didn¡¯t get to sleep?¡±


    He closed his eyes, leaning into my hands with a sigh. ¡°I had to leave after you fell asleepst night. Leo and Franky found something. We may have found the Ghost.¡±


    I stiffened. No wonder he looked exhausted and stressed.


    ¡°You found him?¡± I repeated, worry bubbling up through my good mood.


    ¡°Not exactly. We may have found his car at least,¡± Elio said, then he groaned as the sunlight doubled, the clouds parting out the window to hit him straight in the face with the beams. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everythingter. Don¡¯t you have school?¡±


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t you have work?¡± I shot right back at him with a smirk.


    ¡°Touche.¡± He sighed, getting up.


    ¡°Food¡¯s on the counter. I¡¯ve got to go. Love you,¡± I told him, leaning forward to kiss him quickly. I made to pull back, but I saw the smirk on Elio¡¯s lips as he whispered.


    ¡°Or....¡±


    And he pulled me in for another kiss, winding his hands around my waist and locking me in ce while his other curled into my hair, pressing my head down so he could get better ess. Elio parted my lips with his tongue, wasting no time as he turned a quick goodbye kiss into a make-out session.


    I could feel his intentions, wanting to drag me into bed. But I knew if I gave in here, I wouldn¡¯t be going to school today.


    My head went dizzy as he swallowed all myints, any attempts to get away thwarted by his masterful tongue, distracting me from the ticking clock until the need to breathe finally caught up with us both. He parted, proud of himself by the smirk on his face, but before he could go back for seconds, I ducked out of his grip, pouting at him.


    ¡°That was dirty.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Had to try.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye,¡± I said firmly, shouldering my bag as I left.


    ¡°We¡¯ll continue when you get home, right?¡± He called out after me and I rolled my eyes.


    I hummed to myself, hoping Elio hadn¡¯t ruined my makeup as I left the house and headed for my car.


    I took a minute to check myself in the mirror and despite a bit of a smudge to the gloss on my lips, nothing was out of ce.


    I fixed it up and then started up my beautiful car. I grinned, rolling down the windows and hooking my phone up to the radio before I was off.


    It was ten before nine that I pulled into the parking lot, rtively close to the main entrance much to my surprise, and I gathered my things. I texted Anna to let her know I was at the entrance.


    She had told me she didn¡¯t need a ride this morning and would just meet me there, so I was a little surprised when she wasn¡¯t where we¡¯d agreed to meet. She lived rtively close, but she wouldn¡¯t be caught dead walking to school.


    She¡¯d rather pluck out all of her eyebrows one by one.


    Yet I was barely standing there for five minutes before I spotted a beat-up old Mustang, ruby red in color, pull into the parking lot. It circled around before taking the spot next to mine and though it had rust on every surface, the paint was peeling, and the engine sounded like an old man drowning in ake, I was still quite impressed by the car, even more so when instead of a stranger, out from the passenger door came my best friend.


    My mouth dropped to the floor as Elijah rounded from the other side, escorting her toward me with a small grin.


    By the look in his eyes, he was enamored with her. I crossed my arms, a smirk ying at my lips as she came bounding up with Elijah by her side.


    ¡°Hey, Cat!¡± she beamed, her cheeks rosy and glowing like a woman in love. She paused, ncing over her shoulder suspiciously, and then turned back to me smugly, winking as she gestured her head to the parking lot.


    I raised an eyebrow, looking at where she pointed, and sure enough, across the parking lot were two familiar men trying to look inconspicuous¡ªmy guards.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a ss starting soon, so I¡¯ll pick you up after, okay?¡± Elijah told Anna with a grin, and he leaned over to peck her on the lips.


    There was a sense of irony as I watched Anna fist his cor and pull him down into a full French-style kiss, no shame whatsoever as Elijah¡¯s cheeks turned bright pink.


    I yfully coughed into my hand, getting their attention, and Anna pouted at me as Elijah blushed bright red. He avoided my eyes as he rushed off to ss, and Anna folded her arms over her chest, giving me the stink eye.


    ¡°No fair,¡± sheined.


    ¡°I happen to know which ss he¡¯s going to, and he¡¯ll fail if he¡¯ste,¡± I told her matter-of-factly. Thankfully, I had dropped that ss. ¡°Plus, it¡¯s against school rules to fuck him outside the entrance.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t!¡± she huffed.


    ¡°You totally were about to if I didn¡¯t stop you,¡± Iughed into my hand. ¡°Is this why you wanted to meet so early? You don¡¯t have ss for another hour or two.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to be supportive, plus I stayed the night, so I figured, why not?¡± Anna said, raising her chin. ¡°It¡¯s only an hour. I can wait. ¡°


    ¡°You must really like him,¡± I smiled, happy for her.


    ¡°I do! He¡¯s so nice and thoughtful and can you believe he¡¯s the first boyfriend I¡¯ve had that I actually enjoy talking to? He doesn¡¯t think about getting in my pants at all!¡± She said this like it was the most shocking thing she¡¯d ever heard. ¡°I mean that¡¯s all thest asshole wanted to do! Elijah is practically a saint! And did you see his blush? God, he¡¯s so cute.¡±


    ¡°Aw, you¡¯re smitten with him. I¡¯ve never seen you fall for a guy so fast. He¡¯s got you good,¡± I cooed, teasing her a bit as I pinched her rosy cheek.


    She batted me away, giving me a harsh look that quickly melted into a teasing one.


    ¡°So, how¡¯s your work going? Hint, hint.¡± She winked, not being conspicuous at all.


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Bye, Anna.¡±


    I headed to ss, which went quickly. I was busy taking notes the whole time, so when the clock rang, I was pretty surprised by how quickly it had gone. I met up with Anna and Elijah in the courtyard and was on my way to get lunch when I felt my phone rumble in my pocket.


    The cotton romper was very thin, and the vibration had me jumping a foot in the air in sheer surprise. But the text was even more rming.


    ¡®Call me.¡¯


    It was Elio.

 Chapter 737 : Be My Partner

    <h4>Chapter 737: Chapter 737 : Be My Partner</h4>


    *Elio*


    I rubbed my forehead, the developing headache only worsening as I moved like a slug to get ready. After myst-minute warehouse trip, it was almost morning by the time I got back, giving me less than three hours of sleep. I should¡¯ve expected the headache, my brain not cooperating today.


    I set my phone down on the coffee table after my text to Cat, not sure if she was still in ss or not but willing to wait if she was. I went through the motions, my mind on other things as I got into my shoes. I was barely paying attention, waiting for her to call back.


    I had just shrugged on my jacket, dressed in my least favorite suit that I had plucked from the closet at random and had been toozy to change. I was getting ready to go out when my phone rang with Cat¡¯s ringtone. My favorite picture of her appeared on the screen, midugh with her nose scrunched up. She hated that picture, but I loved it. It showed her how I saw her every day.


    Beautiful.


    I picked up the phone, answering immediately with a soft, ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Her voice was demanding, a bit too loud for the drumming war going on in my brain but I just ignored it, her words soaking in as I digested them extra slowly today.


    Deja vu hit me in that moment, and I wondered how many times I had sent her some random text that made her worry, and she would answer in this same way.


    How much stress had I caused her by bringing her into this life? Would it have been better if we had never gotten involved, that I had just done my duty to protect her and kept our feelings out of it?


    I loved her, and I knew she loved me too, but at times like this when there were red-eyed wolves approaching from every direction, I wished my love didn¡¯t feel so much like a rope around her throat.


    I swallowed the apologies on my tongue, focusing on the decision I had made. Whether it was a good or bad decision I didn¡¯t know, but I had made it and I was going to stick by it.


    ¡°Your next ss isn¡¯t till two, right?¡± I asked, already knowing the answer.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she answered hesitantly. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Can you meet me at the east warehouse now? I promise I¡¯ll get you back in time for your ss,¡± I said calmly.


    ¡°Um, I guess so but... what is this about, Elio?¡± she asked firmly. ¡°Is there something wrong? Did someone else... you know, go missing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing like that. Look, I¡¯ll exin it all at the warehouse, okay? It¡¯s nothing bad, per se,¡± I told her. ¡°Do you still have the address, or would you prefer I pick you up and drive over together?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve got it. That¡¯s out of your way to get me, so I¡¯ll drive over myself,¡± Cat reassured me. ¡°I¡¯m just a bit... confused.¡±


    I knew that. It was obvious that this conversation hadn¡¯t gone at all like she had expected, and I didn¡¯t me her. Normally, I would¡¯ve told her some damning news by now, informing her that we were all in even more danger than before, and then we¡¯d argue about how to keep the people around us safe.


    But not today.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you there, okay?¡± I said calmly, ignoring the burning questions she must have wanted to ask, but I knew she wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Alright. I love you.¡±


    My heart skipped a beat at those three little words. ¡°I love you, too.¡±


    Cat hung up and I sighed, tucking my phone back into my pocket. I sat on the couch, leaning my head against the back as I stared up at the ceiling nkly.


    It was definitely an off day. I felt like my head was stuck in a fishbowl, like everything around me had a limited sense of reality¡ªblurry and weird like a dream where I knew everything seemed just a little bit wrong but I wasn¡¯t sure how.


    I pressed my palms into my eyes, hoping to get myself together. I didn¡¯t have time to fall apart, not today.


    I got to my feet, making sure I had everything I needed before I headed out the door. I made sure to lock up and got into my car, pulled out of the driveway, and drove down the road.


    My day didn¡¯t improve much. I got cut off no less than three times and honked at repeatedly. It was LA traffic, but this was ridiculous.


    I was already wishing I had stayed in bed when I pulled up to the warehouse, the gravel crunching underneath the car tires, though not nearly as much as I would have expected. I made a mental note to rece the tires as I pulled the key out of the engine, feeling like a snail.


    I¡¯d barely stepped out onto the ground when I heard the rumble of a car pull in behind me. Cat¡¯s cherry red car pulled up, and I lifted my hand in a half-hearted wave as she stepped out.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± she asked, frowning as she approached.


    I nodded, smiling a bit as she immediately grabbed my face in her hands, pulling me down to look closer. ¡°Just a headache,¡± I told her softly.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have stayed upst night.¡± She pursed her lips, and I had a sudden urge to kiss her. Before I could, however, her attention turned to the warehouse behind me. ¡°So, what did you need me toe here for?¡±


    She was tense, and I could see the remains of fear in her eyes from when I had brought her to see Alexi¡¯s body. She¡¯d insisted but I still wish I hadn¡¯t shown her such a gruesome sight.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing bad,¡± I reassured her, cing a kiss on her forehead. ¡°We¡¯re just here to talk to Leo and Franky. They found something.¡±


    ¡°And you want me to be there?¡± She raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yep.¡± I nodded, snaking my arm around her waist as I pulled her toward the warehouse. I could feel her curious eyes on me, attempting to see through what I was nning, but I doubted she could if she had wanted to.


    I took Cat inside, bypassing the huge stacks of wrapped goods that lined all the walls and various shelves. The forklifts were left unmanned for the time being, but I could still see remnants of the poker table fromst night, a winning hand thrown in the middle of a pile of chips.


    Cat was wide-eyed with wonder as she looked around eagerly, and though I found it all mundane, she hadn¡¯t been inside the warehouse since we¡¯d transformed it into a working building. I took her upstairs, reminding her to be careful on the holed grates we passed by.


    The upstairs room had no lights on. It was coveredpletely by blinds now, and for good reason. I knocked on the door to let them know we wereing in and I heard a loud crash and a quiet, ¡°Dammit.¡± before I rolled my eyes.


    Cat smirked, chuckling to herself as we stepped inside.


    Leo stood in front of us, a nervous grin on his face but dust all over his suit and hair. The chair he¡¯d probably been tilting back in was still on the floor, and the picture of what had happened five seconds before we entered was nowplete.


    ¡°I warned you not to do that to the chairs. You wear them out faster,¡± I red at him.


    He justughed, flipping the chair up and taking his seat again. The wall of monitors was still flipping through security cameras. Franky took the head chair, his back to us as we came through.


    Cat¡¯s mouth was wide open, staring at the transformed room as she¡¯d never seen anything like it before. She probably hadn¡¯t, to be fair. But I grinned at the impressed look on her face as she took it all in.


    She moved from my side, walking through the monitors as they cycled through images.


    ¡°License tes, passport photos, death certificates,¡± Cat pointed out, frowning. ¡°Are you guys trying to track Junior¡¯s men through legal documentation? I thought all criminal types were off the grid.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± I exined, crossing my arms as I leaned against the wall. ¡°There are a lot of different ways to remain off the grid, especially in the US.¡±


    ¡°Reusing names of the deceased, for example,¡± Leo grinned. ¡°Can¡¯t catch the identity theft if they¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°Hm, so why¡¯d you call me here?¡± Cat turned to me expectantly. ¡°I doubt it¡¯s for my expertise.¡±


    ¡°It kinda is, actually,¡± Leo shrugged.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Franky growled, sending him a piercing re.


    He nced at me, his ire at my n made clear for the fortieth time, but ultimately he huffed, looking back at the monitors.


    ¡°Nobody knows you¡¯ve been involved in helping to solve the Ghost¡¯s case except for the people in this room,¡± I told her giving her a little smile. ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to show you this room. Leo and Franky are trying to track down the Ghost and how he¡¯s remained hidden for so long. But we need a new perspective from someone who thinks differently than us.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s... me?¡± Hope shone in her eyes as her arms dropped to her side and she took a step forward toward me, wide-eyed.


    I nodded, giving her a bit of a nervous smile. ¡°I need as many people as I can trust on my side, especially now that we think we might have a rat. There¡¯s no one I trust as much as you.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Leo protested.


    I rolled my eyes, giving Cat a softer look. ¡°I want you to be a part of this, even if I don¡¯t like the danger thates with it. But hopefully, with only the three of us knowing your involvement, that will keep you safe but allow you to help more actively. You¡¯re free toe up here anytime. Only Leo, Franky, and I have the key. And if either Leo or Franky discovers anything and I¡¯m not avable, I¡¯ve instructed them to go to you.¡±


    I pulled the simple key out of my pocket, which was more deceiving than it looked as it was hardwired with the door. I held it out, offering more than just the key, and by the wide-eyed look Cat gave me, she knew it too.


    ¡°Be my partner?¡± I smiled hopefully.


    She stepped forward, reaching out for my hand, and gently took the key, holding it in her palm like a heavyweight. Her eyes shone with unshed tears, full of so many emotions and finally, she looked up at me, giving me the most heart-melting look of trust and love I had ever seen.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she choked out, rushing forward to wrap her arms around my middle, burying her head in my chest.


    I breathed a sigh of relief, holding her back just as tightly.


    Leo and Franky gave us a minute, pretending we didn¡¯t exist as we took a moment for ourselves. I was grateful to them for that.


    By the time we parted, Cat had a firm determined look in her eyes.


    ¡°Oh, and onest thing.¡± I grabbed her hand, grinning as I pulled her up to the main monitors.


    I nodded to Franky, who typed away on the main monitor, searching through files before he pulled up the one we needed.


    I put my hands on her shoulders, standing behind her as she took in the documents we¡¯d managed to dig up, all with the same name disyed.


    ¡°He tried to erase it, but nobody can hide forever. We found him,¡± I whispered in her ear. ¡°We found out who the Ghost is.¡±


    ¡°Artem Katz,¡± she read out loud.

 Chapter 738 : Making Plans

    <h4>Chapter 738: Chapter 738 : Making ns</h4>


    *Caterina*


    My head was spinning as I rushed back to ss. I had to remind myself to pay attention to my driving after almost rear-ending a car at a red light that I hadn¡¯t noticed.


    It was difficult to focus when all I could think about was how ted I was that Elio was finally letting me be fully involved, and it was clear that he wasn¡¯t just doing this to make me happy anymore, he was doing it because he knew I could actually help. I had finally proven to him that my ideas were worth listening to.


    And now that I had proven myself, I wanted to ensure that I continued to be an asset to the family. My mind was working overtime as I considered everything we needed to do in the next few weeks.


    Taking down the Ghost would be huge for us, and it would put us on the map as a family not to be messed with. I didn¡¯t want to get too cocky, but I really believed that Elio and I would be able toe up with a solid n that could actually work, especially with the help of Leo and the rest of Elio¡¯s men.


    We had enough young blood that we were bringing apletely new set of ideas to the game. It wasn¡¯t about old-school mafia power anymore. Nowadays, you had to be smart and sneaky, two things that we could excel at when we needed to.


    Thanks to the fact that neither Elio nor I had really grown up in the life, we were able to use our outside experience to drive our decisions ande up with unique solutions that Alessandro would never think of himself.


    I arrived back on campus with only a few minutes before my ss, but I couldn¡¯t be bothered to care. I had much more important things on my mind than an economics lecture.


    The thought of just skipping the ss altogether crossed my mind, but I knew I would regret it if I did that. It would just encourage Elio to continue to beg me to quit school, and I had no desire to go over that conversation with him again.


    As much as I loved the life that we were building together, I still wanted something that was just for myself. And besides, I really believed that the knowledge I gained from my sses coulde in handy. I already had a few different ideas for our uing restaurant thanks to a business ss that I had taken the year before.


    If I wanted to continue to be an asset, I had to keep growing and evolving, and the best way I knew how to do that right now was to keep working toward my degree.


    Despite my belief that my sses would ultimately help me, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to try and force myself to pay attention. Instead, I rushed to get there only so I could find a good seat in the back and continue to think about what Elio had told me about the Ghost.


    I spent the entire ss running different scenarios and ideas in my head, pausing only long enough to consider more options for the restaurant. I hoped I would be able to get notes from someone because I sure as hell didn¡¯t know what the professor had lectured about. It was always easier when I shared a ss with Anna because I knew I could count on her to take meticulous notes, but the further we got into our degree programs, the fewer sses we ever had ovep.


    Finally, the professor released us, and I was free to rush back to the warehouse. I forced myself to take a few calming breaths in an attempt to rx and focus, but it was no use. My adrenaline was high and I was ready for shit to go down.


    I arrived at the warehouse to find that Franky was the only one there. After an awkward moment, he waved me over. ¡°Elio said you have some info for me,¡± he said gruffly.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I answered, probably a little too enthusiastically. I was still in disbelief that everyone was going to actually let me be a part of all of this.


    ¡°They have a name for the Ghost. Artem Katz. He¡¯s managed to get over a hundred people to disappear in the past twenty years. We believe this is the first time that anyone has managed to connect his real name to his persona.¡±


    Franky nodded in approval. ¡°Good work on everyone¡¯s part. He¡¯s going to be tough to bring down, but if we y this right, I think we can do it.¡±


    I fought to keep my jaw from dropping, this was the most outward praise that I¡¯d ever seen Franky give anyone, and to have him direct it at me made it all the more shocking. Was it possible that he was now in support of me being a part of things too?


    ¡°Elio also wanted me to tell you that Junior has been located in Italy. He¡¯s stillying low, it looks like Alessandro¡¯s men will easily be able to keep an eye on him. I think at this point his threat level has been reduced quite a bit.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this Artem asshole is a far bigger concern, I would say,¡± Franky agreed.


    I nodded. ¡°Elio and I thought the same thing.¡±


    Although Franky would never be the kind of guy who would gush about how much he approved of me, it was clear by the way he was listening closely to what I had to say and then taking his time to think everything over that he really did respect my opinions.


    Knowing I had his support meant more to me than I could have ever thought it would. It made my involvement feel far more legitimate. I had always known that a guy like Leo would be fine with me being a part of this life if Elio was fine with it, but to have Franky on my side meant so much more.


    It meant that I had really managed to prove myself.


    ¡°We¡¯ve also scouted out a solid location for the restaurant, and Leo will be doing interviews soon to find some good employees. I found a few that I think would be a perfect fit for both sides of the business. I think this is going to be a great thing for the future of the family,¡± I continued.


    Franky nodded. ¡°I¡¯m d things are going well on that front. I¡¯ve been staying out of it so that Elio can really work toward fully taking over. I think it¡¯s only a matter of time before Alessandro calls me back to Italy and I let you two figure it out for yourselves.¡±


    The thought of Elio and me truly taking over was just as exciting as it was nerve-wracking, but I knew we were ready for the jump. We made a great team.


    My phone buzzed and I pulled it out to see that Elio was calling.


    ¡°Hold on, it¡¯s Elio,¡± I told Franky before picking up.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m at the warehouse,¡± I said, not wanting to waste any time.


    ¡°Okay, great, I¡¯m on my way. Can you meet me outside? I want to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°Um, sure.¡± I didn¡¯t understand why he wouldn¡¯t juste in and talk to me, but I wasn¡¯t about to start questioning him in front of Frankie. I had just managed to gain his respect; thest thing I wanted to do was lose it by making it seem like Elio and I weren¡¯t on the same page.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there in five minutes,¡± he said before hanging up.


    ¡°Elio is on his way, he wants me to meet him outside,¡± I exined to Frankie. ¡°It was really good talking to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d we had the chance to go over everything,¡± he said.


    His sentiment warmed my heart. I couldn¡¯t believe how far our rtionship had managed to progress since we had first met.


    I walked out of the warehouse and was surprised to find that the sun was already starting to set. Talking with Frankie had taken more time than I had realized.


    Elio was pulling in just as I shut the warehouse door behind me. As he parked his car and got out, I couldn¡¯t help but stop and admire him as he walked toward me. I had just seen him earlier in the day, but something about the way he looked after a long day of work made him even sexier to me.


    His suit was slightly disheveled and his tie had been loosened, and I could tell that he had been running his hand through his hair like he often did when he was thinking hard about something. Every bit of how he looked made me want to devour him.


    The corner of his mouth quirked up when he met my eye and warmth pooled in my belly. Fuck, I was head over heels for the man. It was hard to believe there had ever been a time when I hadn¡¯t felt like this about him.


    He wrapped his arms around me as soon as he was close enough. His cologne had faded just enough so that I could smell him underneath it; a delicious earthy scent that always reminded me of a forest. I snuggled in against his chest, taking my time to soak in everything about him.


    ¡°Hey, sweetheart, I missed you,¡± he murmured as he leaned down to press a kiss to my forehead.


    ¡°I missed you too,¡± I dly admitted. ¡°Too much.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to get away for the night?¡± he asked.


    I leaned back so I could look him in the eye. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I want to take you somewhere. We¡¯ve had so much going ontely, I feel like I haven¡¯t been able to stop and really enjoy you in so long,¡± he said as his hands rubbed circles on my back.


    ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± I asked. There was no way in hell I was going to turn him down, but I wanted to know what I should pack.


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise! Come on, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll text Frankie and tell him we were needed elsewhere,¡± he said, his eyes dancing with excitement.


    ¡°Okay, just take me home so I can pack first. I¡¯ll be quick.¡±


    ¡°No need, we¡¯ve got everything we need in the car already. I didn¡¯t want you to have to do any nning whatsoever. Come on!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Iughed and let him tug me along to the car.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we deserve a little getaway,¡± he said, as much to himself as to me.

 Chapter 739 : On the Plane

    <h4>Chapter 739: Chapter 739 : On the ne</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I was giddy as Elio drove us to the airstrip. I thought that I would eventually get used to the way he loved to spoil me, but it was impossible to ever get used to this level of treatment.


    He treated me like I was his entire reason for existence. He went so above and beyond when it came to ensuring that I was happy that I couldn¡¯t imagine not having him there to take me on spontaneous trips. But it wasn¡¯t just about the trips and the clothes and jewelry, it was also about the fact that he so obviously wanted to build a life with me. Nobody had ever been as dedicated to me as Elio, and with every passing day, it became clearer and clearer that he was my soulmate.


    He reached out his hand and rested it on the back of my neck, massaging gently where he knew I often held a lot of tension when I was stressed. I smiled and closed my eyes, leaning into the massage as we drove.


    His touch was magical. It was like he always knew exactly where I needed him to be. It was the same when we made love; sometimes I felt like he could read my mind, he was able to please me so well.


    We arrived at the airstrip and got out, Elio went around to the trunk to grab our bags. I hoped he had remembered to pack everything; I would have to go straight from the airstrip to ss the next day.


    But I knew I could trust Elio. He always thought of everything. He wasn¡¯t the kind of person who needed reminders.


    A man greeted us and Elio handed him the keys to the car. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know what time we get back,¡± Elio said as the man climbed in.


    ¡°Yes, sir, it¡¯s no trouble at all,¡± the man said.


    Elio took my hand and pulled me to the ne. I couldn¡¯t believe that I was about to spontaneously fly somewhere. Although I¡¯d been with Elio for a while, I still couldn¡¯t get used to this level of wealth.


    My mom and I had never wanted for money, but we had definitely beenmercial airne people. It boggled my mind to think that people could just get on a ne without having to arrive at an airport two hours before and get through the gauntlet of security.


    This jet was slightly smaller than the one we normally rode in, but I liked the coziness of it. Elio exined that it was another one from the family fleet. There were only four seats for passengers. The rest of the space was intended for the crew.


    ¡°It¡¯s just us and the pilot today,¡± Elio exined. ¡°It¡¯ll be a short flight, so I thought we¡¯d prefer the privacy.¡±


    I smiled at his suggestive tone. I definitely liked the sound of that.


    Elio sat in one of the seats and tugged me down to sit on hisp. I giggled as he wrapped his hands around me. ¡°Isn¡¯t the pilot going toe back and talk to us or something?¡± I asked, moving as though I was going to stand up.


    ¡°Nah, I already told him we¡¯d want our privacy,¡± he said in a low voice that had every nerve ending in my body lighting up with anticipation.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a presumptuous man,¡± I scolded him in a teasing voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a beautiful woman,¡± he answered, reaching his hand up under my shirt to cup one of my breasts. His fingers skated over my nipple, squeezing just enough to make me gasp.


    ¡°Tell me where we¡¯re going!¡± I demanded, pulling away slightly. It was torturous to lose the perfect feeling of his hand on me, but I knew it would make the end result that much sweeter.


    ¡°What¡¯ll you give me?¡± he asked, tightening his grip on my waist so that I couldn¡¯t move away from his touch again.


    I moaned as his hand found its ce on my breast once again. This time instead of a light squeeze, he firmly grasped my nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Involuntarily, I arched against him, giving him better ess. My thoughts became jumbled and I couldn¡¯t think of anything other than his hands on my body.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± he murmured smugly before reaching up my shirt with his other hand. I was putty in his hands, unable to resist how perfectly he touched me.


    I adjusted myself so that I was straddling him in the seat, my legs spread wide over hisp and my hands braced on his shoulders. The skirt I was wearing had hiked up so that my thighs were exposed and the only thing separating us was the thin fabric of my panties.


    Heat pooled low in my core and I knew I was ridiculously wet already. I moved against Elio, trying to find a satisfying friction, but he was just out of reach.


    ¡°I need to taste you,¡± he said before nipping my earlobe and sending another shockwave through me.


    He pulled his hands away from my breasts, causing me to whine at the sudden loss of contact, but he quickly wrapped them under my thighs and stood up, turning around to sit me back in the chair by myself. Once I was settled, Elio knelt in front of me and spread my legs, resting my thighs over his shoulders.


    He kissed his way from the inside of my knee up to the softest part of my thigh, then turned to the other leg and did the same thing. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from writhing wildly beneath his touch, but his strong hands firmly grasped my thighs to keep them in ce.


    Knowing that I was spread wide for him and couldn¡¯t do anything about it only increased my pleasure.


    Finally, he leaned forward and pushed my panties to the side so that I was fully exposed. I shivered as his hot breath hit my soaking wet pussy. The anticipation was nearly as pleasurable as the act itself, especially when it came to Elio. He knew exactly how long to make me wait so that I was constantly on the precipice of an orgasm but never pushed too far.


    Without warning, he dove into me with his tongue, licking a quick stripe directly toward my clit. I grasped at his hair, needing something to hold on to as hetched on to my clit and began to suck.


    A silent scream built in my chest, unable toe out for fear of interrupting the pilot. I clenched my hand into a fist and brought it to my mouth in an attempt to stifle myself.


    Elio continued to work me with his tongue, and soon he added his fingers to the mix, pushing them inside of me and using them to stretch me even wider for his tongue. I looked down to see that his eyes were closed and a look of pure bliss had taken over his features.


    How was it possible that he felt like that while going down on me? I supposed it was the same way that I felt when I was using my mouth on him. Being able to give the person I loved such extreme pleasure was one of my greatest joys. In fact, I found that the closer I got to my own release, the more I wanted to get the chance to get my mouth on Elio first.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I panted. ¡°Don¡¯t make mee yet. I want to taste you, too.¡±


    Elio didn¡¯t bother to stop while I was speaking, instead preferring to listen to me struggle to even manage aplete sentence. I knew he loved seeing just how much he pleased me, but I also knew he wouldn¡¯t turn down a blow job.


    With onest hard lick that left my legs shaking, he pulled away. His fingers remained inside of me, pumping in and out just slowly enough to keep my pleasure from building any further from where it was at. I was able to concentrate, but just barely.


    ¡°Fuck, baby, you look so good like this,¡± he groaned as he stood up, leaning down so that his fingers never left their ce deep inside me. ¡°Alright, go ahead and get on your knees.¡±


    Elio helped me out of the chair, keeping his fingers inside of me. I had no idea how he managed to maintain his smooth rhythm even while the both of us were moving around, but somehow he did. Wetness dripped down my thighs, but I was too turned on to care.


    He didn¡¯t pull his fingers free until I had knelt down in front of him and he needed to stand up in order to give me ess to what I wanted.


    ¡°Keep touching yourself for me, okay?¡± he said.


    I was more than happy toply as he undid his belt and pulled his cock free. I slipped my hand between my thighs and immediately sought out my clit. It was swollen and practically pulsed against my fingers as I rubbed myself in tight circles.


    With my other hand, I took Elio¡¯s cock at the base and brought it to my mouth, circling my tongue over the head in the way I knew drove him wild. He threw his head back and moaned, filling me with an even greater satisfaction than what I already felt.


    Soon, I was taking him deep into my mouth and moving my fingers on myself to the same tempo. The both of us were moaning so wildly that I was sure the pilot would hear us even over the sound of the ne, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting close,¡± Elio gritted out as he tried to stop himself from thrusting wildly into my mouth. ¡°I want to finish inside you.¡±


    I wanted that, too. I let go of him so that he could sit back down in the chair and pull me back on top of him.


    Before I straddled hisp, he hooked his fingers in the band of my panties and pulled them down to my ankles, leaving them there so that I felt vaguely tied up. He settled me over his cock and held my hips, encouraging me to sink down.


    I was so wet that I was able to slide down on him with ease. Elio used my hips to guide my speed, encouraging me to set a fast pace that had my breasts bouncing in my shirt. The fact that we were both fully clothed made the entire act feel that much more erotic. Neither of ussted long before we both climaxed at the same time, my own orgasm spurring on Elio¡¯s.


    Iid my head on his shoulder, too tied up in my panties to move off of him. He kissed my temple and moved his hands up from my hips to my back, rubbing in gentle circles.


    ¡°You¡¯re so fucking amazing,¡± he whispered against my ear.


    I smiled and nuzzled against his neck, relishing the warmth of his body and his words.


    As the ne began to descend, he fixed his clothes back up before helping me pull my underwear back on. I was sure that my clothes were fairly rumpled after everything, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care.


    I nced out the window to see the Golden Gate Bridge.


    ¡°Wee to San Francisco!¡± Elio said proudly.

 Chapter 740 : Drinks and Dancing

    <h4>Chapter 740: Chapter 740 : Drinks and Dancing</h4>


    *Elio*


    As we rode in the car to our hotel, I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes off Caterina¡¯s mouth. Her lips were slightly swollen from what we had just been doing, and it took everything in me to keep myself from taking her mouth in mine.


    But we didn¡¯te all this way just for me to fuck my girl in a hotel room, although that really was my idea of a great night. I wanted to take her out and have some fun.


    It had been far too long since we¡¯d been able to go out and let loose, and I knew that a night of dancing and drinking would be exactly what we both needed to rx and forget about the stress we¡¯d been dealing withtely. I had brought her to San Francisco to take her to a nightclub that Leo and I had gone to a few years back. It remained one of my favorite nights out simply because the club was so unique. It had three floors; each with a different theme andpletely different vibe. I knew that Cat would absolutely love it.


    ¡°I know you have ss tomorrow, so I promise I¡¯ll get you back in time, but I wanted to take you out dancing. It¡¯s been too long,¡± I said in her ear. I knew the closeness would send a pleasant shiver right down to her toes.


    She smiled up at me and my heart leaped right out of my damn chest. Lately, I¡¯d often found myself caught in these moments of absolute wonder when it came to Caterina. Everything about her amazed me, and the fact that she loved me was the most amazing of all.


    The least I could do was surprise her with little trips like this. I knew it made her feel loved when I took care of everything and made sure that she had a great time.


    ¡°Sounds great. And besides, I only have thatte ss tomorrow. We¡¯ll even be able to sleep in,¡± she said as she snuggled against my side.


    ¡°That sounds amazing. You know how much I love snuggling you in the morning,¡± I told her as I buried my face in her hair. I inhaled and breathed in the delicate scent of her flowery shampoo.


    Fuck, I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d be able to wait until after we went out before getting her in the bed. But I knew she¡¯d want to change, and I didn¡¯t want us to run out of time. I had packed a clingy ck dress that I knew she loved wearing and that I sure loved looking at. It dipped low in the front and barely covered her ass. It was perfect for where I was going to take her.


    I had also made sure that I brought everything for her to be prepared for school the next day. I knew she thought I didn¡¯t value her education, but I did. I just didn¡¯t want her to overstretch herself, and I knew that I had been asking a lot of hertely.


    There was a selfish part of me that wished she was avable whenever I was, but there was a much bigger part that was happy that she had something for herself.


    When we got to the hotel room, I ordered room service so that we could eat while we got ready. Caterina took over the bathroom and spread her makeup out while I made the call.


    After I got off the phone, I went to stand in the bathroom doorway and watched her get ready. She was gorgeous no matter what, but I did love how she looked when she was getting ready for a night out.


    She always wore heavy ck eye makeup and a red lipstick that made me want to see if it would smear if I kissed her. It was a look that reminded me a lot of the first time we kissed, and I loved thinking about that moment... the moment when all the pieces of my life finally fit together and I realized exactly what I was missing.


    Our room service arrived and I answered the door while Cat straightened her hair. I had ordered her favorite pre-drinking meal, chicken strips and french fries. She always insisted that the french fries helped soak up the liquor.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told the delivery person before shutting the door and bringing Caterina her food.


    ¡°Do you want me to feed you?¡± I asked, picking up a chicken strip and wiggling it around in front of her face.


    She wrinkled her nose. ¡°Ugh, that smells disgusting, they must have undercooked it or something.¡±


    I looked at the chicken strip and tore it in half to check. ¡°No, looks cooked to me,¡± I said.


    I took a bite. It tasted like any other chicken strip.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just eat a few of the fries,¡± Caterina said. ¡°The ne must¡¯ve upset my stomach or something.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself, just make sure you eat enough to hold your liquor!¡± I teased her before walking out of the bathroom to get dressed.


    Cat was ready to go in record time and before we knew it, we were seated at a VIP table in the nightclub that Leo and I had loved so much. I¡¯d struggled to decide which floor to get a table on, but ultimately went for the basement that had a speakeasy theme.


    The top floor was strictly for serious dancing; it had a light-up floor and a DJ who yed hard-core EDM. The second floor had various themed nights, but tonight was an R&B night. The dance floor was filled with couples who were tightly wound together as they danced sensuously. I wanted to bring Caterina up there after we had a couple of drinks in the speakeasy.


    Once I had her settled at our table, I went to get some drinks. I ordered a couple of lemon drop martinis; her favorite. This night was going to be all about her. Everything I did, I wanted it to be for her enjoyment.


    I walked back to our table, bncing our drinks carefully as I watched Cat. She looked up and smiled when she met my eye.


    I handed her drink to her and took a sip of my own. ¡°Damn, these are good! That bartender knew what she was doing,¡± I told her, excited for her to take a sip.


    She smiled and held it up to her mouth, but before she could take a drink, she frowned and sat it back down, holding her hand over her mouth.


    ¡°What¡¯s wr¨C¡± I didn¡¯t have a chance to get the words out before she stood up and rushed off toward the bathroom.


    What the hell?


    I couldn¡¯t leave our drinks alone, so I sat at our table, waiting for her toe back. I felt horrible leaving her alone when she was potentially getting sick, but I hoped a nice drunk woman in the bathroom would at least hold her hair for her.


    After a few moments, she came back out. I studied her face to try and see what was going on, but she had a decidedly nk look. Whatever was up, it seemed like she wanted to hide it from me.


    ¡°We need to go,¡± she said when she got back to my side.


    ¡°Are you feeling okay, baby?¡± I asked, wrapping my arm around her.


    I hated the idea of her being sick in a strange ce. I wondered if I should just call our pilot and see if he could fly us back home now.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay,¡± she said, her voice wavering slightly. ¡°I just want to get back to the hotel. And we need to stop at a pharmacy on the way back.¡±


    My eyebrows shot up. ¡°We don¡¯t need to stop. If you¡¯re sick and you need some medicine, let¡¯s get you directly to the hotel room so you can rest. I¡¯ll send someone out to get you something. I¡¯ll nurse you back to health.¡±


    She shook her head vigorously. ¡°No, I just need to go grab something. I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m not sick. I just need something.¡±


    I wanted to pry more to figure out what she needed, but something about the look on her face warned me to let it drop. When she got like this, it was best to just go along with whatever it was that she wanted. I knew that she wouldn¡¯t agree to anything else.


    We went outside where a car was waiting to take us to the hotel. I hadn¡¯t been sure what time we would end up leaving, so I¡¯d paid the driver to wait for us the whole night. Now I was d that we didn¡¯t have to wait for him to arrive.


    I helped Cat into the backseat before sliding in behind her, then directed the driver to stop at a drugstore on the way to the hotel. He nodded and took off.


    At the drugstore, I moved to get out with Caterina, but she waved me off. Her insistence on running in alone perplexed me, but I figured whatever was bothering her must¡¯ve been something she was embarrassed about for some reason.


    I hoped she knew there was nothing she ever had to hide from me, no matter how embarrassing. I was in this for the long haul, I wasn¡¯t going to be turned off by something as small as illness.


    Whatever she got from the pharmacy, it didn¡¯t take her long. She was back out in the car within minutes, clutching a paper bag in her hand that concealed her purchase. I looked at her and frowned when I saw the little line of worry in between her eyebrows.


    Whatever was wrong, I hoped she would tell me soon. It scared me when she acted like this. We were normally so in sync these days, I didn¡¯t want her to start hiding things from me.


    Back at the hotel, she locked herself in the bathroom without a word. I sat on the bed and fretted, wondering if I should just force myself in there and insist that she let me help her with whatever it was that was going on.


    Just as I was about to get up and knock on the door, she came out. When I saw her, my heart dropped to my stomach. Tears were running down her face, making a mess of the ck makeup that had surrounded her eyes. Her lipstick was smeared and I could see a smudge on the back of her hand where she¡¯d wiped it against her mouth.


    She looked absolutely terrified, but as soon as my eyes met hers, she started smiling.


    ¡°What in the world is going on?¡± I asked.

 Chapter 741 : A Reason to Celebrate

    <h4>Chapter 741: Chapter 741 : A Reason to Celebrate</h4>


    *Caterina*


    Oh. My. God.


    No. No, more like¡ªHoly shit!


    ¡®Was this really happening?¡¯ I asked myself frantically.


    Could I seriously be pregnant?


    The little cross-shaped lines in the small, white window of the test told me the answer.


    My heart mmed violently against my rib cage as I continued to re down at the pregnancy test in my hands.


    Elio¡¯s voice was the only thing that was grounding me at that very moment. But even then it was filled with worry and a heavy need to discover the truth.


    My inner feelings shifted from shock to immediate concern. What was Elio going to think? Hell, how was he going to react?


    It wasn¡¯t like he and I were in the best predicament to have a child together at the moment. Well, with everything going on between Junior and Artem Katz, this was, undoubtedly, going to change things. It was no longer about protecting each other. Now there was a whole other life to consider.


    But the idea of starting a family with Elio filled me with gushing enthusiasm and joy. Arge part of me was hoping that Elio was going to feel the same.


    ¡®Well, Cat, you¡¯re not going to figure any of this out unless you open the door and talk to Elio,¡¯ I told myself silently.


    At least there was still some part of me that was able to think logically. Nheless, that hadn¡¯t stopped my eyes from flooding with tears. I gained control of my bnce. Thankfully, my nausea had really subsided, and I reached for the door handle.


    I calmly stepped out of the bathroom, pregnancy test still grasped in my right hand, and I was instantly faced with a concerned Elio. His expressions looked strained while he held his arms across his chest. The look in his eyes demanded some kind of exnation.


    ¡°Cat, tell me what is going on,¡± he said. ¡°Are you alright? Do you know why you were feeling so sick before? Are you still feeling ill?¡±


    The bombardment of questions was enough to make me crack a smile. His notion of concern for my wellbeing always touched me. And instead of giving him some kind of verbal answer, I merely extended out of my arm, and with a shaky hand, handed him the pregnancy test.


    Elio¡¯s gaze dropped to the object I held out to him. His brows pulled together in question as he swiftly took it from me.


    I carefully watched his demeanor shift the same way mine had done so before in the bathroom. Confusion. Shock. Disbelief....


    The longer he went without speaking, the more my worry grew. The silence around us was eating away at me to no end.


    ¡®Please, for the love of God. Please just let him say something. Anything!¡¯


    ¡°I... is this....¡± Elio¡¯s words grew choked and garbled in his throat.


    He finally pulled his eyes up from the pregnancy test to look at me with such a wonder-filled expression that I nearly crumbled right there on the spot.


    ¡°It¡¯s real,¡± I told him weakly. ¡°And it¡¯s positive.¡±


    I was sure he¡¯d alreadye to such a conclusion on his own. But the man was proving to be at a clear loss for words.


    Elio¡¯s eyes dropped once more to the test, and suddenly his face was ovee with an unanticipated look of pure happiness. The corner of his mouth lifted upward into an unmistakable smile. The line between his brows disappeared while a broken breath slipped past his lips.


    My entire body trembled with uncertainty until Elio ced the pregnancy test on the table and rushed to close the space between us. I let out a sharp gasp as I found myself being lifted off the floor, twirling around in the air. As soon as he stopped, I felt my knees go instantly weak, and my legs shook like they were about to give out from beneath me.


    Elio must have noticed this because I promptly felt a strong arm wrap around my waist. He kept me anchored firmly in ce as my hands came to rest on his biceps. He pressed his head against my own and the two of us stood there for what seemed like hours.


    The tears that were clinging to the corners of my eyes were hanging on by a sheer thread.


    I struggled to find the right words to say.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re not... you¡¯re not mad?¡± I asked.


    Elio tightened his hold on me and let out a deep chuckle from his chest. He slowly shook his head and spoke low, his voice sending shivers down my spine.


    ¡°How could I possibly be mad?¡± he countered softly. He leaned down to ce a promising kiss to my lips. ¡°Cat, I feel like you¡¯ve given me one of the most incredible gifts imaginable.¡±


    He brushed my hair back from my face and asked me how I was feeling. But there were hardly any words that could well describe the enormous sense of relief that washed over me.


    ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t know what I was feeling at first. I was so shocked that I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. But the longer I stood in there, staring at that test, the more I came to realize how much I want this baby. I want a family with you, Elio.¡±


    Elio continued to look at me, his eyes filled with so much sincerity that I thought I would inevitably burst. He lifted his hand up to cup my cheek. His smile never left his face.


    ¡°Of course, I want this baby with you, Cat,¡± he said affirmingly. ¡°I love you so much. Are you feeling better now?¡±


    A slight blush touched my cheeks. Yes, the nausea as well as the dread had all but evaporated ever since he¡¯d taken me in his arms.


    I nodded my head. ¡°I feel fine now. I think it was just the smell of the liquor.¡±


    It was strange. I hadn¡¯t even touched a drop of the drink Elio had brought me; I couldn¡¯t bring myself to bring the ss to my lips. At least I didn¡¯t actually get sick. The heavy wave of nausea seemed to have been the worst of it.


    A devious smile curled his mouth. Elio nodded his head. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear because I really, really want to celebrate the pregnancy by recreating how it came to be.¡±


    And just like that, I¡¯d be consumed by his smoldering, passionate embrace. Elio captured my lips in a searing kiss, stealing nearly every ounce of air from my lungs. But I didn¡¯t care. The man could take everything if it meant I never had to leave his side.


    His tongue swept along the seam of my lips and delved into my mouth. He took and swallowed every single of my moans.


    Elio let his hands skim down the sides of my body, trailing them down to the back sides of my thighs. He wordlessly picked me up and carried me over to therge bed. He sat back while I managed to adjust myself in hisp.


    His eyes became lust blown as his deep, honeyed voice rolled over me.


    ¡°How did I ever be so lucky?¡±


    He went on to press several long kisses to the line of my jaw, all the way down my neck. He nipped at my cor while his fingers yed at the hem of my dress. My chest jerked forward as the scorching touch of his hands grazed over the tops of my thighs.


    A sharp, disgruntled whimper tore from my throat when I felt the first brush of his fingers press against the slick material of my underwear. I had no idea I¡¯d be so wet between my legs.


    This whole time I¡¯d been so consumed with worry and fear that I hadpletely disregarded my underlying feeling of arousal and need.


    Unconsciously, my hips started to rock forward against his hand. I bit the inside of my cheek to try and keep the noises from funneling out. But it was no use. The second Elio pressed the heel of his palm against my clit, I was done for.


    ¡°Oh my God! E-Elio,¡± I gasped breathlessly. ¡°Please!¡±


    He pulled his hand away and started doing away with our clothes. He¡¯d pulled my dress over my head while I made a quick work of the buttons on his shirt. When all that remained was my underwear and his pair of ck boxers, Elio effortlessly flipped us over till he was hovering above me.


    My knees eased open where he positioned himself between them. Elio bent his head down to kiss the inner curve of my neck. His one hand snaked up the front of my chest to cup my breast while the other braced around my leg.


    I arched my back off the mattress, wanting to get closer to him. Elio refused to give into my silent demand and kept rolling the pad of his thumb over my stiff nipples.


    My voice came out strained and rough. ¡°Elio,¡± I hissed.


    He hummed in delight. ¡°Tell me what you want.¡±


    ¡°Mm, make love to me,¡± I answered.


    For the second time, he pulled himself back. I nearly crumbled to pieces from the absence of his hands and mouth. But I knew that he needed the space in order to get his boxers off. He¡¯d hooked his fingers under the skimpy waistband of my underwear and dragged them down my legs as well.


    Elio forced my legs to remain bent and slid them open as much as he needed. He¡¯d instructed me to lift up my hips while he ced a pillow underneath me. My face broke out into another deep flush. One that caused Elio to smile down at me in pure amusement. I felt so vulnerable¡ªso exposed.


    ¡°Fuck, I love seeing you like this,¡± he said.


    My gaze fell downward where he took himself in his hand and stroked his length a good number of times. A million goosebumps rippled over my body when I felt him press the head of his cock against my slick center. He slowly, agonizingly eased his way in. I felt every inch of him until he¡¯d finally filled me to the very hilt.


    My mouth fell open. My eyes clenched shut. I knew I would never grow tired of this feeling. The moment Elio started to pull out and push himself back in, my body was beyond my control. I fisted my hands into the bed sheets and undted my hips to meet every single one of his dominating thrusts.


    The room became filled with the passionate echoes of our coupling.


    Elio kept his hands firmly locked on my hips before taking my right leg and hooking it over his shoulder.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I gasped wantonly. ¡°Just like that. Don¡¯t stop!¡±


    He sunk himself deeper and touched the hidden part of me that made me see stars behind my eyes. Elio¡¯s pace was relentless and led me to feel that familiar burning beneath my stomach. I wasn¡¯t going tost. Especially not when he brought his hand down to my mound and began circling over my clit.


    ¡°Ah! Elio, I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t take anymore!¡±


    ¡°Come for me,¡± he growled. ¡°Show me how beautiful you look when youe all over my cock, love.¡±


    It was his words that tipped me over the edge.


    A momentter, I threw my head back and let my body ascend into a downward spiral. Every single one of the nerves sparked and caused me to continuously spasm around him.


    Not even a few minutester, Elio captured his own release and soon copsed on the bed next to me. Our bodies were covered with a thin sheen of sweat, yet he pulled one of the lighter sheets over us. He pulled me close to his side and pressed a kiss to my head.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he said.


    Despite the rocky moment at the club earlier, this had certainly turned into a night I would never forget.


    ¡°I love you too.¡±

 Chapter 742 : Spilling the News

    <h4>Chapter 742: Chapter 742 : Spilling the News</h4>


    *Caterina*


    Exactly as Elio promised me before our trip, the ne managed to bring us back right before I was expected to attend my sses the following day. The ride was thankfully smooth, and I was lucky enough to squeeze in a bit of ss work before we were set tond.


    The only notable difference that I picked up on was Elio¡¯s shift in behavior. He sat closer to me than usual and strategically ced his hand in myp, asionally brushing his fingers against my stomach.


    Each time he did this, I found myself ncing over at him for some sort of exnation. But the man kept his head down and made himself busy on his tablet. I consistently gave him a strange look along with a raised brow, but nothing was ever said, although I never missed the smile that yed on the corner of his mouth each time.


    The thought suddenly came to mind that the realization of our situation had finally set in for him. I was pregnant with his baby. The warmth I felt from his touch caused a spark of jovial excitement to race through me.


    I hadn¡¯t told anyone since I¡¯d made the fateful discoveryst night. And I knew that at some point I was going to have to tell both my mother and Anna the news. I deeply hoped that the two of them would be supportive and understanding.


    When I¡¯d woken up earlier, it had taken me a few good minutes to recall the previous night¡¯s events. It hit me like a ton of bricks each time the very notion came to mind.


    I was pregnant.


    Now, I had to find a way to just go about my day without rushing up to Anna and bbering it all out for the whole world to hear. Given our situation, I believed it was best that this news was kept within a small circle of people.


    Soon the jet finally touched down on thending strip and our baggage was being ushered to the car that was patiently waiting for us. I gathered up my books in my bag and made it toward the exit door. Elio was quick to grab my hand and lead me down the stairs.


    I thanked the staff immensely for their attentive care and smooth flight back. I hastily slid into the passenger seat while Elio took his ce behind the wheel.


    ¡°You know, as unexpectedly shocking as this trip turned out to be,¡± I started softy, ¡°I¡¯m d that we took it.¡±


    Elio turned to nce at me with the most heartfelt smile that made my insides flutter.


    ¡°Me too. I¡¯m really happy that you and I got a chance to get away for a little while,¡± he said. ¡°And, all things considered, I couldn¡¯t imagine a more perfect surprise.¡±


    Just hearing those words was enough to shake off whatever lingering anxiety I had.


    By the time we reached the campus, I noticed that a good number of students were already out and about on their way to ss. Elio pulled into the nearest avable spot and turned off the ignition.


    Surprisingly, he and I both got out of the car. While I situated my bag on my shoulder and pulled out my phone to check for any new messages, Elio stepped over to speak to the two guards that had tailed us on the way here.


    I couldn¡¯t quite make out what they were saying in those short moments but decided that I wouldn¡¯t harp on it. If it was truly about something important, then I had no doubt Elio would tell me about itter. Yet, in the meantime, I had a ss I needed to get to.


    Elio finished speaking with the two guards and came over to stand in front of me. He lifted his hand up to grasp my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to tilt my head to look at him. The expression on his face was clear that he didn¡¯t want to leave me. And had I not cared so greatly about my education, I would have probably gone back home with him too.


    I felt a slight tug forward and before I knew it, Elio was pulling me into a heated kiss. My eyes fell shut and my hands came to clutch at the material of his shirt as a way of steadying myself.


    By the time Elio and I broke apart, I was panting and struggling to take in the oxygen I needed. The man left me utterly breathless.


    And now, I was really beginning to regret having to head to ss.


    ¡°I¡¯m having your car be brought over to you before you get out of sster,¡± he told me.


    I gave him a thankful smile and nodded my head. Elio ced another far too chaste kiss on my lips before getting into the car and heading off. I quickly adjusted my bag on my shoulder and turned in the direction of my building.


    I shuffled through the small clusters of other students and professors and finally made it to the ssroom. My gaze carefully scanned the room until I spotted the top of Anna¡¯s head a few rows from the front.


    I wasted no time squeezing past anyone who was still in front of me in order to snatch up the empty spot beside her.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said quietly.


    Anna turned her head, her face instantly lit up when she saw me next to her.


    ¡°Hey! How have things been with youtely?¡± she asked.


    I let out a long breath and stifled a giggle. ¡°I have so much to tell you, you wouldn¡¯t believe.¡±


    Her brows drew together in frustration. She narrowed her eyes while her voice swirled with an over-dramatic ir.


    ¡°How can you say something like that to me when you know we have to sit here for the next hour and a half inplete silence?¡± she hissed.


    Anna and I proceeded tough our heads off till our professor stepped up the board and began the lesson. Even though we both paid attention through the lecture, I could feel Anna¡¯s patience growing thinner with each passing minute.


    And I had to fully agree. For some particr reason, it seemed like this ss was taking extra long to get through. Our professor had a tendency to get off track in his lectures at times. Usually, it made time fly by even quicker, but that was not the case this time around.


    I found myself ncing at the clock on myptop and sighed.


    ¡®Jesus, at the rate this is going, time has a better chance of ticking backward,¡¯ I thought.


    A momentter, I felt Anna lean over to speak to me. She spoke lowly and never broke her eyes away from the lesson.


    ¡°I swear to God, if he drags this on any longer, my hair is going to turn gray,¡± she whispered.


    I barely stifled a snort, which I managed to hide by clearing my throat. Thest thing I needed was stealing half the ss¡¯s attention. Thankfully, no one gave much thought to my indiscretion, and I yfully nudged Anna¡¯s shoulder in return.


    The woman failed to suppress her amusement and merely rolled her eyes.


    ¡®Good God, I can¡¯t wait for this to be over.¡¯


    Eventually, we reached the tail end of the lecture, and the professor exined our next assignment. Half the ss was already well out the door when Anna snapped around to face me with a heavy look of determination.


    ¡°Alright, now spill it.¡±


    There were still a few people lingering around the room from where we were sitting. I shook my head and quickly got up.


    ¡°Not here,¡± I told her. ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere more private if we can.¡±


    Anna raised her brows and nodded her head. ¡°I know a ce.¡±


    We both grabbed our bags, and I followed closely after her. Anna led me down one of the less crowded corridors that connected two of the main buildings together. She grabbed for my arm and pulled us off to the side where arge stone pir hid us from possible prying eyes and ears.


    ¡°Okay, we should be safe here,¡± she said.


    I wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to go about saying what I needed to tell her. I didn¡¯t want to sugar-coat it by any means, and part of me hesitated to juste and say it. I bit the inside of my cheek and inwardly scolded myself.


    ¡®She¡¯s your best friend, Cat. For Christ¡¯s sake, just tell her!¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant,¡± I blurted out.


    Any chance of us remaining hidden and tucked away from the public¡¯s eye had immediately diminished to nothing when Anna¡¯s reaction hit me like a series of wild fireworks. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers, and she began bouncing on her feet like an excited child.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡± she shouted.


    I tried to calm her down, but it was no use. Her excitable nature deepened and soon she started to bombard me with questions.


    ¡°When did you find out? How long have you been pregnant? Does anyone else know? Oh my god, what did Elio say? What does he think about all of it?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    ¡°Would you please calm down,¡± I told her, looking around. ¡°Because of... who we are, we need to keep this quiet for now.¡±


    She shook her head excitedly, and I hoped she¡¯d gotten the message.


    ¡°I found out yesterday when I took one of those tests,¡± I exined. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how far along I am. Yes, Elio knows, and he seems just as thrilled and happy as you.¡±


    Anna hummed with great tion.


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m so excited and happy for you both!¡± she squealed. ¡°I promise, I¡¯m going to be the best aunt ever. And Cat, you¡¯re going to be the most amazing mother.¡±


    I¡¯d never thought about having kids. With the way my life has turned out being with Elio, the idea of motherhood never truly crossed my mind. But thanks to Elio and Anna¡¯s supporting words, I genuinely felt like I had a pretty good chance at making it.


    ¡°Hey, Anna!¡± a familiar male voice called out.


    We both turned our heads to see Elijah heading toward us. He and I exchanged friendly smiles and inquired about our sses. He and Anna had ns for lunch so the three of us parted ways. I headed back toward the parking lot where I spotted my usual guards.


    ¡°Here you are, Miss Leone,¡± one of them said while handing me the keys to my car.


    I quickly nced around us to make sure that we hadn¡¯t attracted any attention before reaching out to take them.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Right as I reached my car, I ced my bag down on the seat next to me and took out my phone. While I was exining my situation to Anna, it made me realize that I should really tell my mom about my pregnancy today as well.


    I was just about to call her when I noticed an iing call trying toe through. It was Elio.


    I quickly answered the call and held the phone up to my ear.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on?¡± I asked happily.


    I hadn¡¯t expected to hear from him so soon, but I was d, nheless. Unfortunately, I could tell from the severe tone in his voice that he was not sharing in current lightheartedness.


    Something was going on....


    ¡°Artem struck again.¡±

 Chapter 743 : A Hidden Rat

    <h4>Chapter 743: Chapter 743 : A Hidden Rat</h4>


    *Elio*


    Damnit.


    This was not how I wanted my day to turn out.


    Leo and I had been in the middle of meeting with one of our clients when the message came in from Franky. My stomach felt like it had hit the floor. My expression almost faltered, which would have undoubtedly ruined the meeting.


    The fucking Ghost had taken another one of our men.


    Leo gave me a strange look in response to my unsightly reaction. I merely shook my head and yed it off like it was nothing until the meeting finally ended. I wasn¡¯t going to run the risk of speaking out loud. He and I both got into our cars and headed toward the warehouse.


    Leo arrived just a short moment after me. As soon as he parked his car, he jumped out and rushed up to my side.


    ¡°Alright, wanna tell me what the fuck that was back there?¡± he asked.


    Leo knew better than anyone how unlikely it was for me to ever let my true emotions show. When it came to business, I always managed to keep my calm and my expression resolute. Truthfully, I didn¡¯t know why I had let my control slip like that.


    Maybe it had something to do with Cat and the incredible news she shared with me not even twenty-four hours prior. She was pregnant. The love of my life was pregnant, and I was going to be a father.


    I was beyond ecstatic. I was so happy that I felt as if I had been walking on a cloud since Cat and I got off the ne earlier that morning.


    But seeing Franky¡¯s message was like receiving a harsh p to the face. It felt like an ice-cold bucket of water was being dumped on my head, instantly tearing me from my blissful frame of mind.


    It was a clear reminder that Cat and I were far from our safe and happy ending. And I had let it get the better of me.


    I turned my head and spoke to Leo.


    ¡°Franky sent us a message,¡± I said lowly. ¡°It seems that another one of our guys has been taken.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± he cursed under his breath.


    I nced down at my watch and noted the time. Cat should have already gotten out of ss by now.


    ¡°Go on and tell Franky that we¡¯re here. I¡¯m going to call Cat and tell her to meet us here as well,¡± I instructed.


    Leo nodded his head while I reached to pull out my phone. I called Cat¡¯s number and waited as patiently as I could for her answer.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Her voice was filled with exuberant joy that it crushed me to have to put a pin in it.


    ¡°Artem struck again,¡± I told her pointedly.


    ¡°What?¡± she gasped fearfully. ¡°Oh my God, w-who¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯m about to find out. Franky messaged me earlier and I¡¯m at the warehouse. Can you get here as soon as possible?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m on my way.¡±


    ***


    Cat¡¯s car pulled up to the warehouse where I was already outside waiting for her arrival. She hastily grabbed her bag and rushed out of the car to meet me. I found myself catching her in my arms as soon as we came face to face.


    I didn¡¯t need to see her expression to know that she was terrified.


    ¡°What have you found out?¡± she asked weakly.


    She and I started to head back toward the main doors as I began to exin what Franky had told me.


    ¡°His name is Louis Carter. Apparently, the guy was taken sometimest night,¡± I said. ¡°His body still hasn¡¯t been found dead yet, but we suspect that he¡¯s long gone by now.¡±


    Cat¡¯s expression was pinched with disgusted disdain. I mindfully guided her through the main room and up one of the side staircases to bring her to where Leo and Franky were waiting for us.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I spoke out.


    Both Leo and Franky nced up from arge printed out map of the city that had beenid out on the table, the very map that we¡¯d be using to keep track of the specific locations of each kidnapping since the very beginning of this fucked up nightmare.


    Much to my dismay, there were three red X¡¯s on the map now.


    ¡°Tell us exactly what you¡¯ve discovered about this one,¡± I told Franky.


    The man shared a nce between Cat and me before lowering his head in shameful bitterness. I couldn¡¯t imagine what he must have been going through. Granted, I treated his men as though they were mine, but I knew that Franky took responsibility for each of them on a personal level. These were the men that he hade to the US with.


    And now, this was the second man we had lost to this psychopath.


    ¡°It¡¯s nearly the same as what happened to the others,¡± he exined while pointing his finger to one red X on the map. ¡°He was taken at this location. And just like the others, only the car was left behind without so much as a single trace or indication that anything had happened.¡±


    I watched Cat out of the corner of my eye move closer to the table to gain a better look at the map. Her eyes followed the random trail of X¡¯s with heavy intent. She remained quiet while I continued to question Franky.


    ¡°What the hell was he doing alone?¡±


    Leo chimed into the conversation with curious distress. ¡°That¡¯s right! We purposely made it clear to everyone that they were not to be out on the streets alone. So, what the fuck happened? Are you telling us that this Artem Katz managed to slip under the noses of three men in order to take one of them for whatever fucked up reason?¡±


    Cat gently shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no way,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Caterina is right,¡± Franky noted. ¡°He wasn¡¯t with anyone else. Hell, the guy wasn¡¯t even on the clock at that point!¡±


    We all fell silent, giving our absolute undivided attention to him.


    ¡°ording to what his wife told us, he was out running a quick errand to the store. She said that it shouldn¡¯t have taken him any longer than thirty minutes total.¡±


    ¡°Clearly, that¡¯s all it took,¡± I muttered darkly.


    Franky nodded his head stiffly. ¡°Half an hour passed, and she grew worried. She¡¯s reached out to a few of the others before I was personally notified, and we had to call it in.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible,¡± she said. ¡°That poor woman.¡±


    Cat sunk herself down into one of the chairs at the table. She fisted her hands into herp, trying to conceal the fact that she was trembling.


    ¡®Fucking hell,¡¯ I thought wildly to myself.


    Of course, this was affecting Cat strongly since the same situation had happened to her own mother a year ago.


    Matilde had gone out to the store after dinner. Cat had be a nervous wreck when she noticed that her mom had been gone for over forty-five minutes. Little did any of us know that it was because Junior had been tracking Cat¡¯s car and ended up taking her mother instead of her.


    I unconsciously reached out to rest my hand over her shoulder as a way of letting her know that I was here for her regardless of where we were.


    This entire situation was not sitting right with me. It was like an irritating buzzing in the back of my head that kept growing louder and louder.


    It was as if this guy Artem knew about the n we¡¯d set in ce. Somehow, he knew that we¡¯d implemented the three-man set-up to prevent any further kidnappings.


    A disturbing feeling crept over me. There wasn¡¯t much of a mystery to it. The answer was practically staring at us in the face, and none of us wanted to acknowledge it.


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t just another random attack,¡± I stated.


    Leo, Franky, and even Cat turned their heads to look at me. Their simr expressions were all pinched and wanting an exnation.


    ¡°Louis¡¯ trip to the store was too random to be nned out,¡± I said.


    ¡°But it¡¯s like this creep was just waiting for the right chance to snatch him,¡± Leo added.


    I let out a long sigh and then turned to face Franky directly.


    ¡°Tell me, did Louis and the first man that was taken... did they work in the same part of the business?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered. ¡°They all worked on the shipping. Shit, even the guy who was under Alessandro was part of the same area back over in Italy.¡±


    Cat squared her shoulders back and lifted her head up. ¡°Sounds like this guy has a very specific preference when ites to his victimstely.¡±


    We all nodded our heads in agreement.


    It wasn¡¯t so random after all, I thought, but why focus on the men who were involved in shipping?


    ¡°Franky, how many men are left in that department as of now?¡±


    ¡°Two.¡±


    I raised a brow. ¡°Then one of them has got to be our rat.¡±


    Leo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait. What?¡±


    I shook my head and pointed to the map again for all of them to see.


    ¡°Think about it. When the first guy was taken, he was ced at a predetermined location that the others in the shipping department already knew about. It would be easy to hand over that kind of information if need be. Now, I can¡¯t entirely pinpoint Alessandro¡¯s man exactly. Chances were that someone must have slipped Artem that info even then. But Louis... the man was at home when he took that trip to the store.¡±


    Leo sagged his shoulders back in defeat.


    ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is that in Louis¡¯ case, the Ghost had to have been following him from the house?¡±


    I slowly nodded my head. ¡°If it meant gaining the opportunity to snatch him in a ce that was less likely to raise suspicion, then yes. In order to do that, he would have needed the address to Louis¡¯ house.¡±


    ¡°Which means that one of the two guys that works in shipping must have given it to him,¡± Franky concluded solemnly.


    As grizzly and unsettling as the situation was, at least we¡¯d finally managed to break down the source of our problem. It was someone on the inside.


    But now what we needed to do was set a trap in order to snuff the son of a bitch out.


    ¡°We need a new n now,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°We need a way to set the two of them up into thinking that they¡¯re in possession of some kind of valuable information, the kind that would send them running to Artem at the quickest opportunity.¡±


    Franky suddenly spoke out. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea. What¡¯s important to bear in mind is that we still need to appear oblivious to the truth. Let whoever it is believe that we know nothing and suspect nothing. The three-man rule will still be implemented. But with Louis gone, I will be the one to take his ce.¡±


    For a moment, I was taken aback by Franky¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°You want to be the bait for the next potential kidnapping,¡± I stated.


    Franky firmly nodded his head while a devious smile started to curve at the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°This time, I¡¯ll be the bait.¡±

 Chapter 744 : A Grandbaby

    <h4>Chapter 744: Chapter 744 : A Grandbaby</h4>


    *Caterina*


    Another man was gone... two good men lost in a month. And though we didn¡¯t even know if he was dead yet, I stayed quiet, my back against the wall as Elio and Franky made arrangements to send his body to Eterna once they recovered it.


    Elio was angry, but he didn¡¯t seem as phased by this. Another man had just been lost, and all three of the men were still talking like it was nothing like it happened every day.


    This guy, Artem Katz, wasn¡¯t just a psycho. He was a serial killer. Killing wasn¡¯t just his job; he liked it. Serial killers had a time limit, a certain amount of time before they grew impatient and killed again, like an addict searching for their next hit.


    Images of Alexi, blood around his body, and an eternal scream etched on his lifeless face, flooded my mind, and of Teo, who I¡¯d only seen through pictures, swollen and beaten. Each of them was discarded like they were trash on the floor.


    And now, there was another one.


    I swallowed, ncing at my feet as Iid a hand over my stomach. I felt nauseous, the room swirling around me and the scents of the overworked tech and of burning rubber and cigarettes from down below mixed together in a horrible cocktail.


    I was going to throw up.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I spoke up as calmly as I could.


    I was interrupted by Leo mming his fist on the metal desk, and I flinched at the loud noise, as he got to his feet, getting into Franky¡¯s personal space. ¡°And you think you¡¯re a better choice than me? You arrogant prick¡ª¡±


    ¡°And that proves my point. You¡¯re too immature for this matter.¡± Franky crossed his arms, looking at Leo like he was a piece of gum on the bottom of his shoe.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Elio intervened, pushing them apart with a stern look. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this. Franky will be the bait. We¡¯ll set everything up tonight and the trap will be set tomorrow. Are your men ready for this?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Franky nodded.


    ¡°Elio¡ª¡± I began, but Leo snorted, crossing his arms as he started another argument.


    But I couldn¡¯t listen to their childish banter anymore. I felt like I was about to hurl everything in my stomach right onto the floor. I bit my bottom lip, gripping the desk corner as I covered my mouth and tried to hold on.


    ¡°Elio!¡± I shouted, finally getting his attention as he turned to me with a questioning look. ¡°Keys.¡± I held out my palm, absolutely firmly. Elio¡¯s eyes widened in confusion and concern, but he didn¡¯t even question it as he grabbed his keys from his pocket and handed them over.


    ¡°Cat, what¡ª¡±


    But I didn¡¯t have time to answer him. I ran out of the warehouse faster than I had ever done before. As soon as I pushed open the door and fresh air hit my lungs, all of my lunch came rushing up.


    I hurled into a corner, leaning on the metal walls to support myself. Not even a minuteter, I felt warm familiar hands pulling back my hair, patting my back as I retched onto the ground. Once I was finished, I wiped my mouth, feeling better and worse all at the same time.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Elio said gently, holding onto my shoulders. ¡°Is it the baby?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I admitted, thinking back.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how far along I was, but it was about that time for morning sickness. I leaned my forehead against him, exhausted all of a sudden. ¡°You¡¯ve got some more work to do. I¡¯ll drive home.¡±


    I tried to pass him his keys, but Elio just shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re not driving home like this. I¡¯ll get one of the guys to drive your car back. I¡¯ll take you home myself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to n to catch that psycho,¡± I tried to protest, but Elio was firm as he gave me a stern look. I relented with a sigh.


    ¡°Here, stay in the car, y some music, do whatever to just rest up, okay? I¡¯ll be ten minutes tops and then I¡¯ll be back to take you home,¡± Elio promised.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I epted softly, letting him fuss over me as he personally carried me to the car, slipping me into the passenger side.


    He leaned over to put the keys in the ignition, starting up the air conditioning, and I sighed in relief at the cold fresh air.


    ¡°Ten minutes,¡± Elio said firmly.


    He shut the door, hesitating to leave me, but I just hit the lock button on the doors, smirking as I heard them all click into ce. He rolled his eyes and finally went back into the warehouse.


    I sighed, leaning my back into the car seat. I slipped off my shoes, wiggling my bare feet as I gotfortable.


    I didn¡¯t feel nauseous anymore, so I waited patiently. I leaned my head against the ss window, looking out across the empty lot.


    I yed with my phone in my hand, having long turned into nothing more than a paperweight with a dead battery while I waited for Elio. Inevitably, thoughts began to pop up one by another.


    True to his word, Elio was back with five minutes to spare, and I unlocked the car for him as he approached. He climbed in, buckling up, and those thoughts I¡¯d been holding onto for the past few minutes blurted out of my mouth.


    ¡°You need to call your parents.¡±


    Elio stiffened, his hand on the key in the ignition, and then turned to me with an incredulous look.


    I winced, knowing the topic deserved more tenderness than I gave, but I was rushing with hormones so he couldn¡¯t exactly me me, right?


    ¡°My phone is dead,¡± I waved it in front of him with a grimace. ¡°So, I was sitting in here thinking all this time and we still haven¡¯t told anyone about the baby. I was thinking I would tell my mom tonight but if we¡¯re telling my mom, then we have to tell your parents. But a phone call isn¡¯t the best way to break the news, so I was thinking we set up dinner tonight to tell everyone all at once.¡±


    I sucked in a breath of fresh air after delivering my speech in one breath. Elio stared at me nkly for a few seconds, not even moving his hand from the ignition before he heaved a huge sigh.


    I winced. He hadn¡¯t spoken to either of his parents since the blow-up. Neither of us had. I had seen his mother call a couple of times, leaving voicemails on his phone, but Elio never picked up or called back.


    But I was hoping maybe this could be an olive branch between them.


    Children were precious, I thought as Iid a hand over my t stomach. And I would hate it if our child never got the chance to know their grandparents, especially Giovani. It was the only grandfather they would ever get to know.


    I turned to Elio with a determined look, and he just stared out front, not even ncing at me as he flicked on the ignition. But I could see him wavering.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he finally agreed reluctantly. ¡°I¡¯ll call them and see if they cane. But I have a meeting with Leo until four, so I have to drop you off and then head straight there. Let the cook know what you want for dinner.¡±


    I nodded enthusiastically, beaming.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, happy that he had swallowed his own pride for me and the baby. And hopefully, Elio could make up with his parents along the way.


    Elio dropped me off at home before heading off to his meeting. I immediately charged up my phone, grabbing my portable charger. Once it turned on, I called Mom excitedly. I simply couldn¡¯t wait until tonight to tell her.


    ¡°Hey, are you busy right now?¡± I asked as soon as I heard her pick up.


    ¡°Um, not right now, sweetheart, why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be over in two minutes!¡± I grinned, ending the call and pocketing my phone and charger into the hoodie I was wearing. It was one I¡¯d stolen from Elio, but he wouldn¡¯t mind, especially since I was now carrying our child.


    I made my way over to Mom¡¯s cottage. Unlike our huge, formal house, Mom¡¯s was always bright and vibrant. The out-of-season wreath on the door made me stifle augh as I entered and I stepped into the living room, grinning widely as I saw her bright and very full walls.


    Pictures of me and Dad hung everywhere, including some abstract ones that I still couldn¡¯t tell what they were of. Dad always used to say it was a spaceship driven by a cat, but I used to tell him it was a dinosaur and a lion having a tea party.


    I headed down the hallway, ignoring my various art projects disyed on her shelves, some from when I was in kindergarten. I wondered briefly as I passed through memoryne if I would be like that, to have our child¡¯s handprints cemented in y and hung on the wall, scribbled drawings with crayons saved in picture frames and a school picture every year.


    Maybe they¡¯d be like Elio, but with chubby baby cheeks, with his wild curls. Or maybe they¡¯d have my straight hair with my dad¡¯s eyes.


    Whatever they would be or look like, girl or boy, I¡¯d love them more than anything in this universe, right next to Elio and Mom.


    ¡°Mom,¡± I called out as I came to her bedroom and opened the door.


    I beamed to see she was standing there, staring at what looked like her whole wardrobe on the bed. She turned to look at me with that same bright look she¡¯d had since before Dad died, and I knew immediately.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a date tonight?¡± I smiled, hiding my disappointment.


    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± Mom cupped her cheeks in her hands, blushing bright red.


    ¡°Kinda,¡± I chuckled. I nced at the dressesid out, picking up a gorgeous deep violet. ¡°This one.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Mom took the dress, giving me a doubtful look. ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s too shy?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± I assured her. ¡°You¡¯ll look amazing in it. So, it¡¯s the same guy asst time, right? Charles?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± She beamed. ¡°We¡¯re really starting to click. You¡¯re not too weirded out by it, right honey? I mean, I don¡¯t want you to be¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not a kid anymore.¡± I grabbed her hand, pulling her to sit on the bed next to me. ¡°As long as he makes you happy, then I¡¯m happy.¡±


    She smiled, tears brimming in her eyes as she cupped my cheek. ¡°How did I get blessed with such an amazing daughter?¡±


    I grinned, giving her a yful look. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s Dad¡¯s genes.¡±


    As sheughed, I felt like I was ready to tell her the big news. If she couldn¡¯te to dinner tonight, then I want to tell her right here.


    ¡°So, I was actually nning on having a dinner with you and Elio¡¯s parents tonight, but since you¡¯re going out with Charles, I figured I¡¯d just tell you now.¡± I nervously nced at her, holding tightly to her hand. I took a deep breath and like a band aid, just decided to rip it off.


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡±


    I opened one of my eyes that I had squeezed shut and Mom stared at me with an absolute nk face, seemingly notprehending.


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    ¡°My baby!¡± Mom burst into tears at my touch, pulling me into the biggest hug I¡¯d had in years. She sobbed in my ears, tears flowing onto my shoulder as she held me close. ¡°A grandbaby.¡±


    I buried my face into Mom¡¯s shoulder, just relishing her joy as we both celebrated the new life growing inside of me.


    ¡°Oh!¡± She pulled back. ¡°I can cancel my date with Charles and attend the dinner with you tonight. Don¡¯t even worry about it¡ª"


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay, Mom,¡± Iughed. ¡°I want you to go.¡± I then sighed, thinking about me and Elio being alone with his parents. It was true that I had been hoping Mom could be sort of a buffer, but if she wasn¡¯t there....


    I put on a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯ll probably have more fun tonight than me if this dinner is anything like thest one.¡±

 Chapter 745 : The Olive Branch

    <h4>Chapter 745: Chapter 745 : The Olive Branch</h4>


    *Elio*


    As soon as I had gotten back to work with Leo, I hadpletely forgotten about Cat¡¯s dinner party. It wasn¡¯t until we were signing ourst contracts for the night, the time approaching four o¡¯clock, that I realized I still hadn¡¯t called my parents.


    I eventually decided to bite the bullet, calling Dad, who would probably be quicker to respond than Mom, though I wasn¡¯t sure he would even pick up for me anymore. I was no longer his golden son, I thought bitterly. Now I was the family¡¯s disappointment.


    Much to my surprise, however, the call did go through but there was no hello on the other end. I could hear my dad¡¯s breath though, and I heaved a sigh before I said calmly, ¡°Hey, Dad.¡±


    ¡°Elio.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t expecting that cold response. I shook it off, plowing straight on.


    ¡°I know it¡¯sst-minute, but would you and Mom be able toe to dinner tonight at our ce? I¡¯ve... I¡¯ve got some exciting news to share.¡±


    There was a long pause and I waited, tapping my fingers on my legs impatiently.


    ¡°If this has anything to do with your career choice¡ª¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡± I cut him off, irritated. ¡°Me and Cat just have something important to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Important, huh?¡± I could hear the slight amusement in his voice like he knew something that I hadn¡¯t said.


    I cursed inwardly. Cat was going to kill me. Of course, Dad would¡¯ve figured something was up by the way I worded it.


    ¡°Can youe or not?¡± I asked impatiently.


    ¡°Of course. What time?¡±


    ¡°Five-ish.¡± I made a mental note to send a text to the cook to make sure she knew when to have food ready.


    ¡°Done.¡±


    And like everything else in his life, once Dad was done with something, he cut it off. The phone went dead.


    ¡°Jee, that sounds wonderful, beloved son of mine,¡± I mocked pitifully. ¡°I¡¯d love to attend a wonderful dinner with you and your wi¡ª¡± I paused, my face heating up a dozen degrees.


    Nope, I shook that thought straight out of my head. That was something to deal withter.


    I already had a headache brewing, and our conversation hadn¡¯tsted even two minutes. But despite how much I was dreading meeting my father again, I was also a little happy to finally see my mom.


    Dad was a hit or miss¡ªa lecture or congrattions, I didn¡¯t have a clue, but Mom... I knew Mom would be overjoyed for us. She¡¯d always been the easiest to talk to, to confide in. And I was sure she wasn¡¯t going to be happy that we¡¯d be raising our kid in the business they left, but she¡¯ll support us anyway. That was just the kind of loving person she was.


    But I wasn¡¯t as excited to see Dad.


    Lamenting the long night in store for me, I put the car into drive, pulled out onto the road, and finally headed home. The afternoon was just turning to evening, and I was thirty minuteste when I pulled in.


    I had made sure to double-check for Dad or Mom¡¯s cars, but they still weren¡¯t here yet, so I figured Cat wouldn¡¯t be too angry with me, hopefully. I rubbed the back of my sore neck as I input the fingerprint.


    As soon as I stepped inside, I heard the music ying, an old rock song that sounded vaguely familiar to me and a loud, familiar voice singing along. I grinned, my drowsiness fading as I followed the voice down the hall.


    I leaned against the wall as I spotted Cat in the dining room setting the table.


    I chuckled, too low for her to notice over the ring music as I watched her for a bit. Completely unashamed, unaware of her audience she grooved to the beat, pretending to use the forks as drums on the table as she sang along.


    At that moment, I could see forever shining in her eyes. She was the only woman I would ever love in any life. And suddenly, the thought of calling her my wife was only a matter of time.


    I kicked off the wall, stealthily sneaking up on her until I was right behind her. I wrapped my arms around her waist, hugging her from behind and she jolted in surprise as Iid my head on her shoulder, grinning like the fool in love I was.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear youe in,¡± she said loudly over the music, reaching over the counter to grab her phone and pause it. She turned in my arms until she was facing me, a silly smile on her face, her cheeks flushed from her dancing.


    Completely out of breath, her face seemed to glow with happiness.


    ¡°Thank you for setting up,¡± I whispered to her, brushing a lock of her hair from her beautiful face. ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡±


    I had researched morning sickness, and the horror stories had me being more cautious with Cat than I usually was. I didn¡¯t know how bad she was going to have it or if it was just certain smells that would trigger her, but I wanted to be prepared.


    I was her support. I had to do everything I could to make sure she and the baby were safe andfortable.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling a lot better,¡± Cat mused, ying with my fingers as she held both of my hands. ¡°I¡¯m actually really hungry, believe it or not.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s to be expected,¡± I grinned, ¡°You¡¯re eating for two now.¡±


    ¡°Is that a roundabout way of calling me fat?¡± she huffed, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± I said quickly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. ¡°You¡¯re perfect, and so is our baby.¡±


    ¡°Nice one,¡± she smirked in response, wrapping her arms around my neck.


    I grinned, lifting her easily and plopping her straight onto the table. I took advantage of her sudden surprise, taking her lips for my own. Her eyes gradually fell shut, easily epting me as I held her loosely in my arms.


    I doubted there was anything in this world that could ruin my happiness right now.


    We both flinched as the doorbell suddenly rang throughout the house.


    Except for that, I grumbled to myself.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Cat giggled, jumping down. She grabbed my hand and led me reluctantly toward the front door.


    I stayed a bit behind her as she happily opened it, greeting the faces of my parents I hadn¡¯t seen in a matter of months.


    ¡°Caterina!¡± my mom shouted, weepy but beaming as she pulled Cat from my arms into hers.


    I grumbled, crossing my arms but not doing much else. These two women were my only weakness.


    ¡°Olivia.¡± Cat smiled, then nced at the man standing hunched over.


    It had begun to rain a bit, and my father held a bright yellow umbre, covering them both. He gave Cat a polite nod as she stepped aside to let them in.


    Mom passed through, tucking Cat by her side as she chatted a hundred miles per hour about the weather, how much she liked our house, and asking how we¡¯d been doing, while Dad was silent as always.


    He gave me a nod as he passed and I returned it, both of our faces nk.


    And that was it.


    Awkwardly, I was left to shut the door. I sighed, tucking away the jackets that they¡¯d handed me. By the time I was done, they¡¯d all left me to head to the dining room.


    I trailed behind, unsure of how this was going to go as I entered. Cat and Mom were already chatting at the table, and Dad sat nearby, smiling politely.


    The dinner was all very mundane. Dad and I were mostly silent, only answering when Cat or Mom asked us questions, but the two of them were chatterboxes, talking about anything and everything.


    Mom asked about Cat¡¯s school, which led to the drama her best friend Anna had suffered from her previous boyfriend, then the conversation switched to her current boyfriend, Elijah, and somehow shifted again to how Cat¡¯s mom was dating again.


    I couldn¡¯t follow, so I just silently ate my dinner, only speaking up when Cat looked to me for backup or asked a question I hadn¡¯t quite managed to catch. By the time Mom and Cat were done talking, we were already eating dessert¡ªCat¡¯s favorite, chocte-strawberry cheesecake. She¡¯d been craving ittely, and I was half-starting to think it might be the baby¡¯s addiction and not Cat¡¯s, though she certainly wasn¡¯tining either.


    ¡°So, you said you had important news to tell us,¡± Dad finally spoke up once the girls had stopped chatting about the cheesecake. He looked straight at me, not Cat, and I pursed my lips, nodding in agreement.


    I looked at Cat and she beamed, grabbing my hand. I smiled, raising her hand to my lips and pressing a delicate kiss there.


    Then I faced my parents, my heart leaping into my throat with every hurried beat. However they were going to react was up to them, but for Cat and me, we were bursting with joy. I could only hope they would be happy for us.


    ¡°Cat¡¯s pregnant,¡± I dered proudly.


    Dad leaned back in his chair, not the least bit surprised as he crossed his arms. He waspletely unreadable as usual, but Mom¡¯s jaw dropped as she nced from Cat to me and then back to Cat and finallynded on the table as if she could see Cat¡¯s stomach through it.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡± Mom cried, her smile going from ear to ear as she rushed up from her chair to pull Cat into a hug. ¡°That is so amazing! I¡¯m so happy for you two. Our grandchild... oh, I can¡¯t believe it. Gio, you¡¯re going to be a grandfather!¡±


    She nced at Dad, and I could see the sorrow, happiness, and longing in her eyes. Dad noticed too. His face softened, something that only happened when he was with Mom.


    ¡°I heard too,¡± Dad chuckled, then he looked me in the eye, smiling like the kind father I remembered from childhood. ¡°Congrats, Elio. A child is a gift, like you were for me and your mother. Cherish them.¡±


    I swallowed, the heaviness of his words settling over me like a weighted nket, but my heart was bursting like a balloon. All of the drama and stress and tenseness between us faded like it had never happened, and I could feel my father¡¯s approval¡ªall the pride and joy he had in me.


    Oh, I realized, I had been so wrong.


    Cat pulled out the champagne, pouring a ss for everyone but herself. She settled for some sparkling water, much to her chagrin, and the rest of the night went smoothly. Mom chatted with us about what to expect and offered toe and help as much as we needed.


    And when it was finally time to leave, I felt lighter than I had before. Cat had been right. This had been exactly what we needed. I went to get the coats and umbre, happy to see that the rain had stopped.


    Dad followed me silently, letting Mom and Cat chat about motherhood a bit longer.


    ¡°Your umbre is getting worn out, old man,¡± I joked as he approached. ¡°You¡¯ll need a new one soon.¡±


    He cracked a smile, nodding in agreement as he leaned against the wall.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± he admitted, ¡°though I¡¯m quite fond of this one.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I raised an eyebrow at the eyesore. ¡°Is red your favorite color?¡±


    Dad just smiled. ¡°No, it was yours.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I looked up, confused.


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t remember. You were only six or seven at the time,¡± Dad exined, ¡°Your mother bought this for me for our anniversary one year, so she brought you along. She asked you what would be good. You picked the color¡ªyour favorite color red.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t remember that.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot you don¡¯t remember,¡± Dad said, his smile falling into a serious look. ¡°Like why I quit being the Don.¡±


    I stiffened, ncing up at him. Dad stared me straight in the eye, unblinking. I knew this had beening, and my defenses raised as I straightened to my full size, unwilling to back down now.


    ¡°And why did you?¡± I challenged him firmly.


    ¡°Because of you.¡±


    I faltered, the unexpected answer shaking me to the core, but Dad didn¡¯t give me time to recover, simply plowing on with the story I had vaguely heard but never knew the details of before¡ªhow my mother¡¯s father, my own grandfather, had snuck his way into their lives, exploiting the connection to get close to them, and how he had stolen me from my room, brought me to a man who had sworn vengeance against Dad, and held me hostage.


    Dad told me how utterly distraught Mom had been and how she couldn¡¯t forgive herself for it, even after getting me back safe and sound. It had been Dad who had to stay up every night,forting his wife and son who were riddled with nightmares.


    The hall was silent as we stood there on opposite sides of the wall.


    ¡°It was my fault,¡± Dad said quietly, ¡°because of what I had done as the Don, what I had to do. You make enemies, Elio, even if you don¡¯t mean to. And when something like that happens and you can¡¯t fix the damage, the me can destroy you.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± I asked heavily, but truthfully, I already knew why.


    And so did Dad.


    ¡°Because it could happen to you.¡±


    Mom and Dad left, and I stood solemnly in the doorway, watching them head to the car in a nk trance. It wasn¡¯t until the front door shut and Cat turned to me with a raised eyebrow that I broke out of it.


    ¡°What was that about?¡±

 Chapter 746 : Together

    <h4>Chapter 746: Chapter 746 : Together</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I knew as soon as Olivia had dered it was time for them to leave... as soon as Elio got to his feet, trudging to the closet where he¡¯d stashed their coats and umbres. But I mostly knew from how Giovani had risen without a single word and followed Elio to the hallway.


    I sighed in disappointment as I watched the truce Elio and his father hade to over the evening literally walk away.


    ¡°Oh, Gio,¡± Olivia sighed, then she gave me a small, sad smile when I looked at her in surprise. ¡°They like to think we¡¯re oblivious, but we¡¯re not. Gio¡¯s been trying to catch him alone all evening, but he¡¯s been glued to your side.¡±


    I chuckled. It was true. He¡¯d been stuck to me like Velcro, following me around like a lost puppy. I wasn¡¯t sure he even realized he was doing it, but as exasperating as it was, I also couldn¡¯t help but think it was adorable.


    But we both flinched as we heard Elio¡¯s raised voice from the hallway, not quite yelling but close. I didn¡¯t hear the words, but I could understand the anger and bitterness being thrown there. I slumped over, leaning my head on my hand.


    So much for the olive branch I¡¯d wanted to give them. They¡¯d sooner snap it in half with their bare hands and use it to poke each other¡¯s sore spots.


    ¡°Men,¡± I grumbled.


    Oliviaughed, giving me a soft look. ¡°True. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s quite as bad as you think it is.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°Gio has only ever wanted to protect the people he loved. Me and Elio always came first,¡± Olivia said wistfully. ¡°He even threw away the career he¡¯d spent the majority of his life on just to make me happy, to keep us safe. But now that Elio doesn¡¯t need us, that he¡¯s making the same choices Gio made and not thinking of the repercussions....¡±


    Olivia sighed and then looked at me, a steely glint in the same-colored eyes that I often saw in Elio, and I realized in that moment how much Elio resembled his mother.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been where you are right now, Cat,¡± Olivia said calmly. ¡°And it almost cost us everything. Sometimes, you have to choose what is most important and give up on the rest. Nobody can have everything.¡±


    Her advice didn¡¯t make much sense and I frowned, trying to decrypt any hidden meanings. But Olivia just gave me a sad smile.


    ¡°I hope you never understand what I mean, for everyone¡¯s sake.¡± Her eyes flickered to my stomach hidden under the table, growing a new life as we spoke, and a chill went down my spine.


    I didn¡¯t have time to question her any further and she wasn¡¯t sharing anymore as she got to her feet, putting on that bright smile I always associated with her. The men were standing in silence when we arrived, but I could see how pale Elio was, how shaken he looked.


    It wasn¡¯t until Giovani and Olivia were gone and the door had shut firmly that I turned to Elio and demanded an exnation.


    ¡°What was that about?¡±


    Elio didn¡¯t say anything for a few seconds, staring at the floor aimlessly with that same lost look in his eyes. Whatever his father had said to him had shaken him to his core.


    ¡°Elio, talk to me.¡± I tried a gentler approach, holding his freezing-cold hand in mine. I frowned at the temperature. Elio was always warm¡ªalways.


    Elio always took care of me, now it was time for me to care for him.


    ¡°Come on.¡±


    I gently tugged him to follow me and though he still wasn¡¯t looking at me, he went willingly, stumbling after me as I pulled him into the living room. I got him settled on the couch, pulling out the fluffy throw and wrapping it around him before I went to grab some coffee from the pot I¡¯d made for his parents.


    Luckily it was still warm.


    When I came back, Elio looked a little better, but I gently ced his coffee on the table, opening up the nket and crawling my way in.


    He was still motionless, and I used my phone as a remote, putting on a cozy movie I knew we both loved. I leaned back onto the couch, curling my feet up. The two of us were entangled together on the couch, and it only took a few moments before his headnded on my shoulder, his face hidden from view but close enough that I could brush my fingers through his curls.


    I didn¡¯t say a word, simply letting Elioe to me in his own time as I waited patiently for whatever he needed to work through. But while he did so, I made sure he knew he was safe and warm and loved, just like all the times he¡¯d done the same for me.


    It took two full movies, and it was veryte by the time Elio finally starteding back to life. A chuckle at a random joke and I could feel him start responding to my gentle touch. I didn¡¯t push him, but once the credits of the second movie rolled, he began to tell me exactly what his father had said.


    I was surprised at how calm I remained while Elio told me the horrifying story of his own kidnapping. Elio exined his own flesh and blood had done that to him, and suddenly, Olivia¡¯s words made much more sense to me, as well as Giovani¡¯s reluctance to allow Elio back into the mafia after it had scarred his family so badly. The puzzle pieces just fell into ce, creating a picture that I wasn¡¯t sure I was happy to see.


    ¡°I¡¯m terrified, Cat,¡± Eli said quietly, a distressed look in his eyes as he nced at me. ¡°What if he¡¯s right? What if that happens to our child? Or what if it¡¯s worse? What if they take you and I¡¯m just useless to help you? I can¡¯t stand the thought of something happening to you or to the baby¨C¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I cut him off, keeping my voice soft and soothing as I held him close. ¡°But look at me. I¡¯m safe; the baby¡¯s safe. Nothing has happened to us.¡±


    I¡¯d never seen Elio so emotional before. I quietly pretended not to notice the few tears that escaped his eyes. He clung to me so tightly, it felt like he was trying to merge us together.


    I could feel how much he loved and needed me, and though I adored every second of it, it also filled me with that same fear. I loved him... I needed him just as much, and I¡¯d never considered that he had almost been taken from me before we even met.


    But the more I thought about it and the more I reced that mental picture of baby Elio with our own child, taken and offered up to the same asshole, scared and alone and gued with nightmares he couldn¡¯t wake from... the more the despair of such a future turned to determination that I would never let that happen.


    Ever.


    Elio and our baby were my life. And I would do anything, even sell my soul to the devil to protect them.


    And I was sure that Gio and Olivia had felt the same way and did everything they could to protect their son.


    As Olivia had said, nobody could have everything.


    But they hadn¡¯t considered one important fact.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I spoke up softly, pulling away from his grip until I could gently cup his face in my hands, bringing our eyes to meet. ¡°Your parents left the mafia to protect you. My parents tried to hide me away to protect me. But here we are, involved, despite all of their efforts.¡±


    I smiled sadly, pressing our foreheads together as I admitted the truth that neither of our parents had wanted to.


    ¡°It¡¯s in our blood, Elio. We can¡¯t escape it even if we want to. We¡¯ll always be tied to this world and that danger will always follow us. And the same will hold true for our child. All that matters is that we do everything in our power to make sure that never happens to our baby. But we do it like we always do¡ªtogether.¡±


    I beamed at the father of my child, the man I loved, and he stared at me with stars in his eyes, like I was the brightest and most gorgeous thing in the universe, and before I could even finish my speech, my words still on my tongue, Elio silenced me with his own.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered to my lips, and I melted into his arms, responding with just as much passion.


    It was overbearing as he took control, sealing us together. I yfully tugged on his bottom lip, swallowing the soft groan that leaked out.


    I wasted no time losing myself in the heat and passion as I wound up climbing onto hisp, his hands under my shirt and slithering up my spine. I could feel every movement intimately, my body sensitive and hot as he gave me barely any time to breathe.


    Everything else flew from my mind. Nothing else mattered, and I gripped his curls in one hand, the other pushing up his shirt.


    I gasped aloud as he broke from the kiss, trailing down to my neck. I leaned back, letting him have ess as my bra was unhooked with masterful dexterity. Elio¡¯s eyes were locked on me, burning with desire as he watched my every expression.


    He slid his hand across my waist, going up until my shirt was pulled up to my chin, exposing my breasts. He popped a cherry red nipple into his mouth, sucking hard as he teased it with his teeth, molding my other breast with his hand.


    ¡°Elio, fuck¡ª¡± I could feel his cock swelling beneath his jeans, perfectly ced right at my underwear, and I thanked god I had worn a skirt today to feel the friction as he rocked upward in waves, rubbing through my panties.


    I could feel how wet I was, soaking through the fabric and drenching him in turn.


    But as much pleasure as I was feeling, I had promised to take care of Elio, and that was what I was going to do.


    I pulled away, holding him down by the shoulders. Elio gave me a confused look but didn¡¯t say a word as I slipped from hisp to the floor. His breath hitched as I got to my knees, rubbing my thighs together needily as I undid his belt.


    I was burning up but I suppressed my own desires, wanting to service him this time. He clenched his hands, holding the couch as I pulled down his pants and with it, his boxers. His cock sprang up, bulging with his need for me.


    I kept my eyes on him, smirking as I cupped his balls in one hand, rubbing his shaft slowly with the other. He cursed, throwing his head back and I licked his head, tasting the salty precum there.


    Then I swallowed his cock, inch by inch down my throat. It stretched almost painfully with his girth, and I felt like I was choking but I didn¡¯t stop for a second, breathing sharply through my nose once I hit the base.


    ¡°Fucking goddamn.¡± Elio nearly lost his mind and I felt his hand wind in my hair, pulling it into a bun as he struggled not to thrust himself further down, though I knew he wanted to.


    Clumsily, I adjusted myself on my knees, knowing there would be bruises thereter as I put my hand on his base, pumping him with my hand as I pulled back and then forward again.


    I sucked him off,pletely dripping onto the carpet now as every inch of him slid in and out of my throat, easier with every pump. I could hear his breath increasing as he used more force, his restraint waning before I could feel him swelling at the base of his cock, so close toing, and though I wouldn¡¯t have minded, Elio clearly did.


    He ripped me from his dick, spit trailing from my mouth as I looked up at him, confused. His eyes were dark with lust, his control hanging by a thread as he just whispered, ¡°That¡¯s not where that goes,¡± before pulling me onto the couch.


    He pressed me onto the ground, stripping my panties from under my skirt and pulling my legs apart as he situated himself. I could feel his cock head sliding and slipping at my entrance and I groaned with a bit of relief.


    ¡°I need you so bad,¡± Elio muttered.


    Pleas fell from my mouth as I thrust my hips toward his cock, begging for what only he could give me.


    And he did.


    He thrust into me, both of us groaning loudly as he fucked me until all I could feel was him. It was the hum of our heartbeats, the panting out of our breaths mixing together as we became one again and again and again.


    Just for tonight, it was only us.

 Chapter 747 : Time to Hunt

    <h4>Chapter 747: Chapter 747 : Time to Hunt</h4>


    *Elio*


    I woke slowly to the sun pouring in through our windows. Caterina and I had sleptter than we had nned, but I was d for it. We would need the sleep to help us stay up tonight.


    Cat was still fully out. My arm was draped over her, my hand resting against her stomach. I imagined our precious baby sleeping in there, my heart warming as I thought of the tiny little thing curled up right along with us. I couldn¡¯t wait to be able to hold our baby for the first time.


    I rubbed my hand in a gentle circle around her stomach, wondering how long it would be before she started to show. I knew she would make the most adorable pregnant woman. I couldn¡¯t wait to see her belly grow with new life. I would buy her a whole new wardrobe of maternity clothes that hugged her growing body perfectly. I knew she¡¯d be absolutely gorgeous.


    As I rubbed her, she started to stir. She rolled over to face me and looked up at me, her lips curving into a sleepy smile. She was so fucking beautiful it took my breath away.


    I loved seeing her like this, in a way that I knew only I got to see... her face bare, her hair tangled from rolling around in her sleep¡ªit was such an intimate view. Seeing her like this reminded me how unbelievably lucky I was, and how desperate I was to keep her and my future baby safe.


    The first step was taking out Artem Katz that night. But before that, we would need to find a way to upy ourselves for the day.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Caterina mumbled as she stretched her arms above her head. ¡°How did you sleep?¡±


    I kissed her just behind her ear lobe where I knew it would tickle her and chuckled when she squirmed around.


    ¡°I slept great,¡± I murmured in her ear, knowing it would tickle her even more and drive her wild. She arched against me, pressing her breasts to my chest. ¡°How about you?¡±


    ¡°I did too. I always sleep well in your arms.¡± She rubbed her nose against mine.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯ll all be over tonight. We¡¯ll have Artem in our control, finally.¡± I tightened my hold on her, as if I could keep her safe from Artem just with my love alone. I wished that would be the case with every danger that she might face.


    ¡°I know. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be able to focus on anything today,¡± she said, her face tightening as she remembered what was going to happen. I felt terrible for reminding her so soon after she had woken up, but it was all I could think about.


    ¡°Just know that no matter what happens, we did our best. And you contributed so much to this whole operation; you should be so proud of everything you¡¯ve done to get us to this point.¡± I brought my hands up to cup her face and pull her in for a kiss. It was soft and sweet, full of the best kind of emotions.


    ¡°I love you so much,¡± she sighed as she nuzzled into my chest.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve got to get up and get into work, even though I¡¯ll hardly be able to focus,¡± I said, squeezing her tighter against me before letting her go so that I could get out of bed.


    She stretched again once she was in the bed by herself, taking advantage of the warm, empty space that I left behind. She reminded me of a cat as she searched for the warmest ce in the bed.


    ¡°Are you going to get up soon, or should I bring you your tea in bed?¡± I asked.


    I didn¡¯t always have the time to bring her something while sheid in bed, but today I had purposefully kept my schedule loose because I knew I wouldn¡¯t want to have to rush around all day in case things went down with Artem Katz sooner than we expected.


    ¡°I think I would like that,¡± she smiled up at me.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got it.¡±


    I wandered down to the kitchen to make her tea and the cook handed me her breakfast te. I knew that when she was anxious about something, she had the habit of skipping breakfast, but now that she was eating for two, her body needed the nutrition.


    I had never been one to track how much she ate and drank, but now that I knew she was supporting our baby, I couldn¡¯t help but worry about it. I knew that pregnancy was difficult for many women, and thest thing I wanted was for her health to suffer as she carried our baby. I knew I would do everything within my power to make the process easier for her.


    I ced the tea and breakfast on a little tray and brought it up to her, setting it up for her in the bed. She chuckled as she looked down on the spread. ¡°Feeling fancy today, huh?¡±


    ¡°I just want you to feel spoiled,¡± I told her. ¡°You deserve it.¡±


    She ate and drank while I got dressed, watching me thoughtfully the whole time. I straightened my tie and nced back at her. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Just wondering how tonight¡¯s going to go. I know I¡¯m going to spend the whole day thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°Do you want toe to work with me today?¡± I asked. ¡°Maybe we can help each other focus on other things.¡±


    ¡°That actually sounds nice. I would like to spend the day with you.¡±


    She sipped thest of her tea and set the tray aside so she could get up and get herself ready. I caught myself staring at her stomach as she pulled off her shirt, trying to memorize what it looked like so that I could notice any changes as they happened.


    Before I knew it, we were headed to the office to meet Leo. We just needed to grab some paperwork before heading out to a few meetings. When I had scheduled out the day, I knew that thest thing we¡¯d want to do would be to sit around the office and try to focus on paperwork. It would work out well for the three of us to attend some meetings in the field together to try to take our minds off of things.


    ¡°Hey, you two,¡± Leo greeted us as we walked into the office. ¡°We¡¯ve got three on-site meetings, one with the construction team and two with investors, so it shouldn¡¯t be too long of a day.¡±


    I nodded and reached out to grab the files from him, looking them over before handing them to Caterina so that she could do the same. It never failed to amaze me how well she could adapt to new situations, and I had a feeling she would do just as well today as Leo and me. She was such an incredible people person when she wanted to be; she knew how to read people and tell them what they wanted to hear without evering off as overly charming.


    The three of us drove together to meet our client with ns for his office building, designed by me. It was going to be a ten-story ss and steel structure that was extremely imposing. The windows would be all tinted so that the whole building was a dark gray color on a cloudy morning, but when the colors of the sunset hit it, it would reflect them beautifully. Inside, each office would be filled with massive windows that were sure to keep people interested ining to work. The only downside was the location; the site he was considering was several blocks away from the nearest parking garage and didn¡¯t have much parking nearby.


    Our client met us in his office. He was an older man who had made his money in medical tech and was now starting a newpany focused on sellingputer algorithms to hospitals that could help them improve patient care oues. He was a no-nonsense kind of guy who didn¡¯t like to be schmoozed.


    ¡°Hey, great to see you again, Lenny,¡± I said as he walked up to us. I immediately turned and introduced him to Caterina.


    I could see in his eyes that he was dazzled by her brilliant smile. Before we had even given him the ns, she had himughing so hard I was afraid he was going to have a coughing fit. I wasn¡¯t sure what she had even told him that had tickled him so much, but whatever it was, it was working. The man grinned as he looked over the designs.


    ¡°So, what are you thinking?¡± I asked. ¡°Tell us your pros and cons. We want to know every thought.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I can¡¯t think of any cons,¡± he said. ¡°This whole building design is magnificent! I can tell that you really thought about every little detail.¡±


    Leo nced toward me, his eyebrows raised. We had been regrly showing Lenny different design ideas for three weeks now, and he always had something negative to say about what we showed him. He was an extremely critical man.


    Caterina nodded as he was speaking. ¡°You are so right, Lenny. I thought the same thing when I looked it over. It¡¯s going to have that charm that you usually only see in historic buildings, won¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It sure will!¡± he said enthusiastically. ¡°I think this is the one, Elio. You did a great job with this design. It¡¯s perfect.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m d to hear that,¡± I said. ¡°Should we head back to our office and draw up the paperwork, or do you want us to fax it over to sign here?¡±


    ¡°I need to get to a meeting by your office anyway,¡± Lenny said. ¡°Let¡¯s go do it there.¡±


    He nodded and headed out of his office and out to the parking lot. Caterina caught up to him and the two of them discussed whatever it was that they had been talking about before I asked for his pros and cons.


    Leo looked at me with a huge grin on his face. The deal was going to be massive. Both of us had been hoping that it would happen soon. Now, thanks to Caterina, Lenny was going to sign with us for his development sooner than we had hoped.


    After bringing Lenny back to the office and spending a few hours dealing with his contract, then heading to the other sites for shorter meetings, it was already time to go. The day had flown by thanks to Cat¡¯s presence, and it was finally time to do what had been on all of our minds since we had woken up. I couldn¡¯t believe the time was here. My stomach was tangled up in knots.


    ¡°We should go home and get changed into something morefortable,¡± I told Cat. ¡°It¡¯s time to hunt Artem.¡±

 Chapter 748 : The Plan in Action

    <h4>Chapter 748: Chapter 748 : The n in Action</h4>


    *Caterina*


    There was truly something to be said about those who possessed the ability to shift their emotions depending on how the situation was turning in order to best suit themselves.


    I always considered it to be one of Elio¡¯s most troublesome features. It rmed me at times whenever I¡¯d catch him using this ability of his. It left me constantly wondering just how anyone could do it.


    I honestly believed that I would never acquire such a skill... yet here we both were.


    Our day had started outpletely different. Elio had actually taken me to work with him and I honestly had a ball. It was enjoyable talking to some of their clients with a positive goal in mind. It was the perfect distraction from the insanity that has been surrounding ustely.


    I hid my emotions behind a pleasant smile and tried my best not to think about the n that was put into ce.


    ¡®It¡¯s going to be over soon,¡¯ I told myself continuously.


    Everything felt normal until Elio and I made it back to the house and proceeded to get ready to head out again. It was so imperative to me that I try to remain as calm as possible... calm and realistic.


    Artem Katz was merely one part of the problem. He needed to be dealt with, but there was still the major issue of Junior. He was the orchestrator of this madness. To bring down Artem only meant dealing with part of the dilemma. But it still needed to happen, nheless.


    Elio and I finished getting ready, then we made our way to the living room and sat down on the couch. We slipped into a kind of silence that almost felt ceremonial. It was as if we knew what wasing.


    I¡¯d felt the same way the night we captured Antonio and were trying to lure Junior out to the warehouse. Because of that same dark, grizzly sensation that settled in the back of my mind, part of me already knew what to expect.


    But it wasn¡¯t as if it made things any easier.


    No matter how much I tried to justify why a man like Artem needed to be brought down, it didn¡¯t exactly shine a superior light over Elio and me. I certainly didn¡¯t feel like the better person, knowing that I would y a part in putting an end to his life.


    ¡®Oh, Cat. But think about all the lives that you¡¯re saving, knowing that The Ghost would no longer exist.¡¯


    Part of me didn¡¯t even try to justify our actions. Why bother?


    We were no better, and deep down I knew that Elio felt the same.


    We sat on that couch for as long as we could before I felt Elio¡¯s eyes burn into me.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± he said.


    I nodded my head and slowly picked myself up. I felt Elio slip his hand around the small of my back and lead us out to the car.


    The drive to the warehouse was kept in pure silence. And even though there were a hundred wild thoughts on my mind that I could have easily brought up, I remained quiet. The moment we reached our destination, my stomach churned in knots. It wasn¡¯t as if I¡¯d never been put through this exact situation before. Why was I feeling so horribly shaken by it?


    ¡®Because there¡¯s always the possible chance that something could go wrong,¡¯ a voice in the back of my head said.


    It wasn¡¯t as though Artem Katz was our typical, everyday enemy who hijacked a shipment or stole a client away from us. No, this man was a killer, one who had been abducting and disposing of his victims for over twenty years.


    He possessed a more dangerous track record than Junior and Antoniobined. All that time he¡¯d always remained invisible and elusive to the authorities. He existed as the very name he¡¯d given himself. He was nothing more than a ghost.


    Was someone like him truly capable of being brought down? That was the million-dor question that had been in my mind ever since Franky exined his n to all of us. It seemed like what we were attempting to do was ultimately impossible. I felt like one of the people who was trying to capture a picture of some mythical creature for proof or evidence of its existence.


    I wanted to believe that everything was going to go smoothly. Elio had informed me that Franky had sessfully nted the seeds necessary for the n with the two remaining men who worked in shipping. He told us that he would be leaving his house in approximately ten minutes.


    Something awful told me that those ten minutes were going to feel like an eternity.


    Meanwhile, Leo was acting on the other end of the n. While Franky needed to appear unsuspecting and just kept going about his business, Leo and his crew were going to be tailing Franky from a distance. The point was to track Franky and bring him back to the warehouse with Artem in tow.


    ¡®This n feels too simple,¡¯ I thought quietly to myself.


    But maybe this sort of ordeal didn¡¯t require aplicated n. Artem always made his kidnappings appear effortless. How ironic would it be if he were to fall for such a simple trap as well?


    Elio and I stepped past the two heavily armed men that guard the main doors and headed toward the back rooms. Over a dozenputer screens lined the walls that showed surveince coverage over the entire area.


    And now we were back to waiting.


    I took a seat at one of the tables and allowed myself to get better familiar with what I was seeing on each screen. It was a good distraction¡ªfor about five minutes until suddenly the worry started to creep back in.


    I was eager for a proper distraction, but I knew that it would be ill-advised if I were to leave the room. I lowered my head and let my eyes fall to my stomach.


    ¡°Tell me what you¡¯re hoping for,¡± I said out loud.


    Elio pulled his gaze away from the screens to look at me. He noticed how my hands were syed across the underside of my stomach and instantly knew what I was referring to.


    A soft smile touched his lips. ¡°You know that it doesn¡¯t matter whether we have a boy or a girl,¡± he told me.


    A smug smirk touched the corners of my mouth. My tone wasced with a mixture of yful doubt.


    ¡°You know, most men usually hope for a boy,¡± Imented.


    He rolled his eyes and shook his head. ¡°Oh, please,¡± he murmured. ¡°I¡¯d be thrilled if we were to have a baby girl, knowing that she¡¯ll grow up to be as beautiful as her mother.¡±


    I felt the heat rush straight to my cheeks; my heart swelled hopelessly with love. Truthfully, I didn¡¯t care whether the baby turned out to be a boy or a girl, but I was deeply curious to know Elio¡¯s thoughts on the matter.


    ¡°And if it¡¯s a boy, there¡¯ll be zero doubt that he¡¯d look just like you,¡± I said.


    I couldn¡¯t wait to find out the gender of our baby. I wondered if Elio wanted to know before or after the birth. We could have one of those gender reveal parties and have some kind of intimate get-together with our families.


    If we knew the gender beforehand, then maybe he and I could start nning out nursery designs and maybe a cute theme of some kind. I liked the concept of zoo animals, or maybe even some kind of astrology theme.


    I wanted something positive and beautiful to look forward to. That way, once this whole ugly mess was over, I could put it all behind me with ease and never have to think about it again.


    ¡°Honestly, all that really matters is that the baby is healthy and happy. But... if it does turn out to be a boy,¡± Elio started, ¡°then we should name him Vincenzo.¡±


    My heart skipped at least a beat. My chest was swamped with an ache of both pain and love that it became difficult to breathe. A gasp slipped past my lips and hot tears started to gather in the corners of my eyes.


    All I could manage to do was nod my head.


    Elio¡¯s smile deepened. He closed the space between us and took me in his arms. I rested my head against his chest and soaked in the much-needed sensation of security and love.


    I wished this night would end already. I wanted nothing more than to go home with Elio and lose myself in him.


    A buzz rang out and just like that, our heartfelt moment as two new parents was instantly dissolved. He pulled back and reached for his phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s Leo,¡± he said. He opened the message and read it out loud. ¡°Artem took the bait. Iing in twenty.¡±


    My nerves came back but this time around, I felt a little bit better. Talking with Elio about something so personal and domestic had truly lightened the mood around us.


    But now our eyes were glued to the screens in front of us. My fear and touches of worry were gradually reced with a strong sense of human curiosity of wanting to know just what Artem Katz looked like. What could a man like him¡ªThe Ghost¡ªactually look like up close and in person?


    I¡¯d silently hoped that Elio would permit me to stay once everyone else arrived. We¡¯d been sticking to each other¡¯s side like nobody would believetely. I hated to think that that was going to change once Artem was brought in.


    Surely, Leo and the team would have the man securely detained, and he wouldn¡¯t have any chance of escaping.


    That thought was enough to cause chills to run down my spine.


    Before either of us knew it, we were watching the vans pull up outside the warehouse. My stomach felt wedged high up in my chest until we spotted Franky stepping out of the van. The doors slid up and out came a man with a beige, bup bag over his head and his hands secured tied behind his back.


    Artem Katz.


    Franky grabbed the man by the back of the arm and led him toward the main doors.


    We heard the shifting of the metal apanied by the sound of several pairs of footstepsing toward us. Elio reached out his hand to my shoulder, guiding me to turn around and face the group.


    ¡°I see it went well,¡± Elio noted dryly.


    Both Franky and Leo shared a knowing look and smirked.


    ¡°It went just as we expected,¡± Leo said.


    Elio nodded his head and gestured toward one of the empty chairs. ¡°Sit him down.¡±


    Two men grabbed Artem¡¯s arms and practically dragged him over to the chair and forcibly made him sit down.


    Elio broke away from my side to stand in front of Katz. His hand reached out to snatch part of the bag off his head. As soon as his face was uncovered, my eyes were glued to him indefinitely.


    ¡°Hello, Artem.¡±

 Chapter 749 : Artem Katz

    <h4>Chapter 749: Chapter 749 : Artem Katz</h4>


    *Elio*


    I was surprised. The man who sat before us all was certainly not the kind of man that I¡¯d expect a mass murderer to look like.


    Artem Katz was not very big. He had no defining muscles that one could take note of, nor did he have any defining features that would really make him stand out in the crowd. He didn¡¯t have any unusual marks, scars, or even tattoos that would make one question his credibility.


    He looked... average.


    How could he have pulled off such heinous crimes over the course of two decades? It didn¡¯t make sense, and truthfully, that concerned me.


    A terrible feeling of suspicion crept into my mind. Had Franky and Leo brought in the wrong guy?


    The man who was roughly dragged in and forced to sit in front of us was not at all what I¡¯d expected. He wasn¡¯t impressive in the slightest, which only caused the seed of doubt to grow.


    ¡°Is this really him?¡± I asked dryly.


    It was obvious that both Leo and Franky were somewhat taken aback by my tant question. I hadn¡¯t meant it as an insult against them, but more so for the man they¡¯d captured.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s him,¡± Leo said pointedly. ¡°Do you seriously think that we would have gone through all of this just to bring in the wrong guy?¡±


    I merely shrugged my shoulders and shook my head.


    ¡°I mean, have either of you actually taken a real look at him?¡± I questioned. ¡°He¡¯s not exactly what I¡¯d imagined a two-decade serial killer to look like. For all I know, you two could have snatched up the fucking mailman and brought him here.¡±


    Leo shot me a look of indignation while Franky pinched the bridge of his nose and scoffed. Some of the men around them were obviously trying to fight back their grins as I made this blunt observation.


    ¡°Do not mistake my evaluation for insult,¡± I told them firmly. ¡°I have every ounce of faith that the two of you are more than capable of bringing in the right person. It¡¯s just that... I suppose I expected more from this so-called Ghost.¡±


    Franky folded his arms over his chest while Leo took in a deep breath. The room had fallen intoplete silence. That was, until I heard a faint sound of gigglinging from behind me. All the men, and myself included, turned our attention to nce at Cat, who looked like she was seconds away from doubling over in total hysterics.


    She was practically vibrating from struggling to keep herughter under control.


    I raised a questionable brow at her and signaled for an exnation for such a bubbly response. For Christ¡¯s sake, the woman had been utterly trembling with fear on our way over here before. And now, she was rxed and eased with amusement.


    Had I missed something?


    Right as I was about to ask Cat what had tickled her so fervently, she opened her mouth and actually spoke.


    ¡°Oh, believe me, Elio,¡± she began. ¡°I have no doubt whatsoever that they¡¯ve brought in the right man. The guy sitting in front of you there is, indeed, Artem Katz.¡±


    My brows pulled together. ¡°What makes you so sure?¡±


    Cat took a few steps closer and kept her eyes locked on the man whose hands were strictly tied behind his back. Slowly, all traces of bemusement had left her features. It was like she was staring at him through the eyes of some sort of medical professional who specialized in psychology.


    I wished I had even the slightest peek inside of her mind just to know what she was thinking about all of this.


    ¡°Think about it,¡± Cat said. ¡°How could a man like him get away with abduction and murdering for over twenty years if he looked like a criminal? Now we finally know why he¡¯s never ended up on the police¡¯s listings or on anyone¡¯s radar. It¡¯s the fact that he looks like your average guy that makes him so unsuspecting. Surely, if he appeared any different, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to get away with it for as long as he has.¡±


    I raised my brows in shock at her observation. I was impressed, to say the least, but I wondered if there was more to her evaluation.


    ¡°A fair assessment,¡± I said evenly. ¡°But what makes you absolutely certain that this is the guy we¡¯re after?¡±


    Much to everyone¡¯s surprise, Cat took arge step closer to the man in the chair and even went as far as to lower herself down to level out her perspective.


    My stomach twisted at the sight of her being so close to the man responsible for killing three of our men. I had half a mind to wrap my arm around her waist and haul her back at least ten feet.


    And I was fairly certain that I wasn¡¯t the only person who felt the same way. Both Leo and Franky were frozen stiff from the way that Cat chose to move closer.


    ¡°Oh, this is without a doubt Artem Katz,¡± she said insistently. ¡°Had this been literally anyone else, then they would have tried to convince us we¡¯ve captured the wrong guy. He hasn¡¯t muttered a single word of denial since he¡¯s been brought in. I¡¯ve addressed him as ¡®Artem Katz¡¯ at least twice already and he has not once tried to correct me. His silence alone is enough of a confirmation.¡±


    For the first time since he¡¯s been brought in, Artem actually revealed a legit expression. The corner of his mouth curled into a disturbing smile.


    ¡°Clever girl,¡± he remarked snidely.


    Whatever doubts that may have been floating around in my head had all but evaporated by those two words he spoke. That was more than enough of a confirmation for me.


    Hell, I could have kissed Cat for her sheer cleverness. Fuck, I wanted to take her home that very minute screw her silly.


    There were no words to describe how undeniably sexy Cat was when she let herself be so lethal. Some would have found it scary, but I easily counted it as just another one of her incredible characteristics that made me love her.


    I couldn¡¯t have wished for a better woman to have by my side through all of this madness. Right when I thought that this had all be far too much for her to handle, she proceeded to surprise me and step beyond her own boundaries.


    She¡¯d literallyughed and red death straight in the face simply to prove a point.


    I knew right then and there that I would never be able to keep her away from this life. Cat was truly her own person who was going to do what she wanted, regardless of the potential dangers and threats.


    I knew that it should have bothered me, but it wasn¡¯t as though Cat was ever careless. She was strategic in the way that she spoke.


    But something in the back of my mind told me that Katz wasn¡¯t going to address us again so easily. The man was clearly very good at keeping quiet. Someone with a list of kills as long as his wasn¡¯t going to talk so willingly.


    But there was really only one thing that I needed to know.


    ¡°Well, Katz, sorry to have brought you in like this,¡± I said coolly. ¡°But I had to stop you from killing any more of my men.¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°I understand the need to stay silent, but there is just one thing that I, myself, am dying to know. Did Antonio Junior hire you?¡±


    Artem merely nced at me but continued to remain silent. I nodded my head and hummed before turning to Leo.


    ¡°Take him to a cell. Keep him alive, but only barely. I want him to survive, just survive, for as long as possible,¡± I instructed sharply.


    ¡®Let him experience the kind of torture and hell that he¡¯s inflicted on so many countless others,¡¯ I thought darkly to myself.


    A small hissing sound escaped Katz. We all nced down to find the man sneering in anger and disgust at his situation.


    It was as though he couldn¡¯t be bothered by the fact that we had abducted him and brought him here. It took every ounce of self-restraint not tough in the guy¡¯s face.


    He let out a long breath and spoke with a tone of disinterest. ¡°The contract paid me twenty million. If you can offer more, I¡¯ll tell you who paid me,¡± he said bitterly.


    This time, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from chuckling at the man¡¯s utter audacity. Had hepletely forgotten the fact that he was the one who was tied up? His life was on the line, and he was trying to strike up a deal regarding money.


    I wondered what about the situation made the asshole think that he was going to walk away from this thing alive.


    And if that wasn¡¯t the most hysterical part of it all, Katz had just basically confirmed my suspicions about what I¡¯d asked him.


    I shook my head and bit back a sneer. And here I thought the man was actually smarter than that. Apart from that slight misstep with Cat, the man had sessfully remained quiet and resolute the entire time.


    I turned to face him. ¡°I don¡¯t need to know anything more now. I know that Junior hired you by how you responded. If it wasn¡¯t him, you¡¯d never try to negotiate,¡± I told him.


    That was all I needed.


    The look on Artem¡¯s face was one that I wished I could have framed for the sheer look of stupidity and pure disbelief. Any bit of leverage the man may have had was now gone. We had confirmation of not only his identity but also the identity of his employer.


    ¡°Maybe all these years of that monotonous routine of yours has left you a tad bit rusty,¡± I snarked.


    I turned back to face Cat and told her that we were done here. She moved to gather up her bag while I leaned over to speak to Leo.


    ¡°Take some guys and go get the mole. Bring him there,¡± I told him.


    He nodded his head and left immediately without another word. Cat gave me the look that she was ready to leave, and I was more than ready to take her home. I slipped my arm around her waist and led us back toward the main doors.


    With onest sparing look at Artem Katz, I nced back at Franky.


    ¡°Leo will be back with the mole,¡± I said. ¡°Take care of them both. Let me know when it¡¯s done.¡±


    I didn¡¯t even bother to nce over my shoulder. I knew that this would be thest the world would ever see of Artem Katz. His dismal self-given title as The Ghost was about to take on a new, truer meaning.


    And none of it seemed to bother me in the slightest.

 Chapter 750 : Our Perfect Everything

    <h4>Chapter 750: Chapter 750 : Our Perfect Everything</h4>


    *Several Months Later*


    *Caterina*


    ¡®He should be home any moment now,¡¯ I thought calmly to myself as I leisurely stirred the red sauce I had simmering on top of the stove.


    I¡¯d decided to give the chef the night off and make dinner myself tonight. I chose a simple menu¡ªeggnt parmigiana with angel hair pasta and a tossed sd.


    Now that I¡¯d officially finished up with my sses, I was finally free to rx and take a proper breather. It was honestly strange having so much free time on my hands now. At first, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to do with myself now that my coursework no longer took up the majority of my time.


    My finals had been difficult, I had to admit. But without any immediate threat looming over me or Elio, I was able to study and prep without any interruption.


    And much to my surprise, that peacefulness managed to stick around longer than anticipated. Part of me thought that once word spread of Artem¡¯s death, Junior would have tried to retaliate.


    But now, there had been nothing that caught anyone¡¯s immediate attention since that night. It should have bothered me that there hadn¡¯t been anything going on. It should have made me feel anxious and downright suspicious.


    But my inner voice was determined to allow myself to rx and enjoy this tranquil period.


    With the trouble of Katz gone, life carried on the way that it should. Anna and Elijah¡¯s rtionship grew deeper, the two finallymitted to each other as boyfriend and girlfriend. With sses finally over, they were able to finally spend some real time together off campus.


    I was so happy for Anna... happy and deeply grateful for having such an understanding best friend. I never did tell her about Artem Katz and his involvement with Junior, nor did I ever intend to.


    I was lucky enough that she was willing to ept the truth of my family and Elio¡¯s background. Some things were just better off not being said.


    ¡°Ignorance is bliss,¡± my mom had once said.


    If I¡¯de to understand anything this past year, it was that exact ideal.


    There was no need to fill Anna¡¯s head with thoughts of death and tragedy, especially when her life had been taking such a positive upturn with Elijah.


    The corner of my mouth curled into a knowing smile as I continued to stir the sauce at a slow pace while thinking of the early days of my rtionship with Elio. The very night that he and I shared our first kiss would always hold a special ce in my memory.


    How foolish we both were for thinking that it was a mistake. To think we had ever considered going back to the way that we once were¡ªconstantly bickering and despising each other.


    ¡®Oh, please,¡¯ I thought dryly. ¡®Like there was any real chance that he and I would¡¯ve ever been able to go back to the way we were.¡¯


    I should¡¯ve known that beneath all that anger I harbored for him, was secretly a bottomless pool of love and admiration. Maybe I was just too young to realize it at the time. I was thankful that it hadn¡¯t taken me too much longer to figure it out.


    ¡°What¡¯s got you smiling like that?¡± a deep voice purred from across the room.


    Hundreds of chills rolled over my skin and sent heat rushing straight to my core.


    Elio.


    I didn¡¯t need to turn my head to know who it was. But I did, nheless.


    There he stood, dressed in a deliciously stunning suit with his hair slightly slicked back and his gaze transfixed firmly on me. His eyes were hooded with natural arousal, while his muscled form leaned on the doorframe of the kitchen.


    Oh, yes. That was all mine. Not a single thing on the was ever going to pull me away from him.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± I brushed off.


    I turned back toward my cooking and yfully ignored him. My smile grew deeper, making it much harder to hide.


    ¡°Nothing?¡± he questioned doubtfully. I could feel his smirk behind me. His tone was filled with bubbling humor. ¡°Mm, now I find that very hard to believe. And I take it by your stirring that pot there that we¡¯re alone?¡±


    The heat between my legs doubled and I closed my eyes for a second, nearly dropping the spoon. ¡°I gave her the night off,¡± I said.


    His hands came to wrap around me, and I was quickly enveloped in his weing embrace. Elio pulled me until my back was pressed firmly against his chest. He lowered his head to rest his chin over my shoulder.


    ¡°Well then... that is an interesting development. And since when do you keep secrets from me?¡± he whispered alluringly.


    I giggled in response to his taunting. ¡°There is no secret. I was just thinking about us.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Well, now I¡¯m even more intrigued,¡± he said, nipping at the curve of my neck.


    Elio spread small, delicate kisses over the sensitive part behind my ear that drove me crazy every single time. And he knew this.


    Elio knew every part of me. He knew all of my triggers and each of my weak points. Never once did he use them against me, but rather used them to deepen our connection and introduce me to a world of pleasure like I¡¯d never known.


    I could have easily let myself be wrapped up in him and walk away from my immediate task at hand.


    I swiftly changed the subject before things got too carried away. ¡°How was work today?¡± I asked him softly.


    ¡°Running smoothly as ever,¡± he answered happily.


    Elio had finally found the time to hire someone for his restaurant once Leo managed to interview the five guys I¡¯d narrowed down for them. The guy he¡¯d chosen, Killian Vas, turned out to be a perfect fit for the position. In just the short time that he started working, he had proven himself to be a quick learner and capable of taking initiative when the asion called for it.


    When Elio told me of Killian¡¯s perfect fit in the business, I felt a strong sense of pride in my powers of deduction and intuition.


    Nevertheless, it was a peaceful feeling to know that there were no current problems within Elio¡¯s inner circle of work. Peaceful work meant a very peaceful Elio.


    And nothing, absolutely nothing, made my day brighter than to have a rxed Elioe home from work. There was no mistake about it; the man was utterly ruthless when he needed to be. But I hated to see him stressed and at his wits end with frustration.


    Rxed was so much better.


    ¡°Dinner¡¯s just about ready,¡± I hummed.


    Elio pulled back and went to take out a few tes and silverware. He¡¯d brought everything over to the table while I finished tossing the sd.


    I made up our tes and the two of us fell into afortable silence. Among my various blissful thoughts of my friends and family, there were, unfortunately, certain things that couldn¡¯t be perfect.


    Alessandro was still keeping eyes on Junior.


    ording to Elio, there hadn¡¯t been any word as ofte about the sneaky bastard. But what we all suspected was that Junior was nning on remaining hidden now that Artem was dealt with.


    Part of me wished that I could have seen the look on Junior¡¯s face when word came through that his little paid assassin was no longer. After that, Junior had be silent, and not much could have been said about his movements. I hoped he would finally give up on trying to hurt our family.


    If anything, hiring The Ghost made him appear even more of a coward than before. Then again, none of it should have really surprised me. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, something told me that Junior was always going to be a threat.


    But as long as Elio and I were at each other¡¯s sides, we could face anything.


    During the rest of our meal, Elio went into further depths about work. Apparently, he and Leo were trying to nail down a particrly difficult client who was very picky about his development. We discussed tactics for getting him onboard.


    Ever since Elio and Leo had let me crash in on one of their meetings with their client, I¡¯d taken on a whole new appreciation and respect for what they did as real estate developers.


    I loved that he felt he could discuss things like this with me. But what truly impressed me, and always captured my most undivided attention, was when he brought up his ¡®secondary¡¯ work over dinner.


    ¡°Franky¡¯s currently in the process of hiring two new guys to refill the positions in shipping,¡± he said.


    I took a sip of my iced tea and raised my eyebrows. ¡°Has he found anyone yet?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s reached out to Alessandro, inquiring if there were any men who were looking for a change of scenery and were willing to move out here,¡± he told me.


    The topic always made my stomach flip, but it was something that I knew I needed to ask. I wondered if there would evere a day when my nerves wouldn¡¯t tense when I asked the question.


    ¡°Speaking of Alessandro... has there been any word?¡±


    Elio merely shook his head. I supposed the good thing was that he didn¡¯t appear stressed or worried. In fact, the man looked calm and well satisfied.


    As we finished up with dinner, Elio insisted that I go sit in the living room while he¡¯d take care of the dishes.


    ¡°You need to rest. I¡¯ll take care of this,¡± he told me insistently.


    His eyes had always seemed to linger on my stomach recently¡ªreally since my pregnancy started to truly show. It wasn¡¯t as though Elio began treating me like I was something fragile, but he pampered me more¡ªmore bubble baths, more trips to the spa, morefy clothes.


    Anything I talked about possibly wanting, he¡¯d go out of his way to make sure I had it. I couldn¡¯t help but feel so lucky despite everything that had happened.


    Elio came to join me on the couch in the living room, where I¡¯d already selected a movie for us to watch. He¡¯d slipped his arms around me and pressed a sweet kiss to my head while noticeably rubbing small circles over the slight bump of my belly.


    This was exactly the perfect way to end a long day. I couldn¡¯t wait for many, many more just like it.


    The baby was doing just fine. ording to my doctor, everything was developing as it should, and there were no issues thus far.


    Elio had insisted on attending every doctor¡¯s appointment with me. And after each one, he¡¯d always walk out with the same wondrous look in his eyes and the same heartfelt words... especially the ultrasound visit, when we finally learned the baby¡¯s sex.


    ¡°I love you.¡± I said those words to him now.


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± he said. He touched my belly again. ¡°And you, little one.¡±


    He reached into his pocket, turning toward me on the couch, and pulled out a tiny box. My breath caught in my throat, and suddenly the movie was thest thing on my mind.


    Elio looked at me tenderly. ¡°There was just one thing missing from our family. I was thinking that maybe I needed to have something more to say at this moment, but after all we¡¯ve been through together and been to each other, I think extra words don¡¯t matter so much.¡±


    He opened the box, and the beautiful diamond ring sparkled in the dim light. ¡°Will you marry me, my beautiful Caterina?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± I squealed, jumping into his arms before he had the chance to even put the ring on my finger.


    I had tears in my eyes, but it was okay. They were tears filled with both devotion and unyielding love... love for him, love for us.


    Love for our son.


    And the unbreakable love for our family.

 Chapter 751 : It’s a Girl

    <h4>Chapter 751: Chapter 751 : It¡¯s a Girl</h4>


    *Months Later*


    *Cat*


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Elio said calmly, giving me a grin as he opened up the door to the clinic wide open for me. I groaned, shifting on my bloated feet as I waddled past him inside, a hand on my massively growing stomach. I was just seven months pregnant and I felt like I was ready to pop right here and now already.


    ¡°Only two months to go,¡± I murmured in a kind of encouraging good luck charm as I turned the corner and let out a pitiful groan as I saw the staircase before us. What kind of person put a staircase in a maternity care clinic?


    A sadist, that¡¯s who.


    Elio chuckled as he took my side, pressing a kiss to my temple. ¡°Take your time, baby. We¡¯re still early.¡±


    ¡°Carry me,¡± I pouted at him, giving him my biggest puppy-dog eyes, but Elio just gave me a wry smile. I grumbled unhappily, knowing he was under strict orders from the doctor to stop carrying me everywhere.


    I knew he would in a heartbeat, but the doctor had already gotten on me about watching my blood pressure and myck of exercise since I¡¯d been pregnant. It didn¡¯t help that Elio was such a doting fiance, waking up at three in the morning to get me whatever I was craving.


    He didn¡¯t even blink when I asked him for onion and pickles in my peanut butter ice cream. It had the worst crunch, I thought as I slowly climbed the steps, Elio by my side as he kept a hand on the small of my back, just in case I lost my bnce.


    ¡°You better be cute, baby,¡± I grumbled, huffing like I¡¯d run a marathon rather than just climbing fifteen steps to the second floor.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be the cutest,¡± Elio assured me with augh, ¡°and absolutely adorable, like you.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that,¡± I huffed as we finally reached the top. ¡°Those genes of yours are pretty strong. If it¡¯s a boy, he¡¯ll have your curly hair.¡±


    ¡°And then you¡¯ll have somebody else¡¯s curls to y with. Won¡¯t that be fun?¡± He coaxed me happily, careening me around the hall. He held the door to the clinic open again and we entered.


    ¡°Miss Leone! Mr. Valentino.¡± The receptionist, Bethany, gave us a wide grin as she saw us approaching. ¡°You can go right on back. Dr. Manning is waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Bethany,¡± I said, relieved that I wouldn¡¯t have to try to squeeze into those tiny waiting room seats. We headed right back, having been here so many times we knew exactly where to go.


    The examination room was just as bright and cheerful as I remembered, and I smiled as I saw all the colorful toys and books dotted around the room. After the nurse came in for my vitals and I got my gown on, Elio helped me onto the table, sitting beside me and grabbing my hand like he always did.


    ¡°You ready?¡± he asked with a doting smile.


    ¡°To find out the gender of our baby?¡± I asked, amused.


    He nodded.


    ¡°Of course I am.¡± I beamed. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see them. Boy or girl, I just want a happy healthy baby, though I hope he or she can be kind to their mommy ande out smoothly. My mom had a twenty-hourbor.¡±


    He winced, then leaned over to press a kiss to my belly. ¡°You hear that?¡± he whispered to the baby. ¡±You¡¯d bettere out all nice for your mommy. Don¡¯t give her a hard time, alright?¡±


    I chuckled, feeling as the baby responded with a squirmy kick. It still felt unbelievable how our baby could be moving so much. It didn¡¯t hurt, but it felt odd and wonderful all at once.


    Elio made a few faces, speaking lowly to the baby as we discussed the gender. Elio¡¯d had his heart set on a baby girl, but ever since we¡¯d decided on a name for a baby boy¨Cafter my dad¨Cthat was what I hoped he would be.


    But we both agreed that either would be wonderful, a girl or a boy. Just having them born healthy was all that mattered.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Dr. Manning came in after a few minutes, giving us a kind smile as she entered. She wasted no time, as usual, getting to work as she turned on the ultrasound machine, already going to jelly up my stomach. ¡°How are Mom and Dad doing today?¡±


    ¡°Pretty good,¡± I winced at the cold liquid poured directly on my exposed skin. ¡°Just wish you could get rid of those stairs. Maybe put in an elevator.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not alone. We get thatint a lot.¡± Dr. Manningughed, putting the instrument over my belly and beginning to move around. The screen lit up with the ck and white images. It still amazed me every time I saw it as it just looked like watery blobs to me.


    ¡°Well, the baby is a good size for seven months,¡± Dr. Manning reassured us, smiling as she focused entirely on the screen. ¡°No issues so far. Good lung development so far, heartbeat is loud and strong.¡±


    ¡°Can we hear?¡± I asked hopefully.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Sheughed as she held the instrument still. She pulled her stethoscope from around her neck, expertly finding what she wanted. Her eyes flickered back and forth as she listened intently and then smiled. ¡°There we go.¡±


    She kept the metal piece still as she offered the earbuds to me and I put one in, immediately hearing the steady and very loud thump of a heartbeat. My eyes heated up as tears pricked the corners and I beamed, letting Elio have a chance to listen as well.


    He grinned like a silly fool, beaming just like I was.


    Dr. Manning spent a few more minutes looking around the ultrasound, making sure the baby and I were both healthy before she set down the tool, handing me a fluffy white towel to wipe the gel off.


    ¡°Okay, well, everything looks good so far. Keep watching your blood pressure for the next few weeks, okay? You¡¯re almost there,¡± She said with a firm look at Elio. He shrugged sheepishly then she blinked in feigned surprise. ¡°Oh, have I forgotten something?¡±


    ¡°The gender,¡± I reminded her, giggling at her antics as she gave me a wide smile.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right,¡± she beamed.


    She reached into the machine that had finally stopped printing and pulled out some still-warm photos. She took a moment to look them over, taking a blue marker to write out something quick, and then handing them over with a tender smile. ¡°Only if you guys really want to know.¡±


    ¡°We do.¡± I nced at Elio and we both nodded.


    We¡¯d made that decision already. I took a deep breath, holding the photos, and then flipped them over. Written in the blue script at the top was a, ¡®Congrattions on your new baby girl!¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s a girl,¡± I breathed in shock and tion.


    ¡°A girl?¡± Elio repeated, both of us staring mindlessly at one another as it really began to sink in. We were having a baby girl¨Ca little girl.


    Tears spilled over my eyes and Elio¡¯s face split into a wide grin as he got to his feet with a cheering yell.


    ¡°I knew it! Oh, a little princess. She¡¯s going to be so beautiful and kind, just like her mother,¡± Elio rambled excitedly. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got to learn how to do her hair. Ponytails and pigtails can¡¯t be that hard, but what if she wants a French braid? Mom can teach me.¡±


    He nodded like this was a serious matter that needed debating.


    Iughed tearfully, opening my arms, and he wasted no time folding me into a hug.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two alone. Have a wonderful rest of your day and I¡¯ll see you back in two weeks, okay? Call me if anything changes, alright?¡± Dr. Manning, as wonderful as ever, smiled as she left.


    I was much more delighted leaving than I wasing. The little bit of dread that had been on my shoulders¨Cwondering if the baby was healthy¨Cwas gone. We had a beautiful, healthy baby girl.


    Elio was even more excited than me and much more than I expected him to be. He¡¯d told me before he wanted a girl, but the sheer delight he took in announcing we were having a daughter to every person we passed was both charming and embarrassing.


    ¡°Bethany, We¡¯re having a daughter! I¡¯m gonna be a girl Dad!¡± he dered proudly, his chest puffed up as we left and Bethany burst into giggles, giving us a little congrattions as we walked away. His silly antics continued as we left, heading home.


    ¡°You¡¯re really happy, aren¡¯t you?¡± I asked as we got into the car.


    Elio gave me a yful look as he retorted, ¡°Did it show?¡±


    I rolled my eyes, pping him yfully across the arm and he leaned over to kiss me deeply.


    Once we broke apart, he gazed me in the eyes, full of happiness that I couldn¡¯t imagine him having only a year ago.


    ¡°The business is going well¨Ceverything is quiet since we took out Katz¨Cand now, you¡¯re giving me a beautiful daughter on top of everything. Why wouldn¡¯t I be happy? You and our girl are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.¡±


    ¡°I love you,¡± I whispered tearfully, not sure if it was the emotions of the moment or the hormones, but I really didn¡¯t care. Our life together was just starting, and there was nothing in this world that could tear us apart.


    We made a little game on the way home to suggest names for our baby girl since we couldn¡¯t use Vincenzo¨Cat least not for this baby¨Cbut we couldn¡¯t really settle on one we liked. We argued over a few pretty ones, but Elio hated both ¡®Rose¡¯ and ¡®Serena¡¯ and I disliked ¡®Isabe¡¯ and ¡®Valentina.¡¯


    Elio took me home and after a quick lunch, I found Elio working in the new nursery once again. He was building some kind of furniture and I leaned on the door, my hand on my stomach as I watched him.


    He had insisted on doing everything from scratch.


    ¡°So we¡¯re going with a light purple then, right?¡± I asked cautiously.


    Sitting on the floor, he looked up, different colored paints all over his face. The walls, ceiling, and floor were still covered with the stic sheeting and the crib now sported a fresh color ofvender.


    ¡°Green for a boy and purple for a girl, right? You didn¡¯t want pink or blue as they were too traditional, remember?" he said with a cocked head.


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m surprised you remembered,¡± I chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll need more stuff before shees.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± he asked, looking around cluelessly. ¡°There¡¯s a crib and a bookshelf, right? Babies don¡¯t need much right?¡±


    I rolled my eyes at him.


    ¡°Like a changing table and a rocking chair for when I¡¯ll be nursing,¡± I reminded him, and I only smiled as he rushed to grab his phone, typing everything down. I ignored him, ncing around the now-empty room as I imagined the nursery of my dreams in front of me.


    ¡°A chest for her toys and a dresser for her clothes. A stroller downstairs. A bass in our room¨Cwe¡¯ll want her close by for the first few months....¡±


    As I watched my soon-to-be husband and father of my child hang onto every word, quickly looking at stuffed toys and fancy y packs for the baby, I ced a gentle hand over my belly.


    ¡°You¡¯re so lucky to have him as your dad.¡±

 Chapter 752 : Lazy Mornings

    <h4>Chapter 752: Chapter 752 : Lazy Mornings</h4>


    *Elio*


    The itch of something brushing across my nose woke me up in the morning. My hand brushed across my nose on instinct and I yawned, eyes slowly opening. I was met with a familiar head of dark hair tucked just underneath my head.


    A smile curled around my lips. Cat was curled up on her side, pillows supporting her growing pregnant belly with her back flush to my chest. I sighed in contentment, shutting my eyes again as I wrapped my arms around my beautiful fiance, our legs tangled together.


    I relished thesezy mornings where neither of us had anywhere to be for a few hours. We¡¯d both decided that Cat wasn¡¯t going to go back to school just yet. The pregnancy was taxing on her body and, once born, so would the baby.


    Secretly, I hoped that she wouldn¡¯t go back at all, though I knew that it was selfish of me. I adored taking care of her, pushing back my work so I could spend my days and nights giving her everything she wanted and more.


    Even just cuddling her in my arms, I wished the real world could stop. We had enough money and with the babying, I would have both of my girls to take care of. Cat was already getting on me for trying to spoil them both, but she knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop me.


    I already loved our little girl and I would spoil the hell out of her.


    I gently brushed my hand over her belly, grinning as I felt my little girl respond with a kick.


    Cat frowned in her sleep, shifting ufortably, but I knew the routine by now. I rubbed her belly, going in slow smooth circles until the kicks stopped and our baby rested once more. Cat¡¯s breath evened out again, falling back into a deep sleep.


    I pressed a kiss to her neck, wishing I could stay like this forever, but I also knew that Cat and the baby would get cranky without their breakfast, and today was the cook¡¯s day off. I gently pulled myself away from her, recing my spot with a heated body pillow I¡¯d gotten for her that she loved so much.


    I made sure she was still asleep, content, andfortable before heading for a shower and getting dressed. My hair was still damp when I stepped into the kitchen, rolling up the sleeves of my button-up as I put on the apron Cat had gotten me as a joke after I¡¯d made her breakfast before.


    I wouldn¡¯t be caught dead in the frilly pink abomination anywhere outside of the house, but it made Catugh every time she saw me wearing it, so it was worth it, so long as she didn¡¯t share any of the photos she took of me in it.


    I did have a reputation to protect.


    I started on breakfast, the heat from the stove hitting me as I cooked up Cat¡¯s favorites. I knew it by heart at this point¨Cchocte crepes with a strawberry sauce on top with cinnamon whipped cream, two eggs over-easy, and a side of freshly cooked bacon.


    Once everything else was done, I got out the smoked bacon Cat could never resist. The sizzle and pop of it hitting the pan was music to my ears.


    I smirked, the scent of the cooked breakfast meat spreading throughout the kitchen the longer it cooked, and I knew it would only be a minute or two until it swept into the bedroom.


    Sure enough, it didn¡¯t take long before I heard her waddling down the hallway, giving a big yawn as she walked into the kitchen.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I smirked as she blearily nced over at the pan of freshly sizzling bacon, a little drool slipping out of her mouth.


    ¡°Smoked maple?¡± she asked, ignoring me entirely.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I chuckled. ¡°Only the best for my honey.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± She nodded, walking straight out of the room to the living room.


    I rolled my eyes, smiling at how used to my pampering she had gotten. In the early stages of her pregnancy, she would¡¯veined if I doted on her, but as she got heavier and it got harder to move around like before, she had gradually given up and epted my overbearing love.


    All the better for me¨CI adored spoiling her to my heart¡¯s content.


    Once breakfast was done, I made up our tes, heading to the living room where I knew she would be curled up in her nest already.


    Right by the window, on the couch with the blinds pulled away so the sunshine was just pouring through was Cat with a mountain of pillows and nkets arranged just the ways she liked. I put her te on the coffee table along with her cup of coffee, with plenty of sugar in it like always.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she purred happily, taking a slice of bacon and popping it into her mouth with a satisfying crunch.


    We chatted as I ate breakfast and she turned on the TV to see what was on, putting on cartoons and exining each and every little thing that happened to the baby.


    As much as I wanted to stay with her, I couldn¡¯t. I kissed her forehead goodbye and then kissed her belly for the baby, heading out to work.


    The office for our real estate development business was busy as usual. Though we only kept the legitimate business as a cover for the money we made in the mafia, Leo put in just as much effort into it as he did the illegal side of things.


    He was waiting for me in the office, a stack of papers and files piled on my desk, and I groaned as soon as I saw it. He finger-gunned me as I approached, feet propped up on my desk as he lounged in the chair I had for visitors.


    ¡°Mornin¡¯,¡± he called out in a chipper voice


    I shot him a sour look as I took my seat, beginning to look over the top documents.


    ¡°Real estate¡¯s going well,¡± Leo reported aimlessly, throwing a stress ball into the air and catching it. ¡°Nothing really to report besides how much our profits are through the roof. Our top architect is asking for a raise so I put that in there. I highly suggest you do that, by the way. He¡¯s amazing at his job.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting a raise,¡± I said coldly, finding the document and shredding it immediately.


    ¡°Cruel!¡± He gasped.


    ¡°Not from here anyway,¡± I add. ¡°You already make double what anyone else in the office makes. Any more and you¡¯ll be in suspicious territory.¡±


    He pursed his lips, falling silent as I signed and dealt with the rest of the documents. An hour went by before I finally made it through them all, but then Leo grinned at my cleared desk and got up, taking up a whole new stack of files from the floor and putting them on top of the desk.


    ¡°This is what you get for running two businesses.¡± Leo grinned, taking pleasure in my unhappiness.


    My wrist already ached but I sighed, taking the first document.


    ¡°Hour left before the first meeting, so I suggest we work quickly. Meetings at nine, eleven, two, and four today,¡± Leo said calmly, ¡°so we better get this done early.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I grabbed the first report, frowning as I read some of the basic finances. I double-checked it before putting it in the pile for the finance department. The next file I pulled out was looking much newer than the other, the printer ink still smelling fresh as I opened it up.


    ¡°Ah, that one,¡± Leo nodded. ¡°Just came in this morning. We got some more threats from MS13.¡±


    I nced through the reports, the threats detailed out, and I scowled. Despite what I had told Cat, not everything was quiet. The rising amount of hits from the so-called MS13 section was worrying, but not enough that I felt it pertinent to tell Cat.


    I already told her to stay out of this side of the business for the time being, especially since she was carrying our baby. She was vulnerable and I didn¡¯t want to put them in danger. Luckily she had agreed, but I still felt guilty for lying to her.


    ¡°Most recent?¡± I asked, searching for the document.


    ¡°Ah. One of our guys was hitst night, actually,¡± Leo reported, crossing his arms. ¡°It was more serious than the usual threats. They jumped him right outside his house and demanded that he tell you to leave the city. He refused, of course, loyal through and through. Told five guys straight to their face that it would never happen.¡±


    I grimaced as I opened the report, seeing the extent of damage they had done to the guy for his loyalty to me. I appreciated his confidence in us, but not when itnded him in the ICU of the hospital with broken bones and fractures, stab wounds, and a gunshot to the back of the spine. It was a miracle he wasn¡¯tpletely paralyzed and had managed to get away.


    ¡°He¡¯s a trooper alright.¡± Leo shook his head, impressed. ¡°Took two of them down before our guys arrived and saved his life. They took the bodies, so there wasn¡¯t anything we could use to track them, though.¡±


    I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling as I thought. They probably knew they didn¡¯t have much of a hold on us seeing as they jumped one of our guys but didn¡¯t kill him right away. This was about sending a message more than the actual kill.


    But that wouldn¡¯tst forever.


    Having two of their guys killed in retaliation, they would start upping their game now, going from warnings to straight lethal hits.


    ¡°Give a call to Franky,¡± I said, forming a n in my head. ¡°Set up a lunch or something to meet up and we¡¯ll discuss our next move with him. They¡¯re targeting us even after knowing we¡¯re spread across two continents, so they¡¯re either confident in their abilities or they¡¯re stupid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping for stupid,¡± Leo said bluntly. ¡°But things are never seen to go our way for that, Katz being the prime example.¡±


    I gripped my pen at the name. Even after his death, the damage he had done to us hadn¡¯t gone away. Too many good men had been put in the grave because of that asshole, and Junior was still on the run somewhere as well.


    We had another threat on the horizon and with Cat being pregnant this time, I was even more paranoid than before.


    ¡°Double the guards, ce them on the buddy system, and make sure no one goes anywhere alone. They tracked one of our men to their house and they¡¯ll do it again, so make sure all men our reporting to our safehouses, not their own homes.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little extreme?¡± Leo frowned.


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let a repeat of Katz happen. It¡¯s time to a put a stop to all of this.¡±


    Before anyone else got hurt.

 Chapter 753 : Peace and Quiet

    <h4>Chapter 753: Chapter 753 : Peace and Quiet</h4>


    *Cat*


    I never knew how adorable baby clothes were until I was pregnant and shopping for my little girl. I was wide-eyed as my mom led me through the cute baby clothing store we¡¯d found. She pulled me past the adorable little dresses and tutus, the baby one-piece suits, and themed stylish outfits for toddlers.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Iined, wanting to stop by everything.


    But Mom held me tight as she pulled me to the back of the store where a big sign for size zero to one stood overhead. ¡°You can look at thoseter once she¡¯s past her first birthday, but she¡¯ll need some actual clothes she can wear.¡±


    ¡°But I just want to look,¡± I pouted.


    She whirled me around, hands on my shoulders as she gave me a stern look. ¡°You¡¯re my daughter and I know you better than anybody. You¡¯ll buy everything in this store if I let you, so just stick with the essentials until I know your brain isn¡¯t loaded up on hormones.¡±


    I tuned out halfway, through, my eyes ncing at an adorable onesie behind her.


    ¡°Oh, these are adorable,¡± I gushed as I dashed over and picked up the hanging onesie. It was a purple one with a very soft fluffy fabric, fake bear ears, and paws pulling it all together. ¡°I have to get it for her.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but she won¡¯t fit in that until she¡¯s six months old.¡± My mom chuckled, pointing to the tag. ¡°You can get it but she won¡¯t be able to wear it right away.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I grinned, eyes twinkling with my heart set on the adorable little bear onesie. ¡°Elio¡¯s paying anyway and he¡¯ll agree with me.¡±


    Mom shook her head but I was already taking a photo of the onesie, sending it to Elio through text. Not even a minuteter my phone came back with a sweet message.


    ¡®She¡¯ll be the prettiest bear in all thends.¡¯


    As we searched through the store, I had to admit I probably went a bit overboard. But since we hadn¡¯t actually gotten anything for the baby yet since we hadn¡¯t known the gender but now we knew she was a little girl, I was ready to buy everything she needed.


    While Mom threw in a few packs of just general onesies, short sleeves, and long sleeves going from newborn all the way to a year, my attention was caught by the shy adorable outfits¨Clike the romper set in polka-dots that came with a little bow or the cute baby sundress that came with little baby shorts underneath.


    The pajama sets had ¡®Mommy¡¯s My Whole World¡¯ written on it. I also loved the flower headbands and little hats, even a little swimsuit and seasonal attire, which I snagged half-off due to it being the middle of summer.


    The little fall outfit with pumpkins was enough to tear my heart to pieces. After I¡¯d nearly exhausted their newborn section of clothing, Mom had to drag me out, and I apuded myself for leaving a good bunch of clothes on the racks.


    We went shopping for the bedding next, and I found the rest of the furniture to go into her room¨Ca dresser, a changing table, a bass for our room, and a mattress for the crib with sheets and a cute little stuffed animal nket of a frog.


    I picked out a very nice wooden rocking chair and plenty of nightlights, a diaper pail and a bookshelf, and some baskets and bins for organizing everything. I also found a mobile with paper airnes and hot air balloons that twirled over, a nice cotton rug, a baby swing, and appropriate toys for a newborn.


    Despite the rising expense, I didn¡¯t worry about that as Mom and I spent time together carefully picking everything out. I wanted a lot of color in her room while keeping with the theme of avender sky we¡¯d chosen. Mom took care of my own necessities, thinking of me and how much time I would spend in the nursery caring for the baby.


    After we packed everything into the car, which some very helpful and strong women at the front desk helped us to do, we stopped for lunch and then decided to go home. I was excited to get started on building the rest of the nursery now that the room was fully painted and the carpet wasid down.


    I sent Elio a text letting him know I was going home, but it turned out I didn¡¯t need to because the moment we pulled in, Elio was standing outside waiting for us.


    ¡°Elio?¡± I asked in surprise as I stepped out of the car.


    He grinned,ing straight up to me and bringing me for a deep kiss. I heard Mom chuckling to herself, and I blushed bright red as he pulled away.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be at work?¡± I asked, a little concerned to see him out of work so early. It wasn¡¯t even one o¡¯clock yet.


    ¡°I took the week off.¡± Elio gave me a smirk. ¡°I have a trip out of town nned for the both of us.¡±


    ¡°Out of town? Now?¡± I looked down at my belly, which was growing heavier by the day.


    He chuckled, pulling me into his arms. ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to do it now before the babyes. I checked with Dr. Manning already and she said to go for it. I want onest vacation before it¡¯ll be the three of us. Is that so wrong?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, but you know it¡¯s already the three of us,¡± I reminded him, gesturing to my stomach, but I leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. ¡°But I appreciate it anyway. Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Looks like you guys bought the whole store. I¡¯ll help take everything inside,¡± Elio easily changed the subject, dodging my pointed look as he headed to the car.


    ¡°You better,¡± Mom huffed, giving him the stink eye. ¡°I¡¯m old and she¡¯s pregnant. This is on you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Elioughed, then his smile dropped as Mom smirked and opened the car door. Bags that were overflowing with clothes and toys fell out onto the pavement, and even Elio gaped at the amount of stuff we¡¯d bought.


    ¡°I was joking.¡± He turned to me with wide eyes. ¡°Did you actually buy the whole store?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I rolled my eyes, then couldn¡¯t help but tease him a bit. ¡°Just everything in it.¡±


    Elio groaned but like the dutiful fiance he was, he and some of the staff started lugging everything inside. Meanwhile, I grabbed what little I could without overdoing it and then invited Mom in for some iced tea.


    ¡°Once everything is out of my car, I¡¯m gonna head back to my cottage and leave you two to it. It¡¯s a special moment, building the nursery for the first baby, and I want you both to experience it,¡± Mom said smiling, a bit of a devious glint in her eyes as she watched Elio climb the stairs, groaning with therge furniture boxes on his back.


    Iughed, saying goodbye to my mom as we finally got everything up into the nursery. Elio settled down on the floor to build the new furniture while I sat on the new rocking chair, sighing immediately from how cozy it felt.


    ¡°So, where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Do you think this is Piece A or is this Piece A?¡± Elio asked, holding up two identical pieces of blue-colored wood. With the directions spread out in front of him, I wasn¡¯t much help, so I just shrugged.


    ¡°Maybe try that one over there.¡± I pointed to the far one. ¡°So is it going to be sunny where we¡¯re going?¡±


    His lips quirked upward. ¡°Dunno. Here, read the directions.¡± He passed the directions over to me and I took one nce at it and gave him a stare.


    ¡°These are in Spanish.¡±


    ¡°Oh, whoops.¡± Heughed under his breath, not even pretending he didn¡¯t do it on purpose as he had the English ones in front of him. ¡°My bad.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, looking over the Spanish one with a critical eye. I didn¡¯t know Spanish, but these were mostly images anyway, so I turned it upside down, with a little, ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°This is Piece A,¡± I dered, pointing to the piece with two grooves on the end that matched the picture exactly.


    Elio raised his eyebrow at me, clearly surprised but I only sent him a smug smile over my Spanish instructions.


    ¡°Well, damn,¡± Elio muttered to himself, grabbing the piece.


    One by one, we built the furniture together, cing everything in its right spot until the room was finallying together. While Elio built thest piece of furniture, I spent time going through the clothes, pulling off tags, and showing him all the adorable things we¡¯d bought for our baby girl.


    Elio loved it all, grinning like a fool once I showed him the onesie that says ¡®Daddy¡¯s Little Princess¡¯ on it. He especially adored the socks and shoes I showed him.


    ¡°It¡¯s so little,¡± he cried, his eyes wide and teary as he held the sock with little red fishes on it against his face. It wasn¡¯t even as wide as his mouth.


    I happily told him about the store and we nned a second trip once the due date was closer to get all the perishables we might need. We talked about the babyte into the night, about our future, and what our family would look like.


    But most of all, we talked about how excited we were to meet our baby.


    I already loved her more than I could possibly put into words and I knew that Elio felt the same. We had dinner and then cuddled up on the couch at night.


    I was rxing, watching some random cartoon and narrating it for our baby girl because she didn¡¯t have eyes to watch it yet, when I suddenly remembered something.


    ¡°Is work going okay?¡± I asked Elio, curling in his arms so I could see his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Nothing new.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to see if he was telling me the truth, but he just raised an eyebrow challengingly back at me, like he knew what I was trying to do and was ying the part of an open book.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I relented, deciding he was telling the truth and giving him a quick kiss before I snuggled back down into his arms. I trusted that he wouldn¡¯t lie to me, not after all the fights we¡¯d had about it.


    But most of all, I wanted to believe that everything was really okay now, that the hard times were past us and there was nothing but blue skies ahead.


    After everything we¡¯d been through, we deserved some peace and quiet atst.

 Chapter 754 : The Trip Begins

    <h4>Chapter 754: Chapter 754 : The Trip Begins</h4>


    *Elio*


    We woke up early in the morning to leave for our surprise trip. I knew Cat was practically bursting with curiosity, but I refused to tell her where we were going. I loved surprising her; she would get the cutest expression of shock and excitement when she found out.


    I nced over at her as the driver pulled into the airstrip and saw that she was jiggling her knee and looking around as if the airstrip could give her a clue as to where we were going. I chuckled to myself as I watched her; she definitely wasn¡¯t the young girl I used to know, but she still exuded youthful excitement. Now that her pregnancy glow had fully set in, it only served to enhance her beauty. She had just begun to show a couple of weeks ago, and I never got tired of seeing the little curve of her belly.


    ¡°Is it beachy or mountainous?¡± Cat asked as I opened her door for her.


    ¡°Hm, both,¡± I answered, knowing there was no way she would be able to guess.


    ¡°Damn, that makes itplicated,¡± she muttered, chewing her bottom lip as she thought.


    She was so happy these days, it was intoxicating to me. My heart clenched as I considered how angry she would be when she found out that I was hiding the truth about what was going on with the family business from her.


    She hated it when I lied to her, but now that she was carrying our daughter, I was desperate to try to keep her as stress-free as possible. I knew it was mostly an old wives¡¯ tale, but I couldn¡¯t help but worry that if she was overly stressed, it could negatively affect our daughter.


    And besides, I had spent years trying to shield Caterina from the dangers that our life could pose. It was second nature to me, and now that my protection extended beyond just Caterina and onto our daughter, it made it even more difficult to stop myself from just locking her away in a safe house.


    I knew it was only a matter of time before Caterina sniffed out my lies, but I prayed that day wouldn¡¯t happen until after the baby had arrived. I hoped that meeting our daughter would be what it finally took for Caterina to take her own safety as seriously as I took it.


    I helped Cat onto the ne and held her hand as we sat on the plush couch that took up half of the cabin. My family owned a few private jets, but this one was my favorite simply because of howrge the couch was. It was perfect for spending long flights with Caterina cuddled up in my arms.


    As soon as we were seated, the flight attendant gave us privacy by going back to her own station.


    Cat slipped her heels off. I had told her that I would buy her a few pairs of designer ts so that she could be morefortable while she was pregnant, but she insisted that she wasn¡¯t going to stop wearing her favorite shoes just because she was bing a mother. I made sure to massage her feet every evening.


    I knew I would take any chance I could to make her feel pampered.


    ¡°Hmm... are we going to Seattle?¡± Cat asked as she settled against my chest. I turned my body so that I could better give her a backrest, then ced my hands on her tiny bump, trying in vain to feel our daughter move. I knew it was too early to be able to feel anything, but that didn¡¯t stop me from hoping that I would be the first one to feel her kick. I couldn¡¯t wait to watch her achieve all of her firsts¨Cher first steps, first words, first days of school... all of it.


    ¡°Nope, not Seattle,¡± I murmured in her ear, purposefully sending a little shiver down her neck. I kissed her throat just under her ear and was rewarded with her arching her back and pressing further into me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you justy back and rx?¡±


    She giggled heartily as I moved my hands down her body suggestively. ¡°Somehow I don¡¯t think you just have rxing in mind,¡± she said with augh.


    ¡°You know me so well,¡± I said while I brought my hands up under her shirt and cupped her breasts over her bra.


    She squirmed against me as I brushed my thumbs over her nipples, thecy fabric of her bra adding to the sensation. I knew she loved it when I touched her like this. Sheid her head back on my shoulder and closed her eyes, allowing herself to focus solely on my touch.


    I pinched her nipples over her bra, holding them tight between my thumb and forefinger, but not so tightly that it would cause pain. As I knew it would, the sudden change in how I was touching her brought a delicious gasp and moan from her lips.


    I felt myself growing hard as she moved against me, and I wanted nothing more than to sink deep inside her, but before I would allow myself that pleasure, I was going to ensure that she found her own pleasure first. It was a point of pride in me that I always made here before me.


    She was so cute with the way she tried to hold out for me, but I always managed to pull an orgasm from her. I moved my hands down below her skirt and lifted it teasingly up, so slowly that I knew she¡¯d be trying to take over soon.


    As I had predicted, she soon pressed her hands over mine and used her leverage to yank her skirt up, revealing the whitece beneath. Myugh vibrated the both of us, but Caterina didn¡¯t care. Her appetite for sex had been insatiabletely, and I was more than happy to oblige her every chance I got.


    Without hesitation, she pulled her panties down and shuffled her feet so they fell on the floor next to her heels.


    With her bottom half finally free, she twisted so that she was straddling myp. I rested my hands on her naked thighs and leaned back, letting her take control.


    She ced her hands on either side of my face and descended on my mouth, our lips colliding with a level of heat that had me gasping for air. She slid her tongue into my mouth, letting it twist against mine before pulling it out so she could bite my bottom lip.


    As we kissed, she ground her hips against me, trying to find leverage. I obliged her by cing my hand under her and swirling my finger around her clit. She broke our kiss to throw her head back and moan, totally overwhelmed with the pleasure of the moment. I grinned as I watched her, my beautiful wife ovee with the feelings that I gave her. There was nothing more satisfying than making her feel this good.


    As I continued to move my hand against her, I brought my other hand up to pull her shirt down and free her breasts. I was desperate to get my mouth on her nipples. They had already tightened, and it made my mouth water just to see them. I sucked one into my mouth, biting gently to increase the sensation. I pulled away and blew cold air onto the ce I had just left, then quickly moved to the other side, giving it the same treatment.


    Caterina moved faster against my hand and I knew she was only seconds from falling over the edge. I sank two fingers into her wet heat, keeping my thumb on her clit. Just as I was about to crook my fingers and rub them against her G-spot, her entire body clenched up and she came while gasping my name. I stayed still while she rode the waves of her orgasm, not wanting to pull her out of it too soon.


    ¡°Oh, Elio,¡± she sighed as she went limp in my arms.


    I kissed her softly and held her tight while she came down from the high. When I was sure that she was ready, I unzipped my fly and freed my cock. Caterina lifted herself up and sank down onto me with a pretty little moan.


    She rested her head on my shoulder, her breath tickling the crook of my neck and her arms wrapped around me for leverage. I kept my hands on her hips and encouraged her to move up slowly, helping her ride me at the perfect pace. Her easy breaths became shorter and faster as the slow movements got her worked up all over again, and before I knew it she had moved her hands to my shoulders so that she could move faster, her motions quick enough to force me to meet them.


    Her breasts bounced in front of my face in time with our rhythm. Instinctually, my hips moved to meet hers, setting a pace that was almost too much to handle.


    Before I knew it, she was tightening around me and moaning her way through another orgasm, which pulled my own directly out of me. I grunted as I felt myself release inside of her. She was so fucking perfect I could hardly stand it.


    I pulled out slowly and helped her adjust her shirt so that her perfect breasts were hidden once again. After zipping myself back into my pants, I grabbed her panties from the floor and slipped them up her legs, enjoying the smoothness of her skin as I did.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she said as I knelt before her. Her hair was ruffled up from our activities and her eyes were sleepy.


    ¡°I love you so much,¡± I murmured, getting back up onto the couch and pulling her once more against my chest. ¡°Now rest. I know you¡¯re probably tired.¡±


    She smiled as she burrowed against me, curling herself up until she wasfortable. In that moment, I was the most satisfied man in the entire world. I rested my chin on her head and closed my eyes, knowing that the pilot would make an announcement when wended. When we flew, it was one of the only times I felt like I could totally let my guard down. Nobody could get to us in the sky.


    Hourster, Caterina jolted awake in my arms as the pilot¡¯s microphone sent loud feedback into the cabin. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just the pilot,¡± I soothed as I rubbed her arms.


    Sheughed at herself for being so jumpy, but I didn¡¯t me her. There were a lot of reasons why we stayed on edge. Our lifestyle wasn¡¯t exactly easy.


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Valentino, let me formally wee you to Hawaii!¡± The pilot said over the inte.


    Caterina gasped and immediately pulled the blind away from the window so that she could watch as we circled closer to the lush green inds.


    I smiled as I watched her; I would never get tired of that.

 Chapter 755 : Hawaiian Paradise

    <h4>Chapter 755: Chapter 755 : Hawaiian Paradise</h4>


    *Cat*


    Elio showed me around the house we would be staying in, and my amazement only grew with each passing room. It was a gorgeous home, full of a mixture of antique and more modern touches. There were massive windows in every room so that light filled the entire space. It sat almost directly on the beach, so close that sand had blown onto the front porch.


    ¡°How is it so secluded?¡± I asked Elio, shocked that the beach wasn¡¯t crawling with tourists.


    ¡°Not many peoplee out this far. A buddy of mine from college is from Hawaii, and this home has been in his family for generations. You can¡¯t even find this beach on any maps. They keep it a secret so that tourists don¡¯t end up ruining it. Normally his family doesn¡¯t allow any outsiders to stay here at the house, but he assured them that we knew how to keep our mouths shut.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± I murmured as I looked across the pristine sand. The sound of crashing waves could be heard everywhere in the house, and the smell of salty beach air filled each room. I had a feeling our time here would fly by far too quickly. I had never been to Hawaii before, but I knew that I would be begging toe back as soon as we could.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk on the beach. We have dinner reservations tonight, but that won¡¯t be for another couple of hours,¡± Elio said, linking his arm in mine and guiding me to the beachfront.


    I left my shoes at the house so I could let the water lick at my toes. It was a hot day, but the breeze and cool water were exactly what I needed after such a long flight. So far my pregnancy had been mostly easy, but that didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t feel the effects of it. Put a pregnant woman on a ne for hours and she¡¯s going to end up feeling a tad achy afterward. I had a feeling that all my aches would soon be forgotten as I looked out over the unbelievably clear blue water.


    ¡°This is so beautiful,¡± I gasped, unable to pull my eyes away from the view.


    Elio stopped and wrapped his arms around me, resting his head on my shoulder and pulling me closer to him. ¡°I love showing you the world,¡± he said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to travel with our little princess,¡± I said, unable to keep my thoughts away from her for very long, ¡°Every ce we¡¯ve been, I want to take her so that she can see our love story.¡±


    He moved his hands so that they were resting on my baby bump. ¡°I agree, I want her to see the world too.¡±


    I gasped and squinted as two dark fins emerged from the water in the distance. ¡°Dolphins!¡± I shouted excitedly.


    ¡°Yeah, my friend said they get pretty close to the beach here. They getfortable since there aren¡¯t so many people.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure we need to go to dinner? I think I could just sit here and watch for dolphins all day!¡± I said, wading into the water to get just a few feet closer to the majestic animals.


    Elio took my hand to stop me from going in any deeper than my knees. ¡°I promise we can spend the majority of our time right here, but these reservations will be worth it. Besides, I know how hungry you get these days; you¡¯ll be desperate for dinner here soon.¡±


    I chuckled at his words, he was right as usual. But that didn¡¯t stop me from reaching down and scooping up a handful of water to ssh him with.


    ¡°Hey! You¡¯ll pay for that!¡± he growled, letting go of my hand and grabbing water for himself.


    I squealed and ran back up the beach toward safety, but he still managed to ssh me square in the back.


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want me to get too wet!¡± I shrieked as he continued to chase after me.


    ¡°That was before I had to get my revenge!¡± he shouted while chasing me. Unfortunately for me, I was no match for his long legs and before I knew it, he had wrapped his arms around my waist and swung me around. ¡°I ought to just throw you down on the sand right here,¡± he teased.


    I gasped. ¡°You would never! You can¡¯t take me to dinner with sand in my hair!¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, baby. I¡¯d take you to dinner with a whole lot worse than sand in your hair.¡±


    I pretended to be shocked and offended by his words, but secretly they thrilled me. I loved when he got wild and rough with me. He was always so reserved when we were back home; he had to think about how he came off in front of his men. But when we were on vacation just the two of us, he could really let himself be free. It was a side of him that only I got to see, and that made me love it even more.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m calling a truce for now, but you better watch yourself, missy,¡± he joked before sweeping me off my feet and carrying me the rest of the way to the house. I threw my head back andughed at his ridiculous words while he grinned down at me. This trip was going to be perfect.


    Back in the house, the closet in our bedroom had already been filled with beachy dresses. I nced questioningly at Elio, who shrugged. ¡°I might have done a little online shopping and had it delivered here,¡± he admitted. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I love dressing you!¡±


    I rolled my eyes but I couldn¡¯t keep the smile off my face. I found it hopelessly romantic that he loved to pick out new clothes for me, especially now that my body was changing with pregnancy. I knew he enjoyed imagining how different pieces would look with my growing belly.


    I flipped through the dresses, deciding on one that was made of flowy chiffon and covered in a muted floral pattern. It looked distinctly Hawaiian without making me seem like an over-the-top American tourist. I pulled it on and turned my back to Elio so that he could zip it for me. He had already changed into a rxed linen suit, the light tan color emphasizing his olive skin. I hoped our daughter would get her looks from him. His thick ck hair would be amazing on a little girl.


    After a quick hair and makeup session, I was ready to go to dinner. Elio had been right; I was absolutely starving. The restaurant was within walking distance, so I grabbed an apple from the kitchen to tide me over until we made it.


    We walked hand in hand to the restaurant called Cane and Canoe. The delicious smell of seafood filled the air and had my mouth watering. The restaurant had rooftop seating with string lights and a nearly 360-degree view of the ocean. I had no idea how they had managed to find such a perfect location, but I was beginning to realize that everything about this ce was magical. I nced up at Elio to see if he was as enchanted as I was, but he was staring off into space, his brow furrowed in worry and concentration. I frowned as I watched him. Was there an ulterior motive to bringing me here? Were things really as peaceful at home as he said they were? Or was this all just an borate way to get me out of the way while some serious shit went down?


    Before I had the chance to work myself into true worry, Elio stopped staring and looked down at me with a wide smile on his face. ¡°What do you think?¡± He asked proudly as we arrived at the lovely restaurant.


    I forced myself to clear out the paranoid thoughts. It was just because of our past issues that I sometimes struggled to trust him when he said everything was okay. He had spent so long trying to coddle me and keep me out of the mafia life that when he finally epted that I was an equal part in this, it was hard for me to trust him.


    ¡°This is beautiful,¡± I said as he held the door open for me.


    The host must¡¯ve known we wereing, as he immediately greeted us by name and led us to the rooftop. A man and woman sat in the corner, him ying the ukelele and her singing in a mixture of Hawaiian and English that suited the atmosphere of the restaurant perfectly.


    We were the only ones on the roof, and I suspected that Elio had probably rented it out for us. I never minded dining with strangers, but Elio always enjoyed the extravagance of renting out an entire restaurant so that we could be the only ones there. I had to admit that it was enjoyable to be able to speak freely without worrying that the people at the table next to us would overhear what we were saying. Restaurants also tended to bring out their most special dishes when we were the only ones there.


    Tonight¡¯s meal was no exception; our waiter brought out te after te of delectable seafood, all cooked in a variety of styles. I took a bite of lobster tail that was by far the best I¡¯d ever tasted. Without meaning to, I closed my eyes and moaned as the rich meat practically melted on my tongue. Elio chuckled as he watched me. ¡°I could watch you do that all day,¡± he murmured suggestively.


    ¡°Feed me this for every meal and you can!¡±


    Too soon, we were both absolutely stuffed to the brim and had to start turning away the dishes that our waiter just kept bringing. It appeared that the chef was trying to get us to try their entire menu, but it was impossible for us to eat any more. After making many promises that we would be back before we went home, we finally made our way out the door.


    The sun began to set as we walked back to the rental home. The orange hue that it cast over the ocean was spectacr. If I had been a painter I would¡¯ve sat up right there to try and capture it.


    ¡°What should we do for the rest of the evening?¡± Elio asked.


    ¡°After all that food, I think I¡¯m too stuffed to do much of anything,¡± I said.


    We made it back to the rental house and copsed on the couch, both too full and jetgged to even get our nice clothes off. Elio rubbed his hands up and down my back as I snuggled into his chest, totally content with the world. I leaned up for azy kiss, the kind thatsts forever and feels perfect.


    Everything about this trip so far had been absolute perfection. I couldn¡¯t wait to see what tomorrow would bring.


    Just as I began to doze off, Elio¡¯s phone rang. I jumped at the unexpected sound. Elio apologized and helped me off of him, leaving me there on the couch by myself.


    I stared after him as he went to take the call in private, wondering who it could be.

 Chapter 756 : They Know

    <h4>Chapter 756: Chapter 756 : They Know</h4>


    *Elio*


    Just as the love of my life was falling asleep in my arms, my phone rang and made her jump. I pulled it out of my pocket to see Leo¡¯s name on the screen and tried to stop myself from being irrationally pissed at him.


    I knew it wasn¡¯t really his fault that Cat had been woken from her little nap, but it was hard not to want to put my anger somewhere. All I had wanted from this vacation was to ensure that Caterina got the rest and rxation she deserved, and I couldn¡¯t even give her that.


    It was so frustrating feeling like I was constantly failing her in everything I did. She was so precious to me, but I couldn¡¯t even manage to help her nap in peace.


    I helped her getfy on the couch without me and decided to take the call out on the porch. I took a deep breath while staring out over the moonlit ocean. Deciding I couldn¡¯t dy it any longer, I answered the phone.


    ¡°This better be important,¡± I snapped by way of greeting.


    Without any introduction, Leo said, ¡°They know you have a wife and they know she¡¯s pregnant. They¡¯ve made a threat against her and your baby.¡±


    I felt like my lungs had copsed. All the oxygen in my body whooshed out, and my heart began mming against my rib cage in an effort to pull the oxygen back in. ¡°What?¡± I heard myself whisper, unable to summon anything more than that.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to see it for yourself, boss. This shit¡¯s not normal and I really need you to see it with your own eyes.¡± Leo sounded apologetic like he knew that he was revealing my own worst nightmare hade true.


    ckness swirled on the edge of my vision and I reached out to grip the railing and steady myself. Finally, I forced myself to suck in a deep breath and focus. It wouldn¡¯t do Caterina any good if I passed out. I had to fucking think and I had to do it quick before she got curious and came outside to try and listen in on what I was saying.


    ¡°I need men at my house, right now. Triple security. Sweep everything, two times. Make sure they haven¡¯t been there. Check my house for any bugs and all the cars for tracking devices. We have to ensure they haven¡¯t done anything already. If they¡¯re to the point where they¡¯re openly making threats, we need to assume that they already have a n in ce.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir, I¡¯ll get on that right away, and I¡¯ll make sure the security detail around the house is the biggest it¡¯s ever been. When you two get back, I¡¯ll have all my best men watching over her.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. But make sure everything looks the same. I don¡¯t want Cat to know about any of this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t want me to know about what?¡± I heard from behind me.


    Fuck. I spun around and saw Caterina standing there, looking absolutely furious.


    ¡°Leo, I¡¯ve got to go,¡± I said before hanging up. I knew that he would take care of everything back home. Now I needed to take care of everything here.


    ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡± Caterina demanded.


    Her eyes were sharp as she watched me and I knew I needed to tread carefully. If she got any hint that I was keeping something from her, she would immediately assume the worst. The whole reason why I had tried to keep her out of this was to reduce her stress levels, but if she thought I was hiding something huge from her, it would keep her up at night wondering what was going on. I knew this was a sore point in our rtionship and I was determined to keep it from nearly tearing us apart again.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been getting some threats from MS13,¡± I said, purposefully keeping my voice light, trying to sound like it wasn¡¯t as big of a deal as it was. ¡°They¡¯ve been trying to inject themselves into our business, and they think the way to do that is to threaten us.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother telling her about the guy getting jumped. I didn¡¯t want her to worry about anyone else¡¯s safety but her own. And thest thing I wanted to do was tell her about the threat on her or the baby. That would be the absolute most stressful thing I could possibly say.


    ¡°So why exactly are you wanting to up the security so much?¡± Caterina asked.


    Damn, I hadn¡¯t realized she¡¯d overheard basically the entire conversation. I ran my hand through my hair. ¡°Just being cautious,¡± I exined, ¡°You know how protective I am.¡±


    She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, as though she was trying to see right through to my thoughts. ¡°Well, it sounds like we should go home then. You probably need to deal with all of this in person.¡±


    My heart sank as I realized the truth of her words. She was right; I needed to be there in person. I just wished she didn¡¯t feel the need toe home with me. I would feel much better knowing that she was safe and sound at a secluded home in Hawaii, but somehow I doubted that I¡¯d be able to convince her to stay here for the duration of her pregnancy.


    I just wanted to do whatever it took to keep her and the baby safe. I would kill every man who ever dared to call himself MS13. I would set the world on fire if it meant she could be safe. And I hated that I had no idea what was going to happen next. I never seemed to know what new horror would pop up and prevent us from finding our happiness. Every time it seemed like things had finally settled down, a new danger entered our lives. It had been bad enough when I just had Caterina to worry about, but now with the baby, I felt like I was going to go insane trying to protect them both.


    ¡°Shit, I¡¯m so sorry, Caterina,¡± I said, reaching out to fold her into my arms. ¡°You¡¯re right; we should go. I¡¯ll arrange for us to leave tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said coldly, standing stiffly in my arms.


    I rubbed my hands up and down her back. ¡°I just wanted this trip to be perfect for you, and now this shit pops up. It makes me feel horrible. I promise I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not why I¡¯m upset,¡± she said, pulling away so she could look up at me.


    I hung my head. ¡°I know.¡±


    She was hurt that I had been keeping things from her again, and I couldn¡¯t me her for it. I knew that she hated it when I left her out of the business, but it had been too tempting. I had just been so worried about causing stress. ¡°If it makes you feel better, I really just didn¡¯t think this was worth worrying about until Leo called me just now,¡± I lied, ¡°I just didn¡¯t say anything to you because it was such a small deal. Not because I was trying to keep you out of it.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes at me once more, trying to figure out if I was lying or not. I kept my face neutral, determined not to add to the negative feelings she already had. I could at least do this for her, I could keep her from being hurt by my actions if I could just get her to believe my lies. It was fucked up for sure, but it was all I could think to do.


    ¡°Okay, I forgive you,¡± she finally said after an ufortable moment of studying my face.


    ¡°I hoped you would,¡± I smiled as I leaned down to give her a kiss. Her lips were as soft as ever. I regretted the fact that we wouldn¡¯t be able to spend a week in Hawaii just enjoying each other like I had nned. For a few hours at dinner, the outside world had fallen away and I had been able to just rx with Cat, forgetting all the stress that awaited me back home. It had been absolutely magical, but now I was afraid that we wouldn¡¯t get another moment like that for a long time. ¡°What should we do for ourst few hours in Hawaii, my love?¡±


    Cat smiled up at me. ¡°I know just the thing!¡±


    She went back inside and I felt like I could finally breathe without being under her scrutiny. I had no idea what I was going to do when we got home, but MS13 was going to regret the moment they ever threatened my family for the rest of their pathetic lives.


    Caterina came back outside with an abundance of nkets and pillows in her arms. Her appearance was totally at odds with my violent thoughts, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile when I saw her. She brought such softness and light to my life. I didn¡¯t know what I would ever do without her. Even when she was suspicious of me, even when we fought, she always managed to make my life brighter.


    ¡°Let¡¯s spend the night on the beach!¡± she eximed, pushing her tower of nkets toward me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can make it out here all night, but I canst at least a few hours,¡± Iughed. ¡°You forget that I¡¯m not as young as you!¡±


    ¡°Hey, if I can do something pregnant, you can do it old,¡± she teased.


    We walked out onto the warm sand, not close enough to the water for it top at us, but close enough to be overwhelmed by the sound of the crashing waves. It was a gorgeous night; the stars were bright in the sky and the temperature had dipped just enough to befortable. I helped Caterinay out a couple of nkets and pillows for us to settle down on, then pulled her into my arms andid a sheet over the top of us.


    Cat sighed contentedly in my arms. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll bring me back here,¡± she murmured.


    ¡°I promise,¡± I said, determined to make all her wishese true.


    As soon as I dealt with this MS13 disaster, I was going to take her on the trip of her dreams. We could do a trip around the entire damn world if she wanted to. Whatever my wife wanted, I was determined to give it to her. She deserved it, simply for putting up with me and my life.


    I fell asleep with Caterina in my arms, the sound of waves in my ears, and dreams of torturing our enemies in my head.

 Chapter 757 : Mood Swings

    <h4>Chapter 757: Chapter 757 : Mood Swings</h4>


    *Cat*


    Contrary to what Elio believed, my bad mood followed us all the way. From the early morning rush, we packed everything back up, which wasn¡¯t difficult seeing as we hadn¡¯t even had time to unpack, and then the drive to the ne, in which I sat stewing in silence.


    Elio didn¡¯t even try to talk to me, staying in business mode as he did work on the ne, focused so intently that he forgot he even had a pregnant fiance sitting next to him. Meanwhile, I was so fed up that I wanted nothing more than a drink.


    And because I was knocked up and couldn¡¯t have one, my bad mood was now Elio¡¯s problem. I didn¡¯t feel bad for him in the slightest either because not only had he lied to me multiple times in the span of a few minutes, but he¡¯d been keeping something this huge from me for months, potentially.


    I felt I deserved to be pissed at him.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I dered boldly in the ne, giving him an angry look. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Elio popped up from hisptop, giving me a frown as he came back to where we were. ¡°Okay. Can you wait until we get home? It¡¯ll be like an hour.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry now, Elio,¡± I demanded crankily. ¡°You¡¯re really going to starve our daughter?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He looked at me, at a pure loss of words, but I saw his mind turning as he relented, grumbling as he took off to the back area, scrounging around for what he could find.


    He gave back a soda and a bag of chips, offering it to me with a helpless look. But I wasn¡¯t about to make it easy on him and spent the next few minutes expressing my demands.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want those kinds of chips.¡±


    ¡°I wanted ice in my soda.¡±


    ¡°Now there¡¯s too much ice in my soda. It¡¯s too watery.¡±


    As I threw a fit, Elio realized halfway through that this was me being petty but he didn¡¯t say a word, just rolled his eyes as he kept fetching my requests over and over. Eventually, we got home after the long, arduous process.


    Elio rushed to put our suitcases in our room and then grabbed all of his stuff for work, running down the stairs. I sat on the couch, waiting for him with my arms crossed when Elio dipped in, hisptop bag and briefcase in one hand.


    He leaned his arm against the doorway, huffing from the rush of going up and down the stairs to find everything.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to head to work right away,¡± he said gently.


    I looked at him, unphased by the sad eyes he gave me.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about everything, Cat. I wanted a vacation with you but it just... didn¡¯t work out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said curtly.


    ¡°Cat¨C¡± Elio started.


    But I cut him off with a shake of my head. ¡°I understand, and we¡¯ll talk about all thister, but you¡¯ve got to get to work right now, so go,¡± I said with a frown, really wanting to grab him by the cor and force him to stay with me, but he¡¯d listened to my selfish petnt demands all morning.


    He turned to leave and just like he did every morning before he left, I could hear the coffee pot starting in the kitchen.


    I had a few minutes and knew he would be driving himself into work today. I quickly stuffed my nest of pillows on the couch under a big nket, turned on the TV to a cartoon, and then got to my feet, my worn tennis shoes ready to go as I snuck out the door before he could notice anything.


    Luckily, his car was already unlocked, as it always was once safe in thepound. I shimmied my way into the back, settling down in the backseat so I waspletely hidden from view. Also luckily, it was a huge car, and Elio always stashed a nket in here in case I got cold, so I threw that over me.


    The car door opened and the car moved as Elio got in and it rumbled to life. I bit my bottom lip, wondering if this was going to work and I grinned in victory as he pulled out of the driveway.


    I kept a hand on myrge belly, making sure she was okay as it was quite bumpier than I expected. But we pulled in and I smirked before realizing this was a very bad n.


    This car only locked with the button and I wasn¡¯t sure where the emergency releases were. If Elio locked the car without knowing I was in there....


    What the fuck was I thinking?


    Luckily my soon-to-be husband was smarter than I was at the moment and I felt the nket I¡¯d tucked over me be thrown away as Elio gave me a pointed, exasperated look. I froze like a criminal who had been caught.


    ¡°You¡¯re noting to work with me, Cat,¡± Elio said tiredly, and before I could protest, he had gotten out of the car. I fumed, unwilling to believe I¡¯d gotten caught. The back door opened, the sunshine brightly pouring through. ¡°Come on.¡±


    I unhappily and embarrassedly squeezed out of the car, holding my belly with one hand until my feetnded on solid ground again. Elio helped me up with one arm. I was a bit disoriented from the sudden light after being shut in darkness the whole way.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of her, I swear¨C¡± I perked up as I spotted Anna standing there in the driveway of her house and not the office as I thought. I only realized I¡¯d been yed once Elio thanked her and then got back into the car.


    ¡°Wait a minute! You can¡¯t just leave me here!¡± I protested, but Elio gave me a heartless smirk and was pulling out of the driveway before I could start a fight about it.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± I stomped my foot like a child, glowering as I whirled on my best friend. ¡°You nned this?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Anna shrugged, giving me a grin. ¡°But he texted me on the way here and I think I figured out everything else.¡±


    ¡°That son of a bitch!¡± I cursed, and I knew all of this was just my hormones talking, that everything I¡¯d done today had beenpletely irrational, but the anger and helplessness I felt ran deep.


    I wanted to prove that I wasn¡¯t as useless as I felt, that just because I was pregnant didn¡¯t mean he could manipte me into what he thought best. I was still his partner.


    Angry tears slipped out of my eyes and Anna sighed as she brought me into a hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, babe,¡± Anna soothed me, rubbing circles on my back as I cried out of frustration. ¡°Wanna go shopping? We can get some more things for you and for the baby.¡±


    And despite how utterly furious and sad and bitter I was, I still pulled back from Anna, a small smile tugging at my lips.


    ¡°That sounds nice,¡± I sniffed.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Anna gave me an awkward smile. ¡°But just so you know, we¡¯ll have to take the guards.¡±


    Anna then pointed behind me and I whirled around to see a ck SUV and a team of two sheepish-looking guards as they waved to me.


    ¡°Son of a¨C¡±


    A gto cooled me down pretty quickly, much to Anna¡¯s and both guards¡¯ relief. My mood swings were getting worse. But even though I couldn¡¯t drive a car by myself since the guards insisted on driving us everywhere, I got my revenge by spending as much as I could.


    Mostly, I bought things for the baby to finish up her room, decorations, and books I wanted to read to her, and as I shopped, throwing items into the cart, I told Anna everything about how Elio was keeping things from me again, then I cried because I felt bad for giving him so much trouble and then I bought a t-screen TV that we didn¡¯t need so the baby could watch cartoons in her room.


    Anna humored me, pretty much letting me rant and only asionally throwing out a, ¡°Yep, he¡¯s an asshole,¡± and, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± But it did honestly make me feel better. Pregnancy was a bitch to me right now, and I had thought the morning sickness was the worst of it.


    I was d to have my best friend by my side though, especially one who knew all the craziness of my life and epted it. The guards were incredibly ufortable as I spilled everything I knew to Anna, probably things they didn¡¯t even know but I didn¡¯t really have the mind to care at the moment.


    ¡°So, these weirdos are targeting you guys, right?¡± Anna asked, sipping her smoothie as she watched me devour a whole te of chili cheese fries from the food court at the mall.


    Our guards were a table away, awkwardly sitting there drinking smoothies I had forced them to get, next to piles and piles of bags that they needed to deliver to the car.


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s probably more but that¡¯s all he would tell me,¡± I sighed. ¡°Am I so untrustworthy that he has to go back to hiding things from me? I¡¯m so goddamn sick of this. Just cause I¡¯m pregnant doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m helpless!¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah,¡± Anna said thoughtfully then gave me a worried look. ¡°But it might be more serious than he¡¯s telling you, Cat. Have you considered that since he¡¯s had us tailed already, maybe they¡¯re targeting you? Or worse... the baby.¡±


    My blood ran cold as the thought struck me.


    I put a hand over my belly where our daughter was slowly growing bit by bit, and tears welled up in my eyes as panic clenched around my lungs, sweeping the air out of me.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t... I didn¡¯t think about....¡± The panic had a hold of me now as held my pregnant belly with both arms like I was shielding her from harm.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to freak you out, Cat.¡± Anna grabbed my hand. ¡°I¡¯m probably wrong, you know. Not many people know about your pregnancy anyway, and you rarely go out like this, so I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right.¡± I wiped the tears from my face, the terror still gripping me as I thought of my unborn baby girl being the target of those monsters. After everything we¡¯d been through, Elio had only ever lied to me when it came to my safety.


    The fact that he was going overboard now meant that Anna was probably right.


    Either I or my baby were now in danger... or perhaps, I thought, both of us.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I stiffened up, clearing my head from all of the selfish thoughts that had been pouring around all day. I knew my unstable emotions were partly due to the pregnancy, but I had also been feeding into those thoughts.


    Elio loved me and he loved the baby and if someone was targeting us, he would do anything in his means to take care of them, even if it meant lying to me and pissing me off.


    ¡°I have to talk to Elio about this,¡± I said determinedly.

 Chapter 758 : Ego

    <h4>Chapter 758: Chapter 758 : Ego</h4>


    *Elio*


    I knew Cat was still pissed at me and she would be for a while, but I really hadn¡¯t expected her to sneak into my car to go to work with me. If I hadn¡¯t stopped to kiss her on the forehead before leaving and found an empty pile of nkets where my fiance should¡¯ve been and her shoes missing, then she would¡¯ve gotten away with it.


    Dropping her at Anna¡¯s was the best I could do for the time being, even though I knew having her guarded would make her even more pissed.


    I sighed, running a hand through my hair in stress as the sights of the city faded away and the warehouse we had been using as the mafia¡¯s office came into sight. Unfortunately, it was not a good day for the warehouse.


    Just like Leo had warned me about, the warehouse was a mess. The whole front exterior was covered with a tent of stic ck sheeting and a swarm of cars from our guys blocked the whole road. I stopped the car and two of our younger members came running over, one with a panicked look and the other looked quite nauseous.


    ¡°Leo managed to buy the police off to look the other way, but it looked really bad. A lot of people noticed early this morning, some pedestrians in a tour group or I don¡¯t know, saw. It¡¯s real bad,¡± the kid, about neen or twenty, said anxiously. ¡°What do we do, boss?¡±


    ¡°Keep calm for starters,¡± I snapped. ¡°Get you and any other newbies on patrol. Make sure this road is blocked off for the next couple of hours at least. Disguise yourselves as road maintenance if you have to. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ve got their outfits somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Right, as long as I don¡¯t have to clean that up,¡± the other kid, a little bit older said, swallowing ufortably. ¡°I¡¯ve got a weak stomach.¡±


    ¡°Then you chose the wrong line of work,¡± I said coldly, ignoring them as I strode right into the tent of ck sheeting. Inside were no less than a dozen guys in white gear to protect their clothes, and I epted the guy who passed another outfit to me.


    It didn¡¯t take long to slip into the white bodysuit, paper-ish, and if we had brought these out, I could tell it was going to be messy.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Leo?¡± I demanded through the crowd and a loud, ¡°Here!¡± called out in response. I made my way to where the front exterior would usually be, and with the faint lights put up under the tent, I could see exactly what had caused so much fuss.


    I grimaced as I saw the body pinned to the front warehouse door, big railroad spikes through his hands and feet to keep him up there. The dripping blood had flooded below him, dying the sandy terrain a vibrant red.


    The worst of it was that his head was fully missing. There was just a stump of bloody mess where it should¡¯ve been. Across the warehouse walls was a message written in what I presumed was the man¡¯s blood.


    ¡°Leave the city or lose your heir.¡±


    ¡°Not subtle, are they?¡± Leo sent me a tired look.


    ¡°One of ours?¡± I said without looking away from the gruesome sight.


    ¡°Probably,¡± Leo sighed, approaching me. ¡°We¡¯re still missing three guys who were on guard duty, so could be any one of them, though I don¡¯t think they would care about using a civilian just to make a point.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re getting bolder,¡± I said, shutting my eyes as I tried to think about what to do.


    This wasn¡¯t like Katz. This wasn¡¯t some flimsy creature hiding in the night and taking shots where he could. They were aiming to make this public.


    And clearly, brutality was one of their strengths.


    ¡°How did a tour bus get sent down this road? We always keep it clear,¡± I demanded, ncing at Leo.


    Leo shrugged. ¡°My guess is it was their work. We interviewed them and the driver imed his route got changed at thest minute this morning. I doubt he¡¯s lying but we¡¯re looking into it. We deleted the photos they took but some got leaked onto social media already. We¡¯ve got people taking them down, but we¡¯re not gonna get out of this one scott-free.¡±


    ¡°The cops bury it?¡± I asked firmly.


    ¡°Of course. A lot of hush money for this one though.¡± Leo shook his head frustratedly.


    ¡°We¡¯ve identified the victim,¡± a new voice called out, and both of us nced at the entrance where Franky came in with a look full of anger. ¡°It was John Caruso.¡±


    He held out the file to us but I didn¡¯t need it. Neither did Leo. We nced at one another with equally grief-stricken looks.


    ¡°Not fucking John,¡± Leo turned his back, his body trembling in anger and he kicked the warehouse wall in frustration.


    I took the file and opened it up. John was one of ours, an older member who had worked with Alessandro, Tallon, and even Giovanni before him. He¡¯d been in this game for longer than either me or Leo and had been one of our most highly trusted members.


    It was hard to believe he was dead.


    ¡°His wife, Teresa,¡± I said grimly. ¡°I¡¯ll notify her myself. Send her double the standardpensation. It¡¯ll serve as her retirement.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Leo sighed. ¡°He was just about to retire, too.¡±


    ¡°Which is why we need to keep this quiet,¡± Franky said, crossing his arms.


    He would have looked rather heartless to anyone else, but I¡¯d worked with him long enough to tell that he was just as angry as us. John was one of Franky¡¯s hires who had transferred here because he had been the one to train Franky himself.


    ¡°We¡¯ll arrange for a private funeral. Send Teresa and his body back to Florence. He¡¯ll be buried in Eterna,¡± I said then nced back at the body with a scowl. ¡°Closed-casket.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve alerted Alessandro to the problems happening with MS13, but he¡¯s decided to leave it up to us for the time being. He¡¯ll have men on standby if we need it though.¡± Franky exined. ¡°I¡¯m hopeful we won¡¯t, but these bastards are proving to be a pain in the ass.¡±


    ¡°But we have a bigger problem right now,¡± Leo turned to me with an expectant look. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta figure out what to tell Cat.¡±


    I stiffened, ring at him, but Leo wasn¡¯t backing down.


    ¡°We¡¯ve gotten multiple threats on her and the baby¡¯s life and with her being pregnant, she needs to be extra careful,¡± Leo insisted, seeing how reluctant I was.


    ¡°I have to agree,¡± Franky said, both of them turning on me in agreement for once. I only wished it didn¡¯t have to be against me. ¡°She¡¯ll be the next target.¡±


    ¡°The more Cat knows, the more stressed she¡¯ll be,¡± I retorted. ¡°I have guards on her and extra security at our house along with Anna¡¯s as well. She can miscarry or have the baby too early if she¡¯s under too much stress.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Leo growled. ¡°Cat¡¯s much stronger than that. Just admit the real reason you¡¯re doing this is because you don¡¯t want to admit that you can¡¯t protect your woman and child by yourself.¡±


    I snapped, red filling the edges of my vision as I stormed forward, grabbing Leo¡¯s cor and mming him against the warehouse wall.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± I yelled, while Leo just red at me silently. ¡°Cat doesn¡¯t need to know any of this, understand? I can protect her and the baby just fine, and as long as you two do your fucking jobs and put an end to these guys before they can go through with their fucking threats, then it¡¯ll all be fine.¡±


    ¡°Denial isn¡¯t a good look on you, Elio,¡± Leo sneered. ¡°You know I¡¯m right. Cat has a right to know.¡±


    ¡°You tell Cat and it¡¯ll be thest thing you fucking do.¡± I narrowed my eyes on him coldly.


    ¡°I¡¯d take that bet,¡± Leo snapped back.


    ¡°Enough, both of you!¡± Franky stepped between us, breaking my hold on Leo and pushing us away from each other. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time.¡±


    I clenched my fists at my side, knowing that he was right¨Cthey both were¨Cbut I was not willing to admit that I was wrong. Leo¡¯s words hurt but he was only saying what he believed.


    My adamance not to tell Cat wasn¡¯t based on my pride. I knew how strong she was, that she could weather any kind of storm with me ande out no worse for wear. She¡¯d proven it time and time again.


    But Leo didn¡¯t know what I knew.


    He didn¡¯t have to witness the nightmares she suffered while Katz was aiming for our lives, the guilt she carries to this day for allowing her mother to be kidnapped and tortured at the hands of her ex-boyfriend... the self-loathing that I had tried so desperately to love out of her that I could tell still had a piece of her heart.


    Cat was strong, but that didn¡¯t mean there wouldn¡¯t be damage.


    Leo was right. Cat deserved to know, but this wasn¡¯t just about Cat anymore.


    This was about our baby.


    That sweet little life growing inside her deserved a world better than this, one where her mother wasn¡¯t constantly under threats while her no-good father was unable to stop it.


    ¡°I will handle my fiance myself,¡± I told the both of them coldly. ¡°Do not interfere. Focus on finding these bastards before anyone else gets hurt.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Leo glowered at me. ¡°You¡¯ll regret putting your fucking ego above the safety of your family, Elio. I swear to god you will.¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer him, just watched as he walked away. He usually went to meet his wife at this time of day for her lunch break.


    Franky heaved a sigh, giving me a look like I was a toddler he was having to reason with. ¡°You know, I would rather rip my own fingernails off before I agree with that idiot, but I have to say¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I said sharply.


    He raised an eyebrow then pursed his lips with a solemn nod. ¡°Very well.¡±


    I stayed long enough for our men to lower the body from the wall, zipping it into a ck body bag and carrying it out. I still couldn¡¯t quite think of the body as John¡¯s, but I supposed this was reality.


    A few men stayed to clean off the bloody message, washing away the evidence until it was spotless. I stayed even after the tent was taken down and everything went back to normal... or as normal as it could be seeing as everywhere here knew that John¡¯s body had been hung up as a message just this morning.


    I stayed until thest of the men departed, some heading inside to patrol and do what they needed to, leaving me standing out under the sun,pletely and utterly alone.


    And despite Leo¡¯s advice and Cat¡¯s anger and the guilt of losing someone who had been so close to us, the only thought that ran through my head was that I needed to hit them back.


    Fast and hard.

 Chapter 759 : I Don’t Want to Fight

    <h4>Chapter 759: Chapter 759 : I Don¡¯t Want to Fight</h4>


    *Cat*


    I stared nkly at the TV as it moved through channels, the sound cutting off before it could settle on one thing. I wasn¡¯t paying attention to what shed across the screen. My hand was sore from holding the channel button on the remote for so long, and I was pretty sure I had cycled through all of the channels at least twice.


    But I couldn¡¯t stop.


    I was waiting impatiently, anxiously curled up in my nkets with the lights in the house still off where I had been since I had gotten home from my shopping trip with Anna. It waste, the sky outside already dark, and it was two hours past when Elio would usuallye home.


    The untouched takeout I had ordered still sat on the coffee table, probably cold by now. I sighed as I dropped the remote, leaning back on the couch and taking another anxious nce out the window.


    Still nothing.


    I opened up my phone, the bright light shining like a beacon, but myst five texts had still gone unanswered. I knew he had seen them, that he had his phone on him, but there was still no answer.


    ¡°Baby,¡± I said quietly as Iid a hand over my stomach, ¡°your daddy¡¯s fucked up real bad this time.¡±


    She was the only thing keeping me sane these past few hours, and I wished more than anything that Elio would say something, anything, even just to tell me he was okay and he¡¯d being back home.


    I plopped over onto my side, letting the TV run at whatever show it had settled on as I rotated my engagement ring on my finger, trying not to break down into sobs as I wondered in a moment of hysteria if perhaps this meant Elio was nevering back home.


    If he didn¡¯t want me anymore.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long I hadid there, just quietly suffering in my anxiety until eventually, I heard the rumble of a car pull into the driveway. I jerked up from where I was sitting, leaning out to see outside, and sure enough, Elio was getting out of his car and walking up to the doorway.


    I breathed a sigh of relief, both because he hade back home and that he was safe. But I knew it wasn¡¯t going to be that easy, not this time.


    I heard the door open quietly, and his footsteps on the floor as he approached before suddenly stopping just beyond the wall. I heard him give a deep sigh and thene in.


    I nced over at him as he appeared in the doorway and he gently flicked on the light. I winced, hiding my eyes in the nket for a second until my eyes adjusted, and then looked up at him again expectantly.


    There was an awkwardness as we stared at one another, and despite how much I wanted to fling myself into his arms and just go to bed with his arms around me, I knew that wouldn¡¯t solve anything.


    Our problems ran deeper than that.


    And I just couldn¡¯t let it go.


    I shifted anxiously to a sitting position then nced at the TV as I said, ¡°What did you learn today?¡±


    Elio sighed, exhaustion weighing down his shoulders as he took a seat on one of the chairs. ¡°One of our guys was killed. John. A good man. They... we¡¯re arranging a funeral for him. I had to go tell his wife.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± I said, sympathetically.


    We both fell into silence and I nced up at Elio, who just looked tired as he sat back in the chair, watching me equally.


    ¡°These people¨CMS13¨Cdo you think they¡¯lle after the baby?¡± I asked bluntly, searching his face for any sign of the truth.


    He stiffened, scowling as he faced me with a livid expression. ¡°Did Leo call you? What the fuck did he say to you?¡± He rose to his feet, and my breath hitched as I saw a new side of him, an extremely ugly one.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Why would Leo call me?¡± I blurted out in shock.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what he saw on my face but Elio¡¯s expression withered, his anger draining out of him until he copsed back into the chair, his hands over his face as he mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean....¡±


    I put aside my anger at him for the moment as I slid out of the cocoon of nkets I had made and then made my way over to him. I brushed my hands through his curls, and he responded eagerly, resting his head gently on my belly.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I said, trying to be as gentle as possible. ¡°I know you want to protect me and I know you love me. but what you¡¯re doing¨Cit isn¡¯t working. I¡¯m not just your fiance. I¡¯m your partner, remember? You¡¯ve gotta talk to me. What is going on?¡±


    He looked up at me with watery eyes, giving me such a sad pitiful look that I couldn¡¯t help but bend down to kiss his lips ever so softly.


    ¡°Talk to me,¡± I whispered. ¡°I promise no matter how angry I am, I will love you forever and ever. Nothing will change that, okay?¡±


    He heaved a sigh, shoulders fully copsing as he leaned on me, still careful of the baby but taking thefort he so desperately needed right now. And then he opened his lips and exined everything.


    He told me about the threats and attacks MS13 had done, the pain they had caused upon their men, and how they had purposefully left John¡¯s mutted body as a message.


    I tried to keep calm, only listening as he said what needed to be said until he reached the part about the threats against me and most importantly, against our child.


    I stilled, staring nkly at the wall as a storm of emotions raged within me¨Churt, anger, disappointment, resentment.


    ¡°And through all of this,¡± I said more calmly than I felt, looking at Elio for answers, ¡°you kept this from me. Did you never once think that I deserved to know? So I could protect myself and our baby better instead of going out shopping with my mother and my best friend?¡±


    Elio swallowed. ¡°I did but... I wanted to protect you and the baby. You¡¯re strong and can protect yourself, but you¡¯re vulnerable right now and the baby... I was afraid telling you might hurt your pregnancy.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Elio flinched at my cold response.


    I understood Elio well. I knew he had done what he did to protect me, to do what he thought was right. But that was the problem.


    What he did wasn¡¯t right.


    I exhaled deeply, keeping a tight grip over my emotions as Elio watched me intently, wondering what I was going to do now. And as much as I wanted to scream at him and ask him how he could do this to me yet again, I knew that would only damage our already flimsy rtionship further.


    ¡°I need a minute,¡± I said instead, pulling away. I nced aimlessly at the untouched food on the table, his favorite takeout restaurant that had now gone cold and was probably spoiled.


    The irony was not lost on me.


    Elio didn¡¯t follow me and I was thankful for that as I made my way upstairs to our bedroom, feeling almost in a daze like I was sleepwalking as I grabbed my suitcase and neatly folded my clothes and necessities in there.


    ¡®Just for a couple of days,¡¯ I thought as I packed whatever I could. As soon as I zipped it up, I gripped my phone and pressed it against my ear.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Mom, I was wondering if I coulde over. For a couple of days, I mean.¡±


    There was a pause and then Mom asked hesitantly, ¡°Is everything all right? Are you okay, Cat?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied automatically feeling much too robotic, ¡°I just miss you and want to spend some time with you. Just us, you know, the pregnancy is making me feel all nostalgic, you know?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Her voice brightened, understanding and I knew she believed me. There was a little pang of guilt I felt for not telling her about the fight but I would tell herter, not right now when I felt like I was about to shatter into a million pieces. ¡°Of course you can, sweetie. The cottage is pretty big. I¡¯ll have the guest room all made up for you. It¡¯s a bitte, but have you eaten? I have some leftoversagna if you want some.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t and I¡¯d love some,¡± I said with a faint smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll warm it up for you. Love you and see you soon.¡±


    ¡°Love you too.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t going far since Mom lived in a cottage on thepound, but this wasn¡¯t about physical distance.


    With that settled, I made my way downstairs, dragging my rolling suitcase even as it thumped against each stair loudly. But I wasn¡¯t about to carry it down.


    I walked past the living room and spotted Elio leaning up against the mini bar, a drink in his hand. He looked more disheveled than when I had left him. He looked up as I paused in the doorway and though his eyes were a bit zed over, they focused intently on my suitcase and then me.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± he asked, setting his ss down.


    I could see the panic in his eyes as he rushed over but I stepped back, ignoring the hurt look on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to my mom¡¯s,¡± I said quietly. ¡°I... I love you, Elio but I can¡¯t be around you right now, not without doing something stupid and hurting us both more. I need a night or a few to calm down before I can talk about this anymore.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Elio said firmly, rounding to my side and gripping the handle of my suitcase as he tried to tug it away from me.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I said waringly, but he was far past listening, a determination burning and I realized he wasn¡¯t going to let me go willingly.


    ¡°It¡¯s just for a night or two,¡± I protested, keeping a firm hold on my suitcase. ¡°I¡¯ll still be in thepound.¡±


    ¡°No. Look, I can sleep in the guest room or on the couch or where you want, but you can¡¯t leave,¡± Elio said, anxiously. ¡°I need you to be under my roof, under my care. I¡¯ll¨CI¡¯ll do anything you want, I swear.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t!¡± I snapped, and then I swallowed at his wounded look, much too simr to an abandoned puppy in the rain for me to look at directly. I avoided his eyes, staring at the floor as I said, ¡°How many times have we been through this? You think you¡¯re doing what¡¯s best for me, but you never learn. You should¡¯ve told me the truth from the beginning!¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll do better next time so please, don¡¯t leave,¡± Elio begged and my resolve was weakening by the minute.


    I shut my mouth, holding firm as I shook my head, pulling away from Elio along with my suitcase. I knew he wouldn¡¯t use his full strength against me or try to wrestle my suitcase away from me, and sure enough, I easily broke his hold.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you believe that,¡± I said sadly, my heart breaking as I saw tears in his eyes. ¡°But this is my child, too, Elio, and you should¡¯ve known that I would stop any threat against our baby no matter what it took. But time and time again, you hurt me by lying and keeping secrets. I don¡¯t want to fight anymore, Elio. I just need a couple of days away from you, from all of this, so please, let me go.¡±


    I headed for the door, not wanting to fight anymore but Elio followed me, pleading and making promises I knew he wouldn¡¯t keep. He followed me out the doorway and to the driveway by the front gate that led back to my mom¡¯s cottage.


    ¡°Cat, please!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I turned back to him, tears running down my face as I saw how torn up we both were. ¡°You should¡¯ve trusted me, Elio.¡±


    ¡°Wait¨C¡± Elio grabbed my hand, pulling me forward.


    I barely caught myself as everything happened all too quickly. A loud gunshot echoed across the street, boomingly loud and both of our eyes widened as I fell into Elio¡¯s chest.


    My heart raced as something unbearably hot hit my shoulder and I instinctively wrapped my hands around my stomach as Elio pulled me into his arms, falling back as we hit the ground. I gasped, breathing heavily as I recognized the scorching pain. I nced at my shoulder where blood was now coating through my shirt.


    ¡°Cat!¡± Elio screamed as sounds of gunfire echoed around us and I saw him over me, and still in shock, all I could murmur was ¡°The baby....¡±


    Then it all went ck.

 Chapter 760 : Anna’s Visit

    <h4>Chapter 760: Chapter 760 : Anna¡¯s Visit</h4>


    **Two Months Later**


    *Caterina*


    I woke up and groaned in pain; my shoulder bothered me constantly ever since I¡¯d been shot. Luckily the bullet had made a clean exit so the injury hadn¡¯t been too bad, but that didn¡¯t make it hurt any less.


    I rubbed my shoulder, trying to get the worst of the pain to go away. Most days I was able to forget about the pain after a while, but every morning I woke up feeling like I¡¯d been shot all over again. I tried to remind myself to be grateful for my health and the health of the baby, but it was difficult to feel anything but hatred.


    Dealing with a gunshot wound was thest thing I wanted to be doing during my pregnancy. I had envisionedzy days spent lounging with Anna and my mother, rxing before the baby came. I had thought I would be spoiled by Elio, and not just because he was trying to hide how much real danger I was actually in.


    I thought maybe we could go on a few different babymoons and spend time just enjoying thest few months of our family only being the two of us. But instead, I¡¯d spent the past two months in physical therapy, relearning how to use my shoulder after it had nearly been destroyed by one of our enemies.


    The one thing that brought mefort was knowing that Franky had killed the man who shot me. That man¡¯sst act had been failing at his job; instead of killing me, he¡¯d only managed to injure me, and he¡¯d paid for it with his life.


    What happened after that had felt like a blur. I¡¯d passed out from the pain, but Elio told me the neighbor had called the cops. We weren¡¯t used to having to deal with the authorities, but Elio and Franky were both smooth under pressure. They exined everything that had happened, leaving out the illegal parts and greasing a few palms, and soon the whole thing was ruled an act of self-defense.


    The problem now was that we were obviously on the Fed¡¯s radar. I noticed unmarked ck vehicles driving past our driveway almost every day, and I knew they didn¡¯t belong to us or our enemies. Apparently, they had correctly identified the man who had shot me as belonging to MS13, so now they were suspicious about why exactly an organized crime syndicate would be targeting us. MS13 didn¡¯t care about real estate moguls, and our ties to Italy made us even more suspicious.


    Elio was already up and getting dressed for the day. He looked at me with concern in his eyes. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t just want me to stay home today? You know I¡¯m always avable if you need me.¡±


    He sat on the bed and pulled me into his arms, gently rubbing his hands over my injured shoulder. He knew it always gave me trouble in the mornings.


    He had been especially vignt ever since I¡¯d been shot, and I didn¡¯t me him at all. A few inches to the left and I would have died. I couldn¡¯t ignore that, no matter how much I wished I could just forget it all. I had finally stopped fighting him when it came to security around the house. It wasn¡¯t just about me anymore. I patted my growing stomach, grateful that our little baby was safe in there. It would only be a couple more months before we finally got to meet her.


    Elio moved his hands down to rest over mine. She had started kicking in thest several weeks, and he was absolutely delighted every single time he felt it.


    ¡°She¡¯s sleepy today,¡± I murmured as we sat together in silence, waiting for movement. ¡°She¡¯ll probably wake upter.¡±


    Elio kissed my cheek and stood up. ¡°Maybe I should just stay home.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°No, I¡¯ll be fine. Besides, Anna ising over, so it¡¯s girls only!¡±


    Elio chuckled and finished getting ready. ¡°Have I mentioned before what a badass you are?¡±


    ¡°Hm, maybe once or twice.¡± I grinned and stood up to hug him before he left.


    Although I would never get tired of Elio¡¯s doting, I really was excited to have a girls¡¯ day with Anna. It had been a while since the two of us had been able to hang out by ourselves. Elio tried his best not to interfere when he was present, but that didn¡¯t stop our conversations from being a little awkward as he hovered nearby.


    For the first month after I¡¯d been shot, Elio hadn¡¯t left me alone for more than a few minutes at a time. I had truly thought he was going to lose his mind. He had struggled to sleep at night, and he¡¯d woken up yelling for me to get down more than once. In many ways, seeing me get shot had been more traumatizing for him than actually getting shot had been for me.


    I was pulling on the only pair of sweats that still fit me when a text arrived from Anna letting me know that she was on her way over. I still hadn¡¯t felt much movement from the baby, but I didn¡¯t think much of it. Usually, she would get more active after I¡¯d eaten something.


    I wandered downstairs to wait for Anna. We had nned on watching reality TV and ordering food delivery all day, and I could not wait. Anna was normally too busy to block off an entire day to spend with me, so it was a rare treat to have her all to myself like this.


    She walked in the front door without knocking and immediately enveloped me in a hug, holding out one arm so she didn¡¯t crush the bag of food that she¡¯d brought with her. When she pulled away, I saw that the little to-go bag was stamped with our favorite coffee shop.


    ¡°Please tell me those are the blueberry muffins from Harriet and Oak!¡± I squealed.


    They only made a certain number of blueberry muffins every morning, and once they sold out, they sold out. It was nearly impossible to get them unless you got up ridiculously early, which Anna was known to do.


    ¡°Well of course they are! I had to get my favorite pregnant person her favorite treat,¡± she said with a smile. Anna opened the bag with a flourish and handed me a muffin. I took a gigantic bite out of it right in the foyer, manners be damned. Manners were for people who weren¡¯t pregnant and starving.


    I rolled my eyes back and moaned as the sweet muffin gave way to tart blueberries. The top was covered in thick sugar crystals that danced on my tongue andplemented the blueberries perfectly. I continued to eat as I made my way to the kitchen, Anna following closely behind.


    We sat at the small bar and Anna pulled out a muffin for herself, pure bliss on her face when she bit into it. ¡°God, I always forget how amazing these are.¡±


    ¡°Good morning,dies,¡± the chef on duty today greeted us. ¡°I see you¡¯ve already got your breakfast covered. Can I get you some coffee or anything else?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love a coffee, please,¡± Anna said, making herself right at home.


    There had been a bit of an adjustment period for the both of us as we got used to the new servants that Elio¡¯s family hired after the shooting, ones trained in security as well as whatever their specialties were, but we had finally gotten used to it. We still kept our old trusted servants; they just didn¡¯t have to work as many hours for the same pay. The family had insisted that we needed anotheryer of security.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just have my usual,¡± I added.


    Trying to keep my caffeine intake down, I had started drinking a half coffee, half milk mixture, with plenty of cinnamon added in. The result was nothing like the jet fuel I¡¯d used to get me through boarding school, but it was just enough to wake me up without feeling guilty that I might give my poor baby a caffeine addiction before she was even born. My doctor had assured me that wasn¡¯t how it worked, but I didn¡¯t believe her.


    We finished the blueberry muffins far too quickly, but Anna had thought ahead and made sure to bring extras. Although I was far too full to eat a second one, it would make the perfect mid-morning snack. Three meals a day simply wasn¡¯t enough for me anymore. I had started eating at least five, sometimes six.


    We finished up our breakfast and the chef made us a couple of coffees to go so that we could bring them up to my and Elio¡¯s private living room. It had been important to Elio when we had this mansion built to ensure that we would still have spaces that felt solely ours.


    Part of the mafia life meant that people would always being in and out of our house and that Elio himself would run the business out of the house often, but our bedroom suite was the one ce where nobody except for our cleaner was allowed.


    We both sat in the overstuffed armchairs that faced the gigantic TV, ready to settle in for our show. I sighed in contentment as Iid my armchair back and put my feet up. The baby was still resting, and I knew how she felt. It had hardly been any time since I¡¯d woken up, but I already thought I could shut my eyes and take a nap if I really wanted to.


    ¡°Tell me if you¡¯re going to fall asleep so I can pause the episode!¡± Anna demanded as she noticed my eyelids fluttering. ¡°I waited to watch this with you and I want to discuss. I heard that the super-rich one gets into a fight with the one who has the crazy lip injections. It¡¯s supposed to be hrious.¡±


    I chuckled and promised that I wouldn¡¯t fall asleep. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve got my coffee right here!¡± I insisted.


    Anna red at me with mock suspicion, but she started the show anyway. She was right; the episode was hrious. All thoughts of taking a nap left my head as the people started screaming at each other over the fact that one of them had said that her wallpaper was fancier than the other one¡¯s.


    Suddenly, a sharp pain hit my stomach. I groaned and doubled over, wrapping my hands around myself.


    Anna looked at me with rm. ¡°Caterina? What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I gritted through my teeth. Suddenly, the pain stopped. ¡°That was so weird.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it was a contraction?¡± she asked, her eyes wide with fear.


    I shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s way too early, maybe it was just¨C¡± I cut off as another searing pain ripped through my abdomen. I could feel my entire stomach clenching tight under my hands.


    ¡°I think I should call Elio!¡± Anna pulled out her phone and dialed.


    ¡°We need to go to the hospital,¡± I groaned.


    Anna nodded and helped me up.


    ¡°Elio?¡± she said into the phone. ¡°It¡¯s Anna. There¡¯s something wrong. You need to meet us at the hospital right now.¡±


    I tried hard not to panic. It was far too early for the baby toe. Surely everything was going to be okay. I just had to believe everything would be okay.

 Chapter 761 : False Labor

    <h4>Chapter 761: Chapter 761 : False Labor</h4>


    *Elio*


    Car horns red behind me as I anxiously tapped my fingers on the car wheel, driving faster than the speed limit through the highway as I bypassed car after car, overtaking them and doing whatever I needed to go faster.


    I had no doubt pissed off a dozen people at this point, but I didn¡¯t give a shit. Sweat dripped from my brow as my heart raced triple its usual beat and goddamn the trip was taking so much longer than normal.


    During Anna¡¯s panicked call, she had put Cat on the line for me so I could hear her voice. ¡°We¡¯re heading to the hospital,¡± Cat had said, groaning in pain over the phone. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Meet me there when you¡¯re free.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even remember what I had said back to her, or if I said anything but I had broken out into a cold sweat in the middle of the meeting with thepany¡¯s shareholders, something that I knew was important. But how could she think I would do anything but rush after her after hearing something like that?


    That I would prioritize my work over her? A stupid meeting over the health of the love of my life and our child? I was as equally pissed off as I was panicked and not one person stopped me as I rushed out of the meeting hall.


    I knew Leo would cover for me, even as I drove to the hospital at a speed that would get me arrested. Even if a local cop had stopped me, it would have done nothing but irritate me further. I couldn¡¯t help but think that something was wrong.


    I¡¯d read a few of Cat¡¯s pregnancy books, mainly the parts on what she should and shouldn¡¯t eat and how to care for her through the pregnancy. I didn¡¯t read a single goddamn word about childbirth but I knew one thing¨CCat was not nine months pregnant.


    I knew she shouldn¡¯t be going intobor. The only exnation was that something had gone wrong with the pregnancy.


    I should¡¯ve stayed home, I berated myself in the thoughts as I swerved around a slow semi-trunk. ¡®I should¡¯ve been there with her and taken care of her, but I went to the stupid meeting anyway.¡¯


    She was still recovering from being shot and now this....


    Leo was right.


    I really couldn¡¯t care for my wife and baby at all.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± I mmed on the brakes as the light turned red, only a turn away from the hospital and I grit my teeth, tapping my hands on the steering wheel impatiently. Self-loathing invaded me like a parasite, digging deeper and deeper and I knew it wouldn¡¯t stop until I saw that Cat and the baby were safe.


    That I hadn¡¯t failed to protect them.


    Once the light turned green, I turned into therge parking lot, finding the first ce to park. I barely remembered to lock the car before I rushed into the ER. The nurse at the front desk looked unfazed, with dark circles around her eyes as I mmed my hands against the desk.


    ¡°My wife came in here. Caterina Leone,¡± I demanded.


    ¡°One moment please.¡± She gave me a dead-eyed polite smile, typing away on herputer.


    If it was any other situation, I might¡¯ve been impressed by her ability to shift into that customer service tone while sleep-deprived.


    ¡°Emergency Room 102. Right through here. I can have someone show you in a moment¨C¡± Before she could finish, I took off, and I barely heard her heaving an exhausted sigh as I ran through the doors she¡¯d pointed to.


    I nced at the numbers above the rooms until I found 102. The curtains were pulledpletely shut but I could hear murmuring. As I dashed in, my eyes searched across the group of people.


    Anna was sitting in the guest chair, a surprised look on her face as I burst in while Matilde was on the other side, not even paying me a nce as she held her daughter¡¯s hand tightly. In the middle, halfway lying down but her upper body supported up by the bed, was Cat.


    She was pale with sweat on her forehead, and her eyes so full of pain locked on mine. And despite everything, I saw her pained expression melt away into relief as soon as she spotted me.


    ¡°Cat,¡± I breathed, dashing forward past Anna to be by my fiance¡¯s side and she hummed as I gently pulled her head into my chest, pressing a kiss to the top of her hair. She was in pain, but she was okay.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± she whispered into my chest, sounding raspy, but I wasn¡¯t going to believe that until the doctor confirmed it himself. ¡°The doctor should be back soon. The baby¨C¡±


    She cut off, delving into a sob and I kneeled, tenderly holding her cheeks as I made her look at me.


    ¡°She¡¯s okay, Cat. I know she is. She¡¯s strong, just like her mother,¡± I said determinedly, showing her a confidence I didn¡¯t feel,


    But it seemed to work as she nodded, brushing away the tears and leaning her head on my shoulder.


    I set my jaw, feeling terrified despite all my bravado because I knew that she needed me to be her rock right now, but I couldn¡¯t erase the fear that we would never get to hold our little girl.


    ¡°Excuse me, Ms. Leone?¡± a voice called out from behind the curtains, followed by a little knock on the wall. ¡°It¡¯s Dr. Ayles. May Ie in?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Cat answered hoarsely.


    She pulled back from me, leaning against the bed. I didn¡¯t let go of her hand though as I stood anxiously by her side.


    The curtains opened and an older gentleman clearly in his fifties or sixties with a soft smile entered, in a whiteb coat with a name tag and a stethoscope around his neck.


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Leone, I¡¯ve talked with the nurses who took all your vitals,¡± he said as he took a seat on the stool, using his nametag to open up theputer files. He gave us a reassuring smile, ¡°We looked over your vitals and charts, including the ultrasound, and I¡¯m happy to say that both you and the baby are okay.¡±


    ¡°We are?¡± Cat¡¯s eyes went wide as I breathed a sigh of relief, holding her hand to my face as I kissed her knuckles. ¡°But I was feeling so much pain¨C¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, I have no doubt you have been.¡± Dr. Ayles chuckled and then scooted over to us. ¡°And I won¡¯t downy those. What you¡¯ve experienced is what we call a falsebor.¡±


    ¡°Braxton-hicks?¡± Matilde shot up, looking unsurprised like she might¡¯ve already guessed it.


    ¡°Similiar but no,¡± Dr. Ayles assured her, then he turned to Cat. ¡°You¡¯ve experienced what we call prodomalbor, which are contractions that don¡¯t result in cervical dtion or real birth. It¡¯s very much like a precursorbor, which happens often in the third trimester like you are. Think of it as your body preparing you for realbor.¡±


    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t real?¡± Cat frowned.


    ¡°No, the contractions you felt are very much real and I¡¯m sure very painful. Braxton-Hicks are much weaker and not as consistent as what you¡¯ve experienced. A lot of our nurses consider prodromal as the closest thing you can feel to actualbor without being in it.¡± Dr. Ayles exined. ¡°You haven¡¯t felt any in thest few minutes, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they stopped a bit ago,¡± Cat confirmed.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. That means they are likely over for now. Prodromalbor produces those contractions very consistently¨Cevery sixty seconds¨Cand once they stop, it¡¯s unlikely they will happen again. If they do, however, feel free to check in with your OB/GYN or with us here.¡±


    Cat sighed in relief, fully rxing into my shoulder as she ced a hand over her stomach, rubbing softly with a smile. ¡°She¡¯s okay,¡± she murmured to me.


    I frowned, though, ncing over at Dr. Ayles. ¡°Is there a way to better manage her stress for the next few weeks so this doesn¡¯te back?¡±


    ¡°Stress?¡± Dr. Ayles frowned then lit up with a chuckle. ¡°No, no. Prodromal isn¡¯t caused by stress. It¡¯spletely normal to experience it, though not every woman will. It may or may not happen again, but odds are against it. Ms. Leone and the baby are perfectly fine and healthy, and she¡¯ll give birth in a few weeks. In the meantime, I would like you to take it easy, okay, youngdy?¡±


    I grit my teeth, still notpletely convinced but Cat nodded happily. Dr. Ayles left to check us out of the hospital.


    Seeing that Cat and the baby were safe and I was here, Anna left too, promising to take Cat out sometime before the baby came on another day.


    I stepped out as Matilde fussed over Cat, helping her to get dressed out of the hospital gown as I called Leo. It didn¡¯t even ring before he answered.


    ¡°Hey, is Cat okay?¡± Leo blurted.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Falsebor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good news,¡± Leo said. ¡°I covered for you in the meeting but they¡¯re not happy. We¡¯ve rescheduled for next week. I take it you¡¯re noting back to work for the rest of the day, right?¡±


    ¡°The doctor said the falsebor wasn¡¯t brought on by stress but¨C¡± I grit my teeth.


    ¡°Yeah, I get it. You want to stay home and pamper your sweet little fiancee. I can handle everything from here, so go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I confirmed, feeling bad leaving it all to Leo. ¡°You can send anything digital to me and I¡¯ll take care of it online.¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s good.¡± Leoughed. ¡°I like Cat. She reminds me of my little sisters, so make sure she¡¯s well taken care of, okay? Your baby girl too.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Leo.¡± I smiled, d to have a friend like him by my side. ¡°And about Cat... you were right, you know? I... regretted it.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said smugly. ¡°And don¡¯t worry about it, man. Someone¡¯s gotta knock some sense into that dense skull of yours every once in a while, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m paid double what everyone else is. Though, if you really wanted to thank me, a vacation to the Bahamas wouldn¡¯t be¨C¡±


    ¡°Bye, Leo.¡± I rolled my eyes, hanging up. I had to admit though, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders after apologizing.


    We were good.


    I headed back in, happy to watch Cat sign the discharge papers. Matilde left Cat to me and I drove her home. She started to look better as soon as we left, her cheeks flushing back with color and despite Cat protesting that she was feeling better, I was still going to pamper her to my heart¡¯s content.


    I drew a bath for her upstairs as soon as we got home, making sure it was the right temperature, throwing in rose petals I had bought just for this, and lighting candles. I opened up some of her favorite sparkling water, pouring it into a wine ss.


    Cat humored me, a smile on her face as she let me undress her and help her into the tub. I gave her a massage, even washing her hair for her dutifully. My mind did slip into the gutter a few times but I controlled myself, making sure today was all about making her feel as beautiful as possible.


    After the bath, Cat took a nap in myp. I set everything up for a fancy dinner, letting the cooks know to make it full of Cat¡¯s favorites. I watched thest few minutes of Cats¡¯ favorite movie still on the screen, absent-mindedly running my hands through her hair as she slept with her head fully in myp.


    ¡°Hm, Elio?¡± Cat stirred for a moment, not even opening her eyes.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked, preparing to get her anything she wanted if only she asked.


    ¡°How was work?¡±


    Dammit. I sighed, giving her a helpless smile. She was always too kind to me¨Ctoo sweet and warm and loving, and she always put others first before herself. I knew that but it never stopped surprising me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about work,¡± I whispered. ¡°Not tonight, okay? It¡¯ll be thereter, but I want to spend my time with you right now, okay? Just a nice night with the two¨Cno, with the three of us, okay?¡±


    ¡°Sounds nice.¡± She yawned, snuggling into my thigh with her hands grasped around my shirt, ¡°Can you y the movie again?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± I obeyed, restarting the movie and leaning down to press a kiss to her face. ¡°Anything my queen wants.¡±

 Chapter 762 : Pampering

    <h4>Chapter 762: Chapter 762 : Pampering</h4>


    *Cat*


    I knew that yesterday¡¯s scare would¡¯ve sent Elio into overdrive, and I was right in all the best ways. After romantic baths with candlelight, a massage then a much-needed nap with my favorite movies ying and a gorgeous dinner on our verandah where the stars were shining brighter than ever, I slept amazingly that night.


    I didn¡¯t think he was going to top yesterday but when I opened my eyes, I found the bed surrounded by a rainbow of roses. A huge grin spread across my face as I sat up, a hand on my belly to support our daughter¡¯s weight. I gently picked up one of the red roses on my pillow, smelling it deeply.


    It was gorgeous, but also had the scent that I loved.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I said, loving the sentiment and gesture but also worrying about how the flowers were going to die right after this. It had to be a thousand dors worth of roses covering me, and I pondered how I hadn¡¯t noticed him doing this.


    The sunlight was still early, an orangeish tint as it came through the window, only more highlighting the beautiful color of the flowers. Before I could admire them more, though, something moved in the corner of my vision, and standing in the doorway was Elio.


    With a deep smile on his face and carrying a tray full of breakfast food, Elio looked way too proud of himself as he entered, gently setting the tray in front of me. I gave him an impressed look as the ss of juice didn¡¯t even move from the vibrations.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they came from the garden. I didn¡¯t buy all of them.¡± Elio chuckled as he saw the rose in my hand. ¡°The ones I had ntedst year bloomed, so I thought you might like to see them. I was going to use the petals to dry them out anyway.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re spoiling me,¡± I said, lifting the rose to brush against his cheek. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, you know. I¡¯m really okay.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He chuckled, brushing away the roses so he could sit on the bed beside me. ¡°But I want to. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too.¡± I smiled, that familiar warm rush of love wanting to burst out of my chest. I swore this man was the life and death of me.


    ¡°How¡¯s our baby girl doing this morning?¡± Elio asked, gently cing his open palm on the belly.


    I winced as I felt her kick in response, right where his hand was.


    Elio grinned widely, amazement in his eyes no matter how many times he felt it. ¡°Hey, princess,¡± he murmured to her.


    ¡°She¡¯s hungry and so am I.¡± I smiled, snatching the maple bacon on the te and munching on it. Sure enough, baby girl got so much more active after I ate. ¡°You have to go to work, right?¡±


    Elio nodded, an annoyed look on his face. ¡°I have to go do a tour of an office building site and then a meeting, but I managed to negotiate with Leo so I can do the rest of my work from home. I¡¯ll only be gone a couple of hours, and then I¡¯ll be home to be with you the rest of the day.¡±


    ¡°Elio,¡± I started, pursing my lips but he refused to take any objections.


    ¡°Nope. That is what is happening.¡± He leaned forward to kiss me, eyes full of love when he pulled away. ¡°You can¡¯t get rid of me. Even if you get sick of me, I¡¯ll just woo you over and over again.¡±


    I chuckled, wrapping my arms over his shoulder. ¡°I could never get sick of you,¡± I said honestly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s toote for either of us to back out. We¡¯re stuck together, babe.¡±


    ¡°Just the way I like it.¡± Heughed, leaning in for another kiss,sting much longer.


    I could feel his reluctance to leave and I pushed back, giving him a grin as I waved him out of here.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine without you for a couple of hours,¡± I reassured him, grabbing another piece of bacon to munch on it. ¡°So hurry to your job, superman.¡±


    He gave me a yful look and leaned forward. I thought he was about to go for another kiss, so I blocked my mouth but the mischievous twinkle in his eye made me realize I was very wrong. He bit my bacon, snatching the top of it, and winked at me as he got up, scurrying out of the room.


    ¡°Meanie!¡± I yelled after him, halfughing as I ate the other half of the piece.


    ¡°You love me!¡± he shouted back and then he was gone. I ate my breakfast until both baby girl and I were full and then the maid who was allowed in our suite, Kendra, came in to clean up the roses. She promised they were going to be saved and petals dried, so I made my way to the living room where my nest of cozy nkets was calling out for me.


    Elio didn¡¯t need to serve me hand and foot. I was used to doing things myself, and Dr. Manning was convinced that it helped the pregnancy too. If there was something I couldn¡¯t do myself, we had servants though few who helped me out during the day.


    But Elio was as stubborn as a mule.


    I sighed, putting on my regr channel of cartoons and pretending to be innocent until the maid finished cleaning the living room and then left. Once I was alone, I picked up my phone and called Franky.


    Besides Leo, he was the only other person who knew what was happening in thepany. And since Leo was with Elio, Franky was the best choice.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Franky answered, in his usual curt and cold way.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s Cat.¡± I smiled, pretending to be friendly. We were on much better terms than when we first met and he threatened me, but we still didn¡¯t have what I would have called a good rtionship.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Franky said bluntly.


    I rolled my eyes. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t even pretend and just cut to the chase.


    ¡°What do you know about what¡¯s going on with this MS13 bullshit?¡± I said, up front.


    ¡°A lot,¡± he replied quickly.


    ¡°Great.¡± I grinned.


    But just as quickly he cut me off with, ¡°But I won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Why the fuck not? It involves me and my child,¡± I argued.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to risk having to deal with Elio¡¯s wrath once he finds out, because he will find out. I saw what he did to Leo and I don¡¯t look good with a ck eye.¡±


    ¡°That was Elio?¡± I asked in disbelief. I had seen the ck eye Leo had gotten a few months ago, but he¡¯d reassured me that it was just part of his job. ¡°Why? Did Leo do something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he pissed Elio off,¡± Franky emphasized. ¡°So, I won¡¯t be making the same mistake. Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± I called out desperately. ¡°At least tell me what I need to do to protect my baby. No details, just... please.¡±


    There was a moment of silence, like he was thinking, and then he sighed.


    ¡°All I can say is that you don¡¯t need to do anything. Keep your eyes peeled and never go out alone. That¡¯s all I can tell you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Okay, thanks,¡± I pursed my lips in disappointment and the line went dead. I sighed, throwing my phone to the side as Iy down on my side. I wanted to know more but Franky was myst idea.


    I¡¯d tried appealing to Elio but that didn¡¯t work. I tried sneaking details off his phone andputer, but I wasn¡¯t exactly a hacker and it was all encoded. Even my attempt to sneak into the office with him had failed spectacrly. Leo and Franky had been myst options, and now they had both failed.


    Damn loyalty to their boss, I thought bitterly.


    I had no other ideas and no other leads on how to find anything out. I sighed,ying a hand over my stomach as I narrated the cartoons for the baby and prepared for my nap. It didn¡¯t take long before I was swept away into my weird dreams.


    I woke up in a familiarp again, rubbing my eyes briefly as I looked up at Elio. He was on his phone typing quite fast, and I felt his hands bury into my hair despite him not even looking at me, gently brushing it back from my face.


    I sighed in contentment, able to see from the screen on his phone that it was still rtively morning, a little past ten thirty. But as cozy as I was right here, the dryness in my mouth prompted immediate fixing.


    ¡°I¡¯m thirsty,¡± I said expectantly, opening one eye to look up at him.


    He chuckled, immediately putting his phone down.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to get up so I can get it,¡± he smiled.


    ¡°Boo. Can¡¯t you teleport?¡± I asked with a cheeky grin as he leaned down to kiss me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll work on it but for now, no,¡± he said once we parted.


    I shifted, sitting up so he could get up. ¡°Iced tea with three cubes!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he called back, heading to the kitchen.


    I grinned. He could¡¯ve ordered the maid to get it, but he knew I loved it when he did it himself. As I waited for my drink, however, I heard the sound of a car outside pulling into the driveway.


    I strained to look over the couch, pushing the curtains away as I spied outside. There was a ck car, no license tes outside, and I knew immediately it was from the Valentinos. A man stepped out, dark sses on.


    ¡°Hey, Elio. Somebody¡¯s outside,¡± I called out to him warily just as the doorbell rang.


    I got to my feet, groaning from the extra weight of the baby and I wobbled out into the hallway. Elio had already gotten to the door, a serious look on his face as he said something in a low voice.


    The man noticed me and went silent, causing Elio to turn around. He stiffened and I knew something was wrong. There was a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you in the study,¡± Elio nced at the man who nodded,ing inside.


    I couldn¡¯t see his eyes behind the sses but I knew he was staring at me as he passed by, heading upstairs to the study.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± I asked Elio, knowing I wouldn¡¯t get an answer.


    ¡°Nobody,¡± he said quickly. ¡°I left your drink on the kitchen counter. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    He kissed me on the forehead, dodging me and following the path of the stranger. I heard the study door open and then shut.


    I nced into the kitchen where my iced tea was.


    I could be a good girl, get my tea and drink it while I watched TV and waited for Elio to be done, I thought. I could do exactly what Elio had asked of me.


    But I wasn¡¯t the obedient type.


    I ignored my iced tea, holding my stomach and moving upstairs slowly enough so the stairs didn¡¯t creak. I snuck across the floor, knowing where to ce my feet so I wouldn¡¯t make a sound and once I was near the study door, I gently and quietly pulled on the handle, opening the door just the slightest crack so I could hear.


    ¡°How many this time?¡± I heard Elio, sounding furious.


    ¡°Two,¡± the man replied. ¡°One of their guys escaped with just injuries, but his partners weren¡¯t so lucky. Just like the few, all killed the same way with a message left so we would see it.¡±


    I stiffened hearing this. Two more men were killed?


    ¡°Any civilians see this time?¡±


    ¡°None. We made sure.¡±


    ¡°Good. Make sure their families are informed and get them buried in Eterna. We might have to start our own Eterna after all this. Dammit.¡±


    ¡°In addition to the men, I came to report that we received a message from MS13.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Elio sounded furious. ¡°Demanding to kill my family again?¡±


    There was a pause of silence and as guilty as I was for spying on them, I was also invested enough that I wanted to look over to see what was happening. But the man spoke up again.


    ¡°They said, and I quote, ¡®The warnings stop now. You have chosen war. We will not stop until the entire Valentino family is wiped out.¡¯ End of message.¡±


    I held a hand over my mouth, fury rising as I heard the message. Slowly and quietly, I shut the door once more and then made my way downstairs. My iced tea was mostly melted but I didn¡¯t care as I sipped it and sat on the couch.


    A deep fury had spread through me like poison, and I narrowed my eyes as I thought of these bastards and their goddamn message. I should¡¯ve been scared but the fear was consumed by my anger as I thought one damning thought.


    These cocky bastards would regret threatening my family.

 Chapter 763 : Standing My Ground

    <h4>Chapter 763: Chapter 763 : Standing My Ground</h4>


    *Cat*


    Despite my burning anger at the threats I¡¯d overheard, I feigned ignorance, sitting on the couch in my little nest, downing my iced tea, and watching cartoons just like normal when Elio came down. I could see his stress from miles away but just like I pretended that everything was fine, and so did he.


    Throughout the day, Elio had several men arriving for secret meetings up in his study. He always kissed the top of my head, making sure I had everything I could want before heading up. I didn¡¯t sneak up to spy on another meeting.


    I had heard everything I needed to know.


    It was hard to keep calm, knowing that me and my baby were being threatened and that people were being killed as examples of it, but this was the life I had signed up for. The ring on my finger grew heavier the more I knew of the consequences of this privileged life I lived.


    Money and status came with a price, and it was our safety.


    Elio came down after his fifth meeting of the day and it was already growing dark. I¡¯d eaten dinner already as I watched him escort hisst visitor to the door. He came in, his hair having be more and more wild from brushing it away and back from his face over and over.


    My hands itched to fix it for him, to twirl his silky curls around my fingers, but I stayed silent as he came in. Our cook brought in his food. Luckily, it was still warm but a little overdone from being kept on the heat.


    As he ate, the two of us were silent, only the sound of the cartoon sound effects and rambunctious music to light up the tense and indifferent atmosphere. I rubbed my stomach and was quieter than normal as I tried not to focus on him beside me.


    Once he was done, the cook took away his te and he sighed, leaning back into the couch. He turned to me with a tired look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about all this. We received some pretty bad news and I¡¯ve got to handle it carefully.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± I hummed quietly in response.


    He frowned, sending me an odd look but didn¡¯t question me as he said, ¡°We¡¯ve been trying to get a hold of everything but I¡¯ll have to attend a few more meetings tonight. You should go to bed without me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He stiffened, staring at me intently as he shifted so he was fully facing me. ¡°I¡¯ll also have to be at work all day tomorrow, so I won¡¯t be here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±


    I could see my short responses doing their work, and he grit his teeth, ring at me now full-force. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Cat? You¡¯re acting... weird.¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said cooly. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to get angry now and have you walk away for another meeting. Let me know when you have time for me, though.¡± I clicked off the TV, ignoring him calling my name as I stalked up to our bedroom.


    He wanted to keep hiding things from me? Fine, but that didn¡¯t mean I would have to stay up waiting for him just to get some answers out of him. At this point, I wasn¡¯t even surprised by his actions.


    Angry, yes, but I could deal with that angerter once I felt like it. Right now, I was tired and I needed a good night¡¯s rest, something, I thought a little pettily, he wouldn¡¯t be getting.


    I went through my evening routine just like it was any other day, taking a shower, brushing my teeth, and changing into a tank top and shorts. I grabbed my body pillow, ignoring the face I¡¯d colored on it with a sharpie that I insisted looked like Elio, much to his chagrin.


    I turned it face-down so I couldn¡¯t see its stupid Sharpie face and then cuddled up, supporting my back as I snuggled down into the covers. I rubbed my belly for a moment, murmuring aloud as I recalled one of the many fairy tales I¡¯d memorized since bing pregnant, reciting it aloud for the baby.


    Even if she couldn¡¯t hear it, I wanted to get good practice for when she was born.


    I fell asleep before I even got to Cindere¡¯s ball.


    I only woke up once I felt something brush against my skin, jerking me awake.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Elio whispered in the dark.


    I rxed once I knew it was him. He got into bed next to me, still sitting up, but he¡¯d reached over to pull the nket I¡¯d kicked off in my sleep back onto my body.


    I didn¡¯t notice I was cold until he slipped the covers back on and I sighed in relief, snuggling up under my half of them. Sneaking a quick peek at him, Elio looked at me tiredly, but also with a deeper emotion I couldn¡¯t ce at the moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m done for now,¡± he murmured.


    I opened both eyes now, ncing up at him warily. ¡°Did you want me to get angry at you now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be angry at all,¡± Elio whispered.


    I sighed, now wide awake as I sat up. ¡°But I am angry, Elio,¡± I told him with a frown. ¡°Just because I¡¯m not expressing it, doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t feel it.¡±


    He frowned, looking like a lost tiny animal, confusion in his eyes, like he had no idea why I was so upset with him, my patience already dwindling due to his repeated behaviors and then limited even further by the hormones raging from my pregnancy.


    I wasn¡¯t going to hold back my punches anymore.


    ¡°Elio, I overheard your conversation earlier,¡± I told him point-nk, crossing my arms over my chest. There was no understanding or kindness left in me as I faced him. I wasn¡¯t frothing at the mouth angry, ready to burst into tears, but just an indifferent sort of calm.


    Elio¡¯s eyes widened and he turned to me, looking like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar. The guilt in his eyes didn¡¯t match the tick in his jaw though.


    ¡°How did you overhear it? You followed us, didn¡¯t you?¡± he used me.


    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± I said shamelessly, not an ounce of guilt for doing so. Not after what I had heard. ¡°I¡¯m tired of you keeping secrets from me, and if I have to follow you and eavesdrop to get information then I will. I am your fiance. I deserve to know everything that is going on. So tell me right here or you can sleep in your office.¡±


    He swallowed, looking fully scolded as he saw how serious I was about this but of course, I knew all his tricks already. He gave me puppy-dog eyes, reaching out to pull me into his arms as he tried to coax me, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to keep anything from you. I just don¡¯t want the stress to affect you or the baby. You¡¯re fragile¨C¡±


    ¡°The only fragile thing is your goddamn ego,¡± I snapped, fully losing it now as I stared him down, not buying a piece of his same old bullshit. ¡°I have been clear with you multiple times over this same fucking issue and again and again, you prove that you have no consideration and no respect for me. You do whatever the fuck you think is best and treat me like I¡¯m a pet you can keep home to protect and then take me out whenever you want. I¡¯m fucking sick of it!¡±


    Elio stared at me in utter shock, his mouth hanging open. But I wasn¡¯t fucking done giving him a piece of my mind.


    ¡°I am more stressed by you insisting on keeping me in the dark because I¡¯m not stupid, Elio!¡± I shouted, pping his hand away as he tried to reach out to me. ¡°I know when things are happening! I know when I¡¯m involved because you¡¯re not fucking subtle! I am in danger. Our child is in danger. And I am not going to stop fighting with everything I have to drag the truth out of you every time this happens because I am fucking over your protective bullshit.¡±


    ¡°Cat¨C¡± He tried to protest but I glowered at him, just fully done.


    And where I¡¯d normally be crying by now, feeling sadness, I felt nothing, just utter resentment for having him put me into this position once again.


    He faltered at my hardened look. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to get involved¨C¡±


    ¡°Well, guess what, Elio? You decided to fucking marry me.¡± I grabbed his hand, showing him our rings. ¡°So I¡¯m always going to be involved, no matter what you want or not. I have to know what¡¯s going on so I can protect myself and my daughter because you can¡¯t do everything. You are not superhuman. You won¡¯t be around to protect us all the time. And if you think I won¡¯t shoot anyone who threatens our daughter, you¡¯re dead wrong.¡±


    I threw his hand away and curled up like a stute as I watched the emotions flicker around his face¨Cpanic and fear, worry and guilt, everything he wouldn¡¯te to lean on me for boiling over and exposing itself.


    He looked like I had taken a dagger and stabbed him straight through the heart. Despite how much I wanted tofort him, to tell him I loved him still, I knew he had to hear this. We couldn¡¯t go on like this, not again.


    I had to protect our daughter, and this was the only way I knew how to get into his thick skull.


    ¡°I...¡± he stammered, then his shoulders slumped, all the fight leaving him in a breath of air. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you or cause you more stress. I just... want to protect you, both of you.¡±


    ¡°Then start by being honest with me,¡± I told him firmly, softening up just the tiniest bit as he nodded, finally giving in.


    He told me everything.


    ¡°MS13 starteding after us about four months ago,¡± Elio exined. ¡°It started with small stuff¨Csmall deliveries stolen, contracts breached, and contacts switching loyalties on us, the usual stuff that other families will do. We didn¡¯t worry about it at first, but things started to escte. One of our guys was mugged in broad daylight, a full warehouse was burned down, and now we have our men being killed and left up in public as a message to us.¡±


    I took a shaky breath. ¡°So they¡¯re after me and the baby because they want you to leave the city?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We don¡¯t have all the information, but they want to be the only ones in this area, so they¡¯re making threats against you and the baby to try to scare us off. I thought we had it handled until you got shot.¡± He sneered. ¡°Clearly, I failed.¡±


    I grabbed his hand. ¡°What have you been doing tobat their attacks?¡±


    Elio snorted, ncing at me with a dead-serious look. ¡°What we always do. Eye for an eye, Cat.¡±


    I nodded grimly, knowing exactly what he meant.


    ¡°It¡¯s only escted from there. Each attack we make back, they do something more vicious and vice-versa. It¡¯s tiresome and losing us resources.¡± He sighed, looking resigned to something he didn¡¯t want to do. ¡°So, we¡¯re not letting it continue.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°I mean¨C¡± He gave me a wry smile. ¡°That myst meeting tonight is with the head of MS13 in LA. We¡¯re going to try to negotiate and call a truce.¡±

 Chapter 764 : Meeting with MS13

    <h4>Chapter 764: Chapter 764 : Meeting with MS13</h4>


    *Elio*


    Finally telling Cat everything felt like a weight had been lifted off of my chest, but as relieved as I was to finally stop lying to Caterina, I was equally worried about what our lifestyle was doing to her. How could I keep her from worrying too much when she knew that our family¡¯s lives were in danger every day?


    I reached out and pulled her in for a long hug, breathing deeply to try and soothe myself with the smell of her perfume. ¡®She¡¯s safe,¡¯ I thought to myself. It had be my daily mantra for the past four months. I just had to keep her safe.


    After letting her go, I turned and pulled a small handgun from our bureau. Our bedroom was filled with guns hidden in safe ces, but I supposed I would have to do something different once the baby came. I wanted both Cat and myself to be able to defend our home from whomever would dare to threaten us, but the idea of my baby stumbling upon a loaded gun made me shudder.


    I put the handgun in the back of my waistband, knowing my suit jacket would cover it. MS13 would expect me to be armed, but that didn¡¯t mean I wanted it to be obvious.


    This was supposed to be a peacekeeping meeting, after all. If I walked in with a gun visible on my hip, it would look like I was trying to intimidate and threaten, which was the opposite of my intention. I really needed this meeting to go well, for the safety of my family and of my men.


    ¡°Please be safe,¡± Cat said. ¡°And call me as soon as it¡¯s over. I want to know everything that happens.¡±


    ¡°I will, I promise.¡± I had no idea what to expect out of the meeting. From what MS13 had shown me so far, they were more than ruthless.


    ¡°I mean it, Elio. Tell me everything. I¡¯ll find out if you don¡¯t. And I won¡¯t keep forgiving you so easily if you continue to keep things from me.¡± Her face was stern and I knew she meant what she said.


    I was lucky that she had forgiven me this time. I knew that this pattern of keeping things from her was getting really old for her.


    ¡°I know, sweetheart,¡± I murmured, pulling her in for onest kiss. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She rested her forehead on my shoulder for a moment and I felt her entire body rx against me. Too soon, she pulled away. ¡°Alright, go get ¡®em.¡± Her eyes were fierce. ¡°I¡¯m proud that you want to avoid a war, but don¡¯t forget these are the assholes who threatened our baby.¡±


    ¡°Never,¡± I vowed. ¡°If they ever try to hurt you or our baby, I¡¯ll burn this city to the fucking ground.¡±


    She nodded once, then pushed me out the door. It was time for the meeting.


    I rode with Frnaky and Leo to a restaurant that neither MS13 nor we owned. It had been a condition of the meeting to find neutral ground. Although I would¡¯ve preferred to meet in one of our ces, I understood that we would all be a little safer if we stayed somewhere with civilian eyes around.


    ¡°What¡¯s this asshole¡¯s name again?¡± Franky asked as we pulled up to the restaurant.


    ¡°Ignacio,¡± Leo reminded him. ¡°He¡¯s been in the business for decades.¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, I don¡¯t give a fuck who he is or how long he¡¯s been around. He can back the fuck off or we can go to war.¡± Franky cracked his knuckles.


    ¡°Yeah, but the whole point of this meeting is to try to avoid war,¡± I reminded him. ¡°I don¡¯t want anymore of this tit-for-tat bullshit that just gets more and more people killed in the long run. We can hold our own, and MS13 knows that, or else they would¡¯ve gone a lot further a lot sooner. But that doesn¡¯t mean that we should just let this keep happening. I don¡¯t want to have to pay for any more funerals.¡±


    Leo nodded. One of the more recent funerals had been for a buddy of his. We both knew that all of this had toe to an end, for the sake of everyone.


    The three of us got out of the car and headed to the back room that we¡¯d rented out from the restaurant. The waitstaff had been given strict orders not to bother us. We had made it clear that we only needed the room for a meeting, nothing more. We didn¡¯t want anyone overhearing what would be said.


    Ignacio and his men had arrived before us, and I could tell by the look on his face that this wasn¡¯t going to go well. He was seated at the head of his table, nked by two men who were so covered in tattoos that it was hard to see where one piece of artwork ended and another one began.


    Unlike a lot of his men, Ignacio didn¡¯t have any visible tattoos. I had learned from my intel that he posed as a sessful businessman so that he couldunder money brought in from drug sales. It made sense that he didn¡¯t want people to know he belonged to MS13.


    Unlike my men, it seemed that his men took pride inbeling themselves as members. They didn¡¯t hide their involvement in organized crime, instead they tattooed MS13 directly on their necks and hands so that anyone who saw them knew who they worked for. I supposed they enjoyed the intimidation factor that it brought for anyone who saw them to know that they were members of a gang, but I preferred for my men toy low.


    The best way to get away with doing illegal shit was to make sure that nobody knew you were doing it, including random people on the street. You never knew when someone you passed by might be an undercover cop.


    I sat across from Ignacio, with Franky and Leo at either side. He stared me down for several moments, seemingly trying to intimidate me. I knew he was a dangerous and violent man, but I was used to dealing with dangerous and violent men. In fact, I would go so far as to say that I was also a dangerous and violent man.


    I let the silence drag for an ufortable amount of time as I held Ignacio¡¯s eye contact. The man to his right shifted ufortably, revealing a weakness. The man to his left stayed stone-still, his dark brown eyes boring into me just like his boss. He was the real threat. I would make sure to keep an eye on him.


    ¡°Alright, Ignacio, I think we all know why we¡¯re here,¡± I began, breaking the silence. My voice was cold and unemotional.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not sure why we are here. How about you enlighten me?¡± He had a slight Salvadoran ent. ¡°From my point of view, you have entered into my territory without permission and begun to simply take what you have decided belongs to you. Then when I sent you a warning, you chose to start killing my men. I sent you another warning, and again, you killed more of my men. I am not sure how much more clear I can be.¡± He leaned forward over the table. ¡°Get the fuck out of Los Angeles or I will stop sending warnings and start an all-out war.¡±


    ¡°I came because I think we can work together. You work in drugs, we work in arms. Our business doesn¡¯t ovep. In fact, our business could go hand-in-hand and strengthen both of our families. I¡¯m willing to forget the past and move forward to a future where we benefit each other.¡± I knew my offer was strong. Ignacio would be an idiot to refuse it. With our weapons, he could keep his drug runners safe from anything, and with his money and protection, we could keep selling weapons without worrying about interference.


    ¡°This is my fucking city!¡± He mmed his hands down on the table. ¡°You think I give a fuck about your arms deals? No. That¡¯s not where the real money¡¯s at. What I care about is you trying to take over my territory. Even now, you think you¡¯re going to strike some deal with me and start telling me how to run my business. I know how you mafia fuckheads work. You im we¡¯ll be equal partners and then before I know it, you¡¯re taking half my profits and demanding my men do all the work.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I want to work together. We could write out contracts if that would make you feel better.¡±


    Heughed without humor. ¡°You think I care about fucking contracts? How would we ever enforce a contract, asshole? You n on taking me to court? You think a judge is going to uphold a contract between a drug dealer and an arms dealer? Think again.¡±


    ¡°My family is powerful. We have ties all over the world. You think you make good money now? Imagine what you¡¯d make if you could do deals with Russia and Italy.¡± I knew I was failing. He wasn¡¯t interested in any of this. It was obvious that this whole meeting was a farce. He had never intended on making any kind of deal. I didn¡¯t know what his motivation had been in meeting with me, but it obviously wasn¡¯t to find peace.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck about your family ties. I have ties in other countries too, and none of them are interested in working with the fucking mafia.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making a mistake,¡± I said calmly. ¡°We¡¯re an old mafia family. We would¡¯ve been a valuable partner for you to have.¡±


    ¡°I think you mean, MS13 would¡¯ve been a valuable partner for you to have,¡± he responded, equally as calm.


    Beneath our words, violence simmered just under the surface. It was clear that we were going to war, and it was going to be bloody.


    ¡°You have made a terrible mistake.¡± I stood up and turned around, knowing Leo and Franky would have my back.


    Ignacio simplyughed as we walked out. I gritted my teeth. He would live to regret this moment, if it was thest thing I did. It was a matter of pride at this point. Ignacio clearly didn¡¯t take my threats seriously, but I would make sure that the next time he and I came face to face, he would know that I was not someone to be fucked with.


    Back in the car, I called Caterina.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± she asked, her voice tight with anxiety.


    ¡°Not well.¡± I closed my eyes and kneaded my forehead with my thumb and forefinger. ¡°We¡¯re going to go to war.¡±

 Chapter 765 : Needs

    <h4>Chapter 765: Chapter 765 : Needs</h4>


    *Cat*


    I paced in front of the door, unable to sit down and wait for Elio. He had spoken to me only long enough to tell me that the meeting had gone horribly and that we were going to go to war. I didn¡¯t know what he meant by that, but I knew it wasn¡¯t going to be good.


    I was already bracing myself for Elio to insist that I be locked away in a safe house until everyst one of Ignacio¡¯s men had been killed. I knew that I would have to y that conversation very carefully.


    I would never let Elio lock me away, but I also didn¡¯t want him to feel like he had to fight me when it came to protecting our baby. It was tough being pregnant and knowing that my actions affected the safety of more than just myself. I would never forgive myself if I stubbornly put our baby in danger simply because I refused to go into hiding, but at the same time, I knew that I couldn¡¯t spend my life running away from our problems.


    When Elio finally came through the door, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from running and practically jumping into his arms. No matter how stressful our lives were, he was always my security nket. I knew that I could wrap myself in his arms and immediately everything wouldn¡¯t seem so bad.


    Elio wrapped his arms around my tightly and rested his head on top of mine. He sighed deeply and I knew he was troubled with everything that had just urred.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, hoping he would be honest with me.


    ¡°The whole meeting was bullshit.¡± He led me to the couch and encouraged me to sit down, then wrapped his arm around me. ¡°Ignacio never wanted to strike a deal. It was obvious from the second we got there that he just wanted to intimidate us. He sat there with a smug look on his face the entire time like he knew something we didn¡¯t. I told him we¡¯d work with him, told him that with our arms deals and his drug running, we could do something huge. He didn¡¯t give a fuck. He just didn¡¯t care at all.¡± Elio¡¯s arm tightened around me as he remembered the frustration he felt. ¡°I told him he made a huge mistake to make an enemy out of me.¡±


    I nodded, a smile toying at my mouth. I hated to hear Elio so frustrated and I wished the meeting had gone well, but there was something undeniably sexy about the aggression in his voice. I loved it when he got worked up. Elio was normally so unppable, and Lord knew I had put him through plenty of stress over the years. Seeing him letting this angry, mafia Don side of him to the surface did something to me that I never really expected.


    ¡°He did make a huge mistake. I know you¡¯ll make his life hell,¡± I said, leaning against Elio so my breasts pressed against him. I kissed the side of his neck and felt his pulse throbbing angrily along.


    ¡°Oh, not just that, I¡¯m going to pick them apart one by one. They threatened my family. They fucking shot you! I will never let that happen again. I won¡¯t rest until every single one of his men has been destroyed, and then I¡¯ll take care of Ignacio myself. He will regret the day he made an enemy out of me, and their entire organization in LA will be destroyed. Nobody hurts my family and gets away alive.¡± His eyes were zing with straight fury.


    I licked my lips as I watched him work through his emotions. His jaw was tensed and the muscles in his neck and shoulders were bulging. His entire body felt like a rock next to mine, and I suddenly found myself hot with desire.


    I moved so that I was straddling him, my belly cradled safely between us. I rested my hands on his shoulders and leaned forward to kiss a trail down his neck. He closed his eyes and groaned, but before I could pull his shirt off, he stopped me.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I just... I don¡¯t know if this is a good idea, baby. I¡¯m really worked up right now, and besides, you¡¯ve had a lot going ontely too. I¡¯m terrified of hurting you.¡± He looked up at me with such worry in his eyes, that I couldn¡¯t help but be ovee by love.


    ¡°Elio, you would never hurt me. I¡¯m perfectly fine, and if anything feels wrong, I¡¯ll tell you so that you can stop. I promise, I want this. And I can tell you want it too.¡± I rocked back and forth across his quickly hardening cock. ¡°Let me make you feel good. Let me help you rx. I want to show you how sexy it is to me when you get all protective.¡±


    He chuckled darkly. ¡°You never like it when I get protective. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I never like it when you keep things from me or try to force me to do what you want. But when you¡¯re threatening people¡¯s lives because of me? When you¡¯re telling me every single detail? That, I love.¡± I pressed my lips to his, not bothering with gentleness for a single second as I thrust my tongue against his and then tugged on his lip with my teeth.


    Elio growled and quickly took control of the kiss, sliding his tongue against mine and returning my love bites with some of his own. He moved his mouth down and kissed along my neck until I was squirming and moaning, then pulled back so he could look at me.


    ¡°You like that?¡± His eyes were dark with lust as he looked me up and down. ¡°You want more?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± I moaned, pulling at his shirt in a desperate attempt to get it off of him.


    He chuckled at my desperation, but quickly obliged me by pulling his shirt off for me. I ran my hands up and down his muscled torso, relishing the way he felt.


    He was still just as strong as the day I¡¯d met him, which was saying a lot considering he had only been in his early twenties back then. I had never been a particrly vain woman, but my husband¡¯s looks were one thing that I found I was extremely vain about. I loved showing him off.


    ¡°Your turn,¡± he said before roughly pulling my own shirt off of me.


    The sudden coolness against my skin sent goosebumps down my arms, but I barely had time to adjust before Elio reached around my back and unhooked my bra, pulling it off of my arms and baring my breasts.


    ¡°Been thinking about these all day,¡± he grunted as he leaned forward and took my left nipple into his mouth. I buried my hands in his hair and arched my back, giving him better purchase.


    As he worked his magic, I closed my eyes and gave in to every moan and sigh that came out of me. It felt far too good to worry about whether or not I sounded sexy. I just wanted more¨Cmore Elio¡¯s touch, more of his mouth, more of his love. I could never get enough. He was the perfect man, and even better, he was mine in every way.


    Elio moved to my right breast and immediately cupped my left with his hand; gently kneading the ces where he had sucked and bitten at my skin. Even when he thought he was being rough with me, he was exceptionally gentle. Every touch was so filled with love and care, it was impossible not to feel safe with him. I knew that I could trust him with everything I had, and so I did.


    ¡°Need to taste you,¡± he groaned before getting up and settling me back on the couch with him kneeling between my knees.


    My skirt was riding up my thighs in an obscene way that I knew had him desperate for more. He didn¡¯t hesitate to pull it down and fling it across the room, followed quickly by my panties.


    Elio buried his face between my thighs, not bothering to give me time to warm up and instead thrusting his tongue deep inside me. The sudden movement made me squeal, but he didn¡¯t stop. He knew I wanted this, and I knew he needed it.


    Keeping his tongue pressed tight against me, he moved slowly up from my core to my clit, teasing rough circles around before going back down and pushing his tongue inside me. He used two fingers to spread me wider, stretching me almost too far, but stopping just at my limit so that the pleasure eclipsed the tension.


    After a few more thrusts, he moved his tongue back up to my clit and settled his fingers inside of me, searching for my G-spot while sucking at me. My pleasure built to unbelievable heights, but just as I thought I was going to spill over the edge, he pulled away from me entirely.


    ¡°Stand up, put your hands on the back of the couch,¡± hemanded as he stood up and took off his pants.


    His demand sent a shot of heat right to my core. If I hadn¡¯t already been soaking wet, I would¡¯ve gotten to that point just from his words alone. I did as hemanded, turning so that I was leaned over the couch with my ass and pussy bared in his direction. He nudged against me, pausing to ensure that I was ready for it, then sank inside with a quick thrust.


    I moaned as his thrust hit all the right ces and pulled me right back to the point of no return. Within what felt like seconds, I was already clenching my pussy involuntarily as waves of pleasure ripped through me.


    Elio met every wave with another deep thrust, holding my hips tightly so that I couldn¡¯t move away from him. Before I knew it, yet another orgasm was screaming toward me and I was simply putty in Elio¡¯s hands as he drove deep inside me again and again.


    ¡°Oh, fuck, baby,¡± he groaned as he felt me orgasm for a second time. ¡°I needed this.¡± Each word was punctuated with another thrust.


    His movements became rough and wild as he got closer to his own release, and soon he was jerking against me, moaning my name as he came.


    The second he finished, he helped me up and wrapped his arms around me. ¡°Was that okay?¡± he asked softly. ¡°I know I was too rough.¡±


    Iughed, my heart swelling at his sweet concerns. ¡°Of course that was okay. Elio, that was amazing! I told you, you don¡¯t have to worry about hurting me. I would tell you if I didn¡¯t like it.¡±


    Relief colored his face as he pulled me tighter against his chest. ¡°I just love you so much, Caterina.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± I whispered against his chest, safe and warm in his arms. This was exactly what we both had needed.

 Chapter 766 : Welcome to the World

    <h4>Chapter 766: Chapter 766 : Wee to the World</h4>


    **Two Weeks Later**


    *Cat*


    I woke up and stretched, rubbing at the tightness in my hips. As my belly had grown bigger and bigger, it had be almost impossible to find afortable position to sleep in.


    Other women in my life who¡¯d already had babies told me that sleeping with a newborn was even more difficult than sleeping at the end of their pregnancies, but I had a hard time believing that. At this point, I was already waking up every couple of hours to pee and shift positions.


    Elio tried his best to keep mefortable, but other than the near-constant back rubs he gave me, there wasn¡¯t much we could do. I had found that my appetite for sex was absolutely insatiable, sometimes to the point where Elio couldn¡¯t even keep up. Luckily he had always loved to give even more than receive, so he had no problem with all the extra attention I was begging him for.


    Considering we would soon have a lot less free time to enjoy each other, I relished every moment that we spent tangled up in the sheets. Elio seemed to have the same idea.


    Before I could roll over to look at him, he reached out and wrapped me up in his arms, seeking out the ces he knew would drive me wild. I had slept naked, too exhausted to bother putting on pajamas after our lovemaking the night before, and now Elio took advantage of the easy ess.


    He slipped his hand between my thighs while his other hand found my breast. In many ways, he knew my body better than I knew it myself. It always amazed me how easily he could drive me to desire.


    Too soon, we had both finished, gasping for air with our limbs wrapped around each other.


    ¡°Fuck, baby, you¡¯re too good at that,¡± Elio murmured, pulling me tight against him. ¡°Shower with me?¡±


    I nodded and he helped me up so that we could shower together. Under the hot spray of water, Elio took his time scrubbing me with my favorite soap, making sure to stop and massage all the parts of my body that he knew had been especially soretely.


    The rxing scent ofvender enveloped us, and I began to wonder if I should just go back to bed again, until my stomach growled and reminded me that I was definitely eating for two these days.


    After Elio toweled me off and we both got dressed, we headed down to the kitchen. Our cook loved the fact that my increasing appetite gave her an excuse to cook more and more extravagant meals. I had gone from asking for yogurt and coffee in the morning and sds for lunch to begging for multi-course meals, and she was more than happy to oblige.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± she greeted us. ¡°Today we have strawberry stuffed French toast, praline bacon, and some eggs scrambled with red peppers and spinach.¡±


    The smell alone was enough to make me moan. I sat down and began piling food high on my te. ¡°You know you¡¯re an angel, right?¡±


    The cookughed and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job.¡±


    ¡°You are more than doing your job!¡± I dered as I dug in. I closed my eyes as the vor of the French toast hit my tongue. It was ridiculously delicious, the tart strawberries and sweet cream cheese melting together with the toasted brioche.


    ¡°How are you feeling today?¡± Elio asked as he sat across from me and put half the amount of food on his te that I had on mine.


    ¡°I feel great!¡± I told him, surprising myself to find that it was true. ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep well, but I have a lot of energy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear. I have some stuff I need to get done today but I should be finished by dinner. Do you want to eat here or go out?¡±


    I nced at the masterpiece that we were currently eating and looked back at him. ¡°Here. Definitely.¡±


    Elio chuckled. ¡°I see the true way to your heart.¡±


    The rest of the day passed quickly. I decided to use my random burst of energy to finish up everything for the baby. She would be sleeping in a bass in our room for the first few months, but we had an extravagant nursery for her to move into once she was ready. I organized all her clothes and put the finishing touches on her nursery. It was more beautiful than I had ever imagined and I couldn¡¯t wait to see her in it.


    Elio arrived back home just when he said he would. As I went to greet him at the door, I suddenly had the feeling that I had just peed my pants. I looked down at the liquid that gushed out of me in shock and confusion, trying to figure out what had just happened.


    Elio came through the door and saw the look on my face, then immediately looked down and saw what I was looking at.


    ¡°Holy shit. Did your water just break?¡± he gasped.


    I looked up at him. ¡°I think so. Either that or I just lost control of my dder.¡±


    Heughed, his face filled with excitement. ¡°Let¡¯s go! The hospital said afterst time that we should go as soon as you show any signs ofbor. I¡¯ll get the bag!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe the moment was finally here. After so many months of waiting and preparing, it felt unimaginable that we were soon going to meet our little girl. I felt almost fragile as I went to change into clean pajamas. I hadn¡¯t had any contractions yet, but I could tell that my body was preparing and ready for our baby girl to arrive.


    After a hectic drive to the hospital, I was being wheeled into the back entrance that Elio had insisted we get ess to. I had discovered in my time as Elio¡¯s wife that money could get you absolutely anything you wanted, even private ess to a public hospital. I was grateful that we didn¡¯t have to worry about MS13 seeing us in the waiting room of the ER.


    My contractions hade hard and fast almost the second we had gotten into the car, and I could tell that my body was almost ready to start pushing. I tried to breathe through each contraction, but Elio kept giving me worried looks as he noticed my entire body tense up each time.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got this, baby. You are the strongest person I know,¡± Elio whispered as he rubbed my back through another contraction.


    We arrived in the hospital room and Elio helped me change into the dressing gown that I had bought for giving birth. I knew it was impractical and would probably get destroyed, but I didn¡¯t care. I wanted to feelfortable. The sweet nurse who brought us to the room told me to lie back so she could check my dtion.


    ¡°Wow, you are already at eight centimeters!¡± she said excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s great news! Your body is doing exactly what it needs to do.¡±


    I nodded, another contraction sting through me. The nurse left us alone and Elio leaned over, pressing his forehead to mine. ¡°You are amazing.¡±


    ¡°I love you so much,¡± I said. I was so grateful that he was here with me.


    ¡°I love you! Now let¡¯s meet our daughter!¡±


    The next few hours passed by in a blur of pain and medical discussions. I asked for an epidural and Elio held my hand while they put it in. The relief was instantaneous. Finally, I was able to breathe for a couple of minutes without having to get through a contraction. I was getting nervous as the contractions kept hitting every two minutes but I wasn¡¯t dting any further than a nine.


    After another few hours, a doctor came in. ¡°Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Valentino. How are we feeling today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been better,¡± I said, smiling weakly.


    Sheughed. ¡°I bet so! Well, I have some good news and bad news. The good news is that we are going to get this baby out of you! The bad news is that it looks like we are going to have to go ahead and do a C-section. Your body has been stalled at nine centimeters for several hours now, and since your water already broke, we are working with a limited amount of time before things get dangerous for baby. Everything is looking fine right now and baby¡¯s heart rate looks good, but I¡¯d rather y on the cautious side and go ahead and prep for a C-section if that sounds okay to you.¡±


    I looked at Elio, unable to keep the fear off my face. I didn¡¯t want a C-section, but I was willing to do anything to keep our baby safe.


    ¡°Are you okay with that?¡± Elio asked me. ¡°You¡¯re the captain of this ship.¡±


    ¡°I guess that will be okay.¡± I bit my lip, trying to wrap my mind around the sudden change in the n.


    The doctor patted my shoulder. ¡°I know it¡¯s not what you wanted to hear, but I promise this will be the best path forward.¡±


    Elio reached out and grabbed my hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you every step of the way.¡±


    With Elio¡¯s support, I was able to get my emotions in check. This was going to be okay. We would be meeting our daughter soon.


    The C-section went off without a hitch, and before long, the operating room was filled with the loud cries of our baby girl. The second I heard her, I began to sob the happiest tears I¡¯d ever cried in my life. As the doctors stitched me back up, they handed our daughter to Elio so he could bring her to e.


    ¡°She¡¯s perfect,¡± he whispered, holding her tight.


    Back in the recovery room, I nursed our baby girl. She suckled greedily and made meugh as I remembered how hungry I had been in thest trimester of pregnancy. She had Elio¡¯s dark eyes and a fluffy little patch of dark hair. I thought her nose looked like mine, but it was too soon to tell who she would end up looking most like.


    Everything about her enchanted me. I felt like I could spend hours just staring at her, taking in every single detail of her tiny body.


    Elio looked at us tenderly. His face showed how exhausted he was. I knew that being my support person had been hard on him. He hated seeing me in any kind of pain. ¡°After everything you¡¯ve been through, you should choose her name,¡± he said.


    I looked down at her and knew exactly what she should be called. ¡°Her name is Emelia.¡±

 Chapter 767 : New Life

    <h4>Chapter 767: Chapter 767 : New Life</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡°She¡¯s beautiful,¡± Cat sniffed, holding our baby girl in her arms.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if the tears falling from her eyes were her being overwhelmed with love and adoration for our baby or the sheer exhaustion of what she went through.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said shakily, sitting by her side and tightly holding her hand. I could tell from my reflection in the window that I was still pale.


    The miracle of birth was just as beautiful as it was horrifying. Hearing her screams in pain for hours, unable to do anything but just stand by her side and have her nearly break my hand in half had wrecked my nerves through the roof.


    I thought my heart had stopped when the doctors told us they needed to do an emergency C-section.


    There had been so much blood, and I never really knew what childbirth or a C-section involved until they were using metal instruments to push my fiance¡¯s organs out of the way like it was nothing to worry about. I¡¯d seen a lot of horrible and nasty things, but I still felt sick to my stomach after seeing that.


    Even after the surgery was over and both our baby girl and Cat were safe, I knew I would never forget the gruesome sights I had seen... not for the rest of my life.


    The respect I had for my wife shot through the roof, and I realized that I had been acting like a stupid fool. If she could deal with all of this pain for our baby, then she could certainly put a bullet in whoever went after her.


    Cat¡¯s stitches were doing well, even an hour after the surgery, and had luckily stopped bleeding. The doctors informed us she wouldn¡¯t be allowed to pick up anything heavier than five pounds, including baby Emilia.


    Cat did not like that.


    But luckily, there was a loophole. As long as Cat was sitting or lying down, she could hold the baby, which was good because five minutes after little Emilia was born, she burst into wailing tears.


    The nurses helped to adjust Cat for breastfeeding for the first time and I stepped out, giving her that time alone as I spoke to the doctor. He informed me that her recovery would be slow after the birth, and to make sure everything was okay, they would have to monitor her for the next few days in the hospital.


    I had seen the long incision they had made across her belly and the following stitches to close it up, so I agreed easily though I knew Cat would fight me on it.


    I stepped back inside once Cat was finished, smiling as I saw the nurses holding little Emilia in their arms, her chubby hand plunged straight into her mouth as her wide green eyes looked around curiously.


    Cat had fallen asleep, her face still pale and gaunt from everything that had happened. I gently moved to her side, tucking her in and cing a kiss on her forehead. She deserved a good night¡¯s sleep.


    Or however long Emilia would let her until the next feeding.


    ¡°She did so well with breastfeeding,¡± the nurse whispered to me, passing me Emilia. ¡°Latched right on. She¡¯s a pro at it already.¡±


    ¡°She is my daughter,¡± I boasted proudly, feeling shocked by how utterly tiny she was no matter how many times I held her. She was beautiful still, like a perfect reflection of the two of us. She had Cat¡¯s little button nose and myrge ears that didn¡¯t quite fit her yet.


    The nurse was kind enough to take the time to correct my posture, making sure I knew the sensitive areas to hold, and over the next few hours, they helped to show me how to burp her and change her diaper.


    I¡¯d made sure to study as best as I could but my movements were still awkward. Emilia didn¡¯t care but I endured quite a bit of teasing. But as time passed and I swayed Emilia in my arms, hoping she would sleep, it became incredibly apparent that Emilia had other ns.


    She was a curious little thing, always wanting to be held at all times and looking around with such wide eyes. She may have been a genius in breastfeeding, but everything else was a struggle with her.


    She was fussy and also very stubborn, resembling the best and worst traits of her parents. Even the nurses were baffled as she stubbornly refused to sleep, no matter how many times she yawned and no matter how exhausted she must¡¯ve been. At one point, she was struggling to keep her eyes open so badly that she started just wailing uncontrobly.


    I had to carry her around, her little head on my shoulder so she could see the world and eventually, she tired herself out. But this wasn¡¯t just a one-off thing. After an hour, she was back up, crying anytime I tried to sit down and soon waking Cat up as well.


    The first day went on like this in a blur, Emilia forcing herself not to sleep and then wailing until she passed out... feeding her, changing her diaper, and doing it all over again.


    I remember my mom said I had been an easy baby, so I yfully med Cat as she did yet another feeding. She only rolled her eyes in response.


    Luckily Cat had quickly found out a trick, putting on cartoons on the screen for Emilia to watch which she seemed to do, intently, though the nurses had exined that her eyesight wasn¡¯t that advanced yet. I supposed she listened to the sounds. I was sure that Emilia must have known the cartoons by heart, considering how often Cat had yed them for her in her belly.


    I got what little sleep I could, taking care of both Cat and Emilia as they both recovered. We wouldn¡¯t be allowed home until they were both strong enough, much to Cat¡¯s ire, but she was easy to coax.


    Emilia was even more stubborn.


    Matilde became a huge help in this area as Cat was only allowed to hold her daughter while she was sitting down in bed, which Emilia loathed. Luckily, Matilde adored her granddaughter, carrying her everywhere when Cat couldn¡¯t, narrating everything she took an interest in.


    She especially liked the doctors who came in and out.


    Seeing Emilia calm in her grandmother¡¯s arms, I leaned over to Cat. ¡°Hey, I need to go to the office and deal with some work stuff. I won¡¯t take long and I¡¯ll be back, if you¡¯re alright here?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± She frowned, concerned. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Nothing like that, I promise,¡± I assured her, ¡°I just want to go over security for our house and make sure nobody can touch you or Emilia. I¡¯ll make sure the hospital is guarded before I leave, but it¡¯s better to do this now so we can leave when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes, searching my eyes for the truth. The fact that she doubted me hurt a little bit, I had to admit, but considering everything, I didn¡¯t me her one bit.


    ¡°Okay.¡± She finally nodded with a small smile. ¡°Thanks for thinking of us, Elio. And being honest with me.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead then solemnly promised, ¡°Nobody will get close to you or our child. Not while I¡¯m here.¡±


    She beamed, but I could see how utterly exhausted she still was. I kissed her goodbye, calling my men to make sure the hospital was fully protected before I left. I waited until the double guards I¡¯d ordered were standing outside her room. Only doctors or family members were let inside.


    Some of my men were disguised, making their rounds and watching for anything suspicious. Even the hospital entrance was under surveince, screening every person who walked through the doors.


    I wasn¡¯t taking any chances.


    Once I felt they were properly protected, I left with a renewed purpose. I was tired, not having slept at allst night, but I was determined to get the house properly protected before Cat and Emilia came home.


    As soon as I arrived in the driveway, I spotted Franky and Leo¡¯s cars along with several of our tech guys all ready to go. I parked, getting out with my game face as I approached the men.


    ¡°Hey, Daddy,¡± Leo called out teasingly. ¡°How¡¯s the baby?¡±


    ¡°Call me that again and I¡¯ll dock your pay,¡± I said easily, giving him a grin as his face fully fell in dismay at the thought.


    ¡°That¡¯s rude,¡± Leo huffed, but Franky seemed to agree with me, a look of disgust on his face at the name.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a team installing brand new security cameras and sensors on every window and door.¡± Franky jumped straight into business, walking with me as we entered the house. Sure enough, the men were hard at work in the windows and doorways,dders everywhere as they installed everything.


    Franky, as the one who knew the most about the tech, gave out the orders on the instation while Leo and I designed a new guard route and map. We opened up the concrete and steel shelter we had installed on the property, making sure all the passageways were working and essible.


    The shelter could probably survive a nuclear bomb and be okay, but that wouldn¡¯t mean much if it wasn¡¯t still fully stocked and locked.


    We pulled out every trick in the book, doing construction untilte and readying the guards for our new ns to make sure that no one could evene a foot inside of our driveway without being identified and captured.


    Once I had done everything I needed to, I grabbed some things Cat might want for the next few days, things to keep her busy like her tablet, some puzzles and books, and her favorite fluffy nket and pillow. I stopped by the store to get some flowers for her and then made sure to pick up dinner from Cat¡¯s favorite restaurant.


    She didn¡¯t have dietary restrictions but just to be safe, I picked some healthier options that I knew she loved. It was too greasy for my tastes but Cat didn¡¯t know that. I¡¯d do whatever she wanted to keep her happy, even if it meant scarfing down some greasy pizza and pasta.


    As I got back into the car, loaded up with things to carry into the hospital, I noticed a text from Cat asking when I¡¯d be back. Visiting hours were almost over and Matilde had to go home soon. I texted her back that I would be there soon and then a picture of her favorite food.


    She was quick to send a picture of her holding baby Emilia, swaddled up in her new nket with tiny color fish on it. Her green eyes were identical to Cat¡¯s.


    I smiled, loving them both more than I could put into words.


    I was going to keep them safe no matter what.

 Chapter 768 : Home at Last

    <h4>Chapter 768: Chapter 768 : Home at Last</h4>


    *Cat*


    I nced at the mirror in the hospital bathroom, staring at the ugly red and swollen scar lining my lower belly. The stitched-up wound would scar something fierce, but I wasn¡¯t quite as worried about the appearance of it as I thought I might be.


    It felt more like a battle scar, like the ones on my shoulder and waist that had faded away with time. I was more proud of this scar, a symbol of having brought my beautiful daughter into the world rather than having holes shot into my body.


    ¡°Ready to go?¡± I heard Elio knock on the door, sounding worried.


    I smiled, re-dressing my stitches and then pulling on my shirt. The hospital gown I¡¯d worn for the past few days was the worst part of the visit, and I was d to be in my regr clothes again.


    I exited the bathroom, grinning as I spotted Elio carrying little Emilia in her brand-new car seat. She was surprisingly quiet now, gripping onto her first stuffed animal, a little purple fox that doubled as a mini nket with a ribbon.


    She sucked on its ear absent-mindedly, staring at the world around her wide-eyed.


    ¡°Discharge papers taken care of?¡± I questioned as Elio kissed my temple, his hand on the small of my back as he led me out of the room.


    Elio carried our bags filled with everything we¡¯d brought in his other hand. The nurses looked as we exited the room.


    ¡°Leaving so soon?¡± My nurse, Margot, smiled, waving to little Emilia. ¡°Here¡¯s all your discharge papers, and a little keepsake packet from us.¡±


    The first packet she handed over had ¡®Postpartum Care for Mommy and Baby¡¯ written on it and a very detailed and itemized list of things to do once we got home, including a wide variety of numbers for whatever type of doctors we might need.


    The next was a little white box with the name of the hospital on the front and in bright purple letters, ¡®Emilia.¡¯ Inside were copies of her little handprints and footprints, her cute hospital birth certificate since we¡¯d need to go to the county for the official er, a little pink hat she¡¯d worn right after being born, and various other helpful items.


    But my favorite was a beautiful sterling silver rattle with a silver duck at the end. It made the most beautiful bell sound when shaken and even had ¡®Emilia¡¯ carved on the back.


    ¡°That was an anonymous gift.¡± Margot smiled. ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± I breathed in awe, then nced at Elio to see if it was safe.


    He shrugged, attempting to look like he had no idea but I could see the small smirk curling up his lips. He certainly knew who had gifted it to us, but he wouldn¡¯t be telling.


    Iughed, bending down for a moment and ignoring the slight pull of my stitches as I did, and I beamed as I was face-to-face with my daughter. Emilia¡¯s eyes went wide as she saw the little rattle and immediately reached out her tiny hands for it.


    I happily handed it over, beaming as she shook in her little fists, and for the first time since she was born, saw a little smile on her lips.


    I looked up at Elio teary-eyed, and his shock melted into adoration.


    Her first tiny smile.


    Maybe it was just gas, but I didn¡¯t care.


    We left the hospital with our new precious bundle and Elio pulled the car up to the sidewalk so I didn¡¯t have to walk as far. It was a bit of a struggle as we tag-teamed to get the car seat set up and working properly, but we managed to get it in the end.


    Emilia was just absolutely obsessed with her rattle and little fox plushie, needing nothing else to entertain her.


    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m going to be so happy to be home,¡± I said,ying a hand over my belly on instinct before remembering that she wasn¡¯t in there anymore.


    She was behind me.


    Elio sent me a soft grin, having caught the movement, but I just stuck my tongue at him.


    ¡°I took the week off at thepany, Leo¡¯s handling the legit side of things and I told Franky not to call me unless it was an absolute emergency, so I¡¯ll be free the whole week to take care of you two,¡± Elio told me casually like it was no big deal.


    But it was for me.


    ¡°You took the whole week off?¡± I asked with wide, misty eyes. ¡°For us?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did,¡± He gave me an incredulous look and a slow smile. ¡°I want to focus on the both of you as much as I can, especially since you still have stitches. Your restrictions are pretty strict and it¡¯s gonna drive you nuts. I can already hear your whining.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?!¡± I gasped.


    Heughed, bright and beaming and I realized this is how we should always be, free from everything¨Call the worries and stress of life. I reached out to grab his hand, slotting mine in where they fit together like puzzle pieces, the missing halves to one another.


    He grinned, raising my hand to his lips for a gentle kiss. I nced behind us to see Emilia, who had been quiet for a long time. I was d we had the little mirror so I could see her when her seat was facing backward because when I looked back, her little head was cocked against her fox plush, rattle clutched tightly in her palm and her eyes closed as she slept peacefully, seemingly more rxed than she had been since she had been born.


    ¡°She¡¯s asleep,¡± I whispered to Elio, and at the next stop-light, he nced over his shoulder, sighing with relief as he saw it.


    We stopped at a drive-thru for lunch before heading home, just some sandwiches and fries. I sipped my first sugary drink since I had startedbor, sighing in relief as the caffeine I desperately needed seeped back into my bloodstream.


    It had felt like a thousand years and not just the few days it was. Even then, I¡¯d kept my intake of caffeine low for the baby and nned to continue that while breastfeeding.


    We arrived at home and I noticed immediately the changes to the security that had been made. There were more guards posted over thepound, and even the gate to get inside was more secure than before, with multiple rm systems set up along with the in-depth camera.


    There wasn¡¯t an inch of the outside area that wasn¡¯t covered by some form of camera or wire trap. I nced over at Elio with raised eyebrows, thinking that maybe he had gone a little overboard.


    Until I saw the serious look on his face and I remembered when Olivia and Giovanni had told me that Elio had been kidnapped as a young child, barely even a year old. My heart clenched as I thought of that happening to Emilia.


    I nced at her sweet little face, her tiny arms and legs, and the curious, wide-eyed look she had as she explored the world that was so new to her.


    Elio¡¯s precautions didn¡¯t seem so overboard anymore.


    It took a minute to get inside, and once we parked, Elio made sure to grab Emilia, who immediately woke up as soon as she started moving and of course, her tiredness made her start wailing as loud as her little lungs could.


    I sighed, giving Elio a wry grin as we entered the house. It was different in a way I couldn¡¯t name, probably due to all the windows now having reinforced bullet-proof military-grade one-way ss and the various security that was now set up.


    Elio set up afortable area for me and Emilia on the couch so I could feed her as he got the rest of our stuff inside. Once she was fed and happy again, I nced around at the living room and how it had changed. Emilia¡¯s stuff was sprawled out now, and Elio came in with a ss of my favorite iced tea, and three ice cubes as well.


    ¡°They said to make sure that you don¡¯t climb stairs at least for the first week, so I moved all the essentials down here. I set up a bedroom for us and Emilia¡¯s bass in our of the guest rooms too,¡± he said, sighing as he took the seat next to me, leaning his head on my shoulder tiredly. ¡°If you need me to get anything else from upstairs, then I will. Your mother should be here soon too, and she¡¯ll be staying in the main house for the first week at least, right?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± I smiled, thanking him quietly as I gave him a soft kiss.


    I had told Mom she didn¡¯t need to move in since she was already close in the cottage. But once she knew I was going to have to have a C-section, she insisted that she be under the same roof.


    Elio did all of the hard work with Emilia, carrying her and swaying her when she refused to sleep, changing her diaper like a master at this point, and though I wanted to take a more active role in helping, my stitches had been particrly deep and long, which was why the doctor told me to take such precautions.


    Elio was amazing with Emilia, letting her see the world and watching the cartoons just the three of us. Mom came a little whileter, loaded up with presents for both me and the baby. I protested once she made a third trip inside, but she just hushed me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let my baby do this on her own. It was just me and your father when you were born, so the least I can do is make sure you are stocked up on absolutely everything you might need. So count your blessings and let me do this,¡± she said, fully taking charge on that point forward.


    Iughed, beaming in happiness with my family around me, just d to spend time together. Everything had turned out okay despite all the bumpy roads we had to travel on to get to this point.


    But I knew I wouldn¡¯t change a thing.


    As night fell, Elio and I tried putting Emilia to bed on our own for the first time. Mom was on standby if we needed her, but I wanted to make sure we could do this ourselves. We were her parents, after all.


    I hummed a luby Mom had used to sing to us, Emiliaying on my chest as I stroked her soft short hair. Her eyes were closed for now, mouth open as she snored and Elio was right beside me, chuckling softly as he rubbed her back.


    For now, it was working.


    ¡°She sounds just like you when you sleep,¡± I whispered teasingly to him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t snore.¡± He rolled his eyes just as his phone went off.


    He panicked, flipping onto his side. I watched Emilia calmly, hoping it wouldn¡¯t wake her up. Elio got to his feet, answering his phone in a whisper.


    Luckily, we escaped the wrath of our newborn this time, and I sighed in relief as she only reached out her hand to grip my fingers and then quickly fell back asleep.


    ¡°We¡¯re in the clear,¡± I grinned as Elio came back, but my smile fell as I saw the panicked look on his face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Leo¡¯s been taken,¡± he said with a pale face.

 Chapter 769 : When Night Falls

    <h4>Chapter 769: Chapter 769 : When Night Falls</h4>


    *Elio*


    My blood boiled like a volcano just about to erupt. The only thing keeping my fist from going through the wall was the sight of baby Emilia still sleeping away on her mother¡¯s chest and Cat¡¯s stunned and worried eyes as she looked over at me.


    She kept me sane even if I felt like I could explode into ash and fiery coal, coating everything in sight until Ignacio and his whole damnpany were nothing but a memory covered by dust, forgotten in their stillness.


    My hands clenched by my side, I nced at Emilia sleeping away and my voice came out in a strained hiss as I said, ¡°I have to go. I¡¯ll bete.¡±


    There was sadness and disappointment in her eyes and god, I hated disappointing her, but the understanding smile she gave me was the permission I needed.


    I barely caught her saying, ¡°Be safe,¡± before I was running down the hall.


    I grabbed my keys and shoes, throwing on my gun and harness and my jacket over it before I left. It was raining, and I hated the rain as the puddles sshed against my expensive shoes, cold against my skin as I raced into the car.


    ¡°Fucking idiot, getting kidnapped right after we had our kid,¡± I murmured to myself, cursing Leo instead of expressing how utterly full of panic I was. Leo wasn¡¯t just my right hand, he was my best friend.


    I had to find him.


    The drive was horrific, the rain pouring and my phone bursting with text after text. I didn¡¯t have time to look at them all but Leo wasn¡¯t their only hit. They had done damage that would be crippling for any illegal business.


    If we weren¡¯t the Valentinos.


    I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my jaw clenched so tightly that I could feel my teeth grinding together. They just fucked with the wrong mafia family.


    The warehouse was bustling, nearly everyone called to the area already, and still more cars following my own as I parked as close as I could. I got out, storming past the grunts and lower-ranked members as they parted like the Red Sea, scrambling out of the way.


    Franky was inside, barking out orders and as soon as I saw him, I shouted, ¡°What the fuck happened?¡±


    Franky sighed, turning to me with a pissed-off look. ¡°What does it look like? I¡¯m trying to keep this fucking business afloat while you two fuck off to do who knows what.¡±


    He sneered as I got right into his face, grabbing his cor much like I had Leo¡¯s almost a year ago. I could see the dare in his eyes, and hidden behind it was a deep anger just like I was feeling right now.


    I could see how much stress had been put on him, how much he was struggling to give under its weight. But I was so out of control that I was tempted to punch him anyway, even though I knew he was only baiting me to keep my rage away from all the other men in the room staring anxiously at us.


    But before I could do something I regretted, my phone began to re with the familiar ringtone I had set specifically to one asshole in particr. I stiffened, as did Franky as he recognized it as well.


    ¡°Get a trace going now!¡± Franky ordered loudly.


    I dropped him, grabbing my phone and heading to the nearest bench. Aptop was opened up and I stared at the number with distaste, wishing I could have that bastard¡¯s throat between my hands but I knew how to y this.


    I let it ring until they plugged it into theptop and then I answered. I knew their type. They always had to have the first andst words, so to keep this call going, I purposefully didn¡¯t say a word.


    Sure enough, after a few beats of silence, I heard him give a raspy cough then Ignacio said calmly, ¡°I told you to leave.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t listen,¡± I said shortly.


    ¡°Ah,e now, there¡¯s no hard feelings, right, Elio?¡± I could sense the smirk on his face, how much utter delight he took in this. He wasn¡¯t just a bastard like me or Franky or Alessandro. He was a true psychopath. ¡°It¡¯s just business.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you¡¯re calling it?¡± I scoffed, ncing over at theptop who was quickly trying to track where the call wasing from.


    I knew it might not be where they are keeping Leo but if it led us to Ignacio, I could beat the address out of him.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m calling it,¡± Ignacio said,pletely calm and in control like this was a game of chess and he knew exactly which pawns were in his hands and what moves they were going to make. ¡°Now, you¡¯ve got a choice to make. You can either give up your best friend¨C¡±


    I flinched as I heard a scream of pain, one I recognized as Leo from the other side of the phone, muffled like he¡¯d been gagged and I struggled to remain calm, tightening my fists until my nails dug into my palms.


    ¡°Or,¡± Ignacio continued, ¡°you can give up your business. You have twenty-four hours, Elio. Tick tock.¡±


    The call ended just as Franky gave me the thumbs up. I mmed my phone onto the table, hovering behind our tech guy as he input thest bit of data.


    ¡°And here. This is where he was calling from,¡± our tech guy said confidently. He quickly sent out a mass text of the address.


    I gave Franky a look, and he stared at me in silence for a moment. And despite the tension between us earlier and the near exchange of blows and harsh words, Franky gave me a nod and all was forgiven.


    ¡°We¡¯re not giving anything up,¡± I dered loudly for all of my men to hear. ¡°And that includes Leo. Get ready to leave!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Loud cries came from the men around us, a renewed form of energy taking over as I confidently stood in front of them. I was still pissed and worried as hell about Leo but right now, the men needed their leader.


    Franky immediately went to call all our men and I sent a team ahead of time to the location we tracked Ignacio to, just to watch to make sure nobody left or escaped. Luckily, their report indicated that Ignacio didn¡¯t have a clue we knew where he was.


    One of our tech guys hacked into the city ns and found the floor n of the building, printing it out for us to have a physical copy as we nned the ambush. Another of our guys hacked into the security cameras across the street from the ce, keeping watch to see who entered or exited.


    Meanwhile, Franky and Leo¡¯s guys showed up armed to the teeth, our best and most hardened men all focused on the same dedicated cause.


    ¡°Boss!¡± one of Leo¡¯s guys, Dominic shouted out as he arrived with a truck full of weapons. He entered the warehouse with a grin, the scar that stretched across his right side cheek stretching out unpleasantly as he did. ¡°We¡¯re taking the C¡¯s and B¡¯s, right?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at him as he came in with a wooden boxbeled in big yellow letters ¡®Caution: Explosive.¡¯ Dominic grinned widely at me, holding the explosives like it was something precious, and considering his track record, it was.


    I nced at Franky for his opinion and he quickly shook his head with wide eyes. I shrugged, turning back to Dominic with a grin.


    ¡°Only as much as you can carry on your person,¡± I told him, watching his face light up like a kid on Christmas morning. Before he could go crazy though, I added, ¡°And make sure to use them sparingly. We don¡¯t need any friendly fire injuries.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss!¡± He nodded enthusiastically, skipping back to Leo¡¯s men.


    As I stared a the group of ex-military men, jacked as hell and scarred like they¡¯de out of a war group, I wondered what the fuck Leo was doing with his men.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret that,¡± Franky red at me.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what kind of defenses they have inside the building. I doubt it¡¯s the same as the floorn,¡± I told him cautiously. ¡°Besides, it mighte in handy.¡±


    ¡°I thought the n wasn¡¯t to kill Ignacio?¡± Franky demanded, crossing his arms. ¡°Cause C4 is going to do the job.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± I insisted. ¡°We don¡¯t need to kill him but if they have any escape routes, which they likely do, the explosives coulde in handy to distract them. That way we can slip inside and capture Igancio. If they¡¯d hold Leo elsewhere, we can trade Igancio for him or just torture the location out of him. Either way is fine with me.¡±


    ¡°Ignacio won¡¯t talk,¡± Franky said with a shake of his head. ¡°Even on death¡¯s door. Our best bet is to trick his men into handing over Leo, without trading Ignacio hopefully.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the best-case scenario, but I won¡¯t risk Leo¡¯s life if we can¡¯t get both of them,¡± I said firmly, making sure to be clear about this. ¡°Leo is the priority. Ignacioes second.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Franky said grumpily. ¡°But that loser is going to pay if Ignacio gets away this time.¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t cripple or kill him,¡± I shrugged. ¡°He is still useful to me, and I am kinda attached to him at this point.¡±


    I sent Franky a grin and he just rolled his eyes, but I could see that Franky cared about Leo. Probably not as much as I did, but after all we¡¯d been through together, it was impossible not to care for the goofy and loyal guy.


    Franky and I looked over the floor ns for the building they were hiding out in, watching the camera we hacked and noticing some distinct details. The original facade was much smaller than it currently was and the bricks were not the same.


    ¡°Told you the C4 woulde in handy.¡± I smirked at Franky as we noticed how reinforced it was. ¡°We take out the wall, st their reinforcements, and it¡¯ll let us get inside easily, losing as few men as possible. We split the men into teams, taking a few of Leo¡¯s crazy bastards with us since they were ex-military and had experience in fire fights.¡±


    Once we had nned as much as we could, Franky turned to me with a calm look. ¡°So when do we hit them?¡±


    I nced at my phone, seeing it was now eight in the morning and we¡¯d been going all night. I had a few texts from Cat, just asking if I was okay and if things were going well. She even sent me a photo of Emilia and her with a little caption that they were rooting for me.


    ¡°Get some sleep, men,¡± I dered for the rest of the men then turned to Franky with a determined look. ¡°We attack tonight. Once night falls.¡±

 Chapter 770 : Rescuing Leo

    <h4>Chapter 770: Chapter 770 : Rescuing Leo</h4>


    *Elio*


    Franky drove so that I could text my men as needed. We had codenames for everything just in case our texts were being monitored. The n was constantly changing and evolving as my spies kept me updated on where Ignacio¡¯s men were, but we had a solid enough n that we were going to go for it.


    Leo was more than my friend. He was family. He was the closest thing I ever had to a brother, and there was no way in hell I wasn¡¯t going to get him back safely. Ignacio wouldn¡¯t get away with this.


    ¡°I really think you should hang back once we get there, boss,¡± Franky said once we were about a block away. ¡°With the new baby and everything, I don¡¯t want you risking your life.¡±


    It was the first time Franky had ever told me something like that. I was shocked to hear him suggest it, and I immediately shook my head. ¡°No, Leo needs me. I¡¯m going to help bring these guys down.¡±


    Franky nodded. He looked like he had more he wanted to say, but he wisely kept it to himself. He knew better than to try and argue this point with me.


    I knew that if he was in my position, he would feel the same way. I wasn¡¯t the only one of our people who had a family. Holding back because of Emelia wouldn¡¯t be fair to my men who didn¡¯t have that option. Just because I was the Don didn¡¯t mean that I gave myself special privileges. And I knew that if the worst was to happen, at least I would¡¯ve gone down protecting my family.


    We pulled up to an old battery factory by the ocean. Most of the windows were busted out, but ording to our intel, this was where they were keeping Leo. It made sense for them to keep him somewhere like this. Random old buildings were a dime a dozen in LA. Nobody would even look twice at this one.


    The side of the building had been tagged with MS13 graffiti, marking it as theirs. That would help ensure that people wanted to stay away. Once again, I was intrigued by the way Ignacio¡¯s men worked. Instead of staying in the shadows like my family, they made it clear who they were and what they were willing to do. I understood the desire to ensure that everyone knew you were not a man to be fucked with, but I just couldn¡¯t imagine not being able to live a normal life. Being able to hold a regr job and meet with normal people helped me stay sane.


    Franky and I got out of the car slowly, looking around for any signs of ambush. As far as we knew, Ignacio didn¡¯t have a lot of men holding Leo. He had never thought we¡¯d be able to track his phone call so easily. Three ck SUVs pulled up behind us, and my men hopped out. I had called upon every single one who had military experience. We even had a few former SEALs running the show. I turned to them for guidance. They were far more experienced with infiltrating a building than I was.


    One of the SEALs signaled to me to go around the side of the building while they ambushed the front. Me, Franky, and a few more guys would sneak in while Ignacio¡¯s men were distracted by the primary attack. Our goal was to get Ignacio and bring him to one of the SUVs, which would then be driven to a safe house far outside the city. From there, we would use him to negotiate with MS13 as a whole.


    As soon as Franky and I rounded the building, we heard shots fired.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Franky muttered.


    It was too early. There shouldn¡¯t have been any gunshots yet, but we didn¡¯t have time to worry about it. We needed to stay focused on the mission at hand.


    We busted out one of the few unbroken windows on the ground level and made our way inside.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± a man with MS13 tattooed over his left eyebrow yelled the second he saw us.


    Franky yanked him into a headlock before he had the chance to alert anyone else. We stole his gun and left him lying unconscious in the hallway.


    Gunshots were firing regrly from the front of the building. It was echoing so loudly that we could hardly hear each other. I was terrified my ear drums were going to burst.


    ¡°We have to get Leo and get the fuck out of here!¡± Franky shouted over the noise. ¡°This didn¡¯t go to n. It¡¯s too loud! The cops are going to be here any minute!¡±


    ¡°Ignacio¡¯s not here!¡± One of my men yelled. ¡°We saw him flee the second he heard gunshots!¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± I ran to the back room that one of my spies had informed me would hold Leo. At the very least, I was going to get him out of there.


    Bullets sprayed over my head as I ran. I ducked down but kept moving. I knew the best way to dodge a bullet was to just keep running. Most people were terribly inurate with their shooting. They just shot at random and if they hit anything, it was out of sheer luck.


    Thankfully for me, I had Franky covering my back. He wasn¡¯t just shooting randomly. He was shooting with the skill of an experienced mafia hitman. Before long, there were only a few of Ignacio¡¯s men remaining. They had all developed the good sense to hide once they realized that Franky was a great shot.


    Finally, I found Leo. He was tied to a chair and looked like he¡¯d had the shit kicked out of him, but he was conscious.


    ¡°Thank fuck it¡¯s you,¡± he said through bloodied lips. ¡°I was afraid it was the feds.¡±


    Iughed and ran to my friend, untying him so I could pull him into a hug. ¡°Fuck, you scared me! I thought you were dead.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Nah, not yet. I gave ¡®em hell, too.¡±


    Sirens went off in the background. ¡°Shit,¡± Franky interrupted us, ¡°We¡¯ve gotta go! They¡¯re close!¡±


    We spread the word that everyone needed to leave immediately. Franky and I helped Leo out to our car. His ankle and shoulder were both fucked up, but he could still walk with support.


    We helped him into the backseat and took off, driving in the opposite direction from the sirens. They couldn¡¯t have been more than a block away, and we knew some of our men would get caught. There was no way they could all get out fast enough with Ignacio¡¯s guys still shooting at them.


    At least they were all smart enough to stop shooting the second the cops got there. Getting a dead cop on your record was like a death sentence for anyone in organized crime.


    I couldn¡¯t bother worrying about that when I had my best friend back. Franky drove us to my house where Caterina was waiting for us.


    I helped Leo into the front door and Cat jumped up from the couch toe help me. ¡°Hey, you aren¡¯t supposed to be lifting anything,¡± I chastised her.


    ¡°Oh, hush, I¡¯m hardly taking on any of his weight,¡± she responded, sassy as she had ever been.


    We managed to get Leo to the couch and settled him down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m fucking filthy right now,¡± he said. He was covered in dirt and blood, but I didn¡¯t care. The couch could be cleaned.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Cat told him. ¡°While the family doctor is on the way, do you want to meet our baby?¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask.¡± He smiled at her in spite of the tremendous pain I knew he was in.


    ¡°I will get her, Caterina. You sit down and rest.¡±


    She rolled her eyes at me but ultimately went and sat in the giant armchair that she enjoyed nursing Emelia in. I washed my hands and wandered to our makeshift downstairs bedroom to find Emelia settled into her bass. Seeing her sleeping so peacefully after I had just witnessed so much violence was jarring, but it helped bring my focus back to what was important in life. This was my purpose.


    I gathered up Emelia carefully to try to avoid waking her, then brought her back to Leo and Cat.


    ¡°Leo, meet our daughter, Emelia.¡± I turned her slightly so he could see her face.


    ¡°Thank God she looks like Cat and not you,¡± he teased.


    As I was about to tell him that she definitely had my eyes, my phone rang. I handed Emelia to Cat so I could answer.


    ¡°They have six of our men,¡± Franky said without preamble. ¡°My guy on the inside told me that nobody has talked so far, but it won¡¯t take them long to find the connections between us and them. We¡¯re going to have to mind our P¡¯s and Q¡¯s for a while. They¡¯ll be watching us like hawks from now on.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± I said. ¡°The ones they have, what are they charging them with?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, but they won¡¯t be getting out for a long time. We¡¯re going to have to figure out how to take care of them on the inside. It¡¯s dangerous here. Ignacio has a lot more men in prison than we do. They won¡¯t be safe without a lot of help.¡±


    I felt a headache forming as I considered the implications of what Franky was saying. The logistics of trying to keep our men safe while also ensuring the feds stayed off our backs was going to be tough. We would have to create a ton of fake paper trails so that the real ones couldn¡¯t be followed.


    I nced over at Caterina and Emelia, thinking about what would happen if I got locked up. ¡°Do any of them have families?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Franky said sadly. ¡°About half have spouses and kids.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll start by taking care of them and making sure they¡¯re safe. We can at least ensure they don¡¯t need money. And then we need to getwyers for all of them. Separatewyers who are unconnected to the Valentino family. It¡¯s all going to have to be as covered up as possible.¡±


    ¡°I agree. We have to do this carefully. Any sign of misconduct is going to get the cops up our asses. Make sure your family is as protected as possible, and keep all your assets from your legitimate business separated. If they decide to start investigating, the first thing they¡¯ll do is seize any assets that they thinke from illegal operations.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Thank you, Franky.¡± I hung up and went back to Caterina and Leo. They had both been listening intently to the conversation.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to be very careful from now on.¡±

 Chapter 771 : Happy Family

    <h4>Chapter 771: Chapter 771 : Happy Family</h4>


    *Caterina*


    I woke up suspiciouslyte and immediately sat up, looking around for Emilia. She was the perfect baby in every way except for letting me sleep, and I instinctively knew that I had slept muchter than usual. Elio was in the plush rocking chair in the corner holding her. He looked up at me and smiled, then back down at Emilia.


    There was an expression on his face that he only had when he looked at Emilia. He was so filled with love and adoration for her and it showed in every smile line.


    I could hardly look away from the two of them. It filled my heart with such joy just to see the way he loved her. I never had the chance to know my dad very well since he passed when I was so young, and seeing Elio with Emilia filled me with a strange sort of nostalgic longing. I would do anything to ensure that he was always able to be around for her.


    She deserved that and so much more. She was the most precious thing in my life. Her very existence reminded me of how pure the love between myself and her father was, and every time I saw her, I could feel that love growing and growing.


    I hated to break the precious moment between the two of them, but I couldn¡¯t deny my curiosity any longer. ¡°So, how¡¯d it gost night?¡±


    Elio grimaced. ¡°Not great.¡± He looked up at me, and I could see the stress that I hadn¡¯t noticed previously.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, horrified to hear that it hadn¡¯t gone well.


    ¡°We ended up getting ambushed by the cops. Obviously, I was able to get out in time, but a lot of my guys didn¡¯t. There are already several who have been thrown in jail. It¡¯s a fucking disaster.¡± He nced down at Emilia. ¡°Sorry, I meant, it¡¯s a terrible disaster.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have to censor ourselves just yet.¡±


    ¡°Who knows how much they absorb? Plus, I think she might be a genius. Just look at her eyes. You can tell she¡¯s smart.¡± He smiled down at her again and held her up so that I could see her face.


    Her eyes were alert as she looked around the room in search of my voice. She couldn¡¯t see well enough to track me, but I could tell that she had pinpointed where in the room I was.


    ¡°Yes, she is. Now stop trying to change the subject and tell me exactly what happened.¡±


    ¡°It was just too public. You can¡¯t have a firefight in the middle of the city. I got Leo out. That¡¯s all that mattered. But Ignacio is still going to be causing us problems, and now we¡¯ll be having issues from the feds too. It¡¯s going to mean we have toy extremely low for a long time.¡±


    I nodded. I wouldn¡¯t mind ying happy family for a bit and just forgetting about the mafia life. I finally understood why Gio had been so insistent that Elio not follow in his footsteps. Now that we had Emilia, all I wanted to do was make sure that she was safe. ¡°What happens with the guys in jail?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get them the bestwyers money can buy. Hopefully, we can get all of them out on technicalities, but I have to stay far away from all of it. If the feds get any idea that I¡¯m in charge of the entire operation, everything will crumble and I¡¯ll spend the rest of my life in prison.¡±


    Just the idea of that was horrifying. ¡°Yeah, we can¡¯t risk that. I don¡¯t know what Emilia and I would do.¡± I felt selfish as I realized that it was a reality for some wives this morning. I was so lucky that Elio had the ability to protect himself, and it made me feel horrible for the people who didn¡¯t have that privilege.


    ¡°I¡¯m so lucky to have the two of you,¡± Elio said, standing up with Emilia in his arms. He gave her onest snuggle and thenid her in her bass. ¡°What¡¯s on the agenda for today?¡±


    ¡°Our sweet girl has a doctor¡¯s appointment today. Do you want toe with us?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do!¡± He crossed the room and pulled me into his arms. ¡°You know there¡¯s nothing I love more than spending the day with my girls.¡±


    I rxed into his hug, grateful as always for his presence.


    We dressed quickly and I nursed Emilia onest time before leaving. She hated her car seat and always fussed while being put into it, but once we started driving, she settled down. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t too far of a drive to get to the doctor¡¯s office.


    Elio had ensured that everything we needed for her was close by so that when I had to take her by myself I wouldn¡¯t have to spend a bunch of time in traffic. We also used a pediatrician who had been fully vetted. We didn¡¯t trust Emilia¡¯s health to just anyone. Our people who had babies worked as guards whenever I had an appointment. They sat in the waiting room and looked just like everyone else.


    Emilia started getting fussy while we waited in the exam room for the doctor. She was wrapped in her swaddle nket with nothing but her diaper underneath so that the doctor could look her over. Her little fists beat against Elio¡¯s chest as he held her up and bounced her lightly around the room. Even her angry cries were adorable.


    Finally, the doctor came in and checked her over. ¡°She¡¯s gained six ounces since she left the hospital, which is excellent. Is she nursing every two hours?¡±


    ¡°Yes, for the most part. Sometimes she does longer stretches at night, but I read that was okay as long as she¡¯s gaining weight,¡± I said anxiously.


    I felt like Emilia¡¯s doctor¡¯s appointment was a test that I had to pass. I wanted to feel like I could handle being her mother. Elio rubbed my back reassuringly. I knew he knew how much I cared about getting it right.


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect!¡± the doctor said. ¡°If she seemsfortable with going slightly longer, that¡¯s perfectly fine. I wouldn¡¯t let her go more than about four hours in between feedings though, just to be on the safe side.¡±


    I nodded vigorously and made a mental note to set an rm for every four hours. There was no way I was going to get this wrong.


    ¡°Do you have any questions for me?¡± The doctor took off her gloves and started to head for the door.


    ¡°Is there anything I should be doing to help Cat out more? I want to make sure I¡¯m supporting her as best I can,¡± Elio said while I dressed Emilia back up in her pajamas.


    ¡°I always rmend that couples keep up regr date nights after having their first child. It¡¯s easy to get so caught up in your new identities as parents that you forget to enjoy your time as a couple. Especially for new mothers, the transition can be difficult.¡±


    Elio nodded seriously and I knew we¡¯d end up having a scheduled out date night nned each week. He was the type of person who would do anything to help me.


    ¡°Well, I think we can n on seeing you next week, and then we¡¯ll start having longer stretches in between appointments,¡± the doctor said brightly as she opened the door. ¡°Thanks so much foring in today!¡±


    After she left, Elio loaded Emilia into her car seat. After being poked and prodded for her appointment, she was less fussy about being strapped in. I knew she¡¯d end up falling asleep in just a few moments. Her sweet little eyes already looked droopy.


    We were home again before I knew it. Elio took Emilia out of her car seat and settled her into her bass. I hoped she would get a good nap in so that I could rest as well. Iid down on our bed and hoped that Elio had the time toy down with me, but as soon as he stood up fromying Emilia down, he walked over to his closet and pulled out his suit jacket. He had opted for a more casual look for the doctor¡¯s office, but I knew that he preferred to dress up when he had business meetings.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just stay with us today?¡± I asked, my voice on the verge of begging. I was terrified after hearing that the cops had gotten involved the night before. I couldn¡¯t raise Emilia by myself. I wouldn¡¯t be able to make it if Elio was put in prison. And I didn¡¯t want that for Emilia.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have to meet with Franky and Leo. We¡¯ve got to get updates about our men. And I need to tell them what to do next.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I tried not to sound too dejected. I knew that Elio had to lead his men, and I was proud of the job he did, but it was still difficult not to wish that he could take parental leave and just forget about all of it for a while, especially now with so many threatsing from all sides. If he was at home with me, he would be safe.


    Elio crawled onto the bed and pulled me toward him so that we wereying facing each other. ¡°I know. All I ever want to do is spend all my time with you two. And trust me, we¡¯ll be going on those dates like the doctor ordered. First one is this Friday, so you better be ready, beautiful.¡±


    I smiled at his words, but I struggled to make it reach my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just so scared for you. I¡¯m trying hard to be brave.¡±


    ¡°I know you are. You¡¯re the bravest person I know. You think I¡¯m brave? No. I know it¡¯s a lot harder to stay by the sidelines while I go and put myself in danger. I could never let you do that. I don¡¯t think I would be able to handle it.¡±


    My eyes misted up at his words. He rubbed my back and pulled me even tighter. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t be gone long, okay? There might be dangerous days in my future, but today isn¡¯t one of them. I¡¯ll be back before you know it. You just take a nap with Emilia and you won¡¯t even notice I¡¯m gone.¡±


    I yawned and nodded. A nap did sound amazing. Elio kissed me on the forehead and got out of bed, tucking me in tightly in the process. With one final blown kiss to Emilia in her bass, he left.


    In spite of Elio¡¯s confidence, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he really had any reason to feel so sure that everything would be okay.


    What if it all came crashing down?

 Chapter 772 : Ongoing Threats

    <h4>Chapter 772: Chapter 772 : Ongoing Threats</h4>


    *Elio*


    I could tell that Caterina was trying to keep her worry from me as much as possible, but I knew she was stressed. I hated to leave her and Emilia, but I had a responsibility to my other family, my mafia family.


    My men would never be as important to me as Caterina and Emilia, but they were a close third. They looked up to me as their leader, and I had to make sure that they could continue to do so. Without strong leadership, our organization would fall apart from the bottom up and we would never be able to hold our own against MS13.


    I kissed Cat on the forehead and tucked her into our bed. She had been exhaustedtely from waking up to feed Emilia throughout the night. I tried to help as much as I could, but Emilia hadn¡¯t taken to bottles very well yet, so many nighttime feeds started with me and ended with Cat. I was d Caterina would be able to take a nap today after Emilia¡¯s doctor¡¯s appointment had tired her out.


    I closed our bedroom door as quietly as possible, knowing that even the smallest of movements might wake our sleeping baby. She was a sweetheart for the most part, but she could be a little bear when she was woken from her sleep.


    I called Leo from my car. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m on my way to the warehouse. I¡¯ll take the alternate route.¡± We had gotten into the habit of driving a different way to the warehouse every time so that it would be difficult to be followed.


    It was important before when we were only worried about MS13, but now that the feds were onto us, it was absolutely crucial. I did everything in my power to keep from having any normal day-to-day routines that looked out of the ordinary. If anyone was watching me, I wanted it to look like I was just a regr real estate developer and father.


    If they ever suspected anything, it would be that I sometimes did dealings with sketchy men. But that wasn¡¯t illegal. Everything we did through the real estate developmentpany waspletely above-board. I made sure that we always had thepany as a fallback in case I ever needed to get out of the life. I didn¡¯t want to get stuck in case I decided this wasn¡¯t right for my family.


    I arrived at the warehouse after a solid hour of driving in random circles. Leo and Franky were waiting for me. I hugged Leo when I saw him. There had been a scary moment there when I thought I really would never see him again. I loved him like a brother and couldn¡¯t imagine what my life would look like without Leo in it.


    ¡°Alright, tell me what you know,¡± I said as we sat down inside.


    ¡°All I know is that MS13 is less organized than they think they are,¡± Leo started, ¡°I overheard enough when they had me in their captivity to know they didn¡¯t know what the fuck to do with me once they had me in their control. They aren¡¯t experienced, in spite of what Ignacio wants us to think. He¡¯s a smart motherfucker but he¡¯s working with a bunch of idiots. I think we can use it to our favor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all excellent information,¡± I told him.


    I knew it chafed him that he had been captured in the first ce, but the fact that he was able to catch insider intel while he was there just might have made it all worth it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the numbers, boss,¡± Franky said. ¡°Two of our guys are dead. Three are unounted for, which unfortunately means they¡¯re probably dead as well. Ten have been taken in by the authorities. It¡¯s a logistical nightmare for thewyers because of how many people are dead with no clear suspects on who shot whom, but that could work to our favor. Our men know they will be rewarded greatly for not talking, but that doesn¡¯t mean the MS13 guys won¡¯t cause problems.¡±


    ¡°I suspect they¡¯ll cause as many problems as they possibly can,¡± Leo muttered.


    I agreed with him. It was likely that they would be told to nt as many false stories as possible. It would be tough for our men to stay silent if it meant that they risked spending even more time in jail, but we¡¯d make sure they would. We had enough money that we could make their families rich for years toe.


    ¡°Some of our guys will get bail, but we have a few more who have more extensive records and will definitely end up stuck there.¡± Franky sighed and pulled out a notebook that held all his notes. He had his own code that he boasted nobody would ever be able to crack. He opened the notebook to his list of names involved in the incident.


    ¡°What are we doing for their families?¡± I asked. ¡°We need to make sure it¡¯s enough that they won¡¯t ever even dream of turning on us, especially for the guys with kids. I know I would do damn near anything to get back to my baby girl if I got locked up.¡±


    Leo raised his eyebrow at me. He wasn¡¯t used to hearing me admit that there were certain things that could stop me from being loyal to the Valentino family. I never would¡¯ve thought that anything could get me to turn, but seeing my little girl¡¯s face for the first time made me realize that there wasn¡¯t much I wouldn¡¯t do for her. If she was ever in danger... I wasn¡¯t sure I could stop myself from turning on my own people if it meant I could somehow keep her safe.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be wiring money directly to their ounts, more money than any of them have ever seen. I¡¯m encouraging the families to go to Italy so that we can keep them safe, away from MS13.¡± Franky read out the names in his list. I recognized several of them as people I had grown up with.


    Times like these made me understand why my dad had been so desperate to get out of the life. This shit was painful.


    ¡°Of course, everyone who makes bail is going to immediately be sent to Italy. We¡¯ll forge them new identities and keep them over there so that they don¡¯t have to go back to prison. It won¡¯t matter what the feds have on them. They¡¯ll never find them again once they get out of the country,¡± Franky said.


    I nodded. Although I preferred to imagine that my family had a fleet of private jets simply for our own enjoyment, I knew that it really was for times like these when shit hit the fan. Everyone¡¯s passports would be confiscated if they made bail, but we didn¡¯t need passports for our jets. We had deals with every ce we ever flew. None of our travels were documented either.


    ¡°It sounds like things are as tied up as possible. I appreciate you guys. I trust you¡¯ll keep me updated as new informationes in. I¡¯m sure you understand I have to stay out of this as much as possible. If it¡¯s ever discovered that I¡¯m the Don here, I¡¯ll be thrown in prison for life.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Leo said, ¡°I owe you my life. I¡¯ll do anything to cover for you.¡±


    ¡°Well with any luck, none of us will evene close to having our involvement be visible,¡± Franky said, ¡°Trust me, we¡¯ve been in some tight spots in Italy before, but we always managed to get out of it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your advice. I¡¯m going to call up Alessandro to ask him to coordinate for us in Italy. I know he¡¯ll be able to get our guys settled over there. In a few months, Cat and I will make a trip over too.¡± I sighed as I considered how difficult it would be to pack up Emilia and take her overseas. But I did love the idea of taking her to meet my extended family.


    I could imagine how my aunts would make a big fuss over her adorable little toes and my uncles would pat me on the back as if I¡¯d had anything to do with Emilia¡¯s perfection. Everything that was good about Emilia came directly from Cat. I could never take credit for any of it.


    ¡°Alright, good meeting, guys. I¡¯ve got to get back to Cat. I told her I wouldn¡¯t be gone long.¡±


    Franky smirked. ¡°Your baby isn¡¯t even a month old and you¡¯re turning into a family man, I see.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± I said without any venom behind it. He was right; all I could think about was my family. All I cared about was my family. The only reason I wanted to take care of this bullshit with MS13 was to protect my family.


    As we were walking out of the warehouse, I got a call from an unknown number. I sighed and answered it, knowing it wouldn¡¯t be anything I wanted to hear.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hey, motherfucker,¡± Ignacio¡¯s grating voice answered.


    ¡°What the fuck do you want?¡± I growled.


    Leo looked at me questioningly. ¡°Ignacio¡± I mouthed. He clenched his fists and stopped so he could hear the conversation. I knew if he had the chance, he¡¯d tear Ignacio apart limb by limb.


    ¡°I just wondered how you were feeling knowing that your loyal followers are locked up with my men. You know we have connections that you can only dream of, right? You¡¯ll be lucky if any of your guys makes it out of that prison alive.¡± Ignacio said in a low voice.


    ¡°You won¡¯t do anything, you son of a bitch,¡± I answered.


    I had more intel than he realized. He had one single corrections officer on his payroll. He wouldn¡¯t be able to do jack shit. And if he did, mywyers would bury the entire corrections facility. Ignacio might think he had connections, but he had nothing on us.


    ¡°Wait and see, then,¡± the slimy asshole muttered. ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t stray too far from that baby of yours either.¡±


    ¡°If you value your life at all, you better stop threatening my family. I will tear you apart,¡± I yelled. ¡°You better get the fuck out of this country while you still have the chance. Your days are numbered.¡±


    I hung up before he had the chance to say anything else. I was shaking with anger.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Leo exhaled.


    Franky just shook his head. ¡°This shit is far from over.¡±


    We had a long, ugly road ahead of us.


    All I wanted to do was keep Caterina and Emilia safe.

 Chapter 773 : Family Time

    <h4>Chapter 773: Chapter 773 : Family Time</h4>


    *Cat*


    ¡°It¡¯s Mama!¡± I burst with a grin, revealing my face from behind my hands. Emilia burst into giggles at the game of peek-a-boo, wide-eyed and curious as always. Iughed, tucking my hair behind my ear as I leaned over her as shey on her y mat on the floor.


    Her cute little bunny onesie was adorable, especially as she pulled her socked foot up to her mouth, sucking on the little fake toe beans. My pride and joy, she shocked me every day by how quickly she was growing.


    Her hair had grown out little by little, changing from a light golden brown to a deeper chocte, the same color as her daddy¡¯s curls. It was still too short to say if she had his naturally curly hair, but I had seen plenty of baby photos of Elio and how he¡¯d been born with a near-perfect head of curls, so most likely not.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re gonna break some hearts when you grow up, Mama knows it,¡± I assured her even as she stared back at me cluelessly, the little rabbit ears on her onesie syed out across the floor.


    I chuckled, leaning back to kneel on my feet as her attention returned to the brightly colored cartoon whose main character was also a bunny. There was a ding from my phone from a text, and I nced at Emilia.


    With how fascinated she was by the movement of the cartoon, I knew I had a little bit of free time.


    I got to my feet, groaning from the pull of the stitches in my belly. It was getting better but not quick enough for me. I had a curious little daughter to keep up with after all. I sat on the couch, breathing out as the stitches settled once more, and grabbed my phone.


    It was a text from Elio, much to my surprise.


    ¡®On my way home.¡¯


    Well, that was unexpected, I thought. I was happy of course that he would being home to us sooner than he said, but a part of my mind wondered anxiously about why he would.


    Did something else happen?


    But as soon as I asked myself that question, I saw headlights pull into the driveway, his signature ck car unmistakable.


    ¡°Daddy¡¯s home.¡± I turned to Emilia brightly.


    It didn¡¯t take long at all until the front door opened and Elio rounded the corner with a tired smile.


    ¡°I thought you would be gone all night.¡± I chuckled.


    I saw the way his shoulders fully slumped in relief like he was a soldier long at war and I was his sweet safe haven. He came to my side, leaning over me and I gently epted the long kiss he offered.


    ¡°I missed you,¡± he murmured as a way of exnation between kisses, not letting me go until we both heard Emilia¡¯s small whine and pulled back to nce at her.


    Her little arms were iling in the air, an unhappy pout on her lips as she struggled to move them.


    ¡°So did Emilia and I.¡± Iughed at her antics, grinning as Elio chuckled and moved to pick up our little girl. She clung to him willingly, immediately tugging on his curls as he held her up on his shoulder.


    ¡°I missed my little princess, too.¡± He kissed her forehead, taking a seat next to me.


    Emilia curled into his shoulder, holding one of his curls firmly in her hand, which obviously ended up in her mouth after a minute.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I asked Elio.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded. ¡°Things are just... moreplicated now. Ignacio called. He¡¯s not going to give up.¡±


    I sighed, gently brushing my hand over my daughter¡¯s cheek, her curious eyes filled with so much innocence that it broke my heart all over again that she was born into this crazy world we lived in. I loved her so much and just wanted to protect her.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a break from everything for the rest of tonight? Tomorrow, too. Maybe we can do something together as a family, like a pic or something.¡±


    ¡°A pic?¡± He snorted.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± I rolled my eyes, pping his arm yfully. ¡°It was the first thing I came up with.¡±


    ¡°A pic sounds lovely,¡± Elio chuckled, fully rxing against the couch cushions with Emilia tucked safely in one arm and I gently pulled myself up, cuddling into his embrace. ¡°I have to call Al and let him know everything that happened, including Ignacio¡¯s new threats but after that, I¡¯m all yours. Whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Well, you get that out of the way while I feed Emilia her dinner,¡± I told him happily.


    I was excited to have a day just for our little family. Elio pouted but relinquished his daughter reluctantly. He headed to another room to give Al a call and I absentmindedly watched the cartoon ying as Emilia fed.


    Our lives have changed so much since we were as small as Emilia, but in some ways, they hadn¡¯t. We were still being chased by a madman, still tied to the mafia we were born into, and I was still hiding away like my father had done to me.


    The thought of Ignacio loomed over our heads, especially now when Emilia and I were still vulnerable. I knew how much stress Elio was under, worrying about us and the mafia family he was in charge of.


    A lot of lives wereid on his shoulders, and there was only so much I could do to take what little of that burden I could. I wanted Ignacio to go away. Whether that meant killing him or making sure to cripple him so he could never rise again, it didn¡¯t matter to me as long as he was out of our lives for good and he could never hurt anyone ever again.


    He had made a deadly mistake threatening our daughter, and I would stop anyone from hurting Emilia, no matter what it took.


    Even if I had to put a bullet in him myself.


    Emilia was already sleepy by the time Elio came back and we lounged together on the couch, entertaining our daughter, and Elio of course spoiled her as much as you could spoil a month old baby.


    All the servants had left so it was just us three, and Elio even ordered food delivered for the two of us, though we had quite a time trying to prevent Emilia from stealing her daddy¡¯s kung-pao chicken. Her grip on his fork was monstrous, though it didn¡¯t help that Elio was weak to her innocent pleading eyes.


    Once she started crying, I had to keep the food away from both of them before we had a huge mess on our hands.


    Once Emilia had fallen into a deep sleep, we headed to our room and Elio gently and carefully put her into the bass, pulling his hair from her grip and recing it with her favorite plushie and the rattle we had been sent anonymously. She stirred for a minute but fell back asleep.


    Elio and I climbed into bed and I curled into his warm eyes, sighing as we had time alone for what seemed like the first time in forever. I felt the curl of his grin as he kissed me, holding me like he would never let me go again.


    I moaned as his tongue dominated my own, his hands drawing a me across my skin as it wandered under my shirt and around my waist.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I breathed warningly, my voice barely a whisper as he had stolen all of the breath in my lungs.


    ¡°I know,¡± he murmured, his lips diving to my neck where he teased the soft point behind my ear he knew I couldn¡¯t resist, sucking to draw the blood and bruising the skin there in a mark of ownership.


    I panted, my desire rising in time with his and I moaned as his hand made its way to my swollen and tender breasts. I was embarrassed a bit but Elio had a mischievous gleam in his eye as he lifted up my shirt to expose me, unhooking my bra at the same time.


    ¡°Elio, we can¡¯t.¡± I reminded him of the doctor¡¯s orders, though it killed me as the callous on his fingers flicked against the hard red nub that had quickly stood to attention. Despite the impatient look in his eyes and the desire I could feel pressing against my thigh, Elio sighed in defeat.


    He pressed his face into my neck, just holding me as I gently pulled my shirt down. I kissed the side of his cheek, just as disappointed as he was but knowing that I wasn¡¯t ready.


    ¡°I can¡¯t have sex, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t please you,¡± I whispered in his ear mischievously, drawing my hand over where his swollen member was pressing through his pants against me. There were always other ways I could satisfy his needs.


    But Elio just chuckled, pulling my hand to his lips andying a kiss on my knuckles. ¡°No,¡± he said, kind and patient as always. ¡°I can wait until we can both be satisfied. You¡¯re worth it.¡±


    Touched, the feelings of love and warmth cradled me, and unable to control it, I jumped forward to kiss him, smiling and beaming at how lucky I was to have such an understanding and patient fiance.


    He was always putting me first, and I loved that about him so much, even if it drove me crazy sometimes.


    As our kiss drew heated again, both of us barely restraining ourselves from saying screw it and ignoring the doctor¡¯s orders, a loud cry jolted us from each other. Fast as light, we both held our hands away like kids caught by their mom, and we whirled to check on the culprit.


    Inside her bass, Emilia waved her little arms frantically, crying out loudly, and as the panic and shock passed, we both looked at one another and then burst into giggles.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have happened anyway, it seems,¡± Elio teased, rolling off of me to get to our baby.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably hungry again,¡± I said, finding it convenient now that I could just shrug my loose bra off my shoulders.


    Elio picked up our daughter, hushing her as he swayed just like my mom had taught him, making his way to me.


    I held my arms out as I sat up in bed, beaming as Emilia cuddled into my arms. She wasted no timetching on to feed. We were both clumsy in the beginning, but our bond had deepened the more time we spent together.


    Elio kissed my forehead once she was done, taking her from me to burp her. It always took a while but I settled into bed, watching my fiance with a smile as he coaxed our daughter back to sleep and then gentlyid her back down.


    She¡¯d be up in a few hours and I knew Elio would do the exact same thing, trying to give me any kind of break he could. And I loved him for it.


    I whispered as much as he came back to me, pulling me into his embrace and cuddling together in warmth. He whispered those words back to me, brushing my hair away from my face as we drifted off to get some sleep.


    For tonight and for every night after, I wished it would always be like this.

 Chapter 774 : Picnic

    <h4>Chapter 774: Chapter 774 : Pic</h4>


    *Cat*


    The next morning was a rush of excitement as we nned our family day. I fed Emilia for the morning and Elio had breakfast delivered from my favorite restaurant. He¡¯d given the cooks the day off, keeping to his promise that it would just be us and Emilia today.


    All through breakfast, I rambled on about all the ideas I had for the day and Elio just yed along with a smile, agreeing with whatever I wanted but also throwing in a few bits of his own input to keep me from going too wild.


    A trip out of the country would be too short notice, after all, and we didn¡¯t have a passport for Emilia quite yet anyway. I was determined to be outside despite the doctor¡¯s orders of not running or walking too much, so wepromised on my first idea of a nice pic in the park.


    We both settled on Point Ferman Park since it wasn¡¯t too far of a drive and wouldn¡¯t be as crowded. It was supposed to be sunny all day with a bit of wind, so it wouldn¡¯t get too hot. Elio agreed easily, just as excited as I was.


    It sounded like heaven, honestly, going to the park and having a nice pic together under the nice weather and pretending for a day like we were just any ordinary family, just a simple couple taking their newborn on her first outing.


    After breakfast, Elio took Emilia to get dressed and pack up what she needed for the drive and stay. I took a shower first, dressing in a nice bright yellow sundress and pulling my hair into a high bun.


    It wasn¡¯t the prettiest I had ever been but considering how I was still adjusting to motherhood, all with stitches across my belly, I had to say it was pretty good. I¡¯d even started to lose some of the baby weight I had put on already.


    Content with my appearance, I switched roles with Elio, letting him shower and dress as I entertained Emilia in her car seat. She was happy to just watch me finish our pic basket, moving around the kitchen to fill up anything we might need.


    I took the time to dab on some sunscreen on her soft chubby cheeks, which she didn¡¯t appreciate much, but luckily she was soothed by her pacifier and stuffed fox. Once Elio came out smelling of soap and curls still damp, I immediately beamed at him, skipping over for a kiss.


    He tasted like mint, but I didn¡¯t mind as he kept a steady hand around my waist, pulling me toward him. I lifted my head so he could get a better angle, wrapping my arms around his neck to hold on as he dominated our kiss like always.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you overwork yourself today, okay? The moment you feel ufortable, even just the slightest bit, tell me,¡± Elio warned once we broke apart.


    I knew by the serious look in his eyes that he wouldn¡¯t be taking no for an answer.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said simply, getting one more kiss in before I turned my attention to Emilia.


    Due to my restrictions, Elio loaded up the car, including taking the time to make sure the car seat was properly installed and facing the correct way.


    Once I gave Emilia her rattle, we were ready to go.


    Just as we predicted, the weather was perfect. With blue skies and fluffy white clouds, it was sunny without being overly hot, andte spring was in full bloom, getting ready to turn into the hot summer. Elio rolled the windows down, ying music from the radio. I sang along loudly and out of tune but he didn¡¯t seem to mind, grinning like a fool beneath his sunsses.


    I yfully elbowed him to join in, moving my hands to the beat and he reluctantly mumbled the song lyrics under his breath, both of us bursting out intoughter once I hit my head on the sun visor.


    Luckily, the car ride wasn¡¯t long and Emilia stayed patient the whole time, shaking her expensive silver rattle offbeat as she curiously listened to her mama make a fool of herself. I didn¡¯t mind though, seeing as both of the people I loved the mostughed at my misfortune and I got a healing kiss from Elio for it.


    Point Fermin wasn¡¯t the busiest park in LA by a long shot, but it was one of my favorites and even as empty as it seemed on such a beautiful day like this, I knew Elio had something to do with it.


    We found a nice spot in the shade by thekeside and Elio unfurled the colorful pic nket,yering it on top with one of my favorite plush throws. He even remembered to bring Emilia¡¯s baby nket, a nice purple color.


    As we unpacked, getting out drinks and Emilia¡¯s toys, I looked around at the picturesque scenery around us, down by the calmke on a perfect sunny day. I realized how lucky I was to have both Elio and our daughter, and how thankful I was to the person who had made that happen but I would never see again¨Cmy father.


    I fiddled with my father¡¯s locket around my neck, smiling as Emilia cooed softly, her curious wide eyes staring at the trees swaying in the breeze.


    The same eyes she shared with me and that I shared with him.


    I didn¡¯t believe in the afterlife or the supernatural, but I hoped he could see that I was happy, and how much I missed him.


    About an hour passed and Elio walked by the bank, carrying Emilia in his arms as he squatted to show her the turtles and frogs swimming in. She was fascinated by nature and grabbed every little nt or leaf she could, even attempting to reach out to grab the frog.


    Unfortunately, she came back with a handful of water, which caused little tears to well up in her eyes as she wailed over her disappointment. I gasped and watched Elio cheer up Emilia, wishing I was healed already so I could go y with them but unfortunately, I was sidelined this time.


    As I went to get a drink from the cooler Elio had brought, I heard the familiar ringtone of Elio¡¯s phone going off. I didn¡¯t pay it much mind at first, focused on quenching my sudden thirst, but by the time I looked up, Elio had Emilia in one hand and his phone pressed to his ear in the other and there was a gloomy look on his face.


    I caught his eye and he grimaced, mouthing an apology as he headed back toward me. I epted our daughter as he passed her to me and he rounded a bit away, pacing like he did whenever he received a distressing call.


    So much for just us today, I sighed disappointedly.


    I understood, however, that these things came up. I yed with Emilia and kept an eye on Elio as he was on the phone for a while. I couldn¡¯t overhear the conversation from where he was, but I knew it ended as he tucked his phone away and headed back to me.


    I could tell by the tense look on his face that it wasn¡¯t good news.


    ¡°New threats?¡± I asked as I nced at Emilia ying with a fallen leaf.


    Elio took a seat beside me, shaking his head. ¡°It was Franky, actually. The Feds have started asking questions. They tracked down one of our guys to ask questions about the incident, iming it was just to cover their bases, but they were incredibly interested in who he worked for.¡±


    ¡°You suspect they know?¡± I asked worriedly. That would be incredibly bad news.


    ¡°Probably.¡± Elio sighed. ¡°At least they suspect something. Our guys know not to bring me, Franky, or Leo up and we have enough aliases that they shouldn¡¯t be able to connect us to anything, but you never know with these guys. I doubt they know how big our organization is, but it¡¯s clear they¡¯re keeping an eye on us for the time being.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a deal with the LA police, right? They look the other way and you provide them with low-level criminals and cash, right?¡± I said, hesitant to bring it up because I knew how much Elio disliked buying people for money. ¡°Could you do the same with the Feds? I know it¡¯s different because they¡¯re higher ranked and government bought, but it might be worth striking a deal with them or at least a few of their members.¡±


    ¡°I would like to avoid that if I can but¨C¡± Elio sighed, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s moreplicated than a couple of crooked cops looking the other way. Nobody asks questions in LA but the federal government... they¡¯re harder to buy loyalty in. It¡¯s something we¡¯re considering though. Cat, I... I¡¯ve got to....¡±


    He avoided my gaze, staring at Emilia with a soft but apologetic look, and I knew instinctively what he was trying to say. I hid my disappointment, giving him an understanding look as I grabbed his hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You have to go in, right?¡± I smiled sadly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he blurted, looking incredibly frustrated and angry with himself.


    I could tell he was berating himself on the inside. It was killing him to break his promise but to keep us safe, he had to do what he had to do.


    ¡°I have to go in and talk with Franky about what to do. Al¡¯s got some instructions for us and it¡¯s... a mess. I don¡¯t want to leave. You know that, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do.¡± I smiled, leaning my head on his shoulder as I savored what remained of her little outing. ¡°I¡¯m sad and disappointed, of course, but I understand. I¡¯m not angry with you, Elio. Just give me a few more minutes and then we¡¯ll pack up and leave.¡±


    ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered, holding me closer so I was practically draped over hisp.


    I sighed, ncing up at the sunny skies above us that I had barely any time to appreciate.


    ¡°I love you too.¡±


    Elio made sure me and Emilia werefortable at home, apologizing over and over. I kept reassuring him I was okay and that we¡¯d be waiting for him toe home, no matter what time it was. After much of my persuading, he reluctantly left.


    I knew things would probably get worse before they got better, but I had faith in Elio that everything would be okay.


    Not wanting to be home alone, I sent a quick text to Anna, who rushed over as fast as she could, bursting in with a grin. I could always count on her to brighten my day, and we started a movie marathon of all our favorite childhood movies, showing them to Emilia.


    Anna happily carried Emilia around, singing the loud animated musicals we¡¯d both grown up with to her heart¡¯s content. I smiled, watching my baby giggle delightfully at my best friend. Even if the pic was cut short, we could still have fun here.


    I ignored everything else in the world, enjoying my time with my best friend and beautiful daughter for the rest of the day. I didn¡¯t want to think about anything else that was going on.


    I trusted my soon-to-be husband. He could handle it.


    Everything would be fine.

 Chapter 775 : Green Light

    <h4>Chapter 775: Chapter 775 : Green Light</h4>


    *Two Months Later*


    *Elio*


    ¡°Ready to go?¡± I asked with a smile, leaning against the door to our bedroom.


    ¡°Almost,¡± Cat whispered, ncing up at me from where shey on the bed, on her side with our sleeping daughter tucked sweetly to her chest. I chuckled at her reluctant expression, the adoration she felt for Emilia able to be seen by anyone who saw this heartwarming scene.


    But this tender moment was only for us.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna leave her.¡± Cat sniffed, brushing her tears from her eyes with her free hand.


    I understood her emotional response. After all, this was the first time she¡¯d be leaving Emilia since she was born.


    I brushed my hand over Emilia¡¯s soft hair. She was conked out, holding her mom¡¯s hand tightly and stuffing it into her mouth, a habit she had yet to break. When it wasn¡¯t Mama¡¯s hand, it was my curly hair.


    Emilia had grown so much, now three months old, but she was still our adorable curious little girl. I had noticed her clinginess to Cat had grown over the past few months, probably due to how often I was away and it was just them during the day.


    Things were finally calming down though.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to leave her, but we got to get to your appointment. Your mom will take great care of her. You know she will.¡± I reassured Cat as best as I could, knowing that this was hard for her.


    ¡°I know.¡± She sighed, giving me a grumpy look like I was the one who was trying to separate them.


    I just shrugged helplessly, letting her be mad as she slowly disentangled her hand from Emilia¡¯s mouth.


    Her careful movements were in vain, though. As soon as she moved, Emilia let out a whine, her eyes blinking open with a dazed expression.


    ¡°Hey, princess,¡± I whispered, scooping her up into my arms.


    She was much better at her control now, able to keep herself upright in my arms without my help. She yawned, rubbing her eyes with a chubby fist as she looked around.


    Cat got up, changing real quick as I stepped over to give Emilia to Matilde, who beamed at the sight of her.


    ¡°Alright, hand over my beautiful granddaughter.¡± Matilde didn¡¯t even wait a second as she snatched my baby girl from my hands, and Emilia burst into giggles as Matilde cooed at her, tickling her belly yfully.


    I smiled, shaking my head at how easily Emilia had won over everyone in the family. I could have sworn that Matilde and my own mother loved her more than they did me and Cat. Though I supposed it was just a grandma thing.


    ¡°Ready to go?¡± I asked Cat as she appeared, biting her bottom lip worriedly as she looked at Matilde and Emilia.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve got it, Mom?¡± Cat asked, looking for any excuse to stay.


    But Matilde wasn¡¯t having any of it. She put Emilia on one hip, her hand on the other as she huffed. ¡°Please, I raised you practically by myself half the time. We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Matilde said sternly, ¡°Now go. Your healthes first.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Cat groaned, looking despondent as she nced at her daughter. ¡°But my baby¨C¡±


    Before the waterworks coulde, I mouthed, ¡°Thanks,¡± to Matilde and grabbed Cat by the shoulders, fully pushing her out of the door. Cat red at me as I locked the door behind me, her arms crossed and fully looking like she would fight me right here in the driveway.


    ¡°Come on. The sooner we go, the sooner we¡¯ll get back.¡±


    Her eyes lit up at that and she finally got into the car. Who knew it was so difficult to get to one doctor¡¯s appointment?


    I shook my head with a sigh as we both climbed into the car, ready to go.


    ¡°The stitches are out, so I don¡¯t see why I have to go,¡± Cat said as she rolled down the windows. I pulled out of the driveway, heading to Dr. Manning¡¯s office to check out Cat¡¯s progress after the birth and C-section. ¡°I feel so much better and everything¡¯s all healed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for the doctor to decide,¡± I said firmly ignoring the re she sent my way. ¡°I just want you to be safe, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± She sighed.


    Right as we paused at a stoplight, I felt my phone buzz with a text. I kept one eye on the road, checking my phone while we were waiting, and then frowned as I saw it was Leo.


    ¡®Last guys got out today,¡¯ Leo had said.


    ¡°Everything still quiet?¡± Cat asked with a frown. ¡°MS13 hasn¡¯t been causing any trouble since Leo got taken, right?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯reying low, as we are,¡± I said, tightening my grip on the steering wheel as I thought about the bastards who had caused us so much trouble. ¡°With the Feds on both of our tails, there¡¯s nothing else they can do, especially with so many of our men still behind bars.¡±


    Cat picked up on my bad mood straight away.


    ¡°Elio,¡± she said sadly. ¡°Most of them have already gotten out on bail. They¡¯re back in Italy with new identities. There¡¯s only a handful still in jail, and there¡¯s nothing more you can do for them. You know that.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t make it right.¡± I grit my teeth. ¡°They¡¯ll probably spend the rest of their lives in jail because of this.¡±


    ¡°Honey, you¡¯re the leader of the American sect of the Italian mafia,¡± Cat said bluntly, giving me an incredulous look. ¡°Nothing you do is ¡®right.¡¯¡± She made air quotes with her fingers. ¡°Besides, all of those men knew what they were getting into. It¡¯s just part of the life they chose. And I¡¯m sure they know you¡¯re doing the best you can to make their livesfortable, even behind bars. It¡¯s why they¡¯re still loyal to you.¡±


    That part was true. Despite being locked up, none of the men we couldn¡¯t get out had sold us out, not even one. They remained steadfast in their loyalty. It ate at me that they were imprisoned and that there was nothing I could do about it though. But Cat was right.


    We¡¯d set up systems and bought prison guards to make their lives morefortable, providing them with amenities and contraband that the guards would overlook at the right price.


    But they did send a few odd requests from time to time like Barley, who only asked for microwavable fish sticks. Apparently, from our reports, he ate them straight cold. I still couldn¡¯t believe he was a real Italian, but as long as he was happy with it....


    Many of the guys of MS13 who had been captured were in a much more difficult spot. I made sure to use whatever connections I had to make their lives a living hell, even with the Feds on our asses. It was the least I could do.


    Dr. Manning¡¯s office was quite close to us, so it was all too soon that we pulled into the parking lot and headed inside. As soon as we walked inside, Cat headed for the staircase with a grimace, not wanting to climb two flights.


    Thest few times I had to carry her cause she almost tore her stitches out. And the times before that, she was pregnant, so I understood her hesitance when it came to the stairs.


    ¡°They really need an elevator,¡± Cat grumbled, standing on the first step when I grabbed her hand, giving her a small grin as I pointed down the hall. She raised an eyebrow, but let me lead her toward the bathrooms.


    And there, in between gender-neutral bathrooms, was a shiny brand-new elevator.


    ¡°They may have gotten a surprise donation for their wonderful care.¡± I smirked at the wonderstruck look on her face and she turned to me with teary eyes.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She happily hugged me and then raced to the buttons, always having to be the first to press them.


    I was happy with the elevator I had funded, sleek and fast as we stepped inside. Cat loved all the fancy lit-up buttons as it automatically took us to the second floor.


    It still had that metallic smell in it, not having been used too often, which made sense since I had it put in only a few weeks ago.


    Bethany the receptionist greeted us as we got to the lobby, giving us a huge weing smile. ¡°You look wonderful, Ms. Leone,¡± Bethany gushed as she checked us in. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you had a child only a few months ago.¡±


    I beamed with pride at my fiancee, whoughed off thepliment. But it was true. Herplexion glowed much brighter after giving birth, and all of the weight she had gained had melted off of her naturally, which both of our moms had expressed jealousy about.


    Other than the scar across her belly, it was hard to tell she had been pregnant, let alone given birth only three months ago.


    It took only a couple of minutes before Dr. Manning¡¯s nurse called us back, directing me to the room while they got Cat¡¯s height and weight. The room was more colorful, clearly having gotten a new paint job, and there were plenty of more colorful toys now in the little cubbies on the wall.


    I picked up a picture book of a little fox, making a mental note to find the series for Emiliater.


    Dr. Manning stepped in and looked over the blood work they¡¯d taken earlier when a nurse came to our house. ¡°Alright, everything looks good,¡± she said. ¡°We just need to check that scar out, and you¡¯ll be ready to go.¡±


    Cat nodded as she climbed onto the examination table, lifting up her shirt. Where the stitches had been was still red and visible, but the wound had fully closed by now.


    Dr. Manning pressed around the wound, checking for any sore spots but when she found none, she smiled.


    ¡°Congrattions, you officially have the green light for full activity,¡± Dr. Manning happily said.


    I breathed a sigh of relief, rxing now that I knew she was healthy and okay.


    ¡°I told you so,¡± Cat stuck her tongue out at me.


    I just rolled my eyes, ¡°Yeah, yeah. You were right.¡±


    Cat excitedly held my hand all the way home, chatting about everything she wanted to do now that she was cleared for walking and running and doing whatever she wanted. Once we got home, Cat happily took Emilia, lifting her high in the air and twirling around.


    ¡°Mama¡¯s all good now!¡± she cheered.


    Matilde went back to her cottage as Cat fed her and soon after, put her down for a nap in the nursery in our bedroom suite upstairs, having moved from the bass to the crib not long ago.


    Iy on the bed, happy that things seemed to be normal now that we could be in our regr suite and not downstairs. We had moved back up there about a month ago after the doctor had assured me that one flight of stairs would be okay for Cat.


    I sighed as my phone buzzed with more work that needed to be done. I knew I would have to go to the office soon. I shut my eyes, hoping to rx for just a minute or two but clearly, someone had other ns.


    She plopped straight on top of me and instinctively I grabbed her hips to make sure she didn¡¯t topple over. Cat grinned at me from above, eyes brimming with mischief.


    ¡°I have to go back to the office,¡± I told her, amused.


    But she just rolled her eyes, leaning down as her long hair fanned around us and she took my lips, biting down and pulling on my bottom lip teasingly.


    ¡°You can bete,¡± she whispered, smirking as she ran her hands over my corbone, opening my shirt button by button as she yfully coaxed me into giving her what she wanted.


    ¡°Well,¡± I smirked back. ¡°A gentleman shouldn¡¯t leave ady waiting, should he?¡±


    She groaned as I fully rolled us over, pinning her to the bed as all of the pent-up desire we¡¯d kept under lock and key for the past few months came bursting out.

 Chapter 776 : Symphony

    <h4>Chapter 776: Chapter 776 : Symphony</h4>


    *Cat*


    The way we kissed when Elio rolled atop me made me think we were going to have a hard, fast ride,


    Once Elio decided to give in to me, he slowed down, running his hands over me, giving me suckling nibbles all over my body, and making me writhe beneath him.


    On his way back up my body, he licked and teasingly bit at my inner thighs. He opened me, nipping, sucking, and licking me up like his favorite dessert. I sighed as he kissed his way back to my breasts, licking at my nipples and making me moan, recreating the ze he brought to my body all over again.


    He slipped inside me slowly, his long thick length stretching and settling within me, finding its home there. Both of us moaned in relief at the contact.


    My thighs hugged his hips, and his chest rubbed against my over-sensitized nipples as he moved within me.


    My body always sang at Elio¡¯s touch. Today, we were out of tune. He attempted to y a violin symphony while I wanted, no, needed the electric, pulse-pounding, and drum-rattling beat of rock.


    I fisted his curls and pulled his face from the crook of my neck where he¡¯d ced it while licking and nibbling at my throat. I stared into the undeniable hunger of his dark eyes and moved my hips, squeezing him with my internal muscles.


    ¡°Harder.¡± I shivered and took a deep sigh. ¡°Faster.¡± I yanked on his hair and pulled him back down to me for a hard and raw kiss to express my hunger and need.


    That was all it took.


    One minute, he was moving like a tortoise, and the next he¡¯d lifted himself on his knees, grabbed me behind my knees, and slid deeper into me. He moved like a piston, railing me hard and fast, just as I¡¯d asked.


    ¡°Ah,¡± I moaned, and I followed the strong pace he¡¯d set for us.


    I watched him watch us, and it heated my body even more.


    I leaned forward on my hands to kiss and suckle at his chest. He let go of my legs and pulled me to his chest. I wrapped my legs around him again and we fell into a mindless rhythm. As we kissed and touched each other wherever we could reach, our bodies meld and retreated over and over again. I never wanted it to end. I had him in my arms. He had me in his.


    We worked towardpletion together, our bodies drenched with sweat. We moved together, rubbing, touching. My fingers dug into his hair, while other muscles intimately clutched around him as I shook all over and fell apart in his arms.


    Elio shook too. His body lost its rhythm and paused, and I felt him throb and spill into me.


    He didn¡¯t seem to be able to hold himself up because he fell over and twisted, so I fell atop him instead of him crushing me with his heavier weight.


    Wey, spent, panting together.


    I felt energized and lethargic all at once. He trailed his fingers over my skin and hummed deep in the back of his throat. I felt it rumbling under my body. It was like he was purring. I smiled. I rubbed my fingers through the hairs on his chest and drowsed against him while he caught his breath.


    I felt him shift, pulling his body from beneath mine, slowly as if not to wake me. Iy quiescent and listened to him get up to walk to the bathroom. He returned soon and sat on the side of the bed. I feltforted with him there beside me. I slipped into a soft slumber, but then I felt him stand, and it woke me.


    I knew he had to go. I didn¡¯t want him to leave. But I never wanted him to leave anymore.


    I wouldn¡¯tin or beg him to stay home. I knew he had business to tend to. He couldn¡¯t do it from the house. He couldn¡¯t make calls or have the conversations he needed to have here. There was no telling whether the Feds knew about his involvement with the family and its organization, and if they did, they¡¯d be listening to every phone call and could have had the house bugged, for all we knew. He had to meet with his people in person.


    If I asked him to stay, I¡¯d not only make him feel bad about abandoning me and our baby, but I¡¯d look bad. I knew the deal. I¡¯d agreed to be a part of it. He had a family to care for, people to take care of outside of Emilia and me.


    Thinking of our sweet happy baby girl made me smile. I didn¡¯t want to worry about Elio, but I did. I felt bad for being relieved he wasn¡¯t with his men the day they were arrested. I didn¡¯t want my fianc¨¦ behind bars regardless of his associations and what they meant in our lives.


    Sure, it was dangerous. asionally, Elio conveniently forgot to share something or t-out lied to keep me out of the loop, which utterly pissed me off, but I knew he was a good man and I loved him despite the danger and mystique of our lives.


    I wanted him to tell me when things went down because I needed to be prepared to protect myself and Emilia if need be. I didn¡¯t know why I couldn¡¯t get that through Elio¡¯s thick, curly-haired head. He¡¯d been doing better ofte, or at least I thought he was.


    He kissed me goodbye and left.


    Not long after, I heard my baby¡¯s cry, and the sound of her calling for me in her own little way made me smile and grab a robe to go to her.


    ¡°Hello, how¡¯s Mama¡¯s girl?¡± I asked, picking her up from the crib and pulling her close.


    It was always a relief to have her in my arms. She kept me grounded in reality. My thoughts didn¡¯t wander and meander into fear and concern. I didn¡¯t have time to worry when she needed feeding and changing.


    I hummed an off-tune nursery song I only knew the melody to. I loved it, but I couldn¡¯t for the life of me remember all the words.


    I took her to the changing table, listening to her gurgles and watching her suck at her fist the way she did when she was hungry.


    ¡°I¡¯m going as fast as I can,¡± I said, wiping and powdering her. She kicked her little legs and stared at me as if to say, hurry updy.


    Iughed at myself, as she continued to suckle furiously at her fist. After putting on a new diaper, I put her into a new romper and we settled in the rocking chair in the nursery, and let Emiliatch on, humming to her and watching her little cheeks move while she gobbled her meal.


    I smiled at her as I lifted her to my shoulder to burp her. I felt a pang of sadness, thinking of the day when Elio did this for her at the park. Tears pricked my eyes.


    It seemed that no matter what, I couldn¡¯t help my thoughts from wandering to Elio no matter how hard I tried. I breathed in deep and released the breath.


    didn¡¯t want my tension and worry to transmit to Emilia. She didn¡¯t need to deal with my anxiety. I remembered reading somewhere that babies could feel what their parents felt. I didn¡¯t want to give her a tummy ache or to sour my milk. She needed my milk, so I¡¯d stay calm and steady for her.


    I switched her to my other breast and let hertch on. She was still wide-eyed and curious. I smiled down at her and told her a fairytale about the angels and how they talked to babies. There was one baby that never lost her angel. She talked to him always, and no one believed her that she wasn¡¯t talking to herself. When she was young, she got away with it because people said she had an imaginary friend.


    When she got older, people shunned her and called her a liar. But one day, when she was being taken off to the asylum, her angel dropped to the Earth at her feet. He had fallen from the heavens to save her, and they lived happily ever after.


    By the time I was finished with the story, Emilia was drowsy again. I was a little surprised, but I burped her again and rocked her on my shoulder while I checked my phone¡¯s GPS to see where Elio¡¯s phone was.


    He was at the warehouse again. He was there more than at his everyday job. I didn¡¯t want him to get caught up in the gangster round-up the cops and FBI were making.


    I could hear his voice in my head. ¡°We have toy low for now.¡±


    I wanted him safe, which was likely at the expense of others. It made me feel like a heel, but it was the truth.


    Still, I hoped things for the organization would quiet down soon so Elio could be home more with his family and leave behind the things that could get him either killed or put in prison.

 Chapter 777 : Dangers in My World

    <h4>Chapter 777: Chapter 777 : Dangers in My World</h4>


    *Elio*


    I had plenty to do, but this had to be taken care of. As the head of the family in the US, I couldn¡¯t just let shit go. I had to make sure the families of my men in lock-up were taken care of. The women and children would be provided for, no matter what. The older boys would be taken under the uncles¡¯ wings and the girls would be married to good men. We took care of our own.


    So, the warehouse meetings had to keep going whether I liked being away from my small immediate family or not. I thought about my woman sleeping in our bed as I left her and my daughter in that big house alone. They were as safe as I could make them until I got home and could ensure their safety myself, but a part of my heart was there with them.


    I drove up to the warehouse, having made sure I didn¡¯t have a tail, and parked the car out of sight of any passers-by.


    I was working less and less at my legit job.


    My men in lock-up were alright. They were happy to know their families were being taken care of, and I made sure they had whatever they wanted or needed while they were in there. Our mafia family had people on the inside that would look the other way when any contraband was slipped in and our boys had something they weren¡¯t supposed to have. All our men had phones so they could contact their wives and children. They had tablets, and some of them even ran cons and games from their cells.


    These were the men I could most trust either not to get caught or to do whatever they needed to do to keep themselves out of trouble. They didn¡¯t do stupid shit like running their traps and getting noticed by the wrong guards. We knew our men on the inside, and they still kept their heads down and ran whatever operations they could from the inside. They got paid for their work and their families were inpounds much like mine and Cat¡¯s.


    I didn¡¯t y my men and I made sure they were taken care of whether they were on the inside or not. Yeah, what we did was dangerous, but I tried to make sure everybody in my organization was safe. If they were stupid and caused fire to rain down on us, then we did what we had to do with them as well. Either way, I took care of business and made sure things remained as calm as they could.


    The shit that went down with MS13 was out of my control, and it pissed me off. I wanted to kill all of them for the way they¡¯d threatened Cat and our baby, but I couldn¡¯t without getting more of my men either killed or behind bars, and there were enough of us in the ground or jailed. I wouldn¡¯t take that chance right now when shit was so hot.


    The Feds were already sniffing around too much. I wasn¡¯t going to do anything to increase the heat and make Cat worry more than she already did.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with MS13?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing right now,¡± Frankie said.


    ¡°Nothing going down at all?¡±


    ¡°No, but we should take them out of the game while we got the chance,¡± Frankie said.


    I contemted Frankie¡¯s suggestion. I¡¯d just had the same thought myself, but I knew now wasn¡¯t the time.


    ¡°Things are too hot right now,¡± I said. ¡°Besides, we¡¯d need some of our own guys inside to take care of the ones in prison. We can¡¯t use the ones we have in there because they¡¯d be the first one suspected.¡±


    Frankie sighed at my reasoning but answered the initial question I asked instead of arguing his point. We all knew what the price was if we stirred the pot right now.


    ¡°Those bastards areying low. About half of their men that were arrested are out now. The rest are still inside. They ain¡¯t taking any chances right now either.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯d hate to have to break my own rules and kill those assholes if they make a move against us.¡±


    ¡°Their not our biggest problem right now,¡± Frankie said with a scowl.


    I nodded with a grimace of my own. ¡°The Feds,¡± I stated simply.


    ¡°We need to do something about them,¡± Frankie said, his tone damn near an order.


    While I gave the orders, I wasn¡¯t above listening to my men, especially Frankie or Leo. I didn¡¯t like paying people off or having Feds in my pocket. I hated the Feds on principle. Why in hell would I pay them to keep their mouths shut or to look the other way? But I had to admit that Frankie was right this time.


    ¡°What do you suggest we do?


    Frankie rattled off a few familiar names and some I didn¡¯t know. I remembered one of the names and thought Frankie was on to something when he mentioned Mark Welton. I¡¯d heard about him from murmurs throughout the organization, and even other families had talked about his shady dealings.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been watching them for a while now, and I think we should move on our n to try to put one or two of them on our payroll.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked, hoping he¡¯d say something like no, I¡¯m not sure, but he nodded his agreement. I fucking hated the Feds, and now I had to depend on them to keep me and my family safe. I wasn¡¯t happy about that at all.


    ¡°Give me a minute, and we¡¯ll leave after I make this call.¡±


    Frankie nodded, knowing I was calling home.


    I stepped outside, lit a cigarette to make it look like I was just another bro hanging on the block with a cigarette and a drink in my hand on the phone talking to my girl. I leaned my shoulders against the dingy wall of the warehouse, lifted one foot, and settled in to talk to Cat while keeping a watch and smoking.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked without preamble.


    ¡°Nothing, I just wanted to check in and tell you I won¡¯t be home for a while.¡± I winced at the palpable anger in her loaded silence. Sometimes, silence could be louder than the thumping of loudspeakers with the base sending vibrations through the air and your body.


    ¡°Why are you going to bete?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you right now. I¡¯ll fill you in when I get home,¡± I said, hearing her taking a calming breath.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll see you when you get home. Just be careful, okay?¡±


    I nodded, forgetting she couldn¡¯t see me. I knew she was pissed¨Cit was in her tone and in those loaded silences. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll see you then,¡± I said, hitting the end call button on the screen and crushing the cigarette that I hadn¡¯t even smoked.


    She was upset, even though she knew I couldn¡¯t always talk on the phone, even when I wanted to tell her everything. Though the warehouse was in a secluded location, there could be people around that I couldn¡¯t see.


    Yeah, it sounded paranoid, but it wasn¡¯t when everyone around me could be a potential rat orw enforcement officer. I¡¯d have to deal with Cat¡¯s angerter. I couldn¡¯t let it follow me into what I had to do tonight. If I did, I¡¯d make mistakes that could be detrimental to me and my men.


    ¡°Everything all right?¡± Leo asked.


    ¡°Sure, at least it will be, but it has to be done.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, ¡®bout this,¡± Frankie said.


    ¡°Not your fault, Frankie,¡± I said, locking and loading with my men and following them to the less conspicuous sedan we kept on hand for surveince.


    ¡°You know where he¡¯s gonna be tonight?¡± Leo asked.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s at the bar he always goes to in the French Quarter,¡± Frankie exined.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit noticeable?¡± I asked, thinking Frankie was out of his mind.


    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s a hole in the wall. It¡¯s a real drinking hole, none of that touristy shit that the other Feds hang out in.¡±


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t it have been one of the diners rise owns?¡±


    Leo groused.


    "Because that would be too much like easy,¡± Frankie responded.


    I chuckled at their back-and-forth banter. They were blowing off steam. This could go really bad if the Fed was above board and caught us watching him.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know, Frankie. Why didn¡¯t you just seduce the pretty little blonde Fed?¡± Leo asked, switching his ever-present toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other.


    ¡°She¡¯s a she-cat in bed, but I couldn¡¯t stand her giggle.¡±


    ¡°Did you really fuck her?¡± I asked, curious.


    Frankie looked in the rearview mirror and shed his sexiest grin at me.


    I shook my head at him. ¡°Living dangerously these days?¡± I asked, while Leo scoffed.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± Leo used.


    ¡°Sure, I did,¡± Frankie said. ¡°She was a sexy little thing, and I couldn¡¯t have turned her if both our lives depended on it, so I left her alone.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re nuts. You know that?¡± Leo asked.


    ¡°I wanted a piece of that hot little ass, and what a way to do surveince.¡±


    ¡°I have to say, I¡¯m agreeing with Leo on this one,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re fucking nuts. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d get in bed with a Fed, no matter what the reason or how hot they are.¡±


    ¡°Cat would cut your dick off, so you¡¯d better not be getting in bed with anyone other than her,¡± Frankie said, making me burst intoughter. He was right. Cat would kill me if I even thought about another woman like that.


    She had nothing to worry about. She was the sexiest woman on the, and she was the only woman I could even imagine being with.


    ¡°Point made, my friend,¡± I said anyway, as we parked outside the seedy-looking bar Frankie had driven us to.


    We went in, sitting at one of the back tables, nursing a beer each, as we watched the federal agent. We all had to drive, so we didn¡¯t order more than two beers. We ordered food because in truth I was starving. I hadn¡¯t eaten since breakfast and my lovemaking with Cat had worn me out, but I¡¯d had to get up and leave.


    It had taken everything in me to slide out of bed and leave her alone in our bed. She didn¡¯t know how leaving her affected me, and I probably would never tell her.


    The entire time we sat at the far table watching the Fed, he didn¡¯t make any deals or do anything shady. We had to be sure what we were getting ourselves into, so we decided not to approach him tonight. We¡¯d have to keep a watch on him to decide whether we could trust him enough.


    We needed to know what the Feds were up to, and having someone on the inside was the only way to do that. As we watched Welton leave the bar, we sat in silence for a few moments. Leo left first to keep a bead on him, while Frankie and I stayed to pay the bill and decide our next steps.


    ¡°I think you should go on home,¡± Frankie said. ¡°Me and Leo can handle it from here.¡±


    ¡°Okay, keep me up to speed on what¡¯s going down.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I will,¡± he said. ¡°We can meet in a couple of days at the warehouse to give you the details and make a final decision about Welton.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Take me back to my car.¡±


    Frankie took me back to the SUV I¡¯d driven to the warehouse.


    When I got home, she was already in bed. I came in a bit loudly though I didn¡¯t mean to, and heard her stirring in bed.


    ¡°Cat?¡±

 Chapter 778 : Arguments

    <h4>Chapter 778: Chapter 778 : Arguments </h4>


    *Cat*


    ¡°I¡¯ll be homete.¡±


    The moment I received that call from Elio, I knew exactly what bullshit he was trying to pull. I had tried to give him the benefit of the doubt at first, asking him why and giving him a chance to exin but of fucking course, he avoided all of my questions like it was a game of dodgeball.


    Elio never workedte. He said he wanted to spend as much time at home with me and Emilia as possible, so he always made sure to leave work on time. Except in emergencies like when MS13 attacked or kidnapped somebody, he always came home to y with Emilia and have dinner with me.


    But not this time.


    I fumed silently, throwing my phone away as I focused on taking care of Emilia, alone. I fed Emilia and then ate dinner, alone. I spent hours putting Emilia to bed, alone.


    And most importantly, I paced our bedroom anxiously all alone. Sleep evaded me as anger roiled like a storm in my chest and I was hit with a brief feeling of deja vu as I sat at the edge of our bed.


    How many times had this happened?


    How many times had Elio kept information from me because he wanted to protect me, then we fought about it, and then once he hit me with those sad puppy-dog eyes, I caved and forgave him? I groaned, throwing myself backward on the bed as I realized it was more than I could count on one hand.


    God, I loved Elio, but this issue had been urring since the beginning of our rtionship. Over and over, he thought he was protecting me by not telling me what was going on, but it just drove me nuts and I ended up involved anyway.


    I was so tired of advocating for myself, of telling Elio over and over that I could take care of myself, that I didn¡¯t need his protection. Yet, he kept on doing this.


    I hated this.


    I hated feeling so helpless as he was out there risking his life in who knows what and I had no clue what he could possibly be doing. I hated not knowing there were dangers surrounding us, hated feeling like a burden that Elio had to hide away.


    But most of all, I hated feeling like I couldn¡¯t trust him, like I was just some collector¡¯s item he kept all to himself, that my only worth was looking pretty and being hidden away.


    I felt like a pretty doll in a collector¡¯s case, just watching everything from the outside while he kept me locked up in the name of protection, just to keep me in pristine condition. But I wasn¡¯t a doll. I was a human being with real feelings and real thoughts.


    I was anxious and upset. I was as angry as a fire raging through a forest, as anxious as the bottom of a whirlpool, as mncholic as the grey skies on a rainy day.


    I knew that Elio cared about me, loved me more than himself but sometimes it felt like his love was suffocating. Like he¡¯d rather wrap his hands around my eyes and neck than hold onto my heart.


    Forgiveness was the kind thing to do but I didn¡¯t know how much kindness I had left in my heart. My patience for Elio had waned with every incident and now, I didn¡¯t know if I had the strength to be the bigger person this time.


    Iy there, feeling as empty as a discarded stic bottle, ignoring my phone even as texts came ringing in one after the other. I didn¡¯t know how long Iy there, neglecting the world around me until I heard the sound of the front door opening.


    His footsteps were heavier and rushed than usual as he came up the stairs, creakng loudly and I thought, ¡®I hope he doesn¡¯t wake up Emilia¡¯ before he came crashing into the bedroom door.


    ¡°Cat?¡± I could hear the rm in his voice and I sighed, throwing my arm off of my head as I got to my feet. Just the sight of him had my anger taking control, like an infection that spread to all of my other emotions until it was all I could feel.


    ¡°Where were you?¡± I demanded coldly.


    ¡°At work,¡± he answered immediately, then he frowned as he approached me cautiously. He reached a hand out to touch my cheek. ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    I heaved a sigh, not wanting to fight with him but also not wanting to let this go either. It was a lose-lose so I might as well be mad. I stepped away from his touch, brushing his hand away from me and ignoring the hurt look on his face as I did so.


    ¡°And what were you doing at work, Elio? Chasing another bad guy and putting your life in danger so you can hide things from me yet again?¡± I snapped and his face fell. I could see the shame and guilt in his eyes but there was no remorse.


    And wasn¡¯t that just a p in the face?


    ¡°It was just a bit of surveince,¡± Elio said calmly, shrugging it off like he hadn¡¯t lied to me earlier today, hadn¡¯t left me alone with no answers yet again so I could anxiously and angrily stew in my own feelings.


    ¡°On who?¡± I crossed my arms, waiting for an answer from his own lips.


    Elio opened his mouth to reply but the minute he met my re, he withered, hanging his head. ¡°We were surveilling a potential Fed we could buy out,¡± he admitted reluctantly.


    ¡°So why was it so difficult to tell me that?¡± I snapped. ¡°Did you think it was okay just to leave me anxious and stressed out all day or were you hoping I didn¡¯t even notice? That I would obediently let you do whatever you wanted and hide away here like some damsel in distress!¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± he argued back, and I could see his temper rising to match mine but I wasn¡¯t giving up on this so easily. Not this time. ¡°It¡¯s just my job, Cat. I was working! I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re making such a big deal out of this! You were the one who told me to go out and work and now you¡¯re snapping at me for it? Make up your damn mind!¡±


    My eyes narrowed dangerously on him and I could see the moment he realized he had gone too far.


    ¡°Well, thanks for telling me what¡¯s actually going on,¡± I said coldly.


    ¡°Cat, I¨C¡± He reached out for me but I dodged him, heading to the side of my bed and grabbing my pillow. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bed. Away from you,¡± I said, fuming as I tried to storm past him but he grabbed my wrist, pulling the pillow out of my grip as he held it above his head childishly.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± he said firmly. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry but¨C¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not!¡± I shouted, finally having enough. I red at him with all of the anger and pent-up feelings I¡¯d been repressing every time this happened. ¡°You do this again and again and I forgive you and you think it¡¯s okay but it¡¯s not! It¡¯s not okay, Elio and I¡¯m tired of it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to protect you!¡± he snapped back. ¡°Is that such a crime?¡±


    We stood on opposite sides of the room, equal bitter res level at one another and I hated this. I hated being on opposite sides but I couldn¡¯t forgive him this time. I didn¡¯t have it in me. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the raging bottle of emotions that was threatening to break open and flood out.


    Once I felt stable, I opened my eyes, staring at Elio with a firm look.


    ¡°One day, Elio,¡± I said as calmly as I could, ¡°You¡¯ll learn that I don¡¯t need your protection.¡±


    And I stormed to his side of the bed, snatched up his pillow, and stormed out of the bedroom.


    ¡°Cat¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t follow me,¡± I snapped behind me at his figure as he stood in our bedroom doorway. I gripped the pillow tighter, hating every part of this as I told him, ¡°I need the rest of the night alone.¡±


    His sad eyes watched me as I stormed away but just like I asked, he didn¡¯t follow me.


    He could have the bed and the baby monitor, he could have the room to himself, maybe it would finally drive some sense into his thick skull.


    Though I doubted it.


    I crept into the nursery as quietly as I could, and despite the fight I¡¯d just been through, a small smile crept onto my face as I heard her little snores. She sounded like a little piggy snorting and I found all of the tension from the fight dissipating.


    I took a spare nket from the hallway closet, and settled down on the daybed we¡¯d put into the nursery. Originally, we had nned for me to spend all my time there but the C-section had put me on the first floor.


    Now, though, I finally had a chance to test it out. Turns out, it wasn¡¯t great.


    It could¡¯ve been my bad mood or the sour feeling left in my heart from the mood but I didn¡¯t sleepfortably that night. I spent my time shifting trying ot getfortable, alternating between it being too hot or too cold, and by the time I finally found a ce I liked, Emilia had woken up for her nightly feed.


    I didn¡¯t bother settling her back into the crib, letting her cuddle up next to me as she quickly fell back asleep. When I finally drifted off into a light sleep, it was a restless one. Dreams of mming doors and arguing from a couple just off in the other room lingered in my mind¨Chow my father would make the same excuses Elio did, saying it was all for our protection, and how my mother would argue back, begging to be taken seriously... how a little me, tiny and defenseless, stared through the cracked kitchen door, watching them fight.


    I jerked myself awake when the shadowy figures of my parents turned to look at me, their eyes a burning vivid red.


    I stroked Emilia¡¯s soft hair, thinking deeply all night as I both tried to get some sleep and tried not to. The few times I slept after that were haunted by simr dreams, of anger and fighting and burning red eyes staring at me usingly.


    It was a restless night, and though a part of me wished to go back to bed with Elio, to have his arms around me so I could stop tossing and turning and finally get some sleep, my anger prevented me from doing so.


    ¡®Let me be angry just a little bit longer,¡¯ I thought to my exhausted self. ¡®Just a little longer.¡¯

 Chapter 779 : Trust at Zero

    <h4>Chapter 779: Chapter 779 : Trust at Zero</h4>


    *Cat*


    I thought I would wake up to the sound of Emilia wailing for her morning breakfast as I usually did, but when I returned to the waking world, my body was stiff and my mind still exhausted, it wasn¡¯t to Emilia in my arms but to the smell of freshly sizzling bacon.


    My nose had always been stronger than my ears, that was what my mom used to tell me and she was right as before I even opened my eyes, I was sitting up to follow the smell. Theck of proper restst night had truly taken a lot of out me as I didn¡¯t even check on Emilia¡¯s crib for her at first until I was halfway out the doorway.


    By then, I had whirled around to see it was empty.


    I didn¡¯t panic at first, knowing that Elio and my mom would often cover for me on long mornings by feeding her by bottle. My milk wase-and-go at this point, so I left a few bottles in the fridge just in case as always.


    I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, wandering down the hall towards the delicious smell of roasted breakfast meats. My mouth was already watering as I entered, only to hear a very familiar voice singing a very familiar tune.


    Emilia¡¯s favorite cartoon was ying in the background as Elio stood in the kitchen, holding her in one arm as she tried to eat his hair and watch the cartoon ying on the TV at the same time. I supposed she liked the sounds since she probably couldn¡¯t really see it yet.


    Elio himself was focused entirely on the steaming hot breakfast he was cooking, shuffling around as he whistled to the tune of the opening song.


    I stared at the scene in sheer wonder for a minute before Elio caught sight of me and gave me a sheepish grin.


    ¡°Oh, hey,¡± he said awkwardly, then held up the pan of freshly cooked bacon. ¡°Breakfast? The cooks have ate start day today.¡±


    I nodded jerkily, too tired to give him another answer as I just held my hands out for Emilia and he pouted, reluctantly passing her over. I could see him wince though as she pulled a few of his hair out.


    ¡°She¡¯s fed, diaper changed, and dressed for the day,¡± Elio said proudly, turning back to the breakfast as he continued to hum the song even after it had ended.


    I blinked blearily at the somewhat odd sight, ncing at my daughter who sent me a clueless look as well, though I doubted she understood anything at this point.


    Elio gently set a cup of coffee in front of me, the steam and smell of the freshly brewed beans giving me life as I took a sip. I gave a small smile at Elio¡¯s back. He had made it exactly as I liked it.


    ¡°Cat.¡±


    I hummed in response, too tired as Elio turned to me with a te with a bagel smeared with cream cheese, bacon, and some cheesy scrambled eggs. My eyes were on the food and nothing else as Elio set it in front of me.


    ¡°Aboutst night, I¡¯m¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said firmly, my voice raspy from the long night. I sent him a tired look. ¡°Talk to meter. I¡¯m too tired right now. Just... I need to wake up, okay?¡±


    There was a begging tone in my voice that I hadn¡¯t intended there to be, but Elio seemed to see how exhausted I was and how little sleep I had actually gotten and nodded solemnly. His own te of food was half the bacon I had with two bagels and a huge helping of scrambled eggs and I was a little bit happy inside to see how well he knew me.


    We ate in a calm and peaceful silence, though the fight fromst night still lingered in the back of our minds. All of the anger and determination I¡¯d hadst night had just drained out of me after back-to-back nightmares.


    I just didn¡¯t want to fight anymore.


    Once we were both finished, I took Emilia to the living room, putting her on her y mat so she could watch TV and y at the same time, and then copsed on the couch sideways.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t sleep well?¡± Elio asked as he lifted up my feet so he could sit down, tucking them into hisp.


    I snuggled them into his warm side, sighing as my cold toes started to warm up. I nodded to his question, not really wanting to talk but knowing we had to.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry aboutst night, Cat. I... I should¡¯ve respected your feelings, but I¡¯m so goddamn terrified that something is going to happen to you. That I¡¯ll put you or Emilia in danger.¡± Elio exined.


    There was a pause as he let me digest his words before I finally responded.


    ¡°I know.¡± was all I said in return and he gave me an incredulous nce.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want from me, Elio,¡± I sighed, sitting up and wincing at the ache in my back. ¡°We¡¯ve been over this so many times. I just... I¡¯ve heard it all before and you¡¯ve heard my arguments before and I just... I don¡¯t know what else to do. I¡¯m just tired of it all.¡±


    There was no anger left in me, just pure exhaustion as I leaned my back against the couch, unsure of where to go from there. One of us had to give in and it was clear that it wasn¡¯t going to be Elio.


    No matter how many times this happened, it was the same thing over and over again. Maybe it was time for me to ept that this was what was going to happen, that I couldn¡¯t have the partnership with Elio that I wanted. That he was going to hide and lie to me and there was nothing I could do to prevent it.


    Or, I thought as a seed of something was nted in my mind, Maybe I just needed to find out what he was doing from someone other than him.


    Elio apologized again and again, holding me tightly and trying to exin himself but I just silently nodded, too tired to argue as I finally let it all go. I loved him and I had to ept every part of him, even the ones that infuriated me.


    But after he was sure that I forgave him, Elio finally told me everything¨Chow he brought up my suggestion to buy one of the Feds to Al, who agreed to the n, how he and Franky chose the shadiest guy they could find, one who they were sure would be the easiest to crack, and how they set out that night to watch him on a stake-out, to find everything they could about his life.


    ¡°We had two main goals to aplish so Al thought it could work. The n was to set him up,¡± Elio said calmly like he wasn¡¯t talking about ruining some guy¡¯s life. ¡°Make him think the Feds were going to turn against him. It happens more than you think and if he¡¯s been with them as long as he has, he probably knows a lot of shady things the government¡¯s done. Once he was ours, we wanted to get our guys out first. Normally, we¡¯d do a jailbreak if there was no other option left but security¡¯s tighter than it was in the past few years plus we don¡¯t wanna risk breaking out the MS13 guys still inside.¡±


    ¡°And the other reason you wanted him?¡± I asked quietly. ¡°You said there were two main goals.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Elio nodded, a determined glint in his eyes. ¡°Crush MS13 once and for all. If we can get ess to the Feds database and what they know about us, then we can presumably ess what they know about MS13. Based on what we know and what they know, it might be possible to track them down to an actual location. They¡¯ve been a thorn in our sides for too long, we have to eliminate them before they be a bigger problem.¡±


    I could Elio was trying to convince himself more than me, that the bloodshed he was talking about was right. But contrary to Elio¡¯s hesitance, I had no remorse for these bastards. They went after our daughter, our precious sweet three-month-old daughter.


    Going after me was one thing but the moment they tried to touch my baby, they had signed their death warrant. And if Elio was still hesitant about waging a full out war, I was already nning to go above his head to Al.


    They wouldn¡¯t be getting away from this unscathed.


    ¡°Thanks for finally telling me,¡± I said cooly, making sure my face didn¡¯t betray the dark thoughts I had been thinking.


    ¡°I really am sorry, Cat,¡± Elio said, giving me those sad eyes that always weakened me, as he brought my hand to his lips. ¡°I was being too overprotective. I didn¡¯t mean to make you anxious.¡±


    I knew he was being sincere. But I also knew this wasn¡¯t going to be thest time he did this. So I just smiled, crawling forward to wrap my arms around him, sitting in hisp as I buried my head in his shoulder with a breath of relief.


    ¡°I¡¯m always going to be anxious,¡± I said quietly. ¡°I love you.¡±


    He made a sound like he was being gutted, pulling back to immediately kiss me, holding me tightly enough that it was almost painful. I didn¡¯t mind though as I shut my eyes, relishing as I feltfortable for the first time sincest night.


    We were interrupted, of course, by a call from Elio¡¯s phone. He groaned, breaking our kiss to stare hatefully at the phone on the coffee table and I smiled, pulling back to cuddle up in my fort at the other end of the couch.


    ¡°Go on, I¡¯m probably going to take a nap once Momes,¡± I told him truthfully. I was exhausted and as much as I loved Emilia, I needed a break after everything.


    He nodded, getting to his feet to grab the phone. I barely listened, only hums and nodsing from him before he hung up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotta go,¡± Elio said. ¡°Franky said it was important but he didn¡¯t give details. I¡¯ll tell you all about it when I get home, I promise.¡±


    I nodded my trust in that promise at zero. I hoped he would follow through with that but I had no expectations that he would. He¡¯d said the same thing before over and over.


    He kissed me on the forehead, rushing out of the door and I nced out the window until his car was fully gone from the driveway.


    Mom came in not long after that, took one look at me, and firmly said, ¡°I¡¯ll be taking Emilia for the day,¡± before she began to pack my daughter¡¯s bags. I was so damn grateful for her even as I had to say goodbye to Emilia.


    I loved her but even I knew I had reached a limit.


    When they were gone and I was finally alone, I curled up into the dozen nkets, cocooning myself like I had when I was pregnant, and finally gotfortable, my eyes fluttering closed.


    Two thoughts popped into my head as I faded out of consciousness.


    One, that as much as I loved Emilia and I loved being her mother, I knew I wasn¡¯t housewife material. I couldn¡¯t just stay at home minding my own business. I had to be involved in Elio¡¯s life. I didn¡¯t have to know everything, of course, but I needed to have more openmunication about what my fiance was doing and what he was getting into so I could be prepared to be there for him to fall back on.


    And if he wasn¡¯t going to include me in that, then I had to find my own way to get that information. Leo and Franky were dead-ends but perhaps I didn¡¯t need them. Perhaps there was another way.


    My second thought as I fell into a deep, needed sleep was that I should¡¯ve just slept out herest night.

 Chapter 780 : The War Is Over

    <h4>Chapter 780: Chapter 780 : The War Is Over</h4>


    *Elio*


    I drove to the warehouse in tense silence, my hands gripping the steering wheel hard enough that they turned white and I couldn¡¯t help but remember the bloody scene MS13 had left behind before.


    And the threats they had echoed since then.


    MS13 had been quiet since Ignacio¡¯sst call to threaten us and I was hoping that with the Feds on both of us, they would remain that way. At least until things calmed down. There had only been a few small incidents since the major firefight and all of them we had quickly crushed with more force than was necessary probably. We always came out on top.


    It was Al¡¯s idea, to show them that the Valentino Family was unbreakable.


    But the serious tone in Franky¡¯s voice as he called me, telling me to get there as fast as I could had left me thinking I was wrong.


    I didn¡¯t know what the emergency he was talking about could be but Franky never sounded the rm unless it was of great importance. Another strung-up body in our warehouse? Another kidnapping?


    I had no idea what it could be but with MS13, I knew it was never good.


    I pulled into the driveway, and the warehouse was pretty quiet, much to my surprise. Only a few cars were parked outside, one I noticed being Franky¡¯s. As soon as I stepped out of my car, the scorching heat of the sun and the dryness of the actual desert we were in was unbearable.


    I brushed away the sweat forming on my brow, cursing myself for wearing ck on such a hot day as I made my way to the entrance. A group of our guys all outside smoking nodded at me as I passed and I eyed the growing pile of crushed butts at their feet, giving them a stern look.


    ¡°Sorry, Boss,¡± one said immediately, picking up on the hint. ¡°We¡¯ll clean it up.¡±


    I nodded to them as they murmured simr words, heads low in respect as I entered. The air conditioning we paid out here was certainly worth it as it felt like going from the Sahara to an actual winter wondend.


    Thank god for modern wonders.


    Franky was up in the surveince area as usual, chewing on what looked like a toothpick. There were boxes of takeout piled up on the table he worked at, nearly drowning him and hisptop but he didn¡¯t seem to care.


    Based on the shadows under his eyes and his slicked-back hair, he hadn¡¯t gone homest night.


    ¡°What¡¯s the emergency?¡± I asked as I took one of the free seats, sitting on it backward as I tended to do and he gave me a scathing look in response.


    ¡°You could at least try to look dignified,¡± he snorted. ¡°Then maybe somebody would be fooled into taking you seriously.¡±


    While I would¡¯ve been offended a year ago, I knew Franky and his aggressivements. As much as he wanted to y the devil¡¯s advocate and piss me off at the same time, I knew there was actually a hint of hidden concern in his words... either that or he was taking his bad mood out on me again. Whichever it was, I took no offense as I just waved at him to exin what he called me down here for.


    ¡°Ignacio reached out,¡± Franky sighed, taking out one of our burner cells and passing it toward me.


    I grabbed it, seeing the one number saved matched the one Ignacio would call from to threaten us.


    After the fire-fight, he¡¯d learned his lesson and the number was untraceable now, always showing from impossible locations. After all, he couldn¡¯t be in Greece and some random town in Indiana at the same time.


    I flipped through the phone, taking a particr interest in the text messages.


    ¡°He wants to meet? And you agreed to it?¡± I gave Franky an incredulous look. ¡°What on earth are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°You missed the call so I had to answer,¡± Franky said gruffly in return, crossing his arms. ¡°He wants to establish a truce, or so he said. I made all the arrangementsst night. You just have to go meet him, not alone, of course. Take anyone but Leo, though. That idiot will mess it all up just for his stupid pride.¡±


    That was true, I thought. Leo was still taking a break from everything after being kidnapped and tortured at the hands of MS13. He was bouncing back from it just like he always was but the grudge he held toward them was something else.


    He would never forget what they did to him. I trusted him with my life, but I didn¡¯t trust him not to fuck up a potential truce.


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s serious about it?¡± I asked Franky. ¡°Wanting a truce? This could just be another trap.¡±


    ¡°He sounded serious to me, but that¡¯s not my expertise,¡± Franky shrugged. ¡°If you think it¡¯s worth it, then go but if you think Ignacio¡¯s only trying to trap us again, then we could always set up one of our own.¡±


    I sighed, realizing he was right as I leaned back, leaning my arms over the chair back as I thought about it. A truce....


    Honestly, my first instinct was to say hell no. After what he¡¯d done to my men, killing them and defacing their bodies just to send a message¨Cit was past disrespectful, and even after that, threatening my unborn child and future wife?


    It was unforgivable, especially after what they¡¯d done to Leo.


    But I thought of all the men who were still in prison, awaiting a freedom that would probably nevere. Of the Feds on both of our backs just waiting for a chance to tear us down. Of my men¡¯s paranoid nces, reporting to one another their whereabouts at all times in case they would be next.


    I wasn¡¯t the only one tired of all this fighting. Exhausting themselves beyond their means out of worry. They deserved a little peace after all of this fighting, of not having to worry about what their families would do without them.


    It was a gamble, this so-called truce, but if Ignacio¡¯s men were anything like mine, then he might have been honestly just trying to stop the fighting. One he had started in the first ce but I digress.


    The grudge I held toward them wouldn¡¯t be over with a truce, but if they backed off, I could as well, out of respect for my men at the very least.


    ¡°When is it?¡± I sighed.


    ¡°In an hour or so,¡± Franky shrugged like that wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± A new voice piped up from behind us and both of us turned around to see Leo standing there, arms crossed and a determined frown on his face.


    ¡°No,¡± Franky said immediately.


    I sighed as Leo opened his mouth, eyes shining with a stubbornness I knew neither of us would oust.


    It took all of fifteen minutes before Franky gave up, letting Leoe to the meeting and Leo smugly drove the car as we rode to the ce Ignacio had specified. I don¡¯t know how Franky did it, but this time, it was on our turf, a random warehouse still in construction that we owned. When we arrived, we saw the usual ck cars, no tes that Ignacio¡¯s men drove, only two this time but it was enough to keep us on guard.


    As nned, Leo and a few of our guys stayed in the car to watch from outside, ready to pounce if Ignacio tried to double-cross us as Franky and I and a few guards headed inside.


    Ignacio was right where he said he would be, sitting at a simple table, hands folded neatly on top with a polite look. As soon as he noticed us, he gave us a nod, attempting to smile like he was the one in control here.


    But we all knew the truth.


    I¡¯d let him think whatever he wanted, though, so long as it got this mess over with.


    He only had two men near him, both disarmed, and Franky and I pulled off our guns as well, setting them on a table away before sitting across from Ignacio.


    ¡°Ah, Elio, and Mr. Frank, I presume. Good to see you again,¡± he said with an insincere smile. ¡°Since you are here, I take it you want to sign the truce I proposed? How utterly kind of you.¡±


    I stared at him nkly, not giving an answer as I tilted my head. I couldn¡¯t see his true intentions behind that mask of his, not cracking a bit even under the amount of pressure we sent him but I decided to take him a face value.


    ¡°Franky,¡± I said and my partner immediately pulled out the map and contract we¡¯d drawn up earlier. It took hours of negotiating, as Ignacio tried to push his lines from where they were before and we remained solid on keeping every piece of our territory.


    Then he tried to negotiate with the contract, getting a better deal with suppliers but Franky was ruthless, cutting through any shady wording and making it extremely clear what MS13 could and could not do.


    Eventually, though the contract was signed, the lines of our territories cemented and though Ignacio was disgruntled about not getting his way, he didn¡¯t say another word.


    ¡°Nice doing business with you, Elio,¡± Ignacio said, the curl to his lip less of a smile and more of a sneer but despite his bad attitude, I still shook his hand, though it made my skin crawl to do so.


    Ignacio went to let go but I forcefully gripped his hand even tighter, using all of my force until I saw him wince in response. I leveled my re at him.


    ¡°If anything else happens because of MS13, especially if you make threats against my wife and child again, I will make sure your presence in LAes to an end, do you understand?¡± I warned him coldly. ¡°I can be a great friend, Ignacio, but I¡¯m a terrible enemy to have.¡±


    Despite my threats, Ignacio¡¯s lip curled into a half-grin, staring at me with a bit of respect in his eyes now.


    ¡°I have no doubt of that.¡± He chuckled, giving me a firm nod. ¡°I will watch myself and my men from now on. No harm shall befall your beloved or child from me or mine. You have my word.¡±


    I nodded, d to have this all over with as I let go of Ignacio and he left soon after. It wasn¡¯t until I was sure he was gone that I let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Finally,¡± I breathed. It felt like things were finally falling into ce, finally starting to improve since all of this had started. Or I hoped so at least.


    ¡°I need a vacation,¡± I told Franky.


    Franky nodded solemnly in agreement but then gave me a strange look. ¡°Caterina isn¡¯t your wife.¡±


    ¡°Yet,¡± I emphasized with a grin.


    ¡°Whipped.¡± He rolled his eyes.


    We only had a few more matters to settle before I rushed home, ns forming in my mind as I grinned like a loon. I needed a good long nap with my soon-to-be wife and baby girl. I was ready to get home and tell Cat everything that happened, to tell her that finally, the war was over.


    And I swore to god, I would never do anything to piss her off enough that she would force me to sleep alone again.


    One night without her had been sheer hell.

 Chapter 781 : Surprises

    <h4>Chapter 781: Chapter 781 : Surprises</h4>


    *Cat*


    I¡¯d slept for a refreshing few hours before Mom came back with Emilia. Their walk ended shortly due to her fussiness, and I was all too happy to wake up to her cuddling up on my chest, with Mom already making lunch for all of us.


    She had shooed out the cooks, telling them that her special ingredients couldn¡¯t be seen as she made my favorite dishes. I was pretty sure that her special ingredient that she called, ¡®Love,¡¯ was actually just a cebo she used to make me eat vegetables as a kid.


    But I wouldn¡¯t tell her that.


    It wasn¡¯t long after I fed Emilia lunch that the front door opened up and faster than I had seen him run in a long time, Elio came dashing toward me with a huge grin. I barely had time to prepare myself as he tackled me onto the couch, pressing me down.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I gasped, wide-eyed as he snuggled his head into the crook of my neck, murmuring something I couldn¡¯t quite hear. My shock melted away at his rare clinginess and I stroked his back with a giggle. ¡°I¡¯m guessing it went well?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± He pulled back so I could see the wavering relief and joy in his eyes. ¡°You and Emilia... you¡¯re safe.¡±


    His words were like a ripple effect and a massive silly grin spread across my lips as I cupped his cheeks. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm.¡± He leaned into my touch, giving me a bright smile before I leaned up, taking his lips in mine.


    I couldn¡¯t care less that our daughter was still in the room¨Cshe was in her own little world¨Cand I didn¡¯t even mind my mother being only a room away.


    The sheer happiness and relief I felt was like an explosion that rippled out and I could¡¯veid there all day, holding my man in my arms like we were the only two people in the world but despite my wishes, we weren¡¯t.


    A loud cry startled both me and Elio and we pulled back, ncing in rm at Emilia, who stared at us, whining loudly from her y mat as she waved her arms. It looked like she was struggling to turn on her tummy and crawl toward us, though of course she was way too small for that, though the determination in her little eyes was charming


    Weughed and Elio slowly got off of me, heading over to pick up our fussy daughter.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Was Daddy ignoring you, huh?¡± He held her gently, eyes shining with love.


    Iughed as she immediately stopped whining, reaching her little hands up for her Daddy¡¯s face just like I had a few moments ago.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± Elio assured her, pressing a kiss to her forehead and we both grinned as sheughed in response¨Cour beautiful daughter, our little gift.


    Elio sat down with Emilia in his arms, allowing her to take fistfuls of his hair and stuff them in her mouth, not even caring as she drooled on him either, and much to my surprise and what I had thought, Elio kept his promise.


    He shared everything about what happened, about Franky setting up the meeting with Ignacio and how they came up on top while setting up the truce. Heid out every detail he could remember, forgoing nothing and I grinned the whole while, feeling warm from my toes to my head.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s going back to normal now,¡± Elio told me, a small grin on his face. ¡°That means they won¡¯t need me at work as much, so I actually have another surprise for you.¡±


    ¡°A surprise?¡± I frowned, wondering what on earth was he talking about, and as if on cue, in came Mom with a huge grin.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I sent them both a suspicious look as Elio handed over Emilia to Mom.


    Elio grinned,ing around to take my hand andy a kiss upon it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve nned a trip for us. Your mom agreed to watch Emilia while we¡¯re gone, so it¡¯ll be just me and you.¡±


    Elio revealed his surprise, and my eyebrows nearly went off my head as I stared at him.


    As much as the idea excited me, I also felt hesitant as I nced at my daughter, who was still so small and fragile. She¡¯d doubled her weight and was not trying to sit up on her own, but I still felt nervous leaving her for a long period.


    ¡°Emilia will be fine.¡± Mom stepped in, seeing my worried look. ¡°She¡¯s fully on form now and I can take care of her. We can video call every night so you can see she¡¯s doing okay but I really think you need this, honey. You¡¯ve been so stressed over the past few months and haven¡¯t really had time to care for yourself.¡±


    She was right. With MS13, my pregnancy had been hard and full of threats and even after birth, it had been even more stressful with all of my worries being bottled up. It had only been a matter of time before I exploded and Elio had been the unlucky one in my warpath.


    I felt bad now that I had an actual rest for everything I¡¯d said to him. And as he looked at me, pleadingly, waiting for my decision, I knew I owed this to both him and me.


    ¡°A vacation sounds lovely,¡± I smiled and Elio beamed in response, fully taking me into his arms. ¡°So when do we leave?¡±


    Elio smirked, and Mom stood to the side, revealing out of our workers and our fully packed suitcases.


    ¡°Right now,¡± Elio said proudly.


    It was all a whirlwind from there as Elio literally swept me into his arms, princess-carrying me out the door after I started to give out tips to my own mother. I managed to squeeze in onest hug and kiss for Emilia, hoping she wouldn¡¯t miss us too much before we were off to the jet.


    As much as I already missed Emilia, I felt just as excited about having time for the two of us. It had been a long time since we hadn¡¯t had to worry about anything, to just focus on ourselves.


    To take my mind off of leaving Emilia for so long, I happily yed our regr game of ¡®Guess where we¡¯re going?¡¯ though as usual, Elio refused to tell me, only happily grinning as he rejected each one of my ideas.


    ¡°Paris?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Rome?¡±


    ¡°Nuh-uh.¡±


    ¡°The Bahamas!¡±


    ¡°Try again.¡± Elio chuckled at my look of frustration just as the light came on allowing us to roam about the cabin.


    I unbuckled myself, scooting over to sit on Elio¡¯sp and cuddling into him.


    ¡°You¡¯re really not going to tell me?¡± I said coquettishly, pouting my lips as Iid my fingers under his shirt and across his chest, spreading upward to his neck.


    Despite his stone-like face, I saw his throat move as he swallowed and I yfullyid a kiss on his jawline, purposefully lowering my voice, ¡°Not even if I say please?¡±


    He grabbed my other hand as it dipped lower down his abdomen, bringing it to his lips as he gave me a wicked smirk. ¡°Now what kind of fiance would I be if I didn¡¯t surprise you? But I¡¯d to see how you think you can get it out of me before wend.¡±


    ¡°Flirt!¡± Iughed, ignoring that I had been doing the exact same thing seconds before as I cupped his cheeks, giving him a soft and sweet kiss.


    ¡°You know how impatient I am,¡± I whispered between kisses as his arm snaked around my waist, pulling me closer until we were flush with one another. I happily made out with my fiance, only stopping when the stewardess came to bring us lunch.


    She pretended like she saw nothing though,pletely professional as she gave us a polite and friendly smile. Even as Elio¡¯s hand was on my ass and my neck had several hickies blooming already.


    Elio fed me lunch by hand and I allowed myself to be pampered by him, sighing in his arms as we rxed. The trip was much longer than I thought it would be, more than any of our other trips before, and soon our handsiness died down as we just rested against one another, savoring the physical contact.


    ¡°Falling asleep already?¡± Elio chuckled as he saw my half-closed eyes.


    I yawned, nodding a bit as I suddenly felt that dreamy feeling rise upon me like the clouds we were soaring through. Despite my earlier nap, I was still tired somehow.


    He kissed the top of my head. ¡°I have a big night nned, so you might as well take a nap. We¡¯ll be a few more hours at least.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I yawned again, tears squeezing out of my eyes and I curled into him fully, gettingfy as I slowly started to drift off, my words slurring. ¡°Can¡¯t wait to see.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just me who was exhausted because as soon as I fell asleep, I heard the tell-tale sounds of Elio¡¯s light snores, his chest rising and falling like a luby only for me and I smiled, even though I was barely conscious myself.


    We were exhausted parents¨Ca nap right after we left for a vacation seemed right.


    When wended, I was still wondering where we were until we came off the ne and a huge sign dered the city right in front of us.


    ¡°Belize?¡± I turned to Elio in surprise and delight.


    ¡°Told you you¡¯d be surprised,¡± Elioughed, hugging me around the waist.


    A nice sleek car came to pick us up, and I stared out the window as we drove into the massive city, the beaches visible from nearly every point.


    The sun was shining, the sky was a bright sunny blue and even though it was sweltering hot, I didn¡¯t mind too much. I was already researching things I wanted to see on my phone, marking them for Elio¡¯s attention when we arrived at a very nice beach house.


    Simr to a fancy version of a bungalow, My grin was wide enough that it physically hurt as we explored the house with a beautiful view of the beach. It was just off the public beach, close enough to walk to but without disturbing any of the residents.


    But that wasn¡¯t all of the surprises Elio had for me. Up in our room,id out was a gorgeous dress that I absolutely fell in love with.


    ¡°Get ready ¡¯cause I told you we have a busy night,¡± Elioughed, heading to change himself as I held the silky fabric of the dress in my hands. I looked over the fire-red dress and grinned.


    He really was too good at this, I thought. I couldn¡¯t even begin to guess what else he might have nned for me.


    But I knew I would adore it, just as much as I adored him.

 Chapter 782 : We Were One

    <h4>Chapter 782: Chapter 782 : We Were One</h4>


    *Cat*


    Elio never ceased to amaze me with his romantic side. He had arranged everything before we ever got to Belize. I loved how he wanted to create the perfect romantic vacation for us. He was the most considerate man in the world, and I loved him for it.


    After we deboarded the ne, there was a car waiting to drive us through the city. The city was lovely and full of energy. I was excited to be in a new ce we hadn¡¯t visited together before.


    I held Elio¡¯s hand and watched the city as we drove through it. Everyone seemed so happy here. People were actually dancing on the sidewalk. They were walking along,ughing and talking together.


    The city was so charming. There were small shops and what we called Mom and Pop restaurants tucked into corners. There were colorful caf¨¦s with outside tables and guests sitting at them.


    The lights of the city sparkled and its energy buzzed through my veins and was highly contagious. While the atmosphere was seductive and dreamy, there was an underlying vitality and vigor to its continuous movement and music.


    When we finally got to our destination, I was fascinated by the moonlit scene as it dazzled with lights, stars, and moonlight reflecting on the water.


    I¡¯d stopped trying to get Elio to tell me what his n was. The man was a steel trap when he wanted to be. I decided to enjoy the night moment by moment. The sights, sounds, his presence, and each uncovered surprise as it came was going to be my experience as he took me with him on this nned journey.


    Everything was so beautiful here. Though I missed my baby, by now, I was content with the idea that she was safe with my mom. Mom had raised me, after all, and she¡¯d practically done it all alone the way my dad was always so busy with his mafia duties. I was starting to rx and just enjoy things the way vacations are supposed to be.


    It was wonderful.


    We were dropped off at the Moho Caye dock. There, we were greeted by a chef and his staff, all very charming people. Elio seated me at the lovely set table. The wait staff brought out wine and asked us if we were ready to eat yet.


    I was famished, but I waited for Elio to nod before nodding. I smiled, so happy that we were going to dine at such a fantastic ce. It was so lovely there. The breeze swept through my hair, and the lights and moon glittered and shimmered over the water, adding to the harmony of the atmosphere. Music yed softly, setting the mood for the evening.


    The staff served our dinners and I noticed that along with most of my favorites, which were simple pastas and antipasto, Elio had them serve a few local dishes for us to try. I imagined he must have arranged that ahead of time since most of them looked like a lot of work to prepare.


    When the staff disappeared to leave us with our meals and drinks, I smiled at Elio.


    ¡°I love it here,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you for surprising me with this. It was exactly what I needed.¡±


    ¡°I know, and I¡¯m d you like it,¡± he said.


    ¡°I love it.¡± We ate quietly for a few minutes, just enjoying being with each other in such a beautiful, peaceful ce.


    ¡°How are things with the men and MS13?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, Cat, no business tonight,¡± he said firmly. ¡°We¡¯re going to just enjoy this time together¨Cno talking of gangs, men, prison, or the Feds. We¡¯re going to spend this time with one another.¡±


    I looked into his eyes, gauging his sincerity, and realized he was right. We rarely spent time together and focused on just us. A vacation like this with no talk of business between us was exactly what we needed.


    Ourst argument had been about the business and why he kept things from me. It seemed that was the main source of our argumentstely, and I hated fighting with him. I definitely didn¡¯t want to spend another night apart from him. I needed thefort of his strength and warmth to help me sleep and keep me feeling safe.


    Maybe we needed a night to just be, I thought. We could talk about the business any time, but tonight was for us. I knew that he¡¯d done a lot to make it happen for me, and I also knew that it would be nice to have him all to myself for a while for once¨Clike he said, with no business invading a moment out of time we could cherish or ruin with such talk.


    I touched his hand and smiled at him.


    ¡°I really like what you¡¯ve done,¡± I said. ¡°I think it¡¯s amazing, but then, you always amaze me.¡±


    He smiled at me. It made his face so handsome, the way all the lines of worry disappeared and his eyes shimmered with happiness. He rarely smiled these days. I guessed he didn¡¯t have much to smile about with all that was going down at home and with all his responsibilities.


    I knew that sometimes, it was really too much for one man to handle. I respected him for how well he kept himself together, but even the best needed to rx once in a while.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it. I wanted to give you something for putting up with my dumb ass.¡± He grinned at me.


    I yfully pped his hand andughed. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. I kind of like your ass.¡±


    It made himugh, and I felt like the queen of the world. He so seldomughed that when he did, it just made my heart ache with dness.


    ¡°Emilia has your smile,¡± I said. I couldn¡¯t believe that I¡¯d just noticed that.


    ¡°Really?¡± he asked, his eyes lighting from within. He always seemed so happy to hear about our little girl.


    ¡°Yes, her cheeks are a little chubbier,¡± I said, ¡°but those are your lips and that is your smile.¡±


    His face beamed with pride. ¡°She smiles a lot. I love that she¡¯s a happy baby.¡±


    ¡°She has a lot to be happy about,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s safe, fed whenever she needs to be fed, changed on demand, and yed with all the time. That¡¯s pretty much all a baby her age needs, other than loved, and she¡¯s certainly loved by us more than anything.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°I wholeheartedly agree. She¡¯s probably a bit of a spoiled little thing even.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think so,¡± i said. ¡°She¡¯s just taken care of by her mama and papa.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s getting so big so fast,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve noticed,¡± I said dryly.


    He raised a brow with a smirk. ¡°Are you bemoaning how big our child is getting?¡±


    ¡°I just wish she could slow down a little,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss carrying her around after a while. She¡¯s going to start being independent soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Just like her mama.¡±


    I smiled at him, wondering if I¡¯d been as independenttely or if I¡¯d been being a shrew.


    ¡°What¡¯s that look?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nothing, just missing Emilia,¡± I said, only slightly lying.


    Was that how he justified keeping things from me? I wondered about it. He was protecting me. I could protect myself, and sometimes, I couldn¡¯t protect myself if he kept certain things from me, though if I didn¡¯t know, sometimes his silence gave me deniability.


    If I kept my thoughts from him, what I was thinking wouldn¡¯t hurt him. Was I protecting him when he could protect himself?


    ¡°Yes, I miss her too,¡± he said.


    We smiled at each other. When we finished our meals and the staff cleared the table, Elio dismissed everyone from the dock.


    ¡°Come here,¡± he said, crooking his finger at me.


    I knew that look. His eyes were at half-mast. His lips were quirked at one corner in his seductivee hither grin. I liked that look, and I wanted to please him.


    I lifted a questioning brow at him as I did as he asked.


    He widened his legs and guided me by the hips between them.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful,¡± he said, rubbing his hands over my curves in admiration.


    ¡°And you¡¯re gorgeous,¡± I replied, leaning forward to kiss his lips, allowing him to lift the skirt of my dress and cup my bottom.


    I felt hisrge hands on the small of my back, urging me closer and I straddled hisp.


    ¡°Mm, lovely,¡± he murmured, pulling me closer.


    I could feel his hardness pulsing against my core. I ached for him. I pushed against him, relishing in the friction it caused and the pleasure that ran through me from his touch alone.


    His fingers fumbled with the zip at the back of my dress. When he finally got it all the way down, I slipped the straps from my shoulders, shook slightly, and the top fell to my waist. His fingers tested my readiness while his lips cherished my breasts.


    I lifted a little for him to unzip his trousers and release himself. I felt the head of him breech the softness of my folds and I sank down on him.


    Every time Elio and I connected in this way, it was likeing home. It was as if we hadn¡¯t done this before, yet each time was better than thest as if the high just kept getting stronger and stronger.


    We moved together, our bodies in sync... his arms around me, rubbing my back and hips, my arms around his neck, my fingers in his thick hair, our mouths fused together, our tongues dualling.


    I knew he was getting close when his fingers dug into my hips and he began moving me at a harder and faster rhythm. I let him control our passion. I couldn¡¯t resist him, as his lips found my ear and he whispered, ¡°Come for me.¡±


    It was as if he pulled a switch on my desire as it exploded around him. I cried out and bit his shoulder through his shirt to keep from screaming where others could hear me. He shuttered and I felt the heat of him inside me again. His fingers clutched me so hard I knew I¡¯d have bruises in the morning, but I was happy to im them.


    I buried my face in his neck and just breathed him in as we came down from the high of loving one another.


    We sat under the stars and breathed in each another. I felt sensational. Having his body so close to mine, hearing the heaviness of his breathing and feeling his blood pumping in his veins against my skin.


    We were one in that moment, and I didn¡¯t think anything could have felt better than that.

 Chapter 783 : Just One Lie

    <h4>Chapter 783: Chapter 783 : Just One Lie</h4>


    *Elio*


    Dreams of the night before when I held my woman in my arms and made love to her under the moonlight and stars yed center stage.


    I had to carry Cat in because I didn¡¯t want to wake her. She looked so lovely. Her eyes were closed, and hershes made shadows on her round cheeks. She was so much softer than me. Her head hadin against my shoulder as I carried her into our suite. Her eyes fluttered slightly and I shushed her.


    ¡°Go back to sleep, baby,¡± I told her as Iy her in our bed and undressed her.


    Her skin was always so silky and smooth. I had to hold back my desire for her so I could let her sleep. Yes, I wanted to show her the city and have a good time, but I also wanted her to rest. Childbirth and caring for our baby had really been a lot for her, and she deserved the rest.


    Not long after Iy her on her side of the bed, I slid into bed beside her, pulled her into my arms, buried my face in her hair, and fell asleep myself. Being next to her was the mostfortable, rxing thing in the world.


    What felt like minutester, the phone rang and I rolled over to see what time it was. The bedside clock said three in the morning. I wanted to scream at whoever it was, but I knew it had to be important for anyone from either my legit business or the illicit one. I smirked at that thought as I saw Frankie¡¯s name sh on the caller ID of the phone¡¯s screen. My anger mixed with a slight panic as I wondered what was wrong. It had to be something bad to bother me now.


    ¡°What the fuck, Frankie?¡± I asked even though I wasn¡¯t nearly as pissed as I figured I¡¯d be in a minute. I supposed the worry was overpowering the anger.


    I stood from the bed, pulled on my boxers, and walked out of the room so I wouldn¡¯t wake Cat. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and sat at the table.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I know you¡¯re with your woman right now and we shouldn¡¯t bother you, but we have a big problem.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t keep me in suspense,¡± I urged.


    ¡°The MS13 assholes in lockup spilled their guts like little bitches. And the ones that are out have all of a sudden contracted diarrhea of the mouth. They spilled everything about our guys on the inside and out. We¡¯ve got some cleanup work to do.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck did you just say?¡± I shouted. I wasn¡¯t just pissed. I was furious. This was exactly what I got for dealing with that punk-ass mother fucker Ignacio.


    As if he had read my mind, Frankie cut off that train of thought by saying, ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether Ignacio had something to do with this. I reached out to him immediately after I heard about his boys singing like canaries. He said that the MS13 boys who ratted are traitors. He told me he was going to be looking for them.¡±


    ¡°Are the assholes who did this dead, Franky?¡± I asked, thinking that if they were still alive, then Ignacio wasn¡¯t looking for them hard enough and that he was ying me and Frankie for fools.


    ¡°No, but we can¡¯t worry about that now,¡± he said. ¡°We need to take care of our own boys.¡±


    ¡°I want to know everything you find out as soon as you learn it. You got me, Franky?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course,¡± he said calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve got you.¡±


    I wanted to throw the damn phone at the wall. This was thest thing we needed after the shoot-out a few weeks ago, which had left damn near half our boys in prison, though some had gotten out since then. Now, we had to have the guys we were able to get outy low. This was going to put us in a bind with our enterprises because we didn¡¯t have enough men to get the work done if everybody was wanted by the cops and the Feds.


    I had to trust Franky and his ability to gather information. I didn¡¯t know how he did it, but the man could take one inquiry and turn it into a smorgasbord of endless information. I knew he had street runners and awork of underground people, but I didn¡¯t know all of them, and I probably didn¡¯t want to.


    Franky would know who to talk to in order to find out not only where Ignacio¡¯s boys were and what all was spilled. I had a lot of confidence in him, and I regretted the way I¡¯d screamed at him. He was obviously doing his best to clean up the mess in my absence.


    As Franky had said in his own way, there was no sense in crying over spilled bad cologne. We had to do something about this.


    My voice calmed as I continued. ¡°Get me some names. I want to know if Ignacio had anything to do with this. The fact that his boys are still above ground and breathing doesn¡¯t make me want to give him the benefit of the doubt.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got this,¡± Franky said. ¡°You know I¡¯ve always got your back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but Ignacio doesn¡¯t, so don¡¯t trust him.¡± A million worries poured into my mind. I knew I should have never trusted him in the first ce. The agreement we¡¯d signed was pretty much worthless when it came to dealing with an asshole like Ignacio.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try to get to our guys on the inside to see what they know about this,¡± Franky said. ¡°I just wanted to get some info before I tell you anything. You¡¯ll be the first to know when I have something.¡±


    I nodded to myself. I agreed that talking to our guys on the inside was a good idea. They would know more than we did about what went down this time. They were the ones who were going to have to deal with the fallout of this cluster fuck. I also knew that there were risks with bringing up things like these with so many eyes on our men, but I trusted Franky to handle things discreetly. He had a lot of experience with these things, and I appreciated his skills.


    I slowly unclenched my fists and put the damn phone down before I gave in and threw it at the wall. I wasn¡¯t ready to have to buy a new one any time soon, not to mention that I didn¡¯t want to frighten Cat. We were here to rx, though I doubted we¡¯d be able to do anything rxing on our trip now.


    Disgusted with the situation and myself, I ran my hands through my hair.


    I felt Cate up behind me. She put her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek.


    I turned my head to give her a thorough one. Her lips tasted so delicious on mine that I nearly forgot about all my troubles... nearly. This was the worst possible oue, and I had to figure out what to do to keep suspicious off me, and to keep all this trouble away from her and our baby girl.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked, walking around the chair to sit in myp.


    She had on a short night shirt that hit her mid-thigh that made me want to lift it and rip off her panties right there, despite all my anger. Sheid her head on my shoulder and wrapped me in her arms. I wrapped my own arms around her waist and kissed the top of her head. Her hair smelled like tropical fruit, and I inhaled deeply, just taking her in.


    Shit, what was I going to tell her?


    I didn¡¯t want toy the stress of this on those delicate shoulders, especially after the night we shared. She seemed so happy when we were at the dock, her hair shimmering with moonlight and stars. Her eyes had been dancing with happiness, her body pliant and sated. Everything about her was rxed and contented.


    Now, I knew that if I told her what was going on at home, she¡¯d be all tense and ready to fly back at a moment¡¯s notice. No, I¡¯d wait and tell her the truth, I decided. Keeping it wouldn¡¯t hurt her, would it?


    ¡°Nothing, just a bad shipment. Franky thought that it was important enough to tell me while we were away. I agree with him. We¡¯ll handle it, though.¡±


    I still wanted to throw something. Those singing bastards¨CI wanted to gut them and shove them under Ignacio¡¯s pug little nose, so he wouldn¡¯t pull some shit like this again. Maybe I was wrong, but it seemed like a double-cross to me.


    ¡°Well, is it something Franky and Leo can handle for now?¡± Cat asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t need to go home,¡± I lied.


    ¡°Good, thene back to bed,¡± she said, standing and pulling me by the hand.


    I smiled at her. She was so much smaller than me, but this woman was the power behind my every step. From one breath to the next, I thought of her, and it got me through the long days and nights. The idea that I could get back to her made the guns, warehouse meetings, rotten low-life rats, and the boring day job all worth it.


    I walked back to our bed and slipped beneath the covers with her. Cat was a cuddler in bed. She loved using me as her body pillow, and tonight was no exception. Her hair fell over my chest. Her head settled under my chin. Her handy over my heart. Her thighs hugged one of mine, and before I could kiss her or say good night, she was out.


    Her breaths created a soft breeze against my chest and I listened to her quiet steady breathing.


    Even as she slept, I felt ufortable. I was a traitor myself. I knew how Cat felt about lies. I couldn¡¯t sleep for having lied to her earlier.


    I hated keeping things from her. It was only going to be for a few days. I wanted her to enjoy her time in Belize. We weren¡¯t here to talk about business. I¡¯d made that clear at dinner, but I knew this was something she¡¯d want to know about regardless of timing or circumstance.


    Trying to rationalize it wouldn¡¯t win me any favors and I knew it. It was why I couldn¡¯t sleep. She was going to be so pissed when I finally told her, but I would tell her.


    It wasn¡¯t keeping secrets if I had every intention of telling her in a few days, right?

 Chapter 784 : Dreams at Midnight

    <h4>Chapter 784: Chapter 784 : Dreams at Midnight</h4>


    *Cat*


    Moans filled our ears as the rocking of the bed against the headboard finally came to an end and I shivered from thesting remains of pleasure as Elio pulled me into his embrace, the two of uspletely bare under the covers.


    As we both caught our breaths, we nced at one another with smiles. Elio tucked my syed-out hair behind my ear, both of us not needing words tomunicate at this point.


    After a few minutes, when our heartbeats had slowed to a matching rhythm, Elio finally gave me a smirk.


    ¡°Satisfied?¡±


    ¡°Very,¡± I answered back, grinning as I intertwined my feet around his, making sure we were locked together at every point. ¡°That¡¯s how we should start every day from now on.¡±


    Elioughed, bright and gorgeous sounding as the morning light came through the cracks in the blinds, reflecting in his eyes. I smiled, happy to see him brighter than he had beenst night. Despite his reassurances that his phone call was just a shipment, my senses were stronger than that.


    Something had happened, something that he didn¡¯t want to tell me.


    I knew this routine well enough by now that I didn¡¯t even question him. I wasn¡¯t angry like I usually would be when he¡¯d hide things from me, nor was I disappointed.


    I¡¯d known that it would only be a matter of time before he broke his promise, and now was as good a time as any. It didn¡¯t matter anymore, though. Either he¡¯d tell me himselfter or I would find out on my own.


    But for now, I would just savor the rest of this vacation as much as I could.


    We headed out to the beach next and I wore a one-piece to hide the scar from the C-section, a coverall over the top as we walked along the beach, holding hands. The sea had always been one of my favorite ces so I was acting a bit like a kid as I skipped across the sand, pulling Elio along with me.


    I even coerced him into building a sandcastle with me, though it very ended with Elio¡¯s perfectionisming to the top and him defecting to build his own castle. I had to admit, I was jealous of his moat, which was why my sand citizensunched an attack on his.


    Elio had got me back by burying me under the remains of my own sandcastle, pretending like we were deposed monarchs executed for their crimes.


    To wash off the sand, we finally headed into the ocean, only heading to the shallow part as the waves were a bit strong today. I was a good swimmer, but Elio was overprotective. As soon as we got to where our feet couldn¡¯t touch the bottom, that was where we hovered around.


    That was why I hadn¡¯t been expecting the sneak attack. Hands grabbed my back, dunking me underwater. The salty seawater flooded up my nose but I didn¡¯t panic at all, simply hovering underwater. I could see Elio on the surface, legs waving back and forth as he searched for me to rise up.


    ¡°Cat?¡± his distorted voice called out, and right as I heard him call out with panic, ¡°Cat?¡±


    I grabbed both of his legs, wrapping around them like a ko, and pulled as hard as I could.


    I grinned, bubbles floating to the surface as Elio saw me. He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me upwards to the surface. We both broke into gasps as soon as we had air around our lungs and I burst into giggles as his curls flopped around his face limply.


    We spent a little more time at the beach. I did some snorkeling while Elio found a few friends on the beach in some passing hermit crabs. One of them even exchanged his shell for the cap of his metal water bottle, which Elio promptly said no to.


    It was only after we spent an hour digging up new shells for the little guy that he decided on a better, more natural one and Elio got his cap back. We spent the end of the day just cuddled up on the towels, watching the sunset.


    By that point, neither of us could deny how much we missed our baby girl.


    ¡°I want to go home,¡± I admitted to him tearily, ¡°and see our baby girl.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± he said, kissing the top of my head. ¡°We¡¯ve only got one night left.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t wait that long. We¡¯ve been away for too long already,¡± I turned to him with pleading eyes. ¡°Can we go home tonight?¡±


    He tightened his hold on me briefly, ncing over at his phone which had been texting and ringing nonstop despite his attempts to silence it. I could see how anxious he was to get home, along with how much he missed Emilia as well.


    I didn¡¯t say a word, though his distraction had been pretty obvious throughout the day. But I wasn¡¯t going to start a fight again. I¡¯d done that too many times and it had only gotten the both of us hurt. If he was going to tell me, then he¡¯d tell me.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Elio finally agreed to go back that night and I was relieved.


    It was all too easy to pack up and check out a day early. The nightlife already starting to light up across the city when we got back to the jet.


    We were both exhausted and neither of us talked as we slept through most of the flight,nding sometime around midnight. As soon as wended, however, Elio was answering calls again, trying to hide his conversation from me.


    It did piss me off a little bit to think that he thought I was so naive I wouldn¡¯t notice, but I said nothing. Even in the car on the drive back and even when we arrived home. Mom greeted us with a tired look even though it was sote.


    Elio helped unpack while Mom exined all about Emilia¡¯s past few days and how much she had missed us. She was snuggled up in her crib, fast asleep with her fox plushie, gripping tightly to her rattle in her other hand and my heart melted at the scene.


    I didn¡¯t want to wake her so I kissed the top of her head, sneaking out. I thanked Mom before she left for the night. Surprisingly, I was wide awake, probably due to the time zone difference and after I¡¯d settled into pajamas, Elio decided he had one more surprise for me.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I said, eyes narrowed dangerously as I turned to him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to run to meet Franky,¡± Elio repeated, avoiding eye contact as he exined. ¡°It¡¯s about the shipment he called about.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± I said, crossing my arms. ¡°And you have to do this at midnight because?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important,¡± Elio said vaguely, trying to escape this conversation.


    But I wasn¡¯t about to let it go that easily. Just because I was angry at him didn¡¯t mean I was happy.


    ¡°Let me get this straight. You¡¯ve got to go meet Franky at midnight, as soon as wend because a shipment, which you told me wasn¡¯t anything important just yesterday is now suddenly important? So all those calls on your phone weren¡¯t anything, right?¡±


    ¡°Cat,¡± he scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re overreacting again. It¡¯s just some business I¡¯ve got to take care of.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± I tensed, struggling to keep my cool after that gem of a line. You¡¯d think after all this time, he¡¯d know how to talk to a woman. Clearly, he didn¡¯t. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to stop you but Elio....¡±


    A tense smile yed on my lips as I stepped forward to him and he anxiously looked anywhere but me as I grabbed the cor of his shirt, pulling him to my eye level. ¡°Don¡¯t treat me like I¡¯m stupid. I knew something was going on the entire time, and I gave you plenty of chances to exin yourself and still, you keep hiding things from me, just like I knew you would.¡±


    I let go of him, shaking my head at him as I headed back to bed, ignoring him fully as he tried to grab my wrist with a ¡°Cat¨C¡±


    ¡°Go, Elio.¡± I gave him a condensing smirk. ¡°Go and work out your ¡®shipment.¡¯¡± Then I crawled into bed, fluffing up my pillow under my head, and gotfy as I started ying a game on my phone.


    Elio seemed to have realized he¡¯d fucked up again and he hovered around in our bedroom for a while, calling my name quietly a few times but after the three times I just ignored him, he gave up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± he called out and the bedroom door shut behind him as I didn¡¯t even give him the time of the day.


    ¡®Let him go,¡¯ I thought, feeling no ounce of sympathy or remorse for my silent treatment, ¡®Let him do whatever was so important and leave me out of it again.¡¯ I didn¡¯t care one bit.


    Normally, I¡¯d call Anna toe over to cheer me up, to bring me some much-needed backup and perspective because I knew she wasn¡¯t afraid to tell me when I was being an asshole. But it was also past midnight.


    Even if I knew she woulde running if I called, I didn¡¯t want to bother her like that, not over this. I knew what she¡¯d say anyway, considering how many times I¡¯d confided in her about this same exact goddamn thing.


    I yed on my phone, checking my emails and texts for any news for a while, simply drowning out my thoughts in the mindlessness of the inte before I grew tired enough to go to bed. I rolled over, happy to be in my own bed this time as I stretched out, even grabbing Elio¡¯s pillows now that he wouldn¡¯t be needing them.


    I wasn¡¯t going to wait up for him this time. I wasn¡¯t going to pretend like I was the good happy wife. I was tired of this. I was going to get a good night¡¯s rest and maybe sleep in in the morning and spend the whole day with the daughter I missed so terribly.


    And he could do whatever he wanted and get home on his own time.


    I didn¡¯t care one bit.


    And I took that flippant attitude with me as I fell asleep, dreaming of beaches and underwater reefs with sea turtles who were the wrong color and massive hermit crabs who shed their shells to steal Elio¡¯s car.


    I took a little pleasure from seeing his devastated look in my dream as his car scuttled away from him.

 Chapter 785 : The Fed

    <h4>Chapter 785: Chapter 785 : The Fed</h4>


    *Elio*


    I knew the moment I lied to Cat that it would blow up in my face and sure enough, as soon as I told her about going to meet Franky, I had seen that look in her eyes. The one she gave any time she had caught a scent and like a bloodhound, would never stop investigating til she found the cause.


    But it really hadn¡¯t been my intention to hide it from her. I knew the information given to me could be worrying, especially when we were on a vacation to get away from all that stress and anxiety.


    I just didn¡¯t want to tell her without knowing the whole story myself. Or that¡¯s what I told myself as I left the cold bedroom we shared, feeling like I was standing on the edge of the cliff and she was ready to just watch me fall.


    Despite how much I wanted to run in there and exin myself, I knew it wouldn¡¯t do any good. Not while she was giving me the silent treatment and I still only knew half of what I should about the current situation.


    I sighed as I got into the car, brushing my hair from my eyes as I nced at the tired face in the mirror.


    One step forward and two steps back.


    Every time we solved a problem, it felt like another two popped up somewhere and there was no end in sight. That was how I found myself driving on the near-empty streets of LA at midnight, wishing I could go home and be with my daughter and future wife.


    I was regretting my life decisions right about now.


    Once I arrived, Leo and Franky were already waiting for me, hanging around outside by the ck SUV with nk tes.


    ¡°And the boss finally appears!¡± Leo dered as soon as I stepped out of my car.


    We were the only ones there besides a few guards standing by the warehouse, and I knew probably a few more hidden around we couldn¡¯t see.


    Franky gave a curt nod as I approached but I wasn¡¯t in the mood, to be honest.


    ¡°Exin. In detail,¡± I said firmly, heading inside without a second look at them.


    I spotted them exchanging a look before following me and as we headed inside to the surveince area we set up, Leo began to exin.


    ¡°Just like Franky said, MS13¡¯s guys in the big house snitched out on us. Told the Feds and cops everything about the firefight, except weirdly enough, any of our names. We got lucky there, but the sentences on our guys just got doubled overnight. Seems like the MS13 guys got a lucky break too cause most of them were released on ¡®good behavior.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Snitches,¡± I sneered. It was one thing to do so in regr crimes, but snitches in high crime syndicates like ours got dealt with immediately and painfully. There was no way they would snitch without some kind of assurance their lives and those of their families would be safe. ¡°What about the ones who didn¡¯t get out?¡±


    ¡°Reduced sentences,¡± Leo snorted. ¡°Though, a few we don¡¯t have to worry about anymore and some are on life-support. Those still awake with all functioning limbs aren¡¯t going to have a good time. Nobody in jail likes a snitch.¡±


    As we entered the surveince area, we took a seat around the cameras and Franky slid me a report.


    ¡°I told you but I talked to Ignacio and he denied being the one to give the order, but I doubt they would¡¯ve done so without some kind of message from him. He did call them traitors however so it looks like they might¡¯ve snitched on their own boss as well. We¡¯re just lucky they didn¡¯t throw your name or we¡¯d be in real hot water.¡±


    ¡°Ignacio was the culprit,¡± I decided already as I flipped through the papers. ¡°Just the fact that they snitched but my name never came out of their mouths is enough of a message. He¡¯s keeping his end of the deal but we¡¯re also not friends¨Che put his guys¡¯ safety above our truce. He won¡¯t let his guys rot, but he also isn¡¯t nning on breaking his truce.¡±


    ¡°Clever,¡± Leo snorted, ¡°Jackass always wants thest word it seems. Is there no loophole we can get to get back at them?¡±


    ¡°He technically didn¡¯t break the treaty, which is an oversight on my part,¡± Franky scowled unhappily. He hated others getting the upper hand on his work, especially people like Ignacio who were arrogant enough to think themselves above everyone else. ¡°Plus we have no evidence that he even sent the order nor what the Feds now know about us. They¡¯re already putting pressure on us. We had to shut down seven routes in the past few days alone. I don¡¯t know what he gets from all this, though.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a power move. Puts me in his debt that they didn¡¯t say my name or any of you guys while also getting his own guys out, even at the expense of our men still inside there. We¡¯re lucky that the ones we let out are already out of the country and back with Al, right?¡±


    ¡°He confirmedst week,¡± Franky assured. ¡°Their families have been moved back as well so there¡¯s no leverage they can use in that route. The families of those still inside are a cause for concern but luckily we have them under protection. I¡¯ve doubled the security on them just in case, while a few even volunteered to head out of the country for the time being. I disguised it as a cruise or vacation raffle they surprisingly won.¡±


    ¡°Nice,¡± Leo nodded. ¡°Raffles are the best disguise. Do you think you can hook me up with a couple of those cruise tickets? I¡¯d love to¨C¡±


    ¡°Focus,¡± I pped the report shut, giving Leo a re before I turned back to Franky. ¡°And what about the Fed we found? Will he work for us you think?¡±


    Franky nodded.


    ¡°Oh, definitely,¡± Leo answered with arge grin. ¡°We¡¯d been watching him for a while and nothing shady came up so I snooped into his records a bit. I found seven checks submitted to his three different bank ounts in the past few years, allrge sums with signatures from people who don¡¯t exist. One surprisingly with the name ¡®Danil Rostova.¡¯ Sound familiar?¡±


    ¡°The Russians?¡± I asked, surprised.


    It was hard not to know that name when we received checks every so often from imports from Russia signed with that name as well. Most often the transport was for presumed ss cleaner and carpet cleaner powder that usually we distribute for them.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t ss cleaner in the first ce, but the TSA didn¡¯t know that.


    Danil Rostova was their go-to name for shady business dealings, often the signature on the bottom of checks so the banks wouldn¡¯t take notice. Of course, Mr. Rostova didn¡¯t exist in real life but that was the point.


    ¡°What was he working with the Russians for?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I already spoke to Alessandro for more information. They were quite forting about the incident since we have a business rtionship with them,¡± Franky exined, then slid over another file. ¡°Turns out our Fed epted a bribe for keeping a certain few reports from being submitted properly. Files do tend to get lost all the time, you know.¡±


    A wicked smirk spread across my lips as I held the information right in my hands. Now that we had this guy¡¯s weakness, we could finally snag ourselves an insider.


    ¡°And good news, seems like that isn¡¯t the only person he¡¯s been dealing with. He¡¯s in a meeting with a local gang leader right now.¡± Leo grinned. ¡°We can probably catch him on the way and get him to join our side.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± I got up from my seat, heading out to the SUV.


    Leo¡¯s mouth dropped open and I was halfway down the stairs when I heard him loudly shout, ¡°Then what was the point of bringing us up here in the first ce?¡±


    I smirked but didn¡¯t answer, letting them follow at their own pace. Once we got into the SUV with Franky in the back with the equipment, and Leo taking the shotgun as always. It didn¡¯t take long to head into town where we knew where the local gang often met up for their meetings.


    We¡¯d bought them after all.


    We waited outside the area, as Franky got set up to listen in on their conversation. I didn¡¯t even pretend to know half of what it took to bug them out but Franky soon got the audio on the headsets, passing one to each of us.


    Seems they were talking about another set of reports getting lost ¡°identally,¡± along with a few hefty payments, which were just bribes to look the other way on any information from investigations they maye up with¨Call disguised as favors.


    Each paycheck the slimy Fed took with a precocious, ¡°Nice working with you.¡± I shook my head. All government systems were the same. Whether the local police to the federal agents working for the top dogs, each one was just as greedy as thest.


    They weren¡¯t there to keep the peace and fight for justice, they were only there for a show of power for those who were really in charge.


    Luckily for us, we knew exactly how to y that game.


    As the meeting ended, we decided it was best to have Franky talk instead of us. Leo could be a bit too much and I often threw people off with my cold demeanor. Besides, Franky was the person he would be working with most often. Best they get acquainted now.


    Once we saw our targete out of the building, hands tucked into his long wool designer-brand jacket, Franky slipped out of the car, following him behind for only a minute before the man halted in his tracks.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± the Fed, Max, said with a suspicious look.


    He was quite an older man, maybe in histe forties with greying hair and a prominent limp on his right foot. From his report, it had been an injury he gained during the field, one that benched him for the rest of his career.


    We overheard their conversation through the earpieces, listening intently as Franky slyly danced around the question, masterfully cornering him with just his words and ice-cold stare as he presented the information they knew.


    We tensed when Max reached for his gun on his hip, a scowl on his features but I could see the pros and cons running through his head. Would it be worth it?


    ¡°Offer him a twenty percent increase,¡± I said through the earpiece, realizing what would catch his attention, and sure enough, as soon as Franky brought out the money, Max rxed, eyes gleaming with greed as we offered him more than he¡¯d seen from any of his other deals.


    ¡°This is the one those miscreants just snitched on, right?¡± Max asked, probing for a reaction with a low smirk. ¡°We knew you had a lot of money but definitely not this much just to shovel out. Either you¡¯re really worried about what we know or you treat your clients very well.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it could be both,¡± Franky shrugged nonchntly. ¡°Are you in or not?¡±


    Max hesitated for all of two seconds before grabbing Franky¡¯s hand, the check we prepared slipping between their hands discreetly.


    ¡°Nice working with you,¡± Max said with a grin.


    I smirked. We had our Fed now.

 Chapter 786 : Girls Day Out

    <h4>Chapter 786: Chapter 786 : Girls Day Out</h4>


    *Cat*


    When I woke up, it was in a different state than when I had fallen asleep. I clearly remembered scrolling my phone until my eyelids were so heavy I couldn¡¯t keep them up any longer yet my phone now sat on the nightstand, plugged into the charger and showing a hundred percent battery.


    In addition, I knew I had stuffed Elio¡¯s pillows all around me and yet, now they were on his side of the bed right where they were before. I got up, pursing my lips as I wondered whether to be mad or impressed he managed to do all of that without waking me once.


    Or maybe he did and I just couldn¡¯t remember. Either way, it didn¡¯t matter much to me. At least he¡¯d remembered toe homest night, I thought indifferently, still holding a grudge overst night¡¯s fight.


    Hearing the noises from the living room, including the theme song to Emilia¡¯s favorite cartoon, I decided he could handle it as I grabbed my clothes and towels and took a nice long hot shower. Elio alwaysined at how hot I made it, just under boiling your skin off but now, I didn¡¯t have to worry about that.


    I pampered myself, slowly waking up before putting on a nice flowy dress I¡¯d bought on myst shopping trip with Anna. After I couldn¡¯t fit into any of the maternity clothes, Anna and I bought a whole collection of summer and autumn dresses, some even matching with Emilia.


    I took my time doing my makeup and hair this morning, and once I was happy with my appearance, I headed downstairs to the living room, where I knew Elio and Emilia were waiting for me.


    Sure enough, as soon as I walked into the living room, I saw Elio pretending Emilia was an airne, holding her above his head as he made weird engine sounds. Her shrieks ofughter were like music to my ears and I could see how well he¡¯d taken care of her all morning but I didn¡¯t have that soft warm feeling in my heart like I usually did.


    She was his baby too. It was only natural that he took care of her when I couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Look, Emilia, Mama¡¯s up!¡± Elio pretend-gasped in excitement as he directed Emilia¡¯s attention at me who stood in the doorway.


    Despite my present feelings for her daddy, Emilia giggled, reaching out her tubby arms for me, and I couldn¡¯t help but melt.


    ¡°Hey, baby,¡± I cooed as I took her into my arms, and she patted my face with her little hand, blowing little spit bubbles as she babbled at me. It almost felt like she was trying to tell me all about her morning with Daddy, though I couldn¡¯t understand her.


    I was a good listener though, letting a convincing hum of ¡°Hmm, I hear you. No way.¡±


    Emiliaughed it, beaming full of such innocent joy about the tiniest little things, and how could she not? The world must be wondrous to someone so new to it. Like a magical ce, she¡¯d stepped inside of.


    Elio watched us with a smile, his eyes hopeful as he stared at me but I didn¡¯t pay him any attention, just happily yed with my daughter.


    But eventually, he opened his mouth and ruined the moment.


    ¡°Cat, I¨C¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have a fun day with Mommy, today, aren¡¯t you?¡± I told my daughter, though it was more for Elio¡¯s benefit as I spun her around on my hip. ¡°Yes, you are, because Mommy is going to go hang out with Auntie Anna. That¡¯s right.¡±


    Elio frowned. ¡°You didn¡¯t say you were going out today.¡±


    ¡°And why would it matter?¡± I shrugged, not giving him the time of day, ¡°You have to work anyway don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Cat, please!¡± He stood up, grabbing my hand and I finally pinned him with a cold look, acknowledging his presence. ¡°Give me a chance to exin, okay?¡±


    ¡°You have five minutes.¡±


    I had to give it up to the man I chose to have a daughter with. He was persistent.


    With a gleam of stubbornness at my challenge, Elio took a deep breath beforeunching out everything that he had been doing in the past few days, exining why he didn¡¯t want to tell me at first, then enough financial information about the random Fed named Max to drown an IRS agent.


    ¡°And Leo found he was being paid off by Danil Rostova, which is just an alias the Russian mafia we partner with uses to cover their tracks with high amounts of check payments which led us to the local crime boss he was dealing with that night. So we got in the van and Franky made the exchange at like two in the morning and he finally took the bribe so we go a fed in her hands now plus a way to get the guys in jail out now if some certain reports or paperwork goes missing at the right time which we can do. Then I came home and you¨C¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± I cut him off, a bit worried he might explode with how purple his face was turning.


    He inhaled a huge breath, copsing against the couch as he heaved breaths like he¡¯d been underwater for an hour.


    I was pretty sure he had gone over the five-minute mark, but I wasn¡¯t going to tell him as he sent me such a huge grin, like he¡¯d won an award for the fastest monologue. I pursed my lips, debating with myself for a whole thirty seconds before finallynding on the right words.


    ¡°I understand your logic and reasoning,¡± I said calmly, and his eyes lit up, ¡°but that doesn¡¯t excuse it.¡±


    I heaved a deep breath, remaining calm as I focused on the empty void in my chest where my anger would usually be. It just wasn¡¯t there anymore. He¡¯d broken his promise so many times that I had zero expectations that he would actuallye through for me on this.


    ¡°You lied to me,¡± I said coolly, giving Elio a firm look. ¡°You could¡¯ve told me this earlier when you first got the information. And if you didn¡¯t want to say anything until you had all the facts, you could¡¯ve said so to my face instead of lying to me. Just because you tell me the truth after the fact does not make it okay. You¡¯re still hiding things from me, still lying to me. And I¡¯m done with it, Elio.¡±


    As soon as I said my piece, Mom arrived with a wary look, gazing between us like she had stepped on andmine. ¡°Am I interrupting things?¡± she asked, worriedly but I shook my head, mustering a smile for her.


    ¡°No, I have to go get ready. We¡¯re going out with Anna today, Emilia¡¯s first shopping trip.¡±


    ¡°Fun,¡± Mom beamed, taking over Emilia as I headed back to my room to finish getting ready.


    It didn¡¯t take long before I was back to grab Emilia. She was already dressed but I packed her bags and put her little shoes on her and once we were ready, I shouldered the bag.


    ¡°Cat,¡± Elio said, pitifully, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you¨C¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about itter.¡± I cut him off, not wanting to hear his excuses. ¡°Bye, Mom. Say bye to Daddy, Emilia!¡± I waved her little hand up and down, avoiding Elio¡¯s nce as we left.


    As soon as I was outside, I heaved a sigh, straightened my back, and headed toward the driver I¡¯d already called to pick me up. It took no effort at all to strap Emilia into her car seat and direct the driver to Anna¡¯s.


    I only had to give her a quick text once we arrived and she was running out to meet us with a huge grin.


    ¡°Oh, I am so excited!¡± She burst as she saw me and Emilia in the backseat. ¡°Baby¡¯s first shopping trip, hell yes!¡±


    ¡°Good morning to you too,¡± Iughed as she got in.


    The mall wasn¡¯t too far from her house, and as soon as she buckled up and we drove off, she started cooing at Emilia, absolutely in love with her.


    ¡°God, she¡¯s so cute, I just want to tuck her away into my back and bring her home with me,¡± Anna gushed. ¡°Thanks for inviting me out, Cat. I need this. School has been driving me nuts.¡±


    As Anna started to rant about her sses and the social scene at school, I realized just how little I had been thinking about school ever since I had gotten pregnant. It felt like a lifetime ago that I was just a student, worrying about normal things like Anna.


    It was refreshing to hear, considering all the bad things I¡¯d heard and witnessed since getting together with Elio. I didn¡¯t regret it, but it was a breath of fresh air. I knew I wanted to go back eventually, but now just wasn¡¯t the time.


    Elio worked all the time and I was reluctant to leave Emilia with anybody else at this point. Maybe when she was a little bigger, I thought to myself as I listened to Anna with one ear open. Once we arrived, our girls¡¯ day out officially began.


    Anna had nned the whole day, I found out and we started out with some casual shopping, where I couldn¡¯t resist getting some more baby clothes and shoes for Emilia. I was already sad she¡¯d grown out of her three-month size. We stopped for body care products, when I had Emilia test a few perfumes and candles for me, all of which she didn¡¯t seem to like.


    It was adorable how her little nose would scrunch up and she tried to smack the scent from my hand but there was one scent she seemed to like, oddly enough which was the fresh linen candle. I bought it for her but I had no idea when I was going to use it.


    It was good to get out of the house and out of my own head, but the fight with Elio still lingered in the back of my mind. My best friend, Anna noticed and Emilia took a quick nap as we stopped at the food court for pretzels and smoothies and she pried the details from me.


    I censored it as best as I could so it wouldn¡¯t be incriminating and as soon as I was done, Anna gave me a serious look.


    ¡°Kick him to the curb,¡± Anna said in that blunt way that always made meugh.


    ¡°We¡¯re engaged. I can¡¯t just kick him out of his own house,¡± I chuckled, swirling my straw in my chocte banana smoothie.


    ¡°Sure you can, he¡¯s being stupid. He needs to know the consequences,¡± Anna shrugged. ¡°He has to learn that you¡¯re not going to put up with that bad habit of his anymore. Just like he wouldn¡¯t if you kept doing something he didn¡¯t like over and over again even after you repeatedly made yourself clear.¡±


    ¡°He said I was overreacting.¡±


    I gave a wry smile and sure enough, Anna mmed her empty smoothie onto the table.


    ¡°Overreacting my ass,¡± she snapped. ¡°You were standing up for yourself! You aren¡¯t in the wrong here, Cat so don¡¯t let that asshole gaslight you into thinking this is nothing. You made yourself clear and it¡¯s his choice to keep doing it over and over.¡±


    I sighed, knowing she was right but also thinking about how utterly exhausting it was to keep going through this.


    ¡°Look,¡± Anna said, pursing her looks. ¡°I don¡¯t give the best rtionship advice, but I¡¯ll tell you this. This fight is going to keep happening until one of you guys gives ground on this. If you love him and want to move on with him, then maybe you let it go. He¡¯s not a bad guy and he didn¡¯t have the intention to hurt you. But either you ept that he¡¯s not going to change and try to work with him on it or you keep going around in this circle until one day, you won¡¯t be able to stop yourself from walking out. And with a baby in the mix, I don¡¯t suggest that route.¡±


    I nced at the sleeping Emilia, swallowing as I thought of her growing up with only one of us. I never wanted that to be an option, especially because I loved Elio so damn much.


    She was right. Maybe it was time to let this go.


    He was trying to make more effort to include me and as frustrating as it was, I knew he never meant to hurt me because of it.


    I just wished he would be honest with him as much as I was with him.


    Our girl¡¯s day came to an end as the time flew away from us and soon, we dropped off Anna and made our way home.


    I didn¡¯t know what I would find when I got there, but I knew it was time to put an end to this argument with him once and for all, no matter how it ended.

 Chapter 787 : Just a Grain of Sand

    <h4>Chapter 787: Chapter 787 : Just a Grain of Sand</h4>


    *Cat*


    It was silent as the car rumbled up into the driveway, only one light was on in the whole house. The living room¡¯s curtains were drawn but it couldn¡¯t hide the light from themp nor the glow of the TV that I knew better than anybody meant somebody was waiting for your return.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said quietly to my driver, who nodded to me as I stepped out of the car. I took a minute longer than I usually would to untangle Emilia from her car seat¨Cshe was still fast asleep, knocked out like a light from the big day she¡¯d had.


    My lips quirked upward as her little head rested on my shoulder, instinctively curling up closer to me as I kept her covered with her nket with fishies, making sure to grab her fox plush as well.


    Our driver was kind enough to grab the bags we¡¯d gotten from our shopping spree, most of it things for Emilia or practical items we actually needed. I¡¯d only splurged a little bit when it came to Anna, as I knew the both of us could go overboard when it came down to it.


    The sky had darkened with the sunset, a gorgeous violet scorching across the sky and melding with the pink of the clouds. The sun was barely peeking through the west skies, just a hint of its light to guide me as the gardenmps lit up one by one as they sensed movement.


    I hesitated at the front door, only for a moment though before I straightened my back, took a deep breath, and prepared myself for whatever wasing my way before opening it up. The driver set my bags in the hallway where I knew one of the maids woulde to bring it upstairs once they saw it and then left.


    But the movement caught the attention of the one person I wasn¡¯t quite sure I wanted to see right now. Leaning one shoulder against the wall, his curls were freely run through as though he¡¯d spent the day running his hands through it over and over. His eyes were gentle with a happy smile on his face, as I spotted him, he called out to me, ¡°Wee home,¡± in that honey-dripping sweet tone of his.


    I stiffened as he approached, all of the feelings I had from before I left rushing back, and I remembered Anna¡¯s words about letting it go, but that stubborn voice in my head whispered back with thoughts I didn¡¯t want to have toward the man I loved and the father of my child.


    ¡°We¡¯re home,¡± I hummed, trying not to fall apart in the hallway of our home.


    Elio¡¯s eyes turned to the sleepy Emilia in my arms, having woken up to the sound of her daddy¡¯s voice and now grubby hands reaching out even with her eyes still closed. She whined and I gently passed her to Elio, who beamed like a shooting star across the night sky.


    The love he held for our little girl softened me and I swallowed, following him to the living room as he cooed at her, asking her all about our day and what we bought. Emilia sleepily babbled to him for a bit, hands finding their way into his curls as she pulled on them tightly.


    He didn¡¯t mind, he never did, evenughing as she tried to eat one, drooling in her half-sleep.


    ¡°It¡¯s bedtime,¡± I told Elio. ¡°I fed her dinner already, so let me put her to bed.¡±


    Elio nced at me, still holding out daughter and for a moment, I couldn¡¯t read his expression, apletely neutral searching look on his face as he stared at me. Finally, though, after several heartbeats of waiting, he pursed his lips and nodded.


    Despite agreeing, he didn¡¯t hand over our child, instead dodged my attempts to grab Emilia back from him and instead headed up to her nursery himself. I sighed, not wanting to push it, especially since I¡¯d just spent the day with her and he hadn¡¯t seen her until now.


    I trudged up to the nursery after them, listening as Elio brightly chatted to our daughter, who answered in a way only a baby could¨Cjust soft hums and babbles. She was exhausted, it was clear to anyone who saw her and I felt bad for keeping her out so long.


    She¡¯d napped several times in the car seat but not for very long, always wanting to people-watch and see what she could. She¡¯d cried anytime I put her back into her car seat, and I was thankful to Anna who carried her around though it meant I became the moving luggage for them.


    As I stepped into the nursery, I gave Elio and our daughter a few minutes, watching silently as Elio put her to bed, tucking her in yfully and giving her a good night kiss on the forehead. He waited until she fell asleep, letting her clutch his finger in one small hand before her breath evened out and I knew she was out.


    I swallowed, letting Elio untangle himself from her tight grip as I headed to our bedroom. There was a strange tension that I had never felt before in our rtionship as I heard him following me only a momentter.


    I headed to the closet, where I neatly grabbed a new pair of pajamas, lining them up and folding them in a way that I never bothered to on a normal day but felt necessary now. Anything to keep my hands busy and away from what I really wanted to say.


    The bedroom door shut and I heard him call out to me.


    ¡°Cat.¡±


    Just my name, and in any other time I would¡¯ve adored the way he called my name, melting from the low tone that somehow made my own name sound so mesmerizing to hear.


    But not now.


    Now, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower,¡± I dered firmly, with no room for arguments as I grabbed my pajamas and pretended like it didn¡¯t feel like I was fleeing as I rushed to the bathroom. I locked the door behind me and breathed out a heavy sigh as I stripped myself of my now dirty clothes.


    I took my sweet time under the hot water, trying to figure out what I was going to say but all of it sounded wrong in my head. Eventually though, as the water turned to lukewarm and then cold, I knew had run out of time.


    There was no point in stalling any longer.


    I dressed in pajamas, my hair still dripping wet onto the floors below as I stepped outside, a determined look on my face as I decided to face this the way I did everything¨Cheadstrong.


    Elio was waiting for me, lounging on the bed, and only looked up once he heard me enter. He raised an eyebrow at me, and right as I said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get this over with!¡± all determinedly, he justughed.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting the floors all wet, Cat.¡± He grinned, rolling to his feet as he gestured me forward. I frowned, caught off guard by his leisurely manner but found myself obediently listening before I even realized what I was doing.


    I settled on the bed, my back to him and wondering what the hell was going on as Elio grabbed the towel from my hand and gently pulled my wet hair away from my back. I stiffened, unsure but gradually rxed as he patted my hair down with the towel, humming softly as he gently and carefully dried my hair for me.


    It felt nice¨Clike being pampered and my eyes slipped closed as I fully rxed, taking advantage of the sweet moment. I didn¡¯t know how long it was but eventually, Elio pulled back.


    ¡°There we are.¡±


    His hot breath brushed against my neck, and I shivered as he pulled my hair over my shoulder, exposing my neck to him. Gently and ever so sweetly, he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me into his embrace as he cuddled his head into the curve of my neck, his lips just barely brushing against my skin.


    ¡°Elio?¡± I asked, caught off guard by his reactions. I had been prepared for a fight, but all I had gotten was a soft attentiveness, one I hadn¡¯t felt since I had been pregnant.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered, so quietly I wasn¡¯t sure I heard him properly but the warmth of him cradling me was more than enough to show how much he meant those words.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± I whispered back, my throat choked with emotion before I took a deep shuddering breath and turned around in his arms so I could see his face. There was a tired look to him but he looked as wary as I did, both of us holding back the words we wanted to say.


    ¡°So why did you lie to me?¡±


    Elio took a deep breath, pursing his lips as he truly thought about his answer and then ultimately he sighed, giving me a wry smile.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to. I knew I should¡¯ve told you and I knew I fucked up as soon as I said it, I just... I was so ready to get it all over with, to focus on you and Emilia and have you back safe and sound and everything back to normal. I just wanted to go home with you. I didn¡¯t want to involve you if I didn¡¯t have to,¡± Elio exined calmly. ¡°Not if I could solve it by myself.¡±


    My mood soured and as much as I believed that that was part of the reason, I knew he wasn¡¯t telling me the whole truth. Maybe he didn¡¯t even know it himself but I did. There was more to it than that and I realized as I nced at Elio, that all I wanted was his honesty with me.


    ¡°You¡¯re still trying to protect me, Elio,¡± I said disappointedly, ¡°hiding things and keeping it from me because you don¡¯t want me to get involved. It¡¯s frustrating and frankly insulting that you keep doing this over and over no matter how many times we argue about this. It¡¯s like you want to keep me locked up in this perfect little suburban bird cage, a happy life without any of the bad things our life entails but I chose to be with you even after knowing about the mafia stuff. I chose this myself, knowing there would be danger and chaos we couldn¡¯t control. I¡¯m not some helpless little bird you have to keep safe. I¡¯m your partner, the mother of your child. Of all people, you should be able to trust me the most, yet it feels like you just don¡¯t.¡±


    My frustrations and anger poured out one by one and the more they did, the better I felt. It was a relief like the pressure in a valve finally releasing inch by inch.


    Overwhelmed with emotion, tears sprouted in the corners of my eyes despite me not wanting them to and Elio quickly held me in his arms, as I tightly clung to his shirt.


    ¡°I just... I want you to trust me,¡± I sniffed, burying my head into his neck.


    ¡°I do, Cat,¡± Elio reassured me, over and over until my tears began to dry, leaning back to cup my cheeks in his hands. ¡°I trust you more than anyone else in my life, Cat. You are the love of my life, and you and Emilia are the only reason I get up in the morning and work so damn hard. I never meant to make you feel isted or trapped and you¡¯re right, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been doing. I want so damn much to keep you safe but you are the most badass woman I¡¯ve ever met, you are stronger than me in so many ways and I just want to be a man worthy of you. I¡¯m trying, Cat, to keep you included and I swear I¡¯ll try harder and harder until I get this right because I love you, and you deserve to be the happiest woman in the world.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already worthy of me,¡± I gave a wetugh, beaming as I grabbed his hand,ying a kiss in the center of his palm. ¡°You¡¯re the man I chose, after all. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you so goddamn much, Cat,¡± he beamed, and our lips connected in a sweet reassurance, all of my previous anger and sadness fading away as Elio proved to me that this stupid fight was just a grain of sandpared to each other.


    I would always forgive him, and he would do the same because that¡¯s how much we mattered to one another.


    Our kiss turned from sweet to passionate in an instant and soon enough, we couldn¡¯t keep our hands off each other. I savored every taste of him I could, separating only to breathe as his lips moved to my neck. My ragged breaths heaved and I moaned as he roughly threw off the nightdress I had just put on, hands trailing across my bare skin anywhere he could get to.


    Nude in front of him, I pushed him onto his back, biting his lip between my teeth and kissing him senselessly until both of our lips were swollen. Elio wasted no time, roughly finding each spot he knew like the back of his hand and as soon as I was wet enough, he was thrusting up into me with everything he had.


    This wasn¡¯t the sweet love we normally had¨Cthis was rough and harsh and passionate and I could do nothing more than moan as he pinned my hands above my head, switching position so he could thrust into me even harder and faster.


    All the while he whispered sweet nothings in my ear, making his mark up and down my neck and corbone as we breathlessly swallowed each other¡¯s groans. And when we climaxed, it was messy and all at once, riding out the high until both of us were left shivering.


    But even then, there was no end in sight, not for us.


    The nightsted longer and longer as we reaffirmed our love over and over again.

 Chapter 788 : Full-Time

    <h4>Chapter 788: Chapter 788 : Full-Time</h4>


    *Elio*


    Before the first light of dawn could stretch across the sky, I was awakened by the vibration of my rm on the nightstand. My eyes snapped open, still groggy fromst night. Cat was stuck to me like glue, her whole body squeezed up against me as tight as she could, legs entangled with mine, and her arms wrapped firmly around my chest like I was a giant teddy bear to her.


    I sighed, trying not to disturb her as I yawned, reaching over for my phone before it vibrated off the nightstand. I blinked blearily at my phone as I turned it on, wincing at the sudden bright light. The rm was marked as ¡®Breakfast with Franky¡¯ for 6:00 am.


    I grimaced, sighing as I¡¯d only gotten a few hours of sleep. Damn Franky and his early bird hours.


    It took me an excruciatingly long time to extract myself from the tight hold Cat had on me without waking her, and I had to use pillows as a shield to keep her from rolling off the bed as I inched my way off.


    Eventually, though, my feet were nted on the ground, standing over the bed and she was tucked happily under a fort of pillows, only the dark tresses of her hair could be seen.


    Getting ready felt like a chore, and I could feel myself moving like mssespared to another day, barely even looking at the clothes I grabbed from the closet. I even purposefully made the shower water a bit colder than normal, hoping to wake me up but it only soured my bad mood into an even worse one.


    I grumpily dressed, realizing I¡¯d grabbed two pairs of pants instead of a shirt, and grudgingly headed back to the closet to pick out a random ck button-up.


    I could already feel that today was not going to be a good day for me. I grumbled, cursing Franky under my breath as I got ready, checking on Emilia, who was still sleeping peacefully, and then double-checking Cat.


    I didn¡¯t intend to wake her up, but Cat seemed to have other ns as I heard her soft grumbles andints under the mound of pillows.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡± I asked tiredly, a quirk to my lips as I saw her hand push out from under the nkets, waving around like she was searching for something. I rolled my eyes but grabbed her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm.


    ¡°No.¡± I heard her muffled groan.


    Iughed, wishing I could jump back into bed with her, cuddling her into my arms, but work was calling. ¡°me Franky for this,¡± I whispered to her. ¡°Man doesn¡¯t know how to sleep in.¡±


    She mumbled something else, something that vaguely sounded like, ¡°Where ya going?¡± but I couldn¡¯t be a hundred percent sure.


    ¡°Breakfast with Franky, and then I¡¯ve got a ribbon-cutting ceremony to attend at nine with Leo,¡± I told her softly. ¡°I¡¯ll update you throughout the day on what I can and call you if something big happens.¡±


    Our fight was still fresh in my mind, her cutting words had nestled their way into my heart, bleeding out into my actions. I was overthinking everything I did now, and I realized just how brutally right she¡¯d beenst night.


    I hated making her feel left out but she was right, I was still trying to protect her, to keep her locked away like a canary who only sang for me. It was unfair to both of us because she was such an amazing person, and I never wanted to hold her back or clip her wings.


    But I couldn¡¯t change the past.


    All I can do is try to make up for it in the future, starting with as much transparency as I could, considering that I wasn¡¯t sure exactly where I was going and what I was doing. Hopefully, I could slowly earn back her trust and we would be all right.


    I was just grateful for how much patience and forgivenessy in her heart. I knew it didn¡¯te from her kindness, but from how much she loved me. But I had to start changing this bad habit of mine or else all of that love would run out.


    Out of everything, that was my most visceral fear.


    Cat murmured something like ¡°okay¡± and then tucked her arm back under the mountain of pillows, paying me no more mind. I smiled, getting to my feet to leave. I made sure the monitor was turned on for Emilia and then left.


    The sky was barely a deep purple instead of the dark blues of the night but it was an improvement considering how goddamn early this breakfast was. I didn¡¯t even know what was open at six in the goddamn morning.


    The drive wasn¡¯t more than fifteen minutes and though I wasn¡¯t quite sure what I was expecting when Franky told me about his favorite breakfast ce, what was before me wasn¡¯t it.


    A neat little corner shop right near Hollywood called And Waffles was a tucked-away little restaurant with plenty of customers already. It honestly looked like a coffee shop turned into a waffle store, but it was open at six am so I trudged inside.


    It didn¡¯t take long to find Franky who was already drinking an americano at a table. I took the seat across from him, impressed with how he¡¯d gotten us a pretty secluded table from all the other customers.


    ¡°You took too long so I already ordered for you,¡± Franky said calmly, unashamed by his blunt statement and I rolled my eyes, not really caring at all.


    I wasn¡¯t too picky anyway. ¡°You said you have a n to get our guys out?¡± I asked, dropping straight into business.


    Franky took a sip of his coffee, sending me a rxed and calm look. ¡°Yes,¡± Franky said. ¡°The n is to break them out and get them to a secure location before using our private ne to get them back to Italy. Alessandro has already approved the getaway but the breakout part, we are still trying to solidify the n.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡± I prompted impatiently.


    Franky gave me a cold look like he was talking to an idiot. ¡°While your name may still be hidden ording to our Fed, having you know the details could put the organization in jeopardy. You are the Don. If this goes south, at the very least the responsibility cannot fall upon your head. All you need to know is that the n is in motion and I will let you know if it works soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Very helpful, Franky.¡± I crossed my arms unhappily.


    I knew what he was saying was right, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood to be ying these mind games with him. It was frustrating that I, as the boss, didn¡¯t know anything even though I knew that was what was keeping our family safe this time.


    Federal prisons were tricky and the less I knew, the less likely I or the rest of our men would get pulled into it in case it failed.


    Luckily for Franky, I didn¡¯t have time to argue with him because our tes came out soon enough. Franky, much to my surprise, had ordered himself an egg benedict with one little twist on it. There was no English muffin. Instead, it was reced by a fresh and fluffy-looking Belgian waffle.


    I had to admit, I was a bit intrigued, especially when the te for myself turned out to be a te with a massive waffle, four tiny condiment cups, and a side te full of eggs, bacon, and sausage.


    The coffee they set down was even perfectly done to my tastes. I sent Franky an impressed look, curious though about the waffle. The two condiment cups were filled with what looked like peanut butter and the other two with some kind of grape jam or jelly.


    ¡°Bacon waffle PB&Jbo,¡± Franky said at my intrigued look. ¡°I figured it might suit your tastes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any bacon on the waffle,¡± I said with a raised eyebrow, pouring it up with the fixings and then slicing into it. A puff of steam came pouring from the hot waffle.


    As I took my first bite of the waffle, my respect for Franky begrudgingly grew two sizes. Not only was the waffle delicious, but the bacon, as I found out, wasn¡¯t a topping but baked straight into the waffle itself.


    Mixed with the peanut butter and grape jelly with a little bit of maple syrup, it was heaven on my tastebuds. I made sure to text Cat a picture of the food, sending an order of it home for her. I¡¯d had just barely finished my food before Leo called to remind me about the ribbon-cutting with Leo.


    ¡°You go,¡± Franky said indifferently as I got up to leave. ¡°I will inform you if anything about the n changes. Make sure to keep up appearances while there.¡±


    I nodded, hating to leave with barely any answers but knowing that it was crucial for me to perform our legitimate job. Not only did it provide cover for our illegal activities, but it also provided a steady ie for the family¡¯s use.


    Luckily, I was awake due to that coffee, so I made it to the ribbon-cutting in record time.


    I made sure to text Cat about what Franky said, trying to keep it short but include as many details as I could. She only texted me, ¡®Food is good,¡¯ but I could feel her appreciation on the other end.


    ¡®I¡¯ll let you know anything elseter tonight,¡¯ I texted her, hoping she wouldn¡¯t think I was keeping things from her again. I just didn¡¯t have time to write it all out at the moment. Luckily, she responded with a quick little, ¡®Okay,¡¯ and I knew I was off the hook.


    To be honest, as I met Leo at the bright red rope, I didn¡¯t even know what it was for. I just stered on a friendly, approachable smile even as I felt like I was ready to copse into bed and never wake up again.


    It was all mind-numbingly boring, and my mind kept traveling back to Franky and the n to get our guys out or what Cat and Emilia were doing at home.


    I smiled for the pictures, stood by Leo¡¯s side as they shed light in our faces, and then I headed upstairs for more of our normal legit work.


    But my heart wasn¡¯t in it.


    I didn¡¯t feel fulfilled or happy to be there, not like the way I felt when I was working as the Do. It was only when Leo came in with a new massive pile of work for me to sign that I realized I was tired of this job.


    I didn¡¯t care one bit about it in the slightest.


    Oh, I realized slowly, I didn¡¯t want to be a real estate mogul at all.


    I just wanted to do my real job, the one I was truly passionate about.


    I wanted to be a full-time Don.

 Chapter 789 : Lucky

    <h4>Chapter 789: Chapter 789 : Lucky</h4>


    *Cat*


    ¡°There you go! Come on,e to Mama!¡± I cheered happily, pping as I sat on my knees across the living room. I held Emilia¡¯s favorite plushie in my hands, a stuffed blue dog from her favorite cartoon, holding it out to her and wiggling its little feet.


    Emilia had her little face scrunched up in concentration, chubby arms iling on the floor as shey on her tummy, now able to hold up her big head all by herself. She didn¡¯t quite know how to crawl yet, only waving her arms excitedly like she was trying to swim across the carpet and sometimes, she¡¯d managed to scoot herself a couple of feet, but that was all.


    She looked adorable, like a little duckling trying to learn how to swim for the first time, and I stifled myugh behind the plushie, grinning madly at how cute this was. I was recording with one hand, shaking the plush with the other as I encouraged her to head to me where I was just out of reach.


    I didn¡¯t expect her to crawl. It was still far too early for that. She¡¯d get there eventually but for now, this was just an exercise to build up her muscles, to prepare her for when she¡¯d be standing up then walking then running all over the house.


    As many times as I¡¯d been warned about the terrible twos, I was excited to experience it with Emilia, though I¡¯d miss these days once they were gone, I was sure.


    ¡°Alright, here you go, good job, Emilia,¡± Iughed, ending the recording as I handed Emilia her plush dog.


    She grabbed it with her hands, immediately sticking its ear into her mouth to suck on and Iughed, lifting her up into my arms and taking a seat on the couch.


    She leaned against me obediently, giving a soft little yawn as she nibbled on her plushie¡¯s ear. I chuckled, taking the moment to send the video to Elio but right before I was about to send it, I got the ding of a text from my phone.


    ¡®On my way home. Be there soon. Love you.¡¯


    I smiled, gently whispering to Emilia, ¡°Daddy¡¯sing home soon. You¡¯ll be so excited to see him.¡±


    Emilia loved him dearly, sometimes I think even more than me, and I thought it probably had to do with how she was stuck with me twenty-four seven and Elio was gone most of the day. She was really clingy with him once he got home though. I sent the video, wrote back a quick text basically saying okay, and lifted Emilia up.


    I settled her into her pack-and-y, making sure her toys were in sight. She continued ying with her plushie happily.


    That gave me a chance to get something done. I cleaned up the living room, putting up all her toys in the cute little basket I¡¯d bought for that purpose. Usually, the maid helped me, but I was feeling pretty active today. I wanted to do it myself, just to give me something to do.


    By the time I was finished, pretty proud of myself for how spotless it now looked besides the few toys thrown around her y mat, Elio was already pulling into the driveway.


    ¡°Wee home.¡± I grinned brightly, holding Emilia in one arm as Elio came.


    He blinked in surprise at us standing in the foyer to greet him, but that quickly disappeared into a tired smile.


    ¡°My princesses.¡± He reached out, pressing a kiss to Emilia¡¯s forehead then taking her from me as she whined excitedly, curling her little hands immediately around his curly locks. He kissed me on the lips, smiling as he pulled back.


    ¡°I saw you at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Leo sent me the pictures. You looked amazing,¡± I teased him, leading him to the living room by the hand. My smile faltered though as I saw his gloomy expression.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± was all he said, taking a seat on the couch with Emilia. He grinned brightly at her, lifting her up in the air as he cooed at her.


    Something was up.


    I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to find out what was wrong just by a look, but all I could determine at this point was that he was not very excited about the ribbon-cutting. Was it the event? Did it not go well?


    Shoving those thoughts to the back of my mind, I switched topics.


    ¡°How was your meeting with Franky?¡± I asked, remembering all the text updates he¡¯d sent me throughout the day. I hardly remembered this morning except for vaguely saying bye to him and waking up in a mountain of pillows confused.


    Elio¡¯s eyes lit up at the mention of Franky.


    ¡°Turns out I¡¯m not on the Feds¡¯ radar, so all of our guys have remained loyal. Leo and Franky are in the clear as well, thankfully. Franky¡¯se up with some n to get our guys out and back to Italy but he wouldn¡¯t tell me the details.¡±


    ¡°Frustrating, isn¡¯t it?¡± I smirked, crossing my arms at the irony.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°How long are you gonna hold that over me?¡±


    ¡°Probably forever.¡± Iughed at the look of dismay he sent me, bumping into his shoulder yfully as I leaned on him, snuggling my head on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. Does this n of his include pissing off the Feds cause that seems like something important?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but probably,¡± Elio shrugged. ¡°Breaking out of a federal prison tends to piss off the guys in charge. Shocking, I know.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re so unreasonable,¡± I teased. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay with Franky taking over on this project? I know you like to be in charge of things, especially when ites to the Valentinos. It¡¯s your family legacy.¡±


    ¡°I trust Franky to handle this without me,¡± Elio said confidently, giving me a small smile. ¡°And it¡¯s not just my family legacy but Al¡¯s too. He trusts us to handle this, so I can trust the person he picked out to help me. Besides, Franky has more than earned his ce here. We¡¯d never have gotten this far without him.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± I nodded sagely. ¡°Though, I still say he¡¯s a bit of an asshole.¡±


    ¡°No argument there,¡± Elio snorted.


    Emilia babbled in agreement, pulling tightly on one of Elio¡¯s curls and I stifled augh at the pained expression on his face.


    ¡°Damn, she¡¯s getting strong,¡± Elio grumbled to himself.


    ¡°Yes, she is!¡± I cooed, proudly at our little girl, giving her a big kiss on her chubby cheek. She blinked her wide eyes at me, looking absolutely stunned that I would do such a thing to her and her lips wobbled before she let out a wail.


    She buried her face into Elio¡¯s chest, acting like she¡¯d been so horribly wronged and I pressed my lips together to stop fromughing as Elio sent me a mock offended look.


    ¡°How could you? To our princess?¡± Elio gasped.


    ¡°I know! I¡¯m so evil,¡± I cried dramatically, falling back to lean on Elio¡¯s shoulders. Iughed as Elioforted our daughter who wasn¡¯t even crying, just faking it to get attention from her daddy.


    I sighed, happy with our family but also that he¡¯d finally let me back in. I told him so, giving him a kiss on the cheek as a reward and he grinned.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be where I am without you. You¡¯ve been the driving force behind everything.¡± He sighed, closing his eyes peacefully as he pulled me into a side hug. ¡°I¡¯d never be as great without you by my side. I just needed a little reminder of that.¡±


    ¡°Or a few,¡± I corrected with a pout. I was still a bit bitter from the many conversations we¡¯d had and the promises he¡¯d failed to keep over and over. Frustrating didn¡¯t evene close to how I felt.


    But I was learning to trust him again, just as he was learning to let him in behind those walls he¡¯d built up.


    ¡°Do you have any more meetings to go to tonight?¡± I asked, curiously, not wanting to be alone tonight again but Elio shook his head, giving me a sweet smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m all yours tonight.¡±


    At this promise, he kept whole-heartedly.


    I picked out a few movies to watch, some roms I liked and then a few action movies I knew Elio liked, and then one that was somehow both we¡¯d never seen before. We ordered take-out from my favorite Chinese ce, dismissing the rest of the servants for the night.


    Emilia, as always, tried her best to get a taste of Mom and Dad¡¯s food, but Elio was much more careful this time, not letting her sneak a piece of his sweet and sour chicken. I sneakily pretended to feed her scoops of my rice, throwing in one of her toys at thest minute.


    It seemed to work as she calmed down, content with just being involved. After a while, she fussed again and I gave her a bottle.


    The night passed by as Elio and I just hung out together, enjoying one another¡¯spany as we snuggled up on the couch. Emilia passed out after the second movie and I put her down in her crib. I headed into the kitchen to make some popcorn at the same time, with extra butter, of course.


    I settled back onto the couch with him and we kept watching the movie.


    I smiled to myself, lying on top of Elio as he yed with my hair, my eyes feeling heavy and fluttering shut as the lights were off, the movie yed quietly in the background and his soothing heartbeat lulled me into a blissful sleep.


    I didn¡¯t know when I fell asleep but I did apparently cause I woke up, eyes opening blearily to feel myself being lifted into the air with strong arms underneath me.


    ¡°Elio?¡± I murmured, tiredly and I heard his heartbeat thumping in his chest. I yawned, curling into his embrace as he hushed me, carrying me to our room.


    He slid me on top of the bed and I let him maneuver me as he pleased as he tucked me into bed, sliding in right after to hold me together. Once we were settled, I gently nuzzled up to his neck, entwining my cold feet with his warm ones much to his ire.


    ¡°I¡¯m d we¡¯re okay again,¡± I murmured sleepily to him.


    ¡°Me too.¡± He chuckled, pressing a kiss to my forehead. ¡°Get some sleep. You¡¯re slurring your words.¡±


    I hummed, not having enough energy to respond though I remembered wondering ¡®How did I get so lucky to be with him?¡¯ before sleep overtook me and the rest of the night was just a blur.

 Chapter 790 : A New Plan

    <h4>Chapter 790: Chapter 790 : A New n</h4>


    *Elio*


    I woke with Cat wrapped around me like kudzu. I loved it when she cuddled throughout the night, but I hated having to wake her in the mornings. This morning, I woke up especially early because I was going into the office at our real estate development firm.


    I slid from beneath her, trying my best not to wake her. She mumbled and moaned. I froze. She turned to her other side. Her breathing smoothed out and was rhythmic again.


    I sighed in relief. She needed her sleep. She¡¯d been under a lot of stresstely. Some of that stress came from me lying to her or keeping shit from her. I knew she hated it, and I was slowly learning to let her in on what was going on. We did better as partners than we did as adversaries. At least, it seemed that way to me.


    I liked her being in the loop. It made her a part of every aspect of my life. She knew me well enough to know when I was lying anyway. It didn¡¯t make sense to keep trying to keep her out of my world. she was smart and a lot harder than I thought she was. She could deal with my shit and the organization¡¯s too. I just wished I would have gotten the picture before I made her so angry she stopped talking to me.


    But we were good now.


    When I finished dressing in my business suit and trying to make some semnce of neatness out of the curls that were intent on going in every direction but the one I wanted them to go, I walked over to the bed and gave Cat¡¯s lips a brief kiss before I grabbed my keys, wallet, and phone off the bedside table. I stopped by the nursery, kissed my baby girl¡¯s cheek, and left the house whistling.


    When I was Elio the real-estate mogul, I drove myself. I used the silver Jag convertible. It wasn¡¯t too shy, but sporty and ritzy enough to pull off the high-end mogul persona without making too many waves.


    On the way in, I got a call from Franky.


    I pressed the answer button on the steering wheel, and answered with, ¡°This better not be bad news, Franky.¡±


    I was ready to maim the messenger at this point. Every time Franky called nowadays, he had bad news. I gritted my teeth for what wasing. I swore I¡¯d brain Franky the next time I saw him if he had bad news again this soon.


    ¡°Naw, E, it¡¯s not bad news.¡± Franky gave a grunt. I figured it was his version of a chuckle. ¡°I called you to tell you that the n with Mark is in motion.¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond. Franky¡¯s tone sounded like I wouldn¡¯t like this n. He¡¯d paused as if seeking approval. I didn¡¯t have any to give to him yet.


    ¡°Mark and I arranged for the boys inside to be jumped.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck!¡± I shouted, mming my fist against the steering wheel. ¡°Why in hell would you arrange for our guys to be jumped? Haven¡¯t they been through enough in there?¡±


    ¡°E, calm the fuck down,¡± Franky said in his calm, hard tone.


    I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever seen the man lose his cool. He never raised his voice when he could talk, and his eyes could freeze the balls off an opponent from miles away, but Franky didn¡¯t scare me.


    I was his Don, and he did what the fuck I said. I was pissed. I wanted my men out of prison and on their way back home with their women and children, then all of them sent to Italy as soon as we could get them there without tipping off the wrong people as to where our men were.


    But this was insane, and I swore to god if Franky thought this shit would fly with me, he had another thinking.


    ¡°You¡¯d better have a damn good reason for causing more harm to my men, Franky,¡± I snarled.


    ¡°If you¡¯d shut the fuck up and listen, you wouldn¡¯t have such a hard on right now.¡±


    ¡°Trust me, Franky, my dick ain¡¯t hard, but the trigger finger of my gun hand sure feels mighty itchy right now,¡± I snarled. ¡°Don¡¯t let that Fed get your ass killed.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t threaten me, E,¡± he said calmly. ¡°I¡¯m not one of your street boys. I¡¯ll defend myself, and one of us won¡¯t be standing at the end to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re threatening me, when you¡¯re the one who came to me with some dumb ass idea the Fed probably came up with?¡± I asked, exasperated.


    ¡°Damn man, didn¡¯t I tell you to listen?¡±


    I took a breath. ¡°What¡¯s the idea? And it better be good.¡±


    I could tell that Franky was rolling his eyes at me. ¡°We¡¯re going to get them jumped just bad enough to have them transferred to a local hospital. The men would need a few days to heal before we can attempt to get them out. They wouldn¡¯t be in the prison anymore, and there would be less security around them.¡±


    ¡°Well, damn, that¡¯s brilliant,¡± I said, feeling like shit for doubting him. ¡°Shit, I apologize for going off like a rocket. Thank you for thinking of this n and setting everything up.¡±


    I hated the idea of our guys being hurt, but Franky was right. It was necessary to get their men out alive and mostly well.


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s all good. you know that.¡±


    ¡°And Franky?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Thank the Fed too.¡±


    This time I actually heard Franky huff withughter before he hung up the phone.


    I grinned to myself as I ended the call. I didn¡¯t think Franky would give the Fed my thanks, but I meant it nheless. I was grateful and couldn¡¯t wait to put our men on the jet bound for Italy, where they¡¯d be safe from the US cops and Feds. They could do a little business overseas for the organization there.


    Maybe the family would send me another batch of men to take their ce, not that they were interchangeable. I knew every one of my men. I knew what their likes and dislikes were. I gave them presents for their birthdays and holidays. I gave them advice about their women. We talked and hung out from time to time. I took care of them and their families, and it was my responsibility to keep them safe and healthy.


    A leader didn¡¯t harm his men until he had to. I rarely had to because I knew how to run my family in a way that even though the men didn¡¯t fear me half as much as they¡¯d feared the different Dons they¡¯d worked for before, they respected me and knew I had their backs.


    They wanted to please me. They didn¡¯t want to disappoint me. They did their best and I rewarded them for it. If they didn¡¯t do what they were supposed to do or betrayed the organization, I did what I had to do, but to senselessly harm my men... no, I didn¡¯t do that.


    At first, that was how I¡¯d felt about Franky¡¯s n, but if we could get them out without gunfire and bloodshed, I was all for it, and Franky and the Fed¡¯s n did exactly that.


    As I ended the call with Franky, I realized I was going in to a job I absolutely hated. I didn¡¯t want to be at the legit business¡¯s office anymore. It was boring as hell to me. It was monotonous and filled with paperwork I didn¡¯t care to continue toplete day in and day out.


    I stayed at the office for the day to see how much I was really needed. There were a few things I had to sign off on and a couple deals a few of my people there wanted to run by me from time to time, but for the most part, I was superfluous. There were other things I could be doing throughout the day in my home office to further the other side of the business. This only bored me to tears and I hated being here. It took me away from my family and the family business.


    I went into Leo¡¯s office to speak with him and see what he thought about taking over.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Elio?¡± Leo asked as I sat in his guest chair as he filed papers, typed in more paperwork, and printed out files and set them aside.


    I always marveled at Leo¡¯s workspace. It was neat and efficient. I remembered when he first asked me to let him help with the firm and how I thought he¡¯d be a mess, but he thrived in the environment. He made more deals than anyone on the team.


    Leo had always had a charismatic personality. He smiled and joked around. He asked pertinent questions of those he helped and usually had great ideas for whatever project he was working with. It was as if he was made for this kind of work.


    While Leo was an awesome businessman when it came to the firm, he was a really good second to the Don as well. He was tougher than he appeared. Most people thought he was a pushover until he broke a knee cap or held a gun to their heads. He was just as ruthless as Franky. He just didn¡¯t have to show it in every move he made.


    He was an asset on either end.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want toe in anymore,¡± I said, testing the waters.


    ¡°That¡¯s up to you. You know that. No one has to know what you¡¯re doing when you¡¯re not here. You set up a remote office for a reason.¡±


    ¡°How do you feel about taking over my duties here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good with it,¡± he said. ¡°You know I like being here.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll thrive in any environment, but are you good with it. I don¡¯t want to ask you to take over when you¡¯d rather be out in the streets.¡±


    ¡°Elio, you know I¡¯m good either way, but I like working at the firm. I¡¯m good at it, and I¡¯d love to help you out here if that¡¯s what you need.¡±


    ¡°Good man,¡± I said, walking over and pping him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Thanks, Elio,¡± Leo said, looking up at me with a smile.


    ¡°For what?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re the one doing me a favor.¡±


    ¡°For trusting me with the business.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one I can trust not to turn it into some weird ass illegal enterprise that would bring the heat down on us like a pile of hell fire.¡±


    Leoughed.


    He wasughing, but I was right. Most of the men in the organization only knew how to be gangsters. They didn¡¯t know how to do anything with their talents other than what they already did, but Leo was subtle and knew his way around the legit business, and I was d of it. It would let me have more time with Cat and our child as well as give me time to make the family business even better.


    After talking with Leo, I called one of our favorite Italian restaurants and rented the whole ce out.


    ¡°Hey baby,¡± I told Cat on the phone before she could even say hi. ¡°Get ready to do the town.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Just look beautiful. I¡¯ll be there to pick you up in about an hour.¡±


    She sighed andughed at me. ¡°One of these days, I¡¯m going to find a way to surprise you,¡± she said, hanging up before I could say another word.

 Chapter 791 : Connection

    <h4>Chapter 791: Chapter 791 : Connection</h4>


    *Cat*


    When Elio got home, I was nearly ready to go. I was still trying to figure out what earrings and heels I was going to match with my royal blue dress that stopped just at my knees. It was a in dress at first look, but if someone were to look closer, they¡¯d see that it hugged my curves in all the right ces and entuated my figure. It looked modest but was sensuous and flirty with its red skirt.


    ¡°Dare I ask where we¡¯re going?¡± I asked smiling at him through the mirror as I switched out earring choices. Finally, I settled on a pair of diamond and sapphire earrings that looked like dice dangling from my ears.


    ¡°I rented out La Booucherie.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, turning to look up at him, as he changed clothes.


    ¡°Yep,¡± he said smiling that small half grin he¡¯s always given me.


    ¡°What¡¯s the asion?¡± I asked, walking to the closet to look at my shoes.


    I loved being a girl. We got to have all the cool stuff like dresses, shoes, purses, jewelry, and makeup. It was so great to dress up for myself and Elio. I couldn¡¯t wait until our daughter could y dress-up with me.


    I decided on the pumps that matched the dress, grabbed a matching clutch, and clipped the sides of my hair back with sapphire and diamondbs.


    ¡°Looking lovely, as usual,¡± Elio said, kissing the side of my neck and ncing into my eyes in the mirror I stood in front of to check out the overall look.


    ¡°And you¡¯re looking gorgeous as always, my sexy man,¡± I said, turning in his arms to pull him into my arms and kiss him on those sexy lips.


    ¡°Don¡¯t start that now. I mean to take you out for a nice meal, then seduce you.¡±


    Iughed at him. ¡°Yeah, well, you still haven¡¯t told me what the asion is.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you all the surprises of the night, now, can I? If I do, you¡¯ll think I¡¯m always supposed to do that.¡±


    I mock-pouted at him and pushed lightly at his shoulders.


    ¡°You know you¡¯re supposed to tell your woman everything.¡±


    ¡°You like my surprises and you know it.¡±


    Well, he had me there, I thought as I walked over to my vanity and reapplied my lipstick.


    He pulled on his suit jacket and put his wallet and phone in his jacket pockets, along with a money clip.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you at the door. I¡¯m going to check on Emilia before we leave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    We walked to the nursery together to find our baby girl up and ying with her toes and having an unintelligible babbling conversation with herself.


    ¡°Hello, baby,¡± I said, smiling at her and lifting her from the crib.


    She babbled and gave me a gummy grin.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Matilde?¡± Elio asked.


    ¡°Right here. I was just in the powder room,¡± Mom said, wiping her fingers on a towel. ¡°Come to Nana,¡± Mom said, reaching her hands out to Emilia.


    I reluctantly handed Emilia to her Nana and kissed Mom¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± I said.


    Elio kissed Mom then Emilia¡¯s cheeks and we were on our way out the door.


    Tonight, it was just Elio and me. We weren¡¯t on family business and we weren¡¯t going to one of our cafes or restaurants owned by the family, so Elio was driving us.


    ¡°Mind if I let the top down? It¡¯s a nice night for it,¡± he suggested.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fine. I remembered to put a brush in my purse tonight, so I wasn¡¯t worried about the wind, and it would feel good to have it blowing through my hair.¡±


    We rode to the restaurant in rtive silence, holding hands and enjoying the weather and wind on our faces and blowing through our hair.


    These times spent with Elio when he was feeling lighthearted andfortable were great. I knew there was something up because he seemed too happy and carefree for the first time in a while.


    It must be a celebration, I thought. I tried to figure out why as we wove through cars, stopped at street lights, turned corners, and sped through straight-aways.


    When we finally got to La Boucherie, I was excited and filled with curiosity to find out the news.


    We were greeted by a hostess and showed to a lovely set table with my favorite flowers in its center. I smiled and sniffed the lovely magnolias.


    We were seated and a sommelier came to take Elio¡¯s wine order. Elio really went out of his way this time. He ordered a lovely French champagne I¡¯d only tased once when we took a trip to France a long time ago.


    We made casual conversation while our orders were taken and the drinks were served.


    ¡°I can barely sit in my seat. Don¡¯t make me jump you, Elio,¡± I warned.


    ¡°I can¡¯t possibly guess why you¡¯re so antsy,¡± he said, trying to look innocent, but he had a devilish grin on his lips. No one would believe him an angel at that moment.


    I tapped the pointed toe of my shoe against his ankle, and he chuckled.


    ¡°Once the meal is served, I¡¯ll tell you, I promise,¡± he said, feeding me a piece of antipasto.


    I took the morsel and hummed my delight in its vors.


    Once our meals were served and we were both forking up pasta and enjoying the wine, I gave Elio a meaningful look and lightly tapped his ankle again.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing different than what I told you earlier,¡± he said, chuckling a little. ¡°I¡¯m just feeling good about being free of the Feds. Plus, I¡¯m really optimistic that Franky¡¯s n will get our guys out. Once they¡¯re in Italy with their families, they¡¯ll be safe, too. I¡¯m just feeling celebratory about the whole thing.¡±


    ¡°It is good news,¡± I agreed. ¡°And definitely good enough reason to celebrate. But if they leave the country, won¡¯t that make the Feds want to look for them?¡± I was worried about that part of things.


    Elio shrugged. ¡°They won¡¯t find them,¡± he pointed out, ¡°not with our connections in Italy.¡±


    ¡°Well, then I agree that¡¯s something to celebrate,¡± I said. ¡°But I know you, Elio, and I know you¡¯ve got something else up that sleeve of yours.¡±


    He smirked. ¡°You know me well. How do you feel about me being home during the day more often?¡±


    ¡°How?¡± I asked, feeling my stomach start to flutter. Elio home during the day, really?


    ¡°I talked to Leo about it today. He¡¯s going to take over things there, so I can put more time into the family and being the Don.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked, not really believing the great news just yet, concerned I might be hearing wrong or he might be just saying what I wanted to hear.


    ¡°It¡¯s for real. I¡¯m more than sure. This will give me more time with you and Emilia. It may mean that I¡¯ll be at the warehouse more sometimes. More often than not, I¡¯ll be able to run things from the remote office we set up in the house.¡±


    I stood, walked over to him, and sat in hisp, wrapping my arms around him and kissing him.


    I was so happy to have him in my life, and now I¡¯d get to have him home more often. It was like a small miracle.


    ¡°You know this dinner is really great, but the real celebration is going to happen when we get home,¡± I teased and nipped at his ear.


    ¡°Check please,¡± he called, making meugh out loud as he left money for our meal and the tip on the table, lifted me, and carried me out of the restaurant to our car, arranging for delivery of another mealter along the way.


    I was still chuckling as he clumsily opened the car door and put me in the passenger seat.


    He literally ran around the front of the car to get in and start the car. As Elio drove away, I was still breathless andughing.


    The engine of the powerful sports car roared down the straightaways and lovingly hugged the curves as Elio¡¯s hands often worshipped mine. I didn¡¯t take his concentration from the road as he was rushing to get us home, though I wanted desperately to let my fingers roam over him while he drove. Right then, that would have been dangerous, so I waited for him to roll into the garage and cut the engine before slipping out of my dress and getting my hands on him.


    Before I could grab for him, he grabbed for me, our lipsing together frantically, our teeth clicking, our tongues dueling, and our fingers touching everywhere they could.


    Elio lifted me into hisp to straddle him. His fingers tested my readiness. I shouted in pleasure and impatience. He groaned his own eagerness as my wet heat coated his fingers with slickness.


    He cursed and fumbled with his zipper, and Iughed and helped him.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± he grumbled as we both took the plunge.


    I pushed down and he lifted his hips, our bodies joining, him filling me up, me surrounding him, all our enthusiasm broken for one moment ofplete connection. His eyes connected with mine. My heartbeat pressed to his.


    Our breaths mingled as we stared at each other a feral hunger in our gazes. It was as if we decided to let that primal energy out at the same time because, for the next few minutes, we were nothing but panting breaths, groping hands and fingers, and wild kisses as we rode one another to an ecstatic finish.


    We stared at one another, dazed and catching our breaths. The corner of his lips twitched, and we just sat there connected, sweaty, and breathing heavily together, grinning at each other like fools.


    Elio patted my hip. ¡°You¡¯d better get dressed.¡±


    I leaned forward and kissed his lips. ¡°Yes, so you can undress me the next time,¡± I teased.


    He kissed me back. ¡°It would be my pleasure,¡± he said, rubbing his hands over my sides and down my thighs before letting me move to the passenger seat to pull on my dress and grab my purse.


    We went into the house and checked in on Emilia before heading to our suite. Mom was asleep in the bed we¡¯d put in the nursery for whomever might spend the night while looking after Emilia. Emilia was asleep with her little bottom in the air and her nket only covering her toes.


    I¡¯d pulled the nket over her and set her pacifier nest to her just in case she woke wanting it in the night.


    ¡°Night, baby,¡± I whispered, touching my fingers to my lips, then her cheeks.


    Elio had looked down at our baby with such affection and love in his eyes I couldn¡¯t help but fall in love with him all over again.


    We were readying ourselves for bed when Elio¡¯s phone rang.


    ¡°It¡¯s Franky. I¡¯ve got to get this.¡±


    I nodded, listening to Elio¡¯s side of the conversation.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    He was quiet for a few minutes.


    ¡°If they¡¯re going to try moving our men back to the prison tonight, what¡¯s going down?¡±


    He paused. ¡°Good, good. Make sure to keep me updated when you can.¡±


    I waited on tenterhooks to see what the whole thing was about.


    As Elio settled into bed next to me, I gave him a meaningful look.


    ¡°The cops were nning to move our men back tonight, so the n¡¯s being moved up,¡± he exined. ¡°Franky called to let me know they were going through with it tonight. He said he¡¯d update me as soon as things were done.¡±


    I smiled. This was good news indeed.

 Chapter 792 : A Win

    <h4>Chapter 792: Chapter 792 : A Win</h4>


    *Elio*


    That night, I slept better than I had in months. cing my trust in Franky to get our guys out safely and handing over the reins of the legit business to Leo, had freed up so much of my time and thoughts to focus on my family, which was just what I needed for a good night¡¯s rest.


    It was weird to wake up feeling so refreshed and light like all of my burdens have been brushed away and left me feeling like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. I hummed, stretching my stiff limbs above my head.


    It was only once I opened my eyes fully, blinking away the blurriness, that I realized the other side of the bed was empty. I ced my palm where my fiancee usually would be, legs clung around me like a ko but it was cold.


    She¡¯d been gone for some time.


    I frowned, rolling over to grab my phone on the nightstand when I saw two missed texts waiting on the screen to be read. The first was from Franky.


    It was just a straightforward, ¡®Call me when you get up.¡¯


    I knew his tepid responses at this point though. There wasn¡¯t an emergency even if the text sounded vague. It was probably just an update for what happenedst night and seeing as he used punctuation, an odd tell of Franky¡¯s than Leo and I had figured out, it meant good news.


    Things had gone wellst night. I breathed a sigh of relief, d to finally have my men out of prison and heading back to Italy with their families.


    Hopefully, they weren¡¯t too injured from the n, but I had already nned topensate them for what they¡¯d been through, especially for their continued loyalty to us, not saying a word even under the eye of the Feds and higher government officials. I knew prison wouldn¡¯t have been easy for them, especially with the MS13 guys in the block.


    I¡¯d received quite numerous reports of fights and jumps that had failed or been broken up with minor injuries.


    They deserved a long vacation and a re-evaluation if they wanted to continue under Al or take the cash and get out. Al would take care of them once they were in Italy, so all we needed to do was smuggle them out properly.


    Luckily nobody could rival the micro-management of Franky.


    The second text I received was from Cat.


    ¡®Went to get breakfast. Be back soon.¡¯


    It was marked fifteen minutes ago, and I was just about to call her when I heard footsteps heading upstairs. I sat up in bed, giving a yawn as I put down my phone, and grinned as the bedroom door opened.


    Sure enough, there was my fiancee, holding a familiar pink box and two bags from a local bakery that I knew well, and curled up in the baby wrap around her torso was Emilia, while she carried a drink carrier in the other hand.


    In her mouth was a pink frosted donut just hanging there, sprinkles dropping as she munched on it slowly without dropping it onto the floor. I blinked, surprised at my fiancee¡¯s hidden talent as she quickly came over, waddling a bit with how heavier one side of her was than the other before she dropped the box and bags onto the bed with a sigh.


    She was more careful with the drink carrier, handing it to me. I took it, ncing at the two paper cups inside. One was a pink lemonade quite obviously though there was another fruit smelling from it that I couldn¡¯t identify and the other was a mhiato with caramel¨Cmy particr favorite order.


    I chuckled. ¡°Is this what you meant by breakfast? Sugary donuts and coffee?¡±


    She grabbed the half-eaten donut still hanging from her mouth, chewing before she answered with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I was hungry and you weren¡¯t waking up. Food is food. Why do you care how much sugar there is in it? I¡¯ll still love you when you¡¯re fat.¡±


    Iughed, shaking my head as she fully swallowed the rest of her donut, giving me a standoffish look before I handed her the pink lemonade drink.


    ¡°It¡¯s dragonfruit lemonade actually,¡± she said at my curious look as she sat down. ¡°I wanted to try it.¡±


    Emilia looked over at me with her curious green eyes, reaching for my drink like she wanted to take a sip, and if it weren¡¯t going to keep her and us up all night and be bad for her immune system, I might¡¯ve caved at the adorable pout she gave me.


    I took a sip as Cat proudly showed off her haul of unhealthy food¨Ca whole box of assorted donuts, some sandwiches and bagels, and tworge cups of golden round hash browns. Cat wasted no time digging in, humming happily as her dragonfruit lemonade was a big hit apparently.


    I decided to just go with the flow, choosing a donut at random as I slowly woke up with the caffeine being pumped into my system. The caramel was a nice shot of sweetness to the bitterness of the coffee, one that I absolutely stood by though when Cat wanted to try and take a sip, she gave me a look like I had just forced her to drink poison. I tried her lemonade at her insistence but found it too sweet for my taste.


    After we somehow devoured all the food, Cat and Emilia started their day. It was interesting to watch considering I was almost always at work by this time. I was grateful not to have to rush off to the office or to the warehouse to deal with things and finally have time to sort things out at home.


    I only realized I¡¯d forgotten to call Franky when Cat turned on the TV and the news station popped on.


    ¡°We¡¯re now getting reports that a total of eight prisoners have been broken out,¡± the serious news reporter said, showing a picture of the prison next to her head. ¡°It was reported they were being transferred to a hospitaltest night, a medical team arriving just before midnight for the injured prisoners, yet it was only hourster that the eight prisoners and team who imed to be medical professionals vanished.¡±


    I was right. Things did go smoothly. Cat watched with me curiously as the news report shed up the mugshots of the eight men who had been in jail all this time, not detailing their crimes, which didn¡¯t surprise me but instead focusing on the medical team, which had no good descriptions except that they¡¯d been in ssic blue scrubs and had on medical masks and hats.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to give Franky a raise because that was a smooth operation,¡± I said, impressed by how well it had worked out¨Cno witnesses, in and out in a few minutes, with no information to actually give to the public for identification.


    The prison hadn¡¯t even taken down the ambnce license te, nor had it been caught on surveince due to the camera shortage they attributed to the stormst night. It had barely even rained... but a storm?


    I snorted. They were already trying to cover their tracks and pin the me on the weather phenomenon. The move had grubby politicians all over it.


    As soon as the report ended and Cat switched to Emilia¡¯s favorite cartoon, I grabbed my phone to call Franky.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hey, just saw the news, nice work,¡± I said as a greeting. ¡°They don¡¯t know what to think of it.¡±


    ¡°That was the n,¡± Franky said gruffly, a full night of sleep having taken its toll. ¡°We screwed up the times on the cameras so they got it wrong. We¡¯re heading back to Italy on one of our jets, with doctors on board to make sure they¡¯re medically cleared. No life-threatening issues, but a lot of them are ck and blue. Some of them are trying to im workman¡¯sp.¡±


    ¡°Oi! Told you that just was a joke. Don¡¯t bring the big boss man into it!¡±


    ¡°Joke, I was serious! My ass hurts from all this jostling around and I got a bad back from those beds in there¨Ccots with a nket and brick for a pillow!¡±


    ¡°You got a pillow?¡±


    I smiled, shaking my head as I heard the men joking in the background. I knew Franky wanted to make sure they were transported all the way there before heading back, just to be cautious of any stops, but it didn¡¯t surprise me in the least the guys were as rowdy as they normally were, even after being beaten to a bloody pulp and then rushed around all night to escape jail.


    Still, it was a relief to hear them being so lively after all they¡¯d gone through the past few months. Freedom and doing so under the noses of the oppressive American government had to be a hell of a drug.


    ¡°Let me know when you guysnd,¡± I said calmly. ¡°And tell them there¡¯s no workmanp in the mafia. I¡¯ll double-check with Al though.¡±


    And then I hung up with a grin, knowing that Franky was going to be pissed. Al was not as nice of a boss as I was.


    ¡°So what¡¯s going on?¡± Cat asked curiously as she took a seat next to me, propping up her feet and putting them in myp like it was the most natural thing to do.


    I didn¡¯t mind though, simply leaning my hand over her cold feet to warm them up as I told her all about Franky and the guys being free.


    Cat was patient, asking only the necessary questions before letting me continue. It felt great to be here with her like this, all of her attention on me as I unloaded the stress and worries of the job. I missed this, working with her as a team instead of carrying around lies and secrets all the time.


    ¡°What about the MS13 guys?¡± Cat asked after I finished delivering the news. ¡°Are they going to get broken out as well?¡±


    ¡°There are only a couple left in custody,¡± I told her with a smirk. ¡°But no. Now that our guys are missing, the investigation is going to be halted until our guys are found and back in prison. That won¡¯t happen so most likely, the case is going to be dropped to low priority. The few guys still in there are going to rot now. Even if they confessed everything they knew, they still wouldn¡¯t get out. They¡¯re screwed. Besides, it¡¯s more efficient for Ignacio to cut his losses than try to win back some low-level guys. He won¡¯t bother.¡±


    ¡°So we win,¡± Cat smiled.


    I chuckled, giving her a nod.


    ¡°We win.¡±

 Chapter 793 : Unspoken

    <h4>Chapter 793: Chapter 793 : Unspoken</h4>


    *Cat*


    It was just my luck that on a bright Saturday morning when I was filled with the itching need to get out of the house, Elio would have to work. I pouted unhappily, slouched on the couch as my leg bounced up and down impatiently as Elio got ready to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Elio said, giving me an apologetic look. ¡°Franky needs me to check on a building. I tried to get out of it but apparently, it needs my approval before they go ahead with it.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I sighed, leaning my head back, ¡°I¡¯m just being a baby but... I don¡¯t know, I really wanted to go out today.¡±


    ¡°Maybe go ask Anna?¡± he offered. ¡°She loves Emilia, so you can bring her.¡±


    I gave him a nce and then gestured to our daughter, who was in her baby bouncer. She was gnawing on one of the fish toys stuck to it, a grumpy look to her as she held her bottle in one hand and a death grip on the bouncer as she struggled to get out of it.


    ¡°Right,¡± Elio said quickly. ¡°She¡¯s still grumpy?¡±


    As if to prove his point, Emilia let out a piercing shriek of frustration, finally letting go of the bouncer before she threw her half-drank bottle of milk right at Elio¡¯s feet. I was honestly impressed by her aim as she struggled in her bouncer, screaming like a little demon.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± I huffed, as Elio picked up the bottle and offered it back to Emilia on one knee. She gave him a very angry look, a frown deeper than the Marianas trench before she reached out and pped the bottle right out of his hand.


    Then she screamed, wailing her little fists everywhere, mock crying without any real tears in her sheer anger.


    ¡°Teething, still?¡± Elio asked, shocked by how his beloved angelic daughter had been behaving all week.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said tiredly, pinching the bridge of my nose, ¡°I¡¯ve done everything to get her to calm down but nothing! The doctor said it¡¯s normal but she¡¯s driving me nuts. At least in there, she isn¡¯t trying to bite down on everything she finds.¡±


    He gave me a helpless smile, shrugging his shoulders as he retreated. ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out. I love you.¡±


    He leaned over to give me a quick kiss before heading out, leaving behind me and the demon that had overtaken my sweet daughter.


    I sighed, throwing my head back as I reyed the cartoon movie, the only one that Emilia would watch right now. It was mind-numbingly boring and as I heard Elio¡¯s car driving away, I grumbled to myself and finally decided to call in some backup.


    Mom arrived in no less than five minutes, a determined look at her. She nced at me with my frizzy hair and then my daughter before saying, ¡°I¡¯ve got this. You go have fun.¡±


    ¡°Mom.¡± My eyes watered as she took over immediately, pulling Emilia from the bouncer despite how my daughter tried totch onto her arm with her new tooth and then promptly and quickly stuffed a pacifier in her mouth.


    I watched with wide eyes as Emilia initially tried to spit it out before her body rxed as she sucked on it gradually bing more docile.


    ¡°Teething pacifiers,¡± Mom said triumphantly. ¡°Ice with fruit chunks in thepartment and it¡¯ll stop them right in their tracks. Lifesaver, I tell you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the best,¡± I sighed in relief, giving her a huge grin.


    Emilia had thrown away every teething toy we¡¯d given her but now she was utterly quiet, blissfully sucking away as she ignored the rest of the world. The demon was sated, I thought happily.


    ¡°I know.¡± She gave me a smug grin. ¡°Now go get dressed. You go out and let me spend time with my granddaughter.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± I said gratefully, rushing to call Anna, who immediately agreed to our ns.


    I got dressed at record speed, leaving a kiss on my daughter¡¯s cheek now that she wasn¡¯t trying to bite my face off, and then hugged Mom, thanking her one more time before I rushed off.


    I truly had the best mom, I thought as the driver took me to Anna¡¯s ce. She was bouncing in ce as we arrived and let out an excited gasp as we pulled in, dashing over and getting inside.


    ¡°It has been forever since it¡¯s been just us hanging out,¡± Anna said loudly, and Iughed. She was right and I was just as excited as she was. ¡°Okay, first stop, The Kitchen!¡±


    ¡°God, that sounds amazing,¡± I said, my stomach already rumbling as I thought of the small spot that had been Anna and I¡¯s favorite when I first came back to LA. I hadn¡¯t been there in months but they undoubtedly were one of the best spots in the city.


    The colorful brick spot wasn¡¯t the most stand out, especially in a ce like LA, which was filled with all kinds of fancy restaurants all fighting for attention but the brick exterior filled with artsy murals was certainly different.


    Since I wasn¡¯t pregnant anymore and we had transitioned Emilia from breastfeeding to full form, I dly ordered a ss of sparkling rose while Anna chose a white Riesling. We clinked our sses, talking about everything in our lives as we waited for our food.


    We didn¡¯t have to wait long as they came out. I chose the build-your-own grilled cheese, which was delicious as always, while Anna went with the spicy BBQ sandwich. We decided to share the creme brulee for dessert. Anna had polished off three or four sses of wine by the time we were done.


    Luckily, she had a much better alcohol tolerance than me so she wasn¡¯t the least bit tipsy, while I had only gotten through one ss before feeling the effects start to hit me just a little.


    Thank goodness for the driver.


    After lunch, we headed down to the beach, picking up our shoes in our hands as we decided to just walk along the sand, the cloudy day breaking up the heat and the sea water licking across our bare feet.


    It was a beautiful day and I breathed in the salty air, watching the gulls flying overhead as we stopped every so often to pick up shells or see the small ocean creatures like hermit crabs and the starfish lounging in the little rock pools.


    We just hung out, enjoying each other¡¯spany as we told one another about our lives.


    Anna told me about her messy breakup with Elijah, how his family came to visit Elijah¡¯s childhood friend (¡°Some R-name or something, I don¡¯t even remember,¡± Anna said flippantly), started school, and immediately started trying to break them up.


    ¡°I warned him about her but he was all, ¡®She¡¯s a good girl, she would never.¡¯¡± Anna rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah, well, a few fightster, and sure enough, we broke up and she swooped in. They started dating two days after we broke up. Two days. God, men are fucking clueless.¡±


    Luckily, though, she also told me about the new guy she was seeing, Cole, how she met him at the school coffee shop, both of theming in every day at the same time before school and always ordering the same drink which often got their orders mixed up.


    They started hanging out soon after. Her cheeks were rosy red as she told me how they¡¯d been on a few dates already and she adored how much he made herugh and was truly interested in the random things she talked about.


    ¡°He reminds me of you kinda,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°He listens to my rambling and is just stupidly kind all the time. I really really like him.¡±


    I beamed, utterly happy for her as we settled at one of the rock pools, sticking our feet into the water as Anna found a live sand dor, showing me her little prize and the weird little tentacle feet on its underside.


    I grimaced away but Anna found it hrious, letting it move around on her hand for a bit before letting it go. We sat side by side and we leaned against one another, my head on her shoulder and her headid over mine as we just breathed in each other¡¯spany.


    Life was crazy and things were so different from when we were younger. I didn¡¯t get to hang out with her as much as I wanted to, but I hoped she knew how much I loved her and relied on her. She was my best friend and I loved her more than I could ever put into words.


    And I knew she felt the same toward me as she nudged me a little bit with her elbow, a huge smile on her lips as she pointed to the pair of sea turtles floating near the shore.


    We didn¡¯t need words.


    It was just unspoken.


    We stayed only a few more minutes before deciding to head back, the sun getting lower in the sky and we grabbed our shoes, making sure not to take any of the shells we had found but leaving them easily essible for any of the hermit crabs to switch to.


    We headed back to the car, and I was feeling so rxed now,ughing as Anna made wild gestures as she told me how the theater department had yed a senior prankst year before graduation, dressing up as mimes and following the teachers and students around for a day.


    It was about halfway to the car when Anna halted in her tracks and I stopped soon after, giving her a confused nce as she frowned. I followed her gaze and stiffened as a man in a dark suit was waiting by one of the palm trees, eyes locked on us with a humorous grin on his aging face.


    ¡°Good evening,¡± he called out, pushing off the tree and walking toward us.


    I searched his face for any kind of clue, but I knew I had never met this person before. I stepped in front of Anna, pushing her behind me as I stood my ground, watching him approach warily.


    He stopped only a few feet from us, giving me a grin. ¡°You¡¯re Miss Caterina, aren¡¯t you? Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ignacio. You might¡¯ve heard of me from your fiance.¡±


    I stiffened in ce, as Anna whispered, ¡°Cat? Is this someone to do with Elio¡¯s... job?¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I demanded, not showing the slightest bit of fear toward the man in front of me. Despite knowing that he was dangerous, despite knowing this was the man who had threatened both me and my daughter for so long.


    I clenched my fists at my side, anger rising as I finally put a face to his stupid name.


    ¡°Oh, nothing much.¡± Ignacio¡¯s grin widened as he saw me standing perfectly still, not moving back an inch. ¡°I just wanted you to give a little message to Elio. Tell him... that I can get to you anytime I want to, just like today.¡±


    I snorted, stepping forward fearlessly and crossing my arms as I stood right up to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him, remembering the threats he¡¯d made of my daughter. My temper soared as I thought with every fiber of my being, ¡®I could kill this man.¡¯


    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± He smirked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I dered boldly, then I stepped forward until we were mere inches apart, lowering my voice as I issued my first andst warning to this motherfucker, ¡°In fact, Ignacio, you should be scared of me.¡±


    I stepped away, heading back to Anna as I hooked my arm around hers. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said coldly, pulling her along.


    But before we could bypass him, Ignacio held out an arm and eyed me with an amused look.


    Heughed, looking utterly delighted by my threats. ¡°Elio certainly has gotten himself a live one. I look forward to seeing what you can do, Caterina.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes on his figure as he chuckled to himself, walking away casually like he hadn¡¯t a care in the world.


    ¡°Cat, who was that?¡± Anna asked worriedly.


    ¡°Nobody important,¡± I said calmly. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    She pressed her lips together, not quite believing me, but she nodded as we headed back to the car. I tried to lighten up the mood, chatting about Emilia¡¯s teething and Mom¡¯s dating and luckily, Anna took the hint, letting herself be distracted from the meeting with Ignacio.


    I dropped her off at home, waving bye and promising to hang out again soon, but as soon as she vanished into her house, my smile dropped. I pulled out my phone as we pulled out onto the road, heading home.


    The call rang a few times before I heard Elio pick up.


    ¡°Cat? I¡¯m almost home. How was your day?¡±


    ¡°Ignacio ran into me today,¡± I said bluntly.

 Chapter 794 : The Deal Is Off

    <h4>Chapter 794: Chapter 794 : The Deal Is Off</h4>


    *Elio*


    I paced the hallway, impatient, anxiety-like ws crawling up my throat. I felt sick to my stomach like I was on a never-ending loop on a roller-coaster but all I could do was hold on and pray for it all to stop.


    I prayed that the love of my life walked through those doors unharmed.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to wear a hole through the floor,¡± Matilde remarked as I walked past the living room doorway.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay to have it fixed,¡± I snapped back, not in the mood for such jokes ever since Cat had called me telling me that Ignacio had walked right up to her¨Chad threatened her to her face.


    My blood boiled and with no outlet to properly direct my anger, I could only stomp around the house waiting for her to get home. I¡¯d assigned two teams to call her, just in case, even though my rational mind told me he wouldn¡¯t do anything.


    This was just a warning.


    It was something I¡¯d dealt with dozens of times before. I knew I should be calm and rational, not the mess of nerves and anxiety I was, more like how Matilde had only asked if she was okay and then calmly took care of Emilia the whole time, no more questions once I told her she was unharmed.


    ¡°How can you be so calm?¡± I asked, my irritation bleeding into my voice and she raised an eyebrow at me, pursing her lips unhappily. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m just worried for her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rather obvious,¡± Matilde scoffed, then she smiled at Emilia as she struggled to flip on her back from her tummy.


    She didn¡¯t quite have it yet but she was working on it. She gave me a softer nce, patting the couch beside her and though I felt like a bundle of nerves working overtime and didn¡¯t want to sit down and rx until the woman I loved was in my arms, Matilde was my mother-inw.


    I knew better than to piss her off.


    I sat beside her and she smiled, patting my knee affectionately.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been protecting Cat, ever since she was little and you two first met. It¡¯s probably ingrained into your DNA at this point, but you need to learn to step back. Cat is all grown now. She doesn¡¯t need you hovering around and kicking the asses of high school boys who spread rumors about her.¡±


    I flushed at the shame of my past being brought up, ¡°You knew that?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did.¡± Matilde rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not blind. Anytime Cat had a teacher being rude, or a guy in ss teasing harass her, she¡¯din to me or you, and the very next day, like magic, the issue would be dealt with. You¡¯re forgetting I married your father¡¯s best friend. I know how guys like you tick.¡±


    ¡°I only meant well,¡± I tried to exin. ¡°All I ever wanted was the best for her¨C¡±


    ¡°I know that. She knows that." Matilde cut me off with a firm look. ¡°Nobody can doubt how much you love my daughter, but Cat isn¡¯t a child anymore. She doesn¡¯t need that kind of protection. You have to stop treating yourself like a child who needs to be protected and more like your partner, your equal. Cat is strong-willed just like her father, and I¡¯m willing to bet this little incident didn¡¯t phase her one bit. I¡¯m more worried about what she¡¯d do to him if Anna hadn¡¯t been there to keep her head straight. I love her but she can be ruthless at times.¡±


    I smirked, agreeing to that and knowing that everything she¡¯d said was right. I had to trust Cat and that she¡¯d be okay, even when facing a dangerous asshole like Ignacio. I¡¯d probably always be worried for her, but I knew when it was time to take a step back.


    ¡°Baa-baa!¡± I broke out of my thoughts, turning to Emilia, who was cradled in her grandmother¡¯s arms. She reached her arms out for me, a huge smile on her face as she babbled over and over.


    Matilde willingly dumped her in myp, forcing me to scramble to get a hold of her, and smirked as I cradled Emilia preciously in my arms. She was still so small and fragile, I couldn¡¯t bear it if she got hurt.


    ¡°Now you have something new to focus your protective instincts on.¡± Matilde gestured to the baby in my arms, and I smiled, giving her an appreciative look as she stood up and got her things together. ¡°Now, I believe Cat is home so I¡¯m going to head out. I¡¯ve got a date tonight.¡±


    She winked at me and I lurched to my feet, torn between rushing to the front door to greet Cat and keeping Emilia content as she pulled my hair into her drooly mouth. Emilia won as I heard the front door open and Matilde¡¯s loud voice call out, ¡°Your husband¡¯s freaking out. Better go calm him before he ships you to Europe in bubble wrap.¡±


    Cat rushed into the living room, a confused look on her face. I breathed a sigh of relief as soon as I saw she was unharmed. I cradled Emilia in one arm, rushing over to pull Cat in tightly.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about bubble wrap?¡± Cat asked cluelessly, letting me hug her as long as I wanted as she traced her nails down my back absent-mindedly.


    ¡°Nothing, your mom¡¯s just teasing me,¡± I told her with a small smile, pulling away to look her over. Sure enough, besides a light sunburn on her chest and arms, not a hair was out of ce. I happily passed over Emilia, who clung tightly to her mom like a little ko, and my anger returned now that I knew everyone was safe.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry he got that close to you. Obviously, my warnings didn¡¯t work,¡± I growled as I whipped out my phone, already dialing Franky¡¯s number. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Cat didn¡¯t have any objections, just waiting by my side as Franky answered.


    ¡°Find Ignacio and give me his location in two hours,¡± I demanded.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Franky sounded bewildered, exhausted too, but I didn¡¯t have any empathy in me at the moment.


    ¡°He went after Cat,¡± I snapped. ¡°So get it done in two hours.¡±


    There was a deep pause on the other end of the phone, and I swore I could feel a chill in the air as Franky¡¯s cold voice came back with a chilling threat.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be done. Are they harmed?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, a little surprised by how angry he sounded, almost as much as I was.


    ¡°I sent the location to your phone. Leo and I will be there in ten minutes tops,¡± Franky reported efficiently as always.


    I opened my mouth, about to question his fast results until I remembered it was Franky. Even with the truce, he¡¯d probably still been tracking Ignacio¡¯s location this entire time. Two hours seemedughable now.


    ¡°See you there,¡± was all I said as I shut off the call, turning to Cat with a serious look. ¡°I¡¯m heading to meet Ignacio. I¡¯ll call when I¡¯m done. This shouldn¡¯t take long.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ming with you,¡± Cat said, giving me a stubborn look like she wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer.


    I sighed, leaning forward to pull her and Emilia into my arms. I kissed the top of her head, loving how fierce and determined she was. It made me remember how Matilde had referred to her as ¡®ruthless.¡¯


    Cat could be kind but she was also made of an unbreakable steel. I¡¯d been foolish to think a threat from someone like Ignacio could break her. She was much tougher than that.


    ¡°I need you to stay home and protect Emilia,¡± I told her, pulling back with a firm look. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything happening to her, and you¡¯re the only one I trust to take care of her right now. It¡¯ll only take a minute to take care of this, and I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen when I see his ugly face but it won¡¯t be good. Just in case... I need your hands to be clean. For Emilia.¡±


    She stiffened and I could see the war in her eyes waging back and forth between her duty to Emilia and wanting toe and be by my side, but I could tell she had also gotten my hint. In case this went south, Emilia needed at least one parent by her side right now.


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t care about that,¡± Cat said quietly.


    ¡°But I do,¡± I leaned over to brush Emilia¡¯s hair away, leaving a kiss on her forehead. It was gettingte and she yawned sleepily in Cat¡¯s arms, ready for a good night¡¯s sleep.


    ¡°Okay.¡± She sighed, her motherly instincts winning as she held Emilia tightly. ¡°Be safe.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I told her and with onest longing nce at my fiancee and child, I left.


    As soon as I stepped out of the warmth andfort of the house, the chill of the evening air hitting my skin, all pretenses fell away. I moved like a shadow, a cold expression on my face as I took one look at the address Franky sent me and drove like a maniac down the streets.


    I didn¡¯t give one shit about the police stopping me¨CI owned them. I didn¡¯t give a shit about the harsh traffic of downtown LA. I bypassed it all.


    All that mattered to me was getting to Ignacio.


    His hide-out this time didn¡¯t amount to anything more than a run-down shack in the red-light district between a strip club and a backyard gambler¡¯s paradise. I pulled up with hellfire in my eyes and my fists clenched at my side.


    Leo and Franky were already waiting at the entrance, our guys in a standoff with theirs, but I didn¡¯t care about how many guns were pointed at my chest. I was more concerned with how quickly I could get a bullet into Ignacio¡¯s fucking skull.


    I burst down the door with a kick, the wood easily splintering and there he fucking was, sitting at a poker table, his goons each holding a hand as we stormed in.


    ¡°Ah, Elio,¡± Ignacio grinned like a cat proudly showing off his newest kill. Like he hadn¡¯t just crossed a major line. ¡°I take it you got my message then? Lovely she is, your fiance.¡±


    If there was anything he could¡¯ve said to piss me off any more than he already had, that was it.


    There was a sickening crunch as my fist broke his fucking nose. Ignacio went flying back, chair breaking in two as he hit the floor. I could barely feel the pain in my knuckles from the hit before I wrapped my other hand around his throat, mming him into the back wall.


    ¡°One fucking rule,¡± I snarled at him. ¡°Don¡¯t touch my fucking wife, and you break it. Don¡¯t even think about even breathing in her direction ever again or I will put a fucking bullet in your skull faster than you can say, ¡®Mercy.¡¯¡±


    Ignacio coughed, splurting up blood, and as much as I wanted to pull a gun on him at the moment, I could see a dozen barrels aimed at me from the corner of my eyes, trigger-happy goons just waiting for the slightest movement tto pull the trigger but behind them were Leo and Franky and my own men, all guns drawn in a tense silent war.


    I tightened my grip around Ignacio¡¯s throat, ring at him like the piece of scum he was. ¡°I knew your fucking deal was bullshit the moment I heard it, but I wanted to give you a chance to save the pathetic lives of yourself and the men who follow you. My mistake. You weren¡¯t worth my mercy.¡±


    ¡°Is that so, Elio?¡± Ignacio gave a tenseugh. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re calling off the truce, is that it?¡±


    I stiffened, realizing by the cunning look in his eye that this was what he had nned the entire time. I could kill him, I thought seriously, but the click of the safety on the few guns turning off behind me had me rethinking it.


    I¡¯d only end up dead too.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I dropped him to the ground, deciding it wasn¡¯t worth it when Cat was waiting for me back home. I wiped his blood on my jacket, sneering down at him as I dered for both teams to hear.


    ¡°The deal is off. We are enemies again.¡±

 Chapter 795 : The Power Couple

    <h4>Chapter 795: Chapter 795 : The Power Couple</h4>


    *Cat*


    It felt like hours since Elio had left to go to the meeting Franky set up with Ignacio. I paced my room for a few minutes, feeling like an idiot. I was the little woman left at home to wring her hands and wait for the oue.


    I really hated this part of things. I wasn¡¯t some damsel in distress, nor was I a wilting violet who¡¯d fait at the first sign of action. Well, I¡¯d probably panic afterward, but during everything, I¡¯d hold my own.


    Elio needed to trust that about me. We were partners. Even as I thought it, I knew he thought of me as a partner. He would never have let me within a hundred feet of Ignacio if he thought him a threat, which was exactly why I was home pacing the emptiness of our room wringing my hands.


    ¡°Enough, Cat,¡± I told myself, and I changed into something that wasfortable, but not the same house clothes I¡¯d been in when Elio left to meet with his men and Ignacio.


    I went to the nursery to check on Emilia and found her awake. My clever baby was entertaining and would help me keep from bing a B-movie version of a worried spouse.


    We sat together on the nursery floor. She wasn¡¯t quite ready for blocks yet, but I¡¯d pulled them out to give me something to do with my hands. Emilia was moving a little more, sitting up on her own and staying up longer than she had before. She smiled, pped her hands, gurgled at me, and tried to eat the blocks while I attempted to build her a tower.


    It was how Elio found us when he got home¨Cme attempting to build, and Emilia continuously breaking down my creation.


    ¡°What a sight,¡± he said, a small smile on his handsome face.


    His smiles always shot straight to the core of me. I loved to see his eyes light from within withughter or just a sense of joy. He didn¡¯t seem to have the capacity forughter and cheer that many people have, but each time our baby or I brought that look of joy to his eyes and lips, it made me happy and made my belly swim with butterflies.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± I asked, still, putting blocks in ce for Emilia, as if I wasn¡¯t half as anxious as I truly was.


    I didn¡¯t think Elio bought my act for one moment. He tilted his head and lifted one of those dark brows in question.


    I crooked a finger at him.


    He walked over and sat with Emilia and me, putting a block of his own on the tower I was making and Emilia was intent on demolishing.


    Emilio chuckled at our daughter and picked her up to cradle her in hisp.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s hungry,¡± I said.


    I stood and went to the cabs over the changing table. I mixed a bottle and came back to them and gave him the bottle.


    He smiled when our daughter reached her little hands out making give-me motions with her fingers.


    As he looked up, our eyes met over Emilia¡¯s gulping form, his smile turned grim.


    ¡°Ignacio will nevere near you again. If he does, it¡¯ll be thest move he ever makes.¡±


    I loved the way Elio wanted to protect me. I didn¡¯t need protecting as much as he thought, but I respected the need in him. I had the same need in me to protect him.


    After feeding and putting Emilia down for the evening, we went down to the kitchen to n our own meal, since the cook was off work for a family day. It would be far moreplicated than Emilia¡¯s.


    ¡°What are you thinking of?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, just not anything too heavy,¡± I said, looking through the fridge and discarding choices.


    ¡°So, steak¡¯s out?¡± Elio asked.


    ¡°I can grill one for you and grill a piece of chicken for me. I suppose you¡¯ll want a baked potato too?¡± I asked, smiling up at him.


    ¡°Mashed potatoes?¡± he asked.


    ¡°How are you Italian?¡± I teased, pulling out the ingredients for mashed potatoes and the sd I wanted to slice my grilled chicken over.


    He shrugged and gave me that lopsided grin that had endeared him to me long before it was appropriate for me to want him.


    ¡°Me man, you woman,¡± he said in his best impression of a caveman.


    I chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s what you think,¡± I said, putting potatoes on to boil, and the chicken on the built-in grill. The chicken would take longer to cook, so while I put my sd together, I¡¯d let it grill a little longer than the steak.


    As I put a drink in front of Elio while I prepared our meal, the phone rang.


    ¡°It¡¯s Franky. I have to take this.¡±


    ¡°No worries,¡± I reassured him.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Elio asked.


    He was quiet for a moment, but I watched his face. His eyes turned to dark shards of ice. His jaw tensed. His lips thinned in anger. As he listened, he seemed to grow tenser by the second.


    ¡°How bad is it?¡± he asked.


    He listened some more and his teeth clenched. I could swear I heard his teeth audibly grinding together.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you and Leo at the warehouse in fifteen,¡± Elio all but growled.


    Elio looked pissed. I waited for him to tell me what was going on.


    I turned off the stove and built-in grill and started putting away our half-cooked meal. I had a feeling this was going to be really bad.


    ¡°We were hit by MS13 tonight. Frankie says four of our men were killed and three are in pretty bad condition, but they¡¯re being treated by our personal physicians.¡±


    I looked at his grim expression. I didn¡¯t want him handling this alone. I could help and I was determined to.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said as he turned to go upstairs for his keys and stuff.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time, Cat.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I want to go with you.¡±


    Despite his admonishment a moment ago, he stared at me as if he didn¡¯t know what to think or say. I waited for the verdict. I wouldn¡¯t push this. It had to be his choice.


    He nodded. ¡°Fine. Be ready in five minutes.¡±


    I called Mom before he could change his mind and raced up the stairs to slip into cks and a nicer blouse. I was the Don¡¯s woman. I had to look the part because perception was everything.


    I was ready in four minutes and had slipped my piece into a front-loading waist holster in the front of my cks, and put my phone and wallet into my jacket pockets. I did not carry a purse to this type of outing.


    ¡°Locked and loaded?¡± Elio asked, passing by me to head out to the garage.


    He got into the ck SUV nearest the second bay of doors.


    I nodded and saw Mom running into the house from the back before following him into the garage.


    ¡°Emilia taken care of?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, Mom just came through the door right before I left out this one.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said, and raced out the garage as soon as its door lifted.


    On the way to the warehouse, a feeling of rightness fell over me. This was the way things were supposed to be with Elio and me.


    Elio¡¯s protective nature had always been strong, but before I became pregnant and gave birth to our daughter, it wasn¡¯t as strong within him as it was now. Granted, a lot had happened and I¡¯m sure that had a lot to do with Elio¡¯s insistence that I be protected, but I wasn¡¯t fragile or stupid. I knew how to take care of myself and could protect myself, he¡¯d seen to it.


    Now, it felt like we were on the same page again. We were a couple. We were real partners.


    I loved my life with Emilia. I loved her with all my heart, but listening to Anna talk about school made me realize that I wasn¡¯t just a mother, and I didn¡¯t want to be just a mother either. A part of me felt guilty about that. I often wondered if there must be something wrong with me that I didn¡¯t just want to be a housewife and mother.


    There was nothing wrong with being a homemaker. It was the most valued position in the world. Children were precious, and caring for them was paramount. I respected women who chose to be full-time homemakers, and I actually thought them rather brave because it was so hard to say that what was you were in today¡¯s society. I couldn¡¯t say it¡¯s what I wanted for myself, though.


    I was d that Elio was a good man and would allow me to do more than what a lot of men in our culture thought of as women¡¯s work. Yes, the majority of the childcare and dealing with the household staff still fell to me, but he was willing to let me in on his business dealings and was even trusting me tonight toe along to a meeting concerning their men and what they were going to do about Ignacio and MS13¡¯s hit on our men.


    He wasn¡¯t going to hold me back from going back to school when I was ready and trying to pursue a career outside our home.


    While I felt like Elio and I would more than likely butt heads over protection, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever try to hold me back from pursuing my dreams. To him, women weren¡¯t just to be married off and have children.


    It was a philosophy many of the men in mafia life believed. Women should be left out of the loop. We shouldn¡¯t be pulled into their dangerous lives. We should be homemakers and deal with the children. Children were only brought before their fathers for discipline or to be shown off to guests, especially if they were girls.


    I knew that with Elio, it would be different. If we ever have a boy child, I thought he¡¯d be ecstatic to have someone to carry on as the head of the family, but he wouldn¡¯t treat Emilia any better or worse for being a girl.


    Yes, our lives would be better for Elio¡¯s willingness to see me as more than one-dimensional and to allow me to be a part of his life on all fronts. Tonight, he was allowing me to be his rock and his equal.


    This felt right.


    This felt like a new beginning that would make our rtionship stronger and solidify our partnership as friends, lovers, and a power couple.

 Chapter 796 : Cut Off the Head

    <h4>Chapter 796: Chapter 796 : Cut Off the Head</h4>


    *Elio*


    Franky didn¡¯t even look up from theptop. He was typing away at a supersonic speed, even ignoring my greeting as Cat and I walked into the warehouse casually. I let Cat take her pick of the seats as her gaze naturally fell to the room, which had beenpletely remodeled since thest time she¡¯d been here.


    No longer was the room filled with just some metal chairs and an empty table with a range of monitors up in the corner. No, the whole ce had been renovated after Leo and Franky had demanded a nicer working area. And since they spent most of their time here working for the family, I allowed them to do what they pleased.


    They had turned the old boring room into what I could only describe as a futuristic movie set, or maybe a room for the big guy in the chair trope in superhero movies.


    Full luxuryputer chairs and a nice soft carpet were under our feet. The walls were painted a nice shade of blue with tiling, and even the ceiling had been decked out with a brand-newmp that hung over our state-of-the-art twelve-seater table.


    She turned to me with a raised eyebrow, looking way too amused for myfort. I coughed, pointing at Franky to throw the lit dynamite that was my future wife anywhere but at me.


    ¡°Leo and he did it, to be morefortable in a workce,¡± I said, knowing that when she got that little glint in her eyes, somebody¡¯s self-esteem was about to be destroyed.


    ¡°To be specific, Leo picked it all out. I simply chose the colors and steered him away from less extravagant things,¡± Franky replied without even looking up.


    ¡°And none of this is extravagant?¡± Cat snorted, staring at the luxury brand of chairs spanning the overly massive finely-crafted table in the middle of the room and then the full tech set all across the back wall with colorful LED lights imnted. It looked like something from a sci-fi movie, which was probably the effect Leo had been going for.


    ¡°He had wanted a disco ball.¡±


    ¡°Point taken,¡± Cat nodded. But then ncing over at me, she smirked as she said, ¡°It does look nice, Like any twelve-year-old boy¡¯s wet dream.¡±


    Franky snorted, the closest I¡¯ve ever heard hime toughter, and I winced for Leo as they practically raked him over the coals. It was a little unfair seeing as he wasn¡¯t here to defend himself, but then again, they were partially right.


    My twelve-year-old angsty self would¡¯ve killed for this to be my bedroom.


    ¡°Anyway.¡± I changed the subject, sparing Leo more embarrassment as I turned to Franky with a more serious attitude. ¡°Now that the treaty with MS13 is broken and they¡¯re going after our guys again, I¡¯m tired of all this back and forth with them. We have to end this once and for all.¡±


    ¡°And what do you suggest?¡± Franky looked up, shutting hisptop with a bored look. It was surprising to me how he even nced over at Cat but didn¡¯t say a word like he wasn¡¯t surprised in the slightest to see her here and being included again. ¡°We¡¯ve been in this spot before. Or thest firefight didn¡¯t end so well, and we¡¯ve only just recovered the men we lost in that fight. Do you suggest we throw more of our men to the ughter for a chance to catch him again?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said firmly, staring Franky in the eye. ¡°It¡¯s not enough. If we want to kill the snake, we need to cut off its head. I want Ignacio dead. MS13 hasn¡¯t established any farther their little territory here, unlike us. They don¡¯t have any big connections outside, so all we have to do is cut off their escape route and supplies and Ignacio will be forced to show himself.¡±


    ¡°He could be expecting that,¡± Franky said, crossing his arms. ¡°They¡¯ve been much more careful since you punched him in the face, switching safehouses nightly. They¡¯ve been all across the city in a matter of a week. There¡¯s no way we can hit all of his men at once.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we force them out,¡± I said confidently. ¡°We know the timing of their shipments. We intercept and leave them with nothing. Surround the city and then wait for Ignacio toe sniffing. He¡¯s an arrogant bastard¨Cthere¡¯s no way he¡¯ll be able to resist taunting me. He¡¯s a man who loves to have thest word, after all.¡±


    Franky¡¯s eyes sparked with interest as he caught onto my n, his brows furrowing as he thought about it.


    ¡°Without Ignacio¡¯s funding and direction, MS13 won¡¯t survive a day. ording to our reports, there is zero loyalty within the organization. He runs on fear mainly, which is why his men caved in prison and ours didn¡¯t.¡± Franky pondered his thoughts aloud, then a slow smirk spread across his face as he opened up hisptop, typing away before swiveling his chair away from the table and toward the monitors.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Cat asked as a location popped up on the screen, surveince cameras clearly nted there from a nice luxurious apartment building across town, way off from where MS13 operated and in the heart of our territory.


    He¡¯d fucking set himself up a highrise with a view in my own backyard.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been tailing Ignacio since the¨C¡± He coughed, sending a wary nce over to Cat then choosing some nicer words, ¡°Since thest encounter. He switched to this location early this morning. You¡¯re right about him being arrogant. He thinks he¡¯s untouchable, which is why he chose such a highly trafficked ce. We¡¯d never have thought to look for him within our own territory. It¡¯s either genius or stupid. I can¡¯t decide.¡±


    Cat snorted. ¡°No wonder he found me so quickly. This ce is ten minutes from our house and from the beach we¡¯d been at. He¡¯d been watching the house most likely.¡±


    ¡°Then we learn his patterns and take him,¡± I said determinedly. ¡°We¡¯ll learn the best time, when he¡¯s away from all his guards and get away cleanly. Take no one else but if there¡¯s witnesses, leave them.¡±


    I smirked darkly at the thought¨Csee what happens when his poorly trained men watch us snatch their boss straight from under their noses. Once that happened and word spread to the whole organization, it would be over for them.


    No doubt they¡¯d try to run or just like their boss, sell out and try to cut a deal. But I didn¡¯t care about any of those small fries. My aim was on Ignacio.


    I had a personal grudge to settle with him.


    ¡°Should we advance our guys then?¡± Franky tilted his head at the monitor, ncing at me for acknowledgment.


    But I pursed my lips thinking deeply about this. If I was this arrogant bastard if I saw my enemy advancing....


    ¡°No,¡± I said calmly, giving Franky a meaningful look. ¡°Pull all of our guys back, fifty miles at least.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bad idea?¡± Cat asked with a frown. ¡°Generals don¡¯t retreat their troops in a battle unless they¡¯re losing or giving up.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± I smiled at her, ¡°There are other ways to win a war than just with physical violence. Calling our guys back gives us two advantages. One, it¡¯ll make Ignacio think exactly what you did¨Cthat we¡¯re retreating. If he¡¯s smart, he¡¯ll think it¡¯s a trap and spread out his own men out of paranoia, avoiding our territory. If not, then he¡¯ll send his men straight in to take what we give them. Either way, his men won¡¯t be guarding him as tightly, which makes taking him easier for us.¡±


    ¡°And the other advantage?¡±


    ¡°Our men will be safe,¡± I exined. ¡°They can¡¯t kidnap and attack our men if they¡¯re not there. Once he thinks he¡¯s won, he won¡¯t bother going after our men at that point and they¡¯ll be safe while we take out Ignacio.¡±


    ¡°Let him think he¡¯s won so he¡¯ll get a big head and make more mistakes,¡± Cat summarized. ¡°Smart.¡±


    ¡°Extremely,¡± Franky said, a note of pride shining through his normally icy exterior. I could almost see a sort of respect in his eyes as he nced at me. I didn¡¯t say a word, just grinned at him and then Cat.


    We spent a little more time nning the details and making sure everything was ready. Cat helped me make calls, much more attentive and excited than I¡¯d seen her in a while. Franky was busy sending mass texts and watching surveince to ensure all of our orders were followed through.


    Leo, of course,ined about not being invited to the ¡®party¡¯ in his words, but I assured him he didn¡¯t miss anything interesting. Though just to be petty, I smirked as I sent him a text of what Cat had said about his decorating skills.


    It was sure to piss him off.


    Once everything was set and in ce, Cat and I got up to head out and back home. Before we left though, Franky called out with a hesitant, ¡°Cat....¡±


    Cat froze and I did as well.


    Franky never called Cat by her nickname, instead usually choosing to call her by the full ¡®Caterina.¡¯ He said it was more polite and dignified than calling her after a furry pet once that he just so happened to have allergies to.


    But as shocked as I was that Franky was using her nickname, I was even more shocked when Franky got his feet, clearing his throat as he approached Cat and nodded at her in respect.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you back.¡±


    Then he just stiffly walked away.


    I nced at Cat with my mouth wide open in shock and she had a surprised look as well before a rush of yful rage rose up and I yelled after him, ¡°Oi! You didn¡¯t even say to me that after I got shot. What the fuck, Frank?¡±


    He just flipped me off without missing a beat and Cat burst intoughter as she wrangled me out of there and back to the car.


    The moment of humor aside, as we headed to the car, I left feeling more confident and rxed than ever. I knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy to take down Ignacio, but I was ready to put an end to all of this and finally focus on what was important.


    Or at least, I was rxed until the moment we got into the car and Cat sent me a sultry look.


    ¡°Have I ever told you how sexy I find it when you get so fired up?¡± She smirked, knowing exactly what she was doing as her hands wandered across my chest and down lower.


    Well, fuck.


    I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever driven faster in my life.

 Chapter 797 : Stress-relief

    <h4>Chapter 797: Chapter 797 : Stress-relief</h4>


    *Cat*


    We were lucky that once we got home and were facing down my mother, she was too distracted to notice how my shirt cor was pulled up to cover my neck or that Elio stood a bit too stiffly in the doorway, his jacket off and held oh, so innocently in his arms, which just so happened to block any sight of his lower half.


    She certainly did notice, however, that Elio¡¯s buttons on his shirt were put into the wrong holes and that he had a lipstick stain on his cor.


    She sent me a raised eyebrow and I just smiled innocently, like nothing we had just done in the car had happened. Even Elio looked utterly ufortable standing there amid her judgment.


    Mom knew something was going on, but we were lucky that she decided not to pry, simply telling Elio to fix his shirt buttons.


    ¡°Thanks for watching Emilia, Mom.¡± I brought her into a hug, truly grateful to have her here when we needed her. I know she didn¡¯t have the same luxury when I was a child, and it made me all that more proud to have such a great mother who was just as wonderful a grandmother.


    ¡°Oh please, she¡¯s much easier than you were,¡± Mom chuckled. ¡°Call me anytime.¡±


    We exchanged a few more words about what had happened with Emilia while we were gone, all the while I could feel Elio shifting from foot to foot behind me, inching ever so closely until he was right behind me, a hair away from reach.


    Mom noticed, but again, she was a pro at this and decided to say nothing. Instead, she left in quite a bit of a hurry, chuckling to herself as she waved goodbye. As soon as she was out the door, however, Elio wasted no time as he pounced on me.


    Our kiss was heated and passionate and I was already dizzy after a few seconds as he held me tightly in his arms, pulling us closer and closer until our bodies were flush with one another. I could feel how hard he was, needing me just as badly as I needed him right now.


    But just as his hand snuck its way under my shirt, heading up to my breasts, I pulled back, gasping for breath. Elio chased me immediately, his dark with lust as he pulled me tighter to him.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I gasped, using my hand to press against his lips. There was a sh of annoyance in his eyes and I gave him a rue smile as I thought that might¡¯ve riled him up a bit too much. ¡°Our daughter is watching, Elio.¡±


    I nodded over to the living room and Elio¡¯s eyes followed me.


    There was our four-month-old daughter sitting in her bouncer, staring at us with her wide, curious green eyes. Her mouth was wide open, a bit of drool dripping onto her onesie and I blushed, ashamed at what our daughter had just witnessed her parents doing.


    Even if she didn¡¯t understand or wouldn¡¯t remember thister.


    Elio groaned,ying his head on my shoulder, and I wrapped my arms around his shoulder, whispering, ¡°Once she goes to bed, I¡¯ll finish what I started.¡±


    Then I giggled, tearing out of his arms and bouncing over to our baby. I heard Elio¡¯s low growl behind me, but I just sent him a teasing smile as I picked up our daughter.


    ¡°Time for bed, baby,¡± I cooed at her, popping her new pacifier straight into her drooling mouth. Elio followed me waiting patiently as I went through the motions with Emilia, taking her back to the nursery, changing her diaper and clothes into pajamas, then slowly singing and patting her until her little eyes began to close.


    Elio joined me at my side, a silent steady presence beside me as he brushed Emilia¡¯s hair in a soothing motion and soon enough, she was fast asleep.


    We made sure the monitor was set up and on before tip-toeing our way out of her room. I gently closed her door, and the moment her door was shut and we were in the clear, Elio attacked.


    ¡°Ah,¡± I let out a gasp as I was fully picked up off the ground, my legs swept under me as Elio fully threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I hissed, ncing at Emilia¡¯s door to make sure she was still asleep.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been teasing me all night, Cat,¡± Elio said with a dark grin. ¡°It¡¯s my turn.¡± And then he fully pped my ass. I squeaked in surprise but resigned to my fate because he was right¨Cfrom the moment we¡¯d gone into the car, I¡¯d been driving him nuts, edging him, and then taking it away at thest moment.


    It had been a fun little game for me and I grinned, excitement pooling in my stomach as he carried me to our bedroom, intent on finishing what I started.


    And he¡¯d been oh, so patient all night.


    He wasted no time, setting me on my feet in the bedroom as he shut the bedroom door. I heard the lock click into ce and I blushed, knowing he meant business this time as he turned to me with a dangerous glint in his eye.


    Elio attacked with a ferocious passion, sealing our lips together as he hungrily tore my clothes off. Impatiently, I grabbed the cor of his shirt, ripping down until I heard the buttons popping and Elio retaliated by pushing me until my back hit the wall behind me with a loud thump.


    My heated bare skin against the cool wood felt good and I shuddered as Elio bit down on my bottom lip, dominating every part of me in a way that was totally unlike his normal gentle self. I loved every minute of it as he pressed me hard against the wall, his body like steel.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I gasped in pleasure as he moved his mouth to my neck, finding that spot just above my pulse and teasing it with his teeth. I couldn¡¯t think straight anymore as he had one hand on my breast, teasing my nipple and the other had snaked down to my shorts, diving straight to that ce I needed him the most.


    I moaned as he stroked his thumb over my clit, going in small circr strokes that were driving me crazy. The pleasure built slowly, like waves across the sand and Elio knew exactly what to do to send me higher with every movement.


    His open-mouthed kiss dropped lower, leaving a trail down my corbone and between the dip of my breasts. He kissed each of my cherry nubs, standing at attention in the cold room and swollen from his teasing.


    He took one each into his mouth, sucking gently as I moaned loudly, my hands holding onto his curls as my back arched off the wall into him. He left it with a tender kiss, moving to the other side to repeat the process as he drove his thumb harder into my clit, going faster and faster.


    And right as I could feel that tension about to pop, right on the edge of that sweet release, all of it stopped. He pulled back from me and my eyes popped open in shock and dismay. I gave him a disappointed look and he chuckled as I shivered there against the wall, a feast for his eyes no doubt.


    I¡¯m sure I looked like a mess and he tilted his head, a smirk on his lip as he surveyed his handiwork for a moment.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I begged, reaching out for him and he dodged me, chuckling before grabbing my hand gently, holding it in his own as he opened up my palm and pressed it against my own breast. I gasped, shivering as he started the motions, using my own hand to knead my breast and once I had gotten the rhythm that felt right, he pulled away giving me a sultry smirk before he dropped to his knees in front of me.


    I moaned, throwing my head against the wall as I watched him lower himself, licking his lips as he gently pulled down my shorts and panties. I stepped out of them, letting him discard them as I stood dripping wet in front of him, still fondling my breasts.


    I used my nail to scratch against my swollen nipples, enjoying it a bit too much as Elio chuckled, watching me as I pleasured myself in front of him. He pried apart my thighs and I willingly helped him, pressing my full weight against the wall as he hooked my legs over his shoulders, staring deeply into my cunt.


    He licked his lips and then feasted on me.


    I couldn¡¯t help the gasping moans that quickly turned into screams as he dove his tongue inside of me, using both his mouth and fingers to pleasure me in only the way he could. It became harder to focus on my breasts, and soon I was simply holding onto him, curls wrapped tightly in my fingers as he ate me out.


    I was lost, utterly soaring in the overload of pleasure, my thighs shaking from the effort of keeping myself up as I buckled my hips into his mouth, needing more and more.


    And when it hit, I dug my fingers into his scalp, my toes curling as I trembled and my heart skipped a beat as I stiffened, the waves of my climax riding over me. Hepped up all of my overflowing juices, helping me toe down from the high and I breathed out, still in that blissful state when I felt Elio lift me into his arms again.


    The smooth silk sheets hit my back and I nced up at Elio, still reeling from the aftermath but he wasn¡¯t giving me any break. Completely bare now, he stroked his member over and over, staring at me intimately as he watched mee back down.


    But a beast could only be so patient and unwilling to wait any longer, He pressed me down into the sheets, taking hold of my swollen lips again as I felt him press against my wetness. Hisrge thick cock slid against my hole, up and down until it was thoroughly coated in my juices.


    And I wasn¡¯t at all prepared as he thrust himself inside of me. We both let out a loud groan, my nails digging into his back as I held onto him and he wasted no time in using every ounce of strength he had to pull back and then m into me again.


    He fucked me with abandon, giving me every inch of his cock to the fullest, pounding into me fast and hard. I could only ride it out, my messy thrusts moving in time with his as he hit that spot over and over.


    I lost count of how many times he fucked me through yet another orgasm, pulling out only to use my mouth or thighs as a deposit for his cum and then continuing onward. We were soaked, both utterly lost to the physical pleasure.


    As the night went on, it became clear that this was less of making love to one another, than it was just the pure release of sex.


    But I didn¡¯t mind him using me as a stress relief.


    Not when it felt so damn good.


    Time passed slowly that night as we fell apart in each other¡¯s arms over and over again.

 Chapter 798 : Responsibility

    <h4>Chapter 798: Chapter 798 : Responsibility</h4>


    *Three Months Later*


    *Elio*


    I¡¯d like to say the three months of waiting for Ignacio to take the bait and trigger the trap went by quickly, but it didn¡¯t. It drawled on and on like the boring lectures they¡¯d made us sit through back in school.


    Mindless waiting was always the worst part for me. I could never sit still in school, always wanting to be out and doing something. I hated the stuffy indoors, the monotonous routine, and having to take tests based on how well we could memorize what our teachers droned on about.


    I usually studied the book an hour before the tests and then immediately aced them. It staggered my teachers but I just wasn¡¯t built for learning the way they wanted me to learn.


    Patience was just not my strong suit.


    Luckily I had Cat to keep me from charging in and ruining the n I had set up in the first ce. Franky¡¯s grateful look whenever she silenced my rants during a meeting ticked me off more than I¡¯d like to admit.


    But Cat, unlike me, was full of patience, the kind of person who had endless amounts of faith in you. I was goddamn lucky to be engaged to her and hopefully after all this mess was over, married.


    So I grit my teeth and put up with three long months of practically nothing happening as the slippery bastard Ignacio kept changing locations, first heading out of the country and then faking another trip abroad before driving to the next state for a day trip, all leaving anding back at different times of the day.


    It seemed like Ignacio had no n or idea of what he was doing. Either that or he knew he was being followed and was just trying to drive us nuts. It was working, I had to admit as Leo and I had several explosive arguments in deciding what to do and what the next move was.


    Franky and Cat, meanwhile, had been the only calm-headed and rational figures who practically had to drag us away from one another by our ears like school children on a yground. It was getting old, even to me and Leo.


    All of us were exhausted and running out of steam on this mission, especially as we neared our fourth month of this.


    Finally, though, it had been Franky who had gotten us our breakthrough.


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯ll work?¡± I asked for the dozenth time that day as I lounged in the backseat of the SUV we¡¯d taken.


    Franky scowled at me from the passenger seat, all sorts of tech set up as he typed away on hisptop. Some kind of surveince feed was being pushed through and I didn¡¯t even pretend to know what he was doing.


    ¡°Yes, now shut up,¡± Franky snapped, dark bags under his eyes from all the work he¡¯d been doing to track this asshole for the past few months.


    I sighed but fell quiet as I stared out the tinted windows with a frown. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the onlymon ce he goes to regrly is a fucking spa in the middle of nowhere.¡±


    But sure enough, we all perked up as we recognized the car with missing license tes as it drove up. Out stepped Ignacio, his head covered with a hat and eyes obscured with sunsses, but I knew it was him immediately. He was nked by only two guards, just as Franky predicted.


    ¡°One hour a day every week for thest three years,¡± Franky smirked. ¡°Gotcha, bitch.¡±


    ¡°What a shame,¡± Leo sighed as Ignacio disappeared into the little hot spring spa just off the route heading from LA to San Jose. It was a little dingy shop, almost quite literally like Leo said in the middle of nowhere.


    I doubted it was even on the inte because it was so remote. It seemed more like a tourist trap for anyone stupid enough to take a wrong turn to LA but the workers inside, a kindly old woman who I was pretty sure was blind and her husband, who I was pretty sure was deaf were incredibly kind.


    We¡¯d paid handsomely to get a time booked at the same time as their best customer and they had agreed all too willingly, asking no questions, probably because they were used to shady people like using around.


    Still, if this n worked and we got Ignacio, I would be sending them a very expensive gift basket and funding them for a whole year.


    ¡°Alright, go now,¡± Franky ordered. ¡°Take out the guards first and then grab Ignacio.¡±


    ¡°Physical damage to the target allowed?¡± Leo asked with a vengeful smirk.


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t kill him,¡± I said easily, getting out of the car.


    Leo and I entered together, a few of our men posting themselves at the door to make sure there were no escape routes. The kind olddy at the desk waved us on through as soon as she noticed us, humming to herself an old folk song as she tidied up the lobby.


    It was embarrassing how easy it all was.


    His guards were clearly untrained and undisciplined, one ying on his phone as he stood guard and the other leaning against the door and head nodding to the side as he continued to doze off and then jerk awake.


    My men were never that sloppy.


    Leo and I took them down without a struggle. I made sure to ce their unconscious bodies somewhere they would easily be found while Leo ducked inside. I didn¡¯t bother going in. Leo was enough to take care of that asshole.


    Sure enough, I dutifully ignored the shouting and sounds of a fist hitting the skin and the wailing screams that followed. Leo came back out a minuteter, dragging an unconscious Ignacio by his legs. His face was covered in blood but I ignored that, checking for a pulse and then nodding to Leo.


    I whistled, sending the cue to the men posted outside, who rushed in. I pointed at Ignacio and then the back door we¡¯d scoped out and they grabbed him, hauling him outside. I pursed my lips at the bit of mess left behind and red at Leo.


    He looked offended and then sighed, relenting as he cleaned up the blood trail left behind and fixed up the few things he¡¯d knocked over in the struggle. I wasn¡¯t going to leave this mess for that nice old couple to do.


    We were in and out in less than ten minutes, and I left a hefty sum of cash for the old couple on the desk before leaving. Franky was all too pleased with himself on the drive back to the warehouse, which was understandable.


    Finally, we¡¯d got Ignacio in our clutches.


    Time to put an end to all of this.


    Ignacio gasped back to consciousness after Leo dly threw a bucket of ice water over his head. Only in a robe and underwear, he was tied to a chair by thick ropes and shivered as he nced up to see me, Leo, and Franky standing there.


    I leaned against the wall, arms crossed as I stared down at the shivering fifty-year-old man in front of me. It seemedughable now that he had caused us so much trouble, but he had.


    And now it was time to end it.


    Ignacio caught my eye and a slow grin spread across his face as he burst intoughter. ¡°I knew you were plotting some kind of trap but this? Your n isn¡¯t going to work, Elio. I¡¯ve made sure of it!¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± I tilted my head uncaringly at him. ¡°And what do you think my n is?¡±


    ¡°To trade me to end the war, of course,¡± Ignacio smirked like he was the mastermind and I was just a simple pawn in his game. His arrogance truly knew no bounds it seemed. ¡°My men have already been instructed! This war won¡¯t end until your entire gang is killed!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± My lips twisted into a dark smirk, a low chuckleing from deep in my chest as I pushed my foot against the wall, walking straight up to Ignacio until I was standing over him. The light cast my long shadow across his form,pletely overtaking him as his confident grin slowly fell.


    ¡°But see, that was never my n, Ignacio,¡± I said coolly. Any hint of humor dropped from my face as I grabbed the cor of his robe and pulled him closer to me, a snarl on my lips. ¡°You went after my wife and child. There will be no trade.¡±


    Ignacio swallowed, his eyes darting all around as he finally noticed that dozens upon dozens of my men were surrounding the walls, each one with a menacing look and just waiting for their turn at revenge. They¡¯d lost their fathers and brothers, their family to this bastard, and I wasn¡¯t the only one holding a grudge.


    ¡°You will never lead anyone again, Ignacio,¡± I said confidently, dropping him and turning my back on him. ¡°I¡¯ve got the Feds in my pocket, and they¡¯ve had enough of this little war between us. They¡¯ve graciously agreed that the one causing all this mess, namely you and your men, need to be taken care of.¡±


    Ignacio¡¯s eyes blew wide open as he stammered, ¡°You¡¯re bluffing!¡±


    Franky, however, stepped forward with a sneer. ¡°We¡¯ve been tracking the movements of you and your men for months now. Every safehouse, every business, and drop off, all of it was delivered straight to the Feds this morning. By now, everything you¡¯ve built is being raided and seized.¡±


    ¡°Your time in LA is over.¡± I sent the finishing blow, watching as Ignacio crumpled, truly panicking now as I snapped my fingers and our men began toe closer, some cracking their knuckles and others gripping old pipes and crowbars they¡¯d found. I¡¯d told them no guns and they¡¯d gone a little wild.


    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Ignacio stammered as I began to walk away from him, my mind already on other things. ¡°Wait, we can make a deal! You can¡¯t just kill me like this! WAIT!¡±


    ¡°Make sure nobody finds him,¡± I said coldly to Franky, who gave a nod.


    I heard Ignacio¡¯s wailing screams as I exited the warehouse, already putting him and MS13 behind me.


    I felt nothing, like an empty shell as I got into the car. It wasn¡¯t until I picked up the phone and called Cat to let her know it was over and I heard her sigh of relief that I finally felt like I¡¯d done the right thing, that all this violence was worth it.


    ¡°I¡¯ming home,¡± I said softly to Cat, hearing Emilia cooing on the other side.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    And it was those words that kept me going, that allowed me to still smile and have joy even after all the blood I had on my hands, all the violence I¡¯d taken in.


    Cat and Emilia were everything to me.


    It was high time I took responsibility to protect them properly.


    There would be more men like Ignacio trying to threaten them, to usurp my position, but I would handle them much better than I had Ignacio.


    I was the Don of the Valentino family in America.


    It was high time all the gangs knew that.

 Chapter 799 : The Next -

    <h4>Chapter 799: Chapter 799 : The Next Chapter</h4>


    *Cat*


    When Elio got home, there was a relieved smile on his face as soon as he saw me. I knew immediately that everything was over.


    I opened my arms, and he rushed over to scoop me up from the couch, lifting me easily so I could wrap my arms and legs around him. I clung to him happily, burying my face in his shoulder as he held me up like he would never let me go again.


    I didn¡¯t mind that either.


    He held me tightly, moving us to the couch so he could plop me straight down onto hisp. I smiled at him as he curled his hand across my cheek, kissing my forehead then my nose and cheeks, and every inch of my face he could get at.


    Iughed, a bit choked up as relieved tears welled in my eyes but didn¡¯t spill over. I took a shuddering breath as Elio pressed our foreheads together, our hearts beating together in a slow rhythm as we relished in one another¡¯s presence.


    It was finally over.


    Our breath melted together and we stayed there for a while, just breathing and clinging to one another until finally, Elio felt secure enough to release his tight grip on me, leaning back against the couch.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked quietly, not expecting an answer right away but trusting that he would tell me everything.


    He sighed, his shoulders slumping like he was still recovering from the toll the night had taken on him.


    I was still in hisp, my legs slung over his thighs. I waited patiently, fiddling with hisrge hands in mine as he got his thoughts together. I traced the grooves on his palm, wondering what a palm reader would see.


    Would Emilia and I be visible through the long lifeline? Would his ambitions to be the full-time Don show up?


    I looked up, holding his hand in mine as Elio heaved a deep sigh and then gazed at me with a small smile as heunched into his story.


    He told me about finding Ignacio and the little hot springs spa run by the nice old couple who didn¡¯t seem to care one bit that they had many mafia men in their business, and how kind they had been, even in betraying their most loyal customer.


    He even told me to remind him that he still needed to send them gift baskets, even after he¡¯d left them enough money to renovate their entire property and more.


    He told me about kidnapping Ignacio, how easy it all had been, and how Leo had gotten a good shot to knock Ignacio out before they dragged his half-naked body out of the back building.


    Then he told me they¡¯d had a nice chat in the warehouse, how Ignacio had taunted him and then begged to make a deal as Elio walked out on him, then how Elio had rushed home to be with me after it all.


    He was really vague about the details surrounding Ignacio¡¯s fate, and I knew he¡¯d rather I didn¡¯t know, but I could see in his eyes that despite his reluctance to tell me, he would if I asked.


    ¡°So what¡¯s going to happen to Ignacio?¡± I took the chance anyway.


    Elio sighed, a wry smile on his lips like he knew I¡¯d ask even though his expression had been begging me to let it go. Still, he told me anyway.


    ¡°I let the men get their revenge on him,¡± Elio said emotionlessly. ¡°We weren¡¯t the only ones he hurt, after all. They were all too happy to deal with him. After they¡¯re done, he¡¯ll disappear. Leo and Franky will make sure he¡¯ll never be found again.¡±


    I had no confusion about what Elio really meant.


    It was a sobering thought, that my fiance had so much power he could make a figurehead like Ignacio just disappear. But it was also a reassuring one.


    I nodded in agreement, humming as I leaned over to wrap my arms around Elio¡¯s shoulders, not needing any more answers.


    ¡°Thank you for being honest with me,¡± I whispered in his ear, a little happy because Elio had trusted me enough to tell me the truth, even though he would have rather kept it in. He¡¯d grown and so had I from all our previous fights.


    It made me hopeful that this wouldn¡¯te up again.


    I was also d to hear that Ignacio hade face-to-face with the consequences of what it meant to mess with my fiance, me, and our daughter.


    Elio and I talked deeper and cuddled closer together even as time passed and dinner was served. We had the servants bring it into the living room for us as we watched a movie. Luckily, my mom was taking care of Emilia today, so we had time for ourselves.


    After that, Elio told me all about the future ns they¡¯d set in motion, about how Franky had arranged for the Fed they¡¯d bought out to start hitting Ignacio¡¯s men ruthlessly. More than half his guys had been arrested and taken in for questioning.


    ¡°We don¡¯t expect to find the rest of them,¡± Elio said uncaringly. ¡°They were all small fry anyway, only following orders. The most important thing is that anyone with real power is now gone. Without a leader, their presence will fade away and soon, MS13 will be driven outpletely and forgotten. It¡¯s a fitting end for a man so arrogant.¡±


    It was too bad he¡¯d never live to see what became of his organization, I thought briefly. Then I shrugged, putting Ignacio out of my mind for good.


    I dug my spoon into the carton of cookie dough ice cream we shared, taking a good spoonful before putting it into my mouth. The icy sweetness was just what was needed after the long day.


    ¡°You¡¯re really stepping back from the real estate development scene, huh?¡± I asked once he told me he had no ns to return. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be happy with that decision?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Elio said confidently. ¡°I¡¯d never wanted to get into real estate anyway. That was always more of my father and Tallon¡¯s thing. I want to lead our section of the family. That is how I can make the most difference.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll certainly be making a difference¨Cgood or bad, I¡¯m not quite sure yet. I mean, you do realize that leading the American sect of the mafia is still illegal, right?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Elio let out a fake scandalized gasp. ¡°How did you possibly find out? Now you must be silenced!¡±


    Iughed as he dove on top of me, pressing me down into the couch as he dug his fingers into my belly, tickling me with abandon. I shrieked, squirming but unable to get away from his dexterous hands... not that I wanted to.


    At the same time, he dove on my neck and cheeks with his lips, pretending to eat me with little ¡°nom-noms¡± slipping out of his lips yfully.


    ¡°You¡¯re so weird!¡± I hit my shoulder and he finally stopped,ughing just as hard as I was.


    He grinned, finally taking my lips with his own. I leaned up to kiss him back, just happy to be here with him like this.


    Just us against the world.


    We pulled back, breathing hard and I leaned up, giving Elio a beaming smile as I cupped his cheek, rubbing my thumb under his eye gently.


    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you. You know that, right?¡± I told him quietly.


    It was a big step moving away from his legit job to be the Don full-time, one that he wouldn¡¯t have made in the beginning, but I was proud of him anyway.


    ¡°I do now.¡± Elio chuckled, his eyes shining.


    I could tell how much my words affected him, like my words had permitted him to feel proud of himself. Change was scary, but this was a good one, I thought.


    Elio¡¯s smile faltered through, a distant look in his eye as he said, ¡°They¡¯ll be others, Cat. Ignacio won¡¯t be thest.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said quietly in return. But I gave him a bright, hopeful smile. ¡°But we handled this threat and we can handle anything else they throw at us, so long as we do this together from now on.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡± Elio chuckled, giving me one more intimate kiss.


    Mom came back with Emilia soon after, sending me a pointed look at our disheveled clothes and my swollen lips, but she said nothing as she handed over our daughter, heading home to let us have some time with her.


    Elio was distraught to notice Emilia¡¯s little purple-colored fingernails, a light lc color I had personally chosen from my collection. At first, I thought he was scared it might be toxic or that he just hated having our daughter¡¯s nails colored, so I tried to exin how her nails were getting too long and she had long scratches across her face, so it was time to cut them.


    Only her little fingernails had been so small I just couldn¡¯t get them without fearing I was going to hurt her. I¡¯d called Mom for help and we¡¯d just decided to do a whole nail day for us. I showed him my own clear glossy coat and how we¡¯d painted Emilia¡¯s in a baby-safe paint, one that meant it was okay for them to go into her mouth.


    ¡°I get all that,¡± Elio said sadly, staring at her little purple nails. He gave him a whimpering look, not unlike a dog who didn¡¯t get a treat you¡¯d promised him. ¡°But why wouldn¡¯t you wait until I came home? I wanted to be the first to paint her nails.¡±


    Hearing thate out of the mouth of Elio Valentino, a man who many swore could break anyone¡¯s will with a single re, was the most useful ckmail bait I¡¯d ever received.


    And it was one I would keep to myself.


    Once I¡¯d finishedughing and Emilia had gone to sleep in her daddy¡¯s arms, all tuckered out from her day with Grandma, I beamed, softly brushing her hair as we sat together as a family. The nightmare was over.


    But our lives together were still just beginning.


    ¡°So I was thinking,¡± I said, giving Elio a nervous but hopeful smile. I didn¡¯t know how he¡¯d take this, but I was hoping it would be positive. ¡°I was wondering if you¡¯d be okay if I started working closer with you and the guys. Mom loves being with Emilia, and she has more free time now that she¡¯d decided to retire, so she¡¯d been wanting more time to spend with her only grandchild. And you know, I love Emilia and I love being her mother, but that¡¯s not all I wanted to be for the rest of my life. I want to be a team with you so I thought¨C¡±


    Elio cut off my rambling with a kiss on my lips, giving me a melting look full of love. ¡°Of course, Cat. We¡¯re a team. We¡¯ll run things together. Franky and Leo have been saying they like it when you¡¯re involved more since you keep me level-headed. I tend to be rash when you¡¯re not there.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re... you¡¯re okay with it? I thought you¡¯d put up more of a fight, you know, what with your tendency to over-protect me,¡± I said, surprised.


    Elio chuckled, ncing down at Emilia with a soft but proud look. ¡°Well, as someone recently reminded me, you¡¯re no longer a little girl and you don¡¯t need me to protect you anymore. I trust you and I know you can handle yourself. Besides, I have someone knew to over-protect.¡±


    Iughed, melting at the sweet look he sent our daughter, and already fearing that she would never be able to leave the house once she grew up. God forbid she wanted a boyfriend, though I¡¯d probably support Elio on that front.


    Nobody was good enough for our little girl.


    ¡°You¡¯re an amazing father, Elio,¡± I beamed,unching into his arms without crushing Emilia. ¡°And you¡¯ll be an even better husband.¡±


    Elio grinned, looking as emotional as I was as we held our daughter together, our little family more than ready for the next Chapter of our lives.

 Chapter 800 : Soulmate

    <h4>Chapter 800: Chapter 800 : Soulmate</h4>


    *Two Months Later*


    *Cat*


    It was amazing how quickly things changed... and how some things stayed the same. Just like he had promised, Elio and I started working together as he included me in more of the processes the family did during the day.


    Understanding the reach that the Valentino family had was shocking. They weren¡¯t rich for no good reason, and they weren¡¯t one of the biggest crime families in the world just because of their name.


    Leo and Franky were kind enough to help me settle in when Elio wasn¡¯t there. While I was still ufortable directing the men without Elio there, they listened to me anyway. I was surprised by how friendly they were and how open they were to my suggestions, and willing to hear me out despite myck of experience.


    And when I did ask any questions about how things ran, Elio or Franky were there to let me know how things were done. The first few projects I started were making the current supplies and routes more efficient and even looking over the contracts we had and could have.


    I proved my usefulness for the first time by getting us a huge alliance opportunity with a worldwide business transport, something that saved us money and time while also opening up more routes for expansion.


    I¡¯d been particrly proud of that one, seeing as I had headed it with Elio¡¯s permission. And winning always felt nice.


    Everything I learned in school, despite not having finished, came in very handy. I even started going back to sses more routinely. Anna was instrumental, as were my mom and the nanny, in helping to keep Emilia upied. Any time I wasn¡¯t spending at school or at the warehouse, I was with Elio and Emilia.


    Dodging thews and bending the rules became so much easier now that we had the Feds in our pocket. It helped even more that Elio¡¯s name was still clean out of their records. Our Fed had no idea who was paying his checks, and he didn¡¯t care in the slightest.


    MS13, on the other hand, just as Elio had predicted, crumbled and fell apart as after Ignacio¡¯s disappearance, his men fled and ran straight into the hands of the waiting federal agents. After that, there was no sign of them.


    No one had truly been loyal to Ignacio. They only wanted his money, and once he was gone and his power had been taken away, there was no one willing to fight for his name. Slowly, he and MS13 began to fade away into history.


    Things had been going so smoothly that it felt almost unreal in a way, like a dream where all the pieces fell into ce and you had a smooth road going straight to where you wanted. Sometimes, I felt like I might wake up and still be back in that nightmare¨Ctrapped and threatened, always in danger with enemies closing in.


    But every time I felt like that, Elio was there to reassure me. I grew more thankful for having him every day.


    This was why the moment I received a text from him asking me to meet him at Santa Monica Beach, I didn¡¯t even hesitate. Luckily, Anna had been itching for a ydate with Emilia and she jumped at the chance to take her honorary niece to the indoor yground a few blocks from our house.


    Ever since Emilia had learned how to crawl, we couldn¡¯t get her to stay still any longer. It was best to get her energy out so she¡¯d actually sleep at night, which was when my hyperactive best friend came in handy.


    ¡°You sure you two will be alright?¡± I asked, raising an eyebrow as Anna put on a semi-fashion show with my daughter.


    ¡°No, too shy,¡± Anna frowned, exchanging the pink headband for another one in the collection. ¡°Yeah, yeah we¡¯ll be fine. We have guards. So stop hovering and find your man already!¡±


    Anna giggled, giving him a knowing look like she knew exactly why Elio had called me over to a beach in Santa Monica, but I knew her well enough that she wouldn¡¯t be giving me any hints whatsoever. She¡¯d rather sew her mouth shut with a threat and needle than give away a surprise.


    ¡°Fine, fine, make sure she gets her lunch and we¡¯ll probably be back in time for dinner. If not, I¡¯ll send Mom over to help with that,¡± I told her.


    Anna huffed, holding Emilia in one arm as she rushed over to push me out the door. ¡°Alright, alright, just go now! I¡¯ve got this handled, so no need to worry about anything tonight.¡± Anna grinned widely, looking like the cat that got the cream as she mmed the door in my face.


    I huffed but smiled as I shook my head fondly at her antics. Anna would always be Anna.


    I opted not to take a driver this time, getting into my own car now that I wasn¡¯t constantly under threat from having a semi identally run into me.


    Santa Monica was pretty far, almost an hour away. I turned on some music to listen to, singing along quietly as I headed down the LA roads. I wondered briefly what surprise Elio would have for me.


    With him, it could be anything.


    It could have been a surprise trip halfway across the world, or maybe he would finally figure out how to take me on normal dates and not to fancy-ass restaurants where all they served was caviar on everything. I hated to break it to him, but caviar was gross.


    Who wanted to eat fish eggs over a good old-fashioned pizza?


    Not me.


    But even if it was eating caviar at some restaurant on a boat or dinner on a hot air balloon, I knew just having Elio there would make it all worth it.


    The beach was surprisingly empty when I arrived, and that was the first thing that tipped me off... or the second actually, after Anna¡¯s reaction. I stepped out onto the pavement, the sunset falling out in the distance on the beach and it looked like a picturesque scene, like one you might find on a postcard or in an art photography contest, one that felt too perfect to be real.


    The smell of the sea, salty and refreshing, hit me as I approached the sandy beach, taking the moment to take off my heels and set them aside in the car as I abandoned them. The first step onto the warm white sand was like the first breath of outside you took in after a long flight.


    I breathed in, relishing the warmth of the sunset on my skin. The sound of the waves crashing upon the rocks and the sound of gulls flying overheard filled my ears, and I felt everything from my regr life wash away with the receding tide.


    I opened my eyes, my heart and mind calm as I made my way down the beach, the sand softening and sinking under my feet the further I approached the shoreline. But that was where I saw a shadow standing there, waiting for me apparently, facing the sunset and looking just as at peace as I was.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I called out once I was close enough to him and the waves rolled up, brushing across my bare feet Iughed at the feeling, the wind carrying the salty taste of the water to my tongue.


    Elio turned around, a rxed smile on his face, and dressed in a nice ck suit I knew he hadn¡¯t been wearing when he left for work this morning.


    Something was up, but I didn¡¯t quite know what.


    His feet were as bare as mine, pant legs rolled up as he stood ankle-depth in the ocean. The sky had faded to a brilliant and vivid purple and pink, casting a cooler glow across the beach as the sun began to vanish and the moonlight took its ce.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Elio smiled as he saw me, eyes soft as he gently held out a hand. ¡°Care to walk on the beach with me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that what you write in your dating profile? Likes long walks on the beach?¡± I joked, happily stepping forward as the water retreated back. I took his hand, his hand squeezing my mind gently like he was reminding himself I was really here.


    ¡°Too cliche?¡± Elio raised an eyebrow, giving me a smirk as he pulled me along down the beach.


    ¡°No.¡± I curled up by his side, leaning on him as we took a slow walk across the wet sand, letting the waves roll in yfully around our feet and then retreat just as quickly. It felt surreal to be here like this but I didn¡¯t question it.


    Elio had a n. He always did.


    ¡°Do you remember when we met?¡± Elio asked suddenly, breaking the silence as he looked straight ahead.


    It was an innocent question, but one we both knew was filled with a heavy answer.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I swallowed, remembering that painful rainy day, the way everyone had dressed in ck, the ufortable dress I¡¯d been forced into, and how Mom had cried and cried all day long.


    I couldn¡¯t even remember the faces of the people who came, expressing how sorry they were that they had lost such a great man.


    But he wasn¡¯t just a great man to me. He was my Dad, a man who I got to spend way too little time with.


    ¡°I remember thinking back then how small and fragile you looked, like a little doll, so empty and hollow,¡± he said.


    The admission was surprising to me. Empty... It was a harsh word to describe a grieving twelve-year-old, but not a wrong one.


    ¡°I was angry back then,¡± I admitted quietly. ¡°When I found out what Dad did for a living, how he¡¯d sacrificed himself for some random stranger I¡¯d never met then found out he lived a whole other life I didn¡¯t know about. He was a hero to me growing up, like all girls think of their father, I guess. I just... I didn¡¯t know how to feel after I found out that I was nothing more than a lie to him, just some secret he kept hushed up to the world. Mom was falling apart and Dad was gone and everything I knew had been upended in a matter of days. I guess empty... was all I could feel at the time.¡±


    I smiled at Elio as we paused walking. Elio turned to face me with a serious look. I brushed my hands over his cheek, pulling myself closer as he wrapped his arms around my waist.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m so thankful to have you, to have fallen in love with you,¡± I said. ¡°Even back then, the only one who was able to bring me out of that state of misery was you, Elio. Though, admittedly it was mostly due to fights in the beginning.¡±


    Elioughed, probably remembering the same childish fits we¡¯d thrown at one another, especially me as I hated being told what to do.


    ¡°Cat, our... our lives have always been entwined together.¡± Elio sighed as he gently leaned over foreheads together, just breathing in the same space as me as we listened to the sea around us. ¡°I became the man I am today because that was the day I met you. The day I was asked to protect you and keep you safe and the more time I spent with you, the more I grew to adore you. It was miserable for me when you left for those five years because even back then you were my best friend and my confidant, the one I told everything to. And it¡¯s only grown more and more. You¡¯ve been my friend, my lover, and my soulmate, Cat.¡±


    ¡°I know that. You¡¯re mine too,¡± I said softly, gently lifting his chin so I could meet his eyes. There was a determined fiery look to him, like he needed to get something off of his chest right here and now. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Elio?¡±


    Elio entwined our hands together, lifting our sped knuckles to his lips where he pressed a tender kiss to my engagement ring that sat on my left hand. My breath hitched as I realized what all this was about.


    I stared him in the eyes, stunned into silence as emotions welled up in my throat, my eyes heating with tears.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to marry you, Cat,¡± Elio dered boldly. ¡°And I¡¯d do it right here and right now if I knew your mom wouldn¡¯t kill me for it.¡±


    I gave a wetugh at that, knowing it was true.


    ¡°So, Caterina¨C¡± Elio said my full name, falling down to one knee as he kept my hand held tightly in his, eyes locked on me so passionately. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re ready too.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am, you idiot!¡± I burst into blissful tears,ughing at the same time as I fell to my knees in the sand, wrapping myself around him tightly as he held me. ¡°I already agreed to marry you and now you¡¯re here doing romantic gestures again? Are you trying to get my heart to burst?¡±


    Heughed, holding me close as he breathed out. ¡°I love you and I want to be able to call you my wife to everyone. So set a date.¡±


    "I will," I beamed, entwining my arms around his shoulders as he lifted us out of the sand. But I noticed his pursed lips like there was still something else he wanted to say. "What is it?"


    "Do you think your dad would¡¯ve liked me?" Elio asked hesitantly, a scared look in his eyes.


    "You knew him longer than I did, Elio," I reminded him of that fact.


    ¡°I mean, like as a son-inw," Elio said awkwardly, giving me pensive eyes like he truly didn¡¯t the answer to the question.


    But I did. I had known this wasing for a long time, and I had spoken with everyone who knew my father to prepare this answer for him ahead of time.


    "Elio," I said, grinning widely, taking his cheeks between my palms so I could look into his eyes. "The moment he would¡¯ve found out you were dating me, he would¡¯ve hated you more than anyone in the world."


    "Cat!" Elio¡¯s mouth dropped, and I shrieked inughter as he fully tackled me to the sand. "Take that back, you little wild cat!"


    "It¡¯s the truth!" I beamed as he tore his fingers into my sides, tickling me to what felt like death. The water rushed against my head and I shivered, Elio finally letting go as he pinned me to the ground.


    I grinned at him as he pouted, probably already having figured out that what I¡¯d said was the truth. I softened at his sad, lost little look.


    "But it wouldn¡¯t have mattered, Elio." I cupped his cheeks, smiling brightly at the man I loved. "I would¡¯ve chosen you anyway."


    His pout turned into a brilliant smile, just like I knew it would.


    He was the person I had loved for a long time, after all.

 Chapter 801 : Venues

    <h4>Chapter 801: Chapter 801 : Venues</h4>


    *Two Months Later*


    *Cat*


    ¡°Come on! You can do it, Emi!¡± I called, face stretched wide in a grin as I opened my arms, ¡°Come to Mama!¡±


    ¡°Ba-ba,¡± my now almost eight-month-old daughter babbled as she pped her little hands on the carpet as she crawled her way across the floor to me. There was a look of intense focus to her like this was the most important mission of her life to aplish, and despite how slow going her wobbly movements were, she didn¡¯t stop for anything.


    ¡°Almost there, baby, just a little more!¡± I encouraged her brightly, pping my hands together gently for extra incentive while I tucked her little fox plushie in the crook of my arm.


    I beamed, watching her as she crawled straight into my arms, giving me a bright two-tooth grin as she cried out, ¡°Ma!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Emilia, I¡¯m Mama!¡± I lifted her into my arms, getting to my feet as I happily handed over the little foxy. ¡°You did so good, baby! You crawled across the floor. I¡¯m so proud of you.¡±


    I kissed the top of her head, now much thicker with more curled strands of medium brown. Her hair had darkened a bit since she was born, now closer to her daddy¡¯s color than mine, but her bright eyes, a forest shade of green, were all mine.


    Emiliaughed, showing off her two front teeth that barely protruded out of her mouth. After getting her first tooth early at four months, the rate of the others had been prolonged with her other tooth popping out only a few weeks after her seventh-month milestone.


    And speaking of milestones, once Emilia had learned how to sit up by herself, she was unstoppable. She learned to flip around, crawl, and even stand at some points as she raced to break through her milestones but my favorite party had to be watching her as she zoomed across the house any chance she got.


    Despite her clumsiness, she was growing fast, and she was just as smart as her daddy too, whom she absolutely adored.


    It was apparent to me very quickly that as much as Emilia loved me, sticking to me closely all day and night like a little velcro at my side, Emilia held a special ce in her heart for Elio.


    They had a bond that not even I coulde close to getting in between, much to Elio¡¯s smugness.


    ¡°Alright, ready to hang out with Grandma while Mommy heads to meet Daddy? It¡¯s for our wedding and you¡¯ll be just the prettiest flower girl, won¡¯t you, Emilia?¡± I cooed to her, heading to the nursery to pack up her stuff real quick.


    Mom had her own stash in her cottage for when Emilia came over, which was more frequently now that I was working with Elio more closely, but I always liked to be prepared anyway. Luckily, Mom¡¯s house was only a short walk away from our own and Mom was already prepared when I arrived.


    ¡°Are you going to work today?¡± Mom asked as I passed over Emilia to her.


    Sheughed as Emilia babbled to her, saying something that could be a word every so often. Mom hummed, listening to her intently and gasping at all the right points like they were having an actual conversation.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m meeting Elio downtown. Both of Elio¡¯s businesses are doing well now, because of me,¡± I boasted yfully,ying a kiss on Emilia¡¯s forehead before Mom took her over to the y area she¡¯d already set up in her living room. The baby gates worked wonders, especially now that her curiosity had an outlet for her exploration.


    Emilia cooed, immediately digging into the big bag of blocks my mom had gotten her. She didn¡¯t quite have the hang of stacking them, but she had learned how to throw them with astonishing uracy.


    ¡°Another venue?¡± Mom sent me a sympathetic look as I nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna head out, hopefully, we¡¯ll find one before Emilia¡¯s tenth birthday,¡± I huffed, only half-joking as I headed for the door.


    But my motherly instincts rang and I barely managed to dodge the C block as I snuck out the door.


    I could hear my momughing from inside as Emilia giggled. The bruises I had on my thighs from thest few ydates with her blocks still hadn¡¯t faded yet.


    I pocketed my keys, humming a song I didn¡¯t remember the name of as I headed out, taking the car. I double-checked the address Elio sent me, a cathedral in downtown LA where my lovely soon-to-be husband had found me.


    I pulled out onto the roads, tapping my fingers on the wheel to the beat of the song on the radio as I let the windows down. The early spring air was already here and the heat had yet to catch up to normal temperatures so it was a gorgeous day outside, though it had been the past two months too.


    Ever since Elio had decided to set the date, we¡¯d been pouring over wedding ns. Anna had bombarded me with all kinds of preparations like dress shopping flower themes and even colors for the tables.


    Everything went well, except of course the venue.


    Between Elio¡¯s traditional sense of wanting to be married within a church grounds, which I didn¡¯t really care for, to be honest, and my sense of wanting an outdoor wedding with an indoor reception, neither of us had found a ce that we both loved.


    There had been one ce in Santa Monica that we had considered, but ultimately it had been too small for all of Elio¡¯s family toe, and having all of the family there was something we both had agreed on.


    Still, Elio was hopeful for thistest one and I could see why as I pulled up to what looked like a massive old cathedral. The white peak of the bell tower was the first thing that caught my attention, a beacon above the rest of the buildings though the bell had long been taken down.


    Still, the craftsmanship was beautiful to behold. It helped too that the walls were lined with crawling ferns and vines dotted with small colorful flowers, life was blooming everywhere I looked, the greenery a perfect contrast from the white ster and concrete.


    It was clearly old, but new as well with part of the building having been refurbished. I learned from the que on the front of the steps as I approached that it had long since been converted from a cathedral to a venue now for ceremonies.


    It truly held up to its name¨Ca lush and vibrant oasis within the dreary and modern scrapers of the downtown area.


    As I admired its stonework, I didn¡¯t notice someone approaching me from behind until two arms slid around my waist and pulled me back into a familiar embrace.


    ¡°So what do you think?¡± Elio breathed in my ear. ¡°Beautiful, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Iughed with a smile. ¡°But it¡¯s only a former cathedral. Is that alright for some of your more traditional family members?¡±


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s my wedding, not theirs,¡± Elio shrugged uncaringly. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s named after a Saint. That should be holy enough, right?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say,¡± Iughed. ¡°Did you get us a tour?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did,¡± Elio boasted, then grabbed my hand, walking in front of me to escort me inside, ¡°What kind of future husband would I be if I forgot such a tiny little thing?¡±


    ¡°A normal one,¡± I said yfully, letting him lead me inside.


    Our tour guide met us inside and I was pleased to see that the Vibiana Cathedral was just as beautiful inside as out. The vaulted ceilings and gorgeous stonework carved into the walls seemed to have an ethereal glow to them as we walked through.


    Our tour guide told us about the history of the cathedral, how it had been damaged during an earthquake and retired as a cathedral, rebuilt as a venue and monument to its importance to the city, one of thest remaining buildings from early Los Angeles history.


    They showed us the outdoor venue area where the ceremony would take ce, a beautiful courtyard inside the inner sanctum but still exposed to the sky above. Like everything else, the courtyard was covered with bright vegetation, and interspersed with fairy lights as decorations. It was huge while still feeling intimate and I was in love as soon as I saw it.


    Simrly, the reception hall captured Elio¡¯s attention right away. The vaulted ceiling with projections of anything we could imagine, the tall pirs and marble floors which when they turned the lights off looked like we were walking on a sparklingke.


    I could imagine so easily holding our first dance here, surrounded by our loved ones while we danced under a gxy of stars above.


    It was a traditional ce, one that held a deep significant history while also holding a modernity that didn¡¯t make it feel too suffocating.


    It was perfect.


    We said goodbye to our tour guide, wanting to think it over as we ate a quick lunch at a nearby spot. I knew there was still a discussion to be had, but I just knew right away that this was it.


    This is where we would be married.


    It didn¡¯t take much convincing from me to get Elio on board, and after we checked the rest of our ns, making a few tweaks and so on, we called the cathedral back to book it. Luckily, they had the perfect date at the end of May open in just three months.


    I grinned as I set down the phone. ¡°We got it. It¡¯s all booked. We¡¯re officially going to be married at Vibiana Cathedral in May.¡±


    ¡°Hallelujah,¡± Elio said dryly, sipping on the soda he¡¯d ordered and I rolled my eyes. Despite his joking, hallelujah was right though. It felt like it had taken forever, disappointment after disappointment as we toured venues and now, I finally felt like all the nning was taken care of.


    ¡°Let me send out the date cards to everyone so they¡¯re all ready to RSVP and then we¡¯ll finally be done with wedding preparations,¡± I told him, grabbing my phone to take care of it but Elio had other ideas.


    ¡°Take a break, Cat,¡± Elioughed, popping a fry from his te straight into my mouth as he cleverly stole my phone with the other hand. ¡°Do itter. Just rx now.¡±


    I pouted, chewing on the fry. ¡°Aren¡¯t you excited?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am,¡± Elio chuckled, scooting his chair over so we were right beside one another. He pulled me into a one-armed hug, pressing a kiss to my temple. ¡°But forgive me for wanting to hog your attention a little, Cat. You¡¯ve been obsessing over this for months now.¡±


    ¡°We only get married once, you know,¡± I smiled as my defense, plucking another fry from his te. My smile faded though as I fixed him with a serious re.


    ¡°Just so you know as a warning. If you smash my face into the cake and ruin my wedding dress, I will divorce you.¡±


    Elio gulped, seeing how deadly serious I was about this, and nodded.


    ¡°Noted.¡±

 Chapter 802 : Semantics

    <h4>Chapter 802: Chapter 802 : Semantics</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡°You were right,¡± I dered as soon as I walked into the upper room of the warehouse, seeing Leo and Franky both there. ¡°She loved it.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Leo didn¡¯t even look up from the game he was ying on his phone, legs stretched up onto the table as he tilted his chair back dangerously, almost equal with the ground at this point. I would never understand how he was able to do that without falling on his ass. ¡°I knew it!¡±


    ¡°You booked the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana then?¡± Franky asked quietly, also not looking up from his sleekptop as he typed away furiously like a man with a mission. ¡°Good, I shall inform Alessandro and the family shall make preparations to be here at the chosen date. Invitations have been sent out?¡±


    ¡°Only digital ones so far,¡± I shrugged, grabbing a chair to sit on backward.


    I slung my arms over the backrest, ncing between the two of them with an amused look. I never understood how they could both spend so much time in here just not speaking to one another and only ying around on their devices.


    Franky was at least working¨Cbut Leo....


    ¡°Yes! Diamond-level hero!¡± Leo cheered, pumping his fist into the air. ¡°Thatst ten spins were totally worth it.¡±


    ¡°Leo.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Can you stop gambling all your money away into a stupid mobile app and focus? I¡¯m actually getting married here, asshole.¡±


    ¡°Jeez, no need to get your panties in a twist,¡± Leo scoffed, finally putting his phone away as he pulled his attention to me. ¡°I know you¡¯re getting married, kinda hard not to when it¡¯s all you¡¯ve been talking about for the past two months. I swear you¡¯re more excited than your pretty blushing bride is.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just excited for the wedding night,¡± Franky deadpanned.


    Leo and I turned to him with stunned looks.


    ¡°Did you just make a joke?¡± Leo gaped. ¡°Like an actual attempt to be funny?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I am not utterly humorless,¡± Franky snapped back, finally ncing up from hisptop screen as he shut it closed. ¡°I do have my own sense of humor.¡±


    ¡°Could¡¯ve fooled me,¡± Leo grumbled.


    ¡°Oy,¡± I crossed my arms with a scowl, ring at Franky offendedly. ¡°I am not. I have a kid already, or have you forgotten?¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m sure your wife will not be returning from the honeymoon impregnated once more,¡± he shot back sarcastically.


    I cringed, making a face at the word ¡®impregnated.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t use that word. It¡¯s so crude.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Never say that ever again.¡± Leo looked a bit green, a disgusted look on his face as he rolled up the bag of chips he¡¯d just opened and tossed it into the nearby trashcan. ¡°We have to work with the both of them so just.... no.¡±


    ¡°Fine then,¡± Franky rolled his eyes. ¡°With child, expecting, a bun in the oven, knocked up¨Cput it any way you want.¡±


    ¡°Could you please stop talking about my sex life with my wife?¡± I interjected, really wanting the conversation to be anything but this.


    Franky sent me an annoyed look but didn¡¯t say anything about my title for Cat.


    He¡¯d long given up trying to correct me about that, but I just didn¡¯t care anymore. She was my wife now, even if we hadn¡¯t signed a little piece of paper yet. This whole ceremony was just a formality anyway.


    I¡¯d sign it today if I could. But then I¡¯d have to deal with Cat¡¯s disappointment of not getting a fairytale wedding, the fury of my mother and mother-inw, and the beat-down by my father and aunts and uncles¨CAlessandro probably being the first on that list.


    Even my Aunt Dalia would probably fly over just to whap me in the back of the head if I rushed the wedding. And I honestly didn¡¯t doubt that her father would rise from the grave just to drag me down with him.


    So formalities it would be.


    ¡°How¡¯s the security looking?¡± I directed Leo and Franky¡¯s attention back to the task at hand. ¡°I¡¯ve talked to the cathedral people and they didn¡¯t seem to mind the idea of guards and precautions so long as we pay for it and keep it respectful while inside. This means we need to inform the family that if they bring a gun, make sure it¡¯s concealed and only one per person.¡±


    ¡°Should I include that in the RSVP section?¡± Franky said sarcastically, opening up hisptop to type away again.


    ¡°Damn, you are a smart-ass today. I¡¯m kinda digging it,¡± Leo said, impressed as I sighed yet again at how they could only get along when driving me nuts.


    ¡°Just make sure the family knows. Don¡¯t keep it from Cat but don¡¯t make it too obvious either. Some of our guests don¡¯t know what I do for a living,¡± I grimaced. ¡°I figured we should have guards stationed at each entrance and then some during the ceremony. It¡¯s in the inner courtyard, so it should be pretty protected but we want a line of sight on the open sky just in case.¡±


    ¡°Snipers hidden in the nearby buildings seem like the best choice,¡± Leo said coldly. ¡°Though I would suggest we have a few guys dressed as staff¨Cushers and some just general crew. For the reception, we already have a few volunteers for dishwasher, and Little Timmy wants to be the bartender. I said I¡¯d ask you about it.¡±


    ¡°Little Timmy?¡± I asked with a wide-eyed look. ¡°Like ¡®little¡¯ Timmy or ¡®Little Timmy¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Little Timmy,¡± Leo nodded. ¡°Said he¡¯d been working on getting his bartender license and wants a chance to prove himself.¡±


    I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the one with the ironic name?¡± Franky asked with a frown. ¡°Little meaning his¨C¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± I cut him off with a direct re. ¡°Don¡¯t even go there. Tell Little Timmy he can bartend poker night one time and if he messes out, then it¡¯s a hard pass.¡±


    ¡°Doable. However, I will say, I¡¯ve had his margaritas. They are pretty delicious.¡± Leo grinned.


    ¡°Another thing you need to consider,¡± Franky interrupted, giving me a pointed look. ¡°Housing for your guests. I¡¯ve picked out quite a long list of safe houses to use or just some real estate through the legalpany that Leo suggested. I looked into it. A hotel is within the budget but will only be too much of a security risk. I figure the family would be morefortable in temporary housing like vacation homes.¡±


    ¡°Good call. Buy them,¡± I nodded, flipping through the stack of papers he¡¯d shifted over to me.


    Each house was a considerable price, but it was nothing but a drop of waterpared to all the money we¡¯d made and saved up. We hadn¡¯t even dived out of budget from my own expenses yet, which was the first pile of money I had put forth to go through.


    However, buying this many houses would certainly put a dent in that.


    ¡°Ah, did you decide on your caterer yet?¡± Franky nced at me and I could see the ¡®say no¡¯ message in his eyes.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said hesitantly. ¡°We decided on DCLA. They¡¯re set up and everything. Why?¡±


    ¡°Alessandro called to inform me that he is sending his best catering team from Italy,¡± Franky exined. ¡°He said he ¡®didn¡¯t care what kind of Californian bullshit you were serving, but if you don¡¯t serve some wood-fired, it¡¯ll be your head.¡¯ I told him you had no intention to do so but Alessandro is the boss. Unreasonable and stubborn like all of you Valentinos.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± I sighed. ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll just have to serve both. The kitchens should be big enough and if not, we¡¯ll just hire a private kitchen nearby for them to use.¡±


    ¡°Wood-fired pizzas at a wedding,¡± Leo drooled. ¡°Al surely knows what¡¯s up.¡±


    ¡°Most of the family is Italian,¡± Franky supplied helpfully but I snorted.


    ¡°Yeah, right. The family is, but that pretentious bastard was born and raised in Florida.¡±


    ¡°Semantics,¡± Franky dismissed it with a wave.


    ¡°Cat and I will make the rest of the preparations. Just make sure most of the family, if not all, is here on the day of,¡± I said to Franky and Leo, then turned the conversation to our real work. ¡°What about MS13?¡±


    ¡°Quiet on all fronts,¡± Franky reported. He eyed me pointedly. ¡°I told you, they are gone for good without Ignacio. No one is left to mourn him, and that means no one ising for revenge. Everything is running smoothly.¡±


    ¡°Still like to be sure,¡± I shrugged. ¡°Can you me me? They terrorized me and Cat with the safety of our daughter.¡±


    ¡°True, that was particrly low,¡± Leo nodded with a sour look. ¡°I don¡¯t get how anyone could look at that adorable little creature and say ¡®Imma kill that.¡¯ It¡¯s like kicking a puppy. Only a monster could do such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Leo, you still had blood on your cor,¡± I pointed out ndly.


    ¡°Oh, would you look at that? My bad,¡± As Leo focused on cleaning up his cor, I shook my head, rising to my feet as I got ready to leave.


    ¡°Since everything¡¯s going well, I¡¯ll head off to the office and see if there¡¯s anything I need to take care of there. Give me a call if anything shows up or if you need me.¡± I told them and both Leo and Franky waved goodbye as I left.


    As soon as I shut the door behind me, I heard Leo¡¯s loud ¡®Goddamit! Silver again!¡± and the sound of his stupid mobile game ying.


    I sighed, wondering how I got stuck with such an idiot as my best friend and right-hand man.


    I sent a text off to Cat, letting her know I was stopping by the office before getting home and she sent me an update on Emilia and how they were doing at home. Emilia was now starting to eat some solid food, but her hatred of carrots in any shape or form was now well-known to everyone.


    It was a slow drive to the office and by the time I was already halfway there, I was interrupted by a call from Franky. I was driving so I let it go to voicemail at first, pretty sure it wasn¡¯t too important considering I was just there.


    But at the next red light, he called again and I frowned. That was unusual behavior, for Franky, especially since he never called twice.


    I grabbed my phone, answering it on speaker as I called out, ¡°What¡¯s up, Franky? Did something happen already? I just left.¡±


    ¡°You could say that.¡± His gruff voice came out over the voice, sounding gravely like he was pissed off about something and was trying not to let it show. ¡°We got attacked.¡±


    ¡°MS13?¡± I asked, rmed. ¡°You said they were gone.¡±


    ¡°They are,¡± Franky sighed. ¡°This wasn¡¯t them. The culprit left a message. Seems he didn¡¯t want his work being attributed to someone else.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Junior,¡± Franky said roughly. ¡°Junior is back.¡±

 Chapter 803 : Dress of My Own

    <h4>Chapter 803: Chapter 803 : Dress of My Own</h4>


    *Cat*


    After having lunch with Elio and sending out the new digital invitations with our date and newly decided venue, Elio headed off for a meeting with Franky and Leo while I headed to my own appointment.


    The address wasn¡¯t too far from the spot where we¡¯d had lunch, so I headed straight over, even if I¡¯d be a little early but as soon as I pulled into the driveway, only a few other cars were there despite how massive and popr the bridal store I¡¯d pulled up to was, I realized I was far from early.


    Despite being a whole thirty minutes before the agreed meeting time, I was in factte without knowing I waste.


    Anna was impatiently waiting outside the shop when I pulled up. I barely had time to greet her with a hello before she rushed me into the shop, chattering away in excitement that we got the whole store to ourselves for the day.


    David¡¯s Bridal Gowns was a luxury brand of wedding dresses and also one of the most popr stores for new brides to try on their gowns. I didn¡¯t know how Elio had managed to pull it off, but as soon as I walked into the store, I was blown away by the sheer amount of white.


    Dresses of all shapes and styles lined the beige and cool-toned stone walls, racks, and racks were pretty pearl whites and creams and every off-white color you could think of. They even had a whole section of rarer colors¨Cck, blue, and red wedding dresses.


    The floors were a deep hardwood brown, allowing a bit of contrast inparison to the flowing white around us which made me feel like I had stepped into a cloud.


    In the center of the room was a light grey pedestal with floor-to-ceiling mirrors surrounding it at three angles and another pedestal facing a bright window. Surrounding the pedestal were a few luxurious tables and chairs ced in a ring around while the whole second part of the store was a changing room just hidden behind an open framed doorway.


    There was even a catwalk in the back.


    ¡°Mom!¡± I grinned as I spotted my mom sitting in one of the lounge chairs, nibbling on a te full of madeleines as she held my sleeping daughter in herp.


    Emilia waspletely passed out, mouth open with a bit of drool as she leaned against Mom¡¯s arms like she¡¯d checked out from this world to the next.


    ¡°Hey honey,¡± Mom greeted happily. ¡°These cookies are delicious. Want one?¡±


    ¡°No thanks,¡± Iughed then flinched as someone called out ¡°Cat!¡±


    Olivia, still as beautiful asst I saw her, came rushing out from the changing room with five or six wedding dresses in her arms and beamed upon seeing me.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± I smiled, happy that I had invited her as she tossed the dresses onto one of the chairs and then pulled me into a bear hug.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s Mom now, if you want,¡± Olivia chuckled, running her hands over my arms as she checked me over. ¡°You¡¯re looking gorgeous, honey. I can¡¯t believe you two are finally getting married. I¡¯ve been over the moon and so has Gio.¡±


    I found that hard to imagine considering Elio¡¯s father was the most intimidating man I¡¯d ever met. Even at his older age, I still found it hard to talk to him or even guess what he was thinking.


    Olivia insisted he was a teddy bear, that he¡¯d never hurt a fly, but I just couldn¡¯t see it as she could.


    I supposed that was what love did to you.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you too, We just got back from picking out the venue,¡± Iughed, letting Olivia fuss over me for a bit before she brought me over to the chairs. They had tea and coffee already set up and I spotted a few women working diligently in the back, including rehanging the dresses Olivia had thrown.


    I caught the price tag on one of them and lost count of the zeros before it was hung up on the nearest rack.


    ¡°Ooh, it¡¯s that cathedral ce. I saw your text. Tell me everything,¡± Anna gushed, taking the seat to my right.


    I happily obliged, telling them all about it and describing it as best I could. I broke out my phone, showing them the pictures of the courtyard where the ceremony would take ce and giving out my ideas on the decorations.


    Anna and Olivia chimed in for their input, respecting my decisions but still giving me other ideas to try. Mom was quieter andid-back as she held Emilia. I knew she was still paying attention closely, but I could see her mind was on something else.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect, honey,¡± Olivia beamed. ¡°But the important thing is that both you and Elio love it, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I assured her. ¡°Elio loved it just as much as I did. It has everything we wanted and more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to say that it¡¯s going to be beautiful,¡± Anna admitted, then she nced over at the dresses around us with a smirk. ¡°But not as beautiful as you¡¯ll be. Let¡¯s get started on finding a dress. What kind of style are you thinking, Cat?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know,¡± I shrugged helplessly. ¡°I didn¡¯t really think about it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, free reign then,¡± Anna cracked her knuckles getting out of her seat. ¡°I¡¯ll go left. Somebody take right!¡± she said and she was off, racing to one of the open racks and searching as if the world depended on her finding me the perfect wedding dress.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll get it,¡± Oliviaughed, heading in the opposite direction Anna had gone in.


    I shook my head, smiling at their obvious happiness and enthusiasm for me. Sometimes it still felt like a dream, that I was actually going to get married in three months. I¡¯d never really been one of those girls to n out my dream wedding or even dream about having a wedding in the first ce.


    ¡°Whenever I brought this up with Dad, he used to say¨C¡± I started.


    ¡°You can marry me instead. That¡¯s what your father used to say whenever you brought up getting married,¡± Mom finished my thought, giving me a soft but sad knowing look. She brushed Emilia¡¯s hair away from her forehead, a mncholy feeling waving out of her. ¡°Vinny would¡¯ve been more excited than anyone to help you pick out a dress. I¡¯m... kind of out of myfort zone here.¡±


    I nced at my mom¡¯s hand, where a wedding band was long gone from her finger. The sadness in my mom¡¯s eyes was filled with just as much pride when she looked at me. There was no sense of envy or regret that she never got to finish out her life with my father.


    ¡°I miss him, too.¡± I smiled, getting to my feet and gently sitting on the arm of the chair while I gave her an awkward one-armed hug. ¡°He would¡¯ve killed Elio, wouldn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Oh, definitely,¡± Mom gave a wetugh. ¡°He¡¯d have thrown him a gun and forced him into a shoot-out just to take you on your first date.¡± She looked up at me eyes shining with tears as she reached up to cup my cheek in her hand. ¡°You were his pride and joy, you know? His little girl¨Che would¡¯ve done anything for you.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help the tears that slipped out of my eyes, wishing my Dad could¡¯ve been here to see me like this.


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s strange, but I never would¡¯ve met Elio if Dad hadn¡¯t died,¡± I said, feeling strange to say it out loud. ¡°So I kinda owe all of this to him in a weird roundabout way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Momughed through her tears. ¡°So maybe he did know what he was doing a little bit. He¡¯d probably be gloating in heaven by now, watching all this.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I got everything in your size!¡±


    I barely had time to wipe the tears from my cheeks, turning to face Anna as she came rushing back. She was just a pile of clothes, and dresses thrown everywhere as she carried the pile that was bigger than she was. She panted as she dropped the hanging dresses onto the chair.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to it then!¡± Anna dered boldly. ¡®Which dress first?¡±


    I looked at the huge mound of wedding dresses and I began to regret my decision to bring Anna to this.


    As the bridal consultant and the few remaining workers rushed me back to the dressing room with each dress that Anna threw at me, helping me zip it up or pin my hair for the veil, I felt like a Barbie being yed dress-up with.


    Every time I came back out, Anna and Olivia would sigh while my mom would give me a dazzled look, tears pouring down her face as she sniffed, ¡°My baby.¡±


    Emilia woke up and kept changing hands after every dress I showcased, but after dozens of dresses and hours passing by, there still wasn¡¯t a single one I found I had liked.


    The mermaid style felt too constricting around my knees, I felt like I might trip on the walk up to Elio and fall t on my face. The column felt too blocky on my body, making me look like a solid straight line much to my displeasure.


    I liked the ballgown, but the ones I tried on fell too poofy or used a weird fabric for the skirt that didn¡¯t feel right touching it. The A-line looked the best, but it still didn¡¯t feel quite right, and the empire was no good. I didn¡¯t have nearly enough bust to pull it off.


    My head was swimming with different wedding styles, as even having straps or being strapless left me feeling confused and overwhelmed. From necklines to skirt shapes, it was never-ending.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± I groaned, feeling exhausted after it all as we went out for drinks and dinner afterward. ¡°I didn¡¯t like any of them.¡±


    ¡°It happens,¡± Olivia tried to reassure me with a small smile. ¡°I mean, I had to have mine designed personally because I didn¡¯t like any of the dresses I tried on either. Oh, maybe she can design yours as well!¡±


    Olivia¡¯s suggestion filled me with hope and Anna passed me a margarita, which I downed in a single second as I mulled it over in my mind. The idea was a pleasing one¨Ctaking the elements I liked from the other dresses to have one with my own personal style.


    ¡°But can they design and make it within three months?¡± I asked worriedly. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about fashion.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she can,¡± Olivia said happily. ¡°She¡¯s in America right now, so she should have time to finish up one dress. Besides,¡± Olivia took my hand in hers, giving me a soft squeeze, ¡°you deserve to feel beautiful, especially on your wedding day.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Ol¨CMom,¡± I corrected myself and Olivia beamed. My own mother only smiled when I¡¯d brought it up to her, saying the more people who loved her daughter the better. ¡°I just hope Elio will agree.¡±


    ¡°Of course, he will,¡± my mom interjected, giving me a confident smile. ¡°He loves you more than anything besides this little one. If you say you want it, he¡¯ll make it happen.¡±


    Feeling more hopeful now, Anna helped me sketch out what I liked in the other dresses, helping mebine the elements roughly. It was only an idea, but I thought it would work.


    I just hoped it would be done in time for the wedding.

 Chapter 804 : Money Doesn’t Matter

    <h4>Chapter 804: Chapter 804 : Money Doesn¡¯t Matter</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡°Wee home.¡± Cat was smiling as always when I arrived home, Emilia tucked on her hip as they greeted me at the door.


    It had been a crazy day from heading back and forth between some of the family¡¯s properties and the warehouse. I stepped forward exhausted, dropping my bag to the floor as I crashed my head on her shoulder.


    ¡°Tough day?¡± I heard her ask, Emilia¡¯s little handing up to grab onto my curls and pull but I didn¡¯t mind as I gently settled my arms around her hips as she moved Emilia to a firmer hold around her chest.


    ¡°You could say that,¡± I said honestly, not wanting to get into it now.


    ¡°Poor baby,¡± Cat cooed yfully, kissing my cheek as sheforted me. ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready, so you might feel better after you eat something. You probably haven¡¯t eaten since our lunch, have you?¡±


    I nodded, allowing her to pull back as she gave me a bright reassuring smile, grabbing my hand to lead me to the kitchen. I followed silently, having no energy left in my body. The cooks already had dinner waiting on the table, and Cat took a moment to settle Emilia into her high chair.


    I settled into the spot at the chair, the smell of the freshly cooked pasta bothforting and rejuvenating. My stomach growled as I saw the spaghetti bolognese with a side sd and breadsticks.


    All of it was smothered in cheese, just the way I liked it, and I sent Cat a smile as she settled in beside Emilia¡¯s high-chair, a small te filled with cup bite up size pieces of spaghetti and some mashed purees of applesauce and probably what looked like mashed peas.


    Emilia dug in with fervor, grabbing the spaghetti pieces with her fist and stuffing themzily into her mouth, with no care whatsoever about the mess she was making. I chuckled as she cooed happily, legs swinging her high chair.


    ¡°Looks like she likes the spaghetti,¡± Catughed, taking a moment to dig into her own food.


    It felt nice to be together like this, and my exhaustion of the day fell away as I slowly rxed. Cat chatted about her date with my mom, Matilde, and Anna, trying on wedding dresses.


    By the way she described it, sighing as she described the tiring process of putting on the dresses, I was feeling d that I only had to wear a tux. Men didn¡¯t nearly have as many choices to go through and that was a blessing in disguise, I realized.


    ¡°Unfortunately I didn¡¯t find a single dress I liked,¡± Cat sighed, casting me a hesitant look as she twirled her pasta on her fork and then looked at Emilia like she was trying to busy herself. When she started to wipe Emilia¡¯s sauce-covered mouth with a napkin even though Emilia wasn¡¯t done with her food, I knew something was up.


    The futile action was only because she wanted to pretend she didn¡¯t have something to ask me. I raised an eyebrow, stuffing a bite of pasta in my mouth as I watched her send me slow nces like she was waiting for me to ask her.


    However, I was clueless in this area.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re going to go dress shopping again?¡± I asked, confused by what she wanted me to ask. ¡°You need me to watch Emilia? I can take her to work with me one day if you need me to.¡±


    Cat sighed, giving me a look like she thought I was being stupid but I gave her an incredulous nce. Did she think I was a mind-reader? I knew her better than I knew myself, but I clearly had no clue what she was thinking at all times of the day.


    ¡°If you have something to ask, just ask, Cat,¡± I told her with an exasperated look. ¡°You know I can never say no to you¨Cwell, except for certain things. If you want to have the wedding on the moon instead of the cathedral, then that¡¯s gonna be a tough ask, but I can try my best.¡±


    Sheughed, shaking her head at the ridiculous guess and I chuckled, giving her a soft look.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to have our wedding on the moon!¡± She rolled her eyes, grinning from ear to ear at the thought. She rxed though and I considered that a win in my book as I took a sip of my wine. ¡°I just... Since I couldn¡¯t find a dress I liked, your mom said she could get in touch with a dress designer she knew to have them make me one. Anna thought we could design one that has all the aspects I liked of the other dresses butbine them together for my very own styled dress. It¡¯s just... I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll be able to make it in time and it¡¯ll be expensive.¡±


    She fumbled with her fork, scraping it across the te absentmindedly with a guilty look and I couldn¡¯t help butugh at how adorable she looked, all sorry like she didn¡¯t want to spend my money on something so frivolous.


    ¡°Cat, we¡¯re getting married.¡± I tried not tough at her but it was difficult as she looked at me with those wide guilty eyes, like she¡¯d wronged me somehow. She was utterly adorable. ¡°My money is your money. I have no clue why spending it would make you so nervous. If you don¡¯t like any of the premade dresses then yeah, of course we can have one made for you.¡±


    She lit up with happiness, eyes shining with awe and love I swear if she looked at me like that every time I spent money, my small fortune would¡¯ve vanished a long time ago. I melted in her adorableness,ughing as I got out of my chair to walk over to her.


    She yelped as I lifted her straight out of the chair, carrying her back to mine and I plopped her down on myp, nuzzling into the crook of her neck.


    ¡°What are you doing now?¡± she asked, amused.


    ¡°I¡¯m showing you how much I love you. You think I care about the money when I have you?¡± I told her, holding her tightly and breathing in herforting scent slowly.


    Just having her there in my arms was enough for all the stress of the day to melt away like it was never there. She was my everything. I only wished she could be a little more confident in that.


    ¡°I know,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I just... don¡¯t want to waste your money on something so frivolous.¡±


    I hummed in acknowledgment, gazing up into her eyes with a soft smile. I cupped her cheek, brushing my thumb under her eye and I could feel her leaning into my touch, just asforted by me as I was by her.


    ¡°Cat, you can do whatever you want and I¡¯ll pay whatever it costs to make you happy. Money doesn¡¯t matter to me. You do. I work so hard to make money for us so that I can put anything you dream up into a reality. If you want me to build a theme park in your name, I¡¯d do it. Having a wedding dress made is much easier than trying to perform our wedding on the moon, so I can safely say that you are not wasting anything. If it makes you happy then I¡¯m more than happy to do it.¡±


    ¡°Elio,¡± she said, teary-eyed as she brushed her fingers across my jaw, looking utterly touched. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the money either, you know that right? I love you.¡±


    ¡°Of course I know that.¡± Iughed, leaning forward to take her soft lips in mine.


    It was a slow and sweet kiss, one that I didn¡¯t take for granted as I took my time. I held her around her waist as her hands dove into my hair, tugging through my curls masterfully.


    I swallowed her groan as I licked her bottom lip, begging for entrance which she so obediently gave to me. I lost myself, our kiss heating up with passion as she clung to me helplessly as I ravaged her lips until they were bruised.


    I only awoke from the growing desire when a loud tter broke us apart. Both of us turned to Emilia simultaneously and she stared at the floor with wide curious eyes, her te of spaghetti having been dropped all over the floor.


    She was also a mess, with applesauce, mashed peas and pieces of spaghetti stuck all over her face, hair, and bib. She didn¡¯t look the least bit sorry either as she nced at us with an expectant look.


    It almost looked like her eyes were saying ¡®Well? Clean it up.¡¯


    Cat burst into giggles, unable to control herself as she hid her face in my shoulder, her whole body racking with wheezingughs and I couldn¡¯t stop my grin either, both proud and exasperated with our daughter.


    But still, I cleaned up the mess as Cat took Emilia to get a bath and get changed. I finished my dinner, warming up Cat¡¯s in the microwave until she came back, and it didn¡¯t take long for our daughter toe back in her mom¡¯s arms, smelling of soap and in her pink pajamas.


    Cat finished her dinner while I took Emilia to get her ready for bed, ying with her a little bit before she started yawning. I held her, patting her back slowly as I hummed one of Cat¡¯s many lubies for her, softly rocking her.


    In this slow moment, I thought back to what Franky had told me about Junior being back. It was frustrating to have that asshole back, but so far he wasn¡¯t a real threat. It urred to me when I saw Cat to tell her about it, but I hadn¡¯t wanted to talk about it.


    I still didn¡¯t, to be honest, but I knew I would have to tell Cat eventually. Luckily she hadn¡¯t pushed me for answers yet. I sighed, not sure what all there was to tell her either, we only had flimsy connections so far.


    Luckily, Emilia fell asleep with little to no fuss and I tucked her in her crib, making sure she had her foxy plush right next to her in case she needed it, and slipped out of the nursery.


    As soon as I walked into the bedroom, all thoughts of Junior flew out of my mind. Standing in the middle of the room, Cat fully lifted her arms above her head, pulling off her shirt and bra in one go. I could only see her smooth back, skin tanned from the summer sun and I couldn¡¯t help but stare intently at the luscious skin I itched to have my hands all over.


    Cat seemed to have noticed as she looked over her shoulder, her front still hidden from my view as she sent me a sly grin. ¡°See something you like?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered honestly.


    She sent me a teasing grin, fully turning around and putting her hands on her hips as she smirked and said, ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you do something about it?¡±


    Well, I thought with a lustful look, she asked for it.

 Chapter 805 : All Those Tomorrows

    <h4>Chapter 805: Chapter 805 : All Those Tomorrows</h4>


    *Cat*


    When I caught Elio devouring me with his eyes, I gave him a sexye-hither grin.


    I was happy to have him home with me. I was happy to have our lives seem to be on a level footing for once¨Cno fighting between us, no call after call from Frankyte at night, no MS13. Just the family and us.


    Everything was moving smoothly. We¡¯d decided on a venue. I was going to have my dress made for me. Our families would be there to witness the day, and we¡¯d finally be married. I was looking forward to it, but the way Elio¡¯s eyes zed at me and the way he was stalking me like a cat, I knew tonight our love would be dered in a very different way.


    I gazed at him and decided to give him a run for his money. I backed away, smiling at him all the while, our hungry gazes locked, and our bodies throwing off heat, as I moved away and he slowly herded me toward ourrge bed.


    I felt my knees hit the back of the bed and the game of flirty chase was over. He caged me in, cing his hands on the bed on either side of me. I leaned back on my elbows, still ying the prey to his predator. That was when he attacked.


    Everything in me melted as his lips, teeth, and tongue feverishly moved over me. He started with my neck, nibbling, licking, and kissing away the sting of his bites. He didn¡¯t touch me with his hands, just his mouth.


    My upper chest was suckled and nuzzled, my nipples sucked and bitten. He was thorough. His lips moved down my torso, to my navel, where he licked and moved down my stomach.


    I sucked in a breath as those dark sizzling eyes caught mine again as he kissed further down and I couldn¡¯t brace myself on my elbows anymore. I all but slid off the side of the bed.


    Elio¡¯s strong hands finally touched me, pushing me further onto the bed as his mouth devoured me as his eyes had before. I felt the building of pleasure like a pressure cooker overheating, and I couldn¡¯t help but explode when his teeth grazed the bundle of nerves at the core of me.


    I had to bite down on the flesh above my wrist to keep from screaming loud enough to bring everyone else in the house to us to see what was wrong with me.


    I panted as he licked me through the spasms. I continued to shake and moan, my head twisting from side to side as I pulled at his hair and begged for more.


    ¡°Elio,¡± I moaned, ¡°I want you now!¡± I said, my heartbeat thumping in my chest, my fingers pulling at his curls, wanting him toe over me and create the havoc in my soul all over again.


    Would it always be like this? Would he always make my entire body sing everything he touched me or put those clever lips on my body? Would we alwaysbust in each other¡¯s arms?


    He grinned at me as he came over me and sucked at my lower lip before iming my mouth with a carnal kiss.


    I could taste myself on his lips and it made me yearn for more. I pulled him closer, widening my legs to let him in. I was restless beneath him, pulling at him with my hands, rubbing my legs against his, and pushing my core against his hardness.


    I could feel his desire getting stronger. His body hardened further, his length pushing against my folds and slipping sensuously against me, bumping those nerves and making me cry out, my passion growing more urgent by the moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tease,¡± I breathed in his ear.


    He leaned back enough to stare into my eyes. ¡°One turn deserves another,¡± he said, smiling down at me, and pushing my hair off my face.


    I kissed his lips, pulling at him once more as he ground against me and used one of thoserge gorgeous hands to plump up a breast and ready it for his delectation.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯ll get you back for this,¡± I threatened in a breathy voice.


    ¡°Sure, you will,¡± he teased, and sucked my breast into his mouth.


    I gasped, and he entered me without fanfare.


    It was like being filled all at once. I was all of a suddenplete. My body stopped struggling against him trying to make himply. I finally had a portion of what I wanted, and now, I could wait for him to continue. My eyes shut and my body shuttered.


    ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t,¡± he whispered. ¡°Open those lovely eyes, Cat.¡±


    Though it was hard and my eyelids felt heavy and uncooperative, I willed them open because I wanted him to move.


    ¡°There¡¯s my lovely woman,¡± he praised, and he slipped deeper within me.


    I pushed toward him as he deepened the contact, and both of us gasped. I leaned up and kissed those sexy lips, and it was as if a dam broke. Our kisses became more fervent, his movements faster and I continued to move with him.


    Our bodies were in sync, moving toward the same precipice. My fingernails dug into his shoulders, my heels resting in the dimples just above his very sexy ass, and his face pressed into the curve of my neck.


    We pushed and pulled, gave and took, breathed in one another, and meshed together only to struggle apart in order to do it all over again. Our intent was the same. the building of that high dragging us inexorably to a brilliant and exalting pinnacle we¡¯d reach for one another again and again throughout the night to repeat and improve upon.


    I mped around him, feeling him throb within me. I held him close and sank my teeth into his shoulder, then clinched the supple skin of his back in my fists as every part of me flew apart and shook while he stilled in my arms, yelled out, and came with me.


    Thosest moments of lovemaking always shook me. My eyes went blind, my mind went nk, and my body trembled as if I¡¯d break a part. I felt Elio¡¯s lips kissing my shoulder, my neck, and ear before he finally touched those lips, gentle and sensuous against mine.


    I ran my fingers through his curls and kissed him back. The kisses werenguid and soft now that we¡¯d burned through the congration that was our initial desire.


    Elio rolled us to our sides, still holding me close, our bodies still intertwined, my legs tangled with his, his chest to my breasts, our arms around one another.


    It was moments like these that I most loved. I enjoyed just having him in my arms, our breaths moving over each other¡¯s skin. We didn¡¯t have to say anything to one another. We didn¡¯t need words to express our love or keep usfortable. We were just content in each other¡¯s presence. In those silent moments of touching and breathing one another in, we felt infinitely connected.


    Iy in Elio¡¯s arms, listening to him breathe and feeling his skin against mine. I felt his chest move. I could hear his heartbeat. He was asleep.


    I rarely got to see Elio at rest. It was I who fell asleep first most nights. I¡¯d heard of lovers staring at their beloved while the other slept. I used to think of it as a boring endeavor. I figured it would be like watching paint dry or grass grow.


    It was nothing like that.


    Elio¡¯s grip on me had lessened. His muscles rxed around me. His eyes were closed, those longshes any diva would envy throwing shadows on his cheeks. He seemed to be thinking hard about something in his dreams.


    His eyes moved beneath his lids. His forehead still had thought wrinkles, and his jaw was clinched even in sleep. Though his breathing was even and his heartbeat regted, he looked as if he were fighting a battle or arguing in his sleep.


    I smiled at him. He was going to grow old and have permanent furrows above his eyebrows. I touched those lines. I knew I would love them and him for all our lives.


    Being his was a miracle even though I found myself annoyed and exasperated with him half the time. Every moment with him was a thrill, whether we were going on an adventure he¡¯d nned and had secreted me away for, or if we¡¯d stayed in and were just stretched out on the couch having a conversation.


    He was always a strong man. I¡¯d known what I was getting into when I epted that first invitation. Everything about him had always fascinated me, from his innate handsomeness to the badass persona he had with the men. Everything about him was a turn-on.


    I¡¯d gone from girly fascination and puppy love, though I never dared admit it back then, to infatuation and sexual attraction, to full-fledged adoration and true lover. I loved him with a passion and devotion I didn¡¯t understand I had for him.


    Now that I had our rtionship, I was never in doubt of what and who I wanted. Elio was mine, and I wasn¡¯t giving him up.


    I looked at that handsome face with its strong Italian features and was happy to call him my own. Our lives together wouldn¡¯t be perfect. Our lives would be ours to work through and create new traditions and just cherish one another as we continued to care for the family and its American-based business.


    I was sure that many of the family members had thought that at first, Elio and I weren¡¯t right for one another. Some of them probably thought I was too young for him, except for those who had even more of an age difference between them.


    I thought about where my mind had wandered and realized that none of it mattered. No one else other than our family truly mattered in this. Mom was happy for us, and she¡¯d indicated that Dad would have been happy for us too.


    Emilia was going to be happy to have her parents together, loving her and loving one another. She would grow up in a home full of love and two people who cherished one another. I¡¯d have a handsome husband who I could grow old with by my side, allowing me to be a part of his life and business as I forged a path for myself by going back to school and possibly adding to our business ventures with one of my own.


    The dreams we had for our lives could be realized together. It didn¡¯t matter what others thought. We¡¯d live our lives together, cherishing what we have and continuing to create a life we could share with our daughter and maybe even more children in the future.


    I yawned as the dream of all our tomorrows lured me, safe and happy, into sleep¡¯s embrace while in the arms of the man I loved.

 Chapter 806 : An Old Enemy

    <h4>Chapter 806: Chapter 806 : An Old Enemy</h4>


    *Cat*


    The next morning my limbs felt deliciously heavy and my mind was sluggish. For some reason, Elio had to make enough noise to wake a cemetery. On days like this, I swore he woke me up on purpose.


    ¡°Hey, baby, have you seen my shoes?¡± he asked as if I were the one who wore them.


    ¡°They¡¯re in the bathroom,¡± I muttered, wondering how he¡¯d overlooked them. I¡¯d tripped over them in the dark when I¡¯d gone in therest night.


    He had a meeting today at the legit business. Though he was full-time Don now, he asionally had to make legitimate business appearances to exin where our money came from.


    ¡°You¡¯re the best,¡± he said.


    I rolled over and pressed my face into the pillow. I wanted to go back to sleep.


    ¡°Hey, Cat?¡± he asked.


    I gritted my teeth to keep from screaming that I was sleeping.


    ¡®Remember, you love him, Cat.¡¯ I rolled over onto my back, probably looking like a starfish stered to the side of someone¡¯s aquarium. I internally reminded myself why I loved him, and I finally just got up with him.


    ¡°Yes, dear,¡± I said in a sharine sweet voice.


    He gave me a suspicious look over his shoulder as he flipped through the hangers in the closet.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the gray pin-striped suit? I want to wear it today with the light blue tie.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s at the cleaners, but there¡¯s the other gray one you can wear with the navy tie.¡±


    ¡°Hum?¡± he murmured and sighed over the choices.


    I watched him dress for his meeting with his mysterious important client. The man was absolutely edible. I wanted to jump his bones even as I yawned and bemoaned my wakened state.


    I went downstairs to grab some coffee and watch the cook make his breakfast sandwich to take with him. She was just wrapping the sandwich in parchment paper and lidding his carrying mug when he came in looking like something out of GQ in his four-piece suit with a crisp white shirt and navy tie on.


    I wanted to pull at his tie and mess him up a bit before letting him go, but I knew he didn¡¯t have time.


    ¡°Have a nice day,¡± I said, pulling him down by the tie anyway to get a kiss before he left for the day.


    I looked at the clock over the stove and realized Emilia would be waking any minute now. I was surprised her little voice gurgling and babblinging through the baby monitor speakers hadn¡¯t been what woke me.


    Instead, my very sexy fianc¨¦ had been banging around the bathroom and closet as if he were battling back intruders instead of getting ready for the day.


    I shook my head with a smile at his inability to keep the noise down this morning. I pulled a sanitized bottle from the cab, mixed Emilia¡¯s bottle, and grabbed a jar of apples and cherries for her breakfast.


    I thought of the way she liked to pick up foods and eat them and made her a small bowl of dry cereal puffs, put everything on a tray, and headed upstairs to the nursery.


    She kind of looked like I felt this morning. She was on her back, her eyes at half mast and her little fists out to the side of her body, but her legs were still bent as if she were sleeping with her rear in the air the way she liked to do.


    I smiled at our baby, and her eyes brightened and she smiled back at me.


    ¡°How¡¯s Mama¡¯s baby?¡± I asked, putting the tray aside and lifting her to kiss her cheeks.


    ¡°Ma-ma,¡± she said.


    It never failed to make me smile thergest grin ever when she said my name.


    ¡°A-da-da-da,¡± she called pping her hands.


    Iughed at her. ¡°He¡¯s at work, sweetheart, but we¡¯re going to have fun together this morning. Hungry?¡±


    She smacked her lips and pped again, making hungry noises and babbling eagerly at me as if she were sharing her overnight adventures with the angels with me.


    ¡°Is that right?¡± I asked while changing her diaper and listening to her incoherent story.


    ¡°Did you go flying with the angelsst night, baby?¡± I kept talking with her as I put her in her highchair and gave her a bottle.


    We spent the morning together. Emilia was doing that scooting kind of moving in aborious stomach-crawling thing babies do. She rolled over. She scoot-crawled, tried to stand but fell onto her bottom when she couldn¡¯t catch her bnce even while holding on, and then she just decided to y with her toys.


    She¡¯d finally decided that trying to build with the blocks was more fun than tearing things down, though she didn¡¯t get her structure very high. Then, she¡¯d tear it down with nopunction and p with glee at her demolition efforts.


    It made meugh every time she did it. She was making different sounds andughing. It was a wonderful morning ofughter sweet babbles, and endless conversations I didn¡¯t have a clue the contents of.


    ¡°How are youdies doing today?¡± Mom asked, picking up Emilia and kissing her cheek when she came over that afternoon.


    Emilia was getting drowsy. She rubbed her fists at her eyes and whimpered.


    ¡°I think I wore her out,¡± I said, watching as Mom sat in the rocker with Emilia¡¯s squirming and wriggling little form in her arms.


    ¡°She¡¯s fighting it, but the sandman¡¯s after that baby hard, isn¡¯t he?¡± Mom asked Emilia while I went to the cabs to make Emilia another bottle for Mom to give her before Emilia¡¯s afternoon nap.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯ll be out before you know it.¡±


    ¡°How did things go with Emilio about the dress?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a wonderful man!¡± I gushed with a big silly smile on my face.


    ¡°I take it he said yes,¡± Mom asked,ying Emilia down in her arms and relinquishing the holding of the bottle to Emilia.


    Emilia was starting to be more independent these days. I was a little sad to allow her the little things she wanted to do on her own. It meant that she was growing too fast to me, but the doctors said she was right on schedule and meeting all her milestones. I was the one who wanted her to go slower.


    ¡°He said yes. He was good about it. He doesn¡¯t realize how his generosity and care affect me. if I wasn¡¯t already in love with him, I¡¯d just keep on falling for him. He just keeps loving me so well.¡±


    ¡°Good, that¡¯s what he¡¯s supposed to do,¡± Mom said, a wicked gleam in her eye.


    ¡°Mom!¡± I admonished with a smack to her arm as I walked by her to put the toys Emilia and I yed with back in the toy box.


    Momughed at my outraged surprise. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you kids act like you¡¯re the ones who invented sex when we¡¯re the ones who brought you into the world.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s because we think our mothers should be as innocent as the driven snow.¡±


    ¡°Then, you¡¯re delusional,¡± Mom said, lifting a drowsy Emilia to her shoulder.


    ¡°I guess,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d better call Olivia so I can get the ball rolling on my dress.¡±


    Mom nodded, still patting Emilia¡¯s back and rocking her the rest of the way to sleep.


    I called Olivia to set everything up with the dress designer she¡¯d rmended. I was excited and ready to run out and get everything taken care of all at once, but my appointment would be tomorrow, so I had the afternoon free.


    ¡°Hey, Mom, do you mind staying with Emilia while I surprise Elio with a lunch date?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Emilia will be just fine with me.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± I said, and I ran to get ready.


    When I was finished dressing in a calf-length, curve-hugging sleeveless navy sheath with a pair of silver slingback heels with my hair up in a stylish bun, I called Leo to see if Elio was still at the firm¡¯s office.


    ¡°No, the meeting¡¯s over and he¡¯s back at the warehouse,¡± Leo said.


    I grabbed my purse, checked my reflection and was pleased with what I saw, and left to take my man out for lunch.


    I had the driver take me to the warehouse. When I walked in, Elio¡¯s eyes lit up. He stood and walked toward me, smiling.


    ¡°Hey, beautiful. What are you doing here?¡±


    I tugged at his tie and smiled up at him. ¡°I came to take my man out for lunch.¡±


    Behind his smile, I saw an underlying tension. It dawned on me that Elio was supposed toe home after his meeting at the firm. I searched his dark eyes and saw the stress there.


    ¡°What¡¯s up? Is everything all right?¡± I asked, feeling him tense.


    He hadn¡¯t expected me to pick up on the tension in the room or the worry in his eyes. I sighed, wondering when he was going to realize how much I knew him. I smoothed out his tie, waiting for the lie I could see gathering in those dark eyes.


    If I were anyone else, I probably wouldn¡¯t have caught it, but this was the person I loved the most other than our child. I paid attention to everything about him. I wanted to know him. I was attuned to him because he meant everything to me, so I knew every minute detail of that gorgeous face, from the dark stubble that grew too fast for him to keep up with to stay clean-shaven throughout the day to those eyes, which could grow opaque in minutes when he wanted to hide something from me.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just work.¡±


    I nodded, pretending to go along with the lie. ¡°Get your things, your woman wants to treat you today,¡± I said, rubbing my fingers over a small wrinkle in his shirt just over his pec.


    He smiled again, kissed my lips, and walked back to the desk he¡¯d been sitting at to gather his wallet, phone, and keys.


    When we got into the car, I nodded to the driver and turned to Elio.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get to know where we¡¯re going?¡± he asked, smiling at me, a gleam of mischief in his eyes.


    ¡°No,¡± I teased back, giving him back a bit of his own medicine.


    He chuckled at me and drew me closer into his arms.


    My head rested on his shoulder and my legs were over one of his knees as we rxed, the driver taking us into the city. I decided it was a good time to bring up the tension in the warehouse.


    ¡°I know something¡¯s wrong,¡± I said. ¡°I am with you because I love you. I don¡¯t love you for who society says we should be. I love you for you. I want you, and I want you to be honest with me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t yell at him. I didn¡¯t feel like yelling. I just stated every word of my deration as the facts they were. This was an old argument. I was starting to realize it was going to be an ongoing one that we¡¯d have to have every now and then with Elio, thinking he¡¯s protecting me by keeping me out of the loop, and me, reminding him I needed to know what the dangers were so I could be prepared for them.


    While he contemted how he would handle what I¡¯d just said, I waited for him to decide. I¡¯d said what I had to say. It was up to him to decide on the dynamics of our conversation and afternoon together.


    He took a deep breath and blew it out with a hard sigh. ¡°Junior is back. After all this time, he¡¯s finally out of his cave.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± I asked, staring at him a little horrified.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, but the boys and I are working on it.¡±


    I shuttered, thinking of all the trouble Junior could cause. I was hoping he¡¯d stay gone forever. I felt a little sick to my stomach as I thought of all the ramifications that Junior¡¯s reappearance could have on our lives.

 Chapter 807 : Guest List

    <h4>Chapter 807: Chapter 807 : Guest List</h4>


    *Elio*


    Cat left early in the morning to meet with her dress designer. I hoped she wasn¡¯t too worried about Junior¡¯s return. We talked about it and I¡¯d tried to reassure her that I was handling things. I wanted her to just enjoy her day getting her wedding dress designed.


    Anna was going with her to meet the designer and Matilde had an early morning appointment to attend to, so it was just me and my little girl.


    By the time Emilia got up, Cat was long gone and I paused in making breakfast as I heard her start to cry over the monitor. She had just passed her eight-month mark, and I felt lucky to have the time to celebrate it with her.


    It was something that Cat had left pouting about.


    ¡°Morning, princess.¡± I brushed my hands off on the apron I wore, smiling brightly as I approached Emilia¡¯s crib.


    Her eyes were puffy still, a little crust still shutting them closed and I gently washed her face for her until her bright green eyes were looking at me.


    ¡°Dada,¡± she babbled, smiling widely as she reached her hands up toward me.


    Iughed, happily picking her up so she could cling to me. Her babbling was getting better. I had prepared myself for her to try to pull my curls out but this morning, she still seemed a bit tired.


    She curled her head into the crook of my neck, fiddling with my apron as she yawned, but there was no hair-pulling or fussing.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you such a gentle princess today?¡± I cooed at her, getting her dressed and changed for the day.


    She was more cooperative than usual and once I was finished, she was so adorable it melted my heart.


    I put her hair up into the two little pigtails that Matilde had shown me how to do, dressing her with a little headband with a white lily and a matching onesie with a pink little tutu skirt. She was absolutely adorable, and I took her into the kitchen with a huge smile.


    The cook, who was helping me with breakfast, gave me a smile and a nod as I settled Emilia into her high chair. She yawned as I handed her her bottle of form, along with a te of mashed bananas on mini bite-sized baby-safe pancakes.


    I double and triple-checked to make sure she was okay to have them and since they were more like tiny drops of pancake batter, barely the size of my finger. They had more water in them to be more dissolvable, and the pediatrician said they were okay.


    I was just excited to have her try my pancakes for the first time.


    Meanwhile, I got my own te of cinnamon roll pancakes with a side of sliced ham and cheesy scrambled eggs with a piece of toast and morning coffee, a perfect morning dish to wake me up.


    Emilia ate the pancakes curiously, more dissolving them in her gums than trying to chew them, but I didn¡¯t mind as she seemed to like them a lot. After breakfast, I took her to the living room for some y time and a little bit of her cartoons so that I could get my morning meeting done.


    Trapped in her colorful ypen, Emilia immediately got to digging into her toys while I opened up myptop.


    The face-to-face meeting online was already up and running when I joined and I met the smug grin of my honorary uncle and leader of the Italy sect of the Valentinos, Alessandro. We were probably more like cousins twice removed or something like that, but uncle/nephew was a lot easier and felt right.


    ¡°Hey, nephew, how¡¯s the wedding prep going?¡± Alessandro said casually, leaning back in his huge ass office. His hair had more gray in it than I remembered, and he had a few more wrinkles around his eyes.


    I smirked at the tell-tale signs of aging.


    Meanwhile, his wife Mia looked like she could still be in her early thirties.


    ¡°Very well. We decided on Vibiana Cathedral, and Cat¡¯s getting her wedding dress made under a rmendation by Mom,¡± I told him, rather open about it all.


    Alessandro nodded. ¡°Simona, right? She designed Mia¡¯s and it was gorgeous, so it shoulde out just fine. All expenses are paid, right? You¡¯re not making her pay for her own custom wedding dress, right?¡±


    ¡°My money is hers,¡± I said honestly.


    ¡°Good man,¡± Alessandro smirked. ¡°Now about that guest list.¡±


    ¡°You and Mia areing, right? I instructed Franky to buy up a whole residential area for the family to stay in while they were here. He said a hotel would be too detectable.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Alessandro nodded in approval. ¡°The housing is a good idea. Make sure you have enough for everybody. I contacted Mom and Dad and they said they¡¯ll being up.¡±


    ¡°Sounds great.¡±


    James Valentino was getting up there in age now. Regardless, he still looked great for his age. His wife, Ba, followed the trend of the family, being much younger. It seemed to be amon running theme starting from James and Ba. Even my own parents still had a massive age gap, though my father was not as old as James. I was following the trend but not quite to their extreme with the age gap between me and Cat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure everyone has a car, a driver, and everything they need,¡± I said calmly. ¡°My parents areing, along with Cat¡¯s mom and her friends, Leo and Franky and their families, along with several of my associates and their families. So far, we¡¯ve got sixty or so guests from our side agreeing toe.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± Alessandro said calmly. ¡°Well, most of the lower members won¡¯t being from over here, but a few higher-ups who were friends with Gio and Olivia are insisting. I called Tallon and Natalia, and they¡¯ll be flying back with their kids. Dahlia is still abroad but she said she¡¯ll make it even if she breaks internationalw doing so. Make sure Olivia knows that, by the way, or Dahlia will throw a fit.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Iughed, knowing that my mom and my honorary aunt were still best friends even after all these years. They were going to love seeing each other again.


    ¡°Besides that, I¡¯d guess about twenty or so more. Oh¨C¡± A devious look crossed Alessandro¡¯s eyes as he said, ¡°And a surprise guest of mine, so add in a plus one on my invitation besides Mia if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Surprise guest?¡± I asked, suspicious at the look on his face as he smirked at me smugly. ¡°What surprise guest?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see in three months when we arrive, Elio. Don¡¯t worry your pretty little head about it.¡± Alessandro cackled when I sent him a fierce re and I rolled my eyes at his childishness.


    Whoever this mystery guest was, there would be no pulling it out of him, I knew that. Alessandro was as tight-lipped as a spy.


    ¡°So, nothing else to tell me about? Everything going well over there?¡± Alessandro asked, giving me a raised eyebrow like he expected me to bring something up.


    I frowned and then cursed once I realized what had happened. ¡°Franky told you about Junior.¡± I crossed my arms, making a mental note to rake the snitch over the coalster.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too harsh on him,¡± Al chuckled. ¡°He did fill me in, but it¡¯s kinda his job. Plus we were the ones who sent the tip-off to Franky in the first ce, which unfortunately didn¡¯te in time before he made a move. Nothing too major, though, right?¡±


    ¡°No, but the only evidence he left behind was his message to me that he was back in America. He has a much stronger crew working with him thanst time, unfortunately, which means it¡¯ll be tougher to drive him out.¡± I grit my teeth at that. Out of all of the past viins, Junior was the one I still held a horrible grudge over.


    It still irked me that he¡¯d seduced Cat, yed her, and even manipted her into a toxic rtionship, betrayed her, shot her mom, and still dared to show up right before our wedding.


    I¡¯d take a bastard like Ignacio over Junior any day.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m nning toe at least a week early to help get rid of him before the wedding. Have you told your bride about it yet? They¡¯re exes, right?¡± Alessandro asked.


    ¡°Barely,¡± I snapped, then I regretted it once Alessandro raised an eyebrow. I sighed. ¡°After everything he did to her, I don¡¯t want this to hang over our wedding. She should just focus on being happy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, for a normal bride, sure,¡± Alessandro sent me a pointed look. ¡°But she signed up to marry you and unfortunately, there¡¯s no getting out of this. She needs to know.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± I sighed, unhappily. ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out. Let me know before youe so I can get things ready.¡±


    Alessandro nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it so much, Elio. We¡¯re gonna get him this time.¡±


    By the time the meeting with Alessandro was done, Matilde arrived to take over babysitting duties for me. I thanked her repeatedly, giving Emilia a kiss on her forehead before I took off to the warehouse for work.


    Leo was the only one there as Franky was busy tracking Paul and cleaning up the mess from yesterday. He¡¯d insisted that Leo and I finish thest few arrangements for the wedding, which Leo was more than happy to help me out with.


    ¡°Hey, brother!¡± Leo greeted me as I walked in. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you and Cat, you know? And I¡¯m honored you¡¯ve chosen me to help you with the preparations. As your best man, I will make sure that it is the best day of you and Cat¡¯s lives.¡±


    ¡°That means a lot,¡± I said with a close-eyed smile. ¡°Let¡¯s get started then.¡±


    ¡°Handwritten invitations?¡± Leo asked wide-eyed as I pulled out the over three dozen stacks of invitations with envelopes.


    Cat had already finished most of it, but I had to double-check the guest lists with the cards and make sure it had my signature beside Cat¡¯s.


    ¡°Yep,¡± I said, not happy about this time-consuming work any more than he was. I eyed him as he leaned away from the table as much as he could with a grimace. ¡°You promised to help me instead of going with Franky.¡±


    ¡°Yeah but....¡±


    He gave me a pleading look and then sighed, hanging his head as he grabbed a pen and the guest sheet. ¡°I¡¯ll double-check the list and you sign.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I grinned at him, settling down for what was going to be a long hand-cramping session of signatures. Before we started, I sent a quick text to Cat to check in, but there wasn¡¯t an answer.


    I figured that she must still be busy with the designer. I hoped it was going well and she got the dress she wanted, one that would make her look like she stepped out of a fairytale.

 Chapter 808 : The Designer

    <h4>Chapter 808: Chapter 808 : The Designer</h4>


    *Cat*


    I was honestly nervous when Olivia said she had set up a meeting between me and the dress designer so quickly. The fact that I was still a little worried about Junior made me that much more unsettled.


    Plus, it was nerve-wracking enough going to meet a stranger I¡¯d never met before, but I was worried about asking them to design my perfect wedding dress in only three months.


    Still, I hoped they would ept the job.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this designer before,¡± Anna said, excitedly vibrating next to me as she checked out the studio Olivia had led us into.


    Olivia was all smiles, happy just to watch Anna and me as we checked out the designer¡¯s past works.


    I had to admit, the dresses and outfits she designed looked like they could be a runway¨Cssy and stylish while still holding a good amount of functionality. I was especially a fan of the dresses her assistant showed us.


    Her assistant, a blonde college student, proudly showed off the pockets hidden deep within the lining of the dress, ones that looked like they could fit a whole can of soda and then some.


    ¡°She¡¯s the best of the best. I¡¯m honestly so lucky to work with her. All my ssmates were super jealous when they heard.¡± Rory was an excitable kid, barely neen or twenty as he waved his hands around, showcasing all of the designs his boss had worked on, even showing us the magazine covers they were featured on. ¡°You¡¯re gonna love your dress. I guarantee it.¡±


    ¡°Breathe, Rory,¡± Olivia reminded him, chuckling to herself as he immediately took a huge gaping breath in.


    Anna and I exchanged an amused nce, both remembering how it felt to be a freshman working with our careers in the field.


    ¡°Rory! Where are my sequins... the pink and purple ones with the curved edge?¡±


    The loud, domineering voice came from behind one of the doors that led deeper into the studio. Olivia smiled, unfazed by the sharp-sounding tone, while Rory jumped into action.


    ¡°Sorry, Simona! Purple cab, the right central drawer underneath the heart ones!¡± Rory yelled back, rushing toward the door. But before he could head inside, a mere inches from the door, the door mmed open, hitting Rory straight in the face.


    Domineering was right... and the designer we came here for stood in the center, an impatient look on her face as she tapped her foot furiously. She had short, colorful hair and dark skin, and her ears were dangling with all kinds of jewelry.


    ¡°Rory, where are you?¡± she demanded, searching the room.


    I didn¡¯t think she even registered our presence as she searched for her assistant.


    ¡°Here!¡± Rory groaned from behind the door, holding his nose, which was now starting to bleed.


    I cringed in sympathy, but there was no sympathy from Simona as sheunched forward.


    ¡°What were you doing behind the door, Egare? You¡¯re driving me up the ceiling!¡± Simona Greco spoke with a heavy ent from somewhere I¡¯d never heard before, and it was pretty fascinating to listen to. She spouted out a few lines of whatevernguage she was speaking, pressing a piece of stray fabric to Rory¡¯s nose as she lectured him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean up a wall?¡± Rory asked, innocently tilting his head, only to get smacked across the side of it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t correct me, Estipid!¡±


    I didn¡¯t need to know hernguage to know that word. I stifled augh and Simona must¡¯ve heard us because she turned to us with wide eyes.


    ¡°Oh, customers?¡± She lit up like a firework on the Fourth of July and then spotted Olivia. ¡°Olivia! Dous mwen.¡± She rushed over to pull Olivia into a huge hug, which my soon-to-be mother-inw returned with a hugeugh.


    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful to see you again! Simona, did you forget about the appointment I set up for today?¡± she asked with an amused look.


    Simona gasped, pping the side of her head. ¡°I forgot! Rory, why didn¡¯t you remind me?¡± She whirled on her assistant.


    ¡°But I did,¡± Rory said nasally, now that he held fabric around his nose. ¡°I sent you three messages and two reminders on your pager, Simona!¡±


    ¡°Adot!¡± Simona waved him off, turning to us with a huge smile. Her smile widened when itnded on me, and she jumped forward to grab my hands in hers. ¡°You must be the lovely bride Olivia has spoken of, her daughter-inw! My goodness. It will be an honor to design a dress for such a lovely woman!¡±


    I gave her a relieved look and much to my surprise, Simona was a much friendlier woman than she first appeared. Olivia sipped some tea that Rory prepared in the front of the shop while Simona took me and Anna into the back.


    It was an utter mess of fabric thrown around with mannequins piled everywhere. Simona showed us her past wedding dress designs and chatted happily with us as Anna and I asked all kinds of questions about how she designed such beautiful and intricate patterns.


    ¡°Ah, so what would the bride like, huh? Tell me everything,¡± Simona said once she¡¯d pushed a cup of hot tea into our hands, rxing in her studio as she brought out a sketching pad and a pencil. ¡°What makes you tick, Miss Caterina?¡±


    ¡°I go by Cat, actually,¡± I said with a small smile, and I nced at Anna, who immediately produced the rough sketch we¡¯d made after trying on dresses. ¡°I want a long train and hopefully a veil that can match it, sort of blend it down like a waterfall. Form-fitting seemed to work best with my shape, or at least I think it did, but I didn¡¯t like the mermaid style at all. I¡¯m too terrified I¡¯ll trip on the aisle.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Simonaughed, ncing at my ts. ¡°Not very experienced in heels, are you? I¡¯ll make sure to make the skirt nice and flowy so you have nothing to worry about on your special day. Waterfall train and veil? Sounds beautiful. What else?¡±


    I blushed, ncing at Anna before I admitted bashfully, ¡°I was hoping you could add a bit more skin, at least around the back area.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, a bit sexy for your partner, eh?¡± Simona winked as I turned bright red. ¡°No problem, no problem. Any kind of idea for what material you would like? Tulle for the skirt or silk? Some girls like pure cotton and some likece or chiffon. It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind any of it, actually,¡± Iughed. ¡°So long as it feels nice to the touch, you can be as creative as you¡¯d like with the material.¡±


    ¡°Amazing! My mizik, atst!¡± Simona beamed, jumping out of her seat to enfold me into an excited hug. She started rambling in hernguage which I was starting to figure out might be from South America.


    We talked a bit more about the dress and what features I would like or not like before she started taking my measurements. It felt a bit weird to be undressed in only my bra and panties in front of Simona, but she had a natural way of making me feel at ease with her light-hearted banter.


    Compliments just seemed to flow out of her so naturally. But when we left, I felt good about Simona handling my dress. She had assured me that the time limit would be no problem, not with all the inspiration she¡¯d gotten from me.


    She promised to send a few sketches the next day for me to look over. Having free reign on the fabrics had really delighted her.


    Rory was still nursing a bruised nose when we left, but he looked no worse for wear, already rushing to help Simona get her designs done.


    Anna and I rode back together while Olivia was driven back by a familiar-looking guard. She assured me that Elio took after his father and that Giovani was just as overprotective of her as Elio had been with me.


    Once she was gone, Anna and I decided to stop for some frozen yogurt on the way home and we chatted in the car with her desserts about the wedding¨Cthe venue and the preparations we¡¯d made and still had yet to make. The florist and caterer had already been booked and menus and bouquets decided on, but I still felt nervous like I was forgetting something.


    Luckily, I had Anna by my side to help.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re nervous about the guests?¡± Anna asked me with a raised eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s just family, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, sort of,¡± I admitted, giving her a sheepish grin. ¡°Mom¡¯s kind of my only blood-rted kin still alive. Mom doesn¡¯t have any family on her side and well. Dad¡¯s family was really just the Valentinos. Well, you¡¯re really the only friend I¡¯ve stayed in contact with, so I guess it¡¯s just you and Mom on my side.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, Cat. We printed out like a hundred invitations!¡± Anna looked at me wide-eyed in shock. ¡°You mean ny-eight of those are just Elio¡¯s family?¡±


    ¡°Probably more than that, if we¡¯re being honest,¡± I nodded, a little embarrassed to say it. ¡°Well, his family is kind of huge, and they¡¯ve got a thing where everyone in the mafia is their family. That¡¯s why in Italy they call it ¡®the family.¡¯ I¡¯m sure a lot of them considered Dad as family, but since he kept me and Mom such a secret, they never really got to know us. I know a lot of them now but as Elio¡¯s girlfriend, not really family. It¡¯s just... going to be a lot to deal with, you know?¡±


    ¡°Wow, I don¡¯t me you for being nervous,¡± Anna said, staring at her cookies and cream froyo. ¡°That¡¯s a lot. No wonder I¡¯m your maid of honor. But still, I¡¯m sure everyone is going to love you.


    Me and Matilde will have your backs all the way and so will Elio and Emilia, our sweet little flower girl. That¡¯s what matters, right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I grinned.


    We talked for a bit afterward, finishing up our icy desserts before I dropped Anna off and then went home. I stopped by Mom¡¯s cottage to pick up Emilia, who had somehow gotten a block embedded into the wall. I promised to pay for the wall recement, but Mom only seemed amused at it, saying she¡¯d frame the T block for a new family heirloom.


    I justughed, holding Emilia on my hip as I handed her the y basket with flower petals we had her practice with. She was a genius at it, though a bit rough when it came to throwing the fake petals.


    But it hit me as I watched Mom walk with Emilia, helping her throw fake flowers everywhere, that all of this was real.


    The wedding wasing up fast, and Emilia was going to be the cutest flower girl in the world. I, on the other hand, was going to be married.


    And I barely stopped myself from tumbling down a rollercoaster of emotions at that sobering, amazing, and beautiful thought.

 Chapter 809 : Late Night Cuddles

    <h4>Chapter 809: Chapter 809 : Late Night Cuddles</h4>


    *Elio*


    The sky was dark by the time I left the warehouse. It was a long drive back home and the nightlife of LA didn¡¯t make it any easier. Honking was anguage all on its own here in LA, and the radio could only do so much to drown it out.


    I was exhausted by the time I pulled into the driveway. The house was already dark as I¡¯d texted Cat not to wait up for me and have dinner by herself. I sighed, rubbing the back of my sore neck as I stepped out of the car, the gravel crunching under my feet as I parked too close to the front garden.


    I was toozy and tired to move, so I just decided to leave it, the lights on the car flickering as I hit the button to lock it. I headed inside, using my thumbprint on the doorknob to enter.


    It was soberly quiet inside the dark house, almost like I was returning to nothing. Cat¡¯s shoes were put up in the shoe holder, lined up neatly as they¡¯d never been used, and as I nced in the living room as I passed by, I saw all of Emilia¡¯s toys put away in her chest.


    It felt empty in a way. I was usually greeted by Cat¡¯s sweet smile as she and Emilia stood at the door to wee me home.


    I stopped in the kitchen for a moment, finding the meal Cat had insisted on leaving for me in the microwave. It was cold by now, but after a couple of minutes spent heating it up, it was back to usual, if a bit stale.


    I ate mechanically, not even tasting the food as I sat at the table, ncing across from me at the empty chairs. The food, which normally tasted delicious, now felt like ash in my mouth. I ended dinner early.


    In the silent and empty halls of the normally busy house, I slunk upstairs, entering our bedroom suite and stopping quickly at the nursery to check in on Emilia. She was fast asleep as usual, none the wiser of the waking world as she cuddled her fox plush, snoring lightly.


    I smiled, brushing back her messy brown hair. She was adorable, enough to melt away the loneliness I¡¯d been feeling since arriving home to a dark house, though I knew it had been my own fault for staying out sote.


    ¡°Sweet dreams, princess,¡± I whispered to her, carefully sneaking out and shutting the door behind me.


    As I approached our bedroom, I saw the golden light from under the door spilling out. I chuckled, knowing that despite what I said, Cat had waited up for me still.


    That was just like her.


    I turned the doorknob, stepping inside as quietly as I could, but there was no reason to. Cat was lying in bed, reading a book I couldn¡¯t see the name of with a deep focus. I stood there for a moment, just watching my soon-to-be wife with the sound of the pages turning in her book every so often.


    I cleared my throat after a while and she looked up with a flinch, her eyes meeting me in surprise. I watched as her face melted into happiness, shutting her book immediately as all her attention fell upon me.


    ¡°Elio, wee home!¡± She smiled, reaching her hands out for me.


    I didn¡¯t hold back in the slightest, speed-walking over and crashing into her arms. I held her tightly, breathing out a sigh of relief once she was in my arms.


    It was only now that everything else faded away and the sound of her heartbeat had me rxing finally.


    I crawled into my side of the bed, turning on my side as Cat cuddled up into my arms, entwining our bodies together until I didn¡¯t know where I stopped and she began. But it didn¡¯t matter in the slightest.


    I brushed my hands through her soft hair and she chatted about her day, about meeting her designer, Simona Greco, and how excited she and Anna were to see all her past works. She told me about the dress Simona was going to make for her and how she¡¯d get sketches tomorrow.


    I was relieved to know she thought highly of the designer chosen by my mother, but I never had any doubt that she was good. She was a high-caliber designer in high demand. Despite being a fashion mogul, she was one of the few down-to-earth people from the fashion industry I¡¯d met.


    Though she could be rather harsh toward her assistants, from what Cat told me about Rory. Still, being talented enough to be her intern and designer at such a young age meant he had a lot of talent, which was probably why she was so unforgiving of him.


    Sometimes that push was what kids like him needed to seed.


    But what made me the happiest was seeing how excited Cat was for the wedding. She chatted with me about all the ns she¡¯d double-checked and went through with Anna.


    I was ready to marry this beautiful woman, and it felt nice to know she felt the same way.


    She¡¯d been talking for about an hour, her eyelids sliding closed as she sleepily started to drift off. She yawned as she asked, ¡°What about you? How was your day?¡±


    I chuckled, kissing the top of her forehead. She was always a stubborn one, and I knew she wouldn¡¯t go to sleep without me telling her everything.


    I assured her that Leo and I had finished the handwritten invitations and sent them out to the guests. The digital ones were convenient, but Cat appreciated the hand-written ones. I had to agree. It made it feel more personal to write down the name of every guest.


    I told her about my conversation with Al and the huge list of peopleing to celebrate our wedding. I could see she was a bit nervous, especially since her side was so small, but I reassured her that all of my family already loved her. They¡¯d long considered her family, and there was no need to be nervous.


    It seemed to work a bit as she rxed, yawning a bit more as she shut her eyes and curled into me sweetly. I told her about Al¡¯s surprise and she frowned a bit at that, spouting out a few random guesses as to who he could be bringing as a surprise, but much like me, there wasn¡¯t much information to go on.


    It could be anyone, I thought.


    But the topic of Al led me to one I didn¡¯t really want to talk about but I knew I had to.


    ¡°Cat,¡± I said hesitantly, waiting for her little hum before I continued, hoping just blurting it out could make it less painful. Like ripping off a bandaid. ¡°I know how much you hate it and I do too but while Al is here, we need to make it seem like you¡¯re not as involved in the business as much as you are.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    The sleepy note in her voice was gone, reced by a dangerous light that was warning me not to proceed any further. I gulped but knew that this needed to be done.


    ¡°Al and the rest of the family are more traditional, Cat. You know that. I¡¯m not saying to shut you out like before, I just mean we need to make sure none of the family finds out.¡±


    ¡°I thought we were past this, Elio!¡± Cat sat up in bed, fixing me a deadly re. ¡°You promised, and now because you¡¯re so scared of what your family will think, you¡¯re trying to distance me again? Hell no!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, Cat.¡± I tried to calm her down but I could see it wasn¡¯t working.


    She was like a tiger, hair raised and teeth bared as she snarled at me, going off on a rant that I knew wouldst all night if I didn¡¯t stop it.


    So I did the only thing I could think of to shut her up.


    I grabbed her cheeks, mming my lips onto hers, and sure enough, she fell silent, her anger still there as she bucked down on my bottom lip, hard enough to leave an indent, cracking the skin as the taste of irony blood mixed in with her.


    I took it all, only pulling back once my lungs were screaming for breath.


    She still looked like an angry kitten, but more subdued than before. She looked more cute than scary, though and it took all of my self-control not to take her lips again. I licked the wound on my bottom lip, brushing off the little bit of blood that remained before I held her, deciding just to go for straight honesty at this moment.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying, Cat,¡± I lowered my hands to her neck, gently holding her as I searched her eyes pleadingly for understanding. ¡°I think you are the most capable, amazing woman I¡¯ve ever met, and I love having you there for me as a partner. Al thinks differently, but I believe in your abilities, and I know if he just gave you a chance, he would too.¡±


    She frowned, a guilty look in her eyes now as she nced at the small wound, but I didn¡¯t care in the slightest. It was more hot than painful, if I was being honest, though everything Cat did turned me on more than it should.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She sighed, leaning forward to pull me into a hug. ¡°I know it¡¯s not your words. I just... I don¡¯t want you to feel like I¡¯m a burden or that I can¡¯t hold my own.¡±


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t think that. You¡¯ve saved us so many times, Cat,¡± I reassured her, rubbing her back in slow circles. ¡°You could honestly make a better Don than me. I swear the men are more terrified of you than of me.¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s only ¡®cause I always win at poker.¡±


    Iughed, remembering the guys¡¯ looks of dismay as she walked away with all of their loot in thest game. Her smug little grin had been everything as she swindled my guys out of everything they owned.


    One guy went home in nothing but his underwear and socks, though I had no clue what she even did with the rest of his clothes.


    Knowing her, she probably donated it to a charity or something.


    ¡°You are the master,¡± I chuckled, kissing the top of her head in pride. ¡°In return for keeping your involvement on the down low, I¡¯ll trick Al into challenging you to a poker game. Take him for everything he¡¯s worth. Would that make you feel better?¡±


    ¡°It might.¡± She giggled and I held her,ying us back down.


    But right as we were both ready to go to sleep, my phone began to ring.


    I frowned, exchanging a wary look with Cat before I answered.


    ¡°What is it now, Franky?¡± I demanded, a bad feeling in my gut.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got news.¡±

 Chapter 810 : Aflame

    <h4>Chapter 810: Chapter 810 : Ame</h4>


    *Cat*


    Elio¡¯s eyes collided with mine and held. Something was going on. I knew it.


    This was his chance to prove that he really didn¡¯t think of me as someone who always had to be left behind. We would see how he handled this when the call ended.


    The conversation didn¡¯t take very long, and Elio didn¡¯t even speak during the call. He didn¡¯t look angry or upset. He looked more thoughtful than anything.


    ¡°Can you call Matilda?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Sure, I can call Mom.¡±


    ¡°Good. Call her and see if she cane over to watch over Emilia while we go see what¡¯s going on with Franky.¡°


    I walked to the closet to the gun box and took out my piece. I checked it, checked the chambers, and made sure everything was in working order. I put on my holster and picked up my phone to call Mom.


    ¡°Mom?¡°


    ¡°Hey, how are you doing?¡±


    Mom sounded preupied as if she were reading something, or more than likely, watching television.


    The room beside Emilia¡¯s had a nice television in it and all the streamingworks my mother could ever wish for.


    ¡°Elio and I have an emergency task that we need toplete. Can youe over and take care of Emilia? We just put her down to sleep a few minutes ago.¡°


    ¡°Sure, I can do that. Give me a few minutes to grab a couple of things toe over with.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡±


    I hit the button and put the phone in my pocket. Elio and I walked to the back door together to wait for my mother there. For some reason, we were silent the entire time. It was as if we had made a mutual decision not to say much until after we left the house.


    Mom bled through the door with her usual energy.


    ¡°Everything okay?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Not sure, Matilda,¡± Elio answered honestly.


    I kissed her cheek and hugged her close. ¡°Thanks so much, Mom. You¡¯re the best.¡°


    ¡°You know I love hanging out with my granddaughter, even when she¡¯s snoring at me,¡± she said with augh.


    I chuckled a little, too worried about what was going on to give a genuineugh.


    I was sure she could feel the tension in the room and was trying to lighten the mood, but this mood would not be lightened. I just hoped it wasn¡¯t something horrible or something we couldn¡¯t figure out easily.


    I was so tired of bad news. This was a time in our lives when everything should be good and wonderful. To take my mind off my nervous energy, I thought about the dress Simona had started designing that day and how beautiful it would probably turn out.


    I wanted everything to be beautiful and pristine just like that dress, but life was rarely without mishaps, and it was messier than any beautiful white dress any day of the week. I said goodbye to Mom, stalling just a bit before walking out the back door with Elio.


    As we drove away heading toward the warehouse, I assumed, I asked Elio, ¡°Do you know what this is about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s about Junior, but I don¡¯t know the specifics yet. I just hope it¡¯s not too bad.¡±


    Junior had wreaked havoc before. He was nothing but a troublemaker, and he made life harder than it needed to be.


    I was with Elio on this one. I hoped it wasn¡¯t too bad. I remembered how it used to be when Junior was around before, especially when I thought he was just a guy named Paul, my boyfriend. I shuddered at the thought.


    I didn¡¯t want to ever think about that time in my life again. I wished he would disappear and nevere back. And why did he have to show up now when everything was so perfect between Elio and me?


    When we got to the warehouse, Franky was waiting for us.


    He didn¡¯t seem surprised to see me. I assumed he was getting used to me being with Elio whenever there was a call that didn¡¯t put me in immediate danger. After all, this had a lot to do with me and my child as well. I had to know what was going on so that I could protect us both when Elio wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the fuck Junior was thinking, but he sent over a message saying that he intends to finish what he started thest time.¡° Franky said.


    ¡°How¡¯d he send the message?¡± Elio furrowed his brow.


    ¡°He sent it through some guy no one knows. Poor guy nearly pissed his pants when I drew down on him.¡±


    ¡°You drew down on him?¡± Elio asked.


    ¡°Yeah, it was probably a dumb thing to do, but he was threatening you,¡± he said. ¡°Junior told him to tell me that the next time he saw you, he¡¯d be there to kill you. I wanted to shoot his ass for being the messenger, but I realized it would have been pointless. So, I let his ass go.¡±


    Elio was pissed. I could see it in his face. He put his hands in his pockets and stared at Franky as if Franky was the one who made the threat.


    ¡°I tell you what. Since he wants to make an enemy of me, we will make him enemy number one!¡± He was practically growling with anger. ¡°Here¡¯s what I want you to do. Get that bastard¡¯s photo out to everybody in our crew. I want you to find out everything you can about Junior. Dig into every crevice of that little fucker¡¯s background. I want him to feel hunted.¡±


    I loved seeing Elio this way. He was somanding and took charge. His expression was clear and he stood firm, though I could tell that his mind was going a mile a minute. Though his stance was casual, he was ready for battle.


    I didn¡¯t me him for that. He was tired of people harming his family and threatening him. So was I.


    Elio also had the added stress of worrying about the mafia business overall. While he had a lot of men on the ground helping him run things, no one knew all the intricacies of the business like Elio. If something happened to him, God forbid, the family would have to send someone else over from Italy. By the time whoever it was came over to hold the business together got here, it might not still be standing.


    I was proud of my man for being strong and knowing his business. He knew how to handle his men and gave orders without stepping on people¡¯s toes or making people angry. He was confident that his orders would be carried out and that his men woulde through for him. Like he¡¯d said, he did not surround himself with weaklings.


    ¡°When we get them, what do you want us to do?¡± Franky asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d say kill the fucker, but I want to talk to him first.¡±


    ¡°Sure, we can do that.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen him since he¡¯s been back?¡± I asked.


    Franky nodded. ¡°That¡¯s how we knew he was around before he sent that warning.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about more recently,¡± I rified.


    Elio looked thoughtful for a moment. ¡°She¡¯s right. Thest time we saw him, where was he?¡±


    ¡°I think I see where you¡¯re going with this,¡° Franky said, snapping his fingers and walking over to a map on the wall.


    I followed Elio and Franky over to the map, looking at it and pointing to one of the ces on the map where I knew he¡¯d been thest time he was around. Elio pointed out another spot on the map and Franky pointed out a third point close by.


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s over there?¡± Elio asked.


    Franky stared at the dots and shook his head. ¡°I hope he¡¯s not that stupid.¡±


    ¡°I hope he is,¡° I said, staring at the area as well.


    It was an old haunt Junior used to have, but it would have been exponentially stupid for him to still be in the same area. It would be the first ce someone would look for him. Junior was cunning enough to pull a double bluff, but I didn¡¯t think he would in this situation. He needed stealth to do what he nned to do.


    ¡°Search it,¡± Elio said, a grim look on his face. ¡°I want you to cover all the bases with this. If he¡¯s being stupid, maybe we can catch him at his own game. If he¡¯s not ying games just to get us over there, then, that¡¯s fine too.¡±


    ¡°What if it¡¯s a trap?¡± I asked.


    Franky was thoughtful and shook his head again. ¡°While I think Junior is smart enough to pull something like this, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to this time. I don¡¯t think he would set Elio up, mostly because he wants to be the one to take him down.¡°


    ¡°Be careful anyway,¡± Elio said. ¡°We can¡¯t assume it¡¯s not an ambush. He could be trying to lure you all over there while leaving me and Cat out in the open or alone at the house.¡±


    ¡°You have a point,¡± Franky agreed.


    I looked at the map again, trying to understand Junior¡¯s game. Yes, he probably had his own men again, and he was a force to be reckoned with. He could cause a lot of trouble for everyone in the city, not just us.


    Junior was a loose cannon. He was not a stupid man, but asionally his arrogance made him appear stupid. I just wanted him away from me and mine.


    Franky and Elio talked for a few more minutes. When Elio and I were back in the car, my skin heated, and I thought of the way he looked in the warehouse giving orders. He was so sexy when he was somanding and in control like that, and I just wanted to tear his clothes off.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back in right now,¡° I whispered in his ear.


    He looked into my eyes, and he must¡¯ve seen exactly what I wanted.


    ¡°Can you park near the pond when we get back to thepound?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± he said, smiling.


    It was hard to keep my hands off him on the long drive home.


    ¡°You can have the rest of the night off,¡± Elio said to the driver as we entered thepound and the driver parked where Elio¡¯s asked him to before.


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± the driver said, and he left us with the windows down, listening to the night air and breathing in its scents.


    ¡°What are you up to?¡± he asked.


    But I was pretty sure he knew the answer to that.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know,¡° I said, climbing into hisp and straddling him. I loosened his tie, pulling it from around his neck, and then opened the buttons of his shirt.


    He grinned at me, his eyes lighting with sensual hunger.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve gotten me here, what are you going to do with me?¡° he asked, his voice deepening in timber and his hands rubbing at my hips and ying with the bottom of my blouse.


    ¡°I intend to have my wicked way with you,¡° I teased.


    I nibbled at his bottom lip.


    We started to kiss, our bodies heating and straining toward one another. My breast touched his chest. His hands caressed my lower curves. I pulled back from kissing him long enough to pull my top over my head and snap open the front of my bra.


    He looked down at my breasts as if he would devour me. I leaned closer to him and nted my mouth over his again.


    My entire body lit up like a struck match, its me growing with each kiss and caress. Would it always be this way with this beautiful man I held in my arms? Would he always make me feel like I was the most important person in his world?


    Would he always light every cell in my body ame and thenbust with me as we fell into passion?


    The questions rolled through my mind as our bodies took over and our souls collided.

 Chapter 811 : Loving Him

    <h4>Chapter 811: Chapter 811 : Loving Him</h4>


    *Cat*


    Elio allowed me to take the reins of our lovemaking. It was my idea, but he rarely gave control to me. It was sulent and gave me a thrill.


    With my breast against his chest, I kissed his lips. I touched my fingers to his jaw and lightly circled his earlobes with them. Then I slipped my fingers into his dark curls.


    Everything about Elio turn my world into a harmony of melodies. He was so damn intelligent andmanding. He was strong and powerful. Sometimes he made meugh without even trying. The majority of the time, I think he wondered what I wasughing at because he hadn¡¯t attempted to make a joke.


    From his curly head to his big feet, I adored him.


    It made me think of that Jill Scott song about loving from head to toe. That was exactly how I loved Elio. He lit up my world. He made me want to wake up in the morning, even when he was driving me crazy.


    So, when he allowed me to show him how much I loved him and this physical way, it always made me so happy. Today was one of those days.


    I kissed his lips, his jaw, and down his throat. I nibbled at his carotid and then licked it. I could feel his pulse, jumping beneath his skin, his blood racing just for me.


    I kissed the hollow of his throat, licking at the salt and musk of his skin, breathing in his scent and relishing in it. I listened to his gasps and felt his hands holding onto my hips. He knew how to y this game by now, especially when he allowed it. The hands could only be on the hips or could not touch it all.


    I liked torturing my man yfully, and it was so exhrating to have him y along. He didn¡¯t give orders this time. He took them. I couldn¡¯t wait to start giving them, but for now his body, strong and supple, was mine to devour, and I intended to do just that.


    I was so d that we were in the Lincoln Towncar today. The backseat wasrger than most sedans. I had room to touch and kiss every part of him if I wanted.


    I pushed his shirt the rest of the way down his arms and put it aside. I kissed his shoulders, his corbone, and made my way to his sexy t nipples. I sucked and licked and nibbled. I did to him what felt good to me, and yeah, it turned him on.


    I rubbed at his abs, counting them with my fingertips as though his body was my braille, and I intended to read it for as long as I possibly could this afternoon.


    I didn¡¯t worry about the outside world. Even though we were parked on our property, making love outside was still risky. Anybody who had a code to the gate could catch us. If someone was watching with the scope, we¡¯d be sitting ducks, but I didn¡¯t think we had to worry about that today.


    I continued to indulge myself by sucking and kissing down his abs, licking my tongue into his navel, rubbing my breast against hisp while I licked just under the band of his boxer briefs. He sucked in a breath and I grinned.


    I unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. I was going to have fun with that erection today. But first I had to get him undressed and just the way I wanted him.


    I pulled his cks off and put them next to us on the seat, where the shirtnded. I left his briefs on, rubbing his thighs, knees, legs, and feet, rxing him, making him smile when I tried to tickle his toes and then when I sucked his big one into my mouth.


    I looked up into those dark eyes that hungered for me and kissed up his legs, kissing each thigh in turn and pulling at those boxer briefs that I¡¯d left alone before. He aided me in taking them down by lifting his hips.


    I brushed my fingers over his ass and his thighs pulled off his underwear. I made my way back up to his erection with my lips on his skin, my fingers rubbing at his thighs and hips and abs. I licked up the back of his cock and finally took the head of him into my mouth and sucked.


    He sucked in a deep sigh and shuttered. I smiled around him and took him into my mouth. I took my hand and felt his balls lightly, rubbing my finger against them, holding what I could not fit in my mouth in my other hand and continued to pleasure him.


    I decided to give him a break. I took my hand away from his sack and put one of his hands on my hair and nodded my head, giving him permission to move his hips. He gave a sigh of relief and began making love to my mouth.


    I allowed it, but before long, he pulled my hair to let me know that I needed to stop or this would end soon. I took onest long suck and lifted my head to smile at him. He looked down at me and shook his head at me with a chuckle.


    ¡°If you want this to continue, you have to stop looking at me like that.¡±


    I just smiled and pulled my shirt all the way off. I kicked off my shoes and slid off my cks, putting my holster aside as well. Once I had my underwear off, I kissed my way back up to his lips, holding his hands with mine. I straddled him again.


    ¡°Touch me,¡° I whispered, letting go of his hands and waiting for those strong fingers to start pleasuring me.


    He rubbed his fingers all over me. Massaging my shoulders rubbing my back, squeezing my bottom, widening my stance by pushing up my knees and touching my inner thighs, we kissed as he caressed my skin, rubbing his fingers over my stomach and plumping up my breasts.


    My head fell back for him to kiss my neck. He moved on to my breasts. He kissed the top of my breast, lick the outside of them and the underside.


    ¡°Elio¨C¡± His name was an intimateint. ¡°Don¡¯t tease,¡± I breathed.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you just teasing me?¡° he asked, his voice husky and deep with desire.


    ¡°No, I was loving you,¡° I said, kissing his grinning lips again.


    Heughed at me, actuallyughed hard at me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything funny about this,¡° I said,ughing along with him.


    ¡°Yeah, so why are youughing with me?¡° he asked, still shuttering withughter, touching me and kissing me through his chuckles.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. Yourugh is so infectious.¡°


    He looked at me then, his eyes dark and intense. I knew I would always remember the color and the intensity of those eyes. He always looked at me as if I would disappear. He acted like I was a figment of his imagination, ethereal and ready to fade away at any moment. It was as if he believed that I wasn¡¯t really there.


    I felt the same way sometimes. I didn¡¯t know whether I looked at him the same way, but I knew I certainly felt that he was a dreame true. And I was either having a very long,plicated wonderful dream, or a sad, howling, dangerously hopeful, nightmare.


    If I woke up, that would be the nightmare.


    ¡°Still want to love me?¡° he asked.


    ¡°Always,¡± I answered.


    That was when he started kissing me as if he would never let me go, his fingers digging into my hips, his hips rocking against me. His hardness slipped against the wet core of me, making me moan for more, hoping he¡¯d hurry up and decide to give me what I wanted. Then, I remembered I was supposed to be in control of our encounter that evening.


    As the sun set around us and the night¡¯s insects came out to buzz and drone around the car, Elio slipped his strong fingers inside me, rubbing the walls of me, and pressing against the bundle of nerves at the apex of my core. I arched against him.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, I told you to touch me.¡±


    He breathed against my neck and nipped at me for my insolence.


    I shuttered. He always made me tremble with anticipation and pleasure.


    ¡°Come on, Cat,¡° he breathed against my skin, hot and steamy.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°You know what I want, baby. Now, give it to me,¡° he breathed, and pressed against those sensitive nerves once more, pushing his fingers in and out in a parody of our lovemaking.


    I cried out and shuttered,ing all over his fingers.


    He grinned at me, lifting those two fingers to his mouth and sucking them clean.


    I tumbled against him and shivered with aftershocks. I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.


    I lifted myself to my knees, kissing him desperately running my fingers through his hair.


    ¡°Help me,¡° I moaned, nibbling at his ear and kissing my way back to his lips.


    He held himself ready for me, and I slid down onto him. He glided into me, hard and throbbing. I slowly slid down on him, kissing him, rubbing my breast against him, losing control.


    He lifted his hips and met me halfway, and we both gasped when he waspletely within me. I said and sat on hisp for a moment, just taking in the fullness and epting his kisses on my neck, the top of my breast, and moaning when he pressed my breast together and sucked both my nipples and his mouth.


    That was when I started to move.


    At first, I moved slowly, trying to draw the pleasure out. I ached and it felt so good. Every part of his body seemed to be around me¨Chis arms around my waist, his hands gripping my ass, his hips between my thighs, his chest against my breasts, his lips, at my throat, his hair rubbing against my temples as I kissed his throat too.


    We were in tandem, our bodies, moving together, slick with sweat, and eager for one another, our heartbeats banging together, our breaths panted against one another, our fingers clutched at one another.


    Thrust for thrust, we moaned and groaned together. We rushed toward something greater than ourselves and just out of reach. Little by little, our momentum increased. We couldn¡¯t help it.


    I couldn¡¯t hold out anymore, and I started to move fast against him, my breast bouncing his eyes, taking in every part of me.


    I felt beautiful. I lifted my hands to the ceiling of the car and rode him for all I was worth. His hips moved in tandem with mine, pushing up as I sat down. His face was tilted up, and mine was tilted down as we stared into each other¡¯s eyes, racing toward a finish that would leave us both limp and breathless.


    As our bodies collided with strong, hard orgasms. I went limp against him, my arms falling around his shoulders, my head and his neck, my hair falling around my shoulders and onto his chest, finallying out of its top knot. He clutched at me, his body going rigid, and I felt him release within me.


    He rumbled against my shoulder and tightened his grip on me. We sat like that for a moment, just breathing together, our bodies coated with perspiration as our heartbeats pounded a tattoo against each other¡¯s chests.


    In that moment of rity and the silence of twilight, all I could see, feel, hear, smell, and taste was Elio.

 Chapter 812 : It’ll Probably Be Chocolate

    <h4>Chapter 812: Chapter 812 : It¡¯ll Probably Be Chocte</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡°So, what are we doing this early in the morning?¡± I asked, blinking blearily at Cat as she rushed around the house.


    I held a dressed and passed-out Emilia in my arms, her conked-out little head drooling on my shoulder. She seemed to be just as tired as I was this morning.


    It was almost six in the morning and even I was still exhausted, especially after the intense lovemaking in the carst night.


    ¡°I told you! They set up the tasting for the cakes this morning, and then we need to finalize the menu for the caterer!¡± Cat sent me an irritated re, shouldering two bags of baby supplies.


    I sighed, reluctantly getting to my feet as I resigned myself to the boring and very long day we had ahead of us.


    ¡°You know you¡¯re just going to choose chocte, right?¡± I told her, feeling like this was all kind of pointless.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that! What if I want carrot cake?¡± Cat argued back, crossing her arms over her chest.


    I raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°You hate carrot cake.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Cat wasn¡¯t giving up, raising her chin stubbornly.


    I knew there would be no winning this fight.


    ¡°Mark my words. She¡¯s just going to choose chocte,¡± I mumbled to Emilia, patting her back as she stirred slightly at her mommy¡¯s loud words.


    The closer it got to the wedding date, the more Cat panicked about having everything ready. So I didn¡¯t argue, just held my daughter as we headed out to the bakery for our cake. Cat had insisted on the local one, which I didn¡¯t mind either.


    It was a surprisingly quick ride and Emilia woke up a few times, grumpy out of her mind before falling back asleep once the car started moving again. We arrived at the bakery at the ungodly hour and I took over the care of Emilia, holding her as she took a nap.


    ¡°Hello, wee to our bakery!¡± A sweet woman greeted us as soon as we arrived and the smell of the baked goods hit our noses with a rush. I had to admit, it smelled delicious. ¡°Are you here for the tasting?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Cat took control this time with mepletely out of my element.


    The woman named ra took us to one of the separate front rooms they had, and I took a seat with Emilia in my arms at one of the small armchairs. It was a little small for me, my legs pressed up further than I liked, but I didn¡¯t mind too much.


    ¡°So what kind of cake were we thinking of having?¡± ra asked with a beaming smile, addressing Cat now as she was clearly the one in charge right now.


    I smiled as Emilia woke up, yawning as she looked around curiously.


    I only half-listened to Cat¡¯s conversation, mainly focused on now entertaining my daughter as she tried to wiggle out of my arms to crawl on the floor at first. When she realized I wouldn¡¯t let her, she pouted, lip wobbling as she threatened to cry.


    Luckily, one of ra¡¯s workers came in with a few tes of tasting cakes, and her attention was captured by the colorful and sweet-smelling bakery items. I chuckled, scooting the chair up so she could have a perfect vision of the cakes, her little eyes were wide, locked onto those cakes like they were hers and only hers.


    ¡°This first tter is our more subtle vors. ssic vani, lemon, and white chocte,¡± ra exined helpfully. ¡°The little ramekins next to them have a dollop of our suggested frosting vors. Take your time and mix and match them to see if any are what you¡¯d like.¡±


    Cat was all too eager, and ra even provided a small baby spoon for us to give tiny bites to Emilia, much to her happiness. The vani was delicious, with a very toned-down vorpared to the rest. I could see Cat wasn¡¯t much of a fan of the lemon. Her lips pursed at the sour taste.


    The white chocte was good but neither of us liked it too much. The buttercream had to be my favorite part, and little Emilia¡¯s too as she grabbed one of the ramekins greedily, sticking it into her face so she could lick up the frosting like a dog.


    I had to use my iron grip to get the thing away from her and then soothe her when she started to cry about it.


    ¡°Ah, ah, look who¡¯s on his way to cheer you up! It¡¯s foxy!¡± I let out a mock gasp of surprise, pulling her fox plush out of the bag and her tears stopped immediately as sheughed, reaching out her frosting-covered hands around the plush.


    Cat giggled beside me, watching us with a loving expression, but I only shrugged helplessly as she covered Foxy the fox in the frosting. We could always wash himter.


    The cake tasting seemed tost hours, and just when I thought we¡¯d gone through every cake vor in existence, ra brought out another tter. Chocte and cookies and cream, red velvet or carrot or spice¨Cit was like a never-ending list.


    Eventually, though, she chose chocte, pointedly ignoring the smug look I sent her in response. Then came the frostings, though, and Cat chose a simple vani buttercream and then decided easily on a raspberry mascarpone filling.


    Seeing as raspberry mascarpone was my favorite cake filling, I had no objections to the choice. After the cake was decided, we headed over to the caterer and filled out the menu options. They were more than happy to be catering along with the other team that Alessandro had sent over from Italy, and the chef rambled on about how they¡¯d already started sharing recipes with the other team over email.


    I had no clue the other catering team was such a big shot in the culinary world, but by the stars in the chef¡¯s eyes, as they personally came out to thank us, I figured it out pretty quick. After all the menus were decided, it was past noon, and we decided to stop at our favorite lunch spot for a bite to eat.


    Ray¡¯s wasn¡¯t too packed and the waitress gasped as soon as she saw Emilia, cooing at her adorableness, which immediately sent Cat¡¯s mood straight up.


    We switched over roles as we settled down into the booth I took on ordering the food and Cat got out the form we¡¯d packed for Emilia, quickly feeding her. Of course, once our food came out, Emilia was more interested in that than her boring old milk, reaching her little hands on everything she could touch.


    I brushed her hand away from sneaking a bite of my triple-X hot spicy chicken sandwich, though I had to admit I was a bit tempted to let her taste just a bit of the breading. She¡¯d probably never try to steal food from me again.


    But I couldn¡¯t be that mean to my own daughter. She was just too precious.


    ¡°All the invites were sent out and about half we¡¯d received the RSVP¡¯s for. Apparently, you have more cousins than I thought because about thirty of them signed their names as ¡®Cousin Capone.¡¯¡± She sent me a stink eye over her own chicken sandwich, hers filled with gooey mac and cheese.


    I nearly choked on my sandwich as I heard the name, struggling not tough as Cat gave me an usatory re.


    ¡°Just a joke,¡± I tried to reassure her, ying on my poker face to keep from bursting intoughter. ¡°Cousin Capone is what a few of our more paranoid rtives use to keep their name from being written down, even on a wedding invite.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if my exnation was convincing enough or not, but Cat let it go as she switched topics to the venue. The decorator Cat had hired took her job very seriously, and she often sent updates whenever there was a little bit of progress.


    ¡°That all sounds wonderful,¡± I smiled at her, though I didn¡¯t care much either way. As long as she was happy, I was too. ¡°Al¡¯sing early to help us deal with the Junior situation, so I¡¯ll have his help to decipher which Cousin Capone is which. We can usually figure it out by the doodle they leave in invisible ink on the back.¡±


    ¡°Invisible ink?¡± Cat said incredulously.


    ¡°My family is extra cautious. What did you expect?¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°Is Miaing with Alessandro and is it just him?¡± Cat asked, trying to be discreet as she fed a bite of her mac and cheese to Emilia, who chewed on it happily. Despite trying to hide it, she still had a furrow between her eyebrows that I knew very well.


    She was not happy about Alessandroing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but I¡¯ll try to find out,¡± I told her with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You know how Al is¨C¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Cat admitted, giving me a helpless smile. ¡°I understand. It¡¯s frustrating but I understand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Al about all of it when hees. He¡¯ll have time to digest it and hopefully, I can get a few others on your side too. Mom said Dad is on your side, so there¡¯s that. I don¡¯t know how Tallon¡¯s going to feel about it though. Vinny was his best friend, so he might side with you just because you¡¯re his daughter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± Cat grinned. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a little insulting that he can onlypare me to my dead dad whenever he sees me, a win is still a win.¡±


    I winced at the reminder. Tallon had taken Vinny¡¯s death the hardest after Cat and Matilde, probably because he died in his literal arms, but that was a long time ago at this point.


    ¡°You know none of them have met Emilia yet, so that¡¯ll probably be where everyone¡¯s attention goes,¡± I reminded her, hoping to change the subject away.


    It worked as Cat beamed, leaning over to fix one of Emilia¡¯s little pigtails as she chewed on her cheese sauce-covered fingers.


    She blinked her wide green eyes, confused and curious but none the wiser of what was happening. Her innocence always made me smile, and this time was no different.


    ¡°Of course, they will, because she will be the cutest most adorable flower girl in existence,¡± Cat cooed,ying a kiss on her daughter¡¯s cheek.


    Still, despite my attempted distraction, Cat ran her fingers through Emilia¡¯s little pigtails, gentle in her motions as her smile fell into a worried one.


    ¡°Truthfully, I¡¯m really nervous about it all,¡± Cat admitted, looking over at me for reassurance and I gently grabbed her hand, smiling confidently at the love of my life.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. I¡¯ll be there for you every step of the way. Everything will be perfect, just like we want. We¡¯re getting married, Cat. I can¡¯t wait until I can officially call you my wife,¡± I pulled her hand to my lips, leaving a kiss there that I hoped imbued her with a little more confidence.


    It seemed to do the trick as she beamed, melting with love shining brightly in her eyes.


    I hoped she couldn¡¯t see the web of lies I was spinning behind her back.

 Chapter 813 : The Dress

    <h4>Chapter 813: Chapter 813 : The Dress</h4>


    *Two Weeks Later*


    *Cat*


    I nibbled on my bottom lip as I nervously stared out the tinted windows of the car. The driver, Tony, was one of my new guards, and despite my attempts to be friendly, he was not a great conversationalist.


    So the silence as we drove through the LA streets was not helping my anxiety.


    I flipped my phone in my hands, fidgeting with it like a toy as my leg bounced up and down involuntarily. I wasn¡¯t overeager to stop as it was somewhat helpful. I hated being a passenger and much preferred to drive myself but with Junior still out there, well, Elio thought it might be a good idea.


    It didn¡¯t mean I had to like it, though.


    I sighed, ncing at my phone as it pinged with a new text.


    ¡®Are you slow or what?¡¯ Anna had said, using an over-abundant amount of emojis.


    Iughed, quickly texting back that we were almost there. As soon as I sent it, we were pulling into her driveway, so it was kind of useless anyway.


    But I didn¡¯t have to get out of the car, only opening the door before Anna came running down her driveway, a huge grin on her face.


    ¡°Cat!¡± She gave me a side hug as she scooted into the seat next to me, shutting the door with a thump.


    It was loud enough that Tony sent her a re from the front seat but she only childishly stuck her tongue out at him, not caring one bit.


    He grumbled, pulling out of the driveway as I called out the next address to him. He nodded but didn¡¯t give much more of a response.


    ¡°Not much of a talker, is he?¡± Anna huffed, giving him a scrutinizing look. ¡°Oh, well. I talk plenty enough for all three of us. Are you excited to finally see your dress? I can¡¯t believe she got it done so quickly.¡±


    I grinned, happy but also nervous as I showed her the texts and multiple hand-drawn designs she had shown me. It had only taken a few reiterations before we decided on one that I absolutely loved, and Anna was just as in awe of it as I was.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s going to be so gorgeous,¡± Anna sighed dreamily. ¡°You have to hook me up with her number when I get married.¡±


    ¡°If you get married,¡± I snorted teasingly. ¡°You¡¯ll have to get a guy to stick with if you want that.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Anna cried, not really offended but crossing her arms yfully. ¡°Not all of us can get a dreamy romance with our childhood protector. Like jeez, cut us normies a break, will ya? Besides, I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯m bringing a plus one to your wedding.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I nced at her with a confused look. ¡°I thought you¨Cand what was thest guy¡¯s name? Cole?¨Cwere going out.¡±


    ¡°As if!¡± Anna huffed, sighing as she leaned back in her seat. ¡°We never even got to that part. He was a great guy but was too nervous to make a move, so I did and apparently, that scared him off cause he was looking for someone more ¡®casual.¡¯ Dating fucking sucks at this time. I wish a man could just sweep me off my feet and court me properly.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, the good old days.¡± I grinned. ¡°So Johnny from next door can offer up his best cow for your hand in marriage. True romance.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m worth at least ten cows,¡± Anna joked. ¡°But you have no idea how lucky you are, Cat. Catching a big one on your first¨Cwell, second try. Though I don¡¯t really count your first rtionship, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I,¡± I said solemnly, remembering what it had been like to be with ¡®Paul.¡¯


    He had been a nasty piece of work even before I found out he¡¯d been using me just to get close to me. Even worse, he¡¯d been the son of my father¡¯s killer. There was noing back from that one.


    Though I¡¯d moved past the trauma of that time with Elio¡¯s help, I still couldn¡¯t help but be nervous to have him around again. Paul or Junior or whatever he was calling himself now was thest person I wanted to see.


    ¡°Anyway¨C¡± Anna grinned. ¡°I¡¯m seeing this new guy, Bradley Wharton. I don¡¯t wanna jinx it, so I won¡¯t say much, but I really like him and I think you will too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I will,¡± Iughed. ¡°As long as he treats you right.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know I won¡¯t settle for anything less.¡± Anna winked, leaning her head on my shoulder. ¡°I learned from the best.¡±


    When we arrived, Tony stayed in the car to wait for us as we headed in. Much like with ourst visit, Simona¡¯s assistant Rory greeted us with a huge beaming smile. He wasted no time directing us to the back, ranting about how amazing the dress looked, and with that kind of praise, I couldn¡¯t help but get my expectations up.


    But even after all the hype, none of it prepared me for what I really saw when I walked in.


    Fitted onto a mannequin, it was the most gorgeous thing I¡¯d ever seen, and my breath caught in my throat.


    It was white but almost with a silvery sheen to it with gorgeous, almost imperceptible rose gold highlights along the delicatece details of the bodice, which had swirls with hand-stitched flowers, each with a unique and beautiful look to them.


    It was a fit bodice with a sweetheart neckline and loosece off-the-shoulder sleeves that came only to the corbone and then fell gracefully all the way to the skirt length. They were crafted with the same delicatece and intricate patterns as the bodice, with the same rose-gold highlights.


    The skirt itself wasyers of soft-to-the-touchce, tulle, and cotton, each one having a unique pattern that created a look of depth that I doubted anyone else could replicate. The back was open, dipped to just where the skirt started.


    I couldn¡¯t help but be in awe with how gorgeous it looked.


    Along the natural waistline was a line of beautiful rose gold diamonds and looking closer at the fabric, I could see natural silver and rose diamonds embedded in the center of the flowers embroidered on the skirt, giving it a natural glow and shine like a dress that would be worn by a fairy.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I breathed in awe.


    ¡°One of my best works,¡± a voice said gently behind me.


    I turned to see Simona standing there with a proud smile on her face, staring lovingly at the dress.


    Her eyes flickered over to me with a tired but happy expression. ¡°At least I think so.¡±


    ¡°And you want me to wear this?¡± I asked incredulously, suddenly intimated by the thought of putting such a gorgeous piece of artwork on my body. ¡°It¡¯s too much, Simona. It¡¯s¨C¡±


    ¡°Yours.¡±


    Simona grasped my hands together, and I could see the bags under her eyes from what must¡¯ve been a long number of nights spent working on it. My eyes watered, touched that she had put so much effort into my wedding dress.


    ¡°I designed it with you in mind, my mizik. It would bring me no greater honor than for you to wear my dress at your wedding. So don¡¯t think about it. Just go put it on.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± Anna smiled.


    Before I could say another word about how unworthy I was, I was rushed into one of the changing rooms by Anna and Simona. The process was easier than I imagined but also so intricate.


    The dress was heavy and the sps on the back were difficult for me to reach by myself, so Anna had to help. Simona made a fewst-minute adjustments, murmuring about the height of the skirt being tailored or a few more additions to make it shine before they finally let me step in front of the mirror.


    If I thought it was beautiful on the mannequin, then I was blown away by how utterly breathtaking it was on me.


    I looked like a fairy or a princess who¡¯de to life and stepped out of a painting, a real fairytalee true. It was everything I had ever imagined and more.


    Tears streamed down my face without me even noticing as I twirled around in the dress, beaming as I truly felt like a blushing bride for the first time.


    This was a moment I would never forget and I glowed in my wedding dress, hating the wait for our wedding that I used to think was so short.


    The moment Elio saw me in this dress, our forever would finally begin.


    After thanking Simona over and over again until Anna had forcefully covered my mouth, we left the dress shop for Simona to do some final touches. She imed it ¡°needed more shine,¡± though I didn¡¯t quite know what else she could do to make it shinier.


    But I was eager to find out.


    Anna and I were hungry, so I asked Tony to take us for lunch, a ce not too far from Simona¡¯s studio. Anna showed me the photos she took, making sure to hide them in a file on her phone so nobody else would see them until the wedding.


    We were so deep in our conversation that I almost missed when we drove right past the ce we¡¯d picked for lunch. I frowned, ncing over at Tony.


    ¡°Hey, Tony, I think we missed¨C¡± Myint died as I noticed the tight grip Tony had on the wheel and the way his jaw was clenched as he kept ncing in the rearview mirror.


    I immediately paled, ncing behind us. Sure enough, a few cars behind us was a dark SUV. There were no tes on the front of the car, I noticed, and I was pretty sure there would be nks on the back.


    We were being followed.


    I stayed silent, pretending I hadn¡¯t noticed as we circled around the block, taking turns and rounding corners a little too fast. Luckily, Anna was too focused on her phone and the photos to notice, but I did.


    It took thirty minutes of rounding before the car vanished and I let out a sigh of relief, Tony rxed as well, and Anna finally noticed something was up.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we have been there by now?¡± she asked, confused, looking out the window.


    ¡°Bad traffic,¡± I lied easily as Tony pulled into the lunch ce. I met Tony¡¯s eyes in the rearview mirror. ¡°We¡¯ll eat fast.¡±


    He nodded, still tense as Anna and I got out, rushing inside. Anna was confused but didn¡¯t question it as we took one of the back booths away from the front door and window. The back door was easily essible if we had to run, so I tried to rx as we ate.


    Luckily, nothing happened and as we left, I was beginning to think that everything was fine right as we were about to cross the parking lot to where Tony was waiting for us.


    The moment I stepped off the sidewalk, the same SUV came screeching out of nowhere, stopping right across from us. My heart thudded loudly in my chest as Anna had a tight strangling grip on my arm and the window rolled down slowly, giving way to a face I had never wanted to see again.


    Junior was in the passenger seat, and he looked me up and down before his lips pulled into a sadistic grin, one that sent horrible memories straight to the surface of my mind.


    But he didn¡¯t do a thing, simply rolled the window back up and the car sped off, disappearing into traffic. I had just enough wits left in me to snap a picture of the car before it was gone.


    ¡°Was that¨C¡± Anna sent me a shocked look and I nodded jerkily.


    I had to call Elio.

 Chapter 814 : Catch Him

    <h4>Chapter 814: Chapter 814 : Catch Him</h4>


    *Elio*


    I sighed for the tenth time since I¡¯d arrived at the nd office for our real estate business. I wasn¡¯t here often, but I asionally made an appearance since I still needed to pretend I ran the ce.


    Today, I was here because there were some papers to sign. I signed the dozenth document, only skimming the surfacenguage before deciding. My hand was already starting to cramp up and I was sick of seeing my name.


    I¡¯d started at my signature for so long it had stopped looking like words and more like a random scribble on the paper.


    ¡°Would you stop sighing like doing paperwork is actual torture? No one is going to take pity on you,¡± Leo said ruthlessly, mming another massive pile of paperwork on top of my desk.


    I looked up at him sadly, giving a little puppy-like whimper for extra measure.


    ¡°Please, you know what¡¯s actual torture? Getting a fucking 100-degree heated screwdriver stabbed through your hand,¡± Leo said irritatedly, mming his hand over the paper I was working on.


    I winced as I saw the scar still on his hand as a reminder. Yeah, he may have a point, I thought.


    ¡°Right through like butter,¡± Leo reminded me with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± I admitted, leaning back in my chair as I stuck the pen between my teethzily. ¡°I¡¯m just bored. It¡¯s so repetitive, just signing my name over and over, giving little checkmarks, and circling. There¡¯s a reason I leave most of thispany to you. Hey. Would you want¨C¡±


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± Leo said threateningly. ¡°You¡¯ve been putting all of this off for months and I¡¯ve been covering you, but no dice this time, bro. You¡¯re gonna sit down and do this paperwork and I¡¯m gonna get home at a reasonable time tonight.¡±


    ¡°When did you be such a killjoy?¡± I remarked grumpily, twirling the pen in my hand as I started on the next set of documents.


    ¡°Around the time my girlfriend broke up with me because you stoppeding into work and pushed all your responsibilities onto me!¡± Leo snapped, not having any of it today.


    I scoffed but wisely didn¡¯t say a word at how utterly tense Leo was at the moment. I knew I¡¯d been putting a lot on him, especially since Emilia had been born, so the least I could do was keep my mouth shut and do the boring ass paperwork in front of me.


    Or that was the n until my phone started ringing.


    I nced at it, eager to answer, but Leo¡¯s fierce re narrowed on me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± he growled.


    ¡°I have to. It¡¯s Cat,¡± I told him with a pleading look, not even knowing if it really was Cat, but he sighed, relenting anyway. I smirked, answering the phone with a calm, ¡°Hello?¡±


    What met me was a sharp inhale of breath and then the most confusing call I¡¯d ever gotten.


    ¡°Elio! I don¡¯t know what to do, I¡¯m kinda freaking out here cause we went to see the dress as we said and I picked up Anna and she¡¯s dating some new guy, an old guy bad, I don¡¯t know really know much of the details but that doesn¡¯t really matter¨C¡±


    My eyes widened as she talked fast in a breathy manner like she was about to start hyperventting. I tried to interject but my voice was just drowned out as she ranted over and over.


    ¡°And Simona wants to add more diamonds to the dress¨Cthere are diamonds on the dress by the way. I cried so hard and Anna got pictures. I wish you could see but that¡¯s bad luck, right, to see the bride before the wedding day in her dress. And I don¡¯t believe in superstition and I know you don¡¯t either, but I don¡¯t want to jinx it either otherwise some rival mafia guys mighte to crash our wedding and if that happens I¡¯m gonna cry and¨C¡±


    ¡°Cat!¡± I called out, trying to cut through her rant, but it was useless.


    She was fully panicking, unable to hear anything. I was content to just hear her out until I caught the incredulous look on Leo¡¯s face, looking just as worried as I was. It reminded me that Cat could only be this wound up for one reason.


    ¡°Cat!¡± I shouted sharply and she finally cut herself off, taking deep gasping breaths. I softened my voice, hoping to keep her calm but also wanting her to get to the point. ¡°Calm down and tell me what happened, okay?¡±


    ¡°Junior showed up!¡± Cat finally shouted out hysterically.


    My blood ran cold. There was silence as she sniffed, clearly having been crying over this. I swallowed, giving Leo a motion with my hand and he nodded, jumping into action for me. ¡°What exactly happened, Cat?¡±


    ¡°We went to lunch,¡± Cat said without taking a breath, ¡°and Junior showed up. He just came out of nowhere in this car and he grinned at me. Elio! He grinned at me like the evil bastard he is and I didn¡¯t know what to do! He could¡¯ve pulled out a gun and shot me right then and there but he didn¡¯t, so I don¡¯t know what the fuck he wants with me. But it ruined my day!¡±


    I swallowed, steeling my spine as I said calmly and coolly, like none of this was a problem, ¡°Okay, I understand. I will fix it, Cat, I promise. And nobody would¡¯ve hurt you. I had more guards than just Tony on you, so you and Anna would¡¯ve been fine. I¡¯m sorry he ruined your day. But you liked the dress, right?¡±


    I was hoping to distract her and she sniffed, mumbling out a, ¡°Yeah. I love it. I wish you could¡¯ve seen me in it.¡±


    ¡°I will see you in it,¡± I said soothingly, holding back my own fury at the situation tofort her. ¡°I¡¯ll see it on our wedding day, and I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been thinking but I have security covered on our wedding. Nobody will crash it and it¡¯ll be perfect, okay? Just go home and rest up. Don¡¯t go anywhere else until I call. I¡¯ll be home soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said shakily. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too,¡± I said softly.


    I waited for her to hang up before sliding the phone onto the desk. I gave Leo a dark look.


    ¡°Junior, I¡¯m guessing?¡± Leo said, his foul mood worsening now.


    I tightened my jaw, not giving him an answer as I dialed Franky immediately, putting it on speaker phone for Leo¡¯s benefit as well. As soon as I heard him pick up, I loudly said, ¡°Guess who showed up to scare Cat this afternoon?¡±


    There was a pause on the other line before I heard Franky heave a loud sigh. ¡°Junior,¡± he said gruffly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He scared the shit out of her and Anna after dress shopping,¡± I said, my anger bleeding into my tone now as I tensed up.


    Now that I didn¡¯t have tofort Cat, I was pissed off.


    He¡¯d done enough damage to her, so why the fuck couldn¡¯t he leave her alone? Any grudges he had should be settled with me, not Cat, especially so close to the wedding. Her nerves were already shot and she didn¡¯t need any more pressure put on her.


    ¡°This wedding willmence without a hitch and no harm wille to my family,¡± I said determinedly. ¡°So I want Junior found. Now.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Tony was on guard and I¡¯ll get the full report from him,¡± Franky said decisively. ¡°I was actually going to call you shortly anyway. Cat sent me a text only a few moments ago, a picture of a ck SUV. I wasn¡¯t sure why until now. I already tracked it through the surveince cameras we hacked. It¡¯s the same M.O. and dealer as before, so I guess he really doesn¡¯t know any new tricks.¡±


    ¡°You send a team to start following it?¡±


    ¡°Already done. They¡¯re doing so discreetly and at a distance for now, but we¡¯ll know if they get anywhere near Cat now. I doubt Junior¡¯s still in the car or at least using it for any important matters but hopefully, it¡¯ll lead us back to hisir.¡±


    Franky¡¯s cool report helped to calm the tension and my fury and I bit out, ¡°Good. Call me as soon as you find him.¡±


    I hung up before he could respond though knowing Franky, he would¡¯ve just hung up as well. Leo nced at me with a cool look as I got out of my seat, grabbed my jacket, and threw it on.


    ¡°You going home?¡± Leo said quietly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded, giving him a helpless look as Leo stared nkly at the pile of paperwork still sitting on the desk. ¡°Once things calm down I¡¯ll be back to finish it up. Send me the digital copies of as much as you can and I¡¯ll do it from home. For the rest¨C¡±


    ¡°I got it,¡± Leo sighed. ¡°Nobody is waiting for me at home anyway.¡±


    I sped his shoulder as I passed, feeling like a terrible friend for leaving him with this mess, but I had to go home to check on Cat and Emilia. Their security was my top priority and Leo knew that.


    But still....


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your girl. She was kind of a bitch anyway,¡± I said cooly.


    Leo chuckled, his body rxing as he waved off my hand. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Go home and take care of your family, Elio. Leave us single dogs to work.¡±


    He got out of his chair, walking around to copse into the boss¡¯s chair. I couldn¡¯t help but notice how well it suited him, even as disheveled as he looked fromck of sleep and the breakup.


    He gave me a thumbs-up, twirling his favorite pen in his hand as he propped up his legs on the desk and started to work as best he could. I was relieved to leave him in charge, knowing he had my back.


    ¡°Thanks, Leo.¡± I smiled gratefully at him and he just gave me a thumbs up as I took off.


    I raced to get home, driving like a maniac as I rushed. All my thoughts were on Cat and Emilia, hoping with every fiber of my being they were okay.


    I rushed out of my car, barely remembering to lock it as I headed inside. I reached out to grab the door but much to my surprise, it opened up already and there was Cat.


    There were tear tracks still on her face, her eyes red and puffy and she held Emilia protectively in her arms, but the relief in her eyes as she saw me was enough to melt away any of my remaining anger.


    I wrapped her in a hug, shutting the door behind me as I cradled them.


    ¡°Wee back,¡± Cat whispered hoarsely and I pressed a kiss to her forehead, knowing we had a long night in front of us.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep you both safe, Cat. I promise I will,¡± I said soothingly. I had to because these two beautiful girls were my entire world.


    Junior had to be caught this time.


    And when I finally had him, what I had done to Ignacio would look like mercy.

 Chapter 815 : Bad Blood

    <h4>Chapter 815: Chapter 815 : Bad Blood</h4>


    *Cat*


    I didn¡¯t sleep that night.


    With the clock endlessly ticking the hours in my ear and how I felt both too cold and too hot, I shifted between Elio¡¯s embrace and the edge of the bed in an attempt to getfortable, but none of it worked.


    Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Junior, his sadistic grin from my memories merging with the one I¡¯d seen today. I kept imagining I was hearing a gunshot, with blood on my palms as my Mom bled out in front of me and his back as he ran like he hadn¡¯t barged in to shatter my world.


    It was maddening to know that he was now back and able to reach me anytime. But what bothered me the most was what would have happened if Emilia had been with me. If Junior had seen the family I had made, well, I kept remembering the promise he¡¯d made back when I was trapped under his thumb.


    ¡®You¡¯re nothing without me,¡¯ he¡¯d sneered. ¡®I will make it my mission to destroy anything that brings you happiness if you leave me, then I¡¯ll drag you back to my side to be miserable together.¡¯


    His words still burned, especially now that I had something I wanted so desperately to protect.


    Elio slept soundly, much to my ire and relief,pletely unaware of my struggles as he dreamed. Eventually, I started tracing the freckles on his back, trying to count sheep in my mind to fall asleep.


    It worked, but the restless sleep had me waking before the sun had even risen. I finally gave up on sleep for the night, gently climbing out of bed so I wouldn¡¯t wake Elio. He had work early this morning and I had to take care of thest few ns for the wedding.


    I pulled on my fluffy robe, the stone floors cold on my bare feet as I left the bedroom. I stopped in to check on Emilia but much like her father, she was fast asleep,pletely unaware of the rest of the world.


    I headed downstairs and to the kitchen. The cooks weren¡¯t even here yet, so I fumbled in the semi-dark to make myself some coffee. The smell of the brew in the early morning helped greatly with refreshing my mind, and I sat down at the table with my favorite mug filled with a darker-than-I-normally-drank coffee.


    I took a sip, wincing at the bitterness, but it certainly helped to keep me awake.


    God knew I needed it.


    But the longer I sat there in the empty space, up way too early with bleary eyes, the more I realized that Junior wasn¡¯t leaving my mind. Like a virus that had invaded and taken up every corner of my thoughts, I grew more anxious by the minute.


    What was Junior¡¯s n? Why did he threaten me in broad daylight just to drive away, leaving me and Anna unharmed? Why evene at all? Just to make a statement?


    There was something deeply wrong about the whole situation, but I didn¡¯t think like a psychopath so once my head started to hurt, I decided to give up. But my thoughts took a new turn this time, toward Elio¡¯s family.


    Giovani and Olivia had told us why they had left the business, handing it down to Tallon, who left once he got married to his wife and they had a child. And even before them, Elio¡¯s grandparents had left too.


    It was a pattern that I was beginning to understand.


    The kidnapping of their son had deeply traumatized Olivia, and though Elio didn¡¯t remember it because he was so young, I was starting to understand why his parents had decided to leave the family, and why Tallon and Natalia had left before the birth of their own child.


    Fear.


    Being a mother to a beautiful baby girl myself, the constant threats one after another had taken their toll on me, and though I had Elio by my side, I was growing weary.


    Antonio, Katz, Ignacio, and now Junior¨Cit felt never-ending, like they were all the same enemy who always came back to terrorize us, just changing his face and name each time.


    Elio kept telling me it was over after they caught the bad guy, that we would be safe, but then someone else showed up to take that ce and we had to worry and stress out about him.


    We always came back victorious, but was the damage that happened along the way really worth it?


    I was so tired now, sitting at the kitchen table all alone, missing hours of sleep because I was worrying about people who were after my family. I was envious of Elio, who was confident in his ability to ovee this new threat, jealous of Emilia¡¯s innocence as she had no idea someone else was after her life... but most of all, I was scared.


    I was terrified that this would always be our life, chasing after some new threat and me losing sleep over and over again until I finally cracked and went insane. Or worse, that a new threat would finally get too big for us, that the gamble we yed would finallye up with our loss.


    I tightened my hold on my mug, breathing shakily.


    I didn¡¯t even know what I wanted at the moment. I loved our little life and loved being involved with the family. The danger, as much as it was terrifying, was also exciting as I never knew what would happen next.


    Monotony had never been my strong suit, but....


    I felt like a little stability and fewer surprises might be better for our family, especially Emilia. I felt guilty even thinking about it, after how hard we¡¯d found it to involve ourselves in the family, how hard Elio had worked to take the position of Don here.


    But I couldn¡¯t help the one anxious thought that surrounded me like a bitter icy wind.


    if Junior found out about our daughter, about this little bit of happiness I¡¯d made for myself, he¡¯d do anything in his power to crush it.


    And I wasn¡¯t sure there would be anything I could do about it.


    I¡¯d made myself busy by the time Eli woke up, deciding to make breakfast on my own to keep my thoughts from drifting back to the dark ones. I knew Elio had noticed my quietness but didn¡¯t question me, which I was thankful for.


    After breakfast, Elio had to head off to work and he wrapped me in a hug from behind, kissing my cheek.


    ¡°You sure you¡¯re okay?¡± he whispered worriedly. ¡°You¡¯ve been quiet all morning.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just tired. I got up a little earlier than I nned,¡± I put on a fake smile, reassuring him with a lie so I didn¡¯t worry him too much. I didn¡¯t want to tell anybody how I was feeling right now, especially not Elio, at least until I figured out what I was feeling and why, and what I wanted to do about it.


    Elio didn¡¯t believe me. It was clear by the look on his face. But he sighed, not pushing for answers as he gave me a quick kiss. ¡°I¡¯ll meet youter at the wedding nner¡¯s office. You¡¯re meeting the band at noon, right? For the setlist?¡±


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t bete.¡± I gave him a yful grin.


    ¡°I won¡¯t, I promise.¡± Heughed, stepping away to pull Emilia out of her now messy high chair.


    He washed her face, changing her clothes and once he came back, they were both ready, Elio in his nice suit, looking confident and handsome, and Emilia in a cute little onesie with a tutu skirt, her hair pulled into ponytails that her daddy did for her every day.


    Ever since her hair had gotten long enough to actually bunch them up, he¡¯d been learning from me and my mom about how to do her hair up, taking those extra special minutes in the morning to fix her hair.


    Normally, it would melt my heart and I¡¯d shower them both withpliments. But I only smiled, taking Emilia from him as he kissed her forehead, kissed me oncest time, and then was off. It was only when I heard the door shut that my smile fell and I slumped over.


    It was going to be a long day.


    I focused on spending time with Emilia all morning, watching her favorite cartoon with her and even getting on the floor to y pretend. I even helped practice walking with her, which was more of encouraging her to stand on her feet and then helping her up when she fell on her bottom again.


    But she seemed to enjoy it, so that was all that mattered.


    When it was about eleven o¡¯clock, I grabbed Emilia, helping Tony and the other guard set up the car seat before we rolled off to our wedding nner¡¯s office. Once we arrived, Tony went inside with me to ensure we were safe, which luckily our wedding nner didn¡¯t mind.


    She was certainly getting paid enough to overlook the few oddities of our case. Mostly, I think she just assumed we were a high-ss family or celebrities keeping it on the down low. But she didn¡¯t pry, which was why we had chosen her.


    I met the band and we went over some of the songs Elio and I had chosen, though it was a bit awkward seeing as Elio still hadn¡¯t arrived. Despite his promise to be on time, he waste. Again.


    It was fifteen minutes past when Elio strolled in, apologizing frantically. It turned out he didn¡¯t really need to be there either as it was mostly me and the wedding nner choosing the setlist. Elio threw in a few suggestions, but I could tell he was distracted and mostly didn¡¯t care too much.


    The seating charts, however, were where Elio shined. Seeing as it was mostly his family, he wasted no time in dividing up the tables, though I was a bit concerned by a few of the tables he said were just reserved for ¡®Cousin Capone¡¯s.¡¯


    Still, our wedding nner¡¯s discretion was top of the field, only giving a wide smile and nodding along, though I could tell she had her suspicions brewing in the back of her mind.


    By the time we left, Emilia had started getting fussy, clearly not happy to sit still, and Elio decided to drive us home himself.


    He told me all about his meeting with Franky, giving me the details, which very quickly soured my mood. Going from wedding nning to hearing about the efforts to catch Junior was like night and day.


    There was just too much bad blood between us.


    But I did feel a little better hearing that he was being tracked, and that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get near us again.


    But the nagging feeling in the back of my mind, the small desire that was blooming into an insistent need, wouldn¡¯t leave my mind.


    It was the one that screamed that we needed to get out of this life.


    But I didn¡¯t say a word to Elio, keeping my tongue tied and my mouth shut. Because saying those words aloud felt like betraying him.

 Chapter 816 : Let the Chips Fall

    <h4>Chapter 816: Chapter 816 : Let the Chips Fall</h4>


    *Elio*


    When I stopped in the kitchen for my breakfast and coffee mug, Cat was there. We kissed good morning before I left for the day. Something was off with her. She woke before me and had an excuse ready on her lips when I asked why she¡¯d been up early.


    I worried she wasn¡¯t sleeping. Maybe the stress of having Junior out there somewhere was getting to her. She assured me that she was fine, that she had just woken early and decided to stay up.


    It was a good excuse, but I didn¡¯t buy it. There just wasn¡¯t enough time to pin her down.


    Was I being paranoid? There was an itch under my skin, telling me there was something going on with Cat that she hadn¡¯t shared with me.


    I thought about all the times I kept things from her to protect her. Was she trying to protect me? I didn¡¯t need protection, and I wanted her to be honest.


    Shit, here I was thinking about her not telling me things, and I was always doing the same to her. I knew I deserved a dose of my own medicine to understand how it felt. She and I would be talking soon about hiding things from me because I knew my woman, and I knew she was hiding something.


    I headed to the office, intent on this meeting and doing my best. It was one of those instances where I had to make an appearance in the legit business office because I was doing a favor for a friend of mine who wanted to expand.


    I yed the game well. I could work out what to say and how to write the contracts.


    I didn¡¯t like office work. I hated being pinned down to a desk. But as a favor to my friend, I¡¯d go into the office and pretend to know what I was doing.


    When I arrived, I put together a team of the most capable men and women in the office to assist with the research and contracts for this meeting. When we walked in as a team, we were impressive. I could tell by the looks on the clients¡¯ faces.


    ¡°Good afternoon, gentlemen,¡° I said, shaking hands and nodding.


    ¡°Thank you, Elio, for setting this up for us,¡° my friend said, and I nodded to him, happy to be of help.


    ¡°The presentation today will be done by our executive officer, Leo,¡° I said, handing off the reins.


    We sat through the presentation, and I thought it was a damn good one to have been put together on such short notice.


    ¡°Thank you, gentlemen, for such a great presentation,¡° one of the men on the other team said.


    ¡°Do you have any questions, gentlemen?¡° I asked, hoping they didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Yes,¡± my friend said, raising his hand as if we were still in grade school.


    I smiled at him and knotted.


    ¡°What is this going to cost in the long run?¡±


    ¡°Here are the trajectories,¡° I said, opening the contract to the numbers and pointing them out to him and his team.


    ¡°This is a damn good bid,¡° another one of the men on his team said.


    ¡°Yes, I think it is. Here are some of the uses we put in just in case anything goes wrong with the building of the development you¡¯re proposing to the city,¡± I said, flipping through the contracts and showing them the different insurance uses we ced within the document.


    The men looked over the documents and asked questions. I answered the questions I knew the answers to and offered suggestions just in case they wanted to make changes.


    ¡°Here are a couple of ces I¡¯d like to change the wording a bit,¡° my friend said, pointing out the different items in the insurance uses we ced in the document.


    I read through the uses and listened to his suggested rewriting of the wording, then looked at Leo to see if he agreed to it as well. We agreed to the changes and continued to go through the document.


    After a few more changes, I gave the document to my assistant to make the changes. The young man I¡¯d hired for the role swiftly left the conference room and went to his desk. While the assistant was gone, the gentleman and I drink coffee and talked about our families.


    ¡°I heard you had a little girl,¡± my friend said.


    It had been a while since we¡¯dst seen each other.


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s a beauty,¡° I said, smiling, thinking of Emilia¡¯s smile and her pping hands. She was such a happy baby.


    ¡°Yeah, I think my wife is hinting at babies,¡° my friend said.


    ¡°Then I think you should give her some,¡° I said, grinning at him. ¡°You won¡¯t be sorry.¡±


    We smiled at each other, as the conversations the other men were having around us shed with our voices.


    The assistant came back in, having made all the changes we documented for him. We went over the documents onest time and agreed to the terms in the contract.


    Now, all we had to do was wait for the city to agree to the permits, and we¡¯d be building and new development together.


    We all agreed to get together for lunch in the next few weeks to go over more items for the development. The ns were already made and drawn up by my friend¡¯s architect. All we had to do was get the funds together and start building.


    We shook hands all around, and a couple of us who knew each other personally patted each other¡¯s shoulders and agreed to golf or spend time with our families together.


    When everyone left, I breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I faked my way through the meeting pretty well, I thought,¡± I said to Leo as we walked out of the conference room.


    ¡°You¡¯re a natural,¡° Leo said, grinning at me.


    ¡°So are you,¡° I replied. ¡°I just hate this shit,¡° I said, walking out to the car with Leo.


    It was true. I didn¡¯t like the firm¡¯s work. It wasn¡¯t my thing. I preferred being out and about in the world and doing what I had to do as the families Don, so I was d that Leo had taken over a lot of the grunt work for me. I was grateful to him because it allowed me to spend more time with my girls.


    But I still had toe in and pretend sometimes, and I didn¡¯t like it. I preferred being who I was. The thing was, I still couldn¡¯t just be the Don.


    Just as I was getting into the car, my phone vibrated. It reminded me to turn the ringer back on. I looked at the caller ID and sighed. As usual, it was Franky.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I didn¡¯t even try to temper my tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s bad news. I¡¯m sorry, but Junior is in the wind.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck does that mean?¡± Though I knew, I just wanted it confirmed.


    ¡°Junior slipped away. We can¡¯t find him anymore.¡± Franky stated the news as if it were a death sentence for somebody.


    ¡°Shit,¡° I grumbled. ¡°Give me a few minutes. I¡¯ll be at the warehouse in about ten.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡° Franky agreed.


    When I got to the warehouse, about ten of my men were standing around in a circle. Everyone had scowls on their faces. The surveince hadn¡¯t worked, and Junior was missing.


    ¡°Listen, I think Junior just got a little smarter this time¡±, Franky said.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I would be a little smarter if I had about ten people on my ass too,¡± one of the men said.


    I red at him. ¡°He wasn¡¯t supposed to know you were there, idiot,¡° I said, my temper getting the better of me.


    I knew Junior and exactly how he was. He was cunning and shifty. He probably didn¡¯t even know they were there. He just got paranoid and decided to go off the rails for a minute to trip my guys up. It didn¡¯t matter whether it was their fault or not. I was still pissed.


    The door to the warehouse flew open, and everybody turned around, guns drawn, including me.


    ¡°Shit, don¡¯t shoot!¡°


    It was one of our runners. He had his hands in the air and looked as if he was about to shit his drawers.


    ¡°Come through the door, stupid, and close it!¡° Franky shouted.


    ¡°He does have a point,¡° Leo said, pushing the door closed behind the runner.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry, I just was trying to hurry up and tell you that we found Junior¡¯s car,¡± the runner said, still shaken from being drawn on by at least thirteen men.


    ¡°Where?¡± I asked, my voice strong and full of menace.


    The runner told us where he found the car and described all thendmarks around the ce where he found it.


    ¡°Good job,¡± Franky said, pilling off a couple of hundred-dor bills to give to the kid. ¡°Next time, don¡¯t run in here like an idiot and nearly get your head shot off.¡±


    The boy nodded and left before us. We suited up and got in the cars, and I rode with Franky and Leo. The other men rode together in their own SUVs.


    We found the car and the guy in it wasn¡¯t Junior.


    ¡°Is that the right car?¡± I asked Franky.


    Franky stared at the car for a moment and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s it. It has the same tes.¡±


    ¡°Anybody knows who¡¯s in the car?¡± I asked my men.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve never seen him before,¡° Leo said.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I know him,¡± Franky said.


    ¡°Call the men and ask them.¡±


    Franky Facetimed the men and asked them. No one knew the upant in the car.


    We checked to make sure no one else was in the car with the person. None of us knew. We sat for a while, watching the car, making sure no one else came to talk to him or exchange cars with him. Nothing happened. I couldn¡¯t sit here all night, staring at a stranger, waiting for Junior to show up. Besides, I knew he could be long gone by now. There was no telling where that little creep was.


    I was livid. I wanted to find the little bastard and strangle him to death.


    ¡°How the fuck did Junior get away?¡± I asked, mming my fist on the dashboard, my anger barely leashed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯re on it,¡° Franky assured me.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re on it. I understand you¡¯re doing everything you can to help me find him and get rid of him before the wedding. Knowing he¡¯s out there able to get to my kid and my woman is driving me fucking nuts,¡± I ground out. I was so pissed.


    ¡°I think you need to go home to your fianc¨¦e and child,¡± Leo said, patting me on the shoulder.


    ¡°I guess I should,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Leave this to us for right now. When we find him, we will call you,¡± Franky said. ¡°Even though I¡¯d like to take him out myself, will wait for you to get there and decide what you want done with the little bastard.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let you handle this part. I know the two of you arepetent. I just wish there was more I could do.¡±


    ¡°Go home and take care of your family,¡° Leo said. ¡°We¡¯ll see to this and let you know what¡¯s going on as things change.¡±


    I nodded and they took me back to my car.


    On the drive home, all I could think about was having to tell Cat about this. I didn¡¯t want to tell her we¡¯d lost Junior and had no clue where he was. I couldn¡¯t keep this from her, though.


    She was right. She needed to know the danger. If she knew to be on the lookout for Junior, she could protect herself and Emilia far more efficiently.


    If I didn¡¯t tell her, I¡¯d take the ability to protect and care for our child and herself away from her. I knew I¡¯d hate for her to do that to me. I¡¯d tell her the news and let the chips fall where they may.


    I just had a bad feeling they wouldn¡¯t fall in my favor.

 Chapter 817 : Living in the Present

    <h4>Chapter 817: Chapter 817 : Living in the Present</h4>


    *Cat*


    I was in the great room with Emilia when Elio got home. I often sat in there with Emilia whenever she stayed up for hours at a time. This gave me a chance to turn on the TV and at least listen to what was going on in the background while she yed with the blocks or her other toys.


    She liked to try to babble at me and tell me what she was doing as if I could understand what she was talking about. It was adorable.


    She was so busy these days, and I didn¡¯t want to walk away or leave her in the ypen for very long, so we hung out in the great room together while I read or worked on something else. She often interrupted whatever I was doing, but I didn¡¯t mind. I enjoyed having her with me and giving her my attention when she felt she needed it.


    When Elio came through the door, there was an energy around him as though something had happened at work that didn¡¯t leave when he walked through the door. I just wondered which office he was bringing home with him today.


    I knew he had an important meeting with one of his friends setting up a deal for a new development at the legitimate business. Though he hated to have to go there at all anymore, it was unavoidable sometimes.


    I didn¡¯t know whether or not he had gone to the warehouse. I didn¡¯t want to ask. I didn¡¯t really want to know. But there was a grimness to Elio¡¯s jaw and his eyes were dark and lethal.


    I didn¡¯t think our little girl noticed when he walked in and pulled her into his arms. She giggled, turned in his arms and hugged him tightly. Our little girl loved her daddy. He held her and kissed her temples, then sat down beside me.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡° I asked before I could stop myself. I needed to know, but I didn¡¯t want to know, not if it involved the mafia.


    ¡°Just a long day,¡± he said, taking in a deep breath and letting it out. He leaned back into the couch and closed his eyes.


    ¡°Do you want a drink?¡° I asked, not giving into the urge to smack him upside his hard head for lying to me.


    It obviously was more than a long day bothering him. But I didn¡¯t want to fight with him in front of Emilia. He was lucky she was in his arms. Not only that, but I was also getting tired of arguing about his lying. It was going to happen whether I argued with him about it or not. We¡¯d talked ourselves to death over the issue, but it still wasn¡¯t resolved. I wasn¡¯t sure whether that made me mad or just exhausted.


    ¡°No, I think that might just make it worse,¡± he said.


    I turned my head to look at him and wondered if it would be possible for him to ever tell me the truth. But I didn¡¯t ask him again what was wrong. I¡¯d given him the opening to tell me the truth, and he¡¯d chosen not to. I was just going to have to ept the fact that he wasn¡¯t telling me the truth most of the time, it seemed.


    Iid my head back against the couch cushion and watched him interact with our baby. I could tell he was preupied, and it was obvious that Emilia could tell something was wrong too.


    She patted his cheeks and looked into his eyes. It was as if she was trying to figure out what was wrong with her daddy. He tried to respond happily, but it wasn¡¯t easy to hide his true emotions, and our daughter was too smart not to notice. It made me sad to see that look of anxious curiosity on her face as she longed for him to just rx and y with her.


    It didn¡¯t help that I also knew he was thinking about whether or not to tell me the truth. I thought about asking him again, which would force the issue and make him tell me what was going on earlier. But then, why did I have to? He¡¯d had plenty of opportunities to just talk to me, and he¡¯d chosen not to. I decided not to stick around and wait for him to decide.


    I had just started to stand when he reached out for my hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡° he said.


    I leaned back against the couch again and let my hand stay in his. His request was sincere, and he seemed like he needed the contact. So did I, if I were being honest.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell you this,¡± he began. ¡°I know I must, but I don¡¯t want you to be upset. I hate seeing you upset and worried and scared. But if I don¡¯t tell you, then you won¡¯t know to be on guard and protect yourself and Emilia from danger.¡±


    I looked at him for a moment and decided to ask, ¡°On guard against what?¡± I knew I wouldn¡¯t like the answer, so I breathed in deep and linked my fingers with his, waiting for the inevitable bad news.


    ¡°Junior¡¯s on the loose again,¡° he said, his voice soft and quiet.


    I could tell he was trying to keep from screaming the words. He had our daughter in his arms, and he was holding her and rubbing her back to keep himself calm.


    I wanted to scream myself. This was a man who was pure evil. He was one of my worst nightmares. I was terrified of him and so tired of having to think about him in my life. I wished he would just move on and find someone else to make miserable. But at the same time, I was confident that I would defend myself and my child from him if I had to. I just hoped it didn¡¯te to that.


    ¡°The guys aren¡¯t sure how and where they slipped up,¡± he continued. ¡°They don¡¯t know how he got away. The car that he was in was upied by someone else today when we found it. We stayed there for a little bit to see if the guy would meet up with Junior or not. When it seemed like the guy would sit there forever, they took me back to the car and I came home. Our guys are still trailing that person.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s being done to find him?¡° I asked.


    I was surprised that my voice was even and that it didn¡¯t tremble. Everything inside of me was trembling. I knew what Junior was capable of. He was a sociopath who needed to be six feet under in somebody¡¯s graveyard. Wishing him dead made me feel awful, but I knew I would rather it be him than me and my baby.


    As I looked at Emilia, ying in Elio¡¯s arms and babbling at him about something nonsensical, I felt like weeping. I wanted to snatch her out of Elio¡¯s arms and run away.


    I looked up and my eyes met his. I saw the anger and frustration in him. I wondered if he could see the pain and fear in me. Did he see that I wanted to run away? Could he see that this life didn¡¯t seem as interesting and fulfilling to me as it once did?


    I liked the mafia life, especially at first when it was just us. It was interesting and intriguing. I got to be a bad ass sometimes. I knew how to defend myself. I learned how to use weapons and to fight. Elio refused to let me be a part of his life and in this world without knowing how to take care of myself.


    But there was someone else to be concerned with now. What if something happened to my baby? I¡¯d never forgive myself for it. I knew I would go crazy if something happened to Emilia.


    While Elio was my life, I knew it would never be full without our Emilia. I spent most of my days and nights with her. I taught her how to eat her food. I breastfed her for months before we switched to form.


    Everything about this little girl was my whole world. I couldn¡¯t imagine life without her, and I certainly couldn¡¯t imagine my life if she was harmed because of something Elio or I did or didn¡¯t do.


    Our eyes were still intertwined those intense mes of anger in his, and I didn¡¯t know what he saw in mine.


    I opened my mouth to ask about getting out of the life, then closed it. He loved the life. He absolutely loved being the Don of the family. He loved providing for the family and taking care of the family. How could I ask him to give it up?


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡° I asked, still staring into those eyes.


    ¡°Sure,¡° he readily agreed.


    I was grateful that he had answered me so easily, trusting that my question would it be something he wouldn¡¯t want to answer. I looked at that handsome face and realized I wasn¡¯t ready for that conversation.


    I was afraid to talk about it with him. If we didn¡¯t have this life, what did we have? If we weren¡¯t in the mafia, who were we? This was our lives. How could I change it so drastically? So, I decided I would put off that question till another night. I would ask another burning question instead.


    ¡°Do you think Junior will wait until more of the family gets here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. No one can predict what he will do,¡± Elio said, rubbing his knuckles on my cheek.


    Already, I was tired of talking about Junior and everything that his presence implied. We were safe for now. All we had was now. Our little girl was happy and we were there together in the great room our shoes off our clothes a little disheveled.


    The TV was on, and the house was brightly lit. Thepound was shut down for the night because everybody was inside. There was no danger right now and we were a family. I smiled at him and leaned closer to kiss his lips.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about that tonight,¡° I said, pulling my hand from his and standing. ¡°I¡¯ll get the popcorn. You and Emilia choose the movie we¡¯re going to watch.¡°


    ¡°What if she wants to watch a cartoon?¡± Elio asked, giving a mock grimace.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the breaks,¡± I said with a shrug.


    I walked away to get the popcorn and some snacks for our family night. Tonight, we would celebrate being a family and being able to be safe in each other¡¯spany.


    We had so much fun. Emilia didn¡¯t want to sit still, so she used her crawling skills to move around the carpet in front of us. Elio and I cuddled together on the couch, watching her antics while a movie yed in the background.


    Weughed, we talked, and we loved¨CElio, Emilia, and I. We were happy in the present and would worry about what woulde tomorrow.

 Chapter 818 : Something’s Wrong

    <h4>Chapter 818: Chapter 818 : Something¡¯s Wrong</h4>


    *Elio*


    It felt like deja vu all over again as I woke up to the empty side of our bed where Cat should be. The sun had just started to rise and the rm was still an hour from going off, but as I reached out to her side, it was cold.


    She¡¯d clearly been up for a while.


    I sighed, heaving myself to my feet as I headed to where I knew she would be.


    I walked into the kitchen and saw Cat sitting at the kitchen table with an empty look on her face. The scent of coffee hung in the air as she sped her hands tightly around her favorite mug, even though it was chipped.


    I couldn¡¯t remember how many times I¡¯d told her it was better to throw it away and get a new one, but she¡¯d insisted on it being special cause it ¡®had character.¡¯


    I frowned, lingering just outside of the kitchen as I watched her for a moment, wondering what on earth she was up so early two nights in a row. But as time passed, I slowly realized that the answer was nothing.


    She was thinking, or overthinking maybe, but she didn¡¯t move a muscle, eyes unfocused and dark circles under them as she stared nkly at the wood grain on the table. She waspletely lost in her thoughts.


    ¡°Cat?¡± I called quietly, not sure if she would hear me.


    I saw her flinch, ncing up at me with wide eyes like she¡¯d just woken up from a long sleep.


    ¡°Hm?¡± she hummed, taking a sip of her coffee, then making a weird face. It was probably lukewarm at best.


    I sighed, taking the seat beside her as I gently brushed the hair away from her neck. ¡°Did you even sleep at allst night?¡± I asked worriedly.


    I didn¡¯t know what was going on with her, but I could tell something was wrong. Cat liked to sleep in. She always made sure to get as many hours as she could.


    Waking up so early was not normal for her.


    ¡°Yeah, I did. Emilia woke up early so I got up to soothe her back to sleep and I just... didn¡¯t fall back asleep.¡± Cat exined it away, but she tapped her fingers against her mug insistently, not meeting my eyes.


    I knew when Cat was lying. I¡¯d known for her more than half of her life at this point.


    She was definitely lying to me.


    I opened my mouth to question her, push a little harder and find out the reason why she was lying to me, but right at that moment the baby monitor sitting beside her lit up with three red dots, the sound of Emilia¡¯s crying through.


    Cat rose out of her seat on instinct, but I held a hand against her shoulder, pushing her back down.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve got her. Just rx, okay?¡± I said, brushing her hair from her face so I couldy a kiss on her forehead.


    She nodded, humming a little okay as I rose, heading to the nursery with quickened steps.


    I didn¡¯t really feel right about leaving Cat like this, but I trusted that she would be okay for a few minutes while I got our daughter up and ready for the day.


    Emilia, as it turned out, was having a bit of a fussy day, which I normally wouldn¡¯tin about. But today was a bit of a special day. We had test photos with our photographer, and Cat wanted to bring Emilia to get at least a couple with her. But dressing her in her little flower girl dress was nearly impossible.


    I ended up giving up, just putting her in a onesie for now, at least until after breakfast. When I came back into the kitchen, Cat was already making breakfast since it was so early the cook hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Emilia¡¯s bottle was warmed up and ready to go.


    Unfortunately for me, Emilia wasn¡¯t having any of it.


    With a third tooth on the way, she was ornery as she pped her hands on her highchair, trying to wiggle out of it. I had my hands full with her to the point where Cat¡¯s unusual mood slipped my mind.


    It took every trick in the book I had just to get her to drink some of her form and take a few bites of her mashed bananas. And even then, most of itnded on the floor. Cat and I only ate a bagel each, our hands full with getting Emilia ready as it took both of us to get her into her dress.


    Cat headed into the bathroom to get ready while I did Emilia¡¯s hair up for the day.


    ¡°There, isn¡¯t she all nice and pretty now?¡± I grinned widely at Cat when she walked back into the room, showing off what I thought was my best work yet¨Cour little princess dressed in a light pink frilled dress, a row of fake lilies and roses across her waist and a flower hairclip pinned to keep her tufts of hair from her face.


    She was a vision. Cat smiled, taking her from me to try to cheer up our pouting daughter.


    ¡°After the photos, I¡¯m going to meet with your mother,¡± Cat said matter-of-factly. ¡°She just called and she was hoping to see Emilia today, so since I didn¡¯t have anything to do after this, I figured I could take her to lunch while you¡¯re at work.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great,¡± I said, having no problem with it. My parents didn¡¯t get to see Emilia very often but they adored her just as everyone else did. ¡°Make sure you have Tony with you when you go, though, just in case.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she agreed easily.


    If I hadn¡¯t noticed her unusual mood earlier, I would have now. Cat never liked having guards following her and she always put up an argument, or at least a re of defiance, but she didn¡¯t do any of that.


    Her agreeableness was a huge red g that something was clearly very wrong. I raised an eyebrow at her but she only smiled innocently, a weary look in her eyes.


    I yed dumb for her sake, giving a sigh before folding her into a hug.


    ¡°You can talk to me always. You know that, right?¡± I said quietly, wanting her to know that I was here whenever she was ready. I felt her nod into my shoulder.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    She answered quietly, but despite my hopes that she would open up, she didn¡¯t.


    Cat and I grabbed our outfits in bags and a change of normal clothes for Emilia before we headed off to meet our photographer. Cat was silent the whole way, ying with her fingers in herp absent-mindedly.


    Though I wanted to dive deeper to find out what was wrong, I could tell she didn¡¯t want to talk about it.


    Our photographer met us at the cathedral, which I¡¯d booked for a few hours just to do some test pictures. We changed into our formal wear, a simple dress and tux we were using for just the announcement photographs here and the rehearsalter.


    ¡°Oh, you two are simply stunning!¡± Our photographer grinned wildly as she saw us. ¡°Simply amazing. You¡¯re both some of the best models I¡¯ve had in a long time, though don¡¯t tell anybody I said that. A perfect match for one another.¡±


    We took photos outside then at the venue and the rehearsal hall.


    The beautiful arch was blooming full of flowers in the spring air. Despite the wind being a bit finicky, our photographer made it work for us as she directed us into positions, snapping photos faster than I¡¯d expected.


    We headed inside to the hall next and Catughed, happily clinging to my side as the ceiling projections lit up into a starry gxy around us, her golden dress shining like a star in the lights. I twirled her a bit, happy to see her rxing and bing more yful like she normally was.


    We lost ourselves a bit, ending up taking more photos than necessary, but our photographer was more than happy with it, practically beaming with hearts in her eyes as she showed us the digital photos. With a little bit of editing, they would be perfect.


    Cat and I picked our favorites, having them sent to our phones, though we both agreed that our favorite was the three of us in the starry sky, Emiliaughing between us as we kissed each side of her cheek.


    That one I made sure to personally save. My beautiful girls were radiant.


    We changed back to our normal clothes, including getting Emilia out of her flower girl dress, which she was very excited about. Our photographer stayed to take some more photos of the venue without us, making sure she had enough spare ones for touch-ups and editingter for the official ones.


    ¡°So, feeling good about everything?¡± I asked yfully as we left the cathedral to wait outside in the nice spring air.


    It was cloudy with just enough sun to keep it warm, a beautiful day. Tony was on his way to pick up Cat and Emilia so I could head to work and she could go meet with my mom.


    ¡°You know, I actually am,¡± Cat said, shooting me a grin. ¡°I was feeling really nervous, but not so much anymore. Even if the ceremony ends up as a mess, I know it¡¯ll be perfect because I¡¯m finally marrying you.¡±


    Her eyes were soft, full of emotion as she looked at me. I couldn¡¯t resist ducking my head to kiss her, my hand entwining in her silky hair. She was adorable sometimes.


    ¡°My soon-to-be wife is a romantic.¡± I grinned once we parted.


    ¡°And my soon-to-be husband is easy to trick into kissing me,¡± Cat smirked back.


    Iughed, ready to pull her into my car and bete to both our destinations, but then I saw Tony drive up in the corner of my eye.


    I was disappointed but I let Cat go, helping to buckle up Emilia into her car seat. Once she was secure, fast asleep from the busy day she¡¯d had, Cat turned to me with a small smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, after work,¡± Cat said, a bit of a nervous look to her.


    ¡°Say hi to my mom for me, okay?¡± I told her, kissing her onest time.


    I tried to ignore the unsure look in her eyes, like she was hiding something from me and didn¡¯t want me to know. She only nodded, and I stepped back, not saying anything though I desperately wanted to.


    It was only once they were gone and out of sight, I headed back to my own car. I had work to do, unfortunately, since I had some details to work out for my friend¡¯s development project.


    The office was at least a thirty-minute drive, but I was barely a third into that before my phone rang. Once I answered, Franky¡¯s voice came out urgently.


    ¡°We found something.¡±

 Chapter 819 : Doubts

    <h4>Chapter 819: Chapter 819 : Doubts</h4>


    *Cat*


    My lies weighed heavily on my shoulders as we drove away, leaving Elio in the parking lot of the cathedral where we would get married in only two months. I felt like As carrying the world, crushed under its weight as I gently brushed the hair of our sleeping child, images of guns being put to her little head shing through my mind.


    I shut my eyes, trying to will them away, but the fear was visceral like acid being poured down my throat.


    I¡¯d seen firsthand what could happen to those who were used to sending a message, and as much as I wanted to rely on Elio¡¯s promise of protection, the thought that Junior could take and harm our baby girl hurt more than anything.


    Olivia¡¯s house, the one they used when they were in LA, was asrge and well-managed as always and as we pulled up to the driveway, I saw one of the gardeners working on the flowers in the front, with a sunhat and bags of potting soil just thrown around.


    I stepped out of the car and Emilia woke up, whining a bit as I lifted her up on my shoulder. Tony was kind enough to grab the bag, following me with a quick step as we headed up the driveway.


    I¡¯d already told Olivia I wasing, so I wasn¡¯t surprised that their butler, John, met me at the door, already waiting with a patient smile. He was a kind gentleman and with a few words, he took over carrying Emilia¡¯s bag from Tony, who settled patiently to wait outside for us.


    I knew Gio and Olivia had their own guard system, one that probably rivaled ours. Despite being retired, Gio still had a lot of enemies who woulde after him, I remembered Elio telling me.


    John led us through the immacte house, and I paused to nce at the pictures of Gio, Olivia, and a tinier Elio on the wall, together and happy as a family. I tightened my hold on Emilia, guilty that I had lied to Elio¡¯s face just to be here but knowing that this was what I needed to feel safe again... to make a decision.


    ¡°The madam is in the garden. Would you like a ss of freshly squeezed lemonade or any other kind of fruit juice?¡± John asked as he directed us to the back patio doors.


    They were wide open, and I gave him a thankful look. ¡°That would be wonderful, thank you. Um, some lemonade for me and could you grab just a ss of ice as well?¡± I asked, a little embarrassed.


    But he didn¡¯t ask orin, just nodded as he headed off to the kitchen.


    I took a deep breath, readying myself for what was sure to be a hard conversation, and then stepped out onto the patio. Olivia was humming, a sound that was easy to follow. It was a familiar tune that I¡¯d heard Elio singing to Emilia sometimes when she couldn¡¯t sleep at night.


    Even Emilia seemed to recognize it, her little head jolting up as she searched around with her wide, curious eyes. She wiggled in my arms like she was ready to jump down and run toward the sound, but I kept a sound hold on her.


    Following the voice, I saw Olivia on the gazebo by the pond. She had a soft, kind look to her as she sat on thefortable outdoor lounging cushions under the shade. She had a bag of what looked like fish feed in her hand as she sprinkled it out into the pond.


    ¡°Oliv¨C¡± I paused, clearing my throat before I called out, ¡°Mom,¡± like she had asked me to.


    Her face lit up as she saw me and Emilia and she rushed out of her seat, immediately opening up her arms as she came over. I happily passed over Emilia, who clung to her grandmother with a bubbly grin, showing off all four of her baby teeth now.


    ¡°Oh my sweet grandbaby, you¡¯re so adorable today. Yes, you are.¡± The baby voice was out, Olivia smiling brighter than ever as she doted on my daughter and I took a seat at the gazebo, sighing in relief as I came under the shade. It had gotten hotter since leaving the cathedral.


    John came back carrying a pitcher of lemonade and sses on a tray, including one filled with some bite-sized ice cubes. I gave him a grateful look, sparing the moment to search through Emilia¡¯s bag.


    Once I got her pacifier, this one not having any holes, I stuffed a few ice cubes in, allowing her to suck on it. She happily wiggled her feet as she sucked on the cold ice cubes, safe so she wouldn¡¯t choke and able to bite down on the rubber instead of everyone else¡¯s skin.


    I had a few bite marks from her new phase that I was not proud to show off.


    Olivia doted on Emilia for a few minutes, asking me about how things were going, and I was relieved that she didn¡¯t demand any answers right away, letting me build myself up to it at my own pace.


    Not everyone had her patience.


    It took a bit of idle chatter, just talking about the wedding and how Emilia was growing, before I finished off my lemonade, pouring another as John left us to ourselves.


    Carefully looking around to make sure we were alone, I quietly asked, ¡°So, where¡¯s Giovani? I thought he¡¯d be home with you.¡±


    Olivia smiled at me, a knowing look on her face like she knew exactly what I was doing. But she didn¡¯t point that out, simply redoing Emilia¡¯s pigtails into tiny braids on either side of her shoulder.


    ¡°I kicked him out today, actually,¡± Olivia said with augh. ¡°I figured you wanted to talk to me alone. You sounded so worried on the phone, so I figured this was a girl-to-girl conversation. Was I wrong? I¡¯m sure he¡¯d love to pop in from whatever he¡¯s doing.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right.¡± I sighed, finally stopping all the pretenses as I got down to what I really came here for. ¡°I¡¯m just... having some thoughts I guess and I was just curious....¡±


    I paused, not wanting to say the words aloud. But Olivia only had a serene expression, gently holding Emilia in her arms as she taught her to drop the feed above the pond, the colorful koiing to poke their heads up. I smiled softly at the delightful shriek ofughter that tore through my baby at the sight, reaching out her chubby hands for the little fish like she could catch them bare-handedly from here.


    This was my only chance to get the answers I needed.


    ¡°What was it like? You know, leaving the Valentinos and the whole mafia scene?¡± I asked cautiously, keeping a nk face as Olivia stiffened, sharply ncing over at me with a look I couldn¡¯t decipher.


    She pursed her lips, not saying a word. Sweat dripped down the back of my neck as I tried not to show how affected I was by her scrutinizing look. The silence was loud andsted several excruciating minutes.


    I was just beginning to regret saying anything at all when Olivia spoke, not looking me in the eyes but ncing at my daughter, who as still fascinated by the fish swimming in the pond.


    ¡°Does Elio know you want to leave?¡±


    I stiffened, trying not to let it show on my face, but by the sadness in Olivia¡¯s eyes.


    She already knew.


    ¡°I don¡¯t actually want to leave,¡± I lied, holding the cold ss of lemonade in my hand to get myself grounded. ¡°I¡¯m just doubting myself a bit.¡±


    Olivia hummed disbelievingly, but she didn¡¯t push it. ¡°Having Elio taken away from me was what really had me determined to leave. I¡¯d been thinking about it before then and I¡¯d even brought it open to Gio a few times before, thinking about living somewhere, a life where we weren¡¯t in danger all the time. But Gio wanted to stay, so I dropped it. When Elio was taken....¡±


    She tightened her grip around Emilia ever so slightly, a look of grief oveing her face. I realized then how deeply she¡¯d been affected by the incident. Even though she had gotten Elio back unharmed, even though he had now grown up into his own man, for a time she had essentially lost her child.


    The grief of that time would never go away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Olivia wiped her watery eyes, giving me a serious look. ¡°After Elio... I told Gio that we needed to leave. I just couldn¡¯t let that happen again. All of it was just too much for me after that. Gio easily agreed after that and we got our affairs in order, and we left.¡±


    I understood where she wasing from. I nced at Emilia, my heart tightening at the thought of having her taken from me even for a single moment and the nightmares I¡¯d started having, of Junior¡¯s promise to take everything I loved away from me. I knew it would destroy me to lose her.


    I nced up at Olivia with onest question on my mind. ¡°Did you ever miss it?¡± I asked somberly, ¡°regret leaving, I mean?¡±


    Olivia looked me straight in the eyes, a burning confident look in hers, one that told me my answer even before the words got to my ears.


    ¡°No. Not even once.¡±


    I shut my eyes, not sure what I wanted to hear but not feeling satisfied with what I had heard nheless. I was still lost, like trying to navigate a forest without a map.


    ¡°Cat.¡± Olivia¡¯s hand grabbed mine gently and she gave me a smile. ¡°When I left I had my family with me. Gio and Elio, they were all I had ever really wanted, so I was content with my life. You have to think about what really matters to you¨Cwhat you want with your own life. Is what you would lose by leaving more important than what you could lose by staying?¡±


    I swore Olivia to secrecy, thinking deeply about her question as we got up to leave after an hour or two more. Olivia showed us the gardens on our way out, even letting Emilia put her hand in the water so the koi fish could feed straight from her palm.


    Once we got home though, she was tuckered out, ready for a deep long nap. Though I knew it was better to put her into her crib, Olivia¡¯s look of grief and her story of losing her child had me settling on the couch, cuddling Emilia into my chest protectively.


    I had gone there to reassure myself, but I only ended up more terrified.


    I kept thinking deeply about Olivia¡¯s words, of what I wanted and what I could lose.


    I hummed softly to my sleeping baby, letting her dream away peacefully in my arms as I realized that if staying meant losing her, then it wasn¡¯t worth it in the slightest.


    After Emilia¡¯s nap, I told the cook to take the rest of the day off and started to work on dinner for Elio, determined to do something with my hands as Emilia yed in the living room. I was close enough to watch her from the hall, only a few short steps away.


    I was almost done when Elio walked into the door.


    ¡°Cat?¡± he called out, stepping into the living room first.


    ¡°Here!¡± I shouted, using the spat to turn the food in the skillet.


    Elio walked in, an urgent look on his face, and I faced with a worried look as he blurted his words loud for me to hear.


    ¡°I have news about Junior.¡±

 Chapter 820 : Wrapped Around Her Finger

    <h4>Chapter 820: Chapter 820 : Wrapped Around Her Finger</h4>


    *Elio*


    ¡°I have news about Junior.¡±


    It was only once the words burst out of my mouth in a rush that I nced at Cat fully, her hair folded into a high ponytail as she was mid-strain on a bunch of spaghetti noodles, ncing at me with a weird look in front of the sink.


    Maybe now wasn¡¯t the best time, I thought guiltily, especially as there was a pop from the skillet on the stove and we both jumped at the sudden noise.


    ¡°Oh, the chicken¨C¡± Cat said, conflicted, still struggling to drain the pasta.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ve got it.¡± I took over, ncing at the two slices of chicken parmesan in the skillet. I unstuck them from the pan, hearing the oil sizzling with satisfaction.


    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll hear what you have to say after dinner is done, okay?¡± Cat gave me a grateful smile, leaning over to kiss me on the cheek before she started ting the pasta.


    Emilia was already in her high chair at the table, watching us as she yed with her bottle of form more than actually drank it.


    Cat and I worked wlessly together to finish up dinner. The scent of the food already had my stomach growling as we finished ting the chicken on top of the spaghetti, covering it with the homemade sauce Cat had learned to make from my father.


    I served the tes, one for each of us along with the little bowl of side sd that Cat made as well, and we settled down at the table. Cat spared a moment to give Emilia a little te of in spaghetti noodles, cut up into tiny bits, and then turned to look at me with a nod.


    ¡°Alright, now spill,¡± Cat said firmly. ¡°What happened with Junior?¡±


    Cat took a bite of the food, listening to me intently as I spilled everything I¡¯d learned from Franky earlier.


    ¡°Franky called, and he found out that we¡¯d lost the previous tracking due to him switching the cars after he approached you. But this time, Franky managed to find out that while Junior was in hiding, he¡¯d purchased quite a few properties here in the city. We think he¡¯s been here longer than we anticipated, which is going to drive Al nuts when I tell him,¡± I exined.


    Cat scoffed. ¡°Of course he has. He just can¡¯t stand that he lost once. What was doing with all those properties? Can you trace them back to him?¡±


    ¡°Franky already has,¡± I answered with a grin. ¡°It was just a few random plots across the city months ago, so nobody noticed since it¡¯s LA. But he hired several construction teams to work on the plots, though not for the surface buildings. Leo did some more digging and found out there¡¯s a whole ass tunnel system he¡¯d built under the city that stretches to each of the plots he¡¯d purchased. We¡¯re talking dozens of miles of tunnels here.¡±


    ¡°Tunnels?¡± Cat asked incredulously. ¡°What does he need tunnels for?¡±


    ¡°Escape routes,¡± I said pointedly. ¡°Hees to the property in one car and moves through the tunnels with a different one. That¡¯s how he changed from the car we were tracking and how he¡¯s been slipping away from our surveince all this time.¡±


    ¡°Clever,¡± Cat snorted, then she frowned, ncing up at me with furrowed eyebrows. ¡°That¡¯s not like him at all. He always relied on intimidation to get what he wanted, not all this sneaking around. He¡¯s not smart enough toe up with a n like that.¡±


    ¡°He also doesn¡¯t have the funding and resources either,¡± I pointed out, in line with her thinking. ¡°Someone else has been calling the shots, or at the very least someone has been working with him. On that front, we have nothing about them either. It¡¯s either someone powerful enough to keep themselves hidden or someone who¡¯s a master at concealing themselves. Maybe both. Either way, it¡¯s going to be tough to determine Junior¡¯s whereabouts now.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a way to track him though?¡± Cat asked with a frown. ¡°There are only so many tunnels, and you have a list of the properties he¡¯d bought, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Franky suggested too,¡± I grinned, proud that she¡¯de to that same conclusion. ¡°We can¡¯t determine which cars he¡¯s using moving forward, but we can track all the cars that go to those properties. If we¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ll catch him using one and be able to track his whereabouts from there. It¡¯ll be a long reconnaissance job, so I¡¯ve sent Franky and his team on it. They¡¯ll be able to pick up the patterns very quickly and from there, we¡¯ll be able to corner and capture Junior before the wedding.¡±


    ¡°Thank god.¡± Cat sighed in relief, throwing her head back as she slumped in her chair. She sent me a tired grin from her seat. ¡°I¡¯d really like to get married knowing the con artist who tricked me into dating him is in jail and not out on the streets looking for ways to destroy us.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± I gave her a reassuring look. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it happens, Cat, I swear. He won¡¯t ever be getting close to you or Emilia ever again.¡±


    She smiled, picking up her te so she could move to the seat right beside me, leaning her head on my shoulder exhaustedly.


    ¡°Did my mom tire you out that much?¡± Iughed.


    ¡°Sorta,¡± she said stiffly, not giving me much more than that and I sighed inwardly. She still wasn¡¯t ready to talk to then, I thought disappointedly. ¡°She and Emilia fed the koi fish in their pond. Emilia was in love.¡±


    ¡°Was she?¡± I chuckled, imagining how cute that would¡¯ve been. I nced at our daughter, pasta stuck to her face, her te empty and the pasta just everywhere else as she blinked at us slowly, clearly tired from her big day.


    I had fond memories of the koi fish my mom always raised.


    ¡°Her naming sense still as bad as when I was a kid?¡± I asked with a grin, remembering some of the horrible names she¡¯de up with for the koi fish.


    ¡°Emilia¡¯s favorite apparently was named Sprinkles,¡± Cat said.


    I burst intoughter, my whole body shaking at the ridiculous name.


    ¡°Mine was Filet,¡± I told her with a wide grin, and this time sheughed, rxing against my shoulder. ¡°What? He was the best fish ever. Mom loved him too until Dad really took his name too seriously.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Cat gasped in horror.


    ¡°I¡¯m kidding,¡± Iughed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. ¡°Koi fish aren¡¯t very good to eat but they are pretty, aren¡¯t they? Besides, you think Mom would still be with him if he cooked one of her beloved fish for dinner? That divorce would¡¯ve been messy.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine it,¡± Cat giggled. ¡°They seem so in love, even after so many years together.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, that¡¯s because Dad knew better than to piss her off,¡± I said grinning, remembering the few times they¡¯d fought when I was a kid. It was mostly over stupid things that neversted more than five minutes before Dad sweet-talked her into forgiveness.


    ¡°Maybe you can take a lesson from him then,¡± Cat said pointedly.


    Iughed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. I caught sight of her te then, only a few bites taken despite how hard she had worked on it.


    I frowned. ¡°You need to eat some more.¡±


    ¡°Feed me then,¡± she pouted. childishly, but I couldn¡¯t deny her when she hit me with those wide sweet eyes, the look that matched our daughter when she wanted someone that was just out of reach.


    I caved in five seconds, sighing as I pused my own te away. Cat grinned happily as I twirled up the pasta and cut up her chicken, feeding her bite by bite. I knew this was something Cat only allowed me to do to pamper her when she wasn¡¯t feeling up to it.


    It made me proud that she could rx and y around like this in front of me, not caring about what it looked like to others. I smirked as I watched her slurp up a long piece of noodle, getting a hint of the sauce on her cheek.


    I had to admit it provided me with some great opportunities.


    I wasted no time licking up any little mess she left behind, happy to hear her giggling, eyes bright as she stared at me like I was the entirety of her world. Cat didn¡¯t mind at all though as she wound up sitting on myp, our lips pressed together sweetly as my hands dove under her shirt, fingers spread across the skin of her back.


    I¡¯d just unhooked her bra, one hand on her thigh when Cat moaned, turning me on even further. My lips hit her neck and she breathed heavily, lifting her neck to give me better ess as I showed her just how much I appreciated her.


    We were so entwined with one another that neither of us noticed Emilia¡¯s little head nodding more and more until we heard a loud clunk.


    Emilia¡¯s face hit headfirst into her messy te, and Cat suppressed her giggles behind her lips.


    ¡°You got morning, so my turn,¡± Cat said, slipping off of myp and I reluctantly let her go, sulking now. She gave me a sly look. ¡°You know Emilia has to go to bed before anything you want can happen.¡±


    I cursed under my breath, but seeing the still tired look in Cat¡¯s eyes, I got to my feet, immediately gathering up the tes as Cat unhooked Emilia from the highchair, taking her for a bath.


    Since she¡¯d obviously sent the servants away, I did the dishes easily, hurrying impatiently as I cleaned everything and left it on the drying rack. As soon as I was done, I hurried up the stairs two at a time right as Cat came out with a freshly clean Emilia.


    ¡°Here, you take a bath and I¡¯lle get you when Emilia is down for the night,¡± I told her with a smile, reaching out to pluck our daughter from her arms.


    She pursed her lips but smiled as Emilia¡¯s head thunked against my shoulder, eyes closed as she was one luby away from passing out.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Cat leaned up her tippy toes, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips before she pulled back with a smirk. She turned her back to me, hips swaying as she walked straight into the bathroom without a change of clothes or a towel.


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely be thanking you soon then,¡± Cat flirted, then she shut the bathroom door, leaving just a crack open behind her.


    I swallowed, my desire growing, and I practically scrambled to get to the nursery to put Emilia down for the night.


    Fuck, Cat sure knew just how to wrap me around her finger.


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